The slice of the knife across his throat.

The suffocating darkness of the pillow.

The aching silence of his apartment.

He remembered it all.

He gasped in agony as all of the unwanted memories flooded back into his awareness.

Perhaps the darkest memory of all returned.

He had wanted it to happen.

He had wanted to die.

He had wanted his life blood to flow out of his neck and ease his suffering.

He had wanted the darkness of the pillow to claim him, ending his worthless life.

“I remember it all…” he muttered. “What I did…”

The memories kept coming.

Hitting Lorne over the head.

Meeting with Holtz.

Taking the baby after lying to his father.

“I just figured it was something I did…nothing like that…”

**********

Nothing like that.

He had put it all to the back of his mind, but to no avail.

The memories continued to haunt him.

And it knew.

It knew. It appeared to him, taunting him. Lilah…his father…Holtz…

Trying to break him. Again. He was weak. He was worthless.

But no-one could know. If they thought for a second he could become that person again – the man who stole a child – then they would cast him out once more.

Cast him out, alone and nothing. Slouching expressionlessly on the couch over an empty bottle, drowning the pain and the sorrow.

He assumed it kept coming to him because it thought as he gave no reaction to its taunts that he was still resolved against its power.

But really, deep down, he knew it was right, and he gave no response because there was nothing he could say to it. He knew it was right. He was everything it said, and worse. There was nothing it could say to him to hurt him anymore because he’d already thought it and screamed it angrily at his own reflection, blurred with alcohol.

But he kept his upper lip stiff, his face expressionless, and the faceless creature with so many masks didn’t know any different. And so he continued fighting the good fight.

**********

Buffy’s heart stopped.

Literally.

Willow’s hand clenched and Buffy felt the darkness seep into her eyes as the world stopped around her, the life giving fluid no longer propelled around her body.

“What’s it like?”

“Where does it lead you?”

She saw Spike, back in the alley after they had sparred behind the Bronze.

“You’re not here,” she said.

“Neither are you, love. Yet here we are,” said Spike.

“So what’s the deal?”

“You’re about to die again.”

“Wow. Maybe it’ll be a case of third time lucky, maybe this time I’ll get to heaven and stay there, ‘stead of being torn back like last time.”

“I don’t think so, love. Remember who’s choking the life out of you?”

“Willow.”

“Yeah. And the First is possessing her?”

“I guess.”

“You think it’ll just let you walk into heaven?”

“I doubt it. But come to think of it, I don’t really care.”

“And why’s that?”

“’Cause…given the choice…now that I’m here…I’d rather spend an eternity in Hell than be in heaven, just as long as I was with you.”

He smiled. “What makes you think I’m dead?”

“You’re…I saw…”

“Think about it, love. Besides, I’ve been dead for a very, very long time.”

“But - ”

“What was it again?” asked the vampire. “Miles to go…”

“…Little Miss Muffet, counting down from seven three oh,” finished the Slayer. “But…?”

“The girl who told you that…Buffy, you’re not alone in this. You act noble but both you and I know it’s a front. The ongoing crusade where you’re all alone against the world? Well, it’s about to end now anyway due to your little plan but you haven’t been alone in the Chosen One stakes for a long time. You have to let go of it all and see who’s around you, just waiting to help you.”

“But I - ”

“Look, don’t argue with me,” smiled Spike.

“But…Okay.”

“And wake up.”

Buffy’s eyes snapped open as a figure crashed into the Wiccan and broke her hold on the Slayer and her heart fluttered back into motion. She collapsed gasping onto the floor and feet stamped the ground in front of her eyes.

Electricity arced from Willow’s fingertips, paralysing Angel and Connor in agony while from her other hand she created a swirling maelstrom of black mist which sped around the room, causing furniture to creak across the floor and most of the other occupants to lose their footing.

Buffy leapt to her feet and felt rather than saw Willow’s eyes flash towards her. She leapt aside just as Willow brought a telekinetic concussive force shattering down where the Slayer had just been standing.

She roared in frustration.

“Why don’t you just be a good girl and die?”

Buffy didn’t make the effort to make a retort but instead sidestepped a lamp which was hurtling through the air.

A huge explosion rocked the house from outside.

Buffy’s last thoughts were of how over their heads they were at this moment before a chair impacted onto her torso and sent her crashing into the wall and unconsciousness.

**********

Wesley saw the Slayer tense up and knew the witch was right about to finish her off. He threw himself at Willow, knocking her off balance and releasing Buffy from whatever spell she was under.

He stopped in mid air then flew upwards and found himself pinned to the ceiling, unseen probes poking into his skin. He could feel whatever they were try to worm their way under his skin and do God knows what to his insides.

