Two Days Later: Night

Sunnydale High School: Main Entry

Entering the high school through the front doors, Buffy tossed her gaze around the quiet and dim lit building.

It had been two days since her first encounter with the Vampire Slayer and her friends, Buffy kept a low profile and began to follow the Slayer, studying her carefully. Buffy found that this Slayer had a zest for a fight. She possessed a brawler-type of fighting style, which Buffy found interesting. Most of the other Slayers in the past were prone to a more oriental martial arts technique. It was clean and crisp whereas Faith's hand to hand combat style seemed disoriented and flamboyant.

She walked further into the high school and glanced to her left to see a short, balding middle aged man in suit back away further into the shadows as Buffy moved past. Buffy tossed the man a half smile and continued down the hallway.

Library: Main Area

Opening the double doors of the library, Buffy stepped inside to see the Scoobie's standing around the research table with a frown set on their faces.

Faith was the first to notice Buffy as she entered. "Where've you been?"

"Around," Buffy replied, remaining sweetly mysterious.

Narrowing her eyes on the blonde, Faith had a hard time accepting her reply. "You disappeared on us. I was looking for you."

Appearing surprised, Buffy looked at the burnette and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I had an assignment due and it was a big chunk of my grade. What's up?" Her eyes darted around the room with worry. "Is everything okay?"

"Well," Giles removed his glasses from his nose and held out the book, opened to the page they had been discussing prior to Buffy's arrival, "it seems we may have a slight apocalypse."

Buffy stepped towards him taking the book from his hand and scanned it briefly over.

"I found this text," Giles began to explain. "But there is nothing in the chronicles about an extraneous lunar cycle."

"The Order never accurately calculated," Buffy's green eyes flew across the library to the new face in the Scooby gang. She was a petite dark haired woman with an attractive face, "the Mesopotamian Calendar." The woman looked at Buffy and said, "We haven't met yet, I'm Jenny Calendar. I'm the computer science teacher here that also dabbles in magics."

Buffy raised a brow but kept a polite smile on her face. "So a technopagan?"

"Yes, exactly." Jenny's dark eyes rolled over Buffy once over, "Wow, you are exactly how everyone describes you."

"A Capricorn on the cusp of Aquarius?" Buffy said with cheeky sarcasm that earned her a snort chuckle from Xander, standing off to her right side.

Jenny smirked, "Among other things..."

Giles continued with a bit of urgency in his voice, "Well, um, Ms Calendar has been researching, well, uh, surfing on her computer, a-and she's… Well, according to her calculations, this Saturday is the Night of Saint Vigeous."

Buffy frowned.

"Lemme guys, this quack didn't like balloon animals?" Faith huffed wanting a night off from vampires. "Fuckin' figures."

Holding her arms crossed over her chest, Buffy racked her mind wondering where she had heard about the Night of Saint Vigeous when she remembered Dracula had mentioned it before.

In that moment, it had suddenly come back to Buffy.

It was seventeen sixty-three. Buffy was supposed to attend a grand ball that was held on the holy night of the vampire attack. It was a tradition in the higher class of vampiric society. Buffy had flaked on the date and went ahead to travel to Prussia. She found fighting and killing her second Slayer much more worth her time than attending some tired grand ball to celebrate some medieval vampire that had gotten himself killed six hundred years earlier. Returning home Dracula was quite cross with her.

"Vigeous led a crusade in the… err… fifteenth century?" Buffy tried to remember the history she hadn't thought about in nearly two hundred and forty years. "Uh, his army swept through Edessa and Harran. The night is typically treated like Yom Kippur for vamps—except no one participates and everyone parties instead." She suddenly noticed the room's large eyes. Buffy frowned, "What?—I can read a book."

Giles blinked and pulled the group back on topic. "I'd like us to be prepared. This Saturday's going to need a great deal of preparation."

Willow smiled. "Well, we'll help."

"Yeah," Xander agreed, "I'll whittle stakes."

"A-and I can research stuff." Willow nodded proudly.

"And while whittling, we can whistle a jaunty tune," Oz sarcastically added.

The plan Buffy had originally had in mind morphed and twisted into a long end game. She had an idea of how to use her mate when Giles proved himself useful and inspired the vampiress.

Crawford Street Mansion: Library Room

Knees straddled across Angelus' lap with her arms lazily draped over his shoulders and partially around his neck, Buffy kissed and nipped the skin of his neck.

