Title: Challenge Fic: Finders Keepers 1/?
Author: Wendy
Email: wendy@immortalbliss.co.uk
Disclaimer: Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel belong to one, Mr Joss Whedon.
Rating: Same as the show. Any chapters rated more than that will be clearly labelled.
Summary: A spell goes awry leaving Buffy with an interesting dilemma on her hands.
Pairing: B/A with mentions of C/A and B/S.
Distribution: If you want it, I'm flattered. Just let me know first. This story will be archived at my site
Feedback: Yes, please.
Author's note: This is a response to a challenge issued by Cat earlier this year (thanks to Cat for jolting my memory).

Chapter One

Lilah Morgan stifled a yawn. She had been standing in this dirty warehouse for a long time, and for the work-obsessed lawyer, this dull night was not getting any shorter.

"Come on, how long is this supposed to take? I've got a 6am start tomorrow," Lilah demanded impatiently, all the time looking pointedly at her watch.

There was no answer. She need not have bothered. As her former boss Holland Manners had once said, these rituals take time.

Too much time, she thought sternly to herself. She wanted this done - and now. She had been waiting a long time to nail this one, and now more than ever, she needed to do this. Her ass was on the line, big time. After the mess-up with Connor returned the once harmless baby as a powerful ally to his father Angel, the Senior Partners wanted Angel weakened and for good. If it didn't happen, Lilah knew the results wouldn't be pretty; at least for her. And she liked the way things were right now, thank you very much.

She nervously focused on the circle of robed demons before her, and the strange red glow beginning to emanate from the orb in the centre of the circle. As the chants became more frenzied, the glow pulsed, spilling from the orb and flooding the dark warehouse with eerie reddish light. Lilah crept back, shielding her face, at the same time, barely containing the urge to throw herself into the light. Then the chants stopped. The orb went dark - then shattered. A scream almost escaped Lilah's lips, but quickly grabbing her composure, Lilah clapped her hand across her mouth.

And in her heart, she only hoped it would work.

Her usual impenetrable confidence slipping, Lilah glanced in askance at the head demon.

It nodded at her, then imperiously left the warehouse, leaving its minions to clear up after it.

And finally, Lilah smiled - a cold, heartless grimace. It was good to be her.

**********************

Waiting seemed to be the order of the day. Buffy lazily tapped her fingers upon the kitchen table, her other hand absently ruffling her shortish blonde hair. Xander was due to come round and pick Buffy up so that they could go to see Willow. Ever since the terrible events of last spring when Willow had gone off the rails, turning to the darkness to avenge Tara's murder, Buffy had never known what to say to her best friend. Even though she knew Willow regretted what she did, the brutal murder of Warren, she wasn't sure there was any way back for Willow. When Buffy looked into Willow's eyes, she did not feel she knew her anymore. There was a darkness there, as if all that was good in Will had been forever tainted. It didn't matter that Will had forever sworn to stay away from magic, or that she had exiled herself away in a magic rehab sanctuary from everything she had ever loved to get clean. The memory of Warren's horribly disfigured corpse hanging limply between two ropes forever burned in Buffy's mind whenever she thought of Will, of how much she had sounded like her evil vampire doppelganger.

Buffy wished Xander would hurry up.

Just then, a horn blasted from outside. Buffy looked up in anticipation - Xander was here. He rarely came in the house now. It was too painful a memory of everything that had happened, with Tara, with Willow. Snatching her bag, Buffy scanned the kitchen, checking the note she had left Dawn was in place. At 16, she knew Dawn was more than capable of making herself dinner, but still Buffy worried. Things had improved for the two sisters since Dawn had made Buffy realise where they had both been going wrong. It was as they battled side by side against the animated corpses Willow had sent against them, that Buffy realised what her role should be: Dawn did not need to be protected from the world - she could already more than hold her own. What Dawn wanted from Buffy was a big sister, who would tell her the best way to get her crush's attention and what to wear on her first date. As Dawn matured, Buffy knew Dawn's needs would change, but fundamentally Buffy knew she would never be Dawn's mother. For all those big days in the future, the first heartbreak, Senior Prom, High School graduation and Dawn's wedding day, there would be no mom to bask in the pride, to kiss away the tears and make Dawn feel like a safe little girl again. All there would be is Buffy, who for all her strong protectiveness towards Dawn, knew it would not be enough.

