Buffy stepped out of the Bronze and looked around. Her irritation levels continued to rise at not finding whatever it was she was searching for.

Buffy's slayer sense had been zinging out of whack since that thing with Xander and Spike had happened.

~Later, I'll think about that later. Right now I need to focus on finding this mutant-vamp and dust his ass~

Every time she thought she was onto something Buffy came up empty. Walking along the street, she tried to recall exactly what had shocked through her when she entered the Harris home. Unknown to the slayer, she'd crossed Nomac's path at the exact moment he'd been about to attack Xander.

Calling up that feeling, the young slayer let it wash through her, flooding her awareness until it was as recognizable as her own awareness of self. It was much more intense than the normal vamp-alert she got whenever a vampire entered her radius.

Buffy let it pull and direct her into an alley. She moved down the dimly lit passage making faces at the rats and other gross things scampering from shadow to shadow. In the farthest corner she found a minion-reaper feeding on what looked like a young co-ed. She recognized what used to be the guy in the row in front of hers in Economics & Business Admin. Lab.

"Hey! Why don't you pick on somebody who can kick your ass back?!" Buffy yelled and lunged forward.

The minion-reaper tossed the bloodless corpse of his girlfriend to the dirty alley floor and turned on the slayer.

"*Skeessss*Food*Skeessss*" the thing hissed as it jumped at the blonde.

Already in the air, Buffy rolled herself into a tight ball and slammed into the creature. They both crashed to the ground and Buffy rolled to a stop near the lifeless body.

"Ughh, Poor thing, hope they give you a closed-casket funeral. *Brrr*," and then she was surging to her feet as the creature rushed her again.

This time Buffy grabbed the lid from a nearby trashcan and slammed it into the monster's face. She followed that stunning blow with a crippling kick to the kneecap then spun to slam her elbow into the side of the creature's head.

The minion-reaper was able to dodge the elbow jab and slammed a quick punch into Buffy's lower right side. They fought ferociously in the confines of the alley. The slayer was having a hard time keeping the thing from doing serious damage as she fought back with everything she had.

All of her blows were either blocked or ineffectual and she wasn't able to move fast enough in the tight space to escape the incredibly strong kicks and punches that got past her defenses.

In her angered state of mind the slayer had rushed into the fight without drawing her stake and now she regretted that mistake. Buffy wondered how she could have done something she was always calling Xander a careless idiot for.

She experienced a sever doubt in her ability and real fear raced through her when her next blow was stopped. The mutant-vampire gripped her wrist and slammed Buffy against the closest building. Stars exploded behind her eyes when her head struck the hard concrete of the wall and her ears were filled with the sound of bones breaking in her arm.

Buffy almost fell into panic when the creature's face split from lips to chin and something, think pink and slimy, snaked out and blossomed into an orchid of fangs inches from her face.

"NO" Buffy roared in denial, everything she was came out in that voice like it had that time in the Magic Box - full of projected slayer power. Buffy's voice washed through the alley like a wave, sending ripples before it and leaving devastation in its wake. The creature wavered as if it were no longer solid and then fell apart in grisly chunks of putrid and decaying flesh. The grey-mottled chunks melted and oozed around her feet and Buffy staggered backward against a vibrating wall.

"So totally gross!"

The voice of power raged down the alley, up the sides of the buildings, and into the sky, blowing through the night like a gust of wind as it dissipated. Vampires near the immediate area ran cringing and covering their sensitive ears at the sound. Several vampires inside one of the nearest buildings suffered the same fate as the minion-reaper, only much faster.

Shell-shocked and in serious pain, Buffy stumbled from the alley and stagger-ran to the Magic Box to inform Giles of what had just happened.

~~~~~

~~~~~

Giles was trying to Convince Buffy to go to the hospital and have her arm x-rayed and properly set in a cast when the door to the Magic Box was slammed open again, this time by a terrified Tara.

