E-mail: Amandab9@aol.com
Feedback: YES, please!
Rating: PG-16
Disclaimer: I don't own them. I am writing purely to please the annoying voices in my head. The beginning actions and speech is actually from "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" but the feelings are mine. You should be able to tell when I start the actual writing of my own.
Summary: Angelus and Dru turn Willow and Xander. What will the four do?
Pairing: Angelus/evil Willow, Drusilla/evil Xander, some Spike/Cordelia
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Part: 1~
Xander checked making sure that the group of girls hadn't yet reached them. "Good, the mob still hasn't found us. We should be safer up here."
Xander turned back to his girlfriend, Cordelia, when suddenly he felt cold hands grab him. Next to him he heard a familiar and amused voice mutter, "Works in theory."
While being pulled back painfully on the roof, Xander heard Cordelia scream his name. However he noticed she took no action.
Looking the once souled vampire in the glowing eyes he saw the look of anger and knew the worse was yet to come. "Where's Buffy?" Angelus growled.
Xander saw moment coming from Buffy's room. Cordelia was gazing down at the two of them of horror written all over her face. "Cordy, get outta here!" Xander menaged to yell from his uncomfortable position on the roof.
Before he got a response, Angelus threw him onto the grass below. Landed with a loud, thump, Xander watched with increasing worry as Angelus leaped down after him.
"Perfect. I wanted to do something special for Buffy, actually to Buffy, but this is *so* much better!" Angelus was telling him but Xander was too busy observing the pain to really react to the vampire's words.
At the pause of Angelus' speech, Xander mustered up all his strength and courage and got in, what he believed to be, a solid kick to Angelus' crouch. Unfortunately, Angelus didn't react the way he had hoped. Instead of reeling back in pain, he flipped Xander backward onto the dirt yet again.
Kneeling down, Angelus grabs Xander's hair causing his whole head to be forced up. "If it's any consolation, I feel very close to you right now." Somehow, that didn't make Xander feel any better.
Xander's hope soared when he saw a hand appear on Angelus' shoulder. The hand throws Angelus into a nearby tree. Amusing, that the hand belonged to his beloved Buffy, he turned to the person about to smile. "Buffy how…" but then his smiled dropped. It wasn't the slayer, it was Drusilla.
"Don't fret kitten," Dru purred to him as she helped him stand. "Mummy here."
"I don't know what you're up to, Dru, but it doesn't amuse," came Angelus' frustrated voice.
Dru growled at Angelus and Xander watching in amazement as Angelus growled back. He had no idea what was going on but he did know that he wanted out.
"If you harm one hair on this boys head…" Dru began stroking Xander's head.
Xander was too baffled to take any offense when Angelus replied, "You've got to be kidding. Him?"
Xander was horrified to hear her response. "Just because I've found a real man…" while he felt himself being to face her hideous vampire face.
Xander was almost sad to see Angelus leave. His final parting words were, "I guess I really did drive you crazy."
Drusilla mumbled to Xander while running her hands over his face. "Your face is a poem," She crooned whiles he moans,"I can read it."
Xander, feeling terrified, asked, "Really? It doesn't say, `spare me', by any chance?"
"Shh." She answered with a kiss. "How do you feel about eternal life?"
Xander trembles with fear. "Couldn't we start with coffee? A movie maybe?"
She grabs his hair and jerks his head to the side, exposing his neck. Ignoring Xander's pleas, Drusilla bites into his bare neck. Fully enjoying the taste of the rich blood flowing to her mouth, Dru smiles over her meal.
~~~*~~~
Angelus stalked around to the other side of the Summers' home. How could his favorite childe do this to him? For the messily mortal, Xander Harris, no less.
Running into a familiar face, Angelus registered Willow's disgruntled features. Then he noticed her axe.
Willow cried out with recognition, "Angelus?!?! I won't kill you or tell Buffy about this if you do me one favor. Just lead me to Xander," she ordered.
Angelus allowed an amused grin to light up his dark features, "And why would I do that?" he asked lazily.
Willow responded without hesitation, "Because I need to kill him."
Angelus couldn't hide his surprise out the redhead. "Kill him? Is that a joke? I thought you two were close?"
Willow answered with sorrow; "We are close. I love him, love him so much I can stand to see him waste his valuable time with that bratty bitch. He is so much better than she is. I love him so much I need to kill him."
Angelus had no idea what had come over the usually sensible girl– but he liked it.
"Come I'll show you where Xander is," he lied.
Willow let out a content sigh. She took the lead so didn't notice Angelus vamp out behind her. "Where is he?" she asked.
Angelus didn't answer. Instead he bit into her moist flesh.
Hearing her moan, he paused. Quickly deciding he liked the new Willow more than he expected, he changed his goal. Without as much as wincing in pain, he roughly bit through his own skin, making sure Willow got as many drops of blood as she could without Angelus losing all his strength.
Using his heighten hearing, a whimper came to his ears. Tossing head up to where the sound originated, he suddenly remembered the brunette in Buffy's room. Thinking back to Willow's newfound hatred for the cheerleader, Angelus didn't think twice about creeping back into the slayer's room. When he emgered he had two unconscious girls lying in his arms. And wide grin with anticipation.
~Part: 2~
Giles slammed his hands down on the desk in front of Amy. He was getting tired of the girl's foolish need to refuse reversal of the love spell.
"Listen to me, you need to change things back or else…" however, he didn't need to finish his thought.
Feeling a distinct change in the air, Giles turned around. It was as if the air were humming with magic. He heard a groan behind him and saw a human Buffy.
"Does anyone have some cheese?" she whispered, swaying slightly.
"Buffy? How do you feel?" Giles asked hurriedly.
"Like I was just a rat. And, in love with Xander?" she shook her head. "I need rest."
"So safe it is safe to say the spell has been officially reversed?" Giles asked anxiously.
"Guess so," Amy added.
Giles let out a sigh he had been holding. "Then everything worked out fine. Everyone's going to be okay after all."
~~~*~~~
The dirt surrounded the still bodies of Xander Harris and Willow Rosenburg. The dirt engulfed every possible opening around their motion bodies, not that it mattered anymore for they were already dead.
