Previously: Spike and Angelus had a falling out. Angelus, who planned to drive another wedge between Joyce and Buffy, arrived at the Summers' house to find Joyce dead and Spike running away. Buffy walked in on Angelus drinking her mother's blood.
*****
In the middle of history class that afternoon, Buffy had received a note stating that Professor Jacobs wanted to meet with her in his office early that evening. Her heart had leaped into her throat. She knew her grade in literature class had been suffering lately and she had a feeling she was about to get a deserved lecture.
Calculating that the appointment would make her late for her meeting with Angel at her mother's, Buffy made a quick phone call to him to move that time by one hour. Then she went to see the professor, braced for bad news, only to learn that he had not sent the note. "There must have been a misunderstanding," he offered.
Reprieved and not too interested in questioning why, Buffy headed right to her mother's house. This time, she didn't inform Angel of the change in time. He would show up after about half an hour anyway, and she thought she could use the extra time before then to talk to her mom alone and try to soften her up. If she could make a little headway, everything would work out fine.
At least, Buffy believed this up until the moment she walked into the kitchen to find Angel with his fangs sunk into Joyce's throat.
She gasped and stopped dead in her tracks, and Angel looked up and snarled, displaying his bloody mouth.
In the next instant, his features smoothed and his fangs receded. "Buffy, I can explain--"
She remembered that day just a few years ago when she had entered the kitchen to find Angel poised in a similar position over her mother's bleeding body. That time, he had been innocent. But this time... "Get your hands off my mother, Angelus." Buffy was surprised at how steady her voice sounded.
"What do you--" the vampire began as he gently released the body and stepped back.
Buffy interrupted. "Don't bother making up another lie. Somehow you managed to fool me before but you can't talk your way out of this one. You're not Angel. He would never feed off of my mother. You're his demon, and you are the most disgusting evil thing I've ever seen."
Angelus backed away as she went over to her mother's body. Joyce's eyes were open and glassy; nothing could be done for her. A fresh realization struck Buffy as she turned on the demon. "It was you. You had the nerve to arrange for that fake note to be delivered to me in class, to lure me away so you would have extra time to sneak in and kill my mom."
Angelus had the audacity to look innocent and surprised, though at least he didn't deny his true identity. "I didn't send a note."
"Shut up!" Buffy yelled. "Enough lies! You are completely sick. What did you plan to do, meet me out front and then pretend to discover my mother's body for me? Were you going to help with the funeral preparations? Pick out the casket?"
"I didn't kill her," Angelus interjected. "Spike had that honor."
"Oh, like I'm going to believe that lie." Buffy took a pace forward; Angelus took one backward, maintaining the distance between them. "Spike left Sunnydale last year and hasn't been heard from since. Plus, he wasn't the one found with his filthy fangs embedded in my mother's neck. Explain that away, you fucking bastard."
Angelus actually looked a little pleased at being called such a name. "Spike has been in town for weeks. He killed Joyce on his own. I came in and found the body, but he was too far away to catch."
"And you decided to snack on my mom while you were here," Buffy stated flatly, feeling in her pocket for a stake.
Angelus shrugged. "Wherever she's going, she doesn't need blood anymore. Why not let her posthumously donate it to me?"
Buffy stared at him. It was the demon. It wasn't Angel. He had killed her mother, lied about it, and dishonored her memory, all in the space of a few minutes. She had to kill him.
Swiftly closing in while Angelus was unprepared, Buffy struck out. Her blow landed in the middle of his chest, forcing him back against the counter. She closed in for another hit; Angelus parried and swiped at her face. Dodging, Buffy left her side unprotected and the demon kicked her leg, causing her to stumble back. He had gained the advantage and pressed it, raining blows on her head, chest, and stomach. Buffy was reduced mainly to defending herself in the confined space of the kitchen. She was still holding her own, though, countering hits and landing some herself, until she tripped over her mother's body and landed awkwardly on her back on the floor. A sharp pain ran up her left arm as she began to push herself up. Before she could regain her feet, Angelus pounced and pinned her with his superior weight. All Buffy could do was struggle helplessly and watch while his gleaming teeth shot toward her bared throat. And then they turned away, snapping shut on air. "This isn't what I planned but since it's started, there's no going back, Buff." A moment later, his weight was gone as the demon leaped up and away, retreating out the back door.
Panting, Buffy pushed herself up and started after him, but the sharp pain in her left arm made her think twice about renewing the fight. She had taken the worst of things so far and should have been dead, while Angelus was sauntering away, not even bothering to monitor her over his shoulder. She'd never even had a chance to use her stake.
"Son of a bitch!" she yelled after his retreating form. It made her feel a little better, but then, it probably made him feel better, too, like it was a compliment, so she hadn't really gained anything from it.
She leaned against the doorway, gently rubbing her arm, and tried to make some sense out of things. The main thought that kept trying to push itself forward was the fact that her mother was dead. Buffy ruthlessly shoved it back down. She couldn't dwell on that reality yet. Angelus was back. He wouldn't just leave her alone. Not now. He would want to torment her as thoroughly as possible. That was why he hadn't killed her when he'd just had her pinned. It would have been too quick and easy; he hadn't made her suffer for long enough. His last reign of terror had given her some insight into how his twisted mind worked, and she had to use that knowledge to her advantage.
Buffy concentrated and settled on the certainty that Angelus wanted to hurt her, mentally. He'd already landed a critical blow but he could do so much more. His next step would probably be to go after one of her friends, and he had the whole night in which to do it. Well, he wasn't going to reach any of them if she could help it. Buffy grabbed the phone and dialed Willow's number.
Two rings later, Willow's voice answered. Buffy cut into her greeting. "Willow, don't ask questions. Just listen. Go somewhere you're sure Angel doesn't have an invitation and stay there all night. Don't come out until daylight, no matter what. I mean this; it's a matter of life and death. And call Giles, Xander, Anya, and Tara and tell them the same thing. You should all be safe if you do this. Then tomorrow morning, meet me at my mom's house at 10. All of you." She paused just long enough for Willow to make a sound of assent before continuing. "One more thing. The curse that restored Angel's soul--do you have a copy handy? And how about another Orb of Thesulah?"
*****
As he strolled away from Buffy and her (delightfully dead) mother's house, Angelus licked his lips and grimaced at the aftertaste. Joyce's blood had been a little on the sour side. He preferred them younger and fresher. However, a meal was a meal, and a dead bitch counted double. Even if he *had* been deprived of the pleasure of killing her himself.
He considered his options and concluded that Buffy and her friends would soon be anxiously anticipating his next strike and scheming up a way to cram that disgusting soul back into him. Still, Orbs of Thesulah weren't exactly thick on the ground so he should have a little leeway. Sure that Buffy expected him to go hunting for one of her friends next, he therefore did not. He was off to make sure that any attempt to use the gypsy curse to violate him would be doomed to failure. Last time he'd been free, he had been unprepared and overconfident. This time, he would remain several steps ahead of his opponents.
