Buffy ran, her heart breaking with every step for leaving him there in the rain. The look in his eyes stabbed her. Disconnecting from him was all her mind told her. She kept her eyes straight ahead so not to look back. Spike didn't come after her though. Part of her wished he had and slapped some sense into her.

The sidewalk was slippery, she tried to slow down so she wouldn't fall. Suddenly a hand came out of nowhere and stopped her. Buffy fell to the ground, cursing the wetness of the pavement. She looked up at a very handsome man dressed in a pricey suit. He smiled and gazed at Buffy with his seductive hazel eyes. A man in a tuxedo stood next to him, holding an umbrella over the both of them.

"Signora, this is not the kind of weather one takes a run in," he said to her, offering his hand to help her up.

Almost in a daze, Buffy took his hand. Realizing who it was, she pulled it back.

The Immortal.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him.

He motioned for her to join him under the umbrella. She obliged, only because she was so uncomfortably wet.

"Come, Mi Amore. Let's get you out of the rain, where do you want me to take you?" he offered.

Buffy felt col and very wet, but she was not going to accept a ride from him. No way! "Look, I'm not your… amore, whatever, and I'm okay. Why are you here?"

He flashed her a wide grin. "I am here on business. I see Wolfram and Hart is destroyed. Such a shame. What could have done such a thing?" he suspiciously asked her.

Buffy wasn't going to tell him a thing. She loathed him, even if he was a hottie in that Armani suit. "Not sure. Don't care. Gotta go. Bye!" She turned to leave.

"I would have thought that Angelus and Signore Pratt would have something to do with this. They always were good at destroying things."

Buffy stopped and turned to him. What did he know? "I Don't..."

The Immortal held up his hand to silence her. "Please Buffy, do not assume that I am an idiot. I know Angelus and William did this. It is the... what's the word, buzz around the inner circles."

He smiled at his driver and motioned for them to head back to the limo. Buffy watched, unsure if she should continue their conversation. If he knew about this, he may know more. She may be able to get answers after all.

"Okay, what do you know?" she asked him.

He stopped and turned back to her. "Well, that is something you and I can discuss in a drier surrounding. Come." He waved for her to follow him into the limo.

She hesitantly followed. She knew she'd be safe and he would be okay as long as he kept his hands to himself.

Spike ran back to the hotel. His goal was to find Buffy, find out what in the hell was wrong with her, maybe yell at her, maybe kiss her, he wasn't sure how it would end. He just knew she wasn't in her right mind.

Giles and Xander stood together, talking. They turned to soaked Spike who stood at the hotel door.

"Spike, what the...?" Xander eyed Spike up and down.

"Where's Buffy?"

Giles put a book down he was reading and approached Spike. "We haven't seen her. Spike, what's going on?" Giles asked.

Spike ignored Giles and raced to the elevator. He impatiently tapped the elevator door as it made it's way down. He held his head down. He didn't want to talk to anyone but Buffy. He hoped she was in their room.

Giles and Xander looked at each other in confusion. "What's that about?" Xander asked him.

Giles shook his head. "I have no idea."

Spike opened the door to their room. It was empty.

"Buffy?"

He peeked in the bathroom. She was gone and he suddenly felt more alone than he ever did. He removed his wet clothes and threw on a fresh shirt and blue jeans he took from the hotel shop downstairs. He glanced at himself in the mirror. It still amazed him to see his own reflection again. His hair was a mess. It dawned on him that hadn't slicked back his hair in days. Maybe Buffy liked it this way.

Buffy.

He neared the bed and sat, lowering his head to his hands. He was exhausted, hurt, confused, and tired. Just last night he was in her arms, kissing her. Loving her. He fell back and stared at the ceiling. Tears fell from the corners of his eyes.

"No, thanks," Buffy said, refusing a glass of champagne. The limo drove around the Hollywood Hills.

"Uh, where are we going?" she asked peering out the window.

The Immortal sat back, sipping his drink. "Ah, no where in particular, I just thought you'd enjoy a nice ride," he told her.

