Timeline

Chapter 35

Outside the sky grew dark and the sun became engulfed in dark clouds. The hotel suddenly plummeted into night . Everyone stood silent as the realisation hit them . It was time. A few of the girls went to the windows and looked up to the sky.
Angel and Buffy went into the street and looked up . Clouds rolled across the sky , engulfing it like smoke. Lightning and thunder crashed around them, coming from the fissure that tore through the clouds. They rushed back into the hotel and grabbed up their weapons .
" O.K. guys it's time . This is it. Everyone knows their places , I suggest we start taking them up and be ready for it. " Buffy shouted.
Angel stood at her shoulder . Spike and Illyria behind them. Kennedy and Willow came and hugged Buffy . No words could express what they wanted to . Willow just held Buffy and whispered " See you soon" as she broke away . The wicca and the slayer headed up to the hotels roof .
The potentials headed out in their small groups and took up their places in the alley and at points around the hotels grounds. Giles and Wesley took their groups and took up their places .
Angel, Faith ,Buffy, Illyria , Groo, Spike and Gunn took up their places at the front of the alleyway. Weapons raised and ready for action. Rain beat down on them . It was hot , heat crackled around them , thunder and lightning deafened them.
" This is it then , the big one" Spike said . He took out a cigarette and lit it.
The first demon broke through the vortex , a huge dragon , followed by a mass of bodies, some small , some were huge.A gang of vampires came into view, attracted by the mystical event. The demon hoard stood still , gathering in size at an alarming rate.
Up on the roof , Willow was chanting the spell to protect the gangs . She finished that spell and went straight into the incantation to close the vortex. Slowly the fissure began to grow smaller. Her energy was beginning to drain away. Willow stood stiff , her arms out to her side , she began to glow , slowly her hair changed to white and she glowed with pure white energy. She shouted the incantation louder. The lightning cracked around her. Kennedy took cover and watched from her safe vantage point. She was in awe of her girlfriend. The vortex crackled and swirled smaller , it looked like it was collapsing in on itself. Finally snapping shut, Willow fell to the roof . Kennedy ran to her and helped her to sit up.
" I'm fine , get me up , I need to start killing those things off"
The dragon screamed above them , and flew overhead. " I think we best find some cover first" Kennedy said as she helped Willow to her feet, never once taking her eyes off the dragon.
They hid behind the stairwell , still in sight of the main group.

" Willows done it , the portals closed " Buffy said , the gang raised their weapons, ready for the stand off to be over and the stampede to begin.
" What ya gonna take on then ?" Gunn asked
" Personally , I always wanted to slay a dragon " Angel said , a small smirk twisted on his lips.
" I wish to do violence , I care not what it may be with" Illyria said
Groo stood silent.
" I just don't want anything slimy , It wrecks my hair " Buffy said , shrugging her shoulders
" At least I'm not wearing any jewellery this time " Spike threw his cigarette.
" I thought it was quite fetching as it goes " Buffy said.
Spike just smirked at her ." You would , bint. You ready for this ? Looks like they aint waiting any longer" He nodded his head towards the hoard , slowly advancing now.
" Ready as ever" Buffy raised her scythe .
Everyone raised their weapons.
" Lets get to work" Angel yelled as they ran into the hoard.
The team ran into the demons , swords hit flesh , axes clashed with bone. The noise was deafening , high pitched shrieks and screams came from everywhere. The dragon circled above the war that raged below, it opened it's large mouth, exposing the dagger like teeth that lie with , flames shot out as it let out a roar.

"I have so got to get me some of that " Angel ran his sword through the demon in front of him and then decapitated the one that had just advanced on Buffy . He ran towards the fire exit ladder , as he climbed , the dragon came round for a second attack. " Perfect , come on , just a little closer" . He leapt onto the dragons back, taking it by surprise . The beast shook and rolled , trying to get Angel off it's back , Angel clung on to its scales and shifted his position, ready to take it down. The dragon flew high and tried to get over the building. It's focus and attention being on Angel , it couldn't make it over the building in time. It slammed into the far wall , and knocked itself out, falling to the car park.Angel stood up , albeit on shaky legs and ran to the stomach of the beast. He ran the sword into the belly of the dragon and slit it up to its chest. A loud roar and the beasts head flopped , signalling to Angel that it was dead. " Now that was cool!" he yelled.He ran back into the alley and started his attack on one of the larger demons.

