ENDURE

intransitive verb

remain firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding; unyielding; "though it is difficult, we must endure"

Angelus shuffled around the mansion that he had appropriated for his home base. Spike had been right in his assessment of his Grandsire. He wasn't slumming it in some dank and dirty abandoned building. Soon after losing his soul, Angelus had eaten a rich elderly woman after seducing the woman's live in nurse after receiving an invitation into the house. He was enjoying the new accommodations immensely. The elaborate home was elegantly furnished, safe in a secluded neighborhood behind a stone wall and metal gates, and even had some impressive art on the walls. It perfectly fit the arrogant vampire's needs.

Unfortunately, the vampire was not currently enjoying his posh surroundings. The sun had risen hours ago and Angelus could barely contain his agitation. None of the house's amenities could come close to soothing his frustration. Not even the recent violence helped. The fledglings failed him therefore they paid the price of disappointing him. On the floor of the living room, three piles of dust were all that remained of the minions who were supposed to have watched Drusilla yesterday. Somehow she had slipped past them before the sun had even set and not a single useless fledgling had been able to find hide nor hair of her since. Every one of his gathered lackeys had been sent out to find her last night but were thwarted in their search by the arrival of dawn. A couple of them failed to return and Angelus was left to wonder if they were dust or fleeing from his wrath.

Anger overwhelmed the vampire. He began throwing the numerous decorations that the elderly woman had collected and displayed in her fancy living room. The little figurines shattered on the wall leaving dents in the drywall and scatterings of ruined porcelain all over the floorboards. Angelus was in such a snit over his missing Childe that he even momentarily forgot his obsession with breaking the Slayer. He flung himself onto the overstuffed couch and covered his eyes with his arm.

"If that bitch dusted My Precious Drusilla, I am going to make her regret every breath she takes for all eternity," he threatened as he began to contemplate how difficult it might be to replace his missing vampire seer with a freshly turned vampire Slayer. It hadn't been part of his original plans but if Dru was gone then he would need someone to stay with him. He could think of no one better than Buffy. If he turned her, then he could torment her forever. Nothing would make him happier.

Angel smiled and sat up. He liked this new idea. All worries about Drusilla were forgotten as the vampire set to planning his next step in breaking Buffy. He rubbed his hands as he considered where he could get the makings for some Molotov cocktails as well as a bit of magical talent. The first part would be easy. The second would require more planning. Angelus chuckled at his growing vision of how best to twist Buffy in knots over the death of her Watcher. From what he knew of the death of her original Watcher, there was potential for artistic parallels. The day was definitely looking up in the vampire's mind.

"May I come in?" Xander asked nervously as he stood outside of the townhouse where Giles and Buffy now lived. It had been over a week since Willow's death and the teen wasn't sure of the reception he was going to receive from the Slayer.

Buffy shrugged but slipped the door open further so her friend could enter. The Slayer wasn't feeling overly enthusiastic about seeing Harris but she wasn't about to leave him standing on the doorstep. Without a word, the blonde turned and walked back to the living room where she was studying for her French final. The end of the school year was fast approaching and she had very little time to prepare for the tests. To make matters worse, any studying reminded the Slayer of how much she missed Willow. Those memories made it even more difficult to contemplate schoolwork. It was a vicious cycle that pretty much ensured a couple failing grades.

Once he entered the home, Xander stood behind one of the comfy chairs and watched Buffy as she curled back onto the couch. Much like the emotional gulf that had developed between the two friends, the chair acted as a physical reminder of the separation between the two teens. Because Xander had spent the last week ignoring Buffy at school and refusing to acknowledge any of her early attempts to address the growing strain, she retained little interest in bridging the gap now. She was hurt and angry and tired. It had been a very lonely week for the Slayer. Having a nervous Watcher and a grieving vampire for her only company didn't make for a happy Buffy.

"Umm, did you hear that Snyder got the boot?" Harris offered in an attempt to break the uncomfortable silence.

Buffy looked up from her book and nodded. Even the Slayer in all her outcast status had heard the joyous news. Everyone in school was buzzing about the disappearance of the swim team, the death of the swim coach and the drugs that Snyder had supposedly authorized for use by the school nurse and the now dead coach. The Mayor had convened a special board meeting just last night to address the alleged drug charge against Snyder. He would not be returning to work and none of the students were sad about it.

"Wonder how bad his replacement will be? With our luck, the next principal will be an actual demon and not just a figurative one," Xander joked awkwardly.

Buffy stared at her notebook for a few seconds before lifting her head.

"Why are you here, Xander?" she asked in a pinched voice that failed to convey even a tenth of her true feelings.

Xander rubbed the back of his neck as he stuttered a rambling apology for ignoring her. He explained that Cordelia felt they needed to distance themselves from Buffy to help avoid being the next obvious targets for Angelus. They were both scared and hurting. Willow's death really hit them hard.

"You already are a target, you git," Spike informed the teen from his position on the bottom step to the upstairs.

Xander jumped and squeaked. He hadn't been aware of the vampire's presence. Because he cut himself off from Buffy, the teen didn't know that Spike had temporarily moved into the townhouse. The bank had taken possession of the house on Revello, and the vampire needed somewhere to hide. He and the Slayer had agreed that keeping his continued existence a secret might be the edge they needed against Angelus. Giles hadn't agreed. The Watcher had preferred that the Slayer dispose of the Slayer of Slayers. In hopes of keeping them safe, he had performed the dis-invite spell only to have Buffy issue another invitation to the townhouse. The Watcher and the Slayer had practically growled at each other over the impasse.

Spike had just stood in the foyer and tried not to smile. He knew who was going to win. The vampire wasn't disappointed. When Buffy simply told Giles that no matter how many times he performed the spell to kick him out, she stressed that it only took her three words to return William's access. Although he had not approved of the decision, the Watcher had to concede that his Slayer was going to get her way.

