Warrior of Light; Warrior of Dark

By Melanie Walker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unto each generation one is born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires

One boy in all the world

 

 

February 2002 – Summer Residence

 

William Summers was agitated as he tossed and turned in his bed.

 

Agitated, slightly angry and aroused as hell.

 

It was all Buffy’s fault really. If she hadn’t cornered him in the cemetery during his patrol after his disastrous birthday party none of this would have happened. He would have been safely done with killing several more of the undead that continued to rise in Sunnydale and firmly ensconced in his bed. But she had cornered him seething with jealousy over the date that Xander and Anya had attempted to set him up on.

 

He at one point thought he had almost seen the sparks of jealousy that rose off of her in waves. She had come out of nowhere, flinging herself at him as he rounded one crypt, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist she had assaulted him.

 

And he had done what any other red-blooded American male would have done, he had assaulted her back. Turning so her back was pressed against the cold brick walls of the crypt he had gripped her tightly. Pulling her legs from his waist he planted her feet firmly on the ground, insuating one leg between hers as he worked at the button of the black jeans that encased her body like a second skin. She already had his pants unbuttoned, although she had made no move to push them down his hips, she had been roughly caressing him through the fabric. Her mouth nipping and biting his in a display of dominance.

 

It had taken hearing her moan his name and the ever present declaration of love to bring him to his senses. It had been like having a bucket of cold water splashed down on him. He had ceased his movements actually throwing her away from him. She of course had nimbly jumped back to her feet and advanced on him. The fact that they could now fight without the chip in her head sending bolts of electricity through her brain should have worried him.

 

But it didn’t.

 

Because he knew exactly how to get to her. How to hurt her.

 

He remembered their conversation, the words echoing through his troubled mind. He didn’t know why it bothered him what had been said. He had said worse to her before. But something about tonight had seemed different, seemed off and he couldn’t help the trickles of unease that he felt crawling down his spine as he relived that conversation.

 

“Why are you doing this William?” she purred seductively at him. Her green eyes flashing as she slowly slinked her way to him. “I know you want me, I can smell it,” she smirked sniffing the air. “I can taste it. Don’t fight it luv…” she ran her hand down his chest and he flinched unconsciously back from her. His eyes dark and cold he stared down as she cupped him intimately, fondling him.

 

She lined her body with his, nuzzling his neck with her nose she inhaled deeply even though she didn’t need to breathe and licked her lips before running her tongue down the center of his throat nipping gently at his racing pulse.

 

Will raised his hands to her hips, clenching her denim encased body tightly as she purred against him her tongue still lathing his neck, he closed his eyes as he felt his body begin reacting again to her nearness. He hated this. He hated desiring her more than he had ever hated anything in his life.

 

He could feel Buffy’s lips curl into a grin against his neck and that gave him the strength to push her away. This had to stop now, he wouldn’t be weak and allow her to draw him into this sick game that she was playing. She couldn’t love him, a vampire with no soul falling in love with the Slayer? Not possible. And he wouldn’t allow himself to feel anything but disgust for the way she made him feel. This attraction between them was unnatural. It was sick.

 

“Let yourself go,” she whispered staring up at him from where she had fallen on the ground. Making no move to rise. “Give us what we both want pet.”

 

“I don’t want you,” he hissed glaring down at her. “I’ll never want you.”

 

“I beg to differ,” she smirked at the obvious erection straining against the tan slacks that he was wearing.

 

“I’ll never want you,” he hissed again. “You’re nothing more than a replacement, you’re a convenience. You were willing, end of story.”

 

“Really,” Buffy snorted in disbelief as she pushed herself to her feet. Dusting herself off she stood there staring at him impassively, hands on her hips the ever present black duster she wore swaying around her body with the breeze. “A replacement for whom, luv? Raina? The bitch who betrayed you? The bitch who let vampires, like me suck on her…” she asked with raised eyebrows.

 

“For Dru,” Will said stiffly. Better to strike while the iron was hot. No one knew what had happened between Dru and him when he had returned from the dead. No one knew that they had both decided that it was over, that what ever they had once shared was finished. “One vampire’s as good as another… right?” He refused to let himself be drawn into the anger and anguish on her face. He better than anybody knew how much she hated Dru.

 

They had formed their first alliance years ago when Dru had lost her soul. He and Buffy had worked together to stop Dru and Angelus from ending the world. He because he was tired of the fight and the pain and wanted it over, Buffy because she wanted Dru gone from her and Angelus’ lives. It had worked. He had sent Dru to hell even though she had her soul back and Buffy had fled with Angelus only to return months later. Alone.

 

“I’m a replacement for nobody,” she snarled her eyes flashing as she stalked over to him. It always amazed him how much thicker her English accent became when she was angry. And she was most certainly angry now. “Especially not Dru.”

 

“That’s all you’ll ever be Buffy,” Will said snidely. Ignoring the angry vampire in front of him he straightened his shoulders. “You’ll never be nothing more than a replacement for her to me… ever.”

 

“I don’t believe you,” she spat at him. “Mooning over that little bitch when it’s obvious she doesn’t feel the same about you.”

 

“How do you know that?” Will smirked at her. “The only reason she’s not here is because she’s got responsibilities in LA… once they’re done…” he smiled leadingly.

 

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest, schooling her features in what appeared to be a mask of indifference as she studied him with narrowed eyes. She didn’t believe him.

 

“I’ll fuck you, but I’ll never love you,” he stated coldly. “Ever.”

 

“You’re lying,” she said quietly her eyes boring into him. Desperately trying to see some hint of emotion for her. All she saw there was hatred and disgust and she felt her heart crumble as she realized that he wasn’t lying. At this moment that was all he felt for her.

 

“I will never love you…ever,” he said harshly, he watched the hope dim from her eyes. Watched the arms that had been crossed over her chest fall limply to her side and then she suddenly turned from him without a word. Walking slowly away he watched her move, her head held high as she walked through the cemetery. Everything was quiet and still and as he watched her finally disappear from site he sagged against the building.

 

Will sighed as he turned over onto his side, staring resolutely at the clock he grimaced. 5:00 am he was never sleeping at this rate. The memory of the final expression on her face haunted him. The loss of hope, the sadness, he had never seen her look like that. Not even when they’d had her chained in Gile’s bathtub as they tried to determine what the Initiative had done to her.

 

Laying a hand over his eyes he tapped his foot against the end of the bed.

 

No matter how he might feel about Buffy they did need her. Besides him she was the strongest fighter and with the growing number of vampires and other nasties in town he and the others needed all the help they could get.

 

He would have to go talk to her, make her understand why there couldn’t be anything besides a working relationship between them.

 

Turning his head he glanced at the clock again.

 

He would do it much, much later though.

 

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

Tapping his fingers against the worn circular table Will and Xander waited for the others to join them.

The atmosphere had been strained at the Magic Shoppe since he had arrived. Everyone knew that he and Buffy had been sleeping together. The truth had come out after his party but before his confrontation with Buffy in the cemetery.

He knew the others were angry and disappointed in him. Nothing like finding out that their best friend and the Slayer had been screwing one of the enemy to dampen a friendship.

“So…” Xander started, wincing as he realized that he had no idea of what he was supposed to say.

“Yeah,” Will muttered. Where were the girls already?

Looking around he could see Anya at the register counting out bills. Closing the store. Willow had wandered up into the book area a little earlier and hadn’t come back down.

Willow had left the house that morning before he had even managed to drag himself from bed. She seemed to be doing better. Giving up her magic, something that had been an identifying feature of hers in the Scooby gang had been hard. Plus her relationship with Dawn and himself had been strained since she had abused her powers and almost gotten Dawn and herself killed in the process.

Tara had called and said she would be here although she had also said that she would be late.

The meeting was a standard one. After sunset they gathered to discuss any news that might have been heard on the demon grapevine. Buffy normally contributed that information. And then they planned their methods of attack.

But the female vampire was also late. Glancing at his watch he frowned and then shook his wrist pressing the face of the watch to his ear. Almost 30 minutes late… and Buffy was never late. Not when it was a group meeting that meant that she would get a chance to sit in his presence.

“You’re not still sleeping with her… are you?” Xander muttered not looking over at him.

“Who?”

“Undead girl number two. Unless there’s some other vampire you’ve been fucking on the side,” Xander said sarcastically.

“No,” Will said quietly. “No I’m not.”

“Good,” Xander said with a small measure of relief.

“Alright I’m ready where is everyone? Xander promised to play games with me this evening,” Anya stated as she sat as close to her fiancé as she could manage without actually climbing into his lap.

“I’m here,” Willow said quietly as she climbed down the stairs. Holding a thin book in her hand she sat down across from Anya and Xander her eyes studiously avoiding everyone’s.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Tara said breathlessly as she rushed through the door. Taking a look at the table she saw one member missing so she didn’t turn and lock it as she would normally have done. “Where’s Buffy?”

“She’s probably just running late,” Xander muttered. “Probably doesn’t want to face all of us now that we all know that she and Will here have been getting it on.”

“Xander,” Willow hissed as she glanced apologetically at Will.

“I still don’t see what the problem is,” Anya said glancing back and forth between the other silent four members of the group. “I mean she’s one of us now… right? What’s the big deal?”

