Part 19

Dawn took a swig of her soda before starting the next algebra problem.  As much as she liked school, Math was the one subject she loathed.

Angel walked into the main room tiredly, the effects of the spell getting to him.  He glanced over at Dawn and raised his eyebrows.

"What is that?"

Dawn looked at her glass soda bottle and gave him the "duh" like, "It's a soda."

"It's green."

"So…" Dawn rolled her eyes at the vampire. "You're blood is red."

Angel growled under his breath as he made his way behind the counter to get some blood.

"Angel?"

Dawn looked over to the balcony.  Her sister was leaning over the railing decked out in Angel's dark red silk shirt.  It was obvious what they had been doing last night.  Buffy made her way leisurely down the steps, stopping at Dawn.

"Did you get my one?" Buffy didn't wait for an answer, she picked up the soda bottle and took a drink.

"Hey!" Dawn protested. "I don't know where your mouth has been."

"On Angel," Buffy told her sweetly, giving the bottle back.

Dawn grimaced, taking the bottle and wiping the top off.

"Next time you get a one, get me a 'Crushed Melon'.  I'll pay you back," Buffy told her as she made her way behind the counter.

"What are you two talking about?" Angel inquired as he handed Buffy a cup of coffee.

"Jones Soda," Buffy answered taking a drink of the coffee.  Seeing his confused look, she explained, "They make soda like 'Green Apple' and 'Crushed Melon'."

"Oh."

"Don't worry about it," Buffy kissed his lips lightly. "Where's Willow, anyway?"

Angel shrugged, "Cordelia said that she and some guy she couldn't see clearly where upstairs doing something.  Talking, I think."

Buffy shrugged, "I'll check into after I shower.  Wanna join me?"

Angel nodded as he followed Buffy out behind the counter and up the stairs, "The pleasure is all mine."

*****

Willow idly played with the ring on her finger as Oz watched her.

"So Tara had you under a spell?" Oz confirmed, breaking the silence that had settled over the room.

Willow nodded, "And then she gave me the vile to get out of it.  It's so weird," Willow fell back onto to the bed and sighed. "Then while I was going through my ever growing collection of spellbooks, I found a way to get rid of the werewolf."

"You did."

"Uh huh," Willow got up and grabbed a particular spellbook, opening it to the marked page. "See, here."

Oz looked it over and asked, "Could you do it?"

Willow nodded, picking up a few herbs and a green glass ball.  She set them down on the floor and gestured Oz to do the same.  He did.

"Hold this," Willow handed him the ball. "With both hands.  All you have to do is sit there," Willow put some of the herbs in a wooden bowl and added two drops of water as she started, "I call upon the Higher Beings to helps me with my good doings.  I ask you to help me now, so you can show me how," Willow added the rest of the herbs ad continued, "I ask to help case this werewolf out, so the World can be helped out.  When I say the word 'be gone', make sure the werewolf is gone," Willow watched as the herbs in the bowl become a yellow lily and commanded, "Be gone!"

The lily wilted as a bright light escaped from Oz and into the green glass ball, leaving the lily black as death.

Willow smiled, "Okay, you're cured."

Oz smiled back slightly and stood up, stretching, "Thanks, Will."

Willow yawned and stood up.  She was surprised to feel Oz's lips on hers when she took a step closer to embrace him.  When they stopped, Willow gave him a surprised glance, "Does this mean we're together now?"

Oz chuckled and nodded before kissing her again.

*****

Spike dropped the last person to the floor in the small, secluded club at the edge of Sunnydale.  He glanced at Drusilla who was dancing around the bodies, murmuring things while holding Miss Edith.

"Dru?" Spike called her.  She ignored him, too caught up in her murmuring. "Pet?"

Drusilla heard him this time and stopped, looking over at Spike.  She walked over to him and wiped a small spot of blood off his chin before licking the blood off her finger.

"These people tasted good," she remarked. "I have always loved parties, especially with free food, don't you, my Spike?"

Spike nodded, taking her by the arm and leading her out onto the street, "We'll find another one like that tomorrow and you can eat all the food you what."

