A Sweet Dream

~This is my version of, “Halloween” if you’ve watched the episode there is a great deal of sparkage between our favorite couple but that pesky Angel gets in the way. Background you need to know for this story is that Spike has been communicating with Buffy in her dreams and the shadows. This story is all B/S, with lots of respect to Willow/Oz/Xander, Cordy/Angel and will go AU eventually, if it hasn’t already. ~

~Disclaimer- Joss and company own these characters and the scripts but I play with they’re thoughts and moments when the cameras should have been rolling. ~

Morning…Spike’s Warehouse…

He sat at her feet, almost in prayer, she trembled weeping in anger, and her eyes fixed on the large cross before them. His lips suddenly brushed against her bare feet and slowly moved up her body over her clothes until they reached her hands. With a swift move he removed the gold band on her finger with his mouth and spit it out at the cross. She almost screamed. Staring into her face he smiled, raising himself slowly he raised her skirts and they covered her face and head. It was only then she felt his lips thru the skirts trying to attack her mouth. With hinds nds he touched her, the shock of a man’s touch finally let loose the screams she’d been holding back. Once the screaming started, she was sure she’d never stop…

“Help me!!” She screamed waking herself, him and perhaps the entire world.

For a moment he just held Dru until she stopped screaming in between the s fos for help. He couldn’t even begin to count the times he’d gone thru this and held her in the darkness after a dream. She didn’t really need to say a word, they both knew who it was in her dreams-Angelus.

Later same day, evening…The Bronze…

Cordelia sauntered around the Bronze; Angel looked at her from the corner of his eye and tried to look surprised when she approached him.

He couldn’t help but be a little put off by the forward way she acted toward him but in truth sometimes he didn’t mind just being a normal guy in her eyes. When she spoke to him, the discussion never went toward death, danger and evil. It was almost refreshing to talk to someone about the silly things and have them look at you with out fear or uncertainty.

And she made him laugh with her bluntness and keen way of seeing the world in her own way. It didn’t seem to bother her that he was aloof and obviously in love with Buffy, it didn’t even matter to her. Perhaps it was the fact she was so alive and carefree, except when in danger. He hated that, a girl like Cordelia shouldn’t have to be in danger, she wasn’t born to it but somehow just by knowing Buffy and himself, she was touched by it.

He found himself listening to her telling a silly story about the difference between vinyl and leather seats in a boys van and he couldn’t help but laugh. But when he looked up, it was Buffy looking at him from across the room that made him stop. He caught her at the door with straw and other debris on her. Of course, he knew she'd been fighting, he could smell the vampire dust but she was troubled and he didn't know why.

They both grimaced when the blunt Cordelia decided to point out her messy hair, she ran out soon after declaring she wasn’t a normal girl.
And he wasn’t a normal boy, so why didn’t the date work out? Nothing seemed to work out for them.


~~But who am I kidding? Dates are things normal girls have. Girls who have time to think about nail polish and facials. You know what I think about? Ambush tactics. Beheading....


He didn’t follow her, knowing her moods well enough to know she didn’t want company.

He decided to continue his talk with Cordelia who was so obviously waiting for him to accept her offer of coffee, he wanted more than anything to listen to her mindless chatter that was about anything but the end of the world.


Same time…Outside the Bronze…


~~Not exactly the stuff dreams are made of.

She'd stormed out of the Bronze, what else was she suppose to do?
She could have stayed of course and told Cordy to hit the road but how could she when it was so obvious that Angel didn't want her to?

She'd been a little on edge tonight even before fighting the vamp at the pumpkin stand. She hadn't seen Spike, not that she wanted to but he had suddenly disappeared from stalking her and there hadn't been one sexy dream.
Her last dream involved a strange demon girl screaming that she needed to be saved from a group of bunnies. So much for the prophecy dreams.

