DISCLAIMER: The characters of Buffy and company belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, WB, 20^th Century FOX, and probably some more. 

CLAIM: The other characters of Rhianna, Alexia, Solange, Gretchen, Lisa, Grace, and Seraphina belong to me. 

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

Poetry

Traps within Traps

Forces of Darkness

Though Lovers be Lost

Sacrifice

Who Wants to Live Forever?

"Okay, that concludes our discussion." Mrs. Austin, the Literature teacher, told her class. She glanced at the clock. "We have time to begin one more poem." She looked around the classroom of bored seniors. "Alexia, could you please read the first stanza on page 53?"

The greater demon, which wore the form of a senior high school girl and went by the nickname of Alex, looked over the page quickly. She smiled at the topic, and then began to recite. "And Death Shall Have No Dominion, by Dylan Thomas.

As she finished reading, Mrs. Austin complimented her. "Very well done. Impressively read." The teacher turned back to the blackboard and began to write a discussion topic on the board: death.

While her back was turned, Alex turned to smile at the classroom of seniors. She seemed to bask in the glow of a teacher’s appreciation. But Buffy Summers saw the wicked gleam in her eyes as her smile lingered for a moment on the Slayer.

Buffy herself had been chilled by the poem. Something about it had spoken to her. She wondered if that was the memories it stirred or some premonition of evil yet to come.

Mrs. Austin turned back to the class. "So who has comments on this poem?" She looked around the class expectantly.

The class was silent. Finally Willow tentatively commented, "Well, it seems to be talking about the dead as equals. As if death makes everyone the same."

Mrs. Austin commented, "Good Willow. A very astute point, does anyone else find anything interesting about the poem?"

Alex spoke up, "Why should love not be lost to death?"

Cordelia countered. "Well people say that love conquers all. So shouldn’t it conquer death?"

Harmony moved to support her idol, "But love is an emotion. When death comes, love cannot exist, because the people who felt it are dead. Aren’t they?"

Mrs. Austin mediated and summarized, "An interesting point. And so the question becomes, is love transcendental? Does love overcome the boundaries of death? Are there any more comments on this point?"

Alex smiled to herself as the conversation progressed. She had not even had to manipulate it very much. She hoped the words were a twisting pain for the Slayer.

Buffy walked out of the classroom amongst a group of seniors. Xander and Willow, as usual, walked at by her side. Willow saw the pain on her friend’s face. "Are you okay, Buffy?"

Buffy summoned a smile. "Yeah. That was just a freaky conversation."

"I’ll say."

Buffy thought for a moment. "But it made me think. I mean does love really last forever?"

Xander spoke from her other side. "If anyone should know, you should. I mean, Buf, you brought love out of Hell. That has to count for something."

"Yeah. But only after I sent him there." She sighed. "It’s a funny thing for me to worry about."

"Why?"

"Because I know part of the answer, at least for me."

"How?"

"The spell." She saw their blank looks. "The spell I cast to protect Angel. Well, it binds our souls. I will be with Angel through all of time. Even beyond death."

"Then what are you worried about?"

Buffy half smiled. "That doesn’t mean that love will survive death. Sometimes I wonder if our love will survive this damned curse. I mean, will there ever come a time when we hate each other for being trapped together? Will I ever look in his eyes and wish that I was free?"

Willow looked at her in surprise. "Angel loves you. Believe it."

"I believe it. But sometimes I think that love is just another chain, holding me to a destiny I never wanted."

"What kind of talk is that, Buffy?"

"The kind of talk of a very depressed Slayer. Sorry. That poem just, I don’t know, reminded me of things I don’t like to think about."

"Just hold on Buffy. You of all people should know that there are no certainties to life on the Hellmouth."

Buffy sighed. "I know. It is just hard." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "And it keeps getting harder."

The threesome reached their next classroom. The conversation ended as they walked into their physics classroom.

Giles stood in the library, sorting books for later reshelving. He heard the library doors and open, and turned to see which of the Slayerettes was coming to talk to him. But it was not a Slayerette. It was a group of well-dressed girls. And leading the group was a demon.

"Can you believe that we have to find these books?" the girl known as Alex was asking the girl that trailed at her right hand.

Lisa nodded her head in agreement. Alex looked around the library in haughty disdain. She spotted the form of the Watcher behind the desk. "Where are the books on, what was it Lis?"

The girl looked up and filled in the gap, "Poetry, British."

Giles answered the question absently; his attention was focused on the demon. "Fourth bookcase, on the right. Second shelf."

The girls looked to their leader for direction. Alex waved them off with a few get-going flicks. They headed off for the desired books in a huddled mass. The demon turned and walked towards the checkout counter that Giles was standing behind.

With the girls’ backs turned toward her, the Alec looked straight at the Watcher, and smiled. That smile left no doubt that she was a demon. She finished closing the distance.

He watched her warily, reasonably certain that she would do nothing in a library filled with her ‘friends’, but he knew that she wanted something.

"Hello, Mr. Giles. You know, I found my Literature class most enjoyable this morning?" Her tone was that of a normal high school student, but her expression showed her true nature.

"Really?"

"Yes, we were working on poetry. Though lovers be lost, love shall not. Is that really true?"

"Yes."

"Well, I guess that you would know." She said pointedly. Giles wondered how she knew about his past, but he refused to rise to her bait. She continued after a momentary pause. "But still, I’ve decided to try it anyway. A quick experiment and I will find out everything that I need to know. Don’t ya think?"

Giles realized what she was implying. "You will never be able to separate those two."

Alex smiled, and her voice was very quiet as she spoke. "Death has no dominion over true demons." She turned and started to walk back towards the crowd of seniors.

Giles called after her. "I will warn them." But the demon made no response.

Buffy walked through the outside doors of the school. The afternoon sun was bright, and it lightened her mood a little. She had spent too much of the day trying to shake off the feelings that the poem had raised in her.

Willow walked out with her. Buffy looked at her friend carefully, "Is Oz okay?"

Willow sighed, "The band was supposed to have a gig this evening, but he had to beg off. I think some of the band is getting suspicious. But he’s coping. I think."

Buffy sighed. She often wondered if it was possible for life to get easier, rather than harder. "Well, say hi for me."

"I will. What are you up to this evening?"

"Training. And then patrolling. Standard Slayer stuff. I think Giles is starting to get itchy over our friendly demon. Of course, that is nothing compared to Angel. I think Alec is starting to drive him crazy."

"Really?"

"No. But he really wants her dead." Buffy spotted a familiar figure. "Oh well, gotta go."

"Have fun." Buffy gave her a wry smile. "Maybe Xander’ll patrol with you later." Buffy smiled and then waved as she walked down to her father.

Hank Summers smiled at his daughter as she walked up to the door of the car. She seemed well. Perhaps the last month had been kind to her.

Buffy greeted her father, "Hey dad. Mom said you were coming early. What’s up?"

"Well, your mother is gonna be back in LA working with some dealers Tuesday through Friday. So I took some time off, thought we could spend the week together."

"Great!"

"So how have things been around here?"

"Oh, they’ve been pretty quiet."

A new voice called loudly, "Buffy!"

The Slayer recognized her Watcher’s voice, and finished her comment to her father under her breath. "But that’s about to change." She turned to smile sweetly as Giles finished running out to her. "What’s up, Giles? Based on your expression, I’m guessing that it’s not good news?"

Giles glanced momentarily at Hank and then turned to his Slayer. "Alec. She’s after you. Remember the poem from your Literature class?" Buffy nodded her head in acknowledgement. "She said that she was going to test the line: Though lovers be lost love shall not."

Buffy sighed, just what her life needed. "Alright, I’m warned. I’ll be careful. Are we still on for sunset training?" Giles looked worried, but agreed. "Okay, than I’ll see you then." Her Watcher was not relaxing. "We can discuss this in detail, then." Buffy added pointedly. Giles reluctantly headed back into the school.

Hank Summers dropped his daughter off at the school and then drove towards the restaurant. The two parents preferred to meet on neutral ground. They were going to discuss Buffy; she was the most important thing in both their lives.

Hank walked up to restaurant door; Joyce was standing outside waiting for him. He was about to greet her when a figure blended out of the shadows. Both recognized the form of a demon that they had only seen once. A demon that was their daughter’s greatest enemy. Both Summers started to back away, but they kept their eyes on Alec, who was smiling at their fear.

Alec waved a single hand, and if either parent had been able to see, they would have seen dark shapes hover momentarily above their heads and then sink into their skin. At which point, both Summers dropped to the ground, unconscious.

Willow checked over the chains that bound Oz one more time. "Are you sure they’re not to tight?"

Oz smiled at her fussing. "Yeah."

"Are you gonna be alright?"

"I’ve been a werewolf for over a year now. I’ll be fine."

"I wish I could stay."

"I prefer that you don’t. Just go now."

Willow sighed, and then she kissed him once. She turned and walked out of the room.

