“Who the hell are you?” Angel stalked to the center of the room, appearing seconds away from forcibly taking back his position as King of the Mountain.

Buffy lowered her feet and stood, casually plucking the katana from the back wall. Sliding the sword from its sheath, she inspected the blade.

“Sit down, Angel.” Buffy tested the weight, giving the sword a cursory swing.

Eyes never leaving her, Angel sat down in an adjacent chair. Leaning back, he crossed an ankle over his knee and folded his hands. Ever the picture of leisurely confidence, yet she knew better. The cunning predator he was lingered just beneath the surface, ready to strike.

“You wanted to talk, so talk.”

Mirroring his poise, Buffy rounded the desk and leaned against the front. She placed the katana down on the desk top within reach. “Gotta say, pretty fancy set up you got going on here. It’s like IKEA opened up a store. In hell.”

“Let’s skip the small talk, shall we, and get to the reason why you’re here, slayer.”

Buffy was thrown by the title. It struck that nerve inside. The one tethering her regret and grief, keeping it buried deep down. Well, buried, until she slept. Shaking off her uneasiness, she reminded herself that this was Angel, not him. This thought settled and refocused her on the task at hand.

“You’re right, I am a slayer. And we have some business to discuss. I have a proposition.”—Buffy crossed her arms over her chest—“See, the way I figure it, Wolfram and Hart are the Ring Leaders of this crazy three-ring show. Well, I’m here to run away with the circus. Say hello to your new star attraction.”

Angel let loose a throaty scoff. “You’re wasting your time and more importantly, mine, little girl.”

“Oh, I thought you were in charge, but if you can’t make it happen then I’ll go straight to the top…”

Angel stood. Moving lightening quick, he was now toe-to-toe with Buffy and tightly holding her wrist, keeping the katana she held from swinging.

“I don’t know what game you’re playing at or who sent you, but I suggest you leave before regretting you hadn’t.”

“Look, I’m the complete package. I know you have demons, vamps and even big-time lawyers at your beck and call, but not a one of them can kick major ass with the bonus benies of being human. No nasty blood drinking habit or sneaking around ‘cause I’ve got horns and a tail, and those are just the problems of the lawyers…”—Buffy smiled smugly, which felt strange with fuller lips—“And my coup de grâce, a direct link to the Powers that Be and the Council.”

Angel let her go and rounded the desk.

“I’m not telling you again, you need to leave. This is not what you want.”—Angel started scribbling on a Post-it and held it out to her—“Take this. It’s the number of another slayer. Her name is Faith and she’s living in Cleveland. She knows firsthand about this path you’re heading down. Talk to her. She can help.”

Buffy took the note and this time, truly smiled.

“Thank you, Angel.” Buffy slid the ring off her middle finger, severing the conduit holding the glamour in place.

“Buffy?” Angel breathed her name as he headed straight for her, just stopping short of pulling her into his arms.

“So betcha wanna know what’s with the whole Mystique thing, huh?”

“Among other things.”




Buffy launched into explaining the whys and hows. Mainly focusing on why those in her camp no longer trusted him or his team since they joined forces with Wolfram and Hart. Angel countered with how they were changing things from the inside, and how no-matter what, she could always trust him. It was true. Angel was capable of many things, both good and bad, but truly changing evil, especially an evil that had their fingers in hundreds maybe thousands of evil pies, was a tough nut to swallow. What’s more, it was impossible to change something without it changing you. And it always came at a price—usually a big one. Yet despite any reservations and hesitations, she decided to trust him. Well, mostly. It was impossible trusting him totally while his cushy office was located on the eighth level of hell.

In taking this leap of faith with trust as her safety net, Buffy was just about to ask Angel for his help translating the book. Well, was, until a flamboyant green demon with red eyes and horns, all decked-out in a mango-colored designer suit, breezed into Angel’s office.

“Hey, Angel-cakes. How’s our Spikey-kins doing?”

“Spikey-kins? As in Spike? As in, bleached, fashionably-challenged, obnoxiously perceptive, Spike? Is that the same Spike Barry Demonilow over there is talking about, Angel?” Buffy stepped closer to Angel, clearly pissed off.

“Mayday, mayday! All the pressure this little spitfire is generating just caused the oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling and the stewardess to tell us to return our seats to the upright position. We’re definitely heading for a crash landing here.” The demon shifted uncomfortably, his gaze ping-ponging between the two.