"Look, if this is some way to... forget it. Take me back!" Buffy demanded.

"Oh, Buffy. I am not making plays for you anymore, I know you and William are... what exactly are you two, anyway?" The Immortal teased.

Buffy sighed. How did news spread so fast? "Just tell me what the deal is with the senior partners and the Shanshu." Buffy was losing her patience. He was prolonging this and it bugged her.

"Buffy, what I know about these senior partners is that they just lost their precious Circle Of The Black Thorn. But you see, the partners will always find others to make up the Circle. There are always willing bodies. I do not believe this battle was for the loss of the members of the Circle."

Buffy frowned. " And?"

"I believe this battle was to bring forth the Shanshu Prophecy. To make one of their greatest threats or allies, human. Angelus I would have presumed. Though, it went to William. I do not know why," The Immortal informed her.

"Angelus... Angel signed it away, in his own blood. It was part of his plan to take down these Circle guys." Buffy sat back in the seat.

The Immortal leaned in closer to her. "Tell me more Buffy. How is William coping with the Shanshu?"

Buffy felt pain shoot through her. An image of her and Spike laying in bed together popped in her head, with his smile lighting up his face. She felt like crying.

"Ahh. You're eyes tell me more than your words do," he said.

Buffy looked away, feeling invaded. "Look, he's fine, it's just that..." She paused, she wasn't sure how much she should tell him. He seemed to know a lot about the prophecy so she had to convince herself to tell him everything.

"He still has his super strength. So, that's good, but there's one thing that we're all confused about..." She looked up at him. "Someone that used to work for Wolfram and Hart brought us these ancient texts that were supposedly left out of the Shanshu. It spoke of the vampire with a soul becoming human, then dying shortly after. Four nights after to be exact. Now, we're trying to find out how accurate these texts are."

The Immortal's eyes grew wide. He looked at his driver then hit the button to close the partition between them.

"Buffy," he said softly, "That is impossible. That prophecy was written eons ago, and I have seen the original. Nothing ever indicated the vampire dying after becoming human."

Buffy sat up. "Yea, the missing texts said that! It said he will become human, create life, then die." She felt her eyes becoming watery.

"No, mia bella donna. No such words have ever been written. This I know. You have been fooled."

Buffy sat in shock. "Are you sure?"

"Quite sure. I knew the authors. I tell you the truth."

Buffy felt like she was going to pass out. Eve. She did this! But why? She wanted to call Spike right then, but she didn't have her phone.

"Can I use your phone?" Buffy asked him.

He handed to her and she quickly dialed Willow's cell. There was no service. The reception gone. She looked back at The Immortal. He sat, anxious.

"What is it?" he asked.

"No service!" She handed him his phone.

"Ah, I have no use for these things. I prefer going in person. Shall we?" he asked

Bring him to the hotel? Buffy shook her head.

"I can see these texts. Maybe I can help you figure out who wrote them and who would play such a distasteful joke on William."

"Okay. Let's head back. Tell your driver to step on it!" Buffy demanded.

The driver drove hastily to the hotel. The Immortal and Buffy stepped out of the car and entered the hotel lobby. Buffy flashed a fake smile to the group.

"Guys, this is The Imm..This is Morty. He needs the texts. Giles, can you hand him one?"

Buffy glanced at The Immortal awkwardly for using that name. Giles nodded and handed him one of the books.

"Grazie," he told him and walked away reading the text. Buffy watched him closely.

"Uh, Buffy, what's going on? Who's that?" Xander asked.

"The Immortal," Dawn told him, looking at an anxious Buffy.

"Where have you been Buffy? Spike was..." Dawn glanced over at Angel walking from the elevator.

Angel noticed The Immortal immediately and froze. "What the hell are you doing here?" Angel asked him.

The Immortal looked up and grinned. "Ahh, Angelus. It has been so long. How are things. How's Connor?"

Angel was furious and now even the mere mention of Connor sent him over the edge. "Don't you ever..." He leaned in closer to him, staring him down.

