Chapter Sixteen

Buffy stood in the library and stared at the girl. After discovering that both were Slayers, Buffy suggested they visit Giles to see if he could explain what was happening. Luckily, she had agreed without much of a fight. Still, Buffy couldn't stop the wiggins she had felt that there was another one of her out in the world slaying vampires.

"And your Watcher is, i-is Sam Zabuto, you say?" Giles asked as he paced the room.

"Yes, sir," she replied.

Buffy rolled her eyes. Why was she always so… formal?

"We've never met, but he's very well-respected."

"What, so he's a real guy? As in non-fictional?" Buffy asked.

Giles ignored her. "And you are called...?"

The girl straightened her back and confidently replied, "I am de Vampire Slayer."

"We got that part, hon. He means your name," Buffy said.

"Oh. Dey call me Kendra. I have no last name, sir."

Buffy huffed. "Can you say 'stuck in the 80's'?"

"Buffy, please," Giles said, exasperated. "Uh, there's obviously some, some misunderstanding here."

Willow suddenly came bouncing into the library with a smile on her face. Kendra marched around Buffy to intercept her.

"Identify yourself!" Kendra commanded.

Willow's smile faded into a frown.

"Back off, pink ranger! This is my friend," Buffy explained.

Kendra looked confused. "Friend?"

"Yeah. As in person you hang with? Amigo?"

"I don't understand."

Buffy turned to Giles. "You try," she said, annoyed. "I'm tapped."

"Uh-uh, Kendra, uh, there are a-a-a-a few people, uh, ci-civilians if you like, who know Buffy's identity. Willow is one of them, a-a-and they also, um, spend time together, uh, socially."

"And you allow dis, sir? De Slayer must work in secret for security."

Giles looked flustered. "Well, uh… Of course, but with Buffy, however, it-it's, um, some flexibility is required."

Buffy gave Giles a look. Why did he even bother explaining anything to Kendra?

Willow finally spoke up. "Hi, guys. W-what's goin' on? "

"There's been a really big mix-up," Buffy explained.

Giles added, "Uh, it seems somehow that another Slayer has been sent to Sunnydale."

"Is that even possible? I mean, two Slayers at the same time?" Willow asked, confused.

Giles shook his head. "Not to my knowledge. Um, th-the new Slayer is only called after the previous Slayer has died." Giles stopped his pacing. "Oh, good Lord! You were dead, Buffy."

Buffy looked down, feeling almost embarrassed. "I was only gone for a minute."

"Clearly it doesn't matter how long you were gone. You were physically dead! Thus causing the activation of the next Slayer," he replied, nodding towards Kendra.

"She died?" Kendra asked, shocked.

"Just a little," Buffy clarified.

"This is completely unprecedented! I'm quite flummoxed!" Giles exclaimed as he sat down.

Buffy shrugged. "What's the flum? It's a mistake, she isn't supposed to be here, she goes home!" She turned towards Kendra. "Look, no offense, I really don't mean this personally, but I'm not dead, and frankly having you around creeps me out just a little bit."

"I cannot just leave. I was sent here for a reason. Mr. Zabuto said all de signs indicate dat a very dark power is about to rise in Sunnydale," Kendra argued.

Buffy stood up. She already didn't like Kendra. She almost had her killed! And it's bad enough she was being hunted by bounty hunters, but by a Slayer too?!

"And what's your great plan for finding this dark power? You just gonna attack people randomly till you find a bad one?"

Kendra frowned. "Of course not."

"Then why the hell did you attack me?" She asked angrily.

"I tought you were a vampire," Kendra replied, almost as if she was stating the obvious. "I had good reason to tink you were. Did I not see you kissing a vampire?"

Willow stood up for Buffy in her defense. "Buffy would never do that! "Then she turned to Buffy when she realized her mistake. "Except for that sometimes you do that. But only with Angel!"

Buffy saw Giles take off his glasses and clean them at the mention of Angel, obviously uncomfortable at the change of conversation. All three knew Angel was not the only vampire she had feelings for.

"Look, you saw me with Angel; he is a vampire, but he's good," she explained.

"Angel? You mean Angelus? I've read about him. He is a monster," Kendra stated.

"No, no, no, he's good now," Giles said. "He had a gypsy curse."

"Just trust me on this one, okay? He's on the home team now," Buffy chimed in.