His mind raced of how to resolve the situation but felt the first effects of panic clog up his mind. He tried to force himself to calm down but it had the opposite effect – adrenaline flooded his system and he started panting in desperation.

Then, without any warning, he flew from the ceiling and crumbled into a wall and fell to the ground. The invisible organisms were now gone and Wesley took stock of the area.

He started forward but a massive explosion sent him tumbling to the ground and he cracked his head on a sharp edge of something. He felt the warm wetness of blood where his temple had hit the object and darkness swam into his vision.

He staggered backwards and collapsed against the wall, the ground suddenly unstable under his feet.

He struggled to draw breath as the world started to fall away from him completely.

The following happened in just a few seconds.

He felt the darkness rush away and the wound on his head healed over.

The electricity coming from Willow’s hands stopped.

The entire wall facing the street collapsed, sending flaming debris hurtling into the room, several pieces narrowly missing Wesley by just a few inches.

Cordelia and the Erus Veneficus, locked in a mutual grasp, dived into the room.

Cordelia spun around after hitting the floor, hands outstretched towards the dark Wiccan.

Wesley, acting on instincts he later debated were even his own, without looking reached out to the side and grabbed a heavy feeling object and started towards Willow.

Willow’s attention was fixed firmly onto Cordelia and didn’t even see Wesley tear towards her, hefting the object above his head.

Gunn leaped onto the Erus Veneficus in an attempt to help Cordelia and he grabbed his neck, ready to twist it and end his life.

Angel had pre-empted this and was suddenly there, grabbing the wizard’s arm and moving to break his arm and release the trapped man.

Wesley brought the object down onto Willow’s head and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

He breathed and time seemed to return to normal.

The swirling wind stopped.

Cordelia looked over at Wesley and smiled. “You’re gonna have to deal with this,” she said. Before Wesley could question what she meant, she reached forward and grabbed the scythe, becoming the white ball of light once more. Kennedy and the other Potentials gasped suddenly and Cordelia disappeared in a flash of light.

The scythe flew forward into Wesley’s hands and he gaped at it for a spilt second before spinning and hurtling towards the Erus Veneficus and the pinned Gunn.

The wizard lifted Angel off him and threw him like a rag doll across the room. It seemed to grow darker as the Erus Veneficus turned towards Wesley who raised the scythe above his head to bring it down upon his adversary.

He received a smirk from the higher being once more and the scythe was torn from his grasp and he stumbled backwards as an invisible force hit him in the chest.

The Erus Veneficus held the powerful object in his hands and regarded the people around him.

Wesley felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he realised there was no way they would survive another encounter with the immensely powerful being.

But he was surprised when the wizard simply vanished.

Silence echoed across the room as everyone stopped to let what had just happened sink in.

Someone coughed. A thin layer of dust coated the air, tainting each breath the former Watcher drew into his body. The ceiling creaked above them and everyone slowly glanced upwards at the suddenly unstable house.

Wesley looked over at Giles. “I don’t think it’s entirely safe to stay here any longer,” stated the older man.

Wesley just nodded.

Kennedy looked over at Wesley.

“Uh…Wes?”

He frowned at her.

“I think…” She stopped. Wesley frown deepened then he looked past the girl.

One of the Potentials was lifting debris off another girl with one hand.

Two Potentials were lifting another wounded girl together, but it looked as though the girl weighed nothing.

Kennedy looked apprehensively at Wesley.

“I think that we aren’t Potentials anymore.”

**********

“Buffy…?”

She lay, still as death, against a displaced cabinet Willow’s spell had dislodged.

“Buffy…”

She didn’t respond.

Angel took her hand and tried rousing her physically, but it had no effect.

Gunn’s hand reached gently toward her neck.

“She’s still alive.”

“I know.” Angel could hear her heart beating in the sudden silence of the room.

“She’s gonna be alright.”

“I know.”

“So…?”

“It’s what happens in the time she’s not alright that worries me,” he replied, giving Gunn a serious look. He seemed to understand.

He felt a presence behind him.

“Angel…” said an English voice.

“What is it now, Wes?”

“Uhm…I think…I think Cordelia left us with a parting gift.”

Angel turned around to see all of the Potentials standing just behind Wesley, staring at him.

“Can you…?” asked one.

“No, not yet,” replied another.

Angel silently asked the question.

“They’re trying to sense you,” answered Wesley. “Because, as you know, certain abilities in Slayers appear naturally in some and take training to appear in others.”

It took a moment to sink in.

“…Slayers?”

Wesley nodded.

Silence for a few more moments.

“Well, the universe didn’t explode so I guess that’s always a positive.”

