Notes: Major charactor death, setting 3rd season.
Pair:  B/A with W/A friendship

=====================================================================
Angel pulled Buffy's shivering body more tightly against his
chest,
cursing his nature. Another human could have shared body heat with
her, as it was all he could offer her was a jacket.

They had been patrolling together earlier that evening when Angel had
been shot with a tranquilizer dart. A second shot had rendered the
Slayer unconscious as well.

They had woken here, locked in some sort of walk in freezer. The door
was a heavy steel construction that had resisted the combined
strength
of Slayer and vampire. All they could do now was wait for their
friends to find them or for their capture to reveal himself.

As the hours passed the cold took its toll on Buffy's strength.
The
Slayer, despite her supernatural strength was still human, still
subject to the demands of her body. Angel could only watch helplessly
as she curled into a ball under his thin jacket trying to conserve
body heat.

He gathered her tightly against his chest offering comfort, where he
couldn't offer warmth.

Toward midday Buffy began to experience the drowsiness that precedes
hypothermia. Desperate and furious Angel turned his efforts to the
door again, beating futilely against it till his hands were broken
and
bleeding.

"Angel," Buffy called weakly.

He hurried back to her side. "Buffy," he said softly ignoring
the pain
to his damaged hands as he took her in his arms. "I could change
you,
then you'd live. After we get out Giles or Willow could do the
restoration spell so you'd have your soul."

"No, just hold me," Buffy replied, snuggling against his
chest.

"Please, Buffy?" Angel persisted, "I'm afraid to
loose you."

"Just hold me," Buffy murmured.

As the day wore on, Buffy slipped into a deep sleep. Angel held her
tightly, listening to her heartbeat slow and eventually cease.

Ice cold tears ran down his cheeks as he cradled her body close to
him. The tears froze on his face and eyelashes.

Shortly after nightfall the door to their frozen prison creaked open.
The influx of warm air pulled Angel's attention from the girl in
his
arms. He looked up to see a twelve-year-old girl framed by the
doorway. Her long hair was raven dark and accented her pale perfect
skin and chocolate brown eyes.

"Aurora?" Angel asked in confusion.

The girl smiled, "I'm surprised you recognized me after so
many
years."

"This isn't possible," Angel stammered.
"You're…"

"Dead?" Aurora asked, "You certainly made sure of that
didn't you
brother dearest?"

"How?" Angel asked.

"Now that's a funny question for you to be asking,"
Aurora replied.
"You were there."

"I guess I really must have been your favorite, you saved me for
last,
after all. I got the privilege of watching you kill our entire family
before you turned your attention to me. I fought you remember?
Scratched, clawed, hit and finally in the end bit as you drained my
blood from my body. I only got a mouthful of you blood in return, but
it was enough. Enough to make me into what you were," Aurora
explained.

"Why did you wait so long?" Angel asked.

"You should know that too," Aurora scolded. "I'm just
going to assume
that the cold froze your brain, or is it grief doing that?

"Well you are my sire, but you didn't take very good care of
me you
know. How much blood did Darla give you? How many times did you share
blood with your other children?" Aurora asked.

"You were a minion when you first rose?" Angel asked, wincing
at the
thought of his sister as one of the almost brainless creatures that
composed of the bulk of the vampire population. "What
changed?"

"A cave-in trapped myself and several other vampires, including
two
full vampires." Aurora smiled. "In that case it was an
advantage to
run mostly on instinct. The minions turned to cannibalism long before
it occurred to the true vampires. I was the first to try it with one
of the full vampires. I should thank you for that, you are a powerful
vampire, even the small taste of your blood that I received was
enough
to set me apart from the average minion."

"After you drained the true vampire you became one yourself?"
Angel
clarified.

"Yes, the power, the clarity of mind, my own personality, it all
came
with that," Aurora replied. "Then I decided to come after
you. Either
for killing our family or for not doing a proper job of changing me,
I'm mad at you for both you know."

"Why this?" Angel asked nodding to the freezer.

