SPOILERS: No real spoilers, breaks off from the Buffy world after Amends but before Bad Girls.

RATING: PG-13 for implied sexual scenes. Nothing too serious, generally if you can watch the show, you can read this.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and you shall probably receive.

Most people say that darkness falls.

Buffy Summers, the Slayer, knew that was false. Darkness never falls, it rises. When the sun goes down, darkness rises out of ever shadow, until they blend together into an all-encompassing night.

But this night was different. This night was darker.

There was only a sliver of a moon in the sky.

The Mayor was calling on the forces of darkness. Unfortunately for him, a single word of his translation was wrong.

What he called upon was free.

And the darkness swallowed him whole.

Two Slayers heard the news of rampaging evil. And Faith and Buffy knew their duty. They went to face the darkness. No one knew the form of the evil, and Giles was busy researching prophecies.

Unknown to the two Chosen Ones, they were trailed by the only vampire with a soul. Angel could not bear to see Buffy go into battle without him, and so he lurked behind her, ready to help in anyway that he could.

The two Slayers burst upon the darkness that had set up residence in the tunnels. They never saw what they fought; they only felt claws in the darkness.

Claws the ripped out the heart of one of the Slayers, claws that brought the other to unconsciousness.

Angel attacked from the shadows. And for a moment, the darkness drew back from him. And that moment was long enough to grab hold of his love, and drag her away from the dark.

And so the forces of light began the search for the name of the darkness.

Angel walked into the library, and his face was grim. Giles had managed to put aside his distrust of the vampire for the sake of the current problem, and he looked up as expectantly as the teens.

Angel saw the hope in their eyes and sighed to himself. "Yes. I found a name. Santoral."

Giles looked at him sharply. "So the demon’s name is Santoral?"

"Yes."

"Oh dear."

Willow looked up from her computer search, "What’s wrong Giles?"

"Santoral, Lord of Night. At midnight on the night of the new moon it can cast a spell to banish all light from the world. There will be no more sunlight, no more moonlight. The demons will be free to walk in eternal night."

Buffy whispered, "And the animals will die out…"

Angel finished for her, "And the Old Ones will return."

The group was feverishly looking for any solutions. Even Oz was there, looking through books. Willow was on the computer, logged into several chat rooms at the same time. Giles and Angel were looking through the non-English books, while Xander, Oz, and Buffy looked through the slightly more readable English books.

Everyone was desperately searching for mention of the Lord of Night.

Predictably, it was Giles who found it, in Babylonian. He translated, slowly for the group, "The Lord of Night cannot be summoned save by the vessel."

Willow looked thoughtful; "Hopefully that means that the vessel can banish it also."

"Yes, well. Anyway. The vessel must drink from the red rose, and perform the following."

Buffy interrupted, "’Scuse me Giles, but can you tell us how to find the vessel?"

"Um." Giles looked through the passage. "Ah, here it is. The vessel holds the water of life."

"Water of life," Angel mused, "Blood?"

Buffy nodded, "A vampire!"

"Possibly, well. The vessel must be perfectly balanced between the divine and demonic. Um, here it is, form of, no, face of an angel, and soul of a demon."

Four teenagers turned to look at Angel. But it was Buffy who was reasoning the quickest. "Why could you summon Acathla?"

Angel looked at the ground for a moment, before; "I have some power over some demons. The Master said I was special, that I had potential, it was why I was one of his favorites."

Willow looked around, "Okay, assume Angel is the vessel. Who’s the red rose."

Giles looked at the book again. "Nothing more on the red rose, wait it could be blood rose."

Buffy looked up. "That’d be me."

Angel looked at her in horror, and Giles stared at her in surprise.

Willow queried softly, "What do you know, Buffy?"

Buffy smiled sadly, "I just know. I’m the flower, human, animal. But blood, because I’m the Slayer. Trust me on this, I just know this is right."

Giles looked around; "Okay then here is the list of things we will need."

The ceremony was set out, the circle consecrated. Buffy’s blood lay in silver chalice on the altar. Giles had the ritual laid out, and Angel swore that he understood what needed to happen. All that remained was to begin.

