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Future Childe by Ariel Dawn
 
Friends Tell
 
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Disclaimer: Joss owns Buffy, I just own the entire series on DVD.
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Buffy returned to the school only to hear commotion in the hallway.

“Don't do that!” shouted Xander.

“Oh, I think I do that.” said Angel.

“Angel...” whispered Willow.

Buffy could tell something was off. Hell she could tell that something was off since she left Angel’s apartment, when her feeling of glee from her g spot comment dissipated.

“He's not Angel anymore. Are you?” said Miss Calendar.

“Wrong. I am Angel. At last!”

“Oh, my God,” breathed Xander.

“I got a message for Buffy,” said Angelus.

Buffy walked out behind the vampire. “Why don't you give it to me yourself?” she said putting her hands on her hips.

Angelus spun around with Willow, gripped by the neck, to face her.

“Well, it's not really the kind of message you tell. It sort of involves finding the bodies of all your friends.”

Willow yelped as Angelus tightened his grip on her throat.

“This can't be you.”

“Gee, we already covered that subject.”

“Leave Willow alone, and deal with me. She‘s not the one that thinks you have a small dick.”

“But she's so cute and helpless,” said Angel pinching Willow’s cheek “Angel as you knew him, Angel your boyfriend is dead. You're all gonna join him.”

“You were never my boyfriend Angelus! You were a convenient fuck, nothing more.”

Xander took that moment to shove a cross into Angelus' face from behind. The vampire reeled back and dropped Willow. Angelus turned to exit the building, as he reached where Buffy was standing, he grabbed her by her shoulders.

“Things are about to get very interesting.” he whispered, then kissed her hard. He shoved Buffy into the wall and he backed out the door.

“Buffy, you okay?” asked Xander.

Oh yeah, I’m good Xander, I just fucked Angel’s soul out of him. Damn I must be really good in bed.
__________________________________________
Back in the library Giles paced.

“And we're absolutely certain that, that Angel has reverted to his former self?”

“Yeah, uh, we're all certain. Anyone not feeling certain here?” declared Xander.

“Giles, you wouldn't have believed him. He was so... He came here to kill us.” said Willow.

“What are we gonna do?” asked Cordelia.

“I'm leaning towards blind panic myself,” said Giles.

“Rupert, don't talk like that. The kids,” chastised Miss Calendar.

“I'm sorry. It's just that things are bad enough with the Judge here. Angel crossing over to the other side... I-I-I wasn't prepared for that.”

“None of us were.”

Buffy looked on at the exchange without seeing. She had done this to Angel, people were going to die because she had a moment of weakness and had had sex with the wrong vampire.

“Are you okay?” asked Willow coming to sit beside her.

“I should've known.” she laughed, “When I saw him at his apartment, he was different. The things he said...”

“What things?” asked Giles.

“It's private,” said Buffy glaring at her watcher.

“But you didn't know he had turned bad?” asked Miss Calendar.

Willow looked at Miss Calendar with suspicion. “How did you?”

“What?”

“Well, you knew. You told me to get away from him.”

“Well, I saw his face.”

“If only we knew how it happened,” said Giles as he sat down on the table.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, something set it off. Some, some, uh, event must've triggered his transformation. Well, if anyone would know, Buffy, it-it should be you,” said Giles

“I don't...think it’s important how he turned, just that it’s done and now Angelus, scourge of Europe is out there right now... probably with Drusilla and the Judge, planning the destruction of humanity,” whispered Buffy.

“I merely ask, for curiosity, closure, find out when exactly it happened,” continued the watcher.

“You really aren’t going to let this go? are you? Trust me, you don’t want to know.” Buffy left the library.
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“You should've seen her face. It was priceless.” Angelus hopped up on a platform as he told his childer his tale. “I'll never forget it.”

“So you didn't kill her then.” asked Spike.

“Of course not.”

“And sadly it appears that she failed to kill you,” said Spike elated that the grandsire hadn’t killed Buffy.

“You don't want to kill her, do you?” asked Dru as she poked her doll’s eyes out “You want to hurt her. Just like you hurt me.”

“Nobody knows me like you do, Dru.”

“She'd better not get in our way,” said Spike.

“Don't worry about it.”

“I do.” *I worry about her, it’s insane but I do.*

“Spike, my boy, you really don't get it! Do you? You tried to kill her, but you couldn't. Look at you. You're a wreck! She's stronger than any Slayer you've ever faced. Force won't get it done. You gotta work from the inside. To kill this girl... you have to love her.”

Spike rolled his eyes at his grandsire. The poofter was telling him how to kill Buffy? Thought I was doing a pretty good job of that you bleedin’ ponce... thought Spike.
__________________________________________
After a brilliant nap, Buffy, refreshed and angry, marched straight to Ms. Calendar's classroom. The woman knew! She knew that Angel would go evil! She knew, and she didn’t tell anyone.

