CHAPTER 11: CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE


"What do you think we should do with him?" Willow said weakly, still drained from the second thicken-spell. Giles shot her a look of concern. While her spell might very well have tipped the scales and allowed them to bring Angelus down, it had definitely not been a very sensible thing of her to do. He didn't like the fact that Willow more and more often turned to magic's to solve problems, and especially not dark ones.

"I say we kill him!" Xander stated, rubbing his head. "Stakings all around for people that enjoy smacking my head several times in a few days."

"No! Of course we don't kill him. Angel is still out there, God knows what Angelus has done to him since he hasn't come to see us. At least we know he isn't dead." Buffy said, eying the unconscious vampire before her. He'd fooled her. She should have recognized him, shouldn't she? And still, he had fooled her during those minutes in the training room. Nothing had told her that the vampire might be the evil alter ego instead of the caring, soulful Angel from last night.

"Buffy… when I attacked him before, the splintered glass from the windows hit him in the shoulder. He doesn't have any wounds."

"He's a vampire Will – super healing abilities and all."

"Yeah, I know, but I mean, his coat. The glass, it sliced his coat. It's not torn now."

"So, he's a very evil vampire with super tailor abilities as well! Or maybe he stole Angel's coat," Xander said, upset. "You never know with those wacky vain vampires. Could we please concentrate on what to do before he wakes up!"

They didn't get the time to do that; it didn't take more than another minute or so before Angelus started to stir. He realized immediately that he was tightly chained to the wall. He was only slightly sore from the fight though, it wasn't Buffy's punches that knocked him out; merely the tranquilizers. As he opened his eyes, he was staring at large wooden cross that Cordelia held up. He growled.

"Angelus." Buffy stepped forward, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Buff," he acknowledged, grinning a little. "How – pleasant to see you again. What do you say you let me out of these chains and we sort things the hands on sort of way, without the sidekicks interfering." Buffy didn't lower her gaze for a second – didn't flinch, didn't budge. She just stared into his dark eyes. This demon before her had beaten her boyfriend to death, snapped Tara's neck and doubtlessly drunk and killed a few innocents in the last few days. Oh, how she hated him.

"Where is he? What did you do to Angel?" she asked between clenched teeth.

She was obviously working really hard to keep up the "unaffected stiff-upper-lip slayer"-look. It didn't fool Angelus.

"Angel? Oh, you mean the whimpering, pathetic and souled version of myself. Well, he's gone."

Buffy frowned slightly, and then stepped even closer to Angelus, who watched her closely, predator instinct gleaming in his eyes. It frustrated her that in this situation, he wasn't only confident that no harm would come to him, it even intrigued him. It was all part of the game. They were all a part of the game. Even her feelings amused him.

He yanked his chains as Buffy came at him, but they didn't give at all. Angelus assumed that Willow had bound them magically. Pesky bitch.

"Where. Is. Angel." Buffy stood very close to him, much closer than she would let anybody else, when she spoke to him. Her stared back at her, rejoicing when he saw her stiff stance crumble under his dark gaze.

"Is that your great plan, keep Angel prisoner so you can roam free without any risk of being staked?" she continued. Angelus chuckled.

"Gosh, Buff, that's actually a good plan. Why didn't I think of that? But no, I guarantee you that I tell the truth when I say that Angel doesn't exist in this world any more."

Buffy bit her lip. Could Angelus have found a way to kill Angel without dying himself? If he had, why would he want to KILL Angel? That would make him vulnerable since it would mean that they could simply curse him and get Angel back. No, Angelus was smarter than that. Even if Angel's death would shock and horrify her, she wouldn't be so powerless to act that she simply forgot that fact and let Angelus roam free, and he must know that.

Buffy shook her head. "I don't believe you." She turned away from him. "Willow, is there any way you could do a locator spell on Angel?" Willow looked uncertain.

"Well, I could use the spell from this morning again…" Giles gave her a dark look. She lowered her gaze and stared down at her hands.

"But maybe there's another way," she added silently.

"Wait a minute," Cordelia said. "Couldn't you, like, do your usual demon locator spell but only on Angel?" Willow shrugged.

