Sunshine & Shanshu

By: Larilyn

Rating: PG-13

Timeline: Takes place after the Buffy ep "As You Were," and the Angel ep "Loyalty". "Hell's Bells" and "Sleep Tight" and every thing after haven't happened and won't happen in this little fic-verse.

Disclaimer: Buffy belongs to Mutant Enemy and UPN, blah, blah, blah. Angel belongs to Mutant Enemy and the WB, yada, yada, yada. Its Joss's toy box; I'm just raiding it for fun.

Summary: Quick recap in case its been a while since you read the rest of the series. In "Moonlight & Mohra" Spike is made human by a Mohra demon. He runs to LA for help from Angel, Wolfram and Hart brings back Lothos (The Big Bad from the movie) and send Dru to turn Spike back, Spike kills Dru, Buffy kills Lothos, Anya & Xander elope to Vegas, Willow & Tara patch things up, and Spike and Buffy live the love. In "Twilight & Temptation" Spike starts having visions (a nice parting gift from Dru) for the newly paroled Faith. In order to survive the visions, Spike has some of his demon restored. Buffy has a cow. Back in Sunnydale, Buffy releases a genie and inadvertently wishes Spike into a coma and Angel into Angelus. Faith nearly sacrifices her life for Buffy’ s and Tara saves the day. Buffy asks Faith to move into the house on Revello Drive. In "Menorahs & Mistletoe", Anya saves the world from the demon Santa, and Spike pops the question.

Now, its wedding time for Spike and Buffy, unless the end of the world gets in the way.

Classification: S/B, A/C, Wes/Faith

Sunshine & Shanshu part three

The five warriors approached the elephantine demon waiting in the center of the circle of stones.

"This is good," commented Willow. "Stonehenge will empower me. Its a Pagan ancestor witchy kind of thing." The witch confidently strode toward the beast.

"And hey," Cordelia noted, "Five against one. Gotta like those odds."

As if in response to the seer’s comment an energy bubble encased the group, leaving Willow to face Behemoth on her own.

"I can’t bust through!" Faith screamed, slamming her fists against the barrier. "Angel some help?"

Both the vampire and the Slayer accosted the force field with all of their physical strength while Cordy and Dawn watched Willow get pummeled by the giant demon.

"The empowerment thing’s not really working for her," Dawn whimpered.

"Lemme try." Cordy hurled an energy ball at the barrier. It bounced around the inside, nearly hitting and killing all of the occupants before it dissipated. "Okay. Bad idea."

"Dawnie?" Faith asked, "Can you portal us out of here?"

"Yeah, into another dimension. Not a lot of help there."

Angel quietly watched Willow in concern. "We have to help her."

The women stopped worrying about their predicament and focused on their friend’s. Willow was being tossed around like a rag doll. Her magic was ineffective against the Behemoth.

Willow’s eyes began to blacken with supernatural fury.

"I think she’s about to help herself." Faith commented.

Dawn screamed out to her friend, "Willow! No! Not black magic!"

Willow turned toward her friends, still trapped and unable to help her. The black began to fade from her eyes, and she smiled weakly at Dawn. She turned back toward the demon and quietly stated, "I wish you compassion."

A white light began to swirl around Willow. Louder, she said, "I grant you empathy."

The light picked Willow up off of the ground. As she hovered in front of the demon she cried, "I bestow upon you charity."

The demon shook in pain and fear while Willow hurled, "Kindness, mercy, pity, benevolence!"

Then Behemoth exploded, leaving Willow victorious. As the white light gently lowered Willow, covered in demon guts, to the ground, the energy barrier lifted. Faith and Dawn sprinted toward the witch.

As they walked toward the battlefield, Cordelia leaned in to Angel and commented on Willow’s slime covered clothing. "Ew, that’s not gonna come out."

"Maybe with some club soda." He suggested.

"Oh well. Its not like Willow’s all Versace wearing anyway."

The redhead was unfazed by the goo dripping off of her. She giddily informed the others, "I blew him up!"

"We saw." Faith laughed.

"I did it!" Willow said happily.

"Yup you did it." Dawn hugged her friend. "It was way icky but you did it."

To Angel and Cordy, who had finally joined them, she repeated, "I blew him up!"

"That you did." Angel said with a wide smile.

"And I didn’t go all grrr."

"So proud of you." Cordelia acknowledged with a smile, plucking a bit of slime from her hair. "Oh man! I got demon goo on my Jimmy Choos!"

Willow finally looked down at her clothing. "Ew. Not exactly Zest-fully clean am I?"

"Not really a good look for you." Cordy admitted.

"Still," Faith pointed out, "One down."

"You know, since we’re in England anyway…" Dawn began.

"No!" The four older members of the group said in unison.

Angel took the younger girl by the arm and explained, "Dawnie, Buffy & Spike are on their honeymoon. They don’t need to know that we’ re doing the impending apocalypse thing. Lets let them have their romantic getaway."

"I know…. I just…I wonder what they’re doing."

Cordy, Faith and Willow watched as Angel soothed Dawn. Lagging behind, Cordelia asked Faith her theory as to what Buffy and Spike were doing. "Whaddya think? A 9 ½ weeks reenactment?"

"Nah, I’m thinking bondage."

The brunettes turned to Willow for her opinion. She smiled widely at her companions and said, "I blew him up!"

***

"I demand that you untie me!" Buffy’s body snatcher yelled.

Spike smirked wickedly at her and shot back, "Demand all you want, luv."

The ghost of Catherine Howard pouted and whined, "I’ve been tied up for three days. My arms hurt and my legs are sore, and you only let me up to use the lavatory."

