Becoming
Part 2

"Freeze! Put your hands up!" the policeman ordered. "Back away from the girl slowly."

Buffy instinctually gripped onto Libby tighter as another officer came in pointing her gun as well. "Look, look, I didn't do anything." She tried to explain, but they refused to listen.

"Do it now!" he shouted.

Buffy flinched and raised her hands from Libby. Slowly, she backed away from the table and towards the counter. The policeman kept his pistol tensely focused on Buffy as the other officer went to check Libby's pulse.

"She's alive."

Buffy sighed in more relief and asked, "And the others? They're okay too, right?"

They looked at the rest lying across the floor. All seemed to be breathing but they had to secure the scene. The policewoman holstered her weapon and told the other officer, "Get her out of here."

"Please, just tell me if they're okay. Please!" The officer grabbed Buffy by the shoulders and forced her out into the hall. She kept her arms up to show she was cooperating, but it made no difference. "Please, you don't understand."

"You'd do well to keep your mouth shut, missy."

"But I didn't do anything!"

At that moment, Principal Snyder ran up with two more police officers to further ruin Buffy's night. "Why do I find that so very hard to believe?"

"In there," directed the officer. Buffy glared at Snyder, ignoring the other cops rushing into the library, as the officer still holding onto her asked him, "You know this girl?"

"Buffy Summers. If there's trouble, she's behind it."

"You stupid little troll," seethed Buffy. "You have no idea!"

"Attitude problem. Serious."

Flipping herself around and out of the policeman's grasp, she begged, "Look, I need to know if my friends are okay. Please, Libby's hurt and –"

"Libby Winters. Right, your partner in crime," said Snyder. "Tell me, is she at the center of something violently satanic in there?" At the cop's stunned look and Buffy's murderous glare, he continued, "Seems to be a pattern with her. Wouldn't be surprised if you were the true cause of all that too."

Buffy took a powerful step forward, causing Snyder to stumble back, and yelled, "If one more disgusting word falls out of your idiot mouth, I swear!"

"All right, that's enough!" the policeman interrupted and grabbed Buffy's wrists. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and –"

At the sound of unclinking handcuffs, Buffy tactically punched him in the face and flipped him onto the ground before he could react. At the look of incapacitating shock on Snyder's face, she rammed her fist into his gut and ran down the hall as he keeled over.

"Stop!" the policewoman shouted as she raised her gun. When Buffy continued running, she fired a shot, narrowly missing the Slayer around the corner. The other officers went off in pursuit, guns at the ready, but Buffy was gone. Staring at the shattered window that got the brunt of her bullet, the policewoman turned on her radio and stated, "All units, we have a fugitive on foot at the high school. A homicide suspect. Female, blonde, approximately 16 years old. Suspect is very dangerous."

Buffy snuck into the emergency wing of the hospital and kept a watchful eye on the staff around her. She tucked her blonde hair underneath the collar of her slightly oversized coat and made sure that her black beanie was still covering most of her head. Walking up to the provider exams folder on the wall, she glanced at the names on the folders.

"Libby," she whispered. "Where are you?"

She checked every folder at every door, trying not to bring attention to herself, but someone recognized her anyway. Xander put gentle hand on her shoulder and caused Buffy to anxiously spin around. She immediately relaxed at seeing his face and brought him into an overjoyed hug.

"Xander! I was so worried. I didn't know if you were okay." He hugged her back, but the Slayer could tell something was wrong. Releasing him, she asked, "Is Libby okay? Willow and everyone? Where –"

Xander abruptly pulled her into another hug and in the next moment, Buffy realized that two cops were walking down the hallway. "You know?" she whispered into his shoulder.

As they cops walked out of earshot, Xander let go and replied, "Yeah, I heard 'em chase you out. I was just coming out of it." He held up his arm to reveal his right arm in a cast. "Souvenir."

"Xander…" she gasped in guilt, remembering her friends lying unconscious and hurt in the library. Looking back up at him and seeing the darkness in his eyes, she said more strongly, "Xander."

With a sharp inhale, he replied, "It's bad."

"How bad?"

"Bad." Xander led them down a less crowded hallway and explained, "Kendra has a severe concussion. Docs are concerned there might be more going on so she's getting scans. Gage has a dislocated shoulder and should be released soon. Willow and Cordy got a little banged up but they're okay and giving statements right now. But Libby…" He stopped them outside a no entrance door and said, "They keep saying 'major physical trauma' and won't allow visitors. Something about being admitted back-to-back due to violence. No one will tell me if she's even okay."

Buffy put a hand on the door. One push and the Slayer would be inside. Just one… But she was being hunted by the police and Libby had been through more than any one person should in their entire lifetime. Gulping back tears, Buffy forced her hand back to her side.

"I never should've left her." Her voice trembled in a whisper. She closed her eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. "I never should've brought her here."

"What?"

"None of the horrible, painful things would've ever happened to her, if I hadn't…" Buffy choked on the words trying to get lost in a wave of guilt. "I'm the true cause of her suffering."

"No, no you're not. Buffy…" Xander softly reassured, but his words fell as short as his hand trying to reach her shoulder in comfort.

Buffy turned to him in Slayer mode and asked, "What about Giles?"

"He's not here."

The Watcher lay on the cold stone floor, glasses crooked on his face and Angelus leering over him. Giles grunted, consciousness beckoning him to the waking world, and the vampire was right there to greet him.

"Hi Rupert." Angelus kept his eyes on the prey crawling backwards and said, "I wasn't sure if you were gonna wake up. You had me worried."

"I know what you want," Giles strongly responded as Angelus got to his feet and sauntered over. "But you can't have her."

"Who? Libb?" chuckled Angelus. "Oh Rupert, I have her even when she's not with me." Giles grimaced at seeing the soulless vampire place a hand over his heart. "True, I'd prefer her chained to me like the little obedient bitch I was so close to having, but still. I cherish our time together."

Giles tried to back away and felt the two vampire lackies behind him. "You would've never broken her."

"And that's the true masterpiece of Miss Winters. Breaking the unbreakable," Angelus wickedly grinned. "You, on the other hand, you'll break." He walked over to Acathla and taunted, "Already got a crack in your chassis by willingly comin' here with Dru."

Giles focused on controlling his breathing. It didn't matter what Angel wanted or what he would do. Nothing would make him put Libby in danger. Nothing.

"Now, Acathla here, well he's an even harder guy to wake up than you are. I mean, I performed the rituals, said all the right phrases. Blood on my hand. Got nothing. Big doughnut hole for my troubles." Angelus looked over the demon encased in stone and then leered at the Watcher. "I knew Libby would know what I was doing wrong, so I planned on finally siring her to get her to tell me. That way I get everything I want!" He stalked forward, keeping his dark eyes on Giles, and growled, "Only instead, I get you. And sure, you could tell me. I figure you know the ritual. You're pretty up on these things. But honestly, I sort of hope you don't. 'Cause I really wanna torture you."

"Giles? Giles!" the Slayer called for her Watcher as she entered his apartment.

"I don't think he's here," a voice answered her from upstairs.

Buffy looked up to see a shorter man in a baggy suit with a matching fedora loudly descend the steps and demanded, "Who are you?"

"Whistler."

"What're you doing here?"

"Waiting for you."

"Why?"

"'Cause I-I need a date to the prom."

Buffy was not amused. Even under the best of circumstances, she would've felt the urge to pummel him. Curbing that impulse, the Slayer lunged forward and shoved him against the wall by his throat. "I've had a really, really bad day, okay? If you have information worth hearing, then I am grateful for it, but if you're gonna crack jokes then I'm gonna pull out your ribcage and wear it as a hat!"