~Well the glass is already broken so I'm not going to worry about it~

"Tara!" they both yelled in surprise.

"Buffy! Thank-goddess you're here! Please come quick hurry, hurry!" Tara was hysterical and kept casting glances over her shoulder.

"What! What is it?!" Giles was asking while trying to keep Buffy from barging past him.

"Willow! Vampires, I think. Something, just please hurry!"

"Giles Let GO of me," Buffy yelled and shoved past him to race out the door behind the blonde witch.

Giles grabbed one of the patrol kits and ran out after them. The two young women were half a block ahead of him and Giles wondered where Buffy was getting the energy, she'd been close to passing out with exhaustion and pain when she'd staggered into the store only minutes ago.

Giles rounded the corner and crashed to a stop, sending Buffy and Tara stumbling forward several steps. His mouth fell open and he quickly resettled his glasses to make sure he was seeing what he was looking at.

Willow stood in the middle of the street. The witch stood in the center of a glowing pentagram floating several inches above the asphalt. There were a dozen minion-reapers hissing and snarling as they shuffled back and forth trying to get at the witch.

Giles watched, awestruck, as Willow threw her hands up in front of her to ward off another attack. The satchel fell from his limp fingers as he took in the sight of flames spitting and hissing as they rushed out of Willow's hands to consume the airborne creature.

"Willow! Behind you!" Buffy yelled. Her power voice rippled through the ring around the witch destroying several of the creatures while others turned and fled.

"Bastards!" Willow screamed in anger. Her hands slapped another wash of the deadly red and green flames into the ones too slow in their retreat.

The air was filled with horrible wails as the monsters caught fire. Flames burst from their eyes nose ears and mouths as they screamed from within the flame until they burned away leaving oily stains of residue in the air.

"What the hell is going on?" Giles asked again as Buffy slumped against him and finally passed out.

Tara raced to meet Willow who was running toward the trio. The two girls hugged each other tightly and then Willow moved back to hold her girlfriend at arms length.

"Are you okay, did any of them touch you?" Willow demanded with fire in her eyes.

"No, no I'm fine." Tara decided now was not the time to question her girlfriend, she would have to wait and do it later when Willow seemed more less angry. Right now she was more interested in making sure Willow was alright.

Tara had been terrified and torn when Willow had told her to run. The two had been on their way to the Magic Box to check in with Giles before heading home. Willow was worried about Xander and wanted to know if either he or Spike had called.

When the first creature had crept out from the shadows Willow had told Tara to hurry and get either Giles or Buffy while she kept the creature distracted. Tara hadn't wanted to leave but Willow had convinced her and the other girl found herself racing around the corner and into the shop screaming hysterically.

~~~~~

~~~~~

Watchful eyes burned from the shadows and alleys as the four humans slowly made their way from the area. They watched as Giles swung the unconscious slayer into his arms and urged Willow and Tara to hurry.

Nomac stepped from his hiding place and watched the tail-lights of Giles' hospital bound car fade away. He looked around and hissed. Several of the glowing eyes blinked out and vanished, a few others shuffled forward groveling and sniveling as they came to kneel at their master's feet.

Nomac let his black gaze sweep over his growing army and smiled. He hissed once more and cracked the asphalt where Willow had been floating. The ground buckled and rose up in chunks and the minion-reapers cringed and moaned in terror and fear.

"Do not fail me again," Nomac snarled and then turned and vanished into the dark.

*****
Part 7:

*****
POV: Spike
*****

"In a hurry, pet?" Spike asked as he watched Xander check his watch for the fourth time.

"No," the mortal replied as he looked up, "why?"

"You keep checking the time," Spike commented. They were standing outside the airport so the vampire could have a smoke. There was a mild wind and Xander moved to stand on Spike's opposite side when he blew a stream of smoke into the air.

"Just want to make sure we're not late is all."

Xander moved to change sides again as Spike turned to face him.