Drusilla gave Spike a giddy smile and commented, "I always like the sweet ones that taste like wine, don't you?"

Spike shrugged, "That's only because they're drunk, ducks."

Drusilla's face feel, "Oh."

"But," Spike tried to make her feel better. "I'm sure they taste just as good."

Drusilla smiled again before dancing around in the street as they made their way back to the mausoleum.

Part 20

The ringing of the phone woke Buffy up.  Nudging Angel awake, she pointed to the phone.  Angel begrudgingly answered the phone, anger evident in his voice, "What?!"

"Um… this is Giles," came a timid voice. "We have a but of a problem."

"And that is?"

"Drusilla and Spike."

Buffy groaned as she heard the names, knowing they were going to have to go to Sunnydale.

"What about them?" Angel asked.

"They're wreaking havoc all over Sunnydale," Giles paused for a second. "They that Buffy is a soulless vampire and that you are also soulless."

Angel sighed, sitting up in bed, ignoring Buffy when she protested.

"It was a spell," Angel explained. "Both of us had small consciousness so we didn't have a massacre or anything."

"I've heard of it," Giles replied. "It wasn't the smartest idea.  But Darla's dependence on Angelus made it a good plan."

Buffy got out of bed and walked over to the closet, pulling out a large duffel bag and started piling clothes in it.

"You want us to come to Sunnydale," Angel stated the obvious, already preparing to call his staff so they could go.

"Yes, because you see-"

"We'll be there in four hours."

"Um… alright then."

Angel hung up the phone and glanced at Buffy who was zipping up the duffel bag.

"Going to Sunnydale, huh?" Buffy asked as she walked with Angel out of the room and downstairs, setting the bag by the steps.

"Yeah," Angel told her before raising his voice. "Everybody in here now!"

Everyone took their time getting into the main room.  Cordelia came in filing her nails, Wesley had to carefully put his alphabetically arranged book back, and Gunn just came in because he was there.  Angel was surprised when he saw Doyle trailing behind Cordelia.

"Doyle?" Angel asked in disbelief.

"Hey," Doyle greeted.  He was ready to say something more, but Cordelia cut him off.

"Willow brought him back with some spell," she informed everyone proudly.

"That reminds me," commented Buffy. "Where is Willow?

"She went back to Sunnydale with Oz," Cordelia told her. "They're back together now since Oz isn't a werewolf anymore and Willow's not a lesbian… it's all very complicated."

"I'll ask Willow when…" Buffy trailed off looking at Angel.

"We're going to Sunnydale," he told his staff.

Cordelia's eyes got big and Wesley dropped the coffee cup he had been holding.

"Where's Sunnydale?" Gunn broke the silence that had settled in the large room.

"Or a better questions, 'what is Sunnydale'?" Cordelia snidely remarked. "Sunnydale is the Hellmouth.  It's got all the demon spawn you can possibly imagine in it."

"In shorter version," Buffy clarified. "It's Demon, USA."

Angel noticed Gunn smiling at the thought of fighting some more.  Oh great.

"It seems Spike and Drusilla are wreaking havoc all over Sunnydale and they're trying to take it over."

Cordelia groaned, "Again?  Wasn't once enough?"

"They've been there before?" Gunn asked.

Angel nodded and turned to Cordelia, "Cordelia, I want you to get Kate over here.  Tell her it's urgent."

Cordelia rolled her eyes, sighing dramatically and went to call Kate.

"Wesley," Wesley stood up as Angel said his name. "Make sure the back windows of my convertible are tinted black and the top and windows up."

Wesley sighed in annoyance, but went to do it anyway.

"Gunn, I want you to get some of your best demon fighting people and take them along to Sunnydale with us."

Gunn looked weary for a minute before consenting and leaving.

Angel looked at Doyle and pondered for a minute, "I'm sorry, Doyle, I don't have anything for you to do, unless you'd like to-"

"That's alright," Doyle cute him off. "I'll just go… um… help Cordelia."

Doyle hurried out of the room to join Cordelia.  Buffy snickered at his hurriedness to get out of work.  Buffy dragged Angel over to the couch and had him sit, setting herself down in his lap as they waited.

