RETURN TO ME

Disclaimer: I own absolutely no part of the characters from Buffy: The Vampire Slayer or Angel (I wish I did but…)

 

Feedback: IF I DINT WANT FEEDBACK I WUNT POST THE STORY! (But if you carnt take the hint n r still saying dus she want feedback it wud be a HELL YES!!!!!)

 

Distribution: For all my stuff and some other Buffy/Angel stuff (gallery, episode guide, character file, demon file etc) check out my website. www.geocities.com/slayerandvampirealways If you want this story or any of my work contact me and I will let you know, but please ask first.

 

Also if any of you would like to beta read my work plz let me know.

 

Summary: What if Doyle’s vision about Buffy wasn’t about the Shumash but a message from the powers telling Angel that he never should have left Buffy.

 

A/N: As I like Doyle so much I decided we would just forget the whole ‘Hero’ episode.

 

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

 

Doyle’s shout made Angel move from his inner office to the outer one. He waited while his friends recovered before handing him the glass of brandy he’d poured.

“What was it?”

“It was your little Slayer again.”

“Buffy? No Doyle after what happened, I can’t see her again so soon.”

“Well I get these visions for a reason.”

“Well what was it.”

“She was fighting some freaky looking guys, she had someone helping her though. A guy in army gear.”

“Anything else, make it even more vague.”

“Sorry Angel but I don’t choose what I get my visions about.”

“Sunnydale here I come.”

 

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

 

Buffy kicks her Footman, throws another, reaches back for her crossbow spinning--

Riley comes up with the rifle. They are facing each other, her with crossbow, him with stun gun. They stare at each other. Their stare is broken by three more footmen arriving. They attack the pair en masse now, too close for their respective weapons. Riley throws one while Buffy kicks another. After a short fight Riley manages to get his far enough away to blast it with an electrical charge from his weapon. It keels over, out of the fight. The third is on Buffy and knocks the crossbow from her hands. Riley turns to see Buffy as she spins kicking the head and then planting the hell of her hand to the footman’s chest sending him flying back into a beam, causing it to snap. Riley’s face is a mask of surprise at her sheer strength. He has little time to ponder her strength as he is grabbed from behind. Buffy sees a footman making his way upstairs and follows him, pausing to look to Riley. She decides he is in control of his fight enough to leave him. Buffy climbs up past a pendulum and into the clock tower. She looks to her right -- there is a shrine of jars, five of them full. No sooner does she see it than she is jumped by four Footmen. They wrestle her to the ground and hold her as The Gentleman approach. The taller obviously leading one holds a scalpel in hand. Buffy struggles trying to break free but he is about to cut, his partner looks on with glee, the others behind. Then his partner is blown away by an electrical blast.

Riley stands behind the pendulum holding his weapon, he fires it gain this time hitting a footman. It’s all the distraction Buffy needs and she wrestles free before kicking the footmen away and beginning to resume her fight. She moves with the fight drawing her to the opposite side of the clock tower. Riley fires his weapon at yet another attacker only to find it is out of energy. He throws it down and begins to fight hand to hand. The Gentlemen stand off to one side, grinning but worried.     

Buffy is doing her best, but with more footmen coming she begins to see no way out. Then she sees the box from her dream. Buffy signals to Riley, who is blocked from her by Footmen, to smash the box. He gets the message, grabs his rifle and swings his rifle and swings the butt down on a harmless incense bowl. Unable to continue to mime to Riley what the hell she wants him to do as she is pulled away towards the Gentlemen. Suddenly she hears a sound and feels something returning to her. Her voice. Buffy rears back, on her knees, very pissed, taking in a huge breath, the Gentlemen look terrified. She screams. Long, hard, and at the top of her lungs. The Footmen fall to the ground in writhing agony. The Gentlemen put their hands to their ears, in as much agony, then go stiff, arms at their sides. Then their heads explode.

Buffy and Riley look around them, exhausted, as the monsters all lie dead at their feet.

 

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

 

The door is ajar as Buffy folds her laundry. Riley does a knock and enters. Buffy turns, stops.

“Hi.”
”Hi.” He shuts the door before crossing to Willow’s bed and sitting. Buffy sits on her own bed.

“Well. I guess we have to talk.”

“I guess we do.” They sit. Wait.   

“Well, somebody should speak before one of us graduates.” Riley rises slowly. He crosses past her, then turns back.

“What are you?” Buffy eyes him, a little irked at the question.

“Capricorn. On the cusp of Aquarius. You?”

“Sorry. Came out a little blunter than I intended. It's just...You're amazing. Your speed, your strength…”

“Also passionate, artistic and inquisitive.” She gives him a pointed look. “Who are you?”
”You know who I am. The rest...What I do... I can't tell you.” She studies him for a moment.

