Armageddon Saga
Chapter One:Welcome to Hell
By the Lady Sirona ladysirona@LadySirona.com
Giles sat in the library trying to read the Codex. His thoughts kept flashing back to Jenny Calendar's smile when he had invited her over to his apartment. The pain came again as his mind replayed that horrible night when Angelus left her in his bed dead, as some sick and twisted gag gift from Hell. He hadn't realized just how much he had loved her until that moment. It enraged him that Angelus knew, and knew well enough to devise such a torture.
He didn't want to, but he replayed the memory of coming home and finding a rose on his door. Inside more flowers, a bottle of wine, and his rising anticipation of finding her upstairs. He followed the trail until it lead to her in his bed and the slow horrifying realization she was dead...killed by Angelus. The first of them to fall to his twisted and evil mind.
"Hi Giles," Buffy called him from his morbid trip down memory lane. "I'm ready..." She stopped when she saw the tragic face of her Watcher. Instantly Buffy realized the source of Giles pain. "I'm sorry Giles. I am sorry I couldn't kill him soon enough for you and her." Buffy looked down away from his eyes. She couldn't stand the pain she saw there.
"I know Buffy," Giles said softly "I was, Uh, trying to read the codex, and I can't seem to focus on it. I can't figure out this prophecy...I can't think." He hung his head. He was failing his Slayer."What does it say?" Buffy asked, praying for another evil bad guy she could go postal on and work out her aggressions with. Lately she had been down right vicious. Vampires were avoiding the hell mouth because of her vicious fighting... if you were lucky she staked you fast, unlucky and she beat the crap out of you until staking was a blessing.
"I am not sure..." Buffy winced when her first impulse was to ask Angel about it. She hated prophecies. They meant danger, pain and death. She died to fulfill one once and never forgot it. But Angel couldn't help her. They had made love once, and she had made him completely happy, which cost him his soul. Now he was back to the vicious vampire Angelus.
Giles stood and began to pace. He started to read and his voice started the rhythm of the piece. It was endlessly amazing to Buffy that he didn't stutter when he read like that. Buffy walked over and looked at his notes for the translation of the prophecy:
In the time of the second millennium, after the birth of the Jehovah's son,
Armageddon will once again threaten the world.Led by the Oldest, her champion the Cucularaine along with his gravid consort Slayer Prime the Slayers will fight the Army of Darkness.
Slayers will fall. The Slayer Prime will lose her most cherished, to battle the evil. .
If the Eldest succeeds, then mankind will flourish and the Slayers will keep rein on the darkness.
If the darkness succeeds- the Slayers will fall, the mouths will open and hell will be on the earth and mankind will perish.
The key to the success of the light, is the blending of a love of a Demon with the soul of an Angel, as to know when to raise battle and do damage and to kill innocents to protect the world, and all for the love of his Slayer Prime.
From the small death, will come salvation of the world.
No one knows the outcome
"Blending the soul of an Demon with the soul of an Angel? Do you think it means Angel? That can't be right." Buffy jumped up and paced back and forth. "Angel is Angelus now... how can he be the key? He lost his soul!" She stormed back and forth. "Maybe it means he will regain his soul!" She looked at Giles hopefully, and then felt bad for her blatant hope to get her lover back. Giles would not be so lucky... Jenny was dead and buried.
"Go home Buffy. Sleep. We'll work on it in the morning when we are not so tired, or distracted by our losses.” Giles sighed. The whole thing was turning into a never waking nightmare.
Buffy went home to bed where she expected the usual, no rest and only nightmares... this time she was pleasantly surprised.
Buffy was walking along a sunlit path. She recognized that she was dreaming, but it seemed so real. The smell of spring was in the air, and the warmth of the sun warmed her body.
She walked out into a clearing when she saw a man sitting on a rock, basking in the sun. It was Angel. She knew it was her Angel, not the demon Angelus. Tears welled in her eyes as she came up to him.
"Hi." He said simply. "I am so sorry for what Angelus is doing to you and the others." he looked down at the ground. "I would stop it if I could, I've tried but I can't."
"I know." She came up to him and hugged him enjoying the feel of his body against hers. "Why does he hate me so? Why does he want to hurt me and the others so much?"
Angel sighed. "He hates you because I loved you so much." He drew her close to him and held her tight and spoke into her hair. "The demon strikes out with the exact opposite emotional response of the host. I loved you and wanted to be with you. He wants to hurt you and possess you. He strikes out so hard, because I love you so much." Tears welled up in his eyes and he hugged her. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't mean for my love to cause you and the others such pain."
"You love me?" She asked hopefully. He had only said it once that night right before they made love. With all Angelus had done she as afraid she dreamed it.
