Part Eight

Destiny

When Josiah finally woke up, he discovered that he was rather grateful to find the vampire looking over him was Spike, not William. The vampire was staring into the sunshine that was beyond the corner he was sequestered admiring the daylight like a man thirsting for water he could never drink. Josiah wanted to speak but the urge to do so was momentarily swept away by the pain that coursed through his body when it remembered the trauma it had been forced to endure. Josiah sucked in his breath audibly as he closed his eyes and tried to force the pain to recede to manageable levels. His slight reaction was not enough to escape the notice of a vampire with heightened senses and Spike’s immediately averted his eyes from the reach of the sunshine back to the man whose bed he had been sitting next to most of the night, keeping a vigil

"Settle down preacher," Spike warned gently as he saw Josiah’s face twist in pain. "You’re not doing yourself any bloody favours by getting worked up."

"I’m alive," Josiah grunted through his teeth, "I think I’ve used up all the favours I’ve got to manage that."

"Yeah," Spike nodded in understanding. He could smell the fresh blood even through the bandages, despite Josiah’s wounds being cleaned and treated. "I won’t argue with you there, it looked pretty rough."

"Buck?" Josiah turned an eye towards him and raised himself out of his bed, despite the pain of effort. "Is he alright?" The last thing Josiah remembered of the ladies man was his cries as the other vampires were attacking him. He prayed Buck had fared better than he.

"He’s alright," Spike quickly reassured him with a cool hand on the man’s shoulder. There was just enough strength behind his touch to indicate to Josiah that was as much movement as he was allowed from his bed. "Your healer patched him up right and proper. Just like you. Pretty handy bloke for someone who hasn’t spent a day in medical school."

Josiah let out a sigh of relief upon learning that Buck had survived the night. There was an instant there when Buck was genuinely fearful that he might not. "I’m glad to hear that."

"I take it Angelus did this to you." It was not a question and it was spoken with such cold fury that for a moment Josiah might have been forgiven for thinking that it was Chris Larabee that uttered the question.

"Yeah," Josiah answered after awhile, his stomach knotting at the memory of pain and the fear he had felt. Even though he had held up bravely against the Master vampire, he could not deny that he had been frightened for his immortal soul throughout the entire ordeal. If Angelus had threatened to turn him, Josiah was not certain he would not have succumbed to save himself. It was fortunate that William had made his play when he had. Josiah did not know how much longer he could have prevailed.

"Bastard," Spike hissed under his breath. "You have any idea how lucky you are to be alive?"

"I got some idea," Josiah met his gaze. "He alive in your time?"

"Yeah," Spike nodded. "But if it makes you feel any better, the pillock gets his soul back in about 20 years. Put a right stop on his murdering and puts him on the road to redemption for the next 100 years. Spends most of it trying to make up for all the death he caused."

"I guess everyone has to pay penance some time," the preacher mused taking in that bit of news.

"I’d prefer him a pile of ashes myself but that will do for now," Spike replied.

"I’m glad to see you’re still around," Josiah remarked as he relaxed into the soft mattress of his bed, determined to remain as still as possible so the pain would subside to tolerable levels. "You gave me the impression that you might not be."

Spike shifted uncomfortably in his chair, unhappy that Josiah had brought up that subject. A part of him still was uncertain whether or not it might have been the best thing all around if he had allowed himself to die as intended. Spike had no doubt that it was Josiah who sent Buffy after him and Spike did not know if he ought to be grateful or not. There was something overwhelmingly comfortable about disappearing into nothingness, to be free of this ache for Buffy that would never go away even if she continued to have sex with him. To Buffy, it was just sex, an exchange of pleasure that meant nothing. To him, it was a physical expression of his deep abiding love for her. The one was not equal to the other and he did not know how long he could continue to go on with her feeling less for him than she would feel for any stranger.

"I’m belong to her," Spike said quietly. "Even if she doesn’t want me."

"It might not always be that way." Josiah reminded, seeing an agony more intense than his present discomfort, appear in Spike’s expression.

"I have to decide soon," Spike swallowed thickly. "I can’t go on this way."

"I know," Josiah said sympathetically. "I wish I knew what to say."

A small smile crossed Spike’s lips, "the listening helped."

"I used to be pretty good at it," Josiah muttered returning the effort with one of his own.

"Don’t say?" The vampire crooked a brow at him before adding, "I’m sorry about all this."

"Not your fault," Josiah retorted giving him a look. "You weren’t the one who did this to me."

"I had a part in it," he confessed. "If it wasn’t for me, none of this would have happened."

"You were trying to help her," Josiah replied firmly with what strength he had. "You shouldn’t have to be sorry because an act of kindness was repaid with vengeance."

"You’re bloody forgiving for a man of the cloth," Spike pointed out. "Preachers back in my day weren’t so friendly, always raining fire and brimstone and filling up the coffers at the same time. Never had much time for it when they were preaching."

"I’ve been in need of forgiveness myself," Josiah admitted. "I won’t cast the first stone, not from my glass house."

"Josiah!" Nathan voice filled the room with exuberance. "Thank Chris you’re awake, now I can stop talking to him." The healer gave Spike a look of mischief. "I never thought I’d say this but he’s even more annoying than Buck."

"Now that’s harsh!" Buck Wilmington croaked as he stood by the doorway. The tall man had a bandaged wrapped around his throat and appeared weak. Spike immediately got off his chair and gestured at Buck to plant himself into it. Once again giving the ladies man a fierce enough stare to ensure he was to be obeyed on this point.

"He’s just angry because I said he was pretty," Spike grinned at Nathan.

"Well you are kind of," Buck teased. Not even a near fatal injury was enough to keep Buck Wilmington from remaining in bed once he heard Josiah had returned to the land of living.

Nathan had appraised him of what had happened to the preacher since he was injured and secretly Buck cursed his own stupidity for allowing himself to be swayed by Darla. Josiah was alive, no thanks to him and the least Buck could do was tell the preacher to his face, how grateful Buck was to see him in one piece. In truth, he had suffered much worse injuries in his time. When he had been hurt in the Seminole village, he had managed to ride all the way back to Four Corner, even though that crazy Confederate colonel had come damn near to spilling his guts all over the ground.

"It ain’t wise to mess with your healer," Nathan pointed out as he went to Josiah and made a perfunctory examination of the man.

"Then it’s a good thing I’m not hurt," Spike flashed him a devilish smile. "That means we can spend so much more quality time together."

"Don’t bet on it," Nathan glanced over his shoulder. "Buffy left me Mr. Pointy."

"Please tell me that’s a stake," Josiah drawled and sent Buck into a chortling fit, something which the man regretted doing because his throat was still rather tender.

"She named her stake?" Buck managed to say.

"The Slayer’s got all sorts of strange habits. Sleeps with something called Mr. Gordo too." Spike added and knew the Slayer would be thrilled to learn that he had shared that with these men.

"Mr Gordo?" Nathan was almost afraid to ask.

"It’s a doll." Spike informed dutifully.

"She a strange little girl," Buck confessed shaking his head.

"You have no idea," Spike sighed. "Not a bleeding one."

***********

Time was running out for them and they both knew it. The future that had seemed so distant when this had all begun had suddenly hastened its pace and now they were faced with it, with nowhere to turn. At first Vin did not think it was possible to care for someone in so short a space of time but the truth was, he was lost in the feeling long before he realized the extent of his affections. Despite his usually serene and unflappable manner, Vin ached inwardly knowing that anything between them could only end in tragedy. She was not of his world and he could not even begin to understand hers. Still with everything reaching an endgame of sorts, most likely tonight, Vin suddenly felt urgency pressing against his chest, each time he tried to draw breathe. If everything went according to plan tonight as Chris explained it, then the danger to Ezra and the Slayer would end and the visitors from the future would return home.

