The Beginning, the Middle & the End

Author: Tequesta A.K.A. Tee

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~Part: 16~

Sunnydale High……First Day

“This is great!” Xander cheered as he got his schedule.

“What is so great about your schedule?” Willow asked looking at her own.

Xander handed her the paper for her see for herself, “Do you see that?” He asked. “I have home economic, women studies, and volleyball.”

Willow shook her head and passed the paper back to Xander. “Yeah I see you have all classes with mostly girls in them.”

“Exactly! If I act as if I don’t understand then some lucky lady is going to help me.”

Willow chuckled, “And what will Cordelia do if she knew you were flirting with other women?”

“Nothing because Cordy and I have an open relationship”

“Whatever,” she replied. “Have you seen Buffy this morning?”

“Yeah. She said she was going to the library to train and then look up about the Accession thing. We just need to know who it is that’s going to be this monster.”

“Don’t worry we are the Scooby gang and we can solve any mystery,” reassured her friend. “I’ll see you during lunch.” Willow walked off and headed towards the library.

Library………

“I don’t know, Angel.” Buffy said, landing a punch and a kick to the punching bag. She stopped and stood trying to catch her breath. “I have tried talking to her but she won’t listen. I know Willow loves you but she is just so stubborn.”

Willow stopped at the door after hearing her name call. She wasn’t a big eaves dropper but she wanted to hear his responses.

Angel let go of the bag. “I love her but I have to leave.”

“What! Why Angel?” Buffy asked.

“They need me in LA. I am going tonight to look at the place they had up for sale and when graduation is over I am leaving.”

“That’s going to break Willow’s heart.”

Angel looked away from the slayer. “Not as much as it’s going to hurt me. I love her but she doesn’t want me to be around now and I think it’s best for me to leave.”

Willow could feel the tears forming in her eyes. She didn’t want to drive him off not like this. The red head shook off the tears and walked out of the library.

Buffy listened as she grabbed some water and wiped her face with a towel. “Are you going to tell her?”

Angel looked at the door thinking he heard something. “I want too but I can’t get any time with her. If you don’t mind I would like for you to do it.”

“No problem. It’s going to be hard especially when we don’t know what part Willow has to play in the apocalypse but it has to be a serious one with every demon on this earth wanting her destroyed.”

“True but we have to protect her. It you need me I will come back.”

“Good.” Buffy nodded her head before telling him she was ready to get back to training. “I’ll let her know tonight while we are patrolling.”

Sunnydale High………..Lunch time

Willow smiled as they walked out of the building, “I'm giddy.”

“You always are,” Buffy responded.

Willow looked around as they continued to walk, “It's the freedom! As seniors, we can go off-campus now for lunch. It's no longer cutting. It's legal! Heck, it's expected! Wow, it's, uh, also a big step forward, a senior moment, one that has to be savored.”

Buffy looked back and saw Xander and Cordelia coming.

“You can't just rush into this, you know?” Willow babbled.

Xander headed for Willow's side and Buffy on the other side. Both grabbed an arm and started to pull her across the street.

“Ohh!” she protested and started to resist, leaning backward with all of her weight. “No, I can't!”

Buffy and Xander just lifted her by the arms and pulled harder. Cordelia smiled at the spectacle.

“You can,” Buffy reassured her best friend.

Willow looked frighten as they continued to pull her, “Oh, but, no! What if they changed the rule without telling? What if they're lying in wait to *arrest* me a-and, and throw me in detention and mar my unblemished record?”

They all laughed as they reach the other side of the street. and Buffy and Xander steadied her on the sidewalk and let her go.

“Breathe…breathe.” Xander comforted.

Willow took a breath and let it out as she tried to calm herself.

“Okay. Hmm...” she mumbled.

Xander put his arm around Cordelia and they began walking into the small park in front of the school.

Willow finally felt relaxed enough to talk, “This is good! This is... Hey, we're seniors! Hey, I'm walkin' here!” She started giggling.

They laugh as them make it to the table. They all sit down to eat.

Sunnydale. Later that night at the Happy Burger

A black stretch-limousine pulled into the parking lot and headed toward the drive-through lane. “Welcome to Happy Burger. May I take your order, please?”

“Diet soda. Medium,” Mr. Trick ordered from the limo.

“That'll be eighty-nine cents at the window, sir.”

Trick rolled the window up, and the car drove forward.

Trick looked at the man next to him, “Sunnydale. Town's got quaint. And the people?” he smiles, “He called me 'sir'. Don't you just miss that? I mean, admittedly, it's not a haven for the brothers, you know, strictly the Caucasian Persuasion here in the Dale. But, you know, you just gotta stand up and salute their death rate. I ran a statistical analysis, and hello darkness. It makes... D.C. look... like Mayberry, and ain't nobody saying boo about it. We could fit right in here. Have us some fun.”

Kakistos growls, “We're here for one thing.”

“Kill the Slayer, yeah. Still, big picture...” Mr. Trick assured. He lowered the window again and looked out before handing the boy at the window a dollar.

The boy passed him the soda, a straw and his change, smiling at the customers “Have a nice night, sir.”

Trick smiled back. “Right back at ya,” he replied, sitting back in his seat.

“The Slayer. I'm going to rip her spine from her body, and I'm going to eat her heart and suck the marrow from her bones,” Kakistos reassured his mission.

Trick considered that for a moment, smacking his lips. “Now I'm hungry.”

Without wasting any time, Trick lunged out of the window, vamped out. The boy, shocked, tried to move away, but Trick already had him by the shirt. The boy screamed as Trick pulled him out of the building and part way into the limousine. The car took off with the boy's legs kicking outside the window. The limo screeched through the parking lot and into the street.

Cemetery….Same Night.

Buffy and Willow both rolled onto their backs, side by side, each with a vampire on top of them. Buffy backhand punched her attacker while Willow struggled to get control over hers. Buffy's vampire tried to punch her, but she redirected his arm to hit the ground next to her. Giles watched calmly while sitting behind them on a nearby bench. Buffy was still on her back with her assailant standing over her, throwing punches down at her. Willow logroller away from them, taking her attacker with her. Giles took off his glasses and began to clean them.

He was really amazed at how much Willow was becoming a warrior just like Buffy. He was only there for damage control. If Willow was in too much trouble and Buffy couldn’t help her, then he would intervene.

Willow managed to roll on top of her vampire. She yanked him by the lapels of his jacket to a standing position, spun halfway around and threw him into a log roll over a stone bench. He hit the ground and continued to roll. Buffy, on her feet once more, ducked a half-spinning jumping hook kick from her vampire, and then sidestepped to avoid a punch. Willow jumped up onto the bench and down to the ground. Her attacker aimed a punch at her face, but rethought his maneuver and decided to snap kick her in the gut. Thinking quickly, Willow grabbed his foot and threw it over his head, forcing him to flip over in a back layout. He landed hard on his stomach. Buffy threw a punch at her assailant's face, but he ducked it. She tried for another one, but he blocked it. She then aimed for his stomach with another punch, but was blocked yet again. The vampire tried to punch her, but she latched onto his arm and yanked him backwards, then forwards, and twisted his arm, sending him flipping onto his back. Giles calmly watched and took notes.

Willow had a firm grip on her attacker, and threw his head backward, sending him flying backwards onto a bench. His momentum carries him sliding over it. Willow jumped up onto the bench, following him over, ready to attack. Buffy sent her vampire spinning back to the ground with a two-kick combination of a roundhouse followed by a hook kick. She paused for a moment to let him get back up, and then roundhouse kicked him in the gut, followed immediately by a punch to his face as the momentum of her kick carried her around. Giles picked up his cup of coffee and continued his calm vigilance.

Willow jumped down from the bench and roundhouse kicked her vampire in the face. Buffy roundhouse kicked hers again in the stomach. Willow punched her vampire in the stomach and took aim with her stake. Buffy shoved hers against Willow's, and they end up back to back. The two females plunge their stakes into their respective demons simultaneously, causing them to explode into ashes. After the dust settles, they give each other a high-five and head over to Giles.

“That magic power really working with you, Willow,” she spoke. “Synchronized slaying.”

Buffy looked to Giles, “Whadaya think?”

Giles lowered his coffee cup, but kept it held at mouth level.

“Very good,” he answered. “I am very impressed Willow. I didn’t know you had that much power.”

Willow smiled, knowing that she had done her best to protect both of them while they fought.

“Thanks,” she answered. “I have been working on it.”

“You two should head home,” he told them. “Meet me in the library in the morning for an update.”

Both girls agreed and headed into the night.

***

“So Willow…how are you?” Buffy asked as they walked down the street. She didn’t know how to start this conversation.

The red head shook her head already knowing. “You don’t have to say it Buffy. I know Angel is leaving.”

The shocked slayer looked at Willow. “I heard you two talking earlier.”

“And you are just going to let him go?”

“I don’t want him too but if LA needs him then he has to go. If I stop him then I would feel bad if he stays here because of me and then something bad happens there.”

“I understand Willow but think about it.”

“I will.”

Buffy looked at her friend as they continued to walked.

LA……..

Angel enters an office building and walks down a couple steps and through one of the offices on the ground floor and gets into an elevator. He pulls the metal grating closed, the elevator goes down.

Angel waits for the elevator to stop before stepping out. This was the place he would defiantly buy. He would have to get some of the windows boarded up but it wasn’t going to be a big problem.

