Summary: It's 1968 and Angel has found a moment of perfect happiness. Just what it means for Buffy 30 years later remains to be seen. Not happy with the title, so this may change. Will take place at the beginning of Buffy/Season 2, but will deviate from original story line. Almost totally AU. Buffy/Angelus. And Darla's still alive.
Disclaimers: Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon own it all. I'm just doing this for fun, and hopefully entertainment
Spike smiled at the assembled crowd. He zeroed in on Kendra. "Well hello ducks." He inhaled deeply. "What have we here?" He looked at Angelus. "Two for the price of one? Dearest Peaches, are you holding out on your favorite grand-childe? Up for a little sharing? We did have a bloody great time in Vienna."
Angelus growled and grabbed Spike by the throat, picking him off the floor with one hand. "Just what the hell are you playing at? Do you have information or do I just rip your head off right now?"
Xander raised his hand. "If we're voting, I vote for the ripping off of heads."
"Well Spike, you got one aye, shall we have a consensus? Got a strong feeling the word nay will not come up."
Willow spoke up. "Angel, give him a chance. He wouldn't have come if he didn't have some information." She gave Spike a thumbs up. "Right?"
He gave the little poppet a wink, despite the fact that his feet weren't touching the ground.
"Red's right. I do have an update on our girls and if you want to hear it you need to put me down." His voice was a raspy, but he got the whole sentence out.
Angel gave Willow a very confused look. Oh please, not a teenage crush on Spike, please not that. She just smiled a very weak smile and shrugged. "Well, it would be sorta nice to have a violent-free night. Don't want to make a bad impression on Oz."
Oz squeezed Willow's shoulder. "Really, don't worry about me. Beginning to think I can handle most anything these days."
Angel wasn't sure he could, at least not teenagers. "Willow, he tried to kill you. Remember?"
"Oh Angel, I don't think he was serious. He just wanted to find you." She looked at Spike. "Right?"
"Well actually, wanted to bite you really bad." He croaked out, she was way too trusting and forgiving. He filed that away for later.
"Jeez, I so don't get it. What is it with all the women in the band going all soft for the evil, soulless demons?" Xander was a little dismayed by it all.
"I promise Xander, if you ever look at me the way Angel or Spike look at a woman, I will most certainly go all soft and gooey for you." Cordelia had to pull her gaze away from the two most testosterone-filled men, dead or alive, she had ever seen. She could almost smell the alpha-male scent being released. And I have no super powers to speak of, she thought. What was up with the attraction the likes of Buffy and Willow held for these guys? Seemed great looks, fantastic hair and oodles of money didn't count for much on the Hellmouth. Buffy was obviously boinking tall, dark and delicious. And if the way Spike was eyeing Willow meant anything, Oz was going to have to work extra hard to keep him away from her. Cordelia stole a sidelong look at Xander. Okay, just a regular guy, but kinda cute, nice body, a great kisser and he did try to do the right thing, which up until the past year never meant a thing to her. Could be worse.
"Thanks Cordelia, knew I could count on you for moral unsupport."
"Can we please stay on subject here?" Giles was losing patience with his adopted group of helpers. "Please Angelus, put Spike down and let's see if he has anything of use to us."
"Thanks pops." Spike straightened his coat and sat down across from the assembled group. "Seems I got kicked out of the band."
Angel walked over to Buffy and waited for his grand-sire to get to the point, "What's the story, Willie."
"I hate that name, Peaches."
"Stop with the Peaches then. And get on with it, I'm getting bored and you know what happens when I get bored." Angelus yawned and Spike gave him a smirk.
"What happens when he gets bored?" Xander wanted to know.
"Torture, murder, mayhem…the usual." Spike kept his eyes on his grand-sire as he answered.
Angelus chuckled. "Only this time it'll all be for you, Willie m'boy. Now, get on with it."
"Okay, hold your water. It's actually quite amusing, except the part where they tried to kill me. Darla thought she had the whole thing worked out, but she failed miserably…"
Darla sat entranced as two of her fledglings dragged out a beautiful, young bare-chested boy, his hands tied behind his back. Too scared to even scream, he stared at the ethereal blond woman before him.
"Oh, you sweet, wonderful boy. I so wish you weren't needed to bring the world to a new era of delights, we could've had so much fun. Too bad." Looking at the vampires. "Drop him."
She came close to him. "I will drink, the blood will wash in me, over me and I will be cleansed. I will be worthy to free Acathla." She looked at Spike and Drusilla. "Bear witness as I ascend, as I become worthy."
Darla grabbed the boy, now freely sobbing, and laughed. "It'll only hurt for a second, really." She vamped out and ripped into his throat, drinking deeply, moaning in ecstasy.
Spike bent his head to Dru. "Put you in the mood, love? I'll meet you upstairs in 15."
"Shhh, do not mock the ritual Spike. I would hate to have to punish my little betrayer." She gave him a look that sent his freshly drunken blood colder.
"What do you mean love?"
"Shhh…later." She began to sway, waiting.
Looking at the blood on her hands, Darla walked towards Acathla. "Everything that I am, everything that I have done, has led me here. I am not worthy. But Acathla redeems me. With this act, we will be free!"
She grabbed the hilt of the sword with both hands as a brilliant light emanated from it, bathing them all in the radiance. She began to shake with the power of the sword, waiting for her destiny to begin. Waiting for her revenge to arrive.
Darla continued in her attempt to remove the sword, just as a bright red light flashed, sending her flying backwards.
"Someone isn't worthy." Spike gave Darla an evil smirk.
"Damn it! There must be something I missed, the incantations, the blood. Something." Darla was pacing up and down, ready to disembowel the first live thing she saw.