She walked slowly down the street taking backward glances occasionally to see if Angel had decided to follow her. She wanted more than anything for him to rush up to her and tell her that it didn’t matter if she was having a good hair day, and he would declare he loved her. This was the dream that ended with music and a big kiss but she never got an ending like that.

Sometimes she wondered about Angel if he couldn’t read her well enough to know when she wanted to be followed then how could he know her heart? But she guessed love was about faith and not so much about being there when needed.

The next day…Ethan’s store…

It had started the moment she’d spoken with Cordy in the school bathroom, watching her preen herself and declare that Angel was 'the cuddly kind of vampire'.
She almost envied that empty headed idiot; she was the modern version of every woman that Angel had known in his time. That’s how she envisioned the women of Angel’s time, little Cordy’s worrying about the state of their hair not about killing demons. Cordy was the damsel in distress, and how could she compete with that?

She had stared at the drawings in the Watcher diary after Willow left her to go to class. She couldn’t help but imagine herself in some flowing gown with her hair in some huge beehive tower. In the days of the human Angel women were so different, they were expected to be soft, gentle and smell good. These attributes were looked upon as being a woman’s duty in addition to finding a husband and birthing a few babies. They must have had such trouble-free lives with the bigger decisions of life being completely and totally out of their hands-oh wait, that was her life now, except for the whole trouble-free part.

Buffy and Willow had been careful to return the Watcher diary they stole before leaving school that day. Returning it ended up being just as much a chore as stealing it. This time it had been Willow’s turn to distract Giles, this time with her confusion over dating, stammering Giles turned several shades of red and choked out a few incoherent sentences about ‘boys and girl’s’ before Buffy whistled and all was clear.

She hadn’t revealed to Willow the another reason why she’d been so eager to steal one of Giles’ dusty volumes, she wanted some extra info on Spike.
Buffy couldn’t help but look for Spike in the volume, hoping for some reasonable mystical answer to why he’d been in her dreams. She had convinced herself that perhaps he was just using witchcraft or some silly thrall cause the idea of really wanting to be with anyone other than Angel was just too creepy.

But this volume of the diaries didn’t mention Spike, just some blood and more blood stories involving Angel and the now dust Darla. She’d been hoping that seeing what Spike really was in book form would help break his hold on her. Instead seeing the exploits of Angel turned her stomach and it was hard to believe he’d ever been like that. That was another man she told herself and that her Angel would never do anything like that.


Buffy knew deep down that she and Angel had a strong bond, a connection that they both felt. But it was also easy to push that thought away when she was confronted with the reality of Angel’s past. Reading what she had of the Watcher’s diary had dominated her mind until Willow had suggested they try the new store downtown for their costumes.

What really made up her mind was the moment she saw the beautiful dress and touched it. The dress was exactly what she needed to be the belle of the ball for Angel and show him that she was also a girl not just a slayer.


That Evening…Spike’s Warehouse…

~~Baby likes to play...


“Rewind it again.” He muttered to himself and picked up the remote at his side. A bottle of whiskey mixed with blood slipped out of his other hand and he laughed as it fell.

He’d been at this for hours and nearly driven himself half blind from the badly shot video of the slayer. His faithless minion who’d brought back the tape and manned the remote had begged off hours ago wanting to go feed before sun up. He’d barely noticed when he’d gone. Taking control of the remote allowed Spike to pause at any moment that caught his fancy.

At first he’d just studied her moves, coldly with only a foes interest. But his body was more impressed with her body and hiding his arousal for hours was something beyond painful. Settling finally into a comfy chair with a blood bottle, he sat transfixed until the approaching dawn caused his natural instincts to take over and he dozed.

Her body hit the ground with a loud grunt and he smiled. Out of nowhere she kicked out his legs under him and her full weight landed upon him. Her knees pinned in his sides until he returned the grunt with full force. Her small hands held down his shoulders firmly.

Their eyes locked abruptly. She seemed completely astonished to be fighting him as if the waking world had intruded on her dream world.

