Part 24.

**The past always has a way of catching up with us ** William Pennington.

Four months earlier

The past catching up.

It was a Friday. The sun, already hot and hazy in a cloudless blue sky, streamed through the kitchen windows in soft golden waves. The aroma of coffee teased the warm morning air and, in the corner of the room, an almost forgotten radio gave traffic and weather reports every fifteen minutes. In all respects, the start of a perfectly normal day.

"Buffy, have you seen my case? I'm sure I left it on the table last night and now it's just vanished" Walking into the kitchen, Liam ran his hand through his spiky hair and, checking his wristwatch, inwardly groaned. He was now running seriously behind schedule and, at this rate, it was almost a certainty that he would miss his breakfast meeting with Lindsey.

** This is getting a habit, Angelus. You're always late these days**

He didn't need to be a mind reader to know the very first words his friend would greet him with. Lindsey was like a broken record at times.

At the thought of the other lawyer's disapproving face, Liam bit back the small smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. ** It was true, he was never on time these days, but It wasn't as if he didn't have a perfectly good reason for being late that morning, or any other morning for that matter**

Making love with Buffy took preference over a boring business meeting any day. Well, at seven o'clock in the morning it did. Not that Lindsey would see it that way. Liam smiled again. The trouble with Lindsey McDonald was that he needed a wife, someone to tie him down and domesticate him once and for all.

For Liam, being married to the right person was the most wonderful experience in the world, a fact that his best friend Lindsey sadly seemed to miss out on.

**Just because you found the perfect woman doesn't mean that there's one out there for all of us. Unless of course you feel like putting in a good word with that gorgeous sister of yours for me**

Lindsey was always joking about his feelings for Cordelia, his so-called unrequited love, but Liam suspected that the feelings went a whole lot deeper than he really let on.

**Maybe it was time for his best friend and his sister to...** As a mental image of the two in question flashed into his mind, Liam shook his head, knowing that the pairing would probably be a match made in hell. Cordelia and Lindsey were too alike in far too many ways. Lindsey needed somebody like Buffy, Liam reflected, and then immediately realised the flaw in that little scenario.

**There is nobody else in the world like Buffy, you fool**

With a nod of acceptance, he turned his head and let his dark eyes run hungrily over the woman that occupied his whole world. His gaze softened as it caressed every inch of her small frame and he smiled tenderly at his wife. **No, there really was only one Buffy Anne Summers and he thanked God daily, for finding her and for loving her**

"It's 9.15am and the weather here in Sunnydale is set to break all records for this time of year"

Liam snapped out of his reverie when the radio in the corner of the kitchen announced a time check, and with a groan, everyday reality came crashing back down on his shoulders.

**Meeting. Case. Lindsey.... Now very late**

"Dammit" he silently muttered the curse under his breath. Tucking the back of his shirt in his suit pants, Liam cast his eyes around the room, once more searching for the missing case. It was there the night before and unless it had suddenly grown feet and walked away, it should still be there.

Scratching his head and bending over, he searched underneath the table with little success. "I'm sure I put it on this table"

From the other side of the kitchen, Buffy smiled, and after dragging her gaze away from her husband's muscular behind, she pointed to where Liam had left the case in question. The small briefcase was lying up against the wall just inside the doorway. With a grin, Buffy realized that he must have walked past it at least three times in his earlier search. **If it had had teeth it would have bitten him, he was that close.**

Following her direction, Liam quickly crossed the room and with a slight sigh of relief, he snatched up the black leather case.

"Thanks sweetheart, McDonald would really have my head if I'm late AND left these papers behind." he said as he flipped the catch and quickly confirmed that all the documents he needed for court that afternoon were neatly filed away.

While her husband was immersed in legal papers, Buffy turned back to the kettle and, switching it off, poured the hot water into two bone china cups. Angel might not have time for breakfast that morning but there was no way she was letting him leave the house without at least drinking one cup of coffee with her.

Lindsey would just have to wait a little longer.

Opening the fridge door, Buffy removed a small carton of milk and tearing off the top, she carefully poured the contents onto the steaming liquid in her cup. As the dark rich coffee changed colour, she stirred in a sweetener and walking over to where Liam was still busily shuffling papers, Buffy placed the coffee cup down on the table next to him.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, I bumped into Darla yesterday at the hair salon. She told me to say hello to you and Lindsey and then proceeded to bore me to tears for the next hour about her sick new love life." At the re-lived memory, Buffy rolled her eyes in quiet disgust before continuing.

