Riley walked out of the Magic Box in a daze.

  "What just happened?" He thought as he walked down high street in the warm sunlight. He ignored the glances people gave his torn sleeve, and continued with his thoughts.

  "Oh, I know what happened, you made a total idiot of yourself and called your girlfriend a vampire whore. Nice."

  Riley sighed. He was frustrated, more so with himself than Buffy.

  She had hit some good points, and that really bothered him.

  What did draw him to the vampires?

  Was it the strength? The dark beauty? The tempting darkness?

  Honestly, he had no real idea. All he knew was that he had a bloodlust that was not fading away, and as powerful and wicked as he felt, he also felt something else.

  Fear.

 **********

Spike whistled merrily as he dusted off his TV set.

  "Time for some Passions can't wait to see what happens to that Timmy", he said as he sat down in his recliner.

  Suddenly, the door bust open, and an onrush of sunlight filled the crypt.

  "Ahh! Bloody hell!" Spike bellowed as he scrambled into the corner, trying to escape the sunlight. Spike looked to the door to see what had kicked the door in.

  "We need to talk", Riley said as he charged through the door.

  Spike immediately became a little less rigid and stood up. "Ohh, are you a little disappointed with the results of last nights rendezvous? Because I can" Spike started. Riley grabbed his shirt and pulled a baffled Spike into the direct rays of sunlight.

  "Yeah. It'd wasn't very much fun. This is actually a rather accurate demonstration of how it felt. Feel good?" Riley spat as he held Spike by the neck as he squirmed.

  Spikes skin began to sizzle, and the smell of undead flesh began to rise in his nose. However, Spike took great pride in his ability to think on the spot. He calmed down enough so that Finns grip loosened, then, due to Riley's lack of super strength, he tore loose from his grip.

  "BASTARD! That was only my SKIN!" Spike yelled as he furiously licked at the blood on his hands

  "You deserved it", Riley said flatly.

  "Yeah, well, ever hear the phrase, dont kill the messenger?" Spike asked as he approached Riley.

  Riley whipped out a crossbow and fired, the shot landing firmly in Spike's chest.

  "Didn't believe it then, don't believe it now", he said as Spike's eyes bulged out of his head.

 **********

 Angel stalked the sewers silently.

  Not a sound was made.

  He could hear them feel them the link burning as it coursed through his veins.

  Blood. Its always the blood.

  He could feel them walking above the sewers in the sweet moonlight.

  Darla.

  Angel carefully followed her for at least another quarter mile, when the feeling that had been running through his system suddenly disappeared.

  He sighed. He was hoping he could get them tonight. Tonight, he felt strong enough to take them down.

  He retired and walked silently back home, staking a few vampires before returning to the Hyperion.

  "Hey, boss!" Cordelia said as cheerily as she could. Since Angel's sudden fit of madness, Cordelia had been trying hard to bring him back to his normal broody, NON-killer psycho, self.

  "Not now", Angel said flatly as he continued on up the stairs to his room.

  Cordelia sank into her chair and sighed. "Never mind then."

  Angel opened his room and tossed his leather coat on the rack. He sighed. He felt his fingers itch, and his blood boil.

  "Come out Darla I know you're there", he said to the empty room.

  He waited a few seconds and listened.

  There was no movement at all in the apartment building.

  Then, from behind the kitchen wall, Darla appeared from her hiding space.

  "Hello, lover", she said seductively as she walked toward him.

  "What do you wan"t, he said, more of a statement than a question.

  She trailed a finger down his torso. "Darling boy, you know what I want I want that demon to come on out. Your stupid soul is already springing a leak I could see it in your eyes, and I can sense it in your blood. Might as well just let go" she said. She began nibbling his bottom lip. "And enjoy the ride."

  Darla kissed Angel's mouth passionately, as she vamped out and pricked his bottom, just enough to draw blood.

  "Mmm still mine", she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

  Angel reached slowly, ever so slowly, inside his pocket and pulled out a stake. He brought one hand to her hip and pulled her closer, as he returned the kiss. The other, he brought straight out in front of her back, right where her heart was located, poised for the killing stroke that would reduce her to dust at the bottom of his boots.

  Darla wasn't stupid. She knew he was going to pull some kind of stupid trick like this. She also knew that he wasn't even about to believe for a moment that it would work. No, she knew her boy too well.

  Angel pulled back and brought his hand down, stake in hand, toward Darla's back.

  Darla easily span out of the way, leaving Angel stabbing at air.

  "Oh come now, Angelus, did you really think I would be stupid enough to fall for that?" She asked as she headed for the door.

  Angel smirked. "No, but did you really think that I would actually enjoy your company after 150 of pure bliss without you?"

  Darla snarled.

  Angel grabbed her by the neck and pulled her close.

  "Get. Out", he said, as he threw her back so hard she hit the door with a loud smack.

  Darla got up as she saw him approaching and opened the door.

  "You think you know whats going on you have NO idea, Angelus NO idea", she said. Then, she was gone, and Angel was left in silence.

 ************

 Spikes eyes bulged in pain.

  Rileys face contorted in contentment.

  Spike staggered back, and pulled the stake out of his chest. "Uhhhh" he groaned as he started to choke.

  Riley smiled. "Yes, bastard. Die."

  Spike choked some more and then fell down.

  Riley stopped smiling. "What the hell? Why wasn't he dust?"

  He cautiously approached Spike. Spike lied on the ground making no moves, or sounds.

  Riley moved forward. "Spike dirty bastard", he said. He reached out, grabbed the stake and pulled back his arm

  When Spike grabbed it and yanked it up behind his back.

  "Ah!" Riley yelped in surprise.

  " Yeah So good thing you have awful aim. I might have been a little angry", Spike said.

  Riley laughed at Spike. "What are you going to do? Bite me? "

  Spike turned around and grabbed a cigarette out of his pocket.

  "Come on, big bad vamp. Kill me!" Riley screamed.

  Spike turned around and gave him a patient smile." Might not want to be screamin that in this neighborhood, mate. Liable to get your wish."

  Riley glared. "You messed with me. You ruined our relationship!"

  Spike laughed. "Sorry, but you were the one who fucked up. Have been ever since you started doin the bloody whores. First of all, that's disgusting. Second of all, do you know where those fangs have been? Unsanitary sluts."

  Riley headed toward the door. "You have no room to talk. It'd be different if maybe you were an actual vampire "

  Spike felt his blood rising.

  Riley opened the door and slammed it shut.

  Spikes hands were balled into tight fists. "Fuckin pansy. You'll get yours."

  Spike went about and changed into a clean shirt, wincing in pain at the stake wound. "Damn chip if it wasnt for that, he would have beat the kid five ways from Tuesday Jesus! Even Angel can kick human ass! And he has a soul" Spike thought.

  Then, a thought like a bulldozer hit Spike.

  He smiled. "Angel hates Fish boy If he heard about Rileys disrespect for a woman, let alone BUFFY, hed have a fuckin fit. Angel was always the bleedin gentleman", he said out loud.

  He walked over to his phone and dialed a number. "Right, I'd like to place a collect call to Los Angeles that's right. Try looking under Angel Investigations

 **********

  Angel sat in his room looking through all the people he had helped. All the files.