Xander and Willow walked out the front door. The two started walking through the light of a setting sun. Willow was pensively lost in thought, so Xander attempted to distract her. "So, what’s up this evening?"

Willow thought for a moment. "We could go out with Buffy later this evening."

"Ah yes, another fun-filled evening patrolling."

"Actually hunting, there have been a bunch of disappearances, and," she replied.

"And Giles thinks that they may be vamps."

Willow smiled. "Exactly."

Xander thought for a moment, "We could stop by the library after we stop by the Bronze."

"I guess that means that Cordelia is supposed to be at the Bronze now."

"Yeah. But I was more thinking about giving Buffy time to finish."

"Oh yeah, she’s training right?"

"Personally, I wonder why she needs to train so much, I mean she’s been the Slayer for three years, and she is constantly fighting these days."

"I think Giles is worried about the shadow creatures. They take a different technique than vamps."

Xander winced at the thought. "So Buffy and Giles are attacking each other with sharp implements? I mean, isn’t that dangerous, at least for the Watcher?"

Willow was amused. "Not that Giles couldn’t handle it, but I think she is practicing with someone a little closer to her abilities."

Xander’s face stiffened. "Well, at least that is a useful use for a vampire, Slayer practice."

Willow was constantly surprised by Xander’s reaction to Angel. She still did not understand what it signified. "Are you ever gonna accept Angel?"

"Why should I? After what he did. And you heard Buffy this morning. He is tearing her apart. He is gonna hurt her badly, and she is just gonna let him."

Willow probed. "Xand, if the curse was gone, you know what Buffy would do." She paused momentarily for Xander to reluctantly nod his head in agreement. "What would you do then?"

Xander never got the chance to answer. Both Slayerettes halted as they came within twenty feet of a figure that was waiting for them. Both realized that the sun had set. The figure walked into the light from a street lamp. Xander gaped and Willow gasped.

A woman stood before two Slayerettes. Her hair was impossibly dark, as if the midnight sky crowned her. It framed her impossibly pale skin, pale even for people used to dealing with vampires. It was so pale, that she seemed to glow, even in the artificial light of a lamp. Her eyes were a piercing liquid silver that seemed to look strait into the thoughts of the humans. She was beautiful, but it was beauty that was not meant for the earth.

Both Slayerettes recognized her at the same moment. Xander was still incapable of talking, but Willow managed to say, "Bella Morte." The vampire smiled at their recognition. She took a single step forward, and both Slayerettes tensed, readying themselves to fight or flee. But the vampire only raised a single hand to her eyes, directing the attention of the Slayerettes into them. And then she spoke. Her voice was musical and contained a hint of a French accent. And it was also oddly resonant. "Look into my eyes." Both Slayerettes stared helplessly into silver eyes and both were caught, drowning in silver.

Neither could see the vampire make a beckoning motion. Two other vampires walked out of the shadows and hit the Slayerettes from behind. Both slid bonelessly to the ground.

Cordelia stood on the upper level of Bronze, watching the mass of teenagers dancing on the floor. Four Cordettes surrounded her. She was growing weary of the game; it seemed so pointless now. But she reminded herself, again, that her work was useful. She did manage to keep her thoughts from face and voice as she chatted with her ‘friends’ mindlessly.

A tentative voice spoke from behind the group, "Hi?"

Cordelia turned to face a very unexpected sight. "Alex?" She recovered from her surprise quickly; she would not let the demon get the first blow in. "Interesting color choice," Alex was wearing all black. Disdain came easily. "You know, as a spring, you really shouldn’t wear dark solid colors."

"I never trust your fashion sense, Cordelia." Alec looked over the girl’s dress. "You know that color reminds me of fresh blood."

Four Cordettes looked at the demon in disgust. Cordelia was momentarily speechless. Alec’s comment had actually helped her position; she wondered what was going on.

"Actually, though, I came to ask if we could be friends."

"You wanna be friends, with me?"

"As a token of my regard I’m throwing a party with some of your old friends. I was wondering if you wanted to come." She looked around at the Cordettes. "Of course, your new friends are welcome, too."

Cordelia’s eyes narrowed. "A party?"

"Yeah, out at the park. It should be a lot of fun." The demon gave her a wide smile.

Cordelia countered with disbelief. "In the park, at night?"

"Oh don’t worry about it. We have parental supervision. Anyway, think about it. It should be starting very soon." Alec turned and blended back into the crowd before Cordelia could think of anything else.

Aura turned to look back at Cordelia. "That sounds like fun doesn’t it? I mean Alex wanting to be your friend and everything. Let’s go."

Cordelia realized she had to do something, these people did not deserve to walk into the middle of a demonic battlefield. "What? You wanna go out into the park in the middle of the night? Thanks but no thanks. The Bronze is much better. Much livelier."

For a moment Aura thought about rebelling, but then she fell into her place. "Sure. Let’s dance." The five walked onto the dance floor and began to dance.

Gretchen looked at Cordelia for a moment. Despite her expression, she was sure that Alec’s comments had hurt her friend. She just did not know what was wrong, but Cordelia had done so much for her. She owed the girl a lot. She managed to whisper, "Are you okay?"

Cordelia looked at her in surprise, "Yeah, it’s just that…"

"You don’t wanna be here."

"Yeah."

Gretchen smiled. "Don’t worry, I’ll cover for you."

Cordelia felt relief. Her true friends needed her help. "You’d do that?"

"Sure. Hey, you look really upset, is something wrong?"

"Not for me."

Gretchen pressed, "But for someone?"

Cordelia sighed, "I don’t know, but I wanna check it out."

"Then go. I’ll take care of it."

"Thanks. Gretchen, you’re a real friend."

Gretchen smiled, and then turned back to run interference with the other Cordettes.

Cordelia walked out of the Bronze without hurrying. But as soon as she hit the street she was running.

Giles had the library closed, and had resumed his full time responsibility as Watcher. Angel had joined his Slayer and the two had been practicing with various lengths of silver blades. Part of his duties as Watcher was to teach the Slayer weaponry, but in this case he was allowing her to spar with her vampire love.

One reason was that Angel was much better at it then he was. He could also absorb much more damage without getting hurt than the human Watcher. The last reason was that Angel was much closer to a demonic opponent then he was. The vampire was faster and stronger than any human could hope to be. In fact, if Giles was not mistaken, he was both faster and stronger than Buffy. All of which meant that Angel was a much more suitable sparring partner for his Slayer.

Thus Giles spent the evening’s training session giving Buffy helpful hints, and watching as she struggled to get through Angel’s guard.

Xander slowly recovered consciousness. He groaned as he pushed himself awake. Opening his eyes, he saw Joyce Summers looking at him in concern. "How are you feeling?"

Xander groaned again, and rubbed the back of his head. "Like I got hit by a heavy object." He looked around the scene more carefully. Willow was sitting on the ground beside an unconscious Oz. There was something very touching about the way she held his hand.

The group seemed to be sitting in the middle of a forest clearing. Xander looked around in confusion. "Where are we?"

"The middle of the park, I would guess."

"And why are we not getting out of here?"

A new voice answered his question. "A circle surrounds you. The living cannot pass it." The four humans glared at the demon Alec. She was leaning against a tree, looking as if she did not have a care in the world.

"What are you gonna do to us?"

"Me? Nothing. I have everything I want out of you already."

"And what’s that?"

"Why, this is a trap." She waved a hand in the air, indicating the humans. "Haven’t you figured that out? And you’re the bait."

"It won’t work."

"Oh, I think it will. Buffy is sure to come to your rescue, and where she leads, Angel is sure to follow. And I am so looking forward to seeing him again. I have a special surprise planned."

"You can’t defeat the two of them, they are stronger than you." But Alec only laughed in response.

Two vampires walked into the clearing, having no trouble crossing the circle. "Oh yes, there is one thing I want. I need two of you to go with my minions."

"Why?"

"Two separate baits, two heroes. I would think that it was obvious."

"You wanna split them apart."

"But of course. Now you can do this the easy way or the hard way. Since the young werewolf is still asleep, and I would never dream of breaking up such a tender scene, the two parents will go." The two vampires walked over to the two Summers. Each grabbed an arm and started dragging the humans off.

Xander was surprised. "What about the circle."

"It’s my magic. Don’t you think I can control it?"

The group passed over the circle, for a moment Xander considered trying to escape, but with Alec hovering he did not tempt fate. Alec smiled as if she knew what he was thinking. "Wise choice." The demon watched as Buffy’s parents disappeared into the trees.

Alec looked back at the two Slayerettes. "By the way, tonight is the full moon. I would suggest you start praying that your friends get here, and soon. Otherwise, all three of you will probably be werewolves in the morning. That is, if you survive."

She was laughing as she turned into a shadow and vanished.

As the moon rose, a shudder passed through Oz’s body. Thirty seconds later Xander and Willow were trapped in a forest clearing with an unconscious werewolf.