Three vampires loomed over the mounds of dirt with interest. The insane brunette sensed the movement only moments before the redhead shot up from underneath the earth. Pircing green eyes wide, Willow looked at her new surrounds. Her hair had been a deep red as a mortal, but now shone with new color against her pale flesh.
Willow's newly focusing eyes picked up more details then she had even dreamed possible while her new ears differentiated the tinniest of sounds. All of this happened as newfound scents attacked her nostrils.
Feeling the ground that she was still sitting upon shift, Willow brought her gaze to Xander. His brown eyes- once soft, compassionate, and understanding- were lethal looking and hard. They seemed to be sizing her up before turning their attention to the others in the room.
"They're up!" a happy voice sang from in front of Willow.
"At last," a darker one answered.
"Don't be mean to our new children," the first, Drusilla, scolded.
Angelus just glared at her for a moment before turning back to the newly made vampires. "Hungry?"
Willow slowly nodded. Everything in her was screaming for food. Blood, actually.
"Good, I feel like a hunt. You'll have to work for you're food but that just adds to the taste," Angelus was saying with a wicked glint in his sparkling brown eyes. The sparkling brown eyes of her sire.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Xander questioned his voice slightly more confident than when he had been human.
"Nothing," came Angelus' curt answer. "The four of us will leave right away."
"Four?" cried the outraged vampire Willow had hardly noticed. He turned his bleached blonde head to Angelus. "What's that supposed to mean, mate?"
"You're not coming, Spike," Angelus easily answered. Quick, simple, to the point. Willow admired her sire more by the second.
"There's no need for some disabled vampire in a wheelchair. How are we supposed to kill with you like that?" Xander agreed in disgust.
"I don't believe this. I don't bleeding believe this. What do you think I'm going to do while you're all out having fun?"
"Bored now," Willow sighed, using her vocal cords for the first time since her death.
She noticed with little interest that they vibrated slightly different now. What she did take great interest in, however, was her sire's proud grin at her comment.
"Don't worry, Spike, dear," Drusilla crooned. "You can always hurt the other girl. The human in chains who screams nasty comments I shalln't repeat. It wouldn't be proper," the crazy vampire insisted.
"Cordelia?" came Xander's surprised voice.
"I didn't like her. She was no fun, played with toys that should have been mine," Willow cut in.
Even though, she now remembered she didn't want Xander, Willow still felt rage towards the other girl. She still felt like Cordelia had stolen something that could have- or should have- belonged to her.
"I thought about how much you seemed to dislike her so got her for you," Angelus answered.
Willow tilted her head to the side in confusion. "For me? When I don't like her? A kill?" she asked now getting excited. But was disappointed to see her sire shake his head. "Then why?" she asked softly, almost like a child.
"Well that is what we have torture tools for," Angelus supplied, brown eyes twinkling evilly.
Willow allowed her smile to match his.
~Part: 3~
Buffy paced up and down the same area in her school library. "Where could they be?" she asked, not truly expecting an answer.
"Oz, are you sure willow didn't mention anything about where she may be?" Gils repeated a question already asked to the young werewolf many times.
"Totally sure. Last time I spoke to her, she could only cry about Xander. Which wouldn't really make it speaking to…" Oz trailed off, now lost in thought.
"Willow never misses school, it's just not like her. Xander might, but he'd show up for the usual morning meeting," Buffy declared, worry written all over her face.
The ball for school to begin snapped Buffy's thoughts back to where she was instead of what could have happened to her old friends.
"You should go to class. Take your mind off of things for a little while. I'll try their houses again," Giles insisted to his slayer.
Gather her books, Buffy didn't answer. Keeping her head high, Buffy pretended the sudden disappearance of two of her only real friends didn't bother her.
She never was a good actress.
~~~*~~~
Willow's whole body still seemed to be humming from last night's activities. Angelus hadn't been just acting tough when he had stated the two new vampires would have to work for food. But he also hadn't lied when he claimed it added flavor.
At first, the two experienced vampires had gone easy on the newly made ones. Soon, though, they were truly hunting with Willow and Xander by their sides as equals. Willow had quickly decided brutal deaths were far more fun.
"Ready to have some real fun?" Angelus asked.
Willow let a full-fledged smile light up her pale face and nodded like an innocent little girl.
Angelus swung open the door behind him. Willow could hardly wait to peak inside. All that was revealed was a large, bare, room with a girl in the center.
Willow happily took in the sight of chains and her unbeating heart almost pounded with excitement to see various sorts of instruments in the corner of the room and the fear in the girl's eyes.
"Play now?" Willow asked hopefully.
"Always," Drusilla corrected in a purr from her side.
~~~*~~~
Cordelia had no clue how long she had been in The Factory. She knew it had to be morning now though. Spike had come in and vented his emotions to her. Along with the knowledge that the others wouldn't be back until morning, Cordelia had found out he could still inflect a lot of pain, despot his new handicap.
Cordelia instictively reached to her side where her ribs, still stung, but her chains prevented her hands from reaching their destination.
One thing Spike repeated was that Cordelia was lucky everyone else had gone out. Now, watching four power vampires enter her prison, Cordelia felt as if her "lucky" were running out.
Cordelia immediately noticed the changes in Willow and Xander. Instead of being her goofy Xan Man, the beast in front of her wore leather pants and a sexy white tee shirt with a choker.
Willow was no longer the shy, quiet, bookworm. She wore tight leather pants and a low cut, revealing, shirt that would have made her former self-blush.
Looking helplessly around the room from unfeeling eyes to the next, Cordelia suddenly realized Spike had been right.
~~~*~~~
"Have fun?" Spike asked without much interest, as the four exited Cordelia's room.
"Oh, yes. It was wonderful. All sorts of proper screaming and pain," answered Drusilla with an insane smile on her undead lips.
Spike looked from each vampire before him to the next. He took in the sight of Angelus' arm carelessly swung over Willow's small shoulders. Both had evil and dangerous aromas coming off them.
But Spike took great attention in examining his sire and her new childe. Drusilla looked happy with Xander's turn out. Spike could sense Xander's protectiveness towards Dru and didn't like it.
"That great," Spike finished dryly. "Have any of you even thought about the tiny detail of the bloody slayer?" he asked, rising his voice.