"Jeez, Spike knock it off," Xander said in irritation as he moved yet again. No matter which side the young man stood on, he was getting the full benefit of Spike's cigarette smoke blown in his face.

"Cor whelp, wot's your problem now? You keep bouncing from side to side like a damn jackrabbit or summat. Be still."

"Because you keep blowing your smoke in my direction," Xander snapped getting fed up. He cocked his head and grinned.

"Wot? Summat funny pet?"

"Hmmm, yep," Xander breathed as he reached towards the cigarette dangling from the corner of Spike's mouth. "This," and Xander flicked the cigarette as hard as he could, sending it flipping through the air to land in the gutter.

"Damn-it Harris, that was me last smoke!" Spike snapped at Xander.

Xander's grin turned into a smirk, twitched back into a grin and then he snickered. Spike glared at the mortal in consternation. On the one hand he wanted to smack Xander right upside his shaggy head and on the other, Spike wanted to tangle his fingers in that dark wind-blown tangle of shagginess and just kiss Xander until he couldn't think straight.

~Hmmm~

Xander pointedly looked at his watch again. "Quit whining you can get more inside... her flight lands when?"

Spike muttered to himself.

"Eh, what'd you say I can't hear you?" Xander asked in a terribly old and nasal tone while cupping his hand at his ear and leaning in toward Spike as if he were hard of hearing. "Speak up."

~I should do it, just grab the arrogant little pain in the ass and plaster a sloppy wet one right on that damnable mouth~

Spike made a growling noise and Xander jerked back. His brown eyes were wide with uncertainty as he remembered that Spike was no longer hampered by the chip.

The vamp had already proven his willingness to deal with anyone who tried to cross him now. He'd knocked the slayer in her place without a second thought. Spike *really* wanted to smash Buffy's nose around to the other side of her head - after he'd broken her neck. Too bad he seemed to have a conscious these days and actually cared about how Xander would take it if he started killing the boy's friends.

Spike grinned at Xander's reaction, adding to the boy's uncertainty. "Still funny, pet?"

Xander didn't answer; he just glared at Spike then checked the time again.

"10:50 p.m., flight 1147 North West."

"Gee thanks ever so much," Xander said sarcastically and turned in the direction of the airport entrance. He stopped at the automatic doors and turned back to see why Spike wasn't following. "Hey you, come on," Xander called back. When Spike still made no move to follow him Xander turned and went back. "What's the matter now?"

"Just realized summat, pet."

"Oh, and that would be?"

"I can't go in there, at least not with you."

"What's that supposed to mean, and stop calling me that. I'm not your pet."

Spike smirked. "Xander, this place has *security* doesn't it, not like Sunnydale."

"And this means?"

"They're probably checking i.d. twerp which I don't have any of."

"Oh. Damn, I hadn't thought of that."

They were silent a minute then Xander spoke again.

"So what are we gonna do? I could go alone but I don't know what this woman looks like so that's not gonna be too helpful."

"I said I couldn't go in with you, didn't say I couldn't go in pet. You run inside and find out what gate the flight lands at, then come tell me. I'll find me own way in and meet ya there, right."

Xander was pretty dubious but he went inside and found an information monitor. He checked the arriving flights then went back out to tell Spike the gate number and that the fight was on schedule then went back inside to face the long wait in the security check lines with everyone else.

Once Xander had gone inside Spike looked around and then up at the building. He grinned when he caught the movement of a plane circling for landing overhead. He began walking toward the end of the long complex, planning his entry in his head along the way. First he'd slip behind the building and use his vampiric abilities to get over the gate and the grounds. From there he'd make his way in through the baggage handling areas and into up to meet Xander.

~Piece of cake~

Things weren't going smoothly. His attention kept getting pulled away by the strong smells of blood right under his nose. Even though he wasn't hungry, Spike was salivating at the scents. He had to focus on self restraint now that he was no longer crippled. His urge to drain only got stronger when a woman in a fur coat viciously banged her luggage cart into him.

