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Chapter 37 – Beyond Anger


Spike frantically scoured the city, trying to find any hint of where Buffy might have gone. He couldn’t even catch her unique fragrance among so many other scents that surrounded him, and it was only serving to fuel his anxiety.

Trying to call on the claim to find her, he growled in frustration when he realized Buffy wasn’t answering to it. He should have been able to feel something- anger, sadness, pain, but he couldn’t feel anything and the thought that she might be in danger and he couldn’t get to her terrified him.

Finally realizing that it would be easier to find Darla and Drusilla, Spike quickly made his way through the dark alleys, grabbing the first demon he saw and proceeding to beat him up for the information he needed.



Walking into the factory, Buffy took a deep breath while she looked around. It wasn’t too hard to find the place, considering Darla and Drusilla were advertising where they were going to be holding their ‘auditions’ that night.

Carefully extracting the sword from the bag, Buffy quietly made her way through the factory, keeping her eyes trained on the shadows. Seeing one move, she immediately swung the sword around, swallowing a gasp when her wrist was caught in an iron-like vice grip.

“Angel?” she asked, panting heavily as she tried to make out his face in the shadows.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his lifeless eyes flickering with something that could have been concern before resuming their cold indifference.

“Trying to finish what you can’t,” she replied bravely, pulling her arm out of his grasp.

“Who says I can’t?” Angel asked, turning when he heard the noises at the side of the building.

“You’re here to kill them?” she whispered in disbelief.

Not answering, Angel merely motioned for her to stay behind him, not seeing when Buffy rolled her eyes at his usual overprotective nature as they walked through the factory, hearing the voices of the two females.

“Ten little soldiers, all in a line. A shot rings out,” Drusilla said, clapping her hands together. “Down to nine.”

”Ten?” Darla replied. “I'd be happy if we could find three who can hack it.”

Sliding the door open, Buffy watched as they walked in and looked at the piles of dust and demon corpses that Buffy was just discovering for the first time as well.

“Dead already?” Dru asked before pointing her finger at the bodies. “Bad soldiers!”

Darla studied the carnage in front of her before looking around and seeing Angel staring at her with an unflinching gaze.

“I should have known,” she said with a soft smile.

“A shadow,” Dru whispered, shaking her head and lifting her hand as if she was trying to clear the image of who was in front of her.

“Why so far away, my love?” Darla asked, the smile never leaving her face. “Why don't you come over here and... stake me?”

“Because that’s my job,” Buffy replied, leaving her hiding place and swinging a sword at the blonde, narrowly missing her throat as Darla jumped out of the way.

Carefully keeping an eye on Drusilla, Buffy noticed that Angel’s eyes were also on the other blonde woman. Each recognizing who the real threat was between the two but each becoming equally unnerved when Dru began cackling and swaying behind Darla.

“Naughty naughty little Slayer,” she said with a laugh. “What will Daddy say when he finds out?”

“Finds out what?” Angel asked with a growl.

Buffy felt her heartbeat speed up, looking between the three vampires, hoping that she wouldn’t have to fight all of them.

“Finds out what?” he asked again as Drusilla slowly approached the Slayer.

“That your little ray of sunshine is going to have a little sunlight of her own.”

A secretive smile formed on Darla’s face as she looked at the Slayer. “Really?” she purred. “A pregnant Slayer. Well, that’s…rare.”

Buffy didn’t have to look at Angel to feel the anger radiating off of him. She figured it would be in her best interest to keep an eye on the two naturally evil vampires than worry about the mood swings of the man in the room.

“Who’s the father?” Darla asked with a wide smile, enjoying Angel’s obvious pain and wanting to throw the Slayer off her game as much as possible.

Buffy stayed quiet, her eyes on Drusilla as the raven-haired woman approached her. Keeping a firm grip on her sword, she watched as the vampire’s eyes widened before a scream erupted from her. Startled by the sudden change, Buffy gasped when she felt the woman’s razor sharp fingernails slice down her arm, leaving three deep cuts in their wake.

Flinching at the pain that radiated through her, Buffy reflexively grabbed at her arm, swinging the sword in a defense maneuver instead of attacking. She was vaguely aware of Angel jumping in front of her to stop Dru from hurting her again.

Taking several deep breaths and trying to steady her pulse, she wasn’t even aware of Darla as the other woman slammed her fist into Buffy’s jaw, sending her crashing into the floor and the sword flying several feet away.

Buffy tried to back away, feeling the impending doom setting in seconds before Darla exploded into dust. Buffy’s mouth dropped open in shock, seeing Angel appear in front of her.

Watching his sire disintegrate for the second time by his hand, Angel visibly seemed to wake up as if he’d been in a trance. “My God,” he muttered, looking around the building before settling on the blonde Slayer as she lay cradling her arm on the floor. “Are you okay?” he asked, dropping to his knees next to Buffy and gently taking her arm in his hands.

“Where’s Drusilla?” Buffy asked, looking around the factory with trepidation.

“I think she ran away,” Angel replied, glancing over his shoulder before fixing his gaze back on the woman he loved. “Is it true?”

Avoiding his penetrating eyes, Buffy nodded. “It’s true,” she murmured, feeling Angel tense next to her.

“And the father?”

“I really don’t want to tell you.”

This did nothing to settle his fears. “Tell me, Buffy,” he said softly.

Finally raising her eyes to his, Buffy was relieved to see the Angel that she knew and not the shadow of the man he was just moments ago. “Who could possibly cause that reaction from Drusilla?”

Angel seemed to think for a moment before his features hardened. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s impossible…he’s a vampire…soulless, and…and it’s impossible.”

“It’s a prophecy.”

“But…but that would mean…”

Angel trailed off when he saw the tears shimmering in her eyes.

“…it is true,” he finished, feeling his heart sink in his chest.

“He loves me,” she whispered, finally letting the tears spill over. “Just…”

“What?” Angel asked, trying to get over his own emotions and offer Buffy the support and comfort that she was obviously craving.

“I’ll just never be enough for him,” she said in a choked voice.

“Buffy,” he whispered, feeling her pain radiating through to him before taking her in his arms and gently stroking her hair as she cried.

Folded safely in the familiar embrace, Buffy never felt the presence behind her.

“Well…isn’t this sweet.”

Pulling away, Buffy quickly wiped the tears that were streaking down her cheeks before clutching her arm as she got to her feet. Taking a deep breath and turning around, she could feel the blood trickling through her fingers and dripping on the floor.

“Don’t worry,” she said with contempt plainly visible in her eyes when she saw his eyes briefly flicker to the pile of dust on the floor. “Your precious Dru got away.”

Seeing the blood falling freely to the filthy floor and the obvious pain in her eyes when she walked past him, Spike wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and reassure himself that she was okay as he turned to walk after her.

“Buffy-”

“And do me a favor,” she said, spinning around to face him. “Do not follow me!”






Thanks so much to: spufette, Juanita, Caitie, Seraiza, Laine, Rachel, Kate, Crystal Pegasus, Jenn, Steph, Cordykitten, blondiebear, Franchesca, Alicia, Kimber, jenny, gypsy_jin, Bridget, songgal1, Rana, pj & Spikes Eternal Lover for reviewing!





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