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Author's Notes: This episode takes place after Buffy season 5's Into the
Woods, also in this world the events of Angel season 2 occurred differently.
There are also references to Christopher Golden's novel Spike and Dru:
Pretty Maids All in a Row.One last thing, I hope this proves that I can
write something that is neither dystopian nor machiavellian (he, he, me like
big words)Summary: The apocalyptic battles are over, the dues have been paid, and Angel is finally human. Naturally his first stop is Sunnydale but will his reunion with Buffy be ruined by an old friend, an old enemy and a last minute case of cold feet.
23:37 PST
A bar just outside of Sunnydale,CA.
Now.I've waited for this for so long, why am I hesitating. This time its real, I 've earned it. So why am I in this hellhole instead of in her arms. What is wrong with me. I never had this problem when I was a vampire. Then I would have gone in there and swept her off her feet. Is this lack of confidence part of being human. It's been so long I can't remember. So long. That's it one more drink then I'm going over their and embracing fate.
''Well now what do we have here?Oh no, not him, not now.
''Finally someone I can really enjoy beating the crap out of," and with that Spike knew he was going to have a good night.21:16 EST
An artist's studio, East Village,NY.
Two weeks ago.
Drusilla was not having a good night. Not even a good year. Ever since Spike betrayed her and took her Angel away, she had been in a rotten mood. But as she crouched over the corpse of the young girl Maria, waiting for her to awaken to her new life of darkness, she found her mind drifting, as it often did. Presently, she was back in Copenhagen during the Second War watching her beloved toy with the beautiful Slayer who had chased them across the world. She remembers the warm felling she got when Spike finished drank of the bitch. He was so magnificent. But then the dream changes. The Slayer bagin to change, turned to engage Spike in a long passionate kiss, then they turn to face her and she sees the girl's face. The shock brought Drusilla back to her senses. The girl in her vision. It was Buffy. Buffy who had taken both of her pretty boys from her. Buffy who needed to die, and as quickly as that it was decided. The Slayer would die and Drusilla would kill her.
It took a further two days for Maria to awaken, by the time the two of them had prepared he had found them. Maria still didn't trust him, but as soon as he said that name, Angel, Drusilla had become enthralled desperately in need to know the fate of her sire. But despite Dru's reassurances, Maria still didn't trust him, didn't trust the man called Lindsey.
02:30 PST
Sunnydale,CA.
Three days ago."Don't make me he-bitch, man-slap you! You may be a witch but I get to keep the remote. It's like a law or something"
"I'll give it you if you do the Snoopy Dance"
"Oh come on Will, don't make me beg"
Xander and Willow could carry on like this for hours but Buffy wasn't listening. She had been in a thoughtful trance since Riley had left. But she didn't feel sad. She didn't feel anything. Was Riley right when he said she didn't love him. When Angel left she felt empty, hallow as if she was just a shell, but now she wasn't even upset. She was calm, almost tranquil. It was then she noticed the silence. She turned to face her friends but they were gone. The room was gone too. No longer was she in her mother's living room. Now she was in what appeared to be the meeting hall of some ancient fortress. Her friends were gone but she wasn't alone. At the far end of the hall there was a couple standing over a corpse, in a deep embrace. She wasn't sure they knew of her presence, but they soon seperated and turned towards her. Buffy felt a knot in her stomach when she saw how passionately Angel, her Angel, was holding the enchantress Drusilla, how little they cared about Spike's rotting copse that was beginning to attract flies. Then the woman spoke in a manner that was uncharacteristically focused,
"I promise you a day of reckoning that you won't live long enough to forget".Buffy awoke with a start. She had been having these dreams for days and that usually meant that they were more than just dreams. It didn't help that Riley was gone and she couldn't get in touch with Angel, Cordelia or even Wesley. It was useless to try to get back to sleep now, so went and did the only thing that made her feel better. She slayed.
23:53 PST
A bar just outside Sunnydale,CA.
Now."I don't believe this. What exactly does God have against me,"
"Besides the maiming and the killing ?"
