LOVED this chapter if I do say so myself :) I think it came out exactly like I wanted which is weird because sometimes Buffy and Angel(us) have a different plan, but anyways... I hope you enjoy and please, please, please... Review!
I will love you forever if you do :) Thank you for reading and let me know your thoughts.
Chapter 11
Back at the Summers home…
Faith was accompanied by the Scoobies and the AI team coming home completely beaten up after an attempt at war that lasted till the first rays of sun. Everyone was either leaning against each other or helping someone steady themselves on their feet. Giles opens the front door when he heard them arrive and at their appearance he quickly questioned…
"What happened…?"
"It was a trap…" Faith said helping everyone get inside, "we need medical supplies…" she added, "bandages, alcohol, pain killers, materials, anything and everything…"
"Wha… but how…?" Giles continued.
"They were expecting us to show up…" Wes said helping some of the girls settle in the living room.
"We shouldn't off done this without the slayer…" Connor said, "we're lucky we all made it out alive with nothing but bruises and scrapes…"
"I agree…" Gunn added rubbing his shoulder, "this is bigger than any of us expected and we need the slayer with us…"
Fred smacked Gunn on the arm as she gestured over to Faith…
"Not that you're not…" Gunn tried to explain.
"No…" Faith cut him off, "I'm not Buffy… I may be a slayer, but she's the slayer. I'm not cut out for this, this is her territory, she's the leader… I can't…"
"You're wrong…" Wes walked over to her, "I wouldn't have gone looking for you if we didn't need you…"
Faith was about to protest, but Giles gave her a smile as if asking her to just believe them, like they believed in her.
By this time the potentials started grumbling their agreement that they needed Buffy back, and with everyone's consensus… they decided that as soon as the wounded were patched up, a group of them would go in search of Buffy.
/
Buffy laughed… yeah it wasn't a laughing matter that she was pulling back and forth in the necrotempered whatever kind of glass car so that Angelus could get in, but the way he was waving her over to get closer and telling her to stop so he could get in… just made a tad funny.
*Now be careful oh-mighty-evil-one, we don't want some Angelus fritters before the big fight…* Angel laughed.
Shut up!
He finally jumped in and Buffy gave him a funny grin…
"Don't…" Angelus warned, "Not funny…"
Buffy giggled, "It's a little funny…"
Angelus gave her a dirty look and she leaned towards him to give him a kiss… his face softened.
*Aww… you softy…* Angel made fun.
"Come on let's go before I change my mind about this…"
Buffy began to drive while saying confidently, "You won't…"
/
Faith, Gunn, Connor, Xander, Fred, Wes, Willow, and Dawn all were talking about were to begin their search in town for the slayer. They had a map out on the dinning room table as they all chose a location to look.
Anya, Lorne, and Andrew were put in charge of tending to the wounded and gathering supplies as the rest of the new put together gang, went out in search of Buffy.
As Faith opened the door for them to leave… in front of her stood the one and only, Buffy…
"Buffy…" Faith breathed out in a smile. In her excitement she reached her and pulled her in for a hug, before she realized that this was weird.
Buffy embraced her back, yes they'd had their issues, but it hadn't been her fault and they needed her.
"Faith…" Buffy finally said, then noticed the rest of the group behind her. Xander and Willow pulled her inside and sandwich hugged her together. She remained unmoving.
Wes gave her a hug hello, then made the introductions of the AI team, Gunn, Fred, Lorne, and Connor… The moment Buffy shook Connor's hand, something passed through them. A feeling of recognition that by the look that they gave each other, they apparently both had felt.
Angelus was waiting against the wall outside on the deck, when he felt it… that sensation that he always got with Buffy… pass through the three of them at the same time. Like Buffy, Connor, and him were somehow linked.
What the… Angelus tried to shake off the feeling. That was odd…
*God…* Angel dreaded *Buffy… we didn't tell Buffy about Connor…*
Kind of not the time, don't you agree...?
