Crossed

by *Stars*

Chapter 10 –

“Damn that Angel!” Spike shouted, as he began throwing his possessions viciously around his crypt.  The sounds of breaking glass didn’t calm him. “Damn him!” he continued, “Every time I get that Slayer right where I want her that…..that….Robin Hood wanna be is there, saving the bloody day!” he roared, punctuating his points with smashing bottles against the walls.   

“So, you’re having a problem with the Slayer are you?” asked a mysterious voice from the shadows of the crypt. 

“What the hell?” asked Spike as he quickly turned toward the direction of the voice.  Suddenly he saw a tall man with dark brown hair, and a strikingly large frame walk into the light. 

“I asked if the Slayer was causing you problems.” The man repeated. 

“Who the bloody hell are you, and what the hell are you doing in my place?” asked Spike. 

“I’m here to help you.  You do want to rid yourself of that dreaded vampire killer and her lover don’t you?” asked the man.  Dumbfounded, Spike just stared at him.

“Well….yeah.” replied Spike. 

“Oh….Oh…..I found something!” exclaimed Xander.  “I researched!  Successfully!  Check it out!”  The pride emanated from him. 

“What?” asked Willow as she looked up from her very large and very dusty book.  She wasn’t in the mood for any of Xander’s research delaying tangents. 

“Its about that Bangola guy-demon-thing-whatever.” replied Xander. 

“Well?  What does it say?  Any specifics?” prodded Wesley.  Xander set back, feeling pleased with himself but at the looks that he received, promptly leaned over the book and started describing what he’d found. 

“Well, it shows a picture of its demon self, and may I add…..yuck, but it also mentions a human form.”

“We already knew that.” said Gunn.  Disappointment resonating through his tone.

“Yes we did, but we don’t know what it looks like in its human form.” said Wesley.  “At least I don’t believe we do.  Liz have you seen Bangola as a human?”

“No.  I only know of it’s ability to transmute to human form, I have never seen it as such.” replied Liz.  

“Sorry guys, all I have is just a really disgusting picture of the demon side in here.” said Xander.  “But on the up side, it does say that he is more vulnerable as a demon.  In his human form he seems to be more powerful.” he continued.

“That seems odd.  Are you sure you read that correctly?” asked Wesley. 

“Yeah, its right here.  Blah, blah, blah…..‘The leader and high priest of the Palkees Tribe known to mankind as Bangola is the most powerful of all the Palkees members.  Though all members of the Palkees Tribe have the ability to transmute to a human form in order to walk among the living, only the high priest Bangola is most powerful in this form.’” Xander read aloud.  “It also goes on to say that, ‘Bangola has brought to his Palkees Tribe the use of Merhandra energy.  He obtained this useful tool by defeating Merhandee the elder and one of the earliest members of the Merhand Demon Clan.” He paused.  “Oh, that’s just great.”

“So why would you….” Spike looked pointedly at the man, “want to help me….. with the Slayer?” asked Spike as he flashed the man a steely grin. 

“We both have a need for her extermination.  Mine is for, shall we say more spectacular reasons than yours, but all the same I want her dead as well.” replied the stranger. 

“Spectacular!” exclaimed Spike laughing.  “What could possibly be more spectacular than seeing the Slayer dead?” he asked as the pain from the last night he saw her still reeled inside of him. 

“I have my reasons.” the stranger replied. 

“Oh I get it, your another one of those apocalyptic types huh?” asked Spike.  “We seem to get a lot of your type round here.  Must be the water.” 

“I think apocalyptic is such a strong word.  It has such an awful connotation to it, don’t you agree?  I choose to think of my reason as a more…… holy one.” declared the man. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know the drill, you religious types always get the hankerin' for a good ‘end of the world’ kind of day.  I’m not much for that myself.” said Spike as he took a cigarette from the pack he had been keeping in his coat pocket, and lit it. 

“Well, I think I could very well make you an offer that you couldn’t possibly refuse.” said the stranger.  Spike took a long drag off his cigarette as he walked closer to his new acquaintance, still unsure of this whole situation. 

“And what makes you think I’d even be interested in any offer of yours?  How do you know that I’m not just gonna go get that blasted Slayer myself?” Spike inquired. 

“Because you can’t.  You have tried and you have failed and no matter how angry you get with her, she gets the best of you every time.  If you were able to do it, she’d be rotting by now.” said the stranger.  “Do you really think this time would be different, especially since she has Angel with her now?” the stranger goaded Spike.

“That was Willow.  Everyone is going to stay at the shop until we can get back to them.” said Buffy.  She sat back down. 

“Did Fred and Dawn…..I mean are they okay?” asked Cordelia. 

“They’re fine, for the most part anyway.  Dawn hurt her foot somehow, but Liz seems to have taken care of it.  You know just cured her right there.  It apparently was ‘really cool’.” muttered Buffy sarcastically.  

“Listen, we’ve got awhile before we can get to the shop, why don’t you get some rest.” Angel said as he pulled the cover up over Cordelia again. 

“I’m fine.  I don’t know what you are getting all worked up about.” insisted Cordelia as she tried to stand up. 

“Whoa, major head thingy going on here.” she said as she crumpled back onto the couch. 

“Are you okay?” asked Buffy who was becoming genuinely concerned about her friend.  She’d had to remind herself that the misunderstanding hadn’t been Cordelia’s fault and now felt guilty for the way she’d treated her as well. 

“Cordy?  What is it?  A vision?” Angel asked, studying her closely. 

“No, it’s not a vision, just a major headache.  I’m okay.  I think I will just lay back down here and get some rest.  You know since we have like all day and everything.  I’ll just take me a little nap.” She declared, settling in on the couch. 

“Maybe she should see a doctor.” Buffy quietly suggested to Angel. 

“No, no doctor!  I….I just need a little rest and then I’ll be fine.  Okay?” Cordelia groaned as she looked towards Angel with an expression he knew well.  Knowing what answer she was expecting, Angel just quietly nodded his head in agreement.

“Well mate, this here’s the new and improved Spike, and I got all the information I need to do the Slayer in all by my lonesome.  Don’t need none of your ‘holier than thou’ bullocks gettin' in my way.” announced Spike.  He walked right up to the stranger and looked him straight in the face. 

“I certainly believe that you know the Slayer well, that you know her strengths and her weaknesses, but I don’t believe that you are strong enough to kill her lover.” replied the stranger. 

“Angel?” Spike scoffed.  “Listen mate, I’ve known Angel just ‘bout as long as anyone ‘round these days, and he may bark loud, but the thing about that big pup is, he ain’t got quite the bite he used to.  Besides, he’s not her lover anymore, gypsies saw to that a bit ago.” continued Spike with a hint of a smile on his face. 

“That may be so, but I think you underestimate him, and his friends.” replied the stranger. 

“What friends?” asked Spike.  “You can’t seriously mean that befuddling crew that was with him earlier can you?”  In reply, the stranger simply raised his eyebrows.  “Are you daft?”  Spike spat.

“His friends are smart and strong, and they now possess one of the great witches of this century.” replied the Stranger.  Spike shook his head, sighing dramatically. 

“You don’t know what you’re talkin’ bout mate.  I think your information is a little out of date.  The big witch quit the craft, got a ‘lil too black for her if you know what I mean, and the other, well she’s not quite got what it takes to pack the big punch.” replied Spike.

“Can I….uh….use your phone?” asked Angel. 

“Yeah, sure.  Whatever you need.” replied Buffy absentmindedly as she began pacing back and forth. 

“I kind of need to check on things back at the office.” said Angel. 

“I thought everyone was here with you.” replied Buffy.  Angel could have kicked himself.  There must have been a smoother way for him to call and check on Connor. 

“NO…. Lorne, he’s looking out for…things while we’re gone.” said Angel. 

“Another friend of yours?” asked Buffy.  “I don’t remember hearing about him.  Is he ‘new old’ like Liz?” she smiled.  Angel shook his head, ‘Oh great!’ he thought to himself, ‘Real slick.  That helped a lot.’ 

“No, no, not like that at all.  Lorne is from…you know, I don’t even want to go there.  How about the brief summary….Lorne’s a demon who can read people when they sing.  He used to have a karaoke bar, but now he just lives at the hotel and helps out with….things.” interjected Cordelia as she cautiously glanced at Angel.  ‘Obvious much?’ she thought. 

“I’ll be right back.” said Angel and he headed off to the kitchen to call Lorne.

“Two witches?” repeated the Stranger.  “I think you are the one who is mistaken.” he continued. 

“Nope, no mistake here mate.  There’s the red headed witch who got a little out of control with her magicks and been going ‘bout it cold turkey here lately, then there’s her girlie friend who is still doin’ the mojo, but just ain’t got the same kick that ‘ol red had.  Both friends of the Slayer they are.” Spike said. 

“I do not know of these witches, I am speaking of the great and powerful Elizabeth, who has come to this Hellmouth with Angel and his friends.  They are seeking to destroy me and disrupt my plans.” said the Stranger, who was now becoming upset at these thoughts.  There weren’t supposed to be any other witches for him to worry about. 

“You mean that lil’ cutie I was talking to, she’s a great and powerful witch?” asked Spike. 

“Yes.  You must be warned of the Great Elizabeth.  She has strength beyond your wildest imagination, and great powers with her magic.  She can do things that most cannot even fathom.” said the Stranger.  Spike just looked blankly at him in reply.

“Lorne, it’s Angel.” he said into the phone. 

“Hey big guy!  How are things going on the Hellmouth anyway?” asked Lorne. 

“Could be better.  How’s…..” but Angel stopped before he said Connor’s name as Buffy walked into the kitchen. 

“Connor?” asked Lorne. 

“Yeah.” replied Angel. 

“We’re doing great!  He’s sleeping right now, but we’ve been having a blast.  You know dirty diapers and puke is a total party!” replied Lorne sarcastically. 

“Well, as long as things at the office are okay.” said Angel, as he glanced at Buffy and smiled. 

“She’s standing right next to you isn’t she?” asked Lorne. 

“Oh, you could say that.” was Angel’s reply. 

“You do know that you are eventually going to have to tell her about him don’t you?” asked Lorne. 

“I know.” replied Angel. 

“So how’s that cute little ex of yours doing?  I really liked her.  She certainly has some class.” said Lorne.  “I mean to hunt you down and not actually want to kill you by means of extreme torture for what you did to her and her…” Lorne wasn’t finished, but Angel had had enough of his ramblings for the moment and interrupted,

“Everyone is fine, but I really need to go now.  Call me if there is a problem with anything.” said Angel. 

“Connor will be fine, but I’ll call if there’s a problem.  Just be careful.” replied Lorne, and with that their conversation was over.

Chapter 11 –

Spike began walking around his crypt, contemplating all the information that this stranger had been telling him and trying to decide his next move.  He finally concluded that more questions were in order.  He’d made some ‘unwise’ business decisions in the past, and he certainly needed to find out what this rather large lad was really after, so he began again. 

“If that ‘lil thing I was talkin’ to has so much greatness, how about you explainin’ why Angel came runnin’ to her rescue then?” asked Spike.  He leaned back against the wall and lit another cigarette.  

“Angel is not aware of the vastness of her power.  She needs no one to protect her.” replied the Stranger who was now beginning to pace back and forth by the door of Spike’s crypt. 

“Then why would she have Angel and his stooges following her around like little trained pups?” asked Spike.  The stranger was beginning to look frustrated now.

“I do not know why The Great Elizabeth has sought the help of her sire, but she is trying to interfere with my plans and therefore becoming a great hindrance to me.” replied the Stranger.

“Hang on there.  Sire?” repeated Spike, with amusement in his voice. 

“Yes, Angelus sired The Great Elizabeth, she was hunted down and killed by him, but her parents had been foretold this, and protected her soul.  She is not evil, nor can she ever be.  Her destiny is for the good of human kind only.” said the Stranger. 

“Ohh, got to love this.  I just bet the Slayer is having a grand time with her ex-lover and one of his old honeys taggin’ along.  Serves her right.” hissed Spike. 

“I’m sure that if the Slayer knows of such past events, it will cause her some pain and that should help us.” said the Stranger. 

“Help us?” asked Spike.  “I never said anything about helpin’ you out.  I don’t know who you are, and I still don’t know what you want.” 

“Oh please pardon my lack of manners.” replied the Stranger.  “I am Bangola, High Priest of the Palkees Tribe and my people need your assistance.  The Slayer must be killed as part of a sacrifice for my ancestors.” he continued.  Spike didn’t reply right away.  He carefully considered what he really wanted.  And then he though about what he could really have. 

“Well….okay then, as long as you plan on killin’ her.” he replied.

“Damn!  I knew we should have packed some of the weapons, but nooo, Angel was in to big a hurry to grab anything.” Gunn muttered. 

“But we don’t even know if weapons can kill this thing.” Willow pointed out. 

“Yeah, remember the Judge, all the books said that ‘no weapon forged to man could destroy him’.” said Xander as he used his best dooms day voice. 

“So what’d you all use then?” asked Gunn. 

“We borrowed…..and I use that in the non-legal sense….one of the U.S. Army’s finest toys. ” replied Xander.  Gunn just gave Xander a looked of “and,” so Xander finished,  “Basically we blew him to bits with a rocket launcher.  Man, that RPG was great.”  Xander smiled at the memory. 

“You faced the Judge?” asked Liz.  The look on her face was one of disbelief. 

“Oh yeah, it was so cool seeing the look on his ugly face when Buffy pulled the trigger!” said Willow with excitement.  

“Yeah, he was all ‘Oh shit!’, then Angel and Dru had to jump out of the way so they wouldn’t get blown to bits too, and then it was all ‘kablam!’ and then nothing but little tiny pieces of the Judge scattered all over the mall.” said Xander who felt quite proud of his role in helping to defeat the Judge. 

“Angel was there with Dru?” queried Liz.  Willow and Xander’s eyes met for a second, ‘didn’t she know?’ 

“Yeah, that was in his ‘evil Angel’ days.” replied Xander. 

“Evil Angel?  You don’t mean Angelus?” she gasped.  “He has been Angelus since he has been in Sunnydale?” stunned by this news, Liz sat in total astonishment. 

“That’s a big fat yes!” replied Xander.  Part of him still relished the opportunity to bring up Angel’s rarely discussed rampage. 

“But he’s had a soul for……but……” then Liz’s words stopped, as she began to put the pieces of the puzzle together in her mind. 

“Well, he and Buffy…” began Xander, but Liz simply raised her hand, and Xander immediately stopped though he wasn’t sure why. 

“So, how’s things back at the ranch?” asked Buffy.  Angel looked blank for a second. 

“Oh, you mean the Hotel.  Yeah, everything is fine, Lorne is taking care of…..things.” replied Angel.  “It will be sundown in less than an hour, we can head to the Magic Shop then.” he continued, trying to steer clear of any mention of LA. 

“I hope the others have found something that we can use against whatever it is that Liz is after.” Buffy admitted. 

“We’ll have to be extremely careful, especially if we have to worry about Spike now too.” Angel added. 

“Oh, don’t worry about him, I really don’t think Spike will be a problem.” said Buffy quickly, as she tried to avoid any conversation regarding Spike. 

“How’s your head?” Angel asked as Cordelia walked into the kitchen. 

“Well, the big pounding going on inside has gotten a little better.  Not quite the vision pain, but it’s still a major ouch!” Cordelia replied, as she ran the tap and splashed water on her face. 

“Do you think you will be able to go to the Magic Shop with us?” asked Angel as he looked at Cordelia with a great deal of concern. 

