Prologue

The rain pelted them endlessly, its soft thrumming over taken by the clash of swords, claws and teeth as well as the roars and battle cries of the various demons that crowded the alley. Bodies lay all over the place along side with the dying and wounded.

But through it all, three held their own, two half breeds and an imprison demon god. Bloodied and beaten, they still fought with everything they had against the onslaught of demons still coming after them.

Any sane person could see that this was a battle to the death, and basically anyone would have to be suicidal to even think of entering the field. But that didn't stop the two people standing on top of one of the building from preparing to enter the fray.

"Wow, this is huge." a girl with black hair and purple streaks said, an oversized axe in her hands said. She looked over at her male companion. "You didn't mention that it was going to be THIS big."

"Yeah, well I wasn't exactly myself those two days darling." he replied, as he twirled to large knives in his hands. His black hair was plastered against his skull and into his eyes. He brushed them back. "Visions aren't like cotton candy or marshmallows, Rose. They hurt like sanguinoso inferno."

"It was your bloody luck to get them." the girl, Rose, said with a smirk. "I told you not to kill that seer Cris but noooo--"

A high pitched screech cut her off as something large with wings dived at them. Cris grabbed her and pulled her down, covering her body with his as the dragon snapped its razor sharp teeth at them before flying up to prepare for another dive.

"Bloody hell! Was that a dragon?!" Rose yelled in surprise as she watched it fly off.

"Looks like." Cris answered from above her. He rolled off her as she quickly climbed up and help him to his feet. "Listen Rose, this is a major battle between us and the major players in the other dimension. I think---"

"Finish it and I'll throw you off this building, Cristoforo." Rose threatened before she pulled him down in a kiss. She pulled back after a moment, their lips barely touching as she stared into his golden eyes with her blue ones. "I told you before, I'm not going anywhere without you alright?"

Cris gave in, especially since she used his full name and nodded, holding the love of his immortal life in his arms. If he died tonight, just knowing that he had her love would be worth it. And if he didn't, then he would be expecting to be imprisoned in the bedroom for the next week.

"Okay then." Rose sighed, looking down at the battle below. "Let's go save my idiot cousin and my damnable sire from certain doom."

With a war cry, they jumped off the building and entered the fray, swinging their sharp weapons and hard kicks. Rose took the heads off of the first few demons within reach as Cris cleaved several others in half. Within minutes, they were wet with blood as much as they were drenched with rain.

It was Illyria who spotted them first, having mistaken Rose and Cris for attackers. She pummeled Cris before throwing him to the side and she had nearly taken Rose's head off when Spike stopped her.

"Rose?!" Spike stared at Rose, his hand on Illyria's shoulder.

"Hey Cousin!" she gasped through Illyria's tight grip on her throat.

"Let her go." Spike said to Illyria.

To say that he was surprised would have been an understatement. But he didn't get a chance to really comment or say 'Bloody hell!' when he was whacked on the back of the head with a large axe.

"Spike!" he heard Rose scream faintly. He could hear her calling to him, telling him to get his ass up and fight but eventually that faded. His last thoughts were that he finally proved himself worthy of Her love.

"Oh no." Rose muttered, rolling Spike over on his back. "Oh no, oh no, shit!"

"Cris, change of plans!" she yelled over the noise.

Rose went to his side instantly as Illyria and Cris fought to protect them. She pulled Spike to his feet, holding up and leading him to the side where Gunn laid, clutching his stomach wound, barely able to move. "Watch him for me." she said to Gunn. "I'll be right back."

She went back into the fight to look for Angel. It took a couple more minutes to find him. He was facing off against a giant of a demon with large bull horns on its head with only a sword. Rose rolled her eyes at his stupidity. As if a sword would be enough to go against a Ga'zzstrykl.

But she had to admit, as she watched him slice and stab at the demon, nimbly dodging the blows and slashes, he was a pretty good fighter. She waited until the demon turned away from her, before climbing on the demon's ridged back and made her way to its head. From there, as it tried to reach up and grab her, she swung her blessed axe down repeatedly on its neck. It screamed a death cry and fell forward, crushing the other smaller demons.

She sat there for a second, posing for Angel who leaned against the alley wall nearby tired and covered with mud and blood. He stared at her in surprise, having thought she was dust and gone many decades ago.

"Hey Sire." she said sweetly. "Long time no see eh?"

"What--what are you doing here?"

"Saving your pathetic ass." Rose said, jumping off the demon carcass. "You and I have some unsettled business to deal with." She twirled around, beheading a demon with wicked sized claws that was sneaking up behind her with her axed before facing Angel again. "But not now. Come on!!"

She turned around and started fighting her way back to Spike and the others with Angel right next to her. Cris ran to her side instantly, checking to see if she sustained any injuries. Seeing that she only had a cut on her arm, he let her go and turned to Angel.

"Angelus." he nodded.

"What's going on?" Angel asked, looking to Gunn and Illyria for answers. "And where is Spike?"

"H-he's down and out for the count." Gunn stuttered, his face deathly pale as blood continued to seep from his stomach wound. "And I-I think I might be too."

A flash of alarm went through Angel at the thought of losing another one of his team tonight. First Fred then Cordy now Wesley and Gunn? Angel growled and his eyes flashed gold before he was grabbed by the shoulder and whirled around. An unyielding Rose stood her hands on her hips as Cris and Illyria fought behind her.

"Don't go runnin' off now Angelus." she said, holding out her hands. "The climax is almost here." She pointed upwards. Bright lights of silver fell from the sky, exploding into sparks as they hit the ground and the demons. It became blinding and hot, forcing Angel to cover his eyes and fall to the ground as he and the gang were overcome by the pure light.

"You think you know what's coming---you have no idea."

Giles sat in the living room, a glass of scotch in his hand, his glasses sitting idly beside the half empty bottle, listening to the ticking of the clock in the corner of the room. The glass doors leading to the balcony were opened and the sounds of Rome flowed through.

But even that didn't drown out the sobbing upstairs.

==========================================

A few hours earlier...

It was another phone meeting with everyone. Faith and Robin from Cleveland, Willow from Brazil and Xander from South Africa; all calling to update their progress in their separate missions. Giles, who flew in just last week and Andrew sat on both sides of Buffy while a few of the senior Slayers sat around the large table.

Their own Round Table of Camelot, Andrew called it. Of course, he was the only one to think so.

"--so we have everything under control over here." Faith was saying.

"Good to know." Buffy said, leaning forward to rest her arms on the table. "Willow, have you found anything new down south?"

"Just your basic run of the mill demons." Willow said. "I've found a few girls who show Slayer powers. I've set some of the senior Slayers to talk to them and to see if any of them are interested in going to Rome for a little while to learn about what they are and some training."

"Cool. More girls." Andrew commented. "I'll talk to Vi and see if there is anyone who would like to share rooms if they decide to come over." He wrote it down in his little black notebook that was always with him.

He liked hanging out with the newer Slayers, and telling them about their calling. He seemed to have a knack in assuring them that being a Slayer wasn't a death sentence. With all the abundance of Slayers around now, battles to the death were few and very far between.

No Slayer went out alone anymore. They went out in twos or threes and in the big battles, like clearing a vampire nest or facing off against a dangerous demon, there was a group of six or more. They were taught to watch each other's backs and to call for back up if things became too heavy.

"So---anyone have anything else to add before we call it a day?" Buffy asked.

"Just one more thing." Faith said after awhile. There was some muttering in the background, probably Robin.

"What is it Faith?"

"There was news just recently. It's like the big news all over the stations. It looks like there was a rather large earthquake in L.A." Faith said. "It hit the downtown area pretty bad, building damaged and the like." She paused. "Listen B, I know you felt kinda betrayed by Angel since he took over Wolfram and Hart but--"

Buffy tensed as she felt the bad news coming.

"The Wolfram and Hart building was destroyed in the quake." Faith finished. "There was nothing left of it. All the employees were accounted for except a few. Mainly Angel and his crew."

Andrew's head shot up, his wide eyes. "What about Spike?"

"Andrew!" Giles snapped.

Andrew squeaked in surprise and covered his mouth, wishing that he could take back the words. He stared fearfully at Buffy, who has the strangest look on her face. It was a mixture of shock, anger, surprise and just a bit of sadness. He felt his stomach drop when she turned steel green eyes at him in anger.

"What did you say?" she asked him.

Andrew started stuttering as he tried frantically to cover up what he said but he was failing badly. "I-I---wha-what are you---who's what in the how?" He pushed up from the table and started backing away.

"Andrew--" Buffy warned him as she stood up. "What do you know about Spike?"

"That he has a cool leather jacket, cheekbones to die for and sexy accent with a killer body?" Andrew squeaked.

"Andrew! I'll go home and tear the heads off all your action figures if you don't tell me what's going on!" Buffy yelled.

"He made me promise not to tell you!" Andrew wailed.

"Tell me what?!"

"That he came back! That he's alive, but still a vampire, and well, considering that Dana cut off his arms." Andrew started rambling. "Well, he was a ghost for a while but then he was real again. Angel--"

Buffy sat down; feeling overwhelmed and yes, a bit betrayed while listening to Andrew go on and on about why he didn't tell her that Spike was alive in L.A., working with Angel and not ash and bones in the crater that was now Sunnydale. She had thought Spike was gone, for good and now to hear Andrew tell her that he was alive but didn't want her to know that he was alive. Gods, it felt like she couldn't breathe.

"I really wanted to tell you Buffy." Andrew finished quietly. He made a mental note about going out to find a new place to live. Someplace far away from Buffy when she got her over the shock. Hong Kong sounded good right now, even though it was monsoon season. "But Spike made me promise. Twice. Once in L.A. and one more when he and Angel came by the apartment looking for you."

Buffy's head whipped up. "He was here? In Rome? With Angel?"

Andrew nodded meekly. "T-they heard that you were with the Immortal. You know, in the he's-my-boyfriend-but-really-I'm-only-getting-close-to-kill-him way. When you were undercover?"

Buffy nodding numbly. Oh god, Spike must have been devastated in seeing her all lovey dovey with the Immortal. He must have thought that she moved on. And Andrew had to tell him and Angel that it was true or else their hard work would have been jeopardized.

"Willow?"

"Yes Buffy?" Willow's voice sounded pained, as if she knew what Buffy was going to ask her.

"Could you do a location spell for Angel and his team?"

"I'm on it." Willow quickly agreed. "I'll call you and let you know what I find."

"Thanks Will." Buffy replied as she stood up and walked out of the room, ignoring the curious looks from the younger Slayers and pity from the senior Slayers who knew about Spike from Sunnydale.

"Well now--" Giles cleared his throat. "I believe that concludes the meeting for now. I suggest that we meet again sometime next week."

==========================================

Well, Willow had called back and the news wasn't good. She couldn't get a lock on Wesley or Cordy, so they knew that they were dead or just gone. She got a faint lock on Fred but it was overwhelmed by a demon presence. They concluded that some kind of demon had taken over her body so it wasn't Fred anymore.

When Willow tried to locate Angel and Spike, her stone went wild, spinning and spinning until it flew and lodged itself into the table. Either both Angel and Spike were dead, or someone very powerful had them into their clutches that prevent Willow from finding their exact location.

The only good news was that they found Lorne, on the move towards Las Vegas and Gunn was located in L.A., Willow did another spell and found that he was in the hospital in critical care with massive internal injuries.

After the news, Buffy broke down, raging at Spike and Angel and then at poor Andrew. She drove him to tears before he admitted that he told Giles and that Giles agreed that it was the right thing in not telling Buffy about Spike.

"How can you do that to me--again?" she yelled at Giles.

"It in your best interests Buffy." Giles had said. "We couldn't afford any mistakes with the Immortal. You needed to keep your focus on him and the mission and not on Spike and the trouble he would have brought you."

"And what if I needed him?" Buffy asked quietly.

Giles sighed, already knowing that he lost this fight, as he always did when talking about Spike. He never wanted to admit it, but over the years Buffy had come to need Spike in way that she used to need him when she first started slaying. Maybe, in fact, she needed him more. She had felt so lost without Spike with her but she had started to learn to deal with his absence.

"You don't need him Buffy." Giles said. "You have us."

She didn't say anything. She just looked at him and walked upstairs to her room, locking the door after her.

A few minutes later, she started crying.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Pain- without Love
Pain- I can't get enough
Pain- I like it rough
Cuz I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Did you love her?"

Spike looked over at Rose. She sat on the floor, her back against the hallway wall, one leg bent in the air while the other laid straight out in front of her. She stared dully at the wall in front of her, her hair falling over half her face. Her arms hung limp across her lap. Scattered wood and glass laid about them, splintered from a fight long ago. They were in a room, in Angel's hotel called the Hyperion.

"Love who kitten?" Spike asked as he walked towards her, a glass of blood in his hands.

"The girl. The one so bright--it's blinding and hot. The not Drusilla one."

"Yeah."

"Did she love you? Did she cry and mourn you?"

Spike paused. Did Buffy mourn for him? Did she cry? He shook his head. No, she couldn't have cried for him. He was just a vampire after all.

"I don't think so luv." He knelt down besides her, holding out the glass for her. She looked at it and turned away. "Rose, you need to eat."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do." Spike said, moving over to shove the glass under her nose. "You're wasting away--"

"Good." Rose said flatly, turning her face away from Spike and the foul swill he was trying to force her to drink.

Spike cursed before he grabbed her chin and pulled her jaw down so he could pour some of the blood down her throat. She struggled and choked before she slapped the glass away, shattering it against the wall, the blood dripping down the wall and to the floor as she turned on him. She punched him across the jaw, jumping onto him when he fell backwards and continued to pound his face before he threw her off. She rolled out into the messy, debris-covered living room, laying on the floor facedown as Spike stalked towards her.

She didn't put up a fight when Spike picked her up by the arms and pushed her up against the wall so her feet were barely touching the ground. He slapped her for good measure, her left cheek stinging red and tears filling her eyes even though they didn't fall as she stared at him unseeing.

