----23----
So, now I have four fiancées after me, an uncute tomboy, a lunatic cook with a giant spatula, a nutty Amazon, and a stupid rich-girl ballerina who beats up her opponents, and on top of that an old crone who wants me as her son-in-law, and an old perverted bastard who keeps stealing women's underwear and grabs their breasts including mine at every opportunity. To top it all off there are several 'rivals' for the fiancées I don't want, who want to kill me...
And oh, yeah, unlike you, you perverted, dishonorable horndog, I actually HATE turning into a girl. It's a living hell!
See if you can top that,
Your pal,
Ranma.
Xander finished reading Ranma's letter, and shook his head. "Living hell, he says," he muttered with a grin. "Come back to me when you're living on top of the /actual/ hell." He grabbed himself a pen, and a piece of paper and started writing.
Yo, Ranma,
First things first, pal. What's this? The second letter in how many months? Too slow, too little, too long. My best friend since kindergarten - the one that SURVIVED at least, you with your living hell...
Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah, best friend, she's like this computer super genius. She got her own computer at home, hooked up to this giant global network. I saw her exchange 'e-mail', with an on-line friend of hers who lives in Europe - delivered in a few seconds, had a reply in a few minutes. I'm going to take her computer shopping for me soon, you HAVE to convince your dad or future father-in-law - heh, heh - to get one as well, so we can do this via e-mail.
On to topping; you think you've got it bad? Check this out, friend of mine.
I wrote you about MY Amazon and her mother last time didn't I? Things have happened: I slept with Buffy... I hear you; isn't that good thing?
Not if she's still in love with a demon-animated corpse, tells it you to your face, you get pissed off, start a big shouting match about betrayals and lies, and oh yeah, Willow told Buffy to back off from me if she was a real friend... she went to fess up... two best friends broken up, and no Buffy smoochies for a long while after that.
Friends back together though; not that that keeps the demons from killing us... or hiring assassins from a few-thousand-year-old assassins cult filled with the deadliest human, super-human, and demonic assassins; nine total, three of them for me. Bullets, mind control, electricity, you name, they used it to try and kill us...
One of them was human, and my friend Cordelia was forced to kill her. I broke off any potential relationship with her right after that, while she was hurting like hell over the kill, although I didn't know that. You can imagine what I inadvertently put her through, but if you think THAT was bad...
A demon beat me up to get me to marry him... I joined the Amazons to keep Lotion from doing that damn Kiss of Death on Buffy; yeah, Slayer battle instincts caught up, and she decided payback was a good idea; and oh, yeah, the Amazon goddess paid us a visit, and blessed us on top of the Hellmouth with interesting times...
But no, that's not the real bad stuff: Buffy's 17th birthday party, that's where the bad stuff started...
-----
Buffy woke up and looked around her room, wondering what had awoken her. She found a piece of paper on her nightstand that said, 'Happy Birthday.' She blinked and got out of bed, her attire a short skirt and blouse, which she only fleeting wondered about having worn to bed. She opened the door of her bedroom and stepped into the Bronze, where people were partying.
She walked onward, weaving almost as if floating between the people. "Hey."
Buffy turned to her right, and smiled. "Xander," she said and walked up to him. His chest was bare for some reason. He only wore tight jeans, and he looked yummy. She took him into her arms and vice versa, and they shared a hot, passionate kiss. They broke apart and it seemed as if he was in a blaze of light, yet her eyes didn't hurt.
"Happy Birthday, I hope," he told her with a grin.
"It will be with you in it," she answered with a smile.
Xander's face turned a little darker and he pleaded, "Please don't do it."
"Don't do what?" she asked confused, and then Xander turned away from her, turning to her left. She frowned and looked around. Then she came across another bright figure, albeit not as bright as Xander.
"Hey, Buffy," her mother greeted, lifting a cup from a saucer to her mouth.
"Mom?" she wondered, not quite understanding.
Joyce smiled and asked, "Do you think you're ready?"
"Huh?" Buffy wondered out loud and then her mother dropped the green saucer and green cup. They crashed to pieces on the ground. Buffy looked, then smiled and made to help her mother pick up the pieces.
"Oh, no, enjoy your birthday," Joyce said and made shooing motions.
Buffy turned away, and the crowd parted. From it came a bright figure. "Hello, Buffy," he spoke soulfully.
"Angel," she said with a grin, and walked up to him, planting a kiss on his lips. It was passionate, but cool as vampire kisses were wont to be. They broke apart. "So, I'm curious," Buffy said with a cheeky grin.
"Curious?" Angel asked and took a step back to take her in more fully. Buffy smiled, and then her smile vanished as she saw the vamped out face of Drusilla appear behind Angel, readying a stake. "Angel!" Buffy yelled and reached forward. The stake plunged in Angel's back, and he jerked. She reached forward, but his fingers crumbled to dust, just as she was about to touch him.
She watched in horror as Angel fell to dust, and Drusilla said, "Curiosity is what killed the kitty, and daddy's been such a bad kitty." Then the vampire vanished.
"No!" Buffy called in horror and turned around lost, her eyes falling on the bright Xander. A less bright Willow stepped next to him, and then he dimmed, becoming the same brightness as Willow. The two smiled at her, and then shared a deeply passionate kiss, before turning back to her and smiling.
Buffy sat bolt upright in her bed. "Oh, my god."
-----
"Giles!" Buffy called as she entered the library.
She looked around and noticed Jenny busy with Willow in some kind of exercise. Xander was present going through his morning Tai Chi warming up routine, with Cordelia next to him doing the same. Oz sat in a chair watching the whole proceeding with interest . . . or perhaps disinterest . . . it really was difficult to tell with the aloof guy.
"Yes?" Giles spoke as he came out of his office.
"I just had a dream where Drusilla killed Angel," Buffy said with desperation, going over to the counter. "I checked up on him, and he's fine, but . . ."
"Good Lord," Giles spoke out his concern, "if Drusilla is still alive . . ."
