Buffy walked into her house and shut the door. "Angel?"

"In here." Angel called.

It was dark in the house except for the soft lights in the living room. Angel sat on the couch, his eyes half closed. He looked like he was in pain, but he was doing a hell of a job hiding it. Buffy walked over to him and sat down.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"I'm fine. My side's just hurt, that's all."

"What happened?"

"Got stabbed."

"Oh baby. Let me see."

"Don't worry. It's bandaged up."

"Are you sure you don't want me to kiss it and make it better?" Buffy asked, leaning over him gently to kiss his exposed stomach.

"I'm not arguing with it." Angel wrapped his arms around Buffy's waist and pulled her up so she straddled him. "Finally we're alone. Did you lock the door?"

"Yup." Buffy leaned down and started to kiss Angel's chest and neck, slowly moving towards his lips. As she did, her hand reached out and turned off the light. The only illumination was from the streetlight outside.

As the Slayer and her vampire lover fell onto the couch, obviously getting ready to make love, a well-known adversary stood out on the lawn and watched. He couldn't get into the house because he didn't have an invite, but he would soon. Dawn, the Slayer's sister, was coming back the next day and he would get his invite then. He would send a distraction, possibly the Slayer's old friend Gunn, to get her and Angel out of the house. Then he would knock on the door and make up some excuse to get Dawn to give him the invite without knowing that something was off. Maybe he would kill her, or maybe he would let her live.

The phone in his pocket trilled. He rolled his eyes at the stupid device and pulled it out. "Hello?"

"Where are you?" Lilah asked on the other end.

"I'm standing outside their house now."

"Good. That sister of the Slayer's was here with some club. I think she knows something about us. I'm sending a colleague of mine down there to give you a poison to get rid of Dawn."

"Poison? Why not just let me bite into her and leave a nice little gift for Buff?"

"Just do what we say. Take a bite out of her and I'll send a team to get rid of you."

"You know, I'm not into the whole taking orders thing."

"Neither am I, but what choice do you have? We summoned you here to get rid of the two of them for Wolfram and Hart because you're the only one who can take them out without much of a ripple in their daily lives."

"You summoned me here because you couldn't get the job done yourselves. I'm just the only guy who can do it right." Angelus flipped the phone shut and stuck it back in his duster pocket just as he heard the loud moan escape the Slayer's lips. Angel was certainly treating that girl right. Showing her the lengths he could take her. If only the stupid soul moron would let loose and show her some of the other things he knew. The Slayer would be so much more satisfied. There was no one else on this earth that could satisfy a slayer's needs than a vampire like Angelus. *I should know because I'm the one who was there to learn it all.* he thought to himself as he walked off and headed towards the mansion.



Buffy laid gasping in Angel's arms. Their legs were intertwined together and their arms were wrapped tightly around each other. Sweat glistened on their bodies and matted their hair down. They were both deeply sated and fighting sleep. Buffy and Angel were still on the couch, not wanting to break the moment to trudge up the stairs and climb into bed. With a small smile, Buffy sighed and nuzzled closer to Angel.

"Are you ok?" Angel asked.

"I'm fine. Pleasantly numb even." She replied, kissing his chest.

"Well, that was intense."

"Uh huh." She continued kissing his chest.

"You couldn't possibly want to go again."

"Oh! No! I'm spent. I just want to stay here all night."

"Maybe we should move upstairs. Take a shower? Clean off the sweat? Make some more maybe?"

"Ha! I'd probably fall asleep half way through."

"You never have before."

"Of course, we've never been that athletic before."

"True. Here, I have an idea."

"What's that?"

Without replying, Angel sat up and scooped Buffy up with him. He carried her upstairs to their room and laid her in the bed. She smiled at him as he climbed under the covers with her. This was her life and she was finally happy. Her life was halfway normal now. Barely any slayage *minus the fiasco we had today*, Dawn getting better in her grades at school, and best of all: Buffy felt like a normal girl. *Or rather 'woman' as Angel might argue.* With a smile on her face, Buffy drifted off to sleep in her husband's arms.



"Buffy? Angel? I'm home!" Dawn called, opening the door and lugging her suitcase in. "Guys?" Dawn called.

Buffy and Angel came bounding down the stairs. Angel was fixing his shirt and Buffy was smoothing her hair down. Dawn could figure out what they had been doing. Buffy walked up to her and threw her arms around Dawn. She hugged her tightly. When Dawn didn't squeeze back, Buffy drew away and looked at her.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"I'm fine." Dawn said.

"You look really pale. Maybe you should go upstairs and lay down."

"Really Buffy, I'm fine." Dawn picked up her suitcase, but the weight was too much for her all of a sudden and she dropped it.

"Here." Angel took the suitcase and ran it upstairs.

Buffy led Dawn to the couch and sat down. "How was your trip?"

