Chapter 40

Buffy sighed and collapsed on top of Angel. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her sweat matted hair. "Where did you learn to do that?" He asked.

"I read Cosmo." Buffy retorted, nipping at Angel's chest.

"I'll have to write them a letter because for the last.... very long moment I haven't had a single coherent thought."

"We need to do this more often. Cause I really missed it."

"Me too."

Buffy looked up. "Uh oh..... The brow is back."

"Oh, there's.... there's a lot more than usual going on."

"Not work again."

"Sorry."

Buffy rolled off Angel and curled up at his side. "We should get away. Vacation? You know that word, right?"

"You just got back from vacation."

"I know, but I want to go to Cabo, drink margaritas, midnight skinny- dipping, you and me making love on the beach."

"It would be wonderful."

"But...."

"There are...." Angel sighed. "There are things that I have to do. Things that I've already set in motion that, uh...." He sat up. "I know I've spent years fighting to get somewhere.... to accomplish something.... and now that I'm close to it.... I don't like what I see, what I am."

"You're a hero. My champion."

"Oh, that word."

"What? You are my champion."

"I may not always be."

"Don't be silly." Buffy slid up Angel and straddled him again.

Buffy watched Angel the rest of the day. They had a meeting with some big Senator in a few minutes and she figured that the meeting was what bothered him. It worried her that Angel was acting this way. The Slayer glanced at Gunn who was walking on her other side as they walked up to Hamilton.

"Ah! There's the man himself. Angel, I'd like you to meet Senator Brucker." Hamilton said.

"Senator, welcome to Wolfram & Hart." Angel said, shaking her hand.

Buffy glanced at Angel and then at the Senator. "And I'm his wife and co- C.E.O. of this company."

"Oh, I go way back with this firm, back when Holland Manners was in charge." The Senator said.

"I think you'll find things have changed a bit since then. Charles Gunn." He shook her hand.

"Head of our legal department." Hamilton said.

"Oh. And this is Ernesto. My personal...." The Senator started.

"Vampire." Angel said.

"Aide. I always forget your kind can sense each other. Well, I believe in diversity on my staff. It was a big part of my campaign."

"How commendable." Buffy said sarcastically.

"Harmony, you mind getting us some coffee?" Angel asked.

"Coming right up." Harmony chirped.

"Oh, thank you, no. No coffee" The Senator said. "But if it isn't any trouble, I think Ernesto might like some blood."

"Virgin, if you have it. Room temperature's fine." Ernesto piped up.

"We have a no human blood policy." Buffy said. "Sorry." Ernesto glared at her, but Buffy ignored it.

"Oh, I think we could make an exception to our policy this time for the senator. Couldn't we, Angel?" Hamilton asked.

"Harmony, the lab might have something in the blood bank. Why don't you go check it out?" Angel said.

"Angel...." Buffy started.

"Not now, honey."

"Ok." Harmony said. "You're the boss, boss. Could I maybe just have a teeny, weeny...."

"No."

"Just thought I'd ask."

"Well, senator, if there's anything you need, please call on me." Hamilton said. "Rest assured. You're in good hands." He left.

Angel looked at the Senator. "Shall we?"

The senator and Ernesto walked with Angel toward his office when Wesley came up to Angel carrying a file folder. "Buffy, Angel. There's been another fatality in Funville."

"What?"

"That abandoned amusement park downtown? Third victim in as many nights. Teeth marks strongly indicate a Boretz demon."

Illyria and Spike were in the lobby now and walked up to Wesley, Buffy, and Angel. "Oh, bloody Boretz. Nasty buggers. Stink to high heaven. Dress as transients to prey on the homeless, poor sods." Spike said.

"This last victim was a teenage girl. A runaway. She was ripped apart."

"Well, there's not much we can do about it now, huh?" Angel said.

"That's a little heartless." Buffy said. "Angel, we need to find this demon and destroy it before...."

"Somebody else dies? Yeah. I know, Buffy. People are dying every day all over. This girl is just one more statistic."

"Stacey." Wesley said. "The statistic's name was Stacey Bluth."

"Well, you know, we can't save everybody, and we can't sweat the small stuff." Angel walked into the office.

"Small?"

"Wes, I got a United States senator waiting for me, so just find out whatever you can about this Boretz thing and we'll talk later, ok? Buffy."

"What?" Buffy asked, glaring.

"Are you coming?"

"No."

"Then sit out here and sulk." Angel slammed the door.

"Small stuff?" Wesley asked.

Spike touched Buffy's shoulder. "Listen, you need some Boretz killing done, I'll have a go. I haven't had a decent tussle since the blue meanie and I stopped sparring."

"Yeah. All right. I think I'll go with."

"Call me if you find anything." Wesley said. "I'll be in my office learning what I can." He walked away.

"He showed no regard for my presence." Illyria said.

"Not that you require any creature's attention." Spike said. Illyria glared. "Hey, wanna go find something to hit?"

Illyria just looked annoyed. "Come on." Buffy said. "Let's go release some frustrations."

Buffy, Spike, and Illyria walked through an abandoned amusement park at night. "See?" Spike said to Buffy. "This isn't so bad now. Little field trip out in the.... well, what passes in this city for fresh air. All we need now is to bag ourselves a Boretz demon, we got ourselves a perfect date."

"You always knew how to show a Slayer a good time." Buffy said.

"Too bad you're still married."

"Yeah.... Too bad."

"Angel does not think the casualties of this creature are important enough to avenge." Illyria said.

"Yeah." Spike said. "I think corporate living's made him lose his love for the hunt. No worries. More for us then."

"It does not serve his interest."

"Not lately." Buffy said.

"What are you on about?" Spike asked.

"I've seen this before with many rulers." Illyria said. She looked at Buffy. "Your husband has been corrupted."

