The Dark One

By: Michelle

Disclaimer: Buffy and everyone belong to Joss, WB etc. Savarah and any other characters mention that are not a part of the TV-Show are mine.

Note: Ms. Calendar is dead, the warehouse is still up but badly burned.

Buffy stumbled back until she hit the counter. She had tried to hold back, but couldn't. Tears rushed down her cheeks and she sank to the floor. Giles rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her. Buffy was too upset and scared to notice that he had never shown this side of himself before. The rest of the group could only watch for a lack of words kept them at bay.

"Buffy, I want you to know, I am not going to let you die from this." Giles' voice was carried with great assurance.

"But Giles," Buffy cried to him as she notices his jacket was covered in her tears.

"But nothing. You are too important to me. We will find a way."

***

"Spike, what would you say to the concept of, 'walking?'"

"I'd say, yes and who do I have to kill?" Savarah was amused at his enthusiasm to get out of that dreaded chair.

"Angel, dearest, will you come over here for a second."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"We're going to get Spike to walk again. That chair is getting on my nerves."

"Your nerves? You haven't had to sit in it all this time," Spike chuckled.

"Help him up. We need him standing." Angel and Drusilla both grabbed an arm and lifted him out of his chair with ease.

"Now what do we do with him?" Angel asked annoyed that Spike would be walking.

"Shhh," Savarah said as she placed a hand up in front of Spike's face. "Now if I do this. You owe me."

"If you do this, I will be forever at your debt."

"You know those wheelchair jokes are going to be hard to top." Angel had to throw in a last attempt to annoy Spike before his legs were restored to their former strength.

"Poteri scuri. Mi arricchisca col potere." A light wind filled the warehouse. Savarah snapped her fingers and then indicated for Angel and Drusilla to place Spike down on his feet. After Drusilla's hand finally slipped away from his arm, Spike rose his head revealing an enormous grin.

"I'm hungry. Let's go out to eat," Spike said. Drusilla laughed as Spike picked her off the ground and danced about the warehouse with her in his arms. Angel rolled his eyes but then focused on Savarah. She didn't need to hear the words to know that Angel was hungry as well. He led her out of the warehouse.

"That was Italian, wasn't it," Angel added as the walked out.

"Yeah, I was getting so tired of Latin." Minutes passed and then Spike and Dru followed after them.

***

Buffy strolled through the darkness in the night. She walked with great caution, even more than usual. As she walked pass the graveyard, she decided to make a pass through. It was unusually quiet and that made her worry all the more. A soft rustling was heard behind her. She jumped to face her accouter. "Spike?" Spike rolled out of the shadows into the light of the moon.

"I want to talk to you, Slayer."

"Talk? You want to talk with me?"

"Was I not clear?"

"What about?" Buffy cautiously scanned the surrounding areas presuming a trap was being set and Spike was the bait.

"You know you're not very threatening in that chair." Buffy mentioned trying to spring the trap.

"Oh really. I can fix that." Spike lifted himself out of the chair being sure to keep eye contact with Buffy. He wanted to make sure he saw her expression.

"You can walk!"

"Threatening now?" Spike was taking no chances of getting hurt this time. Buffy was frightened and shocked. She took another look around to make sure. "You have nothing to worry about. I came alone."

"Oh yeah, I trust you." Buffy's tone was clearly sarcastic.

"Have I ever lied to you before?"

"Come to think of it, yeah, you have."

"I'm not perfect," Spike grinned.

"So, are you going to talk?" Buffy was growing impatient. Buffy had a stake ready in her hand. She knew it made Spike uncomfortable. "Except for the Angel card, what else is new?" Buffy cocked an eyebrow and waited for Spike's response.

"Well, that's the fun part. Her 'super powers' as 'The Dark One' would not exist. She would still be as strong and as smart as she was when she was a vampire. Basically that's who'd you be fighting. Of course, she won't be killed really, but if you manage to kill her in a fight, you will get your Angel back. Which, in my book is a good thing."

"He's really getting on your nerves, huh?" Buffy smiled slightly knowing how painful Angel's evil side really could be.

