She’d tossed and turned that night, her dilemma agitating her. Because, as much as she knew she couldn’t go along with Xander’s plan and betray them all, she wasn’t sure if she could tell Spike and Drusilla, either. Well, she guessed Dru already had her suspicions. But Spike? Spike would be pissed. Majorly pissed…

She got virtually no sleep at all and left bed before either her sire or grandsire awoke. At least she had some time to make her choice. The ceremony was the night after next. Surely, she could find some way of convincing Spike and Dru to leave this place before then…

Feeling overly weary, she ventured into the large living room that Willow used as her audience chamber.

“Had fun playing last night, did we?” Willow teased, looking up from the table where Dalton had set out all the implements for the ceremony.

Buffy managed a tight smile. “Fun enough.”

Willow tisked. “You look tired,” she said with false sympathy. “Perhaps you’d find our bed more relaxing?”

It wasn’t subtle. Willow hadn’t even meant it to be. “I’m fine where I am,” Buffy informed her coldly.

Willow’s eyes narrowed. “Difficult girls have a tendency to get hurt,” she said coldly, eyes raking up and down Buffy’s body. “If I’d had you from the start…” she trailed off, a menacing gleam in her eye.

“You didn’t,” Buffy retorted. “And you never will.”

Willow gave her a small secretive smile in response. “My boy knows not to underestimate my powers,” she informed Buffy smugly before turning to face the newest arrival.

Buffy turned as well. She hadn’t even seen Xander come in. He tilted his head in an almost imperceptible nod in her direction, and she nodded back. So subtle that not even Willow’s conniving mind picked up on it.

“We missed our puppy last night,” Willow scolded Xander.

He dropped to his knees before her and rubbed his cheek submissively against her stomach. “My apologies, sire. I encountered the demon hunters and didn’t want to lead them back here.”

It took all of Buffy’s considerable control not to gasp in disbelief. Xander was almost the perfect liar, deceitful and oh-so-sycophantic. It made her trust his plan to betray them all to the humans even less.

“Mustn’t lose my favorite play thing right before my ascension,” Willow agreed with a sigh, stroking Xander’s hair. She shook her head and turned back to the multitude of papers before her. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t look as though I’ll have much time to play…”

“Let me do it for you,” Xander encouraged, looking up at her with big innocent brown eyes. “Such a special occasion… You should be celebrating with your mate.”

Willow grinned, and the nail of one index finger turned into a demonic claw. Slowly, she scratched a deep furrow across his cheek, watching the swelling blood form a thin line up his face. Xander didn’t even flinch. “See how obedient my puppy is?” Willow’s eyes narrowed on Buffy. “Others could learn well from his example…”

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. “You want to take me down, I’d like to see you try it,” she retorted.

Willow scowled and abandoned the struggle for the time being. She turned back to Xander with a falsely benevolent smile. “Take care of all this paperwork for me,” she ordered him, “and maybe I won’t punish you for not appearing in my bed last night.”

Xander shivered at past remembered punishments. “Whatever you wish, sire,” he purred against her thigh.

A chill went through Buffy’s spine as she watched them. Death, destruction, and torment on the horizon. It was too much for her to bear right then, and she quickly turned away, heading back to her own rooms.

“Not coming to join us?” Willow taunted, obviously convinced that Buffy’s reaction was due to her own threats.

Buffy didn’t bother to contradict her. She just fled the living room.

“Even Spike’s childe is in awe of your power now,” Xander praised Willow, barely concealed venom just below the surface.

Willow smiled a cold, wicked smile at that. “Oh, she will be such a sweet puppy to play with,” she sighed before turning back to the matter at hand. “To your work.” She patted Xander’s cheek in a condescending way and extricated herself from his body. “Don’t worry,” she winked at him, “I’ll take good care of your mommy.” And, with a parting smirk, she vanished into her bedroom.

A low growl rumbled through Xander’s chest, and he wanted nothing more then than to burst through that door and rip Willow away from his sire.

All it good time, though.

Because, tonight, he’d finally have his revenge…

“Miss Edith doesn’t want the pink dress; she wants the blue one!”

Spike sighed. “She doesn’t have a blue one, pet,” he reminded her gently.

Dru just shook her head. “I saw it,” she insisted. “Aaall wrapped around that pretty girl I ate last night.”