"Stand some place else and having a drooling fit, like in the middle of the road, you freak."

He'd appeased his anger over the insult by draining the stupid marine who decided to follow Spike and then jab the muzzle of his M-16 in the vampires back while Spike stood contemplating the gate separating him from the runways on the other side.

"Freeze, asshole, and put your hands where I can see them!" the over-zealous misfortunate barked.

A cold wave of fear paralyzed Spike, casting him back into his memories of the Initiative and what he'd suffered at their hands. In unchecked fury Spike spun to face the soldier, his bomber-jacket flapping in the air from the swift and sudden movement. The man's mouth dropped open in shock and fear as he stared into the vampire's demonic visage.

Spike's game-face was cast in eerily illuminated shadow from the lights overhead. His eyes burned amber, shimmering in their terrible depths like fire while his brow puckered into the V-shaped ridges that drew his eyebrows up tight over evilly slanted eyes. Spike's snarl made the human's blood curdle and the fine hairs along his limbs stand on in and tingle with electric shocks.

"Oh shit! Oh SHIT! Please, somebody hel-"

Spike slapped the wavering assault rifle aside and lunged. His balled fist caught the guard on his cheek, snapping his head to the left then the demon was on him. Grabbing for a handful of the dirty-blonde hair and finding no purchase in the close brush-cut Spike kneed the guard in the balls and gripped the side of his head.

"Please, no ohgodo," his pitiful wail died as Spike gripped him by the shoulder and sank his fangs into the sweaty flesh. The soldier passed after the first massive pull on his life blood, his vision rapidly going dim and his heart pounding out of control from the flood of adrenaline. His struggles stopped instantly when the razor-sharp fangs tore into his neck. He died shortly after Spike's third ravenous draught drained him.

Spike looked around while wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He licked off the smear of blood and then kicked the dead body with vicious force, sending it through the air to land deep in the landscaped shrubbery bordering the tall fence. The stolen blood was energizing, making him feel alive and exhilarated for a short spell as he bunched himself and leapt over the gate and slipped into the shadows.

He watched Lilah's plane land and a tall stairway was rolled into view, realizing that the people on the plane would be coming down those stairs and walking across the tarmac to get inside. Spike decided he was going to walk in with them.

*****

*****

Vangie Dennison stood in the line across from Xander, watching the young man as they inched along. She was here to meet her daughter and her grandchildren. She didn't really like her son-in-law, James, and wished he wasn't accompanying the family this time as she cast another glance at dark-haired young man. She wished her daughter shared her taste in men. She speculated on who he might be meeting and decided that it would be his lover, she couldn't imagine such an attractive young man not having the perfect partner.

Vangie shrugged as the other line began moving a bit quicker and the young man was no longer directly opposite her, but now two bodies ahead; that was the way her luck worked. No matter what line she stood in the other one always moved faster. It happed to her when she went to the grocery store, to the bank, just everywhere.

This was one time though, the fifty year old woman didn't mind. From this angle Vangie didn't have to sneak looks but could look forward while openly studying this delightful specimen.

~Whoa nah gal, kinda old ta be having dem thoughts~

Her faded blue eyes admired the rich highlights the overhead lighting cast in the man's dark hair.

~What is it with young-folks nah days, harrumph, goin on with they hair all a mess~

She was sure it felt as soft and thick as it looked.

~Nah chile, I done tol you once, get hold of yo'self here~

Vangie took a couple more steps forward and sighed again. Her gaze wandered back to the broad shoulders now three bodies ahead of her. She let her eyes drop down across the solid back into what she imagined would be a gym-toned waist and ass.

