Cordelia nervously chewed on her bottom lip as she watched the small beaker
start to make its way around the five humans, two vampires, one slayer and
one ex-demon. As she recognized the break into an old habit she silently
scolded herself and stopped chewing, only for her to start again as soon as
her mind started to wander. ((What happens when this freak decides to take
out their second victim. What are we going to do then? Have tea and
cake?!?))

"Cordy, your turn," Xander said, waving the beaker in front of her.

"Thanks," she muttered and pulled out the remaining piece of paper.

"I have to shave off my... *hair*!" Giles groaned.

"At least you don't have to draw Spike," Xander replied.

Buffy sniggered, before saying, "I can't say."

"Umm... neither can I." Willow added.

"I have to spend tonight sleeping outside." Wesley said. ((This is not good.
The weather... it'll be... well cold. I wonder what idiot came up with that
one...)) He looked at the others suspiciously. ((Children.))

"I have to spend the day locked up in the bath?!?" Angel said, catching
Wesley's suspicious look and raising his eyebrows at him.

"I can't say," Spike said. ((Ahh... the great poof and Watcher no2,
conspiring? Nah... Though Peaches getting caught at the end of my dare does
seem too good to be true.))

"I have to streak my hair purple. Eww... that is *so* eww..." Cordy said
trailing off as visions of her hair in some ghastly purple colour floated
through her mind.

"I have to say... "Where's the remote?" Every time someone says someone's
name, if I-i'm within... hearing range." Tara mumbled.

As she finished the others let the silence flow over them for a spilt second
before they all departed.

++++++++++++++++++++

Angel was lying in the bath, listening to Giles grumble as he shaved off his
hair, while in the background he could hear the bickering between Spike and
Xander.

"Listen I don't have all bloody day you know. I have *other* things to
do..."

"Well if you'd just stay still for a minute."

"I've been still for an hour. How long does it take to draw one picture?"

"A long time when the person keeps looking towards the door like it's
suddenly going to disappear."

Angel smiled between closed eyelids as Giles' vocabulary increased in more
ways than he though possible and the two carried on with their bickering.

++++++++++++++++++++

Willow anxiously looked around before raising one hand to the door handle
and she gently turned it, entering the room. Closing the door behind her,
she breathed deeply and smiled as she headed further into the room.

++++++++++++++++++++

"Will!" Cordy yelled as she entered the cabin. "Where are you?"

"I think she's in her room," Xander said as he observed a frustrated Cordy.

"Thanks," she replied as she headed toward the stairs.

Xander sighed and returned to staring out of the window.

++++++++++++++++++++

"This is great. First that stupid chit makes me stand what he calls *still*
for the morning, and then when I see what my efforts were for, I might as
well have done fuck all and gone out to complete that dare." Spike stopped
in front of his room and opened it angrily in time to see a flash of red
hair disappear underneath the bed.

He stormed over to the bed and threw back the covers to reveal a scared
Willow hiding under the bed looking up at him with big wide eyes.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" He demanded as she scrambled from
under the bed.

"I erm..."

"Yes?" Spike's eyes flashed.

"I was looking for..." Willow trailed off. ((Think Willow think!)) She
yelled at herself. "Mugs! I was looking for mugs... to wash."

"Well there's none here." He moved to the door and flung it open and
gestured dramatically for her to leave.

"Okay..." Willow rushed towards the open door.

"And..." He moved towards her, face inches away from hers. Willow's fear
radiating off her in waves, and he savored the smell.

((Don't look in his eyes Willow, don't look.)) Her eyes were caught by his.
((Bad Willow, bad!))

"... If I ever find you anywhere near this room or my belongings again, i'll
rip your- aghhh!" He screamed as the chip took effect.

The spell momentarily broken. Willow watched on in horror as Spike clutched
at his head, crying out at the pain.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Get *out*!" He screamed at her.

"Will! There you are," Cordy said as she walked into the room. "I need your
help." She grabbed hold of Willow and half-dragged her from the room as she
started to talk about the pressures of over-the-counter hair dye.

Willow took one last glance at Spike as she left the room.

Spike meanwhile was still clutching at his head, the thoughts of ripping out
the red-head's throat slowly being replaced by the look of sheer fear in her
eyes. And for a split second he felt something he hadn't felt in over a
century. Guilt.

++++++++++++++++++++
 

Wesley grumbled as he dragged his sleeping bag outside and he stood on the
porch, trying to decide where he could sleep and be most comfortable. Spying
the old rocking chair that stood perched towards the left side of the porch,
he headed towards it and tried to make himself as comfortable as possible.

Gazing at the stars, a familiar face appeared before his eyes and he allowed
the face and sleep to lull him away from the real world.

++++++++++++++++++++

Spike for not the first time that day, stormed into a room.

"I'm really pissed off and the last thing I need right now is for one of you
idiots to fuck around with me. So i'm gonna give you ten minutes and after
those ten minutes I want to see my duster in my room. Got it?" He stormed
back out of the room and outside.

"Jings, Crivvins, Help ma boab! I want to take this opportunity to say how
really sorry I feel for that person who has misguidedly taken fangless'
duster," Buffy remarked.

Everyone looked at her.

"Dare," Angel replied.

They looked at him.

"What?"

Willow gulped and wondered how much Spike would kill her when he found out
she had his duster. ((Maybe he'll be a little subdued by the time I have to
give it back to him...)) She looked up as he came back in. ((Or maybe not.))

"I'm going to go for a walk," Willow said and rushed out of the room.

"What's her problem?" Spike asked.

++++++++++++++++++++

Willow sighed as she left the cabin and walked out into the early evening.
Breathing in the crisp air she started to walk away from the cabin and far
away from everything that troubled her.

++++++++++++++++++++

An hour later and a loud scream pierced the night.

"Oh God," Cordy whispered.

Buffy looked at Angel before they both dashed outside toward the scream.

Willow stood standing before the body of what appeared to be Wesley. She
turned around to face them, her face paler than usual and green eyes
illuminated. "He's..." She pointed towards the body. "He's... dead." Tears
began to fall from her eyes and she fell down on to the ground.

