Author note: This one is longer then the other chapters, for those who wanted more…

Thanks for Sigma for beta this fic for me!

Chapter 9-

They looked ashamed, as they stood caught between the two slayers, not really knowing what to say or do. Nervously, they glanced around, hoping to find something to distract themselves from the overwhelming tension that filled the room.

Anne was standing in the doorway, her arms folded as she gave the famous slayer look that made most people squirm nervously. However, Buffy just gave her an equally powerful glare in return. Then, seeing Spike, she raised an eyebrow curiously before dismissing it.

"Well," Ann snapped, "Do you want to ask me something?"

"Yes." Anya said frankly. "We wanted to know why you have so much money? Is it because you've been forced to have non-stop sex with Angelus?"

Now, they all looked even more embarrassed.

"That was interesting." Spike snorted, rolling his eyes.

"No one asked you!" snapped Buffy. She certainly didn't want him here; didn't want the constant reminder of how she'd betrayed her friends...and betrayed Angel.

"You didn't seem to mind what I did when I was screwing you!"

"I-don't-want-to-talk-about-it." She bit the words off angrily.

"Fine." interrupted Anne. "How about we continue to talk about me? Do you actually have anything to tell me, or do you just want to keep getting your kicks hurting a harmless, ensouled vampire?"

"What?" Buffy laughed derisively. "Harmless? As if."

Spike, as much as he wanted to, didn't say anything. He might not usually know when to keep his mouth shut, but he knew better than to get in between two angry slayers.

"To get back to the subject, you have no right to talk about what went on between me and Angelus." Anne snarled. "You know absolutely nothing about what happened!"

"Oh, really? I know that he's a vicious killer and that you just jumped into bed with him."

"I've been wondering: how's that different from what Buffy did with Spike?" Anya piped up, looking genuinely curious.

"That's none of your business, Anya. Besides, Spike's harmless."

Anne smirked. "You said a minute ago that he isn't harmless."

"You know what I mean." Buffy waved her hand dismissively.

"No, why don't you tell me?"

"Girls..." Giles tried to break the tension before the slayers began to fight physically. "We need to work together. Angelus is probably already on his way here..."

"I wonder whose fault that is?"

"Well, it would be your fault." Anya stated. "I mean, the other you. I really think counting money is much less confusing than this."

"I agree." sighed Giles.

"She's not me!" snapped Buffy, "I would never..."

"What?" Ann cut her off, "Never sleep with Angelus, never abandon your noble mission?"

"I...no, I won't."

"Sometimes you don't have a choice, Buffy. You know, considering your age and slaying experience, you are awfully naïve."

"Well, if you call fighting evil of all sorts and actually attacking my enemies naïve, then maybe I am."

"It wasn't like that!"

"Yes, I guess it was very hard saying no to Angelus when he gave you a claddagh, sparkling with diamonds, or all those expensive clothes. Did you accept them before or after he killed all your friends?"

"It was too late!" Anne shouted.

Everyone's head snapped to look at the distraught girl, and Dawn began to look frightened, although Anne was too far into her memories to notice. Angel slipped in the back door as she began her story.

"It was too late." She repeated softly. "When we realized what Angelus had done, how he'd taken control of Los Angeles using Wolfram and Hart as his base of operations, it was all too late. Far too late for the city and for mankind. When he arrived Sunnydale, it was too late for us. You see, we didn't expect him to come so soon. The local demon community had given us false information about his timing. We all fought him as best we could, but we all lost. I was the last standing. He was so powerful...he must have been at least ten times stronger than me."

Tears began to slip down her cheeks as she stared hopelessly at Buffy. "Imagine watching your friends die in front of you, one by one. All your best friends from highschool, the only true family you've ever known. Watching as he snapped their neck as if they were mere puppets. Imagine your watcher begging for his life after nights of torture and agony. Imagine your beautiful sister bitten and tortured in front of you for days. Imagine hearing her screams at night, always...for eternity. Imagine going to sleep and closing your eyes only to see the dead bodies of the people you used to love. Imagine their lifeless bodies being dumped on the ground...unrecognizable. Imagine the looks of terror and despair on their faces.

"Then think about what you're like now: you're the last person alive anywhere. The humans are gone, and demons rule the world. The last battle was fought...and you lost. You expect death...almost yearn for it, so you can reunite with your loved ones. But it never come. You become a prisoner in that dark world, a creature of the night. You try to end your own life...but you can't. He made you immortal. Is it to punish you? Is it because he can't face the world if you grow old? It doesn't really matter. All you know is that you will never die or age. You will stay with him for eternity, going to bed night after night with the screams and tears of your friends and family echoing through your mind. It will never end. So you see it was already too late..."

