FF: Future Imperfect Part 1/?

[PB <pbnj@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

TITLE: Future Imperfect
AUTHOR: Pink Rabbit Productions
SPOILERS: Nothing specific so far, but it's set several years in the 
future, so offhand remarks could be made about anything through the fourth 
season.
RATING: It's not finished yet, but probably not much more than a PG-13 to a 
really soft R (translation: yes, there's sex, but nothing more explicit 
than you'd find in your average Harlequin romance--if you switched the 
genders around a bit of course). It does feature women in love, so if this 
is going to make you scream in terror, moral outrage or nausea, please just 
leave now and make life easier for all of us.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all characters belong to Joss 
Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox, Sandollar, and who knows who else, and I make no 
claim on them whatsoever. However, this particular arrangement of words in 
cyberspace belongs to me alone.
ARCHIVE: The Pink Rabbit Consortium (http://pinkrabbit.simplenet.com) and A 
Slayer A Hacker True Love (http://members.dencity.com/pat17/)
PART: 1/?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's unbeta'd, so many pardons if it completely sucks. Oh, 
and in case anyone's about to ask (yes, I have gotten those hintlike 
emails), I am indeed working on the sequel to Neanderthalensis, it's just 
taking longer than I'd planned (though I think I finally figured out the 
plot point that's been bugging me), so I started playing with something 
totally different on the laptop (that would be this one). Feedback t'is 
always appreciated (well, unless you're just writing to tell me that it 
does indeed suck--in that case, if you'd be a tad kinder than, "Whoa, that 
really bites," I'd really appreciate it).

Future Imperfect

She was all pain, her skin paler than normal in places, and redder in 
others. Tomorrow there would be bruises. At least there would be if she was 
still alive. Buffy scrambled wildly, grabbing a fresh stake as she tumbled 
down a short incline. Several of the sharp wooden spears spilled from the 
bag slung over her shoulder, but she retained a good half dozen. She heard 
a burst of movement and twisted, pushing to her feet despite the fact that 
she just wanted to lie down and sleep. Grad school and vampires just did 
not mix well.

Angel stood at the top of the small hill he'd just thrown her down, his 
face no longer his own. Gone was the tender lover of a lifetime ago. Once 
again, he was a soulless demon of the night. He smiled as she stared up at 
him. "You should have stayed away," he pointed out idly.

Buffy shrugged. "I couldn't. You know that."

"No, I suppose not," he allowed and started toward her, his long black 
duster flapping gently around his legs.

Buffy tensed, ready for anything. It had been more than a year since she'd 
accepted his soul was gone for good, a year during which she'd grieved by 
crying, yelling, screaming, and staking more vampires than she could count. 
At first she'd hoped they could save him again, but even a vampire with a 
soul can have only so many reprieves. The pain had dulled and been 
replaced by acceptance, but she'd been leery of facing him. Perhaps, there 
was even some tiny corner of him that remembered what they?d once been to 
each other, because, unlike the first time, he seemed to avoid her too.

Only there was no avoiding it now.

Because a new Master had come to Sunnydale.

And his name was Angelus.

******

Willow Rosenberg stared at the pile of dishes in the kitchen sink with a 
jaundiced eye. In the year since she'd gotten her own place, she'd 
discovered something about herself. Cleaning was not her strong suit. 
Whether it was laundry, dishes, or the vacuuming, she tended to delay as 
long as possible. Which meant she usually had a monstrous mess to deal 
with. She sighed softly, and resisted the urge to wonder why she'd decided 
against getting a roommate.

She knew why.

After having Buffy as a roommate for so long, she couldn't imagine living 
with anyone else, couldn't imagine sharing those private moments, didn't 
even want to consider the idea of someone else meaning as much to her as 
her best friend had. The whole idea just hurt too much. And Willow was 
tired of pain. She'd experienced far too much of it in her young life.

She flipped on the hot water, intent on losing herself in the task of 
washing dishes. It wasn't even light out yet, which meant she didn't have 
classes for hours. Her homework was all done, and all of her friends--if 
they could be called that--would kill her if she called them at this hour. 
"Dishes," she reminded herself aloud. "Do the dishes, and don't think about 
anything." Because she did not need to think about Buffy, the past, 
friends. Friend, oh now there was a touchy subject, because it always 
brought up mental images of her other best friend and she didn't need to 
think about him either. The last thing she needed to be worrying about was 
Xander, Xander and herself, Xander and Cordelia or Cordelia and--and why 
was she thinking about it now, when it was all long over with? Probably it 
was just her brain's demented way of distracting her from thinking about Buffy.

The phone rang, saving her from her own inability to not think about what 
she didn't want to think about. "Hello?"

"Willow?" As if in response to Willow's unwanted reflection, it was Buffy, 
sounding ragged and awful over the tinny connection. The hacker recognized 
the Slayer's voice instantly despite the months of separation that lay 
between them and stiffened. It was bad. She could tell by the frightened 
undercurrents to the Slayer's voice. "What is it? Where are you?" she 
whispered.

There was a long pause, during which she could hear Buffy's harsh 
breathing. "Somewhere down on State Street," her friend answered at last. 
"I'm not really sure where," she mumbled dully.

"Are you hurt?" Willow demanded anxiously.

