Disclaimers: Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon own it all. I'm just doing this for fun, and hopefully entertainment

Reviews: Welcomed and appreciated


Willow walked into the bedroom carrying two cups of coffee and a danish to share with her lover. Cordelia was just waking up, still groggy from a great night's sleep. She smiled up at Willow as the red head put down the cups and leaned over to kiss her. Cordelia's arms wound around her neck, pulling her down by her side.

Willow giggled. "Sweetie, I have to get ready for class." She regretfully pulled away while Cordelia sat up, piling pillows behind her back and letting the sheet fall to her waist revealing the most perfect breasts Willow had ever seen. She raised one eyebrow. "Are you trying to tempt me?"

With her most innocent smile Cordelia whispered. "Could I?"

Fighting the heat that coursed through her body, Willow sighed. "Babe, I really have to get to class. Professor Walsh is a stickler and I have a perfect attendance record so far. But I'll be back early. We're going to Joyce's later, remember? We're meeting Buffy and Angelus." She walked to the closet and began removing various sweaters to wear with her skirt.

Cordelia took a drink of her coffee. "I still don't see why Giles thought it was necessary to bring them back into this. We've taken care of things just fine since Buffy Skywalker decided to go over to the dark side. We so do not need them."

"It seems to comfort Joyce. And Dawn. Plus, I think something is going on that they haven't told us about. Something to do with Dawnie. I can see it in their eyes. Joyce, Giles. Even Buffy and Angel." She stopped to look at Cordelia's reaction.

"I don't know Will, I think you're reading discomfort at having soulless demons in the house as something covert. I know they make me feel like bathing in holy water and garlic and tattooing crosses over my entire body." She reached for the pastry as Willow walked over to her.

"You know, you do make sense. I guess I'm looking for goblins where there aren't any." She rubbed her hand across Cordelia's stomach, causing a sharp intake of her breathe. Cordy pulled the sheet off of her body and put down the Danish as she pulled Willow down on the bed.

"School can wait. You haven't missed a single class and you can get notes from that farm boy. I need you. Now." Cordelia pushed the silk robe off of Willow's shoulders and ran her hands over her body. "You're a genius, you can catch up."

Willow shivered and let Cordelia do her will. "I guess I can miss one class. After all, I must look to the needs of my significant other." She let her push her back on the bed as she lost herself in the wonders of Cordelia.


The young doctor had been living a nice, uneventful life for the past 29 years. He had done well in school, but not too well. Had been popular, but not too popular. Had dated nice girls, but no one exceptional. His life had been uneventful and he liked it that way. When he had been offered a residency at Sunnydale Memorial Hospital he felt it was the right thing for him. Not the most prestigious of hospitals, but a good, solid opportunity. If he did well he could move on to something better. But if he liked it, if he fit in, if he blended, well, he just might stay.

The first time Glory had made her presence known to him, he had been in the eight grade. Chasmin Garret had cornered him at a pool party and wanted to make out. Ben hadn't even thought of the possibility of something like this happening to him, but when an opportunity such as this presented itself he wasn't fool enough to let it pass him by. So he ended up with Chasmin, in the back of the family tool shed with his hand on her bikini clad breast and a hard on the size of a roman candle. That's when he heard the voice.

'Go on Benny boy, do whatever you feel. She's just asking for it after all, she's yours for the taking.'

The thing was, Ben hadn't even considered more than a few kisses and a lucky feel. But the voice had more in mind and he almost listened. He ended up stopping and thanking Chasmin, but if they didn't stop now he didn't know if he ever would, he told her. Chasmin had been quite taken by his chivalry and a few years later had been the one to take his virginity.

But the voice. He'd hear it periodically over the next few years and it always left him feeling powerless. Ben knew it was separate from him. He also knew he wasn't schizophrenic, so what was it? Who was it? His questions were answered in a dream. Never one to be fanciful or believe in signs, he knew the dream was more than his subconscious cleaning out junk from the days events. The voice, Glory, was a prisoner within his body. He was in control but she was housed there, all the same. And he planned to stay in control. He had worked hard for the life he had and no sick bitch, one-time god was going to ruin it for him. Of course, he had never heard of the Hellmouth.


Dawn Summers had never liked hospitals. But now she absolutely hated them. They smelled weird and misery hovered everywhere, she thought. Biting her thumb nail to the quick she waited for her mother to come out of her latest round of x-rays.

"Miss Summers?" The young doctor interrupted her dark reflections.

"Oh. Doctor…" She had forgotten his name, or maybe she had never known it. There seemed to be so many of them.

"Just call me Ben. Your mom wanted me to let you know she'll be about another hour and she suggested that you may want to call, umm I think in was Xander or Willow?" He smiled sympathetically at her.

"No. I've waited this long another hour doesn't really matter." She stood up and fished a dollar out of her pocket. "I think I could use a coke though."

"I'll take you to the cafeteria. My treat." He fell into step next to her.

She smiled up at him and bumped into the back of a wheelchair. "Oh gosh, I am so sorry… Mr. Beller? It's Dawn. Dawn Summers." Dawn looked over at Ben, "It's our mailman."

The man looked up at her, a blank look on his face.

"What's wrong with him?" She asked the doctor standing next to her.

"Seems to be an epidemic of brain disorders. Quite unusual."

"Nothing ever seems very unusual in Sunnydale." She turned back to Mr. Beller, "Hope you feel better soon." As Dawn turned to follow Ben, the mail man grabbed hold of her arm.

"Oh, the light! Such a beautiful green light! It's so pure! Pure green energy!" He seemed happy, almost at peace, but his grip was firm.

Panicking, Dawn looked to Ben for help. "What should I do?" She tried to pull away, but the man was having none of it.