As they rode back to Four Corners with the sun climbing across the sky towards noon, Vin sensed that Tara too thought deeply about their unfortunate situation. He knew she cared. He could tell by the corresponding expression of feeling whenever he stared at her that she did. However, there was no denying the impossibility of any life together. What could he offer her here? He was a man with a price on his head, knowing freedom because Judge Travis who had appointed him one of the seven lawmen to Four Corners, chose to ignore his situation. Unfortunately, the Judge could not secure his freedom and while his friends were not bothered by the charge of murder because they knew him to be innocent, the same could not be said for the rest of them. Vin lived with the uncomfortable notion that one day, his fragile existence would come to a crashing end.

Despite all his rationalization, he still did not want to imagine the morning he woke and knew that Tara was gone.

The ride home had consisted of lively chatter, with Buffy and Ezra engaging in conversation Judging by the chagrin on the gambler’s face, it appeared that the young woman had inherited her ancestor’s ability to annoy and justice had a sense of humour, since it was Ezra she chose to vex. Chris and Mary on the other hand were talking quietly and seemed as if they had reached a watershed moment in their relationship. It was just as well since Vin did not think he could take much more of their quarrelling and would have likely hog tied them together in order to inspire the mating process. Vin supposed with everything that had transpired these past few days, even someone as stubborn as Chris Larabee had to see that the future was closer than he thought and it was time to start living for it, instead of existing as it had been since his family’s demise.

"Vin," Tara spoke softly in that endearing way that he had come to appreciate so much since meeting her. "We have to talk."

Vin sucked in his breath, knowing that this was probably the conversation he had been dreading since learning of the possible solution to their troubles with the vampires plaguing Four Corners. "I reckon we do."

Tara wished she could ignore the aching in her heart each time she looked at Vin and knew that very soon, she would never see him again. In her life, there had not been many people with whom she had a great affinity, even less than she cared for as she had come to do for him. Her natural shyness made it difficult to reach out to people and yet since meeting him, it was as if they had known each other forever. However, he knew as well as she that they had no future together and the pain reflected in his eyes as she met his gaze.

"I like you a lot," she said first, needing to get that off her chest so that there was no mistaking the purpose of this discussion.

"I like you too," he confessed and Tara could tell that it took a lot for the tracker to make even that small admission. Unlike the others whose personalities were easy to decipher, Vin was rarely vocal enough to give anyone a fleeting glimpse into his psyche.

"If the spell works tonight, we’ll be going home." She met his blue eyes sadly.

"I know," he nodded. "I wish it wasn’t that way."

"Me too," she replied. "But it’s not possible."

"What if you stayed?" He found himself asking even though logically he knew that it was simply impossible.

"I can’t," she blurted out on first impulse. However, less than a split second after the words had left her lips, she was suddenly struck with the notion of whether or not it was as impossible as she thought, especially when she had been so obtuse about the subject to not have considered it beyond her initial response. "At least I don’t think I can."

"Are you sure?" Vin asked, his eyes full of hope that there might be a way for them to be together.

"I don’t know," Tara stared back at him, never realizing until this moment just how much she wanted to stay and be with him. "I mean if we fix things, I may not even exist."

Vin froze and met her eyes with growing tension. "What do you mean?"

"If we change things, neither me or Giles will exist. The Tara and Giles that Buffy remembers will the ones who remain."

"Then why go back?" Vin demanded, unable to wrap his mind around the whole concept of erasing time lines but any threat to this Tara, the one he cared about inspired his full attention.

"Because I can’t stay here," she insisted weakly. She wanted to badly but she would not commit herself on something as uncertain and as fragile as her emotions.

Vin swallowed, not wishing to say more than he had to but having no choice in the matter because they were at a watershed moment in their relationship and the words to make her stay where inside him, he needed the courage to speak them out loud. "You can," he looked at her unable to believe that he was saying this because it was insane but then everything about the last few days had been a lesson in insanity and who could blame him if he had learnt well. "You can stay with me."

Her eyes widened in surprise. Perhaps because she had never really expected him to say it even though it was implied in every look he gave her. "With you?"

"You can stay with me for awhile," he offered, finding more courage and more answers now that he had started down this course. "You don’t have to decide anything right away. We could just be together for a while. I could take care of you."

Tara did not know what to say. Actually she did know what her heart wanted to say but her mind was still reeling from the offer and the impossibility of what he asked. "I have to think about this," she stammered. "I don’t even know if it can be done."

"Don’t make excuses," he said firmly and suddenly, she was reminded of why he held such presence over the others in Larabee’s absence. "What do you want to do?"

Her eyes glistened with her answer and her heart brimmed with hope. She did not have to speak it.

He just knew.

**********

Upon arriving at Four Corners, the group broke up in order to get some rest. There would be much to do tonight, especially if they were going to play their endgame with Angelus and his family. Even though Buffy knew she should get some rest, she could not fall asleep. Her mind was too filled with Spike and the situation she now found herself in. Mary and Tara had taken the opportunity to catch up on some sleep but neither of them was the Slayer. Instead, Buffy liberated the long cloak that Mary had worn during her nocturne at Chris Larabee’s shack, from the coat rack and wrapped it around herself so she would look a little respectable in comparison to the folk of Four Corners.

Stepping out into the sunshine made the problems of the night feel so far away. She looked up to the sky and felt her face bathed in the warm of the day and smiled with pleasure because here, she was truly safe. No vampires in this heat, she smiled as she walked into the sunlight, relishing the feel of it against her skin. The town of Four Corners was like another planet in comparison to Sunnydale. Even though she had known that she was in the Old West, the reality of it did not hit her until she walked the streets of the small frontier town. She was reminded of those westerns Xander would make her and watch and until now, she was certain that the ‘real’ West’s interpretation in those films was laced with Hollywood make believe. Now that she saw it, she knew the picture perfect vision of the movies was merely a one-dimensional showing of a world devoid with smells, colours and atmosphere. Buzzing flies brought out by the heat and the manure left behind by horses, not to mention the overwhelming presence of dust drove home the fact that this was not some nostalgic time where the good guys wore white hats and the bad guys wore black. Of course in this instance, the good guys definitely wore black if Chris Larabee was any indication.

As she walked down the boardwalk, she noted that she caught the stares of some of the townsfolk even if her clothes were hidden by Mary’s cloak. Buffy soon came to the realization that in a small town where everyone knew everybody, the presence of a stranger in their midst was bound to raise a few curious glances. In Sunnydale, there was no such difficult because for a small town, it had none of the earmarks of a normal Californian community, not when it existed above the Hellmouth. No one paid much attention to the faces that came and went in Sunnydale because more often than not, it was safer to be oblivious and curiosity usually led to some pretty lethal consequences. However, here in Four Corners, there was none of that indifference and Buffy wondered if it was such a bad thing to live in this world.

"Aren’t you supposed to be getting some rest?" Chris Larabee’s voice suddenly emerged from behind her.

Buffy looked over her shoulder and saw the gunslinger had just left the saloon she had just walked past during her travels around Four Corners. "At least I’m not drinking." She pointed out with a teasing smile

Chris fell into stride with the young woman, wondering what she was doing out on her own. "Does Mary know you’re out?"

"She and Tara are getting some zeds," she remarked nonchalantly as she continued her sightseeing tour of the town. "I decided to skip out and take the tour."

Chris assumed that zeds meant sleep. "I kind of thought after the night we had you’d be doing the same."

