Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the plot. Fox could try to sue me, but I doubt it's worth going after a minimum wage worker.

Hi, Bye, and Lies

VegaKeep

Sunnydale, California. May, 1998

"What's the matter love?" the vampiress gloated. "Don't you think I'm prettier now? After all, you once told me that Darla was HOT."

Her victim just looked at the soulless demon, while trying to come up with something to say. It was then that the man was inspired with a barb, from one of his favorite movie series.

"Honey, you just got too damn ugly."

The vampiress growled then charged at him in a blind rage, thinking of how she would enjoy swimming in his blood. It was these thoughts that made her oblivious to the fact that her victim was pulling out a crucifix and he pressed it into her face, burning her beautiful features.

With one hand holding her face, she struck out with her other hand, backhanding him to the floor.

"YOU ARE SO DEAD!" she screamed, flailing for him during her blind strikes. Then she heard his voice. It was cold, but she could smell the pain in it.

"I'm sorry, Cordelia. May you rest in peace..." the young man said, raising a stake.

But Cordelia kicked him in the stomach, and then she ran off while thinking how he would pay for hurting her. Even ten Slayers wouldn't be able to protect him from her...

The prey groaned as he picked himself up from the ground, dusting himself off. Then he became alert, waiting for Cordelia to attack him again. He waited a short time, but still she didn't strike.

Realizing that Cordelia wasn't coming back he made his way to his prime target, the Slayer. "Buffy?" he called out to her.

The blonde girl swiveled around. "Xander! What are you doing here?" was her response.

He had to tell her. She deserved to know. "Willow's going to try and restore his soul."

From the Slayer's face, a smile emerged. "Good," she said. "He deserves another chance..." and it was then that she entered the mansion, leaving Xander stunned.

'Another chance?' he thought. 'Look at what he did to Ms. Calendar. And what about Cordelia?'

Now that he had done it, Xander regretted telling Buffy the truth. She obviously wasn't going to go all out to save the world. She was going to fight a holding action against Angelus, and that was bad. Buffy wouldn't go for the win, while Angelus would do what he could to kill her.

Xander finally felt disgust for his former hero, after nearly 18 months of knowing her. He didn't know now what he had seen in Buffy, let alone to have been in love with her.

'So Angel can have his soul restored but Cordy can't, is that it?' he thought. That was so selfish of her. She was so concerned over Angel, that she was oblivious to the living.

It wasn't Cordy that had burned down Oz's house, leaving him homeless and an orphan. It wasn't Cordy that had left Ms. Calendar in a coma, and without the use of her legs.

'Okay, so let's say best-case scenario happens: his soul is returned to him, fine and dandy. But what about the next happy he gets? Who's Buffy gonna sacrifice the NEXT time we try to restore his soul? Will Joyce be next? Will I be able to protect Dawn from Angelus' next attempt at sexually assaulting her?'

Anger filled Xander. Angelus had to be stopped. He followed after the Slayer, with only one thought banging around in his head; 'Angelus must die.' It was the only way this cycle would end, before it could even be repeated.

The boy slipped past the vampires that were battling with Buffy and to his surprise, Spike was brawling with Angelus. Although he wanted to stay and watch, Xander knew he had to rescue Giles and Jenny. He made his way to the back chambers, praying that all those fantasy books he'd read weren't a waste of time.

Fortunately for him, clichés did happen in real life and he came upon a bound Giles and a bed where the still body of Jenny Calendar rested.

Looking at Giles, Xander fought to keep his dinner from leaving his stomach. The British man was a mess; his left eye was swollen shut, and his shirt was shredded. His entire torso was covered with cuts, many still fresh.

"Giles?" the young man said, but it was pointless. The librarian refused to respond to his voice, except for a whimper. Xander untied Giles' restraints, and then moved in to check on Jenny.

