Soul Searching
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, etc, as they belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and everyone else who can legally lay claim to them. I am making no money from this whatsoever, and don't have much anyway, so suing would gain pretty much nothing. Summary: Someone wants to punish Angel through Buffy. Rating: 15, but with hints of rape. If you're sensitive to this, e-mail me. I'll send you a version that doesn't mention it. Also omitted will be the last paragraph - this leads into the next story, which deals much more heavily with issues of rape and can't have everything deleted without drastically changing the plot. Sorry. Author's Note: Set during Season 3 of BtVS. The second part of the Shattered Souls trilogy. Also, I know Angel had his soul before the 2nd World War. But for the purpose of this story - it's a time I can write more accurately about, so I really don't care. Oh, and if you're wondering about the significance of a golden aura, you create it when you want to meet your Guardian Angel for advice. It doesn't occur otherwise, but I thought it was fitting. And yes, Anya and Xander are together a little ahead of time. Deal with it. Spoilers: 'Killed by Death'. Distribution: Just let me know where it's going. Feedback: Do I have to beg? lucy.harris9@btinternet.com
Chapter 1
Willow paced nervously outside Buffy's hospital room. She wanted to talk to Angel about it first. Admittedly, it was dangerous, but she had a feeling Buffy and Angel would go for it.
* * * * * *
"I'll be back, tonight, okay? They reckon you'll be allowed to come home tomorrow, so I'll be you then as well." Angel leaned over and kissed Buffy's forehead. "See you soon."
"'Bye."
And Angel was forced by the rising sun to back regretfully out of the room.
* * * * * * "Angel!" Willow bounded up to him and said simply, excitedly, "I have something to tell you."
"Sure. I have to get home now, but we can talk tonight."
"No! It's been long enough! Besides, I want to talk away from Buffy."
"It involves Buffy?"
Willow nodded.
"Come by the mansion when it's light. We can talk then." With that, Angel turned and left Sunnydale District Hospital, wondering what could be so important. and so desperate.
* * * * * *
Buffy ran from the demon, as she had fled from that guy at her cousin's Halloween party all those years ago. before Celia had died. 'That guy' had, of course, been nothing to fear, and she had been surprised rather than scared, just as she was now. She felt no fear when she realised she couldn't get away, nor even when it reached down to snap her neck. She felt nothing inside. Despite her cries of agony, she felt nothing - not even her love for Angel pierced the wall blocking her mind from her soul.
Buffy's eyes flew open, and the girl stared up at the yellow ceiling of the hospital. Drenched in a cold sweat, she lay quaking until the nurse came in the next morning.
* * * * * * "It's a spell, an' it'll bind your soul to you, so the curse won't apply. But."
"But what, Willow?"
"It kinda requires some weird things."
"You think you might not be able to get them?"
"No. You just won't like them. See, the spell will only work if you don't have a soul, and then there's this thing where."
Angel's entire being dreaded what was coming next. He realised now that Buffy might be involved in more than just their relationship, at least as far as this was concerned.
"Where?" he prompted hesitantly.
"Where you have to drink the love of a loved one. Or, specifically, 3 pints of your true love's blood. As in, 3 pints of Buffy's blood. When Angelus is in control."
"No!" Angel gasped. "I won't risk her life like that! I wouldn't stop, she'd end up dead if she was lucky!"
Willow studied Angel's determined face before responding.
"Firstly, it wouldn't be you who tried to kill Buffy. Secondly, I thought you'd say that, so I looked for something to help. I found another spell, but this one will separate you body from Buffy's until the other spell is complete. If it looks like he's taking too much, I'll just do that."
"Look, I'll talk to Buffy about it, okay? But I'm not promising anything."
Willow nodded her agreement, praying quietly that they'd agree. It would break Buffy's heart if Angel told her he wouldn't do it.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, etc, as they belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and everyone else who can legally lay claim to them. I am making no money from this whatsoever, and don't have much anyway, so suing would gain pretty much nothing. Summary: Someone wants to punish Angel through Buffy. Rating: 15, but with hints of rape. If you're sensitive to this, e-mail me. I'll send you a version that doesn't mention it. Also omitted will be the last paragraph - this leads into the next story, which deals much more heavily with issues of rape and can't have everything deleted without drastically changing the plot. Sorry. Author's Note: Set during Season 3 of BtVS. The second part of the Shattered Souls trilogy. Also, I know Angel had his soul before the 2nd World War. But for the purpose of this story - it's a time I can write more accurately about, so I really don't care. Oh, and if you're wondering about the significance of a golden aura, you create it when you want to meet your Guardian Angel for advice. It doesn't occur otherwise, but I thought it was fitting. And yes, Anya and Xander are together a little ahead of time. Deal with it. Spoilers: 'Killed by Death'. Distribution: Just let me know where it's going. Feedback: Do I have to beg? lucy.harris9@btinternet.com
Chapter 1
Willow paced nervously outside Buffy's hospital room. She wanted to talk to Angel about it first. Admittedly, it was dangerous, but she had a feeling Buffy and Angel would go for it.
* * * * * *
"I'll be back, tonight, okay? They reckon you'll be allowed to come home tomorrow, so I'll be you then as well." Angel leaned over and kissed Buffy's forehead. "See you soon."
"'Bye."
And Angel was forced by the rising sun to back regretfully out of the room.
* * * * * * "Angel!" Willow bounded up to him and said simply, excitedly, "I have something to tell you."
"Sure. I have to get home now, but we can talk tonight."
"No! It's been long enough! Besides, I want to talk away from Buffy."
"It involves Buffy?"
Willow nodded.
"Come by the mansion when it's light. We can talk then." With that, Angel turned and left Sunnydale District Hospital, wondering what could be so important. and so desperate.
* * * * * *
Buffy ran from the demon, as she had fled from that guy at her cousin's Halloween party all those years ago. before Celia had died. 'That guy' had, of course, been nothing to fear, and she had been surprised rather than scared, just as she was now. She felt no fear when she realised she couldn't get away, nor even when it reached down to snap her neck. She felt nothing inside. Despite her cries of agony, she felt nothing - not even her love for Angel pierced the wall blocking her mind from her soul.
Buffy's eyes flew open, and the girl stared up at the yellow ceiling of the hospital. Drenched in a cold sweat, she lay quaking until the nurse came in the next morning.
* * * * * * "It's a spell, an' it'll bind your soul to you, so the curse won't apply. But."
"But what, Willow?"
"It kinda requires some weird things."
"You think you might not be able to get them?"
"No. You just won't like them. See, the spell will only work if you don't have a soul, and then there's this thing where."
Angel's entire being dreaded what was coming next. He realised now that Buffy might be involved in more than just their relationship, at least as far as this was concerned.
"Where?" he prompted hesitantly.
"Where you have to drink the love of a loved one. Or, specifically, 3 pints of your true love's blood. As in, 3 pints of Buffy's blood. When Angelus is in control."
"No!" Angel gasped. "I won't risk her life like that! I wouldn't stop, she'd end up dead if she was lucky!"
Willow studied Angel's determined face before responding.
"Firstly, it wouldn't be you who tried to kill Buffy. Secondly, I thought you'd say that, so I looked for something to help. I found another spell, but this one will separate you body from Buffy's until the other spell is complete. If it looks like he's taking too much, I'll just do that."
"Look, I'll talk to Buffy about it, okay? But I'm not promising anything."
Willow nodded her agreement, praying quietly that they'd agree. It would break Buffy's heart if Angel told her he wouldn't do it.