"You think just because you kiss my neck, I'm just going to agree to this nonsense?" Angelus chuckled, holding his hands on her hips.

Buffy drew back her head to look at him. "Actually," she ground her centre over his hardening cock, "I was kinda hoping you wouldn't agree just yet." Buffy bit his bottom lip with a smiled then planted a kiss across his mouth.

"You're going to do a hell of a lot better than that to convince me to throw myself into the line of fire for you, a ghrá (my love)."

Buffy looked at him with big puppy eyes and pouted her lips adorably.

Scoffing, Angelus said, "Just because you're pouting doesn't mean that it'll get to me, because it won't."

Buffy frowned then gave him her best pouty look.

Angelus turned his dark eyes away from her and up to the ceiling. "It's not getting to me."

The tips of her fingertips slowly and ever-so gently touched the skin of Angelus' throat and continued to slid down this chest. The smile on Buffy's face widened, watching Angelus fall for her antics.

Unable to resist her girlish charms, Angelus muttered, "Fuck," under his breath. He turned his eyes back to her and asked, "What do I have to do?"

Excitedly, Buffy circled her arms around his neck. "The Scoobies are expecting something to happen this Saturday for Saint Vigeous."

Angelus pinched his brows together. "But nothing ever happens on Saint Vigeous."

"They want a battle." She began to toy with his dark hair and lovingly smiled at him. "Showing our new friends a 'good time' would be the gentlemanly thing to do."

"Of course," he tucked a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear and returned her smile. "You will remain in the facade of 'good guy', while the Slayer will turn her focus on me and begin to hunt me down. What a great plan you've come up with, dear."

Glaring her eyes at him, Buffy frowned, "You judge my plan without hearing it in its entirety. That's just rude, darling."

Angelus smirked. "Fine, Buf, tell me your 'grand plan'."

"I want them to know about you. And I want them to know about me." Buffy said, watching her mate's frown deepen.

"That sounds counterproductive."

"But I won't be who they think I am."

"And that is…?" Angelus asked.

"A monster." Buffy replied. "I will remain one of the gang and gain their trust."

Angelus cocked a high brow. "How will you do that when you're evil, a ghrá (my love). How will you convince them that you're all holier-than-thou?"

"I will have my soul—or something to that effect—I haven't sorted out all of the details just yet. But I'm going to get very close to this Slayer. She will trust me. Everyone she holds dear will trust me. And they will confide in me and I will snap their necks when they least expect it. This Slayer… she's got a lot of spirit." Buffy devilishly smiled. "And I will break it."

Angelus danced his eyes gaze over her beautiful face with admiration then revealed, "I do have a meeting with the Mayor scheduled for Saturday, but I can move it."

Buffy frowned, "The Mayor?"

"Yes," he took her hand and began to thoroughly kiss her fingers, "Apparently, we are being sought out by the good Mayor of Sunnydale. He has a proposition for us and I agreed to at least hear him out. I scheduled this meeting while you were out playing with your new friends. But if I must, I can reschedule, no big deal."

"Mmm," she hummed with a gleeful smile and hooked her arms around his neck, "thank you, my Angel."

Cupping her cheek tenderly, Angelus ran the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone. "Anything for you." He told her earnestly and guided her to lean downward and kiss him.

Next Night

The Bronze

Jerking electric guitars stood at the amplifier distorting the sound as the drums kicked in setting a South Asian inspired dramatic alternative rock sound.

"I've seen them kneel

With baited breath for the ritual

I've watched this experience raise

Them to pseudo higher levels

I've watched them leave their families

In pursuit of your nirvana

I've seen them coming to line up from Switzerland and America"

"La vache… doit me… touche… de la… jeudi," Faith looked up from the open French textbook placed in front of her and raised her brows at Willow, hoping for her approval.

Willow raised a high brow, unsure how to tell her friend that she was totally wrong.

Faith frowned. "Was it wrong? Should I use the plural?"

"No," Willow began, "but you said, 'The cow should touch me from Thursday'."

With a shrug, Faith sipped her soda. "Maybe that's what I was feeling."

"And you said it wrong."

Faith laid her head down over her arm on the textbook in defeat when Buffy and Xander appeared from the dance floor to the table.

"Guys, we're all alone out there," Xander pointed to the dance floor with his thumb.

"We're studying," Willow said.