Buffy had a large group of demons around her, almost as if they could sense her calling. The large demon to her left licked its lips and started to circle her . The other demons seem to sense something coming from it and backed off , giving it room to attack. " Your going to be a slimy one aren't you?" The demon continued to salivate at the thought of fresh slayer meat. Buffy looked over to see the rest of the gang dispatching death to their demons easily and as of yet , no casualties. "Can you stop with the menacing and just attack already". As if it understood , the demon made a grab for her shoulders. Buffy held its elbows and threw it onto its back and buried her sword in its gut. The shriek caught Angel's attention. He watched as Buffy pulled the blade out and swiftly spun it above her head , decapitating the three vamps that had taken the foolish chance to grab her . Buffy spotted Angel and shrugged with a smile on her face, finally advancing towards the huge beast that was equalling Illyria in their fight.Angel met in her advance forwards , taking out demons and vampires as he walked.Faith caught up in a battle with three very hefty demon's , called Buffy to her for aide. Buffy turned and ran to her , swinging the scythe into the back of one, then swiping at the legs of another. It was at that point that she heard it, over all the din, the shrieks and battle cries and metal on metal, his laugh and the applause.
"Liam"
"Slayer"
"Got to say , your not exactly looking your best. I thought you might have made an effort for me seeing as we got this whole prophecy thing going on"
"Now, Buff" He placed his hand over his heart and fluttered it a few times " Missed ye like my heart beat"
" Touching really , can we just fight already?" Buffy swung the scythe up into view.Her gaze fell towards Angel , who was busy backing Gunn up with a very huge beast.
"He won't be able to save ye, there's no saving ye this time" Liam advanced.
Buffy backed off , even though she knew she had the upper hand , Liam was unarmed.
"What makes you so sure, and what the hell are you doing back here?"
"The magicks you worked , well lets just say , the Senior Partners had their hands in it and snatched me away for this little get together. "
" So you come back , kill me, why , so you can go back to hell with a big old slayer blood belly and brag how you killed me? What do you get out of this, what's the point?"
"I might be the one that kills you, but I go back to my timeline, Angel's the one that actually lives with the guilt. It's a little more complicated than that , but the end result is more or less the same.He lives through this battle , guilt makes him greet the rising sun in the morn. How poetic" He slung his arms out to his sides for dramatic emphasis. " Two champions taken from the cause, and poor little baby grows up without the guidance of it's parents and never becomes the prophetic leader it is destined to."
Tears streamed from Buffy, mostly through anger at this complete schmucks arrogance, god how he reminded her of Angelus right now.
"So , how does you being here effect the if 'I stake you Angel dies' scenario, I assume it still stands?"
Liam held his hands up in surrender " Why don't ye try it and test out that theory"
Tempting as it was , she couldn't . Last thing she needed was another huge guilt fest about sending the man she loved to hell. " You really are loving this aren't you"
"Why my love, would you expect anything else? Walk with me"
"Hate to break up your big reunion with yours not truly , but I kinda have a date already " She motioned towards Angel and the apocalyptic fight .
"You'll walk with me when I say ye will" Liam bolted to Buffy and towered over her, grasping her arms tightly.
Buffy snatched her arms out of his clutches and straightened herself. Liam ran his hands through his hair in a typical Angel way and huffed . 'Now that's spooky ' she thought as she took to his side.
"Where we going?"
"Somewhere a little more private"
Just knowing he said that meant a whole big world of bad was going to come from it, like it didn't when it came to Liam anyway."Is this where you drain the life of a slayer , cos , I saw it in that book and have to say, not gonna happen"
"You know it's going to happen" he paused and turned to face her " maybe ye just need to know why"
"This where you threaten me with something? Don't bother "
"What if I told you it was the life of your champion and your son?"
"My life for theirs?" Buffy looked into his eyes, amber eyes and a smug smirk was all she saw .' God I am sooo sick of dying . Vampires with souls get a shiny new life , made into real boys, I get the consolation prizes every single time' she thought. She knew she had no choice, not when it came to her son and her Angel.
"You don't have to die, actually you do, but it doesn't end there"
"Great, vamp Buffy, like that's gonna end well .So how's this going to happen , a little fight for old times sake or I just walk into your arms and let you drain me then? I kinda think I'd like to kick your ass, figure I owe you for all the times you caused no end of problems for Angel and me"
Liam looked up at the heavens, " You really are a major pain in my ass slayer and I know I'm going to regret being ye sire"
Buffy shrugged "Can't be any worse than Dru "
Liam back handed her face and Buffy spun to the floor, raising her hand to her cheek, it burned from the collision. She leapt back to her feet , bringing the scythe up to waist height. " Your delusional , if you think I would let this happen"
"You don't have a choice , thought I made that clear"
"Well , looks like this party's all partied out so let's just get it done"
Buffy could see Spike 'dancing ' with three demons , too wrapped in the fight to notice her. Angel was lost in a sea of creatures, everyone was preoccupied with their own fight to see the danger she was in.
Willow spotted Buffy and made a mental link with her.
"Buffy , what are you doing with him, kick his butt , do something, just don't stand there"
"I can't Will , he'll kill Layton and Angel if I don't do this"
"No , Buffy , you can't die again,it's not fair. It will kill Angel if he loses you"
"I'm not going to die in the general sense of he wants to turn me.Do me a favour, find the curse that you use on Angel , and curse me with it the second I go down"
"I can't, that curse is specifically for Angel, it won't work on you Buffy"
"Then you'll have to get Faith to stake me the second I rise. I'll take him to the hotel."
Willow's throat constricted , she hated that part of grief. " I could try doing it another way , get your soul back I mean"
"Tell Angel I love him and I did this for our son"
Buffy severed the link and turned to face Liam. "Let's go somewhere private, the hotel."
The two of them walked into the hotel. Not a word had been said since leaving the battlefield.
The chill in the air bought a shiver to her spine . Buffy stood at the top of the foyer stairs, Liam bounded over to the stair's leading to the first floor.
"I wouldn't keep me waiting" he still had his back to her. Confidence told him she would not back out now.
"No course not, I usually rush into my own death, why should this time be different" her voice was quiet and emotionless
" Buffy"
"Alright , I'm coming" she laid the scythe down on the desk and walked to the foot of the stairs
"I'll make this good for you , and you get the benefit of knowing everyone will be safe"
"Like I trust you. Just do it here, get this done"
"This isn't just about you being sired , this is about so much more than that" He said as he brushed a lock of hair away from her face.
Buffy flinched.
Liam grabbed her shoulders and attacked her lips with a fury. Buffy tensed and tried to break free.Just because she had made the pact , didn't mean she had to accept it.