"Bruised?tired?nothing fatal?just hurts to move?and breathe?and think?can 
hair hurt??

"I'll come for you, but you have to tell me where you are," Willow 
instructed carefully, since it was obvious Buffy wasn't firing on all 
thrusters.

"I'm?uh?using a payphone at a used car dealership?" A long pause followed, 
then Buffy came back sounding a little lost and uncertain.

Willow hadn?t heard her sound like that since Angel?. Another avenue she?d 
just as soon not travel.

"Mo's?Mo's house of hotrods."

Willow was already grabbing for the phone book and rifling through it.

"I think he's gone now," Buffy mumbled distantly as Willow hunted for the 
address.

"Who?"

"Sun's almost ready to come up," Buffy added as though she hadn't heard the 
question. "He's back underground."

"Who?" Willow repeated more forcefully as she finally spotted the address 
she needed.

"Angel," Buffy exhaled. "I mean Angelus."

Willow stiffened, trying unsuccessfully to contain a gasp. Without 
thinking, she glanced around herself to make sure she was alone in her 
apartment.

"Yeah, ain't that a bitch," Buffy muttered.

"Was he?" Willow couldn't finish the question. "I mean, did you?" She 
couldn't finish that one either. She knew what her friend had gone through 
and ached for her. Finally, she just whispered, "I'm sorry."

Buffy didn't speak for a long moment as though she was marshaling herself. 
"My Angel is dead?he has been for a long time?this monster just looks like 
him."

"I'm sorry," Willow repeated, knowing the words were nowhere near enough.

"Yeah," Buffy exhaled, sounding dazed.

Will grabbed her car keys, heading for the door, the radio-phone still 
hooked on her shoulder. She knew it would last all the way to her car. 
"Listen, Buffy, I'm on my way. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I wouldn't have called you?except Mom and Giles are still in England, and --"

"It doesn't matter," Willow cut in as she unlocked the driver's door on her 
small Honda. "I'll be there as soon as possible."

"That's good," Buffy whispered, sounding distant. "I don't know how much 
longer I can stand up."

"It won't be long," Willow promised, and gunned the tiny car to life.

"Thanks," she heard her friend say just before the phone hit the limit of 
its broadcasting distance, and went dead.

*****

She found Buffy easily enough, slumped in a phone booth, a stake gripped 
tightly in her hand, her face ghostly pale. Willow stumbled out of the 
car, scrambling for balance on wet pavement as she ran toward her friend. 
"Are you all right?" She asked worriedly as she yanked the phone booth door 
open and fell to her knees.

"Not so 's you do notice,? Buffy mumbled. Her skin was bruised as if she 
been beaten, her knuckles bloody, and her clothing filthy with fresh mud.

Willow could only stare in horror. This was as bad as anything she?d seen 
happen to her friend. When it all began it had seemed like such a lark. 
Hunting vampires was like getting to step into a Saturday afternoon movie. 
Only it had all become real when Angel lost his soul. The first time it 
happened, Jenny Calendar had paid the price. When he'd been turned back 
this time, he'd simply disappeared and Willow had been foolish enough to 
hope that meant he wasn't going to come after them. Obviously, that wasn't 
the case. Now, here they were again. Who knew whose head might wind up on 
the chopping block this time? Willow shivered, not liking the path her mind 
was traveling. "Come on," she whispered as she leaned into the phone booth, 
slipping an arm around Buffy's waist in order to help her to stand. Buffy 
folded an arm over Willow 's neck, leaning against her as she pushed to her 
feet. "What happened??

"Angel," was all the Slayer had to say.

Willow stared at her friend for long moment, then decided this wasn't the 
time, and simply helped her back to the car.

Buffy glanced at the newly cleaned upholstery, shook her head and laughed.? 
I guess I owe you a car wash," she muttered under her breath.

"Don't worry about it," Willow responded. Clearly they had bigger problems.

The drive to Willow's apartment took place in silence, as both women were 
uncharacteristically quiet, each lost in her own thoughts.
*****

Buffy awoke with a start. Sprawled on Willow's bed, wearing nothing more 
than a camisole and her underwear, and it felt like even they had mud 
ground in. She rubbed her head muzzily, trying without success to remember 
stumbling into Willow's tiny apartment. Every breath was mildly 
uncomfortable. She took a deep breath and was relieved not to feel any 
sharp, stabbing pains in her chest. Good, no broken ribs. She might be a 
Slayer, but she was still human enough. A couple of broken ribs bouncing 
around in her chest would not be good for business. She pushed up on her 
hands until she was kneeling on the small bed, and peered around the small 
room. Technical manuals were stacked everywhere, testifying to Willow's 
reading habits. Buffy noted the titles, and also noted she had no idea what 
most of them meant. Oh well, her career was already picked out for her anyway.

She ran a hand through her hair, brushing it back from her face. It was 
still stiff with dirt and the remainder of hairspray. "Willow!" she called 
out as she stumbled to her feet, and padded into the livingroom. Silence 
greeted her ears. "Willow?!"

Nothing. She glanced around, finally spotting a note, folded to stay 
upright, on the kitchen table.

Buffy,
Gone to classes. Be back early this afternoon. There's food in the fridge 
(well, sorta...just don't eat anything that's too green).