"Hello to the imagery. Very nice," coughed Whistler. "It wasn't supposed to go down like this. Nobody saw you coming." He walked out into the living room and clarified, "I figured this for Angel's big day. But I thought he was here to stop Acathla, not to bring him forth. Then you two made with the smoochies. Now he's a creep again."

"Creep? Creep!" Buffy spat. "He's a monstrous psychopath who gets off on torture. If you knew half of what he's done to my sister, you wouldn't use such a weak word."

Whistler blinked, taken aback by the wrath in her voice, and asked, "What're you gonna do? What're you prepared to do?"

"Whatever I have to."

"Maybe I should ask what are you prepared to give up?"

Buffy scoffed, patience running dangerously low in her tank. "You don't have anything useful to tell me, do you? What are you, just some immortal demon sent down to even the score between good and evil?"

"Wow, good guess. Your Protector tell you I was comin?"

"She didn't have time." Buffy replied with a threatening tone. "So why don't you try getting off your immortal ass and fighting evil once in a while? 'Cause I'm sick and tired of it falling on me and Libby."

Whistler shook his head and calmly said, "In the end, no matter who's on your side or who you've summoned, you're always by yourself. You're all you've got. That's the point."

"Spare me. I'll never be alone because I'll never let her be alone. So, you can go to Hell."

Buffy walked away and right as she reached the door, Whistler called out, "The sword isn't enough. You gotta be ready. You gotta know how to use it!" The Slayer walked out, slamming the door behind her.

Xander stared at the doors from his seat on the wall. Gage had left a while ago, saying he'd come back when his mom had calmed down, and Cordy had gone to get him some coffee after Willow went to go check on Kendra. The only people he had around him were the orderlies and nurses going about their nightshift. Xander had lost track of how many times someone told him visiting hours were over, but it had gotten to the amount where he stopped responding and kept staring at the doors.

A nurse had walked down the hall on the other side a few times now and finally poked her head through. Xander perked up, extremely hopeful in his seat, and stared at her. She glanced over her shoulder and when she saw there was no one around, she asked him, "Do you want to see her?"

Xander was up and walking into the previously forbidden hallway before he managed to say, "Yes."

She led him down a few rooms and directed him to Libby's. Xander quietly walked in to see her lying so still on the bed. Several machines beeped around her and a couple of fluid bags were hung up, slowly entering her veins. Libby looked so small tucked into the pale blue sheets. Xander sat down in the chair next to her and held her hand, sighing in despair when she didn't react.

"Come on, Libbs." He begged in a desperate hush. "You gotta come back to us. We… I need you." Xander held her hand a little tighter, caressing his thumb over her knuckles. She breathed so quietly and looked so peaceful that Xander found himself resting his broken hand by her face to tenderly stroke her cheek. "I mean, how can I possibly survive without you now? You're the one I got to for things I could've never gone to anybody else for and you've always… You're my best friend." Xander lightly laughed at the words with a pained smile. "I don't know how you did it but you're my absolute best friend."

Xander lifted her hand to his chest and delicately massaged the crown of her curls with his fingertips. Leaning closer, he professed in a whisper, "I love you."

Libby's hand twitched in his and suddenly squeezed back. Xander rose from his chair to hover over her. "Libby? Libbs, it's me. Can you hear me? Libby?"

"Xander?"

Her voice rasped into the air and brought the happiest smile to Xander's face. "Yeah, yeah it's me. I'm here."

"Wha…" Libby flickered her eyes open and sighed when she saw his face. "Xander, you okay?"

"Am I? Yeah, Libster. I'm okay. We're all gonna be okay because of you."

"Is Kendra…"

"She's banged up like the rest of us, but alive."

Libby smiled, but it soon faded. "Giles? Did they take Giles?"

Xander firmly held her hand and answered, "Buffy will find him. She'll get him back."

"No."

"No?"

"No," Libby repeated in a stronger voice and hoisted herself up. "Not alone."

"Libby, I don't think you should be moving yet. That spell took a lot out of you, not to mention the whole being attacked by vampires again thing. You should rest. Lay back down and I'll get a doctor."

She grabbed his arm above the cast and said, "I don't need a doctor. I need your help to get out of here."

The Slayer walked in the shadows, trying to make her way back to the hospital after leaving Giles' apartment. He must've offered himself up in place of Libby when the vampires attacked. She needed her Protector. Needed to know that she was okay and needed to know what to do next. It was the most overwhelming feeling in the world, being lost without her.

She crossed the street as a cop car pulled up. Buffy tilted her head to hide herself, only not enough or not in time, because the lights flashed, and the siren briefly went off in warning. Buffy kept walking as the officer got out of the car, but stopped when he ordered, "Hold right there!"

Buffy turned with the aggressive slam of the door and once again came face to face with a gun. The policeman yelled, "Put your hands on your head! Do it!" Buffy flinched at the unsettled rage in his voice and wondered if any amount of cooperation would keep her from getting shot.

The Slayer very slowly raised her hands when suddenly, the gun was kicked from the officer's grasp and repeated beatings knocked him out cold on the hood of the car. Spike strolled over with a grin and greeted, "Hello cutie."

He stepped closer to her only to receive several punches to the face. Spike grabbed her shoulders and got kicked in the gut. "Now, you hold on a second!" he growled through the pain and shoved her back.

The Slayer pulled out the stake gifted to her by Kendra, causing Spike to hold up his hands and say, "Hey! White flag here! I quit."

"Let me clear this up for you, we're mortal enemies! We don't get time-outs."

"You want to go round, pet, I'll have a gay ol' time of it. You want to stop Angel…" Spike smoothed his voice in order to retain the Slayer's attention and finished, "We're gonna have to play this a bit differently."

"What're you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your ex, pet. I'm talking about putting him in the bloody ground."

Buffy eased her hold on the stake as she laughed. "This has got to be the lamest trick you guys have ever thought up! To think that I would ever team up with you after everything my sister went through! After all the pain I'm sure Angel's putting my Watcher through right now! You unbelievable, evil, pathetic –"

"If you're quite finished –"

"Not even close!"

Buffy punched him again and again, until he started blocking her. Infuriated, the Slayer went to stake him, but Spike caught her wrists and demanded, "Just listen!"

"Why?!"

"I told you." He grunted and unlocked their collided strike to push her back. "I want to stop Angel. I want to save the world."

Buffy lowered her stake with a deep breath and countered, "And why would you want to do that? You do remember that you're a vampire, right?"

"We like to talk big. Vampires do." Spike patted his coat, trying to find his smokes. "'I'm going to destroy the world.' It's just tough guy talk. Strutting around with your friends over a pint of blood." He sat on the hood of the police car and pulled out the cop's pack of cigarettes. "The truth is, I like this world. You've got… dog racing. Manchester United. And you've got people. Billions of people walking around like happy meals with legs. It's alright here."

Buffy stared him down, searching for the truth inside him as Spike lit the cigarette and breathed it in. "But then someone comes along with a vision. With a real… passion for destruction. Angel could pull it off. Goodbye Piccadilly. Farewell Leicester bloody Square. You know what I'm saying?"

"Okay, fine. You're not down with Angel. Why would you ever come to me?"

Spike snickered a moment before admitting, "I didn't. I was looking for your bloody Protector."

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "You were what?"

"We made a deal a little while back. If I made sure Angel didn't torture or turn her long enough for you to come crashing in to save her, then she'd make sure that Dru and I survive this war." Spike glanced down at the embers in his cigarette, remembering how Libby nearly tore his heart from his chest, and said, "And that Angel would be dust."