Buffy sat at the library table. She was checking her stakes for her upcoming patrol. Angel was talking to her Watcher. "She just seems different from when I knew her last time."

"She did spend almost two hundred years imprisoned. That probably changed her."

"I don’t know. She’s had plenty of time to get over her captivity. And I would’ve guessed that not having victims to torture would have made her more likely to start killing when she returned."

Buffy spoke up. "Angel, she wants your help. She must know that if she starts indiscriminately killing your friends that you will not help her."

"I would think by now that she knows there is no way I would ever help her. Not for any reason."

Giles looked at the pensive vampire curiously. "What about her behavior is the most surprising?"

Angel thought for a moment before responding. "She has some very powerful magics and I don’t understand why she isn’t using them. She can coerce humans, make them into mental slaves, at least temporarily. She can cast a spell that is the opposite of fire. It doesn’t create light or heat, instead it absorbs them. And she had a huge number of death spells. She used them as both a threat and torture. The worst one I ever saw was called hellfire."

Giles looked at the vampire sharply. "Hellfire?"

"You’ve heard of it?"

"I thought it was a legend, a power of greater demons that never really existed. After all, it only works against mortals, and when humans came to be, the greater demons had already departed."

Angel snorted. "Oh it exists, alright. And it is incredibly deadly, and painful. Alec is one of the Old Ones. She has more powers than you can imagine. So I ask you again, why is she acting this way?"

Giles stared at the vampire in shock. He had severely underestimated the demon’s power.

Buffy interrupted. "Okay. Before you guys panic over spells that our demonic friend might or might not have, could you please tell me, the Slayer, what I should be worried about?"

The two looked at each other for a moment before Giles replied, "It sounds like Alec has a bunch of powers that I had dismissed as legendary. I should have been more careful, but I’ll fix it. I swear Buffy. I’ll give you a list of what this thing might be capable of before tomorrow.

Buffy smiled at her Watcher. She trusted him. She turned to look at Angel. "What’s hellfire?"

Angel thought about how to express it. "It is a demonic spell meant to take out powerful magic users. The first thing it does is disrupt all thought. It kills by causing pain. The victims feel as if they are slowly burning to death from the inside out. It is also very slow."

The Slayer was chilled. If this was just one of Alec’s powers, than she was going to be even harder to destroy than she had originally thought. Rhianna had assured her that the magic shields that she had maintained for protection ever since the demon had appeared would be sufficient to protect her. But that did not mean that she could protect all of the humans who were her responsibilities.

Willow and Xander looked up as they heard footsteps. They turned to face the vampire that stood at the edge of the circle. She seemed even more beautiful by moonlight.

Xander stood to face her. "For one of Angel’s children you sure do make a lot of noise."

Bella Morte growled at him. And then the anger faded from her. She cocked her head and looked him over carefully. "It is strange thing. But you remind me of Angel, just a little. Personality wise, I mean. You are nowhere near beautiful enough."

Xander’s eyes widened. "Oh please, I’m nothing like Dead Boy."

But the vampire seemed not to hear him. "Maybe I should bring you across. Maybe you could take his place. Maybe you would remind him of what he lost when he threw me away."

Willow was shocked by the vampire’s vehemence. "You love him."

For a moment her silver eyes closed, guarding the vampire against those who would look upon her pain. "I love him. From the moment I first saw him. I have always loved him. Angel drove Drusilla insane because she loved her family more than him. But I was glad to sacrifice my family to him. I spent twenty years with him." She looked over the teenagers. "Longer than you have been alive. And I have loved him every moment of every day in the hundred and twenty years since then." Her silver eyes flared with hatred. "But now he is with her. With a Slayer, who should be his mortal enemy. Yet, he loves her more than me. I will destroy her for that."

Neither Xander nor Willow knew what to say. Making this vampire angrier seemed like a very bad idea, and so they said nothing.

Finally a degree of rationality returned to the vampire. She smiled. "I have company for you." Two vampires escorted a small child with red hair out of the trees. He seemed to be about nine or ten and he was clearly terrified. "His name is Sean."

Cordelia rushed through the library doors. Three faces turned to look at her in shock. Cordelia gasped out, "Good, you guys are here."

Buffy walked to her side, concern on her face. "Cordy, what are you doing here?"

"Alex. She’s got them."

"Got who?"

"She said she had my old friends."

Buffy breathed. "Xander and Willow."

Angel added quietly, "And probably Oz."

Buffy turned to look at him in horror. "But tonight’s a full moon."

"I know."

The Slayer turned back to her only source of information. "What else do you know?"

"She said that she was throwing a party in the park. And she said that my dress reminded her of fresh blood. And she said that she had parental supervision."

Buffy’s eyes widened. "My parents?"

"I would guess so."

Angel looked at Giles and then the Watcher headed for his weapons supply. Angel began packing for the coming conflict. Buffy moved to join them.

Cordelia stopped her by grabbing an arm, "Wait, I’ll take you in my car."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I’m sure. You need all the help you can get."

"Thanks, Cordy."

The Slayer walked to the table where her Watcher and Angel were finishing packing weaponry. She grabbed the bag and headed for the door. The foursome headed for Cordelia’s car as fast as the mortals could run.

Xander and Willow looked up from Sean as they saw forms appear out of the night. They sighed in relief as they identified Buffy, Giles, and Angel. And then both of them looked in shock as Cordelia joined the group.

Buffy tried to move into the clearing first, but she was halted by the power circle. She immediately identified it as a ward. But she was unsure what it was warding. And it seemed strangely weak, as if it couldn’t quite decide whether or not she should be able to pass it.

Angel walked through it without problem. Buffy realized what it was, a ward against the living. But she was a Slayer, her nature was partly demonic, and she was tied to a vampire at the deepest of levels. She took a step forward to join her love. The ward was not strong enough to stop that. It was destroyed as a living being outwitted it. The Slayer had taken less then ten seconds to break the circle. And not one of the hostages seemed harmed.

Xander recovered from his surprise enough to say, "Buffy, it’s a," he paused as over twenty vampires appeared in a circle surrounding the group, "trap."

Angel looked around the circle of vampires and he was not surprised when it parted to allow a single vampire to walk through. The unearthly beauty that had earned her the name Beautiful Death had lost all power to move him. In fact he had grown bored with her long before he regained his soul. Angel knew that she had come to Sunnydale over three months ago, but he had not seen her in all that time. He kept his thoughts out of his voice as he greeted her, "Solange."

At the same time he sent Buffy a message, Trust me. She does not understand that I am not what I was.

He heard Buffy’s reply, I trust you. I’ll be ready.

Bella Morte smiled as she looked upon her sire, at last. "Angelus. That hasn’t been my name for a very long time. It was such an ironic name for a vampire to have, wouldn’t you agree?" She turned thoughtful for a moment. "Then again, I was always amused by the fact that a demon was named Angel."

Angel ignored her last comment. "So what name are you going by these days?"

"Minuit." Then she smiled in happiness. "My Angel, how I’ve missed you."

Angel’s voice was dry as he replied, "I’m sure."

The vampire turned her attention to the Slayer. Buffy did not allow the measurement in that strange silver gaze to disturb her. Eventually she looked back at her sire. "So, this is the human you would rather love than me."

"You always did flatter yourself, Midnight. I left you long before I regained my soul."

But the vampire ignored his comments. She had always tended to ignore the things that she did not want to hear. "Is she so much better than I am?"

Angel was completely serious as he replied; "She is more than you can possibly imagine. I love her and I never loved you."

Midnight was not finished pleading. "But no one has ever loved you like I do."

"You are right. No one has ever welcomed me into their lives over the bodies of their family. I remember how you killed your last sister the night that I changed you."

"Yes, she was my last family. You killed all the others. It was my gift, to prove to you that I was ready. And you were pleased, you changed me."

"I did. But if I had known what you would be like, I never would have."

She seemed near tears. But then pain turned into anger. "If I cannot have you, then you will not have her." As she turned to the Slayer her eyes began to glow slightly. "Look into my eyes, mortal." She was distantly surprised that Angel did not move to save his precious Slayer, but she took it as a sign that he really wanted her gone.

Buffy was not impressed. "Oh please. Drop the hypnotism crap. I’ve dealt with much worse than you."

Midnight heard Angel’s laughter and she turned to look at him in surprise. She recognized the smile that he wore. Angelus had always been cruel. But she protested anyway, "I’ve captured Slayers before. You remember."

"Oh, I remember. But Buffy is no ordinary Slayer; you cannot capture her with your gaze. And you won’t be able to kill her, she is much too strong for you."

Midnight growled low in her throat. It hadn’t been the words so much as the tone; Angelus had always known how to hurt her. She did not like it now anymore than she had when she had first been brought across. She had always been proud and vain; there was a reason she was called Beautiful Death. The vampire forgot about the Slayer and blurred into motion as she attacked her sire.