"God damnit Rose stop this!! Don't give up just because he's gone!!" he growled, his eyes flashed golden. "I know what it's like, to feel as if your whole world is gone, to lose the most important person in your life. Its despair, wrenching and terrible, clawing away at you from the inside. It's in your throat, your chest and your stomach. It eats away at you until you're nothing but pain and guilt."

He let go of her, watching as she slowly slid down the wall. She shook her head, "Nooo---"

"Yes, it is." Spike kneeled down, holding her face in his hands gently. His eyes, holding such understanding and caring, locked onto dead ones.

"No." Rose said, pulling her hands up to his, intertwining their fingers. "I--feel---nothing---” Tears slipped from her eyes and down her face. "Gods, I wish I could feel that despair. That guilt. That pain. But I feel nothing. It's like there's nothing here." She wrapped her arms around him, her head buried against his neck, her cool breath tickling his neck as she spoke. "Cris is my whole world. My life, my love---I've been with him for decades, living and sharing, taking and giving a-and I feel---nothing now that he's gone. Why? Why can't I feel anything for him William?"

Spike held her tightly, rocking with her as she sobbed into his shirt, her fingers digging into his shoulder. Now that she got what was bothering her out, she could heal. Oh there was still a long way to go, a lot more tears, more rage and fights but there will be healing as well. The wound she received from losing Cris would never fully heal but at least, he could help her learn how to live with the pain. It was the best he could offer her.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

You're sick of feeling numb
You're not the only one
I'll take you by the hand, and show you a world that you can understand
This life is filled with hurt
When happiness doesn't work
Trust me, and take my hand when the lights go out, you'll understand

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Rose stood in the bathroom, freshly shower and clean from the tears and dust and blood, staring into the mirror and seeing nothing but the wall behind her. Vampires don't have a reflection and as she stared into the nothingness that is her, she understood why. She was nothing...nothing without her Cris, her husband and lover and best friend. The best thing that ever happened to her after being turned.

Her heart was still, unbeating as it has been for the last hundred so years since Angelus turned her. She felt it slow as he drained her and when she awoke the next night as a vampire, felt nothing from it even when Angelus started playing his sick twisted games with her and Spike. When he used their love for each other and used it against them, to make them resent each other as well make their bond stronger.

So when they, to save their own skin, abandoned her, she thought that nothing could heal the betrayal. But when she was with Cris, she felt her heart throb with joy and love and lust but it ached with pain and anger as well. They weren't perfect but who was? They fought like bitter rivals but more than made up for it when they forgave each other. He was The One.

She put her hand over her heart, her nails digging into her skin. She wanted to tear it out, to reach inside her chest, wrap her fingers around the dried up piece of meat and pull it out, to get rid of that emptiness and to feel something...even if it were pain.

She growled and pulled back her fist and smashed it in the mirror, shattering the glass into the sink. She didn't stop there, she reached for the shards and brought a jagged piece to her arm and ran the sharp edge up her arm, drawing deep red blood that spilled onto the floor. She switched hands and brought it up to her other arm, a long cut that burned with agony.

She giggled, a sad, pitiful giggled that grew into sobbing as the door busted opened. She turned around to see Spike and Angel standing there with stunned looks on their faces. She held up the broken glass, dripping with her blood and smiled brightly, the tear streaks glistening on her cheeks.

"I'm not empty anymore." she announced as she let the glass drop to the floor. She walked out of the bathroom, turning out the light and pushing pass the two vampires.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Pain- without Love
Pain- I can't get enough
Pain- I like it rough
Cuz I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

Pain- without Love
Pain- I can't get enough
Pain- when I get rough
Cuz I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"I don't like this at all Spike." Angel said, pacing in the living room. He limped slightly from a twisted knee but it was well on its way to healing fully. Illyria stood on one side of the room, her restless blue eyes watching him move from one side of the room to the other where Spike stood, bandages in his hands. "She's volatile and dangerous."

"Oh sorry, I think I missed her insane bloodletting there Peaches." Spike said sarcastic as he threw the bandages on the table. "She's missin' her husband. I can take care of her."

"You better. I don't like the fact that there's a pain addicted vampire loose in my city." Angel said, stopping in front of Spike.

Spike felt his hackles rise as he defended his cousin. "She's NOT addicted to pain."

"Did you see her Spike?" Angel asked. "After she cut herself, she was fine. She was talking and clearly understood what was happening around her except she didn't notice her arms or the fact that she was cut herself. On purpose!"

"It could have been an accident." Spike shot back hotly though he was having his doubts. When he was bandaging her cuts, he noticed that they too straight, too deep and too long to be an accident. And besides, broken mirrors didn't cut upward to the elbow. He growled in frustration and looked towards the room where Rose slept peacefully for the first time in days. "Bollocks!"

"The young one is hurting. Deep inside." Illyria said flatly, her ice-cold eyes burning with rage that had yet to be fulfilled. She was taking Wesley's death hard. Over the past few days, instead of taking time to heal, she went out and killed any demon that came across her path. Already the word of a blue woman were striking up fear as it spread. "She's not in control of her world anymore."

"She will hurt others to ease the pain of her own." Illyria tilt her head to the side. "I will kill her before she does so."

She made a step towards the Rose's room only to be stopped by Spike's angry growl. She looked towards him with mild curiosity as he vamped out.

"Don't. Touch. Her." he bit out. Angel stepped between the two of them, holding his hands up.

"Stop it. Now." Angel said. "This isn't helping."

"As you wish." Illyria said. She turned around and headed for the door. "This is pointless. There are demons that need to be killed."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Anger and Agony are better, than Misery
Trust me, I've got a plan when the lights go out, you'll understand

Pain- without Love
Pain- I can't get enough
Pain- I like it rough
Cuz I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

Pain- without Love
Pain- I can't get enough
Pain- when I get rough
Cuz I'd rather feel pain than nothing
Rather feel PAIN!

~*~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Rose sat up in bed, the fighting in the other room having gotten loud enough to wake her up. She put her legs up and wrapped her arms around them as she set her chin down on her knees. She felt the throbbing in her arms and the sharp pains as she stretched the healing muscles. She didn't remember how she got them and she was surprised when Spike started wrapping her arms. She smelled the blood, of course vampire here, but thought it was just his way of trying to force her to eat that disgusting swill he called blood.

She focused on the pain, letting it flow through her and awaking her body. She wasn't blind or stupid, though at time she did have her blonde moments. She cut herself. And that scared her...a lot. She hasn't been this scared since her days as human. It was back in the 1880's after her family's tragic death and didn't know what was going to happen to her. Before she was welcomed into William's and Lady Anne's home, where they told her that they were family, her family though distant.

She thought that she would always be with them. But then the Aurlieus came. Her loveable, shy cousin became William the Bloody, the vampire. Lady Anne disappeared. And she was once again left alone...until a few months later when she did find William and his new family. She was killed and turned.

She became one of the damned. Destined for hell and its fires, beyond any help.

She climbed out of bed. Time to make him see that she couldn't be saved.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

(I know, I know, I know) I know that you're wounded
(You know, you know, you know) That I'm here to save you
(You know, you know, you know) I'm here waiting for you
(I know, I know, I know) That you'll thank me later

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Spike and Angel sat on opposite sides of the room when she entered, drinking from two large bottles of booze. She didn't know what they were thinking, seeing that trying to get drunk clearly wasn't working. She made her way to Angel first, stood over him before bending down to pick up the chair and flipped it over with him in it.

Spike broke out into laughter at watching Angel tumbled backwards, flapping his arms before landing with a grunt. He missed the glare that Rose sent him until she threw a shoe at him, hitting his in the nose.

"OW! Bloody hell Rose!!" he groaned.

"You're an idiot. The both of you!" she screamed at them. "I'm a vampire!! I can't be saved."

Angel climbed to his feet, checking his hair and clothes as Spike stood up to join them. "We've noticed."

"And don't forget it Angelus. You're the cause to all of this!" Rose hissed, turning her blue eyes, bright with anger to him. Angel took a moment to notice that her eyes were the exact same color as Spike's when he got angry...which was all the time.

"I know." Angel said quietly. "But that wasn't me. I'm Angel now."

"The soul changes nothing."

"It changes everything."

Rose scoffed. "Is that why you were running an evil law firm? Why we had to come and save your ass?!" She hit his chest. "Cris is gone because of you!!" She remembered the feel of him in her arms, strong and warm, remembered hearing his gasp of surprise and pain as they looked down to see a large jaggedly pointed tail poking through his stomach. She looked into his eyes, saw his love and sadness and the faint smile on his lips before he was torn away, disappearing into the golden lights before being blinded and waking up in this hotel.

Angel let her beat him before Spike came up from behind her and held her tightly. She struggled weakly as the emptiness she felt rose up in her. Even the pain in her arms couldn't beat it back. It crippled her but didn't stop the pleading in her voice. "I hate this, I hate you but please--just make it stop. Please Sire?"

Angel felt his demon rise up; wanting to ease the pain his childe was feeling. But he wasn't ruled by his demon anymore. "I'm sorry Rose, I can't."

"You bastard. You won't." Rose said tearfully.

"That's right."

"Then kill me." Rose said. "Put a stake through my heart and be done with it."

"No."

"You're cruel. You're worst now than Angelus ever was." Rose screamed at him as he left.

Angel didn't replied as he slammed the door after him, walking down the hall of his hotel, her words troubling him. He was better than Angelus. So he made a couple of mistakes, he was only human after all...okay vampire but he had a soul that that meant something. He could never be human now, because he signed away his Shanshu but he could still do good.

He was deep in thought when he felt something break inside of him, causing his vampire face to come out as his demon rage and lament about the lost of a precious bond. He growled and made his way back to the room where he left Spike and Rose. He threw open the door to see Spike holding an unconscious Rose in his arms, her neck bleeding from twin puncture marks over her Sire marks.

Angelus' marks.

Angel's growl rose in the room and as unbelievably angry he was, Angel managed to spit out. "Spike, what have you done?"

Spike stood there, a shock look on his face as he looked down at Rose before he swallowed and looked up at Angel, ready to face the consequences. "What I had to--to save my cousin."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Pain- without Love
Pain- I can't get enough
Pain- I like it rough
Cuz I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

Pain- without Love
Pain- I can't get enough
Pain- when I get rough
Cuz I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all
Rather feel pain than nothing at all
Rather feel PAIN!

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

AN: Song is Pain by Three Days Grace

London, England 1882

------------------------------------

Roseanna stood among the headstones, her shoulders shaking slightly as she sobbed quietly into the cold night air. The fog was just beginning to roll into from the coast, fading everything into hazy blurs but she could still see the last of her family's headstones clearly.

A large headstone with a statue of an angel with its arms outspread, welcoming all in its embrace, sat on top as the names of the whole family Haldir was embedded into the stone. Chiseled and so final and yet there was one more space. One that would remind empty until a time it was to be filled.

Roseanna Jenna Haldir.

At seventeen, the prime of her life and she was alone to celebrate. A living tragedy.

Roseanna wiped at her tears as they blurred her vision, wondering why God was punishing her this way. First the mansion that had been in her family for decades burned down to ash, forcing her family to move to China for her father's business and then that sickness that took everyone she loved. She thought she would have died alone in the land that was her second home until she received a letter, biding her to come back to England.

What she thought would be misery turned out to be very different indeed.

For two years, she lived with her distant relatives Lady Anne and her son, William Harcourt. It was a time of healing and joy and for the first time in months, she felt absolutely at peace, believing that she was under God's good graces again. Lady Anne was a kind and loving soul, who never looked down at her and offered her lessons in how to be a true lady. Cousin William treated her kindly and allowed her to study under him as he had built up quite a collection of books and poems. He taught her languages and taught her to read and write though he stammered over her use of physical activity. But in China, she had a teacher and she never wanted to be lax.

It seemed like it could go on forever---

But now, standing over the graves of the last of her blood, she wished that she never been born if this was what life had for her.

Lady Anne Harcourt. Loving wife and mother. A fire had broken out that the townhouse she lived at during the season. All assumed she died in the blaze that destroyed the home. Some thought it was better that way since she had been sick a very long time.

Take another step to the side and there was another headstone.

Lord William Harcourt. Beloved son. He was a mystery. Everyone assumed that he had died in the same blaze that took his mother's life. That he ran into the fire in an effort to save her. But there were the sightings. From before and after the fire. None could be verified and Roseanna didn't want to live in question. She laid him to rest along side his loving mother and father.

"Now lass, don't be wastin' tears on those folks."

Roseanna turned around with a gasp, pulling her shawl tighter around her as a man stepped out of the fog. She shivered from the cold and unknown presence that stood before her.

"Cuz' a pretty face like yours, should be filled with joy an' a smile." the man said. He stopped a few feet away from her, his large thick form towering over her slight figure. "An' passion."

"Who are you sir?" Roseanna asked, lifting her chin up to show that she wasn't afraid when she was.

"Oh, I'm just a man out for a nice midnight stroll." he said, his voice smooth and heavy, seductive. But to Roseanna, it sounded fake and dangerous.

"In a graveyard?" Roseanna said. "With fog rolling out from the coast?"

The man smiled his teeth too white and his smile too wide.

"The same could be said about you lass. What's a pretty little thing like yourself doing wandering around---alone?"

Roseanna's eyes turned sad as she crushed the silk of her shawl in her fists. "I'm saying goodbye to everything I was. Everything is dead and ash and---" she looked down as the tears fell from her eyes. "I am a curse. Everyone around me dies and I don't know why."

"Aw lass." the man sighed dramatically. "Don't be talkin' like that."

"Its true sir!" Roseanna cried, looking at the man who was now much closer. It surprised her; she didn't hear him move at all. "If you value your life, you would leave me be and go on your way. Bad things will happen."

And to her dismay, he laughed. A huge, belly shaking laugh that rose to the sky, it was so loud and deep. Roseanna stepped closer, in awe in how he laughed. How she wished she could laugh like that again!

"Lass, I've seen horrors in which you haven't imagined. Now, don't fret for little ol' me. I assure you, I can take care of myself." he said, as he ran a finger down her cheek. She frowned slightly but it was gone in an instant. "I'm Angelus."

