Sunnydale Beginnings

by emerald sorceress

AU. The prequel to Werewolves of L.A. Buffy Summers is an ordinary girl living an ordinary life until her Mom gets a job in a backwater town called Sunnydale. She thinks her life has come to an end. In fact, it's only just beginning…

2. The Witch

Feedback: YES! Feedback and criticism (but only constructive) is not only appreciated, it's one of the things that makes writing so much fun!

Disclaimer: I do not own BTVS, but I really wish I did. Angel leaving? Never would have happened.

Pairing: B/A (eventually), W/O, S/F

Summary: AU. The prequel to Werewolves of L.A. Buffy Summers is an ordinary girl, living a normal life, until her Mom gets a job as a museum curator in a little town called Sunnydale. She thinks her life has come to an end. In fact, it's only just beginning…

-#-#-

She raised an eyebrow at their explanation. "So you're all werewolves, 'cept for Kendra and Merrick, who are in fact, human with nifty powers".

"Actually," said Merrick, "only Kendra has special powers, as her Watcher I just…"

"Watch?" Offered Buffy.

"Yes! No!" He exhaled loudly. "A watcher, he, he trains her, he prepares her…"

"And what? Now she's got her own lil' group of blood hounds? Like Lassie?"

There was a loud growl from Angel. "We are not dogs…"

"But not human?"

Giles took his glasses off and cleaned them needlessly again. It seemed to be a habit of his, Buffy noted.

"In Mythology werewolves are entities that are human but shape shift into animal form during certain lunar aspects which affect their DNA. The wordwerewolf' or 'lycanthrope' actually comes from the Greek words lykoi, "wolf" and anthropos, "man". In reality the change can be voluntary (at will), or can be forced by certain cycles of the moon, for example the full moon and the two nights surrounding it."

"He loves saying that," said Xander to Buffy with a smirk.

Buffy exhaled. "Well that certainly explains a lot."

"If I may say so my dear, you seem to be taking this all in your stride." Buffy grinned at the librarian.

"Trust me, Giles," she said. "The fact that you're a werewolf, is so much a better deal than you being what I thought you were before." Giles looked confused and Faith popped her chewing gum at him.

"I'll explain later."

Buffy got up to leave when Xander grabbed her hand.

"So, we're okay then?"

"Yeah," she said. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Well, it's just you know with the whole, I turn into a rampaging beast three nights a month thing, most people would be freaked."

Buffy squeezed his hand. "Hey, three days of the month I'm no fun to be round either." She shifted her shoulder bag. "Right well I've gotta book guys otherwise I'm gonna be late for class."

Angel got up as well. "I'll walk you." Buffy smiled at him, the kind of smile Xander noticed, that she only gave to Angel, like suddenly he was the only thing in the room.

"Sure," she said casually. She turned and waved good bye to the group before walking out of the door, Angel placing his hand in the small of her back as he followed her out. The door swung shut behind them and Spike slapped Xander's shoulder in consolation.

"She's out of your league, kid. Especially now she and the poof are making cow eyes at each other."

Xander shoved the hand off him. "Gee Spike, you really know how to make a guy feel better."

Spike lit a cigarette and took a drag. "Well I'm only telling you how it is mate. You can't be mad at me for telling you the truth."

"Spike!" Said Giles crossly, as he began to file books away into the back shelves of the library. Xander smirked at Spike.

"At least someone supports me."

"Put that cigarette out, will you? There's a no smoking policy in the library, or in fact anywhere in the school grounds."

It was Spike's turn to grin. "You were saying?"

-#-#-

"So," said Buffy, as they walked through the school. "Do you have class this way, or…"

"Listen Buffy," said Angel interrupting her. "I know that you're fine with us all being werewolves but I don't think that…" He paused and searched for the right words.

"Don't think what Angel?"

"Hanging around with us is dangerous Buffy, you know that from last night, and maybe you should…"

"Stay away, is that what you want me to do?" Said Buffy angrily. "You don't think the poor little human girl can handle it?"

"No! I just want you to be safe, to do normal human things, rather than hang around with a bunch of lycanthropes who seem to attract danger."

"So what you're really saying is go away."

"No Buffy, you can still hang round with us it's just that…"

"When things get a little hairy you want me to run away and cower in the corner helplessly?"

Angel was starting to get annoyed now. "No, I want you safe, and I can't do that when you're around me."

"So now it's my fault I'm a distraction."

He growled. "You're not a responsibility I want."

"A responsibility? That's rich coming from you Angel. Do you even know what one of those is?"