"Not sleepy yet," Buffy retorted. "Benefit of slayerness is the fact that I don’t tire easily. I’ll keel soon enough, just wanted to look around first."

"Not much to see," Chris pointed out. "Kind of dull actually."

"Says the man who spent most of the night fighting vampires," Buffy retorted with a little smile. "I kind of thought you’d like the peace and quiet."

"I don’t want any peace and quiet until this is all done," Chris said tautly. "I’ll relax then."

"Gee, you’re grouchy guy aren’t you?"

Chris looked at her with a brow cocked; "you don’t the half of it little girl."

"Little girl?" The slayer stared back at him. "Those are fighting words, Tex."

"Tex?" Chris drawled with mischief because something about Buffy allowed him to be himself, without having to be the one in charge. He supposed because on some instinct level they were equals in more ways than one. They were both dominant members of their packs and that kind of equality was not something they experience often. "Shot a guy who called me that once, never done it to a girl but that don’t mean I wouldn’t be willing to try." He offered her a menacing smile.

"I never kicked cowboy butt either so I guess we’re even." She battered her eyes at him with innocence in direct contradiction to his dark look.

Chris chuckled and Buffy found the sound rather strange coming from him. In that way, he was a lot like Spike, other than the obvious fact that they both dressed from the same school of fashion. Spike did not laugh much. He teased and he sniggered but he did not really laugh. It was strange how she had suddenly noticed that. Would Spike have been like Chris if he had not been a vampire? Buffy shrugged at the thought because she never really wondered about Spike as a human being. It was mostly because she knew him as nothing else. However, she had pondered on numerous occasions of what it must have been like to know Angel as a human. She had never had the question cross her mind about Spike even though she was sharing a far more intimate relationship with him then she had ever experienced with Angel.

"That’s a nice family you got there," she found herself saying to him.

Chris stopped laughing and nodded in agreement and warm affection. "Yeah they’re something. You got something like that at home, other than Spike?"

Buffy frowned at the mention of the vampire’s name. "I do," she answered, suddenly wishing she could share all this with the rest of the Scoobies, particularly Willow and Xander. They had been such a big part of her life since coming to Sunnydale that it felt odd to be alone. "I miss them," she confessed.

Chris could appreciate the sentiment; never imagining when he had first came to Four Corners that he would become so attached to the six men who were like brothers to him now. "They do get under your skin when you’re not looking."

"Like that pretty lady you keep making moon eyes at?" Buffy teased with a smile.

Chris stiffened. "That’s none of your business," he said brusquely.

"Defensive much?" She retorted and continued on the subject, fearing nothing. "I mean it’s so obvious you dig her."

"What?" He crinkled his brow at the term.

"You LIKE her," she repeated herself.

"It is not," he replied uncomfortably, having no desire to discuss something so personal with a stranger. He did not care who she was. And he was not obvious.

"Its alright to like her," Buffy rolled her eyes, never having seen a worse case of denial in her life. "Might even do you some good. You’re way too intense."

"I might say the same for you and Spike," Chris replied, capable of giving as good as he got.

"Spike is not human. He’s a vampire." Buffy responded with a voice that could cut stone.

"Makes it easier for you to push him away thinking that doesn’t it?" Chris replied, not about to relent. He liked Spike and he could see that the vampire was hopelessly lost. He could tell that Buffy’s indifference to Spike’s feelings hurt the vampire even if he was too proud to admit it.

"Since when was this about me?" She pouted.

"Since you stuck your nose in my business," Chris pointed out triumphantly.

"Consider it out then," Buffy sighed not wanting to talk Spike to anyone.

"Coward," he accused with a hint of a smile.

Buffy was about to respond when she caught sight of a man and woman further ahead on the boardwalk. The man was clutching the woman by the elbow and escorting her rather roughly towards the nearby saloon. Obviously, she was not inclined to go because she struggled out of his grip. However her freedom was fleeting. Within seconds he had caught up with her and in retaliation for her defiance, struck her clean across the jaw in full view of everyone on the street. Chris was already on his way to make his displeasure known when Buffy took off first ahead of him.

"Buffy!" Chris called out but she was not listening. Hell, he thought to himself.

Buffy arrived as the woman was weeping into her hands, her face hidden in embarrassment and fear as the man shouted at her and resumed his grip on her elbow. "You’re my girl Jenny! Don’t you forget it!"

"Hey, why don’t you pick on someone your own size?" Buffy tore his hand from her and stepped in between them. She felt her anger bubbling at the shattered slump of the woman’s shoulders, like she was defeated in spirit not just body.

"Stay out my business little lady," the man warned, not at all taking the small blond girl seriously. "Or you’ll get what I’m giving her."

"Ooh," Buffy cried out tauntingly, holding her hands to her chest as if she were mortally wounded by his barb, "the big bad man is going to hurt me." Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him and noted that the woman whom she was trying to rescue was now looking on at the situation in astonishment.

"Miss, you don’t want to get involved in this…," she started to say, her lips quivering as she spoke.

"Shut up!" the man barked. "Shut your mouth! I can deal with this myself."

With that he turned to Buffy and raised his hand to strike. The blow never connected with Buffy’s face for the Slayer’s hand intercepted his fist and caught it without much effort. Her other hand gripped his arm and Buffy flipped him unceremoniously to the ground. He let out an indignant cry of shock and pain as he slammed hard on the boardwalk, with her only reaction being to step back as he unsettled the dust that covered the floor. A crowd of people had paused to look at the petite young woman who had shown quite clearly that looks and size were no way to judge a person.

"You shouldn’t let this guy treat you like this," Buffy said to the woman.

"I don’t!" The woman responded in frustration. "I’ve been working in the saloon and he seems to think that he’s my beau!"

"Is that right?" Chris Larabee stepped in and hauled the man to his feet. The gunslinger had allowed the Slayer to handle things until this point, mostly because he enjoyed seeing how she took care of things when she was not fighting vampires that is. Since his curiosity in that regard was more or less satisfied, Chris turned his attention to the man who would have been handed his head if it had been Buck who had witnessed his brutality. Not that he was in much better luck because Chris did not think too kindly to men who raised their hands to a woman either. Although Buffy’s intervention was more of a lesson and an injury to his pride then anything Chris could do to him.

"Bitch!" The man hissed at both Buffy and the object of his unwanted affections.

"Leave," Chris ordered with a voice colder than ice.

"You can’t make me!" He shouted defiantly.

Chris turned the infamous Larabee glare in his direction and shot him a look that would have melted the resolve of even the bravest men. "You think so?" Chris asked so menacingly that the skin on Buffy’s hair stood on end. "Better be sure."

Buffy saw the man shudder in reaction to Chris’ treat and she took could feel the darkness emanating off him. Spike said that people had darkness in them. In some it was so slight that it was seldom noticeable. Obviously it was not the case for Chris Larabee or herself for that matter. The bystanders watching the altercation between the four people held their breaths in anticipation of what would happen next. There was also something else in their eyes as they watched on, an unfailing expression of nothing less than unswerving faith in the dark clad gunslinger. Without doubt, they believed Chris was capable of protecting them from anything. If the look in his eyes was any indication of how he dealt with his enemies, Buffy could well believe it.

"I didn’t want her anyway!" The man spat at her and pulled away from Chris, the naked desire to be well away from the gunslinger as he departed.

"You okay?" Chris turned to the woman.

"Yes," she nodded wiping her tears and staring at them both gratefully. "Thank you so much."

"Come see me if you have any more trouble with him," Chris instructed her.

