Author's notes: Remember this year's Angel season finale, To Shanshu in LA or something like that? And the prophesy that said after Angel kicked a lot of demon ass he would become human? Well, this story is basically about what Zoey thinks about it…it's a lot better than it sounds…a lot. And, in this story I bring up a few events a people that belong to other stories and such that I haven't posted. First of them being Scott McDaniels…I explain him in the story, so, don't worry about him. The second of them being a weapon, a scythe actually…you'll find out about that in a story I'm almost ready to post. So, without further adu…enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Angel characters; they are property of Joss Weadon. I only own Scott, Zoey and Raiden owns Evita..so don't sue.
The Worst of Fears
I passed blue and white tile that formed the pattern of diamonds as I walked down the hallway. I looked down at the small wooden box I held with two hands; to insure it's safety. The box had burned-in carvings of the four elements: Earth, wind, water and fire, through the keyhole; a small blue light glowed. What the box contained was important…especially it's cause, the thought of it caused me to smile…something I haven't done in years.
I turned and looked at the door that now stood in front of me; the numbers 244 engraved in it. I sighed heavily before I knocked on the door. It seemed like hours before I got a response, but hours...time itself is nothing to me. " Come in." A tired and aged voice said. The voice of the person disgusted me in a way, it was…the way that it showed that it took effort to say two one-syablle words, that it belonged to a person that old.
I opened the door and stepped inside. The room was hardly decorated at all; a Celtic cross hung over a twin bed covered in daffodil colored sheets, beside the bed was a wooden brown table, a vase of flowers set upon it, the last items in the room were a window and a wheelchair, the wheelchair turned to stare out of the window.
"Angel?" I asked the wheelchair. The wheelchair turned to show the person who occupied the chair; I looked down at the floor away from the horrorific sight that was my brother.
Angel looked about 80 years old...maybe older than that. His hair had turned white and balded; leaving a few patches on his head, which was ridden with liver spots, as did the rest of his skin. Resting on the arms of the wheelchair were Angel's hands, the skin had seemed to sunken in, only to leave his veins and bones to stick out. As I looked into his eyes, they were hardly visible underneath the masses of skin called wrinkles. They also covered his skin…most specially his face; eyes and cheeks. The only factor that remained of the Angel that I knew was his nose, Evita said it was a nose that could sink the Titanic, she was right.
"Zoey? You're supposed to be in Greece…at least, that's according to your postcards." Angel said, gesturing to the stack of cards and letters that also rested on the table beside the bed.
"I was…but I decided to leave early, Scott's taking care of things." I said simply.
Angel searched for his mental file of Scott, " Scott…Scott McDaniels? The Scottish Immortal?"
" Yeah, that's him." Scott had always been a good friend of mine ever since we met at the Watcher's Council. He visited me…many, many years ago and found out I was a vampire, and left. But once Angel became human, he traveled with me, Evita and Penn; fighting a little demonic activity here and there, I seemed to take Angel's place; just like the prophecy said. I never wanted to take over Angel's job; right now I'd rather be outside in an alley eating some guy in his early 20's…then after that, I'd go and kill something with a new weapon. But, I realized a long time ago, that I have to take matters in my hands, sometimes.
" Nice guy." Was all the old man said.
I looked down at the ground, then to the box I held," Angel, I need to ask you something."
He waved his hand as if he was brushing something off his chair, " Ask away."
I didn't look up at my brother as I spoke, only at the box, " Um. I was...um, thinking…would you be, willing to….um-"
"Spit it out Zoey, I'm not going to live forever." Angel joked. He must have loved those six words, 'I'm not going to live forever', his smile told it all.
" And that's just it." I snapped back," You're not going to live forever…and, well, I conjured this." I opened the box to reveal a blue orb; it shined magnificently and cast a blue glow on the surrounding walls.
" What is it?" Angel asked, his eyes transfixed on the ball of light.
" It'll change you back to what you were, all you need to do is touch it." I explained vaguely on purpose.
Angel's reaction to it wasn't what I had expected; his eye brows scrunched together and his tone of voice had gone from friendly to harsh," Back to what I was…Back to a miserable vampire with a soul? To be tormented for eternity?"
" Please," I begged, holding the box closer towards him" Please, Angel, do it for me."
" For you?" He said staring at me coldly," You are selfish beyond anything else."
Words don't harm me at all; people who say things like that to me, I say...well, I really don't say anything to them because I eat them or kill them, either way works for me. But Angel knew that, and he knew how to get to me, which is exactly what he did; each word he said hit like a punch in the stomach. Selfish, I'm not selfish. I do to much for people to be even called selfish," I'm not selfish!" I yelled at the old-timer, as I stamped my foot in frustration.
" Then why? If not for you, who then?"
"I'm…lonely. I need someone who I can talk to, and I need someone who'll be around for centuries." I said quietly.
" What about Penn, or Scott or Evita?"
" No!" I yelled again, then catching myself I explained the rest in a softer tone," You don't understand. I need family, someone who knows me and not just what I am."
" There are descendants of Liams; all over this world. It could be an adventure, you could blow off a decade or two searching for them." He suggested.
" No, you still…I need my brother back." I simply said, turning my head to the side.
" I'm here…oh." Angel realized what I meant.
" See? Please…" I held the orb up again, making another attempt.
" No, Zoey…." Angel trailed off. He got a funny look on his face and put his hand on his beating heart.
What was he doing? What was happening? " Angel, what's going on?" I said quickly, my voice filled with worry.
Angel looked up at me with a face I'll never forget and said, " I guess you won't have to worry about me controlling your eating habits; you'll have to learn right from wrong on your own now, sis." Angel's eyes rolled up in his head and the sound of his heart that had pounded in my ears stopped, leaving the room in an eerie silence.
" Angel?" I said in a pained voice, gulping down tears, " Angel?"
I shook my head violently and backed away from the corpse as tears flowed from my eyes," No. No. No. No." I took a step towards Angel; knelt and took one of his hands into mine, " Angel! Don't leave me! Don't leave me, Angel! Don't…leave…me…here… alone."
Suddenly, the door opened to reveal Penn; I ran up and hugged him, I rested my head on his shoulder as I cried out the death of my brother. I could feel Penn looking at the dead body of the once Scourge of Europe; he nodded towards the body," Goodbye teacher."
There were a few seconds of silence as Penn and I stood there speechless; then the door opened again and five nurses files in. Doctors and technicians followed; they pushed us out of the room so they could do their business and get it over with. We were herded out of the room and into the hallway with blue and white tile in a diamond pattern………….
I shot straight up in bed; clumps of hair were glued to my face with sweat, and I slowly pulled them away. I looked around and saw that I was were I had also been, my bedroom in the mansion in Sunnydale. I looked at my clock 2:03 AM, and then outside, it would be five hours till dawn.
I looked at my pillow; it was just a dream, just a nightmare, " Just a dream." I said out loud to justify that what had happened in my sleep hadn't in real life.
I got out of bed and slipped on a blue silk robe; I walked out of my room and made my way to Angel's. I stood in the doorway and watched my big brother sleep; he tossed and turned in a sleepless sleep. The horrifying images of Hell tormenting him through the night.
The awful accounts of what had happened in my dream drifted into my mind and I made a decision. From now on, I will do anything and everything to make my dream not happen…including Angel's humanity.
I walked away from Angel's room and back into mine. I dressed quickly and walked out of the mansion; grabbing my sythe as I did so. Before I started my hunt, I looked back at the mansion; I nodded, nothing like my dream is ever going to become reality. With that thought in mind, I looked at the blade of my scythe and then out to the city below, Sunnydale.