But Angel was stronger and faster then her. It had always been so, and the hundred and twenty years they had spent apart had not changed anything. He slapped her on the face as he dodged her charge. She felt something shatter against her skin. Briefly she wondered what had happened, but then she didn’t have to wonder anymore. Acid burned her skin, she screamed as the right side of her face melted. The pain was incredible, but the loss of her beauty hurt her even more. She turned and ran.

Angel watched her go. The holy water had burned his hand as well as her face, but it had gotten rid of her. She was the only leader for this group of vampires, and he knew how much the loss of their leader would affect them. Killing or driving away Midnight had been the most important thing to assure their victory.

Buffy had not even waited to see the results of Midnight’s attack. Instead, she had attacked the vampires closest to her friends. They were surprised by her move, and she managed to stake two of them before the rest recovered enough to fight back. Half a dozen vampires attacked the Slayer as a group. Buffy was fighting defensively, keeping the group from getting past her and hurting her friends. At the moment, that was the most important thing. She hoped that she, or Giles, would come up with a plan before this fight got too nasty.

Giles and Cordelia turned to the other Slayerettes. There was nothing they could do for the still unconscious Oz, but they pulled out stakes and crosses for Xander and Willow. The three Slayerettes move to guard Sean. And the Watcher move to supply armed aid for the Slayer. He staked a vampire as it reeled away from Buffy.

The unengaged vampires, numbering about a dozen, started to approach the group, but hesitantly. The loss of their leader had severely confused them. Buffy felt them move, and picked up the nearest vampire and threw it at the other group. Although the resulting collision kept the vamps from attacking the Slayerettes and the child, it left her open to the others at her back. She absorbed a couple of punches before she turned and reengaged her enemies. Even she was having trouble dealing with this many vampires.

Angel looked at the vampires nearest him. They were staring in the direction that their leader had retreated. He pulled out a stake and his face morphed as he prepared to take on the half dozen vamps. Angel killed the first before it had recovered. The others moved to attack, but he was much stronger and faster, they only had numbers. The fight would be over soon enough. He spared a moment to hope that Buffy was doing as well.

Xander remembered that Buffy might not know what was happening he yelled at her, "Buffy, they took your parents elsewhere." The Slayer paused in her attack sequence to look at her friend. Xander waved a hand in the direction that they had disappeared in. "That way."

One vampire managed to land a solid punch on her arm because of her distraction. Buffy retaliated with a stake in its heart. She was unsure of what she should do, she needed to go after her parents, but there were still seven vamps up. Her friends would be in danger without her. And then Buffy’s eyes widened as she saw Oz began to stir. "Angel!"

Angel turned from staking the last vampire that he had been facing. Although the focus on combat severely degraded the usefulness of the soul link, Angel had felt the sudden spike in Buffy’s emotions. He turned and saw the werewolf begin to stand. He sprinted and tackled the werewolf from behind. He was the only one who could deal with Oz. In his werewolf form, he was as strong as Angel was, but unlike the others Angel could not contract lycanthropy. But he was also severely hampered in the fight. He did not want to hurt Oz. Oz had no such regard for him.

Buffy looked around wildly. She heard Giles speak behind her. "Go after them Buffy, we’ll take care of the vamps." She had to trust him. Buffy turned and ran in the direction that Xander had pointed.

Sean had had enough. He was surrounded by strange people and scarier monsters. He turned and ran away, he wanted to get home. He heard the voices of the two he had been with, Xander and Willow, as they called after him. But he ignored them and ran as hard as he could.

The three Slayerettes looked in the direction of the retreating child. They had been too busy with vampires to stop Sean, but they knew that he would not survive in the park long enough to escape. There were only three vamps still undusted. They decided to go after him. Willow and Xander managed to get away, but as Cordelia turned to join them, she was tackled by a vampire.

She managed to get a cross between the vamps face and her neck, but she was in trouble. Xander paused, but Giles shouted, "Go!" As he reached out and staked the vampire in the back. Willow and Xander ran. Cordelia rose and stood with Giles against the remaining two vamps.

Buffy looked out from behind a tree. Her parents seemed to be in no danger, so she took a moment to scan the area. Such scans had gotten very difficult, due to Alec’s interference. But her Slayer senses should still be able to sense any vampires. But she found nothing.

Joyce and Hank Summers stood as they saw their daughter glide out from the trees. She smiled at them, and then stopped dead. She put a hand up to test the barrier. It appeared to be another ward against the living. She waved her parents into silence as her mother said, "Buffy?"

The Slayer regarded the barrier curiously. She could not break it like she had the other. Angel was not with her. But it was still weak to her, as if it could not decide what to do with her demonic nature. Buffy opened herself up to the power in her earring. Her eyes began to glow as she channeled raw power from Hell into the barrier. The ward collapsed. Channeling that much raw power burned Buffy’s senses, but it was much faster than unraveling the ward would have been, and time was of the essence.

Buffy turned to her parents. "Are you alright?"

"We’re fine. What’s going on?"

"I have to get back to the fight." She hesitated for a moment before making a decision. "You’ll be safer with me than you’d be here. But, please, stay out of the fighting."

Buffy pulled her backup stakes out of her belt. She handed them to her parents. They looked at the stakes in surprise, but they also recognized the worry on her face. Without a word, they followed her as she led them back to the main fight.

Cordelia dusted herself off, as the last vampire exploded into a pile of dust. She turned to look at Giles. The Watcher was intently watching Angel and Oz fight. The vampire was attempting to pin the werewolf down, but every time he got close to succeeding, Oz threw him off. But, if nothing else, Angel was keeping Oz busy.

"Can we help?"

"I can’t think how. We aren’t really equipped for werewolf fighting."

Cordelia thought that one over. "What about Xander?"

Giles looked at her in surprise. "I’m sure he’s fine. And I have no idea how we might track him down in the woods at night."

"I suppose you’re right. Should we go after Buffy?"

"And do what?"

"Good point. So, what your saying, is that we just stay here and hope someone makes it back to us?"

Giles thought about that for a moment. "Basically."

When Buffy and her parents returned to the clearing, Angel was holding onto Oz. Oz had managed to get in a few attacks, but the wounds were all superficial. Giles and Cordelia were watching, keeping a healthy distance away from the werewolf.

Buffy sighed mentally, and prepared a spell. She had not tried the spell against other people than Angel, and her spells always worked better on him. Besides she was not even sure if it was possible to put a werewolf to sleep, but she had to try.

The Slayer’s eyes glowed as she cast the spell. But something else happened as she released her magic. The air itself seemed to pause, and a chill ran down the Slayer’s spine. Something went wrong, she just did not know quite what.

Angel released his hold as the werewolf fell to the ground. He climbed to his feet and looked at Buffy. Whatever she said to him obviously reassured him, because he bent back down to check on Oz.

Buffy turned to her Watcher and asked, "Where are Xander and Willow?"

"They went after Sean." At her blank look, he elaborated. "The child."

Buffy nodded her head and then thought. "Okay, first we have to get Oz out of here. The rest of us can wait until Willow and Xander show up."

Angel picked Oz up and carried him out to Cordelia’s car. As Buffy reassured Cordelia, "Don’t worry about it."

"Don’t worry about it?" Cordelia was incredulous. "He’s a werewolf. In case you didn’t know this: I don’t wanna be a werewolf!"

"The spell will keep him unconscious for the night. Just take him home. Then come back, okay?"

Cordelia was about to continue the argument when two more vamps burst out into the clearing. At which point, Cordelia was happy to drive off while Buffy and Angel squared off for the attack, and Giles moved to protect the Slayer’s parents.

The vampires were quickly dispatched. But both Buffy and Angel were very uneasy, there was magic in the air, and it made them uncomfortable.

Xander and Willow ran through the night. Sean was amazingly fast, but they had finally gotten close enough to see him. Which was when a vampire stepped out of the forest in front of them.

Both Slayerettes pulled to a stop and reached for weapons. They were out classed, but they were also the only ones who could save the child. So they stood their ground and prepared to do their best.

Giles looked around as he finally felt the disturbance, "What’s happening?"

The wind picked up. Both Angel and Buffy could feel the evil that wind contained. Buffy realized what was happening. "The Hellmouth."

Giles turned to her, "What?"

Buffy looked at her Watcher in horror. "The Hellmouth, it’s opening."

A shadow appeared before them. "Indeed it is."

"Alec!"

"And it’s all your fault." Buffy looked surprised. "Your magic is opening it. One of the side effects of where your power comes from, you are channeling power from a portal to Hell. Oh don’t look so alarmed, you didn’t use enough power to permanently open it. It’s not even partially stable. I would guess that only one demon will be able to come across." She smiled. "Have fun."

"You set this up."

"Of course I set you up. This was a trap, and that is the purpose of a trap."

Buffy looked at Angel, What should we do?

Before he could respond, Alec laughed. "There is nothing you can do."

Both vampire and vampire Slayer looked at the greater demon in shock.