“Other than the fact that she’s an undead, murdering vampire who has tried to kill us all more than once and is now only stopped by the fact that she has a piece of plastic in her brain to keep her from doing so….” Xander glared at his fiancé.

“Well yes… other than that.”

“Nothing other than the fact that she’s an undead, murdering vampire who’s tried to kill us all more than once,” Xander shrugged.

“Leave it alone Xander,” Will muttered as his eyes finally met those of his best friend.

“I just want to know one thing… Why her? If you were going to screw a vampire why not at least pick one that hasn’t tried to kill us numerous times.”

“Leave it alone Xander,” Will snarled his ice blue eyes shooting daggers at those brown ones of his best friend. Xander flinched when he saw the barely concealed anger in them looking away first.

“We’ll just have to start without her and someone can bring her up to speed after we’re done,” Willow said quietly attempting to diffuse the hostility in the air by starting the meeting.

She opened the notebook that she had left on the table earlier and consulted the notes she had written in there. Gile’s had taken to e-mailing her with prophecies or words of warning. The others normally took the news better from her and it was better then having him call long distance for a conference call, especially if the information was as vague as it normally was.

“What dire warning does the council have for us this time?” Xander leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table.

“He’s not sure, he mentioned that he had some information for us in his e-mail but he wanted to run the translation by Druscilla and Wesley before he worried us for nothing.”

“He wants to run a translation by Dru and Wesley? Doesn’t that seem a little odd?” Will asked with a frown.

“I don’t know, the e-mail in general was all pretty vague I should know more soon,” Willow shrugged seemingly unconcerned.

“He-he couldn’t even give us a hint on what it was?” Tara stumbled softly. Willow glanced over at her ex-girlfriend and shook her head.

“He said he’d let us know as soon as he knew anything concrete… It sounded big though. His e-mail stressed that he didn’t think it would be wise idea for Will or Buffy to patrol by themselves, either separately or together. He wants us to team up during nightly patrols.”

“We already sort of do that,” Will ran his fingers through his light brown hair. “I guess when Buffy finally decides to get here we can make up an official schedule,” Will sighed resolutely.

He didn’t know how he was going to get her to agree to let someone patrol with her. Normally she only went with him or by herself. Preferring lately to distance herself from the rest of the group. Of course with the waves of hostility rolling of Xander he could see why. He would have to make sure that Xander wasn’t assigned Buffy. They would probably try to kill each other. Or Buffy would get a massive headache and Xander would ‘accidentally’ stake her.

Maybe one of the girls would be willing to go with her.

Everyone looked up in anticipation as the bell over the door rang, Will shooting to his feet when he saw Dawn barreling towards him.

“Dawn what’s wrong?” he moved to her worriedly. Hugging her to him tightly he stared down at her bent head before drawing away. When she remained silent, just breathing heavily trying to catch her breath he kneeled before her. Surprised to see the tears falling unheeded from her eyes, the anguish lining her face. The others moving up behind him as they all stared at the silent crying girl.

“Dawnie…” Willow moved forward setting her hand on Dawn’s shoulder. Dawn jerked away, Willow’s face dropping as she fisted her hands at her side.

“She’s gone Will,” Dawn whispered brokenly.

“She’s gone? What are you talking about Dawn?” Will glanced over his shoulder at the others; they looked as confused as he felt. “Are you talking about mom? Because she’s been gone for a couple of months.”

“No not mom,” Dawn wiped frantically at her eyes. “I know you said I couldn’t hang out with her anymore, but I just wanted to see her, because she looked so sad after your party and all. But when I got there…”

Will looked at her, her sad eyes and slowly pushed himself to his feet. “Buffy… you’re talking about Buffy?” he asked in disbelief. She wouldn’t leave him. She wouldn’t. She had been the one person that he could continually push away and never have leave him. The one that would always fight for him no matter what he said or did to her.

“I went to her crypt. I wanted to see her before she came for the meeting but when I got there, all her clothes are gone and I couldn’t find the car anywhere… She wouldn’t leave right Will? She promised that she would never leave,” Dawn’s stared at him with teary eyes. Her expression pleading as she begged him to tell her she was wrong.

“Dawn…” he started, he stopped suddenly. He had no idea what to say to his baby sister. He had no idea how to make her understand that it looked like he had finally drove away Buffy away.

“She’s coming back right Will? I mean she’s not leaving forever… not like mom. Right Will?”

“I don’t know,” Will whispered pulling his sister against him. “I don’t know.”

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

“Well…” Xander stared at the mess surrounding them, hand against his mouth.  Will and the others had opted to follow Dawn back to Buffy’s crypt to see if they could figure out what was going on. “I didn’t think a girl, dead or alive could pack this fast.”

“Hmm,” Will knelt on the floor. There were papers strewn along the top level of the crypt. Smoke curled in tendrils in the air indicating that there had been a fire at one point somewhere within the building.

Everything was gone except for the papers on the floor.

She’d had a couple of chairs up here at one point. A table. Some lamps. She’d made the crypt into a home and now there was nothing on the top level.

Nothing indicated that anyone had ever resided there except for the papers.

There was a chance that she had just moved everything down to the bottom level though. He knew that she still caught a lot of flak for working with him. Even unwilling.

Maybe a demon or some vampires had trashed the place and she had moved her stuff underground where she could protect it better.

He knew from the times that he had been here that she kept the majority of her stuff underground anyway. Maybe she had decided to consolidate her assets.

“Dawn did you check underground?” he asked swinging his head towards his sister. Tara stood with her by the entranceway, one arm over his sister’s shoulder comfortingly.

Tears still streamed down her face and she brushed them away as she glared at her brother. She knew that this was his fault. She hadn’t left after Will had died, she had stayed and helped them. Even putting up with the snide comments by Xander and the attitudes of the others.

Why would she leave now when she wouldn’t before?

No Will had done something and he was going to have to fix it.

Anya wandered aimlessly around the top level. Not really looking at anything or for anything.

Willow had opted to not come, instead waiting to see if she could get a hold of Giles or Dru to find out what was going on with them.

“I peeked down there, but it was dark and smoky… like there had been a fire or something.”

“Maybe she fell asleep with a cigarette in her mouth and dusted herself,” Xander said with a hopeful expression.

“No… if she had flamed herself last night all her stuff would still be here,” Will headed towards the hole in the crypt that led to the underground room. “I think she skipped town.”

“Why would she do that now? I mean she never left after any of your other fights,” Xander muttered as he followed Will down the ladder. “What made this one different?”

Will flinched as he thought back to the words that he had spoken to her just last night.

I’ll fuck you, but I’ll never love you.

 

Even to his mind now those words sounded cold and cruel. He flicked on the flashlight in his hands, banishing the words from his mind. Although he was expecting to see nothing, when he looked around he was still shocked to see the emptiness. He was also shocked to feel just a little bit of sadness at her absence.

 

He had done this. He had finally drove her away.

 

The sheets had been stripped from the bed.

 

The stuffed animals that had filled it were gone.

 

The wooden armoire that stood in the corner was open and empty.

 

“Hey I found the fire,” Xander called from the opposite corner of the room. Will cautiously made his way over to him, his flashlight trained on the ground as he walked. “Guess Buffy’s decided you’re a lost cause,” Xander murmured as he shook the photo he held in his hand.

 

“What do you…” Will’s eyes widened as he realized what had been burning in the fire, what had caused the hazy fog that drenched the room. “Oh my god.”

 

He had called her psychotic once when he discovered the shrine she had built around him. All the pictures that had made up that shrine were now burnt to ashes.

 

“Shit,” he muttered as he leaned over the barrel. His trained his flashlight above it, peering into the barrel that she had used to contain the fire.

 

“Looks like she burned everything,” Xander mused. “Your pictures, looks like some sheets, clothes,” with a smirk he eyed Will. “Hope you didn’t leave anything here that you wanted back eventually.”

 

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

 

“Well?” Willow asked as she watched the group trudge back into the Magic Shop.

 

The only person who looked even remotely happy about the fact that Buffy was gone was Xander. And even he looked dejected.

 

“She’s gone,” Will sat across from her burying his face in his hands.

 

“Well we have to get her back,” Willow said quietly as she stood.

 

“What are you talking about? She finally skipped town of her own volition why on earth would we try to get her back?” Xander muttered as he began tapping his fingers against the tabletop.

 

“Willow?” Will eyed her as she avoided eye contact with them.

 

“I couldn’t get a hold of Giles… I think he’s on his way here. But I did get a hold of Druscilla… she told me what Giles called her for…”

 

“And?”

 

“There’s a prophecy that the council found,” Willow looked down at the stack of papers in her hand, pacing in front of them she winced as she reread the words that she had written down.

 

“The council found a prophecy,” Xander snorted. “Color me un-surprised,” he muttered sarcastically.

 

“What does a council prophecy have to do with Buffy?” Will asked with narrowed eyes even as his brain told him he should know this already.

 

“The prophecy is about Buffy, or so it appears. There’s a track in one of the new books that they’ve been going through that talks about the warriors that will be called to fight the final battle…”

 

“And?”

