The driver's side mirror hung limply by a wire. Xander worriedly glanced at it as he parked Angel's black convertible in front of the Hyperion. He was relieved that they'd gotten past the demons back in Sunnydale, but could already imagine Angel's face once he saw the smashed headlights, the badly dented front bumper, the broken windshield and windows, and the scratches on the side. He'd had to put the wrecked top down too.

“Angel's going to kill me,” he said as he and Spike stepped out of the convertible, followed by Dawn and Willow who were sitting on either side of Buffy in the backseat.

Buffy remained seated in the car, absently playing with a strand of hair and seriously said, “Tell him I was the one driving.”

Xander let out a chuckle. Willow shook her head at him, looking at him with wide eyes. Dawn stood by the gate of the hotel, squinting at him curiously, and Spike rolled his eyes as he leaned on the right side of the car.

When Xander saw their reactions and the sober expression on Buffy's face, his laughter died down. He cleared his throat, smiled awkwardly at her and whispered to Willow, “I thought she was kidding.”

Buffy brushed it off, got out and walked to the back of the car just as Xander opened the trunk. She picked up her duffel bag, slung the strap over her shoulder, and grabbed one of the larger boxes that had Buffy written on it in large black letters.

Willow lifted another box out of the trunk of the car and pouted when Xander turned to Buffy and said, “Here, let me help you with that.”

Buffy shrugged Xander off before he could take the box from her hands. She may have just gone through something very traumatic, but she was still the slayer, and she was still stronger than all of them combined. “I've got it,” she said with a frown marring her already serious expression as she turned the box away from him.

With slumped shoulders, Xander watched Buffy follow Willow and Dawn inside the front gate of the Hyperion. Shaking his head and taking another box out of the trunk, he noticed Spike was the only one who wasn't carrying anything. He gestured at the two boxes left in the trunk. “Spike, do you mind?”

Spike turned to him, puffing out smoke, and crushed the cigarette under his boot. “Yeah,” he nodded once, “I do.”

Glowering, Xander closed the trunk lid and followed the three women. Spike walked behind him with a smirk on his face.

Once they were all inside the courtyard, Buffy slowed her pace down until she came to a complete stop. She couldn't be any less excited about staying with Angel, but she knew it would be better for her and Dawn if they weren’t living on the Hellmouth. She had to move on and live life.

“I can't believe I agreed to this,” Spike grumbled to himself, shaking his head and slipping his hands into the pockets of his coat as he came at Buffy's side. He glanced at her. “You okay, pet?”

Buffy stood still, eyes glued to the ground. She lifted her head to meet his gaze and said, “No.” She inhaled deeply. “I don't think I can do this.”

Spike sighed and took the box from her hands without any objection from her. “I'll be right there with you,” he said sincerely, and then quipped, “sharing the agony of being within ten feet of Angel.”

Buffy released the breath she was holding with a quiet chuckle, and gave him a small appreciative smile. Steeling herself, she watched her friends file through the glass doors.

Spike gestured towards the front door with his head. “Come on.”

Lilah stood before the whole Angel Investigations team, tapping her foot impatiently. “I know you have it.”

Gunn crossed his arms. “If we do have it,” he stepped forward, “why the hell should we give it back?”

Before Lilah could speak, Tara sprang up from the red couch she'd been sitting on, immediately running up to Willow. “You're back!”

Angel pushed himself off the doorframe of his office, smiling slightly as the newly arrived group set their boxes and bags down. “Guess you came at a bad time,” he said to Lilah, who had spun around to face the new arrivals.

“Great. There's more of you,” Lilah said halfheartedly, grimacing, and pushed hair behind her ear. Coming here alone was a terrible idea, but she was not going to give them the pleasure of seeing her worried. So, she held her chin up and clasped her hands in front of her as Spike entered.

The smug grin on Angel's face disappeared when he saw the blond vampire with the Scoobies. An eyebrow raised in question, he said, “Spike? Why are you–” He choked on his words when he saw the girl he thought he'd never see again. It was Buffy. Alive. Her brows were furrowed and her lips were pursed as she surveyed the lobby with a jaded look in her eyes. She was miserable. But she was here. He'd missed her. “Buffy,” he said, and took a tentative step towards her. “You're...”

Buffy swallowed as deafening silence fell thick in the air. Tara, Wesley and the good-looking bald guy were staring at her, mouths agape. But the emotion in Angel's eyes, the expression of both pure bliss and astonishment on his features alone wrung her heart that she had to look away.

When Buffy's gaze fell on her, Lilah's lips curled into a sly smirk. Buffy's eyes widened, and she froze where she stood. All the memories that had almost left her thoughts came rushing back like a tidal wave crashing into the shore. The vivid images and the torrent of emotions overwhelmed her, and she began to shake. “You...”

Buffy's low, enraged voice ripped through the silence, and Spike quickly turned to face her. She moved past him, swiftly walking forward until she was mere inches from her captor. Spike stepped forward expectantly, but she held a hand up to stop him.

Although seeing Buffy unnerved her, a grin was still pasted on Lilah's face. “Hello, Buffy,” she said, concealing the fear in her voice well. Suddenly, a right hook landed on her jaw. Blood trickled down the corner of her mouth. Her head snapped to the side, and she staggered backwards from the force of the blow.

It wasn't enough. For all the horrible things Lilah had put her through, it wasn't enough.

As soon as Lilah dazedly lifted her head, Buffy threw another jab that connected with Lilah's chin. Propelled by fury, she fired more staggering punches in quick succession.

No one attempted to intervene. They were all too shocked. Willow had taken Dawn into her arms, shielding her from the brutality. Angel had backed away. He'd never seen Buffy like this.

Spike knew Buffy would never forgive herself for what she was willing to do. He ran down the steps towards her, shouting, “Buffy, stop!” But by the time he seized Buffy by the arms, Lilah had fallen to the ground. “Stop it!”

Realizing what she had done, Buffy lifted a hand to her mouth. “Oh, God...” She looked around and saw everyone's stunned and horrified expressions. “I...” She clenched her jaw. “I'm...” Lips trembling, she ran.

Spike faced the group and waited for someone to speak up, for anyone to go after Buffy. No one did. He scoffed. “I'll take care of it. You take care of her,” he said, pointing at Lilah's unconscious body on the floor. Shaking his head, he went after Buffy, who had run out to the courtyard.

Buffy quickly wiped her tears away when she heard the door open. Even before the hair at the nape of her neck stood up, she knew who it was. She knew Spike would be the only one brave enough, who cared enough, to talk to her after what they'd all just witnessed. It didn't matter, though. She knew he'd be the only one she could stand talking to anyway.

Spike moved to stand next to her, and she drew in a shaky breath. Her mind and heart were on overload, thoughts and emotions racing through her faster than she could process them. She found it hard to breathe.

Both stood in complete silence. Spike gazed up at the night sky. Buffy stared at the ground, her heart pounding in her chest. She lifted her hands and stared at the blood on her knuckles, the blood of her captor, the blood of vengeance. She hated what she'd become.

Tears streamed down her already tear-stained cheeks.

Spike shifted uneasily when she started sobbing. He turned to her and opened his mouth as if to speak, but thought of nothing to say.

Buffy threw herself against him, clinging to him desperately. Spike was startled, and his body stiffened momentarily in her embrace before he forced himself to relax. He could hear her heart beating at a breakneck pace. “What did I do, Spike? What did I do?”

Spike cautiously wrapped his arms around her, and Buffy pulled him closer, tighter. She hid her face in the crook of his neck and wept.