~Oh hell girl, ya ain't dead yet. Go-on nah~

Ever the coinsurer, Vangie admired the quality of the leather driving coat and wished it had been a bit shorter so she could find out exactly how gym-toned she imagined that ass to be. She wondered what he did for a living as he emptied his pockets and let the guard pat him down. Another guard waved an electronic detection wand in the air around him and she was allowed a perfect view of his front when he turned so they could wave the gadget over his back. The shock of his dark beauty made her breathless when they briefly made eye contact and she wondered if she were about to start having hot-flashes.

She continued to study Xander as he was allowed to pass the check point and proceed to the departure and arrival gate area. She moved past the check point lost in her introspection. She reached the gate where her daughter's plane would land the young man was there checking the information monitor. He looked down at his watch before looking up to check the numbers posted at each boarding gate.

*****
POV: Xander
*****

Xander stood at the edge of the crowd wishing Spike would hurry-up. The plane had landed and Xander still had no idea who he was looking for. He only knew Lilah would be wearing black and had dark hair.

~That could be anybody~

He cast swift glances around as people moved forward to greet their parties. There was still no sign of the blonde-menace and Xander was getting edgy. He experienced a strong wash of turmoil as his inner-selves decided they'd given him enough peace and kicked up a ruckus. His soldier-self and hyena-self started clamoring in his head; struggling for dominance and control of his awareness.

~Shit I don't need this right now~

Xander wondered if he were going to loose it this time; his inner struggles had never been this intense. He'd always been able to subdue and suppress his other selves with little effort, but that didn't seem to be the case this time. Each was single-minded their driving need to be in control of this particular space in time, and fought with enduring tenacity for that dominance.

His unfocused brown eyes glazed over Lilah as she stepped through the entrance and walked down the short ramp. It registered on his mind that she was heading straight towards him and questioned how he knew who she was.

Xander shook his head trying to banish the haziness making him dizzy and his vision swim. The movement made the world sway back and forth as it polarized, washing his mind in blinding whiteness and he swayed on his feet feeling as if his knees were going to buckle at any moment.

Somewhere from deep inside, in the midst of the battle for control he was fighting Xander heard a compelling voice calling him. He latched on to that anchoring sound, wrapping it around himself like a life-line, using it to keep him from being swept under as his inner-selves joined forces in their bid to subdue him before fighting it out one-on-one.

*****
POV: Spike
*****

His cheeks flushed a human tint from the stolen blood; Spike pushed his preternatural speed to its limits and raced across the tarmac. He fell in near the end of the line, bumping into a lagging flight attendant with a soft apology. The young woman colored prettily at Spike's strongly accented London accent and slowed her steps to match his. Spike smiled down into her hazel eyes and turned on the charm, flirting and chatting with her as they strolled the last few feet to the escalator that would take them up to the entry gate.

"Wot's with all these bloody stairs, luv, thought I was landing at an international airport, I did."

They were nearing the top and stepping off when she replied.

"Oh, it is, but the small charter flights don't rate all the amenities, it's the old stairs for us."

"Well so long's they keep making up for it with gorgeous employees guess I can't complain too much, now can I, beautiful?"

She giggled, enjoying the attention and his efforts; she couldn't wait to catch up with her flight crew so she could tell her girlfriend. The young woman excused herself to join her co-workers and Spike followed Lilah down the ramp and into the airport.

Spike's cool blue gaze swept the gathered crowd searching for Xander. Now that he had the Wolfram & Hart bitch in his sights he needed to find the whelp so they could follow her when she left the airport.

He spotted Xander the exact moment the mortal's smell bombarded his attuned senses. Heat and something chaotically wild enflamed his mind and taste-buds. Spike couldn't resist the call, the pulling sensation coming from Xander where he stood staring at the vampire with a dazed look.

Spike's insides did a little flip as he imagined Xander's look was because of him, excitement and desire to match the scented shockwaves that grew more intense with each second. His feet moved of their own accord as he wove through the press of people trying to reach Xander. Spike's entire being thrummed as his demon focused on Xander.

:{'*Mine*'}:

Forgetting about Lilah, he brushed past her, almost knocking her down.

