Chapter 2

"Buffy!" Angel screamed for her again, and it almost sounded like pain.

She lifted her chin, set her shoulders back, smoothed her hair, and absentmindedly traced her lips as she parted the curtain and stepped back on stage.

She was pleased to see that the crowd in the club had dissipated. People were basically cowards. They all ran when the stranger brought out the blade. She was thankful for it. If she had to sing another song tonight, she might be the one slitting throats.

"Stop hollering, Angelo," Guiseppe instructed quietly from his chair. "It's barbaric, really." The boss was the only other one left in the club besides Angel and Buffy. He was sitting calmly at his favorite corner table, sipping his brandy from a snifter, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

He slowly turned his watchful gaze from Angel as he saw Buffy approach. The light was glittering off her dress onto the walls of the club and it gave the impression of a night sky. Buffy had her hands on her hips as she studied the situation unfolding between the two men. And the boss smiled gently at her, noting her contemplation.

"Ah, Buffy. Just the woman I wanted to see. Shall we go?" He asked her as he rose stiffly from his seat and picked up his hat.

She smiled softly as she strode to over to him, snaking her hips from side to side, knowing Angel was watching her every move. She took Guiseppe's arm when he offered it and she felt suddenly at peace despite the two dead, bloody bodies near her feet.

"Father, you can't just leave. Not now! That was William the Bloody. They call him Spike, ever since that incident with the railroad---"

"I know who he is," Guiseppe sharply cut him off. "He's a common thug. And no one I am going to worry about. This means nothing, nothing at all to worry about."

At this, Buffy raised her eyebrows. Guiseppe's voice was tight. He was bothered. This William-Spike--had gotten under Guiseppe's skin. It was something Buffy had not seen before. She didn't like it.

Buffy slipped her arm through his. "Come on, let's get out of here," Buffy said hoarsely as she pulled a little on her boss's arm. She turned to Angel. "Hon, is our car outside?"

It was as if suddenly Angel remembered his place. He shook his head a little and came over to Buffy.

"Are you all right, sweetheart? That thug didn't hurt you did he?" Angel softly asked her as he pulled her gently from his father into his own big arms. "I'd have killed him where he stood if he so much as laid a finger on you."

A finger. Buffy thought of his finger, tracing her lip, just barely grazing the skin on her face--his gaze lingering on her for just a second before he- -

"Buffy," Guiseppe curtly cut her out of her thoughts and stared right through her as if he knew exactly what she was thinking about. "You didn't even see him, isn't that right?" He asked pointedly. At her silence, he turned to his son, "She was onstage during this barbaric fiasco, far away from him."

And Buffy swallowed her words, suddenly afraid of what was going to be.

"Of course," Angel said, as she stroked her hair. "And the car is waiting for you outside. Darling, escort my father home and I'll meet you both there later after I clean up this little--mess," Angel finished dryly.

"Of course, darling," Buffy replied just as dryly, as she lifted herself on her toes to chastely meet his lips, even though she could not meet his eyes. "See you at home."

And her boss gently took her by the elbow as he led her out of Heaven, leaving Angel alone in the dark club plotting his revenge.

(--------MEANWHILE, SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY---------------)

"Why did we have to go in there like that?" Xander shouted after Will as they briskly walked up some deserted alley. "We weren't ready tonight."

"We?" Will scoffed as he took a hit off his cigarette.

"Yes---we," Xander replied with a high note creeping into his voice, obviously hurt by Will's innuendo that he wasn't important.

Will looked over at him and rolled his eyes, "Sorry, mate. You're right. I just had an itch I had to scratch."

"Well, I hope you're all scratched up," Xander replied and Will raised his eyebrows.

"Seems to me, you're the one with the scratches--" Will quipped, but before he could say another word he realized they were not alone.

"Boys, boys, let's not argue," said the woman with the cloak as she stepped out of the shadows. "There's too much to be done yet."

Will and Xander stopped, surprised at her presence. They hadn't heard her approach and that bothered Will especially. His chin jutted out in defiance and he took a long drag on his cigarette as he studied the woman with red hair.

She pulled the hood off her head and smiled a little goofily at their surprise. She tucked a strand of her red hair behind her ear as she continued.

"I hope that wasn't your best attempt, Spike, or I would say I chose the wrong man for this job."

"Well, hello there, Red. We weren't expecting you so soon," he blew his smoke out sideways.

"And he wasn't expecting you so soon--but now he is. Now it will be harder. You at least had surprise going for you before," she almost whined at them.

"I know!" Xander excitedly yelled. "That's exactly what I said!"

Red smiled at him with a certain familiarity. Then she turned to Will with a seriousness in her stare. "Listen to me. This is important. I need you to kill him. If you kill him, this will all be right again," she tried to explain to them by waving her hands, gesturing at the world around them.

Will's right eyebrow perked up a little at Red's words, but she continued, ignoring his apprehension.

"I can't explain it any more to you. But what is now, is not what should be. And the only way to make it right again is if he dies." She took Will's hand in hers and stared into his eyes. "You don't think I have any reason to trust you. You think I shouldn't trust you. But I know you. I know you better than you know yourself here. And you have to do this for me, Spike."

He winced at the name, but kept her gaze. "Right, Red. The old man dies. Things go all right again. Just like you say. And it's a happy ending for all."

She smiled at him now, feeling a bit reassured, and took a step back, staring at both of these men--they would be heroes. They had to be. Or else the world would never know--the world would---no, she couldn't think like that. They would succeed. And everything would be set right again. She turned to go, but paused a moment before stepping into the shadows.

With her back turned and her shoulders slumped, she offered him some wisdom. It seemed as if she didn't want to let the words go, they croaked from her voice: "Trust your heart, Spi--- Will. Trust what you know is real, not what you see. Trust in Buffy."

And before he could question her, she disappeared into the darkness. Without a trace.

"Whoa, spooky exit much?" Xander whispered as he rubbed his arms trying to get the gooseflesh to go away.

But Will couldn't answer. He just stared into the darkness after the witch, lost in his thoughts. He was already remembering the way that woman tasted. The way she moved under his touch. It had to be that woman Red was talking about.

Buffy.

She made his heart beat for the first time in an eternity. He had to see her again. He had to feel again. And he knew just where to find her.

TBC Thanks for all the feedback! Keep it up and let me know what you think.