"It seems that she's now boinking some married man and would you believe it, his sad pathetic wife has absolutely no idea". Running a hand through her newly highlighted hair, Buffy snorted at the memory and took a sip from her coffee cup.

Darla had sounded so smug that afternoon in the hair salon, gloating over the wife in question's stupidity, that Buffy had felt an overwhelming urge to wipe the look off the slut's face and shove her head right under the scalding faucet. In all the years the two women had know each other, nothing had ever changed where Darla was concerned. Darla was never content with anything in her life, always trying to see if the grass was really greener on the other side. Of course it wasn't, but Darla Penn would never accept that. For some strange reason, every relationship she had ever ventured into had failed miserably, leaving others to pick up the pieces.

**And now she's moving on to married men**

"I don't get it. How could the wife be so blind?... So stupid?" Buffy asked the question more to herself, knowing that she would never put up with a cheating husband.

Without consciously trying, a picture of her Aunt Jenny slipped easily into her mind and she remembered the heartache her family had suffered many years earlier. Jenny Calendar's husband Rupert, the love of her life, had run off with a girl years younger, leaving the poor woman suicidal at her loss. Although she was only a slip of a girl at the time, Buffy remembered only too clearly visiting her aunt in hospital one sunny afternoon, after she had *accidentally* fallen on glass and cut both of her wrists. Watching the life drain from the once vibrant woman, the young Buffy Summers had promised that she would never find herself in that situation. That level of betrayal was unforgivable. **Poor aunt Jenny. Poor stupid aunt Jenny**

Buffy took a deep breath and wiped the unhappy memory from her head. Besides, it wasn't like she needed to worry on that score. Angel had never once caused her any reason to believe that she wasn't his whole world. In all the time they had known each other, her husband had never once looked at another woman.

Buffy took another sip of her coffee

"And can you say implants. Could those breasts look any more fake if she tried?" Again, she muttered the sarcastic thought more to herself than her husband. Not that he seemed to notice.

"Sorry, Buffy. What did you say?" Liam was too busy looking through the papers in his briefcase to catch much of the conversation. Noticing his coffee cup for the first time he snatched a quick mouthful before turning to his wife.

"I said I saw Darla Penn in town yesterday and she said to say hello."

At the mention of the other woman's name, her husband closed his briefcase with a click and frowned.

"Honey, I'm sorry, I know that she's a friend of yours but that woman drives me crazy." Liam pulled his jacket from the back of a chair and started to slip his arm through the long sleeve. As his hand checked for his wallet, the frown creasing his handsome features seemed to grow.

"I can't even remember how many restraining orders she's taken out against that ex boyfriend of hers. Darla is a real magnet for trouble these days." Picking up his keys from the table, he slipped the bunch into his jacket pocket. "She might be a great client financially, but Lindsey is so sick of her antics that he won't have anything more to do with her case, and now every time she has a problem, I'm the poor sucker who has to deal with it. I think its time that she and that fool of a brother found a new law firm" At the mention of Darla's brother, the frown on Liam's face had morphed into a full grown scowl

Buffy chuckled. He looked so sweet when he was ranting

"It's not funny. Besides, I think she has a crush on me"

Buffy arched one eyebrow at him and her eyes twinkled.

"Well, she did say she has a thing for married men these days. Do you want me to beat her up? I did it once before. We were five" She grinned, and the memory of Darla's split lip and angry red face slipped its way into her mind. The first of their many fights and disagreements over the years.

This time Liam laughed. The thought of his wife protecting his honour was adorable

"No, honey, I don't want Darla taking a restraining order out on you" He replied and tilting his head slightly, he softly kissed the tip of her nose.

Buffy shrugged her small shoulders.

"That's okay, if she did I know this great defence lawyer who will come running to my rescue" Her tone was playful and her bright hazel eyes glinted with mischief.

Reaching out his hand Liam brushed a loose strand of hair away from his wife's face and marveled at how much he loved her. His fingertip ran over her cheek, gently stroking the soft skin. He grinned, but then grew serious.

"I'll always come to your rescue," Liam whispered huskily, brushing her mouth with a light kiss.

For a moment the air seemed to crackle between them.

Buffy tried to keep a straight face but when she finally spoke, there was a giggle in her voice as she teased again. "Actually, I talking about Lindsey... but thanks for the offer"

Liam rolled his eyes.

"Okay, I'll tell Lindsey that he has a new client as soon as I see him.." he teased back, then glancing at his watch and realising the time, he added, " That's if I ever get there. You are such a bad influence on me"

Picking up his case, he headed towards the front door but just as his hand reached the door handle, he paused and turned. All traces of their earlier teasing were gone.