Buffy walked slowly around the corner to where Willow had pointed. Her
breath caught in her throat as Wesley's body came into view.

His head was hanging back off the chair and from first glance he appeared to
be sleeping. But from a second glance you could see that his arms were bound
to the arms of the rocking chair and his eyes had been torn out and stuffed
back in... backwards.

++++++++++++++++++++

Willow was curled up in a ball and was lying in Spike's arms.

An envelope was sitting on the coffee table in front of the gang and was
addressed to "The Players" in a scripted hand that could have been anyone's.

"You... you think we should. Open it?" Tara asked.

"I'll do it," Giles said, taking it and looking at it silently before he
ripped it open. His eyes glanced over the words before he threw the letter
on to the table.

It looked up at the others as it exposed Wesley's fear with the words.
"I'm afraid of being un-needed."

++++++++++++++++++++
 
 

ICY FLAMES [7/?]

The dares had been given out, much to Buffy and especially Spike's
annoyance. They had both by now, worked out some silent treaty in which for
this occasion, had joined sides. Both were attacking the issue of carrying
on with the dares as neither one wanted the deaths to carry on. Everyone had
agreed to stick together at least, in pairs so that the chance of one being
singled out was less greater.

They were all scattered around the cabin. Willow had fallen asleep in
Spike's arms and the vampire was silently keeping watch. Angel had returned
to Giles' books, determined to find something. Giles had joined him for a
while before disappearing into his room and not returning. A quick look by
Angel had determined that the Watcher had fallen asleep, and not wanting to
awaken him, had retreated back to research with Buffy who was curled up in
one of the chairs. Tara, Xander and Cordelia had found sanctuary in sleep.

Angel sighed as he reached for the next book, glancing at the title he
inwardly groaned and flicked open the cover to begin.

Spike, stroking Willow's hair, stared silently at Angel. Trying to study the
emotions that fluttered slowly over the vampire's face.

"Yes?" Angel asked, not looking up from his book.

A little shocked although he knew that he wasn't being secretive with his
studying, Spike answered. "It's not going to stop, is it? Not until this
thing's gone through everyone."

Angel looked up, swallowing heavily. "No... Until at least I can stop it."

"You know i'll- I'm here. To help. Because you'll need it."

"I know." Angel replied, knowing how hard it was for Spike to even consider
the two working together. After all he... no Angelus put him through.
"You've got something on the line." He said before adding, "Just don't hurt
her."

"Red?" He said a little sadly. "We're not... you know. Anything."

Willow snuggled closer to Spike in her sleep and muttered something
incomprehensible.

Angel raised an eyebrow.

++++++++++++++++++++

Xander yawned as his sleep clogged mind began to awaken, and he blinked to
remove some of the last remains of sleep. Raising a hand to wipe away the
sleep that still remained in his eyes he found it was tied, as was the other
to pegs in a tree that his back was leaning against. His legs were slightly
apart and tied to more pegs in the tree. Looking wildly around he found
himself in the woods. "Uh... this is bad," he muttered. He tugged at the
ropes, and kicked his feet, trying to loosen the pegs.

A cloaked figure appeared before him and tutted.

"Naughty boy, keeping such fears locked away in that head of yours. Well,
we'll just have to let them free..." The hood fell away, revealing the
person beneath it, holding a knife that gleamed in the late moonlight.

Xander gasped before screaming as the knife came down.

++++++++++++++++++++

Giles came into the room, scratching his face.

Willow looked up at him sleepily.

"Stupid makeup." He muttered.

"Makeup?"

"Someone's dare. They made me up like a woman. Whoever it was even shaved my
legs. It's not the nicest thing to wake up to."

"Ok." She replied, beginning to wake up. Raising her self up from the couch,
she was promptly brought back down again by a cold arm tightening around her
waist. "What the-" Willow looked up. "Spike?"

"Morning Red," he answered.

"It's not even sunrise," she muttered looking at her watch.

"Sleeping with the undead now, huh Wills?" Buffy said as she entered the
room.

"No! I- Umm... fell asleep." She said, her facing turning red.

"So that's your version of events Pet?" Spike replied.

"I- have to go..." She scrambled out of his arms and ran out of the room.

"You sure know how to get the girls, don't you fangless." Buffy commented.

"You should know." He replied, following Willow out of the room.

"Everyone had a good night?" She asked, ignoring Spike's comment.

"As well as you can when there's some murderer on the loose," Cordy replied
as she joined the others in the living room, wearing a scarf around her
head. "At least the dares aren't too bad."

"But that's a bad thing, right?" Buffy said anxiously. "I mean, they're
supposed to be getting harder."

"Only we can determine the dares..." Tara replied as she followed Cordy into
the room. "If the dares have to... umm... get harder then we should be,
well... making them harder."

"And that's *so* not a good thing," Cordy commented as she stared at the
flames that licked at the logs in the fire.

++++++++++++++++++++

Willow managed to get into her and Cordy's room and make sure that Spike's
duster was still in it's hiding place before locking herself in the
bathroom. Hearing someone knocking at the door, she sighed and turned the
shower on, wanting to get rid of whoever it was at the door. It seemed to
have worked as the knocking stopped and soon quiet footsteps could be heard
walking away from the door.

She bit her lip to stop her calling whoever it was back, but the need to be
alone overwhelmed her and she removed her clothes, stepping into the shower.

++++++++++++++++++++

Spike walked away as he heard the shower turn on. ((I just wanted to talk to
the little chit.)) He thought angrily, ((For once... *I* just wanted to
talk, you know let my bloody emotions out. ...I guess it was a good thing
she blew me off then, stopped me from turning into his high poofiness, with
his billowy coat and goody-goody attitude.)) He stopped in mid thought.
((Billowy coat, makes me think of Batman for some reason. Except he doesn't
wear such stupid things... I don't think. Should buy himself a decent
duster. Where *is* my duster?))

++++++++++++++++++++

Buffy stifled back a yawn as she wondered onto the porch, her mind
replaying images of Wesley sitting there in the chair... dead. Her stomach
lurched. "When's this going to end?" She whispered.

