CHAPTER FIVE

The ride to the restaurant was made in chilly silence. Giles didn’t seem to be able to think of anything to say to assuage Joyce’s righteous anger. Buffy’s expression was meant to make it clear he should know better than to try to scold her for forming a friendship with another vampire, when if not for that vampire, he could be driving her to her death. As per his instructions from the Council team, he parked at the far end of the lot where there were few other cars around and not as many lights.

 “Subtle, Giles,” Buffy snorted as they got out of the car. He coughed in embarrassment and glanced around the parking lot. Buffy wondered if the Council team was already in place, and where they were, but saw nothing unusual except for their oddly distant parking space.

The otherwise nice meal was a tense event as they all prepared themselves to deal with what was to follow.  Giles explained again that Buffy was going to be sent out by herself while he remained inside with Joyce. “I’ll give you my keys, and if anyone asks, you can say you’ve been sent to bring the car closer to the building.”

 “How will we know if Spike is here yet?” Joyce worried.

 “He’s here somewhere. He was behind us the whole way. He must have parked his car somewhere near the house this morning, so he just followed us.” Buffy sounded unconcerned, but she had only picked at her food.

 Part way into her meal, Buffy put down her fork and stood up. “I’m tired of waiting. Give me your keys. I’m going to go slay a vampire.”

 “Do be careful, Buffy. We don’t know how old this vampire is, or how they were able to control one so powerful, but I suspect you would have your hands full with it even if you were not impaired.”

 “Yeah, well, that’s why Spike’s here. But I don’t plan to need him.”

 “I really do not understand why you are so sure you can trust him, Buffy. For all we know, he is the old, powerful vampire that the Council is using. Perhaps they made a deal with him to—”

 “Shut up, Rupert.” Joyce glared at him. “We both trust him – which is more than I can say about you right now.”

Without responding, Giles handed Buffy his keys. “Be careful. Please.”

 “No problem.”

 XXXXXXXX

In spite of her confident words, and her deliberately carefree-seeming stroll through the parking lot, Buffy couldn’t help looking around more than she normally would have that early in the evening in a public place. She did notice that there were still very few cars parked where Giles’s was, and that one of the lights seemed to have gone out while they were eating.  She flinched at a sound from behind a minivan she was passing, but a quick glance showed her Spike crouched down beside it. He blew her a kiss, and she picked up her pace with renewed confidence.

She slowed as she got closer to the car, some sixth sense that hadn’t been completely eradicated by the drugs making her question the seemingly peaceful surroundings. There was now a large, dark van parked only a few spots away. It was otherwise the only other vehicle in their end of the parking lot. Buffy rolled her shoulders and slowed her steps, keeping one eye on the van. She gave up pretending she was going to the car and just waited to see what was going to happen next. She wasn’t expecting what did.

“Happy birthday, Buffy.” Angel stepped out from behind the van and casually leaned against it.

“Angel? What are you doing here?  You already wished me happy birthday.” In spite of her surprise, she relaxed a little, thinking maybe he’d had second thoughts about helping her out.

 “I know I did,” he said. “But I wanted to give you a surprise.” He smiled warmly.

The hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. Something about his voice and posture was making her slayer senses go crazy, even though he was smiling at her with his usual soft expression.

“Come closer. I want you to see it, but it’s in the van.”

In spite of her discomfort, she approached the van with wary steps. Angel stood back and gestured for her to look inside.  When she caught a glimpse of the bodies bleeding out on the floor, she was dropping to the ground before she’d even completely processed what she was looking at. She felt the air whoosh past as Angelus just missed a punch to her head.

She rolled under the van and pulled her stake from its holster, fighting back the fear and pain of knowing Angel had lost his soul again. She watched his feet as he walked around the van, talking to her all the time. Now that he’d lost the element of surprise, he didn’t try to hide his demon, his oily, slightly Irish-accented voice nothing like the gentle souled vampire she’d fallen in love with.  Her heart was pounding as she listened to his familiar voice.

 “You may as well come out, Buff. Looks like your Council is just as sick of you as I am. Nice of them to include me in their plan, wasn’t it? Not too smart, maybe, but nice.”

When he grew impatient and reached a meaty hand under the van, she stabbed it with her stake. Even without her normal strength or room to swing her arm, she was able to put the stake almost all the way through his hand.  With a roar of pain, he yanked his arm out, taking her stake with it. Buffy watched, her breath coming fast as his feet remained within sight. She saw the stake fly across the pavement after Angelus pulled it from his hand. Following his feet with her eyes as he circled the van, she scrambled to remain as far away from him as was possible in the small area.

