Xander looked at the other scoobies staring at him. It's like a bunch of Cleatus the slack jawed yokels. It feels like they've been staring at him for a year. "Why is everyone looking at me?"

Buffy looked at him as the glow finally stopped revealing normal Xander. "You gotta be kidding me."

"What?" Xander asked.

Buffy looked at him concerned her special day and he glows. "You were glowing like an angel in white light."

Xander looked at her concerned. Of all the times for that to act out. "Really… well I did say I was learning magic."

Buffy nodded in disbelief. "You did, nice to see it's paying off."

Xander nodded. "Thank you." He turned to Angel and looked at the vampire looking at the box. "What's your problem?"

Angel looked at the box nervously. They were stories. Or at least he thought they were. "It can't be. He wouldn't."

Buffy looked at his boyfriend and saw fear written all over his face. "Angel?"

Angel looked at her. "It-it's a legend..." Giles looks at the box as the vampire continued. "Way before my time... of a demon brought forth to rid the Earth of the plague of humanity... separate the righteous from the wicked... and to burn the righteous down. They called him the Judge.

Giles looked at it. It can't be can it? "The Judge? This is he?"

Angel shakes his head. "Not all of him."

Buffy awkwardly raised her hand. "Um, still needing back story here."

Giles looked at the box nervously apocalypse time already. "Um... He, he, he couldn't be killed, yes? Um, a-an army was sent against him. Most of them died... but, uh, finally they were able to dismember him, but, uh... not kill him."

Angel nodded. "The pieces were scattered... buried in every corner of the Earth."

Jenny looked at it damn it this is bad, but it might work to her advantage. "So all these parts are being brought here."

Buffy nodded easily. "By Spike. The vamps outside were Spike's men."

"If Drusilla is dead he's love sick and crazy enough to do it." Angel added.

Willow looked at them. "Do what, reassemble the Judge?"

"And bring forth Armageddon." Angel finished.

Xander quickly took the chest before Jenny could interrupt. "Alright, I'm gonna go get rid of this thing."

Buffy looked at him. "What part of indestructible didn't get through to you?"

"I think I know a good hiding spot." Xander replied this thing isn't safe on earth he can stash it in the lapseless room.

Buffy looked at him. "Is there a green candle in this place?"

"No," Xander assured her lying through his teeth.

Buffy quickly cleared the way as Xander made a mad bolt out holding the box. If Spike's crazy enough to do anything like end the world they need that thing out of the way.

15 Minutes Later

Xander walked back into the room feeling dejected and just put the box back on the table. "My idea won't work."

"Why?" Willow asked.

Xander shrugged. "I can only guess but the magic protecting that place won't let something so evil into it. Good spell against evil but bad for us."

Buffy frowned so much for that idea. "Well there's gotta be some way to get rid of this thing."

Ethan cleared his throat getting everyone's attention. "I think it would be best if one of you just take this arm and bolt for the other end of the world. My recommendation is to throw it deep into the Deeper Well and play catch with the guy on the other side."

Giles looked at his old friend. "Never imagined an idea like that coming from you."

"I thrive on chaos old man. Not the nothing that will be left over when the Judge is done." Ethan countered.

Giles looked at the box. "Ethan's right we need to get this out of town."

"Angel." Jenny quickly said.

Buffy looked at her. "What?"

Jenny turned to Angel. "You have to do it. You're the only one that can protect this thing."

"What about me?" Buffy asked.

Jenny looked at her. "What, you're just gonna skip town for a few months?"

"Months?" Buffy said startled.

Angel nodded in agreement, though not a single piece of him likes it. "She's right. I gotta get this to the remotest region possible."

Buffy looked at him. "But that's not months."

Angel gestured grandly. "I gotta catch a cargo ship to Asia, maybe trek to Nepal..."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You know, those newfangled flying machines really are much safer than they used to be."

Angel sighed he's not exactly doing this because he wants to. "I can't fly. There's no sure way to guard against the daylight. I-I-I don't like this any more than you do, Buffy. But there's no other choice."

"When?"

"Tonight. As soon as possible."

Buffy looked at him as that seemed to sap the last ounce of strength out of her. "But it's my birthday."

Jenny came over and said weakly to the vampire. "I'll drive you to the docks."

Xander nodded and got back to his feet. "I'm gonna go work surveillance. See if I can find where Spike is hanging his jacket these days. If we can find him maybe we can stop him from putting together the Judge."