After a few minutes Cordelia emerged from behind the counter with Doyle.

"Kate says she'll be her in about ten minutes," Cordelia tiredly told Angel. "What do you need her for anyway?"

"See if I can get Faith out of jail for about two weeks," Angel replied with a serious face.

"Who's Faith?" Doyle asked.

"Psycho Slayer," Cordelia informed without hesitation. "Has tried to kill Buffy and Angel way to many times for my liking.  Gave me a black eye and tortured Wesley."

"She's better now," Angel argued. "She wants to be better and if you keep on saying that she never will be."

Cordelia sighed, "Fine, fine, fine.  I'll be good and I promise not to hurt her.  That is if she get out of jail for a few weeks."

"She will," Buffy told them, snuggling further into Angel's embrace. "Cause if she doesn't, I promise to give her a cracked jaw or a few broken fingers."

Angel shot Buffy a look of warning, but Buffy ignored it.  Cordelia looked at Buffy and Angel, not liking the display of PDA in front of her.  She rolled her eyes and dragged Doyle away from the couple.

About five minutes later a fake blonde emerged into the hotel.  Buffy eyed the blonde knowing that was Kate by the attitude.

Angel pushed Buffy off his lap as he stood up to greet Kate, "Kate, hey."

Kate eyed Buffy, "Hi Angel.  What is it that you want?"

"I need a favor," Angel sat back down on the couch, Buffy beside him, and gestured for Kate to take the seat opposite.

"A favor?" Kate looked at him with cold eyes, making Buffy dislike her a whole bunch.

"It has to do with Faith."

"Angel…" Kate told him warningly.

"I need her out of jail and with me in Sunnydale for about two weeks," Angel continued calmly.

"Angel," Kate curtly said. "I can't let you do that.  She is a killer and she almost killed your associates.  You want her to-"

Buffy lost it and exploded, "Alright listen, babe.  I'm a Slayer, you know what that means?"

Kate nodded slowly.

"Good.  You know I can break almost all the bones in your body without you even realizing it, right?"

Kate nodded again.

"Then I'm sure you understand that you should give Angel and me our way, don't you?"

Kate was silent.

"Alright, when Angel was the Scourge of Europe he did a lot of torturing, some of which I'm sure I can get out of him."

Kate's eyes widened.

"Now, are you going to give us our way?"

Kate nodded slowly, defeated.

"Good," Buffy drawled.  Buffy shot Angel a look when he tried to reason with her. "You will bring Faith here in an hour.  Tell her Angel sent for her and that she will not be harmed.  You got that?"

Kate nodded for the fourth time.

"Alright," Buffy put on a smile. "You can leave now."

Kate turned and walked slowly to the door.  Buffy turned to Angel and smiled proudly before walking up the stairs to pack another bag.

Part 21

Buffy popped her gum, making Faith glare at her and Wesley shudder with the disgusting sound.

"What?" Buffy smiled innocently.

"You know what," Faith glared at her harder.

"Angel doesn't care, do ya Angel?" Buffy turned to her boyfriend.

"I'm not getting into this conversation," Angel told both of them. "You both are much stronger than me and prefer not to be dust."

Buffy sighed with annoyance and swallowed her gum, making both Wesley and Faith happy.

"Being stuck in a car with you for two hours is not my dream date," Faith muttered as the car was engulfed with silence.

*****

Buffy yawned as she and Angel made their way through the Sunnydale cemetery.  She looked over at Angel who was looking as bored as she was.

"Where is Spike?" Buffy whined. "I wanna kill him already!"

"We're not going to dust them."

Buffy looked over at Angel curiously, "Why not?"

Angel shrugged casually, "I want them to have a soul with torment, not a quick death.  It's not fair that I have to go through the agonizing guilt about the things I did with them while they prance around evil as ever."

A clapping sound erupted from the bushes as Spike appeared with Drusilla by his side, "Wow!  That was a good speech!  For a second I almost felt bad for all the bad things I've done."

Buffy groaned and rolled her eyes as Spike continued talking.

