Buffy caressed her face, whispering soft words of encouragement to the girl who was her sister. “That’s it, Dawnie, just a little more.” The girl obediently swallowed the water, lacking the strength or awareness to even wince at the rawness of her throat. 

There was a table set up near where she hung, remnants of various breakfast foods littering its surface. Willow and Buffy were feeding her, insisting she keep up her strength. In that small part of her mind that still functioned Dawn knew that they wanted her strong because they wanted to prolong her suffering. 

Unfortunately, the rest of her mind wasn’t listening; it refused to acknowledge that this was happening at all, let alone to her and in this horrendous manner. Dawn believed herself to be feverish, sick in bed and two people she trusted were tending her, seeing that she ate to keep up her strength. It was a pleasant fantasy, her sister and friend still alive, still caring about her, taking care of her as they always had.

Shame it was only a fantasy. 

Buffy set the glass on the table and picked up a piece of apple, nibbling on it as she studied her sister. The apple didn’t taste nearly the same as it had when she was human, but the texture in her mouth, on her tongue, was interesting. 

“Well, Buffy? What do you want to do with her?” Willow stroked Dawn’s hair, tangled and matted with blood and sweat and fear. The scent surrounding the younger woman was intoxicating. 

“Leave her for now. We have more important thing to deal with, namely my union tonight.” 

“Ah, yes.” Willow smirked as they walked out of the basement, carrying the mostly empty tray with them. “Somehow I never envisioned Angelus, the Scourge of Europe, binding himself permanently to anyone. Then again, in regards to you, I can’t say I’m all that surprised. Somehow I always knew you two would find a way to be together.” 

Buffy laughed as they dumped the contents into the sink, adding to the slowly growing pile of dishes there. Maybe Spike was onto something. Minions to do their dirty work – literally. Or terrorize some sap of a human into cleaning their house. Both had possibilities. 

“What are you doing after the ceremony tonight?” Buffy asked side tracked from their topic for a moment. 

Willow shrugged, too used to her friend’s tangents to comment. “Hunting then sex with Spike, probably. Why? Want to join us?” 

Buffy laughed, but it wasn’t scornful. “No, hmm, not tonight. I was thinking more along the lines of minions. We have to start somewhere and tonight’s as good a night as any, right? I know you two have only been feeding, maybe we should start taking the time to turn them instead.” 

Willow purred at the thought. “We’ll have to bring them back here; do you have any idea what embalming does to a corpse? It’ll ruin any hope we have of turning one with even half a brain.” 

She paused at the bottom of the stairs, a wicked gleam in her eye and grinned at Buffy. “Then again…” 

Buffy returned her smile. “Then again, we don’t want them to have too much of a mind, do we?” They started up the stairs, slowly, working out the pros and cons of the plan. 

“Hmm, no, I think it’s too dangerous. People are used to random disappearances, especially here in LA. But with the increase in paranormal activity and more and more humans finding out about the battles, I think it’s better all around if we go with your first plan.” 

Willow nodded in agreement, turning with Buffy towards her rooms. “We’ll keep them locked in the basement; I’ll reconstruct the force-field around Dawn so any early risers don’t get any ideas and try to feed from her before we get the chance to break her.” 

Stopping, leaning against the wooden banister, the vampire witch smiled. Malicious, cruel, and lacking in any pity whatsoever, the smile was sure to fill the most vicious vampire with dread. It made Buffy shiver in expectation. 

“I think we’re close too. Did you hear her down there? Thanking us for taking care of her when she was sick. Pathetic, I say. Maybe tomorrow, after you’ve…recovered…” Her eyebrow rose at the word, knowing all too well how Buffy and Angelus were going to spend the night and most likely the following day, “from your ceremony. I’ll revive her enough so when she does die she knows exactly what’s going on.” 

Buffy’s smile matched her friends. “Perfect.” Turning in the opposite direction, Buffy said, “Let’s go see how Giles is holding up, shall we?” 

Falling in step next to her friend and sire, Willow asked, “So if you’re sire to both of us, does that mean we’re now siblings?” 

Buffy paused, “Yes, I suppose you’re right. Weird, thinking of Giles as anything other than a father figure.” 

Willow nodded as if she had known this all along but hadn’t really given it much thought before. “And once you and Angelus unionize or whatever the past tense of this little ceremony is…what is the past tense?” 

“Joined, I think,” Buffy shrugged. She didn’t care about any tense, all she wanted was Angelus. “Union is just another word for Joining. I think.” 

Nodding Willow continued her original thought, “Does that make Spike my brother as well?” 

Buffy snorted. “A little incestuous, isn’t that? Somehow I don’t think the same rules apply in the vampire world as they do in the human one. Besides, he’d be your step-brother, technically, right?” 

“See, I like this world much better. Not so many rules.” 

“Actually, I think there are more. Not the same no, not really more either, just…what’s the word I’m looking for. More regulated, tradition bound. I get the feeling from Angelus that there are things about the vampire community that we never knew.” 

“But the killing and the maiming, that’s still acceptable, right?” 

“Naturally. I think that by not doing so you’re actually breaking some sort of law.”

”See, now that I can live with.” 