Deliberately bypassing the most predictable course of action, Angelus set out for Willy's Bar. When he arrived he paused in the doorway, waiting. As on his previous visit when he'd been posing as Angel, the demons scattered about the place regarded him with reactions ranging from indifference to scorn. Angelus distinctly heard a reference to the "vampire pansy" from a booth in the nearest corner.
He made his unhurried way over to stand beside the Relko demon that had made the inaccurate observation. The thing had bulging eyes, pointed ears, and a flat nose. It resembled a giant gremlin, only with brown, scaly skin instead of fur. "Say that again, to my face," Angelus ordered.
The demon grunted but did not repeat the insult when confronted. Perhaps it sensed that it had made a serious mistake. Angelus shrugged and punched a hole through its stomach to its heart anyway. He withdrew his hand, dripping in gray slime, and wiped it on the demon's discarded coat.
The room had fallen very silent.
Deliberately, Angelus proceeded to the bar. Every eye in the place was pinned upon him, even those of creatures desperately pretending not to be interested.
"Good evening, Willy," Angelus greeted the only human in the place, who was cowering behind the bar.
"H-hi, Angel." Willy bowed his head and scrubbed at a stain on the wood with a grubby rag, succeeding only in further dirtying the spot.
Angelus shook his head. "No, Willy. Let's get something straight up front. The name's Angelus."
Although he spoke softly, Willy started and his eyes flew up to study Angelus' face before he shifted his gaze away. "I-I," he said miserably.
Since he needed assistance from the lowlife that required coherent vocalization, Angelus took pity on him. "Just nod."
Jerkily, Willy did so. "Welcome back, Angelus," he managed to utter.
"Why, thank you. It's good to hear that." Smoothly, Angelus took a seat at the bar. "Give me your best Bloody Mary, heavy on the blood, and then we can talk business."
With trembling fingers, Willy obeyed. He then took a half-step back, which appeared to be as far as he dared to retreat.
After a few appreciative sips of his drink, Angelus continued. "I need information, I need it now, and I need it from you. Who's the most powerful witch or wizard in town who would be willing, or could be 'persuaded,' to help me out with a little problem?"
A muscle in Willy's face twitched. "Um, ah, that's a tough one, see--"
"A name, Willy." Angelus beckoned to him, offering, "You can whisper it if you want."
Willy looked like he wanted to do nothing *less* than lean forward and murmur into Angelus' ear. "No, that's okay, I can say it. Uh, I think you want Madam Verde, corner of 15th and Crescent."
"Madam Verde," Angelus repeated. "Well, thanks, Willy. You've been a real help, just like I knew you would be." He leisurely finished off his drink and stood up to leave. "Oh, by the way, if the Slayer happens to stop by, you didn't see me."
Probably relieved to have gotten off without so much as a bruise, Willy smiled weakly.
Angelus glanced around the bar one last time and then went on his way, amused at the buzz of excited chatter that broke out in his wake. This time, the tones consisted of awe, shock, and fear. So much more impressive than the derision and laughter "Angel's" appearance elicited. And some had the gall to question his standing as the superior demon?
***
It was a subdued group that met at Buffy's the following morning. They'd safely made it through the night without spotting Angelus, but Joyce's demise had come as a huge, horrible shock to everyone. Buffy had officially reported her death as being due to an animal attack because as Anya pointed out, claiming Joyce had fallen on another barbecue fork and bled to death would have been stretching the bounds of believability. Willow performed an uninvite spell to ban Angelus from being able to enter the house again, and then Buffy filled everyone in with the detailed version of events. Her story still had a lot of holes in it; for instance, she didn't know exactly when or how Angel's soul had been lost. Still, she related all the information she could, including Willow's attack on the Initiative computer banks, and braced herself for the reactions.
For a few moments after she finished, no one spoke. Aside from dealing with Angelus, they would have to arrange Joyce's funeral and they weren't sure exactly what to say to Buffy.
Eventually, Xander broke the silence with a rambling observation. "So, how long was he Angelus instead of Angel, do you think? I mean, he lost his soul just yesterday, right? 'Cause you weren't with the demon more than a day or so, Buffy. I mean, you couldn't have been because that would be gross beyond words." He looked at Buffy's expression and his own turned sick. "Okay. I see. Excuse me. I think I'm going to go and puke for about a month."
"You and me both," Buffy agreed. "You're just thinking about it, but I lived it." She squared her shoulders. "Well, it's over now and it can't be changed. Puking will have to wait. We have an evil demon to defeat."
Willow shook her head. "I still can't believe he was able to trick us into thinking he was Angel."
"Don't bother to be polite," Buffy said. "What you really mean is, you can't believe Angelus tricked *me*. He barely spent any time with you guys, but he was around me most of the time and I still couldn't put things together."
Xander spoke up. "In that case, I suspected the truth all along."
"No, you didn't," Anya interjected. "You didn't have the first clue."
"You didn't want to believe he'd gone bad," Tara pointed out to Buffy. "And his entire intent was to deceive you. Don't blame yourself."
"It's hard not to, when my mother is dead because of my mistake," Buffy replied grimly. "But my priority now is to get rid of Angelus." She turned to Willow. "You can curse Angel with his soul again, right? You did a great job the other time and maybe this time you could get a little creative and kind of just remove the happiness clause so we never have to worry about a return visit from Angelus."
"Oh, boy." Willow looked away. "Buffy, it isn't that simple. I've thought about this a lot, and I'm pretty sure removing the clause isn't something you can do and expect the curse to still work. It's probably a package deal, all or nothing."
"Oh." Buffy sighed in disappointment. "I guess you'll have to do the entire curse, then. That at least will get rid of Angelus and give us back Angel."
"Hey!" Xander protested. "No way! We can't risk Angel experiencing perfect happiness again. Don't recurse him. Stake his ass instead."
"I know the curse has its drawbacks," Buffy admitted. "But this is Angel we're talking about. He didn't do anything wrong and I don't want to lose him."
"Last time you were thinking that way, you let that monster live and he murdered Jenny Calendar," Xander countered, his voice rising.
"Angel didn't kill anyone," Buffy stubbornly repeated. "He isn't responsible for the actions of his demon. I won't sacrifice him unless it's absolutely necessary. There's got to be a way to stop Angelus from doing any more harm. Maybe I can capture him and we can keep him locked up until Willow performs the spell."
"Do you really think that'll be easy? Anyway, what happens the next time Angel goes off and has a happy? Who dies then? Angelus does more damage each time he's around."
"Let's let Giles decide what we should do," Tara suggested before the discussion could grow any more heated.
Everyone turned to him and waited.
While all eyes rested upon him, Giles was silent in thought. Then he said, "The curse is a fast way to get the situation back under control, at least for a time. Willow still has a copy of it--actually, more than one--stored in multiple locations for safety's sake. The only truly rare item we need is an Orb of Thesulah, and Angelus knows that. It's a safe bet that he's attempted to rid the nearby area of any existing Orbs. However, we can try to rush-order one from Los Angeles or another major city."
"We'll call around and find one," Willow offered, indicating herself and Tara.
"So you're going to let that animal roam free, killing whoever he wants?" Xander burst out.
Giles looked steadily at him. "We will try the curse first. However, if anyone runs into Angelus before it can be cast, use any force necessary. Is that understood?"
