PART 2

Masquerade

"Stop! Dammit, stop"

After running in circles for at least four blocks, hoping that something familiar would trigger her memory and point her in the right direction, Buffy reluctantly admitted defeat. It was useless. Her poor excuse for a memory wouldn't play fair and even though she'd been born in this small town, and supposedly lived here all of her life, it made no difference. In her present state of mind, and just four blocks from home, the troubled young woman was completely lost.

Feeling bitter, angry and frustrated, only one thought kept Buffy searching. Sadly, she was almost certain that Liam knew exactly where Crawford Street was and from the look on his face, her enraged husband could be carrying out his threat against William Pennington's at that very second.

**Don't worry about it, Buffy.. This time I'll kill him**

**I promised that bastard if he ever went near you again it would be the sorriest day of his life**

Feeling the panic in her stomach start to spread like a forest fire, burning out of control, Buffy knew she had to do something and she had to do it fast. With every wasted minute that swirled past her, the prospect of stopping the violence between the two men in her life grew less likely.

**Two men in her life? **

As the words throbbed inside her brain, Buffy's head began to hurt.

Deep inside her mind forgotten memories were surging to reach through the black abyss that kept them trapped. Fragments of her lost life teased and tormented her as they fought to return home, and the more she questioned her past, the more she knew she was being lied to.

Tiny flashes from somewhere deep inside her subconscious continually echoed that there was only one man in her life. Only one love had ever reached out and truly touched her heart.

**But was it William or Liam?**

**William Pennington is nothing but a stalker. He made your life hell for weeks**

Liam's angry voice broke through her thoughts, but only to be counter attacked by Will's.

** When you finally come to your senses, you'll remember that I love you much more than he *ever* did, and when he breaks your heart again**

More confused than ever, Buffy struggled with the two faces dancing before her eyes.

William was, rich, good-looking and he seemed genuinely found of her. But it felt wrong. There was something missing with this man, heat - fire. There was simply no spark when he kissed her.

Liam on the other hand was a different story. He not only sparked; he sent shock waves of electricity right through her body. He held the missing element. When Liam touched her skin he set her blood on fire. Buffy still couldn't remember falling in love with the man she had married, but if she really searched her heart, she didn't need her memories to know the answer. She belonged to Liam. She didn't have a past and until it returned her present was stuck in limbo but when Buffy thought of the future, if she was truly honest with herself, all she could see was Liam. All she wanted was Liam.

**But would he still want her? After this night was over would he be the one leaving this time?**

As her thoughts snapped back to the present, and to the look on Liam's face when he first heard that William was back, Buffy knew she was wasting precious time. She had to find both the mansion and Pennington before Liam did... For all their sakes.

**If only these streets didn't all look the same**

Turing her head one last time for inspiration, a flash of blurring yellow on the horizon answered her prayers.

**She might not remember the way to the mansion but there were others that did**

Stepping off the sidewalk, Buffy stood in the middle of the road and holding out both of her small arms she waved frantically, forcing the approaching taxi to stop in its tracks. With a slight screech of rubber tyres the car came to an abrupt halt and the bald headed driver shook his head in amazement as he glared out of the side window.

"Lady, have you got a serious death wish or something?" Charles Gunn demanded as he watched the small blonde waif step closer to his cab. It was his last run of the night and the last thing he needed was to hit a pedestrian, especially a crazy one.

Relieved that the car had stopped for her, Buffy was too immersed in her own troubles to notice the sarcasm in the driver's voice. Her only concern was getting to William Pennington's house as quickly as possible and putting an end to the nightmare that had taken over her life. Her first priority was stopping any bloodshed, but while she was heading in that direction, Buffy also knew there was a second reason for seeking out the English poet. She was no longer taking *no* for an answer.

With the two men in the same room, if Liam couldn't or wouldn't fill in the lost pieces of the puzzle, then maybe William would. And if they didn't, maybe it was time to make them...

**That's if they hadn't killed each other first **

"Hey! Do you want a cab or not?" The rich masculine voice of the driver broke her out of reverie.

Leaning forward, Buffy peered into the side window and gratefully nodded her head.

"I need to get to Crawford Street. I'm looking for a mansion " She asked as she flung open the car door and after closing it behind her, dropped wearily into the back seat. "Please, as quickly as possible"

"Sure, I know the place you want. That's where that poet lives. My wife reads his work all the time. A bit hearts and flowers for my taste but she likes it" The driver chatted happily as he pulled back out into the road. Although it was getting dark, he was surprised the girl needed a cab, it was such a short distance and every person in Sunnydale knew where the English writer lived. After all, how many celebrities were there in Sunnydale?

Raising his eyes to his mirror, Charles Gunn studied his passenger sitting quietly in the back seat. She was an extremely attractive young woman, although a little on the thin side if he was honest, but it wasn't her looks that caught his attention. The girl's eyes were so troubled, the sad hazel orbs almost looked haunted.

Turning on to main Street Charles tried to strike up a conversation.

"I guess you must be new in town" He asked, not believing a local wouldn't know where Crawford street was.

Buffy was looking out of the window at the passing houses, at the question she sighed sadly.

"I've been away for a while, I guess my memory's not what it used to be" She tried to act calmly but the tension in her voice wasn't missed on either of them.

" Don't worry, It's not that far, we'll be there in less than ten minutes"

"Good... That's good." Buffy turned her head away from the window as her gallery flashed past and closed her eyes.

It seemed the longest ten minutes of her life...

*****

Crawford street, it turned out, was just on the outskirts of town and much to Buffy's surprise, it seemed that every person in Sunnydale knew of William Pennington and the large mansion he kept on in Sunnydale. Everyone that was except her.

The journey seemed to last forever and as the cab turned down the impressive street in question, Buffy's eyes nervously flicked from one large building to the next, hoping that one of them would jump out at her and shout its recognition. In the end she didn't need to be told that they had arrived. When the car pulled up in front of the most impressive building in Sunnydale, Buffy went cold. Looming up out of the dark night, the cold gray structure seemed to whisper out her name from every nook and cranny.

"This is Pennington's place, but it doesn't look like anyone's at home" the driver said offering his opinion as he glanced up at the tall building, blanketed in total darkness.

This part of town was so isolated; he didn't like the idea of leaving the young woman all alone. There was something very vulnerable about the small blonde girl in the back seat of his cab and the thought of leaving her stranded went against his better judgement.

"I can wait for you if you want" Charles asked over his shoulder.

Buffy smiled her gratitude but refused the kind offer. "Thanks, but I'll be fine"

Climbing from the cab, she watched the taillights disappear back up the street, and turning towards the mansion, Buffy shivered and felt the small hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. There was something evil about this house. At one time in her life this house had caused her intense pain.

**And you want to go right back inside? Great idea** Buffy tried to reason with herself about going inside, but she already knew she would lose that argument.

**Liam's inside that house. Liam, William Pennington and the secrets from my past.. **

It didn't matter how afraid she was; there was no going back..

*****

Climbing the stone steps that lead to the front door, Buffy took a deep breath and felt a needed rush of adrenaline wash through her tired body. She was through with all the lies, all the bullshit she had been spun since she'd first woken into this nightmare of a world. It was time to take charge of her life and stop being the victim. It was time to fight fire with fire and at that very moment Buffy realised that maybe it was time she used a few dirty tricks of her own.

**You just left, Buffy. You didn't give me the chance to understand. You. Just. Left. **

If what Liam had told her was true, he couldn't help her; so, she would just have to help herself.

On reaching the top step, the first signs that Liam had reached the mansion before her was clearly obvious. The large front door was left ajar and as Buffy pushed it open and walked in, she immediately noticed the sound of broken glass snap crisply beneath her small feet.

**Oh God, Liam. What have i done**

Buffy felt her stomach nosedive and it took every ounce of strength she had, not to turn around and run as far away from the house as possible. Only the knowledge that if she did run, it wouldn't just be from the house stopped her. Buffy knew if she didn't confront her demons now she wouldn't stop running until she could never be found again.

As a vision of soft brown, enigmatic eyes rose up and teased her memory, she finally accepted that she didn't want to run any longer. She wanted answers. Straight answers. What ever happened next she was finally taking back her life.

"Hello?.." Buffy waited for a second but there was no reply. Only faint echoes of her own voice accompanied her footsteps.

"Liam?" She called out louder this time but received the same response.

Continuing to walk through the impressive hallway, the sound of shattered glass was the only noise that broke the eerie stillness. The hall was in darkness but even still, Buffy couldn't fail to notice other telltale signs of a fight. On noticing a splintered table blocking her path a sliver of fear crept slowly up her spine.

**This was all her fault and if Liam was hurt...** Buffy shut that thought down as quickly as it flashed through her head. The thought of her husband suffering pain because he thought she was an unfaithful bitch was more than she could bear.

"Maybe I should reconsider that running away option again" Buffy tried to joke but it fell flat.

Following the trail of damage, she eventually noticed a small glow coming from under a door at the far end of the hall.

With a small push the large door opened without a sound. Buffy stopped dead still in the doorway and peered inside.

The room was beautiful. Heavy drapes hung across all the windows and although the only light in the room came from a small over turned lamp, the uninvited guest had little difficulty making out the lone figure, leaning drunkenly against one wall at the far end of the sitting room.

As she stood in the doorway William Pennington made no attempt to look up. His thoughts were far too immersed in the bottle of bourbon that was happily slipping down his throat, trying to numb the burning pain that shot behind his bruised eyes.

His whole body ached but that wasn't the pain William was trying to wipe out. He had been so close, so bloody close to taking Buffy away from that bastard Angelus that he could almost taste it. But suddenly it didn't taste so sweet. It wasn't supposed to have happened this way. When Darla had first asked him to help her get rid of Liam's wife it had all seemed so simple. He wasn't supposed to care about her, just break them apart.

**That stupid bitch of a sister should have warned me. ** William inwardly cursed as he once again raised the bottle to his lips and tried to numb the pain in his heart.

** Nothing about Buffy Angelus was simple, she had away of getting into a man's blood and once under his skin, there was no way of getting free.**

For the first time in his life, William was hopelessly in love and there was nothing he wouldn't do to keep her.

The fight had been wonderful; Liam had played right into his hands and as soon as his bruises were at their best, he would put a call into the cops and have the loser arrested.

At the though of Buffy's husband behind bars and finally out of his hair, Will smiled. It was at that point that he felt her presence.

"William.. " Buffy's spoke quietly but made no attempt to enter the room.

Lifting his head to the sound of her voice, he didn't answer at first; he just let his eyes drink in the contours of her face.

Under such an intense gaze Buffy felt her cheeks flush and her throat go dry. On closer inspection, the room was a real mess. As her eyes scanned the damage, Will's head turned a fraction and the light from the lamp lit up the full extent of his beating. Both his eyes were beginning to swell and there was a thin line of blood smeared beneath nose, which by the shape of it was possibly broken.

"Oh, God.. Are you all right?" With the shock of seeing the good looking face, battered and bruised almost beyond recognition, Buffy took her first steps into the room.

Yet again broken glass cracked beneath her feet.

At this second question William shook his head, slightly amused at her concern. At the sudden movement a searing pain shot through his battered body and he quickly lifted the bottle he was still holding to his split lips and knocked back what was left of the contents. The cool amber liquid burned with a welcome fire as it slid effortlessly down the back of his throat, but even though most of the alcohol was now swimming happily through his blood stream, it so far hadn't numbed the pain.

"I hope your husband knows a good defence lawyer, he's certainly going to need one"

William looked up and his hungry gaze bore directly into Buffy's eyes. For an instant, she felt an unreasonable tremor of fear flutter through her body but it was quickly pushed a side.

"I think it's safe to say Liam has that covered" Refusing to let herself feel intimidated, Buffy's voice hid her fear well.

As she studied the damage her husband had left on the younger man's face, strangely, her first thought was for Liam's safety.

** Liam might be an excellent attorney but If Pennington pressed assault charges against him...** Buffy tried not to think of the consequences. Trying to ignore the deep purple swellings now covering what had earlier been a devilishly handsome face, she tried to change the subject.

"You told me we were lovers.. I want to know why you lied to me."

"I never lied to you, pet."

Buffy didn't move.

"Angelus got to you, didn't he?" Pulling away from the wall, William snorted in disgust.

Buffy still didn't move, although her heart was beating so hard she thought that it would break her chest she stood her ground.

"He's a clever sod, I'll give him that much" William spat a mouthful of blood towards the floor and dropped the bottle he was holding into the nearest chair.

"It never crossed your mind that he's the one telling the lies. No, you'd rather believe what that smarmy bastard fed you than follow your own heart" Shoving his hands in the front pockets of his tight, faded jeans, Will slowly sauntered forward.

As the tall, slim figure moved through the dim light, Buffy tried not to notice how his jeans sheathed his lean hips or how his white T-shirt hugged his well-developed chest. Tilting her head slightly, their eyes met and for a second she almost swore she saw a flicker of despair in his penetrating gaze, but only for a second. When she looked again it was quickly replaced with an arrogant gleam.

**Sexy, arrogant bastard**

Even on the wrong end of a severe beating William Pennington looked hot, but no matter how much sex appeal he radiated, Buffy didn't feel the attraction. Even with amnesia she knew he wasn't her type

**He's wasn't Liam**

**You'd rather believe what that smarmy bastard fed you than follow your own heart**

"But that's where you're wrong. It's my heart that knows you're lying." Buffy snapped back the reply with cool certainty.

William laughed

"Am I? And why would I lie Buffy?" he asked as his hungry eyes slid insolently down the full length of her body. She was still wearing her new dress and it was having the same effect on him as it had earlier worked on Angel

Buffy stood frozen to the spot as William continued to close the distance between them. As his tall lean body moved ever closer the air between them seemed to crackle. Anticipation, fear, love, hate. The emotions being exchanged between the two of them with each new step were almost tangible.

"Someone is lying to me" Feeling uncomfortable by his closeness, Buffy tried to retreat but her progress was stopped as she felt her back hit the cold wall

"Like I said before, why would *I* lie? You might not remember yet but when you do you'll know that you belong to me, Buffy. You love me" William's grin was so smug Buffy would have given anything at that moment to knock it right off his face.

Coming to a stand still Will placed his hands on each side of her body, trapping her small frame up against the wall. He leaned forward, his nose nearly touching hers. Buffy swallowed, she could almost taste the alcohol on his breath, as she took a nervous breath, she could smell his blood

"Trust me, pet. I'm the good guy here"

He was teasing her now and his eyes glinted seductively as his body pressed even closer.

Buffy nervously bit into her bottom lip.

"I don't believe.. " she didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. William grabbed her; his long slim fingers gripping her thin arms so tightly they bruised the delicate flesh. Buffy struggled but before she could breakaway he clamped his hot mouth over her lips and kissed her with a desire so passionate that the girl in his arms almost forgot how to breathe.

"Buffy. Oh, God, Buffy." William whispered fiercely as time after time, his hungry mouth tore at her lips

Caught completely off guard, Buffy's mind whirled as her blood pumped wildly through her veins. The kiss was rough, almost violent and as William groaned deep in his throat, his arms tightened around Buffy's slim shoulders pulling her body into his. The kiss grew more intense but even as Buffy's heart thundered against her ribs she knew that it wasn't passion she was feeling.... The kiss was wrong, in every way possible it was wrong.

This man could never have been her lover; he didn't come near to touching her heart the way Liam always did. He might be touching her body but he could never reach inside her soul. William Pennington was a fraud, a liar and that was the truth. She didn't know if it was a just a gut feeling or a lost memory trying to break through, but she knew it was the truth.

**This man wasn't the reason you left Angel**

With the realisation set in stone, Buffy finally yanked her head away. Her large hazel eyes flashing with emotion

"Let go of me. It's not you, it was never you"

For a moment only the sound of hard breathing separated them. In an instant, the temperature in the room seemed to drop to freezing and both occupants knew their lives would never be the same again.

"It was never you" Buffy whispered again as she fought to control her breathing.

The harsh words stuck home and stole every vestige of colour from the blonde man's cheeks. Standing in the dim light, his skin took on the deadly white appearance of the dead.

"Your memory's returned" It was a statement, not a question. One glance at the fire in her hazel eyes told him without doubt that the deception was over.

Buffy just continued to glare and played her own charade for all she was worth. Whatever happened next, she knew it would once again change her life forever.

For the longest moment of William Pennington's life there was no sound in the room.

If he were completely honest with himself he would have admitted that her kiss had already told him everything he needed to know. She didn't love him, even in a complete state of amnesia Buffy couldn't return the feelings his heart overflowed with and, now that she remembered her past, she would never be his. It was over.

The bluff was called and he had lost.

Fooled into believing that the woman he adored now knew who really was lying, William felt his happiness slide away. He'd always known the game he and Darla were playing was dangerous. There was always a strong possibility that Buffy would remember their so-called love affair was only in his head, but it was a chance he accepted willingly. Stretching the truth a little or even a lot if he got the girl of his dreams wasn't a problem. And it had almost worked. Just a few more days and the Angelus' marriage would have been destroyed forever. The look on the old sod's face that night had told him that much. Liam Angelus had walked from his house a shattered man.

** If only the bloody amnesia had lasted a few more days**

Cursing under his breath, and knowing he had nothing left to lose William took a step towards Buffy.

"I might have lied about our affair, Buffy, but it doesn't change how I feel about you." He started softly and nervously ran his hand across his bruised jaw.

Buffy moved away from the wall, but as the realisation of William's deceit sank in, her anger started to spin out of control. Thinking she was being lied to was one thing but hearing somebody admit that they had purposely tried to ruin her life was very different.

"Oh God, I was right, it was you all the time. Everything you told me was a lie... I almost believed you"

Too late, William realised his mistake. Buffy hadn't remembered her past at all. She had played him for a fool and he had let her trick a confession from his stupid mouth.

**Fuck it**

At the look of horror that crossed her beautiful features, Will quickly tried to justify his actions.

"I only did it because I love you, Buffy. You have no idea what it's like watching you, day after day, being so unhappy. I've had this ache in my chest ever since the first second I saw you. You were in so much pain...The way he treated you.. I just wanted to save you " William's jaw tightened and his skin drew tight across his chiselled cheekbones.

Holding on to the back of a chair for support, Buffy closed her eyes as a single tear slipped beneath her dark lashes..

"I love you" He tried to reach for her but she pushed his hand away.

"You bastard. You low-life lying bastard. I've been in hell for the last two weeks and all the time you could have ended it. That was when you could have saved me " Buffy cried out as the pain and confusion trapped inside her head exploded. She wasn't a cheat or a liar. He was.

To her surprise, William started to laugh but there was no humour in the cold sound

" You're not the only one, luv. I've been in Hell now for the last two years. I didn't want to fall in love with you. I knew it was wrong, but I had no choice. You're in my gut, in my throat, I'm drowning in you Summers, I'm drowning in you" Before she could move further away, William's fingers clamped around her wrists, once again pulling her body up hard against his chest.

" Just give me a chance to explain"

Leaning his face close to her ear, Will's hot breath washed over her cold skin in shuddering waves.

"No" Buffy gasped

She tried pulling her hands free but his long fingers bit deep into her flesh.

"Stop fighting me, I won't hurt you"

"You already have"

"Please..."

Buffy refused to listen as renewed anger burned through her veins.

"After what you've put me through there's nothing you could say that I would believe. I could never love a man like you..." She raised her head and stared straight into his cool, dangerous eyes.

William smirked, but her next three words cut right through his heart and shattered the four beating chambers into a million shards.

"You're beneath me"

Pennington jerked as if she had physically slapped him but continued to grip both her small wrists in his large fingers.

"You bitch. You bloody bitch.. I'll show you who's beneath who"

Before Buffy could move, the handsome features facing her changed into an almost unrecognisable mask of fury. With a violent jerk, once again Will's lips firmly moulded over her mouth. Gasping in horror, Buffy tried to break free, but he was too strong. Continuing to struggle, hot tears of anger welled up in her eyes but it was only when she tasted blood in her mouth, where his teeth had bitten into her lower lip did she finally find the strength to push away

"Let. Me. Go. " The sound of her voice sent a chill right through the room.

Still locked within the circle of William's strong arms Buffy glared at him with stormy green eyes

"Buffy, please" William pleaded as he tried desperately to hold onto the struggling girl's wrists. The situation was getting out of control and he had to try and make her see sense.

Buffy was now beyond listening to anything he said. Her bruised lips throbbed and her wrists stung with the pressure of his finger.

"Get the fuck off me" Without another word, Buffy kicked out her foot and nailed his shin as hard as she could.

"Bloody Hell" William jerked back in shock, releasing Buffy's wrist at the same time. For a second, a look of sheer disbelief flashed across his face but it was quickly dropped. Knowing that he had burnt all his bridges the handsome young man's heavy shoulders finally sagged in defeat and he stepped back.

" You bastard, I could have you arrested for this" Buffy's voice was so quiet he almost missed the threat.

When she lifted her hand to her mouth and ran her trembling fingers across her swollen lips, William sighed, letting out a deep ragged breath.

"For what its worth.. I'm sorry"

Even as the words slipped over his lips he knew in his heart that he wasn't sorry for lying, just sorry it hadn't worked.

Not wanting to stay in the same room as Pennington for another second, Buffy shook her head and turned to walk away, but as she went to walk out the door, she stopped.

"Just answer me one question honestly.... Darla... Darla told me the same story... Why? " That was the one part of this charade that Buffy still didn't understand. Darla had almost convinced her that William was telling the truth.

At the sound of his sister's name, William suddenly saw one last spark of hope. As long as Buffy thought it was only him plotting against her, Darla still had a chance to break them wide apart. Buffy might hate him at the moment but if she thought Liam was screwing Darla, maybe, just maybe he could still save something from this disaster. It worked like a charm the last time they had tried it. Buffy was so angry she ran all the way to New York. As long as she still had amnesia there was no reason it wouldn't work again.

William inwardly smiled. If he couldn't have Buffy he would do everything in his power to make sure that Liam never could.

Turning his head he let his eyes shadow with guilt.

"Don't blame Darla, she's my sister and she believed what I told her. Darla has nothing to do with any of this "Even as the lie was growing William started to feel that there was still a chance. Darla would save the day; she always was the stronger sibling.

**Besides, she had got him into this fucking mess in the first place**

Lowering his eyes and looking as sad and pathetic as he possibly could, the young poet was already working out his next move. He took a slow breath, fighting to keep his tone as level as possible.

" Tell your *husband* I won't be pressing charges" Will rubbed the large purple swelling that covered his jaw and winced slightly with the pain. There was still a hint of bitterness in his voice but that couldn't be helped. After all, he was a poet not a bloody actor.

Relieved that Liam wouldn't get in trouble, Buffy nodded. She still wasn't sure if she believed William, especially the part about his sister not knowing, but when her gaze finally settled on his battered face all she could read was pain in the depths of his troubled eyes. Pain and a deep sadness.

Moving through the doorway Buffy realised that she still had so many questions unanswered but now was not the time or the place to ask them. Taking one final look at the man who had tried to destroy her marriage, she left William Pennington with a final shot.

"Maybe its time you took a trip back to the mother country.. And stayed there"

******


William dragged his bruised body up the stairs and headed straight for the bathroom. As he switched on the light he caught his reflection in the mirror and winced. Both eyes were now nothing more than swollen slits and the best part of his jaw was purple. It was definitely not one of his better nights. Turning on the shower spray, Will kicked off his boots, carefully pulled his blood splattered T-shirt over his head and dropped his jeans on the bathroom floor. His face was a mess, his dreams of a life with Buffy were in ruins and there was no hot water.

Stepping under the spray the water was ice cold and it stung. Sharp needles attacked his bruised flesh but in his present state of mind William didn't care. It was a welcome distraction. Closing his eyes, he leant against the cold tiles and as the icy water washed over his body he let all thoughts of Buffy wash over his mind. Tomorrow, first thing he would call Darla. She would know what to do. Darla would make it right, she always did.


With the sound of the front door slamming loudly behind her, Buffy held her head high and walked away from William Pennington's house determined to bring an end, once and for all, to the nightmare that had plunged her life into confusion.

For one terrifying moment, as she fled along the darkened hallway of the mansion, she swore she felt William's presence behind her. But, as her heartbeat pounded so hard in her chest that it almost snapped a rib, Buffy accepted that her *stalker* had finally accepted the painful truth.

**Stalker?**

As soon as the word Angel had used for William slipped in to her head Buffy rejected it. Despite everything that had happened between the two of them, she knew that the cruel description of the blonde English poet wasn't really the truth. She realised sadly, that in all fairness, William really did seem to love her. The foolish young man had worn his heart on his sleeve and his emotions had blazed from his cool blue eyes with every longing glance, but it still didn't change anything. No matter how much he thought he loved her, Buffy couldn't change her feelings about him.

She would never love William. She couldn't love him.

Taking a full breath of cool night air, Buffy silently cursed her amnesia and the fact that she still couldn't remember what her life had been like just a few months earlier. It was so hard living in the dark, not knowing who she could to turn to or who she to trust.

Running her hands through her hair she stopped when she reached her temples and ignoring the pain, she pressed her fingers firmly against the skin.

"It's not like I'm asking for total recall. Just a few names and faces would be a start." Buffy tried to reason with the dark void that swirled inside in her head but as always it remained immune to her pleas.

Whatever was trapped inside her mind it was content to stay there...

**But for how long. A week. A month. A year.... The rest of my life**

The thought of living the rest of her life with no memory of her childhood, her family, or of even falling in love, sent a rush of depression straight to her heart. But, this time, Buffy refused to feel sorry for herself. If that was how her life played out, she now knew she had the strength to deal with it.

The scene with William had been painful but it had cleared up a lot of confusion

Buffy now knew that whatever her past life had been like, it didn't include loving Will Pennington. She didn't need memories to know that much. Her skin whispered it to her and the beat of her heart confirmed it and if she really needed more confirmation, the rich blood that pounded through her veins screamed out that her heart had been lost long before she had ever known William.