“Indeed,” smiled Wesley.

The ceiling creaked again.

“It isn’t safe here anymore,” reiterated Giles. “We need to vacate this building.”

“Wonder what it is that magic guy has against buildings…?” pondered Xander.

“It’d be useful if, once we’ve taken everything outside, we could make that inventory Buffy had planned,” added Giles.

“Speaking of, she’s fine but out cold,” commented Gunn.

Giles nodded. “I’m surprised no more of us were injured having faced both Willow and the Erus Veneficus in so short an amount of time.”

“Hey…” said Andrew. Nobody had noticed him creep in. “Where is Willow?”

They looked around the room, but there was no trace of the girl.

**********

“I have brought you here for a purpose. I believe that this dimension needs to be purged, and you are here to facilitate my actions. If you attempt to escape, I will not kill you. If you refuse to help me, I will not kill you. If you lie to me, I will not kill you. What I will do, if you do any of those things, is to make you suffer so terribly that you will beg me to end your life, and then we will start again. If you refuse again, then I will make you suffer once more. Do we understand each other?”

Willow nodded meekly, sensing the waves of evil force emanating from this being.

“Excellent. Then let us begin.”

**********

“She’s not here,” said the fourth Slayer to come back from a search.

“The Erus Veneficus must have her,” stated Giles.

“Agreed. Then Cordelia did lose after all,” said Wesley.

“She did?”

“Yeah,” answered Angel for the Brit. “She came here to stop the Erus Veneficus from tapping into that scythe, and in order to get into it he needed Willow. She gave us a load of new Slayers but he got the scythe and Willow so he has all he needs and it’s only a matter of time before he gets that power.”

“Also, she said she was forbidden from interfering with anything other than the Erus Veneficus in this dimension so my guess is we won’t be seeing her again for a while,” added Xander glumly.

“Which means the only being left in this dimension capable of taking of the Erus Veneficus is the First, who, apart from being non corporeal and therefore incapable of fighting him, would never help us and wants to kill us all,” finished Wesley.

“Oh, right.”

“So, rock and a hard place. Do we go after the Erus Veneficus or the First?”

Giles sighed. He, Wesley, Gunn and Angel, along with Andrew, were huddled in a corner while the others co-ordinated the extraction of supplies from the house. Buffy was already safely outside, guarded by two of her sister Slayers.

“I’ve no idea, to be completely honest,” he said finally.

“Well,” started Gunn. “We know that this Erus guy needs the power in that scythe thing or he wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble of snatchin’ Willow. But what I’m thinkin’ about is why we aren’t all dead.”

“Me too. Once could be explained but there’s something else going on here for all of us to have survived three times after coming up against him.”

“Four for some of us,” muttered Angel.

“Also, where’s that dude Spike?” asked Gunn, suddenly puzzled.

“Spike…uh…he was killed back when we confronted the demon composed of shadow in the street,” said Giles.

“Naw, he helped me and Faith find Buffy’s sister,” insisted Gunn.

“You’re sure?”

“Yeah, he was with us after the Erus Veneficus created the wall of fire, but we got separated when he caught up to us the second time,” added Angel.

“We thought…we thought he was dead,” continued Giles, confused.

“No, he’s undead and kickin’, ‘sfar as we know,” said Gunn.

“So why isn’t he here?” asked Andrew.

“The Erus Veneficus again…?”

“He doesn’t have a motive to capture Spike. At least as far as we know.”

“I never said he captured Spike,” said Angel darkly.

“It’s happened before…” conceded Giles, referring to when Spike allied himself with Adam. “But that was before he got his soul.”

“Well, some of us have known Spike a little longer than others and I’m not seeing a whole lot of difference between the old Spike and the new one.”

“We don’t have time for this,” interrupted Wesley. As if for emphasis, the ceiling groaned above them. “We need to empty out this house. We also need an alternative accommodation and a means of transporting everyone and everything there safely.”

“We could use the A.P.C. the army guys brought, but seeing as they’re all dead we can’t really ask them where they left it parked,” commented Angel.

“And Xander’s and Robin’s cars won’t hold everything,” added Giles.

“Leave the transportation to me,” said Robin, from right behind them. “Wesley, I’ll need yours and Gunn’s help though.”

“Any particular reason?” asked Wesley.

“Uhm…cause I don’t wanna get attacked by anything on my own.”

Wesley shrugged. “Alright, then. Have everything waiting outside for us and we’ll be back ASAP.”

They nodded to one another and went their separate ways.

**********

“Good idea,” approved Wesley as he stepped aboard the school bus.

“We’ll probably need two though, and I’ve only got keys for one,” said Robin.