Buffy watched as Xander slowly nodded. He didn't appear to be satisfied with the plan, though. In fact, he had the look of someone who was determined to go Angelus-hunting as soon as possible.
*****
Giles looked up from the phone he had just replaced in its cradle. "I tried to call Wesley in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, he isn't answering the telephone."
"Do you think something happened to him?" Willow said tentatively.
"It is a distinct possibility, though we should by no means regard it as a probability," Giles replied. "He might merely have gone out to lunch, or isn't answering his phone for some other perfectly logical reason."
"What about Cordelia?" Tara questioned.
"She was just in Sunnydale," Buffy explained. "She came to visit me and Angel. Angelus. Whoever he was then. Se wasn't going back to Los Angeles after that, though. She has a new job with some acting company that's traveling the country so she could be anywhere, for all I know."
"At least she's safe," Xander responded. "Right now she's in the best place possible--away from Angelus."
Stirred into action by these words, Buffy grabbed a few stakes off of the coffee table and stood up. "I'm going to go out and try to find him now, before anything else can happen."
"Where do you think he is?" Anya asked.
"The sewers, a warehouse, a cave, a crypt. There are tons of possibilities. I'll just hope I get lucky and find the right place."
"What about the mansion?" Xander suggested.
Buffy shook her head. "That's too obvious. He wouldn't go back there. But someone, somewhere, has to have seen him."
"Or the trail of bodies he's sure to have left behind," Xander muttered.
Ignoring him, Buffy went on, "Willy might know something. I'll start at his place. If any of you guys decide to search, be careful and don't go anywhere there isn't sunlight." She left the others to do whatever they wanted and headed outside. It was a relief to be away from the tense atmosphere and, more specifically, Xander's snide comments. The worst part was that his observations, while bluntly phrased, were all true so she had little defense against them.
As she had told the others, she considered Willy's Bar to be a good starting point and her steps went in that direction. The outside world looked so peaceful and trouble-free, she reflected as she walked. The weak afternoon sunlight at least provided protection from vampires and she willed it to last until she had tracked down the most dangerous one of all.
She reached a cross street and stopped to allow a line of large trucks to roll past. They were moving heavily, as if they were packed with weighty equipment. Buffy glanced at the front window of the third truck and, with a start, recognized three Initiative members. Another few familiar faces were in the next vehicle, and the next.
Buffy waited for the procession to go by. Judging from the appearance of the trucks and passengers, and the direction they were heading, if she had to guess she would say the Initiative was leaving town. All, of course, except for the members who had recently been killed or kidnapped. This thought naturally led to memories of one particular Initiative soldier: Riley.
Buffy felt her throat constrict and she had to fight back tears. Riley had been right about Angelus, and now he was missing, almost certainly dead. If only she'd listened to him, believed him, he might still be around. He hadn't deserved to die. Angelus had probably tortured him first, treating him like some sick kind of toy....
Refusing to allow herself to dwell on this latest disturbing subject, Buffy forced it out of her mind and turned her thoughts toward reaching Willy's as quickly as possible. Soon she entered the bar. The place was almost deserted, with just a few unimportant demons lounging at one of the tables and a couple sitting at the bar. They both slid off of their stools once they saw that she was heading their way, but today Buffy had no interest in them. She allowed them to slink out the door while she confronted the bartender.
"Willy. Come here."
He left the cash register and walked over to her. "Buffy, hey, how are you? Been pretty quiet in here lately."
"I didn't even ask about that yet," Buffy pointed out, studying Willy's behavior. He was blinking rapidly and shifting his feet. He was definitely hiding something, then. Maybe something to do with Angelus. "I was wondering, have you seen Angel lately?"
"Angel?" Willy repeated. "Yeah, sure, he's been in here a few times the past couple of weeks."
"Within the past day?" Buffy pressed.
"Why ask me?" Willy snapped. "You're his girlfriend. You should know more than I do."
"He was here, then," Buffy stated, sure from Willy's defensive reaction that he had information she could use. "What did he want?"
"Nothing."
Buffy reached out and grabbed Willy's collar. "I don't believe you." When Willy stubbornly remained silent, she shook him until his teeth rattled. "Dammit, I'm serious. I need to know. Do I have to beat you up first, or will you make it easy on yourself?"
"All right, all right!" Willy blurted. "Look, he was here last night. Acting like the ruler of the planet. He had a drink and then he left."
"Did he say where he was going?"
"I don't know where he holed up," Willy insisted. "You can beat me up as bad as you want and you won't get any more out of me because I don't know."
Slowly, Buffy let go of his shirt. She strongly suspected Willy was keeping a secret but she couldn't prove it. Besides, his decision about whether to speak came down to the issue of who he feared more: her or the demon. Angelus wouldn't hesitate to kill a human, while Buffy wouldn't take that step. And what were the odds that Angelus had given someone as lowly as Willy even the first clue about his hiding spot? Pretty slim. So, although a bit reluctant, Buffy retreated, still having no additional information about where to look.
*****
Whoever said there was no rest for the wicked was full of shit, Angelus thought as he woke from a good, long nap. He felt very well rested indeed, and better with the knowledge that he had drawn blood against Buffy. He ought to pay her another visit that evening, he decided. Just to keep her on her toes. Who knew? He might even run into one of her little pals as a bonus. Best of all, though they didn't know it yet, he was immune to their most likely form of retribution: If they tried to reensoul him, Madam Verde's protection spell would save him.
He sat up and stretched, ready to go and feast on one of the three Initiative prisoners he had dragged to his lair last night following another satisfyingly bloody raid, when he sensed something very wrong.
He smelled... smoke. Smoke and gasoline. And that wasn't all. Angelus stiffened as he caught wind of another familiar scent. Someone was outside, watching the fire and, unless he missed his guess, enjoying the hell out of the sight.
Well, much as he wanted to, he couldn't do anything about that for the moment. Not during daylight, with the flames licking his way. It seemed like the perfect time for an emergency slither into one of the secret tunnels that led to the sewer system, and safety.
*****
Buffy doggedly continued her hunt, disappointed that it had so far been fruitless. She hadn't found a trace of Angelus, with dusk only a few hours away. He would be in his element once night fell, and who knew what additional trouble he might cause?
On the subject of trouble, Buffy slowed down, then stopped. Something was wrong, and it had alerted her subconscious. A noise? A shadow? Slowly, Buffy turned, studying her surroundings. She had completed three-quarters of a circle when she realized what had attracted her attention: the acrid smell of smoke. Something was on fire.
Buffy began to walk again, then broke into a trot. After another block she heard sirens, indicating that she was not the only one aware of the fire. The scent of smoke grew heavier as she turned onto a new road. It took a few seconds for Buffy to realize that she was on Crawford Street. Her pace changed to a run, and she rounded the next corner to see that the mansion on Crawford Street was engulfed in flames.
*****
Night had not yet fallen before Buffy reached home again. Everyone except Xander was grouped in the living room with research materials scattered around.
"Any luck?" Willow asked eagerly. "Xander was out earlier too but he didn't find anything."
Buffy looked around. "Where is he? I might as well fill you all in at once."