The vampire felt a pain go through him. He didn’t want to leave his girl but he knew he had too. After looking around he decided to head back to Sunnydale. If he leaves now he would just make it back before sunrise.

Warehouse………..

Kakistos and Trick are sitting at the table. The lights are low and candles are burning everywhere. Trick is typing away on his palm-top computer.

“Okay Mr. Trick, talk to me,” Kakistos orders.

Trick looks up and walks over and looks out the window. “This town, this very street, wired for fiber optics. See, we jack in a T-3, um, twenty-five hundred megs per, we have the whole *world* at our fingertips.”

Kakistos looks up at him, not really understanding.

Mr. Trick chuckles knowing he doesn’t comprehend. “What I'm saying is we stay local--where the humans are jumpin' and the cotton is high but we live global. I mean, you know, you get the hankering for the blood of a fifteen-year-old Filipino, and I'm on the 'Net and she's here the next day, express air.

Losing what patience he had Kakistos growls, “I want the blood of the Slayer and I want that witch dead.”

Trick can't believe Kakistos' shortsightedness, and looks aside for a moment.

“As soon as the sun goes down, we're out in force,” Trick explains.

“I don’t care what you do or how you do it just get it done.”

***

“You think that you can handle Angel leaving you like that?” Buffy inquires as they walk around patrolling. They had been trough the cemetery and pretty much walked up to the warehouse were Kakistos and Mr. Trick was living.

“I really don’t want to talk about it Buffy,” the red head replies.

Buffy nodded understanding that this may be a difficult time for Willow and when her friend was ready to talk she knew she would.

“Ummmm…..vacant warehouse that is lit up at night,” Willow inspects as they walked up to the door.

“Sounds like a vampire party to me,” Buffy smiles at her. “Should we crash it?”

“Hey that’s what we are here for.”

Both girls grabbed their stakes as they walk up to the door.

Buffy asked Willow if she was ready silently. With a nod of the witches head Buffy kicks the door in expecting to see hundreds of vampires but is shock to only see candles lit and nothing else.

“This is no fun,” Buffy whines. “They are all gone.”

“Yeah probably out hunting.”

They continued to walk inside. As they look around they didn’t know that they were being watched. Kakistos and Trick were warned before the slayer and witch made it to the door. They ordered everyone to hide just until they got inside the warehouse.

Before the slayer could pick up on anything, about half of dozen vampires jumped down in front of them.

“This is not good,” Buffy whispers to Willow. They began to back until they were a couple steps from the door.

One of the vampires appeared at entrance and growls at them. Seeing no other options they begin to run through the warehouse. The vampire at the door gives chase. Two others come in the other side and try to head them off. Buffy stops by a bucket, and puts her foot in, kicks it into one of the vampire's faces. He stumbles backward and over a chair. She does a full spinning hook kick to the other vampire and side kick to another one behind her. He falls backwards over a table. Buffy runs and jumps onto the table, log rolls over it and kicks him in the back as he tries to get back up. Kakistos walks into the room, his one-eyed gaze fixed on Willow. Buffy rolls to a stand on the table. She picks up a crowbar and swings it baseball style at yet another vampire advancing towards her, hitting her squarely in the neck and knocking her down and out. She sees Kakistos advancing on Willow.

“Willow!” Buffy screams getting her attention. “Watch out!” Buffy yells and throws her Willow the crowbar.

Willow catches the crowbar in mid-air, but before she can swing it at Kakistos, he punches her hard and knocks her into a bunch of large wooden beams leaning against the wall. She hits the floor as the beams go tumbling down.

Mr. Trick walks in calmly, nodding his head and observing the fight. He didn’t see a reason to intervene. He looks at Buffy as she knifes her attacker in the neck and throws him into an assisted front tuck off of the table. Kakistos calmly steps up to Willow as she scrambles up against the wall, cowering. He reaches down and grabs her by the shirt, picking her up off of the floor.

“NO!” Willow yells.

Once he has her up, he punches her squarely in the face. Buffy is no longer on the table, and she roundhouse kicks over it, knocking the legs out from under a vampire standing on it. He rolls off of the table and onto his back, and Buffy stakes him cleanly. She looks up at Willow being whaled on by Kakistos. Behind her the unconscious vampire wakes.

Kakistos finally hits Willow hard enough to knock her from his own grip onto the floor. He roars loudly. Buffy jumps up and runs over to attack him, She roundhouse kicks him in the back of the knee, spins around and tries to backhand him in the face, but he blocks it. She spins around the other way and backhands him in the face. The now awakened vampire gets back up from the floor, while Mr. Trick comes up behind her.

“You don’t have to worry about anything slayer. The Mayor will do away with your witch friend there,” Trick explains to her.

Seeing them both standing in one spot, Trick and the vampire turn to leave. Buffy tries to stake Kakistos, but the stake can't easily penetrate his thick hide, and so has no effect on him. He grabs Buffy by the hair, lifts her and throws her back. Trick and the vampire calmly continue on their way out.

Buffy backhands Kakistos, landing a hard punch. He swings at her, but she ducks. She stands up and tries to stake him again, but even though the stake goes in deeper this time, it still has no effect on him. Again he grabs her by the head and shoves her back into the wall. Willow recovers from her daze, and sees him looming before her, but looking at Buffy instead of at her.

“I guess you need a bigger stake, Slayer!” he laughs maniacally.

Willow sees that one of the fallen beams has a broken end. She lifts it up over her shoulder, and before Kakistos can turn his attention back onto her she thrusts the beam through his chest and out his back. He looks down at it and back up at Willow, and then explodes into ashes. Buffy stares in amazement. Willow heaves a few heavy breaths. Buffy pulls the hair back from her face and steps over to Willow, who looks around to make sure nothing else is about to attack. They both look down at the pile of ash left by Kakistos.

“Way to go Will’s,” Buffy congratulates.

“Thanks,” she speaks and moans when she feel a pain go through her.

Buffy looks at her friend seeing the blood.

“Are you going to be okay?”

“Yeah after a healing spell I should be alright by tomorrow.”

“Shall we head home then?”

“I think this party is over,” Willow jokes.

Buffy laughs as they walk out of the warehouse and head home.

~Part: 17~

Sunnydale High…….One Year Later
Four Hours until Graduation

In front of Sunnydale High there are benches set up for the graduation and a podium for the speaker.  Snyder stands at a table holding a box full of diplomas, tapping one of them in his hands and looking around, then sticking it into the box with the others.

Library……..

Buffy is sitting on a chair with her back to the door, facing the others.  Giles and Xander on the right side of the table, Willow and Oz on the left, Cordelia standing just left of the steps, while Angel is over against the wall on the right side of the steps in the shadows.

"So, am I crazy?" Buffy asks.

Willow looks at her. "Well, 'crazy' is such a *strong* word."

Giles looks at them all while chewing on his glasses.  "Let's not rule it out though."

"You don't think it can be done?" Buffy asked.

"I didn't say that.  I might, - but not yet." Giles explains.

 "I personally don't think it's impossible to come up with a crazier plan." Cordelia jumped in.

"We attack the Mayor with humus."  Willow say making everyone looks at her.

"I stand corrected," Cordelia said with sarcasm in her voice.

"Just trying to keep things in perspective," Willow speaks.

Cordelia looks at her, "Thank you. My point however is, crazy or not, it's pretty much the only plan. Besides, it's Buffy's, and she's slay gal…..you know, Ms little Likes-to-fight.  So.."

Xander interrupts her, "I think there was a 'yeah' vote buried in there somewhere."

“Well, I'm going to need every single one of you on board, especially you Xander, You're sort of the key figure here,” Buffy tells him.

Xander takes a deep breath, "Key? Me? Okay…..pride….humility…..and here is the mind numbing fear,” he sighs, “What do I have to do?"

"Do you think you can sneak into the military base and get something to make the Mayor go all to pieces?”

Xander points at her, "Uh, rocket launcher?"

Buffy regretfully speaks, "Rocket launcher not going to get it done.  I mean, it took a volcano to kill one of these things last time."

Giles gets up and walks towards her, "Um, Buffy, all of this is rather depended on your being able to control the Mayor."

Buffy looks at her friend, "Willow is his weakness"

"Me?” The red head repeats.

"His weakness?" Giles asked unsure.

"Right," she assures.

"Which is…?" He asks.

“They want Willow. Trick told us earlier that the Mayor wants her so we just have to give her to him.”

“Excuse me?” Angel jumps in.

Giles puts his glasses back on before speaking, "Well, let's… let's…ah, let's think."

Buffy looks at her friend seeing no time to waste, “Xander you can get going to the military base.”

“Sure Buffy. My dad works there…..but,” he looks at Cordelia. “I need you Cordelia to wear something a little more…..um….sluttier.”

“Why me?” Cordelia whines.

“No time for arguments go with him and meet us back here in two hours.”

The two teens walked out of the library.

Mayors Office…………

The Mayor was speaking to his hench-vamps, “How it's going to lay out.  The transformation should begin at exactly 3:28.  I'll just be finishing my speech - you know, it's too bad you fellows have to miss that, because I think it speaks to everyone of us.  I mean, heck, I've been working on it for a hundred years.  It better be good. They'll try to run, of course, and this is when I'll need you boys in flanking position." He looked at them making sure they understand. “You all know the witch should be there. I want her; do not kill her because she is mine.”

"But Sir, the sun!" One of the vampires asked.