“What is this?” She demanded, her face close to his.

“It’s what we both want..” His head tilted up toward her mouth.

“I don’t want you-“ Her voice was deep and mocking.

“Then I guess I’ll just disappear, won’t I?” He laughed.

Her face drew closer to his, “Yeah.”

“Before the dream is over…”

He pushed her over roughly and landed on top of her hard without any real intent, she wasn’t moving away. He bent down and captured her lips with his; she closed her eyes giving into the kiss. After a moment he felt his face shift, and he couldn’t stop it. Her eyes suddenly opened and she look into his true face, letting her tongue hit one of his fangs. She pulled away.

“This dream is over,” She stammered pushing him off easily and standing up.

He laughed, still at her feet. “It’s alright, little girl, you go run to your sweet Angel. But know this, love, under all that sweet soul is a demon, just like me.”

Her anger swelled. “No, not like you.”

“Well, not exactly, he doesn’t have my suave good looks or sense of humor.”

She smiled. “And you don’t have his sense of style or ability to feel compassion for anyone other than yourself.”

“You go on, slayer, tell yourself whatever you need to…” He mocked rolling his eyes.

“It’s just a dream, it means nothing.”

He saw the confusion and pain in her eyes, something wanted to drink it like fear but instead he walked away.


He woke startled and crashed the bottle of blood into a nearby wall. He staggered to his bedroom and watched his exquisite Dru asleep just like a corpse in a morgue. He brushed his hand against her cheek and watched her looking for any response. Her skin was so pure and smooth like marble but he craved warmth, from a body from a lover and he turned away from her.

She grabbed his hand in the darkness and drew it to her breast. She growled like an animal her normal beckoning call to him in bed. A ferocious kiss from her was all he needed to remind him where he belonged and with whom. He knew what to do and say to his girl, he’d done a hundred times before.

Button after button on her dress gave way to him but when he reached for her mouth it was not his name she whispered. He screamed.



Early morning…same time…Summer’s House…


It was a scream that awoke her, someone in pain and agony as if they were in the room with her. It was then the memory of the dream returned and she felt herself blush. Weren’t dreams ssed sed to fade, ask asked herself? Or at least not make sense? And why was she just a little relieved that the dreams had returned?

She’d convince herself every night before bed that it was just an evil ploy of Spike’s to get to her. But if that were true why didn’t she just tell someone? She was sure with a little research by the Scoobie’s she’s be dream free in no time.

The problem with that scenario was of course first telling them she was having sexy dreams about an enemy. And at some point she’d have to tell Angel and that was a conversation that would surely get Spike a piece of wood in his chest. And she wasn’t ready to face that, and she didn’t know why.

There was always the possibility that there was no evil plot or witch crafty, the truth might be simple- Buffy wants Spike, bad and not in a good way.

But her major fear was that the dreams were merely prophecy and that she’d end up Spike’s love muffin. Okay, so it wasn’t always a fear, sometimes it was almost kind of nice. Bad Buffy.


The next evening, early…Halloween night…Spike’s Warehouse…


He closed the door of the bedroom behind him, motioned to one of his minions to watch the door and the vampire reluctantly took his place as a guard at Dru’s bedroom door.

Spike had planned to step out immediately after sundown, his favorite time to hunt; it was always easy to catch some eager young thing on their way home from some activity. But he’d been distracted first by a dream and then by Dru who’d tried to slip out of their bed to play in the sunlight. It had taken time to convince her that sun would turn her into dust and that she needed to rest.

He felt drawn to downtown Sunnydale and turning onto a street he saw a moving truck unloading items into a store. Always in the mood to nick something nice for his new home he approached the truck. Standing under a light watching men unload racks of clothing was a thin pale man and he was watching him.

Spike was not use to being observed especially by someone who seemed to know what he was, he could tell by the lack of fear but this man was no hero.

