Title: Determined by Fate

By Angelfan15

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own anything.

Pairing: Buffy/Angel mainly

Distribution: Let me know where it's going!

Spoilers: This is an alternate reality, Angel is a vampire but Buffy isn't the slayer.

Rating: NC-17 later on.

Summary: Buffy moves to Los Angeles and suddenly she can't seem to stay out of trouble, she is rescued by a stranger with a secret, but he isn't the only one with a secret. Horrible summary, I know. Alternate Reality

A/N: I started this story 4 years ago and I have about 20 chapters written but I have been editing it so much in the last couple of years that I just thought I would post it and see what you guys think. There are some scenes from Buffy and Angel that appear in this story but it's mostly set in the Angel timeline.

Thank you, Allison117 for telling me to go for it and post this!

Chapter 1: Oh God!

"Oh God, Oh God!" The blonde mumbled walking down the suddenly empty street of Los Angeles. She looked around the street, wasn't there just cars going by and a few homeless people and thugs hanging around? "I'm so going to die!" She spun around to look behind her, everything was making her jumpy these days. She thought someone had been following her earlier in the night but wasn't sure, it could have just been her paranoia. "Why do I always have to put things off until the last minute? Even my life apparently." She whispered.

The blonde spun around when a gust of wind began to whip her hair all over the place and the ground began to shake. Her eyes widened when she saw three dark clothed figures sitting in large chairs. "So NOT good." She let out a labored breath and slowly started walking towards them.

0o0o0o

Angel walked down the dark Los Angeles street, ignoring the thugs and homeless people. He was being pulled in this direction for some reason he was unaware of. It had been happening all night, he didn't know where he was going or why. First, he went to a rundown magic shop that looked as if no one ever went there. Then he went to a demon fight club called The Ring that he and his team had thought they shut down after he was captured and forced to fight to the death with other demons. They would have to shut it down for good this time. Then he found himself being pulled into a demon bar called Caritas, it was a safe haven for demons. No fighting allowed but a lot of bad Karaoke was guaranteed. Angel knew the owner, Lorne, he was a Deathwok Demon of the Deathwok Clan in Pylea, he had left his demonic dimension because he was nothing like the rest of his clan. The rest of his clan hated humans and had a lust for blood while Lorne happened to like people, Lorne liked everyone unless they gave him a reason not to. He also liked singing and Art. Lorne found the beauty in everything, he was a great guy but he called Angel pastries and that didn't go over well with him. When Angel had walked in the bartender asked Angel if he was going to sing. Angel cringed, he wasn't a good singer, that he knew and so did pretty much everyone else in the bar. As soon as Lorne had spotted him, Angel was afraid he was going to tell him he was next on stage but instead the horned green demon had turned him around and told him he was needed elsewhere. He didn't know where, he had even asked Lorne but the demon lightly pushed him out the door saying "You already know." But he didn't know! How would he know? Maybe it had something to do with where he was walking because it certainly wasn't him controlling his legs.

Now here he was in the not so good part of Los Angeles, it wasn't the worst area there was but it certainly wasn't the best. He looked down when something caught his eye on the ground, bending down to pick it up he looked at the object questioningly before flipping it over, he recognized it immediately. Looking up, he checked his surroundings trying to find who it belonged too but the only people on the street were the thugs and homeless people who were trying to find food in the trash. Toying with the object in his hands he flipped it over as he walked, he felt a sudden change in the energy around him, he knew that feeling. Checking his surroundings, he noticed no one was on the streets anymore. He had just passed through a force field.

Angel furrowed his brow when his gaze was drawn to a short blonde woman standing about a hundred feet down the street from him, she looked nervous. He could smell her fear. He looked down at the object in his hand then back up to the blonde that was when he noticed the three demons in their black robes. He knew exactly who they were, he had heard of them before but never actually came face to face with them. "Tribunal" He mumbled walking closer to the girl who looked as if she needed some help.

Angel quickened his pace to get to her as he heard one of the robed demons flat toned voice. "Where is your champion?"

The young woman whimpered.

"If you cannot tell us the name of your Champion this trial is over." The demon in the middle spoke again.

Angel tossed the Coat of Arms talisman in front of the demons. "His name is Angel."

The blonde woman spun around quickly to see who had spoken, he was a tall dark-haired man with dark eyes wearing all black. Angel was taken back when he saw her, she was beautiful with her long blonde hair, the most adorable nose he had even seen and green eyes. Sad, scared green eyes.

"Let the trial by combat begin." The robed demon spoke.

The blonde looked from The Tribunal to her Champion and back again, she ran over to the tall dark-haired man. "You can't do this. You are going to die!"

"Been there, done that." He shrugged. Glancing up at the robed demons he raised his voice. "Fight to the death, right?" The spokesperson for The Tribunal nodded once. "It's always a fight to the death, it's never something more fun." He joked to the blonde.

"You can't do this, I won't let you!" The blonde shouted.