  He snorted. Help the helpless help the hopeless, more like it. He just didn't see the point. If everything he was going to do was just going to be kicked back down by some evil something or other, what was the point? Redemption? God didnt want him never has. Just an excuse to strengthen the side of good in the never ending war of good versus evil. What a joke. There was no good. There was just empty fighting. Hollowness. There was nothing.

  Angel looked once more at the casefiles and then tossed them into the burning fire.

  "No more. I am not the puppet fighting in some endless battle. No more", he thought.

  He heard a knock at the door, followed by Cordelia's voice.

  "Angel?"

  "Not now", Angel said snappishly.

  Cordelia became suddenly quiet, and if Angel had enough in him to, he might have actually cared about the fact that he was hurting her feelings.

  "Um there's a call for you" Cordelia said quietly.

  "I told you to hold all my calls."

  "You might want to take this one", Cordy said.

  Angel sighed and walked over to the phone.

  "What", Angel demanded over the phone.

  From the other end, he could hear sarcastic laughing.

  "Nice to hear form you too, peaches", Spike said with a chuckle.

Angel felt his blood boil.
  The thing had balls enough to call him.
  In the old days, that was merit enough to be tortured, if not staked.
  Today, it was merit enough for a curt hang up.
  "Spike, I dont have time for your shi"t, Angel said as he prepared
to
hang the phone up.
  Spike chuckled. "Why? What do you have better to do? Brood?"
  Angel snorted. "Not anymore. I don't like to live in the past."
  "So I've heard", Spike said.
  Angel tensed for a brief moment. Could Spike have had contact with
Wolfram and Hart?
  "Who", Angel demanded.
  Spike forced himself not to laugh. If he laughed, Angel would most
likely
hang up, and there would go his entertainment for the night.
  "Now, now. Don't get your panties in a twist", Spike said. He waited
for a
moment, and listened to Angels low growl over the phone.
  "Spike", Angel warned.
  "Princess told me", Spike said.
  Angel relaxed slightly. "What did she tell you?"
  "She told me you were in a bad time, and that you were having
problems",
Spike said.
  Angel sighed. "Look, I don't need a the world needs you, speech, so
youre wasting your time."
  Spike laughed this time. "Ohh, Peaches, like I give a FUCK!" Spike
laughed
over the phone. He stopped laughing and cleared his throat. "No, I'm calling
you because I have some information about your honey."
  Before, whenever anyone brought up the subject of Buffy, Angel would
have
to sit and reminisce for at least a day. He would sit and read poetry
and
look at pictures, and just remember the days when everything made
sense, and
everything had a purpose.
  "Now", he remained neutral.
  "What about Buffy", Angel asked evenly.
  Spike was a little shocked at Angels calm demeanor concerning Buffy.
Usually, bringing up his little whore was somewhat fun, and driving him
to
sit and brood was the most amusing thing.
 " Now", he seemed to barely care at all.
  "Well, if you really don't care then maybe I did the wrong thing in
calling you", Spike said.
  Angel snorted. "Fine", he said.
  Spike couldn't stop his jaw from falling. "Now, hang on there a sec",
he
said.
  "Look, I told you I have better things to do."
  "Yeah. Huntin down your sire AND mine is really more important that
keeping the one person that stands between us and the end of the world
sane."
  Angel growled. "Then tell me what the fuck is wrong!"
  Spike repressed the urge to yell. "Soldier boy. He's been seeing
those vampire whores at the local Suck n Fuck."
  Angel scrunched his brow. "So. When did he and Buffy stop seeing each
other?"
  Spike sighed, a little annoyed. "What a slow fuck", he thought. "Hello,
wake up, you bloody idiot! They HAVEN'T stopped seeing each other. He's been cheating on her with those dirty slut vampires! Jesus! When did you
become
so dense?!"
  Angel ignored Spikes ignorant comments. Something inside of him
stirred.
Something he thought he had forgotten.
  It wasn't love. It wasn't hate. It wasn't anything like that, yet it
was
definitely not indifference.
  No, it was something he had thought was gone.
  Passion.
  Something inside him screamed and clawed at him. Something primal.
  Mate.
  Angel growled and slammed down the phone.
  He quickly grabbed his duster and headed out the door.
  "Hey, where are you" Cordelia started.
  "I'm going out", Angel snarled.
  Angel practically broke the glass doors as he walked hurriedly through them.
  He was going to teach Finn just how youre supposed to treat a woman.
  Spike hung up the phone and grinned. "He's coming."
****************

  Buffy sat in her room.
  The room seemed to get smaller every second.
  Buffy started breathing a bit heavily.
  "When did I become so insane?" She thought. She looked around the room
at
momentos of her past.
  Momentos of her school days, and the days when things made sense.
  Momentos of Angel
  Every since Riley brought him up, she couldnt stop thinking about
him.
  Why had he left her? Was there some part in him that left her for a
different reason? Had he actually WANTED to go?
  Buffy felt a tear roll down her face.
  When did I become so unstable?
  When did my world start falling to pieces?
  Buffy felt her back hit the bed, and she curled into a tight ball.
This year had been the most confusing year of her life. So many things were
brought into question. Her sister, her slayer powers, her character Her
destiny. So many questions, yet never enough answers.
  Never any answers.
  Buffy closed her eyes tightly, and then reopened them slowly. The
tears
made her vision slightly blurry, but that was how everything looked
anymore
anyway. She felt like she was falling into a giant black hole, where
nothing
was there for break her fall. Like she was slowly being pulled down in
quick
sand, and there was no one to pull her back out.
  Everyone seemed to have their own life. Xander and Anya, Willow and
Tara,
Dawn and Joyce, even Giles and the Magic Shop. The only real thing she
had
to herself was Riley, and now that was gone too.
  Buffy closed her eyes, then reopened them with a new glow in them.
  Or maybe it wasnt gone.
  Buffy got up and threw a pair of jeans and a white sweater on.
  No its not gone not yet, she said as she smoothed her hair out,
grabbed
a stake (for emergency) and checked herself out in the mirror.
Even though her eyes were slightly red, they shined with a determined
glow.
Her cheeks were slightly pink from crying, but all in all, she looked
good.
  Buffy pulled on her boots and walked out the door and down the
stairs.
  Here goes nothing, she said as she crossed the threshold of her
house.