"We'll tackle her when we get to her," Xander said from his position.
Buffy bent around Giles and said, "The dream was so real, I've had dreams like that before . . ." Buffy shivered.
"We'll just have to be extra careful until we're sure; unless the dream told you exactly where and when we can find her," Xander answered casually.
"Xander has a rather good point, Buffy," Giles pointed out, and reset his glasses. "I will keep an eye out for signs, prophecies and anything else I might find that points to one thing either way . . . you have stopped dreams from coming true before; the rising of the master as I recall."
"Yeah, you smashed up his bones but good," Willow said with a grin at her best friend. "I remember, I was hanging upside down just before that."
Buffy couldn't forget either; it had been her hotheadedness that got Willow in that situation, and she shuddered as she forced the memory of the payback she'd received away. Buffy nodded, and said, "Yeah, can't forget that." Buffy calmed down a bit. "I guess you guys are right, but it was so real."
"I'm not saying this isn't serious, Buffy," Giles said with a serious tone, "a Slayer's dreams are often rife with omens, but a Slayer also has normal dreams, and sometimes the omens are as symbolic and un-literal as normal dreams."
"Yeah, just this other day I dreamed of you all covered in oil and feathers, but do you see yourself feathered, of course not," Cordelia remarked snidely.
Buffy narrowed her eyes at the cheerleader, trying to remember again why she'd decided to keep her secret about the whole I-killed-a-human thing. "You're not a Slayer," Buffy pointed out annoyed.
"You /know/ what I mean, stupid bottle blonde," Cordelia told Buffy.
Buffy and Willow gasped, then Buffy gasped again, louder. "I-I am /not/ a bottle blonde," Buffy said sharply, pissed off. "I use highlights, but I'm a natural blonde, dark blonde. Tell her, Xander."
Jenny's eyes widened. Giles started, "Now why would- . . ."
Cordelia cut him off though, "So you're admitting you're stupid?"
Willow broke her lotus position and rushed over to Buffy. The redhead grabbed Buffy by the shoulders, and she said, "Buffy, it's not nice to slay your friends."
Jenny injected some reason into the library by saying, "How about we leave the insults for a moment, and focus. There's classes, there's training, and there's keeping our eyes open. Hair is not a priority." Buffy and Cordelia gasped at that, directing twin looks of horror to Jenny.
Before the two could go off on a rant about the importance of hair, Giles interjected, "I believe classes start about now."
When the kids left, Giles and Jenny remained, with Giles being thoughtful. "Sneaky," Jenny said with a smile, put her arms around his waist. "We have quite some time still." She kissed him on the lips, and he half-heartedly kissed back.
Jenny broke the kiss, and asked, "Rupert? What are you thinking of that's more important then kissing me? Rupert?"
"Huh, oh," Giles answered, turning his eyes down at her, going over her words again, "I was just wondering how Xander could confirm that- . . ." He looked up in revelation, and looking straight forward, he finished, "Oh, bollocks."
Jenny gave a low moan and asked him, "Say that again."
"Say what?" Giles asked her.
Jenny grinned up at him, "Bolucks, it sounds sexy." Her attempt to recreate the word failed miserably.
-----
A dream, big deal, right? Yeah, that's what we thought... big mistake.
-----
"Unless dark blonde equals black, she's /so/ a bottle blonde," Cordelia muttered to herself with Oz walking to her right. The others were a few meters ahead of them.
"Snippy," Oz commented casually and softly.
"Huh?" Cordelia said turning her head to look at him.
Oz looked up at her, with a seeming neutral face, except that the sparkling in his eyes showed he was smiling. He spoke, "You're snippy this morning."
"I'm always snippy," Cordelia bit at him, and continued, "you don't get to say that, I'm never snippy, I'm sunshine itself."
"Oh, no, lately you're a whole lot worse than normal. You're even insulting them when they can't hear you, and that's far too inefficient for your normal self," Oz spoke with a grin.
"Well . . . I can be snippy if I want to," Cordelia said and looked straight ahead. Oz checked the distance between them and the other three in front of him, and suddenly grabbed Cordelia by the arm. With a quick motion he went to the right, opening a janitor's closet. As expected, Cordelia's sense of decorum made her hesitate to scream bloody murder, until after the two were in the closet. Oz closed the door and turned on the light. "Why you!" Cordelia hissed out quietly, as she didn't want her voice to be heard coming from inside a janitor's closet.
"It's the killing-a-human thing, isn't it?" Oz said with a sincere face. Cordelia's expression became less angry. Oz grabbed her waist and gently pulled her closer to him. "You're not evil, she needed to be stopped, it will be okay."
Cordelia sniffled, and then wrapped her arms around Oz, having to duck a little to get the hug better. She sobbed a bit as Oz tightened his arms all the way around Cordelia's back. After a few seconds Cordelia stopped and lifted her upper body from the guitarist. Cordelia looked at him somewhat annoyed and accused, "You're short." Oz shrugged. Cordelia added, "Have to start wearing shorter heels, or no heels at all." Oz once again shrugged, and then the cheerleader dipped forward again, except this time her lips pushed feverishly against his. Oz returned the fiery kiss, with just as much fire, despite his usually cool exterior. Their tongues dueled at first, then settled in a loving caressing rhythm that drove both wild with passion. Having forgotten any attempt at breathing, they broke apart once air became an issue. "Wow," Cordelia muttered. She and Oz had kissed before, and she had found she enjoyed his comfort quite a bit, but their sweet exploratory kisses had never been this intense, or had so much tongue involved.
"Wow, most indeed," Oz spoke, a wide contented smile on his face.
"Never felt that kissing anyone before, except Xander, but- . . ."
Cordelia was interrupted by Oz pulling her back to him, and restarting a kiss that quickly glowed white-hot, easily exceeding the first one. After they broke apart, Cordelia held on to him to keep from standing. "What?" she managed.
"I figured practice makes perfect, and I want to exceed Xander as soon as possible," Oz said still a bit dazed at the kiss himself, as his hands gently stroked Cordelia's back.