The Slayer sharpened her threatening tone and replied, "Was that before or after he raped her?"

Spike lifted himself off the hood and dropped the cigarette on the ground. He stared Buffy down as he crushed it under his foot and fervently said, "I wasn't a part of that."

"You also didn't do anything to stop it," Libby claimed as she walked out of the shadows.

They turned to see the Protector glowing in the lights around them, staring Spike down. Buffy reached out and took her sister in her arms. They clung to each other, tears of relief welling in their eyes, and apologetic whispers in each other's ears. They parted enough to share smiles and stood close together to face off against Spike.

He stood his ground, keeping the pierce of his blue eyes on Libby, and strongly responded, "It was the night you said your Slayer would be coming to get you out. Figured it'd be best not to be around for the almighty Slayer wrath when she showed up to see her ex trying to…" He took a moment and shook his head. "Didn't think he'd get that far. He shouldn't have gotten that far if you –"

"Don't put it on Buffy. It's not her fault."

"It's not mine, either!"

"It's not?!" Libby screamed and flung him against the windshield so hard it shattered. "We had a deal and you broke it! You let him –"

"I didn't let him do anything!" Spike shouted. "If I had said or done something against it, Dru would've gotten involved, and that would've been much worse. For both of us 'cause we wouldn't have been able to take them on alone. Not then." He stretched out a leg to push the cop off the hood and sat more comfortably, looking down at his lighter before putting it in his pocket.

"What would you have done?" Libby asked, forcing his eyes back up to hers. "If Angel wasn't there. If you were the one who captured me, what would you have done?"

Spike blinked for a moment. The Protector wasn't looking for guilt or regret or shame. She wasn't looking for an admission of wrong-doing, a fleeting sense of pity, or even an empty apology. Libby wanted honesty in its truest form. She wanted to know what he wanted from her.

"I wouldn't have. No capture, no torture. None of it. Angel thrives on torture. It's his 'art' and Dru had her fun with the spell. Me?" Spike slid off the metal and landed on his feet in front of her. "I would've killed you. I would've ripped into your soft, supple neck and drunk my fill until there wasn't a drop left in your body." He lightly licked his lips and smirked when she mirrored the tilt of his head. "And I would've made it last."

"Why?" she whispered.

Spike's eyes fluttered back from his imagination and into reality. He knew what she meant and simply answered, "Because I never had the need or the urge…" At seeing her frown in disbelief, Spike leaned down close to her face to genuinely say, "And I still don't."

"Good."

"Good?!" Buffy shouted, earning flat looks from Spike and Libby. "This is insane. We hate him."

"And I'm all you've got."

The policeman started to moan awake, so Libby knocked him out again by telekinetically banging his head against the ground. Buffy stared wide eyed, and Spike was having trouble containing a smirk from becoming a full smile. The Protector glanced at them and said, "We gotta get going."

The Protector walked off into the night with the Slayer and Slayer-Killing Vampire following behind. It didn't take too long to change route from the hospital to Buffy's house, though the trek was hardly a relaxing one. Libby kept herself between Buffy and Spike because every time she glanced over to Buffy, it seemed like the Slayer was ready to kill him. Spike was on edge too, always ready for a fight even though Libby wasn't having it.

Once they reached the house, Libby decided to stare on ahead at the door, knowing what event lay beyond it. Not that it meant she couldn't feel Buffy and Spike staring from her to each other up the whole walkway. Honestly, she thought. Will anything ever not be tense?

"Buffy?" her mother called as she pulled up in the car. Nope. Here we go. "Where have you been? Are you okay?" She ran over to them in a frenzy and said, "The police were here. I've been looking for you."

"You know what, Mom, let's – let's go inside and I can explain."

"Who is this man? Who are you? Oh, Libby! Are you okay?"

"Mom!" Buffy called to refocus her mom's attention. "I'm okay. We're okay."

She took Libby's hand as Joyce went off in a panicked rant again. "Buffy, terrible things have happened. What were you doing?"

"What, your mum doesn't know?" Spike questioned, earning death glares from the sisters.

"Know what?"

Buffy looked back at her mother and stammered, "That I'm, uh, in a band. A-A rock band with Libby and Spike here."

Libby glanced up at Spike with imploring but still threatening eyes, so he added, "Right. She plays the-the triangle."

"Drums," corrected Buffy.

"Drums, yeah. She's hell on the old skins, you know. And, uh, Libby, she's o-on the –"

"Keyboard," finished Libby.

"Yeah, yeah. Quite the tickler, this one. With the, uh, ivories."

Joyce blinked at the ridiculously unconvincing lie they were spinning and asked Spike, "And what do you do?"

After a moment, Spike answered, "Well I sing."

"You know what, why don't we go inside and – and we can talk about this." Buffy offered and led them all to the porch. She held tight to Libby's hand as Spike walked beside them, but Joyce was having difficulty following.

"I'm not sure how I feel about this."

They turned around and in the next moment, a vampire jumped out and went to attack Joyce. She screamed, retreating back, as Buffy grabbed the vampire to shove him off to Spike. He struck the lackey several times until he fell back, and Buffy staked him. Joyce watched as it exploded to dust, only it wasn't over. Two more rushed them from the sides. Before they could hurt Joyce, Libby stretched out her hands. The vampires were forced to stop mid-leap and they screamed when Libby's fingers clawed the air. When she clenched them into fists, the vampires' heads popped off and they burst into dust.

Spike chuckled at the sight as he came down the stairs to stand next the sisters. "Some of Angel's boys," he told them.

"Yeah, probably watching us," replied Buffy.

"Or you."

Spike smirked at Libby and said, "They won't get a chance to tattle on us now."

"Buffy… What is going on?"

Joyce looked so lost. But Buffy wasn't. Not anymore. She looked to her Protector and Libby gave her a small, supportive smile. Buffy closed the distance between her and her mom to say with as much kindness and bravery as she could muster, "Mom… I'm a Vampire Slayer."

Joyce sat on the couch with a much-needed drink in her hands and couldn't stop staring at her daughter with her best friend. They stood in the foyer, and it was like watching strangers. The way they spoke, what the spoke about, everything. It was too much to comprehend. And then there was this man with platinum blonde hair and a leather jacket leaning against the railing, staring at them like… well, staring at them in a way he most certainly should not be!

"They can't go to the library. It's a crime scene," said Buffy.

Libby nodded in reply. "They can go to my place to be safe."

"Should I call?"

"No, Xander will call once Kendra's discharged, which I think is soon." Every head jolted to the phone when it rang. "See?"

Buffy smiled and said, "I'll get it."

As she walked into the kitchen, Libby stopped Spike against the living room threshold. He gazed her up and down, from the cold sneer to her crossed arms to her ready-to-kick-you-into-the-ground boots. The Protector might've been damaged, but she was not broken. Spike could sense that, and he couldn't help but be impressed.

"What is it, love?"

In a lowered voice, Libby answered, "I need you to get Giles to tell Angel how to do the ritual."

"You need me to what, now?" Spike hissed with a raise of his scarred eyebrow.

"I need this to go a certain way, Spike. In order to get to the end where Angel goes to Hell."

"Oh, so you were being literal in that bit." Spike let out a low rumble of approval. "Who knew the Protector had a vengeful side?"