“I’ll be good to go, besides do you really think I’m going to stay here by myself?” asked Cordelia as she glared at Buffy and Angel. 

“So what’s your plan then mate?” asked Spike. 

“The plan, as you say, is for you to find a way to distract Angel and The Great Elizabeth so that myself and my counterparts can attack and kill the Slayer.” Bangola responded. 

“Hey! Now wait a bleedin’ minute.  What makes you think your gonna get all the fun?” asked Spike. 

“I’m not sure I know what you mean.” Bangola looked nonplussed. 

“I mean killin’ the Slayer!” retorted Spike in disgust.  “You know exactly what I mean!” 

“Is that what you consider to be fun?” asked Bangola.  He studied Spike up and down, looking for any signal of what his response might be. 

After a brief pause Spike answered.  “Well yeah.  Bad here!  Besides,” Spike continued, “have you ever tried to kill a slayer before?” 

“No, but my people have spent much time researching the Slayers past.  We are well prepared to do battle with this one.” Bangola said seriously. 

Spike just laughed at this remark and turned and walked away from Bangola.  He sat down in his chair facing the doorway and began to light up another cigarette. 

“What do you find to be of humor?” asked Bangola.  This was not to his liking, the utter impertinence of this demon was starting to grate on him. 

“You mate.  I find you to be ‘of humor’” replied Spike. 

“And what about me do you find to be humorous?” demanded Bangola. 

“What I find humorous is the fact that you think you and me are gonna just waltz right over to the Slayer and while I’m supposed to be distracting ‘The Great Elizabeth’ and Angel you and your followers think you’re going to kill the Slayer.” replied Spike.  “Just like that.” 

“Yes, that would be the plan.  But I don’t understand what you find amusing about that.” said Bangola. 

“Because it ain’t happen’ mate.  It doesn’t matter how much plannin’ you do, the Slayer just doesn’t go down that easy.”  explained Spike.  “Do you really know anything about this bird?  She fought a bloody hell goddess and won, do you really think anything you can throw her way right now is going to work?”

“I think you should wait and see.  The Palkees Tribe has a great many resources, and great powers of our own.  You simply need to come with me to our retreat.” Bangola said with enthusiasm as he was trying to make his case to convince Spike to help him. 

“Retreat?  What’re you runnin’ here some kind of get away vacation destination for demons?” Spike quipped.   

“Will you join me?” asked Bangola.  His tone made it clear that he expected an answer. 

“Guess I ain’t got much better to do.” sighed Spike and so the two walked out of the crypt and began the journey to Bangola’s retreat.

“Are we ready?” asked Angel, as he was becoming restless.  His vampire senses were telling him that the sun was almost set. 

“Yep.” replied Buffy. 

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” added Cordelia. 

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” asked Angel. 

“Just walk will ya. I’ll be okay.” snapped Cordelia. 

“I just want to make sure…” he started to say but didn’t get to finish as Buffy broke in, “She’s fine.  Let’s go.”   As they walked out the door and down the front steps of Buffy’s house, a strange feeling came over Cordelia, and she stopped dead in her tracks.  

“What’s wrong?” asked Buffy. 

“I…..I don’t know.  Something just feels funny.  I can’t quite decide what though.” Cordelia tried to explain. 

“It’s your head isn’t it?  I knew this wasn’t a good idea.   You better go back in and lie down, you took a nasty bump to the head.” said Angel. 

“It’s not my head!” exclaimed Cordelia.   

“Then what’s wrong?”

“I don’t know Angel….  I can feel something, like something is near, but I can’t place what.  I mean it isn’t a vision, but still I have this familiar feeling.” replied Cordelia. 

“Maybe you should go back..” Angel began. 

“I told you my head is fine!  Let’s just get to the shop and get this damn trip over with!” snapped Cordelia who was growing increasingly impatient.  She had not been fond of Liz from the beginning, and her feelings for Angel were beginning to get the best of her.  This whole thing was draining her.  The three began walking down the street. 

Cordelia nudges Buffy, “Have you ever figured out what Spike wanted with you?”  Buffy froze for a second, ‘God I really don’t want to talk about this’ she thought to herself, then in as uninterested of a tone as she could come up with, she answered,  

“Uh…. no.  I have no idea why he wanted to talk to me.”  

“I think talk was the least of what he wanted to do with you.  You know he sounded really mad about something.  He never said what exactly, but you could tell.  You must have really pissed him off.” Cordelia insisted.  Buffy tried to keep her bearings and concentrated on walking in the direction of the Magic Shop, determined not to have this conversation any longer.  Being she didn’t get a very straight forward answer Cordelia simply looked at Angel and shrugged her shoulders and continued to follow Buffy down the street.

“Do you think Buffy will be here soon?” asked Dawn for the tenth time in as many minutes. 

“I….I’m sure she’ll be here any minute Dawn.” replied Tara. 

“You think they killed Spike?” asked Dawn. 

“If we could only be so lucky.” quipped Xander. 

“Hey!  He did a lot for us.  I mean he could have told Glory on me, but he didn’t, he protected me!  So just….keep your opinions to yourself!” Dawn sniffed as she turned and walked away from Xander. 

“Great, you made her angry.” said Anya. 

“I didn’t mean to.  I just meant…you know I don’t care!  Spike is evil, he’s always been evil, he’s always going to be evil, and now he apparently has gotten his taste for killing innocent people back, so yeah I can only hope that Buffy dusted him.” Xander looked at Anya.  “I mean we knew this would happen, right?” 

“Well fine, but you didn’t have to upset Dawn.  She’ll tell Buffy and then she’s going to be mad at you.” scolded Anya. 

“Whatever.  This isn’t Kindergarten you know.   I’m going upstairs to look for another book.” said Xander. 

Tara walked over to Dawn and gave her a hug.  “I know that Spike looked out for you while Buffy was…..was gone, but I think we all knew that this would eventually happen.” said Tara.  Tears began to well in Dawn’s eyes as she looked at Tara. 

“But why now?  He’s been my friend, why would he want to hurt me or Buffy?” asked Dawn as she tried desperately to fight back the tears. 

“I…I don’t know Dawnie, but you have to know that whatever Buffy did, it was what she had to do.  You know she wouldn’t hurt him unless she had to.  You know that right?” asked Tara as she pushed Dawn’s long brown hair out of her face. 

“Yeah, I know.” Dawn replied as a tear slowly crept down her cheek. 

Dawn knew all of those things.  She knew he was evil.  She knew he had done a lot of bad things in the past, but he had also done a lot of good things for them and she knew Buffy would only kill him if she had to, but it didn’t make her feel any better, Spike had been her protector, and she was missing that. 

“I think I’m just going to go look in one of those books over there.” she said she wiped the tear from her cheek. 

“Oh…okay.” replied Tara. 

“Is she okay?” asked Willow as she walked up next to Tara. 

“I…I’m not sure.” replied Tara.  “She’s pretty upset about Spike.”

“That had to be really hard on her, seeing him like that.” Willow agreed. 

“What do you think we should do?” Tara asked. 

“I guess just give her some time.  She’ll be okay.” offered Willow as she turned towards Tara, their eyes met.  Neither could look away from the other until they heard the front door open and they quickly turned to see what was going on.

“Why are we headed towards the Slayer’s house?” asked Spike. 

“The retreat is positioned so that we may look upon the Slayer’s home at any time.” replied Bangola. 

“Hey, hold up mate.” said Spike as he held his arm out in front of Bangola.  The Palkees leader looked at Spike in shock.  No one dare do such a thing to him.  ‘Insolent vampire’ he thought to himself. 

“What are you doing?” asked Bangola sharply. 

“Well, unless you plan on fightin’ the Slayer and her friends right now, you’ll hold up a minute.” replied Spike as he pulled Bangola behind a large shrub that would hide them from view.   Spike continued to peer though the branches of the large bush so he could watch Buffy. 

“Have they gone yet?” asked Bangola. 

“Yeah, I think we’re okay.  You know you really should find a different way to get to your pad than this.  Don’t really want to tip the Slayer off already now do we?” said Spike. 

“But this is the most direct path to the retreat, and it is of benefit to see the Slayer’s quarters up close.” Insisted Bangola.  Spike sighed. 

“Yeah, well it’s also a good way to get yourself killed, fast like.” He rolled his eyes, ‘this guy has followers?’   “Let’s just get on our way, and try to stay out of sight.” Spike continued. 

“You said the Slayer was with her friends.  Who was she with.” demanded Bangola. 

“Angel, but didn’t get a good look at which one of the Scoobies was with ‘em.” Spike replied.   “My guess is they’re headed to the Magic Shop.  Kinda their meetin’ place.” he continued. 

“We will be able to observe their activities at this Magic Shop from the retreat also.” replied Bangola. 

“You’ve just got the hookup on the whole blessed town, don’t ya?” said Spike with a laugh.

Chapter 12 –

The door to the Magic Shop swung open and Buffy rushed in,  followed by Angel and Cordelia.  Scanning the shop, looking for Dawn, Buffy’s entire body relaxed in a sigh when she saw her sister safe and sound.

“Buffy!” Dawn exclaimed, running to meet her sister.  Buffy grabbed Dawn and held her in a tight embrace.  

“Are you okay?” Buffy waited for an answer. 

“Yeah, I’m fine.  Having… trouble…. breathing….. though!”  Dawn exaggerated.  Even in trying times, Dawn enjoyed teasing her sister about her Slayer strength.  It seemed to take the edge off the situation sometimes, so she was always eager to give it a whirl.  This seemed like one of those times.

“Oh…. Sorry!”  Buffy replied as she quickly released her sister from the ‘I’ll never let you out of my sight again!’ grip she’d had on her.  Buffy looked at Dawn critically.  “You’re sure you’re okay?” she asked again.

“I think I cut my foot on something running over here, but Liz fixed it with this really cool…” Dawn enthusiastically started to explained, but wasn’t given a chance to finish.  Buffy nodded, clearly not as interested in this amazing rock thing as Dawn was.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” Buffy said squeezing Dawn’s hand.  She would have died if anything had happened to her sister.  But Dawn was safe, nothing had happened, and there were now other things to worry about.  Things that might really happen. 

“Xander made her angry.” Anya interjected gruffly, motioning to Dawn, whose lower lip immediately pouted.  

“He said he hoped you killed Spike.” Dawn said as she glared at Xander.   Her eyes squinted; face scrunched up….. Xander felt as though she were sending daggers right through him.

“Thanks!” he said to Anya, mentally cursing himself again that she didn’t really ‘get’ sarcasm and that some of his very best one-liners were wasted, and then turned back to Buffy, “Listen, I just said….”  He sort of trailed off.  He didn’t understand why exactly it was saying that he wanted Spike dead was a bad thing, besides, wasn’t that what he was expected to say?  He’d hated Deadboy Jr. from Day 1.  It was kind of his job to say things like that.

“It doesn’t matter, we have to figure out a way to stop this Bango…. whatever his name is.” declared Buffy, looking straight at Liz.  She had no time for this Xander hates Spike thing.  Not now, anyway. 

“I believe I may have found some useful information regarding Bangola.” said Wesley. 

“What is it?” Liz asked, relieved that someone had finally found some useful information.  She smiled at Wesley, nodding for him to continue.

“Well, it reiterates what Xander found earlier.  He is, apparently, stronger as a human than a demon, but this sources goes on to say that ‘though his brute strength lies within his human form, so does his demise.’” Wesley paused, presumably for effect, before continuing. 

“Hmmm…it all makes perfect sense now.” he said. 

“What makes perfect sense?” asked Xander. 

“That statement.  It means that although he is much stronger as a human, his human form is the one in which he is vulnerable.  Not his demon form.  It is his Achilles heal so to speak.” replied Wesley. 

“But how are we going to identify him?” inquired Gunn.  “Liz doesn’t even know what he looks like as a human.” he pointed out. 

“Yes, that is true, but I would wager from the description of this book, he is a rather large man.  He would assuredly stick out amongst the ‘normal’ man of the human race.” Wesley explained.  He then clenched his small wire frame glasses between his teeth as he paced the floor dutifully studying his research book. 

“So are we talking ‘I’ve been doin’ steroids’ large,’ or ‘I’m a demon and want to rule the world’ large?” Gunn asked as he wrapped his arms securely around Fred.  Wesley was always good at details, but this time he was a little too vague. 

“I believe it would be more on the lines of ‘I lift a lot of weights’ large.” replied Wesley.  “Though I can’t be certain.  I don’t understand why the description of him is so unclear.  I don’t believe I’ve ever had this much difficulty trying to identify a demon before.” he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else in the room with him.

“A great deal of the information you will find in these books has been written by clerics of the Church.  Those associated with the Churches of all faiths have been diligent over the years in keeping a written record of those who pose a threat.  Bangola is certainly one of those threats.  He has, according to rumors that these Church members have told me, been able to control what these clerics write.  His ability to see and read people has also deepened into mind control.” said Liz.

“I don’t understand something.” said Wesley. 

“Yes.” replied Liz, trying to sound compassionate and understanding though her nerves were beginning to fray. 

“Why?  I mean, if Bangola has been around for such a long period of time, why now?  Why would he have waited for so long to try and bring forth his ancestors?  Why not do this ritual years before?” Wesley asked. 

“He has tried before.  From what I have been able to learn, he tried to kill the fourth Slayer, but was unsuccessful in his attempt.” replied Liz. 

“So he tried once and that was it?” asked Buffy sarcastically.   “Demons hell bent on taking over the world usually don’t stop after just one try!” she continued. 

“It was much more complicated than that.” replied Liz.  “His attempt at killing the fourth Slayer was curtailed by a great Wizard named Eathadore.  He had been following Bangola across the globe and was trying to find a way to rid this world of him when the demon made his move.” she continued.

“So….. what happened?” asked Gunn.

  “It is my understanding that Bangola found out about Eathadore and his plans to stop Bangola from performing the ritual.  He, according to legend, decided to hurry the plan along.  Having already tracked the Slayer down, he was simply waiting for the rest of his tribal members to reach him.  He decided to forego his original plan, and instead, take the Slayer on himself.” Liz explained.

“So, did she kick his ass?” Buffy asked with enthusiasm. 

“No.  His strength was too much for the Slayer.  She was killed after only a short battle with him.  She did however last just long enough for Eathadore to reach them both, and perform the banishing spell.  He hoped that it would rid this world of Bangola forever.”  Liz replied.   

“And?” Cordelia interrupted.  Angel could tell that with each passing moment she was around Liz her disdain for his old friend was growing. 

“And….. he did just that.  The spell worked, sending Bangola to another dimension.” replied Liz.  Her aggravation with the continued interruptions was becoming apparent as well.

“How the hell did he get back here then?” asked Gunn.  “I mean, if he ‘did just that’, this wizard guy, ridding the world of him forever, why are we here?”

“The letter that my parents left me said that he would return in the year 2002 by way of a portal opened by a group of travelers returning home.” she replied. 

“You mean that there have been dimension travelers here and they let him in?” Angel asked.

“Yes.  No.  My guess is that he followed them here.  Not necessarily with their help or their knowledge.” Liz extrapolated.  “My belief is that what ever dimension Bangola was banished to, the travelers were there.  So he simply followed them here.” she continued. 

“He hitchhiked.  Like that demon did when we brought Buffy back.” Xander said. 

“Demon?  Hitchhiked?”  Angel asked, confused by Xander’s comment. 

“Long story.” Willow sighed.  Angel turned his attention to Buffy for an explanation.  His decision not to press the issue came after a look of ‘don’t ask’ from his former girlfriend.  He sighed to himself, disappointed that he had been kept in the dark about so many things that had happened.  Though it wasn’t just her keeping secrets, he admitted to himself.

