14

14

"Buffy! Where's Buffy? I have to talk to her! Oh God, this is terrible!"

Xander charged into Buffy's dorm room. Willow, still Buffy's roommate, looked up and gasped in shock at her pale, hysterical friend.

"Xander!" she cried, jumping to his aid. "What's wrong?" Xander Harris didn't have hysterics unless something was truly, horribly wrong.

"Buffy," the young man panted, gulping air into his starving lungs. "Have to find Buffy!"

Willow spoke slowly, trying to calm him down. "Buffy's out patrolling. She should be back…"

"No!" Xander interrupted, grabbing Willow painfully by the arms. "She shouldn't be out there! Not now!"

"… now," Willow finished her sentence, dislodging herself from his bruising grip and pointing to the opening door. "Hey, Buffy."

"Hey," Buffy answered, frowning at the weirdness she walked in on.

Xander flashed his eyes over her body, searching for wounds, marks, any sign that she was hurt. Seeing none, he engulfed the Slayer in a bear hug, words rushing out of him, "Buffy, thank God you're not hurt. You're not hurt, are you?"

Buffy untangled herself from Xander's grasp, stepping past him, and gave her roommate a questioning look. Willow just shrugged her shoulders. No idea, her expression said to the Slayer.

"I'm fine, Xand. No Big Bad around to bug the Buff. All's quiet on the Hellmouth," Buffy soothed a still-frantic Xander.

The strength left the young man's legs and he dropped on Buffy's bed with his hands in his dark hair. "Oh Buffy…" he moaned. "I wish that were true. How I wish to God that were true."

He looked at her, took a deep breath and delivered his terrible news. "Something's happened to Spike. I went over there, and I saw…" He halted, Spike's tortured howls still ringing in his ears.

"What about Spike?" Buffy asked urgently. She had grown quite close to the chipped vampire, and concern gripped her heart in an icy vise.

"Spike's not bad again, is he?" Willow asked, scared at the prospect. "Oh God! The Big Bad is back?"

Xander frowned, shaking his head. "No, Willow. This is so much worse."

It was the redhead's turn to frown. "What could be worse than Spike, free after years of not being able to hunt and kill?" she wondered.

Xander got up, nervous energy making him twitch. "You want to know what's worse? Let me think about that one. Oh! I know! Angel, free of his soul and out for blood! That's worse, wouldn't you say?!" he shouted.

Buffy froze at the mention of her former lover's name. Angel. It didn't come as a surprise. All night she had felt his presence. Her being had heard his call and her blood had howled in answer. But the news of Angelus she didn't expect.

"What about Spike?" she asked, not feeling her lips forming the words.

Xander's frustration drained from him at the sight of the Slayer's face. "Buffy," he started, not knowing how to soften the next blow. "Spike… um… he's hurt. Bad. Angel…"

Pain, anger, longing, frustration. These were but a few emotions chasing each other through Buffy's heart. "I'm going to him," she said, grabbing her coat and brushing past her worried friends.

"Buffy, no! He's out there! It's too dangerous!" Xander shouted after Buffy, but she just ignored him, urging her legs to carry her faster to where her new vampire-lover lay wounded.

Xander threw his hands in the air, hating feeling so helpless. Willow's words pulled Xander back to his other very frightened friend. "What?" he asked.

"Why didn't Wesley or Cordelia warn us? They're there. Why didn't they call?" Willow asked again. Her eyes grew, tears gathering, threatening to spill over onto her paper white cheeks. "What if they can't call? What if they're…?" She couldn't finish the thought, a sob choking off the word 'dead'.

Fury burned in the dark-haired man's wounded eyes. "The bastard!" he growled. "I'll kill him!" Angel has stolen so much from him. The Slayer's heart, the beautiful Cordelia's loyalty. "He's not going to hurt my girls ever again," he promised.

Willow tried to stop him, weeping loudly, panic wanting to take her. Xander just brushed her clinging hand from his arm and followed Buffy out of the dorm, itching to find the object of his hatred and make him pay.

"Oh God, what do I do?" the witch wailed at the empty room. "Giles. I have to call Giles."