Their eyes met and held.

" I love you" Liam smiled softly, reluctant to leave.

Buffy smiled back at him with eyes overflowing with the same emotion.

In less than a heartbeat, she crossed the distance separating them and reaching up on tiptoes Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck, winding her fingers in his hair.

"I love you too"

Dropping his case silently to the floor, Liam nuzzled his face against her hair, breathing in the fragrance of her shampoo. Feeling her body press even closer, his large hands splayed over her back, the heat of his long fingers seeping through the thin cotton of her robe.

Buffy sighed softly and beneath the thin material, her skin quivered as his hands started to caress her.

With a slight groan, all thoughts of work, Lindsey McDonald and court cases were forgotten. Placing a finger under Buffy's chin, Liam tilted her face. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm the raging fire that always burnt through his body when he touched his wife's skin.

His lips brushed hers once, twice, before his tongue slowly gave into temptation and slipped effortlessly into her mouth.

The kiss was long, deep, and exquisitely tender. Only when Buffy broke away did Liam open his eyes. His breathing was as ragged as hers.

"Angel" his pet name was a soft sigh "You have to go to work"

Reluctantly, Liam nodded. He touched a finger under her chin again and lifted her gaze to his. Bringing his breathing under control, he pouted his bottom lip for a second but then his whole face broke into a wide grin.

Buffy returned his smile with one that sent a shiver right down his spine. The smile was his undoing. They might have been married for two years but when his wife looked at him like that, Liam Angelus was lost. Hopelessly lost.

"Lindsey is waiting" Buffy breathed deeply and knowing one of them had to make the first move, she took a small step back.

"I know. There really is no rest for the wicked" Liam's voice spoke but his eyes continued to tell her that work was really the last thing on his mind.

**Besides, he was already late, what would a few more minutes matter**

With a devilish smile, Liam reached out his hand and pulled his wife back into his empty arms.

***

Fifteen minutes later.

Buffy stood on the doorstep and waved her fingers in a final goodbye. On reaching his car, Liam glanced back over his shoulder and their eyes met and held one last time.

"Don't forget about our deal. Dinner at eight thirty sharp"

**Because Cordelia's going to be here all weekend, how about I spoil you tonight instead. A romantic dinner for two, followed by a night at the Bronze. What do you think?**

**Throw in a night of red hot sex and you have a deal**

Liam nodded. The image of dinner, a night at the Bronze and Buffy's promise of red-hot sex was not going to leave his mind for the rest of the day.

"I. Love.You" he mouthed the words silently and not waiting for a reply, Liam quickly slipped into his car.

In the clear blue sky above, the bright morning sun was burning down in golden yellow rays but as the car pulled out of the driveway, Buffy shivered and pulled her robe closer to her body. She didn't understand why, but for just a moment, she felt an unexplainable sadness cover her soul.

Shaking off her stupidity, she watched her husband's dark convertible pull into the street and didn't move until all sight of the vehicle had faded from her view.

*****

Later that night

Hearing the sound of a car pulling up outside her window, Buffy dropped the brush she was using to style her hair and taking a quick glance in the bedroom mirror, she headed down the stairs and threw open the front door with a relieved smile.

"Where on earth have you been? I was starting to get worried...." On confronting her visitor, the smile that curled the corners of Buffy's lips slipped a little with disappointment. Not only was it not Liam standing in front of her, but her husband was now seriously overdue and the way things stood, they would never make the restaurant in time. **So much for dinner, dancing and hot sex** The smile on her face slipped a fraction more and by the time she fully accepted that the night was almost certainly a write off, what was left of the greeting now resembled a frown.

Pushing back her disappointment and realising her bad manners, Buffy turned her attention back to her visitor and tried to reinsert the smile as best she could.

" Sorry, I thought you were Liam"

Dressed all in black, William Pennington stood silently on the doorstep. When Buffy returned the smile to her face, he took a slow breath to hide the tension swirling inside his stomach and debated one final time how he was going to handle their confrontation. Not that he didn't already know. Will had rehearsed this scene in his head all afternoon and nothing was allowed to go wrong. Nerves pushed aside, his face broke into a shy smile.

"Hello Buffy. May I come in?"

Unable to keep up the pretence that she was happy to see him for more than a few seconds, Buffy frowned again, still disappointed that the man standing on her front porch was not Liam and that all her plans for their night lay in ruins.

She shook her head reinforcing her point.

"William, this is really a bad time for me, Liam should be here at any moment, we have a table booked for eight" slightly panicked, the flustered young woman knew it was only a small lie but he didn't need to know that. The table was booked for eight thirty but the sooner she got rid of her unwanted guest, the better.

