Part 8

Buffy dumped her bags on the foot of her bed and stretched.  She hated not being able to move a lot while driving.  She needed exercise, which consisted of slaying.

Opening her weapons bag and pulling out a stake and cross, she made her way out of the house and to the cemetery.

"Here vampy, vampy, vampy," Buffy taunted, swinging her stake in her hand. "Come out and play…"

"Okay," a voice behind her sneered.

Buffy turned, punched the vampire, and plunged the stake into its heart.  Obviously a fledging.  Buffy continued her walk through the cemetery when she came upon a young girl sitting on one of the tombstones filing her nails.

"It's late out," Buffy told the girl. "You should get home."

"My sister hates me," came the girl's monotonous voice. "Anyway, I can take care of myself."

"I'm sure your sister doesn't hate you," Buffy said sincerely, wanting the girl to go home.

"She does," the girl looked straight into Buffy's eyes. "I'm good, she's evil.  I'm light, she's darkness.  We are complete opposites."

A vampire, unnoticed by Buffy, was coming upon the young girl.  It smiled secretively before grabbing the girl by her throat.  The girl gasped in surprise.  Grabbing the vampire from behind, she threw him against a branch 30 feet away… without even moving a major muscle.

Buffy's eyes narrowed at the girl, "Who are you?"

"I'm Pridicus.  But you can call me Pride."

"Pridicus?" Buffy raised an amused eyebrow. "And let me guess… your sister's name is Glorificus?"

"Uh… yes?" the girl's eyes had shame in them.

"How strong are you?" was Buffy's next question.

"I have the strength of 20 slayers," Pride answered with a shrug. "Glory hates me for it cause I'm stronger."

"Stronger?"

"Yeah, see, these monk dudes found me in some god-forbidden dimension of Hell and got me out.  Now my destiny is to kill Glory."

"Really."

"Yeah," Pride answered with a sly smile. "Now all I gotta do is find her."

"You're going to kill Glory?  Your sister?" Buffy couldn't believe this.

"She sent me to a dimension of Hell for 430 Earth years!  Down in Hell that's 43,000 years!  Can you imagine being in Hell for that long?  I think I might have a problem that!"

"I sent my boyfriend to Hell in order to save humanity and he still loves me."

"You had a reason, Glory did not," Pride fumed. "She needed to get rid of me and she found a way.  She's pure evil!  She needs the key's power in order to do something!"

"Well, she wants me dead," Buffy stated matter-of-factly. "Cause I took her 'monk' away from her."

"You're the Slayer than?" Pride looked her up and down. "Glory's minions were right, You are small."

"As are you," Buffy quoted from some book she read in school.

"This is just my human attire."

"Oh."

"Well, I need to find my sister now," Pride said, hopping off the tombstone. "I'll come see you after I kill Glory.  Kudos."

Pride walked off with the same air Glory did.  Buffy needed to talk to Giles about this.

"I need to consult my books," Buffy quoted Giles before bursting into a fit of laughter.

*********

"Pridicus?" Giles muttered, as he began flipping through books. "I've heard of her once, back in England with the Watcher's Counsel."

"Yeah, she wanted to be called 'Pride' though," Buffy remarked. "She said something like she was the good one and Glory was the evil one."

"Hmm…" Giles murmured.

"Hey!" Xander's voice rang through the Magic Box.  Sitting down on of the one stools at the table, he grabbed a book. "Are we looking through old, musty books again?  What fun!"

"Shut up, Xander," Anya said from behind the counter.

"Okay," Xander answered, putting the book down and opening another, flipping through it. "So… who are we looking for this time?  A demon called 'Mohra'?  A funny dude with spikes on its face?  A little girl named 'Pridicus'?  Or is it--"

"Stop!" Buffy order, interrupting him and taking the book and flipping back to the page. "Pridicus," she read. "The sister of a powerful demon called 'Glorificus'.  She is more powerful and is pure good," Buffy stopped reading. "Well, everything she said is true, so I guess we can trust her."

Giles nodded, taking his glasses off and rubbing his nose.

"I met Pridicus back in the 14th century right after she got out Hell," Anya commented. "She's a real sweetheart.  Hates her sister to death, though."