Giles looked at him. "Xander, if Spike is alive he'll want you dead more then anyone since you killed Drusilla."

Xander smiled. "Giles I swear on Jesse's grave no one will see me if I find them."

Willow nodded as he walked out. "Good luck!"

"Thanks"

Giles waited for two hours nervously in the library. All he wanted was for Buffy to have a normal birthday. Now here he is fighting another apocalypse. He looked down at the clock. "They should be back by now."

Willow looked up from a book. "Maybe Buffy needed a few minutes to pull herself together… Poor Buffy. On her birthday and everything."

Cordy rolled her eyes. "Oh please what kind of future could she have really had with him? Working two jobs. Waitress by day, slaying icky things by night. Angel's dreaming of the glory days when Buffy still thought the whole creature of the night routine was a big turn-on for her until she started looking older then him."

Willow glared at Queen C. Just like that all good will from this morning is gone. "Thanks Cordy that was tact and brutal as usual."

Cordy shot up with a smile seeing Xander walk back into the room. "Oh good you didn't get yourself killed."

Xander shot up a hurt look but leveled realizing its Queen C talk for 'are you OK?' "Thanks Cordy I'm fine wasn't ever in any danger."

Giles took his glasses down. "Did you find Spike?"

Xander shook his head. "All I know is he's in a factory. Sounds like finding a needle in Kansas. Where's Buffy she should be back by now?"

Willow shook her head. "She hasn't come back yet."

Xander's eyes rose. "So why we are standing here if Spike could still be out there? We gotta find them! We gotta go to that place, the docks. That's where Jenny took them, right? Let's go!

Cordelia looked at him. "And do what? Besides be afraid and die."

Xander glared at her. Queen C even in the clutch. "Nobody's asking you to go Cordy. If the vampires need grooming tips, we'll give you a call."

Cordelia glared at him, stung.

Willow looked at him. He's right even if it is just to cheer Buffy up.

Xander was cut off seeing Buffy in a new change of clothes walking into the library. "Really, you went and got a change of clothes instead of coming back."

"Got wet." Buffy replied.

Xander nodded. "OK sounds fair, the box?"

Buffy shook her head. "Spike's goons have it. Giles what do we know?"

Giles hook his head going through the books. "The more I study the Judge, the less I like him. His touch can literally burn the humanity out of you. A true creature of evil can survive the process. No human ever has.

Xander shrugged. "So what's the problem? We send Cordy to fight this guy and we go for pizza."

Cordy just smacked Xander aside the head in response.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Can he be stopped? Without an army?"

Giles kept reading from his book. "'No weapon forged can kill him'. Not very encouraging. But if we can keep them from assembling him..."

Xander smiled. "What about explosives? They weren't forged can't we just blow him up Wile E Coyote style?"

Ethan looked at him. "That's a brilliant idea bloke. Do you know where we can acquire a rocket launcher at this hour and someone with the skills to use it?"

Xander lowered his head. "No."

Buffy walked to the center taking charge there's no time for in fighting. "We need to find his weak spots. And we need to figure out where they'd be keeping him."

At the table Giles is reading all he can with Willow, Ethan, and Jenny desperately seeking a way to harm the Judge.

Behind a shelf in the library is Cordelia, who is also going through an old text.

Xander rifled through some shelves looking for a new book, and then making sure the others below can't see or hear him, he approaches Cordy. "Anything?"

Cordy absently shook her head. "This book mentions the Judge, but... nothing useful... big scary, no weapon forged can stop him... took an army to take him down blah blah blah.

Xander shook his head. "We need some insight. A weak spot."

"Well, we're not gonna find it here." Cordy tossed the book on an already prodigious pile. As she started looking for a new one.

Xander looked at her and managed to get out. "I'm sorry I snapped at you before."

Cordy nodded. "Oh yeah, I'm reeling from that new experience on top of that dig at me."

Xander looked at her upset. "I'm sorry for Buffy I was crazed."

Cordy pointed at him. "You were too busy rushing off to die for your beloved Buffy." She pouted. "You'd never die for me."

Xander smiled playfully. "I might die from you; does that get me any points?"

"No." Cordy replied shutting him down. "I'm a cold evil creature remember."