*She's going to be upset at us… the one thing I always wanted with her, we had with someone else…*
It sure as hell doesn't feel like that…
*What do you mean…?*
Then he heard her call him…
"Angelus… come in…" Buffy invited.
The gang all gasped and took a step back with the exception of Connor as he stood with his hands crossed over his chest.
A devilish grin curved his lips as he passed through the house's thresh hold in time to see everyone retreat.
Angelus chuckled, "Thank you for the conscious compliment of your fear…" he eyed them amused.
*Don't be a jerk…* Angel warned.
They deserve more than that so don't start… he retorted.
Angelus placed himself right behind Buffy where he knew she could feel him, hovering protectively over her.
"Buffy…" Giles said shocked.
"How can you…" Xand began.
"What are you…" Will tried to say.
"Are you OUT of your mind, Buffy…" Dawn said walking in.
The AI team glared at Angelus but other than that… said nothing else.
"Enough!" Buffy practically shouted.
Buffy stood in the center of the room a little anger brewing inside her; everyone was watching her in awed confusion. Soon, the strong smell of blood made Angelus vamp out, making them jump… Buffy gave him a tender look and he made his features shift back.
He shrugged in an oops kind of way and Buffy rolled her eyes at him.
"Alright…" Buffy began, "this is the way things are going to go. We have a plan…" she gestured to her and Angelus, "those of you who want to help us great, if you have a problem with Angelus being on my side… then there's the door."
The scoobies stared like they couldn't believe their eyes and ears… as Buffy made her way back to Angelus.
"Buffy…" Xand began carefully but stopped when Angelus snarled staring daggers at him. Buffy thought about elbowing him for acting like a kid, but if they were going to make them work, now and/or in the future, they needed to portrait a united front.
Faith went to stand by Buffy's side making her stand… Buffy smiled gratefully at her. She was the only one other person that could understand what being the slayer was like. Connor followed suit standing by his father's side, and soon so did the rest of the AI team.
Dawn, Giles, Xander and Willow stood across from the group…
Willow stepped forward… "I just have one question Buffy…"
"What is that…" she answered.
"What happened to the us, the we being the Scooby gang… a unit… the bestests of friends who made decisions together…?"
There was a flash of hurt in Buffy's face then she masked it, "There's no we in 'the vampire slayer' and I'm done pretending like their could be…"
Willow got the hint nodding, as she looked down at her feet… the moment that it had mattered for them to trust her and be that kind of friends for her, they'd kicked her out of her own home. She had the right to be upset, but this wasn't the time to get into it.
Will raised her gaze to look at Buffy, "What do you need us to do…?"
Buffy took that as the go ahead that they were in and then pulled out the scythe and handed it to Giles. Where the hell she'd been hiding it this whole time, who knows. Everyone surrounded him as he inspected it and she said…
"I found it by the vineyard… Caleb was hiding it. I think it's a very powerful weapon the first didn't want us to find, but I need more information about it to know how to better use it…"
Giles and Willow nodded and made their way to research. Angelus stepped around Buffy tossing the necklace to Wes, and the scrolls to Fred.
"I stole that from Wolfram & Hart before I came here… Lilah said Buffy would need it here…"
"Lilah…" Wes questioned, "but she's dead…"
"Yeah…" he said like what's your point, "caught that… now let's get to it. Use your decoding ex-watcher magic and find out what it does…"
Wes nodded and Fred followed him in the direction Giles and Will had gone…
Faith turned to face Buffy, "Is this really how you want things to go…?" she questioned of her being the meanest she's ever seen her.
Buffy sighed in a let's not go there again way, then said, "Yes… for now it is…"
There was tons of research to do so the best thing they all could do right now was help with the research of these two weapons. Something inside her though told her that this was going to work out…
/
The sun had just finished setting when Spike pulled up in his new car to an unknown area of Sunnydale… he loved the emptiness of it all. He'd driven the whole way straight from LA back… He had his instructions. All he needed now was to see them through and he would hopefully get his reward.
