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Waiting for sunset, which occurred around nine o'clock at night, seemed to take forever. But for the hour before, Buffy took to making sure Angel was prepared for the coming fight.
"I think I can handle Stefanie's brother, no problem," Angel finally said when it became clear Buffy was worried that she was missing something. "Don't forget that I'm way older than him."
Buffy sighed. "So naturally, he's no match for you," she finished. "Yeah, I remember. The younger they are, the more cocky they get and think nothing can stop them." She paused, handing him a newly carved stake and stepping forward to kiss him. "Good luck anyway, Angel."
He smiled, brushing her hair lovingly. "I'll be back with Stefanie before you know it," he replied. "And then, things can get back to normal, so to speak."
It took another ten minutes before Angel could even safely leave the basement. Buffy then escorted him to the front door and waved goodbye as he hurried away on his mission.
Sighing, Buffy closed the door and went to join Willow and Xander in the kitchen for a game of Monopoly, hoping it would pass the time a little faster.
Forty minutes went by, with absolutely no word from Angel, and Buffy couldn't help but worry continuously that something had gone wrong or that something would. Either way, her mind was anywhere but on the game, and she hardly noticed that she was losing miserably.
"He's going to be fine, Buffy," Willow said finally, noticing the mood her friend was in. "He could be on his way back even as we speak."
Buffy looked up, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. But he should have been back by now. How long could it possibly take him to find this Arnie guy?" She shook her head, standing and beginning to pace back and forth. "Something must be wrong."
Willow stood also, taking a step closer and leaving Xander to put the board game away. "Buffy, you're overreacting," she said softly. "So it's taking a little longer than usual. It's no big deal. It doesn't..."
At this point, Buffy suddenly faltered in mid-step, crying out as she tripped. Panicked, Willow hurried to catch her from falling. Held in her friend's arms, Buffy looked around with wide, frightened eyes. "Oh, God," she said fearfully, looking up at Willow and Xander. "He's here! Stefanie's brother is here!"
Xander quickly rushed around to the front to check outside, while Buffy yelled after him to stop. Concerned, Willow looked down at her. "Buffy, it's okay. There's no way Arnie can get in..."
Buffy shook her head violently. "You don't understand," she said, hearing Xander shouting in the distance and knowing what she herself said was impossible. "He's already in!..."
When it became clear to Angel that Arnie wasn't out hunting (or anywhere above ground for that matter), he knew the only possible location was in the tunnels. Searching the entire underground complex was hard, even for a vampire, as Angel got turned around several times. Finally, he got close enough to the passageway Stefanie was in to hear her psychic cries for help.
Stefanie had been bound in chains, making escape hopeless for her, and her mouth was gagged with a long white piece of cloth. Angel hesitantly set down the crossbow, quickly freeing her. Tears staining her cheeks, Stefanie sat up, thanking him. Then, he stared at her intently. "If you're here alone, where's Arnie?" Angel asked.
Stefanie shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "But I know he'll be back... He said he was gonna kill me, Angel! We have to get out of here."
Angel helped her to her feet, leading her swiftly towards the nearest exit, which opened into the center of a power plant. The two of them walked to the fence and leaped over it quickly, making their way back to Buffy's house.
Three minutes later, Stefanie's statement began to bother him, although Angel couldn't quite figure out why. Then, he remembered what she had said about why her brother had condemned her to this life. What Arnie himself had stated when he had come to claim her last night.
He stopped in his tracks, making Stefanie turn to look at him in confusion. "What?" she asked, a quiver in her voice.
Angel looked back at her, dark brown eyes filled with alarm. "Stefanie, I need you to think," he said. "Did Arnie outright say he wanted to kill you? This could be important, so please try to remember."
She thought long and hard, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead, then shook her head. "No," she said, blue eyes widening. "Now that I think about it, he simply said he was going to do away with at least one slayer tonight. But he was rambling, talking to himself. I was sure he meant me!"
Angel started to panic, then realized that Buffy had enough sense to stay inside where she'd be safe. Calming himself, he told Stefanie that his concerns probably meant nothing, and the two continued on their way, much too slowly...
Upon hearing Xander hollering, Willow barely caught Buffy's frightening words as she rushed from the room. She found her childhood friend and love of her life cowering in a corner of the front hall, and she looked up to see Arnie descending the stairs.
Willow grabbed Xander by the arm, aggressively pulling him to his feet and back to where she had left Buffy. "He's right behind us," Willow yelled. "Get one of your stakes!"
Snapping out of her trance, Buffy bent down to retrieve the wooden stick hidden in one of her brown leather boots. But Arnie was already on her, restraining her before she could act. "Don't get any ideas," Arnie told Willow and Xander. "Or I break her neck right here."