Liz continued her story, “My point is that Bangola has been banished from this world for quite some time.  He has now come back to finish what he started many years ago.  We must get him and the cup so that they both may be destroyed.”

“Is there any way we can find out who these travelers were or what dimension they came from?” asked Wesley.  “If we knew a little more about them, maybe we could contact them and they could help us figure out what happened, or possibly even give us a description of what Bangola looks like.”

“Well, there is one person who may be able to help us.  I had completely forgotten about her.” said Liz, suddenly a little brighter.  “Her name is Abigail, and she is a dimension traveler herself.” 

“What kind of name is Abigail for a demon?” Anya asked shrewdly.  Tact had never been her strong suite, as a demon and even more so as a human. 

“I never said she was a demon, just a dimension traveler.  She simply has the power to open portals to other dimensions.  She may know of any recent travelers who have been about lately.”  replied Liz. 

“How can we get in touch with her?” asked Wesley inquisitively.  He imagined all sorts of drawn out research and crystals and the like would be required. 

“Call her.  She lives in L.A.” Liz said simply.  “May I use your phone?”

Xander laughed at Liz’s response.  “I thought we were going to have to do some huge summoning spell with sacrifices or something to get her here.”  he said.  

“Well we could, but she should be at home this time of year.  She usually does all of her traveling during the winter months.”  Liz said casually. 

“The winter months?” Angel said half laughing.  That was until he turned and looked Cordelia’s way.  He could see that she was not particularly amused by Liz’s comments.  He turned back around and sighed deeply.  He realized that this mess just kept getting worse.

“Here’s the phone.  But L.A. is long distance from Sunnydale.  You’ll have to pay for this call.” Anya said as she handed Liz the phone.  Regardless of what was going down on the Hellmouth, money was still ever present on Anya’s mind. 

“Anya!” exclaimed Xander as he grabbed her by the shoulders and led her away from Liz.  He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, “Let’s not make the pretty witch lady mad.  Okay?  I’ll take care of the phone bill.” 

Anya looked up at Xander, “But…”  Xander shook his head with ‘that look’ and Anya knew she should not press the issue any further.  She loved Xander very much, and did not want to make him angry with her for a second time today.  She walked to the table and sat down in a chair to sulk, watching closely as Liz dialed the numbers on the phone. 

“Abigail?” asked Liz when a familiar voice finally answered on the other end.  “Liz here.  I need some information.  No, I realize.  Not any time soon.  I know.  Can I just ask this first?  Thank you.  Do you know of any recent dimension travelers opening portals around the area?”  Liz was finally able to ask.  She then listened intently to her friend’s response.  So far it sounded pretty normal for a conversation, if you forgot that it was between a vampire witch and some sort of dimension-hopping whatever she was.  Since Liz had said she wasn’t a demon, no one was sure exactly what she was. 

“I know you aren’t the keeper of the travelers, I just thought….”  Her words trailed off.  Everyone in the shop strained to hear the only side of the telephone conversation they could hear. 

“I know.  I realize that.  But….. Really?”  To those eavesdropping across the room, the conversation didn’t appear to be going very well.  But suddenly, Liz’s tone changed. 

“You think that could have been when.   Okay.  Thanks for your help.  Safe travels to you as well.  Good bye.”  Liz finished her conversation and hung up the telephone.  No one could decide whether what Liz was about to tell them would be of help or not.  It certainly didn’t sound that way by her end of the phone call. 

The great witch walked to the large round table where everyone seemed to have gathered while she was on the phone.  Clearing her throat, she began,  “Abigail said that even though she does not keep tabs on everyone who opens portals around the area, she is usually aware of when one is opened.  She’s pretty confident that she knows when Bangola’s entrance could have happened, as the portals have not been frequently used in the area in the past decade.” 

The quiet within the store was almost deafening at this point.  No one said a word as they waited intently on Liz to finish.  “Approximately five years ago there was a portal opened on the south side of L.A.  Apparently it was used by only one traveler who left this dimension.” 

“That was when I disappeared.” Fred said immediately, as if knowing that Liz was talking about her.  Everyone turned and looked at Fred.  She began to feel very uncomfortable and wasn’t sure if she should have said that now or not.  Her fears were quickly eased as Gunn, who was setting next to her noticed this, pulled her into him to comfort her. 

“That’s right.” said Wesley.  Everyone could see that he was now mentally running things through his head.  “What else did she say?” he asked eager to hear the rest. 

“She said that had been the first one in the area for about ten years or more.  But there have been several opened recently.  Approximately eight months ago one was opened with two travelers using it.  Then only a day later another portal was opened with another two travelers.”  Liz said, pausing briefly.  She didn’t have time to begin again, as Wesley jumped up and began to speak. 

“There would have been two more opened, one with four travelers and another with six.  Is that what she told you?” he asked, totally excited about his conclusions.

Stunned that Wesley already had knowledge of what her friend just told her, Liz quietly said “Yes.  That’s right.”  She paused for a moment, not knowing whether she should trust this man any longer.  There was no possible way he should have known.  Her thoughts were interrupted suddenly as Wesley began again.  “That was us!” he exclaimed.   “The four travelers would have been Angel, Gunn, Lorne and I.  Then the six travelers would have been the same plus Cordelia and Fred.  But there would have had to have been another portal opened for Bangola to come through.  Were there any others?  Did she mention any others?” Wesley asked, impatiently awaiting her reply. 

  “You guys traveled through a portal to another dimension?” asked Buffy sarcastically, as if not believing it could have been possible, especially for Cordelia. 

“Yeah, Cordy got sucked through whenever we sent Lorne’s cousin back home.” Gunn replied.  All of the Sunnydale gang suddenly looked at Cordelia.

“Hey, it wasn’t all bad, they made me a princess!” replied Cordelia enthusiastically.  She smiled for a moment, lost in the pleasant part of the memory.

“How fair is that?  Huh?” asked Xander, marveling at Cordelia’s seemingly endless luck.  “We get a hellgoddess, and Cordelia’s made a princess!” 

“Well, they also tried to kill us all, including Cordy, if that makes you feel any better.” Gunn added. 

“Well…” Xander hesitated.

Chapter 13 –

“Nifty little pad you’ve got here.” said Spike as he surveyed Bangola’s retreat. 

“Nifty pad?” Bangola repeated with a puzzled look on his face. 

“Yeah.  Don’t believe I’ve seen threads this nice since….” Spikes words stopped as he ran his hands over the exquisite fine silk that covered the grand sitting chair to his left, while memories of wondering through the European countryside with Drusilla flashed through his mind. 

“Since what?” Bangola asked. 

Spike grinned to himself as he stood reliving each and every grand stop he and his lover had made on their last true journey together.  It took him a minute to gather his senses back. 

“Huh?  Oh… uh… just been awhile mate.” After awhile of walking about the rather large house, Spike had finally satisfied his curiosity and plopped down on the giant red couch in the sitting area. 

  “So, what’s the big plan?” asked Spike. 

“Big plan?”  Bangola repeated. 

“What is with you mate?  Every time I ask you a question, you get all dense on me.” asked Spike in disgust.  “Big plan.  You know….. killin’ the Slayer big plan!” he continued.  ‘God, this is worse than talking to Dru.  At least she had an excuse.’ he thought to himself.  ‘The big poof had drove her mad before he turned her.  What the hell was this git’s excuse?’  He shook his head in disgust, then pulled out another smoke to light up.

“Oh…. yes, I understand now.” Bangola muttered.  “Well,” he began.  “The ritual must take place tomorrow night.  My men have been diligently following the Slayer and her whereabouts for days.  They have found that she walks through the cemetery on one of her so called ‘patrols’ every evening beginning at approximately 9 o’clock.” he continued. 

“Yeah, so.” Spike quipped in annoyance.  This was old news as far as he was concerned.   He wanted a piece of ‘real’ information.  He was already well aware of the Slayer’s patrolling habits and didn’t understand how that was supposed to help them. 

“If you will follow me, I’ll show you.” Bangola said as he turned and led the way to the next room. 

“Show…. me…. what?” asked Spike. 

“The big plan as you like to refer to it.” he replied. 

“Fine then.” said Spike as he reluctantly got up off the couch and followed Bangola to another room.  As he entered, Spike was amazed at the large window he saw before him.  He continued to survey the room and became quite amused with the dozens of men working within the room. 

“This is our planning room.” Bangola explained confidently. 

“Yeah, I can see that.  Still waiting to see the actual plan here.” Spike quipped.  This little game of ‘show and tell’ was beginning to get on Spike’s nerves.  It reminded him of the many times he’d sworn to himself to only work alone.  No more partners.

Bangola strutted over to the large window and pointed to something.  Still annoyed but curious, Spike walked over to the window to see what Bangola was pointing at.  He was astonished to see a view of the entire City of Sunnydale.  Not only the entire City, but a particularly distinct view of the Slayer’s house, Magic Shop, and cemetery.  He nodded appreciatively, smiling at Bangola for a moment.  The smile faded quickly.

“Okay, I get that you can spy on the Slayer, but what the hell is the plan!” Spike said angrily.  He wanted answers, and he wanted them now!

“Yes, well… It is our ‘plan’ to have several men set up within the confines of the cemetery.  Two will position themselves at each entrance.” Bangola began as he pointed out the four entrances of the cemetery to Spike.  

“So, what am I supposed to do?” inquired Spike. 

“You will follow Angel and The Great Elizabeth.  If they go with the Slayer, you will distract them with this.” Bangola explained as he held up the most beautiful gold cup that Spike figured he had ever seen.  Still, it was a cup.  Not too impressive for weaponry.

“What the bloody hell you think I’m going to do with that?  Unless it shoots fire out of it or something, I don’t see it bein’ much help to me.” he replied exasperated.  He couldn’t believe what the bloody hell he’d gotten himself into.  Goin’ after the slayer on his own would have been so much simpler.  If she’d stake him, at least it’d be over quicker than what this muck was makin’ him go through.  He sighed and continued to listen. 

“It is not what the cup can do, it is what it means.  The Great Elizabeth knows the significance of this cup, and I’m sure by now she has explained that to the Slayer and her friends.” 

“So?” asked Spike. 

“They will most assuredly follow you.  They know that I will need the cup to complete the ritual and will try to retrieve it from you.” he continued. 

“What if they don’t?  You know…. follow me.  I think you’re puttin’ all your eggs in one basket here mate.” Spike replied.

Liz looked at Wesley, amazed that they had been the ones to travel through the portals.  She began to tell him about the remaining information she had, “Abigail said that besides the openings that you mentioned, there were also three more.  One traveler in each opening.  Although she said she couldn’t be positive she was pretty sure that it was the same traveler each time.”  

“But that couldn’t be right.” protested Cordelia.  Wesley spun around immediately to face his friend.  She continued with her reverie.  “Groo.  He showed up, and we had a wonderful time… together……” Cordelia’s thoughts began to wonder as she started to reminisce about the time she had just spent with her prince. 

“Cordy!” Angel exclaimed. 

“Oh…. uh…. yeah…. anyway I just meant that it couldn’t have been the same person…. Or thing each time because Groo has been here and gone, so there would’ve had to have been two different travelers.  He would have taken up two of the portals, but that still leaves a third one.  IF Liz’s friend is even right about that.” Cordelia added.  The last bit was to let Liz know she still didn’t think much of her or her friends. 

Willow looked around the room.  She was still debating on whether she should say anything about the thought that had just occurred to her or not.  Finally she decided if they were to get to the bottom of the dimension travelers, she needed to remind them of the portal that was opened by Dawn. 

“Uhmm, I hate to bring this up, but we shouldn’t forget about the portal Dawn opened.   It did have one traveler….. Buffy.  Maybe that is the third one that was opened.”  she said hesitantly.  No one ever mentioned it, and she wasn’t sure what kind of reaction she was going to get from bringing it up.

The tension in the Magic Shop was becoming so think Liz swore she could have cut it with a butter knife.  She knew there wasn’t much time left, so if she was to get the help that she desperately needed, she was going to have to do something quickly.

Buffy had planted herself in a chair at back of the large round table when she had become bored with Liz’s seemingly never ending tales of Bangola and the travelers.  Mindlessly, she had flipped through a book that had been lying on the table in front of her. Her emotions had been getting the best of her ever since she saw Angel standing at her front door.  Even though she knew she had more important things to think about, her undying love for him and her disgust with herself for what she had been doing lately were the only things she could think about.  She hadn’t really been listening to anything anyone had said, but it was suddenly different.  Willow had unknowingly brought her back to reality, back to the matter at hand.  Buffy suddenly found a new resilience within herself.  She remembered how hard she had fought to get her sister back, and she was not about to let that all be for naught.  She slammed the book shut as she stood up from the table. 

“We’re running out of time and we’re no closer to figuring out how to stop this thing than we were even an hour ago.  I don’t care what it takes, we’re going to get this thing.” she declared.  A hush fell over the room.  Her friends knew when Buffy meant business, and by the tone in her voice they were well aware that this was one of those times.  Orders were about ready to be handed out. 

“Anya, I remember Giles saying something about a book on demon descendents and recognition.   I think it was with his personal collection.  See if you can find it.” she said.  Anya immediately headed for the basement where Giles had stored his most sacred personal items.  “Xander, go with Anya.  The quicker we find the book the better.  And if you find anything else that looks helpful, grab it!”  Buffy continued with the orders, and Xander followed them without hesitation. 

“Tara, you and Liz find some sort of spell that will disable Bangola’s Merhandra energy.  We can’t sneak up on him if he already knows we’re coming.  Willow, you and Dawn help them.  Get them anything they need to do the spell.”  They all nodded in agreement with Buffy’s directions.  The four females scatter quickly and began gathering books of spells.  Quietly reassembling themselves in a corner at the front of the shop, they hoped they would be uninterrupted there and could quickly find what they were looking for.

“Wesley, Cordelia, and Fred.  You three continue to research.  Find anything you can on Bangola and the Palkees Tribe.  No matter how insignificant the information may be, we need it!” Buffy said poignantly.  She then turned to Angel and Gunn.  The two remaining members of the group. 

“Have you noticed how that house up on the hill looks right down on the shop?” asked Gunn who had been looking out the front door window. 

“Huh?” Buffy asked, confused at this off the wall question. 

“The house.  The one that Wes and I took Liz to check out.  She had traced Bangola there.  That’s the house, right up there.”  Gunn replied as he continued to peer through the blind. 

“I remember being able to see that house from your house too.” added Angel as he looked Buffy in the eyes.  ‘Those amazing green eyes.’ he thought to himself.  Buffy walked to the door and pulled the slats apart on the blind so she could get a better view.   She studied the house for a moment then turned and walked to the counter.

Angel shook his head, trying to get past the daydream he was about to land smack in the middle of, and followed Buffy to the register counter. 

Gunn, confused by Buffy’s seemingly lack of concern for the realization that they were being watched, followed her to the counter and asked, “So?”

“So, what?” she repeated as she began rummaging through some boxes under the counter. 

“So, aren’t you even the least bit worried that they’re gonna attack us, like any time?  They obviously know we’re all here.” he said glaring over the counter at Buffy and wondering what the hell she was looking for under there.  He knew that dealing with Angel could sometimes be challenging, but the Slayer’s attitude was beginning to become a real issue for him.

She finally found what she was looking for.  Buffy grabbed the rather large maps and began spreading her new treasures out on the countertop. 

“What’s that?” Gunn asked. 