"Oh, come now, any telepathic conversation can be overheard, assuming that you know the correct channel. And have the ability, of course. I’ll admit I was a little slow to pick up on it, but do you really think I am stupid enough to allow you these private chit chats?"

Buffy was still staring at Alec in shock, as the mouth of Hell opened.

Buffy saw the portal stabilize. It did not look like the vortices that she had seen at other times. The portal was a gate, and it wavered uncertainly before it flared open. Buffy wondered how much of that was due to that the fact that her magic had not been intended to open the gate, and how much was due to the fact that the gate was manifesting a mile away from the true location of the Hellmouth. But it did not matter, because the most important thing was dealing with the demon that would come out of it. Alec was laughing as she vanished. The Slayer wondered what type of demon she would be facing. Unfortunately, she would find out soon enough.

Angel stood by her side, and she was glad for that. They would battle the darkness side by side, as they were meant to. Briefly she hoped that Giles would keep her parents safe, and then she banished her worry for them and reached out for Angel. They would have to fight this creature, whatever it was, as one.

The soul link was strong. Every major use of the link made it grow stronger, which made it harder to live her life afterward. But she had no choice, now. And so she pushed aside regret along with worry and concentrated on anger and violence.

A moment later the gate flared one more time and vanished. What was left when the glare faded was a giant multi-headed snake. At least that’s what Buffy made of it. Giles and possibly Angel could come up with a more exact classification, but that did not matter at the moment, what mattered was killing the demon.

It had thick scales, which probably made most weapons useless. Each of seven six-foot heads rose fifteen to twenty feet off the ground, and Buffy had the feeling that the jaws could snap things off the ground very quickly. Its scales were patterned green and brown, which Buffy took as a good sign. She had fought too many shadow creatures recently, and they all had nasty surprises.

She felt Giles walk forward to stand next to her. The demon seemed to be recovering from its entrance. "Any ideas?" She asked her Watcher.

The Watcher did not have much time to come up with a diagnosis. But he made an educated guess, "Extreme trauma. Try severing the spine of each head."

Buffy looked at Giles to make sure that he was not joking. When she decided that he was not, she was sarcastic, "That’s all?"

The vampire that Willow and Xander faced was patient. It did not attack them. The two Slayerettes looked at each other in confusion. And then they realized that it had been ordered to keep them from following Sean, not to kill them. Which meant that it was critical that they get passed it as soon as possible. They could not abandon an innocent child to a fate chosen by a demon.

Willow walked forward, a cross held before her, she clutched a stake in her right hand, and hoped that she would not have to use it. Xander was the strongest person available, and it would be better if the vampire attacked her and Xander got the shot at staking it. Last year she would not have done it, but she had grown a lot. Over the summer she had learned the Slayage craft, and Buffy had given all of her Slayerettes as much vampire tactics as she could since the Hellmouth had acquired its resident demons.

Predictably, the vampire moved to attack Willow. The cross kept her alive through the vampire’s first rush, but a single swipe knocked that same cross into the bushes. Xander used the time well, coming up behind the vampire, and preparing for the stake-through-the-back method of vampire Slayage. But at the last second, the vampire turned and caught his down swinging arm.

Willow had a clear shot of the vampire’s back, and she took full advantage of it. She drove the stake into its back with all her strength. And she was strong enough. The vampire exploded, covering Xander in dust.

The two Slayerettes looked at each other for a moment, and then they took a deep breath and ran after the child.

Angel ran forward to the demon faster than it could move. He leaped onto its body, and momentarily paused before jumping to the top of one head.

Giles handed Buffy the bigger knives that he had in her Slayage gear. She balanced each two-foot blade and threw them effortlessly. Each blade sank into its target, an eye. Giles had packed six blades, and Buffy used them to blind the three center heads.

Angel managed to drive a dagger into the demon, just below the skull. It was not a deep enough wound to hurt the creature, but that wasn’t the purpose. Angel twisted the blade and ripped it out, opening the scales. He reached into the open wound and ripped out the spine. As the head died, it convulsed. Angel finally lost his hold on the creature, and as he began to slip, the creature raised the scales on its body like a blowfish. The scales all had sharp edges, and they tore through the vampire’s clothing and into his flesh. At the first cut, Angel pushed himself away from the creature, and fell the final ten feet to the ground. The impact momentarily stunned him.

Buffy was intently watching the heads of the creature, and so she missed the tail, which snaked around her and slapped her. The force of the blow lifted her off the ground and slammed her into a nearby tree. As the Slayer clamored back to her feet in pain, she assessed the damage. She could feel no broken bones, so she was hoping that the pain was mostly bruises. She reached up a hand to her face, and it came away with blood. She realized that the demon’s tail spike had cut her right cheek. But the injuries were superficial.

As the Slayer headed back into the fight she summoned her magic, and created physical shields for the first time. She had discussed doing so with Anna before, but this was the first time that it was necessary. The shields were extremely difficult to maintain; usually the power that they required would be better placed in offense, but not this time. She could not see any way to cause a demon of that size damage with her magic.

As Buffy stood her eyes and hands were burning with power. For a moment, the air around Angel shimmered as the shields stabilized around him. She ran forward to distract the demon. Angel began to repeat the head killing process that had worked so successfully before. Buffy could mitigate the blows that the creature managed to land on him.

The demon itself did not seem very intelligent. It certainly did not come up with a strategy that defended it against attack. It kept attempting to snap up Buffy, who merely played a dodging game with it, while Angel slowly killed it.

Xander and Willow finally managed to track down Sean. The little red head kid was sitting on a log clearly exhausted and unable to continue.

Willow slowly approached him, while Xander played lookout for anymore vampires. "Are you alright?"

"No. I wanna go home."

"It’s okay. We’ll get you home. Just don’t be afraid."

The child began to laugh. The laugh became more and more inhuman and both Slayerettes stared at him in shock. His form began to dissolve into darkness, and a few moments later the two were facing a shadow.

Xander spoke hesitantly. "What do you want?"

The shadow stopped laughing. Its voice was demonic as it answered the question; "I wanna go home." It watched the two exchanged looks. "Don’t look so concerned. I have fulfilled my mistress’s commands. I am free." With those words it dissolved and was gone.

Willow and Xander stood alone in a forest.

Xander was the first to ask the question, "What was that about?"

"I have no idea."

"He tried to draw some of us away from the fight."

"Away from Buffy."

"Exactly."

"We better get back there."

"Couldn’t agree more."

The two turned to follow their trail, but it was gone.

The greater demon faced the Vampire Slayer and the vampire across the body of a fallen demon. Buffy was clearly exhausted. The magic she had used to protect her love had drained her strength. A single cut slowly bled on her right cheek. Angel was clearly hurt. Although the torn flesh was healing, he still winced in pain. But the two had triumphed yet again.

Alec was not pleased. She could see the mortals climbing to their feet to stand behind the two. But she ignored them; they were nothing to her. "So." She hissed.

Buffy faced the darkness and made her stand. "Your demon. It’s dead. Get out of here."

"Not yet." She looked at Angel. "Have you told her why I am called The Queen of Shadows?" Without waiting for a reply, she threw something at Buffy. Something dark. Something that passed right through the weakened magic shields Buffy normally surrounded herself by.

Buffy attempted to dodge, but the shadow followed her motions. She screamed as she felt it touch her. It was cold, but as it oozed into her veins it began to burn. She felt the fire consume her, and distantly she noted the fact that her body had fallen to the ground. Then, all she could feel was fire. Nothing else existed.

Alec staggered. The strength necessary for that spell was enormous. Angel looked from his fallen love to the demon from his past. The pain on his face changed to anger. His faced morphed as he moved to attack. Alec looked at the charging vampire and calmly told him. "Yes. I am weak now. There exists the possibility that you can destroy me. Or." She pointed at the fallen Slayer. "You can save her."

Angel looked at her with hate in his eyes, before he glanced back at Buffy. He could hear her breathing grow more ragged even as her heartbeat slowed. The pain that she was feeling surged to him over the soul link. Even though she no longer had the strength to reach out to him.

He turned once more to glare at the demon, he knew that she expected him to beg her for Buffy’s life. And he knew that she would give him that life in exchange for his help. He could see the question in the tilt of her eyebrows. But he only shook his head and then turned and walked back to his love. Alec laughed as she slowly dissolved into a shadow and vanished. Dimly, those present could hear her voice, "Though lovers be lost, love shall not. Death has no dominion over true demons."

Giles and Buffy’s parents had gathered around her fallen body. Giles had kept them from touching her, knowing that there was no way to stop what burned in her body. He looked up helplessly as he heard Angel approach.

