It was a delicious irony that Angelus wasn’t needed to keep his kingdom together. 

It was even better that his little wife, the beautiful Buffy, who was not of vampiric blood, could do so. And better than he. She’d forged alliances with just about everyone in the Lands, won over the other vampire kingdoms and the Continuum, somehow having herself declared Ancient. It was amazing and annoying. 

Mostly, it was arousing. 

That much power and control all wrapped up in one stunning package. Aslan was hard just thinking about her. Then again, he was also hard thinking about how he was about to manipulate her into doing what he wanted. It was a toss up as to which was more arousing, Buffy herself, or the control he was about to exercise over her. With Angelus dead, Ariana as his prisoner, both Buffy and Andre would be under his control. 

He’d already planned on killing Rupert of the Elves in the initial attack, too, one less ally for Buffy. With her brother on the throne, and seeing the power Aslan held over her, Buffy would no doubt accede to all his demands. It’d be in her best interest to do so, as really, Aslan didn’t care one whit about elves, and had no compunction in killing the whole Land. 

Still, incase she didn’t, best to find another hostage. He’d kill them all if he had to, Aslan didn’t care. He’d much rather enjoy the fruits of his coup, however. 

“Today is the last day you need hide in this backwater Realm,” he said, his voice echoing across the underground cavern. It was a natural formation, carved deeper by hundreds of beings over the years and suited his needs perfectly. It was also currently filled with close to a thousand dissidents of the Continuum who pledged their lives to him and his cause. It didn’t matter that the chances of them seeing power were slim to none, what mattered was that they had a chance for revenge against those in power. 

“Angelus of Aurelius will be dead within the day. Once Angelus is gone and his queen wife, Buffy, is under our control, you’ll be welcomed back into the Lands, no longer clan-less, no longer outcasts.” They cheered him and he smiled. Ah, yes, he was made for this role, he, not Andre Vladimir, was made to rule, to lead. 

“All we need is the sun to set. We outnumber then 15 to 1; once the attack is under way kill everyone there except Ariana, Buffy, and Andre. We need them, remember, or Aurelius will be lost.” 

Another cheer and Aslan smiled, face slipping into the vampire. “With Buffy as ours and Angelus dead, his childer will do everything in their power to rescue her. I want them dead, too; no more than dust in the stench they call wind here.” He spread his arms wide, encompassing the nearly thousand vampires before him. He had more followers before Buffy decided to journey here, and he’d pay her back for that, no mistake. But these would do. Oh, yes, for now, these would do. 

Recruitment could begin anew once he secured his throne. And his new elfin wife.
~~~~~~~~~~
When the knock first sounded on the door, Angelus had merely growled, pulled Buffy closer, and attempted to go back to sleep. He wasn’t about to be interrupted, not now when he had his wife in his arms and they were back on their way to reconciliation. 

But Buffy already stirred, rousing in his arms, murmuring his name. “Angelus?” 

He loved the way she said his name, that breathy whisper of longing, like his name was a caress. Kissing her shoulder absently, Angelus wrapped his arms more securely about her waist. He wasn’t letting her go. 

“Go back to sleep, love,” he whispered. 

“Who was at the door?” She asked, turning over in his arms with a smile. Her hand came up to trace his face as if she couldn’t believe he was really there, and actually, she couldn’t. Couldn’t believe he was there, that his body was touching hers that his smile, the faint curving of his lips, was really there, that she was really seeing it. That this, all this, was better than a dream. 

This was reality. 

Angelus hadn’t answered her, she noticed with another smile. It was something she’d taken ages to get used to, how he didn’t answer her when he either didn’t want to or hadn’t an answer for her. He’d kiss her in distraction, or pretend sleep, or, like now, he’d smile, eyes still closed, as he leaned into her hand. Buffy hadn’t realized she missed it until now. 

“Baby,” she smiled, “Who was at the door?” 

“Don’t know,” Angelus admitted as he opened his eyes. “We’re ignoring them.” At her raised eyebrow, he sighed. “What? Can’t a man spend the afternoon in bed with is wife without any interruptions?” 

Buffy laughed, her heart warming at the rhetorical question. “Yes, oh, yes, a man most definitely could,” she agreed with a kiss. “But only after we get rid of the rest of those rebels and return home. I don’t want any distractions.” 

Smoothing his hands down her side and drawing her closer, Angelus frowned even as he returned Buffy’s kiss. Something had changed, he thought, something between making love with Buffy and now. Putting it to the back of his mind, he kissed his wife again. “Fine,” he muttered as she shifted away with a coy smile. If he, too, didn’t realize the importance of the next couple of days, he’d have ignored her, knowing her body well enough to have her writhing under him in minutes. 

Standing, he walked grabbed his robe and walked to the door, a scowl already on his face for whomever was unlucky enough to interrupt their Ancient…oh, fuck. That was it, Angelus thought as he opened the door, that was what that pain was, that was what that peaceful satisfaction was in Buffy’s arms. He’d changed, the vampire thought, but not totally. For all intents and purposes, however… 

He was back. 

