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Author's Chapter Notes:
Just laying the groundwork before things can get interesting...
"This is where we are staying?" Buffy stood in shock at the large stone building in front of them. "But it's a church!" Giles stood before the group, re-checking his map in the afternoon light.

"Not according to this, or not anymore at least. Everyone gather your bags, we are going inside now."

While Xander and Angel helped unload the bags, Willow and Buffy couldnt help but stand in awe of the building in front of them. Surrounded by a high, intricate iron gate, the entrance to the building was obscured from their view. Vines grew all over the iron posts, given the front courtyard a prison-like feeling. Willow shrugged her shoulders, picked up the handle to her suitcase, and began dragging it towards the entrance.

"Come on Buffy" Angel said, helping her pick up her duffel bag and leading her towards the gate.

"I dont like the looks of this. This place gives me the creeps" She said, holding back a wave of revusion.

"Well, it's certainly no Hilton, but how was Giles to know that the town had a festival this week? We got lucky we found this place, otherwise we would have been sleeping at the bus station until the other group gets here."

"Well thanks for making me sound like a snob" Buffy stated rather indignantly. Realizing that he had somehow offended her, Angel quickly backtracked.

"I didn't mean it that way. I am just saying, maybe the inside is different." She shook her head, and then took his hand, mentally deciding to apologize to him when her jetlag-crankiness wore off.

"Oh my God, you guys have to see the inside!" Xander yelped from the doorway.

"Well, lets see if this is shocking in a good way, or in a bad way." Angel said blandly, pulling Buffy forward. The pair walked in the front entrance, and simultaneously sucked in their breath when their eyes adjusted to the darkness. The foyer was entirely made of stone. Wooden benches and a simply carved desk were the only furnishings, and a worn red rug covered a small area of the cold stone floor. The windows were narrow and high, darkened with dirt and half covered by vines creeping up the outer walls. Buffy scanned the entire front room, trying to dispel the creepy feeling washing over her.

"Look" Willow's voice sounded small and unnatural in the acoustics of the foyer, but Buffy spotted her friend standing alongside one of the two huge pillars that marked the doorway into the main hall of the building. While Angel helped Xander pile all the bags onto a worn looking wooden cart, Buffy walked up to see what her friend was gazing at.

"What?" She asked, causing Willow to jump.

"Geez Will, startled much?" Buffy began to tease, but stopped when she realized her friend was still staring intently at the carvings on the pillar. Buffy looked at the carvings, and the meaning of the picture hit her like a ton of bricks.

At the top of the pillar were angels, their wings spread over their beautiful bodies as they gazed down from the heavens. While some were gazing downward, others were standing on clouds with their backs half-turned from the scene below. Beneath these heavens was a heartbreaking scene. Men, women, and many children lay on the ground, bloody, their hands stretched towards the angels in the heavens, begging for mercy, the same angels who were turning away. From beneath them, creatures with claws of beasts and faces of monsters reached upward, clutching the feet and legs of the mortals, and dragging them downward into flames. Buffy felt bile rise into her throat, which she quickly swallowed back down.

"Guess these people were just religios zealots." she stammered, turning away. She was stopped though when Willow gripped her arm hard, forcing her to turn back towards the carvings.

"No." Was all she said, no expression on her face.

"No?" Buffy gazed at her friend, fearful at what she saw. A single tear rolled down Willow's cheek.

"Religious portrayals depict a struggle between good and evil. There is no struggle here, the heavens relinquished their hold on these people; the demons have control." Her voice sounded strange, like she was in a trance.

"Will, these things were just made to scare people into coming to church--"

"No! Can't you feel it? There is something here, something evil. This is too real, something happened here!" She stumbled backwards, and Buffy quickly grabbed her friend around the waist to keep her from falling. Willow whipped around to face Buffy, seemingly returning to her senses, a look of bewilderment on her face. "I, I don't know..." She stuttered.

"Its ok Will, I think we are all tired." Buffy soothed, but could not shake off the feeling of despair that had settled. When Giles entered the room followed by and old man, Buffy took the interruption as a chance to disregard the events of the past few minutes.

"Buffy, Willow, here are your keys. Xander and Angel, yours. I have to go to the bus station and wait for Ms. Calendar, since we have no way of contacting eachother prior to her arrival. I suggest you all settle in for the night; the other group may not be arriving until late this evening, and no doubt you will want to visit once they arrive. Erm, please try to refrain from causing any trouble. There is a tavern a half mile down the road, should you all become hungry. I have left 50 Euros with the innkeeper, in case you all decide you want to use it. Please stay together and do not wander. Everyone clear?" Because Willow was still acting strangely, Buffy nodded and grabbed the keys from Giles.
"Yup, shower time now. Whaddya say Wills?" Willow nodded mutely, and Buffy dragged her friend in the direction of the main hall. Xander and Angel followed after getting their keys, bringing the luggage with them.

Room 16, the girls room, was located towards the end of the main hall. Surprisingly, the room was cozily furnished with a Queen sized bed in the center of the room, two lantern-style lamps providing warm light, and even an old television set upon a large dresser. The windows were opened slightly, allowing fresh air to circulate in the room. The bathroom had a claw-foot tub with a shower attachment built onto the wall, and a small porcelain sink nearby. A small vanity with a carved mirror was in the corner, opposite a toilet. Despite the cold stone floors of the rest of the building, their room had a cozy yellow carpet that helped lend it warmth and brightness.