"Maybe. I mean, it might work if I had a little blood from the person, or vampire, I was looking for." She glanced at Angelus. Buffy nodded sternly, still not moving her gaze from Angelus.

"Great. I'll get a knife," she said coldly.

Xander patted Giles on the back.

"It's really great to see that this shop is keeping its traditions," he said. "There's fighting, evil fiends, bloodshed. And you just opened this place!"

Angelus smirked. Well, he and his other self certainly would make sure that this store saw significantly more of that in the near future…


"Okay," Willow said, unfolding the Sunnydale map on the table. "We conjure the goddess Thespia to locate demonic energy in the area." She held up a cup. "This potion includes Angelus' blood, which should limit the magic to locating only Angel and Angelus. When I scatter the potion over the map, it should turn into small lights there the object, or objects, are – if this works the way it should." She looked uncertain. "I-I mean, that's the theory, anyway." Angelus snickered from his position by the wall.

"Why so tentative, Willow? Do you think you might just not be able to handle it without your girlfriend here to help you?"

"Will, ignore him," Buffy said sternly without even looking at the vampire.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Ignore the truth. After all, t's more convenient that way, isn't it?"

"Don't listen to him. He's not even here," Buffy said, not even sure if she said it for Willow's sake or her own.

"Of course I'm here, lover," Angelus laughed. "I'm always here, always ready to come after you. Even if you ever manage to bring your beloved Angel back, what do you think will happen after that, hm? Sooner or later the pesky soul will take another sabbatical, and trust me. When it does – I'll be there."

"Are there any other volunteers for pounding the loud-mouth over there?" Xander asked, raising his hand.

"Bring it on," Angelus hissed menacingly. Buffy turned around and faced him.

"Shut up." He smiled.

"Deep down you know it," he said calmly. "That he is gone. He gave up, did you know that? That lack of self preservation, that little smidge of darkness that remained in him when he was split from his better half… he surrendered all by himself. And now, I'm all that's left."

Buffy clenched her teeth hard, desperately trying to avoid smacking Angelus over the head. Not that anyone would object, of course. Especially not Angel, if – WHEN they found him. No, she just refused to give Angelus the pleasure of any sign that his words had hit home.

"Willow. Do the spell," she said tonelessly, still staring at Angelus. He stared back at her, not moving his gaze for an instant. While the mental smack down between the Slayer and the vampire took place, Willow began her spell.

"Thespia, we walk in shadow, walk in blindness," she spoke. "You are the protector of the night. Thespia, goddess, ruler of all darkness, we implore you; open a window to the world of the underbeing. With your knowledge may we go in safety. With your grace may we speak of your benevolence."

Willow threw the potion over the map. At first, it simply looked like any other dark liquid that had been spilled over the map, but soon it began to change. The potion seemed to be swallowed up by the map and two small lights began to appear, first small and faint, but growing stronger.

"Score one for the Willster," Xander said, half hugging her shoulder.

"Yes, certainly good work," Wesley agreed.

"Look," Willow said. "That's the Magic Box, so that's Angelus."

"Where's the other one? Where's Angel? Buffy scanned the map. "Oh."

The other light was moving, eliminating the possibility of Angel being held prisoner somewhere. To be more precise, it was moving around the Bronze.

"The Bronze?" Cordelia furrowed her brow. "Why would Angel be at the Bronze now?"

"The Bronze?" Gunn asked in a raspy voice, holding a hand to his sore throat and swallowing against the pain before he spoke again. "What's that, a nightclub?" he asked, trying to imagine Angel in a nightclub. It came out as a fairly comical image in his head. Cordelia nodded.

"Yeah, kinda. Our old haunt."

"Maybe he's looking for Buffy," Willow suggested.

"Yeah, that's probably it," Buffy agreed. "I should go talk to him. I'll take the map with me. You stay here and guard him," she said, shooting Angelus a look.

"Why do we always get stuck on Assfacelus watching duty?" Xander groaned. "Is it too much to ask to get to be the one that doesn't get beaten and knocked unconcious?"

