Summary: Angel's not responding to Darla the way she hoped. So Darla has another plan in mind.
Timeline: 5th BTVS and 2nd Ats. mid maybe...??
Rating: Same as the show. I hope...
Disclaimer: don't own 'em, so = P
Notes: This is a response to a challenge. I found it on a website. Nicola. Thanks for the challenge and the great idea.
Notes2: My fic won't follow the challenge entirely, but its pretty close. ~Stuff that happened before/dreams~ *thoughts*
Notes3: Buffy's mom is dead, so Buffy's in a funk =.( Riley's still around for the sake of the story... (and u know that riley is only good for two things in fics: humiliation or death...) what else?? The L.A. gang isn't peeved at Angel cuz he worked through his funk before he could slip up. Didn't do the nasty with Darla. Some stuff is going down in Sunnydale and lets just say Glory's on a vacation... she's doing somethin' god like. Other than that, I think everything's the same.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nicola's Challenge

Darla realizing she cant have Angel until she gets rid of Buffy.
Darla going to Sunneydale to mess with Buffy's mind.
Buffy starts to loose it.
Angel comes to save the day.
Please have some of the following-
- Buffy crying
-the term 'Scooby bonding'
- Angel finding out about 'Something Blue'
-Riley's death
-A rosery
-an emotional breakdown
-Spike talking to the fake 'Buffy head' ( that bond manicin thing)
- A Riley Angel fight with (verbal or psyhical)
- A crazy Buffy
-Xander doing a pros and cons of both Riley and Angel
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~ "I guess you weren't the daughter I thought you were..."

"Riley was using you...."

"Why couldn't you save me...?"

"Your pathetic.... not even worth dying for him..."

"We had faith in you Buffy.... but you failed us..."

"You're not the warrior we thought you were...."

"But you failed us..."

"Not the warrior we thought you were...."

"Failed us..."

"Thought you were...."

"Thought you were...."

"Thought you were...." ~

"No!" Buffy cried out, reaching out for her friends,  desperately trying to help them... to save them from that light...

*I failed you....* Buffy thought.

"Buffy?"  Dawn murmured as she came into her sisters room, "Are you okay? I thought I heard screaming."

Buffy wiped her sweaty brow, watching as her sister moved to hug her. "Buffy," Dawn whispered, "I miss her."

"I know, Dawnie. I miss her, too." Buffy said, her mother's face burned into her mind, the look on her face when she had discovered her mother's body, and had done nothing but panic. The funeral had been over for almost a month, and yet, Buffy and Dawn could still picture her laying on her bed in the middle of the night. And waking her from a bad dream...

Dawn often had nightmares about their mother, but not as horrible as they had been after their mother had died. It was almost as if the funeral had been the door to Dawn's pain. Finally closing...

But Buffy just couldn't let go. It hurt so much, and even with the support of Willow, Giles, Xander, even Angel... she still couldn't let go. She couldn't let go.

Silently she let her sister cry herself to sleep as she stared blankly out of her door when the image of a women appeared, and in an instant, disappeared in the doorway.

*Mommy?* A tear fell down Buffy's cheek.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hey Dawn!" Willow said as she entered the Magic Box. Willow and Tara, as usually, were sitting at a large table with books, trying to find spells to get rid of Glory.

Giles was behind the counter, preparing for whatever costumer that decided to drop by, while Anya played with the cash register.

Occasionally pressing the button that made that chiming sound that reminded her of the money she would make. Xander was beside her, snacking on some chips.

"Hey," Dawn said, cheerily, though she felt exhausted.

Tara seemed to notice, "Dawn, are you okay?"

"You do seem a little... fatigued." Giles commented.

"Oh, I'm okay." Dawn said, waving off their concern with her words. A tactic she learned from her sister, "What's going on?"

"Ah, just some Glory studies," Xander joked, "Where's the Buffster, Power Girl?"

Dawn frowned, "Ah... she wasn't feeling so hot. She's at home, getting some sleep."

"This is the seventh time this month that exhaustion has caused Buffy to be ill." Giles stated.

"Ooh!" Anya shrieked, coming around the corner, "Can we visit her?"

Everyone looked at Anya strangely. She usually stayed away from sick people. Of the late, anyway. She had a strong fear of dying ever since she realized what being human really meant.

"Well," Anya began, "I've always wanted to do that visiting thing, right Xander? It is where I go over to the sick person's house and give them chicken noodle soup and tea, right?" Dawn rolled her eyes, "She's okay, really. She's just been having nightmares." "Nightmares?" Willow asked, concerned, "Dawn, what kinda nightmares?"

Dawn shrugged, "I don't know. All I do know is that I wake up because Buffy's screaming."

Willow looked worriedly at Tara who put a hand on her shoulder. She moved over to Dawn, "Do you know if the dreams are the same?"

"No," Dawn said.

"Maybe Riley might know," Anya suggested, "They're usually the screwing--"

Xander clamped his hand over Anya's mouth and smiled at Dawn who rolled her eyes in return, "Riley doesn't know. Trust me. Buffy hasn't allowed him near her since... well... the whole mom being sick thing..."

"That explains why I always see him with his Initiative buddies," Xander said.

Dawn frowned, "Why would her dreams mean anything though? I have.... well... I have dreams about... mom.. all the time. What makes her dreams any different?"

Giles answered, "We have dealt with certain... ah, ghosts, or illusions, as you well remember Dawn. Hauntings in the dream state can be very dangerous to her health."

"She has been looking a little pale... er.." Dawn noted, remembering her sister that morning when she had wanted to tell her that she was going to the Magic Box, but she had been asleep.