“Oh,” Spike paused, “that dress. Don’t think ‘s gonna fit Miss Edith, luv.”

Drusilla pouted at that, looking up at him with big round eyes that melted his heart.

“No, don’t cry, princess,” he hastily backtracked. “Hand ‘er over, and ‘ll find a way to make things right.”

Drusilla giggled at that, making him wonder if her little fit had just been a joke all along. “My Spike is so good to me,” she purred, wrapping her arms around his neck and placing a soft kiss on his pulse-point.

Buffy walked in on the sight of Dru with Spike clutched in one hand, her favorite doll in the other, and a very distasteful look on Spike’s face as he held out a frilly blue dress. Under other circumstances, she probably would have thought it was funny. Under the weight of what she was about to do, humor escaped her.

“Good thing you’re here to save me, luv,” Spike grinned at her. “Think ‘ve already been tricked into takin’ up needlepoint.”

Dru laughed at that and kissed him again. “Silly boy,” she cooed.

Buffy managed a tight-lipped smile. Her lack of reaction didn’t go unnoticed.

“Somethin’ wrong, pet?” Spike frowned, dropping the dress and studying her intently.

Buffy bit her lower lip, fidgeted, sat down on the edge of the bed… “I have a confession to make,” she finally blurted out, looking anywhere but at them.

Spike’s confused expression remained. Drusilla’s turned serious, and she left the circle of Spike’s arms to crawl onto the bed beside Buffy, moving panther-like until her lips were inches from the former slayer’s ear.

“Tell us,” she whispered breathily.

Buffy gulped and studied the hands folded in her lap intently. “In two nights, Xander plans to let a gang of demon hunters in,” she said very quietly, for fear that her voice would shake otherwise. “They’re going to try to kill Willow and Drusilla, take over the Hellmouth, and drive the rest of us out.” She paused for a second. “And he kinda thinks I’m going to help him,” she winced.

Drusilla shook her head and stroked Buffy’s golden locks soothingly.

Spike’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “And why exactly would Xander think that?” he demanded, his voice near to a growl.

Buffy dared to look up at him. “Because I sort of said I’d help him, okay?” she snapped, more angry with herself than she was at him. “He just lured me in, and I fell for it. Happy now?”

“Happy?” Spike choked in disbelief. “We hafta… Oh bugger!” He fell back onto the couch opposite the two women, head in his hands, trying to absorb it all. “Knew that boy was trouble,” he muttered under his breath.

“My girl wanted me dead,” Dru tisked lightly. “But mommy always knew something was afoot.” She giggled. “I knew…”

Spike’s anger seemed to take focus again at that, and he turned his attention to Buffy once more. “You tried to have Dru killed…” he accused in a low hiss, the flashing gold in his eyes belying his calmer tone.

Buffy gulped at that. She didn’t ever think she’d seem his this mad before, so angry that he couldn’t even seem to explode… “I-I just wanted to be with you,” she pleaded weakly.

“And you thought killin’ the love of my bloody unlife would be the best way of goin’ about it?!” The statement started off softly but ending in a roaring crescendo. “You ungrateful little bitch!” he screamed.

Before Buffy could react, his fist shot out and clipped her across the jaw, sending her sprawling to the floor at his feet. She whimpered in a subservient manner, but it didn’t seem to be enough to stop him.

“When have we ever not given you everything your li’l heart desires? And this is how you repay us?” he raged, grabbing the fabric of her blouse roughly and yanking her up so that they were nose-to-nose.

Buffy winced in anticipation of another blow. But it didn’t come.

“Not a century before, you were in her shoes,” Drusilla whispered in Spike’s ear, hand still firmly clasped about his wrist and halting his attack. “You would honestly expect her to have less love for you than you have for me?” She blinked at him with wide, innocent eyes.

“This isn’t the time for your mind-games, Dru,” he informed her, voice cold and flat. His grip on Buffy relaxed as his attention wavered, however, as she slumped back to her knees on the floor.

“You are the one who always so treasures speaking the truth,” Dru retorted, her body sliding around his until she stood between him and Buffy, safeguarding her grandchilde.

“You don’t wanna piss me off right now,” he warned.

“You tried to kill Angelus yourself a number of times, if I recall correctly,” she persisted, dark eyes flashing. “Remember how he punished you afterwards?”