 

“Most of it was pretty straight forward. Stuff that’s been seen in other books, manuscripts, the like. It talks about the warriors of the light, the good guys. The slayer, vampires and demons with souls, warriors that have fought the battle before and will be raised to fight it again. And then they found a new text that talks about those warriors that have yet to choose sides, those that are straddling the fence so to speak.”

 

“And-and Buffy is mentioned in this?” Tara asked in confusion.

 

“Not by name but…” Willow sighed as she stared at Will who was looking at her with a guarded face. “One of the warriors is identified by this: a vampire, untainted by soul, torn between demon and love will fight with warriors of the light and will know the love of the slayer… It doesn’t say what side the vampire will fight on but…”

 

“It could be anybody Willow. Besides I don’t love Buffy.”

 

“No but she loves, or loved you. How many vampires have professed to love you in recently Will? Two. Buffy and Druscilla. Dru has her soul and is already identified as a warrior of the light, there’s only one other vampire that fits that description.”

 

“Maybe Franklin has been getting it on with some vampire in prison and it doesn’t even pertain to you,” Xander supplied helpfully.

 

“Franklin tends to lean more towards the ‘stake vampires now ask intent of said vampire later’ way of life,” Will stared hard at Willow who was fidgeting in front of him. “So why the big secrecy? Why the warning on the patrols and all that?”

 

“Dru said that text says before the final battle warriors of the light will be targeted for assassination by warriors of the dark. As well as any warriors still sitting on the fence not having chosen a side yet that look like they may choose the side of light. There’s some worry amongst the council members that deciphered the original text that Buffy, because she hasn’t really chosen a side yet will be marked and taken out leaving our side short a warrior,” Willow said softly taking a seat once more at the table.

 

“You didn’t tell them… you know… that she left?”

 

“No I figured I’d leave that fun news to you,” Willow smirked, her smile fading from her face as she studied him. “We need to get her back here… and it needs to be before Giles and Druscilla get here and find out she’s gone.”

 

“Wait a minute they’re both coming?”

 

“Yeah, Dru, Cordy and Wesley will be here sometime tomorrow evening and Giles must be already on his way because I couldn’t get in touch with him.”

 

“Damn,” Will muttered under his breath as he pushed himself to his feet, pacing he ran his fingers through his hair before he stopped. Crossing his arms over his chest he eyes his friends and sister. “Well she can’t be that hard to find… I mean she’s one vampire, with no money and nowhere to go. And she just left so she can’t have gotten very far. This’ll be a piece of cake,” he said unconvincingly.

 

“Sure,” Xander snorted. “It’ll be as easy as finding a needle in a haystack.”

 

“Xander if you don’t have anything helpful to say…”

 

“Look, she left, she left without telling anyone that she was leaving which pretty much indicates that she doesn’t want to be found and that means she’s not going to leave us a trail to follow to her doorstep.”

 

“We have to do something Xander,” Willow sighed.

 

“I think you should just leave her alone,” Anya said deliberately. Ignoring the scowls that Willow and Dawn shot at her she pressed on. “She can take care of herself. She has amazing survival skills, she lasted this long right? Plus if she needs help, what with all of you being so judgmental lately she’s probably not going to come to any of you if she needs it.”

 

“I’ll do a search on the net and see if I can come up with somewhere for us to start searching… She only used Buffy and Elizabeth as alias’ right? I guess I can wait until Dru gets here to find out if she had any others,” Willow mused quietly tapping her pen against the table she ignored Anya’s statement.

 

“Serena,” Dawn said softly.

 

“What?” Will stared down at her bent head.

 

“Serena… Serena Cosgrove I think… that used to be one of the other names that she used. She said that Angelus used to call her ‘Rena.”

 

“How do you…?”

 

“Because I talked to her, I asked questions and displayed an interest in her. She told me things.”

 

Will walked over to where she was sitting on the steps and sat next to her, patting her knee gently he watched her from the corner of his eyes.

 

“She’s all alone out there,” Dawn whispered as he put his arm around her shoulder and she leaned against him. “What if something bad happens to her before you find her?”

 

“Nothing bad is going to happen. Unless she brings it on herself. Which she has an unfortunate history of doing,” Will murmured against her hair, he grinned when she elbowed him in the stomach. “We’ll find her and everything will be fine.”

 

“So what happens if they manage to kill off the warriors?” Tara asked idly.

 

“The end of the world,” Willow shrugged. “As usual.”

 

“You know it would be nice if we could make it through one year without have to avert an apocalypse,” Xander sighed.

 

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

 

Will paced the length of the Magic Box. Over a month had passed since Buffy’s disappearance.

 

The longest 37 days of his entire life as they frantically searched out any leads that would ultimately discern where Buffy had hidden herself.

 

Both Giles and Dru insisted that they were running out of time. And as the days continued to pass with no sign of Buffy returning to Sunnydale under her own power there was an underlying current of dawning horror.

 

What if she had already been eliminated and the search was all for naught?

 

Of course that way of thinking led to a valley of depression that seemed ever growing as fear that he had never felt before washed over him. The last words that he had spoken to her had been angry bitter ones. Had she left this world hating him?

 

And if she had he had to wonder why he cared. Why did he care that there was a possibility that she had been dusted? Why did he care what he had said to her?

 

“She has not been dusted,” Dru said softly, her eyes raising but never actually meeting his. He was actually thankful that this seemed as awkward for her as it did for him. He was kind of scared of what he would see in her eyes. Would he see anger over his choices? Sadness… love.

 

“What?”

 

“She’s not been dusted… I would know if she was,” she stated then turned away, turning her attention back to the phone currently pressed to her ear.

 

Will turned away from her now, focusing his attention on the rest of the newly formed team consisting of members of the Scooby Gang and Dru’s gang.

 

Cordelia and Xander bickering amongst themselves. Anya at the register keeping one jealous eye trained on her fiancée and his ex-girlfriend. Giles and Wesley hunched over papers spread out on the counter.

 

Sighing he returned his attention to Dru, finding that she now had the phone gripped firmly between her shoulder and ear intently listening to whoever was speaking to her from the other end, scribbling periodically on a pad of paper in front of her.

 

Crossing his arms over his chest he studied her. She looked the same.

 

Would always look the same.

 

But when had the feelings of indescribable love that he had felt for her turned into a vague feeling of like? She didn’t stir the same feelings in him that she used to. He used to look at her and see home. See the person that he wanted to spend the rest of his probably short life with. Now he looked and all he saw was his past.

 

Giles came to stand beside him as she hung up the phone. Avoiding their eyes she studied her notes, tapping her pen in a steady staccato rhythm against desk. When she finally raised her head to them her eyes were disturbed and to Will’s surprise somewhat sad.

 

“You didn’t find her,” Giles stated softly.

 

“My informants are quite clear… she’s not returned to any of her old haunts. Although…” she trailed off glancing back down at the paper in front of her with a frown.

 

“Although what?” Will asked his voice more than a little annoyed at the fact that she was continuing to play the cryptic when they were steadily running out of time.

 

“They… my informants… they say that Angelus has set up shop in Chicago… that he’s tracking his ‘mate’…”

 

“Mate? You mean Buffy right?” Will asked with a frown. “He left her though… you know after the whole tying us up together for Valentine’s day fiasco she engineered.”

 

“I know,” Dru said with a puzzled expression. “Plus the last I heard he was running with Darla, so it doesn’t make any sense.”

 

“Unless Angelus has the same information that we do,” Giles said, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket he removed his glasses cleaning them with an absentminded thoroughness that Will had come to expect from his Watcher. “He knows that Buffy has her own prophecy… probably knows what the prophecy says and is going to try and lure her to the other side.”

 

“There is another scenario,” Dru said softly her hooded eyes meeting Will’s.

 

“What’s that?” Will asked, tempted to remove the question when he realized that he might not want the answer to it.

 

“Angelus is quite possessive in nature, of his people, of his belongings. Add in the fact that he turned Buffy, that they were constant companions for over a hundred years… if he were to find out about the two of you…”

 

“You don’t think his trying to find her has anything to do with the prophecies… do you?” Will’s eyes narrowed as realization dawned on him. “You think he found out about our… whatever and is making a move to take her back.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“The two could still be tied,” Giles interjected. “He might be trying to locate Buffy for both reasons which means if he hasn’t already found her than we need to move quickly.”

 

“How long has he been in Chicago?”

 

“Five days, he hasn’t moved since he got there so…”

 

“So Buffy could be in Chicago… any clue as to why she would go there?”

 

“She has a solicitor that handles some of her affairs there I believe. He’s a vampire, Angelus probably figured that she would go there for money eventually.”

 

“Wait a minute…” Xander moved up to stand next to Will. “You’re saying that Buffy had money this whole time?”

 

“Yes… her solicitor wouldn’t tell just anyone where she was but I could probably convince him to at least let us know if she has contacted him recently.”

 

“Do it,” Will said sharply.

 

“If she had money why the hell was she living in a crypt?” Xander asked, looking between the three when he received no response. “Hello?”

 

“It’ll be easier to talk to him in person, he’ll just lie to me if I call him. He knows that Buffy and I aren’t on the best of terms. If I go in person I can persuade him to give us the information we need… I can leave for Chicago at sunset,” Dru said quietly her eyes focused on Will.