Her heart belonged to Angel. It didn't matter if he now hated her, If he never forgave her. Buffy's heart would always belong to Angel.

Thinking back to William she sadly shook her head

What ever his reasons were for lying to her, Buffy would never be able forgive the good-looking Englishman for his deceit and dishonesty. He had taken advantage of her when she had been at her lowest and that in itself was unforgivable.

For a second she felt a flicker of grief. In different circumstances they might have become friends, but that could never happen now, any chance of a friendship was ruined. After tonight, Buffy knew that she would never see William again, the defeated look in his eyes when she turned away from him had told her that much.

**Maybe that was for the best**

Feeling a slight weight lift from her slim shoulders Buffy walked down the stone steps and, standing in the middle of the deserted street, she exhaled a deep sigh of relief.

**She had one tiny part of her life back.. Whatever else she might turn out to be, she wasn't an adulteress**

A cool breeze fluttered down Crawford Street and gently rattled the leaves in the nearby trees. Buffy shivered as the chill brushed over her skin and left tiny goosebumps on her bare arms. There was definitely a storm in the air and in all her hurry to stop Liam from killing William, she had left without a coat and was now stranded in the middle of Sunnydale.

Tilting her head up towards the heavens, she watched a thick blanket of cloud move slowly across the evening sky. As the stars faded from her sight, Buffy sighed. The swirling grey masses dominating the skyline matched her mood perfectly.

** How could she have been fooled so easily. She should have known right from the start that William was lying..**

**Why hadn't she seen right through him..?**

She already knew both these arguments were irrational. Pennington had taken advantage of her amnesia and used it for... for what?..... Buffy shook her head not wanting to even travel up that road of thought. How easily it could have all gone wrong. With a shudder she realised how simple it would have been to have believed his stories and fallen into his bed.....

"Stop it!" Again she slammed the door on thoughts of William.

**William was now firmly in the past. She now had to look only towards the future**

"Do I even have a future?"

**You could always get the hell out of here once and for all. Leave Sunnydale and all this misery behind you.**

Buffy closed her eyes as the thought drifted into her mind. Leaving this town was a possibility but the only trouble was, if she ran now, the empty void that lived within her, would surely follow her for the rest of her days.

"Or maybe I could just stay, stay here and make a new life for myself?" Ignoring the fact that she was standing in the middle of the street talking to herself, Buffy pondered the argument out loud.

There were two options now staring in front of her..

** A life completely on her own or.... A new life with Angel?**

The second choice brought a small smile to her lips.

**How many people get a second chance?**

"But would Angel still want her?**

Buffy looked up and then down the still deserted street and shook her head wishing that she had accepted the cab driver's kind offer to wait for her. She shuddered to think what William had told Liam and how much he had believed. From the damage to William's face she knew it hadn't gone well. The first thing she had to do now was find her husband and bring an end to William's deception once and for all. Only after they had laid the past to rest could they talk about the future.

But there was one giant stumbling block........With the whole town so unfamiliar, where on earth would she start?

"Where would Liam go?" Buffy closed her eyes and took a slow deep breath.

At first she felt nothing, just the usual swirling void that blocked her mind with its confusion and tormented her with its empty promises. But Buffy was tired of playing the victim, instead of giving in to the darkness that fought her at every turn; she battered her way through the abyss. Her memory might not play fair but as Buffy delved into her soul, her heart played its trump card. A tiny crack appeared in the void and a trickle of light seeped into her mind.

**The beach. Go to the beach**

Night had completely fallen on Sunnydale by the time she reached her destination and the occasional moonbeam peeping through the gathering clouds was the only light breaking the darkness.

After sinking up to her ankles in the soft sand, Buffy slipped off her shoes and decided to continue on barefoot. Walking to the water's edge, the fine white sand felt cold and damp beneath her small feet and every few seconds, a small rush of water would slip over her toes as the cool waves caressed the shore and then quickly fled back to the sea.

The beach was simply beautiful in the dim light, and even though it appeared to be totally deserted, the small girl didn't feel at all out of place. Buffy had the strangest feeling that she was safe there.

Staying near the water's edge for a guideline, she continued to walk along the wet sand with just the sound of the waves for company.

Buffy stopped to pick up a small shell from beneath her toes and breathed in deeply. She licked her lips tasting the salt in the air and sighed as the cool sea breeze washed over her and revitalised her tired skin.

For the very first time that night she felt relaxed.

And that was the moment she felt his presence

**Angel was there**

She couldn't see him yet, but she could feel him. Buffy knew that somewhere in this darkness Liam was out there, hurt and alone and fighting with demons of his own

******
A mile along the beach and with the lights of Sunnydale now a distant memory, Angel stared out at the ocean in front of him and his handsome face fell into a deep scowl.

At his feet the usually lazy waves were almost unrecognisable as they crashed angrily along the shoreline. His expensive leather shoes were probably already ruined as the salt water splashed around his ankles, soaking through his sock and trousers.

Not that Liam cared.

He'd gone there hoping the cool sea air would clear his hot head and maybe blow all thoughts of his wife away once and for all, but it had been a mistake. The beach was the last place he should have sought solace.

Buffy was everywhere.

The surf whispered her name as it tumbled over his feet. Every grain of sand reminded him of happier times and just what he had lost.

Standing alone in the darkness, with the salty spray blowing through his hair, the tall dark figure tried desperately to put the shattered pieces of his life back together. As the events of the last few hours replayed in his head like a bad movie, the lonely young man angrily chastised himself for acting so foolishly.

He couldn't believe that he'd almost fallen for that poet's bullshit. Life had been crazy these last four months and nothing made sense any more but if there was one thing he was certain of, it was that Buffy had never cheated on him. Their marriage had been so damn perfect that the idea of either of them cheating was laughable. She wasn't just his wife, she was his lover and his best friend all rolled into one. Liam honestly believed that he would have known if she had been that unhappy. He would have felt it in his soul if she had given her heart away to Pennington.

**But you didn't feel her leave you** Closing his eyes Liam shook the argument from his head.

In all honesty, it was too close to home. It was true, he hadn't seen her leaving him, the day it happened had been such a surprise it had almost knocked him over.

**It's over. Don't even think of looking for me because I'm never coming back. I never want to see you again, not as long as I live. I'll never forgive you for this... Buffy**

He still found it madness. Buffy had left him for something *HE* had supposedly done and no matter how hard he tried to think back, Liam was still dammed if he knew what on earth it was. They hadn't fought, not so much as a cross word and, then, completely out of the blue his wife had fled into the night.

**But she didn't leave you for him. ** The thought brought little comfort. Somewhere lost deep in his wife's memory there was still the real reason for her leaving and until she remembered, Liam knew they would both continue to be haunted.

******

Thirty minutes after arriving at the beach, Buffy's sand covered feet had covered almost a mile without seeing another human being.

The beach was totally deserted and as the clouds continued to roll in from the sea, bringing the promise of a real downpour, the small glow of moonlight that had guided her earlier path grew dimmer. But it didn't matter how dark or how cold the night got; she wasn't quitting until she found him.

With a lonely sigh, Buffy wrapped her cold arms around her body and walked deeper into the night


A lone dark figure stood gazing out toward the sea; his mind lost deep in thought, as the troubles of the world pressed firmly down on his broad shoulders. In dark trousers and a loose black silk shirt, which flapped freely in the soft sea breeze, the tall form was almost cloaked by the blanket of night. Almost - but not quite.

Watching the endless shoreline blend into the distance with no sign of another human being in sight, Buffy stopped for a moment to get her bearings. She turned her face towards the water's edge and let the salty breeze spray up over her face.

From all indications there was a real storm rolling in from the ocean. On the horizon large black rain clouds merged over the silky waters, ready to do battle with each other all night and if she wasn't careful, Buffy knew she would be in for one hell of soaking. Even if she turned back now she doubted she would make it in time.

On that thought, she glanced one last time at what she believed was a deserted beach and as her eyes swept the vast nothingness, the moon chose that precise moment to slip out from beneath a blanket of cloud. A soft moonbeam of light swept down on the sand casting an almost ghostly white glow on the hidden figure.

"Angel...."

*****

Even though he hadn't seen a soul in over an hour, Liam had the strangest sensation of being watched.

The sensation grew.

"Hey!" She tried for the casual approach but the tone was a little strained.

Liam made no attempt to turn around, he just kept his gaze fixed on the dark waves dancing in the distance and focused on their anger instead of his own pain.

"How did you find me?"

Buffy sighed, she still wasn't really sure herself. In the end she just told him the truth.

"I have no idea. I just closed my eyes and followed my heart"

Still refusing to turn around and face her, Liam's eyes fixed firmly on the ocean in frustration.

"Your heart told you I was here?"

Buffy nodded.

"I don't understand how, but it's as if i could feel you. I just knew you would be here." She watched his broad shoulders waiting for some kind of reaction, when there was none, she continued in a low whisper.

" Angel.. My head might have forgotten you but my heart remembers"

As the words slipped into his head, Liam slowly turned around and met her eyes. Buffy watched as the anger drained from his tired face, leaving his dark haunted gaze full of pain and sadness.

"My heart remembers as well and that's what's killing me Buffy. I don't know when it all fell apart and I don't know how to make it right"

The sadness in his voice cut her deeply. Until now they had been going around in circles but it was time to stop dancing with each other and face their problems head on.

"I've seen William" she started quietly but didn't get very far before Liam interrupted.

"Me too" At the sound of the other man's name, he smirked bitterly and unconsciously rubbed his bruised knuckles. The back of his right hand was swollen and already turning a painful shade of blue. For a second his mind flickered back to the earlier confrontation with Pennington and his anger intensified.

Buffy watched as a rapid play of emotion flashed across his face.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you? "She asked with concern but she could already see for her self that his face was unmarked.

Liam snorted with disgust. The very thought of Pennington hurting him physically was ridiculous. But even as he thought it, he knew it wasn't quite true. Pennington had hurt him, as much as Liam hated to admit it, the arrogant bastard had almost destroyed him with a few smug words.

"He told me the two of you were having an affair behind my back" Liam couldn't stop himself, he knew it was bullshit but the words tumbled over his lips before he could stop them

Buffy fell silent for a moment carefully choosing her next words; the last thing she wanted was to send her husband running off after William again. She needed to tell him the truth but maybe she should hold back on some of the more sordid details.

"He was lying."

Liam lifted his head, noticing immediately the turmoil on her face.

"Was he? And how do you know that. I thought you couldn't remember him?" For a second the anger returned and flashed brightly in his chocolate orbs.

Buffy swallowed hard but refused to feel intimidated. She hadn't done anything wrong.

"He told me the same thing that he told you and because I was hurt and confused I believed him. How could I ask you? I didn't have anybody I could turn too. I didn't have anybody..."

Liam started to move forward but on seeing the distress on her face he stopped.

Buffy fought back the tears that burned the back of her throat and held her head high.

"He was very convincing. He was sweet and kind and he could see how lost I was and he used it to his advantage."

"And you just fell for it?"

" I might have amnesia but dammit I'm not stupid, It took a while but I saw through his lies and tonight I called his bluff.

" Did he touch you?" Liam asked, his jaw tight with frustration.

Wanting the violence to end Buffy shook her head

"In his own crazy way I think he really does loves me, but it was all in his head. I don't love him. I don't feel anything for him at all..."

A look of doubt shadowed Liam's eyes and for the longest time it lingered there.

"We don't have to worry about him anymore. William's promised to leave me alone, he's not going to cause us any more problems"

Angel snorted again. William Pennington had made it very clear that night that their problems had only just started. **For a start there would be assault charges**

Whilst caught up in his own thoughts he failed to notice the expression on Buffy's face as her eyes started to move around the beach.

"Angel.. I..." She bit into her bottom lip as her eyes took in the dark rocks that towered up behind them. "This place is so familiar. Have we been here before"

The question jolted Liam back to the present.

"Do you remember?"

"Just for a second there was something... It's gone now but I have been here before, right?"

**Tell her the truth**

" Yes.. We used to come here to swim. Before we were married we would come down here to get away from Dawn and... " The sadness in his voice returned but it wasn't swimming in the sea that Buffy remembered

"No, there's something else" She struggled desperately to retain the memory. This time the feelings were so strong that she could almost touch them. Tiny echoes whispered deep inside her head as the void, that was holding back her past, started to break down.

Shaking her head she frowned not able to make any sense of the feelings she was receiving.

"Why does this place seem so important to me?"

Liam sighed deeply. From now on there was no more secrets, if she asked a question he would tell her what she needed to know. No matter how much it hurt.

"Because this is where I asked you to marry me. I got down on one knee right there in the sand and I got soaked to the skin for my trouble."

Buffy closed her eyes and searched deep for the memory, surely something that important couldn't stay hidden forever.

"Did we ever make love here?"

Before he could make it stop a flash of tangled limbs and gentle moans rose up from of his memory and once again tormented his eyes.

Liam just nodded his reply as he fought to wipe the visions way. It simply hurt too much knowing that Buffy no longer shared these memories with him.

Everything hurt too much these days.

Feeling his chest start to ache, Liam realised that for Buffy those memories could possibly be lost forever.

Buffy shivered as the sea breeze increased and she wrapped her arms around slender frame. In the sky overhead the clouds were continuing to gather, growing thicker with their promise of rain.

"I think I was happy here"

"You were"

A single clap of thunder brought the conversation to an abrupt end...

It was no surprise when it began to rain, the first few drops turning quickly into a downpour.
"Quick.. This way" Angel grabbed his wife's hand and turning away from the water's edge, he pulled her towards the nearest shelter

*****

"You're soaking wet"

"So are you"

Buffy blushed feeling her wet dress cling to her curves like a second skin.

Using incredible willpower, Liam dragged his hungry eyes away from his wife's trembling body. The shower had made the material of her light dress almost transparent and the sight of her slender frame so close and yet so far away, was driving him almost insane.

Scrambling from the storm, Buffy thought the small cave carved out at the foot of the rocks had been a miracle find. Liam remained quiet; he didn't have the heart to tell her that they had been there before.

Trying to take his mind off the thoughts he knew would hurt like hell, he turned his head and glanced back outside, hoping for a break in the weather. Outside the moon had temporarily escaped the grey mass of cloud, but the heavens over Sunnydale continued to pour down on them.

Turning his back on the rain, and keeping his eyes away from Buffy's curves, he knew their only option was to sit tight and wait for the storm to blow its self out.

It was going to be a very long night.

Almost soaked to the skin, Buffy shivered and pushed her wet hair away from her eyes.

Illuminated by only the soft glow of the moon, she looked so heartbreakingly young and beautiful that Liam felt his body stir with a speed that shocked him. Memories of them making love late at night in the cool sand, just a few months earlier, rose up and washed over his frustrated body and he had to fight back an overwhelming urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her until they were both senseless.

The wind chose that precise moment to howl through the cave and to Liam's relief, thoughts of kissing disappeared.

Buffy wrapped her arms around herself to try and keep the chill away but it didn't work.

"Buffy, you're cold" Liam reached up and gently brushed the rain away from her face with his fingertips.

Buffy shivered again and knew it was more from his touch than the cold.

"A little" Her voice shook and the small hairs on her arm stood on end.

Liam lifted her hand and started to gently rub the cool flesh beneath his fingertips. As his feather light caresses slid across her skin Buffy's stomach flipped.

"I know it's not going to be easy, with the amnesia and all, but we need to talk, Buffy. About Pennington and everything else that's coming between us" Liam took a slow breath, fighting to keep his tone level but it was a waste of effort. How could he speak calmly when his heart was doing somersaults inside his chest?

As his long fingers continued to dance lightly across her skin, setting every nerve and fibre alight with their touch, Buffy fought with the very same needs. His touch was so warm and familiar that it was leaving her breathless.

Feeling her mouth go dry she slid her tongue nervously across her lower lip, never once taking her eyes from Liam's face.

"I know " she whispered and took a small step closer. Looking deeply into his dark eyes, she was amazed at the emotion shining back at her.

After everything that had happened between the two of them, he still loved her. He still wanted her.

Raising her free hand she trailed one finger gently down his cheek.

"I know in my heart that there's a chance that my memory might never return. I also know that people like William can take advantage of that if I let them. So, I'm not letting anyone take advantage of me ever again. I'll call the doctor in the morning and I'll get some help if I can, but I can't worry about the past any more. If it's gone then I'll have to accept that and move on. " Buffy heartbeat increased and she felt a rush of adrenaline pump through her veins, giving her the courage she needed to continue.

Taking a deep breath she spoke straight from her heart.

"I want a future, Angel.... I want a future with you.. Only you"

Outside, the rain thundered down on the sand and the waves crashed up against the shore, but inside the small cave the air between the two ex-lovers grew very still.

After what seemed like eternity, Liam brought his lips to her forehead and gently brushed them across her wet skin. He then moved his hand to her tiny waist and before Buffy could even think about changing her mind, he crushed her into his chest with a deep sigh of relief

When he finally spoke his voice was husky and raw, ringing with a conviction that tore at her soul.

"I want you too"

*****

Buffy trembled but she was no longer shivering from the cold. Pressed firmly up against Angel's muscular chest, her flesh was now burning with a very different kind of heat. She moaned gently as he wrapped his fingers in her hair and settled his mouth over her lips.

Liam's lips were cool from the sea breeze and yet, beneath the chill, there was a fire that heated her blood. As his lips devoured her mouth, Buffy's body began to ache in all the most delicious places. She wrapped her arms around his lean waist and kissed him back with all the forgotten passion that she had buried deep inside her heart.

Lost in the bliss of his mouth, her thoughts twisted through her head like ivy. The memories from her past were so close to the surface that they fought each other to break into her head.

Breaking away from the heaven of her lips, Liam kissed her eyes, her cheeks, and then her neck. When his warm tongue found and traced the small bones in her throat Buffy through her head back and moaned out loud.

" You are so beautiful" Liam broke away and looked deep into his wife's hazel eyes. Panting to catch her breath, she stared up at him through the darkness of the cave and the smile that she offered him melted his heart.

"You're not so hard on the eyes yourself "

If the first smile she gave him melted his lonely heart, the second one turned Liam's whole body into molten liquid.

"God! I missed you so much"

For a split second Buffy heard a hint of pain return to his velvet voice but it was pushed aside as his hungry lips once again claimed her mouth.

Feeling Buffy respond to his kiss, Liam's hands slid over the folds of her wet dress and followed the soft curves of her body. When Buffy mewled deep in her throat his breath caught on a wave of desire so strong, it caused a shudder to pass through his whole body. His heart leapt as he felt her small fingers on the front of his damp shirt, pulling away at the buttons. Finally free, the shirt slipped down his arms and disappeared, forgotten onto the dark floor.

Buffy blushed, a warm colour highlighting her pale cheeks. Swallowing deeply, she reached out her hand and ran her nervous fingers over the taut muscles of her husband's smooth tanned chest, exploding the man she had married and yet cruelly forgotten. When her nails grazed across a tight dark nipple he sucked in a short breath.

Liam then lifted own his hand and covered her small fingers.

"My turn" He stared at her with such intensity, such hot-blooded desire, that Buffy felt a sudden need to dive back outside into the raging storm just so she could cool off her burning skin.

She didn't get a chance.

A flash of white-hot fire shot through her bloodstream as his hands slowly drifted down her back, lowering the zip of her dress. Before she could find her lost breath, the wet garment was pooling at her feet, leaving her standing almost naked in the dim moonlight.

As the cool night air wafted over her skin, Buffy felt her nipples harden into tiny buds, desperate to be touched. Almost as if he could read her mind, Liam pulled her back into his arms; he lowered his dark head and kissed his way down her throat, brushing his mouth over the soft lace of her bra.

Undoing the front clasp, Liam released her small breasts and held them lovingly in his hands. Buffy sighed, feeling her nipples puckering in the cool evening breeze.

She then threw her head back with a soft moan as her skin was licked, nibbled and kissed almost to the point of insanity. Her blood ran first hot and then ice cold with each wet caress of his soft tongue. When her husband finally tore his eyes from her wet breasts, Buffy forgot how to breathe. Meeting his dark gaze she saw Liam's eyes were almost black with passion

With a groan he pulled her into his arms again, pulling her hips up against him so hard that she could feel the hardness of his desire pressed firmly against her abdomen.

Buffy found herself shivering again but this time it was from anticipation.

She wanted him, she needed him but more than that, she loved him with every fibre of her body.

Liam lips then found hers again, when his tongue flicked the roof of her mouth naked heat pooled in the pit of Buffy's stomach and she almost melted there and then. So lost in the heat of Buffy's mouth Liam almost missed her small fingers work between their tight bodies and slip the button on his fly. He felt his damp trousers slide over his hips and as they fell at his feet he kicked them free.

A clap of thunder high above them broke the lovers apart. Within a second the lightning strike followed.

Buffy stood as still as marble, her large hazel eyes never once leaving Liam's face.

"Buffy, are you sure you want this?" Liam brushed a loose strand of hair away from his wife's face and marvelled at how much he still loved her. He knew at that moment that he couldn't bear it if he ever lost her again. He would do what ever she wanted, take it as fast or as slow as she needed.

Buffy answered the question with her eyes long before she found her voice.

"Yes."

Lowering her gently to the floor, Buffy found her back being pressed into the cool damp sand.

The storm outside was then quickly forgotten as Liam's eyes drank in the sight before him. His heartbeat quickened until it's pounding blocked out every other noise.

Reaching out, he softly traced the contours of Buffy's face, before tangling his fingers in the silk of her blonde hair.

"I love you"

The vulnerable expression in his dark eyes was so sincere that it reached right into Buffy's heart and touched her soul.

With the declaration ringing in her heart, Buffy's reached out her hand, cupping the back of his neck and pulled him down into her body.

Liam smiled softly as his hands gripped her hips and gently rested between her open thighs. Lifting his head he looked deep into his wife's eyes

"Do you still love me?" He asked the question so quietly that it was almost lost on the breeze.

Buffy's heart stopped for a second as the air between them grew still. It was a question she had asked herself a million times over the last few days. Closing her eyes for a second she finally let her heart answer for her.

"I love you " her reply was barely above a whisper but it was all Liam needed to hear.

With those three words all the hatred and bitterness he had felt over the last few months seeped away. All that mattered now was that Buffy was back in his life and she still loved him. Only him.

Tomorrow they would talk but not tonight...Tonight they would heal other wounds

Feeling Liam's mouth once more descend on her lips, Buffy hands slid down and came to rest on his firm buttocks, she gasped as she felt his full weight push into her small body, but instinctively she wrapped her legs around his hips. As Liam started to move deep inside of her, stretching and filling her to perfection, Buffy dug her fingers into the taut muscles of his backside, encouraging him on with her hands and her eyes.

Moaning softly, their mouths locked in a bruising kiss. Their hands joined. Fingers locking together, both desperate never to let go of the other again. As he moved, Liam's hard chest rubbed against Buffy's breasts. Slow and hard. The friction causing her nipples to harden even more.

Buffy gasped, as the pleasure she was feeling became almost unbearable.

Swallowing her cries of passion, Liam moved his hips faster, but his lover easily matched his pace. She might not remember making love with this man but her body responded with a memory of its own.

Thrusting her hips up to match his rhythm; Buffy let all her fears for the future blow away with the howling wind. In Liam's arms she knew without question that she was safe and that she was loved. Liam was where her heart should be. The past no longer mattered, if it did someday return she would accept it as a bonus and they would deal with it.

Feeling her muscles tighten around him, Buffy threw her head back and screamed out as a burst of coloured stars erupted before her eyes. With that final thrust, she gave her husband back her body, her heart and her soul.

She was home.


*****

Outside in the pouring rain, a lone blonde figure, soaked to the skin stood quietly unobserved by the sated lovers. Darla Penn wasn't worried about the storm raging high in the sky above Sunnydale; she had her own storm brewing deep inside her soul. A deep bitter hatred was burning out of all control, and after witnessing Buffy and Liam's little reunion, that hatred had sent her completely over the edge.

Darla's plans changed that night. Knowing that she had once again failed to break the lovers apart she decided a more drastic option was needed. William wouldn't like it but there was no other choice.

**Never send a boy to do a woman's job** she thought bitterly at her brother's failure. No, this time she would do the job herself.

As soon as the sun rose Darla was going to put an end to the thorn in her side once and for all.

As the plan took shape in her demented head the tormented woman smiled.

There was only way to keep Buffy away from Liam.

She was going to have to kill her-

For the first time in his life Lindsay Macdonald was totally speechless. His mouth dropped open and his brain whirled deep inside his head but as he stood staring at the scene before him, not a single coherent word could find its way across the barrier of his amazement.

Of all the scenarios that had crossed his mind on the short journey across Sunnydale, not one of them had come even close to the actual sight that greeted him...

**Some people never cease to amaze you**

*****

When the phone had first rung that morning, destroying what was left of an already poor night's sleep, the yawning young lawyer silently cursed his misfortune and pulled his pillow over the top of his head. Lindsey groaned, remembering that he was due in court all afternoon and the last thing he needed was early morning phone calls, killing off the little chance of sleep he might still yet salvage.

The thunder and lightning that crashed its' way violently across the Sunnydale skyline had kept him wake for hours, and the tired young lawyer knew unless he got a full eight hours sleep, it would be almost impossible to destroy the prosecution's case that afternoon. The Prosecutor he was up against was a real evil piece of work and Lindsey needed to be at his sharpest, if he had any real hope of winning his case.

Shaking his head, he closed his tired eyes, pulled the pillow tighter around his ears but it was all to no avail, the incessant ringing refused to end.

Dropping his pillow back behind his head, Lindsey turned his bleary eyes towards the bedside clock, and saw with horror, that it wasn't morning at all, in fact it wasn't even dawn. As his sleepy head slowly started to wake up, he noticed that the room was still dark and even the damn birds that chirped annoyingly outside his window each morning had better sense than to rise at this ungodly hour. With a low groan of annoyance, which he made no attempt to disguise, Lindsey pulled himself up against the pillow and cradled the receiver next to his ear.