Raising her eyes, Buffy nervously glanced over his shoulder, fearing that if Liam pulled up now and saw Pennington waiting at his door, there would be hell to pay.

Although she once considered the young English poet her friend, It was no secret that he and her husband disliked each other immensely. William Pennington had been a great help with the gallery over the last year but for some unknown reason, Liam had taken an instant dislike to the cocky, brash Englishman. When it got to the point where the two men couldn't even be civil to each other, in the same room, Buffy had reluctantly distanced herself from the friendship. It was the only time in her marriage when she and her husband hadn't agreed.

Lifting her head, Buffy's eyes returned to her unexpected visitor. This time the seriousness in his expression caused a small shiver to slide the length of her spine.

For a heartbeat or two he didn't respond. Then, tilting his head slightly to the side, William's cool blue eyes swept over her face but his expression still refused to give anything away.

"That's why I'm here, pet. Get your coat, you really need to see this"

At his cool words, the already alarmed young woman felt her stomach drop into free-fall. **There was something wrong here, something seriously wrong ** Before Buffy could further protest, her unwanted visitor's long legs moved over the doorstep and carried him into the hall.

Shocked by his behaviour Buffy turned.

"Has there been an accident? Is it Liam?" There was a real tinge of panic in her tone as her frantic mind ran with a dozen different scenarios.

**Liam in hospital. Liam lying in the wreckage of his car. Liam de..** Buffy shut the last thought right out of her head telling herself that she would know if something really bad had happened. If her lover were really hurt she would have felt it.

Ignoring the man standing in her hallway, Buffy reached for the phone and punched in the digits to her husband's cell phone. After a few agonising moments she realised it was switched off.

Turning her head back to her blonde visitor, her worried face demanded answers

"Buffy..."

William hesitated, his eyes shadowing for a second, his emotions still unreadable. Ploughing his hand through his short bleached hair, the handsome young man shook his head. He had to keep her guessing, build the suspense. It was cruel but it was necessary.

"There's not been an accident but you really do have to come with me, luv. I have to show you something" He moved closer, slowly. One step at a time he closed the distance between them, his liquid blue eyes never leaving her bewildered features.

As much as she hated to admit it, Buffy found herself becoming intrigued.

With the front door left wide open, a cold breeze swept through the entrance and brushed its evening chill over her bare arms.

Buffy shivered and as her skin prickled with goosebumps, she remembered the feeling of trepidation she had experienced on the doorstep that very morning.

"William, please. You're frightening me" Making no attempt to close the door, she ran a hand through her hair, tucking an escaped strand behind her ear.

Pennington watched the woman he adored closely and with each beat of his lonely heart, he ached for her. Her silky golden hair, freshly washed, hung in soft curls around her slim shoulders and the slight aroma of her perfume floated between them and seeped into to his hungry senses.

Hardly moving a muscle, William remained silent as his imagination undressed her petite body and the crotch of his black denim jeans suddenly felt uncomfortably tight. He'd waited months for this moment. Months of waiting to destroy Liam Angeuls' marriage once and for all. William hated Liam with a passion and even if he hadn't fallen in love with Buffy at first sight, he would have happily done anything in his power to teach the young arrogant lawyer a lesson. He and Liam had a real score to settle and taking Buffy away from the bastard was the icing on the cake.

When Darla had first broached the subject of breaking up the happy newlyweds, William had been dead against the idea. He couldn't bear to see the girl he had fallen so badly for, being that unhappy. It was only after a jealous Liam intervened and prevented Buffy from even being his friend that everything changed.

**If you so much as go near my wife one more time, I'll send you all the way back to the Mother country in a wooden box**

A wave of undiluted hatred rose up and washed over William at the memory. Tonight was payback. Not only would he finally be with the woman he loved, but also, by the time he and Darla had finished this little masquerade, Buffy would hate Liam with ever fibre of her body for the rest of her life.

**Aunt Jenny.. Thank God for Aunt Jenny** Tearful over her mother's death one afternoon, and Liam being away in new York for a week, Buffy had confided in him that it was also her aunt's birthday and then related the story of how the poor unfortunate woman had met her death. Ever the sensitive soul, William held her, patted her back and carefully stored the information away for a rainy day..

It didn't take long to rain.

Darla had danced for joy when, drunk and depressed, the poet had let the story slip three months later.

**So poor little Buffy had issues with abandonment, what a shame.. Especially as I'm just the person to manipulate them.**

Once Darla' plan was hatched, her brother changed his mind and jumped on board with a vengeance. If there was going to be a separation between the Angelus', he might as well benefit.

