Opening scene is taken from "Living Conditions." That scene only because the rest of the episode didn't happen in my world cause Kathy doesn't exist.
Distribution: If you had permission to take any of my other stories, you can use this one as well. Just let me know where it's going. Others, just ask and I will most likely give permission.
Feedback: Please!!! Feedback is welcome. I'm not sure how this new series is going to be taken. I really need to know!
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss, the WB, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar, (the evil)FOX, and whoever else came up with them. If they belonged to me the show would be drastically different. Please don't sue, I'm only a high-schooler without a job anyways. All transcripts belong to the wonderful people who spend their time on them, I only borrowed them to make a few changes. Many say they're copylefted and that they may be used as needed or wanted by other fans. Those that don't I'm hoping the transcribers won't mind. In some cases I've altered the form that it was presented in and have changed things to fit my needs. Much of these stories are exactly the same as the episodes and are probably under direct copwrite by all the people and company's listed above. But I'm not making any money from this so I'm hoping they won't mind.
Rating: Same as the TV show
Spoilers: All fourth season really, just not exactly. You'll see what I mean...
Author's Notes: Okay, this is going to be interesting. I've decided that instead of rewriting season 4 in the same manner as I did season 3, I'm going to do this somewhat differently. I've gotten transcripts of every episode in the fourth season, and I'm going to alter, butcher, add and subtract from them to fit my needs. So the general stories are the same, but conversations have been added, removed, or changed to fit my B&A needs. So I'm actually re-writing the entire season and all it's storylines, not just the Buffy&Angel one. Also, characters thoughts, especially Buffy's, have been added. Both the characters of Riley and Tara have been altered slightly and will play different roles in the series. And since I know many of you said you refused to watch the season anyway, it won't be like you're reading transcripts of something you've already seen. It'll be all new to you and much better than watching. And for those of you who have seen the episodes, try to figure out how much I've changed them. Some won't be changed much, some will be almost totally rewritten. And since I'm trying to make this as realistic as possible and since Angel does have his own show and all, he's not gonna be in these very much, at least not at first. But they're still much more loyal to the characters than Joss's S4 was and all, so I really think you're gonna like this. Well, enjoy!
This story has not been beta-read cause according to a message she sent to the lists my reader's gonna be on vacation till the end of the month. So any mistakes are mine alone.

This series was inspired by Ducks' comment, "Season Four? What do you mean, Season Four? There was a Season Four?"
My answer: "Yes, Ducks, there was a Season Four. And it goes like this...."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There were even times I thought I would forget her.
But forgetting is not something you do, it happens to you.
Only it didn't happen to me.
-John Fowls

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the university dining hall called the Rocket Cafe, Buffy gets a tray and starts back to the end of the line. She's deep into her thoughts about a certain vampire and doesn't even notice the boy in front of her until she runs into him.

"Oh, excuse me." Buffy says quickly as she steps back.

"That's okay." He says as they get to the self-serve area and start getting their food. "Freshman, huh?"

"Is it that obvious?" Buffy replies with a small grimace.

"There are signs." He gets a single-serving box of cereal and stuffs it into the breast pocket of his shirt. "For instance, people who've been around for a while know how to use their dining hall card."

"It's not for food?" Buffy asks with a small smile.

"Work it right and you can get three meals worth, which equals fewer punch cards used annually."

"And more cash from dad which you get to keep for yourself." She gets what he's saying.

"Right! The goal is to polish off as much as humanly possible at one sitting. Enough to get you through the rest of the day, if necessary. While chipmunking items for future consumption." He smiles back at her.

"Ahh, got it."

"Excess dry goods fit nicely in a backpack or your pocket." He takes something and puts it into his pants pocket. "The wetter items--macaronies, your turkey loaf--then you're into ziplocks. It's not for beginners."

"I'll just take it slow." Buffy says.

They reach the cashier and hand over their cards for punching. Buffy looks over and sees Willow, Xander and Oz seated at a table, Willow sees her and waves for her to come over.

"So."

" So, those are my..." She gestures to the gang at the table. "Are you..."

"Oh, no, I have someone waiting. Otherwise I'd...uh, Parker Abrams." He offers his hand which Buffy shakes. "I'm at Kresge hall."

"Buffy Summers, Stevenson."

"Ok, well, I'll see you around Buffy Summers of Stevenson." Parker smiled at her.

"See ya, Parker Abrams." Buffy went over to the gang's table and sat down.

"Hey, say hi to non-college guy." Xander grinned as she started to eat.

"Not that I mind, but don't non-college guys usually populate the non-campus?"

"Usually. I just thought I'd come around and check on my girls." He said.

"And you too, of course." He adds to Oz.

"And eat off my plate." Willow said with a laugh as she pulls her tray away from him.

"What's the deal Xand, parents not feeding you?"

"Sure they do, for a price."

"So, spill!" Willow grinned as she indicates Parker, seated across the room. "What was that all about, with the cutie patootie?"

"I don't know... nothing big, I think. Just random adorableness." Buffy was smiling an almost genuine smile for the first time in months.

"Oh, a technique I know well. Hit the girl with your best shot, then hasta." Xander said.

"Gotta respect the drive-by." Oz added.

"Low rejection, fond memories." Xander continued.