"Maybe we could do a spell." Willow said, looking at Tara. Tara nodded, "We will if its needed. Maybe we should find out what's troubling her?"

"So, when do we leave for Buff's?" Xander asked.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~ Buffy ran as fast as her feet could carry her. Her heart was thundering in her chest, and she thought as if she were dying.

"Big, big girl..."

Buffy stopped, whirling around the center of Sunnydale's main street. The town was as empty of all life. She didn't understand it.

"Big, big world..."

Buffy glanced around in confusion.

"Can you handle the big, big world?" A soft voice chuckled. Sounding so sing song. The type Buffy despised the most.

"Who are you?!" Buffy called out.

"A friend.... of a friend..." A giggle followed.

"What do you want?" Buffy demanded.

For a moment, there was no answer, and Buffy wondered if she had been imagining it all.

"What do I want?" The voice mocked, "What do *I* want?!" Out of now where, a pair of strong hands clamped down onto her throat. Buffy gasped, grabbing onto the hands, trying to pry them from her throat, but it was no use. Her eyes looked up, but all she saw was a white hooded figure.

Again, it giggled, "I want the soul. And you hold it!" ~

Buffy bolted upward, her hands instantly around her throat. She felt a bruising, almost ghostly pressure still lingering behind.

*This is nonsense!*

She rubbed her eyes, and glanced at the clock. It was almost nightfall.

*Time to patrol.* Buffy thought, removing the sheet from her sweaty skin.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Why did you bring me back?" Asked the blonde.

The brunette smiled at the angered companion that was laying on the floor, "You were going to kill the lil' Slayer.... we don't want that now... now do we?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, "Why can't I have a little fun?"

"Because, she will become suspicious. And her group of sailors will aid her." The brunette retorted, kneeling beside the blonde, "I want some lemons."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The vampire growled....

Then received a harsh kick to his gut and doubled over. Buffy hurried toward him, stake ready when she was suddenly hurled off of him by another larger vampire.

She prepared, shifting her legs and tripping up the larger vampire. He was too large to fight at the moment, and Buffy wanted a good clean kill. Quickly, she ran back to the previous vampire and jammed the stake into his heart.

The blood in her veins were on fire as she whirled around preparing for the larger vampire when he jumped her, sending her spiraling into a large tombstone. Her shoulder hit its side, and she hissed at the sudden pain.

The larger vampire hissed and was about to attack her when his eyes widened and he was gone.

"Gettin' sloppy, pet?" Spike questioned.

Buffy groaned.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Y'know," Buffy started as she marched toward her home, "I didn't need your help."

Spike laughed, "Yeah, right. That's a riot."

Angered, Buffy spun around, ready to shout at the vampire, "Look, I don't need you to..." Buffy trailed as her eyes spotted something just beyond Spike. She pushed past him and gazed at the woods, her eyes wide.

A tear began to fall down her cheek and she reached out, "Mommy!"

The image vanished again. And more tears fell. Buffy fell onto her knees, her hands falling in her lap as she sobbed, "Mommy...."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~ He was sitting on his leather coach, tired after a long night of slaying. His muscles tense. His head leaned back, as he tried to relax.

"Your tense." He heard her soft voice breath into his ear as she rubbed his shoulders tenderly. He smiled, then groaned as her fingers worked his shoulders in just the right way. "You had a hard night, didn't you?"

He sighed, "One of the longest of my life." He caught her hand from his shoulder and kissed the back tenderly.

She giggled, "Angel. This is about you. Not me." She playfully swatted his hand, removing her own, and started massaging him again. "How was that long day of yours?" She asked after a while.

"Long." Angel laughed, then sobered quickly, "Come here."

Just as quickly as they had appeared, her hands departed. He watched as she walked around the couch. Dressed in white, the color suiting her  aura, her being, and everything she represented to him.

She sat down beside him, but he pulled her into his lap. She smiled and tenderly ran her hand through his hair.

"Did I tell you, how much I love you lately?" He asked.

Angel watched as her eyes went up, and the hand that he didn't hold went up to her chin, "Lets see... the morning after the bathroom scene... `I love you, beloved'.... the counter incident with the strawberries... `I love you so much.... and of course, the bed with the red rose.... `I love you... I need you... I could never leave you again, my love' ..." She gazed back into his eyes, "Nope, can't say you have!"

Angel growled softly, "You little minx."

"And don't you forget it!" She grinned.

He sighed, cupping her chin in his hands, "I love you, Buffy...."

She smiled, "I love you, Angel..."

"Angel..."

"Angel..."

"Angel..." ~

"ANGEL!!"

Angel bolted upwards in bed, his mind trying to register what had just happened.

Ever since Darla's dream influences had left, his old dreams of Buffy had returned. The one's where he protected the Slayer. The one's where she was vulnerable, and open. Loving, and pure. Always there when he came home from killing some demon.

Darla had simply taken Buffy's role away from him. All those dreams he had shared with Darla... he had wanted to really share with his love.

Now, Angel was panting in bed, with an annoyed brunette standing a few feet in front of his bed, "God, you *do* sleep like the dead!"

Angel sighed, a little grouchy for her to interrupt such a sweet dream, "What is it Cordelia?"

"Wes told me to come and get you. Giles is on the phone. He wants to talk to you about something." Cordelia said seriously.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tara gently rubbed the back of Willow's hand. She too was worried about Buffy's state. She looked horrible, her sleeping form tossed and turned in the soft sun light.