Anger, hate, and helplessness burned in Angel’s eyes. His face was the face of a demon, but the love he felt was clear as he knelt on the ground beside Buffy. Angel looked at Giles, a question in his eyes. Giles sighed and answered that question. "Yes, it’s hellfire." He looked down at the fallen Slayer. "I don’t know how to stop it. I don’t even know if it is possible to stop it." Angel turned his gaze to his fallen love. Giles realized that there was one option open. It terrified him, but he could think of nothing else. He knew that Angel would not believe him, though. So he told the vampire, "You can ask Anna. She is the only one who might know how to stop this." He told the vampire. Angel looked surprised for a moment, and then he nodded his head in agreement.

Angel reached out with a trembling right hand to the slash on her cheek. Carefully he set the silver ring in her blood. Angel flinched as the link between them widened and pain flowed through the channel. Deliberately he brought his left hand up to his mouth and tore the flesh. He looked briefly at the blood, before he touched it to the ring she wore on her left hand. The soul link opened, allowing the hellfire to burn in both their minds. He reached out to her mind, searching for the spark that was her. He found it lost amongst the burning fever. Angel reached out to the crystal that Buffy wore on her right ear, and as his blood touched it he took her to another place.

Angel held the unconscious form of his love in a place of crystal and light. Before him stood the form of Rhianna. She was watching over the swirling vortex of red light that marked a portal to Hell.

She turned as he appeared, surprised. Reaching out with her mind, she identified what had happened. She had limited access to Buffy’s senses, and she used that access for knowledge.

Angel looked at her. "Is there anything that can be done? Can she be saved?"

Anna looked around for a moment, then sighed. "There are choices. This is what can be done. You can do nothing. In that case she will die, and because of the strength of the soul link, she will probably drag you with her." Angel looked pained. "Or I can use my strength to sever the physical side of the link. Then she will die but you can live to finish her work." Angel shook his head in denial; he did not want to live without her. Anna only sighed, but did not argue. "I might be able to transfer your strength into her. In which case she has a shot of living but you will almost certainly die." Angel looked hopeful at this option, but Anna just shook her head. "It won’t work. In order to do that, I need her cooperation, and she will never give it."

Angel looked at her in desperation. "Is there nothing that can be done?"

"There is one thing. One chance for both of you."

"What’s that?"

"You already know the answer."

Angel looked at her, and then sudden horror crossed his face. Angel finally understood the choice he had to make. The choice that Alec had forced upon him.

"I will support her life as long as possible. But you do not have much time, decide quickly."

Light flared around them.

Angel released his hold on the earring. Buffy was weakly stirring. "Buffy?"

"I heard." She struggled to sit up, and he moved to help her. He knelt facing her, while she struggled to think coherently. Anna’s energy sustained her, but he could feel that energy slowly fading. The pain was held at bay for the moment, but it still burned.

"Well?"

"I wanna live." She turned her head so that she could look into his eyes.

Nothing could hide the pain in those eyes, not even the vampiric features he wore. "How can you ask this of me? Don’t you understand?"

Buffy shook her head weakly. "You can do this." She carefully reached out to him with her left hand, but she did not touch him. He looked at the ring she wore, his gift. He slowly raised his right hand, looking at the bloody ring, watching the pulse of her heartbeat. Then he made his choice, he could do this, or he could watch her die. There was no other choice.

Angel reached out to hold her hand. Ring against ring, both began to glow steadily. And then he reached out with his mind, to open the soul link as wide as possible. Both heard Rhianna’s voice echo in their minds. "My magic is based on consent. If you wish to tread this path you must declare that consent."

Angel spoke first, "I swear from this day forward, to hold your life dearer to me then my own. To hold your honor before my own, to treat your friends as my own, and to dream your dreams. And I swear that I will love you for as long as any part of me survives."

Buffy echoed his pledge. "I swear from this day forward, to hold your life dearer to me then my own. To keep the promises you make, to share everything of mine with you, and to teach you to dream again. I swear that I will love you for as long as my soul exists."

With the words finished the two took a single moment to look into each other’s eyes. There was a strange peace in the knowledge that they had said the words that needed to be said. Even if they did not survive what was to come, they would leave this world having said how much they loved each other.

Buffy’s parents turned from the strange scene before them to look at the Watcher. Giles stared at the lovers in concern. But he, at least, seemed to know what was happening.

"What’s going on?" Joyce asked him.

Giles hesitated for a moment, and then decided that Buffy’s life would be easier if she did not have to explain all of the facts to her parents. "Well. You are watching your daughter get married."

"What!" Hank answered angrily, Joyce just looked stunned.

"It is the easiest way to explain it to you. I would suggest you treat it as such and accept it." The two parents turned back to watch their daughter.

Angel looked at Buffy for a moment. Memorizing the essence of the girl that he had loved for over three years. The one soul that he had been destined to find from the moment he had entered the world two hundred and forty-two years before. He knew that even if this worked, she would never be the same. He would still love her, and he would always love her, but they were about to cross a line that could never be uncrossed.

He listened to laboring beat of her mortal heart, and then he allowed himself to feel her blood under her skin. Buffy tilted her head, offering the big carotid arteries in her neck. She had done so once before, but now he accepted her offer. In order to save her life, Angel had to kill her.

Angel leaned forward and bit her, almost delicately.

It was the second hardest thing that he would have to do this evening.

The Slayer’s parents watched their daughter in her lover’s embrace. The suddenness of events had caught them by surprise, but they were recovering from the shock. Joyce attempted to rush to Buffy’s side, but was halted by her Watcher. Unable to reach her daughter, she pleaded with Giles, "But he’s killing her."

"Yes. He is."

Hank stared at him in shock. "But…"

Giles faced both parents and told them the truth. "You are watching your daughter’s marriage, death, and rebirth all in one. Accept it." Both looked defiant. "And understand this. If it works." Giles gestured at the two. "She won’t be your daughter any more. She’ll be something else."

"What!"

Giles smiled sadly, but did not elaborate.

Buffy was floating. She could feel the hellfire in her veins, and she distantly knew that she was dying, but she was detached. Buffy held onto the soul link with all of her strength. But it was difficult, it would be so easy to let go and leave the pain behind. The link brought her Angel’s emotions, and she felt his love and concern. She also felt what her blood was doing to him. It whispered to his vampiric nature. Trying to force him to open the neck wound further. She knew that he was holding himself back for her sake, but even that knowledge was starting to fade. She heard his voice echo in her mind, tinted by the wide variety of emotions he was feeling. Don’t die, love.

The phrasing reminded the Slayer of something, but she couldn’t think well enough to summon the memory, so she just promised him. I won’t. I promise.

Xander and Willow pushed through the underbrush. They had tried to retrace their steps after the shadow had vanished, but their steps had been nowhere to be found. But at last they had found their way. They burst back into the clearing.

The moonlight painted the scene in harsh black and white. And the two Slayerettes struggled to understand what they were seeing. Giles stood with the two Summers. The three intently watched the events before them.

Both Willow and Xander’s attention was immediately drawn to Angel and Buffy. The two knelt facing each other. Angel’s mouth was on Buffy’s neck. For a moment it looked like an innocent romantic scene, but for those who knew the truth about vampires it could not stay innocent.

"What…" Willow’s voice trailed off as both she and Xander realized what they were seeing. Surprise changed to horror on both faces. And then they rushed forward to reach the Watcher’s side.

Angel released his bite. It was the hardest thing that he had ever done, but he let her go. He could feel her holding to consciousness by the thinnest of threads. She sagged in his arms, but he held her up. He listened for a moment as her heartbeat slowed, and then he raised his left hand to his own neck. A single sharp motion and his blood answered hers.

Buffy stared at the blood welling from the self-inflicted wound. It looked almost black against his pale skin. She knew that Angel was desperately worried for her, that he wanted to hurry her. But he made no move to help or hinder her. Angel knew this had to be her free choice.

Buffy leaned forward and laid her mouth on her lover’s neck. She distantly felt his left hand rise to hold her head in place, but that was nothing compared to her first swallow of vampire blood.

It was nothing like the drops she had drunk in the past. This time as the cold fire swept her body; it pushed the hellfire before it. The cold seeped into her blood, calming her fear, soothing her pain, and bringing peace. Thought became increasingly difficult.

But she refused to give up. She had promised Angel that she would hold on. And she would.

Xander moved to interfere, but Giles held tightly to his arm, pulling him back. The Slayerette turned on the Watcher in anger; "You are gonna let him turn her into a vampire?"

"I have no choice. If this doesn’t happen she will die." Xander looked away for a moment. "Look at me. There is no other way. Do you want her to die?"

"I thought that being a vampire was worse than being dead."

"Under normal circumstances. But these aren’t normal. Do you really think that Angel would do something to hurt her? To kill her?"

Xander could not answer, but Willow asked the question, "Then what is happening?"

"Watch and find out. That is the only way any of us will know."

Rhianna’s voice was heard on the mortal plane for the last time. Buffy’s parents looked at the glowing form that floated above their daughter and her lover. "You must now make your sacrifices."

Angel responded first. "I sacrifice my immortality. I sacrifice my strength, my knowledge, and all of my hopes. I sacrifice everything except my vow to rid the world of demons and my love."