"Buffy?" Xander asked off-handedly. "I figured we'd hurt her, torture her, hurt her some, and then, oh yeah, kill her," he added in the same matter, eyes locked on Drusilla.
"Could work. Assuming she doesn't stake the whole lot of you first," Spike replied.
"Buffy can't kill them, not yet. She couldn't kill me with the Judge but didn't. We'll get her, but first we'll have a little fun," Angelus explained, a ruthless smile never leaving his pale face.
~Part: 4~
Buffy was exhausted. She hadn't left school since early this morning and now it was already dark out.
The thing that drained her energy more than anything was the mystery surrounding Willow, Xander, and Cordelia. It was as if they had just disappeared and her slayer's sense was not getting a good feeling.
Suddenly, the library doors flew opened. In walked Xander and Willow.
"Guys what happened? You went all MIA on us," Buffy asked, her voice showing her anger.
"You'll never believe us. It was terrible. Evil vamps everywhere. Barely got away alive," Willow explained.
There was something different in her close friend's eyes. Something a little off in the mists of all the green. Turning to Xander, Buffy recognized the same quality there.
Oz quickly walked over to his girlfriend and wrapped her up in a hug. Willow snuggled closer to her werewolf as he whispered, "It's alright. You're alright now, baby."
Buffy shook her head. She was being ridiculous. These were obviously her friends. Willow was nuzzling Oz as he kept muttering the same phrase and Xander had plopped into his usual chair and flipped unseeing through a book of demons.
They were all right. They were her friends. Buffy needed it to be true so much she could ignore the difference in their walk, eyes, and manner.
They were all right. They were her friends. And Buffy actually convinced herself they were- because they had to be.
~~~*~~~
Willow couldn't believe how easy it was. The slayer and her goody- goody helpers didn't seem to notice the changes in their "friends". They just accepted her story without hesitation. Without asking questions.
Willow nuzzled her head even deeper towards Oz. She knew she had to act just as her pathetic human form would have. Willow longed to be in Angelus' arms instead. And to not have to look so… fluffy.
Angelus' words reverberated through her. `Act as if nothing has changed. If the slayer and company find out you've been turned they'll try to regain your soul or just stake you. And if they don't, I will'
Willow would rather be dust then disappoint Angelus.
~~~*~~~
Spike sat in his wheelchair while Drusilla danced to the blaring music coming from the stereo.
"Why don't you stop and sit awhile, pet?" Spike asked over the loud music, patting his lap.
"Not there. The walls might tell. Such terrible gossips," Drusilla insisted and shook her head.
Spike was getting angry. He could feel his sire pull away from him. Slamming off the music, he growled, "And so what if they do. We are involved you know. It isn't some bloody secret."
"No, but the air is changing. New couples all around. Paired off like humans," Drusilla told Spike with a look like she was seeing through him. "Daddy and Red. The boy and me. You and the girl," she went on, clutching her head.
"No!" Spike was furious. Dru was his and he wouldn't allow another to go near he. As for himself, he knew he could never be with a vampire if it weren't Drusilla. "I won't let that happen."
"I'll be in Cordelia's clamber," he growled, turning his back on his sire.
"I know," Drusilla whispered with a delighted grin.
~~~*~~~
Cordelia's head snapped up as her door opened. She needed food and rest. Not to mention getting out of here. But she was actually relieved to see Spike roll in. That meant that it wasn't going to Angelus, Willow, Xander, and Drusilla working on her.
"How are you holding up?" he greeted, a teasing smile on his lips while crystal blue eyes shone darker than last time. She trembled.
"I just want to get out of here. Preferably alive," Cordelia added hopefully.
"Doubtful," Spike told her with a smirk.
"Wishful thinking," Cordelia explained with a sigh.
Her sigh sent a shock of pain through her body. She bolted up and gritted her teeth to keep from screaming, which only would have made it worse.
"You okay, pet?" Spike's voice asked with a hint of concern.
`No, it couldn't be concern,' Cordelia quickly changed her mind. `Soulless vampires don't feel concern. He probably just wanted to make sure I didn't pass out. It wouldn't be the same to inject pain to someone unconscious.'
"Fine," Cordelia lied. She couldn't allow him to see what they were doing to her. She would be the strong Cordelia Chase everyone in school feared.
"Everyone's fine. Everyone but me," Spike was saying ruefully. "Dru's telling me she's already bloody moved on. Even Angelus has gotten over his Buffy-whipped phase and moved on to her hacker friend. But what about me?" he finished softly.
Cordelia looked the bleached blonde in his shinning eyes. She suddenly realized he was really upset, which meant he really had feelings. Maybe this one wasn't too bad after all.
~Part: 5~
"Did you guys see Cordy? She's missing and the last anyone saw of her, she ran out of school with you, Xander," Buffy explained to Willow and him.
Xander hadn't thought about what they would say if the Scoobies realized Cordelia was missing. He'd have to think on his feet.
"Well, we got to your house but the mob followed us," he lied to the slayer. "They ripped her away from me, screaming that I was too good for her."
"Oh dear Lord. Then Cordelia could be in a great deal of pain. There's no telling what those girls and women could have done before the spell was reversed," the Watcher interjected, looked up from a large book.
"Yeah, and plus, ya never know. Some female vampire could'a joined in. They'd have extra strength over Cordy," Xander added, fighting the urge to laugh. How had he ever started hanging around with these geeks?
"No, actually that isn't not possible. Vampires aren't affected by love spells," Giles corrected, looking back down to his book.
"What? Sure they are," Xander augured. If they weren't why had he been turned?
Giles looked up at Xander for a few seconds, clearly not used to being challenged. And especially not being questioned from Xander.
"Vampires can't be affected by love spells, Xander. They lack the souls to hold the emotion of love. It just isn't possible," Giles concluded.
"Ah, I knew that. I was just, ya know, testing you," Xander pretended, trying to act like his old, human self.
Inside, Xander's head was frantically trying to sort things out. If Dru hadn't been under the spell, she had meant everything she had said before she turned him.
Meant that she had found a "real man", meant it all. Then had given him freedom by making him powerful and immortal. Xander couldn't wait to get back to The Factory.
~~~*~~~
Angelus stalked angrily around the outside of the Bronze. For some reason he couldn't fully enjoy his prowl and meal tonight.