Still Buffy was glad Dawn would have the company of Janice tonight. She was sure anything that Dawn could get up to with her best friend would be nothing compared to the scrapes Dawn had gotten herself into with a certain soulless vampire...

Pushing that thought out of her mind, Buffy dashed out of the house and leapt into Xander's car. He flashed her a heartbreaking smile and Buffy more than anything wanted her old Xander back. Reaching out, she grasped Xander's large hand in hers, squeezing tight. He turned his head towards her, his earnest brown eyes looking tired and worn.

"Let's go, Buff. Time's a-wasting."

Buffy merely nodded her head, as Xander pulled the car out onto Rovello Drive.

With the Sanctuary 30 minutes away, it would be the longest 30 minutes of her life.

**********************

He was thinking of her again. Not in the way he used to; there were no frown lines there. He had come to a sort of compromise with himself. If he wanted to have a half-bearable eternity, he had to let some things go. That was quite an achievement for Angel, he whom had made brooding an art form for so many years.

Still, he knew it did no good pining for a woman who did not really want him. It was just so hard seeing her every day - her being so close and yet so unobtainable to him. Still his feelings for Cordelia warmed a heart that had been broken for so long. He didn't need her to reciprocate.

Knowing she was fond of him and would always love him in her own way was enough for now. It kept away memories of what the pain of love could do, of the day Willow's crumpled face had spelled the end of all the dreams he had ever had. Cordy taught him in the smallest of ways that life goes on - whatever happens, things never stay the same. For such a young woman, Cordy was wise beyond her years.

Knowing he had made no progress in his research on the latest prophecy regarding Connor, Angel shut the dusty tome resignedly. Having a teenaged feral warrior for a son, who had been trained to hate your guts by your enemy, made fatherhood less than joyful. Still he loved Connor with all of his being, and was determined never to give up however hard it became.

Through his persistence, Angel had managed to convince Connor that the mindless destruction of all his father held dear was not what Connor truly wanted. It had taken Angel's near death to prove this. After this, they had formed an uneasy alliance, based on Angel avoiding the pointy end of Connor's ever-ready stake.

Angel flicked the light off on the desk lamp, and moved towards the window. It would be night soon in this glitzy city, his favourite time. It was at this time he could fight and forget. He could lose himself in the battle. All that had happened would become a distant memory.

"Angel."

Angel turned round, giving his former friend a cool glance. It was never easy seeing Wesley. His response was curt.

"What do you want?"

Wesley swallowed hard, but stood his ground.

"There's been talk... on the streets - about you. It's not good."

A bitter laugh escaped Angel's lips, as he merely stared belligerently at Wesley. Wesley shook his head sadly at Angel. "I know you don't trust me, but you-", Wesley began.

Angel slammed his fist hard against the wall. "Why should I? You stole my son."

Wesley took a step forward, never more keenly aware of the damage his good intentions had caused. Angel did not turn around.

With simple honesty, Wesley told Angel, "There's not a minute I don't regret what happened and wished I'd done things differently. I just wish I knew how to make amends for what I did. But I don't. You'll never forgive me."

Angel continued to stare at the wall his fist had smashed, Wesley's words making no impact in his heart.

Wesley turned, beginning to walk away. As he reached the door, he paused and glanced back at Angel. His voice sharp, he warned Angel, "Just watch your back. You're going to need to." Then he left.

Angel braced himself against the wall, anger coursing through his body. He fought hard to keep the demon back, to stop the golden glow igniting his dark eyes.

Then it hit him. Angel felt his mouth go dry, the convulsions wracking through his body. It all went black... leaving Angel collapsed on a heap on the floor.

**********************

The mansion was quiet, eerily so. Four years of dust and forgotten memories clung to the walls that had once been Angel's home. The air shimmered with longing and hopes long gone, heavy as if holding its breath. Then the rumbling began.

The body slammed to the ground. Bathed in sweat, a naked male form trembled, curling into himself. Face contorted in agony, the large man stared with terror at the world around him.

Somewhere in the shattered remains of his mind, he knew he was back.

Feedback please? wendy@immortalbliss.co.uk

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