"Good thought, very good thought," Cordelia said with a lazy grin. She then schooled her face and took a step back, making Oz lower his arms back down to her waist. "I should really be upset with you, you crass individual, interrupting me like that," Cordelia said with a cool edge to her voice, then after opening the door walked off.
"You're right, I'm sorry," Oz said with an unexpected difficult cool, turning off the light and joining Cordy outside the closet.
"You should be," Cordelia said with fire growing back in her voice. She started walking to the right, Oz coming up next to her. "In fact, I should punish you for that, if only I could think of a suitable punishment."
"I will be forever in your debt, if you find it in your heart not to," Oz said, and then smirked up at Cordelia.
"You /better/ not be smirking at me, shorty," Cordelia shot at him.
"I don't smirk, I grin," Oz said with perfect composure and a grin. As Cordelia narrowed her eyes at him, he asked, "About Buffy's birthday party."
"Oh, yeah, where I have to bring the food," Cordelia spoke in annoyance. "Exactly why would I go to Bottle Blonde's birthday party again?"
"Dip, you just have to bring the dip," Oz corrected smoothly, then answered her question, "And you go because she's a friend you fight the forces of darkness with."
Cordelia sighed theatrically and said, "But they make me slave away on the dip."
"I'm willing to help with opening a few bags, and mixing it with water," Oz offered with a smile.
"Oh, don't bother, I have the maids working on it," Cordelia answered with a grumble and Oz nodded with a smile. This girl was amazing - she just loved to rant and rave, and he figured she earned it. "But what the hell do you get for a bottle blonde Slayer?"
"Better haircut?" Oz suggested casually walking along.
"Hmm," Cordelia muttered, and then looked down. "Have you figured out a gift yet?"
"Nope," Oz answered. "Go find one together?" Cordelia smiled.
-----
There was knocking on the door. Angel walked over to answer it. He opened the door, and did a double take. "Mrs. Summers," he said in shock, staying there rooted to the floor.
"You must be Angel," Joyce spoke with a pleasant smile that sent Angel's hackles up.
Shaking himself out of his shock with his 240-year experience, he opened the door further and said, "Come in, come in."
"Thank you," Joyce said coolly and entered his apartment, looking around the place with a skeptical look. "So, this is where you and my daughter have been . . . doing things together."
"Uh, well, n-no . . . we have not- . . ."
"Oh, I know you two haven't . . . consummated yet, Angel; but here is where the things happen that might lead up to it," Joyce said, looking around the place again, checking out the small living area with a table and a couch, a set of stairs, while one side had a small kitchen. Through a door in the back was another room; a bed showed it was the bedroom. Joyce's left eye twitched for a moment, quite displeased with the dump.
Angel was nervous as hell; he may have superior strength, but he knew not to piss of mothers, most certainly not good mothers who cared about their daughters. So he tried modest honesty, "Ah, well, yes . . . I suppose . . . I have no intention of harming your daughter in any way, Mrs. Summers."
"And yet you do," Joyce said flatly.
"Uh . . . no, I don't?" Angel return nervously.
Joyce gave a single despairing chuckle, and then took a step closer to the vampire. "You drag her into the night, you can't bring her out into the sun, you can't give her children, she's kissing a demon-animated /corpse/, and undoubtedly would like to do more with that corpse; and oh, yeah, you seduced her, by giving her expensive gifts and hiding in shadows from what I gathered, while teenagers who are not immortal, or had any kind of super strength back then were risking their lives to save the world fighting alongside my daughter." Joyce took a step forward and bore her eyes into Angel's eyes. The vampire gulped, just before Joyce finished, "She'll turn seventeen tomorrow, and has no idea what she'll do with the rest of her life. She's a teenager, think back to when you were one. You might not call that harming, I do."
Nervously the souled vampire gulped once again, and explained, "I don't have to bring her in the sun and give her children, Xander can do that."
"/What/?" Joyce spoke out sharply in disbelief and confusion.
"Oh, I thought you knew since you knew a- . . ." Angel started, then suddenly backed up in fear.
Joyce stepped forward with long sides, her face burning with anger, hissing, "-What- -did- -I- -know-?" Angel was pinned against the wall, Joyce right in front of him, looking up slightly to look him into the eyes.
Leaning back away from the blazing woman, Angel blurted out, "She said she didn't want to choose, that if men could have harems, she could to. I agreed; she still needs to convince Xander." The blazing anger of a righteous mother could burn brighter than the sun; did he feel any sizzling pain, see any smoke, was he burning up painfully? Luckily, no - not yet at least. With a tiny voice he added, "Please don't kill the messenger."
Joyce's eyes were narrowed and then took a step, and said with a growing prideful smile, "Actually . . . apart from you being a corpse that isn't such a bad idea at all, if she can pull it off. In fact, I'd say it's brilliantly emancipated."
Angel blinked and looked if his death had been postponed; it certainly seemed that way. "Still leaves the corpse though," Joyce said less enthusiastically, looking at Angel. "She says you love her? Is that true I wonder? More importantly, do you love her enough?"
"I broke up with her, but it didn't last, she pretty much didn't take 'no' for an answer," Angel explained.
"She'll have no other choice if you leave," Joyce pointed out calmly.
Angel shook his head, and said, "Then I can't help her, can't help them."
Joyce smiled a normal smile, and said flatly, "You /can't/ help her. The only ones of her friends not yet stronger than you, soon will be. Not long after that, you'll only be a hindrance."
Angel lowered his head, and Joyce said, "Ask yourself this, Angel. Do you obsess over her, do you just want to have her; or do you love her enough you'd like to see her play with her children one day? As opposed to Xander playing with the kids while she keeps her skin pale in your darkened room of the house."
Joyce then turned and walked toward the door, "I've said my piece, Angel. I will see what you decide, I hope you make the right decision soon." She opened the door and walked out, leaving Angel to brood over her words.