Last night kept popping into his head. Now that had been fun. His little Willow had been amazing for her first time. The way she had made her food beg, only to devour the girl anyway…
Angelus forcefully shook his head as if it would help get rid of his thoughts of his newest childe.
What was it about her that made Willow special? Angelus needed a to clear his mind. He needed a voilent kill- now.
~~~*~~~
Willow was fighting everything inside of her not to laugh out loud.
She was now so far above these mangy humans and their pathetic attempts to "save lives" and "capture evil". Ha, what a laugh. "Evil" was sitting right next to them and they didn't even notice. Some saviors.
The topics of conversation alternated between Cordelia's whereabouts and stopping Angelus. Like they could ever stop him, no matter how hard they tried.
Everyone had stopped probing Xander and Willow about what had happened to them when Willow had insisted it was, "too traumatic" to repeat.
Angelus had been right, of course, they didn't question them exclusively. They just believed the ones wearing the faces of their old buddies.
Fools. They were nothing but a group of fools. And Willow couldn't wait to break them.
~~~*~~~
"Daddy!" Spike heard Drusilla's voice float up to him.
'Angelus must be back from his hunt,' Spike thought without much interest. He couldn't get himself to care one way or the other and since he was alone in his room he didn't have to pretend.
Spike could feel something was going to happen. He could feel it in the marrow of his bone, and it was going to be big. First, Angelus and Drusilla's voice had to turn the slayer's buddies. Then, Dursilla's vision. Now, they were separating him from everything they do.
Frustrated, the vampire let out a deep growl.
There was still one thing that he had which they didn't- the element of surprise. Suddenly happier, Spike got up out of his wheelchair and walked across the room to turn on the television.
~Part: 6~
“Hey, baby,” Angelus carelessly replied to Drusilla’s welcoming greeting. “Where’s Roller Boy?”
“Spike? He went to play with the girl. But that was quite a while ago. What do you think they could be doing for so long?” Drusilla asked innocently.
Angelus looked up towards the ceiling, as if he could see Spike through the wall. He heard the hum of a television and seemed satisfied the other vampire couldn’t hear him. He needed Spike to be out of the way.
“I have a question for you, Dru. What good is Spike really now?” Angelus began. “He can’t hunt, he can’t kill, and he’s pathetically weak. The boy needs to be hand fed,” he added.
“You want the leeches to come and carry him off. Carry him off, carry him off. Carry him off to grandmother’s grave,” Drusilla softly crooned.
Angelus ignored her crazy rant. “I think it would be in everyone’s best interests if we gave him to the slayer. She’ll be thinking about him and won’t see us until its too late.”
Drusilla tilted her head, obviously thinking it over. “He’s not happy, Dru. He’d want to go out from a strong slayer like Buffy. Besides, he might always win. Get rid of her and add a third slayer under his belt.”
Finally, Drusilla gave in. “Grandmother won’t be happy she has to share the grave,” Drusilla concluded.
~~~*~~~
Cordelia sat very still from her place on the floor. Below her she had heard every word Drusilla and Angelus had said. Above her she heard Spike’s TV blasting.
Cordelia realized there was no way Spike himself could have heard the other vampire's discussion. His loud program had made the voices sound muffled too ever her. Adding another floor and sitting right in front of the noise, hearing would be impossible, even for a vampire.
If Spike were dusted, Cordelia wouldn’t have to hear him complain about the others or feel his slight punches anymore. However, she would also be stuck with the four worst. Angelus, Drusilla, Willow, and Xander were twenty times worse and left her in so much pain parts of her body were still numb.
Maybe Cordelia could tell Spike and he and the other’s could get in a huge fight. In the end they could all just dust each other.
Cordelia rolled her eyes at herself. While she was dreaming, why didn’t she just have one of them let her leave first? It was almost as probable as them all killing each other.
Four against one wasn’t an every good odd. Add the fact the ‘one’ is in a wheelchair and it isn’t a fight, it’s a slaughter. The only one Cordelia had come close to not hating was going to be staked. Unless she did something to stop it.
~~~*~~~
“Honey, we’re home!” Xander dryly remarked, taking long strides into The Factory.
Willow rolled her eyes with a light grin before going straight to her sire’s arms.
“How were the Scoobies?” Angelus asked, tightly wrapping his arms around his newest childe.
“Gullible. Naïve. Stupid. All the things you warned us about,” Willow easily answered. Her voice turned serious, “But we need to talk. I think we may be being watching by someone or something.”
Xander tuned out their conversation as he reached his own sire. “Drusilla, could I talk to you for a minute?” he asked, angry with himself for suddenly feeling shaky and nervous.
The dark haired vampire gently nodded her head. Xander felt privileged. Why was it she could make him feel so… human?
On the way to the next room, Xander took in part of Willow and Angelus’ conversation.
“So it seemed like a human following you?” Angelus was asking.
“Yep,” Xander agreed, off-handedly.
“Xander, wait a second,” Angelus called out.
He stopped walking and turned around. Drusilla, who was at his side, followed in suit.
“There are a few things we have to discuss with you guys as well. One, what your excuses for missing school tomorrow will be; and two, Spike.
Xander made a reflect look of distaste.
“Spike? What good is he? We should just dust the Brit already,” Xander replied with a shake of his head.
Too Xander’s utter surprise, Angelus grinned widely. “That’s the plan, actually.”
“Really? Do share,” Willow begged, from Xander’s grandsire’s side.
Angelus looked up at Xander and Drusilla. As if he could sense how much Xander needed to speak with his sire, Angelus nodded. “Why don’t I tell you how, and let Dru tell Xander?” Angelus asked, winking at Xander.
“Great,” Xander answered, possibly too quickly and happily. He grabbed Drusilla’s hand and dragged her to the next room.
Drusilla was giggling by his side. “He likes you. Not Spike, never Spike. But he likes you.”
“Who? Angelus?” Xander asked, shocked.
Drusilla slowly nodded. “Likes you like his own childe. Even the walls can see that, and you know how much they like to gossip. Soon everyone will know.”
Xander nodded without thinking. It was definitely good to be liked by Angelus, and now Xander actually respected and liked the old vampire also. That thought gave Xander enough courage to speak his mind to Dru.