A cold shiver ran down Spike’s spine. “Stay out of this,” he repeated, a little less confidently this time.

“You swore you would never make the same mistakes daddy made,” Dru pressed, crouching down in front of Buffy now. One long-fingered hand reached out to brush a lock of hair off of the blonde’s forehead.

That seemed to enrage Spike all over again. “For all the good it did me,” he growled, eyes flashing dangerously at Buffy.

She gulped and fought back the tears in her eyes. God, he’d never looked at her like this before. Like she was vile, repugnant. Like he didn’t love her at all…

“All childer desire their sires,” Dru sing-songed.

“No!” Spike insisted vehemently and angrily. “Go on, then,” he snapped at Dru. “Side with her. ‘m sick of all you soddin’ bints!”

A low growl rumbled through his chest and, with a swirl of black leather, he fled the room, slamming the door so hard behind him it cracked on its hinges.

“Oh god,” Buffy gasped, “this is all my fault…”

“Shh,” Dru cooed softly. “Nothing you could have done to change this.”

“I-I didn’t mean for… He’s coming back, right?” she brushed at the tears streaming down her cheeks.

Dru tilted her head far to one side, waves of black hair cascading over her shoulder as she did so. “Our William belongs to the stars now. They will guide all our fates…”

Buffy didn’t find that reassuring in the slightest.

“Mmm, you’re back,” Cordelia purred, smiling as Willow crawled into bed behind her.

“Surprise,” Willow agreed with a soft smile, nuzzling her mate’s throat. “You get me all to yourself this evening.”

Cordy’s fingers ran lazily through Willow’s crimson hair. “To what do I owe the honor?” she teased.

“Surprisingly, your boy,” Willow admitted, rolling her lover onto her back and licking a long, slow line up her naked chest.

Cordy purred in response and lay back to enjoy Willow’s attentions. “I told you he was a good boy,” she smiled happily. “Always thinking of his sire…”

Willow grinned mischievously. “I think of you, too,” she purred.

And Cordelia grinned. “Show me then,” she challenged, then laughed as Willow attacked her with kisses…

The normal evening shuffle of minions had kept Xander preoccupied by Willow’s paperwork. Or, at least, he tried to keep himself preoccupied. Otherwise he’d have to listen to every moan and sigh coming from the bedroom.

As the last of the stragglers went out for the evening, however, Xander grinned and instantly rose from the desk. He tested the air, found the coast clear, and slipped silently out into the night.

The crescent of the moon was almost invisible tonight, making it even darker than the previous evening. That suited Xander just fine. He wandered out into the backyard of the old mansion to where the property lined the woods on the west edge of Sunnydale.

Even with his enhanced vampiric senses, he wouldn’t have spotted them if he hadn’t known they were there.

“By all means,” he whispered into the warm night air, “come on in.”

Willow’s wards let the troop of demon hunters enter with no resistance. “Nice trick, that,” Wood commented. “Creating an invite spell that works on humans instead of vamps.”

“Willow’s not to be underestimated,” Xander agreed nervously.

“She occupied?”

“With Cordy,” Xander agreed. “You’re free to do your thing.”

Wood nodded and signaled for the first group to approach the mansion. He was about to send his own group out to search as well when the mansion’s back door suddenly slammed shut, and a distinctive platinum-haired figure emerged.

A wicked grin lit up Wood’s lips. “Just make it easy for me, why don’t you?” he said, signaling for his team to close in on their prey…

“Mustn’t beat yourself up,” Dru chided, picking the blue dress off of the floor and dusting it off.

Buffy couldn’t believe how casually Dru was acting, like nothing horrible or momentous had just happened. “He hates me,” she sulked. “I should’ve just gone through with it. At least then I wouldn’t have lost him completely…”

“Watch your tongue, little girl,” Drusilla growled dangerously, startling Buffy out of her moping as another wave of fear ran through her. Dru’s expression suddenly softened again when she had the former slayer’s attention, however. “Do not underestimate our sweet William,” she soothed, setting the dress down on the armchair and coming to sit beside Buffy on the bed. “You want me to tell you something?”

Buffy looked into those deep, dark eyes and honestly couldn’t decipher whether friend or foe lay within. She nodded slightly nonetheless.

Dru’s voice dropped to a husky whisper. “Spike’s never able to remain angry with those he loves for long.”

