Chapter 5

Angel sat at the table in his and Buffy's room. He was staring off into space and wondering how he had lost Buffy to Spike. Had he pushed too hard? Was it his fault Buffy was with him? Angel slammed his hand on the table and stood up. He walked out into the hallway where Buffy and Spike passed him.

"Poor Miranda." Buffy said. "She really…. Oh. Hey." Angel ignored them and kept walking.

Spike watched him go and then looked at Buffy. "What was that all about?"

"I don't know. I think I really upset him this morning."

"You haven't talked to him?"
"Not yet. I was going to, but then Miranda's father…."

Spike touched her arm. "He'll get over it. He always does."

"I just hope he does before something else goes wrong."

"Well, there's going to be some big pre-ritual thing tonight."

"How do you know?"

"Big Red informed me. She wants us there to back her up in case…."

"Our killer stops being shy." Spike nodded. "Now if I can just get Angel to stop running off like that."

"Want me to talk to him?"

"Do you want a stake through your heart?"
"Not particularly."

"I'll try and talk to him. Class starts in fifteen…. I'm going to talk to Willow before it starts."
"Good luck."

"You too."

Buffy and Spike went their separate ways and Ork let the cloaking spell fall. Buffy and Angel were at odds, leaving Buffy and Spike allied. That would have to change.


"Good job everyone." Buffy said. "Go on back to your dorms. We're finished for today." The kids cheered and quickly filed out of the classroom. "I think I'm getting good at this."
"Yeah." Angel started to follow the kids, but Buffy froze the door so it wouldn't open.

"I could get used to that." She said.

"What are you doing?"

"Keeping you in here so I can talk to you."

"About what?"

"Willow says that there's a big pre-ritual thing tonight. She wants us there to watch for our killer."

"Ok. What's the pre-ritual for?"

"Regaining focus. They're going to conserve their energies until tomorrow. Which means that tomorrow at the big ritual, the most powerful person here will be at their most powerful and ripe for the killing." Buffy pulled out the file from her desk. "These symbols, they've got something to do with a big spell." She pulled out a book and opened it to a page. "Here's the first symbol found on the first body. It means 'transference.'" Angel walked over to the desk and looked at the book. Buffy flipped to a different page. "This one means 'extend.'" Buffy flipped to the last two symbols. "This one means 'endowment' and this last one means 'harvest.'"

"Transference, extend, endowment, and harvest."

"I think they're stealing these mages' powers."

"And there's one more to go."

"Which means that tomorrow night, someone's going to die and the killer's going to reveal himself."

"Unless we can figure out who they're going after next."

"That's what Spike and I thought too. I wonder if there's there any way we can gain access to the mage files?"

"You could ask Ork. We need all the help we can get to pinpoint the killer's next possible target."

"It's whoever is at the top of the I'm-Mighty-Powerful list."

"What about Willow?"

"No. Spike thought that too, but I don't think they'll be after her. She's too new."
"But she is pretty powerful."

"But she's never been to one of these things before. All the other dead mages have."

"I wouldn't rule her out though."

"It doesn't matter any way. Spike's with her. He won't let anything happen to her."

"What about Ork?"

"He's a possibility. Spike's trailing him since Willow tends to hang around Ork a lot."

"Which puts her in danger."

"But Spike's there."

"I don't know why you have to keep bringing him up."

"Because he's helping me while you're off throwing hissy fits about me turning you down this morning."
"So, you were turning me down?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You said it. I'm just asking if it was true."

"Yes, Angel, I was turning you down. It was a hard decision, but it's for the best."

"I'm not going to argue with you."

"Good!" Buffy turned and stormed towards the door. She pulled on it, but it didn't budge.

"You froze it."

"I know!" She unfroze the door and stormed out.

Spike was walking through the hallway and bumped into Buffy. "Hey, watch it."

"Just leave me alone, Spike."

"You bumped into me."

"Oh, excuse me." She said sarcastically. "I'm sorry you were in my way." She shoved him away and kept walking back to her room. She slammed the door and sunk to the floor.


"Spike, you really don't have to follow me around." Willow said.
"I'm just watching your back." Spike said.
"I've got my back covered. You can go annoy someone else for a while."

"Don't have anybody to annoy."

"What about Buffy or Angel?"

"Sorry, Red, I've got strict orders to keep an eye on you and your old pal Ork. You two could be victims."

"Right, cause I'm so helpless."

"Just following orders."
"Well, have you seen Buffy at least?"

"The last time I saw her was before her class started."

"I wanted to talk to her about those files she asked for. Hey, why don't you take them to her?"

"Not leaving."

"Fine, you can come with me then."

"Wasn't plannin' on anything else."

Willow headed to Buffy's room and knocked on the door. When there was no answer, she pushed it open and peeked in. Buffy was sitting on the bed staring off into space and she had tears running down her cheeks. "Hey."

Buffy looked over and wiped at her face. "Hey, Will. What's up?"

"Everything ok?"
"Uh, yeah. I just miss Dawnie, that's all."

Willow knew her friend was lying through her teeth, but she knew better than to pry. Spike, on the other hand, didn't. "It's that ponce, Angel, isn't it? I knew he'd find a way to break your heart again."