"Do you have any idea what time it is? We have to be in court this afternoon and.. What? " The lawyer's eyes widened as the voice on the other end of the line actually seemed to laugh.

Lindsey scowled, at that time of the morning his body might be awake but his sense of humour was still very much asleep and if he heard so much as a hint of laughter, he was throwing the phone out of the window. And when he got his hands on the caller, the person in question was likely to go in the very same direction.

"If this is your idea of a joke, believe me, it's not funny" He shook his sleepy head and glanced once more at the alarm clock, still disbelieving that anyone would call him at that hour of the morning.

"You're where? What the hell are you doing at the beach..? "

With a tired sigh he rolled his eyes, even more convinced that the call was a practical joke. Even half-asleep Lindsey knew that no one in his or her right mind would have ventured out onto the beach the previous evening. The unexpected storm had torn its way through Sunnydale until the early hours of the morning and, in his opinion, only an utter fool would have headed there in that kind of weather...

Turning his thoughts back to the conversation in his ear, the young man's frown grew darker

" Say that again. You want me to do what?"

With the reply, Lindsey ran his hand through his rumpled hair and scratched the back of his head. It was bad enough being torn from his sleep, but the thought of being torn from his nice warm bed was something he really didn't want to face. If it had been anybody else but Liam calling, the conversation would have already ended.

"Dammit, Liam. Have you been drinking again? "

The answer he heard from the other end of the line was short and sharp and left no doubt that his friend was perfectly sober.

**Just totally insane**

As an evil little voice whispered the thought deep inside his mind, Lindsey grinned first time that morning. He then closed his eyes and shook his head again.

"Okay, you win, I'll be there as soon as I can, but Liam, for your sake, this better be good"

With a resigned groan that his beauty sleep was well and truly over for the night, Lindsey threw his long legs over the side of his bed and reached for his jeans

*****

Thirty minutes later.


Lindsey had little difficulty getting to his destination, the roads to the beach were almost deserted and before he even had time to moan about missing his breakfast, he was turning his car towards the small slip road that led to the more secluded part of the coast.

On the horizon, the first sighs of dawn had finally started to break their way through the darkness and with the storm now miles away, the Sunnydale skyline was once again giving birth to a glorious morning.

Parking his car just a few feet from the sand, Lindsey took a moment to breathe in the fresh salty air and wondered again what the hell he was doing up at that time of the morning.

**Whatever the reason turned out to be, one thing was very sure, Liam was going to seriously owe him for this**

Not bothering to lock the door, he left his car by the side of the road and strolled across to the beach.

Finding himself standing alone in the morning sunlight, there was one thing that the lawyer had to admit. The peace and tranquillity that washed over his tense body was amazing.

**Maybe that was what Liam had been looking for on the beach the previous evening. Liam could use a little tranquillity in his screwed up life**

Lindsey brought his thoughts back to the matter at hand and immediately noticed that apart from the seagulls squawking overhead, the smooth golden sand looked almost deserted. Almost, but not quite.

" Hey!" A familiar voice broke through the stillness and brought all thoughts of tranquillity to an end..

Raising his hand to cover his eyes from the rising sun, Lindsey watched as Liam jumped down from a large rock formation, and walked swiftly towards him.

"It's about time you showed up, it's freezing out here. I need to borrow your jacket?"

Lindsay's mouth fell open and did a perfect impersonation of a goldfish as he watched Liam walk bare foot across the damp morning sand. In all the years he and Liam Angelus had know each other, Lindsey had never seen his best friend looking so dishevelled.... Or for that matter, so contented.

With a dozen long strides, Liam covered the short stretch of sand that separated them. As he moved, his dark silk shirt flapped open around his shoulder and his designer trousers, which appeared to be covered in sand and dirt, were happily rolled half way up his shins.

**He looks like a bloody tourist.**

Lindsey eyes widened in amazement when his gaze took in the state of his best friend's hair. The gelled spikes were nowhere to be seen and he guessed, with an evil grin that it would take at least a dozen washes to remove all the sand that Liam had obviously been rolling in.

Not that Liam seemed to care. The smile on his face was enough to light up the darkest night's sky.

"Lindsey, I need your Jacket"

Lindsay's eyes glanced to the size of Liam's arms and slowly shook his head.

" Sure, but you realise it will never fit you" He replied as he slipped the brand new leather jacket from his shoulders and seriously considered trading in his best friend for a more considerate model. One that didn't call him out in the early hours of the morning and definitely one that didn't want to share his clothing.

"Here, just try not to get it covered in sand" He reluctantly handed over the garment and then became even more confused as his soon to be ex best friend, turned, and without another word walked away.

"Liam! What the Hell's going on? I thought you wanted a ride home?"

Not breaking his stride Liam through the reply over his shoulder and left his bewildered friend scratching his head in wonder.

"We do "

Lindsey didn't have time to wonder for long, a few minutes later the confusion differed away when Buffy walked out of the rocks along side her husband, wearing his leather jacket.

Looking at her bare feet and similar dishevelled hair, the penny finally dropped and Lindsey roared out loud

"I should have guessed"

Buffy blushed and her cheeks flamed with embarrassment as she studied the handsome young man's face. She didn't remember anything about him but she immediately liked him and she sensed, from his good-natured grin, that he and her husband were definitely good friends.

"Thanks for the jacket, I was beginning to turn a little blue around the edges" Buffy joked and tried to prevent her voice from showing how cold she really was feeling. It was a glorious morning but the sea breeze was still blowing enough to stop any real heat from warming her cool skin.

The lawyer took a step forward and smiled

"Hello Buffy, it's really good to see you again" His soft voice was sincere and Buffy immediately felt at ease.

Lindsey watched as she pulled his jacket closer to her thin body and realised how cold she must have been spending the night waiting for the storm to pass. Not wanting either of his friends to catch a chill he cut off the reunion speeches and raising his hand, he indicated to his car

"Come on, let's get you two home, you can give me all the fun facts later"

Liam quirked an eyebrow and his friend knew at once that there was no way he would ever learn what really happened that night.. Not that it mattered. Just seeing Liam smile again was enough to make him happy. That, and a few more hours sleep. But, as the sun continued its rise in the early morning sky, the extra sleep he longed for seemed more and more unlikely.

"I owe you." Liam said sincerely and tightening his arm protectively around Buffy's small shoulders he followed Lindsay to the car.

At the promise Lindsey grinned.

"I'll remind you of that the next time your sister comes to town" He replied happily. At the thought, a vision of Cordelia rose up and danced before his eyes, causing the smug grin he was wearing to double in size.

**A date with Cordy was just what he needed** Lindsey would definitely be calling in that favour.

Dropping into the front seat, he twisted the key in the ignition and purposely turned his eyes away from the reunited lovers, now locking lips in the back.

"You two *really* need to get a room" Lindsey laughed

He was still smiling ten minutes later as he drove away from Revello Drive.


*****


"Home sweet home" With a heart-felt thank you, and a promise that he wouldn't be late for court that afternoon, Liam watched his friend drive away. Once the car was out of sight, he wrapped his arm around Buffy's shoulders and guided her towards the steps of their house.

**Home sweet home**

As her husband's words slowly filtered into her thoughts Buffy looked up at the pretty white house and for the first time since the accident, she viewed the building with a completely new perspective.

He was right, This really was her home and she was never going to leave it again.


******


With a small sigh, Buffy slipped the ruined dress from her shoulders and twisting her tiny hips slightly, she let the damp material pool at her feet in the middle of the bedroom floor. Stepping out of the garment, she quickly peeled off her bra and panties and with the flick of her wrist, the sand filled underwear quickly followed the dress into the waste paper basket. It was sad that all three items were less than a day old but Buffy knew they were all beyond repair. As she looked down at the overflowing wastepaper bin, the memory of Angel removing each garment brought a warm flush of colour back to her cheeks. She might only remember enough about her past to fill up a thimble, but the new memories they were creating certainly made up for the ones she had lost.. Well, almost.

Standing still, she remembered the events of the last few hours and smiled.

Their night together had been wonderful but as she ran her fingers over her pink skin, scratched from rolling in the sand, she knew that later she would be paying the price for being so reckless. Touching the tender flesh again, she silently made a note that the next time they rolled naked in the sand, she would remember to take along a blanket.

**And if last night was anything to go by, there would certainly be a next time in the very near future**

Walking across the room with a large grin on her face, Buffy stopped and stood naked in front of the full-length mirror. Gazing down at her reflection, she was relieved to see that her petite body was slowly starting to show signs of gaining the weight she had lost over her four-month absence. Her figure was nowhere near the curvy shape it appeared in their wedding video but she realistically accepted that every new pound she added was a bonus.

Buffy turned away from the mirror, she raised her hand and running her fingers through her hair, she cringed at the tangled mess beneath her fingertips.

**I so need a shower**

At the blissful thought of standing beneath a jet of hot soapy water, Buffy picked up the large fluffy towel she had earlier placed on her bed, and after securing it tightly around her breasts, she hurried back down the hallway.

On reaching the bathroom, the sound of running water informed her that Liam had not only beaten her to the bathroom, he was still occupying the shower. Not able to wait another second, Buffy quietly opened the door and slipped silently inside the steam-covered room. As her eyes adjusted to the steamy haze, the sight that greeted her almost took her breath away. Although they had spent the best part of the night making love, the cave had been dark and the opportunity to get a good look at her husband's naked body had been limited. But now was an entirely different story. For the first time since her accident. Buffy could see the man she had married in the full light of day.

**Gulp**

Apart from the butterflies in her stomach, Buffy stood dead still, her mouth dry, and her heart thundering as she watched the naked silhouette through the misty glass door. The room was humid and as she stood nervously biting into her bottom lip, all she could smell was the scent of Liam's shampoo filling the air.

She took her first deep breath and let the heady aroma flood over her senses.

As Liam moved gracefully beneath the cloud of steam, Buffy was unable to drag her eyes away from his long naked form. She watched as the hot water crashed over his dark head, how it cascaded over broad shoulders, ran smoothly down his back and almost seemed to caress his firm buttocks before it faded from her sight.

She swallowed the lump that rose in her throat but still didn't move.

At the sight of his glistening tanned flesh, her small pink tongue slipped over her dry lips and the swirl of heat in the pit of her stomach ignited and seeped deep into her pelvis.

No wonder she found it so hard to breathe. Liam's hard lean body was pure poetry in motion. His shoulders were broad and like most of his body they were sculptured with sinewy muscles. He had a smooth chest, lean hips, muscled thighs and legs that seemed to.... Buffy sighed as her eyes continued their journey down his long wet legs and just for a moment, her mind imagined them twisted around her body. The image was electric and sent a hot delicious shiver right down to her toes.

**Maybe I better have a cold shower** she smiled at the thought and quickly rejected the idea.

No longer able to wait for her turn, she unwrapped the towel she was wearing and picked up a bottle of her own shampoo from the shelf. Buffy slid back the shower door and without making a sound, she slipped inside the small cubicle and closed the door behind her.

**Maybe after being in hell the last few weeks there really was a heaven to be found on earth**

She remembered the hell well enough, the darkness, the loneliness, the isolation of not remembering who she was, who they were. But now, standing in the warmth, feeling both safe and loved, maybe there was a heaven to be found on earth after all

A rush of hot water crashed over her head as she lovingly slid her hands around her husband's waist and laid her cheek against his wet back. Closing her eyes, Buffy breathed in deeply as the water cascaded over her tired skin, slowly revitalising her weary flesh.

He'd known she was there from the second the shower door had opened.

Liam smiled at the feel of her small breasts brushing against his back and slowly turned around. For a moment he stood, just letting his hungry eyes roam over her beautiful body. After four long months of believing he would never see her again, It was like suddenly being hit by lightning.

**She was really home **

Liam reached out his hand and turning a small dial on the wall, he adjusted the speed of the water crashing over their heads before closing the small distance between them.

Buffy smiled up at him through the steam and reaching up a small hand, she ran her fingers lightly through the soap in his wet hair.

"You were taking far too long" She tried to smile but there was simply too much heat in her eyes.

With a soft moan, Liam reached out and drew her closer until their bodies were finally locked together, her breasts pushing up against the hard wall of his chest and her hips pressed firmly against his, feeling the hard evidence of how much he wanted her.

"So I got tired of waiting and though it might be fun to share" Her voice whispered suggestively and standing up on tiptoes, Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her hungry lips to his mouth.

While the sounds of lovemaking shook the air, the shower continued to spray water over the occupants inside it's four walls.

Hot, warm, tepid.

The lovers were still locked together when the water ran cold.

Nothing was breaking them apart.

*****

"Mmmmm. That was so nice" Buffy rolled on to her side and purred out a long satisfied yawn.

Sliding her hand down the length of the bed, she found their forgotten sheet and with a sigh of contentment she pulled it up to cover her cooling body.

"Nice?" Angel raised an eyebrow in amusement.

Lowering his eyes, he watched the sheet cover her naked form and a small smile turned the corners of his lips when he felt her small warm body snuggle up against his side.

**Nice?**

Buffy tilted her head at the question and almost laughed at the pouting expression her lover wore across his face.

"Nice?.. I only rate a *nice* now?" Liam's dark eyes glinted seductively as he teased. His fingers reached out and lazily toyed with a loose strand of her damp hair. Lowering his head, he dropped a soft kiss on Buffy's warm shoulder and felt a tiny shiver run right through his wife's body.

"Want to try it again, maybe we could try something not so nice" He suggested with a grin

Buffy's eyes widened

"I was talking about the shower not...." She blushed as she heard a replay of her own words and then with a soft sensual smile, she reached out her hand and gently traced her fingertips across his lips.

"The shower was nice, being clean, dry and warm again is nice but you.. Leaning forward Buffy brushed her lips to his mouth and softly kissed her reply " You were perfect"

She pulled away to gaze into his face and the gleam in his dark eyes told her all that she needed to know. He was teasing, he knew very well what she meant but he was enjoying the game.

Buffy on the other hand was through with playing games.

" You had me worried for a moment...."He started but the words were quickly lost when Buffy lowered her mouth back to his lips and slipped her tongue deep into his mouth for a long tender kiss..

Liam shivered with anticipation and the raw heat that swirled in the pit of his stomach flashed so intensely that it almost burnt him alive.

He closed his eyes and without even realising it, he found himself almost praying **Please God, don't ever take her away from me again ** The though of losing Buffy again sent a bolt of terror straight through his heart. There were still so many unanswered questions between them and even though they had both promised to make a fresh start, Liam couldn't stop the fear flooding through him that maybe, one day, Buffy would leave his life again.

Breaking the kiss he pulled back slightly to stare at her face and was almost choked with emotion. She looked so beautiful lying there. She was still slightly damp from the shower and her eyes; her eyes were shining with such raw passion it made him tremble.

Liam breathed deeply and let her scent fill his senses. It flowed over his tired body in waves, invading his every nerve and fibre.

"I can't tell you how many times in the last four months I've dreamt of this" His soft voice trembled as he opened up his battered heart and laid it open for the entire world to see.

It had been easier in the cave. The storm and being trapped together had made the whole night seem almost surreal. But with the rising sun, came reality and now, lying side by side in their own bed, Liam suddenly felt scared to death that none of it was real. That he would wake any second to the buzzing of his alarm clock and find his bed empty and his life once again in shambles.

Reaching out, he gently traced the soft curves of her face.

"I love you, Buffy. Whatever happens in the future, if you remember your past or not, I just need you to hold on to that.

Buffy's heart filled with joy and when she smiled, the passion in her sparkling eyes changed to tenderness.

She didn't get a chance to reply.

With a soft moan Liam turned her in his arms, rolling her until she was beneath him. He kissed her eyes, her cheeks, her neck, slowly licking his way along the smooth column of her throat.

At the now familiar feel of his mouth on her breast, Buffy sucked in a deep breath and mewed in her throat. Her skin was on fire and it burned where ever his lips kissed her. She let her hands caress their way down his muscular back and dug her fingers into his hard buttocks. As her lover's body surged against her, Buffy felt the strength of his desire press harder. She insistently eased her thighs apart to take him and then twined her legs around his body.

With a passionate sigh, Liam finally sank deep inside of her, filling her body almost to the point of pain. Feeling complete, she cried out his name, and as wave after wave of ecstasy flooded over her tired soul, the very last word on Buffy's mind, was *Nice*.

With a final shudder of release the man she hadn't remembered, but already knew that she would love for the rest of her life, collapsed bonelessly on top of her.


*****


"God! You were right," Wrapping her tightly in his arms Liam softly kissed Buffy's forehead and stroked her hair. "It was Perfect"

He breathed deeply as the pounding in his chest started to slowly return to its normal level.

"No arguments from me" Buffy sighed happily as she tried to bring her own breathing under control.

The room fell quiet.

For a few contented moments they lay there in silence, reluctant to untangle their sated bodies.. The curtains had been left open from the day before and the warm morning sun now fell in soft golden ribbons across their bed. Leaning into her husband's strong body, Buffy closed her eyes as a wave of exhaustion washed over her tired bones.

"Before you fall asleep, I have something for you" Liam turned away for a moment and when he turned back, he held a small gold band between his long fingers.

Buffy recognised it immediately. Her mind flashed back to the scene in the study and she remembered the pain in Angel's eyes as he waited for her to remember why she had left him. She hadn't remembered removing the ring then and with a sad tug at her heartstrings, she still couldn't remember why she would have taken such a drastic action.

"I thought you might like this back."

She fell silent for a moment, then with trembling fingers; Buffy accepted the tiny circle and slipped it over the third finger of her left hand. It fitted perfectly. Laying her head against his muscular chest, she snuggled up against him, secure in the knowledge that she was no longer alone in this dark world. The darkness inside her head was still ever present but whatever demons it hid, Buffy knew they would now face them together. All thoughts of William Pennington and his sister were firmly pushed out of her head, at least for that night.

Feeling his wife's hot breath sigh softly against his skin, Liam wrapped his arm around her, holding her tight.

"I love you." His lips tenderly brushed a featherweight kiss to her hair as he watched her eyelids flutter, struggling against the forces of sleep.

"I love you too." Buffy smiled at how easily the words slipped over her lips.

" I'm so sleepy, - but I still want.."

At the remark Liam looked astounded

"What? You couldn't possibly.. Not that I wouldn't.." His long fingers danced lazy circles over her taut stomach, once again teasing every nerve ending into life.

Buffy giggled at her husband's stamina and when she looked at him, she knew all the love she felt was shinning in her eyes.

"No, no. I'm spent. You?"

"For now." Liam smiled, but in his heart he knew he would never be truly spent where this woman was concerned.

Their eyes met and held.

"No, I - want to stay awake - so this day can keep happening. This is the best day of my new life, I want it to last forever"

She tried to hide the tiny yawn that crept into her voice but as her eyelids fluttered, the exhaustion of the last twenty-four hours slipped over her face and reflected from her sleepy hazel eyes.

Liam could hardly reply he felt so relieved.

"Sleep. We'll make another one like it tomorrow." His voice was little more than a whisper.

Happy with his promise, Buffy sighed in contentment. She tangled her legs with his, tucked her head under his chin and finally letting out a small yawn, she rested her head against his warm chest.

As the events of the last twenty-four hours took their toll, Buffy closed her eyes, and within minutes she was sleeping peacefully.

Liam cradled her closer to him and tenderly kissed her head.

"Sweet dreams"

Without disturbing her slumber, he reached out his free arm and reset the alarm clock by his bed.
He knew that if he were late for court that afternoon Lindsey would never forgive him.

Liam then settled back against the pillow and tried to relax, but even as he closed his eyes he knew sleep wouldn't come. There were just too many demons running through his head. As his imagination kicked in, memories of his fight with Pennington returned to haunt him and the ugliness that they brought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

**We don't have to worry about him anymore. William's promised to leave me alone, he's not going to cause us any more problems**

Buffy seemed certain that their problems with the lovesick poet were now in the past but Liam didn't believe it for a second. If William loved Buffy as much as he proclaimed he did, he knew the lying little bastard would never give them a second's peace. He wouldn't worry Buffy for the world but he seriously suspected that their problems with Pennington were far from over.

Exhausted, but not able to rest, Liam lay watching Buffy sleep for the next three hours before turning off the alarm clock and silently slipping away.

******

"Angel"

Buffy cried out in terror as the fire that haunted her earlier dreams returned with a vengeance.

It burned and scorched, as once again it's hot red tentacles licked all around her skin. Even fast asleep, she knew what would happen next, it never changed

Buffy reached out her hand and watched in horror as the once smooth texture of her tanned arm crinkled and blistered as it slowly melted from the bone.

The heat was like a flaming stalker, it followed her every movement and it was still heading her way. No matter what she did, or how far she ran, she wouldn't escape it this time.

Deep inside her nightmare, Buffy stood frozen as she watched the burning heat move ever closer, engulfing her in its hatred.

**This time it will get you** A voice that she knew but couldn't quite place whispered out the warning. Only this time the words sounded more like a threat. Buffy watched the fire danced around her feet, licking it's way up her ankles and slowly burning her alive.

**Run away and hide little girl**

Pain bubbled up in her throat but when she tried to scream, she knew it was already useless... In the darkness of her mind there was no one there to hear her cry.

**You should never have come back, Buffy.**

**He doesn't love you. He never loved you**

**You were never the cheat...**

**He was**

"ANGEL"

Buffy sat up in her bed, her eyes widened in fear.

The voice she was hearing was her past. It stood right outside the door of her mind now and with a blaze of pure hatred, it screamed to be let in.


**Never send a boy to do a woman's job**


Darla Penn stood on the rocks for more than an hour before finally tearing her drenched body away from its unobserved vantagepoint.

Wrapped in a blanket of darkness, the shattered young woman felt as if her whole world had come to an end that night. All her hopes for the future appeared to have crashed and burned before her very eyes.

Darla's skin crawled and she felt truly sick to her stomach but, refusing to show so much as a sliver of weakness, the petite blonde quickly blinked back the tears of frustration that burned behind her eyelids.

**Crying was for fools and for babies** She wasn't either.

Ignoring the storm still raging high above Sunnydale as it tore violently into the dark velvet skyline, Darla turned silently from the cave's entrance but her exit from the beach was short lived. Not yet ready to deal with hard reality, her feet found their way to the water's edge and her toes sank deep into the cold wet sand.

Closing her eyes, Darla couldn't prevent the memories of the last few days crashing over her tired body, almost physically attacking her small frame with the weight of their anger.

Buffy's voice was the first to taunt her head, quickly followed by her brother's sad confession.

**When Liam's around... it's like the lights dim everywhere else. I don't remember him yet but I already know I still love him**

**Darla. I need to find William, like yesterday**

**Sorry, luv, but I've fucked up big time. Buffy knows I lied to her. She's out looking for Liam right now and when she finds him, it's all over**.

With a violent crash of water, Darla's troubled mind was abruptly brought back to the present. She shivered, but the chill of the spray attacking her bare legs didn't bother her in the slightest.

Neither the storm raging high in the sky above or the cold water splashing at her skin seemed to penetrate even the first layer of her senses that night.

Filling her lungs with deep gulps of damp salty air, the lone female on the sand tried desperately to clear the confusion swimming around her head and contemplate her now uncertain future.

**A future that until just a few hours ago included the man of her dreams and the words, happily ever after stamped right through it**

"Happily ever after. What a laugh that was" Before Darla could even hear her own bitterness, the angrily whispered words were swept up by the wind swirling around her and blown far out to sea. Lost forever on the swollen tide.

Not that she needed to hear words that night to feel the bitter pain of betrayal. The open tear in her battered heart was still very raw, and a constant ache for revenge screamed its way through her blood stream with every new beat.

Fighting back the anger Darla slowly brought her breathing under control by reminding herself of one sure thing.

**No matter what she had just witnessed in that cave, her *happily ever after* wasn't over yet**

Tilting up her wet face towards the sky, she watched in awe as a lightning bolt streaked its way across the infinite heavens, Mother Nature's violence and fury matching her own feelings to perfection. For a split second, the lightning's natural energy lit up the darkness, throwing a ghostly shadow across the silver sand and further highlighting the rage of the surf.

And the rage in her heart.

At that moment, the wind picked up, attacking her small frame but even as her pale skin started to tinge blue with the cold, Darla didn't feel the chill seeping into her bones. Her body was on fire. Her shattered heart fuelled with a lifetime of hatred, pounding in her chest until she was in serious danger of combusting.

Lifting her thin arm against the driving rain, Darla swiped an annoying strand of wet hair away from her face, but she still didn't move away from the water's edge.

Strangely, she took comfort from its anger, finding solace in its rage.

As the violence from the storm washed over her, the deranged female allowed her twisted feelings of betrayal to slowly bleed into any sense of reason she might have once possessed. Once again Buffy had destroyed her one chance of happiness.

Darla painfully twisted her fingers together as her thoughts returned to her childhood rival.

Long months of scheming and planning had been ruined the second Liam had taken that bitch of a wife back into his arms.

**Arms that should have been wrapped around her. Arms that would have been wrapped around her if only Buffy had stayed lost**

Darla trembled again as the hatred she felt for Liam's wife, radiated out from every pore in her skin.

She had spent her whole life living in Buffy's shadow, always coming in second place. It didn't matter what she did, or who she loved, Buffy was always there in front of her. Stealing the show.. Stealing her life.

But not this time.

**It simply wasn't fair that Buffy Summers would win again**

Darla sighed and closed her eyes. Everything had been going so well until, out of the blue, all of her hopes and dreams crumbled into dust. William's fight with Liam, and his confrontation with Buffy were bad enough, but this sickening reunion was almost the pink icing on a very sickly cake.

Standing in the middle of the raging storm, Darla let the violence fuel her own anger and only one thought whispered in her head

She really had no other choice now but to wipe out the plague that had blighted her life for more years than she wished to remember.