"I love you more than life itself." He hugged her tightly and she melted into his embrace. "I will stay here in the Summerland and I will wait. As long as my body walks the earth I will be here for you, for as long as you need me. I would even return and live again as a vampire to be with you if that were possible." He looked down. He was baring his soul, and it hurt.
"I love you Angel. You know that I have to kill him before he kills Giles, Xander, Willow or my Mom." Buffy cried.
"I know." Angel reached forward and kissed her gently and softly. "I know what you have to do. Remember I love you. You are my entire world. If I need to die to make your world safe, then so be it. I wish to die at your hand." he pulled her into a deep soul searching kiss. She melted in his arms. She faded to wakefulness with the feeling of his lips on hers, and the taste of him in her mouth.
Buffy awoke refreshed for the first time since Angel lost is soul and Angelus hunted her and her friends. She knew she could kill him now...she had gotten the time she needed.
The Slayerettes were all meeting in the Library to discuss and brainstorm on the new prophecy. Buffy Giles and Xander were reading old books while Willow surfed the net. Buffy was rested and peaceful, much to the curiosity of the others.
"Spill Buffy." Xander said, "How come you’re smiling?" Buffy looked up and thought. She then told them all about her dream about Angel in the Summerland.
"Interesting terminology." Giles pondered out loud. "The Summerland is where Wiccans and many others feel their souls go between incarnations. It is possible according to them for an astral traveler to interact with the dead in the Summerland, Interesting."
"Well now I realize, I can kill Angelus." She looked down at her hands and slowly continued. "I just wish it had happened sooner.""NO! No you cannot!" a thick accented voice interrupted them from their conversation. They looked up to see a very old man in a wheelchair being pushed by a young dark haired man. "Angelus is needed. Angelus is the Cucularaine! You cannot kill the Cucularaine!" The old man seemed tired from his exertion.
"Excuse me, just who the hell are you?" Buffy jumped up and demanded. Fire flashed in her eye and she looked ready to kill.
"Easy Slayer. I mean your group no harm." The old man rested is body on the table as his assistant pushed him up to it. "I am the current Elder of the Romani tribe who cursed Angelus with his soul back in 1918. I am the only living person from the original Gypsies to Curse the Vampire." They looked at him, this was unreal, " I am here to see if I can repair the damage that my father had done."
"What damage was that?" Giles asked.
"My father changed the Lady's ritual of ensoulment. It was my father was who added the clause that if he felt one moment of complete happiness, then he would forfeit his soul again. That was not the Lady's wish."
"Who is this Lady?" Buffy asked, sharpness to her tone Giles and the other knew meant trouble.
"The Lady Tirla." Was the short reply. Giles mouth dropped. "The creator of the Slayers and the Watchers Council. Guardian of Humanity from the evils of Hell." The old man smiled. "The Romani have served her for as long as there have been Romani.”
Giles stared at the old man. Lady Tirla was a well hidden secrete of the Watcher Council, never written down, and never discussed outside of the Watcher Council Chambers. It was unknown by the Watcher Rank and file, if The Lady Tirla was indeed an individual, or was an office people held.
"The Armageddon is upon us. We must become ready for the good fight!" He thumped the table with a resounding thwack and sat back into his wheelchair physically spent.
The Slayerettes just stared at him.
Giles took the old man to his home. They had gone to the school directly from the airport. His suitcases had been left in the hall outside the library. He found it disconcerting that the Gypsies knew enough about him and the Slayer to find them that easily. Then he remembered that Jenny had been the Romani Watcher of Angelus. Obviously she had betrayed their trust and had given information to the Romani about him and the Slayer.
The old man looked around the house he came into. Marked with books and items of learning, here was obviously a scholar, which fit for the Watcher of a Slayer. He stopped at a framed picture of Jenny Calendar; Giles had several around his house. Many had been gotten from the yearbook photographers.
"Oh Janna" He said holding the picture in his hand while tears sparkled in his eyes."Janna?" Giles asked as the old man sat heavily in the wheelchair."She was my Granddaughter, you knew her as Jenny Calendar. To me she was Janna Kaldaresh, of the Romani. She got the wanderlust, and so we assigned her to be Angelus' Watcher. She was never supposed to make herself known to him or to you. "A deep sigh rose from his chest. " Her last letter to me did not contain much information about Angelus. She was just a granddaughter writing her grandfather about the man she loved. Let us pray her death was not in vain."
Giles just stared at him. *The man she loved?* The pain of her lost just rippled through him when he realized that she had loved him and how much he really lost.
Buffy was walking through the graveyard. She felt the presence of an incredibly strong Vampire. Not even the master had felt so strong. A sudden blow from behind and she found herself onto the he ground. She rolled and was on her feet and facing her attacker.
He was dark haired and skinned, light of build, with large expression filled eyes. He had power rolling off him in waves. He didn't charge quickly as most vampires did with her. He looked at her; he seemed to be measuring her skills. He smiled. She didn't like the smile at all.