"Over here." Xander emerged from upstairs, a towel slung around his shoulders and his hair damp.
"What did you find, Buffy?" Giles asked.
"No Angelus and no clues, until you count the fact that the mansion was lit on fire and in the process of burning to the ground."
Startled exclamations rang out all over the room.
"Totally serious here," Buffy confirmed. "It was arson. I heard the firefighters talking about it. They said the perimeter of the house was doused with gasoline and then set on fire in a very deliberate act so if anyone was inside, they'd be surrounded by a ring of flames."
Willow furrowed her brow. "How do you know Angelus didn't somehow set the fire himself to throw us off his trail? I mean, it couldn't be a coincidence that his home burned right at this time. He might have thought we'd figure he was dead and would lower our guard."
Xander spoke up. "That's not what happened."
"How do you know?" Buffy demanded.
"Well, it could be because he'd have kind of a hard time doing all those preparations during the daytime. Or it could be because he'd sooner burn any of us than his precious mansion. Or there's a third option. It also could be because I just happened to set the fire." The satisfied grin that spread across Xander's face provided a big clue as to which of these possibilities was true.
"You set it? Why?" Anya snapped.
"Why do you think? Because Angelus was inside."
"How do you know?" Buffy repeated.
"Because you said you didn't think so, and Angelus knows you so well he'd realize this, so he would think he'd be safe if he *did* use it as his hiding place," Xander smugly summarized.
"You didn't hear him inside," Buffy began. "You didn't see him inside. You have no proof that he was there. Yet you went to all that trouble. Real bright move, Xander. We're even worse off than before, and I didn't think that was possible. Way to complicate the situation."
With everyone, including Giles, glaring at him in disapproval, Xander finally seemed to realize that his actions might not have been the smartest and remained silent.
"So what does this mean?" Willow asked. "Bye bye, Angelus?"
Buffy shook her head. "I don't think he was inside. Or if he was, he escaped. I just can't imagine something like a fire doing in a demon as cunning as Angelus. He's still lurking out there somewhere."
"What's our next step?" Anya asked.
"You haven't found an Orb of Thesulah yet?"
Tara spoke up. "Not for lack of trying. There might be one in San Diego if we're really lucky."
"I'll go back out and try to find Angelus," Buffy decided. "It'll be dark soon and that improves the odds quite a bit. You guys stay inside and hope an Orb turns up soon, plus try to dig up any alternate plans of action."
After a quick snack to help replenish her energy, Buffy went back to patrolling, making her usual rounds through the cemeteries as dusk fell. A few unlucky demons ran across her path and she summarily disposed of them before resuming her hunt.
It wasn't until she reached Shady Rest Cemetery that she hit pay dirt. She wasn't alone; she could feel it. Unable to spot her prey, she crept across the cemetery, and then he struck. The force of the blow sent Buffy flying into a marble headstone. She lithely flipped over and landed on her feet, facing her attacker. Only it wasn't who she expected. Instead of looking at Angelus, she saw Spike, in full game face. Her next thought was, 'Angelus was telling the truth.' Then she didn't have much time for thinking, because Spike's fist slammed into her jaw and sent her reeling. He lunged and struck her in the face twice more, following up with a punch to the gut. Buffy leaped back out of range and steadied herself.
"Come on, Slayer," Spike taunted, closing in again, "put up a bit of a fight. It's no fun if you don't."
"You bastard," Buffy spat, "you were supposed to leave town and never come back. Remember our deal?"
"The one we made 'round the time of Acathla? What can I say? I'm evil," Spike reminded her, punctuating each sentence with a blow. "Deals are made to be broken."
Buffy matched each hit with one of her own, mind racing. Had Spike really been the one to attack her mom? "Angelus said you were here and I didn't believe him," she told Spike as she circled him, looking for an opening. "Did you also kill my mother, like he said?"
"Yeah, I finished off your mum," Spike confirmed.
"On orders from Angelus?"
Spike growled. "I'm not his lackey. That was on my own initiative, because Angelus was acting like a poof. Too much talk, not enough action. Kind of like this fight." With those words, Spike went on the offensive again, driving Buffy backward with a flurry of blows. "Angelus has been toying with you since the second he came back to town. Didn't know that, didja?"
Buffy retreated another pace at hearing this information. She'd been hoping she hadn't been duped quite so long. Then she readied herself to plunge back into the fight. She couldn't let Spike's taunts get to her. They were probably clever lies designed to throw her off her game and even if they happened to be true, she still needed to maintain her focus.
Driven by fury and a haunting vision of her mother's dead body, Buffy launched a fierce attack. A spin kick snapped Spike's head back. He countered with a punch to her face, but Buffy swept his feet out from under him and caused him to scramble away to save himself. Buffy moved in again, aware that she was winning the fight, taking Spike off guard and forcing him to stay on the defensive.
But then, instead of focusing on her, his eyes flickered to her side.
In another second, Buffy understood why; Angelus loomed up on her left. "Sorry, Buff, but these odds don't seem fair to me."
He and Spike attacked in tandem, driving her back. She was caught between the two, cornered and vulnerable. If she could take out one of them right away, she'd stand a chance. But Spike and Angelus weren't ordinary vampires. Even as this thought occurred to Buffy, they closed in on either side of her. She positioned herself to face Angelus, the greater threat, and Spike attacked her blind side. Buffy dodged and struck back, but Angelus leaped in and swiped her, sending her reeling. Spike pressed in again, blood dripping from his mouth.
Buffy took a step away and found herself against the cold stone of a mausoleum with the vampires just inches from her exposed throat. She froze, hoping they would stop from attacking long enough for her to figure out some way of gaining the advantage.
Seeing her trapped, Spike relaxed and addressed Angelus. "I take back half the nasty thoughts I had about you tonight. Good job. So, who gets first bite?" He licked his chops in anticipation.
Angelus looked at Buffy. Then he eyed Spike. And then he did something more surprising than almost any of his other actions so far: He reached out and smashed Spike up against the mausoleum, next to Buffy.
"Ow!" Spike yelped. "Watch it! I could have pierced my tongue with a fang." He fell silent, however, upon seeing the look on Angelus' face.
Angelus leaned closer to him. "What did I tell you from the beginning? Oh, yeah, I think it went like this: The Slayer is mine."
"We were in this together. You promised me some of her blood, at the least," Spike complained.
"What can I say? I changed my mind."
"You're siding with a human against me? Your Slayer obsession has gotten pretty damn ridiculous. You're supposed to kill them, not protect them. You're making a fool of yourself hanging 'round this two-bite town, mooning over the Slayer. Look at yourself. You're not a vampire--you're a bigger lapdog than Angel ever was."
Angelus' eyes flashed golden and he appeared to be on the verge of separating Spike's head from his shoulders. Spike, obviously realizing that he might have committed a serious strategic error by opening his mouth, immediately stopped talking.
Buffy, meanwhile, saw a real opportunity to take out her mom's murderer. She yanked a stake from her waistband and prepared to ram it through Spike's heart, but Angelus instantly knocked it out of her hand. She was tempted to try to retrieve the stake, but held back when Angelus turned back to his new prisoner.
