Buffy had been wandering up and down Wolfram and Hart for a while, but she still hadn't found any sign of Spike. She'd run into a few more psycho lawyers she'd helped security bring down, but was getting more and more worried with every Spikeless corridor she searched. Entering the lobby, Buffy paused for a minute trying to work out where Spike might have gone.

He knew the place better than she did, was it possible there were some secret rooms or offices in the building he'd have disappeared to? Buffy rolled her eyes at that thought. Of course there were secret areas of the building she didn't know about, but would Spike really have vanished without telling her where he was going or why? Everything had seemed fine with him earlier, except for his complaint of a headache.

"Buffy?"

Buffy looked up at the sound of Gunn's voice to see him headed her way, looking puzzled.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Oh, hey, Gunn. Um, you haven't seen Spike by any chance have you?"

"Spike? No, can't say that I have. He run off on you?"

"I don't know what happened. We were supposed to help security out, you know? Give us something to do while we wait for Angel to get the ritual done. He went to get Fred to watch over Dawn but he never came back. Fred said he left before she did but I can't find him anywhere."

Gunn nodded thoughtfully but eventually shrugged.

"I don't know what to tell you, Buffy, I haven't seen him."

Buffy sighed and glanced around again.

"That's okay, Gunn. Thanks. I'd better keep looking."

She watched Gunn walk away, took another look around the lobby and spotted the open door to Angel's office. It was a long shot, but maybe Spike got sidetracked messing with Angel's stuff again, which would be pretty juvenile of him, but he was still running high on energy.

She came up empty. There was no sign of Spike or anyone else in the office. She briefly thought about heading up to Angel's apartment, but couldn't see why Spike would have gone up there again.

"Where are you, Spike?" Buffy muttered to herself.

"Excuse me?"

Buffy turned to see a woman standing behind her, then realized she was the same woman Angel had stopped earlier and sent to get blood for him and Spike. Buffy racked her brain but couldn't remember the woman's name. Bridget? Beatrice? Something with a B anyway.

"If you're looking for the blond vampire, he left a little while ago," the woman said.

"Spike left? What do you mean he left? You saw him?" Buffy asked.

"Yes. He came rushing out of this office and headed straight for the elevator. He looked a little—preoccupied."

"Why would he leave?" Buffy wondered aloud. "Where would he go?"

"Why did you come here, Spike?"

"As if you don't know. Tell me, were you planning this all along, or was there a specific moment when you decided to say to hell with this city and everyone in it?" Spike asked, starting to pace slowly back and forth in front of Angel.

"It's not like that," Angel said with a growl, watching Spike warily.

"Oh it's not? So tell me, why exactly are you performing the ritual that ends with you Shanshuing while L.A. burns?" Spike stopped pacing, leveling Angel with a hard gaze. "Blood sacrifice. Binding one's self to the amulet. All parts of the ritual to restore balance, the one we all agreed is the only option."

Spike removed a piece of paper from his pocket and held it up. Angel's eyes were drawn to it and a muscle in his jaw twitched.

"Look what I found in your office, Gramps. The incantation with those words on it. Imagine my surprise when I read it and realized that if it was on your desk after you'd already left, it meant you had the other incantation with you, intending to perform the ritual that benefits you and leaves the rest of us to die."

"It doesn't just benefit me, Spike," Angel countered.

Spike laughed humorlessly, stuffing the paper back in his pocket then glaring at Angel.

"Well it certainly doesn't benefit anyone else in L.A. Doesn't benefit Dawn or Andrew or your employees. Certainly doesn't benefit the Slayer. You know, that was the biggest surprise really, because for all I think you're capable of something like this, selfish git that you are, I never thought you'd sacrifice Buffy for it."

Angel looked away at that then gritted his teeth and turned hard eyes back to Spike.

"You have no idea what this is about Spike. This isn't your city. For years I've done anything and everything I could to keep this place from becoming a living hell. The sacrifices I've made in the fight against evil—joining Wolfram and Hart, my enemies, all for the greater good."