"Oh good small and Ugly." she quipped. Usually her verbal sparing sent the undead into a fury of action. He just continued to watch her. She started to feel uneasy.
In a motion too fast to follow he struck out and kicked her in the thigh and followed it with a roundhouse to the temple. She went down in a soundless heap and he motioned to other Vampires who had been staying away from the fight to bind her tightly.He looked down on the Slayer. She had been good, and it had been generation since he had hunted Slayer. He usually left that privilege to the younger ones. But this one protected the Hellmouth, and therefore had to be dealt with in order to open the Sunnydale Hellmouth.
Buffy awoke to find herself bound and being carried like a sack of grain over a vampires shoulder. Fear rose within her. She had never fallen so quickly before. She had never felt anyone so strong, and so fast. She realized that this was her time...she had fallen.
Willow walked carefully to the storage shed in the back yard. She hated going out at night since Angelus was hunting them all. Her parents made her go out to get the luggage for her father's business trip. Fear boiled within her as she prayed her quick trip outside the safety of the house would not allow Angelus to catch her.
Suddenly a hand garbled her mouth, stifling her scream. "Hello Willow." She heard Angelus' hoarse whisper in her ear. "Long time no see. Time for you to come and play." She closed her eyes and prayed as she felt herself lifted and carried kicking and squirming into the darkness. .
Xander laid his head on his bed thinking of the recent events. Angel loosing his soul and becoming Angelus, primarily. After that happened he had studied up on Angelus. He rolled over and looked at the ceiling.
Angelus had been and still was an incredible monster. He made the Master look like a Boy Scout. He was the yardstick all other vampires measured themselves, for cruelty and for destructive capability. None had ever beaten him on holding the record. Angelus was just getting started according to the records of his actions. He glanced over at his notes.
Angel ruled as a leader in the vampire community from his ‘birth’ in 1753 until his ‘disappearance’ in 1918. He had not only killed his family when he crossed over, he wiped out essentially the whole village. He was recorded as wiping out an entire town in France in 1780. He once brought every blonde girl to the master as a gift from another. Known as ‘The Master's Right Hand’, he was the enforcer of the Master's will. He was also known as ‘The Slayers Slayer.’ The records had him responsible for a Slayers death in the first week after his crossover. The list went on.
Xander knew he never liked Angel. Angel. Ha! Angel of Death was more like it. Now he and the others were on the receiving end of the brunt of Angelus' sardonic sense of humor. Jenny Calendar was dead because of him, and Xander had the horrible feeling she was just the first.Glass shattered and Angelus was in his room. Before Xander could react Angelus had scooped him up and had carried him out through the window. "Your parents should be more careful who they invite in to use the phone Xander. Tsk, tsk. Time is up. Things must move on.” The grip Angelus had on Xander's neck quickly brought merciful unconsciousness.
Giles answered the knock on the door, showing a young girl. "Buffy has been hurt! She needs you!" Giles grabbed is coat and stepped out onto the porch when the fact the girl did not have a reflection in the hall mirror finally registered. He was knocked to his knees and into unconsciousness.
Joyce Summers was coming out of the Gallery when a man and a woman walked up. "Mrs. Summers?" They asked She looked up and nodded. "Are you the mother of one Buffy Summers?" The woman asked. Again she nodded.
Joyce looked at them in fear. What had Buffy done now? She never found out. She never saw the fist that sent her into unconsciousness either.
Each of the Slayerettes awoke to find themselves chained to the wall of the Master's chamber. Buffy looked around with painful memories reminding her of her death here. There would be no Angel and Xander to save her now. Xander was chained beside her, and Angel was Angelus.
Giles looked at Buffy's face. She had been totally assaulted; a large bruise blossomed across her temple and down the right side of her face. Blood dried on her face from a split lip. She was totally dejected. He grimaced when the reality hit. His Slayer had fallen. There would be no miracle escapes for them this time. All of them were accounted for, and neutralized.
"Awake are we?" Giles looked up at the sound of Angelus' voice. Angelus walked into the room leading Spike and Drusilla. It was plain to see who was the leader of the demonic trio now."I should have killed you when I had the chance.” Buffy growled. Giles was relived to hear some spirit in her voice."Well, no good deed goes unpunished. EH?" Angelus snarled getting his face real close to Buffy's. He ran his fingers through her hair down her bruised face to her neck. "Hmmmm. Remember the passion? It was your passion that freed me of that damned gypsy curse." He leaned into her and whispered in her ear. "Wait until next time.... Soon I'll taste your blood as your climax, and then bring you across. One good turn deserves another!" Angelus kissed and licked her neck slowly and sensuously dragging his fangs along her jugular.
