Disclaimer: I only own my house, my car and my cats. I don't even own my husband. So goes without saying that the prospect of owning any of the wonderful (or not so wonderful) characters or ideas from the Jossverse is just ludicrous when you think about it. They own them not me and they have the lawyers to prove it.
Takes place during the episode NFA season 5 of Angel.
********
Prologue
Buffy bolted upright in bed, a stifled scream stuck in her throat. She glanced nervously around the room trying to take in her surroundings. She ran a shaky hand over her face as she realized it was just a very nasty dream.
"Gotta stop eating so much ice cream before bed.” she muttered to herself.
She let out a little sigh and shook her head. Throwing back the covers she got up and headed for the bedroom door thinking a little breakfast will help make her feel better.
As her bare feet padded down the hallway and stepped into the kitchen she couldn't help but notice how quiet the apartment was and how alone it makes her feel. She reached into a cupboard and grabbed a can of coffee. As she pulled the can out of the cabinet her mind started flooding with the details of the dream.
Spike, Illyria, Gunn and Angel were standing in a dark alleyway facing the rushing horde of demons.
"In terms of a plan?" Spike asked.
"We fight." drawls Angel.
"Bit more specific?"
"Well personally I kinda want to slay the dragon." He looked at the group "Lets go to work."
Angel grabbed the nearest demon by the throat and threw him back into three others and they crashed to the ground. Spike kicked the nearest demon in the chest and he went flying backwards, making contact with a dumpster. Illyria punched a demon in the face and twisted the neck of a second one. Gunn managed to swing his sword and cut the head off an attacking demon but lost his balance and fell to the ground. A second one took advantage and lunged at him with a knife stabbing him in the chest. Grimacing in pain, Gunn brought his sword up and pushed it through the demons chest as he fell back unconscious.
The remaining three backed into each other and formed a triangle. They fought the constant stream of enemies as fast as possible. Angel picked up a sword from a fallen demon and launched it into the air at the dragon. It let out a shrill scream and bashed its wings into the others. Knocked to the ground they were quickly surrounded.
Spike was at the bottom of a pile of demons throwing punch after punch. One by one he threw them off and reached out to take a sword from the nearest beast. He charged and ran it through.
Illyria was still fighting but was separated from the others by the group closing in on her. She struggled with one finally propelling him into the air. She tried to kick the next one but was perplexed when it grabbed her leg and stopped her. Three more started to rush her and she managed to hit two of them but the third made it behind her and swung his sword taking her head clean off. Her body crumbled to the ground.
Angel was also surrounded but saw Illyria as her body hit the ground. With a roar he changed into game face and started hacking away with his sword, attacking anything that moved but more and more just kept coming. He looked over his shoulder and saw Spike, also in game face, still fighting.
Spike was flanked by demons on all sides. Tauntingly he gestured at them to charge him. Six demons ran towards Spike at once and a seventh bent down picking up a stray piece of wood. He hit the first and the second while the third got in a lucky punch and two others grabbed him. The seventh one saunterd over to Spike, the stake spinning in his hand. Spike's eyes went large as the demon pulled back and pushed the stake home. He exploded in a cloud of dust.
Angel was alone now, a determined smile played across his lips as demon after demon piled on top of him. The sound of a sword was heard slicing through the air. Slowly the demons backed with away nothing left to fight.
Focusing again Buffy looked down at the coffee can in her hand. She noticed that she was shaking uncontrollably. A loud sob escaped from her and she crumpled to the floor.
*******
Buffy stood in her living room dressed in some blue jeans and a white tank. She was pacing back and forth trying to be patient.
"Yes Giles, I do know that it was a dream but if the other slayers are having it too don't you think it might mean something?" a hint of frustration crept into her voice.
"Buffy don't you think you might be over reacting a little? Your feelings for both of them might be clouding your judgment?" She could swear she heard him cleaning his glasses over the line. "You know that Spike is dead."
"NO! No Giles I am not over-reacting. And I haven't forgotten the fact that he died you know." She sighed, "You know that slayer dreams are never exactly as they seem. I just have a feeling that there is something going on in LA."
"I still don't think it is necessary Buffy, after all he did choose to change sides on his own."
Buffy could feel the irritation rising in her. "Look could you just do some research and figure out what's going on? It will make me feel a whole lot better."
Giles sighed into the line. "Alright, just take care of yourself. I'll call you as soon as we know something."