"Just cause Dru is gone doesn't mean Angelus won't still see you as a means to an end," the vampire cautioned as he moved silently across the room and joined Buffy on the couch. He glanced down at her notes and rolled his eyes. Without a word, he took her notebook and pen then corrected one of her French phrases. Spike raised his eyes to the clearly dumbfounded teen. "Dru might have wanted you as her new knight but Angelus would like nothing more than to turn you and set you on the Slayer. Would destroy something in her to have to dust a close friend."

Spike glanced sideways at Buffy and offered her an almost affectionate smile. Although the affection might have been veiled, the expression held an obvious respect to it.

"Not that she wouldn't dust a vampire you. Slayer would. It would jus hurt her and I think we've had enough hurt around here."

Xander moved around the chair and flopped into it. He stared at the vampire with a mixture of confusion and hatred on his face before turning his gaze to his friend.

"But that's what I don't get. Why haven't you dusted him? He's a vamp and all sitting comfy on your sofa helping with your French homework. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I need all the allies I can get," Buffy replied as her eyes narrowed angrily. "It isn't like my friends have been very supportive."

Xander had the grace to cringe. He knew he hadn't been a good friend recently. He wanted to blame it on Cordy's wishes but he knew it was his own fault. He was frightened and furious. It wasn't a good mix for friendship.

"I will take assistance where I can get it," Buffy added. "If mortal enemies can overlook themselves to accomplish a mutual goal, then one would think real friends could be a bit more supportive."

"But Willow..."

Buffy abruptly stood.

"But Willow nothing. You stood there and blamed me for her death. And Ms Calender's. And my mom. MY MOM! For god sake, Xander. I did not kill any of them. Angelus did. Him and Dru. Not me."

Spike noticed the fine tremble in her body and he reached for Buffy's closest hand. With a bit of pressure, he forced her hand out of the fist that she was clenching tightly against her leg. The gentle move was a subtle reminder to keep her anger focused at the right source and not forcing it on her friend. He may have been a nasty jerk the past week but he did not deserve all of Buffy's ire. That belonged on Angelus' doorstep. The tension seeped from the Slayer. She sat back down and took a deep breath. Unconsciously, she rested her hand on Spike's left knee just long enough to give it an appreciative squeeze.

Xander frowned when he noticed the unexpectedly friendly and casual touching between the vampire and Slayer. He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it without muttering a single word. The anger and frustration trickled from his position until only confusion remained. He turned his attention towards Spike.

"Why did you save me?" he asked the vampire.

William didn't answer right away. Instead he corrected another one of Buffy's mistakes on her French homework then offered a little shrug with one shoulder.

"Thought we covered that. Been enough hurtin around here. Didn't need any more," Spike leveled his gaze on Xander who shrunk back into the chair in reaction to the disgust displayed clearly in his eyes.

"I somehow doubted you wanted to spend the next hundred years as Angelus' punchin bag or Drusilla's slave."

"Ah... no... so... um... thanks."

Spike's lip twitched as he fought the urge to smirk at the teen who was clearly out of his element.

"Happy to oblige."

"OH!" Xander exclaimed as he realized something. "You said Dru is gone. You dusted her?"

Spike stilled. It was as if someone had flipped a switch and all the life and animation dropped from his body.

Buffy once more reached out to William. This time, she did more than just lightly touch his leg. She grabbed his hand and interlocked her fingers with his. When she pulled his hand towards her, Spike moved again. His attention followed his hand as Buffy pulled it to her lips. Just a brief little feather-light kiss pressured against the back of his wrist. He shuddered.

"You're not alone," Buffy whispered against his skin. Spike flinched then nodded.

"Think I'll leave you to it," he stated as he tried to pull away from the smaller blonde. Buffy didn't allow him to escape from her grasp. She tightened her hold on his hand and he wasn't able to simply pull free.

"Stay."

It was more of an order than a request but it seemed to be what Spike needed. He sat back down beside Buffy. He took a deep but unneeded breath then seemed to visibly relax. It was obvious even to a fairly clueless Harris that the vampire and the Slayer had found a common ground with their feelings of grief and hatred. He wasn't sure he liked the idea but he could see it for what it was. In all honesty, he feared it would make their current problems even worse.

"Look, Xander, I think you should head home," Buffy explained as she closed her schoolwork and stuffed it into her bag. "It's gonna be dark soon and I don't want you being all easy target like. Spike has a lead on where Angelus might be hiding out so we need to head over as soon as the sun sets."

Her friend readily agreed. He really didn't want to be an easy target either. After promising to see her tomorrow at school, Xander headed towards the door. He glanced back at the Slayer before he closed the door behind him. Buffy and Spike had their heads close together and were whispering quietly to each other. An uncomfortable knot twisted in the teen's stomach as he stepped outside. What he was seeing was more than just two allies planning to take out a mutual enemy. There was more to the dynamics between the Slayer and the Vampire and it didn't sit well with the teen.

"Oh yeah, that's gonna end well," he muttered to himself as he stomped down the steps and hurried towards the relative safety of his home.

The hollow thump of the door from the garage into the townhouse being slammed into the wall behind it heralded the end of the school day. The thump startled Spike out of his semi-unconscious state he had been hovering in since he got out of bed. He sat up on the couch and reached for the remote. Before he could turn off the lousy daytime program, Buffy came storming into the room. From below, Giles was still calling after her but she readily ignored him. She also ignored the vampire in the room. The Slayer made a bee-line for the weapons chest. She flung it open, dropped to her knees, and began pulling things out. Daggers, stakes, crosses and small axes soon covered the carpet.

"Buffy," Giles huffed as he reached the top of the steps.

When she failed to respond, he called her name again. Buffy slammed a sword against the ground and stood. She whipped around to face her Watcher.

"Look. I have to do this. The immolation-agram was pretty clear. Me. Him. Cemetery. We are going to finish this," the Slayer stated in a wash of emotion. She turned back to the large weapons cache and again started digging.