“Then, let me. You're part of some military monster squad that rounds up demons, vampires -- probably have official-sounding euphemisms for them like ‘Unfriendlies’ or ‘Non-sapiens...’”

“Hostile Sub-Terrestrials.”

“There you go. So you deliver these... "HSTs" to a bunch of lab coats who perform experiments which, among other things, turn some into harmless bunnies. How am I doing so far?” Riley’s face is a mask of concern.
“A little too well.”

“Meanwhile, by day, you pretend to be Riley Finn, corn-fed Iowa boy. You ever even been to Iowa, Riley? God, if that's even your name.”

“It is. Born and raised. And hey, bulletin, I'm not the only one who's been less than honest here.” Buffy relents as she considers his point.
“I'd have thought a professional Demon chaser like you would've figured it out by now.” She pauses waiting for his recognition. It doesn’t come and so she continues.
“I'm the Slayer.” Riley looks at her blankly. “Slay-er. Chosen one? She who hangs out a lot in cemeteries?” He shrugs, apologetically. “You're kidding.” She sighs. “In every genera-- You know, I really don't feel like doing the routine. Ask around. Look it up: ‘Slayer comma The.’”

“And you fight... demons... I mean, you wailed on them -- and these guys were in shape. Kind of a weird shape, but –“

“You did pretty well yourself.”

“But I'm a walking bruise today. See me with my clothes off I look like... I mean I have bruises... purple. Don't see a scratch on you.”

“Not looking hard enough.”
“I'm looking pretty hard. So, then... What do we... do?”

“I don't know. I'm still... I really thought you were a nice, normal guy.”

“I am a nice, normal guy.”

“Maybe by this town's standards, but I'm not grading on a curve. I think we both need a little time to process... everything. Decide where this... where we're...”

“Yeah. I think that's a good idea.” He stands. They look at each other for a moment.

“Don't think I need to tell you...”

“I won't say a word to anybody.”
”Good. It'll be safer for all.” He reaches out for the doorknob, something occurs to Buffy.

“How did you figure out I meant the box?”

“What?”

“Yesterday, how did you figure out I wanted you to smash the box after they started to drag me to The Gentlemen?”

“I didn’t.”

“Lucky accident then.”

“No I mean I didn’t smash the box, I went to help you but then I felt something and stopped. Then you screamed.”

“Who smashed the-” SKRRREEECH! Amy the rat lets out an agitated SQUEAL. They turn to look at her. “What's-” Then, a low, rumbling hum and the room begins to violently shake. A few breakables fall off the shelf and shatter. Riley instinctively grabs Buffy and moves into the doorframe until the shaking finally subsides. In the distance, car alarms blare. Riley is a little jazzed.
”Wow. That was some ride,” Buffy slowly walks to her window. “Sorry. I'm a little excited. It's my first earthquake.” After a long pause Buffy speaks in a strangely ominous voice.
“It isn't mine.”

 

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

 

Angel was dreaming again. He knew he was dreaming because in his dream he had never gone to the Oracles to have the day erased and he was human and with Buffy. They were just about to say their ‘I dos’ when someone shoved him roughly. He shot up to see Cordelia.

“Doyle had another vision about Buffy. He went to a bar to drink the pain away or so he said. Apparently she was in this burnt out building that had this huge hole in the ground and demons were jumping into it. I think from the way he described it, it might possibly be…the hellmouth.” Angel sighed before climbing out of bed and pulling a shirt on. “How long until sun down?”

“About an hour.”

“Well I got an hour to get ready for another trip to Sunnydale.”

 

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

 

Buffy and the others move cautiously down what's left of the hall. They can't help but look around, amazed by the damage.

“Sunnydale high. If these walls -were still walls - what stories they could tell...” Xander then steps into something black and crunchy. He looks down.

“Ewwwww.” Willow turns to him a questioning look on her face. “Mayor meat. Extra crispy.” Willow nods and makes a face.
“I think we're near the-” They turn a corner and stop. Even though walls are blown away and such, they are clearly in the area where the library used to be because the demons are there, standing at the lip of the already open Hellmouth.

“-library. Wow. Check out the new floor plan.”

“I'll deal with them. You get the spell stuff away.”

“I don't see any sacrifice people.”

“They have to be around here somewhere - the ritual's not finished.” With that, Buffy whips a stake out of her jacket and flings it at demon #3, knocking the talisman out of his hand. The demons react to this, looking at Buffy - startled and distracted.

“And you can't raise hell if you can't do the spell, right guys?” There is a slight pause before the demons charge Buffy. She and the monsters trade blows, while Xander and Willow swoop in and snatch the chalice of blood from Demon #1 and the bag full of child's bones from Demon #2. As Demon #1 and Demon #2 chase after them and they play a game of keep away with the ritual items. They expertly duck blows and toss the stuff back and forth - leaving the demons frustrated. Then Demon #1 ends the game by hitting Xander over and over, trying to weaken him. Xander holds the chalice tight as he tries to fend Demon #1 off.

