PART 11

Greltar stared at the mansion in amazement; her target had only been hiding a few minutes away and yet had managed to elude her. Never again would anyone ever do that to her again she silently vowed. She stretched her senses out and felt and smelt the bodies, her prey within the confines of the structure and closed her eyes momentarily revelling over the anticipation of the kill. When she was sure that she was ready, she entered the mansion swiftly and silently and headed on her way to complete her mission. Greltar did a quick survey of the ground floor and when she was sure that nothing or no one was hiding there, she headed upstairs. She slipped stealthily down the hallway, allowing her senses to guide her towards her intended target. Halfway down the hall she found him. She quickly entered Hank's room and stood over him and marvelled at how someone so obviously stupid had almost gotten away, and then she slowly lifted the sword she carried to impale him. As it towered above Hank's balding head the impossible happened… Hank awoke, looked up at his assassin and screamed.

Angel was just lying there watching Buffy sleep, barely able to believe that she was there with him, that she'd actually wanted him. He leaned over and gently placed a kiss on her lips and was surprised when she opened her eyes. Before either one of them could open their mouths to talk, they heard Hank's scream. They quickly got up, grabbed any clothing available and ran to Hank's room and that's when Buffy finally got a look at her opponent. Greltar was at least seven feet tall, black in colour and had weird looking horns all over her body.

"Drop my dad!" Buffy ordered, hoping for once that it would be a nice, biddable demon that she got to fight with, unfortunately it wasn't.

Greltar looked at Angel as he entered the room behind Buffy and hissed, "You."

"If you put Hank down, I'll give you me," Angel offered the demon.

"I'd much rather kill you both… and then the blonde" Greltar hissed in reply. She moved towards Angel with a surprising grace and agility for someone her size, never letting go of Hank. Buffy tried to help Angel and save her father by kicking Greltar in the stomach, it had absolutely no effect other than to make Greltar laugh. "Foolish little girl," it hissed at Buffy, "Nothing can stop me, especially you."

Angel managed, barely, to avoid the attack aimed at him. "That's not true," he said trying to catch his breath, "Doyle and I stopped you before." Angel decided to try and lure it downstairs, towards the supply of weapons he foolishly left downstairs while he was otherwise occupied earlier. He made a run from the room.

"An aberration."

Buffy was desperate, she climbed up on the bed and jumped on Greltar's back; trying to slow it down instead she was immediately shaken off. As Greltar tried to leave a second time, Buffy grabbed her arm and bashed her into the wall causing her to drop Hank. Luckily instead of going after Hank again she followed Angel, most likely thinking she come back for them later.

"Dad? Are you okay?" Buffy asked giving him a quick check over. Hank was shaken and bruised but otherwise okay.

"Fine," he wheezed.

"Stay here. I'm going to help Angel," she told him leaving the room.

"Be careful," Hank called after her.

Buffy rushed into the hallway and found Greltar's sword lying there, so she picked it up on her way and rushed downstairs. She found Angel in the living room trying to dodge Greltar's blows and not being entirely successful. Angel was bleeding from a head wound and looked kind of woozy from the loss of blood. Buffy rushed in to try and help him; unfortunately Greltar heard her approach and swung at her, sending Buffy crashing into the wall and causing the sword to drop to the floor.

"Buffy!" Angel called out worried about her and not himself.

But Buffy didn't answer, in fact she didn't even move and Angel put himself in jeopardy by rushing to her side. Greltar used this distraction to her own advantage.

"Time to die" she hissed stepping towards them with one of Angel's daggers.

Suddenly she stopped and let out an ear-piercing scream. Angel was confused, but then he saw the tip of a sword poking through Greltar's stomach, the silver visible against the black. Then a familiar voice was heard.

"That's twice in a week that I had to save yer worthless butt, Peaches," Spike said coming into view as Greltar's lifeless body fell to the ground.

Angel didn't even bother to answer him; he just sat there holding an unconscious Buffy in his arms. Hank hearing the silence climbed downstairs and joined the group in the living room.

"Wow," Hank said, "Some fight."

Less than two minutes later Dawn and Doyle walked into the disaster area. The living room was a write off, most of the weapons had been bent or destroyed and he and Buffy were bruised, battered, bleed in and/or unconscious.

Doyle surveyed the area and then turned to them and asked, "What in the hell happened here?"

Lilah was sitting at her desk, impatiently waiting for word of Hank Summers demise. The waiting was almost killing her; she knew that her whole future… not only with the firm, but also her life depended on this piece of information. When the phone finally did ring, she was hesitant to answer it, but she did.

"Hello?" she said nervously.

"Lilah. It's so nice to hear your voice again," Holland Manners voice filtered down the phone line. She instantly knew that she had been irrevocably screwed, Greltar had obviously failed if he was calling.

"Hello Holland. How are you?" she asked politely, yet at the same time freaking out.

"Just peachy," Holland replied cheerfully. "But enough with the pleasantries. Could you please come up to the top floor? The senior partner's would love to see you."

"Right away," Lilah answered with a cheerfulness she didn't feel.

She hung up the phone and slowly got up from behind her desk for the last time. When she went out into the hallway she took one last look around at what had once been hers. She was certain that this would be the last time she saw this place… the last time she'd see anything if the rumours about the senior partner's were true.

