She was all alone now. 

Faith looked at the ‘troops’ that sat in the Summers’ living room and wondered just how she thought she could lead them. They didn’t like her and she certainly had no fuzzy feelings for them. They didn’t trust her despite the fact that Buffy had effectively put her in charge while she was off in LA. 

LA, Buffy, Angel, Angelus. What a mess that was. There were things there Faith didn’t know, of that she was sure. Things that had been purposely kept from her that she probably needed to know in order to do her job. But that was about as typical for that team as it was for this group in front of her. 

There were only two people in this world who had trust her; one she had betrayed in the worst possible way not once but twice and the other she hadn’t been entirely honest with, either. And now they were about to try their best to kill each other. 

While Faith didn’t entirely believe that, she suspected more to the Buffy/Angel and Buffy/Angelus story than that, she knew that everyone here believed it. Giles had only given Buffy the second spell, the Essence spell, because Buffy had pleaded, cajoled, browbeat and finally threatened unless he did so. 

The former watcher was less than pleased, but Buffy had been right, it wasn’t his call, it was hers. She was the only one who could bring Angel back and she was going to do so. Or die trying. Another flurry of protests had raged at that statement but Buffy ignored them all. Obviously she was tired of her friend’s constant belittling of her lover and she was going to help him in any way she could. Way to go, B. 

But all this didn’t help Faith with her current problem. 

There were ten faces in the room and they were all looking at her. Giles, Willow, Dawn, Anya, Andrew the geeky would-be thief, and the remaining five potentials; Faith wished she could remember all their names but decided that the time for pleasantries were long over. Still, it was more than disconcerting to know that once she died one of the girls in this room – or one they were still in the process of finding – would take her place. 

Didn’t make for a good night’s sleep. 

“It’s like this, troops. Take it or leave it. We do damage control only; kill as many vamps and demons as possible, try to stay out of the way of the First. Save Spike if we A) find him B) it’s possible without compromising us in any way, shape, or form, and C) he isn’t in league with the First. Now, I don’t think rescuing him is going to happen and neither does Buffy so it’s a very low priority.” 

Glancing at the faces now riveted to her, Faith unconsciously straightened. So this is how Buffy always felt when she was in charge. That simultaneous pride because she was the leader and they were all going to listen to her, and a bone deep fear because she had the lives of all these people in her hands. Not exactly the ride Faith had been looking for, but there was no help for it now. 

“We patrol in pairs or threesomes, no one absolutely no one, is to go out alone once the sun sets. I don’t care what your reasoning or excuse is, once that sun sets you had better all be in some kind of group or secure in this house. Is that clear?” Looking each individual in the eye before she moved on Faith saw them all nod. 

“Good. We start first thing tomorrow. Here’s how it’s going to work: I want everyone researching this Blood Harvest during the day, find out anything you can about what the First wants, who It’s going to kill and who It may have already killed. We also need to know about this Beast from LA. Both Buffy and I are sure it’s somehow connected with what’s going on here. Probably a minion of some sort but we should double check that. Angelus is the effective ruler of LA but that’s Buffy’s job. I know you’re all worried about her, I am, too, but she can handle herself. And she’s the only one who can handle Angelus. 

“So leave that worry to her, we have enough going on here. Willow, I want to know if you can somehow track the Beast; he’s big and rocky, came out of an alley in the center of some mystical convergence. I want to know his next move and I want to know now. As for the First, Buffy weakened him when she killed the Turok-Han; but It is far from out of the game. We probably can’t kill It, but there has to be a way to bind it somehow. Look into that, too. 

“I’ll take patrolling during the day; there are some demons who don’t mind the sunlight. And remember, no one goes out alone at night. Now, tonight is for sleep so let’s get some.” 

Dismissing the group with a flick of her head, Faith watched as everyone paused for a moment before scattering to their various places in the house for some much needed rest. Climbing the stairs to Buffy’s room, now Faith’s, the slayer wondered if holding the line was the right way to go. 

She much preferred the direct approach, a full on frontal attack, but had promised Buffy that she’d play things this way. Until, of course, it was no longer viable to do so. Faith hadn’t voiced that but it had been implied in her tone and she knew the older slayer understood. Doing what needed to be done, that was what the slayers were all about, right? 