 "Not a problem," he told him,

"You come up through the sewers here.  The important thing is containment.  I'll need to feed.  It's crucial in the first few minutes to sustain the change.  What does that mean?  No snacking.  I see blood on your lips; it's a visit to the wood shed for you boys.  Kill.  Don't feed,” he tells them.

Everyone nodded their heads.

"Remember, fast and brutal.  It's going to be a whole new world come nightfall, don't want to weaken now,” seeing the Mayor was finish the vampires start leaving his office.  “And boys?” the Mayor calls out making them turn to look at him. “Let's watch the swearing."

Library…..

“Willow you can do a glamour spell right?” Buffy asked.

“Yeah…sure,” she answered.

“Once the Mayor starts to change you change me to look like you. I will get him to chase me into the library were we are going to blow him up….if Xander can get the right explosives.”

“We are going to blow up the library?” Giles asks.

“Yep,” Buffy answers.

“That sounds like a plan to me Buffy,” Willow agrees.

Giles looks down in the book and sees something he hadn’t before. “Here is something I found earlier. Darkness will follow and day becomes night."

Buffy stands next to him with her arms crossed. "An eclipse," she states.

"Standard procedure for an ascension?" Giles tells them.

Angel steps up to them, "That puts me back into the game."

"Yea, it does.  You and Xander are going to have to work together now.  Can you guys handle that?" Buffy asks.

“Sure not a problem,” Angel agrees.

“Well lets get started,” Buffy told them.

Everyone went their separate ways to prepare for Accession.

***

Everyone had started packing all of Giles books in boxes. Willow was on the top floor and was startled when she turned to see Angel behind her.

“Hey,” she greeted but didn’t stop placing the books in the box. After Angel was standing in one spot for a few seconds Willow had to ask.

“Is something on your mind?”

Of course something was on his mind. He wanted to tell her to come with him to his apartment so he could make love to her for hours. He wanted her to go with him to LA. Heck he just wanted her.

Angel looked at her as she finally stopped packing. “I…um…I don’t know if Buffy told you but tonight will be my last night here.”

Willow didn’t want to have this conversation with him at all. She thought he would just leave and that’s that.

“Yeah,” she answered. “I hate to see you go but I know it’s important that you go and help out the city of LA.”

“Thanks,” he replied. “You know you will be always welcome.”

Willow smiled the best she could as he walked up to her.

“We will probably stop by once we settle into college good. Maybe for Christmas break.”

“That would be great,” he told her. Angel stood there wanting to do nothing else but kiss her one last time.

“YOU FINISHED UP THERE WILLOW?” Buffy yelled breaking them up again.

Angel turned and walked off. “Yeah…ummm…I almost finish.”

“Good because we need you and Angel on bomb setup.”

Willow closed the last box and headed down stairs.

Library…..Thirty minutes later.

"So, how are we coming on volcano detail?" Buffy asked walking up to Willow.

"I think we can work it out." Willow answers as her and Angel figure out a way to blow up this creature.

Buffy looks at her, "Xander said he should be able to get the materials."

“Who's going to stoke it up?" Willow asks.

Buffy turns to Giles coming up beside him "You feel up to it?"

Giles takes his glasses off before speaking, "Ah, I suppose it should be I.  It's strangely fitting in a grotesque fashion."

“Okay guys lets get started. Willow you know what to do get everyone you can to join in….Giles…we need weapons, weapons, and more weapons.”

Everyone stood to start with the plan.

Graduation time………..

Snyder walks up to the podium, "Congratulations to the class of 1999.  You all proved more or less adequate.  This is a time of celebration, so….sit still and be quiet,” he stops and surveys the students. “Spit out that gum,” he tells one student. “Please welcome our distinguished guest speaker, Richard Wilkins the 3rd,” he looks at one of the students. “I saw that gesture. You see me after graduation."

Everyone begins to clap after he walks off.

The Mayor shakes Snyder's hand and steps up to the podium.  Smiles and takes out some cue cards.

The Mayor clears his throat and surveys the students and smiles when he spots Willow, "Well.  What a day this is! Special day.  Today is our centennial the one hundreds anniversary of the founding of Sunnydale, and I know what that means to all you kids…not …..A darn thing, because today something much more important happens, today you all graduate from high school.  Today all the pain, all the work, all the excitement is finally over.  And what's a hundred years of history compared to that?  You know what kids? …"

"Oh my God, He’s going to do the entire speech." Buffy mumbles.

 "Man, just ascend already." Willow rushes.

"Evolve!" Buffy also rushes.

“For all of you it may be that there is a place in Sunnydale's history, whether you like it or not.  It's been a long road getting here.  For you… for Sunnydale.  There has been achievement, joy, good times....…and there has been grief.  There's been loss.  Some people who should be here today… aren't. But we are. Journey's end.  And what is a journey?  Is it just… distance traveled?  Time spent?  No.  It's what happens on the way, it the things that happen to you.  At the end of the journey you're not the same.  Today is about change. Graduation doesn't just mean your circumstances change, it means you do.  You ascend… to a higher level.  Nothing will ever be the same,” as he continues to talk a shadow falls across him.

“Nothing," Everyone looks up to see the sun being totally blocked.  The Mayor flinches in pain.  Then swallows and continues his speech:  "And so as we look back on.” Pain hits him again and he turns half to the side groaning. “On the events that brought us to this day…………” He stops because another wave of pain hits him.

Buffy takes her hat off, "Come on."

 "We… we must all…,” he screams which made the students and the faculty look at each other uneasily.

“It has begun.  My destiny, it’s a little sooner then I expected I had this whole section on civic pride,” he tells them as he shuffles the cue cards. “But I guess we'll just skip to the big finish!"

Buffy and Willow look at each other as the Mayor starts to grimace and stretch and grow. His suit splits around him and Snyder is leaning back in his seat looking taken aback.  The Mayor suddenly transforms into a big snake-like demon with clawed mandibles surrounding its mouth.  It keeps growing, stretching higher as the faculty abandons their seats.  The students get up but stay in place staring up at the Mayor, who seems to stretch up above the roof of the school.

The students stare up as the parents in the back begin to panic and leave.  A group of vampires comes up the steps behind the students. Buffy waves her hand for Willow to come with her.

Seeing Willow and Buffy leave Xander takes charge. "Now!"

All the students take off their gowns revealing crosses, axes, and other assorted weaponry.

 "Flame units." He yells. Several students point flame throwers at the Mayor and start flaming him.  The Mayor sways above the students screaming.

"First wave!”

A group of students aim cross bows loaded with lance points at the Mayor. “Fire!"

The Mayor screams and sways then lunges down and swallows a student in the first row.

Buffy stares in shock, as some of the students start milling around. “Come on Willow.” She rushes as Willow starts the spell.

"This… this is simply unacceptable!" Snyder yelled upset.

Three up the students break and run right into the group of vampires waiting on the steps.  Cordelia looks over as they are quickly killed by the vampires.

Cordelia turns back around to him, "Xander?"

"Arm bow men Cordelia and some others pick up long bows and arrows.  The vampires slowly move up the steps as the kids lit their arrows on fire and take aim.

“Fire!"

The students let fly a mass and several vampires are hit and turn into flaming dust, Xander looks back at the students in front of the Mayor, A student had come flying through the air and landed on top some students knocking them down.

Buffy/Willow runs out as Willow steps back behind the building to keep the spell going. Buffy/Willow looks at the students around her. "Fall back!"

Xander looks at the bow men before ordering them to fire.

The students let fly with the fire arrows again and several more vampires get hit.  The vampires turn to leave only to find themselves confronted by another group of students led by Angel.  They look at each other for a moment then Angel group attacks.  Angel starts beating up some vampires.

Angel fights two or three vampires at once easily holding his own.  The flame units once more shoot fire at the Mayor.  One of the students flame thrower cuts out or jams and after a moment he puts it down and picked up a lance.  The Mayor's tail whips around, throwing the student up in the air.  He lands hard in front of the podium.

 Buffy/Willow gets up on a chair and looking up at the Mayor.

"This is not orderly.  This is not discipline!" Snyder yells. The Mayor’s head whips around to Snyder.  "You're on my campus buddy! And when I say I want quiet, I want…"

The Mayor’s heads came down and swallows Snyder.  Buffy and Xander look on in horror.

Buffy/Willow yells to the students around her, "Fall Back!  Get back!”

Xander pulls a stake out of his back pocket. "Everyone….hand to hand!”

Buffy/Willow yells, “Everyone!  Lets go!  Move!  Move!"

Angel sends a vampire flying, and then takes care of two others.  His group is driving the vampires back up the steps.  One of them turns around and yells, "Get the kids!"  The other vampires turn to follow his lead only to find themselves confronted with a mass of armed and angry teenagers with baseball bats, crosses and stakes.

Xander struggles with another vampire while Angel punches another two vampires, While Cordy staking a vampire coming at her in good form.

Buffy/Willow watches as the snakes head swings in the air.

"Hey!” she yells. “I know I’m the one you want. You know about little old me stopping what you and the rest of the demon world have planned. But you can forget it because I am going to stop it.”

The Mayor looks at wondering if this was indeed the one he wanted to kill. If it was her and he kills her then he wouldn’t have to worry about her stopping the apocalypse.

He starts gnashing his teeth and growling then charges at her. Buffy/Willow turns and runs into the school with the Mayor in pursuit. Buffy/Willow opens the door and runs in.  The Mayor barrels down the door and some of the surrounding wall as he pursues her.  Buffy/Willow keeps running towards the library while the Mayor tears through the school like a freight train.  Buffy/Willow runs into the library, vaults a banister looking back at the Mayor.  The Mayor looks around the library and sees the barrels of diesel fuel and other flammables stacked everywhere.  Buffy/Willow keeps running and jumps out of a window.