"And you should be grateful that I let you do that. You ruined my trip, stole my wife’s body and then ran away."

"You’re a monster," she spat.

"And you’re a ghost. People that live in glass houses, luv."

A knock on the door saved Spike from Catherine’s fury. Spike opened it to reveal a thin college-age boy in a Yankees cap. "Hey. Mr. Giles sent me."

"Are you the psychic?" Spike asked.

"Yup."

"American?"

"Yeah. Moved to London cuz I couldn’t make a decent living in the States without faking a Jamaican accent. I’m bad at accents, man. Plus, dude, do I look Jamaican to you? This our ghost?" He asked, indicating Catherine.

"Yeah, she hijacked my wife."

"Oh man. That sucks. What do you say we get her spectral ass out of there?"

***

"Well…I don’t know what to tell you, William." Jack the psychic apologized. "She just doesn’t want to leave. But, hey, you got to meet Henry the Eighth. That’ s something to write home about."

"I thought she wanted his forgiveness. I thought that’s the whole reason she’s still stuck on this plane. He forgave her…" He turned to the gloating ghost in Buffy’s body, " So why the hell are you still in my wife? You run down the corridor of Hampton Court, begging Henry’s forgiveness. You got your bloody forgiveness. So get out! Get out! Get out!"

"Man, I don’t think throwing a temper tantrum is gonna do it."

Spike spun back towards Jack. "I want her out!"

"I get that. We just need to bone up on our British history is all. Get the goods on her and get her out."

"Good luck," sneered Catherine.

***

"Dawnie pick up your feet! Demons to kill!" Faith skipped ahead of her companions, happy to be temporarily out of airplanes, airports and taxicabs.

"Does she have to be so…perky? Its creepy." Cordy complained, trailing way behind the others with Dawn at her side. "And what’s she all adrenalized for? She’ s probably just gonna get her ass trapped in a bubble with the rest of you while I get the hell beat out of me. And look at this place…we don’t even get to enjoy the fact that we’re on Easter Island and it’ s all cool, because we have to battle these damned demons at night. I mean good for Angel but the rest of us aren’t getting any sun."

Willow turned back and waved at Dawn and Cordelia to hurry and catch up. Cordy threw her a dirty look. "Look at her. ‘Miss My Battle’s Done and I Blew Him Up!’ Damned perky bitch. She’ s as bad as the other one."

Dawn regarded Cordelia thoughtfully and asked, "You’re still pissed about your shoes aren’t you?"

"Totally." The seer admitted.

"Don’t worry, you’ll be back in LA before you know it and you can get new shoes." Dawn consoled. "And don’t worry about the battle. You have to win. Cause if you die we won’t know where to meet the other demons and the world will end." Dawn paused, registering what had come out of her mouth. "I really meant that to be inspiring."

"You failed."

Willow skipped back to join Dawn and Cordelia. "Isn’t Easter Island beautiful? Don’t you feel…?" Willow stopped, looking for the right word.

"Empowered?" Cordy grumbled.

"Yeah. Don’t you?"

"No." Cordelia stalked ahead to meet Abaddon, the demon God of War.

Willow looked at Dawn with a ‘what did I say’ look. Dawn shrugged and said, "She’s a little grumpy that we didn’t have time to shop in London. There was a shoe store or something."

"That poor demon…he’s gonna get a major league ass kicking. She lives for shoes."

***

"Uh…" Cordy yelled back at her trapped companions. "This is not working!" She tossed another energy ball at Abaddon, who grew bigger with each strike. "He’ s getting stronger!"

Faith began, "Its like he’s feeding off of…"

Angel interrupted, "Cordelia, do the other thing."

"What other thing!"

"The glowy thing!"

"I have to get close to him to do the glowy thing."

"Just trust me."

Cordelia approached the demon and grabbed his arm. With her touch, she released all of his anger. Without it, he melted away and the bubble lifted, releasing its occupants.

Breathless and exhausted from the exertion, Cordelia commented, "We’re like the Gandhi squad."

***

"Thomas Culpepper." Giles told Spike over the phone.

"Who?"

Giles sighed in irritation, "For crying out loud, William, you’re British. Don’t you know your history? After all, you were a scholar once upon a time."

"Yeah, well, unless it was poetry or literature, I didn’t give it much attention. Ask me about Keats, I can talk for centuries."

"Thomas Culpepper was Catherine Howard’s lover. He was executed because of his dalliance with the queen. I never should have left you and an American to figure this out."

***

"Now that was cool," Jack the Psychic said. "I wish you could have seen it man, I called on Culpepper and wham he was in your body like whoosh . Totally cool. Good thing you guys are married, cuz the things those ghosties had you two doing…wooo eeee. Sexy stuff."

Spike sighed in exhaustion, collapsed in the chair. He glanced over at his sleeping wife. "So Buffy’s… Buffy again?"

"Looks like it. There was this nifty misty thing that came out of her. She’s probably gonna be real happy when she wakes up. You know, having her body back again. Still, must have been an amazing experience. She’s so lucky. And hey, you guys did a good; releasing her spirit and reuniting lost lovers. Its like you’re blessed now."

***

"Its like I’m cursed!" Buffy ranted.

"Calm down, luv."

"Calm down?! There was someone in my body…again! I was violated…again! Tell the truth, do I have a flashing neon vacancy sign over my head?"

Spike pulled Buffy down into his lap, partly to calm her and partly to keep her still. Her back and forth pacing was giving him a blistering headache. " Truth be told, luv. I felt kind of sorry for her. She was kept from her true love. Forced to marry a man she found repulsive."