“Do you remember when you turned me?” Xander asked, mentally cursing himself for sounding like an idiot. Of course she remembered turning him, it was a whole one night ago.
Drusilla softly nodded, curious eyes searching his face for the answer to her unasked question why.
“There was a love. Every female loved me. But then I heard vampires aren’t affected by love spells. So, were you? Ya know, under the spell,” Xander quickly blurted out, again wondering why he had to sound so pathetic.
Drusilla’s felt lit up with a sincere and pleasant grin. Instead of speaking, she reached out and stroked Xander’s face. As Xander tilted his head to the side with pleasure, she covered her lips with his.
~Part: 7~
Jennifer Calendar quickly walked down the long hall in Sunneydale High. Ignoring the loud sound of her heels clicking on the tile, Jenny walked straight into the library.
Not paying any heed to Buffy shooting her evil glares, Jenny went up to Giles. “Rupert, we need to talk.”
Giles’ head snapped up at the sound of her voice. “What about?” he asked, voice strained.
Jenny’s eyes quickly flicked back to Buffy. “Could we… could we talk privately?”
“What you need to say, you can say here,” Giles reassured her.
Jenny let out a small sigh. She needed to speak to Giles and he was still being so distant.
“Please? I really need to discuss something with you… alone,” she begged, cringing at the sound of her own voice pleading. But this was important.
“Very well,” Giles finally agreed in a tight voice.
He led her into his small office full of books. “What is it?”
“Its about Angelus. A friend of mine has been staking out The Factory and he found something,” she paused, not sure how to say the next part. Taking a deep breath, she plunged forward. “He saw a young red hair and dark haired boy hanging around with the others last night.”
Jenny waited in an awkward silence for Giles’ answer. “And…” he finally asked.
Couldn’t he tell where this was leading? Or did he just not want to face the facts?
“Well, Willow is the only red head I know about in Sunnydale. And how did the love spell stop? I ran into Amy today, she said she was sorry for everything that happened and about not reversing the spell. The way to stop the spell would be to have the witch to cast it end it or to kill the intended lover,” Jenny emphasized the end, hoping the Watcher would be able to see what was happening.
“I assume you are not suggesting what I think you are,” Giles declared.
“I think the evidence shows that Willow and Xander were probably turned and now are hanging around with Angelus, Spike, and Drusilla. I thought you should know”
“Well, you could disregard that theory, both are alive and well,” Giles informed Jenny.
She lifted her eyebrows. “Are you sure?” she asked gently.
“I promise you, Miss Calendar, I know both Xander and Willow. Therefore, I was able to recognize them when they sat with Oz, Buffy, and myself in that very room that we just came from. As for the removable of the spell, any other witch could have reversed that,” Giles insisted.
“Oh. I… I didn’t realize. Sorry.”
He called her Miss Calendar again. He had called her that a few days ago to hurt her. No longer his Jenny. She was the “Miss Calendar” who betrayed them.
“I’ll be sure to warn Buffy about these new vampires,” Giles dismissing tone told her pointedly before walking out the door.
Jenny stood alone in the office, “What have I done?”
There was no reply.
~~~*~~~
Willow carefully crept along Angelus’ side, pressed against The Factory’s broad wall. Footsteps as soft as feathers blowing in the wind, the two didn’t make a sound. Together they stopped and spied their pray- the man following them.
Dressed in black jeans and a casual black shirt, the man stood staring at the building’s other side. He didn’t appear to notice the deadly pair. His mistake.
With a sudden sprint, Willow jumped out in front of the man who had a notebook, pen, and small camera in front of him. The man feverishly turned as if to try to escape but Angelus appeared there blocking his way and wearing an amused grin.
“Hi. What’s your name?” Willow asked as she began to circle around him.
His cool brown eyes quickly snapped in each direction for an escape. Upon finding none he told them. “Richard.”
Willow had to give his Richard credit his voice barely shook. If it were not for his racing heart and wandering eyes, he would appear pretty calm.
“Wanna play a game, Richie?”
Richard visibly paled at Willow’s question.
“’Course he does,” Angelus answered.
“We’ll have lots of fun. It’s called the information game. You tell us what we want to know and Angelus gets to kill you fast. But if not, I get to have a new play toy. Doesn’t that sound like fun, Richie?
~~~*~~~
Cordelia sat on the floor waiting for Spike to come into her room. She heard Angelus and Willow leave as well as Dru and Xander. Cordelia had heard the blaring television be shut off and the squeaky wheels turn slowly towards her door.
The problem facing Cordelia was simple, or so she kept telling herself. Tell Spike the whole truth and die honest or don’t mention it and die a liar. Not that it would be her only lie in her life, far from it. Hmm, the choice we are faced with in life
The door opened and Cordelia watched as Spike rolled in. Cordelia gulped. Spike had some sort of twisted knife that looked extremely painful.
As he rolled towards Cordelia, she made up her mind. She knew what she had to do.
~Part: 8~
Jenny Calendar slowly typed up the next day’s lesson planes as her mind thought of Rich’s information. He had said a red haired girl and brown haired boy, each with a teenage face. But surly Willow and Xander weren’t the only ones who fit that description.
Sighing, Jenny looked around and was surprised to see her door wide open.
“Hello? Is anyone there?”
Silence.
Jenny was about to shrug it off and type again when she heard the click of footsteps.
“Buffy? Rupert? Hello?”
“Nope. I’ll give you one more guess,” Angelus told her from the doorway.
As Jenny took slow, terrified steps backwards, Angelus kept talking. “You hired someone to spy on me. Now how do you think that makes me feel?”
“I know how it made him feel,” a familiar voice teased.
Willow stood behind Angelus, grinning. All Jenny could think about was how it was true. Which meant Rich must be dead. And she would be too, if she didn’t start moving.
Angelus took a slow step forward. “Now we’re wondering if you told anyone else about us.”
“No, I didn’t get the chance,” Jenny hoped her lie seemed natural. Did it count if Giles didn’t believe her?
“Good,” another voice said from farther behind Angelus.
Out walked Xander and next to him, Drusilla.
“Very good little teacher pet,” Dru added.
The four stood facing Jenny in a grinning line.
Jenny gave up all hope as Willow and Xander pinned her down and Angelus declared that they needed to ‘pay attention to the rules for killing an old friend/foe’.