"Giles," Willow said, moving out of the room and toward the Watcher, "Isn't there anything we can do?"

Giles looked at Willow and rubbed his nose, "I don't know. I.. this is worse than the time that Buffy received an aspect of the demon... but I assure you Willow. I will do everything I can to find out what's happening to Buffy."

Willow nodded, "Where's Anya and Xander?" She glanced back in the room where Tara was gently applying a damp rag to Buffy's sweaty brow. Dawn sat in the whicker chair, looking pale and sad. Riley stood beside her, a look of worry on his features as well.

"They went to get some books from the Magic Box," He said, "I do it myself... but I dare not leave her like this."

Willow nodded again, "I'm just glad that Spike found us." She remembered the worried look Spike wore that night. How Buffy had been crying wildly, shaking and straining against Spike and Riley's movements to get her into bed. The way she had cried out for her mom, and how she couldn't save anyone.

That she was useless.

Willow thought. "It's almost ten. I'm gonna go make breakfast for the gang. Maybe some tea or something for Buffy... if she wakes up... y`know... keep myself busy."

"Yes," Giles said, nodding, "That would be good."

Willow started down the stairs, then turned to look at Giles, "You called Angel, right?"

"Yes."

"He can help her..." Willow said softly, "She'll get better, right Giles?"

Giles doubts were as strong as the others were, but as their father figure, and only real adult companion left in the world, Giles did what he thought best.

He lied.

"She'll be fine."

Willow smiled, "Good." And started down the steps.

Giles sighed, trying to hold himself together, for Dawn's sake, and for the sake of all the others. He entered Buffy's bedroom and nearly cried as she screamed in her dreams, then reached out...

"Angel!" Buffy shouted, bolting upward. She glanced around the room like a wild animal, before clawing away from the others, sobbing crazily.

"Sshh." Tara said, gently touching Buffy's hand, "It'll be alright."

Buffy gazed at Tara and shook her head, "No... no... No!" She shouted before jumping out of her bed and dashing out of the door.

"Buffy!" Riley shouted as he and Giles ran after her. They tried to hold her down as she wiggled beneath their hold just above the staircase. She shouted and threw them off of her, crying, "I have to save him... I have to save him... I have to..."

Tara quickly used her magick, the energy flowing from her hands in soft, gentle motions. She used it to hold Buffy down, as she slowly approached, the force field of concern and caring that Tara felt for Buffy surrounding her like a blanket.

Buffy did nothing but surrender. Her crying still heard, her body shaking violently still. By the time Tara was close to Buffy, Willow had ran back up the stairs. She wiped the tears that fell and sat down on one of the steps that was close to Buffy. Gently she stroked her forehead as Tara moved to sit on the other side of her.

Willow looked up at Tara, and wished she hadn't.

Tara, too, felt her pain. Tears of her own pain for the fallen Slayer, sliding down her rosy cheeks.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Cordelia asked, frantically as she followed Angel around his apartment, collecting various items, mostly weapons.

"Cordelia is right, it could be dangerous," Wesley said.

"Look," Angel said, picking up a large axe, "something is haunting her. And I'm the only one capable right now to find it, and kill it."

"Are you sure you wanna do this, man?" Gunn asked, "I mean, Cord's got a point. Danger doesn't do you good."

"And not too mention the major brooding that's going to come out of this in the end," Cordelia reminded him.

"This isn't just some random slaying," Angel said, "This is Buffy."

"Who's Buffy?" Gunn asked.

Cordelia rolled her eyes, "We'll tell you on the way."

"Wait, we're going with?" Gunn asked as Cordelia yanked on his shirt.

"Yes!" Cordelia exclaimed as Angel stuffed his things into a duffle bag, "You expect us to stay here while Angel's off in Sunnyhell? I think not!"

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Angel asked.

Cordelia glanced at the two other men beside her, then at Angel, "Positive."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"She looks sick." Anya said as she watched Willow try to feed Buffy some cereal. Willow had tried eggs and bacon earlier, but Buffy had simply whined and shoved the spoon away.

"What do you expect?" Xander said, wrapping his arms around Anya as they watched from the doorway of the kitchen. Tara was washing up some dishes while Riley was mopping the area that Buffy had splattered the food she did not want.

"I don't know." Anya said, honestly, "I've seen millions of men go crazy before, but I've never seen this... Xander, what's causing it?" She looked up at him.

"I don't know." Xander answered, "She doesn't want to talk to us unless she wants to."

Anya frowned, watching Willow.

"Buffy, its good. Really, it is." Willow prodded, trying to get Buffy to eat what she offered on the spoon. The frosted flakes were usually appealing to Buffy.

Buffy made a noise and turned away from Willow and began to gaze at the wall.

Willow sighed, gently taking Buffy off of her stool so she could take her back upstairs. She whined again, silently protesting. Wanting to spend her time looking at the wall... or maybe it was the pretty picture of the older lady on the wall that had caught her attention.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"What are you doing?"

Giles looked up from the books he had, and frowned as Dawn sat next to him. She looked tired, anyone could see that.

"Oh, I was just searching for a... a possible reason, or even solution for Buffy's behavior." Giles explained.

Dawn bit her lip, "She's going crazy, Giles."

Giles rubbed his forehead, "Don't think that."

"Why not?" Dawn demanded, "She's acting like it. And you know its true. She's loosing it just like Drusilla. Or worse!" Dawn broke down, "I lost mom... I don't wanna lose Buffy, too. Even if I'm not real, I don't wanna lose her!"

Dawn cried, and Giles draped a fatherly arm across her shoulders as sobs broke loose and escaped her pouting lips. He lightly patted her arm, then glanced at the windows.