"But… then again," Spike smirked. "I am a soulless, bloodsucking demon, so I don't have to worry what about what Peaches has over here."

Drusilla looked directly at Buffy, making her shiver, "She's got big, black eyes.  Cow eyes.  Moo…"

Buffy looked at Angel who was standing beside her.

"Now, now, ducks," Spike told Drusilla, pulling her back to him. "Don't want to kill those two before we've have any fun."

"Or none at all," Buffy quipped.

Spike smirked and moved a step closer.  Buffy held her ground as Angel watched Spike closely.  Drusilla stayed where she was, mumbling insane things.  Buffy's leg shot out, making Spike fall to the ground on his back, dazed.  Buffy squatted down beside and told him, "Like I said, you weren't going to have any fun!"

Spike glared at her as she took a hold of Angel's arm and led him away with her.

*****

"What if they hate me?"

Buffy looked over a very worried Faith and tried to calm her, "Angel, Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn, and I will back you up one hundred percent that you aren't psycho bitch anymore, okay."

Faith gave her a look, "Well when you put it that makes me sound like I'm an ex mental patient or something."

"Or something," Angel muttered from behind Buffy.

Faith glared at him.  Giles answered the door, giving a look at Faith before letting them all in.  Faith swallowed and followed Buffy in, sitting on the chair nearest to the door.

"Alright, Giles," Buffy said, sitting herself down in Angel's lap on an armchair. "What's going on?"

Giles cleared his throat and replied, "Spike and Drusilla have started an army of demons in some warehouses in the outskirts of Sunnydale."

"What is it with them and warehouses?" Buffy whispered high enough for Angel to hear.

Angel shrugged at her question and turned his attention back to Giles.

"I see that you've brought Faith with you so that has more people to fight."

"An associate of mine is bringing more people to help fight," Angel informed.

"An associate?" Giles inquired.

Angel nodded, "His name is Gunn and he and some other guys kill vampires on the streets."

"They have the coolest truck!" Dawn informed from the stairs, where she was listening quietly.

"Dawn!" Buffy looked appalled that Dawn was there. "What are you doing here?  You're supposed to be in the other car with Gunn."

"Got bored," Dawn informed. "I also figured out that I can transport myself anywhere in the world.  Ever been to Paris?  They've got some-"

"You can transport yourself?" Buffy's eyes got big. Looking at Angel, she said, "I thought you said she could only repel things."

Angel shrugged, clearly not knowing something.

"I knew she could repel things, I didn't know she could transport."     

"Uh, guys?" Willow raised her hand slowly. "What's up with Dawn?"

Buffy swallowed, "Well…"

Giles took the hint and started explaining, "Dawn is the key-"

"Go me!" Dawn smiled widely, obviously had some sugar.

Giles glared at Dawn and continued, "The key unlocks the portal to hell or the afterlife, depending on who is using it for what.  A few monks changed Dawn into her human form and sent her to Buffy for sake keeping."

"Dawn's not… Dawn?" Xander asked.

"She is," Buffy quickly informed. "She's just, well, power in a human body."

Xander looked even more confused, but shrugged, not really caring anymore.

"So, Dawn?" Anya asked happily. "How old are you?"

"I've been here since the beginning of time!" Dawn answered happily. "If only I could remember stuff from then.  It'd be useful in History."

"Uh huh," Buffy looked at Angel. "How much did you tell her about her power form?"

"Ask Wesley," Angel held up his hands. "He had all the information."

Buffy heaved a big sigh and looked back at Giles, "So all we gotta do is get rid of Spike and Dru's little army?"

Giles nodded, reaching for a book on his shelf.

Buffy smiled wickedly, "Can me and Angel do that spell again?"

"What spell?" Anya asked, looking at Xander for information.

Xander shrugged, "They didn't tell me anything."

Giles cleared his throat loudly, "No, you cannot do that spell again.  I think it will only work once on them."

"Then what are we supposed to use?" Buffy asked, playing with the collar of Angel's duster.

Giles flipped to a page, "This spell."

Buffy looked it over and glanced up at Giles, "A 'Look Can Kill Spell'?"