“What?” He snapped at Gunn who looked at him for several extended seconds. Could he tell, Angelus wondered? Was it noticeable? He always thought that it was obvious he had a soul, that anyone who looked at him could automatically tell, and that if he ever tried to return home he’d be hunted out of his own kingdom because the soul was evident for all to see. 

Now he wasn’t so sure. If his soul was apparent for all to see, then wouldn’t everyone know as soon as they laid eyes on him? When the warriors from Aurelius saw him, wouldn’t they have been able to see it, despite Buffy’s story? Wouldn’t Gunn, his First, have said something? 

“We’ve been betrayed,” Gunn said at last with a small frown and nod and it wasn’t exactly what Angelus expected. 

Angelus felt his eyes narrow and his temper boil at Gunn’s words. This was not the way to begin his reunion with Buffy. “Who?” It was a growl that caused the First to pause in his answer. 

“The Watcher.” 

“How do you know?” He’d never had Wesley’s trust, but couldn’t honestly say he trusted the Watcher in return. Still, why had the man decided that now was the time? 

“Willow overheard and told us.” Angelus could see the redhead in the background, looking scared and as if she wanted to disappear into the wall. 

“Is everyone gathered?” Gunn nodded and Angelus turned from the door, motioning his First in. “Bring them here, Rupert and Tara, too. I want everyone in this room in twenty minutes, understood?” Gunn nodded again, not moving. “Bring Doyle, Cordelia, Willow, and Faith as well.” 

Gunn nodded a last time before moving back to the door, closing it in his wake. “Grace,” he called the elfin guard who was just coming out of her assigned room. When she was in front of him, he told her in a low voice, though he was certain Willow wouldn’t run back to the Watcher with what she overheard. If she’d run to them in the first place, it didn’t seem like she’d run from them, too. 

“Gather everyone to our King’s room. We’ve been deceived by the Watcher. I want everyone who isn’t on guard around the perimeter outside His Highness’ room in fifteen minutes. Tell the sentries to beware of an attack and to trust no one outside this hotel.” 

Grace nodded her eyes hardening. “Aye, sir.” 

“I want you,” he finished, “To personally gather the seer and his lover, and the slayer here as well. They’re not to be harmed, simply escort them here. Make sure no one else sees you.” She nodded and turned, leaving Gunn to scowl at the opposite wall and Willow to wonder just what the hell happened. 

Within five minutes Oz returned, William and Drusilla behind him. “What’s going on?” Drusilla asked Gunn, her eyes directed to Willow. 

“Um, I, I, I heard Wes talking with Riley and Xander,” she whispered, suddenly unsure of anything. Was she betraying her friends, everything she’d known for the last years, by telling virtual strangers about Wes’ plans? 

“We’ll discuss it more later,” Oz said as he surreptitiously caressed Willow’s back. She looked ready to bolt, and he didn’t want her going anywhere. He looked to Gunn, then the door. “Have you informed their majesties?” 

A faint smirk played around the corners of Gunn’s lips. “Yes, my King has ordered us all to meet here. Grace is rounding the humans up. I’ll retrieve King Rupert and Princess Tara.” 

Oz nodded. “William, will you bring Darla?” 

When the vampire went off to find the vampiress, no doubt bringing Ariana and Andre with him, Drusilla winked at Oz. She knew what happened. Oh, not with whatever the witch said, but she knew. It was in the air, whispering through the wind. 

“Psst, it said,” she whispered to Oz as Willow looked on in jealous confusion. Was everyone, she wondered, attracted to anyone but her? “He’s free. And he’s returning to us. It was her love that did it.” 

Nodding, not entirely certain he knew what the vampiress meant, Oz waited while the rest of the group was rounded up. Thirteen minutes after Angelus ordered everyone in his room, they were ready. 

Knocking on the door once more, Gunn received a reply much faster than he had the last time. Angelus opened the door, motioning everyone inside before crossing the space to sit with his wife on the freshly made bed. It looked, the First thought, much like they were holding court in the confined space. Both sitting on the bed as if it were their thrones, looking regal and imperial as they awaited everyone. 

And together, Gunn thought, they looked together. Perfect. He had a feeling they were going to need it. Ariana and Andre walked to the bed, standing on either side of Angelus and Buffy as was their right, and in a show of solidarity. 

“Report,” Angelus barked at his First. 

“Willow,” Gunn nodded to the scared redhead as she tried to hide behind her friends. 

Opening her mouth, and angered when nothing came out, she took a deep breath and tried again. Cordelia and Faith gave her encouraging looks while Doyle stared hard at Angelus. There was something going on with the vampire, Doyle thought, but couldn’t place what it was. At first he thought it was something to do with the situation, but now he wasn’t so sure. 

