Part One


It had been a bad day. To be fair, it had been one really horrible day, one of the worst days that each of those men had lived and those men were specialized in these sort of days.

All of them had fought come hell or high water that day, and if it had been worth it they would have continued, they would fight against giants and windmills if that was what it took to save her. But, was there something left to save? Was there still something of the Fred they’d known and loved? Or only her empty body, hardened, without any kind of humanity, the only thing that the demon had left them?

Wesley had seen her last breath; he’d been with her while the infection ended her life. He held her while the demon had devoured her body, only to invade it with its unworthy presence. A possession that went beyond any comprehension. Fred’s purity and sweetness shouldn’t be desecrated in this way.

Fear had assaulted her, she didn’t want go, didn’t want to leave though the pain was unbearable. However, while the demon was devastating her body, she’d been brave. Brave until the last minute, until the last heartbeat. She fought with all her strength, but couldn’t win. Wesley had had her in his arms, he stayed with her till the very end.

And now there was nothing left.

He’d lost her. He’d lost Fred. He’d lost the woman whom he had loved most. The only woman who he had ever loved. The only woman he would have given his life for if only it would have saved her.

Illyria had not only emptied Fred’s body, it also had emptied his own. She had always been his motive to continue, his reason, his everything. And now she wasn’t here. She was gone. Illyria had taken her. And with her, it’d taken Wesley too. Fred’s only advantage had been that she hadn’t suffered much, while he would suffer a death in life.

Because a life without love, without hope, without Fred… it wasn’t worth living.


Guilt was assaulting the other two men in that room. The first of these was not a man in the strictest sense, but he was male.

Lorne, the seer demon who loved fun, would never be happy again. His friend, his songbird who filled his days with cheerful laughs, had died. And in her place, a demon, a being of the Old Ones, had taken possession of her body.

He had had the culprit in front of his eyes, he’d examined him like the rest of the Wolfram & Hart’s staff, had heard a soft humming and had passed to the next. Because he was busy, he had to do so much and there was no time to worry about laboratory assistants, with a certain nerd and childish air.

If only he’d paid more attention, if he’d been more focused, if he’d listened better, perhaps… How many things could have been avoided if some of those "if I had…" passed? Would Fred still be alive and smiling if he’d paid more attention to Knox’s singing?

The blame for what could have passed and hadn’t happened, it was a strange thing. But nothing compared with the blame for having done something wrong, it was the feeling that was oppressing Gunn.

If he hadn’t put himself over everything else, if he hadn’t signed that paper… But it was only a piece of paper. How he was going to know the consequences that it would bring? And yet, he knew nothing at Wolfram & Hart was free, everything had consequences. Everything.

He wanted to be free of his part in the crime, he wanted to confess, but something stopped him. He was afraid. Fear that when the rest knew that everything was his fault, that Fred had… because of him. All his fault, because of his selfishness, his fear of returning to what he had been, fear of being a street-boy with nothing to offer to the world again. Because of this, they’d lost Fred.

No, he couldn’t confess. His sin couldn’t be forgiven; they couldn’t know what he’d done.

Only two men in that room kept a small sliver of hope. It had been a long time since any of them had been a man in strict sense of the word, which is why their hope remained. They were vampires. In their world death wasn’t the end; death could well be a new beginning.

Both had died as a human and been reborn as children of the night, both had been sent to hell and had returned, both had lost their souls and turned to recover them. They founded their hope on their experiences. If Fred's soul was still intact, they could get it back, like Wolfram & Hart had brought back Darla, like Willow had brought back Buffy. There was still hope.

"Wes, I know you are hurting" said Angel trying to calm the wrath that consumed the ex-Watcher. "But I need you sharp, all of you. For Fred’s sake".

"There is no Fred anymore" Wesley murmured with strangled voice.

"You don’t know that" Gunn replied holding on to the last chances.

"I saw it gut her from the inside out!" Wesley shouted afflicted by the pain of loss "Everything she was is gone. There is nothing left but the shell."

"Then we will find a way to fill it back up" said Angel more calmed down.

"That thing only took over her body" Spike explained vehemently "Not her spiritual being."

"It’s the soul that matters" clarified the other vampire.

"Trust us" Spike added "We’re kind of experts."

" What about her…" started say Gunn didn’t want to embrace a hope that might be just dust in the wind. "What if her organs have been liquefied?"

"Toasted in a pillar of fire, saving the world" answered the blonde vampire trying to convince Gunn. "Mine was worse."

"You really believe…" Wesley asked with fear "… there is a chance of bringing her back?"

"Fred’s soul is out there somewhere" explained Angel "We’ll find it and we’ll put back where it belongs. And then we’ll make every son of a bitch who had a hand in this pay. We all on the same page?"


The silence in the room was savoured for a second, then the four men who were in the office stood up and began to make a plan that would return the happiness that their lives had lost in just one day.

"Where do we start?" encouraged Gunn.

"We need the big guns" Angel said.

"Willow" Wesley contributed at once.

"Won’t be the first time she rattled the dead" Spike explained "Last time I heard, she was in South America."

"We’ll track her down and get her here as soon as we can" said Angel reaffirmed himself in the plan "In the meantime we need to contain Illyria" at that point the vampire turned to the ex-Watcher "Wes, you are the only one who had contact. Any idea where is she’s headed?"


~ * ~


Meanwhile in the same offices of Wolfram & Hart, the powerful demon Illyria resurrected in the bluish form of Winifred Burkle’s body, burst in Gunn's office to take Knox. It’s priest, one of the followers who had helped that what was written, what was predicted, were fulfilled, who had elected the body of his shell, Fred’s intellectual killer, the Qwa'ha Xahn.

With him in its power, Illyria would look for its stone coffin to recover its powers and bring its army to Earth, recovering its kingdom and dominions.



~*~*~*~



(Rome at the same moment)


"Hey Buffy" said Dawn putting her head into the kitchen, while she grabbed her purse and searched for something in it "I’m going out for a while. I’m meeting with Giulia and Marco, they’ll show me a place in… Listen, have you seen my mobile? I don’t know where…" Dawn raised the sight from inside of her purse to watch her sister, at the lack of response "Buffy? You know that you’d been washing the same dish for the last fifteen minutes, right?"

Buffy turned to her sister, with a question in her eyes and the plate still in her left hand, while the right was holding the dishcloth.

"Plate?" Dawn told her pointing with her finger, Buffy continued looking at her without understanding "you’ve taken a quarter of an hour to wash this dish, Buff."

"Oh, it’s that… I didn’t realize" Buffy said leaving the plate in the sink, absent-minded, and grabbing another.