"Doing a bang up job of it too, aren't you?"

"Shut up!" Angel bellowed, his expression furious. "You think just because you have a soul now, because you died to save the world once, you have a better perspective than I do? You know nothing about being a Champion. You don't even understand evil, no matter how much you pretend to. Evil is everywhere, Spike, and you can't win against it. No matter how much you fight, no matter how much you give for the cause it will always exist, and the Slayer, the Champions for the Powers—they won't even make a dent in the grand scheme of things."

Spike shook his head with an amused chuckle.

"Right, I don't understand evil. You think I don't know all that? That it's inherent in everyone? The only thing that divides the good people from the bad is restraint. Hell, I'm like the sodding poster boy for what happens when you forcefully restrain a truly evil creature. Behavior modification to prevent me from being what I truly am, a killer, until I started believing it myself—believing I could be better than that. Finally learned the difference when I got my soul. Evil's a part of me, always will be, same as you. 'Cept we're supposed to be keeping it on a leash. Explain to me, just how does killing everyone you've been trying so hard to protect change anything? All I see is a tired old sod giving up, finally giving in to his own nature."

Angel scowled and flexed his fists, glancing at the ritual circle and the still burning candles.

"It buys time," he answered at last.

"What?"

Spike frowned. Angel just wasn't making any sense anymore.

"The cleansing. The apocalypse is coming, Spike. Not just another big fight but the Apocalypse. We've been doing nothing but postponing it. It's not going to be enough. Everything I deal with—working at Wolfram and Hart, well, let's just say it changes your perspective on things. All the signs are pointing to the end being nigh sooner rather than later, and there's nothing we can do to stop it. But we can hold it off. Sure, innocent lives will be caught in the crossfire, but it will wipe out a good portion of evil too. The Senior Partners ran—which is unfortunate, but this will do enough damage to hold them off while they rebuild and make new plans. It gives those left behind more time to prepare."

"You're talking about reducing the city to ash! There won't be anyone left behind, and you'll be human. What good can you do then?"

"It's not about us! There's an army of Slayers out there now. They can take up the mantle, our time is over. Come on, Spike, you said it yourself. What gives the Powers the right to decide it isn't over for us? You made your sacrifice, Buffy's made plenty of hers, and I've made more than enough of mine. This city is home to some of the more powerful and influential demons working against us and this is the only chance we have to wipe them out."

"Are you even hearing yourself right now? You want to doom innocent lives, the lives of people you're supposed to care about to exterminate a few big bads. You're making less sense than when you tried to raise Acathla and kill us all."

"I couldn't expect you to understand, Spike. This has to be done. It's what's right—in the end."

Angel turned away and began walking back to the ritual circle. He made it two steps before he was knocked sideways and pinned against the wall, Spike's arm crushing into his windpipe. The younger vampire snarled and gave Angel a savage look, holding firm when Angel tried to pry Spike's arm away from his throat.

"I guess the time for talking is over then. You're wrong about this, Gramps. If you think I'm going to let you finish that ritual you're dumber than you look."

"Fine. You want to stop me?"

Angel punched Spike viciously in the gut, releasing Spike's hold on him long enough for Angel to throw him backwards where the blond fell on the altar, rolled off and onto the cold stone ground.

"Let's settle this."

"Wesley!"

Buffy rapped loudly on the office door anxiously waiting for the former watcher to answer her. The door swung open and she darted past the startled man into the office, quickly spinning to face him.

"You have to tell me where the church is."

"Sorry? Buffy, what's this about, is something wrong?" Wesley asked, removing his glasses and closing the door.

Buffy took a calming breath and began pacing, gesticulating with her arms as she explained the situation in a rush.

"Look, I don't know exactly what's going on but Spike's missing. I tried to find him but wasn't having any luck when that woman from earlier, the one who gave Angel and Spike the blood, told me she saw him leave Angel's office in a hurry and now he's gone."

"Gone?" Wesley repeated.

"Yes, gone—as in, left the building. I don't know why but I'm positive he went after Angel for some reason. It's the only explanation that makes any sense. Angel must have left the address behind or something."