"Soon." Angel said appearing next to her.

She looked at him wearily. "How can you be so calm?"

"Because someone has to."

"I'm going to go have a quick walk. You want to come with me?"

"Why not?"

"Angel and I'm going for a walk." Buffy yelled to the others.

"Be careful," Cordy whispered back.

++++++++++++++++++++
 
 

Buffy shoved her hands into her pockets as they strolled through the woods.
The close proximity of Angel after a year apart, even with meeting him in
LA, didn't prepare her for having his company again. Her thoughts and
emotions swirled around her, creating butterflies in her stomach and the
silence between them was deafening.

"So..." She started, rolling the word around in her mouth. "How's LA been?"
Buffy looked at him, silently begging him to tell her things she knew he
couldn't.

"Good, I guess." He replied.

"Listen... Angel. I want- I need to apologize. For the Faith thing. I said
something's... and did something's I shouldn't have. I just... I need you to
understand. I-I was harsh and I feel bad. I want you to accept that I'm
sorry. Angel I need you to forgive me." She pleaded.

"Buffy I-"

She screamed as she interrupted him mid-sentence. He looked to where she was
staring. Xander was hanging from a tree. His body hanging from where it was
tied to pegs in the tree, and half of his body was distorted. His lips were
pulled back into a crude grin and white paint covered the half of his face.
His clothes were half ripped to reveal stab wounds and other various marks
down his body, that included a cut coming from his head where it appeared
that his head had been half cut through his skull.

Angel swallowed heavily and stepped close to Xander's body. Taking the boy's
pulse it confirmed his fears.

"He's dead." He managed to get out, as he stood in front of Buffy.

Buffy let out a small cry and fell into Angel's open arms.

++++++++++++++++++++

"No... no. You're lying." Cordy replied as she glared at Buffy and Angel
wildly. "You're just trying to mess with us. Well it's not working! You hear
me? It's not working." She screamed and ran out of the cabin towards the
woods.

"I'll go after her," Willow said as she followed Cordy out of the cabin.

"I'd better go make sure nothing happens. One of you needs to phone the
police or something. They probably think we're stupid enough staying around
here as it is." Buffy commented as she followed out of the cabin and shut
the door making sure, it wouldn't let in the sun that was threatening to
appear at any second.

"This has gone too far," Giles muttered.

"Glad you've realized the bloody obvious," Spike replied as he stormed out
of the room.

Tara flinched as she heard doors slam and she looked nervously at the
others.

++++++++++++++++++++

Cordy ran through the woods, tugging at the various branches that got in her
way. She soon came to where Xander's body hung and she fell to the ground.
Angrily tugging at the sleeves of her jacket and forcing the tears away from
her eyes. She rocked herself as she realized that any of them could be next.
Lost in that thought, she looked around herself. Suddenly realizing that she
was all alone in the woods with what was left of Xander.

A twig snapped.

Her head shot up.

"Are you ok?" Willow asked as she came into view.

"He's dead Willow, he's *dead*." She spat out before the tears began to fall
more freely but this time, she didn't force them away whilst Willow
enveloped her in a hug and gently rocked with her.

++++++++++++++++++++

Willow stared at the latest piece of paper that held Xander's scrawled hand.
"We should get out of here," she murmured. "It's feeding on our fears or
secrets... or whatever. They're not going to stop."

"What should we do then? Just let whoever it is pray on their next lot of
victims?" Buffy replied. "Just let this demon carry on time and time again?
It's going to come after us. No matter where we are. We have to catch and
kill it."

"Like it did to Xander?" Cordy asked. "This is *sick*."

"We have to stay, we have to kill this for the sake of everyone this thing
has killed. This isn't about letting this thing kill us as it pleases, it's
about getting our own back. We *will* get this thing." Buffy said
forcefully.

"I hope you're right," Willow replied, "I sure hope you're right." Her gaze
traveled across the paper as the image of Xander cut up like a clown
entered her head and mocked his secret. "My greatest secret is that i'm
bisexual."

++++++++++++++++++++
 
 

ICY FLAMES [8?]

Cordy looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her pale, gaunt face stared
back at her. She scrubbed at her face, trying to get rid of the pained look
and the memories that went with it. Her face began to redden as she scrubbed
harder and faster, trying to get rid of the faces that floated in front of
her eyes. But soon silent tears began to leave glistening trails on her
reddened face and Cordy fell to the floor as she wept for the past and what
lay in the future.

+++++++++++++++++++

Willow listened to the gentle whistling of the kettle as she leaned lazily
against the counter. Her gaze drifted off somewhere past this reality and
into another. The gentle whistling of the kettle started to louden and soon
jolted her out of her thoughts. Her hand reached out to pour the boiling
water into the teapot but was stopped by a voice.

"Let me do that," Giles said as he entered the kitchen area. "You go and
relax for a while."

She stepped back and let the Watcher who had become more like a father, fall
into a routine that soothed the both of them.

"Thanks..." Willow whispered to him as she left the kitchen area with the
words of thanks still uncompleted in the air. She made her way to the
nearest available chair and threw herself into it, suddenly feeling the
pressure and exhaustion of the past few days fall on to her shoulders.
Dragging her legs and feet underneath her, she grabbed hold of the pillow
and fingering the small piece of paper that lay in her pocket, unread and
burning in her heart. Willow let her gaze drift and soon she fell into a
deep sleep.

+++++++++++++++++++

Small yet strong hands played with the stake as Buffy tried to keep her body
as still as possible as she sat on the edge of her bed. She could see in the
corner of her eye the latest slip of paper that held her next dare. Glaring
at it, Buffy swung the stake about in her fingers as her mind debated her
newest plan of action. She sighed and jumped off the bed as she started to
pace the length of the room. Suddenly coming to a decision, she flung open
her bedroom door and walked down the hallway to the living room. Buffy
stopped as she saw Willow curled up in a chair, asleep and she watched her
friend's breathing. Buffy's heart seemed to stop for just a second before
she spun on her heel striding back down the hallway.