"She ruined my honeymoon." Buffy pouted. "I’m fresh out of sorry for her."

"I wouldn’t say ruined. We’ve still got time. And we could always stay a few extra days."

"What about the big sucking hell mouth?"

"I’m sure everything’s under control."

***

"Uh…help?" Tara choked as the vampire help her by the throat, baring his teeth and preparing to bite her.

Anya thunked him on the head with a rock. He turned and snarled at her, and still held Tara in his grip. "That was surprisingly ineffectual. Sorry Tara."

"Anya!" At the sound of Fred’s voice, Anya turned to catch the stake that was being tossed to her. "Thank you Fred. This will be much more effective."

"Just…" Tara gasped. "do…it."

Anya drove the stake into the vampire’s back and he disintegrated. Tara coughed and sputtered while Fred and Anya helped her to her feet. "Next time, remind me not to partner up with you guys."

"Why not?" Anya asked, offended. "We did very well. We got two vampires. I’m sure we did better than the Watchers."

"Speak of the devils." Fred nodded toward the approaching Brits.

Bragging, Anya yelled out, "We got two vampires. How’d you do?"

"Just one." Giles admitted.

Gunn & Xander came out from the shadows to join their compatriots. "Two vamps." Gunn informed the group. "And one nasty Fyarl demon."

"But hey, just doing our part to keep Sunnydale safe while the Slayers are away." To Anya, he said quietly, "Next time, I’m working with you guys."

"Screw that." Anya whispered back, "Next time, I’m staying with Lorne and the baby."

"Hey!" Gunn protested, "I only hesitated for a second."

"He was a vampire." Xander enlightened him.

"He was also the only black man I’ve seen in this town."

Fred nodded as her arm slid around Gunn’s waist. "Solidarity."

"Damned right, baby."

Tara looked at Giles and begged, "Buffy’s coming home soon, right?"

***

"Oh and I wanna see the place where the Beatles shot that album cover and the changing of the guard at Buckingham palace."

"I’m glad you’re feeling better, Goldilocks." Spike smiled and wrapped his arms around Buffy’s waist.

She turned in his arms and kissed him softly. "You want to be touristy, then I wanna be touristy. Just no more haunted castles, okay?"

"We could just stay here, make love all afternoon, have dinner in…. wait a minute. Why are you so eager to please all the sudden?"

"Relax, its still me." Buffy leaned in for another kiss and whispered against his lips, "Thank you."

"For what, luv?"

"For knowing. For realizing that I wasn’t me anymore. For not…you know…with her."

"Can’t fool me. I know my girl. Wouldn’t want anyone else."

"You know, I’m thinking that your staying-in idea, is a good idea."

***

"Its hot." Dawn complained as they trudged through the rainforest. "And sticky. And I’m getting chewed alive by mosquitoes."

Cordelia nodded. "Ditto, ditto and ditto."

"I don’t see why we all have to go. We’re just gonna get bubbled." Willow added while the group followed the witch’s Tinkerbell light to the Mayan ruins in Cordy’s vision.

"Look on the bright side," shot Faith, "Maybe the mosquitoes won’t be able to get you in the bubble. And hey, don’t worry about me, I’m sure I’ ll be fine against the big Disease Demon."

"Guys, knock it off." Angel scolded.

Cordelia smirked at Willow and then chirped, "Are we there yet?"

"No." Angel said.

A few steps later, Willow asked, "Are we there yet?"

"No."

Dawn waited a few minutes before she added, "Are we there yet?"

Angel turned to the women in annoyance. "You guys!"

Faith whispered, "We’re here." She parted the foliage to reveal a clearing, and in the center of it, Merihim, Demon God of Pestilence.

***

"Something’s wrong." Buffy whispered to Spike, as they lay cuddled in bed.

Spike glanced around the room, looking for some unseen evil. "Buffy?"

"Something isn’t right. I can feel it."

"Something here?"

Buffy concentrated on her feelings. "No… something with…"

Spike was hit with a blinding vision. Faith, facing a demon. A spectral hand wrenching her powers away. "Faith!"

***

"Faith!!" Angel shot forward as soon as the bubble lifted. The other women were close at her heels.

The dark Slayer lay on the ground. Sweat glistened on her forehead and soaked her chestnut tendrils.

In shock, Dawn mumbled, "I can’t believe she lost."

"She’s burning up!" Angel yelled in desperation. "We have to get her to a hospital!"

Cordelia reminded him quietly, "We’re miles away from any hospital."

"I’ll try magic," Willow offered. "If you think it’ll help."

Faith shuddered violently in Angel’s embrace, "Emma…. Dawn…not mine."

Angel carried her through the forest to their rental car. All the while, Faith muttered to herself.

Dawn asked quietly, "I wonder what she’s dreaming about."

***

***

***

"Angel?" Dawn asked with concern. "Is she going to be okay?"

The group of friends huddled in the dingy hotel room. Cordelia held a cool rag to Faith’s forehead as the Slayer thrashed in her delirium.

"I don’t know Dawnie." He answered.

Willow put a comforting arm around Dawn’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze. "She’ll be okay. She’s a Slayer."

***

"What do you mean ‘she’s not a Slayer’?"

"I mean:" Spike explained patiently, "She’s lost her abilities somehow. Someone took them from her."

Buffy paced their hotel room in London. "But that’s nuts. She can’t just lose her powers. Who could…?" Spike watched as his wife’ s face changed from one of disbelief to one of pure fury. "Those….oooh, I’m gonna kill ‘em."