-----
Ah, the plot thickens, eh? Forces start to align on opposite sides; but this is all just the beginning. You see, we found that one of our dearest friends had a secret; a dark one, although there wasn't much she could have done about it.
-----
Jenny stepped into her classroom, and noticed from the corner of her eye a man sitting in one of the student benches. "I'm sorry, sir, but class starts in just a little while; if you wish to talk to me, you should come back in two hours, when I have a free period," Jenny spoke going over to her desk and readying her notes for the class.
"Have you forgotten who you are, Jana?" the man spoke and rose from his place. Jenny looked up shocked, and took the man in. He was in his fifties, wore a dark coat, had an equally dark head, and had an almost completed greying beard and mustache. "Do you think you're Jenny Calender now? Have you forgotten your responsibilities to the clan?"
"Uncle? Of course not Uncle," Jenny or Jana spoke in shock. "Angelus remains in torment from his soul."
"Does he?" the man spoke sharply, getting closer, "The old woman has seen his guilt and pain lessen. She says soon he might not feel it at all anymore. Do you call her a liar, or incompetent? This is bad, he /must/ retain his pain."
"Why? He is doing good here, he's helping to keep the Hellmouth locked," Jenny asked her uncle.
"Jana!" her uncle spoke with a vicious tone, "Do you think the few people he saves atones for killing our brightest most beautiful daughter? Let alone all the people who touched her life? He's a monster, and he must suffer for all eternity. We do not care about his hopes for redemption. It is not justice we serve, Jana, but vengeance."
"I know that, Uncle," Jenny answered him with annoyance, walking from behind the desk in frustration.
Her uncle turned around to continue facing her, and said, "Vengeance is not what these modern people think of it; and idea, payback. Vengeance is a living thing, it transcends generations, it commands, it kills. Vengeance must not be denied. The curse demands his pain. If he would gain true happiness even for only a single moment . . . then the soul we gave him will be taken from him." Jenny looked shocked at the revelation, "Is there anything that could have resulted in his diminished guilt?"
Jenny stopped her pacing and looked at her uncle suddenly, and told him, "There's a girl, the Slayer."
"You didn't keep them apart?" her uncle demanded.
Jenny looked back to the exit to make sure the students hadn't arrived yet, and answered, "Yes, no. She's in love with a boy, they've shared intimacy. Her love for Angelus is waning, she knows he isn't right for him . . . there shouldn't be . . ."
Her uncle stepped very close to her, "Make /sure/ they stay apart."
"I will, uncle," Jenny answered.
-----
Early morning, next day
Yawning Buffy entered the kitchen, where she found her mother. "Buffy," Joyce spoke with a big smile. She went over to her daughter, shook her hand, and hugged her close. "Happy birthday. Seventeen years. Wow."
"Thanks, mom," Buffy said with a smile and then they broke apart. Buffy looked at the table and noticed the candles, several cards were around her plate, next to which was a pile of steaming pancakes on a plate. "I knew I smelled something delicious."
"Your favorite," Joyce said with a smile as Buffy wrapped herself in her arms once more, thanking her.
Buffy then quickly sat back down, and opened the first card as her mother sat next to her, and took a pancake for herself. "From Dad!" Buffy said with a huge smile. Joyce nodded. "Fifty dollars too; 'Happy birthday, Buffy. I love you; I wish I could be there, so money will have to do instead of a gift. I'll visit as soon as I can, love dad.'" Buffy turned her head to her mother, and said, "A better gift I can't imagine coming from dad, he'd probably buy me a big teddy bear or something."
Joyce smiled at her daughter, and said, "You'll always be his little girl."
"And I'll milk that for all it's worth," Buffy returned with a smirk, and Joyce laughed.
"Did you like spending summer with your father?" Joyce asked Buffy. She finished putting strawberry jam on it, and then started to eat it.
Buffy nodded, "Apart from the big ol' Master depression."
"Yeah, your father was worried about you when he dropped you off," Joyce said remembering. "I should have seen what was going on with you a long time ago, and him too."
"Oh, mom," Buffy said with a lower voice. "Don't beat yourself up over it. Nobody else sees the darkness; it isn't like you saw nothing where everyone else does. I should have trusted you and dad with the whole gig, and just shown you in person; it isn't like you can deny I have super strength and put me in an asylum after I've tossed you two over my shoulders and marched you off to the cemetery to dust a vamp right in front of your eyes."
Joyce chuckled, and said, "I think during the marching I'd be worried about what the neighbors would say." The two Summers women laughed hard together.
"You proved you can handle this whole thing, mom. I so often wished I had the guts to trust you with it; so often I didn't know what to do, and I just wished I could come to you or dad for advice. You're the best mom ever, and my friends parents prove that's not a exaggeration," Buffy said with a sad smile. Buffy hugged her mother again and held tight. "Of course, then we might not have moved here, and I wouldn't have met Xander and Willow, Giles, and strangely enough Cordelia . . ."
"Not Lotion?" Joyce asked playing devil's advocate, and breaking the hug.
"Nope, definitely not a problem not meeting the girl that beat me up several times and whose goddess jinxed me for all eternity," Buffy answered and then grinned.
Joyce smiled back. She frowned, "Goddess?"
"Yeah, I hadn't told you that yet? The Amazon goddess decided to welcome us in the tribe during the ritual, like seriously wigging worthy, especially since Deo and Lotion didn't know either," Buffy said, while her mother looked at her with wonder. Buffy proceeded with opening the cards. Several uncles and aunts from both sides of the family had sent their cards as well. Buffy smiled and then took her first pancake, and gobbled it up quickly. Joyce started eating her next pancake, and Buffy took another one also.
In no time at all Buffy had eaten the pile of pancakes away, and gave a satisfied, "Aah, that was delicious, mom." Her mother looked perturbed at the empty plate. Buffy smiled, and said, "Slayer appetite, I burn a lot of energy. I don't have to hold it back from you anymore."