"That's what she was saying," Buffy replied, getting stares from the people around her.

*********

"Yes, I'm being careful!" Dawn persisted as she held the phone to her ear. "Alright, I love you, too, Mom.  See ya later."

Dawn put the cordless phone back in its cradle slowly before going back out into the main room.

"How's you mom?" Cordelia asked as Dawn came into the room.

Dawn shrugged, "Good, I guess.  She's going to the hospital so they can check out her head tomorrow.  It sound pretty serious."

"I'm sorry," Cordelia regarded her seriously

"It's okay," Dawn shrugged. "I'm still sorta mad at her for telling Angel to leave Buffy.  That girl cried so hard for the next week after they broke up.  It was pretty bad."

"Does Buffy know about his?" Cordelia asked.

"No," Dawn shrugged again. "I was going to tell her, but then everything got really hectic and I forgot."

Cordelia raised an eyebrow and continued with her work.  The Summers family was very interesting.

Part 9

Buffy watched as Pride stealthily moved through the bushes to an expensive condo.  She seemed to know where she was going.  She's done this before, thought Buffy, let's just see what happens.

Pride grabbed onto a branch above her and hoisted herself up.  Swinging up the tree, she went to the top floor of the condo.  Walking silently onto the balcony, Pride looked through the French doors.

"Hello, sister," Pride silently leered.

Glory was in her bedroom, looking through piles of shoes, trying to figure out which one she wanted.  Her priest dude, Dreg, if she remembered right, spoke to her.  Though she couldn't hear what they were saying, she knew it was bad.

When Dreg finally did leave, Pride kicked the French doors open, walking confidently in.

"Hey, Glory!  Didjaya miss me?" Pride asked as she walked toward her sister. "Hell was nice, but… it didn't suit me, ya know?"

"Pride," Glory said, raising an eyebrow and coming forward. "I've missed you."

"Yeah sure, and I love you to death," Pride rolled her eyes.

"I'm very sure," Glory murmured, stroking Pride's cheek with the end of her fingernail, Pride flinched away, making Glory smile.  Glory raked her nails quickly on Pride's other cheek, leaving four bloody trails, which quickly knitted themselves back together as though it never happened.

"You have Mother's healing powers," Glory smiled slyly. "She was going to give them to me, you know."

"But you were some Rome, remember?  Right before it fell?" Pride reminded her sister.

"Oh, yes, that's right.  Right before I sent you to Hell."

Pride grabbed Glory by the throat, making her gasp.

"I never thank you enough for sending me to Hell," Pride threw Glory back through the French doors.  Pride tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as she walked out the door.  She looked down to the ground and saw Glory laying sprawled on the ground.  Pride stretched out her neck before jumping off the balcony to joy her sister on the ground.

Grabbing a battle-axe from behind the tree, Pride muttered a few Latin words and swung the axe around and down on her sister's unconscious head.

A loud "crack" sounded and Glory's head detached itself from the body.  Turning to Buffy, Pride said, "Hide her head.  They'll be looking for it."

She threw the axe down on the ground and started to leave before Buffy stopped her, "Pride?  What will you do now?"

Pride turned to Buffy and said, "Become a normal girl.  The axe will give you my strength and powers, please use them wisely."

Buffy watched as Pride disappeared out of view into the bushes.  Buffy picked up the axe and held it in her hands.  The power from it surged up her hands and around her body, until it was absorbed into the skin.

"That was morbid," Buffy whispered, before picking up Glory's head and walking off with it. "Defiantly."

*********

Buffy checked on her mom, who was sleeping soundly, before grabbing her bag and the car keys and leaving.

Thanksgiving had been all right, despite her mom having to go in for surgery.

So, here she was, the day after Thanksgiving, making her way down the busy highway to see Angel.

When she got there, Buffy made her way up to his room, only to find it unoccupied.  Setting her bag down on the floor anyway, Buffy walked back downstairs and into the office.  She came to a room and stood in the doorway, watching Angel.

Angel, in total brood mode, sat looking at a picture of her with his back to the door.  He leaned back in his chair and sighed before going to the curtain shielded window and staring off into space.