They had made it to Giles’ door and opened it, not bothering to knock or seek permission. Buffy was his Sire, she didn’t need permission to do anything to him. He was, typically, reading one of his books, sitting on the window seat though the thick drapes were closed to keep out the harsh sun rays. He no longer needed his glasses and he looked…younger somehow, as if the transformation had eradicated his weariness and replaced it with the vigor of youth. Of eternal life. 

“Giles! How’s your first day of eternal life?” 

Giles looked up from his reading, and smiled. It was tinged with just a hint of malevolence, not directed at the two before him certainly, but at the world in general. “It’s been…interesting. I’m still getting used to all the changes, but…” 

Buffy smiled when he trailed off, his meaning was clear. Turning the book he still held, she looked at the title and approved. Perfect, things were moving along nicely, “Ready for the Union tonight?” 

Barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes: not at the thought itself, but at the concept, Giles nodded. “Though I find it hard to believe I’m participating in this, especially with Angelus as one of the participants, if it’s what you want, Buffy, then I’ll be there.” 

“Excellent, thank you Giles. As I’ll be otherwise occupied this evening,” And no one needed a description as to her previously planned activities, “Spike and Willow will take you hunting. I really wanted to watch you in action, but there’ll be other nights.” 

Giles nodded and looked at Willow. “Spike, too?” 

She just shrugged, “What can I say; he’s very good at it.” 

Buffy smirked. Naturally, he had learned from the best. Speaking of, where was Angelus? 

Before Buffy had a chance to leave, no doubt in search of her lover, Willow added, “But I was thinking of maybe moving the hunt to Sunnydale.”

Giles laughed, “Why, suddenly feeling nostalgic?” 

Smirking Willow laughed, “Hmm, no. But it’s been ages since I’ve seen my parents.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Angelus was looking down at the blood red rubies in his hand. The chain was silver and molded around the stones like it had been created that way. He had had it made two nights ago as Willow and Buffy were hunting and was now awaiting Buffy so he could give it to her. He heard her and Willow a few moments ago but then they turned in the direction of Giles’ room. 

As she entered their room, desire coming off her in waves, Angelus wasted no time with words and beckoned her over to him. She smiled; a sultry movement of her lips that told him anything he wanted to do to her was going to be received with nothing but pleasure. 

They still had hours before the ceremony…
*************
The dress was long and silk and black as night, skimming her bare painted toes – blood red of course – as she walked down the hallway towards Giles’ room. She had no idea where Willow had procured the dress, Buffy always had such a hard time finding clothes that fit without major alterations, but she was eternally grateful. Knocking on the thick oak door – ceremony and tradition dictated respect this night – she waited for Giles to open it. 

Looking across the threshold, Giles couldn’t help the thrill of pride that rushed through him. Seems being deprived of a soul didn’t stop the feelings he had for his girl. He would have been disturbed by these feelings if he had cared – and if he hadn’t been aware that soulless demons could indeed love; as it was, he went with them and said, “You look lovely, Buffy.” 

Beaming, she reached out to briefly embrace him. “Thank you. Are you ready? The sun set an hour ago. I know we need to wait for the zenith, but Angelus wants to double check everything.” 

Giles said nothing to that, merely nodded and stepped out beside her. He understood what Angelus felt towards him: Buffy needed him, Giles, with her, therefore he’d not interfere. It was the same with Giles: Buffy needed Angelus, she always needed him no matter the state of his soul. So Giles would not interfere. 

It was turning out, in the single day they’d had to test the theory, to be much easier than either expected. 

They walked down the hall, meeting Angelus at the top of the wide double staircase. Dressed all in black as well and also barefoot, he had refrained from his usual leather attire for the softer fabric of silk. Managing to still look menacing yet strangely elegant, too. Holding out a hand to Buffy, Angelus turned to look at Giles and actually smiled. 

The range of emotions that clashed in the older vampire’s eyes as he looked at his lover was a fascinating study: love was there, certainly, but also lust and possession and need and underneath it all, the knowledge that as a demon, he should feel none of those things yet was powerless to stop them. Oh, the murderous rage and burning desire to see the world crushed beneath his heel was there, too, but Buffy and what he felt for her dominated all that by far. 

Gallantly Angelus took her arm and they descended the stairs looking like a modern version of Cathy and Heathcliff. These were the vampires that were going to rule the world? Incredible. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other for more than twenty minutes and they expected to be the ‘Scourge of the Earth?’ 

Giles shook his head but refrained from comment. While he had only the vaguest idea on how they were going to accomplish their grand plans, he knew that if anyone could do so, it was the two in front of him. And himself, of course. He had some rather grand long reaching plans as well. Coincidently, they meshed quite nicely with the couple before him. 

The gardens were already prepared: Willow had cleansed the area but moments before dawn this morning, drawing a protective circle around the area. The long stone bench held the two jewel-encrusted gold goblets, a ceremonial knife, the ingredients for mixing the spell, and the scroll with the binding spell. Giles was to perform the spell while Willow and Spike took on the role of witnesses. 

Giles and Angelus looked over everything for long moments, conferring quietly with each other over this or that before agreeing that all was set and that they could begin. 