"I suppose not," Joyce said, and then grinned, "I just hope you don't eat through our mortgage payments." Buffy smiled sheepishly. "Which means we come to my present; I'm afraid that, like your dad, I couldn't come up with anything as a gift except the corny. I wish I knew what a seventeen-year-old these days would want."
"I know, you said last year we could talk about it in a year," Buffy said with enthusiasm. "A licensed driver needs something to drive."
Joyce's smile faltered a little. Concerned she got up, taking her plate with her, and when she reached the kitchen sink she asked, "Do you think you're ready, Buffy?"
Buffy's eyes widened, almost hearing her mother asking the question in a double voice, here . . . and in the dream. "What did you say?" she asked quickly.
"I said," Joyce said, turning back to face Buffy, bringing the plate along. It slipped over the incline at the end, and Joyce lost her grip on the plate as she said, "Do you think you're ready?" With a loud noise the plate shattered.
Buffy looked at the shattered plate on the floor, piece of it still flying around with abject horror. The sound had seemed horrifyingly loud, almost deafening. Her gaze stayed locked on the pieces of the plate, as Joyce said with annoyance, "Oh, shoot."
Her mother's words jarred Buffy from her shock. She looked at her mother terrified for a moment, and then bolted from the kitchen and the house. "Buffy?" Joyce called after her, glimpsing the terror on her daughter's face. She contemplated going after her, but decided against it.
-----
Buffy barged into the school at full gallop. Much faster now than months before, she almost slammed into people. "Sorry," she said hastily as she barely maneuvered around a girl.
"Hey, Buffy!" Buffy ignored the call and barged into the library.
"Giles!" she called out worried.
Giles appeared from behind a book case, reading a book. "Hmm?"
"It happened, just like in the dream!" Buffy called out, as behind her Willow in a pair of tight jeans and a green tight top and Lexa in a short black skirt and red top entered behind her.
"What happened?" Giles asked for clarification.
"Mom dropped something, it shattered - the same thing happened in the dream, and she said the exact same thing for real as in the dream! It's starting to come true!" Buffy almost yelled fearfully.
"Well," Giles said and paused for a moment, "I suppose that means we need to step up our efforts at figuring out this dream. I suggest Buffy, that we start with sitting down, and you write down the dream in as vivid a detail as you can manage." Buffy nodded enthusiastically, at same time dreading reliving the dream in her imagination, and went over to a library table. Giles came down from the second level to start searching through the ledger for books he might need.
When Buffy was almost to her destination, Willow called out, "Buffy!" She and Lexa quickly walked over, and Buffy turned around. "I know this doesn't exactly sound as nice now but, happy birthday!" Willow hugged Buffy close, and Buffy hugged back.
"Thanks anyway, Willow," Buffy said heartfelt, and broke away, managing a weak smile.
"Ack!" Buffy exclaimed as Lexa put her in a tight bear hug.
"Happy birthday, Buff," Lexa told the Slayer. Buffy still hadn't quite gotten use to 'Buff' coming from a female voice, but she was glad she could hear it now. Lexa broke-the-crushing-but-satisfying-to-both-girls hug, and she said, "I didn't bring any presents to school because I figured Snyder would just take it away from you. I'll come by later with them."
"Presents?" Buffy asked, perking up a bit despite the dire situation.
"Sure, and don't forget, we're here to help with the pesky Slayer dream. Don't worry, we'll beat it, as usual," Lexa reassured Buffy with a grin.
Buffy smiled and relaxed a bit. Then she hugged both of them, and said, "What would I do without you guys?"
-----
So we did more research, and decided to have the party anyway. After all, we'd be in danger more often, so if we start to stop the parties, we'd never have them again, eh? Party might loosen us up, and recharge our batteries, allowing us geniuses to save the day. Buffy went home for her birthday dinner, and we left to go to the site of the party - a nice warehouse Giles managed to rent for the occasion - leaving Jenny behind to get Buffy to us. All well and done, once Buffy had had her dinner and was off to school, her mother joined us quickly. Now all we had to do was wait for Buffy...
-----
The warehouse was filled with a nice 'Happy Birthday' banner, as well as a pool table and a second table full of treats. Xander and Willow had come together, as had Oz and Cordelia who were getting more and more into each other. Giles, Joyce, Lotion, and Angel were present too, and all had found places to hide: under tables, under sheets. Angel was standing behind a pillar, and listening to sounds coming from outside. There were some footsteps, the sound of an engine running and being turned off.
Then he heard something he couldn't figure out why anyone would say that. "Why is it that whenever I see you, you're stealing something? You really need to have that looked after."
He could swear it was Buffy, but the warehouse had a solid steel wall, so even with his vampiric hearing it was difficult to make out the voice. Following were sounds of battle. "There's something wrong," Angel said with some surprise.
Willow, with her makeup expertly done, but her hair barely touched, spoke with a little annoyance, "She'll be here-"
The windows in the front of the warehouse shattered and three vampires came flying through it, landing on their backs and asses. The whole group got up from their positions and watched as Buffy somersaulted in after them, and staked two at once with the stakes she held in both of her hands. With a quick maneuver the remaining vamp was up and ready to flee, but Buffy kicked him back. A moment later he was dust as well.
Angel took a few steps to Buffy in disbelief, and the Slayer turned to him, stakes at the ready. She stopped her movements just in time. "Angel! What are you . . .?" Buffy trailed off and took in the surprise party. Buffy blinked once, and then smiled, "Oh, did you guys do this for me?"
"Surprise," Xander remarked dryly, dropping a piece of something he's absentmindedly found in the old warehouse.
Jenny came walking in holding a heavy crooked box. "Somebody help me? They dropped this," she said as she walked over.
Angel quickly took the box and placed it on an empty free table in front of the pool table. "What is it?" Joyce asked confused.
"Well, you can open it, here's a lock," Buffy said with a confused look. She flipped the lock, and then slowly opened the box, everyone leaning to look as best as they could. Inside lay an armor-clad arm. "Huh?" Buffy muttered. Suddenly the arm moved and grabbed her by the throat, squeezing. "Agh!" Buffy exclaimed, as she grabbed the arm and tried to rip it free.