Libby rolled her eyes and angrily whispered, "Listen! Once you're back, I need you to keep Giles safe. Safer than you kept me." Spike opened his mouth to argue, but Libby cut him off. "Shut up! You get back and the torture on Giles stops. Get him to tell Angel how to do the ritual another way. Use Drusilla's psychic thing. That way when we show up to fight, the ritual will work and to stop Acathla means –"

"Angel goes to Hell."

"Exactly."

Spike glanced over his shoulder to catch Buffy on the phone in the kitchen and taunted, "There a reason you're telling me this without your Slayer here?"

"Yeah, there is."

"Care to fill me in?"

"I just did."

Libby walked into the living room, arms still clenched across her chest, and tried to smile at Joyce. Seeing the utterly confused look in return, Libby surmised that she didn't hear or didn't understand what she was saying to Spike. He followed her in, eyes darting over everything, and stayed in her vicinity until the Slayer strode in.

"Are your friends all right?" Joyce asked.

"Yeah. They're fine." Buffy brought her attention to Spike and said, "All right, talk. What's the deal?"

After a brief glance to Libby, Spike replied, "Simple. You let me and Dru skip town, I help you kill Angel."

"Angel, your boyfriend?"

Buffy ignored her mom and countered, "Forget about Drusilla. She doesn't walk."

"There's no deal without Dru." Spike looked to Libby and said, "Tell her! The deal was me and Dru for Angel."

"Tell her?" chided Buffy.

"That's right! This deal was between me and your Protector first."

Buffy rolled her eyes and seethed, "A deal you broke!"

"We're mending it now!"

"ENOUGH!" Libby screamed. "Deal is Spike helps us kill Angel and therefore save the world. He does that, he and Drusilla get to leave town without getting slayed." She stared between them before keeping her eyes on Buffy to resoundingly conclude, "If I'm good with it, you can be good with it."

Buffy heaved a deep sigh and grumbled, "I can't believe I invited you into my house."

"So you didn't hurt Libby?" Joyce suddenly asked.

Both girls shot her a shocked look and Buffy exclaimed, "No! Of course not. Never."

"Then how did all those things happen to her?"

"She's my Protector, Mom."

"And you're…"

"The Slayer."

Buffy nodded and before she or Libby could say anything else, Spike barged in and said, "Look, this deal works only one way. Full stop. Your Protector and I already worked it out, so you're the last to get on board this train before it leaves the station."

"Honey, a-are you sure you're a Vampire Slayer?"

Containing the impatient rage, Spike continued, "I'll take her out of the country. You'll never hear from us again, I bloody well hope."

"Fine. Get back to the mansion, make sure Giles is all right." Buffy said, officially on board after an urging expression from Libby.

"I-I mean, have you tried not being a Slayer?"

They all couldn't help but tilt their heads over to Joyce having a bit of a breakdown. "Mom!" Buffy tried to hold her steady before saying to Spike, "Be ready to back us up when we make our move." Spike nodded and went to leave, but the Slayer wasn't done. "If Giles dies, she dies."

Spike gazed over to Libby, who nodded in agreement. With an understanding sneer, Spike left the sisters to deal with the drama at home.

"It's because you didn't have a strong father figure, isn't it?"

"It's just fate, Mom. I'm the Slayer. Libby's my Protector. Accept it."

Joyce took a deep breath and said, "We should call the police."

"No! We're not calling the police."

"Well, now that we know that you're innocent –"

Buffy abruptly stopped her mom in the foyer and demanded, "What? You thought I was guilty? You thought that I would – could – hurt my Protector? Someone who means more to me than I can even say!"

"No, I didn't think that. It's just…" She watched as Libby came up to stand behind Buffy and gave her sister a grateful smile. Buffy unconsciously reached out and grabbed her hand as Joyce finished, "You talk about her like she's… Buffy are you two…"

She let the question trail off, so Buffy strongly answered, "She's my sister."

Sighing in relief, Joyce said, "Okay, so now we have proof in your friend being able to clear your name."

"She's not just my friend, Mom. She's my sister. And we don't have proof. We have Libby's word which won't mean enough to them."

Joyce refused to listen and walked into the kitchen. "Look, I am sure that they will understand."

"Ms. Summers, if you get the police involved, you'll put them in danger. Even get them killed."

Joyce shook off Libby's statement by saying, "Well, you two aren't going to hurt them, are you?"

"I'm a Slayer, not a postal worker." Buffy aggravatingly replied and slammed her hand down on the phone so her mom couldn't pick it up. "Cops can't fight demons. We have to do it."

"Do what? Buffy, what is happening?"

She cast her eyes down to her mother's nearly empty glass and said, "Just have another drink."

"Don't you talk to me that way!" Joyce shout and threw her glass into the counter. Libby winced as the glass shattered and Buffy stopped to put herself between her mom and sister. Joyce was so angry and hurt, so lost in not understanding, and the lack of consideration and respect was fueling her reaction. "You don't get to just dump something like this on me and pretend it's nothing!"

"I'm sorry, Mom, but I don't have time for this."

Buffy's voice was meek, but Joyce's wasn't. "No! I am tired of 'I don't have time' or-or 'you wouldn't understand!' I am your mother and you will make time to explain yourself!"

"I told you. I'm a Vampire Slayer and Libby's my Protector."

"Well, I just don't accept that."

Buffy took a few steps closer to her mother and let her dam of emotions break. "Open your eyes, Mom. What do you think has been going on for the past two years? The fights, the weird occurrences. How many times have you washed blood out of my clothing, and you still haven't figured it out? Why do you think I needed a Protector in the first place?!"

"Well, it stops now!"

"No, it doesn't stop. It never stops! Do–Do you think I chose to be like this? Do you have any idea how lonely it is? How dangerous? That's why I needed Libby! Why I summoned her! I felt so alone and so scared that it felt like I couldn't breathe!" Buffy's voice cracked and she had to tear her eyes away from her mom. She took a moment to catch her breath and then brought her welling eyes to her Protector. "I wasn't supposed to have her with me… I know it was selfish of me. I know the pain it caused, but calling her here didn't just give me a Protector… It made me a sister. A sister I love more than any ritual could make me feel."

Buffy removed her bracelet and Libby's to reveal their tattoos. She sadly smiled at her Slayer and bumped wrists with her in support. Sniffing back tears, she turned back to her mom and said, "I would love to be upstairs watching TV with her. Or gossiping about boys or… God, even studying! But we have to save the world. Again."

Joyce shook her head and argued, "No. This is insane. She's done something to you! Buffy, you need help."

"I'm not crazy!" Buffy yelled as her mom grabbed her shoulders. "What I need is for you to chill. We have to go."

"No, I am not letting you out of this house." She then looked to Libby and harshly said, "But you, you can go. Clearly you're not the kind of influence I want on my daughter after all."

"Do not blame her!" screamed Buffy and flung her mother into the kitchen island. "She's the only thing that gets me through this!"

Buffy shielded Libby from her mother and led them to the back door. As she opened it Joyce called out, "You walk out of this house with her, don't even think about coming back."

The Slayer stilled on the threshold and stared at her mother. The weight of her words pulled her down into a pain she had never known before and for a moment, she was stuck. When she left, Buffy would have no home. No family.

Not true.

Libby held hands with her Slayer, tattoos pressed together in their bond, and found her eyes. You have a family, a home, no matter where we are. Buffy exhaled all her anguish into the house and stepped across the threshold, leaving her mother in the kitchen to breathe in the clear night air with her Protector.

"So, Buffy and Libby are going for the big showdown, huh?" Cordy said as she paced in front of everyone on Giles's couch. "I wish we could help. You know, without dying."

"I don't see how," said Xander. "But Kendra's with her Watcher so, she'll probably be able to help them after."