“I was getting Tara a drink,” she started with a nod to the elfin princess. “And overheard Wesley talking about forming some kind of alliance with the leader of this rebel group. They were going to kill you, Angelus, and bring Buff…ah, the queen and your daughter to the Watcher’s Council.” 

There was a collective indrawn breath from Faith, Cordelia, and Doyle. Faith shuddered at the mention of the Council, having never forgotten what they’d done to her. She may have forgiven Wes his part in the scheme, that so-called test, but never forgotten. Rupert scowled at the mention of the Watchers, but remained quiet. This was not his fight, he knew, no matter his relationship with Buffy and Ariana. It wasn’t that his help wasn’t welcomed or even sometimes required. It was simply something that Aurelius needed to do on their own. 

To show everyone they were still the strongest of the Vampire Kingdoms. Especially now, with Angelus back. Rupert looked at his daughter’s husband carefully. There was something different about the vampire. No, that wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t different, it was something else. Like he finally remembered who and what he was, and where he belonged. About time, the elf king thought with a smug smirk. Oh, he may still hate the vampire, and doubted he’d trust Angelus again anytime soon, but Angelus belonged in his kingdom, with his wife and child. Not traipsing around some backwoods Realm with mortals nipping at his heels. 

“Do you know when they’re planning this?” Angelus asked Willow. 

“No, but it sounded soon. I think Wes said something about already calling in some special ops somebodies from the Council.” 

Doyle grimaced. “If they’re coming, then it is serious. The Council doesn’t bother with capture, unless it’s important; these black ops people, they’re dangerous. They’re only called in when the mission is real important and they don’t trust whoever’s in the area to do it right.” He shot Faith a sympathetic look. “Sorry, lass, but it doesn’t look like they’re meaning to trust you.” 

Shrugging it off as if it didn’t matter when her friends knew just how important it really was, Faith allowed a wicked grin to cross her face. “Well, I guess I’ll have to prove them right, won’t I?” 

“No,” Angelus said as he looked at the Slayer. Damn, maybe he wasn’t as back as he’d thought. Or maybe something horrible really did rub off on him from this group. “If they suspect you, any of you,” he amended, “Of helping, they won’t stop at us.” 

“He’s right,” Buffy added with a nod in Faith’s direction. She hated the fact that these humans knew Angelus in a way she never would, but was grateful, in however small a way they’d done it, for the times they’d been there for him. Buffy realized, as she and Angelus talked, that he needed them, while he was here. If Angelus hadn’t had them, then Buffy wasn’t sure he’d ever return to her. “If you truly mean to continue living here, you can’t help us. The Watchers will hunt you down just as they would us.” 

Faith said nothing for several long minutes. She was torn, completely torn. On the one hand, she owned Angelus; owed him her life, her continued existence. If it weren’t for him, she never would’ve made it this far to begin with. But on the other hand, there was Wesley. No matter what he did or didn’t do now, here, with the Council and the group before her, Wesley Wyndham-Price was the first person to believe in her, to trust her. She couldn’t forget that. 

Any words she wanted to say were trapped within her as she looked at Angelus and Buffy. She couldn’t betray Wes like that, not even when it was obvious he’d done that very thing to her, by agree with this rebel vamp, by already plotting to dupe the company before her. Yet she couldn’t fight on the Council’s side against Angelus. He’d done too much for her to be repaid like that. And, if the rest of her friends were fighting with Angelus…Faith couldn’t fight them, either. 

Instead, she nodded and turned to leave. “If you need me, you know where to find me. I’ll have your backs.” She left without another word and no one tried to stop her. It was, after all, her decision. And as long as it wasn’t directly detrimental to their current situation, it was a decision she was free to make. 

In the lull Faith’s exit caused, Doyle took the chance to speak up. “I know who the leader is.” 

The dead silence that followed his announcement wasn’t exactly what the seer expected. In fact, the way everyone looked at him, he wondered if it wasn’t for the best to maybe hightail it out of there. Hey, he’d tried earlier; no one listened. 

“You do?” The question wasn’t from Angelus, or even Buffy. It was from Cordelia.

“It was a part of that vision, Delia,” he admitted. 

“Did you tell Wes?” There was a thread of panic in her voice even as her eyes narrowed and she advanced another step towards him. She was angry, but not entirely certain over what. 

“No, ‘course not!” Doyle defended himself, indignant. “I tried,” he stressed with a significant look at Angelus, “To tell ya, mate, but you went off to fight them before I finished.” 

“Who was he?” This was from Angelus and the vampire stood as he asked the question, taking a step forward. There was no point in raging at the seer, Angelus knew he hadn’t been that receptive to his friend since the arrival of his family. He’d never been good with balancing things, never bothered to, and knew that once Buffy showed up, he’d all but ignored Doyle. That might, he thought now, have been an error. 