The woman offered them a little smile of thanks before she went on her way, understandably wanting to be as far away from the scene as possible, not to mention the curious eyes of the community at large. With the commotion more or less over, the bystanders evaporated into the street, returning to their own affairs, even though it was obvious that Buffy had inspired their curiosity by their lingering looks in her direction as they departed. Once they were alone, Chris turned to the young Slayer.

"Wow," Buffy replied, clearly impressed by how he had sent the enemy scurrying without raising a hand. "You sure are the Big Bad."

Chris chose to ignore her quip and gave her a hard stare before remarking, "what part of low profile did you not get?"

*************

There was a finality about tonight that seemed to seep into all their bones when the night descended upon the town. Within her house, Mary Travis awaited with abated breath for the night’s events to unfold while she kept Buck Wilmington and Josiah Sanchez under her care. While the former had complained bitterly about not being allowed to participate in the final showdown with the vampires led by Angelus, he was forced to begrudgingly admit that his injury made him a liability if her were allowed to join them. Josiah had made no such arguments because he was sensible enough to know that he was in no conditions to fight. Mary had bid Chris goodbye, mindful that the lawmen would not doubt be keeping her home under close surveillance as they waited for Angelus to appear. He had said little as they faced each other but she saw the warmth and concern in his eyes and words were not needed after that.

Chris and Vin sat on top of the granary for that was the highest structure in Four Corners and it gave them a sweeping view of the town’s boundaries. No one would be able to sneak into town without them knowing about it. Chris knew that Angelus would be back tonight. The vampire was probably rather mystified as to why none of the seven or the slayer had come after them upon learning the whereabouts of their lair. Angelus struck him as one who would make a pre-emptive strike. He was too smart and too arrogant to wait around for a bunch of humans to come finish them off. No, they would be here tonight. Of this Chris had no doubt.

Vin was silently watching the terrain, using the same stealth he employed when he was tracking buffalo. The sharpshooter kept his keen eye on any sign of movement and remained still at the edge of the roof, saying little. Chris could tell even without Vin saying it that the outcome of tonight weighed heavily on his best friend’s mind. Inwardly, Chris ached for his friend because he knew that Vin had lost his heart to the sweet young woman from the future.

"You okay?" Chris found himself asking.

"I’m fine," Vin said shortly in a tone that indicated that he was far from it but was too strong to let it show.

"I’m sorry about how its gonna go Vin," Chris answered. "I wish it were different."

Vin’s gaze shifted slightly from his surveillance and touched the gunslinger’s, "I know but it ain’t so that’s all there is to it."

Chris wanted to speak but the opportunity to do so was lost when Vin’s eyes shifted quickly to the distance once more. "Someone’s coming." He gestured dead ahead.

Chris came up along side him and stared out into the direction of Vin’s stare. A group of horses were thundering towards town, kicking up a cloud of dust with the dark hardtop carriage they were pulling Vin and Chris exchanged a brief glance but they both came to the same conclusion.

Angelus was here.

************

"Chris just gave the signal!" Nathan cried out running back into Josiah’s church.

"Are you sure?" Tara stammered as she sat in her circle, candles surrounding her with other talismans she had brought from the future laid out in accordance with the ritual she needed to perform. At Nathan’s announcement, Giles and JD checked their weapons, being stakes and holy water since it was conceivable that the four vampires would have brought minions with them.

"Pretty sure ma’am," Nathan responded as the healer checked for the stakes and knives he carried across his back in a neat leather holster.

"We do as Chris says," Giles looked at them all. "We stay here and wait for him to come to us."

"Do you think it will work?" JD asked a little anxiously.

"It will," Giles replied with more confidence then he actually felt. "Buffy and Spike will see to it that it does."

"I hope you’re right," Ezra remarked, silent until now because he hated the fact that he was trapped in these hallowed walls unable to fight because he was deemed too important to do so. At the moment, he felt far from that and more like a coward. It was not a feeling he detested intensely. He had his fill of running and hiding since coming to Four Corners. "It would not please me to see her hurt."

"She won’t be," Giles gave the man a look of empathy because he understood Ezra’s anxieties all too well. Even though he did not share the blood connection that the gambler did and he had no memory of being Buffy’s watcher, he was her Watcher in every sense of the word. He had no doubt that she had made his other self infinitely proud because he felt proud at how strong she had become and felt gratified to know that he had some part in all that.

"This had better work," Ezra retorted, not about to be consoled. "I do not plan on running from these creatures for the rest of my existence and I will not allow those who come after me to suffer the same nightmare."

"It will work," Tara spoke up silencing all the men in the room. "I will make it work."

The young woman seemed extremely confident in that statement alone but had no further opportunity to speak because the sound of glass shattered the quiet in the room. Tara let out a short scream as a vampire that none of them had seen, landed on the floor of the room. His tumultuous arrival was followed by the bolted door the church heaving with the power of forced entry. The wooden bolt across the entrance held the door in place but would not do so for long. Already it was jumping out of its catch, propelling both Nathan and Giles to run forward to reinforce the barricade.

The vampire landed right in front of Ezra and hissed at him, recognizing the gambler for who he was. As he stepped towards Ezra, the southerner held his ground not moving.

"EZRA!" Tara shouted. "MOVE!"

Ezra did not. Instead he waited until the vampire was close enough. The creature approached him fearlessly, seeing little threat in the human. In life he might have been a Mexican but not much remained of that when it snarled at Ezra, bearing fangs ready to tear out the southerner’s throat. Instinct made Ezra want to run but he knew that he had hold his ground, at least until the vampire had closed the distance between them. He noted that JD was running towards him but Ezra did not pay the younger man too much mind, instead he produced the bottle of holy water in his burgundy coat and sprayed its contacts across the creatures face. The splash of fluid against the vampire’s skin caused it to howl in fury as the holy water sizzled into his skin. Taking advantage of his disorientation, this time it was Ezra closing in and instead of his usual Remington, the weapon of choice was a sharpened wooden stake. Plunging it into the vampire’s chest, the creature’s eyes widened in fury and pain before his entire body exploded into a cloud of dust.

Ezra stepped back, breathing hard as he allowed his fear to abate. It was the first time he had killed one of these things and he was still rather overwhelmed by it all.

"Jesus Ezra!" JD scolded. "How long were you gonna wait to do something! That thing could have killed you!"

"I had it all under control," Ezra said smoothly even though he was a series of quivering nerves under his buttoned up shirt.

"Any more under control and it would have been fatal," JD retorted. However, there was no further opportunity for reproach because another was soon clambering through the window, followed by others. Tara screamed in fright at their appearance.

"We need to barricade the window!" Ezra cried out, hurrying to one of the pews in Josiah’s church. "JD help me!"

JD wasted no time in aiding Ezra with the length of wooden seating, using it to force the vampire that was attempting to climb into the church out the window again. However, as a barricade it was insufficient and while they had vanquished the immediate threat, it did not take long for the vampires to recoup to make another attempt at penetrating their defences. The cloves of garlic hanging on the window did little to deter them other than to force the creatures into giving the vegetable a wide berth. Unfortunately, their determination to reach Ezra was overriding their natural fear and they continued to slam against the doors and the makeshift barrier, Ezra and JD had erected against the window.

"That’s not going to keep them out for too long," Nathan remarked as they were surrounded by the sounds of vampires seeking entry into their haven.

"It will have to do," Giles said grimly, his hand gripped tightly around his stake. "We have to hold them off until Buffy can bring Angelus here."

Giles hoped that it was easier said then done.