Buffy quietly walked up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder, "Angel?  What's wrong?"

Angel looked at her with burdened, soulful brown eyes and replied, "It's nothing."

"You have something face," Buffy looked him square in the eye and came to realization. "You're thinking about the lost day."

Angel gave her an awkward look, "How did you know about that?"

"Come on, Angel," Buffy rolled her eyes. "I did some spell while I was trying to figure out what was up with Mom's headaches and stuff.  And then I remembered."

"Are you mad?" Angel stared off into space, waiting for her answer.

Buffy stood on the tips of her toes to whisper in his ear so he could surely hear her, "I think it was a noble thing to do."

Angel turned his head and smiled, catching her lips in a gentle kiss, happy that she wasn't mad.

*********

"We have a new student in class today," Mr. Jones was saying to Dawn before class started. "Ms. Clarence, that Guidance Counselor, whom I think you should talk to," he sneered. "Wants you to show the new student around.  She should be here shortly."

Dawn nodded, sitting at a desk waiting for this "new student" to arrive.

Five minutes passes before a girl with midnight dark hair came walking into the room, throwing glances all over the room.

"Is this Mr. Jones' class?" she asked.

"Yes, I am Mr. Jones," Mr. Jones said with pride, making the girl lift an eyebrow. "Are you Pride Malloy?"

Pride nodded, her gaze settling on Dawn as Mr. Jones said, "Dawn will be taking you around school."

Pride nodded and knew this was the Slayer's sister and Glory's wanted key.  She could tell Dawn had no idea what power she possessed.  She smiled, this could be the start of a great friendship… in that freaky kind of way.

Part 10

Cordelia watched as Darla walked slowly into the front room of the Hyperion Hotel.  Darla walked up to Cordelia and hoarsely said, "Is Angel here?"

Cordelia looked at Darla, her face and lips paler than any human she had ever seen.  Cordelia nodded and picked up the phone to dial Angel's room number.

"What?" came the gruff answer.

"There is someone here to see you," Cordelia said, looking at Darla who was studying the antiques.

"Who?"

"Darla."

"Why?"

"Geeze, one word sentences today?" Cordelia smirked. "Have you and Buffy tired each other out that much?"

"Funny."

"There you go again."

"Cordelia?" Buffy's angry voice came onto the phone. "Tell Angel what he wants or I'll come down there and do something about it."

"Okay," Cordelia rolled her eyes as she heard shuffling.

"Why?" Angel's voice sounded over the phone.

"Just a minute," Cordelia muted the phone and looked at Darla who had taken a seat on the couch. "Angel wants to know why you're here."

"I need help," came Darla's meek answer.

Cordelia shrugged and unmuted the phone, "She says she needs help."

"Okay, I'll be down in a minute."

"Wow!  You know more than one word sentences!  That is-" Angel hung up on her. "That was rude."

"Is he coming?" Darla asked, picking at her fingers.

"Yeah."

"That's good."

The front room was engulfed in silence as they waited for Angel.

The elevator dinged as the doors opened to reveal Buffy and Angel in a tender kiss.

"Don't you two ever-"

"Stop?" Buffy asked as she walked out of the elevator with Angel in tow. "As I told Dawn… 'no'."

Buffy gave Darla a look over as she sat down beside Angel and snuggled against him.

"What's wrong, Darla?" Angel asked. "You look pale."

"I have syphilis.  Wolfram and Hart showed me doctor's reports and everything."

"And what am I supposed to do about it?" Angel asked as Dawn came through the door.

"What is she doing here?!" Dawn's exasperated voice made Darla's eyes bulge.

"I'll just go now," Darla said, picking up her coat and starting to get up.

"Sit," the Slayer's menacing voice told Darla, making her immediately plop back down on the couch. "What do you want Dawn?"

"Well, I was gonna ask if I could go over to my friend's house," Dawn replied, setting her bag down and walking toward her sister. "But she's here."

"Go over to your friend's house," Angel told her. "Be back by eight.  Take a stake with you."

Dawn looked at Angel curiously before opening the box that set on the counter and slipping a stake up her sleeve, "Fine.  I'll leave so Darla doesn't get intimidated," she smirked as she left the building.