The sun was setting. They would be here soon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy was confused.

She was holding Mr. Gordo close to her chest, glancing at everyone in her room. Why were they in her room? They didn't belong in her room!

Did they....?

"Are you okay Buffy?" The redhead asked.

She blinked. Why did they keep asking her that? She frowned, blowing air from her cheeks before tumbling onto the bed again. She stared up at the ceiling as they spoke around her.

"Why is she like this?" The blonde man... the one who came to close to her, said.

"We're trying to figure this out." The old one said. He reminded her of daddy... except, he wasn't her daddy. He was nicer than her real daddy was.

"Well, we have to find out faster!" The blonde man shouted again.

Buffy cried, grabbing onto a pillow and curling against it. He was so loud and mean.

"Now look what you did!"

Buffy continued crying. Holding onto her pillow and Mr. Gordo with a death grip. She watched with watery eyes, her face a washed in pain. The two girls that were always together, the ones Buffy trusted more than anyone else approached her.

"Shh." The blonde girl said, "He didn't mean anything by it."

"Tara's right, Buffy," The redhead said, "He's just upset right now. Its okay." Willow looked over at Riley who angrily stomped out of the room, Xander following to stop him from breaking something else.

Willow looked back at Buffy, "Is there anything I can get you Buffy? Do you want something?"

Buffy sniffed, "Want...?"

"Yes, do you want anything?" Tara asked, running her hand over Buffy's forehead.

"Want...." Buffy sniffed, "Want... want Angel... where Angel go?" She asked in a child-like voice.

"I'm right here."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Angel gazed at Buffy with pain in his eyes. She slowly sat up with the help of Willow and Tara. And pulled Mr. Gordo up against her, the plush pig placed next to her face. She wore butterfly pajama's, that made her appear angelic. Her hair was messy, making her look younger than she was.

She sniffed, her eyes were big and round. He could never recall her looking so lost, lonely, or more importantly, young.

"Angel?" She sniffled.

"Yes, Buffy." Angel said, taking a step into her room, "I'm here."

Buffy grinned, shouting, "Angel!" Before she stood, then leaped into his arms like a six-year-old. She wrapped her arms around his neck, still holding her favorite pig, and her legs circled his waist. He grunted in surprise but excepted the ray of sunshine warm-heartedly.

"Angel," She cooed, "I missed you..."

He lightly patted her back, avoiding all the looks he was receiving from the others as he moved out of her room and down the stairs. It was a little difficult with her clinging to him so tightly, but he managed to get to the bottom of the stops to see Dawn, and his L.A. gang seated on the couches.

All their mouths went slack when they saw the sight before them.

"What the he--"

"She do that often--"

"Hey!" Dawn shouted at her sister's hurt look, "Little ears in the room!" She said, pointing to her sister.

They all gave her a strange look.

Dawn huffed, "That's what Buffy used to say when I was in the room."

"Angel--"  Cordelia started as she approached him, but Buffy turned her head and growled, actually *growled* at her.

"Sshh." Angel patted her back, "Cordelia won't hurt you."

"Me? Hurt her?!" Cordelia snapped.

"Shh!" Willow hushed as she, Tara, Giles, and Anya came into the room behind Angel.

Buffy pressed her forehead against Angel's. Their faces nose to nose. She smiled shyly, and he smiled in return.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Riley!" Xander shouted, "Hey! Wait up man." He said as he followed Riley out of Buffy's house and into the backyard.

Riley did, and sighed.

"What was up with that back there?" Xander asked. "What do you mean, Xander?" Riley asked tiredly.

"What was with blowing up in Buff's room?" Xander demanded, "Y'know that she's in a *delicate* situation right now."

"Look, Xander," Riley said angrily, "I am beyond upset about this whole situation. My girlfriend, who hasn't spoken a single word to me since her mother's funeral, has been turned into a blubbering--"

"Riley!" Xander shouted, "Y'know what? Go home. We don't need you at this moment. She's perfectly fine without your yelling."

Riley shook his head and turned away.

Xander sighed and sat down on the steps.

He was quiet for a while, before his mind came up with some past time while Riley blew off some steam.

"Pro and con of Riley vs. Angel." Xander started, using his fingers, "Pro, Riley's human. Con, so what? Pro, Angel cares for Buff and is patient with her. Con, he's Deadboy. Pro, Riley is dumbass... easy to make fun of.. that's good to have around. Con, Riley is a dumbass."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Angel gently stroked Buffy's forehead gently. She cooed in her sleep, her face rubbing against the top of his thigh. Her head resting on his lap, her hands curled against his other thigh. She was so beautiful. It was hard to believe that she was.... ill....

"How long has she been like this?" Angel asked, not taking his eyes off of his beloved.

"Ever since last night." Willow murmured.

"Spike brought her in," Anya continued, "She was crying like she had just had her kidney removed."

Everyone blinked, then looked at Anya strangely. "What?" She glanced around.

Willow shook her head.

"What was Spike doing with her anyway?" Cordelia asked, "Last time I checked, he was the bad guy."

Giles sighed, "Well, to cut a long story short, almost nearly two years ago, Spike had a run in with a secret military camp. They planted a chip into his brain--"

Anya rolled her eyes, "There for turning Mr. Badass vampire into a defenseless puppy dog."

Angel laughed softly, still stroking Buffy's hair. He was about to ask if they had any ideas of what caused this, they heard Xander's loud shout.

Quickly, everyone ran toward the back door and saw Xander and the ground, a nail slash across his cheek.