“You know the one thing I truly hate about Sunnydale is all the pretense, all these silly people who go around thinking they know how the world works but they don’t have a clue, do they vampire?” The voice was crisp, snobby and English.

“All the better to eat them, knowledge makes them scream at inappropriate times. Who are you?”

“I’m Ethan and this is my store.” He pointed toward the store behind him.

Spike looked at the racks of clothing waiting to be loaded inside, “I don’t suppose you have something for my girl?”

Ethan smiled, “I think if I did, you would probably twist my head off instead of leaving me a nice fiver. Vampire, my costumes aren’t for show they’re for chaos and destruction.”

Spike smiled, “I think I like the sound of your plan for this store, I’m always in the mood for a little destruction.”

“I have no trouble believing that, just wait for tonight, tis Halloween and I’m in the mood for a few tricks.”

Same time…Sunnydale neighborhood…


Willow and her merry band of trick or treaters approached a home and knocked on the door. Why did she let Buffy talk her into wearing a belly shirt and leather skirt? And if she had stayed in it what would she have called her costume? Willow the Streetwalker.

She’d been feeling kinda funny all night, the ghost costume may have hidden the fact she looked a little street walker-ish but down deep she still felt it.

As the old woman exclaimed she had no candy Willow felt a slight breeze across her back and watched as the children turned into actual little monsters.
Before she could move to take another step she felt her chest tighten and she couldn’t breathe. She tried to steady herself on the wall but all she could do was fall. It was only a moment later that she got up and felt as light as air. As light as a ghost? The costume at her feet was filled with her own body?

It was the sound of gunfire and screams that forced her into the street. Xander stood there very killy and ready to take out the bad guy, oh yeah and kinda sexy in a very non-Xander way. And of course he didn’t have a clue who she was and even called her lady, who’s he kidding in this outfit? But the strangest thing was when he walked straight thru her and it felt well, kinky. Or at least what Willow imagined something kinky would feel like.

None of it felt real or right until she saw Buffy walking slowly down the street, she looked lost and very scared. It was then Buffy the strong fainted like girly girl who couldn’t go thru the day with a nice box of smelling salts.

Willow took charge of the situation, after all military men like orders and pathetic damsels in distress, well they’re basically good for nothing but somebody had to take the lead. She giggled at the thought of herself as Willow the Leader, as if.

Same time… The Summer’s Home…


Cordy rushed into the Summer’s home, with Xander covering her in a very nice non-wimpy way, she’d have to think about that one later. She’d of course come to Buffy’s house, because let’s face it if things go wrong in Sunnydale it’s usually Buffy’s job to fix it. But it was probably Buffy who started the go wrong in the first place.

It was Willow who actually greeted her with some lame explanationto wto whom she was, hello, is everyone here nuts?

She turned to see Xander looking well, not completely ugly in army gear and a cowering Buffy in a princess dress in the corner. Would Cordy’s life ever be normal again?

Xander didn’t even smile when he slipped his jacket over her shoulders and usually she’d at least get a good drool out of him. She watched Willow walk thru a wall to get Giles’ help, what could a guy with a bunch of books do during demon mania?

It was Buffy who alarmed her the worst. She sat in a corner twisting her hair in braids and singing little songs to herself. Hey, wasn’t she supposed to be some sort of superhero?

Angel entered the Summer’s home, not sure what he was going to find and that was underscored by what he actually did find.
He almost laughed at the cite of Xander looking all army and Buffy’s hair, did she color it or grow it out?

It was Cordy who came forward then, exping ing in her usual short hand of a complicated situation, he was grateful to know he wasn’t the only one who was sane.
In her self-important way she smiled at him asked him how he was. Before he could answer or dive deeper, the lights went out and they split up to secure the house.

As he took Buffy’s hand and lead her into the kitchen he’d never seen her look so small and helpless. In this moment it was annoying, with a demon horde outside the last thing you need is a girl in a pretty dress, who smells good or perhaps not.