After a long silence, Willow declared, "I want to try the curse." Everyone looked at her, concerned and stunned, as she said, "We never got a chance to try, and I think it'll work. I think we can restore Angel's soul."

Xander shook his head and replied, "I don't like it. You're talking about messing with powerful magic and you're not exactly trained in the Hocus Pocus."

"Hey, I got plenty of Hocus and Pocus. I got this."

"But you don't, though," Cordelia joined in. "Right? I mean you were just learning about it, not actually doing it."

"Exactly, it's not a good idea."

Willow tilted her head at Xander and rebutted, "There's no use arguing with me. Do you see my resolve face? You've seen it before. You know what it means." She looked to all of them and continued, "This could help Buffy and Libby. If we turn Angel back soon enough, we can stop him from ever awakening Acathla and give Libby some peace knowing that she's safe from Angelus."

"Okay, I pretty much missed out on some stuff, didn't I?" asked Oz, taking Willow's hand in his to ground him amidst all the info being passed around. "Because this is all making the kind of sense that's… not."

"Yeah, it's been quite a ride." Gage darkly chuckled. "But anything we can do to help Libby, I'm in."

Willow smiled at him in thanks and asked, "Go with Cordy to the library to get my things?" With a nod, Gage got up and motioned for Cordelia to leave with him. She gave Xander a quick kiss and they left for the library. Sweetly looking to Oz, she said, "You'll help me get everything ready here."

"Sure." Oz lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. She smiled at him and curled his arm lovingly into her side.

"Xander, go find Buffy and Libby. Tell them what we're doing," she told him with all the confidence she had in her plan. "Maybe they can stall."

"But I –"

"Resolve face."

At her pointing to her own expression, Xander bowed out and said, "Be careful."

Giles was clad in the same chains that were used to torture Libby. Only for him, they were struck into opposite walls so Angelus could stretch the Watcher's arms wider and wider until his shoulders were close to dislocation. It kept Giles torturously still because it would only take one harsh movement for his joints to brutally pop out of place.

And it should've been impossible to keep that still.

After his beating Giles into a swollen and bleeding lump of weakened librarian as a leisurely warm-up, Angelus went in for the real fun. He showcased the taser baton first, shocking Giles at the base of his spine to send the nerves a blistering pain that would web out to the whole of his body. And then piercing the prongs into his chest so the excruciating electricity could seize his heart.

Yet Giles wouldn't make that one jolted move.

Angelus then revealed his new blowtorch. This made Giles scream so agonizingly that the soulless vampire was almost surprised that his lungs didn't burst. Angelus removed the Watcher's shoes and burned away the edges of his feet. At the delightful scent of sweltering flesh, he scorched Giles' shins up to the backs of his knees, even making spirals as the Watcher's cries lost their sound.

And so, Giles finally fell. The visceral pop of his joints being forced from their sockets were louder than Giles' despairing cry. The world around him faded in and out of darkness, sound muffled like someone boxed his ears, and the searing pain radiated into every cell. Giles almost didn't notice when Angelus burned the Nauthiz Rune of constraint and suffering to worsen the overall torture into his left ribs. Or the Perthro Rune melted into his right ribcage to force all his secrets out. No. The unbearable pain became one overall sensation throughout his being. Giles was having trouble breathing in more than a shallow gulp of air and knew that if this went on much longer, no amount of willpower to stay conscious would stop the trauma from cutting off enough oxygen to his system and he would black out… He would die.

And Angel would have no use for him and go after Libby again.

Angelus circled the Watcher as he forced a deeper breath. He was shaking from the life-threatening shock taking over his body as his legs had given out from under him. He was beyond weak and had completely fallen, but he just kept enduring.

"You know, I can stop the pain." Angelus tempted. "You've been very brave, but it's over. You've given enough…" He came up behind Giles and put his hands on both newly dislocated shoulders. Giles cried out at the pain and made Angelus smile. "Now let me make it stop."

"Please," Giles whispered, failing to control the desperation in his voice.

Angelus swooped under his arm to stand in front of him and unlocked his cuffs. Giles collapsed into the chair that had been taunting him the entire time and found Angel crouching in front of him to say, "Just tell me what I need to know."

Panting, Giles strengthened his voice and said, "I-In order… t-to be worthy…" Giles slowed his words to draw Angelus in closer. "You must p-perform the ritual… in a tutu. Fucking pillock." With a glare, Giles headbutted Angelus as hard as he could. Hearing the shout of surprise he caused in the vampire was worth all the more pain it caused him.

"All right! Someone get the chainsaw!"

"Now, now, let's not lose our temper," Spike said as he wheeled around the corner.

"Keep out of it, Sit 'n Spin!"

Spike glanced at the Watcher and realized that one more tiny poke could do him in, let alone a chainsaw, so he told Angel, "Look, you cut him up, you'll never get your answers."

Angel sneered over at him and asked, "Since when did you become so level-headed?"

"Right about the time you became so pig-headed. You have your way with him, you'll never get to destroy the world, and I don't fancy spending the next month trying to get librarian out of the carpet." He shifted in his seat and added, "Protector is one thing. That's a smell I don't mind lingering about, but this wanker? No. Not when there are other ways."

"Enlighten me."

"Drusilla?" Spike called. "Sweetheart?" He heard her sweep over the floor and smiled when he felt her at his side. "Do you want to play a game?"

Buffy and Libby silently walked into the library. It was still a designated crime scene so Buffy had to tear down the tape. Libby glanced around and barely recognized the room. It looked like a war zone. Bookcases were still crashed on the second level, light fixtures exploded dangerously all over the floor, broken shelves around the table, chairs overturned, windows smashed, and vampire ashes scattered under their feet. The Protector crept over to the table as though the leftovers of the ritual would ignite and set her ablaze.

The Slayer came up next to her and reached under the table to grab the bag. "It's okay," she whispered to Libby as she placed it over the bones, candles, stones, and dried blood. "Even though it didn't work the way we hoped, you still saved them."

"Not Giles."

The Slayer put a gentle and reassuring hand on her Protector's arm. "Yes, Giles. You saved him so he could save you, and now it's our turn again."

Libby sighed, taking Buffy's words to heart, as the Slayer opened the bag.

"You do know this is a crime scene, don't you?" The sisters didn't need to glance over to know that it was Snyder. "But then, you're a criminal." Buffy saw him walk closer out of the corner of her eye as he continued, "So that pretty much works out."

"You know I didn't do it. The police will figure it out." Buffy calmly stated.

"In case you haven't noticed, the police of Sunnydale are deeply stupid."

"Not as stupid as you," said Libby. She slowly curved her body to send Snyder a glare so full of hatred that for once, he was at a loss for words. "I know who you are. I know who you answer to. I know everything you know and everything he knows. I know more."

The Protector fully turned to him and captured his baffled, terrified eyes in the power of hers. "Like how you'll fail in expelling Buffy. How your paranoia with covering up the Hellmouth isn't for the greater good. How you'll die. I know it all and I'm done." Everything around them started to vibrate with her telekinetic power and Snyder instinctively reached out to balance himself. "I'm done being a prophetic pincushion for evil to stab at over and over and over again! So do what you want with what little to no authority you actually have over us. I'll still shove you up the mayor's ass."

Buffy lifted the blessed sword from the bag and held the sharp edges close to his neck. Snyder shivered like the coward he was and meekly whimpered when the Slayer swung the sword down to her side. They walked out of the library and left Snyder to fumble with his phone. After redialing a couple of times with quivering fingers, he finally pressed the correct numbers and held the phone to his ear.