Luck was smiling on him. She was alive, even if just barely. He looked at her neck, and saw that someone had drank from her; blood covered her hands. Xander looked on the floor and found discarded sharp objects, blood still fresh on them.

That was the final straw.

'Angelus really is a sick bastard,' Xander thought furiously. Having Jenny unknowingly torturing the man she loved while in a coma, with he was drinking from her all the while. He was a real piece of work. Xander looked back at Giles, his mind made up.

"Giles," he said again, shaking him.

"Xander?" the other man said, as if seeing him for the first time in years.

"Come on, I'm getting you out of here," the so-called useless member of the group said, lifting Giles out of the chair. He then picked up Jenny in his arms and with Giles following him as fast as he could, they exited the mansion.

Xander gently laid Jenny into the Brit's arms, as they were deposited next to Oz's van. "Giles, how do we stop the portal destroying the world?" He needed to know, just in case Buffy did fail.

"A-angel's blood. It, it opens and closes the portal..."

Xander then turned around, and ran back into the mansion. Worst-case plan, Angel may have to die after all.

He made his was back to the chamber, where Acathla rested. Buffy and Angelus were still going all out with each other but she was slowly gaining the upper hand and swung her sword at the vampire, who merely parried the blow.

However, it was just a feint on Buffy's part and she decked him in the face – then followed through by kicking him in the shins. Grunting in pain, Angelus bent down; lowering his defense long enough for the Slayer to uppercut him back onto Acathla.

Angelus got back up, his body language indicating no mercy; but then he stopped suddenly, and began to groan in pain, collapsing while calling out for Buffy. It was then that Xander knew Angel's soul had been restored.

Buffy let her sword drop, lowered herself to her knees and hugged Angel, kissing him with animal-like ferocity. Angel responded by kissing her back, just as savagely.

Xander couldn't believe it. He hadn't gotten his soul back for even a minute, and already he was in danger of losing it! Plus, neither of them was aware of the portal to Hell that had opened up behind them.

It was now or never.

Xander grabbed his pocketknife and a rock, and made his way to the lovers. They were so enraptured with each other that Angel and Buffy didn't hear him, nor expected it when he waylaid Buffy with the rock. As Angel saw his soulmate's head fall against his chest, he felt a pain in his throat.

Instinctively, the vampire's hands went to his throat and immediately realized that his throat had been slit. The souled vamp looked up at the person who had done this act, and became furious as he discovered that the one person he had always looked down upon had done it.

Then Angel felt a strange sensation in him. He looked down toward his chest and realized that Xander had put a wooden stake in his heart, and then he thought nothing more.

Xander threw his bloodied knife into the portal and dived on top of Buffy to protect her, as it closed itself. Surprisingly, there was no explosion like he expected – and when he looked up, Acathla was gone.

He really should stop watching action movies...

Picking up Buffy in his arms Xander headed for the entrance to the mansion, where he helped a distraught Giles load Jenny and Buffy into Oz's van and drive them to Giles' home. But during the trip, he knew that he could 'never go home again', as the saying went.

Buffy would never forgive him, once she found out what he'd done. She would probably kill him, and like literally.

And hell, it wasn't like the police would be able to solve his murder. They were like the poster boys for 'incompetent civil servants'. Willow had always said...

Then with a mental sigh, Xander realized his redheaded best friend would probably side with Buffy over this. After all, the Slayer was always right, and they got along better. And Willow always was a big sucker for romance. Especially the "star crossed lovers" idea of Buffy and Angel.

Oz would also swing alongside with Willow; after all, she was his girlfriend. And Giles would be very glad if he was excluded, on account of he did annoy the British guy a lot. Or so Xander thought; Giles never did say much to him, so the odds were he'd side with his Slayer too.

After putting Giles and Jenny to bed, he put Buffy on the couch, locked up Oz's van and walked for home after leaving the keys on Giles' kitchen table, wondering what he was going to do.

There was nothing left for him now, except give Cordelia some closure.