DISCLAIMER:I don't own them, I don't want them, they make me cry too much. Joss and his people do the owning thing
SPOILERS:Everything, just to be on the safe side.
TIMELINE:S5/S2
DISTRIBUTION:Great, just let me know where.
FEEDBACK:Please, I need it this time.
RATING:R
AUTHOR'S NOTES: AU fic.. This takes place after my story *It's the end of the world as we know it.* Buffy has killed Darla and faced with the end of the world, she and Angel make love. When a miracle saves the world, Buffy has to face the fact that Angelus is back.
DEDICATION:Rosi and Deirdre. You're simply the best:)

Buffy Summers sat trembling in the corner of the Hyperion hotel's foyer. She pulled her knees tightly into her chest and panted for breath as her small body threatened once again to hyperventilate. Her large traumatised eyes flickered anxiously over every possible entrance, the least little sound causing her to shake to the very core.

Sucking nervously on her lower lip, Buffy's mouth filled with the coppery taste of her own blood. The rich aroma drifted up to her nostrils but was ignored along with the pain that accompanied it.

No longer able to face the consequences of her earlier actions, the small, frightened girl tried to close her mind down, refusing to let herself feel the pain.

After the events of the last few days, Buffy Summers vowed that if she survived this, she would never allow herself the luxury of feeling anything ever again. Because if she did, she might just start screaming and if that happened, the broken hearted Slayer doubted she would ever be able to stop.

Buffy had no idea of how long she had sat there, too afraid to move. It must have been hours because the small light patterns on the hotel floor had moved slowly across the room imitating an enormous sundial

Wrapped in only the fragments of a thin bed sheet, the Slayer fought against the memories of the last few hours, but it was an impossible task. No matter how hard she tried, they returned periodically like emotional waves crashing violently against the shores of her sanity.

The previous night, Buffy had embraced heaven along with the vampire she adored with every beat of her heart; between them they had killed the big bad and surrender themselves to the oblivion of eternity. Only eternity wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Against all the odds, morning had arrived, and things would never be the same again.

The world had been lost and saved in the blink of an eye, but the price of the miraculous save had been high, far too high. Buffy squeezed her eyelids closed but not in time to keep the pictures from returning and attacking her mind. She and she alone had released the demon Angelus back on to an unsuspecting world. Angel had tried to warn her but she had refused to listen and now her life had been changed once again, for the worse.

Humanity had been granted a reprieve, and sadly, so had Angelus.

At the thought of the demon's name Buffy's body shuddered violently as she relived their encounter.

"Angel?" Buffy trembled in disbelief; all the warmth went out of the room as an ice-cold fear brushed up against her skin. She looked deep into the rich chocolate orbs staring so intensely back at her for the slightest sign that the soul was still in command of the body she loved. But the dark penetrating eyes only shone with the purest of evil. Without doubt, the soul of her lover had long ago departed the shell standing in front of her.

"Sorry, Buff. Soul boy couldn't hang around to celebrate the good news with you. You and that perfect happiness, will you two ever learn?" he mocked her pain with deep satisfaction.

**It was just so good to finally be free again.**

Buffy shook her head still denying this could have happened.

** How the hell could Angel have felt perfect happiness when they were about to die at any second** she argued irrationally

As if Angelus could read her mind, he leant forward and gripped the flimsy piece of material covering her nakedness.

" It wasn't even the sex that sent him on his merry way this time. You're still crap when it comes to that. No, the poor old soul thought he was going to spend eternity wrapped in those skinny little arms of yours." The demon laugher filled the room; it really was too funny.

**The soul had been naive enough to dream that he could find peace in eternity with her.Fucking idiot** the demon couldn't help grinning at its alter ego's stupidity.

**The soul had always been a weak lap dog, licking at the heels of humanity and getting kicked in the face for his troubles. But that was all over, Angelus wouldn't piss on the human race if it was on fire. Oh, the human race was going to burn alright, he was going to burn it off the face of the planet**

"I've been close to getting free for so long now, Angel fought hard for a while, but I knew I would eventually win. I just didn't expect you to open your legs that easily" Angelus leered at the naked flesh before him. He watched in a near state of ecstasy as the Slayer's precious life blood throbbed in the pulse at her neck.

Buffy's eyes glistened but she was too shocked to cry. Slowly she raised her hand and tried to release the thin scrap of silk that the demon still held tightly in his fingers.

"Angelus pulled the sheet even closer bring Buffy with it. The fact that underneath she was naked and defenseless made her all the more vulnerable. He licked his lips at the thought of all the fun he was about to have; Buffy was going to be his first warm meal in a very long time. Angelus had never forgotten the taste of her delicious blood, the soul might have been in charge the day she had forced his mouth to her neck, but the demon had been right there with him, screaming his appreciation. Buffy's eyes swept for anything she could use to fight the monster wearing her lover's face, but before she had a chance, Angelus ferociously ripped the sheet away from her trembling fingers, his hungry eyes devouring the naked girl with delight.

**Oh, he was going to drain her all right, but not before he'd screwed her into the ground ** that thought alone was enough to bring on the animalistic growl that came from deep inside the vampire's throat.

Buffy tried to cover herself with her small hands as the disgust registered in her eyes, she could tell by the look on his vicious face that the demon wanted more than just the kill this time.

Angelus let out a roar of amusement and reveled in the intoxicating smell of her fear. There really was nothing more arousing than a woman's fear and no matter what he might have told Buffy, she aroused him more than he would ever admit.

"What's up lover? You couldn't keep your greedy little hands off of my body a few hours ago. Did you think that I couldn't feel all the things you did to the soul?" he laughed even louder as Buffy's face blushed the most delightful shade of pink.

" Of course, with me it will be different and it will hurt, a lot. But you might even enjoy it once you get accustomed to the pain " a sickening lust then spread over the demon's angelic features distorting his once handsome face. Buffy flinched and tried to step backward.

"Touch me and I'll kill you" her tiny voice threatened but her body was still frozen in shock.

Angelus pulled the belt from the hoops in his black pants and dropped it to the floor. His fingers moved to his fly and slowly slid the zipper down.

"After all this time do you really think you could stop me? Do you really even want to try?" he smirked as his eyes changed from deep brown to bright yellow.

Buffy knew that she was about to be forced, taken violently by the same body she had earlier worshipped. The same mouth, the same fingers, only it wasn't the same. This godforsaken monster was not her beloved soul mate. This devil in her lover's shell was evil incarnate.

** Pretend it's Angel... Let him take you, let him kill you, let it be over** a tired part of her soul called out for the pain to end.

**Angel was lost, how could she fight this demon all over again** It continued to whisper, but there was still too much slayer left in the girl to listen. She wasn't going to lie down for anyone.