And now, after all their hard work and planning, the benefits were just about to come home.

While William reminisced, Buffy waited, her eyes narrowing with suspicion but the blonde poet wasn't volunteering any more information.

"Come on, we need to hurry" He reached out a hand and snatched up her jacket

Buffy felt uneasy leaving the house but knew she had no other choice. Her husband was seriously overdue, his cell phone was switched off and the only person who seemed to know anything about his disappearance was standing right in front of her.

Torn, she let out a heartrending sigh. Nothing made sense. Buffy then lifted her hand towards the short leather jacket but didn't quite make contact.

When William felt her momentarily hesitate, he slipped his hand under her elbow and swiftly propelled her towards his waiting car. His grip was warm and firm and Buffy moved without question.

"You have to see this for yourself, pet" Opening the car door for her, he spoke quietly, but his angular face was still void of all emotion. Almost on autopilot, Buffy merely nodded her agreement and slipped into the passenger's seat of the dark DeSoto.

For the first ten minutes they drove in complete silence. The car moved out of Ravello drive and was soon heading through the town. Buffy shifted uncomfortably on the seat, turning her head slightly, her eyes wondered to William's face. It was freshly shaven but his eyes looked tired, and he seemed tense, as if he couldn't fully relax.

"I wish you would just tell me what this is all about" Buffy asked quietly when they pulled up for a red light. The faint clamour of warning bells drifted into her mind again and the uneasy feeling that had started earlier now knotted in the pit of her stomach.

William turned his head and stared as her sweet voice broke through the silence. A rush of longing flooded through his veins as his hungry blue eyes swept over her pale features. In the dim light, Buffy looked so breathtakingly young and beautiful that all thought of the deception he was leading her to was temporarily forgotten. For an insane moment, he yearned to pull her into his arms and tell her that everything would be all right, that he would take care of her. But, as much as he longed to hold her, he knew it would spoil everything.

**God, this is hard**

William's increasing heartbeat thundered through his chest as he watched Buffy slide her tongue nervously across her bottom lip and he felt his lower body stir with a speed that seriously shocked him.

**Bide your time you horny fool. After tonight she's all yours**

"We'll be there in a few minutes, Buffy" His voice was low.

Turning his gaze back to the road and away from the temptation of her lips, he gripped the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turned white from the pressure. The traffic lights then thankfully changed to green and the car swiftly moved away without another word.

An array of buildings flashed by unnoticed. The coffee shop, the Sun cinema, Buffy's gallery.

Putting his foot down, Will tried to remove all romantic thoughts of Buffy from his mind. He swung the car effortlessly into Crawford Street and drove straight for the mansion. Buffy realized where they were going immediately, she had heard from Darla that her brother had finished the conversions on the once abandoned building and the renovations were said to be spectacular. Not that she had ever been inside.

When William pulled up outside the main entrance, Buffy raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"This is your home?"

He ignored the question and went straight for the kill.

"Buffy, I hate being the one to do this but its bloody wrong, what they're doing to you, it's not right." There was a slight tint of anger in his voice but also something else, something far too intimate.

Buffy frowned, but her curiosity piqued by his outburst

"They?" she paused for a moment, trying to make sense this new information. Suddenly there was a *they* in the equation and that one little word filled her with new terror.

"Will, I don't understand" She felt her throat tighten but not wanting to show any more fear than was necessary, she shoved the feeling aside.

"Just go on in, the door's open." He switched off the engine but made no attempt to move.

When Buffy turned back to face him there was a lingering uneasiness in the look she that gave him but, annoyingly, he still kept his face expressionless.

**This will only hurt her for a little while and then life will be better, for all concerned... well, apart for Liam** Pushing down any trace guilt, the blonde man justified his actions. William then removed a packet of cigarettes from his jacket pocket; he put one to his lips and flicked open his lighter. Pulling smoke deep into his lungs he watched as Buffy pushed open the DeSoto's passenger door and slipped out of the car.

Turning back for a second, their eyes met and held one last time.

Trusting hazel blending with treacherous blue but neither spoke.

Buffy moved slowly up the steps, she hesitated just inside the doorway, and it was a real relief for William when her attention was suddenly distracted.

At the sound of familiar voices coming from further down the hall, Buffy's body went taut. She couldn't make out exactly what they were saying but she was already starting to get suspicious. When curiosity finally got the better of her, her feet moved slowly, silently following the sounds until she reached the large living room door.