“These are maps of the sewer tunnels running throughout Sunnydale.” Buffy explained as she unrolled the large maps.  “I’m actually surprised that Giles had even kept them.  We haven’t used them since I first came to town.” she continued with a smile on her face as she remembered her first few encounters as the new Slayer in town.  Angel began to study the maps intently, knowing precisely what Buffy had in mind!

Chapter 14 –

Spike walked around the room debating whether he liked the idea of him being the bait in this little plan.  “You know mate, maybe you should be the one with the cup, and I’ll go kill the Slayer!” he said finally.   This bait thing wasn’t good for his image, he reasoned to himself.

“The ritual will only work if the Slayer dies at my hands, no one else’s!” Bangola replied sternly. 

“Ahhh come on!  I want to get in on the fun too!” Spike said, sounding like a spoiled child who was not getting his way.   This Bangola prat was obviously not going to share his toys and Spike was getting more and more impatient.  Why he hadn’t just up and left hours ago was beyond him.

“If you will be patient and follow my instructions, you will be well rewarded in the end.” Bangola said, trying as hard as he could to convince Spike that the best was yet to come.   The demon could sense he was losing the vampire.  He needed to get him back in the game.

“Okay then mate.  But I’m warnin’ you, if I get turned into a frog or the like by that blessed witch, you’re gonna be damn sorry you didn’t let me kill the Slayer.” Spike said poignantly.  He wanted to make sure Bangola understood his displeasure with his assignment. 

“I understand your reluctance to take care of The Great Elizabeth, but you will find that she can be easily distracted.  Her defeat is within your power.” Bangola advised.  He wasn’t sure that his attempts to convince Spike that he was actually getting the better end of the deal were successful.  He figured he had one last try at pushing Spike over the edge. 

He had an idea; one that he thought would guarantee Spike’s loyalty.  Bangola turned away from Spike.  Gazing out the large window, he finally spoke, “You know Spike, if you could kill The Great Elizabeth, you would receive all of her powers.  Drink her, and you would no longer be just a vampire.  You would possess powers beyond your wildest imagination.”  He paused, sensing the renewed interest Spike suddenly had in the plan.  Bangola chuckled to himself.  He was quite pleased with himself for seeing that this was indeed exactly what he’d needed to say to the vampire.

“Powers?  I’d get powers if I killed the witch?” Spike asked.  He sat up, suddenly interested in what this stranger had to say. 

“Yes.  Kill the witch and drink her blood.  You will then possess all that she is.  Her knowledge, her wisdom but most importantly her magick.”  Bangola replied sincerely. 

“Deal.” said Spike, now anxious to get this plan into motion and for him to get some good stuff. 

“Good.” Bangola replied.  “We shall wait until sundown tomorrow.  At that time my men will draw them out of the shop.  You shall stand waiting in plain view with the cup.  The Great Elizabeth must be led away from the Slayer.  Once you have killed her, meet me in the cemetery by the south entrance.  I will be there with the Slayer, and then the ritual can begin.” he continued.

“I found it!” shouted Anya, as she raced up the basement stairs. 

“Hey!  I helped!” Xander moaned from close behind his girlfriend. 

“Great!” exclaimed Buffy, as she smiled at Anya and Xander.  “Now, see if you can find anything at all in there on this Bangola or the Palkees Tribe.  I mean anything!!” she continued. 

“Buffy.” called Angel, still hunched over the counter studying the maps she had laid out only moments earlier.  Buffy swung back around to meet Angel’s glance.

“Yeah?” she asked. 

“Here.” Angel said as he pointed to a specific notation on the first map.  “That’s the house.” he continued.

“You sure about that?” asked Gunn peering over Angel’s shoulder at the maps on the counter. 

“Yeah.  That’s the house up on the hill.” Angel said confidently. 

“Can we get to it from here?” asked Buffy.  Angel was about ready to answer her when a loud shrill came from the front of the store.   Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned quickly to investigate the noise.

“What’s wrong?”  asked Buffy as she scurried to where her sister and friends had gathered with their books. 

“I found it!” screeched Dawn, beaming from ear to ear. 

“Found what?” asked Buffy with a scowl on her face.  She was used to her sister finding useless information or just plain making a big deal over nothing.  Buffy wasn’t in the mood for more of Dawn’s games.  Plus the sound she had made was damned unnerving. 

“I found the spell.  The one that will make that Bangola dude’s mind thing all screwy.” Dawn informed her sister.  Dawn danced in place. 

Xander smiled when he noticed it just wasn’t any jig she was dancin’, but the Snoopy Dance he’d taught her when she was eight.  He shook his head as he remembered that memory wasn’t real.  Then smiled again as he continued to watch the Dawnster prancing around happily at the front of the store.  ‘Doesn’t really matter now does it?’ he thought to himself, smiling again, he returned his thoughts to the information he was looking for.

“Dawn.  I don’t have time for this.”  Buffy sighed, exasperated.  To her surprise Liz confirmed Dawn’s discovery.  She had indeed found just what they were looking for.   Buffy looked at Dawn in astonishment.  She had actually helped this time. 

“What?  You didn’t think I could do it did you?” Dawn asked, with a sly grin beginning to emerge on her young face. 

“Yeah, of course I did.” replied Buffy hesitantly.  She just stood there looking at Dawn in disbelief. 

“So, what do we need for the spell?” asked Willow. 

Liz looked quickly down through the items listed.  “You get the first five items.” she said to Willow.  Then looking proudly at Dawn, she continued, “Dawn, will you please find the last four items for me?”  

Reveling at her newfound importance, Dawn quickly jumped at the chance to be a part of the gang, “Sure.  Whatever you need me to do.”  Liz handed the book carefully to Willow and Dawn and they quickly began browsing through bottles and boxes, looking for all the ingredients.

“Do you think the spell will work?” Buffy inquired of Liz.  She was concerned with the possible repercussions if it didn’t and Liz could sense this.  She did her best to reassure the Slayer, “It will work.  It has before.”  She pat Buffy’s hand, in what she meant as a comforting gesture but one that likely only infuriated Buffy even more.

“What do you mean ‘it has before’?” asked Buffy suspiciously. 

“We were very lucky that Dawn stumbled across this particular spell.  It is the one written by the Wizard Eathadore.  The one he used when he banished Bangola from this dimension.  It gives very precise instructions on how to mix the ingredients and how to perform the spell.  As long as we follow the instructions exactly, everything should work fine.”  Liz said trying to convince Buffy, and this time, herself. 

“Well, it better.”  replied Buffy as she turned and walked back to the counter where Angel and Gunn were standing.

As she approached the counter her Slayer senses kicked in and she could tell that Angel and Gunn were already well ahead of her in planning the attack.  Angel looked up as she took her place on the other side of the counter from him once again.  Although to Gunn she appeared confident and unafraid of anything, Angel knew different.  He had always been able to sense her true feelings.  This time was no different.  He studied her closely as she stood there looking around.  Suddenly something changed.  Her entire demeanor seemed to shift.

Buffy watched as Gunn calculated the amount of time it would take to get to that big house on the hill.   She smiled.  She was happy that Angel had found such great friends.  She missed him terribly, but was comforted by the fact that he had found friends as wonderful as the ones she had.  She looked around the Magic Shop carefully watching everyone hard at work.  Hard at work for her.  As difficult as it had been for her since she returned, this one moment felt like heaven to her.  The love and dedication that everyone in that store had for each other suddenly consumed her.  The terrible anxiety that she had felt only moments ago had vanished.  Suddenly she felt a surge of inner strength that had not been with her for some time.

Tara and Liz had been busy gathering the tools that they needed to combine the ingredients for the spell.  Tara had finally found the mortar and pestle that was essential in the mixing of the ingredients.  She carefully lay them down on the beautiful silk scarf that Liz had spread out on the floor.  Willow began laying out the ingredients she had been instructed to find. 

“Do you think this w….. w….. will work?” Tara asked. 

“Of course it will.  Liz has the best witch available to help her.”  Willow replied, smiling confidently at her ex-girlfriend.   Tara smiled shyly back.   After all that had happened between them, she was still uncomfortable with the compliments Willow bestowed on her.  Willow had, of course, been the most powerful, that was no surprise.  Tara had always known that, but she couldn’t have been prouder of her for sticking to her promise.  Especially now with all these things going on.  The urge to use magick to help must be overwhelming for her, and yet she still wouldn’t crumble.

As Dawn walked to the circle where the spell would be performed, she carefully juggled the small bottles of ingredients which had been her responsibility to find.   Noticing the difficulty that Dawn was having with this balancing act, Liz carefully grabbed two of the small bottles.  She gave Dawn a smile of approval, knowing how much it meant to this young girl to be included.

“Thank you.  You’ve been such a help to me.” Liz said as she smiled at Dawn.  She hoped to instill a little self-confidence in this young girl while they were preparing to save the world.  Not that it would mean much if they failed. 

“Thanks.  I’m glad you think I’m helping….. my sister never seems to think so.”  Dawn replied sullenly. 

“You shouldn’t underestimate your sister’s feelings for you.”  Liz said, trying to console her young friend. 

“Yeah, I know.” replied Dawn, as she laid down the ingredients that she still had in her hands.  Liz smiled, then turned and made her way to the counter.  There were a few details left to work out, then they would be ready to begin.

  “Did you find everything?” Buffy asked as Liz approached them at the counter. 

“Yes.  Willow and Dawn found everything we needed.”  Liz replied. 

“Good.  Are you ready to start then?”  Buffy asked. 

“Whenever you are.” Liz said.   Angel smiled.  He was relieved that Buffy and Liz had somehow found a way to accept one other, or at the very least no longer wanted to rip each other’s heads off.  Not that he could tell anyway.

“Okay everyone, listen up!” Buffy said as she walked to the table at the back of the store.  Her voice quickly garnered everyone’s attention.  Everyone began to gathered around the Slayer to receive their new assignments. 

“First, I need to know how long before the disabling spell takes effect and how long it will be effective.”  Buffy said looking directly at Liz. 

Without hesitation, Liz replied.  “Mixing the ingredients and reciting the incantation should only take a few minutes, four at the most.  The spell itself will be effective immediately, and should then last for approximately one hour.”

Buffy thought carefully, strategizing her next move in her mind.  After a brief silence, she began again with the orders.  “Angel, Gunn and I will go through the sewer tunnels  toward the house.  It should take us… what…. about 5 minutes to get to there from here?”  she asked, looking at Gunn for confirmation on this.

Gunn quickly chimed in, answering Buffy’s question, “From my calculations, it should take us about 5 minutes tops.  Of course that’s 5 minutes of haulin’ ass.”  Gunn’s serious expression combined with his “official” mission terminology of ‘haulin’ ass’ drew a grin from Buffy. 

“Shouldn’t be any other way!” she exclaimed, then continued with her instructions. “We’ll give Liz and Tara precisely a three minute head start on the spell.  Then we will leave for the house.”

“Okay…… Xander, Anya and Fred.  You three will be the decoys.  Same thing, wait three minutes before leaving the store.  You will approach the house from the street. Be visible enough so that they will come after you, but nothing stupid.  We need to draw as many of them out of that house at one time as we can.  Once they begin to follow you, lead them to the remains of the school.”   Each nodded to Buffy that they understood.

“As soon as you’re done with the spell, you’ve got to get to the school.” Buffy said, directing her attention back to Tara and Liz. 

“I’ll transport us.  It will be quicker.”  Liz replied. 

“Fine.  Just make sure you get there first.”  Buffy snapped. 

“Wesley, Cordelia and Willow, you three will follow Xander and his crew.  Stay out of the way and don’t be seen.  Your job is to wait for Bangola’s followers to pass.  You’ll then enter through the front of the house.  Anyone remaining inside should be busy with us three.” Buffy said as she pointed to Angel, Gunn and herself.  “Once inside, you need to find the cup.  Get in, get it and get out.  Nothing else!”  Buffy said, demanding that they follow her instructions exactly.

“What about me?  What am I supposed to do?”  asked Dawn in her often-whiney voice.  Buffy turned and glared hard in her sister’s direction.  She’d totally forgotten about her.  ‘What the hell was she supposed to do with her.  She couldn’t just leave her alone, and everyone else had a job to do.’ she thought to herself.   Suddenly Liz intervened,

“She can go with us.” 

Buffy looked at her sharply.  She still wasn’t sure if she could totally trust this woman or not.  But at the moment, she had no other choice.  Liz was a powerful witch, and Tara would be with them.  Buffy glanced at Dawn, who seemed quite eager to tag along.

“Alright.”  Buffy agreed finally.  Had there been any other reasonable choices, she certainly would not have let Dawn anywhere near Liz.  But alas, there weren’t any.  The plan was laid out.  Everyone had their assignments.  Silently, each synchronized their watches and all the clocks in the store to make sure that this went down on time.  There was no room for error.

Chapter 15 –

The time had come.  Liz and Tara sat in the middle of the Magic Shop floor.  The beautiful scarf that Liz so carefully laid out was now covered with small bowls full of sweet smelling herbs along with all of the tools that they had so carefully uncovered within the store.  Candles glowing brightly in the dimness of the store surrounded them, making a wondrous circle of lights.  Dawn stood quietly in a corner.  She had been sternly warned by her sister to stay out of the way. 

Xander, Anya and Fred stood huddled together outside the back door with Wesley, Cordelia and Willow standing closely by.  Buffy, Angel and Gunn had already lowered themselves into the sewer tunnel.  The waiting game began.

The hands on the old pendulum clock on the wall now read eight exactly.  The plan was now in motion.  The chanting of the Old Latin words began softly then steadily rose as did the smell of burning incense.  Liz and Tara were now two minutes into their spell.  Buffy nervously studied her watch. 

“One minute to go.” she said quietly.   The sick feeling she always got in her stomach before a big battle was there once more.   She continued to study her watch…. now thirty seconds to go.   She knew that in an instant, the feeling would be gone and she couldn’t wait.

“Ten seconds, nine, eight, seven….” said Xander as he continued counting down the seconds. “Six, five, four, three, two, one.  Let’s go!” 

At that exact moment, everyone scattered.  Buffy, Angel and Gunn ran through the sewer tunnels, splashing through puddles and dodging piles of waste and garbage as they ran.   Xander, Anya and Fred headed up Main Street towards the house, each grasping a large sword for their protection.  Wesley, Cordelia and Willow, followed them closely, doing their best to stay well out of site and yet stay close. 

“We’re done here.  Get the bag of supplies and let’s go.”  Liz said, barking out the instructions to Dawn.  The youngest of the Summers’ sisters quickly grabbed the heavy black duffel bag that had been sitting on the floor near her feet and slung it over her shoulder.  She rushed to join Liz and Tara, in their circle.  With one wave of her hand, Liz had extinguished all of the candles that had lit the store up so brightly only moments ago.  She grabbed Tara and Dawn by the hands, and in a flash, they were gone. 

The plan was working.  Although they could no longer mentally sense approaching intruders, the members of Bangola’s clan had been carefully observing the Magic Shop from their planning room.  The alarms began to sound.  Palkees members began to rush from window to window.  Trying to get a better view of the approaching intruders.  Suddenly everyone stopped.  The order was given, the once ostensibly handsome men now wore the faces of monsters ready to do battle.  What seemed like hundreds of these awful creatures raced out the front door and down the steps towards the humans who were trying to invade their space, so many of them and so close together they seemed like one writhing beast.

“Uh…. guys…. RUN!” screamed Xander when he saw a mass of green slimy creatures suddenly pour out the door and down the steps towards them.  Quickly and with the same determination they had started this mission with, Xander, Anya and Fred now ran for their lives. 