"So, what do you want Angel to help you with, Darla?" Buffy got up from her place next to Angel to get something to drink.

"I want you to make me a vampire so I don't have to die, Angel," Darla answered, making Cordelia spit out her coffee all over the floor and Buffy to almost drop two of the coffee cups.

"What?!" Buffy shrieked. "No!  Angel you wouldn't!"

"That's right, I wouldn't," Angel replied, calmly taking the coffee cup full of blood from Buffy. "You'll have to come down to this place Wesley found."

"Is that the one with the way to stress free demon?" Buffy asked.  Getting a nod from Angel, Buffy snuggled next to Angel and replied, "I'll just wait here, then, while you go do that."

Angel just chuckled as he kissed her forehead.

*********

When Angel and Darla returned from the bar, Angel found Buffy asleep on the couch, curled up around a throw pillow.  He smiled and softly walked over picking Buffy up and cradling her to his chest as she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'll show you to your room," Angel whispered, starting to walk up the stairs to the second floor.

Darla nodded as she watched Angel carefully maneuver his way through the hallway.  Stopping at a door almost at the end of the hallway, he softly said, "This will be your room.  It's got a balcony because, if I remember right, you like views."

Darla nodded again as she opened the door and stepping in.  she looked around her, it was small, but quaint.  She'd get used to it.

"What do you think?" Angel asked concerned.

"It's great," Darla murmured without turning around.

Angel nodded before turning around and starting to make his way back to his bedroom when Darla stopped him, "Are you going to consider what that demon said?"

Angel stopped, staring at the wall in front of him and replied, "Tomorrow night we'll go to the address."

Angel closed the door softly behind him and carried Buffy to bed.

*********

Buffy was biting her nails when Cordelia came in from Dinner.

"Geeze, Buffy, dense much?" Cordelia inquired, setting down her should bag on the counter.

"It's Angel," Buffy replied, picking up a file and starting to file her nails.

"What about him?"

"He went somewhere with Darla," Buffy sighed. "Said it wasn't food for me to come."

"Really?"

"Yeah…" Buffy muttered. "But I know something he doesn't."

"What's that?" Cordelia looked at Buffy with interest.

"When I'm worried I an see through his eyes?"

"Can you now?"

"Yeah," Buffy put the file down and closed her eyes. "Like what I'm about to do."

Cordelia watched with interest as she watched Buffy see what Angel saw.  Buffy wasn't saying anything, but her facial expressions were telling all.  After watching her for ten minutes, Cordelia got bored and walked behind the desk to get a soda.  Opening the can, she heard a deathly scream.  Cordelia's soda dropped to the floor as she ran as quickly as she could out to the main room.

Buffy lay sprawled on the floor, her skin pale as milk and unconscious.

"Buffy?!" Cordelia raced over checking for a pulse.  Feeling on she tried to rouse her.  Not getting a response she turned toward the back office and yelled, "Wesley!"

Part 11

Angel walked stiffly out of the passageway, with Darla trailing behind him.

"I'm sorry," Darla tried to comfort meekly.

"It's okay," Angel answered hoarsely, his voice on pain.  He needed to get home to Buffy so she could make him feel better.

"I think maybe I can handle this whole dying thing," Darla continued. "Maybe it won't be so bad.  Living forever did have its drawbacks, you know.  Like changing fashions, knowing more stuff than most modern day history teachers.  I mean, it could be worse."

Angel smiled, or at least tried to.  He difficulty got into his car, Darla getting in on the other side.

They were silent on the drive back to the Hyperion.  They drove up, Angel turned off the car and headed inside.  As he came into the main room, he saw Cordelia and Wesley leaning over an unconscious Buffy.

"What happened?" he roared, forgetting his pain and rushing over to Buffy.

"I… I don't know," Wesley stuttered.  Jutting a finger at Cordelia he said, "Ask her."

Cordelia rolled her eyes as she answered, "She was talking about being able to see through your eyes or something.  She wasn't really doing much of anything, so I went behind the counter to get something to drink.  I heard her scream and when I came back she looked like that."

Angel groaned as she recalled what she probably fainted from.

"Get down," he ordered Cordelia.