"If I'm so bad in bed, why would you even bother?" Buffy struggled to keep him talking. She needed time to think. Hell, she needed another goddamn miracle.

Angelus grinned even wider.

"You know what they say, lover. A mouth's a mouth." His eyes dropped for a second and it wasn't her mouth he was studying. When he looked back up his face had fully transformed into all it's demonic glory and his yearning to possess her body screamed out loud and clear.

**Whatever the soul could have was his by rights as well. The little bitch might never give him perfect happiness, but there was a lot to be said for just sex.** the demon inwardly groaned at the thought. Somewhere in the back of his head he could have sworn he heard the soul screaming in rage. ** But that was good too**

By now, Buffy was also beginning to change. The sickening fear she was feeling in the pit of her stomach was slowly turning into anger.

Angelus reached over and viciously grabbed Buffy by the hair; his sudden display of speed caught her momentarily off guard. Buffy then found her mouth under the most brutal attack as the demon savagely kissed her, his angry tongue plunged between her lips and ravished the soft flesh inside. Buffy struggled to free herself as she felt the pain of his razor sharp fangs ripping into her lips. Angelus held her hair tightly in one hand while he slid the other hand down over her breast. Buffy squirmed in repulsion as his long fingers grazed her nipple and then wandered further down her body, she heard a demonic growl of lust as his cold rough hand pushed it's way deep inside her thighs.

Buffy kicked, punched and clawed in an attempt to free herself but for some reason Angelus was unbelievably strong.

His muscular thigh forced her legs wide apart as Buffy continued to struggle violently in his arms.

Angelus removed his mouth from Buffy's blood stained lips but kept his hand tightly entwined in her hair.

He wriggled his trousers slowly down his lean hips and removing his hand from between her legs, he gripped her bare backside and forcefully pulled the naked girl up against him.

"I'm really going to enjoy this" he snarled as he pushed his cold hard flesh towards her heat.

" And, I'm really going to kill you" this time her ice-cold voice seemed to throw the demon for a second

Buffy pulled her head back so forcefully that she left a large chunk of her hair between his strong fingers. The demon hesitated just long enough for the Slayer to bring her right knee up between his legs with every ounce of hatred she had ever felt.

Angelus' eyes bulged as he grabbed for his groin, he moaned in extreme agony before collapsing on to his knees. While the demon was temporary indisposed, Buffy took full advantage of the situation. She quickly snatched up her sheet and scurried across the room. Whilst fleeing, her eyes frantically searched for a weapon, she noticed a small chair and with one powerful blow the slayer reduced it to firewood.

Ignoring the throbbing in his groin, Angelus slowly pulled himself to his feet. He dragged his trousers back up his naked hips and pulling the zipper closed on his fly, he stalked forward. The demon's lips twisted into a vicious sneer as he decided the games were now over. As he was no longer in any fit state to fuck the little bitch, his plan changed, now all he wanted was the kill.

Buffy clutched the largest piece of jagged wood she could find and glared back. The demon carefully studied her hardened face and after weighing up all the options, he wisely decided that he'd pushed the Slayer to the point of breaking.

**She really will kill me if I stay**

As much as he wanted the kill, he knew that for now the opportunity had passed. Luckily for him, and the whole world, there would now be a tomorrow. That small comfort was just enough to sustain his need for the slayer's blood.

"I'll give you this round, Buff. But, remember one thing. You know its not over, It'll never be over" with a final haunting chuckle, the vampire spun around and disappeared.

Buffy collapsed to the floor shaking in despair, her tiny fingers gripped the wooden stake until they became numb and lost all feeling.

"Buffy? Are you all right?" a gentle, concerned voice asked. When he received no reply the owner of the voice lifted the small girl into his arms and carried her to a nearby chair.

Buffy clung onto her bed sheet with one trembling hand and raised her makeshift stake in the other. As the haze of her anxiety started to clear, she recognised the other person in the room.

"Wesley?" Buffy couldn't control the tremor in her voice as she slowly sat up.

Wesley smiled; his soft kind eyes full of concern as he studied the shattered girl in front of him. When he had last seen her, she was the one who appeared so strong. He now found himself asking what could have possibly happened in such a short amount of time. Wesley started to feel a strong foreboding

**Something was dreadfully wrong here**

"Hello, Buffy. Didn't you hear the church bells? The world didn't end after all." His gentle face smiled again trying to bring the terrified girl back into the real world.

He watched her pale drawn face for signs of relief and was horrified when she burst into tears. Wesley wrapped her in his arms and tried to soothe her fear as much as he could; his mind was filled with a dozen questions of what could have possibly brought about so much misery.

When Buffy was finally able to speak she looked deep into his eyes and what he saw made him shiver.

"I wish it had ended, I wish the world has exploded into a zillion pieces.Wesley..He's back" New tears slipped over her long lashes and rolled down her swollen cheeks.

"Who, Buffy. Who's back?" the ex watcher was already beginning to have an idea but the thought was too dreadful to perceive.

"Angelus" was all Buffy could bring herself to stutter before her body was swamped again in uncontrollable sobbing. She could still feel his cold rough fingers invading her body, tearing at her soul. And what was worse, he was right, it would never over be over between the two of them.

Wesley wrapped Buffy's shaking body into his arms and rocked her like a small child afraid of the dark. If what she had just told him was true, the world now faced a new danger, one just as deadly as the meteorite and one that would be almost as impossible to destroy.

Outside, the church bells of Los Angeles continued to ring in celebration. But, inside the Hyperion hotel, the Slayer and her ex watcher feared the end of the world was still just around the corner.

"Buffy, where are your clothes? We need to get out of here as quickly as possible" Wesley tried to project an air of calmness but his heart rate had at least trebled in the last few minutes. There was an eerie stillness about the hotel, that triggered every nerve ending in his body to protest against staying around for one moment longer. If the Scourge of Europe had indeed returned, he needed time to prepare, he needed time to gather his weapons and...

**Oh Hell! Who was he kidding?** Wesley knew he would never be a match for Angelus on his own. Just one look at Buffy's tear stained face confirmed that fear. The fact that the Slayer, the strongest girl in the entire world, had just been reduced to a basket case sadly proved his point

No, Wesley had no reservations about running away, In fact he was a strong believer in the saying ** Those who turn and run away, live to fight another day** So, In this case getting the hell out of there was the most sensible thing he could think of.

Getting Buffy back into shape had to be his first priority. As much as his heart ached for his friend, Wesley had to accept that for the time being, Angel was lost . This frightened child shaking in his arms was the only being on the planet that had the skill to fight the demon the vampire had once again become.