"I-It's Snyder… T-Tell the mayor w-we might have a-a problem."

Drusilla lightly dabbed a cool cloth over Giles' forehead. They had harshly put his shoulders back in their proper place and semi-treated his wounds so he wouldn't pass out on them. Giles was in and out, but he could hear a faint voice speaking to him as the coolness of the cloth helped anchor him to consciousness.

"Is that better?" Drusilla asked. "Poor thing. Let's see what's inside." She slithered a hand up to rest on the top of his head and closed her eyes so she could see inside his mind. Gasping, she removed her hand and whispered, "Of course. Of course, you are. Of course, she is. Look at me."

Giles wasn't able to focus on anything. Drusilla knelt in front of him and floated two sharp fingers between their eyes, bringing him to her. "Be in me. Mm. See with your heart."

She brought a hand over his eyes and when she swept it away, Giles was looking at Libby. New life was breathed into him, and he smiled in relief. "Libby, you're all right."

She kindly hushed him and replied, "I am. Because of you."

"We have to get out of here." Giles tried to move but cried out at the pain.

Libby softly placed her hands on his chest to keep him safely in the chair and said, "No, no, no. Slowly. Slowly. You'll hurt yourself worse if you move."

At feeling Libby gingerly look over his wounds, Giles sighed, "You can't be here. It's too dangerous."

"I'm here to save you. Like you saved me."

"No, no sweetheart. I don't matter. You do. You must leave here before…"

Libby raised herself and caught his eyes. "Before Angel? Did you tell him? About the ritual?"

"No," Giles fervently said, though weakness still laced his voice. "No, we have to get him away from Acathla."

"Why? Is he close to figuring it out?"

"Later. We can stop him…"

Libby smiled up at him and nodded. "We can. Together. As a family." Giles reflected her smile with such fatherly devotion that Libby added, "I know what we have to do. So do you."

"Y-Yes, we have to get Angel away from Acathla."

"Angel himself… He's the key…"

Giles nodded, trying and failing to move, and said, "H-His – His blood… H-He mustn't –"

"I know," whispered Libby. "I know, Daddy. It's okay."

It was the way she said it. Daddy. There was no love in her tone or shyness in the compliment or fear of familial rejection. And it wasn't that Libby never called him that. It was that Drusilla had. Such a mean, old daddy, she told him. Giles' eyes rapidly blinked and suddenly Libby was gone. It was just Drusilla's insane grin and red nails tracing the edges of his wounds.

"Blood. Of course! The blood on my hands must be my own." Angel reveled in the epiphany. "I am the key that will open up the door. My blood. My life." Turning away, he said in an afterthought, "Okay, kill him."

"But what if he's lying?" Spike hurriedly replied.

"Yeah, good point. Alright, don't kill him." Angel thought better of it and grinned down at his grand-sired. "You know, I kinda like having you watch my back. It's like old times."

Spike chuckled with him, and both turned when Giles started mumbling, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no… what have I done?"

"Oh, come on, Rupert," taunted Angelus. "At least you don't have to watch your daughters die."

Buffy and Libby got half-way to the apartment when Kendra came around the corner and threw the Whistler at their feet. "I found him stalking around your house wit your friends inside. Thought you might want to talk to him."

"Hey, hey!" Whistler griped as he got back to his feet. "I'm the one who said that we all needed to talk. That there were things –"

"We needed to know?" Libby finished for him. "What makes you think I don't know it?"

Whistler sized her up and replied, "Because in the end – whichever end it is – you won't be the one left standing. Your Slayer is." Buffy punched his so hard in the jaw that he fell back to the ground. Spitting out blood, he chuckled, "You can hit all you want, but it doesn't change the truth. In the end, you're alone. No more Protector."

"Is that really what you have to say?" demanded Buffy. "What happened to the sword not being enough and knowing how to it?"

Whistler got back to his feet and glanced between the three. So young and yet each had a strength that went beyond their callings. He took a breath and said, "The Slayer's Protector, with two Slayers. That's never been seen before. That's never been before."

"Tell me something I don't know." Libby nearly threatened.

"You have a choice to make, Libby Winters. A choice that will become the single most important moment of this world." He stepped closer to the Protector, eyes full of sympathy, and said, "There is a right and a wrong in its making. Either way, this is when the dominoes start to fall. And you're the one who's gonna knock 'em down."

Libby blinked and gulped back the rising fear of uncertainty in his words. "So, nothing about Angel being the key? That his blood will release Acathla, opening up a vortex to Hell, meaning only his blood will be what stops it? One blow to send them both back to Hell, and all that."

Whistler smirked. "You said something you didn't know."

"Right," sighed Libby. "Care to elaborate on this choice?"

"You've already made it. Unless you change your mind."

Libby's breath hitched and she narrowed her eyes. Angel. Sending Angel to Hell with his soul. It's the only choice she's made that hasn't happened yet, but it's what happened in the show. She's just making sure it still happens. For different reasons, yes, but it's the same outcome. How could that change the world? Is that even what he meant?

"You know what I think?" Buffy snapped her sister of out the mind rabbit hole. "I think we can deal. No matter what that's supposed to mean. Because we have each other, and nothing left to lose."

She guided Libby away, with Kendra following, and made their way to the mansion. Whistler glanced around the shadows to see Libby's subtle but trademark telekinetic markers. "Wrong, kid. You got one more thing."

The sun was rising, lighting up the foreboding mansion. But the time the girls reached it, the sun would be far into the sky, shining its rays down to help them in battle against the dark. Buffy and Kendra asked for more details about stopping Angel and Libby explained further. However, the only thought in her mind was what Whistler meant. If the choice was about Angel and which choice was the wrong one.

Xander jumped out of the trees and down the hill, landing in the street in front of them. Libby reacted by flinging him back into the hill while Kendra readied her stake and Buffy yelled, "Xander!"

"Oh! Xander, I'm sorry!" Libby ran over and helped him up.

She brushed off the many woodchips and leaves off of him as he panted, "Calvary's here. Cavalry's a frightened guy with a rock, but it's here."

"And we're glad," replied Libby as Buffy handed him a stake.

Xander dropped the rock and said, "That's better."

"You're not here to fight," Buffy told him. "You get Giles out and you run like hell, understood? We can't protect you. We're gonna be too busy killing."

Buffy revealed the blessed sword from the cover of its blanket as they walked on. "That's a new look for you," said Xander, impressed by the blade.

"It's a present for Angel."

"Only ting dat will stop him," explained Kendra.

Xander nodded, wanting nothing more than for Angel to die, and said, "Willow, uh, she told me to tell you…" He stopped them all for a moment and glanced to Libby. There's no way she didn't know the lie he was about say, about what Willow was really doing, but he was gonna say it anyway. For Libby. To make it right for her the only way he could. "Kick his ass."

Maybe that was the choice? Not calling him out. Because she didn't. Libby briefly cast her eyes down as Buffy and Kendra went ahead and lifted them back up to Xander with a wisp of a smile in gratitude. Whatever Whistler meant; it didn't matter. Angel was going to Hell. She needed him dead.

"Acathla… Mundatus Sum… Pro te Necavi… Sanguinem Meum… Pro te Effendam… Quo Me Dignum… Esse Demonstrem," chanted Angel as Willow began the restoration spell across town. "Now, Acathla… you will be free." Angel sliced open his hand and strode forward to the demon trapped in stone. "And so will we all."

The Slayers and Protectors snuck inside to get a lay of the land. There were dozens of vampires. Even after sending and losing so many the night before, Angel still had so many vampires at his disposal. Not that it mattered. They would kill them all.