Angel saw red and snapped back. "I'm an alpha male wolf Buffy, which means that the whole pack is my responsibility. I have to look after each and every one of them and make sure that they're okay, that in a fight they're covered. I can't do that when I've got a tag along human child to look after. You're a liability! I don't need to deal with someone whose stupid lovesick fantasies are going to get someone killed."

He regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth. Buffy flinched.

"Wow," she said, trying to swallow past the lump in her throat. "You don't pull your punches do you?" She managed a small sad smile. "Well, at least I know what you think of me now huh?"

"Buffy I…"

"No, don't apologise." She sniffed and blinked suspiciously bright eyes. "Well I've gotto go, uh thanks for walking with me, I think I can find the class from here now."

"Buf…"

"Goodbye Angel."

He watched her walk away and tried to tell himself that it was all for the best. At least this way she wouldn't get hurt later on. He sighed. If this was a good thing why did it feel like someone had just punched him in the stomach and ripped out his heart? Ignoring the sick feeling in his gut Angel turned and made his way back to the library where he knew Spike and Faith would be.

He needed a cigarette.

-#-#-

"Cheerleading? Are you serious?"

"Yep," said Buffy. "I've signed myself up and I have tryouts this afternoon."

"But it's cheerleading," said Willow. "You have to mix with people like Cordelia on a regular basis."

Buffy managed a grimace. "Yeah but it's also human, the American dream and in no way supernaturally based. Plus I can't see Angel going to a basketball game so I also avoid him as well."

Willow frowned at her friend. "So you're doing this to get away from Angel?"

"And why wouldn't she?" Interjected Xander. "The bastard."

"No," said Buffy glaring at Xander. "I did it before at Hemery." She sighed. "And Angel's right. I am in the way and I'm gonna get you guys hurt. Cheerleading's a lot safer."

They walked through the doors of the gym. "Well, we're behind you," said Willow consolingly. "Angel's not always right you know. I don't think you'd be in the way."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks Will, but we both know the truth. Besides this is something I want to do. Honest." She glanced over at Xander who was watching Amber do splits between two chairs.

"People scoff at things like school spirit, but look at these girls giving their all like this!"

"Xander?"

The teenage boy shook himself and left whichever fantasy land he had suddenly gone to. "Sorry, where was I?"

The two girls laughed. "You were pretending that seeing scantily clad girls in revealing postures was a spiritual experience."

"Who said I was pretending?"

He turned to Buffy and casually handed her a bracelet. "Oh, hey! Here's a good luck thing for tryouts." And also to help you forget Angel he added mentally.

"Oh, how sweet!" She turned the bracelet into the light to read the inscription. "Yours Always."

Xander laughed nervously. "It…it came that way, really, they all said that!"

Willow rolled her eyes but said nothing, groaning as she noticed Cordelia coming over to them.

"Just look at that Amber. Who does she think she is, a Laker Girl?" Buffy hid a smirk as she noticed how mad Cordelia was getting.

"I heard she turned them down," said Willow, nervously biting her nails, and watching as Joy (the cheerleading squad leader) stepped up with a clipboard and called for everyone's attention.

"Okay, listen up! Let's begin with Amber Grove. If you're not auditioning, move off the floor." Willow suddenly noticed Amy coming to stand next to her.

"Amy! I didn't know you wanted to be a cheerleader. You lost a lot of weight."

"Had to," said Amy matter-of-factly. Willow turned to Buffy next to her and introduced her. The two girls exchanged greetings and then watched as Amber began her routine.

"Oh, how I hate this, let me count the ways," muttered Amy as she watched the athletic girl begin with a needle-split lift followed by a double spin and a jumping double spin. After landing, Amber launched herself into her next steps whilst Amy muttered jealously to Buffy.

"She trained with Benson. He's one of the best coaches money can buy."

"They have cheerleading coaches?" Said Buffy worriedly. Great, now I have no chance of getting into the team.

"Oh, yeah! Don't you have one?" Said Amy surprised. "I train with my Mom, three hours in the morning, three at night," she added confidentially.

"Hmm, that much quality time with my Mom would probably lead to some quality matricide," joked Buffy.

"Oh, I know it's hokey. But she's really great."

The two girls focussed back on Amber's routine as she continued to amaze everyone watching in the small gym. Suddenly Amber's hands began to smoke.

"What the...?"

"That girl's on fire!" Said Willow astonished, horrified as Amber's hands caught fire. She screamed and dropped her pom-poms, flailing her hands in the air. Buffy jumped up onto the stands and pulled down a banner, before running back to the flaming cheerleader and knocking her down to snuff out the flames with the banner.

"It's okay, it's okay, you're gonna be... okay," comforted Buffy as she rocked the girl gently. Xander and Willow rushed over too, though they could do nothing more than stand around helplessly and wait for the ambulance to arrive.