She clung to him her super strength cutting off the non-circulation to his arms as he noted the open kitchen door. He turned just as the vampire made its move toward damsel Buffy. It was during the struggle that his face shifted, before Buffy could hand him a stake, she ran out screaming.


Same time…Sunnydale Library…


So, sure Willow had seen Giles angry before, usually at Buffy for doing something immature or at Xander for cutting out certain pictures out of the National Geographic but never quite like this. When she’d mentioned the name Ethan’s as the place that they’d all gotten their costumes, he went pale. And that’s pretty hard when you’re British and already pretty white.

His voice was hard and cold when he ordered her to take her to this shop immediately. She almost told him that she was one giving the orders around here, until something called common sense kicked her.

~~Buffy would be OK. Whoever she is now, she's helpless. Come on!

Spike listened intently as Angel revealed the piece of information he’d been waiting for all evening. Oh, sure it was nice to have several hundred short demons around to do his bidding but it was even better to know that Ethan’s plan had worked like a charm. And Spike knew that if he played his cards right that Halloween would no longer be referred to as a staying in night for vamp’s for this night he would kill the slayer.

He sent his tiny minions out to find her, if Dru was right, he wouldn’t have to worry about any bloody dreams or fighting a slayer, she’d be dead. He couldn’t wait to see her, small and helpless. All he could truly hope for wasugh ugh time to do it right, to not kill her in one motion but to make it last, maybe forever.


Same Time…Alleyway…


Buffy struggled down the street; she’d never seen such items in her life, large metal barrels and bits of long wood. She’d struggled to escape the man with kind eyes who turned into a monster; she did not understand perhaps he was the devil himself. He had been handsome after all but something told her that he did not like her perhaps that is why he showed her his true face? She’d been right of course to run away from him, the devil himself.

It was then she looked up and saw a seafaring man approach her, he was dirty, smelly and that meant of course he was no gentleman and not to be trusted. She screamed and he chased after her down the alley.

Same Time…Ethan’s…


As soon as Giles had heard the name he should have made Willow go, but instead he waited until Ethan was in plain cite. He wouldn’t allow Ethan to hurt another innocent this night and he ordered her out immediately.

It had been years so many years, perhaps another life when he and Ethan had been more like brothers, and always up to no good. He could still see the same gleam in Ethan’s eyes that told you he’d never really matured and that he’d like to go on playing games for a lifetime.

~~Hello Ethan...

~~Hello Ripper...

Same Time…the Alleyway…


Buffy flinched as the dirty, disgusting seafaring man leaned into kiss her. Just then the ‘man with the musket’ came in and wrestled him to the ground. She noticed the grunting noises the disgusting man was making as if he enjoyed being hit or at least the attention of the young man.

It was then other woman with ears in her hair arrived and behind her was the demon man with the kind eyes. The woman with ears considerately explained that the demon man was a good vampire and that he would never hurt her.


~~It's OK. Angel is a good vampire. He would never hurt you....Absolutely. He's our friend.


Her kind words did little to alay her fears and but her eyes did seem to follow the demon man’s with such thoughtfulness. Buffy decided from that moment tshe she would try at least in future to determine if a creature was evil or good before dismissing it completely.

As the men stopped their fighting in the alley the half naked woman with red hair approached warning the group to seek shelter. Following her was a band of demon men. It was then Buffy saw a man with a flash of white blonde hair that reminded her of the sun. Though their eyes did not meet but she did turn several times to see if he followed. Perhaps he was also one of the good vampires that the woman had spoken about.

The good vampire swept her into his arms and she felt as light as a feather being held by such a strong demon he reminded her of a stable hand. The band of them made their way into a large fortress with ll lll like a drawbridge. The men in the group did all they could to keep the monsters on the other side at bay but in the end the wall pushed open and monsters walked thru. She couldn't help but cling to the lady with ears but the lady tried to shrug her off.

The vampire with the blonde hair entered, he was obviously their leader and the fierce demon face he wore frightened her.