"Yesterday, you broke two plates" Dawn continued "and last week three glasses and another plate" Dawn was kept silence for a moment before asking "It’s because of what Andrew told us, right?"

Buffy released the new plate on the counter and grabbed on to it with both hands, lowering her head and grumbling.

"Its just…" the blonde Slayer started to say, turning sharply toward her sister. " How he could have done something like that? How…? Is it too much trouble to grab a phone and give me a call?"

"Look Buffy" Dawn said approaching her comprehensively "I think you should catch a plane and stop worrying about him, and while you’re at it, stop smashing our china."

"I suppose" Buffy murmured raising her head and smiling slightly at the friendly smile of her sister "It’s just, I don’t know why he did it."

"And you couldn’t solve this by asking him?" Dawn asked, searching her sister’s eyes. "Listen, Buff. Some time ago I stopped trying to understand your relationship. It is too complicated to follow. I mean, you say you hate him, but you grab every opportunity to shag him, he said he would do anything for you but tries to… hurt you. He came back with a soul because he thought it was what you wanted and then you forgave him, but you say that you won’t get back together and even though, you two become inseparable. And then, when you finally admit you love him, he doesn’t believe you, and forces you to leave him to commit suicide to save the world. And now, we don’t know exactly how, he’s back from the dead and can’t even make a phone call. Oh well… it’s crazy, Buffy."

"I know" Buffy tried to smile, but her eyes betrayed her filling with tears "It's just that… God, how he could leave me believing he was still dead? That… that I killed him?"

"Buffy" said Dawn grabbing her hands and making her look at her "We have already talked about this. You didn’t kill him."

"But I left him there…I…" Buffy breathed slowly trying not to cry. "I said I wasn’t going to leave anybody and I left the man who… the man who meant the most to me. Dawn, I left him knowing he was gonna die, I left him so he could sacrifice himself for all of us and… God!" Buffy complained, passing her hand over her face wiping the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes "The guilt has been killing me for almost one year, and the thing is, he was alive."

"Well, go to see him and give him a good kick in the balls" Dawn said trying to cheer her sister, but she wasn’t listening.

"And Angel…oh! He… knew, he knew I was hurting" Buffy continued walking around the small kitchen "I told him I would never forgive myself for leaving him down there, like I could never forgive sending Angel to hell when Acathla. And the… Can’t he call me and tell me, hey Buffy listen; don’t beat yourself up any more because Spike has returned?" Buffy emitted a growl, leaving the kitchen furious.

"And how about to going to Los Angeles and beating them up?" Dawn asked raising her voice while she chased her sister. A minute later Buffy screamed and dropped the glass she was carrying in her hand and it shattered on the floor.

"Didn’t you listen to my speech about the china?" Dawn inquired upset "Willow!" She shouted when saw the red-haired girl in the middle of the lounge standing in front of her sister.

"Wills, Can’t you knock on the door like everyone else?" Buffy asked recovering from the scare.

"It's just I’m in a hurry" Answered the red-head with a smile.

"Giles told me, you were meditating in the Himalayas in a whats it dimension.” Buffy replied.

"An Astral plane" corrected Willow "I was there until a couple of minutes ago, but I noticed a powerful change between planes…something… something ancient and not exactly good."

"The First?" Buffy asked fearfully, Willow shook her head.

"No. I don’t believe it’s the First, but it is very old and powerful" answered the witch "I’ve come immediately to teleport us to the new Council, see if Giles knows something about it."

"Ok" nodded Buffy "I’ll go put my shoes on and get my jacket."

Willow nodded and the blonde disappeared down the corridor towards her room, two minutes later Buffy returned and the two friends vanished in a swirl of air.


~ * ~


"Wait" Buffy told Willow grasping her by her arm, before she knocked on Giles’s office’s door. The blonde had been close to punching Andrew at the entrance, where the boy had tried to prevent them from entering "It’s seems that Giles is talking to someone."

"Let's find out why this mental dwarf didn’t want us to come in" whispered Willow sticking her ear to the huge wooden door of the office, while Buffy was imitating her.



"Himalayas!? I thought she was in South America" Angel’s voice resounded by the Giles’s speakerphone.

"Willow is in a spiritual retreat" Giles replied coldly, a third lower voice could be heard on the phone.

"Hey, look" said Angel again "What do you mean she’s not on this plane?"

"Willow is refining her skills in the astral plane" Giles replied in a monotonous voice.

"Did you say… astral projection?" Angel asked " Well, is there anyway to get her astral self over to Los Angeles? Giles this is an emergency, Fred is a good friend!"

"Sorry Angel, I have another call" Giles said.



"Buffy, I’ve got to go there" Willow whispered turning away from the door "I know what Giles thinks about Angel and Wolfram & Hart, and he’s right about lots of things, but I know Fred and if I can do something to help her…"

"I know, you told me about her when you returned from L.A. last year" Buffy said watching the red-head thoughtfully.

"Whatever is happening there, it’s bad" Willow continued saying "I felt it, I wanna help, but Giles won’t let me if I tell him."

"We don’t have to say anything" Buffy responded with security.

"We?" The confused witch asked.

"I’ll go with you."

"Buffy…" Willow answered, unconvinced.

"Look, if that girl… if you say she's a good person, I can help" said the Slayer, Willow lifted a sceptical eyebrow "Ok" Buffy admitted. "Also I’ve look into a couple of unresolved issues, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wanna help. Besides, I‘ve only slayed third rate demons and vampires lately, I’m gonna rust, Wills."

"Okay" agreed the reticent witch "But try not to kill any vampires."

"Don’t worry" Buffy said with a smile, holding her hands out towards the witch "At the most, a little torture."

"Buffy…" complained the red-head taking hers hands to teleport.

"Well… no torture…" Buffy acquiesced while the air’s swirl teleported them again.



~*~*~*~



(Los Angeles offices of Wolfram & Hart)


"Yeah" Angel admitted to the phone "I’m still at Wolfram & Hart. What does that have to do with anything? Yes!? I understand" the vampire said furiously, touching the button of hanging and smashing the phone against the most nearby wall. " We’re on our own."

"Good, ‘cause I was wondering" replied Spike sitting on the couch’s arm.


"You aren’t alone" Said a female voice coming through the office’s gates.

"Willow?" Wesley asked in a whisper.

"You’ve got us" Added a second voice.

"Buffy?" Both vampires asked, turning towards the door.


To Be Continued

Previously:

"We’re on our own." Angel said.

"Good, ‘cause I was wondering" reply Spike sitting on the couch’s arm.