“You picked the wrong guy, dude. I had lots of practice at this with my lunch money.” Meanwhile Willow is being chased by the other demon. He nearly corners her, but she tosses the bag, yelling-

“Spike!” A disinterested Spike catches the bag more out of instinct than anything else. Sees Demon #2, now more furious than ever - charging toward him.

“Right. Perfect.” Buffy is still locked in furious battle with Demon #3. He is the largest and strongest of the three demons and is giving her a run for her money. Demon #1 finally wrests the chalice of blood away from him, Xander readies himself for further attack - but the demon seems to have no more interest in him. Instead, Demon #1 flings himself and the chalice into the Hellmouth. Xander, stunned, takes this in.

“Okay. Guess I won.” Now the ground starts to shake, a tremor of the decidedly portentous variety starting to build. Xander processes this. A beat. Then the light goes on. He yells to Buffy-

“The demons! They are the sacrifice!” Spike misses Xander’s announcement, as he is busy being pummelled by the demon. Spike reaches the end of his rope. He’s tired, broken... But then something in him snaps. If he's going to go out, he'll go out fighting. No matter how much it hurts. He yells and strikes back at his assailant, who staggers back from the punch. A beat as Spike cringes, then realizes that hitting the demon didn't hurt him in the head at all.

“No pain...” The Demon, just recovered from Spike's last blow, lurches toward him. Spike pounds him again. And, again, no pain. Realisation crosses his face.

“I can hurt a demon...” With this new awareness, Spike goes to town on the demon unleashing a dizzying torrent of pent-up violence on the unlucky fellow and going into his vampiric visage in the process. His display is truly impressive, kicking and hitting until the demon is crumpled in a dying heap on the ground.

“Yeah! That's right! I'm back and I'm a bloody animal! Yeah!!” He raises Demon #2 over his head with a victory howl and hurls it into the Hellmouth, along with the bag of bones. The others shout in protest, but it's too late.

“Noooo!”

“Spike! Not in the-” The ground starts to tremble even more violently. Walls start to crumble. Spike takes in Willow and Xander's appalled stares.

“What? I was helping.” Buffy notes the ever-destabilizing structure as she continues to fight Demon #3. She shouts to Willow, Xander and Spike.

“Get out of here. The building's going to come down!” A piece of debris falls on Spike, dazing him. The others pull him out of the library. Buffy continues to struggle with Demon #3. Emboldened by the near completion of the spell, the demon is stronger than ever - beating her closer and closer to the Hellmouth. She finds her stake on the floor and sinks it into the demon's chest. It screams and raises its arms for a killing blow. Then, suddenly, the demon is yanked off her by unseen hands. Buffy, confused, looks up to see Riley, in full commando garb, wrestling the demon off her.

Riley and the demon go hand to hand. Riley fights well - but it's clear that he's outmatched by the creature. After a moment, Buffy recovers enough to join in again, yells to Riley.

“Don't let him jump in the Hellmouth! If he does, we're finished!” Riley nods his understanding and hits the demon hard, sending him staggering away from the lip of the Hellmouth. Just as it seems the two of them may best the demon, an overhead beam falls. The beam separates Buffy and Riley from the monster, and clips Riley on the leg, hurting him, pinning him. The demon is badly injured, near death - but using his last reserves to grab the fallen talisman and pull himself to the yawning maw of the Hellmouth. Buffy is about to go to stop him when the demon throws something at her. She ducks and awkwardly moves hitting her head on the wall. She looks down for a few minutes dazed. By the time she looks up again the ground has stopped shaking. The demon is on the ground with it’s neck broken. The Hellmouth is closed. Seeing this, Buffy starts to crawl over to Riley. She manages to pull the beam from across him.

“Riley are you okay?”

“I’ll survive but bruised probably won’t even cover how I look tomorrow.” He smiles up at her and she smiles back. He then notices the demon.

“That’s why you’re the professional I guess.”

“Maybe but the professional has no idea what the hell happened. I hit my head looked down and when I looked back up dead demon. No more apocalypse-y looking hole in the ground.” They stare at the demon and then each other before Buffy begins to help Riley up.

*

Outside of the school and stood slightly away are Xander, Willow and Spike Then Buffy helping a slightly limping Riley emerge from the wreckage. While Will, Xander and even Spike are obviously happy that the world isn't ending - they are more than a little surprised to see Riley in action. Riley, in turn, is shocked to see them there. He immediately tries to cover, launching into an unconvincing, blustering explanation.

“Well, hey! Willow. Xander, right? What are the chances, huh? I was just passing by - and I thought I heard people inside-”

“You were just passing by...in your GI Joe outfit?” Buffy is obviously amused by Riley's scrambling, can't help but add-
”No offence - but you are looking wicked conspicuous.”