Take care,
Willow

Buffy tossed the note down, momentarily debating between food and a shower, 
before deciding she wouldn't enjoy the former until she'd had the latter. 
Still?.she grabbed a banana on the way to the bathroom.

*****

Willow's nose twitched as she stepped through her front door. The air was 
faintly steamy, smelling of soap and shampoo. She closed the door 
carefully, not wanting to make any more noise than necessary, and moved 
through the darkened interior of her apartment. Buffy had pulled the 
curtains, and it didn't tend to be bright at the best of times. She finally 
spotted her friend on the living room couch, curled up in a blanket, and 
apparently asleep. Her pale hair was still damp, clinging around her face 
in loose tendrils.

As if sensing her perusal, Buffy suddenly blinked awake, struggling back to 
consciousness. "Willow," she mumbled through a yawn.

"How are you feeling?" the redhead questioned as she moved around the end 
of the couch and crouched down in front of the Slayer.

Her friend shrugged. "Been better?been worse." It was said with a rather 
sad worldliness that seemed far too old for someone so young. She reached 
out and caught Willow's hand, holding tight to it. "Thanks for coming for me."

Willow let out a soft, sad laugh. "You're my friend. You can always call." 
Left unsaid was her disappointment that Buffy had called so rarely during 
the last year."

"I know, but I should never have involved you in this mess?it's all so ugly."

"Hey, we're the Slayerettes," Willow teased gently as she squeezed Buffy's 
hand.

Buffy let out a hollow laugh as she remembered that more innocent time, 
when they'd all been so close, and the reality of what she was hadn't set 
in yet.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Willow broke in on her friend's silent musing.

"I was on the hunt?two punk vampires who went after some girl outside of 
the Bronze. I caught up with them in the graveyard. It didn't take much to 
end their sorry existences?then he stepped out of the darkness?"

"Angel?"

"Mmhmm, Angel?Angelus?" Buffy confirmed, and fell silent for a long moment. 
"Stronger, and more powerful than I've ever seen him." She shook her head 
in awe. "I thought?" the words trailed off. "I thought I was through?at 
some point, it was like he didn't even want to kill me, just wanted to make 
it hurt."

Willow winced, but didn't say anything, just let Buffy tell her the tale in 
her own time.

Buffy was quiet for a long moment, staring down at their twined hands. "I 
can't stay here, Willow," she decided out loud. "He's going to come after 
me?and anyone I care about."

Willow swallowed hard. She knew just how serious that threat was. She'd 
nearly died at Angel's hands once upon a time when the beast had taken 
over. That beast had cost Jenny Calendar her life. Even when they'd 
restored Angel's soul for a time, Willow had never been able to forget 
that. Angelus had never been far from her thoughts?from any of their 
thoughts. When he'd lost his soul again, it had been a perverse kind of 
relief. The other shoe had dropped. They could get on with business. But 
instead of coming after them, he'd simply disappeared into the vampiric 
underworld. Apparently, he'd just appeared again. "Buffy, you can't do this 
alone," she disagreed, her tone low and serious.

Buffy drew a deep sigh, and let it out slowly. She wished Giles were there. 
Her Watcher would have been a comfort at that point. He usually came up 
with the magic answers to her problems. Dammit, why did he have to be in 
England now? She needed his help. She shook that thought off as 
uncharitable. Her Watcher had a right to a life, even if it was with her 
mother.

"We'll find a way out of it," Willow promised.

"No," Buffy insisted. "I don't want you involved." Willow wasn?t like 
Xander, who?d always had a surprisingly hard head that seemed to bounce 
well. She'd been hurt too many times. There was something fragile about her 
friend, and not just because the first boy she'd ever loved had never 
managed to love her back, and the second had turned into a werewolf who had 
nearly killed all of them. Willow had had to kill Oz to stop him and it had 
cost her dearly. The smiling child had become an adult that day as she was 
forced to accept that sometimes there was no good answer to a problem. Was 
it any wonder that, as far as Buffy knew, Willow had opted for celibacy at 
this point in her life? Considering the present situation, it occurred to 
Buffy, it might have been better if she'd done the same.

"I'm not as vulnerable as you think," Willow pointed out as though she'd 
read Buffy's mind. "Besides, if Angel's decided to kill me, I'm safer with 
you than on my own."

Buffy inclined her head, acknowledging that Willow had a point.

"And he's never been invited into this place,? Willow continued, ?and my 
parent's house is protected, so he shouldn't be able to enter?right?"

Buffy looked at her askance. "You have an awful lot of faith in those 
rules," she muttered dryly.

"Well, as I remember, the old Angel did too," she pointed out, then wished 
she hadn't when Buffy's eyes turned infinitely sad. She didn't like to 
think about those times. It hurt too much. They'd all been so much more 
innocent then.

"We'll need weapons," Buffy sighed. "We should get them now, while it's 
light out." She pushed to her feet, feeling better, now that she had a task.