Buffy walked out into the open and decapitated a lackey with the sword. He exploded to dust before his head managed to hit the ground. Every pair of demonic eyes found her, and Buffy held her ground.

"Hello, lover." She taunted Angel.

"I don't have time for you."

"You don't have a lot of time left."

"Coming on kind of strong, don't you think?" Angel chided. "You're playing some deep odds here. Do you really think you can take us all on?"

"No… I don't."

Spike soundlessly rose from the wheelchair and rammed a metal bar down on Angel's head so hard that the soulless vampire collided with the floor so hard it broke. Spike slammed it down again and again so hard you could hear Angel's bones bruising.

Buffy lunged forward and took on a horde of vampires that rushed her. Wielding the sword allowed her to take on more than she ever had before, slicing their heads off one or even two at a time. Libby entered from the terrace and telekinetically pulled a group of them back. They dragged across the stone trying to escape her grasp, but Libby held onto them. Focusing her power to chop off their heads and rip out their hearts, one after the other, so she was surrounded by a swirl of ash. Kendra led Xander along the wall so he could safely make his way to find Giles and then dove into the fray, Mr. Pointy at the ready. All three fought the dozens of vampires attacking from all sides while Spike continued to wail on Angel.

"Painful, isn't it?" he growled at his grand-sire. Only before Spike could hit him again, Drusilla tackled him to the ground.

He rolled to his feet and then lifted himself, seeing Drusilla's betrayed glare of insane wrath. "I don't want to hurt you, baby." She grabbed him by the throat and pinned him against the wall in response. Spike easily broke out of her hold and struck her across the face. She crashed to the ground in an unconscious heap and Spike stood over her with a not-so-apologetic look. "Doesn't mean I won't."

Xander slipped behind a curtain and saw Giles left in the chair. He was covered in deep purple bruises that looked black in the shadows and crusted blood stains all over his skin. But the burns… so raw and red… Xander had to cover his mouth in shock.

"Giles? Giles!"

"Xander…?"

He rushed over and saw that Giles was so horrifically tortured that they left him untied. "Can you walk?"

"You're not real."

"Sure, I'm real."

"It's a trick. They get inside my head, make me see things I want."

Xander took a moment to stop figuring out how to lift Giles out of the chair and countered, "Then why would they make you see me?"

"You're right. Let's go."

Xander carefully brought an arm over his shoulders, wincing at the painful groan Giles made, and maneuvered his arm around Giles' opposite side. He made sure not to touch the burns or put too much pressure on the bruises. Giles had immense difficulty standing, let alone walking, so Xander carried as much of the weight as he could. However, they barely made it past the curtain before Xander realized that they'd never make it out without being stopped by one or more vampires. Not at that slow speed and with Giles leaning on him, Xander wouldn't be able to fight them off.

He looked out into the battle and saw Libby dust the last vampire in her cluster. She looked up and caught his gaze. Giles was on death's door and Xander needed help. She quickly found Spike's wheelchair abandoned to the side and telekinetically rolled it over to them. Xander smiled in thanks and secured Giles in it. Libby made sure to protect them as they escaped through the back.

The vampires under Angel's command were thinning out. Buffy was hacking off their heads while Kendra was staking their hearts and Libby telekinetically made sure that the rest created a path for Angel to get to Acathla. Spike found his way over to take out any vamps trying to work their way around the telekinetic field of death to kill the Protector, and that's what Drusilla woke up to see.

Spike was protecting the Protector. He was fighting with the Slayers. Such betrayal struck her heart and she got to her feet in a rage. Spike turned to her, and Drusilla clawed her nails down his face. The blood trickled down his sharp cheekbones and soon she was pummeling him in the head.

Angel finally came around and saw the battle waging around him. Three of them… Buff, Libb, and the other one… all killing his horde. Let them. He surged to his feet and straight for Acathla. Kendra saw this and kicked the vampire she was fighting over to Libby. The Protector caught the vamp in her telekinetic field in time to see Kendra kick Angel in the face.

He stumbled back and roared back in a fury. They lunged for each other and viciously fought. Kendra threw so many blows and landed so many kicks, so well that Angelus was getting concerned. Suddenly, he went on the defensive. Blocking or evading every strike that Kendra made. Libby watched, trying to kill her opponents faster, to make sure that Angel…

He closed his eyes. Listening. Kendra's heart pounded… pounded… pounded… Pound. In the exact moment of its rhythm, Angelus struck his fist into the lower left chamber heart. Kendra faltered, lost all strength, and fell to the ground.

Libby's adrenaline coursed through her like a bolt of lightning and turned all vampires around her to dust, leaving only one for Buffy to slay. The Protector stared at Angelus as he strode for the sword in Acathla's chest. This was the moment. She could stop him before he touched the hilt with his bloodied palm. She could spare him going to Hell and let him soulfully atone, and in doing so, spare Buffy the pain of killing him. She could make that choice.

Angelus reached the sword and locked eyes with her. She glared as his eyes gleamed, and he pulled out the sword.

Everything stopped around them at the flash of light. Drusilla gazed up in wonder, cooing, "Ooh. Here he comes." This gave Spike the perfect opportunity to come up behind her and slowly get her to black out.

"Sorry, baby. Wish there was another way."

Libby rushed to Kendra's side. The Protector saw that she wasn't breathing and felt for a pulse. Nothing. Angel hit her in the chest so hard, he stopped her heart! "No…" Libby whimpered and immediately went to giving her chest compressions.

"Come on, Kendra." She pleaded and breathed air into her lungs. "I didn't save your life just for you to die now. Come on!" She did another round of chest compressions and gave Kendra more air. "You have to fight, Kendra. Fight to wake up!" Libby continued CPR as Buffy and Angel circled each other; swords drawn as Acathla readied to open.

"You almost made it, Buff."

"It's not over yet."

"My boy Acathla here is about to wake up. You and your Protector are going to Hell."

"You first."

Libby flinched at the sound of their swords clanging together. She glanced up to see her Slayer fight Angelus, her blessed blade beating him back, but he kept charging. With a lucky swing, he drew first blood and nearly killed her with his next blow. Buffy dodged it and kicked him back for their swords to meet again.

The Protector returned her focus to Kendra, who hadn't stirred. She continued CPR, only her chest compressions became more telekinesis than physical strength. It had been a couple minutes and nothing. Kendra was gone, which meant Faith would be called. As troublesome as that was, it wasn't necessarily all bad. Libby looked down at Kendra, her hand over the Slayer's heart and forced the tears not to fall. Only it wasn't the sadness that needed to be kept at bay.

Libby slammed her hand down on Kendra's chest and screamed, releasing a telekinetic wave that blasted through the entire mansion. Almost a year in Sunnydale, in the Buffyverse, and she barely saved anyone. Libby barely made any kind of difference. No, the differences were what was done to her.

The Protector furiously raised her eyes and found Angel kicking Buffy deeper into the courtyard. That's where her telelkinetic pulse sent them… where he had tortured her. Violated her in ways… It would happen soon. Willow would succeed in restoring his soul soon.

Angelus blocked Buffy's swing and forced the sword from her hands, kicking her into the sculptured birdbath so she'd painfully crash into the ground. Libby glanced over at Acathla, feeling him trying to rumble free beneath the stone. Almost there. Almost to the end.

Spike gathered Drusilla in his arms and walked out towards the exit as Libby got to her feet. He stopped moving when he met her eyes. A fire had been lit beneath the brown that darkened her stare and Spike could feel it burn with fury. The power radiating off her was like nothing he had ever felt and for a moment, he didn't know if she would allow him to leave.

