Chapter 4

"She's fine Giles, really. The battle went well." She paused as he continued to question. "I will talk to Buffy but I think she wants to leave as soon as possible." Willow saw Buffy come in and run up the stairs. "Giles, I gotta go...I will let you know when we are on our way...Yeah bye." Willow hung up with Giles not even sure if he said good bye and went upstairs after Buffy. When she got to her room Buffy was sitting on the edge of the bed her head in her hands crying.

"Buffy? What happened...is it Spike." Willow questioned gently. Buffy snorted in response.

"Of course it's Spike. He is an Ass!" Buffy said still crying. "I don't have time for this, we need to finish what we came here for. Have you talked to Illeria?" Willow shook her head.

"Did you talk to Angel?"

"Yes, I think he will do it. I left it in his hands, if not you know what needs to be done." Buffy said seriously. Willow nodded sadly. "I am going to go look for Lorne, he needs to be brought into this. I just hope he is ok, he is crucial to all of this." Buffy stood up focused on the new task at hand. "We leave tomorrow night."

"Agreed. I will get the girls ready and let Giles know to prepare."

"Great....thanks Will, I don't know what I would do without you." She hugged Willow and went off in search of Lorne.

Chapter 5

Lorne wasn't too hard to find. He was sitting in the rubble of his bar, downing a scotch.

"Lorne?" Buffy asked softly, he looked up to see who it was and put his head back down again. "How are you dealing?" Buffy paused hoping he would join into the one way conversation. "I'm here on my own, Angel's not involved...I know what he had you do." Lorne's eye shot up to meet hers. "He was wrong."

"How did you know?" he said barely in a whisper

"The PTB game me a summary before they sent me back. I'm here to recruit you to help me." Lorne laughed in response at the nerve after what she knew Angel had him do. "I'm serious, nothing like with Angel. I need you to help out with the new council and to help me. Be my guide, so to speak." Buffy place his hand on top of his. "I need your help."

"They sent you back a vampire." He was surprised he didn't notice when she came in. "Soul intact but your different." Buffy smiled in response.

"Yep I'm definitely something new, but not. Still not sure of all the details yet myself, work in progress here"

"What about Angel?"

"I told him I wanted his help, BUT only if he anchored his soul." She said staring into his eyes to show her seriousness.

"How?"

"Same way Spike did."

"If he doesn't"

"Then I'll stake him. He is too risky otherwise."

"Ok Sugar, I will help in whatever way I can." He paused rethinking his choice. "It's not that I don't trust you but..." he trailed off unsure of how to ask.

"You want me to sing for you, don't ya?" Lorne nodded "I was hoping you weren't going to ask that, I'm not big on the singing." Buffy shrugged and thought for a second and started singing Fire and Roses by Mimi.

"Hold tight If I had only known it could rain inside
Keel over take a stand trying to keep my head on my shoulders
Over flow under tow trying to keep my head above water
Believe me I'm a fighter til the end look into my eyes
It's all on fire my life needs fire I want roses
Strewn at my feet
Moving in moving out the current pulls me
Stay buoyant
I tumble doing deep sea cartwheels
Outside it's dark I catch my breath and scream scream
It's all on fire my life needs fire I want roses
Strewn at my feet
Soundlessly, I fade away
I sail, I float far away
A thousand clues and second thoughts
Lie deep in the belly of my heart
If I listen so close
It's all on fire my life needs fire I want roses
Meanwhile I float on the sea, sea yeah sea
Moving in, moving out
Outside it's dark again
Still I realize what a fine line you walk along
Tight roping between sink or swim or fall or stand
I sit here I stare and still I see it's raining
Hard to say, hard to see
Hard to know, hard to tell
It's raining
Hard to say, hard to tell
It's raining, it's raining"

Lorne clapped after she had finished. "Bravo Buffy, Bravo!" He smiled at her as she sat down next to him. "I will definitely go with you."

"Um care to fill me if in oh wise one." She nudged him with her elbow.

"You know what you need to do. I didn't get too much more then you already know, but it showed me what you have already gone through and I understand what you are doing."

"K." She shrugged. "Let's get you packed up."

"Alright I will pack and meet you in the morning."

"Nope, you are coming with me now...it's not safe here. I will keep Angel away from you."

"Alright sugar, give me a few..." off Lorne went to pack.

Chapter 6

"Buffy!" Willow shouted and ran over as Lorne and Buffy entered the lobby. "Lorne, glad you came."

"Yep, he was a tough cookie." Buffy winked at Lorne, who laughed lightly unable to hide his apprehension of being back at the Hyperion. "Where's Angel?"

"He left. Told me to tell you he would come back when the task was done." Willow whispered to Buffy, so the other didn't hear them.

"Wow. That was quick." She shrugged. "Are the girls ok, all mended up and ready to go tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Giles is ready too." Willow looked away unsure if she should tell her. "Oh and uh Spike was looking for you."

"Ok, well I am going to walk Lorne upstairs." She grabbed Lorne's hand and led him up the stairs.

"Not that I don't appreciate the company but why are you walking me up sugar? I used to live here, remember?" he looked at her. "This is about avoiding Spike."

"Me avoid, nope I am just..." she didn't even finish the sentence as Lorne started at her skeptically. "Ok maybe a little."

"You need to talk to him." Lorne place his hand on her shoulder. "Trust me, its important you two are on the same side."

"Hey you said I knew everything!" Buffy exclaimed

"I said you knew what you had to and you are still avoiding. Off you go...now scoot." Lorne shooed her down the hall way to go find Spike.

Buffy barely made it down the hall when she heard him call her name.

"Buffy?" Spike called to her hesitantly and Buffy stopped her back still to him. "Pet? I'm sorry. I was an ass." She turned and met his gaze, her face devoid of emotion. "I just don't want you throwing your life away for me, it ain't worth it." His gaze dropped to the floor, he couldn't face her.

"Spike." She paused waiting for his eyes to meet hers again. "It's ok, let's just forget it. We were both angry."

"Alright then." He smiled slightly.

"Are you coming with us?" She asked him trying to hold back the hope in her voice.

"Yeah, especially since I know peaches is off soul search'in." he started at her intently. "What you going to do if he doesn't get it done?"

"Stake him." Spike's eyes registered his surprise as he stared at her.

"Ok then. When do we go?"

"Tomorrow night." He nodded and turned to go his room.

"Thanks Spike." She half smiled, grateful that he was joining her.

"Anytime luv, anytime." He whispered as he continued to his room.

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Song was from:

Artist: Mimi
Album: Soak