Buffy stood in the doorway of the lab flanked by Angel and Spike, Wesley and Gunn just behind her surrounded by as many guards as they could find. They were armed with machine guns which truth be told made her extremely nervous.
"I'm ready to begin." She spoke with a flat tone and it sent shivers up Buffy's spine.
"Or we could just hang out." Angel replied as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Another warrior. I was beginning to wonder if you would be the only one." She replied as she looked at the Slayer.
"Plenty of us to go 'round luv."
"Two half breeds and a bunch of primitives. Is this all that challenges me now?" She sounded disgusted and disappointed.
"And don't forget one Chosen One. Plus a whole lot of bullets."
All the guns in the room aimed at her.
"Enough to incapacitate even you." Wesley added.
"We know what you are Illyria." Angel stated as he walked towards her. "We've seen the rest of your kind. All the old ones sealed away forever, like you were. Where you should have stayed. You've taken something of ours, something precious. Stand down and I promise we won't destroy you taking it back."
Illyria seemed to regard him coldly for a moment.
"I decline." The words had barely left her when her hands wrapped around the lapels of Angel's jacket and threw him toward the lab window. Unlike the one in the medical area it was not shatter proof.
There was a great crashing noise as his body broke through the glass barrier and began to hurtle to the cement below.
"Get her!" Gunn gestured wildly as he yelled to the security officers.
Spike, Buffy, Gunn and Wesley moved to close in on her when it seemed that she suddenly disappeared. One second she had been standing right in front of them and the next Buffy had thought she had seen a quick blur and poof no Illyria.
"Damn where the hell did she go?" She all but stomped her foot in aggravation.
After a quick search of the hallway they made their way to the lobby as the elevator let out a ding signaling its arrival. Buffy stared as the doors opened to display a rumpled and slightly bloody Angel.
"So how'd you do?"
"Not as bad as you but not good." She watched as Wesley gave him the once over with his eyes. "There's no trace of either of them."
"I put security on code Black. If she shows up again-"
Buffy looked over at Gunn. "She won't. She has what she needs."
"Knox?" Fred asked as she stepped into the lobby.
"And some spiffy new threads."
"Any idea how she got passed you?" The stare they got from Angel shone with disappointment.
"One second she was there and the next poof." Gunn gestured with his hands.
"You think she's a teleporter?"
"I don't think so. No characteristic displacement in the atmosphere around her." Wes replied thoughtfully.
"I fancied I saw a blur just before she went all Houdini." Spike moved closer to where she was standing.
"Yeah I saw that too."
"Like she was pulling a Barry Allen." Gunn looked at their blank faces. "Jay Garrik?" He let out an exasperated sigh. "Like she was going really fast."
Something seemed to strike Wesley knowledge suddenly shining in his eyes.
"Or we were going really slow."
"Great she's a god and she can alter time." Angel dropped his head.
"That would make sense." Fred seemed to tap her chin thoughtfully.
"In what way?" Everyone turned to face the small woman.
"I was running some tests from the other lab. There was like this giant spike in power readings and that must have been when she manipulated the time around you. But the whole time she was talking to you guys there were these weird power fluctuations."
"Weird how?" Buffy walked closer to her.
"Even when she was just standing there the power in the room was still really high but not steady. Like she was leaking power even when she wasn't using it."
"And you think this means?" Gunn asked.
"I think the body she's using isn't strong enough to hold the power that came to her. Even with the enhancements the virus gave the shell it was still only a human body. We just aren't built to hold power like that." She took a breath and looked at Buffy. "If my calculations are right her shell is going to start to break down. When that happens the power contained inside of her will cause an explosion of sorts."
"How big of an explosion?" Buffy was sure she didn't want to know. Leave it to Angel to ask.
"Something like the size of an atomic bomb." Buffy just gaped at her this was not getting any better.
When no one spoke for several minutes Buffy shook herself out of her shock.
"It still doesn't change the fact that we need to find her. Any ideas?"
"I've got a few contacts I can try." Gunn headed for the elevator.
"Wes, Fred maybe you should see if Knox left something. Recheck her sarcophagus see if there's something we missed before." The pair nodded at Angel and walked back up the stairs.
The three of them looked at each other and began to walk to Angel's office. Once inside Angel moved to sit behind his desk.
Buffy stared at the dark vampire for a moment watching as his famous brood face began to take hold.
"Drop it Angel." She said as she crossed to the front of his desk.