Coming to rest in the doorway, the light from a single lamp cast the room in soft shadows but she could still see the figures perfectly. She could now see and hear everything perfectly.

Buffy suddenly couldn't breath. Her mouth fell open and utter disbelief etched deeply into the contours of her face. Unable to form speech she watched in horror as the scene being played out before her unfolded.

Although the male occupant in the room appeared partially dressed, Darla Penn flounced around in nothing but a thin silk bathrobe. Her long blonde hair was loose around her shoulders and her face flushed with excitement

"I can't do this any more. You have to stop it, honey, I need you to put an end to this nightmare once and for all." William Pennington's sister sounded almost hysterical.

"Calm down, it will be alright. I'll do what ever it takes. I won't leave you"

Buffy couldn't see his face but she was in no doubt that the male in the room was Liam.

At that point Darla threw her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. His arms immediately went around her waist, pulling her closer.

**I bumped into Darla yesterday at the hair salon. She told me to say hello to you and Lindsey and then proceeded to bore me to tears about her sick love life. It seems she's screwing some married man and his pathetic wife has no idea**

**Buffy, I hate being the one to do this but its bloody wrong, what they're doing to you, it's not right**

Buffy's earlier words crashed over her like a tidal wave of pure fury. Cold fear gripped her heart as she realised who Darla's married lover was. **Who the stupid pathetic wife was**

Unable to even breathe, she froze in the doorway as her heart shattered into a million painful shards of betrayal.

**Her husband and her school friend** If she hadn't witnessed the deception with her own two eyes she would never have believed it. Darla maybe, but not Liam, not her Angel. Angel would never do this to her.

Except that he was. Angel was reaching for the cheap bitch and pulling her into his arms right in front of her. His hand, the same hand that had caressed her own body that very morning, was now gently stroking Darla's back. His lips whispering against her hair. **The same lips that had whispered to her**

**I love you, Buffy** **I love you, Buffy** **I love you, Buffy** **I love you, Buffy** **I love you, Buffy**

"Liar. Liar Liar" Buffy's lips moved but the words she wanted to scream across the room, stayed locked deep inside her head. She tried to close her eyes to block out the sight of the treachery, but she couldn't. Her gaze was transfixed on the train wreck that had just become her life.

Outside, William stood back and waited for the explosion that would rip the Angelus' marriage apart forever, but it never came.

Buffy just stood as still as the grave, unobserved in the doorway. Time seemed to slow down allowing the pain invading her body to seep deeper into her soul, cutting her up into tiny unrecognisable pieces. If she hadn't been in so much pain she might have caught the tiny victorious smile that curled around Darla mouth.

Darla knew the second Buffy had walked into the room. The deception had been carefully prepared and from the shell-shocked look of the cheerleader's face, it had worked like a dream.

Setting up Liam was easy. A frantic call to his office that afternoon about her ex lover still stalking her was all it took to get the lawyer running to her defence. An accidental glass of red wine down his jacket had been a godsend. It was a shame she couldn't get him out of his shirt as well but the removal of his jacket looked good.

Buffy had taken a little more attention. Darla had arranged the same hair appointment the day before and then carefully planted a few seeds of doubt into her mind about her affair with a married man. William, with his information about the betrayed aunt, willingly stepped in and did the rest.

Watching the pain streak across her rival's face, Darla hugged Liam tighter and buried her head into his shoulder.

"Thank you, Angel. What would I do with out you?" Darla lifted her face and moved her lips towards his mouth.

**Angel. She called him Angel **

Devastation, so extreme it made her bones ache, flooded through Buffy's body causing her limbs to tremble. Biting deep into her lip, she struggled to rein in her emotions.

She failed.

As hot salty tears started to well in the corners of her eyes, the shattered young woman felt her heart crack.

** It was over...That level of betrayal was unforgivable**

Her thoughts were in too much turmoil to attempt speech so, without a single word Buffy turned on shaky legs and silently fled back along the hallway.

As she fled, she didn't see her husband push away from her ex school friend, a shock of deep embarrassment etched across his dark features. She didn't see Darla theatrically blush and apologise for her drunken familiarity. She didn't see the masquerade played out so convincingly for her benefit. She saw only betrayal and lies.

On reaching the front door, Buffy stopped for a second and her haunted eyes raked over William's stoic face.

Waiting by the door, William had braced himself for a confrontation but this was the last thing he had expected. There were no fireworks, no arguments, no screaming... Just abject misery..