"Well, gosh," you could hear the Mayor voice just before it explodes.

 Buffy/Willow crouches down next to Giles who pushes down the plunger, a fire cloud erupting from the top of the school. Everyone stops fighting and looks at the explosions, Buffy/Willow staring then looking over at Giles.

“We did it,” Buffy/Willow said to Giles with a smile as the magic wears off and she becomes a blonde again.

The vampires start to leave as they hear the police sirens in the distance.

Everyone could see the police cars and fire trucks parked in front of the school.  The air is dark and smoky, Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Cordelia walked up to each other.

"We got off pretty cheap… considering," Xander tells them.

Willow still looking around, "Seems like we did."

They walk a few more steps then Willow stops still looking around.  Xander stops beside her his hands buried in his pockets. Xander knew about Angel leaving and he knew his best friend wanted to know if he made it through the fight or not.

“He made it through the fight,” Willow whips around to look at Xander. “Guess maybe he….he took off after,” Willow blinks and looked down. Xander makes a grimace then turns and walks away. Willow stood there again looking around as Giles walked up to Buffy.

Giles puts a hand on Buffy’s shoulder, "Are you all right?"

Buffy lays her head to one side. "I'm tired,” she tells him.

Giles smiles at her.  "I should imagine so.  It's been quite a couple of days."

Buffy tiredly answers, "I haven't processed everything yet.  My brain isn't really functioning on the higher levels.  It's pretty much…..fire bad, tree pretty."

Giles shakes his head at her statement. "Understandable.  Well, when it's working again congratulate it on a good campaign.  You did very well."

Buffy nods "Thank you.  I will."

Giles puts his glasses on. "I ah… I managed to ferret this out of the wreckage.  Now, it may not interest you, but…,” he reaches into his jacket and pulls out a high school diploma. “I'd say you earned it,” he told her and hands the diploma to Buffy who looks at it and takes it.

"There is a certain dramatic irony that's attached to all this.  A synchronicity that borders on… on predestination, one might say," he tells her.

Buffy looks at him, "Fire bad, tree pretty.”

Giles looks at her, “Yes, s…sorry.”  He walks off and Buffy looks at him.

Willow looks around because she feels some one looking at her. Suddenly she turns around a slight frown on her face.  Her eyes lock on something and her face clears, Angel standing beside a fire truck looking at her both just staring at each other for a moment before Willow blinks and her face falls.  Angel first obscured by some firemen walking by then by a cloud of smoke.  The smoke blows by and he steps back slowly and turns around and walks off, Willow watches him leave as Angel disappears into the smoke.

***

Once things calm down some Willow goes and sits on a stone bench in front of the school. Xander sits beside her on the ground and Buffy standing behind her. Cordelia come walking up to them.

"Well, that’s the most fun you can have without having any fun." Cordelia tells them.

Willow smiles, "How about the part where we kicked some demon ass.  I didn't hate that."

"Hear, hear!" Xander announces.

"You guys want to take off?  I think we've done pretty much all we can," Buffy asks.

Cordelia raises her eyebrows and nods, "I'm for it."

Buffy looks up at Willow, "Are you okay?"

Willow nods and says in a small voice, "Yeah… I'm okay. I could use a little sleep though."

Buffy nods and agrees emphatically, "Yeah."

"If someone could just wake me when it's time to go to college, that'd be great" Buffy said making Willow smile at her.

"Guys take a moment to deal with this…..we survived," Willow speaks.

Xander nods.

"It was a hell of a battle!" Buffy tells them

"Not the battle, high school." Cordelia speaks.

They all look quietly at the school and listen to the crickets chirping.

"We're taking a moment,” Xander tells them making Willow and Buffy get up from the bench as Xander looks at Cordy. “And we're done."

Xander gets up and walks off next to Cordelia, "Well, School's done."  He said.

Everyone pretty much heads home for the night.

~Part: 18~

A/N This is where I would say ‘The Middle’ starts……..

Sunnydale 8:00 a.m.…………Three months after graduations

“Willow what’s that?” Buffy asked as she walked up to Willow’s desk where her best friend was sitting. “What?”

“What is this piece of what looks like metal?”

“I don’t know. The other day I went by the old Sunnydale High and I saw it gleaming in the sun. I just took it,” she explained. “It looks like a puzzle of some sort.”

“Looks useless.”

“Maybe but I am trying to figure out what the writing is on it. It may be something the Mayor dropped and could be helpful to us.”

“Could be.” Buffy stated not really concerned about it.

Willow just didn’t know that she had found the first piece of the puzzle. If she were to be successful in ending things she would have to find the other piece.

“Buffy are you ready for our first day of college?” Willow asked as she brushed her hair in the mirror.

“Not really. I am still tired from Graduation.”

Willow giggled.

“You and me both,” she tells her. “Your mom and dad doing alright in Asia?”

“Yeah got a long letter which was nice but in my translations could have said……I am so happy you graduated and out of the house and in the dorm rooms so now we can travel and not think about you.”

Willow turns to the slayer. “Now come on Buffy it isn’t like that. You mother loves you and she wants the best for you. And now we are in college we can do what we want anytime we want.”

“Yeah, it’s just a bummer that we couldn’t be roomies.”

“Yeah but I am right down the hall from you…. that’s screaming distance.”

Buffy laughs and stands from the desk.

“Hey what about during Christmas time we go up to LA for some well earned R & R?”

“Sounds great Buffy but you have to do some work and get tired first before you can relax. And you can stop trying to hook me up with Angel. We are fine. He called me twice since he has been in LA.”

“And how many times have you called him?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Yes it does.”

“Whatever,” Willow grumbled.

“Okay change of subject.” Buffy told her. “How about Tara? I haven’t seen her around lately.”

“Oh Tara went home with her dad and mom when they came down last weekend. She said she would e-mail me but she hasn’t yet. I guess she is getting her life back with her family first.”

“Good for her,” Buffy cheered. “Meet you at the Magic Shop after school. Tonight is Giles opening night.”

“Sure I can use some fun but first…..Let’s get to class.”

LA………

Angel had pretty much done nothing for three months since he has been in LA, except think about Willow. After waiting for the love of his life to call but didn’t, he decided that it was time for him to do something better with his life. It was time to help somebody. That’s how he ended up sitting at a bar playing with a glass sitting in front of him. Angel tried to appear drunk so no one would be suspicious of what he was up too. A guy sits beside him and looks at the girl beside him.

"She was a really, really pretty girl. No she, she was a hottie girl. She, she had….I mean…..her hair was... You know? You kind of remind me of her. Because, because….you know….the hair…..I mean…the hair," Angel stumbles out.

Angel turned his head after he didn’t get a response from the guy. He glances over his shoulder at two guys and two girls playing pool behind him. After a couple of moments one of the guys comes and leans on the bar next to Angel and says to the bartender, "We want to cash out."

Angel looks up at him with a drunken grin. "Girls are nice." He laughs.

The guy gives him a disgusted look and walks off.

Bartender walks up to Angel and gives him another drink. "Here you go."

“Okay, guys, let’s go.” One guy said to another. “Let’s go find some real fun."

The four pool player’s leave and Angel straightened up in his chair. After a beat he gets up no longer laughing and follows them out to the alley.

"You guys really know the doorman? I mean you can get us into the Lido?" the blond girl asks.

"I don’t want to go clubbing anymore. I want to party, right here." One vampire snarls and grabs the girl.

"Hey back off!" She yells pushes him away that makes the second vampire grab the other girl.

The first vampire walks back up to the blonde and grabs her by the throat. "Shut up and die!" He tells her then vamps out.

Angel walks up to the commotion apparently drunk, "Excuse me. ‘scuse me. I’m sorry. But has anybody seen my car? It’s big, and it’s shiny."

"Piss off, pal!" The first vampire tells him.

Angel walks up to him and leans in to get a closer look at his face making the vampire growl at him. Angel leans back. "Uhh, breathe mint?"

The first vampire throws the girl into some trashcans and swings at Angel. Angel blocks, knocks him down, spins around to knock the second vampire running up in the face, and then kicks out at the first vamp just getting back up. The second vampire tackles Angel to the ground, but Angel catapults him over his head and gets back up. The two vampires charge at him from opposite side. Seeing the two vamps charging him, Angel hit the triggers that makes the stakes concealed in spring-loaded wrist sheathes under his sleeves. He raises his arms just as they get in close enough and stakes both at the same time.

The two girls watch, looking scared at the event happening in front of them.

"Oh, my god! They were…" The blonde speaks.

Angel with his back turned to them, "Go home."

She steps closer but Angel’s begin to walks off.

"Thank you," the girl thanks as she tries to get a good look at Angel but he starts to walk off.

“You are welcome,” he tells her as he walks off and heads for home, the girls watch him leave.

Wolfram & Hart………….

“Why isn’t that red head here?” Lindsey McDonald bellows as he walks into Lilah Morgan’s office. He walks up to her desk and throws the folder on her desk.

“Ever heard of knocking?” Lilah asks him.

“I am not in the mood to argue with you Lilah. The senior partners are all over my ass about this girl Willow….and…and what the hell is Angel doing in LA?”

Lilah sits up in her seat and starts flipping through the folder. “You mean Angel the vampire with a soul?”