Xander led them through as many short cuts as he could remember.  Being the ‘townie’, he knew the ins and outs of Sunnydale better than the two girls who raced along with him.  He felt it was his chivalric responsibility to take care of the ladies.  He didn’t get that many chances to be the knight in shining armor lately, and realizing what this entitled he decided he liked it that way.  But always being late for high school had suddenly began to reap some benefits for him.  The place where Sunnydale High School once stood was inching closer and closer with every step they took.  Their race would end soon.  At least he hoped it would.

“Ready?”  Buffy asked when they finally reached the basement entrance.  It had been exactly where the map had shown and they were now standing directly in front of it.  Angel simply nodded silently in response.  Gunn, however was still gasping for breath after the two-mile sprint he had just run.  He did the best he could to communicate that he was ready, trying desperately not to be loud with his breathing.  He was somewhat jealous of his boss right now, ‘that ‘no need for breath’ thing obviously came in handy when runnin’ a marathon’ he thought to himself, just like that ‘Slayer Strength’ made it seem like she didn’t need to breath either.  He waited for the Slayer to make her move.

“What the bloody hell is going on?”  Spike demanded as he watched the entire room of men disappear out the front door.  The machine of efficiency he’d marveled at a few minutes ago had been replaced with chaos.

“We have been ambushed!” screamed Bangola.  The rage was apparent in his reddening eyes.  “That damn witch has found the spell!” he continued.  Infuriated by the events that were taking place around him, he spat and thrashed around. 

“What?”  asked Spike, confused. 

“The Great Elizabeth.  She has found Eathadore’s spell.   Her and that Slayer.  They are attacking me, here at my sanctuary, my fortress.”  Bangola was beginning to ramble, and that was doing nothing but pissing Spike off even more.  He had trusted this man with his life.  He had been willing to do battle for him, because he had been assured nothing but victory.  He was seeming less Mightier than Thou by the minute and Spike was really starting to think that he was playing on the wrong team.  He looked at Bangola as he walked aimlessly around the room.  He now knew what he had to do.  He smiled to himself and prepared to go for it.

“I’m not bloody staying here!”  Spike sneered at Bangola as he began to swagger towards the front door.  

“Oh, I don’t think so….” Bangola hissed, as he grabbed Spike back of his long black trench coat.  “You said you would help me defeat the Slayer and The Great Elizabeth, and that’s exactly what you’re gonna do!”  he continued, eyeing Spike angrily. 

Spike became enraged.  It had been a long time since he had felt the kind of freedom he had now.  He sure as hell wasn’t about to go back to taking orders now, especially from this cretin.  He turned back, looking Bangola straight in the eyes with full vampire face.  He’d been jerked around long enough, it was time to take action.  Bangola was going to realize that there was more to Spike than just a pretty face and a quick wit. 

“NOW!” screamed Buffy.   With one swift kick, Angel had knocked the basement door completely off its hinges.  The three warriors raced inside the house, each carrying a beautifully handcrafted ivory handled knife.  Xander and Anya had stumbled upon the knives while they were looking for something in the basement of the Magic Shop.  After inspecting the blades and marveling at the workmanship and obvious durability that the ancient weapons possessed, they realized that they would be outstanding weapons, the pair had ceremoniously presented them to the three bravest members of their Scooby gang.  As they raced through the corridors, they jabbed anything that lunged at them, easily defeating the creatures.  Buffy and Angel, with their preternatural advantage went at a pace that Gunn was unable to match.  They paused to wait for their teammate; quickly taking out the few creatures that tried to attack them.  They could see Gunn down the hall, a huge grin on his face as he slashed and pummeled the attackers coming from all angles.  Clearly, Gunn relished a good fight.  He stopped for a moment and winked at the two of them.

“You two go ahead, I’ll catch up.  First I’m gonna finish these B movie slugs off!” he called, smiling broadly as he turned back to his entertainment.  The sounds of guttural grunts and moans along with Gunn’s mocking comments at the beasts echoed behind Angel and Buffy as they raced toward the center of the house to find Bangola.

“No….. no….. no….” Bangola wailed as he heard the commotion in the rear of the house.  The sounds of battle were growing louder as it came closer to the room in which he and Spike stood.  With Bangola distracted, Spike thought this was just the opportunity he’d been waiting for.  As Buffy and Angel burst into the room, Spike winced.  This was not what he’d been hoping for.  Seeing Spike standing there in front of them seemed to throw Buffy and Angel for a loop and for a moment nobody moved.  At the very moment that Spike and Bangola were being confronted by the Slayer and her former paramour, the front door opened with Wesley, Cordelia and Willow racing through, unbeknownst to Bangola. 

“Spike!” Angel growled, showing his displeasure at seeing his grandchilde and former carousing partner. 

“I’m just on my way out mate.” quipped Spike.  Trying to be blas¾ as possible.  Trying to be nonchalant about the entire ordeal apparently wasn’t convincing anyone, Spike realized as Angel grabbed him by the throat and hurled him against the wall.  Angel was still incensed about Spike’s attack on Cordelia. 

Spike however, just laughed in his typically evil cackle, smiling as he gathered himself and stood back up.  Buffy stared at him for a brief second, she knew exactly what he was thinking.  With that in mind, she reacted.  She wasn’t about to let him of all people mess this up.

Buffy spun Angel around directing his attention to the much larger problem standing before her.  Like a child, she’d distracted him with a new toy.  She figured this would give her a chance to deal with Spike and let the real fight begin. 

Gunn had finally fought off the last of the Palkees members who had still been within the house.  As he joined his fellow warriors in the large planning room, a heavy silence fell.  Buffy eyed Spike warily.   Wesley, Cordelia and Willow came crashing through the doorway.  They had been scurrying around the front of the house looking for the cup but was halted suddenly, frozen at the sight before them.  All at once Buffy head the same thing, “Groo?”  Apparently Bangola wasn’t the big stranger she’d thought, realizing that everyone but her seemed to recognize him. 

Buffy turned to Angel, “You know this guy?” 

Silence.

Stunned, Bangola turned toward the doorway.  A familiar voice had caught his attention.  “Cordelia?”  he said softly. 

She was taken aback.  The shock and pain of what was right before her eyes shattered Cordelia.  Speechless, possibly for the first time in her entire existence.  Cordelia stood, looking blankly at the Groosalugg.  Her Groosalugg.   The man she had given herself to.  Her prince who had suddenly left her, citing his need to return to his homeland.  Understanding of his real reason for leaving her flooded her mind.  One of the things that had so intrigued her about him was the mystery that surrounded him.  The truth sickened her.  Eyes narrowing, she felt the rage welling within her.  Bangola along with everyone else in the room was about to get a surprise, which no one had expected.

Chapter 16 –

“Are we about there?” shrieked Fred, running as fast as she could to keep up with Xander and Anya.  Decoding and deciphering obscure texts were so much more her thing, she realized, as exhaustion threatened to take over her body.  Memories of slavery in Pylea flashed through her mind and she ran harder.  Despite their best attempts to get away, the Palkees demons were now at their heels, and the three of them were dangerously tired.  The Palkees, sending that their quarry was losing momentum, pounced. 

“One…… two…….. THREE!” Xander screamed with his last breath.  To the Palkees’ surprise, the ones they had been chasing has conspirators who stood before them now.  For a brief moment, the Palkees couldn’t understand why two fair young women, demure looking and seemingly harmless would be waiting in the moonlight.  Liz and Tara, unaware and unconcerned with the mental rambling of minions, focused on the task at hand.   In a burst of energy and light, Xander, Anya and Fred were suddenly gloating high in the air, well out of the reach of the enclosing demons.  Tara, with a careful eye and a remarkably steady hand guided the three to a safe resting spot well out of harms way, where Dawn had been strategically placed out of sight and was waiting.

“Thank God!” Xander huffed, breathing a sigh of relief that they were finally able to stop and catch their breath.  Xander mentally vowed to never run again.  Dizzy with exertion, gasping for air, the three ducked behind a large round tree with Dawn, eagerly anticipating how Liz would dispatch their attacker.

In a language that not even Giles with his extensive linguistic studies or Anya with her exceedingly long live had ever heard spoken aloud, Liz, and Tara began the incantation.  Standing side by side, hands linked, Liz and Tara both waived their free hands up towards the stars.  Chanting so perfectly in unison as though they had walked this earth a millennium together, the two beautiful witches had a magnificent storm brewing.  The wind seemed to pick up drastically.  The sky became dark with rolling black clouds and the bright stars were no longer visible. 

Finally, with what seemed to Xander to be the biggest bolt of lightning ever known to man, the spot at the school where he had known the Hellmouth to be, slowly opened in a swirling light storm.  Liz shot her hand straight at the Palkees demons, and on her last commanding word, they were gone, sucked into the very mouth of Hell.

Spike was contemplating the scene in front of him.  All the Slayer’s buddies stood there stupidly, staring with gaping maws at Bangola, shaking their heads and murmuring, repeating the same word they’d initially said.  Feeling generous for some reason, Spike decided to clarify the situation for everyone.

“I think the lot of you are off your rockers.  This here’s Bangola, not a Groo…. whatever you said.”  Spike informed them.  Hah!  Not so bloody smart now, were they…..

Cordelia was furious.  She was as mad at herself for not knowing Groo’s true identity,  and even angrier with him for using her and her friends for his own nefarious purpose.  She thought of how it had been, when she hadn’t known about the lies.  It didn’t really matter now.  She had learned the truth, and something had to be done.  Wiping the remaining tear from her cheek, Cordelia marched over to the Groosalugg and with power that even she didn’t know she had, she punched him straight in the face.  The Groosalugg was sent flying back against a table, shattering it to nothing more than splinters. 

Stunned, no one really knew what to say.  They all just stared.

“What’d you do that for?”  Groo asked while holding his nose that was now bleeding profusely from Cordelia’s fist.  

“Why?  You have the nerve to ask me why!” Cordelia shrieked.  She was mad, no really pissed off was more like it, and Groo was about to find out just how much.  She felt some old-school Sunnydale High Cordelia coming on and embraced it. 

“You used me, you dazzled me with your charm and love, and for what?  So you could come to my world…. my world, and try to end it!  Well mister, you have no idea who you’re dealing with.”  she continued to scream at him.

Everyone’s attention was now on Cordelia.  Of all the people to suddenly take action and start throwing punches, Cordelia was the least likely.  Yet there she was, haranguing the cowering Groo, verbally ripping him in a way that would have killed one of her targets back in high school.  Buffy was totally mesmerized by the scene in front of her.  No one seemed to notice when Spike seized this opportunity, and grabbed the Slayer, who was standing all too close to him.  His hand over her mouth and the other grasping her arm tightly, he dragged her into another room.  

“Let go of me!” she spat at him as he spun her around, his face inches from hers. 

“Now, now Slayer, we don’t want this party to end already do we?”  he said coyly as he cocked his head to the side. 

Buffy was disgusted.  How could she have ever believed that he was really different, that what she was doing was ‘okay’?  She was ready to end this once and for all,

“I told you that I never wanted to see you again.  That this…… this thing was over!  Now you better leave while you have the chance, or…”

“Or what missy?  You’ll talk me to death with more of your annoying whining?  I really don’t think so.  You, my love, are no longer dealing with William the Bloodless.”  Spike paused for a moment to reap the pleasure of seeing Buffy’s mouth drop completely to the floor. 

“That’s right pet, the real Spike is back, and I’m gonna end this.  Right here, right now!”  Spike continued as he circled around the Slayer, daring her with his eyes to make a move.

Buffy knew that Spike had been up to something, and with his attack on Cordelia she had pretty much figured out what.  She still didn’t want to believe that he’d actually done it and as much as she didn’t want to, she knew what she had to do.  She was the Slayer, after all. 

She moved quickly, a swift leg sweep and suddenly Spike found himself on his back once again.  The first move was made, and the fight was now on.  Spike hurried to his feet.  He knew that she wasn’t playing this time.  He dodged the first two punches she threw at him, but caught the third straight on the right jaw.  Stunned, he stepped back and Buffy moved in, pummeling him, knowing that if she stopped, things could easily turn in his favor.  She soon discovered that regardless of what she threw at him, tide was beginning to turn anyway. 

Spike caught Buffy’s leg on an attempted roundhouse kick, trapping her.  Now she was at his mercy.  Trying hard to escape his grasp, the Slayer could do nothing but fall to the floor.  In a flash he was on top of her, pinning her with his weight as he held her arms, preventing her from striking him.  Gasping, Buffy struggled to free herself from his strong hands that held her down.  She’d never had this much trouble fighting Spike before, but this time was different, the demon’s rage inside of him was stronger than ever and she could do nothing. 

“What’s wrong Slayer?  Finally seein’ your end is near?” Spike taunted.

Cordelia looked back at Wesley and Willow, “Find that damn cup!” she demanded.  The two hurried off, ransacking the house to find the gold treasure.   Cordelia’s eyes began to turn a fire red and she looked down to see that her hands were shaking uncontrollably.  Fear gripped her as she felt an even stronger sensation starting to overwhelm her.  She felt as if something else was taking over her body. 

Groo was now enraged.  He couldn't believe he had just been hit and by a girl, his girl at that.  This was just unacceptable.  There was something wrong with this place, with these people.  All of them.  His plan was falling apart, and he had let a human, a human girl, no less, hit him.  He lunged at Cordelia, grabbing her around the neck. 

“Cordy!” Angel shouted.  He grabbed Groo’s arms, trying to pull him off of her, but he was stronger than Angel was, and the attempt at saving Cordelia’s life was for naught.  He looked around the room, desperately searching for a weapon large enough to do some damage. 

“Angel!” Gunn shouted, motioning with his head towards the other side of the room.  He had noticed a large sword that had been hanging over the mantle piece.  He tore it down with little regard to the damage he was doing to the wall, whistling sharply as he tossed it across the room.  Angel turned and caught the giant sword his associate had thrown at him.  He drew it back over his head, trying to gain some force behind the impact he hoped he’d be making.

“Wow!  That was cool!”  said Dawn as she inched out of her hiding place brushing dirt off of her new pants.  She started moving away from Xander, Anya and Fred.  Xander reacted instantly, 

“Dawn, wait!” Xander pleaded, trying to grab her arm as she moved past him.   Dawn slid to her left so she could avoid Xander’s parental hand.  Shrugging his shoulders at the others, he decided there was no use in trying to stop her.

“Is ev…… ev….. everyone alright?”  Tara asked, looking at her bewildered friends.  They had seen a lot during their time on the Hellmouth, but the show that Tara and Liz had just put on pretty much took the cake.  They all silently stood there, looking at the huge pit that was now where the remains of the school had been.  Even Anya seemed impressed with the damage but still had some concerns about the success of the whole endeavor.  

“What about the Hellmouth?  Isn’t it still open?  There is a huge hole and everything…”  Anya asked.  The obvious questions were always hers to ask.  She knew that was what everyone else was thinking, but too afraid to ask.  Stupid humans.

“Kauntine!” Liz proclaimed as she moved her arms across each other.   Xander smiled, at the gesture she made.  To him it looked as if she were a baseball umpire calling a runner safe at home, but he certainly wasn’t going to share his amusement.  Especially since he wasn’t sure if Liz would find his observation as funny as he did.  The smile quickly left his face as he watched the earth move together, and the giant pit that had only moments before been directly in front of them, now become a beautiful lawn of green grass and flowers.  There wasn’t even a hint that their old high school had even been there.

