Authors Note: I don't mind you guys ranting in your reviews when this is over. If I was in your position, I'd do the same. Also, I got some comments about my warning of this story being really dark. That was just because I've posted stories like this before and I've gotten people replying saying that I need to put a warning on this. So I just put a warning that this was dark for the people out there that do find this type of story overly sadistic. I personally would rate this as a really light R. Maybe even PG-13

Chapter Twenty

A Burning Ember

Before he had left he had kissed me and told me that everything was going to be okay. That it would only take him maybe three days tops. Well, now we're entering into the twelve day and he's still not back. Connor has sent men out looking for him, but the problem is, no one knows where he was going in the first place. I myself have even been out searching, even though we all know I shouldn't be, but I'm still coming up empty. Not even the slightest feeling of him being around has hit me.

Fear gripped me like it never had before. This wasn't the work of Leon, I knew that. If it was, we would have known by now. Leon would have made it publicly known at one of the little gatherings he held once a month. As far as I knew, Angel wasn't with him, but there was something keeping him from coming home. He would have sent word if things were going to take longer. He would know he would have to because I would go out and stop at nothing until I found him. But not a single letter or word had been seen from him for twelve whole days. I had bruise after bruise on my knuckles from beating up snitches that might know where he is, and still nothing.

I was busy icing my hands when Connor came into the room, looking just as weary and beaten as I felt. "Anything?" I asked in hope.

"Not a damn thing. It's like he just disappeared off the face of the earth.

"I don't get it!" I yelled in frustration. "Where could he be?" I leaned my head back onto the arm of the sofa, clenching my torn fists in frustration. "This isn't like him Connor. He would never be away for this long unless he had a good reason too. I shouldn't have let him gone. I knew something bad was going to happen. I mean, he wasn't even at his full strength yet from the fight with Leon."

"It's not your fault Buffy. He would have gone with or without your approval."

"That's the thing. He wouldn't have. He told me that he would stay home, stay here with me, if I told him too. If I wanted it badly enough, he would. But no, instead of acting on instinct, acting with my heart, I thought about it and told him to go. Told myself that I couldn't keep him from doing something that he was so set upon."

Connor flopped down into a chair. "Look, maybe Leon is trailing him. Maybe he won't come back here because he doesn't want to lead anyone to our location."

"He still would have sent word by now that he was alive. He knows me Connor. He knows that every minute he's gone is a minute closer to me going to Leon and finding out myself if he has him."

Connor massaged his temple. "It's not going to come to that. And even if it did, we wouldn't do it."

"Maybe you wouldn't." I mumbled.

"Buffy, I don't want to fight with you about this again. We aren't going to Leon. Angel wouldn't want that."

"Connor, when I have my mind set in things, there's very little someone can do to stop me." I swung my legs off of the sofa and headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" He called, trying to act as if he cared. If he was anything like me though, all he wanted to do at the moment was lay down and sleep forever.

"Don't worry, I'm not desperate enough to go to the enemy." I opened the door and tiptoed out. "Yet." I said as I shut it behind me.

About a week ago, Connor and I couldn't take it any more and decided that we had to go outside the house and patrol, consequences be damned. The magical barriers keeping us inside were soon removed, after a little persuasion from both Connor and I, and in an instant we were both out the door looking for Angel. I had never seen Connor overprotective before then. As much as he seemed to hate Angel, he was sure in a hurry to get out there and try and find him. It could have something to do with the fact that the last time they saw or spoke to one another, they pretty much wanted the other one dead.

The night air was cool, brushing up against me and sending chills through my bones. It was hard to believe that I had been here for over six months now. Everything seemed to be forgotten of my past life when I had an apocalypse type situation on my hands. The whole thing with Leon hadn't given me a moments rest for so much time now. There was always something to do, always something to kill, always something to worry about. My mind was constantly running amuck, jamming my brain with so much blood and angst that I'm not sure if I knew what to do with it anymore. Three hundred years of peace had gone by; three hundred years of absolute bliss had turned my brain to mush. It didn't know how to handle such situations anymore, didn't know how to receive the information I was given. Slowly, I was getting back to myself. But the question still persists. Did I want to be that girl anymore? Did I want to be the girl who did nothing else but slay, slay, then slay some more? Or did I want to try for a life, try for that normal thing that Angel had been so adamant on giving me all those years ago.

I don't think I'll ever really know that answer. Know what to do with myself. But did it matter?

I turned down a dark alley, not quite sure why I did so, just that it was important that I go down there. Something was calling me. Something familiar. In the distance rats screeched, paper rustled as the wind blew it by, and a cigarette was lit.

I stopped dead in my tracks, not wanting to let the person in front of me know just yet that I was here. Not until I was ready to take action in case it wasn't human. The small ember on the tip of the joint dropped to the ground, giving off a brilliant glow for just a minute before disappearing. Blending into the rest of the soot and ash that littered the alley way.

"Well well. They told me you were back. But somehow I didn't quite believe it."

I froze. The voice was all too familiar for comfort.

The cigarette dropped to the ground as a toed boot came out to smash the burning embers away. Erasing them from our plane of existence. My breathing increased as the boot moved forward. Slowly the figure before me emerged from the darkness. The cocky smirk set in place, the a href"leather20duster" onmouseover"window.status'leather duster'; return true;" onmouseout"window.status''; return true;" leather duster /a , everything about him was the same.

"Spike?"

"Hello luv."

And then the knife penetrated my skin.

The End

Authors Note: Yes, that's right. That does say the end. And no, I'm not kidding about that. It is the end. Please review and tell me what you thought of the story as a whole.

Authors Note 2

Come on you guys. Did you actually think I was going to leave it like that? I mean, I"m not Joss or any of the other writers. I threaten to hurt these writers every time they pull something I just did. Don't worry. Also, don't you guys know the general rule in movies and books. If you don't see the character die, they're usually not dead. Plus, I never once said that Spike was the one who stabbed her with the knife...

The Sequel to Darkness Within is now up. Go to my authors Page to access it.

Sincerely

Your Faithful Writer