With a heavy heart, Wesley left thoughts of Angel behind and concentrated on the task at hand, he knew it was his sworn duty to protect this girl with his very life, not that he owed the Council anything these days. No, his loyalty would always be to Angel, and he would protect his friend's lover with his very last breath. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that that's what Angel would have wished for. Buffy had to be protected until she was strong enough to kill the threat that now faced mankind.. Even if that threat was him.

"Wesley, I'm so sorry" Buffy whispered, her large hazel eyes shining up at him for understanding.

"I think it's a little late for sorrys, Buffy." Wesley's sad voice replied without incrimination. The damage was already done; Wesley saw no further point in crucifying the troubled girl. She alone would have to live with the guilt of once again destroying her lover. Only this time she may have destroyed them all.

"I wanted one last night in his arms, I just wanted to feel alive once more before I died." a single tear slipped over her lashes and was ignored as it continued down her cheek.

"We would never have intentionally put the world in jeopardy...I honestly thought we were both going to die." Buffy tried to justify her actions but they sounded just as selfish and irresponsible out loud.

Wesley nodded his head and pushed the frame of his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. This wasn't the time to discuss where the blame should lay; this moment would be better spent moving their arses in the direction of the door.

"Buffy, clothes?" Ignoring her statement, he reminded the girl of his earlier question

Buffy raised her eyes to the rooms above her head and remembered shredding her clothing as she and Angel passionately made love to each other just a few hours earlier. She imagined her lover's beautiful soulful eyes and her insides threatened to dissolve all over again.

**"Angel.It's only this world that's ending, I'll love you until all the stars go out" **

"And I'll love you even longer " the memory no longer felt real, it was too mixed up in the nightmare that had followed. A Kaleidoscope of conflicting images twisted and turned inside her head. One second, she could see Angel's large hands lovingly caressing her body as she slipped into what should have been eternity, and the next..

Buffy's eyes dropped to her badly bruised arms and she shuddered at the thought of how those same hands had torn at her thighs and had almost raped her.

**After all this time do you really think you could stop me? Do you really even want to try?**

" BUFFY!, he could still be here" Wesley's words brought her out of her reverie like a bucket of ice cold water. The urgency in his voice wasn't lost on either of them. The raised hair on the back of her neck was proof enough that Angelus could still be around.

"Never mind the clothes, we will just have to manage the best we can" Removing his own jacket, Wesley pushed the girls arms through the sleeves and pulled her to her feet. He secured the ripped bed sheet as tight as he could; making sure that Buffy's golden skin was fully covered.

"This will just have to do, now come on, we must get as far away from this place as we possibly can" Wesley knew that there was still a few hours of daylight left and they had to get into its' safety before Angelus got really hungry.

Once outside, Buffy refused to look back. Wesley quickly led them to the side of the hotel; noticing that Angel's car was still there, they once again feared that the vampire was not that far away.

Buffy indicated to the car but Wesley cut her off.

"That's far too slow and we'll never be able to fill the tank" he argued rationally. He then looked down and winced when he saw the state of the girl's bare feet.

"Wait here, I'll be right back" he hated to leave her alone but there was no way he wanted to risk her injuring her feet on the sharp floor"

Buffy nodded and watched Wesley run off, only to return a few moments later with a slick black motorcycle.

"Get on" he ordered taking command of the situation

Buffy started towards the bike but hesitated.

"We're running out of time, Buffy" he warned impatiently and looked towards the sky. The bright yellow glow of the sun was slowly slipping away, In a few short hours, the moon would take its place and vampires would be free to run riot.

"It'll only take a minute" the girl replied and turned back towards Angel's convertible. Crouching down by the near side wheel the slayer removed a small valve, a soft hissing then came from the tire as it stated to slowly deflate. Buffy looked back towards Wesley and smiled for the first time. Moving quickly to the back tire, she proceeded to let the air out of that one as well.

When she was satisfied with the damage, Buffy jumped up and swung her small leg over the bike, she gripping Wesley tightly around the waist and held on for dear life.

"It won't stop him but it might slow him down a little," she yelled over the roar of the engine.

Wesley nodded in admiration for the Slayer's quick thinking. Feeling her small body pressed against his back, he lifted his foot from the ground and let the bike scream away into the safety of the sunlit street. With a sigh of relief, Buffy closed her eyes and rested her head against Wesley's back. Without time to find a crash helmet. the wind whipped her hair loose and it trailed behind her like a stream of golden ribbons.

"Where are we going, Sunnydale?" Wesley shouted as the hotel disappeared far behind them.

"Yes, but first I have to make a quick stop. I need to persuade something to put this right," Buffy shouted back into the wind.

"Angel, before he lost his soul, told me about these Oracles. Apparently they have the ability to turn back time." Buffy climbed off the back of the bike and stepped onto the pavement. Running her fingers through her windswept hair, she quickly adjusted her clothing.

"Buffy, I have heard of these beings but I have no idea how to get in touch with them. To be truthful I thought they were dead " Wesley replied honestly. Climbing from the bike, he rolled it away from the street and towards the side alley, hiding it amongst the trash cans. If they were to get to Sunnydale as quickly as possible it was imperative that the bike wasn't stolen while they were hunting for Oracles.

"I'm sure there must be more then just two of them, and after what Angel told me, they owe me Wesley. It's payback time" The small petite girl held her head up high and marched off in the direction of the Post Office. Wesley watched her walk away and couldn't help admiring what he saw. The Slayer had returned with a vengeance. No longer the frightened, broken child, Buffy Summers strode forward with a growing air of confidence. The only bad side was she was still wearing only a ripped silk sheet and an overly large man's jacket.

**I really will have to get her something else to wear** he thought as he moved quickly to catch her up.

They found what they were looking for with a little help from the sewers, Buffy's least favourite place in the whole wide world. The stench was something you never quite forgot.

** Along with having your heart broken that is**. Buffy couldn't stop the little resentful thought slipping in, she quickly closed it down. Now was not the time or the place to mope over Angel, that would have to come later. If she lived that long.

Walking over to the furthest wall, Buffy carefully inspected it, looking for signs of an entrance.

It looks like some kind of spell is required" Wesley nodded wishing he had access to his books. He also wished he could contact Cordelia and Gunn. Their help was imperative but there was simply no way of finding them. He just had to hope that for their sakes, Angelus didn't look for them before he had a chance to explain.

**No, Angeus wanted Buffy. Cordelia and Gunn would be safe until the Slayer was dead** Wesley had to find comfort in that fact that keeping Buffy alive was the most help he could offer his friends for the time being.

So, until they could make Sunnydale, it was just down to him and Buffy. With luck, Cordelia would receive a vision and she and Gunn would find them, if not. Well that was something to think about later on.

Buffy pushed the palm of her hands against the cold wall, she could feel the cosmic energy buzzing through her small fingers.