This time she stopped in front of Willow and Cordy's room, she opened the
door and peered inside noticing that Cordy wasn't there. Stepping inside,
she closed the door quietly behind her and fell onto Willow's bed as she had
often done back at the dorms when her friend wasn't there, and she needed
reassurance that she, Buffy *was* a good friend. Buffy's head fell back on
the pillow and she inhaled Willow's scent deeply. The smell of vanilla and
peaches drifted up into her lungs and nose, entering her body and silently
lulling her to sleep.

+++++++++++++++++++

The water swilled around and dragged down the small piece of paper into its
depths. She smiled for what seemed like the first time in ages as the
evidence of what her life had become disappeared. Pressing her ear against
the door, the silence greeted her and she moved toward the window that lay
on the other side of the room.

Lifting the window up, she gently climbed out into the late afternoon sun
and pushed the window shut, before taking one last look at the cabin. Her
smile widening, she blew a kiss in its general direction before she headed
toward the woods.

+++++++++++++++++++

Buffy stirred an hour later, feeling a little refreshed and yet a little
scared as a sense of foreboding came over her. She shook it off with the air
of one who had, had so much happen they couldn't believe it could get any
worse. Moving over she felt something push against her from underneath the
mattress. She paused for a minute before her curiosity got the better of her
and she got off the bed, looking underneath the mattress. A small giggle
escaped her lips as she spied Spike's duster underneath Willow's mattress.

"Poor Will," She chuckled as she remembered Spike's obvious annoyance at his
duster being missing.

The door opened suddenly and Buffy jumped up, letting the mattress fall
behind her. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Willow standing in the
doorway.

"Buffy?" Willow asked, raising her left eyebrow slightly. "What are you
doing here?"

"I could say the same thing about a certain vampire's duster." She replied.

Willow shushed her loudly and shut the door behind her. "You *can't* tell
him." She said, her voice raising a pitch. "He'll... he'll *kill* me."

"Really?"

"Do you realize how hard it's been to simply get hold of it and hide it when
he's been turning everyone's rooms upside down?"

"I can guess."

"I had to throw it out of the window before he came into his and Angel's
room, otherwise he would have caught me with it." She huffed as she took the
duster from underneath the bed and glared at it. "And the smell?" Willow
shuddered slightly, although the small smile that tugged at her lips and
eyes gave her feelings away.

"So what's in it?"

"Huh? I haven't looked..." She looked at Buffy's wicked smile. "No... no!
You can't look either. I mean... it's *his*."

"Come on Will... aren't you curious? I mean, haven't you even tried it on?"

Willow shook her head wildly.

"But you've wanted to?"

"Maybe..."

"Then what's stopping you?"

"I just can't."

"Well then I can," Buffy announced as she walked over and took the duster
out of Willow's arms.

"No!" Willow yelled, "I'll do it." She pulled it out of Buffy's arms and
shrugged it on, getting enveloped in it.

"Good look Will, very... big."

The door burst open again as Angel appeared in the doorway. "Cordy's
missing." He informed them.

"God no..." Buffy replied as she moved past him and out of the door.

"The woods," Willow added as she followed Buffy. "We'll have to try the
woods."

"The others are outside," Angel said as they made their way to the living
room and out of the main door. "Willow isn't that-"

Willow let out a small eek before going to turn around before finding
herself facing a very pissed off Spike.

"Care to bloody well explain?" He asked calmly, too calmly for Willow.

"No..." she replied and turned around walking swiftly towards the woods but
not before shooting Buffy a deadly glance. The others trailed her as they
began an all too familiar walk into the woods.

+++++++++++++++++++

Spike began to seethe as he saw *his* duster on the red-head in front of
him. ((It doesn't even *fit* her.)) His mind screamed. ((It sort of buries
her in it, making her look small and helpless and... cute)) Her sighed
inwardly before realizing what he was saying. Spike let out a quiet growl
and shook the thoughts from his mind. ((But it's still *my* fucking duster
and she's not even making any attempt to give it me back.))

"There's a heartbeat," Angel said, interrupting the silence. "It's faint but
there is a heartbeat." He took off in front of them all as he searched it
out.

They soon came to the clearing where they had found Anya's body, but this
time it held Cordelia's.

Willow rushed towards her, stopping as she gazed at the blood that soaked
the girl's clothes and the grass around her. Cordy's face was twisted in
pain and her legs had been forced apart. She gulped as her gaze traveled
down. "Oh Goddess," she muttered quietly between sobs. Between Cordy's feet
lay a baby, a baby that began to scream as soon as it heard Willow's cry.

She bent down and picked up the baby that had been severely cut from its
mother. Turning around Willow looked at them all, her gaze stopping at Tara.
Her friend who had once been so much more and she remembered the
conversation that had torn them apart, Willow smiled weakly at her friend.
She tore her gaze away from Tara as she spoke to them all. "A baby..." she
sobbed. "A baby."

+++++++++++++++++++

"The demon babies," Angel whispered. "I didn't realize it had effected her
so much." He stared at the paper that had held Cordy's greatest fear, having
a baby again. "I should have done something. If I *had* then she wouldn't
have had to go through it again."

"No one knew," Buffy replied. "But she left Angel, she left the cabin
knowing that her greatest fear was going to be used against her. And now
she's gone... She was lost before this. We all *know* she would never have
knowingly left if she knew she would have had to go through it again." She
paused. "But we have to keep it together. There's someone who needs us all
now." Buffy looked at each of them in turn, before they all looked into the
baby unit, at one baby girl in particular. "Stella needs us all now. And I
for one am going to stop this thing before she has no-one." Buffy turned and
headed towards the nearest exit leaving the others in her wake.

+++++++++++++++++++
 
 

ICY FLAMES [9/10]

Buffy sighed as she turned up the radio that was the only sound in the
living room, as the others slept in their beds, trying to rid themselves of
reality.