And so they began.

Angel drank the blood of the Slayer, and felt her strength running through him. Her blood, her love, and her trust would keep him sane through whatever the darkness through at him. Angel began to chant.

Angel spoke the final word of the summoning.

And nothing happened.

The group preformed the ritual four more times attempting to discover what had gone wrong. Each time they failed. They tried having Angel drink Buffy’s blood directly. They tried having supporting spell casters. They tried having no one in the room. Nothing worked.

Finally they returned to research. Searching for any more information on the summoning.

Buffy looked at Giles, "The face of an angel and the soul of a demon."

"That’s as close as I can translate."

Buffy turned to Angel and her eyes widened. She stood up suddenly and grabbed her coat, and then grabbed Angel’s hand, "C’Mon."

Reluctantly Angel let Buffy drag him towards the library entrance.

Giles was puzzled. "Where are you going?"

"To Angel’s, he’s got some books there. We’ll call if we find something."

For a moment the Watcher looked concerned, and then he shook his head and let her go.

Buffy sat on the couch in the Mansion and stared into the depths of the fire.

"What’s this about?" Angel asked her.

She smiled, but did not turn to face him, "Couldn’t fool you, could I?"

"No."

"The ritual, the vampire with the face of an angel and the soul of demon, that’s not you. But we both know who it is."

Understanding flowed into Angel’s eyes. "Angelus."

At last Buffy turned to face him, and her eyes were full of pain, "Yes."

"Buffy, what you’re…"

"No, Angel. If we don’t stop this thing we all die. I will sacrifice anything to save the world, that is my duty." A sob caught in her throat, "Even you."

Angel saw the pain and reacted to it, sitting next to her and drawing her close, "I know. And that is how it should be. But you are talking about releasing one of the most evil creatures the world has ever known."

"I know. But it is a better chance."

"I suppose so."

"So what would he want?"

"What do you mean?"

"What would Angelus want for saving the world?"

Angel closed his eyes against the pain that her question caused, "You."

"My death?"

"Your life. He wants you to live for him, love for him, kill for him. He wants to posses you in every way."

"Then it will cost us both our souls. How fitting. Perhaps that is the best."

"Buffy…"

The Slayer laid her finger on the vampire’s lips. "No. This is more important then my duties, then my destiny, then my love, then you."

"He won’t trust your word."

"Then what will he trust?"

"You will have to swear a Slayer’s Oath. For a Slayer that is unbreakable."

Buffy nodded her head in understanding. "How do I do that?"

"You swear your oath on the power of the Slayer, on the blood of the Slayer, before all the powers of heaven and hell. You’ll know how to do it, when you need to. Supposedly it is one of those things Slayers just know how to do."

Buffy smiled weakly; "You sure know a lot about Slayers."

"You gave me a reason to."

The Slayer sighed, and then whispered, "At least we’ll have one more moment."

"Are you sure?"

Although the tears blurred her vision, Buffy nodded. "Yes."

Angel reached down and picked her up, and her arms slid around his neck with no hesitation. "For the sake of the world, I’m willing to give up my soul, become the thing that I most hate. But forgive me for doing the same to you."

"I forgive you," she whispered against his lips as he carried her into a bedroom, "Forgive me for killing you again."

"Always, and for anything, I love you."

As he laid her on the bed, she smiled weakly, "I love you."

Buffy looked at her love in surprise as he left her alone on the bed, "What?"

Angel glanced back at her as he picked a small box up from the top of a chest. He returned to her side and showed her the box’s contents.

Buffy gasped as she saw what the box contained, two claddagh rings.

"I never got to tell you everything that these mean, that night." Buffy just looked at him. "Among my people, they were considered wedding bands."

"Angel? Do you mean we’re married?"

Ashamed, Angel ducked his head and mumbled, "Where I come from, we would be."

Buffy just stared at him in shock.

"I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just couldn’t."

Realizing that he had misinterpreted her, Buffy shook her head, "No. This is what I’ve always wanted. I just never thought it could happen.

"It did happen, my love. And is happening." And then his voice turned shy, "that is if you want it."