She shivered. She hated his touch and craved it at the same time. Angelus nipped at her neck drawing blood and slowly licked the dripping blood sensuously, and Buffy felt herself become moist with his attentions. Angelus looked in her eyes and she knew he could smell her response to him, his dark eyes danced with glee at her shame at her response to him. "I love a little appetizer,” He murmured to her as he licked the blood from her neck and then her lip.
Angelus stepped back and laughed at the stricken look on Buffy's face. Obviously her memories of Angel’s love were at war with Angelus' reality. But she had responded to him. He could smell her musky scent of arousal. He loved it!
"Then can we have tea?" Drusilla came up behind Angelus running her hands possessively across his shoulders. Buffy glared at the woman who dared to touch her man...and remembered this was the demon who made Drusilla what she was... for his own pleasure. "Can she then play with me?" Drusilla asked.
"Oh yes Dru. She'll play with ALL of us!" Angelus laughed. Buffy's eyes widened when the meaning of his statement became clear. Angelus just laughed. "I love the games lover, it gives eternity excitement!" Angelus walked away.
Buffy watched Angelus. There was no sign of her Angel's softness and consideration in his actions and speech as he directed other vampires in unknown tasks. She looked at him closely, and did see things that reminded her of Angel, a movement, a look, or a laugh. She looked at is hands as he sat on a chair and thought. His hands were playing with the Claddagh ring, taking it off and putting it on, rotating it. He seemed totally relaxed, yet his hands were agitated and distracted.
It suddenly dawned on her, just as Angel kept the demon at bay when he was in control of the body; the demon was keeping Angel at bay while he was in control of the body. As she watched, she saw the ring end up facing him, and he was oblivious to it. His soul wasn't ‘gone’ but the entity in control was reversed.
"Master - we brought you the Slayer's mother as you have asked.” Buffy looked up in fear toward two vampires dragging her mother between them. Her mother was looking around pale and shocked. She saw Buffy and the others chained and cried out and tried to run to her daughter. Angelus nodded and they let her mother go."Oh baby, what happened to you? What's going on?" Joyce asked. She turned to Angelus and snarled, "You son of a bitch!" Angelus just laughed and bowed at the compliment to him.
"Mom, please. Don't feed into it. It's more than you realize!” Buffy avoided her mothers questioning gaze. Her mom looked around, taking in the Master’s lair and the gothic effects.
"You.” She addressed Giles. "Just what the hell is going on?" She looked at Willow and Xander who were keeping uncharacteristically silent, which scared her more than anything else did.
"Hell is the key,” Angelus stated as he walked up very close to Joyce. "You’re at the entrance to the Hell mouth and your little Slayer daughter won't prevent them from opening this time. The Hellmouths across the world will eventually be opened but you won't all will live to experience it!" Angelus stroked Joyce's neck, then signaling to two vampires stepped back as they chained her to the wall next to Willow.
Angelus looked at Spike and Drusilla. "We need to get prepared. Time to feed." He walked out followed by them in his wake. Two vampires situated themselves at the entrance apparently as guards.
Giles took the initiative "Can anyone get free?" He whispered to them. They whispered their negative replies. These chains were designed to hold vampires, and did their job all to well with humans. "Is everyone basically, uh... All right? What are, ah, your injuries?"Xander responded first. "My neck is sore, bruises, right arm is pulled back." He looked over at Willow who really looked no worse for the wear. She just said ,"Basically the same." and looked at Buffy.
Buffy was obviously the worse for the wear. "Broken ribs, general bruises all over. Head injury with the worst headache of my life.” She looked at her mother who looked at her in concern.
"Scared senseless, bruised arms, headache, angry as hell and totally confused." Joyce looked at them all, one at a time. "Am I the only one surprised to be trussed up in a sewer by Buffy's psychotic ex-boyfriend?" Buffy winced. Giles sighed. Xander snorted.
"Giles, we need to tell her." Buffy said quietly. "She has the right to know why." Giles avoided Buffy's eyes, then nodded slowly " This um… will not be easy" Giles stuttered. "It won't make a lot of... mmmm... sense "
"They are vampires, aren't they?" Joyce interrupted Giles stuttering explanation. “That what Buffy meant when she said he wasn't the same man she loved. Vampires, all of them...even Angel.”
"Angelus." Buffy interrupted Joyce. "He isn't Angel anymore...he's Angelus." Tear streamed down Buffy's face as she told her mom about her love.
"Tell me about it now baby." Joyce said softly to her daughter. She knew they would probably die, and she wanted to understand her daughter before they did. Buffy did and started with her calling to be the Slayer in LA.