Spike moved off the couch and approached Giles. Although the Watcher had been barely civil to him since he came to stay in his home, the librarian still seemed a safer bet to approach at the moment. At least he wasn't surrounding himself with deadly weapons and appearing just a short distance from crazed. The vampire barely had to prod the Watcher before he shared the story as to why the Slayer was acting like a mini-rage monster.

Giles explained that Buffy had a visitor of the undead variety towards the end of her French exam. In front of the entire class, a newly turned female vampire had barged into the room and delivered a message to the startled assembly. As the vamp had started to smoke and finally burn in the sunlight from the windows, she had informed Buffy that if she didn't meet Angel at Restfield tonight that more would die. The vampire had then dusted from the flames and Buffy had panicked. She had rushed from the classroom and into the library making demands and refusing to listen to the more level headed librarian.

Ignoring the two males who were standing there and discussing her afternoon, Buffy slammed the lid shut on the chest. She had decided on a miniature crossbow and one of the lighter swords. She set the weapons on the coffee table and moved towards the stairs. She needed to change her clothes and check her own weapon stash. As she pushed past Spike and Giles, hands grabbed her upper arm. She tried to brush off the hold but found herself unable to easily escape. Buffy whirled around and faced off with William.

"Let me go," she ordered through clenched teeth.

In typical fashion, Spike did not do as he was told. If anything, his hold on her arm tightened. The Slayer swung at the vampire with her free hand. He deflected the punch and grabbed her other arm too. In their periphery vision, they could see Giles wisely clamoring away from the two supernatural opponents. Spike shook the stressed teen a couple times until she stopped attempting to escape his hold. Instead of calming though, Buffy shifted and attacked Spike with her knee. The blow landed in his gut and air whooshed from his lungs. He lost his grip on the Slayer who then followed the knee with a right cross to the chin.

Spike growled as he slid a bit to the side so that the force behind the punch didn't land directly on his jaw. The blow still packed some power and Spike felt his jaw crack. In retaliation, his left arm flew out and he clipped Buffy across the face with the back of his hand. It was by far one of the softest blows that Spike ever aimed at the teen but it still split her lip.

Buffy's eyes widened in surprise and her hand flew to her mouth. Even though she had attacked him first, she was utterly dumbfounded that Spike had struck her. The light blow had flipped a switch in the Slayer and she just stood and stared at him.

"Look, Pet, you want to go a round, I'll have a gay old time of it," Spike informed her as he moved slightly into a more defensive stance. "If you want to beat Angelus, you might want to use the mush you call a brain and listen to me."

Buffy's eyes narrowed at the insult to her intelligence but then sighed. The tension eased in her shoulders and she took a step back. The world once more expanded beyond the two fighters.

"Okay, Spike. I'm listening," she offered in a tired voice as she sat on the step and stared up at vampire.

"Well... good," he replied in a tone that seemed to convey that he was surprised that she actually followed his request in such a reasonable fashion. "You can't jump into this with only emotion as your guide. You need to take stock and plan."

From his safer position across the room, Giles snorted. Spike was just repeating the same thing he had expressed to Buffy earlier with no success. It annoyed the Watcher to see that his Slayer was actually listening to the Vampire's words when she has so easily disregarded his own. He didn't like the implications. They made his head hurt and his stomach cramp.

"I have to go. The messenger promised others would die if I didn't," Buffy whined in a petulant little girl voice.

"And that's what Angelus wants you to do," Spike replied. The vampire dropped to one knee so that he was on the same level with the distressed teen. "With Angelus, you're the end game. He doesn't want to end it yet. He hasn't broken you. He wants you alone, hopeless and possibly slightly deranged before he finally attacks you directly."

Spike reached out and grabbed Buffy by the chin. He tilted up her head so she couldn't help but stare directly into the vamp's eyes.

"You are a far cry from broken, Slayer," William assured the teen. "You just gotta remember, whatever he plans tonight, you are not the target. He sent the message to manipulate you into being where he wants you to be, when he wants you there."

"But if I don't go, he'll kill more people."

Spike rolled his eyes and reminded her that Angelus was a vampire. People were always going to die on his fangs anyway. It was more important for her to avoid dancing on the end of his strings. Angelus saw himself as a great puppet master and he expected Buffy to respond directly as he prompted.

"So what do you suggest?" Buffy countered.

Spike stood. He reached for the Slayer's hand and pulled her up. With a minor tug he got her moving towards the living room seating.

"I suggest you circle your wagons," the vampire recommended as he dropped into one of the chairs. The Slayer followed his lead and settled on the edge of the couch. "Get all your little friends someplace safe and then consider making an appearance to face off with Angelus. You deal with him while your combined friends counter whatever his flunkies have planned. I would actually bet that they or your Watcher would be his actual target tonight."

Giles joined the duo and offered his support of Spike's advice.

Buffy considered the idea. She scrunched up her nose a bit as she thought. Her eyes widened and she shifted forward in her seat.

"Could you go to the cemetery but stay far enough away that Angelus doesn't know you're there?"

"Most likely."

"Then you could follow him after we knock about and find out where he is hiding during the day."

Both Giles and Spike smiled. The idea had potential. Although neither the vampire nor the slayer would pass up a legitimate possibility to take Angelus out permanently, they had to account for whatever horror the vampire planned for the evening.

"I can work with that," William agreed. "Won't remain hidden if we have the chance to dust him but I can follow if the opportunity doesn't present itself."

The Slayer nodded appreciatively. She then turned to Giles and asked if he could keep everyone else safe. He promised that he could if everyone agreed to meet at one place.

"Do you know where everyone plans to be tonight?"

"Most likely the Bronze," Buffy stated. "The Dingos are playing this evening."

"Bit public but I think we can work around it," the Watcher considered. "Would need to get Xander and Oz and Cordelia on board."