"Why on Earth would Spike suddenly go there? He didn't mention anything to you?"

"No," Buffy said, running a hand through her hair. "But something must be up. Wes, please? I need to find out what's going on."

Wesley nodded and set his glasses down on his desk.

"All right then. I'll drive you."

Wes grabbed his coat and opened the door, gesturing for Buffy to go ahead. She did, throwing him a curious glance as she passed by.

"Are you a fast driver?"

"Well I'm not as fast as a vampire since I actually have to worry about dying in a crash," Wes said with a smile, "but I can get us there sooner rather than later. Don't worry, Buffy. I'm sure everything will be fine."

"I sure hope so," Buffy said, following Wesley to the elevator, "because something about those two alone together worries the hell outta me."

The sound of breaking stone echoed noisily through the chamber as did the shouts and grunts of pain from the two vampires as they fought. Candlelight flickered in the unnatural breeze that whistled through the parted fingers of the angel statues and elongated the shadows of the two warriors as they twirled and punched, reeled and kicked.

Angel yelped as he was thrown through the air, crashing onto the altar so hard the stone cracked. He rolled off just in time to avoid the pale fist that smashed into the spot where his head had just been, widening the crack and sending dust swirling into the air.

Spike drew his fist back and blew the dust from it before hopping over the altar as Angel rose to his feet. The blond aimed a kick at his grandsire but the elder vamp deflected it and threw a right hook that caught Spike on the jaw and made his teeth clack together.

"You know you're just wasting your time," Angel said, backing up to where they had more space to fight. "You can't beat me boy, never could, never will."

"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you," Spike answered, rubbing his jaw, "but things are different now."

Spike threw a punch with his left fist which Angel blocked, leaving him open for a second punch that made contact with the older vampire's kidney. Wrenching free of Angel's grip, Spike threw another punch that sent Angel's head whipping to the side, and split his lip in the process.

Angel retaliated with a roundhouse kick, forcing Spike to stumble sideways. Before Spike could turn around he found himself in a vicious headlock, Angel's arms forcing his head forward and crushing his windpipe. It hurt like hell, even if Spike didn't really need to breath.

"Nothing's different. It's the same old story, Willie. You throw everything you have at me without ever stopping to think things through, and every single time I beat you down. You never learn, Spike. How do you really think this will end? Because I can tell you right now, it won't be with me losing."

Spike was desperately trying to throw Angel off, but his grandsire had too strong a grip, and Spike couldn't get a solid blow in that would force the older vamp to let go. Being forced to his knees by the now crushing grip, Spike summoned all his strength into one more attempt, jerking them both sideways and forcing backwards until Angel was rammed against a corner of the altar, causing him to cry out in pain and let go of Spike.

Massaging his aching throat, Spike turned and stumbled back to a safer distance, glaring at Angel as the other vamp grabbed at his injured back, hissing in pain then leveling a menacing glare in Spike's direction. Spike coughed and grimaced before smirking back at Angel. Slowly, he straightened up and got back into a fighting stance.

"Things are different, old man. I'm different. This about more than just me and you. There are a lot of people that are gonna pay for it if I let you win, and I'm not about to let 'em down."

"A lot of people or just one person?" Angel asked.

"Both. Yeah, I'm leaning more towards one person, but that doesn't change what'll happen if I let you go through with this. I'm gonna win because it's what right, and no matter how many times you put me down, I'm not gonna quit."

"Well, well," Angel smirked, "looks like Spikey fancies himself quite the hero, when the truth is, you're anything but."

"Well we'll just have to see about that, won't we?"

Angel shrugged, groaning a little at the pain in his back.

"If you say so."

Angel was on Spike in a flash, leaping across the space between them in one powerful bound and knocking Spike backwards, both of them tumbling down the few steps of the raised altar and coming to a halt at the feet of an angel statue. Angel had ended up on top but Spike kicked him off and sprang to his feet a second later. Without pause, the blond spun and kicked at his grandsire again, but Angel anticipated the move and caught Spike's leg before it connected. With a smirk, Angel used his vampire strength to spin and throw Spike across the room. Spike slammed into the large cross hanging behind the altar and collapsed to the ground. A second later the cross followed him, falling on top of Spike and pinning him to the ground.