"Xan-pet," he breathed as he reached Xander.

*****

*****

Vangie watched as the two lovers greeted each other. It gave her warm tingly feelings inside when the blonde locked his incredibly blue eyes on the brunette across the distance.

~Just knew he'd have a beautiful lover~

She watched as the blonde cut through the crowd and approached the other man. The deep, breathy, accented voice stroked along her nerves as he greeted his lover, wrapping his arm around the man intimately. The dark-haired man seemed dazed by the sight of his boyfriend and Vangie smiled as he clung to him and returned his kiss feverishly.

~Well, somebody's gonna be up late tonight~

*****
POV: Xander
*****

Xander reached for the sound of his name, the power it held over his core identity. His hands clutched the soft leather of the bomber-jacket, pulling the cool hard body closer, allowing the strong arms around his waist to anchor him in himself. His body leaned into the clean sharp lines of the vampire's body, his hands slid down to the muscular chest, fingers twisting into the fabric stretched tight across it while his eyes shuttered closed.

"William," Xander whimpered softly as he leaned into the cool lips pressing against his. The contact sent a jolt through his body, shocking through his awareness, and Xander felt himself slipping into that distant else-where perspective. He could hear his blood burning through his veins in the screaming silence the jolt left behind. He clung to Spike, afraid to let go of that peace; his inner-selves subdued and no longer fighting for dominance but melding together. Not wanting to loose the sense of self-unity; needing, wanting to anchor himself deeper in the sensation Xander deepened the kiss.

His tongue snaked into Spike's wet coolness sliding against the silky/rough surface of his tongue. The bite-mark on his hand throbbed in time with the pulsing twitch of his confined erection. Spike's hands slid over his leather clad back, skittered around his waist and snaked along his belt under his coat.

Xander snapped out of his daze when he felt Spike's hands sliding over his buttocks, cupping him possessively. Still anchored in that distant-calm Xander stepped back and gave Spike an intense stare.

"What are you doing?" He breathed in a slightly shaky voice. His dark gaze flickered to the incredibly soft lips glistening pinkly from their kiss. He wanted to feel them again and blinked at Spike in confused fascination.

*****
POV: Lilah
*****

Lilah sneered in irritation as she was knocked aside by some no-manner-having blonde jerk. That was all she was willing to spare at the moment, she was anxious to get to her destination. The irritation in her dark eyes faded as she watched the two men kiss as if it were the first and last time. That kiss was so intense it made her skin prickle and she felt dampness in the crotch of her panties.

~William and Xan-pet, cutesy names for a cutesy couple... how sickening~

Lilah spared them one last look as she breezed past and headed toward the exit. Her black little heart quivered in her chest and excitement quickened her steps at the prospect of seeing her Angel-fish again. She wanted to tap on the unbreakable glass of the chamber and see his eyes open. She wanted to submerge herself in her sense of accomplishment while watching him float in the swirling fluids; helpless and at her mercy.

*****
POV: Spike
*****

Spike held on when Xander tried to move out of his grasp, he didn't want the moment to end, wanted it to go on and on. The throbbing sensation in his groin and chest, where his heart no longer beat, came in time with the pulses of the mortal's heart. His demon wanted to nuzzle his mark on the hot hand stroking him.

Sensing the mortal's warring emotions Spike resisted the urge to pull Xander against him and steal another kiss. He inhaled deeply, storing up the intoxicating smell, and let his trembling hands fall to his side. He looked away pulling himself back from the dark pools, from Xander's allure, trying to clear his mind.

His blue eyes met Vangie's. She watched them over her daughter's shoulder while her grandchildren clamored for her attention. She smiled into those wondrous blue eyes and then bent down to Alisia to gather the three year old to her ample bosom. Moved by the sight of the two young men, Vangie found it in her heart to shift the youngest of her five grand-kids to her hip and pull her son-in-law into a hug of welcome.

*****