“Yes is there another vampire with a soul walking around here named Angel?”

She ignores his rudeness and continues to look at the pictures and information in the folder. “This is her?” She asks looking at the red heads pictures.

“The one and only. We all know that if she finds those pieces to that puzzle then we are all domed,” he tells her.

“Have the partners talk to you about this,” she asks as she sees something in the writings about Angelus and Willow.

“YES FOR HEAVENS SAKES…that is why I am in your office remember?”

“We have to get her here and get Angelus back,” Lilah said.

“How did you know about Angelus?”

Lilah smiled, “I know everything. Angelus had a thing for the red head and if we can get Angelus on our side then she will have no choice but to follow.”

 “And our local vampire has a thing for her also.” He breathes in deeply before inhaling. “We have to find a way to get this girl.”

“And if we don’t?” She asked.

“Then all evil creatures big and small die. We have our own plans and we can’t have some red headed girl messing things up.”

Lilah smiled at him. “Leave everything to me.”

“What do you have planned?”

“Don’t worry I have it.”

“Well you better,” he told her before turning and walking out of the office.

Angel’s Apartment…………..

Angel walks into his elevator then hit the down button. Once it made it to the bottom floor he stepped out of the elevator and walked into the apartment. He undid the empty wrist sheathes, steps over to his weapons cabinet. After he places the weapons in he takes off his shirt and drops it over the back of a sofa as he walks by.

He goes to his fridge for a drink but he got the feeling he wasn’t alone. He turns and looks over his shoulder.

"I like the place. I mean it’s not much with the view, but it has a nice bat-cave sort of air to it." Doyle tells him.

"Who are you?" Angel asked not wanting to deal with anyone at this moment.

Doyle playing with a deck of cards in his hands," I’m Doyle."

Angel turns around to take in his scent, "You don’t smell human."

Doyle looks at him but not surprise. "Now that’s a bit rude. It so happens that I am very much human." His lie seems to bring on a sneeze, the sneeze makes blue spikes pop out all over his face. "On my mother’s side."  He shakes his head and the spikes disappear.

Doyle walks past Angel. "Well, I came in uninvited, so you know I’m not a vampire like yourself."

"What do you want?" Angel asks.

"I’ve been sent by the Powers That Be." Doyle explains.

"The powers that be what?" Angel wondered what the hell this demon was talking about.

"Let me tell you a little bedtime story."

"But I’m not sleepy," Angel mumbled.

"Once upon a time there was a vampire. And he was the meanest vampire in all the land. All the other vampires were afraid of him, he was such a …….bastard. Then one day he’s cursed…….by gypsies but it wasn’t a curse as everyone thought, it was a restoration spell only. They only restore his human soul not cursed it. And all of a sudden he is mad with guilt. You know….. ‘What have I done?’ You know, he’s freaked."

Angel sits down on the sofa not really wanting to go through this again. "Okay. Now I’m sleepy."

"Yeah, well, it’s a fairly dull tale. Everyone thought it needs a little sex with the slayer to bring the nasty vampire back. But that wasn’t the case the vampire meets a pretty little red head. A witch by trade. Our vampire falls madly in love with her. Eventually the two of them, well, they get a little over heated with one another, but when our boy gets ready to give her what they both wanted. Spike and Drusilla restore his previous self and he takes advantage of the red head. He starts killing again. It’s really ugly. So when he gets his soul back for the second time, he figures hey he can’t be anywhere near Miss young green eyes without them being together. So what does he do? He takes off and goes to LA. To fight evil and atone for his crimes, He’s a shadow, a faceless champion of the hapless human race…..Say you wouldn’t have a beer of any kind in here, would you?"

"No."

"Come on, you must have something besides pig’s blood!"

Angel gets up off the sofa, "Okay. You’ve told me the story of my life, but since I was there, I already knew. So why aren’t I kicking you out?"

Doyle looks into the refrigerator that holds two bags of blood. "Because now I’m going to tell you what happens next. You see this vampire he thinks he’s helping, fighting the demons. Staying away from the human’s so as not to be tempted doing penance in his little cell. But he’s cut off from every thing. From the people he’s trying to help."

"I still save ‘em. Who cares if I don’t stop to chat," Angel explains.

“It’s not them it’s just her and until you two come to your senses I am here to help you.” He tells Angel. “After a while Angel you would become so wrapped up with saving lives that you would start taking them again."

"That’s not true. I won’t kill with a soul.”

“Yes your soul…..nothing plus nothing equals…killing again.”

Angel shook his head not understanding what was going on. “I want to know who sent you."

"I’m honestly not sure. They don’t speak to me direct. I get visions. This is to say great splitting migraines that come with pictures. A name….a face. I don’t know who sends them. I just know whoever sends them is more powerful than me or you, and their just trying to make things right."

"Why me?"

"Because you’ve got potential. And the balance sheet isn’t exactly in your favor."

"Well why you?"  Angel inquires.

"We all got something to atone for. I am only here to help you through this,” Doyle tries to explain to the vampire.

“Just great….that means I’m stuck with you?”
“Yes, and with that settle how about you and me go out and get a couple of beers?” He looks at the vampire.

Angel looks up at the half demon and places a smile on his face that made Doyle smile. “No,” he replied.

Doyle was shock at the answer he was sure that Angel would say yes. “Pretty good poker face you have there….since you don’t want to go out for some beers I guess we just sit here and wait.”

“Wait on what?”

“The PTB to send me a sign on what to do next.”

The dark hair vampire shakes his head not really wanting any company unless it was Willow. But since the red head has move on with her life he might as well wait until she is ready to be with him again.

“Great,” Angel mumbles as Doyle sits on the couch beside him.

~Part: 19~

Cordelia’s Apartment………

The telephone rings waking Cordelia out of her sleep. She jumps up and grabs it.

"Hello, Cordelia Chase."

"Cor, it’s Margo. You were such a hit at my party last night."

"Oh, thanks! I try to make a good impression."

"Guess who saw my videotape of the party and wants to meet with you?"

"A director? A manager?"

"Have you ever heard of Russell Winters?"

"The investment guy?"

"Oh, oh, Cordelia. He is a lot more than that. He helps people get started in their careers. And he wants to meet you tonight at his mansion."

"Tonight….tonight is good," she answers without thinking.

"He’ll send a Limo for you at 10."

Cordelia hangs up the telephone then starts jumping up and down knowing that this was the start of her big break. She had gone to so many parties since she arrived in LA that she has blisters on her feet. Cordelia had to go because her dad said that after this month he wasn’t going to pay for her room and board or food anymore. Thinking about that the brunette jumped up and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.

Sunnydale…………Magic Shop

“Can this get anymore boring?” Buffy whispers to Willow as they sit at the table in the shop.

“Nope I think we hit the rock bottom of boredom,” Willow replies.

Both girls’ giggles as Giles walks up to them carrying a cup of tea, “Well this…..this was unexpected.”

Seeing the look in her watchers eyes the slayer jumped in. “Hey don’t worry about it Giles. This is a new place and it takes time for people to get to know it. Just think about it, Halloween is right around the corner.”

“That is true,” he agrees. “How about you go a round or two in the gym and Willow can look up anything you can find about those two swords Buffy took away from those vampires last night.”

“Sure, no problem,” Willow agrees grabbing a book on swords.

Buffy grumbled before standing. “Hey wait a minute! How come Xander gets out of this?”

Willow looks up from the book. “Oh! He said he would be here right after work. You…well you know he just started the new job. They are rebuilding the high school because the last one went to pieces.”

Giles and Buffy both nodded their head before heading down to the gym so willow could start on her research.

LA…………..Angel’s apartment

Doyle topped over in pain as the vision started to come to him. Angel jumped up from couch and stood over Doyle to aide him.

“Doyle what is it?”

“Its’ a mansion,” he talks a breath as the images continue. “It’s a girl brunette and she’s being attacked by a vampire. Russell Wi….I can’t see the last name too well ”

“Russell…..Russell….Rus..What” Angel thought long and hard. “Russell Winters.”

After Doyle calms down Angel goes and picks out some stakes and holy water. “Let’s go.”

“Do you know where to go?” Doyle asks.

“Yep.”

Doyle stands and follows Angel out of the door.

***

The limo drives through a big metal gate onto the grounds of Russell’s mansion. Cordelia gets out once the driver opens the door. She is amazed at the beauty of it the mansion. The butler Franklin is at the door waiting for her to come up the stairs.

“Ms. Chase I presume?” He states.

“Yes I am…her…Cordelia,” she stumbles out.

“Follow me,” he tells her.

{Okay Cordy down screw this up}

Russell gets up to greet Cordelia as she walks into the room. "I’m Russell. Thank you so much for coming.”

He looks over at his butler. “That’ll be all Franklin. We’d like to be alone."

"Wow, what a nice place. I love your curtains. Not afraid to emphasize the curtains."

Russell chuckles, "Well, I have old fashioned tastes."

"I grew up in a nice home. It wasn’t like this, but we did have a room or two that we didn’t even know what they were for."

"Margo tells me you’re an actress. It’s going well?" He asks while offering her a seat.

Cordelia sits down before answering. “Oh… Yeah, it’s great! I’ve had a lot of opportunities. The hands in the liquid-gel commercial were almost mine, by one or two girls. And well……It’s not everything I..I’ve tried really hard, you know. Usually when I set out to achieve something I succeed at it, right away but I… I don’t know anybody, and I don’t really have any friends here."