"Xander!" Anya shouted, falling to her knees and picking up his head. Then settling it into her lap, "Oh! Who did this to you, Xander? Oh, I'll get them! I'll wish for their brains to explode in while its still in their head!"

Xander laughed faintly, "Don't do that. It's not right. No matter who did it."

"What happened?" Willow asked.

"I was finishing up the Pro and Con's game. I was Pro and Con number seventy-eight! Pro, Riley is the typical guy. Con, he's a typical guy, which means all he thinks about is sex--"

"Xander!" Giles shouted.

"I was attacked," Xander sighed, "By the insane vamp herself."

"Drusilla." Angel said.

Xander laughed, then winced, "You guessed it, and she wasn't just here for some good old fashioned Scooby bonding. She had a friend.. a blonde... she looked really familiar... she took Riley..."

"Which way did they go?" Angel asked.

"I don't know..." Xander said before closing his eyes, trying to fight the pain he felt.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~ "You'll never find your way out little girl...."

"Shut up!" Buffy shouted, searching the maze of invisible walls and tall vines. She had been running for what seemed like forever. And she felt like she was about to pass out from exhaustion.

The voice giggled, "Why should I? Little girl?"

"Stop it!" Buffy shouted, "Stop it!"

The insane giggling started again and it kept on and on....

"Shut up!" Buffy cried, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

The voice finally stopped its insistent giggling, and Buffy shook. She glanced around the area, and listened carefully.

"... Little.... girl..."

Buffy screamed. ~

"Buffy!" Angel exclaimed as he rushed to her side, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist.

She took one look at him, then threw herself into his arms. She cried, whimpering his name like a word of strength.

"Honey, what happened?" Angel asked.

Buffy sniffed, and swallowed hard, "I was lost."

"Go on." He whispered.

"The lady took my mommy away," Buffy sniffed, using his shoulder as a pillow, "She's so mean, Angel... she's so mean... so mean... so mean... so mean..."

She began to rock forward and back, chanting that sentence over and over. She was surely going to cry out, but Angel had dealt with this sort of thing before. He gently lifted her head so he could look into her eyes.

"I'm here, Buffy," Angel said, "The lady won't get you. She can't touch you."

Buffy stared up at him, her hand reaching up and touching his face wondrously. Her eyes were starry and she broke out into a smile.

"Angel comes and saves the day..." She grinned before falling into his arms once more and giggling.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Spike wobbled down the graveyard, his hand holding a large jug of whiskey.

*Just another night for good ol' Spike.* He thought groggily as he passed by a familiar old mausoleum, that he once occupied in before finding a larger one.

"So, this is the boy that takes my boys place?" He heard a familiar voice, "My boy must have soiled her tastes."

"He doesn't smell like her... he smells of wicked potions. Of hard bites and harsh touches..."

That voice....

Spike's eyes widened.

Though alcohol infected his body, Spike managed to quietly crawl toward the dusty window, and  peered inside.

*What is she doing here? And... and with Darla?  What in bloody hell...*

Spike watched as the two vampires he knew well wondered around the limp body that lay sprawled across a tomb, and tied with strong ropes. He watched as Dru walked around until he saw who it was.

*That bloke?! How in bloody hell did he get into this?!*

In any other situation, he would have watched Darla and Dru play with a person... but this was Buffy's... boyfriend.

And if anything would happen to him, there was little doubt in his mind that he would be the one to blame.

***

"What's she mumbling?"

Angel looked up for the first time in nearly an hour of watching Buffy. She would occasionally murmur some incoherent word then continue gazing at various objects in the living room.

Giles, Xander, and Wesley had gone to search for Riley, though Angel had pointed out that they could be anywhere at that moment. Willow and Tara were sitting on the carpet, blankets drawn around them as they searched for a way to get Buffy out of this strange state.

Cordelia, Gunn, and Anya, oddly enough, had gone into the kitchen for food, but had started a discussion about who knows what.

Angel had thought Dawn was with them, but she was now standing in front of him on the sofa.

"What?"

"She's mumbling." Dawn pointed to her sister, "Do you know what she's mumbling about?"

Angel gazed down, then back at Buffy. Her eyelids were heavy and her mouth was parted slightly as words spilled out.

"Some of it is hard to make out." Angel said honestly, "All I can make out are the words `I', `Mr. Gordo', and 'fat cookies'. Whatever that means."

Dawn frowned, "Fat cookies?"

Angel nodded.

Dawn muttered the words to herself, "Fat cookies... fat cookies... fattening cookies!"

Angel, and both Willow and Tara looked up at her strangely. Dawn shrugged sheepishly, "Back when mom... mom used to make cookies." She explained, looking at Buffy, "She always called them fattening cookies `cause mom would put tons of chocolate chips and peanut butter into them. Sometimes she'd at some kind of special frosting..." Dawn looked at Buffy again.

"Funny." Angel said, "Buffy's never mentioned that to me before."

"I know." Dawn said. Angel frowned, confused as Dawn continued on, "I know that people say that they know the person they love inside and out, but Buffy and I both know that that's not true. We both know that, no matter how much you love someone, or how much you think you know a person, they can one day just... `pfft'. And be gone. Or--or do something to betray you. It's something that happens, right? You can't fight that."

"Dawn," Angel started as he touched her shoulder. He could see right through her. It appeared that Dawn had picked up a lot of Buffy's little tricks. Like the one she used now to hide the pained feelings she felt now. "I might not know Buffy as well as I used to... but I know her enough that I can recognize her heart and soul. And know what she's really feeling. Its not a talent, Dawn. Its what makes Buffy's bond with me special."

