TITLE: ESCAPING FROM THE DARK 4/?
AUTHOR: SARGE
DISCLAIMER: SEE PREVIOUS PARTS. TO SUM UP I DON'T OWN THEM, AND I DON'T CLAIM TO.
SUMMARY: CORDELIA, WESLEY, AND GUNN FINISH EXPLAINING, AND GET THE HELP THEY OH SO NEEDED, BUT NOT HOW THEY THOUGHT.
Cordelia and Wesley leaned against the counter of the magic shop as Giles finished explaining to Gunn what a Vampire Slayer was. Gunn on the other hand sat at the table in shock.
"So that blonde girl could kick Angel's butt up and down main street?" Gunn asked as he gave Giles a skeptical look.
"She's smaller then Lindsey, and Angel uses him as a punching bag."
"Special calling." Giles answered. "Mystic activating. She has to be stronger then them."
"What was all that stuff she kept saying about Angel being over her, and all that?" Gunn asked.
"That's a long story that we are not going into at the moment." Giles answered. Then he looked at his watch. "She should be here by now."
"Sorry she might be a bit late." Came a new voice from the shadows. "She stopped by and we had a nice chat about how easy it would be to kill her. That is if I wasn't chipped and all."
"Spike!" Cordelia yelled looking around for anything that could be used to stake him. "I'm warning you that we are competent fighters. We will dust you."
"Cordelia, I think it wise not to aggravate the vampire." Wesley suggested delicately as he looked around for something to use as well. He felt horribly unprepared.
"Spike, why are you here?" Giles asked annoyed more then worried. "What do you mean Buffy stopped by? Shouldn't Riley have come in to train with her?"
Buffy burst into the magic store already going at a whirlwind pace as she headed toward the back room.
"Thank you." Cordelia said relieved that the Slayer was here. "Buffy."
Buffy took one look at Spike before turning to face them once more. Then she plopped down on the floor and glared.
"This is not a good day." Buffy moaned. "What kind of trouble do I have to solve?"
"Well for one you have a vampire standing right there that you could dust?" Gunn suggested. "Slayer."
"Why bother?" Buffy questioned. "He's chipped. He can't hurt anything living. However, he can kill demons. Makes him useful at times."
"So he really is a punching bag." Cordelia said in surprise. "Got any more of those chips. It's hell on Spike, we should get one for Angel. That way if he becomes Angelus, he still can't hurt anyone."
"Sorry bitch." Spike said. "We destroyed them. Government agency trying to turn our bits into a super killing machine. We destroyed it."
"I destroyed it." Buffy objected. "You beat up any demon you could get your hands on."
"Yes, well." Giles broke deciding this was off subject. "Cordelia was just about to explain why Buffy must go to Los Angeles and help Angel."
"Actually I wouldn't recommend you going near Angel." Gunn muttered. "Man and his family got issues."
"Family?" Spike questioned. "I'm the only family. There wouldn't be anyone else."
"Well there is." Wesley answered. "Deal with it. Buffy are you sure he should be here?"
"No, I told him to stay at his crypt. However, that didn't seem to do any good." Buffy answered. "Just get on with it."
"Well for one thing Darla and her." Cordelia said glancing at Spike nervously. "Had Wolfram and Hart's full support. Only when Darla rose again, they took off after beating Angel. Lets just say that the family colors are showing."
"Bloody hell." Spike snarled at the news and as revelation crashed through his mind. "Darla and Drusilla are running around LA aren't they? How'd they get Darla back?"
"In the pocket notes version spell raised Darla as a human. Darla was dying, Drusilla came and revamped her. Now they are on a killing spree." Wesley said highly aggravated that they weren't getting anywhere.
"Why hasn't Angel done something?" Buffy asked surprised at how Spike was taking all this, and at the lack of news of what Angel had done to stop Darla and Dru.
"We don't know." Gunn answered. "Darla has been toying with him and his dreams since fall. Angel has changed."
"No wonder I'm explaining this." Cordelia said aggravated. "Wolfram and Hart suggested that they go on a killing spree. A big one."
"Paint the town red." Spike said duly. "Peaches must have gone nuts."
"A little." Gunn answered. "He got to Holland the leader and told him that innocent people were going to die. Holland didn't care. He made that very clear. Then Lindsey and Holland left for a wine tasting party."
"Angel found out where Dru and Darla had been when they talked to Holland. There was a survivor. She had been in the changing rooms. He found out that Dru and Darla had decided to crash the wine tasting party."
"So Dru and Darla decided to destroy the law firm. The law firm full of lawyers." Buffy knew that it was bad Wolfram and Hart were a public figure. "Sense Angel knew I'm guessing that he stopped them."
"Angel got there and found Holland's wife on the floor dying. He got an invite and walked downstairs." Cordelia paused then bracing herself before she went on added. "They hadn't killed anyone yet, but they made it very clear that they were going to kill them all."
"And Angel stopped them right?" Buffy asked. "I mean they may have gotten one or two, but then Angel stepped in and the others ran right?"