"Damn it. I thought this family's Slayer involvement ended with Ruth." Giles head snapped up. "Yes, Ruth was my cousin and a Slayer. Her Watcher was Merrick. You could say I was her 'Slayerette', Joyce looked away from their shocked eyes. "Then I met Jerrick. He was handsome, sweet and loving. I was 18 and in love. I became pregnant with Buffy by Jerrick, only to discovered that he was a vampire trying to get to Ruth through me." Joyce's eyes held an old pain of betrayal. "I ran to Hank, who loved me, accepted me pregnant and he raised Buffy as his own. We moved to LA. I lost contact with Ruth, she later died."
Buffy stared at her mother in shock. She asked quietly "Dad's not my father?" Joyce shook her head 'no'. "My father was a vampire?" Joyce nodded.
"That explains Buffy's tremendous skill. She is Leimos. Half vampire half human." Giles commented out loud. "It strengthens the Slayer powers."
"Oh great, discuss my pedigree like a show cat." Buffy snorted. Xander and Willow laughed. Xander joked "here kitty... kitty...""Did you love him?" Joyce asked Buffy. "I know this is a hell of a time to be asking questions, but I have a strong feeling there will never be a later, and they already know everything. I need to know..."
"Yeah Mom. I loved Angel. First he would show up and warn me and stuff. He gave me my silver cross the first time I met him. The night he rescued me from three vampire assassins, he got hurt and I brought him home and fixed him up. You met him that night; I introduced him as my history tutor. He stayed in my room that night." Buffy continued after seeing her mother’s shocked look. "Angel was a perfect gentleman. The three vampires who tried to kill us were out there, I couldn't let him go out into the night!" Buffy stopped and took in a deep breath. "The next night was when I learned he was a vampire," She paused for a minute remembering her fear and terror when the man she kissed transformed into a vampire.
"I still loved him, and continued until neither of us could deny it. When Darla attacked you and tried to make it seem it was him, I learned of his curse. He was cursed with his soul about 80 years ago when he killed a gypsy girl. He hasn't killed while he had his soul." Buffy too a deep breath and continued." He lost his soul the night of my 17th birthday, after we made love..." Tears streamed down her and Willows faces. "When he had 'one moment of complete happiness' he lost his soul, and I am the one who did it to him!" Sobs escaped as she finished.
"Buffy, it is no different than if he had been human boy and had been turned into a vampire." Giles said slowly. "The demon that is Angelus is in no way Angel"
"I know," Buffy sobbed "But it doesn't make it hurt any less. My Angel is still gone!”
Buffy looked up and saw a small dark skinned exotic looking woman standing in the corner. The two guardian vampires didn't seem to register he as being there. >Not Necessarily< a soft voice spoke in her mind. >Tell me Slayer, if Angel's soul was returned, could you forgive him and still love him? < The mind voice spoke softly, with a taste of accent Buffy couldn't place.
Buffy realized this was a very important question and her future hinged on being truthful. Avoiding Giles eyes, she replied softly "YES". The others turned to Buffy when they heard her voice. They didn't see or register the woman.
>I need to leave you there until it is time. We need to stop this here< She turned and disappeared. Buffy stared after her. No one else ever knew she was there.
The Slayerettes waited about another hour before Angelus, spike and Drusilla returned. 10 vampires accompanied them. The very powerful vampire that captured Buffy strolled in brining up the rear.Angel smiled and walked to the center of the room. I the center was an altar of sorts. "Tonight we open the Sunnydale Hell mouth, which will be the beginning of the end. Once again demons will control the earth!" Angelus motioned for two vampires to bring forth a young man. They bared his chest and placed him across the altar. Angelus picked up a sharp looking knife and handed it to the powerful vampire.
Suddenly, Dru grabbed Spike and said, "We need to leave now." Spike appeared surprised but left with Drusilla without a look back. The rest ignored them, except Angelus, watched them leave with confusion in his eyes.
"I am Kazog. I am one of the oldest vampires walking the earth; Tonight I will open the Hellmouth, feast on Slayer and Watcher blood and then join my master in the opening of all the Hellmouths. We will start a glorious demonic reign!"Buffy watched. The amount of discomfort this vampire caused, his claim very well could be true. She watched sadly as Angelus submitted to him, mourning her fallen Angel.
"Always the liar Eh Kazog?" The soft voice that had spoken in her head was now heard throughout the chamber. "Far from the Oldest, and this hell mouth shall remain closed.” The small dark skinned woman walked into the chamber. "I had such high hopes that you would learn the error of your ways through time, Kazog." She snorted in disappointment at his actions like a mother to an errant child.Eight of the ten vampires stepped forward in an attempt to grab her, she glanced at them and they erupted into powdery ash. To the reminder she address her clipped comment. "Stay still fledglings. My battle is not with you"
"Ah, the Eldest walks. What brings you out of your mausoleum?" Kazog bluffed. His fear of the woman was almost palpable. Buffy grinned. This would be good.
"Your foolish plans." She walked around the altar, looked at Angelus and frowned.
