Ok...so i promised weekly updates. I am so sorry that I couldnt do that. I just started a new job and then i got- er- sidetracked by the HArry Potter book and havent really been able to focus on Buffy writing. But I will get these stories done! I will not abandon them. And on that note...reviews are always welcome and great incentive to pull me away from Harry Potter...

&&&&&&

Chapter 4

January 2004

Spike looked around his old apartment and frowned at the lack of warmth that his apartment showed. When comparing it to Buffy's comfortable and cozy house, his penthouse was practically sterile. He ran his hand over the metal end table beside him. New life, new furniture he decided and nodded his head. Glancing around he looked for any personal items that he wanted to take with him.

There were no photos on the mantel. He did have a framed Kaminsky painting which he would bring with him, but no pictures. He went through each room in his apartment and found only a few things that he actually wanted to keep. Mostly clothes and electronics.

"Bit meager for a lifetime of work." He mumbled to himself and ran a hand over his face. This was what he gave up his position at MI-6 for? A big screen TV and an Armani suit? Suddenly none of that seemed really important. His cel phone rang cutting off his reflection into his life. "Fairfax." He said tersely.

"Spike? It's Clem." Spike sucked in a breath. This was what he'd been waiting for since he left Sunnydale and Buffy. God, Buffy. He missed her so much already.

"Clem. Is it done?"

"Yep. Sent it to you a few minutes ago. Just wanted to call and let you know so you could get everything over with Glory. Geesh, she sounded like a real piece of work." Clem shuddered on his end of the phone. While he was a former agent and had dealt with his share of "strong" personalities, he had dealt with them in his lab and not in the field.

"Yeah. Thanks mate. Let me just check it out." Spike went to his laptop and quickly entered his password to access his e-mail account. He gasped as a picture of Buffy appeared on the screen. Even though he knew it was fake, he could feel bile rise up in his throat as he took in her still form.

She looked like she was in an alley. It was dark and her body was covered in bruises and blood. Spike choked for a second when he thought that this was what might have happened to her. He might have done this. He pressed the palm of his hand into his eye to stop the tears from flowing.

"She's just asleep." He mumbled to himself.

"What was that?" Clem asked in his usual perky voice. Spike cleared his throat.

"Nothing, mate. Thanks for taking care of this for me." Spike said while trying not to let his voice shake too much.

"Sure thing. Just remember my cut of the loot." And with that Clem disconnected. Spike listened to the dial tone for a few moments before hanging up the phone. He still had to contact Glory and tell her that the job was done. That was a task he was not looking forward to.

&&&&&&&&

Glory paced her elegantly appointed bedroom restlessly. It had been four months since that Spike person had contacted them about her contract out on Elizabeth O'Shea. She growled as she thought of the little tramp who had captured her son's heart and then ripped it out. Sure, she had never liked the girl even though she made Angel deliriously happy, but that was beside the point.

"What did he even see in her?" Glory ranted as she picked up a bottle of perfume from her vanity. She studied the intricate pattern in the hand-crafted glass bottle. It was red just like her dress but the sight of her signature color just made her more enraged and she threw the bottle across the room feeling an odd sense of satisfaction as it shattered. "THE LITTLE WHORE!" She yelled imagining that it was Elizabeth and not her dolce and gabana gown that she shredded in her hands.

Ben heard the racket from his desk in the study and he shuddered when he thought of Glory and all the damage that she was causing. He had always liked Elizabeth when she had come by with Angel. She was nice and caring…and he had always had a crush on her. But his loyalty had to stay with Glory.

Afterall, she was his sister. Sure, the only people who knew that were the two of them. Well, and their parents, but their parents were dead. He was away at school at the time and received a call from a distraught Glory telling him about their deaths. He had offered to come back and take care of her but she wouldn't hear of it. She had even arranged the funerals by herself since he was too lost in his grief. As he heard another crash, Ben shuddered.