Angel couldn't see Buffy anymore, he scanned the hoard and couldn't see her .He glanced toward Gunn and instinctively Gunn shook his head . Faith ran a vamp through with a stake and yelled , catching Angel's attention
" She went thataway with the Irish you " throwing her head back towards the hotel.
"And you didn't think to tell me or go after them" Angel bought forth his demon, during all of his fights he still hadn't gone to game face, but the threat to his Buffy had bought him forward.
"Hey , kinda busy here boss, and B can take care of herself"
Spike roared as he punched and kicked at the slimy demon in front of him, Illyria ran her hand through another one , taking it's head clean off. Both stood and saw the change in Angel.
" Oi ! What's goin' down?"
One word fell from Angel's lip's " Buffy "
Spike came to Angels side " So what's going on then , c'mon"
"Liam"
"Bloody hell , what's that ponce want with the slayer?"
"Same thing we'd all want if we were him"
"To kill her?"
"Worse"
There was nothing else to be said. They all knew what he meant.
"Why don't she just stake the bastard and be done with it" Spike said , turning just in time to dust yet another stupid vamp.
"Cos he's me and if she takes him out I'll die"
" I aint got a problem with that , never have done" Spike smiled at Angel and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder " Plan?"
"I need Illyria for this "
"I will assist you " she said as she stepped forward
"Right , good, " Thinking on his feet while walking towards the hotel with Spike and Illyria , killing demons as they went , a plan , they needed a plan.
They arrived at the hotel. A plan.


Upstairs Liam had entered Angel's room. Buffy stood at the door, her shoulders slumped. Liam made his way to the crib and picked up a fluffy toy and smelt it " Get in here" he said as he through the toy back in the crib.
Had Buffy just seen maybe a weakness ? Did this monster have some kind of feeling towards the son he'd have in the future?She doubted it. She made her way into the room and shut the door. Unsure of what he wanted her to do exactly, she hovered in the centre of the room.
Liam sat on the edge of the bed and patted the empty space beside him. She raised her brows and took up the seat next to him.

"I don't want to hurt ye, may not believe me but it's true none the less. I share the affections that he has for ye. I'm agreeing to do this as it is in the best interests of the Senior Partners and for everyone . Ye may not understand it now , but ye will."
Buffy couldn't help but laugh, Liam was confused by it .
"How can turning me into a monster like you possibly be in everyone's best interest?"
"Do you expect to survive that battle out there?"
"I'm not sure ..... I guess ..... why .... what do you know? You know something don't you?"
Liam hung his head down and sighed
"Yes"
"I die again ?" Her voice was soft and shaky
"Yes"
Buffy slumped on the bed next to him. Slowly she held her hand up to him.
"You agreed to do this , why?"
" I told ye"
"You love me too , don't you"
He placed his hand on hers.
"Why do the Senior ParTners want me turned?"
"All they want is Angel on their side , it's always been their plan. By turning ye, a slayer turned is a powerful tool, they get him on their side too, Angel wouldn't be able to resist."
"So that's all is it, just to get him over to the dark side and to take my son's future from him"
"Yes"
"What happens to Layton?"
"I told ye earlier"
"But he lives?"
"Yes"


Downstairs, Angel , Spike and Illyria had entered. Angel and Spike could hear her heartbeat and smell her. She was still alive , and upstairs.
"Everybody clear on what they have to do?"
Spike nodded
Illyria cocked her head to one side " I understand"
They rushed up the stairs.