"It looked like more than that to me. He got all googly-eyed." Willow said with an exaggerated smile. She knew, even more than the guys, what a hard time Buffy was having getting over Angel. And now she was finally showing interest, however slight, in another guy. She was certainly going to push this for all it was worth.

"That's because he got hit by the Buffinator. Now he's powerless." Xander said with a grin, showing that maybe he did understand more than Willow thought he did about Buffy's issues after Angel had left her.

"You think?" Buffy seemed unsure.

"No question, he'll be back." Oz added, causing Buffy to smile.

*

A few nights later, Buffy went back to her dorm room to change before heading towards the Bronze with the gang. When she reached her and Willow's room she found her friend sitting on the bed ready to go. Buffy said 'hi' and then headed over towards her closet, noticing a pack of ziplock bags sitting on her bed as she passed it.

"What's with that?" Buffy asked Willow.

"Oh, that guy you met at lunch dropped by a little while ago with it. He said you'd understand." Willow looked at her with curiosity.

Buffy thought back to her conversation with him and laughed a little. "Yeah, I'll explain it to you as we go." She said as she quickly got stuff to change into before she and Willow headed towards the Bronze to meet Oz and watch the Dingoes play.

*

Buffy and Willow are sitting at a table in the Bronze chatting. Oz and his band are onstage.

"Hey look. Parker's here. You're not looking? He looks really cute in green."

"Teal." Buffy grinned. Willow gave her a confused look and Buffy pointed. "He's reflected in the mirror." A round security mirror shows Parker shooting pool.

"You know when you spend all week with a boy you are allowed to look at him directly." Willow smiled at Buffy.

"Not all week. We hung out." Buffy protested. "Moderately incessantly. But we're not here together tonight. You know, I don't want to crowd him."

Willow nods. As she was about to say something else, Oz walked over. They have just finished their last song.

"Hey. You guys ready to load up and go?"

"Almost. Buffy's looking at Parker." Willow pointed to the mirror. "Who it turns out has a reflection, so big plus there. Buffy's having lusty wrong feelings."

"No I'm not." Buffy argued.

"No, you're not." Willow amended.

Buffy glanced back at the mirror. "Oh, I so am." She admitted.

"No, uh, they're not wrong feelings cause you're free, you're both grown-ups." Willow explained what she had meant. "You are free, right?"

Parker walked over and put his hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Hi."

"Hi."

"I just wanted to let you know I'm headed out." Parker said with a smile. "And it's not real safe here, so if you want to walk back to your dorm."

"How silly of me not to have planned ahead." Buffy said with a false frown.

Willow smiled and Buffy got her jacket and stood up to leave with Parker.

"Bye." Willow called after them.

"See you guys." Parker called back. Buffy just grinned.

*

A few minutes later Willow, Oz, and Devon are taking equipment out to Oz's van.

"That was like the best set ever. We'll do great in LA. We're gonna have them glued to their seats." Devon said as he put the speakers into the van.

"Uh, Devon. Aren't they supposed to dance?" Willow grinned.

"Well, we can glue them to the dance floor." Oz compromised as he and Devon headed into the Bronze for more stuff.

"I didn't mean with real glue. You got that right?" Devon's voice trailed off. Willow slid a case into the van carefully, then stopped abruptly and turned as she heard a voice behind her.

"Willow, hi."

"Harmony, hey." Willow smiled "I haven't seen you since -"

"Since graduation. Big snake huh?"

"Yeah. So, how was your summer vacation?"

"Well I was gonna go to France. But I didn't. I was dying to see the stores." Harmony said as she took a step closer.

"Yeah, and the museums."

"Museums?"

"Yeah, I heard they have them." Willow said patiently. "You know, just a rumor you pick up on the streets."

Both girls laughed, then Harmony said with a grin, "You were always so funny Willow. You haven't changed a bit."

"No, you neither."

"Oh, maybe a little." Harmony's face vamped out and she bit into Willow's neck.

Willow tried to find the strength to push her away but found she couldn't. Just when she thought all was lost she felt someone pull Harmony away from her and heard the girl hiss.

Willow put a hand on her throat to try and stop the bleeding and looked up to see Oz, facing Harmony and holding a cross.

"Back off Harmony." Willow said softly.

"Okay, fine. Hide behind your boyfriend. But I have a boyfriend too. And he's gonna be mad that you were mean to me." Harmony said with a pout as she took off.

Oz put a worried arm around Willow and helped her into the van.

*

Meanwhile, Parker and Buffy are walking around the campus.

"Uh, hobbies. Interests. I feel like there's so much I don't know about you. What do you like to do?"

"Mostly I hang out. And do ... stuff." Buffy said quickly. She sounded just as cryptic as Angel used to, she realized with a small grin.

"Yeah, I was into that for a while." Parker said as he put his arm around her, his hand resting on her neck. "Hey, what's that?"

"What's what?" Buffy asked quickly, knowing exactly what he meant but needing a few more seconds to come up with an answer.

Parker pushed aside the collar of her jacket to reveal the scar from when she had forced Angel to feed on her. "You have a wicked-looking scar."

"Yeah ... right ... angry puppy." Buffy could almost feel the wound open anew but didn't let her face show it. She'd gotten good at hiding all her pain, usually by changing the subject. Which is what she did now. "So, I get to see any of your scars?"