 

“I’ll go with you…”

 

“I’ll go to,” Xander said sharply his eyes moving between the two. Noting the unspoken communication that was occurring. “Don’t need no Druscilla making a surprise guest appearance.”

 

“Joy,” Dru scowled. “Rupert?”

 

“I’ll stay here with the others on the slim chance that Buffy decides to return to Sunnydale on her own… besides Wesley and I would like to go over the texts again.”

 

“Are you looking for something in particular?”

 

“Not really… some of passages that were translated by the Council disturbed us. We just want to double check the translations… make sure nothing was left out. Besides the text was so damaged that some passages were unreadable. We’re going to make use of our combined talents and see if we can’t pull the rest of the information out of it.”

 

“Good… then we all have something to do,” Will nodded. “You’ll keep an eye on Dawn?” he asked Giles his glancing over to where Willow and Tara had their heads bent over books at the round table.

 

“Of course… but Willow…”

 

“I’d feel better if you were watching over her,” Will said softly not quite meeting his Watchers curious eyes. They hadn’t shared Willow’s magic addiction problem with the others yet. If Will had his way they wouldn’t either. But Dawn still wasn’t all that comfortable with Willow and Will shuddered to think what shape both girls would be in if he left them alone together.

 

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

 

Will sighed as he stared at the scenery whizzing by. He’d offered to drive but in a moment of camaraderie both Dru and Xander had shot that idea down. Of course that camaraderie hadn’t lasted long of course. The bickering had resumed almost moments after Dru took the wheel.

 

Thankfully they were nearing Chicago because he didn’t think he could stand the steadily growing levels of animosity between Dru and Xander, he might just lose it and kill one of them.

 

Right now all was quiet though. Xander was sleeping sprawled out in the backseat and Dru was silently driving. If he focused on her he would probably see her brooding and he didn’t think he could handle that.

 

It was bad enough that he couldn’t figure out what exactly what it was that he felt for Buffy, but throwing his feelings for Dru into that mess could only make it all worse.

 

“So…  you and Buffy…” Dru started awkwardly after checking the rear view mirror to make sure Xander was still asleep.

 

“Yeah…”

 

“She’s an… interesting choice…”

 

Will turned his head to look at her. She was relaxed in the seat, didn’t seem tense.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Well… she’s a vampire…”

 

“Yeah I’d noticed that.”

 

“She’s a soulless vampire, a demon held back by a piece of technology.”

 

“Christ do you and Xander have the same speech writer or something?” Will muttered. Gripping the door handle tightly he glared at her. “Besides what right do you have to say anything? You broke up with me remember? Any right that you might have had to tell me who I could and couldn’t fuck you gave up the moment you left me! I mean god… you must remember the speech. God knows it’s imprinted in my memory forever… Depressing breakup speech in the sewer right before the prom? You leaving so I could have a normal life and all that… that crap… Guess what Dru… I’m the Slayer, I don’t get to have a normal life.”

 

“I know I have no right,” Dru said softly. “I know I’ve made bad choices… But Buffy… what the hell were you thinking?”

 

“Wasn’t really much about thinking, more about doing.”

 

“You don’t think that the moment she gets that chip out of her head that she won’t come after you? She’s tried to kill you how many times and now that’s the only thing holding her back. She’s nothing but a leashed killer and sooner or later that leash is going to break. I just don’t want to see you get hurt when it finally does.”

 

“Too late,” he whispered turning away, staring out the window, not seeing anything as he tried to decide if he should tell Dru the truth about the chip.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Her chip doesn’t work on me anymore,” he admitted softly. “It hasn’t for a while now.”

 

“What?” Dru asked startled her gaze flying to him.

 

“Road!” he barked hands flying to the dashboard to brace himself as the car swerved violently into the other lane.

 

“What do you mean the chip doesn’t work on you?” she asked once she’d regained control of the car and pulled it back into the appropriate lane.

 

“It doesn’t work on me, she can hit me, kill me, torture me whatever and the chip won’t go off.”

 

“What…? How long?”

 

“Since I got back… Tara said it had something to do with the spell they used. It changed me, changed the way the chip identifies me just enough that it doesn’t see me as human.”

 

“Oh,” Dru gripped the steering wheel. “Oh boy…”

 

“She won’t hurt me Dru… she…”

 

“She what? Loves you? Cares about you?” Dru asked sarcastically.

 

“She does… Love me…”

 

“That was my sarcastic voice Will. Buffy can’t love, she’s a vampire, a demon with no soul, she’s incapable of love.”

 

“Are you that blind Dru? You think just because she doesn’t have a soul that she can’t love? She loved Angelus, she was devoted to him…”

 

“Sire, childe relationship… it’s a bond created by blood not love.”

 

“It was love, and Angelus loved her to, hell he loved you. He left her for you… how is what she feels for me any different from that…”

 

“It just is…”

“Great cryptic answer there Dru,” he glared at her again. God she could infuriate him so much at times. “She did… does love me… I know she does… that’s why…” he turned his gaze away, hoping that she wouldn’t see the shame he knew was in his eyes. He was not proud of the way that he’d used Buffy. He’d known that she loved him and he used that against her. She’d willingly let him do whatever he wanted, let him treat her the way he had because she was so desperate to have him in her unlife in one way or another.

 

“Oh my god,” Dru focused her undivided attention on the road as she pulled the car off onto the shoulder. Turning in her seat she faced him her face almost… angry… at him. “She hasn’t been using you at all… has she? You’ve been using her, and she’s been letting you.”

 

“I…”

 

“Why’d she leave Will? The real reason this time, not that evasive bull shit that you spouted off to Rupert about her just up and leaving.”

 

“We had a fight…”

 

“A fight… What kind of fight?”

 

“A bad one,” he admitted rubbing at the leg of his jeans avoiding Dru’s intense gaze.

 

“How bad? What did you do to her?”

 

“Nothing, I didn’t lift a finger to her,” he murmured.  At least not then a tiny voice in the back of his reminded him. A picture of her beaten, bloody body as she’d tried to stop him from turning himself in for Katrina’s murder flashed through his mind.

 

He’d left her there then. Hadn’t even gone back to check and make sure she was okay, check to make sure she’d gotten back to her crypt safely. Hadn’t cared so steeped in denial he was he couldn’t see anything besides his own pain.

 

“Okay… What did you say to her then? Why did she leave Sunnydale?”

 

“It’s personal.”

 

“Yeah well your personal could send the world to hell pretty damn quickly,” Dru muttered. When Will refused to meet her eyes instead focusing all his attention on his hands she sighed. “Fine… just tell me this… was whatever you said to her, was it bad enough that if she ran into Angelus that she might go back to him?”

 

“I don’t know,” he admitted quietly. “Maybe.”

 

“Great,” Dru stated in frustration. “Just great. So now we don’t just only have to worry about protecting her from assassins, now we might need to protect her from Angelus. That’s just great…”

 

“She won’t…”

 

“You don’t know what she’ll do, if what you said to her is as bad as I think it is Angelus will be able to sense her pain. He’ll use that to draw her in… we can only hope that we get there before he manages to locate her…”

 

“Dru…”

 

“Don’t… we need to get to Chicago soon… I don’t think we have much time.”

 

“There’s something else going on here isn’t there…” Will studied her, the way her hands were tightly wrapped around the steering wheel, her stiff features. “There’s something else in the prophecy isn’t there? Something that you haven’t told us…”

 

“We don’t have time Will… After we have her safely back in Sunnydale, I’ll tell you everything. Okay?”

 

Will hesitated for a moment. His desire to know the truth warring with his desire to not be any more involved than he already was.

 

“Okay.”

 

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

 

Buffy stood at the edge of the docks. A faint shell of her former self she had changed her outward appearance to throw off those who might be searching for her. Her once long, curly bleached blond hair, her pride and joy was now gone. She’d had it cut short to her shoulders, had it straightened and returned to her true hair color. The mousy brown that she’d spent her entire life hating. No one would recognize her in her current state.

 

Although that didn’t stop her from hoping that they might search for her.

 

She didn’t hold high hopes though that William would though. The angry words, the truths that he had finally spoken to her… it seemed that she was destined forever to walk the Earth alone. Hearing those words spat at her, the words that she’d only heard in her nightmares but never dreamed would ever be uttered from her Slayer’s lips had almost broken her.

 

A replacement.

 

He considered her a replacement for Druscilla.

 

“Hello my love,” she heard the silky voice of her former love before she even sensed his presence. Mentally berating herself for her distraction she turned her head slightly, gazing up at his once beloved face.

 

At one time Angelus had been her entire world. She had thought the moon rose and set on his shoulders. She would have done anything for him, she would have been anything for him.

 

But like her Slayer it had been forced home that she was nothing but a replacement for that which he truly wanted.

 

His Sire.

 

“Angelus,” her voice came out as a whisper as she returned her gaze to the water. Searching for… hell she had no clue what she was searching for.

 

“I thought I might find you here,” he said softly. “You used to love the water,” he whispered so close to her ear. When had he gotten that close?