"Who?"

"I lost my powers once. Because of the Watcher’s Council…Damn!" With the last word, Buffy fiercely kicked the desk in their room. Then she descended to the floor, "Ow, ow, ow, ow."

"What is it luv?" Spike knelt by her side.

"That…hurt. That shouldn’t have hurt. Why did that hurt?"

"Maybe Faith’s not the only one whose lost her powers." He speculated.

Buffy’s face fell in astonishment. In a harsh whisper she demanded, "Call Giles. He’ll know what to do. He may already know since he’s in Sunnydale with her."

Spike averted his eyes and bit his lip.

Buffy searched her husband’s face. "Why do I have a feeling there’s more that you’re not telling me?"

"Well…."

"William!"

"Faith’s not in Sunnydale."

***

***

***

"How is she?" Cordelia asked.

She sat on a log, outside their hovel in the jungle. Angel sat down beside her. "She’s still pretty bad. Willow’s watching after her."

"We are such idiots. How could we…How could we be so cavalier about all this?"

"When you face apocalypse after apocalypse…" He reasoned.

"Angel, Faith could die. And none of us can do anything about it. And I was complaining about my shoes getting ruined."

Angel placed his arm around Cordy’s shoulder. "And you think that makes you a bad person?"

"I think that makes me a horrible person. What if she dies Angel? What do we tell the others? Oops? Sorry?"

"She’s not going to die."

***

"There will be death. Lots of bloody death. With bloody bits and parts that are icky and yuckiness."

"Buffy, calm down." Spike and Buffy sat in a very posh waiting room at the Watcher’s Council.

She plopped down in the chair next to Spike and crossed her arms in defeat. "I’m calm." She stayed that way for a few seconds and then hopped up again to resume her pacing. "I’m gonna kill ‘em. All of ‘em in their tweed with their accents… ‘oooh I’m British, I’m all superior’."

"Hey now. I’m British."

Buffy glared at him.

"Besides, luv, we don’t know for sure that…"

"Oh I know for sure. Heads are gonna roll."

A young woman in a tweed suit and glasses poked her head in the waiting room and announced, "Mr. Travers will see you now."

As soon as Buffy saw the head of the Watcher’s Council she started ranting, "You! I should k…"

Spike’s hand shot over Buffy’s mouth. He finished for her, "Kiss you! She should kiss you for seeing us so soon." He hissed into his wife’ s ear before releasing her, "Calm down or he won’t help us, luv." He turned his attention back to Quentin Travers and explained, "We have a little problem."

"Yes." Travers said in his upper class British accent. He leaned back in his leather chair that sat behind an impressive mahogany desk. " Miss Summers no longer has the abilities of the Slayer."

"Faith’s are gone too." Spike informed him.

"I know."

Buffy asked in a saccharine voice, "Did you do it?"

"It is the opinion of the Watcher’s council that you and Faith have misused your powers."

"What???" Buffy nearly shot out of her chair, but Spike pushed her back down with one hand. "I’ve saved the world…lots."

"And now, you’re charging money to slay vampires." He picked up a business card and read off it. " Angel Investigations Incorporated. Sunnydale Branch. This would be yours, correct?"

Buffy insisted, "We help people."

"For profit." He sneered.

"Well we don’t exactly get a big paycheck from the Watcher’s Council do we? How much do you make Mr. Travers?"

"That, my dear, is not the issue." He kept his face completely expressionless, "The fact is: a new Slayer has been chosen to take your place, and Faith’ s. You are no longer our concern. Good day."

***

"Wes, this is bad." Spike told his friend over the phone.

"Buffy is a bit miffed, I’m sure."

"Well yeah, but that’s not the problem. Its Faith."

Spike heard Wesley inhale sharply. "Has she lost her abilities as well?"

"Yeah. And I had a vision…she’s not well off. I need to know what’s going on if I’m going to be able to help her."

Wesley told Spike the whole story. The prophecies. The Four Horseman. Everything. "Cordelia and Willow were successful, but we’ve heard nothing from them for days. I imagine that they’re deep in the jungle and unable to communicate with us."

"Wesley, Faith is dying. Without her Slayer strength…."

"Please don’t finish that thought. I’ll help her. We’ll…We’ll think of something."

***

The group in Sunnydale sat around the Magic Box working on the plan to save Faith and restore her and Buffy’s powers.

"Can you do it?" Wesley asked Fred.

"Piece of cake. If I can hack into Wolfram & Hart, I can hack into anything."

Wes gently asked Sunnydale’s resident witch. "Tara?"

Nervously, she replied, "I… I think so."

"I can’t believe we’re going to do this." Mumbled Giles.

"Oh come on!" Xander said enthusiastically. "It’ll be cool!"

"Nervous about breaking the rules, Rupert?" Wesley smirked. "I remember a time…"

"Oh shut up you pillock. I got my job back less than a year ago."

"Yeah but…you went back to England. And before that, Buffy was dead." Anya said. "You’ve been getting paid for sitting on your ass and doing nothing." She smiled at him with pride. "That’s very enterprising of you."

"I guess that means your springing for the super spy gear." Gunn said.

***

Spike smiled widely at Buffy, "You look so cute in your ninja wear Goldilocks."

"Its the spy gear." She insisted as they hid in the alley behind the Watcher’s Council.

Spike asked into the microphone that connected them to the speaker phone in the Magic Box, "How’s it going Freddie?"

"I’m almost there." She promised through his earpiece. "Okay, security has been disabled."

Spike and Buffy climbed the fire escape and pried open a second story window, climbing in, Buffy relayed, "We’re inside."