"Buffy!" many of them called with concern. Angel grabbed the arm but it wouldn't budge. A moment later Xander lent a hand, and the arm immediately let go at his grip, squirming in pain. As Buffy coughed for air, Xander and Angel pushed the arm back in its box, then Giles slammed it shut and locked it.
"What is that?" Buffy sputtered out.
"It looked like an arm," Oz remarked coolly.
"Can you say something less obvious as well?" Lotion questioned the smaller guitar player.
"She couldn't have, she couldn't have," Angel muttered in shock.
"Angel?" Joyce asked the man with a frown. "What do you think it is?"
"The Judge," Angel said softly in shock; it really couldn't be anything else.
"Oh, my," Giles said, being familiar with the demon. He wasn't fully versed on him, but he knew it was really bad. "And this is him."
"Not all of him," Angel answered.
"Uh, that's nice, but the Judge of what? Undoubtedly not fashion sense," Cordelia pipped up in annoyance, wrapping her arms around her chest.
"What she means to say is; dish out the info already," Xander clarified with some annoyance at Angel.
Giles turned to Xander and said, "The Judge was a very powerful demon. No weapon could kill him, am I correct?"
Angel nodded, and said, "It's before my time, but from what I was told the Judge was a demon brought forth to separate the wicked from the righteous, and burn down the righteous. No weapon forged by man could stop him, and they sent an army after him. Most of them didn't return."
"They couldn't kill him," Giles said looking down at the arm in dread.
Angel nodded, and explained further, "They managed to dismember him though, and sent the pieces to all the corners of the Earth."
"And now the pieces are being brought here," Joyce muttered, shocked, and in dread. Having learned of her daughter's night job was one thing, being suddenly part of it was another thing altogether.
"Drusilla, those were Spike's men outside," Buffy said with blazing eyes, taking a step closer to the group.
"I can't believe she'd bring forth Armageddon," Angel said more than a little shocked.
"Right," Xander remarked sarcastically, "that with there being all these psychiatric hospitals for vamps and she checked herself in."
"Well, we got this one now," Giles said with some authority, "and we need to get it as far away from here as we can."
"Angel, you need to do that," Jenny spoke up resolutely.
Buffy looked up and said, "What about me?"
"You're going to skip town for a few months?" Jenny asked her.
Joyce pointed out with finality at that opportunity, "She most certainly will not."
"Jenny's right, Buffy," Angel said with finality, thinking he had an easy way out to boot. "They must never be able to reassemble the judge. While I take this far away, which will take me several months, you guys need to stop Drusilla and Spike."
"When?" Buffy asked.
"Tonight," Angel said, with all of them looking at him. "As soon as possible."
-----
"You lost it?" Drusilla crowed out with distaste. Dalton, the glasses wearing vampire, had returned to the lair empty handed. Behind the crazy vampire sat Spike in his wheelchair, leaning his head on his right hand, looking bored.
"It was the Slayer, she came out of nowhere," Dalton explained.
"We can't have that, mate," Spike drawled disinterested. "Without her present, Dru can't have her fun.
Drusilla made a childish growling sound, and made her right hand in a double hook. "I-It won't happen again," Dalton tried.
"Not good. Present would make mummy happy, and now I'm all bummed," she said, and took the glasses away. She let them drop to the ground and crushed them underneath her foot. "That was in the way, can't make nice caves."
"I-I'll get it back," Dalton quickly said, afraid of the insane one.
"Dru," Spike called from his wheelchair, "you might want to give him a chance to get it back. Dalton may be a bit on the stiff side, but he's the only one we've got with half a brain. If he fails, you can eat his entrails for all I care."
"Ruaw," Drusilla said playfully to Dalton, and then made gestures. The brainiac quickly nodded and then ran off.
-----
Later, at the Sunnydale docks
Angel and Buffy walked along the docks, Angel holding the box with the arm in it on his right shoulder. "So, when do you think you'll be back?" Buffy asked her boyfriend.
Angel warred with himself. The easiest thing to do would be to lie; to tell her he'd be back in a few months, and then just never return. She'd worry, she'd hurt, but she'd move on with her human loved one and live a happy life, because he and Buffy's mother were correct. But no, that would be the easy way out, the coward's way out, the way out the guy hiding in the shadows last year would take. Not anymore though, he'd been enough of a coward, watching in the shadows while mortal teenagers risked their lives to save, among other things, his immortal ass. It was time for a bolder path. He placed the box aside as they reached the ship. "I don't think I'm coming back, whatever happens," Angel spoke with pain in his voice.
Buffy looked up at him shocked, "What? No."
"Buffy," Angel interrupted her and took her hands, "I think you know just as well as I do, that this can't be. It was a nice fantasy while it lasted, but- . . ."
Tears fell from Buffy's eyes, and she said, "No, please, I love you."
"I love you too, but there is someone else much better suited for you waiting. I'd share you with anyone worthy if that's what it took, Buffy, and he's worthy, but we're not right for each other; you know that as well as I do," Angel said slowly, and a tearful Buffy nodded with extreme pain. He then reached in the pocket of his duster and produced a ring. Buffy looked at it confused. "This is a Claddagh ring, my people - before I was changed - gave this to someone as a sign of devotion," he said in explanation holding the ring out for her to see. It had a crown, a heart opposite it, and hands in the middle. "The hands are for friendship, the crown for loyalty, and the heart . . . well, you know."
Buffy looked even more confused and still silently sobbing at Angel. "Wear it with the heart toward you, and it means you belong to someone; wear it the other way around, it means you have an eternal devoted friend, and your heart is still open, like this," Angel finished lifting his right hand and showing a claddagh ring with the heart outward on his middle finger. "I'm devoted to you always, Buffy. Wherever I settle down to continue the fight there, I'll send you all my contact information; just in case you ever need an able-bodied fighter. I'll be here as soon as I can after you call."
As Angel put the ring on Buffy's finger symbolizing friendship, Buffy said with trembling lips, "So, this is really it, huh?"