"Roseanna Haldir." she said with a nod of her head. "I apologize for my rude comments earlier. Grief has overwhelmed me and--" she looked down again, her heart thumping in her chest. She's never been alone with an unknown man before and it frightened her very much. Her cousin William was always sure to be at her side when a man came to woo her. Mostly by his prodding of course. She gave a sad sigh and turned back to the headstones, sending a prayer to the heavens.

Angelus approached her and very gently, put his hands on her shoulders. "Come now lass. I'll show you a new reason to never cry in sadness again."

"Thank you sir." Roseanna replied. "I would like that very much."

--------------------------

Los Angeles, 2003

Spike smoked in the open window, the sun hanging low on the horizon and creating long shadows over the city. A pile of butts lay scatted on the floor and mostly likely outside as well. He's been smoking alot since his claiming of Rose. She slept on the large bed, under neatly folded covers, unmoving and silent. To the entire world she was dead dead. But Spike knew that she was alive, in a sense, because he could sense her stirring through the bond he had with her now.

The bond between a Sire and a Childe.

Angelus was rightly pissed, but for different reasons than he spouted out. He was upset that Spike was taking an unsouled vampire under his protection. Angry that Spike was defending a known killer. Unspoken rage that Spike, once again, took something that was, by right, his. Angelus may not care a whit about his Childe anymore than he did back then, but she was HIS Childe. And Spike stole her right from under his nose.

He stormed out of the hotel after a bloody fight. If it weren't for Illyria pulling them apart and then pummeling them until they couldn't move, he was sure that they would have killed each off. He gave Spike a warning that if she ever killed anyone, that he would hold Spike personally responsible and hunt him and her down.

Spike didn't care about Angel's threats. He could beat that ponce. He did once before and he could do it again. It was Rose he was concerned about. She was his Childe now. She needed him to teach her the new rules that as her Sire, he was making for her.

A gasp from the bed broke into his thoughts and he threw the rest of his cigarette out the window before he walked over to the bed. It was dark in the room, the only light being from the outside. So when he sat down on the bed, he heard her whimper and he made an effort to keep the growl from rising in his chest. It was a defensive react, he knew, having Sired one or two vampires before.

"W-who are you?" she demanded as she scooted away from him. She held her hands up in fists. "I-I'll fight you for my honor sir! Stay away from me I warn you!"

"Rose, Rose, calm down, it's me." Spike said, holding his hands up in surrender. He saw her flinch from his voice and he wondered why.

She shook her head. "It can't be you. Y-You're dead."

"Well, it is me. I can prove it." Spike said. "Ahhh---the day you came to live with us, you wore a form fitting silk dress that had a dragon on it. I found it appalling but you loved it."

"Many people thought it appalling on my way into town." she said. "Proves nothing sir."

"Ahh-" he stopped to think of something when she started singing. "Early one morning---"

The song the First used as a trigger to unleash the beast and keep him in the dark about his killing back in Sunnydale. But before, it was the song his mother used to sing to him as a child and well into adulthood. "Stop."

Rose did. "You're not my William. William loved that song."

"Early one morning. A ditty my Mum used to sing to me all the time. I know." Spike said as he approached the bed. "It was long time ago but it does nothing for me anymore."

"I hardy call two years, a long time not William."

"Try two hundred luv."

"I'm not your luv. And since when did you start talking so vulgar?" Rose asked.

"So you believe me when I say that I'm your cousin William?" Spike quirked an eyebrow in surprise. That was fast.

"No." Rose said with a shake of her head as she climbed off the bed. "But you've shown that you don't wish me harm. So I shall trust you---for now."

She stood up, wobbling slightly but regained her footing. She looked around the room, frowning as she crossed her arms. "What is this place? And why are there no candles? It is dark in here."

"We're in L.A. And we don't need candles." he said as he walked over to the light switch. "I've kept it dark so you can rest."

He flipped on the lights. Rose yelped, closing her eyes at the brightness. She held her hands up to cover her eyes when she saw her arms. "What is this?" she cried out, looking at the tattoos that crawled up from the back of her hands, up her arms and stopping at her shoulders. Her black underwear showed that she always had tattoos on other places on her body. She gasped in shock when she saw that she was---"Where are my clothes?!"

She looked up at Spike and screamed, running back to the bed and jumping under the covers. She pulled them tight around her, leaving only her face exposed. It was bright pink with embarrassment. "You vulgar lout! You've seen my body and now I'm unclean. No respectable man would marry me now." She smiled at him. "I thank you."

"Pardon?" Now Spike was confused. She was running hot and cold. Was she always like this?

"Well, I never wanted to marry in the first place but my cousin William, who isn't you, pushed me to. He wanted the best for me, the sweet dear, but he didn't marry. So I why should I?" Rose explained. She went under the covers again and Spike watched as the covers moved with her. Soon she was sitting up with the covers still hiding her from sight as she poked her head out of an opening.

"So. You're not my William. But you look like him. So who shall I call you then?" Rose asked.

"Spike."

"Spike?" Rose tilt her head to the side.

"Spike." He gave a nod.

"Huh." She shrugged.

"Huh what?"

"Could that actually be a name?" she asked.

"Yes." Spike frowned as he crossed his arms. A growl rose from his throat. This was beginning to be a pain.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude." Rose said quickly. For some reason, she wanted to please this man. Something inside her pulled toward him but she fought against it. "I've never heard such a thing before."

"Well get used to it."

"Of course."

Spike growled again and walked out of the bedroom.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Rose yelled from the bed.

"I'm hungry and I'm sure you are too!" Spike yelled back.

Rose's stomach growled and she grabbed it as it cramped up. She bit her lower lip and waited for the pain to go away as she heard a 'Bloody Hell!' from a distance. She giggled from the curse.

When Spike entered the room again, he saw that Rose had found her stack of newly washed clothes. She tugged at the bottom of the belly shirt in an effort to make it cover her. It didn't help that the jeans she wore were low either. She yelped when she saw him and quickly donned a black coat from the floor. It covered her from shoulder to feet and she pulled it shut.

"Looks nice pet." he commented as she wore his coat, holding out a glass of blood.

"These clothes are indecent." she replied, as she took the glass from him. "Is this wine?"

"No."

Rose sniffed it, nearly drooling at the heavenly smell of it. She looked at him, vamped out and chugged the whole glass down. Spike watched in relief as she took the whole thing down without gagging. When she drank most of the blood, she stuck out her tongue, licking the inside of the glass before using her finger to get the parts her tongue couldn't reach. When she was done, she looked sheepishly at Spike, who still hadn't drunk from his glass yet.

"Sorry." she de-vamped. "This stuff was delicious. What was it?" she asked as she set the glass down on the bedside counter.

'The moment of truth.' "It was---" he put the glass to his mouth. "Blood."

Rose stared at him. "Excuse me? I must have heard you wrong, what with the glass mumbling your words but did you say that it was blood?"

He nodded. "Yes."

A pause.

"You must be lying. Only Satanist and vampires drink blood." she said. "I know because I used to sneak peeks in the forbidden books my cousin hid in his library."

"It was blood---and I knew you were doing that! I just didn't have proof!" Spike exclaimed.

"The point is--" she said meaningfully with her hands on her hips. "I don't drink blood. I'm not a vampire or Satanist."

"Rose, I would like to explain some things to you---" Spike said.

"My name is Roseanna."

"Its Rose. It's been Rose since Angelus turned you---about two hundred years ago." Spike said. "You're a vampire now."

"I? Me? A vampire?"

Spike nodded.

"No?"

Spike sighed and vamped out. Rose shrieked and fell backwards. She sat on the ground and looking up at Spike in wonder as he approached her. He kneeled in front of her. "Now, you do the same."

She shook her head. "I can't do that. I'm human."

"You're a vampire Rose. Now, concentrate and bring the beast forward." he said. Rose frowned but did as he said with little effort. "Now, reach up and touch your face."

Rose did, running her fingers over the bumps and ridges on her forehead. She moved down and ran her fingers over her fangs, nicking herself on one. The drop bloomed on her finger and she sucked it into her mouth, the taste so delicious on her tongue. She looked around and spotted the glass on the bedside table. She grabbed it and looked in on it, twisting and turning the glass in her hand, searching.

"Rose?" Spike asked, gently stopping her.

"I have no reflection." she said in a small voice, still looking at the glass before catching his eyes. Hers were bright with unshed tears. "I am a monster."

"No. You're not anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Did you know that vampire's can have souls?" he asked helping her to stand.

My name is Buffy Anne Summers.

I'm just a girl who does her part in fighting against the evils of the night, the creatures that lurk when the sun goes down. I've taken on my share of demons, gods and vampires. I'm good at what I do.

"T-minus five minutes."

I'm a legend.

I'm the longest living Slayer in written history. Before it was blown up at the former Watcher's headquarters. Now there is a New Watcher's Headquarters. With new Watchers. And new Slayers.

"We're close to the mark Madam."

Oh yeah.

That.

No one calls me Buffy anymore except my friends when they come around. If ever. Since my blow up, they've kept their distance.

"Madam? The Slayers are ready."

It's always Madam, Sir, or General. And my least favorite---

"Slayer, we're ready to go."

Slayer. It was once just a title given to one girl in all the world. Now there are many across the globe. I'm not the only one anymore. So stop calling me Slayer. There was only one person in the whole world who was really allowed to call me that. But he's---

"--dead or nearly dead. The cult is fairly new, but it has followers coming in droves. They gather the newly dead and dying to use them in arcane rituals. The belief is that in doing so, will grant the casters great power by stealing the life energy of the bodies. In essence they steal souls."

"Our sources say that the cult has become more bold, grabbing more and more people, in broad daylight and even whole families to be used in this ritual tonight. But there is something else. Key members of the cult will be here for the ritual. With all the people they've gathered, it will equal in great power. Which is why we strike them hard and we strike them fast and wiping out the leadership of the cult and leave it weak to the point it can't recover."

I'm sorry Angel. For not believing in you. Willow's news about this man Gunn, opened my eyes to the truth of your operation in L.A. How you went out fighting against the Senior Partners and closed the gateway between them and us. I'm sorry I didn't trust you enough for you to come to us for help.

Buffy stood up as the helicopter slowed and hovered above a building's skylight. Below was the gathering of the newest cult that came, hoping to fill the void that was left behind after the Immortal's death. Over the last few weeks, there had been a rise in demons and cults and societies trying to take over. But the Slayers stood in their way.

This was the third operation in a week.

With the destruction of this cult, Buffy could take a break from slaying and get away with Dawn to someplace they didn't have to worry about demons or cults or hurtful memories of betrayals.

She hadn't spoke to Giles or Andrew in weeks since she learned of Spike's resurrection and his final fight against the Senior Partners alongside Angel and his team. Speaking of either was a taboo subject and no one brought it up which is how she liked it. For right now, she had a mission to complete.

She hooked her scythe to her back before hooking her line to the helicopter as five girls joined her. Chloe, and Rhonda were the familiar faces, having decided to stay in Rome with Buffy and Dawn as they trained new Slayers here.

Blonde, green eyed Jenna was from France and knew how to fight from her grandfather, a veteran of World War II. Melody, the newest face among the team was Italian and lived in Rome her whole life. This was her first mission. Bev was from the far North, namely Russia and never spoke unless she had too. She was hard to get used to but remained loyal.

"Ready girls." Buffy asked, looking at the Slayers around her before focusing her attention to the skylight right below her. She could see that the cult had already started gathering the people they planned on sacrificing in a circle in the middle of a symbol that was drawn the ground. Candles were lit around the room as the cult, robed in dark red with their faces covered under a hood start to chant with their arms raised to the sky without looking up.

"We're good to go."

"Proceed with the attack. Now."

Buffy jumped out of the helicopter with the other girls following after her.

===================

Buffy sat on the overturned statue of some demon god, looking bored as the clean up crew started---well cleaning up the mess the Slayers made during this mission. They helped the captured humans out of the building, talking to them and calming them down. More than a few had to be taken out on wheels, too hurt or traumatized to move by themselves. They would be rushed to the local hospital that knew about the Slayers. Later one of the witches would put a minor forgetting spell on the few who didn't want to remember what happened to them here,

The Slayers themselves were looking around the place with the few Watchers that joined them for the mission, lifting up heavy stones or knocking down walls to get to the hidden caches in the building. The Watchers were gathering all the artifacts and spells scattered around the building, to be studied or destroyed as the new Council saw fit.

The mission was a success.

They managed to stop the cult from stealing the souls for themselves and on a higher note, from raising the demon god Buffy was currently sitting on. The Watchers said that raising her would have been the start in a chain of events that would destroy the city and eventually the world--

"Buffy!"

"Well that's a first." Buffy muttered as she stood up and stretched as a trio of girls ran up to her. This was their first mission so they had the awe and disbelief on their faces of what they witnessed. "Yeah?"

"You have to come see this."

Buffy nodded and grabbed her scythe as she followed the trio to a underground catacomb. Rome had hundreds of thousands of them all over, it was like its own little city underneath a city. Since moving to Rome, she spent a lot time here, fighting and dealing with the various demons that made them their home.

"This way." one of the girl waved her after them as they ducked under a low hanging ceiling.

"What--" Buffy started asking before her question dropped off. "--are--we"

The girls kneeled around the body of a boy, no older than Dawn. He was incredibly pale and with his black hair, he looked even paler. He looked like he was naked but one of the girls decided to cover him with their jacket. He was laying on his stomach, both arms outstretched as if he was trying to escape by crawling before passing out. His wrists were bloody and raw as if he had something on them. As Buffy looked around her, she could see that he left a faint trace of blood on the ground. She walked forward to check him over but on the girls stopped her.

"He's hurt."

"Then call one of the cleaners to come pick him up."

"We can't."

"Why not?" Buffy demanded her hands on her hips as she glared at the young Slayers. "He could be dying and you're not helping by preventing him medical help."

The girls looked at each other before they lifted the jacket for Buffy to see.

He had a tail.

She bent down as another girl lifted up his hair to show her that he had cat ear hidden in his hair. They lifted his eyelids to show her that he had golden eyes.

"He's a demon."

"And we're supposed to kill demons."

"But when he found him, he was actually upstairs in chains with a bunch of guards watching him."