"So much for cheerleading being the safe option," joked Xander.

"Now is so not the time."

-#-#-

"Well, I've seen some pretty odd things, last night being the weirdest yet, but I've never seen anyone's hands get toasted." Buffy drummed her fingers against the table. "This isn't vampire related, is it?"

"No," said Giles.

"Just checkin'. But it is funky, right? Not of the norm?"

"Quite. Spontaneous human combustion is, is rare, and, and scientifically unexplainable, but there have been cases for hundreds of years. Usually all that's left is a pile of ashes." Giles scratched his head and then cleaned his glasses for the fifth time and counting in the space of ten minutes.

"That's all that would have been left if it hadn't been for Buffy."

"So, we have no idea what caused this. That's a comfort," said Xander humourlessly.

"But that's the thrill of living on the Hellmouth! There's a veritable cornucopia of, of fiends and devils and, and ghouls to engage." Everyone looked at Giles. He coughed, embarrassed. "Pardon me for finding the glass half full."

"So," said Buffy, trying to get away from the librarian's bizarre enthusiasm. "Any common denominators in cases of spontaneous combustion?"

"Uh, rage. In most cases the person who combusted was, was terribly angry or, or upset."

"So maybe Amber's got this power to make herself be on fire. It's like the human torch, only it hurts." Xander frowned. "Wait, that's a stupid theory."

"Well, you did come up with it Xander."

"Ooh, the G-Man gets witty." Xander glared at Giles. "So not appreciated at this moment."

Buffy rolled her eyes at the exchange. "Well, we need to get the skinny on Amber. Find out if she's had any colourful episodes before."

"That means hacking illegally into the school's computer system. At last, something I can do!" Said Willow gratefully.

"Well so much for not getting involved," muttered Buffy to herself. Willow's sensitive hearing still picked it up though.

"Are you okay with this Buffy? You can still leave if you're not…"

"What d'ya mean? We're a team! Aren't we a team?" Said Xander. "If Buffy wants to do this why shouldn't she?"

Buffy looked between the two of them and then made up her mind.

"Screw Angel. I tried his way and it ended up with a girl getting her hands used as woodburner. In Sunnydale nowhere seems to be safe, and if I'm going to get into trouble I'd much rather I was with you guys than anywhere else."

"Well said," said Giles quietly.

"It's okay," said Xander. "I'll protect you. I laugh in the face of danger…then I uh, hide until it goes away."

Buffy smiled at the sentiment. "Okay, well just be careful, at least until we know a little more. I mean, what if Amber isn't causing these problems herself?"

"Well, then we have to determine who or what did, and, uh, deal with it accordingly," said Giles.

"Right," said Buffy. "I don't suppose I have to say don't mention this to Angel?"

"Duh," said Xander. "How stupid do you think we are?"

…

"Wait, don't answer that."

-#-#-

"I told Buffy about Amber," said Willow as they walked along the colonnade.

"Cool! Was she wearin' it? The bracelet, she was wearin' it, right?" Xander smiled to himself. "Pretty much like we're goin' out."

Willow frowned. "Except without the hugging or kissing or her knowing about it."

"So I'm just a figure of fun." He sighed. "I should ask her out, right?"

"You won't know till you ask." Xander grinned and punched her playfully.

"That's why you're so cool! You're like a guy! You're my guy friend that knows about girl stuff."

"Oh, great. I'm a guy." Willow's sarcasm was lost as Xander ran off to check the list of names for the cheerleading squad, leaving a fuming Willow behind him. She watched as Cordelia came out of the crowd of pushing girls and smiled nastily at Amy.

"You're lucky!"

"I made it?" Asked Amy hopefully.

Cordelia gave her a withering look. "No stupid, I made it!" At that moment Xander came back grinning from ear to ear.

"Okay, not only did you make the team, but you, Miss Summers, are the first alternate and Amy's number three." Holding back tears, Amy took off unnoticed by Xander, but Buffy's eyes tracked her as the girl blindly pushed her way through the mingling students, intent on finding the girl's bathrooms, locking herself in a cubicle and sobbing.

"And what a better way to celebrate than with a romantic drive through..."

"Xander," interrupted Willow, "Alternates are the ones who didn't make the team, they only fill in if something happens to the ones who did."

"Excuse me," said Buffy, rushing off to try and console Amy.

A downtrodden Xander sat down heavily on a nearby wall. "For I am Xander, King of Cretins. May all lesser cretins bow before me."

-#-#-

Xander's luck continued to be the same.

"This is the invisible man syndrome. A blessing in Cordelia's case. A curse in Buffy's."