^ ^The shallow need to feel wanted
Worshipped and adored and never be ignored
I give you love but you don't see it
You never understand
My world is in your hands, and
I have this thought in my head
And it's about being noticed
I have this thought in my head
And it's about being noticed^^

((Why is it that when you *really* listen to a song, it always seems to just
match your life?)) She mused as she stared at the logs in the fire. (( I
swear there's some higher power that likes to mock people by playing their
life stories on cheezy radio stations.))

^^We hide away
Someone stop me feeling empty
We hide away
Someone stop me feeling empty
You start this dance but I am leading
I act out the abuse
Bewildered and confused, oh
Tonight I am yours but I don't feel it
You say it's all a game, but one can only play it
I have this thought in my head
And it's about being noticed
I have this thought in my head
And it's about being noticed^^

Over the radio she heard a voice calling her name. Frowning she listened
again but heard nothing. ((Ignore it Buffy.)) She told herself. ((Don't let
everything get to you.)) Her thoughts traveled down to the bottom of the
wine glass she held in her hand. She looked at it as if her future was at
the bottom of the glass, and if she looked hard enough then it would reveal
itself to her.

^^We hide away, somebody
We hide away, somebody stop me
We hide away
Somebody stop me feeling empty
We hide away
Somebody stop me feeling empty
I have this thought in my head
And it's about being noticed
We hide away
Somebody stop me feeling empty
We hide away
Somebody stop me feeling empty^^

She managed to remove her eyes from the wine glass and she placed it on the
coffee table in front of her, where it stood, isolated and yet as if it was
part of the furniture. The images of her friends bodies floated in front of
her eyes and then the mocking voice began in her head. ((Your fault, your
fault. You can't stop me Slayer, you're just too weak... you've forgotten
your duties, what you are and now look at what you've become.))

"No!" Buffy hissed, anger coursing through her veins, and she gripped her
head, trying to stop the voice as she stood up.

Her legs suddenly struck out wildly hitting the chair as she took out her
anger on the thing nearest to hand.

"I can't do this," she sobbed as she realized what she was doing, taking her
anger out in the worst possible way.

A quick flicker of emotion passed over her face as she pulled herself
together. It soon made way for a small smile of acknowledgment as she
straightened the chair and pulled her coat off the back of it. Gently she
slipped it on and made her way to the kitchen grabbing something and then
making her way out of the cabin into the night.

++++++++++++++++++++

Angel stepped out from the shadows in the hallway as he watched Buffy and
then her sudden exit. A frown marged his features and he took off silently
after her.

++++++++++++++++++++

The sobs gave way to a hardened exterior, the further Buffy went into the
woods. The gentle scrapping of the trees against her skin and clothes didn't
register in her mind as she advanced towards the clearing where most of the
murderers had taken place.

Her fingers gently played with the knife that was up her sleeve as she
stopped. "Are you gonna come out and fight or do we have to go through the
formalities?" Buffy asked, yelling as she turned.

She heard twigs snapping behind her and she smiled before turning to greet
her opponent.

"I don't think that's necessary," a voice replied.

Buffy looked at the body that belonged to the voice. "Oh shit..."

"That's exactly what you're in... Any last wishes? Or maybe not, don't want
to bother with the formalities after all."

"I agree," Buffy said as she raised her left leg, sending a blow to the
demon's head. She followed it up with a series of kicks from both legs
before punching the left side of the demon's face.

The demon roared and stepped back, grasping it's stomach. "Bitch..." Raising
it's arms it sent a large blast of energy straight at Buffy who just dodged
it but hit herself on a log off to the side of the clearing.

Buffy jumped back, ignoring the pain and engaged with the demon in another
series of kicks before taking a swipe at it with the knife. It cut through
the demon's shoulder spilling a little green goo before it completely sealed
up, leaving a slight cut that had almost completely healed. She gaped at the
sight. "What the fuck are you?"

"Something you'll see again in hell," the demon took a slight step back and
took it's own knife out. "Hey now, would you have guessed, mine's bigger!"
It brought the knife down into Buffy's heart and dragged it down her
stomach.

Buffy choked and pressed a hand to her stomach, bringing it back up to
reveal a bloodied hand.

"I guess you won't be stopping me Slayer," it mocked, "Now if you'll excuse
me, I have people to kill and a mate to spend eternity with." The demon left
leaving her dying in the clearing.

"Willow..." Buffy gasped as she fell to the ground.

++++++++++++++++++++

Angel shook his head as he passed the twisted trees yet again. "Magic..." he
murmured before stopping to pause as the twisted trees suddenly began to
evaporate in front of his eyes. The trees disappeared to reveal the clearing
that he'd been trying to get to for the past few minutes. And in the center,
lay Buffy.

He ran to her body, raising her slightly as he looked into her eyes.
"Buffy..." Angel began. "Buffy... can you hear me?"

"Angel?" She whispered.

"I'm here."

"You have to... you have to..."

"What?"

"Save them," she managed to reply. "Angel I love you, but you have to go now
before it's too late... Please." She looked up at him as the life began to
drain from her eyes.

He stared at her and the blood that seeped from her small body. The anger he
felt at seeing her drowning in her own blood began to rush around his body.
The smell of her blood began to overpower his senses and his demon roared
inside of him. He tried to shake the demon away but as her heartbeat began
to slower even more, he felt himself move towards her neck.

"Sorry," he murmured, not really understanding what was going on before
moving his mouth towards her pulse point and he sank his fangs into her. He
drained what little blood she had left and moved away, the demon now at full
control, he tore at his own wrist, raising it to her mouth and pressed down
on her lips.

Five minutes went by and she had made no effort to drink, the demon pushed
further forward, angry that she wasn't reacting and he pressed down harder,
bringing her head back and pulling her by the hair. She soon began to
respond as she suckled at his wrist.

Buffy's eyes flew open and he looked at the demon that had taken over her
body.

"Hello Lover." He purred.

++++++++++++++++++++
 
 

Deep in the shadows of the woods Spike watched as Buffy was turned and, as
Angelus once more made an appearance. ((Pesky curses.)) He thought to
himself as he shook his head slightly, ((Never follow the rules and never
show you the bloody small print... Fuck...)) Spike's thoughts turned to
Willow, Giles and Tara still at the cabin where his Sire was sure to head
((And destroy them... Red.)) His thoughts then focused on Willow and with a
silent growl and a quick spin on the heel of his boot he had turned in the
opposite direction and straight towards the cabin.