Feeling her sympathy he tells her. "Now you know me. You don’t have to worry anymore."

Cordelia looks down felling the tears in her eyes then back up at him. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just tell me what you want." Russell tells her as he steps closer to Cordelia making her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Oh, god. I’m sorry! I’m getting all weepy in front of you. I probably look really scary.” She gets up and looks around the room. “I finally get invited to a nice place…..with no mirrors……and lots of curtains… hey, you’re a vampire!"

“What? No, I’m not." Russell answers. He was shock she would finger that out so easily.

"Are too!"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about." He denies.

"Hey, I’m from Sunnydale. We had our own Hellmouth! I think I know a vampire when I’m…..alone with him…….in his fortress-like home. And you know, I think I’m just feeling a little light headed. I’m just wacky. And kidding! Ha, ha."

Russell looks at her smiling.

Outside the mansion…….

Angel drives his convertible up to the gate he puts it in park before getting out. He gets out talking to the guard throwing the keys to Doyle.

"How’re you doing? I think we’re lost. We are looking for a Roscomere. What are you watching? Is that the game?” he asks leaning over in the booth. “The Vikings on?"

Angel drops the guard with a hard right, and then pulls the cable form the security camera pointing at the gate. He takes off his light jacket and shirt and throws them in the car before getting out his bag of weapons.

"Tie him up. I’m out in ten minutes or I’m not coming out."  Angel tells Doyle before placing the bag on his shoulder.

He sneaks around looking for the fuse box. Angel goes up to the fuse box setting an explosive charge with a 30 second timer.

Angel throws a grappling hook up to the balcony and climbs up. He jumps over the balcony railing with ease. Doyle sits back in the car after he tied the guy up. He looked at his watch checking on the time.

Inside the Mansion……

“I was just joking,” she laughs and starts to tremble. “I don’t know what I am talking about.”

“Truth is, I’m glad you know. It means we can skip the formalities."  Russell tells her as he vamps out. Cordelia screams before turning to run but Russell grabs her with a growl.

Russell looking up as the lights suddenly go out that causes him to let go of Cordy.

"Russell Winters." Angel calls out.

"Angel?" She yells.

Angel slowly steps out of the dark at the end of the open landing: "Let her go."

"You made a very big mistake coming here," Russell snaps.

"You don’t know who he is, do you? Oh, boy! You are about to get your ass kicked!" Cordelia tells Russell.

Angel pulls out a stake and attacks Russell. As they fight Angel could see that they were pretty much evenly matched. After some back and forth Russell manages to push Angel off him some.

"Angel?" Cordelia screams making both vampires look at her. Russell turns to his bodyguards.

"Kill them!" Russell’s screams just as Angel stakes him in the heart from behind. He looks at Angel just as he turns into dust.

The bodyguards are temporally shocked at what just happen. With the shock gone they draw their guns and aims them at the Angel and Cordelia. Angel looks up and sees two bodyguards with drawn guns charging up the stairs. Angel takes a shot in the chest then turns to pick up Cordelia. While more bullets hit him in the back he jumps over the banister to the floor below.

"Angel!"

“Best not to scream right at this moment Cordelia. Trying…to…to save our life.”

They head out the front door.

Upon hearing the gunshots Doyle jumps in the diver seat and starts the car. He looks to see the two running towards the car.

Angel and Cordelia coming up to the car. Cordelia almost holding Angel because he was hunched over from the pain of the bullets. Cordelia gets into the passenger seat while Angel falls into the back seat. Doyle steps on the gas and drives off.

Sunnydale…….Magic Shop.

“I found it Giles,” Willow tells him. She passes him the book as both him and Buffy walks back into the room. “El Eliminati. Fifteenth Century.”

“Fifteenth Century duelist cult, deadly in their day. Their numbers dwindled in later centuries due to an increase in anti-vampire activity and a lot of pointless dueling. Eventually became the acolytes of a demon called Balthazar, who brought them to the New World, specifically here.” Giles explains to them.

“Friends of yours?” Buffy joked with Giles.

“Balthazar had an amulet reported to give him strength, when he was killed it was taken by a wealthy landowner. The last place I remembered the amulet was supposed to be at the Gleaves Family Cemetery.” He turns to Buffy. “If it is true that they are here they would be looking for that amulet. I want you to go get it Buffy…tonight”

“No problem. I am in need of a little action,” she tells him before heading out of the shop.

Gleaves Family Crypt…………

 Buffy slowly walks up to it and turns on her light. She steps up to the door and opens it. The slayer takes the steps down into the room and goes to the first coffin. She pushes the heavy lid aside and looks into it with the flashlight. All that's left of the body is the skeleton and a pile of hair and fibers.

“Strike one. No amulet there,” she whispers.

She goes to the next coffin and pushes its lid aside. The body in this one has dried out and looks mummified. The clothes are still more or less intact, and around its neck hangs the amulet.

“Game over. No Demon will get this tonight.” She grabs the amulet from around his neck. She places it in her bag before walking out of the mausoleum.

Magic shop…..twenty minutes later.

“Here is the amulet,” Buffy hands it to Giles.

“Very good Buffy,” he tells her.

They all turn around as the front door of the shop opens.

“Hey Xander,” Willow greets.

“Hey Wil,” he greets. “ Guess what? I was following this gang of vampires after I got off work and I just saw this ugliest demon at this warehouse.”

“What did you see?” Giles asked.

“Okay, there were about ten, maybe twelve vampires and one big demon that desperately needed to stay away for the snack food.”

“So it is Balthazar,” Giles assumes.

“Yes if a Balthazar means an enormously obese with very pale, pasty, slimy skin. While sitting suspended in a tank of filthy water, while vampires pours ladle after ladle of it over him in an effort to keep his skin moist.” Xander shakes just thinking about it.

“Eliminatus,” Giles corrects. “Not vampires but Eliminatus.”

“Eliminatus…..vampires they all look the same. Let’s say we mount up and take them out.”

The gang all suit up with weapons and heads to the warehouse where the demon is.

LA……Angel’s apartment

“Ouch,” Angel yells as Doyle digs the bullet out of Angel’s chest.

"Got it!"

"Finally! I thought I was going to faint while barfing! Okay.” Cordelia states as she dabs at the wound with a piece of gauze and Angel flinches. “Sorry. So, it’s over, right? We’re going to be okay? No one is going to come looking for me, right? Since Angel staked him and all,” She asks as she tapes a piece of gauze over the bullets hole.

They all just look at each other.

"Doyle filled me in on your little mission. So I was just saying, if we’re going to help people, maybe a small charge. You know, something to help pay the rent, and my salary. You need somebody to organize things, and you’re not exactly rolling in it Mr. I-was-alive-for-200-years-and-never-developed-an-investment-portfolio."

"You want to charge people?" Angel didn’t want to but it has been a long time since he made any money. Not that he was poor or anything like that because Angelus made sure that he would have a great life.

"Well, not everybody. But sooner or later we are going to have to help some rich people, right? Right?"  Cordelia explains as she looks wide eyed at Doyle.

"Possibly, yeah." Doyle jumps in.

Cordelia looks to Angel "Hand me that box. So I think that we should charge based on a case-by-case analysis, but with me working for a flat fee. I mean, um…that is....if you think that you can use me?"

After a moment Angel hands her the box with a smile.

"Of course this is just temporary…..until my inevitable stardom takes affect." She takes the box from him and walks away with a smile.

"You’ve made a good choice. She’ll provide a connection to the world. She’s got a very – humanizing influence." Doyle tells Angel as he looks at the way Doyle is looking at Cordelia.

"You think she’s a Hottie?" Angel asks with a half smile

"Yeah, she’s a stiffener alright, I can’t lie about that. But, you know, she could use a hand."

"True."

"You know there are a lot of people in this city that need helping."

"Hmm. So I noticed."

"You game?" Doyle asks.

Angel smiles.

"I’m game." Angel tells him.

As soon as those words was out of his mouth a man appeared in the middle of the room making them jump.

“What the hell?” Doyle asked Angel.

“Okay pal I not in the mood for anymore visitors or help so just leave,” Angel tells him.

“I am sorry to intrude but my name is Jamie McAlester.”

Doyle goes a little wide-eyed. “You mean ‘the Jamie McAlester, the demon hunter?”

Angel looks at Doyle confused. He had never heard of this man.

“At your service.”

“Ah man.....Angel this man is unbelievable. He has kill hundreds maybe thousands of demons and he is an explorer so to say. He finds thing mostly out of the ordinary.”

“Okay so he kills demons,” Angel breaks in wanting to rush things so he could go to sleep.

Doyle looks at the vampire shaking his head. “So what brings you here? Is there a mystical danger?”

“Better yet how he knew we were here?” Angel jumps in.

“I know everything Angel,” he tells the vampire. ““There is talk going around about the cruise line Europamerica. A demon has placed an egg on board, somewhere on that ship and once that egg is hatched it will kill everyone on that ship. It is said that it will hatch soon and once that ship docks back here it will kill everything on this planet and mean everything. It can never be killed, if hatched. No weapons or power can kill it. This world needs your help.”

“Our help? But…..but you are the one that handles that,” Doyle’s tells him.

“I know but because I am known for killing demons and if I am spotted I would be killed before I get near that egg. If you do this for me there is fifty-thousand dollars and all expenses paid in it for you.”

“FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, WE”LL TAKE IT,” Cordelia screams as she walks into the room. She had been listening to them from the door once he mentioned money it was it.