"What are you talking about Buffy?" His dark eyes leapt up to meet hers.
"You. Whatever it is that you're thinking go ahead and drop it. This doesn't change anything it just makes it a little more complicated. There's still an apocalypse we have to avert."
"And how do you know that this isn't part of it?" His tone was challenging.
"I just do. Look there isn't anything I would like better then to sit back and take stock after this whole mess but we don't have the time. We need to find Illyria and we need to get the hell out of here."
"Why Miss Summers you've just got here. I'm sure there's something we can do for you." Three heads turned at once towards the sound of the new voice.
In the doorway of the office stood a man about six feet tall with dark hair. He was dressed in gray suit and held himself with an air of authority.
"Why do I even bother having security?" Buffy heard Angel mutter.
Buffy took a step closer to the stranger.
"Nice suit. And you are?" Her arms crossed over her chest.
"Pardon the interruption. Marcus Hamilton I'm the new liaison to the Senior Partners." He stuck his hand out. No one bothered to take it. Recovering quickly he dropped the hand and moved closer to the desk.
Buffy's gaze flickered back and forth between Angel and this Hamilton guy.
"You're replacing Eve?"
The man nodded back at Angel.
"Became official this morning. I'm looking forward to working with all of you." Buffy could feel Spike bristle behind her.
"You weren't really thinking of leaving were you?"
There was something about this guy that immediately set her teeth on edge. For some reason she knew instinctively that lying to him was the only way to go.
"Well I really am tired I was hoping to go and get some sleep." She said it with her best flirty blonde voice and managed to bat her eyelashes at him. She kept herself from visibly relaxing as she saw the grin that came across his lips.
"Of course it really has been a long couple of days hasn't it?" Out of the corner of her eye she watched Spike's reaction and cringed inwardly at the stiff way he was holding himself. She would just have to explain later. "I was hoping that you would actually like to join our team Miss Summers. Spike here has already pretty much become a member in his own right."
She took the chance to look into Spike's eyes hoping that he would understand the role she was playing.
"Well Mr. Hamilton, please call me Buffy and really I hadn't thought that far ahead just yet."
"Of course Buffy but only if you'll call me Marcus." He gave her an appraising glance and she had to fight the shudder of revulsion she was feeling from showing. "Now I understand."
"What's that?" She was not looking forward to the answer.
"How you got one vampire to lose his soul and another to get one. A beautiful goddess such as yourself could get man or beast to do just about anything." God the guy was sleazy.
The low growl from Spike indicated what he thought of the conversation. She threw him a quick glance and then looked at Angel. If anything the taller man looked like he was going to be sick. Buffy didn't blame him.
"Um thank you." She mumbled.
"Well I'll just be going then I wanted to make sure we got acquainted a little. I look forward to working with all of you I just have so many ideas." He was turning to leave and she let a small sigh of relief.
"I don't need your ideas. This is my office." He was really way too territorial for his own good.
"We'll talk more later." He turned back around to face the occupants of the room again. His eyes roved over her again. "It was a pleasure to meet you Buffy." And he went out the door.
Once it clicked softly behind him Buffy shook her head.
"Sleaze." She breathed the word shaking her head in disbelief. Looking back into Spike's eyes she could see the hard edge to them. He was not happy.
"What?" She asked him knowing that he might not be wanting to talk about this in front of Angel, but she didn't care the sooner they dealt with this the better. It wasn't her fault that he was so insecure about them. Well that wasn't true it was her fault but he needed to understand that no matter what happened he was the only one in her life.
"That was disgusting." She waited tapping her foot silently. "Could you have fawned over him a little bit more?"
"Please like I enjoyed that. Besides what would you have liked for me to do? Tell him hell yes we were getting the hell out of here? Like they weren't going to do something to stop us."
"Looked like you were enjoying it a little bit too much." He grumbled.
"Is that what you really think?"
"He has a point I thought you were having a good time." She gave Angel a glare.
"And you would know a good time how? I was just trying to distract him."
"Why didn't you just flash him? He would have been distracted then and I might not feel as nauseous as I do now." These two men were going to be the death of her.
"Knock it off already." She walked in front of him. "It was an act. You know it."
"Do I?" His voice had dropped and she could hear the note of doubt in it.
"What do I have to do?" She placed a hand on his chest over the place where his heart had once beaten. "I'm yours, all of me." Her hand moved from his chest to his cheek. Green eyes searched blue as she tried to find her answer. "Tell me how to prove it to you and I will."