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

  Riley took another long chug of beer. He looked at the bottle, then
chugged the rest, and threw it onto the pile of five or so.
  He wasnt really drunk, but he was terribly tipsy.
  He sat in his apartment and looked at the wall, thinking about what a
screw up he was, when he heard something hit his bedroom window.
  He got up slowly and walked over to the window and looked out. There
was
nothing to be seen anywhere.
  With a sigh, Riley sat himself back down on his original spot.
  Another thud hit the window.
  Riley become agitated and got back up and went to the window.
  Still nothing.
  Riley was becoming more and more confused every second.
Unfortunately, the buzz of the beer wasnt helping very much either.
  Again, a thud of rock and glass was heard.
  Angry, Riley put his shoes on and walked out the door and down the
hallway to where the front door was. He looked outside and crossed the
threshold.
  "What the hell?" Riley asked to the night air.
  The night answered back with a blow to the jaw.
  "Holy shit!" Riley yelped in pain as he hit the ground hard. He
turned
over on his back and looked up at his attacker.
  "I heard you've been busy over town with some of the whores on the
street", Angel said calmly as he bent over Riley.
  Riley's eyes become wide with fear. Even when he wasn't drunk and he
had the superhuman powers, he couldn't take Angel.
  "You dirty bastard. You were with her. You've been sleeping with her.
And now, you disrespect her by sleeping with the scum she's been brought
forth to kill. That deserves a good ass beating", Angel said as he hauled
Riley off the ground and threw him into a mailbox.
  The mailbox came out of the ground, with the force in which Riley
hit, and
was thrown over 30 feet.
  "Ahh!" Riley groaned in pain. When he saw Angel approaching, he tried
to scramble to his feet.
  "Where ya going, Riley", Angel said evenly. Angel swiftly kicked
Riley in the side, sending him back down. "Where are you going", he said again.
He kicked Riley again, the brought him up to his feet, where he proceeded
to punch him again and again.
  Spike stood in the darkness and watched. "If only I had popcorn", Spike
thought.
  Angel punched Riley once more, then stepped away, only to strike back
with
a full roundhouse kick to his midsection. Riley flew back a couple
feet,
then hit the ground with a thud.
  Angel spit on the ground beside Riley and then turned and walked
away.
  Spike emerged from the shadows and looked down at Riley.
  "Need a band aid?" Spike teased.
  Riley chuckled. "Since you can't do anything, you call someone who
can.
You call your daddy. I wonder if the chip werent there would you even
have
it in you to try to beat me up anyway", Riley slurred slightly.
  Spike saw red for a moment, and in his rage, he bent down and punched
Riley in the nose, relishing the crunch of his bone as it broke, and
then
smell of blood as it poured from his nose. Then, in realizing what he
had
done, he grabbed his head, waiting for the searing pain.
  However, there was none.
  Riley and Spike shared a confused look.
  "What the fuck?" Spike asked.
 " He's been drinking from them. I can smell it in his blood. The blood
that runs through his veins has been tainted by demons", Angel said from
behind Spike.
  Spike looked back at Riley with a glint in his eye.
 " Heh heh. This is for the chip", Soldier boy.

***********
  Angel walked away from the Riley-bashing scene. Riley would live, but
hopefully he would be wiser.
  Angel looked down at his watch to check the time
  Only to run into someone.
  Angel didnt falter, and kept going without saying sorry.
  "Angel?" A tiny voice asked.
  Angel stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't even have to turn to know
who it was.
  "Buffy", he regarded her evenly.
  Buffy walked around and stood in front of him. Her cheeks were
slightly
red, and her eyes were the tiniest bit puffy. She had been crying. He
could smell the salt of her tears on her cheeks.
  If Angel had enough in him, he would have cared.
  "Wh-What are you doing here?" Buffy asked.
  "Taking care of some business", he said flatly.
  Buffy regarded his cold demeanor. She looked down at her feet.
  "Angel!" She exclaimed as she took one of his bloody hands into one
of her warm ones.
  Angel felt a bolt of electricity when she touched him, and he quickly
grabbed his hand away in disgust.
  "It's nothing."
  Buffy frowned. Sure its not. "What, you just came across a demon and
merrily strolled through the cemetery? Angel, what happened?"
  "I said it was nothing", Angel snapped as he pushed by her.
  "No, come back", Buffy said. She looked into his eyes and shivered.
  She didnt see the usual broody eyes that reflected his worn and
tattered
soul that was constantly repenting.
  Instead, she saw nothingness. A blank space.
  Buffy repressed the urge to tremble. She looked back down at his
bloody
hands and saw something.
  A torn piece of Rileys favorite shirt.
  She angrily yanked it out of his hand and shoved it in his face. "You
came
back for that?!" She yelled.
  Angel remained calm at her outburst. "Yes, and now I'm leaving."
  Buffy stood still. "No, youre not! You have NO RIGHT to just show up
and
beat up my boyfriend!"
  Angel snarled. "From what I hear, he's not really your boyfriend
anymore,
is he?"
  Buffy backed away slightly, her eyes becoming a little softer, but
her
face remaining like stone. "Who told you", she asked flatly.
  "Does it matter?" Angel asked smartly.
  Buffy felt like combusting. Why was he being so cold?
  "Still, you have no right to just show up here and expect it to be
okay. I
can take care of myself!" She said to him.
  He smiled nastily. "Yeah, well, I guess you have a problem taking
care of
others. Right?"
  Buffy recoiled. At that moment, all she wanted to do was cry. He was
being
so cold so dark. Buffy felt her stomach tighten with fear. "Angelus",
she
said, as she instinctively tightened her grip on her stake.
  "No. It's still me. I've just been through some changes", Angel said.
  Buffy became frightened. If it wasn't Angelus, why was he so dark?
  "I'm going back. Nice to see you", Angel said as he pushed past her.
  Buffy felt her heart break. "Yeah. You too."

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

  A dark car drove through the quiet streets of Sunnydale.
  It drove around for a while, until it came to rest at Sunny Suites,
the
only really fancy hotel in the city.
  The driver parked and got out. He walked around to the passenger side
and
opened the door to the back seat.
  "Thank you, Lindsey, darling", Darla said as she stepped out of the
car.
"Hurry along, Dru", she said as she turned and gave Dru a hand up.
  "It's like a palace", Dru said as she gazed at it with admiration.
She
took a big whiff. "Mmm I smell Daddy", she said.
  Darla smiled. "Yes, I can smell his presence too."
  Lindsey smiled. "Well, how does it feel to be home?"
  Darla turned to Lindsey and smiled. "Better than you know", she said
as
she turned back to the hotel.
  Darla smiled again, as a light breeze brought the smell of her
beloved
Angelus to her enhanced sense of smell.
  "Mmm better than you know."

"That's for the chip! Thats for the unsuccessful staking! Actually,
here's two for that one", Spike said as he raised his fist over his
head and brought it down sharply on Rileys gut.
  "Ugh", Riley grunted as he choked out blood. He was beginning to see
spots.
  "SPIKE! THATS ENOUGH! "Someone screamed from behind him.
  Spike turned around, and his jaw dropped.
  "Darla? What the fuck are you doing" He started. Darla quickly
brought
the sledge hammer she had hidden behind her back onto Spike's bleach
blond
head with a sickening thud. Spike was unconscious before he hit the
ground.
  Darla smiled at her great grandchild wistfully. "My dear boy, you
never
were the brightest. Always thinking with your fists" She bent down and
gingerly caressed his head, and placed a light kiss to the top.
  "Grand mum, what should I do about the little, lost bunny?" Druscilla
asked. She bent down and ran her fingers through the blood that was
running
freely down Riley's face. She lifted her hands back up to her mouth and
suckled the blood off of her fingers. She closed her eyes and relished
the taste, only to open them back up in disgust. "He's been feeding off dirty girl she tastes rotten", she said.
  Darla walked over to Rileys unconscious body, and smiled. "Good. Put
him in the car."
  Druscilla effortlessly picked Riley up and threw him in the back
seat.
  "Dont worry, youll be all right", Darla said as she shut the door
after her. Lindsey smiled at his blond seductress and drove away.