Angel and the blonde woman looked up when they heard the clicking of horse feet on the normally busy street. A demon dressed in black armor riding a black horse appeared with a shield and a large rod. "Seriously? Death by Jousting?" Angel shook his head. "Couldn't be something from this century?"

"Do you have a death wish?" The blonde shouted. "You can't do this. You. Are. Going. To. Die! As in totally dead, not coming back. I can't let you give up…

"Here's the thing." Angel said as a brown horse walked up beside him. He gave the horse an odd look for a second then turned back to the blonde. "You aren't letting me do anything, I'm doing it. End of discussion." Angel put his foot in the stirrup and threw his other leg over the horse to sit in the saddle.

"Have you ever ridden one of these before?" The blonde still looked worried but felt it was pointless to argue with this man.

"Yeah." He nodded. "A long time ago. I grew up around horses, I even used to have a horse, her name was Mandy.

"Mandy?" The blonde wrinkled up her nose in the cutest way. "Like Berry Manilow, Mandy?"

Angel smiled at the blonde. "I like you."

Biting her lip, she sighed as she looked to the demon dressed in black armor who she was sure was going to kill this man who had come to her rescue. "Why are you doing this?"

"It's what I do." He told her and squeezed his legs together to get the horse to walk.

"… but have you ever jousted before? "She asked earning a shrug from the man. The girl started to walk along side of him on the brown horse. "Please, please, just stop."

"If I don't do this then you will die." He told her.

"But if you do this YOU will die." She tried to reason.

"I'm okay with that." He smiled at her once more.

The blonde's green eyes became large. "Well, I'm not!"

"Enough!" The robed demon exclaimed. "Begin."

The blonde worried her lip as she looked back up at her Champion. "Please don't die."

"Don't worry about me, Little One."

She watched him ride the horse away from her. "How can I not?"

Angel looked back at the blonde then down at the horse. "Try not to make me look stupid out there, okay? Alright." He placed the shield on his arm and grabbed his jousting stick.

The demon sitting in the middle chair pulled out a red clothe, as he waved the clothe the black horse with the demon on it began to run towards Angel.

"I guess that means go." Angel said as his horse backed up slightly, neighing as Angel got a better grip on the rod. The brown horse began to run towards the black horse causing Angel's long black duster to flap behind him. Once the two horsemen were close enough Angel hit the demon hard enough for him to lean backwards.

Angel turned his horse around, without hesitation the horse ran back towards the black horse and the demon. The demon hit Angel with his jousting stick knocking him off the brown horse. Angel heard the blonde woman gasp, he quickly got off the ground running to his horse he grabbed two swords that were in the side of the saddle as the demon rode the black horse straight at Angel. He swung the sword knocking the demon off the horse. The demon pulled an axe from its place on his belt blocking Angel's swing over his head. Angel spun around, swinging his sword at the demon but once again his attack was blocked by the axe. Each time Angel swung the demon would block him. Angel swung his sword one last time but the demon grabbed his arm, spinning around and stabbed Angel with his own sword.

The blonde gasped again, looking away.

Angel doubled over, his mouth hanging open as the demon stepped away, Angel fell to his hands and knees.

"No, no, no. no…" The blonde whispered running over to Angel. She fell to her knees where he was laying in the road, she took his hand in hers. "Why did you have to…"

"Don't cry for me, Little One." He gave her a half smile as he lifted his hand, softly wiping away her tear. She started to cry harder when she felt his hand on her face. She didn't know this man but she was the reason this was happening to him.

"The Champion is defeated." The robed demon said. "She is yours."

The demon who had just killed her Champion pulled out a small knife, stepping towards her, growling. He grabbed her and held the knife to her throat.

"I move to appeal that ruling." Came the voice of her Champion.

The demon turned around to look at him and the blonde took the opportunity to get away from him, she looked to her Champion as he pulled the sword out of his own stomach, only a short second later the man swung the sword, cutting the demons head off. The girl's eyes went large as she watched the head hit the ground, landing near his fallen body.

"She's safe now, right?" Her champion asked as he doubled over in pain gasping.

The robed demon nodded. "You have won." Was all he said before all three of the members of The Tribunal disappeared.

The blonde turned to her Champion shocked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He panted turning to walk away.

Cars drove past them as they walked in the middle of the road and the sound of a trash can falling to the ground and people talking could suddenly be heard.

"Are you sure?" She asked touching his arm. "Your bleeding a lot, we should get you to a hospital."

"No, I'm fine." He panted as he walked. "It's part of the job. You wanna tell me why you were messed up with The Tribunal in the first place?"

"Wrong place, wrong time?" She said more as a question.

Angel shook his head. "That isn't how they work."

"I don't know exactly…" The blonde sighed. "Apparently, I accidentally killed like this sacred demon or something that wasn't hatched yet. I didn't even know demons were real!"

"How did you kill it?" He winced as he stepped up on the sidewalk.

The woman bit her lip. "I maybe… kind of tripped and landed on it. I was covered in all this nasty goo stuff and all the sudden those guys show up and say I have to fight to the death because of it or pick a champion to fight for me. It's all totally crazy! Are you sure you're okay?"