"All right," Willow agreed. "You go get dressed." She watched her friend 
leave, eyes lingering on her narrow back. She drew in a deep breath, 
letting it out slowly, as she wondered at her own sanity. Sometimes, she 
wished she'd just gone away to college, gotten out of Sunnydale and started 
over, then she looked into Buffy's eyes, and saw the world weary courage 
that lived there, and couldn't leave her friend, not when so many already 
had. Her mom and Giles had become involved and were on vacation in England, 
with the distinct possibility of marriage looming in the future, Xander had 
given up vampire hunting in favor of bed hopping, and Angel?well, Angel 
certainly wasn't there for her. Even Cordelia had moved on--Willow stopped 
herself right there. Thinking about Xander and Cordelia would not help the 
situation.

Willow opted to busy herself until Buffy returned, by emptying most of the 
stuff out of her backpack, leaving her notebook computer and wallet in 
place as well as her cell-phone. She grabbed the spare haul of cash she 
kept hidden in a cupboard, and tossed that in as well. She'd learned that 
it never hurt to have a little spare money on hand when Buffy was around. 
One never knew what kinds of supplies might be needed from the sorts of 
places that don?t take charge cards.

Finally, the Slayer returned. "Okay, let's go," Buffy said, her tone 
sounding more cheerful, if a bit forced.

Willow just nodded and followed her out.

*****

Buffy had keys to Giles' place, though she rarely used them. His home was 
just as creepy as his preferred haunt in the university library special 
collections. No, scratch that, it was creepier. Decorated in dark woods, 
and heavy furniture, it fairly screamed with gothic flavor.

"It even looks like the home of a vampire hunter," Willow observed dryly.

Buffy glanced back at Willow, and a grin quirked her lips. With a dose of 
the sun, she was actually feeling better about things. "Don?t tell him 
that. When he moved here?after?" She didn't finish the sentence, instead 
changing tacks. "He thinks this place is very bright and cheery."

Willow noted the heavy bladed axe over the fireplace, and the crossed 
swords in the foyer. "Interesting definition of cheery," she observed wry.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "Come on, it's through here," she murmured as she 
moved through a narrow corridor, leading Willow down a spiraling flight of 
stairs. "Here we go." Giles' basement was vaguely reminiscent of a medieval 
torture chamber or armory. She glanced at Willow. ?Are you sure about 
this?? she asked yet again.

Axes, swords, crossbows and assorted other weapons Willow was afraid to 
even consider asking about, decorated the walls. "I?m sure," Willow 
muttered, bouncing nervously on her heels. ?Besides, I?m a bit out of 
practice at this.?

?Yeah, I guess you are,? Buffy sighed, regretting the distance that had 
come between them. She'd made the decision to cut her friends out of her 
life to protect them, but she'd tried to ignore the hole in her life and 
simply move forward, afraid that if she didn't she'd never be able to stay 
away. Shaking off those grim thoughts, she grabbed a wood and steel 
crossbow off a peg, then what looked like a musical instrument case off the 
floor. She slung the case onto a large, heavy wood table that sat in the 
middle of the room. "Time for some lessons for you," she decided out loud, 
and flipped the case open to reveal stacks of neatly arranged bolts. She 
pulled the bow back, hooking the line over the trigger switch, then tucked 
a bolt in place, before holding it out to Willow.

Willow blinked, staring at the thing. "I?I'm not sure I remember how," she 
muttered. When they were all still calling themselves the Slayerettes, 
she'd had her share of adventures and slung the crossbow on more than a few 
occasions...until she'd found other ways to battle evil, and then she 
hadn't needed weapons, just her own thoughts, words, and the power she 
could feel moving through her own veins. The appeal had been nearly 
irresistible...right up until she realized just how much power she really 
did have, and after that, power had held less than no appeal at all. She'd 
learned to hate and fear it, and particularly what she could do with it. 
For a moment, she was lost in the past.

Buffy jerked her back to the present as she rested a hand lightly on her 
friend?s shoulder. ?You don't have to," she reminded Willow, her own eyes 
shadowed with sad memories. ?You know other ways to fight."

Willow looked back at her friend and slowly shook her head. ?Not anymore,? 
she said, her tone forbidding any discussion.

Buffy sighed. "You can still back out of this," she offered. "Stay inside 
at night and let me handle it. I won't think any less of you."

Willow stared into her friend's eyes, seeing the quiet determined hardness 
that lived there. Sometimes, she wondered how in the hell Buffy did it, 
growing up and surviving in a life that no human being should have to 
live?they?d all been touched by it, but sometimes it seemed that Buffy had 
borne all the evils of the world. She hated the windswept aloneness that 
surrounded her friend. "Just remind me how to use the damn thing,? she 
grumbled.

"That?s my Willow," Buffy praised her, not wanting to admit even to herself 
how grateful she was not to be facing this one alone. She nodded toward a 
straw stuffed, human shaped target at the opposite end of the room. "Just 
aim for the body."

Willow peered at her for a long moment, then nodded. It was serious this 
time. Really serious, and they were on their own. For just a moment, she 
felt very small and alone, then she felt Buffy's hand on her shoulder, warm 
and reassuring. Right, they were together in this. She took a deep breath 
and let it out slowly as she reached for the weapon.

"You can do this," the Slayer murmured. "Just remember to aim along the 
shaft," she instructed as she watched her friend lift the crossbow to her 
shoulder.

The first bolt skimmed just over the dummy's left shoulder.