Buffy’s pledge answered his. "I sacrifice my humanity. I sacrifice my past, my dreams, and all my gifts. I sacrifice everything except my destiny as the Slayer and my love."

Angel reached out and took hold of her right hand and the two leaned into each other, holding each other up. But they were not fighting on the mortal plane.

Anna’s ghostly figure hovered over them for anther moment, before the light swirled around them, and vanished. Distantly, Buffy heard Anna’s voice. "You must fight for your life, from this moment forward, if you die, he will die with you. You must fight for both of your lives."

Buffy reached out to embrace the pain; she struggled with all her strength to hold onto it. It was the only part of her mortal life that she could cling to.

Rhianna took a hold of the swirling energies surrounding her. Buffy and Angel had both delivered the keys to themselves into her hands. Angel’s blood opened a link between them, the link that allowed a new vampire to come into being. The transfer of Buffy’s blood allowed Anna access to both their bodies, and she used that to make what should have been the transformation of one into a transformation for both. The first, and most important, thing she did was to spread Buffy’s mortal life across the link. It was not something that she could have done without consent, but she had that consent. Buffy’s humanity was the tie that held her soul to her body. Anna was now going to use it to replace the curse.

With a slightly trembling thought she broke the curse. She knew that it would be broken very soon anyway, both had sacrificed their memories, and both would soon forget the past. Anna needed to make sure that their souls were bound to their bodies while she still had the power to kill them. She gave a mental sigh of relief as the souls stayed in place. She released the rest of the powers that had been delivered into her hands. She hoped that they would be returned to the two, but she would not know that until after she saw where the change was stabilized.

She could feel Buffy’s body change. The spells that she had used to anchor herself in the Slayer’s life force were disrupted as the Slayer died to one life and was reborn into another. Although her heartbeat never failed, it was still a death.

Anna had done everything in her power. Whether they lived or died was now in their hands. She prayed that they would live, she had pinned all of the hopes of the world on Buffy’s ability to not only survive, but to drag Angel back into life. She had released a greater demon unto the world in order to force this moment to occur.

It would be the ultimate irony if everything that she had done were for nothing.

Hank and Joyce Summers, Giles, Willow, and Xander watched the two. They had seen and heard Rhianna, and saw the flash of light as she disappeared. But they were blind to what was happening now. Angel and Buffy knelt facing each other, hands held together. The silver rings were glowing with a pulsing of light. No one knew what to do, or even if doing something was a good idea.

A noise came from the underbrush, and the group turned to see Cordelia struggle back into the clearing. She glanced around quickly, verifying that there were no monsters in the vicinity, and than she launched into her complaint. "I just want you to know, that you had better appreciate me. Do you have any idea how hard it was to drag an unconscious werewolf out of my car?" The group just stared at her. She misinterpreted their look. "Oz is fine. Really. I even made sure the chains were tight." Cordelia abruptly stopped. "What’s going on, here?" She looked at Buffy and Angel, and then turned back to Giles with a frown. "What’s up with them?"

Giles looked at Cordelia and he realized that the others were desperately hoping that he would tell them that everything would be okay. Unfortunately he did not know that it would be so. "They are fighting for their lives."

Cordelia was impatient. The others seemed to know what was going on, and she did not like being left out. "Why?"

The Watcher thought about it for a moment. "In the normal course of things this would be death. Buffy would become a vampire, but there are other considerations. Anna is changing them both, even as Angel changes Buffy." He sighed. "But no one knows what will happen, because no one has ever tried this before. They could both become vampires. Or they could be pulled back into humanity."

Cordelia turned to stare at Buffy and Angel in horror. "She let him change her?" But the others ignored her question; they had other concerns.

Willow had picked up on a facet of Giles’s speech. "You mean that Angel could become human?" She was hoping that would be so, Buffy had gone through so much, the two deserved some happiness.

The Watcher struggled to answer the question. "Yes, Buffy could pull Angel back into humanity. After all, anything is possible. Or they may both lose; in which case they will truly die. Their souls will depart and we will be faced with two very powerful vampires. Or they could both become vampires with souls. It is just impossible to know where the change will leave them."

Xander asked, "Then when will we know?"

Giles did not answer immediately.

Willow added, "How can we help them?"

Giles sighed, "There is no way to help them. This fight is theirs alone. After the change we can tell what they are like. But you should all know this. You heard their sacrifices. They will never be what they were. They might not even remember us. They might not know who we are."

Xander was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that Buffy may be dead to us. Whether or not the Slayer survives, there is a good chance that Buffy Summers is gone forever."

Buffy and Angel stirred as one. The bright glow of the rings faded back to its normal dimness. If any of the watching group had been close enough, they would have seen that the both rings pulsed with a rhythm much slower than a mortal’s heartbeat.

The two lovers released each other’s hands and opened their eyes. For a moment they stared into each other’s eyes. Pale blue into black. And then they looked around.

Buffy slowly rose to her feet. Her expression was filled with wonder. She slowly turned around, her gaze moving from one thing to another. "Everything is so different, so much clearer."

Angel smiled at her evident delight. "I know."

Buffy’s gaze swept over the groups without recognition. She did not even acknowledge them as existing. She turned back to look at Angel. "We are hunting partners, now." It was the declaration of a child to a new friend. Angel nodded his head in agreement. And a smile blossomed on her face. She eagerly demanded, "You’ll teach me to hunt?"

"Do you want to learn?" The group stared at him in surprise. His voice was very different. For as long as any of them had known Angel, the guilt that he felt had colored every word he spoke. It had made him intense. When he had been Angelus, every word they had heard had been carefully weighted to cut as deeply as possible. But now there was a lightness about him, something that none of them had ever imagined Angel having.

Buffy’s attention was focused completely on Angel. "I’m hungry."

Angel smiled. "Of course you are. The change is hard." He reached out to her with hand. And she took hold of it and allowed him to pull her close. "Reach out with your mind. Feel the life that surrounds you." Buffy closed her eyes and concentrated. "Now isolate your prey."

Buffy laughed in pure delight. She pointed further off into the woods. "That way."

"Now I will teach you to hunt. Look at me, love." Buffy looked deeply into his eyes and a few seconds later both faces morphed as they proved to the crowd that they were both vampires. And then they turned to head off deeper into the woods. They were not running, but they were moving very swiftly for humans.

Xander and Willow looked at each other in concern. But it was Cordelia who turned to Giles and asked the question. "What do we do?"

"We follow."

The six humans followed the two vampires at their best speed.

Buffy and Angel effortlessly tracked down their first victim. It was a middle-aged woman. The others finally caught up with the vampires in time to watch in horror as they circled around the woman.

But all was not as it seemed. The woman turned to growl at the Slayer and she attacked. As she moved, she revealed herself as a vampire. Buffy’s reactions were confused by her new form, but she managed to dodge most of the first blow aimed at her, which allowed Angel to close the distance.

Angel pulled the vampire off of her, and then disoriented it with series of debilitating face blows. When the vampire was reeling he held it for Buffy. If he had been able to remember he would have been surprised by the number of times that he had held victims for his vampiric lovers. But he had no memories, and so only this time mattered. Buffy approached carefully and took courage from the look in Angel’s eyes. Almost carefully she noted the slow pulse of life at the throat of vampire. She reached out to drink from that life, and it was easy to tear open the throat of her victim.

The blood was sweet and life giving. The vampire collapsed as its strength was drained. Buffy had drained the majority of the vampire’s blood in about ten seconds. She released it and then placed a stake in its heart. The body vanished in an explosion of dust.

Joyce demanded of Giles, "What is going on?"

"I have no idea."

Hank turned his frustrations of the night on the Watcher. "I thought you understood what was happening."

"So did I, but I have no idea what is happening now."

"Great."

The two vampires hunted down a second vampire with the same method. The Slayerettes watched the process in mingled horror and admiration. They had never just watched vampires hunt without attempting to stop the process. Although they hated to see Buffy like this, they could not deny that the two were hunting vampires, even if their method of killing was horrifying to those dedicated to the destruction of vampires.

Buffy watched as the second vampire exploded into dust. She turned to look at her love in contentment. The love that she felt blazed naked on her face. And she reached out to him with her left hand, palm upward. Angel looked at her for a moment, as if making sure that her offer was true, and then he took hold of her wrist. A moment later he was drinking from the vein that crossed her wrist.

As Angel’s blood had brought her into this life, Buffy now returned the gift. Two kills had brought her close to full strength, and she now shared that strength with her only love.

Xander looked up to the lightening sky. The others had not even noticed, but he was starting to pull himself together. He saw the look in Buffy’s eyes as she looked at her demonic lover, and he knew that he had lost her forever. As if he had ever had a chance at her, Xander snorted at himself. But as he looked into the sky he realized that there was another threat. Xander looked at his watch; it was barely five minutes until sunup. And Buffy was his friend, despite being a vampire. She needed to be warned.