"You aren’t alone" Said a female voice coming through the office’s gates.

"Willow?" Wesley asked in a whisper.

"You’ve got us" Added a second voice.

"Buffy?" Both vampires asked, turning toward the door.




Part two


“How did you—” asked Wesley walking confused toward Buffy and Willow.

“Angel just hung up the phone and they’ve told him you were unavailable” added Gunn looking at the witch and pointing to dark-haired vampire, who like Spike was still mute and immobile, staring at Buffy.

Both vampires knew this look in Buffy's face; a look that meant nothing good was store for them. They were going to have to cope with a very angry and disappointed Slayer, and besides she had reason to be, which made both Angel and Spike feel uncomfortable and guilty on her presence.

“I was in an astral plane” Willow explained to the men in the room “Until one hour ago, when I noticed a… change, I didn’t know what it was, something powerful and quite old. I went to look for Buffy and then we went to New Council; we heard a part of Angel’s conversation and came to help.”

“But…” Gunn replied confused “The Watchers’s place is in England, right? And you were in the Himalayas and she…”

“I was in Rome” said Buffy looking the man in suit who she didn’t know.

“I’ve learned teleport recently” Willow said with a smile “Well, Where's Fred?”

The red-haired swallowed hard, when she saw the distorted men’s faces who were avoiding look at her directly, then Wesley raised his sight toward her and she knew it. God, she’d seen this look so often as look herself in the mirror…

“She's gone” Wesley murmured with strangled voice.

“But we’re going to bring her back” Angel said, speaking for the first time since Buffy and Willow came through the door.

“What has… happened?” Willow asked with difficulty.

“That change… you felt, so powerful” Wesley said avoiding her gaze “It was Illyria.”

“Who's Illyria?” Buffy asked carefully.

“It’s an Old-One” Wesley continued “A great warrior king from the Demons age.”

“Were the Old-Ones not extinct?” Buffy asked frowning.

“Yeah” Angel replied without looking directly at the blonde “It was buried, but they extracted its sarcophagus and sent it here.”

“It got inside… inside of Fred” Wesley said with his voice shaken by emotion “Like a parasite, consuming her and….

“Wesley…” Willow murmured sadly.

“Illyria… emptied her body and possessed her” the ex-Watcher ended finally, with tears in his eyes that broke the two women’s hearts. “Fred… is gone.”

A heavy and uncomfortable silence filled the room; it was obvious this girl was very important to everyone.

“Angel and Spike believe it’s possible to bring her back… Co- could you?” Gunn asked the red-haired girl fearfully.

“Maybe… I-I don’t know” Willow replied, she didn’t want encourage false hopes.

“Listen, Red” Spike said taking a step toward the witch, who looked at him with curiosity. Especially, because until two weeks ago, she’d believed the vampire was dead, completely. “Fred’s soul has to be somewhere, right?” Willow limited herself to nod.

“If we contain and expel Illyria from body, we could bring her back, right?” Angel asked this time.

“I guess—” Willow started saying before being interrupted by an annoying and known voice at her back.

“Smack her a good one for me?” Harmony’s shrill voice asked entering Angel’s office “So gonna leave a mark.” She said pointing to a bruise on her face. Then, the blonde vamp stopped abruptly looking at both women in the room. “Willow? Buffy?”

“Harmony?” Both girls asked at the same time, as they turned towards the vamp, who looked at them with displeasure on her face.

“You’ve got to be kidding” the Slayer murmured.

“What are you doing here?” Willow asked surprised.

“I work here, of course” Harmony answered placing her hands on her hips. “I’m Angel’s secretary” She said with a wide smile, making Willow and Buffy turn to look at the dark vampire inquiringly, who just shrugged his shoulders. “Doesn’t matter, I only came to tell you that Fred… I mean, Illyria is here.”

“Where?” Wesley asked immediately.

“It took Knox” the female vamp said. “I think they were going to the Lab.”

“The coffin” the ex-Watcher said briefly before walking towards the door decisively

“Wait Wes” Angel stopped him, going to his table and grabbing the phone – which was still intact – “I’ll call the containment team to come with us.”

“A containment team?” Buffy ironically asked nobody in particular, but finding Spike’s cobalt gaze and she found she couldn’t take her eyes off him.

God! She just wanted run towards him, curls up in his arms and tell him how much she'd missed him. Tell him, that now, finally, she understood everything he'd said when she returned from death, tell him that she'd counted every night she couldn’t sleep in his arms, couldn’t breath in his scent, couldn’t feel his adoring eyes on her, couldn’t see his arrogant smirks or hear his sarcastic comments, couldn’t be with… him.

And then she wanted to beat him up, for hiding that he had returned, for finding out only by a slip of tongue from stupid Andrew, when he talked about Angel in the plural, referring to him as "vampires with a soul."

Their relationship had always been stormy, but she thought that the last few weeks in Sunnydale, that the last talks they had, had made things clearer, that in the end they'd come to some point of understanding.

And then he moved his eyes away from her, and Buffy felt as if she'd received a kick in the stomach. He had never taken his eyes off her, never; it had always been all about her. She had hidden from his unfathomable gaze, she had dropped her eyes from his so that he couldn’t see how much she cared about him. Always her.

“Buffy” Said a voice with by a gentle touch to her shoulder. The Slayer raised her eyes and found Willow’s eyes on her, the two friends exchanged a look and then the red-head spoke “Come on” she said indicating the exit following Wesley and Angel, Buffy nodded and began to walk, knowing Spike and the other man walked behind them.


“Don’t we carry weapons?” Buffy asked, when they stopped in front of a door with a sign that said "Only authorized personnel."

“Wesley tried… to cut off its head with an axe and it was smashed to smithereens” Gunn whispered with pain and uncertainty too palpable in his voice, Buffy just nodded and then, all of them entered the lab.


“I’m ready to begin” said Fred's bluish body with a voice that didn’t belong to her.

“Or we could just hang out” Angel replied entering the lab followed by Spike, Buffy, Willow, Wesley and Gunn.

“Warriors?” Illyria said surprised looking at Buffy and the vampires “I was beginning to wonder if this world was void of your kind."

“Plenty of us to go around, luv” Spike answered and then several commandos entered in the laboratory and began to spread out.

“Three half-breeds and a band of primitives” Illyria said raising its chin. “Is this all that challenges me now?”

“Did the Smurfette called me a half-breed?” Buffy asked irritated, and although Spike knew that it wasn’t a good time for jokes, he couldn’t avoid smiling slightly at the Slayer’s comment. He had really missed her.

“That and a whole lot of bullets” Angel replied to Illyria.