***************

Buffy and Spike waited in the shadows after Chris had given the signal that Angelus was in town. As far as they had deduced, the vampire would proceed to one of two places when he entered Four Corners. He would undoubtedly resume his search for Ezra Standish by either going to Mary Travis’ home or the church. Angelus was no fool, he would guess that they would not hide Ezra in a place without protection. The jailhouse and the saloons where the seven normally frequented were not places that could be barred to them for the lack of invitation. However Mary’s home was another thing entirely and in the absence of someone else’s home and without wishing to involve anyone else, the church seemed a natural choice. Angelus would spread out his forces to cover out the largest possible area but he himself would converge upon Mary’s home because of his infatuation with her.

Fortunately, Angelus had never had the chance to play his obsessive games with the widow much to Buffy’s relief but the fact that he had known her name had given the slayer some clue as to why he had taken the time to find out. Buffy and Spike had a clear view of Mary’s home. Even if Angelus could not secure an invitation into the home did not mean he could not draw its inhabitants out. Josiah and Buck were in no condition to fight if Angelus was determined to have Mary.

"They’re coming," Spike announced first, his jaw tensing as he stepped forward to the absolute edge of the shadows.

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked quietly.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I can feel them."

Buffy knew that there was some unseen connection between Master and Childe, that Spike could sense his sire on some psychic level. It was an aspect of vampires she did not know much about other than its existence. Angel had tried to explain it to her once but much of what he said had been too much for a sixteen year old’s understanding. She allowed her gaze to sweep across the street, trying to catch sight of the enemy and not relishing the idea of facing Angelus again. The last time they had looked upon each other, Buffy had been on the verge of killing him and what followed was something she still woke up screaming from at night.

Spike could sense her discomfiture and tried not to let jealousy get the better of him, particularly after her warm display earlier. It had seemed for a moment that she had seen him as more than just a vampire that she sometimes used as a lover but someone whom she could care about. Besides, this could not be easy for her. No easier than it was for him to see how good he and Dru had once been together. Buffy was hiding it well but he could sense her moods and he knew that facing Angelus troubled her.

"You all right pet?" He asked gently.

"I’m fine," she sighed. "Just so not looking forward to this."

"Don’t blame you," Spike replied with sincere empathy. "I’m not to keen about seeing Dru either."

"I thought you were over her," Buffy said a little too quickly, drawing a little smile from Spike because there was just a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Jealous?" He teased, unable to help himself.

"Oh please," Buffy retorted. "Over yourself much?"

"Right," Spike rolled his eyes. "I forget how much you hate me."

"Well don’t you forget it," she responded but she was clearly smiling as she said it.

It was almost a tender moment.

"Uh oh," Spike declared, "look who’s here."

Buffy looked up and saw Angelus appear. He was with at least three minions approaching Mary’s house. Buffy had thought he would be with more and supposed that it was logical that he might have split up their forces in order to make a more expansive search for Ezra. Buffy found herself staring at Angelus, unable to equate him with Angel whom she loved. He seemed strange to her with long hair and in period clothing but it was still Angel except this version had no soul.

"We better do this while there isn’t many of them," Spike suggested.

Buffy had to agree but something did not feel right. "Yeah," she said somewhat hesitantly.

"Luv?" Spike looked at her noticing the pause although he misinterpreted the reason. "You’re not still thinking he’s Peaches are you?"

"No!" She hissed in exasperation, wishing he would get over that. She had once been prepared to sent Angelus to hell and had done it despite the fact that he had become Angel during the battle. If there was one thing she knew how to do it was distinguishing between the two of them. "Let’s just do this." She retorted and brushed past him.

They emerged under the light of the moon and immediately caught Angelus’ attention. The Master Vampire started to smile at seeing them appear and did not at all seem surprised at seeing the duo. Supreme confidence reigned in Angelus’ manner as he cast his gaze in their direction and immediately put Spike on guard. Buffy was already there. Now he could understand why she felt so unsettled. Angelus was facing a slayer and he did not look the slightest bit concerned. In fact the expression on his face was one that Spike was well acquainted with - expectation. He knew they were coming and if he knew it then Spike was almost certain that he had planned for it.

"You slayers and your pet ‘vampires’ are so predictable," Angelus grinned as he sneered at Spike, perfectly aware now of the relationship between the two. "Except I have to admit Buffy," he stared at Buffy with a perfectly vicious smile, "can I call you Buffy?"

"I didn’t come here for small talk," Buffy retorted, knowing by his tone that he was about to become very cruel and she really had no patience for it. She wanted this over and done with. Buffy had no idea how hard it would be to face Angel until this moment. Despite herself she could not help but be revisited the last time she saw Angelus.

"Oh I don’t think you have a choice in that," Angelus smiled and looked past her shoulder. Buffy and Spike looked around them and suddenly saw at least a dozen vampires emerging from the long shadows around them. They stepped out of the night like wraiths surrounding both Buffy and Spike in large numbers. Among the faces between them, were also Drusilla, Darla and William. William’s face appeared scarred, no doubt a left over from Josiah’s escape attempt.

"Hello there Slayer," William said with a little smile. "Shall we dance?"

Spike watched in unfolding horror as his younger version approached the Slayer slowly, even though he was one of a dozen vampires closing in on them, Spike could not think of anything else. He had killed two slayers in his time because of his fierce determination to be the best and right now he was not hindered by his love for her. Given the chance, William would not hesitate to kill Buffy. However, his ability to help her was seriously endangered by the multiple threats they were now surrounded with.

"You’re not my Spike," Drusilla stared at him and then narrowed her eyes in hatred as her serene features morphed into its vampire visage and turned to Buffy. "You’re her Spike."

William lunged at Buffy and Spike found himself running to her aid but he never got there. Swept off his feet, he felt himself tackled to the ground by two minions. Their weight landed heavily on him, trapping Spike against the ground. He could only look up helplessly as he saw Buffy fending off William’s attack with Drusilla closing in. Angelus started towards the Travis home and Spike hoped that Mrs. Travis was sensible enough to say indoors because that was her only defence against the vampire. However, Spike had larger troubles of his own.

Kicking his foot out, he connected with one minion’s stomach and gave himself enough time when the vampire stumble away from him a little to throw a punch that sent the other sprawling. He scrambled to his feet in a desperate bid to reach Buffy but he was pulled savagely back again. The minion was clawing at his leg refusing to let go. Spike kicked out again, this time landing his foot on the vampire’s face. The fledgling let out an angry cry which distracted Spike enough to keep from seeing the stake that coming towards him from above. Twisting hard, which was no easy feat when one of the fledglings had his hand wrapped around Spike’s ankle, he managed to escape the point of the stake when it buried itself in the dirt next to him. Spike pulled out his own weapon and slammed it into the shoulder of the fledgling that had almost killed him.

The penetration would not kill the vampire but it was enough to hurt and the fledgling threw up his head up, screaming in pain as Spike yanked his foot free and escaped them both. He hurried forward; his eyes still fixed on Buffy as she fought both William and Dru. His progress towards her was halted when he felt a slash of nails across his abdomen. Spike hissed in pain and saw Darla staring at him with challenge. Blood run down his torso making her eyes glistened with the hunger of blood and the sight of it running freely down his stomach.

"You’re such a romantic Spike," Darla shook her head derisively. "But I thought even you had standards."

"Well I take after my grandsire," Spike retorted. "I have his taste for women."

"I’m going to enjoy watching you die," she hissed at him in venomous rage.

