by Mace

Buffy looked around the room and sat up. She noticed her audience in her room and was quite startled.

"Oh, hi guys . . ." Buffy said.

"What did you think you were doing?" Joyce asked shortly.

"I-I, uh, I have to go back to the mansion. It's important. Can someone drive me?" Buffy asked hesitantly.

"Drive you? Buffy what were you doing? No one knew if you were gonna live or die!" Joyce rants.

"I know. I know. No one was supposed to know before it was all over. I have to go," Buffy replied, determined.

"Buffy, you should really rest. What you did is potentially dangerous and could have lasting side-effects or dire consequences," Giles said, Watcher-logic kicking in.

Buffy stood up out of bed. Her footing was perfectly straight. She pulled her crossbow out of her closet and loaded it with bolts. She put it and some stakes in a bag.

"What are you going to do?" Joyce asked.

"Slay demons," Buffy replied.

"Oh no, you're not. You nearly died. You're going to rest," Joyce answered.

"I promised. Besides, I drank this funky liquid, stared at the ceiling for hours, read a bunch of books, and traveled to limbo. I'm going to do this," Buffy said, daring her to contradict her. Joyce backed off.

"I don't think two is considered a lot," Willow said, trying to save her friend from an untimely demise.

"I've read all of Giles's books on the subject and checked some out of the college. I am going to do this," Buffy said, looking Willow directly in the eyes.

The Slayer's caravan, consisting of a wind-up car, jeep, van, and Cordy's car, pulled up to Angelus' mansion. Buffy got out of her mother's jeep and grabbed her weaponry. She unwrapped the sword blessed by the knight and wipes Angelus's blood off of it. She pours a bottle of holy water on if from tip to hilt. Buffy walked inside sure-footed and sat the bag of weapons on the floor. She walked into the atrium and picked up Angelus's sword.

Buffy wiped her blood of his sword and walked into the main room. Acathla was still in the middle of the room, stoned. Buffy turned to her mother, Watcher, and the Slayer Co.

"You guys better get out of here. I can't fight demons and keep you guys alive. If you stay, you're gonna get dead," Buffy said.

"But we're the support group," Willow said.

"Like I said, you'll die. I have two swords and you guys don't even have crucifixes," Buffy said.

Xander reached for the knob, twisted, but it would not open. "Uh, Buff, the door won't open," Xander said hesitantly.

"Get out of the way, chicken-little, get out of the way . . . " Cordelia said as she tried to turn the knob. "Buffy, it won't open." Needless to say, Cordelia started freaking out.

"I know. It's starting," Buffy said.

The house shook slightly as a low, rumbling laugh was heard echoing through the house. Buffy was perfectly calm. Acathla's brow wrinkled slightly.

"I told you, Slayer, I wasn't finished," Acathla said.

"Oh, but you will be soon. You see, around this town, I save the world, and demons die," Buffy quipped.

Buffy was still wearing Bex's ring. She stabbed Angelus's sword into the hardwood floor and draws hers. Acathla's mouth began to open. Giles and the rest of the Scooby gang stood back as far as they could.

"Angelus said it right. I'm about to make history . . . end," Acathla said.

"Maybe so, but I'm kinda interested in finding out exactly how a demon as old as you dies. My curiosity seems to get the better of me," Buffy replied.

Acathla shook the house again. Cordelia screamed.

Acathla's mouth opened and Angelus stood out in front of Buffy. He kept his eyes on the floor. She saw tears form in his eyes. Buffy looked like she was buying it, but didn't move.

"Help me, Buffy," Angelus said.

"After what you did to me? Ha!" Buffy said pertly.

Everyone in the room, including Angelus, was utterly shocked. The Slayer Co. cowered back against the farthest wall. Angelus looked deeply into Buffy's eyes.

"I thought you loved me! How could you do this to me?" Angelus asked, trying to figure out what's happened.

"I've gotten much better since I last saw you. You'll find that I'm a more formidable opponent than before," Buffy replied.

Angelus grabbed the sword out of the floor. Buffy didn't try to stop him. He played with it idly. She drew hers to his neck. He leaned back uncomfortably.

"Hi, Joyce, Rupert, kids. Here to see your precious Slayer die? You'll be right after her," Angelus said, keeping his eyes locked on the Slayer. He spoke to Buffy. "Your boyfriend isn't in Hell. If you kill me, he doesn't have a body."

