After

Prologue

Spike

The glare of the sun burns his eyes. Spike got on his feet and ran into nearby shadows. His head hurt but he didn't remember drinking last night. Then everything comes back to him. The final showdown against Wolfram and Hart. He remembered seeing the fiery breath of the dragon closer then he wanted too. Angel slicing his way through the hordes of demons, Gunn fighting not only for his own survival, but the survival of humankind. Illyria demolishing everything in her path. The thirty thousands demons. Everything until that bright flash of light. He should try to find the others, see if they were still alive. But it would have to wait till the night had fallen. Then he remembers that he woke in the sunlight. How long had he been there? He look at the sun, the sky was darkening. He had spent most of the day in the sun, and he wasn't burnt to a crisp. He grinned. It meant that he was human at last. They had won, and he was human. He could be with Buffy. He could see the sun rise and set. He took a step in the sun. Nothing happened. He took another step, still nothing. He was human. He looked at things in the light of the day.

Everything was brighter, more colorful, and more alive. His stomach growled. No need to feed on blood anymore. He was alive, and hungry. He started looking for a restaurant when he realized he didn't have any money.

"Bloody hell, that's just my luck, I'm alive only to starve." he muttered under his breath.

Well, he could always beg for food. No it was to degrading. He was about to seriously consider stealing food when someone walked to him. Short, black eyes and dark hair. He was dressed in an old fashion that made Spike want to gag.

"Who are you?" asked Spike.

"The name's Whistler." he replied, "I bet you're hungry eh Spike? . . . Or is it William now?"

Spike stared in surprise.

"How do . . . how . . . what are you?

The man named Whistler smiled.

"As I told you before, I'm Whistler, I am a demon . . ." he started.

"A demon!" the blond man shouts.

"A good demon, I'm here to help you."

"That's bloody likely." he muttered.

"That's what I do. I'm your guide. You're not human yet, only halfway there, as is Angel. Something happened. Only one vampire with a soul could become human if he stop the Apocalypse, however, there was a complication. No one expected you to get your soul back for the Slayer. We're in a bit of a problem right now you see. The Powers That Be are in a dilemma and well, since there was only one humanity to give, you and Angel split the price." he explained.

"I don't see the problem, what's wrong with giving me and Angel total humanity?

"You know about the balance between good and evil. If the Powers That Be had done that, well it would have open a door for the First to act directly as it did before. You understand why they didn't want that to happen."

"I see, but then what is the problem with being half-human?"

"Against the laws. The First evil is stirring again and the Powers That Be decided to let only one of you become human, the other one will stay a vampire. My role is to make sure you become the lucky one."

"What about Angel?"

Whistler simply smiled.

Angel

Angel woke up in a dark room. Little light filtered from under the door. The air was humid and to the former vampire embarrassment, he was naked. He heard conversation on the other side of the door. He got on his feet slowly and tried to listen but it was to low for him to make out.

"I'd dress if I was you mate, who knows what's on the other side of the door." said a familiar voice.

Angel turned around, unbelieving, he was dead, a heroic and stupid death. In the gloom, he could make only the silhouette of the speaker.

"That's right Angel, I'm back on your team, in a manner of speaking."

The Irish accent was unmistakable. It was he, the half-demon to whom he owned so much.

"Doyle?" Angel spoke hesitantly.

"Yes it's me. Well, my soul anyway." Doyle said.

"I thought you were dead." Angel retorted.

"Well I am, in a fashion. I work with the Powers That Be. You know them, they refused to let me stay dead, they brought me back to help you, in a way, and I'm alive, in my old body. The advantage is I don't have my demonic side and the cooler part, I can help you fight the bad guy directly. By the way, Cordy sends her love."

Angel was stunned beyond words. Doyle, back again, the person who had helped him get a grip on himself. To help him what? Wasn't he human? Hadn't he stopped the Apocalypse? Then he remembered signing it away.

"I'm still a vampire aren't I?" he said.

"No, the signing was phony, you signed Angel, but your real name is Liam, the signature was a void. Meaningless."

"I'm human?" He asked, not daring to believe in his good-luck.

Doyle shook his head and repeat what Whistler had said to Spike. When he was finished, he grinned at Angel.

"As I said, you might want to get dressed before they open the door, it's easier to confront someone if you're dressed.

And he disappeared with that. Angel found some clothes and dressed up in a hurry. As he finish tying his shoe, the door opened slowly.