After feeling relief settle over her, Buffy quickly shooed Angel and Xander out.

"I dont know about you, but I am in desperate need of a shower." She sighed, turning to her friend. Willow was already sitting on the bed, her toiletries laid out in front of her.

"Ditto" She said, looking much more relaxed. Both young women lapsed into silence, reluctant to discuss the oddness of what had just taken place.

"I am going to finish this book actually, so how about you take the first shower?" Buffy suggested, already digging through her backpack to pull out the trashy novel that had piqued her interest back at LAX.

"Sure!" Willow lept up from the bed, grabbing the towel, and raced into the bathroom. Seeing how her friend was behaving now, BUffy figured whatever had happened was simply hormones or something, and assumed things were back to normal. She sat back, took a deep breath, and opened the book up to a steamy scene. "Nothing like a little romance to put things in perspective" she thought sarcastically.

After a lengthy shower, Willow finally came out.

"Sorry Buff, that felt so good I couldnt make myself get out." The redhead grinned happily, toweling herself dry.

"No prob. I am gonna jump in now. If you want to go down to the guys room at some point, I can just meet you there."

"Sounds good." Willow smiled, and tossed Buffy the facewash. Picking up her own towel, Buffy entered the steamy bathroom.

Damn Willow, you weren't kidding, Buffy thought while she stood under the steady stream of hot water. Reminding herself that the guys were probably waiting on her to get some food, the slender blonde reluctantly turned off the water. As she stepped out of the tub, she couldnt help but get the feeling that someone, or something, was watching her. Wrapping the towel around her lithe form, Buffy glanced around the bathroom. Satisfied that there was no one there, Buffy approached the vanity to comb out her hair. She removed her towel and used it to wipe off the mirror. Since she was already pretty dry, she leaned over and hung the towel from a hook next to the mirror. She admired the intricate brass hook for a moment, and then turned her attention back to the mirror. When she gazed into it though, her eyes locked on a set of red eyes. Terror gripped her so fiercely that she could not move, could not speak, could not even tear her eyes away. They stared back, locking into her gaze. As she watched, the color of the eyes changed from red to a frosty blue, piercing her to the core. Buffy suddenly experienced the same sensation as before, the coldness swept through her, chilling her through and through. Just as quickly as they appeared, the eyes were gone. Buffy came out of her trance, and, recognizing what she had just seen, panicked. She grabbed the towel from the hook and bolted back into the bedroom, desperate to get away from the vision, from the eyes that had seared her soul. As she ran through the doorway though, she collided with a large solid form. She screeched, pulling back, only to be stopped by two strong hands gripping her arms.

"Whoa there Buffy, are you ok?" The voice registered in Buffy's mind as Angels, and she slumped into his embrace.

"Angel, I-" She almost rushed into telling him what had happened, but as the reality of what she was saying hit her, she realized that she would sound completely crazy. "I didn't think anyone was in here. You scared me" She said, smiling.

"Sorry, unwelcome surpise I suppose." He smiled, but then his smile trailed off as his hand slid down her arm. "Although I have to admit, there is nothing unwelcome about seeing you in a towel." He smiled, and kissed her cheek. Buffy giggled nervously, but when his lips moved to her mouth, her fear subsided. Leaning into Angel's welcoming embrace, Buffy kissed him back. Although nothing about his kisses particularly excited her, Buffy was comfortable, safe, with Angel.

"Mmm Buffy, you taste so good." Angel whispered, sitting down on the bed and pulling Buffy to him. She smiled, and reached up to grab onto her towel, securing it around her chest so that it didnt fall. "Buffy..." Angel reached up, and pulled her into a sitting position next to him, before maneuvering his body so that she was reclining backwards with him over top of her.

"Hmmm Angel, this feels good," She said, turning away, "but do you think I could maybe get dressed?" But Angel hand pushed her shoulder back down. Buffy kissed him a moment more, and then attempted to sit up again. This time though, Angel only kissed her more passionately. Deciding that perhaps there was no huge hurry for dinner, Buffy wound her hand around her boyfriend, and ran her hand through his hair...only she grasped onto curls. Startled, Buffy tried to pull away, but found herself trapped underneath the man above her. Her eyes flew open, but rather than Angel's familiar ones, she saw stormy blue ones. Taking advantage of her shock, the man leaned down and kissed her once more, searing her lips with a kiss that stole her breath. Terrified, Buffy kicked out, and attempted to roll from the bed. The hands that had been holding her released her, and Buffy fell to the ground. Immediately though she was on her feet, and lunging for the door. She yanked it open to come face to face with Angel. She screamed, and Angel jumped back, startled. Bewildered, Buffy turned back inside the room, only to find it empty. When she glanced back at Angel, standing in the doorway looking utterly confused, she became completely overhelmed. Her body wracked with sobs, she fell to her knees, burying her head in her hands.

"Buffy?" He asked, hesitantly.

"Don't touch me!"





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