Willow closed her locker and repeated the same argument she'd had with him 20 minutes earlier. Clearly the message wasn't sinking in. "You're not invisible to Buffy." She chewed on her pen as she fiddled with the lock.

"It's worse! I'm just like a part of the scenery, like an old shoe. Or a rug that you walk on every day but don't really see."

"Like a pen that's all chewed up, and you know you should throw it away, but you don't, not 'cause you like it so much, more 'cause you're just used to it..."

"Will, yeah, that is the point, you don't have to drive it through my head like a railroad spike." He ran a hand through his hair as if trying to calm himself down. "I'm gonna take your advice and not beat around the bush."

Willow winced and realised that her casual words of encouragement to Xander had now been taken to heart, especially since he thought that Buffy would just get over Angel after their argument. Seeing the inevitable car crash that would happen when Xander had his hopes crushed she hurriedly tried to backtrack.

"Or I could be wrong! Maybe you should beat around the bush more."

But Xander wasn't taking the hint. "Nah, I gotta be a man and ask her out. Y'know, I gotta stop giving her ID bracelets, uh, subtle innuendoes, taking Polaroids outside of her bedroom window late at night, that last part is a joke to relieve the tension because here she comes."

The girl in question came out of her classroom and began to walk over to them.

Xander took a deep breath. "Okay, into battle I go." He turned desperately to Willow. "Would you ask her out for me?" At her disapproving look he visibly pulled himself together. "No. Man. Me battle."

He called out to Buffy as she came closer to them. "Buffy! Would you like to, uh..."

"Is that even Cordelia's locker?" Said Buffy, puzzled, as she watched the cheerleader struggle to open the combination on the lock, before giving up and continuing down the hall.

"Huh?" Said Xander, momentarily put off. "Oh, I don't know. What I'm saying is accompany me Friday night..."

But Buffy wasn't paying any attention at all, instead being preoccupied watching Cordelia weave her way down the corridor.

"Xander, I have to, um...We can make this up later. You don't mind, do you?" She gave him her books without another word and raced after Cordelia.

Willow glanced over at Xander who was still silently mouthing words to the air where Buffy had been. "Come on," she said consolingly, as though she was talking to a small child. "Let's go have ice-cream."

-#-#-

"So Cordelia nearly crashes the car because somehow she's now unable to see. She had like this yucky white film across her eyes."

"Witchcraft. Blinding your enemy to disorient and disable them- it's a classic!" Said Giles, as they assembled round the library table. Fortunately for Buffy, Angel was once again nowhere to be seen. No pun intended.

"First vampires, now witches. No wonder you can still afford a house in Sunnydale," said Xander, somewhat recovered after shoving the contents of two tubs of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia down his throat.

"But why should someone want to harm Cordelia?" Asked Giles curiously

"Maybe because they met her? Did I say that?" Willow looked shocked at herself, then grinned at Buffy.

"And setting Amber ablaze?"

"Yeah, those guys don't hang..."

"They're both cheerleaders."

"Someone doesn't like cheerleading," said Giles almost sympathising with the witch.

Buffy glared at him, "Or likes it too much."

It hit Willow. "Amy!"

"Amy," agreed Buffy.

"So, you guys are leaning towards Amy?"

Buffy ignored Xander. "She's desperate to get on that team, and I've got this feeling she'd do just about anything to make her Mom's dream come true."

"Uh, let me make sure I have this right," said Giles in disbelief. "This witch is casting horrible and disfiguring spells so that she can become a cheerleader?"

"I think you're underestimating the amount of pressure a parent can lay on you. If you're not a picture perfect carbon copy they tend to wig, and cheerleading was kind of her Mom's last hurrah."

Giles wiped his glasses. "Well, I still think we should be sure she's the witch before we arouse her suspicions. She's capable of some fairly unpleasant things."

At that moment Faith waltzed into the library and dropped into an empty chair.

"So…Lishanne's got no mouth."

"Well, that'll disappoint the rest of the guys in the locker room." There was a deadly silence and Xander hurriedly changed tack.

"Look's like Amy's struck again. That means you're next on the list then Buffy, right? I mean, you're the only thing standing between Amy and her place on the team."

"Super."

-#-#-

Buffy jumped gleefully as Willow and Xander walked in to watch the cheerleading practice the following day.

"Willow! Xander! My buds are here! I love my buds! Hi! Hi... Oh..." She hurriedly got back into line as she noticed everyone staring, and the routine continued.

"Is it me, or is Buffy a bit looped?" Willow cast a worried gaze over her friend as the cheerleaders followed with a series of assisted cartwheels.

"We better get her outta there."

"Yeah, before she hurts someone."

And then Buffy overthrew Joy who was sent crashing to the floor. Willow was glad at that moment that Buffy didn't have super strength or Joy would have gone sailing straight into the wall.