Angelus mixed the ingredients, saying the incantation quietly over each item before adding it to the bowl. It took over an hour, as each ingredient required a different chant, but Angelus had been thorough in his research and Giles had double checked everything: nothing was given to chance. Taking the powder over to Buffy, he held it between them, wrapping her hands in his and promised first in Gaelic then in English, “Nothing shall tear us apart; nothing shall stand in our way. I promise you that with the last of my strength I shall stand by your side. I shall never leave you.” 

Buffy smiled and repeated the words, words she had memorized in Gaelic because that was his first language, then in English. And while Angelus may wish to forget his life as Liam as much as his life as Angel, he could not forget his heritage. It was a part of him and that, at least, he had long ago accepted. 

Their lips met over the bowl, just a touch of flesh upon flesh as they sealed their vow. 

The trio watched from a distance, and even with their enhanced vampiric hearing were unable to discern the words spoken between the couple. Spike sighed breathlessly and noiselessly. His Sire being Mated, bound to the Slayer…it was almost more than he could bear. Then again, said slayer was no longer the bane of his, and every other vampire’s, existence, but was that really the point? 

Then again, who was he to condemn the poof a little love in his life? Even before Sunnyhell and he had loved Drusilla. Spike had long ago accepted that even without his soul he could. Although he never expected to see the day (and truthfully still wasn’t at all sure he wanted to see it though there was no hope for it now) when his sire toppled into that crazy little thing called love. 

It was almost scary. But what the hell, Spike figured that as long as the world continued to surprise him he’d be happy. 

The couple exchanged a few more words, vows of fidelity and devotion, and just as he began to become really bored, it was time. 

Walking over, Willow took the bowl from them and began spreading half the powder in an ever widening circle clockwise. Handing the knife to Buffy, Willow brought one of the goblets and held it under her Sire’s left arm; vampires may not have a pulse, technically, but the heart was still the source of life. As Buffy slashed her wrist and the blood flowed into the goblet from the rapidly closing wound, Spike took the knife and handed it to Angelus, also holding a goblet under his wrist. 

Filling the bowls half way, Willow and Spike dribbled a few drops each onto the powder surrounding the couple. The circle glowed bright blue for a moment, light shooting straight into the sky before dropping back down to pulse around them. Buffy and Angelus then exchanged chalices and drank deeply as Giles began his part of the ceremony. He sprinkled the remaining potion in an ever narrowing circle around the couple, counter clockwise, making the energy glow that much more, until the bowl was empty.

Unfurling the papyrus scroll, Giles began to read the ancient text, three times as tradition and magick dictated. Roughly translated the incantation read: 

With this joining we shall be as one
            By the mixing of our blood 
            By the joining of our bodies
            Under the mother moon
            With the darkened sky
            Never to be released
            Never to be apart
            Until time ceases to be
            With this joining we shall be as one

The blue light that rose from the circle and surrounded the couple in flying sparks from the first word shot through them at the final words, making them both gasp. Collapsing against each other, Angelus and Buffy stayed within the circle, touching head to foot, held there by magick, until the energy dissipated. 

Lying down in the undisturbed powder, the lovers began to move against each other, hands sliding over silk encased skin, under the soft fabric to mold cool flesh. Lips meeting to taste coolness and blood and need and want. Bodies straining to feel the others’, limbs wrapping around bare skin once the barrier of clothing disappeared. 

The onlookers watched, witnessing this, the final part of the ceremony as Angelus flipped them over, mouth fastened on Buffy’s breast through the silk before pulling the obstacle away from his lover’s – his mate’s – body. Entering her in one swift move that had them both arching high off the ground, floating inches above the magickal circle. 

The constant ache of wanting each other brought them to their peaks quickly, Angelus buried as deeply as flesh would allow. Buffy was wrapped around him, holding him closer, moving quickly with him as they rocked together. 

Shouting their completion as the orgasm ripped through them…simultaneously. They felt the pleasure crash through the other as surely as it had crashed through them, increasing their peak a hundredfold. 

Eventually they calmed, still wrapped around each other, still watched by their childer.

Willow was the first to snap out of it, the sexual haze that seeped into her, the need to…what on earth had just happened? Had some residual energy leapt into her, making her feel what they had felt? The explosive orgasm, the total completeness… 

Looking at Spike she could tell that he felt the same. Swallowing unnecessarily, his eyes met her and in a flash they were gone; the ceremony was over, they were no longer needed here, but they certainly needed each other. 

Giles looked at the still joined couple on the ground then to the retreating backs of the couple who had witnessed it and sighed. He was going to have to find his own fun this evening, it seemed. 

A wicked smile played across his features. Well, that could hold some interesting possibilities.
************
Lilah looked through ream after ream of reports and papers and alleged sightings and rumors and just about anything else that had anything remotely to do with Angel or Angelus or Buffy or some kind of combination of the three. Any ‘leader’ of the forces of light had been included as well.

 All she had for her troubles was an ulcer and a migraine. 

Angelus was obviously back, there could be no doubt about that. Angel was hardly the type to neglect his duties as a warrior and leave the battlefield just to go to the LA Opera no matter what they were showing. Buffy, Lilah was willing to bet, was the same. So the equally obvious conclusion was that somehow Buffy had either been turned or put under a spell of some sort. 