Xander looked at her seeing she's still upset. He didn't realize it he just thought she was protecting her image. "If it's about that crack for the Judge please just ignore it I'm sorry." He held up the watch to emphasize his point. "It's just I'm literally on the clock. Humor prevents me from insanity. If I actually hurt you I'm sorry."

Cordy hugged him and said simply. "It's OK. Look thanks to an embarrassing incident in freshman year involving Aura, Tequila, and a linebacker my mom's not going to believe this round robin thing, I can at least give you an alibi to get out if this for a bit."

Cordy walked up to Giles. "I gotta get home I'm taking Xander as an escort so that Spike doesn't rip my throat out or anything."

Giles went to speak up but the two were already gone as Willow just gave a weak wave seeing Xander wouldn't even see it.

Xander looked at Cordy as the brunette came home. "All right we're here."

Cordy got out of the car and looked at him. "You know you didn't have to stay in the car on the way home."

Xander looked at her with a little smile. "Cordy you got kidnapped within three feet of the slayer. Even Willow hasn't managed to pull that one off. I might not die for you according to you but I can make sure you get somewhere safe."

Cordy walked closer to him. "Wow, thank you…"

"You're welcome." Xander replied as Cordy kissed him pulling him closer. Cordy smiled as her hands went lower and Xander almost jumped backwards. "Hands, hands in new places"

Cordy smiled. "Don't tell me you're freaking out."

"No, good touch." Xander assured her and quickly repaid the favor grabbing new places and puling her closer as they deeply kiss enjoying the new feelings she's pulling out of him. For once his life is good.

Giles came out into the main room. The judge is a demonic WMD how can there not be more knowledge on him. "Angel? Any luck?"

Angel comes down out of the stacks with Willow at the desk. Giles sees Buffy asleep in his office and holds up his hand to silence Angel. He follows Giles' gaze into the office.

"Sh-sh-sh." They see Buffy with her head down on the desk. He waves Angel to follow him.

"Seems Buffy needed some rest." Giles whispered.

Angel quietly nodded watching. "Yeah. She hasn't been sleeping well. Tossing and turning." Willow and Giles look at him. "She told me... because of her dreams?"

Buffy walks in, looking at the party decorations. All around candles on tall sticks have burned way down. She goes to the table and walks around it. On the other side she sees Jenny walking the other way. She's confused about that, but gets distracted by several boxes sitting on the floor and goes over to them.

"Now, now pet."

Buffy spins around to see Spike on the upper level holding Angel in front of him.

"Hands off my girl's presents." Spike puts a sharp blade to Angel's neck.

Buffy looked with horror. "No!"

Buffy wakes from her nightmare with a start. Terror of what she saw again clear on her face. "Angel!"

Angel went into the room. "Buffy, its okay." She turns to him. "I'm here." She hugs him close. "I'm right here."

Giles looked at the two concerned for how badly she reacted. "Buffy, what's happening?"

"She had another dream." Angel informed him.

Buffy looked at the watcher, putting images of a slit throat Angel to rest. "I think I know where Spike and maybe Drusilla are."

Giles comes down the stairs. "That's very good, however, you, you do need a plan. I-I know you're concerned, Buffy, but you can't just go off half-cocked."

Buffy looked at him. "I have a plan. Angel and I go to the factory and do recon, figure out how far they've gotten assembling the Judge. You guys check any places the boxes could be coming into town. Shipping yards, airports, anything. We need to stop them from getting all the boxes in one place.

Giles was dumbfounded, well you do get wiser with age and seventeen is pretty old for a slayer. "Yes. Yes, well, um, actually, that's quite a good plan."

"This thing is nasty, and it's real, Giles. We can't wait for it to come get us." Buffy replied even she knew it was time to be serious.

"Right" Giles finished stepping aside for her.

Buffy grabs her bag, and she and Angel make tracks for the door.

Buffy and Angel walked up to the factory in concern. They just have to scout see how much of the Judge they got together. Angel walked forward Buffy right behind him until they heard a sword being unsheathed. The two demon hunters quickly put their hands up not sure where is he until they can disarm their attacker.

Xander looked at them. "Put your hands down it's embarassing."

Buffy looked at him as her and Angel put their hands down. "How did you find this place?"

Xander looked at her. "Followed you, since last time Spike got you wet I figured you might need some help… think I might want to rephrase that."

"I'd appreciate it if you did." Buffy replied.

Angel ignored the two but was sent crashing to the floor three arrows sticking out of his chest as Buffy's eyes widened in panic seeing one in his heart. "Angel!"