"Lilah, one of the lawyers told him that he had to save them because Darla and Dru were going to kill them." Cordelia continued. "Forgive me if this isn't exactly right, but Angel told us the story."
"Then why are you here?" Spike asked. "If poof saved the day then why is he bragging to Buffy? Want to compare vampires slayed or something?"
"Angel didn't stop them." Cordelia answered softly. "He told Lilah and Holland that he didn't care. He left and locked the only door. He listened to the screams of the lawyers on his way out."
"HE DID WHAT?!" Buffy, Spike, and Giles asked in utter disbelief as one.
"So he just left them there to be murdered?" Buffy asked in shock. "What the hell was he thinking?"
"Peaches is Angelus again?" Spike asked half stating it as a fact. "LA is dead meat."
"No. Not yet." Wesley answered. "When Angel got done telling us we yelled at him. We told him that he couldn't just let Darla and Drusilla kill innocent people."
"We also said we were worried about him." Cordelia told the,.
"Angel said that he understood that we would object. Then he fired us."
" HE DID WHAT?"Buffy, Giles, and Spike exclaimed together once more in shock.
"Angel is crazy." Giles said as he began muttering, and walking toward the book shelf starting to pull books down and flip through them.
"So let me guess you want me to come, and stop Darla and Dru before LA ends up looking like a war went through it?" Buffy surmised from her seat on the floor.
"Yes," Cordelia answered. "Look we know that Sunnydale needs you, but I think it'll be ok. We'll just follow the bodies to Dru and Darla."
"What about Angel?" Dawn asked speaking up for the first time. "What's he going to do when Buffy shows up in Los Angeles and starts slaying Darla and Dru? His sire and his childe. You think he's going to walk away from Buffy? Let her kill them?"
"We can deal with Angel once its over with." Gunn told them. "Darla and Dru being gone will take away their negative effect on him."
"Maybe not." Spike objected. "If he's not Angelus yet what makes you think that he'll stay Angel if they die? He seems to be protecting them?"
"Hell you would know wouldn't you?" Cordelia demanded. "I bet if you weren't chipped you'd be on your way."
"To hunt with Dru?" Spike asked. "Hell yeah. To hunt with Darla? Hell no. she's a lose cannon. Can't trust that one. You can bet it was her idea to get the lawyers."
"High profile." Buffy noticed."Giles I have to stop them. Any cops will get killed."
"We hunt demons and vampires for a living, and we can't stop them." Wesley said to Giles. "Please. She can stay with Cordelia."
"Buffy." Dawn said shooting her a pleading look. "Don't go. Send Spike. He can hunt vampires."
"Like I'd dust Dru." Spike objected. "However, I am going with her if she does go."
"Spike I need you to stay here and keep the Hellmouth under control." Buffy replied. "Plus Dawn will need to be protected. We can't leave her unprotected."
"Why are you so damn protective of Dawn?" Spike demanded. "She's just your sister."
"Shut Up!" Giles yelled stopping the conversation, and giving them all a glare. "Now lets talk about this rationally. Spike can go because we have Riley."
"Riley left for South America at 12:00 Last night." Buffy answered. "The government got hold of him."
"I see." Giles answered. "Well, I'm sure we can handle it for awhile."
"Alright." Buffy coincided. "I give. Spike and I will got to LA. However, Spike has to promise that he won't get in the way of me dusting Drusilla."
"Bloody Hell Slayer." Spike muttered. "I can't just watch you kill her. We were together for 100 years."
"That's nice." Cordelia replied. "This is us not caring."
"Spike." Buffy said softly. "She kills. I slay. If this doesn't ring any bells, and you can't handle it then get lost."
"Fine." Spike snarled. "When Darla and Dru kill you, I won't say I didn't warn you."
"I'm sure Willow and Xander will remember that." Giles answered. "I suppose you want to leave now?"
"Lets think. Get there before sundown and stop more bloody death, or wait until sunset to leave and hear about more death on the news tomorrow." Gunn thought out loud sarcasm clear in his voice. He shrugged. "I don't know."
"We go now." Buffy answered. "Spike can come tonight. That way Xander and Willow can feel better after having yelled at him about getting to come and them having to stay here. Sound good?"
"You would be sure that I suffer wouldn't you?" Spike asked. "You just wait until I get this chip out, then you'll see where stuff like this gets you."
"You'll be dust." Buffy corrected. "Dawn. What are we going to do about Dawn?"
"Dawn will have to go with you." Giles answered. "Wesley can watch her. So can Cordelia."
"Excuse me!" Dawn objected. "Buffy's boyfriend just broke up with her, and now you want to send her to LA to pick up Angel's pieces? How unfeeling are you people?"
"They're not Dawn." Buffy told her surprised at her younger sisters outburst in her honor. She'd have thought that Dawn would be very pleased with the news. "Its what needs to be done. They can't help that."
"Come on then. Lets get home so you can pack." Wesley suggested. "Dawn. Well at least they won't expect her to show up."
"They hardly expect Buffy to show up." Gunn reminded. "Besides its not like anyone from Wolfram and Hart is still or alive, or that Angel even knows what's happening."