Lilah was betting on the former. Why put a spell on her when it was much easier, theoretically, to turn her? 

The next question became: If they were both soulless vampires then why were they not wreaking havoc? The death count hadn’t been significantly higher than usual, sure, the number of disappearances and subsequent reappearances – and they were all dead – had increased, but not by that much. And the vampire population hadn’t increased, either. 

There was no true to form here, so what was going on? 

There was something she was missing, she was sure. They had time for the opera so clearly they weren’t concerned about being seen. They were together, again obvious; Lilah had always thought that her employers were a little slow and stupid when it came to using that particular method to turn Angel back into Angelus. 

One moment of true happiness didn’t happen everyday; did they actually think that they’d get another chance like that? Not likely. Still, the bonding the intrepid couple had preformed before they each went to their separate battles proved useful to their enemies when the time had come to rid him of that soul. Couldn’t have done it without them. 

And then she found it. 

Spy reports that stated the lack of any clear leadership among Buffy’s army. Well, now wasn’t that interesting? Buffy was gone, she had a first person account of that in a source she more or less trusted. She wasn’t as blind or stupid as Belinda (and she had all the facts about their little plan) to believe that once the slayer was gone that the army would simply fall apart. 

It didn’t work like that; many of those fighting along side her – demon and human alike – had waited too long and fought too hard to reach these end battles for something like the sudden loss of their leader to suddenly fall apart when said leader died. 

Ah, the good old fashioned ‘kill the family first’ stratagem. There was nothing else like it. That would probably lead to the next ‘We have to go to Russia to get the rest of our family’ step. In which case Lilah had a small problem. 

Confront Angelus now, before he had a chance to completely destroy the forces of good or afterwards when he’d – they’d – be undoubtedly stronger? No help for it, it’s have to be now. Lilah had no desire to try and go up against Angelus and the soulless slayer once they remade their reputation in the demon world and had the army to back them. 

Just as she had that thought, she looked down at the last stack of papers on her desk. These were a list of possible places Angelus and Buffy could be staying. The list wasn’t that long, only about eight mansions and three ‘lairs.’ From what Lilah knew about him, though, she crossed the latter three off her list immediately. If they were going to the opera, they were staying in style. 

Her finger hovered over the buzzer longer than necessary. She needed to find out, for sure, where they were staying…but she couldn’t trust anyone else with this task.  Carisa was her assistant and Lilah had trusted her so far, but could she with this? No, better the do it yourself method. 

Depressing the button, Lilah cancelled all her appointments for the rest of the day and went in search of her greatest foe and his…wife? Could vampires marry? The whole thought was alien to Lilah, but then again, nothing was ever simple or ordinary with Angelus. 

Not only that, but she had been unaware that Slayers could be turned into vampires. One would think that the Watcher’s Council or The Powers That Be or someone would have built in a fail safe in an event such as this. So far as Lilah could tell Buffy was the first. 

Well, she had broken every other rule, why not this one as well? She had died twice, had fallen in love with a vampire, had broken with the Watcher’s Council, had fought a hell-god…rules and Buffy apparently didn’t go. 

It had taken most of the day and was naturally the last item on the list but Lilah found their new residence. The sun would be setting in only a few hours; now would be the best time to confront them, leaving the escape route of sunlight open.

Lilah had always prided herself on being fearless when it came to doing her job which included many a demon. But something about the pairing of a soulless slayer and Angelus turned her insides cold; shriveled the rest of her soul into nothing. She was not looking forward to this meeting. 

Taking her last breath of freedom, she tucked the list into her briefcase, straightened her jacket, checked her makeup, and resolved to feel no fear. Climbing out of the car Lilah Morgan slowly approached the huge wrought iron gate, half expecting the inscription over it to read, ‘Abandon all hope all ye who enter here’ or something equally Dante or hellish. 

But there was nothing there to indicate this house (mansion, the thing was huge) was residence to anything or anyone who might wish to destroy the world. 

The gates were opened; either they were expecting her or they were careless. Neither prospect seemed good to her, but she suspected the former; they weren’t exactly known for carelessness. So with little choice, Lilah got back in her car and drove slowly up the drive to the smooth marble steps leading up to the double oak doors. 

Which were also opened. 

That feeling that had been spreading through her since she discovered the list of possible places they could be staying multiplied and Lilah had to force her feet to move up the steps and through the door. 

Which slammed closed behind her.

She was well and truly trapped, the last house on the list was the right one and she was now inside the lion’s den. ‘By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.’ Why on earth had that quote suddenly appeared? What was the rest…? And why did she care? It was completely irrelevant to her current situation and why was her brain coming up with strange Shakespeare quotes at such an inopportune time? 

“Hello, Lilah,” A voice said with quiet menace from a side room. The foyer was filled with light from the late afternoon sun and Lilah’s only refuge as the rest of the house was shrouded in darkness. She didn’t want to think about the fact that every second that passed, her refuge decreased. 

“Angel…back from the front already?” Some inner voice congratulated her on a clam and stead voice. 