The plague of Buffy Summers.

**Buffy was a bug, an annoying little insect that continually gnawed at her flesh, and there only way to deal with bugs that wouldn't go away.**

** You exterminate them... Once and for all**

Turning her head back towards the crashing waves that ripped across the soft pale sand, Darla stared so intensely into the violence of the sea, that the dark vision slowly blurred in front of her eyes.

**Could she really kill Buffy?**

The question repeated over and over, echoing deep inside her head with each thunderous roll of water. Her rival's face danced in front of her eyes. Laughing at her pain, taunting her stupidity.

**Buffy wins again**

Cutting out all other sounds from her mind, Darla let her imagination run wild.

** Could she really kill her rival in order to secure her own *Happily ever after* ?**

**Sending the bitch away was one thing, but could she take her life?**

**Could she kill for Liam?**

After a few seconds a small smile curled the corner of the woman's cool lips.

The answer was almost too easy.

"Yes. "

Darla's voice was barely a whisper but the sea heard her answer and almost in response, it roared.


*****


"Don't do anything stupid and try not to worry. I'll fix it. I did before and I'll do it again.. Trust me."

Darla sighed deeply and regretted her decision to tell William the scene she had witnessed on the beach, the very second she put down the phone. Her brother had been devastated by the news that Buffy was once again sleeping with her husband and even though she couldn't see his face, Darla felt his tired spirit crack underneath the painful information.

Trying to ignore the heartbreak she heard in his voice, the dripping wet woman had promised to call around as soon as she had showered and changed her clothes. They had plans to make. It really wouldn't be that difficult. Darla already knew Liam's agenda off by heart, she remembered that he would be in court most of the afternoon, leaving the vulnerable little wife at home all alone. Even before the receiver was placed back on its catch, Darla Penn's evil little mind was turning over the possibilities. If she was going to stop all of her dreams from slipping through her fingers, like sand through an hourglass, she and Will had to move fast

**Buffy and Liam's sickening little reunion wasn't long for this world. One way or another, that marriage was over.**

Darla smiled as she kicked off her wet clothes and stepped into a shower of hot water. Lathering her body and shampooing a beach full of sand from her tangled hair, she tried to block all negative thoughts from her head.

William needed her to stay strong and in order to do that; she needed to stay positive.

**After all, between them they had broken Buffy and Liam apart once before, there was no reason why they couldn't do it again.**

**Okay, so William was feeling down but he would soon bounce back.**

Darla knew her half brother too well; he had the same lust for life running through his veins that she did. Will was a romantic at heart but he wouldn't quit, he was a survivor, just like she was.

**But what if he does throw in the towel. The lovesick fool really does have strong feelings for the ex cheerleader. If the siblings couldn't split them apart, would he stand in her way? **

Darla shook the thought from her head.

**Maybe it wouldn't do to tell William everything she had planned after all. **

******

Two hours later.


"What on earth are you doing?" Darla asked as her widened eyes swept over the devastation that had once been her brother's living room. The broken glass and splintered furniture from his fight with Liam was still scattered all around the once stylish room but it wasn't the destruction that caught Darla Penn's attention. Everywhere she looked, the room was scattered with personal belongings.

Not even bothering to turn his head, William answered the question with hardly a trace of emotion in his voice.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I've had as much as I can take of this bloody freak show. I'm going home"

With a casual shrug of his shoulders, William threw open a large packing case and without even looking, he dropped the armful of shirts he was carrying into its depths.

"Have you gone insane?"

Darla quickly crossed the room and with a flash of anger, she slammed down the lid of the expensive packing case, preventing the pile of poetry books that her brother was now holding from being added to his shirts.

"This. Is. Your. Home" Her voice was so cold it sent an icy chill right through the room. This was the last thing she had expected.

William sighed deeply with frustration as the books he had been about to deposit tumbled down onto the closed lid and then bounced onto the floor. Without even looking at his sister he bent his knees and started to retrieve his property.

"Darla, I'm through with this bloody town, its caused me nothing but aggravation" His voice was still quiet but the tone was now deadly serious. He simply couldn't carry on living like this.

After receiving his sister's bad news about the state of Buffy and Liam's marriage, the poet's vivid imagination had run wild. Sinking to the floor of his broken home, all he could see was his golden girl, laying naked in arms that weren't his.

**Poetic justice really**

**She was never really your girl**

**It was never you**

At first he had raged, breaking what was left of any still standing furniture. Glass, wood, marble, nothing was sacred as the anger in his blood flooded his body and he ripped loose with a vengeance. But the rampage didn't last for long, once the fury in his heart had burned out; all that was left was the pain. Sitting alone and feeling like a small child who had lost his favourite toy, for the first time in remembrance William Pennington cried.

He cried for Buffy. He cried for what might have been if fate hadn't been such a cruel bastard. But in all honesty, as the tears rolled freely down his perfectly chiselled cheekbones, William cried for what he had become.

**God, what have I done?**

Finally, sated and exhausted, William took a real good look at his future and reluctantly accepted that the picture staring back at him wasn't Sunnydale.

"I'm going home"

**


William glanced back down at the book he was holding in his hands and after reading its flowery title, he decided that he wouldn't take the romantic reminders with him after all.

He was exhausted, both physically and mentally. As the emotions attacking his heart flicked across his swollen face, he silently swore that he was finished with love and all the pain it had brought him.

For a second he actually meant it

He remained silent and as Darla watched the emotions flicker across his face, she started to panic slightly.

"And what about Buffy?" She asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

A painful shudder went through William.

Darla's words sliced through the poet's misery and his broken heart clenched deep in his chest. Just the sound of her name caused the blood in his veins to run icy cold. Lifting his badly swollen eyes for the first time, William stared into his sister's face with a look of disbelief.

"Are you taking the piss? You made it perfectly clear that Buffy and that bastard she married are screwing each other again..." The pain in his eyes almost took her breath away. But it wasn't the pain that made her worry. It was the look of defeat that bled into it

Feeling her gaze sweep over his darkening bruises, William turned away. Slowly standing to his feet, his tired eyes swept around for the half empty bottle of scotch he had earlier placed by his packing case.

"Do you want a drink?" He asked holding the amber bottle in one hand and twisted the lid with the other.

Darla shook her head. The solution to their problems wasn't going to be found at the bottom of a whisky bottle.

William shrugged his shoulders.

"Suit yourself"

"That's not going to help."

"Yeah, well I happen to think it just might." Not bothering with a glass, William gulped the burning liquid straight from the bottle.

The first mouthful stung as it found the small cuts inside his mouth and as much as he hated to admit it, Darla was right, It didn't matter how much of the stuff he poured down his throat, it wasn't a magical cure, it wouldn't make Buffy love him. No matter how much he drank, It wouldn't take away the pain or the continuous ache in his chest, but if nothing else, it would numb it for a while.

That had to be better than nothing.

William desperately needed something to help him forget. Something to help him move on before the feelings inside him burned and consumed him until there was nothing left.

"It's over, Darla. " He continued, no longer disguising the fact that his heart was broken and his pride was ripped to shreds. He really couldn't play this game any more, because there was only so much pain a person could stand before it sent them insane. William understood only too well that he had crossed the line with Buffy the night before and standing there in the cold light of day, he knew that nothing they did could ever fix this mess now.

Darla on the other hand didn't want to see the cold light of day; Darla didn't want too see any negativity at all.

"No.." The word tore from her lips like an explosion.

"We can still do this. Last night you were begging me to help you and now you want to run back to London with your tail between your legs.. It's not going to happen that way. It's time you grew a backbone little brother"

He jerked as if she had physically hit him.

Darla felt a knot of fear in her chest grip tight but the pained expression that slipped into William's sad blue eyes indicated that she had hit her mark.

William raised his hand to his face and when his fingers touched the dark purple bruise on his jaw, he winced in pain. It was true, he had spent the whole night plotting how he could turn this mess around and make Buffy understand that he was the only chance she had for a happy life. But Darla's revelations about the fuckfeast on the beach had destroyed his last remaining hope. He had to get away, he was simply too tired of playing Darla's games and of finding himself on the losing side.

"Why don't you just give it a bleeding rest, Darla. I should never have agreed to this crap in the first place and I'm not staying around Sunnydale to get my bloody heart cut out day after day." Anger flashed across his face. Sunnydale was too small a town to hide in and there was no way he was going to watch Buffy and Liam playing happy families everyday.

Ignoring the outburst, Darla pushed the contents of a leather armchair onto the floor and dropped into the seat

"I can still make this happen for us. I'm so close, i just need a little more time" Her fingers played nervously with the folds of her skirt..

William looked at his sister and for the first time he thought about her sadness. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he slowly crossed the room and crouched down in front of her.

Taking his sister's small hand between his large fingers, he softly rubbed her skin.

"No, luv, you were never close. Look, do yourself a favour and give it up. Come back to England with me because Buffy will never leave him now. I know it and in your heart, you know it as well"


His sad eyes sought hers and they held for a moment. For a split second William thought he was breaking through her denial but the moment passed and when Darla met his eyes again, she smirked.

"Well maybe its time to stop playing games and get rid of the little bitch once and for all"

William shook his head and sighed heavily.

**Darla and her schemes**

Keeping his voice as free from emotion as possible, even though it was an effort to do so, he continued in a quiet tone.

"You tried that once before and it failed. You sent her running and look where it got us, she came right back. Don't you understand, pet. As long as Buffy can breathe she will always find her way back to Liam" The resentment at the simple fact once again tore deeply into the poet's heart.

**As long as Buffy can breathe she will always find her way back to Liam**

Darla's smirk grew wider as her brother's words mirrored her own earlier thoughts

"Stopping her from breathing? Good idea little brother. That works just fine for me."

William rolled his eyes at the ridiculous notion.

"Stop being so dramatic" Pushing away from her, he stood up again and turned away. This conversation was going nowhere.

Darla rose from her chair and followed him. A war of emotions raged within her as she slowly walked across the room.

"I'm not being dramatic, I'm just saying, maybe it's time I got rid of the bitch once and for all"

William spun around and grabbed her arm. His dark blue eyes were like pinpoints, boring into her flesh. Darla opened her mouth to protest, but clamped it shut as her brother's gaze drilled into every inch of her face, hunting for the real meaning behind her words.

"If you so much as touch a single hair on her head, I'll make you sorry you were born" His gaze darkened and the promise was very real.

Darla swallowed the slight lump that had risen in her throat and almost as an act of defiance, she lifted her chin.

"Now who's being all dramatic?" She smirked and a flicker of playful mischief danced across her cool eyes.

William knew that look only too well. Dropping her arm he slowly backed away.

When he spoke again it was in a deadly quiet voice.

"I mean it, Darla."

To cover her frustration, Darla changed the smirk on her face into a full-blown smile.

"And when did you become so damn righteous, it never bothered you the last time. You were happy to help then."

Turning away from his sister, William's eyes searched the wreckage of his home for a bottle of anything that would numb his pain. He was sobering up far too quickly and the agony in his head was pounding.

"In point of fact, you were MORE than happy to help last time" Darla continued, cruelly pushing her point home.

Forgetting his need for alcohol, William's eyes filled with guilt as he remembered only too clearly how he had helped destroy Buffy's once perfect life.

Watching his body tremble at the memories Darla continued.

"I might have set the stage little brother but you led the audience right to her seat" She smirked and knew she had scored an important point. Walking closer, Darla laid a hand on his tense arm, but he shook her off, deliberately moving away from her

William closed his eyes, acknowledging her words. He didn't need her to remind him. He'd lived with that little deception for the last four months.

"And what did it get me? Your bloody plan worked too well, Darla. Buffy ran and I lost her." The anger was gone from his voice. Sadness and regret had replaced it.

"Sending her away won't help me this time. I can't go with her... She doesn't love me" His voice trailed off in remembrance.

"Then we might be both better off with her out of our lives once and for all" This time Darla didn't even bother to hide the hostility in her voice.

William's jaw tightened and his skin drew flat over his features. His gaze darkened but Darla stared right back at him, not backing down

"I can't let you hurt her. I love you, pet, you're my only family, but I won't let you hurt Buffy". A sliver of fear clouded his eyes at the thought his little sister might actually be serious.

Darla looked into her brother's face and wished she could shake some sense into him. Somewhere over the last few weeks, he'd changed from the ruthless young man she had always known to a sickly lap dog. The look disgusted her. It was the same look it had taken her weeks to remove from Liam's face after Buffy first fled.

**Men**

Darla knew better than to continue in that direction, the last thing she needed was William spoiling her plans. She wanted his help not his hindrance. With a forced smile to her lips she moved closer to him again and placed a hand back on his arm. He stayed still this time, their eyes locking in understanding

"Okay, okay. I won't touch a hair on the cheerleaders head, I promise"

William's head lowered, resting against her forehead.

"I really worry about you sometimes. Darla come back to England with me, just for a few months until this all dies down." The anger was gone from his voice. William's hand gently stroked her back. She might act like a cold heartless bitch but at the end of the day she would always be his sister and, for all her faults, he would always love her.

Pulling slightly away, Darla looked into his tired swollen eyes and tried one last time.

"You know I can't do that. Stay here and help me. I have a great idea that will split them apart once and for all. Please Will, I need you.."

William shook his head and ignored the pain the jerky movement created.

"If I thought for one second that I could really have Buffy, I'd march into Hell and sell my soul to the devil himself, but it doesn't work that way. We tried, we lost. His voice rose, frustrated, his whole body vibrating with the pain of defeat

"I can't do this without you" Darla's voice rose as well, frustration stiffening her body.

At any other time in his life, Darla's pleading would have melted his resolve, but not today. William Pennington was simply too tired of picking up the pieces of his broken heart and shoving them back into his chest. He had no choice this time. He had to get as far away from Sunnydale as possible.

Neither spoke and the room fell deadly silent while the two lost siblings struggled with their own inner turmoil. In the end it was William's soft voice that broke through the stillness.

"I'm on the midnight flight to London. If you change your mind you are always welcome to join me"

Darla sighed and shook her head.

"I can't. I can't give up Liam; I have to try one last time. I can still make it right" She replied sadly, still refusing to admit defeat.

William tried one last time to make his sister see sense.

"You're a fool Darla. Don't you understand, yet? It's too late to make it right. The past has a way of catching up with us, we can't change what we did and we can't make it right" He took a breath before continuing with his last words on the subject.

"This can only end in tears" The words were so low that she had to strain to hear them

When they finally registered, Darla merely nodded, her face expressionless

"I know.. " she turned her head and knowing it was useless to continue the argument, she started for the door. Walking away, her final words were missed by the dejected young poet

"There will be tears all right.... But they won't be mine"



**The past always has a way of catching up with us ** William Pennington.


Four months earlier

The past catching up.



It was a Friday. The sun, already hot and hazy in a cloudless blue sky, streamed through the kitchen windows in soft golden waves. The aroma of coffee teased the warm morning air and, in the corner of the room, an almost forgotten radio gave traffic and weather reports every fifteen minutes. In all respects, the start of a perfectly normal day.


"Buffy, have you seen my case? I'm sure I left it on the table last night and now it's just vanished" Walking into the kitchen, Liam ran his hand through his spiky hair and, checking his wristwatch, inwardly groaned. He was now running seriously behind schedule and, at this rate, it was almost a certainty that he would miss his breakfast meeting with Lindsey.

** This is getting a habit, Angelus. You're always late these days**

He didn't need to be a mind reader to know the very first words his friend would greet him with. Lindsey was like a broken record at times.

At the thought of the other lawyer's disapproving face, Liam bit back the small smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. ** It was true, he was never on time these days, but It wasn't as if he didn't have a perfectly good reason for being late that morning, or any other morning for that matter**

Making love with Buffy took preference over a boring business meeting any day. Well, at seven o'clock in the morning it did. Not that Lindsey would see it that way. Liam smiled again. The trouble with Lindsey McDonald was that he needed a wife, someone to tie him down and domesticate him once and for all.

For Liam, being married to the right person was the most wonderful experience in the world, a fact that his best friend Lindsey sadly seemed to miss out on.

**Just because you found the perfect woman doesn't mean that there's one out there for all of us. Unless of course you feel like putting in a good word with that gorgeous sister of yours for me**

Lindsey was always joking about his feelings for Cordelia, his so-called unrequited love, but Liam suspected that the feelings went a whole lot deeper than he really let on.

**Maybe it was time for his best friend and his sister to...** As a mental image of the two in question flashed into his mind, Liam shook his head, knowing that the pairing would probably be a match made in hell. Cordelia and Lindsey were too alike in far too many ways. Lindsey needed somebody like Buffy, Liam reflected, and then immediately realised the flaw in that little scenario.

**There is nobody else in the world like Buffy, you fool**

With a nod of acceptance, he turned his head and let his dark eyes run hungrily over the woman that occupied his whole world. His gaze softened as it caressed every inch of her small frame and he smiled tenderly at his wife. **No, there really was only one Buffy Anne Summers and he thanked God daily, for finding her and for loving her**

"It's 9.15am and the weather here in Sunnydale is set to break all records for this time of year"

Liam snapped out of his reverie when the radio in the corner of the kitchen announced a time check, and with a groan, everyday reality came crashing back down on his shoulders.

**Meeting. Case. Lindsey.... Now very late**

"Dammit" he silently muttered the curse under his breath. Tucking the back of his shirt in his suit pants, Liam cast his eyes around the room, once more searching for the missing case. It was there the night before and unless it had suddenly grown feet and walked away, it should still be there.

Scratching his head and bending over, he searched underneath the table with little success. "I'm sure I put it on this table"

From the other side of the kitchen, Buffy smiled, and after dragging her gaze away from her husband's muscular behind, she pointed to where Liam had left the case in question. The small briefcase was lying up against the wall just inside the doorway. With a grin, Buffy realised that he must have walked past it at least three times in his earlier search. **If it had had teeth it would have bitten him, he was that close.**

Following her direction, Liam quickly crossed the room and with a slight sigh of relief, he snatched up the black leather case.

"Thanks sweetheart, McDonald would really have my head if I'm late AND left these papers behind." he said as he flipped the catch and quickly confirmed that all the documents he needed for court that afternoon were neatly filed away.

While her husband was immersed in legal papers, Buffy turned back to the kettle and, switching it off, poured the hot water into two bone china cups. Angel might not have time for breakfast that morning but there was no way she was letting him leave the house without at least drinking one cup of coffee with her.

Lindsey would just have to wait a little longer.

Opening the fridge door, Buffy removed a small carton of milk and tearing off the top, she carefully poured the contents onto the steaming liquid in her cup. As the dark rich coffee changed colour, she stirred in a sweetener and walking over to where Liam was still busily shuffling papers, Buffy placed the coffee cup down on the table next to him.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, I bumped into Darla yesterday at the hair salon. She told me to say hello to you and Lindsey and then proceeded to bore me to tears for the next hour about her sick new love life." At the re-lived memory, Buffy rolled her eyes in quiet disgust before continuing.

"It seems that she's now boinking some married man and would you believe it, his sad pathetic wife has absolutely no idea". Running a hand through her newly highlighted hair, Buffy snorted at the memory and took a sip from her coffee cup.

Darla had sounded so smug that afternoon in the hair salon, gloating over the wife in question's stupidity, that Buffy had felt an overwhelming urge to wipe the look off the slut's face and shove her head right under the scalding faucet. In all the years the two women had know each other, nothing had ever changed where Darla was concerned. Darla was never content with anything in her life, always trying to see if the grass was really greener on the other side. Of course it wasn't, but Darla Penn would never accept that. For some strange reason, every relationship she had ever ventured into had failed miserably, leaving others to pick up the pieces.

**And now she's moving on to married men**

"I don't get it. How could the wife be so blind?... So stupid?" Buffy asked the question more to herself, knowing that she would never put up with a cheating husband.

Without consciously trying, a picture of her Aunt Jenny slipped easily into her mind and she remembered the heartache her family had suffered many years earlier. Jenny Calendar's husband Rupert, the love of her life, had run off with a girl years younger, leaving the poor woman suicidal at her loss. Although she was only a slip of a girl at the time, Buffy remembered only too clearly visiting her aunt in hospital one sunny afternoon, after she had *accidentally* fallen on glass and cut both of her wrists. Watching the life drain from the once vibrant woman, the young Buffy Summers had promised that she would never find herself in that situation. That level of betrayal was unforgivable. **Poor aunt Jenny. Poor stupid aunt Jenny**


Buffy took a deep breath and wiped the unhappy memory from her head. Besides, it wasn't like she needed to worry on that score. Angel had never once caused her any reason to believe that she wasn't his whole world. In all the time they had known each other, her husband had never once looked at another woman.

Buffy took another sip of her coffee

"And can you say implants. Could those breasts look any more fake if she tried?" Again, she muttered the sarcastic thought more to herself than her husband. Not that he seemed to notice.

"Sorry, Buffy. What did you say?" Liam was too busy looking through the papers in his briefcase to catch much of the conversation. Noticing his coffee cup for the first time he snatched a quick mouthful before turning to his wife.

"I said I saw Darla Penn in town yesterday and she said to say hello."

At the mention of the other woman's name, her husband closed his briefcase with a click and frowned.

"Honey, I'm sorry, I know that she's a friend of yours but that woman drives me crazy." Liam pulled his jacket from the back of a chair and started to slip his arm through the long sleeve. As his hand checked for his wallet, the frown creasing his handsome features seemed to grow.

"I can't even remember how many restraining orders she's taken out against that ex boyfriend of hers. Darla is a real magnet for trouble these days." Picking up his keys from the table, he slipped the bunch into his jacket pocket. "She might be a great client financially, but Lindsey is so sick of her antics that he won't have anything more to do with her case, and now every time she has a problem, I'm the poor sucker who has to deal with it. I think its time that she and that fool of a brother found a new law firm" At the mention of Darla's brother, the frown on Liam's face had morphed into a full grown scowl

Buffy chuckled. He looked so sweet when he was ranting

"It's not funny. Besides, I think she has a crush on me"

Buffy arched one eyebrow at him and her eyes twinkled.

"Well, she did say she has a thing for married men these days. Do you want me to beat her up? I did it once before. We were five" She grinned, and the memory of Darla's split lip and angry red face slipped its way into her mind. The first of their many fights and disagreements over the years.

This time Liam laughed. The thought of his wife protecting his honour was adorable

"No, honey, I don't want Darla taking a restraining order out on you" He replied and tilting his head slightly, he softly kissed the tip of her nose.

Buffy shrugged her small shoulders.

"That's okay, if she did I know this great defence lawyer who will come running to my rescue" Her tone was playful and her bright hazel eyes glinted with mischief.

Reaching out his hand Liam brushed a loose strand of hair away from his wife's face and marvelled at how much he loved her. His fingertip ran over her cheek, gently stroking the soft skin. He grinned, but then grew serious.

"I'll always come to your rescue," Liam whispered huskily, brushing her mouth with a light kiss.

For a moment the air seemed to crackle between them.

Buffy tried to keep a straight face but when she finally spoke, there was a giggle in her voice as she teased again. "Actually, I talking about Lindsey... but thanks for the offer"

Liam rolled his eyes.

"Okay, I'll tell Lindsey that he has a new client as soon as I see him.." he teased back, then glancing at his watch and realising the time, he added, " That's if I ever get there. You are such a bad influence on me"

Picking up his case, he headed towards the front door but just as his hand reached the door handle, he paused and turned. All traces of their earlier teasing were gone.

Their eyes met and held.

" I love you" Liam smiled softly, reluctant to leave.

Buffy smiled back at him with eyes overflowing with the same emotion.

In less than a heartbeat, she crossed the distance separating them and reaching up on tiptoes Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck, winding her fingers in his hair.

"I love you too"

Dropping his case silently to the floor, Liam nuzzled his face against her hair, breathing in the fragrance of her shampoo. Feeling her body press even closer, his large hands splayed over her back, the heat of his long fingers seeping through the thin cotton of her robe.

Buffy sighed softly and beneath the thin material, her skin quivered as his hands started to caress her.

With a slight groan, all thoughts of work, Lindsey McDonald and court cases were forgotten. Placing a finger under Buffy's chin, Liam tilted her face. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm the raging fire that always burnt through his body when ever he touched his wife's skin.

His lips brushed hers once, twice, before his tongue slowly gave into temptation and slipped effortlessly into her mouth.

The kiss was long, deep, and exquisitely tender. Only when Buffy broke away did Liam open his eyes. His breathing was as ragged as hers.

"Angel" his pet name was a soft sigh "You have to go to work"

Reluctantly, Liam nodded. He touched a finger under her chin again and lifted her gaze to his. Bringing his breathing under control, he pouted his bottom lip for a second but then his whole face broke into a wide grin.

Buffy returned his smile with one that sent a shiver right down his spine. The smile was his undoing. They might have been married for two years but when his wife looked at him like that, Liam Angelus was lost. Hopelessly lost.

"Lindsey is waiting" Buffy breathed deeply and knowing one of them had to make the first move, she took a small step back.

"I know. There really is no rest for the wicked" Liam's voice spoke but his eyes continued to tell her that work was really the last thing on his mind.

**Besides, he was already late, what would a few more minutes matter**

With a devilish smile, Liam reached out his hand and pulled his wife back into his empty arms.

***

Fifteen minutes later.



Buffy stood on the doorstep and waved her fingers in a final goodbye. On reaching his car, Liam glanced back over his shoulder and their eyes met and held one last time.

"Don't forget about our deal. Dinner at eight thirty sharp"

**Because Cordelia's going to be here all weekend, how about I spoil you tonight instead. A romantic dinner for two, followed by a night at the Bronze. What do you think?**

**Throw in a night of red hot sex and you have a deal**

Liam nodded. The image of dinner, a night at the Bronze and Buffy's promise of red-hot sex was not going to leave his mind for the rest of the day.

"I. Love.You" he mouthed the words silently and not waiting for a reply, Liam quickly slipped into his car.