"Oh, mine are all psychological."

"Please, those are the best kind."

"Well my father died last year." Parker said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh, God. Parker, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up, that stuff." She was so into blaming herself she didn't notice how not upset he was. "Oh, bad stuff, bad Buffy."

"No, I'm okay to talk about it now. And I'm not playing a get sympathy routine. I mean don't you just hate guys that are all 'I'm dark and brooding so give me love?'" Parker asked innocently and with a grin.

Buffy fell silent for a moment. She looked anywhere but at his face.

"Um...."

"Now I'm the one bringing up bad stuff? Aren't I?" Parker interpreted her silence.

"Kinda, yeah. It's just...I'd rather not go into the realm of talking about guys." Buffy tried to get out of it as quickly as possible, not wanting to answer his question. "Or the past."

"Well, that's fine with me." Parker said as they sat down on a bench. "I just wanted to say...with my dad ... that it was so sad cause there was well, a lot of stuff that he didn't finish. It make me think about, you know, living for now."

"I think about that sometimes. I sort of drowned a couple years ago. But I came back. Obviously." Buffy said quickly to his astonished face. "But I don't, I don't put stuff off anymore. Like you were saying."

"That's great. I mean, everybody says they get it. 'Oh, man. Me too. Live for today.' But what they really what is a reason to goof off. Not study for finals."

"Also a valid life choice." Buffy said with a small smile.

"It's cool to find someone else who understands." Parker said as he took her hand.

"So, Parker Abrams. When you go to sleep tonight, what are you going to regret not doing today?"

"I'm going to regret ... being too nervous to ask you to go to the party at Wolfhouse tomorrow night. Do you want to go to the party -"

This is what Angel wanted for me. Buffy thought to herself. "Yes." She answered quickly. This is what I want for me. This is what I want for me. Buffy repeated the words in her head like a mantra, willing them to be true even as she knew they weren't.

*

In Giles apartment, he and Xander are sorting and shelving boxes of Giles books which are still unpacked after having been hastily removed from SHS's library.

"I am not enjoying this."

"Well, shelve them correctly and we can finish." Giles said with a moan.

"I don't get your crazy system." Xander complained as he held up an old leather-bound book.

"System? It's called the alphabet." Giles grabbed the book and put it in it's correct place.

"Huh. Would you look at that."

At that moment Anya walked in. "You should lock your door."

"Believe me, I'm kicking myself." Giles answered with a role of his eyes.

Anya glared at him as Xander walked over in surprise. "Anya? Last time I saw you fleeing in terror. So how'd that work out for you?"

"I need to talk to Xander." Giles smiled and nods at her. "Go away." Giles doesn't move and Anya instead took Xander's hand and pulled him towards the door. "Xander come with me."

Xander tossed a look back at Giles that was a plea for help, but the former librarian only shrugged. Xander reluctantly followed the ex-demon, shutting the door behind him.

"Your mother said you were working here." Anya began to small talk.

"Yeah, I need some money."

"Where is our relationship going?" She asked out of the blue.

"Our what? Our who?" Xander gaped at her.

"Relationship. What kind do we have. And what is it progressing toward?"

"I ... Uh ... We have a relationship?"

"Yeah. We went to the prom." Anya said like that explained it all.

"Yeah, On our one and only date. Second date called on account of snake, remember? And the whole, you used to be a man killing demon thing. Which to be fair, is as much my issue as it is yours." Xander couldn't believe what she was saying.

"I can't stop thinking about you. Sometimes in my dreams, you're all naked." Anya stepped towards him, her eyes widening.

"Really. You know if I'm in the checkout line at the Walmart I've had the same one." Xander took a step back, keeping their distance.

"So I can assume a standing Friday night date and a mutual recognition as Prom night as our dating anniversary." She was unfazed.

"Anya. Slow down there. In fact, come to a screeching halt." Xander put up his hands in a 'stop' gesture. "See these things kind of have to develop on their own."

"Okay. How?"

"I don't know." He admitted. "It just happens."

*

Meanwhile, Buffy and Parker are standing at her door in the hall of the dorm.

"This is it. The door. Wood." Buffy knocked on it nervously. " Maybe some kind of wood veneer."

"It's nice." He leaned in to kiss her softly and Buffy slowly kissed back. She ignored every fiber of her soul that was screaming that this was wrong. And yet even as she kissed him, a picture of Angel filled her head and refused to move. She was just about to pull back when she heard feet stamping quickly up the hall.

She pulled away from Parker quickly and turned, half prepared for battle.

Instead she found her best friend and her best friend's boyfriend.

"Hey. Hi, hi. Remember Harmony?" Oz didn't waste any time. "She's back from her summer vacation. And she's a little bit different."

"Different?" Buffy asked in confusion.

"Paler." Willow glanced at Parker and tried to clarify it for Buffy without saying too much.

Parker noticed how Willow was holding her hand over her neck. "Is your neck okay?"

"Neck. Paler. The puppy." Buffy put it together quickly. "The angry puppy."

"Yeah, we came to warn you about the - angry puppy." Oz picked up on her symbolism.

"I um, should really take care of this now."