"Spike!" Willow said.

"What? It's true, isn't it?"

"He's not wrong." Buffy said. "I just don't want to talk about it right now."

"Well, I've got something that could cheer you up." Willow said, diverting the topic.

"Or not, depending on your views, here." Spike said.

"Here's the files you wanted." Willow held up some file folders filled with papers. "It's the top three mages here."

Buffy took the folders and looked at the names. "Ork, Tarklin, and…. Jake?"

"Yeah. His real name is in a demon language that no one here can pronounce, so he shortened it to Jake."

"Oh."

"But they'll all be at the ritual tonight."

"Where's your name?"

"Oh, I'm not that powerful."

"Yes you are, Will."

"No, really not compared to them."

"Will, you took the essence of the scythe and created Slayers all over the world. That's a pretty big deal."

"She's right, Red." Spike said. "You should add your pretty file to that stack."

"I'm not even participating in the pre-ritual tonight." Willow said.

"But you're in the big show, right?" Buffy asked.

"I have to be. All the mages are."

"Except the kids. My class isn't going to be there."

"That's because they're kids."

"How many mages total are here that are participating in the ritual."

"Twelve."

"And how many magic users are here total?"

"Um, about 34 excluding you, Spike, and Angel." Willow sighed. "Ok, I'll go get my file."

"I don't need your file. What I need is for you to stick close to Spike. He's got your back."

"I noticed."

"Don't worry, Willow. With me watching you, you're safer than houses here." Spike said proudly.

"Says the one who can't enter a house unless he's invited."

"It's a thing."

The door opened and Angel walked in. He stopped when he saw everyone. "I didn't know there was a party."

"No party, mate, we were just leaving." Spike looked at Willow.

She got the hint. "Oh, right. I'll see you later tonight." Willow hugged Buffy. "See ya, Angel."

Angel watched them leave and noticed that Buffy didn't follow. She just sat on the bed and stared at everything but him. "What did you mean earlier?" He asked, shutting the door.

"What?" Buffy asked, glancing up at him.
"When you said three times with me…. What did you mean?" Buffy didn't say anything. "I just want to know."

"Yeah, I remember." Buffy stared at him, trying to hide the hurt behind her eyes by flashing rage at him. "I remember how we had this…. This incredibly unbelievable day together and I remember how we could have spent the rest of our lives like that. I remember you taking away my voice before you even told me what was going to happen. I remember you deciding that it was best for me that you go back to sulking around at night. But do you know what I remember most of all, Angel?" He looked at her as she stood up to stand in front of him defiantly. "I remember what it felt like to have my heart yanked away by you and from that moment on, I was never allowed to have a lasting relationship with any guy I met. I was doomed from that moment on to be so…. HUNG UP on you…. To be so CONSUMED by you that I couldn't allow anyone else in. I didn't understand why Riley and I didn't work out. I didn't understand why I strung Spike along for so long like I did. I didn't understand why he could love me when I could never love him. I didn't understand why I couldn't even keep Robin Wood around! Why I practically handed him over to Faith…. It was all because of you! You took my heart away and now I'll never love anyone because my heart still belongs to you."

There was a moment that passed between them as they stared at each other and then their lips smashed together and Angel held her tightly against him. He wound his fingers through her hair and held her lips to his, their tongues dueling for superiority. Their bodies melded together and they pressed harder. Angel's other hand slid up Buffy's back and then back down to grasp her bottom. She jumped and he lifted her easily into his arms as she wrapped her legs around him. He turned her and slammed her against the door. Her hand shot up and slammed against the wall behind her as Angel's mouth moved down her neck and to her chest.

Both of them knew where this was going, but neither of them had the strength to stop it. Buffy slid her skirt higher up and moved her panties aside as Angel somehow managed to unzip his pants and free himself. Just before he entered her, there was a moment of hesitation. They looked at each other, knowing full well that they shouldn't go there. It was too dangerous. Angelus would be back and Buffy wouldn't be able to kill him. Then he slid into her. They didn't care. Too much time had passed that their bodies desperately needed to make up. They couldn't stop. Not now.

It all felt like a dream. The sex was almost animalistic, but it was tender at the same time. Angel felt the need to wipe away the scent of any other males that had touched his Buffy and leave nothing but him there. But he didn't want to hurt her. And Buffy just wanted to feel him. All of him. Every last inch of him. She couldn't get enough of him. Damn the world. Damn everything but this time and this place and the sensations that coursed through her and electrified every nerve ending within her. Buffy and Angel needed each other to live. They were oxygen to each other. If that meant that they would be together as soulless creatures, then they didn't care. They would be together, one way or another.

Buffy cried out as she felt her body hum and shudder and respond to his thrusts, then she seemed to explode outward. Angel dropped to the beautiful Persian rug as he felt himself peak with her. They managed to work their clothes off of each other and Buffy grabbed the sheet from the bed. A fire started magically as they came a second time. They didn't stop. Not for hours. They didn't know how long they had, but they intended to use every second of it. When they came for the eleventh time, both of their bodies were too tired to go on. They wanted more, but they couldn't continue, so they laid in each others arms and waited for the inevitable.