In the clear blue sky above, the bright morning sun was burning down in golden yellow rays but as the car pulled out of the driveway, Buffy shivered and pulled her robe closer to her body. She didn't understand why, but for just a moment, she felt an unexplainable sadness cover her soul.

Shaking off her stupidity, she watched her husband's dark convertible pull into the street and didn't move until all sight of the vehicle had faded from her view.

*****


Later that night


Hearing the sound of a car pulling up outside her window, Buffy dropped the brush she was using to style her hair and taking a quick glance in the bedroom mirror, she headed down the stairs and threw open the front door with a relieved smile.

"Where on earth have you been? I was starting to get worried...." On confronting her visitor, the smile that curled the corners of Buffy's lips slipped a little with disappointment. Not only was it not Liam standing in front of her, but her husband was now seriously overdue and the way things stood, they would never make the restaurant in time. **So much for dinner, dancing and hot sex** The smile on her face slipped a fraction more and by the time she fully accepted that the night was almost certainly a write off, what was left of the greeting now resembled a frown.

Pushing back her disappointment and realising her bad manners, Buffy turned her attention back to her visitor and tried to reinsert the smile as best she could.
" Sorry, I thought you were Liam"

Dressed all in black, William Pennington stood silently on the doorstep. When Buffy returned the smile to her face, he took a slow breath to hide the tension swirling inside his stomach and debated one final time how he was going to handle their confrontation. Not that he didn't already know. Will had rehearsed this scene in his head all afternoon and nothing was allowed to go wrong. Nerves pushed aside, his face broke into a shy smile.

"Hello Buffy. May I come in?"

Unable to keep up the pretence that she was happy to see him for more than a few seconds, Buffy frowned again, still disappointed that the man standing on her front porch was not Liam and that all her plans for their night lay in ruins.

She shook her head reinforcing her point.

"William, this is really a bad time for me, Liam should be here at any moment, we have a table booked for eight" slightly panicked, the flustered young woman knew it was only a small lie but he didn't need to know that. The table was booked for eight thirty but the sooner she got rid of her unwanted guest, the better.

Raising her eyes, Buffy nervously glanced over his shoulder, fearing that if Liam pulled up now and saw Pennington waiting at his door, there would be hell to pay.

Although she once considered the young English poet her friend, It was no secret that he and her husband disliked each other immensely. William Pennington had been a great help with the gallery over the last year but for some unknown reason, Liam had taken an instant dislike to the cocky, brash Englishman. When it got to the point where the two men couldn't even be civil to each other, in the same room, Buffy had reluctantly distanced herself from the friendship. It was the only time in her marriage when she and her husband hadn't agreed.

Lifting her head, Buffy's eyes returned to her unexpected visitor. This time the seriousness in his expression caused a small shiver to slide the length of her spine.

For a heartbeat or two he didn't respond. Then, tilting his head slightly to the side, William's cool blue eyes swept over her face but his expression still refused to give anything away.

"That's why I'm here, pet. Get your coat, you really need to see this"

At his cool words, the already alarmed young woman felt her stomach drop into free-fall. **There was something wrong here, something seriously wrong ** Before Buffy could further protest, her unwanted visitor's long legs moved over the doorstep and carried him into the hall.

Shocked by his behaviour Buffy turned.

"Has there been an accident? Is it Liam?" There was a real tinge of panic in her tone as her frantic mind ran with a dozen different scenarios.

**Liam in hospital. Liam lying in the wreckage of his car. Liam de..** Buffy shut the last thought right out of her head telling herself that she would know if something really bad had happened. If her lover were really hurt she would have felt it.

Ignoring the man standing in her hallway, Buffy reached for the phone and punched in the digits to her husband's cell phone. After a few agonising moments she realised it was switched off.

Turning her head back to her blonde visitor, her worried face demanded answers

"Buffy..."

William hesitated, his eyes shadowing for a second, his emotions still unreadable.

Ploughing his hand through his short bleached hair, the handsome young man shook his head. He had to keep her guessing, build the suspense. It was cruel but it was necessary.

"There's not been an accident but you really do have to come with me, luv. I have to show you something" He moved closer, slowly. One step at a time he closed the distance between them, his liquid blue eyes never leaving her bewildered features.

As much as she hated to admit it, Buffy found herself becoming intrigued.

With the front door left wide open, a cold breeze swept through the entrance and brushed its evening chill over her bare arms.

Buffy shivered and as her skin prickled with goosebumps, she remembered the feeling of trepidation she had experienced on the doorstep that very morning.

"William, please. You're frightening me" Making no attempt to close the door, she ran a hand through her hair, tucking an escaped strand behind her ear

Pennington watched the woman he adored closely and with each beat of his lonely heart, he ached for her. Her silky golden hair, freshly washed, hung in soft curls around her slim shoulders and the slight aroma of her perfume floated between them and seeped into to his hungry senses.

Hardly moving a muscle, William remained silent as his imagination undressed her petite body and the crotch of his black denim jeans suddenly felt uncomfortably tight. He'd waited months for this moment. Months of waiting to destroy Liam Angeuls' marriage once and for all. William hated Liam with a passion and even if he hadn't fallen in love with Buffy at first sight, he would have happily done anything in his power to teach the young arrogant lawyer a lesson. He and Liam had a real score to settle and taking Buffy away from the bastard was the icing on the cake.

When Darla had first broached the subject of breaking up the happy newlyweds, William had been dead against the idea. He couldn't bear to see the girl he had fallen so badly for, being that unhappy. It was only after a jealous Liam intervened and prevented Buffy from even being his friend that everything changed.

**If you so much as go near my wife one more time, I'll send you all the way back to the Mother country in a wooden box**

A wave of undiluted hatred rose up and washed over William at the memory.

Tonight was payback. Not only would he finally be with the woman he loved, but also, by the time he and Darla had finished this little masquerade, Buffy would hate Liam with ever fibre of her body for the rest of her life.

**Aunt Jenny.. Thank God for Aunt Jenny** Tearful over her mother's death one afternoon, and Liam being away in new York for a week, Buffy had confided in him that it was also her aunt's birthday and then related the story of how the poor unfortunate woman had met her death. Ever the sensitive soul, William held her, patted her back and carefully stored the information away for a rainy day..

It didn't take long to rain.

Darla had danced for joy when, drunk and depressed, the poet had let the story slip three months later.

**So poor little Buffy had issues with abandonment, what a shame.. Especially as I'm just the person to manipulate them.**

Once Darla' plan was hatched, her brother changed his mind and jumped on board with a vengeance. If there was going to be a separation between the Angelus', he might as well benefit.

And now, after all their hard work and planning, the benefits were just about to come home.

While William reminisced, Buffy waited, her eyes narrowing with suspicion but the blonde poet wasn't volunteering any more information.

"Come on, we need to hurry" He reached out a hand and snatched up her jacket

Buffy felt uneasy leaving the house but knew she had no other choice. Her husband was seriously overdue, his cell phone was switched off and the only person who seemed to know anything about his disappearance was standing right in front of her.

Torn, she let out a heartrending sigh. Nothing made sense. Buffy then lifted her hand towards the short leather jacket but didn't quite make contact.

When William felt her momentarily hesitate, he slipped his hand under her elbow and swiftly propelled her towards his waiting car. His grip was warm and firm and Buffy moved without question.

"You have to see this for yourself, pet" Opening the car door for her, he spoke quietly, but his angular face was still void of all emotion. Almost on autopilot, Buffy merely nodded her agreement and slipped into the passenger's seat of the dark DeSoto.

For the first ten minutes they drove in complete silence. The car moved out of Ravello drive and was soon heading through the town. Buffy shifted uncomfortably on the seat, turning her head slightly, her eyes wondered to William's face. It was freshly shaven but his eyes looked tired, and he seemed tense, as if he couldn't fully relax.

"I wish you would just tell me what this is all about" Buffy asked quietly when they pulled up for a red light. The faint clamour of warning bells drifted into her mind again and the uneasy feeling that had started earlier now knotted in the pit of her stomach.

William turned his head and stared as her sweet voice broke through the silence. A rush of longing flooded through his veins as his hungry blue eyes swept over her pale features. In the dim light, Buffy looked so breathtakingly young and beautiful that all thought of the deception he was leading her to was temporarily forgotten. For an insane moment, he yearned to pull her into his arms and tell her that everything would be all right, that he would take care of her. But, as much as he longed to hold her, he knew it would spoil everything.

**God, this is hard**

William's increasing heartbeat thundered through his chest as he watched Buffy slide her tongue nervously across her bottom lip and he felt his lower body stir with a speed that seriously shocked him.

**Bide your time you horny fool. After tonight she's all yours**

"We'll be there in a few minutes, Buffy" His voice was low.

Turning his gaze back to the road and away from the temptation of her lips, he gripped the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turned white from the pressure. The traffic lights then thankfully changed to green and the car swiftly moved away without another word.

An array of buildings flashed by unnoticed. The coffee shop, the Sun cinema, Buffy's gallery.

Putting his foot down, Will tried to remove all romantic thoughts of Buffy from his mind. He swung the car effortlessly into Crawford Street and drove straight for the mansion. Buffy realised where they were going immediately, she had heard from Darla that her brother had finished the conversions on the once abandoned building and the renovations were said to be spectacular. Not that she had ever been inside.

When William pulled up outside the main entrance, Buffy raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"This is your home?"

He ignored the question and went straight for the kill.

"Buffy, I hate being the one to do this but its bloody wrong, what they're doing to you, it's not right." There was a slight tint of anger in his voice but also something else, something far too intimate.

Buffy frowned, but her curiosity piqued by his outburst

"They?" she paused for a moment, trying to make sense this new information. Suddenly there was a *they* in the equation and that one little word filled her with new terror.

"Will, I don't understand" She felt her throat tighten but not wanting to show any more fear than was necessary, she shoved the feeling aside.

"Just go on in, the door's open." He switched off the engine but made no attempt to move.

When Buffy turned back to face him there was a lingering uneasiness in the look she that gave him but, annoyingly, he still kept his face expressionless.

**This will only hurt her for a little while and then life will be better, for all concerned... well, apart for Liam** Pushing down any trace guilt, the blonde man justified his actions. William then removed a packet of cigarettes from his jacket pocket; he put one to his lips and flicked open his lighter. Pulling smoke deep into his lungs he watched as Buffy pushed open the DeSoto's passenger door and slipped out of the car.

Turning back for a second, their eyes met and held one last time.

Trusting hazel blending with treacherous blue but neither spoke.

Buffy moved slowly up the steps, she hesitated just inside the doorway, and it was a real relief for William when her attention was suddenly distracted.

At the sound of familiar voices coming from further down the hall, Buffy's body went taut. She couldn't make out exactly what they were saying but she was already starting to get suspicious. When curiosity finally got the better of her, her feet moved slowly, silently following the sounds until she reached the large living room door.

Coming to rest in the doorway, the light from a single lamp cast the room in soft shadows but she could still see the figures perfectly. She could now see and hear everything perfectly

Buffy suddenly couldn't breath. Her mouth fell open and utter disbelief etched deeply into the contours of her face. Unable to form speech she watched in horror as the scene being played out before her unfolded.

Although the male occupant in the room appeared partially dressed, Darla Penn flounced around in nothing but a thin silk bathrobe. Her long blonde hair was loose around her shoulders and her face flushed with excitement

"I can't do this any more. You have to stop it, honey, I need you to put an end to this nightmare once and for all." William Pennington's sister sounded almost hysterical.

"Calm down, it will be alright. I'll do what ever it takes. I won't leave you"

Buffy couldn't see his face but she was in no doubt that the male in the room was Liam.

At that point Darla threw her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. His arms immediately went around her waist, pulling her closer.

**I bumped into Darla yesterday at the hair salon. She told me to say hello to you and Lindsey and then proceeded to bore me to tears about her sick love life. It seems she's screwing some married man and his pathetic wife has no idea**

**Buffy, I hate being the one to do this but its bloody wrong, what they're doing to you, it's not right**

Buffy's earlier words crashed over her like a tidal wave of pure fury. Cold fear gripped her heart as she realised who Darla's married lover was. **Who the stupid pathetic wife was**

Unable to even breathe, she froze in the doorway as her heart shattered into a million painful shards of betrayal.

**Her husband and her school friend** If she hadn't witnessed the deception with her own two eyes she would never have believed it. Darla maybe, but not Liam, not her Angel. Angel would never do this to her.

Except that he was. Angel was reaching for the cheap bitch and pulling her into his arms right in front of her. His hand, the same hand that had caressed her own body that very morning, was now gently stroking Darla's back. His lips whispering against her hair. **The same lips that had whispered to her**

**I love you, Buffy** **I love you, Buffy** **I love you, Buffy** **I love you, Buffy** **I love you, Buffy**

"Liar. Liar Liar" Buffy's lips moved but the words she wanted to scream across the room, stayed locked deep inside her head. She tried to close her eyes to block out the sight of the treachery, but she couldn't. Her gaze was transfixed on the train wreck that had just become her life.

Outside, William stood back and waited for the explosion that would rip the Angelus' marriage apart forever, but it never came.

Buffy just stood as still as the grave, unobserved in the doorway. Time seemed to slow down allowing the pain invading her body to seep deeper into her soul, cutting her up into tiny unrecognisable pieces. If she hadn't been in so much pain she might have caught the tiny victorious smile that curled around Darla mouth.

Darla knew the second Buffy had walked into the room. The deception had been carefully prepared and from the shell-shocked look of the cheerleader's face, it had worked like a dream.

Setting up Liam was easy. A frantic call to his office that afternoon about her ex lover still stalking her was all it took to get the lawyer running to her defence. An accidental glass of red wine down his jacket had been a godsend. It was a shame she couldn't get him out of his shirt as well but the removal of his jacket looked good.

Buffy had taken a little more attention. Darla had arranged the same hair appointment the day before and then carefully planted a few seeds of doubt into her mind about her affair with a married man. William, with his information about the betrayed aunt, willingly stepped in and did the rest.

Watching the pain streak across her rival's face, Darla hugged Liam tighter and buried her head into his shoulder.

"Thank you, Angel. What would I do with out you?" Darla lifted her face and moved her lips towards his mouth.

**Angel. She called him Angel **

Devastation, so extreme it made her bones ache, flooded through Buffy's body causing her limbs to tremble. Biting deep into her lip, she struggled to rein in her emotions.

She failed.

As hot salty tears started to well in the corners of her eyes, the shattered young woman felt her heart crack.

** It was over...That level of betrayal was unforgivable**

Her thoughts were in too much turmoil to attempt speech so, without a single word Buffy turned on shaky legs and silently fled back along the hallway.

As she fled, she didn't see her husband push away from her ex school friend, a shock of deep embarrassment etched across his dark features. She didn't see Darla theatrically blush and apologise for her drunken familiarity. She didn't see the masquerade played out so convincingly for her benefit. She saw only betrayal and lies.

On reaching the front door, Buffy stopped for a second and her haunted eyes raked over William's stoic face.

Waiting by the door, William had braced himself for a confrontation but this was the last thing he had expected. There were no fireworks, no arguments, no screaming... Just abject misery..

Momentarily horrified, his heart constricted as he watched the small blonde's once happy life shard into a million jagged pieces right before his very eyes.
Unexpectedly, he found himself feeling almost ashamed by his part in the conspiracy, and unable to stand the pain reflected in her sad eyes, he tore his gaze away first. When she moved again, William didn't try and restrain her and before he could find the words he needed to comfort her, Buffy had slipped away into the night.

Back in the living room, Darla smiled. The look on Buffy's face said it all. No matter how much Liam denied a relationship, the stupid little wife would never believe him. They would argue, maybe fight but Buffy's trust would be gone forever and she would patiently bide her time and be there when it all fell apart.
Little did Darla know but her masquerade that night worked better than she had ever dreamed.

*****



One hour later, her emotions barely under control, a shattered and broken hearted young woman walked silently into the bus station and caught the first greyhound leaving Sunnydale. It was fifty miles before she realised she had no idea which direction she was heading.

Buffy laid her head against the glass and let the drone of the engine seep deep into her mind. She tried to fight it but even with her eyes closed the image of Angel and Darla continued to taunt her head, refusing to leave her in peace for a single second. Wave after wave, the haunting visions replayed behind her closed eyelids. She knew she should have confronted them, screamed and shouted and maybe cracked a few skulls but she couldn't do it. The pain was simply too much to fight through. She needed to escape, run away and collect her bearings before facing the truth. That her marriage was over and everything her lover had ever told her was a lie.

Unable to sleep, Buffy ran her hands over her tired eyes and when her gaze caught the ring of pale skin on her third finger where her wedding ring had once lay, silent tears trickled down her anguished face. As the pain of betrayal once again ripped open her chest, leaving her emotions to slowly bleed with the truth, Buffy wished with all her heart that she could forget him.

Little was she know that only a few months later, on a different bus, heading in a different direction, her wish would be painfully granted.

***


That same night


Closing the door of his car, Liam muttered a silent curse as his eyes caught sight of the time. He had promised Buffy a night out and he was already three hours late.

**Bloody Darla Penn** Liam cursed again as he struggled with the most enormous bunch of yellow roses.

The damn woman always called at the most inconvenient times. Instead of having a romantic meal with his wife, Liam had spent the last two hours calming a nearly hysterical client, who swore her ex-lover, was trying to break into her house and kill her. More than once that night he had tried to leave, only to have the terrified woman threaten to do something stupid if he left her alone. It was only the arrival of her brother that let him finally escape. Darla's hysterics were Pennington's problem now.

He pushed the door open and laid the flowers on the hall table. His jacket still reeked of red wine and stripping the ruined garment from his shoulders, he placed it next to the flowers.

**I don't care how rich she is, that woman needs a new lawyer first thing Monday morning**

"Buffy! I'm home" Liam called out, but much to his surprise and disappointment, there was no reply.

After searching the kitchen and lounge, he walked into his study. That was where Buffy would have left a message if she needed to go out in a hurry. He should have called her and if he hadn't lost his damn cell phone that night he would have.

As he approached his desk, Liam noticed the envelope immediately. His concerned eyes then focused on two small gold bands, shining in the fading evening light. Reaching out, he ripped open the envelope and five seconds later, his whole world fell apart.

**It's over. Don't even think of looking for me because I'm never coming back. I never want to see you again, not as long as I live. I'll never forgive you for this... Buffy**


*****


The present


"ANGEL"


Buffy woke up with a start. As her fear filled eyes flicked around the shaded room, her heart pounded in her chest at least a thousand beats a minute. The nightmare that had stolen into her sleep, and had had terrified her dreams, was still there, perched on the very edge of reality and Buffy had no doubt, that if she just reached out with her mind, the whole dark world would come crashing back in.

**It was a dream. Just another dream**

She tried desperately to reassure herself but even as the words slipped into her head she knew how false they sounded. Her memory was coming back. The past was screaming like a freight train running out of all control, and Buffy had no doubt that when it finally arrived, all that would be left of her new life was the wreckage.

Letting out a long breath, she turned her head and her eyes immediately caught sight of note that had been left by the bedside.

Buffy,
You looked so peaceful laying there that I couldn't wake you for the world. I'll be back as soon I can and we'll celebrate all over again.
I love you
Angel


Buffy smiled softly as she read the words. He loved her and the fluttering in her own stomach confirmed that the feeling was very mutual.

**But you left.. You left him and very soon you are going to remember why** The unwanted thought ripped the smile from her face and all the pleasure at seeing those three little words disappeared. After floating on a cloud for the last twelve hours she hit the ground with a bump.

Trying to push the trepidation as far to the back of her mind as was possible, Buffy slipped from the bed and tossed her robe over her naked shoulders. She was halfway across the room when the phone rang

"Liam?"

"No, its me"

Buffy's smile died on hearing Darla's voice and not that of her husbands.

"Sorry, I thought.." Buffy didn't get the chance to finish the sentence.

"What the hell have you done to my brother?" the angry female voice that greeted her was the very last thing she had expected.

Buffy sighed and tried to remove the vision of a battered face from her mind. "It's a long story "

"Long story?"

There was a slight hesitation on the other end of the line

"William wouldn't tell me what happened but he's going crazy, Buffy. You should see the state of his face." Darla played the part of the wounded sister to perfection. A mixture of anger and concern blended with her voice and carefully hid her real agenda. Taking the silence on the other end of the line as a good sign, she continued pressing her advantage.

"Look, I don't know what happened between you last night, but Will's pressing assault charges against Liam. I've tried to talk him out of it. You know how much I care about you and Liam, but I couldn't calm him down this time. He wants blood" Darla bit into her lip as she took in the small gasp on the other end of the line.

"He can't do that.. He promised"

"Believe me he can, and from the sound of him, he will. Liam could be in serious trouble."

Buffy felt sick. She couldn't believe that William had lied to her once again. Her whole life was becoming one lie after another.

Knowing that she had shaken Buffy, Darla played her trump card and pulled the second largest bluff of her life

"Look, I think I know how to fix this mess once and for all.. Meet me at the gallery in twenty minutes "

*******


Climbing from the cab, Buffy took a deep breath as she closed the door but it did nothing to dispel the tension that knotted her stomach. Deep inside her head a tiny nagging voice kept repeating over and over that Darla couldn't be trusted. Darla was the fire in her dreams; she twisted and burned with an intense uneasiness.


**Trust your first instinct... You don't remember this woman so how the hell can you trust her?**

Buffy shook the warning from her head; the seriousness of the matter gave her no choice but to trust Darla. Liam's whole future would be ruined if William kept his promise and pressed assault charges and, no matter how much she distrusted the other woman, she had to give her the benefit of the doubt

Realising that she was the first to arrive, Buffy anxiously checked her watch and then looked in both directions for any sign of her so called friend.

**So much for punctuality** Buffy sighed impatiently. She wanted this confrontation over with, what ever the outcome might be, it had to end today. Standing on the sidewalk, Buffy waited a good five minutes before deciding that she would be far more comfortable waiting in her own office. Turning towards her building she pulled the gallery keys from her pocket and headed towards the front door.

As she covered the pavement, Buffy felt a slight shiver run down her spine, as if a ghost from her past had suddenly woken up and walked over her skin.

**Not good. This is really not good**

She fumbled for the right key and as she finally inserted it in the lock the first sign that something wasn't right confirmed her earlier fears. The lock in question didn't need to be turned, with the slight touch of her hand the door slipped open. Looking towards the handle Buffy noticed that a tiny section of glass had been broken and the lock forced open.

Ignoring all the danger signs, she pushed harder on the door, and poked her head inside.

"Hello?"

The small bell handing on the back of the door jangled twice with the movement.

"Darla?"

It was dark, the shutters were all closed and the display lighting was turned off. Buffy took a second step, trying to adjust her eyes to dim light of her surroundings.

With the new step she felt a chill brush its way up over her skin and the hairs on the back of her neck lifted. Silently cursing her stupidity, Buffy shook off the anxiety but as she took a third step inside the gallery door, her throat felt dry and her fingers twisted nervously with the strap of her purse.

At the sound of a footstep she turned her head and started to speak. Buffy's eyes narrowed, not quite able to make out the lurking figure.

"Darla? ...Willia..." She never got to finish the second word. For an instant there was a sharp pain and then all the light in her head went out.

Darla dropped the wooden African figure that she had been holding in the palm of her hand and looked down at the unconscious form lying sprawled across the tiled floor. Her eyes watched her handiwork in awe as a shock of crimson seeped slowly through the ribbons of golden hair. At the sight of her rival's blood, reality crashed in and Darla shook her head, gaining her wits.

Bending her knees, she dragged Buffy's limp form away from the open doorway and after checking that there was nobody else outside on the street, she quickly pulled down the blind and replaced the *closed* sign.

With a body on the floor, the last thing she needed was a nosy customer walking in on her. Once sure that she wouldn't be disturbed, Darla touched two fingers to her unconscious victim's neck, checking for a pulse and was almost disappointed to feel the faint throbbing beneath her fingertips. Not that it mattered to Darla.

A quick painless death wasn't on the agenda that afternoon.

**Well, the quick painless part anyway**


Late afternoon


****


William Pennington perched quietly on a stool at the bar, nursing a large glass of whiskey. Deep in reflection, a long slender finger absentmindedly toyed with his glass as the troubles of the last few months rested heavily on his bowed shoulders. A small flight bag lay at his feet and, with the knowledge that the rest of his personal belongings were already winging their way across the country, reluctantly, Pennington had time to kill.

Pulling a crumpled Marlboro packet from his jacket pocket, William lit up a cigarette and, staring at what appeared to be a damp patch on the far wall of the bar, drew the nicotine deep into his lungs.

The airport would be hot and stuffy at that time of day and, although he couldn't bear staying in Sunnyhell a moment longer than necessary, the prospect of forever leaving the small town, left a dull nagging ache deep in his chest. He worried that the scars, of coming to this place, would remain with him for the rest of his life.

William closed his weary eyes and took another long drag on his cigarette.

It was killing him having to give up his home and his family, but Will was finally being realistic and accepting the truth. There was no future for him now in Sunnydale. Seeing Buffy everyday and not being able to love her, or even touch her was a pain he could no longer live with. He simply wasn't that strong. In the end it was that reason and that reason alone that made up his mind for him. He had to get out of this town not only for Buffy's sake but more importantly, for his own.

**That's right. You keep telling yourself that mate and one day you might actually believe it**

Sliding his gaze down the length of the bar William motioned for the bartender to fill up his glass again. It was, after all, going to be a bloody long afternoon.

After his talk with Darla he was more sure of his decision than ever. So, a few hours later, with just a few packing cases in tow, he closed the mansion door for the very last time. Darla could have the place now and if for any reason she didn't want it, well, it could rot for all he cared. William was well on his way to the airport when it dawned on him just how much time he had to kill before his late night flight to London. Deciding to drown his sorrows with bad American booze one last time he stopped the cab right outside the local bar and sent his luggage on in his place.