Rupert glanced at the clock.

"And quickly," he added as he noticed that sunset was less than two hours away.

Buffy stood.

"Guess we have a plan. I'll call Xander and start the circling of our remaining wagons."

The Slayer scrambled up the stairs to contact the others and change her clothes into something appropriately slay-worthy. She wanted to be ready for the confrontation. If Angelus gave her the chance, she wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to dust him.

About an hour after the sun set, Buffy prowled into Restfield Cemetery. She nervously watched the shadows as her anticipation of the upcoming confrontation grew. As she moved around one of the larger monuments, Angelus moved into view from behind the Alpert mausoleum.

"Hello lover," he greeted in a teasing tone. "I wasn't sure you'd come."

Buffy pulled her stake from her back pocket and narrowed her eyes on Angelus' much too casual approach. He didn't seem the least bit worried about her facing him. His arrogant smirk only served to reinforce what Spike had told her. Angelus didn't plan to kill her tonight. It didn't mean she didn't hope to kill him.

"After your immolate-o-gram, I couldn't exactly spend the night washing my hair."

She took a couple steps closer to her prey.

"Why are we here?" the Slayer demanded as she tried to expand her senses to make sure she wasn't moving into a trap. She couldn't sense any other vampires or demons in the area but she was sure there was at least one other. She might not be able to feel him but Buffy knew Spike was hidden somewhere nearby.

"I was hoping to see how you were holding up," the vampire teased in a voice dripping with false concern. "You've had a rough couple weeks."

As Angelus expected, Buffy flinched and her lip quivered slightly. She appeared to stiffen her resolve and clutched her stake more tightly.

"Can we just skip the yak-ity and move onto the slaying portion of the evening?"

Angelus smiled and informed her that he wasn't here to fight. Buffy raised her eyebrow and tapped her stake against her other hand. In a smooth motion, she flung her stake towards his chest which he easily sidestepped. Buffy then told him that she didn't believe him. The vampire snorted and put his hands in the pockets of his long coat. He moved a couple steps closer to the teen. He stopped just outside of her easy reach.

"I was actually hoping for a bit more foreplay before we get to the main event," the vampire countered with an overdone leer.

The Slayer shuddered then raised her chin defiantly. She did her best to make it seem like she was fighting through intimidation and fluctuating emotions even though nothing about this confrontation had bothered her in the least. If anything, it had strengthened her desire to end the monster wearing her former love's face. Buffy was no where near as desperate as Angelus anticipated. He had killed any remaining affection she harbored for Angel when he murdered her mom and best friend. She wasn't suffering from any sentimental confusion.

"Lets just skip the foreplay. Not like you were any good at it anyway."

Angelus' eyes widened slightly at the nasty comment. He had expected the teen to crumble slightly with just the hint of sexual content. It had worked like a charm last time. He couldn't imagine she had toughened her skin to her adolescent insecurities in just a few weeks. To cover his own momentary unease, Angelus rolled his shoulders and agreed to skip right to the fighting. He followed the comment with a rushing punch which Buffy easily side-stepped.

She redirected the blow and followed with one of her own. The Slayer caught the vampire with the body blow and he stumbled back. Buffy followed the kick with a right upper cut to his chin. Angelus took the punch and grabbed for her incoming left hand. He caught her at the wrist as he shook away the stars that danced in his eyes after the jarring blow to his chin. When Buffy swung her right hand back towards him, he barely succeeded in capturing it between his body and arm. With her arms secured, the Slayer shifted and drove her knee upwards. The vampire barely had time to shift his thigh to avoid having his unmentionables driven into his guts.

"Woah!" Angelus huffed as he released her hands and shifted out of range of the Slayer's legs. A confused frown flitted across his face. "You're actually trying to dust me," he accused in disbelief.

"Duh," Buffy replied as she pulled another stake from her waistband. She took a purposeful step forward as Angelus backpedaled. In the distance, fire sirens sounded. The piercing wail brought a malicious grin to the vamp's face.

"Guess you could make a good stab at it tonight," he admitted. "Too bad this wasn't about you."

Buffy froze her advance as more emergency sirens sounded in the distance. There were a few more sirens and emergency vehicles involved than Buffy had expected. It tightened her stomach with worry.

Angelus broke into a laugh.

"This was never about you," he taunted.

"Oh god," Buffy muttered in horror before she turned and raced towards the ongoing emergency call.

Angelus watched the Slayer sprint away. He chuckled in vain amusement. In his mind, he had accomplished exactly what he needed. He expected there was only one last link to sever before he could end this game. Gleefully contemplating his forthcoming elimination of the Watcher, the vampire never noticed his silent shadow that followed him back to his lair who was watching carefully for a chance of his own to take out the enemy.

The firefighters were still scrambling around the blazing Bronze when Spike slipped from the alley behind the building. He approached the teens huddled around the back of an ambulance. He didn't see any of the students he needed so he moved further down the street. Since he was having trouble noticing anyone specific in the crush of milling humanity, he closed his eyes and concentrated on scent. The tantalizing tease of a score of bleeding injuries taunted his senses. Spike pushed past the thought of tasty treats. He caught a whiff of wolf and followed it to the corner.

Despite his lack of height, Oz easily recognized Spike's bleached blond head when he moved out of the closest cluster of gawkers. The musician greeted the vampire warily but appeared happy to point Spike in the proper direction to find Buffy. With a nod of thanks, William slipped further down the street and back into another alley. He didn't bother to turn and acknowledge his shadow who ordered his band mates to get home to safety as soon as possible before following the vampire to meet with the other Scoobies.

Halfway down the dimly lit throughway, Buffy knelt beside Xander. She was holding his arm in place while Giles wrapped a make-shift splint on his injured. Cordelia stood beside the trio with a wooden cross clasped tightly in her one hand and a large water balloon in her other one.

