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Spike grinned mockingly as he watched Riley drive a stake into the female fledgling’s heart. He’d followed the pair to the old Sunnydale High, wondering if Riley knew what his little friend was, wondering what Riley intended to do with the girl, wondering how he could benefit from whatever he discovered. “Well now, this is a hunting technique I haven’t seen before,” he said as the girl crumbled to dust in Riley’s arms. “So you let them get distracted by drinking you, then you stake them. Or are you trying to figure out what Buffy sees in us?”
Light headed from blood loss, Riley stared at the peroxide blond, “What are you doing here?” he asked. “Watching you play to be a buffet,” Spike replied. “And from the looks of you, not for the first time either. How do you keep the Slayer from seeing the scars? Or is that not an issue anymore?”
“She’s been worried about her mother,” Riley protested.
“And this is how you get off now?” Spike asked. “Are you waiting for the Slayer to rescue you, or looking for the right one of us to turn you? Do you think that that will make Buffy love you like she does Angel or do you think it will make you stop loving her?”
“I don’t want to be one of you,” Riley spat angrily.
“Do you want to die like this?” Spike asked. “Have her find your body with two little holes in the neck smelling of arousal, because maybe that way you can hurt her as deeply as he did?”
“I don’t have to listen to this,” Riley said staggering past Spike out into the night.
Spike watched him go, chuckling softly to himself. Who knew mind games could be such fun? Even after spending more than two decades with Angelus he’d never fathomed the elder vampire’s love of them till now. Of course, it might be because of Angelus that Spike had never cared for them, the wanker just didn’t know when to quit.
His sire’s sire had always had this truly bazaar obsession with love, had to use it to destroy anyone who felt it. No wonder he’d gone absolutely batty when he’d found himself in love with the Slayer.
Now Spike on the other hand, well if he was in love with the Slayer, then that was just the way things were and he’d deal with it. He’d find a way to make her love him, poofy souled vampires and all-American soldier boys be damned.
Noticing activity deeper in the school, Spike decided to go investigate.
______________________________________________________________
“Now there’s a whole bunch of them,” Buffy exclaimed as she and Willow patrolled. “First Xander, now Cordelia and Wesley and probably that other guy too, all saying I don’t and never did know Angel. I don’t need this, not now with my mom and Dawn and everything. I don’t need to be worrying about Angelus part II and if I ever even knew the guy I was totally in love with.”
“Well the two of you never did talk much, it was always life-threatening danger or smoochies, and after Angel came back it was life-threatening danger or titan sized angst,” Willow said hesitantly. “It wasn’t highly conducive to really getting to know one another. Also remember what Angel told you when you found out about Dru? I think he was scared of tell you anything that might make you like him less.”
“But that’s just it Wills, after the whole telepathy thing Angel and I started talking about stuff, really talking, then he just broke-up with me. I think it was that stuff the Mayor said about what kind of life could Angel offer me.”
“Come on Buffy, Angel knows better than to let the bad guys tell him what to do,” Willow said. “It had to have been something else.”
“I don’t know I let Spike tell me that I had to avoid Angel. Angel almost killed himself because of what the First showed him,” Buffy sighed. “It’s just not fair for this to be stirred up now and then Riley’s acting all weird on top of everything else.”
“Boys always pick the worst times to have a melt down,” Willow said.
“Slayer!” Spike exclaimed running up to the two girls. “We’ve got problems.”
“You are a problem Spike,” Buffy replied with exasperation.
“But at least I’m not trying to open the Hellmouth,” Spike replied.
“Anybody else feeling de'vu?” Willow asked.
“Who and how?” Buffy asked.
“Corsi demons are the who,” Spike said. “They’re tough but short on brains, basically puppets for the higher demons, the whole lot of them. How, well they’ve already got a crack opened. They’re carting all sorts of goodies into the Hellmouth. Nothing’s coming out yet, but you can bet that it’s only a matter of time.”
“So why aren’t you cheering them on?” Buffy asked.