“Oh, Buffy.” said Giles trying to get her attention.

Buffy walked right past Giles and straight to the computer teacher. Gripping Miss Calendar by the throat Buffy pushed the teacher into the desk.

“Buffy!” shouted Giles as he tried to pull Buffy off of Miss Calendar.

“What do you know?!” shouted Buffy.

“Should I get the principal?” asked a student.

“No, I-I-I'll deal with this. Y-y-you're, you're all dismissed!” Giles told the class.

Buffy let go of the teacher as the other students left the room.

“Did you do it? Did you change him?”

“For God's sake, calm down!” said Giles.

“Did you know this was gonna happen?”

“You can't go around accusing everybody...”

“I didn't know... exactly. I was told...”trailed off Miss Calendar. “Oh, God. I was sent here to watch you. They told me to keep you and Angel apart. They never told me what would happen.”

“Jenny!”

“I'm sorry, Rupert. Angel was supposed to pay for what he did to my people.”

“And me? What was I supposed to be paying for?”

“I didn't know what would happen until after. I swear I would've told you.”

“So it was me. I did it.”

“I think so. I mean, if you...”

“I don't understand.” said Giles impatiently.

“The curse. If Angel achieved true happiness, even just a moment of... He would lose his soul.” explained Miss Calendar.

“W-w-w-h-h-how do you know you were responsible f-for...” stammered Giles.

Buffy gave him a look. Giles took off his glasses.

“Oh,” said the watcher uncomfortably.

“If there is anything that...” trailed off Miss Calendar.

“Curse him again.”

“No, I-I can't. I mean, those magicks are long lost even to my people.”

“You did it once. It might not be too late to save him.”

“It can't be done. I can't help you.”

“Then take me to someone who can.” Buffy demanded.
__________________________________________
Buffy followed Miss Calendar to some skeezy hotel in the middle of nowhere. Buffy was seriously beginning to doubt Miss Calendar’s word here. I mean who would live here?

The three entered a room. Buffy gasped. There on the bed was a body, a human body, horribly mutilated.

“Oh, my god” gasped Miss Calendar.

Despite being extremely angry with her computer teacher, Buffy couldn’t help but feel bad about the death of the woman’s uncle.

The wall above the dead man was covered in blood written words. WAS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO, dripped down the wall. Angel was taunting her.

“He's doing this deliberately, Buffy. He's trying to make it harder for you.” said Giles

“He's only making it easier. I know what I have to do.”

“What?”

“Kill him.”
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Wasn’t much to do, while waiting for the judge to power up. Wasn’t much to do while sitting in a wheelchair either. Angelus was making his presence known to the minions, asserting his authority over everyone in the Factory. Essentially that meant that Spike was lower in the chain of command now. The minion’s were Dru’s as the elder Master, Spike only ruled them because Dru was too loony to do exactly what she was supposed to do as Master. Now Angelus was Lording it over him. Good news was that if he wanted to, Spike could just up and leave, Dru wouldn’t want her childe around to distract her from her daddy. The only problem was the fucking wheelchair.

“I am ready,” announced the smurf.

“About time,” said Spike. Dru gave him a little wave. “Have fun.”

Angelus bent down to whisper in Spike’s ear. “Too bad you can't come with, huh? I'll be thinkin' of you.”

“I won't be in this chair forever,” said Spike with a warning.

Angelus took Drusilla's hand and they started out after the Judge.

“What happens if the slayer shows up?” asked Spike, wanting to hear that he wouldn’t hurt her, but of course that was asking too much. This was Angelus after all.

“I'm gonna give her a kiss.” Angelus answered him. Then the Elder Vampire turned to the Judge, “Don't you look spiffy!”

“Spiffy?”

Spike watched as Drusilla and Angelus and the blue one left the factory. He just hoped that Buffy protected herself.
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Back in the library, Xander and Oz lifted the results of their own expedition onto Giles’ desk.

“Happy Birthday, Buffy. I hope you like the colour.” said Xander stepping back from the large crate.

Truly the best present anyone had ever gotten me, she thought.

“Giles, we go to the factory first, but they might not be there. They're on the offensive. We need to figure out where they'd go.”

Giles lifted a crowbar up and smashed it down on the lock of the crate.

“Agreed,” said the watcher as he opened the crate.

“This is good.” Buffy noted while looking at her new present. Rocket launcher. I like boys who give me weapons.

From the door way Buffy heard an unwelcome voice. “Do you, uh... Is there something I can do?” asked Miss Calendar.

“Get out,” Buffy snapped.

“I-I just want to help,” stammered the computer teacher.

“She just said get out,” said Giles without even looking at the woman.

“Do you want me to show you how to use it?” asked Xander.

