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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks to everyone for their really kind reviews. This one is pretty slow and steady but I keep plugging away at it. Please let me know what you think. Thanks again
He hadn't expected it but he rested well into the next day.

Listening quietly he didn't hear any heartbeats and guessed the silly bint was still off at school. He let out an amused snort. The Chosen One still had to attend public school? What daft world was this anyway?

That however meant that he was on his own for at least another few hours.

Which wasn't good since he was starting to feel hungry.

He sat up and turned to prop his back on the wall behind him. Once again the TV tray was set up near his cot and the same large thermos sat on top of it.

He shook his head. There was no understanding the motivations in the girl that was the current Slayer. Maybe he should just give up trying and enjoy the fact. At least this way he won't be bored. And the definite lack of torture both physical and mental was a huge plus.

There really wasn't much to decide anyway. He didn't have anywhere else to go. But he didn't have to like it.

He spent the next couple of hours draining the thermos and catching up with daytime TV. One of the things he had missed since he and Dru had moved into the factory.

What he didn't do was let himself think about the troublesome blond and her gestures of kindness towards him. He was bound and determined to get his legs back and when he did not only was he going to reclaim his dark princess from the poof but he was going to sink his fangs in her scrawny little neck. It was a plan he was proud of and right now she was just a means to an end. Hers really. That part of the plan was what he liked the best.

Instead he tried to amuse himself with the entertainment she had left behind.

Not that it distracted him for long. His hyperactive nature was just not meant for a wheelchair bound existence. After the first hour he had noticed that she had even brought the chair in for him and it was set up near the foot of his cot. He could if he was so inclined just roll around the basement for awhile. But he was a little hesitant to do so until he knew just how sturdy the cot was. He wasn't looking to spend any time relaxing on the floor.

By the time he did hear the front door open it had been dark for some time. But that wasn't the only thing he noticed. It was faint and he had to concentrate but it was there tugging on a distant part of his mind.

Angelus was here too.

He could hear their voices as they drifted through the floor boards but they were quiet and hard to distinguish. It lasted only seconds before he heard the click of the door shutting and her quiet footsteps as they crossed the floor.

The creak of the basement door followed and he watched as she made her way down the stairs.
In her hands was a second thermos.

She only stopped when she reached the TV tray not even looking at him and he tilted his head hoping to catch her eyes. When she finally did look up her green eyes were dark and lost in thought. Something with the wanker was weighing heavily on her mind he could tell and he was suddenly curious as to what.

"What the poof have to say pet?"

Her eyes refocused on him and she gave a little puzzled frown before something seemed to click in her mind.

"Sensed him huh? Not much really. Kind of surprised him that we did the disinvite spell though." Her voice while as melodic as always was quiet.

"Never been much for surprises unless he was the one giving them of course." He nodded at the chair behind her. Without looking she sat down.

She didn't answer and the far away look in her eyes seemed to return.

"Hey Slayer. Um where'd you get to luv?"

"Hmm? Oh sorry just thinking. I have this feeling like something isn't right." She turned to look up the stairs as the phone began to ring. "I better get that." She said the words absently as she rose out of the seat.

She wasn't sure what had made her go down to the basement after her little confrontation with Angelus.

That in itself had been a bit surreal. He had been lurking just outside of her front door as she made her way to the porch. She didn't know how long he had been there but it had already been dark for close to two hours and it wouldn't surprise her if he had been perched there for that amount of time. He was a stalker after all soul or no soul.

She hated to think what would have happened if her mother had been in town and had come home to Angelus waiting in their front yard. After all the other stunts he had pulled she could only imagine what he would say or do. But she wasn't so score one for Buffy.

He seemed a little put out that she had been alone as she walked up to him. It was kind of entertaining really. How often do you get to annoy a master vampire?

But the best was the look on his face when he had tried to follow her in the house and had bounced of the invisible barrier. She was going to treasure that look for a long time.