"You still with me String Bean?"

"All the way William. You’re in the conference room, right?"

"Looks like it." Spike confirmed.

"Okay, down the hall to your left. The stairwell is at the end of the hall."

Buffy and Spike followed Fred’s instructions up to the fifth floor.

"There’s an unlabeled room on the plans. That’s probably where they keep the magic stuff."

"Yes," Giles confirmed. "That’s what I remember."

"Okay," Buffy said. "We’re here. What are we looking for?"

"An orb." Wes informed them. "Similar in size to the orb of Thesulah, but blue."

"Got it." Spike lifted the blue crystal sphere from its base. "You’re on Glinda."

"I…I…wrote the spell. B…but I’m not sure that it’ll work. I usually j…just do spells from books."

"Tara, don’t be nervous. If it doesn’t work, we’ll try something else, okay?"

"Okay Buffy. Are you r…ready, William?"

"As ready as I’ll ever be."

Tara lit the candles around her on the floor of the magic shop and then closed her eyes and concentrated while the others looked on.

"Spirit of the First Slayer

Through my vessel

I command you

release your power

to your daughters.

I command you:

Spirits of the Slayers Rise!"

Xander smiled in appreciation, "Magic brought to you by AT&T"

Giles gave him a look of annoyance.

"William?" Fred asked over the speaker, "Are you okay? Did it work?"

"Uh," Buffy said, "Spike can’t come to the phone right now, he’s busy glowing."

"Its working." Wesley whispered.

Blue lights shot out from the orb in Spike’s hands. One shot into Buffy and a hundred or so more scattered to parts unknown.

"Slayer?" Spike asked his wife.

She nodded. "It worked, I’m back."

"Good." Giles said over the speaker phone. "Now get out of there."

***

"Wesley." Mumbled Faith.

"I think she’s coming to." Cordelia observed.

"Wesley?"

Angel looked down on his friend. "Faith?"

Her eyes opened slowly. "Angel? Cordelia?"

Cordelia’s soft brown eyes gazed warmly down at her. "We’ve been worried about you."

***

"I’m gonna miss London," Spike pouted as he packed his bag.

"Sure…you’ll miss London, you weren’t body snatched and…and power snatched."

"Poor Buffy." He kissed the top of her head. "You feel so left out that they started an apocalypse without you."

"I so do not. Bout time somebody else did all the apocalyps-ing."

"Even if that someone is Dawnie?"

"Okay, I’ll admit, I’m a tad worried. But Angel’s with her…"

Spike rolled his eyes dramatically.

"I saw that." She warned. A furious knocking on their hotel door stopped Buffy from another ‘Stop Being Jealous of Angel’ lecture.

She opened it to reveal a very annoyed looking Quentin Travers. "Oh honey look, its the bane of my existence."

He stormed passed her and yelled, "Do you fools have any idea what you’ve done?"

Buffy as much as admitted to the breaking and entering. "Made me all Slayer-y?"

"You’ve released the spirit of the first Slayer." Spike and Buffy looked at him blankly. "Every potential in the world now has the power of the Slayer. There are over a hundred."

Buffy smiled widely, "Get out. Really?"

Travers huffed and puffed in annoyance.

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Spike smirked. "More Slayers mean more dusted vampires."

"There has always been one." Travers explained, "This flies in the face of centuries of tradition."

Buffy quipped, "You’re just afraid we’re gonna unionize." Her eyes widened, "Ooooh, we could unionize!"

"Miss Summers…."

"No. I get it. Its always been one. One scared little girl against all of you, tweed wearing, accent wielding Watchers. Well things have changed. Now you people can answer to us. I want a Watcher assigned to every Slayer, to guide her, not boss her around. And if she doesn’t want to do it, she doesn’ t have to. But if she does: she gets paid."

Spike added, "You might have to take a pay cut."

"We’ll have more demands later." As she pushed him out the door, she added, "And by the way…its Mrs. Smith."

She slammed the door with a flourish.

Spike asked, "I thought you weren’t changing your name."

"I’m not. It was just for dramatic purposes."

"Big talk…" he said, referring to Buffy’s demands on the Council.

"Yeah. Unfortunately , all he has to do is use that orb."

Spike looked sheepish as he produced the blue orb from his duffel bag.

"You stole it?"

"Well…he’s a bad guy."

"Not technically."

"Picture it on our coffee table, luv."

Buffy smiled at her husband and re-packed the orb.

***

Willow glanced out the hotel’s window. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

Cordy, lounging on the bed, said, "I saw a big arch. Any other ideas where to find a big arch?"

"Its just…St. Louis…isn’t very…"

"Empowering?" Cordelia supplied.

"I was going to say mystical, but yeah."

Unable to come up with a retort, Cordy asked, "Why are you in my room?"

"Faith kicked me out. She’s talking to Wesley."

"That’s so cute." Dawn piped in. "She’s like all school girl crush-y. And I should know. I’m a school girl type person."

Angel poked his head in through the door that joined his room to Dawn & Cordelia’s. "Knock knock. All settled in?"

"Yeah, we’re good." Cordy narrowed her eyes at Willow and added, "Except for someone questioning the accuracy of my visions."

"Not questioning. Just….okay I was questioning."

Faith let herself in to the room. "Hey, just got off the phone with Wesley.

Dawn teased, "Did you tell him you were dreaming of him when you were all delirious?"

"How do you know what I dreamed about?"

Angel supplied, "You moaned his name. A lot."

Willow couldn’t help but add to the teasing, "So what were you doing in your dream, Faith?"