"Almost got everything you wanted, eh, love?" The Protector tilted her head at his voice. "And I helped make that happen, so…"

Libby turned around to see Buffy slam into the wall outside. She glanced back at Spike and said, "Go."

It was much softer than he anticipated, but Spike wasted no time in rushing Drusilla out and as far away from Sunnydale as possible. There was no way in hell he was ever gonna come back.

"Now that's everything, huh?" Angel belittled her, threatened her with his words almost more than his blade. "No weapons, no friends, no hope. Take all that away… and what's left?"

Buffy closed her eyes and suddenly heard an answer. "Me," stated Libby. "She'll always have me."

Angel plunged the sword forward and Buffy caught it, opening her eyes to say, "See?" She threw it back so the hilt struck him in the face and Libby telekinetically hurled him into a stone wall and out the other side.

Angel rolled with the debris across the floor and landed in front on Acathla. The flames of destroyed candles tried to spark against the stone just as Angel tried to lift his throbbing body to his feet. Buffy reclaimed her sword and charged him, forcing Angel to push himself up after grabbing his own blade that fell through the wall with him. This time when they fought, Buffy had the upper hand, and she cut open his arm so he'd drop his sword and then kicked him to the ground.

Libby's breath caught in her throat. This is it.

The Slayer pulled her arms back for the killing swing when Angelus suddenly gasped. His eyes glowed a brilliant swirl of gold and filled with tears he couldn't name the emotions for… it was all so overwhelming that Angel had to heavily gasp for air. Buffy watched, suspiciously – hopefully – as Angel lifted his eyes to her. They glistened with the weight of his soul and she saw him.

"Buffy?" He closed his eyes, trying to get bearings, and asked, "What's going on?" Angel glanced around and saw Libby standing in the threshold to the courtyard, Kendra lying near a hallway, and recognized nothing. He managed to get to his feet and whispered, "Where are we? I-I don't remember…"

As Buffy slowly lowered her weapon, she deeply gazed into his eyes and whimpered, "Angel?"

"You're hurt," said Angel when he saw the deep cut on her arm. He tenderly held her in his hands and Buffy found herself uncontrollably falling into his arms. He lovingly, longingly, held her to his chest and enveloped her in his arms. "Oh, Buffy… God. I feel like I haven't seen you in months. Everything's so muddles. I…"

At the sound of his true voice, Buffy closed her eyes as her own tears dripped from her lashes. She held onto him just as desperately as he held her and smiled when she felt him kiss her shoulder. "Oh, Buffy." It was him. Truly him and he was holding her. He was back and he loved her.

But it wasn't enough.

Buffy opened her eyes to see Acathla unlock his jaws to open the vortex to Hell. The whirlpool of demonic energy was freed, growing and gaining power to end the world. Buffy blinked away her years and looked over to Libby. The Protector met her eyes and just as quickly, cast them down.

The Slayer knew what she had to do.

She loosened her hold on him and found his eyes. The love she saw there, the trust, the devotion… it nearly broke her down. Buffy brought her free hand up to caress his face and heartbrokenly smiled.

"What's happening?" He whispered.

"Sshh. Don't worry about it." Buffy whispered back. She traced his lips with her fingers and kissed him. She poured all the love, despair, hope, and grief into the kiss, clinging to him until the moment she would have to let him go. When they parted, she gazed up at him and said, "I love you."

"I love you."

Libby had to close her eyes as a pain full of guilt and sorrow pierced through her.

Buffy kept her gaze on Angel and told him, "Close your eyes."

After a moment, he did and Buffy let herself feel the loss as she kissed him one last time. The Slayer stepped away and struck the blessed sword straight through his heart. Angel gasped in pain and reached out to her as the vortex began to swallow him whole. Libby sharply inhaled at the sight and carefully made her way over to her Slayer as the blinding flashes of blue and gold filled the mansion.

"Buffy…"

And he was gone.

The winter here's cold, and bitter
It's chilled us to the bone
We haven't seen the sun for weeks
Too long, too far from home
I just feel like I'm sinking
And I claw for solid ground
I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness, I feel like letting go…

Slayer and Protector walked side by side down the road. Not a word spoken between them. Not until they reached Buffy's street and her house came into view. Buffy slowed her steps until she stopped with Libby standing an arm's length from her.

"You knew."

It wasn't a question or an accusation.

"Yes."

They didn't look at each other. They didn't move closer or away. They remained still, breathing deeply to calm the waves of emotion inside as they looked ahead.

"I understand." Buffy whispered in a stifled cry.

"Me too." Libby softly choked.

The Slayer, with every ounce of strength in her body, stepped forward while the Protector, with every fiber of will she had, turned, and walked away.

So it's better this way, I said.
Having seen this place before
Where everything we said and did
Hurts us all the more
It's just that we stayed, too long
In the same old sickly skin
I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness, I feel like letting go…

Libby stood outside the hospital as Giles was wheeled out by a nurse. He appeared so, shriveled. As though his spirit were snuffed out and his body nearly caved in on itself. The bruises and welts on his face were gut-wrenching and the way he moved due to the tasing and burning was enough to make Libby crumble at his feet. But she stood and took over for the nurse.

Giles gave her the best grin he could without further hurting his wounds and asked, "Are you sure you should be up and about?"

"I couldn't leave you on your own." Libby tried not to cry. "You're hurt much worse than me."

"I'll be all right. I promise." He gently reached out and held her hand in comfort. "How are you? How's Buffy?"

Libby took a deep breath and replied, "Buffy's gone."

"Gone?"

"She left after killing Angel. After I…" Libby trailed off and removed her hand from his to push the wheelchair out to the car. "She won't be back for a while."

Giles deeply exhaled and started cleaning his glasses. "Well, we – erm – we need to go back to the mansion. Check on… everything."

"Zabuto is there now. He called and said he'd meet us at the house."

"O-oh, good." Giles watched as Libby opened the passenger door for him and asked, "What happened?"

Libby froze and clenched the doorframe, fighting back the drowning pain inside. "I-I knew Willow's spell would work and I didn't tell Buffy b-because…" the Protector finally wept, "Because I wanted Angel to suffer for what he did, and I knew the price would be Buffy killing him after…"

"After he got his soul back." Giles finished for her.

She nodded, tears streaming down her face, and said, "I didn't just let it happen, Giles. I made sure it would. And now, I don't –"

Giles forced himself out of the wheelchair in one, bearable-thanks-to-pain-meds motion and wrapped the Protector in his arms. "It's all right," he comforted with caring strokes of her curls. "You did what you had to do. Everything will work out the way it's meant to, I promise."

Libby sobbed into his chest and clung to him as the weight of everything that happened to her, everything she had done, since arriving buried her alive.

Buffy watched them from across the street and felt her sadness, her own heavy weight since the summoning, pulled her down. She tore her eyes away, wiping the few tears she still had left to shed, and left Sunnydale – her Protector – behind.

If all of the strength and all of the courage,
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this…
Full of grace, full of grace
My love
It's better this way…

Season 2 is finally complete! Never thought it would take me just over a decade to finish it, definitely thought I'd be done with the entire series long before now, but that's life and a very chaotic attention span for you. I want to thank all my readers, followers, and reviewers for not only sticking with my BTVS story but also loving it the way you do! It fills me with more happiness than you can ever know! Now, for Libby's journey in Season 3, please go to: Libby the Slayer's Protector (S3). You can find the link in my profile :) So here's to Season 3 and for it to not take another decade to write! Ha!