"Man." Dawn sighed, "Buffy was right, again."

"What?"

Dawn smiled, "You are good."

Angel laughed.

"Oh, bloody hell! It wasn't bad enough ol' blonde bitch and Dru were here, but the ol' poof, too?"

Angel growled, "Spike." He was about to rip his childe's head off when Dawn grabbed onto his arm, "Hey! Hey! He's on our side now, okay? Don't worry about him."

"Its a little hard to not want to kill him," Angel said to Dawn, but loud enough for Spike to hear, "Old habits die hard."

"I'll bloody say."

"What are you doing here Spike?" Willow asked while Cordelia, Gunn, and Anya walked into the room.

"Ah," Spike sighed, "I was just strolling through the park, red. Thought you might wanna know Mr. Ex Commando is being held by some former associates of poof's and mine."

"We should call the others and let them know the heads up," Willow said, "Y'know. So they don't go off and get themselves killed."

"Right," Anya said, "I call Xander on his cell phone."

"Xander has a cell phone?!" Cordelia nearly fainted, "When did this happen?"

"Oh great, its princess scream queen." Spike sighed, "What, did you get tired of ol' L.A. life already?"

Cordelia simply huffed.

"This is stupid," Dawn spoke up, "I wanna help Buffy. Can we please focus on that?"

"But how are we gonna do that when she's... like that?" Cordelia asked.

She got no replies, until Willow shot up, standing on both of her feet, "I got it!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Are you sure this is wise?" Giles asked as he and Wesley played the `Con's' in the new discussion.

"Yes," Willow said, "Reaching into Buffy's psyche is the only way we can find out what's going on. It's our only good shot at the moment."

They had been talking about how to help Buffy ever since the search team for Riley had come back.

"But the psyche is not something you can simply toy with," Wesley pointed out.

"We know," Tara said, speaking up for Willow, "Which is why we need to find the root of the problem. The longer a person stays in another's psyche, the more damage that person  can cause. Which is why we're doing a simply retrireview."

"It could be dreadfully dangerous." Giles pointed out.

"We know," Willow said, moving toward a sleeping Buffy, "We checked her psyche earlier with a spell. It's off the charts in the hyper destruction meter."

"So you can't possible withstand something like that," Wesley said.

"Which is why, I'm not going in," Willow explained.

"I am." Angel spoke softly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"What?!" Several voices shouted.

"Lower the decibels." Dawn said.

Cordelia took a step toward Angel, "What do you mean by that?"

"I'm gonna go into her mind with my own," Angel explained.

"But, you heard Wes. Its dangerous man," Gunn said.

"I know," Angel said, "but she's in pain. That's something I can't just ignore." He stood, "Look, I know most of you are concerned--" He glared at Spike, "but don't be."

"Angel's right," Tara spoke up, "From what Willow has told me, he battles with an inner demon. Which takes a great deal of mind control."

"Mind control?" Cordelia nearly laughed, "Did you see the stuff Dar--"

"Angel's mind is settled," Wesley interrupted, "We can't change that."

"'Sides," Willow said as she and Tara sat in a circle of candles and herbs, "Tara and I are going to be lending our strength to Angel."

"We'll be guiding him in and out of  Buffy's psyche. It's important for you to remember that once you're in, you're on your own." Tara said giving Willow her hands.

"All right," Angel said, "So when do we begin?"

Both Tara and Willow snapped their gazes at him, Tara's eyes were completely black while Willow's were an eerie white. The color contrasting with one another, balancing out the energy that they put into Angel.

"Now." They said together.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Angel blinked as he was blinded by a harsh bright light.

Then his eyes adjusted and he knew where he really was.

He was standing inside a house that was decorated with warm colors. The windows were open and let in the sun's blissful rays, that did everything but burn him. He glanced down at himself and was in new clothes. Though they were close to his usually clothing. He wore a white sleeveless shirt, a blue shirt over that, the buttons undone. Black slacks and his usually boots.

Deciding he should find Buffy, Angel started walking around the house. He passed by many pictures of Buffy. She and her mother, or Dawn. Ever now and then he would pass pictures of her friend and she. Angel continued gazing at certain pictures as he moved into the living room, when his eyes came across something he thought he'd he never see.

Almost scared that it would disappear, he slowly picked up the silver, Celtic frame. His eyes stared in astonishment as he gazed at the picture of Buffy and him. They were sitting on a bench near the pier in Los Angeles. The sun was just setting and they were laughing. Buffy was hiding her face in the crook of his neck, slightly. The way she used to do when she was embarrassed. As if the person who took it had made a remark.

He slowly placed the picture down and walked on. But the more he did, the more pictures he would find of him and Buffy. One of them sitting on a couch as he read a book of poetry to her. Another of them at a party, standing with every one of her friends, and his from L.A.

The next one was what really got him. He picked it up and gazed at him, Buffy, and the bundle in his arms that he raised above his head. They both gazed up at the baby....

Suddenly, the picture itself unfolded before his eyes. And he was in a nursery, watching Buffy and himself.

"He's so tiny," His other self said.

Buffy smiled, "I know." She watched as Angel brought the little boy above his head and smiled.

His smile grew as he brought the child back down to his arms again, and it cooed. They both smiled, and surrounded the child.

"Our little boy," Angel mused, "Our little Liam."

Almost as quickly as the scene appeared was it gone. And Angel was standing in the doorway of the house.