He separated her at first from the os, hs, he bent down and touched her hair and whispered in her ear.

“Lovely, you look so lovely, and when you are mine I shall give you hundred dresses.” He whispered his lips in her hair.

She turned to look at the others in her band but they could not see. “Please, sir do not hurt me, I beg of you.”

He looked down into her tear-stained eyes and smiled. “Hurt you? Only for a moment love and then I shall make you mine forever.”

“So you are a good vampire then?” She asked her small voice suddenly sweet.

He touched her face lightly, “Am I what?”

“If it is your intention for me to be with you forever, then you love me and that makes you good.” Her small tear stained face up turned into a smile.

Something inside of him hit him and the cruelty that lived within took over.

~~Your shaking...terrified…alone…lost little lamb…I love it…

He ended his soft gentle words with a hard slap across her face.

Slowly he backed her back against a crate, his hands gripping her throat as she was lowered. He turned her head and lowered his down staring at her exposed throat.

He paused and for a moment thought he saw another girl from another time and he almost whispered, “Cecily.” In that instant he was taken back to another man and another woman both long gone but he could see them so clearly in her crying eyes and begging voice.

The words stuck in his throat and in his hesitation he felt instead of a hand full of hair, he had a hand full of wig. As he turned to see his mini-minions reverted back to children that they were, that is when he knew it had all gone wrong.

He turned in time to receive a huge belt in the stomach from the now restored Buffy, who greeted him warmly but snidely.


~~Hi, honey. I'm home.


Blow after blow he barely responded except to raise a pipe at her, which she promptly used against him until he ran out for his dear life. When he got up to leave they locked eyes for just a flash and they both knew she could have killed him and didn’t. As he ran out he thought about that second when he had her and what stopped him, perhaps there was something here at work bigger than the two of them.

Cordy and Xander crossed over to Buffy but before Cordy could loudly complain about her skintight outfit, Angel slipped in and asked if Buffy was all right.
Cordy couldn’t help but frown she’d thought during this bit of trauma drama that she and Angel had bonded but he didn’t seem to care if she lived or died. Maybe Xander was right and no one could get in-between the two of them, except maybe each other.

Angel put his arm around Buffy and smiled at her, grateful and happy to have her back. It had been a strange role reversal for him to see her so weak, helpless and clingy. A desperate, needy shallow female was not what he wanted, that had been confirmed yet again. And it was even more surprising to see Cordy not back down once and be truly helpful. He admired her and the strength that seemed completely natural. He would have to remember to tell her that, sometime. But for now his mind was consumed with getting Buffy home, safe and well.

On the walk back to her house, Buffy and Angel were silent, hand in hand but they moved with little intent.

She couldn’t help but wonder why after facing Spike yet again she still wasn’t able efeaefeat him. This was another opportunity lost to her and she didn’t know why. Was it the dreams that stopped her? Or maybe it was just her?

Later same evening…Summer’s Home…Buffy’s Room…


She’d scrubbed away the layers of make-up and stared into the mirror and told herself that everything was alright and that no one suspected that she’d held back just a tiny bit with Spike. It was just enough to let him get away, again.

~~Are you sure your OK?-Angel

~~I'll live.-Buffy


Entering her bedroom she found Angel laying on her bed, smiling at her after a few well placed remarks to make a girl feel good, he took her in his arms.

He might not have liked the Buffy the damsel in distress but there was one vampire who did. And she couldn't help but smile when she thought she'd had the evidence against her thigh right before she rose up to beat him senseless.

While they kissed, she couldn’t help butl hel herself over and over, that this was right, this was the man she wanted. And she would keep on saying it until she believed it whole-heartedly.

Same time…Ethan’s…

~~Be seeing you...

Giles read the note over and over again. Ethan had vacated after his Halloween pranks but he wasn't done not by a long shot. Ethan had opened a door inside him, filled with his past and things he regretted to this day. He was going to have to face it all again. And perhaps sooner than he wanted to admit.