**If it got there great, if not, he really didn't care anymore. Sadly, William was past caring about anything**

The local bar he often frequented was at best a dive, but it did have one saving quality, it was always deadly quiet at that time of the afternoon. The perfect place for him to lose himself in.

Willy, the bartender recognised the young poet the moment he first entered the bar, but years of experience had taught him to appreciate when a person wanted to talk or when they needed be left alone. From the dark expression etched on the troubled man's face, William Pennington very much wanted to be left alone.

And that's how he stayed.

Lost in a dark world of sorrow and regret, Will kept his back to the room and blanked out anyone who came too close for comfort. He ordered a whiskey, knocked it back in one long swig and then, ignoring the misery that was threatening to suffocate him, he steadily worked his way through the first half of the bottle.

In three hours, the bartender was the only one brave enough to approach the downcast young man.

"Again?" Willy asked, pointing towards the almost empty glass on the counter.

Lifting his piercing blue eyes, the customer shook his head.

Crushing out his third cigarette in an ashtray on the bar, William stared down into the golden depths of his drink and realised that it was definitely cutting off time. He had places to be and the airline wouldn't let him board the plane and fly back home if he arrived at the check-in desk too drunk to stand up.

**Besides, what was the point of getting paralytic? ** He thought bitterly.

William knew only too well that getting pissed wouldn't help. No matter how hard he looked at it, there was simply no solace to be found in the bottom of his glass. **There's no peace to be found anywhere in this god-forsaken town.**

Willy was still hovering, holding a cheap bottle of imported scotch, but his customer was no longer interested. Glancing at his tab, the poet pulled a handful of American bills from his wallet and slapped them down on the counter. The tip was generous and the bartender smiled.

"No, I'm through." With the air of defeat radiating from every pore in his body William slipped off the stool, and then added almost as an afterthought " I've got to get the fuck out of this hell hole before I go insane"

Tossing back the remains of his drink, he picked up his small flight bag, threw it over his shoulder and, without a backward glance, he walked out into the fading daylight.

*****

Outside the street was almost deserted.

William tried for at least ten minutes to find a cab but, at that time of the evening, it was near impossible. Not wanting to waste any more time hanging around outside the bar, his feet turned and headed off in the direction of the local bus station.

As William pounded along the pavement, he tried everything in his power not to think of a certain blonde girl who would always hold a special place in his heart. He failed miserably. No matter how hard he tried his Judas thoughts refused to comply and his mind was filled with images of Buffy. She was everywhere in this town. William could see her face in every building, on every street corner, and in every fair-haired female that smiled in his direction. There was simply no escape from his torment; every way he turned Buffy Angelus was haunting him.

**You bastard. You low-life lying bastard. I've been in hell for the last two weeks and all the time you could have ended it. That was when you could have saved me **

**Let go of me. It's not you, it was never you**

**I could never love a man like you.. You're beneath me**

Before he'd even realised where he was heading William found himself on the sidewalk outside Buffy's gallery. The building was dark and the shutter was pulled down but, as the door was slightly ajar, he knew she had to be in there.

As he ran his eyes lovingly over the Summers name above the door, every instinct shouted out for him to keep on walking. Buffy had made her feelings perfectly clear about never wanting to set eyes on him again and the very last thing he should be doing was contemplating walking in and surprising her. It was wrong. He knew it wouldn't do any good but, even as he stood there hesitating, Will also knew that he had to try one last time to make his peace with the girl he would never see again. He couldn't bear that her last memory of him was so disgusting.

He wasn't a complete fool, William knew that Buffy could easily laugh the apology back in his face, but that was a chance he would just have to take. Just one last time he needed to tell her that he really was sorry and reassure her that he would never interfere in her life again. And then, no matter if she laughed or not, he was gone.

"Hello?... "

William pushed open the gallery door and knew immediately that something was very wrong. Tiny shards of glass snapped beneath his boots as he ventured deeper into the building. Hitting the light switch on the wall by the doorway, the room flooded with artificial light.

"Buffy?"

The first thing Will saw was the African figure abandoned on the floor at his feet.

His voice rose an octave as tiny tremors of fear flitted into his heart.

"BUFFY?"

Dropping to his knees William ran his finger through the small pool of congealed blood and recoiled with horror as Darla's chilling words came back to haunt him.

**Well maybe its time to stop playing games and get rid of the little bitch once and for all**

**Stopping her from breathing? Good idea little brother. That works just fine for me.**

"Oh, God"

**I'm not being dramatic, I'm just saying, maybe it's time I got rid of the bitch once and for all**

"You stupid Wanker" William cursed himself for not taking his sister's threats seriously. From the amount of blood on the floor and the lack of a struggle he knew Buffy was in the worse kind of trouble imaginable.

**That's if that physco bitch hadn't already carried out her threat**

The small hairs on the back of his neck stood on edge and his blood almost burned with rage

"DARLA! Where the hell are you?"

Getting up off the floor, William frantically cast his eyes around the room, looking for anything that would give him an insight into his sister's twisted head.

Darla had played this far too close to her chest and, at that moment in time, he honestly didn't have a clue where to start looking for her. Just as he was about to head back outside, a small black purse caught the corner of his eye. He recognised it immediately seeing as how it had cost him a thousand bucks the previous Christmas. Picking up the bag from under a counter, William quickly turned the contents out across a glass display case.

In the blink of an eye, make up, tissues and a fistful of loose change spiralled across the flat surface.

Darla's address book, hidden away in a small side pocket brought a total blank but on sliding his fingers deeper into the designer bag, William smiled in relief and carefully removed a small leather bound diary. The tiny gold lock wasn't a problem for the heel of his boot and within seconds of ripping its remains from the hard leather cover his fingers were furiously flipping through the fragile pages.

Monday 2nd. Liam called to cancel our lunch Date. There's been an accident and he has to fly to New York.

William continued to scan the articulate handwriting for anything that would help in his search for Buffy. After reading page after page of endless female gossip, it was the most recent entries that finally stopped him cold. Everything he needed to know was there. His deep blue eyes widened in horror at the hatred blazing out from every page.

"Oh, fuck!"

******

"No, YOU don't understand... I need to speak to Liam Angelus.. NOW! "

William paced anxiously up and down the gallery floor as he waited to be connected to Liam. On the other end of the line a secretary was trying her best to persuade him that Mr. Angelus and Mr. McDonald were both unavailable that afternoon but William was too frantic to take notice of her excuses.

"What do you mean the tosser can't be disturbed? Look, I'm not fooling about here, this is a matter of life and death" Raking a nervous hand through his hair, William shouted into his cell phone. "Just get him out of the fucking meeting and tell him to meet me at the old high school .. NO, you listen you daft old bint, not tomorrow, not next Wednesday RIGHT THIS SODDING SECOND" He cut off the annoying secretary before she could protest and immediately started to dial a new number.

91.. Just as he was about to hit the final digit William's shaking finger hesitated, the enormity of the situation sinking down so heavily on his shoulders that he caught his breath.

"What the hell am I doing?"

**This is kidnapping and possibly a damn sight lot worse**

William was torn. If the police got involved before he could find her, Darla would end up behind bars for the rest of her life. As much as he wanted to protect Buffy, he also realised that his sister was all he had left in the world, and no matter what she had done, he had no choice but to try and save her from prison.

**And what about your own involvement, you pillock?**

At that second thought, self-preservation kicked in and reluctantly he switched off the phone. He would save Buffy at all costs but first he needed to see how bad the situation was. Once Buffy was safe, he would find a way to save both his and Darla's worthless hides anyway he could.


*****


Buffy groaned and, keeping her eyes closed against the intense pain, she tried to lift her head.

"There you are" A chillingly calm voice floated out from the shadows and drifted deep inside her mind "I was beginning to think you'd sleep the whole night away"

Buffy shifted uncomfortably in her seat, as the ropes binding her wrists burned angrily into her flesh. Slightly disorientated, she blinked twice, trying desperately to see through the dim light and place her new surroundings.

All around her the air was filled with strange aromas. Fresh paint, plaster, new wood, and something quite out of place.. Gasoline?

Lifting her head a fraction Buffy winced as a searing pain shot through the back of her battered skull. Blood, rich and sticky matted her blonde hair and a wave of nausea rose up and burnt the back of her throat, as the last thing she remembered that afternoon surged back into her head.

**Someone had hit her. Hard**

Without moving her head more than was necessary, Buffy's eyes flickered through the shadows, confused by her strange surroundings. Although it was getting dark, the moonlight shining in from the large glass windows gave enough light to make out the outline of a large room, possibly a library.

There were stacks up against the far walls but for some unknown reason there were no books in this library. In fact, the whole room was stripped of all furniture and the high bare walls had a strong odour of fresh paint.

Wherever she was Buffy knew she certainly wasn't in the gallery any longer.

Whatever had happened in the time that had elapsed, her whole body was now in pain. From the aching in her limbs she felt as if she was bruised from head to toe.

Buffy pushed down the pain and fought to remember. It was fuzzy but the memory was still there. Someone had been waiting for her at the gallery that afternoon, there had been footsteps and then...

**I was beginning to think you'd sleep the whole night away**

"Darla?"

The silence only lasted for the duration of a single heartbeat

"You should never have come back, Summers"

Buffy immediately recognised the female voice and a large pang of resentment coursed through her that she had been so easily fooled. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she once again searched through the shadows.

With a small unnerving smile turning the corners of her lips, Darla took a footstep forward. Pale moonlight washed over her small frame and when its silver glow highlighted the blonde woman's hair, it gave her an almost ghostly appearance.

Bully swallowed the shock that took her breath away.

**Deja vu**

This was how all her nightmares had started ever since the accident. She swallowed again; there were just too many similarities for comfort.

Darla stood stock-still and savoured the flash of dismay that briefly froze her rival's features. Chillingly, not a flicker of emotion covered her own face.

Still struggling with the shock of being tied up, and Darla's impersonation of Casper, Buffy snaked her tongue out to moisten her dry lips.

The strongest aroma in the room also clung to her skin. She could taste...

"What's that smell?" Buffy didn't know why she'd even asked. She'd known the answer before the words had left her mouth.

Acting her part to perfection Darla lifted her nose and took in the strong scent that floated on the evening air.

"My guess would be gasoline. Oh, dear, It looks like the whole place is doused with it." She replied innocently and ran her finger across the wet counter in the middle of the room. A sticky trail proved her right. The room was literally swimming with the volatile substance.

"I don't understand.. Where are we?" Buffy asked the one question that seemed to be haunting her most. Her head was splitting and she could feel a lump the size of a mountain protruding out from her hair but no matter how hard she delved into the dark void of her mind she couldn't place the room.

Darla walked closer.

"You don't recognise the old place, Buffy?" She raised a sardonic eyebrow and then, almost as an afterthought she sighed slightly too theatrically.

" Damn, of course you wouldn't. Well, not if that amnesia of yours is genuine..." she took a slow breath and the tone of her voice then dripped in sarcasm " Though personally, I think the jury is still out on that one"

Buffy shook her aching head wishing she could make sense of Darla's strange babbling and that the bitch would get to the point. There was something so familiar about the room but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

At Buffy's still confused look, Darla's lips tightened together

"Give up? Okay, let me give you a little clue.. We're right back where it all started, Buffy. This is our beloved high school. Well, this is what's left of the high school." she answered calmly, almost too calmly.

A slow smile then spread across her features.

"It's funny really, from the outside everyone thinks this place is nothing but a burnt out shell but that's where they're wrong. I was there that day and I remember. It was only the gym and a few of the outer buildings that were really lost. The main building stood up well to the fire of 99. See how nice it's looking. Those poor workman have been renovating it all summer... All for nothing"

Darla rambled almost affectionately about the building they had both attended in their teens. Not that much of it made sense to Buffy. Suddenly, the array of alarm bells ringing inside her head was going into overdrive.

Ignoring the walk down memory lane, she frantically searched the room looking for a second party. There had to be a second party.

"Where's William?"

Darla looked up in genuine surprise. **Amnesia girl still hadn't got it**

"You really do give blondes a bad name" She snorted as she walked around the chair. "William didn't do this, you stupid little cheerleader... I did" A mixture of cold insanity and red-hot pride danced in her cool liquid eyes.

She smirked and the expression cruelly distorted her once beautiful face.

"Poor little Will, that fool really does love you and if you hadn't been so determined to hold on to Liam, it could have been so different. You and my little brother could have gone off happily into the sunset... Too late now of course, now we are playing with my rules"

As the words slowly registered Buffy froze and glared at her in horror. For the first time she could see the real hatred shining from the other woman's face

"I thought we were supposed to be friends?"

In her heart Buffy already knew the answer to that statement. Even with total amnesia she had known it was all a lie, right from that first meeting at lunch when the nagging voice in her ear had screamed out that Darla Penn was not to be trusted. Her confusion and lack of memory could only be blamed so much. Every instinct inside her begged not to trust this two-faced devil, but like a blind fool, desperate for crumbs of her past, she had ignored the warning time after time.

At the array of emotions crossing Buffy's face, Darla threw back her head and laughed. To see the truth finally dawn across her dim rival's features was everything she had ever wanted.

**Well, almost everything**

"Friends? Don't make me laugh. I hate you. In point of fact, I've always hated you. You're nothing but a whiny, annoying, selfish, little bitch. "

Darla's grin widened across her cruel mouth as she backed away. She needed a better view; she didn't want to miss a second of Buffy's pain.

Buffy cursed her stupidity "I can't believe I walked right into this"

Darla laughed again, she was on a roll now and nothing would stop her.

" You and that little brat pack of friends of yours made my school life a living hell. Buffy Summers, always looking down your crooked nose thinking you were better than me." Darla whined miserably at her distorted memories of high school. For years she had blamed every one of her many failures on Buffy.

Buffy shook her head

"You're wrong" she argued defensively. She wasn't sure yet how she knew the other woman was lying but she just did.

Darla quirked and eyebrow.

"Am I?. I don't think so, Summers. Remember, I'm not the one here with convenient amnesia"

"No, your the one living in fantasy land" Buffy shot back.

Darla rolled her eyes and dismissed the insult without a second thought. She was the one in control here. Finally, she was the one with the power.

As more of her twisted past rose to the surface of her mind, her hatred for Buffy intensified.

"It just didn't matter what I did you always had to be first" Her pained gaze turned dark " You even stole my first boyfriend"

And there it was the first seed of a life long hatred.

Buffy gasped, as ghosts from her past crept over her soul and brought back the memory with tiny whispers. As if a veil lifted, she remembered the little boy in question. Sandy blonde hair, long lanky legs and a face full of freckles.

** His name was Riley.** Buffy suddenly remembered how the poor little boy had won her heart with a bar of chocolate one afternoon in the schoolyard. It was hardly Romeo and Juliet. Three hours after the chocolate had gone; she had cruelly dumped him. Riley cried for a month. Strangely, as the pictures replayed in her mind, Buffy had no memory of Darla in the equation at all.

Buffy's eyes then widened in disbelief.

"We were five" she responded softly, so softly that her rival, in her angry state almost didn't hear her.

Darla took a step forward, her suspicious eyes never leaving Buffy's face for a second.

"So you do remember? I guess I was right about your so-called amnesia " She snapped fiercely and then smiled. "Or maybe it was the crack to your poor little head that did the trick. Maybe I should charge you a fee for returning your memory"

The few seconds of silence that followed was deafening

"Oh, God. You're completely crazy" Buffy's heart dropped with the sudden realisation. This wasn't an angry William keeping her prisoner over a broken heart; this was much more dangerous than that.

The woman holding her captive wasn't playing with a full deck of cards anymore.

Darla leaned towards her, her eyes so fierce it took all Buffy's strength not to show the fear that was choking her.

"Oh, honey. I left being crazy about three turnings back. But try not to take this personally, I'm not doing this *just* because I hate you with every bone in my body. No, it's much simpler than that.

Buffy flinched when Darla's hand touched her hair, the strong smell of gasoline lingering on her manicured hand.

"I want your husband"

Buffy felt as though she had been physically struck. In her heart she knew it and yet hearing the words still knocked her sideways.

" I love Liam, I always have and you, you are all that's standing between us and that perfect happy ending every couple in love dream about.."

For an instant Buffy was too stunned to even respond. Shock and disbelief registered on her face as it all fell into place.

Revelling in the bewilderment written clearly across her rival's face, Darla tossed her head back and chuckled. Then reaching beneath the freshly painted counter, she removed a large, well-hidden gasoline can. Without once taking her eyes from Buffy's face, her long manicured fingers slowly twisted the cap.

"I'll be his wife, the mother to his children and you, you my dear girl will just be the first wife, the one that ran off, again." Darla smiled and insanity burned brightly from her pale blue eyes. "That's how the official report on your disappearance will read. Only the two of us will ever know the truth. That poor little Buffy ended up nothing more than a big pile of ash on the library floor. That's if there's still a floor left when the fire finishes its feast."

Darla splashed the gasoline at Buffy's feet and the liquid happily added to the multitude already soaking into the floor.

As the full impact of Darla's words struck home Buffy hit back

"You're delusional. Angel will never love you. Even if I wasn't around it would still NEVER be you." Buffy's eyes flashed with fire as the other woman physically flinched " Face it, Barbie. My husband's just not into crazy bitches with plastic breasts"

Momentarily Darla froze, her bright smile of success fading away. Her recovery, however, was swift and violent.

Buffy's head snapped back with a crack as Darla's small hand viciously backhanded her.

"And that's just where you are wrong, bitch." She raised her hand again as if to continue the assault but when Buffy held her head high, ignoring the blood dripping from her split lip, Darla decided that words would hurt her far more than actions ever could.

"Liam will be so devastated by your second disappearance that he will be easy pickings. I can even make him believe that you ran off with William for a while, that will be fun. That poor boy, his heart will be broken all over again. But don't you worry about Angel too much; I'll be here to give him all the support he needs.... Just like I did the last time you ran off."

Darla smirked as the words hit right where she knew they would.

"You should never have come back, Buffy."

A tiny spark flashed unnoticed in hazel orbs. Darla made her first real mistake. Anger only made the other woman stronger.

Buffy refused to show any of the fear that was racing through her body. She was sick and tired of being manipulated by the woman in front of her and if she somehow did manage to escape this alive, she promised herself she would strangle Darla Penn with her own two hands.

**And dance on your grave**

Snaking out her tongue she licked the blood from her split lip and glared back.

"But I did come back and even after everything you did to us, Liam still wanted me and not you. Face it, Darla. Once a loser always a loser"

Darla shrugged her slim shoulders as if the words were of little importance. She grinned and the slow knowing smile that spread across her face sent renewed shivers down Buffy's spine.

"Yes, you came back once, but unless you believe in reincarnation you won't be doing it again. So, tell me this, Buffy. Now who's the loser?"

The smell of fresh gasoline rose up from the floor and swelled around her head.

Cold fear gripped Buffy's heart as she realised that she'd been here before. This was how she felt in her dreams. Suddenly her nightmare was being played out right before her very eyes. The fire that had haunted her every night since her return wasn't just a memory trying to break through from her past; it was also a glimpse of her future.

For a moment there was no sound. Nothing changed except the level of hatred passing between the two females occupying the room.

And then the equation shifted.

"Darla. Where the fuck are you?"

At the introduction of the third voice both Darla and Buffy turned their heads.

The voice was male and sounded distant yet each female recognised it at once.

William.

Placing the gasoline can on the floor, Darla turned and headed towards the shuttered windows. She placed her small fingers on either side of the bars and peered through. Although the light was dim, her brother's bleached hair was plainly seen in the moonlight.

"Dammit, I should have known he'd never really leave you. " Darla muttered the curse beneath her breath before turning back.

"Looks like a hero is here to save the day after all. What a shame he's not going to succeed in time. "

With a swift kick, Darla's foot struck out and hit the gasoline can, toppling it over with a crash and sending the remaining contents snaking out across the new wooden floor. Buffy's eyes widened in horror as the clear, volatile liquid snaked towards her. As panic and adrenaline raced through her blood stream, her hands frantically tore at the ropes binding her wrists and ignoring the pain, she hid any show of emotion on feeling them slowly loosen. For a second they shifted slightly but it still wasn't enough to free her. Her bones were small but Darla had done a good job tying them and no matter how hard she fought, the ropes struggled to hold on to their prisoner.

"Now, where did I put those matches?" Darla smirked and brought a small box from her pocket. With an almost silent strike, she waited for a second before carelessly dropping the match.

"Ooops," an evil grin lit up her face as the naked flame came into contact with the wet wood. With a horrifying whoosh, a ball of orange engulfed the counter and surrounding area, hungrily feasting on the fuel that had earlier soaked into the floor. Like a golden predator, the flames moved almost in slow motion, licking at the freshly vanished wood, feeding from the fabrics and devouring the paint. Nothing was safe from the budding inferno. Crackling with gratitude, the fire consumed everything in its path, suffocating natural colour from the room and leaving a trail of black destruction.

Feeling the heat prickle on her skin, Darla stepped back. She watched in fascination as the fire spread, slowly wrapping its red and yellow tentacles around the wooden stacks. Fuelled by the gasoline and the evening breeze, the energetic flames danced happily up the walls, scorching off the new magnolia covering. In seconds, months of hard work and restoration went back up in smoke.

Darla giggled as she watched her handiwork. As the flames threatened yet another set of stacks a new thought crossed her twisted mind. What a shame, it seems the next generation of Sunnydale wouldn't be attending the high school this year after all.. Or the next, or even the one after that.

"I would stay and enjoy the show but sadly I've got places to be, husbands to console" Darla let the real hatred she felt for Buffy burn dangerously in her eyes.

Taking one last glance in her rival's direction, she watched as the flames moved ever closer and knew that this time, up against Buffy Summers, she would be the one to come out on top. There would only be one winner in this last little competition and for the first time in her life, it wouldn't be Summers.

Darla took a step back.

"For God sake, Darla. Don't do this." Looking across the distance that separated them, Buffy met her eyes and knew in that single glance that it was hopeless to try and reason with the other woman. Futilely twisting her hands against the rope binding her, she felt her whole body stiffen with frustration and rage. As the worried flesh tore from her small wrists Buffy realised with a sinking heart that the woman in front of her was beyond listening. Darla Penn was beyond rational thought, beyond sanity, and sadly for Buffy, she was beyond reasoning with. Darla was running on a mixture of pure hatred and insanity and no matter what happened next, Buffy knew she wouldn't get any help in that direction.

Darla smiled as if she suddenly had all the troubles of the world lifted from her shoulders.

"So long Buffy, have a nice... death" With those final words she took a few more steps backwards and let the shadows behind her swallow her retreat

*****


Now alone in the library with only the fire as a companion, Buffy fought hard to breathe.

Within a few seconds the hungry flames had reached the abandoned paint cans and turpentine stored in the corner and one by one the lids exploded, feeding the monster and spawning tiny offspring in every direction.

Refusing to die like a frightened animal, Buffy struggled even harder, but as she fought for her very existence, the dam holding back her memory began to crumble.

Suddenly, a world full of images flooded Buffy's mind

The smell of burning was all around her, filling her senses, bringing back the past in a rush of terrifying Technicolor.. As she struggled to loosen her binds, her head was filled with forgotten pictures...

The sound of people screaming, dying in agony filled every corner of her mind as her shattered memory was thrown back with a vengeance. Unable to do anything else, she watched in horror as the bus that she had been travelling on crashed and burst into flames. She'd been asleep when the brakes had first locked on. The force of the skid violently woke her from her slumber that night and then, almost in slow motion, the vehicle had started spinning out of control. As it careered across the lanes of traffic, hitting everything in its' path, the metallic monster finally smashed through the barriers and rolled down the embankment.

Inside the carnage, bodies of every description moved almost silently through the air, hitting against the seats like broken dolls. There was glass and metal and pain and then, when it looked as if it couldn't possibly get any worse, a shock wave of heat rushed through the debris scorching everything in sight.

Buffy watched through closed eyes as the flames in her memory shot through the destruction with a brutal, hungry roar, not discriminating who or what they smothered. The old, the young, the trapped, their screams all filled Buffy's ears as her own battered body was thrown miraculously from the wreckage. Then, as she waited for her turn to die, the sound of sirens filtered through the madness and made their way into her head. Through the pain she felt a soft hand reach out and stroke her brow and then, with a last vision of Liam flickering across her dropping eyelids, her traumatised mind finally closed down. Amnesia and a world full of confusion had followed and brought her right back here.

And now, in a sick twist of fate she was burning all over again.

As wave after wave of memory attacked Buffy's mind, she became even more determined to stay alive. She rocked on her chair, twisting at her wrists and ignored the blood that dripped down her fingers. After devouring the counter and the freshly varnished stacks, the fire moved straight for it's next victim. Buffy choked as a wave of thick toxic smoke attacked her lungs.

As the thought of burning to death became a frightening reality, Buffy's resolve to escape became even stronger. Her eyes streamed and her lungs burned but she refused to give in. She'd see Darla Penn in Hell first.

At the thought of the crazy bitch playing happy families with Angel, anger surged through her bloodstream again. With a crash the wooden chair holding her toppled over and without knowing, or at that point caring, Buffy found her hands finally free.

She tossed the ropes away and scrambled to her knees. Although the fire was too close for comfort, Buffy stayed down on the floor for a few seconds gasping for breath. The oxygen at that level made breathing slightly easier and she needed a clear head to workout the best escape route.

Looking across the smoke she saw that the exit Darla had used was now totally blocked by flames so the only way out now was to move back through the school.

Through pitch black, smoke filled corridors. What ever her plan Buffy had to do it sooner rather than later.

When the fire made contact with a second set of builder's supplies, a blinding flash sucked any remaining oxygen right out of the air.

Taking one last deep breath Buffy crawled towards what she hoped she remembered as the exit.


****


While Buffy was fighting for her life, fate joined in the twisted equation and once again played its hand.