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

  "Oh, bugger" Spike groaned as he sat up. His vision was slightly
blurry, and he was seeing just about two of everything. Spike reached
tentatively up to the top of his head. A large, round wound that bleed slightly was located on the top of his bleached tresses.
  "Ow! Fuck me, that hurt!" He groaned as he quickly snatched his hands
away from his wounded head. A few seconds later, he could feel his injury
healing. "Yay for being a vampire", he said as she sat up. It was a
harder
task than he imagined, but in the process, he had time to collect his
thoughts.
  "What the fuck happened?" He thought as he pulled his duster up around
him.
"Lets see I called Angel I beat the shit out of Fish Boy", Spike
thought. He
smiled at that particular memory. "Then, what happened?" He vaguely
remembered
a petite blond holding a sledge hammer "Buffy?" He thought. "No, Buffy
didn't
love the guy enough to do that. Who the hell was it?" Then, it hit
Spike. His
eyes went wide and he got to his feet quickly, ignoring the pain that
wanted
him back down.
  "Holy shit", he said as he ran as fast as he could toward the Magic
Shop,
the only place he knew the Scoobies would be.

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

  Riley consciousness was a blur. When he woke up, he was in a large,
king-sized bed with an exquisitely designed comforter. The room itself
was
huge, and it was decorated in simple, eloquent lines. It had a smooth
glass
and steel coffee table, with two white armchairs and a matching
loveseat. A
wide screen TV with a built in DVD player stood in the corner, and
various
paintings hung around the room. He walked over to the large glass
windows
and looked outside. It was still dark out, so he hadn't been
unconscious for
too long. He reached up to his face, and groaned slightly. Although his
wounds had been cleaned and dressed carefully, they were still sore and
open.
  "Good morning, sleepy head", A smooth, velvet-like voice said. The
sound
seemed to float across the room.
  Riley turned and looked for the owner of the voice, and found a
small,
blond, wearing a silky red dress that barely skimmed her legs, with a
modest
neckline. She had beautiful, almost angelic features, and a sweet,
seductive
smile. He immediately felt aware of his surroundings. The blond walked
toward him.
  "Welcome. My name is Darla. Can I get you something? A glass of
water?
Food?" Darla asked.
  Riley shook his head, and then stopped when he found it hurt. "Um,
no."
Riley eyed Darla carefully. For some reason, he could have sworn he had
seen
her before. Something about her was so familiar
  Darla smiled. "Are you sure? You've been unconscious for nearly four
hours, plus you took quite a beating. You need nourishment."
  Riley smiled politely. "No, thank you. Could you tell me, where I
am?"
  Darla sat down in one of the armchairs. "You, my dear boy, are
resting
soundly in Sunny Suites. No one here will hurt you."
  Riley strained his brain. "Wait, how did I get here?"
  "My, uh, friends and I brought you here. We found you being attacked
by a
vampire named William", she said. She smiled when she say the confusion
on
the boys handsome features. "You might know him better as Spike."
  Riley felt his blood boil. Spike
  "You were badly beaten, so my escort and I brought you here", Darla
continued. She examined the boy. He had a kind of innocence to him that
made
you want to take him under your wing. He was handsome, and well built,
and
had beautiful blue eyes that seemed to sparkle.
  "Hm, no wonder the Slayer liked him, and Angelus didn't", Darla
thought.
  Riley thought for a moment. He concentrated on her. There was
something
off about her. She looked innocent and fragile, but there was something
that
wasnt right. His blood seemed to hum with desire.
  Blood lust.
  Rileys eyes widened slightly. "You're a vampire", he said.
  Darla arched an eyebrow. "I am. I hope that won't be a problem."
  Riley sensed the power she possessed, and decided it wise not to try
to
start something. "No, not at all. I was just surprised."
  Darla could sense his fear and confusion. She loved it.
  "So, why did you pick me up?" Riley asked.
  "We have time for that later. Maybe you should rest", she said as she
got
up and walked toward the door. "I'll be back in a while. If you need
something, I'm in room 247", she said.
  Riley watched her back until she closed the door.
  "This is going to be too easy", Darla said as she walked back toward
her
room.
****************

  "Gee, Anya, maybe next time you talk about our sex life, you bring
color
photos for everyone", Xander said as he shut a book he was reading.
  "Actually, I still have those pictures from that one time in the
grocery
store "Anya said matter of factly.
  "Okay, thats a little too much. It's what we like to call an
overshare", Willow said. She put her Pagen book of Spells back and
went
around browsing.
  Buffy sat on the floor of the training room. "What had happened? Angel
was
being so cruel. So cold", he rivaled anything Angelus had ever put her
through. In fact, she had thought it was Angelus, and was relieved and
yet
heartbroken at the same time.
  Buffy frowned and stood up. She grabbed her boxing gloves and put
them on.
  "Well, if I'm going to be this pissed off, I might as well put some of
it
to good use", she thought.
  Buffy grunted as she hit the punching bag. Throwing her body weight
into
each of her punches, she hit with a force that nearly took the bag off
the
wall every time.
  "Ugh", she grunted as she stepped back and kicked it. Once. Twice.
Three times, she ducked her imaginary opponent and lashed out with a vicious
right hook.
  Willow stood by the door and watched her best friend work off her
excess
aggression. As soon as Buffy had walked into the Magic Shop, she had
felt
her aggravation and despair. Her aura practically steamed she was so
frustrated. She had no real idea why, but she did know that whatever it
was
was something that had to be helped. After all, with Glory and
everything
happening, they couldnt afford Buffy to be in any kind of mental
strain.
Besides, whats the use of having a best friend if they cant be of any
use
in a time of need?
  Willow decided she should probably get to the bottom of whatever was
bothering her.
  "Buffy? Um, do you, maybe, wanna go to the Coffee House? Get sugared
up on
mochas? My treat", Willow said as she approached the Slayer.
  Buffy turned around and gave her best friend a sad smile. She knew
what Will was trying to do, and she was thankful that she had a best friend
who actually cared, but right now, she needed time alone.
  "No thanks, Will. I think I just want to work out a bit. Thanks for
the
offer though", Buffy said. She turned back to the task at hand and
resumed
thrashing the punching bag.
  Willow tried again. "But, Buffy, youre going to wear yourself out. I
mean, at least come out with me and get all hyper and stuff, that way
you
can beat that punching bag to next Wednesday."
  Buffy turned back around. "No thanks. Maybe some other time."
  Willow frowned. "But"
  Buffy sighed and turned around, cutting her best friend off. "Look,
Will,
I know what youre trying to do, and I love you for it, but right now,
I
need some time to be alone."
  Willow stepped toward her. "I know you probably do, and I respect
that,
believe me, but I do know that if you, maybe, share with me, you'll
feel
better. Plus, you can get a free mocha."
  Buffy sighed. "Nothing is wrong, Will."
  "Um, are you sure?" Willow asked.
  Buffy punched the bag once more. "Yeah, why would you say that?" She
asked. She threw another left jab at the bag, and sent it flying across
the room.
  "Oh, no reason", Willow said.
  Buffy sighed and took off her gloves and threw them. She walked over
to the wall and braced herself against it. "It's Angel."
  Willow walked toward her. "What about him?"
  "He's in town", Buffy said.
  Willow wasnt exactly surprised. She had a feeling he was in town
since yesterday. It was just a feeling she couldnt shake. "Oh?"
  "Yeah. He said he had some business to take care of", Buffy said.
  "Oh, well that sounds reasonable enough."
  "No! It's NOT!" Buffy yelled suddenly. "It's not good! It's not
reasonable! There's no explanation!"
  "Buffy, what are you talking about?"
  Buffy sighed and forced herself to calm down. Her white t-shirt
heaved
with her breathing. She ran her hands against her leather pants. "He
beat up
Riley."
  Willow was even less shocked about this one. It was no secret Angel
hated
Riley, and the fact that he had cheated on Buffy must have infuriated
him.
  "And then, when I approached him about it, he was cold so distant,
and
bitter", Buffy said.
  Willow scrunched her brow. "What do you mean?"
  "He acted like he didn't care. Like taking care of Riley was just
another
one of his cases. For a moment I thought he was Angelus I'm not sure I
don't
wish he wasn't. At least then I'd have a real reason to stake him", she
said
sadly. She felt tears welling up behind her eyelids, and she didn't
stop
them from rolling down her cheeks.
  "Oh, Buffy" Willow said. She knew how hard Angel leaving her had hit
home, and just how much she suffered when she and Angel shared that
moment
of true happiness, therefore releasing Angelus. Seeing her best friend
go
through yet another Angel trauma made her feel awful.
  Buffy fell into Willow's open arms sobbing. "I dont get it! Why is
he
being this way? Why would he act like I was nothing?"
  Willow didnt say anything, she just stroked Buffys hair and held
her
while she cried.

