Six months later

Spike sat at his desk, loathing himself. He had been feeling this way for six months now, and it seemed like it was never ending. It started when she died. He couldn't bear to think about her, he couldn't say or think her name. Buffy that was it. The sound of that name went through him. The pain was too much for him.

After that dreadful night, six months ago, he, Angel and the rest of the Scoobies took it on themselves to train the slayers. They had taken over Wolfram and hart and knew it was all going to be worth it in the end. Everyone except Spike, the pain seemed never ending. Every night to get him to sleep, he would down a bottle of whiskey until it knocked him out long enough to not think about what he could have done to save her. Nothing of course, he and everyone kept telling him that, but he couldn't believe it.

They say vampires don't feel pain. Well this one did. The pain was unbearable. The kind of pain that people kill themselves over. Spike had thought about that too. In fact, he had thought about everything.

He had sorted a will and a suicide note. But then something came up and he never got round to it. That's what his life seemed to be recently, never getting around to anything. One problem after another.

Spike buried his head in his arms and cradles his hair in between his finger tips. He felt like pulling it out, getting rid of the old and starting with the new. That's what people said he should do, it sounded harsh but he considered it.

Suddenly, Angel burst in with a sword in one hand and an axe in the other.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Ready for what?" Spike asked lifting his head up. Angel had been the closest to Spike these last few days. He didn't know what he'd do without him.

"We're going hunting." Spike said walking further into the Wolfram and Hart office that used to be his. He looked around, in every corner. It had changed so much.

"I'm not in the mood." Spike replied putting his head deep in his hands once again.

"Come on. You need to get out there." Angel sat on the corner of the desk and forced Spike to look at him. "A new girl's just come in. moved all the way from Mexico with her watcher. However he died and now she's stuck in the middle of L.A with no one. We need to find her."

Spike knew Angel was right. He just wasn't in the mood.

"I only need back up." Angel did his broody puppy dog eyes on Spike. It always worked.

"Fine. Back up. That's all."

Angel held his hands up in mock surrender.

"Lets get to work." Spike and Angel stood up and did a 'high five.'

"Let's go, brother," Spike said and the pair walked out.

The alleys were always dark in L.A, just like the ones in Sunnydale. They had a strange sense of 'have I been in this one before?' all of them looked the same. People used them as short cuts to get home form late night drunken sessions. Most of them people didn't return, or if they did people said they changed.

As she walked down the fifth one, that she swore she had been down before, Madison cringed. She hated alleys, always had, always will.

Her blonde hair blew in the wind from under her black wooly hat.

She wore her leather pants tight but she was still able to fight. Her long black leather jacket flapped making her look mysterious. She was a woman of many mysteries. Guys would wonder what she was hiding, they loved the sense of danger she gave them. However, most guys she went with either got killed or scared away. That was understandable with the job she did. She had been a slayer for over a year now, born, raised and trained in Mexico. Well, semi-trained. Her watcher was taking her somewhere, she didn't know where and before she knew it he was dead and she was stuck in L.A.

She was only 19 years of age, a bit young to be killing vampires she thought, but that was her calling who was she to screw up fait?

She had never actually killed a vampire and was reluctant on being a slayer. She was young, beautiful and had her whole life in front of her one minute, and the next, she was talking to this guy about vampires and demons. Life sometimes had an uncanny way of choosing your path for you.

Walking down the alley, Madison heard something, a snap of a twig maybe? No, too loud. A bin falling over? No, too quiet.

Whatever it was, she was ready. Well she thought she was.

"Hello?" she called out, her accent a strong Mexican one.

Nothing. Silence. Maybe it was juts her imagination.

Probably, everyone said she had a strong imagination. When she was young she used to make up stories of vampires and demons. Ones where a girl thought them off. It always cheered her up after she watched horror films. If she had a nightmare, the girl would simply fight them off. Everyone laughed at her of course, but she didn't care. She was different and liked it.

She heard the noise again, this time so loud it forced her to turn around. Nothing was there. Turning back to where she was headed, four vampires smiled with hunger. She was scared now. Fear controlled her.

Her head told her she should fight, but her slayer instincts told her to run. What she had learnt was to follow her instincts. She ran.

Meanwhile, Spike and Angel sat in the park waiting. Waiting for any sign, a noise, a scream. Then, there it came. A scream of a girl. Angel ran after the noise. Spike stayed where he was. He couldn't move, this was his first time out of the office since the accident. He couldn't save this girl, everything he touched turned to crap. He screwed everyone's life up.

Angel carried on running, desperate to reach the girl in time. He looked behind him and Spike wasn't there.

Angel wondered whether to run back for him, but then the screams got louder.

Angel ran faster and faster to the noise, he turned to vamp mode and was ready, ready for action, read to save this girls life.

Madison ran and screamed. She looked backwards to see if she was losing them. They were close behind. Panic set in again and she ran faster. Until she bumped into something. Madison fell to the ground.

When she looked up she was still dazed, but fear got the better of her again. Looking down at her she saw another vampire. He was tall with brown hair and wore a leather coat with a shirt. He was handsome.

Madison screamed again.

Angel held his hand out to the girl. She was scared and screaming. He didn't mean to scare her. Angel got rid of the vamp face and held his hand out to the girl. She cried, Angel sensed she was scared, she probably thought he was going to kill her. Totally the opposite.

"It's okay; I'm not here to….." Angel was cut off.

He felt a sharp pain in his back. His heart was on fire. Someone had staked him.

Angel fell to the floor, a pile of dust.

The vampire behind Angel was the one who wanted to kill Madison.

He smiled a hungry sensation in his eyes. The smell of blood filled his nostrils, a glint lit up his blackened eyes.

Then, he too was dust; the guy stood behind him was tallish, blonde hair and pale. Tears rolled down his face as he went up to the first pile of dust. The one where the first vampire was. He picked up the dust and cried.

"Angel." He moaned. Dropping the dust and falling to his knees.

Madison got up off the floor; she went up to the guy and placed a hand on his back. She pattered it softly.

"You okay?" she asked.

The guy got up and wiped his eyes. He collected up the dust in an empty ring box. And stood up.

"You must be Madison. Madison Sanchez." Madison nodded.

Spike held out a hand for her to stand up, she took it.

"How do you know my name?" she asked confused as the guy started to walk off.

Pulling out some keys the guy relied, "follow me."

Before long the two were in a classic Mercedes Benz and speeding off to Wolfram and hart.

To be continued…….

Hope you like! Jess and Gina xxx