"Well originally I thought it would be fitting to just let her
die of
old age. I would have enjoyed leaving you to watch helplessly as time
slowly took her from you.

"I watched you for quiet awhile you know. Planning my vengeance,
figuring out what was dear to you. Image my surprise when I find the
vicious monster Angelus is bestest friends with a bunch of humans,
and
the Slayer's lover no less," Aurora giggled. "It added so
many
possibilities to what I could do to you."

"I loved the idea of making you stand by powerlessly as your
lover
died. Then I realized two things; first I don't have the patience
for
that sort of thing, and second with the life style you and your girl
lead, it wasn't likely that either of you would be around to face
her
old age."

Aurora smiled. "Plus while the cold won't kill you brother
mine, your
tantrums have weakened you."

Aurora used a vampire's speed to move from the door to crouch
behind
her brother, twisting his head to the side to expose Angel's
throat.

Shock held Angel quiescent until Aurora's fangs pierced his neck.
With
the pain anger returned, he tossed her slight form across the room.

"I just want a taste of what should have been mine," she
pouted,
leaving the freezer. To Angel's astonishment she left the door
open
behind her.

Carrying Buffy's remains Angel left before Aurora could correct
her
oversight.

==============================================================

Angel laid Buffy's frozen form on the library table. Giles,
Willow and
Xander could only stare in disbelief.

"I'm sorry," Angel began. "This is my fault…"

"She's not dead," Xander protested furiously.

"I'm sorry," Angel repeated. "I tried…"

"Stop saying that!" Xander yelled, attacking the vampire.

Angel never raised a hand to protect himself.

Slowly the vampire fell back from the infuriated teen, stumbling as
he
backed into a chair, a wild punch from Xander toppled the already off
balance vampire.

The crack of Angel's skull impacting the chair on his way down
shook
the other two out of their daze.

Giles drug Xander away from Angel as Willow knelt beside the stunned
vampire.

Seeing Giles had Xander under control Willow turned her attention
fully to the vampire who still lay on the floor. A series of small
tremors shook his body.

Horrified Willow hugged him close, brushing her fingers through his
hair comfortingly.

"Buffy's dead," Angel whispered, "Because of me.
It's my fault she
died. Buffy, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. My fault." His shaking
only
intensified. "Aurora, Sprite, my Sprite what have I done to
you?"

"Angel!" Giles snapped. His harsh tone broke through to the
distraught
vampire. "How did this happen?"

"I didn't know," Angel exclaimed. "I wouldn't
have left her if I'd
realized. Angelus wouldn't have left her, not Sprite. I…
he… wouldn't,
not her. I was less than a day past the change; I didn't
understand
what had happened. She killed Buffy because of me! My fault, never
would have left her… Buffy, sorry, sorry…"

The other three watched in shock as Angel's voice dissolved into
incoherent sobs.

Gradually over the next hour the Watcher and Slayerettes coaxed the
story of Buffy's death and Aurora's arrival from Angel. The
two events
coming one on top of the other had badly overset the normally stable,
if guilt ridden vampire.

After getting the full story Giles and Xander left Willow to deal
with
Angel while they called the police and Joyce Summers.

Under the threat of coming dawn Willow finally persuaded Angel to
move
into the protection of the stacks. There he fell into an exhausted
sleep.

While he slept Willow bribed Willie, the human owner of a local demon
hangout to bring some blood to the school for Angel.

Once it arrived Willow returned to Angel's side. Finding him
still
deeply asleep, Willow allowed herself to grieve for her lost friend.

Angel woke to the sound of Willow crying; tiredly he returned her
comforting embrace from the night before. "I'm sorry
Willow," He said,
"I betrayed and destroyed both of them."

Willow returned his hug. "That's not true," She objected.
"You did
everything you could have to save Buffy. Aurora killed her, not
you."

"Sprite wouldn't have killed anyone," Angel said grimly,
"I created
the monster that killed Buffy from a wonderful, innocent child who
loved and trusted me more than any person in the world."

"Not you," Willow repeated. "Angelus, and according to
what you said,
he didn't even realize what he'd done."