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

  Spike ran through the cemeteries. At first, he was intent on finding
the
Scoobies and alerting them of the possible situation that had been
presented. But instead, he thought hed give Angel a heads up. After
all,
this was his case.
  "Angel! Where the hell are you, you bloody bastard?" Spike said. He
ran up
and down the streets. Soon, he caught sight of his grand sires pouncy
car.
  "They're here!" Spike panted as he approached his car.
  Angel repressed the urge to beat the shit out of Spike.
  "Who's here?"
  "Darla and Dru. Theyre here", Spike said. "They've followed you."
  Angel didnt panic. Instead, he did something that shocked Spike so
bad,
he was almost certain it was Angelus sitting in the car.
  Angel smirked. "Good."

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

  "I have to tell you, Darla, this plan was ingenious", Lindsey said as
he
rolled over in bed. Darla wrapped the sheet around her naked form and
walked
over to the bar.
  "Thank you. See, I told you that as long as you kept connections, I
would
keep my word and help you bring Angelus and his little bimbo to your
side",
she said.
  "Yeah. Do, how exactly did you plant the blood lust into Finns head?"
Lindsey asked sleepily.
  "Mm the same way I planted the seductive dreams in Angel's Corinthian
powder really is a wonderful thing", she said wistfully
as she resumed her position on the bed next to her lover.
  Lindsey sighed. "What happens if he resists your offers?" Lindsey
asked as
he gave her naked form a look over.
  Darla arched an eyebrow. "Oh, dont worry. By the time the End of
Days
rolls around, well have both Slayer and Vampire in our control."
  Lindsey smiled back as she straddled his legs and growing erection.
  She smiled wickedly as she slowly sank down on his hardness, her face
a
mask of ecstasy. "You'll see."

Darla moved silently through the hallway of the hotel. She pressed
her
lithe body against the door of Rileys room.
  "I should go. I should go", Riley thought as he paced back and forth.
He
ran a hand through his hair, and winced when it made contact with a
bloody
wound, matted with hair.
  He stopped and thought. Spike did him so much damage. If Spike could
kick
him around the block a few times, and this Darla was enough to incite
some
kind of fear in him, then she was obviously someone who had power.
Enough
power to make Spike scared. And frankly, as much as Riley hated the
bastard,
very few things scared Spike.
  Riley grabbed his torn black shirt from the chair he had laid it
across
and pulled it over his head, cringing a little. He pulled on his shoes
and
walked toward the door.
  "I'm getting out of here," he said as he turned the knob.
  "Good. You're awake. I wanted a word with you", Darla said as she
gave him
a sweet smile.
  Riley froze. He could almost feel the darkness radiating off of her.
"Yeah. I was looking f-for you."
  Darla smiled knowingly. "I'm sure you were. Follow me," she said as
she
turned on her red pump clad heel and walked toward another door.
  Riley followed. He knew that if he tried to escape, shed probably
run him
down before he could even reach the elevator down the hall. He sighed,
and
followed her into a room a few doors down.
  "Riley, this is my associate, Lindsey", Darla said as Lindsey
stretched
out a hand to him. Riley shook it and smiled tightly.
  "Hi," Riley said.
  "Hello, Riley. Weve been expecting you", Lindsey said.
  Riley nodded and looked down. He noticed the man named Lindsey only
had
one hand, and where his other hand should have been, was an artificial
hand
made of cream-colored plastic. Riley forced himself not to stare too
long.
Instead, he dragged his eyes up to Darlas.
  "A friend of yours is responsible for this", Lindsey said. Riley
almost
blushed when he realized Lindsey knew he was looking at his hand.
  "A friend of mine"
  "Yes."
  Riley was genuinely confused. Could the Initiative have been
responsible
for this?
  "Who?" Riley asked.
  Lindsey scowled. "Angel", he spat out.
  Riley felt his insides clench. "Hes' no friend of mine! " Riley said
much
louder than intended. "He's the one who did this to me! Before Spike!"
  Darla's eyes seemed to glow for a moment. "Angel did this to you, "
she
repeated.
  "Yeah. Because of Buffy."
  The light in Darla's eyes went out immediately. "Buffy", Darla said.
Her
lips curled slightly at the corners. She could never forget, nor
forgive
Angelus for deserting her for thatimmature, self-centered cheerleader.
  "You know Buffy " Riley asked. Even though he was heart broken, he
still
loved Buffy, and anything that might put her in harm was something he
had to
protect her against.
  "Vaguely", Darla replied. Her eyes took a faraway look for a moment,
and
then they refocused on Rileys face.
  Riley was once again confused, but he kept his mouth shut.
  "Riley, let me get straight to the point. We think that Buffy and her
little gang are up to something. Something that might concern Wolfram
and
Hart, the firm I work for," Lindsey said as he leaned forward in his
chair.
  "Like what?" Riley asked.
  Lindsey and Darla exchanged glances. "Things that might have serious
consequences if not handled properly."
  Riley kept silent.
  "We have an offer. A deal, of sorts. You will be helping us
tremendously,
and we will be helping you as well", Lindsey said.
  "Helping me?" Riley asked. His dark brow tightened in confusion.
  "We know about youraffair with the vampires. We know what happened
between you and Buffy", Darla said.
  Riley swallowed hard. His palms became sweaty and the mention of not
Buffy, but the vampires. He could feel their blood still swirling
around in
his veins, and the desire that curled its way into the pit of his
stomach
and the aching throbbing of his hard on.
  Darla smiled. She could smell the effect his renewed bloodlust was
having
on him. It was marvelous. She could hear his heart quicken and his
blood
take on an undertone of sexual desire. She walked over to Riley and
leaned
forward.
  "We can help you get her back", Darla whispered in his ear.
  Riley shivered involuntarily at the hiss of her voice in his ear. He
felt
his already fueled desire kick up a notchor ten.
  But underneath that, he felt something else. He felt a slight tinge
of
hope. Hope that he and Buffy might find a way to be together, and that
he
might have her heart AND soul.
  "What do you want me to do?" Riley asked through clenched teeth. Even
Lindsey noticed how the boy kept himself under rigid control. He
smiled.
  Darla might have gone a little strong with the Corinthian Powder, he
thought.
  "All you have to do is stay in their good graces, and come and see us
if
they're planning anythingthat might be of use to us", Darla said. She
let
her blond hair fall over his shoulder. Riley almost lost control as the
scent of her golden hair wafted in his direction. He wanted so badly to
run
his hands through her hair, and press his own lips against her red,
luscious
ones.
  That fact alone scared him.
  He forced his mind away from his sudden awakening of desire to
consider
the happenings that were taking place.
  Could Wolfram and Hart have the power to MAKE Buffy love him? And if
they
did, what were the consequences? Is it possible that they could be
plotting
against Buffy, and they might harm her or her friends in some way? He
remembered how both Darla and Lindsey acted when Buffys name was
brought
up. It would be selfish to put Buffy, or someone else, in danger for
reasons
that werent one hundred percent.
  But
  But the results could be wonderful. Yes, he was angry at Buffy for
leading
him on, and to be totally oblivious to her feelings toward Angel, but
he
still loved her. Even though very slim, there was still a chance that
Darla
could be telling the truth, and the fact made his hopes grow high. Even
though slim, it was still a chance
  "You want me to spy on Buffy and her friends", Riley stated.
  Darla walked back over to Lindseys chair and sat on the arm. "If
thats
what you want to call it. I like to think of it as, a reuniting between
the
Slayer and her new found love."
  Riley was through with decisions. Even though his logical mind
screamed
no, the part of his heart, his soul, his EVERYTHING that still belonged
to
Buffy rejoiced.
  "When do I start?" Riley asked.