“Enough to temporarily incapacitate even you” added Wesley taking a step towards the demon.

“We know what you are, Illyria” Angel continued approaching the bluish demon. “We’ve seen the rest of your kind. All the Old-Ones sealed away forever, like you were, where you should have stayed.”

Illyria was looking at the vampire without blinking, while the rest of those present were admiring what was left of Fred possessed by the Old-One. Gunn could barely look at her; her enormous blue eyes were filled with an evil curiosity, framed by the soft and delicate features of his ex-girlfriend. Willow was looking at her almost with opened mouth. This was Fred? Is this the intelligent and sweet girl whom she had met the previous year? It must have been horrible for her and Wesley, not only he'd seen her die without being able to do anything – The witch unfortunately knew that feeling – but also the ex-Watcher had to watch how a enormously powerful demon entered and possessed, using her body.

“…Something very precious” She heard the dark vampire say “Stand down and we promise you we won’t destroy you before taking it back. Your choice."

“I decline” answered Illyria’s low and hoarse voice, and before anyone could do anything to stop it, the demon had thrown Angel out of the window and paralyzed the room to leave without being seen, or even heard.



After Illyria's unsuccessful detention, they all met in the building’s lobby to decide what to do next. They had underestimated the power and capabilities of the demon. According to the conclusions they had reached, Illyria was capable of altering time to its advantage, besides having huge, superhuman strength. But those men and women had faced worse things; an Old-One wouldn’t stop them.

After exchanging opinions about their encounter with the demon, they decided to divide themselves. Wesley, Willow and Harmony went to the lab to find something in the coffin or in Knox's personal effects that might be of help. Gunn left the offices to, according to him, explore some of his contacts. The two vampires walked towards Angel’s office to get some weapons and Buffy decided this was as good an opportunity as any other, to start their pending chat.


“…I want Fred back as much as much as any of us do” She heard Spike saying while walking towards the office. “But seeing her there like that…maybe she really is…”

“No” Angel replied emphatically. “I lost Cordelia because some thing… violated her, crawled inside and used her up. No way in hell I’m letting that happen again” He said walking toward Spike.

Both vampires stopped their conversation and turned to the entrance, when they heard the doors being closed. Leaning against them, Buffy gazed at them and the two knew what was coming.

“Well, I believe we have a pending conversation” The blonde said, folding arms while still leaning on the door.

“Listen, Buffy” Angel replied with a sigh of weariness. “This isn’t the best moment to talk…

“It seems to me it’s as good as any other” answered the woman before Angel could finish speaking.

“Well it isn’t!” Said the dark vampire sharply. “We must find Illyria and—”

“Look, Angel” Buffy interrupted him, standing up and taking a couple of steps toward him. “You may now the chief of Evil Inc, but we all know that you’re neither a learned man, nor a scientist, or a witch. Only a fighter… and probably straying off his path, but that’s your problem. Until Wes, or Willow…Gunn find Illyria, we three haven’t got anything better to do.”

“You’re not going to stop me from going out” The dark vampire said approaching her enough to brush against her. Buffy smiled, but it wasn’t exactly a sign of sympathy.
“Maybe you’ve also forgotten that you’re still a vamp and I’m the Slayer” answered the petite blonde challenging him.

“As your lap-dog said” Angel responded similarly, referring to Andrew. “Now you’re just one among many.”

Sitting on the back of one of the office’s armchairs, Spike smiled at his grandsire’s words. She would never be just anyone, even if there were a million Slayers, she would always be special, the Chosen One, the One. And Spike’s thoughts must have been similar to Buffy’s, because after giving Angel another of those not very friendly smiles, she grabbed the front of his shirt and threw him against the nearest wall. The dark vampire swallowed a moan at the blow added to his recent injuries after falling out of the window. Then he lowered his head seeing Buffy’s small fist holding him tightly against the wall.

“Whenever you want, I can remind you, if I’m a just one among many Vampire Slayers” Buffy said standing on tiptoes to approach her face to that of the tall vampire’s in a challenging way. Angel refused the challenge and released himself from Buffy’s grip.

“How long have you known?” the dark vampire asked referring to Spike.

“A couple of weeks, more or less” she replied.

“Who… who told you?” Spike asked speaking for the first time since she’d come into the office.

“Andrew” she replied with a half mocking, half hurt.

“Bloody git” Spike murmured under his breath.

“Seriously, were you thinking I was never gonna find out?” Buffy asked both vampires. Neither of them dared to answer. “How could you hide it from me, Angel?” She asked turning to the vamp angrily.

He knew; he knew how guilty and depressed she was feeling because of leaving Spike to a certain death, but she never thought that Angel’s jealousy might make him do something like that.

“Angel?” Harmony asked opening the office’s doors with caution. The three occupants of the room turned to her annoyed.

“What the matter, Harmony?” The dark vamp asked the female taking a step towards her.

“Ummh… I don’t think that you’re gonna like…”

“Get to the point” Angel, Buffy and Spike barked at the same time. Harmony shrugged her shoulders and started to speak quickly.

“Wesley and Willow found a couple of things that might be useful, we also found Knox’s mobile that had several unanswered calls from Dr. Sparrow. Wesley went out a while ago and has returned with the doctor, they’re in the “interrogation room”” Harmony said marking with her fingers. “And Gunn has taken a stab to the stomach.”

“Did Dr Asparagus stab Gunn?” Buffy asked raising a questioning eyebrow.

“Dr. Sparrow” clarified the vamp. “No, that’s the problem. It’s Wesley.

“Wesley?” everyone asked Harmony nodded and shrugged in response.

“Calls Wes and tell him come here” Angel toldthe female vampire. “Spike, you—”

“I know, I’ll make the Doc spill the beans” the bleached vampire answered giving a nod and going to the door. Buffy shot an angry look at Angel and then she hurried to catch up with Spike.

“I’ll go with you” she said without looking at him, walking by his side, the vampire observed her and knew there was no way to make her change her mind, so he continued walking towards the room where the doctor had been locked up.


~ * ~


“That’s supposed to make it all right?” Angel shouted shoving Wesley against the wall.

“Nothing is all right! Nothing… will ever be all right” the ex-Watcher answered with a grin of pain.

“We’ll get her back, Wes” the vampire retorted.

“No. We won’t” the tormented man denied “Fred’s soul was…” Wesley's voice broke at that point to resume his explanation between tears. “Fred's soul was destroyed resurrecting Illyria.”

“Are you sure?” Angel asked a few seconds later, trying to assimilate the harsh information. Wesley didn’t say anything, he just looked at him and the vampire knew all hopes were lost.