Xander shook his head looking at the arrows themselves. "It's OK, the arrows are metal he'll be fine." Buffy pulled Xander to the wall.

Xander leaned over the wall to see a familiar blue hood as the archer notched another arrow as Xander quickly moved his head back avoiding the next shot. "Ah, it's my boy Blue."

Buffy looked at him. "You know this guy?"

Xander shook his head. "Fought him before. I caught him watching Cordelia and then he disappeared. Thought he was one of the assassins Spike hired to kill you." He grabbed a loose board and put it into the line of fire and heard an arrow crash into it rocking Xander's hand. "Yeah, he's not going anywhere."

Buffy dragged Angel by the arms to safety and looked at the arrows. "Do I pull these out or push em through?"

"Push em through" Angel responded as the slayer followed his lead arrow by arrow.

Xander looked at his blades. Who is this guy? "Buffy, I'm going to draw this guy away so you two can get to Spike. If you make it back to Giles before me ask him who this guy is."

Xander played the zyusouken for a few notes as it and Xander's sword developed a green glow. Xander let out a growl hoping this will work as he stabs the ground with his sword. Blue aimed his bow but a spark of green energy surfing the ground went right for him.

The archer jumped into the air as behind him the ground exploded shooting him further for the sky. The archer got to his feet and quickly stuck his bow up as a staff saving his head from a beheading by Xander's sword causing to mock the teen. "Some one's been practicing."

"Hope you can fight as good as you shoot." Xander replied swinging alternately between zyusouken and sword as Blue kept blocking each swing with his bow.

"Whoa" Buffy got out seeing how much her friend has grown since Halloween. But Quickly got Angel up and went for indoors.

Xander growled trying to push his sword to the archer but no good. He's hoping Buffy and Angel are having more luck then him.

Buffy and Angel creep along the upper deck area of the factory. They see a macabre of a party below. Spike, Drusilla and the Judge aren't in sight.

Buffy whispered. "I saw this. The party..."

Angel nodded then grew alarmed, seeing something downstairs. Buffy follows his gaze to The Judge. Who strides across the room with Spike and a now wheelchair trapped Drusilla in a black dress looking less pale compared to what she was. So the ritual did work but Xander broke her back right afterwards. The Judge seems to sense something and the demonic smurf in armor came to a stop.

Drusilla looked at him intrigued. "What? What is it?"

The Judge doesn't reply. Just starts scanning the room… then looked up at Buffy and Angel.

Angel grabbed Buffy and spoke in an urgent, hushed tone. "We have to get out of here."

They move quickly toward the window, but find two minions have come up the back way. Another two block the only other escape route.

Buffy and Angel are brought before the Judge by the minions. Spike and Dru are digging it big time like little kids on Christmas day as the blond vampire started. "Well, well. Look what we have here... crashers."

"I'm sure our invitations just got lost in the mail." Buffy replied.

Spike moved to Buffy examining her closely. He ran a finger along her cheek. Buffy holds her ground, defiant even as he scratched her enough to draw blood as he walked to the wheelchair giving Drusilla a taste of slayer blood.

Drusilla smiled. "It's delicious. I only dreamed you'd come."

Angel tries to shake off the minions restraining him. "Leave her alone-"

Spike turned to his grandsire wryly. "Yeah, that'll work. Now say pretty please."

The Judge stepped forward setting his sights on Buffy. "The girl."

Drusilla looked at the slayer. "Chilling, isn't it? She's so full of good intention."

The Judge starts to move toward her. But Angel breaks free from his captives and moves in front of her. "Take me. Take me instead of her."

The Judge is almost on top of him. Angel starts to shake seeing an end he never thought would come for him.

Spike looked at Angel he mostly did the assembling of the Judge to pull Dru out of her semi mobile slump and cheer her up. But this is going so much better then he thought. "You're not clear on the concept, pal. There is no 'instead'. Just first and second."

Drusilla looked at her daddy in a smile. "And if you go first you don't get to watch the Slayer die."

She motions to the minions, who move in on Angel again, drag him away from the Judge.

Now the Judge moves to Buffy, who struggles against the vamps holding her. She managed to kick the Judge.

A horrified Angel tried to warn her before it was too late. "No, Buffy... don't touch him!"

Sure enough Buffy started to tremble uncontrollably as a fever struck her completely overtaking her.

