Beta by: Sigma

Chapter 6

"Just great!" shouted Xander, "It's not enough that we have to live in Sunnyhell. Nooo, we have to have yet another apocalypse! I guess that Faith, the Mayor, the nerds, and all the other baddies weren't enough!"

"Don't forget Willow going all psycho killer." piped up Anya.

"Hello, I'm right here!" said Willow, offended.

"Sorry, Will." Xander apologized.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry." sighed Anne.

"It's a little too late for that!" exclaimed Buffy.

"I didn't exactly ask to be brought here!"

"You were anyway. You just had to come here from your sick dimension..."

"It's your dimension!" snapped Anne, "Your world! Your future!"

"No." denied Buffy, "There is no way that could be my future!"

"Why?" demanded Anne, "because you would never surrender?"

"Yes, I would never surrender! I would never let Angelus lay a finger on me! I'd die first!"

"Don't you think I tried?!? I tried so many times...but it was useless. He always found me...always saved me. There was nothing I could do."

"I find that a bit hard to believe. You're the SLAYER!"

"Come on, Buffy. Surely you're a little smarter than you look!"

"Excuse me? Don't insult the Slayer!" Buffy quickly got ready to fight.

"I am stronger then you." warned Anne, "You sure you want to take me on?"

"Yes, I'm sure! Let's see how good you really are when you actually fight." snarled Buffy, "When Spike, Angel, and I almost died a few minutes ago, you didn't exactly seem to be the fighting type. I guess you wanted to go back to your precious Angelus!"

"What? Like you could have killed Angelus."

"I did kill him, I sent him to HELL!" she declared, almost proudly.

"No, you sent Angel to hell. And it took you what? A couple of months just to TRY to kill Angelus? And you're blaming me?"

"At least I'm not the ho of the month!"

Anne flinched back. She'd always feared she was Angelus's whore, and Buffy seemed to make her fears real. With a snarl, she hit Buffy in the face. Very hard.

Buffy stumbled back, before leaping toward Anne, who Spike had pulled back. Angel quickly stepped in the way and grabbed Buffy."Let… go… of… me" she shouted, "I'm going to …"

"What?" Angel shouted back, "kill her?"

"No, I…she punched me!"

"You're the slayer, you can take it!"

"She's one, too. Why are you siding with her!?!" she accused, hurt.

Angel let her go, trying to defuse the situation, "I am not siding with either of you. You're the same person, anyway. And you're not a child, Buffy, so stop acting like it!"

"Oh, I'm a child now? Well, why don't you just leave this 'child' and go back to your oh-so adult life in LA! This is my town and I don't need YOU!"

"Bitchy as ever." muttered Anne and Buffy turned to glare at her.

"Why don't we all just calm down and relax?" interjected Giles,"It's been a long night and the sun will be up in an hour. We should all get some rest."

"Fine." muttered Buffy, "Let's go Dawn".

"Wait…" Dawn hesitated, "where will Anne stay?"

Anne blinked. She hadn't thought that far. Dawn glanced at her, "Maybe she could stay at our…"

"No way." Buffy cut her off.

"Yeah," Anne snorted, "like I'd want to go there"

"But...it's your house, too!" Dawn argued.

"It's not anymore," Anne pointed out, sadly.

"She could stay with me." offered Angel, getting very surprised looks, "What? I'm staying at the mansion and there are lots of rooms there."

"Well" pouted Anya, "as long as you keep it yourself...if you know what I mean."

Anne blushed, Angel looked embarrassed, but Buffy just pulled Dawn away, angry.

"I…" Anne thought for a second, "I guess…"

"Great," sighed Giles, relieved, "it's settled then. Angel…I need to ask you a few things about Venum."

"No problem. Anne, you go ahead. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"'K"

Everyone quickly dispersed for the night, although Dawn ran back to give Anne a quick hug before catching up with Buffy. Anne smiled sadly at her back before heading the opposite direction towards the mansion. She frowned. Someone was following her...turning around suddenly, she surprised him. "Spike!"

"Hey there, luv. Just thought I'll watch after you, with all that's happened."

"Thanks." she smiled slightly.

They walked side by side; their footsteps echoing through the quiet night. Spike drew a deep un-needed breath, then blew it out slowly,"I think you're very brave, luv"

"Thanks for the complement, although I certainly don't believe it. You're the brave one, fighting all those vamps like that."

"Nothing else to do" he lied.

Stopping, she looked right into his eyes, seriously, "You don't have to lie to me, William. I know you."

Reaching up, she traced the lines of his face with her delicate finger, memories coming back.

Spike fighting Angelus. Angelus discovering what had gone on between Buffy and him.  Spike tied to a chair, forced to watch as Angelus raped Buffy again and again. Tears pouring down her face. She can't hold back her screams. Spike beginning to scream and shout at Angelus, demanding he let her go. Angelus finally stopping, only to taunt Spike with the knowledge that Buffy would be Angelus's...for eternity. The stake coming forward, piercing Spike's heart as his anguished eyes turn to her and he whispers,"I love you" before turning to dust. Angelus letting her crawl slowly to his ashes. Turning toward the sky, she's screaming in absolute pain and anguish...

"Luv?"

She was suddenly back here, beside him.

"You remembered something."

"I…I can't!" she broke, "Please, I can't talk about the past. Not yet."

"It's ok, luv. I don't really want to know how I died."

She smiled faintly, trying desperately to forget. "I should have left with Markus and Toivo."

"And doom us to the fate your world suffered?"

"I guess not...it's just...I didn't want to complicate things …"

"It's the hellmouth, luv. Things are always complicated here."

As she reached the door of the mansion, she turned to Spike and gave him a quick kiss."Good night Spike."

Spike looked surprised for a moment, then nodded and walked slowly off. As Anne unlocked the mansion and slipped inside, he turned back and hid in the bushes. He felt closer to her than he had ever felt to Buffy.

*

Angel left Giles's house, walking quickly toward the mansion. He carried with him a bag of clothes for Anne. They were some things that Dawn had grabbed from Buffy's closet, without telling Buffy, of course. As he neared the mansion, he realized someone was following him. Someone who shouldn't have been there.

Turning quickly, Angel found himself face to face with Connor, who was stone-faced,"Hello, father"

To be continued...