"I meant to kill her, not turn her," Angel snapped,
"That's so much
better!"

"Angelus did," Willow stressed.

"Angel, Angelus, what's the difference?" Angel shrugged.

"A lot, when's the last time Angel killed or tortured
anyone?" Willow
asked irritably.

"I know," Angel sighed, "But if I don't suffer for
his crimes who
will?"

"Angelus is gone, no one should be punished for what he did,"
Willow
said firmly.

Angel allowed his head to rest tiredly on Willow's shoulder,
lacking
the energy to continue arguing.

==============================================================

"Aurora may come after the rest of you," Angel warned. Even
after
almost sixteen hours of sleep he still seemed exhausted and listless.

Xander glared angrily at him, "Okay great, it's not enough
that your
bad side spends six months trying to off us. Now because you
couldn't
stay in Hell where you belong your psycho sister kills Buffy and is
going after the rest of us!"

Angel visibly flinched from the angry teenager's attack.
"I'm sorry…"

"Who cares!" Xander yelled. "Buffy's still dead, your
sister is still
out to make the rest of us the same!"

"She wouldn't have any reason to come after you if I were
destroyed,"
Angel offered, at his side Willow tensed.

"That does us a lot of good," Cordelia said. "Cause first
you aren't
and second even if you were how would she know it. Vampires don't
leave real identifiable corpses."

"I kill myself in her presence," Angel replied.

"Sounds good to me."

In the stunned silence that followed Angel's declaration,
Xander's
comment seemed especially loud.

"No!" Willow said, stamping her foot. "You won't! I
won't let you!"

"Angel…" Giles stammered. "Your offer… is…
appreciated… but hardly
practical. You are a valued member of our team, and with Buffy…"
Giles
could bring himself to say it. After a long pause he continued.
"We
will need your help in dealing with the Mayor's Accession more
than
ever now. We can find another way to deal with Aurora."

"I can't destroy her," Angel said softly.

"Why not?" Xander asked.

"Because she's my sister," Angel said. "She's a
monster, but she's all
that's left of my Sprite."

With that Angel retreated into the stacks, Willow followed him after
a
moment.

Willow found him sitting on the floor near the rear of the library
staring blankly into the distance.

"What was she like?" Willow asked.

Angel's uncomprehending glance prompted her to add, "Sprite,
your
little sister, what was she like back before…"

Angel smiled warmly, "She was the bain of our mother's life
and my
adoring shadow. Now she would be called a tomboy. Sprite was born
when
I was fifteen; we actually share the same birthday. As soon as she
learned to walk she followed me everywhere. Sprite was a living
embodiment of energy, excitement and intelligence.

"To our mother's horror, I taught her to ride and hunt,"
Angel laughed
softly, lost in memories, "Given a few more months, she would
have
talked me into teaching her sword play."

"You really loved her," Willow said softly.

"Sprite didn't fit-in in our time any better than I did.
Which was
probably my fault for encouraging her. Still with her temperament I
doubt anyone could have made her into a proper lady. Sprite was born
at just the wrong time too. When she turned five my older brother,
the
family's heir had just decided on a wife and our three sisters
were
deep in the marriage mart. All of that took a lot of the family's
time
and energy. Which pretty much left Sprite and I to our own devices.

"Marriage then was a very different thing than it is today,
especially
for a land holding family. Society had moved beyond having the
parents
simply arrange the match, but it was still more about making a good
alliance than love. Unfortunately we were expected to pretend
otherwise.

"Everything in polite society was masks and pretend, I hated it.
Sprite was the only one who I could be myself around. The only one
who
liked me for myself," Angel sighed. "The older I got the more
I was
expected to participate and the more I wanted to just escape."

Angel paused. Willow stared at him wide eyed; Angel was as good as
any
romance novel. "So what did you do?"

Angel smiled grimly, "Something really stupid. I could have run
away
or something, but instead I wanted to get disowned. I guess I
couldn't
just walk away. Everything would have been better if I had."