“You know,” He said, stopping as close to her as the ever waning sunlight would allow, “It just wasn’t what I expected. All this hype of the End Days and it just didn’t live up to its billing. Rather a letdown. ” 

Looking around with exaggerated interest, Lilah asked, “So you set up shop here? I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed that you didn’t come to us, first.” 

Shrugging negligently, Angelus turned his head to the side, as if looking at someone Lilah couldn’t see. “What can I say, I was otherwise occupied. Much more pleasantly, too.” 

A small blonde woman suddenly appeared at his side and Lilah wondered how she had moved so quickly. One moment she wasn’t there and barely a blink later she was. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I presume. Nice to know our plan worked.” 

Buffy tilted her head against Angelus’ shoulder, her hand finding its way into his waiting one seemingly without either being aware of it. “I have you to thank for this new change in soul status?” 

“Partly, yes.” Some small little part of her, the basic primal part that still feared what went bump in the night, quaked in terror at the sight of them together. The rest of her resolutely ignored it. “Honestly, though I wasn’t aware that it could work. But Belinda was insistent and we had other issues concerning us.” 

They had wanted Angelus, a vampire Buffy was only a bonus. A wonderful added bonus, but their main target had been to rid Angel of his soul. Somehow, now faced with the two in front of her, she wondered if she should have abandoned that plan and thought up some other way of achieving their long range goals. 

Looking around, sure that there were others she just couldn’t see, Lilah casually asked, “Where is Belinda?” 

Buffy smirked and it wasn’t a pretty sight; it matched the one gracing Angel’s – Angelus’ – lips and sent another shiver running through that tiny part of her still protesting her presence here. “Ah, Belinda…she met with an unfortunate…accident. I’m afraid she won’t be joining our little party.” 

“But you, Lilah,” Angelus said, walking in a semi-circle around her ever waning patch of sunlight, “You are more than welcomed to join. Did you honestly think that by ridding me of my soul I’d leap at the chance to work with you? For Wolfram & Hart?” He shook his head sorrowfully, “For a company that prides itself on research, you’ve done a shoddy job this time.” 

He stopped directly in front of her, still cloaked in darkness. But his eyes…they glittered out at her a dangerous golden. “I work for no one. Hell, I barely work with most beings.” 

Before Lilah had a chance to reply, though frankly she had no idea what her reply was going to entail, invisible fingers reached out and wrapped around her, effetely trapping her in place. Her head still had freedom of movement, so she turned around, hoping to see whatever – whoever? – had done this…as far as she was aware, neither Angelus nor Buffy had this kind of magick in them. 

Smirking off to the side was an older man, handsome, distinguished, and looking about as annoyed as he was going to let show. At what, Lilah had no idea, but it was currently directed at her. 

“Rupert Giles I presume?” It was a rhetorical question, though he nodded in agreement as he chanted under his breath, lifting her off the ground and moving her into the darkness of the salon where Buffy and Angelus met them. 

Lilah’s last thought before she lost consciousness was that she should have sent Carisa instead.
***********
Faith was in trouble. 

The ‘I’m a dead woman, there’s no way out of this, my last sight is going to be of a filthy sewer and scurrying rats’ kind of trouble. She had successfully avoided the numerous assassination attempts – law firms, demons, she even thought the Watcher’s Council was after her, though paranoia may have played a part in that – since coming back to America to deliver some dispatches and scope out the Buffy situation (Angel was worried) but it didn’t seem to be enough. 

She had made a lot of enemies before she joined Angel in Russia. Some wanted her because of her connection to Buffy and Angel; some because of what she was, a slayer in her own right; and some just because they wanted to make a reputation as a killer of the side of light.

They had all met with the same end and their deaths had grown progressively less pretty the longer she was on her own. 

By now she was sure that everyone thought her dead and since Buffy had completely broken with the Watcher’s Council (again) a couple of years before and Angel and everyone else had naturally followed that break (it wasn’t a hard decision to make), it was doubtful they’d inform her that no, no new slayer had been called. 

Her options were limited to one. And it had not worked out in her favor. 

She couldn’t get out of LA and go to Sunnydale, she was stuck, trapped. And her last idea with any hope of succeeding was to hope and pray that someone – preferably friend, but she was bone weary and foe wouldn’t be turned away as long as her death was quick – would find her. 

The sewer system of Los Angeles had been her home for more days than she cared to remember, the stench and the darkness and the hopelessness that permeated the area had drained her of everything. Everything that is except the determination, despite its desperate nature, to see that at least one of her friends knew about the plot by Wolfram & Hart. She had only a vague idea what the plot was about, but if it was perpetuate by them then it couldn’t be good. 

So much time had past that Faith thought it might be too late to stop them, but there were still others, Giles, Willow, Xander. Someone who could help, who could do something… 

She couldn’t let her sister slayer die, nor could she let Angel lose his soul, both would destroy the man who had saved her. 

“I swear I heard that she was staying up in that house just outside town. You know the one with all that glass in the front? The one that crazy artist had built a few years ago? Don’t know what happened to the artist, but I know I heard tell that the slayer was there now.” 

Bob the Cowardly Vampire whose former hunting partner had been dusted by the slayer had found a new hunting partner; one who didn’t have a grudge against the slayer that was going to get him killed. And new ears with which to impart his latest gossip. 

