"Well, this is an interesting situation, isn't it?" Angelus asked, grinning. His left arm was wrapped around both of Drusilla's with the right holding the dagger within an inch of her pale throat. "What to do? What to do?" he mused, pretending to think it over in his head. "It's up to you, Spikie. Let Buffy go or say 'Bye-bye' to Dru."

Spike watched as Dru wriggled around, trying to get out of her sire's grasp. The older vampire was stronger though, and he seemed serious.

Buffy saw this as her chance to escape - a slight bit of hope still remained in her despite her earlier surrender - but Spike held on to her and pulled her tight against his chest. He wasn't going to give up without a fight.

"You're serious?" he asked, laughing. To kill his own 'daughter' for the slayer's life? He must be crazy.

"Deadly," Angelus replied, his voice unnaturally calm. He didn't want to kill Drusilla - She was family - but if that was the only thing to make Spike back off, then so be it.

"If I let the slayer go, you'll let go of Dru?"

Angelus nodded. "Of course."

"Then what happens? You'll let the slayer go and we can all go back home pretending like it never happened? No, sorry, Angel. Can't do that. If she goes free, you can never come back. Are you prepared to give up your home for this... human?"

"I won't have to," said Angelus through clenched teeth. He really didn't like these games Spike was playing. Too much talk and not nearly enough action...

'Let's just get it over with,' he thought to himself, tightening his hold on his prisoner.

"Oh, so you just think she's going to surrender to you, give up her life and become one of us for this twisted obsession you call love?" Spike snickered, causing a look of daggers to shoot out from Angelus' eyes.

At the end of this, he might actually not want to go back to living with Drusilla and her paramour. The two of them were really starting to get on his nerves. Drusilla was afraid of everything when she wasn't in charge, and Spike? Well, he was just plain annoying. Hopefully, besides starting over by himself, that wouldn't be his only choice...

The look in Angelus' eyes was answer enough. "You do." Spike laughed again, letting one arm encompass Buffy's throat completely while leaving the other one free. She gasped for breath, struggling against his hold, as he continued.

"Hey, man, I'm all for it. Just let me do it, okay? All those months in that chair... When I really needed it, I mean... You owe me."

Angel disagreed. "I don't owe you anything."

"Oh, yes, you do," Spike told him in all seriousness. "You owe me and Dru for every damn time you, the slayer, or any of her little friends tried to kill us or anyone else of our kind. You owe every single one of them and their memories an apology. Letting me change her is only the beginning."

Buffy relaxed a little as he moved his arm from around her neck to restraining her flailing arms. She was able to breathe again, and that did help her more than a little bit when it came time to think. That wasn't exactly a good idea though because it showed her she was in even more trouble than she thought.

"Oh, you'll be a cute one," Spike told her, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "Any momentos you'd like to keep, Angelus?" He knew that a vampire's first loyalty was to her sire, and he was going to enjoy having the girl to boss around. Once Spike turned her, he doubted her love for Angel would still remain.

"Ooh, here's a nice one." Spotting the silver Claddagh ring on Buffy's left ring finger, Spike called to one of the other vamps with him. "Give this to Angel," he instructed, sliding the ring of her finger and giving it to the vamp. He had seen a similar ring on Angelus' hand and thought it fitting it be returned to the one who probably gave it to her.

Nodding, the vampire traversed the small distance between the 'father' and his 'son' and handed it to Angel, who, still keeping his hold on Drusilla, gripped the ring between his thumb and one of his forefingers, studying it intently. The demon may have controlled his body, but he still had Angel's memory embedded into his mind, including all his feelings for Buffy.

"Oh, God, he's going to kill her," Xander said quietly.

"I don't think so," Willow told him, shaking her head slightly. "Look."

Following her request, Xander quickly scanned the group in front of him. He didn't notice anything at first, but then he did. While arguing with Spike, Angelus had changed into his 'game face,' but now, as he looked over the ring in his hand, his face had changed into its human form and he had a look of sincere emotion. But what did that mean? Was Angel just hidden inside Angelus?

"I'm going to enjoy this," Spike said to his victim, grinning sadistically. Brushing the hair away from her bare neck, he bared his fangs and...

A meek whimper could be heard and then a quiet explosion, causing Spike to look up before he even had a chance to bite her. Across from him stood Angelus, twirling the dagger in his hand.

"I told you I don't owe you anything."