"I'll pick you up tomorrow night for the party." Parker, to his credit, realized she wanted to be alone with her friends.

"I can't wait." Buffy said as he left.

"Get in now?" Willow asked in a small voice, her face still pale.

Buffy quickly unlocked the door and lead Oz and Willow into the room. Oz carefully began to clean Willow's wound as he explained to Buffy what had happened.

"Harmony. A vampire?" Buffy almost laughed. "She must be dying without a reflection."

"She just made me so mad." Willow said as Oz placed a neon-green band-aid over the two marks in her neck. She contorted her face to mock Harmony. "'My boyfriend's gonna beat you up.'"

"'My boyfriend.'" Buffy repeated.

"Well, if you believe her. She always lied about stuff like that." Her voice and face changed again in mocking. "'Oh, he goes to another school. You wouldn't know him.'"

"Well, Devon dated her for a while, but she was too flaky for him." Oz said softly. "Which, stop and marvel at the concept."

Oz and Willow laughed slightly at this, Buffy only shook her head. "Guy dating Harmony dead." The Slayer thought out loud. "Must be, like, the most tolerant guy in the world."

Harmony descended into an underground crypt. She walked over to a man wearing all black and protective head gear for drilling and put her hand on his back to draw his attention.

"Hi baby. I'm back."

The man clad in black removed the gear to reveal none other than Spike.

A moment later, Spike is talking with another vampire and Harmony has moved away.

"It's definitely the crypt, right? I'm not keen on tunneling into someone's septic tank." Spike said.

"It's the crypt. The radar soundings are clear. The walls are thinnest here at the bottom. We'll have to tunnel underneath. More work but I'm sure -"

The vampire cut off as Spike slammed his head into the table.

"You'd better be more than sure. Cause I'd hate to have to hurt you."

"I swear, I swear." The vampire moaned.

Harmony picked that moment to walk over and snuggle against Spike. "How's my little Blondie bear?"

"Harm, does this look like a good time?" Spike sounded very annoyed.

"Are you gonna kill Willow tonight? Cause I want you to say, 'This is for messing with my sweet girl.' And then, you know."

Spike threw the vampire aside and then took Harmony by the waist. "Nobody knows I'm here. And I'm not killing the slayer's best friend because that would tend to announce my presence." Spike explained patiently, as one would to a small child. "And we're too bloody close."

"But you almost killed her last year. Suddenly it's a big deal?" Harmony really didn't get it.

"SOD OFF! Now go eat something, I've got work to do." Spike and the other vampire returned to the table.

Harmony pouted, then walked over to where a boy was chained up and looked at him in distaste. "This one tastes funny. Take me out to eat."

"He's perfectly fresh." Spike didn't even look at her.

"I think I had a math class with him last year and I didn't like him that much then either."

"Harm!"

"I want to go to a party." Harmony continued to whine.

Spike slammed his fists into the table, then headed over to where she stood.

He grabbed her and slammed her into the wall.

She smiled coyly at him. "Oh. Right here, baby? In front of Bernie?"

"You'd like that wouldn't you."

"Maybe I would." Harmony's voice turned seductive, then a teasing lilt came into it. "After a party."

Spike grinned and finally relented. "Tonight. I'll take you somewhere nice."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy and Parker walked around the frat party slowly, taking everything in.

"Some party huh?" Parker asked with a grin.

"Yeah, it's cool."

"You want to dance?"

"No. Let's have a meaningful talk instead." Buffy joked as she took his arm to go dance.

They were about to head to the dance area when Harmony and Spike walked up with an out-of-it guy under their arms.

"Spike." Buffy paused, then looked amused. "And Harmony."

"Buffy. Hi. What a cute outfit." Harmony said with a smirk. "Last year."

"Well, this is interesting. Sort of a double date." Spike looked around, slightly nervous.

"Looks like your friend started the party a little early, huh?" Parker gestured towards the guy who Buffy knew they must have fed on.

"So, let's have a look at the new boy." Spike ignored the comment.

"Hi, I'm Parker." The boy held out his hand.

Spike looked at it in fascination for a second before Parker removed his hand, slightly disconcerted. "He's got. What's the word?" Spike smirked. "Vulnerability. Unlike your poof, who had..."

"And you with Harmony." Buffy cut him off, trying to ignore the feelings his words brought up inside her. "What'd you do? Loose a bet?"

Harmony looked irritated. "Hey."

"Actually, how we met. It's a funny story." Spike started to say when he noticed Buffy's hand casually going into her pocket. He knew what she kept hidden there, so he quickly threw the boy into Harmony and the others, then leapt over the couch and towards the door.

"Stay here." Buffy ran after him outside, meeting up with him a little ways from the doors of the frat house. He punched her in the face then got into a defensive stance.

"What's the matter Spike?" She threw a punch, then another, both of which he blocked. "Dru dump you again?" Then she hit him dead on in the face. "Maybe I left her."

Buffy moved to attack again when Harmony appeared. "She left him for a fungus demon. That's all he talks about most days."

Buffy smirked. "And last time it was a Chaos demon, right Spike? You sure know how to pick 'em."

Spike ignored her and walked over to Harmony. "Harm! We are going. It isn't time yet."

