Buffy and Xander were at the hospital with Giles the next morning. The doctor was letting him go home. He asked Buffy to make sure Giles kept up with all of his medication and kept the brace around his neck. They got him in a wheel chair and Buffy pushed him out to Xander's car. Giles and Xander chatted on the drive home but Buffy stayed quiet. She was tense and angry. She hoped that it translated to concern when the others looked over at her.

Xander dropped them both off and left for work. Buffy helped Giles get settled on the couch with a blanket and a cup of tea. She sat down in the chair beside him. She found herself watching his face for any sign of guilt, if not for what he'd done then for lying about it. There was nothing there. He just looked tired as he took a sip of his tea and relaxed. Maybe Spike was lying. But why would he? It wouldn't be like him. He was manipulative, but she couldn't think of a time when he'd out right lied.

"Giles?"

"Yes?" He looked at her from over his cup.

"Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

"No, I don't believe so. Why do you ask?"

"I just wondered." They let the silence return for a moment.

"What I was really wondering was... The doctors. The said they found you in a pretty bad part of town."

"Yes, it was rather awful in fact."

"Angelus. He doesn't usually hand around in places like that. He's more the executive suite type," Buffy said nervously, trying not to fidget.

"I suppose he simply didn't what to be found."

"How did you find him?"

"I spoke to an informant who pointed me in the right direction," Giles said too quickly.

Buffy thought for a moment. It was clear he was hiding something. "It doesn't seem like you to be so reckless."

"I agreed I was irresponsible. Just what are you getting at?"

Buffy steeled herself for his possible counterattack. "Spike."

"What about him?"

"Willow ran into him. She said he was all beaten and bruised. She didn't get a very good look, but she said he looked terrible."

Giles lowered his glasses from his face and cleaned them off. "Perhaps she was mistaken."

"Don't lie to me. I talked to him last night. He said you did that to him."

He stiffened. "You would believe Spike over me?"

"Don't play games, Giles. There's no way you got away from Angelus on your own. Not with how beaten down you were. He destroyed you and then something distracted him and he let you go." She took a deep breath. "What did you do to Spike?"

Giles sighed. "There are some things that I cannot tell you."

Buffy sprang to her feet. "That's it? You're going to talk to me all Watcher and Slayer? We are so much more than that. I have always trusted you and now... Spike was our ally. You tortured him. All for some stupid vendetta. Do you really think this is how Jenny would want to be honored?"

"Don't you talk to me about Jenny! She was the love of my life. That monster killed her all to get at you." Giles moved like he wanted to stand before remembering it was a bad idea.

"So this is my fault?"

"That's not what I meant."

"It doesn't matter! Sinking to his level or whatever it is you think you need to do... it has to stop. I want you out of this one. Anything to do with Angelus is longer your business. You're done."

"Buffy-"

Buffy stormed out of the apartment. She leaned against the door outside and gathered herself together before walking home.

Willow sat on the couch with Buffy pacing the floor in front of her. Eventually Xander came in, still in his work clothes, and sat down next to Willow.

"Is this everyone then?" He asked.

"Looks like," Willow replied. "Still don't know why we aren't meeting at Giles's place."

"Don't you think he'd want to be here, Buff. I mean he can't really help with his neck all braced up but-"

"No. Giles stays out of this," Buffy said with fierce determination killing all further Giles related questions before they could begin.

Xander and Willow exchanged confused looks. "Okay," Xander said. "So what's the end game here? Are we going for the kill or are we putting the soul back in soulless?"

There was a thump toward the back of the house. Buffy turned and ran to the kitchen. Spike was lying face first on the tile floor.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm checking for ants. What do you think I'm doing?" He stood and fixed his coat. "I was trying to be all stealthy when your doormat tripped me up. You ought to nail that thing down. Someone could break their neck."

"The big bad bested by a doormat," Xander commented.

"Sounds like a children's book," Willow joked.

"Guys, I need to talk to Spike alone," Buffy said.

"We'll just be in the living room," Willow pulled Xander away before he could make any protests.

"Thought you might be needing some help," Spike said.

Buffy nodded. "I talked to Giles. Your story checks out."

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

Spike leaned against the counter. "You trusted him. He turned out to be just as dark as the monster you've been chasing. He lied and he went behind your back. That must hurt."

"Why do you care?"

He shrugged. "Guess I prefer it when I'm the one hurting you." He smirked.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You're right though. I need your help, but I need to know you're with me on this. If Giles was able to use you to get to Angelus-"

Spike waved his hand as if pushing the thought away. "That was nothing. Just a vampire blood line fluke. I was in pain and he could feel it. He probably did it more for himself than to save me."