"Angel!" Buffy shouted as she jumped into his arms, dressed in a warm orange sun dressed. He accepted her and hugged her back, just before she drew back and kissed him happily. She smiled and played with his collar, "We missed you today."

"We?" Angel asked confused.

Buffy laughed, "Children!" She called over her shoulder, "Your father's home!"

Within a few seconds, three giggling masses appeared from the stairs above and all three of them jumped into Angel's arms.

The first one, who was slightly older than the other two, had dark blonde hair and brown eyes. He was at least six or seven years old. The other two were near the same age, and seemed to look a bit alike. The girl had big green eyes, as the boy did, but they had slightly different colored hair. The boys hair was brown while the girls was a lighter shade of that brown.

"Dad! Dad." The oldest boy said, "You should have seen me today! I walloped Alex's pitch! It was so cool!"

"He did," Buffy confirmed, "Liam is getting better at baseball."

"Yeah! Could you teach me more?" The boy, Liam, asked.

"Sure," Angel said, unsure.

"Daddy," The little girl said next, "Aunty Dawn and Aunty Willow and Uncle Xan... Xan... Uncle Xan came over t'day!"

"Yeah," The other boy said, "They brought Alex, and--and--and Daniel, and--and--and Joy!"

"Doyle and I got to play with them!" Thee little girl squealed, "Didn't we Doyle?"

"Yep! We even got to help Aunty Willow bake cookies!" The boy, Doyle shouted.

Buffy smiled, "All right. Liam, Doyle, Kathy. I think its time you three start getting ready for bed."

"Ah, but Mom--" The three started.

"You three promised me that if I let you stay up until your father came, then you would go straight to bed afterwards."

"Okay, mommy." The three of them murmured.

"Good," Buffy said, "Now go kiss your father goodnight. I`ll be up soon to tuck you in."

The three did just that, kissing their father on the cheek and hugging him before running up the stairs in a ray of tiny squeals and shouts.

Buffy laughed, "Oh. Who would have thought we'd be blessed with those three?"

"Buffy," Angel started.

"I love you, Angel," Buffy said, hugging him tightly.

"I lov--"

Angel blinked.

The room had disappeared.

Now he stood in a strange forest.

One thing stuck in his mind.

*Where are you Buffy?*

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"What happened to him?" Anya asked.

"He's in the mind of the Slayer," Tara said in a deep distorted voice. "Do not interfere." Willow finished, her voice distorted, yet slightly high-pitched.

"Okay, this is super creepy," Cordelia said, watching the two wiccans at work.

"There doing their mambo jumbo," Spike said, "Let `em be."

"It was still creepy the way they knocked Angel out like that." Cordelia gestured to Angel's fallen form in front of the couch where Buffy laid.

"What do we do now?" Dawn asked.

Giles sighed, "We wait."

"For us? How kind." Darla giggled as she and Dru entered the living room.

Dawn screamed, grabbing onto her sister.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Buffy?" Angel softly called as he wondered down that path of dried leaves and large trees. When he came across a clearing, he stopped at the sight of her.

She was walking slowly, almost in a daze. But what startled Angel was the shadow that followed her. It was all around her, circling her with a dark light that made her appear hollow. He noticed it whispering in her ear as she wondered around the clearing, placing flowers on her bed the next to the grave of her mother that was a few feet besides her.

"Buffy." Angel said.

She didn't look up. Instead, fell to her knees and started to pluck the petals off the flowers and let the petals fall onto her mother's grave.

"Buffy," Angel placed a hand onto her shoulder when the dark shadow sprang onto him. Lacing its ghostly fingers around his neck and puncturing. Strangling him.

He fell back and struggled with the ghost. Buffy looked back at him and watched, dazed almost. He growled.

"You cannot interfere!" It growled.

Suddenly a dark warrior appeared, dressed in shreds of cloth. She had wild hair and dark skin. Some strange war paint covered her skin. Quickly, she grabbed onto the shadow and threw it. Then looked at Angel.

"Death is her gift."

"What..."

She looked at him, "Death is her gift. When she delivers it, you will know."

"But--"

"If you don't fight with all of your heart, there is no hope." Buffy whispered sadly as she stood. The shadow clinging onto her body again. She turned away and started to walk away from him.

"There is always hope." Angel argued, "It doesn't matter how many times you get knocked down. There's always hope."

Buffy slowly turned to him, her eyes wide.

He stood as well and started to walk away. Buffy watched, "Where are you going?"

Angel turned back to her, and walked straight up to her, "Home." He wrapped his arms around her, "I hope to see you there, love." With that, he kissed her passionately.

Then the light came again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ When Angel awoke, he woke to an ambush.

Cordelia and Anya were surrounding Tara and Willow who were now just calming down from the spell, exhausted.

Xander was knocked out on the floor with Giles. Gunn was just thrown to the ground by Dru while Spike was laying behind her. Wesley was also thrown to the ground, but by Darla.

Dawn was protecting her sister the best way she knew how. She grabbed onto her sister's arm and pulled her out of the room. She was a little dazed, but followed.

"Sunshine's going away," Dru said.

Darla whipped her head toward the two sisters, "Oh now you don't! I've waited to long for this!"

And took off after them.

Dru giggled just before she cried out painfully. She turned around and her eyes cried, "Love?"

She fell to the ground in a pile of dust.

Spike stood behind her, "Not anymore."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hurry!" Dawn said, dragging her sister down the steps of their back porch.

"Oh, no you don't." Darla shouted, snatching Buffy from Dawn in a quick fluid movement.

"No!" Dawn shouted, "Let her go!"

Darla laughed, "Why would I do that?"