"Spike, for your own health, I strongly suggest that you listen very carefully to what I have to say and then follow my instructions to the letter. I want you to get into your car and drive until dawn. Any direction will do--I'm not picky. Just put some real estate between yourself and Sunnydale. Now, in my opinion, this is a very generous offer and it's in your best interests to take me up on it. Otherwise, I suppose I'll have to let Buffy polish you off. And considering your attitude, I just might help her myself. So like I said, I think you'd be better off leaving now. What do *you* think?" He stepped back, allowing Spike room to escape if he chose to.
Buffy blocked the gap. "Wait a minute. That stake--" she indicated the one on the ground "--has Spike's name on it. And *he* attacked *me*."
"I'm sure he's sorry now," Angelus offered. He held Buffy back while giving Spike an encouraging shove. "Hurry up if you're going."
Not sticking around to press his luck, Spike darted away, leaving a frustrated Buffy behind. The roar of a car engine coming to life sounded and then tires peeled away.
Buffy shook off Angelus' grip and turned on him. "What the hell was that all about? First you help Spike, then you help me, and then you let him go. From what he told me, he betrayed you, and I definitely just heard him insult you. He compared you to Angel, and isn't that the worst thing anyone could say to you? That alone should make you two enemies, right?"
Angelus shook his head. "Buffy, you just don't get it. Spike is insubordinate, mouthy, and annoying, yes, but at the root of it all he's still family."
"Yeah, well, speaking of family, he killed my mother."
Angelus smiled. "True. Reason enough for letting him survive."
Somehow, Buffy resisted the urge to smack the smirk off of his face. "What about Riley, and Maggie Walsh? I didn't forget about them, you know."
"Ah, yes, Riley," Angelus mused. "Well, I was willing to overlook the fact that he dated you, and helped put the chip in my head, and underestimated me... wait. Actually, no, I wasn't, as he lived just long enough to thoroughly regret. But you'll be happy to know, Riley was thinking of you at the very end. His dying word was your name.
"You know, you really have to start picking better allies. Aside from the disasters of Finn and Walsh, for instance, there's your idiot friend Xander. I happen to know that he committed arson not so long ago. An anonymous tip-off to the police isn't really my style, but hey, if it works.... You ought to be aware, a few skeletons are gonna be found in the wreckage of the mansion and those'll count against Xander too. I'd say he's looking at doing at least 20 years."
Buffy bit her lip. She couldn't let Xander go to prison. On the other hand, how could she stop Angelus? 'Stake him now,' a persistent little voice told her.
Angelus seemed to be reading her mind. "Oh, by the way, before you decide you just have to dust me to save your little buddy, you ought to know that an old friend of mine has instructions to alert the police on my behalf if he doesn't hear otherwise from me at least once a week. Either way, Xander loses. You think the police won't be able to find witnesses once they have a suspect? People who saw Xander in the wrong place at the wrong time, like buying gasoline or walking down Crawford Street or fleeing the scene? Believe me, they will. And then his life will be as good as over, and not in the fun way."
"You don't want to hurt Xander," Buffy pointed out. "You really want to hurt me. Leave him out of it."
"Hurting Xander hurts you," Angelus responded. "Works for me. Now, I think it's pretty clear who's running this town. I'll give you some time to think through matters and revise your attitude. Meet me here tomorrow night an hour after dusk to discuss how things will be from now on."
*****
Having lost any leverage against Angelus and not knowing where Spike had gone, Buffy dragged herself home to find Xander, Giles, Tara, Anya, and Willow waiting for the latest information.
"The news isn't good," she told them without preamble. "Angelus is still around, but even before I saw him, I ran into Spike. Yeah, Spike. We fought and he admitted to killing my mom." Buffy paused for a moment to gather herself. "So anyway, we were fighting and Angelus showed up and broke it up, and then he let Spike escape."
"And then you staked Angelus, right?" Xander pressed.
"No," Buffy replied flatly. "I didn't."
"You let him go, again?" Xander yelled.
"It was just a little more complicated than that," Buffy replied, reining in her temper with an effort.
"How complicated could it have been?" Xander ranted. "Stake, vampire heart, vamp dust. Sounds pretty easy to me."
"Wait a minute, Xander. You haven't heard the kicker yet. Angelus knows you set the fire. If I do dust him, you get turned in to the cops not only for committing arson, but also for killing several people who supposedly were inside the mansion at the time. According to Angelus, if anything happens to him, a friend of his will be only too happy to pass on the information."
"Angelus actually *has* a friend?" Xander muttered, somewhat subdued.
Giles frowned. "Obviously any bodies that might be found in that house are those of people whom he had already killed or soon planned to, but it would make Xander look bad."
"Exactly," Anya agreed. "What are we supposed to say? He didn't kill anyone--a vampire did?"
"We'll think of some way around that problem," Willow assured everyone. "We just need a little time."
"We need a miracle, or else a demon-expelling spell," Xander decided. "Hey, that sounds funny, doesn't it? 'Expelling spell.' Right, well, shutting up now."
"We actually need an Orb of Thesulah," Anya stated. "We have to try harder to find one. Offer any amount of money--small children--promises of hidden treasure."
Since everyone agreed with what Anya said--except for the part about the children and the treasure--they did as she advised. Buffy had barely slept at all in the past 48 hours and the others weren't much better off, but they persisted throughout the day and finally, Tara reported success: An Orb in San Diego could be rush-delivered. By the time night fell, however, it hadn't arrived.
Buffy checked her watch and then decided, "I'm going to the meeting with Angelus to hear what he has to say. If I don't go, he'll just come looking for me and then you guys will be caught in the crossfire and it'll be a huge mess. The second the Orb arrives, even if I'm still out, perform the curse." Ignoring any protests, she left the house one more time.
*****
Spike leaned back in his seat and looked around the lounge where he had ended up. He was in a demon hangout called Caritas, and the Bloody Marys were excellent. He hadn't followed Angelus' warning and driven away from Sunnydale until dawn. In fact, he'd only made it as far as Los Angeles before stopping. Angelus would get over his snit and need more support soon enough, and maybe then Spike would deign to give it to him. After, of course, Angelus apologized and grovelled suitably. He wouldn't have gotten half as far as he had without all of Spike's hard work. Yeah, Angelus would still be chipped and helpless, at the Slayer's mercy, drinking swill out of plastic bags and fuming over his misfortune. Secure in his sense of self-righteousness, Spike took a hearty swig of his drink.
A Ridnour demon sidled onto the chair next to his and nodded a greeting with both of its heads, then instantly launched into speech with its primary mouth. "You decide what you're gonna sing? I'm trying to choose between 'All You Need Is Love' and 'Unchained Melody.'"
"And why would I want to sing?"
"See that green demon with the horns, over at the bar? That's the Host," the Ridnour said in a tone of deepest awe. "When you sing karaoke, he reads your aura and then he tells you things. Sometimes really big things."
"Karaoke?" Spike considered. Dru's premonitions had come in handy more than once, so he certainly wasn't prejudiced against the idea of aura-reading. Plus, he could stand to hear some bad news. Oh, what the hell? At the next break in the lineup, he jumped onto the stage without waiting to be introduced, grabbed the microphone, and launched into "Wild Thing."