“Wow!  Now that was cool!”  Xander exclaimed.  He was astonished at what had just taken place before him. 

“Shall we join the others?”  Liz asked.  Blankly Xander looked back at her.  As the comprehension of what she meant sunk in, his eyes grew large and he nodded enthusiastically.

“Others…. Oh, yeah, right, Buffy…”  Xander replied, still in dismay. 

“Well, I can’t transport all of us there.  Just too many people for me.”  Liz said with a shy smile.  “I’ll go ahead to help.  The rest of you just get there when you can.  Okay?”  she asked. 

“O….. okay.”  Tara replied.  Liz looked at the others just to make sure there was a consensus among them.  After she was satisfied that there were no objections, she stepped away from the group, closed here eyes and was gone.

The terror in Buffy’s eyes was evident.  Spike could even smell the fear racing through her blood.  He was enjoying every second of this.  It had been quite some time since his last good kill, and even longer since he’d done a Slayer in.  The fact that it was Buffy made it even sweeter.  He shifted his weight, relishing the fear in her as he held her arms tighter.  She could hear the racket going on in the next room.  Screams of terror and rage.  She knew that if she screamed for help, her cries would only be masked by the terrible things that were already taking place.

Her mind started to wonder as she looked deep into Spike’s eyes.  Those bottomless pits that had nothing in them, no feelings at all.  Whatever she had thought might be buried deep inside of him somewhere was gone now.  She couldn’t stand it any longer.  She was leaving, going back to the same place she had been before.  She was feeling as helpless now as she had the day that Glory had found them and taken her sister from her.  It had been so easy that day, she had just lost everything and with no hope of getting it back.  Today was different though, Dawn was safe, and this was Spike, not Glory.  But Buffy’s thoughts were beginning to fade anyway, in and out of reality.  Pictures of her, Dawn and their mother, all happy and laughing.  Scenes of her and her friends, laughing.  And then there was Angel.  The two of them, together.  ‘Oh God, Angel!’ she cried to herself.

It was like a dream to her.  Her fantasies mixed with reality.  Then in an instant all she could see was Spike drawing down towards her.  ‘This is it’ she thought to herself and she closed her tear-ridden eyes.  The tears came streaming from the corners of both eyes. 

This hadn’t been how she had envisioned it over the years.    There had always been a grand fight.  She had always done some major damage to her opponent before they got the best of her.  That was the way she had always thought it would go down.  That it was Spike made it eve worse. 

She grimaced as she felt the first pinch of Spike’s fangs enter her body.  The pain was worsening as he began to drain the life from her body.  But the relief she was feeling was out weighing the pain.  She wanted death……. again.  It had been so peaceful the last time.  Those thoughts were running ramped through her mind.  Suddenly everything stopped, the relief, the pain, everything.

The first blow that Angel delivered didn’t even seem to phase the Groosalugg in the least.  He continued his strong choking hold around Cordelia’s neck, oblivious or indifferent to the changes happening to her.  The shaking that had started in her hands was beginning to travel through her arms and down her legs.  The fire red in her eyes began to darken and shine.  Angel tried once again to break Groo’s hold on his friend.  The vampire side in him finally won out, and as let his demon take over he grabbed the large sword for another shot at the Groosalugg.  With more strength within him now, he drew the giant sword over his head once more and brought it down with a monstrous swing.  To no avail.

Gunn had finally found a weapon of his own.  A wonderfully hand crafted steel lamp.  They made things to last back in the day.  Certainly it had been a prize possession of someone in the past.  A lovely decoration, to be sure.  But without its shade, it made a pretty handy weapon, too.  He swung as hard as he could, trying anything to get the Groosalugg to release his friend.  Gunn was on Cordelia’s left and Angel on her right, both of them swinging away.  But it was as if he had turned into something else, something more than just the Groosalugg.  Nothing they did effected him.  There were no injuries from the sword, no bumps, bruises or cuts from the lamp.   He was invulnerable.

Gunn took a step back with is weapon still drawn, “What the hell?” he questioned.

Chapter 17 –

“Slayer!  Slayer!  Get the bloody hell up!”  Buffy slowly came back to reality.  Eyes shut tight, she didn’t think she’d ever open them again.  But…. she wasn’t dead.  Spike was calling her name, trying to help her up off the floor.  He sounded worried.  Worried?  He’d been gnawing on her vein moments ago, an now he was worried?  He hadn’t killed her.  Her eyes opened.  She looked up at him.  All she could see was incredible sadness staring back at her.  The empty eyes of a few minutes ago, the soulless pits were gone now.  Despair and shame had replaced them.

“Wha…..” she didn’t finish. 

“I couldn’t do it!  I couldn’t kill you.” he said turning his back to her, his head hung low.  “And not because of that blessed chip either.” he added quietly, anticipating what he knew she’d say. 

Buffy stood up, her hand cupped over her neck where Spike had pierced a vein.    All the contempt and disgust Buffy had felt for Spike, and there was plenty of it, vanished as she looked at the trembling figure before her. Now all she could feel was pity.  Spike was crushed; she could see it in the way he stood before her, in the look of his eyes and the tears that welled in his suddenly soulful blue eyes.  William had shown through.  Spike the killer, the demon of legend who had defeated two slayers, had been milliseconds away from the greatest triumph he’d ever dreamed of.  But he stopped.  Not because of the hard wiring he’d been subjected to before but because of the man he’d once been.  It was his love for Buffy that kept him from killing her.  William would have never hurt a soul, and it was apparent now to Buffy, that Spike was more William than he was anything else.

“I’m sorry luv.  I didn’t mean…..  I just saw you with….. and I just couldn’t stand……”  Whispering words that all felt to empty, he stopped.  What could he say to make up for it?  For all of it?  The guilt overpowered him.  There was nothing else now.  In all the years he’d walked this earth as a vampire, he’d never felt this low before.  He leaned back against the wall and then sank to the floor, the reality of what he had just tried to do was too much.  Buffy stared at the fallen figure before her, unable to speak.  He’d just tried to kill her.  He’d come damn close.  But he’d stopped.  That fact, and seeing his reaction to the shattering realization that everything he’d wanted to be, strong, cold and unfeeling, unable to hurt was not who he was, and that no matter how many he’d killed and maimed before, inside he was the same as he’d been that night all those years ago when Dru had made him into the monster he tried to be, a veritable little boy lost.  Buffy felt herself soften a bit.  She wasn’t ready to forgive him, no way, but she didn’t know how to feel.  A shudder passed through Spike, and his eyes met hers, pleading for something.  What?  She sighed.  Why couldn’t things ever be simple?

The Groosalugg was thrown back against the wall, crashing with an impact that sent chunks of the wall flying.  Angel and Gunn stood in total disbelief.  As papery pieces of the decrepit ceiling floated down, the two of them looked at the plaster dust covering the Groosalugg, who moaned quietly and then to their friend.  Their beautiful, bossy, ever fashion conscious Cordelia was……. part Castonov demon? 

“Princess?”  Groo whispered the word, unwilling to risk further angering the demon that was now standing in front of him.  Angel and Gunn had been aware of Cordelia’s sacrifice to keep her visions, but neither had any idea that what was now standing in front of them was the ramification of such sacrifice.  For a fleeting moment, both men wondered if Cordelia would approve of her demon’s chosen appearance, it seemed sort of….. so no Cordy style.  The quivering voice of the demon that had only moments ago weathered countless blows by them with no effect drew them out of the brief musings.

“Princess, it is I your Groo!”  The Groosalugg pleaded. 

With a deep, but still very Cordelia-esqe sounding voice the demon, replied,

“Yes Groo, it is I.  Your princess.  But your princess has had a change of heart.”  The Demon paused, as if contemplating.  It’s nostrils flared, and in a higher, and to Gunn and Angel, more the ‘Cordelia Chase they know and love voice’, continued.  “Your princess is pissed off.  I gave you everything, and you….. YOU betrayed me!  And now……. you’re gonna pay for it mister!”  Seething, eyes narrowing, the demon appeared to stick it’s lower lip out in a pout.

Gunn and Angel just stood there enjoying the look of fear on the Groosalugg’s face.  Cordy was a force to be reckoned with when she was mad as a human, they could only guess what she’d be like as a half-Castonov demon.  They were suitably impressed.

“Can I help?”  Liz asked as she appeared out of nowhere, half-frightening poor Wesley and Willow to death.  Liz had found her way upstairs to the same room that Wesley and Willow were now tearing to shambles, with finesse akin to that of a professional burglar, as they desperately tried to find the Cup of Reverence. 

“Jeez.  Give us some warning next time will ya?”  Willow complained, making a face at Liz.  At this, Wesley cleared his throat in the traditional ‘about to speak’ way he favored. 

“We’re having quite a difficult time finding this cup.  We have obviously made quite the mess of these rooms, but haven’t had any luck finding it.”  Wesley explained as he stepped back to observe the room, scrunching up his face and peering around as if to see if he’d somehow missed something.  ‘He certainly looked exasperated by this treasure hunt’ Liz thought to herself as she thought she heard him mutter something under his breath with a big sigh. 

“Yeah.  What he said.”  Willow smiled and pointed to Wesley.

Liz closed her eyes.  Centralizing her powers, she became almost weightless, floating a few inches above the floor.  Her right arm stretched out in front of her.  She continued to concentrate, trying to hone in on where the cup was.  She knew it was here, she could feel it. 

She moved from left to right, like a weather vein giving the direction of the wind.  Liz finally stopped.  Wesley and Willow focused their eyes on the exact spot where Liz was pointing.  To their amazement it was there.  A tiny gold cup, encrusted with jewels of all kinds. 

“My word.  How did you do that?”  asked Wesley, awestruck by what he’d just witnessed. 

“Who cares how she did it!” screeched Willow.  “She did it!!”  An impromptu rendition of Xander’s renowned Snoopy dance followed.  Despite himself, Wesley couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. 

Liz just smiled at them as she slowly lowered herself onto the floor. 

“Now how do we destroy this thing?”  Willow asked as she picked the marvelous piece of artwork up off the shelf, studying it carefully.

Liz reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny sachet.   She then instructed Wesley to get the porcelain washbowl that was sitting on the dresser behind him.  As Wesley held the bowl in his hands, Willow placed the small cup inside, briefly thinking how lovely the hand painted designs on the bowl were.  Liz then recited from memory a series of Latin and Gaelic phrases and then carefully dumped the contents of her sachet onto the Cup.  The contents within the bowl began to sizzle.  A single flame shot into the air, so suddenly that Wesley barely had time to turn away to avoid being singed by the flame.   Willow looked on in delight.  It had seemed like ages to her since she had been able to participate in an actual spell.  Within seconds the sizzling stopped, and they all gazed into the bowl.  Nothing but ashes remained.  The cup was destroyed.  Liz carefully scooped the ashes out and poured them carefully inside of the sachet, tying it tight and putting it back in her pocket.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.  I tried…… I bloody well did…… but then, I couldn’t.”  Spike wailed, his face in his hands.    Buffy stood over him, not having a single clue what to say.  He had almost been her demise, and she had permitted it.  She’d just laid down to die.  The fact that he’d stopped still seemed unreal to her.  The possible implications of that simple act were baffling to her.  She somehow felt she should try to comfort him.  Or something.  She had to say something, this moment had to end, it was just too brutal. 

“Maybe….. somehow…..” Buffy started to speak, trying to say something encouraging, but the words just weren’t there.  She hadn’t any idea what she should say.  ‘Thanks for the not killing me?’ or ‘Sorry your entire self-concept has been irreversibly destroyed?’  She really didn’t think so. 

Hearing noises from behind her, Buffy turned around, sighing in relief at what she saw.  Words suddenly weren’t necessary, because coming down the stairs was Liz, in all her Super Vampire Witch glory, followed by Willow and Wesley.  All three had proud smiles plastered across their faces. 

“The cup is history!” Willow beamed.  Buffy felt a little guilty for her latest mental dig at Angel’s ex when Liz smiled and looked shyly towards her.

Utterly forgotten in the revelation of the destruction of the cup, Spike’s little drama was suddenly outweighed by the deafening noise that was now coming out of the adjoining room.  Anxious to help, or at least interested in finding out what was going on, they all raced into the other room.  To everyone’s shock there was a very large, fairly standard, ‘non-beautiful’, yet very Cordy sounding demon holding the Groosalugg by the neck. 

“What the hell is that?” asked Xander as he and the others had finally made their way to the house.  Although exhausted from the long walk back to the house, the bizarre sight that greeted them was new and unique enough, even for Sunnydale, to make them forget their exertion. 

Angel turned around and as though pointing out something painfully obvious, he announced “It’s Cordy.”  The ‘duh’ look he gave was left open to personal interpretation.

“Huh?”  Xander replied, chiming in with everyone else in the room.  It had been awhile since they’d been together, yeah, but…. he’d have remembered this.

  The Groosalugg suddenly let out an earsplitting roar.  Cordelia’s strangle hold around the Groosalugg’s neck was forcing the demon that had appropriated his body out.  With one more horrific yowl it stepped forward.   The slimy two-headed demon thingy that Cordelia had seen a few days ago in her vision was now suddenly standing before them.  Although now taller and way grosser, this demon presented no match for Cordelia.  The angrier she got, the stronger she became.   There were some loud grumblings in a language only Cordelia herself could understand.   Which most of the spectators concluded to themselves was probably for the best, though they thought they had a fairly good idea of what the gist likely was.

There was another sound that burst forth from the Groosalugg, a cry that radiated pain and sorrow.  Silent again, he slumped over.  Dead.  Cordelia released her hold in an instant, now frightened she’d killed him.  The demon half of the Groosalugg disappeared instantly, as did Cordelia’s demon side.   Still shaking from the transformation, she rested her eyes on the large sword jutting from Groo’s abdomen.  She couldn’t believe how much blood there was.  She blankly stared at his body.  The man she had once cared so deeply about was lying dead in front of her.  She felt herself grow dizzy for a moment, stumbling almost onto his body.  Clarity returned.  Cordy turned now to the man standing next to her.  The one that had brought it upon himself to end it and rid this earth of this creature for eternity.

“Smack” Wesley felt the sting as Cordelia slapped his cheek.  She looked at him with hollow eyes, looking at him, but not really seeing him.  He felt as if she was looking straight through him.  He glanced down, breaking the eye contact between them. 

‘She’ll understand…. someday’ he silently thought to himself.  Intellectually, she had to understand why he’d done it, that he had no other choice.  But he wasn’t sure she’d ever understand, emotionally.  He raised his head, wanting to apologize.  If not with words, at least with his eyes, but she was gone.  She’d raced out of the room, to another part of the house.  No one had gone after her.  The awkward silence in the room grew as they digested what had just happened before them.  Liz stepped forward, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Please forgive me, I wish to appear callous.  I realize this was a very traumatic situation for Cordelia, but we really haven’t the time for mourning.  Wesley did the right thing.  Bangola could only be killed in his demon form and it appears he has been.  Yet….” she paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as she realized the impact what she was about to say would have on those standing there.  “if we are to assure that he is not resurrected from this state, we must destroy the body at once.”  Liz said, trying not to sound too cold.

“What do we need to do?” Gunn asked.  He didn’t like this anymore than anyone else, but understood that some things just need to be done.

“We must set up a ritual burning area.  There is adequate space in the back yard between the two oak trees.  Use the table in the dining area as the Alter.  Bangola’s body must be placed on it with his head facing South.  We’ll then need a great deal of kindling wood as the body must be burnt to ashes.”  Liz directed sullenly.  Creating a funeral pyre was never a pleasant task, and she tried to remember how it felt to be human and to lose someone she loved.