Anne spun around and raced out of the store, leaving a stunned group behind.

Dawn cried silently, and Willow cried as well, almost thankful that Tara didn't suffer like that. Anya sighed, feeling sorry for Anne. She'd seen worse in her life, but it had never happened to anyone close to her.

Buffy refused to shed a tear, but Angel could see through her facade. She mourned for what happened to Anne, but this Buffy wasn't broken like Anne was. She was still strong and confident. He glanced at Giles, seeing his thoughts mirrored in Giles's expression.

Spike took a step towards the door, before realizing it was still sunny out. He silently cursed as Giles walked slowly out to find Anne.

He knew exactly where to find her. She sat facing the city in a place she'd told Giles about years ago. It was here that Angel tried to kill himself, and Giles knew she still went there to think.

He sat quietly next to her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Turning at the friendly touch, she tried to smile slightly. He was taken aback at how she looked. He hadn't really noticed her appearance before, but he certainly did now.

This Buffy was so very different. Yes, she had beautiful, long blond hair, shining like the sun, and she had a brilliant beauty, almost goddess-like...but he knew her all too well. Knew her like a father knows his daughter.

She was a broken doll. Pretty, but broken. Her eyes were distant, like she wasn't really there. He was used to the spark of life in her eyes, but they were dull and lifeless. She wasn't real, this Buffy who was sitting next to him was made of plastic and glass. One more fall, and the glass would break. One more fall, and all that was left would be a plastic doll without any shred of life.

"I am so sorry." She whispered. It was a small voice, almost childlike.

Her words confused him. What did she have to be sorry for? For failing him? For letting him suffer torture and pain? For letting him die? For coming to their world and bringing chaos with her?

He turned her to face him. Looking in her green eyes, he wanted so much to comfort her, but she seemed out of his reach. He thought it would be ridiculous to ask what she was sorry for. After suffering such agony, she had plenty of regrets, no doubt. "Buffy...I..."

"No, don't call me that! Never again. I am Anne. You know me; you can see through me. I...I just wanted to warn you: you have to tell buffy more, tell her the truth. She should know what vampires are really like, what they crave...playing house with Spike is nothing like the real thing. You know what I mean. I know you do. You're smarter then most of the council members. You know things...dark things, so don't try to deny it now."

He was speechless for a moment as he looked into her eyes and saw such maturity. He knew she was right, but he didn't want to tell Buffy. He wasn't even sure if she'd ever understand...but there also was another reason: he didn't want her to loose her innocence, her love for life. She was still his Buffy, and he wasn't ready to teach her about the dark world of vampires.

"You have to tell her, Giles!" Anne stared at him, trying to make him see what she meant. "If you won't then I will, she needs to know! Please...don't let her find out about it the way I did...It was so cruel and hard...it will be better this way."

"Buff...Anne, I think there are quite a few things which you are not telling me...er, us."

"I can tell you. I just can't face telling Buffy, but she really should know."

"How...how will I begin? What would I tell her?"

Ann stood up. "I need to be left alone to think. I don't know what you should tell her about vampires, but I can tell you about a certain ceremony that Angelus made me perform with him."

"What was that?"

"Have you heard about the 'Nisuyim' ceremony?"

Concentrating for a moment, he recalled reading a bit about it. "Are you talking about the bonding ceremony?"

"Yes, I am."

"But...that's impossible! It's just a legend; no one has ever managed to go through with it. Are you sure that's what you're talking about?"

"Yes, Giles, I'm very sure. Do you know exactly what it means?"

"No...I have to check my books. I never had to look at it much before..."

"Then do it. You wanted something to tell Buffy, so you can start with that."

He took off his glasses and nervously began to clean them. "Yes, I'll do that. After I research the ceremony, are you sure you don't want to tell me..." He put on his glasses and looked up, but she was already gone.

He sighed. She just had to disappear, didn't she? Shaking his head, he made his way back to his book collection. A few hours later, after researching hard, he found out all the information he needed about the ceremony. He took off his glasses and wiped away a few tears.

"Dear Lord...poor girl...I can't believe she actually was forced to endure this...Oh, God, she'll need help!"

To be continued...