"Do you people want to hear the news from Sunny D or not?" She glanced around at her friends, daring them to continue their teasing. " Buffy & Wills are home. Giles is on his way to London and everyone’s in LA that’s supposed to be in LA."

"Very exciting." Cordelia said dryly, "So about you and Wesley…."

"I’m not finished. Tara & Spike did a spell that created over a hundred Slayers."

The entire group was too stunned to speak, except Angel, who exhaled, "Huh."

There was a gentle rap on the door. Cordelia opened it. The balding, be-speckled man at the hotel door inquired, "Hi. I’m looking for Dawn Summers."

Dawn raised her hand like she was in school.

He entered the room with his hand extended to shake hers. "Hi. I’m Death."

"Death?" she squeaked.

Willow looked him up and down. He was wearing a cheap three piece suit. "You’re Death?"

"You were expecting Brad Pitt?"

The witch shook her head, but continued to regard him thoughtfully.

Cordelia offered, "Can I get you something from the mini bar?"

"Do you have any cheese? I like cheese."

Willow blurted, "Oh! Oh! Um! Guys its…" As she glanced around the room she realized no one there would recognize him, she wailed, "None of you were there!"

But Death looked at Willow and scolded, "I do hope you learned your lesson about messing with the primal forces Ms. Rosenberg. You are lucky that the first Slayer didn’ t kill the four of you." With a smile and a shrug he changed gears and magically produced a chessboard on the bedside table. "Chess okay?"

Dawn stammered, "I…I don’t know how to play."

" Okey dokey. You can choose another game. Whatever you want. Except Twister. Ever since that stupid Bill & Ted movie came out, everyone wants to play Twister with Death. Like its some big gag. I have a bad back. So? What do you want to play?"

"Um. How about Super Mario Brothers?"

"The original Nintendo version with the crappy graphics? Can do." A TV appeared from nowhere, with the game hooked up. He chirped, "I get to be Luigi."

***

The gang watched as Luigi fell into the lava.

"I won!" Dawn stood up and did a little dance. "I rescued the Princess, and your ass is frying in lava."

"Yup." Death snapped and the TV disappeared. "I’ve been defeated."

"That’s it?" Cordelia asked, "You’ve been defeated?"

"Yeah. You look disappointed."

Angel explained for his seer, "Our other battles were a bit…"

"Flashier? Not surprised. They’re all show-offs. Especially War. What a mook." Death smiled at Dawn, "You did good, kid."

"Thanks. You know, you’re awfully nice for an evil demon."

Angel quietly told her, "Death isn’t evil, Dawnie. It just is."

Death asked, "Haven’t you ever heard the expression ‘sweet death’? I’m sweet."

"The last guy we faced named Sweet almost had to make Xander his queen." Dawn informed him.

Death visibly shuddered, "On that note, its been a pleasure. Good luck saving the world."

***

"You’ve got to be kidding me!" Buffy exclaimed into the phone. "A Slayer had a baby?"

"Yes." Giles said, "In the mid-eighteen hundreds. You must remember that in those days girls of sixteen were often married with children."

"But she lost her powers?"

"Yes. To her daughter. The Council stripped the child of the abilities of the Slayer, of course, and a more suitable replacement was chosen, but the point is…"

"My kid will be a Slayer."

"If you and Spike decide to have a family, yes, your first born daughter will inherit your abilities and you will lose them."

"I was worried that when we released the First Slayer’s power that it would be like an un-renewable resource."

"Worry no more. When you or Faith or any of the other girls have a daughter, you will pass on your gift. As long as women have babies, there will be Slayers."

"That’s a relief…kind of…"

"Have you heard from Dawn?"

"Yeah. They’re on their way to Egypt."

"Egypt?"

"Makes more sense than St. Louis."

"I suppose. And everything there is…?"

"Fine. Tara’s staying in Faith’s room. She says the apartment is too lonely without Willow. And now that Angel’s little troupe has gone back to LA…"

"Its a bit quiet around there, I’m sure."

"Yeah. It is. But not bad quiet. Just quiet." Buffy added, "But you should see our new objet d’art on the coffee table."

***

"Someday," Angel said to his seer, "I’d love to see the Great Pyramids in daylight."

"Maybe soon you’ll get your chance" She replied. Her hand was on his arm as they approached what was to be their final battle. "Big apocalypse prevention means big Shanshu possibilities."

As the five friends got closer to the battlefield, they realized that there were four opponents facing them. Abaddon, Merihim, Behemoth and a woman, presumably the devil, or someone who fancied herself such.

"Hey! I thought we beat those guys!" Dawn complained.

"You can’t. Not permanently." A voice from behind them said. It was Death. "War, famine, disease, death. They’ re all part of humanity. All you can do is beat them back with your gifts: love, charity, knowledge, and lust for life. The real trick is the big guy, er gal. Concentrate on her, and the others will fall."

"Why are you helping us?" Willow asked. "Aren’t you on their side?"

"Please, do you have any idea what an apocalypse will do to my workload? I’ll just be over here." He gestured to a dune.

"Lets do this." Faith said to the others. "I owe Merihim a big league ass kicking. Slayer style."

"Wait," Willow said. "Lets think this out strategically."

"To hell with strategy. I want to pummel something."

"Willow’s right." Angel said to Faith. "Lets concentrate on taking one out at a time."

"It takes too long to vanquish them." Cordy complained, "So, lets just get them out of the way so Angel can kick some devil butt."

"Leave that to me." Dawn piped up. "I’ll open a portal, if you guys herd them into it…"

"They’ll be out of the way then." Faith said. "Okay Cordy & I can be the sheep dogs. Willow…"

"I’ll help Angel."