Angelus had never felt so afraid in all his life. Not even dying gave him the fear that race through him. He looked around and saw that this was why Drusilla and Spike left. Drusilla must have 'seen' her. The strength and power of the woman was so far beyond anything Angelus had ever encountered in all his walking days. He looked back at Kazog.
Kazog looked terrified. He was casting his eyes about obviously seeking an escape from the woman."Kazog." was all she said. He looked at her like a deer caught in the headlights. "You failed to learn. You now endanger the natural flow of the world. You walked millennia, and yet learned nothing. I cast you forth to walk again in the cycle of life, death and rebirth. Learn now what you failed to learn till now." The woman waived her hand at him and he screamed. The scream was the scream of the damned of Hell. He looked up and cried out in a language that hadn't been spoken in thousands of years, and exploded into dust.
Angelus struggled to break her hold on him, to run, to leave. He didn't fear death, that he had experienced. He feared what he felt she could do to him. The demon in him raged to be free to run from the woman. The soul raged to be free, to be free of the demon forever.Buffy stared at her as she turned toward Angelus. Tears streaked her face as she watched what she feared most... she was going to deal with Angelus. Buffy was going to watch him die!
"Angelus" She focused on him. "Demon, how do you once again possess that which you were cast out of control of?" She asked. Giles watched the interaction closely as Buffy watched in terror of seeing Angel rendered to dust.
"Your spell failed old woman. The soul felt a moment of complete happiness with the Slayer Bitch, releasing the spell and rendering it void. I am in control now." Angelus' demon snarled from game face. The woman frowned.
"Interesting. I made no such stipulation in the ensoulment spell." The woman muttered to herself, but loud enough for all to hear. Buffy stared in shock. She made the ensoulment spell? "Nevermind," the woman continued. "What was done once, can easily be done again," She smiled up at Angelus' fearsome vampire mask.
Giles watched her fascinated. How old was this creature? Why did he know nothing of it? The creature destroyed vampire with a glance. What a formidable Slayer!
"Silence demon." The woman addressed Angelus, "Speak not again. I call unto the soul of Angelus to come unto me. Speak to me Angelus. Did you court the demon and leave it to hold sway?"
"No Mistress." Angel's voice was clear to hear. His face morphed back to human. Pain and agony showed from his eyes. "I did not court the demon. My only act was to make love to the woman I love. I experienced one true moment of happiness and contentment in her arms and the spell was forfeit.” Angel looked at Buffy with such love in his eyes. She looked back confused, hearing her Angel in tone and inflection and manner.
"The demon caused great harm to the ones you love." The woman continued to address Angel. "Will you accept the return of your soul if it requires that you NOT to suicide, to serve me and my plans for one half of your walking years, and allows you to save the lives and futures of the woman you love, and the ones you called friends?" She looked at the Slayerettes all chained to the wall.
Angel never paused. "Yes Mistress. To save the life of the woman I love and her compatriots I will accept my soul returned. I will serve you for 121 years and I will not suicide. I give my word and my bond.” Angel was looking at Buffy with such longing it was palpable. The pain in his eyes was felt by all that looked into them.
"Step forward Angelus - accept your decision, abide by your agreement." She motioned to him. He pulled away from looking at Buffy and stepped toward the woman who continued. "All growth is pain. And you have accepted to grow much" With a quick movement she rammed him through the heart with an ornate dagger.
Angel screamed a bloodcurdling scream that cut through the Slayerettes. He felt the soul once again become primary. He dropped to his knees on the floor. He knelt on the floor, blood flowing out of the wound, in confusion and total disorientation. He looked up, bewildered, at the woman, and then over at the others, his face a mask of confusion.
"You do not remember the actions of Angelus at this time Angel. Memory will return in time. You will remember bits and pieces as you did the first time." The woman told the mourning Angel bleeding at her feet.
His mind flashed a relay of some of the horrible things the demon did while in control of his body. The memories ate at his mind like acid. Horrified as some of the actions replayed themselves as what he did since he lost his soul. The deaths, the girl Teresa he changed and sent against Buffy just to hurt her that he killed and made a vampire. The baiting and the taunting of Buffy. The stalking and the terrorizing of those that he called friend. He replayed his attempt to kill Willow and Xander and Cordelia. His taunts to Buffy for making him loose his soul and that his soul was dead.
He remembered his hateful comments and the harassment of Buffy's mother. Telling her that Buffy and he had sex. The boastful painful things he said to Xander at the hospital. How he used the knowledge and love he had for them to hurt them the most.
He replayed the terrorizing and killing of Jenny Calendar, just because she was going to return his soul. His cat and mouse game with her, which ended with his snapping her neck like a twig. He left the body of the woman Giles loved, in his bed, like a perverse valentine’s gift from hell.