“Hey, I like this world, remember?” Spike said.
“Yeah, but that was when people were still on your menu,” Buffy pointed out.
“Look Slayer, my unlife is hellish enough without a bunch of major demons running around looking down on all us mixed bloods,” Spike said. “Now are you going to do something about this or just jabber? I’m doing you a favor here.”
“Okay Spike, I’ll look into it, happy now?” Buffy said, rolling her eyes.
______________________________________________________________
Giles sat in the closed magic shop with a cup of tea, contemplating going home. Ever since his visit to LA he’d been reluctant to go there, to the place where Angelus had left Jenny’s body for him to find.
He’d considered moving right after it had happened, but had feared that he would be playing into Angelus’ hands. It took time for a human to establish residency and until that had been done any vampire could walk right into a home as if it were a public building. Giles hadn’t put it past Angelus to know this and to use it to his advantage if Giles had allowed the vampire to force him from his home. So he’d stayed. After Angelus had been defeated Giles had stayed in case Buffy attempted to contact him. He had feared how she might react if she came looking for him only to find an empty apartment.
By the time Giles had been free to move it hadn’t seemed so urgent. The memories of talking with Jenny for hours on the couch about anything at all just to hear her voice, making her dinner one night and dozens of other good memories were here as well. They hadn’t been obliterated by her death, as he had originally believed. So he had given up the idea of moving.
Wesley’s call a week ago had brought back the horror of Jenny’s death, as well as all the rage he had believed was behind him. Giles hadn’t been ready to forgive Angel when the souled vampire had been dying from the poison on Faith’s arrow, but he had been able to support Buffy’s choice to save her lover. Or maybe the truth was he just wasn’t ready to see Angel released from the punishment Giles had decided upon for him.
But somehow, being fired from the Council had given Wesley a degree of perception that he had lacked in Sunnydale, as well as a backbone. Wesley had seen what none of the other could and now it was the other former Watcher’s choice as to whether or not to tell Angel the curse’s new rules. Giles couldn’t imagine Wesley keeping that secret. Buffy had mentioned Wesley’s loyalty to Angel during the most recent business with Faith.
Now it was only a matter of time till Buffy knew what he’d kept from her. Giles had no illusions as to how she’d take that news. Buffy would see it as a betrayal, and maybe she was right.
Sometimes, in the dead of night, when everything was still, Giles remembered that Jenny had sought to return Angel’s soul without strings despite her people’s century old vendetta against the vampire and what he’d done to her Uncle. Giles wondered what Jenny would think of his decision to withhold the information that Angel’s soul was permanent.
“Giles!” Willow cried pounding on the Magic Box’s locked door.
Hurriedly the ex-Watcher opened the door for the young Witch. “Willow, what’s happened?” he asked.
“Spike told Buffy about these corsi demons trying to open the Hellmouth.” Willow explained. “They’re checking it out now. I thought we’d better warn you to be ready for research. According to Spike they’ve already cracked the seal, we might have to close it even after they kill the demons.”
______________________________________________________________
“There are a lot of them,” Buffy said.
“But they don’t know they’re being hunted,” Spike replied. “Dru, Angelus, Darla and I used to play this game where we’d pick off the guests at a party one at a time, real quiet like. We used to bet on how many we could take before the ones left would realize what was happening.”
“You’re sick,” Buffy said.
“I wasn’t the one that thought it up, that would have been your beloved ex,” Spike returned. “Doesn’t matter, it’s still a good plan. They’re down there running every which way, we’ll get half easily before they catch on.”
“You said they were dumb,” Buffy reminded him. “I think we’ll get all but four of them before they notice.”
Spike grinned deviously, “What are the stakes Slayer?”
“If I’m right, I won’t run into you hanging about my house for a month,” Buffy said, leading Spike after one of the corsi who headed toward the school’s boiler room. Together they dispatched it easily.