She watched a look of complete sadness filter through those expressive orbs she loved so much.
"I don't know Buffy." He said it with such resignation that she felt her heart break a little.
She dropped her hand from his face and paced away from him. Turning she happened to look over at the desk and noticed that Angel was gone. She hadn't even heard him leave the room.
"Spike." He looked up at her. "Do you trust me?"
He gave her a strange look. "Course."
"Then listen. I love you. I've never felt this way with anyone else. Everything I am belongs to you. Every breath, every heart beat and every thought that runs through my head. All of it is yours. Without you there is no me." She took the last step that placed her in front of him again. Taking his hand she placed it over her own beating heart.
"Besides do you really think I would be interested in that slime ball with an expensive suit? I mean yeah he's got good taste in clothes but hello he works directly for the senior partners and did you hear that line? Beautiful goddess." She snorted. "Like that's so original."
The confusion was slowly seeping from his eyes and she knew that her words had reached him if only just a little. But words were overrated and she was more comfortable being action girl.
Tilting her head up she brushed her lips tenderly against his. Pulling away she gave him a slight smile.
"Are we better now?"
"Don't know pet. Maybe if we try that again." He wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her closer to him. She met his lips in more tangible kiss their lips tasting and sucking against one another. Buffy let out a sigh at the feelings of love that came through just the meeting of their lips. She couldn't imagine herself more contented then she was at this moment.
The sound of someone's throat clearing began to intrude and reluctantly she pulled back from his embrace.
Looking at the door she took in the image of Fred shifting from one foot to the other.
"I'm sorry but have you seen Angel?"
"I think he went upstairs. Something wrong pet?" Buffy gave a funny look to Spike surprised to hear the endearment used on someone else. He'd really gotten close to these people and she was glad that they had accepted him so readily. The thought of the way she and her freinds had treated him over the years gave her a fresh pang of guilt.
"No I ah I just wanted to talk to him." Buffy stared at her intently trying to figure out what could be making her so unnerved.
"I could just pop up there see what the poof is doin' if you want." He had already stepped away from Buffy apparently not needing her to ask.
"You don't have to it can wait."
" 'S not problem pet. Be back right soon." He turned and was to the private elevator before either woman had a chance to say anything.
As soon as the doors closed behind him she turned to face the brunette.
"Fred are you okay?" As far as questions went Buffy knew it was really lame but she was unable to come up with a better one.
She seemed to give Buffy a serious look before thinking deeply about how to answer the question.
"I think so. Not great but..." She shrugged.
"But something else is bothering you." Buffy didn't think she really needed to point that out but she was hoping it would help get Fred to open up a bit.
"No I'm fine really. Very much with the fineness." She nodded as if she was agreeing with herself. "But there is a small thing."
Buffy waited sure that Fred would tell her if she was ready.
"I'm a little worried about Wesley."
"In what way?"
"I don't know just a feeling really. Something about the way he's reacting to everything that's happened with Laura."
Buffy knew exactly when his demeanor had changed. "You mean since he found out that Knox wanted you to be the host for this thing."
A slight nod was her answer.
"Fred how long have you and Wes been together?"
Fred looked at her with surprise.
"We, together, I mean, we've only just had our first kiss."
Buffy smiled at the woman. "And you've been working together for how long? He's in love with you Fred anyone can see it."
"What?" The stunned expression on her face made Buffy's own smile grow.
"Take it from someone who knows. He's probably been in love with you for like ever. And from the way you've been around him I'd guess that you love him too."
A coy smile graced her lips.
"Promise you won't say anything?" Buffy couldn't help herself she let out a little giggle as she nodded her head. "I just figured it out like a couple of days ago. That was why I kissed him."
"You made the first move. Wow."
This time Fred blushed and giggled in return.
"I know." Her face fell though. "I just worry about him though. And the way he just kind of tore out of here well it makes me wonder what he was thinking."
"Where did he go Fred?"
"We found Knox's cell phone and this one number popped up. Wes went to go check it out."
"If you want I can go and see what's up."
"Would you? I mean I know he can take care of himself but..."
"Not a prob. Just give me the address."
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks again for all the great reviews. I know I promised to post like ages ago and I'm really sorry. Real life got in the way of my fantasy world. I hate it when that happens. Thanks again and please let me know what you think.