Chapter 3 White Horse
A/N: This is an interesting chapter because we get Faith. Yes, good old Faith and from the preview I gave you at the end of Book 2 you can pick up the tension between Angel and Faith. Oh yes, their relationship will be very different, black and white, night and day. So Enjoy.
When everything turns to black
You don't know where to go
You need something
To justify your soul
Silence is broken
Confidence is gone
Everything you're holding on to
Falls
All the people selling truths
On every corner now
The wait until the fear
Has knocked you down
All the rules are changing now
You're living in sin
Everything around you is caving in
All you're holding on to
Slipping like water through your hands
And you sing
La la la la
La la la la
La la la la la
Ya you sing
La la la la
La la la la
La la la la la
Far off in the distance
Somewhere you can't see
Allegiances have formed your destiny
Opposition all around
Feeding off your soul
Trying hard to swallow up you whole
And the demons all around you waiting
For you to sell your soul
They're singing
La la la la
La la la la
La la la la la
They're singing
La la la la
La la la la
La la la la la
Oh la la la la la
Oh la la la la la
La la la la
La la la la
La la la la
Song Black sung by Kari Kammel
Another day of school was here but Angel has yet to start. While waiting whether he was going back to Sunnydale High or being homeschooled Willow kept him up to speed with class work. Later tonight was an away game that they were going to since it wasn't on the Sunnydale high school property. Today was a big day for the Seniors, a day all Seniors wait for next to graduation, off campus lunch. Willow stood on the last step before leaving the campus smiling.
"I'm giddy," Willow smiled and Oz nodded.
"I like you giddy, always have." He added.
"It's the freedom as Seniors we can go off campus for lunch. It's no longer cutting. It's legal heck it's expected." She smiled looking out. "It's a big step forward a Senior moment that has to be savored." Willow explained and Oz saw Xander and Cordelia walking to them holding hands. Willow was talking about leaving but it didn't mean she was actually going to do it. Oz linked arms with Willow and Xander took her other arm and dragged her. "Oh no I can't!"
"Oh yes you can." Xander walked with his sunglasses on with Cordelia smiling.
"What if it's trap?" Willow asked.
"It's not now relax as our ride is waiting." Xander assured her as a black mustang pulled up with Angel in it. "Damn, that's a sexy car."
"I like the purr." Oz added as Willow seemed to let up a little. She noticed how she and Oz along with Cordelia and Xander were holding each other. "Maybe we shouldn't be so cuddly around Angel."
"Oh, you mean how the only person he ever loved turned into a vicious killer and had to be put down like a dog?" Cordelia asked and she was ruining the happy moment.
"Can she cram complex issues into a nutshell or what?" Xander asked and the four put some distance between them as they got closer and Angel got out of the car. "Nice shades man." Xander added seeing Angel in some aviator sunglasses. "Shot gun!" Xander called out.
The A-Team stopped at a local diner and went in, got a table, ordered some food and now were eating on classic cheeseburgers and fries. It was really cool to be out having lunch like this. It opened up with them just being teens and good friends. They joked and laugh. Some fries were thrown at each other and there was clapping to jokes. Angel wasn't fully back but this was helping, he was surrounded by the people who loved him the most, his family.
"So, Snyder budge yet?" Xander asked finishing up his fries.
"Have a meeting tomorrow with the rat man." Angel answered drinking his coke.
"You'll get back in and then it'll be like old times." Willow smiled and then looked up seeing a girl walking in. "Oh, it's Carol, she likes you." Willow told Angel but she wasn't the only girl in school that liked him and now that he was deemed a bad boy and a Senior the line went out the door to date him. "She likes that thing you do with your mouth." Then everyone looked to her and then Willow caught herself. "No, not the bad thing I mean that half smile you do, you're supposed to stop me when I ramble." She turned to Oz.
"I like it when you ramble." Oz stated and Angel looked over to Carol as she went to sit with some people.
"She's cute," Xander started.
"Yeah," But the tone that Angel gave off meant that wasn't going to happen.
