"Oh, my God." She gasped, "Angel?"
He laughed mirthlessly, "Not quite, baby, but keep trying."
She shook her head and took a step back, "No."
He smirked, "Yes."
"Oh, shit…" Spike stood quickly and started to back away.
"Don't worry, Spikey. I'm dealing with Buff right now. Though I appreciated you snitching you will be thoroughly punished for what you did to me."
Tucking her feelings away she went into Slayer mode. "How did this happen?"
"Eh, some actress. You may know her. Rebecca- something?"
Jealousy flashed in Buffy eyes but as soon as it was there it disappeared. He slid up behind her and whispering in her ear, "But what does it matter?"
Spike took that cue to run.
Not noticing his absence Angelus wrapped his arms around Buffy pulling her tightly against him, "She's dead. I'm here. And you're with me."
Realizing what he had said she jumped from his arms, "Where are Cordelia and Wesley?"
He smirked again. Bastard. "In LA. Where else would they be?"
"What did you do to them?" She whipped out a stake from her pants.
"They deserved it. And speaking of which I hear you need to be punished for something, too."
"I don't know what you're talking about." She looked around searching for a place to run. She couldn't face him tonight.
"Oh, I think you do. A little birdie told me you were being an unfaithful bitch. You know you're mine, Buffy." His eyes reflected anger as he stepped closer to her.
"I-I wasn't…he lied. I di-didn't-"Her breath grew shallow as he came closer. He stopped right in front of her. Her eyes staring directly into his she took the steps to herself into him.
"Spike lied?" She nodded vigorously. He leaned down and deeply inhaled her scent. "No one's touched you." It wasn't a question, but she still shook her head. He nuzzled the mark he had made on her. She panted pulling him closer. She heard him growl and moved to look at his face. Seeing his face had shifted she snapped out of her trance and let him go. He hung onto her arms.
"C'mon Buff. I'll hurt for a second. A second pain for an eternity of pleasure."
"Let me go, Angelus!" She struggled against him.
"No, I'll never let you go again." as he leaned down to her neck Buffy filled with fear. Doing the only thing she could think of she kneed him in the groin and ran.
***
"I still can't understand why you let Spike go. He's still evil." Xander said aligning Twinkies on a plate.
"He does prove useful sometimes, Xander. Even though those times are few it is better than none." Giles told him. He was cleaning up from their research earlier, putting book back in alphabetical order.
"But what if gets that chip out? What then?" He shove a Twinkie in his mouth, "He'll try to kill us, that's what."
"Spike can be good to the gang, Xand. Yeah, evil, but he helps Buffy on patrol and stuff. You know? Willow spoke not quite knowing the right word to use.
"Yeah, yeah. Everybody's always turning against me."
Suddenly the door burst open to reveal a bedraggled looking Spike standing there.
"Slayer's in trouble. Angelus is back."
Anya looked at him, "And you say he isn't useful."
Xander ignored her and began to question Spike, "How? Where? How do we know you're not lying?"
"I hate that ponce as much as you do, and after what I did to him I really don't want the evil version after me." Spike told catching his unneeded breath.
"What did you do?" Willow asked.
"Children we don't have time for that. Buffy's in danger." Giles scolded, annoyed. "Where are they now?"
"Sunnyrest cemetery. You better hurry. It wasn't looking good from when I left."
"He's gone."
They all spun to face the door and saw a crying Buffy.
"You killed him?!" Spike yelped.
"No." She took a couple of stumbling steps forward and landed on the couch. "I…I can't do it again, Giles. He's gone and I can't kill him again. He's probably out killing right now and I can't lift a finger to stop him. Why would this happen again?" She covered her face in her hands.
Willow took a seat next to her friend and draped an arm over her shoulder, "We can do the curse again, right?" She looked at the gang, "Right?"
Silence.
Buffy lifted her head and stared at her friends, "We can, can't we?"
"Buffy," Giles said gently, "Maybe that isn't the best choice, right now."
"The best choice? Bringing Angel back is the best choice!" She stood.
Giles approached her, "This is the second time Angelus was released on us. We can't risk this happening again. And Angel can't possibly live with the guilt and knowing he could never be truly happy."
She glared at him. "No! I can't kill him again! I won't! You have all of these musty old books and you're still useless?! And Willow! You put the curse on him before can't you re-write it or something? Isn't that part of being a witch? I will *not* give up on him!" With that she marched out of the house, not glancing back.
Everyone had an expression of hurt on their face except Anya. She looked at Willow, "Told you."