++++++++++++++++++++

Willow stumbled towards the kitchen and groaned as her foot made contact
with something hard. Upon arriving in the living room she stretched out her
arms as her hands fumbled for the light switch. After a few minutes the
lights came on and she let out a small whoop of sarcastic joy before rubbing
at her eyes as they reacted badly to the sudden lack of darkness. Willow's
eyebrows raised as she looked at the radio that was still playing. Looking
around she saw that there was no-one about, but the door was unlocked.

"Strange..." she muttered to herself before heading towards the kitchen
area.

"WILLOW!"

Her head quickly snapped up as she looked towards the door where Spike stood
looking paler than usual, if it were possible.

"What?" She replied then looked at his current disheveled state. "Where have
you- uhh... don't answer that."

"Is the Watcher and that witch friend of yours still about?" He asked as he
moved further into the room.

"I think so..." Willow answered her mind running as she wondered when the
hell he would explain what had gotten him so flustered. "I mean... i'm the
only one up, except for you... why *are* you still up. Uhh... don't answer
that either."

Spike took out of the room and soon returned.

"Mind explaining sometime soon?" She asked.

"I second that notion," Giles added as he came through the doorway, wrapped
in a woolen dressing gown and looking slightly annoyed.

"I need you to do something," Spike replied pacing. "I heard someone going
out and then Peaches after them, and then when they didn't come back for a
while... I well... I thought the demon bloke might have started again."

"Oh no..." Willow began.

"Anyway, I went off into the woods and I saw," he paused. "I saw the Slayer
lying on the ground... dying."

"What?!" Giles roared, jumping up from his seat and running over to Spike
where he grabbed hold of the vampire's neck.

"Don't do something you'll regret Watcher," he replied, removing Giles' hand
as his game face slipped out. "So as I was saying," he flashed his eyes
amber at the Watcher before carrying on, "The poof was there and well... he
*turned* her."

"What?!" Willow and Giles both yelled.

((Shit...)) Willow thought. ((This *isn't* happening, Buffy's not dead, he's
making it all up. It's just some sick twisted joke...))

"Liar," she hissed.

Spike turned his intense blue eyes on her. "Not this time."

"Why should we believe you?" Giles asked.

"Because you'll see her soon enough when Angelus brings her for a quick
friendly snack."

Giles' own face paled at the mention of the name. "You mean Angel..."

"No I fucking DON'T! I'm talking about Angelus here. You know, Scourge of
Europe and all that crap. Only it won't be crap if you lot don't start
listening to me."

"How?" Willow asked quietly.

"I don't know," Spike replied, lowering his tone. "The bloody wanker
probably got off on the Slayer dying or something."

"But won't he..." Giles began. "Won't he kill her... I mean, after all he
did to her when he came back before-"

"No," Spike interrupted. "She's too valuable. He can use her against you and
well... come on. The power of a Slayer and vampire combined, he's going to
be pretty much unstoppable, unless..."

Giles caught his train of thought. "I'll go get what's needed."

++++++++++++++++++++

Willow fell back tiredly on to the chair as the spell finished. A small tear
fell down her face as she whispered, "Sorry Buffy..."

"Are you ok?" Giles asked. "If you can't go through it again i'll do it."

"No you won't," a voice called out from the doorway that lead into the
living room.

"Tara?" Willow replied, confused.

"I'm sorry Willow but I can't let you do this, or you..." She turned her
gaze to Giles. "You've gone too far already. But it's ok... I forgive you
Willow." Her gaze had by now shifted to back Willow. "I mean, I love you and
I intend to have you. Forever."

"You... you're...the demon," She spluttered.

"Clever," Tara replied applauding her. "You know, I just want to point out
what a bunch of fucking idiots you lot are. I mean... I wanted this to be a
fair battle. I left clues all over the place, but you little chits," she
looked at Giles and Spike. "You couldn't see what was before your eyes."

Spike was holding her by the neck and raising her off the floor as soon as
she finished her sentence. He shook her before throwing her at the nearest
wall.

"Bitch..." he hissed.

She brought her head up and snarled at him, before a blue light shot out of
her eyes and swept Spike off his feet and into the coffee table, splitting
open his head slightly. The fall wasn't bad but it was enough to knock him
unconscious.

Willow watched the short battle and as Spike fell against the coffee table
she rushed over to him, trying to wake him up.

"Spike..." she murmured. "Spike, wake up."

Tara stood up a little shakingly and watched Willow with a scowl. "No..."
Her eyes turned blue again and she fixed them on Willow.

Giles watched her and threw himself in front of the deadly blue light. He
groaned as the light pierced his shoulder and he too fell to the floor.

"Mine," Tara said as she began to walk towards Willow, her eyes flickered
back to their normal colour for a moment as she whispered. "Sorry Willow,"
before she aimed her eyes at her legs, knocking Willow to the ground as she
fell on to the coffee table.

++++++++++++++++++++

Buffy screamed out as her eyes began to glow and she clutched at her head.

Angelus stopped and turned around to look at her.

"Buffy?" He asked.

A few minutes went by before she raised her head. "A-Angel?"

Angelus scowled. "What did you *say*?"

"Oh my god..." She breathed as the overwhelming need for blood overtook her.
"Angel... oh god. I'm a... i'm a... *vampire*. Shit... What happened Angel?
What happened." Buffy began to sob as her mind started to replay what had
happened since she'd started to drink Angel's blood.

Angelus' game face slipped in front of his human features as the realization
that she had a soul entered his mind.

"Watcher..." He hissed. "Come here," he said, pulling Buffy towards him.
"It's okay... i'll get rid of it for you. *No-one* hurts you and lives to
tell the tale.