For an answer, Buffy took the larger ring out of the box and slid it onto Angel’s hand. For the first time, she realized how much she missed seeing that ring on his hand.

With the silver ring returned to its rightful place, Angel picked up the second ring and slipped it onto Buffy’s finger. They belonged to each other, forever.

And then the Slayer reached out her hands to her lover, and fingers intertwined as she pulled him down to her.

Afterward, Buffy lay in Angel’s arms. Tears began to slide down her face as she realized how close it was until the end. The end of everything. When Angel’s soul left, so would all her dreams, all her hopes, and all her prayers.

"I love you. No matter what he does, what he asks of me, my heart and my soul are yours."

Tears also fell down Angel’s cheeks. "I love you with all my heart and soul. I’m so sorry to be leaving you alone."

"I won’t be alone." Buffy took Angel’s hand and placed it over her heart. "You’ll always be here, for me." Buffy sighed as she looked deeply into her lover’s eyes. "I guess we were just never meant to be."

"Maybe not." Angel reached out to cup her cheek. "But never doubt this, it was the best moment of my life. It was the rightest." And then he doubled over as pain tore through him.

"Is it now?"

Angel nodded his head sharply as pain racked him again.

Buffy slowly reached under the pillow and pulled out a stake, which she held calmly by her lover’s chest. And then she waited.

The Slayer watched as Angel shuddered in pain. At the end, she heard him call out to her, "Buffy!" And then he was gone.

She watched as then body that used to be his sat up and smiled at her in full vampiric form. "Well, lover. Couldn’t keep a hold of yourself, could you?"

Buffy only shook her head. "It won’t work. You have Angel’s memories. You know what I want. You know why I sacrificed him."

"Yeah. Geez, that’s the second time you’ve sacrificed him. I can’t imagine why he loves you."

"Neither can I."

"So you want the demon, Santoral stopped, and the only one who can is the vampire with the face of an angel and the soul of a demon. So you brought me back. What if I don’t wanna play?"

Buffy let him feel the press of wood against his chest. "Then you’re ash."

"And if I do?"

"What do you want?"

Angelus smirked, "I want so many things, the moon, the stars, all the vampires in the world, the end of the human race, you."

Buffy nodded her head; "You can have me. I will swear a Slayer’s Oath. I will swear to be yours, body, blood, and will."

"Somehow I doubt that is the only condition."

"In return, you will stop Santoral, you will not harm my family and friends, and you will not ask me to kill humans."

"And you’ll be mine forever?"

"No. Until I die. You can’t make me a vampire, unless I ask for it."

"What, no offer of your heart and soul?"

"My heart and soul are already given."

"Alright, this is the deal, I stop Santoral, and you give me a Slayer’s Oath that you will obey my every command unless it is to kill a living human, you will swear to protect my life at any price and never to take your own life, I will own your body and blood, and I will not harm your family and friends."

Buffy thought about it for a moment and then slowly nodded her head. "I swear."

"Good." Angel reached out and stroked her hair as the Slayer dropped her stake. Buffy flinched a little at his touch. "Don’t you want this?"

"It doesn’t matter what I want. Is this what you want?"

"Oh yes."

"Then I’m yours." Buffy closed her eyes and kissed the vampire as deeply as she could. In her mind she could believe it was her Angel. It was the only thing that kept her sane during what followed.

Buffy lay beside her lover, silent tears running down her face. A fresh vampire bite marred the skin of her neck, but it was shallow, and already healing. The pain that consumed the Slayer was not of the body, but of the soul. Her heart and soul mourned the loss of her love, while her body protested that she lay in his arms. The pain was tearing her apart, no doubt what her demonic master wanted.

Angel stared at her for awhile, before sighing. "Go then, Slayer. Find your friends. Prepare the ritual. And then they’ll be safe, and you’ll be mine."

Buffy just looked at him.

"Go. You’re free until sunset. After sunset, you’ll never know freedom again."

It was after five when Buffy made it to the library. Less than an hour of freedom left, she thought as she walked through the doors.

Everyone looked up as she walked in.

She could not stop the tears that were flowing down her face.

