Chapter 1

Something big is coming Angel. You can feel it as bloody well as I can, and we can't face it alone." Spike was stood in Angel's office.

"Yeah". He's right, Angel thought. What! Shit did I just think that! He sank down onto the sofa and stared out at the happy employees in the lobby.

"Bloody Hell!" Spike rolled his eyes getting exasperated. "We need help if what I think is coming is, and we seriously don't have time to be sitting around the sodding office waiting for the next apocalypse to come knocking at our door." He is so bleedin' thick!

Getting no response Spike turned on his heel and marched out slamming the door behind him.

"If you won't Peaches then I'll do it alone."

Angel watched Spike march across the lobby and out of site. If he can sense it as well, then it must be happening. Damn vampire. What did Buffy ever see in him? The same thing she saw in you, idiot. No! I am nothing like that moron.

Angel battled with himself for about five minutes. Out in the hallway Harmony laughed as she watched her boss's head move from side to side and different expressions darted across his face. Eventually he got up and went over to his desk. Harmony jumped when her phone rang.

"Wolfram and Hart Attorneys at Law. Angel's office."

"Harmony. Put me through to Andrew in Rome."

"S..sure Boss. But why didn't you just buzz?" She couldn't help sniggering as she remembered the little display.

"Just do it!" Beep "Andrew. It's Angel. I need Buffy and Willow here soon…..Yeah….well I don't care if you've got dinner arrangements change them!"

Slamming the phone down Angel threw himself back in his chair. "Who needs an apocalypse I'm already in hell."

Buffy lay on her bed in Rome, the Italian version of CNN flashing across the T.V screen next to her bed. Turning it off she dropped the remote to the floor and rolled over to face the wall.

"Err, Buffy?" Andrew stuck his head around the door.

"Mmm."

God I hope she isn't going to flip on me. "Uh, Angel called. You're needed in LA, and Giles is on a flight down, he should be here soon."

"Giles!"

In her and Dawn's living room Buffy leapt at Giles as he came through the front door, hugging him tightly. "Aww Giles I haven't seen you for so long!"

"Yes and you won't be seeing me much longer if I don't breath."

"Sorry! So are you here about the big bad thingy in LA?"

Giles studied the false, over the top smile plastered on her face. Why is she so cheery? Falsely cheery. "Yes. I presume Andrew informed you?"

"Yep. So are we going to LA? I haven't seen Angel for a while, last I heard Cordelia died."

Seeing Angel would be hard, but then there was no more Spike to worry about. Buffy! You can't just forget him like that! You love him remember. Buffy's heart started screaming at her. Loved. I loved him.

"Willow's catching a plane here and meeting us at the airport, we need to leave soon to get on the flight Angel reserved for us, and we'll be there tomorrow morning."

"Hey what about me? Buffy you can't expect to just leave me here! If there's an apocalypse coming then I have to come. I can help. Am not a kid any more."

"Daaawn." Buffy closed her eyes as the stream of words came from the teenager's mouth. God she's irritating. And desperately persuasive. Just like Spike.

"Seriously Buffy!"

"Dawn we're not leaving you here. You're going to Africa. To Xander, you'll meet him in Zimbabwe."

"It's for the best Dawn. And I mean Africa! You know Xander'll spoil you too." Buffy looked at her pleadingly.

Dawn stomped off to pack her bag, mumbling about being sick of been treated like a child and such like. Buffy went to her room and started rummaging through her closet, throwing various items of clothing in the vague area of her open suitcase. At the back of one of the draws she pulled out a black shirt. Holding it close to her face Buffy breathed in the familiar musky scent of cigarettes. Sitting down on her bed she hugged the shirt close to her heart. How could I ever stop loving him?

Buffy jumped at the knock on the door. Giles called from the other side. "I…I'll be right there." She quickly blinked the tears back and screwed up Spike's shirt, shoving it in amongst the close. Zipping up her suitcase she grabbed her passport and purse, slammed the door to the apartment and raced into the waiting lift.

In Wolfram and Hart's LA Branch lobby, Harmony was attempting to deal with two Halzarts – purple, scaly, goblin type creatures with some 'apparent' distant relation to Lorne.

"Oh Spike over here." Through the spitting and hissing sounds the Halzarts were making she managed to grab the vamp's attention as he came down the stairs with Fred.

When the Halzarts saw Harmony talking to someone they turned on Spike, who screeched back, and started to appear to talk to them.

"They say they want to see the chief poofter straight away." He said like it was the most obvious thing on earth.

Harmony looked at Spike warily, watching him as she went to dial through to Angel's office.

"Okay they can go through."

Spike started to hiss, leading them towards Angel's office when Wes came bursting out, his head in papers. He jumped when he came face to face with one of the creatures.

"Oh! Excuse me." Wes quickly darted away when one lashed out at him. Hearing Fred's giggling he turned to her and went to wrap his arms around her waist. "You still free tonight?"

"Yeah, where we going?"

"Oh you'll see." Fred leaned up and kissed him on the lips. The small bubble of passion surrounding the two of them popped when the Halzarts started to scream and hiss at them. Spike turned and scowled at them both, closely matching the expression on Angel's face as he coaxed the creatures into his office.

"Sorry!" Fred pouted at Spike when Angel slammed his door over.

"Demons hate PDA! I thought I told you after the troll incident! And don't think that doe-eyed look will have any affect on me, I am no idiot Fred."

"I wouldn't put money on that," murmured Wesley, smiling at Fred before heading to his office.

Angel poked his head out his door. Why am I doing this?

"Spike there's a fire demon down on the pier, will you go I'm a bit busy here." Angel winced at the screams and spits behind him.

Spike turned around with a huge smirk. "The end seriously is coming! You want me to help you? Well I don't know I didn't hear please!"

"Spiike"

"Okay, okay I'm going, just takes some getting used to." Spike held his hands up and backed off.

"Oh Angel, Buffy and Willow will be here at about 11."

Angel looked behind him to see if Spike had heard, but he couldn't see him. "Okay call me when they arrive."