"It was interesting." Dawn said. She was shaking slightly. When Buffy noticed, Dawn shrugged and said, "I'm just excited. I think that Wolfram and Hart are evil."

"All lawyers are evil." Buffy said, taking Dawn's hands and holding them.

"No, I mean these guys are the real evil deal. I think there's, like demons working for them! And they have clients that are demons! And the way they look at you when you walk by. I recognized that look! I've seen it on evil things before!"

"I'm sure you were just imagining things sweetie. Dawn, I'm really worried about you. You're pale and you're shaking. Go upstairs and get into your PJs." Dawn started to protest. "It's not an option."

Dawn rolled her eyes and walked upstairs just as Angel entered the living room. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I made her go upstairs and get in bed. Angel, she was shaking and her hands were like ice. She was talking about an evil law firm in LA. Something about how they had demons working for them and having them as clients. I'm worried."

"Maybe we should call a doctor."

"You think we should?"

"Maybe. I suggest that we see what happens before we jump to any conclusions. It may just be the flu or something. Willow's got it too."

"But she's not talking about evil law firms."

"Wait and see."

"About Willow?"

"About Dawn."

Buffy sighed. "All right. I'll wait." She looked up the stairs with a worried glance. She was about to go check on Dawn when a knock at the door stopped her. Angel went to answer it. When the door opened, a half-beaten Gunn stumbled in with Lita under his arm. She turned and slammed the door shut behind them, bolting it shut.

"Gunn!" Buffy cried, helping Lita carry him to the sofa.

"What happened?" Angel asked.

"Vamps. Near the mansion." Lita said.

"We couldn't stop them. Too many." Gunn panted, holding his side.

"We barely got away."

"My crew.. We need to save them.."

"We will. We will. What were they? Vamps? Demons?" Buffy asked.

"Both!" Lita said.

"Tag teaming it. There're only two people I know that can get demons and vamps to work together. One's dead and the other is never coming back." Buffy said. She looked directly at Angel.

"Angelus." He said silently. Buffy nodded.

Gunn stood up. "Let's go. Let's load down and get rid of these things! That's my crew out there."

"Gunn, maybe we should wait. See what's bringing these demons and vampires together." Lita said. She looked to Buffy, who stared at Gunn with a thoughtful expression. "Buffy, what do you think?"

Buffy blinked. "Huh? Oh! Retaliation, right. Let Angel and I go. Lita, you get Gunn to a hospital."

"No." Gunn said.

"It's not an option that you have Gunn. You're in no shape to fight right now. Angel and I are. Lita, once you get him to a hospital, make sure he stays there and then meet us outside of Shady Rest Cemetery. We'll finish these guys off."

Lita nodded and grabbed Gunn's arm. He tried to resist, but she strengthened her hold on him and he let Lita lead the way. While Angel loaded weapons into Buffy's Slayer bag, Buffy went upstairs to tell dawn where they were going. Dawn knew the drill. No vamps in the house except Angel and Spike, no unlocking the doors for anyone unless it was Willow, Xander, Tara, Giles, or Anya, and if they ask for an invite then slam the door in their face.

Twenty minutes later, Lita, Buffy, and Angel were walking around Sunnydale looking for the vamps that had attacked them. Lita said they had killed about six of them, but there had been more. Lots more.



Dawn sat in the living room watching TV with Xander. He had come over when she had called saying she was a little creeped out and wanted someone else there. Now they were watching some cartoons are the Cartoon Network. Dawn was just about to drift off when an incessant pounding on the door made her bolt awake. Xander walked to the door and peered through the windows.

"It's Angel." He said.

"Dawn! Let me in! I need more weapons. Buffy's out there and she needs help." Angel called.

Dawn came over and opened the door. "Come on in Angel. It is your house."

Angel crossed the threshold with a smile. "You look better." He said, playing it up.

"I wasn't sick before." Dawn said. "Hurry up and go help my sister."

"I was just kidding. She sent me back here to check on you."

"That's not very funny." Xander said.

"Why are you here?" Angel asked, turning to glare at Xander.

"Dawn was scared. She wanted me to come sit with her." Xander said.

"Go home. I'm here now."

"What's up with you tonight? Something take your soul away?"

"No. I still have my soul." Angelus reeled on the inside. He hated saying that. "I've got things here man." Angelus slapped the boy's shoulder. "Go home to Anya." Silently he thanked W&H for giving him all the information he needed to fit right in.

"Yeah, ok. You sure you feel fine?"

Angelus threw his arm around Dawn's shoulders. "We'll be great!" He put on a big smile and waved as Xander walked out.



