Chapter Six
June 2004
Los Angeles, California
The stench of death settled like a fog over the entire city. Blood mixed with ash and coated the ground in a thick layer of grime. Brick buildings crumbled, steel and glass twisted and bent as skyscrapers toppled into one another and fires blazed unattended throughout the streets of the once bustling metropolis.
The dark night, once lit up by the thriving nightlife now only had an eerie orange glow that flickered and danced in time with the flames. It reminded him of the Boxer Rebellion only without the human element. Or the fun. Deep, wide fissures cut through sidewalks, roads, even houses and businesses. A glance to his left showed what had once been a large office building, Only half of it remained, the entire center had fallen into the abyss that had opened beneath it.
His footsteps were heavy as he stalked down the empty motorway, his boot tread leaving a clear trail in the grungy streets. Blood sluggishly seeped down his torn jeans and he walked with a slight limp that went unheeded. His head pounded. Gouges, scratches and bruises mottled his tired, gaunt face. A screech cut through the heavy silence and he automatically turned towards it even as he wondered if there was even a point.
He had long since stopped counting the corpses, human and demon alike. There hadn't been time to evacuate the city, not before and certainly not after. He knew that people had successfully gotten out, he'd helped who he could but he wasn't sure how far many of them would make it. He knew that it had spread, that they had failed even in containing it to Los Angeles. Maybe if they'd had more time or more white hat warriors.
There were a few human holdouts left in the city. Wasn't there always? People who refused to evacuate before a hurricane or volcanic eruption. This wasn't any different even though it should have been, when volcanoes were traded in for demonic hordes that was when you run no matter how much you love all the useless shit in your house.
He got to the screeching demon too late and now there was one less holdout in the city. Lifeless eyes set inside the decapitated head stared up at him. The level of carnage he lived in now was nothing like he'd ever seen before, and he had bathed in it for over a century. His sword had already been ready in his left hand and he threw himself into the dance without a second thought.
November 2004
"You already tried that," Spike said dully.
"Well I'll try again!" Angel replied heatedly. "The Oracles have turned back time for me before, they can do it again."
Spike rolled his eyes. "Think they made it pretty clear that you're not their golden boy anymore, you git."
"I suppose you have a better idea?" his grandsire bit out. "At least I'm trying to fix this!"
Spike rocked up to his feet, body rigid as he turned his fiery gaze on the great poof. "Well I should bloody well hope so seein' as you broke it!" he spat back.
"I'm not having this argument with you again," Angel sighed tiredly.
"Not like there's anyone else to argue with," Spike replied bitterly. He was ready for the roar and following right hook and he easily ducked it, throwing a punch of his own and nearly smirking when he made solid contact with the older vampire's gut. He followed it up by swiping his feet out from under him and when Angel fell heavily to the floor Spike straightened his duster and headed for the door. "I'm going hunting, feeling a mite peckish." The butchers had long been out of business so they'd been hunting pretty much any animal they could find, although he mostly left the rats for Angelus.
They had those dust ups frequently but they never lasted long anymore. They were too tired and battle worn to waste more than a hit or two on each other. Really, Spike just thought it was their miserable attempt to keep some kind of status quo.
It was a bit easier to move along the streets now that so many of the demon horde had scattered. He could usually get a block or two down the way before having to stop and fight. He briefly considered hunting down Illyria, the godking had been MIA for a week now but decided to wait another day or two. It wasn't entirely unheard of but, seeing as he was faced with being stuck in this hellhole with only Angelus for company- which made him want to stake himself- he'd like to ensure that she hadn't finally found something stronger than herself.
He hadn't seen a human in ages which was why the smattering of gunfire nearly made him jump. He shifted into his human visage as he wandered towards the sound curiously. His sensitive ears picked up the sounds of grunts, growls and yelps before more gunfire split the air.
He rounded the corner and saw a woman tossed to the ground by the horned fugly she was attempting to fight off. She brought her gun up and swung it like a club as the demon lunged towards her. The chit must've been out of ammo. She landed a solid blow to the demon's head but it barely fazed it. Spike leapt forward and plowed the demon down before it's next blow shredded the bint into pieces.