It was kind of fun to hold the attention of the room in a way no other performer that night had. When Spike finished, the audience burst into enthusiastic applause. Spike took a bow before he surrendered the stage and sauntered over to the Host, who was nodding and smiling. "That good, was I? You must not hear a lot of talent in here, what with this sort of clientele." As an example, Spike indicated a pudgy, drooling Thross demon in the corner.
"You were certainly better than average. If you ever want to change careers, look me up."
Spike took the seat beside the Host and got straight to the point. "So what did you see when you read me?"
The green demon eyed him. "Well, you're living--or should I say, unliving--in someone's shadow. If you ever want to get out from under it, the time is ripe. Now, if you'll excuse me...." He got up and picked his way toward the stage.
Alone, Spike considered the Host's words. Angelus. The Host had been talking about Angelus, and Spike had to admit it--he was right. Spike still desperately craved Angelus' approval. His grandsire was so formidable, so vicious and unprincipled. Despite their differences, he was Spike's role model. He wondered if Angelus was proud of him; if he'd ever quite managed to live down to expectations. Judging from recent experiences, he didn't think so.
Still, he could salvage the situation. For instance, he currently happened to be in a city where he could do some real damage. It seemed like a good start. Impulsively, Spike stood up and weaved around chairs and tables toward the door.
Behind him, he heard the Host's voice echoing around the room. "Here's our next performer. He's a little down on his luck right now so let's hope his fortunes turn around after tonight. I give you Wesley Wynd--"
And then Spike was out on the street, seeking his prey.
*****
Angelus strolled through the dark roads of Sunnydale, mulling over the possible outcomes of tonight's meeting with Buffy. He was pushing her hard, and sooner or later, he knew she would decide she had no choice but to stake him. So far she'd been holding back from an all-out attempt, but her outlook could change at any moment. In that case, it might be time for him to make a bold move before Buffy could do so.
While thinking, Angelus passed through the Initiative stomping grounds, only to find that rather than stand and fight, the cowards had packed up and run. Therefore, instead of being able to pick off another Initiative member or three, he settled for locating and draining a perky blonde teenager he strongly suspected had been a Sunnydale High student. Bonus points: When Buffy heard of the death, she would be bound to blame herself for failing to save not just a human, but a classmate. Of course, she didn't wallow in guilt as much as Angel did--*no one* was that bad--but any extra reaction would be gravy.
With the edge taken off his hunger, he again thought about his upcoming meeting. He had to admit (if only to himself), Spike had had a point. Why *was* he squandering his time in Sunnydale? Sure, it had the Hellmouth, but the appeal of that thing was greatly overrated. So again, what was he, Angelus, the Scourge of Europe, thinking of, becoming mired in the petty problems of a no-name town? Other demons would begin to talk, and he couldn't tear the heads off of *all* of them. Yes, Angelus decided, he needed to end his sojourn in Sunnydale quickly and spectacularly, if only to prove that he *could*.
A demented plan began to form in the back of his mind. It would torment all of Buffy's friends, and they would never see it coming. It would also torment Buffy herself, assuming the old stories about a turned Slayer retaining her soul were really true. And afterwards he could leave for bloodier pastures, pride intact. Satisfied, he turned his steps toward Shady Rest Cemetery.
Buffy was already at the meeting place. Angelus held back and carefully inspected the surroundings to determine that she had come alone. If she was indeed planning a trap, she seemed to have kept her friends out of the execution. It was down to the two of them--exactly as he wanted it.
"Buff," he greeted casually as he stepped forward, enjoying her wince at the sound of the abbreviated name. "Glad you could make it. Then again, you never could resist me."
"You mean Angel," Buffy shot back, obviously trying to put up a brave front. "I want him back. He belongs here. You don't."
"I guess this means you don't want to go just one more round, for old time's sake? No? All right, your loss. But you know, we have a major difference of opinion here about Angel. He clearly doesn't deserve to be around. Anyone careless and stupid enough to get himself bitten in the first place has lost all rights to existence. He was asking for it, and doing something like, say, forcing that soul back on me would be a violation, plain and simple. You want your precious Angel around so much, go find him another body to live in. This one's taken." He studied Buffy more closely, noting the presence of a weapon. "Why did you even bother to bring a stake? We both know you aren't going to use it. You don't dare, because if you do it, then it's goodbye forever to your boyfriend." He paused to savor the sight of the fresh pain on Buffy's face. Every additional cruelty made him feel better, and Buffy worse. All was wrong in the world. "See, that's your fatal flaw--love. If you didn't let that pesky emotion get in your way, you'd enjoy yourself so much more. Look at me."
"I was willing to kill you once before," Buffy reminded him. "I beat you and you would have been dusted for sure if Angel hadn't gotten his soul back at the exact right moment."
"That was a fluke," Angelus scoffed as he began to bait his trap with words. "You had help. I was weakened before that fight even started. I'm smarter than you, and I'm stronger than you, and you know it. All that said, though, I'm not completely unreasonable. I understand you're in a tough position, feeling like you have a duty to protect hordes of stupid humans even though they don't even know what you're doing. Not to mention your little band of helpers who I could easily pick off if I wanted to bother. Now, as you know, a demon of my stature has a certain reputation to maintain. Considering all of these factors, I'm willing to propose a deal that will be beneficial to both of us. If you cooperate, I'll leave Sunnydale tonight without attacking any of your friends."
"Why would you do that?" Buffy's tone was, rightfully, dripping with suspicion, but underneath Angelus heard a bit of hope and definite curiosity.
"Come a little closer," he ordered. "I have to show you what I mean."
Buffy hesitated, then slowly stepped forward. Even that little bit of trust was a huge mistake. Angelus instantly morphed, lunged, and sank his fangs into the tender flesh of her throat in a powerful, grasping bite. Buffy's instinctive move backwards merely served to deepen the wounds, making her blood flow more freely and Angelus drink more eagerly. He had fed from Buffy before, but this time was different. This time, he didn't intend to stop.
Buffy quivered in his arms like a frightened bird, her life draining away in rich mouthfuls. He had succeeded. Another handful of swallows and Buffy would have lost forever. But then, beneath the heat of her blood, Angelus felt a menacing cold encroaching: an iciness spreading both up and down his spine and shooting out to envelope the rest of his body as well.
Before he could react, it was numbing his brain, clouding his eyes, paralyzing his legs. He lost his hold on Buffy's neck and fell to his knees, trying to maintain his ground, but his grip was weakening.
No. It wasn't fair. The body was his!
But he felt himself losing position despite his best efforts. With his failing vision he looked up one last time, into Buffy's shocked eyes. Then the demon Angelus knew no more.
*****
Free of Angelus' death grip, Buffy staggered and clutched a hand to her bloody throat. Angelus had taken a lot of blood, though fortunately not enough to disable her. A mental voice had been yelling at her to fight him, to escape, but somehow her limbs hadn't gotten the message. She would have been dead if Angelus hadn't stopped drinking. Why had he even chosen this night to attack? Surely he hadn't made her suffer to his satisfaction yet. It wasn't in his nature to end matters so quickly but then, he must have had some twisted reason she didn't know about.