Buffy ran over to them to break it up. "Hey, Angel. It's okay. I brought him here," Buffy told him.

Angel looked at Buffy in disbelief. "You brought him here? Why?" Angel barked.

"Because he can help us, he knows the Shanshu. He said these texts might be fake... actually he's sure they are."

"Buffy, he will say anything. He's not trustworthy," Angel told her.

"Oh, and Eve is?"

"Oh dear, Eve brought you these? And you all believed it? Angelus, you should know better than that." The Immortal teased.

Angel sneered at the Immortal then turned to join the rest of the group by the couches. "He's bad news." he told them.

"Who, Mr. Corleone over there in that suave Armani suit?" Gunn asked, walking from the lounge. Illyria stood next to him, staring at the man in question.

"Gunn, remember... head in the bag? The Capo di Famiglia." Angel reminded him.

Gunn sighed. "Oooh, that's the Immortal dude?"

"Yes. Buffy said he knows the Shanshu, so she thinks he can help." Angel said through his teeth.

"Guys, he's not that bad. He just... has octopus hands as Buffy put it," Dawn said.

Giles looked lost.

"He's touchy-feely Giles," Willow said.

"I see," he said looking up, still confused.

Buffy walked back to the group. "He knows a lot about the prophecy. He said that there was no mention of the vampire dying. I have to let him find out more, for Spike's sake," she told them.

Just then Andrew walked in from the courtyard with Kennedy. She was rolling her eyes from Andrew's babble about how Boba Fett escaped from the Sarlac pit just before getting digested. They joined the group. Andrew noticed The Immortal, dropped his bag of popcorn onto the floor, and swallowed hard.

"Hold the mayo, guys. Why is he here?" Andrew backed away slowly, as if he should get out of The Immortal's sight.

"He's helping us Andrew," Giles told him. Andrew bent over and waddled over to Giles.

"He doesn't help people like us Giles. He's like an 'I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine' kind of guy. He's going to want something in return and God knows what it will be! Then if you can't deliver he will burn down your casa with demon dragons!"

Giles leaned in to whisper in Andrew's ear. "There will no scratching of any kind Andrew, I assure you," he told him.

The elevator door opened and Spike strolled out, head down and hands in his jeans pockets. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy. His hair was unkempt and he looked like hell. He stopped when he noticed The Immortal standing there. The Immortal lifted his head and smiled at Spike.

"Signore Pratt, how nice to see you. But I must say, for someone who just became human, you look like hell," The Immortal said.

Spike stared at him hard then turned to Buffy who stood close to The Immortal. He noticed Angel there too, seeming displeased with the situation. Angel shook his head to Spike, as if to let him know that he felt the same.

Buffy ran to Spike. "Spike, The Immortal said the texts are fake, he's going to find out who..."

She grabbed his arm, but he pulled it back. Buffy was shocked at his behavior. He was full of rage. He looked almost crazed. "Spike?"

She tried to touch him again, but he just backed away. He looked at her in disgust. "Don't touch me," he snapped.

She was shocked. "What? Spike... didn't you hear me?" she asked him.

"I heard you. I heard you say a lot of things tonight."

Spike looked away from her. He couldn't be in the same room as them. He turned and walked out to the courtyard. Buffy watched him go.

He wanted to hit something, break something. He picked one of the lounge chairs and threw it against a wall. He shouted as the chair broke in pieces. After what Buffy said to him in the park, then seeing The Immortal, he felt like he just about had it. He would have never left her side if he knew she may die. He would have been with her, and loved her every waking moment. Now that the texts may be fake, she wants him back? Not bloody likely, he thought. He heard someone approaching. With his back turned he spoke.

"Can't a bloke destroy things by himself anymore?" Spike asked, turning to see who was there. Dawn.

"I guess, but then what fun is it if no one gets to see? Dawn joked."

Spike sighed. "What is it, Bit?"

Dawn sat on a bench near him. He looked down at her, half smiling. "Look, I'm sorry. Big sis has really got my motor running," he admitted. He sat next to her.