~~I know who you are, Rupert, and I know what you're capable of. But they don't do they? They have no idea where you come from?

Oh, Ethan such a patheic soul, his old mate who couldn't help but live in the past. For Giles the magic and mischief were left in past but for Ethan he was always trying to recapture his youth. Giles would have never thought he'd end up this way. Ethan had always been the brightest and best, son of a witch and warlock. He knew about magic and had perverted it to get whatever he wanted. No matter the depth of evil and magic they played with for Ethan it was never enough.

He searched the store looking for any sign of where his 'mate' had gone but it was all in vain. When darkness creeped in he decided to go home with no idea of when Ethan would return.

As Spike approached the costume shop, he was stop dead in his tracks by the slayer’s Watcher who was making a hasty exit. He went inside the shop a moment later looking for the two-timing bastard, Et


It was Ethan who’d promised him big things on Halloween and Spike shouldn’t miss out on all the fun. The fun nearly got him killed and now he was hot to return the favor in kind.

The shop appeared empty of anyone and most of the contents were in disarray. He planned on letting his minions having a good old time taking everything else that wasn’t nailed down.

“Ethan,” He called out. “You slimy bastard, you nearly got me killed with your stupid stunt. Let me tell you something mate, if you ever show your face in this town again, I’ll gut you like a pig. Do you hear me?”

His fist crashed thru a large display case and he exited the shop heading for his nearby warehouse.

Same time…Spike’s Warehouse…


Doll after doll was piled on the bed; she started to sing waiting and hoping that the voices in her head would stop whispering to her. But instead she heard a voice deep from the past and starstarted to dance.

“I’m coming home, my sweet Dru darling, coming home to you. Be sweet, your Daddy’s on his way to you.”

At first she laughed at the voice thinking it was just a dream but the voices never lied.

Her bedroom door opened slowly and Spike came in bearing flowers, she almost smiled at him but instead she slapped him, letting the thorns of the roses cut him.

“You’ve failed again, haven’t you Spike? Why? All I can hear or see is the slayer, she’s in your mind every second. She reminds you of someone doesn’t she? She reminds you of the other one, the one you promised you would never mention again? I am your princess, but I’m not good enough, am I? But I’m good enough for him, I always have been.”

He tried to take her in his arms but instead she pushed him away and sat in a corner on the floor, her eyes wild.

“Failure, failure, failure…” She whispered slowly pulling out her hair.

He watched her, and for the very first time, he didn’t try to stop her.

Same Time…Angel’s Apartment…


He collapsed on the bed the moment he’d arrived home from Buffy’s house, it was if the night’s events had ruined him completely. His eyes were usually never heavy before sunrise but tonight was different.

He sat by the fireplace, shivering from the cold, like a new vampire still not use to being dead. Darla came near him touching his face gentlely and kissing his forehead.

“This isn’t happening, Darla your dead.” He whispered to her.

“But this place was a good memory for us, we made love by this fire and then killed the family of peasants who lived in the shack near by. Or does your soul not permit such happy memories?”

“That family tormented me in my dreams for twenty years straight, Darla. What do you want?”

“I’m dead, my darling, I’m just a memory of what was. I just came to remind you of who you were and to let you know that you can be happy again.” She touched his face but he pulled away.

“Happy?” His mind filled with thoughts of Buffy.

“Not with her, it’s not about that, silly. I mean, you can be what you were; you can be what I made you. She’s so lonely Angelus, just like when you found her in that church.”

“Drusilla? Oh, no…”

“You remember how he promised to take care of her forever? Spike is such a liar, a pretty little liar, and he lied to us all. But you’re going to change all that.”

“Darla, I can’t, I just can’t. I’m not like that, I have a soul.”

Still shivering she embraced him and whispered in his ear. “It’s alright, shhh, don’t worry, everything changes.”


tbc