“I am? But it's... paint ball and then the aftershock and I-”

“So you're one of the commando guys, huh?” Riley tries the laughing it off method now. Weakly.

“No, no, no. Commando, I mean-” he then notices Spike. “Do I know you?” Spike's the one on the spot now. He replies with a hideously bad ‘American’ accent.

“Me? No. No sir. I'm just - an old pal of Xander's, here.”

“Oh - I - Oh. That's nice.”

“Yeah.” They all start to move off. Buffy is still curious about what happening, that’s when she realises she had the same feeling in there that she did when they were in the clock tower with the Gentlemen, just before she got her voice back. A feeling she had only recently. But no that was stupid they agreed to stay away. It couldn’t be. It was just she was getting weird feelings because of what was happening between her and Riley. She snaps out of her thoughts to listen to her friends’ easy talk.

“Good world saving back there, Will. The keep away thing was key.” Will takes this in, gratified.

“You too. If you hadn't figured out that ‘demons are the sacrifice’ thing - we'd all be hell babies by now.” They boast somewhat mockingly.

“What can I say? We kicked the apocalypse's ass.”

“Again.” A beat, then-

“Weird being back, wasn't it?”

“Yeah. Everything looked so much smaller. And more charred and ruin-y.” Buffy adds.

“I know the feeling guys but it made me see something, college was as I figured out before kicking Sunday’s ass, so much like high school it’s scary.” The three friends laugh. Riley really takes in Willow, Xander and Spike in their torn and dirtied clothes.

“So - what are you guys all doing here, anyway?” As they walk away Willow, Xander and Buffy share a look. Then Buffy replies - a simple throwaway as they leave behind the black remains of Sunnydale High.

“We used to go here.”

 

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

 

The next day. Riley's room is fairly typical college guy fare, except we might notice a few more pictures of family, the respectful lack of girly pin ups... Riley sits on the edge of his bed again - clearly distracted as he shoots total air balls at the Nerf basket. A quiet knock on the door interrupts him.

“Come in.” Buffy pokes her nose in - enters. She seems somehow calmer. More resolved.

“Hey. You never called, I didn't know if you...” Riley anxiously cuts her off. It's clear that he's worked himself into a terrible state of agitation.
”Oh, hey, sorry, I'm just. I'm a dead man. Secret. Highly. Or, it's supposed to be. Then you find out, I can deal. You're special. But last night with your friends was a
disaster. I mean, could I have been less convincing? I was trained to be sneaky and stuff and I'm like - hi, paint ball, just passing by... I should have just given them my security code and rank-”

“You have a security code and rank?” Riley looks like he wants to kill himself.

“No. Did I say - ? I... Oh, God... This is so not good. Everybody knows about me. I'm finished. It's the end of the world.”

“No. It's not.” And she kisses him. A kiss that takes Riley by surprise at first, but which he quickly gives himself over to. She pulls back. “Trust I’ve been through several world ending situations and this is nothing like it.” She smiles before kissing him again. It grows into quite a passionate embrace...

 

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

 

“Angel man could you do me a favour and call your little Slayer and tell her to stop bloody fighting evil and get the hell out of my head. This is the 6^th vision of her I’ve had in less than 4 months and quite frankly it’s more than I’ve ever had and I don’t really think my head can take it.”

“You had another vision about her?”

“Yeah.” Angel looks down and Doyle catches his eye for a moment before his gaze reaches the floor. He can see the obvious pain there. “What happened when you went to see her?”

“Nothing, I only went to apologise for how I acted.”

“Yeah well firstly tell me what the hell she said to you to put that haunted look in your eye that you’ve been carrying round with you ever since we got back from the station with Faith.”

“She just said that she had someone. Her exact words were ‘You know, I have someone in my life now. That I love. It's not what we had, it's very new. You
know what makes it new? I trust him. I know him.’” Angel looks up at Doyle and is shocked by the look on his face. It is a mask of anger.

“God man I’m sorry, what a bitch!”

“It’s not her fault. She’s still a child. She lashes out at people when they hurt her and I’d just hurt her so…” Doyle shakes his head but says nothing.

“So what happened in Sunnydale? She not accept your apology?”

“Oh she did, she even said I was right. And she was actually not all that pissed about the fact I beat up her new boyfriend.”

“You what!”

“He is part of this commando operation that hunt demons and stuff. They attacked me and he came halfway through all he saw was me beating up his men. So he joined in.”

“I get the feeling that he probably wishes he didn’t.” Angel grins a little and nods.

“So vision?”

“She’s fighting something, it’s like a demon but with person parts and some metal parts which look a little like a computer. It’s strong and it’s winning.”

“You know I wish the Powers would stop doing this. Knowing she’s there fighting everyday what could well be her last fight I can just about handle but the visions and the specifics…she’s in danger everyday. I can’t escape her. They obviously want me to be watching her back but I can’t do that and my work here too.”

