Part 14: The Mayor

"This is a very interesting school," said Dawn. "But surely living on the Hellmouth would make it so that we are not so interesting to see?"

"Yes," said Giles as he stacked books on the check-out counter in the high school library, "you would think so. But that is not the case." Giles glanced at the souled vampire as he carried said books into the stacks, and asked then exclaimed, "Angel, would you care to explain? And please keep your feet on the ground...it's bad enough that the children do it!"

Angel looked up from the book he was reading, his feet crossed and resting on the table in front of him. The vampire glared at Giles' back, and muttered what suspiciously sounded like "Brits" before placing his feet on the ground. He looked over at the three Fates, then said, "What Giles is getting at is that this town has what we've termed as selective memory to the extreme...or simply put: denial. They'll only remember what they want to, and will make-up some -- however unbelievable it is -- excuse about what they can't forget."

"Gangs on PCP, for instance," said Buffy sitting beside Angel. "That's the most common excuse used for whatever happens around here."

"Aren't the police in the least bit suspicious?" asked Eve.

Buffy burst out laughing, as Angel said dryly, "We suspect that the police are in with the demons, but we haven't been able to find proof yet...one way or the other."

"Oh, they're in with the demons alright," said Darkmoon dryly as he slipped into the library. "The Mayor's planning on becoming one."

Buffy stopped laughing as suddenly as she had started. Giles could be heard to drop several books within the stacks. And Angel asked darkly, "What do you mean, Familiar?"

"I just heard from Mother, and what she told me isn't good." Darkmoon looked at Angel, then said seriously, "You better get everyone in here."

"What type of demon again?" asked Angel as he paced around the library like a caged lion.

"A pure-blood true Hell-demon."

"What's the big," asked Buffy flippantly. "It's a demon. We slay it."

Angel stopped pacing, and slowly turned to face Buffy, his expression strained, as he said, "Beloved, the demons you've faced are not true demons. They aren't pure-bloods. A pure-blood doesn't have any human likeness in them." He shut his eyes and shuddered, before whispering hoarsely, "I should know. It was true-bloods who tortured me in Hell."

"Good Lord," whispered Giles in shock. "Only those they deem worthy of note, do they pay attention to."

Concern in her eyes as she gazed at Angel, Buffy said softly, "And one who used to be the most ruthless vampire to ever exist turned vampire with a soul aiding and falling in love with his enemy would definitely be worthy of their attention."

Giles looked deep in thought, before he said slowly, "Angel." When the vampire turned to gaze at him, the Watcher asked, "I know this is difficult, but how long were you in Hell again?"

Silence, then, "Seven hundred fifty-five years."

"And the age you are now?"

"Two hundred forty-five."

Giles studied Angel, then said, "One thousand years -- the longest any vampire has ever lived --, yet you do not posses a permanent demon face. Why?"

"I don't know," answered Angel quietly.

"It is because of your soul, Master," said Darkmoon in explanation.

As everyone looked at him in confusion, the familiar explained further, saying, "In order for the demon face to become permanent, the demon needs to be in complete control. With Angel, the soul is in control, not the demon."

"Thus, the demon cannot show its true face as Angel ages," Giles murmured.

"I've got a question," said Xander suddenly from where he sat with the others. "How is this related to the Mayor turning into a demon?"

Giles -- his eyes still on Angel -- said, "The amount of time Angel spent in Hell would have allowed him to come into contact with most of the demons of Hell. With this knowledge, we may be able to figure out what kind of demon the Mayor will become...and how to destroy it, before he destroys us."

"Graduation is like three weeks away," said Willow thoughtfully as she idly held Oz's hand, "so if we can figure out before then and prepare...we'll probably win."

Angel went and stood behind Buffy, and said with conviction, as he put his hands on her shoulders, "There's no 'probably' about it Willow. Even if we can't find how to kill it, my and Buffy's power and abilities will be so great by that time that it wont matter."

"Don't become over-confident, Sire," said one of the three Fates softly. "That has led to the downfall of many a Warrior."

Buffy reach up, and placed one hand over Angel's, as she said, "Listen to her, Honey. 'Cause that's what happened when I faced the Master."

Angel was silent for a moment, then nodded his head with understanding.

"I'm really worried, Angel," said Buffy as she and Angel patrolled through Sunnydale that night. "That harpy...and now this! Will we ever get a brake?"

"Well," Angel said, "I don't know about the long-run, but we can take one right now. Remember, we promised to take the Fates sisters to the Bronze?"

A grin replaced the scowl upon Buffy's face, as she said, "Come on! I could use a visit to the Bronze myself."

"Honey," Buffy said into Angel's ear, "please tell me I'm imagining it...but is that Spike?"

Angel followed Buffy's gaze, and nodded. He watched as the one of his bloodline fell to the ground holding a beer bottle.

"He's drunk, too," Angel commented.

"Let's go find out why he's here," the Slayer said.

It took them only moments to reach the drunken vampire, and when they did, they pulled him off of the woman he was either trying to bite...or hit on. Not even Angel was sure which it was.

Slipping out the back exit, Buffy and Angel then slammed Spike against a wall, as the souled vampire growled, "What are you doing here, Spike?"

Spike squinted -- obviously trying to focus his eyes --, before saying in a slurred voice, "Tha' you Sire? Though' the git wa' goin' to s-stake ya las' ti' I saw you."

Buffy barely restrained Angel from smashing his fist into Spike's face. In a voice that shook with suppressed rage, Buffy then said, "Answer Angel's question Spike!"

Struggling in their grasp, Spike growled, "Let me go, an I'll tell ya."

In a moment, Spike lay flat on his back, staring up at the souled vampire and Slayer leaning over him. Gazing directly into Angel's eyes, Spike said in a very clear and mournful voice, "She left me."

At Angel's look of disbelief, Spike grew angry. Sitting up, he said adamantly, "I took her to Spain, and she left me...for a Chaos demon!"

Buffy burst out laughing, as Angel looked sick. He said, "That is the most..." Angel shook his head, and gazed at Spike with a look that clearly showed he felt sorry for the other vampire. "What made her leave you?"

Spike looked down at the ground, and muttered in a low voice that only Angel heard, "Somethin' abou' me not bein' man enough for 'er."

Angel rubbed his face as he sighed, then said in defeat, "Why do I always end up with the misfits of the vampire world in my bloodline?"