�I�m back.� That dark, sinister voice breaks the unbearable silence. I see Buffy cringe, her eyes wide with disbelief. This was a voice she thought she�d never hear again�not like this. Not since the day when she pushed him into the portal connecting earth to hell.

�Angel?� she asks, questioningly.

�Angelus.� The tall, petite blond corrects her. Her voice unmistakable to me. She, Angel�s sire had joined Drue and me on our rampage in the early 18th century. Darla.

�Wha�What...?� Buffy stammers, taking two steps backward, treading on my toes. I hold her still and try to act as some support for her. Some support for what must be one of the most difficult things to witness. Her love has been transformed once again�only this time not by her.

�He�s one of us again.� Darla says, confirming Buffy�s greatest fear.

�But�that�s impossible.� She whispers.

�Not really me love.� Angel speaks almost gaily as he approaches Buffy. I quickly stand in front of her, putting some solid distance between them. Angel just grins. �All I need to be whole these days is just sex, plain and simple. You weren�t around so�� he looks over his shoulder at Darla whose smile widens.

�Angel?� Buffy almost sobs. I hate hearing her in pain. It bloody kills me every time.

�Oh quit your whining. You always were far too immature to be the slayer�far too immature to be with me.�

�Alright, that�s enough!� I growl, surprising everyone. �Why don�t you just sod off? Go on, go back to LA or whatever hole it is that you came from and leave Buffy alone!� I say with finality.

�What�s gotten into you Spike? Dru would be very disappointed to see you working with the slayer.� Darla says.

�Or are you shagging the slayer?� Angel laughs.

�I�m doing nothing of the sort!� I spit. �Look, the two of you better sod off now or the two of us will have to beat you to a pulp.�

�Be my guest.� Angel smiles. I hear Buffy unzip her jacket and pull out her stake. She pounces on top of him without a second thought and tackles him to the ground. Meanwhile I take Darla.

She�s always been stronger than she looks, and this time is no exception. Within moments she has me pinned to a tombstone. I try to break myself free but with no success. I haven�t exactly been concentrating on my fighting these past few weeks, so my strength is slightly lacking.

Darla turns to look over my shoulder, still holding me down firmly so that I cannot get up. When she sees Angel has Buffy in a similar position to the one she has me, she lets off a shrill whistle, getting Angels attention and the two of them leave Buffy and I defenseless on the ground, spent.

�Why didn�t they kill us?� I ask Buffy, still in shock.

�It�s not Angel�s style. He wants to torture us first. Make us suffer.�

�Like he did Dru.� I say. She nods her head, trying to get up. I�m struggling to believe what has just happened, and from the look on Buffy�s face I can see she is too.

�I need some bourbon.� I murmur, pulling her arm and heading towards the crypt. We walk in silence for some time before she voices her thoughts.

�I can�t believe this. I can�t believe that after everything�with everything happening with Glory�how could this happen again?�

�It certainly is the last thing that we need. We now have two bloody vampires on the rampage as well as a hell god!�

�We just can�t win.�

�Now I don�t want to hear that defeatist attitude pet. You�re the slayer, you can always win.� she looks at me closely, trying to decipher the look in my eyes, trying to see if I�m telling the truth.

�You think so?�

�I know so. Now let�s get Giles and tell him what�s happening. We need him if we�re ever going to get rid of bloody Angel.