 Suddenly, with a speed she couldn’t match in her weakened state, he dove as far under the van as he could, grabbing her by one ankle and dragging her out roughly. By the time he got her all the way out, Buffy already had her backup stake in her hand and her free leg cocked to kick him. Her heel caught him on the kneecap and he stumbled, losing his grip on her.  Rolling quickly, she got far enough away to jump to her feet, facing him, stake in hand.

Only the fact that she knew Spike was somewhere nearby gave her the courage to remain where she was instead of running back to more lighted areas. Stalling for time, she asked, “What...  what happened to your soul?”

 “Worried about your boyfriend, are you? It’s okay, Buff. I’m more fun than he is. You’ll see.” Angelus glanced up as his sharper hearing picked up a gasp from the entrance to the building.

 “Hey there, Giles.” He raised his voice and waved. “Got to thank you and your friends on the Council. It was a wonderful idea to magic away my soul and use me to get rid of Buffy for them.  Of course, it probably isn’t working out quite like they’d hoped. I doubt I was supposed to kill them. And I’m pretty sure they didn’t count on finding out what Buffy will be like as a vamp. I’m looking forward to that myself, aren’t you?”  He leered in their direction, his gaze lingering on Joyce whose terrified eyes were riveted on Buffy.

He turned back, visibly surprised that Buffy hadn’t tried to run, but was still facing him from several feet away.

 “So, you killed them,” she said. “The people who could put your soul back are dead now.” Her voice was flat, her face sad.

 “That they are. And this time, you won’t be around to keep me from killing that Gypsy bitch. So it’s gone for good.”

“I’m sorry, Angel,” Buffy said, her eyes filling with tears. “I’m so sorry.”

 He waved a hand dismissively. “What are you apologizing for? I’m happy this way. Not quite as happy as when I was popping your cherry, but happy enough.”

Buffy gave him a sad smile. “You didn’t even get that right,” she said as Spike stepped out from behind the van. He didn’t approach, although he responded to Buffy’s wider smile with one of his own.

 “The poof always was a bit slow, Slayer,” Spike drawled. “It’s part of his charm.”

 Angelus whirled, snarling when he saw the reason Buffy’s smile had broadened.

“Mind your own business, Spike. This is my slayer. You better go enjoy Dru while you’ve got her. Once she sees I’m back....”

“You’re not gonna be back long enough for Dru to get happy about it. If the Slayer doesn’t do you, I will.”

Buffy was working her way in an arc around Angelus, trying to get to Spike, but she wasn’t quick enough.  With a roar, Angelus leaped across the space and carried her to the ground. Before he could get his fangs into her throat, a black blur was on him. Spike’s momentum carried the larger vampire off Buffy and away from where she lay, slightly stunned.

She sat up to see them rolling around, snarling, snapping, and sounding much more like animals than anything human.  Eventually, Angel was able to throw Spike off and they ended up glaring at each other from a short distance apart. Spike shot Buffy a quick glance. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Thanks for the save.”

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Spike?  Are you that hard up to kill another slayer that you’d take one away from me? This is my kill. I owe the bitch. I took her virginity, and now I’m going to take her life.”

Spike looked his question at Buffy, who nodded.

 “Go for it,” she said. “He’s got it coming.  But, Spike?”

 “Yes, love?”

 “Try not to say it loud enough for Mom and Giles to hear, huh?”

He laughed. “I’m not that stupid, Slayer.”  He lowered his voice so that only someone with vamp hearing would be able to understand his words. “Before you turn to dust, I want you to know that Buffy gave that gift to me. Couple of months before she let you have those ‘sloppy seconds’ you’re so fond of bragging about leaving me.”

Buffy strained her ears, but could only make out a word here or there. She relaxed, knowing if she couldn’t understand what Spike was saying, Giles and Joyce wouldn’t even know he was speaking. But Angelus had heard every word, and even with him in game face it was easy for her to see things falling into place for him as he thought back to his interactions with Buffy since her Halloween kidnapping and subsequent escape from Spike.

“You filthy whore.” His voice was all the more hurtful for the calm, quiet tone.

 “Watch your mouth, Angelus,” Spike snarled.