"Yes, you just-"

"Look at them and -poof- their gone!" Dawn exclaimed interrupting Giles. "Can I do it, too?"

Buffy shook her head at Dawn's question and turned to Giles, "When do we have to do it?"

"The sooner the better," Giles answered.

"How about tonight, then?" asked Angel. "I can get Gunn and his people ready to help us."

Giles nodded, "Good idea.  At eight then?"

Buffy nodded for herself and Angel, getting off his lap and pulling him up with her.  She grabbed his hand and led him out of the room, saying, "We'll be back at eight."

"Gee, I wonder what they're gonna do for the next five hours," muttered Anya knowingly.

Part 22

Buffy flopped down on the couch in Giles's living room pulling Angel down with her, laying her head on his shoulder.  Gunn and his friends, two girls and two guys, Katy, Georgie, Rich, and Simon stood behind Buffy and Angel, arms across their chests, shooting menacing looks at anyone who tried to say anything.

"Um…" Buffy said, rising from her spot. "This is Gunn, Katy, Georgie, Rich and Simon.  Gunn helps Angel and they help Gunn."

Buffy blushed and sat back down quickly, looking at Giles to start talking.

"Erm, yes, hello," Giles nodded in their direction. "This spell that I'm going to put on Buffy and Angel allows them to literally kill anyone or anything with a single look-"

"So that's where they get the phrase 'If looks could kill'," murmured Anya to Xander and was rewarded with a glare from Giles. "Sorry."

"Anyhow," Giles continued. "I advise anyone there to try to stay out of Angel and Buffy's way, considering they will be killing people with looks."

"You will give Spike and Drusilla souls, am I correct?" Angel asked, looking over at Giles with haunting eyes.

"Yes, of course," Giles went over to his bookshelf and pulled out a book, slipping a piece of paper out of the book and handing it to Willow. "I do hope you're up for this again, Willow."

Willow smiled brightly, "It'll be way easier this time.  Last time I got bopped on the head really hard, but I haven't done that lately, so I won't have a problem."

"Uh, yes of course," Giles rubbed the bridge of his nose. "So you won't have a problem doing two?"

"Nope."

"I'll be here, too," Oz spoke up. "In case she needs extra power."

"Of course," Giles nodded, starting to set up the spell for Buffy and Angel. "Buffy, Angel, will you please start making your way to the factory where Spike and Drusilla are?"

"Sure," Buffy stood up with Angel. "We'll be on our merry way to the factory.  Gunn?  Faith?  You coming with?"

Gunn nodded, signaling to his people that they should come with him.  Buffy grabbed a stake off the table just in case, Angel did the same.  Gunn took his axe from the side of the door while his crew had smaller axes of their own.  Faith pulled a stake from her pocket, hiding it up her long sleeved pullover sweater and followed them out.

*****

The boxes exploded magically as Buffy and Angel walked surely to the warehouse doors, opening them quickly.  They stood inside the doorway, stakes in hand, and waited for the attack.

Which didn't come.

"Okay…" Buffy looked around. "Where are they?"

Buffy and Angel took a few steps more in, surveying their surroundings.

"Do you see anything?" Buffy asked Angel quietly.

Angel shook his head, looking behind him.  They heard a rustling sound behind some old boxes and instantly turned to the sound, ready to fight.

"You know," a voice behind them said. "You're 'stealthy' fighters, aren't so stealthy.  They let my minions know they were here the moment they set foot on the ground.  They're very loud, Angelus, you used to get better soldiers than this."

"The names 'Angel' now," Buffy told the voice that still hadn't showed itself.

"Ah… yes," the voice emerged, showing a pretty woman. "The cursed vampire.  Quiet a laugh I had when I heard about that, Angel.  Darla almost staked me.  Poor girl."

"Who's that," Buffy whispered to Angel, getting a look from the woman.

"I am Loral, best woman companion besides Darla to Angelus, Scourge of Europe.  I lost that title when the damn gypsies cursed him with his soul," Loral came closer to Angel, jutting out her chest for his view. "Do you miss me, Angelus?  All the fun we had?  I know I do."