"Why?" Willow asked.

"I made myself into a disgrace. Spent every night drunk, chasing
after
bar maids and any other woman I encountered. Pretending to be
something I wasn't, to escape from exactly that." Angel's
smile turned
ugly. "That's how I met Darla, then instead of pretending to
be
something I wasn't and didn't want to be, I became something
I
couldn't have imagined and certainly never intended to become.

"Then I destroyed everything that I cared about."

Angel laughed bitterly, "Now every time I find something good my
past
shows up and destroys it. I guess this is what the gypsies had in
mind
when they cursed me. The first time I destroyed my life I reveled in
it.

Willow, I don't want to destroy things anymore. I came here to
help
Buffy, I wanted to be one of the good guys for once in my life, and
look what happens! Whistler should have left me like I was, at least
that way no one else got hurt.

"I won't have anyone else getting hurt because of me."

Angel stood abruptly, his face a blank mask.

Startled Willow hopped to her feet, "Angel where are you
going?"

"To kill Sprite," Angel replied without expression,
"Before she can
kill anyone else."

==============================================================

I found Angel shortly before dawn that morning. I stopped him from
committing suicide.

Sometimes I wonder if he would have been better off if I had just
left
him alone. Whatever small part of Angel that survived Buffy's
death
died with Aurora.

The fight between the two of them hadn't been pretty. Angel told
me
about it that first day.

Aurora was trapped in the body of a child, even with vampiric
strength
she couldn't match an adult in a fight. So she'd learned
other ways to
fight, illusion, mind tricks… She didn't do much physical
damage to
Angel, but she knew her brother well and had used that against him.
In
the end Angel won, he staked her. Then I pulled all the duty stuff I
could and kept him from giving himself to the dawn.

Buffy once told me that when she and Angel first met he told her what
he wanted was to "Kill them, kill them all," meaning vampires
of
course. Maybe it was true then too, now it's all that he wants.

He goes hunting every night. Lately that hasn't been enough;
he's
started hunting the tunnels during the day too. The vampires have a
new name for him, they call him Dark Angel. They fear him more than
the newest Slayer, with good cause. The Slayer just patrols,
protecting humans, Angel hunts them.

As for the rest of us, well, we got on with our lives. We all
survived
both graduation and the Accession. After that we kind of drifted
apart
for awhile. Giles went back to England to train the next Slayer,
leaving Angel to monitor the Hellmouth. Cordelia went to LA and after
a year of indecision Xander followed her. He won her back…
eventually.
They were still happily fighting the last time I visited, some things
never change.

Oz and I stayed together as well, even though his touring with the
Dingoes puts a certain strain on the relationship. In spite of that I
wouldn't give him up for anything.

I stuck with my plans and went to college in Sunnydale, kept working
on the witchcraft and helping protect the world from evil. The only
change was I'm helping Angel instead of Buffy.

He likes me to stay out of the line of fire. So I mostly do research
and a few spells. I argue, but he's not rational about this, he
says
he won't be responsible for hurting anyone else. I suppose I
should be
grateful he lets me help him at all. After the Accession he cut off
all contact with the rest of the Slayerettes.

Sometimes I think he just doesn't want them to see the changes in
him.
See after Aurora's little bomb shell about gaining power by
feeding on
other vampires Angel decided to try it. Well it worked, I've been
checking the Watcher's records and Angel is one of the most
powerful
vampires in existence, and he's only been doing it for two and a
half
years now. What Aurora didn't mention was that it's
addictive. Angel
can't derive nutrition from mortal blood any more. I worry that
he'll
get careless and let another vampire see him someday.

Feeding off other vampires is really taboo for them. That's what
Angel
said when I asked why more of them didn't do it if they gained power
that way. They'll hunt down and destroy any vampire that is
caught
doing it. Angel is more than a match for any one vampire, I don't
even
worry much if he goes up against four or five other vampires. Still
if
the community realizes what he's doing, there will be dozens of
vampires hunting him. In the end number always win and Angel chooses
to stand alone.

The End
 

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