“Well think about it but I don’t think we can take that case,” Angel tells him and looks at Cordelia daring her to say something.

“But…,” she mumbles.

“No buts…he will see if we can,” he said again.

“Here is my card and tickets for the next boat trip that goes out the night after tomorrow night. If you decide to take the job give me a call when job is done I will deliver you the cash,” he told them and handed him the papers. “But remember Angel there is a limited time on this.”

And just like he appeared he disappeared.

“Angel!” Cordelia called out his name.

“The job doesn’t seem safe and we have to drive back to Sunnydale to the port,” he said looking at the time and dock on the ticket.

“I understand you don’t want to go back to the town where the love of your life is but its fifty-thousand dollars Angel….I bet even Doyle has to agree with that,” she turns to the dazed half demon. “Don’t you Doyle?”

“That was Jamie,” he states.

“Well he’s out of it right now but….hey where are you going?”

“To my room to sleep and think about this tomorrow,” Angel said walking off. “You can sleep in the other room if you want, but you will have to share with Doyle.”

“Think about it Angel,” she said yelling a little as the vampire walked around the corner.

“I……am tomorrow,” he said and then she heard a door slam.

“Doyle snap out of it,” she told him. “I’m going home what about you?”

He shook his head a bit upon hearing what Cornelia’s had said. “I’m going home also,” he said following her out the door.

Angel lay in his bed and thought about it. It wasn’t the trip he didn’t want to go on it was the fact that he had to go back to Sunnydale where all his memories of his first and only love was. He would think hard on this decision. He turned on his side and went to sleep.

Sunnydale…………Warehouse

“See fear... and remorse... and the pitiful look of faces that cry out for mercy! But what I *don't* see is what I *want* to see, AND THAT'S... MY... AMULET!” Balthazar screams out.

Buffy, Willow, Xander and Giles looks through the window.

“Lord Balthazar they say a slayer was seen leaving the tomb minutes before we got there,” One of the vampires answer.

“Already I'm bored,” the demon tells him.

Buffy looks at them asking silently are they ready. She counts down from three as they grab their weapons. At one they all burst through the doors.

Willow and Xander take out the first vampire with no problem as Giles comes up the rear and Buffy head toward Balthazar but is stopped by two vampires.

The slayer backhand punches one vampire and punches another in the face. The first one raises his sword and tries to attack, but she blocks him and grabs his arm. She brings it down and knees him in the gut, making him drop his sword.

Buffy swings the sword back at the Eliminatus, but he catches her hand and swings the sword down against the edge of Balthazar's pool, forcing her to drop it. He does a backhand swing at Buffy's face, making her trip forward, but she returns with a back kick at him, and then shoulder rolls onto a large crate to avoid being sliced by another one's sword.

Balthazar starts flailing his arms in a tantrum, “Un... Unacceptable!”

Xander ducks a swing from an Eliminatus and then does a right hook to his face and punches him hard in the gut.

Willow turns around and backhand punches the one behind her, blocks a return swing and punches him again.

Buffy gets to her feet on a raised area of the floor. An Eliminatus comes at her with a sword, but she grabs his arm and pulls him past her over a crate and into a barrel. Another one swings at her, and she middle blocks him, punches him in the gut, ducks another swing and then backhand punches him in the face. He falls to the floor. Buffy picks him up and sends him spinning into a huge pile of rope. As he tries to come at her again, she does a full spinning wheel kick to his face. He quickly regains his balance and tries to punch her, but Buffy redirects his fist and holds onto it while she elbows him in the face. She swings him around and throws him into a bunch of stacked oil barrels. Buffy looks over to see Giles delivers a sidekick to his attacker. Another one tries to front kick him, but he grabs his leg and throws him into a back layout.

Another one comes for Buffy. She just grabs him by the arms and throws him from the raised floor to below. She blocks a roundhouse kick from another and nearly gets punched in the face. She punches him in the gut, and he doubles over, backing away a bit. This gives her room to fly into a double spinning out-to-in jumping crescent kick. The vampire flies upward spinning fast and lands hard on a crate, then rolls off onto the floor below.

An Eliminatus gets Willow in the face with a jumping out-to-in crescent kick, but he's not fazed from the protection spell she has around them. Xander blocks a high punch from him, punches him in the gut, grabs onto him and throws him through the air and into a wall.

Balthazar has had enough and holds out his arms. The air between him and Giles becomes disturbed, and Giles finds himself being sucked back toward him. He lands on his back on the edge of the pool. Balthazar seizes his head in both hands. Giles struggled to get away, but the grip is extremely tight. Buffy sees what's happening and looks for a way to help. She spies an electrical cable hanging down from a lamp directly above Balthazar. The slayer grabs it and yanks hard, and the lamp falls from the roof with sparks flying right into the pool. Balthazar immediately lets go of Giles and writhes in agony as he is electrocuted. Xander and Willow stare in amazement. Soon Balthazar seems dead and the circuit breaker shuts off the power. Buffy rushes over to help Giles. He's shaken but fine. She looks at Balthazar.

“Is there anyone besides me that doesn’t want barbecue anytime soon?”

Giles lifts his hand a bit, While Willow and Xander also agreeing silently.

Seeing they have defeated the demon they all headed in for the night.

~Part: 20~

Angel’s Apartment…..Next night

“Do you hear that?” Angel asked as he walks into his kitchen where Doyle and Cordelia were.

“Hear what?” Cordelia asked from the table where she was eating.

“I hear a ticking noise,” he tells them as he goes to a cabinet opening it. His eyes went big when he saw a bomb that was counting down from twenty.

“Let’s get out of here,” Angel screamed warning the others.

Doyle and Cordelia both jumped up from the table and followed Angel out the door. The second they made it across the street his apartment blew up. The force of the explosion pushes everyone to the ground.

“What was that?” Doyle asks. The trio sat across the street looking at the building burn.

“That was getting out with our lives,” Cordelia states while she tried to catch her breath.

“Did anyone see or hear anything?” Angel inquired.

“No when I came in Doyle was already there. Doyle did you see anything or anyone?”

“No not anyone.” He turns to Angel. “It looks like someone wants you dead buddy.”

“Not a first,” Angel states. He wasn’t afraid because this wasn’t the first or would it be the last time someone wanted him dead.

“Yeah but couldn’t they warn the people like me for one?” Cordelia asked to no one in particular.

Both men shook their heads.

Wolfram & Hart………..

“What is your malfunction?”  Lindsey screamed as he walked into Lilah office. “You tried to kill him?”

Lilah smiled as she turned to face Lindsey. “That’s phase one.”

“Shit Lilah are you trying to get both of us killed. The partners don’t want Angel dead. If they did he would have been dead by now. They don’t want the red head dead….yet. They want to find out how she is involved in this end of all demons thing……………Jesus CHRIST! Don’t you get it?” He threaded his fingers through his hair. “And for phase one it didn’t work. He got out…lucky for you he did.”

“What? He got out…whatever…..” she yells. “I bet you I won’t try to help you out again.”

“Help me…HELP ME….How in the hell is getting me killed going to help me?”

“I get it now Lindsey….I get that you and the senior partners are a bunch of asses. Look I am doing my job and if that doesn’t satisfy them then they need to reassign me. They wanted them dead then they don’t. I don’t get them.”

He walks up and placed both hands on the desk. “They know what they are doing and you better behave before you are on their hit list.”

“Get out of my office.” She yells standing up.

“With pleasure Lilah,” he tells her and walks out.

Sunnydale……..

The old car pulls up to the factory.

“I can’t bloody believe this,” a drunken Spike said to no one as he gets out of his car. “I give her everything she wanted. Pretty clothes, jewelry, and pretty dresses and some with pretty girls still in them but does she stay. Nope she just goes off with that demon......Our love was eternal.”

He walks into the factory and looks around. Everything reminded him of her, from the dead flowers to the upstairs where she loved to make love to. She use to tell him it was daring and if felt as if she could fall in any second.

“Bitch doesn’t deserve me,” he stated. “I can………,”he fell over on the conveyor belt and passed out.

LA………..

As the group makes it to the top of a parking garage where Angels’ car was parked they stopped for a moment and looked down over the city. Angel was frustrated at this point and he really needed to find another place and fast.

Coming up with a plan, Angel grabs his cell phone and starts talking to someone. He explains the situation then closed the telephone down.

“Angel what are you….what about we…..what are we going to do now?” Cordelia asked him.

“Well I am going back down stairs to my car to sit in it and wait for a phone call on my new place.”

“That’s it……..we sit…….and wait?” Cordelia asked. She didn’t know where Angel was moving but she hoped it was a big place because she needed somewhere to live until there business started bringing in some money.

“Yep….that……W...” Angel stops and listens as he hears a woman screaming in the distance. “You sit here, I will go and help.”

He starts to run off with vampire speed. Cordelia and Doyle watches as he jumped from the top of their building to the next.

“He’s good,” Doyle tells her.

“Yep….he’s a vampire.”

He smiles at Cordelia. She was really a beautiful woman and he doubted that he would be her type. Then it was the whole demon thing. If he told her would she go for him or run away screaming? He knew he couldn’t just hold that in like a secret. Look at Angel and what happened. Doyle turned to her.

“Cordelia,” he calls.

“What is it Doyle,” she mumbles looking at him.

“I am a demon,” he just blurts it out.

Coredila’s eyes went wide as looks at him.