“Not sure of the name,” Doyle admitted, “But I know he’s not from around here. There was something about him in sunlight and this voice saying Lights.” He looked to Angelus, “In this kingdom of yours, can you walk in the sunlight?” Angelus nodded and Doyle continued. “I think he’s from there, I know he wants your power.” 

Drusilla stepped forward. “How do you know this? How do you know what he wants but not his name?” 

Shrugging, Doyle tried to explain his visions. “They’re not real coherent, more like moving pictures with sound and lots of pain. I saw this vamp, I can point him out in a crowd, but there was no neon sign flashing his name for me.” Dru looked at him oddly, her visions nothing like that, but let Doyle finish. 

“I do know he wants you dead, Angelus, and he wants your pretty wife as his. He figures that once you’re dead he’ll marry Buffy, thereby securing his position as King, married to the Queen of Aurelius.” 

Doyle shrugged when no one said anything. He really didn’t like being the center of this much attention. Made him nervous. “There was something to do with you,” he nodded to Andre, completely unsure how to address the man, and not entirely certain he actually caught a name. “But that was fuzzier than the rest.” 

He jumped when Dru placed her hand on his forehead, not having seen the vampires move. How had she done that? Eyeing her warily, Doyle tried to move away, but found her couldn’t. His mistake was looking into her eyes. They were dark and compelling and there was no place else to look, not that he wanted to, anyway. 

“Love,” Dru whispered with a smile and a sway. “Loyalty, trust, hope. Ohh,” she whispered and hunched her shoulders. “Pain, oh, so much pain. It hurts, my head, my heart. What do you see, little seer?” She asked as the two of them swayed in time. “What do you see?” 

A flash of light burnt through Dru’s inner eye and she gasped. Doyle’s vision slammed through her, the headache pain and all. He went through this every time he had a vision? Dru didn’t understand, couldn’t. How was he supposed to help when he could barely move after getting a vision like this? It played out in her own mind, once, twice, three times, before Cordelia broke the connection. She shoved Drusilla out of the way, in the process knocking Doyle against the wall. Doyle was caught by the wall, Drusilla by William. 

“Hey!” She shouted, not caring that the woman was a vampire and she was surrounded by similar beings who could easily rip her throat out. “Get your claws off my man!” 

Doyle stumbled back against the wall, drained and shot Cordelia a smile before sliding down the wall to the ground. What was that? And wow, could he not do that again? 

Drusilla looked up into the worried eyes of William and smiled at her lover. She stayed there for several seconds as she tried to understand what happened. Honestly, all she wanted was to see what was inside the seer’s inner eye, a simple look to try to identify the rebel leader. Whatever happened just now wasn’t on her agenda. And, Priestess, it hurt. Dru was sure she was going to have a headache for a week. 

How did he survive those visions? 

“I know who it is,” Drusilla said finally, as she smiled at William, stepping from his grasp. “I meant no disrespect,” she bowed to Cordelia, “But I had to see who the leader was. Your man is safe, and I believe we can help him with his pains.” 

Cordelia looked unconvinced, but gave a short nod, anyway. So long as Doyle was safe, with no permanent damage, she wouldn’t introduce the obviously slightly insane vampiress to the pointy end of a stake. Did stakes work on vamps not from Earth? And hey, she reasoned as she went to make sure Doyle was really okay. If there was a way to help him with those headaches, then all the better.

“Who is it, Dru,” Buffy asked, standing next to her husband now. She didn’t entirely approve of Drusilla’s methods, it was intrusive and invasive, but she couldn’t fault the vampiress’ findings. 

Dru didn’t look at either Buffy or Angelus, instead focusing her eyes on Andre. “Aslan of Rezov.” 

No one had time to properly assimilate the implications of Dru’s revelation, however, as an explosion sounded through the building in the next moment. Still, no one moved even in the aftershocks. The bomb hadn’t hit the building, merely outside of it. Doyle was right: the Council wanted them alive. 

“Simple plan,” Angelus said as he glanced at Buffy who nodded. “No prisoners but Aslan. If there are guards who are unfamiliar with him, leave them to the rank and file. I want him alive,” he finished and it was a growl. 

“What about the Watchers?” William asked even as they divided themselves. 

Buffy hesitated but then nodded to Angelus. “These are special soldiers, yes?” Willow and Cordelia nodded, Doyle holding his head in his hands, not recovered from whatever happened between he and Drusilla. 

“Take whomever you can prisoner, kill the rest.” Angelus stated. No one, absolutely no one, tried to take his wife. Tried to experiment on her and his daughter. 

“Rupert,” he bowed slightly to the king and ignored whatever animosity remained between them. If they made it through this, they’d have the rest of eternity to hate each other. “Can you and Tara erect a barrier? I don’t want anyone escaping, should that happen.” 

“Of course,” Rupert agreed with a glance at Tara who nodded in agreement. “Around the whole building and the street outside?” Tara nodded as Angelus agreed with the elfin king. 