"Well of course besides the maining and the killing, you know nobody likes a smug git"
"You should know"
"Ha, bloody ha. Well as I was saying before I so was rudely interrupted. What does he have against me ?. Where is it written that you get to be human and get stuck with this bloody chip in my head. Oh and thanks by the way for not telling me you were mortal before I hit you. My head's still ringing from the sodding shocks this thing gives me"
"My nose doesn't feel any better you know. Your just lucky I don't bare a grudge"
"Ha! Haven't lost the sense of humour them.. So let me guess you're to see the Slayer. Well, your timing is impeccable as always. It hasn't been two weeks since that army sop left and already your swaggering into town. New life and all."
"Riley's gone?"
"Yes, Riley's gone and so has all your competition," Spike would be long dead before he let Angel know about his own feelings for Buffy, "What a pair we make. I hope you appreciate the irony of this. 120 years ago you and me were two of the baddest hombres on the planet, set to party till the end of time, and now look at us. Your human and I can't even kick a fluffy little puppy. We use to cruise all the best pubs of Europe and now we're in this shitehole acting like the best of friends. It's embarrassing really"
"It really is."
"Personally I'd say pathetic". Angel recognized the voice instantly.
"Who's that poof ?"
"Lindsey", Angel growled.
"In the flesh...and not alone" then they noticed the others.13:45 PST
A limosine heading towards Los Angeles
One week ago.
"Are you sure you can kill him. I've invested all I have left in accomadating the two of you and I don't want it to have been wasted", Lindsey was more aggressive then usual but Drusilla, just ignored him. It was Maria who eventually spoke in her heavy New Jersey accent,
"We said we'd kill him and we will, we just need to turn some soldiers
first", this did little to placate Lindsey,
"I wasn't talking to you. Now just keep in mind. This bastard took my arm,
took my company. He destroyed my life. It's time for a reckoning, and if you
fail me I won't be best pleased", and with that the two women left the limo
in search of minions. Once the limo had left Maria turned to Drusilla with a
longing in her eyes,
"When this is over can I kill him?"
"Of course poppet, but my Angel comes first"
"Is he really that important?"
"Oh, yes my dear"
"Important enough for you to forget about me?"
Yes,Drusilla was tempted to say. She had noticed that this one longed for her. But for now it was more amusing to lead her along.
"Ah, is poppet jealous. Don't worry, I don't want Angel. I want to take his
Slayer, I him to see me take her soul, I want to hurt him like he hurt me.
And then I want to kill him"
This was not a lie.00:57 PST
Shady Hill Cemetery, Sunnydale, CA.
Now."And like that, poof, their all gone. Chalk up another two to the Buffster. A great line like that and there's no one around to appreciate it". Buffy was seriously bored. These vamps just didn't offer a challenge anymore. At least not enough of a challenge to distract her from worrying about Angel. She had almost completely forgotton about Riley, he seemed like a distant memory now, now that her one true love was missing. She had gotten in touch with Cordelia the day before. From what she could decipher from the usual Cordy-babble, Angel, Wesley and some guy named Gunn had taken on this evil company, who were trying to call forth some ancient demonic force, and in the process the company's offices had gone up in smoke. Wesley and Gunn came out alive but Angel was missing, and Buffy was worried. So worried that she didn't notice the brunette vamp who tackled her from behind. The vamp pinned Buffy's arms in front of her head and forced her face into the mud, her mistake was going to bite the slayer's neck.. Too many vamp's had tried that move and Buffy knew enough to see her attacker off with a reverse headbutt. Buffy sprang to her feet, flipped the brunette to the floor and was about to stake her when the second vamp caught her off guard with a kick to the solar plexis. It took her seconds to regain her composure, yet the vamps didn't attack. She assumed her battle stance and prepared for anything. Anything except Drusilla.
"Hello, luv. Fancy meeting you here."
"Pardon my manners but seeing you is definitely not the highlight of my day.
What do you want?"
"You. Actually I'm shopping for Angel and you're the gift".
"Well you make about as much sense as usual."
"Shut up, bitch!", Maria screamed,"you watch your tongue when speaking to Dru".
"Easy poppet, don't let her get under your skin"
"Poppet? Oh my god. Do you set out to be as weird as possible?"
"Enough!". Maria leapt at Buffy but was intercepted by an arrow plunging through her chest. As she burst into a cloud of dust both of the remaining women were dumbfounded.
"Well now Dru, what's a place like this doing around a girl like you?"