“I know man maybe you should take a trip to the Oracles.”

“Yeah when I get back of course.”

 

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

 

Pockets of commandos holding back an onslaught of demons with taser fire. The first wave of demons go down. But the second wave keeps coming…Spike is whomping any demon that gets in his way, as he looks for an escape route. A commando nails a demon with a round of machine gun fire. Then is attacked from behind by a vampire who sinks his fangs in the unlucky soldier's neck. As he goes down, his machine gun fires wildly. McNamara standing amid the fray, firing his pistol at any non-human thing in range, leading his men to the armoury as they die out on him one by one.

“Fall back! Fall back! Protect the flank gunners and lock down that pit!” Another one of his men gets pulled away, screaming. At the dark edge of the Pit, a lab coat tries to climb out. A few dark purple tentacles reach up and yank him back in. He screams as he disappears.

*

As Willow works at the computer, Buffy and the others are getting pretty antsy. Xander peers out the window on the door, keeping watch. Muffled explosions, getting louder, come from outside.

“Anybody else getting that warm, sitting duck feeling?”

“How we doing, Will?”

“Hold on, hold on, look at this. According to this, there's air ducts and electrical conduits all running into…nothing.”

“It's Adam.”

“Are you sure?”

“Right behind room 314.”

“What?! Are you telling me a top-secret government operation has rooms they're not telling us about? If we survive, I'm writing my Congressman.”

“Can you unlock it?”

“I don't have to. Every lock in the Initiative's been disengaged. Except the exits.”

“Demon open house.”

“Great. So we know we're going to 314. Now all we have to do is get there.” Buffy moves out. Xander grabs a fallen blaster as he and Willow follow her out. The battle rages, pops and pings of gunfire and ricochets, zaps of taser blasts and indiscriminate shouting. In the B.G., pockets of commandos and demons locked in hand-to-hand combat. Buffy, Willow, Giles and Xander start to make their way through. Xander armed with a taser rifle taken off one of their guards. They move low and fast through the war zone. A demon rears up before them. Buffy swiftly gives it a hard kick to the kneecap, cracking it. The demon goes down, cradling its injury. Buffy slams it in the face and it's out. They continue. A hairy demon comes running at them, Xander blasts it, not even stopping. It falls to the ground, writhing in charged agony. Further on, a round of machine gun fire is fired at them. Buffy tackles Willow, the others also hitting the deck. “Come on!” She leads them to the entrance to the Restricted Area, just six feet away. She yanks the door open and hustles the others inside. They burst into the lab. Close the door behind them. Buffy checks around. She runs her fingers across the walls.

“It’s here.” Willow joins her.

“How do we open it?” Buffy finds a seam in the walls and pulls the door open, flooding the room with light. She peers into the corridor before turning back to the others.

“Okay once I’m on barricade it. Giles, this place okay to be Magic Central?”

“It should do.” Giles peers out of the door.

“Long as we don’t get all blowed up or nothin’”

“And what are the odds of that?”

“How long before the ritual kicks in?”

“Five minutes, give or take.”

“I’ll move fast then.” She crosses to the door. Xander places a hand on her arm and she looks at him.

“Buffy, I still don’t like you going in alone.”

“I won’t be.” She smiles before going through the door. Giles and Xander begin to barricade them. Explosions and the sounds of carnage grow louder outside as Willow kneels to the floor, unzips Giles' bag and removes various ritual supplies. She starts spreading them out around the floor…

*

Buffy enters from the corridor, and immediately freezes when she sees: Riley, across the room, sitting. “Riley?” He slowly looks up at her. She runs to him. Then realizes… something's wrong. “Are you hurt? Say something.” He struggles for a beat, trying to form words. But he can't. He then looks past Buffy, his eyes registering alarm. Buffy spins around, ready to trade blows, and comes face to face with:

The Walsh and Angleman zombies, who stare at her dumbly with their dead eyes. She turns to Riley, fear and suspicion crossing her features.

“Riley? What is this? Why won't you talk to me?”

“He can't.” Buffy turns to see Adam, standing in the doorway. Advancing on her, slowly. He has all the time in the world. “He's not programmed to. He's part of the final phase now, as you were supposed to be-”

“Me?”

“You should be fighting the demons. Evening the kill ratio.”

“Sorry - Maybe it's the slayer in me, but I don't jump through hoops on command. I've never been one to tow the line.” Adam considers this.
“Oh. Kill her.” Before Buffy can react, Forrest shoots out a hand and grabs her from behind.