"Be careful." The vampire told them all.

***

"Big elephant demon, coming at me!" Willow yelled, while still concentrating on keeping a shield on Angel. It helped to dissipate Satan girl’ s blows, but Willow was unprotected.

"Hey ugly!" Cordy yelled, bouncing an energy ball off of the back of Behemoth’s head. The demon turned toward the seer, snarling. "That’ s right elephant boy, come get me."

All of the demons except the one Angel was facing were now headed toward Faith & Cordelia. They were headed right into the trap. Dawn waited to open the portal to send the beasts into another dimension.

Dawn opened the portal as soon as the demons came close to her. Wind whipped sand into painful storms. "Hurry up! I can’t hold it forever."

Faith drop kicked Abaddon close to the portal, where he was sucked in. Cordelia hurled energy balls at Behemoth until he backed himself into the portal as well.

Faith went for the Demon Prince of Pestilence but Cordy reminded her, "Don’t get close to him! If he touches you…"

"Right. Fever. Illness. Weird ass dreams. Gotcha."

Cordy threw energy balls at him, but he lunged for Faith. Stepping out of the way, she inadvertently got too close to the portal. She screamed in terror, fearing that she would be sucked in as well. But a magical lasso yanked her from danger.

"Thank you Willow." Faith muttered in relief. She glanced up to see Cordy & the Witch herd Merihim into the portal.

With the command, "Strictum," Dawn closed the dimensional doorway.

Cordy dusted the sand that had cycloned around them off of her clothes, "Nothing like a good sandblasting to clear up your complexion."

"I have to get back to Angel." Willow said as she dashed back to the vampire. The other three were close on her heels.

Angel and the female demon appeared equally matched blow for blow.

"Hand to hand." Faith muttered. "Gotta love the old school."

The female demon began to recite something in Latin. "And magic," Willow added. "Old old school."

Angel flew magically through the air, landing on his back with a grunt. Dawn & Cordy raced to his side, while Willow and Faith took on the demon.

"Slayer," she hissed. "I have something for you." With a chant, Faith found herself wrapped tight in golden ropes.

A flurry of white lights surrounded Willow as she chanted;

"Dark demon from below

evil winds that blow

This white witch dictates

that love will conquer hate…"

Willow continued chanting as the demon laughed, "A white witch? How would you like some black magic?"

Magical energy impaled Willow. Her eyes grew black. Her hair turned black as well. The witch collapsed to the ground in agony.

Dawn left Angel’s side to attend her friend. "Willow? Fight it!"

"Dawnie, it hurts."

Dawn held Willow tight.

Faith struggled with her ropes.

The demon turned back toward Angel, who was back on his feet, and Cordelia. "Vampire! I have just the thing for you." A wooden stake flew through the air at supernatural speed.

Cordelia screamed and stepped in front of Angel. The stake buried itself in her chest. Angel caught her before she collapsed to the ground. His scream filled the night sky. He didn’ t notice that the demon had disappeared with an agonizing scream.

Faith’s ropes disappeared and she rushed to her fallen comrade.

Dawn watched with relief as Willow returned to normal. "Where’d she go?" Willow asked weakly.

"Sacrifice." The voice of Death explained. He watched with his hands in his pockets as Dawn helped Willow unsteadily to her feet. "That’ s what vanquished her. Your friend’s sacrifice."

He gestured toward where Cordelia lay dying. Willow gasped and Dawn began to cry. They hurried to her, unsure of what they could do, but needing to be there.

Faith was trying to stop the bleeding while Angel rocked his mortally wounded seer. He looked up to see Death hovering over them. "You can’t have her!" Angel sobbed. "I won’t let you take her."

"Its not her that I’m here for." He extended his hand to Angel. Understanding, the vampire took it, and the two men blinked away.

Cordelia’s wound healed magically. She gasped and coughed and began to breathe again.

***

One week later

"So Abaddon, he…"

"Babe," Faith interrupted with a kiss. "I couldn’t be less in the mood for shop talk."

"Sorry," Wesley apologized meekly, "Its just that you have yet to tell me everything that happened on your travels."

"I will." She promised. "But right now its just too…"

"I know." He kissed her on top of the head and Faith snuggled deeper into his embrace.

"I am so glad I decided to hang in LA for a while."

"So am I." He concurred. "But I’ve never stayed in bed until noon before. And I’ve done it every day this week. You’re becoming a bad influence."

"What can I say? I’m a bad girl."

"Or a very good girl, depending on your point of view."

"Naughty." She teased. With a shift in her tone she asked, "Should we check on Cordelia?"

"Fred said she’d head over there this morning. And she has Phantom Dennis." He paused, "It’ll take time."

"Teaches you not to take things for granted. I mean, how do you get over that?"

"I don’t know my dear." Wesley traced patterns on her naked shoulder.

"Talked to Wills last night. Buffy’s a wreck. Dawn’s having nightmares."

"Are you sure that you don’t want to go home? I could drive you."

"No." Faith insisted. "I just want to stay here. Wrap myself up in lots of blankets and forget the whole thing ever happened. And don’ t tell me that its not healthy because I don’t care if it is or not."

"I think, for now, its a reasonable way of coping. And when you’re ready to talk about it…"

"I almost died." She quietly interrupted. "In the jungle. Merihim nearly killed me."

"I know." He whispered.

"I had the strangest dream. Totally Wizard of Oz." She looked up into her new lover’s face and kissed him tenderly. "Remind me to tell you about it someday."