He nodded as he looked over at her.

"Can I maybe know the name of the guy who saved my life?" She asked him.

"Angel." He breathed out.

The woman smiled. "Suiting. I'm Buffy,"

"Well, Buffy you should get somewhere safe. I don't need to tell you there are things that go bump in the night and you don't want to be around when they do." He stood up taller, gasping for the air he didn't actually need. He felt odd, not like a sword just went clear through him odd but it was something else.

"Just like that?" The woman he now knew as Buffy asked. "You don't want anything in return?"

"Like I said…" He told her. "It's my job."

"Oh." She whispered, sounding slightly disappointed but he didn't know about what. "Okay..." she leaned towards him and lightly kissed his cheek. "Thanks again… Angel."

Angel watched her walk away, she looked back at him a few times before she hurried off into the night. Once he could no longer see her he fell against the brick building behind him. "Why couldn't I have drove here." He winced.

0o0o0

As soon as he walked into the large apartment a woman with long curly brown hair walked over to him, clearly upset. "Where the hell have you been?" She demanded. "Is that blood? I thought we agreed that you wouldn't go out without us!"

"Yes, I believe we did…" Said the British man's standing behind her. "We agreed to go out as a group."

Angel sighed and sat down in the kitchen chair. "I didn't really plan it, I was on my way here but then I… wasn't."

"Where were you?" The woman repeated.

"You know The Ring is back up and running?" Angel asked his friends as he struggled to take his coat off, carefully.

The woman raised her eyebrows at him. "Is that where you were?"

"We should probably take care of that. I don't like demons as much as the next rogue demon hunter but they shouldn't be put in cages to fight to the death." The British man said.

"Yeah, you are so bad ass." The brunette rolled her eyes. "So, you went to The Ring after they had YOU in one of their matches? Are you insane?"

"I also went to Caritas. I think Lorne is losin' it."

The sound of the bathroom door opening caused Angel to look in that direction when he saw his friend walk out, he continued undressing. "Really Delia, the man is sitting in your kitchen bleeding and you are asking where he has been?" The Irish man asked taking Angel's coat from him. "Wes, you get the first aid, will ya?"

"Thanks Doyle." Angel removed his shirt. "At least one person cares."

Cordelia Chase rolled her eyes and took the first aid kit from Wesley, pulling a chair out to sit in front of Angel. "Did Lorne have something to tell you?"

"Actually, the opposite." Angel winced when Doyle poked at his wound. "I got there and he pushed me out the door, said I already knew where I needed to be."

Doyle leaned in closer. "That a sword wound?"

Angel nodded.

"I take it you found where you needed to be?" Cordelia motioned to the wound she had just started to clean.

Wesley leaned over to get a closer look. "That or he happened to stumble into a fight."

"Both." Angel made a confused face. "I think."

"Care to elaborate?" Wesley Wyndam-Pryce asked his boss.

"I felt… drawn to these different places… a magic shop, The Ring then Caritas. When Lorne told me I already knew where I needed to be I was confused but for some reason I started walking. I ended up walking through a force field and suddenly all the cars, the people in the street they were all gone and there was a girl in the middle of the road standing before The Tribunal."

"What's that?" Cordelia asked with a confused look on her face.

"Extraordinary!" Wesley exclaimed sitting down in the chair across from Angel. "You must have been meant to be there, that is the only way you could have gotten through!"

Cordelia raised her hand. "Hello, still in the dark here."

Doyle sighed as he shook his head, sometimes they forgot that Cordelia didn't know as much about the demon world as they did. "The Tribunal is like… Supreme Court in the demon world. They pass judgment, determine if someone lives or dies. The difference is to determine who lives or dies they have to fight to the death, which means" He looked towards Angel. "the girl lived… right?

Angel nodded.

"Well, that is stupid if you ask me." Cordelia blurted out. "What if the person is innocent? They don't win a fight so they die?"

"Things are different in the demon world." Angel told her as she continued cleaning his wound.

"Wait a minute." Doyle walked to the kitchen counter picking up a tablet. "This her?" He asked handing the tablet to Angel.

Looking over the sketch Angel nodded. That was Buffy. "Yeah, that's her."

"I had a vision of her!" Doyle exclaimed. "I tried to call you, man but no answer. She shouldn't have been there in the first place, she didn't mean to do it. I saw it all in my vision." He pointed to his head. "She tripped and fell."

"She said the demon was sacred…" Angel gave his Irish friend an unsure look.

Doyle shook his head. "It was a Grimslaw Demon, nothing sacred about 'em."

Wesley began flipping through a book and slid it over to Cordelia before she could ask the question he knew was coming.

"Ewww, that is like a giant spider!" She made a disgusted face. "What did she do to it?"

"She fell on the egg before it hatched." Angel repeated what Doyle had said.

Cordelia shivered and slammed the book shut. "Well I say a big thank you to her!"

"As long as she is safe now we should discuss The Ring." Wesley reminded the rest of the group.