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

  Angel walked through the dusty living room of the mansion. It was
still
the same. Barely anything had been disturbed. The heavy, blue curtains
still
hung along the walls to block the sunlight. The tables, the furniture,
the
fireplace everything was exactly as it was almost two years ago.
  He ran a hand over the glass table and drew a pattern in the dust
that had
settled there.
  Suddenly, he stopped. Someone, or something, was gracing him with
their
presence.
  "How thoughtful," Angel thought bitterly.
  He turned and walked toward the dark curtains slowly. He
automatically
switched to stealth mode, and moved silently, gracefully, almost
cat-like
toward the curtains.
  He reached out one hand and yanked the curtains back.
  "Oh, um hi", Buffy said as she brought her hand up to her chest. He
had
startled her, even though part of her knew he was there all along.
  "What do you want", Angel said flatly.
  Buffy kept a neutral face, even though her insides were slowly
turning to
ice. "What, I'm not allowed to wonder around in MY town?" She asked
flippantly.
  She knew Angel would back down after he had made such a big deal
about her
being in HIS town only a year before.
  "Is there something I can help you with", Angel said just as dully as
before.
  Buffy brushed past him and walked into the large living room. She
looked
down at the pattern he had drawn. It was an intricate circle with
little
curly-cues poking out here and there. Buffy shuddered. She blinked for
a
moment, and then looked again. She could have sworn she saw eyes
staring up
at her.
  She turned and looked at him. "Actually, you can," she said.
  Angel remained silent.
 " I called Cordy in L.A. She said something was up", Buffy said. Angel
sighed, annoyed, and walked past her, going to stand at the fireplace.
  "It seems shes quite the little chatterbox lately", He snarled.
  Buffy frowned. "Angel, she's worried about you. All of them are.
Wesley,
Gunn what happened?"
  Angel scoffed. "What, Cordelia didnt explain everything that
happened?
How I turned evil? How I turned my back on the ones I'm supposed to
give a
damn about?"
  Buffy stepped forward. "She told me about the lawyers about what
happened
in the cellar about Darla "Buffy said.
Angel smirked. " ", he said.
  Buffy flinched. "Why did you do it"
 " Why not?" Angel asked nastily. "The world is full of evil, I might
as
well become a part of it, right?" Angel asked. He stepped forward and
pointed to his chest. "The souls still there", Buffy. "I can feel it.
And it
wasnt the demon that wanted it, Buffy...it was the man. The soul. And
now,
it wont rest until Darla's dust is at the bottom of my feet."
  Buffy reached out with her soul. She could feel its presence as well,
and
that scared her more than anything. Had Angel really wanted to kill
them?
Even though they were evil, they were still human beings, and now their
blood was marked on his soul for eternity.
  Angel stepped forward so he could feel her quickened breath against
his
face. Buffy wanted to step back, but found herself rooted to the spot.
  "Leave, Buffy. There's nothing you, or anyone else, can do."
  Buffy stood her ground. "I won't accept that."
  Angel leaned in. Buffy closed her eyes for a moment.
  "You're going to have to", Angel replied. He watched Buffy's eyes
open,
and saw the despair written in them. Before she could reply, he had
walked
up the stairs to his bedchamber.
  Buffy was left alone in the giant living room of the mansion.

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

 " I called Wesley. They will be here in a matter of hours", Giles
said.
  Willow frowned. "What do you think happened to Angel? I mean, Buffy
told
me about the lawyers, and Darla, but it really just doesnt make any
sense."
  Spike closed a book and sat it down on the table of the Magic Shop.
He
faced Giles and Willow. "It makes perfect sense", he said as he turned
to
retrieve another.
  "I beg your pardon?" Giles asked.
  "Youre excused", Spike replied. He didnt have to look up from his
book
to know the Watcher was glaring at him. Spike looked up. He finally
realized that it was better to be bad so he decided to start with a few
pesky lawyers.
  "Spike, it was like, fourteen of them", Willow said.
  Spike shrugged. "Two, fourteen, does it make a difference? They were
evil
anyway. The world is better off without them."
  "Despite the fact that they were evil, Angel locked them in a wine
cellar
with Darla and Druscilla without a care in the world."
  Spikes book fell from his hands. "Drus' back?"
  Giles sighed. "Yes."
  Spike smirked. "My girl just couldnt stay away from me, thats it."
  "No, I'm pretty sure she came after Angel," Willow said with a smile.
  Spike glared.
  "Oh, what, youre going to hit me or something?" Willow asked.
  "If you had some demon blood in ya, I might", Spike said.
  Giles looked up. "What?"
  Spike smiled to himself. "Yeah, I popped Soldier Boy a few, before
that
whore called Darla showed up", he said.
  Giles removed his glasses. "Really? Thats fascinating."
  "Yeah, Angel said it had something to do with the fact that he drank
from
the vampires", Spike said.
  Giles and Willow both exchanged a look of disgust.
  "Oh, come on now. After all this time on the Hellmouth, you've never
fancied a taste?" Spike asked with a smile."
  "No, thanks," Willow said. She held her stomach. "Thats gross.
  "It most certainly is NOT. Its life! Thats why we drink it! Duh, "
Spike
said.
  Willow frowned. "Right."
  "Yeah. Well, The bugger has been letting them feed him. What kind of
an
idiot would do" Spike started. He trailed off with a gleam in his eye.
  "What?" Giles asked.
  "Hey, guys," Buffy said wearily as she walked through the door.
  Spike smiled and walked over to her. He didn't say one word before he
pulled back his arm to hit her
  And encountered blinding pain.
  "What the hell? Did you, or did you not drink for Dracula?" Spike
asked,
as he held his head in his arms.
   Buffy gasped. "You know about that?"
  "Well DUH! I can only smell his blood in your veins! "Spike said as
he
looked at her through squinted eyes.
  "Buffy, you drank?" Willow asked.
  Buffy blushed. "I-I dont knowI mean, I dont remember how it
happened All I remember it the smell and the incredible ache in my
stomach"
  "You were under his thrall," Giles said.
  "Yeah, I guess," Buffy said nonchalantly.
  Giles "hmm"ed.
  "What the fuck are you hmming about?" Spike asked as he shook his
head.
  "Well, if you could hit Riley when he WASN'T under the, uh, thrall of
anyone, and you cant because Buffy was, maybe" Giles said.
  "If someone accepts a demons blood willingly, I can beat the shit
outta
em," Spike said.
  "Uh, precisely", Giles said.
  "Interesting," Willow said.