"Not bad at all considering how long it's been," Buffy praised, and 
squeezed the shoulder under her hand.

Willow's hands were long and fine-boned, but they were strong. She didn't 
flinch as she bent the bow back, hooked the trigger, then loaded a fresh 
bolt. This one hit the dummy right in the face.

"Good shot," Buffy allowed. "But remember you need to hit the heart. 
Anything else is just going to just piss them off."

Willow nodded without admitting she'd been aiming for the dummy's chest.

She shot the full quiver of bolts, turning the stuffed dummy into a straw 
pincushion, until Buffy was satisfied. The weapon was by no means an 
extension of Willow's arm, like it was Buffy's, but she was competent with 
it. With luck, good enough to keep herself alive in whatever was to come. 
Buffy glanced at her watch. Still a couple of hours before dark. She 
crossed the room and began plucking bolts out of the dummy.

Willow moved to help her. "What's going to happen tonight?" she whispered 
worriedly.

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think Angel's ready for his 
ascension yet, so he may just be in a holding pattern." She tucked the 
bolts back in the case and slung it up on the table as she turned a 
comforting smile on her friend. ?Don?t worry, it?ll be okay,? she told her 
with more confidence than she was actually feeling.
Willow just nodded. ?Do you have any idea where his lair is?? she questioned.

Buffy shrugged. ?Probably somewhere close to the graveyard, but I don?t 
know where.? She opened a closet, and grabbed a handful of sharpened 
stakes, shoving them into her bag, before tossing it alongside the crossbow 
and arrow case. A couple of containers of holy water followed a moment 
later. She grabbed something out of a freestanding closet, and tossed it to 
Willow, with the succinct instructions, ?Put this on.?

Willow glanced down at the heavy silver object. ?A cross?? She looked up. 
?Great, you do know my father would have a stroke if he saw me wearing this?"

Buffy snorted softly and peered at her friend with a raised brow. "All 
things considered, I'd think it would be the least of his worries." Then 
suddenly, she turned back to the closet and began rummaging again, 
muttering to herself, ?I know I saw that in here somewhere,? before coming 
up with another object that she tossed at her friend. ?Wear ?em both,? she 
decided aloud, as Willow noted the ornately carved Star of David. Buffy 
shrugged. ?It's something Giles picked up in the mideast."

Willow slipped both chains over her head. "I just hope I never have to 
explain this to Rabbi Levin. He would not understand."

Buffy shook her head. "And I'm sure he'd be totally cool with the rubbed 
sage, skyclad covens, eye of newt and, of course, the odd spell and potion."

"Point," Willow allowed, then an impish grin curved her generous mouth. "So 
let's just not tell him."

For just a moment they were defiant teens again, having fun disobeying 
their elders and having an adventure. "Hey, he's not my Rabbi," the Slayer 
drawled, then her lips tipped in a knowing grin. And then the moment was 
gone again as Buffy grabbed a few more things and took the time to finish 
her preparations. When she was done, she looked up at Willow, who was 
silently watching. ?Are you sure you want to do this? It?s not too late to 
run.?

Willow shook her head. ?I?d rather see it through.?

?Okay, let?s head for the Bronze and see what?s up.?

Willow flinched, despite her resolve. Of course, it had nothing to do with 
vampires. She?d managed to steel herself against them.

Buffy saw her friend?s expression and winced, mentally kicking herself in 
the head. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Xander would be at the Bronze tonight. 
Xander was always at the Bronze, hanging out and looking for easy sex. 
Strangely enough everything that had happened had left him with a world 
weary air that had finally given him all of the female attention he'd once 
dreamed of. Funny thing was, Buffy didn't think he was enjoying it nearly 
as much as he'd probably dreamed he would. In her more gracious moods, she 
allowed that they had all found a way to deal with the things they?d seen. 
She killed vampires and buried herself in law books, Willow wrote ultra 
violent computer game programs and tried to understand the mysteries of the 
universe, and Xander lost himself in sex and binge drinking. In her less 
charitable moods, she barely resisted the urge to kick him in the ass in 
the hopes that he'd see sense and wake up to what he was doing to himself 
and the people who cared about him.

?Look, it?s okay,? Willow inserted. ?That?s where the vamps usually show 
up?it?s not like there?s anyplace else to go after dark in Sunnydale.? She 
sighed softly. She didn?t particularly enjoy seeing Xander?though not for 
the reasons most of her friends thought?she just didn?t want to go through 
the fight all over again. Where once they had been inseparable friends, she 
and Xander weren?t even comfortable in the same room anymore. She shrugged. 
?If Xander?s there?well? I?ll just ignore him.?

?That?s the spirit,? Buffy praised, and slung her bag over her shoulder. 
?Let?s go.?

Willow nodded and grabbed her share of the load as she followed her friend out.

*****

The Bronze was rocking that night, music blaring from the speakers, while 
the dancers on the floor gyrated wildly to the pounding music. Buffy 
threaded through the crowd, Willow in tow. The Slayer?s senses were alive 
as she hunted among the moving bodies, looking for signs of the undead.

Nothing.

Not one vampire in the whole place as far as she could tell.

A moment later, she tensed as she saw a dark haired figure dancing with a 
striking blond.