"I've already talked to him. You'd surprised how easy astral projection. To save the world, I'd do almost anything," Buffy said surely.

"Almost?" Angelus chuckled snidely. "Like mope around for months about your ex? Gosh, Buff, it almost makes me feel . . . special."

Buffy smiled knowingly whiles the vortex continued to grow wider. Angelus glanced over at it.

"Deja vu just isn't what it used to be," Buffy said.

Buffy stopped suddenly. She saw Angelus saying those exact words to Jenny the day she died. Apparently, Angelus remembered his conversation with Jenny also. He looked at her with a confused expression again. She knew her plan was working. Angelus stabbed at her with the sword, but she parried it off. Buffy took a swing at him, followed by a low kick to his feet. Angelus fell to the floor, but quickly recovered.

"And just where did you astrally project yourself? Did you see Miss Calender?" Angelus asked, trying to off-balance her.

"If I told you, it would ruin the surprise," Buffy quipped.

Angelus cut at her legs. She jumped over his blade and sliced his arm. He looked amused. Joyce was shocked by her daughter's abilities. Buffy kicked his hand and the sword flew out. He rolled back and caught it before it hit the ground. Acathla laughed in the background. Angelus struck a few more blows which she easily parried off. He parried three slices and grabbed her by her arm. He punched her in the face twice, and she slumped in his hand. She tried to pull free, but couldn't break his grasp.

"You're squeezing my arm!" Buffy hissed.

"So? If you hadn't pulled that astral projection stunt, you wouldn't be so weak," Angelus said with false bravado.

"I don't like it when you squeeze my arm," Buffy returned.

She tossed the sword from that hand and into the other. She kicked him hard in the mouth and in the crotch. He winced in pain. Xander chuckled in the background. Angelus vamped out finally.

"Why didn't you do that sooner?" Buffy asked.

"I wanted to play with you a little before I sucked you dry. I guess it doesn't matter. How would you feel about becoming a vampire?" Angelus asked.

"I'll tell you right before I kill you," Buffy replied.

She swung, he parried. He stabbed at her stomach, and she dodged, slicing him on the leg.

"I've killed three Slayers in my lifetime. I'm sure, you being the strongest and all, your blood is positively intoxicating. I can't wait for a treat like that," Angelus taunted.

She kicked him swiftly in face, and he fell backward. He started to chuckle slightly. Buffy kicked him in the face. With inhuman speed, he pounced on her and pinned her beneath him. He pulled back her silken blonde hair to reveal her neck. Angelus growled in triumph and looked down at her. She showed no fear.

"Not even a little tear for the loss of your mortal soul. Shame, really, that it has to end like this. I really wanted to drive you insane. But, unlike gypsies, you live in a house," Angelus said. "Besides, insanity is highly overrated."

Buffy looked up into his face. Joyce was too stunned to move. Giles and the rest watched in horror as Angelus pulled her neck up and moved in for the kill. She moved her hand to her pocket and pulls out a long, sharp object. Angelus was too interested in biting her to worry about her movements. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"It was a pleasure to become your sire, Miss Summers," Angelus whispered in her ear.

Buffy stabbed him in the stomach with a small dagger and threw him off of her. Temporarily distracted, he looked down at the wound in his stomach. She grabbed the sword off the floor and pointed it at his face.

"Reversed than earlier. I like this ending much better," Buffy said.

"I die, and your boyfriend loses his body," Angelus reminded her.

"I die, and my friends go to Hell. Small price to pay. Hmm . . . my line. Now that's everything, huh?" She glanced over at his sword, ten feet to his right. "No weapons. No friends." She looked at the Acathla statue. "I'm afraid I'd call that no hope. Take all that away, and what's left?"

She stabbed him hard in the stomach. He winced in sheer pain.

"You poured holy water over it!" Angelus hissed harshly.

"Pleasure to be *your* Slayer," Buffy said.

Angelus slumped back and a black shadow poured out of his eyes and mouth. Buffy turned to face the demon that had left Angel's body. She still held the sword in her hands. The demon laughed at Buffy.

"You think you can beat me with your puny sword?! I am older than anything on this earth. You're a but a child. Prepare to see the end of your life. I will make you die over and over," Acathla proclaimed.