“Like he’s ever yelled at you like that,” Buffy grumbled, unconvinced and partially unwilling to be comforted by the very vampiress she’d thought to kill only days before.

Drusilla laughed and lay back against the sheets. “Oh, if only you knew, my dear childe…” She sighed.

“I’ve never seen Spike mad at you,” Buffy commented, more softly this time. “At least, not for more than a few seconds.”

Drusilla smiled at that. “Nor I him with you,” she countered, “until today. But you’ve only been with us for fifty years. You’ve missed so much…” The wistful tone in Drusilla’s voice indicated that not all of it had been pleasant.

“You don’t think this is…it?” Buffy couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of being banned from Spike’s bed, his arms, his affections.

Dru took a deep breath. “I remember what it was like to be trapped in the middle,” she said, her voice sounding distant. “Loved by both but never sure whether their hate for each other would destroy me…” She paused and seemed to see far off things. “That fate is being decided even as we speak. Right at this minute…”

Buffy’s eyes widened at that, recognizing echoes of the prophecy Drusilla had spoken back in England. “W-What do you mean?” she asked shakily.

“The cards have aaall been laid out long before now,” Dru tisked. “Nothing to do, but watch them fall.”

Suddenly terrified, Buffy caught Dru’s shoulders roughly. “Stop talking in riddles, dammit! What’s happening? Is Spike in trouble?”

“I always told him that dark girl from New York would come back to haunt him one day,” Drusilla continued enigmatically. “Their battle begins anew.”

The details were as murky as ever; the message was clear. “No…” Buffy whispered. “I changed my mind. I don’t want to fight over him. I don’t… I had to try to kill you for the prophecy to work, dammit!” she insisted vehemently.

Drusilla just chuckled. “Silly girl. One never knows how far one has to go to set things in motion.”

Buffy leapt off the bed. “We have to help him,” she insisted. “We have to—”

Drusilla caught her wrist with a steely grip. “Do you honestly believe you can undo what has been written in stars?”

And Buffy shivered. She didn’t know what to believe anymore.

“Spike.”

Spike’s eyebrow rose in surprise to find himself being slowly surrounded by a group of humans. His attention instantly turned to the leader of the group, a tall black man that…nah. Spike had thought he’d seen something familiar in that face for an instant, but he’d never seen this guy before in his unlife.

“I take it Xander was a bit deceptive about the date of his li’l party,” Spike commented confidently, trying to ask as nonplussed as possible by the fact that he was surrounded by humans with crossbows.

Wood ignored the sarcasm. “I’ve been waiting for this all my life, vampire,” he spat, raising his crossbow, “and my dad waited all of his.”

“Might want to try the telly, mate,” Spike suggested cockily. “’S good for passin’ the time when you’ve got nothing better to do.”

Wood’s eyes narrowed. “You have no clue who I am, do you?”

“This a new reality show, then? I get twenty questions to get it right, or ‘m dust?”

“You killed my grandmother!” Wood hissed.

“Your grandmother?” Spike repeated in wide-eyed disbelief. “Look, mate. ‘m sure there’re plenty of people out there who’ve gotten much closer relations offed by yours truly. Come back when you’ve got one of them, and we’ll try the banter again.”

“This is just a joke to you, isn’t it?” Wood shook with anger. “A game?”

“If you’d asked the questions with the clock like I suggested, then it would’ve been a game,” Spike corrected, grinning in wicked amusement.

Wood’s eyes narrowed, and the last of his patience snapped. “Die!” he yelled, firing his crossbow at the same moment.

Spike looked down at his chest, stared at the bolt sticking out right above his heart, and swore. “Oh, fuck…”

“Do you love me?” Willow purred, rising up from between Cordelia’s legs and climbing up her body.

“Mmm,” Cordy murmured in satisfaction.

“Your turn to show me, then,” Willow teased, giggling when Cordy rolled her over. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, and…

BANG!

They jolted apart in surprise when the door burst open, blinking at Xander’s sudden arrival.

“Leave us alone, you stupid boy!” Willow growled angrily, eyes flashing yellow as she sat up on the bed. “I’ll have you head for—”

But Xander stepped aside at that moment, allowing his allies a clear shot. The sound of a bowstring firing, a whistle of air, horrified screams, and then an explosion of dust…