"When he fought them, they tried taking him away but he fought against them---"

"So they stabbed him."

"We lost track of him---"

"And found him here."

"We don't know what to do."

"So--can you help us?"

Buffy looked at the girls. They were so young, around 15 years old, who didn't understand why they saw nightmares in their dreams or why they were incredibly strong. They didn't know why they were asked to move away from home to learn about Slayers. They didn't know about demons until they faced their first one as a group. They were as frighten about this situation they found themselves in as they were when they first got the kill.

But unlike her, they had help to understand why. New Watchers, new rules and more girls they could meet who were just like them.

"I'll help." Buffy replied. "We'll take him back to HQ. He's hurt and he needs attention." She reached him and saw that he had a large nasty looking scar on his back, as if something stabbed him from behind.

"Are you sure?"

"Won't they want to kill him?"

"No. He'll be under my protection." Buffy said as he rolled him over to check on the wound. It didn't look to be deep, but all the mud and grime wasn't helping it either.

"Promise?"

"I promise." Buffy said as she picked up the boy, making sure that he was wrapped up in the coat before they started out of the catacombs.

===============

Off in a distance, someone stood hidden in the shadows as it watched Buffy and the young Slayers take away the boy it was sent to capture with through green eyes.

It hissed in displeasure as it melted further into the darkness. Its masters would not be pleased to know about this.

Chapter 6: Delusions

"Amazing." she said in wonder as she played with the light switch controlling the lights of the lobby area. Angel stood the front desk, looking over the newspaper of the day. He was looking for any bizarre deaths or accidents from the night before.

Click.

"---supposed attack happened at the old bridge." he read along before---

Click.

He sighed in frustration as the room went dark again. He breathed out, counting to ten as the lights flipped back on. He waited for a minute as he heard Rose run into the kitchen to play with the lights there. He started reading again, ignoring the sounds of boots against the hardwood floor when the room went dark yet again. "Damn it." he muttered under his breathe before yelling. "Spike!"

Click.

"Come along now Rose." Spike said as he rushed up to his cousin, pulling her away from the lobby light switch. "How bout we leave the lights alone right?" he said, his hands on her shoulders.

"Lights? More like the sun! I can brighten the world and plunge it into darkness again---" Rose started as she was dragged from the magic switch, looking back at it longingly. She liked it. It was amazing that one little switch could make the whole world light up. Back at home, only the very rich could afford such devices and only in a few choice rooms. But here it was in every room and sometimes there were more than one. "Where are we going?"

"I'm gonna to take you outside for a bit of fresh air." Spike said, putting one arm around her as he lead her towards the door. It was night now so he thought it would be safe for him to take her outside. "Angel we're going out!"

"Can I pet the horses? Do we still use horses or---" Rose's question was cut off as the doors shut after them.

"Finally!" Angel sighed. He shook the newspaper and started reading it again when he heard screaming coming from outside. He looked up in alarm as Rose ran back inside the building as if the hounds of hell were chasing her, screaming all the while. She froze in the middle of the lobby unsure where to go.

"What is it?" Angel asked. Rose saw him and ran towards him, jumping over the counter and hiding behind it, looked up at him with fear in her eyes. "Rose what's wrong?"

"Monster! Demon from hell sent to drag me to Satan himself!" Rose choked out, her eyes wide as she poked her head up from her hiding spot. "They've come for me, I'm sure of it! They said that they would!"

"Bloody bus it was." Spike groused, walking in with blood on his face. "We were just crossing the street and she bloody flipped when she saw the bus coming at us." He licked the blood from his fingers as he fingered the scratches on his face.

Angel rolled his eyes before folded the paper up. There was no way he could finish the paper until Rose learned everything about the world she found herself in. Like a child, she needed someone to teach her about the world and everything in it before she would be able to take care of herself. "Come on child, you must be feeling hungry."

"Yes." Rose replied. "You won't let the demon take me? Please. I don't want to go to Hell. I've done nothing wrong."

Spike spared a glance at Angel before shaking his head. "Bollocks."

"I'll die before I let that happen luv." Spike said, leaning over the counter to look at her. Rose seemed to think about this before she let him pull her to her feet. "Come on, I'm feeling peckish myself."

She smiled. "What are we having?"

"Pig."

"Oh I love pork with mash--!" She stopped when Angel handed her a cup of blood. "Oh. Right."

For a second there, she had forgotten that she was a vampire. Another delusion.

She looked at the cup before looking over her shoulder. The man stared at her through dead eyes, his face a mass of bruises. "Cheers mate." she said raising her cup to him. He didn't respond.

Spike sensed a change overcoming Rose. "Rose, what are you looking at?"

"Hmm? Oh nothing to worry about Spike." Rose replied, turning back to her cousin. "Just a shadow."

Spike quirked an eyebrow before nodding. "Okay."

"I'm sorry I hurt you." she said, touching the bloody lines on his face. "Can you show me that picture box again? That---telly thing?" she asked him, wanting to change the subject. "I just love it!"

"Sure sweetling." Spike said, leading her out of the kitchen and into office where a tv sat on a desk. "I'll even show you the best show ever written--Passions!"

=====================

A few hours later, with dawn coming everyone decided to retire for the day. Rose sat on her bed, her legs drawn up to her chest, leaning her chin on her knees. She saw that it was bright outside, the sunlight poking its light into the room once in a while through the thick curtains. Spike put them up just before dawn, telling her that she needed to keep the sun out at all times.

She loved the sun. She spent what time she could in it.

But now--now it could kill her. It will burn her. As much as she loved it, she couldn't go back to it. And it broke her heart.

She looked at the burnt skin on her left hand. Of course she should have known, Spike had explained to her about the dangers of the sun, crosses and everything fatal to a vampire. He wanted to take care of her. Like William took care of her as a child. Like Lady Anne.

She sniffed back her tears as she thought of her dead aunt. She missed her ever so.

"Don't cry dearie. She's in a better place. She's resides in heaven luv, while I live in hell."

Rose looked up at the fancy dressed woman with the large feather in her hat standing at the end of her bed. She was deathly pale with dark shadows under her eyes. Her neck was bent in a odd way with twin puncture marks on her neck.

"Were you bad?" Rose asked softly.

"I'm not a sinner!" Rose squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears as the woman screamed at her. She shivered as she slowly opened her eyes. The woman was gone. Rose didn't think this as odd. That woman wasn't the first to visit her. And Rose knew that the woman wouldn't be the last. She laid down, hugging the pillow close to her as she closed her eyes to sleep as the voices echoed in the room.

"Look at you---"

"Lying sweet little girl---"

"My baby. He was right in arms---"

Rose whimpered, pulling a pillow over her head to drown out the voices. She just wanted to sleep. Sleep cause she was tired, tired of hearing them, of being here in this unknown place. She was tired of being alone. Tired of this delusion.

================

He bent to kiss, very gently, the curve of her stomach. His hands stroked her soft, yet muscular thighs, slowly parting them until he found the familiar swelling of her flesh that was his alone to know. He touched it then, felt its heat and wet, and his world came very close to exploding. He felt the blood rushing through his veins, felt again that familiar sensation of being so high, so powerful, so masterful, so on top of the world and so very much in love with the woman lying quiescent before him that... My God... He needed to tell it, to share it, somehow. He didn’t know if there were even words at all for this, but still, he needed and wanted so very much...

He lay down beside Buffy, still fingering the entrance to his beloved’s body, molding himself close, resting his head against the smoothness of a shoulder, nuzzling it, stroking it with his cheek. His whisper, when it came, barely seemed to be in his own voice. "Have I ever told you that this is my favorite part?"

The blonde head turned and Spike kissed the warm flesh beneath his lips.

"When I take the time to get you ready for me... Oh, Buffy, there’s nothing like it in the world. When I touch you here, slip into you, reach up deep inside of you with my finger, feel you opening up for me..." A second digit joined the first, and Buffy’s body quivered in reaction as Spike found her G-spot.

"Spike."

"There’s nobody else who gets to be this close to you, nobody else you want like this, nobody else who feels you relaxing and opening and accepting more and more... Only me." A third finger, and Buffy gasped with pleasure, clutching the silk sheets tightly. She was shaking now, seemingly desperate with need.

"And I feel you so hot and tight around me and I feel you squeezing me, reaching for me deep inside, wanting me..."

"Oh Spike---"

Spike felt the sweat gathering in the cleft between her breasts. He rubbed his face against it, tasting it, and knew that it was almost time. Buffy’s hips were thrusting back and forth now against the pressure of his hand and she was obviously ready for more, wanted more, wanted what she only ever wanted Spike to give her. He slid across her body, slipping up and over, positioning himself. He was rock solid and clamped down hard at the first brush of his engorged penis against her slippery folds... Can’t lose it yet, not yet...

"Spike!"

Spike jerked awake when something soft hit him in the head, smothering him. He pulled it off with a growl and his eyes flashing as he faced his attacker. They better pray that it was worth it because he felt like doing serious damage to them, in the rip-out-their-innards-and-choke-em kind of way---

"Rose?!" He gasped. She was kneeling on the bed, wearing one of his t-shirts since he didn't have a chance to take her shopping for more clothes. It was mid thigh to her and--- He quickly grabbed the pillow she had thrown at him and put it over his lap, hiding his erection from her. Lucky for him, she didn't seem to notice.

She just looked at him, her eyes half open and her hair falling over half her face. She push it back weakly before she made some kind of sound, like a mew or whimper, he wasn't sure. But he could tell that something was bothering her as she slapped herself on the face. She slapped herself again---

"Rose what's wrong?" Spike asked, startled by her actions, grabbing on to her hand to keep her from hitting herself. He opened the bond with her and felt how tired she was but the fear that she had when she closed her eyes.

She looked at him as if she were truly seeing him, her cheek red from her own slaps. "Huh?"

"Are you alright?"

Rose frowned, thinking his question through before she smiled. "Yeah, just--can't sleep and---can I sleep with you?"

"Well--uh--I think---" The throbbing in his lap was saying otherwise. It was mortifying that his kid cousin would be here when he needed to wank off. Not to mention, he was naked underneath the covers. "I don't think---"

"Its just too loud in my room." Rose said, crawling up to him. She didn't make a move to pull the covers over her as she snuggled up to Spike, who was still shocked at her actions. "I can't sleep with all the noise."

She grabbed his arm and pulled it to her, using it as a pillow and sighed contentfully. "It's so quiet here---Night--" she mumbled as she drifted off to sleep. "--stupid delusions--"

Spike watched as Rose slept on his arm. "Well bugger." he grumbled as he settled down, keeping the pillow on his lap and tried to get back to sleep.

Somehow.

A few weeks later...

In the center of the Slayer HQ, was a garden with a fountain surrounded by trees, flowers and grass. It was the training center, Slayer gathering, lunch time hangout and basically the place to meet friends and chat. But to a boy and his Slayer, it was haven.

Buffy watched as the teenaged boy chased the fireflies in the garden, his laughter ringing in the air. She smiled as he slipped but quickly got up, brushed his black hair behind his ears before he started the chase again.

Though completely healed from his wounds, he was still scarred from his ordeal at the hands of the cult. Case in point, he didn't speak. And no amount of prodding and questioning would reveal anything. If he had anything to reveal because on further study, it was learned that he didn't have much of a memory either.

Amnesia.

Created from the heighten stress and terror to protect himself, was the diagnosis given to her by the doctors. It was unknown if it would be permanent or temporary. It would be best if he was given over to people who would help him but Buffy didn't want doctors or Watchers having control over every aspect of his life. They didn't seem like the caring loving people a young and unknown demon would need right now.

And he was a demon. One look at the black cat ears and the pensile furry black tail and golden eyes, and you knew that he wasn't normal. A few tests showed that he was almost as strong as a Slayer, he healed quickly and he was extremely flexible, agile and his body was lighter than normal humans. His eyes allowed him to see in the dark and his ears could pick up sounds from long distances. Plus he threw up in his mouth, to re-chew the food he ate just minutes before. Not very pleasant to witness at the dinner table---or ever.

Buffy took him to live with her and Dawn at their apartment, letting him take over Andrew's room since he moved to England to escape her wrath, the spineless dweeb. Since he was a demon, he couldn't go to a normal school so he studied with the other Slayers, or rather sat in class, looking bored and staring out the window. He aced all his tests despite never having spent time studying or doing homework, speaking of his high intellect. He understood Chinese, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian, surprising and frustrating everyone as he broke the language barrier without saying a word.

He knew all these things and yet he didn't know who he was or what he was. And this frustrated him to no end.

He couldn't explain the tattoos marring his skin or the pierces. He couldn't explain why he liked wearing eyeliner or painting his fingernails. Nothing to help him understand why he liked to listen to hard techno, loud metal and screaming punk music. Nothing to say when he jumped around and danced when a certain song played on the radio or TV.

The Watchers were searching for his species in hopes of finding out what kind of demon he was. He didn't show any dangerous demonic habits other than pulling pranks that landed him in detention. The Slayers on the other hand knew who he was. The lone demon in their ranks who remained a mystery and who shown no interest in any of the girls who tried to grab it. His focus was on one woman, which was how he got his name.

Demon is Buffy's.

Dib for short.

As he was healing from his wounds, it was Buffy who came to visit him, talk to him when she had the time. When he healed from his wounds, he would search the grounds for Buffy, remaining at her side when he did. No one could break him of his habit and the few times that he was forced away from her and when she was on a mission, he became agitated and sullen. The only thing that could break him of his mood was when Buffy showed up.

Dib jumped up into the air, clapping his hands together and fell to his knees. He looked down at his hands before running up to her with his hands closed.

"Did you catch something Dib?" Buffy asked. He nodded and carefully opened his hands to show her the two glowing fireflies. "Wow."

He smiled before opening his hands all the way, releasing the fireflies. Buffy giggled as Dib started purring as she ran her fingers through his black hair, his tail twitching in pleasure. She stroked his ears, earning herself a louder purr. Dib liked it when she played with his ears. He reminded her of a giant kitty cat.

He smiled at her, his golden eyes shining brightly before he frowned.