Angel nodded, and then two vampires from out of nowhere barreled into Buffy and kept running. "Buffy!" Angel yelled watching as the vamps lifted Buffy's feet off the ground so she didn't have any leverage.
She managed out a strangled, "HEY!" But the distance to the dock's edge was too short; before she could do anything else, Slayer and two vampires dropped down to the water.
Another two vamps jumped from behind a few crates and slammed feet first into Angel, who staggered back. Just as Buffy managed to dust a vampire a moment before she and the remaining one slammed into the water, another vamp zipped across the docks, grabbed the box and ran.
"Buffy!" Angel yelled in frustration, beating aside one vampire. The other one knocked him back with a right cross. Angel blocked the vampire's next punch, pulled a stake from his coat and slammed it home. The vampire dusted, and Angel turned to the other one, who ran off after the vampire that had taken the box. "Damn it!" Angel hissed, and walked to the water side.
"Buffy!" he called out, and then the Slayer broke the surface. "The vamps?"
"Dust! The box?" Buffy returned.
"They got it," Angel said with guilt in his voice.
"DAMN IT!"
-----
Oh, yeah, they got away alright! Box gone, and insane Drusilla having another part to her collection. Are you starting to get yet what I mean with things going bad, Ranma? Well, you ain't seen nothing yet, pal. In a surprise turn of events, Joyce decided she was going to help with the researching; demanding it as a motherly right. Of course the only thing we found was 'can't be killed, took an army', it started to get old really quickly. Anyway, Buffy fell asleep, and had herself a nice prophetic dream, which she woke from a few minutes later. That is where things went really, really, really bad...
-----
"I know where Drusilla is," Buffy announced after blinking the sleep from her eyes.
"You do?" Jenny asked a little surprised. The rest gathered around.
"She's in a factory," Buffy said with a grunt, stretching to get the sleep out of her. "Have you guys identified any places they may bring the boxes in yet?"
Willow placed a stack of papers in front of Buffy. "Good," Buffy said with a smile. "Here's the plan. I take Angel to the factory and scout out the place; see if there's any traps, how many we've got against us, and how far they are with Mr. Judgmental. You guys go check out this stuff, and see if you can find anymore pieces and get them out of there, okay?"
"No," Xander said concerned, and everyone looked at him. "Buff, I think it's better I go with you, or both of you to the factory. I know you're much closer to me now, but I'm still stronger than you are, more skilled than you are, but more importantly I'm a /lot/ stronger than Mr. Life-challenged over there."
Buffy got up and walked over to Xander, and placed her left hand against his flat belly. Joyce was a little surprised her daughter was showing the affection right in front of her, even if she did know the deal. "Xan, trust me, me and Angel can handle this, we'll get back. Angel isn't human; this thing can suck your humanity right out of you and burn you down, he'll undoubtedly last longer," Buffy said with deep concern. "I'm the Slayer, so I think I'll have some protection; if he is assembled. So let me keep you out of the way of icky sucky judges okay?"
Damn, how could he deny her now? Especially with those big, beautiful, blue puppy eyes. He sighed, and said, "Okay, fine."
"Thank you," Buffy said with a big smile, and planted a kiss right on his mouth. Lotion's eyes twitched, Willow smiled.
"Buffy," Joyce said with a little admonishment, although she had a smile on her face. It was obvious who Joyce favored to be Buffy's boyfriend.
Buffy blushed when she remembered her mom was here, so she quickly broke apart from Xander and took Angel along.
-----
"Oh, goody!" Drusilla squealed, and jumped up like a child in a candy store.
"Just a little more patience, luv," Spike said, as they and the other vampires looked at the spectacle. Multiple boxes had been placed together. "Only one missing," Spike said, as the head box was slowly moved over by a rope. In the back Dalton took a final look at the construction, and deciding it was best to be somewhere else, he slipped out. The head box was placed on top, and there was a light between it and the other boxes where they met. Then two doors opened, and inside stood a blue-skinned demon with several small horns. It was big and muscular.
"Ooh, he's gorgeous, Spikey," Drusilla said in admiration.
"Who," the Judge began with a heavy voice, "has awakened me?"
"That would be us there, friend," Spike drawled as the Judge came walking forward.
"You?" he asked and looked from him to Drusilla. He gave a disgusted sound, and said, "You two reek of humanity. You share . . . affection."
"Hey, watch it," Spike said wheeling forward and placing a warning finger against the Judge's armor, "we are the ones who got you out of there you know, we could put you back in."
"Is there anything you need?" Drusilla asked with large shiny eyes.
"A . . . meal, someone with humanity, to replenish my powers," the Judge said with steadily but slowly.
"Anyone here, you can take," Drusilla said with a happy face.
The vampires suddenly looked at each other. "Him, he reads something called comics, bring him to me," the Judge said with finality.
"What?" the fledgling said, as the other vamps grabbed him, glad it wasn't them.
"I thought you could just zap 'em?" Spike asked somewhat annoyed as the Judge stretched out his hand to the meal that was being brought to him, a meal that futilely struggled against the numbers holding him.
"I am still weak, once I have replenished my powers, I will be able to feed from a distance," the Judge said and then placed his hand on the comic-reading vampire. The vampire screamed as fire started around the Judge's hand, and spread around his body, the fire being drawn into the Judge. The Judge made a savoring sound and a moment later the vampire was nothing but a charcoaled form, which then crumbled and dropped to the floor, only to disappear completely. The Judge took a deep breath through his nose, and said, "Ah, I can feel myself growing stronger."
-----
Buffy and Angel snuck onto the upper level of the factory, which consisted only of walkways, that probably wouldn't have passed an inspection back then, let alone now. Narrow wooden gangplanks and poorly erected metal railing were the only things keeping them from falling down.
They peered over the railing and saw the vampires partying, and there, in the corner, underneath a large collection of television sets and other metal and electronics, stood the judge. Blue, imposing, large, virtually indestructible, and very, very deadly.