"So, there won't be any "blood line flukes" when I move to put a stake through his chest?"

"Not a one," Spike said shaking his head. "Don't worry, slayer. I've got your back."

Buffy nodded, but she didn't feel entirely certain. "Willow, Xander?" she called.

The pair came back into the room. They looked from Buffy to Spike, uncertain of what was said.

"Here's the plan. Willow, Xander, you guys will keep his lackey from getting in the way. Distract him, stake him, I don't care. Just keep him off my back."

The pair nodded. "Got it," Willow said.

"Spike. We'll go after Angelus together. I want this done quickly and cleanly. No one else gets hurt." Spike nodded.

"Great." Xander clapped his hands together. "Two on one. I like those odds."

The team gathered up stakes and holy water and headed out. Xander drove them all to the cemetery. Willow looked uncomfortable crammed into the back with Spike. Spike looked out of place in the back seat of Xander's little car.

The cemetery seemed almost darker than usual. Apprehension filled the hearts of Willow and Xander as they stepped onto the over trimmed grass. Buffy felt the chill of dread creep over her, but she shook it off and allowed aggression to replace it. Spike to a moment to steel himself as well. He pushed down any feelings of loyalty toward his sire and nearly laughed when he found there wasn't much to fight against.

Regardless of whether of not any of them were emotionally prepared for this battle, they walked through the gravestones to Angelus's crypt. Spike walked right up to the door with Buffy on his right. Willow and Xander stood behind him. Buffy looked at each of them and upon receiving a nod from each of them, nodded her own head at Spike.

He lifted his leg and kicked the door in. It was thrown open and slammed against the wall with an earsplitting bang. Buffy rushed in as soon it was open. The others followed close behind.

Derek leapt to his feet as they rushed in. He opened his mouth to yell for Angelus, but Buffy had her hands around his throat before he could make a sound. He tried to force air into his throat in an attempt to make any possible noise, but her grip was too strong. She tossed him back behind her and walked on to the ladder. Spike followed her down stairs.

Willow and Xander were left with the younger vampire. Willow was caught off guard by her own uncertainty. He looked young and lost but Willow couldn't forget that he was a bloodthirsty killer. Xander, on the other hand, planted his feet and raised his fists waiting for the vampire to come at them but unable to make the move himself.

The young vampire got to his feet and rubbed his sore neck. He looked at Willow and Xander then behind him at the ladder. Xander had seen to many action movies to lose the obvious opportunity when the vampire turned his head. He rushed at the vampire and threw his fist right into his face.

The vampire stumbled back and pressed a hand to his nose. "Ouch!" He exclaimed.

Xander looked back at Willow who shrugged. Willow looked back at the vampire and noticed something she hadn't before.

"Hey, don't I know you?" She asked him.

"Ugh, no. I don't think so," the vampire said from behind his hand. He was still looking from Xander to the ladder but he didn't turn his head anymore.

"Yeah, we went to high school with you."

"Oh that's right," Xander said. "I remember. Derek Williams. We had chemistry."

Willow and Derek both looked at him strangely.

"I mean class. We had chemistry class together. We didn't, uh, we weren't... I mean- You're a vampire."

"Yeah. Kind of explains all the weird stuff that happens around here," Derek said with a shrug.

"You're telling us," Willow said.

"So, that's the slayer?"

"Yep, she who kills the evil things," Xander said nodding.

Derek nodded. "So, you're helping with this 'mission'." He made finger quotes.

"We're the slayers little helpers," Willow said.

"And you're supposed to kill me."

Xander nodded. "It's nothing personal."

"Right."

Derek leapt at Xander and wrapped his arms around Xander's shoulders. Xander tried to push him off but only manged to hold him about him inch away from Xander's neck. Willow hurried over to the lifted her stake high and calculated the location of his heart.

"Any time, Will!" Xander shouted in a panic.

Willow jammed the stake into his back and right into his heart.

"Sorry," She told Xander while he dusted himself off.

"I'm fine, no worries. I wonder how Buffy's doing." He gazed toward the ladder.

"Should we go and help? Or do you think she'd rather we stayed here?"

Xander looked nervously toward the ladder. "I don't like her down there alone with two murderous bloodsuckers."

"What if we get in the way?"

"Well, we'll stay out of the way unless she needs back up."

"Good plan."

They walked over to the ladder and stopped. They turned to face each other and Xander held his fist out. They shook their fists. Willow made a rock while Xander made scissors. She made a silent "ha" and motioned for him to go first. He took a deep but quiet breath and descended quickly down the ladder.