((Angelus!)) Buffy's inner voice screamed to her, ((But he's your Sire.))
The other voice told her. ((*Your Sire*)). She sobbed as reality sunk
further in and she realized that no matter what had happened, she couldn't
run from what she had become. ((A vampire... a fucking vampire... some
*demon*. Tara!)) Tara's real identity entered her mind and her final words
as she killed Buffy.

She pulled away and looked into his eyes. "The cabin..." she told him.
"Willow's friend Tara, do you remember her."

His memories as Angel filled his mind and he replied. "What about her?"

"She's the demon, the one who killed me." Buffy paused. "I *want* revenge."

"Then revenge you'll have lover," he told her as he kissed the back of her
hand and she felt the slight scrape of his fangs against her cool skin
before he caught her lips in a bruising kiss.

++++++++++++++++++++
 

ICY FLAMES [10/10]

Giles groaned as he regained consciousness to find himself chained up in the
basement. Blinking as his eyes began to focus in the darkened room, he
discovered that Willow and Spike were also chained up. The chains had been
attached to old metal pegs that lay in the basement walls. Feeling a wave of
dizziness wash over him, he closed his eyes for a moment, before the
sensation slowed. Taking a second look around the room, he found that in the
center lay spell-casting materials, most of which were familiar to him yet
he could not work out the spell that was going to be performed.

"Ripper..." Tara's voice sing songed from the top of the stairs. She walked
down as her eyes flew over the three before she settled back on Giles.

"You know... no matter how knowledgeable you are, there's always someone
who's more knowledgeable."

Tara began to saunter towards him, standing in front of him her glowing blue
eyes locked with his own. "You always were a favorite, it's a shame you have
to die." Her hand reached out and fingers trailed lightly down his face.

Giles hissed at the familiarity in the touch and turned his head away before
spitting at her.

"But then death is death," she said flatly before slapping him, leaving a
red print on his tired face.

Willow started to stir and Giles looked wildly from her to Tara.

"Go on Tara... indulge me. What do you want from us?" He asked.

"Ripper... Ripper... Ripper." She started to move away from him before
stopping. "You know i'm not as stupid as you might think. I do have access
to those idiot films and books where the hero always manages to save the day
by involving the bad guy in a lengthy conversation." Tara smirked. "So no, I
won't indulge you."

Spike glared from where he was chained up. "Bitch..."

"Really, I wonder how much you want to scream in front of Willow... How much
you want her last impressions of you to be as you beg for your pathetic
little life."

"You'll be the only one screaming..."

"In laughter, as you what? Try to *lick* me to death. Please."

"You wish."

"Spike..." Willow whispered as she started to wake up.

"It's ok Red, i'll get you out of here."

Tara rolled her eyes. "In your dreams... which you soon won't have." She
moved over to the circle she had cast, letting herself in. Slowly and
quietly she began to chant the words she had memorized for years, as she had
waited for the mate that would release in her the powers that she'd dreamt
of all her demon life. And now she'd found her.

Giles' ears pricked up at Tara's words as it clicked in some part of his
brain what she was doing.

"Fuck..." Spike muttered.

"Wha- What's going on?" Willow asked, looking between the both of them.

"Tara, she's-" Spike began.

"Joining her soul with yours." Giles finished. "I wouldn't have recognized
it but I remember a spell like it, what's she's doing is just a small
variation."

"...Oh god," Willow's eyes widened. "But she can't..."

"She can," Giles said grimly, "And right now we don't have a way of stopping
her." Seeing the look of panic cross Willow's face he added. "But we will...
we just have to think of something."

"Like what?" Willow asked as she began to sob silently. "We're stuck here,
in the basement of a cabin just about in the middle of no-where with some
demon who's been playing with us for days, and who's decided she wants to
join her soul with mine...Oh and to top it all off, most of my friends' have
been viciously killed by her and the result of her actions are a vampire
version of my former friend and Angelus." Hysteria began to leap into her
voice. "Yup.. we're just all gonna be fine and dandy. I mean... how can it
get worse."

"Hey the party started without us..." Buffy's voice called out as she
appeared at the top of the basement stairs where small rays of light began
to edge into the room.

"Geez... I really hate that... but then I think that's reason enough to
kill," Angelus replied beside her in game face.

"Re-write that, it *can* get worse," Willow muttered.

"Sire..." Spike called out. "Glad you could make it."

Angelus looked at him, slipping back into his human features. "Spike." He
started, "I heard about your little problem..."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Great..."

"Don't worry my boy, i'll get rid of it for you." His game face appeared
again as he advanced towards Tara who'd stopped her spell and was now
looking extremely pissed off.

"Well isn't that nice. Gate crashers..." Tara looked at Buffy, the blue
glowing of her eyes aimed at the souled vampire and the flash of blue hit
Buffy straight on, knocking her to the ground.

Angelus hissed at Tara.

"Oooh... i'm scared." She said. "Here's the big bad Angelus who's been
seeking redemption so he can become human again... and lookie here. He's
standing there all grrr and thinking he can kill me."

"Well I guess that's true," he said pausing before aiming a well placed kick
to Tara's stomach.

She moaned slightly in pain before turning her eyes on to Angelus.

"Did anyone ever mention in those watcher diaries that I really hate all
that mumbo-jumbo stuff." He kicked at the circle and it's contents, knocking
everything around the room.

Tara looked at him as glowing blue flashes of light advanced on Angelus who
stepped to the side and grabbed hold of her neck, throwing her against the
wall.

"You've been hurting people I care about. I'm not really bothered that it's
because of you that i'm free again. Because well... I don't really have a
reason. But does that matter?" He looked down at her and began to kick at
Tara furiously.

She turned her bent head up at him and aimed her blue eyes at his own
stomach and let the glowing blue light hit him.

Angelus growled at the shooting pain in his stomach as he fell to the
ground.

Tara took the small dagger that lay on the floor and then ran over to Willow
and pressed a gentle kiss on her lips, before whispering in her ear. "I'm
sorry but if we can't be here together, we'll just have to spend eternity on
the otherside together." Raising the dagger, she plunged it in to Willow's
heart.

Willow screamed at the pain and the blood that rushed forth.