“Willow,” Angelus said, “Stay with Tara, help her where needed. I know you’re still untrained in this, but with the two of them holding such a large barrier, I don’t want anyone trying to attack them. Understood?” 

Willow nodded, still slightly intimidated by all this. Plus, she wasn’t used to Angelus shouting orders like this. He usually disappeared unless the fight was uneven, and even then, he only stayed to even the odds. 

“What about Doyle?” Cordelia asked as she helped her lover stand.

“I’ll be fine, lass,” Doyle assured her, touched by her concern. That prickly exterior really did drop when it involved him. Of course, then she snorted in disbelief and ruined it, but it was all part of her charm. God, he loved her. 

“Drusilla,” Angelus ordered, “Stay with Doyle and Cordelia. Back up Willow if need be.” 

“William,” Buffy ordered quickly as the sounds of a second volley made their way to them. Was Aslan bombing them, or the Council? “Take half the warriors and form a second line around them. Nothing,” she stressed though probably didn’t have to, “Gets through.” Turning to her daughter, Buffy hesitated for a second. She couldn’t have her child safe, not now. This was too important. They needed everyone they had.

“How many did you see,” she asked Doyle as another blast shook the hotel. 

“Over a thousand.” 

“Ariana, Andre, take Darla and a quarter of the remaining warriors,” Buffy looked to Angelus and silently asked him his opinion on the hastily constructed plan. He nodded and took her hand. “Circle around back, take out whoever you can.” 

“Let’s move,” Angelus said as he opened the door, racing down the hallway to where his weapons lay. The doors were just opening, black clad humans swarming inside. Aurelius split up as instructed, Gunn, Oz, Nicholaus, and Kalman staying with their charges 

Faith watched from the top of the stairs, a single tear rolling down her face. Was she doing the right thing? Everything in her screamed no, that she should be down there protecting her friends and family. And even those who were family to a man she considered a friend. What was she doing here, hiding like a weakling? 

She was the Slayer. It was time she acted like it.
**********
“I’m not sure I like this,” Xander admitted to Riley as they stood across the street from the hotel. 

Riley shifted and agreed. “I know, but what choice do we have? Angel should die, there’s no two ways about that. And imagine all the information the Council can discover about Ariana and Buffy.” 

“I know, but I still feel weird.” This was weird in itself, as Xander Harris didn’t care about anyone outside his little group. “What is the Council going to do with Willow?” 

“I don’t know,” Riley shrugged as the black-clad Council members swarmed the hotel. A part of him itched to join their fight, to go against the vamps in there. But another part, the one that was currently questioning his decision to go along with Wes, held back, unsure what to do. Was blindly supporting Wesley and the Watcher’s Council the same as blindly following orders from the Initiative? It seemed that way to him, but Riley was still conflicted. 

“Wes said they’d train her, help her control her powers.” 

“Yes, yes, a great honor. And okay, I can see that, it’s not often the Council does something like this, but did he give details?” Xander never took his eyes away from the front of the hotel, so witnessed the shimmering iridescent light that briefly lighted up the outside of the structure. What the hell was that? 

“Like can we visit her, how powerful is she, when does she leave? And when does she come back?” Xander huffed as he thought about it. “Well, so long as she’s away from those elves or whatever they are. You know,” he mused in an aside, “They really don’t look like the elves from Lord of the Rings. Or those legends Wes makes us read sometimes so we know the history of myths and whatnot.” 

He shrugged and returned to topic as Riley smiled slightly, their eyes still glued to the battle now going on in the hotel. Where was Wes? Was he there, pointing out who was who, who they wanted alive, and who were allies, like Faith? Making sure the rest were killed so there was no retaliation? Riley hoped he was okay, the Watcher was a friend, and Riley knew Faith depended on the older man. 

He hoped Faith was okay, too, and that she was staying out of it all. 

“As long as those freak demons aren’t near her, Willow will be fine,” Xander repeated. “Do you think they’ll let us see her?” 

“I don’t know, man,” Riley said as a movement to the left caught his attention. What was that? He shrank further into the shadows and tried for a better look, his military training taking over. 

What was that…or more importantly, who? Riley went over Wes’ plan once more. The Council attacks, taking out whatever vamps they could, Angelus being the first on the list. They take Buffy and Ariana as hostage, intending not to hand them over to Aslan, but take them back to England. The Council would then set a trap for Aslan, removing two birds with one stone, so to speak. Willow would be flown to England with the elves, and the three of them would then be in the Watcher’s Council’s care. 

Yes, that was the way it was supposed to go, Wesley thought as he watched the Council black-ops get their asses kicked. It was not, however, going that way.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Hey!” Buffy shouted as Angelus took the Ancient’s Sword from her with a quick kiss and a smirk. 