"Oh come on, you know you like it," Xander went at it and then Angel kicked him under the table and Xander laughed as it was supposed to be light tap but Angel was a slayer so Xander's laugh turned into a little bit of pain.
"So, after the game we going to the Bronze?" Cordelia asked and Angel shrugged.
"Not like I have homework." Angel meant yes.
Sunnydale won the game and the night at the Bronze felt like all was well. But when alone he felt lost. Angel was at the Bronze holding Buffy; she was in his arms as they danced. She then pulled away looking up at him and he looked down at her. She wasn't in white anymore. It was the same dress but red. Angel then saw a white horse walk into the Bronze and it stared at him. The white horse then walked away and he turned back to Buffy.
"I miss you." Angel whispered to her and she smiled a little looking up at him and they interlocked their fingers together. Just then they heard a clink and looked down seeing Angel's ring fell to the ground. Buffy pulled away and bent down and picked up and looking to Angel. A flash happened and it went to the day when he killed her. "I had to." He defended himself and she squeezed her hand so tightly that Angel saw blood in her hands.
"I loved you," She had tears in her eyes.
"Buffy," He went to embrace her and she backed away.
"Go to hell!" She yelled at him and the tears covered her face. "I'm there right now." Then blood came from her chest where Angel stabbed and her tears turned into blood.
Angel shot up in bed looking around his room. He looked at the time and sighed as the alarm just went off. He reached over and turned it off and then saw the ring on his finger. He took it off for a moment and sighed. She was in hell he knew that and a demon confirmed it. Angel got up putting the ring back on and looked out the window hoping to see her ghost or whatever it was standing there but all he saw was an empty lawn. Something made him uneasy about the dream. She was in red not white.
Angel went to his bookshelf and found the psychology book he had taken from Buffy's place. It was a psychology book on dreams, The Subconscious Psychosis of Dreams. Angel turned to the table of context and wanted to know the meaning of red and perhaps the meaning of something from going white to red. He flipped through the pages and found the meaning of colors.
'White represents purity, perfection, peace, innocence, dignity, cleanliness, awareness, and new beginnings.' Angel read from the book and then looked up the color red. 'Red is an indication of raw energy, force, vigor, intense passion, aggression, power, courage, impulsiveness and passion. The color red has deep emotional and spiritual connotations.' Angel then remembered a white horse. Lately he sees the horse walking alone or Buffy is guiding it.
'Angel walked down an empty hall hearing his footsteps echo. He looked behind him and the hall looked like it was going on forever behind him. When he looked forward again he saw Buffy all in white. He stopped as she started to walk to him holding reins of a white horse.'
The white horse started to appear in his dreams about a week ago. Then last night was the first time Buffy was in red. Angel was skimming through some other pages and then found something. 'White Horse: Linked to instinct, purity and the drive of the physical body to release powerful and emotional forces, like rage with ensuing chaos and destruction.' Could going from white to red with a white horse mean something? Was Buffy trying to tell him something beyond the grave through his dreams? Angel closed the book and sighed knowing he needed to get ready for the meeting. Afterwards he knew Giles would be on campus so maybe he could ask him about his dreams.
Angel headed into the school library and it was empty. He knew Giles was here because on the counter were jars of spices, herbs and extracts. Then Willow popped from behind the counter and smiled at Angel.
"Angel, what are you doing here?" She asked and Giles came from his office.
"I see Snyder has let you back in." Giles stated and Angel nodded and Willow clapped.
"I have to make up my last two tests from last year, get a recommendation from a teacher and not fall below a two point five GPA." Angel added.
"Is all that possible?" Giles asked sounding concerned.
"The last two test were English and History, I can do that blind folded. My last two History teachers loved me and GPA is a four point O." Angel answered and Giles nodded meaning there was no concern at all. "So, what's this science project?"
"It's a binding spell for Acathla." Giles answered.
"I thought Acathla was dormant?" Angel was confused and Giles nodded.
"Oh, yes he is but this will assure he remains so. Willow will read the incantations as prep the ingredients which since you are here," Giles took out a notepad. "Can you recount what happened that day when you closed Acathla?" And Angel's heart started to race.