"Did I do that?" Said Buffy innocently as Joy pushed her angrily.

"You are so out of here!" Willow and Xander each grabbed one of Buffy's arms.

"It's not her fault!"

"She's on medication."

"What?!" Said Buffy glaring at Xander.

"Well, obviously not enough," said Joy. "Who's our next alternate? Oh. Amy, you just made cheerleader."

"No, no, no. You don't want her, she's a wi..."

Xander clamped his hand over Buffy's mouth. "A wise choice indeed!"

He and Willow pulled Buffy away, nodding and casting nervous smiles at Amy and Joy, pretending to support her between them till they got her out of the gym. Once out of the watching eyes of the cheerleaders, Xander effortlessly picked Buffy up in his arms in order to carry her down the hall, with Willow tagging along beside.

"I just got kicked off the team, didn't I?" Moped Buffy, sinking further into Xander's arms, curling her head under his chin.

"I don't think it was your fault," said Xander, enjoying the position he was currently in.

"Hmm, I know you don't, that's 'cause you're my friend. You're my Xander-shaped friend!" Buffy leaned further in and started to play idly with the top buttons of Xander's shirt. "Do you have any idea why I love you so, Xander?"

Xander and Willow exchanged glances as he grinned triumphantly.

"I'll tell you! You're not like other boys at all."

"Well..."

"You are totally, and completely, one of the girls!" She titled her head over to speak to Willow. "I'm that comfy with him."

Willow smiled widely.

"That's great," said Xander, desperately trying not to look too crushed.

"Any other guy who'd give me a bracelet, they'd... wanna date me, and be like a..." She stopped suddenly, beginning to feel woozy. "Oh. I, I don't feel so good."

"Buffy?"

She made no sound as she slipped into unconsciousness.

-#-#-

Xander barged through the library doors with Buffy in his arms, skidding to a halt when he noticed that the rest of the pack were there, including Angel, casually playing cards on the table. Their heads snapped up as one, taking in the scene, while Angel's eyes immediately focussed on Buffy.

"What happened?" He growled as he helped Xander lay her back on a chair.

"What do you care?" Snapped Xander as he smoothed back her hair from her face. "She isn't your responsibility, or don't you remember?" The accusations he'd flung at her in their argument suddenly came back to haunt Angel. Ashamed, he found he had no reply and instead went to find a wet cloth to put on Buffy's forehead.

"We've gotta get her to a hospital!" Said Willow urgently, feeling Buffy's temperature spike under the back of her hand.

"They can't help her," said Giles, urgently flipping through a thick text on Black Magik. Finding the page he was looking for he scanned down the elegant script, reading out loud. "This is a bloodstone vengeance spell. Hits the body hard like a, a quart of alcohol, and then it e-eradicates the, uh, immune system."

Willow took the wet cloth gratefully from Angel and put it gently on Buffy's hot forehead. There was no need to take her pulse- the pack could feel the rapid beat pulsing through them, throbbing on the tip of their tongue, tasting it like the frightened beat of a rabbit as it runs from the big bad wolf…

"A vengeance spell, like she's trying to get even with Buffy?" Said Xander, his anger against Amy beginning to build.

"What's going on?!" Said Angel, his helplessness and confusion making him irate. He turned to the pack leader. "Giles, care to explain?"

The librarian gave Angel a quick run down of the facts, not bothering to disguise his irritation with him over how he'd decided to treat Buffy.

"You can't control every variable," the normally mild mannered man hissed. "Just because she's human doesn't mean you can just push her out of your life like everything else!"

Buffy stirred under Willow's hands and coughed, Xander helping to pull her up to take small sips of the glass of water that she was handed. "It's 'cause she knows I know she's a witch," she croaked, licking her lips as a bead of water escaped.

"The others she just wanted out of the running. You she intends to, um..."

"Kill?" The truth hung in the air uncomfortably.

"How much time do we have?"

Giles looked flustered. "Oh, uh, I'm sure, uh..."

"Truth. Please," said Buffy, trying to keep the exhaustion out of her voice but failing.

"A, a couple of hours... Three at most."

"Well, how do we reverse the spell?"

"I, I've been researching that, and, uh, we can reverse all the spells if, um...we can just lay our hands on, on Amy's spell book."

"And if we can't get a hold of it?" Ground out Angel.

"Well, the other way is to cut the witch's head off."

"Show of hands!" Said Xander, raising his own in the air.

"It's not Amy's fault. She only became a witch to survive her mother," said Buffy disapprovingly.

"Look, I don't care why, I just care that you go on breathing," said Xander angrily, running his fingers through his hair.