"Unless you want one extremely pissed slayer on your hands, you better open this door, NOW" she slammed down hard cracking the wall with all the force of her anger. The sewer felt as if a minor earthquake had rattled it's way along it. Dust fluttered like rain from the ceiling and the sound of rats could be heard scurrying nervously across the floor in panic.

"Buffy, I really don't think that's going." Wesley was cut off before he got a chance to finish the sentence as a blinding light opened the porthole to the Oracle's dimension.

"You were saying?" Buffy smiled and without hesitation walked through.

On the other side, Buffy stood disorientated for a moment trying to adjust to her new surroundings.

Two small children, a boy and a girl of roughly ten years old slowly approached. They were obviously brother and sister, possibly twins. Buffy noticed that they resembled humans except for that whole gold and blue paint effect.

"You may come before us, Slayer" the female child spoke first.

Buffy did as she was told and moved one foot forward.

"I'm looking for the Oracles?" she asked, her eyes fully alert as she swept her surroundings for any sign of danger.

**Angel hadn't said anything about these Oracles being in kindergarten**

" What have you brought us?" again the female child was the one to speak.

Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, I'm not feeling too generous at the moment. Besides, I think you've taken enough from me as it is" Buffy hadn't forgotten that it was these Oracles that had stolen her first perfect day. If they had left well alone in the first place then none of this might have happened.

The children didn't move, they just continued to stare at the Slayer with ice blue eyes.

" You kids are the Oracles? I thought you'd be a little taller" Buffy was hardly impressed. If things hadn't been so serious they would almost seem funny. But the situation was beyond serious, Angelus, the Scourge of Europe was on the rampage and she was asking ankle biters for help

"We are the next generation" the boy spoke for the first time and as Buffy stared into his bright blue eyes, she realised that she wasn't dealing with children at all. These beings were not human and they were far from young..

" Why are you here, warrior?"

"I need you to take time back, one day.... Yesterday. " Buffy got straight to the point, the longer it took the more they would have to remove.

The small Oracles looked at each other and then turned back towards the Slayer.

"Your request is not possible" they both replied with no emotion what so ever.

"Oh, is that right?.. Well, you see, I know from experience that it is possible....Don't I? " Buffy sneered trying to keep the bitterness she felt from her voice, she failed miserably.

"What is and what is not possible is not of your concern, all you need to know is that we can not take back yesterday" the small boy started. His sister then continued.

"We prevented the meteorite from hitting the earth in the first place. You couldn't possibly apprehend the energy it took to cause the deflection. We changed history and there is simply no way we can do that again, our powers are too drained "

"But you don't understand, Angelus is back."

"We know everything, warrior. What you should know is that the meteorite was sent to start of the end of days. Now that it has been prevented the demon known as Angelus will lead the battle for evil. You were to have fought side by side, together you were strong, but now you will have to face each other. The slayer and the demon must battle the end of days on opposite sides."

"Will I win?" Buffy whispered, as the guilt she felt for her actions became so strong she feared she would throw up.

"To win this battle you will have to lose and the price will be of the highest"

" Lose what?" Buffy asked not liking the losing part one little bit.

"Everything, you lose everything." The small children moved slowly around Buffy making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Be prepared to sacrifice large parts of your soul....Loved ones will fall even before the battle begins, but their loss will not be forgotten. Slayer, the demon Angelus must be destroyed before he releases the fires of hell"

** Loved ones will fall even before the battle begins**

"What about Angel? We can re-curse him again?" Buffy asked hopefully. **Surely that would solve the whole problem. Make Angel good again and the demon is contained**

The Oracles looked at each other as if speaking telepathically; they then looked back towards the Slayer.

"That doorway is no longer open, it will fail. Know this, the end of days must now be fought and it must be won, destroy the demon and the soul will be set free."

"What do you." With a blinding light, Buffy was flung out of the chamber with a wave of a hand.

Luckily for her, Wesley broke her fall as she landed heavily still shouting her question.

"Well, what happened, you were only gone a second, what did they say?"

Buffy tried to make sense of all the cryptic confusion. All she knew for certain was that she was going to lose something important...Well, that and the fact that she and the demon that wore her lover's face would battle to the death.

Looking into Wesley's worried face she gave him the truth without pulling any punches

"Think of the worst case scenario" she looked up and watched the Englishman's face crease into a deep frown.

"Then times it by infinity" Buffy mumbled and walked away.

"Run, little Slayer run. But I'll be sure to find you" Angelus raised his finger and slowly sucked it into his mouth. He closed his eyes as he tasted the sweetness of her scent and growled deeply.

"I will kill you, lover. But first, I'll bring you to your knees" Angelus watched as the last of the days sunlight slipped quietly away.

"And then I'll bring you to mine" he laughed to himself as he headed out into the night

"Fucking Bitch" Angelus kicked the front tire of the soul's Plymouth convertible and growled in absolute rage. The sun had set a few seconds earlier and he was impatient to follow the Slayer to Sunnydale.

Realising that the car would be going nowhere fast, he angrily kicked out again, this time sending his heavily booted foot straight through the shiny black metal.

"I should warn you, vandalism is a serious crime in this state, we can lock you up for it, in a nice sunny cell" a hash female voice crept up on the vampire. Angelus slowly turned, he had been so caught up in his rage with the Slayer that he had almost missed the approaching human, but only almost. Her feminine aroma had alerted him to her presence just in time.

He berated his tardiness, if it had been the Slayer he could have been in an awful lot of trouble, luckily for him, it wasn't.

**Just another annoying blonde bitch with a bug up her ass** His face slipped into its human appearance before he turned to greet her

"How nice to see you, officer Lockley, but I don't think vandalism counts if it's my own property" Angelus replied in his best soulboy impersonation.

** It was easy, just turn on the I'm-all-tortured act, throw in the puppy dog eyes and it works every time** the demon watched the female police officer take a small step closer, he couldn't smell any fear on the woman, so he congratulated himself on his acting.

Angelus' eyes swept over the slender woman, she was taller than the Slayer, her hair was a little lighter, and her figure a little more matured, but she was still easy on the eyes. Besides, after the way the Slayer had worked him up the demon just needed a little relief. As he had reminded Buffy earlier

** A mouths a mouth** and he had fucked a lot worse in his time

"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" Angelus moved slowly forward, his eyes closing in on the thin column of Kate's bare neck.

"I've just left the Mall, it looks like a vampire's tea party over there. I don't suppose you would know anything about that. " Kate asked she lifted her eyes only to find the deep brown pools of the demon staring right back.

The woman found her face blushing slightly under the intense gaze of the vampire but refused to let herself be intimidated. **Angel may have the body of a Greek god but he was still a filthy demon underneath** she quickly reminded herself.

