It had been three days since Hank had betrayed them. Buffy shouldn't feel this hurt. After all, it wasn't as if she loved him anymore, right? So why did her heart feel so heavy? Micah still slunk around as if Buffy was going to lash out at her at any minute. Buffy hadn't wanted it to end with Hank dead, but there really was no other alternative. Besides, she couldn't hate Micah for obeying her instincts. And there was a small part of her that wished she had been the one to kill the traitorous bastard. Buffy took another sip of her drink and winced as the alcohol burned down her throat.

"You'd better be careful with that," Spike warned as he nursed his own drink. "You'll regret it in the morning."

"Yeah, well, Slayers have higher alcohol tolerances than people think," Buffy replied. It had begun the first night Angel was gone: Spike and Buffy in the living room with tumblers of brandy. Never enough to get drunk; just to take the edge away. Mostly they sat in silence, but occasionally they talked. Sometimes Spike trailed off into confused ramblings, but for the most part he was sane.

"Angel would never let something like this sit," Spike said for the umpteenth time. "He's making sure you and the girls are safe." He tossed back the rest of his brandy. "Just wish he would've waited for me."

Buffy gave Spike a look. The vampire still had trouble going up and down the stairs, much less going on a revenge rampage. She sighed. "I don't think it's Angel out there, Spike," she said softly. He looked at her sharply.

"What, you think Angelus is back?" he demanded.

She shook her head. "I don't know. He told me that the demon's still there, that he's stronger as Angelus. I thought he was in control but—I just don't know."

"He'll be all right," Spike said, playing with his empty glass. "He usually is."

"Can we talk about something else?" Buffy asked a little irately. Spike cocked an eyebrow.

"Like what?"

"You and Dawn," Buffy shot back. Spike suddenly looked embarrassed and if he was human Buffy swore he'd be blushing.

"Let's not," he said.

"No, I think we do," Buffy insisted. "You care about her, don't you?"

"Well, I—I just don't want to see her get hurt, is all," Spike muttered, slouching in his chair.

"You do care about her," Buffy said. "And I know she likes you. God, what is it with Summers girls and vampires?" She finished the last of her brandy and put the glass aside. "Absolutely no dating until she's sixteen, got it? I don't even want to hear you guys were alone in the same room."

Spike gave her an odd look. "You're not going to stake me?" he asked, sounding a little confused.

Buffy sighed. "Hello, dated a vampire myself? Don't really have the right to say no now that you've got a soul and all. About that, by the way..?" Spike shook his head and Buffy dropped the subject. "Sixteen, hear me?"

"Sixteen," he agreed.

They both jumped when the front door burst open and Angel stumbled through. Buffy was on her feet in a flash and rushed to her husband's side. "Angel! Where have you been?"

He grabbed her shoulders, his eyes wide and frightened. "Buffy," he whispered, and his eyes flashed yellow.

"Hello, lover," he said with a twisted smirk. "Did you miss me?"

Buffy did the only thing she could think of. She hauled back and hit him square in the face.

"What the bloody hell?" Spike exclaimed, hovering on the sidelines. "What was that about?"

"That's not Angel," Buffy whispered, looking down at the unconscious body at her feet.

"Oh…bollocks," Spike muttered.

*****

No no no no. I won't let you hurt her. Not again. I won't let you.

You can't stop me. I'm in control now. There's nothing you can do, Soul-boy.

You aren't strong enough. I'm human. This is my body. The curse is gone and you can't hurt us anymore.

Look again. Who's calling the shots? Besides, you're glad I took out Manners and the doctor and that Lilah bitch. You wanted to see them bleed as much as I did.

No. Not like that. You've destroyed enough lives. I don't need any more on my conscience.

Well, see, that's why you've got me. I have no conscience. So I can give in to all those dark impulses you try to hide from your precious Slayer. What's she going to do when she finds out her beloved Angel isn't as pure as she thought he was?

Leave her alone! Don't you dare lay a finger on her!

Are you insane? I'm not going to hurt her. She's mine now. And you know I like to enjoy what's mine.

"Angel? Angel, can you hear me?"

Groggy brown eyes blinked open and tried to focus on the face-shaped blob hovering above them. Hands rose to probe the bruises forming along the jaw and encountered resistance. Angelus lifted his head and realized he was chained to the wall in the basement.

"Didn't know you were into bondage, lover," he taunted.

"Angel?" she said again, ignoring the demon. "Come on, honey, I know you're in there."

I'm here, beloved! I'm right here!

Shut up, you weak fool. She can't hear you.

"Angel please, fight him," Buffy pleaded. "You're stronger than this."

"He's the one that released me," Angelus told her with a smirk. "You don't think he could kill them on his own? He needed my help."

No! He's lying! I never meant for him to escape!

"You're lying," Buffy said softly. "You always lie. Now get out and give me my husband back."

"Get out?" Angelus scoffed. "Not a chance. This is where I belong. And now that I'm in control, we can start having fun."

Buffy stared at him for a long time. "You're not in control," she said. "You're weak. You're barely a shadow of what you used to be. A vampire demon has no place in a human, and you know it. You're desperate."

Angelus lunged toward her, stopped only by the chains. "Shut up, you bitch!" he screamed. "You're fucking wrong!"

No, she's not. She's right and you know it. You are weak. And you don't belong here.

No! This is mine now! Mine! I won't give it up!

You won't have a choice. You're not strong enough to stop me.

Buffy gasped and stepped backwards when Angelus shrieked in pain and convulsed, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. "Angel?" she called worriedly. "Angel, what's happening?"

He went limp suddenly, panting unevenly. Buffy crept closer, even venturing to touch his cheek. "Angel?"

His eyes snapped open and she snatched her hand away. "Buffy?" he whispered. "Buffy, I'm so sorry."

"Angel!" She threw herself into his arms and buried her face against his chest. "What happened? Where did you go? Why did Angelus come?"

"I didn't let him out, beloved. I swear. I was just so angry he found a way to escape and I couldn't stop him." In a whisper, he continued, "I'm not sure I wanted to."

"What did he do?" Buffy asked.

"He killed them. The ones who took Caddie and Micah and tried to take them again. They're gone."

"Good," Buffy said coldly.

Angel shook his head. "I let him control me. I put you in danger."

She cut him off by crushing her mouth against his, slipping her tongue past his lips. "Angelus didn't hurt me," she said after they came up for air. "And it won't happen again, right?"

He stared at her for a long time. "Right," he promised. She kissed him again, first gently and then more passionately, pressing her body against his. "Um, beloved?" he mumbled against her lips.

"Hmm?"

"The chains?"

"Oh. Right."

*****

Nathan Reed looked around his new office and smiled. Nothing like the murder of your superior to give you a step up the ladder. It was a shame he hadn't been the one to give Holland Manners that last send-off. Oh well.

He glanced down at the files scattered across his new desk. Revona. Slayer, the. Sun-caller, the. With a contemptuous gesture, Nathan swept them into the trash. He wasn't going to make the same mistakes his predecessor had.

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The Cadence Saga will continue in "Written in Blood." Keep reading!