He didn’t bother to look at her as he tossed his claymore in her direction, confident she’d catch it. Angelus wasn’t about to go into his first fight as the official Ancient again, without the sword. It was a matter of pride. It was a matter of appearance. It was a matter of…he’d really missed his weapon. ‘Don’t worry, love,’ he told her through their bond and sending her a kiss, loving that he could do so once more, ‘We’ll share later.’ 

Buffy huffed as she swung the claymore experimentally, getting a feel for the length and weight. Typical she groused, typical male. The smile on her face couldn’t be helped as she thought, again, that her husband was back. About time. 

Attacking first, leading their group of seventy, against the black clad Council, Angelus roared his assault, his warriors following suit. The Council was well armed, Angelus gave them that. They were well trained, too, but in the end there weren’t nearly enough of them to win. The barrier Rupert and Tara erected obviously prevented them from calling reinforcements as well, as more than one threw a complicated looking electronic device away from them in disgust. 

Angelus thought it was a phone, but as he’d never actually used one, he wasn’t sure. He’d never phoned anyone, had no need to, but had seen others use them often. 

Darla snarled at the men advancing on the hotel, but held her place near Ariana. She was not about to let anything happen to the girl, not while, Darla vowed, she still lived. It was clear to her now; the vampiress thought as several Watchers turned from the main assault and attacked them. Ariana was her redemption. 

The girl’s acceptance and forgiveness of Darla was the only thing that saved the older vampiress. Buffy would’ve let the Night Creatures of the Forbidden Forest have her no matter what the elf did or didn’t need from Darla had Ariana not loved her. The Night Creatures would’ve been preferable to anything Buffy dreamed up, Darla was certain, and was grateful either way that neither of those options actually happened. 

That was what unconditional love was, Darla realized. It was something she’d often speculated on, but it fully came to her as she dodged some kind of projectile the watcher shot at her. 

What was that? 

Swinging her sword in a wide arc, Darla caught the man’s weapon – it looked almost like a different take on the pistols humans had the last time she’d been in this realm. Except much more advanced. The weapon clattered to the ground, along with the man’s arm and Darla felt her face shift at the scent of blood. She smiled at the man and hissed, running her sword through him. He hadn’t even dropped to the ground when she looked around the darkened alley for Ariana. 

Unconditional love, Darla thought again as she ran over to where Ariana and Andre were fighting three watchers. Unconditional love was what allowed Darla to survive under the stress and constant threat from within Aurelius. What allowed her to endure everyone’s snide remarks as to her part in their Ancient’s disappearance, allowed her to endure the lower levels of court life where even there she was snubbed. What helped her forge that trust with William and Drusilla again, with Gunn and Oz. 

It’s what led her to protect someone who was not herself. Someone whom she loved more than anything in any world. Including herself. It was funny, as Darla never saw herself as that kind of vampire, never thought that love could be something she felt, was even capable of. She’d wanted Angelus, but that was power, lust, the forces he commanded. She became friends with Buffy, but that wasn’t entirely altruistic, either, even if the early years of their friendship actually were friendly. 

Faith watched from the hallway window as those three vamps took care of the stragglers. They were good, the slayer thought impassively. And they were going to win over the humans. Good, Faith thought as she fingered her own sword, the one Angelus trained her with, the one he let her use, and, hopefully, keep long after he’d finally left with his wife. The only thing the Watcher’s Council ever did for her, Faith concluded as she went to the balcony to look at the fighting below, was send her Wes. 

Right now she was about to betray that, but she couldn’t betray who she was. Not any longer. Leaping over the balcony, Faith landed gracefully on the outskirts of the battle. 

“Slayer!” 

She heard someone call and looked up, uncertain if it was friend or foe who wanted her attention. Apparently it was foe, but they didn't realize that yet, assuming her sudden participation was in their favor. They were about to see what a slayer could really do, about to see that she was not their puppet, but her own woman who made her own decisions. 

She smiled at the man, guilt already settling deep within her marrow, making her stomach heavy with dread. She’d never killed a human before, it was her duty to protect them, not slay them. Could she do it? 

Faith would never have the chance to know that answer, never know if she could made that choice on her own, because the man who caught her attention was pressing forward towards Angelus. There were more council goons there than Faith anticipated, about forty, at least. That didn’t compare with the nearly seventy vamps and elves, but the council used bullets. The metal and gunpowder projectiles didn’t kill vamps, but they did slow them down considerably. Faith didn’t know if they could kill the elves of the group, but she didn’t have time to see. 

Angelus was about to be ambushed from behind. 

Logically, as a vampire he should be able to sense that, be able to feel the approach of a hostile. He’d taught Faith that, how to sense the air around you, how to know friend from foe and always assume it was foe. He had his guards around him, and his wife beside him, not to mention Gunn who was moving like a dervish trying to clear a path for his master. 

Didn’t matter. 

Faith didn’t think logically, all she saw was that her friend was in trouble, so she was going to help. 