Faith hoped she could live up to that standard.
~~~~~~~~~~
Angelus smiled at the preparations. 

Things were moving along nicely, on all fronts. LA was an appealing city of chaos; the humans were terrified and chose to remain indoors most of the time, not knowing what to make of the…creatures roaming their streets. Flocks of them were leaving the city yet there were always those who wanted to enter such disorder, either for the thrill of doing so or because they simply had nowhere else to go. 

Businesses were shutting down all over, with new ones – catering solely to the demon community – popping up almost as fast. In short, the economy of LA – Los Angelus – was failing faster than anyone thought possible. Angelus smiled and amended that thought; the human economy was failing, the newly revealed non-human community was doing just fine. And his own finances were prospering at a truly marvelous rate. 

On a more personal front, Angelus had no doubt that Buffy was going to arrive in his city – hopefully soon to be their city – not long past sunset. What a delicious reunion that would be, he thought, absently licking his lips at the mere thought of her as he supervised these final preparations. 

She had given in to him faster than he would have suspected though he certainly wasn’t complaining; Angelus knew that she was still struggling with what she wanted verses what others thought she should have and looked forward to the continued fight almost as much as he did to her eventual capitulation. 

He hungered for her, yearned for years to again feel her body close to his. Oh, Angelus had no doubt that the war was far from over, but he was fighting to get what he wanted more than anything else on this miserable planet and he wasn’t about to lose. 

The vampire smirked as he felt Angel stir within, jealously pulsating through him at the thought of Angelus with his mate. ‘Ha!’ Angelus thought to his souled self. ‘She’s not your mate, buddy boy. You, in your infinite stupidity, left her. If you truly considered her your mate you would have stayed no matter what. A vow of eternity, of forever is not to be given lightly, nor is the mark she now bares.’ 

Angel screamed and all rational thought scattered now. ‘She IS mine, it doesn’t matter if we’re together or not. I only left her because she deserved at least a chance at a life I couldn’t give her,’ Angel snapped back at Angelus, purposely not mentioning normality in that sentence. He had always intended to return for her, to her, but… 

‘That’s no excuse, Angel-boy. The bottom line is you left Buffy. It’s as simple as that. I, on the other hand, never walked away from her, never promised her things I could not keep, never took her heart, her soul, blood, body, and crushed it beneath my booted heel as I walked out of her life.’ 

‘Oh, shut the fuck up. It wasn’t like that and you know it.’ Angel finally realized what his lack of direction had led him to and he wasn’t in the least pleased with the destination. ‘Buffy will never accept you, Angelus, and we both know that. She may play your game, may even let you win a few rounds, but in the end she will triumph and she will destroy you.’ 

Angelus laughed to himself and at Angel. ‘Oh, how you underestimate both Buffy and I,’ he mocked.  

‘You, of all people, should know better than that. She’s strong, she’s capable, she’s beautiful and passionate, and she’s as good at winning as I am. That alone makes her an interesting and stimulating mate. But what you never seemed to realize, oh great souled poof, was that she is desperately in love; unfortunately, it was with you, but she loved me as well. The whole being. You were just the unfortunate dominate being in this body; I would never have left her and we both know that.’ 

Silence reigned for several moments as both demon and soul remembered another internal argument over Angel’s decision to leave Buffy after their fight against the mayor. 

‘When you walked away from her and all she offered,’ Angelus continued, ‘When you, you goddamned moronic fool, turned back that day – even though I admittedly wasn’t there and could experience her hot little body – you again ruined your chance with her.’

Walking around the room, approving the atmosphere, Angelus continued his silent conversation. ‘You again turned your back on her, leaving her alone and vulnerable even if she didn’t remember you doing so. Fucking moron. HOW COULD YOU?’ 

It was an old argument and Angel answered with sincerity and jealously and a hint of shame. ‘If she died, what was the point?’

Angelus silently acknowledged that but asked anyway, ‘But she did anyway, didn’t she?’ 

‘And you wonder why I’ve been the dork for the past eighteen months.’ Angel admitted with all of his newfound emotional understanding of his life since Buffy’s death, scathing as that understanding was; he really wasn’t too pleased with what he had discovered about himself.  

‘You went insane right along with me, buddy-boy,’ the soul continued. ‘You howled and screamed and raged at everyone and everything. The only difference is that you expressed your feelings, I did not. How could I when she was the sole reason I even cared about anything or anyone?’ 

Angelus was silent at that, remembering those horrible months when Buffy had been dead and the sheer unadulterated joy when he – they – had found out she was alive. There were two things stopping Angel from losing his soul at the news that Buffy was alive. One was the fact that, by his own admission, he hadn’t yet accepted her death, her sudden rebirth was too much of a shock and something that hadn’t fully penetrated the fog enveloping him. 

The second was the knowledge that however Buffy came back strong magicks had been used on her. And there was always a price for things like that. Always.   

And even though both demon and soul could have happily tortured and eventually killed the witch for doing so, they were both happy their mate was now with among them. Had come back to them. 

‘You still left her again.’ 

‘I know.’ Was the only reply Angelus received.  

Dismissing his weaker half, Angelus dismissed the minions waiting for his final approval and thought again of Buffy. Not that he thought of much else – or really ever had – but his thoughts inevitably turned to what she had done to herself. 

She had somehow augmented herself, he was sure of that, but wasn’t sure how, what the effect was or how long that effect would last. He knew it was in an effort to fight him, now that he was the super-vamp, and felt strangely honored at that. Know your enemies, wasn’t that the saying?

Well his mate knew him only too well, though she was most definitely conflicted over that; both the mate part and the knowing him part. And that was just the next step in his seduction of her. The more he played on that confusion, the more she thought of him and Angel as the same being with he, Angelus, as the one she ultimately wanted (he had never purposely left her after all), the faster she would truly and fully succumb to him. 

He could admit, now, that he had played things all wrong several years ago when he set out to win her. She was stronger than anyone he had ever encountered and he had acknowledged as much to Spike; he should have taken his own damn advice. 

Still, things were going to work out better this time. He was sure of it.
~~~~~~~~~~
Drusilla smiled at her one time paramour and lover. 