"I, Elizabeth opened Acathla when you left, we fought, I overpowered her, ran a sword through her and sent her into the vortex." Angel answered. "Took like ten minutes or less."
"Ok," Giles wrote that down not asking anything further.
"Uh, Giles I do need to speak to you," Angel needed to understand his dreams and he looked to Willow who was just standing there. "Alone,"
"Oh, right, don't mind me, have to leave to met Oz anyways. See you at the Bronze tonight?" Willow asked and Angel nodded and she left.
"My dreams about Buffy have been changing and last night was the biggest." Angel started and Giles nodded. "All of my dreams about her have been like guiding me and being nice. Last night she told me to go to hell and last night was the first time she was in red and there was blood."
"Interesting," Giles was interested.
"Also the past week since coming a white hours has appeared in my dream. Sometimes she leads it sometimes it just walks around." Angel finished and Giles was thinking. "I looked up the colors and meanings in The Subconscious Psychosis of Dreams."
"You're reading that?" Giles asked.
"Its Buffy's book she has lots books some you might like, anyways I looked up the colors. White is purity and new beginnings and red is angry, passion. The white horse is physical emotions like rage." Angel was thinking as he talked and Giles was interested that he remembers so much from his dreams and that he was willing to try and understand their meanings. "She told me to go to hell and said she was there."
"Being sucked into Acathla she would be." Giles confirmed it. "Elizabeth was not a saint by any means. I do pity her because of her childhood. Her father was a drunk and abused her verbally and physically and most likely sexually." Angel didn't want to hear that last part but it made sense why most of her hate was put on men and why she hates.
"I was in a Hell dimension Giles," Angel started. "It was one I got out of but the demon in charge told me that Buffy was there too and he never heard screams like that." Now Giles was really interested. "How many dimensions of hell are there?"
"Dozens maybe more," Giles started. "Each dimensions is meant for a purpose based on the person. Hell itself as we know it, fire, brimstone is not at all what we think." Angel looked confused. "As the world believes Hell is actually not mentioned in the bible but a handful of times. We get our concept of Hell through great writers and poets like Dante Alighieri. Dante' Inferno describes Hell as having nine levels,"
Giles then started to walk and Angel followed him up the stairs. Giles had the book here in the library and if Angel was interested and wanted to read it he could. Angel wanted to know more because if he managed to get out of a hell dimension then maybe he can find a way to get Buffy out. He needed to find the one she was in first.
"Each level has a certain punishment according to what sin was caused," Giles found the shelf and took the book out and handed it to Angel. "You have limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery. If Elizabeth is there then she's somewhere in the seventh to ninth." Giles sighed. "She was sucked into a Hell dimension on another plain and if what you said the demon telling you she was there or somewhere there then," Giles wasn't sure how upset Angel could get from this. "She's suffering great torment."
"But my dreams going from purity to anger?" Angel asked.
"If she's is returning in the manifestation as a dream and you are moving on, overcoming your guilt it might be her way or even your own that you don't want to let go." Giles finished and Angel nodded. Either it was Buffy getting mad that he was overcoming his grief or himself getting mad that he was and shouldn't be. "It's ok to let go."
Angel grabbed the drinks and headed over to some couches and saw Willow and Oz making out. Cordelia and Xander were dancing it was a typical night at the Bronze. Angel sat down and cleared his throat causing Willow and Oz to finally breathe again. He handed them their drinks and they touched glasses for a moment and took a sip.
"Passed your tests?" Willow asked and Angel nodded, they were easy and he had a feeling the teachers made them easy so he could pass.
"All caught up now I'm a Senior, wow we're Seniors." It was hitting Angel now that in less than a year he'll be graduating.
"I know," Willow sounded giddy then Cordelia and Xander came over.