With that, she looked at the fledglings around him and nodded. They converged upon him like a pack of hungry dogs. He was assaulted not by two but at least five. The first one who came at him found only death as Spike grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed his forehead into the vampire’s skull. Wasting no time, Spike used his disorientation to send the fledgling straight into his knee followed by a road house punch that sent him sprawling backwards, arms outstretched. Spike flung his stake through the air, having grown exceedingly accurate with it after patrolling with the slayer for so long. It penetrated the heart and the fledgling could only look on in surprise as he exploded into nothingness

Spike threw himself forward, beyond the reach of the remaining four, rolling across the ground before he reached his stake where it had fallen after destroying the vampire whose heart it pierced. He snatched the piece of wood and rotated on his knee, attempting to deal with the three others that he had just left behind and the others that were joining the fray. He stood up, trying not to notice the numbers against him, wishing only to deal with them so that he could help Buffy. Spike threw a fist at the first one who reached him, unaware that Darla was closing in from behind him. The vampire reeled a little and Spike continued his onslaught of punches, trying to drive them away from him to give him some breathing room for a more decisive attack. He swung his fist in a succession of punches, alternating between his attacks between his hands and his feet. Spike drove his stake into the heart of another fledgling, causing him to burst into nothingness before his companions.

Suddenly Darla came up from behind him and pressed her fingers into the wounds she had created upon his body. Spike let out a cry and became distracted by the pain, allowing the others to converge upon him. Darla wrapped her arm around his throat as one of the minions took the stake from his hand and soon he was being held firm. Spike struggled to break free but they were all around him and six to one odds was more than he could handle, especially when he was wounded and trying to save Buffy. The stake that had been his weapon was now in another’s hands and Spike became very conscious of the fact that he had no power to stop anything from happening to him at this point.

"Slayer!" Darla called out over his ear.

Buffy had been fighting William and Drusilla at this point. If this had been a hundred years later, there would have been no way for her to fight them both. However, Buffy had come to the realization that this was not the Spike who had killed two slayers before coming to Sunnydale. This was a Spike who was very new to being a vampire, who had more balls and swagger than he had actual fighting skill, something that ‘her’ Spike (she flinched inwardly at the word ‘her’) had in abundance. She could see some of the savage strength that would make him so formidable later on but she was too seasoned and he was still too new at this to be a serious threat. Drusilla who was more experienced had not acquired the skill that Buffy had and relied mostly on her ability to mesmerize her prey to kill.

However, Darla was another thing entirely. Darla was the oldest one of them. Her Sire had been the Master and when Buffy turned to her at the sound of Darla’s voice, she felt her heart sink with horror when she saw Spike had been incapacitated. Buffy threw a succession of kicks at William, sending him crashing into Drusilla as she turned to help Spike. However, Darla had set up her pieces well and she was more than prepared for the attempt.

"Surrender or your pet dies," Darla said with a smile.

"Slayer don’t you do it!" Spike shouted instantly. He was rewarded by one of the fledging using his own stake and shoving the piece of wood into his side, away from his heart but enough to make him cry out in pain.

"Spike!" Buffy found herself crying out involuntarily at the sound of his agony. She saw the blood glistening on his stomach where Darla had wounded him and fresh wound that had just been inflicted upon him.

"Let him go," Buffy demanded with venom in her voice.

Darla’s demonic visage curled up into a smile. "Or you’ll kill me?"

"Not right away," Buffy warned and meant it. "Let him go."

"I will," Darla replied with a sneer and then looked to a minion. "Do it!"

Buffy watched in horror as the minion brought down the stake and saw Spike staring at her in defeat, not because he was going to die but because he was going to leave her alone. He had promised that he would stay by her side and now he was going to leave her too, just like the others.

"SPIKE NO!" She screamed in anguish because in that one instant, she realized that while she may not know if she loved him, Buffy did know for certain she did not wish lose him.

The stake never had a chance to strike because an arrow tore through the air and landed in the middle of the fledgling’s back. He let out a scream just before he vanished. Another soon followed the arrow, this one striking the vampire holding Spike’s arm. Although the arrow penetrated his forehead, it was more than enough for the vampire to release his hold of Spike. As he staggered away, trying to deal with the protrusion in his face, another arrow soared through the air and struck home, ending the threat of him once and for all.

Buffy turned to the direction of the archer and let out a sigh of relief as she saw Vin Tanner appear out of the darkness with Chris Larabee. Suddenly the odds did not seem so impossible any more and Buffy offered him a look of thanks as the tracker reached for another arrow. Chris on the other hand produced a stake and was soon met by a vampire. This time the gunslinger seemed unfazed by the attack and thrust the point of the weapon into creature’s heart, sending the demon back to hell.

"Two against eight isn’t very fair is it?" Chris drawled, hiding the fact that he was extremely anxious to deal with this particular situation because he noted that Angelus was gone and if he was gone, that could only mean he was going after Ezra or Mary.

"Depends on how you look at it," Darla smiled viciously.

Spike did not give her a chance to make further comment because he slammed his skull backwards, connecting with Darla’s face and making a terrific crunch of sound as bone met bone. She cried out shortly but the blow was hard enough to knock her out cold. She slid to the ground without much protest as Buffy ran into action. She threw a flying kick at William, throwing him hard against the wall and began pummelling him with fierce punches in an effort to subdue him once and for all. Meanwhile Vin and Spike resume mopping up the fledglings. Drusilla made a beeline towards Chris, probably because she remembered how she had almost taken him during their last encounter.

Chris saw Drusilla approach and as she looked into his eyes, he tried to turn away but found the power of them too much for him. He remembered how lethal they were as he saw the flecks of colour suddenly taking on a life of its own. Her lips curled into a smile, knowing she had him. Chris heard Vin shouting at him, but his voice sounded as if he was very far away. Drusilla was smiling at him as she started speaking in that ethereal voice once more. It wound its way through his skin and polluted his brain with its intoxication.

"Be in my eyes," she smiled. "Be in me."

Something inside him snapped when he heard her say those words. The memory of JD coming to save his life seared through his mind and Chris blinked but not before mustering every ounce of self-control he had in his body to do so. He threw his head forward into Drusilla’s crushing her nose and drawing her a cry of pain as she staggered backwards in pain. Chris threw another fist in her face now that he had regained control of his faculties and wondered how he could have allowed himself to get so close to her again. It did not matter because he was not going to be caught under her spell again. Chris was not usually one to hit women but this one hardly qualified as the garden-variety type and so his conscience allowed him another blow.

"Dru!" William shouted, seeing his lover attacked by the black garbed gunslinger.

Buffy saw his concern was enough to stop him fighting and quickly turned to Chris. "Chris, hold her!"

Chris caught on immediately to what Buffy intended and caught Drusilla as she reeled from his punches around the neck. He twisted her around hard, so that her back would face him before trapping her neck in a tight arm lock.

"Vin!" Chris called out to the tracker. Between Vin and Spike, the minions they were fighting were dead. Darla was still lying on the floor out cold and the fight had come down to William and Buffy who now more or less found himself alone. Suddenly, William found himself in the same position that Buffy had a short time ago before the timely arrival of the gunslinger and the tracker.

"Give it up or the tracker puts an arrow through your honey." Buffy declared as Vin trained his arrow on Drusilla’s heart.

"You can’t let them do it!" William implored to Spike, hoping that because of who he was, he might stop this.

"Trust me mate," Spike said coolly. "When she skips out on you with a chaos demon, you won’t mind so bloody much."

"Bastard!" William swore furiously, staring at Drusilla in anguish.

"Do it Vin!" Chris ordered in order to prompt William’s decision.

"NO!" William shouted in horror as Vin pulled back the bow. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

Buffy let out a sigh of relief and noted the same on Spike’s face. For a moment, he was not entirely sure that William would not call their bluff since they could not kill Drusilla but then gambling on something as uncertain as the future was always as risk.

"Where is Angelus!" Buffy demanded first.