"Where would she be casting these spells mate?" Said Spike, his gaze shifting from the weakening human girl to his pacing pack leader.

"She needs a sacred space. A-a-a pentagram, um, or large pot."

"Her home. Okay. Help me up. We'll just go and get her spell book," said Buffy, attempting to shift herself off the chair and onto her feet.

"There is no we," said Giles, easily pressing her back down into the chair with his hand. "You're in no condition to go anywhere, you can barely stand and it'll be far easier if I take Spike and Faith with me as back up, if Amy decides to appear."

Buffy opened her mouth to argue but one swift look made her shut it again. "Fine," she grudgingly agreed, "but I do feel a lot better now."

"Hmm, well I'll feel a lot better knowing that you're here with," he looked over Xander, Willow and Angel, "at least one responsible person to keep watch over you."

He gave Buffy a reassuring smile. "We'll be back as quickly as possible." He looked up at the trio he was leaving behind, his eyes gleaming gold as he growled something dark and guttural at them, then grabbed his coat and left, Spike and Faith following out after him.

"What was that Giles said?" Asked Buffy curiously.

Willow blushed. "Er, the PG version is something along the lines of 'play nice.'

-#-#-

"Well, I've always loved awkward silences."

Buffy grimaced and made eye contact with Angel who was pacing near the front door. "We need to talk." She looked at Xander who had taken up a slouched position on the chair and Willow who was nervously fiddling with a pile of cataloguing cards. "Guys?"

Xander frowned and folded his arms grumpily. "There's no point us leaving 'cos we're still gonna be able to hear you. Superior hearing remember?"

"I'd like to pretend," she said flatly. "Go away."

When it was obvious that Xander wasn't going to budge Willow grabbed his arm and forcibly pushed him into Giles' office, shutting the door behind her. Xander's face immediately pressed up against the window, his nose flat against the pane, like a little boy watching his favourite sweets being eaten by another person.

"Xander!" Willow's angry voice managed to get through the door and Buffy watched as Xander was yanked back and the blind let down. There was some rustling of the blind and then the sound of a sharp crack as Willow smacking the teenager's fingers away.

"Ouch! Wills!"

"It was your own fault."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

Buffy glanced over at Angel and then motioned to Xander's now empty seat. "So."

"So." The alpha werewolf drew a circle on the table and sighed. "I take it an 'I'm sorry' won't cover it."

"Not even close."

"Right. I'm really, really sorry?"

"Still cold."

"I'm a complete jackass."

"Getting warmer."

"I shouldn't have called you a lovesick child."

"Yep."

"And I'm sorry I called you a tag along human."

"Even hotter."

"But I'm not sorry I called you a liability."

"Corre…what!"

"Come on Buffy, you seem to have gotton yourself into trouble even without being around us. You've gotton yourself hurt by being attacked by a possessed cheerleader. And you still expect me to think you wouldn't be a responsibility in a fight?"

"The cheerleader crack was totally uncalled for. Amy's a highly dangerous witch."

"Exactly! She's 'Highly dangerous'." Buffy winced at her choice of words. "I don't know why you want to put yourself in harm's way when being with werewolves is exactly that!"

"Angel you may have noticed Sunnydale isn't exactly Pleasantville. Trouble is always gonna be around, and normally it's stalking and eating the residents. I feel a lot safer being round you guys then not being round you. And," she added seeing Angel's uncertain face, "it's not like I'm completely helpless or anything. I lived in L.A. It wasn't exactly the city of angels."

"Buffy…" but whatever he was going to say was lost as Giles burst into the room excitedly, followed by Faith, Spike and Amy's mother.

"What Amy's mom doing here?" Asked Buffy confusedly.

"That's not Catharine that's Amy," said Giles. "I'll explain on the way." He motioned for Angel to pick her up.

"Are you sure you can cope?" Mumbled Buffy to Angel. "Not too much of a responsibility for you?"

Angel frowned at her. "We'll continue this conversation later."

"I thought we were having an argument?"

"An argument is between two healthy, able-bodied people. Not one healthy person and the invalid."

"Hey!" Said Buffy smacking his chest with her hand. It was like throwing a particularly small and limp sponge against a solid steel wall.

"Where are Willow and Xander?" Asked Giles impatiently. Buffy waved her hand vaguely over to the office. "In there."

Giles stalked over and opened the door.

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Was not!"

-#-#-

With Buffy gently laid onto one of the lab tables Giles finally began the restoration spell.

"The centre is dark. Centrum est obscurus. The darkness breathes. Tenebrae respiratis. The listener hears. Hear me!"

"It's..it's working," said Amy/Catherine's body. Angel gently stroked Buffy's damp hair away from her face and tried to sooth her as she moaned and rolled her head as the spell continued to course through her.