He laughed mirthlessly, "Not quite, baby, but keep trying."
She shook her head and took a step back, "No."
He smirked, "Yes."
"Oh, shit…" Spike stood quickly and started to back away.
"Don't worry, Spikey. I'm dealing with Buff right now. Though I appreciated you snitching you will be thoroughly punished for what you did to me."
Tucking her feelings away she went into Slayer mode. "How did this happen?"
"Eh, some actress. You may know her. Rebecca- something?"
Jealousy flashed in Buffy eyes but as soon as it was there it disappeared. He slid up behind her and whispering in her ear, "But what does it matter?"
Spike took that cue to run.
Not noticing his absence Angelus wrapped his arms around Buffy pulling her tightly against him, "She's dead. I'm here. And you're with me."
Realizing what he had said she jumped from his arms, "Where are Cordelia and Wesley?"
He smirked again. Bastard. "In LA. Where else would they be?"
"What did you do to them?" She whipped out a stake from her pants.
"They deserved it. And speaking of which I hear you need to be punished for something, too."
"I don't know what you're talking about." She looked around searching for a place to run. She couldn't face him tonight.
"Oh, I think you do. A little birdie told me you were being an unfaithful bitch. You know you're mine, Buffy." His eyes reflected anger as he stepped closer to her.
"I-I wasn't…he lied. I di-didn't-"Her breath grew shallow as he came closer. He stopped right in front of her. Her eyes staring directly into his she took the steps to herself into him.
"Spike lied?" She nodded vigorously. He leaned down and deeply inhaled her scent. "No one's touched you." It wasn't a question, but she still shook her head. He nuzzled the mark he had made on her. She panted pulling him closer. She heard him growl and moved to look at his face. Seeing his face had shifted she snapped out of her trance and let him go. He hung onto her arms.
"C'mon Buff. I'll hurt for a second. A second pain for an eternity of pleasure."
"Let me go, Angelus!" She struggled against him.
"No, I'll never let you go again." as he leaned down to her neck Buffy filled with fear. Doing the only thing she could think of she kneed him in the groin and ran.
***
"I still can't understand why you let Spike go. He's still evil." Xander said aligning Twinkies on a plate.
"He does prove useful sometimes, Xander. Even though those times are few it is better than none." Giles told him. He was cleaning up from their research earlier, putting book back in alphabetical order.
"But what if gets that chip out? What then?" He shove a Twinkie in his mouth, "He'll try to kill us, that's what."
"Spike can be good to the gang, Xand. Yeah, evil, but he helps Buffy on patrol and stuff. You know? Willow spoke not quite knowing the right word to use.
"Yeah, yeah. Everybody's always turning against me."
Suddenly the door burst open to reveal a bedraggled looking Spike standing there.
"Slayer's in trouble. Angelus is back."
Anya looked at him, "And you say he isn't useful."
Xander ignored her and began to question Spike, "How? Where? How do we know you're not lying?"
"I hate that ponce as much as you do, and after what I did to him I really don't want the evil version after me." Spike told catching his unneeded breath.
"What did you do?" Willow asked.
"Children we don't have time for that. Buffy's in danger." Giles scolded, annoyed. "Where are they now?"
"Sunnyrest cemetery. You better hurry. It wasn't looking good from when I left."
"He's gone."
They all spun to face the door and saw a crying Buffy.
"You killed him?!" Spike yelped.
"No." She took a couple of stumbling steps forward and landed on the couch. "I…I can't do it again, Giles. He's gone and I can't kill him again. He's probably out killing right now and I can't lift a finger to stop him. Why would this happen again?" She covered her face in her hands.
Willow took a seat next to her friend and draped an arm over her shoulder, "We can do the curse again, right?" She looked at the gang, "Right?"
Silence.
Buffy lifted her head and stared at her friends, "We can, can't we?"
"Buffy," Giles said gently, "Maybe that isn't the best choice, right now."
"The best choice? Bringing Angel back is the best choice!" She stood.
Giles approached her, "This is the second time Angelus was released on us. We can't risk this happening again. And Angel can't possibly live with the guilt and knowing he could never be truly happy."
She glared at him. "No! I can't kill him again! I won't! You have all of these musty old books and you're still useless?! And Willow! You put the curse on him before can't you re-write it or something? Isn't that part of being a witch? I will *not* give up on him!" With that she marched out of the house, not glancing back.
Everyone had an expression of hurt on their face except Anya. She looked at Willow, "Told you."