Every muscle screaming with tension, Buffy stared at the body she hoped was again controlled by Angel. The Orb must have finally arrived back at the house. But if Willow had performed the curse, why wasn't Angel awake, looking at her with his familiar, sorrow-filled eyes? Things weren't playing out like they had last time he'd been cursed. On the other hand, the spell had hit him hard, and finally overwhelmed him. He was lying sprawled on the ground, unmoving. Maybe the curse's effects differed depending on various factors. It wasn't like she was an expert on the situation. Giles, Willow, and Tara would probably know more.
When Angel had remained still for another five minutes, Buffy decided that chances were good the situation would continue indefinitely. Considering that they weren't exactly in the safest of places and the scent of blood clinging to both of them was bound to eventually attract vampires, she chose to lug Angel home and consult with the others.
*****
He was lying flat on his back on a hard surface, and he heard voices nearby. They were familiar, but at first he couldn't quite identify them.
"What's wrong? Why isn't he moving?" said the first voice.
"Maybe he's dead."
"One, he's already dead. Two, if he isn't dust then he's still undead. We just have to be patient."
A telephone rang and a single pair of footsteps moved away, the owner apparently intending to answer the call. The other people continued to bicker, and slowly, the events from earlier filtered through Angelus' mind. He'd met with Buffy in the graveyard; he'd bitten her; he'd felt that strange, horrible sensation and lost his grip. That was the last he remembered until waking up just now. He didn't even know how much time had elapsed in between. What had happened? Remaining perfectly still, he resumed eavesdropping.
"Was it like this the other time?" This time he was able to recognize Willow's voice.
Buffy replied. "No, the last time his soul was restored, it didn't happen this way. It was very quick and he didn't lose consciousness."
Those words told Angelus what he needed to know. Buffy and her pack of friends had been up to good again, attempting to recurse him, but the protection spell cast by that not-so-batty old witch had saved him. It hadn't worked perfectly--for instance, he really hadn't expected or wanted to be knocked unconscious while being protected--but overall it had done its job. He was still himself, evil to the core; the bastard soul hadn't been able to worm its way back into control.
Of course, not being privy to this vital information, Buffy and company were pretty confused about why Angel hadn't popped back up already, and Angelus wasn't about to fill them in that it just wasn't going to happen. At least, not yet, he wasn't. Appreciating and taking full advantage of the fact that he didn't have to breathe, he continued to lie almost motionless. He did, though, ease open one eyelid the merest fraction to identify his location as being the back room of the Magic Box. No great surprise there. He quickly stopped peeking and went back to listening to the conversation.
"What about the next time he loses his soul?" Xander was complaining. "Angel or Angelus, he's not safe either way."
"We'll think of something," Buffy replied. "Don't we always?"
"But--"
"Xander, I don't want to hear this. Just stop."
Xander might well have pressed the matter except that Giles' voice cut in. "Everyone, this is very important. That was Wesley on the telephone just now. First of all, he's fine. However, the reason he was calling is that there is an emergency situation in Los Angeles. A pack of vampires is slaughtering its way through the city, causing tremendous destruction and death. The most significant element is that their leader is described as having platinum-blond hair and wearing a duster."
"And who do we all know and hate who has platinum-blond hair?" Xander prompted.
"Spike," most of the others chorused.
"Last night when Angelus told Spike to leave town," Buffy recalled, "he didn't order a pit stop in Los Angeles to attack the population, so I'm guessing Spike got ambitious. This could be my only real chance to catch him. If I don't get him now, he could run off to Europe or Asia and I'd never find him."
"After what he did to your mom, you need to take him out," Willow agreed.
Angelus heard Buffy turn toward him as she continued. "Only this is a horrible time to leave Sunnydale. I don't want to desert Angel even for a little while. On the other hand, I can't just let Spike get away with killing Mom."
"Can't you go to Los Angeles tonight, track down Spike, and come back here before dawn?" Anya suggested. "The rest of us can stay with Angel."
"Buffy needs transportation," Giles interjected. "She'll also need some backup. I think it's best if I go with her."
Still Buffy hesitated. Finally she decided, "All right, I guess that's the best compromise. If Angel wakes up before we get back, explain what happened to him."
"We will," Tara promised.
Buffy moved away, but then Angelus heard her approaching him again. "Wait. I can't just leave him like this. When he wakes up and remembers what happened he's going to feel terrible. Maybe even suicidal. And if he wants to leave here, no offense, you guys, but you won't be able to stop him. I should restrain him before I go." She crossed the room and picked up an item that Angelus guessed must be a pair of handcuffs, from the way the metal clinked.
She came back toward him. Maintaining his cover, he forced his right arm to remain limp as Buffy picked it up and fastened a handcuff around his wrist. She then clipped the other cuff into a ring set into the wall.
"That's better," she decided. "It should help."
She quickly threw together some supplies and then she and Giles said brief goodbyes and left. Anya, Tara, Xander, and Willow all retreated to the main area of the Magic Box. Soon Angelus heard soft, even breathing that indicated sleep. He grinned; he'd heard the exhaustion in the humans' voices before and knew it was thanks to him. They'd been so busy trying (and failing) to defeat him that they obviously hadn't spared much time for rest.
At any rate, their lack of attention gave him the opportunity he needed to break free of his restraints. Buffy had been in a hurry and had apparently hoped "Angel" wouldn't try too hard to get loose, since the restraints were minimal. After a few moments of hard effort, Angelus was able to bend the metal and tug his imprisoned wrist free. He sat up, still feeling a bit weak, likely from the aftereffects of the failed curse and the spell colliding, but definitely able to wipe out four mere humans.
At least, that was his revised plan until he heard footsteps in the front room. Someone out there was awake and heading his way. Curious, he quickly lay back down and closed his eyes, pretending to still be unconscious.
The door to the back room opened and then quietly shut, with the person now inside with him. Angelus cracked open one eye; his companion was Xander, and he was holding a stake. He took one step toward Angelus, then another and another, until he was only a pace away.
Angelus felt the movement of air as Xander leaned closer and in one swift flash had rolled to the side, gained his feet, and snatched Xander around the throat. The stake fell harmlessly to the floor; Xander helplessly kicked out and opened his mouth, trying to gather breath.
"Make one sound and I'll kill all your friends in the other room," Angelus promised.
Xander's mouth flapped shut.
Angelus glanced at the stake. "So, you got the brilliant idea to permanently fix things by sneaking inside to stake Angel in his sleep? Really brave. Not to mention insanely stupid. Then again, it's exactly what I would have expected of a worthless little nonentity like you.
"So the question becomes, what to do with you? Sure, I could let you go. I bet you'd love that. Or I could drag you off to a lair and torture you for about a year or two, which has its appeal. But you see, I'm leaving Sunnydale behind tonight and not one trace of it is coming with me. So as much fun as it could be to bring you along for the ride, I'm afraid that's too much to ask."