"You might say that." Spike tried to avoid the subject.,p>"I'll do it. As long as her word stays true, I'll do it. But if she or anyone tries to pull anything...it's over. Is that clear?" Spike only nodded as he walked away leaving the chair behind. Buffy remained where she stood for several minutes. The shock of Spike being capable of walking was more than enough, but 'The Dark One' making a deal with her? It was too much to comprehend. Buffy finally walked off heading towards the library. Boy did she have a story to tell Giles.

***

"A fair fight?"

"Am I the only one who see's this as not a good thing?" Xander questioned looking to Giles and Buffy for an answer.

"No. I'm flipped by it. But, what else could I do? I had to tell him yes," Buffy said with tears in her voice. The room remained quiet for a few seconds as Buffy watched the frightened looks upon her friends' faces.

"In all my time, I never have heard of Savarah doing something like that. She has always preferred having the advantage."

"Giles. I think she does have the advantage." Buffy walked the library searching for an answer.

"Well, if she was so great as a vampire, maybe she's just looking for that 'rush'. She knows she can kill a Slayer. I think she wants to do it again."

Willow watched as a pacing Buffy stopped in her tracks. "That's it." Buffy's face lit up with excitement. "She wants me to fight for Angel." Buffy paused for a moment and then grabbed her backpack from the counter.

"Uh, where are you going?" Giles started to follow after her in attempts to stop her.

"I've got to visit a few friends."

"Buffy, you can't fight her now. You're not prepared."

"Giles, I'm the slayer, I was born prepared. I'm not going to fight her. I just want to chat." Buffy rushed out of the library and made her way to the streets. She walked at a determined pace as she headed for the warehouse.

***

"Don't move!" A hand with a knife was shot up to Buffy's throat from a formerly sleeping body. Buffy stood at the side of Savarah's bed. "What do you want, Slayer?" Savarah snapped as she flipped over to face Buffy. Her face was a near white as she tried not to move against the cold blade.

"To talk," Buffy snapped. She was taking her chances.

"Oh, so you talked to Spike," Savarah face smiled with enjoyment. Angel suddenly walked into the room. Buffy took immediate notice. She could see his body's impression on the bed next to Savarah. The thought sent chills down her body.

"Buffy! What a surprise." He anxiously watched the blade against her neck.

"You want to move that knife?" Buffy snapped not letting her eyes leave Angel's.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is it bothering you?"

"Yeah," she knocked Savarah's arm away from her throat, "It is."

"So, do we have a deal?"

Yeah, we have a deal."

"Oh, goodie. Meet me Saturday, 9:00PM, Sunnydale High School football field."

"Fine," Buffy spoke quietly. She began to back out of the room, making sure not to turn her back on her two worst enemies. After Buffy had left, Angel sat down on the bed next to Savarah.

"A fair fight? Do you really think it will work?" Angel asked worried of loosing one of the two women he loved.

"Angel, I need a challenge. There is no risk involved except that I may loose you." She suddenly realized that she let her secret slip.

"Me? What the hell you mean by that?"

"Listen, you are a vicious, evil demon. You've set unbelievable standards for those who follow in your footsteps. However, having a soul has plagued you with flaws. Flaws that you don't even notice. You flaunt them to the Slayer, and one day, she will use them to her advantage."

Angel didn't have words to express his rage to her. Even that she brought these things up to him hurt. But he refused to let it show.

"The fact that you had a soul, has given you thoughts and feelings that will never leave you. Even if the demon inside prevents you from showing it, you're actions of rage against Buffy and her friends, is your way of warning her."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, you still love the Slayer, you always will."

He spent several minutes searching for the right words to counter her attack on him, but couldn't find them. "So, then, how would you loose me?"

"I used you as the bet for Buffy to fight me. If I win, she dies, if she wins, you're soul is returned."

Angel sprung to his feet and marched out of the room. Savarah remained in the bed. Her evil was too strong to have feelings. She had no concern for others regardless of what they meant to her. Attacking Angel with her words was just part of the job. She curled up and fell asleep again.

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