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"Close your eyes."

Hesitantly, he did.

Buffy pulled her arm back and thrust the sword. Like Angel, she closed her eyes in the split second it took for the blade to be embedded. She swallowed down her nausea as she felt her strong plunge sink into soft tissue but didn't waver in her push. Her eyes snapped open involuntarily, her ears had been painfully waiting for Angel's gasp but she heard a different kind of gasp than she expected along with it. The green eyes widened as they took in the sight with horror.

Only then had the scream she thought was in her own head registered.

"Nooo!"

Xander had jumped in front of Angel to protect him from the sharp blade. But instead of the opening he sought to voice his complaint, Slayer Strength was too quick and too strong.

Through the throbbing filled haze, he could feel the razor-sharp edge that ran straight through him being supported by something else.

In moments as long as several lifetimes, he slowly turned his head, blinding pain passing through him at the simple movement. However, it was nowhere near the pain that shun in his eyes at his failure, for behind the large hunched figure he could see the portal slowly opening.

"Oh God Xander!"

He turned his head noting that everything around him covered in a strange radiance. His eyes finally found Buffy's horrified ones, she still clutched at the sword.

"Xander," a chocked whisper sounded in his ear.

He spared no moment or pain to turn his head back and catch shocked and surprised whiskey orbs.

"I was too late. I told her to..."

Angel shook his head and laid his large cold hand on the young face. "You did what you had to do."

Painful chuckle. "You don't even know what I did."

"Doesn't matter."

Xander smiled. He coughed and blood appeared on live lips.

"Xander... I just want you to know... I-I didn't want him to... I didn't want to..."

"It wasn't you."

"He did it because of what I wanted." Frantic words. "Wanted to punish you for my... You know that I...?" Brown eyes implored to understand the unvoiced words.

Somehow they were.

Xander shook his head lightly as he turned his head back, looking away at a distance that didn't exist. "I wasn't... I thought... y-you hated me..."

"Same here." Angel reached around and held him close. "You shouldn't be here. Shouldn't been there..."

Flashback

"You sure you don't want to come in, Xander?" Willow asked as she opened the front door. "Mom and Dad went to a convention ... the Methods of Teaching or something... and won't be coming back for two days."

"Thanks, Wills. But my job as escort ends here." Xander frowned and scratched his head. "Clearly not a professional escort."

Willow, standing in the open doorway, giggled and slapped at him. "You're dirty."

"Wish Cordelia can find it as amusing." Xander rolled his eyes.

Willow scrunched her nose. "I'm not interested to hear about Cordelia Chase."

Xander raised his hands. "Would love to hear about that, again, but if I don't get home in-" He looked at his wristwatch. "Fifteen minutes, Dad's gonna lock me out. And I really need the bathroom!"

Willow waved him off. "K, call me when you get home, so I'll be sure you're okay."

Xander plastered a happy smile on his face. "Sure thing, General. Will report as soon as I set foot in HQ." With a comedic salute, he turned away.

He walked down the street with both hands in the pockets of his baggy jeans. His eyes followed his sneakers as they created shadows in the illumination of streetlights he was passing.

He didn't know when it happened. But all of a sudden, he realized that someone was walking by his side, matching his awkward steps. With a swift turn, very agilely, he had the stake inches over the vampire's chest.

Angelus easily held his wrist away from his heart, smirk firmly in place.

"Well, look what we've got here."

Xander tried to pull his arm back but the vampire had a firm grip on it. The boy twisted his face when Angelus brought his closer and whispered, "Still the White Night, watching over your girls."

"Really should look into these new-fangled things called breath mints, blood breath!"

Angelus smiled a toothy grin and pushed Xander back, hard, causing his head to connect in a bang with a metal pole. Sliding down, Xander watched with half silted eyes Angelus instructing two vampires to not damage the goods as they brought it back to the mansion. He lost consciousness when he felt several cold hands grabbing at him.

Xander couldn't breathe.

He fought for breath and used his cramped arms to press against the wall that was closing in with all of his strength. Only thing he received was an indulgent chuckle.

"Shhh, it's me love."