Spike didn’t acknowledge her, having passed out once again, as he hung uncomfortably from the rock wall to which he was chained. Still caressing his face, bruised and battered as it was, Drusilla determined that this time she wouldn’t let anything come between her and her reunited family. Spike and Angel would be her family again and no one was going to get in their way, not slayers, not mean seers, nothing was going to stop her from having her family again. 

But Spike had changed so much since they had first come to Sunnydale and certainly not for the better in her opinion. He needed to be reminded who he was, that’s all, she firmly believed as she soothed his brow, cooing nonsense words into his ear.

After all, he had believed that he was doing the right thing in helping the nasty slayer stop Angel from awakening hell, and Dru reluctantly saw, now, why that was. Spike liked this world, liked the food and the hunt and the knowledge that eternal life was just no fun without it. Which was all fine with Dru, she enjoyed those things as well; and the stars were much happier now, which meant she was as well. 

But it was the fact that he had allied himself with the slayer against his family that had caused her to leave him in the first place. 

Those mean little tin soldiers had forced that cruel leash into his brain, making her Spike a toy for their little game. Running a hand over his cheek to the back of his hanging head, Drusilla smiled. 

“Ooh, the tin soldier’s toy is all broken and the knights can’t put it back together. Tick-tock, tick-tock, their little game is about to break.” Time to remove the little device and get her Spike back. 

She needed him back in order to properly punish him, after all. 

“Tsk, tsk, my Spike, falling in love with the slayer, getting a nasty soul for her; you reek of her, Spike, all that goodness,” Drusilla paused as she breathed deeply. “Not that much goodness, now is there? So dark, so lost, and the poor slayer doesn’t understand, doesn’t know who she is any more, doesn’t know.” 

Quieting for a moment, she wondered why her two boys had fallen in love with the slayer and left her, Drusilla. Mean slayer, taking her family. Dru’d get back at her, too. 

‘Buffy’ sauntered into the room just then, smiling at Drusilla as It fiddled with a long curved knife and its fancy jewel encrusted hilt. Dru held herself back from physically attacking the slayer look alike, “Not her, not really her, you smell of death and destruction, she smells of sunshine and good. But not for long, not for long.” 

“What are you planning, Drusilla?” 

“The nasty slayer is all over my boys and I want them back.” The vampiress said flatly and with a calm that It admired. Not many would be so in the face of ultimate evil.

“Now, now, the slayer is off limits, Dru, dear.” It said with false sadness, Its ‘Buffy’ face turning into a mischievous grin as It continued. “Angelus wants her for himself and I did, after all, give him my word. Imagine the carnage, the slaughter, the delightful bloodbath that she’ll inflict on this pathetic world when she’s on our side.” 

Still twirling the knife, ‘Buffy’ licked her lips as if It could physically taste the blood that was just beginning to flow and would continue to do so for eons to come. Everything was going according to plan and It couldn’t have been happier. Angelus, all new and mouth-wateringly improved, was true to his word, spreading carnage across not only LA but the surrounding lands. 