Cordelia gave him an odd look before going to the phone and dialing a number, "Dawn?  Hey… yeah, it's Cordy… Angel wants you to get down here… Buffy fainted… five minutes?  Okay… bye."

Cordelia hung up the phone and went back over to where Angel holding Buffy's unconscious body.

Dawn came rushing into the main room and went directly over to Buffy and Angel.

"How'd Buffy faint?" Dawn demanded as she placed a hand on Buffy's forehead.

"She was looking though my eyes, "Angel replied. "And she saw something she shouldn't have."

"And what were you doing that would make her faint?" Dawn asked as she willed Buffy to wake.

Angel swallowed, "I took the option of death."

"She's gonna kill you, "Dawn confirmed as Buffy started to wake up.

Buffy rubbed her eyes, stretching lazily on the couch.  She stopped mid-stretch, sat up quickly, and looked straight at Angel.

"You son of a bitch!" she told him, punching him square in the jaw. "How could you do that?  I was so worried!" forgetting her angel, Buffy threw her arms around his neck and pressed him tightly to her. "I thought I was gonna lose you forever and then I'd hafta do a Romeo and Juliet on everybody!"

"You actually know who Romeo and Juliet are?" Dawn pretended to be astonished as she stared at her sister with big eyes.

Buffy pulled away from Angel, rolling her eyes at Dawn, "They made me read it in English my Junior year.  Talk about a tragedy," Buffy noticed Angel's wounds and told him, "We are going upstairs so I can check out any wounds Angel might have.  Excuse us."

Buffy pulled Angel off the couch with her and they started to make their way up the stairs.

"Yes, well," Wesley cleared his throat, looking around him. "I say it's high time we all went to bed, don't you think?"

Dawn rolled her eyes, "Wesley, it's eight at night, I don't go to bed till eleven or so.  You might, but Cordy and I don't and right now I'm gonna go watch some of my shows.  Coming Cordy?"

Cordelia nodded, following Dawn into the old conference room, which they had converted into a TV room.

Wesley shrugged and went into the back offices to get his coat and keys so he could go home and sleep.

*********

Buffy watched as Angel's wounds healed after drinking a couple pints of blood.

"Why'd you do that?" Buffy asked, looking up him with serious eyes.

Angel sat down heavily on the bed and replied, "I don't know.  It was sorta like a dream, you know?  I didn't think it was really happening so I didn't think I was really going to die so I agreed.  But then reality intruded just as the stakes were coming at me, that maybe this was real and I was gonna die and leave you alone," Angel wiped a piece of blond hair out of her face. "And I'll never do it again cause I know that's what you were gonna ask."

Buffy smiled at him and kissed him happily, "Good.  Cause if you hadn't I was gonna hafta chain you to the bed and never let you go."

"Chain me to the bed?" Angel quirked an eyebrow. "Is that good or bad?"

"Oh you!" Buffy playfully hit him on the chest before leaning down to kiss him.

Angel smiled against her lips before sinking into the mattress with Buffy beside him.

*********

"You want me to kill Grandmother?" a voice said from inside the darkened room.

"Grandmother?" Lindsey looked at the figure strangely before figuring it out. "Yes, I want you to sire Grandmother."

"But then she won't be my Grandmother anymore," the figure stepped out of the shadows, wearing a blood red, floor length dress. "I'll be her Mummy."

Lindsey rolled his eyes.  They were right when the said Angelus had driven her insane.

"Yes, I guess you will be, won't you Drusilla?"

Drusilla gave him a deathly stare before coming over, invading his personal space and asking coldly, "Are you mocking me?"

Lindsey was shocked, this was a different Drusilla then one before.  He shook his head quickly and Drusilla let him go.

"Daddy might not like that," Drusilla recalled absently. "He never liked it when I interfered with Grandmother's business.  You aren't giving me anything that is useful.  Miss Edith says that my Spike will help me," Drusilla went back into the shadows and came back with a doll whom Lindsey presumed to be Miss Edith.  Drusilla held the doll up to her ear, waiting for it to whisper something. "Miss Edith does say that my Spike must help me.  Get my Spike," Drusilla listened to her doll again. "Miss Edith also says that you must take out the chip from my Spike's head.  You will do that, won't you?"