Spike grunted and bit back a shout as his skin began to burn, smoke rising from his coat the longer the cross remained on top of him. Above the sound of his sizzling flesh, he heard Angel laugh as he approached.

"Look at the almighty hero now. You're nothing but a monster Spike. It's what we are. You can prolong it all you like but in the end, we're both gonna burn. Excuse me if I try to make a difference before I fade to ash."

Spike grimaced as the weight of the cross kept him pressed to the floor. A couple more seconds and flames were gonna erupt from his skin. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Angel's polished black shoes turn and begin to walk away. It was a familiar sight. During those early days, Spike always seemed to find himself at Angelus' feet, usually after a beating. Rage swelled inside him. Gritting his teeth, Spike fought the pain and pushed against the heavy weight above him. He got to his knees and tipped the cross sideways so it fell off him, clanging to the floor. Angel paused but didn't look back.

"Spike," Angel started, his shoulders slumping, "you really need to learn when to quit. I don't have time for th—"

The cross slammed into Angel hard enough to send him soaring across the room to land with a loud crash into the wooden pews. Baring his teeth in a half mocking grin, half grimace of pain, Spike stood staring at the shattered pieces of wood, his hands stinging from the burning cross before he tossed it aside where the loud thud of it hitting the stone floor echoed throughout the chamber.

With a sniff, shaking off the pain in his hands, Spike stalked forward a bit keeping his eyes trained on the shadowy heap of splintered wood where Angel had landed.

"So did you dust or what?" he called out when nothing moved.

A hiss of pain echoed from the spot and Spike relaxed a little, unaware of how tense the silence had made him until Angel broke it. A dark shape rose from the pile and Angel's bloodied face turned to Spike.

Angel was clutching his left arm where a stake was buried, a piece of the broken pew that had lodged itself in him during his landing. Crying out in agony, he removed the stake, cursing when he pulled the last of it free of his arm.

"You're going to pay for that."

Spike grinned.

"Make me."

"Are you sure this is it?"

Buffy turned to look back at Wesley who was busy staring warily at the faceless angel statue outside. Buffy'd practically jumped out of the car when they arrived and flung open the doors of the church. Now, she was standing just inside those doors, staring at the very tilted, and very empty, church.

"Hmm?" Wesley asked, finally pulling his attention from the creepy statue to look at her, adjusting his glasses before removing them completely.

Buffy jerked a thumb in the direction of the church.

"This is the right place, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Then why is it empty? Where are they? It's way too quiet, and it really doesn't look ideal for a ritual in here."

"Well," Wesley began, stepping up beside Buffy and casting his gaze across the room. "Perhaps there's more to this place than what we're seeing. It's certainly the right church."

Buffy scanned the room again herself and began making her way, as quickly as possible, over the rubble and down the slope to the altar. The sounds of slipping and sliding behind her told her Wesley was following. She was barely halfway into the church when there was a loud rumble and the ground started to shake. Dust and dirt began to shower down from the ceiling and an angel statue collapsed forward and shattered close to where Wesley was standing. Buffy lost her footing and fell, rolling down the slope. Wesley shouted her name when she slammed into a chunk of a broken pillar, hard. Just as suddenly as it had started, the trembling stopped, the groaning ceased, and but for a few remaining dust clouds, the church was still again.

Buffy hauled herself up using one of the pews and tried to locate Wesley. He'd managed to stay in the same spot he'd been in, but was rising to a normal standing position as well, having ducked down during the tremor.

"Earthquake?" she asked, coughing and brushing the dust off her jacket.

"Apparently. Are you all right?"