"I cannot believe you. He looked to me just like anodder animal when I…" Kendra trailed off.

Buffy frowned. When you what? What did you do to him?"

"I…"

Buffy took a menacing step forward. "What did you do?!"

Spike watched as Willy pushed Angel through the hole in the floor and to the sewers below. He looked down at Angel in disgust. He remembered when Angelus was the world's most dangerous and deadly vampire. His name alone would send shivers to even the scariest of demons. Now he was a sorry excuse for a vampire.

Willy lowered himself through the hatch and dropped into the water too.

"There you go, friend. He'll be as good as new in a day or so."

Two of Spike's minions picked up a weakened Angel and dragged him through the dirty sewer water.

"Uh, hey, wai-wait. We had a deal, right?" Willy asked, worried.

Spike rolled his eyes and pulled out a wad of cash. "What's the matter, Willy? Don't you trust me?"

Willy laughed nervously. "Oh, yeah. Like a brother."

Spike slapped him across the cheek. He didn't trust Willy and wasn't interested in playing bleeding mind games. "Talk, and I'll have your guts for garters," Spike growled. He held the last bill, crumbled it, and dropped it into the water. "Oops! Sorry, friend."

Willy bent over to pick up the bill. "What are you gonna do with him anyway?"

"I'm thinkin' maybe dinner and a movie. I don't want to rush into anything. I've been hurt, you know," Spike mused as he turned and followed his minions down the sewer. He could feel Willy's eyes burning into his back, but Spike didn't care. He had what he needed to heal his princess. Everything would soon be back to normal.

Buffy and Kendra barged through the door of a bar called 'Willy's.' Out of her two years being on the Hellmouth, Buffy had never heard of the smelly dump of an establishment before. As soon as she entered the door, demons began scrambling out the back entryway. The hairs on her neck stood as she felt the strong presence of demons scattered throughout the room. Buffy didn't pay them any attention. The only thing on her mind was Angel.

"Angel?!" Buffy yelled, looking around to try and find him. She spotted a cage ahead of her and ran over, her heart fastly beating, praying that he wasn't ashes. She breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't see any. She felt Kendra walk up behind her.

"No ashes," Kendra said. "When a vampire combusts, he leaves ashes."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know the drill."

"So I did not kill him," Kendra stated.

Buffy took a menacing step toward Kendra. "And I don't need to kill you."

"Whoa! There's a lotta tension in this room."

Before Buffy could process that somebody had joined the room, Kendra had attacked him and pushed him against the wall and onto the floor.

"Doesn't anyone just say 'hello' where you come from?" Buffy asked, exasperated. She looked down at the sorry excuse for a man, who she assumed was the owner, Willy.

Kendra turned Willy over on the floor and grabbed him by the shirt, ready to punch.

"Dis one is dirty! I can feel it!"

"That's really good for you, Percepto Girl," Buffy replied, lifting Willy up. "But we're not gonna get anything out of him if he's, oh, say, unconscious," Buffy slammed him against the bar. "Where's Angel?"

"My buddy Angel? You think I'd let him fry? I saved him in the nick! He was about five minutes away from being a crispy critter," Willy said nervously.

"Where'd he go?"

Sweat dripped down Willy's forehead. "Uh, he said he was gonna stay underground. You know, recuperate."

"Are you telling me the truth?" Buffy asked.

Willy nodded his head frantically. "I swear on my mother's grave! Should something fatal happen to her, God forbid."

Kendra shrugged. "Den he is alright. We can return to your Watcher for our orders."

Buffy didn't feel so sure. Something about Willy rubbed her the wrong way. She let go of him and turned to glare at Kendra. "I don't take orders. I do things my way."

Kendra scoffed. "No wonder you died."

Buffy ignored her comment. There were more pressing matters at the moment. "Let's

go."

Buffy and Kendra exchanged a look before turning and walking away from Willy without another word.

Spike entered the bedroom, where his dark princess lay on their bed. He slowly stroked her beautiful black hair as she stirred from sleep.

"I was dreaming," Drusilla moaned, turning over to stare at Spike.

"Of what, pet?"

"We were in Paris. You had a branding iron."

Spike ignored her rambling. He had noticed her mental state declining more than it already was. It worried him. He knew they were both running out of time.