"Angel look out!" Buffy yelled as a vamp sailed over his head. About twenty vampires and nine demons surrounded them. Buffy had staked four of them already and beheaded three demons, but they kept coming. For once, Buffy was starting to get nervous. The odds were definitely against them. She flipped out of the way and landed on top of a headstone. A demon tried to grab her around the ankles and pull her off balance, but she whip kicked it in the head and used his back to do a handspring off the headstone. She staked a vamp that was waiting in front of her and then buried the same stake deep in the demon's head. He dropped like a paperweight in water.

"Buffy catch!" Lita yelled. She threw a vamp at her and Buffy whipped out another stake from her belt and staked the vamp mid flight.

A roar erupted from somewhere and then Spike came bursting out of a swarm of vamps and demons that had dog piled him. He laughed and kicked one in the groin. Buffy shook her head and ran over to Angel. He was having trouble with a pretty big demon. Lita saw what she was doing and counted. On three, the two Slayers jumped on the demons back and Lita pulled its hair so it's neck was exposed. The only way to kill the bug looking thing was to cut its head off. That was pretty much impossible due to the armor like skin. The only spot that was vulnerable was the soft flaps of skin hidden under the neck. Angel smiled at her and buried his sword in. Buffy and Lita rolled off and started pulverizing two vamps.

"Switch!" Buffy called. Lita rolled over Buffy's back and staked that vamp at the same time Buffy staked Lita's. They turned to each other and high fived. Which was when a vamp and a demon tackled them to the ground.

Buffy managed to roll out from under the demon and kick it in the head, if it could be called a head. It was more like kicking a blob of Jell-O. *Which, by the way, I am never eating again.* Buffy thought. She heard a cell phone trilling and turned around in a circle. She spotted the vamp holding the cell.

"Boss! Pull us out of here! Now! The Slayers, Angel, and Spike are killing us all. Thank you!" The vamp shut the phone. He was about to call the retreat when Buffy slammed him against the tree behind him.

"Who's your boss?" She asked.

"He'll kill me!" the vamp shrieked.

"What do you think I'm gonna do?" Buffy slammed him again. "Who do you work for?" The vamp pointed at Angel. "Um.. Him!"

"Angel?" The thing nodded as best he could with Buffy's fist wrapped tightly around his throat. "You're lying. Why would he have you attack me? He has his soul. Plus: husband."

"Not your Angelus. Another one." He croaked.

"What? If you don't start making sense, you're rib cage is going to be a fashion statement."

Before the vamp could answer, a large football player of a demon tackled her and kicked her in the head. While she was on the ground trying to see straight again, she heard the demon snap at the vamp.

"Stupid! He'll kill us all! I was around when Angelus was in town last. Not a pretty sight." The demon said.

"I'm sorry. I panicked." The vamp whined.

"Well, we'll see how much panicking you do when the boss gets a hold of you." With that, the demon hauled the vamp up and dragged him away.

Buffy sat up and watched the rest of the group run away with them. Angel, Spike, and Lita chased after them a little way, but gave up and came back. Buffy stood and brushed herself off. Angel walked up to check on her, but as he reached his hand out, Buffy drew away.

"Buffy?" Angel asked.

"Have you been lying to me?" Buffy asked.

"Buffy, what are you talking about?" Spike asked.

"The vamp I was questioning, he.. He said you were Angelus. That you hired them to get rid of us." She said, looking straight at Angel.

"Buffy, I would never. I'm not Angelus." Angel said.

"Maybe the guy was lying." Lita said.

"No. I don't think he was." Buffy said. She looked at Angel. "I don't know if I can trust you."

"Buffy, you can." Angel pleaded. "You can always trust me. I'm not Angelus. You know it."

Buffy was ready to cry. She started to walk away, but Spike ran after her and grabbed her arm. "Slayer, wait."

"Spike, please." Buffy said, yanking away.

"He's not lying. That's not Angelus back there. I know. I lived with him for almost a century."

"Then why would that vamp tell me that Angel is Angelus?"

"I don't know. To confuse you or distract you maybe. Buffy, go look in his eyes. He's not Angelus."

"Then what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know."

Angel and Lita approached the two. Angel stepped up to Buffy and drew her away a little. "Are you ok?"

"Look at me. Really look at me." Buffy stared Angel hard in the eyes. She searched them for his soul. The precious thing she could always see in his eyes. After a minute, she saw the glimmer that was always there. The glimmer that represented Angel's soul. "What's going on? How is there another Angel?"

"I don't know." Angel said seriously as he took Buffy's hand and kissed it.

"Hey guys?" Lita asked.

"Yeah?" Buffy turned to the other Slayer.

"Ok, just a thought here, but don't you think that if there is another Angelus, he could be at your house right now? With Dawn?"

Buffy and Angel looked at each other. Without even thinking about it, they were running. Spike and Lita struggled to catch up, but the fear that had overcome Buffy and Angel propelled them to go faster than they had ever gone. When they got to the house, the door was ajar. Buffy almost broke it off its hinges as she shoved through and into the living room. "Dawn!"