Angelus heard footsteps on the stairs. Four pairs—had something gone wrong? No…. Xander and Willow, Spike, and—
“Why, you didn’t tell me you’d found Captain Vampire Slayer himself? You do know, boy, that it is usually girls doing that?”
Riley glared at him.
“Well, you could be a Slayer—got that slender, girlish figure…. And the evil stares…. But I’ll bet you haven’t got the witty comebacks. No, those are pure Slayer-inherited.” Angelus chuckled.
“Yeah. You did know, Angelus, that these two tried to work a deal with me? Real Xander and Willow came back to town, it seems.”
“Did they, now? I trust you gave them a proper welcome.”
“Red had an interesting taste—strawberries. They were ripe, of course. The whelp, ah, he was a disappointment. But they made a pretty picture in the Slayer’s bedroom. Should’ve waited for the Watcher to get home. Point is, the Slayer and the military boy here, tried to convince me to help them. Even agreed, to an extent. Didn’t I, Slayer?”
Buffy tried to open her eyes again. This was all making sense. Spike would never help them; Spike wouldn’t want to help them.
“But thing is, they’re no match for you. We know that. Have at the two of them. You deserve it.” Spike gave his grandsire a smile, gentler than any of the others.
“Xander and Willow?” asked Buffy weakly. (It actually came out more like “Xer n Wo?”)
“Oh, they’re dead, right enough, love. Did you really think I’d let the lot of you get away with it?” He laughed at her.
“But what about—”
“The Watcher wasn’t home yet, remember? Real shame that the wolf and that Cordelia didn’t come home, too. I really wanted to welcome them.”
Buffy almost relaxed. He was lying. Oz and Cordy were both home, and he knew that. Giles was home, too, and he knew that. The plan was still working…. Unless Spike was lying to both her and Angelus…. Which was a definite possibility.
“Sounds good. You’ll have to show me later, William. But for now, why don’t we get this one out of the way?” Angelus started towards Riley, who suddenly jerked his arm away from Xander, elbowing Willow in the face. Buffy started to think about her final option—Spike playing some extremely secret game….
“No! You won’t take me.” He pulled out his tranquilizer gun as Angelus shot forward. Two darts hit Angelus in the chest.
Then he heaved a sigh. “Did I do it?”
“You didn’t have to elbow me that hard.” Willow had a hand on her nose, and was glowering at him.
“Sorry. I just wanted to make it look convincing.” He did even manage to look a little sorry, so she forgave him a little.
“What’s going on?” Faith looked at them all.
“We’re here to rescue you, love,” Spike told her.
She gave him a disbelieving stare.
“What’s so hard to believe?”
“You’re evil. And a vampire,” she told him slowly.
“Yeah, so?”
“So why would you help out two Slayers?”
“One, so Buffy doesn’t kick my ass around the town, dust it, and kick the dust around. I’m sure she would’ve, too. Two, don’t like beating Slayers like this. I like fair fights. Fair being I’m better than you, not I’ve tied you up. Kind of pointless, that.”
“A fair vampire. Now I’ve seen everything.” She rolled her eyes as he moved forward to open the chains.
“No… Not everything,” he corrected her carefully. “Drusilla, now, that’s seeing everything.”
“Okay, got that. You’re helping Buffy out of fairness. It doesn’t make sense, but I understand it. Why are they helping? Did she threaten to kick their asses while she was unconscious? Signal them with her breathing, or something?”
“No. They’re the real ones. Imitation Scoobies are dust in the wind. But I had to sound convincing, didn’t I? Had to make Angelus think I was really here for him. Think I’d almost convinced her, too.”
Buffy shot him a rare smile—which, inexplicably, made him feel damn happy. Or, rather, less homicidal than he’d felt in general since getting that bloody chip.
Faith hit the ground. “No offense, but those darts won’t hold him for long. You’d better put him in the chains. Otherwise, it’s going to be shish-kebab Slayer and friends when he wakes up.”
She stared down at him. Angel, who’d been almost like a friend to her—a good friend. One that she had almost gotten feelings for, after the others left. But also he was Angelus, who’d done things to her she didn’t want to think about. There was no way she’d be doing the “want, take, have, ditch” thing with guys anymore. Not after this.
And now he’d be Angel again. How the hell could Giles look at this guy and not see the vamp that’d killed his lady-love?.... She didn’t know. But she’d have to pull the same trick, probably.
“Buffy.” Willow looked up from the floor. “There’s something in here—a way to remove the clause.”
“What clause,” started Buffy. “Wait. You mean that perfect happiness clause? And he could always have his soul? No more Angelus?”
“That’s what I mean,” agreed the redhead.
“Long time no see, Will,” Faith told her.
“Hey,” she said.
“Well, do you need anything more? Can you do it?”
“Nah. I’ve just got to do more chanting.”
“Okay. Have at it.”
“Um, guys?” Xander nudged Angelus with the toe of his boot. “He’s waking up.”
Faith grabbed him and hauled him to the chains, shackling his arms to the top chains. “Somebody help me here?” she grunted as she lifted the bottom two chains.
Riley got over to her side, getting his legs down.
“Faith.” The others all backed away, but she didn’t. There was no way she was letting this bastard keep on getting to her the way she did. Before Willow got Angel back, she was having it out with Mr. Anti-Soul himself.
“Hey.” She crossed her arms, standing up.
“Should’ve known you’d want it the other way around after a while. Guess it got boring, and you wanted the roles reversed, huh? It’s okay…. I’m good with that. Got to say, though, if you were looking for a group affair—I’m not altogether sure that he’s got the stamina you want.” Angelus nodded to Riley.
“That’s not what I’m going for here.”
“Really? Could’ve fooled me.”
“Yeah, well, that doesn’t take too much, does it? He fooled you, too.” She jerked her head backwards, toward Spike.
“I’ll get out of these, sooner or later. And when I do, you’ll be the first on my list.”
“Yeah, you’ll get out of those chains…. But not that body. See, Willow’s planning on a little spell to get Angel back. And this time, it’s going to be permanent. I’m thinking, I’ve just got to occupy you for a few more moments.”
“I could call down all the vamps from upstairs, and then some,” he threatened.
“I could have this stake through your heart,” she shot back, holding up a stake that had fallen out of Riley’s pocket while he helped her.
“You could, but then you wouldn’t get the soulful brooder back, would you?”
“No, I wouldn’t. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do it anyway.” She heard Willow start chanting from behind her.
“You’re not such a big bad after all, Angelus. I’m thinking, we’re just doing everybody’s sanity a safety by shutting you down for good. I mean, what’s the worst you’ve ever done? Drive a half-crazy girl insane? Big deal.” She laughed in his face.
He tensed against his chains, trying to get her. “No one talks to me that way,” he snarled. “Sooner or later, I will get out again. And when I do, I—”
“Acum! Acum!” She heard Willow from behind her. A swirly light appeared in his eyes, and he opened his mouth in shock. Then he slumped in the chains.
“Faith, he’s back. That’s just what happened last time.” Buffy pushed past her, and started unshackling Angel.
Faith backed up. He was Buffy’s boyfriend, she told herself. There was no reason to get pissed at this; the biggest connection that they’d had was while he was evil.
So why did it still hurt?
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