His humanity… he wanted it, no… he needed it… he wanted to become the type of man that Buffy would love. It was the only way to beat out Angel, if he became the one thing that Buffy would want, she'd hopefully choose him.
He smiled as he tossed his cigarette… tomorrow night was the big fight and he was going to be needed.
/
Angelus told Buffy he'd be right back and walked out of the house… He broke into the house next door to Buffy's making his way to the master bedroom. He wanted to make sure it was livable inside since apparently they were to have another night for rest before they went into the fire…
Once he made sure it was good, he said to himself…
We need to talk… Angelus began sitting on the side of the bed.
*I know…* was all Angel said.
I don't know if we'll make it out of this big bad fight, but if we do… Angelus paused, I'll make sure they put your soul back…
*What, why…?*
Because you're the better man for her… I may love her but in the end I am still evil; I belong in the darkness and she doesn't…
*I disagree…* Angel said, *I am not the better man, I am half the man she wants… you've been able to give her a happiness that I couldn't. That may not be everything but it's a start, the rest… I can coach you in…*
Angelus laughed and shook his head, I'm giving in… can't you see. The one and only time that I'd give anything for anyone is now… I'll do it for her.
*No… You don't understand… having my soul will only make things go back to the way they were… One moment of pure happiness and then it's you all over again. What's the point? She's happy with you…*
Angelus sighed, Am I to understand neither one is going to give in?
Seems like it… Angel chuckled.
I'm still making them put it back…
*And I'll probably lose it the same freakin night…*
They both sighed… they were obviously not going to get anywhere. One thing they did agree on was that they were both ready to give it all up for their soul mate.
/
Buffy sat in her bedroom staring at a blank piece of paper… there was so many things that she wanted to say but couldn't find the words to put it together. She took a deep breath then began…
Dear Dawn,
I don't know which will be the circumstances in which you will end up reading this letter… but if you are, either way I know I'm dead. If I'm dead because of the fight, please… don't bring me back. I don't think I'd survive it. But if that didn't kill me, I know I'll be by Angelus side.
Deeper breath… and she continued writing…
If all goes as planned… I won't be needed. There will be other slayers so the world will be safe and protected. But I need you to know that I'm tired. I'm tired of putting the world first than my real wants. I want Angel or Angelus, however you want to see it. I know you won't understand and that you'll hate me for making you be the one to tell Giles and the rest, but this is me taking my destiny in my hands. I am willing to give up my life for the man I love… Even if that means becoming the one thing I despise most. I'm ready… I'm ready to do it for him.
Don't ever doubt my love for you… I love you, Dawn, a lot.
-Buffy
Buffy folded the piece of paper and put it in an envelope. She could feel him coming…
"Ready lover…" Angelus said.
"Sure… for what?" she questioned.
"I don't know if you've realized this but unless you want to have the worst sleep of your life… I'm not letting you sleep here…"
Buffy smiled at him, "and where do you suppose we…"
"Next door…" he grinned, "I broke in…"
"That's a crime you know…" she joked.
"So sue me…" he shrugged, "now are you coming willing or do I need to toss you over my shoulder and carry you there…"
Buffy stepped up defiantly, "you wouldn't…"
Angelus scoffed then growled playfully tossing her over his shoulder… He jumped out the window gracefully as she shrieked and laughed in disbelieve, then he climbed up into the other house's window, tossing her on the bed.
"You were saying…" he said.
"Well that was… new…" she laughed, "well… are you going to tuck me in…" she said seductively.
He gave her one of his award winning smiles, and began to unbutton his shirt… Buffy got on her knees on the bed and removed his hands, unbuttoning it herself as she said…
"Let me…" then swooped in taking his lips kissing them swollen while then allowing his tongue to come in to massage and tease hers in her mouth.
God… Angelus growled. The way this woman made him ache in want was going to be the second death of him…
Buffy hummed. His growl had created the rumble in his throat to create a wave of pleasurable spasms to break through her body in yearn…
Just… they thought, one more night…