Angel looked around and saw a cornucopia of TVs and more importantly the chain that holds them up. He looked at Buffy and saw her getting weaker. She's moments away from the burn. Angel summons all his strength and knocked the vampires off him and dives for the chain that holds the televisions. Before the vamps can get to him, he yanked the chain from the ground.

The judge reacted to the groaning load above his head. He manages to jump clear as the load falls and crashes through the floor. The hole opens and revealed an underground tunnel that ran under the factory floor.

Buffy took advantage of the confusion that follows this spectacle, broke free from the vamps and ran to Angel. "This way."

She moves to the hole in the floor and they leap in. Drusilla saw them and called to her minions. "Stop them!"

Xander swung his sword that Blue narrowly dodged. The Sunnydale teen threw a high kick the Blue archer rolled under. Blue threw a couple kicks of his own Xander dodged but it left Xander wide open for the archer to hit him in the back of the leg and put the bow around his neck in a chokehold.

Xander did everything he could to gain some momentum. Anything to keep from getting choked out. He reached for an arrow from Blue's quiver but as soon as he got one he had his hand pushed away by one of Blue's dropping the arrow.

Blue kicked his other leg out and Xander crumbled down to his knees. Xander looked to the right and saw one of the arrows Buffy pulled out of Angel. He reached for the arrow shaft and pulled it from the ground and quickly jammed it into the archer's leg as he shouted in pain. Xander elbowed Blue in the face freeing himself and roundhouse kicking his enemy in the face knocking the archer down.

Xander turned and smiled seeing the arrow straight through Blue's leg giving him a clear advantage. Xander ran full charge at Blue. The archer not getting far on one leg. Xander jumped into the air and buried both feet in Blue's chest as the archer fell to the floor tumbled backwards from how hard he was hit losing his quiver and coughing from the hit.

Blue gasped for breath as Xander grabbed his sword. Blue crawled for his quiver and grabbed an arrow from it with no arrow head. Xander kept walking ready to finish this as the arrow landed on the floor at his feet and exploded in a great puff of gray smoke blinding him.

Xander gasped for breath unable to hear anything outside of his own hacking and coughing for a moment. Once the smoke finally cleared allowing him to breathe again Xander looked around and saw nothing remained of the blue archer but one arrow that Blue smacked out of his hand earlier that Xander now knows is a smoke bomb. "Son of a bitch!" Where does he get those wonderful toys?

Xander walked onto the cat walk and saw Spike near Drusilla in her wheelchair right next to… medieval smurf?

The Judge got the familiar sense from before and looked up. "How can someone like you still reek of so much humanity?"

Spike looked at Xander and his game face came out instantly in blind rage. "You!"

Drusilla looked at him with a curious smile. It's getting closer. "Tisk tisk tisk kitten you're almost halfway there. You're going to have to do something soon."

Xander looked around no Buffy, no Angel, and no ashes. "They got away!"

Spike glared at him. "Yeah, but you won't!"

Xander quickly grabbed the arrow he stole from Blue. "Oh yeah, NINJA VANISH!" He threw the arrow at Dru forcing Spike to dive over and take what he thought was a regular arrow till it exploded into a smokescreen.

Spike let out a low growl he doesn't breathe but he can't see and all he hears is a stupid song for a moment. Once the smoke clears he sees Xander's already gone as he growls and ordered. "Create a perimeter… FIND HIM!

Xander ran into the lapseless room and nearly collapsed on the bed. Damn Blue, damn Spike, damn day he was born. He looked at his watch.

19:49:17

Almost halfway there like Dru said… five minutes rest he just needs… he just… fell asleep as his eyes closed. What can happen in what was left of the night?

A crash of lightning wakes Angel. Buffy is sleeping next to him, the covers pulled up around her naked shoulders leaving no doubts what the adrenaline a night like tonight led to for them. Angel sits on the side of the bed and holds his head in his hands, clearly in terrible pain. He coughed, looked anxiously to Buffy, afraid of waking her. He quickly got dressed and ran outside in the pouring rain. He holds his coat close to him, staggers a few feet, and then falls to his knees. "Buffy…"

He looks to the sky, racked with pain, desperate-

Buffy continued to sleep oblivious that everything was about to change forever.

Author Notes

Thanks to those following favoriting the story and leaving reviews.

I never thought I'd say this about a story that crosses with element found in power rangers but this might be moving up a rating in a couple chapters.