"Talk to Giles about that," Buffy retorted. "He'll understand your pain. Anyway I move quicker on my own. Angel and I will be back in a little while."


Angelus moved away from the Bronze. He had found himself a nice victim, young, blonde and small. He was bored, though. Simply feeding wasn't nearly fun enough for him. Maybe he should lurk passed the Magic Box and see how his other self was doing keeping up the façade of their eunuch of a ensouled alterego. Or maybe he could take a stroll and visit Revello Drive… He still had a standing invitation there, courtesy of Buffy. He grinned. Dear old Joyce. He would enjoy playing with her head again. If the time was right, maybe he could do it literary this time.

He'd have to walk though, since his other half had his – well, their, car. He wasn't sure this being split in two was such a good idea after all, he didn't like sharing things with anyone, not even himself. However, it was just a temporary solution. Well, as long as things were as they were, he would do the best he could out of it. Next stop, Revello Drive.

When he was lurking across the street a few blocks from the Summers residence, he stopped abruptly at the sound of a familiar voice around the next corner. It was Dawn, Buffy's whiny, self-absorbed sister. He smirked. Now, this was too good to be true. Surprising – he hadn't expected Buff to slip up quite badly enough to let her sis roam free all alone after dark. Not yet, anyway. Even the strongest people usually forgot important things when he had broken them enough, but he had barely started with Buffy. Well, all the better for him.

Angel had cared a lot for the perky girl. She had liked him as well even if she hadn't always gotten along with him – he had hurt Buffy too much. Angelus guessed it was some sister thing.

Dawn reminded him, his ensouled version anyway, much of his own sister, Kathy. Sweet, innocent – about the same age as Dawn when he killed her. Well, she had been sweet alright, his sister. Her blood had been deliciously sweet and rich, filled with so many emotions. Love and joy, stopped short by surprise and shock. Never fear or hate. Oh no. She had thought her beloved brother had gotten to come back to her as an angel because he loved her so much. Angelus wasn't even sure she had understood that it wasn't the fact even as he drained the life out of her.

Oh well. Kathy had been naïve and inexperienced. Since the slayer's sister had a lot more experience in dealing with vampires and evil fiends… Angelus was pretty sure Dawn's reaction wouldn't be quite the same…

"Bye Janice!" Dawn watched as her friend closed her door. Time to go home. What fun. She didn't have a watch, but she was pretty sure her mother wouldn't be home for a while yet, she had gone straight to work after she came back from her overnight trip to… wherever. Her own mother didn't have time for her either. No one had.

She knew that Buffy would kill her if she knew that she was walking alone at night, with Angelus being back and all. Yeah, Buffy had called her earlier and told her that he was back. Called her – she didn't even take the time to come and tell her personally. She hadn't given her any details of course – details were reserved for her and her gang, not for her family that repeatedly got caught in the crossfire when she was out fighting demons.

No, she had only said that she shouldn't go home from Janice herself if it was dark outside, that she should wait for Mom to pick her up. Buffy would call her as well, she'd said, and make sure she knew what was going on. When Dawn had asked her what really was going on, she had snapped something about Angel being back and potentially dangerous, that she was tired and had other things to do than explain everything to her twice. Then she'd hung up. Well, Dawn wasn't going to wait for her Mom like some little kid. It wasn't many blocks home, she could take care of herself.

She hadn't even seen him yet. She sighed. Why would he care about her – no one else did after all. No, he didn't even care enough about her to stalk her a little. Dawn bet that would open Buffy's eyes, if she had to save her from Angelus. Make her appreciate her sister more. She shoved her hands in her pockets and started to walk faster. She didn't even notice the tall man until she ran into him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm such a klutz… Are you…" She looked up and gasped when she realized who it was, suddenly forgetting the cocky thoughts from just a minute ago.

"Hi, Dawnie," he said, grinning evilly.


Buffy moved quickly along the streets of Sunnydale. It seemed logical that Angel was looking for her. He had been at the Bronze, moved through a cemetery and now appeared to be moving her home. She couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong – why didn't he come to the Magic Box instead of looking all over town for her? – but she decided to push it away for the moment. Just as she prepared to cross the street, a familiar, blond vampire stepped out.