Xander and Wesley went to the dining room to get the large table, neither of them speaking, lending an appropriate solemn air to their task.  They carefully maneuvered it through the house and outside to the exact location that Liz had suggested.  Liz, Tara, Willow and Anya set out to find the herbs and other ingredients they would need for the ritual. 

Buffy hadn’t gone with the others.  She’d decided to say with the body until it was time.  Gunn and Angel stood silently in the room with her, but she didn’t want to be near anyone right now.  She stood a few feet away from the man that Cordy had loved.  She stared at the lifeless form, marveling at how different it seemed now that the life was gone from it.  She knew the hurt that Cordelia was feeling right now.  Knew it all too well.  That empty pit in her stomach, the lump in her throat that made it hard to breathe…. and the crying that she thought would never end.  Killing Angel had been the hardest thing she had ever had to do.  Watching as he was sucked into Hell and knowing that she had no other choice was heart wrenching.   She was certain Cordelia was feeling those same feelings.  She also knew that there was nothing anyone could say to her that would make the hurt subside.  It would only get worse before it would get better.  It had been a long time since Buffy had identified so closely with Cordelia.  In fact, it was the first time.  Buffy wished it could have been for some other reason.  She sighed deeply, then turned and walked to the window.

Angel and Gunn stood there, staring at the Groosalugg’s body.  Neither sure how they were going to carry it.  “I think maybe we should take the sword out, don’t you?”  Gunn asked.  “I mean….. it just doesn’t seem respectful to leave it there like that.”  He shook his head slowly, unsure of how to say what he meant.  Angel pursed his lips, thinking.  He turned to Gunn, putting his hand on Gunn’s shoulder.

“Yeah.  We should take it out.” agreed Angel as he surveyed the scene in front of him.   

“Take out the sword, then see if you can find something to help us get him out of here.” he continued. 

“Why me?  Why don’t you take it out?” complained Gunn.  He didn’t mind removing favored weapons from the carcasses of things that needed killing, but from the body of someone he’d known was different.

“I have to take care of something else.”  Angel answered, turning to look in Buffy’s direction.  Gunn saw where Angel was looking.

“Yeah, whatever.”  Gunn muttered, rolling his eyes.  He grit his teeth and looked down at the body before him.  This was gonna suck, he thought.  Quiet footsteps padded up behind him, and he immediately felt some of his tension ease.

“I’ll help you Charles.” Fred said in her quiet Texan drawl.  She smiled at him, reaching for his hand.  Gunn just smiled back, accepting his shy but beautiful girlfriend’s help.  Together, they decided to opt for looking for something to carry the body on first.  The sword could wait.

Chapter 18 –

“Are you okay?”  Angel asked as he gently put his hand on Buffy’s shoulder.  He had seen the troubled look on her face as she stood staring at the dead body.  But now she stood blankly gazing out the large picture window, staring heavy hearted at the Sunnydale night.

“Not really.” she replied, deciding this time she was going to be completely honest with him and hoped he would do the same. 

There were so many things she wanted to say to him, and plenty that she didn’t want to say but needed to anyway.  She sighed heavily and turned slowly to face him.  For a moment, she only stared up at him, gazing into his dark brown eyes.   She longed for him to kiss her, take her back to a simpler time.  She could almost feel his soft cold lips against her own, but suddenly she was brought back from her peaceful daydream to the harsh reality of life as she knew it now.

Dawn had been leaning against the doorway of the room, watching everyone else as they rushed around, totally oblivious to her presence as usual.  Everyone had been rushing around that is, except for Buffy and Angel who were just staring into each other’s eyes.  ‘Get a room’ she thought to herself.  As she stood watching her sister, she caught something in the corner of her eye.  She looked to her left, to see what it was.  She understood what she was seeing, but somehow couldn’t believe that what she was witnessing was real. 

The Groosalugg wasn’t dead.  He had gathered enough strength to stand himself up.  Leaning heavily on the wall as he took his giant steps in Angel’s direction.  When he was just a few feet away from Angel and Buffy he reached down and with one hand pulled the giant sword from his stomach, grimacing horribly as he did so.

“Look out!”  Dawn screamed, trying to warn Angel and her sister of their impending doom.  Angel spun around quickly and lunged at the Groosalugg, grabbing the sword easily from the injured demon.  He stepped back, and with one giant shove, rammed the sword back into its midsection, then pulled it straight up, disemboweling the creature.  This time he was making sure it was dead.  As Angel let the Groosalugg fall back to the floor, Gunn and Fred stepped into the room.

“What?  He wasn’t dead enough for you the first time?”  Gunn asked with a half cocked smiled on his face.  He had seen what had transpired, but couldn’t resist giving Angel a good ribbing now and then.  This, creepily enough, seemed like a good time.

“Let’s just get this over with.”  Angel replied as he helped Gunn roll the now twice dead demon onto a long board that he and Fred had found.  As if they were medics carrying a victim on a stretcher, Angel and Gunn dutifully carried the dead corpse outside to his final resting-place. 

Liz and the others had been working feverishly to prepare the Alter up as quickly as possible.  She wanted to waste no time in getting this taken care of.  The finality of it all would bring about many changes in her life and all of those involved. 

Angel and Gunn placed the Groosalugg carefully atop the table, his head facing South.  Liz nodded.  This time they decided to remove the sword themselves. 

“Never be too safe.”  Gunn whispered to Angel as he withdrew the long sword.  Angel just looked at him.  The thought of the Groosalugg coming to life again was just about more than he could handle at the moment.  He shook his head and grimaced.

Wesley and Xander carefully lit the kindling that had been stacked under the Alter.  Liz lit the incense and sprinkled the Groosalugg’s body with the mixture of herbs they had gathered.  When she had finally finished preparing the body, she took her place within the circle the others had formed. 

“Is everyone ready?”  Liz asked, as she carefully eyed each participant.    The circle of friends nodded in agreement, all glancing at each other for affirmation.  As they all linked their hands, Liz began the chant around the circle.

“Ezanta…. Chubanta….. Mihanta…… be with us on this night mighty Gods, as we put to rest a warrior for the dark side.  Accept our offering of incense and herbs along with this great warrior’s ashes.  Take him, take him, take him.”  They all chanted, over and over again until an explosion of flames and a blast of light burst forth.  

The ritual was over.  There was nothing left of the pyre or the body that had in front of them.  All that remained was a small pile of ashes, which Liz dutifully placed in her sachet along with those from the cup.

Buffy glanced up at the house, just in time to meet Cordelia’s painful gaze.  She had been watching the entire thing from an upstairs window.  She was much too distraught to participate in the evening’s event.  Though used to horror show type things, taking part in the impromptu cremation of her boyfriend was too much for even her.  Buffy felt as if she could hear the thoughts in Cordelia’s mind and she wished she could help somehow.  Once again those painful feelings that Buffy had felt all those summers ago came rushing back to her. 

At that moment, as the painful memories flooded through her again, she made a decision.  She needed to talk to Angel, and she had to do it before he left for LA.

A faint sound of wind blowing came upon the circle suddenly, bring everyone back to himself or herself as it were.  Seconds later there was a horrific crash of thunder, followed by an enormous clap of lightening.  Within seconds the rains came pouring down upon them.  Everyone hurried quickly into the house, which despite it’s now incredibly awful associations, was the only dry spot they could reach easily.  Though none of the friends wanted to spend any more time in that place, their choices were unfortunately limited.  The rain out there was not of the sort that Californian’s were used to dealing with. 

While the others looked sadly out the window, bitterly disappointed to be back in the house, Liz had found this to be an amazing amount of good fortune.  There were still some details that needed to be taken care of, and having everyone together in the same place would be just perfect.  She smiled up toward the Heavens, she knew that tonight, the Gods were working with her.

“I need to talk to you.” Buffy said as she looked deep into Angel’s eyes.  Liz walked up to them and shook her head.

“You two can talk later.  I have something I need to share with all of you first.”  She said firmly.  Buffy was incredulous.  What was with this chick?  She decided to try to remain nice.  Nice Buffy.

“You don’t understand.  I really need to talk to him.”  Buffy pleaded.  Liz just looked at her, and then at Angel.  Sighing, she patty Buffy’s hand.

“There will be time.  Trust me.”  Liz replied.  Smiling brightly Buffy.

  Buffy gave in.  She didn’t know what Liz could say that would be more important to them than what she needed to tell Angel, but she figured this wasn’t an argument she would win.  She was just too tired, too defeated.  Too much had already happened tonight.  She reluctantly followed Liz into the living room area where Xander had coaxed a fire to start in the enormous stone fireplace.  Everyone, including Cordelia, and curiously enough, Spike who’d missed the entire Groosalugg/Cordy demon interlude and resulting ritual, took their seats and waited for Liz’s big speech.  None of them could have imagined what they were about to hear, though at this point they felt pretty much prepared for anything.

Chapter 19 –

Liz gathered her thoughts, trying to decide the best way to go about telling these dedicated friends and lovers what it was that had just happened.  What they had accomplished.  And most importantly, what they were each had in store for the future.

“First of all, you are the most amazing group of people that I have ever met.  As long as I have walked this earth, I’ve never witnessed a more loving and caring group of people.”  she began. 

“Although some of you were hurt more deeply than others by the events that have transpired over the past few days, none of you can possibly imagine what your sacrifices have meant to this world.”  she continued.  Cordelia looked directly at her, praying that whatever this Liz person who had so effectively ruined things for her, would somehow make it better.

“Cordelia.  I know that you have been deeply scared by the deceitful acts, which Bangola uncaringly perpetrated against you.  Let it be known to you and everyone here that your only fault was following your heart.  My dear,”  She spoke softly now, wanting to ensure that what she was about to say would be understood.  “Bangola had been planning this attack for decades.  You were only a small pawn in his giant chess game.  You acted with bravery and concern for your friends and placed their safety above your own.  Your bravery and selflessness will be well rewarded by the Gods.  Your heart will no longer ache but it will now be up to you to trust your instincts.”

She paused for a moment, then continued  “Along with your visions, you have powers that although not fully developed yet, in time will help you lead and protect your fellow warriors.”  Liz said firmly but lovingly to Cordelia.  Although her pain was still very real inside of her, Cordelia somehow felt comfort from Liz’s words.  She smiled shyly back at Liz as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Liz looked around the room, deciding whom to address next.   She spied Dawn standing alone, quietly in the back of the room.  Liz figured she was as good a choice as any  of the others to continue with.  “Dawn.”  she said in her beautiful Irish voice.  Dawn looked up, startled that her name was mentioned.  Assuming she’d been forgotten, she’d zoned out entirely.  Seeing everyone in the room looking at her made her uncomfortable.

“What?  What’d I do?”  she asked, looking around worried that she had somehow messed something up.

“No darling.  You’ve not done a thing wrong.  In fact you have been an enormous help to me over the past couple of days.”  Liz said.  Dawn smiled happily.  She always enjoyed being praised for something good she had done.

Liz went on.  “I want you to understand that you have already meant a great deal to the world you were brought to, but the future is where you’re true tests lie.”  Dawn’s face began to pale.  She wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear another word that Liz had to say.  Buffy was the one who saves the world, not her.  Future tests were not what she wanted.

“What are you talking about?” Buffy asked sharply.  Her chat with Cordy had been all nice and reassuring and here she was scaring Dawn?  She was beginning to dislike Liz all over again.  Dawn had been through enough trauma in her short time here, she didn’t need prophecy girl giving her the wiggins again.

“I’m certainly not trying to scare her.  But she does need to understand that her destiny is as pre-determined as yours was, and is for that fact.”  Liz replied sincerely. 

“What do you mean ‘and is’?”  Buffy snapped.

“I mean that there are things in which you are all now a part of, your destinies have been determined with your actions here today.  Each and every one of you was somehow involved in stopping Bangola and saving this world.  He was much more powerful than any of you could have imagined.  There is evil yet still to come, that I am afraid, we may never be able to truly stop.  But because of your willingness to help and even sacrifice your own life to save those of others, each of you have now been chosen.”  Liz said.

“Chosen for what?  I don’t want to be chosen for anything…. that’s Buffy’s job, she’s the Chosen One, remember.”  Xander said nervously looking around the room.  He caught an evil glare from Buffy.  “No offense.”  he said to her.  Besides, wasn’t he just the Zeppo?

“But you are chosen.  All of you are.  You have each demonstrated to the Powers That Be that you are all worthy of serving them.  Not just Buffy and Angel.  Every one of you has proven your unique merit to this world.  I was sent here by the Powers.  My destiny was determined long ago, and the Powers have confided in me during this journey, guiding me every step of the way.  And this,”  Liz looked at each person in the room for a moment, “this was my final journey, my end.”  Liz said, beaming with pride.

“But you’re okay.  You didn’t get dusted or anything.”  Dawn said hopefully.

Liz smiled at Dawn, longing for the innocence that this child somehow still possessed.  “My mission is almost complete.  Once I finish the task set for me, I will finally be released.  But that cannot be until I communicate the Powers’ message to each of you.”  she added. 

“But…”  Dawn interjected.  She didn’t like anyone talking with such finality.  It made her sad, and she was quite tired of being in that mood.  She didn’t have time to say anything else though, as Liz raised her finger to her lips.  Without words, she was politely asking Dawn to be quiet so she could finish.  She certainly didn’t want to, but Dawn reluctantly returned to her spot against the wall and waited for Liz to finish.

Liz turned her attention to Tara and Willow.  “Dearest Tara, you’re wisdom and talents will serve you well in the future.  And Willow, I know that in your past the craft spiraled out of control.  I also know what a wonderful and caring individual you are.  The Powers have indicated to me that your destinies are intertwined.  You will live and walk together, practicing the craft side by side.  You will watch over each other, love each other, and guide one another.”

Liz smiled at the two witches as they sat arm in arm, grinning from ear to ear at one another.  There was no time for questions though, Liz still had others to deal with.  She looked at Gunn. 

“Charles.”  He looked intently on her.  He was dying to know what the Powers would say about him.  “You are a most respected warrior.  One with not only great fighting skills, but also insight you can only gain with experience.  You were forced into this situation by circumstance beyond your control, and because you yet fought with bravery and determination, the Powers will reward you.”

“Reward me, how?”  Gunn asked nervously.

“You shall have a renewed strength and power.”  Liz replied.

“So what does that mean?”  Gunn asked, still trying to figure this vague prophecy out.

“Time will show you.  I was only given that information from the Powers.  I know nothing else.”  Her tone indicated that she was finished with him.  He sat back and thought about what she said.   

Immediately turning to Wesley, Xander, Anya and Fred, Liz pulled four beautiful envelopes from her left pocket, handing each one carefully to the person whose name was written in exquisite lettering.  The four began looking over their new possessions carefully, not sure what to do.  None of them moved to open the envelopes and they glanced at each other confused.  Wesley took the initiative and asked the question they were all thinking, “What is this?”

“Because of your incredible intelligence and insight, and vast knowledge of the supernatural and demonic presence in this world and your experience and expertise in fighting such, the four of you have been chosen as the new Watchers….. of sorts.”  she added as she looked at the blank stares on each of their faces.  “Your orders are detailed on the documents inside your envelope.  I ask that you keep them sealed until after I have finished with everyone.”  she continued.  All four nodded, terrified of the consequences that might occur if they disobeyed.

Continuing with her assignment, Liz spoke directly to Spike, “William.”  He’d been sitting in a corner chair with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.  The guilt and frustration of the days events still lingering in his mind.  Tormenting him even.  The only reason he was still there was that he lacked the strength to bring himself to leave.