“And if I win, you sponsor me for a night at Willie’s,” Spike replied, spotting another corsi walking down the hall. The blond vampire snagged the demon by the back of its coat, pulling it into an adjoining corridor and throwing it against the wall. Buffy drove a knife into its chest.
“How much would that cost?” Buffy asked, stalking a third demon into the school’s kitchen and killing it.
“I don’t quite know,” Spike said, then pressed his hand to Buffy’s lips. The vampire jerked his head warningly toward the cafeteria. Together they peered through the door to see two more corsi.
Buffy pointed to the one on the left and Spike nodded. In concert they broke through the door and attached the demons.
The fight was quick but noisy. Spike broke his opponent’s neck with a quick twist. Buffy threw hers through a wall before nailing it between the eyes with a thrown knife.
“That’s half,” Spike said.
“So how much do I owe you?” Buffy asked.
“A night, you and me at Willie’s, you pick-up the tab,” Spike clarified.
“Like a date, except with me paying?” Buffy asked unhappily. “Maybe they didn’t hear. I only need one more demon to win.”
Looking anxious, Buffy crept back toward the burnt out library. Spike sauntered behind her.
The remaining five demons stood together in a circle around the crack in the Hellmouth seal.
“I think they heard Pet,” Spike said.
“Ohhh,” Buffy moaned.
“We can take five of them,” Spike encouraged.
“That wasn’t why I was moaning,” Buffy said. “On three we rush them… One…”
“Two…” Spike said.
“Three…” Buffy finished and they barreled into the room scattering the surprised corsi. Buffy knocked one demon into the open Hellmouth and Spike, in game face, ripped the heart out of a second.
The last three demons circled the Slayer and vampire cautiously, looking for an opening. Spike moved to stand back to back with Buffy.
“Spike, stay where I can watch you,” Buffy commanded.
“I’m crushed Pet, you don’t trust me,” Spike replied. “But if I were you, I’d trust them less.”
“If one of them gets through you, you’d better be dust,” Buffy warned.
Before Spike could reply the three corsi attached. Buffy kicked one in the chest sending it reeling back. Spike ducked one of the demon’s fists, grabbing its arm then flipping it into the last standing demon.
Buffy dove at the two entangled corsi, killing one, but the second caught her in a crushing embrace.
“She’s mine!” Spike protested grabbing the demon by a horn and snapping it’s head back. Howling in outrage the demon released Buffy, just in time for her to land a blow on the corsi she’d kicked earlier.
The one Spike had attacked tore itself from his grasp, it’s sharp-edged horn cutting his hand as it did so. “Owe, that hurt,” Spike protested then licked his bleeding hand, eyeing the corsi watchfully as they circled.
“What is it with you demons and Hellmouths,” Buffy asked her opponent. “You’ve always got to be opening them early, it’s like little kids and Christmas presents.”
The demon charged her without speaking, Buffy wasn’t even sure if they could speak. Buffy side stepped and her demon missed her and ran into the one Spike was fighting. Seeing his opponent momentarily off balance Spike grabbed a scorched two-by-four from the ground and cheerfully bashed the demon’s skull in with it.
The last demon snatched a gold disk from the floor and dove into the opening in the Hellmouth.
“That was a bad thing last time,” Buffy commented.
“But we got most of them,” Spike said.
“Maybe that’s good enough,” Buffy replied uncertainly.
A rumbling came from deep within the Hellmouth and the crack shifted open a few more millimeters.
“Oh bloody Hell,” Spike announced disgustedly.
______________________________________________________________
“The disk you described appears to be Yasar’s Medallion,” Giles reported after much research. “To undo the spell the medallion must be destroyed.”
“Except the bloody medallion’s on the wrong side of the Hellmouth,” Spike said.
“Well, yes,” Giles replied, cleaning his glasses. “There is good news however. For the moment nothing can exit the Hellmouth and the spell is very slow acting, it will be almost a week before anything is released.”
“So someone is going to have to go in after Yogi’s Medallion, aren’t they,” Buffy said.
“There’s the whole one way ticket problem,” Spike said.