Angel looked at her with no emotion and put it simply, "I've had better."

Loral's eyes had fire in them as she struck him, "You've had better?  What?  This… this cheerleader?"

"Who are you calling a cheerleader?" Buffy asked, astonished. "That was almost five years ago at Hemery.  And that was a lame comeback, by the way.  Now you have to die," Buffy smiled sweetly as Loral exploded into dust with a death look from Buffy. "It worked!"

Angel smiled as he grabbed her and walked farther into the factory, "If what she was saying about have Gunn and everybody, we're gonna need to find them."

Buffy nodded her agreement, flipping on the flashlight that Willow had done a spell on to make it brighter.  It lit up the whole warehouse, showing everyone in the room.  Including Gunn and his gang, but no Faith.

"Where's Faith?" Buffy looked over at Angel who shrugged.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Slayer and her lap dog," Spike came out of the doorway. "Come to have a little fun?"

Buffy pretended to think for a bit, "Um… no!  But, guess what?  Angel and I can play, while you get beat into peroxide colored pulp!"

"Oh, ha, ha, Slayer," Spike came fully into the open warehouse. "Give me a laugh, won't you?"

"The Slayer's going to," Drusilla held her doll up to her ear and cocked her head to one side. "Get a special surprise from her Mommy and Daddy soon."

"Uh, right, Dru," Buffy rolled her eyes and shot a look at the minion who was coming for her.

Drusilla watched as the minion turned to dust and screamed, "She's going to kill us!  Kill us all!"

"Actually," Angel smiled. "We were thinking we could just kill all your minions and leave you hear with souls."

"Like that'll ever bloody happen," Spike told him.

Angel looked at Buffy and Buffy smiled and mouthed, "Three, two, one."

"Oh my bloody hell!" Spike clutched his head and fell to the ground, screaming out other profanities.  Drusilla blinked before going unconscious next to Spike, holding Miss Edith is a death grip.  "What'd you do to us, Slayer?"

Buffy walked over slowly, kneeling beside Spike and answered, "What do you think all the voices of the people you killed going around in your little head is from?"

Spike looked up at Buffy with hatred in his eyes and answered truthfully, "You gave us souls."

Part 23

"Wow!" Buffy exclaimed. "And he gets the million dollars!"

"Buffy," Angel gave a warning. "Be nice."

Drusilla stirred beside Spike, dropping her doll and woozily standing up, "I feel… different.  There are so many more voices in my head.  They're all screaming at me.  Telling me things I can't understand!  They won't stop!  Make it stop!"

Drusilla fell to the ground in a fit of tears, clutching her head in panic.

"Look what you've done to her!" Spike tenderly went over to Drusilla, picking her up and soothing her. "I don't think she can take a soul, Angel, she's not ready for it."

"She should have been ready for it the moment she stepped foot onto my territory four years ago," Buffy told them. "She should have gotten one when she killed Kendra, but we were to busy with Angel, so she was lucky."

Spike glared at her, lifting Drusilla up and brushing her stray hair out of her face, "It's okay, pet.  It'll be better."

"Make them stop, my Spike!" Drusilla burst into a fresh batch of tears, soaking the front of Spike's black shirt.

"We can take them to Giles'," Angel spoke up. "He can help you."

Spike thought about it for a moment before nodding.  He stood up and untied Gunn and his people, who stood up, stakes and axes posed.

"Put them down," Angel ordered. "Find Faith."

Gunn nodded, leaving with his crew to go find Faith.  Spike lifted Drusilla in his arms, following Buffy and Angel out the door.

*****

Giles opened the door to find Buffy, Angel, Spike, and Drusilla on his doorstep.

"I take it the curses worked?" Giles asked as he invited Drusilla in.

Buffy nodded, "Spike thinks that Drusilla can't take the soul, though.  Says it's already to crazy in her head with all the voices without some new ones added."

"Yes, well, that is a problem," Giles went over to his books and pulled out an old dusty one. "I have heard of a spell that can cure insaness from almost anything."

"Almost?" Spike sounded doubtful as he made his way into Giles' kitchen, pulling out a bag of blood from the fridge and heating hit up. "I don't like that word, Watcher.  I don't like the pain Dru is in."