Suddenly, the fire destroying the library found a new friend to play with. A small storeroom, out of sight but situated directly beneath the blaze, started to silently smoulder with the ferocious heat. Within seconds of the small explosion above, gallons of forgotten cleaning fluid ignited with a swish and as the plastic canisters melted with the heat, the liquid they were holding exploded with a vengeance.

There were now two fires raging out of control.


****


Back in the library.

Buffy couldn't believe how quickly the room was disintegrating. One by one the beams supporting the ceiling began to creak and groan, as the timber grew weaker. Covering her hair with her hands she crawled her way through smoke as burning cinders rained down on her head.

**Oh, God. I'm really not going to get out of this alive**


****


On arriving at the old High School, Liam Angelus jumped from his car and sprinted across the grass as if the devil himself was after his soul. The school grounds looked completely deserted and, in the ghostly darkness that covered the main building, he could just about make out which direction he needed to follow.

The gymnasium was the first building he came across, the derilect shell was a chilling reminder of how unsafe the whole damn campus was. He Skirting around the outside of a building destined to soon be demolished, Liam shook his head and pushed aside the tiny gnaw of apprehension warning him that there was something seriously wrong with this picture. He didn't have time to listen to warnings.

Moving closer to the main building, he took a deep breath but it did nothing to dispel the tension that was knotting his stomach. It was only after he entered the quad and stopped running that he allowed his secretary's earlier words to slice through his thoughts.

**The caller said it was a matter of life and death**

**William Pennington**

**You need to meet him at the old High School right away**

Liam scanned as far as the eye could see but there was still no sign of Pennington anywhere. For a moment he wondered if he had read the instructions wrong but on second thought, he was sure he hadn't.

The message had been garbled at best but somehow he had managed to get the gist of it. Buffy was in trouble and that bastard Englishman was once again involved. There would be no second chances this time. Liam vowed that when he finally got his hands on the devious poet in question, William Pennington was going to wish that he'd never set foot on American soil.

**And if he's laid so much as a finger on my wife I'll make sure he's buried under American soil for the rest of eternity** Liam silently raged while trying to push back the panic that continued to multiply every second that Buffy was still missing,

**Where the hell was she**

Tired of waiting around Liam cupped his hands to his mouth a shouted deep into the night

"BUFFY?"

**Buffy**

Frustratingly, the empty echo of her name was all that returned to him. Liam's eyes narrowed. He felt as if he was suddenly caught up in a sick game of cat and mouse and at that very second, he was the prey. Somewhere out there in the shadows Pennington was mocking him, pushing him just far enough to see if he would snap.

**Oh, he'll see me snap alright, I'll snap his scrawny, wife-stealing neck.**

"William, you fucking son of a..... " He never got a chance to finish the curse as the angry words died in his throat.

Standing in the middle of the quad, the stillness of the night was violently interrupted by the sound of exploding glass. A shock of orange fury licked at the upper windows of the main building, reaching through the shutters as they sucked in the cool night air.

**The caller said it was a matter of life and death**

"BUFFY"

Liam felt his heart rate double as he sprinted for the nearest entrance.

On reaching the front of the school, to his horror, he found that all the main doors were not only locked, but also bolted. Liam's eyes quickly scanned the rusted padlock and the worn wood that framed the door and without a second's hesitation, he used his shoulder as a battering ram and lunged the obstruction. The sound of bone connecting with wood gave a sickening crack but, much to his relief, the elderly door gave way.

Ignoring the pain shooting through his right arm, Liam crashed into the school hallway. Immediately, tendrils of rich smoke swirled in the air towards him. The fire, wherever it had started, was now roaring out of control but Liam knew that at this distance the smoke was more of a danger than the flames. Knowing that breathing would soon become an issue, he ripped off his jacket and using it as a makeshift mask, he held it across his nose and mouth. Without so much as another thought, his long legs moved swiftly on into its hot embrace.

*****


Meanwhile


William was already inside the burning building. The fire escape on the far side of the school had been the easiest option after seeing the chained front entrance. Frantic with worry over his sister's actions and Buffy's safety, the poet hadn't given Liam a second thought after making the phone call. Running all the way over to the high school he had tried to put Dare's crazy actions into perspective but as soon as his lean body squeezed its way through a conveniently broken window, the reality along with the smell of burning hit him. She really had done it this time. Drama had crossed the line by a mile and no matter which way you looked at things, there was simply no going back from this disaster. Whatever he did that night it wouldn't make a shred of difference. He and Drama were both seriously screwed.

Stumbling blindly through the darkness, Will clutched at his chest and coughed bitterly as the heat and smoke jointly attacked him. Fighting back the bile in his throat, he forced himself to think clearly. As his feet carried him forward, his fear filled mind mapped out an escape route the best way he could.

Escaping when you knew where you were going was hard enough but in dark, smoke filled, corridors of a school he had never attended, it looked almost impossible.

"Buffy?"

"Drama?"

William tried to shout out for the two missing women but as the words left his lips, the smoke smothered the sound of his voice. He then moved blindly along the hallways cursing the unfamiliar surroundings as he tripped and stumbled time after time. **Even if the smoke didn't get him, at this rate, he was sure to break his neck**

When two large wooden doors blocked his path, Will pressed his palms against the solid wood. The cool response against his fingers was both reassuring and terrifying. The coolness of the barrier meant William hadn't reached the fire yet but it also meant that he still hadn't found Buffy or Darla.

Strong feelings of self preservation told him to go back, call it a day and get out of Sunnydale as fast as he could. But he couldn't. He had no choice now but to go deeper, much deeper, if he was ever going to find them and save his ass.

At the thought of walking into a raging inferno, blood thundered in his ears and his erratic heartbeat, pounded hard enough to break his chest.

** What if she's already dead**

**No, you stupid moron**

William swept the thought of Buffy's death from his mind and pushed open the doors. Holding them back with his foot, his hands groped through the haze until he found something solid enough to wedge at least one of them open. Little by little his escape route was taking form.

Now all he had to do was stay alive long enough to use it.

****


Library


Trapped. Buffy screamed as the exit she was trying to move towards became engulfed in a wall of torrid flame. With every part of the room carefully soaked in gasoline she knew that her chances of survival were fading fast. Watching in horror, she stood spellbound as the fire danced over every wooden surface. It's red and golden flames crackling and hissing as they all merged together, making the room one enormous mass of heat.

Begrudgingly, Buffy had to give Darla her due. Darla Penn might be a manipulative, crazy, evil bitch but she had planned this murder to perfection. When the fires burnt down there would be nothing left in the ash but.. Ash

Buffy trembled at the thought. All around her the room was glowing and the unbearable temperature was increasing by the second.

**Please God, I don't want to be ash**

Backing into a free corner, the frightened young woman tried desperately to calm the racing beat of heart, as she faced her own death, but she failed miserably. Not wanting to be alone she closed her eyes and scanned through her memory for a picture to meet her maker with. Liam's face was there in a heartbeat.

**I'll always come to your rescue**

She closed her eyes as she remembered his promise of long ago.

"Well, honey. Now would be a really good time" As soon as the words left her lips Buffy wished them back. This was the last place on earth that she wanted Angel to be in. This building was now a death trap and no one should die like that.

**No one except Darla**

Buffy wrapped her arms around her small frame and trembled, feeling death's heat blistering at her skin, she clung to that image and cursed Darla Penn's soul to damnation.

******

A few minutes away.


Liam stumbled on the main source of the fire almost by accident. Lost in the dark hallways that all seemed the same, he turned left at one point instead of going straight on and found a staircase leading to a second level.

The heat was unbearable and as he approached the blazing library every particle of common sense he had ever known pleaded with him to turn back.

**Not without my wife**

"Buffy"

Pulling down his makeshift mask he shouted as loud as his tinder dry throat would allow but even before the sound left his lips he knew that it was pointless. The noise of glass exploding easily blocked out the sound of his voice. Raising his hands to his face he tried to shield his eyes from the heat, all the while desperately looking for a sign of where to search next.

Liam turned, and just as he was about to backtrack, fate changed the rules one more time.

It was very muffled but the sound of a female scream drifted over the roar of the fire and stopped him dead in his tracks.

Liam turned back. One hard kick was all it took for the door to cave in.

Head down, determination fixed to his face, he lunged through a pocket in the blaze, quickly closing the distance that separated him and his love.

For a brief moment Buffy stared in wide-eyed shock.

"Angel?... Oh, God, Angel" Sobbing out her relief, she buried her face in his shoulder and clung to on him.

"Darla, it was Darla" No longer able to keep her emotions in reign, she cried out her frustration into the thin material of his shirt.

Liam pulled away. As much as he wanted to hold her and never let her go, this simply wasn't the time or the place. All around them the room was disintegrating, sending showers of scorching cinders in every direction.

"We need to get out of here fast.

Not giving her time to think, Liam snatched Buffy's small hand between his large fingers and gripping on for dear life, he pulled her back through the closing air pocket.

As the flames licked at their heels, there wasn't time for a prayer, but if there had been, both would have made it as they crashed through what was left of the library door and out into the hallway.

*****


In the darkness and the smoke, the school was a maze of endless walkways that seemed to go on forever. A few seconds felt like hours and as the smoke grew and the air thinned, all hopes of ever seeing another sunrise started to fade away.

"I.. Can't...Breathe"

Exhausted from the heat, loss of blood, and overcome with the smoke, Buffy finally sagged to her knees. Her head was pounding from Darla's assault and her lungs felt as if they were going to implode.

Liam stopped and turned back, his worried brown eyes reaching her through the smoke. His skin was covered in sweat and, raising his hand, he wiped away the tiny beads rolling across his forehead.

"Leave me. Please, Angel, just leave me and go" Gasping for breath, Buffy choked as the thick toxic smoke attacked the lining of her lungs once again. A swirling wave of dizziness washed over her body and for a moment it left her light headed and disorientated.

She felt her insides lurch and when a wave of nausea rose up from her stomach Buffy bent over. Resting her hands on her thighs for support, she violently heaved, but to no avail, there simply wasn't anything left inside of her to come up. When she finally found the strength she needed to lift her head, her tired eyes streamed with tears, as the deadly smoke poisoning her body started to close down her system.

Not able to find a quick way-out through the ever-increasing fumes, Buffy was slowly dying on her feet and as much as Angel wanted to deny it, he knew that they had both come to the same realisation.

They were just going around in circles. It was now only a matter of what evil took them first. The smoke or the fire.

Buffy took a small step forward.

"I love you, Angel. I just wanted you to know that"

As the words slipped over her lips she started coughing again. In all the madness that was going on around them Buffy suddenly needed for Angel to know what was in her mind and more importantly, what was in her heart.

**She remembered him. She remembered every little detail of their life together and although dying wasn't her first choice for the day, Buffy would carry those regained memories in her heart where ever she was taken**

Angel meant the whole world to her. He had and always would be the only love of her life. It no longer mattered what happened that night, as long as her husband survived, Buffy knew that her soul would live on inside of him. She might not make it out but she was determined that he would.

For a second she saw a flicker of despair in his dark eyes but it was quickly hidden.

"Go. You can get help and..."

"Buffy.. No. " Liam angrily shook his head. He could feel the poisonous fumes attacking his own body but he was determined to get them both out alive. He couldn't lose her. No! He wouldn't lose her. Not again! Not like this. It was too fucking unfair to put them both through so much and then rip them apart forever.

At her pained expression his dark brown orbs softened as if trying to relay one thing and yet say another.

"Come on, we have to get out of here before the whole lot comes down on our heads" He reached out, and entwined his fingers tightly through hers.

Drawing renewed strength from the love she saw shining in his eyes, Buffy nodded. Without another word of giving up, they both took off through the smoke.


*****


On a different level


Just as lost as Buffy and Angel, William found himself in what was once the school cafeteria. Although it hadn't been completely renovated, it was obvious that the workmen had set up their own supplies there and he wasted no time in finding a bottle of drinking water abandoned on the table. Ripping the cap off he downed the liquid in one go, quenching his thirst and cooling the burning in his raw throat.

Taking a deep breath, that didn't immediately choke him, he realised with shock that the smoke was much thinner here. Somehow in the darkness he had completely lost direction and much to his dismay, he was now heading in the wrong direction. Away from the fire.

Ahead of him a forgotten window flapped open and just outside was the promise of old age.

"Can this day possibly get any worse?"

William dropped the bottle he was holding to the floor and with a frustrating sigh; he turned back into the school.

Sadly, at that very moment, Will wasn't the only one making mistakes.


*****


In a much hotter part of the school.


"This way"

As Buffy and Liam turned the corner, a sea of flames shot out from a side classroom and completely blocked the path forward.

Liam came to a screeching halt and turned. All around them the hallway was now burning from top to bottom.

"We have to go back"

Buffy's eyes widened in horror as their escape route was closed off. Her last thread of hope dangled, twisted and finally snapped.

"I can't, " she pleaded, her tired voice hoarse and breathless. Blood poured down the side of her face from her re-opened head wound and her legs threatened to go on strike.

Keeping a cool head Liam tried to catch his own breath.

"It looks like there's more than one fire now. We have to keep moving, Buffy, before we get cut off completely. It can't be much further now," he shouted, his heart pounding so hard that he was in danger of cracking a rib. He too was having serious difficulty breathing now and he knew that if they stopped for even a second they might as well lay down and wait for the grim reaper to catch them. The fire was already on their tails and at this rate; it was closing in faster than he could drag them. Not that he would ever tell Buffy.

Refusing to lay down and die like a scared animal, Liam ignored her plea for a few more seconds and grabbing Buffy's hand one final time, he pulled her back in the direction they had just come.

Thick smoke followed their every move.

"Left or right?" Liam's eyes looked up in despair. In the darkness every turning looked the same. They seemed to be still going around in circles.

"I think that's Snyders old office." Buffy gasped the words through her hand as a memory of her old headmaster surfaced through the smoke. The door to the office was locked but not for long. One hard kick and the hinges splintered right off the frame.

Buffy and Liam both headed through the open doorway, only to discover to their horror, that the fire had already beaten them there. With a sickening splinter of timbers, the floor gave way, disintegrating under their joint weight.

"Angel"

Buffy's last coherent thought as her body twisted and fell from the room above, was for her husband and the future they would now never share.


*****


"BUFFY!" Liam screamed and watched in horror as his wife lay deadly still on the floor below

He lowered himself over the edge of the splintered floor and hanging from one hand he awkwardly dropped down into the wreckage below.

His body went down like a dead weight. Liam cried out in agony as his already damaged shoulder took the full impact of his actions. Pushing down the pain, he rolled across the floor, blindly searching for Buffy. He reached her in less than a second but just as he started to check for a pulse, the room above rumbled and shook. Liam lifted his head and was just in time to see the rest of the ceiling cave in on top of them. Without a thought for his own safety, he threw his body at the small girl in front of him, pushing her out of the way and taking the full force of the falling debris.


*****


Meanwhile

Even through the noise of the fire, William heard Buffy cry as she fell.

Returning from the cafeteria, he had wisely decided to stay on the lower level and pass underneath the fire, rather than try and fight his way through it. The heat was suffocating, he was exhausted, but hearing the sound of Buffy falling sent him running with pure terror. William's legs had never moved so fast as he crashed blindly through the darkness.


******
Buffy and Liam both appeared to be unconscious when William finally found where the floor above had collapsed. Buffy's small frame lay twisted in a painfully unnatural heap, while Liam was pinned beneath part of the collapsed ceiling. Above, the roar of the fire moved ever closer.

Dropping to his knees, William's heart raced as he studied the two lifeless forms. He crawled over to Buffy first and talking her small, seemingly, lifeless body in his arms he tried bringing her around by slapping her face.

"Come on, love. Don't do this to me" William's open palm smacked against the smoke covered cheek, but no matter how hard he tried, Buffy made no response at all.

"I'm so sorry. I should never have let this happen" his pained voice started to crack but Will knew he couldn't allow himself to fall apart now. Although he hadn't set out to kill anybody he was definitely guilty by association and, in the middle of what looked like hell on earth, he promised himself that he would make amends to her even if it were the last thing he ever did.

Lowering his ear to Buffy's chest he sighed in relief at the faint beat of her heart.

Reluctantly releasing Buffy from his arms, William turned his attention to Liam, who, in obvious pain, was slipping in and out of consciousness.

William looked up, and knew the sky above; a mass of orange liquid death would soon be falling.

As tiny fires started to burst into life all around him, he knew time was running out fast. William needed to make a decision, and he needed to do it now.


*****


With the aid of the air-conditioning vents, new fires were now breaking out all over the school.

Darla's plan worked well. Too well. Soaking the halls all around the library had seemed like a great idea when she was pouring the gasoline onto the floor, but with hindsight, maybe she shouldn't have gone quite so far. Running along the dark hallways she cursed bitterly as she realised that she was now somehow on wrong side of the fire.

On arriving at what she had believed was her exit, she found the door heavily locked. Still trapped inside her own fire, Darla kicked at the door in temper and then almost growled as the heel of her designer shoe snapped clean off.

"Shit" She swore.

The shoe was ruined and as tentacles of smoke curled along the hallway behind her, she realised that maybe arson wasn't such a good idea after all
Darla took a deep breath and her body shook with rage and frustration.

"I knew I should have just drowned the fucking bitch in the school pool"

****

Looking down at the two people at his feet, William knew that there was no decision to make on which one he would save from the fire. He briefly glanced at Liam, his narrowed eyes barely resting on him and as his emotions hardened, he reminded himself that *all was fair in love and war*.

"No hard feelings, mate"

A sheet of ice covered William's heart as he left the dark haired man to his own fate.

Sweeping Buffy's limp form up into his muscular arms he was almost out of the hallway before he heard her softly cry out her husband's name.

"Angel" Buffy moaned out the word almost pitifully. Even unconsciously, she seemed to feel her soul being pulled away from its mate.

William cursed loudly

" Oh, Bollocks"

**Don't look back**

His whole body urged him to keep on going, to shut out his conscience and just keep moving. It screamed out that he couldn't save them both and if he tried, all three of them would end up as crispy critters. The biggest mistake he made that second was to look down at the girl in his arms. Buffy was filthy and bloodied and her lips were swollen but, despite all of the hardship she had suffered, he still thought she was the most beautiful creature he had ever set eyes on.

**Go, you pillock. Take the bleedin' girl and just get the hell out of here**

As he moved her body closer to his chest, Will heard Buffy cry out again for her husband and he jerked when her sad face twisted in pain.

"Angel"

The sound of the other man's name on her lips wrenched him to his soul. Alive or dead Angel would always be there, forcing his way between them.

William tensed; he hated the tug of emotion continually pulling at his conscience. The last thing he wanted to feel at that moment was sympathy.

**Let the fucker burn**

Biting into his lip until it almost drew blood, William silently cursed his conscience again. He couldn't do It.. Subconsciously, he knew if he left Angelus to burn to death he would see the pain in Buffy's eyes for the rest of her life. No matter how much he wanted her, and no matter how much Liam being dead would make that possible, Will knew he couldn't live with her being in that much pain.

Before he could change his mind again, he bent his knees and placed Buffy back on the floor as gently as he could. He then turned and hating every footstep he took, William reluctantly walked back the few feet to the man he envied more than any other person in the world.

Grabbing Liam's shoulders he pulled him roughly around to face him.

" Get the fuck up" William shook Liam so hard he almost swore he heard more of his broken bones crack. The fire was almost above them and if the dumb bastard wouldn't help save himself, then he could leave him to burn with a clear conscience. With one final slap to the face, Liam winced and opened his eyes.

The pain in his chest was almost unbearable. Without needing confirmation, Liam already knew that at least three of his ribs were broken in the fall and his shoulder was now dislocated at the very least.

William didn't bother with pleasantries.

" Buffy's hurt and I can't carry you both" he tried to shout over the roar of the approaching flames as best as he could, but the smoke that now flooded the lower level muffled the sound.

Slightly disorientated Liam lunged for the blonde man.

"This is all your fault" His body immediately recoiled in pain.

William just glared. **I knew I should have left you**

"Do you want to stay here and argue or do you want to live? "He couldn't stop the sneer that slipped across his face. "Personally, I don't give a rats arse but, by the looks of your wife I'd say she needs to get out of here as soon as possible" William's eyes turned and settled on the small form lying just a few feet up the hallway.

Liam followed his gaze and felt his heart fell out of his chest. As much as he hated Pennington, the smug bastard had a valid point.

Running a shaky hand through his hair, he nodded and seeing the real danger they were in, ignored the pain feeding on every nerve ending in his body and staggered to his feet.

From the way his arm hung uselessly at his side, William knew Liam wasn't in a fit state to carry anyone.

With his good deed done for the day, he hurried back to where he had left Buffy and without looking over his shoulder, he picked up her crumpled body with a smirk. **No matter what happens to Liam now, I'll be a hero in her eyes for the rest of her life.**

"Straight up and then turn left" Almost grinning, Will barked out the direction and moved quickly ahead.

Too much in pain at that moment to protest, and knowing that Buffy's life was all that mattered, Liam pushed down his alpha male pride and followed the younger man carrying his wife.
Pennington would get everything he deserved once Buffy was safe. The second they were outside, all bets were off, damn the consequences, he was personally going put the Englishman in the ground for this.


*****


With a rush of adrenaline, head down, William burst out of the exit doors he had previously wedged open and staggered down the fire escape with almost a spring in his step. Reaching the safety of the quad, he gently laid the woman in his arms down onto the ground.

Moaning gently, Buffy's eyelashes flickered open and her blurred vision tried to focus on the face in front of her..

"Try not to talk, sweetheart. Everything's going to be okay" A masculine hand gently caressed her brow.

She blinked twice at the sound of his voice.

William's eyes locked with hers and his left hand lightly brushed along her blistered cheek. In the dim light of the quad, confusion passed over Buffy's pale features, the emotion lingered there for a few seconds until cold reality set in and she realised that she was no longer inside a burning building.

The pain she felt in every part of her body was intense but the evening breeze washing over her at that moment brought a cool relief to her burning skin.

Then it hit her that something was missing.

"Where's Angel?" Buffy's voice was barely a whisper.

Her eyes lifted back to William and he felt his heart constrict when he saw the fear they held.

"It's all right, luv. He's right behind......" William looked over his shoulder and at the lack of the other presence, he felt his heart sink like a stone. Liam hadn't followed them out after all. He was still somewhere inside the blazing school.

Even in her dazed state, Buffy realised that something was terrifyingly wrong. The face of the young man in front of her suddenly lost every trace of colour, leaving his intense blue eyes even more brilliant in the soft light.

Tears spilled from her eyes.

"I swear he was right behind us, Buffy" Frustration that he had lost sight of the other man in their flight emanated from every bone in his body. He might have wished him dead a few minutes earlier, but wishing and cold reality were two very different things.

William's whole body went taut when he saw the anguish and desperation seep into Buffy's tear-filled eyes. At the thought of Angel still trapped inside that building, she felt like her whole world was once again slipping through her fingers. **Angel was the strong one. This wasn't supposed to happen to him.** If her husband was no longer alive Buffy didn't see any point in going on. After everything she had been through the last few months, the prospect of a life without Liam again was just too hard to accept.

No longer able to look at the burning building that was possibly suffocating the life out of her lover at that very second, Buffy sadly turned her head away. Her exhausted gaze focused on the man in front of her, silently pleading with him to help her one last time.

The raw emotion travelling across William's sharp features made her shiver. As if time slowly reduced to a crawl, every word, every act and every deed between the three of them was playing out for the world to see. With a sinking heart, Buffy took in the injuries that Liam had earlier inflicted on William's handsome face and realised that her pleas would fall on deaf ears. Pennington hated her husband nearly as much as Angel hated him and there was no way on earth that he would risk his own life to save a man who only a few hours earlier had beaten him senseless.

**It's hopeless** With a painful sigh of regret Buffy started losing her struggle to remain conscious and her blood shot eyes closed back over.

Lying on the cold grass with both lungs full of toxic smoke, third degree burns on five percent of her body and a badly broken heart, an exhausted Buffy Angelus gave up the fight. The last thing she heard as a wave of darkness washed over her shattered soul and dragged her back down into oblivion was a softly muttered curse.

"Oh, bloody Hell"

*****


Liam couldn't breathe. His chest tightened and the incredible pain shooting through his left lung told him that it was a lot more than just smoke inhalation closing down his respiratory system.

He felt drained. Physically. Mentally.

Liam turned his face and through the smoke he could feel the tiny whispers of a cool breeze drifting in from the end of the hallway. Knowing that William had already taken Buffy in that direction and that she was now safe on the outside of the school, his shattered body gave into the pain and the fumes and he slumped down against the wall.

**I love you, Angel. I just wanted you to know that**

He didn't want to die. Liam wanted nothing more in the world than to hold his wife in his arms one last time and tell her how much he loved her. Sadly, he now feared that it wasn't going to happen. In the thickening smoke and intense heat, he could feel his heartbeat slowing; he could feel the lack of oxygen suffocating his brain. Slowly closing his eyes, Liam could feel his death and he didn't have the strength to fight it.

"I love you too"

****


**Don't do this. Don't do it**

"You need your bleeding head read, mate" William muttered as his body once again faced the smoke and heat of Sunnydale High.

**Only someone not in their right mind would willingly walk back into the bloody lion's den like this**

**Insanity or love. Take your bloody pick, either way it wasn't doing him any favours.**

William found what he was looking for thirty feet from the exit. His heartbeat thundered and with a rush of strength he didn't know he possessed, he picked up the much larger man and begrudgingly threw him across his shoulders.

Liam cried out in agonising pain but there wasn't time to go easy.

"I should have been a fireman not a bloody poet"

****

Dropping to his knees and gasping for breath, William unceremoniously rolled Liam from his aching shoulders and dumped him down on the grass a few feet from his wife. With a thud, Liam groaned out as his broken bones once again made contact with the hard ground. At the chilling sound, Will lifted his eyes but at that moment in time he didn't think he could move even if he tried. Buffy had been as light as a feather but the other sod; he had been so heavy it had almost broken his back.

