"Are you sure you don't want me to come?" Asked Buffy as she talked to Angel on the phone from the kitchen.
"No, its just research. Besides you need to be resting, if we need help we'll call. I love you." Said Angel, signaling the conversation was over.
"Fine, I love you too!" Buffy hung up and went to lie down for a while. The rest of the gang was at the high school research some up and coming vamp rising or something. Oh well. Thought Buffy. At least I can have some time to myself, not much of that in the near future! She giggled looking down at her swollen belly and turned on the TV for the start of a very relaxing night. Or so she thought.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"So Buffy is settled at home?" Asked Giles as Angel returned to the library.
"Yes. She wasn't too happy about being left out, even if it is just research."
"Not a word from any of you!" Commented Xander, as everyone turned to idly to look at him at Angel's words.
"It's just…" Started Willow.
"Ah, ah, ah. Not a word!" Interrupted Xander.
The room fell back into silence as everyone settled down themselves.
Clink! Sssssssssssssssss.
"What was that?" Asked Angel, suddenly very alert.
"What was what?" Asked Cordy.
"Shhhh."
Clink. Sssssssssss. Clink. Sssssssssssssss.
"There it was, twice! Gas!" Angel shouted suddenly. "Everyone down to the floor and out."
They all did what he said but when they reached the door, it wouldn't open.
"What's happening?" Whined Cordelia.
But no answer came, the only sound were the slumps of Giles, Jenny, Willow, Oz, and Xander hitting the floor unconscious. Before she could say anything else, Cordy followed the others. Just before Angel could do anything the door opened and something hard hit him in the head and he fell unconscious like the others.
"I love it when everyone does there part!" Spike walked happily into the library, stopping when he came to the gang lying on the floor. He bent down, smiling at them. "Especially the victims!" The only answer he received was Willow groaning as he shifted her to make room to walk.
"Boss, your orders?" Asked one of the Vamps.
"Right! Okay, Team One, get the hostages back to the factory. Angel goes into the main room in chains, the rest into their cages, make sure they are locked up tight." He nodded at several vampires, who picked up the bodies and left. "Team Two, it's time to give the library a makeover!" Smiling, Spike watched as his minions' scattered dust, broke chairs, spilled blood from their victims, and made the library look like it had been through a war. Just as they finished, Spike added one last thing. He walked over to a particular pile of dust and sprinkled a little of Angel's essence on it.
"Alright, we're done. Everyone back to the factory and set up guard. Except you!" Spike put his hand on a red headed vamp. "You have a phone call to make!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Craig stood just outside Buffy's house, looking in at her still sleeping form.
Soon, she will be mine. We will rule as evil Gods! He thought. Craig had just received a phone call from one of Spikes minions, they were done, now it was his turn! Craig walked onto the porch and set himself into a hazardous faze, sweaty, out of breath and panicked. Then he knocked like there was no tomorrow. When there was no answer, he opened the door and hurried inside, going into the living room to Buffy.
"Buffy! Buffy!" Craig shook her until she woke up.
"Wha…Craig? What are you doing?"
"Buffy, I got here as fast as I could. I mean I heard shouts, and screams…"
Suddenly looking very scared, Buffy sat up clutching her belly. "Craig, you're scaring me! What?"
"The school, there was an attack at the school!"
"Oh God! Craig we have to go, now!" Buffy got up and she and Craig hurried towards the school.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Buffy knew even before she got to the library door, that something was horribly wrong. When she and Craig opened the doors, she nearly fainted from what she saw. The dead bodies of her friends, even though they were burnt and beaten beyond recognition, she knew it was them. The library was in shatters, tables broken and overturned, chairs in bits and pieces, blood everywhere. She saw the piles of dust and knew her friends died heroically, fighting. Then she saw it, through tear-welled eyes, Buffy saw the pile of dust in the center of the room and knew exactly who it was.
"Oh God no!" Screamed Buffy as she tried to run to the pile, but Craig stopped her, hugging her tight. "Angel!" She screamed through sobs. "Let me go, Craig!"
"No, we have to get out of here, it could be a trap!"
"I want to be with him!"
"Buffy, you'll thank me later. We have to get out of here!"
"NO!"
"Buffy!" He turned her sharply to look at him, still holding her tight by the shoulders. "Do it for Angel, for your baby. He most likely died protecting you! Do you think he would want you and the baby to die just so you could be near his ashes?"
While tears ran silently down her face, Buffy nodded, and Craig drew her into a tight hug.
"I'm so sorry you had to see this!" He pulled away and led Buffy out of the school and back towards her house.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
When Angel came around, he kept his eyes closed. Even with them closed, he knew he wasn't anywhere he wanted to be. He smelt death and decay, vampires. Very slowly he opened his eyes to find Drusilla squatting in front of him, peering at him.
"At last, we thought you would never wake. Silly daddy, you can't stop it!"
"Stop what Dru?" Angel sat up which was very hard since his feet and hands were bound with heavy chains. But he managed to prop himself up on the wall behind him. "What can't I stop?"
"The…"
"Now Pet, don't tell all our secrets. We want to surprise Angelus don't we?" Said Spike as he slid his hands around Dru from behind.
"Of course. Can't ruin the surprise. Bad daddy, almost made me tell!"
"Don't worry Pet, the ritual is almost complete."
"Wha…?"
But before he could finish, pain over powered him. As he screamed out in pain, Spike and Dru watched happily from a ways a way. But as soon as it had started the pain ended, Angel slumped down, his body shaking. Curious, the two vampires ventured forward. Suddenly, the muscles in Angel's legs and Arms bulged and the chains broke. Slowly he rose up, finally turning to face Spike and Dru. To their delight, he was in full vamp visage, smiling.
"Dru? Did it work?" Asked Spike.
"Yeah Dru, did it work?" Asked Angel in a very cruel voice.
Drusilla circled Angel, smiling as she did so. "Oh yes, yes in deed! Spike he's back! Our Angelus is back!" Angel stood there smiling, taking in the scene.
"Well welcome back mate!" Spike's voice was filled with happiness. The two embraced.
"Oh it's good to be back! Nothing like a pesky soul to get a vamp down in the dumps! So what is new?" The three vampires began to walk, Spike explaining how they had figured out the curse and now that Angelus was back, the fun could start.
"Now, not to be a spoil sport, but what about a certain slayer that may have something objected to the fun!" Asked Angelus.
"Oh, can I tell him Spike? Can I?" Asked Dru. She became more like a little child on her birthday every minute.
"Tell me what? Come Spike old boy, don't hold out on me now!"
"Sorry Angelus! But you'll have to wait." Dru's smile faded. "Now Dru, it won't be much longer, we just have to wait for our friend Craig to arrive! Till then we just have to find a way to occupy our time!"
"I have a few ideas!" Angelus smiled evilly.