"Yeah, but as soon as we have the Gem of Amara, you're gonna be sorr-"

Spike growled at her to be silent, then grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

"What?" Harmony could be heard whining. "Ow!"

Buffy stood with her stake a second longer then lowered it, thinking about what Harmony had just said.

*

Cut to Xander's room in his parents' basement. He's hanging up a mirrorball when there's a knock at the door.

"Come in." Xander said loudly.

Anya entered slowly.

"Anya. Hi again."

"Your mother sent me around from the front of the house. She said to ask you to add fabric softener when the timer goes off. Can we talk some more?" Anya asked.

"Yeah I suppose. Would you like something? I have cran-apple?" He pointed towards the refrigerator.

"Yeah, all right."

He headed over to the fridge and rummaged around a bit. "You know it is customary to call before you show up. Not that -" Xander got two boxes of juice, opened them, and then turned to face the girl. When he saw that she had removed her dress and stood naked before him, his mouth hung open and he squeezed the juice boxes in shock, squirting cran-apple everywhere.

*

Meanwhile, Buffy finds a campus payphone and calls Giles.

"Yeah, Spike with Harmony. If you can believe it. I couldn't figure out why he ran away but Harmony said something. Why they were here. They were looking for the gem of something... Amara." Buffy tried to remember.

"The Gem of Amara. Are you sure?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Uh, oh, it's just, uh, it's not real." Giles said in confusion. He headed over to boxes where books were being stored. "It's uh, the vampire equivalent of the Holy Grail. The source of some enormous power, convienetly vague. Oh, here it is, yes. There was a great deal of vampiric interest in locating it during the, uh, oh the 10th century. Questing vampires combed the earth, but no one ever found anything.. It was concluded that it never existed."

"Well, Spike seems to think it exists." Buffy said with a grimace. "And he's looking in Sunnydale."

"Yes, well I'll research it as best I can. You've done all you can for tonight. Why don't you go to bed."

"Uh, huh. Sleepy." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yawn. Bye." She shook her head and headed back towards the party.

*Cut the Harmony and Spike's bedroom. Spike is trying to read something, Harmony is laying on the bed in lingerie.

"Is Antonio Banderas a vampire?" Harmony asked out of nowhere.

"No."

"Can I make him a vampire? Cause he's so hot..."

"No. On second thought, yes. Go do that." Spike moaned. "Take your time. Do Melanie and the kids as well."

"Hey, I don't have a pulse. Cool. Hey, can we eat a doctor so we can get a stethoscope and hear my heart not beating?" Harmony wasn't phased.

"Harm. Will you shut the hell up?!" He jumped to his feet, furious. Harmony just giggled.

"And if my hearts not beating, what are these blue veins for? I'm simply covered in these blue veins." She ran her fingers over her cheast, drawing attention to her cleavage. "See."

Spike got a look on his face and climbed into bed with her.

"I've got an extra set of chains." He grinned.

Harmony made an "eww" face obviously learned in her time as a Cordette.

"Just because Dorkus went in for that -"

Spike grabbed her hair and pulled her head back. "Dru-scilla. Say her name."

"Dorkus."

"Bite your tongue." Spike admonished.

"Do it for me." She teased as he leaned towards her and they started to kiss.

*

Cut to Xander and Anya. She's still naked, he's still stunned.

"At that point the matter is brought to a conclusion with both parties satisfied and able to move on with their separate lives and interests. To sum up, I think it's a workable plan."

"So, the crux of this plan is -" Xander still stared at her in shock.

"Sexual intercourse. I've said it like a dozen times." Anya said calmly.

"Uh, huh. Just working through a little hysterical deafness here."

"I think it's the secret to getting you out of my mind. Putting you behind me. Behind me figuratively. I'm thinking face to face for the actual event itself." She continued.

"Ah, right. It's just we hardly know each other. I mean I like you. And you have a certain directness that I admire." Xander fumbled for words. "But sexual inter-- What you're talking about, well--and I'm actually turning into a woman as I say this--but it's about expressing something. And accepting consequences."

"Oh, I have condoms. Some are black."

"That's... that's very considerate."

"I like you. You're funny, and you're nicely shaped. And frankly, it's ludicrous to have these interlocking bodies and not... interlock. Please remove your clothing now." Anya moved towards him.

"And the amazing thing... still more romantic than Faith." Xander shook his head slightly as she moved into his arms. They kissed softly.

The buzzer for the dryer goes off.

"Fabric softener." Anya pulled back and reminded him.

*

Cut back to the party. Buffy finds Parker.

"Parker. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find you."

"I was getting a little worried."

"I'm so sorry. It's just that - the English guy is an old friend. And he's not supposed to drink. And I saw him here in the land of the beer -" Buffy quickly tried to explain.

"It's okay. You did a good thing for your friend. Did uh, you and he used to go out?"

Buffy bursts into hysterical laughter, stopped only by the weird look on his face. "Um, no. No we really, really didn't."

"Good. Now we have time to make up for. Think I could get a dance with the prettiest girl at the party." Parker said shortly.

"What am I supposed to do? Stand over here and watch?" She grinned good-naturedly as he lead her to the dance floor. They dance, in a rather close intense way.

"Well, I declared pre-med. But I hated it." Parker said as they danced. "So I switched to history."