 

A hand reached up to caress her cheek softly, for a moment she was taken back to happier times. Before Druscilla’s return, before he had left her telling her that she was weak, before the chip that incapacitated her… when it had been just the two of them and she had loved him more than anything else on the planet, she forgot herself and leaned into the familiar touch.

 

For the longest time after their separation she had craved his touch. He was her sire, her first lover, had been her mate before he had tossed her aside for Druscilla. Now she could only compare his cold soft touch to William’s warmth and felt turmoil within her. If Angelus, one of the most brutal vampires on the planet could touch her with such gentleness why couldn’t William?

 

If he had touched her with this reverence, with this gentleness she would never have been able to leave him. Regardless of the words he spoke. So maybe it was best that whenever she had made love to him, when he had fucked her it had been with brutal kisses and desperation. It kept her grounded to earth and had finally forced her to see what she hadn’t wanted…

 

He would never love her, he would never care about her. All he would ever feel for her was anger at her for being able to draw him in and anger at himself for not being able to stay away from her.

 

“I won’t have you thinking of him in my presence,” Angelus whispered softly in her ear, his hand tangling in her now shoulder length hair tilting her head back so that it lay on his shoulder. He pressed soft open-mouthed kisses to her neck, to her shoulder, suckling gently as she sighed the feeling was so familiar.

 

“And how do you plan on stopping me pet?” she murmured defiantly.

 

When his still blunt teeth bit into the skin on her neck she jumped, pulling away as she whirled glaring up at him.

 

“I plan on reclaiming my property,” he stalked a circle around her. “I’ve let you have your fun, you’ve dallied with the Slayer and I did nothing. You went against your entire nature and I said nothing. But now it’s time for you to come home.”

 

“Come home? Come home to what?” Buffy snarled at him, punching out at him she clipped him in the jaw. “So you can pretend that I’m her? That’s what he did, that’s what you did. I’m tired of being her substitute.”

 

“You belong to me,” he growled grabbing her arm he crushed her to him. One hand in her hair he yanked her head to one side baring her throat as she struggled within his grasp. “You’ll always belong to me and I’m going to remind you of that,” he muttered against her throat, her eyes widened as she felt his features shift, felt the sharp points of his fangs press into her skin.

 

“I’ll bet I can dust you before you even get to draw blood,” came the confident voice from behind them.

 

“And if he misses I won’t,” came the next one. Buffy closed her eyes as Angelus released her struggling form whirling around to glare at the intruders he hadn’t even sensed approaching.

 

“You okay Rena?”

 

“I’m fine,” she pressed a hand to her neck, drawing it away she saw that he had managed to pierce the skin with his fangs. “Did you forget about me?”

 

“Nah… Riley wanted to drive, it took us forever to get here.”

 

“Next time let Faith,” she chided gently as she stepped back.

 

“What is this?” Angelus snarled his eyes darting between the four, narrowing as he saw the young black man hand Buffy a stake. “Taking up with humans? Not really your style is it Buff?”

 

“There’s quite a few things you don’t know about me,” Buffy grinned slowly winking at him as she twirled the stake between her fingers. “This…” she waved her hands at the three standing ready. One with a crossbow aimed at his heart, the other two with stakes at the ready. “This is only one of the many things that have changed since we last saw each other love.”

 

“Running with humans,” he snorted as he backed away. Better to admit defeat in this matter than wind up a pile of dust and no way to reclaim what was rightfully his. “They’ll betray you just like the Slayer did…”

 

“Maybe,” she tilted her head watching him leave. “Maybe not.”

 

When he was gone, her posture relaxed into a slouch of defeatedness. He had affected her more than she wanted to admit. To be that close to her lost love and to only be able to think of the Slayer was a torment she didn’t want to repeat.

 

“Are you okay?” Faith asked quietly moving up to her side. Her hand resting on Buffy’s shoulder as she peered into the small vampires eyes.

 

“I’m fine Faith…”

 

“You just didn’t expect it to hurt so much.” Faith murmured softly her eyes locking on Riley’s before she looked away.

 

“Something like that,” Buffy shook her head, clearing her mind of thoughts of William and Angelus, focusing instead on the task ahead. “We should go… we have things to do and he may come back. Besides this isn’t your battle, I don’t want you guys involved in it anymore than you already are…”

 

“We’re as involved as you are, he’s seen us. Seen us all together… Besides Gunn and Riley have already said that if you can’t do this that they will. There’s a lot at stake here… we can’t afford to lose,” Faith said softly.

 

“I know,” Buffy whispered, staring into the darkness her eyes sought out Angelus. She knew he was there, knew he was waiting. Waiting for her. But Faith was right, what they were doing, what they were up against. They couldn’t afford to lose this fight. Not now. Not ever. “I know.”

 

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

 

Xander tossed his magazine on the couch beside him, folded his arms over his chest and glared up at the pacing Slayer.

 

Who was currently ignoring him as he continued on his path.

 

“You know what Will… if you’re going to do that could you at least pace where I can’t see you? You’re making me nauseous.”

 

“She should be back by now,” Will muttered coming to a stop in front of his best friend, glancing at the watch strapped to his arm.

 

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this but you know that Dru can take of herself…” Xander frowned, not really believing that he had actually said something in favor of the ensouled vampire. “Besides she said she wasn’t sure how long it would take.”

 

“It’s almost sun up… if she doesn’t get back here before the sun rises she’s going to be stuck at that lawyers for the whole day,” Will grumbled as he dragged his fingers through his hair.

 

“Who are you worried about… Dru or the lawyer?”

 

“Funny,” Will glared at him.

 

“So…” Xander halted, not sure how to put the question that he wanted to ask into actual words.

 

“So what?”

 

“You really used Buffy for sex?” he winced when he saw the semi-stricken expression cross Will’s face before his features smoothed over into an implacable mask.

 

“How… Does it really matter?” Will sighed dropping down onto the couch next to Xander. Propping his feet up on the end table he leaned his head back against the cushions, closing his eyes. In his minds eye he could see Buffy’s expression when he had told her that he would sleep with her but never love her. The anger, the sadness, the utter loneliness in her eyes.

 

Loneliness that he had put there.

 

Because she had chosen to help him she had been ostracized from those that she would normally call friends or at the very least compatriots.

 

“Well if it ends the world I’m thinking that it does. I just…” Xander studied him from the corner of his eye. “I just can’t see you using her like that, I can’t see you using anyone like that.”

 

Will opened his eyes, his expression unfocused as the stared into the past that would forever haunt him. She would forever haunt him. All her declarations of love and he had never once reciprocated, could never reciprocate without, he feared, losing a part of himself forever.

 

He had done the love affair with a vampire before and it had ended with him being as close to shattered as he ever wanted to get. If he let Buffy in, let her get as close to him as Dru had been when she left (and they always left) he would once more be shattered.

 

And he didn’t think he could go through that again.

 

Ever.

 

“Things were bad when I came back Xander… You know that, I didn’t fit in anywhere. And you all tried to help but…”

 

“But we were the reason that you weren’t in heaven anymore,” Xander mumbled quietly.

 

“Yeah… Buffy… I told her where I’d been, swore her to secrecy… and… I don’t even know why I trusted her with the secret… maybe…”

 

“You were hoping that she would tell us and you wouldn’t have to…” Xander said in sudden realization.

 

“And you don’t think she was using it for her own personal gain? Separating you from your friends so you would have to rely strictly on her.”

 

“I don’t know, but she listened to me when I talked Xander and when I didn’t want to talk she would just sit there, and say nothing… She… she was a… well a friend then.”

 

“A friend?!” Xander yelped in disbelief. “You don’t fuck friends Will… or the evil undead for that matter.”

 

“Just let it go Xander,” Will sighed again heavily. He would never get it. None of them, save Tara would ever understand just how lonely and lost he’d been when they’d brought him back. “We have more important things to worry about…”

 

“Yes we do,” came the quiet voice behind them. Both males heads whipped around surprise etched on their faces neither having heard Dru enter the hotel room she was standing quietly in the door. Her expression was hooded and blank as she gazed at William.

 

“Did you find her?” Will asked slowly coming to his feet, his eyes never wavering from hers.

 

“Yes,” Dru held up a piece of paper, twirling it between her fingers. “She’ll be at this club tonight.”

 

“A club?” Xander asked crossing the room to take the paper from Dru when it became obvious that Will wasn’t going to move. “Since when does Buffy go clubbing?”

 

“Doesn’t matter,” Dru stated. “That’s where she’ll be tonight.”

 

“How badly did you have to hurt the lawyer to get that?” Will asked nodding his head in Xander’s direction.

 

“Oddly enough not at all… it seems he was expecting me,” Dru said moving into the room, settling comfortably on the small couch she stared up at the two men.

 

“Expecting you? What’s that mean?”

 

“It means that Buffy knew that someone would try to find her, whether it be us or Angelus and she’s making no obvious attempts to cover her tracks.”

 

“You’re saying she wants us to find her?” Will asked disbelieving.

 

“No, all I’m saying is that she’s not hiding. But then Buffy was never one to hide.”

 

“So I guess we’re going to a club tonight,” Xander mused. “I don’t think I brought anything suitable for a club,” looking between the Slayer and the vampire staring at him he shrugged. “Well I didn’t.”