Liam took a sobbing Buffy in his arms. He laid between her legs and brushed the hair from her face.She looked up into his eyes as his face took on that of his demon. She had surrendered, she turned her head to expose her neck. Liam roared and slowly bit into her, taking care not to make it a painful experience. He had never tasted anything like this, the powerful slayer blood . His demon grew hungrier for it, drinking it down with a thirst he thought would be unquenchable.


Angel hit the door first, it flew off it's hunges and smashed against the wall.
"You best get off her now!"
Spike ran into the room , raising his sword.
Illyria stood by his side, curiously watching the two vampires.

"If I leave her now , she'll die"
Angel and Spike could hear how faint her heartbeat was and instinctively knew she would die if she wasn't turned now.
Angel felt sick, not just because of the fear of losing her , but by the naked and extremely intimate way they were found.
"I said get away from her" the low growl building within his chest.
Liam raised himself up and left the bed, leaving Buffy uncovered and dying. "Fine, then death for the slayer it is" . He picked up his shirt and threw it on, a huge grin on his face.
Angel ran to Buffy covering her and lifting her head into his arms, tears falling from his face.
Spike charged at Liam and punched him repeatedly in the face , Illyria opened up the portal.The slayers blood had Liam in an almost drunk haze, he put up a good fight, almost taking Spike in the fight. Illyria grabbed Liam and broke his arms and swung out at his legs, making him fall to the floor. Spike knew they couldn't stake the son of a bitch but that didn't stop them from doing some serious damage. Spike impaled Liam on the sword, slicing though his stomach. Illyria took hold of his broken limbs, swinging him into the portal. The portal collapsed and Spike fell to his knee's.

No matter what had happened in the past, he still loved Buffy and her death , again, was something he couldn't deal with.
Angel stared at Buffy. He couldn't bare being without her, there was only one thing left to do.Spike and Illyria left the room , their sorrow weighed on their faces, they did not want to intrude on the intimacy of the act Angel had to do.Spike took one look back at them, he said a mental goodbye to Buffy, the woman he loved more than anything.
Angel whispered into her ear." I'm sorry Buffy, I love you so much , I'm sorry "
He bit down and took a few more sips and then bit into his wrist. He held it over her mouth and waited. Buffy licked at the bite mark, the coppery liquid hung in her throat for what seemed like eternity, eventually her body swallowed it. She expected it to churn in her stomach and make her heave, but it seemed to crave it. She sucked at Angel's wrist and slowly took more and more of it, the hunger for it built up and she began moaning. Angel closed his eyes , both of them seem to be getting some kind of pleasure from it and slowly he drew her closer to his body. The demon in him getting a real sick twisted kick out of this . It repulsed him to think of it and he closed his eyes. He heard her heart beat slow down, only a few beats per minute. It wouldn't be long now.Tears fell .

Spike could hear her heartbeat. He cried . His slayer. Dying, to be reborn as one of them. He sunk to the floor, using the sword to support his body as it grew weak from grief. Illyria watched , she was getting used to the sight of grief, but that didn't mean she had to like it.
"Come halfbreed, there is still a war waged outside, I wish to do more than stand here and watch you cry"
Spike snapped his head up and looked at her. Hatred at what she just said , what did she know about it eh?
"Your feelings toward the slayer are worthless now"
"You heartless bitch" Spike ran to her and slapped her round the face
"Aim that anger towards them" Illyria pointed out of the window .
Of course she was right, Spike thought.
Illyria saw the flash of amber and watched as Spike went into game face, he wiped his tears away, sniffed "What ya waiting for then pet, let's go kill us some hell spawn"

Buffy went limp in his arms. Gone.
Angel laid her back on the bed and fell to his knee's.
To say he was grieving was an understatement. Angel had never felt anything like this . He didn't even blink when a few years ago he had staked Darla to protect Buffy. He thought it had been hard when he had left her back in Sunnydale. He thought he had felt it when Willow arrived to say she had died at the hands of Glory.Nothing had felt like this.He felt the demon in him rise, all of the darkness in him came to the forefront. The Senior Partners were going to pay for this.
One last look at the woman he loved, and in a flash, he was gone.


Willow knew what had to be done.Kennedy helped lift her body from the bed and get her into the SUV.Slowly they drove to the rendezvous point. They took Buffy's body into the warehouse and placed her on the floor . Willow took out the book of spells and incantations and found the one they would need. All they needed to do now was wait. Wait and hope that everyone else made it back there.Hope that Angel made it back there, after all, he was key to the ritual.