“I thought you'd never ask.” Buffy struggles in Forrest's superhuman grip as she sees:

Walsh moving at her with a whirring bone saw. Buffy struggles in Forrest's grip as Walsh moves towards her with the active bone saw. Riley is watching helplessly, straining to move or speak. Buffy jumps up and, using Forrest as a brace, kicks the Walsh Zombie with both feet, sending it flying backward and propelling she and Forrest against a wall. The movement causes a glass beaker on a wall shelf unit to fall and shatter on the surgical table next to Riley, whose gaze is drawn to the shards of glass. Buffy flips to her feet, and engages Forrest, though his considerable strength puts Buffy more on the defensive as he drives her back. Riley fuelled by his concern for Buffy, forces out a single word -

“B-Buffy!” Upon hearing this, Forrest taunts Riley even further as he slams Buffy with a brutal punch.

“Shut up and watch me kill your girlfriend, Finn. That's an order.”

Riley through sheer will and sweaty concentration manages to move his hand over to the largest shard of broken glass on the table, his hand the envelopes it. Riley plunges the shard into his shoulder, the pain helping to clear his head. Forrest and Buffy continue to battle while Riley reaches into his wound, pain marrs his features. Forrest grabs Buffy, lifts her high in the air. Instinctively, she grasps at an overhead wire, which gives way, sparking. Riley is grimacing, as his fingers try to grip something inside his open wound. Then, with a grunt and mighty effort, he yanks his hand up in front of his face. Held between his thumb and forefinger is a dark grey circuitry chip, attached to apiece of metal and dripping with blood. Forrest who slams Buffy down hard onto a surgical table, winding and dazing her. Then he leans over her and presses his forearm to her throat. Walsh and Angleman move in, starting to secure her with the table restraints.

“That it? That all you got?”

“No…” Riley is standing behind them, with a bleeding shoulder. “She's got me.” In a flash Walsh and Angleman come at Riley. He yanks the tubes out of their chests. Both zombies fall to the ground in writhing heaps. Then Riley slugs Forrest, who barely registers it.

“Look who's come off the bench.” Forrest is about to strike back at Riley, forgetting about Buffy for the moment. She takes the opportunity to give Forrest a hard kick to the kidneys and pull Riley to the side.
”I need to get to Adam. Like now. Are you able --?”

“Go.” She nods and exits into the monitoring room. As Forrest recovers, Riley readies himself to take him on.

*

Adam is at the monitors, watching the carnage on the floor. “Mother always knew you were going to prove to be a threat to her work.” He turns around. Buffy is stood behind him.

“Yeah, well, Professor Walsh was no dummy. A little light on the sanity, yeah-” Adam attacks. In the midst of it, Adam's skewering arm juts out and he attempts to impale her. Anticipating it, Buffy manages to grab and break off the skewer. “Broke your arm.”

“Got another.” And with that, his other arm transforms - in an Iron Giant-like fashion - into a machine gun/rocket launcher combo. “I've been upgrading.”

Buffy reacts, then takes off across the room as Adam fires the machine gun at her, strafing the wall she dives behind a console. Adam aims his arm. A rocket rotates into position. Buffy is crouched behind the console, desperately thinking of her next move. Adam fires a rocket at the console. KA-BOOM! Much smoke. He squints into it and sees…BUFFY. But not Buffy. Something much more. An Uber-Buffy, exuding enormous power, charged with energy. Her eyes glow a fiery, incandescent orange.

“You can't last much longer.”

“We can. We are forever.” Slowly at first, then more forcefully, she begins speaking in tongues. Or, more specifically, to incant in Ancient Sumerian, in a multi-harmonic voice.

“Sha me-en-dan. Gesh-toog me-en-dan. Zee me-en-den.
Oo-khush-ta me-ool-lee-a ba-ab-tum-mu-do-en. - We are heart. We are mind. We are spirit. From the raging storm, we bring the power of the Primeval One.” Adam’ face seems a blend of concern and fascination, fascination far out-weighing the concern.

“Interesting.” He fires his machine gun at Buffy.

“Im-a sheng-ab - Boil the air.” The bullets dissolve into tiny white clouds a few feet from Buffy as if her aura was made of acid. Adam is now more concerned than fascinated.

“Very … interesting.” Adam launches a rocket at Uber-Buffy.

“Kur - Change.” Accompanied by a harmonic tone, the rocket morphs into 3 birds that fly up and off. Adam raises his arm to fire again, Buffy gives a small wave. Another tone and his arm weapon morphs back into his demon arm. Adam, becoming enraged, swings at Buffy. She dodges it, then starts trading blows with him. This time, as opposed to the past, Adam is on the ropes. She's the faster, stronger…

“How… can you…?”

“You could never hope to grasp the source of our power.” In a last ditch effort to regain control of the battle, Adam rears up, and…Buffy puts her fist through his chest… Adam tries to beat her off, but can't. After a moment, Buffy pulls her fist out. “But yours is right here.” She opens her hand - inside is a uranium core in its lead casing. Riley enters in time to see Adam drop dead.

“Buffy?” She doesn't answer. Buffy holds out the uranium core and opens her hand. The core begins to levitate, rising higher, then hovering. Buffy focuses her orange eyes on it. The core suddenly becomes immersed in a blue flame and vanishes.