"Thank you Giles. Tell Dawn that I miss her. I'll talk to you soon." She hung up the phone.
She sighed and ran a hand through her blond hair. She knew that Willow was waiting for her across town and she needed to get going but she couldn't get that damn dream out of her head. Her head was starting to ache a bit from thinking about it so hard. But she had to know what it meant. She thought back to the last seconds she had spent with him holding his hand telling him that she loved him. She couldn't believe that he hadn't wanted to believe her. She sighed again. She knew this line of thinking would start her crying again. Blinking hard she pushed the tears back. She walked over and grabbed her purse and walked out the front door.
******
Willow sat in front of the entrance to the mall the sun shining on her back. She smiled as Buffy walked towards her.
"Hey."
"Hey Wills." Buffy grabbed her and gave her a long hug. "I've missed you."
"Missed you too Buff." She sat back down on the bench.
"Sooo what brings you all the way out here? Besides the shopping."
"Needed a change of scenery for a while." She ducked her head. "Figured you might be ready for the company now." She brought her head back up and gave a dazzling smile. "Besides Rio is overrated."
"And what about Kennedy?" Buffy asked as she sat next to her.
"We broke up. She and I just kind of were too different you know?"
"I'm sorry Will." she laid a comforting hand on her friends shoulder.
"It's alright Buffy. I mean since when did any of us have relationships that worked out."
"We are quite a bunch aren't we?" Buffy asked her eyes sad again.
Willow just nodded her head. "Well should we go in?"
"Yeah I really need to do some therapy shopping." Together they stood and walked into the mall.
*********
Willow and Buffy were sitting in her living room talking quietly when the phone started ringing.
"Hello."
"Hi Buffy how are you?"
Buffy groaned inwardly, she so wasn’t in the mood. "Andrew, I'm fine how are you?"
"I'm good, um I um was like." Andrew sighed heavily. "I need to talk to you."
"So talk I'm listening."
"You’re not going to like it."
"Andrew..."
"I think this is something I need to tell you in person."
"What are you talking about?" Buffy groaned aloud this time, her irritation rising.
"Look I just flew in and I'm just outside of town. Can I come over?" He sounded hesitant.
"Alright just get here as soon as you can." She disconnected the phone.
"Buffy?"
"He's in town and coming over, said he had something to tell us." Buffy sat back down next to her.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah it's just with the dreams I haven't been sleeping well."
"That’s understandable I mean it sounded really bad."
"Gut wrenching is more like it. I mean I know that something has to be going on in LA but I don't know if we can do anything about it."
"Angel is smart Buffy. I'm sure that he wouldn't let Wolfram and Hart get to him."
She shook her head. "No it’s not that. I know deep down that he'd make the right choices. It's...” She trailed off as the doorbell rang. Getting up, she shook her head and answered the door.
"Andrew." Buff looked him over. He was dressed a little better, not going for that watcher look that he started out trying to imitate. Now he was wearing some simple slacks and a dress shirt. She noticed that he was holding himself a little differently now not quite as unsure of himself. He was a little different than the annoying nerd they had left tied in a chair last year.
"Hey Willow!" He screeched. He ran over to her and gave her a hug.
"Jeez Andrew guess it's nice to see you too." She disentangled herself from him. "So what brings you here?"
"So what do you want to tell me?” He looked nervously at her. "Gotta be important for you to fly all the way out here."
"Yeah. Look you're probably gonna be mad and I just want to let you know that this wasn't my idea. I wanted to tell you right away but you know they wouldn't let me so I just... well when I heard about the dream I knew you needed to know." He sat in the chair opposite the couch glancing quickly between the both of them.
"Seriously if you don't start making some sense Andrew...."
"Okay. Well you remember the girl you sent me to get. Dana?"
"The one that was in the institution?" He nodded at her.
"Yeah. Anyway Angel wasn't the only one I ran into." He stared back at her puzzled look. "He didn't want me to tell you and he said that he would on his own but if this dream is a premonition and I didn't tell you and then he would be dead and then you would kill me."
"What?" Willow asked confused.
"Spike?" Buffy whispered.
Andrew nodded. "The amulet they gave him trapped him and then he was a ghost for awhile and then he was like living or unliving again."
Buffy got up to pace around the room. She turned and glarred at him. "He's alive and you knew this long and you didn't tell me?" Her voice was low and dangerous.