Lindsey nodded immediately.  Pushing a button on the phone, it dialed and the voice of the secretary came on, "Yes?"

"This is Mr. McDonald.  Put me on a line with Mr. Holland."

"Please hold, sir."

"What, Lindsey?"

"I got Drusilla," Lindsey told him.

"Just like I asked you," Holland told him. "Is that what you called me about?"

"No," Lindsey replied. "In order for her to turn Darla she needs Spike."

"Spike?" Holland was confused.

"William the Bloody."

"Ah, yes, Mr. Bloody," Lindsey could hear Holland smirk over the phone.

"Said that her dolls were telling her that Spike had a chip in his head," Lindsey informed him. "She needs Spike without the chip in his head in order to make Darla a vampire again."

Holland muttered something before speaking clearly over the phone, "I'll get the Initiative on the phone.  I'll send them to Sunnydale and get Mr. Bloody and return him to Drusilla.  Understood?"

"Very much," Lindsey told him. "I'll tell Drusilla."

Lindsey hung up the speakerphone and turned to Drusilla, who was talking to her dolls again, "Drusilla?  Spike will be here tomorrow."

Drusilla smiled smugly and looked at him, "Good.  My Spike and I will not disappoint you.  Grandmother will help us get Daddy back.  Then we will reek death wherever we go.  What fun!  Don't you think Miss Edith?"

Drusilla started to talk to her dolls again as Lindsey contemplated what she had said… maybe it wasn't such a great idea to get three of the four who had almost taken over Europe.

Part 12

Spike woke up, his eyes focusing in the bright white ceiling. He tried to sit up but he couldn't, he was chained down and his head hurt like hell.

"Where the bloody hell am I?" he boomed trying to look around if he could see anyone.

"We just had some trained medical assistants take out the chip in your head, Mr. Bloody," a voice from behind him replied.

"It's Spike," he told the voice in a menacing tone.

"Ah, yes, that's what Drusilla was saying," the voice was closer now.

"Drusilla? What about her?"

"She said she needed you in order to help her do something," the voice came around, revealing a man in his mid-forties.

"Well, where is she?"

"In Los Angeles," the man answered. "I'm Mr. Holland, by the way, I work for Wolfram and Hart."

Spike looked at him dumbly, like he cared.

"Of course, you've never heard of us," Holland came to realization. "We're a law firm that helps demons. We're here to help you."

"Yeah, and I'm Billy Idol," Spike scoffed at him.

Holland got the joke and smiled, "Yes, well, perhaps Drusilla could convince you," he motioned to someone and then Spike's world went black again.

*********

Dawn led Pride into the main room after school let out.

"Nice digs," Pride commented.

"It's my sister's boyfriend's place," Dawn told her. "I'm staying here till my mom gets better."

Pride smirked, that wasn't the real reason she was here. But then, the real reason she is here was sorta, ya know… dead. When Dawn turned around Pride smiled ad replied, "You're mom's sick?"

"Yeah," Dawn answered, moving farther into the hotel. "Something with her head. No big. The operation made it better, thank goodness."

Angel came out into the main room, looking at the mail on the counter.

"Hey, Angel," Dawn greeted. "I'd like you to meet my friend, Pride."

Angel turned his attention to the two girls in front of him and smiled, "Hello, Pride."

"Hi," she answered.

Angel just smiled again and continued checking the mail.

"He is such a hottie!" Pride whispered to Dawn.

"Just don't tell Buffy that," Dawn looked back at Angel. "She'll glare at you really hard till you shut up."

Pride chuckled, it wasn't like she was surprised. Those two had been in prophecies since she could remember. The Powers That Be had always been talking about the "fated couple" this and the "fated couple" that whenever she had gone to see them. Those two had been destined for many millennia.

*****

When Spike woke up six hours later, he found himself seated in a plush chair in a large office with the curtains closed and a man of about twenty-five sitting in front of him.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" Spike raised his eyebrows at the man in front of him.

"I work for Wolfram and Hart," he answered. "I'm Mr. McDonald, but you can call me Lindsey."

"Great, another wanker," Spike muttered.