Gripping her sword tighter, blocking all thoughts of humans verses demons and guilt and aftermaths, she leapt forward, running full tilt for the man who was about to kill her friend. The lobby was big, granted, but when a hundred beings tried to fight in it, the grandness of the 3000 square foot space lost something. 

Without thought, without thinking of consequences, Faith forced her sword into the watcher. The immediate area around the slayer stopped moving for a second equal to an eternity as everyone saw what happened and tried to understand. Buffy simply smiled, having seen what the human was about to do to her husband and too far away to prevent it. She told Angelus, through their newly opened bond, about the watcher, but everything happened so quickly and she, they both were, so out of practice with using the bond for communication, that Buffy wasn’t sure her warning reached him. 

“TRAITOR!” Someone shouted and that was that.

Faith was now considered the enemy. No quarter would be given, no mercy. 

“By special field orders of the Watcher’s Council of England, under Slayer Article number three, section C, I hereby proclaim you traitor to your calling.” 

Someone else said and Faith shrugged. “You’re the traitors, buddy. I do my job, with a little help from my friends.” She sent the watchers who were now converging on her a wicked smile, her eyes glowing brightly in the lobby’s lights. “If you bothered to get off your stiff English asses and help, maybe I wouldn’t have had to rely on a vampire to rescue my life.” 

Wesley watched in horror as his slayer was surrounded. Good God, what had he done? She wasn’t supposed to be involved, she wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near this place when the Council arrived and killed Angelus, capturing Buffy and Ariana. Damn him, what had he done? 

Wesley Wyndham-Price had a sudden insight into himself. And he didn’t like what he saw. More importantly, as he picked up his own crossbow and ran towards Faith, he realized that he needed to help her. Not because she was his slayer, not because she was the Chosen One and she needed to be protected at all costs, not cut down because her helper happened to be a vampire. If the Council bothered to send her a real training partner rather than a regular human, then maybe she wouldn’t have needed Angelus. But because despite the rationalizations he gave himself, he really did love her, she was like a sister to him, and he couldn’t let anything happen to her. 

All of which was irrelevant at the moment as Wesley let loose a bolt from his crossbow, catching the nearest Watcher in the upper thigh. He was getting fired for sure. 

Faith laughed at the guy, sending Wes a thumbs up but never losing her momentum as she continued her attack. It wasn’t so much the men she attacked as what they represented. 

“By the way,” she shouted to Wes as he frantically reloaded. “I quit the Council!” 

Wes surprised himself when he laughed with her. “I think I just got fired!” 

Faith punched the nearest watcher in the jaw, sending him flying backwards into his goon-friend. “Eh, who needs them, anyway?”

Had any slayer actually quit before, Faith wondered as she continued fighting, her smile never slipping. She was so on the cutting edge. 

Willow watched the fight from several floors up, surrounded by more magick than she’d ever envisioned, protected by a vampiress as she protected two elves. No, her life was in no way different from other peoples. 

Drusilla hissed as she watched the same scene Willow did and the human wondered what the vampiress saw, with her better eyesight, than she did. “Oh, my God! What’s Faith doing?” 

Squinting over the railing, Willow was careful not to move out of the protective circle as she tried to see what her friend was doing. Because it looked an awful lot like throwing her place – precarious as it was – in the Council away as she…killed that man? 

“She has made her choice,” Drusilla said with a smile as tears trickled down her face. “She is strong and she is her own. But now she is their enemy.” 

“Did she just kill that guy, the watcher, the…human?” 

“Yes,” Dru whispered as the scent of blood wafted upwards, strong and rich, seeking her out and making her want to join the fight, want to indulge in just a taste. 

“What’s she saying?” Willow could see the cocky way Faith moved, the confidence and strength the slayer possessed. But that was all clearly visibly from her height. 

“I believe,” Dru said as she moved away from the railing and controlled her urges, “That she’s just quit the Watcher’s Council and her Watcher, Wesley, has just been fired.” 

“Oh,” Willow whispered as she followed the dark-haired beauty. “That wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.” 

‘Looks like you really did make a friend here,’ Buffy said as she ducked under a club-like thing one of the Watcher’s swung at her. Some kind of electricity sparkled out of the end and she really didn't want to see what happened when that touched her. 

Angelus simply smiled through their link at her as he punched one of the watchers’ in the face. Ah, but it was nice to be so free again. There was still some part of him that wanted to make sure his human friends were okay, just as he wanted to ensure the survival of all his Aurelius warriors. 

“There are more coming,” Riley shouted from the door where he’d just burst through, Xander hot on his heels. They’d seen Faith join the fray, seen which side she’d chosen, and were simply astonished. When Wes joined in against the Council and fought with Faith…? Riley and Xander thought they’d been caught in some live-action dream. 