And now that Drusilla was here, It had another worthy ally; potentially two if the vampiress could persuade Spike to join them. Though what she was blathering on about, stars, moon, Miss Edith? It knew who Miss Edith was, that wasn’t the point; It hadn’t bargained on her actually being as crazy as rumor had it. 

Well, if Spike didn’t join them, and really, what was one more vampire but dust in the wind? It still had Angelus, Drusilla who wanted to be reunited with her daddy, and a slayer who was either going to die or, infinitely better, switch teams; oh, yeah, eternal life was definitely good.  

Whining her displeasure for the briefest moment at being denied the slayer, Drusilla nonetheless nodded in acceptance, seeing the same vision It did. And knowing Angelus’ obsession with the slayer, Dru smiled, “The Queen of Hearts will be joining Daddy for the banquet but it will be a while until she comes along. She is no longer alone; the wind wails of a thousand and one voices in all and she wiggles her fingers not telling all her little secrets. She’ll know not whether the ivory or the black but she’ll check, check, check until she has her mate.” 

Turning back to Spike, missing the contemplative look on ‘Buffy’s’ face, Drusilla cooed to the vampire, “The nasty metal toy in his head needs to be removed, its webbing is all cracked. He’ll soon be mine again. His foul soul is tainted, infected, not as good, not as pure as my Angel, as her Angel’s was, and my Spike won’t be the champion my daddy’s soul wanted to be.” 

It smiled, delighting in this news; though It had long suspected it, this confirmation was a wonderful bonus. A spark lit ‘Buffy’s’ eyes and It said, “Make sure he joins us, Drusilla, if he doesn’t, I want you to kill him.” 

Dru nodded, frowning as she did so for he was still her William, her Spike and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to destroy what she had created. She had her chance once before when he chose the slayer over her, but she hadn’t done so. 

‘Buffy’ swirled into a blonde girl Dru didn’t know and started to walk away for another visit to the witch. There was another who had potential; shame she was diverted last year, she had almost accomplished what It had strived for years to achieve. 

Drusilla had turned back to Spike, deciding that waking him was best right now if she was to start on his…rehabilitation, when she suddenly screamed. It had already left and since Its bringers were quickly depleting – and many were on missions across the globe to bring about Its Blood Harvest – no one was there to witness Dru’s vision. 

Which was, in retrospect, not a bad thing. 

Clutching her head she dropped to crouch on the dirt floor and whimpered. “She’s going to hurt him; she’s going to get my Angel, hers now, hers, hers, hers. Strong, so strong, she’s all now, so many voices, so many. Can she do it, can she, can she? Yes, the stars are conflicted but back in order and the wind quiets, whispering, whispering that she’s his Queen, his goddess and she’ll checkmate him to her. Hers forever, forever.” 

Several long minutes passed before Drusilla came back to herself and crawled onto a rock next to Spike, draping herself over it, staring at the rock ceiling. So many stars, there were so many Drusilla had a hard time counting them all; they were rearranging themselves into their proper order and it was all so confusing yet all so exhilarating at the same time. 

And the slayer was all of them now. She was all, she was all… 

A slow smile spread across the vampiress’ face as she realized what that meant. Yes, it was definitely time to get to work on her Spike; while both daddy and slayer were busy with each other, Drusilla could start on getting her lover back. 

Gracefully rising to her feet, Dru glided over to Spike and kissed him awake. When his bright blue eyes opened into hers, she smiled and kissed him again.

“Hello, my Spike, are you ready?” 

“Dru?” The word was full of simultaneous hope and wariness. “Is that really you, pet?” 

“What do you think, my sweet boy? Can you feel your blood screaming? Does it call out to mine? Can you feel the stars smiling down on us as they move into their proper order?” 

Spike had felt a lot of things recently, but this was new. Or, at least, new to his current circumstances. His blood did indeed call to the vampiress before him, and he could see it in her eyes that she was his Drusilla, his black princess. Slowly nodding though it pained his head more, Spike gave his former lover a grimace. “Didn’t expect to see you here, luv. What brings you back to Sunnyhell?” 

“A little birdie told me that you needed me, my Spike. Bad, bad boy, you’ve been bad, haven’t you? Have you missed me?” 

Still staring into her eyes, eyes that had once looked only at him despite others that had come and gone in their lives, Spike found himself smiling back. Nodding his head again, he admitted, “I’ve missed you, luv, more than I can say.”

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