"Yeah, well, I'm supposed to take you to Drusilla as soon as you awoke, and since you're awake I supposed I should take you there," Lindsey picked up the phone beside his desk and dialed the front desk. "Yes, this is Mr. McDonald, I need you to close all curtains from my office to where Drusilla is… Five minutes… fine then, thank you."

Lindsey hung up the phone and motioned for Spike to get up, "Your coats hanging on the hook by the door."

Spike got up and moved towards the door. Picking up his jacket he recalled, "You took out the chip, right?"

"Yes, Drusilla requested it," Lindsey followed him to the door, pulling it open and looking into the corridor. "Wouldn't help us if she didn't have you without the chip."

"What would you need Dru's services for?" Spike asked as he followed Lindsey down the corridor to where Drusilla was.

"We brought Darla back as a human the beginning of summer," Lindsey told him. "Turns out she had syphilis before she was turned and she had it when we brought her back. She is a liability to our company and Angel doesn't want her dead."

"Yeah, well, since Peaches has his soul, he cares about everything," Spike mentioned. "People, demons, flowers, trees, birds, -"

"I get it," Lindsey told him, stopping at a door and unlocking it. Stepping aside to let Spike in, he closed the door and called, "Drusilla? Are you in here?"

"Miss Edith says you've brought my Spike," she said from shadows. Spike could see her moving towards them.

"Yeah, I'm here, pet," Spike answered, slipping off his duster and placing it on the nearest chair.

Drusilla fully emerged from the shadows and clapped her hands like a little child, "My Spike! Miss Edith said you'd come!" she rushed towards him, Spike catching her easily.

"Miss Edith is always right, isn't she, pet?" Spike asked. Drusilla nodded ecstatically as she kissed Spike. "That's what I thought, pet."

"Did they take the chip out of your head?" Drusilla inquired. "Because if they did not, Mr. McDonald will be the first I will drink of many."

"Don't worry, luv, they took it out."

"So we can kill that Slayer?" Drusilla's eyes lit up with joy. "Oh, what fun! Then we can have Daddy all to ourselves!"

Spike rolled his eyes, "Dru, we can't get Daddy back."

"Why not?" Drusilla whined.

"Cause the damn witch back in Sunnyhell made sure his clause in his curse didn't break this time," Spike told her, holding her by the waist.

Drusilla stuck out a pouty lip and whined, "But I want Daddy to help us!"

Spike gathered her up in his arms and told her, "I heard ol' Drac's gonna pay Daddy a visit. Wouldn't you like to see Dracula again?"

Drusilla smiled evilly and nodded as she kissed Spike again.

Part 13

Buffy kicked the vampires against the wall, staking it swiftly, "I swear, the vamps these days are really easy to kill, did ya know that?  I have a better fight with Spike with a chip in his head then I do with these new fledgings.  God," Buffy threw up her hands in defeat as she started to make her way back to the hotel, mumbling all the way how today's vampires weren't as good as eighteenth and nineteenth century ones.

She ran a hand through her tangled hair as she came into the main room of the Hyperion.  Seeing Angel sitting on the couch she plopped down next to him.

"Hey," Angel murmured, pressing a kiss into her hair. "How was patrolling."

"Easy," Buffy sighed. "The fledgings today are really easy to beat.  It sucks.  I literally have a better chance with Spike than I do with the one's a dusted tonight."

"I'm sorry," Angel replied gathering her up in his arms and hugging her tight.

"You're so sweet," Buffy told him, kissing him on the lips.

"Oh, how touching," a voice came from the main doors. "Don't you think, luv?"

"Oh, yes…" came the response.

Buffy and Angel looked toward the doors to see Spike and Drusilla standing by the doors.

"How'd you get in?" Buffy demanded.

"Public building, Slayer," Spike reminded her. "Just like school's, stores, and such.  Right, luv?"

"Yup."

"And thanks to Dru here, I don't have that ever annoying chip in my head," Spike told Buffy and Angel.  He shifted into game face, "Now I can kill you, Slayer."

"Spike…"

"What?"

"We can't kill her remember?" Drusilla leaned closer to his ear and reminded him. "We have to kill Grandmummy, my Spike."