Xander called out to the two vampires, "Hey guys?"

The two looked at each other for a moment and then turned to Xander. Their expressions were an equal mix of curiosity and annoyance. Buffy looked him over for a moment, "Who are you?"

Xander was chilled as he realized that Giles was right. Buffy did not remember her friends. But he was still her friend and she needed to know what was about to happen. "The sun is about to rise."

Buffy turned from him to look at Angel in pure delight. "The sun? I always wanted to see you in the sunlight." She turned back to demand of Xander, "How soon?"

Xander was confused by her response. "A few minutes."

The two vampires turned as one to face the lightening eastern skyline. Waiting with eager wonder. Giles looked at the horror on the Slayerettes’ faces. "They have the instincts for their new lives. Leave them alone."

Willow was puzzled. "You mean they can survive the sunlight?"

"I mean that they will not listen to you. Let them live and learn."

"But this is a matter of life and death."

But Giles just looked at them, refusing to say anything more.

The sun rose. Buffy and Angel stared at it in anticipation. The new light stung the eyes of creatures adapted for the night, but they drank in its beauty. Angel reached out a hand towards it, watching as the light played across his skin.

Buffy turned to look at her lover. She smiled as the sunlight washed over both of them. She reached out to touch his face, an almost tentative caress. Angel returned his full attention to his love. He looked at her face as the brighter light of the sun gave it color. He whispered the words that he had always wanted to say; "You are so beautiful in the sunlight." She smiled in response, and before she could say anything he bent his head to kiss her.

Buffy could taste her blood on his lips, and somehow she knew that the kiss was the sweetest thing she had ever felt. Both knew things about their new lives, instinctively. They might not have their memories, but they knew that what was happening was necessary.

The two held onto the kiss for another moment. And then they were surrounded by light. When it faded, the two vampires were gone.

Two Slayerettes were sitting at the table in the library. Giles was attempting to explain the events of the previous night to Buffy’s friends.

Xander was protesting. "I saw her, and she’s a vampire."

Willow retorted, "But she stood in the sunlight. Both of them did. Vampires can’t stand sunlight. Can they?" She thought for another moment. "And she never took off her cross. That would have burned her if she had been a vampire."

Giles hated to express his ignorance, but he had no choice. "I have no idea what they are."

"Are they evil?"

"They don’t seem to be. They swore to stop demons. And I believe that Buffy is still the Slayer." Giles sighed. "But they are not what they were before. I don’t know if they will ever remember the past. Buffy may never look at you as friends again."

A voice spoke from behind them. "Guys?"

As one, the group whirled to face the Slayer. They stared at her in shock.

Buffy stood just inside the library doors. But no one had heard her enter. Her skin was pale, and her eyes were distant, as if she was looking at something no one else could see. She seemed to realize that she had frightened her friends, and she apologized for it, "Sorry about that." A hint of amusement touched her voice, "A new gift."

"Buffy, how are you?" Willow asked tentatively.

The question drained the faint amusement from Buffy. "I’m older than I was yesterday." It was the only way Buffy could think of to answer that question. She whispered, "So very much older."

"I don’t understand."

"You don’t wanna, Will."

Willow fell silent. She had no idea how to deal with Buffy. She had been at Buffy’s side during anger, and during grief; she had seen Buffy in love and in hate. But she had never seen Buffy like this. She did not know what to say.

Xander attempted conversation next. "You’re still the same." Buffy gave a tiny laugh that contained no humor. "No really. Whatever else you are, you are still Buffy Summers, the Vampire Slayer."

Looking into Xander’s eyes, Buffy realized that he believed what he was saying. "Look at me, Xander." Buffy’s face slowly morphed, showing her as the vampire she now was. "Look at my true face. Can you really say that I am the same thing that I was?"

Xander dropped his gaze. He couldn’t lie to her, but he couldn’t tell her the truth either.

Buffy turned to her Watcher. He was the reason she had come. As she turned, her features slowly changed back. She looked almost human as she faced Giles. "Do you hate us for what we did to you?"

Giles understood what she was asking, but he did not understand the guilt she clearly felt. "You did nothing, Buffy."

"You don’t understand. I remember. I remember as if I was the one who did it. I remember chasing her through these halls." Buffy shook herself free of the memories. And spoke with dead seriousness to her Watcher. "And it was my fault that it happened in the first place."

"It wasn’t your fault, and it wasn’t Angel’s fault."

"But it was the fault of the demons that live within us."

"Maybe, but you can’t let them rule you. And blaming yourself for what they did is another way of surrendering to them."

For a moment Buffy held on to the memories. And then she forced herself to let go. "I know, you’re right. It’s just so hard. So many new memories, so many new feelings."

Her Watcher asked her carefully, "Do you have all of Angel’s memories?"

"Not really. They’re like memories of a dream, hard to hold on to. The ones from after we met are a little clearer."

"Are you a vampire?"

It was a strange question. For a moment Buffy wanted to just say yes. But then she realized that her Watcher was asking for the specifics of her state. She wondered if he knew that both she and Angel could have become true vampires.

"Not quite."

Xander looked at her in surprise. "What are you, than?"

"I’m something that has never existed before. I can walk in the sunlight, and I can bear the touch of crosses and holy water."

"What about wooden stakes and other things."

"Well, I didn’t really want to try embedding a wooden stake in my heart to see if it would kill me. Since it would kill both a vampire and a human, I would guess that it would kill me, too."

Willow spoke, "And blood?"

"Yeah, I need blood to survive."

Giles asked for a clarification. "What kind?"

It was another pointedly specific question. It made Buffy wonder how much he knew about what had happened to her.

"Vampiric. Possibly demonic. But I haven’t really run into any demons willing to donate in order for me test out that theory."

"And Angel?"

Buffy half-smiled. "He’s a bit more of a true vampire than I am. He needs mortal blood."

"And the abilities of vampires?"

"Yeah. I have their strength, their ability to heal, and all of their senses." Buffy paused for a moment, before she added her last comment. "It’s funny, ever since I became the Slayer I’ve worried about living through each day. I never wanted to live forever."

Willow perked up at this statement. "You’re gonna live forever? That’s cool."

Buffy’s voice was dry as she replied. "Well, assuming I don’t die before forever."

Willow thought of something else. "And you won’t age?"

"Willow!"

Willow spoke defensively, but she was cheered by Buffy’s reaction. "Well, it wouldn’t be cool if you lived forever as a hag."

"Thanks." Buffy’s voice was dry, but she smiled at her friends.

Buffy walked alone through the night. Not hunting, just walking. She needed time to understand and accept what she had become. Angel understood her feelings, and so she was alone. Her new senses assaulted her with information, she had never been as aware of everything. Yet that sensory overload also made thinking difficult. Buffy knew that she had to overcome her tendency to react rather than act.

She could hear the siren song of evil. It would be so easy to give in. To let desires rule her. She understood the beauty of pain and cruelty. Buffy finally understood what Angel had gone through, for a hundred years. She pushed the thoughts aside. Angel had promised her that she would learn better control in time, and she believed him. But that belief did not make it any easier now.

Buffy felt a presence before her. She stopped and watched as a shadow formed and then coalesced into a familiar demon. Buffy’s first instinct was to attack, but she knew that was a bad idea, and so she made herself stand still.

Alec looked her over once and then smiled. "You’re looking better, Buffy."

"No thanks to you."

Alec’s smile grew wider in appreciation. She glanced at the cross that Buffy wore around her neck. "I am disappointed that you can wear that, though." She pointed a finger at Angel’s gift.

"Yes, well. Did you really think that Angel would turn me into a full vampire?" Buffy sneered at the demon.

"No. Actually I didn’t. I thought he would bargain with me for your life. Don’t look so surprised, I would have saved you in return for his help. Anyway, his other option was to change you, and if that happened, I still won. But somehow, the two of you managed to escape me again." Alec did not look upset at this prospect, only a little annoyed.

"You’ve lost. Angel isn’t yours anymore. He can walk in the sunlight."

Alec only smiled. "I haven’t lost yet. You are both demons of my blood. Never forget that." The demon’s smile grew wider. "Besides, have you ever noticed that the two of you are always stopping my latest attempt to play with you? You have never even come close to hurting me. How can you possibly claim that I have lost? You aren’t even in the game yet."

Buffy felt anger shred her controls. Rage and the need to destroy sent her forward to attack, and her face morphed as she moved. But Buffy ran into a solid wall, and stopped moving forward. She clawed against the invisible wall, but she could not reach the demon standing three feet away from her.

"You cannot even control yourself." Alec spoke with utter contempt. "How can you possibly expect to beat me? I have already won." The demon returned to her shadow form and disappeared without another word.

Buffy stared at the spot that the demon had vanished from. Her face slowly morphed back to its human form. Buffy spoke to the night, "I am the Slayer, and I will never let you win."

Back to: The Coming of the Light.