That kept both of Buffy's friends from coming to the rescue, and kept them quiet as Arnie ushered all three into the living room and held them at gunpoint.
Despite the terror she felt, Buffy's only hope was to delay him until Angel got back. "How did you get in?" she asked. "We didn't invite you."
Arnie smiled arrogantly. "Really, slayer. You should keep track of Cordelia's dates... Who do you think was here the night when you brought Steffi home with you?"
Arnie continued without letting her answer. "I could have made a meal out of Cordy if you hadn't returned when you did. She'll never know how close she came. Or you, by the way... Stefanie was the only thing I hadn't counted on. But I must say, it was a nice surprise to see her after all these years."
Buffy paused, suddenly feeling glad that Angel was living here now. That must have been what had prevented Arnie from coming here the nights in between then and now. "Cordelia doesn't invite just any boy over," she said bitterly. "But one she's known a few weeks... That's a different story. Explain it to me, Arnie."
He shifted his weight, looking bored at having to explain all the details. "I came to Sunnydale solely to seek you out, Buffy," he said. "For the unique pleasure of being the one to do you in... Killing slayers has become a favorite hobby of mine. I can even boast that I had a hand in doing in the three before you, four if you include my sister."
Buffy shrugged. "It's good to have a hobby," she cracked, finding her own jokes oddly comforting at this point.
Arnie lost his smile, infuriated by her cavalier attitude. But then, he brought up the very subject he knew would unnerve her. "I see your mother's elegance was lost on you... She made a very good meal by the way."
Buffy felt as if he had just punched her in the stomach, and she had trouble breathing. It took a while for the shock to wear off, then she looked up at this vampire fiercely. Had she not been pregnant, had he not been holding a gun, she would have killed him right then and there.
"You son of a..." Willow said from beside Buffy, seeing how badly her friend had been wounded.
Satisfied, Arnie raised the gun, prepared to start shooting when he heard a key turning in the lock. Caught off guard, he watched the front door open a few inches, then launched himself towards it.
Cordelia shrieked as Arnie grabbed her and hurled her inside, her body hitting the wall so badly it hurt. Before she could react, he then seized her by the nape of the neck, pushing her towards the coach in the other room.
He had only taken one step when he saw something that made him freeze, In a matter of only a few seconds, Buffy had vanished from her spot, leaving a gaping hole in between where Xander and Willow were sitting.
Raging, Arnie dropped Cordelia to the floor, where she remained crouched in a fit of pain. "Where is she?" he growled, not expecting either of the friends to answer. But Willow surprised Arnie when she pointed. Directly behind him.
Too late, Arnie recalled that Buffy could easily circle through the house to come up behind him. It was over in an instant, as a stake exploded out the front of his chest. Buffy kept a tight grip on it, intent on keeping him standing for the last words he would ever hear.
"That was for my mother," she said in an intense whisper, watching as he turned to dust a split-second later. Then, Buffy collapsed to the floor, whatever had fueled her moments ago lost in the flood of tears that came. Willow went to her, holding her friend while her body shook with sobs.
Xander, meanwhile, checked on Cordelia, making sure she was alright. Nevertheless, he still went to call an ambulance, fearing that all the stress may cause Buffy to lose the baby.
Angel and Stefanie ran in a few minutes later, expecting the worst from hearing the approaching sirens. They had to take only one look around to guess what had happened.
Angel stayed with Buffy the entire time, fearing for her and his child. But it all proved for naught. The doctors declared they were both fine, but advised that Buffy be kept overnight just to be safe.
Lying in a hospital bed, Buffy looked more vulnerable than Angel had ever seen her, her face covered with tears. He reached for her hand, kissing it gently, and waiting for her to look at him.
Finally, she did so, the grief in her eyes causing an ache in his heart. "Arnie was the one who killed her," Buffy whispered, in a tone that made Angel understand who 'her' was.
"I'm sorry," he whispered back, his hate for the other vampire running a little deeper. "And that's why you couldn't wait."
His statement wasn't meant to be accusatory, and Buffy picked up on that right away. She nodded, bringing his hand to her face and relishing the feel of his skin against hers. "It's all over now," she murmured, then perked up. "By the way, how's Stefanie?"
"She'll be fine," Angel assured her. "Although she'll probably be mourning her brother's death by now, or at least the memory of what Arnie used to be."
"And Cordelia?"
She has a sprained wrist from where Arnie threw her against the wall, but that's as serious as it got. It'll heal in no time."
Buffy smiled. "I'm glad," she said. "But be sure to tell Cordy never to invite one of her boyfriends into our house again... And at least everything turned out for the best." She patted her stomach. "For you, me, and Angel, Jr. here."
He laughed. "There's the stubborn girl I know talking," he said, leaning over to kiss her forehead...