Faith stopped…everything. Thinking, feeling, breathing, even her heart stopped for a moment as she heard the two vamps, she was sure even in her weakened state that they were vampires, talk about the slayer and her new residence. They didn’t know what she was doing there, nor how she came to be in LA when she was supposed to be in Sunnydale. 

Neither did Faith but it didn’t matter, nothing else mattered. She knew, or had a vague idea at least, where the house was, and was determined to find it, even if it killed her. 

When had she become so melodramatic? This saving the world crap sucked, changed her from a carefree full of life and spirit young slayer into a cautious, careful one. She liked it better when she didn’t realize that all the battles couldn’t be won. 

Turning as quickly as her battered body would allow down the tunnel opposite the one the two vamps just started through Faith missed the rest of their conversation. The one that went onto describe how Angelus was back and Buffy was definitely with him. And they were both lacking heavily in the soul department.

She could have saved herself a lot of pain if she had stayed for two more minutes. 

As it was, she passed out soon afterwards, hunger, pain and lack of sleep making her collapse on the smelly, muddy floor. When she awoke, several hours later, she was somewhat surprised to fins herself still alive. And all she remembered of the conversation she had overheard was Buffy, house, outside LA. 

Maybe, Faith thought a little too optimistically, it wasn’t too late…
**********
Willow and Spike arrived in Sunnydale shortly before nine two nights after witnessing the Union between Buffy and Angelus. They had originally planned to bring Giles with them to hunt in their old territory, but that night other things had taken precedence. Giles hadn’t seemed to mind; apparently he had found his own enjoyment. They didn’t ask and he hadn’t told. 

Despite her current demon condition, Willow still regarded Giles as a sort of father figure: she didn’t want to know any details. 

Willow stretched her limbs, the transporting spell took a lot out of her; maybe they’d find a more standardized means of transportation for their return trip. Plus it took a lot of her power and it was days before she felt recharged – and in control – enough to perform anything beyond the most simple of spells. 

“Come on, Pet, let’s see who’s left in this godforsaken town before we visit mommy and daddy. I may be able to pay back a few debts if I’m lucky and they’re not.” 

Spike had rediscovered the thrill of the hunt in the short time he had been ‘back.’ He had forgotten how much he missed it, that chip had been in his head for so long, then that damnable soul…things had definitely not gone his way since the first moment he had set foot in this rotten little town all those years ago. 

They wandered the deserted street of Sunnydale; few shops were left, buildings had been reduced to nothing but rubble, whole areas decimated by rampaging demons and the battles Buffy and Giles had fought to stop them. Still, people refused to leave. 

It still amazed Spike, even after all this time, the capacity for human delusion. Their town was in ruins. Leave, start someplace fresh. Someplace not nearly as dangerous and where the death count wasn’t one of the highest in the world. 

But there was something else odd about the town. It took a while for the couple to realize what it was. Even the demons had fled. 

“Where are they?” Willow asked, agreeing with Spike’s assessment. “I’d have thought with the slayer gone, her forces not scattered but regrouping at least, that it would be party time for every demon ever wishing to open the Hellmouth.” 

“Don’t know, pet,” Spike shrugged. But he did intend to find out. That was just too weird. 

Predictably they found several dozen teenagers hanging out in the Bronze. The décor was much the worse for wear, but the only club in town was still opened. And even more predictably, several of those teens left, alone or in too small groups.

They were easy pickings for the vampires waiting outside for just that opportunity. 

Sighing, Willow complained, “I’m bored. It’s just no fun, almost as if they know they’re our next meal and want it to end.” 

