Nights Like These: Part 5
by Rebecca Carefoot
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the buffyverse. Sometimes I steal them like I am doing now but I always return them as good as new. And I never make any money off them. (That would make me a pimp if I did wouldn't it?) They belong to the nice people at Fox, the WB and of course to Joss Whedon.]

The only thing I claim is Lily, who was hatched from my very own brain. Also thanks to my fabulous beta reader: Dare the Great :)



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Part Five

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Buffy shivered as she walked next to Angel on her way home. This was really creeping her out. The fact that this vampire was a former Slayer changed everything. She had know it was possible, she had even had nightmares about it. But this made it all too real. She could feel herself starting to pity the vampire, and she quickly banished the thought. Giles had said her name was Lily. It was a pretty name. No! She stopped herself. She's not a Slayer anymore, she's one of the monsters. Buffy was scared. How could she possibly defeat something that had double her power? If Lily had been a Slayer gone bad, then the fight would've been equal. But she had the power of a Slayer and a Master vampire combined.

Buffy held tightly to Angel's hand, glad he was here with her. But the sense of safety that she had felt just a few hours before was gone. Her confidence was gone with it. A normal vamp she knew she could handle. But she had feeling Lily would kick her ass from here to L.A. Their only hope was that Giles could find some way out of this, some slight edge, anything at all.

"Angel?" she said quietly. "What are we going to do?" He thought for a moment about lying, saying he had a plan, or telling her that it would all be ok. But it was too late for lies, there was too much at stake.

"I don't know," he finally answered.

"I don't understand why this is happening now. If Colin wants me dead, why do you have to be the one to kill me?"

"I didn't tell you this before," Angel said. "I wanted to protect you. The other vampires say it's an abomintion, me being with you. I have to kill you as a penance." He looked down at the sidewalk as it passed beneath their slowly moving feet.

"It's my fault." Buffy's heartbroken comment made Angel stare at her in shock.

"No it's not. How could it be your fault?"

"If we weren't dating then they wouldn't be trying to kill you." Angel laughed.

"I kill them, so they try to kill me. I think you are just a convenient excuse. Or one last effort to draw me back into that world." He glared into the night. "I would rather die than go back." They turned the corner onto Buffy's street.

"You have to stay back," said Buffy. "Just in case. I mean I'll get in trouble if my mom sees me 'cause I'm grounded but if she sees me with you then we're talking ax murder." She kissed Angel lightly on the lips and turned to go, but he grabbed her arm stopping her retreat.

"If Giles doesn't find anything to help us.." he started. Buffy raised a hand to his mouth to silence him but he removed it gently. "I won't let them kill you, they'll take me first."

"And I won't let them take you. We die together, if we die at all. Like Romeo and Juliet."

"Death isn't romantic Buffy. I don't want you to give up your life for me. I may not be a full vampire anymore, but I still have the monster in me. I've done so many evil deeds. I deserve to die." He reached out a finger and entwined a lock of hair on it. "You don't."

"Don't talk like that. At least wait until we know if Giles finds something." Buffy covered his finger with her hand. "Please don't give up yet. I'd much rather have you alive than throwing your life away."

"Good-night."

"Promise me something."

"What?"

"Promise you won't decide to do it alone. Whatever happens, we'll go through it together." The night was suddenly filled with silence as Angel thought about what she was asking. It meant he couldn't keep her safe, away from all the dangers. It meant he couldn't run off into the night to give his life alone. But being her protector was an illusion anyway, they were almost equal in power. And much as he knew he deserved death, he no longer craved it. She had given him reason to live.

"I promise." She flashed him one of her beautiful smiles and dashed home. He watched her go with a heavy heart. If she was killed because of him, he would stake himself. If she died his life was over. He didn't have a clue about how to get out of this mess, but for her he would try anything, he would come up with something. Because the alternative was unthinkable.


* * *
Buffy staggered into the library. She felt like she had been beaten with a very large stick. She had fallen asleep in math, and in science. Just enough sleep to make her body crave more. Just enough so that she felt every nerve screaming for rest. She slumped at one of the tables and put her head down on her arms. Within a few seconds she had drifted off again. Giles emerged from his office, looking about as awful as he felt. He ran his hand through already rumpled hair. He had spent the entire night looking for something, anything that could give them an edge. All he had to show for it was a pounding headache and a weariness that felt imbedded in his bones. He saw Buffy sleeping in her seat and decided not to wake her until he had something good to tell her.

The doors to the library burst open to reveal Xander and Willow talking and laughing as they entered the dim room. They immediately lowered their voices when they saw Buffy's exhausted state.

"Another late night?" Willow asked Giles. He nodded distantly.

"A little more than that. We have a serious problem."

"What is it this time? Werewolves? Mummies? I don't think we've had any of those yet." said Xander. Giles' serious expression didn't change and a touch of worry began to worm it's way through Xander's mind.

"I wish it were just that." As Giles explained the situation, Xander and Willow could feel fear creeping up their spines.

"So what you're saying is that this thing has more than double Buffy's power?" asked Willow.

"Buffy is the strongest Slayer I have ever heard of, but this Lily creature is at least twice as strong, yes." Willow shook her head in confusion.

"Why would she obey the Annointed One? He can't possibly have that kind of power. If he did he would have killed the Master and taken over," she asked.

"Not necessarily." Giles contradicted. "He may have decided to let Buffy do the dirty work for him. However, I think that the key to this puzzle lies in exactly the question you've raised. If we can figure out why Lily is following Colin we may be able to do something to break the alliance."

"C'mon Willow," said Xander. "I feel the urge to do some reading." He tossed her a book and grabbed one for himself. He threw himself into the research willingly for once. Guilt was tearing him apart for what he had said to Buffy the other day. He had hurt her, he had deliberately hurt her. He had let petty jealousy get the better of him, and if he could make it up to her in any way he would've done it. He didn't know how to stop loving her, but for the sake of their friendship he would try. He would step aside and let her have her happiness. She loved Angel. He could see that. Nothing he did would change that. He sighed dragging his attention to the book in his hands. Here he was, actually fighting to save his rival. Here he was, actually *reading.*

Willow watched Xander out of the corner of her eyes as he slowly flipped the page. From the set of his jaw she had the feeling that he was thinking. Probably about Buffy. She watched him as he chewed on his lip in concentration. Deep longing filled her being and she wished with all her heart that she could just shout out his name. That he would turn and see her love for him. That she could declare it to his face, that she could look into his eyes and see love for her echo out of them. She brought herself back to the task at hand. Carefully looking for any reference to Lily. This wasn't the time to indulge her fantasies, Buffy needed them.

Buffy woke to see her friends skimming over page after page with their eyes. She felt a wash of affection roll over her. Her buds. Her glance faltered when it fell on Xander. She hoped he wasn't still mad. She had said some pretty bad things. He had deserved it, but she felt a little guilty because she knew that it was jealousy that led him to be hurtful. Jealousy that was her fault. Xander looked up from his book to see Buffy staring at him.

"Hey look who's up," he retorted. "Maybe now you'll stop slacking, and give us a hand here." Buffy almost sighed with relief, this sounded like normal Xander.

"Wow, Xander, reading. Is that voluntary, or have you been threatened into it?"

"No threats. I've been meaning to read," he turned the book over to look at the title," _The Blood Rituals_. It's a real heart stopper." He grinned at Buffy. He seemed to have been forgiven. Buffy grinned back. Maybe they would talk about the fight later, but for now things were back to normal. She grabbed a book and sat down to read.


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