Riley moves to Buffy, though she doesn't seem to notice him at first as she's lost in some rapture. He touches her face, she looks at him. She moves to kiss him when suddenly she throws her head back and collapses into him.

*

A hairy demon breaks through the barricade. He charges Willow, Giles and Xander, who are still disoriented and are in no condition to defend themselves. The demon lunges, snarling ravenously. Just as it's about to land, it's suddenly tackled from behind by Angel. Angel and the demon go crashing into the opposite wall, then Angel grabs the demon's head and twists, snapping it's neck. The beastie falls dead to the floor. The three stare at him in amazement. Then the door’s kicked in by Buffy, who enters with Riley. Angel is forgotten as Giles, Xander and Willow react with surprise and relief upon seeing them, they then crowd round them.

“Buffy!”

“Wasn’t it amazing?”

“You were great.”

“WE were great.”

“We’ve still got men out there.” Xander wraps one arm round Willow’s shoulders and the other round Buffy’s, Buffy then grabs Giles and slips her arm round his shoulders. They all smile at each other, their bond strengthened to what it had once been. Xander then drags them towards the door.

“Well let’s go save them, by gum!” The four grin. Riley looks at their retreating figures but then grins and goes after them. Angel is forgotten.

 

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

 

Buffy and Willow are in their room, they’ve been relaxing. It has been 2 days since the battle. Willow turns to look at Buffy who lets her gaze slid over to her.

“Buffy there’s something that I’ve been wondering whether to tell you for these past 2 days and I have decided I wouldn’t be much of a best friend if I didn’t.” Buffy looks concerned then and she too turns on her side to look at her best friend. “Before you and Riley showed up on that day, just after we came out of the spell a demon broke into the room. Angel killed it.” Buffy’s face shows her pure shock.

“Angel was here?”

“Yeah.” Buffy gets off her bed and begins to slowly walk the room.

“Will I don’t think it was the first time. When Riley and I were in the clock tower with the Gentlemen, someone smashed the box and it wasn’t either of us. Neither Riley nor me snapped the demon’s neck to stop him diving in the hellmouth, I looked up and the demon was dead. There have been other times too at least 5 that I can think of when I’ve been fighting and obviously not doing so great and then all of sudden it’s okay, demon’s dead or whatever.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“I’m gonna go see him.”

 

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

 

“So man what was it like?”

“It was a war-zone, demons everywhere and dead people and demons too, littering the floor. Willow, Xander and Giles saw me. I saw Buffy too, she was helping Riley through a door, he had a cut near his heart.”

“Wow, I’ve never heard of anything like that before.”

“Yeah well I have to say that in my 250 odd years of life I haven’t either.”

“Been to the Oracles yet?”

“No I was just going to rest before I went. I need answers, and you need to stop having visions about…”

“Me?” They both look up to see Buffy stood in the doorway. “Hi again.”

“The lovely Ms Summers, hope you’re okay?”

“You should know since I seem to be in your head a lot.” He smiled at her a little. He unconsciously rubbed his head. “I’m sorry.” He looks surprised.

“What for princess?”

“The pain. Visions hurt, or so Angel said.”

“Aye they do but they give me a reason to drink and those are the only times Cordy doesn’t say anything so…” He smiled. “Well I’ll leave you to talk but Angel call me when you’re ready to go. Since Cordy’s off sick I’ll man the phone for ya.” Doyle left and Buffy stepped further into Angel’s office. It reminded him of the time she had come to see him after Thanksgiving.

“So?”

“Doyle’s been having a lot of visions about you so I come, I help out I come back here.”

“The Gentlemen, the apocalypse, the Initiative, those other times?” He nodded. “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why does he keep having visions about me?”

“I don’t know that’s why I’m going to see the Oracles.”

“What are we waiting for?” He looks up before leaving, she trails behind him.

*

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Wait Angel, back soon? I don’t think so I’m going with you.”

“Buffy…” Buffy grabs his arm and drags him with her.

“What have you brought us?” Buffy stares dumbly at the Oracles while Angel holds out a small antique statue. “Well…”

“Why does Doyle keep having visions about Buffy? I can’t fight my own fight while running backwards and forwards to Sunnydale.”

“What has happened was meant to be no matter who tells it otherwise.”

“What do you mean what has happened?”

“The two of you meeting, it was not a change of your destinies, your falling in love, it was the way your destinies were planned. You were fated to be one.”

“Yeah and look what happened.” Buffy said bitterly.

“You should not have listened to your guilt, warrior, but to your destiny. We keep showing you your destiny through your messenger but you pay no heed.”

“The visions are showing my destiny. They show Buffy in danger. My destiny is to help Buffy when she’s in danger, or is it to be the one who puts her in danger?”