"C'mon," Buffy rolled her eyes, "one dance." She flirtatiously batted her long lashes in Faith's direction. "You've been studying for like… twelve minutes. Your brain needs a break."

Faith looked at Willow, wanting to do just about anything else other than study for French class.

Willow eyed the Slayer wearing her infamous resolve face.

Rolling her eyes, Faith whined, "My brain is fried, Red. A break won't kill us."

"Une danse est ce dont nous avons besoin (A dance is what we need)," Buffy said in perfect French.

The group's eyes turned to the blonde.

With a shrug, Buffy said, "What? I know French. C'mon!" She grabbed Faith and Willow's hands, pulling them from their stools. "We can dance and study over there!"

"I'm followin' B on this one," Faith looked at Buffy with a smirk.

Pulling the friends onto the dance floor, Buffy and Faith dance around each other, holding their arms up over their heads as Xander dances wildly and Willow awkwardly sways. They smile widely, enjoying themselves.

"How long will this take, baba?

How long have we been sleeping?

Do you see me hanging on to every word you say?

How soon will I be holy?

How much will this cost, guru?

How much longer 'til you completely absolve me?"

The dark blue and white lights casted over the group of friends on dancers on the floor.

Standing beyond the tables near the base of the stairs, Angelus watched the friends on the dance floor.

His eyes were on Buffy, staring at her intently as she moved her hips to the hypnotic rhythm of the music. She held her hands up over her head and swayed her body when Faith stepped into Angelus' view.

He knew immediately this was the Vampire Slayer, matching Buffy's description perfectly.

Faith moved around his mate, her eyes lowered to Buffy's backside until she stepped around to face the blonde. They danced together to the sensual song,

Angelus smirked, able to smell the Slayer's tangy scent of arousal from where he stood.

He began to move around the room, changing his angles of the two women dancing when he stepped beside an attractive young college student sitting at the table with two of her friends.

"I saw you from across the bar and I just had to come over and hear your voice." Angelus said to the woman, shocked that a man so handsome was talking to her. Angelus' smirk oozes charm.

On the dance floor, Faith lifted her gaze to see that young woman from the table walk hand in hand with a man that looked evil.

Immediately, Faith tapped Buffy's arm and pointed to Angelus walking out with the girl.

Faith didn't see the smirk tug at Buffy's lips as she recognised her mate's back walking out.

The Slayer jumped into action and ran with Willow, Xander, and Buffy following them through the crowd to the backdoor that led straight into the alleyway.

Alleyway

The back door flew open, Faith and the others ran out just in time to see the man lift his head from the woman's neck. He let the woman's dead body fall to the pavement. He stepped under the dim streetlight wearing his vampiric features.

"You're not as good as they say," Angelus smirked, transforming back into his human disguise. His dark eyes over Faith, unimpressed.

Faith gripped the stake in her hand. "You don't know what I'm capable of." She sneered. "Who are you?"

Stuffing his hands into his long black coat pockets, Angelus replied, "The one that will kill you this Saturday." He chuckled and began to walk away when Angelus' gaze landed on his mate. With a widening smirk, he said with groveling slutyrness in his voice, "Why, Miss Summers, you're beautiful."

Faith whirled around to see Buffy's face.

The blonde pursed her lips and glared at Angelus. "Angel."

"Until we meet again, lover." He turned his back and disappeared into the cloak of darkness, leaving Buffy behind with faces filled with anger, confusion, and hurt with deceit.

Buffy swallowed and looked at her new friends. "We need to talk to Giles. Immediately." She began to head into the direction of the high school when Faith caught up with her and blocked her from her path.

"What? You're gonna explain just what the fuck happened back there?"

"I will do it when we talk to Giles," Buffy replied and tried to keep walking when Faith stepped in her way again. "Faith!"

Scowling with anger, Faith glared at the vampiress. "You know that guy? What is this Buffy? Who is he?"

"He is going to make our lives a living hell." Buffy said with serious urgency in her voice. "We have to talk to Giles, now."

Sunnydale High School: Library: Main Area

"Angel is his name?" Giles asked with a deepening frown, recognising the name for a vampire he's read about somewhere before.

"Yeah, that's what Buffy called him." Faith shot her glaring dark eyes at the blonde standing off to the side in the background.

Giles looked over to Buffy. "You know him?"

Faith stood straight and confronted the blonde with her powerful presence.