"History? Fascinating dates and compelling faces." Unless of course, you can have a history tutor.... The thought came unbidden but not necessarily unwanted.

"But there something amazing about these huge events that when you dig down into them they're just about regular people trying to make choices. When you look back at it seems like people were swept up in events they couldn't control. But I don't believe that. I believe you have a choice in everything you do."

They kiss.

"Is this okay? Because I can stop if you wanna. It's your choice." Parker said as Buffy pulled him closer and kissed him again. "What are you doing?"

"Making a choice." Buffy grinned at him.

Hours later, as the party wound down, Parker and Buffy headed back towards their dorms. His was closer so they went there.

"Come in." He said. It wasn't a question.

"No, I'm just gonna head on home." Buffy started to turn away but he grabbed her arm.

"I said, come in." He tried to pull her towards the door.

"Let. Me. Go." Buffy said in a Slayer-tone.

"Aww, come on. No one ever says no." Parker took her other arm as well.

"Well, I just did." Buffy said, in shock at how quickly his shy and cute demeanor had vanished.

"I just want to have some fun." Parker pulled her roughly towards him.

"Yeah?" Buffy stomped on the instep of his foot with her boot-heel and he stepped back in shock as she roughly broke her arms away from him in one smooth movement. She quickly pinned him to the wall. "Well, I don't want to have fun."

He struggled for a second and was amazed when he found her to be stronger than him. "Okay, okay. Just let me go."

Buffy dropped him quickly and turned on her heel to march away.

He didn't try to stop her this time.

*

Cut to Giles looking through his books and calling someone. The phone rings and he gets Buffy and Willow's answering machine. "Buffy are you there? Call me, I need to talk to you right away."

*

When Buffy got home, she curled up in a ball on her bed and started to cry. "Well, he seemed like a normal guy." She whimpered as she hugged Mr. Gordo to her and slowly fell asleep.

Her lips curled into a small smile as she whispered the name of her beloved. As always, her dreams were of him and when they were happy together.

*

Willow slunk in early the next morning after spending the night at Oz's. Buffy was mumbling happily in her sleep, so Willow assumed her date with Parker went well.

Then she realized that her friend was still dressed and began to wonder exactly what had happened. She sighed softly as Buffy murmured, "Angel." I guess things didn't go that well with Parker after all, Willow thought as there was a soft knock on the door.

She went to get it quickly before Buffy woke up.

*

Cut to Xander and Anya redressing themselves in his room.

"So, I'm over you now." Anya stated.

"Um, Ok." Xander was still not quite with her.

"Okay?!"

"Yeah..." Anya stalked off upset, leaving a very confused Xander behind.

Cut to Harmony and Spike laying in their bed. She's drawing on him with lipstick. He looks out of it.

"Harm, what are you doing?" Spike finally asked.

"I'm writing Spike loves Harmony on your back."

"Why?" Spike looked at her like she was nuts.

"I don't know, it's fun. I'm bored." She offered him the lipstick. "You can write on me."

"I've got to get back to work." He gets up.

"You love that tunnel more than me." She pouted.

"I love syphilis more than you."

*

Cut to Buffy waking up late that morning.

"Oh, good morning."

Buffy looked over to see Giles and Willow at work at Willow's computer. She ran a hand through her hair and moaned. "Giles, I didn't know you were here."

"Yes, well, I left a message but apparently you never listened to the machine."

"Oh, sorry. I kinda had other stuff on my mind." Buffy said with a frown that Willow noted and planned to ask about at a later time.

"Now, can we discuss the impending disaster?" Giles asked abruptly.

"Giles found something."

"A text. It refers to the Gem of Amara as residing in the valley of the sun."

"Demon fancy talk for Sunnydale." Willow clarified.

"It seems that Spike may know what it's about. The gem may exist after all, in Sunnydale in a sealed underground crypt."

"Why don't you guys try and locate the crypt and I'll try to find Spike before he gets there." Buffy took charge.

"I'll get started."

"I'll go call Xander and have him meet at your place." Willow added.

"Right." Giles said as he left.

Willow turned quickly towards Buffy. "So what happened with Parker?"

"He's a jerk." Buffy quickly explained what he had tried to do.

"So you..."

"Well, I was going to leave anyway. Everytime we kissed all I could think about was Angel. I guess nothing can compare to what we had so my soul's not gonna let me like anyone else. But if I hadn't planned on leaving, I would have when he..."

"Yeah." Willow could barely believe it. He had seemed so nice.

"Will, don't go near him. He was pretty strong. If I had been anyone but the Slayer..." Buffy shuddered to think of what he could have done to any other girl.

"Check. Avoid Parker." Willow nodded. "Well, I better let Xand know what's going on."

Buffy nodded and headed off to find Spike.

*

Cut to underground where Spike, Harmony and the vampire are still looking for the crypt.

"It's here."

"I knew it was here." He other vampire grins.

"We're close now. No one leaves the layer till we're in. I don't want the slayer tracking anyone to the tunnel. And that means you too Harmony. You're an indoor kitty now." Spike glared at her to make sure she understood.

"But Spike, you said you'd take me places. You said we'd go to France and now I can't even leave the lair."

He threw down his shovel as the other vampires quickly depart.