They rolled to the ground and Spike was glad he didn't need to breathe as his opponents elbow- at least the thinks that's what it was- jabbed him in the gut. Spike's demon came to the fore as he brought his hands up to either side of the demon's head and twisted with all the leverage he could levy. The growls stopped suddenly as it's neck broke with a loud crack. Spike shoved it off of him and rolled to his feet, fighting his demon down before facing the woman.
He cocked his head in consideration as he took in the sight of her, recognition and relief flashed through her eyes. He took a deep breath and then wanted to gag as he recognized the familiar thick scent she was encased in. Pounding footsteps ran towards them and Spike rolled his eyes in exasperation as the new figure joined the tableau. "Oh, balls," he muttered.
"Spike?" the man asked in shock, his hand tightening around the handle of his gun though Spike was somewhat surprised to see that even though his hand twitched up a bit, he didn't aim the damn thing at him.
"Captain Cardboard," Spike greeted idly.
~BTVS~
"So you've been here the whole time?" Sam asked him as he led her and her blockhead husband back to The Hyperion.
"Yeah," he muttered as he patted down his pockets until he found his fags and his zippo. One good thing about the human element fleeing town was all the free ciggies and booze he could ask for. "What took you lot so bloody long? Aren't you s'posed to be militarized demon hunters or sommat?" he asked around the cigarette as he lit it.
He could feel the tension rolling off of soldier boy as he offered a disgruntled explanation. "We couldn't fly in due to a giant fire breathing dragon, took down more than a few Black Hawks."
Spike snorted. "More than a few? Not the brightest bunch, are you?" So Angel's dragon was still around, marking the skies as his. The wanker will be so happy to hear that, he might just lose his soul.
Sam offered a short laugh. "They figured it out eventually, we had to trek our way in which took a lot longer than we expected."
"Rest of the country bad off, yeah?" Spike asked curiously. With more than enough demonic activity to keep them busy they hadn't ventured far outside of the city proper, only doing so when tracking a particularly nasty bugger.
"Not as bad as LA but it's spread all the way to the east coast," Sam replied, she sounded exhausted and Spike didn't blame her. "We lost most of our team along the way, the rest of them once we hit city limits."
They turned the final corner and ended up in front of the crumbling stone of the once posh hotel. The fact that it still remained standing given it's close proximity to ground zero was fairly amazing. It had sustained fire damage, more windows than not had been shattered and boarded up to keep it's vampire inhabitants from bursting to flame, and the foundation had begun to crack causing the entire building to slant a bit to the left.
"Home sweet home," he muttered as he led them into what was once the lobby. "Angelus, we got company!" he hollered as he threw his weapons down on a nearby desk.
Angel came slumping out of the shadows and as he and Riley took in the sight of each other they both sighed. Sam glanced between the three men who each shared a complicated history with the same woman and fought back a grin. "Well, this shouldn't be awkward," she joked.
February 2005
A blue blur came flying towards him and he was barely able to raise his arms up in time to catch her as they both when tumbling ass over teakettle. Illyria rose gracefully back to her feet, automatically yanking Spike up with her. "I tire of this," she said without inflection before throwing herself back into the fray.
"Don't we all, luv?" he muttered as he followed close behind. He had long since stopped trying to figure out what he was fighting, all he needed to know was how to kill it. He ducked a blow and darted forward with one of his own. A sword came swinging towards him and he caught it, ignoring the sting of it slicing into his palms, twisting it around and leveraging himself to force it back around and into his attacker. It died with a howl and Spike pulled out his newly acquired sword as he turned towards the next one.
He heard a pained grunt that sounded too human for his liking and managed to turn towards the sound to see Finn pressed up against the side of a nearby building, one hulking deformed arm pinning him in place while the other went swinging towards the poor sods face and Spike knew that- even without the spikes jutting out of it's knuckles- the blow would kill him.
He let instinct guide him as the hilt of the sword slide through his fingers until he felt the cross-guard, tightening his grip slightly he flipped the sword up and out, watching it spiral through the air until it hit it's target. Riley dropped to the ground, panting heavily as his would-be murderer dropped dead beside him. He looked up with wide eyes and gave Spike a grateful nod. The vampire saw a sudden warning flare in the soldier's eyes and he turned around only to find himself flying through the air.