"Dib?" Buffy frowned as well. "What's---"

He yelled out, his voice hoarse from lack of use as he fell back, clutching his head in pain. Buffy reached for him, wrestling with him as he shook violently on the ground. Finally, she pinned him underneath her, holding his arms down by his head. He went limp suddenly; his eyes squeezed shut as he panted on the ground.

It was over.

"Buffy!"

She looked up as the young Slayers, Aimee, Brenda and Kat, ran up to them, breathless from running. They witnessed Dib's seizures and ran over to help. They liked Dib and he liked them as well. Since they were the ones who found him, he had grown fond of them, spending what little time away from Buffy with them.

"What happened?" Aimee asked, brushing her short red hair from her face.

"Was it another one?" Brenda asked, kneeling down to check on Dib. He opened his eyes, confused with a hint of tears. "Dib? Are you alright?"

He shook his head, wincing when he did as Kat helped him and Buffy to their feet. His ears laid flat against his head. He wiped his eyes, smearing his eyeliner as he turned to Buffy. He started motioning with his hands frantically.

"What is he saying General?" Kat asked Buffy.

"A tour bus. Near the river on the east side. A gang of demons will attack them, kill them." Buffy said, reading what Dib was signing her. "Not much time is left. We have to hurry." she told the young Slayers before turning back to Dib. "Dib?"

Dib shook his head, motioning with his hands before taking a step back from Buffy as he pressed his palm against his throbbing temple. He was telling her to go do her Slayer business. He would be okay by himself.

"You sure Dib?" Buffy asked him. She didn't like seeing him in pain like this. "Kat will stay with you okay?"

He nodded, signing that he would go find Dawn and take some pills for his headache. Buffy gave him a small smile before she followed Aimee and Brenda to the compound to stop the tour bus attack.

Dib and Kat headed for the compound at a slower pace, Kat linking her arm with him. You didn't need to see the whip lashing of his tail to know that he hated, hated having visions.

====================

Later that night, Buffy walked into the apartment she shared with Dawn and Dib, sighing as she stretched to loosen up. It was a successful night. They stopped the tour bus massacre before the demons had a chance to make their presence known. The bus drove right by the location Dib described, where a team of Slayers lead by Buffy fought and killed the demons.

They were none the wiser.

She walked into the kitchen to see Dawn in her pj's pulling milk out of the fridge. Dawn was older and much taller, to Buffy's proud if miffed pleasure. She was enrolled in a private school, getting the full on normal girl experience. Buffy was glad. Dawn deserved to have a normal life. But Dawn set her sights on being a Watcher, saying that she can't abandon the fight after everything she's been through. After high school, she planned on going to the New Watchers Council in England and start her training sans Giles' help.

She took Andrew's and Giles' secrets about Angel's battle and Spike's resurrection to heart, refusing to talk about them at all. Buffy hoped that it would pass, seeing how Giles' was the father figure that Hank never was. She didn't want Dawn to regret losing that relationship.

Like she regretted losing her friendship with Spike the year before.

"Oh. Hi Buffy." Dawn smiled at her sister. "I thought you would still be out. Kat gave me the heads up about Dib's vision. So, did everything turn out okay?"

"Yeah." Buffy said, rolling her shoulders. "We had a team so we made short work of them. How's Dib?"

"Still all headachy." Dawn said with a shrug. She poured milk into a bowl with a mixture of different cereals. "He took some pills and went to straight to bed. He didn't look too good and he didn't want to eat dinner. Which kinda worries me since he's like an eating machine."

She put the milk back in the fridge, pausing as she closed the door. "They're getting worse aren't they?"

Buffy sighed before nodding. She didn't want to keep secrets from Dawn since the Giles' incident. "Yeah. The Watchers are looking into visions and seers but nothing explains how he got them or why. They're puzzled on why a demon would get visions that have people in danger."

"Cuz he's a good demon." Dawn said happily as she chewed on her cereal before pausing. "Right?"

====================

Dib flipped on his stomach, clutching the pillow close as he dreamed.

He could hear a woman's laughter amid the screams. His heart was pounding in his chest as the sounds of hoofs pounded the ground around him. He looked around him, seeing the orange glow of fires and blackness of smoke, filling the night air with danger and terror. He saw people running and crying. He saw some people tackle the others and then suddenly shift faces and bite down.

Vampires!

But he wasn't afraid. And he didn't seem to care as he walked past a vampire biting a woman. He was searching for someone and it wasn't him or her. It looked like he was in a small villa somewhere in Greece. He recognized the white wash stone buildings. The laughter sounded again, closer than before. It was a rush, of joy and unbridled passion as he searched for the location of the laughter, the sound of it going straight down to his gut and lower. Where---

"Here." She was right next to him, speaking into his ear, sending delicious shivers down his spine. "I'm right here, waiting for you."

He turned to see her but when he did, she was gone. He frowned, puzzled before he caught a glimpse of her standing in front of a burning building. She was bouncing on her toes, her hands crossed behind her as her long hair swung along with her bouncing. He could see her flesh glowing in the firelight, covered by the tiniest of shorts and low/high cut shirt, both red. He couldn't see her face, the smoke and light blocking his view.

"Who are you?" he asked her as he walked towards her.

"I'm yours." she replied and he knew that she was grinning. "Who are you?"

"I'm---" he stopped right in front of her.

"Are you mine?" she asked him, stepping around him so he could finally see her features. He was stunned to see how blue her eyes were. To see the love in them. It set him afire. "Truly?" She wrapped her arms around his waist, bringing him close to her soft yet firm body.

He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He cleared his throat and tried again. Nothing.

The girl grew sad, pulling away from him. "Don't you love me Cr---?"

"Dib!"

Dib woke from his dream, startled as Buffy knocked on his door. "Dib, its time to get ready for school!"

He shook the sleep from his head, frowning as he tried to remember what he was dreaming about. He yawned and reached for a towel amid the dirty clothes on the floor. Well, if he couldn't remember now, then it was probably nothing worth remembering. Nothing came to mind except--he remembered sad blue eyes.

Maybe he could ask the Doc about it today during his session.

Grunts and growls could be heard in the small room. The sound of metal hitting metal ringed through the air with the brief, "Bloody Hell!” and "Son of a--" as someone got a close call of the dustpan kind.

Angel and Spike were fighting.

Again.

"Point!" Rose called out without looking up from her task as Spike was knocked off his feet with Angel pointing the sword at his throat. "12-13. Angel ahead by one!"

"You're not even paying attention!" Spike yelled out as he jumped to his feet and circled around Angel before he lunged at him. They started fighting again.

Rose looked up to tilt her head at Spike. "Well I'm bored. All you two do is fight all the time. I mean, bloody hell, you guys are pretty much even with each other. You beat him up. He beats you up. Illyira beats you both up. And everyone beats up on me, cuz I may have the skills but not the memories to use them."

She jumped up from her seat on the stacked mats as Spike elbowed Angel in the face, making his nose bleed. They threw down the swords and vamped out, using fists and fangs to continue fighting.

"Why is that exactly anyways?" she asked them, with an angry pout and her hands on her hips. "I mean, I'm like 100 years old but yet, I have no recollection from the time I've met him--" she pointed to Angel who was in an arm bar. "And waking up with you." She pointed to Spike, who was in a headlock.

"You'll remember luv." Spike wheezed. "It'll come."

They fell to the ground, refusing to be the one who let go. Letting go now would be sign of defeat and none of them wanted to lose to the other. Rose watched, shaking her head at them as they continued squeezing and pulling. She could see that they were in pain and getting woozy. "Oh for crying out loud! It's a tie!"

They let go and rolled away from each other, both panting and staggering about. Rose sighed and went to the mini fridge and pulled out some blood for the three of them. Just watching them made her hungry. She tossed a packet to each of them before tearing into her own.

"Would I want to remember?" she asked. "Cuz Hello! Vampire, bloodsucker and hunter of the innocent before I got a soul." She gleaned that off the TV. Angel has basic cable and Rose spent alot of her time glued to the screen in an effort to learn about the world. Plus she wasn't allowed out by herself. "From what I understand, either I'll spend a hundred years hunting rats or hide in a basement speaking to ghosts for half a year. Which, lucky me, hasn't happened yet. Maybe my sins weren't that bad and my soul isn't as tortured as you two."

Angel raised his eyebrow at Spike for that little spin he gave her. Angel was unsure about that little lie, knowing how lies tended to blow up in everyone's faces but Rose swallowed it, hook, line and sinker. She believed that she had a soul like them. It was how she explained away the spirits she kept seeing. Angel was looking into why she was being haunted by spirits but so far came up empty.

"Yeah, yeah, cry all you want, its past." Rose said to the air behind her. "Whatever! Go away, you're bothering me."

"Spirits again?" Spike asked, crumbling his packet and throwing it in the trash.

"Yeah. Geez, you'd think they'd give it a rest already." Rose groused, folding her empty packet and then throwing it away.

When Rose first told them about the spirits, they doubted her. And then they became worried as Rose started lashing out for no apparent reason. She never wanted to be alone and when she was, she turned on all the lights, stereos and TV’s until someone came back. Said that it made it easier to ignore them.

She slept with Spike, in his bed, much to Spike's frustration. The upside was that it gave her the time to sleep and a well rested vampire was a happy vampire. The downside was he couldn't kick Rose out to her own room so he could get his jollies because she would pull the wounded Victorian girl on him and he couldn't handle that.

"Gods, I wish that there was a spell to quiet spirits from souled vampires." Rose sighed dramatically. "How do you guys do this?"

Spike grinned and threw her the sword. She caught it with ease, which surprised her. "Give us your best shot pet."

====================

"Ow! Ow! Owie!"

"You shoulda ducked." Spike said to Rose as he cleaned the cut on her arm.

"You shoulda held back. I'm a girl for crying out loud! You know, weak and helpless." she whined as she pulled back her arm from the stinging solution he was using.

"It’s the 21st century luv." Spike said as he threw away the bloodied cotton and wraps. "Women aren't helpless. They aren't weak. They can be their own person now and believe me pet, they pretty much demand it." He shook his head. "I've had plenty of experiences on that."

"Well it’s still the 19th century for me." Rose said, looking at the wound. It wasn't as bad as she made it out to be. "I'm still shell shocked at how much everything changed. Its feels like a dream sometimes. Like one day, I'll wake up in England at the Manor in my own bed. That everything was just a horrible nightmare. But then I remember--I'm a vampire with a soul in the America. A hundred years have gone by and I don't remember any of it."

"Rose--"

"I have you though." Rose said. She smiled at Spike. "You may not be William anymore but you're still my cousin. Still my blood. And that makes it bearable."

Spike felt his chest tighten at her words. How was it that she could say something like that and make it sound like it’s the ultimate truth? How could anyone say that she didn't have a soul? But she didn't. He knew this and he fed her a lie. He just hoped that she wouldn't find out. So far, he and Angel have taught her control over the bloodlust. How to turn that hunting instinct from humans to demons. To fight not for the mere pleasure of it but for the greater good and to protect the weak and stupid.

Well okay that was his point of view. Angel was the one teaching her to fight the good fight. He could care less---if any really. He was always up for a fight and fighting against evil was just his way of releasing his tension, his frustration and just for the hell of it. Plus he didn't want the world to end; he liked it the way it was.

"So. Are you up for tonight?" he asked her, shifting away from the serious mood to a lighter one. "Hunting or baiting?"

"Can we go to a club?"

"Sure."

"Then I'm the bait and you're the hunter." Rose said cheerfully.

====================

"--and we believe it’s not the real me.
Somebody help me tame this animal!
This animal. This animal."

The music blared through the small club as the dancers jerked and jumped on the dance floor. Spike stood near the bar with a half empty whiskey bottle by him. It's been four hours now, and still nothing. No vampires. No demons. Hell, not even a drunk frat boy to kick around.

Tonight was just dead.

He looked out over the dance floor and spotted Rose surrounded by girls and guys, vying for her attention. She was smoking hot tonight. She went for tight and small tonight. A tiny pink tank top that was small enough to only cover her breasts covered by a black mesh long sleeved shirt. She wore tight back jeans that were ripped in all kinds of areas that shouldn't have been ripped and high heeled platform boots. Her hair was twisted up to spike out but she had plenty more loose and it swung like rope as she jumped around to the song.

"But there's still rage inside.
Somebody get me through this nightmare.
I can't control myself!"

As the chorus started up, Rose jumped from body to body, a large smile on her face as she enjoyed the contact. She's been cooped up at the hotel on Spike's sayso and he used his status as her Sire, to make her follow him. As annoyed it made her, she understood. She didn't know the world outside the hotel that much. It was still taking some time to get used to riding in a car, seeing the city lights that glowed at night and not to mention the freedom given to women and men.

Right now, she was on a rush, feeling the blood pumping through the veins of the dancers around her. She was pulled close to men, feeling something hard pressed against her before moving on to a soft woman's body, giggling as they danced together. Moving on. She brought her lips close to the neck of a wallflower she pulled from the shadows during the last break.

"And we believe it’s not the real me.
Somebody help tame this animal!
Somebody help me through this nightmare.
I can't control myself.
Somebody wake me from this nightmare.
I can't escape this hell!"

She licked his neck, feeling him shudder against her and smiled against his neck. It would be so delicious if she could--she nipped him and heard him groan in pleasure. She felt her teeth lengthen at being so close to prey. She's the hunter and he's her prey. Her neck started buzzing with a warning, a strange tingling that if she wasn't so focused on the guy's neck, she would have reacted.

"ANIMAL!"

"This animal!"

"This animal!"

Spike sensed a change coming from Rose and turned around to see her holding a boy by the neck, licking at the vein. He stumbled from his stool and pushed his way to the dance floor as he felt the hunter rising in Rose. It was hungry and it was needy, two combinations that made vampires dangerous at any age. Though over a hundred, Rose was no more than a fledgling by her standards.

"So what if you can see the darkest side of me
No one will ever change this animal I've become."

Spike finally reached the dance floor, a strange warning buzz tingling at the back of his neck, only to see Rose was gone and the boy standing in a daze. He walked over to him, and turned him around. No bite marks. She didn't feed. Then where did she go?