"I brought you something," Spike announced. He walked over to the stairs outside the room and picked Angel up from the landing. Dragging him in, Spike dumped him onto the floor.

"Your sire, my sweet."

Drusilla's glazed eyes looked down at him. "My Angel?"

Spike tried to push the bitterness he'd felt deep down. He couldn't afford to lose his emotions over trivial things. Although hearing his princess, who he'd sacrificed so much for, calling this wanker 'her Angel' made Spike feel nothing but rage.

"The one and only," he replied, hoping she didn't hear the jealousy in his voice. "Now all we need are the full moon tonight, and he will die, and you will be fully restored."

Spike gently grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. "My black goddess. My ripe," he worked his way up her arm. "wicked plum. It's been…."

Drusilla finished for him. "Forever."

Spike kissed her passionately. They hadn't been intimate with one another since Prague. She was too frail. And as much as Dru loves pain, he knew she couldn't handle anything sexual until healed.

"Spike, let me have him," Drusilla asked. "Hmm? Until the moon."

Spike hesitated. He knew he should trust Dru, but something told him otherwise. He ignored his gut feeling and smiled at her. "Alright, you can play, but don't kill him. He mustn't die till the ritual."

Drusilla nodded. "Bring him to me."

Spike picked Angel up from the floor and forced him over to Drusilla. She grabbed Angel by the chin and looked him in the eye. "You've been a naughty daddy," she said as she slapped him across the face.

Satisfied, Spike turned and walked out of the room. It seemed Dru still held anger against Angel, and that was good. He shouldn't have doubted her. There was nothing to be worried about. Angelus had been gone for decades, and Spike knew he was never returning.

It didn't take long for Kendra and Buffy to return to Sunnydale High. She and Willow walked behind Giles and Kendra as they discussed their plans.

"Kendra, I-I've, uh, conferred with your Watcher, Mr. Zabuto, and we both agree that until this matter with Spike and Drusilla has been resolved, you two should work together," Giles said.

"Oh, that'll be a treat," Buffy replied bitterly.

Kendra nodded her head. "So, you believe dat Spike is attempting to revive dis Drusilla to health?"

"Yes, that's the dark power that your Watcher re-referred to. You see, uh, you see Drusilla's not only evil, she's, uh, well, she's also quite mad, and-and-and-and if she's restored to her full health, then, uh, well, there's no, absolutely no telling what she might do," Giles explained.

Buffy pushed down the jealousy she felt at the mention of Drusilla. The evil tramp gave Buffy the wiggins even while she was weak. She couldn't imagine a Drusilla at her full strength. Not only would she have a target on her back by Spike and the bounty hunters, but by Drusilla as well.

She looked up to Kendra before her, feeling slightly grateful that she was there. Truthfully, Buffy didn't know if she could take them all on simultaneously.

"Den, we will stop Spike," Kendra stated.

"Ooo, good plan, let's go, charge!" Buffy rolled her eyes.

Giles sighed. "Buffy…"

"It's a little more complicated than that, John Wayne," Buffy replied. She had been trying to kill Spike for months and had failed… well, technically, it was her fault that she kept failing, but still, he wasn't easy to beat!

"Yes, I'm afraid it is," Giles agreed. "You see, Spike has also called out the Order of Taraka to keep Buffy out of the way."

Kendra's head whipped towards Giles. "De assassins? I read of dem in de writings of Dramius."

Giles perked up. "Oh, really? Which volume?"

"I believe it was six, sir."

"Um, how do you know all this?" Buffy asked curiously.

"From me studies. I study because it is required. The Slayer handbook insists on it."

"There's a Slayer handbook?" Willow asked.

"Wait. Handbook? What handbook? How come I don't have a handbook?" Buffy asked, shocked.

"After meeting you, Buffy, I realized that the handbook would be useless in your case," Giles explained, removing his glasses and wiping them along his shirt.

Buffy felt offended. "Well, what do you mean it would be useless in my case? What's wrong with my case?"

Giles ignored her. "Uh, Kendra, um, perhaps you'd like to show me the, the part in, uh, Dramius Six where, uh, uh, where it refers to the Order of Taraka. Really, I-I, I seem to have never been able to get through that book. It was a bit stodgy."

Kendra smiled. "It was difficult. All dose footnotes."

Giles and Kendra laughed out loud.

Buffy whispered to Willow. "Hello, and welcome to planet pocket protector."

