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Author's Chapter Notes:
I'm back! Exams are over and so I bring you more beautiful fic. Hope you enjoy. There is a banner for this fic but I'll put it up after a couple of chapters - wouldn't want to spoil it.

P.S. There will be Bangel. You've been warned.
She had doubted herself before, doubted whether she had it in her to do this. But now she knew. Now, facing off against the cruel face of the man she had loved, she knew she would do what she had to do. She would stop Angelus before anyone else could get hurt. It wasn’t going to be an easy task though: he was a more than capable swordsman, as she was quickly learning. Every lunge of hers was blocked with an ease that made her grit her teeth. But she would not let it get to her- she would keep fighting until she had won. Simple as that. He knocked her to the floor but she quickly rolled back onto her feet, meeting his sword with her own, matching his cruel smile with her own.

“Now, isn’t this fun, lover? I didn’t know you had it in you.”

She said nothing and swung for him again. She wasn’t going to let him play mind games with her. She was clearly focussed on her aim now and she could tell it was working when in the next moment she managed to slash his arm. He pulled back ever so slightly, giving her a leer as he licked the blood from his arm.

“You’ve almost got me convinced,” he smirked, “But I don’t think you really want to kill me, do you, Buff?”

“You just remember that when your dust’s blowing in the wind, okay?”


He laughed and flew at her again but she turned and spun, her sword slashing his back as he flew past her. He rounded and growled loudly and she gave him a pleasant smile.

“Didn’t hurt you, did I?” she asked sarcastically, carefully watching him for his next move.

He growled again and rushed her and their swords clashed with a clang of metal. She realised his anger was making him sloppy now and she took her advantage, pushing him away with a firm kick to the stomach that sent him sprawling to the ground. She stalked towards him and with one flick of her sword, sent his flying from his hands. And he just lay there, looking up at her and smiling.

“Come on, Buff.”

She took a deep, calming breath and forced her cold gaze to his.

“Get on your knees,” she ordered, sword just touching his neck.



He was still for a few moments before, with a smile as if humouring her, he got to his knees, still smiling as his eyes met hers.

“You can’t do it, Slayer.”

“You wanna bet?” she countered, but even she knew she was stalling. But she had to do this- had to rid the world of this menace. She hefted her sword and in the few seconds of opportunity, Angelus lunged, tackling her to the ground and sending her sword clattering to the floor a few metres away. His advantage meant he quickly had her pinned, heavy body on top of hers, hands scrabbling with hers to try and restrain her.

Somehow, though, she managed to break free, elbowing him in the chin and rolling free. He laughed and got to his feet at the exact same moment as her, both now reunited with their swords.

“I expected better of you, Buffy,” he commented in fake disappointment.

“I’m not done yet,” she retorted, this time going on the offensive and lunging for him, sword outstretched. He laughed again and countered her blow, deflecting her easily. She spun and went at him again, refusing to let him get to her. She would do her duty. She flew at him again and again and finally pulled back, having made no hits at all. He smiled that twisted smile and hefted his sword as if it were a plaything.

“That all you got, Buff?”

She narrowed her eyes and went for him once again, spinning and managing to catch him just under the arm. He growled and stumbled back and she followed him, lunging at him again. He just managed to raise his sword in time to meet hers and threw her backwards. His hand went to the cut and he narrowed his eyes, a hint of a smile playing about his lips.

“Just a-“



He faltered and she frowned, not understanding what had made him stop so suddenly. She looked around quickly, wondering if maybe Spike or Drusilla had made an appearance, but it was just them. Her attention was quickly drawn back to him when he gave a gasp of pain and sunk to his knees. At the exact same moment, she heard a harsh cry sound out from some far corner of the mansion but she ignored it, sword gripped tightly in her hands as she approached the kneeling vampire. He was gasping for breath and then he let out a moan.

Not knowing what to say, she stopped just out of reach, sword still pointed at him in case he moved. Suddenly he looked up though and her heart almost stopped at the look in his eyes. No, it couldn’t be.

“Buffy?” he whispered, his voice hoarse with pain, “Buffy, what’s going on? Where am I?”

This had to be a trick. Some cruel device of Angelus’ to put her off-guard. But his eyes…

“Buffy?” he asked again in confusion, eyes darting to the sword in her hand.

“You don’t remember?” she asked quietly.

“I… What’s going on here?”

He suddenly seemed to notice the sword in his own hand and as if scalded, he dropped it quickly, looking up at her with wide, uncomprehending eyes. And she knew.

“Angel?” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“Buffy, I-“

He suddenly cut himself off and he squeezed his eyes shut, his face contorted in pain.

“Angel?” she got out, sword falling from her hand as she went to him, falling to her knees in front of him. She reached out with a shaking hand and touched her fingers to his face and his head whipped up, that tortured look she knew well in his eyes.

“What have I done?” he murmured.

She couldn’t help herself then- she burst into tears, her chest heaving as she sobbed out her pain.