Angel screamed, "Oh NO! NO! NO! PLEASE NO!" Each act of violence, pain and agony replayed for his soul’s judgment. "Oh NO! Jenny, Please no!" he collapsed onto his face, the dagger protruding through his back and forming a tent in his jacket. He didn't move.
The woman just watched. Buffy frantically tried to free herself crying and moaning. She HAD to do *something* She didn't know what! She was unable to release herself
The woman walked up to Giles. "Watcher. You have done well for yourself, and the Sunnydale Hellmouth. Your non-classical Watching has produced an exceptional Slayer." They looked at Giles confused.
She looked at Buffy who hung in her bonds, tears marking her face. Buffy never took her eyes off of Angel's still form at her feet. "You are a credit to the Slayers ranks. You will now succeed due to the price willingly paid by Angelus. He has granted you all your lives and your futures, all for his love of this woman."
She looked at Xander. "Ah, the reborn warrior who serves the Slayer. Do not mistake service for love. Do not mistake who it is you truly love and who truly loves you." Xander looked at her in confusion.
The woman stepped up and addressed Willow. "Watcher-child, you will be a great asset to the watcher ranks. Reach for your true love. Time is finite to the mortal." Willow just looked at her with large eyes. The woman nodded to her.
Joyce looked her in the eye as she came up to her. " You know the love and the loss. Support your daughter in her Slayer duties. Help her heal the loss of her heart." Joyce looked at Buffy's stricken face as she looked at Angel's still form and the blood leaking out from his body.
The woman turned to the remaining two vampires held still by her power. "Do you want your souls?" She asked them softly. "Vampires you will be, but with souls." The smaller of the two nodded. The taller one snarled, "Go to hell Bitch." and exploded into dust.
"Little one, while you were a vampire you did things you will have to deal with. I have of you a bond, then you will be free.” She turned away from the vampire and turned back to the chained Slayerettes.
"This is just the beginning. Time will see the end." She reached into Giles pocket and removed his car keys. "You will find it at the LA International airport in short stay.” She walked over to Angel and turned him over and removed the knife from his chest. He cried out in pain and rolled over into a ball. She waited a moment, then reached down and pulled him into a standing position.
"Remove the shirt Angelus. The blood will bring too much attention." He removed his jacket and dropped it at the floor at Buffy's feet. He removed the shirt and wiped the blood off with the remains of the shirt. He stood before Buffy shirtless, like a Greek god, the open wound to his chest marring his perfection... He started to walk toward Buffy and had just nearly touched her when the woman called is attention."Angelus, attend me. Lesson one." The woman addressed Angel and called his attention away from Buffy momentarily. "You do not require killing for your usual blood, Angelus. You do however, require taking it with strong emotions and their related energy. Most fledglings find fear is the easiest emotion to instill, hence the kill. You can take without killing. You need nourishment and replacement for lost blood. Willow will provide."
Xander snarled and pulled at is bonds "Like hell... you stay away from Willow!" Xander thrashed, as he was silence with a gesture. She turned back to Willow.
Willow heard the mind voice. >He needs blood, and he needs it now. Without it Angel will die. I will not allow him to harm you, I will protect you, and you will not die. Do you concede? Willow looked at Angel as he gazed with love at Buffy who stared back in his eyes. She replied softly, but everyone heard "Yes, I will provide."
"Angel, hold her and go within. I will guide you." The rest he heard on a non-verbal level. He walked up to Willow, afraid. She looked him in the eye and closed her eyes in trust baring her neck. He took her in his embrace and his face changed into game face as his fangs brushed her neck.
Willow was in a dream state. She knew Xander was holding her. She was finally held and loved by the man she loved more than life itself. She was happy, and she looked up into Xander's face as he told her he loved her. She felt so loved, so desired, so wanted. She melted in his arms and felt his strong arms around her. She felt her passion grow to almost a sexual heat as her passion peaked and climbed as he kissed her deeply and thrust against her. She cried out in ecstasy as she climaxed calling his name.
Xander watched in fascinated horror as Angel sank his fangs into Willows neck. Instead of the fear and pain he expected to see on her face, she was rapturous. Her eyes were half shut, and the raw sexual heat and pleasure in her glazed eyes was palpable. Her breathing increased, as it became obvious in her breathing, her moans and her whimpers that she was in the midst of sexual pleasure. Suddenly, she appeared to climax just as Angel finished his feeding at her neck. But what bother Xander most was the name she called at the peak of her pleasure..."Xander"
Jealousy raged in Buffy. It wasn't fair that Willow was the one held by the returned re-ensouled Angel. She was also shocked by the sensuousness of Angel’s feeding remembering their night of love on her birthday. She knew the fantasy he gave Willow for the response was about Xander... now if the fool would just recognize what a gift her love really was!