"Spike!" the raven haired vampire hissed.
"The one and only," the platinum demon replied cockily, "not that it hasn't been fun seeing you again luv, but I think you should be running along to your knew boyfriend. And tell him from me that he has a major league ass-kicking coming to him. Oh yeah, me and the Slayer will be along presently. I just have to bring her up to speed. Well, be seeing you."
It was happening again and Drusilla knew it. Her beloved Spike was siding with the Slayer, just like Angel had. Angel, Spike, Buffy. They were all going to die, but in order to kill them she needed Lindsey. She fought back the tears long enough to tell them to come to the Church on Soze Blvd. They'd all die together.01:30 PST
The Bronze, Sunnydale,CA.
Now."He's human?"
"As human as a newborn babe. He's a prisoner too. Some one armed bastard named Lindsey's took him, and he's working with Dru".
"But how ?"
"He said something about a divine reward for him acting like such a poof. Look I understand your shocked but we really should get going, I don't think Lindsey's got the balls to kill Angel himself and we dusted most of his goons, but when her patience runs out Dru surely will".
"Why are you helping me? I told you that I'm not interested in you. And now that Angel's alive. I'd have thought you would have liked to have seen us both burn."
"Well, I've been thinking about that. This whole chip ordeal's made me reconsider a few things. Now that it doesn't look like I'm ever going to be rid of it and every demon in North America despises me as a turncoat, maybe getting in the good graces of the Slayer is a wise career move. Besides all that, if I can't kill Angel then no one will. There's also the fact that a chance to make Dru suffer for dumping me is too good to miss."
"So basically, your motivations are cowardice and vengence"
"Basically"
"Well lets hit the road. We've got a job to do."
Buffy took a second to consider the situation.She was heading straight into an inevitable ambush against the one vamp she'd met and never beaten, side by side with a mortal enemy.
"Love makes you do the wacky", she whispered,
"It really does", her would-be ally replied,
"It really does".02:00 PST
A church on Soze Blvd.,Sunnydale,CA.
Now"There's nothing I can do for you Lindsey, you can torture me all you want".
"Torture you? I like that, it's a good idea"
"No, he's my puppy"
"So you keep saying partner, but I don't see you putting much effort into his misery. You promised me he'd suffer and.......". Lindsey didn't get the chance to finish to finish his sentence before Drusilla pounced. In one swift movement she was on top of him, ripping out his throat with her fangs.
The ferocity of the attack stunned her three remaining minions. But not Angel.
"I was wondering when you were going to do that. I thought he'd never shut up...", this time he was caught unprepared as she slashed at his face with her talon like fingers.
"You don't get to talk. Your pathetic. I came here looking for my Angel, but you're not him. Your human. You disgust me. As soon as they get here I'll kill you all for making me miserable. It's bad enough that that bitch took you and Spike from me, but now she thinks she gets to keep you. And Spike, poor weak-willed Spike, my approval used to be everything to him but now he's grown up and become a mockery. And you. You're the worsed. Your sins make the overs seem like childish transgressions. You made me, and then you cast me aside. For decades that rejection tore at my insides like a cancer, it made me weak. But now I realize that your rejection doesn't matter, because you don't matter. None of you do. Your all below me, because your all weak and I am strong....", Drusilla looked down to see the most curious sight. When they had first come to this place of worship they had destroyed all the harmful symbols, even the ones that posed no threat, and now here one was. A statue of the Virgin Mother, only without a head, was protruding from her chest. In an instant she realized everything. Her mind often failed her, and she had trances so strong that she couldn't be awoken, but here she had focused so much on Angel that she was oblivious to Buffy and Spike dusting her minions, she didn't even notice Spike staking her until her limbs began to turn to dust, she simply reaches out with her mind to her own personnal grim reaper and hears one last thought, Now that's what I call closure.
DawnThe bedroom of Buffy Summers
Now and forever.Two lovers lie amidst cotton sheets entwined in all encompassing embrace oblivious to the fact the world is passing them by. The young man stares at his lover. With the new dawn outlining her devine features he concludes that she is the most beautiful creature on earth. He makes a promise to himself and to any gods that are listening that he will dedicate his newly won life to her and her eternal happiness. The young women begins to stir
Sshhhh he whispers Close your eyes.The Beginning.
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