“Buffy, Buffy,” he repeated over and over, pulling her into his arms, “What have I done? Oh Buffy.”



She didn’t know how long they sat there, her sobs penetrating the silence of the garden along with his tortured whispers. She finally pulled back, eyes bright with tears as she reached out to touch his face.

“Is it really you?” she choked out.

“It’s me, Buffy. I- I love you.”

That set her off again and she buried her head in her hands, crying for all that she had lost in such a short time. Angel drew her close again and she rested her head against his chest. She didn’t know how this could have happened – unless Willow had finally been successful with the spell. To think, just minutes ago she had been trapped in a fight to the death with him. If she had killed him… No, she wouldn’t think like that. She pulled back again, needing to see him, needing to see Angel looking back at her instead of his cruel alter ego. She traced her fingers shakily over his cheek, lip trembling.

“I tried to kill you,” he whispered painfully.

“It’s okay now,” she got out, unable to stop herself from leaning forward and kissing him. He caught her to him, kissing her hard, but then he was pushing her away and she knew he was afraid.

“Buffy-“

“I know,” she whispered.

Their physical relationship was what had brought about this hell and there was no way they could risk it happening again.



She pulled back but her hand went to the arm she had wounded.

“I hurt you.”

“I’ll be fine. Are you hurt?”

She shook her head, unable to bring herself to speak, trying to hold back the tears.

“We should get out of here,” she murmured, wanting more than anything to get away from this place full of such painful memories, “I need to tell the others that… that everything’s okay now.”

They clambered to their feet and she wrapped an arm around the still-dazed vampire.

“Buffy, where-“

“I need to get out of here.”

“You should kill me.”

“No!” she blurted out, stopping and turning to him with wide eyes, “Don’t say that!”

“But… Jenny… and Giles-“

“That wasn’t you,” she said firmly.

She saw him pause for a moment but then he ducked his head, avoiding her gaze.

Together, they moved back into the mansion, through the dark rooms and towards the large door to the street. Just as they reached the door though, she finally attuned her ears to the strange sounds she had been hearing. She stopped and frowned, listening intently. Somewhere hidden in the mansion, there was movement and what sounded like desperate cries. She had been so caught up in Angel she hadn’t noticed, but now she hesitated.



“Buffy,” he called, reaching out to take her arm.

“Can you hear that? What is it?”

She frowned, peering into the darkness surrounding her – and suddenly, out of the darkness, a shriek and before she knew what was happening, Drusilla was rushing her. She lashed out with her nails, eyes wild with hatred, fangs bared and Buffy hardly knew what to do. Then Angel caught the vampiress, restraining her with some effort. Drusilla wouldn’t take her eyes off her though.

“Noooo! Slayer… you’ve taken them away!”

There was just one question going through her head though: where the hell was Spike?

“She shouldn’t be here,” she murmured, turning to Angel, rolling her eyes at the crazy vampiress’ shrieking.

“What do you mean?”

“That was the deal. Spike and Drusilla got out of here, while I…” she trailed off, averting her eyes. Her gaze drifted to the vampiress, who seemed to have calmed somewhat in Angel’s grip but who looked distraught. And she kept shrieking still, crying ‘No!’.

“Taken them away… all gone. Left me all alone…”

She turned away from the vampiress and moved her attention to the left wing of the house. That was where the strange sounds could still be heard, muffled by the distance. She began to move warily into the darkness, glancing back over at the vampires behind her.

“If she’s still here when I get back, she’s dust,” she said to Angel and he nodded, turning his attention to Drusilla.



Angel caught up with her just along the corridor.

“I couldn’t kill her,” he commented, that tortured look back in his eyes.

“It’s okay,” she murmured, still attuned to the strange noises that were getting louder now. It was like an animal whining and a person crying at the same time and she thought she heard brief snatches of words. She reached for a stake but found she had none and so clenched her fists tightly, ready to fight whatever threat she found. As they got closer, she noticed Angel listening intently and then he stiffened, pained eyes moving to hers.

“We should just go, Buffy.”

She frowned and turned back towards the sound.

“What is it?” she whispered.

He did not reply and with a frown, she moved onwards, steps light and silent as she progressed through the darkened mansion, Angel just behind her. She paused at the door to the room from which the sound seemed to be coming and glanced at Angel, whose eyes were on the floor. She couldn’t understand his behaviour and turned away, taking a deep breath and kicking the door open.



At first, she could make out nothing in the dark room but then her gaze was drawn to the figure crouched in the corner. It took her a moment to recognise the huddled figure with his face buried in his hands and yet another to realise that the sounds she had heard – those tortured cries and the pained whining – were coming from him. Her hand flew to her mouth in horror, eyes going wide as she took in the devastating sight before her. The sight of a master vampire curled up, hands tugging at his hair, his mouth parted in a crazed litany of pain. The sight of Spike, her former enemy and one-time ally, completely broken.





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