The demon came barreling down on him too quickly for Spike to kip back to his feet. He hated these buggers, they were too quick for even his reflexes. He tried to roll out of the way but it was too quick and it pinned him down. Spike used every dirty trick in the book to try and weasel his way out to no avail. A large clawed hand slashed towards his head and he felt the sinking realization that this was it. He stared up at his killer in defiance, hoping that his death wasn't in vain and that Angelus would succeed in their mission.
A sharp series of pops burst through the air and the hand fell limp inches from his neck just before the entire large frame collapsed on top of him, knocking the air out of his useless lungs. Spike managed to maneuver his arms up far enough to push the demon off of him and pushed back to his feet. "Ta, luv," he called out with a nod. Sam graced him with a large grin from behind the scope of her sniper rifle from where she was perched atop a low nearby building.
Spike waded his way through the sea of corpses to rejoin Illyria and Riley, the former being relieved of one of her two adversaries by another brilliant shot from one Mrs. Finn. They danced like that, being torn away from their line of defense only to meet back up a little worse off than they had been, for what seemed like sodding ever before the last of them keeled over and the three warriors were left panting in exertion.
"I'd like more," Illyria grit out with a sweeping gaze.
"Of bloody course you would," Spike groaned, wondering when she'd caught her second wind.
"Masochist," he heard Riley mutter and he found himself exchanging a glance of exasperation in solidarity. What a weird fucking turn his life had taken over the last nine months. Sod that, the last nine bloody years.
A few minutes and- much to Illyria's dismay- no more demons later Angel came stumbling up out of the underground bunker they'd been guarding. His eyes sought out Spike's and the blond vampire felt himself warm a bit at the wide grin his grandsire sported.
"I was able to reach Faith," he told them victoriously. "Sigmond has agreed to come back to the Hyperion," he added as a weathered, blue-gray figure slowly made his way out into the decaying air.
Spike wiped at a bit of blood that was seeping from somewhere on his face. "No luck getting through to Buffy or Willow?" he asked.
Angel's smile faltered and it was Sigmond that answered. "My telepathic abilities are limited by range, I was barely able to get through to your Faith," he said with a sniff. He sounded as old as he looked Spike mused absently.
"Well some reinforcements are better than none, right?" Sam asked brightly as she rejoined them on the ground. "There's a horde a couple blocks over, might wanna head out before they head this way," she told them, looking first at her husband and then at the blond vampire. They three were most often in the thick of it together. Funny, the odd bedfellows being in the trenches made.
"Let's go," Angel ordered and Spike rolled his eyes. The blighter always had to act like he owned the bloody show.
November 2005
They were blood soaked and battle worn as they sat, slumped and scattered throughout the Hyperion lobby. Illyria had skulked off to lick her wounds, it was the first time she'd actually wanted the attacks to stop. They'd all nearly died, Spike was honestly shocked that the two soldiers were still with them.
"We just have to trust that Faith will be able to get here," Angel reassured them tiredly. "And maybe some reinforcements from England too. She said that she'd gotten in touch with Willow. Sigmond is dead but he made sure I got through to her before he died. She's alive and still on her way."
"No need for the redundancy, pops," Spike replied dully. "We already know all that."
Angel glared at him but kept his gob shut for the time being. The elder vampire had been deeply ensconced in research for much of the last year, trying to find away to put the genie back in the bloody bottle. Spike, Illyria, Riley and Sam had been out on the streets, on the front lines, in the foxhole. It was reminiscent of the dynamic between the poofter and his old group, them banded together cleaning up his mess as he isolated himself and pretended to carry the weight of the world on his neanderthal shoulders.
"What if they don't make it?" Sam asked, the fear wasn't quite hidden in her gaze. "We've been waiting for them for what? Nine months? We know she suffered losses. We know," she said, sharing a look with her husband, "what's it's really like out there, trying to travel."
"They'll make it," Angel grit out.
Spike sighed. "Faith's a resilient chit. She's proven her mettle," he defended the formerly rogue Slayer he'd once bonded with. He turned his searing gaze to Angelus. "But we do need a plan b, mate," he said insistently.
"What do you suggest then Spike?" Angel asked scathingly.
"Bombs," was his simple reply.
"Bombs?" Riley repeated in surprise.
"Kinda surprised you military types haven't already dropped them," Spike shrugged.