“Oh ho. I see how it is. You and those pesky human emotions you like to hang on to. Well, let’s try another one. How about grief? You can watch her die!” Rather than attack Spike, as they’d both expected him to, he once again leaped for Buffy, holding her against his chest, one powerful arm around her neck.

“Ah, ah,” he chided, when Spike snarled and made to move toward them. “I can snap her neck before you can get to me.  I’ll just be leavin’ now, and I’m taking her with me.” 

As he spoke, Buffy, who was still clutching her stake in the hand down at her side, brought it up between his legs, burying it as deeply as she could.  His scream and loosened hold were all she needed to break free. Doubled over, Angelus glared at her through pain filled eyes.

 “This isn’t over, Buffy.”

 “Yes, it is, Angel. Like I said, I’m sorry.” 

She nodded to Spike, who was now holding a sword he’d snatched from the Council’s van. He shook his head and handed it to her.  She watched Angelus as he tried to run while holding himself and leaving a trail of blood. With a sigh, she took two running steps, jumped into the air, and swiped the sword across his neck. She landed easily and watched the small explosion of dust as it settled to the pavement.

 She was standing, sword in hand but point resting on the ground, staring at the remains of her first real boyfriend, knowing he never was exactly who she thought he was. She was just barely conscious of Spike coming up behind her and gently taking the sword from her hand.

 “I’m sorry, love,” he said, tossing the sword behind him and putting his hands on her shaking shoulders. With a low cry, she turned around and buried her face in his chest, sobbing while he held her and rubbed soothing circles on her back.

 Giles and Joyce had come running over to lend whatever support they could against Angelus. They were armed with crucifixes, and in Giles’s case, a stake. While Buffy cried in the arms of a vampire famed for his ability to kill slayers, Giles looked into the van, wincing as he recognized members of the team the Council had sent to Sunnydale. He picked up the sword Spike had thrown away, looked it over, and gave a shrug. He handed it to Joyce.

 “If you promise not to use it on me, I’ll teach you how to behead a vampire – in case you ever need to.”

 “I can’t promise I won’t use it on you,” Joyce said, giving it an experimental swing. She pointed at Buffy, who had stopped sobbing but was still sniffling and taking deep breaths while Spike murmured things they couldn’t hear. “As far as I’m concerned, this is all your fault.”

 “That Buffy and Spike seem to be... whatever they appear to be?”

“That my daughter needs someone to comfort her because she had to kill the first man she fell in love with. If it hadn’t been for this ridiculous test, Angel would still have his soul and Buffy wouldn’t be crying over his dust. And she wouldn’t have had to spend her birthday doing it.”

 “I had no control over the Cruciamentum, Joyce. Believe me, I hated doing that to Buffy, but I had no idea the Council wished to dispense with her services... and her. Had I refused, they would have done it anyway, and found some other way to ensure Buffy wasn’t able to win.”

Buffy, who had recovered enough to take some deep breaths and regain control of her voice, overheard him.

 “You can tell them there’s no problem with getting rid of me. I quit! If they want somebody slaying in Sunnydale, they can come and do it themselves.”

XXXXXXX

After Giles had called the authorities to report a gruesome scene near their car, and Joyce had accepted Spike’s offer to drive her and Buffy home while Giles handled the police, they parted company. Giles promised to come by the house as soon as he could get away.

 Spike’s old DeSoto had a bench seat, so Buffy and Joyce both climbed into the front, with Buffy sitting next to Spike. Even though there was plenty of room in the car, Buffy managed to sit close enough that her hand was touching the side of Spike’s leg even while she appeared to be snuggled into her mother’s side. Joyce kept one arm around Buffy, unable to pretend she hadn’t just almost seen her die.  

Joyce gestured for Spike to park in the driveway, but he shook his head.

“I’ll just let you two out and put my baby someplace less conspicuous. Don’t know how many were in that Council team, or who else might be watchin’ your house. No need to advertise my presence here.”

“You’re coming in, aren’t you?” Buffy tried to keep the anxiety from her voice. “You’re not going to leave just because I’m safe now?”

“No, love. Not leaving.” In spite of Joyce’s presence, his voice was soft and his response very firm. “And given your calling, I think ‘safe’ is a bit—”

“She’s never going to be safe, is she?” Joyce asked, her voice trembling. “Even if she quits.”

 “We can talk about when I get back,” he said. “Got some ideas. But let me get my car out of sight first.”

As soon as Buffy and Joyce were safely in the house, he pulled away and disappeared down another street.