“Yes, I do.”
__________________________________________
Buffy, Giles, Xander, Willow, Cordy and Oz entered the factory cautiously only to find that it was deserted. Buffy was kinda shocked that no one had questioned her how she knew where Dru’s lair was, but she was glad that she didn’t have to get into it.

“I knew it.”

“We haven't a bead on where they would go?” Giles asked the group.

“I don't know, uh... somewhere crowded, I guess. I mean, the Judge needs bodies, right?”

“The Bronze?” Willow offered.

“It's closed tonight,” stated Xander.

“There's not a lot of choices in Sunnydale. It's not like people are gonna line up to get massacred,” said Cordelia flippantly.

“Uh, guys? If I were gonna line up, I know where I'd go,” suggested Oz.

Spike watched as the super friends group discussed where the Judge was likely to be, looking for all those people to feed off of. He so desperately wanted to take Buffy and carry her off to some foreign land away from all of this. But as it was, he was stuck in the chair, and with Angelus breathing down his neck. As the group left his home Spike silently wished Buffy luck, and hoped that he’d see her again soon.
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Buffy stepped out of the elevator with purpose. Sure this was akin to world savage, but Buffy was more intent on using her new toy, and sticking something wooden in a certain vampire’s chest.

“Everybody keep back. Damage control only. Take out any lesser vamps if you can. I'll handle the Judge,” ordered General Buffy.
__________________________________________
And Buffy liked her new toy. As the smoke from the weapon billowed up and away from her she handed the rocket launcher back to Xander.

“Best present ever.”

“Knew you'd like it.”

“Do you think he's dead?” asked Willow, referring to the multitude of Judge parts that were lying all over the mall.

“We can't be sure. Pick up the pieces and keep them separate.”

Buffy left the mundane picking up of pieces to her friends. She had a stake with Angelus’s name on it. Following where she last saw him, Buffy turned a corner, only to be assaulted by the sprinkler system. Crap! Suddenly Buffy got hit from behind and she fell backwards.

“You know what the worst part was, huh? Pretending that I loved you. If I'd known how easily you'd give it up, I wouldn't have even bothered,” said Angelus.

“That doesn't work anymore. You're not Angel,” Buffy noted as she got up. “But you know, it sounds like you having more issues with the fact that you loved me, I never said I was in love with you.”

Angelus snorted. “You'd like to think that I‘m not your simpering Angel, wouldn't you? It doesn't matter. The important thing is you made me the man I am today!” Angelus gave her an evil grin.

God, I’m really starting to hate him! thought the Slayer. So she kicked him in the face. He blocked her next swing and punched her in the face and in the gut. He grabbed her and swung her around to throw her, but she kept her footing. He kicked her in the face and this time she fell to the floor.

Angelus grabbed Buffy as she tried to get up and heaved her over onto her back again. She rolled around to her feet and came at him. She swung at him, but he blocked and hit her instead. He followed up with a backhand punch and she hit the floor again.

“Not quittin' on me already, are ya? Come on, Buffy. You know you want it, huh?”

She leapt up and kicked him in the face. He arched backward and then snapped forward. Buffy kneed him in the chin and then delivered a series of punches to his gut. She ended with a punch to his face. He wasn't fazed, and lunged at her. She grabbed his arm and diverted him into a display case. He crashed through the glass, but immediately straightened back up, breaking the top pane and the frame of the case as well. She kicked him in the face and again in the chest, and he staggered backward into a potted tree. She pulled out a stake and stood ready to finish the job. Angelus straightened up and faced her. Buffy didn't move, but instead lowered the stake and just stared at him.

“You can't do it. You can't kill me.”

*Fucking asshole!* Her anger bubbled to the surface and she kicked him extremely hard in the crotch. Angelus grabbed his groin and moaned in extreme pain. He collapsed to his knees. Buffy turned her back on him and walks away.

“Give me time.”

Buffy walked away without looking back. Give me time, Angelus, I’ll work my way up to it soon.
__________________________________________
Giles drove her home afterwards.

“It's not over. I-I-I suppose you know that. He'll come after you, particularly. His profile, uh, well, he... he's likely to strike out at the things that made him the most human,” advised the watcher.

“You must be so disappointed in me.”

“No. No, no, I'm not.”

“But this is all my fault.”

“No. I don't believe it is. Do you want me to wag my finger at you and tell you that you acted rashly? You did. A-and I can. I know that you loved him. And... he... has proven more than once that he loved you. You couldn't have known what would happen. The coming months a-are gonna, are gonna be hard... I, I suspect on all of us, but... if it's guilt you're looking for, Buffy, I'm, I'm not your man. All you will get from me is, is my support. And my respect.”

Buffy smiled. But it was hard, she hadn’t loved Angel, that way. She had used him to feel something, and now everyone was paying for it. Giles might not be disappointed with her, but she certainly was with herself. It was almost enough to swear off sex forever. Almost.
__________________________________________
Willow and Buffy walked outside at school, having yet another boy talk. Or rather, an Oz talk. Buffy was trying to be supportive, but with everything that was going on in her own life, it was hard to give Willow all the attention that a best friend deserved.