"What do you mean corrupted?" Buffy asked.

"It always begins the same. A ruler turns a blind eye to the dealings of battles from which he cannot gain.... and a deaf ear to the counsel of those closest to him. As his strength increases, so does the separation between he and his follow...."

"Not Angel...."

"Shh." Spike said. "You smell that?"

"The odors of everything in this world of men are equally repugnant to me." Illyria said.

"Bloody helpful."

"You're wrong about Angel." Buffy said. "If he did turn evil.... I'd know it. I'd feel it."

"You'll have proof soon enough." Illyria said. "A corrupted ruler on such a path sees treachery and betrayal all around him. He cannot suffer intimates and will eventually turn against them."

"Guess I don't have to worry about that, 'cause Angel and me have never been intimate." Spike said. "Except that one...."

"Mark me. He will murder one of you."

Drogyn stepped out from a hiding place. "Actually, he already has."

"Drogyn...." Buffy went to help the man stand.

"Who is this?" Illyria asked.

"The guardian of the Deeper Well." Spike said. "Greenskeeper of your graveyard, so to speak."

"My jailer."

Drogyn squinted at her. "Illyria...."

"Boretz." Spike said. The Boretz demon jumped down on them, engaging Buffy in a powerful fistfight, ending when the Boretz flinging Buffy into the power junction box. Illyria and Spike stepped up and engaged the Boretz as Buffy got to her feet. "Stay away from its mouth! It's bite's poisonous. Go for its knees. I think there's a weak spot...." Illyria kicked the demon forcefully through the large wooden supports for a roller-coaster. "Ok. Yeah! That might do it."

Buffy walked up to Drogyn. "Drogyn. What the hell are you doing here? And don't give me your 'ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies' crap."

"I came to find you." Drogyn said. "I can find anyone who's visited the well.... be they in this world or any other. I.... I came to.... to warn you...." He collapsed and Buffy caught him.

"He's bleeding." Buffy set him down. "What did this to you? The Boretz?"

"No. It was Angel."

They were all gathered at Spike's apartment except Angel. Drogyn was sitting on the couch while Spike sat on an end table nearby with Buffy leaning against him glaring at Drogyn. Illyria stood opposite of them while Drogyn filled in Wesley, Gunn and Lorne on the situation.

"It was a Sathari.... part of a clan of demon assassins. They fell upon me last night. The poison from his 4 blades wearing heavy on my limbs."

"Yeah, rousing bit of rah-rah, mate." Spike said. "Get to the goods."

"Once I bested him, I tortured the Sathari for hours until he confessed who had sent him. It was Angel."

"Tell 'em why."

"He said Angel was afraid I'd find something in the Deeper Well, something that would uncover the truth about his involvement."

"In what?" Gunn asked.

"Helping Illyria escape from her tomb."

"I thought the release of her sarcophagus from the Deeper Well was predestined." Wesley said.

"Yeah, what about that bit?" Spike asked.

"Well, that's what I thought at the time, but now I believe.... Illyria's resurrection may have been planned." Drogyn said.

"By Angel." Gunn said.

"Oh, that doesn't make a lick of sense." Lorne said. "I mean, why would Angel want to spring an old one?"

"I don't think that was the point." Drogyn said.

"Then what was?" Gunn asked.

"Before he died, the assassin said something about a sacrifice.... someone trusted and dear."

"Are you saying that Angel was responsible for what happened to Fred?" Wesley asked.

"He may not have chosen her specifically, but...."

"Shut up." Buffy said. "Angel didn't do that to Fred."

"Do you think I gain pleasure in this? I held Angel an ally, a brother."

"And you believe he may have murdered Fred?" Wesley asked.

"I know this is difficult for you, but Angel was involved. The information retrieved from the assassin...."

"You ever think maybe he was lying?" Gunn asked. Buffy noticed they had all crowded around her as if protecting her.

"No one lies when they're at the mercy of my wrath."

"Then you're the liar, Aragorn."

"He has to tell the truth. It's a curse or something." Buffy said.

"How can we be sure? We don't even know this guy."

"Gunn, this is Drogyn, the battlebrand, given eternal youth a thousand years ago." Wesley said. "Demonbane, truthsayer.... Watchers' Council."

"Percy did a paper. Bully on him." Spike said.

Wesley unfolded a piece of paper. "Drogyn.... any idea what this symbol means?"

"No."

"Where'd you get that?" Buffy asked.

"This afternoon, someone tapped into the template interface." Wesley said. "Sent a message to me, and that symbol. Somebody's dropping clues."

"Playing games is more like it." Gunn said.

"Well, put me on the short bus, but I still can't wrap my head around the notion that Angel has anything to do with Fred or any of this." Lorne said.

"Angel's been doing a number of things out of character lately. We all noticed it." Wesley said.

"Not me." Buffy said. "He seemed normal until today."

"Why is this happening now? Why the change?" Lorne asked.

"Yes, why the sudden need to tie up loose ends like Drogyn? Unless...." Wesley said.

"He's preparing to make his move." Illyria said.

"What kind of move are we talking about?" Gunn asked.

"There's only one way to find out. We ask him." Wesley said. Wes, Gunn and Lorne walked toward the door. Spike helped Buffy up and the followed. "Drogyn should stay here under guard."

"I'm not missing the fireworks." Spike said. "Hey, Illyria, you don't care about any of this nonsense, do you?"

"The intricacies of your fates are meaningless." Illyria said.

"Well and good. You mind watching over our friend Drogyn? Aw, come on. New place'll do you good. It's nice and cozy. Help yourself to some beer in the fridge. Switch on the telly if you get bored." Spike handed Illyria video game controls. "And, uh, feel free to play a little Crash Bandicoot. Give you lot something to pass the time."