Buffy twisted the Claddagh ring wrapped around her right hand ring-finger. "I do," she replied. "But history knows him as Angelus, the Scourge of Europe."

Giles stared at the undercover vampiress with large eyes. He suddenly disappeared into his office and quickly returned with a thick old leather bound Watcher's Diary book with a date engraved on it: 1753-1850: Volume I.

He opened it skimming the pages and nodded finding what he had been searching for. "It says here; Angelus, the One with the Angelic Face, was sired by Darla, daughter to the Order of Aurelius led by the Master." Giles lifted his green eyes from the pages to Buffy then continued reading, "Angelus earned his notoriety for being one of the most sadistic and brutal vampires in history. He was turned in seventeen fifty-three which would make him..." he quickly did the math in his head.

"Two hundred and... forty-six," Willow answered, quickly doing the calculation in her head.

Xander frowned. "Aren't all vampires sadistic and brutal? Isn't that their entire shtick?"

"He's worse," Buffy interjected, gaining the room's interested attention. "Once he starts something he doesn't stop. Not until everything in his path is dead or burning."

"He's thorough and goal-oriented," Oz said with a frown.

Buffy frowned. "This isn't a joke. Angel killed the Master."

Giles removed his glasses in horrified shock. "Good Heavens." He felt the weight of the malicious vampire.

"You know him." Faith said. "He said your name. How do you know him?" She interrogated.

"Giles, you said 'one of the worst'," Willow began, "who else would be considered worse?"

Giles frowned and searched the pages when Buffy suddenly replied, "Me."

The room fell into a shock wave of surprise. They stared at Buffy with unblinking eyes. Faith couldn't believe her ears, she was in fact, certain she had heard Buffy wrong.

"You?" Giles pinched his brows together with confusion.

Buffy nodded. "If you turn a few pages, you'll see my name."

Giles did as told and turned a few pages with a frown unable to find 'Buffy' in the Watcher's handwriting.

"You won't find 'Buffy' but you will find 'Elizabeth'."

Almost dropping the book, Giles' head shot straight up. His face was wide with shock. "Elizabeth?—Y-you?"

Buffy nodded.

"You're her. You're Lady Elizabeth." Giles stared at Buffy in total disbelief. He's read many books on the notoriously violent vampire during his days training at the Watcher's Council. She was a prominent figure the Watcher studied. There was always an underlying fear for every Watcher assigned to a newly chosen Slayer called that the infamous Slayer of Slayers would appear and kill them both.

It was a strange dream for all of the Watcher's back at the Council to come face to face with the legendary vampiress.

"Whoa, whoa," Faith stepped in between the pair frustrated by her own confusion and being left out of the conversation. "What the hell is goin' on? Who the fuck's Lady Elizabeth?"

"I am," Buffy answered.

Giles closed the book. "You're Quod Spiritus Sanctus (The Beautiful Demon)?"

Buffy shrugged awkwardly.

"What does that mean?" Faith asked a bit nervous for the answer, still confused as hell to the information being tossed around.

"It's Latin for 'the Beautiful Demon'," Giles answered.

Faith glared at Buffy, angered by her deceitfulness. "How do you know Angelus? What?—Are you guys paling around like best buds killin' people?"

"Our relationship is a bit deeper than that," Buffy sighed heavily. "He's my mate."

"Oh, dear Lord," Giles removed his glasses again. He rubbed a hand over his face.

Faith eyed her Watcher, suddenly nervous. She looked back at Buffy and asked, "What's a mate?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Buffy began to explain, "It's like a… supernatural marriage. It's a Claim that can never be broken. There aren't any divorces. Once you have a mate, they're your mate for the rest of forever—Or until one of you dies."

"Eternal love?" Oz frowned, "Doesn't exactly scream evil."

"Are you asking if vampires can love?" Buffy looked at Oz. "Oh yea, we can love quite well. If not wisely."

Willow eyed the blonde curiously. "You and Angelus talked as if you hadn't seen each other in a long time."

"We haven't. Not for at least a century." Buffy lied.

"Why?"

Buffy pursed her lips in thought and said, "Well, it's hard to be evil and together when your human soul is shoved back into your body."

Giles frowned. "You have your soul?"

Buffy nodded.

"What does that mean?" Faith looked between the vampiress and Watcher.