~~~*~~~
Cordelia licked her cracked lips.
“Spike, I need to tell you something very important and you have to believe me.”
“I have to, do I? Are you giving me orders now?”
‘Oh boy. Not a great way to start out.’
“No, of course not, but… listen. Angelus, Dru, Xander, and Willow are plotting to kill you.”
Cordelia waited a moment in tense silence, as Spike seemingly didn’t react. Was it possible he, with super human hearing, hadn’t heard her.
“Um… Spike? Did you hear me?”
“Of course. I am sitting right in front of you, ya know.”
“Okay, then… uh, what are you going to do?”
To Cordelia’s utter surprise, and a little fear, this Spike grinned.
“Well, what do you think I should do, luv?”
“Uh…” Cordelia hadn’t planned on this part. “I would probably kill them. Well, you know- not me. You as me. Me as you. And not really, ‘cuz they are already dead, but stake,” Cordelia stopped herself before she could make a bigger fool of herself. When did she become such a babbling fool? And couldn’t he stop stared at her like that, with those blue eyes…
“Would you now? Or should I say, would I?”
“Yeah?”
Spike’s grin just widened. “How do you expect me to believe you? Dru and me have been together since the beginning. She wouldn’t – couldn’t- just turn on me for that. Not even for Angelus or his new play toy.”
Cordelia could not help shuttering at the cool, firm, sound of his voice. He’d clearly made his decision. His decision to not believe Cordy and punish her for ‘lying’.
“Think about! Why would I make this up? I didn’t beg for you to release me. I haven’t made any attempts fooling anyone into escape. I know I have little to no hope of leaving here. Alive anyway, and I just figured you might want to know that your buddies were planning on ending your unlife.”
Cordelia’s voice had gone to pleading and desperate, to harder and with a flair that Queen C was known for. Suddenly nervous again, Cordelia gulped.
Spike, however, didn’t seem to notice. Instead he had his eyebrows buried low together. He seemed to be taking her more seriously now then before. Imagine that.
“Angelus does hate me. The bloody wanker always has. His new red will just follow his lead. The other new nitwit has been a royal pain since… well the beginning. But Dru…” here he paused and ran his fingers through his hair. “Dru couldn’t do this to me. We’re bloody well together. Even if she does still dot on her sire’s ‘T’s or whatever the saying is. It don’t mean she’d kill me. She doesn’t have the stones.” A pause, “Right?”
“It was Angel. He convinced her,” Cordelia immediately rushed.
It wasn’t until after the words were out that she realized they for Spike’s comfort. Why the hell was she trying to make him feel better?
“Right, well, its clear what I’ve got to do. I’ve got to pack up and leave. I could fight any two alone, but not all three. Not bloody likely. I’ll just leave. It’ll be fine. No slayer, no hellmouth, just fun.”
Cordelia’s eye widened. “What? But you… you can’t! What about me?”
Spike seemed to look her up and down once. “What about you?”
Cordelia stared at him for a moment. Was he kidding? “Kinda tied up in chairs here, not anxiously awaiting my next beating session.”
“I like your attitude. Nice body – ‘specially for the likes for torture. You’re coming with me.”
“Ha – like hell I will!”
“Oh, you don’t have a choice. See you’re coming, doesn’t matter if you want to or not.”
~Part: 9~
The news reporters pushed each other of the way. Microphones went flying while Principal Syndar counted down the seconds until blood was next.
Blood was already of a great supply in the Computer’s Room. Th teacher, Miss Calendar, had been murdered messily. A small pool of blood surrounded her oddly twisted body. Her face seemed to be frozen in permanent horror. The walls had blood clinging to it and spelt out ‘Just the beginning’ on a slight slant.
“Another teen gang. Sunnydale has had plenty already. But what do you expect with teenagers? They’re disgusting, untamable creatures,” Principal Syndar began telling channel 22 news.
“Bite marks on the neck? Well if kids are sick enough to write in blood, I wouldn’t too surprised.”
Giles slowly and sadly shook his head. He’d had just about as much of this as he could take. Returning to the library seemed like the greatest and longest journey he had ever taken. How could he face Buffy, Xander, Willow, or Oz? Or even Cordelia, if the poor girl was ever found again.
“Giles, tell me it isn’t true. I mean, say its some kind of a… a cruel joke. I never got to forgive her, Giles.”
Buffy’s eyes seemed filled to the rim and Giles had to quickly look away to prevent his own from over flowing.
“Where are Willow and Xander?”
Buffy looked surprised and Oz’s head snapped up, startled.
“I haven’t seen them. How about you, Oz?”
The only response was a slow shake of his head. “Sorry,” he added weakly afterwards.
“Where could they…” Giles began but then suddenly something clicked.
Jenny’s words from the previous day came floating back to him. They couldn’t be true though.
“Giles, are you alright? I know this must be really hard on you. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault,” Buffy’s voice had been getting softer and softer until it was nearly inaudible and she looked down in shame.
“No. Don’t you think that, don’t you ever think that.”
“Well, why not? It had to have been Angel. You know about the message in blood. It’s my fault he turned. I was so selfish.”
“Now, Buffy, I thought I told you not to blame yourself. We all know you did not purposefully do this. You had no idea of the consequences. You must look at the facts in a clear, logical way. Now, I know it may be hard, but you mustn’t allow your emotions to affect your judgement…” Giles trailed off.
He took a moment to closely examine his own prejudgment. Hadn’t he quickly discarded Jenny’s words on the spot? Had he given her any chance to prove herself right? Did she have to? What did she have to gain by a lie?
Now Jenny was dead. Lying in a pool of her own blood in her own class. Killed because she knew too much? Where were Willow and Xander to defend themselves? And how did the love spell really end its effects?
“Giles? You still with me?” Buffy looked very worried but Giles just couldn’t menage a smile of reassurance.
“I’m sorry. I was just thinking,” he stated in a flat tone before taking off his glasses and polishing them absent-mindedly on his shirt.
“Yeah, it looked like you were kinda zoning out on me there. What’s the up?”
“Well…”
~~~*~~~
“That was fun,” Willow repeated gleefully.
“Yeah. We got that, Will. We got it the first four times.”