"Where is she?" Spike demanded from the boy, the warning buzz getting him worked up. It couldn't be---now here!

"Wha--"

"Where is she?!" Spike yelled shaking the boy for good measure. The boy's eyes widen at the anger in the man's eyes. "Where did she go?!"

"That way!" the boy pointed towards the fire exit that led to the alley behind the club. This man seriously gave him the shivers. "A bunch of girls led her---"

Spike didn't stay to listen, as he felt a sharp rush of fear and pain coming through the Childe bond and rushed out of the club towards the alley. Oh god! Rose was taken by Slayers!

====================

Rose hit the wall with a bone throttling slam, sending the trash cans flying. She raised her arms up in a defensive position as a girl with pink hair kicked at her. She kicked out, hitting the girl's ankles and heard a snap. The girl fell with a cry, rolling away as Rose jumped up, her hands clenched in fists.

"Who are you?!" she demanded. "What do you want?!"

There were four of them, sans the pinked haired girl. They had pointy sticks in their hands and they were looking at her as if she were an enemy. But that was strange because she didn't know any of these girls. The only female she knew was Illyria and she wasn't very kind. Not to mention she was blue.

"You're a vampire." a brunette said with a frown. She clearly was the leader of the group.

Rose frowned. "How did you know that?" she asked, surprised. "Are you vampires too?"

She ducked with an eep! as a girl, this one blonde, attacked her with a fury of kick and punch combos. She wasn't very good and they were sloppy and slow as she tried to stab Rose with her pointy stick. Rose knew this because she had Spike and Angel and Illyria as teachers and they were harsh ones. She fought back, overtaking the girl and throwing her back at the group.

"Stop! I don't want to fight you!" Rose said upset. This was confusing because clearly they were trying to kill her. The blonde had gotten close with that pointy stick. "What do you want?!"

"We want you floating in the wind." the leader said. "You're a vampire and we're chosen to fight against you."

"Chosen? What are you, some kind of zealots or religious fanatics?" Rose asked with a smirk. "What, you special or something? Touched by the spirits--"

"We're Slayers!"

Rose froze before frowning. "What's a Slayer?"

"We are chosen to fight against the demons of the world. We are chosen to fight evil and protect the innocent and weak from those who would harm them." the leader said proudly. "And that includes staking you vampire."

"Oh." Rose said still confused before everything clicked. "OH! You help the helpless. That's cool! Then you shouldn't be fighting me cuz I have a soul. I'm fighting for greater and nobler things just like you."

The girls looked at her as if she were crazy before they laughed. "That's funny. But soo wrong. There are only two vampires known to have souls and they're dead."

"Well--" They whirled around, surprised that someone came up from behind them without them knowing. Some of them caught their breath as a sexy man with killer hair and cheeks stepped out of the shadows. "That's half true."

"Spike!"

"Rose you okay?" Spike asked, his accent rougher than usual. Probably had to do with him running to find them. He was relieved to see that Rose was still undead if only dirty and wet.

"Yeah. Nothing that a good day's rest can't fix." Rose said as she slowly made her way pass the Slayers. "But they're being mean to me. They tried stabbing me with the pointy sticks."

"Yeah. Slayers tend to stake first, ask questions later." Spike said, pulling Rose to his side when she was close enough.

"You know about Slayers?" Rose asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I do."

"And you didn't---"

"Can we stake them now?" a girl asked bored with all the talk.

"Yeah go for it." the leader said with a shrug.

Spike didn't wait for the first punch to be thrown, launching himself into the fray with Rose right behind him.

"Spike!" Rose shrieked, more in surprise than terror as a short haired brunette punched and kicked at her, separating her from Spike. She fell back against the wall, holding her hands up against a barrage of blows that fell on her. She could hear Spike fighting off to her right, cursing as he fought against the other Slayers.

Slayers.

That name brought something up inside her. A sense of recognition and---excited terror? Rose wanted to look deeper into the 'why' but as she twisted around the Slayer she was fighting, she knew it would have to wait until she dealt with her. If she veered off now, she would be dust. Plus there was a wild buzzing at the back of her neck that was driving her insane.

Rose kicked out and landed a solid hit which sent the girl tumbling back a couple of feet. But soon enough, another girl was there, swinging a stake towards her heart.

"Would you stop!?" She grabbed the girl's wrist, squeezing until the girl dropped the stake with a cry before she threw the girl towards the brunette. They collided together, landing in a heap mass of arms and legs. "We're good guys! If only you could---"

She was hit from behind. She fell to her knees, her vision getting spotty as she felt her ribs being used as a football. She rolled over, clutching her chest as a blonde girl kicked her over and over again. She gave a sharp cry as she felt some ribs crack and heard a giggle above her as she curled herself into a ball.

"This is fun! Most vampires are weaklings and cowards. They try to run but never get very far." the girl said with a smile on her face. “The name's Nicole, the vampire Slayer." She bent down and picked up Rose by her shirt, bringing her face to face. "I'll be the one sending you to Hell."

She punched Rose in the face, bringing her fist back before hitting her again and again until Rose was bleeding from a split lip, some cuts on her forehead and a bruise on her left cheek. Rose palm punched Nicole, hitting her in the chin.

She fell back, waving her arms in the air to keep from falling over as Rose pushed herself to her feet, taking unneeded breaths of air and holding her chest. Nicole's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as she reached into her belt and pulled out a stake.

"It's time to end it vampire." Nicole said with mock sadness advancing as Rose retreated. Rose glanced over at the direction of Spike. She could hear him trying to fight his way towards her.

"Yes." A deep woman's voice said from above them. "I think it is."

"Illyira!"

Nicole looked up just as Illyria landed right behind her. She turned around and slammed the stake into Illyria. It shattered against Illyria's chest. Illyria stared at Nicole, her ice blue eyes studying the shock and anger in Nicole's dark eyes. She tilt her head before she backhanded her across the face.

Nicole flew back, hitting the alley wall and sliding down to land in the trash piled at the bottom. She didn't move from where she landed.

"You're injured." Illyria stated, looking over Rose, pulling at Rose's injured arm. “I don't like anyone harming my pets." Illyria said, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Rose felt a shiver pass through her as she pulled away from Illyria. "Let's go get Spike."

Rose nodded and followed Illyria down the alley to Spike as he fought two Slayers, the leader and a red headed girl. He seemed to be holding his own, focused on beating the Slayers and going to rescue Rose. He sensed her surprise through the bond but he felt nothing now. The worry ate at him as he threw a spinning heel kick to the leader, sending her flying back a couple of feet. She hit the ground hard, bouncing her head against the hard concrete.

"Janet!" the red haired girl screamed her focus on the fight broken for a moment. Spike took this chance, knocking her arms down while turning her around, one arm pinned against her body. Spike growled his fangs close to her neck. She struggled as he chuckled.

"Your mistake luv." he growled, wanting to put a scare in the girl. "Shouldn't let your guard down in a life and death battle. Tends to leave you dead."

"Says who?" the girl said as she brought her free hand up from her pocket. Her hand was wet, and for a moment Spike was confused why until she hit him and his face started burning.

He screamed and let her go, clutching his burning face. He could smell his flesh cooking, an arid smell that choked him as he fell to his knees.

"Burns doesn't it vampire?" the girl said, standing over him holding a half empty bottle of holy water she stashed in her pocket. "Holy water will do that to you."

"Spike!"

They didn't see Rose until she was right there, a blur of black and pink, sinking her fangs into the girl's neck, growling and her eyes flashing angrily. The girl didn't even scream, her arms fighting uselessly at her side as Rose held her tight, squeezing tighter and using her fangs to punish the girl who dared attack her Sire.

The Slayer felt weaker and the world dimmed as she felt the vampire take deep pulls on her blood. The movies lied, being bitten by a vampire was sexy or erotic, it damn well hurt and--oh god she was going to die! She tried fighting harder, but her limbs were so heavy, she was so tired and as the world turned black, she thought. 'Da, I'm sorry.'

================

Angel was sitting in his office, sipping a hot cup of coffee and reading his newspaper. He sighed; letting the silence of the hotel seep into his being, feeling so relaxed. He was glad that Spike took Rose out for the night. It gave him some much needed time to relax, let his hair down, so to speak, and to---

"Angel we need help!"

He jumped to his feet, spilling his coffee over his newspaper as he ran out into the lobby, staring in horror at the sight of a bloodied Spike and Rose being supported by each other. Illyria followed them with an unconscious girl in her arms. She was young, with long red hair and a pale complexion.

"What happened?" Angel demanded as he rushed to check on the girl.

"It wasn't my fault!" Spike said as he and Rose collapsed on the other couch.

"Why don't I believe that?" Angel growled, glaring at Spike before he turned his attention to the girl.

As Angel looked her over, he saw that her shoulder was dislocated, the skin jutting out awkwardly. He paused, grabbing a hold onto the girl's arm. Illyria held down the girl's upper body, give Angel a brief nod. Angel snapped her arm back into place with a large pop.

The girl screamed in pain, her eye's flying open and jerking from her position. Illyria kept her in place until she slipped back into unconsciousness. Angel frowned, wondering why she seemed so weak until he pulled back her hair and saw that she had a gaping wound on the side of her neck. With twin puncture marks.

"She was bitten." Angel stated stunned.

"She'll survive." Illyria said. "There are still demons out there. I will kill them." With that she turned on her heel and stalked off into the night for another round of demon hunting.

Angel stood up, his shoulder tense and his jaw tight. When they first entered the hotel, he had been receiving a buzzing at the back of his neck. One he used to hold as Buffy's then Faith's. Now it was the girl who was giving it off.

She could feel the tension build and it made her feel funny in queasy-dizzy way. Angel was older than her, having Sired Drusilla, okay funny feeling there, who then Sired Spike, her Sire. So by all means, he was head of the order of Aurelius and something inside of her made her want to submit to him---or flip him the bird. Rose squirmed uncomfortably as Angel turned to her and Spike. Strong fingers laced through her own and she looked down to see that Spike was holding her hand. It gave her the courage to speak first.

"I'm not sorry." She felt a flash of fear that soon gave away to disappointment coming from Spike. She swallowed at Angel's frown but continued. "I know I should be but I'm not. It was self defense. They came at us--"

"They?"

"A team of Slayers." Spike said, speaking up through thick lips. "They found us and tried to stake us."

"I told them who we were but they kept coming anyways." Rose nodded as she pointed to her wounds, wincing as she moved. "I mean, look what they did to us! These won't heal in just a day and with just blood."

Rose looked bad. Angel could see her wincing every time she took a breath, holding an arm around her chest in hopes of easing the pain. Her face had seen better days, her left cheek was swelling and turning colors and her lower lip was swollen and split open. It looked like it might need stitches, just like the cut below her right eye.

Spike looked a little bit better but not by much. His left eye was swelling shut and his cheek was turning colors and it appeared that he was burned. His shirt had some tears across his chest and there were long cuts underneath them.

"No worries mate." Spike said, wincing as he moved to stand up. Rose quickly rose to stand with him. "She's alive innit?"

"Rose go upstairs." Angel said.

"Wha--" Rose frowned confused. "Angel, it’s my fault, not--"

"It's okay sweetling." Spike said, putting a hand on her shoulders. He nudged her towards the stairs. "Go up. I'll be there in a few."

"But--" Rose tried protesting again before Spike gave her a look. She ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. Spike waited until they could hear Rose's door slam shut. A few minutes later, loud music could be heard coming from her room.

"You're not staking her Peaches." he said, turning back to Angel. "She was only reacting as a Childe defending her Sire."

"She's fed on human. Not only a human but a Slayer." Angel said.

"She wasn't feeding!"

"That's beside the point!" Angel yelled. He ran his hands through his hair, spiking it as he paced. "She's tasted the holy grail to a vampire. The blood of a Slayer. She knows what it’s like now. She'll want to experience it again. She'll crave it. She'll do anything to taste it again."

"Bollocks."

"You forget that she's a vampire."

"I've never forgotten." Spike said, stepping in front of Angel to stop his damn pacing. "She's my little cousin, my blood and by all rights she should be dead and buried back in England. She would have married a proper man, a viscount or duke, who treated her right. They would have a large family, lived in the country on an estate, happy and peaceful for the rest of their days. She would have died on a Saturday afternoon during a rain shower, surrounded by her children and grandchildren--" He sighed, looking up towards Rose's room. "Believe me--I've never forgotten what she is now."

"She doesn't have a soul."

"Bloody hell, what is it with you and the soul thing?" Spike groused, waving his arms in the air as he stalked off. "You and the Slayer must've had the same speech writer for as many times the soul is brought up!" He turned on his heel and walked back to Angel. "I didn't have a soul and look how I turned out."

"You had a chip." Angel pointed out.

"It wasn't the chip!" Spike growled before he stopped to think. "Okay it was the chip, but only the first couple of months and then I fell in love and became a better man. I got me a soul, all on my own."

"Rose isn't like you." Angel said. "She never had a chip in her head. She's doesn't have someone to love anymore. And as far as souls go, she believes that she has one so I doubt she will go seek one out. She has nothing to hold her back."

"Yes she does." Spike said, standing straighter. "She has me."

"You can't control her."

"Peaches, I've controlled her since she was a child." Spike said. "I think I can handle her now as a hundred year old teenager."

Angel raised his hands in the air. "What are you going to do when her memories return? What then? She'll know that you've lied to her. About who she is, what happened to her--about her husband?"

"I'll deal with it when the time comes." Spike said defensively. "She's my responsibility. She's my Childe."

With that, he turned and headed for the stairs, leaving Angel to brood about tonight's events. He looked down at the unconscious Slayer.

So much for a peaceful night.

==================

Spike felt like jumping out of his skin as he neared Rose's room. He opened the bond between them, tried forcing his calm on Rose as he opened the door. The instant blaring of loud metal music and the smell of smoke invaded his senses as he entered the room.

She liked incense. Burned them all the time. It gave her room an other worldly look as the smoke hung in the air. The music was wildly different than his own taste but enjoyable nonetheless. It explained why she was jumping around her room.

"Rose!" he yelled over the noise to be heard. "ROSE!"