"Listen to me, you stupid bint. This gem is everything I came back to Sunnydale for, which has witnessed some truly spectacular kickings of my ass. Now, when I have the gem, they'll all die, don't worry. But until then, stay inside." Spike roared.

"I don't know why I let you be so mean to me."

"Love hurts baby." Spike quipped meanly.

*

Meanwhile, Buffy walked around campus with Harmony's high school picture but found no one who recognized her.

Buffy was to busy to notice that several conversations stopped as she approached and that some of the guys were openly staring at her.

*

Cut to Spike climbing into the crypt with a lantern. He looks around and sees a large green gem in an ornate necklace around the neck of a skeleton.

"It's real." He said in awe.

"Ooh, pretty. Can I take stuff?" Harmony followed Spike into the crypt.

"Take whatever you want I don't care."

She walked over and kisses him. He stroked the gem and yanked it off the skeleton.

Harmony tried on a tiara. "Eww. Like you're too good to work a clasp." She moaned as a cloud of dust and bone fragments flew up with the necklace. He put on the necklace and does things with his hands, feeling all powerful.

"So is it doing it? Do you feel it. I mean, you don't look different, if you were wondering. I thought maybe you'd look taller or glow or something. Hmm." She went back to playing with the jewels, grabbing bracelets and a ring and putting them on.

He strides over and grabs a cross, burning his hand, crying out in pain.

"You should put some butter on that. But, hey, maybe it's worth money, anyway. That would be something." Harmony said, not noticing Spike breaking off a piece of wood from a table. "Then we could go to France, I always wanted to go to France and stay in a chateau and you could take me shopping -" She cut off as he stabbed her with the improvisational stake. To their surprise she didn't dust, but the wound healed immediately.

"I can't believe you just did that." She started pummeling him with girlie punches to his cheat. He grabbed her hands and noticed a ring on one of them.

"Hold on." He grabbed a cross and pushed it against her, shielding his hand with a cloth. It doesn't burn her.

"What are you doing you big freak?"

"That's my gem." Spike grabbed her and started to yank it off.

"Fine if that's all that matters to you." She ripped the gem off her hand and threw it at him "Then take it, take it, take it and get out."

Spike caught it, put it on, and strode off. "That's a good idea. I think I'll go wait outside."

He hopped down the hole, leaving Harmony looking miserable.

*

Cut to Giles apartment were Oz is sifting through some of Giles old records. Giles is trying to study something.

"Okay, either I'm borrowing all your albums or I'm moving in."

"Oz, there are more important things than records right now." Giles said crossly.

"More important than this one?" Oz held up a record with awe.

"Well, I suppose an argument could be made for -"

"Whoa, Giles has a TV. Everybody, Giles has a TV." Xander cut in. "He's shallow like us."

"I got to admit, I'm a little disappointed." Oz said in a fake tone.

"I, ah, uh, uh..." Giles stuttered.

"Well, maybe it doesn't work. Like a piece of art." Willow said as she walked in.

Xander turned the TV on. Willow stood openmouthed with shock.

"Public television." Giles tried to get the subject dropped. "Come on everyone we have vital work to do. Watching television is not going to help us right now."

"- near the UC Sunnydale campus. Officials attribute the unusual occurrence to weakening of the supporting topsoil nearby. City work crews denied any tunneling has been done in the area." The TV newscaster spoke up.

"Tunneling. Spike." Giles said quickly. "Xander, find Buffy and meet us there."

Giles and the gang leave, Xander watches the TV for a second more then gets up to leave.

*

Cut to Buffy walking around campus were she spied Parker with a group of guys. They were all laughing. She walked up slowly when two of the guys noticed her. They started laughing and nudged Parker, who turned to look at Buffy.

"Okay, what's the what?" Buffy questioned in confusion.

"Look, Buffy, can't you just leave me alone?" Parker said in a harsh tone.

"Huh? Did I miss something?"

"Hey. It was great last night, really." His tone turned condescending. "But I told you that was all it would be. So just stop coming around."

"Last night?" What he was doing started to sink in.

"Yeah, you know." He rolled his hips, then laughed. "Look, don't worry about it."

"Don't worry about saying no to you and almost flattening you?" Buffy quickly got mad.

"Yeah, sure. If that's how you remember it more power to ya." Parker grinned as he and the group of guys moved away from her, laughing.

Buffy stood in shock for a moment at how he could be that mean when she suddenly heard a voice behind her.

"Wow. That was pathetic." Spike said as he punched her in the face. She only stared in shock as he stood in a beam of sunlight.

"Birds singing, squirrels making lots of rotten little squirrels. Sun beaming down in a nice, non-fatal way. It's very exciting, I can't wait to see if I freckle." He joked.

Buffy grabbed her stake and jumped up. They exchanged blows until she finally got her stake into his chest.

"Oh, do it again. It tickles. You know, in a good way." Spike just stood there.

Buffy withdrew the stake and the wound immediately healed as she watched in shock.

"The Gem of Amara." He held up his hand, then backhanded her and sent her spinning to the ground. "Official sponsor, of my killing you." He vamped out, then leaned his head in for the kill.

*

Cut to the underground crypt. Giles and Oz are hefting Willow up through the hole. Harmony is in a corner whimpering. "Being a vampire sucks." She vamps out, then jumps up to attack with a fierce growl.