Spike only made it a few steps into the alley when Buffy glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Mission accomplished?" she asked as Giles finished his ministrations and they all turned to face Spike. Cordelia squeaked and she dropped her improvised holy water bomb. It splattered on the asphalt. She nervously apologized to the the vampire when he stepped back from the dangerous splash.

Although surprised by the courtesy, Spike waved her skittish accident off. He had more important things to discuss.

"I know where he's hiding," the vampire offered.

"YES!" Buffy exclaimed in excitement as she flung her arms around Spike and gave him an impromptu hug.

Spike stiffened at the embrace but an amused grin had settled on his lips by the time Buffy pulled away.

"So... do we do this tonight or wait until tomorrow?" the Slayer inquired. Although she wanted the fight to be over, she wasn't sure if a late night attack would be the best idea. Her friends were exhausted and in need of some medical attention.

"I won't be much help in a daylight assault," Spike stressed. There was no way the vampire was agreeing to any plan that left him out of the final assault on Angelus.

"I fear we might be a bit worse for wear tonight," Giles expressed as he helped Xander to his feet. His observation called attention to the battered appearance of the humans. Chances were that Xander had broken his arm. Giles was sporting a gash on the side of his head as well as only gently placing weight on his left leg. Oz had a large bruise on his jaw and looked like his nose had been bleeding earlier. Cordelia appeared uninjured but her one heel was gone from her boot and she definitely seemed frazzled.

"I think it might be best if we regroup. Spend the night together and make concrete plans," Giles suggested before adding that a quick trip to the emergency room might be in order too. His opinion became the immediate plan when the older gentleman took one step and collapsed.

With a grunt, the Slayer caught her Watcher. Without being asked, Spike stepped forward and wrapped one of Giles' arms over his shoulder and help Buffy move the unconscious Watcher towards the parking lot and Rupert's waiting car. The other three students fell into step behind the trio. They piled into Cordelia's car. Luckily for Giles and Buffy, Spike drove them to the hospital. It helped ensure that all three made it more or less in one piece.

One cat-scan for a concussion, a cast for a broken arm, some pain killers and a couple stitches later, the weary warriors stumbled into the Watcher's townhouse about an hour before the sun rose. Everyone but Buffy and Spike had fallen into beds and welcomed the sleep. Restless, Buffy puttered around the kitchen fixing a snack for herself. She could hear Spike watching a news program in the living room. The Slayer smiled. The vampire had actually offered his bed to Oz and was making himself comfortable for the rest of the night on the couch. His logic for the offer was that he wasn't going to sleep until sunrise anyway. It was a bit of a stretch of the truth but surprisingly nice of the vampire.

Buffy was about to join him on the couch. She closed the cupboard door and turned. She yelped. Her bowl of cereal hit the floor and shattered in a mess of crumbs and ceramic. From the living room, Spike heard the commotion. He arrived in the kitchen in time to see a badly dressed male shoved against the refrigerator. Buffy had her left hand on his neck and her stake raised for a strike. The vampire shifted into game face. He sniffed the air and determined the intruder was a demon and not human.

"Who the hell are you?" the Slayer demanded.

"Whistler," the guy answered.

"Why are you here?"

The demon glanced nervously at the vampire in the doorway before answering.

"I needed to fix something, doll-face," he explained. "I work for the Powers That Be and well, I feel a bit responsible for starting this crap-fest of a ball rolling."

Buffy loosened her grip slightly and said "I'm listening."

Whistler glanced over Buffy's shoulder once again. He cringed slightly at the attention he was receiving from both deadly fighters. He flexed his shoulders and adjusted his oversized coat.

"I'm really not supposed to be here," Whistler admitted as he glanced upwards. "They don't know I'm here so can we skip the third degree?"

Spike moved forward and stood behind Buffy's left shoulder. He kept his fists and fangs at the ready in case they were needed. He wasn't sure how the demon had entered the house or how much of a threat he posed.

"He's a demon, Slayer," the vampire offered quietly.

Buffy's eyes narrowed dangerously and Whistler threw his empty hands into the air.

"Whoa, babe... I'm not here to cause you any more problems. Think you have enough of those already."

Buffy pushed Whistler back against the refrigerator with a bit more force than previously.

"So talk but I warn you, if I don't like what you have to say I'm gonna pull out your ribcage and wear it as a hat," the Slayer threatened before releasing the demon. She stepped back until she stood beside Spike.

"Hello to the imagery," Whistler complained with a wince. "Look, I made a mistake. I thought I was doing the right thing when I brought you to Angel's attention. There were all these signs and portents that really did point to him being an important part of your life."

Spike snorted "yeah, important part. The killer, stalker part. Just what she needed."

"Did you know about the curse?" Buffy quietly asked as she folded her arms over her chest and tapped her stake on her left bicep. She was clearly stating with her body that she wasn't interested in any funny business or lies.

"We knew he was cursed but we didn't understand the escape clause. Or that you would be making with the smoochies and sending his soul back to Liam's ever-after."

"So your here to, what... say oops... my bad... sorry?"

"Sorta..." the demon admitted as he stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a chain. From the chain, a small crystal swung. The marble-like pendent glowed with swirling blues and cream. "I want to give ya a present. All apology-like."

Buffy reached towards the swaying necklace.

"Will this help me kill Angelus?" she asked as her fingers brushed against the pendant. It felt warm to the touch instead of cool like a stone or glass. An almost peaceful pleasure radiated from the small gift.

"Nah," Whistler admitted. He glanced at the vampire who was still in game face and standing beside her. "You got all you need to bring the hammer down on good old Angelus."

"Then what's it for?"

Whistler just smiled.

"It's the good kind of gift. I promise. It's something you're gonna want and probably need someday," stated the demon as he shifted his eyes back towards Spike one more time. When the demon saw the vamp's feral eyes narrow suspiciously, he swallowed and switched his attention back to the Slayer. "Um, I really gotta get outta here. If they catch me mucking about there will be Hell to pay. Possibly quite literally."