"Unlock the gate! Let the darkness shine and cover us with holy fear. Show me!"

The lights went out in the classroom and Amy in her mother's body clutched at her face, her terror shining through. "She's coming!"

"Corsheth and Gilail! The gate is closed! Receive the dark! Release the unworthy! Take of mine energy and be sated!" He plunged his hands into the frothing mixture just as the irate witch began to pull on the door.

"Be sated! Release the unworthy!" And that was when the axe started to chop down the door.

"Release!"

The hole became bigger.

"Release!"

Too late, the hole was made in the door and the witch stormed through, throwing the axe at a snarling Angel before he even had time to dodge it. The axe sank deeply into his chest, cutting through his lungs and straight through to the back, stopping before it reached the spine, the blood arching high into the air and splattering onto the walls and Buffy's still form. The werewolf managed to gurgle her name, the bubbles of air rising through the blood before he sank down to the floor and was still.

The witch sneered and grabbed Buffy's head, preparing to snap her neck…

"RELEASE!"

There was a blinding flash of light as the spells broke. Amy staggered as her soul flew back into her body once more, steadying herself on the table that Buffy was now sitting up on, completely restored to normal health.

"Buffy?"

"Amy?"

Catherine lunged at Buffy, tackling her to the floor and down next to Angel. Buffy lashed out at Catherine, viciously raking her nails across the witch's face, gouging streaks into her flesh, causing the older woman to rear backwards in pain. It was enough room for Buffy to manoeuvre herself to punch her in the face and wriggle out from underneath, watching as Giles came towards Catherine, his claws out and his eyes shot through with amber.

Buffy backed herself up until she bumped into something soft and cool. She turned around and came face to face with Angel, his face slack and blood coating his body from his chest and broken lungs. It covered him like a slick bird covered in oil and Buffy let out a quiet gasp of horror.

"Angel."

His name came out as a quiet whimper of pain. She touched his face which only moments before had been animated with his own burning light as he'd argued over her safety. And now there was nothing. With trembling fingers she reached up to his face and stroked his cheek, only to leave a dark smear of blood behind. She hadn't even realised her hands were covered in it from where she'd gently pressed them onto his T-shirt. She felt for his pulse…but there was only the adrenaline fuelled beat of her own heart thumping through the tips.

Guilt and regret filled her. He was gone. It was all her fault. The urge to cry came strongly now and she pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes. No, she wouldn't do it now. The sick feeling in her stomach changed. Became darker and heavier. Angrier. No, it wasn't her fault. She knew exactly who's fault this was. And they would pay.

"Catherine."

The word that came out of her mouth was barely human and filled with such rage. Dragging herself away from Angel she turned to face the witch who had just thrown a table at Giles with her power and pinned him underneath the shattered pieces, unconscious. Amy was a trembling wreck in the corner as her mother turned towards her.

"Mom! Please!" But Catherine showed no mercy and hurled her abuse towards her own flesh and blood.

"You! You little brat! I gave you birth. I gave up my life so you could drag that worthless carcass around and call it living? You've never been anything but trouble." She laughed and Amy flinched. "I'm going to put you where you can't make trouble again!"

"Guess what?" Said Buffy. Catherine turned to face her, her expression one of utter annoyance.

"I feel better!" She punched her and the witch's head snapped back. "But you, you're going to feel a whole lot worse". She threw another punch, enjoying the savage satisfaction as she heard the older woman's nose break. Catherine fell to the floor, blood streaming from her nose, but she got up quickly and glared at Buffy.

"That body was supposed to be mine!"

"Grow up," bit out Buffy, edging closer again to throw another blow to the witch's face.

But Catherine wasn't letting her anywhere near her again and throwing out an arm she used her power to cause Buffy to go flying back into the wall. Winded, the human girl sat crumpled on the floor trying to get her lungs to push and pull oxygen back into her. She glanced over at Angel again as Catherine began to chant a spell, her eyes turning pitch black.

"I shall look upon my enemy!"

Buffy breathed deeply and pushed herself up from the floor. She couldn't lose now. Not now. Not with the sight of a broken Angel lying on the floor ingrained in her mind. She knew the image was going to haunt her sleep.

"I shall look upon her and the dark place will have her soul!"

Catherine's piercing voice cut through her and the anger grew again. She cast about for anything she could use to stop the spell, to defend herself. 'Please,' she silently begged anyone who was listening. 'If there's anyone out there, right now would be a great time to prove yourself.'

She spotted the thick pole holding the mirror up above her. 'Nice work.'

"Corsheth, take her!"