Three Days Later:

Angel looked around the mansion for the last time, the pretence was to make sure that nothing was left behind but he was really just remembering what had gone on there. After a few minutes he went to leave, but was stopped by Spike, who'd been staying there to make sure Angel kept away from Buffy.

"Yer know Peaches, you're an idiot," Spike told him.

Angel looked at his most unwelcome and unwanted houseguest, "Why?"

"Because she's still in love with yer and yer tossing it away like it means nothing."

"Loves me? She won't even speak to me," Angel replied sadly.

Spike poked him hard in his bruised ribs. "Why should she talk to yer? Yer leaving her again."

"What's that got to…"

Spike cut him off, "Everyone leaves her. Her dad, you, any guy she dates. Why do yer think she puts up with me hanging around?"

"She's nuts," Angel replied.

"No, because I'm a permanent fixture," Spike told him.

"And I'm not," Angel said, "I sleep with her and leave again."

Spike looked at him in shock; "You slept with her?" At Angel's look Spike went back to the original subject, "This time you're leaving her with no reason. There's no clause; there's no trouble on the horizon. If I were yer I'd kidnap her on my way out of town."

Angel just looked at him, "Why are you encouraging me? I thought you were in love with her?"

"I was… maybe I still am, but she was never gonna be mine… not with yer poofy self out there somewhere."

Angel for once felt sorry for Spike.

"You know maybe you were looking at the wrong Summers," Angel said.

"Hank's just not my type...." Spike replied. After a few seconds realisation hit him, "Dawnie?"

"Who else would want you with that hair?" Angel said leaving.

Spike never noticed Angel was gone, he just stood there with shock written all over his features and then suddenly he smiled.

Angel had Doyle drop him off outside of Buffy's house, just as Hank was preparing to leave. He headed over to Hank to say goodbye… and good riddance.

"Angel?" Hank said in surprise as he looked up and saw him approach. "I thought you'd gone back to LA."

"Soon," was all Angel said.

Hank stuck out his hand and shook Angel's. "I just wanted to say thank you," Hank told him.

"No problem," Angel said trying to see past Hank towards the house.

Hank on the other hand didn't let go of Angel when the handshake was over. Instead he pulled him in closer, "I don't like you and just for the record you're not good enough for Buffy. I think it would be best if you left her alone."

"No offence Hank, but mind your own business," Angel replied pulling his hand away.

Just then the door opened and Buffy and Dawn came outside to say goodbye to Hank. Angel noticed that Dawn seemed to be in an extra happy mood.

"Hey Angel," she said rushing up to him and giving him a hug. After a moment she turned to her dad, "See ya Hank… in what another decade or so."

Buffy stepped forward and hugged Hank, "Bye dad. Keep in touch."

"Bye girls… Angel," Hank said climbing into his rental car and driving away.

As soon as Hank was gone, Buffy rushed inside the house, pretending Angel wasn't there. Dawn looked at Angel's crestfallen expression.

"It will be okay," she assured him, "Hank's been telling her how she could do so much better than you."

"She could," Angel said more to himself than to Dawn. Then he said, "You know you're dad kind of reminds me of your mom."

"So he told you to leave Buffy too?" Dawn asked.

Angel stared at her, "How did you…" Dawn cut him off,” Mom told me before… She made me promise not to tell Buffy."

"Oh."

"Why don't I go and take a walk or something… so you two can talk," Dawn suggested.

"Thanks Dawnie" Angel said walking towards the front door. Then he turned back to the younger girl, "You know Spike is trapped in the mansion…"

"I know," Dawn replied smiling evilly.

Angel shook his head and wondered what she saw in Spike, as he headed inside the Summers' house.

Angel found Buffy sitting in her room, sitting on the bed and staring out of the window. He'd barely stepped into the room when she said, "Aren't you gone yet?"

"No."

"Why not?" she asked still staring out the window.

Angel sat down on the bed next to her, "I couldn't. We need to talk."

"About what?"

"About us," Angel told her.

Buffy just kept on staring out of the window, "There is no us, Angel."

Angel ignored her; "I love you Buffy… I always have…"

Buffy cut him off, now looking at him. "Then why are you leaving again?"

For the first time he noticed the sheen of tears in her eyes. "I still have a life and a business in LA. But it's not easy," he said.

"What isn't easy?"

"Living there… while my heart and soul are here in Sunnydale," he answered her. "Give me another chance, please?"

Buffy just stared, "If I do… there's some rules."

"Anything," he agreed without hearing them.

"No lying… we tell each other the truth no matter what. No listening to my dad, he's a dope and you have to call me every night," she told him.

"What about visiting?" Angel asked moving closer to her.

"I'm sure we can arrange something."

"Does this mean we're back together?"

Buffy leaned in closer her lips almost touching his, she whispered, "What do you think?"

"Even if I'm in LA and have a thriving business…"

Buffy shut him up with a kiss. "I think we're mature enough to make it work," she told him a moment later.

"I love you," Angel told her again.

Buffy smiled, "I love you too."

"Good" Angel said pushing her back onto the bed.

"Angel… what about Dawn?"

"She can't join in," Angel replied. At Buffy's glare he added, "She's torturing Spike."

Buffy smiled, "In that case…"

Buffy never got to finish her sentence because Angel cut her off with a kiss. One that lasted for a very long time.

THE END