"So you want to just, what? Wipe America off the map?" Angel sneered incredulously.
Spike's gaze sharpened into a heated glare. "No, Angelus. I don't want to wipe the bloody colonies off the bloody map but it might be the only way to clean up the sodding mess you made before it spreads throughout the rest of the bloody world!" he retorted contemptuously.
Silence fell even as tensions rose while the two volatile vampires glared at each other. Sam spoke up again, her tone more composed. "Let's just hold out awhile longer and hope we get those reinforcements," she suggested soothingly,
Riley nodded but he looked at Spike in consideration. "We should start figuring out how to put plan b in effect though," he glanced at his wife in reassurance. "Just in case," he told her quietly.
"Fine," Angel bit out before turning and sweeping out in his typical dramatic way.
Spike rolled his eyes again. "Drama queen," he muttered as he tilted his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.
January 2006
"You're going to what?" Spike demanded incredulously.
"I'm going to hunt down a Granok demon," Angel repeated in exasperation. "I've met one of their kind before and he could travel through time."
"I know what a Granok is, you plonker," Spike spat. "One of the greatest races of warriors to ever exist, don't recall reading anything about them time traveling though."
"Sahjhan could. He was trapped in a Resikhian Urn and, despite being incorporeal, he learned how to shift through time."
Spike waited a beat. "So?" he scoffed. "So one Granok demon managed to learn a new trick and now you think they all can?"
"Well, we know that their race can develop the ability!" Angel insisted.
"So you're just going to stop in at the market, pick up one of those urns, release a demon bred for war who has been cooped up for who knows how bloody long, sweet talk him into somehow learning how to bend time just so he can send you- whom he neither knows nor owes- back in time to stop yourself from starting the apocalypse?"
"More or less," Angel agreed with a determined nod.
January 2006
"Well that was fun," Faith commented as she jumped out of her van and walked back towards Buffy and Xander. They were stopped alongside the Los Angeles city limits sign, using the opportunity to stretch their legs. "Little too close for comfort for you guys," she noted as she took in the damage to the roof of their car.
"You're not wrong," Buffy replied with a yawn.
"I can't believe we finally made it," Faith said, somewhat awestruck. "The road just kinda felt like a nightmare we'd never wake up from, ya know?" she said as she shook her head.
"I know," came Buffy's immediate agreement.
"Well...now that we're here, where do we go?" Xander asked as he looked towards the not too distant city. There were columns of smoke billowing up towards the smoggy sky.
Faith turned to follow his gaze. "Angel used to have a hotel in the heart of the city. The Hyperion. I figured we'd start there. If it's still standing it might make a good place to set up a base camp even if he's not there," she reasoned.
"Sounds good to me," Buffy said with a nod.
"How far away?"
"'Bout half an hour on a good day," Faith replied.
"Let's hope it's a good day then," Robin said, catching the tail end of their conversation as he walked up to them and wrapped his arms around Faith's waist.
"Let's hope," Buffy agreed softly as she stared out into the distance.
~BTVS~
It was not a good day. Buffy ran hard, her shoes slapping loudly against the pavement as she flew around a corner. She skidded to a stop when she caught sight of Faith, Robin, Xander and the girls near their vehicles. "Incoming!" she called out as the mob that she ran into while she was scouting came barreling out behind her.
Immediately the group of them raised their weapons, even the non slayer, non demon hunters humans had learned how to wield weapons in the months since their world had ended. Buffy spun to face her attackers. They were huge, horns split out from the sides of their skulls, their eyes glowed red and their fingers came equipped with foot long talons that could behead her in an instant.
The Slayer went to work. She dove beneath the legs of the demon immediately in front of her, tucking down into a roll before coming gracefully to her feet and spearing the demon directly behind it with her scythe. She hissed as one of the other demons swiped at her and she wasn't able to move completely out of it's way as it's sharp claws sliced through her already tattered shirt and drew blood.
"Son of a bitch," she muttered as she turned on the demon with fury. She heard the sounds of the others grunting and fighting. Of Faith laughing when she got a good hit in and cursing when they hit back. She heard one of the girls scream and forced herself not to lose focus as she realized that they were likely down another number. She heard the humans cry and yell out when the demons got too close. Those of them who had been fighting demons for years had formed a circle around the less experienced humans, it had become their standard formation in the weeks since meeting up with Faith's group but it wasn't foolproof and they weren't invincible and her stomach clenched when she thought of how many they were likely to lose in this fight alone.