“Warrior your destiny is she. She is your destiny and you are hers. Fight it if you want but ultimately you shall cost the world of it’s life.”

“He left me. That’s what people do, break up. I’m with Riley now and my only destiny is die a bloody death at the hands of some demon.”

“Yes little warrior it is but you have several parts to your destiny, though that is the end of your destiny, being together is part of your destiny.”

“Cryptic isn’t really a huge thing that I’m into so could you make it a little less vague and we’ll be on our not-so-merry way.”

“You were born to love one another, which is why he was destined to be the vampire with a soul and you the Slayer, it was the only way your world’s could collide.”

“I don’t think so considering we can’t even be around each other without him…”

“Curses are like some rules, made to be broken.”

“Yeah we did that once and I didn’t much like the consequences.”

“Try again, and believe. You, little warrior, believed men left after, and you, warrior believed too much in your guilt, instead try believing in one another and you will find that a curse can be broken, for good.”

“Okay so just to recap you’re saying we can have sex as long as we believe in our love and not the other shit and that we are meant to be together, for the good of mankind.”

“Little warrior we have told you what we know, we tell no more. Leave.” Angel dragged Buffy away who wanted to stay and have it out with these people for deciding her life for her. As soon as they stepped through the archway the male oracle turned to the female.

“Sister what possessed you to fill their heads with such nonsense about believing in each other and not everything else?”

“Because love is about believing in one another and they have stopped doing that.”

“So you are trying to make them believe the curse isn’t an issue if they love one another and trust one another completely?”

“Yes, that way lies their strength.”

*

“So now what?”

“Well I guess I could relocate to Sunnydale.”

“Why?”

“To be…”

“Together? Not gonna happen. I’m with Riley. And he is the sweetest guy in the world and I refuse to hurt him.”

“Do you love him?”

“Yes.” Angel swallowed and tried to keep his face void of any emotion as usual. “But I’m in love with you. It’s not the fiery heights of passion, but it’s safe and secure and trusting and loving and it’s not scary.”

“So you don’t believe in me.”

“You left me, how can I believe in you?”

“Because I love you.”

“Do you believe in me? Do you trust my judgement, or do you still hold a grudge for what I did to save the world?”

“Buffy I’ve never said anything like that.”

“No you haven’t even talked about it. So do share? Angel I remember the look in your eyes when I slid a sword through you. Full of hurt and betrayal. You can’t say that’s disappeared.”

“You’re right it hasn’t disappeared. I still feel it. But it doesn’t change the fact I love you and I know you had to do it.”

“See it’s duty and destiny again. I gotta say if I were to break up with Riley it would certainly be a new line as to why.” She gave a little half-smile more to herself than him. “I love you, I just don’t trust you.” She got up and left. She was almost at the door before he called to her.

“Buffy.” She turned back and looked to what he was holding out to her. It was her ring.

“Where did you find that?”

“It was there when I came back.”

“I already belong to someone.”

“Me, you’ve always belonged to me, just like I’ve always belonged to you.” During his little speech Angel had crossed the space separating them and pulled her into his embrace. He kissed her. And it was over, contest won. She knew who she was meant to be with, no matter what. She’d always known she’d just denied it.

 

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

 

“Hey Buffy.”

“Riley we need to talk. I can’t be with you anymore. Turns out it’s not my destiny. I gotta tell ya I’m really starting to hate destiny, cos it seems to want to make my life as difficult as possible. This doesn’t mean I don’t love you but apparently I’m stronger when I’m with this other person who was in my life. Then he left my life but he’s always been around helping out. And we asked the Oracles about it, they speak for the Powers That Be, and my destiny is him and if we deny it, our destinies then they pretty said world endth badth. Get my meaning?”

“What?”

“Okay basically, I love you. But I’m destined to be in love with my ex and he is a warrior and we’re meant to be together and so we have to break up.”

“Destined? Nothing’s destined in this life Buffy.”

“Actually Riley a lot of things are destined, we all destinies. Mine was to be the Slayer, most people go their whole lives not really knowing what parts of their life are destiny or accident, but I know. And me and this guy splitting up was accident, one that we have to rectify. I know it sounds lame so I’ll just put it in normal words. I can’t see you anymore cos I love someone else. You’ll always have a special place in my heart, but there’s a part of me that you can’t reach because it’s the part he took with him and now he’s coming back to claim the rest. I’m his girl. We once said that. He said ‘you still my girl?’ and I said ‘forever.’ And it is true. I belong to him, our love is like nothing on this earth and I’m sorry if I hurt you it wasn’t planned. But it’s happened and I have to be with him because I love him, more than anything.”

*

“Hey.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah, one down, 4 to go. Tomorrow, right now I just want to lie n your arms and forget the world and everything else in it.”

“Happy to oblige.” Angel wrapped his arms around her and she rested her head against his broad chest.

“I love you Angel.”

“I love you too.”