"No, sorry" the guilt and puppy dog eyes came in to full play as the demon struggled to keep the contempt from his voice.

** Vampire's tea party**

**Shame about Darla, that could have been real fun for a while. Oh, well. That's just another good reason to rip the Slayer's head off ** Angelus resisted the smile that accompanied the visual. Darla had been stupid and careless and she'd paid the price, he wouldn't be making the same mistake. He then turned his attention to the blonde in front of him.

"Somebody made a right mess in that shop, it sure looked like your work" Kate seriously doubted the vampire was telling the truth. Amongst the corpses, She had witnessed the incriminating piles of dust. No matter what anybody else said, Kate Lockely knew there had been vampires in that shop.

** And where there were vampires there was usually Angel.**

"Kate, I'm on your side, remember. You really should trust me more" Angelus turned on the full *soul boy* act. He could smell that the woman was interested in him, she could deny it all she wanted but she couldn't hide that smell, not from a vampire.

**She smells like a bitch on heat** the demon smiled.

"I don't trust vampires, get with the program, Angel. I don't trust anybody that doesn't have a heart beat"

Angelus took another step forward

"Kate, one of these days you're going to have to trust somebody" another step forward " I didn't kill your father, you know that"

Kate trembled at the mention of her father. She'd held on to the pain for so long and it was slowly eating her alive.

Angelus reached out and softly touched Kate's hair. He felt the warmth of her breath as she sighed against his hand.

" I would have given my own soul to have saved his" how he kept his face still that time was a miracle. Angelus could tell she was hooked, now all he had to do was reel her in.

"Trust me, I know what it feels like to lose a father. Let me take away your pain" His lips inched slowly towards her face

"I want to.. I want to trust somebody, I just don't know how" Kate's eyes sparked with tears.The pain of her father's death was like a large sore in the middle of her chest and the more she picked away at it's scab, the more the infection grew.

" The first step is always the hardest" Angelus offered and waited for his prey to surrender.

" Help me, please make it stop" Kate shuddered and felt the pain snap and break away. She had spent far too long blaming the things that went bump in the night; she really had to let it go, move on. A loud sob slipped from her mouth with the relief of letting go of the pain.

**Angel was right, she needed to trust people again, she needed to trust him.**

"Ssshhh" Angelus pulled the woman into his arms and softly rubbed her back.

"Let it all out Katie" the soft rich voice wound it's enchanted spell, pulling away the last of her defenses.

Kate wound her arms around the vampire's shoulders and pressed up against the cool muscular chest.

"I still miss my daddy, but I know that it wasn't your fault. Angel, I'm so tired I just want some peace"

Angelus ran his finger across her cheek, he felt the blonde woman tremble beneath his touch.

"Close your eyes" he lowered his mouth and softly brushed her forehead with his cool lips. Kate's eye lashes flicked and then without questioning why, she closed her eyes.

A large smirk twitched around the vampire's lips as the demon shone out from his angelic features.

"Works every time" the demon chuckled as he proceeded to rip out the policewoman's throat. Kate's eyes jerked open in disbelief and terror.

She struggled in vain as the razor sharp fangs sliced deep into her artery and swallowed hard

Dropping the body to the floor, Angelus wiped his bloodstained lips with the back of his hand

**There really was something to be said for a warm meal** he inwardly sighed. The demon then decided that his precious time would be better spent hunting the Slayer than fucking the dying woman.

**Correction, dead woman** Angelus laughed as a death rattle slipped from her destroyed throat.

With his appetite slightly sated he leant over and pulled a set car keys from the deceased woman's pocket.

Stepping over the corpse, he looked down with amusement.

"I hate to eat and run like this but I really have some place to be, say hi to daddy for me**

Spike raised his arms and stretched out a long satisfied yawn, he reached over and pulled a cigarette from the crumpled pack that lay by the bed and, striking a match, drew the swirling smoke around his dead lungs.

From the safety of his nice dark crypt, the contented vampire could hear the remaining population of Sunnydale happily celebrating well into the day. Fireworks exploded high into the now empty sky, car horns screamed up and down main street as news of the meteorite's near miss reached the human race, guaranteeing their survival.

Spike couldn't resist grinning, he knew there was going to be an awfully lot of pissed off demons hiding deep inside the earth, waiting eagerly for their big day to arrive. The fact that the world was not ending after all was not going to be taken lightly. But, unlike his demon brethren, the vampire was in no big hurry to wave goodbye to the good things in life. Even with that damn chip in his head, Spike knew that his unlife was still pretty neat, and in the last few hours it had gotten a whole lot better.

Drusilla stirred and moved her dark head from its' position in his lap. Her beautiful dark eyes flickered open and she purred softly at the sight of her mate. Spike ran his hand over the crown of her head and slipped his fingers through the silky strands of her dark hair. He smiled down at the woman sharing his bed with surprising tenderness.

She might have been a crazy, cheating bitch in her time, but she was also his black goddess, his princess of the night, his goddamn Sire. It only took seeing Dru again for a few hours to convince Spike that his little infatuation with the slayer was just that, infatuation. This demon with her pale skin and her cold touch was the love of his unlife whether he liked it or not.

**Well at least until the next chaos demon shows up**

Drusilla slowly crawled up Spike's body and wound her slender arms around his neck; she nuzzled her mouth against the skin of his throat and playfully bit down.

"So, you want some more, pet?" Spike growled and flipped her onto her back, straddling her waist he pinned her arms down by her sides.

"What happened to the sky, Spike? Where did the bright star go?" the vampire cooed as her mate kissed along her bare collar bone.

Drusilla groaned as her lover's familiar tongue licked its way across her skin. Although she found the sensation pleasurable, she couldn't relax due to the strange voices nagging away in her muddled head.

Everything was so confusing; the Slayer had said it was all going to end and yet the cruel vicious sun had still risen that morning, at that very second it was still shining down its deadly rays. Everything in her being screamed out that this was all wrong. A large battle had been foretold in the heavens and yet the stars were now all out of alignment. The jigsaw pieces were all upside down and the corners were missing.

"Who could have stopped the darkness, why is the sky not falling?" she asked again, the annoying voices refusing to give her peace.

" Who knows, pet. Just be happy it's gone" Spike really had more important things on his mind, like sex. He licked across her breastbone revelling in the taste of his lover and closed his mind to her excessive ramblings.