He didn't know why she insisted on not telling her fiancé that he was her brother. He supposed it had something to do with the fake past she had made up for herself. Sometimes he wondered why she had even bothered to find him and offer him a job. Was it because she wanted him to be dependent on her, Ben thought bitterly. Because if that was the case, then she had succeeded. His computer beeped at him and Ben was pulled out of his thoughts to read the incoming e-mail.

"Damn." Ben muttered under his breathe as he saw who the e-mail was from. He knew that it was either one of two things. Either the hit man was asking for money, which would mean he would have to face Glory's wrath or Elizabeth was dead. He shuddered at either prospect. He opened the e-mail and waited for the encryption program to run. When it was finished, Ben puked in the trash can beside his desk. "Son of a bitch." He mumbled before printing the picture off the computer as he heard another smash come from Glory's room.

Glory heard the knock on her door and paused while ripping the head off of a stuffed koala bear her father had bought her in Australia. She glared at the door knowing that it was Ben with business of some kind.

"What is it you shlub?" She yelled at him through the wooden door.

"I received word from Spike." Ben called through the door. Glory's face lit up for a moment with the prospect that Elizabeth was dead. She tossed the bear aside and threw open the door, startling Ben with her suddenness.

"Well?" She asked when his attention was drawn to the destruction behind her. Ben swallowed hard.

"He sent us proof." He said and held up the picture, which Glory snatched from his hand. She eagerly looked over Buffy's mutilated form and a ghoulish grin broke out over her face.

"This is perfect!" She gasped and Ben visibly flinched at the glee in her voice. "Did you verify the photo is authentic?" She asked him in a hard voice. Ben shook his head and she thrust the picture back at him. "Do it and then we'll go visit my son." Ben nodded his head and returned to his desk.

Glory turned back to her room and looked at the mess around her. The mess that she had created in her rage. She sighed in frustration. "And get someone up here to clean up this mess!"

Ben sat at his computer and looked over the results of the scan. He had been scanning and rescanning and printing and staring at this photo for hours. Glory was beginning to get impatient. He didn't want this photo to be true. He looked at the print out in front of him and frowned. It might not be true.

Usually there was some room for error. But, while this photo was close to perfect, there was something that was bothering Ben. Something that told him that this was a lie. But there was something else that said that even if this is a lie, it's convincing enough that Glory would believe it was true and then Elizabeth would be safe. The door to his office burst open and Glory walked in a red sequined dress with red stiletto heels on.

"Well? Are you done yet Benny?" She demanded. He was about to answer but she put her hand up in an impatient manner. "I mean how long does it take to look over one stupid photo? Am I the only one who can do anything around here?"

"It's done." He said coming to a decision.

"Well? C'mon Ben. I want to get to the prison to see Angel sometime today!" Ben swallowed.

"It's real. He killed her." Ben said and felt his stomach sink as Glory's face lit up with a maniacal glee.

"Perfect. Bring the picture. I think that Angel should put it on the wall of his cell." Ben's face paled and she slapped him on the back. "Don't be such a wimp." She said and turned around and abruptly left the room.

Ben sighed and sat down heavily in his elegant desk chair. He only hoped that he was wrong. That Elizabeth was still alive and that he had somehow helped save her even though he was too weak to save her in any other way. Then another question popped into his head. Why would Spike try to save her?

&&&&&&&&&&

Angel smiled at Darla through the glass as she picked up the phone to talk to him. She really was a beautiful woman and she loved him, even though he knew now that he didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve affection from anyone after the way he lived his life.

"Hey, Dar. Thanks for coming by again." He said warmly and she smiled. "You have no idea how much a friendly face is appreciated."

"You don't have to thank me Angel." She told him. "You know that we've always been good friends…the three of us." Her voice trailed off as a pained look came over Angel. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"No." He interrupted her. "You have every right to be able to talk about Elizabeth. I know that things were strained between the two of you because of the court case and everything, but you know that you were her best friend. And mine." He added as an afterthought. Hope burned in Darla's heart and she was unable to hide the love that she held for him, had always held for him.