“Don’t tease her Xander. It’s good to enjoy a kill. You shouldn’t let this special feeling fade so quickly. Especially not when it is someone you used to be close to as a human. They are always the best to destroy,” Angelus said while slipping his arm around Willow’s.
“All I’m saying is that we should focus on our next conquest. Buffy.”
“My, baby’s right. The moon says that tonight is the best night to kill a slayer. But the walls! Those silly gossips! They spoiled our delicious original plans.”
“You know, we haven’t checked on our dear Spikey today. Or even the cheerleader,” Willow concluded after Drusilla’s announcement.
“I’ll check,” Xander decided. As he went upstairs Willow turned back to Dru, “Did you say tonight would be the best?”
“Oh, yes. Listen to how the flowers try to hide back into the ground from fear!”
Angelus chuckled softly. “Perfect. Doesn’t leave a lot of time, but its enough.”
Xander came running back down. “They’re gone. Both of ‘em.”
“Well, we’ll have to do something about my grand-chile. After we take care of the slayer,” Angelus said, dark eyes twinkling.
Willow’s lips lit up into a huge grin. “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t I call the library now and say that Xander and I couldn’t make it to school. We say that we’ll explain everything tonight in the library. When we show up, we kill them all. The slayer will be vulnerable and the most fun to kill, but the watcher and werewolf will be enjoyable also.”
Drusilla started to giggle. “Wonderful! See daddy? Our new children are so smart. Even the walls can’t stop us now.”
~Part: 10~
Buffy gingerly dropped the phone back into its cradle. A thousand thoughts raced through her brain at a mile a minute but none were comforting. All seemed to point to something she just could not face.
"Who was that?" Giles asked.
"Willow."
"Oh?" his voice tried to sound casual but after their last conversation that was impossible. "And?"
"And," deep breath, "you were right."
Buffy couldn't stop the words from tumbling out at a fast pace. "I didn't want it to be true, but I don't see anything else that makes sense. Miss Calendar's warning, her death, Willow and Xander's strange disappearance, and now that call. It wasn't Willow on the phone. I know Willow, it just wasn't her. Or at least not the one I first met as a new girl."
"Buffy, you must calm down," Giles' stern voice broke Buffy's rumbling.
"Now, what exactly was said?"
"Willow said she had to talk to us about what was happening with her and Xander. But she said they would explain it tonight. To*night*! Not day, not over the phone, but here at night. And that's not all. She just didn't sound Willow-like. She spoke all coy and self assured. It just wasn't Willow," Buffy repeated firmly.
"I. I see. I wish there was more I could say. Unfortunately, there isn't. And we must deal with them attacking tonight. If they are vampires, you must fight them."
"No! I can't. I couldn't hurt Willow or Xander."
"They wouldn't *be* Willow or Xander though. You said it yourself. It would just be another demon wearing a friend's face."
"It wouldn't. It would be the only ones who gave me a chance when I first moved here. Well, other than Cordelia but she doesn't count."
"Cordelia," and Buffy almost jumped because she'd forgotten all about Oz's presence.
"Cordelia's missing," he stated.
"Yeah." Buffy began, not yet catching on. "WE know. Remember, Xander said Cordelia was captured by. oh. Xander said. Xander who is now probably a vamp."
"My point exactly. Now, I could be wrong but I'm thinking; vamp? Not the most reliable source."
"So poor Cordelia could be anywhere, and most likely I a lot of pain there," Giles concluded.
There was a moment's reflective silence.
"I can't do it. I can't pretend I'm fine with fighting - forget about killing - my best friends. Not after what happened with Angel."
"But Buffy, you have no choice. It will come down to you and all the good you can do in the future. Or them and all their possible future harm."
Buffy let out a resigned sigh.
"We'll see tonight," she answered, knowing it was just to appease Giles.
Giles just couldn't understand her position. Giles who, if what he said was right, and tonight it came down to her or them, would be the first to visit her grave.
~~~*~~~
The first thing Cordelia realized as she slowly began to awake was that she felt awful.
The second thought was how normal of a feeling that had already become. And then realized it wasn't as bad as she was getting used to. Not that that was really saying much.
Cordelia began to realize she was not on the hard floor she had started to become assumed to waking up on. She wasn't; however, in her huge bed at home either. In fact, she was actually - and this truly shocked her - moving!
It took a good five seconds for Cordelia to come to grasps with her new surrounds of a car. But when had she been moved to a car?
Suddenly memories of the previous day (day? night? All sense of time had been lost on her since her being captured, and the long nap certainly hadn't helped) flooded back to her.
Memories of Spike's reaction to her news. Memories of Spike stepping out of the wheel chair he was supposed to need. Memories of switching cars at a run down looking police station. The screams she heard from her spot in the new cop car with her eyes closed while in her tight, protective ball. The smell of tons of fresh blood as Spike came back into the car and the accompanying realization that there was no more screams or cries.
Then, finally, the tons of tears she cried while trying to ignore the looks of almost-worry and almost-guilt from Spike. Right up until she had exhausted herself out from crying. Cordelia had expected to be plagued by nightmares but had instead been subject to sleep so blessedly heavy there were no dreams at all.
Cordelia wanted to return there. Wanted to get out of this car that was speeding down an empty road at night. Wanted to get away from.
Billy Idol?
"Billy Idol?" Cordelia's dry mouth repeated her minds question.
Spike turned back to give her a smile, obviously not caring that it involved taking his eyes off the road for a dangerous ten seconds.
"He's a pretty good singer - for a human. 'Course the buggar stole my look. But at least it proves he's got good taste."
Cordelia propped herself up into an extremely painful sitting position as Billy Idol continued to sing on the radio. All her muscles and joints seemed to scream at her for shifting at all. She began to absent mindedly rub her wrists before freezing.
Rubbing her wrists, Cordelia could rub her wrists! For the first time in what had to be at least days, Cordelia had no restraints on.
"Yep, when I met him back before he was famous he hadn't even thought of bleach. Saw me, next thing you know he's completely copied my look. 'Ah well," Spike went on.
'Of course,' Cordelia reasoned with herself, 'there is still no way out.' And there wasn't.