"Remind me never to do anything as stupid as that again" Clutching his chest with his hand, William gasped for another lungful of air.

Aching from head to toe, Liam rolled onto his side and slowly pulled himself up on his knees. He raised the arm that wasn't hanging out of its socket and wiped the sweat and dirt from his eyes.

"For what its worth...." Liam didn't get time to finish the statement.

At that moment the air was filled with the sound of hysterical screaming. Both men turned back to the building at the same time. A look of horror graced both their faces.

"Oh.." Liam started to speak as his eyes made out the source of the screaming.

"Shit!" In the same state of disbelief William finished the sentence for him.

"Help me" Darla's terrified screams burst from a broken window at the top of the building.

By this time the whole school was glowing in the dark night as the fire staked its claim on everything inside.

William closed his eyes trying to cut out the picture of his sister surrounded by flames, but the image remained stencilled into his head. With a deep weary sigh, he pulled his exhausted body slowly back to his feet. At the sudden movement Liam turned his head.

"You can't be seriously thinking of going back in there?" He gasped out in disbelief.

Liam didn't need to be a mind reader to realised what Pennington intended. His determination was written clearly across his smoke-covered face.

When William didn't answer Liam tried again to make him see sense; he owed him that much and maybe a whole lot more.

"Don't be insane, its suicide" He tried desperately to reason with the younger man. Darla wasn't just a few feet inside this time; she was realistically cut off from any chance of salvation.

Lifting up his hand William ran his dirty fingers through his hair and drew in a deep shaking breath.

"I have to try...... She might be a lunatic but she's still my sister." His voice trailed off, and he tried to swallow the fear clogging his throat

Even with his broken ribs and his shoulder badly dislocated, Liam still managed to grip the smaller man's shirt. His long fingers twisting in the ruined cotton.

"It was her choice" He argued, pain distorting his features.

The bitterness in Liam's voice wasn't missed on either of them. Darla had made her bed and now she could burn in it for all he was concerned. Buffy had almost died that night and he would never forgive her for that.

Eyes filled with grief, the English man sadly shook his head. He couldn't think of all the evilness his sister had just put them through. At the end of the day Darla was still his blood, his only kin, and in his own way he was as much to blame for her actions as she was. Because of his passion for Buffy he had willingly encouraged his sister's twisted obsession. If he had taken more time to really understand her feelings, then maybe none of them would be fighting for their lives that night.

When he finally spoke a mixture of pain, frustration and helplessness touched every word.

"Sometimes we don't have a choice"

William coughed then, his scorched lungs screaming out in protest at the prospect of inhaling more smoke. Turning his head towards Buffy, his gaze swept over the unconscious form that he knew without a doubt he would love for the rest of his life.

**Another man's wife**

In that frozen second in time, his whole being longed for the beautiful blonde girl. He longed for an impossible dream that would forever be just out of his reach.

**She doesn't love you. She never loved you**

"Tell Buffy that I...." Will's voice trembled as his eyes caressed her slight figure one final time. Then in less than a heartbeat, he ripped his eyes away.

Above, Darla's distant screams once again filled the air as the fire raged ever closer to the rooftops

Cutting out her terror for a microsecond, William turned his face back to the man he both hated and envied with a passion. Liam was everything he despised and yet he was still everything he wanted to be.

Their eyes met and held and in that stilled moment in time, both men knew that after this night, their lives would never be the same again.

The next time William spoke he made his feelings perfectly clear. He took a deep breath and let go of the past.

"Tell Buffy that I said goodbye" All traces of jealousy and bitterness were gone from his voice, leaving just the barest hint of regret in his tone. He'd paid his debt to both Buffy and Liam and now it was time to close this chapter once and for all.

Their eyes then locked, and in that instant, both men could see their destinies.

"Nooooo" Liam lunged forward but, by the time he had pulled himself across the quad, the poet had already disappeared back up the fire escape and into the burning building.

"You stupid, stupid bastard" Staring at the empty staircase, Liam sank to his knees in utter frustration.


*****


Fuelled by adrenaline William felt his heartbeat quicken, the blood pulsating through his veins at a frantic rate. Determination, like a grim death mask, set across his features as he took the stairs to the roof two at a time.

He wasn't completely stupid. In his heart he knew the first second he saw Darla screaming from the upper storey window, that reaching her was impossible. Most of that part of the building was now an inferno, devouring every stick of furniture and lick of paint that crossed its path.

Liam was right, it was suicide but it still didn't stop him from trying. Rushing into the depths of hell, he knew realistically that he wasn't going to save his sister that night, he was going to die right alongside her.

William wasn't even being noble or self-sacrificing. In a way he was being a coward, taking the easy way out. This way there were no questions to answer. No prison food to choke on. No keeping his lily-white arse pressed up against the wall for the rest of his incarcerated life and, more importantly, no endless years of knowing that the love of his life didn't love him in return.

No, running head on into a blazing school was definitely the easier option.

Long before he reached the top of the stairs flying cinders caught his clothing alight. William closed down the pain and focused all of his last thoughts on the woman that he would always love but was destined never to have. Not in this lifetime and more than likely not in the next. As much as he hated to admit it, he'd always known that she belonged with Liam Angelus. Soul mates and all that bollocks.

**She was never mine**

A vision of Buffy's smile seared onto his memory and, at that moment, the agony scorching his body seemed to slightly ease. He couldn't save Darla but he had saved Buffy. Resting in peace would come easier knowing that he wasn't a totally evil git after all. With a blistering crack the stairs supporting his weight disintegrated.

"Buffy" Almost like a silent prayer, her name slipped softly from his lips as he fell.

The crackling flames enveloped him in a heartbeat

Dying seemed to take forever but, when at last it did come, William's demise was filled with visions of large hazel eyes and hair the colour of sweet corn. As the skin on his once perfect body peeled away with the heat, melting the muscles and tendons to the bone, William Pennington's agonising screams died in his throat. For the young poet who wrote endless words of passion but never found a love of his own, Death, when it arrived was a truly welcome relief.


*****


Outside


Liam staggered to his feet and supporting his broken ribs with his left arm, he stumbled towards the school. He didn't think of the consequences, he didn't have time to. All that mattered was stopping Pennington from throwing his life away, especially after he had just saved both his and Buffy's.

As he reached the bottom of the fire escape, a final explosion shook the whole building to its foundations when the blaze inside made contact with the newly installed boilers. In the aftermath that followed, a shower of glass and debris rained down from every window that was left standing and the sky above the High School was filled with black swirling clouds, blocking out both the moon and most of the stars.

Almost in the blink of an eye, the school, Darla Penn and the poet William Pennington were gone.


*****


Brushing the glass from his dirty hair, a badly shaken Liam coughed, his lungs only managing short painful gasps. When the ringing in his ears from the explosion subsided, it was replaced with the high pitch sound of sirens filling the air. Flashing lights, emergency vehicles and a town full of help was all closing in to try and save what was left of the still smouldering school. Just one glance at the destruction in front of him confirmed that they would be too late.

Turning away Liam winced and ignoring the nauseating pain coming from at least three broken ribs, he tried to pull himself to his knees.

"Buffy?"

He saw her through the smoke and his stomach plummeted.

Liam closed the short distance between them and, half-stumbling and half-falling; he dropped to the ground by her side. He ignored all the madness around him, but as he reached out to stroke her hair, his hand trembled with fear. She looked so lifeless. Like a dirty broken doll carelessly thrown aside. Her once golden skin was now burned red and blistering. Her lips were cracked and bleeding. Her blonde hair was singed and discoloured by the black smoke but the most terrifying of all was the waxen look that covered her face.

All the fight and determination that he had always adored about her had simply drained away.

Liam pulled his wife into his arms and, hardly noticing his own pain, softly cradled her small form against his chest. She was so still, still and pale. He gently stroked her cheek, brushing her hair away from her face

"Don't leave me, Buffy. Not again. Never again" he pressed his lips to her head and even through the strong tang of smoke, he could taste the blood that matted her hair. She was so small, so fragile looking and Angel knew that if he lost her again his heart would never recover.

As they sat there in what looked like the middle of a war zone, his concerned eyes never left her face.

Silent tears slid down his cheeks as he continued to cling to her hand.

Buffy didn't move.

Before Liam had a chance to grieve, the outside world came crashing in with a roar of activity. Pulling his wife from his arms.

"Alright son, we'll take over now"

Gently pushing Liam to the side the first two paramedics on the scene rolled the unconscious girl onto her back.

"Breathing's stopped. Have we got a pulse?"

"No. Nothing"

As his fears took on terrifying reality, Liam felt as if his own heart had stopped beating. All of a sudden, his abused lungs were missing a vital breath of air.

**It can't end like this. It can't** The words chanted over and over in his head as he watched the paramedics start CPR. Over and over they pressed at her small chest, willing the organ behind her ribcage to pick up its tired beat.

"Anything yet?"

One breath, five compressions.

"No. Still nothing."

One breath, five compressions.

"Come on sweetheart. You can do it"

One breath, five compressions.

"I've got the adrenaline"

One breath, five compressions

"Wait a second"

One breath...

Beat.

Beat.

Beat.

"I've got a pulse. It's very weak but it's definitely there"


*****


First there was nothing. A safe, black void of nothingness that wrapped her tightly in its' embrace and refused to let go.

The darkness was peaceful, calm and cool and she was so hot. Even lost in the silent vortex, she withered and burned.

Buffy didn't want peace, she didn't want rest and she didn't want calm.

She just wanted to live.

So, with that thought as her lifeline, she rejected the easy road and like a warrior she fought.

Slowly, after what seemed like forever, the darkness receded and the black of her world started to let in grey shards of light.

Buffy timidly opened her eyes.

The first thing she noticed was pain. Buffy ached all over, from the pounding in her head to the tingling in her toes; no part of her body was spared.

But pain was good. Pain meant she was still alive.

**Wherever alive might be**

Turning her head ever so slightly she noticed she was in a small room.

Small, white, with a strong smell of disinfectant and something she couldn't quite put her mind to...

** Flowers**

**That was it**

The fragrance of fresh cut flowers fought its way bravely through the sanitised aura of the room.

A sharp intake of breath confirmed the flowers in question were roses.

**Long stemmed and yellow**

As the perfume filled her senses her mind was flooded with memories.

**People screaming. Fire. Death**

The strongest feeling of déjà vu closed in on her. **Been here, done this, already got the nightshift and the scars**

Blinking against the light that was flooding across the sterilised room, Buffy slowly turned her head and shivered.

Once again Angel was at a window standing just as she had first seen him that fateful morning in New York. Seemingly gazing into nothingness, his broad shoulders hunched slightly under a dark crumpled shirt and one hand was thrust into the pocket of equally dark trousers, stretching the fabric over his lean hips.

At the vision another rush of déjà vu came crashing over her in wave after tumbling wave.

Gripping the side of the bed, and ignoring the IV in the back of her hand, Buffy took a deep steadying breath. Everything looked so similar. If it weren't for a new pain throbbing all around her body, she would have sworn that the last few weeks were nothing but a terrible nightmare. Sadly, the red blistering of her skin told her otherwise. It was real enough. Too real. The sling supporting Liam's right arm was further proof of that.

Not really sure how to break the ice, Buffy spoke quietly through the silence, her tone gently teasing.

"We really must stop meeting like this"

At the sound of her hoarse voice, Liam turned in a heartbeat. His dark worried eyes, red-rimmed with fatigue, immediately searched her face for signs that her memory was still intact. When she first failed to wake up her doctors had tried to eradicate his fears, promising that his wife's condition was nowhere near as serious as it first appeared. Liam wasn't convinced. After everything that had happened these last few days, he was terrified that her memory would be lost forever.

The soft expression that caressed her features soon alleviated his fear. Not only did she recognise him but she also loved him.

Buffy took a moment to really look at him and the dark lines of worry crossing his handsome face melted her heart.

With the whisper of a smile she tried to sit herself up but the jerky movement brought on an unexpected bout of coughing. Almost bending in half, the angry spasms racked her small frame as she fought to catch her breath.

Liam crossed the room and, picking up the jug from the small bedside cabinet, quickly poured her a glass of water. Buffy accepted it gratefully and, as she swallowed the cool liquid, the burning inside her throat subsided for a few blissful seconds.

Reaching out his uninjured hand, Liam softly stroked her back and quietly reassured her that the damage done her lungs would heal over time. "You inhaled a lot of smoke but the effects are only temporary."

Looking up to meet his eyes, Buffy nodded her head that she understood, then raised her hand to her face and traced her fingers over the fresh pink skin on her cheek.

Almost as if he could read her mind, Liam saw the new dread reflecting in her eyes.

He gently brushed her hair back from her forehead and after trailing his fingertip down her nose and across her lips, he let his hand rest lightly against her warm cheek.

"Don't worry about your scars, they will heal completely" His voice was soft and the warmth of it flowed over her and soothed her fears.

Unable to contain her relief at hearing his words Buffy turned her head into his hand and softly kissed his palm. She then sank back into her hard starched pillow and let all the new memories she was remembering replay in her mind.

As Liam watched the emotions play across her pale features, he knew there was no avoiding the next question.

His eyes locked with hers and he hesitated, but only for a second. He took a none too steady breath and rubbed his hand around the back of his neck.

"Do you.. Do you remember what happened at the High School"

Buffy nodded slowly and the tears brimming in her eyes told Liam that sadly, she remembered the details of the fire only too well. There were a few gaps in the story that needed filling in but these missing moments were not due to lack of memory, just the simple lack of being conscious.

"I remember being inside the school but after we fell it all gets a little confusing " she whispered as the memory flared up inside her head. One moment she was crashing through the floor and the next she was outside with William in the cool air.

Liam nodded. It was to be expected and, in a way, he was glad that she didn't have to live with any more of the horror than was necessary.

"The last thing I remember was thinking that you were dead," Buffy said sadly.

Liam just nodded.

"I know the feeling"

His strange reply left her feeling even more confused.

"Buffy, I think you should know that there are people that will want to talk to you as soon as you're up to it. I've told them as much as I could but I wasn't a great help. I think we were both very much in the dark these last few months" Liam's low voice was tinged with a mixture of resentment and regret. Resentment that he hadn't seen through Darla Penn a whole lot sooner and regret that he hadn't stopped her before it had cost people their lives.

Buffy could read the angst in her husband's eyes only too well but there was no emotion in her voice at all when she asked about the other woman's fate.

"What happened to Darla?" Her gaze clung to his dark features.

Liam watched her carefully. He knew there was no point in putting off the inevitable, she would have to know the truth sooner or later. He took a small breath and went straight to the point.

"She's dead"

Buffy just nodded, as if the information was simply too painful to talk about.

Her only regret about the news was that she feared she would see Darla burning to death in her nightmares for years to come. So much loathing for one person to carry was something she would never get her mind around.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Buffy fought the tears building behind her swollen lids but she refused to cry. Darla Penn didn't deserve her tears.

"She must have hated me so much." Her voice cracked, but she caught the sob in her throat keeping her promise of no tears..

"Sweetheart, she was insane. The police found all the evidence they needed in her diaries. It seems she's been gunning for you for most of her twisted life. Her jealousy of you and her sick obsession with me brought it all to a head."

Liam saw his wife's eyes cloud in pain but she quickly pushed the emotion away..

"I know. She found great delight in telling me just how my being alive ruined her life. She planned for me to disappear again, hoping that you would fall into her waiting arms. I hope the bitch burns in Hell."

Buffy took a deep calming breath and closed her eyes, forcing herself to think of the future instead of dwelling on the past. If she didn't let go of her own anger, she was likely to end up as insane as the woman that had almost killed her.

Liam stood silently as his wife confronted her demons. Her eyes opened and lifted to his and he felt his heart contract as he saw the turmoil they held.

"Buffy, there really is no need to worry about Darla anymore, its over now. This whole sick masquerade is over. "

He paused, just long enough to give Buffy the distinct impression that there was still something he was not telling her.

"Is there anything else, Angel?" She prompted gently, preferring to get all of the bad news over and done with in one sitting

Liam perched on the side of the bed. He looked at her for a long moment; his dark eyes mixed with an array of emotions she couldn't quite place. He then lifted his wife's hand and softly stroked her fingers.

"Yes."

**Tell Buffy that I said goodbye**

Taking a deep breath, he knew this was going to be the most difficult part of the story. It was the part he knew he would never understand himself. The man he had always hated had suddenly gone from being a stalker, to a hero, to a corpse, all in the blink of an eye.

"Well," he started slowly, carefully watching his wife's reactions.

**Oh, bloody hell**

Almost as if she knew what was coming next Buffy felt her throat start to thicken, she closed her eyes and a single tear slipped silently down her cheek.

"It seems I was wrong about William Pennington, Buffy.... Maybe he wasn't such a bastard after all"


******


Seven days later


Buffy stood calmly composed, with just the flicker of a soft breeze gently teasing at her hair. The warm golden rays of the sun trickled down through the trees and washed over her skin but sadly, she felt none of its heat that day.

Dressed in a simple black dress she watched in silence as the elegant coffin slid effortlessly into the rich American soil. With no family on either side of the Atlantic, it was decided to bury William Pennington in the town he was once desperate to leave but, in the end, found that he never could. Now, on a bright sunny afternoon at Restfield cemetery, it no longer mattered. With no family to claim him, the troubled young poet would rest alongside his sister in Sunnydale for all eternity.

At first, everyone had tried to talk Buffy out of going to the funeral, stating that it would be far too distressing. But, stubborn to the last, the determined young woman plastered on her resolve face and threatened to discharge herself if she wasn't released. Surprisingly, Angel had been her only ally that day. He not only supported her decision to say goodbye to the man who had helped save her life, but he also insisted on going along with her. The past was going to be laid to rest that afternoon and, deep in his heart, he understood that good-byes were needed for all of them.

The day, like nearly every other day in Sunnydale was bright and sunny and although there was a great interest in the double funeral, one being a nearly famous poet and the other a lunatic arsonist, the burial was kept to close friends only. Sadly, that meant in the end you could count the actual mourners on two hands.

Hidden from the curious masses, two flower-covered coffins had stood in a small corner of the cemetery, shaded by a hundred-year-old willow tree. Even though it was a joint ceremony, only one of the coffins was actually occupied. It was no secret that when the boilers at the high school exploded on the night of the fire, the intense blaze that ripped through the roof cremated everything in its path. When the fire was finally extinguished William's charred remains had been discovered in the basement, but even after an extensive search of the ashes, all that was left of Darla Penn was a few pieces of expensive jewellery. That and the legacy of being an insane, cold-hearted bitch who, single-handed had finally destroyed Sunnydale High School forever.

Darla wouldn't be mourned or missed.

William, on the other hand was a different story. Losing his young life in a futile attempt to save his sick sister meant his death would be remembered as something heroic. Both Buffy and Liam decided that the world didn't need to know any different.

"Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust"

Buffy eyes focused on the falling earth as it crashed down on top of the coffin but her mind was somewhere else at that moment. Suddenly she found herself thrown back into the past that she now could remember with heartbreaking clarity.

**I've been in Hell now for the last two years. I didn't want to fall in love with you. I knew it was wrong, but I had no choice. You're in my gut, in my throat, I'm drowning in you Summers, I'm drowning in you**

**After what you've put me through there's nothing you could say that I would believe. I could never love a man like you... You're beneath me**

**You're beneath me**

**Six feet beneath me**

Pulling herself out of her reverie Buffy leant slightly forward and dropped the single yellow rose she was holding in her right hand down onto the coffin lid below. A tiny sigh slipped into her voice as put the horrors of the past few months firmly behind her.

"Good-bye, William"

She didn't cry. After the last few weeks, Buffy doubted that she would ever be able to really cry again. She watched as the delicate flower came to its final resting-place alongside a man she would never love but also knew she could never hate. She wasn't fooling herself, Buffy understood only too well how close William had come to helping Darla destroy her life but, when push came to shove, he showed his true colours and was there when she really needed him.

**I was wrong about William Pennington, Buffy. Maybe he wasn't such a bastard after all**

Albeit reluctantly, William had also been there when Angel needed him and that in itself warranted her forgiveness.

"Thank you" Her soft words were whispered over the graveside so quietly that only the warm breeze heard their sound. The breeze and maybe, just maybe, the person they were meant for.

Turning her head slightly, Buffy lifted her eyes to where her real love was still waiting and the smile he gave her wrenched at her heart. Angel loved her. After everything that had happened between them over the last five months, the love, the passion, and the desire her husband held for her still shone blatantly from the depths of his dark chocolate eyes. An expression that she knew she mirrored to perfection

Squaring her small shoulders, Buffy took a quick, sharp breath and stepping away from the open graveside, she shivered on realising just how many times she had come close to losing her husband. Time after time fate had stepped in and saved the day. The return of her memory was a blessing but she didn't really need it to know how she felt about Angel.

No one would ever come between them. Liam *Angel* Angelus would always be the love of her life.

Without realising that he had approached her, a strong arm wrapped its way around her small shoulders, pulling her into the comfort of his body.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you?" Liam's soft words startled her out of her reverie as his warm breath tickled against her ear.

A smile graced Buffy's lips for the first time that day.

"I'm not sure" Her eyes twinkled before adding "Maybe you should tell me again just in case I forget"

With a soft groan, Liam rolled his eyes and slipped his left hand around her small waist. Her arms crept around his body and he tightened, rocking her against him as if he would never let her go.

Buffy could feel the bandages that were still strapping his ribs so she leaned her head carefully against his chest.

"I think we've had enough amnesia in our lives to last us life time." He teased softly.

Buffy just smiled

"Me too"

Not wanting to end the moment, Liam gently ran his fingers down her back, drawing feather-light circles over the thin material of her black dress.

Reaching up on tiptoes Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck, winding her fingers in his hair.

" I was thinking. The way trouble seems to follow us around lately, maybe we should just go home where it's nice and safe." His mouth leant closer, his lips almost tasting her breath " We can lock all the doors, scramble under the covers and maybe get around to that night of red hot sex you promised me?."

Buffy quirked a suspicious eyebrow

"I promised you?"

Liam smiled and brushed a kiss to her lips.

"You did. I clearly remember"

She shook her head but her expression was soft and teasing.

"Well, I guess there must still be a few parts missing from my memory after all"

Liam chuckled and the undertone of his reply sent a shiver running down both their spines..

"Don't worry. I'll soon help you remember" His fingers moved lower, gently teasing every nerve ending in her body..

Buffy pulled back slightly, just enough to look into his eyes and
lose herself in his smile. At that moment, all thoughts of amnesia and the pain they had faced over the last few months were pushed away.

A blush of colour crept into her cheeks at the thought of their promise. Suddenly it felt like a lifetime since she had been in his bed, or even in his arms.

"That sounds fair to me... Lets go home, lock all those doors, and then you can start on helping me to remember" She whispered seductively into his ear and silently promised, that no matter what the future held for them, she would never leave his side again.

Closing that chapter on their lives, the two lovers entwined their fingers and walked away from the two open graves without a backward. glance.

*****


Epilogue
Four weeks later



The petite female moved slowly along the aisle. Each painful step an effort in itself. Her eyes, covered by dark sunglasses searched along the row of numbers and, on locating her place, she slipped quietly into the soft window seat.

"Would you like a magazine?" The flight attendant smiled as she held out a copy of the early issue

Without a word the passenger nodded and reached out a gloved hand. If the attendant noticed her trembling fingers she didn't remark on it.

"Such a terrible way to die"

The passenger looked across at the front page of the glossy and a shiver passed over her soul. Along with a smiling picture, the headlines carried the full story of the poet William Pennington's heroic demise. His funeral and the plans for a memorial.

Slipping off her glasses, Darla wiped the tears away from her pink, scarred cheeks and turning her face away from the other passengers, she glanced out of the small side window. Outside, the sun was just rising on what promised to be a beautiful day but, for the female hiding away in first class, she didn't see the beauty in anything any more.

Flicking through the magazine pages, Darla ignored the searing pain in her fingers and on finding the full story, she hungrily devoured every printed word.

**Two dead in High School blaze.**

William Pennington had died along with his sister in a blaze that completely destroyed Sunnydale High School. Darla would have smiled if her face weren't so badly scarred.

From the interview in the magazine, it seemed that the whole world now believed she was dead.. No one was looking for her. It was a good start.

With that reassuring thought the passenger closed her eyes.

Her ex-lover, Parker might have been a violent prick but when she really needed him he had surprisingly come through for her. Okay, it had cost her most of her inheritance but Parker had managed to get her out of Sunnydale and into a private burns clinic without any real questions asked.

Darla would never really know how she managed to survive the fire that night. Maybe fate had played yet another twisted hand. When the roof exploded she was still clinging to the fire escape and with the force of the explosion, the twisted metal had carried her to a relatively safe dropping distance. While the rest of Sunnydale was centred on the other side of the building, she had somehow managed to find her car and, in too much shock to feel the pain of her burns, she had disappeared into the night.

As the quiet unobserved female started to turn the pages of her magazine, a small article in the corner caught her attention. A tiny picture of Buffy and Liam loomed up from the page and taunted her with their annoying survival. In the photograph Liam appeared to be wearing a sling and Buffy looked like shit but both were smiling and holding hands as they left the hospital a few weeks earlier.

While Darla continued to glare at the picture, the engines roared into life and the plane started its course along the runway, slowly lifting into the brilliant morning skyline.

Twenty minutes later she was still lost in a world of her own. A world that believed she was dead and now allowed her to move freely without fear of reprisals. As the plane slowly turned away from the small town below and headed out for LA, she carefully tore the picture of the two lovebirds from the magazine. Holding it carefully between her gloved fingers, Darla proceeded to tear Buffy's image away from Liam's side.

Running her finger over his blurred dark features Darla Penn's insane, vengeful mind raced with a million new possibilities.

"Don't you get too comfortable now, lover. This is not over... This will never be over"


The End.. ;o)

| Fiction Search | Home Page | Back |