Ignoring the demon, Buffy struck her classic ‘don’t bull-shit me’ pose. Her hardened stare set on Angel.

“Care to fill me in how Spike is able to do anything when last I knew he was dust at the bottom of crater-a-la-Sunnydale?”

“It’s a funny story, really. Remember that amulet I gave you? Well, it came back to me in the mail and—” Buffy held up her hand, stopping Angel mid-sentence.

“I’m gonna make this really simple, Angel. I don’t care why or how Spike’s back, I just know nobody told me. The way I figure, I’m owed a big-time explanation. So what’s the reason you kept something from me this time, huh? Is it that in all your infinite wisdom, you know what’s better for me than I do? Or just flat-out jealousy?”—before Angel responded, Buffy pushed past him and headed towards the door, almost plowing into Harmony standing there. Buffy then spun around to square off with Angel—“You just swore not ten minutes ago, that no-matter what I should trust you. And this is what you do? You know what? I really shouldn’t be surprised that yet again you tried keeping the truth from me, and yet again, you’re treating me like I’m some child. Well, news flash, I’m not. I’m a woman and I’m a, no, the slayer, who died three times and beat the bad guys more times than I can count. So really, the way I see it, of the two of us, you’re the one who needs to Grow. The. Hell. Up.”

“Hey, Buffy.” Off to the side, Harmony smiled and gave a small finger-wiggle wave.

“Where’s Spike, Harmony?”

“Okay. Now don’t dust me, but you gotta know it was only that one time and he didn’t even finish, and”—off of Buffy’s ‘if-looks-could-stake’, Harmony blurted—“He’s in the infirmary. Take the elevator up two floors, make a left, then go straight. You can’t miss it.”

Buffy brushed past her and headed towards the elevator.

Harmony turned back to the room, meticulous shaped brows raised. “Okay, gotta say. If that pitiful excuse for an outfit are the slayers’ new uniform, someone totally needs to call Stacy London, like, STAT. Cause denim with faux-fur trim? So last year.”

Angel scowled at Harmony. “Oh, my bad! Is that other slayer still in here?” Harmony stage-whispered and stepped forward, looking around.

Angel growled.

“What?” Harmony frowned, still confused.





Buffy made her way to the infirmary. With only a slight detour because Harmony clearly didn’t know her left from right without holding up an index finger and thumb to make an “L” just to make sure.

By following the tinglies Buffy always had when Spike was near, she now stood outside a closed door. With a deep breath, she turned the handle and peered inside.

There lay Spike—dead asleep. Then the tears started.

__________________________________________________________

Mystique: is a character from X-Men. She can change her appearance completely. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystique_(comics)

Eighth level of the hell refers to the book, Dante’s Inferno. “The Eight Circle of Hell is resided by the fraudulent. Dante and Virgil reach it on the back of Geryon, a flying monster with different natures, just like the fraudulent. This circle of Hell is divided into 10 Bolgias or stony ditches with bridges between them. In Bolgia 1, Dante sees panderers and seducer. In Bolgia 2 he finds flatterers. After crossing the bridge to Bolgia 3, he and Virgil see those who are guilty of simony. After crossing another bridge between the ditches to Bolgia 4, they find sorcerers and false prophets. In Bolgia 5 are housed corrupt politicians, in Bolgia 6 are hypocrites and in the remaining 4 ditches, Dante finds hypocrites (Bolgia 7), thieves (Bolgia 7), evil counselors and advisers (Bolgia 8), divisive individuals (Bolgia 9) and various falsifiers such as alchemists, perjurers and counterfeits (Bolgia 10).” http://historylists.org/art/9-circles-of-hell-dantes-inferno.html

Okay, just for clarification, I know perfectly well who Lorne is. However, Buffy doesn’t, and since the story (so far) is in Buffy’s POV, she wouldn’t call him by name. To be honest, I don’t think Buffy had ever met Lorne. (at least in canon, as far as my memory serves)

Barry Demonilow: is a playoff of Barry Manilow. For those who have been living under a rock, you can read about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Manilow

Stacy London is one of the hosts of What Not to WearUSA. As the title states, this show took people who were dressed badly, took them and their wardrobes and gave a huge makeover. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Not_to_Wear_(U.S._TV_series)

Big thanks to my beta, SlayerDaniWho