"Oh, well, B-Buffy, Principal Snyder was snooping around after you," Giles said.

Buffy suddenly stopped. She forgot about the career fair! "Eee. Career fair."

"Best make an appearance, I think," Giles replied.

Buffy nodded her head. "Right."

Kendra looked surprised. "Buffy's a student here?"

"Yes," Giles replied.

"Riiight, of course. And I imagine she's also a cheerleader," Kendra said, looking Buffy up and down.

Giles shook his head. "Oh, no, well, a-a-actually, she had to give up her cheerleading. Uh, it was quite an amusing story, actually. Uh, uh, let's go and find the book, shall we?"

They headed off to the library while Buffy and Willow continued their walk.

"Get a load of the she-Giles," Buffy grumbled.

"Creepy," Willow agreed.

"Ew. I'll bet Giles wishes I was more of a book geek."

"Giles is enough of a book geek for the both of you," Willow corrected.

"Yeah, but did you see how they were vibing? 'Volume six, ha, ha, ha!'" Buffy mocked them.

"Buffy, no one could replace you. You'll always be Giles' favorite. You're his Slayer. The real Slayer."

Buffy pondered. "I wonder if it would be so bad, being replaced."

She imaged how her life would be if she wasn't the Slayer. She wouldn't have to worry about dying young. She could even start a family or find a career. It all sounded too good to be true, but was she ready to give up her Slayer gig? Buffy wasn't so sure.

Willow looked at Buffy, horrified. "You mean, like, letting Kendra take over?"

Buffy shrugged. "Maybe. I mean, maybe after this thing with Spike and the assassins is over, I could say, 'Kendra, you slay, I'm going to Disneyland.'"

"But not forever, right?"

Buffy sighed. "No, Disneyland would get boring after a few months. But I could do other stuff. Career day stuff. Maybe I could even have a normal life with a normal guy."

"A normal guy that isn't a vampire?" Willow asked.

Buffy smirked. "Maybe."

Angel tentatively watched Drusilla as she sang quietly. She ran her hands over a wooden box labeled 'Holy Water.' He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing the excruciating pain he'd feel soon. It's not the first time he and Drusilla played this game – many decades ago, when he was a different vampire.

Drusilla lifted the lid and took out a small crystal pitcher. "The lamb is caught in the blackberry patch. My mummy ate lemons. Raw." She kneeled next to him. Angel opened his eyes and stared at his tied wrists to the canopy bed posts. He tried to tug on them to no avail. He was too weak, and the rope was too tight.

"She said she loved the way they made her mouth tingle…," Drusilla rambled as she ran her hand up and down his chest. "Little Anne. Her favorite was custard... brandied pears."

Angel turned his face away from her burning eyes. He knew who she was referencing. Her family. The family he violently took away from her. No, not him. Angelus.

"Remember? Hmm? Little fingers. Little hands. Do you?"

"Dru…"

Drusilla angrily interrupted. "Bite your tongue! They used to eat cake, eggs, and honey. Until you came and ripped their throats out!"

Angel remembered the frightened little sane girl a century ago. How he murdered her family. He had done it because he wanted to. She was too sweet. Too innocent. No, it was Angelus, he repeated in his head. It was Angelus who murdered and raped her mother and siblings. It was Angelus.

She let some of the holy water trickle onto his chest. His skin steamed and burned like acid. Angel jerked his head back in pain and stifled a scream. He immediately tried to refocus his mind on something else – anything to stop the feeling of his burning skin.

Buffy.

Angel thought of Buffy. His love. He wished he could see her now. He hoped she could take the agony away, just like she awakened his heart after so many decades…

"AHHH!" He yelled as Drusilla poured the rest of the holy water on his chest.

"Hush!" Drusilla said. "Stop thinking of sunshine."

"Dru…"

"Shhh!" Drusilla said sternly. "You think of sunshine that is not yours anymore! You've been a naughty boy!"

Angel shook his head. He used to be good at figuring out Drusilla's riddles. But he hadn't been around her in decades.

Drusilla climbed onto the bed behind Angel. "A heart for a heart. You're no longer good for sunshine, but darkness will welcome you again. If you want it."

Angel gritted his teeth in pain. "I don't want it."

Drusilla leaned over and whispered in his ear. "You would if you knew the truth."