"Hi, luv. Looking for me?"

"Spike. Yeah, sure I'm looking for you. Why should I?" she barked without breaking stride. Somewhere she blamed Spike for letting this happen in the first place. She knew it was silly – after all, she shouldn't have trusted him to guard Angelus, but still, she had hoped that the loathing he had for his grandsire would drive him to make sure that he stayed in his restraints. No such luck.

"No need to be harsh, pet. Looking for Angelus then, are we? Search party on going?"

Buffy realized she wouldn't be able to shake Spike, so she stopped. She was after all looking for Angel, not Angelus, so she wasn't in that much of a hurry.

"No, I'm looking for Angel. We have Angelus chained up at the Magic Box."

Spike smiled smugly, like a child with a big secret. Buffy sighed.

"What is it? No one has time for this, William."

"Just wonderin' how you can have Angelus chained up when he's very much roaming Sunnydale. Saw him kill a girl just minutes ago."

Buffy froze. Without waiting for Spike to say anything else, she picked up her, well, actually Xander's cell phone that she had borrowed again, and called the Magic Box. One, two, three, four signals… Oh, god. He'd done it before. Lured her away to… the thought was simply too horrifying. Would she never learn? The train of unpleasant thoughts was cut short when Giles picked up.

"Hello?"

"Giles! Thank god, are you all okay?"

"Of course. Have you found Angel?" Giles sounded confused. What was she talking about?

"Uh… Not yet. I will soon though. Just had a bad feeling. Bye."

Buffy looked at Spike.

"That was cheap, even for you Spike. I know you're lying, Angelus is safely locked up."

Spike smirked.

"Not THAT Angelus. I mean the other one. You do know that both of them are all sans soul nowadays, right?"

Buffy grabbed Spike by the shoulders and slammed him into a tree.

"WHAT are you talking about?"

"Take it easy, slayer." Spike tried to wriggle free, but Buffy held him firmly in place. "Not a difficult concept, love. Two of Angelus, none of Angel. Get it?"

"Are you sure? Because, if you're lying about this I SWEAR I'm gonna…" She hardened her grip.

"Get off me! Yeah, I'm sure. Saw them being all chummy before. Now, if I were you pet, I'd do something about it instead of standing here, playing 'menace the Spike', wasting your time."

Buffy let him go, shooting him an angry glare as she called Giles again.

"Giles? Don't ask, just listen. Tranq Angelus and bring him with you to the north end of the Restfield cemetery. Take the guys with you. Hurry!"


Just over ten minutes later, two cars came down the street. Angelus was sitting propped up and chained in the back of Giles' red convertible and the rest of the gang rode with Gunn in his car, except for Wesley who sat, somewhat uncomfortably, next to Angelus, ready to shoot him again if he so much as stirred. Buffy sat down next to Giles.

"Buffy, what's the matter?"

"Just drive, I'll explain on the way. He's moving towards my house. And he still has an invitation." Giles started the engine and began to drive, glancing at Buffy, not comprehending.

"Yes? Buffy, it is Angel we're looking for. Surely he wouldn't be of any harm to your mother or Dawn."

"No, but Angelus would," Buffy said tonelessly. She looked up at Giles, almost dreading the expression she would see on his face. Blame, disgust, disappointment? All feeling she felt for herself at the moment. Of course, as usual she underestimated him. His face held nothing but support and worry.

"Oh, dear… But, how? Are you sure?"

"I don't know. No, I'm not sure! God, I have no idea if Spike was lying. But if it is, I'm gonna have to show Angelus that I have… the other him. Maybe I can control him."

They drove in silence until they got almost all the way to the point where Angel…us was, according to the map.

"Stop the car."

The gang got out of the cars. Wesley, Cordelia and Giles carried the still unconscious out of the car and propped him up between them to be ready if Angel, or well, the other Angelus, showed up. Xander held Anya's hand – he didn't have to help them carry because of his head. It was bad enough to be smacked with a hard statue just a day after being concussed.