“I can handle it,” said Wesley, and with that statement walked towards the second bus.

“Doesn’t waste any time, does he,” stated Robin.

“Wes? Nah, he’s okay.”

“I know there was a big deal about Angel’s son or something though, right?”

“Uh…yeah, long story.”

“I got time.”

“Well, basically Angel had a kid, Wes pretty much stopped sleepin’ for a while to translate a prophecy which could help Angel protect the baby but translated a passage which said Angel’d kill the kid. It looked like he might actually do it, so Wesley took the kid to protect Connor from Angel and Angel from himself, but got attacked and Angel’s sworn enemy ended up taking the baby into the worst dimension imaginable and a couple weeks later, Connor shows up fully grown and lookin’ for revenge.”

“And Angel was okay with all of this?”

“Well, he tried to smother Wes with a pillow…”

“Oh, right. Cause the guy just took his baby.”

“It wasn’t like that. He did what he thought was best at the time.”

“By snatching a little kid.”

“Yeah, whatever, man. Just drive the damn bus.”

Gunn clambered noisily off the bus as Wesley made the second roar to life. Robin sighed, regarded the prospects of the next few hours at least, then finally twisted the ignition key.

**********

Willow’s forehead wrinkled in concentration and finally she gasped through the exhaustion, opening her eyes.

“I can’t do it…” she muttered weakly.

“You can and will. If not I will administer torture upon you more awful than that I have already inflicted.”

A tear rolled down Willow’s cheek. “You don’t get it, do you…I can’t do it.”

“I have no pity for your display of emotion to appeal to, so save yourself the exertion.”

“No. This scythe has a purpose and it’s been fulfilled. You can’t mess around with destiny. You had your window of opportunity and you missed it. Nothing I do will work.”

The Erus Veneficus leaned towards the witch and narrowed his eyes.

“Make no mistake, mortal. I am greater than even destiny. I will overcome purpose itself and I will squeeze the life out of this insignificant dimension.”

The corner of Willow’s mouth turned up ever so slightly. “If it’s so insignificant…then why are so intent on destroying it…?”

The Erus Veneficus said nothing, and instead reached forward and made Willow scream in agony.

**********

Giles was walking down a hallway of the house when he felt a thump into his shoulder. Confused, he looked up and saw Faith looking back at him, her face a mirror of his surprise.

“Sorry,” they both said together. Then they both smiled.

“My head was up in the clouds,” he said. “I was just thinking what the hell we’re going to do now.”

“Well as soon as Robin gets back with the transportation we should prolly be able to cruise around for a little while.”

“Uhm…yes, yes. That sounds like our best bet at the moment.”

“…That’s not really what you were thinkin’ about though, was it?” asked Faith.

“Well…no. I was worried about Buffy. I was also trying to figure out why this dimension has suddenly become a warzone without any kind of prior warning.”

“It’s definitely more interesting now that I’m outta jail.”

Giles chuckled. “I can imagine.”

“Look, Giles…” said Faith, suddenly serious. “This is gonna sound weird, so don’t think I’m bein weird or anythin’. I…uh…I just wanted to say, thanks. I know you always tried to be there for me, and I threw it back in your face. One Slayer is bad enough to try to train and you got two. Anyway, just…thanks.”

Giles smiled. “Don’t mention it. I think we were all going through learning curves back then and nobody ever gets anything right the first time around. The most important thing is that you’re making amends.”

Faith nodded. “Well, I guess I’d better get some stuff, give a hand, you know. See you around, G.”

With that she walked away.

**********

Gunn strode across the dark concrete yard towards the second bus.

“Hey Wesley!” he called.

The bus erupted behind him, sending him soaring through the air and into the side of the second. The window smashed and the two wheels closest to the explosion lifted off the ground. He collapsed to the ground as showers of tiny metal splinters pitted his back and flaming debris flew through the air and littering the area, some impacting the side of the remaining bus.

Wesley stumbled off the bus holding his arm up to shield his face from both the heat and the rest of the debris, the explosion ringing in his ears and the dull roar echoing off the buildings around them.

“Gunn!” he called, getting no response. He checked his pulse then lifted the other man up off the ground. He started towards the door of the bus but stopped when he saw the group of Turok-Han waiting at the entrance to the yard.

Wesley’s blood ran cold and he froze up completely, unable to make his body move. The Turok-Han snarled, smelling the blood from Gunn’s wounds.

“Bugger,” whispered the Englishman as the super vampires started towards him.

**********

Woohoo! An update! I’ve been working on this puppy for a while now so hopefully it won’t disappoint. I think I promised some Spike in this chapter, and technically he’s there, if only in hallucination form. He should be making another appearance very soon.