"I'm so disappointed." Drusilla was wringing her hands in despair.
"Oh well ladies, seems Armageddon just isn't meant to be today." Spike put a cigarette up to his mouth, hiding a smile.
Drusilla came up next to Darla, whining, "What are we going to do?"
"Oh stop it Dru, we'll have our Armageddon, despite Spike." Both women turned to look at him, their eyes narrowing.
"What's this now? Just because I'm not getting' hard at the prospect of hell on earth?" Spike was a little nervous now, he could handle them on his own, but backed by Darla's groupies, well that was a different story.
"Oh Spikey, you so disappoint your maker." Dru danced around him. "The little birdies have been talking to me and do you know what they say? They say you do not believe in all the things that a good and true vampire should. You've gone back to Daddy and betrayal is for us, not him." She swung out at him and ripped a slice in his cheek with her razor sharp fingernails.
Spiked jumped back. "Crazy bitch! What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Spike, do you really think Dru and I don't know how you feel about this feeble place? About these feeble humans? And if you aren't with us, well…you're just dead." She waved her hand and her minions gathered around.
Dru hung her head and moaned. "After all we've been through, for you to chose him over me. It hurts me so deeply. Who'll care for me now?" She walked over to one of the fledglings and ran her hand across his chest. "I think you'll have to do for me now."
"Shut up Dru." She gave Spike one last look. "A shame really, William. If you'd been willing to play, we could've hadsuch fun. Oh well." She motioned to the gathering. "Once we've gone, kill him. Anyway you want." She turned to Drusilla. "Come on Dru, time to fix this."
"What are we going to do?"
"What we always do in a time of trouble. Turn to an old friend." She laughed. "Bye Spike, I'd say it's been fun, but it hasn't. Say good-bye Dru."
"Good-bye. I am so mad at you for making me sad Spike." She gave him one last smile.
"Well love, get me out of this and I'll make it up to you." Spike was playing for a little time, looking for a way out.
"No, Mummy was right. All you do is think of yourself. You're a selfish, selfish boy. So now we have to think of what's best for us. For our world." With that she turned and left with Darla and several of their followers.
As the rest began to converge on Spike, he made a running dash for a large window to the right of him. As he crashed through he heard Darla scream at the idiots she had left him with. She probably realized, too late, the fools couldn't handle him. He had to laugh as he hit the pavement in agonizing pain and took off as fast as he could. She was never all that clever. Darla always needed Angelus for the big ideas. Stupid cow...
"And so, here I am." Spike gave the Watcher a smirk, knowing his questions would be first.
"But no real progress was made? Of this you are sure Spike?" Giles picked up a book and began to thumb through it as he waited for an answer.
"I think that's just what I said Watcher." He looked at Angelus. "Isn't that what I said?"
Buffy spoke up. "What did she mean by old friends?" Not really speaking to anyone
"I think Giles, maybe you." Angelus held onto her a little tighter.
"Why me? I'm just muscle, wouldn't know the first thing about waking Alfalfa."
Angel didn't correct her this time. "But you are important to Giles and to me. We would do anything to get you back safely."
"Excuse me, slayer here. Not a whole lot she can do to me that I couldn't do to her first." Buffy was a little miffed that he had so little faith in her skills.
Angelus chuckled, that was one of the things he loved about her, her pride and confidence in her slayer abilities. "How many fledglings does she have Spike?"
"Dozens. She and Drusilla have been hard at work. Listen slayer, all she had to do is throw a couple of dozen at you. Sure, you'd kill a lot, but by sheer numbers alone they could over power you. And if they already had your watcher-man, you'd be a little less anxious to get in there and have a kill fest." He lit another cigarette. "She knows how to get to people through people."
"So, everyone here is a potential target to get to Buffy and Giles." Angelus turned to Giles. "Have you figured it out? Because if you have and they come for you, you will tell them."
"I think you underestimate me Angel. I am a watcher and before that I did live a life. I know what to expect." He sounded a bit pompous, even to himself, but he was offended.
Both Angel and Spike had to laugh at the Watcher's little tirade. "You so do not know what torture is until you've been at the hands of our little ladies. Remember, Darla's sire was the master, she learned from the best. As for our dear Dru, well if she puts you under her thrall, it's all over." Spike just looked at the assembled group of innocents and looked at his grand-sire. "It's all over, isn't it?"
"You should never underestimate this lot. We'll go and see what we can find at the factory. Maybe they left someone behind." Angel looked at Buffy, he had to assure that she would be safe.
"I'll come with you." She got up to go with them.
"No, babe. You have to keep an eye on Giles and the rest. Stay here, it's probably the safest place."
"Kendra's here, she can do it. I want to be with you." She felt so impotent. And if anything happened to Angel…it was something she couldn't even think about.
"We'll be fine. But I need to know you are alright. We'll be back within the hour. I promise." He turned towards Giles. "Don't let anyone in. You must know a protection spell, use it."
"I think it would be best if we adjourned to the library at the school. It's a smaller place to protect and we are all familiar with it." Giles wasn't comfortable at the vampire's lair and wanted to get back to familiar surroundings.
Angel wasn't so sure about the idea, but the watcher was adamant. "Okay, but if you get into trouble, come back here and wait."
Angel took Buffy into the kitchen. "You have to take care of yourself. If anything happens, don't go all slayer-heroic. I need you. Remember that. We'll be back soon." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "Wait for me, no matter what."
She held him tight. "I love you Angel. But I am the slayer, I have to do what I have to do. I will wait. One hour. If you aren't back I am coming for you. And I will do all in my power to kill both those vampire bitches."