Momentarily horrified, his heart constricted as he watched the small blonde's once happy life shard into a million jagged pieces right before his very eyes. Unexpectedly, he found himself feeling almost ashamed by his part in the conspiracy, and unable to stand the pain reflected in her sad eyes, he tore his gaze away first. When she moved again, William didn't try and restrain her and before he could find the words he needed to comfort her, Buffy had slipped away into the night.

Back in the living room, Darla smiled. The look on Buffy's face said it all. No matter how much Liam denied a relationship, the stupid little wife would never believe him. They would argue, maybe fight but Buffy's trust would be gone forever and she would patiently bide her time and be there when it all fell apart.

Little did Darla know but her masquerade that night worked better than she had ever dreamed.

*****

One hour later, her emotions barely under control, a shattered and broken hearted young woman walked silently into the bus station and caught the first greyhound leaving Sunnydale. It was fifty miles before she realised she had no idea which direction she was heading.

Buffy laid her head against the glass and let the drone of the engine seep deep into her mind. She tried to fight it but even with her eyes closed the image of Angel and Darla continued to taunt her head, refusing to leave her in peace for a single second. Wave after wave, the haunting visions replayed behind her closed eyelids. She knew she should have confronted them, screamed and shouted and maybe cracked a few skulls but she couldn't do it. The pain was simply too much to fight through. She needed to escape, run away and collect her bearings before facing the truth. That her marriage was over and everything her lover had ever told her was a lie.

Unable to sleep, Buffy ran her hands over her tired eyes and when her gaze caught the ring of pale skin on her third finger where her wedding ring had once lay, silent tears trickled down her anguished face. As the pain of betrayal once again ripped open her chest, leaving her emotions to slowly bleed with the truth, Buffy wished with all her heart that she could forget him.

Little was she know that only a few months later, on a different bus, heading in a different direction, her wish would be painfully granted.

***

That same night

Closing the door of his car, Liam muttered a silent curse as his eyes caught sight of the time. He had promised Buffy a night out and he was already three hours late.

**Bloody Darla Penn** Liam cursed again as he struggled with the most enormous bunch of yellow roses.

The damn woman always called at the most inconvenient times. Instead of having a romantic meal with his wife, Liam had spent the last two hours calming a nearly hysterical client, who swore her ex-lover, was trying to break into her house and kill her. More than once that night he had tried to leave, only to have the terrified woman threaten to do something stupid if he left her alone. It was only the arrival of her brother that let him finally escape. Darla's hysterics were Pennington's problem now.

He pushed the door open and laid the flowers on the hall table. His jacket still reeked of red wine and stripping the ruined garment from his shoulders, he placed it next to the flowers.

**I don't care how rich she is, that woman needs a new lawyer first thing Monday morning**

"Buffy! I'm home" Liam called out, but much to his surprise and disappointment, there was no reply.

After searching the kitchen and lounge, he walked into his study. That was where Buffy would have left a message if she needed to go out in a hurry. He should have called her and if he hadn't lost his damn cell phone that night he would have.

As he approached his desk, Liam noticed the envelope immediately. His concerned eyes then focused on two small gold bands, shining in the fading evening light. Reaching out, he ripped open the envelope and five seconds later, his whole world fell apart.

**It's over. Don't even think of looking for me because I'm never coming back. I never want to see you again, not as long as I live. I'll never forgive you for this... Buffy**

*****

The present

"ANGEL"

Buffy woke up with a start. As her fear filled eyes flicked around the shaded room, her heart pounded in her chest at least a thousand beats a minute. The nightmare that had stolen into her sleep, and had had terrified her dreams, was still there, perched on the very edge of reality and Buffy had no doubt, that if she just reached out with her mind, the whole dark world would come crashing back in.

**It was a dream. Just another dream**

She tried desperately to reassure herself but even as the words slipped into her head she knew how false they sounded. Her memory was coming back. The past was screaming like a freight train running out of all control, and Buffy had no doubt that when it finally arrived, all that would be left of her new life was the wreckage.

Letting out a long breath, she turned her head and her eyes immediately caught sight of note that had been left by the bedside.

Buffy,

You looked so peaceful laying there that I couldn't wake you for the world. I'll be back as soon I can and we'll celebrate all over again.

I love you

Angel

Buffy smiled softly as she read the words. He loved her and the fluttering in her own stomach confirmed that the feeling was very mutual.

**But you left.. You left him and very soon you are going to remember why** The unwanted thought ripped the smile from her face and all the pleasure at seeing those three little words disappeared. After floating on a cloud for the last twelve hours she hit the ground with a bump.

Trying to push the trepidation as far to the back of her mind as was possible, Buffy slipped from the bed and tossed her robe over her naked shoulders. She was halfway across the room when the phone rang

"Liam?"