Spike smirked, “It’s always been like that, love. Human nature: they think they’re the top of the food chain and nothing can harm them. Come on,” He said, licking a drop of blood from the corner of her mouth and slinging an arm over her shoulders, “Let’s go meet the parents; I was never properly introduced anyway.”
~~~~~~~~
Shelia and Ira Rosenberg recognized their daughter immediately…after she had greeted them with ‘Hi mom, dad,’ And a little wave reminiscent of a much younger (and souled) Willow. 

It was their own fault that they had never paid attention to the subtle warnings she had tried to give them over the years, about inviting people into the house. About the whole strangers at night weren’t necessarily in need of help and if they required an invitation then it was best not to give one. 

So the shocked but polite, “Willow, dear, come in, come in,” Was enough to allow their no longer living daughter to enter her former residence. 

They noticed her hair, first. Shocked, what on earth had she done? Black? Really, Willow, that was so tacky, hadn’t she grown out of the rebellion stage already? The musician was bad enough, but then living with Bunny and her sister, oh, what was her name? And Mrs. Monahan had said that she saw you kissing another woman. What was going on here, Willow? 

On and on they went; rehashing the years so far in the past that Willow had outgrown them long before Buffy had turned her. Her lack of a ‘higher education’, meaning that she hadn’t gone back to school for a masters of any kind; she couldn’t, things were already beginning to get worse, no time for school. Her association with ‘those people’ they had corrupted her and she was forbidden to see them any more. 

Willow watched in amused silence for a few moments before the entertainment faded under the constant badgering. How had she tolerated them all these years? No wonder she wanted to rip their throats out so desperately. But she had promised Spike that they’d work on her torture methods. She was more into the magickal means as opposed to the physical ones. According to her lover, though, both could be…stimulating and pleasant. 

“Mom, dad, shut up.” And she couldn’t take it any longer, waving a hand to ensure that they obeyed. She was still weak, true, but her anger helped guarantee the completion of the small spell. 

Willow turned to the opened door, smiling as Spike just wandered inside. He had helped her move whatever she had left here ages ago, just after the final battles began, and the invitation still held. Helped all around, frankly. 

“So, Pet, what do you want to do with them?” He wound his arms around her from behind as they looked at her parents, identical expressions of horror on their shocked faces. 

“You promised a lesson.” 

She smiled at her parents as she shifted into her vampire face. They tried to scream, their mouths opened, but no sound emerged though they couldn’t tell that through the roaring of their blood, the pounding of their hearts. Running was always an option, but fear and confusion held them prisoner much better than any spell Willow could use. 

Turning in her lover’s arms, she attacked his lips with hers, each drawing blood. “Let’s tie them up first; we have all the time we need. And right now I have a better idea on how to spend that time.”
************
Willow stretched as she climbed out of the car; it had been a long time since she had used such a means of transportation and she had forgotten how still one became when trapped behind the wheel for two hours. Looking up at her new home, the giant mansion that Angelus and Buffy had…liberated from its owners, Willow wondered briefly who they had been and where exactly the bodies were buried. 

Shrugging, she climbed the marble steps and walked through the doors, half expecting Buffy to wander down the stairs, asking how the reunion with her parents had gone. But there was no one. Expanding her vampiric senses, trying to hone them instead of her magicks, all Willow could sense was Angelus someplace upstairs and two humans in the basement. 

Dismissing their new visitor, but curious as to who it might be, Willow went to seek out Angelus instead, wondering why he wasn’t with Buffy wherever she was…and how they had managed the separation. The whole concept was so alien to the rest of them that it was a constant source of merriment to her and Spike. Not that they were any better, but they hadn’t Joined for the love of all that was unholy. 

He met her halfway down the hall, dressed in his usual leather attire; swaggering along the hall, that sexy half smirk twisting his lips. Mentally Willow licked her own lips; what would it be like to run her tongue across that sculpted chest? Feel his hands cup her body, mold her breasts? Taste his powerful blood as he fucked her senseless? 

But since she wasn’t likely to ever find those answers, all she did was ask, “Where’s Buffy?” 

“Out with Giles, they left about twenty minutes ago; she wants to see him in action.” His voice gave nothing away, but his eyes flashed with just the barest hint of jealously. Angelus understood better than anyone the bond between Sire and Childe. His only consoling thought was that both Buffy and Giles regarded the other in a more familial way rather than a sexual one despite that bond. 

“Oh, sorry I missed that. You’re going to love what he does to his prey: if I didn't know any better I’d say that the two of you are kindred spirits in the torture department. He’s a wonderful sight to behold.” 

Willow turned, heading back down the grand staircase. “I’m hungry myself, care to join me?” 

Angelus nodded. Though he would never admit this to anyone, other than maybe Buffy, being without her was…uncomfortable. “Yeah, sounds like a plan. Let me just make sure that our new guest is comfortable. How was your…reunion? 

Following him to the wine cellar, Willow laughed, “Better than any therapy I could pay for.” 

He smirked with her, and went over to their hanging guests. Willow just watched as he double checked the chains binding an unconscious Dawn before moving onto the conscious new guest. 

“Lilah, I see you’re back among us. Sorry I can’t stay and chat, but I already have dinner plans.” He leaned in, allowing his nonexistent breath to tickle her cheek. “But don’t worry; we’ll spend some time together very soon.” 

Chuckling at her pathetic attempt at a glare, Angelus move back to the door and a waiting Willow, leaving a fuming and very frightened Lilah to wallow in her own fear, anger and self-loathing. He really couldn’t wait to torture her. Maybe he’d finally get to use that chainsaw Buffy surprised him with last week. 

Being vampires didn’t mean that they couldn’t take advantage of modern technology so Willow and Angelus drove to the better hunting grounds of downtown LA; the outskirts didn’t hold much in the way of a nice fresh meal. During the journey Willow asked, “Who was the newcomer?” 

“Lilah Morgan. She works for Wolfram & Hart, one of their top executives, something Special Projects.” 

