"Tell me ... maybe, someday, there's a chance."
'Crush'

"I'm afraid there has been a slight change of plan." Angel announced as he walked through the door of Buffy's flat shortly after nightfall. He was followed by Illyria who seemed to be almost floating, contentment and smugness radiating off her. In the kitchen, where she was getting a cup of coffee, Buffy pricked up her ears. It was Sunday night and she was almost counting the minutes before they had to go off and fight the Wolfram & Hart minions. Maybe they'd delayed the fight another week?

"What do you mean 'slight'?" Spike asked. He was sitting on the sofa, carefully sharpening his sword.

"Wolfram & Hart called, they've changed the time 'til 4.30 am. My guess is that they'll try to prolong the fight and attempt to catch us at sunrise - or something like that."

Buffy came out of the kitchen, a slightly indulgent smile on her face. "Does this mean that you might want some help? Or, since I'm going to help anyway, maybe I might get a 'thank you'?"

Angel sighed. "Yes, it would be good to have an extra hand. The quicker we can finish off and leave the better. Sunrise is around 6."

Buffy said nothing more, but was grateful for even a few extra hours, never mind the reason.

It was dark in the poky, little square. The few grimy lights only faintly illuminated the heaps of bodies, which was a blessing considering their ugly, grey, lumpy looks. As demons went you'd have to search long and hard to find an unlovelier species.

Surprisingly there had only been the same number as the week before. The fight had been quick as these things went, and the four fighters had split up early on to fight as effectively as possible. Buffy had finished cleaning her axe, and was trying to recall which of the dark, dank corners she had put her weapons bag in. As she looked around, she saw a figure emerge from the shadows - the lawyer from last Sunday night. No briefcase this time, but a large, professional smile on his face.

"Mr. Angel. I'm so pleased that you agreed to this later time - saved me quite a headache!"

"Oh, I didn't realise!" Angel replied. "I could still give you one if you like?"

"Ah, that wonderful sense of humour! I really hope we'll be able to keep that. It would be a shame to lose it."

"Keep it?" Angel asked, voice wary. Buffy moved backwards so she was covered by the darkness, and she could see Spike and Illyria doing likewise. There was obviously going to be some sort of confrontation.

The lawyer chuckled. "Excuse me, I forget that you are unfamiliar with our little surprise. Which is why it's a surprise of course!"

Angel looked at him silently, and Buffy shuddered. There was such chill in that look...

"But where are my manners?" Lawyer-guy said. "My name is Simmons. The Senior Partners brought me in from Washington to help solve their runaway vampire problem. I've spent the last few months familiarising myself with your story and getting the LA branch back on its feet more or less... it's still missing its CEO of course."

"In case you missed that memo, I quit!" Angel said, voice flat.

"But there is no quitting Wolfram & Hart, Mr. Angel. You belong to us and we've merely been trying to find the best way of bringing you back." Simmons' voice was as cold as Angel's, the steely, superior glint in his eyes making Buffy wonder where Wolfram & Hart found their employees. The guy was seriously creepy.

Angel smiled a joyless smile. "I don't know what you have in store, but there is nothing you can offer me that could ever bring me back!"

"You seem to think you have a choice." Simmons replied, voice almost pitying. "I'm afraid that this time you won't be wooed by handsome ladies offering you the keys to the kingdom. Oh no, this time the conditions will be a little more - restrictive!"

He looked at Angel and tilted his head slightly, something akin to amusement in his eyes. "And the funny thing is that it has already started! By now this city has been ringed by a magical wall. Invisible of course, but completely impenetrable to you. I'm afraid we need to keep you here while the big mojo is applied. Large spells do require the recipient to be in a specific location. And don't think you can somehow stop it - the main action is taking place far, far from here! Not even a Concorde would get you there in time!"

Buffy found her eyes drawn to Illyria. She would be able to open a portal to anywhere in the world - but they didn't know where to go...

Angel's eyes must have strayed in the same direction, because Simmons laughed. "You think your pathetic little excuse for an ex-God can help you? She does not have the power to break even the smallest hole in the barrier. Not that she is bound by it - the barrier is for you alone. And once we're done with you we can concentrate on your 'heroic' little grandchilde with the big ambitions. I must admit that it has been rather amusing following you, watching your attempts at making a difference. I'm afraid all the difference you'll ever make will be of the kind you did to Illyria - reducing others to the point where they are so worthless that they are no longer a concern to the Senior Partners. A most excellent quality I must say! A street urchin would be more of a threat these days than your pitiful has-been of a Hell God!"

There was a swift blue leathery flash behind Simmons and suddenly his head was violently twisted to the side. A second later he fell to the ground in a dead heap, revealing a fuming Illyria.

Buffy's hand automatically went to her mouth. There was something about seeing a human being ruthlessly killed that still got to her - no matter how evil he had been.

It seemed that Angel shared her feelings.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?" he yelled at the slender, immobile form.

Buffy almost smiled - there were some things that never changed. And Angel's sense of right and wrong was one of them.

But then...