He opened his eyes and could barely see in the darkness of the room. But some light was escaping from somewhere and he could see. See his face smiling down at him. Xander sighed. He was having one of those dreams again. He raised his hand and traced that handsome face, the wide forehead, the rare smile. Only in his dreams was that smile directed at him. His head was pounding, that was new. But he didn't resist when the face came down to kiss him. He didn't close his eyes. What was the point? It would be wasting what his pathetic mind had concocted. An inch away from his mouth, Angel stopped. Xander frowned. This never happened before.

"He would never touch you... you would never feel his lips on yours. I'll see to that."

With a gasp, it all fell into place, what had happened... where he was. He tried to pull away but what had caused him his shortness of breath earlier held on. There was a rough rope tied around his waist biding his upper body down onto the bed but leaving his naked limbs free to flail.

Angelus laughed at his pathetic attempts.

"Disgusting soul. Lusting after a slayer of all things and falling for her pathetic companion. Children. Hah! And they call me deviant."

"Let me go you bastard!" Xander hissed as he pulled at the binds. "You want to kill me, get it over with!"

Angelus caressed his chest where the rough material didn't cover. "Ah, but death is so second rate. I'm going to play with you." Xander thrashed some more. With ease Angelus held him down. "Do you know that he knows? Knows that you look at him and want him?" He licked over the boy's pulse point. "But he does nothing." The vampire pulled back, face of a demon shining in the dark.

Xander felt fear twist in him but he showed his defiance. He ignored what Angelus said. "Let me guess. The plan is to bore me with words, maim me, and send me to Buffy as a reminder? Dumb plan. You'd be dust in the wind before you can...!" His last words were swept away by his pained howl when Angelus twisted his member.

"That." Another twist. "Is why I'm *not* doing it. Dumb plans. No, visible scars are so easy."

Xander's breath quickened when he realized what Angelus was doing out of the line of his sight.

"Now, there are scars that even you won't be able to see. But you'll feel it for days, weeks even. Just like the Slayer did. You will remember it, remember me. And you'd be all alone. More alone than ever. Visible scars they see and they comfort. But hidden scars are your own." Sharp intake of breath. "I'll sure enjoy inflicting them. It'll be fun doing it to someone who can feel their lower body for a change," he spat in distaste. "Then I'll set you free like a good little puppy. You'll run off to your little friends, slobbering at what attention they give you and you'll continue your pathetic attempts at defeating me. But your new scars? They'll eat at you from inside while everyone is watching, not caring."

A chuckle. "She didn't call to check up, you know. We have ALL night."

Xander wanted to be strong. Needed to be. So why was there wetness running down his face?

"Don't worry, Whelp. I'll make it good for you. You'll hate yourself for it. But don't expect me to kiss it better for you in the morning."

End Flashback

Xander knew he was crying. This time he admitted it. For what was a better time to shed tears than when everything was going to be lost? Angelus had taken everything from him, his sense of safety, calm slumbers and his innocence. There was nothing he could do.

However, there was one thing he could still take away from Angelus.

"I want to kiss you."

Angel's response was a tightening of his hold and a small nod against his neck. Xander twisted around this time more than before, the blade cut at his side and his neck rasped at the held back whimper of pain. But he continued. This was something he needed to do.

Brown orbs distinguished in their own way fused together and Xander felt a smile appear on his bloodied lips. Angel understood. He knew why this was so important.

They might have never gotten a chance to see 'this thing' through. Both of them held back by insecurity and their own ignorance of what their feeling in actuality embodied. Had it been lust, or something more? Somehow sharing the same fait as their blood mixed implied to the real answer. To what might have been and what could have shared.

With some difficulty they had been able to touch their lips against each other. It wasn't perfect, not how they wanted to have their first real kiss. Angelus didn't kiss Xander. It was too intimate. And that had never been part of his 'plan'.

Grips had tightened and Xander felt his heart pound when he felt the pull. He held on. He ignored the flashing lights and what it symbolized, everything seemed to have been in running on slow motion but life was pushing itself back into familiar pace. His eyes didn't waver from their mark, his vision had cleared and he was not about to waist what precious time they had left.

Somewhere during the lovers' confession, Buffy had let go of her strong grip she had on the sword and took a couple of rigid steps back. She watched as the love of her life and her best friend said more in looks and actions than words could come to represent. She watched as they locked in painful, passionate embrace, their eyes still open as if to take in more of the sensation.

She looked on as they were silently sucked into Hell while she stood doing nothing.

Buffy was frozen in shock. At what she had discovered, what she had observed and what she had let happen as she stood idle. The world was saved. But the two men that had given her life were not in it anymore.