“Th-there are spells to open gateways to the demon dimension,” Tara suggested.
“Yes but the trick will be to find one that will only allow our people out and not any demons,” Giles said.
“Back to the books,” Willow sighed.
______________________________________________________________
“Okay, we have a solution,” Willow said. “Not one spell, but two. The first acts like a homing beacon. We cast it on our warrior, then they go after the medallion. The second spell uses the first to determine where the portal opens on the Hell side, that should keep the risk of demon escapage minimal. The problem is whoever goes in will be incommunicado, we’ll have to figure the time differential.”
“Our avatar will be working under a deadline,” Giles continued. “Once we’ve opened the portal we can’t repeat the spell for three hours Earth time, if the medallion hasn’t been destroyed by the time the portal is opened the avatar will be stranded in the demon dimension, possibly for weeks before a second retrieval attempt can be made.”
“So I get it right the first time,” Buffy said.
“No, not you Buffy,” Giles said. “The Slayer’s presence would be widely felt by the creatures on the other side of the Hellmouth, you would become an instant target. You would die Buffy, without even the slightest chance of accomplishing your objective.”
“Don’t look at me,” Spike said. “You don’t have enough money to pay me for that. Get Peaches to do it, he’s more the sacrificial lamb type.”
“Spike, it was my understanding that you were opposed to end of the world scenarios,” Giles said.
“Yeah, I want to enjoy the world, not destroy it, but going to Hell would put a slight cramp in my plans, now wouldn’t it?” Spike replied.
“Well we can hardly toss him in and hope he would accomplish the mission,” Giles remarked.
“Damn right you can’t,” Spike said, moving to the door, prepared to bolt should anyone try it.
“Which leaves Angel as our next best candidate, despite his rather questionable mental state,” Giles finished.
“Isn’t there a way we could mask my presence?” Buffy asked. “I don’t want to ask Angel to go back there.”
“Buffy your sister and mother need you too much for you to take that kind of a risk now,” Giles replied, his look reminded Buffy that her responsibility to Dawn extended beyond those normally held by an older sibling.
______________________________________________________________
“Wesley, it’s Giles. We have a situation in Sunnydale and we require Angel’s assistance,” Giles said, formality conveying rather than covering his discomfort.
“This is a rather bad time,” Wesley replied. “Could you perhaps, find another way, or at least delay things?”
“Asking Angel for help was hardly my first choice of solutions,” Giles said.
“Well yes, it’s just that given Angel’s current state of mind, he might refuse,” Wesley said. “At the moment he seems to despise the majority of human kind.”
“We have five days until the Hellmouth opens, Angel is our best chance to prevent that,” Giles explained.
“Oh. We’ll come, of course,” Wesley replied. “In fact speaking with Buffy might possibly be just what Angel needs.”
“Why? What is going on down there?” Giles demanded.
“As you remember, Angel had lost all memory of being a vampire at the time of your visit. A subsequent encounter with Darla…”
“Darla was killed four years ago,” Giles interjected.
“Yes, well she didn’t stay dead, which is irrelevant anyway,” Wesley snapped. “She managed to restore some of Angel’s memories of being soulless in an attempt to turn him back into Angelus. All it did however was move him forward emotionally to directly after he was cursed. Not a part of his life Angel was overly inclined to relive. Without much difficulty we were able to restore a little more than fifty years of Angel’s memories. Unfortunately, this brought him to a point in his life when he had good cause to be mistrustful of humans.”
“We’ve told him everything we know about his life in Sunnydale, but there is no emotional resonance in Angel. It is my opinion that something happened in the intervening decades to bring Angel to the frame of mind where he was ready to lend assistance to Buffy. However, I don’t have a clue as to what that was and until his memory of the event is recovered Angel can’t reconnect with his most recent past.”
“On the other hand, the strength of emotion that Angel and Buffy felt for one another might allow him to bridge the gap. If not Angel still seems to regard Cordelia as his younger sister, she might be able to persuade him to be helpful.”
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