Dawn looked at him sympathetically. She had no idea what he was going through, but she knew he was hurt. "Spike, Buffy loves you. I had to spend this past year in Rome hearing her tell me that over and over. She missed you. The Immortal wasn't even an option. Somehow he found her here and he knows a lot about the Shanshu. He's trying to help. That's all. Buffy would never..."

"Dawn, I love Buffy with all my heart. You know that. But she broke it earlier. She told me she needed time. My dying was too much for her to handle. Too much for her."

It eased Spike to be able to be this open with Dawn. She was the closest to Buffy and he knew how much she has grown up in the past year. He was comfortable talking to Dawn. She looked at things in such a different light, sometimes it would help him see a different perceptive on things. He remembered this from the days of Sunnydale.

Dawn reached out and rubbed his back. "I'm sorry Spike. Buffy is like... never good with her emotions. She was probably freaked out. She loves you and it must have scared her to death to lose you again," Dawn assured him.

He turned to a very grown up Dawn and smiled. "I just needed to vent. I know she loves me. I know she's scared. So am I. I just thought we could, you know, be scared together." He looked back down to his feet. He heard someone else approach.

Bugger.

"Dawn, can I be with Spike alone?" Buffy asked.

Dawn got up and walked out, she glanced back at Spike and Buffy and left them alone.

He kept his head down. He didn't want to look at her.

"Spike, these books are fake. Someone must have put Eve up to it. He's here to figure it out. I had no other choice."

Spike looked at her. She seemed so convinced that The Immortal could help. Spike felt otherwise. He knows this guy a lot better than she does. "Buffy, I need to know right now. No matter what happens, no matter what these books say... that you're with me," he said.

Buffy moved in closer to him but he backed away. He continued, "I need to know, that even If I'm meant to die tomorrow, you won't leave my side again. I need to know..." His words broke as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Spike, please forgive me. I..."

Xander opened the doors to the courtyard, interrupting them. "Guys, you need to hear this!," Xander yelled to them.

They followed Xander back into the hotel. Everyone stood around The Immortal, except for Angel who stood back against the wall. The Immortal bowed to Spike and Buffy, taken aback by the tears in their eyes, then continued what he was saying.

"The words here, it's a spell," he said

Everyone looked at each other, confused.

"What kind of spell?" Willow asked

"A strong one, one that can only be broken by the bearer. Spike in this case. But I do not know what it is. I do know whose spell this belongs to, however."

Spike walked closer to The Immortal. "Who?" he asked him.

"This spell reeks of one Jean Trevaud. A very powerful warlock here in L.A."

Buffy looked at Spike. "Did the spell... bring Spike back to life?" Buffy asked, nervously.

"No, that was the Shanshu for sure. I don't know what the spell is, or what it is doing. But I can tell you one thing..." He paused

Buffy's eyes grew wide, silently asking him "What?"

"Where Signore Trevaud lives. Topanga Canyon." The Immortal informed her.

"Fine, then we go find out from the source." Buffy demanded.

The Immortal held his hand up. "Be warned, his spells are very powerful. Mostly psychological. He feeds on one's hopes, fears, and..." , he turned to Spike, "...doubts"

Illyria joined them eying the crowd. "I will rip out his intestines and feed them to him."

The Immortal advanced closer and held out his hand. "Illyria. I am delighted to meet your acquaintance. I have heard so much... my dear, I do not deserve to breathe the air you breathe." He bowed to her.

Illyria cracked a smile. "I like this man. May I keep him?"

Spike and Angel rolled their eyes.

"Can we use your limo?" Buffy asked him, interrupting this touching moment.

"Of course. My driver and I will stay behind, however. I do not wish to partake in such an... affair," he said.

"Fine, Angel, you drive. You know L.A. better than the rest of us."

Angel nodded. Just then Lorne came through the elevator. He looked at Angel, then back at the crowd.

"Lorne, you're coming with us," he said.

Lorne looked around nervously. "Okay, Angel wings. Where's the party?"

"Topanga Canyon," Angel said

"Allrighhhht! Topang... wait, what?" Lorne asked.