Buffy looked at Angelus' lifeless form. Since he wasn't breathing, he could as well be dead. Well, more dead…

"How many times did you shoot him? Vampires recover fast from tranquillizers."

"Well, we wanted to be on the safe side," Wesley began.

"Ten darts," Cordelia supplied. "Better safe than cocktails!" They said it with such ease; Buffy wondered how much of Angel's darker sides Cordelia and Wesley had actually seen during the last year. They both seemed considerably more experienced than they had been in Sunnydale.

The group moved quietly down the street. Buffy took point, studying the map. Gunn walked a few feet behind Cordelia, Giles and Wesley, pointing a crossbow at Angelus with his healthy arm. Buffy was beginning to think that the locator spell had stopped working since Angelus-Angel wasn't moving, when she spotted him further down the street.

"There he is! He's with someone…"

Buffy went cold. Oh no. She could see that Angelus was in vampire face, readying himself to bite the girl he was with…

And it was Dawn.

No. Not her sister. Not Dawn. Dropping the map she ran faster than she thought possible.

"No!" Buffy bellowed as she ran towards them. Angelus heard her. He snapped his head up and leered at her before he plunged his fangs into her sister's throat, drinking fast. When Buffy was about 15 feet away, he stopped drinking, bit his own wrist and held it in front if Dawn's mouth.

"That's close enough!" he said decidedly. "One more step and your precious brat of a sister is the next one sired from my line." Buffy came to a dead stop, not for a moment doubting his words. She stood still, not sure what to do or how to act. Giles, Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn with Angelus came up behind her and stopped.

"Let Dawn go… Or we stake you." Buffy said, trying and failing miserably to sound menacing. She couldn't keep her voice steady and Angelus laughed at her.

"So you found out there's two of us," he said, indicating his unconscious self. Thought you would. Do you know how hard it is to keep up that soul façade? Figured he would fail."

"Like I said," Buffy said firmly, holding it together. "Let her go NOW, or you'll fit inside a vacuum cleaner." Somewhere she really meant it. What was she doing? What kind of a person was she if she was ready to sacrifice her own sister for Angelus? Not even Angel – this was Angelus, Scourge of Europe and murderer of so many innocent people. So many of her friends. If killing him was what it took to save her sister… there shouldn't even be a doubt.

Buffy turned around, clearly conflicted. Gunn still held the crossbow aimed at the unconscious Angelus chest. If she gave him the order, he would do it, in a heartbeat.

"You won't do it, you know," she heard Angelus voice again. Not mocking this time – but dead serious. "Even if you decide that you're ready to give up every chance to bring back the 'love of your life', you won't do it."

"And why is that?" Buffy asked bitterly. She looked at her sister's unconscious form. She was ready to do it, if it was what she had to do to save her.

"Because you know me," Angelus answered simply. "You give the order to the street muscle over there, and I'll snap her neck in half the time it takes him to pull the trigger." Buffy swallowed. He was right. He had the perfect grip on her sister's neck. It wouldn't take more than a little squeeze.

"It's your choice here," he said. "Feel free to order me killed, but remember, I go down, I'll take the sis with me. And you know I'm not kidding."

Buffy was furious, but still she felt unable to take action. How did he manage? Not only had he turned the situation around so that he controlled it, he'd forced her to give the order of letting Angelus go, in that handing over the blame for all the people he would kill after this to her. She had the open chance to rid the world of Angelus. And she couldn't use it.

"Let him go," she called to Giles, Cordelia, Gunn and Wesley without looking at them.

"Buffy!" she heard Xander's voice from somewhere further behind her.

"Let him go!" she yelled louder this time, leaving no option for discussion. The matter was finished. There was only one thing that was more impossible than ordering Angelus released. That was ordering her sister murdered. And Angelus knew it…

Hesitantly Giles, Wesley and Cordelia dragged the now stirring Angelus up to where Buffy was standing and let him go. He hit the ground unceremoniously and groaned in pain.

"Good girl, Buff," Angelus said and shoved the profusely bleeding Dawn away. Buffy was at her side in a second and Giles came to her aid. They didn't even see when Angelus helped his other half to his feet and left.