“Who is,” Angelus asked as he left the few remaining Watchers to his troops. He was barely winded, but there was blood running down his face from a lucky swipe of a dagger. That, more than the attack itself, had pissed him off and he’d snapped the man’s head from his shoulders, kicking the body in the way of a Watcher attacking Buffy. 

“More vampires,” Xander said as he nodded his head, heart pounding, wondering just what went wrong and how it was possible to actually fix it. “They keep coming and coming.” 

“There are close to a thousand of them,” Riley confirmed as Faith walked up to his side. He was so relieved to see her in one piece, that the fist connecting with his jaw was completely unexpected. 

“Bastard, you sold us out!” 

“Er, well...” What was he supposed to say? The odds of his living through the next few seconds were much worse than surviving the apparently upcoming battle. “I think this rebel leader decided to attack now.” 

Wes hobbled up to Riley, clutching his side as he asked, “Where are they coming from? They weren’t supposed to be here for another three hours!” 

“You made a deal with Aslan.” Angelus growled, stalking forward to the wounded watcher. “What did you expect, for him to blithely go away once I was dead? He needed Buffy to secure my throne.” Angelus reached Wes and lifted him up by his throat. 

He didn’t bother to tell the watcher that once he was dead, Buffy would age and die as well, Wes didn’t know that, obviously and he wasn’t about to inform him. Seeming ally or not. He’d deal with Wesley Wyndham-Price later, at his own convenience and his own leisure. 

“You were trying to kill my wife, you bastard; you were going to leave her to die.” He threw Wesley across the floor, snarling at the vampires and elves that advanced on the fallen watcher to stay away. “We don’t have time for him. Regroup, the same scenario applies. There are close to a thousand?” Angelus’ eyes locked with Buffy’s as he asked and he didn’t look to Riley for confirmation but the former soldier confirmed anyway. A thousand to their seventy? ‘Bad odds, love.’

‘I’m not leaving, Angelus, don’t even think it.’ 

“William,” he called to his childe with a nod of agreement to his wife, “Inform Drusilla as quickly as you can. I want her to be on guard in case any get past us.” 

Everyone regrouped in the next second, Faith straightening and taking her place next to Gunn who snarled at Riley as the man stood next to Faith. If Angelus didn’t take care of the little traitor, Gunn intended to. Xander, not nearly the fighter, and nearly useless in the upcoming battle, drug the injured Wes out of harms way and up to where Willow was. 

“Maybe this wasn’t the best plan,” Xander mumbled to the injured watcher as they stumbled up the stairs. “Because I think we lost.” 

William sailed past them on the stairs and growled, lending support to Xander’s words. 

Angelus walked up to Riley and smiled at the human. It showed a lot of teeth, and threatened violence, and Riley was suitably scared. “If I die, Buffy dies, and if she does, I do. Understand? You’re in charge of her life. Nothing is to happen to her.” 

Riley gulped and it was loud enough for Gunn to hear. Gunn smirked at the soldier as Rupert and Tara lowered the barrier, the light simmering for an instant which allowed the rebel vampires to enter the hotel. This was a fight Angelus couldn’t allow to spill over onto the streets. He wanted them all dead, no stragglers, no survivors, no mercy. 

He wanted Aslan for himself. 

“Did he just put his wife’s life in my hands?” Riley asked Faith. Maybe, if he saved Buffy’s life, they’d both be indebted to him and let him live… 

“No,” it was Gunn who answered with a sneer. “He made you responsible for her safety. She’s a glorious fighter, her majesty is, but in order for you to see the aftermath of the battle, the queen must live.” 

“Oh.” All Riley’s thoughts of living after this battle disappeared. That was, if he survived the mass of vampires ready to swarm into the lobby.

Faith knew there was more to it than what Gunn said. Such as Angelus didn’t need to let Riley live, he was doing it for her. And the slayer had a sneaking suspicion that Angelus told the absolute truth when he said that if one of them died the other did. It was a truth she didn’t want to have confirmed. 

“In the name of Aurelius,” Angelus shouted over his army, “In the name of your Queen, Buffy of Aurelius, we fight, we win, we survive!” 

The shout was deafening and went on for several moments to a chorus of “Buffy! Angelus!” 

“Angelus,” Buffy called to her husband and walked to him. She kissed him, baring her throat to him. In no way was she giving up her power by doing this, and everyone knew it. By doing this she was acknowledging his rightful place by her side, her by his side. By doing this she was showing everyone that they were truly back together and that it was a united front they presented. 

Angelus acknowledged her gift by kissing the scar on her neck and bringing her lips to the scar on his, saying, without words, that they were equal. 

“Aslan!” Angelus shouted as he and Buffy broke apart. 

The rebel leader strode through the door with a cocky smile on his face, a sword in one hand, and some kind of glowing orb in the other. Without a word he tossed the glowing orb at Angelus where it exploded in a shower of heavy glass and blinding light. 

“Well, well, welcome home…Angelus.”

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