William swore, not wishing to tell the truth but having no choice when faced with the loss of Drusilla. "At the church," he said bitterly. "He knew you wouldn’t be stupid enough to hide Standish with the woman. He thought that you might use her for bait, that’s why he set up this little caper for you."

"Alright," Chris nodded slowly, itching to get going after the head vampire before he harmed any one of his friends sequestered in the church. "I want all three of you out of my town, now. If you don’t get out of here right this minute, I won’t give a damn about what happens in the future. I will stake all of you three and if I have to I’ll have the entire Territory coming after you with pitchforks and torches!"

"This isn’t over slayer," William glared at Buffy, acknowledging his defeat for the moment. "I will kill you one day."

"I’m gonna bet you don’t," Spike retorted under his breath.

William stared at him in disgust, "if you’re what I become then I ought to bloody well kill myself now."

Spike opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.

William was not wrong about that much at least. However, Spike not had a good idea where his fetish for long black coats had come from as he watched William staring at Chris Larabee’s black duster. Well, Spike shrugged. Who could blame him?

They were both going to look bloody good in it.

****************

Once William, Drusilla and Darla were gone, Buffy turned to Chris and Vin. "You guys get going to the church!"

Chris looked at her, "ain’t you coming?"

"We’ll be there in a sec," Buffy retorted quickly and gave the gunslinger an unspoken request for a moment alone.

Chris nodded slightly in understanding before throwing a sidelong glance at Vin, "let’s go."

Vin who was eager to get going because Tara was at the church as well did not offer any protest and the two men hurried away from the empty square, leaving Buffy and Spike behind. Spike’s brow knotted in confusion as he wondered the reason for the delay. He had little more than a second to ponder the situation when his eyes widened in shock at Buffy throwing her arms around him and pulling him towards her in an urgent embrace. He was so stunned by her actions that he could only stared in wide eyed astonishment as she began planting kisses all over his face and then on his lips.

"Uh Slayer…." Spike muttered through his confusion and her kisses, "did I miss something?"

"You stupid vampire!" She said when she paused long enough to speak from her passionate plunder of his lips. "You almost got yourself killed!"

"Yeah?" She was still losing him. "So?"

"So?" She pulled away in exasperation. "You may not be the man of my dreams! Hell I don’t even like you smoking in my house, my friends can’t stand you and you…you’re lame! But I’ve gotten used to your face so be careful! I don’t want you to get hurt!" She ended this impassioned statement with a hard right cross.

That, Spike understood as he tumbled to the dirt.

"You were worried about me pet?" He started to smile that triumphant smirk that Buffy could never stand once he managed to get to his feet.

"Don’t make a big thing about it," she frowned walking away from him, with full expectation that he would be behind her. "I still hate you."

Perhaps so, but Spike was still grinning from ear to ear when he followed her.

**************

They had been doing quite well holding off the vampires that were attempting to force their way into the church. JD and Ezra had remained at the broken window, holding the pews in place to keep more of the undead from entering Josiah’s labour of love. Although none of the seven present in the room spoke of it, they were trying their best to keep Josiah’s church from becoming too damaged. Ever since his arrival in Four Corners, Josiah had devoted a great deal of time to restoring this dilapidated church into its present state as a house of worship. It pained them all to see that had work beyond destroyed by vampires in a single night. The wooden bolt across the door was still holding but Giles and Nathan had taken to securing it with a length of pew because they could cracks appearing in the wood.

Tara stood in the center of her circle, trying not to feel fear as she chanted and readied herself for the spell when Buffy brought Angelus to her. She had never attempted anything as ambitious as this but then the last few days had been a testament to what she could do when she set her mind on it. Suddenly, there was an incredible explosion at the head of the church. The large crucifix clattered on the floor, its smooth surface becoming jagged and the form of Christ hanging from it was equally ravaged. Josiah’s pulpit was crushed under the weight of brick and as the fissure appeared in the wall, stepping through the dust was Angelus.

"Dynamite," he announced dusting his hands exaggeratedly when he met their astonished gazes for the first time. "It makes this so much simpler, yes?"

"Get out here!" Giles stormed forward, his crucifix held in front of him as he went to confront the vampire that was here of his own volition and not led here by Buffy as planned. Something had gone wrong and until he knew what it was, he was not letting Angelus anywhere near Ezra Standish. Unfortunately it appeared that Angelus was not alone as he was accompanied by the vampires that had been trying to gain entry into the church.

"Oh that will work English," Angelus laughed as he gestured his minions deeper into the building. He walked towards Giles fearlessly. "A crucifix will make a preacher’s son like me run for sure." Without flinching, Angelus placed his hand on the crucifix and even though his skin sizzled and his face tensed in pain, he still managed to snatch away the religious artefact and fling it away. Giles stared at him in shock for a moment before Angelus swung out wide, connecting with his jaw in a powerful blow that knocked the Watcher to the floor.

"Who’s the pretty one?" Angelus turned to Tara and gave her a long, interested look. Knowing how Angelus felt about blond women, his attention to her made Tara shudder.

"You leave her alone!" Ezra hurried past the vampires spreading out into the room. He was not about to let the young woman suffer because of him. "It me you want!"

"Ezra no!" Nathan shouted.

Angelus stared at him sharply. "So you’re the one who produces a Slayer?"

Ezra stopped short in his tracks, unable to understand how he learnt this truth. "A Slayer?" He feigned ignorance. "I thought it was because of my charm."

"Oh you’re funny," Angelus replied with a smile and closed the distance between them. Ezra produced a stake and attempted to attack but the vampire caught his wrist in his hand and bent back sharply. A crack of bone was followed by Ezra’s scream as his useless finger relinquished his hold of the weapon. Angelus secured his hold around Ezra’s neck as the other vampires converged upon Giles, JD and Nathan who readied themselves to fight.

Suddenly an arrow struck Angelus on the flesh part of his thigh as Vin and Chris burst into the room. The injury to their master caused the other vampires to attack and suddenly the room exploded into pandemonium. Chris ran forward, trying to aid Ezra who was still in the Master Vampire’s iron grip. Chris could see Angelus squeezing hard, until Ezra was struggling to pry his fingers lose with his one good hand. Chris reached Angelus and grabbed the arrow imbedded in his leg and twisted sharply. Angelus screamed in pain and retaliated with a sharp back punch that landed squarely in Chris’ face as he released Ezra. The gambler fell to the ground panting as Angelus turned to Chris Larabee.

"I think," Angelus stared at Chris as he hobbled forward, snatching the arrow out of his thigh and yanking it free of his leg in one quick movement. His face morphed into full demonic mask at the pain before he hissed, "I’m going to give you to Darla for a little gift. Valentine’s day is almost here isn’t it?"

"What? No puppies nailed on doors this year?" A decidedly feminine voice entered the mix.

Buffy punctuated that statement with a blow to the face. Angelus’ surprise showed when he was caught off guard but it did not last. He was a hundred and thirty years old even now and a seasoned warrior unlike William and Drusilla. After his soul was restored to him he would be a champion for good but for the moment all that skill was shrouded in darkness. When she threw her fist again, he caught it and delivered a sharp jab to her jaw. Buffy reeled but she had taken worse in her time and she slammed her foot down on the side of his knee, bringing him down to the floor. As he landed, she brought up her knee, connecting with his face as his head snapped back from the impact. She went to kick again but he caught his foot and twisted it hard, spinning her in mid air and bringing her down. Buffy landed hard as Angelus rushed towards her but she flipped onto her feet and caught the punch he was about to throw. She caught his fist and he reacted by grabbing her hair and pulling her close to him, opening his mouth to sink his teeth into her neck. His fangs grazed her flesh and Buffy felt pain when she heard Spike shouting.