Spike nodded reluctantly and put back on his human face before pulling out a cell phone from his duster pocket, "Yeah… we're here… send them in… Drusilla wants to do it… alright."

Before Spike could put the cell phone back in his duster pocket a dozen guys came crashing through that reminded Buffy of the Initiative people.  They pulled Buffy away from Angel with such speed that Buffy was surprised.  They pulled out needles and inserted them into tubes before injecting the substances.

"What the hell?" Angel inquired before passing out along side Buffy.

"Wasn't that easy?" Spike asked before nodding the men out.

Drusilla started up the stairs before suddenly stopping, making Spike collide with her back.

"What wrong, baby?" Spike asked, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

"Grandmummy wants to play hide and go seek!" Drusilla squealed.

She brushed past Spike and raced down the stairs calling, "Grandmummy!  Where are you?"

Spike shook his head as he followed Drusilla around the hotel.

"Grandmummy?" Drusilla opened the cabinet doors to find Darla cowering in the corner of it. "I found her, my Spike!"

Drusilla pulled Darla out of the cabinet and to her feet.  She shifted into game face and asked, "Can I eat her now, Spike?"

Spike opened the refrigerator and made a sound of disgust.

Drusilla turned her amber eyes to Spike and demanded, "What's wrong?"

"Just the blood Peaches is eating is kinda bad," Spike told her closing the door. "Oh, yeah, you can eat her now."

Drusilla muttered something before sinking her fangs into Darla's neck.  Darla's eyes widened as she noticed the life draining from her.  Drusilla licked the small puncture wound before slitting her skin just below her neckline, drawing blood.  She guided Darla's head there, "Drink, my little baby."

Darla did as she was told until Drusilla felt her limp in arms.  Drusilla frowned, "She's dead."

"Yeah, well, pet, they're dead till they rise tomorrow evening, right?" Spike looked at her, puffing on his cigarette.  Drusilla nodded and Spike continued, "We better get going before Peaches and the Slayer wake up."

Drusilla nodded, licking the blood off her lips and handed Darla to Spike, who hoisted her over his shoulder.  Taking one last looked at the Slayer and the vampire they left.

*****

Angel groaned as he came awake.  He turned to Buffy who was also coming awake.

"What happened?" she asked groggily.

"I think they drugged us."

"Oh," she simply said before sitting up and clutching her head. "My head hurts."

Angel scooped her up in his arms and headed toward his bedroom.  He set her down on the bed and kissed the tip of her nose, "Sleep."

"I hope Darla's okay," Buffy murmured sleepily before falling unconscious again.

Angel's head snapped up as he tried to sense another heart beat in the hotel.  He heard none.

"Oh shit."

*****

Spike watched as Drusilla prepared Darla for her rising.  Lindsey stood by Drusilla as she talked to Darla in her insane way.

"Can she hear you?" Lindsey asked, not quite getting Drusilla's insaneness.

"She's dead," Drusilla told him as if he were stupid.

Spike slipped an arm around her waist, "Of course she is, luv," he kissed her temple.

Holland walked in and behind him was an attractive young woman.

Spike grinned and came over to her, "Hello, pet, what's your name?"

"Lilah Morgan," she told him before going over to Lindsey and asking, "Do you think you have a chance with her now?"

Spike sneered at her before going to stand by Drusilla again, waiting to here Lindsey answer.  But all he gave her was a look.

"Hello, Drusilla," Holland said.

"I'm going to be a Mummy!" she told him, light shining in her eyes.

"Yes, yes you are," Holland replied like he was speaking to a child. "Well, I'd stay for the rising but I have a arrangements to make."

"I have arrangements to make also," Drusilla told him, starting to pull thin white fabric over Darla's still body.  Forgetting that anyone else was there she started to talk to Darla again.

"Maybe I should stay," Lindsey offered, unable to take his eyes off Darla.

"It's clearly a family matter," Holland told him, ushering him and Lilah out the door.

"Daddy's in for a big prezzie!" Drusilla squealed as she had Spike lift Darla and take her over to a box of dirt.

"Yeah, he sure is, pet," Spike started to cover Darla's body with dirt along with Drusilla. "He sure is."

Go to Part 14