And then again, maybe not, he thought as he noticed the Slayer's fingers find and entwine with the Elf's. Why did he always miss his chance? Why did he always get the freaks and Buffy always get the weird ones? His thoughts were drawn back to his time in Middle Earth, and to Mara. She had been so sweet and pure until he had perverted her, turned her into a monster. But even then, he had felt something for the girl. He could still feel the demon inside him longing for her and in a way, so did he. But she had gone and he had no idea where Galadriel had sent her. All he knew was the prophecy that warned of her possible return where he would...something... And he wanted to know what, before he did it.

"Hey Elf boy," he said breaking the silence as they walked.

"Xander..." Buffy started to say with a warning tone in her voice.

"Buff, give me a second please, I have a question," he said interrupting her as he stopped walking.

"Ask."

Legolas turned his icy eyes on Xander. They felt like they were burning through him and that he could see into his mind, finding all his secrets and hidden guilts.

Xander quickly shook off that feeling. "Ilmen i atar koivie, i amil uuva hilya ar eresse i wen saa ar i atar uuva putta i mir ya karnes i korma."

The Elf closed his eyes. He understood what Xander had said and it chilled him.

"Now in English Xander..." Buffy started to say but Legolas' hand on her arm stopped her from finishing the sentence.

"Where the father awakens, the mother will follow and only the daughter of fire and the father will stop the one who makes the ring," he said softly.

"Awakens," Xander whispered. "Oh god, its too late isn't it?"

His dark brown eyes met the icy blue ones of the Elf's. He could see his fear reflected there. Legolas knew, and now, so did he. Mara really was returning. If she hadn't already.

~*~

Mara looked around Richard's office. Everything was so different and strange to her. She knew nothing, until her eyes fell on the open book on his desk. She stood and reached for it. Richard sat back and watched her. He'd been having some trouble understanding some of it as his grasp of the ancient language was a bit rusty and maybe Mara would be able to tell him where the other diaries were.

Her long fingers slowly caressed the pages. "Xander," she whispered.

Richard's ears barely caught the word. "Xander?" he asked. "What about Xander?"

"I can feel him on these pages," she said as she closed her eyes. "His thoughts, his feelings." She opened her eyes. "This is his book. These are his words."

"Well now, "Richard chuckled. "That is good news."

Things were just getting better and better.

~*~

Angelus was getting bored. Boromir was fixated on the ring and getting it back. But the ring was long gone and probably destroyed by now. Neither of them would be getting their hands on it but he still had his chance to get his hands on Buffy. And his revenge. Maybe the weak vampire he had been had forgiven her for what she had done, but the demon inside hadn't. And the demon was in control now. He couldn't wait to taste her pain again.

Angelus sat back and closed his eyes, savouring the memory of the agony on Buffy's face as she heard of Jenny Calendar's death by his hands. He couldn't wait to see it again. But this time it wouldn't be her Watcher's lover's body she cry over. This time it would be her little redheaded friend. It would be Willow's body she would find and spill those hot wet tears for. He could almost taste the pleasure of his thoughts.

Taste. He was hungry again. How he had missed the taste and warmth of fresh human blood. Something else she'd stolen from him. He was no longer her trained pet vampire. He was a demon again. He was back to what he should be. A vicious monster longing for revenge. He'd started by killing his entire family all those many centuries ago and many others since then. Now it was her turn. Now it was Buffy he'd be getting revenge on.

He stood and looked around the warehouse. Boromir had stocked up on more followers since he'd helped Buffy rescue the others just a few days previously.

"I'm bored," he said breaking the silence of the warehouse. "And hungry."

Boromir watched the vampire stalk towards the door. He didn't care for him much, but he had a way to get his ring back. That was all he had cared about for countless years. He'd had it in his grasp and been cheated of it by the one called Faith. He would have it, and her, again. Only this time, he wouldn't be fooled by her. This time, it would be her screams of agony that would give him pleasure, not her screams of ecstacy.

"Go then," he snapped. "But do not let your hunger betray you."

