Curse

Curse

Pairings: Angelus/Spike/Xander
Warnings: Obviously Male/Male/Male, dark-ish decipline, bondage, violence, blood&gore and all that fun stuff, as well as a very noticable change in story from season 2 and on, so take this as an AU fic.
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

Prologue


"I won't let you go through with this. He's not worth it Will!"
"Please! It could help Buffy!"
"I'll go baby..."
"Oz, you keep your mouth shut and your ass parked. You have no idea what could happen and the last thing I need is to see both my girls hurt again, or worse!"
"Xander for Christ's sakes! Do you realise how selfish your acting right now?"
"You can stick a sock in it too Cordy..."

Willow moaned, rubbing nimble fingers against her temples. Why wouldn't Xander just let it go? Angel had his soul ripped from him, it wasn't his fault nor did anyone expect it to happen to the way it did. Yes, he hurt Buffy, but Willow had convinced herself that he still had a good heart, hidden deep within the demon that now poisoned him once more. She just knew it, all she wanted was to give him his soul, make everything the way it was...

~*~

"What's the matter Buff? Are you whimping out on me?" The master vampire crowed, smirking devilishly in the candle light.

Buffy felt tears cloud her eyes, but with a flick of her wrist they were gone and she concentrated on her fury. Angel was no longer with her, this was Angelus in a raging, sadistic form after decades of being chained inside. She couldn't, and wouldn't let this get to her. Her lover turned mortal enemy from one night of passion...it hurt, but it did not excuse her from her duty, her destiny to protect. Angel had become the thing that she had to protect this world from.

"You wish." She whispered hotly, jumping to her feet with imbued sword in hand. This fight wasn't over yet.

~*~

"ENOUGH!"

The small hospital room quieted at the bellow from a very angry female nurse, drawing everyone's attention. Willow had tears streaming down her face, the fingers of her right hand clenched around Oz's arm who was in full protective-boyfriend mode, Cordelia standing at the end of the bed shaky from the emotional tension and Xander who stood by himself in the middle of the room.

"Do all of you realise you are seriously testing the anxiety levels of a head truama patient, who need I remind you just recovered from a coma?"

When no body answered the nurse visibly clenched her jaw and her fists, before stepping to the side and pointing to the hallway. They weren't stupid, and with one last long, sad glance at the red head the three left the room without a fight. Once in the hallway Cordelia spun on her heal.

"Alexander Harris, I cannot believe you anymore. Now, I don't know about Oz, but someone needs to get their ass to that mansion and help Buffy if you won't let Willow at least try."

Her voice was deadly calm, and in that instant Xander suddenly felt as if all of his reasons and excuses for not wanting Willow to perform that ritual were null and void...and totally pointless.

"I'll go." He answered, trying to keep his tone steady.

"Then get your ass moving."

~*~

A bleached blonde head peaked around the broken doorway that led to the stone garden and it's overgrown hedges. The slayer was desperately trying to push Angelus back towards the demon, who hadn't yet opened it's blasted mouth conveniently, but she seemed to be failing miserably. Spike couldn't help a smug little smirk from creeping to his face hearing Angel laugh as he danced around the blonde teenager. It always bemused him that the slayers were always so young, and that they always seem to come in one size, short and skinny. Very quickly the smile was gone, this version of Angelus had been bottled for far too long, and almost surpassed Dru when it came to insanity. Not something Spike wanted to stick around for, they would know who won the fight if the world ended in the next hour or two.

"Oh well," Spike shrugged. "I 'eld up my end of the bargain."

With a flip of his coat tails he turned and stalked towards the slumped body of Dru. He hadn't wanted to hit her, but she'd made him do it, damnit. If she'd just listened to him for a second she wouldn't be missing such a good fight.

Footsteps came pounding up the front entrance staircase, causing Spike to slip into a corner. Of all people or things he expected to see, it was not the 'donut boy'. He sneered, watching the teenager with his casted arm stop and look around, before seeing what he was here for and heading off to untie the Watcher.

"Bloody humans," he murmured to himself, and left with his girl on his shoulder.

~*~

Steel on steel, the sound was ringing in her ears over and over again. She felt the battle move closer to her destination with every swing and every step. Buffy had never felt so alive, yet so dead inside at the same time, she'd never had to fight something so strong. But Angel had more than just an intimidating physical presence or incredibly keen fighting instincts, it was the emotional hold on her heart that weakened her against him, yet at the same time fueled her movements and forced her to be at her absolute best. She was fighting for her life, and the lives of a countless number of people. She couldn't afford to hold back, and it was clear that Angelus wasn't going to start pulling his punches.

"Come on lover, where's your sense of fun? I haven't gotten the chance to test out your full strength yet!" Angelus asked, flipping around the slayer, watching her slowly begin to tire.

The constant, bitter barbs weren't helping at all, and Angel was fully aware of this fact. He could see the tears collect in those young eyes and the heat rush into those soft cheeks. Oh yes, Buffy Summers had by far been the best slayer he'd ever been pitted against in his years without a soul, but this was such entertainment. To have so much to hold over her head, it was a pure rush of adrenaline that you just couldn't get from fighting normal humans or demons anymore.

Spinning to his left, Angel found himself with his back almost to the stone statue of the Acathla he had freed, with Buffy pushing at his front with pivots and jabs to his chest. Ducking, he almost managed a roll before she brought her foot up to meet his nose and knocked him into the demon. Grunting, Angel didn't pause, and brought his weapon up in time to shield a blow to his neck.

A strange, sulfuric smell suddenly filtered into the room, a gentle yellow light began to get brighter, and it was coming from behind Angel. He didn't turn, only started to laugh.

"Your too late, Slayer! The portal is opening, and into it you shall fall!" He growled.

Buffy hesitated, but that moment's pause was the very last time she ever had to think about what she was doing. With a burst of energy, through the midst of Angelus' demonic bouts of laughter, Buffy ran her ex-lover through the stomach and sealed the vortex forever, watching as a shocked, yet amused looking evil version of the man she fell for was sucked into hell along with the statue that had started it all.

Outside, the town of Sunnydale, and the rest of the world continued to slumber on, with no knowledge that their lives had been in danger in the first place. But for Buffy, the world came to a stand still.

TBC...

Questions, Comments, Concerns? I'm open to them all!