 

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

 

Dru scowled as they entered the club. From blocks away they had been able to hear the beating pulse of the music. She had to wonder if the lawyer was wrong.

 

With the exceptional hearing of a vampire Buffy should have wanted to stay far away from this place.

 

Unless she was hunting, and as she watched these… children wander past her and her companions she had to wonder if perhaps Will was wrong.

 

Had Buffy gotten her chip removed?

 

There would be no another reason that Dru could think of why her grandchilde would subject herself to this noise.

 

Even if she did like the music.

 

“This is great,” Xander shouted as he tapped his foot in time with the music that was playing. Dru glared over at him, which Xander didn’t notice as he was searching the club for the blonde vampire.

 

“Do you see her?” Will yelled into her ear. Turning her head she saw his eyes perusing the club goers.

 

“She’s here,” Dru confirmed as she to began scanning the crowd. “Oh. My. God,” she uttered as she squinted. Desperately hoping that her vision was failing her or some such thing.

 

“What is it?” Will asked with mild alarm lining his voice.

 

“Buffy,” she jerked her head in the direction she’d seen her wayward grandchilde and felt rather than heard the gasp that emanated from William and Xander.

 

Dancing in the middle of a throng of people, dressed in black leather pants that looked as if they had been painted on and rode low on her hips. A white tank top clinging to her upper body, her long bleach blonde hair no more, it now fell in a straight line to her shoulders.

 

Moving her hips along with the beat, her companion, a young black man had his hands on her hips and was moving along with her. The two smiling at each other.

 

Buffy had found herself a new companion and Will felt fury rush through his veins.

 

How dare she move on when he still wasn’t sure how he felt?!

 

“What the hell…” Will started forward, his vision bleeding red even as Dru’s hand shot out to halt his forward momentum. “Dru…”

 

“Angelus is here,” she said quietly, he blinked at her not sure he had heard her correctly until he followed her line of sight.

 

Standing off to the side, a dark expression on his face as he watched the dancers. Even from where he was standing Will could see that his hands were fisted tightly at his side.

 

The vampire male was absolutely furious. They could almost feel the anger and hatred radiating from his skin.

 

“She’s playing with him,” Dru said quietly, her lips close to his ear as she kept one eye on her childe’s location. “She knows he’s here, probably knows what he wants and she’s making him suffer.”

 

Will nodded in understanding. But he knew, even if Dru wasn’t saying the actual words that Buffy was playing with fire in the manner she was dealing with Angelus.

 

“Do you think it’s wise to let it go on much longer?” Xander yelled. “He looks like he’s about to commit hari kari.”

 

“We’ll wait and see what she has planned. If he makes a move toward her between the two of us we should be able to intercede on her behalf.”

 

“What makes you think that Buffy would want you to intercede on her behalf?” Xander asked looking between the two. “Well?”

 

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

 

“I think they’re leaving,” Xander muttered as he sipped at his beer. Will nodded as he turned his head away, they were going to pass right by him and Xander.

 

The evening would probably go a lot smoother if she didn’t think they were stalking her.

 

When they passed by him Will grabbed his coat off the back of his chair and with Xander on his heels they moved toward the exit that the four had taken.

 

“Where’s Angelus? I thought you were going to follow him?” Will asked when he saw Dru outside the club.

 

“Lost him… he must have sensed me, gave me the slip,” Dru said disgustedly. “I used to hate it when he did that to me, used to do it on purpose just to piss me off.”

 

“Guys I’m not sure if you noticed this but they’re splitting up,” Xander said as he glanced back and forth between the opposite directions they had taken.

 

“I’ll follow Buffy, you two follow the men. If you lose them go back to the hotel,” Dru said as she moved down the street.

 

“Guess we’re hoofing it,” Will said with false enthusiasm as they moved quickly to follow the two young men.

 

When they caught up with them, peering around the corner of the street as they watched the two hover by a car. The young black man that Buffy had danced with in the club was talking in hushed tones into what looked like a hand held radio. The other, a tall sandy haired young man was digging through the trunk.

 

“Is that a crossbow?” The disbelief in Xander’s voice mirrored what Will was feeling.

 

“I think it’s safe to say that they know what Buffy is,” Will murmured.

 

Although they couldn’t hear what was being said obviously some alarm had been signaled as the two young men scrambled. Running as of their lives were at stake.

 

“What the…” Will bolted down the street after them, he could hear Xander wheezing some distance behind him as he pushed himself to keep up with the others.

 

He had a feeling that whatever was happening was bad. And probably had to do with Buffy.

 

And Angelus.

 

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

 

Buffy struggled against the arms pinning her to the wall. From the corner of her eye she could see Faith fly backwards, landing with a loud ‘oomph’ on the concrete.

 

“All you have to do is come home… that’s all he wants,” the vamp holding Buffy to the wall laughed. “You won’t get him back in bed of course, he has better things to do than sleep with the bitch that turned to the Slayer… but at least you won’t be dead.”

 

“Tell Angel that I’ll go home when I’m good and ready. And believe me when I tell you that it won’t be with him,” she snarled slamming her head back against her attacker. Kicking out his knee she plucked a stake seemingly out of air and grinned as the vampire’s expression turned to horror, right before he turned to dust.

 

“How important is this human to you?”

 

Buffy whirled around, moving forward as she saw the vamp that Faith had been fighting holding a knife against her throat.

 

“Uh-uh,” the vamp tsked as he took a step back, Faith whimpering as the knife dug into the tender flesh of her throat. “Here’s where we make a deal…”

 

“No deals,” Buffy said quietly. “Here’s where you let her go and I don’t stake you.”

 

“I think you’re missing the gravity of the situation. I’m the one with the knife to your friends throat…”

 

“And I’m the one with a stake to your back. Think I can hit your heart from here?” Riley asked, his voice resonating with anger. A quick movement forward and the knife dropped to the ground as the vampire shattered into dust. “Ooops,  guess I could.”

 

“What bleedin’ excellent timing,” Buffy grinned as she moved forward. Touching Faith’s neck gently. “What happened to you guys? I thought you were going to be right behind us?”

 

“Sidetracked… one of my kids spotted some activity a couple of streets down, they were going to check it out and I wanted to make sure they knew exactly what to do.”

 

“Are you okay?” Riley asked quietly, cupping Faith’s face in his hands he stared into her eyes.

 

“I’m fine,” Faith murmured tripping as she attempted to move forward. “Oops, guess I sprained that ankle,” she said, her tone deceptively light as she tried to keep him calm. She exchanged a look with Buffy and with a shake of the head Buffy backed away.

 

“Who’s in the mood for ice cream?” she asked brightly.

 

The sound of clapping drew her attention, Riley thrust Faith behind him as he pointed his crossbow at the intruder of their moment.

 

Buffy and Gunn both with stakes at the ready.

 

“Shit,” Buffy muttered as she lowered her stake.

 

“Now Elizabeth… is that anyway to greet your grandmother?” Dru asked as she stepped out of the shadows, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her leather coat. “Especially after I’ve come all this way to bring you home.”

 

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

 

“Druscilla… long time no see,” Buffy said with open malice. She lowered her stake to her side as she stared at her grandsire with hooded eyes. That was something that Dru and Angelus had taught her long ago.

 

No matter how much pain you were in… never let someone else see it

 

They had never been the best of friends. Had never, ever gotten along. They only things they’d ever had in common were Angelus and William.

 

Both men choosing Buffy only when her grandsire was unavailable to them.

 

“Rena?” Gunn muttered from beside her as he noticed her stake tapping a rhythm against her leg.

 

“Hmm?” she mumbled absently as she and Dru continued to hold each other’s gazes. Neither wanting to be the first to look away. Neither wanting to be the first to show a sign of weakness.

 

“What do you want to do?”

 

“Nothing,” Buffy finally said. “I’ll handle this… you and Riley take Faith to the hospital.”

 

“I’m fine,” Faith protested from behind them. “It’s just a sprain…”

 

“Gunn…”

 

“Yeah we’re on it… what are you going to do about her?” Gunn asked waving a hand at a silent Druscilla.

 

“Find out what she wants then send her home where she belongs.”

 

“You know you can’t stand out here while you do that… your boy will undoubtedly send more of his ‘friends’ soon…”

 

“I’ll take her back to the apartment…”

 

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Gunn murmured glancing over at the avidly watching Dru. “You know… because of the company and whatnot?”

 

“It’s fine Gunn, you guys take care of Faith, I’ll take care of her and we’ll all meet up later… to deal with our company.”

 

“Yeah, fine,” Gunn turned on his heel to move over to Riley and Faith. “Hey Rena?” he called over his shoulder.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Watch your back… would hate to have to take care of all that alone,” he said softly as he and Riley led Faith away.

 

“Nice cryptic code that you all have there,” Dru said in amusement. “I take it there’s someone at the apartment that you’re trying to keep a secret?”

 

“None of your business Dru… you came for a reason,” she crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. “So spill.”

 

“You know I thought I curbed you of that stubborn streak,” Dru said coldly, leaning in close. “Maybe I’ll have to try again.”

 

“I’m not the innocent little girl that Angelus brought home anymore Dru. I don’t see you through his eyes anymore; I see you through my own and let me tell you that from where I’m standing… I don’t see what all the fuss is about.”