"GET OFF HER!" The vampire roared in fury

Buffy reached for her neck and was staggered that Angelus had managed to get that far. She wiped her neck in time to see Spike throw a forward kick that sent Angelus half way across the room. The fury in Spike’s eyes was beyond description as he threw punch after punch at Angelus, wearing down his Sire as he drove the older vampire toward the circle where Tara waited. Chris Larabee was helping the others fight the remaining minions as Buffy scrambled towards Spike and Angelus. Angelus was giving as good as he got but it was Spike who had the edge even though he was hurt. It seems that Angelus almost feeding off her had inspired the English vampire’s utmost rage and he was venting it with each kick and punch he delivered.

Buffy ran forwards as Angelus reached the circle, skidding to her hands and knees at the edge of it. Angelus did not see her because he was still concentrating on dealing with his enraged chide, however Spike caught on quickly to what Buffy intended and swung one final powerful blow that send Angelus staggering backwards over Buffy’s prone form. He fell into the circle hard. His head slamming against the wooden floorboards with a loud thwack. He did not move and the room felt silent as if some crucial moment had arrived and everyone knew it, even Angelus’ minions.

Tara wasted no time and put her spell into effect.

I call to thee Goddesses of Old

To Tisiphone, Alecto and Magaera,

Grant she who has commanded the stars

Grant she who is a daughter of Eve,

Possessor of the Sight and the old ways

To show this being of undead the future of his existence,

To show him the truth his mind will not accept

Part the veil between time and space

To the world that was and the one that might be,

I call to thee, Goddess of the Three,

Listen to your daughter's call,

In the mist lies the future,

Show him this fallen warrior his redemption,

Show him his salvation and folly,

Show him his soul.

I command thee, SHOW HIM HIS SOUL!

Angelus heard the words but for a few seconds after he had fallen, they had made little sense. He struggled for equilibrium but the clarity of mind that always came so easily to him, became vague and indistinct. He heard the words and its climatic ending and suddenly he was enveloped in a burst of colour that all but blinded him. For a moment, Angelus was struck by panic thinking she might have cast him into the daylight. However, his skin was not burning and he was being swallowed by a vortex of images, painful and searing. He bit down not wanting to scream but as the pain intensified, there was little choice and it escaped him without his knowledge.

It all crowded upon him.

His soul forced back into his body. Darla’s tears as she saw him became an abomination. His demon encased somewhere in the darkness, staring at a pinprick of light and being bombarded with so much regret. The pain of all those deaths swallowed him whole, every tortured cry, and every evil he had ever inflicted upon others screamed in his ears like a deafening cacophony. He should not have cared but somehow he was in a place where it mattered. The demon hissed with fury, each emotion of regret burning him like fire, he clawed for freedom but there was none except this trapping darkness while around him the world changed in a kaleidoscope of images, most of which he understood, hurtling past him.

He found himself hungry, so desperately hungry that even the blood of a mouse was enough to fill and satiate him and yet that was the only pleasure he was allowed because there was the pain of regret and remorse. Redemption sang promises of healing but he knew better, there was no end to it. There could not be. He knew this was going to happen. Perhaps it already had and he was merely being given some insight. He did not see how this had happened to him but he knew that it had and the demon that he was. was trapped like an animal, unable to feel anything but this terrible remorse that he should not have been able to feel.

But then something happened. Something changed.

Buffy.

Each time the word impacted upon his psyche, he felt it decrease. He became filled with her, her smile, her laugh, the way her gold hair shimmered in the moonlight. The utter pleasure in her eyes at seeing him. Young love at its best, something that neither Angelus or even Liam, the human he had once been had never known. Being in her presence was like a divine audience, she made the pain recede until it was almost gone and his soul, this heavy weight that brought with it so much pain started to soar. Lips touching his and his dead heart would skip a beat. When she touched him, he thought he might die from happiness at the sensation and when she said she loved him, he knew it was forever. Nothing would ever change that for her, no matter who came after him.

The emotions confused Angelus. He hated feeling this deep abiding love for some human but the pain went away because he did and then when he thought this journey of his could not become any more confusing, he was free. The hateful soul inside of him was gone. The feelings of pain and anguish disappeared in a moment of powerful and overwhelming bliss. He understood at that instant why she could not be killed because this condition of his was not meant to be a gift, it was a punishment and were he not to feel anguish or suffering, then he would lose that precious soul. The irony of it made Angelus laugh. He laughed so hard that it almost brought tears to his eyes.

************

"Why is he laughing?" Chris asked as they watched what was happening to Angelus. The other minions had been dusted and now all that was left was the Master Vampire.

"I don’t know," Buffy replied just as confusion as they saw Angelus curled into a fetal position and shuddering with laughter. Unfortunately, they could not ask Tara because she was in a trance. They all watched in growing confusion as Angelus continued to laugh so hard that for a moment, they thought he might suffocate if not for the fact he did not need air to breath.

Suddenly, Tara opened her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. There were beads of sweat running down her forehead and she appeared exhausted but not so much that she could not scramble away from Angelus because she was too weary to protect herself should he make any attempt to attack. Vin immediately hurried to her and pulled her away from the circle, allowing her the use of his shoulder to stand up.

"What did you do?" Buffy asked.

"I made him see," Tara whispered with weariness.

"See what? The three stooges?" Spike inquired.

 "The three stooges?" Buffy stared at him.

"What, they’re funny." He defended himself.

She shook her head and faced Tara again, "I don’t understand."

"Oh leave the girl alone," Angelus replied and stood up. His sudden animation immediately placed the others on guard with stakes being produced and any other weapon that might make him a past tense held in full view.

"My, you’re chipper." Buffy retorted glaring at him.

Angelus looked at her as if for the first time, "its not going to happen you know."

"What?" Chris asked, starting to get very annoyed.

"I’m not going to let it happen." Angelus took a step forward and noted how everyone was prepared to kill him if he made a threatening move. "I won’t let my soul come back."

"You don’t have a choice in the matter," Buffy responded realizing that Chris’ gamble had worked as had Tara’s spell. Angelus knew what she was to him and what they were to each other.

"It won’t happen," he stated firmly. "But I’m careful vampire. I’m not about to kill the grandsire of the only person that could save me if it does happen." He glanced at Ezra whose hand was being tended to by Nathan.

"Get out of my town," Chris growled.

"I will soon enough," Angelus responded with a smile, still staring at Buffy. "Tell me something, did you really believe that he loved you?" His eyes narrowed in calculation.

"Of course he did," Spike found himself saying, not wishing to let Buffy be hurt by Angelus’ words, no matter how much of a sore point Angel was with him.

"Spike," Angelus grinned. "I guess you’ll always be satisfied by the crumbs at my table."

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Chris shouted, jabbing the stake in the vampire’s chest as he saw Spike reeling from the vicious taunt. Despite Spike’s confident manner, even Chris could see how close to the bone that remark had cut.

"You’re good in a fight," Angelus laughed, not at all acting like the defeated enemy. "You would have made a grand gift for my lovely but I don’t think I would have liked the competition."

"Do I have to kill you to make a point?" Chris snarled with as much ferocity as any vampire was capable.

"I’ll be taking my leave of you," Angelus smiled unrepentant as he turned his back to Chris and started walking out the newly created fissure in the church wall. "But Slayer," he gave Buffy a little smile of suggestion as he stepped into the darkness. "I’ll be waiting for you to come my bed. I’m sure it will be as good for you as it will be for me."

And with that he was gone.

TO BE CONTINUED