But one rat of an ex-boyfriend.

Xander looked over, his mouth turning up in a faint smile as his eyes met 
Buffy?s. Somewhere along the way he?d become convinced he?d eventually get 
her where he wanted her and nothing seemed to convince him otherwise. Then 
his eyes fell on Willow where she stood behind Buffy, and his expression 
darkened, his lips quirking from smile to smirk in an instant.

?Ignore it,? Willow muttered just loud enough for Buffy to hear.

?Hmmph,? Buffy muttered under her breath. ?Wonder what he?d think of a 
stake up his backside??

Despite her attempt at a stern look, Willow giggled as she muttered, ?Be nice.?

?Not necessary,? Buffy assured her. ?I?m the Slayer, remember?slayage 
requires a colossal amount of non-niceness.?

Another giggle that drained away into a very soft and fairly mild curse, 
?Damn,? as Xander broke away from his friends and resolutely headed their way.

?If I can?t stake him, how about some nasty splinters?? Buffy questioned, 
determined to support her friend.

?Shhh,? Willow hissed just as Xander drew within hearing range.

?Buffster,? Xander drawled and ducked his head in acknowledgment, then 
turned a cool gaze on Willow. ?Will?I?m surprised to see you here?I didn?t 
think the Bronze was your kinda hangout anymore.? His gaze swung back to 
Buffy. ?Or maybe you?re just making an exception for old?friends.? There 
was a nasty edge to his words that left Buffy faintly perplexed. Neither 
Xander, nor Willow had ever discussed the reasons for their brief 
relationship--or the angry breakup that followed--despite considerable 
prodding. Once again, it struck her just how vicious it must have been to 
leave both old friends so bitter.

"I've hung out in the Bronze as long as you have, Xander," Willow chided, 
sounding worn by the conflict.

"Yeah?but I know how your tastes have changed--"

Buffy glanced back and forth between the two, then finally pushed Xander 
back with a solid hand to his chest. "Xander, make like an ice cube and 
chill," she snapped impatiently. The insult was an old one, she knew, 
hardly up to her usual standards, but then this fight was getting old and 
hardly deserved any creativity. "This little visit is business, and you 
aren't helping any."

"Oh, well?I should have known," he sneered resentfully. "Wouldn't be Buffy 
if she wasn't mooning after some silly assed vampire." He never had 
forgiven her for not killing Angel.

"Silly?" Buffy repeated and trailed off. "Oh, to hell with it," she 
growled, then grabbed Willow's hand. "Come on, there's nothing in this 
place worth paying any attention to." She ran a disgusted gaze over Xander, 
then turned and stormed out. Cool night air washed over her skin as she 
stepped out of the club. "A stake in his ass would definitely be an 
improvement," Buffy complained angrily, then glanced back at Willow, who 
was staring silently into the distance. "You okay?" she questioned.

The redhead blinked as though coming back to the present, and disengaged 
her hand from Buffy's to fold her arms across her chest. "Fine," she 
muttered, sensing an interrogation headed her way.

As if on cue, Buffy began hesitantly. "Look, Willow, I know you haven't 
wanted to talk about what happened between you and Xander, but I really--"

"No, Buffy," Willow cut her off, her voice flat.

Buffy's mouth hung open for a moment, before she remembered to close it. 
She really hated not knowing what was going on. Even before becoming the 
Slayer, she'd regarded any kind of secret as a particular kind of 
challenge. She tended to worry a secret like a sore tooth, unable to forget 
it was there for even a moment. "You know I'm going to get it out of you 
sooner or later," she blackmailed. "Why not just give in and tell me now?"

Willow sighed softly. "All right," she agreed at last. "I'll make you a 
deal?" she offered.

Buffy eyed her suspiciously. Nobody who negotiated a deal with Willow ever 
came out ahead.

Something crashed a short way down the street, and both women pivoted as a 
half a dozen vampires stepped from the shadows.

Her palms suddenly sweaty, Willow grabbed for the crossbow in her bookbag, 
yanking it free as she changed the deal she'd been about to make. "I'll 
tell you if we're still alive in the morning."

"All right!" Buffy crowed. "That's the idea?Give me some motivation." She 
leapt into the fray with almost distasteful glee. The vampires were little 
more than young punks, probably sent more to annoy her, than with any hope 
of killing her. Buffy killed the first two before they even got a chance to 
take a swing. She'd become quite proficient at her inherited profession. Of 
course, that was hardly a surprise. She was among the oldest to survive the 
vampire slaying profession. She'd learned to be good?or die?as she'd 
watched Kendra, Faith, Hope, Lilly, and Karen die; none of them quite fast 
enough, or perhaps lucky enough to survive the profession that had been 
chosen for them by an uncaring God.

Willow fired a crossbow bolt through a third, reducing him to dust in an 
instant. She was still reloading when a seventh lunged at her from the 
shadows. It had been nearly two years since she'd found herself in any kind 
of close quarters combat with a demon, but it came back quickly. She rocked 
the crossbow back, using it to block him when he started to duck to bite 
her neck. A hard elbow into the midsection caught him by surprise, giving 
her a brief moment of freedom. Willow spun inside his grip, simply shoving 
the bolt through her attacker's chest with a grunt of effort. She'd 
forgotten just how hard it was to get one all the way through. A brief 
second later, dust filled her eyes and nose as the creature exploded into 
eternity. She spun, blinking to clear her vision.