When she made her way down the stairs to give the thermos to Spike he appeared to have mellowed just a little. That was of the good. She wasn't sure how much more of his snark she could take.

And while they had only spoken a few sentences to each other it was different then before. She had felt less defensive of course that could be because he hadn't been goading her.

She reached the phone on the third ring just before the machine picked up.

"Hello?"

"Buffy." The voice was quiet and strained but she would recognize it anywhere.

"Giles?"

************

She blinked in shock as she found herself standing in front of Spike's cot once again. Feeling the tears streaming down her face she watched his face through bleary eyes. She took a deep breath held it for a second and let it out slowly.

After calling Willow and Xander over and telling them about Ms. Calendar she finally convinced the others that they needed to go check up on Giles. The fear in the pit of her stomach hadn't gone away and now was only half dampened by the guilt that was tearing her up inside.

Angelus' return was her fault after all.

And while her friends didn't see it like she did and were all with the non blame she knew deep down in her soul that they were wrong.

Angelus was free because of her regardless if she had done the deed herself. Her hesitation that led her to saving Spike had given Dru the time she needed to fuck the soul right out of Angel.

But that wasn't the only reason.

How many times had she run into him and not been able to take that last final step?

Look at what had happened not a few minutes ago. Angelus outside right on her doorstep. And had she staked him? Did she even try? No.

So yep she positively qualified as the blame worthy party.

He was staring intently at her and she didn't want to spend any more time then necessary down here talking to him. The gang was going to be they’re any minute and the only important thing to her was getting to Giles and making sure he was okay. Because he sounded very far from it on the phone.

She gestured to the thermos sitting next to him weakly.

"I have to leave and I don't know how long I'll be gone. Is that enough for awhile or should I bring down another thermos?" The shake in her voice was tough on her throat and she swallowed hard against it.

The tears in her eyes made it impossible to read what was in his but as he shook his head in the negative she was able to turn and walk away.

It wasn't his fault either.

********

There was a time when Spike wouldn't have hesitated at seeing a weakness in a Slayer and striking. Of course there was a time where he could walk. As he watched the trails of tears streak her cheeks he had the uncomfortable notion of asking her what was so wrong.

He trampled it down unmercifully.

And as he watched her silent tears trail from pain filled hazel eyes he had to stop himself from shaking his head at her question.

She still remembered to ask him if he needed anything.

His earlier assessment of the little blond seemed to be holding true. It was her heart that was her greatest strength. It was also her greatest weakness.

Not that the conclusion surprised him at all. Hell his Grand Sire knew it just as he knew that he no longer needed to breathe. The fact was it hadn't been a realization until he watched her pull herself together and head up the stairs.

Compassion was in a way something the world was sorely lacking.

*********

Buffy could feel the cracking of her heart as she stared into the pain filled blue eyes in front of her. She wanted nothing more then to replace it with the look of warmth and acceptance that she had always found there.

But she couldn't ask that. Not when she had betrayed him this way.

Deep down she knew that Giles would never hold this against her. Not the way she wanted him to. Not the way she held it against herself.

It didn't matter. Because she knew the truth.

Ms. Calendar was dead. Found in her Watcher's bed. Left as a taunting little note in one of Angelus' sick plans.

As she helped Giles to his feet she took another good long look at the now burning factory. She had sensed them leave the building and they were still out there. Somewhere.

The warmth of the fire set a burning sensation in her soul.

It was finally time.

**********

Sometimes in the great scheme of things there comes a feeling of great peace when certain clear decisions were made. That peace had been a part of Buffy for two days now.

She felt little need to actually communicate with anyone. Just the knowledge that the decision was one she had finally made and that she would and could live with it was all she needed. Standing here next to Jenny Calendar's grave at the side of her pained Watcher it was that peace that let her focus away from the guilt and grief she felt at her death.

It was time for Angelus to die.

As she walked away she had let Giles know. Felt she owed it to him to share that knowledge.





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