Willow dashed for the phone, but her eyes fell on her own supply chest and she altered course. She ripped up the lid, praying for the right ingredients to be there. She set up the circle, praying for strength. She threw the ingredients to the spell in a bowl, multiplying everything with a number of five. She rambled off the incantation in a breathless prayer and was knocked back by the explosion of light created by her magick. She offered up another prayer, this one of thanks as she scrambled to her feet and completed her dash for the phone. The protection spell would hold her two closest friends safe, she hoped… prayed. Let them be safe.

Willow dialed Buffy's Watcher's number, forcing her fingers to hit the right numbers. The phone rang once, twice, three times. Willow's heart started to pound painfully in her chest. Angel had been invited into all their homes, except perhaps Xander's. What if she was too late? What if…?

She didn't have to finish that thought as a British-accented voice answered.

"Giles!" she cried, a sob breaking free from her clenched teeth. "You have to help. Buffy… Xander… they're out there!"

On the other end of the line, the British man took off his glasses and scratched the back of his head. It was Willow crying frantically into his ear, but for the life of him he couldn't understand what was so dreadfully urgent. "Willow, calm down," he soothed much as she did not too long ago with Xander. "What's wrong? Where's Buffy and Xander?"

Willow forced herself to breathe. "Buffy went to help Spike. But Xander went to hunt him! He's going to be killed!"

"Xander is hunting Spike?" Giles was completely confused.

"No!" the witch screamed across the telephone line. "Angelus! He's hunting Angelus!"

"Angel's here?" Giles asked, but his Watcher mind interjected. She didn't say Angel. She said Angelus. Giles amended his question before Willow could speak. "Angel has turned?"

Another sob ripped through the young witch. That was all the confirmation Giles needed. "Stay where you are. Don't leave. I'm coming," he ordered.

He heard Willow's voice through the earpiece just before he dropped the phone back into its cradle. "Be careful."

*********************

"Angel?" Cordelia asked nervously from the driver's seat. "Are you okay?" She peered into the rearview mirror to find only an empty seat and not for the first time she doubted the wisdom behind giving the vampire with no reflection the back seat instead of the seat next to her where she could keep an eye on him.

A low growl escaped the backseat passenger as he emptied the bag of blood he was drinking. "Yeah, why?"

"That was your third pint in less than 2 hours," Cordelia explained. "Is there something we need to know? Something you would like to talk about? Like us turning into cartoon happy meals when you look at us?"

Angel's brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of the visual Cordelia had just pictured for him and barked an amused laugh. He shook his head, still grinning good-naturedly, and said, "I'm fine. I'm just hungry."

"Oh course," Wesley responded in his clipped British accent, throwing Cordelia an annoyed look. "After the battle you've just been through, it's only understandable that you would require more sustenance than normal."

"No, it's not that. My wounds are completely healed. It's the damn link." Angel frowned as his stomach growled again. "Angelus just killed a teenage boy. No foreplay, just a regular feeding. He's hungry too."

Angel missed the look that passed between his friends in the front of the car.

Wesley cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully. "Angel," he began, but Angel interrupted.

"You don't have to worry, Wesley. I can handle this. Unlike him, I have control over my baser instincts."

Wesley nodded, considering the subject closed. Cordelia wanted to say something, but thought better of it. She just nodded her head acceptance of Angel's statement, her eyes never leaving the road.

A road sign flashed past them. "Sunnydale 10," Cordelia read. "We're almost there."

*********************

"Hello Lover."

Buffy spinned toward the familiar voice. 'Like always', the Slayer thought angrily. 'When I let my guard down, he shows up.'

Buffy had been focusing all her attention on getting to her wounded friend. Her body had chosen the familiar shortcut, carrying her faster and faster to where the blonde vampire was lying, waiting for her to help him. She hadn't even seen the shadow stepping out from behind the mausoleum until he had spoken, stopping her heart and her feet at the same time.

"Angel." The word slipped out before she could stop it.

Angelus grinned, shaking his head and slowly circling her like a panther preparing to pounce. "Sorry, Lover. Spike figured that out the hard way. You know, it really hurt me to see my boy housebroken like that. You and your band of merry tag-alongs have turned him into that souled-up whiner that wore my face."

Buffy stood silent, her eyes never leaving the creature's face, turning as he circled her.

