By: Lucey

Disclaimer: I *so* don´t own them!

Rating: This part is PG, probably R for some swearing and a bit of violence

Pairing: still nothing specific for this part, but B/A on the long run

Distribution: want tanke have - tell me where it´s going

Note: All lyrics are from Brian Adams *sigh*

Feedback: yes, please! Feed me!

Dedication: To Netti thanks a lot for the beta! :o) ,to Hannah Bee for plp6b *blush* and to my funny fellow occupants who gave me a stake for Xmas *lol*

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Part 1

A car. How else could she go to LA., especially during the night? Her mind raced while she groaned in frustration. Her Mom was gone, Xander, too. Giles? But even he couldn't handle the *bloody machine* , there was no way she could drive it. Even if she could bring herself to break in and steal it from him.

Then suddenly her face lit up as se started running, not realizing that she was still in her pajamas.

//the nite is alive – the world is asleep//

*Bang!* Spike neither knew what happened to him nor why as Buffy punched him out of his deadly sleep.

"Jesus, slayer! What do you want?"

"Your car – now."

"WHAT? No way...ow! Stop hitting me!"

"Gimme the keys."

"No."

"Guess I´ll have to find them myself, after....", with that she pulled a stake out from nowhere.

"Shit, slayer! Are you crazy?"

"Give. Me. The. Keys."

"Ok, ok, fine...what do you want with it anyway?"

"That's none of your business."

She grabbed the keys from his hand as soon as he found them and sprinted towards the door.

"Thanks."

"You owe me one....", he grunted. What the hell had gotten into her? Well, he would find out later.

Driving like a madwoman past LA city limits, Buffy started rethinking her plan. Or more, how she could carry it out without getting Angel in even more trouble. There had to be a way. And why the hell didn't he call anyone? Of course it had been his nobleness. He would rather burst into flames than ask for help, she thought, torn between fury and sadness.

She pulled the car to a hold in front of Cordelia´s apartment.

The door wasn't closed, or hadn't somebody mentioned that Cordy lived with a ghost now? She stepped into the living room, where Wesley and Cordy had fallen asleep on the couch, obviously needing rest after the shock they went through.

Carefully Buffy rooted through the pile of clothes that smelled unmistakably like Angel and started stuffing them into a bag she found in a corner of the room. Surpressing a pang of jealousy at the sight of how his things mixed with Cordelias, she went to the kitchen in search of blood. She tossed it inside the bag and ran out of the apartment again. The rain soaked her. It was 3:30 a.m.. Time to save Angel.

//on a day like today - the whole world could change//

The department was quiet. After the press had left, the officers on night duty had went back to routine. They had found the killer, but it was just a job nevertheless. Kate had just finished her report. She had no doubt she had done the right thing. Sure, Angel had never made an intend to hurt her, but one couldn't simply trust these creatures.

She looked up in the surprise, as the doors opened and a heavily pregnant woman stumbled inside. She was soaked and only wearing pajamas and an oversized leatherjacket. Her blonde hair streamed down her shoulders, as were tears streaming down her face. Kate sprang up to help the girl that seemed somehow familiar to her.

"Can I help you? Do you need anything?", she asked, half anxious, half curious.

"He's here, isn't he?"

"What? Who?"

"Angel. You know him. He's here?"

"Yes. What? Do I know you? What do you want?"

"I need to see him."

"You can't. He was arrested for murder, you know that?"

"Why can't I see him? I have to, please..."

"Nobody is allowed to see him except his lawyer. As he has none, nobody sees him."

"But...the...."

"No. Who are you that..."

"I'm his wife."

Kate yelped in surprise. His wife? He had a wife? And a wife who was obviously pregnant? Sitting in front of her, demanding to see her husband who was a *vampire* and a man accused for murder. Obviously the girl had no idea what or who she was dealing with.

But Kate hadn't much time to think any further because the girl suddenly groaned aloud in pain.

"Oh God, the baby."

Baby? The baby? Now? Kate rushed to her side.

"Can I help you in any..."

"Could you help me to the restrooms, please?"

"Sure." Kate replied and led the girl away, carefully not touching her stomach, because the pain seemed to grow through the movements. She opened the door and shut it behind them.

"Could you turn on some cold water, please?", the girl whispered.

As soon as Kate turned her back on her, Buffy sprang forward, pulling the pillow out from under her top, grabbing Kate by the shoulders and pressing her against the wall.

"Wha...", the officer managed to say before a hand covered her mouth. Now she remembered where she knew the girl from. She had been there when Angel had been arrested the last time, too.

"Shhh...I don't want to hurt you any more than I have to.", Buffy whispered.

Kate struggled to reach for her gun or come free, but failed. The icy cold grip of the little blonde made it impossible to move an inch.

"As I said, I'm really sorry. But a woman's gotta do, what a woman's gotta do. Nevermind."

With that she punched Kate hard in the face, breaking her nose in the process and knocking her unconscious.

"I'm *so* good."

Five minutes later "Officer Kate Lockley" left the restrooms, her wet hair hidden under the cap, the jacket clutched in her hand. She had instantly felt Angel´s presence as soon as she had neared the building, like she always felt him. Now she was heading for the cells. Dawn wasn't too far and so she had to hurry. Thankfully she realized, that the other cells were empty as she passed them. She didn't need any more witnesses.

//before the night is over

we gonna get what we desire//

Angel heard the steps on the floor, coming closer. His cell had no window and so he was dependent on his supernatural hearings. He didn't feel dawn coming, so he slightly wondered if it was time already. Time to be dragged out in the sunlight and burn. He had spent the last five hours thinking about it. This was it. The end. He'd always imagined to die in battle or after his possible shanshu as an old man, hopefully having spent his time as a human with his friends and family.

When Kate arrested him, he did only struggle until the first bullet hit his leg. Then he had willingly complied to everything. He almost felt no pain. There had to be a mistake.

They had offered him to make this "one" call, but he had refused. He don't hadn´t wanted Cordelia or Wesley getting involved with this. They had tried to stop Kate, but she wouldn't listen. And who else could he call? All lawyers he knew were evil and within one night no one wouldn't get him out of here.

For one second he had thought about calling Buffy. But no, that wasn't fair. Sure, he wanted to say goodbye, tell her one last time how much....but it wasn't right. She had a new life now, a life he wanted her to have. He had no right to burden her with his problems.

So he had started brooding and soon his thoughts had returned to her. Reflecting there time together, the day that wasn't, her smell, her taste, everything about her that made her so wonderful and uniquely Buffy that only a fool could *not* fall in love with her. Buffy...his sweet Buffy. Would she mourn him?

And now, steps on the floor. Steps that pulled him out of remembering her, thinking about her so strongly that he almost felt as if she was there. He dropped his face to his hands and crouched into the corner of the small cell as the door opened.

What he didn't expect was that as soon as the door opened he was covered by a small body and wrapped in an bonecrushing embrace. His body responded even before his mind did and reached out to pull her closer as he hoarsely whispered her name.

"Buffy?"

"Shh...everything's ok. I'm gonna get you out of here."

"What? How?"

"Don't worry. I'm gonna get you out now."

With that she pulled him to his feet.

Tbc....