A burst of light shot past Buffy, causing her to blink rapidly as she tried to regain her bearings, and she heard the roar of a demon before she heard it's body drop heavily to the ground. She heard the sound of rapid gunfire next and she and Faith exchanged a wide eyed look before dropping to the ground as the bullets flew over their heads. Buffy looked around frantically for Xander and was overcome with relief when she locked eyes with him, a broken laugh bursting out at the sight of his double thumbs up.
"Buffy?" A woman's voice called out in surprise. The Slayer looked up and was shocked when she met the eyes of none other than Riley's wife.
"Sam?" she asked in disbelief.
"You two know each other?" Faith asked as she helped Robin up off the ground, he'd been skewered by one of the demon's talons but a quick glance told Buffy it was likely just a flesh wound.
"Uh, yeah. This is Riley's wife," Buffy replied, still shocked although she told herself she shouldn't be. Of course the demon hunting branch of the military was at ground zero.
"Riley the soldier boy?" Faith questioned.
"That's the one," Sam spoke up with a chuckle as she walked closer to them. "Hi, I'm Sam, the soldier girl," she said as she stuck out her hand. "I'm glad you guys made it."
Faith raised a brow but took the hand all the same. "Faith."
"Hey Sam, Riley around here too?" Xander spoke up as he walked over to them.
"He's back at our base camp," she replied. She looked directly at Buffy. "We've been working with Angel and Spike," she told her meaningfully.
"They're still alive?" Buffy breathed out, cursing her lower lip as it started to tremble.
"They are," the other woman assured her kindly. "We've set up base in an old hotel, I can take you there now."
"The Hyperion?" Faith questioned.
"Yep, that's it," Sam nodded.
"Well...this shouldn't be awkward or anything," Faith smirked as she shot a sidelong look towards Buffy who rolled her eyes and kept her agreement to herself. Sam chuckled to herself and Buffy imagined she was well acquainted with the awkwardness. She couldn't imagine any scenario where Angel, Riley and Spike were working together.
They stopped long enough to collect their injured and dead, one slayer and one civilian, loading them up in Sam's Humvee before climbing into their own vehicles and following her lead.
~BTVS~
Buffy's stomach clenched as a familiar voice greeted her ears immediately upon entry of the crumbling remains of The Hyperion.
"Oh, sure. Sounds like a great way to wind up dead," Spike drawled sarcastically as he fiddled with a dagger. "Great plan."
"Like you'd know a great plan if it came up and bit you in the ass," Angel shot back.
Spike scoffed. "Big talk coming from you, Peaches."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Angel demanded.
"Well, grandpa, 'tween the two of us who's tried to end the world more times than save it?" Spike asked, his eyes flashing as he stepped closer to his grandsire.
Angel grit his teeth. "I didn't try to end the world, Spike. And, correct me if I'm wrong but you went along with it."
Spike threw his arms up. "Of course I went along with it you git! You didn't bloody bother to inform the rest of us peons of your brilliant plan until it was too late to stop it or you!" he burst out.
"I was doing what I thought was right," Angel replied tiredly.
"Yeah well, congratulations, Angelus. You bloody well buggered that up."
"You're argument bores me," a new voice spoke up and Buffy swung her eyes around to take in the blue skinned demon woman who wore Fred's body. "I wish to spar with the white haired one," she said loftily.
Spike rolled his eyes and sighed and waved an arm towards the doors. "You want a fight, luv? Go outside and take your bloody pick."
"They are not as amusing as you," she replied, tone bored.
"Uh, guys?" Sam spoke up. "Hate to interrupt but…" she trailed off as the attention of the two vampires and the godking swung towards their little group.
"Buffy," Angel breathed out in shock. She smiled at him wanly. He looked tired and a bit ragged but she supposed she did too. He was slumped a bit and his eyes held that familiar haunted look although it seemed sharper now than it had the last time she'd seen him.
"Hi Angel. Long time, no see," she said somewhat distractedly as her hungry gaze traveled past him, her eyes locking with bright blue for the first time since he'd burned up in the Hellmouth.