She stopped, breathing hard when she saw him. She skipped over to him, bouncing on her toes as she grinned at him. He grabbed her face to look into her eyes. Her pupils were dilated, the blue swallowed by the black and she appeared stoned.

Bloody hell.

"Oh my god! What's happening to me? What was in her?" she asked going a mile a minute. "It's like, like, you remembering sliding down the hills in winter at the country estate in England? Like that only it’s much faster, much steeper and it keeps going and going---oh!"

She pulled up her shirt, slapping her stomach. "Look! The bruises are gone! And my ribs don't hurt anymore when I breathe, which I really should stop doing. Vampire, so no need to breathe for a living." she giggled at her own joke, tilting too far to the side. "Oops!"

Spike caught her before she hit the ground. "I think I'm kinda buzzed. Like those kids in those movie things."

"I've noticed." Spike said, leading her giggling to the bed and sat her down. He grabbed the remote sitting on the bed and turned the stereo off. "Listen to me."

"Hmm? Oh, okay!" she stopped giggling and composed herself, but she couldn't stop grinning.

"You've done a bad thing tonight." he said, looking her in the eyes. "No, listen!" he said, shaking her slightly as she protested. "You can't drink from Slayers. More to the point, you can't drink from humans. Ever. You bit the girl, in an effort to protect me and I appreciate that but you can't do that anymore." He reached inside her mind and felt her struggle against him. "No. Feeding. On. Humans."

He locked the thought in her mind, firm in his belief that she would follow his orders even if she didn't know it yet. He remembered Dru pulling stunts like this a few times when they were together and he resented it, especially when they broke apart and went their separate ways.

Even now, he couldn't help but tackle and pummel Elvis' impersonators every time he saw one. It had made Dru laugh and laugh, just watching as glittery beads, wigs and overly large sunglasses went flying.

"She hurt you." Rose said, pouting. She lightly ran her fingers over the burns on his face.

"Believe me luv, this isn't the worst I've gotten." Spike said. "I've died recently and look at me now." he chuckled, earning a smile from Rose. "So, new rules. It's always bagged, not tap. Understand?"

Rose nodded before adding, "You know, I'm high on that Slayer blood. You might want to tell me again tomorrow when this thing burns off." Spike looked down at her knee that had been jumping ever since he sat her down.

"It's a date."

"Cool." she remained calm for a second before she jumped up, almost knocking him over. "Oh! I have this thing to show you!" She pulled away from him, ran to her dresser and pulled open a drawer. She started pulling out clothes, throwing them into the air before she held up a notebook. She ran back to him, flipping open the pages.

"I drew this! Last night, I had a dream about this guy." She showed him a picture of a man in black with furry cat ears on his head, a tail and golden eyes. A flash of recognition and dread shot through Spike as he stood up.

It was Cris, Rose's dead husband!

Thankfully, Rose didn't seem to notice as she rattled on about her dream. "It was fire and screams and vampires! But I didn't seem to care, should I have cared, anyways, I was walking and laughing and then he appeared. Not poof but---"

"Whoa Rose slow down." Spike said, a headache coming on. Great, just add that to everything else he was feeling. "What about this guy? Do you know who he is?"

"Um, mine? I said that in the dream. But he didn't say it back. It was like he couldn't talk or something." she pouted slightly. "And it made me sad. Like my heart was breaking. But Spike, I have no idea who he was. He's hot though." She looked at the picture, touching it lovingly before she frowned.

"Do you know who he is?" she asked him innocently.

"No." he said without blinking an eye. He closed the notebook and threw it on her bed. "I don't know him. Come on, let's go see what's on the telly."

Chapter Ten: Gathering of the Big Bads

===============

Vienna, Italy

A trio of human looking demons walked through the rubble of an old church, the bodies of robed priests and priests littering the ground with small fires burning around them. In the background, the sounds of a fight and the tortured screams of the living could be heard.

The trio are dressed in stylish, expensive clothes that spoke of their power and money. One was a large, dark skinned male, silent as ever since he had his tongue ripped out as a child. The other was a woman, sleek and deadly with pale ashen skin. The other was a slim figured man with black hair and yellow eyes.

"Russo!" a hunched over demon with large green eyes hopped over to the trio. "We have captured the high priests."

"Good." Russo said, his sharp teeth gleaming in the fires. He brushed his black hair back as he cracked his neck. "Bring them to me."

The demon growled in reply and hopped away as the Trio stepped over the corpses.

A girlish giggled broke through the silence and they turned to see a blonde with brown cat ears poking through her curly hair. She was dressed in a slinky, pale blue green dress with shoes that matched the color of her dress. A brown furry tail swung side to side as she stepped through the puddles of blood before she reached the Trio, wrapping her arms around the slim male.

"Russo, look at all the people. They're dead and become deader still." she giggled against his lips. She bit his lower lip, moaning in pleasure as he ran his hand up her backside. "Can I play with them?" she asked against his mouth.

"All you what Il mio amante bello." Russo said, holding the girl to his side, his yellow eyes gleaming with her twisted delight. "Don't get too excited now, we still have a long night ahead of us Aari. I promised you a night on the town and it will be one you'll never forget."

"Hmm, promises promises." Aari sighed, giving Russo a deep kiss before she walked back to the bodies singing a little song as she bent down to one body, poking at it with her finger.

"Really Russo, playing with the dead?" Russo turned back to his companions, not surprised that it was Ira who spoke. Ira tilt her head to the side, her hands on her hips, her long black hair falling over her left shoulder, highlighting the red pant suit she wore. "That modello dello sciampo del Idiot is out of her mind. We don't need her around to mess up our plans."

"Careful Ira." Russo cautioned, wiggling his finger at her slowly. "You don't want to fight with me."

"Oh save it Brother." Ira snapped her yellow eyes bright with anger. "Your girlfriend is the reason we lost track of our little brother in the first place."

"And Aari is the only one who can find him again. Froflavs can track their own people." Russo said, stepping into Ira's space. "I have complete control over her."

"For how long?" Ira asked, stepping back. She hated having her personal space invaded. "Froflavs may be cowards and on the brink of extinction but they're still a danger. Their blood is poison, their powers beyond that of a high priest or priestess and they can destroy other demons with ease if given a reason. That spell of yours won't hold her in thrall for long."

"Just long enough." Russo said. "After we get our little brother back and the spell to ascend us is completed, then she will die."

"Until then, she is to remain unharmed and left to her own devices." Russo rushed ahead and grabbed Ira by her long hair, twisting it painfully in his hand. "Understood Sister dear?"

"Fine." Ira said.

"Good." Russo thrust her away from him.

She glared at him as she rubbed the sore spots on her head when the demon reappeared with the defeated priests. They were being dragged along by four shadow demons, demons that lived in the shadows of the world, slinking in and out with ease. It was how Russo found out about the priest's failure in Rome.

They threw the beaten and bloodied priests and priestess at their feet.

"Ah, High Priest, it’s a pleasure to see you again." Russo smiled at the beaten old man at his feet. "It seems that we have a problem that you caused. Yuri bring him up."

Yuri, the other member of the group, reached down and picked up the old priest in his large hands and held him up, his feet dangling three inches off the ground. He blinked his black eyes slowly as Russo approached them.

"Please, my lord, show mercy on us." the old priest pleaded through swollen lips. He looked at Russo, blood dripping into his right eye from a cut on his forehead as his jewelry swung from his neck. "We didn't know that the Slayers---"

"And that is the mistake that your cult has paid for." Russo broke in. "But that isn't the reason I'm here. I asked you for one thing and only one. To take care of my little brother after the spell. And you couldn't even do that."

"These are mine." He tore the black crystals hanging around the priest's neck, studying the stones before pocketing them. He grabbed the old priest's face. "Where is my little brother?"

"My lord, he was taken from us. We had no control over the events---"

"Yuri." There was a loud snap and the old priest screamed in pain as Yuri broke his arm. He twisted the old priest's now broken arm until he stopped moving, whimpering in pain.

"I didn't ask what happened. I want to know where my little brother is. I'm getting very tired of your excuses. Tell me now or I'll have Yuri break something else." Russo said. "And my brother loves to break things, don't you Yuri?"

Yuri grunted and started squeezing on the old priest's wrists, grinding bone against bone painfully.

"See, he was hurt when he was young. Had his tongue ripped out by our father's enemy. Molto violento, molto sanguinante e molto difettoso. And ever since then, there has been a rage inside of him, a hatred for others outside the Mauvra Clan. It makes him edgy and hard to control capisca? Only when he hurts others or breaks things, like your arm, then the rage simmers down enough for him to control it. And it’s been a long time since he released it, isn't that right Yuri?"

Yuri responded by breaking another arm.

"Wow, he must really be on edge." Russo commented after the old priest stopped screaming. "See, he hates it when our family is being threaten capisca? So tell me, what happened to our little Cristoforo?"

"S-S-Slayers." The old priest stuttered painfully.

"What about them?"

"T-hey c-c-c-came andddd---" the old priest voice died out as he struggled to breathe, the pain interfering with his thinking. “Il mio dio, dio dell'OH, prego risparmi me!!”

"Listen priesty, I don't have time for this. If you won't talk, I'm sure the others will." Russo turned to the rest of the group as Yuri wrapped his hands around the old priest's neck.

"So. Who wants to talk?" Russo asked the group as Yuri dropped the old priest, his neck bent in a strange angle. “Voi ragazza, desideri comunicare?” he asked a pale faced priestress. Ira grabbed her from behind and dragged her forward, kicking and sobbing.

===========

"Idiots guasti del cervello didn't know what they were getting into." Russo said as Aari and his siblings walked out of the burning church. "Trying to raise the feces del cane of a demon god."

"Eww." Aari squealed. "Nice mental picture Russo."

"Sorry il mio caro." Russo said, grabbing his girl around the waist and pulled her close. He turned to his siblings. "Ira. Yuri. I want you to go to Los Angeles and pick up that damn vampire bitch. If we are going to get Cristoforo back, we'll need her. Do everything you can, just get her back here. Undead and unspoiled."

He gave Ira a warning look.

"And what about us lover?" Aari asked against his throat.

"We'll go to Rome and see about getting our brother away from those Slayer bitches. They may have killed our Father, the Immortal, but we won't let them kill him." Russo said. "With the Circle of the Black Thorn gone and the First in retreat, the Mauvra Clan is the strongest force in this realm. With the birth of a new Immortal, we'll concrete our hold in this realm. Nothing will stand in our way after that. Until then keep your eyes open and listen to the shadows. Let nothing get in our way."

"Of course Brother." Ira said with a slight bow before she and Yuri walked away.

"Ooh, Rome! They have one of the best shoe and clothes shops around!" Aari spoke with unbridled delight. She wrapped her arms around Russo's neck. "How can I repay you?"

"Oh I think I have a couple of ideas." Russo said, as he plundered her mouth.

===============


"Buffy!"

Buffy dropped the basket full of clothes she was carrying as Dawn's scream carried from the dining room. She ran into the room, pausing only for a moment to see Dawn kneeling besides Dib as he shook on the ground, a scream bubbling from his lips.

"Dawn get back!" Buffy said as she straddled Dib's chest, and grabbed his arms, forcing them down on the floor as his legs kicked out, knocking over the chairs in the dining room. His eyes were rolled back as he shook his head side to side. "Oh god---"

Dib stopped suddenly, going limp as his vision passed. He laid still the only sign that he was still alive was the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he swallowed gulps of air. Blood ran down from his nose as another blood vessel popped in his brain.

"Dib?" Buffy cupped his face gently, bringing his attention to her. "Dib? It's okay. It's over now." She spoke to him softly for a few minutes as he struggled to stay awake, his head pounding.

His skin was pale and wet, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as his head rolled to the side, his tail flipping around. His eyes fluttered opened and he focused on Buffy as she stroke his hair. He looked away for a moment to give a frighten Dawn a brief smile.

He snapped his fingers, signaling for Buffy to let go. She climbed off him and helped him to his feet, leading him to the couch. He sat down, feeling old and tired as he wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve, looking up at Dawn.

'I'm okay Dawn.' he signed to her. 'It's not that bad.' It was a lie, he felt like he was dying and for a moment as he struggled under Buffy, he wished that he did if only to stop the pain. It made him sick now to think that he wished to die. 'Can you get me something to drink?'

Dawn nodded, speaking with her hands as she spoke to him. "Sure. Don't scare me like that again okay?"

She turned around and disappeared into the kitchen.

'Buffy.' Dib started signing to her. 'I saw her. The girl in my dream. I think she's real.'

"How?"

'I dunno. She's some place full of sun, living under the shadows of an angel, helping the helpless.' Dib signed. 'It felt urgent, this vision. I think she's at the edge---'

The phone started ringing, startling the two of them. Buffy gave Dib a roll of her eyes and he smiled. The phone always seemed to ring at the wrong moment. She walked over and answered. "Hello?"

Dawn walked back in with a glass of water and some pills in her hand. She handed them to Dib and sat down next to him. "Dib. Maybe you should lie down and rest."

'I will Dawn.' Dib swallowed the pills and water. 'Thanks for caring.'

"I care for you Dib." Dawn said, laying her head on his shoulder and hugged his arm. "I care about you alot."

Dib frowned at the hint of something else in Dawn's voice. Did she care for him more than a friend and roommate? As he was about to ask her, Buffy hung up the phone, looking down deep in thought.

"Buffy?" Dawn frowned, pulling her head up from Dib's shoulder. "Did something happen?"

"Huh?" Buffy looked up at Dawn and Dib before shaking her head. "That was Hector. The Watcher from L.A. ---he called to say that they just lost a Slayer."

"Oh." Dawn sighed sadly before frowning, "Wait, how did they lose a Slayer? Did she die---"

"No. No. At-at least they don't think so." Buffy rubbed the back of her neck, the muscles tense. "Apparently a group went out for some fun, taking some of the new girls with them and they ran into some vampires. They fought against them but then a woman showed up. Super strong and---blue."

"Blue." Dawn and Dib raised their eyebrows.

"Yeah. With her help the vampires managed to take out the girls before escaping. They took one of the girls when they did."

"Oh no."