Buffy was still locked in combat with the remaining two vampires (one 
having been returned to hell while Willow was busy with her own problems). 
Willow watched for a moment, struck by her friend's grace as she blocked, 
kicked, and punched her way through them, then she finished loading the 
crossbow and rocked it to her shoulder, sighting down the bolt the way 
Buffy had taught her. She watched carefully, tracking the more aggressive 
of the two vampires until Buffy shoved him hard, sending him away from her. 
Suddenly, he was clear and there was no longer a chance of hitting the 
Slayer. A sharp pull on the trigger sent a bolt flying and Willow felt a 
perverse sense of satisfaction when the bolt when right through the left 
side of his chest. He just had time to turn a surprised gaze her way before 
he exploded into dust.

Their remaining attacker suddenly realized he was all alone and held up his 
hands, expression dissolving into one of fear as he backed away. For all of 
their demonic nature, vampires were not an especially courageous bunch.

"Hey, he made us do it," the retreating vampire insisted. "Do you think I 
wanted to face the Slayer? No way. I'm dead, not stupid."

"You're also very out of luck," Buffy drawled and rolled the stake between 
her fingers as she stalked their remaining enemy.

The vampire swallowed hard, visibly trying to decide whether to run or 
fight. He never came to a conclusion about which strategy was preferable. 
Buffy's hurled stake punctured his chest and reduced him to dust while he 
was still debating the problem.

The Slayer spun on her heel, grinning at her friend. "Hey, wow, aliveness. 
Looks like you owe me some serious gossip."

Oh?boy?Willow thought, her expression grave?how often does a person regret 
survival? She was still considering the question when she suddenly 
blanched. "Uh?Buffy?remember, it's if we're still alive in the morning." 
She nodded toward the end of the street behind the Slayer, though Buffy was 
already starting to turn.

Even the Slayer paled. "Willow, get back inside the Bronze," she snapped 
all business once again. This wasn't a game anymore, but she doubted even 
Angelus would risk attacking someplace that public.

Angelus smiled at the two women. "Really, Buffy, there's no reason for 
Willow to leave. After all, I haven't seen her in a long time. It would be 
fun to?catch up on things?" He offered a wickedly sexy smile to Willow, 
lifting his brows suggestively. "Get reacquainted?you might find I have a 
lot to offer a talented lady like yourself."

Fine-boned hands tightened on the crossbow as the redhead reloaded it with 
a fresh bolt. "I don't think so," she growled, hating him once again. This 
wasn't the friend she'd once valued, even had something of a crush on, this 
was the beast who'd tried to destroy them all.

Angelus laughed softly before his eyes returned to his one-time lover. The 
thirty or so vampires behind him were milling restlessly, eager for a 
fight, but holding back because they knew what he'd do to the first one who 
made a move. "Relax, little girl. I'm not here for a fight."

"Now, why do I doubt that?" Buffy sneered.

An ironic headshake was his response. "Buffy, Buffy, Buffy, when did you 
get so cynical?"

The Slayer blinked away the threat of tears. God, she just had to accept 
it. This wasn't Angel, this was a goddamned walking corpse. "Maybe all of 
those times you tried to murder my family and friends and drive me mad," 
she offered.

The vampire offered another wicked smile, and ducked his head in 
acknowledgment. "There is that."

Buffy risked a glance over her shoulder and saw that Willow was still 
standing a few feet back, the crossbow clenched tightly in her hands. "I 
said get in the Bronze," she hissed at her friend, though she was already 
facing Angelus once again.

"I don't think she'll be doing that," Angelus laughed at her as a pair of 
vampire's dropped from the roof of the bar to street, blocking safe 
entrance into the club.

Willow backed up until she was back to back with Buffy.
"You're so predictable," Angelus taunted. "Going straight to your little 
buddy." He shook his head, lazy sensuality and humor wafting around him, 
despite the blackness of his demon's soul. "But then, she does seem to be 
the most reliable of the group. I guess love will do that to a person."

He still hadn't moved, leaving in question whether or not he intended to 
attack that night. It was hard to know when he was plotting like mad. "Not 
that I don't enjoy all the chatter, but I have the feeling you're here for 
a reason--" Buffy began, but he interrupted her.

"You really shouldn't be in such a hurry to ask that question," Angelus 
snarled, cutting her off. "I don't think you'll like the answer at all," he 
warned her and for the briefest second, there was something vaguely 
reminiscent of her lover in his eyes. Then, it was gone again, never to return.

"Oh, just get it over with."

Angelus tried to summon his leering smile, but couldn't quite make the 
grade. "I'll remember you said that...when I rip your heart out and feed it 
to Satan himself."

"Promises, promises," Buffy jeered, pretending boredom. She eyed his barely 
leashed cohorts with a look of disdain. "It looks to me like you can't get 
much of anything done without a crowd."