Spike drove in the front while she was in the back. The back, designed for criminals, was locked from the inside. Spike would have to let her out if she were to leave. Cordelia couldn't try to do anything rash like grab the wheel or attack Spike because of the wire separating them. And of course, no one would stop a speeding police car with a beat up looking girl in the back.
Spike really did thing of everything. Damn it.
"Hungry?"
Cordelia's eyes snapped up. Was he joking? She couldn't even remember the last time she'd eaten was.
"Food's in a bag by your feet. Put it there while you were out."
Cordelia grabbed the bag that had previously gone unnoticed. Upon opening it she found an assortment of vending machine snacks. Tons of empty calories never looked so good.
Cordelia licked her lips and kept her eyes on the bag as she asked, "How do I know it isn't poison?"
Spike laughed and Cordelia found herself missing the unique sound as soon as he stopped. "If I'd want to kill you, there are a lot more fun ways. 'Sides, what have you got to lose?"
Not the most convincing argument granted, but a valid point. Shrugging, Cordelia opened a small bag of chips and took a bite.
"Has food always tasted this good?" Cordelia managed through a mouthful of chips as she opened another bag.
"Wouldn't know. Can't taste food."
Cordelia had almost finished all the food before he spoke again. When he did it was soft and she was sure she heard wrong.
"What?"
"I said, thank you."
Cordelia paused, or maybe she had heard right after all. "For what?"
Spike shrugged. "Saving me from the others."
Cordelia found herself wearing the first grin since she had been locked up.
"Thank you."
~Part: 11~
Xander stood in front of his old school, waiting to face his old friends, in their old meeting place from his old life. Once he killed them he would truly have killed his old life and then he could go to his new partner, Angelus, and new girlfriend, Drusilla, and officially start his new "life". He couldn't wait.
Apparently, neither could Willow. "Ready?"
"Oh yeah."
Show, deliberate steps. Power eased off him and he knew it. Any and all who couldn't take a look at him and realize the danger was making a lethal mistake.
Xander could hear Angelus' and Dru's steps behind him. Knowing human ears couldn't detect the sound, he didn't worry about them being noticed before they wanted to be. They were well hidden in the shadows.
Pushing the double doors open with deadly grace he never before possessed, Xander felt his adrenalin build up. Seeing Buffy, Oz, and Giles at the table looking so innocently clueless didn't help.
"You showed - ten minutes late. We were worried. What was the hold up?" Buffy voice sounded clipped and a little uneasy.
'But she didn't know. Couldn't know. No, it's something else. Not us, something else has her worried. Something else that she'd complain to us about if we don't cut out her tongue or slit her throat first.' Xander thought.
Still unable to stop the feeling of precaution, Xander felt his guard go up.
"Sorry about the delay. Our meal took longer than expected."
Buffy nodded sadly.
Next to Xander, Willow hissed in pain. Spinning around quickly, Xander found Giles holding a large cross to Willow's sizzling skin. With a sudden lunge, the cross was placed on Xander's skin.
'Or maybe they do know,' Xander thought as he backed away from the cross, eyes alternating between it and Buffy.
"What do you want?" Buffy pained voice would have broken his human counter point's heart.
Willow giggled. "What do you think? To taste the slayers blood."
Drusilla stepped out from her hiding spot followed by Angelus. The games were over, time for the big times.
Giles kept his cross high and stead while waving it in front of them.
"Do you really think that can stop us? It is four vampires against one slayer and two humans."
"One human, one werewolf," Oz corrected Angelus.
"Whatever. One cross won't stop us."
"Then I will."
This would be easier than even Xander expected. He knew about Buffy's mannerisms because of how close they were as humans. He knew by the quiver in her voice and the way her eyes didn't rest on one of them, but kept moving around, that she didn't believe herself. It just didn't get much easier than this folks.
Xander met Angelus' eyes. He knew the same truth. One message was clearly reflected back at Xander. Let's strike now.
Xander couldn't help smiling.
Three.
Two.
One.
Angelus pulled his arm down into his sleeve and used it to grab Giles' cross. Xander sped past the two and snatch up Oz. The boy barely wiggled as he was placed in the holding cell.
Angelus dragged an unconscious Giles next to Oz before snapping the lock.
Xander turned and saw Willow and Dru locking all exits. Buffy was still in the same spot with a look as if she was about to cry.
"Poor slayer," he teased, slowly walking towards her. "Poor little slayer."
The four of them were now circling around her. Buffy's eyes spun hopelessly from one cold face to another.
Oz's cries for Buffy dimmed into the background as Xander focused on his prey. The prey began to cry.
"Isn't that just precious?" Willow crooned.
Xander and Willow stimintunoiusally grabbed for opposite sides of Buffy's neck as Dru and Angelus stepped back.
After guzzling some of the slayers blood and hearing most of her cries die down, Willow lifted her head towards Angelus. "Don't you want?"
"No. This is more important for you. Enjoy it while it lasts."
Willow smiled a blood stained smile before sinking her teeth back into Buffy's flesh.
When Buffy was drained dry, Xander and Willow let go of her dead body and allowed it to plop to the floor.
Oz was crying. Xander had never seen the boy emit so much emotion at one time.
Willow stalked over to Angelus. He reached down and grabbed her chin so that their lips roughly roomed over each other. When Angelus pulled away he ran his tongue over his lips.
"Mmmmmmmmm, Slayer. There really is nothing better tasting out there."
Xander allowed Dru's tongue to wonder around his mouth until she was done.
"What do we do with them?" Xander asked, pointing to the cage when Dru was finished.
"Have you ever tortured a werewolf?" Angelus asked.
"Not yet," Willow replied facing the cage.
"What about the watcher?" Xander asked.
"Too old for much fun," Dru pouted while she talked. Suddenly she brightened, "But he can suffer. Alive while the greedy little leeches stole everyone else away to Grandmother's grave."
Angelus unlocked the cage and pulled Oz out. He struggled a little before Angelus bashed his head onto the side of the cage. Then he closed the cage back up with unconscious Giles still inside.
Drusilla jumped up and down and clapped. "Oh what fun we'll have!"
"And if we ever get bored, there's still always Spike to find," Xander reminded them.
As the four of them walked out dragging Oz behind them, Xander felt it. The transition of the end of his old life and the beginning of his new.
His new life with Dru, Angelus, and Willow had finally begun. He was ready.
THE END