With no further warning, he snapped Xander's neck with a resounding CRACK! The body slumped, lifeless, against him. Angelus sighed in rapture. It had been so satisfying to finally, *finally*, finish off Xander. Plus, he'd thought of a new plot inspired by the moron's sheer idiocy.
He held still, listening for a moment, until the slow, steady breathing from the other room assured him that Willow, Anya, and Tara had slept right through their friend's death. Perfect.
He then shoved the broken body aside, unwilling to demean himself by drinking from it. It was enough to know the irritating boy was dead at his hand, and had been terrified out of his mind for the last seconds of his extraordinarily pitiful life. Instead, Angelus quietly set to work removing the broken handcuffs from the wall, finding and clamping an undamaged pair in their place, and gathering as much dust as he could. When he had finished his arrangements, he stood back and surveyed the results. Would the scenario fool everyone? Yes, he thought, it was quite convincing.
Sadly, he would have to leave the three girls in the other room unmolested--slaughtering them would be far too obvious a move--but that sacrifice was worth the reward. He grabbed the ruined handcuffs and Xander's carcass and toted them outside through the back door to dispose of elsewhere. He only regretted that he couldn't be around to witness Buffy's devastated reaction when she came upon the scene he'd set up. It wasn't the denouement he had planned, but it made a pretty good substitute.
Angelus drove away from Sunnydale without a backward glance. His work there was done.
*****
Buffy and Giles spent an exhausting night hunting for Spike, following lead after lead only to learn, near daybreak, that somewhere along the way they'd taken at least one false turn. Spike had wreaked havoc and left Los Angeles reeling in his wake, with packs of power-hungry vampires openly hunting. Where he'd gone next was anyone's guess.
Disappointed and tired to the bone, Buffy and Giles returned to Sunnydale and went right to the Magic Box. Much as both of them would have loved to get some sleep, they had to deal with Angel first.
At least, that was what Buffy thought until she stepped inside the building and was met by a babble of upset voices.
Willow, in tears, cried, "Buffy, we're so sorry. We didn't know until it was too late."
Tara continued, "We were all so tired after you left. We fell asleep and he must have done it then."
Anya contributed, "I definitely would have stopped him if I'd known what he was planning."
"Wait," Buffy cut through the clamor. "What happened? What are you talking about? Where's Xander? Is Angel awake?"
"You'd better come look," Willow said quietly. She led Buffy into the back room.
In the place where Angel should have lain, Buffy saw a dangling handcuff, a stake, and a pile of dust. A pile the size a dusted vampire usually left.
Willow broke the silence. "Xander's gone. He must have run away. After he did it."
If anyone spoke right after that, Buffy didn't hear the words. She remained staring at the dust, almost unable to believe the enormity of Xander's betrayal. All she knew was that her life would never be the same.
*****
Three months later...
One moment, a fresh young shop clerk was hurrying along a dark Sunnydale street, eager to return home to her infant daughter. The next moment, she was gone. Only the most watchful eye would have seen what became of her as she passed the mouth of an alley. An arm had snaked out and yanked the luckless pedestrian into the shadows, never to emerge alive. Minutes later, the culprit stepped out of the darkness and casually proceeded down the street, the edge taken off of his hunger.
Angelus was back in Sunnydale with his head held high, supplies ready and a new plan in mind. When he'd left he'd thought he didn't need Buffy around, that he could have just as much fun--more, even--killing and pillaging away from her. Instead he'd found out that he was, for one of the few times in his illustrious career, wrong. He had to admit it; without Buffy around, his life wasn't half as interesting. Sure, he'd still maimed and tormented and stalked and slaughtered other humans, but it just hadn't been the same. He'd done it all: eaten schoolchildren, tormented kittens, even skinned babies, and through weeks of mayhem he hadn't once felt the old rush.
But when he pictured Buffy's reaction to the vicious deeds, then came that familiar thrilling sensation of pleasure.
Oh, yeah.
So that was why he'd returned to Sunnydale. To rectify his mistake and finish what he'd started.
He began with a little judicious stalking and spying to get the new lay of the land. It turned out that Buffy was still living in her old house, all alone, and Angelus briefly wondered why she had been allowed to, considering that she was underage. Then again, this was Sunnydale, and far more serious offenses regularly went unremarked.
Despite the fact that it was a good hour and more after dusk, Buffy was still indoors. Angelus impatiently waited across the street to see if she would ever emerge from her house. It took another half hour before she did, and then she didn't appear to register his presence and actually didn't seem interested in any aspect of her surroundings. She had grown thinner and paler since the last time he had seen her, and she was heading out without so much as a single stake on her person. She walked slowly but steadily toward Sunnydale Cemetery, Angelus tracking her. Not once did she act like she was hunting. Instead she made a beeline for the edge of the graveyard, like this direct path was one she had traveled many times before. She stopped there, before a small headstone inscribed simply "Angel," settled down on the grass, and began to speak in a choked voice. "It still doesn't feel real. None of it does. Angelus coming back, Riley and my mom being dead, Xander staking you and running away, Spike escaping. How could it have happened like this?"
She seemed to have lost her spirit, Angelus thought as he crept nearer. Well, when she saw him again she was bound to perk up a bit. After all, they had quite a history together. Before Buffy's speech could grow any more pathetic, Angelus emerged from the shadows to stand in front of her.
She definitely saw him. Her head went up and her eyes focused on him, but they held a strange glazed look and her reaction wasn't exactly what he had expected. "Angel. We held a service for you. It was nice. I think you would have liked it. Willow, Tara, Anya, Wesley, and Giles were all there."
Did Buffy regularly imagine the presence of a ghost-Angel? Angelus thought with disgust. He shook his head. "You're wrong yet again, Buff. How many times do I have to tell you that Angel is gone, g-o-n-e, never coming back? You do realize now that you buried plain old regular dust in that grave instead of the sacred remains of Angel, don't you?"
For a moment Buffy continued to look blank, but then a glimmer of comprehension dawned on her face. Angelus didn't let it get much farther. He swiftly pounced and tackled her, feeling how weakened she had become as she failed to put up much of a struggle when he pinned her to the ground. He could see in her eyes that she wanted to fight harder but she simply wasn't capable of it. She would be again, though; he'd see to that.
He eased off of her slightly and reached into his pocket for the rag and chloroform he'd come prepared to use. No sense in knocking Buffy over the head and causing still more trauma, was there? She needed to keep some of her wits about her or she wouldn't be any fun.
"Hold still," he advised. "I don't want to hurt you any more than I have to."
"Since when?" Buffy demanded, fruitlessly writhing underneath him. "You've always wanted to cause me pain. That's why you're here!"
"Not entirely. I came back this time because I missed you," Angelus informed her. "You know, I was thinking, we could go look up Spike first. Last I heard, he was over in London. You'd like to see him again, wouldn't you? Sure you would. Prussia and Spain would be good pit stops too. We should probably skip Romania, though. We're going to have to have a long discussion about travel plans but I see that now isn't the right moment. Well, we'll have plenty of time for that some other day."
A healthy amount of chloroform later, and he was cruising out of Sunnydale with Buffy out cold on the passenger seat beside him. They were going to have some bad times together, all right.
It just went to prove, in the end evil really did pay off.
**END**