 

“We should go inside,” Dru’s tone remained icy as she glared down at her recalcitrant grandchilde. “Before your friends come back and find a pile of dust where you now stand.”

 

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

 

William and Xander remained cloaked in the shadows some distance down the street. They had arrived at the fight shortly after the two young men had and Xander had to use his entire body to keep William from leaping into the battle with them.

 

He’d silently been watching William’s behavior through the night. Since their conversation at the hotel as they waited for Dru to return Xander had come to the startling realization that however much Will might protest he did have honest to god feelings for the blonde vampiress he felt something for her.

 

When he’d seen her in the fight, seen her in danger he had felt the desperation radiating from his friend.

 

Whereas before he might have thought it was crazy that William might have feelings for the petite blonde vampiress, his behavior over the last few hours had curbed him of that notion. And made him realize that as vehemently as William denied having any such feelings for her, some part of him did care about Buffy.

 

And as much as Xander hated the idea he had a feeling if he didn’t want to lose Will’s friendship that he would have to accept Buffy back into their lives, would have to accept her place within Will’s life.

 

They moved deeper into the shadows as the trio passed, not wanting to give themselves away. It was bad enough that Buffy knew that Dru was in town, if she knew that she’d brought Will and Xander with her she might do exactly what Dru had insisted she wouldn’t… and run.

 

“Do you think someone should call the apartment? You know warn her that Rena’s on her way with her grandsire?” Riley asked as he held Faith close to his side.

 

“I think someone should go over there and get her out of dodge,” Faith said casting a sidelong glance at Gunn. “We’re supposed to protect her not lead the enemy right to her.”

 

“Guys Druscilla’s not the enemy… remember? She’s all soulful and crap, besides I’m more worried about getting to the hospital and back to the apartment before Angelus finds out his latest attack didn’t work.”

 

“A vampire with a soul,” Riley snorted. “That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard of… I mean god why didn’t they just stake her if they were so pissed? Why curse her?”

 

“You know those crazy gypsies… can’t do anything the easy way. Which hospital should we go to? I think Central’s closer but they normally have a cop on duty at night to thin out the gang crowds.”

 

“So don’t want to be busted for fighting,” Faith muttered under her breath. “And besides I don’t need to go the hospital… It’s a sprain, not a break.”

 

“Rena said hospital, we’re going to the hospital… although Gunn could use the cell in my pocket and call the apartment… You know just to give a heads up.”

 

“What should we do?” Xander asked quietly as they watched the trio depart. “Follow them or try to follow Buffy and Dru?”

 

“We’ll follow them, maybe they’ll lead us to Buffy by default.”

 

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

 

The walk to her apartment was done in silence. Each female alternating between glaring at the other and silently fuming.

 

Buffy at the injustice of it all. She’d walked away, left so she wouldn’t have to see her Slayer and Dru fawning over each other. Now they wanted her to go back to Sunnyhell so she could watch just that.

 

Of course maybe this was just a way of seeing of she would save them the trouble and stake herself rather than see them together.

 

Dru on the other hand was furious that her obstinate grand-childe had touched someone that she had marked in the first place. The fact that she’d been the one to walk away from a relationship with William was beside the point.

 

She had marked him. It should have kept him safe from the advances of other vampires. She should rip out Buffy’s throat for even daring to touch a hair on his head.

 

The only thing stopping her from doing just that was the fact that William had admitted to be a willing participant in their relationship. That he’d in fact been using Buffy for some time, although Dru had managed to read between the lines of the story he’d told.

 

Buffy had pushed him, he had pushed back and between the two of them they’d managed to flame the fires of a passion that should never have existed.

 

She also knew that despite his vehement denials of the fact he must have felt a tiny bit of affection for the vampire at her side.

 

Because the William she knew was not a user.

 

The William she knew didn’t believe in casual sex, he didn’t have sex, he made love and in order for him to do that he had to feel something for the other person…or vampire. Buffy had made him feel something that no one else could at the time. She’d made him feel safe, she’d offered him comfort and he taken it the only way he could.

 

Of course maybe she didn’t know William as well as she thought she did. Maybe he had been only using Buffy. But the rational side of her brain remembered his behavior at the club, he’d been angry, furious at seeing her dancing with the young man she’d been with. He would have stomped over to them and reclaimed what he believed was his if Angelus hadn’t been standing there ready to do the same thing.

 

“Home sweet home,” Buffy muttered as she fished a key out of her pocket. Pushing open the door she stepped inside and smirked as Dru was stopped by the invisible barrier the sprung up impeding her progress into the apartment.

 

“You live with humans? That’s not like you,” Dru said with narrowed eyes.

 

“It’s a spell… keeps me protected from the bad elements and such, it works just like the barriers on humans homes.”

 

“Which means you need to invite me in… or are we going to have this conversation with me standing in your doorway.”

 

“Don’t make much difference to me,” Buffy shrugged as she walked further into the apartment.

 

“Buffy,” Dru snarled warningly pressing her hands against the barrier that kept her from entering the apartment. She glanced around the empty hallway in agitation. She didn’t feel the presence of any vampires other than herself and Buffy but that didn’t mean that Angelus or one of his minions wasn’t lurking just of her sense range.

 

“Come in Druscilla,” she heard the heavy sigh from inside the apartment and with that the barrier preventing her from entering fell away and Dru stumbled forward.

 

With a scowl fixed on her face she slammed the door shut and stalked through the apartment coming to a stop when she saw Buffy sitting calmly in the living room, settled comfortably on the couch flipping through a magazine she looked so relaxed that Dru wanted to throttle her.

 

“So what did you want to talk about?” Buffy asked congenially never raising her eyes from the pages she was idly flipping through.

 

“There won’t be any talking, you’re going to pack and come back to Sunnydale with me…now.”

 

“What? You’re going to pull rank on me Dru? Not really your style is it… that’s more Druscilla’s isn’t it?”

 

“Don’t mess with me Buffy you’re needed in Sunnydale.”

 

“Needed?!” Buffy muttered throwing the magazine in her hands to the floor. “Needed for what? To what you and the Slayer fawn all over each other? You’ve got enough cannon fodder with the Scoobies you certainly don’t need me to add to their ranks.”

 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Dru asked, realization as to what William had used to drive Buffy away was slowly dawning on her. And inside her head she was already screaming at him.

 

He certainly knew where to hit to do the most damage. Buffy had a massive insecurity streak where her grandsire was concerned and William had played on it like a pro.

 

“Oh no need to play the innocent now luv,” Buffy smiled thinly rising to her feet. “The cats already out of the bag, no need to stuff him back in there and have him die of asphyxiation. I just have to wonder how you and the Slayer are planning on being together what with your loosely tied on soul… but I’m sure with all your years of experience that the two of you’ll come up with something.”

 

“Will told you that we were back together?”

 

“Oh he told me more than that… but yes that was the gist of the last conversation that we had…”

 

“I don’t believe this.”

 

“Yeah I couldn’t at first either… but the more I thought about it…” Buffy shrugged. “I guess there’s just no accounting for taste… is there?”

 

“Buffy…” she started, stopping when she realized that nothing she said was going to penetrate Buffy’s head. Whatever William had said, and before the night was out Dru would know exactly what it was, it had been bad enough that Buffy had believed every word he spoken to her.

 

Including that he had reconciled with a vampire that she despised.

 

“So I suppose you’ll be back on your way to Sunnydale then?”

 

“I’m not going anywhere until you change your mind… you are needed there.”

 

“The only person that would need me in ole Sunny D would be the nibblet…” Buffy trailed off. Staring hard at Dru for a moment she walked across the room to an old roll top desk, rummaging around in the top drawer she pulled out a heavy manila envelope.

 

“What’s this?” Dru asked as Buffy silently held it out to her.

 

“I made ‘lil bit a promise… promised her I wouldn’t leave, promised her I’d take care of her… can’t do that with the Slayer ‘round so…” Buffy shrugged forcing the envelope into Dru’s hands. “It’s money, Slayer wouldn’t take my help when I offered it but bit doesn’t deserve to be thrown out on the street, home she’s in is the only one she’s known.”

 

“Why don’t you come back? Give it to her yourself.”

 

“Yeah… um I don’t think so… imagine all the scoob’s would be waiting with stakes at the ready and I’ve got work to do that I can’t if I’m dust.”

 

“I’m not going back there without you Buffy. There’s stuff going on, things happening that require your presence.”

 

“Nothing that you can’t handle I’m sure,” Buffy said confidently. “Got my own stuff going down here.”

 

“Do you really think you can handle Angelus alone? He wants you back and he won’t take no for an answer.”

 

“I’ve got Angelus under control,” she said softly. “If you don’t mind the others will be here soon, kind of don’t want you here when they arrive… you know seeing as how we’re on the outs and all.”

 

With a frustrated growl Dru turned to the door.

 

“You’ll take care of them?” she heard the query softly from behind her. So softly that for a second she wasn’t sure that Buffy had actually spoken. With a firm nod she left.

 

She needed to talk to William. As much as she was loathe to admit it, he was going to have to do some groveling to get Buffy to go back to Sunnydale.