“Nowhere. I mean, he said he was gonna wait until I was ready, but I'm ready. Honest. I'm good to go here,” complained Willow, about Oz.

“Well, I think it's nice that he's not just being an animal.”

“It is nice. He's great. We have a lot of fun. But I want smoochies!”

“Have you dropped any hints?”

“I've dropped anvils.”

“Ah, he'll come around. What guy could resist your wily Willow charms?”

“At last count, all of them. Maybe more.”

“Well, none of them know a thing. They all get an 'F' in Willow.”

“But I want Oz to get an 'A', and, oh, one of those gold stars.”

They sat down on a bench.

“He will.”

“Well, he better hurry. I don't want to be the only girl in school without a real boyfriend“

Like me, thought Buffy sadly.

“Oh, I'm such an idiot. I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't even be talking about... Do you want me to go away?”

“I wish you wouldn't.”

“How are you holding up anyway?”

“I'm holding. I was going on two minutes there without thinking about William.”

“Well, there you go.” said Willow cheerfully.

“Except I shouldn’t. I feel guilty. I should never have slept with Angel. I knew that like two seconds after it was over. Like I betrayed William. I just wanted to feel something that wasn’t pain and misery.”

“Buffy you didn’t know what would happen. You’d ... you know...with William, how did you know that doing...that... would make Angel lose his soul?”

“Doesn’t matter, Will, I did it. He was my friend and I used him. I used him and for a brief moment I forgot about the one person I loved with ever fibre of my being.”

“Tell me about him”

“You won’t like it Will.”

“I already know he’s a vamp, or was...what can be worst than that?”

“Souless, blood drinking vampire? Something I’m supposed to kill?”

“But you looked past all that and fell in love, it’s romantic.”

“I didn’t know he was a Vamp when I first met him.”

“Huh?”

“I wasn’t the slayer then.”

“Oh, so this was in LA? Weren’t you like fifteen then?”

“Yep, fifteen and in love with a hundred and seventeen year old vamp.”

“How old did you think he was?”

“I don’t know, twenty five or so.”

“Buffy! Jailbait!”

“I didn’t care, I just loved him so much. Probably because of thrall, but even after I knew he was a vamp I didn’t care. He made me whole.”

“Oh Buffy. How did he go?” asked Willow afraid to approach the subject.

“Kendra dropped an organ on him,” Buffy sniffed and looked at Willow expectantly.

“Wait...organ... William is Spike? William the Bloody was your boyfriend? This whole time?”

Buffy nodded, as she wiped the tears that were staining her face away.

“But he was trying to kill you! At parent teacher night, when Ford sold you out to him, in the church! I don’t understand.”

“It was a put on, for the minions. Spike came to town to cure Drusilla, his sire, and to kill the slayer. He didn’t know it was me. He thought I was still in LA. He promised not to kill anyone that I was friends with or my family. As long as you smelled like me, even a little bit, he wasn’t going to kill any of you.”

“That’s why you didn’t stake him on Halloween. Xander said you let him go,” said Willow, trying to make sense of it all.

“I couldn’t Willow. And I couldn’t tell anyone. He was supposed to cure Dru, he didn’t want anyone to know. He made me keep it a secret.”

“So all those times we were talking about Angel, you meant Spike.“

Buffy nodded again.

“Willow, I’m so sorry that I’ve kept this from you.“

“I don’t know what to say to that Buffy. I thought you were my friend. Friends tell.“

“I’m so very sorry. I didn’t tell you about him when I first came to Sunnydale, because I thought you would think I was loony for still being in love with a man I thought ten years older than me, for a year and a half after he left me to take care of his mother in Prague. And after he came back I just found myself getting deeper and deeper into the lie.“

“I’m hurt, Buffy. But I think I understand...maybe. I just need a little time for this all to sink in.“

“Fair enough,“
__________________________________________
Buffy missed Spike. She missed their after Buffy’s weird weekly coffee dates at the IHOP. The whole thing with Oz being a werewolf was just one such event that would have made a great conversation topic. She could just imagine all the things he’d say to make her laugh, how he’d offer to eat that Cain guy for her and how come they never went to make out point?

Buffy took another look at the letter in her hand. She had written it to Spike a while ago, at Angel’s suggestion. She’d been there for an hour, still contemplating leaving the letter. It seemed that this was her last connection with Spike, he was gone. Maybe she had to accept his loss and move on. It was just so hard. Buffy felt the tears well up in her eyes again.

Buffy deposited the Letter back in to her pocket and left the church. She wasn’t ready yet. She didn’t know if she was ever gonna be ready.
__________________________________________
tbc...
 
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