“Wesley” said a sad female voice from the entrance, the two men turned to see Willow holding one of the W&H’s reference books. “Believe me, I know… I think everyone here knows how you feel… but we can’t loose hope.

“No!” the ex-Watcher shouted heart-broken “…We won’t get her back.”

“We’ll do it” The witch said vehemently taking a step into the room. “We’ll find the way to get rid of Illyria and bring back Fred’s soul to her body.”

“You don’t understand, Willow” Wesley responded crying “There was nothing to save. Fred's soul was consumed to bring the demon. Her soul no longer exists.”

“Wes” Willow said approaching him and placing a comforting hand on his cheek. “You’re anguished and desperate. But you’re a sage; you know hundreds of things about magic and mystique. What do you know about souls?” The witch looked at his eyes waiting for the spark, but it didn’t come. “You can lose your soul, misplace it, sell it to the evil… but Souls can’t be destroyed” Both, the man and the vampire looked at her with a sparkle of hope they didn’t want to admit to. “Souls are reincarnated again and again, but they can’t be destroyed, they are sacred. Fred's soul is somewhere. We’ll find it, Wes, between you and me; we’ll find her soul and restore it."

“Are you sure?” Angel asked cautiously, Willow nodded. “Then… we have to find Illyria."


~ * ~

Spike was really nervous, Buffy had insisted on "interrogating" the doctor with him, and he didn’t know what to do or how to deal with it. She knew what he was, she knew what he had done, and could do, however she didn’t seem sickened or disgusted by what she knew he was going to do to that man. On the contrary, she seemed to be expectant, almost eager to see what he was going to do, leaning against a wall of the room, in front of the doctor, just watching without blinking. Resigned to showing her something that he didn’t want her to see, Spike began his show.

“Well, well, doc” the vampire said walking around the chair where the man was chained. “Someone has told me that you’ve something to do with what has happened to lil’ Fred” The man didn’t move a muscle and even looked at him.
“Fancy that!” Spike suddenly exclaimed leaning on the doctor, with his hands on his shoulders and bringing his mouth to the doctor’s neck and ear. “Has the cat got your tongue?” He asked while he changed to his demonic face, the man didn’t say anything, just looked at Buffy.

“You should worry about him” Buffy said looking at the doctor and giving a nod towards Spike. “He’s the one who doesn’t get dizzy when he sees blood.”

Spike raised his evil amber eyes with some surprise, to see the Slayer gazing at him holding nothing back, seeing him as he was. The doctor then became resigned to his bloody fate at hands of the vampire, while the woman remained impassive to his cries of pain.


Fifteen minutes later, Spike and Buffy left the room, the vampire was walking fast ahead of her, trying to escape from her look of disgust or hatred, for what he had done to this man, he was a bastard who had brought the coffin to W&H, but still human, and Spike knew what Buffy thought about that. She may understand it was necessary to do what he’d done to obtain that information, but it was impossible for her to condone it, she was the Slayer; she killed those who were like him. And if it weren’t for the long time they’d known each other or because she knew he had a soul, Spike was sure that she already would have dusted him. Nevertheless that wasn’t what Buffy criticized him for.

“Spike” she said grabbing him by the arm and stopping him, even like this he refused to turn and look at her “We should talk.”

“Now isn’t the time, Slayer” the bleached vampire answered with the most distant voice he was able to come up with. Buffy sighed and released him; he took a couple of steps before heard her voice again.

“Why?” She asked making Spike stop while she was facing his back. “Why you didn’t tell me? Why did you hide from me? Wh-…why?”

Spike turned suddenly when he heard the Slayer’s voice breaking in a sob, and when he saw her eyes well up in tears, he felt like his heart was breaking. Was he the cause of her tears? Was she crying for him?

“Buffy…” he murmured, timidly walking towards her.

“Why, Spike?” She asked again, trying to control the tears that were fighting to fall from her eyes. “I didn’t wanna leave you there… sorry, I’m sorry, please forgive me, please…” Buffy trembled at that point, trying to contain her sobs while her tears were slipping down her face.

“God, Buffy!” Spike said closing the space between them and putting one of his hands on her shoulder and the other on her face to look directly at the eyes bathed in tears. “I’ve nothin’ to forgive you, luv. I told you that you should leave me there, remember?”

“No, I…” Buffy stuttered incoherently shaking her head. “I let you die…… I didn’t… I didn’t know what I’d done until everything was ending, until I came England. I can’t…

“Shhh… don’t worry, pet” he murmured closing the distance between them, but without daring to hug her, she may be crying for him, or rather, because she felt guilty for leaving him, but even so, he was afraid that if he tried to hug her, she’d refuse him or would move away. So he just caressed her cheek, feeling her skin under his fingers and feeling happier than he had in many months.

“I’m here now” He said gazing at her. “I was a bloody ghost until a couple of months ago, but I’m fine now” Buffy looked at him frowning, confused to hear about the ghostly thing and Spike seized the opportunity to throw one of his mischievous and arrogant grins.

“You oughta have seen how fun it was to chase Peaches goin’ through walls and doors” he said, Buffy was unable to stop the smile from coming through and he kept his smile looking at her. When she wiped her tears with the sleeve of her shirt, he hurried to pull a handkerchief from his jeans and held it out to her.

“Thanks” Buffy said smiled weakly, taking the handkerchief and drying her tears.


“Spike?” Both heard Harm’s voice ask, approaching them and throwing a fulminating look the Slayer’s way, then, she turned to the bleach vampire with a smile. “Angel sent me to ask if you had gotten anything from the doctor” Spike just nodded slightly.

“We’re goin’ to his office now” The vampire told Harmony, and then he turned back to the Slayer. “Shall we go, pet?”

“Of course” She nodded and moved closer so she could walk beside him towards Angel’s office.



ToBeContinue...

Part Three


“It’s her temple” Wesley said, showing an engraving in one of his books, for the others to see. “This is where she was supposed to be resurrected.”

“That’s Illyria?” Asked Angel looking at the central figure in drawing, Wesley nodded.

“In its native form” said the ex-watcher.

“And what are these smaller bits?” Spike asked reaching for the book.

“Her army of doom” confirmed Wesley translating some lines from the book.

“That’s a surprise” murmured Spike and Buffy at the same time, before turning and glancing at each other.

“They were entombed with her” said Angel.

“Waiting for her return” Wesley added.

“To Los Angeles?” Willow asked sceptical, approaching slightly.

“This is where her temple was millions of years ago” explained Wesley turning to look at Willow “And it’s still here.”