Buffy skipped the last several rungs of the ladder and dropped down to the dirt floor. Spike nearly skipped the ladder altogether trying to stay close. The room was almost pitch black. Angelus must have killed most of the lights to give himself an advantage. He might have had the advantage of cat-like vision, but Buffy had the advantage of a vampire ally. In the dark of the crypt, she was officially counting on him. Assuming he remained friendly.

She stopped just inside the room. She looked around trying not to be too obvious about the trouble she was having. She could make out a few shapes on her side of the room; the bed, a table, a lump on the floor that was most likely clothes but just as well could have been a body.

She gave up on trying to see and closed her eyes. With her vision impaired. her other senses spiked. She could feel the draft coming from the entrance above and behind her. She heard the shuffle of Spike's boots as he stepped up beside her. Her own heart beat was like a was drum in her ears and her breathing a harsh wind.

She waited and listened for movement. Something cold brushed her face and she jumped back. Realizing she hadn't heard any movement, she stilled and focused on the feeling. There was a cold draft coming from the back of the room. The scent it carried was like a public bathroom; mildew and filth.

She wondered if Angelus had run off into the sewers. Spike would have noticed. He had neither moved nor spoken since he came into the room. Maybe he didn't realize how dark it was or that she couldn't see.

No one was getting anywhere just standing around. Spike needed to know she was impaired and Angelus needed to be slain. Someone needed to move in one direction or the other.

"Spike, can you see?" she dared to ask.

He was about to speak when something came at her. It was big and fast and Buffy heard the whoosh of air just before it connected with her and knocked her to the ground. Angelus was on top of her. He'd taken advantage of her confirmed disability.

Buffy reclaimed her breath and shoved him off of her. She heard scuffling, but she couldn't see who was doing what or if she could help. She tried to stay out of the way waiting for one of them make some sort of noise so she could tell who's who.

After a few minutes of the noise caused by stomping boots and fists connecting with flesh, Buffy got tired of standing and waiting. She opened her eyes, but with the way the too were moving, she couldn't be certain who was who.

"Spike? Maybe help me out sound wise. I'm kind of at a loss."

Someone hit the wall to her left and by the grunt that resounded, it was Spike. Who Buffy was pretty sure was pinned there by Angelus. She marched blind toward the pair and grabbed the one who she thought (who also felt) like Angelus and tore him away from who she thought was Spike. He landed on the bed as announced by the creaking springs.

There were more creaking springs as the second leapt on top of the first. Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed.

Angelus had had enough of all the silence. He was always a talkative fighter and he had many things he wanted to say. Starting with "What are you doing, Spike?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Whap! "I'm kickin' your ass!" Spike responded amid the creaking of springs.

"After everything I did for you?" Whap! Thump! "I saved you! I made you whole again. And you're here with the slayer."

Someone flew across the room and crashed into a table. Buffy thought it sounded like Spike and she braced herself in case Angelus turned to her. He seemed to have forgotten her as he went after Spike again.

"You were the reason I needed saving in the first place! You got the librarian all worked up not me." Crack! Buffy cringed at the sound of someone's head meeting concrete.

"And the chip? If it wasn't for me you'd still be a poor neutered puppy." Slam! Crack.

Angelus was thrown back into the bed. Buffy was pretty sure that was Angelus.

"You always were an ungrateful childe." There was another loud slam and then everything went still. Buffy couldn't tell where they were anymore.

She wished she hadn't dropped her stake when Angelus tackled her. She couldn't see it on the floor and opening her eye only seemed to make it harder to tell what was happening. The noise kicked back up when Spike groaned. It was followed by a grunt from Angelus and several punches. The noises died down and all Buffy heard was shuffling. Then, crack! The air was filled with painic.

Someone dropped down the ladder behind her and she waited anxiously to find whether they would it would be her friends to win the battle or her enemy to destroy her.

A second person hit the ground and walked slowly closer with the first. They shuffled slowly and Buffy grew hopeful knowing that they couldn't see.

"Fiat Lux!" Willow shouted shattering a vial retrieved from her pocket and illuminating the room.

Spike was on his back on the bed with Angelus hovering over him. Angelus held him by the throat and with his other hand grasped a broken piece of the wooden bed frame. Spike held his wrist and was trying to hold the stake away from his chest.

Buffy spotted her stake on the ground and snatched it up. She ignored the feeling in her gut as she ran to the bed. Time slowed. She raised her stake and brought it down, down, down. There were so many feelings raging inside her. Feelings that said "don't and Angel" mixed with feelings that said "Angelus and evil".

Whether it was slayer instinct or human, that stake continued on its path. It tore through the fabric of Angelus's red silk shirt and through the flesh of his back. Buffy swore she could see it pass through each layer of skin until it reach that dead, blackened heart.

The dust exploded in normal Earth speed and it was over. Buffy felt like a part of her was over, too.