***

"Cordelia? Can I get you anything else?" The little Texan asked gently.

Cordelia was curled up on her couch under a quilt. Phantom Dennis poured her a cup of tea. "No thanks Fred. I just want to be left alone."

"Are you sure? Cuz I could…"

Gunn took his girlfriend’s elbow and herded her toward the door. "Fred…lets just…"

"You have my cell phone number and the number at the hotel and Wesley’s number right?"

Cordy impatiently promised, "Yes Fred. For the thousandth time. I’ll be fine."

Fred nodded. Gunn perched his arm around her shoulder and led her out. As soon as they were outside Fred asked, "Are you sure we should leave her alone?"

"Yes, baby. She’s grieving. She needs some alone time."

Fred stared stoically ahead. "Angel’s really gone. Isn’t he?"

"Yeah baby. He’s really gone." Tears pooled in her eyes. Gunn held her tight. "That’s why you’ ve gone all Nazi Nursemaid on Cordy. Without something to do, you have to think about it."

Fred sobbed against Gunn’s chest.

***

"Damn it!" Buffy yelled as she dropped another dish.

Strong arms snaked around her waist. "You all right, luv?"

"My hands are all slippery. And its just not right, things slipping. They slip away and then they’re broken and gone and…" Buffy’s voice hitched in her throat. "Dead."

"C’mere Goldilocks." Spike turned her in his arms and held her.

"Its not fair. He was supposed to outlive all of us."

"I know, pet."

Buffy stepped back out of his grip. "I’m sorry." She wiped her tears away with her sleeve. She practically whispered, "Better now. How’s Dawn?"

"Asleep." He promised.

"No bad dreams?" She asked, her voice still choking back tears.

"Not so far. None last night. She’s doing better."

"I was going to take her to a shrink…but how do I explain what happened? Gee Doctor, she’s suffering a little post traumatic stress from the failed apocalypse."

"Called the Watcher’s Council," He promised. "They’re sending someone out to talk to her."

"They were willing to help? Even after everything we did?"

Spike smiled a little. "They’re currently undergoing a change in management. Travers got axed."

Buffy’s grief wouldn’t even allow her a small amount of joy at the news. She just nodded.

Spike enfolded her back into his embrace. "I’m gonna miss him too, luv."

***

Cordelia sobbed brutally as she spoke, "I miss him so much! He changed me. Made me a better person. A person that I didn’t even know I wanted to be."

Dennis handed her a Kleenex.

"I would’ve died for him, Dennis. And they wouldn’t let me. They stole that from me and you know what?" She screamed to the ceiling. " The Powers That Be can kiss my ass!"

"Not a nice thing to say."

Cordelia looked up. "Oh great, now I’m going crazy!"

Angel looked confused as he stood in the doorway to her bedroom. "You’re not going crazy."

"I am! I’m hallucinating!"

Softly, he spoke as he approached her bedside. "You’re not hallucinating." Angel reached out and touched her face.

"But…but…I saw Death take you."

"I was already dead." He reminded her. "So Death took my death back."

"You’re…?" Cordy placed her hand on his chest and felt within the unmistakable rhythm of a beating heart.

"Alive. Human."

"You did it." She gasped. "You Shanshued."

Angel shook his head and sat down on her bed. "We did it."

"Wait a minute." Cordy looked at him thoughtfully and asked, "If you Shanshued a week ago: Where the hell have you been?!"

***

"Shopping with Death?" Xander asked incredulously.

The others assembled at the Magic Box listened to Faith’s report from LA.

"Yeah. Apparently the cheese head decided that the oh-so-eighties suits were not a good look for him."

Anya asked curiously, "So what did Angel pick out for him?"

"Mostly leather."

"You saw him?" Buffy asked, still not believing.

"Death?"

Exasperated, Buffy told the other Slayer, "Angel."

"Yes. I saw him. He’s alive. I mean really alive."

"That’s great news!" Anya said a little too enthusiastically. "Now tell them our great news Xander."

"Ahn…"

"You said that when everyone was grieving over Angel it wasn’t a good time. But no one’s grieving for Angel now because he’s alive so we can tell them." She didn’t wait for a response from Xander. "I’m pregnant."

Dawn Willow and Tara gathered around Xander & Anya, the giggles and twitter were indecipherable.

Faith smiled at Buffy & Spike. "I kinda have news too."

"You’re going back to LA." Spike speculated. "To stay."

"Not to stay. Not yet. But weekends…" She shrugged. "Weird shit happens on the Hell Mouth."

"I’m happy for you guys." Buffy said sincerely. "And we have news too."

Faith exclaimed loudly, "You’re pregnant!"

"Buffy!" Willow screeched with joy.

Anya muttered under her breath, "Oh great. Steal my thunder."

"I am not pregnant!" Buffy protested. "The news is about Giles."

"Oh good!" Anya exclaimed, "Yeah Giles!"

"Ahn, honey, Buffy hasn’t told us the news yet."

Buffy grinned widely, "Guess who has been made the new head of the Watcher’s Council?"

"That’s…that’s great." Tara said. "He’ll be able to help all those new Slayers."

"Its like a fairy tale." Dawn said. "Everyone’s all happily ever after-ed. Except me. Who can’t date, because I have an overprotective brother-in-law. And a sister who is perpetually bringing her demon-related work home with her. And I’ll never meet anybody because I’ m hanging around with witches and ex-demons and lesbians all the time. My life… sucks." She paused thoughtfully, "Do you think Lorne likes younger women?"

End of Part Three,

End of Story,

End of Series.

Thank the Powers That Be!