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

  Lindsey and Darla listened to the conversation going on in the Magic
Box
through a hidden microphone on Spikes duster that Darla planted while
Spike
was unconscious.
  "Wait, wasnt Riley under your thrall" Lindsey asked.
  Darla smiled. "He wasn't under any thrall, Lindsey darling. I didn't
throw
him at the vampires, I simply planted the idea in his head."
  "Whats the difference?" Lindsey asked.
  Darla sighed. "The difference is that Blondie had someone else in her
head
telling her to drink. Dracula" Darla said. She arched an eyebrow at
the
thought of the Dark Prince. Her eyes took another far away look for a
moment, and she smiled. Then, she came back to the future. "I wasn"t
TELLING
anyone to do anything. I simply presented the door to him. He was the
one
who stepped willingly through it."
  Lindsey smiled. "You are bad."
  Darla kissed him. T"hank you," she said as she nipped at his lips.

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

  Angel stood in the alley across from the Magic Shop. He knew she
could
feel him. Just like he could feel her. There was no way she couldn't.
Angel
turned and walked back into the darkness of the alley.

  Darla stopped kissing Lindsey. She looked into the darkness of the
streets
and frowned. She was sure she could feel something.

  Buffy turned and looked out the window. She searched the streets.
Something inside of her had stirred. Something that left her fingers
tingling. She sighed, and tuned back into the conversation.

Darla shook her head to clear it.
  "Is there something wrong?" Lindsey said as he started walking toward
their car.
  Darla frowned. "Um, no. I just I think I need to feed."
  Lindsey smiled. "We'll get you something someone to eat on the way
back."
  Darla forced a smile. Inside, her head was muddled. Something inside
of
her was touched, something deep. It almost caused a slight tinge of
physical
pain, what ever is was. All she knew was that she now had an
excruciating
need for blood. Now.
  Darla sat back into the leather seat of the car. She shook her head
one
more time, and refocused on the task at hand.
  "They're on their way", Lindsey said as he pulled out of the dark
alley in
which the Mustang was hidden.
 " Mm, I know. I told you once a call was made, it was just a matter of
time
before the Angel Ass-Kissing Squad would follow", she said.
  "Yeah. Looks like everything is going just as it should", he said.
  Darla looked out the window into the darkness. "Yes, it seems that
way."
  However well thought out the plan was, Darla couldn't shake the
feeling
that something was going to happen. Something big.
  She sighed and stared out the window, once again ignoring the pain in
her
stomach that cried for blood.

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

  Buffy rubbed her forehead. "What was that?"
  "Buffy, are you all right?" Giles asked as he walked toward her.
  "Oh, yeah. I thinkI think I'm hungry", she replied.
  Giles pointed toward the counter. "There are some chocolate bars
behind
the counter, help yourself."
  Buffy smiled. "Thanks. What are you doing with chocolate anyway?
Dont you
know they rot your teeth?"
  "Yes, well, rather my teeth than my brain, although I fear living on
the
Hellmouth is taking its toll on that as well", he replied.
  Buffy grabbed a chocolate bar and took a large bite. Within seconds,
she
had downed the entire thing and was reaching for another.
  "Buffy, why didn't you say you drank from Dracula?" Willow asked.
  Buffy took another large bite of her caramel bar. "I don't know, it
just
didn't seem all that important at the time. I mean, with Glory and
everything"
  Willow nodded and continued looking through a book. "We've been
looking
through the books for stuff on Glory. We haven't found anything yet."
  Buffy smiled sadly. "I don't think we will. You remember what Tara
said.
Something old. So old, it predates history." She took another bite and
threw
the wrapper in the garbage before reaching for her third bar. "By the
way,
where is Tara?"
  Willow blushed slightly. "Oh, we were up really late last night, um,
studying, so she decided to get in a couple extra hours of sleep."
  Spike scoffed. "Studying, aye? Thats what you crazy kids are calling
it
now-a-days?"
  Willow blushed a deep scarlet and shoved her face back into her book.
Buffy shot Spike a withering glance.
  "What? You know they werent studying just as well as I do. Its just
sad
she can't admit to it", Spike said.
  "If Willow says they were studying, then they were", Buffy said
sternly.
  Spike smiled. "Yeah. Right." Spike looked over at Willow who was
still
staring at her book. "Dancing the horizontal tango last night, were
ya?"
  Willow shot her head up and glared at him. "Spike, shut up. Its none
of
your business if we were doing anything, which we WEREN'T."
  Spike just smiled at the reaction he had received. It was just too
easy to
get the tight ass Scoobies to get pissed off. Just too easy.
  Buffy grabbed for her 5th bar, frowning at herself.
  "I'm going to get fat", Buffy thought as she took another bite, but the
chocolate, however good, was just not enough. There was a giant gaping
hole
in her stomach that just couldnt be filled, and damned if she knew
why.
  "Buffy, have you had contact with Angel lately?" Giles asked from the
training room.
  Buffys stomach tied into a knot. "Oh, um, yeah, actually. I went to
the
mansion to see if maybe Dru and Darla have moved in, and lo and behold,
Angel has taken up residence."
  "Really? So he intends on staying?" Giles asked.
  Buffy shrugged. "Looks like."
  "I knew he couldnt resist seeing his sire again", Spike said from
the
corner. He lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. "Always was a sucker for
blondes."
  Buffy exerted all her Slayer strength to resist from beating Spike to
a
bloody pulp. "Thats not why he's here", she said through gritted
teeth.
  Spike sensed the anger and aggression, and was slightly surprised. He
didn't think she really cared that much about his poof of a grandsire.
"It
really shouldnt have been that big of a surprise", Spike thought. He
always
was one to win over the girls. Spike could still sense the predator
protection toward Angel, and could have sworn he smelled something
almost
primitive wafting from her direction.
  Mate.
  The same scent that had penetrated the night air while Angel beat
Riley
into the ground.
  Spike had remembered just how fierce Angel was while he reeked of
primal
force and decided it best not to push Buffy. Not only was Buffy
stronger
than Angel, but she also had the emotional edge over him.
  Spike had sensed the cold, distant-like feelings in his grandsire,
and if
that single instinct that screamed, mate in trouble could push an
uncaring
bugger to do what he did to Soldier Boy, he didnt even want to try to
imagine the things that Buffy, an almost pure source of emotions, could
do
under the influence.
  "Somethings different about him", Buffy said. She forced herself to
calm
down a bit. She knew that Spike was no doubt thinking up some smart ass
comment about she and Angel, and she was glad he didnt pursue it. Now
was
not the time for it.
  "Yeah, I got the gist of that too", Spike said. He recalled when he
had
told Angel that Darla was in town, and the sheer shock he had
experienced
when he saw the look of almost happiness and revenge in Angels eyes.
"When
I first realized that Darla was in town", he had this look
  "What kind of look?" Giles asked.
 " An Angelus look", Spike replied. He cringed at the memory of
Angelus.
  Giles removed his glasses and rubbed them on his shirt.
  Buffy stared off. She had been trying to forget how cold and
insensitive
he had been. He was so dark and empty, like he had lost his passion for
living, well, not living, but being. Like he had lost his way. It was
almost
scary. "The creepage factor was present", she decided.
  "He just lost it," Spike said, interrupting her thoughts.
  I"nteresting. Well, Wesley and Cordelia should be arriving shortly,
so
perhaps they may be able to fill us in on what happened to Angel",
Giles
said.
  "Oh, and maybe they know something about Glory that could be useful,"
Willow added.
  Buffy nodded. "Yeah. They might be able to help us out with the whole
Glory ordeal."
  Willow sighed. "Maybe you should go home, Buffy. I mean, its been a
long
day. You need some rest."
  Buffy shrugged. "I'll be okay, but I should get gone anyway. I want
to do
a quick patrol to see if I can get anything from Glorys minions."
  Willow nodded. "Okay, call me tomorrow."
  "Bye, guys", Buffy called as she walked out the door.