"Faith, I'm so glad you made it." Angel greeted next.
"Yeah, we took the scenic route," the other Slayer joked. "Good to finally see you guys," Faith added as she walked up to give Angel a hug.
Buffy barely paid them any attention, her eyes still locked with Spike's. His face was sallow, eyes a bit sunken in and he was more pale now than she'd ever seen him, even just after escaping the initiative. He was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. His eyes still held that lively spark even if it was now shrouded in exhaustion. His hand twitched a bit as though he wanted to reach out to her and then thought better of it.
Buffy took a step forward when the only remaining glass window in sight shattered behind the vampires. A black clad body tumbling into the building and ripping away the curtain that kept out the sunlight. Spike hissed as the sunlight completely engulfed him. Faith moved quick and pushed the vampire back into the shadows before turning to face the intruder.
"Wait!" Spike called out as he finished putting out the flames on his arm. "It's just Captain Cardboard." Faith stepped back as Riley rolled to his feet with a groan.
"We got hostiles incoming," he informed them.
"No shit," Spike muttered darkly as one of the 'hostiles' jumped into the building through the broken window and Spike's arms shot out, grabbing it by it's head and twisting sharply. Once it was incapacitated he caught the axe that Angel threw at him and beheaded it.
"How many?" Sam asked as she came up beside her husband.
"Counted four," he replied. They each brought a gun up and moved swiftly towards the shattered window. Buffy took in the way the Hyperion inhabitants moved as a unit while she slowly made her way towards Spike as the gunfire split the afternoon air.
"You okay?" she asked, trusting the married duo to take out the threat as she took in the damage done to Spike's exposed skin.
Spike stared down at her with sad eyes. "Been worse," he said with a shrug before sighing. "Wish you didn't have to be here, luv," he told her quietly as he reached up and tucked a lock of hair back behind her ear.
Buffy scoffed. "I should have been here in the first place when whatever happened...happened."
"No time to call in reinforcements back then," Spike sighed, his eyes following the movements of the soldier couple as they brought down their weapons.
"I don't see any others. Let's get this boarded up and then we can all catch up," Riley called out. Buffy turned and caught his eye as he gave her a nod and a small smile that she returned.
~BTVS~
"Hey bloodbreath, good to see you," Xander said sincerely as he held his hand out to Spike after he'd put his carpenter skills to use once more and helped board up the window. Spike looked at him with surprise and distrust before slowly reaching his hand out to return the handshake.
"Uh, yeah. You too. How's Red?" the vampire asked as they walked into the kitchen where everyone else had already headed. Buffy let go of Angel who had swooped her up into a hug as soon as the sunlight didn't separate them anymore and walked alongside them.
"Willow's good, doing that good witch stuff," Xander said with a shrug.
Spike slid a glance over towards Buffy. "And Dawn?"
Buffy smiled. "She's good. Doing well in school...she's excited to see you again."
Spike huffed out an incredulous laugh but didn't say anything as they stepped up to the kitchen counter. "Spike," Robin said with a nod.
Spike cocked his head and looked the former principal up and down. "Wood," he finally greeted.
"How exactly did this strange partnership form?" Buffy asked as she looked between her three former lovers.
"Spike and Angel were already working together when we got here," Riley immediately replied. "It wasn't long before our numbers were devastated and our superiors pulled the plug and ordered a retreat."
"We chose to stay behind and have since lost all contact with command," Sam added. "We came across Spike by accident and he took us here where they were holed up."
"How long have you two been in LA?" Xander asked curiously.
"A little over a year, I think," Sam replied.
"And how exactly are you alive?" Buffy asked, turning to face Spike and giving him her full attention. "There's no way you survived Sunnydale."
"Uh, no. No, I burnt up, nice and crispy," he agreed. "It was the amulet, pet," he continued. "Spat me out in the poofs office a few weeks later."
"A few weeks?" she demanded shrilly. "You've been back for almost the entire time and you never thought to, oh, I don't know, pick up the phone?"
"To be fair, I couldn't at first. Was a ghost the first few months, couldn't bloody touch anything and every time I tried to leave LA I only got as far as the city limits before I popped back up next to that wanker," he defended himself as he jabbed a thumb in Angel's direction.