"It means that I killed somebody I shouldn't have." Buffy twisted the Claddagh ring around her finger. "I've done a lot of unconscionable things and Sorina Albescu of the Clan Kalderash in Romania was the worst. She was a favorite amongst her people which excited me." Lying was almost comically too easy. "First I made her insane. Killed everyone she loved. I did every possible mental torture that I could think of. I wanted her to beg for death and she did." The room fell into a thick uncomfortable silence. "Her people sought out revenge for what I've done so they restored my human soul."

Willow frowned. "Why would they do that?"

"Because when you become a vampire the demon takes your body, but it doesn't get your soul. That's gone. No conscience, no remorse, the fear of God's wraths is... gone. It's an easy way to live." She frowned, looking guilted as she eyed her twisting hands. "You have no idea what it's like to have done the things I've done and to feel guilt for evils my soul had nothing to do with. I haven't fed on a human being since that day."

Giles ran a hand through his short hair, trying desperately to process everything.

Buffy turned her gaze to Giles and Faith when she said, "If Angelus is in town, it's not going to be good. He loves the 'unpredictable' and he has a flare for the dramatics."

As soon as the words left Buffy's mouth the school fluorescent ceiling lights went out.

"You weren't kidding," Cordelia muttered.

"He's here," Buffy said.

Faith went to the library doors and poked her head out, "Oh shit." She turned back to the group. "It's fuckin' parent teacher night."

Buffy frowned. "Why wait until Saturday when there's an 'all you can eat' buffet here? We gotta stop him."

Giles nodded, "Buffy's right. Faith, Buffy, Xander go out there and search for Angelus. Willow, Oz and Cordelia, take the parents and teachers and lock them in classrooms. Keep everyone out of the halls as much as possible."

The Scooby Gang agreed on the plan and split up in their respective directions.


Power walking down the hallway, Faith whirled around to stand in front of Buffy. "Go with Xander to find your lover-boy." Her expression softened, "I just need a minute to process all this and I can't do that with you around, okay?"

Buffy nodded with understanding.

"C'mon, Xand," Buffy pulled by the front of his shirt to follow her in the opposite direction.

Faith stood back and watched the pair continue down the hallway. The information that had just been thrown into her face was overwhelming. Faith pushed her dark hair from her face unsure how she felt about the fact Buffy is a vampire and wickedly evil vampire at that.

Concentrate, Faith. Hold it together. Faith told herself, regaining her focus to find Angelus and send him back to Hell.

Lounge Area

Crashing through the window, a group of vampire lackey's storm into the high school and grab some of the parents in a sudden panic. The vampires bite their necks until they die.

The parents and teachers scurried out of the lounge and sprinted down the halls where Willow, Oz, and Cordelia jumped into action to shove a group of them into random classrooms.

Angelus was the last to enter the dark high school.

His designer black dress shoes crunched the shattered glass beneath his feet. He adjusted the cuff of his white dress button-down shirt then the lapels of his black slim fit suit jacket.

Angelus smirked hearing the echoes of screams from the hallway. "Find me the Slayer. Bring her here."


Hidden in the darkness, Buffy and Xander watched as Angelus moved around those parents and teachers that had been captured by the invading vampires.

Buffy flicked her eyes to the other side of the hallway and noticed Faith, also hanging in the shadows.

Without saying anything, Buffy gave the Slayer a small nod, when Xander hung over Buffy's shoulder, much to her annoyance.

"Hey, so you know this Angelus guy, so, um… you got a plan?"

Buffy paused for a moment and looked at Xander, "Go back to the library." She quietly ordered then stepped into Angelus' crew's view. Faith still waited in the wings to jump out and fight.

Noticing his lackey's sudden distracted look on his demonic face, Angelus slowly turned to find his mate in her guise of a 'soul-having-vampire' holding a shaggy haired teenager he vaguely recognised from the Bronze.

A gleaming grin widened across his face. "Quod Spiritus Sanctus (The Beautiful Demon), is that you?"

"Hello, lover," Buffy replied with a snide smile.

"Milady," Angelus dramatically bowed. "How long has it been?"

Buffy shrugged. "A century or two but who's counting?" Sarcasm was thick in her voice as she flirtatiously tilted her head to the side.

Rolling his eyes over her petite but powerful frame, Angelus smirked with appreciation of her beauty. Just the sight of her was enough to make cold blood boil with desire.

"Are you well?" He asked.