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

  Angel watched her leave the Magic Shop. She stood outside of the door
for
a moment, and pulled on her black leather jacket over her white tank.
She
pulled her hair into a quick pony tail, then continued on her way.
  He followed close behind, watching her from a safe distance. He
followed
her quietly through Sunny Rest. She sat down in front of a giant oak
tree
and waited.
  Moments of silence past as Angel watched the young woman play idly
with
her stake.
  Angel had not known what exactly had possessed him to follow her
through
the town on patrol, but he hadnt really given it a second thought.
Instead,
he fell into the steps he knew so well.
  He stalked her.
  Angel stood silently behind another large oak, almost 50 yards away.

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

  Buffy stopped playing with her stake and tossed it down. She had come
to
appreciate graveyards. They were quiet, and had an eerie calmness that
enveloped everything. Sometimes she would come out just to sit and
think.
Occasionally there would be a vampire to stake, but usually she could
just
sit for hours and think.
  When she was younger, she would think about her future, and about how
slaying took up so much of her time. Now-a-days she reminisced about
the
nights when she would lie in her lovers strong arms and talk about the
latest gossip in high school.
  Lately, her mind had been consumed with grief. First her momthen her
sisterthen Riley, and Glorywhen did it all stop? Was there an actual
ending to the madness, or would it just keep on steadily flowing like a
river? Buffy felt the usual tears well up in her eyes, and made no move
to
stop them from flowing down her face in streams. She sniffled and
leaned
back against the tree.

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

  Angel had to stop himself from walking over and taking her into his
arms
and wiping the tears that sprung from her eyes away. It wasnt that he
cared
particularly, he decided, it was out of habit. Yes, thats it. Habit.
But
even Angel couldnt pretend that seeing Buffy again hadnt sprung a
leak in
the dam he had built around himself. She was still Buffy, still his
mate,
but there was something else.
  She needed help.
  Buffy had never been one to ask for help, but she needed it now more
than
ever. He could smell the frustration and anger and extreme sadness that
flowed from her like a current of strong water. The part that really
irritated him, was that no one else seemed to notice, or to care.
Someone
should be helping herher friends, someone. What about Giles Riley? One
of
the reasons he had gone after Riley, although he didn't really think
about
it at the time, was that Buffy was going through the hardest time in
her
life. Not only was she just becoming a woman and understanding what
that
meant in general, but she had done it with her mother hospitalized, her
sister not being her sister, and a hell god riding on her. And what was
Soldier Boy doing? Fucking some vampire whores in a dirty warehouse.
  Then again, you werent exactly Joe-Im-here-for-you either. You were
busy
hunting down your sire and your deranged child, his conscience, however
muffled, reminded him.
  Angel snarled softly. He couldnt believe that all this new found
turmoil
was caused by just two confrontations with Buffy.
  Disgusted with himself, and with a new sense of darkness and
uncaring,
Angel turned and walked away with a swish of his duster.

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

  Buffy exhaled the breath she had been holding. She knew he was there
the
entire time. She could feel him in her gut. She was wondering how long
he
would wait and watch her before he got bored and left.
  Bored with mejust like every other guy in my life, Buffy thought
bitterly.
  Buffy wiped away her tears and leaned against the tree, her slayer
instincts telling her that she only had a few more hours before
sunrise.

***********

  Darla paced through the living room of the mansion. Dru had said that
this
might be where her boy was living. Well, she hadnt exactly said it
straight
forward, hence her insanity, but she had hinted it. Darla walked by the
fireplace and stopped.
  He was on his way back.
  She smiled and sat down on the leather couch. Everything was going
well.
Perfectly.
  She laughed a little. And to think, it all started with one simple
boy
with a blood lust and a jealousy that drove him toward the darkness.
  She knew just what would happen next. Angel's little posse would come
to
Sunnydale, and try to convince Angel to come back into the light.
  Then, Darla would pick them off.
  One. By. One.
  It was almost too easy. After all, they WERE just humans, and in her
short
lived time as a human, she realized just how weak and pathetic they
really
were.
  Darla grinned coldly into the fire that blazed in the hearth. Then,
once
all of the pesky humans were gone, both Slayer and Vampire would come
willingly to the side of Wolfram and Hart, and the game would be won.
Over.
  Darla smiled. No, she would have some fun along the way. Make things
interesting. After all, they WERE only humans. What possible harm could
they
do to a plan that was in the works for over two decades?
  She heard someone coming up the path toward the mansion, and she
rested
back into the couch.
  "Get out", Angel said as he walked inside, not sparing even a glance
at
his sire.
  Darla mock pouted. "Not even a kiss for mommy?"
  Angel laughed coldly and turned around. "Darla, the next time I kiss
you,
it'll be goodbye."
  Darla stood. "Yes, that may very well be, but it will your dust that
settles under my feet, not vice versa."
  Angel growled.
  Darla turned in a circle, admiring the large living room. "It's
strange.
You came all this way just to track down me", she said. She looked over
at
him and walked seductively toward him, her hands smoothing out the
creases
in her silky red dress.
  Angel walked over to her and brought his face so close to hers, her
unnecessary breath caressed his face.
  "No, honey, I came all this way to help that cheerleader you adore so
much. Killing you its nothing but a perk", he said with a cold smirk.
  Darla growled. "Stop trying to pretend. I can smell the indifference
on
you. You came here to kill me."
  Angel chuckled darkly. "Believe what you want. The truth is the
truth."
  Angel turned and walked back toward the stairs in which he was
heading.
"Don't let the sunlight toast you on your way out."
  Darla watched him ascend the stairs then she walked out of the
mansion.
  "Oh, no, my boy. We'll see who has the last laugh." Darla got in
Lindseys
expensive car and drove away.