Angelus laughed. "Betray me? Think I haven't survived all these centuries by making mistakes?"

He shook his head as he left the warehouse followed by a small group of vampires. They hungered too and had their master's orders to not let the tall vampire leave their sight. Boromir was no-one's fool, let alone some vampire on a revenge kick.

Willow knew her chance for escape was coming. She had learned all she could. The demon, Boromir, only wanted the ring back. She knew, as did Angelus, that it was gone. There was no way that Boromir would get his hands on it again without following the others back to their Middle Earth. She repressed a sob as he mind turned to thoughts of Xander. There would be time to grieve him, but not now. She had to get to safety and inform everyone of what she'd learnt.

"Do not disturb me," Boromir snarled as he turned and strode back up the stairs leading up to his room.

The remaining vampires settled down to wait. When the others returned, they would be free to enter the night and feed too. Until then, they had to stay and watch over the human prisoner. A humiliating job for their kind. Guarding food instead of eating it. The discontent grew, along with their hunger, as they watched the hands of the clock move.

~*~

"What does it mean?" Buffy asked.

"You really don't wanna know," Xander replied as he tore his eyes from the Elf's and started to walk away towards the warehouse.

"Yes, I do," Buffy said firmly. "If trouble is coming, I need to know."

"Trouble," Xander chuckled as he stopped. "Trouble is nothing compared to Mara."

"Who is she?"

Xander let his mind drift back to his memories of Mara. Of the sweet girl he had met and the demon she had become. He still felt the guilt every minute of every day. Time had not diminished it.

"I loved her," he said softly. "And I betrayed her love. I made her a monster and abandoned her to whatever fate Galadriel sent her to. I could have, should have...been stronger."

Buffy walked up behind her old friend and placed her hand on his shoulder. "You weren't to blame Xander."

He spun around so violently her hand was knocked off his body. "Aren't I?" he shouted. "I caused all this Buff. I started all this..." He waved his hands around him. "None of this would have happened if it wasn't for..."

"If it had not have been you, it would have been someone else," Legolas interrupted calmly. "It was destined to happen. Everything has a purpose Xander, and yours has yet to be fulfilled, as have ours."

Buffy smiled. "Legolas is right," she said. "I was destined to be a slayer. Its not your fault, its just the way it is. And you were destined for something too Xander. Its still to come but will no doubt make up for everything the demon inside you has done. Don't keep beating yourself up about it. That's my job."

Xander smiled. "Think you could take me slayer?" he joked.

"I know I could," she laughed. "But maybe later. Willow..."

She slipped her arm through Xander's and together, with Legolas following, they continued towards the warehouse to save their friend.

~*~

"This is his last book," Mara said closing it.

"Where are the others? Does it say?" Richard asked.

Mara sat back and smiled. "It does."

Richard could almost taste the victory now. He would have the books. Mara would help him succeed where Krytalia had failed. She was redundant now. He no longer needed her help, or the help of her kind. He glanced at the amulet. Its sapphire was almost black now. The blue fire had all but burnt out. It was too late for Krytalia and her race. They had failed him. No-one ever failed Richard Wilkins without paying the price. He pushed his chair away from his desk and walked over to where the amulet lay surrounded by the souvenirs of other failures. He kept them to remind himself that failure is easy, success needs better henchmen.

He snatched up the amulet.

"Krytalia," he called.

The tall, flame haired demon materialised in the room.

"You have failed me," he said. His long fingers caressed the amulet as he walked slowly around her. "You know what happens now."

Krytalia's eyes grew wide with fear. She had doomed her kind to the darkness for all time. The fire was burning out and she could feel the darkness calling her.

"Please, give me another..."

"Chance? Oh my dear Krytalia, you have had many many chances. I don't need you anymore."

Krytalia's mouth opened in a long scream as she watched Richard crush the amulet between his fingers. Black flames swallowed her and drew her from the light of the room into the nothingness of the dark that was waiting for her and all her kind.

Richard watched with a smile on his face until he looked down at his carpet.

"Oh darn," he sighed. "Nothing gets scorch marks out."