"And you!" Angelus pointed. "You allowed him to touch you. That is most definitely not allowed." He stopped, his soulless eyes boring into her with seething fury. "Tell me that you're sorry."

The Slayer met the vampire's eyes, seething fury meeting seething fury. She crossed her arms over her chest, squaring her stance and said in a strong, steady voice, "Fuck you, Angel."

It tore through her soul to call this monster by her beloved's name, but she knew the reaction it would have on him.

Angelus roared. His rage lifted his hand and before he could stop himself, the Slayer was landing hard on the grass. A bruise covered her jaw and the drop of blood clinging to her lower lip made the vampire's blood scream with want.

Buffy rose up slowly. Her face felt numb, except for where Angelus' fist had connected. The bruise throbbed in time with her heart, causing light spots to dance before her eyes.

She shook it off and squared her stance again. This time she didn't cross her arms over her chest. This time her fists were balled by her side, Mr Pointy firmly grasped in her right hand.

"Don't think that just because you wear his face, I won't kill you," Buffy said. She was slowly moving back into fighting distance of her adversary. With every step she was telling herself that this wasn't Angel. This wasn't the man who she loved even now, after so many years of separation. This wasn't the man who held her and comforted her when her mother died, the man she measured all other possible mates to and found them wanting. This wasn't the man she shared a soul with.

Angelus laughed that cruel laugh so uniquely his. "Why don't you try saying that with a little more believability, Lover? I'm sure you can do better."

Buffy swallowed hard and steeled herself for what she was about to do. She leapt, sticking her leg out and planted a kick in the vampire's stomach. Angelus was prepared. He grunted, but remained on his feet. The Slayer advanced immediately, kicking out again and connecting to the same spot. This time Angelus stepped back, but still he remained standing.

He leered at her, "That all you got, Slayer? Has fucking my boy Spike made you soft? Maybe I should thank him for making you such an easy target."

"He's not your boy!" Buffy shouted angrily. Angelus was goading her. She knew this and still she couldn't bite back the words. "He hasn't been for a long time."

"Foolish child!" Angelus stepped in close to Buffy, grabbing her, holding her immobile. He tangled his long fingers into her hair and yanked her head back, exposing her scarred throat. "I marked you both. Neither of you will be anything but mine!"

Buffy strained her neck back further, pulling the scar at the base of her throat taut. The bite mark stood out white against her skin. "This is not your mark, demon," she hissed. "This is Angel's mark. I belong to him. Not you."

Angelus was furious. Buffy flinched inwardly when the vampire still gripping her hair vamped out. Angelus was so close she could smell the blood he'd stolen from some unsuspecting victim.

Angelus' fangs grazed her skin, seeking the scar. He wanted to eradicate his souled Other's hold on the woman in his arms completely.

Buffy whimpered, her heart crashing into her breastbone. She shoved against Angelus' hard chest, trying desperately to break his hold. Her eyes were locked to his golden gaze. He was going to kill her. She could see her death written in his eyes, and she could do nothing to stop him.

A guttural cry filled the night as Buffy felt Angelus' fangs slowly sink into her flesh.

But then the two intertwined people were ripped apart, the vampire's fangs shredding her skin as Angelus was knocked away from Buffy.

Angelus was back on his feet in the blink of an eye, searching out his attacker. "Xander," he snarled, salivating at the thought of finally ridding himself of the useless pup that had appointed himself the Slayer's protector.

"I've been waiting a long time for this!" Xander said menacingly. He launched himself at the coldly sneering vampire, hate burning bright in his eyes.

"Xander, no!" Buffy cried, struggling to her feet, but it was too late. Angelus already had the young man by his neck. She heard a loud snap as the demon broke her friend's arm, forcing an involuntary scream from him.

"Let him go!" she roared, grabbing for purchase on Angelus' collar and pulling with every ounce of Slayer strength.

Angelus felt himself being lifted off his feet. Light exploded behind his eyes when he collided with the mausoleum wall. Rage bellowed from deep within his chest.

Buffy grappled for Xander's arm and pulled him into a panicked run. They fled into the night, away from the roar growing behind them, away from the threat ringing out to find their ears. "You can't run forever!"