***

“Please, you don't have to do this. I can get you money. You don't have…” she is stopped by the vampire grabbing her. She begins to scream, “Somebody Help Me!”

Angel runs across the high-rise's rooftop, grabs hold of a rope, and jumps off. He swings to the alley between the buildings ala Spider-Man. As he nears the ground, Angel kicks the vampire in the face, knocking him down. Angel does a back flip in the air as he touches down, his black leather coat billowing around him like a cape. He turns around and saunters toward the vampire.

“Doesn't sound like the lady's interested.”

The vampire does a fancy karate move to get himself up off the ground as he launches into a sidekick into Angel's ribs. They fistfight as the girl looks on. Angel finally kicks the vampire in the chest, knocking him down flat on his back in the alley. In another impressive karate move, the vampire arches his back and leaps to his feet to engage Angel again. Angel grabs the vampire's foot and spins him around in the air as he hurtles the vampire into the wall. The vampire falls to the ground again. Angel pulls a stake out of his belt, twirls it like an old gunfighter might, and lunges it dramatically into the vampire's chest. The vampire disappears in a cloud of smoke.

“What ju………….I don't understand,” the girl looks stunted.

“Look, don't try. Just get yourself home and stay out of dark alleys. You'll be all right. Just go home and stay in.”

The girl shakes her head and walks off.

***

“You’re a what?”

“Half demon……..spiky things on my face,” he smiles as he wiggles his hands over his face.

“Okay….so why are you telling me this?”

“Because I like you Cordy and I want to take you out on a date.”

Cordelia smiles at the man in front of her. She had never thought about him in that way. In fact she just saw him as a friend. Now the demon part for her might be a problem if there is any losing of soul in it.

“Can you get a happy without losing you soul?” She asked him.

Doyle was quit shock at the form of questioning. “No…nothing like that.”

“Okay….,” she whispered. “I would like to go out with you.” She told him and looked up as Angel jumped back on the building. “We will make plans later.”

“Okay,” he answered with a huge smile on his face.

“And what was that Mr. Hero?” Cordelia asked walking up to Angel.

“A woman in need of help,” he tells her.

Cordelia was about to comment but was stopped by Angel telephone ringing.

“Hello,” he answers. “Yes………where?.........Okay will someone be there with a key?....I will be there in twenty minutes.”

He looks at Doyle and Cordelia. “Let’s go.”

Sunnydale…….

“Buffy here,” Willow screams and throws her the stake. The slayer caught it in the air and turned just in time to dust the last vampire. He screams and turns into dust.

“Way to go Willow,” Buffy said as she walked up to a tombstone and grabbed Xander up by the arm.

“I’m okay,” he said holding his back.

“I don’t think it was him lying down on that tomb Xander,” Willow told him.

“You know Xander you don’t have to go patrolling with me.” Buffy tells him.

“I want too,” he pouted. “I just want it to be back like it was. Before Cordy and Angel.”

“Don’t pout,” Willow teased. But after remembering Angel she got quiet.

Seeing Willow’s actions Buffy jumped in. “I don’t have to report back to the magic shop tonight. We don’t have school tomorrow and Xander you don’t have to go to work either,” Buffy stated. “Wanna go out somewhere?”

“How about we all go back to my place for some movies and popcorn,” Xander suggested. “Then we can all sleep topless.”

Willow giggled. “I think that would only benefit you Xander.”

“I can agree,” the slayer spoke.

“Well we can still do the movie and popcorn right?” he asked. “I have three bedrooms and you don’t have to sleep in the same bed with me unless you want to.”

“Does he ever give up?” Buffy giggled.

“No that’s our Xander.”

Buffy stiffened up when she felt someone walking behind them. She slowed down and let Xander and Willow walk in front of her as they talked. When the person got close enough she turned with a quick jab to the face. Both Xander and Willow turned around grabbing for their weapons.

“Owwwww…. I’m here on business,” a guy spoke as he grabbed his nose.

“Following us is business?” Buffy asked.

“I’m sorry but I was told that I could find you here,” he explained. “My name is Jamie McAlester and I need you to help me with a mission.”

Buffy turned to her friends as they walked to her side then back at Jamie.

“What type of mission?” Xander asks.

“There is talk going around about the cruise line Europamerica, A demon has placed an egg somewhere on that ship and once that egg is hatched it will kill everyone on that ship then on to the world.”

“Okay sorry to hear that but that’s not something I usually handle,” Buffy told him.

“I know…I know but it is said that it will hatch soon and once that ship docks back here it will kill everything on this planet and mean everything. It can’t ever be killed if hatched. No weapons or power can kill it. The world needs your help.”

“Okay big egg on ship. Why can’t you go?” Xander asked the creepy looking man.

“Because I am known for killing demons and if I am spotted I would be killed before I get near that egg.”

“How can we trust you?” Buffy asked.

The man reached into his pockets. The trio jumped back waiting to see what he had. Jamie smiled as he pulled out two tickets to the cruise.

“I know it’s a hard decision and I wish I can go myself but I can’t. If you decide to go you will leave tomorrow night and you get paid fifty-thousand dollars….cash,” he told them.

“Okay felling a bit more trustworthy here,” Xander told them.

Willow and Buffy were both feeling it too.

“Here is my card, when the job is done give me a call and I will deliver your cash,” he told them as he handed Willow the card and tickets. He looked at Willow pulling her into a trance then making her feel that this was a case they needed to take.

“Let’s do it?” Willow told them as she continued to look at the man.

“You know we have to ask Giles about this. I just can’t go off and leave my duties. Giles will never approve it Willow……..,” she looked at her gazing friend. “Willow,” she called out breaking the trance.

“What about Giles?” Buffy asked.

“I know Buffy but if you can’t me and Xander can.”

“It doesn’t feel right,” Buffy stated.

“Yeah and how did Xander get into this?”

They trio was so into their argument that they didn’t see the man had disappeared.

“I am going and that’s that,” Willow told Buffy. “And you are too Xander since Buffy has to stay and protect Sunnydale.”

“Why me,” he whined following behind the two girls as they walked off.

LA………………

Angel drives up to the motel called the…….

“Hyperion Hotel,” Cordelia reads off as Angel pulls up to his new place.

“Yep. It used to be a hotel,” Angel smiles a bit satisfied that his agent was able to find this place so quickly. He looked to see Ted standing at the door. Angel parked across the street just incase he had to run out in a hurry.

The trio gets out of the car and walks into the hotel.

“Hello Angel,” Ted greets him.

“Hello,” he greets back. “So is everything up and running?”

“Yes sir lights, water the basic utilities anything else you need just give me a call and I will be happy to assist you in anyway.” He tells him and hands Angel the key.

“Thanks.” Angel walks in and turns on the lights.

“This place is big Angel,” Cordelia told him. “How did they find it so fast?”

“Just have to know the right number and the right people,” he said looking around. It was indeed a beautiful place.

“Okay Angel what about the mission you know the boat leaves tomorrow night and I…we could use the fifty-thousand dollars. It can help our business get started. We have a new place but now we just need a new look.”

Angel could see that Cordelia wasn’t going to let this go and he doubted if he would just be able to walk off like he did last night.

“Okay…okay….lets do it. If it’s alright with Doyle that he has to stay here until we get back.”

“Find by me.”

“Great! So Doyle you can walk me home so we could…ummnm…talk and we will be back here tomorrow evening then we can leave from there.”

“Fine by me,” he told them as he headed up to find a room.

“You’re the best boss,” Cordelia yelled.

“Yeah…yeah…goodnight,” he said and before she could answer they heard a door close.

She turned to Doyle.

“Okay what about that walk home?”

“Glad to assist you,” he smiled at her. They clicked the light off and headed toward Cornelia’s apartment.

Sunnydale………Xander’ apartment.

“No you are not,” Willow, Buffy, and Xander heard Giles yell over the speakerphone to Willow. After they told him about the trip he started screaming.

“Yes I am Giles,” Willow responded. “I want to go and I want to help the world. It’s will be safe for me and Xander because it just an egg.”

“I don’t think its right…you…you going and doing a slayers job,” he explained.

“I tried to tell her Giles,” Buffy butted in.

“But I promise that if something bad happens I will zap us back here before anything happens to us…I promise Giles.”

“Zap what you mean zap…doesn’t zapping hurt?” Xander asked.

“Shhh…Xander.” Willow hushed waiting on Giles response.

“Oh…alright but be safe and Buffy you here tomorrow as soon as they leave.”

Giles could hear a ‘yes’ from Willow before the telephone line went dead.

“Okay Xander we get some sleep tonight and pack tomorrow.” She told him.

Buffy looked at her friends. “You are crazy for doing this,” she told her.

“Yep and turning yourself into me and making a snake run after you isn’t.”

“She has a point there Buffy,” Xander stated.

“Shut up Xander,” she said. “I’m going to bed. And I will probably be up before you two but I will meet you at the dock okay.”

Willow nodded her head.

“But what about the movie?” Xander pouted.

“Not feeling like a movie right now Xander,” she said before turning and walking into her room Xander had made up for her.

“Don’t worry Xander I’m not sleepy and I can watch television all night,” she said as she grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the couch.

“Alright then the first movie is going to be a mans movie,” he told her. “Come on I’m going on this boat with you.”

She looked at her friend then sat on the couch as he walked up to the DVD player. “Go ahead.” She rolled her eyes.

“Yes,” he told her and pressed play on the DVD player. He walked back over to the couch and sat next to Willow.

After the movie started it wasn’t long before they were asleep.

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