He cleared his throat. "See I know you're mad but he did ask me not to tell. But there's more." She glared at him waiting for him to finish. "He was with Angel when we were in Rome. They both came to the apartment and I did what you told me about telling him you were dating the Immortal. I didn't want to but I know why you told me to and they waited but they had to go back. I knew he just wanted to see you but I think he was kind of scared that you would be mad at him too."
Buffy sat down hard on the couch. "Then the dream really could be a vision."
"Cause now Spike's alive?" Willow asked.
"And they're all going to die." Buffy said as a tear rolled down her cheek.
*********
Buffy was thrashing around in her sleep. Suddenly she sat upright in bed, her scream echoing around the room. She breathed heavily and started to sob deeply. The tears came flowing out of her as Willow knocked softly and opened the door.
"Buffy?" she whispered. She saw her face covered with tears as they ran down her cheeks and hit the sheets. "Oh Buffy." She ran over and grabbed her in a tight embrace.
Buffy wrapped her arms around Willow and let go of all the grief she had been holding inside. Slowly her tears started to subside and she was able to speak again.
"Willow"
"Yeah Buff?"
"We've got to go to LA."
"But we don't even know what we might be facing yet."
"It doesn't matter I have to try."
Willow nodded. "We'll call Giles in the morning and tell him were going. See if he can send us some help."
*****
"Giles we aren't going to convince her not to go. No I mean she really has to do this. Did you get any information on what is happening yet?" Willow shook her head at the watcher's tone. "So no apocalypse on the horizon, well that is good news."
She listened intently to his answer. "She said you could make the arrangements for the others to get there. It’s only a few hours for us to get there. Giles did the coven know about Spike?" She took a deep breath. "So no one but Andrew knew that he was alive?" "Alright, look I better go, Buffy will have her cell phone if you need to get in touch with us. We'll be careful. Okay bye." As she shut the phone off she zipped up her suitcase.
"You almost ready?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah they don’t have any more info for us. The only thing they know is that it isn't an actual apocalypse."
"Well that's a first."
*******
It was like fate itself was trying to keep them from getting to LA. They had already had a flat, the engine had over heated and now there was major traffic accident. The six-hour drive was turning into a whole day affair. Just when Buffy thought she would scream from the frustration the traffic finally started to move.
Night had already darkened the sky as they made their way past the crater that had been the offices of Wolfram and Hart. They continued walking and the rain began to fall as they made their way passed the empty Hyperion. Buffy picked up her pace now as she recognized the streets from the dream she had. Rounding the corner she recognized the alley that had haunted her for too many nights now.
Buffy came to a stop, her head swiveling from side to side taking in the demon bodies that littered the pavement. The air was thick with the scent of demon blood. She started walking again picking her way through the corpses. On the other side of a dumpster she could see a human body and a little further it appeared there was the body of a female without a head. She hung her head for a moment wanting to throw up. She turned to look behind her at Willow, Andrew, and the few slayers that Giles had sent.
Willow looked into her eyes and the grief she saw there overwhelmed her.
"We're too late." Buffy sobbed as she sank to her knees.
Willow walked to her side and held her while she cried.
Andrew looked around noticing something shiny on the ground near the demons remains he squatted down to grab it. As his hand closed around it he smiled softly. Turning he walked over and kneeled next to where Buffy and Willow were kneeling.
"Buffy..." he said as he pressed the silver lighter into her hand.
She looked at the lighter in her hand memories, washing over her in a flood. She grabbed the lighter tighter and slowly made her way to her feet. Reaching in her pocket she flipped her cell phone open.
"Giles. No we were too late. Do we know what happened?" She started nodding. "Do we know where the members were? Okay we'll check that out." She closed the phone.
"What happened Buffy?"
"They were trying to take down Wolfram and Hart from the inside. Guess a secret society called the Black Thorn was in charge and Angel managed to get inside. They took them out tonight and this was the payback."
"So what do we do know?"
"There were two other places that were hit I want to check them out and give these two a decent burial." She raked a hand through her wet hair. "So much needless stupid death...” her words trailed off sounding hollow to Willow's ears.
"Buffy?" she asked hesitantly.
She hung her head and slowly began to walk away.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
All of this has been beta'd by the wonderful Vicki! Many thanks. Please feel free to review I welcome all comments whether positive or negative. Thank you!