"Damn," Buffy whispered with dread. "He's already assembled."
"If we have a way to strike, we better do it fast," Angel whispered back, looking with morbid fascination at the powerful demon. "He's probably still weak from all that time in pieces."
Buffy nodded, trying to think of a quick and very deadly attack they could do right now, even with their lack of resources. Unfortunately for them, the Judge had other plans - or rather a very good nose. He sniffed twice, and then looked up, straight at Buffy and Angel. "Damn," Buffy said, as all the vampires turned as one to where the Judge was looking.
"Get them," Spike ordered, and the vampires moved.
Buffy and Angel got up to leave, but there had obviously been some vamps unseen much closer to them, because suddenly several vamps came at them; from the pathways crossing their own, as well as the side entrances, one of which they had used themselves earlier.
Angel attacked the vamp on the right, while Buffy sent another tumbling over the railing with a single solid kick. She whirled around, pulled a stake and dusted another one. While Angel had trouble with his own, Buffy grabbed the railing as many more vampires came at them, some from below. With a rapid twist, she turned herself around, letting the railing go with one hand, and then grabbing it again later. Thus she made an easy arc, and with her feet out, six vamps were sent flying away. Her primary target was Angel's opponent though, and he too got slammed in the head. He staggered back as Buffy landed between him and Angel. A quick move later and the vamp turned to dust.
"Let's go," Angel said, grabbing Buffy by the arm and pulling her the other way, as the vamps she had kicked away started to return.
Buffy looked back at the Judge, and suddenly realized something. "Wait a moment," Buffy said, ignoring the advancing vamps. She broke free of Angel's desperate hold, tore lose a piece of the railing, and then tossed it like a spear. The makeshift javelin shot across the factory hall, and slammed somewhere just above the tv sets. The electronics sparked as the wall of tv sets wobbled and creaked, and then the whole wall came tumbling down, right smack on top the judge.
Smiling with satisfaction, she let herself be dragged out by Angel.
Down below Drusilla gave a disappointed whimper, while Spike sighed and said, "Somebody start digging him out."
-----
Buffy and Angel fled through the torrential downpour. They were soaked to the bone in less than a minute, and it took them many more to reach Angel's apartment. The vampire led Buffy inside, and Buffy pulled off her soaked shirt, placing it on the central heating to dry. Angel followed suit with his own clothes, until they were both dressed only in their underwear, the rest of their clothes drying.
Buffy breathed heavily, as she took in the semi-naked Angel. She took a step closer to him, feeling her arousal. It had been a quick but intense fight, and Buffy had always gotten a slight arousal from her fights; it had to be a Slayer thing. Curiosity entered her mind alongside a little hope. If Angel didn't go now, perhaps he could stay, perhaps she could have both anyhow. But if Xander forced a decision; she needed to know, didn't she? She suddenly kissed him, as she gently turned him toward the bedroom.
"Buffy," Angel managed breathlessly, trying not to give into his own urges, "We can't do this; I'm not staying remember."
"Shh, we'll handle that later, right now is just now. Don't think," Buffy whispered as she pulled him along. They came past a closet just to the right of the bedroom, and Angel opened it with one hand, fishing a few towels from the place. They dried each other off on the way to the bed, kissing constantly, and then fell on the bed.
"You certain?" Angel asked.
"Very," Buffy replied, and pressed against him, stroking his cool body, while his fingers moved over her heated one.
"Oh, Buffy," he muttered between kisses and turned her over, so he was on top. He kissed down her neck to her breasts, much to Buffy's delight. He kneaded them, kissed and licked them. Buffy moaned, and he went further down. Worshiping her belly button for a while, he then raised back up, covering her fully with his body. He kissed her on the mouth, while stroking her body with his hands, already aware of his painfully straining member.
He moved between her legs, and gently slid in. "Oh, god," he moaned, and then kissed her again. Buffy, for her part frowned for a moment, but with both their eyes closed he didn't see that. Their bodies undulated, working together. Buffy's hands were around his back as Angel steadily increased the tempo. Having found a good speed he continued, kissing Buffy deeper, while his hands explored her body, her breasts. Minutes passed as Angel made love to Buffy, and he came closer to his completion.
"Oh, Buffy, I'm gonna . . . I'm gonna . . ." Angel said, restraining himself.
"Me too, me too," Buffy whispered in his ear. "Go on, Angel, do it," she groaned. Angel sped up his pace, Buffy along with him, increasing the tempo of her counter pumps, and the pitch of her moans.
Finally with a low groan Angel came, shooting his dead seed in the teenager's moist passage. Buffy moaned out, give a quick shriek, and then Angel collapsed gently on her. "Hmm," Buffy said, and gently turned Angel over on his back, lying against him.
"That was amazing," Angel muttered, and Buffy gave him a nod.
Buffy peeked out from her eyes, and as her heart hammered in her throat she noticed Angel closing his eyes. After a few moments, she turned away from Angel, faking a lazy, sleepy turn. She opened her eyes, and then closed them again, breathing deeply. She eased her breathing steadily, thanking Xander for mediation techniques; as she steadily slowed her fearfully pounding heart. This way she them found sleep quickly.
A few minutes later, Angel suddenly gasped, and stumbled out of bed with the pain he unexpectedly felt. Disoriented, he looked around, stumbling, falling to his knees. "Buffy?" he whispered confused and afraid, finding a way to stagger onward. "What's happening?" Angel said slowly, continuing onward and knowing not why. Naked he staggered out of the apartment into the alley behind, and the still pouring rain. He staggered a few meters, before falling to his knees. "Buffy," he groaned out one last time as his eyes glowed orange.
-----
You paid attention to the part where Jenny's uncle arrived? Then you've guessed right, Ranma. The unthinkable happened, okay, actually it would be a I-told-you-so moment for me, but you know what I mean. Of course, just because the most horror-inducing event in the world happened, and a large load of bad stuff because of that, doesn't mean the Judge is going to give up killing all of humanity.