“You think I would've remembered seeing something like this parked next to Ralph's” Angel said looking at the drawing again.

“It's out of phase with our time line” Wesley explained “Only Illyria can open the gateway.”

“Great” complained Spike.

“I’ll do a locator spell” Willow quickly volunteered, while the others nodded.

“Has anyone any idea how to stop Illyria?” Angel asked lifting his head, Buffy was thinking with her arms crossed and she exchanged a look with Willow, then both girls nodded.

“We have a plan” Buffy said, looking at three men in the room.

“While I was investigating” Willow began to explain “I found a spell that could extract Illyria's essence from Fred’s body.

“Are you sure?” Wesley asked afraid, Willow nodded.

“There is only one problem” Buffy explained “We should weaken Illyria’s presence as much as possible, before Willow’s does the spell.”

“Yeah” continued the redhead “The spell is indicated for high-level demons, but not for Old-ones.”

“So we’ve to rough Illyria up, before Red can do her mojo stuff” Spike said thoughtfully, both girls nodded.

“She’s superstrong” said Angel, they nodded again.

“Nothing we haven’t done before” Buffy and Willow said with a half smile, glancing at each other.

“Well, so what’s the idea?” The broody vampire asked eager to hear the girl’s plan.

“Willow’s gonna bring my scythe” Buffy said pointing to the witch.

“What scythe?” Wesley asked curious.

“The Slayer’s scythe” Buffy said naturally.

“Wait, Are you talking about the legendary Scythe that keeps the essence of the Slayer?” Wesley repeated surprised, the others just nodded.

“It was with that, that Willow was able to activate all the potentials” Buffy explained.

“I thought it was just a myth” Wesley said, then he shook his head trying to focus on the Illyria issue “Well what about this plan?”

“Okay” Buffy said, watching Wesley and two vampires “This is the idea…”


~ * ~


Buffy came in the first, carrying her scythe confidently, flanked by Angel and Spike, and Wesley and Willow a few steps behind. In the middle of the hall were Illyria and the young man in his laboratory white coat, who turned back to look at the intruders surprised.

“Are you waiting for us?” Buffy asked with the scythe upon her shoulder.

“What…?” Asked Knox looked at them astounded, while Illyria made a disgusted face.

“Any seats left?” Spike said from Buffy’s left.

“Hey… guys, you should scan the headlines here” Knox babbling without understanding. “You can’t win this.”

“Then we all die trying” answered Wesley behind Angel.

“Why?” Illyria asked surprised and confused.

“You want the short version?” Angel asked grasping with strength his sword. “Let's start with you walkin' around looking like the woman you murdered.”

“You think your actions will restore her?” Asked Illyria looking at the broody vampire.

“How much are you betting?” Willow replied from behind Spike, defying the demon, who leant her head to observe her better.

“You cannot win” answered Illyria, observing the redhead meticulously.

“If you gave me a penny for every time I heard that, I would be rich” said Buffy smiling arrogantly at the bluish demon.

“We can’t let raise your army, Illyria” Angel added in his usual grim tone.

“Why?” The demon asked, driving its gaze from Buffy to Angel.

“Because it’ll kill too many innocent people” replied broody vampire.

“You are the protector of these creatures?” Illyria asked again.

“I am” replied the Slayer one step forward, watching and evaluating the Old-one.

“Are you the Chosen One?” inquired Illyria looking at her with renewed interest.

“Yup, that’s me” Buffy answered, taking another step forward with the scythe on her shoulder.

“You'd fight for their lives?” Asked the demon, this time speaking to the whole group, the five nodded slowly.

“That’s exactly what we do” said the Slayer.

“Even for this one?” Illyria asked turning to Knox, who was watching fearfully.

“Is that an issue?” Asked the laboratory’s assistant “I-Is my life in peril, boss? King?” Knox asked again, making Buffy smile while she watched him, seeing a strange and even more evil replica of Andrew, before his ‘reform’.

“You're about as low as it gets, Knox” Angel began to say with solemnity. “But you're a part of humanity. That isn't always pretty, but it's a hell of a lot better than what came before” said the vampire nodding at Illyria. “And if it comes down to a choice between you and him... then, yes, I would fight for his life... just like any other human's...because that's what people do, that's what makes us—

A gunshot rang through the room, breaking the quiet calm that had been imposed when Angel started his speech, interrupting the heroic and false speech from the broody vampire. Knox dropped his head, stunned, to see the blood flowing from his chest, before falling to the ground with a dull thump. Behind Angel, Wesley brandished the weapon that had killed him, trembling with anger and pain that had taken him over.

Willow was watching him in sadness and pain, she couldn’t condone what he had just done. Angel's speech was vain and empty, he wasn’t even a man, and yes, he had lost many things in last years, but the vampire couldn’t know what Wesley felt when he was looking at the face of the murderer of the woman he loved, and not finding the slightest hint of remorse, just an arrogant look on its face, as if everything was a game, as if taking Tara… Willow shook her head, trying to shun the memories from her mind and blinked to contain the tears that were gathering in her eyes.

“Were you even listening?” Angel asked turning back to glare the ex-watcher.

“You’ve destroyed my Qwa'ha Xahn” complained Illyria looking at Knox’s lifeless body.

“Well, yeah” Spike said looking at the blue demon “but you’ve gotta admit he had it coming.”

“It offends me” said Illyria angry “that you think he matters.”

“You’re right” answered Angel “He’s not the problem, you are” he said before pouncing on the demon.

Seconds later, Spike joined the fight with Angel. From his side, Wesley approached Willow, while the witch was sitting on the floor preparing her spell as fast as she could.

Buffy watched the fight between vampires and demon. Illyria was very fast, Spike and Angel were having real difficulties to land a blow on Illyria, because the demon avoided nearly everything. And its strength was also huge, probably similar to Glory’s, ‘cos it launched first Angel to one side of the room, and then Spike to the other effortlessly.

The vampires got back up and continued fighting with the enormously powerful demon, as best they could. Buffy kept one eye on Willow and Wes, who were preparing the extracting spell, and the other on the fight that was going on in front of her.

But soon, all her concentration was only on the fight and not only because of the extraordinarily strong and fast demon. Her eyes were unable to move away from both vampires. Their coordination was completely perfect, when one attacked the other defended and waited, and when both decided to attack together, their paths were kept parallel, they never crossed, as if it were a strange dance in which both knew their movements by heart.

Their fight styles were different, their constitutions too, Buffy knew that very well, and both were muscular and strong but in different ways, and yet both kept in pace with absolute precision. When had they reached this point of understanding?