"But how..."

"You'll just know," interrupted Whistler. He placed the gift securely in Buffy's hand then simply disappeared.

The two blonds just stared at the empty space.

"My, people come and go so quickly here," Spike quoted before he shook away his demonic visage.

"Huh?"

"Never mind, Pet. Bit before your time."

Buffy held up the pendent. She then shrugged, pulled open a drawer, and shoved it in the back.

"Guess I'll worry about it when I have to," she muttered. Since it wasn't something that would aid in the upcoming fight, she really didn't have time for it. She took a step backwards and her foot crunched on the forgotten cereal. The Slayer sighed in annoyance as she reached for the broom and dust pan. This was a mess she would need to address now. It was too bad that she couldn't just shove it out of sight also.

After putting away the broom and bin, Buffy turned back to the counter to prepare a new snack. A bowl of the same cereal that she spilled was sitting on the counter along with a glass of milk and a spoon. She didn't expect it and hadn't noticed Spike moving around in the kitchen during her grumpy clean up. She smiled softly as she grabbed her snack and headed to the living room to thank her strangely considerate vampire.

"You're sure about this?" Giles asked one last time as he glanced at the blanket covered vampire in the back of the van. The Watcher still wasn't sold on trusting Spike and he worried about the possibility of a double cross in the heat of the battle.

"Yes."

The Slayer sounded so sure in her conviction that the Watcher finally abandoned his challenge. He sat back to wait for Oz and Xander to return from their foray to the roof of the buildings on either side of the now gutted Bronze. The teens were tasked with collecting the hidden crossbows that were left behind the previous night. Cordelia and Giles had been stationed on the two roofs to pick off the vampires blocking the exits for the night club. When Oz, Xander and the fleeing patrons came outside after the fire started, the crossbows had been tossed aside in favor of the huge holy water balloons that were tossed by the two make shift snipers.

They were going to need the weapons for the impending assault on the Whitmore mansion. Spike had only shared the location of the lair once he was sure the white hats were not going to leave him behind for the confrontation. With a location secured, plans were quickly assembled for an afternoon raiding party. They required some adjustments for the sunlight impaired but the entire group felt they stood a chance at victory.

Xander and Oz clamored back into the van. They handed off the recovered weapons and the assault party moved towards their target. They were a somber bunch. Each had very personal reasons for wanting Angelus dust and gone. The end was in sight and they were all staring intently towards the finish.

Outside the back gate, Cordy, Giles and Xander followed Buffy out of the van. With a well placed kick, the Slayer knocked the locked gate off its hinges so they trio could sneak towards the house and position themselves at the back windows. They were supposed to stay safely in the sun and fire the crossbow bolts through soon to be broken windows. Once the way was clear, their job was to find and liberate the human larder that Spike noticed when he followed Angelus to the lair.

It had been the only snag in the plan. The presence of the human snacks forced the good guys to break into two groups instead of attacking as one force. The rescue squad planned to join in the assault if still needed but they were hoping that the battle would be over quickly and their side would come out on top.

Buffy watched her friends and her Watcher moving through the trees towards the house. She cringed when she noticed that Giles still limping. Neither the Watcher nor Xander had offered any complaints regarding their injuries. The blonde teen just hoped they didn't get them killed. Once the rescue party was near the back patio, the Slayer returned to the van. She cleared her mind of the worries for her friends because she needed to focus on her part of the plan.

"You sure you want in on this, Oz?" Buffy asked since she was a bit worried about bringing him along as part of the main attack force.

"You aren't the only one feeling the Willow-pain," the quiet musician replied firmly.

Buffy nodded because she understood the need to do something on behalf of those you love. Vengeance was an amazing motivator. As Oz moved the van, the Slayer reached towards the blanket covered vampire.

"Revenge time?" she prodded as she ran her fingers over the hidden vampire.

"And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?" he muttered in reply.

Recognizing the poetry reference, Oz snorted as he stopped the van in front of the main entrance.

"You aren't what's on the bottle, are you?" the werewolf accused the vampire once the Slayer exited the van to force open the gate.

"Don't you go spreading lies, wolf boy," growled the vamp in reply. "Or I'll rip off your head and use your skull as a goblet."

Oz snorted again but made no further comments as Buffy crawled back into the vehicle.

"All clear. Straight shot to the grass and the stone patio."

"Seat belt," Oz ordered as he tugged on his own to make sure it was tight. "Brace yourselves," he added as he gunned the engine of the van and sent it barreling towards the front of the mansion. They plowed over the grass, barely missed a marble statue and cut towards the front corner of the building. The improvised battering ram slammed into the french doors that accessed the library. The glass and wood crumbled under the force and the van rumbled to a stop halfway into the room. Before the engine even shuddered to its death, the trio were out of the crushed vehicle and rushing into the building.

In the initial rush into the building, they met with little resistance. Two fledges dusted under the deadly swipe of the Slayer's sword . A third soon followed as Spike tackled it and ripped off its head. Buffy and Oz moved into the hallway while Spike hurried towards the other door in the library. It was his job to try to sneak through the house and attack from the back. He was their secret weapon. Since they believed Angelus had not clue that Spike remained a viable threat, he was the best person for stealth maneuvers. If they could have gotten him in with the other Scoobies, it would have been better but the sun forced him into the frontal entrance. Understanding his purpose, the vampire disappeared into the dining room after glancing one last time at the Slayer and the Wolf as they began their frontal assault.

In the foyer, Angelus appeared at the top of the grand stairway to the second story. At his sides, there were two growling demons that looked a bit like a cross between a wolf and a bear. They had long muzzles and fur like a canine but rivaled a black bear in bulk.

Behind the vampire and demons, a thin man stumbled down the partial stairway complaining that he wasn't ready. The disheveled human muttered to himself as he knelt on the ground and pulled a piece of chalk from a large bag he dropped on the second story floor.