"Don't know which stumped you most, Slayer. Them getting it on, or you doin' them in." Spike came into view, she did nothing, said nothing to the person who brought her thoughts to life. "Maybe the fact that you have none to moon over you now." He looked at where the two were mere moments ago. "Such a Shakespearian ending... bet you thought you'd be on the other side, him reaching out for you."

Tears and silent gasps emanated from the powerful slayer. "Noticed how the ol' boy clutched the hand of his sweet beloved?" Spike placed a hand over his dead heart. "Felt tears spring into my eyes, I did."

With a slow head tilt, he turned his gaze to her.

"Should've expected you to take to extremes. You know, all you had to do was prick 'im with the nifty sword and plunge it in the stone demon. But can always count on you to be such a drama queen."

He stuck his tongue to his upper teeth and he smiled widely at her stony expression.

"Bet a part of you wanted it to be over, but couldn't bear the thought of giving up tall dark and handsome, so this was the best way out." He slowly stalked up to her relishing the way her heart quickened its beat and how she bit the inside of her mouth so hard he could smell her sweet blood. "Kill your true love, your buggering soul-mate for the sake of the world, and cry a bit of silent tear, do a little teenage act of desperation and all would be sympathetic and understanding for *your* sacrifice."

He bit his lip and flicked his eyes to the dormant statue. "But Droopy boy messed it all up." He sighed.

There was a definite whimper as he reached her. She didn't move when he ran his cold hand over her face wiping at the tears.

"There, there, pet. I was never... as sadist as Angelus ..." He tilted her head. "Never let them say I don't take pity on my enemies."

Buffy didn't look at him. Her eyes were still glued at where the two men who had such in impact in her life had stood before...

"Think happy thoughts, don't think about how Angelus raped your dear friend under your perky little nose and none of you were the wiser," he said hungrily taking in her anguished gasp before he sunk his fangs into her willing neck. It was quick. He let her lifeless body slink to the cold floor.

"No more Daddy, no more Kitten...?" Drusilla swayed, walking into the room.

"No more annoying Slayer spoiling our fun." He twirled her around while they danced a circle around Acathla and Buffy who were both still in their deathly state. He pulled Drusilla flesh against him.

"Just like your visions prophesized my luv."

She licked her upper lip. "You hurt my neck."

"Aw, but you loved it you minx. Lovely performer you were, pretending to conk out with loss of 'unneeded' air," he tsk-ed.

She pouted. "I was an actress on stage."

He laughed out loud and kissed her. "Yeah, you were my wicked plum. The world is your stage and you play it as you please. Though next time when you play the unconscious damsel, don't grab at my neck, eh?"

She looked chastened. "You were carrying me like a white bride."

He pursed his lips and nodded. "My bad then." He twirled her one last time before stopping in front of the stone statue, sword sticking out of its chest. He ran his finger over a bright red patch, on what was showing from the blade. He sucked the finger in between his lips. "Mmm, unrequited love finally returned. Pity." Then he shrugged. "Oh well." He shared an evil grin with his dark princess. "Let's check on the slayer groupies. Maybe pass on the sad news?" He mock pouted.

Drusilla, giggling, clapped her hands and joined Spike, walking outside the mansion. They climbed into Spike's Desoto and looked at the backseat, where Giles was lying, unconscious.

"He tasted lovely." She licked her lips and fingertips.

"Yeah, well, you're not keeping 'em," he said firmly, starting the engine. "He's to be a play thing or dinner... no turning fifty year old geezers now."

She giggled like she didn't hear what he had said. "You will make the witch yours?"

"Bet you I am. Break her in first, so she'd mind her sire. Must watch out for the quiet ones... they're the ones that can coz the most trouble."

"Like us William?" She blinked up at him wonderingly.

"Like we were Dru, yeah." He thought as he drove away. "I might keep her mutt as well. Always wanted me a pet, bet he'd make the perfect prezzie when Red's turned."

Her nails scraped at the air. "Oooh, pelt tickles my nose when burned."

"Uh, yeah."

"They'll be back," she said prophetically.

He frowned. "So you said." A smirk slowly appeared on his striking face. "Well, we'd better make sure to have the Hellmouth all fancied up for Daddy and Kitten's return."

He pressed forward and they sped away, a sparkle in his eyes.