"Angel…" She began but he cut her off.

"No. Darla. You told me when Elizabeth and I got engaged. I told you that I loved her as a lover and you as a friend. But now, I know that as a friend, I'm still not good enough for you." He looked down at his hands and Darla felt the tears come to her eyes.

"Let me be the judge of that." She whispered and his head whipped up in surprise.

"But what about Elizabeth? You said that when you told me that you didn't want to hurt her with your feelings?"

"She…before she left…" Darla couldn't finish but Angel knew without her saying anything. He knew that Elizabeth would have wanted them to be happy. He met her eyes and as he stared into her loving gaze he began to wonder if maybe this was the way it was supposed to happen…

"Well isn't this a pretty picture?" Glory sneered at the pair, effectively ending their moment. Not for the first time Darla cursed Glory under her breath and Angel couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hello Glory." Darla said with a hard edge to her voice. Angel merely waved not being able to talk to her through the glass.

"Darla." Glory smirked at her and quickly walked over where the other blonde was sitting. "I'd like to talk to my son." She said with a fake smile on her face. Darla grimaced.

"Yes, well I'm almost…" Glory's eyes narrowed.

"Now." She said in a voice devoid of all human emotion. Darla gulped. She had heard a lot of stories about Glory from both Angel and Buffy and didn't really want to be on the receiving end of one of her temper tantrums. Darla reluctantly nodded and handed Glory the phone. "You can just wait over there." Glory told her and waved her hand dismissively towards where Ben was waiting in the doorway. Darla rolled her eyes and walked over.

"Mother." Angel said and rolled his eyes. "So nice of you to make it out here to visit. It's only been four months."

"Yes well. I have news that I'm sure you'll be anxious to hear." She smirked at him. One day, he would thank her for this. He was so silly with these notions of forgiveness and redemption.

"What?" Angel was slightly curious. Afterall, she had made it quite clear that as long as he blocked the contract to kill Elizabeth, she would leave him to rot. Angel's face paled. It couldn't be that. Glory's smirk widened when she saw that he had worked it out. He always was a smart one.

"Yes. You know." She practically crowed at him. Then she reached into her bag and pulled out the picture Spike had sent her. "Your precious Elizabeth is gone." She hissed and stuck the picture up on the glass. Angel gasped at the sight before and he felt the tears come to his eyes. "Yes. Cry Angel. Cry in prison and see where that gets you." She mocked him and Angel felt his sorrow turn to rage as she mocked him. Glory took the picture back and put it back in her purse.

"Get out." Angel hissed. "Get out and never come back. Never!" Angel yelled into the receiver. Glory smiled evilly.

"What a thing to say to your mother." Angel felt the tight rein he held on his temper snap.

"GET OUT YOU LYING WHORE!" He yelled and smashed his hand against the glass. Darla quickly turned around hearing the noise and gasped when she saw Angel trying to break through the glass to get to Glory and the guards coming with their nightsticks to subdue him.

"Now, son…" Glory said and to anyone who didn't know her, she sounded upset.

"You're not my mother! Get away from me!" Angel grunted in pain as a guard landed a blow on his back. The other prisoners looked on as Angel was repeatedly pummeled.

Another convict, Luke, thought that maybe this was his chance. He got up from his seat and went over to the guards and punched one of the guards who was busy subduing Angel in the face. A couple of other prisoners got jostled by guards who were running in to subdue Luke and in the charged atmosphere, they hit back. Suddenly an alarm went off red lights began to flash. Darla looked around in horror as the riot erupted behind the glass.

Glory smiled as a guard hit Angel in the head with his nightstick. Her work here was done. She calmly picked up her bag and walked out the door with Ben following closely behind as the prison erupted into a riot. Really, with that temper Angel was never going to get out of jail.

&&&&

Ok so not that Spuffy intensive but I do have more...please review!

And thanks to all of you who have continued to read my stuff and write reviews. It means a lot to me :)