Buffy had been fighting since she was 15 and she knew that achieving such a level of coordination was not just a matter of time or training, but of understanding, of knowing each other so well that you would know instinctively what the next step of your partner would be. She knew that Angel and Spike had known each other for more than a century, but this empathy between them hadn’t existed before, or she hadn’t seen it.

Buffy shook herself out of her pensive state to see how the vampires being thrown through the air and behind them, their swords. Now it was her time.

“Unimpressive” Illyria said arrogantly, extending its arm to stop the room.

“Back at’cha” replied Buffy appearing in front of the demon when it turned, and delivering a brutal blow to its face with the handle of the scythe, that catapulted a confused Illyria against the room’s wall.

“How… how?” The demon babbled, staring at Buffy from the floor.

“With this little thing which Wes found in your sarcophagus” said the Slayer showing the gem before putting it back in her pocket and moving near Illyria to hit it again.

The demon was prepared for the attack and responded to it by kicking the Slayer, forcing her back several meters, but it didn’t scare her off, on the contrary, it annoyed her.

A brutal fight sparked off between Illyria and Buffy. The blue demon no longer dodged blows as it did with vampires, it couldn’t if it wanted to answer Buffy’s hits that she gave with her body and her weapon, so they both took savage blows while trying not to loose their chances to defeat the rival. Buffy landed a good blow with the edge of the scythe that managed to cut through its suit, and the hardened skin of Fred’s body causing a small wound, while Illyria was thrown back several meters.

The Slayer seized the opportunity to breathe and clean the blood that fell from her forehead and clouded the vision of her right eye, with one her hands. Then she spat out the blood which had accumulated in her mouth, while she approached the demon that was trying to stand up.

“Unimpressive” Buffy said this time, walking toward Illyria and holding the scythe with strength.

“You are better than the others” said the demon stared at her. “But you are a human, you can not defeat an Old-one.

“You would be surprised at the things I can defeat” replied Buffy taking another step towards the demon while she smiled somewhere between nostalgic and haughty. “You aren’t that special to me, Illyria” explained the Slayer watching how the demon stared at her with anger. “I’ve overcome things worse than you” said Buffy giving it another blow with the scythe, before Illyria was able to stand up completely, sending it back to the floor. “I’ve fought against vampires, demons” the blonde kicked the demon forcefully as she spoke. “Possessed teachers, giant snakes, crazy scientists, demoniacal Frankenstein, goddesses of hell, stupid geek kids, powerful witches and” said the Slayer positioned on top of Illyria who crawled on the floor struggling to stand up. “The source of all evil. Do you really think you scare me? You only are a damned pain in my ass.” Buffy said holding her scythe up over its head, ready to deliver the final blow.

But Illyria was faster than her, and the demon knew that it could defeat her if it managed to make her loose her weapon, so, overcoming the beating it had taken, it stood up in a split second and grabbed the scythe by the handle, surprising the Slayer. The demon turned its arm and in the same movement, it threw Buffy through the air, far away from the scythe that fell on the floor.

Buffy spat out the new blood that filled her mouth on the floor, leaning on her forearms and trying to get up as fast as she could. All the others remained paralysed by the temporary wave of the demon, and she had lost her weapon, if she didn’t recovered immediately, by the time the others came out of their paralysis, she would be pushing up daisies, again.

She was still on her knees when she felt the possessed hand of Fred grasping her hair near her forehead and pulling it backwards, Buffy opened her mouth to moan but refused to scream her pain.

“You shouldn’t have challenged me” said Illyria pulling Buffy’s hair. “Now I have to put an end to your pathetic existence.”

Buffy felt the temptation to close her eyes from her impending fate, but she was braver than that, she’d already looked at death’s face, this time wasn’t going to be different. Only the moment stretched and the blonde suddenly felt the hand of the demon weaken its grip on her, releasing her hair.

Confused, Buffy turned to Illyria, to see the demon looking down and moving its hands to its stomach, where more than a half of the scythe’s handle peeked. Then, something pulled on the scythe, making it leave Fred’s body.

Illyria fell on its knees to the ground, holding its belly and Buffy raised her eyes to meet Spike’s determined ones, in his hands he held the scythe of the Slayer with firmness and determination. And then the paralysis ended.

“Red, now!” Buffy heard the blonde vampire shout.

Willow began to recite the spell in an ancient and unknown language, while Wesley approached them carrying a vessel made from the same material as Illyria’s sarcophagus, who looked at him with astonished blue and cold eyes.

Gradually a breeze began to form around Illyria at the same time Willow recited and Wesley opened the vessel. But the soft breeze soon became a tornado that surrounded the demon and dragged Buffy towards it.

Desperate the Slayer scrambled her fingers over the floor, feeling her nails scratching the polished stone without finding anything to hold on to, until something fell on her, something that protected her from the howling wind that surrounded the demon who screamed desperately, even louder than the horrible noise that the mystical wind was creating in the room. And then suddenly everything stopped.

A bluish powder left Fred’s body and floated through the air to find the vessel that Wesley was still carrying with difficulty, entering it and closing it itself tightly.

Only then, Buffy breathed, and when she raised her sight she met the deep and indigo stare that she’d missed so much and had thought she never would see again.

Understanding hit her then.

Spike had placed his body between her and the vortex of all-powerful magic that had enveloped Illyria, risking his unlife in the process, just to save her. The blonde felt her eyes filling with tears while she and Spike remained staring intensely transmitting thousands of things that they were afraid to put into words for fear of repercussions. He had also saved her from a new death at the hands of Illyria. Somehow, Spike had managed to escape from the paralysis of time that the demon had made, with enough time to grab her scythe and skewer Illyria with it, when it was about to finish Buffy off.

“Spike…” Buffy murmured with a quivering voice raising one of her hands, quite bruised, towards vampire’s face.

“Fred” Wesley called, Buffy and Spike looked away from each other to gaze behind Spike, where Illyria had been only a second ago.

Instead of that, Fred’s lifeless body was lying there now. Her real body, with her innocent face and her soft and humane skin, without any remains of the venomous blue, but also without the slightest trace of life.

Wesley took Fred’s naked and inert body in his arms, took off his jacket and wrapped her up in it, while he rocked her with tears of pain that would break the bravest of warriors, whispering her name with infinite devotion.

Buffy noted how Spike looked away, avoiding her eyes, though without knowing why. Without knowing that the heart-rending image of Wesley, rocking the woman he loved, had brought to his mind, horrible memories, memories that it would make him shed tears if he continued to look at Buffy.

Memories of 147 days with their respective nights, begging the PTB to help him forget the image of her dead body lying in the rubble of the tower, in the sunlight, which prevented him from approaching her and doing the exact thing Wesley was doing at that moment.