*

Cut to Xander, knocking anxiously on Buffy and Willow's door.

"Buffy? Buffy!" He turned away and ran into Anya.

"Xander. I was looking for you. You weren't in your musty basement." Anya said.

"Have you seen Buffy?" Xander barely heard her.

"No." She changed the subject. "About what happened. I said I was over you -"

"Anya, I don't have time." Xander, for once, actually had something more important to do and cut her off, then took off running. She's left looking dejected.

*

Cut to the crypt. "Harmony, where's Spike? Has he gotten the gem?"

Harmony nods. "He staked me, then he took it. He tried to take it right off my finger. Like I wouldn't have just given it to him. I would have given him anything he wanted. He was my platinum baby and I loved him."

"Where did Spike go?"

Harmony refused to answer and turned to leave. Then she decided she might was well say something. "Oh, just to kill Buffy."

Cut to a long fight scene between Buffy and Spike.

The ring gives him an advantage over her for the first time. "Getting tired Slayer?" Spike asked as he knocked her to the ground.

Buffy got up, only to be hit with a series of punches and floored again.

Xander picked that moment to run up to her.

"Xander, get out of here." Buffy yelled, but it was to late.

Spike grabbed him, kneed him in the face, and sent him flying into a pole. Xander didn't get up.

"So, you let Parker take a poke, eh? Didn't seem like you know each other that well. What did it take to pry apart the Slayer's dimpled knees?" Spike taunted, obviously believing Parker's side of the story instead of the true one.

"You're a pig Spike."

Spike kicks her while she's down, literally and figuratively. "Did he play the sensitive lad and get you to seduce him? That's a good trick if the girl's thick enough to buy it."

Buffy flew up and delivered a roundhouse that Spike followed with an equally vicious hit that sends her flying forward.

"I wonder what went wrong. Were you too strong? Did you bruise the boy? Come to think of it seems like someone told me that. Who was it? Oh, yeah. Angel." He smiled cruelly, not realizing that those words would give her more fire than anything else he could say or do.

Buffy was up in an instant. She kicked and beat at him with a passion until she had him pinned, then she grabbed the arm with the ring on it.

"Take it off me this way, we both burn." Spike warned.

"Really? Let's see." She jerked the ring off his finger and his face instantly contorted into a visage of pain. He started to smoke, then ran off crying out in agony.

Buffy, exhausted, sat down inspecting the ring.

*

The whole gang sat at Giles's a little later, looking at the ring.

"I like it." Willow commented.

"It's small." Was all Oz had to say.

"Really worth getting my ribs bashed in." Xander moaned.

"It's also very dangerous. And we're destroying it." Giles said as he picked it up.

"We don't destroy it." Buffy picked it up protectively.

"Well, Buffy, any vampire that gets his hand on this is going to be essentially unkillable." He looked at her for a beat and their eyes locked. "Oh."

"I have that gig in LA. I could swing by."

"Thanks Oz." Buffy smiled as she handed him the ring.

"What's going on. What's in LA?" Xander asked, out of the loop.

"She's giving the ring to Angel. Don't make a fuss." Willow explained quietly. Xander made a face but didn't comment.

"Buffy, are you sure?" Giles didn't seem to happy about it.

"He should have it." Buffy said with a smile, wishing she had the nerve to deliver it in person. She wondered what he looked like in direct light.

*

Later that day, Buffy explained to Willow what Parker had been saying about her. Willow was properly outraged and asked if Buffy wanted a spell cast on him.

Buffy only shook her head. "He'll get what's coming to him. Eventually."

A night later, Buffy had gone to bed early so she'd be fresh for patrol later than night. She woke up from a dream with a slight scream.

"What's wrong?" Willow asked immediately.

"Do you have Angel's number? In LA?" Buffy asked quickly.

"Yeah, Cordy gave it to me just in case. Why?"

Buffy quickly found the number in Willow's book and dialed with amazing speed.

"Angel Investigations. We help...we hope..." A male voice stuttered.

"I need to talk to Angel." Buffy said without preamble.

"He's just a wee bit busy right now."

Buffy was confused for a second, then she looked out the window and smiled slightly. "Let me guess. He's watching the sunset?"

"Yeah, um.....who is this?"

"Buffy."

"Ah, da Slayer herself. Name's Doyle. Do you want me to get him for ya, lass?"

"Nah, let him see his first sunset in a long time. Just do me a favor. Go up there and make sure he doesn't destroy the ring. I had a dream that he would."

"And as your dreams are often prophetic you want to make sure...." Doyle trailed off.

"Exactly." Buffy grinned.

"I'll make sure he doesna destroy it." Doyle replied. "Even if it means taking it for now and hiding it from him."

"Thanks Doyle." Buffy said with relief. "And tell him...."

"What?"

"Never mind." Buffy stopped herself. "You better go now. Make sure."

"Right, lass. Bye."

"Goodbye." Buffy said softly as she hung up the phone.

"Tell him you still love him?" Willow questioned softly.

Buffy didn't answer, but the look on her face spoke volumes.

Go to the next story A Magickal Party

Send feedback to Lady Callista

Back to the Fanfiction Archive