“What?  I didn’t do anything.  I swear I didn’t!”  Spike stammered, not expecting to be addressed in the big committee thing. 

“Oh calm down Spike, she’s just got some good ‘ol destiny stuff for you too.”  Willow replied jokingly.  Her smile was genuine though, he noted.

“Your path has been walked before, though not by you.  Your soul has been restored to your body, but not before you made the choice yourself.”  Liz said.

“What?  You restored his soul?”  Buffy couldn’t believe it.  There was no way.

“But you don’t know the curse…. that was done by the Gypsies….. Miss Calendar, she had to translate, how did you….?”  Willow asked in disbelief.

“You don’t really believe that the Gypsies are powerful enough on their own to come up with a spell of that magnitude do you?”  Liz asked.  Willow understood the meaning of this immediately.

“You cursed Angel?”  she asked.

Everyone’s attention was suddenly on Liz.  Now it was she that was beginning to feel very uncomfortable.  She had no choice though.  This was what she was told to do, and no matter what, she would carry out her orders.

Liz looked at Angel, who’s eyes were full of sadness.  “I wasn’t allowed to tell you in LA.  They wouldn’t allow it.”  Liz said sadly. 

Buffy jumped from her spot in the large overstuffed chair that she had been sharing with Angel and grabbed Liz by the throat. 

“You did this to him?  You’re the one that has made our lives miserable?  How could you?” she screamed, pinning Liz against the wall.  She wanted to punish her the way that she had punished Angel.

Angel grabbed Buffy from behind, pulling her off of Liz.  Even though it pained him to know that Liz was behind his torment and guilt, that she had engineered the torture, he was somehow grateful that she had been there to stop him from killing anymore innocent people.  She had actually been his salvation, and no matter how much it hurt to not be with Buffy, the consequences of the curse were minor compared to the lives that were saved from it.

Buffy struggled to free herself from Angel’s grip.  Whether or not he had feelings for this woman, she could care less.  Liz had been the cause for most of the pain and suffering that she had suffered over the years, and Buffy wanted retribution.  Everyone else in the room watched what was happening with quiet horror.

Chapter 20 –

“Get out!  Everyone get out!  Go home, go somewhere….. I really don’t care.  Just leave us alone.”  Angel shouted at them, angered by their stares, as he continued struggling to restrain Buffy.

Nobody moved.  Everyone in the room just sat and stared at one another. No one was sure whether they should leave or not.  Buffy was mad.  Angel was mad.  And who knew what could happen if Liz got mad, if she wasn’t all ready.  The mental deliberations they were all having were quickly interrupted by Angel as he, with Buffy still in his clutches began rounding everyone up and shoving them out the door. 

Cordelia was the last one he shoved out the door.  She turned to her two friends and quietly said, “Thank you.” With those two simple words, she turned and joined the others who were already standing on the front lawn, still mesmerized by what they had just witnessed.  Angel slammed the large door shut and dragged Buffy by the arm back into the room with Liz.

The vampire set the Slayer down in the same overstuffed chair she had been sitting in before.  He cautiously let go of her arm.  He stood in front of her staring wearily at her.  Finally, when he was confident that she wasn’t going to try and kill Liz again, he sat down in the chair next to her.  He looked at Buffy, then to Liz.  This had to be up there in the top three of his most uncomfortable moments of his life list.

“I…. I realize that what I said wasn’t easy to hear.” Liz began slowly.  She didn’t want to make things worse, but didn’t know any other way to finish her task.  She realized she could not expect Buffy to think of things that way, and struggled to somehow do this better.

“Easy to hear?  That’s all you have to say?”  Buffy shouted at her.  “That’s what you have to give me?  I thought you were giving out rewards today?  Isn’t that what everyone else got?  Huh?  Something for the good deed they did.  Instead I learn that it’s because of you my life is nothing but misery!”  she continued.

“Buffy!  That’s enough!  Liz did me, and everyone else in this world a favor when she cursed me.  If she hadn’t then I would have kept killing more innocent people.  Is that what you would have wanted?”  Angel asked.

With giant tears welling in her eyes, Buffy looked at him.  She didn’t want him cursed, she wanted him fixed.  Fixed so he could love her, be with her, and not lose his soul.  She had loved him with every inch of her being, and the ache that she felt from just looking at him now was overwhelming.  She opened her mouth to speak, but unsure of what to say, closed it again and looked at Liz.  She gave up, utterly this time.  The fight was gone from her.

Liz could read people and usually with a fair amount of ease, but she was shocked at how easily it was with Buffy, her deepest feelings were wrote clearly all over her face.  She leaned over and touched the Slayer’s hand.  It was supposed to be her attempt at consoling her, but instead she got an unexpected surprise.  Liz began seeing everything that had ever happened.  Buffy’s entire life was suddenly running wild through her mind. 

Angel could tell something wasn’t right.  Both Liz and Buffy were acting odd.  Neither of them had moved a muscle in more than a minute.  ‘Maybe I should separate them’ he thought to himself.  Not knowing what was in store, he grabbed each of their arms and instead of separating them, he was suddenly sucked into their ‘This Is My Life’ of the spiritual realm.  He was seeing Buffy’s life as Liz was seeing it, and suddenly Buffy was seeing his.

In an instant, a spark of energy surged through each of their bodies, forcing them apart and throwing them through the air.  Liz tried to regain her bearings quickly.  She realized after what she had just seen that there was much more at stake here than even she had realized. 

Buffy lifted her head from the spot on the hard wood floor where she had landed.  She could see Angel lying on the floor across the room from her.  ‘It can’t be true’ she thought to herself as she stared at him. 

Angel caught Buffy’s stare as he lifted his head up off the floor.  The sadness in her eyes said everything to him.  He was sure she knew about Connor, but the realities of what he had seen was breaking his heart as well.  ‘Spike?  How could she have….’ but Angel’s thoughts were broken by Liz’s voice. 

“I don’t want either one of you to say a thing.  You have to remember that the two of you, above anyone else have been chosen by the Powers.  You two have a bigger plan, you always have.  The others’ destinies were only decided recently, but yours…. yours were planned centuries ago.”  Liz said sincerely.  She was speaking to them now in a voice that sounded almost celestial. 

Liz nervously glanced out the window.  She could sense that the sun would be rising shortly and the ritual needed to take place before then.  Glancing back at Buffy and Angel she could tell that the pictures they had just seen were extremely distressing to both of them.  She looked upwards, towards the Heavens, and with a short prayer she continued.

“Your futures are intertwined.  You two have been chosen to walk this earth together.  And….”  Liz was interrupted.

“I thought you already took care of that!”  Buffy sobbed.  She was no longer able to contain her pain.  “We tried that already, and because of you it can never be.  You’ve ruined my life.  Angel was all that mattered to me, and you took him away!”

Buffy began to gather herself and crawl up off the floor.  She had to get out of there.  She had to get away from Angel.  She couldn’t face him anymore.  She couldn’t know….. she couldn’t take it.  She stumbled to the door, ready to flee the house, flee her entire life.  But without warning the door slammed in her face.  She coldly turned to look at Liz. 

“You cannot leave.  We are not finished yet.”  Liz said calmly.

“Haven’t you done enough already?” Angel asked coldly.    As fond of Liz as he had always been, he was horrified that she would do something like this to them, to Buffy.  Her apparent unconcern for the utter devastation she was continuing to cause enraged him.

“It is not me who is doing this.  The Powers are at work here.  I am simply a messenger.”  she replied sternly.

“Your trying to tell me that it was his destiny to blow me off when I needed him the most.  And it was his destiny to sleep with Darla….. and…… and have a child with her?  Your saying that was what the Powers planned for him? And then come here and shove it all in my face?  That was the big plan?”  Buffy screamed through the tears.

“His child was planned.  That much is true.  But the Powers cannot control matters of the heart.”  Liz replied.

Angel stood there in disbelief.  Finally he couldn’t control his anger any longer, “Spike?  You slept with Spike?”  His words cut through Buffy like a knife.  She turned to look at his beautiful face, only to find it stricken with hurt and contempt.  She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen him cry, but the empty pit in her stomach reminded her of what it had felt like. 

Liz finally decided that it was going to take a miracle to set this plan of fate into action.  Her two chosen warriors were having much too difficult a time dealing with something that they really had no control over in the first place.  They were wasting time she didn’t have.    As Buffy and Angel cried and then screamed, each pleading their cases to the other, Liz began.

On an old antique table that was sitting neatly in front of the large red couch, Liz laid out two large neatly hand-scripted envelopes.  One addressed to Buffy and the other to Angel.  She took the silver cross from around her neck and looked at it fondly as she laid it carefully on the envelope with Buffy’s name.  She carefully pulled a small silver knife from her pocket and laughed to herself as she was going to miss having those endless pockets that anything she needed would magically appear out of.  Shaking off the daydream, she quickly gathered her thoughts once more and walked to the corner that Buffy and Angel had moved their argument to.

Without saying a word to either of them, Liz grabbed Angel’s hand and sliced it quickly across the palm with the knife.  Stunned, he looked at his hand, then to Liz.  The guilt and pain still reeking havoc with his emotions, he had no words for her just then.  Liz quickly did the same to Buffy’s hand, and then to her own.  She looked first at Angel, and taking his hand in hers she tearfully said, “I love you now as I loved you then.  Treat her now as you did me then.”  She then kissed him gently on the lips and then turned to Buffy. 

“My admiration and respect for you is endless.  Love and take care of Angel, and his son.”   Liz took Buffy’s hand within her own.  Mixing their blood as she grasped it. 

Neither Angel nor Buffy knew what to expect next.  They were still in shock from it all.  Quietly they stood, watching Liz’s every move.  She looked at them sadly, but somehow they both knew in their own hearts and minds that she was at peace.  

“The letters will explain everything.  I love you both.”  And with tears now flowing freely down her face, Liz grabbed Angel’s hand, locking it within her own and recited an incantation.  Angel’s eyes grew wide, his mouth dropped opened as he could feel her blood running through his body. 

Buffy became frightened, thinking that perhaps Liz was hurting Angel.  She tried to grab his arm and pull him away, but there was some sort of field surrounding them.  She received a shock of energy every time she tried to break through this invisible shield, the pain from the shock adding to her terror.  She couldn’t stand it any longer. 

“I can’t watch you die again!” she choked out through the tears, and she turned and buried her head in her blood soaked hands.

In an instant everything had become utterly silent.  Buffy was too frightened to look.  The terror of what she thought had just happened kept her frozen in her spot.  There were noises, faint noises, but she wasn’t moving, wasn’t uncovering her eyes.  ‘Nothing will make me look’ she thought to herself. 

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder.  A shiver ran down her spine and every hair on her body rose.  ‘Oh God, she’s going to kill me too.’ Buffy’s thoughts were paralyzing.  For the first time since she’d become the Slayer she wasn’t able to move, or even breath.  She felt so heavy as if she’d been turned to stone.

“Buffy?”  She heard the voice, but ‘it couldn’t be’ she thought. 

“Buffy, are you okay?”  There it was again.  She finally dug down deep inside herself, gathering enough strength to turn herself around and face what she knew to be the horrible but inevitable truth of what had transpired.

She turned around.  Angel knelt beside her, eyes focused on her.

“Angel?” she gasped.  “You’re alive?” She couldn’t believe it.  She had been certain that Liz had killed him.  “Oh my God!  You’re still alive!!”  she murmured again  and again as she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, vowing with each passing second that no matter what he had done in the past or what he said to her now, she was never letting him go again.

“What happen?”  She finally asked him, letting go just enough to lean back and gaze at his face.  She hadn’t even noticed Liz’s body laying limp on the floor behind him.

“I’m….. I’m….. hu….. human again.” Angel said haltingly.  He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to say those words again.  After the last time, he never really thought it could happen again.

“You’re what?”  asked Buffy.  “But…..”  she stopped, mid sentence.  Angel had shifted his weight to his other knee and revealed Liz’s dead body lying behind him.  Buffy froze, staring at the body. 

“Buffy, I could hear her talking to me when she was dying.  Just in my mind, but I could hear her.  She said she was doing this for me.  That this was part of my destiny.”  Angel began. 

Through the tears, he slowly choked the rest out.  “She… said that our destinies are linked.  That she needed your blood to keep me strong, like you and that’s why she had to cut you.  And then she told me that she was taking the demon from inside of me.  Her body would become it’s home instead.  Her salvation in this lifetime was giving me a new life.”

Buffy smiled warmly at Angel.  Tears flowing like rivers from her eyes, she couldn’t resist the urge she had to reach over and kissed him.  She cupped his face in her ever so tiny hands and gently kissed him on his soft, and now warm lips.  She had never been able to do that before, not that she really remembered anyway.  It was how she’d dreamed of it hundreds of times, only better.  The feelings that rushed through her body were overwhelming. 

They reached for each other’s hand, and walked to Liz’s body, still motionless on the floor.  Again, Buffy was struck by how different the dead looked from the living person they’d been.  Liz seemed impossibly small and fragile now.  The table with the envelopes seemed to tower over her lifeless body.  Buffy bit her lip as she reached for the silver cross that Liz had left for her.  The fact that Liz had in fact understood how dear the trinket was to her, had understood her love for Angel, and would give them her blessing, was amazing.  Holding the cross in her hand, Buffy turned and looked down at Liz, whispering the words ‘thank you’.  While she wished she could have said it to her while she was still living, Buffy knew that somewhere Liz was watching and heard her thanks.

Angel gathered Liz’s body in his strong arms.  Buffy fastened the cross around her neck and then carefully picked the envelopes up off the table and followed Angel out the door that was now standing open.  As they walked outside, they were greeted by the sight of their friends, anxiously waiting for them.  Angel had gotten them out of the house but none of them would leave until they knew what had happened.  As the sun rose high in the sky, and Angel stepped out into it, they all knew.

He carefully carried Liz’s body to the spot in the back yard where a small tree was just beginning to grow.  Gently, Angel placed her body on the soft green grass.  Buffy knelt beside him as they both carefully straightened her beautiful dress.  Angel caressed her soft face one last time.  He bent over her and kissed her forehead softly.  He knew this would be the last time he’d ever look on her face again.

Although Liz had been a vampire, the human in her had been stronger than the demons while she lived.  Now that her soul was free, the demons in her body were stirring.  They started to take their revenge on her, the only way they could now.  They started destroying the beautiful, human form of Liz, replacing it with a demonic visage more to their choosing.  As Liz had been giving Angel his gift, she had made one last request of him as the transformation came to an end.  She knew what the demons inside would try to do, and asked Angel not to let it happen.  Angel sighed, a lump in his throat.  He was about to grant that final wish.  It was the least he could do, considering all that she had given him and Buffy.

Everyone stood around the body, mourning the loss of their new friend.  In the early morning sun, they all gazed down at the woman who had changed things so dramatically and so quickly.  Only one of those who had been rewarded stood back from the rest.  Spike watched the proceedings from the decrepit back porch of the house.  Though now he had his soul, he was still a vampire.  The Sun was still his enemy, but he felt it was only right for him to stay and watch, to pay his own respects to Liz.  She had given him the gift of true salvation, or at least as close as he was probably ever going to get to it.  And even that was more than he’d thought he deserved.  Still, she had been special, and Spike knew he’d never forget her.  As he watched Angel, standing in the sunshine, look up to the Heavens, and ask the Gods to take Liz home, a single tear fell from his eye.

And with Angel’s final words, the body disappeared.

The End…….. for now!