"WE DON'T KILL PEOPLE AS LONG AS THEY'RE STILL USEFUL!" he continued, and it was obvious that he was only a fraction away from lashing out at the god.
,p> Buffy felt like the ground she was standing on had suddenly became unstable. Surely he didn't mean what he had just said? It had to be some sort of mistake. He'd correct himself any moment...

"He insulted me!" Illyria replied coldly. "Not through innocence or foolishness, but knowing full well who I am. The price for such an action is death."

Angel's fists clenched and his face was utter fury. His voice was quieter now, but the anger vibrating through it had obviously not calmed at all: "I don't care what he said. He was useful! Wolfram & Hart have some sort of plan for me and he knew what it was. Ten minutes and a sharp knife and he would have told me every secret he ever knew. Now we know nothing except that they're going to do something, somewhere!"

He kicked the body angrily. Then he stopped and looked at it, eyes narrowing. "Suppose he can still be a messenger boy."

Kneeling down he unbuttoned the jacket and shirt. Then he pulled out a knife and tapped it thoughtfully on his chin. "Hmmm, maybe a quote of some sort?"

A small smile appeared on his face and he began to carve words in the dead mans chest.

Despite her best efforts, a sob escaped Buffy. What had happened to her Angel? Who was this stranger wearing his face, so brutal and callous? So like... Angelus?

He must have heard her, because his head jerked up and he turned to look at her. For a second she could see the horror on his face, then it became completely devoid of emotion and he turned back to the former Mr Simmons.

Slowly she started walking up to him. She had to know - had to find out...

"What happened to you?" she asked, voice shaking.

"You don't want to know." he answered curtly.

Spike slowly backed even further into the shadows. There was nothing he could do - it was between the two of them. Part of him wished that he could have spared Buffy this, but maybe it was for the best. Putting people on pedestals always turned out to be a bad thing. Funny that it was Angelus who'd taught him that lesson - his first as a vampire. Only it was a hard lesson to learn. The hurt and disbelief on Buffy's face brought back painful memories... with five little words he'd pushed Buffy off the pedestal Xander had put her on. Not that he regretted it as such, but seeing one of Buffy's absolutes crumble into dust before his eyes he remembered just how much misery could come from a situation like this. Looking at the couple in front of him he vowed to himself that if Angel didn't handle it well, he'd make his life a living hell. Buffy had just lost the imaginary white knight that had lived in her mind, but what he was replaced with was all up to Angel...

As she watched, Buffy saw Angel 'write' a few familiar words, realising that they were from 'The Scarlet Pimpernel': They seek him here.

There wasn't space for more, but it conveyed the message nonetheless. Angel would continue on his path and Wolfram & Hart would not be able to catch him. But what was this path he had chosen?

As Angel put the knife away with a satisfied air, she found herself asking. "Who are you?"

He slowly got to his feet and looked at her for a long time, and she wondered when and why he had changed so. Or maybe this had always been the real Angel and she had never known him...

Suddenly he smiled. It was an odd smile, not happy exactly, but sort of content - self assured. "I'm Angel. I beat the bad guys!"

She blinked. "What?"

In the shadows, Spike breathed a sigh of relief.

"I used to think I had a destiny." Angel continued, voice light as though he was describing interior furnishings. "I did the hero thing - had a purpose. But then life screwed with me more than you can imagine. If you knew just half..." He took a deep breath, looked around at the dead demons, then fastened his eyes on hers, jaw set. "I'm out of it now! Spike is the new prophecy boy and the world is full of Slayers, protecting people. I'm free! I chose to wage a war against Wolfram & Hart and I'll kill whoever I have to! Doesn't matter if they're human or not - what's important is that they don't win. They'll use any trick in the book and there's no way I can fight them if I'm unwilling to use the same methods. These are people who will lie, cheat and murder their way to the top. And now? I can do the same. Do you have any idea how liberating it is? To throw all the rules out the window? Not to be bound by all that duty and do what you want?"

She was staring at him, too shocked to answer. But at the back of her mind she knew what he was talking about. She could hear a voice, one that had for a while given her that freedom - freedom that she had eventually turned her back on.
"Try out my world - see how good it feels!"
"That's not your world... you belong in the dark - with me!"
She had flirted with the line - crossed it again and again until it all became a grey blur. But Spike had crossed it for real - from the dark into the light. And Angel... had done the opposite?

She understood his choice, but that still didn't make it right. You couldn't beat evil by doing evil, she knew that - she had lived it. She was about to speak, when Angel cut her off. "I know what you're thinking. But you have a sacred birthright. I don't! The Powers once chose me as their champion, but they've got another souled vampire now. My mission - my responsibility - is gone! And because of that I can do things you can't. Things that need doing. If you don't know what I'm talking about, ask Giles some day."

She frowned at his words. Did he mean that thing where Giles had tried to kill Spike with Wood's help? Before she could ask, and before Angel could continue, there was a sudden buzzing sound. With an irritated growl Angel pulled out his cellphone and looked at the screen to see who the caller was. Instantly his face changed, making Buffy gasp at the transformation. She had never seen him look terrified before, but now there was pure fear in his eyes. Who could call that would make him look so scared?

Faster than her eyes could follow the phone was against his ear: "Connor! What's wrong?"