Angel stepped back, Willow just hung in her bonds with her eyes closed, sighing deeply, lost in her dreams of Xander. Angel looked at Buffy; he saw betrayal in her eyes. He started to go toward her, his hand outreached in entreaty to her.
"Angelus, attend me. Honor your vow." The woman put out her hand as she walked away. Angel wrenched himself away from Buffy and went to stand at the woman's side. He hung his head.
"You." she addressed the newly ensouled vampire. "Release them 2 hours after dawn. Then your life is your own.” She turned away and walked toward the exit. "Come Angelus. Remember. You serve me for the next century or so." Angel looked longingly at Buffy who was straining her bonds with tears streaming down her face. Angel mouthed, "I'll love you forever." to her and held up his hand with the Claddagh ring on it, turned the ring around to face him and kissed it as he walked through the door after the woman.
"NOOOOOO!" Buffy screamed "Angel, Please.... NO!" and she started to kick and pull at her bonds. Giles was terrified she would hurt herself. He tried to calm her, but failed miserably. Finally she slowed in exhaustion to tears and mumbles.
The newly ensouled vampire was pacing. He did not want any part of releasing the Slayer. Her state of mind made his chance of becoming dust very high. He looked at his watch, paced some more.
"Buffy, Baby Please," Joyce tried to reach her distraught daughter who was sobbing so near yet so far away. "Buffy, he has his soul. Angel has his soul!" She kept chanting to her heartbroken daughter. Joyce was piecing the parts of the puzzle that was her daughter’s life together as she tried to ease her pain. Damn it. Buffy was the Vampire Slayer, just like cousin Ruth. She would probably die young like Ruth also. Buffy was obviously very much in love with the ensouled vampire, and he with her. Talk about opposites attracting... and he was attractive! She realized the real reason he had stalked her daughter; he had lost his soul.
"Baby, Sshshshsh...Angel has his soul back." Joyce chanted to Buffy. Trying to bring some peace to her distraught daughter.
"Yeah, He has his soul back and SHE fucking has Angel!" Buffy had gone from sorrow to anger. To watch Angel receive his soul back and then to lose him again, into the service of that Bitch, was just too much!Willow was looking around, lost and confused. “What’s happening? Where did that woman and Angel go?" She was confused and disoriented. Xander looked at her with compassion and a little envy. "They left Willow," Xander told her. "What did he do to you?” he asked softly, not sure he really wanted to know." I had... a dream...I guess" She drifted off, her eyes unfocused. Her body aroused again at the memory, and she blushed furiously. "It didn't hurt you know,” She said quickly in defense of Angel.
"That was obvious!" Xander snapped ruder than he meant to. "It looked quite...spectacular!" Xander blushed. He wanted to be able to invoke that sort of a response from a woman. He had just never thought of Willow a passionate woman before. *Guess I was wrong... REALLY wrong! *
"Hey, how long do we have to hang here like side of beef?" Buffy called to the pacing vampire that looked more uncomfortable then they did. He looked at her. How he hated pissing of the Slayer..."Two hours past sunrise, or about 7:12, no sooner, it is 4:30 am," he continued pacing. Buffy decided she wanted to kill him, just to stop the pacing.
Giles decide to do a debriefing since they had little else to do. "Well, this has been, Uh, eventful evening. The, Uh, Hell mouth is closed, and Kazog is dead. Angel has his, Uh, soul back, and we are all alive, which is more than I , Uh expected at the start."
Joyce added "I know Buffy is the Slayer so I do not have to be left out in the damned dark any longer." They could see she hated being left out.
"I am sure it explains a lot in retrospect," Giles told her. "I hope you realize we didn't leave you out by spite."
"Yeah it is just peachy," Buffy growled. "We saved the world... or that woman did... she gave Angel his soul back, and then took him. What was the promise for a century and a half crap?" Giles could see the anger burning in his Slayer."I believe she obtained his oath as a condition of regaining his soul and saving out lives. Half of his walking years, which is 242, is 121." Giles looked at Buffy. "I am sorry Buffy, but he loved you enough to obligate himself into her service to save you. Another condition was that he not suicide." He looked over at her. The anger was gone, and she stood with tears silently streaming down her face. She stood there with her big eyes and her heart breaking. "He is lost to us... to you... but he is once again Angel, and you didn't have to kill him." He tried to ease the pain he knew would never ease.
"Yeah, but he is gone." Buffy sobbed. "He has his soul back, and she has him. I'll be dead a hundred years before he is released from her service." Buffy hung her head. Her loss was intense.
They were all silent. There was nothing to say, and time to kill until they could be released. Finally at 7:12 on the dot, the vampire released Willow and then Xander. "You release the Slayer after I am gone. I'll be out of Sunnydale by the next dawn. I promise." he scurried away.
Willow and Xander released the rest. They helped each other leave the master's lair, nursing their injuries and their broken hearts.
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