Not hesitating for a moment Buffy kicked out and knocked the pole out from under the mirror, causing it to flop down, just as the spell left Catherine's hands and hit the reflective surface. There was only time for the witch to let out a small scream as the spell bounced back and enveloped her, before the energy twisted round her and with a loud roar disappeared, taking the screaming woman with it.

Silence filled the lab, as a badly shaken Amy stood up from where she'd crawled over to Giles, helping the stirring man to sit up and brush off the pieces of table that littered him.

"Well, that was um…interesting." His eyes strayed over Amy to where Buffy stood staring at something on the floor.

"Buffy?"

And then the coppery smell of blood overwhelmed him and he rolled onto all fours to try and stop himself from being sick. The sweet smell was heavy in the air and almost overpowering to the sensitive smell receptors in the older werewolf.

"Oh no." Buffy moved to the side and he looked up, taking in the sight of Angel slumped against the wall, the axe still embedded in his chest, the darkening blood covering his pale form.

Xander rushed in suddenly and grabbed Amy tightly. "I got her! I got her! I…"

He started to choke on the smell and pushed Amy away from him as he dry heaved, his eyes bleeding to gold as the blood stench overwhelmed him.

"Where's that coming from?"

"Angel," replied Buffy quietly as Giles came and crouched next to the still werewolf, hooking his arms underneath Angel's body.

"Xander, help me." The teenager hurried over and gently took Angel's legs as the two men manoeuvred him out of the science lab and down the corridor.

Buffy followed along in a kind of daze with Amy gently steering her and they bumped into Willow on the way down. She gasped.

"Angel!"

"Willow, get the First Aid Box ready."

"The First Aid Box?" Said Amy. "Don't you think he's a little beyond that?"

Giles frowned at her. "The other First Aid Box," he instructed Willow, who nodded and pounded up the corridor and through the library doors.

"All we need to do is get the axe out of him without rupturing anything else and he should be as good as new in a few days."

"What?" Said Buffy coming out of her stupor. "Angel's alive?"

-#-#-

"So you're pretty much invulnerable," said Buffy a week later, as she gently wrapped the bandages around Angel's torso as he sat on his bed.

"Well, almost. We still age and we can still die, but we can only be killed by silver or severing the spinal cord. Or crushing the skull. Chopping off my head. Blowing me up. Bullet to the…"

"All right, all right I get it," said Buffy, finishing her handiwork. She sat back to admire it and then smacked him hard in the chest.

"Ow!" Yelped Angel. "What was that for?"

"For scaring me to death Mr Invulnerable." She frowned miserably. "I thought you were dead."

"Hey, hey," he said soothingly pulling her to him. "It's alright now.I'm sorry I scared you." He grinned. "But on the upside you got to play nurse."

Buffy pulled away, glaring at him, but her mouth was twisted into a smirk. "Do you want another smack?"

"You love it."

"Hmm," said Buffy ignoring the truth of the point. "Well don't get used to it. You're pretty much all healed up and Nurse Buffy has other patients to see."

"Like who?"

"Well, Xander hurt his hand…" Angel growled and grabbed for her but Buffy merely laughed and danced out of his way, picking up her bandages and the scissors and putting them into the Alternative First Aid Kit (warning: only suitable for supernatural creatures).

Angel settled back onto the bed and folded his hands under his head. "Does Xander know he doesn't stand a chance?"

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "We're going out for coffee on Friday."

"What?"

Buffy smothered a grin at Angel's decidedly frosty tone. "Will's coming with us and Faith and Spike said they might drop by too." She saw him relax out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh and by the way," she said. "As the one who didn't get an axe embedded in their chest I think I win the conversation."

"I thought it was an argument?"

"An argument is between two healthy, able-bodied people. Not one healthy person and the invalid," recited Buffy and then glanced pointedly at his bandages.

"I am now an official member of the Scooby gang and there's nothing you can do about it."

Angel snorted but after a glare he subsided.

Buffy put her hands on her hips. "Out of the two of us who saved the day and who almost died?"

There was a stony silence.

"Exactly." She put her hand on the doorknob. "Get some rest," she said kindly and opened the door.

It was almost closed before she popped her head back in again. "Oh and don't worry, Xander gave me the full induction rites into the gang." She paused thoughtfully. "I didn't realise we would have to be naked so much…"

"What!"

Angel leapt from the bed but the door was already closed when he slammed into it. He yanked it open, but all he caught was a glimpse of blonde hair going down the stairs, the scent of vanilla perfume in the air and her laughter. Angel slammed his fist into the wall of his bedroom and groaned.

Time for a cold shower.

-#-#-

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This particular chapter was inspired by wolf steel who wanted to see Buffy fighting. Hope I've fulfilled your request!