Giles looked shocked at her condition. "Good God."

Buffy swallowed her tears, and said as firmly as she could. "Set up the ritual. We’ll do it after sunset."

Willow spoke hesitantly, "But Buffy, it didn’t work the last five times."

"This time it will."

Giles looked at her sharply, "What did you do?"

"Please, Giles, just set it up."

"Of course."

Buffy went into Giles’s office and called her mother. And then she went out and sat with her friends. Absorbing their humanity. She would miss them.

A few minutes before sunset, Buffy realized that she needed to say goodbye. She turned to her mother. "Mom, I want you to know that I love you."

"I know."

"Good." Buffy smiled without humor. "’Cause I’m not coming home again."

"What!"

Everyone had turned to Buffy in shock, and tears began to slip down her face, again. She asked her Watcher, without looking at him, "This would have been the end, right?"

"Excuse me?"

"If we don’t stop this thing before midnight, everyone dies."

"Yes."

"So it’s worth the price," the Slayer whispered.

Giles looked at her sharply, "What have you done? What have you bargained with?"

"My life."

Xander looked angry, "You’re gonna die, again?"

Buffy laughed again. "No. I’d much rather die. My fate is so much worse than that. A fate I’d never wish on anyone."

Everyone looked puzzled, everyone except Willow. The young witch’s mouth drew together in an, "Oh," of surprise, and then Willow walked over to the Slayer’s side, and with an abrupt movement, Buffy threw her arms around her friend and started crying in earnest. "Oh Will, it was so good, and then it was so bad. Why does it hafta hurt so much?"

Willow only held her close as she cried. "Shh. It’ll be alright."

"No, Will. It’ll never be all right. I’m all alone."

Willow’s answer was lost as Angelus walked into the library. "Tsk, tsk, lover. Are you cheating on me so soon?"

Everyone stared at the vampire in shock, as Willow slowly let go of her friend. Buffy slowly walked towards him, taking her rightful place at his side.

Xander finally broke the silence, "Angel?"

Angel smirked. "Not Angel, Angelus."

The horror of the Slayerettes did not keep them from helping with the ritual. The other choice was to live and die in eternal night.

No one interfered as Angelus bit the Slayer, but they all cringed. But the vampire did not drain Buffy.

And then he preformed the summoning. And when Santoral appeared, he banished the creature.

In no way did he break his promise to the Slayer.

"I kept my side of the deal, lover."

Buffy sighed, "I know." The Slayer drew herself up to her full height. "Before these witnesses, I swear the Slayer’s Oath. For the sake of the world, I renounce all of my duties and responsibilities. By my Slayer powers and Slayer blood I make this pledge, my body, my blood, and my will belong, from this moment until my death, to the vampire Angelus, for so long as he does not harm my family and friends. I shall protect his life and not seek the end of my own. By the powers of heaven and hell, by the forces of light and darkness, as I have spoken, so shall it be."

As the Slayer finished the final words light flashed from her eyes, sealing her vow. And the Buffy Summers was the Slayer no more.

Angelus laughed as the Slayerettes drew back in horror. And then the Watcher emerged from his office with a loaded crossbow.

Giles lowered the crossbow at Angelus’s heart, but the vampire only smiled.

It was Buffy who growled at the Watcher, "Drop it, Giles!"

The Watcher glanced at her in surprise. "What!"

"I said, drop it. I hafta protect his life, even to attacking you. So unless you want to fight me, drop it."

"But…"

"No buts. You’ll be safe, but only if you don’t threaten him. I don’t hafta kill you, but I will protect his life at any cost."

Giles dropped the crossbow. "Oh, Buffy…"

Buffy’s smile was pain filled. "Find the new Slayer, Giles. Train her, keep her safe."

Angelus spoke up, at last. "It’s time to go, lover."

Buffy turned and nodded her head at him. Then quickly she turned back to her friends; "I love you all. Don’t forget me."

With one last sad look at her friends Buffy Summers turned and placed her hand in the demon’s. Angelus laughed and led her into the night.

The greatest Slayer the world had ever known had fallen.

And the darkness rose.