**That bloody meteorite was she could talk about. **

The night before, Drusillia had turned up in Sunnydale with a tale more barmy than usual. After the initial slagging match, the ex lovers had reunited in a blaze of passion and sought out Spike's crypt to watch the end of humanity. Luckily for Spike, Harmony had already packed her belongings and had abandoned town as soon as the meteorite had been discovered. She had begged her *blondie bear* to go with her but Spike had no intention of running away. Feeling more than a little sorry for himself, the vampire accepted that he'd lived a long time and he'd had a good innings and if this was how it ended, so be it. He was a lone wolf, he didn't need anybody. But then Dru had turned up and things had changed, she wanted him back and now he no longer had to face the end alone. That was okay too.

After their passion had shaken the very foundations of the crypt, and most probably woken a few of the dead, Dru had curled up by his side and rambled the rest of the night about her time in LA. Spike had feigned interest until the conversation turned to the Slayer, Darla and Angel. When he had tried to question her further, Dru had spun him some farcical tale about Buffy saving her from being staked and then sending her off to find him.

**Yeah, like that really happened** Spike rolled his eyes at the ludicrous idea and just humoured her.

After that conversation Spike gave up trying to get any sense out of Drusilla. Accepting that his crazy lover would never change, the two vampires just settled down and waited for the end of the day to arrive.

But the end never came.

"Ooooooh" Drusillia twisted and threw her head back. At first Spike just grinned, thinking it was something he had done. But then he realised that his lover wasn't having an orgasm, she was having a vision.

"What is it, pet. What do you see" Spike watched as the vision took over the vampire's whole body. She trembled and shook as the jumbled pictures flashed into her head

"He's coming" she moaned and wrapped her arms around her body. Spike leaned over and raised an eyebrow in interest

"Who's that luv?.Who's coming ?" the orgasmic expression that crossed her delicate features wasn't lost on the blonde vampire.

"Daddy, my daddy's coming back to me" the sound of renewed groaning made the small hairs on the back of Spike's neck stand on end.

"I can feel the anger flowing inside him, he's feeding but a different hunger is driving him. There's a key, Spike. Daddy must take the key away, when he opens the door there will be fun for all of us"

"Angel? " Spike sneered the question making no attempt to hide his dislike.

**That bloody poof was the plague of his existence**

Spike threw his legs over the side of the bed and reached for his trousers. He pulled the black pants over his naked hips and flicked up the zipper.

Dru shook her head and giggled in glee, rolling onto her stomach she watched her mate pace back and forth in annoyance

"You know what this means? That bloody Slayer has given him one again." Spike was seriously not amused; Angelus was bound to be bad news. The soul was a big enough pain in the neck, but the scourge of Europe himself, that wanker would be all over Drusillia before he could blink.

Just when things had started to look up this goes and happens.

**Oh, he'd seen it all before. Angelus would march into town like a magnificent poof and before you knew it, the younger male was back on the outside looking in. Well not this sodding time**

Spike looked back towards Drusilla spread seductively across his bed. He reached out a hand and softly caressed her cheek.

There really was only one thing to do; he would have to kill the rotten bastard himself.

**But he always kicks your asrse** a tiny voice crept into his head and laughed at him bitterly.

Spike needed a plan, but even more than that he needed allies. He needed somebody strong enough to send the big Nancy boy straight back to hell before he could do any real damage. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed Buffy.

**Oh, bloody hell**

In normal circumstances the journey would have taken about two hours, at this rate they would be lucky to make Sunnydale by morning. Noticing a gas station in the distance Wesley pulled off the road.

"Buffy, you better try Sunnydale again, there should be somebody home by now. Forewarned is forearmed" He switched off the engine and with a grateful sigh slipped off the bike and stretched the cramp from his long legs. Buffy nodded her agreement and after checking that she still had the loose change Wesley had given her earlier, she walked off in search of a phone. As she crossed the forecourt, her empty stomach growled angrily reminding her that she hadn't eaten for at least two days. On leaving the Oracles, Wesley had made a quick detour just long enough to grab Buffy some clothing and a pair of shoes, there was no way she could continue to travel wearing only a bed sheet and his jacket. For a start, It would have caused too much unwanted attention, attention they simply didn't have time to explain. Although the outfit drowned her small frame, Buffy was extremely grateful for the ex watcher's kindness. Until then she hadn't once thought about what Angelus' return would mean to Wesley and
his friends. Buffy knew that the more she thought about Angelus, the more guilt she would have to carry. So, she packed that particular pain away with all the others and concentrated solely on the task of leaving LA and warning the others as quickly as possible.

In their frantic need to escape the city, all thoughts of food had pushed to the back of their minds. The sunlight was now gone and Angelus was free to follow.

Back at the gas station, every number she tried had been unavailable, Giles, her mother even Xander's just continually rung at both ends. Slamming down the receiver in frustration the Slayer walked back into the cool night air. Noticing Wesley was back at the bike she hurried over eager to get moving again.

"Still no reply" Buffy offered sadly before Wesley could even ask.

"Here, it's not much but it's all they had" Wesley offered a small white plastic cup in one hand and a bar of chocolate in the other. Buffy returned a tired smile and gratefully accepted. She knocked the contents of the cup back without coming up for air, the poor excuse for coffee was almost tasteless, but at least it was warm and for a few seconds it filled the empty spot in her stomach

**If only she could fill the empty spot in her heart that easily** she reflected sadly and tried not to think about deep brooding eyes that had changed into pools of toxic evil. Wherever the soul was, it had to be safer than here. Once the demon was defeated she would face the consequences.

**Destroy the demon and the soul will be set free** if only she understood what that really meant

"I think we will make better progress if we cut off the main roads, Angelus certainly would have" Wesley deposited his empty plastic cup in the nearest trashcan and climbed back onto the bike.

"He won't beat us there, not on this baby" Buffy looked at the powerful bike as she climbed behind the rider and gripped his waist.

"Will he?" was only added when Wesley had remained silent.

"I sincerely hope not for all our sakes. The others have no idea of his change. If we don't get there before him they will all be sitting ducks" he turned the key and nothing happened.

"I'm ready when you are" Buffy called out from behind anxious to get moving.

"Wesley removed the key, wiped it on his shirt and then tried again, the response was the same. Buffy immediately felt the tension course through Wesley's body. She tapped him on the shoulder as he tried again to turn over the engine.

"I'd like to go now...Please"

With a long sigh, Wesley looked back with a deeply troubled expression.

"Sorry, Buffy, we seem to have a slight problem"

**It really was his lucky night** Angelus grinned as he swung the dead cops' car around the dark streets of Sunnydale. Not only had he made the journey before sunrise, he was almost certain he had made it there before the Slayer. Like the soul, he too could sense her presence and that was just the break he needed.

"And there's break number two" the vampire whispered to himself and shrank back into the dark shadows of his car. In the distance his perfect eyesight fell on a certain Slayer's best friend.

The small redhead and her two companions walked arm in arm until they reached their destination. Patrol had been a total waste of time, but at least it had made the three of them feel like they were doing something positive, until Buffy got back that's all they could do.