"Do you mind, lover? Some of us are trying to sleep," grumbled Angelus before he ordered the two demons to attack.

The nightmare monsters charged down the steps. Buffy barely had time to ready her sword before one of them reached her. It dove towards her with its huge jaws open. The Slayer dropped to one knee and drove her sword up into its underbelly as it sailed over top of her. The beast howled as it landed face first in the foyer. As it skidded on the marble, it smeared purple blood across the floor like a skidding tire track of yuck.

The other demon took Oz to the floor and he screamed as its talons bit into his shoulder. Buffy pivoted and brought her sword down on the neck of the demon. Its head toppled from its shoulders and the monster crumbled onto the chest of the injured teen.

With a grunt, Buffy heaved the dead guard demon off her friend and he scrambled to his feet. His left arm hung uselessly at his side but the young man still held his stake ready for the next attack.

"Hmm, you were supposed to die last night," complained Angelus as he fixed Oz with a annoyed stare then stalked down the stairway. Although the Bronze had burned to the ground, the planned destruction was distinctly missing in casualties. Angelus had been disappointed with the set-back.

Buffy stepped between the two males and leveled her gore covered sword towards her former boyfriend.

"I think this is between us," the Slayer informed the Vamp.

Angelus frowned.

"We seem to be a bit unevenly matched," he pouted as he indicated the sword that pointed unwaveringly at him.

"I'm thinking my mom and the Rosenbergs were a bit out matched with you and Drusilla. Turn about is only fair."

An evil grin grew across Angelus' face as he commented lewdly about the mentioned deaths. He was disappointed when the vivid details brought no visible response from Buffy. Instead of an emotional reaction, the teen attacked. The sword slashed and Angelus barely avoided decapitation by throwing himself to the side. He scrambled out of reach and yelled at the magic user that he needed to get moving. Angel retreated from another sword swipe and repeated his order to the man at the top of the steps. The mage muttered angrily but increased his preparation speed.

From the living room, two vampires entered the fray. One attacked Buffy while the other engaged Oz. It took little effort for the Slayer to remove her opponent. When she turned to assist her companion, the fledgeling dusted on Oz's stake. Together, the teens turned back towards Angelus. Buffy took one step and prepared to strike. Suddenly, she felt a wash of heat pass over her body. Her muscles strained and she found herself unable to move any further. Her heart rate skyrocketed as she saw Oz engage Angelus alone.

Even though he was quick and determined, the teen was no match for the centuries old vampire. Angelus easily blocked the attack. He disarmed Oz and struck him in the chin. The musician flew beyond Buffy's limited vision and she heard him hit the wall. She didn't hear him move again.

Angelus created a ticking sound with his tongue as he moved back towards Buffy.

"Buffy, Buffy, Buffy," he murmured in a tone that dripped with disappointment. He stepped around the unmoving sword and trailed his fingers over her cheek. "If that is the best you can do, you really should be ashamed."

The vampire glanced over her shoulder at the crumpled form of her friend. His hand moved over the en-spelled Slayer's neck and he then trailed a finger along her collarbone. If she could have moved, Buffy would have shuddered in revulsion. As it was, she could do nothing but stand there and take whatever Angelus chose to do to her. His right hand slipped down and covered her left breast. He squeezed it and leaned against her body so he could whisper in her right ear.

"I'm going to enjoy draining you."

He licked the side of her neck before taunting "perhaps we could have another ride or two first though. See if you can improve with time and experience. It only took Willow one night until she was an old hand and quite the energetic piece of pussy."

Angelus rubbed himself against Buffy's stomach. He then reached up and wrapped his hand around her arm holding the sword. He firmly moved the arm and weapon down until the sword brushed the floor. The vamp chuckled.

"How do you like my new friend? Brilliant bit of work this spell. You can't move but you are not frozen. I can position you however I wish."

Angelus pushed at the Slayer's shoulders and tapped her knees until they collapsed.

"I think I like you on your knees," the vampire stated with a leer. He grabbed Buffy's hair and shifted her head until she was looking up at her captor. "You were made for begging on your knees. You were destined to be mine and I want you here. Broken and betrayed. Alone..."

"She ain't alone, you sick sack," Spike announced from the second story as he reached out and snapped the neck of the human sorcerer who was actively casting the spell that was containing the Slayer's movement. The spell crumbled as Angelus whipped around to face the steps.

"You can't be here," he ordered the blond vampire. "We killed you."

Spike grinned and jumped down the stairs in two leaps. He swaggered towards Angelus.

"You were never the better man or the better vampire. Just the better bastard."

Dismay and betrayal washed over Angelus' face.

"You're helping the Slayer?"

"Yup," Spike replied with a joyful grin.

"How can you do this? She killed Dru," Angelus stated in an attempt to turn his grandchilde's loyalty back to his purpose.

"I know," Spike admitted as he stopped prowling just outside of Angelus' reach. "I was there."

Angelus was overwhelmed with confusion. He could not imagine Spike being so accepting of Druilla's death. It had to be a trick of some sort.

"I can't see it," Angelus stated. "How could you?"

"Well, you always were a fool. I mean. Really, you don't get why I would be fine with the death of the vampire who beat me until I almost dusted then left me to burn in the sunrise?" Spike shook his head.

"Foolish. But then you seem to be wallowing in foolish. Really slow this time, Peaches," the younger vampire teased. "How stupid is it to turn your back on an armed and brassed-off Slayer?"

Angelus' eyes widened and he started to circle back towards Buffy. Before he even turned enough to see her move, Buffy's sword slammed through his neck. His face registered disbelief and horror as he crumbled to dust. As the remains of her former love swirled to the ground, Buffy caught Spike's eyes. The same sympathy, sorrow and support he had seen in her eyes through Dru's dust now shown in his eyes. Spike opened his arms and Buffy flew against his chest. She buried her face in his t-shirt as the sobs started.