"Such purity…" Finally a nurse came to assist the doctor and Dawn.

"Now Mr. Beller, you have to let the pretty…" she looked up at Dawn. "the pretty green girl go, she has to light up the skies."

"Yes, yes. Light up the world."

The nurse motioned to Ben to take Dawn away. "I'll take care of him doctor." She looked to Dawn. "I am so sorry miss."

Ben seemed almost as shaken as Dawn. Oh my god, he thought. The key, the key is a girl. The key is Dawn. "Dawn, you have to leave. You have to leave now. Before she finds out."

Confused, Dawn could only stare at Ben. "What are you talking about? Who finds out? Finds out what?"


It was odd, this life of hers Buffy thought. She shifted, the weight of Angelus' arm and leg holding her in place, giving her a feeling of security. Looking at his face, so calm, so innocent in sleep, it was hard to believe the demon her lover really was. He had shown her last night just how cruel and heartless a master he could be. And here was the really odd thing. She reveled in all of his perversions of her. What had started out as a punishment had ended in a twisted game of pleasure and pain. Her demon had rejoiced and Buffy had as well. Running her lips across his ear, she marveled at the intense feelings she held for this man, this demon, this beast. Mine, she thought.

Rolling over on top of Buffy, Angelus gazed down at her. He felt guilt at his treatment of her and he despised the emotion. And he despised her making him feel it. But his desire, his obsession, alright, he'd admit it to himself, his love for her out-weighed it all. She smiled up at him, her eyes filled with that same love.

"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours lover?" Angelus queried.

"Oh sweet man, if I told you you'd only beat me again." She giggled at his guilty frown. "I'm just joking. All the wounds have healed and the pain is just a wonderful memory."

"A wonderful memory, huh? I have to remember that next time I have to reprimand you." He pulled her close to his side. Buffy breathed in deeply of his scent, smiling at the smell of the two of them mixed together. No other vampire would ever dare try to come between them, so intermingled had their essence become. This was her life, what was she doing even thinking those people from Buffy's old life had any import? But a promise was a promise. And a hell god was a hell god. And she did not want one interfering in her life.

"I guess we should get up and head over to Joyce's." Buffy got up as Angelus watched her.

"Get ready then. I have a few things to do before we go." Angelus grabbed his robe and headed out the door. Buffy held his arm.

"Are we alright?" There was concern in her voice.

Angelus' first impulse was to make her squirm, but he wasn't in the mood for it after last night. "We're fine. We'll always be fine Buff. If we aren't one of us will be dead." He turned and continued for the door.

Buffy stood in place for a moment, unable to place her feelings. Then it came to her. Fear. Fear that he would lose patience with her. Would stop wanting her. Would stop loving her. He was right. If they weren't alright one of them would be dead. Or perhaps both.


"Took you long enough. Did you have to boff the girl all day? I mean Angelus, the two of you do live together. You can fuck her anytime." The bleached blond man stood to look at his grand-sire.

"Shut the fuck up Spike. Do not ever talk about my mate like that." He looked down at the younger man, anger contorting his face.

"So I suppose asking if I can bed the wench is out of the question?" Spike smirked at the master vampire.

"Only you Willie could get away with asking that. But only once." Angelus sat down at his desk. "Now, did you get the information I asked for?"

"Yeah, but I had to suck my way through half this bloody hell hole." Spike tossed down a folder and Angelus opened it. It contained several photos of a young man, in his mid to late twenties, usually in O.R. scrubs.

"So, he's a doctor? Are you sure he's the one?"

"The sorceress gave me a potion that was supposed to lead me to the male child who was a vessel and this is the one. Besides, I saw him having a heart to heart with a bumpy little demon that seemed to revere him. No regular doctor type would do that." Spike shrugged. "Okay, Hellmouth, so maybe. But with the potion and all, tend to think he's the one." He threw himself on the nearest couch. "Did I do good Peaches?"

"You did good Spike." He smiled at his grand-childe.

"So, for my reward can I have a go at the ex-slayer?"

"No, but I will let you live despite the fact that you just asked me that." The cold look on Angelus' face caused Spike to shiver.

"I was just having a spot of fun mate. No harm done, can't a vampire have a bit of a joke with his grand-sire?"

The door opened as Buffy seemed to glide in. "Oh, it's only you." She cast a half glance at her fellow vampire. Spike openly admired the picture she made in her tight leather pants and snug white t-shirt.

"My grandma, what big…" His eyes strayed down to her breasts before returning up to her face. "…eyes you have."

"That wasn't what you were looking at you pig." She turned to Angelus. "What's he doing here? And is that crazy bitch with him?"

"Now, now sweetheart." He cast Spike a warning glare. "Spike has brought us some very interesting information."

"And what would that be?" She looked over at the younger vampire. "Did you finally leave Drusilla out in the sun to play?"

"No, I solved your hell god dilemma, thank you very much." Spike tipped his head in a mock bow.

Buffy came to stand behind Angelus and looked at the photos he held. "So, this is the man we need to kill. This is gonna be so easy." She hugged Angelus. "Thank you. You are such a genius."

"Hello, I'm the one who showed up with the info. How about a little gratitude thrown this way?" Spike was hurt.

Buffy smiled at the blond vampire. "Thank you Spike." She turned back to Angelus. "You need to get ready so we can go to Joyce's house."

Angelus stood and tossed the photos back to Spike. "I want you to find a couple of guys and go and take care of this doctor."

"Hey! Since when did you become my lord and master? You can't just order me around. I am not your minion." Spike bristled.

"I'm not ordering you, I'm hiring you. You'll get paid. Now do you want the job?"

"Oh. In that case, he's dead." Spike tuned once before he headed towards the door. "You do want him dead, right?"

"Oh yeah. Real dead."