"They tried to use magic to find her but so far nothing turned up. Every time they do, the spell goes ka-blooey." Buffy frowned as she took a seat on the couch next to Dawn. "So far, the search for the girl hasn't come up with anything---"

"Annnnddd---" Dawn said when Buffy didn't go on.

"Huh? Oh, uh the girls said something---that the vampires they were fighting said that they had souls."

"Souls?" Dawn chuckled. "Well that's weird. Why would vampires say they have souls unless---" Dawn's eyes widen. "Do you think it was Angel and Spike?!"

Buffy shook her head sadly. "I don't know. Not everyone is out of the hospital. The ones who've been talking said that it was a girl saying that she had a soul. That she helps the helpless."

Dib started snapping his fingers and signing, 'My vision! My vision!'

"What vision? The one that just happened?" Dawn asked confused.

'My vision showed a girl living in the sun, under the shadows of an angel.'

"California. That's a place of sun. And L.A. is the city of lights." Dawn said, piecing things together. "And it’s also known as the city of angels."

"And that she helps the helpless. That's what that vampire said." Buffy finished. "Dib, you think that this is connected somehow."

He nodded. 'Yes. It has to be.'

Buffy nodded, slapping her hands on her knees before standing up. "I guess we better go check it out. This is too much for it to be just a coincidence. I'll go check it out and--"

'Not without me.' Dib signed, standing up with his arms crossed and a determined look on his face. His ears flattened as well.

"Dib, you have school and---"

"Like I need school!" Dib spoke, coughing as he did. When he looked up at Buffy and Dawn, his eyes were tearing up from the tickling in his throat. "It's boring and I swear that I've lived through it. I'm going."

"Fine. But you're not." Buffy pointed to Dawn before she could speak. "He might not need school but you do."

"Fine!" Dawn huffed, crossing her arms with a put out face.

"Don't worry Dawn." Dib said, poking his elbow into Dawn's side. "I'll promise to get you something on Rodeo Drive."

"You better!" Dawn said, pushing Dib.

Buffy walked over to the phone to set up the mission to L.A. as Dawn and Dib teased each other.

Chapter 11 : Girl Talk

===========

Angel, Spike, Rose and Illyria gathered in the kitchen, preparing for another night of business. Angel got a new case and with Illyria and Spike, they were going out to investigate. This left Rose alone to watch the phones, take new cases and to guard their guest downstairs.

"Come on!" Rose pouted as she followed Angel around the kitchen as he walked to the microwave. "I can be some help. Why not let Illyria guard the Slayer downstairs? She can do it way better than me. Not to mention, if the Slayer tries to escape, she can take her out easy. If you remember, I got my ass handed to me by those Slayers."

"I do not want to watch a child." Illyria said, chomping on a cold steak. "I am Illyria, god king. I fight whom I wish."

"How many times do I have to tell you? No!" Angel said, putting his mug of blood in the microwave and set the timer. "You got into a fight last night---"

“They jumped me!!” Rose protested.

"And you're the reason we have a Slayer downstairs." Angel finished. "She's your responsibility until we figure out a way to let her go without calling a mob of Slayers on us."

"Spike!" Rose turned to her cousin. "Help me out here."

"You heard the man. Suck it up and go feed her." Spike said, drinking from his mug. "And only feed her. That cage is for her as it is for you."

"What? It’s not like I’m gonna bite her. Last night was a total fluke and only to save Spike, in fact just thinking about biting humans makes my stomach all rumbley.” At Angel’s raised eyebrow she threw up her arms in defeat. “Fine! But if she stakes me, I'm so coming back from Hell to haunt the three of you." She grabbed the tray of food they made for the girl and walked to the door leading to the basement. She slammed open the door, letting it bang against the wall to announce her presence.

She stomped down the stairs and stopped on the last step, looking at the cell the Slayer was in.

When they first brought the Slayer down here, Rose asked why they had a cell in the basement. Spike joked about Angel being into some kind of kinky fetish, which made Angel stutter as he denied the accusations. But it was really because they needed a cell to lock Angel in when he became Angelus last year. That raised some questions that Angel said he would get into later after they locked the Slayer up.

Which they never did.

"So, you feeling peckish luv?" Rose asked the girl. "I'm Rose, the really good and souled vampire. I’m not here to suck your blood…again. And did I say how sorry I was for that?"

The Slayer glared at her from the cot they provided, angry at being locked up. She sat with her back against the wall, her legs pulled up to her chest. She tried breaking out but the bars held fast. She spent hours trying to plan her escape and so far she had nothing. She was a prisoner to the vampires and that unknown demon woman.

"I'm not hungry." she snapped, from her spot at the back of the cell.

"Oh come on." Rose said with a forced smile. "You have to eat. A growing girl like yourself. I bet you’re starving."

Rose walked towards the cell and stopped a few feet from the bars. The floor was littered with three other trays, filled with food. The girl didn't eat what they gave her. They tried various foods but still it remained untouched. Well, not exactly. The Slayer tended to use some of the food as projectile as Spike could attest. He came up one time covered with mash and peas. It was when they decided that prepackaged meals would be ideal.

"Listen, we're not trying to poison you and anything. We want you to get better. I'm sorry that I bit you but you were attacking my Spike and---well it made me mad." Rose explained as she set the tray down on the floor and slid it towards the cell with her foot. It stopped at the bars, the chips and packaged sandwich falling over. Rose reached into her pocket and pulled out a soda can. "He's my cousin. And he happens to be my Sire as well. So really if you think about it, I was really only trying to protect family."

She rolled the can towards the Slayer. "Here. You have to try this drink. It's so sweet and bubbly! And it tastes like, well I don't know what it tastes like but its soo good."

The Slayer walked over and picked up the soda, looking it over before popping the top. She took a long drink from it, coughing afterwards. "Whoa! Take it easy there." Rose said. "Don't want you to kill yourself or anything."

"I'll be sure to kill you before I die." the girl said between coughs.

Rose sighed before smirking. "I swear you Slayers have that written one liner written down somewhere. That's what the other girls said too. But look! Still here." She threw her arms open to prove that fact.

"They'll come for me, the other Slayers. They'll have teams out right now looking for me. The Watchers will have done locator spells and---"

"Oh those won’t work." Rose said, interrupting the Slayer. "See the marks on the wall." She pointed to the black scribbles on the walls and around the doors. "Those are spells. They keep this place hidden from any spells, magic and unwanted demons. They're all over the building, around every doorway, every window, from top to bottom. We don't exist in the magic world so there's no way anyone can find you unless they stumble on this building by accident."

The Slayer felt her stomach drop as the vampire turned around and headed up the stairs. Spells? Her sister Slayers wouldn't be able to find here locked up in the cell? It’s not like they knew where she was, and she had been unconscious when they brought her here so she didn’t even know.

"Wait!" she yelled. Rose stopped near the top of the stairs. "Just let me go. I won't tell anyone where you are. I swear nothing bad will happen to you."

Rose gave her a sad smile. "I would. I really would but I can't trust you. You could leave and hold that secret for as long as you wanted. But you still think of us as soulless vampires when we aren't. So really---how long before an army of Slayers are sent on us?" Rose asked. When the girl didn't answer, Rose nodded and continued up the stairs. “I’ll bring down a TV set for you later so you won’t be bored.”

Rose reached the top of the stairs and paused when she saw Spike waiting for her outside in the hallway. “What? You want to rub my total lack of gain with Angel in my face?” she asked as she walked the rest of the way out, shutting the door and leaned against it, her arms crossed.

“No. I didn’t want to leave it like that.” Spike said with a shrug. “Angel’s a poof; don’t let him get you down.”

“Like I care.” Rose sniffed, looking away.

“You do, deny it all you like. You care because you want him to like you.” Spike said, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. “That’s why you have to forgive him. It’s good for the soul. Or so I here.”

“He doesn’t trust me. It’s like he treats me like some kind of rock tied to his neck, weighting him down.” Rose said, looking at Spike. “I don’t get it.”

“He treats everything like that. Makes it all the more fun when we pester him about it. We also like to call him names and joke about his ridiculous gelled hair and big forehead.” Spike said with a smile. Rose smiled as well. “Ah there she is.”

“SPIKE!” Angel yelled from the lobby.

“Gotta go.” Spike said, kissing Rose on the cheek. “Have fun yeah?”

“Same to you.’ Rose said, following him out to the lobby. She watched them leave, before sighing and headed for the office to man the phones.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

A few hours later it found Rose bounced the green tennis ball against the wall in Angel’s office, spinning in his chair and catching it when it came back. It became a game to see how many spins she could get before catching the ball. So far she was up to four spins.

Thunk!

She spun around just as the ball hit the wall and went flying back on her fourth spin. Deciding to try for the elusive fifth, she drew her body tight for more speed when the ball flew past her, hitting the desk and flying up to crash against the window. It bounced back forcing her to duck as hit a stack of case files that Angel was planning on filing when he came back from the job, scattering all the files over the floor.

“Oops.” Rose stood up, wobbling a bit as she looked at the mess. Picking up the ball, she walked out and headed for the basement to check on the Slayer bouncing the ball all the while.

“Hey yo!” she called out as she stomped down the stairs. “Slaayer! Are you still up?”

“I’m not talking to you vampire!” the Slayer yelled from her cell, wrapped up in a blanket trying to sleep with her back against the wall. She had burrowed under the covers so no part of her could be seen.

“Fine by me.” Rose said with a shrug with her hands in her front pockets. “You can eat ice cream without talking right?”

The Slayer poked her head out from under the covers. “What kind of ice cream?”

A little while later found Rose downstairs with the Slayer, who was called Terri, eating ice cream sundaes, of the blood free variety. With Spike as her Sire, she discovered the joy of adding blood with human food and vice versa. Angel found it disgusting and Illyria didn’t seem to understand the difference though she refused to eat anything Spike and Rose made up.

So with pillows and cushions pilfered from upstairs, they were having a make up sleep over with Terri in her cell and Rose sitting a couple of feet away from the bars as they watched the action on the TV screen.

“Oh watch this, watch this!” Rose commented, pointing at the screen. They were watching old black and white horror movies, the only thing on late night cable television. A high pitched scream came from the screen and Rose and Terri broke out in giggles. “Man, how gullible was that girl?”

“I know! Let’s look behind the blood drenched curtain and see the flesh eating zombie chewing on your husband.” Terri said, taking a bite from her sundae. “Stupid. Heck, even as a newbie Slayer I knew better!”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Like I knew to never travel at night alone, always carry a stake and holy water and never, never invite a stranger inside.” Terri said. “It’s the first thing they teach new Slayers.”

“Spike told me to never go out in the sun, to only drink bagged blood from the butchers or if you can score it from the hospital and to stay away from wooden objects, crosses and Slayers.” Rose said, sucking the caramel from her spoon. “That means you.”

“Yeah. If it weren’t for this cell, I would have killed you already.” Terri commented, licking her fingers clean.

“You mean try.” Rose said, giving Terri a toothy grin.

“No I mean I can.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Yeah sure Killer.”

They bantered back and forth, forgetting just for a while that they were meant to be enemies and became the girls that they were.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“Aaargh!” Spike yelled as he tackled a purplish reptile demon to the ground, pounding its face as Illyria fought three similar demons in the background. Angel was up against the wall of the abandoned warehouse as the leader of the demon clan snarled at him.

“Fool! Two half breeds and a fallen demon god will never bring about the destruction of the Mauvra Clan. We are many. We are forever!” he shook Angel as if he was a doll.

“You know—“ Angel grunted, his hands grabbing the cloth of the demon’s ceremonial robes. “I really hate when people say that.”

He pulled the demon close and vamped, his fangs digging into the demon’s hands and tore the flesh to shreds. The demon cried out and his hold on Angel loosen enough for Angel to pull loose and kick the demon back on the sword Spike held in front of him. The sword sliced through the demon leader’s lower back and poked out through his stomach. He looked down in surprise before his eyes glazed over and he died.

“Especially since forever just got a hella lot shorter.” Spike sneered at the dead demon before looking up at Angel. “What’s that all about? Didn’t know these blokes traveled much out of the old country.”

“Looks like the Immortal’s family is branching out.” Angel said, wiping at the blood on his cheek. “Apparently they think L.A. is open since Wolfram and Hart has been destroyed, it’s created a power vacuum.”

“Others want to stick their fingers in your pie mate.” Spike said.

“Angel.” They turned to see Illyria heading towards them, dragging a skinny spotty yellow demon by his tail. “This one has some words for you.”

“No! No! I won’t say. The Boss Lady will sic her bro on me!! I dinnae want to be eaten piece by piece.” He screamed, clawing on the ground to get away from the powerful blue demon. His nails were being worn down from his efforts when Illyria reached down and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and gave him a sharp shake.

“What do you think will happen to you IF I want you?” she asked him, her voice ice cold and low as her blue eyes pierced him like red hot daggers, making him wish more than ever that he had listened to his mama and gone to beauty school like his hatchmates. “Talk now.”

He opened his mouth and took a breath.

Thwack!

He coughed and his chest burned like nothing before as he stared wide eyed at the large arrow that poked through his chest, the tip glistening faintly with his green blood. ‘Hey that’s not---‘

Illyria dropped the dead demon and whirled around to see a gang of mixed demons standing around a woman dressed in red, holding the crossbow that shot the fatal arrow. She was pale and had long black hair and she had the sweetest smile that looked dangerous.

“Hello Angelus. Hello William. Long time no see.” She said, lowering the crossbow.

“Ira Mauvra.” Angel growled, his eyes flashing as he went on guard. It was never good news when Ira was involved. She was the one of the Mauvra Clan’s pure bloodline, a direct descendent from the Immortal. Her birth gave her incredible power over those in the Clan.

“Ira what the hell are you doin’ here?” Spike said, jumping straight to the point.

“Just getting what’s ours.” Ira said, handing the crossbow to one of the demons. “Seeing how you have it in your possession.”

“We don’t have anything of yours.” Spike broke in.

“Uh-uh.” Ira wagged her finger at Spike. “Bad boy you know full well that you do. We have an agreement remember. Your lives for hers.”

Spike frowned before it dawned on him. “Rose.”

“She’s ours and I’ve come to collect.”