"Well, you obviously got solid at some point," she pointed out as she poked a finger into his chest as proof.
Spike shrugged and she could see the uncertainty in his eyes as he mumbled. "Yeah, well, stayin' jus' seemed to be the thing to do," he offered weakly.
It wasn't good enough but she decided to let it go until they could talk without an audience. "And what's your excuse?" she asked Angel, turning towards him accusingly.
"It wasn't my place?" he said unconvincingly. "I just wanted what was-"
Buffy rolled her eyes, anger flashing through them. "If the words 'best for you' are about to come out of your mouth do yourself a favor and save it," she bit out.
She turned back towards the, now uncomfortable, group and centered herself. "Do you guys have any plan to fix whatever the hell this is?"
"Which brings us to the million dollar question of what the hell happened here?" Xander spoke up before anyone could answer her question.
"Yeah, been kinda curious about that myself," Faith agreed.
"Understatement," Buffy concurred.
Spike scoffed. "Well, this pillock," he said motioning towards Angel again, "had the brilliant idea to take on the Senior Partners which is like anti Powers That Be. Kind of like the First but with a bigger bloody reach," Spike explained with a glance towards Buffy.
"I was trying to take them out from the inside," Angel elaborated. "That's why I agreed to become the CEO of Wolfram and Hart," he told them. "We were never going to defeat them by saving one person at a time from this hotel," he said defensively.
"No, so you decided to risk the whole sodding world," Spike bit out. "Wonder how many fair maidens could have still been breathing if you hadn't gotten too big for your bloody britches."
Angel glared at Spike but ignored him as he continued his story. "I joined the Circle of the Black Thorn which were basically the physical instruments of the Senior Partners. Got close to them and then I told the others what I was doing and we took them out. In retaliation the Senior Partners opened a dimension and let loose the hordes from Hell. We managed to close it so no more could get through but it took weeks and by the time we did it they had already begun to make their way throughout the country."
Buffy was in shock as she listened to his tale unfold and she tried to make sense of it. "So...all of this could have been avoided if you'd just never joined Wolfram and Hart?" she breathed out in disbelief.
"Buffy—"
She cut him off. "Have you seen the rest of the country Angel? It's not much better off than LA. Xander and I have been traveling spent more than four months trying to get here from New York. Faith and Robin have been traveling for even longer and have lost most of their group. There are entire states that have been completely wiped out. The borders have been sealed off and very few people are able to gain refugee status anymore. The seaports have been closed and the rest of the world is writing America off as lost."
"The Senior Partners weren't ever going to stop, I did what I had to," Angel insisted.
"But you didn't stop them!" she yelled back in frustration. "You picked a fight you couldn't win, Angel."
"I would have called you but Giles made it pretty clear that I'd be getting no help from you guys," Angel grit out, his eyes narrowed.
"There are a lot of things I can blame Giles for but not this one. It sounds as though your own people didn't know what side you were on anymore, Angel."
"Let's just take a breather here," Faith cut in calmly and if she wasn't so angry Buffy might have laughed at the idea of Faith being the peacekeeper.
"I've spent nearly a decade keeping the forces of evil at bay. I've died to save the world. Twice! I killed you to save the world. I let Spike dieto save the world. And for what? So that you could end it?" she asked, nearly hysterical as Angel looked away shamefaced.
A calming embrace fell over her shoulders as Spike rocked her body back into his. "Buffy, luv," he murmured quietly. "World's not ended quite yet, yeah?" he reminded her soothingly and she forced herself to relax against him.
Xander clapped his hands together in an attempt to break the tension. "I think we should all hit the sack. Some of us haven't slept in a couple days so we should maybe leave the heavy conversations until we're better rested," he suggested, ever the voice of reason.
"Xander's right," Robin agreed.
"I'll show you guys to some of the rooms," Sam offered, shooting Buffy a small, sympathetic smile.
"What do you say to some sleep, pet?" Spike asked, still holding her near him.
"Can I bunk with you?" she asked softly as she turned in his arms and looked him in the eye. "We still have some catching up to do."
Spike looked surprised. "Of course, luv," he replied quietly. He nodded towards the rest of the group before turning and leading her away, she could hear the rest of them walking up the stairs behind her but once Spike led her into his room and shut the door the rest of the world fell away as she stepped into his arms.