"What truth?" Angel asked, genuinely curious.

Drusilla didn't answer him. Instead, grabbing a cross and holding it against his chest. Angel groaned in agony but refused to scream out loud.

"Say, 'Uncle,'" Drusilla giggled as she lowered the cross to his stomach. "Oh, that's right, you killed my uncle."

"That's it, then," Angel heard Spike say from behind him.

"It makes pretty colors."

"Pft! I'll see him die soon enough. I've never been much for the pre-show," Spike replied.

Spike reached up to untie one of Angel's bonds while Drusilla put away the cross and grabbed a doll nearby.

Angel knew that if Drusilla were to be returned to her former self, Buffy wouldn't stand a chance against her and Spike. He had to do something to prevent that from happening, even if it meant sacrificing himself. With a plan in mind, he taunted Spike. "Too bad. That's what Drusilla likes best, as I recall."

Spike turned to him and frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ask her. She knows what I mean."

Spike turned to face Drusilla.

"Well?"

Drusilla grinned at Angel. "Shhh! Grrrruff! Bad dog."

Angel smirked. "You should let me talk to him, Dru. Sounds like your boy could use some pointers. She likes to be teased."

Spike continued untying the other bond. "Keep your hole shut!"

Angel frowned when he realized he wasn't necessarily getting the reaction he wanted out of Spike. If he had tried that when he used to be Angelus, it would have been enough to send Spike into a frizzled mess. But now it almost seemed like Spike… was unfazed? Or didn't care.

"Take care of her, Spike. The way she touched me just now? I can tell when she's not satisfied," Angel continued, hoping to get a reaction out of Spike.

Nothing. Silence.

Angel looked back over at Drusilla. Trying to figure out what her earlier rambling meant. Sunshine. Darkness. Heart for a heart. What did it all mean? Another thought came into his head. The night of Halloween. Buffy had said nothing happened. Spike hadn't touched her.

"Has the Slayer told you yet that she gets all hot and bothered by me?"

Angel glanced at Buffy and looked back at Spike with a growl. "You're lying."

"Am I?" Spike laughed. "She smelled like she was enjoying herself on Halloween night when we were all close and personal."

The night at the Sunset Club. Angel refused to believe Buffy wanted anything to do with Spike. She was too pure. But maybe Spike wanted something to do with her? He always had a sick, weird obsession with Slayers. Perhaps this time, he was taking it too far?

Wanting to test the waters, Angel said, "You know who else I like to satisfy? Buffy. She loves it when I fuck her hard."

Spike didn't respond. But Angel noticed something. It was so tiny that he wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't known Spike for over a century. Spike's shoulders tensed at the mention of Buffy.

"She begs me every night to fuck her," Angel continued.

"Sounds like you two have a great sex life," Spike replied, moving towards the ropes binding his feet.

But Angel could hear the slight jealousy in his voice.

"It is great," he taunted. "Better than you could ever do. You were never as good as me in bed. Even with a soul, I could fuck Buffy better than you could ever–"

Spike grabbed Angel by the throat, lifting him to his feet, and held him against the bedpost. He punched his other hand into the golden railing and grabbed the piece that broke off, keeping the stake to Angel's heart.

"Spike, no!" Drusilla yelled.

Spike held back. Angel tried to goad him on with a stare. He was so close… All he had to do was press the stake down and…

Drusilla stepped over to Spike and gently put her arm on his shoulder. Once her hand was on Spike, his eyes cleared, and Angel knew he had lost.

"Oh! Right. Right, you almost got me! Aren't

"Oh! Right. Right, you almost got me! Aren't you a 'throw himself to the lions' sort of sap these days? Well, the lions are on to you, baby. See, if I kill you now, you go quick, and Dru hasn't got a chance," Spike laughed as he backed away. "And if Dru dies, your little Rebecca of Sunnyhell Farm and all her mates are spared her coming-out party. Nice plan. I give you props."

"Spike, the sun is setting. It's almost time," Drusilla said.

"Too bad, Angelus. Looks like you go the hard way. Along with the rest of this miserable town," Spike smirked. He grabbed Drusilla and engaged in a passionate kiss in front of him. If Angel didn't know what he did now, he would've thought the kiss was normal. But instead, the kiss seemed like Spike was trying to prove that he was still in love with Drusilla. Angel wasn't so sure anymore.