"Are you sure you don't want us to wait with you until Tara gets home?" Xander asked as he wrapped his friend in a tight hug. Willow smiled as she watched Anya's eyes roll in frustration. She could almost read the ex demons mind.

**Poor Xander, he really did have his hands full**

"No, I'll be fine, and besides Tara might be back already" she smiled at the look of relief that passed over Anya's face. No matter how hard she tried, Anya still hadn't mastered the true meaning of tact.

"She's right, come on Xander I'm very sleepy, I need to go to bed.Now" she faked a yawn and nudged her boyfriend, not too gently to move.

Willow watched the light go on behind her oldest friend's eyes as he caught his girlfriend's non-too subtle hint.

"Yes, I'm suddenly getting that sleepy feeling too" he slipped his arm around his lover's waist and pulled her close to his side. What had started out as the strangest pairing had matured into something quite special, proving once again that love really was blind.

With a small smile turning the corners of her lips, Willow waved goodbye to her friends and hurried up the stairs to her building.

Angelus watched with a sneer drawn across his full lips as Xander walked right past his car. If he'd had more time he really would have enjoyed nothing better then ripping the head off the Slayer's pathetic excuse for a white knight. The soul had always been jealous of the spotty teenager, but not him, Angelus hated the little pissant with a vengeance and vowed that the kid's end would come soon enough. Xander Harris had stood in his way for the very last time.

**But first things first**

When he was certain that the road was empty, the vampire jumped from the car and quickly entered the college. He didn't need to worry about a room number; the aroma of the young witch was still fresh enough for him to just follow her scent..

"No, Willow. No news yet, I suggest you just stay by your phone, I'm sure we'll hear something soon" Giles tried to keep his voice as calm as possible but after four days and still not a word from Buffy, the fear had started creeping in.

Willow sighed with disappointment, she had been so sure that today was the day Buffy would ring

"Okay, I'll do just that.... Oh, Giles. If Tara comes by your place will you tell her where I am, she went over to check on Dawn and the last time we tried their phone it was still not working" Willow asked, when she was happy with the answer she replaced the receiver.

Hauling her tired body off the bed, she made her way over to her closet. Fighting a yawn, Willow opened the door and pulled out her night-shirt. Although it was nearly morning she had been awake now for almost thirty-six hours and her body was finally rebelling in its need for sleep. She quickly slipped out of her crumpled clothing and pulled the night-shirt down over her head. It really had been a long few days; she thought as she studied her tired reflection in the mirror.

As much as she hated not knowing where her friend was, she hoped with all her heart that the Slayer had at least found her Angel. Some things in life were meant to be.

**Poor Buffy, she really did deserve a break when it came to some quality happiness, it was such a shame that Angel couldn't share that feeling**

Picking up the spell book on her desk, the Wicca made her way back to her bed and settled down to read.

" There must be something in here that will tell me where you are, Buffy" Willow turned page after page hoping for a spark of inspiration. She had put off doing something magical for far too long, as soon as Tara returned she'd made up her mind to try a location spell.

Flicking to the page that covered all placement spells, Willow tried to read up on the ingredients they would need, but no matter how hard she concentrated, the words on the page danced before her eyes as the need for sleep became stronger than her will to stay awake. After a few futile flickers, her eyelids closed over and gave into sleep's warm pull.

The next thing she was aware of was a soft tapping on the door, jerking her from her slumber. Willow threw her legs over the bed and stretching out a yawn, padded across the room

"Did you forget your key again..Oh..Angel" Willow's mouth dropped open in surprise, the last thing she had expected to see was the vampire standing on her doorstep.

"Hello, Willow. How have you been?" Angelus smiled back using his soul boy impersonation again

"Great, well apart from the whole world ending thing. That was pretty scary for a while. What are you doing back in Sunnydale?

Angelus smiled again and glanced towards the door indicating that he needed an invitation to enter. Confusion crossed Willow's sleepy features for a few seconds until the penny dropped.

"Sorry, Angel. Come on in"

Angelus walked across the threshold and pulled the door closed behind him, his eyes scanned the room quickly noticing that the witch was all alone.

"Where's Buffy? Did she catch up with you in LA? Is she all right?" Willow asked a volley of questions without coming up for air. After the last four days of silence, she was excited to finally receive news of her friend's well being

"Buffy's great. We got here about ten minutes ago and she's gone straight to her mother's house. Willow, Buffy asked me to drop by and see if you were here. We've got a serious problem, we were hunting Drusilla in LA and she gave us the slip. Buffy thinks she's heading this way"

"That makes sense, seeing as how Spike's still here." Willow nodded in understanding. Her romantic heart soared at the realisation that not only had Buffy found her love; they were once again fighting side by side.

"It's imperative that we find her as soon as possible, she's discovered some really important information, End of days prophecies and we must bring her over to our side, Buffy thinks we should try to curse her with a soul" **Insert brooding look and you've got her**

"Wow! That sounds like a good idea maybe we can do Spike at the same time, although the chip does a pretty good job and..."

"Willow" Angelus interrupted in his best soul boy voice.

"We really don't have a great deal of time. If she's here we need to move fast"

"Sure, sorry Angel. What can I do?" Willow offered, wanting to help in anyway she could. Cursing Drusilla with a soul shouldn't be that difficult, especially with Tara's help.

" It needs to be the original curse that you performed on me, do you still have it?" Angelus waited patiently, which was a new concept for him. Last time with Jenny, he'd made the mistake of not destroying every copy; this time it would be different.

"Somewhere" Willow walked over to her desk and started looking through a file of papers.

"It was a long time ago but I'm sure I put it in here" she mumbled to herself and pulled open another drawer.

Angelus continued biding his time, knowing that if he lost his temper now he might make the same mistake.

Willow pulled open another drawer and rifled through the contents.

"Here it is, I knew it was here somewhere." she shouted waving the floppy disk in excitement.

The demon's eyes narrowed in on the disk as he reached out a hand to accept it.

"I think I better make a copy first" Willow kept her fingers closed on the disk and looked over towards her computer.

"Why, is this the only copy? I'd hate to lose anything that important"

Without looking back the redhead just nodded and reached over for an empty disk.

"Yes, I never got round to making a backup" If Willow had been paying more attention she might have caught his mocking tone and satisfied smirk, sadly she didn't.

**And the Oscar goes to...Me ** the demon stared hard at the disk that could technically imprison him again and promised that was never going to happen

"Don't worry, it will only take a second to copy it" Willow dropped into her chair and switched on her computer. As it started to boot she leant over to insert the disk.

Angelus moved to stand behind the chair and lowered his large cold hands on to Willow's shoulders.