Buffy rolled her eyes with a huff. "Enough with pleasantries, Angelus. What are you doing here?"

"I came here to see you, baby," he licked his lips and devilishly smiled. "I felt the need to celebrate Saint Vigeous but then I ran into you and I just couldn't resist." He stepped closer and touched her cheek. "What'd you think, Buf, do we have a shot at a second chance?"

Buffy returned his sinister smile. "Not a chance in hell, honey."

"That's too bad, since we are bound together for the rest of..." he grinned, "forever."

Suddenly, Buffy jabbed her fist out straight into Angelus' nose.

Angelus staggered backwards and frowned at his mate. He charged at her with flying fists, landing straight into her body.

Buffy kicked him in the face. He blocked her next swing and punched her across the cheek and bruised a fist into her stomach. He then grabbed her by the back of her head and arm, throwing her around, but Buffy's footing didn't slip. She easily regained her footing and kicked him again in the face.

Angelus arched backwards then snapped forward. She kneed him in the chin and delivered a series of machine gun punches into his torso and stomach. Buffy grabs his arm and diverts him into the wall, forcing his head to crash through the plaster.

He regains himself and straightens back up. Angelus whirled around only to have Buffy's heeled boot slam into his chest.

His back hits the wall and he begins to laugh hysterically. "She still got it!" Angelus hoots and halloards with demonic excitement.

Buffy kicked Angelus into the stomach and grabbed the stake hidden in her back pocket.

She hesitates.

Grinning at her wildly, he says, "You can't do it. You can't kill me."

Faith appeared behind Buffy's shoulder. Angelus quickly darted his eyes around the room and every one of his vampire lackey's were gone. Faith must have dusted them while he and Buffy were fighting.

Standing up straight, panting unneeded breaths from the fight, Angelus dusted off his black suit jacket then shoved Buffy back into Faith, forcing them to topple backwards onto the ground.

Angelus fleeded the high school.

Buffy landed on top of Faith. They look at one another, their faces close as they slowly untangle themselves.

Getting up to her feet, Buffy adjusted her black top and held out her hand for Faith to take.

"That won't be the last of Angel," Buffy stated as she helped the Slayer to her feet.

"It better not be. I wanna kick his ass." Faith stared out of the broken window of the lounge where Angelus' had entered and escaped from.

Buffy's gaze lingered on the Vampire Slayer as another plan formulated in her devious mind.

Outside: Sunnydale High School

Heading back to the Bronze after tying a few loose ends with Faith and her friends, Buffy called it a night wanting to get a bite to eat before sunrise in a few hours.

Going to the nightclub was the easiest place for a quick meal.

As she walked into the night, a hand wrapped around her elbow and pulled her behind a large tree just out front of the high school.

Looking up at her captor, Buffy softly smiled but the smile quickly faded realising there was a scratch of blood just above his brow. "Sorry," she said.

"I understand. I mean, I will hold this over your head for eternity."

Raising her brows as a smile formed across her face. "Oh really?"

"You violently abused me. As a scheme, nonetheless. It's very hurtful." He teased.

Buffy playfully pouted her lips. "How can I make it up to you?"

Angelus' smile widened. "You'll find a way, I'm sure."

She cupped his cheek lowering him down to meet her lips.

Later

City Hall: Mayor Wilkins' Office

The vampire mate's walked into the Mayor's office with a confidence force.

Mayor Richard Wilkins III looked up from his plate of meat and potato dinner to see Angelus and Buffy standing at the front of his desk wearing looks of impatience.

"Oh," Wilkins grinned wearing a napkin tucked into his shirt. He set the fork down beside the plate and stood up to greet his guests and gestured for them to sit.

Buffy and Angelus sat down in the chair and watched the Mayor with mild disgust as he continued to eat his dinner.

"Well," Wilkins wiped the napkin over his mouth as he chewed, "this is exciting, isn't it?" He chuckled. "You're her? The famous 'Elizabeth'."

Angelus scowled, "That's Lady Elizabeth to you."

"Pardon me," The Mayor apologetically bowed his head. "Lady Elizabeth." His blue eyes rolled over her for a moment then looked at Angelus. "She's pretty, Angelus. A little skinny."

Buffy already grew tired and mildly bored of this seemingly eccentric backwards Mayor. "Let's skip right to the part where you tell us what you want." Buffy said sharply, growing increasingly impatient.