William wrapped his arms around Buffy and started whispering soothing words into her hair. He promised her that she would recover. He stressed that her wolf was breathing and his heart was steady. He reminded her of how strong she was as Buffy and not just as the Slayer. Spike assured her that she was not alone and broken. He dropped a couple soft kisses into her hair before returning to his litany of positives still remaining in her life.

"Where is the prick?" Xander demanded excitedly as he clamored into the room with his broken and unarmed crossbow in one hand and a cross super-glued onto his cast for his other hand.

"We're standing on him," Spike offered from over Buffy's shoulder. The Slayer didn't raise her head. She just clutched at Spike tighter.

Xander deflated a bit until Cordy stepped up and ran her arm around his middle. She reminded him they had just saved over a dozen poor souls who had been the only remaining part of the vampire lair's larder. After thanking his girlfriend for sometimes saying the perfect thing, Xander headed towards Oz. The couple assisted the dizzy teen to sit up and then stand. They watched as Giles limped into the foyer and approached the embracing couple.

For a moment, Rupert stood behind Buffy and considered who he needed to be right now. He was tempted to slide into the Watcher role and start asking about the fight for his diary. As he watched the teen's shuddering shoulders and heard her soft sobs, Giles made the proper choice even though it made him uncomfortable. He pulled on his pseudo-father hat and reached out to Buffy's shoulder blade.

He gently rested his hand on her back and told her how sorry he was for her pain and how proud he was that she was able to face such a horrible monster and survive.

Buffy pulled back from Spike's chest. She turned towards Giles and allowed him to wrap his arms around her in support. She sighed against his warm coat and relaxed for the first time in months. As the Brit hugged his newly patterned daughter, he missed something that was noticed by the three Scoobies standing across the room. They could plainly see the tight grip that Buffy and Spike continued to share with their hands. It looked like they were grounding each other with the touch.

Cordy leaned against her boyfriend's shoulder and sighed. She barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Well, at least this one has no soul to lose," Oz offered quietly as he clutched his arm against his chest to avoid jarring his injured shoulder.

Xander remained silent. He appreciated not being Drusilla's newest vampire toy and that save was compliments of Spike. The normally outspoken teen decided he would just wait and see. Maybe they would be lucky and this vampire would end up being good for Buffy and the remaining Scoobies. It didn't mean he wasn't going to invest in some cross covered pajamas but he was willing to give it a go. It was a better stance than anyone else would expected from him.

Giles watched Buffy flutter around the kitchen as she prepared two mugs of hot chocolate. He shook his head briefly since he knew who would be drinking the second mug. Straightening his spine, the Brit broke the silence.

"I expect our house guest to be gone tomorrow evening," he started a bit uncomfortably but with a tone that clearly stated that he meant business. "I plan to complete a disinvite soon after dark. I wish to state clearly that I will be quite disappointed if I find that the threshold has not been maintained."

The Slayer met her Watcher's eyes. She nodded. Even if she didn't necessarily agree, Buffy wasn't ready to force the issue. It wasn't like she couldn't issue the invitation some time in the future if needed. It was easier to agree and face that particular battle another day. One where she wasn't still recovering from the most recent one.

"Good. Good. Then I will leave you to your cocoa," Rupert encouraged before he fled the main floor for the solitude of his bedroom.

The Slayer followed him from the kitchen but headed for the living room couch instead of the steps. She handed off the second mug of hot chocolate before folding herself into the corner of the sofa.

"You heard?" she asked as the teen blew over the top of her melting marshmallows.

Spike nodded over his own cup.

"Wouldn't expect anything different, pet. Watcher's just doing his job. Gotta keep the riff raff away from the precious Slayer."

The pair silently sipped their drinks and stared at the blank screen of the television. Although the quiet was comfortable, Spike still felt the need to fill the silence.

"How you holding up, Slayer?"

Buffy grimaced.

"Hurts. In the not sure I am ever gonna be able to breath right ever again kinda way."

Spike nodded in perfect understanding. He found himself sharing a similar sensation and he didn't even need to breath. The pain just sat like an unmovable weight on his chest.

"It's more than a person can endure," Buffy sniffed as she set her empty mug on the coffee table.

"And yet, you do," William encouraged. He set aside his own mug and offered an encouraging smile. "You endure. Fight. Face another day and another battle."

"It's not fair."

"Nothing ever is."

"You suck at offering comfort."

"Evil, luv. Remember?"

Buffy sighed and shifted so that she could lay her head against Spike's shoulder. She didn't know how to respond to his claim. Evil he may have been but she couldn't see him as such any longer. He was just Spike and Spike seemed to understand her like no one else ever could. He was Spike and Buffy needed him to be what and who he was so that she could be what and who she was meant to be. It wasn't fair but it was what they had.

author notes:

the end.

Happily finished with this not so happy story (although at least there is hope at the end and the possibility of Oz not being spot on with the soul comment when looking towards the future).

Thank you so much for reading. I hope that everyone enjoyed the trip.

This story was originally written for the anniversary celebration on Elysian Fields. It utilized a banner and challenge from Pfeifferpack. I wish to express my appreciation to Pfeifferpack for her interesting challenge and her well crafted banner (you will need to go to Elysian Fields if you wish to see the banner, my skills do not include being able to link to it, sorry). The challenge was outlined as follows:

Season/Episode: Season 2

Must have:

1. Angelus kills Joyce and Willow as well as Jenny.
2. Dru throws Spike out for her daddy, Spike has had enough.
3. Buffy and Spike working together to bring down Angelus.

Can have:

1. Spike physically harmed by Dru and Angelus.
2. Spuffy romance builds slowly through story.
3. Giles and Xander not trusting Spike.

Can't have:

1. Angelus turning either Joyce or Willow, death must be permanent.
2. Angelus getting his soul back leading to being forgiven.
3. Acathla or the Judge.