"She asked nicely," Angel gritted out.

"Love!" Darla giggled, "Your just in time to join the party. I was so worried about you. Laying on the ground like that."

"What do you want with her, Darla?" Angel asked.

"Are you arrogant or what?" Darla grumbled, "She's the reason you haven't come back to me! She's the reason you stay loyal to these... these mortals! Traitor of hearts! I gave you everything and you still reject me!"

"So you attacked Buffy in her dreams." Angel said, putting the pieces together.

"You got it, babe." Darla said.

"I won't let you hurt her." Angel said.

"Oh, but Angel, think of it." Darla said, gazing down at Buffy's sleeping form, "Just one little snap of her pretty little neck and its all over."

Angel shook his head, "I don't care, Darla. We were finished even before we begun."

Darla growled, "Fine. If I can't have you the neither will she!" She was about to twist Buffy's neck when Dawn threw the remainders of last years pumpkin at her.

Darla hissed, "Stupid girl!" That's when Angel pounced, grabbing Darla. They scrambled down the steps of the porch and fell. Dawn stepped out of the way, and hurried to her sister.

"You were always the... jealous type!" Angel gritted out as he struggled with Darla. She loomed above him, her hands clawing at his throat, just like the ghost.

"You should have stayed with me, boy!" Darla hissed, "We could have had so much fun!"

Dawn watched, confused.  Unsure of what to do. A pair of hands broke off the wooden sticks that kept the railing up.

"And now," Darla said with a sweet smile that was betraying, "Sudden death." She whispered in his ear.

As quick as lightening, there was a loud grunt and Darla's eyes went wide. She gazed down at the sharp stick that now ran through her chest. She gazed at Angel who also looked on in shock.

Darla let out a whisper of a cry before disappearing before Angel's eyes. Sitting on the bottom steps, Buffy stood with the broken rail stake. She breathed in, the light shining over her as Darla's magick was lifted from her. The shadow and dark light in her eyes faded.

Buffy gazed at Angel and she dropped the stake. Breaking down, she let out a horrid cry. Dawn moved and sat next to her sister. Dawn wrapped her arms around her and Buffy cried.

Angel moved in front of Buffy and she launched onto him as well, pulling him down to where she and her sister sat and cried out for all she was worth.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~2011~

After the final battle, life went on as it always did.

Angel stood on the roof of the large apartment. Things had changed some over the years.

Cordelia was a counselor, blunt and forward for those who desperately needed it. She was married to a great businessman named Robert, who, unlike Wolfram and Heart, was an honest, businessman.

Gunn and Wesley opened up a normal private eye, which was very successful. Wesley married a girl named, Fred, after dating for almost seven years while Gunn had six kids from his wife, Anne.

Giles had died during the final battle, and it had pained them all, but they moved on. It was strange, but Giles had left a video of his goodbyes, as with his will.

Dawn was a writer. She was a very popular fiction writer, who created a great fan base around `The Slayer' Who, oddly enough, Dawn named Buffy. She wrote everything that she had witnessed and even asked the gang for their advice and how they were feeling at the time being of whatever evil that they were fighting at the time. At the moment, she was finishing up the last part of her new novel, where Dracula had attacked her sister.

Willow and Tara had eventually broken up, but remained good friends. They ran a wiccan supply store in Los Angeles called Blessed Be. Tara had met a great women named Rita, while Willow found love again with Oz and had three loving children, who were without the werewolf gene since every preternatural creature turned mortal.

Xander and Anya had been married the longest, both having many children. Anya was a housewife, but refused to be called that. Xander worked during the week except on weekends, when he and his children would go to the hospital to visit his parents and make jokes with his kids.

Spike, strangely enough, turned biker. He traveled all over and now lived in Texas with a girl named Tammy who looked a great deal like Buffy, but no one commented on it. Spike managed to really love this girl.

Riley had died as well. At the hands of Darla and Dru. The they did mourn; they got over it fairly quickly and forgot all about him.

Angel sighed as those warm hands came around his waist. Though it haunted her to this day, her pain for her long dead loved ones had lessoned, and she grew to love and live with their memory in her heart.

"The children are ready for their bed time story," She whispered, kissing him on his neck.

"It is my turn, isn't it?" Angel asked.

"Yep!" Buffy smiled, moving to stand beside her husband for the last six years, "Just don't go telling them stories about us! Kathy had nightmares for a week, remember?"

Angel laughed, "But the boys loved it. Especially the one about the mayor."

"That's the thing," Buffy said, "Liam and Doyle are boys!" She giggled, slinging her arms around his waist.

"Well, they aren't too found of your love stories." Angel pointed out.

"So... what are you saying?" Buffy asked.

Angel laughed, "What I'm saying, my little Slayer, is that I love you."

"I love you, too." Buffy said before reaching up and kissing Angel on the lips.

"Eew!" They heard their two boys cry, "Gross. Mommy and Daddy are kissing!"

The couple broke away laughing.

"It's not gross!" Kathy said, punching her brothers, the loud sound of the hit echoing in their ears.

"Ow! Mom! Ow!" The two boys ran around the roof as Kathy followed in suit of showing her brothers how loving she could be.

"She gets that spunk from you." Angel whispered into her ear.

"Yeah well, the boys get that whole teasing thing from you," Buffy said.

"Mom! Dad!" The two boys shouted as they laughed out loud, "Help!"

The two parents laughed before snatching their children in their arms. The kids laughed and wiggled as their parents tickled and kissed and hugged them until they fell asleep in their arms.

It was just another day for them.

A wonderful, lovely day.

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