 

Which meant that she would have to tell him about the rest of the prophecy.

 

The rest of Buffy’s prophecy… and Williams place in it.

 

Buffy’s shoulders collapsed at the sound of the door closing. She had wanted to say that she would return to Sunnyhell so badly. Part of her, a part that was totally dominated by her love for the Slayer missed him so much that she wanted to weep at night.

 

She didn’t of course. Master Vampires didn’t cry because of what they couldn’t have.

 

What they shouldn’t have.

 

The sound of a door opening in the apartment alerted her to the others presence long before she felt her enter the room.

 

“She’s gone then?” the quiet voice came from behind her.

 

“Yeah she’s gone,” Buffy sighed, resigned to her place in the scheme of things. William belonged to Dru, and she… well she was playing the reluctant white knight protector to an unborn child… and the vampire that she’d once hated that carried it.

 

“Guess that spell works then, I honestly didn’t think it would.”

 

Turning she faced the very pregnant blonde… close to her ninth month Buffy had to wonder what they would do once she went into labor.

 

How did a vampire give birth?

 

“How you feelin’ Darla? Any contractions yet? Got to be getting’ close to that time…”

 

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

 

William and Xander stood outside a nondescript apartment building watching from across the street as Riley hovered over the injured Faith. A large cast now adorned her right foot and from the tone of the girls’ voice she was obviously not pleased.

 

Gunn ushered them through the front door glancing around the quiet street as if he could sense something was afoot. Not finding anything he shrugged seemingly to himself and let the door close behind him.

 

“Well that was a waste of two hours,” Xander muttered in disgust.

 

“Could have been worse.”

 

“Can’t see how… should we hang out here or go back to the hotel?”

 

“Probably should head back, Dru’s probably already there waiting for us,” Will said absently as he searched the exterior of the building. He didn’t know what he was looking for… although part of him was wondering if he stared at the windows long enough if it would help him to determine which one housed Buffy.

 

“Yeah… suns gonna be coming up soon, guarantee she’ll be waiting for us. I honestly don’t think she would be caught dead… or undead anywhere near Buffy when the sun rises.”

 

“What do you think is going on here Xander? Buffy hanging out with humans, Dru worried about her…” Will asked absently.

 

“Well when we get back to the hotel you can ask,” Xander murmured. “Can’t guarantee you’ll get a response though.”

 

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

 

Buffy sighed as she relaxed back on the couch, eyes closed she shivered as she felt the coming dawn.

 

Most vampires would be tucked deep in their beds, their crypts… they’d be far away from the impending sun.

 

Not her of course. She was standing guard over a vampire that she’d once despised who was pregnant with her ex-lovers child.

 

At least Darla thought the baby was Angelus’. It could also easily have been an evil lawyers as well. She’d had to bite her tongue when Darla had shared that bit of information with her. She’d had to pinch herself as well to keep from laughing out loud.

 

Because Darla had sounded almost desperate to have the child end up being Lindsey’s. And for the un-life of her Buffy couldn’t decide which would be worse.

 

To be pregnant with an evil vampires child or an evil lawyers child.

 

Either way she wasn’t sure how well this pregnancy was going to work out for Darla. Could vampires even give birth?

 

“Where’s our pregnant vampire?” she heard Gunn’s cheerful voice from the door.

 

“Hopefully sleeping which is where I’ll be shortly,” she opened her eyes staring at her young companion. “How’d it go?”

 

“Ankle’s broken,” he sighed collapsing on the couch next to her.

 

“Damn.”

 

“Yeah… Faith’s out for the count… don’t know how we’re going to cover for her.”

 

“We’ll think of something… Any trouble getting her there?”

 

“If you mean were we attacked enroute? No, only trouble we had was Faith. She really didn’t want to got the hospital… fought us the whole way.”

 

“Can’t say as I blame her… hate hospitals myself,” Buffy murmured softly.

 

“Yeah well… she’ll thank us when they don’t have to amputate her leg.”

 

Buffy smiled a ghost of a smile at him.

 

“Did catch sight of your boy though.”

 

“Yeah I know,” Buffy said softly. “Didn’t figure that Dru would come alone.”

 

“What are you going to do? They keep hanging around like they did last night we’re never going to get Angelus out in the open.”

 

“I honestly don’t know… They’re going to bollox this whole thing up for us if we’re not careful though.”

 

“Maybe you should talk to him… ask him real nicely to go away.”

 

Buffy shot him a glare. “Bleedin’ hell Gunn do you think I’m stupid?! I’m not going anywhere near the Slayer. In fact I’m going to stay as far away from William Summers as I can possibly get. Damn Slayer’s brought me nothing but heartache and misery ever since I met him.”

 

“You can’t choose who you fall in love with Rena.”

 

“Yeah but I can choose who I stay away from and right now I’m choosing to stay away from the Slayer… really don’t need him flaunting his relationship with Dru in my face on top of everything else.”

 

“I’m sorry… I know this is hard for you,” Gunn said softly. Touching her shoulder gently he squeezed. Silent support from a man that had wanted to stake her upon their first meeting.

 

They had definitely come a long way in a few short weeks.

 

“She wants me to go back to Sunnydale,” Buffy whispered. “That’s why they’re here… I don’t think I can do that. I can’t go back and watch the two of them be happy together. It’ll break what’s left of the little heart they think I don’t have.”

 

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

 

William flipped on the lights upon entering the hotel room, semi-startled to see Dru sitting in a chair by the window in the dark.

 

“Dru?” he queried softly tossing his room key on the small table he stepped aside letting Xander enter the room, shutting the door behind him. “Are you okay?”

 

“Where were you guys? Suns almost up,” she said in that tone he hated. The one he couldn’t read that told him she was either angry about something or hiding something.

 

“We followed them to the hospital than back to an apartment building,” Xander said eyes flicking between the Slayer and the Vampire staring at one another. “Would you look at the time,” he glanced down at his watch, faking a yawn and a stretch. “I don’t know about the two of you but I think it’s time for old Xander to hit the sheets.”

 

When neither acknowledged him he sighed walking into the bedroom. “Try not to get blood all over everything.”

 

Will narrowed his eyes cocking his head as he studied his old lover. “What’s up?”

 

“You never did tell me what you told Buffy to make her flee,” Dru stated stoically.

 

With a wince Will flopped down on the sofa kitty corner from her chair, rubbing a hand against the rough material of his jeans he avoided her questioning eyes. “I told you it was personal,” he muttered.

 

“Well I lucky for you I don’t need for you to tell me anymore… Buffy told me… How could you… do you know what you’ve done Will?”

 

“I did what I had to… there was no future with Buffy, everyone saw it… I just had to make her see it.”

 

“So you lied to her,” Dru said pushing herself to her feet. “You told her the one thing that was sure to hurt her the most… you told her that we were back together. Probably told her that you were only using her as my substitute.”

 

“So?” Will glared at her. “Did you want me to tell her the truth?! You want me to tell her that you don’t want me anymore? Did you want me to tell her that I was scared that I was falling in love with her?!”

 

“Are you?”

 

“I don’t know… all I know is I can’t do that sucking, horrible misery thing again. I can’t take falling for someone only to have them walk away.”

 

“And what makes you think she would?”

 

“Because everyone leaves Dru!” William surged to his feet, his ice blue eyes flashing with anger. “You left; I never really had Patty, Raina walked out because I couldn’t love her enough. Mom died… are you starting to see a trend here? I saw the writing on the wall and struck first.”

 

“And what if Buffy wouldn’t have left? What if the two of you are supposed to be together?” Dru asked softly.

 

“What are you talking about?” he shook his head studying the vampiress who was studiously avoiding his eyes in favor of the floor. “What do you know?”

 

“I don’t know anything,” Dru stated vehemently retaking her seat.

 

“The prophecy,” Will said with dawning realization. “This is about the prophecy.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What does it say Dru? You and Giles said it was just about warriors that hadn’t chosen sides yet being assassinated but there’s more to it than that… isn’t there?”

 

“There’s a lot more to it than that, so much that we really don’t have time to get into it… What you did, it upset the balance.”

 

“So what? Buffy was supposed to stay in Sunnydale? Continue to fight with us… you know she wouldn’t have stayed if she knew there was no chance at something between us.”

 

“You’re supposed to be with her Will…”

 

“What?!” he exploded, Dru winced at the sound of disbelief in his voice. “You’re joking right? Please tell me you’re joking.”

 

“You said yourself that you were already falling in love with her…”

 

“I never said that,” Will denied shaking his head furiously. “I said I thought I might be… big difference there Dru.”

 

“You need to fix this…”

 

“Fix this? I don’t think so. Besides I wouldn’t have the first clue how to get through to her.”

 

“You need to try Will,” she moved out of her chair, sitting on the small end table in front of him she took his hands within hers. “You need to make this right with her. If you don’t… innocent people will die. She’ll die.”

 

“She’s already dead Dru,” he laughed harshly. “Angelus killed her over 200 years ago…”

 

“I know that… believe me I know that,” she muttered. “You need to fix this.”

 

“I don’t know how,” he whispered softly.

 

“Try groveling,” she winked at him. “That always worked back in my day.”

 

 

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