The Mayor laughed. "I've heard about your fiery impatience and gosh darn it, you didn't disappoint!" He slapped his knee. "'The beast will walk upon the earth and darkness will follow'," he quoted a passage, "'The several races of man will be as one in their terror and destruction.' That's kinda sweet, isn't it? Different races coming together."

"You never get even a little tired of hearing yourself speak, do you?" Buffy frowned. "I've known you for five minutes and I already can't stand you."

The Mayor chuckled. "That's one spunky girl you have there, Angelus."

"What can I say? I like 'em feisty," Angelus smirked.

"Well, it seems that you are wasting our time," Buffy began to stand from the chair. Angelus followed suit, ready to walk out of the meeting with her. "And you have nothing to share with us but bad jokes."

Wilkins frowned and stood at the vampires headed for the door. He pulled the napkin from his shirt and met the mates as they neared the office door.

"The Slayer," he began when Buffy whirled around to face him, forcing the Mayor to take a step back surprised by her quickness. "I heard that you're having trouble with her. Hey, I'm sure you gave it your level best! I just don't understand why you're going after her alone when you can have help."

Buffy raised her brows high up her forehead. "And where did you hear that?"

"I'm the Mayor," he gestured to himself. "I've got an ear to the ground around this place. Let me convince you," he held out his arm for them to come back into the office and sit down with them.

Buffy narrowed her eyes over him for a moment and folded her arms across her chest, "Okay. Fine. Convince me."

Wilkins chuckled and looked at Angelus, "I see who wears the pants in this relationship."

Angelus glared at the Mayor but did not respond.

Clearing his throat, Wilkins looked at the vampire mates and pitched himself to them. "I've made certain deals to get where I am today. You see, that's what separates me from other politicians… I keep my campaign promises. I'm what you might call 'impervious'. Can't be killed, or harmed, in any way. And with your help, when I reach my Ascension, I—we will be unstoppable." He looked down to the petite blonde and raised his brows. "What do you say?"

"I say…" she pretended to think about it for a moment, "... I'm bored."

She began to turn back away from the Mayor to leave when Wilkins launched out a hand, wrapping it around Buffy's elbow.

In a flash, Buffy whirled back around and grabbed the evil Mayor by his throat and pinned him up against the wall. Angelus stood in the background and shook his head at the Mayor's deeply unintelligent move.

"Touch me again and I will pull out your ribcage and wear it as a hat."

In defense, Wilkins held up his hands in surrender.

She removed her hand and took a step back from the Mayor as he landed onto the floor with shaky knees. Hunched over, Wilkins laughed and looked up at Buffy. "Looks like somebody has been eating her spinach."

"You say you're immortal?" Buffy asked.

The Mayor nodded with a cocky smile.

"Good. Because if you cross me again or go anywhere near my Slayer, I will cut you open, take out all of your insides and then shove them back in. And I will continue to do this over and over for the rest of forever." She glared, pursing her lips together in irritated hatred for the Mayor. "This meeting is over. Stay out of my way. And if you are within twenty feet of my Slayer, then, Mayor Wilkins, I will show you what evil really is."

Turning on her heel, Buffy stormed out of the office.

Gloating with amusement, Angelus smirked at the Mayor as he followed Buffy out of the office with hands in his black leather jacket pockets.

Hallway

Standing outside the office in the hallway, Angelus took Buffy's hand at her side and brushed his lips over her knuckles. He frowned seeing the thoughtful look set on her beautiful face. He grew curious as he watched the wheels in her mind tick.

"What's on your mind?"

Buffy frowned. "He's going to go after Faith, regardless of my threats."

"And what will you do about it?"

Turning to face him, Buffy pinched her brows together thoughtfully. "I don't know yet. I think I may have been too hasty. The good Mayor could be of use."

"As a distraction?"

"Precisely," Buffy bit her bottom lip and moved past Angelus heading back into the office.


Wilkins looked up, surprised to see the vampiress standing at the door.

"Fine," Buffy said. "Go after the Slayer and her Scoobies. Do your Ascension thing. But the kill is mine."

The Mayor fervently nodded, "Abso—"

Buffy did not hear the rest of what the Mayor had to say as she disappeared out the door, slamming it closed behind her.

Smiling with glee of how the meeting turned out, Wilkins sat down in his chair and thought about Buffy and her agreement. He began to chuckle, "Well, that went well."