"No, its me"

Buffy's smile died on hearing Darla's voice and not that of her husbands.

"Sorry, I thought.." Buffy didn't get the chance to finish the sentence.

"What the hell have you done to my brother?" the angry female voice that greeted her was the very last thing she had expected.

Buffy sighed and tried to remove the vision of a battered face from her mind. "It's a long story "

"Long story?"

There was a slight hesitation on the other end of the line

"William wouldn't tell me what happened but he's going crazy, Buffy. You should see the state of his face." Darla played the part of the wounded sister to perfection. A mixture of anger and concern blended with her voice and carefully hid her real agenda. Taking the silence on the other end of the line as a good sign, she continued pressing her advantage.

"Look, I don't know what happened between you last night, but Will's pressing assault charges against Liam. I've tried to talk him out of it. You know how much I care about you and Liam, but I couldn't calm him down this time. He wants blood" Darla bit into her lip as she took in the small gasp on the other end of the line.

"He can't do that.. He promised"

"Believe me he can, and from the sound of him, he will. Liam could be in serious trouble."

Buffy felt sick. She couldn't believe that William had lied to her once again. Her whole life was becoming one lie after another.

Knowing that she had shaken Buffy, Darla played her trump card and pulled the second largest bluff of her life

"Look, I think I know how to fix this mess once and for all.. Meet me at the gallery in twenty minutes "

*******

Climbing from the cab, Buffy took a deep breath as she closed the door but it did nothing to dispel the tension that knotted her stomach. Deep inside her head a tiny nagging voice kept repeating over and over that Darla couldn't be trusted. Darla was the fire in her dreams; she twisted and burned with an intense uneasiness.

**Trust your first instinct... You don't remember this woman so how the hell can you trust her?**

Buffy shook the warning from her head; the seriousness of the matter gave her no choice but to trust Darla. Liam's whole future would be ruined if William kept his promise and pressed assault charges and, no matter how much she distrusted the other woman, she had to give her the benefit of the doubt

Realising that she was the first to arrive, Buffy anxiously checked her watch and then looked in both directions for any sign of her so called friend.

**So much for punctuality** Buffy sighed impatiently. She wanted this confrontation over with, what ever the outcome might be, it had to end today. Standing on the sidewalk, Buffy waited a good five minutes before deciding that she would be far more comfortable waiting in her own office. Turning towards her building she pulled the gallery keys from her pocket and headed towards the front door.

As she covered the pavement, Buffy felt a slight shiver run down her spine, as if a ghost from her past had suddenly woken up and walked over her skin.

**Not good. This is really not good**

She fumbled for the right key and as she finally inserted it in the lock the first sign that something wasn't right confirmed her earlier fears. The lock in question didn't need to be turned, with the slight touch of her hand the door slipped open. Looking towards the handle Buffy noticed that a tiny section of glass had been broken and the lock forced open.

Ignoring all the danger signs, she pushed harder on the door, and poked her head inside.

"Hello?"

The small bell handing on the back of the door jangled twice with the movement.

"Darla?"

It was dark, the shutters were all closed and the display lighting was turned off. Buffy took a second step, trying to adjust her eyes to dim light of her surroundings.

With the new step she felt a chill brush its way up over her skin and the hairs on the back of her neck lifted. Silently cursing her stupidity, Buffy shook off the anxiety but as she took a third step inside the gallery door, her throat felt dry and her fingers twisted nervously with the strap of her purse.

At the sound of a footstep she turned her head and started to speak. Buffy's eyes narrowed, not quite able to make out the lurking figure.

"Darla? ...Willia..." She never got to finish the second word. For an instant there was a sharp pain and then all the light in her head went out.

Darla dropped the wooden African figure that she had been holding in the palm of her hand and looked down at the unconscious form lying sprawled across the tiled floor. Her eyes watched her handiwork in awe as a shock of crimson seeped slowly through the ribbons of golden hair. At the sight of her rival's blood, reality crashed in and Darla shook her head, gaining her wits.

Bending her knees, she dragged Buffy's limp form away from the open doorway and after checking that there was nobody else outside on the street, she quickly pulled down the blind and replaced the *closed* sign.

With a body on the floor, the last thing she needed was a nosy customer walking in on her. Once sure that she wouldn't be disturbed, Darla touched two fingers to her unconscious victim's neck, checking for a pulse and was almost disappointed to feel the faint throbbing beneath her fingertips. Not that it mattered to Darla.

A quick painless death wasn't on the agenda that afternoon.

**Well, the quick painless part anyway**

Go to Part Twenty Five