The demon-shadow seemed to fill the room with evil. He held out what appeared to be arms and blasted Buffy into the wall beside Angel with a black flash. Angel's arm moved slightly. Yet, he didn't open his eyes. Buffy stood and threw the sword to the ground.

"You intend to strangle me, then?" Acathla laughed.

"By the way," Buffy said as she held out her hand to reveal Bex's ring. "Bex says hello."

A purple light flew from her finger tips to Acathla. She rolled her hands into a ball shape, and a purple sphere of light appeared in her hands. She threw the ball at Acathla, knocking him into the wall. He continued to shrink like the vortex to Hell. Still Acathla laughed.

"No demon Slayer would dare give a mortal her ring. Your parlor tricks will not destroy me," Acathla said arrogantly.

"We'll see," Buffy replied.

She struck the sword with a large burst of power. It glowed purple. She picked it up and approached Acathla. He continued to laugh at her. Acathla threw her into a wall beside Joyce. Joyce screamed. Buffy didn't move. The Acathla shadow approached her slowly. He looked down at her and smiled. She was not breathing.

"I will have my Hell," Acathla said.

Buffy didn't even open her eyes when she swung at his head and sliced it off his shoulders. It fell to the floor. She dropped the sword on the ground and looked contemptuously at the black pile of ashes on the floor.

"I held my breath, moron," Buffy said.

The statue's mouth begins to close. She just looks at it. As the stature's mouth closes, the statue turns to dust. She wipes the blood off her hands on the carpet and walks over to Angel. Joyce approaches her daughter kneeling over Angel.

"Is he breathing?" Joyce asked

"Somehow, I doubt it," Buffy replied.

Angel's eyes flashed open and looked up at her. Almost immediately, tears formed around his eyes.

"Buffy . . . Oh, God, what happened?" Angel asked in a whisper.

He looked at her blood-stained clothes and down at his own stomach. She dropped to her knees and pulled his hands away from his wound. It had already begun to heal.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Buffy asked quietly.

"I-I think it worked. Buffy . . . I remember things. My mind is so jumbled. What happened?" He looked at her for some comfort against the terrible images that her bombarding his mind, but all he found was sympathy. "Oh, God, no!" he whispered as a look of realization crossed his face.

His face took on some clarity. She helped him to his feet. Everyone was speechless. His face is still tearing. He stopped and looked down at Buffy. His face twisted into a look of torture.

"Buffy . . . Oh, I can't believe it." He looked down at the floor and continued walking. "No . . . no . . . no. I can't- It's all so confusing. What did I do?" Angel asked imploringly.

"Shh- You'll remember soon enough. The sun's going to rise before we can get you home. Do you wanna stay here?" Buffy asked.

Giles walked over to Angel and slugged him in the face. Angel, though shocked, just turned his head and felt his jaw. Giles drew up like he was going to hit Angel again, but Xander stopped him.

"We saw Jenny in the graveyard. She wants you to forgive. She already has, and she died. I know you can," Xander said maturely.

"You saw her?" Giles asked in awe.

He glared at Angel for a second and drops his fist.

"She says she loves you. She watches you all the time. She told me so. She told me to tell Willow that she did a good job," Buffy said.

Angel had finally gained back all his memories. He looked around like he wanted to disappear. If not for the tight grasp Buffy had on his arm and the fact that he fad lost a lot of blood, Angel would have bolted. He wove a little to the left and collapsed on the ground, unconscious sobs wracking his body, from blood loss. Buffy helped him into a room where she laid him on the bed.

The Slayer Co. did not follow her. Angel looked too pale (even for a dead person). She looked down at her hand and snapped. A goblet of blood appeared in her hands. She smiled. She sat beside his head. She leaned down and kissed him. He smiled at her slightly, though he is still crying softly. She opened his mouth and poured the blood down his throat. At the taste, he opened his eyes.

"Buffy . . ." Angel whispered.

Buffy put her hands over his lips.

"Shh . . . you need to rest. I'll be back soon with some bandages. Go to sleep. You've had a hard night," Buffy whispered soothingly.

He looked at her sadly for a second before shutting his eyes and going to sleep. She snapped another goblet of blood and an ice bucket. She set the goblet in the ice and got up to leave. She snapped her fingers once more and left a red rose beside him on the pillow. Buffy exited silently. No one says anything to Buffy as she leaves.

Go here for part four.

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