Buffy who had managed to get up from the ground, saw Tara standing before
Willow and with a small hiss, took the dagger that lay in her boot and
plunged it into the back of Tara's back before taking one final sweep and
slicing her head from the rest of her body.

Tara's small smile was the last thing before she disintegrated into a pile
of goo, leaving the others in the room and a dying Willow taking her last
breaths.

++++++++++++++++++++
 
 

Angelus picked himself up from the cold stone floor and surveyed the
situation around him. Buffy lay on the floor, a look of pain spread across
her face. Giles and Spike were hanging from their chains looking at him and
Willow hung from her own chains, blood soaking the front of her top.

"About time you bloody woke up," Spike hissed. "Get me out of these chains
*now*."

"I think it's about time you remembered who you are and *who's* you are,"
Angelus replied.

Spike growled. "I need to get to Red before we have to get her a headstone."

Angelus looked at Willow and walked over to her. "This little thing?" He
asked taking her hair in one of his hands and pulling her head up. "You must
be joking."

"*Please* Angelus," Spike replied.

Looking silently at his childe he saw something he wouldn't usually see in
Spike's eyes, need.

"Ok... but we'll talk about this later," he said as he released Spike who
ran straight to Willow and broke her free of the chains. Wrapping her in his
duster Spike pulled her close to his body.

"Willow..." He murmured as he pressed his fingers to her neck, checking for
a pulse. "Fucking hell..." her pulse was fading rapidly beneath his fingers
and he tore at his wrist, pressing his blood to her lips as he begged her to
drink. She soon began to drink from him and as her eyes flickered open and
when she realized what she was doing, she stopped. "Nooo..." she whispered.
"I-I can't."

"You *have* to," he pleaded pressing his wrist back to her lips as her pulse
finally faded. Spike's blood trailed down her throat between her open lips.

Her green eyes looked back at him and she blinked. As her eyes opened up
again, amber replaced the green as the face of a demon replaced the
innocent face of the woman he used to know.

Spike pulled his wrist away as Willow fell asleep. He looked at Giles.
"Curse... now."

++++++++++++++++++++

Willow stirred slightly and listened to the sole heartbeat in the cabin.
Voices floated into the room and the scent of leather, cigarettes and
vanilla attacked her senses. She nuzzled into Spike's duster that she was
still wrapped in and she suddenly stopped. ((Heartbeat???)) She thought.
((Shit... a *heartbeat*? I shouldn't be hearing these things I...)) Someone
passed the room and she shut her eyes quickly, trying to fake sleep.

When she was sure that she was alone again, Willow dared to open her eyes.
((Oh god...)) Her mind replayed her turning and she shook her head as silent
tears fell down her face on to Spike's duster. ((I can't do this...)).

She raised herself silently from her bed, and reached for her journal and
the pen that she always kept under it. Ripping a page from it, she scrawled
a message across the paper and put it on the center of the bed. Then
silently raising the window, she slipped out of the room and into the night.

++++++++++++++++++++

Spike raised himself from the chair he had been occupying by the fireplace
and moved out of the room and towards his childe.

Walking into the room he stopped as he saw the empty bed. Turning around
wildly there was still no sign of Willow. A flash of white caught his eye
and he moved towards the bed. Picking up the piece of paper he frowned as
his eyes traveled across the one word.

"Sorry."

Growling in frustration he screwed the note up in his hand and kicked at the
bed, breaking it up before throwing himself onto the remains as he started
to sob.

++++++++++++++++++++

ICY FLAMES EPILOGUE

Flashes of red. Everywhere.

He saw them everyday in the corner of his eyes. A sudden flash and his head
would spin to the direction it came from. Always something else, *someone*
else. Not who he wanted. Needed. Deserved.

Some days he would blame himself. Thinking that he might at once stage have
been too harsh. Stepped across the line in to some forbidden land. Other
days he would blame her, her for leaving, her for being yet another to break
his heart. And then at that point his head would swirl and the blood in his
body vibrating fiercely around and around and around.

// You don't know what you've got till it's gone. //

Gone, gone, gone forever. As he slowly disappeared in to some far point in
himself. Icy flames spreading from his heart in to every nook and cranny of
his body. Filling himself with unwanted heat and coldness that contrasted
each other and yet worked together to play with his mind, as he saw those
flashes of red.

It was a day like any other. Trying to ignore the happy tones of Angel and
Buffy at the other end of the phone, the happy tones trying to be muffled as
they attempted pathetically to 'cheer him up'. He snorted loudly and slammed
the phone down, grabbing his duster and escaping the looming presence of his
hotel room.

Stairs two at a time. Dull, polished, wood flooring. Demon roaring at the
scent of blood from all the unsuspecting humans around him.

More flashes of red.

Each merging in to another as he tried to identify, tried to make sense of
the world around him and yet as normal he was unsuccessful. When did he
become so unsuccessful? When did life become so complicated?

Willow.

"Willow," he breathed it again but this time it was formed on his pale lips
and made sound.

The flash of red turned towards him. Turned to meet his gaze and red merged
with emerald green and ivory to form a spilling face of emotions.

"Willow," he was standing in front of her, all at once and his face was
buried in her hair, in the crook of her neck. Inhaling the smell that was
purely her, the smell of her blood and the smell of her skin. "Madness." He
whispered against her skin. "All bloody awful madness."

Game face slipping in to play he gently pricked her neck with his fangs
before sinking them in and taking what was his.

++++++++++++++++++++

"Mine," Spike mumbled in his sleep as his tongue lapped at her neck,
covering fresh re-opened wounds.

Willow shuddered against the non-existent breath that he pressed against her
bare neck.

His arms tightened around her as she bit back tears that threatened to spill
and let herself relax as much as the cuts and bruises on her body would
allow her. Turning around so that she now faced him. Willow pressed shaking
fingers over the marks and curves that were part of his face.

"I love you," she mumbled back. Allowing sleep to finally over take her as a
pair of startling blue eyes watched over her as she dreamt of nothing.

++++++++++++++++++++
 

read the sequal 'Beauty And Horror'

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