Buffy nodded and took another look around the room, blinking to clear her vision since her eyes had started watering from the dust. Over to the left, Buffy spotted what looked like the top of a large door lying on the ground near a sheltered corner. Ignoring Wesley's concerned shouts for her to be careful she hurried over to the spot and discovered the concealed stone stairwell which provided a way down below the church.

"Wes! I think I know where they are!" she called over her shoulder as she entered the corridor, keeping both hands on either wall as she took cautious steps forward.

"Buffy wait! Where are you? Wait for me. Ow. Blast. Buffy!"

Angel used Spike's distraction after the sudden earthquake to pin the blond vampire up against the baptismal font. Both traded yellow eyed glares as Spike fought to keep Angel's hand with the stake away from his chest. Angel snarled and pushed forward. Spike glanced at the stake then back to Angel and growled. Both of them were beaten bloody and exhausted. Neither could keep this up much longer.

There was a loud cracking noise and another angry rumble echoed through the chamber as a smaller tremor shook the ground. Both vampires turned their heads to look at the ritual circle. A vibrating white glow came from the amulet, accompanied by more ominous cracking sounds as the chamber began to shake. The ritual wouldn't hold any longer. It had to be finished or the amulet would be destroyed completely and they'd miss their one and only shot at fixing things.

Their feral gazes locked again. Somewhere a loud cry echoed through the chamber. Spike let go of Angel's arm and the stake began to plummet towards his chest. Angel was stunned by the sudden release of Spike's grip and stared at his arm as though mesmerized as the stake shot down. Pain stung his eyes like a thousand of fire ants were burrowing into them in the next second. Angel howled and flung himself backwards gripping his face. The stake clattered to the ground.

Spike stumbled towards the ritual circle, his left hand held in front of him, twisted like a disfigured claw as it blistered and bubbled from being plunged into the font of holy water. He ignored the pain, knowing Angel was feeling it more than him. Behind him, his grandsire continued to roar and curse as he writhed on the ground, clutching his steaming face.

Spike blinked as he drew nearer to the blindingly bright light pulsing from the amulet. Groaning, he sank to his knees before it and wearily took in the sight of the cracked and weakened crystal. Raising his right hand, Spike sliced his palm open with one of his fangs and held it over the amulet. He flexed his fist a few times to get the blood flowing more rapidly and watched as the dark red fluid began to spill over the glowing crystal. The pulsing light turned a violent red as the amulet began to absorb the blood and soon it ceased pulsing, becoming a steady beam of red energy illuminating the chamber.

His voice sounding cracked and hoarse, Spike finished the ritual.

"With blood of the impure, given as sacrifice, I taint this object. I bind myself to its power. With these elements I create balance. Let light and dark reign united. Let demon and soul be forever bound, and let this object's power be restored."

A loud keening began to echo through the chamber, increasing in volume until it became a piercing shriek that drowned out Angel's cries of pain and caused Spike to cringe and desperately attempt to cover his ears with his injured hands. The red drapes billowed wildly and the amulet's glow intensified, becoming blinding. His vision red and ears ringing painfully, Spike thought he was dying when suddenly everything stopped.

The light vanished, the noise died away, and the drapes settled quietly back against the walls. Spike looked down at the amulet and saw it nestled amongst the scorched herbs, whole, gleaming, and looking as clear as glass. The candles around the circle had been extinguished in the mysterious wind that had spiraled through the chamber as the ritual was completed.

Spike fell back in a heap, completely worn out, knocking a few candles over and causing them to roll down the steps of the altar. All he wanted to do was sleep. Footsteps behind him drew his attention however, and Spike turned his head awkwardly to see over his shoulder, unable to summon the strength to stand and turn.

He blinked, slowly, as the somewhat blurry figure continued walking closer until finally his vision cleared and he could recognize Buffy approaching. She stopped a few feet away.

"Slayer," he acknowledged, but had to pause to cough when his voice caught in his throat, still sore from all the choking he'd received. "'Fraid you missed all the fun this time, pet."

Buffy's eyes flicked over to Angel where he lay with his hands clutched to his face, moaning quietly. Her green gaze met Spike's again.

"I wouldn't say that."