"That really won't be necessary" his eyes flickered yellow as his head lowered nearer to Willows neck. **This really was going to be the sweetest kill** he thought as he anticipated Buffy's reaction at finding her best friend turned. A vampiric Willow would most certainly be a powerful confederate in the fight for darkness.

The sudden sound of ringing caused Willow to jerk her head

"That might be Buffy now" she twisted in the chair to reach over for the phone.

"She always picks her moments" Angelus growled low in his throat and changed his plan. If that really was the Slayer, there wouldn't be enough time to wait for Willow to rise, once they recovered from their grief the ridiculous Scooby gang would see to that.

**Oh, well, plan B**

Willow never even saw her death coming as her neck was violently twisted, her small body crumpled at the vampire's feet with hardly a sound

"Plan B works too, that's one sound I never tire of hearing" he chucked as he scooped over the lifeless form and placed her almost lovingly in front of her PC.

"One last thing" Angelus grabbed the monitor and smashed it to the ground, the glass screen shattered as sparks exploded deep inside.

"Better safe than sorry" Angelus then pulled out a sheet of writhing paper and ignoring Willows body, he composed a note for Buffy. When the demon was finished, he folded the paper and slipped it between the dead girl's fingers.

"This time we play by my rules, Buff..No more curse.No more soul." Striking a match he held it to the corner of the small plastic disk and watched in fascination as its shape became unrecognisable.

This time everything was destroyed, this time there was no going back.

Looking over the room one last time, Angelus congratulated himself on his artistic handy work. Willow looked as though she had just fallen asleep at her desk.

"Buff was just going to love him for this one" he chucked as he walked from the room.

Turning the corner his large frame collided with a girl heading in the direction he had just left.

"S.s.sorry" Tara looked up and apologised with a nervous grin. Angelus smiled back, he could smell Willow's scent all over the girl and knew immediately that the two had been lovers.

"No, my fault entirely" the demon's full charm came into play and the young woman blushed a deep shade of pink before heading on her way.

The demon couldn't resist waiting a few seconds for the girl to enter her room, the soul destroying scream that followed was music to his ears.

Deciding that the mansion on Crawford street was probably a no go area, the vampire headed for the old factory. He needed to get below ground but he also needed to reunite with his childe, Drusilla would be able to see all the answers he needed.

Angelus stood in the ruins of the burnt out shell, he'd known the second he'd walked threw the door open that the place was deserted, only the ghosts of better days floated around the destruction.

**Hey, I love a good slaughter as much as the next bloke, but his hijinks will only serve to leave us with one incredibly brassed-off Slayer.**

**Don't worry, roller boy. We don't have anything to worry about. I've got everything under control. **

**All right, you've had your fun. But you know what it's time for now?**

**My fun**

The demon let his eyes linger over the burnt twisted metal while the memories of happier times washed over him. The Slayer had very nearly killed him that time; it was only her weakness for her Watcher that had saved the day. That's why he would always win, Buffy Summers had far too many weaknesses.

**Oh, well. Maybe I just did her a big favour. One less friend to worry about**

"I wonder if you're still enjoying the fun, my love?" The vampire's evil laughter echoed around the burnt out shell sounding more demonic than ever.

"And what fun what that be?"

Angelus turned around, his eyes narrowed on the attractive female standing in the factory doorway with her hands resting on shapely hips, her whole aura screamed out with self importance.

"Jeez, not another blonde. What could I have possibly done to deserve this." The vampire smirked and took a foot forward.

"You're a vampire, I can tell" the woman's eyes sparkled as she admired the devastatingly handsome demon.

Angelus was immediately wary; he could smell the fragrant aroma of danger radiating off this woman, no matter how harmless she looked.

Deja Vu screamed out at him as he took in her appearance.

Slim, immaculately dressed with a head of spiraling curls.

**If she asks you to close your eyes, run like hell** he inwardly joked but never once took his eyes from her face.

"Well, well, well. A blonde with an I.Q above three. Wow! My life is looking up at last" the smile that played around his lips continued as he crossed the factory floor.

"You on the other hand are not a vampire, you're not human either" that much was more than obvious.

"I'm Glory, Where I come from I'm considered a God" the blonde smirked back and, walking forward, she blocked his path.

"Sorry, never heard of you, so if you can just move your godly ass, I have a slayer to kill." Angelus pushed her out of his way

"But I've heard of you, Angelus. The scourge of Europe and part time lapdog to the Slayer" she taunted as she moved seductively around the vampire

Angelus' lightning reflexes caught Glory by surprise, and by the throat. His fingers tore into her flesh as he pinned her against the wall.

"That was the soul" he growled with piercing yellow eyes. His grip increased until it was tight enough to snap a human neck.

**Just like the little red head**

Glory raised her hands to his chest and pushed hard, with little effort she sent the vampire crashing to the floor. Angelus sat up glaring at the woman as she slowly strutted towards him. He had been caught off guard by the power she had released, but he was also impressed.

"That's good, I don't need a lapdog, I need someone to bring me the key." Glory lifted a shapely leg and placed her stiletto-heeled foot in the middle of Angelus' groin. The vampire growled but made no attempt to move

"Key. What key?" the demon was suddenly intrigued. This woman was stronger than anything he had encountered in a very long time. Why would she need him to find this key? What ever this key was it must be incredibly important.

Glory laughed and twisted her shoe deeper into Angelus' growing erection.

"The key to hell. My armies are ready and waiting, all we need to do is find the key and open the door.

Slapping her foot away, Angelus slowly pulled himself to his feet, maybe he'd been wrong about this one, she might be blonde but she certainly had the right idea.

** Maybe this one was worth fucking.And if the Slayer was a good little girl, maybe he'd let her watch**

"So we open this doorway and then what happens?" he moved his face tantalisingly closer.

Glory shook her head. **He might be pretty but he wasn't not too bright**

"The End of Days of course"

She stretched out her arms feeling the circulation slowly return as Wesley joined her on the pavement.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like me to drop you home first, I'm thinking your mother might be worried" Wesley willingly offered even though the thought of spending another second on that bloody bike filled him with deep trepidation.

Buffy looked back at the man she now considered a real friend and couldn't help smiling. The Wesley now standing in front of her was so far removed from the *screams like a woman sap* who had once tried to replace her Watcher. This new improved Wesley was somebody she trusted to watch her back without question.

"I must see Giles first, face the music and tell him what went down in LA." Buffy shivered at the thought. Telling Giles of Angelus' return was something she really wasn't looking forward too. Especially after the last time. But there was no other choice, she would face her friends, accept all the yelling they were bound to do and then.

**Then Willow and Giles would re-curse that arrogant bastard all the way back to hell. **

With that small comfort Buffy walked up to the door.