“Ah, was she in on Belinda’s little plan, then?” They had told her the story of Buffy’s transformation and she found it extremely hard to believe that anyone could be that stupid. Neither Angel nor Angelus played well with others; Buffy didn’t with her soul, what made anyone think that together they’d be cooperative? 

Then again, when a bunch of high schoolers can defeat a master vampire’s plan to open the Hellmouth, plus save the world on a daily basis, maybe she shouldn’t have been so surprised. 

“Yes, apparently. Naturally she won’t talk, but she’s only been here for a few hours and I haven’t had time to…soften her up yet.” The grin he sent her as they parked the car and climbed out made Willow shiver in anticipation. It was a damn shame that she would never know the pleasures of Angelus’ bed. Maybe she could interest them in a foursome? Despite Angelus’ feelings about Spike and Buffy, there could be something there… 

As they walked into the night, wandering down the streets of LA, Angelus asked, “Where is my wayward childe? Didn’t he come back with you? Or have you tired of him already?” 

“Hmm, no, not yet, he’s very…energetic in bed, always makes me crave more.” She smiled at his amused snort, but answered the rest of his question, “No, there was some weirdness going on in Sunnydale, more so than usual. There’s hardly anyone left there, human and demon alike. The town is almost totally empty. Many of the humans are gone; they fled once the battles began in earnest. But the strange thing is the demons…now that there isn’t anyone to guard the Hellmouth, why aren’t they out in full force?” 

Angelus shrugged. “I don’t know but a valid question. So he stayed to find out? Good, good.” Maybe keeping his childe around had been a good idea after all. At least Spike had a brain and used it. 

It was some time later, after the first rush of hunger was slated that Willow decided to broach the topic that had haunted her since she had discovered a much saner Angelus upon reawakening. 

“Do you mind if I ask you something?” She honestly wasn’t sure how he would answer if at all, but figured the only thing she had to lose was her not really there breath when he sent her flying through the air instead of answering the question. She very much doubted he’d take her life, though that was a distinct possibility. 

At his shrug, she continued, “When you came back the first time, in Sunnydale, you were a little less…rational than you seem now. Trying to kill Buffy and all her friends, destroying the world. Now you can’t stay away from her. What happened?” 

For long moments Angelus debated on how to answer her question or even if he was going to. Finally he said, “Nothing changed. I always wanted her. She was always mine and always will be. Before I was…reveling you might say, in my new found freedom. It had been a hundred years since I had last tasted that and I wanted to experience it all again. I was going to get around to Buffy, but things didn’t exactly go my way.” 

Willow looked at him as they walked through a park. There really wasn’t anyone here, no one at least that they wanted for dinner, Angelus was a master at the ‘fine art of killing,’ so it was a bit off his tastes to simply hunt the winos and other homeless vagabonds that graced the park. So she took the time to study him, wondering at his attitude. 

It really wasn’t a shock to her that the demon before her loved his mate. Nothing about their relationship surprised her any longer. No, what amazed her was the complete turn about from several years ago to several months ago. 

“So you had planned all along to have Buffy?” 

“Yes,” He answered, though it was distracted as if he could sense something that Willow could not. Wait, there it was, just along her dead nerve endings. What was that? It was familiar, like a burning in her blood, but…ah, Buffy. It may not have been as strong as the link Angelus obviously felt with her, but the Sire/Childe bond was still there in full force. 

Before she lost her opportunity, Willow hurriedly asked the final thing that had always bothered her about his appearance, “Why destroy the world, then?” 

Smiling, Angelus turned from the direction he had been looking, confident his mate would find him anywhere and looked at the witch. “How long have you thought of that, Willow?” 

“A long time,” She admitted with an unapologetic smile. “It’s always bothered me that you taunted and haunted Buffy for months, sent minions and fledglings after her, but nothing really bad happened in Sunnydale. I mean other than you. No really big scary monsters, no super evil. Why?”

“And possibly destroy the one thing I wanted to destroy? No, no, couldn’t have that. Most of the demons stayed away for two reasons. Her and I. They feared me and what I would do to them if they went against my…wishes, and they feared her and the reputation she had gained in the short time she had been the slayer. If anyone was going to destroy her, it was going to be me.” 

It wasn’t really the answer to her question, but it was informative all the same. And Willow had a lightening quick mind and formed her own conclusions. Her conclusion was that since he had…not failed, but not yet succeeded in turning Buffy to his side, in destroying her as the slayer and eventually making her a vampire, then sucking the world into Hell, when the opportunity presented itself, seemed the best option. 

What Willow didn’t realize, having been thwarted with that same endeavor herself, was that once the world was just another hellish playground, he had planned on keeping Buffy by his side. Had planned on ruling whatever parts of the world he could grab and keeping her with him for all eternity as his queen. 

Silently she watched as Buffy and Giles came into view and the couple visibly forced themselves to walk sedately towards each other. The moment their mouths touched, however, it was as if everything else in the world had disappeared. Their childer were forgotten and all they knew was that it had been hours since they had last been in each other’s company. 

Still, they forced themselves to part and finish the night and the hunt. Angelus was indeed impressed with Giles, the older man’s darker side having come out to play in full force. It made a father proud. Sunrise was still several hours off when Buffy and Angelus left the younger vampires to fend for themselves and went back to the mansion. 

Once they slammed through the doors, hands couldn’t move fast enough; clothes couldn’t be shed quickly enough to sate their never ending desire for each other
~~~~~~
Spike returned the next night. His news was less than helpful as all the regular informants had long since fled or died. But what he was able to discover boded well for their long range plans. 

Seems Wolfram & Hart, in their infinite wisdom, had decided to offer any and all demons money and the promise of power if they joined the fight against the light. (Giles scoffed at this; no self respect these demons had any more, doing a job for W&H for money, really what was this world coming to?) Most of the demons living in Sunnydale had agreed, and with the exodus of so many, the others left as well.

Leaving the Hellmouth free and clear for a nice takeover.

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