Angelus' generous mouth tightened. "I'm going to enjoy killing you," he 
purred, then nodded toward Willow. "But not until after I'm through killing 
her." Then he did smile, his face lighting up and reminding her of the 
beauty he'd had when a soul still resided in that perfect form. For a brief 
second she could almost forget the perversity of the words he'd spoken. 
"I'll let you watch while I rip her beating heart from her chest--"

"Yadda, yadda, yadda," Buffy cut in, still feigning boredom, not wanting 
him to realize how badly his threats against her dearest friend frightened 
her. Her lip curled distastefully, ?Let me guess,? she said, her tone 
bitter. ?You?re getting ready for an all new ascension.? She ran assessing 
eyes over his broad shouldered form, ?Looking to be all demon once again.?

?You always were good at guessing games,? he allowed, his lips twisting 
into a grim smirk.

Buffy kept her eyes on the milling crowd behind Angelus. They were getting 
antsy, close to attacking whether Angelus wanted them to or not. ?So, why 
tell me about now??

His sensual mouth split into a strikingly beautiful smile. ?Well, I had to 
give the guest of honor her invitation, right??

Buffy could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she tried to think of 
a way out of the current situation. ?Guest of honor?? she questioned, 
hoping he?d need to savor his victory a little longer, buying her a few 
more minutes worth of time.

?That?s right,? Angelus whispered, his voice a lover?s sigh, then gained 
power as he continued, ?In three days, I?ll be the lord of hell on 
earth...and a Slayer?s blood will put me there.? He laughed, the sound dark 
and ugly, before he snapped it off to snarl to his servants, ?Take her now! 
The other one is yours to enjoy.?

Laughing, the vampires lunged past their master, chortling happily as they 
made toward the two young women. The two closest were the ones who had 
blocked Willow from reentering the club and they leapt at the slender 
redhead. The first was dusted by a crossbow bolt in an instant, but there 
was no way she could reload fast enough to take out the second and Buffy 
was already meeting the first layer of the group charge. She was dead and 
the Slayer was a prisoner if something didn?t happen soon. They were just 
too outnumbered. Willow swung the crossbow like a club, hoping she could 
throw the attacking vampire far enough back to stab him with one of the 
bolts. He stumbled, laughing as he came back up and started to lunge toward 
her.

Only to turn to dust mid-leap. The stake that had done the deed clattered 
to the tarmac as Willow?s eyes lifted and she spotted the lean blond figure 
striding out of the shadows.

?Eyes on the fight!? Spike shouted to remind her as he leapt past her, 
tackling a demon who?d been about to hit her from behind.

Willow pivoted, eyes widening as she realized how overwhelmed Buffy already 
was. Spike?s surprise arrival had helped, but it wasn?t nearly enough. She 
spotted Angelus where he stood watching the fight from the sidelines, his 
mouth twisted in a smile that could easily be described as beatific. How 
ironic that so much beauty hid the most demonic of souls. Their eyes locked 
and she could see triumph in his gaze. The odds were all on his side, and 
he knew it. Almost instantly, Willow Rosenberg felt her rage explode as she 
realized just how much he was enjoying this. In her teens, she?d played 
with the power contained within her mind only to discover how dangerous it 
could be when pushed to the limit. She still believed, still studied, but 
with far more care?except now there was no time for care. She grabbed a 
handful of crossbow bolts from her bag, her eyes still locked on Angelus as 
a half dozen demons that neither Buffy nor Spike could contain headed for 
her. ?Time to play my way,? the witch exhaled and flung a half dozen bolts 
into the air. They were still arcing upward as she unleashed the energy 
buried within her.

And sent the short, sharp spears of wood flying.

The nearest six vampires were dust in a heartbeat.

Buffy spun just as Willow grabbed for the remaining bolts, her face intense 
as she flung them into the air. For the briefest slice of a second, time 
seemed to stand still, then Buffy realized what her friend was doing. She 
leapt, tackling Spike to the ground even as Willow launched the deadly 
fusillade of wooden missiles.

The bolts laced the air over their heads, filling the air with dust as they 
destroyed their intended victims with merciless accuracy.

His eyes showing fear for the first time, Angelus grabbed one of his 
followers, barely saving himself by using her as a vampiric shield.

It took only a few moments and then the street was nearly empty except for 
the dust blowing on a gentle breeze.

Buffy slowly pushed up on her hands, while Spike glanced up at her over his 
shoulder. ?So, does this mean you care?? he cracked, then fell silent, his 
eyes wide as he realized that their attackers had been destroyed in one 
fell swoop. Buffy?s gaze swept to Willow who was standing perfectly still, 
her green eyes intense, her breathing shallow and controlled. The Slayer 
bounded to her feet, braced to act, but uncertain what to do. Her friend 
seemed to have things under control.

Angelus stood poised to run, staring at Willow as though seeing her for the 
first time, his features warped by the demonic creature that ruled his 
body. His lips drew back from dagger-like teeth in a feral snarl. ?I?ll 
still have you, Slayer.? He held up three fingers. ?Three days...and then 
the world is mine.?

Willow took a deep breath, a low growl bubbling up from her chest, her eyes 
narrowing dangerously. A dropped stake lifted, spinning end over end as she 
gained control.

Angelus ran, disappearing around a corner and into the night just in time 
to avoid being impaled, while the stake shattered harmlessly on a 
wall.



--"If I was all that fond of real life, I would never have majored in theater"

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