Hugging the dead body of the love of his life.


~ * ~

“Hi Wills” said Buffy coming in to room where the witch and a strange green demon were making the necessary preparations to attempt to restore Fred’s soul.

“Buffy” the redhead said turning to her friend, from the armchair in which she was sitting surrounded by all kinds of books and ancient papyrus. “I thought you were with the boys.”

“Yeah” Buffy answered nodding. “They’re… preparing Fred… and I felt very uncomfortable there.”

“I understand” Willow said scribbling something in a notebook.

“So, you’re the famous Buffy” the demon said watching the blonde, who turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “I thought that you would be higher, or stronger, I don’t know. Well, I mean, people say so many things about the Slayer, but no. You’re even more a cutie than Faith.”

Buffy smiled slightly pleased with the comparison with the other Slayer and then turned to Willow for explanations.

“Oh, sorry” said the redhead looking at both. “This is Lorne, he’s an empathic demon, he can read people’s destinies when they sing."

“Really?” Buffy asked, looking at demon with a smile who nodded. “Well, if I’d known I’d have saved myself visits to the therapist.”

Lorne leaned his head to closely observe the blonde, after that comment.

“Hey Wills” Buffy said approaching the redhead. “I… wanted talk you.”

“Talk away” answered the witch raising her sight from the books to look at her friend with a smile.

“Are you sure about what you’re gonna do?” Buffy asked looking at her friend seriously, Willow stared at her and nodded slowly.

“Yes, I’ve researched and studied… and I can do it, Buffy” answered the witch.

“I didn’t mean…” Buffy shook her head nervously, searching for a way to explain. “I know you can do it, Willow. You can do so many things but…… Are you sure it's a good idea? Are you sure you should do it?”

“Buffy, I’ve… changed since… then” said the redhead staring at her friend knowing perfectly well the damage and pain she had undergone in the past because of her actions. “I grew up. I know what I’m doing.”

“But…” Buffy said after watching her in silence for a few seconds. “But if she… what if Fred is…”

“In Heaven?” Willow asked carefully, Buffy nodded slightly. “I’m making sure, Buffy. So I did a variation of the spell we used the… other time” explained the witch. “I’m gonna apply my recent knowledge about astral travel to find out where Fred is before bringing her back.” Buffy nodded with her arms crossed, not completely convinced with Willow’s explanations. “Anyway, not all those who have returned from the dead were in Heaven, quite the contrary. Angel, Darla, Spike, they were all in hell."

“We don’t know where Spike was” Buffy said with a hintt of bitterness in her voice.

“In Hell” Lorne offered from his seat on the sofa, Buffy turned to see him better.

“How do you know?” The blonde asked the demon.

“When Spike came back, he was a kind of ghost” Willow and Buffy nodded, both knew that detail. “But there were times he was talking or whatever, and he would just disappear. Fred investigated for several weeks a way to return him to his body, after Spike confessed that every time he disappeared, he went to hell.”

“So it was Fred who returned Spike to his corporeal form?” Willow asked curious, Lorne shook his head.

“No, though Fred found a way to make a ghost corporeal” said Lorne pensive “But Spike sacrificed himself so they could catch an evil spirit and save little Fred from Pavayne. Duh, the evil ghost.” Lorne clarified seeing Buffy's face visibly change with the information. “It was Wolfram & Hart who returned his body, more or less…” Lorne summed up thinking of Lindsey. “And I suspect they also had something to do with Spike leaving that medallion.”

Buffy opened her eyes as if she had been hit with something and looked at the demon, her hands trembling slightly, while she trying to hold on to the fabric of her pants.

“You…” Buffy asked unstable. “You were… were present when Spike… came back?”

“That's right, honeybun” Lorne responded with a nod, then he observed the shaking body of the Slayer and took a breath before explaining. “Someone sent an envelope to Angel with the medallion, and as soon as he opened it our beloved blonde vampire left the medallion with a show of fireworks and ash” the demon smiled amused. “The first thing he did was roar like the lion of the Metro and pounced on Angel.”

Buffy and Willow smiled amused imagining the scene perfectly.

“It was just luck” Lorne went on to say with a smile. “That he was immaterial at the time, because if not, I think he’d have torn the boss’ throat out.

“I can imagine” Buffy said sharing a smile with the redhead. Lorne leant his head to observe Buffy who raised an eyebrow at the demon exam.

“The second thing he did was ask for you” said Lorne still staring carefully at the blonde, who opened her eyes and swallowed hard. “He was more concerned knowing you were fine, than about his newly found incorporeal status.”

“I…” Buffy whispered blinking forcefully as she heard the warm words of green demon.

“He didn’t want to hide from you” Lorne explained, making sure that she understood him. “He wanted to see and talk to you, he argued with Angel then. And I don’t wanna question Angel, he’s my friend, but sometimes he doesn’t take the most correct decisions. I think he persuaded Spike that it was better for you not to know that he’d returned; that you deserved a chance to move on."

“I …had a…” Buffy sighed deep trying to stabilize her voice. “They should… I had a right to know.”

“Oh, sweetcake” Lorne said standing from the couch and approaching a quivering Buffy, the demon placed a hand on her shoulder and searched eyes that were bright from the tears that she refused to spill. “I don’t need a song, to know what you feel.”

The blonde let out a weird laugh, mixed with sadness that she tried to hide, Lorne gently stroked her back with tenderness.

“When Willow brings Fred back, you can talk to her” Lorne said with a smile. “She knows more than I do about this”


“Red” Spike said suddenly appearing at the door. “Harm and Wes've finished with Fred. How ‘re you goin’?"

“We have also finished” Answered the witch taking a last look at the notes of her spell and lifting her eyes to look at Buffy, who was trying to get herself under control in the vampire’s presence. Spike followed the gaze of the redhead and observed Lorne caress Buffy affectionately.

“Are you ok, pet?” The vampire asked, frowning and staring at the slayer. Buffy was only able to answer with a nod, she didn’t trust herself, after hearing the affectionate nickname from Spike, but at the absence of direct response, he asked again. “You are healed from all that beating, right?” He inquired, gazing carefully the stitched wound on her forehead.

“I’m fine, Spike” Buffy managed to say, and although her words didn’t convince the vampire, he just nodded and turned to Willow.

“Well, the time has come” Willow said standing up and taking the necessary tools to perform the spell.

The witch went through the door followed by Buffy and Lorne and finally Spike, who closed the entourage, keeping a worried look on the Slayer’s back.


To Be Continued...