Buffy elbowed Angel, both smiling at the obvious love Spike had for Drusilla.

"It's worked all the five-hundred times before," Giles pointed out. "I don't see how this could be different."

Spike brought the cup to Drusilla's lips, making her drink the warm liquid, "How long with it take?"

Giles read over the text, "Five to ten minutes."

Spike nodded, taking a sip of the blood before giving it back to Drusilla, "Do it then."

Giles nodded, grabbing the few herbs needed for it and recited the spell, "Little voices in your head, make you never want to go to bed.  When this is too much of a hassle, simply pull this tassel.  For the demons that consume her, I say this spell to dissipate the demons in her," Giles sprinkled a bit of the herbs on Drusilla's head, making her sneeze.  Giles stepped back, indicating that the spell was done.

"You know," Buffy popped a chip from the open bag into her mouth. "That was really bad rhyming skills."

"I agree," Drusilla sat up, rubbing her eyes. "But, I don't hear anymore loud voices anymore."

Spike smiled at Drusilla, giving her a kiss on the cheek and then frowned, "Does this mean I have to be like Peaches and be celibate forever because I have a soul?"

Buffy bit back a laugh, knowing what was coming.  Drusilla looked at Spike, "Does that mean you love me Spike?"

Spike looked down at the floor, "Yeah."

Drusilla smiled, wrapping her arms around Spike, kissing his shoulder.

"And, no," Giles interrupted the moment, getting a death look from both vampires. "You cannot lose your soul through, uh-"

"Sex," Buffy leaned into Angel stifling a yawn. "Angel?  I'm tired.  Let's go home."

Angel looked down at Buffy, "Do you expect me to carry you?"

Buffy held out her arms and pouted, "Please?"

Spike looked away disgusted, "Let's go, ducks, before I end up throwing up something nasty."

"Alright," Drusilla stood up gracefully, following Spike out the door quietly.

Buffy held up her arms again and Angel gave him, pulling her up to stand by him.  Buffy smiled, placing a gentle kiss on Angel's lips before Giles interrupted.

"You know," Buffy glared at Giles, sorta mad that the spell didn't work anymore. "It's really annoying when you-"

The door clanged open, revealing Gunn with Faith's lifeless body in his arms.

"What happened?" Angel rushed over to Gunn. "Is she alive?"

"Yeah.  Just barely."

"What happened?"

"I dunno," Gunn shrugged. "I found her in an alley, looks like she got in a fight with someone."

"Probably one of the mayor's boys," Buffy cursed. "I knew they'd always be a nuisance.  Damn demons."

Faith gave a weak cough, "No… no, nothing to do with… demons… it's my time."

"What?!" Buffy looked down at Faith in alarm. "What do you mean?  You sound like some old lady on her death bed."

Faith chuckled and then winced, "Some people with weird skin told me I had to do something for Angel before I could… 'a spirit in the sky' as they called it."

"The Oracles," Angel murmured.

"Yeah," Faith smiled. "Complete opposites, but I doubt they could live without each other."

Buffy bit her lip, "What did they tell you exactly what to do, Faith?"

Faith swallowed, "I have to make Angel human by going to join Kendra and all the other Slayer's."

"No!" Angel turned to Faith. "Nobody is going to die because of me."

"Sorry.  Can't stop the ball from going up and the coming down without a stronger force.  Whether you like it or not, Mr. High-And-Noble, you're gonna be human," Faith coughed, this time bringing up blood. "Let's just say it's your 'Shanshu'."

Angel swallowed, "Is this what you want?"

"Yes."

"Then so it shall be."

The Oracles appeared, stepping lightly over to Faith, and putting a hand over her face, taking her soul out of the body and giving Angel her life.

"May you live happily… ever after, I think the saying goes," the female Oracle smiled as the vanished.

Buffy smiled at Angel, ignoring the strange looks from Gunn.

"Wanna go try the kitchen table again?"

Angel rolled his eyes and complied, following his girlfriend out the door, leaving a stunned Giles and clueless Gunn behind.

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