"Check out slut-o-rama and disco Dave," She started and they all looked over seeing a girl, brown hair, brown eyes dancing very slutty like with a man dancing very well disco like. All of them kind of had to giggle at the guy's moves. But after sometime Angel started to pick up on something. His skills picking up vampires came back to him like riding a bike and he looked to his team. Slut-o-rama and disco Dave started to leave and Angel downed his cup and got up with his over coat floating behind him.
"Here we go," Xander added and the A-Team all filed behind him. They were officially back and it was time to save a girl and kill a vampire. They left the Bronze and went outside and heard something. Angel ran to it but saw the girl punch the vampire away. She didn't take off running either as the vampire went after her and she kicked him. She then turned to Angel.
"It's ok I got it, you're Angel right?" She asked and Angel didn't say anything as the vampire charged at her and grabbed her. She slammed her head against the vampire and smiled. "I'm Faith," She introduced herself and then threw the vampire to a fence.
"I'm going to go out on a limb and say there's a new slayer in town." Oz added as they all watched Faith take down the vampire. Angel then tossed her a small stake and she caught it and staked the vampire. She turned around and walked to him smiling.
"Thanks," She then kept walking swaying her hips. Angel didn't know what to think about her at the moment as she headed back into the Bronze. He followed her and the gang followed him as they gathered back in their corner.
"You're a slayer?" Angel asked sitting down and she nodded. Cordelia already picked up on Faith's reaction to Angel, like all the girls she was undressing him with her eyes.
"Heard about you, first boy slayer find it kind of hot." She added smiling.
"What brings you to Sunnydale?" Angel asked, the last slayer that came he lost someone he loved and that slayer. She then reached for some chips that were on the table and shrugged at the answer.
"Ever notice how hungry and horny you get after slaying?" Faith asked and then everyone turned to Angel wondering if that was true.
"Sometimes I crave a burger when I'm done." And he left it at that.
"I get it." Cordelia called out and looked around. "Not the horny part. Angel you died for like two minutes and that called Kendra, Kendra died and now you're here." She looked to Faith.
"Thanks I didn't put two and two together." That was a dry sarcastic comment Angel made causing Faith to smile. She had that glint in her eye and she was falling for Angel right now. "Why are you here?"
"Watcher had a retreat and skipped out and came here to meet the famous boy slayer." She answered. "You're becoming a legend and I wanted the chance to meet the legend. Angel the first boy slayer. The one who killed the Master, the one who killed the infamous Elizabeth." Angel didn't like the last part but he ignored it. "Uses a bad ass crossbow yeah that's why I came." She smiled. "And it's true you used a bazooka once?"
"Yes," Angel answered.
"So let's play a game, what was your toughest kill?" Faith asked and Angel's mind raced back to the day he stabbed Buffy sending her to hell. That was his toughest kill by far and probably ever will be.
"Haven't had one yet." He lied but he didn't even know this person so she had no reason to know.
"Ok, so I get you guys are on the same page with vampires but what about werewolves?" Oz asked and Faith looked confused.
"Oz is one." Willow answered the confused look.
"As long as you don't come scratching at me I'm good." Faith answered and Oz looked better. "Five by five. Now those vampires they better get to DEFCON one because it's you and me now Angel. You and I are gonna have some fun." She smiled at him but he didn't think this job was for fun.
It was a Sunday and Angel tends to sleep until noon on a Sunday but with Faith here he brought her to Giles to meet and figure something out. Everyone seemed to like Faith but there was something about her he was reading and told him to keep his guard up.
"Well, you'll never be bored here Faith because this is Sunnydale home of the big brew and evil." Willow told the slayer as Angel sat in a chair. Giles then came over and handed Angel something.
"Not sure how big but two people have disappeared from the Sunset Ridge." Giles finished and Angel read the file.
"Guess you and I are patrolling tonight." Angel stated but he wasn't all that thrilled. He should be but he wasn't.
"Cool, see you tonight," And Faith left as Angel sighed and looked up at Giles.
"This new girl seems to have a lot of zest." Giles looked to Angel and he shrugged and put the papers on the table.
"Yup, she does," Angel didn't sound all that thrilled though and Giles picked up on it.
A new slayer in town wasn't the only odd thing occurring. At the broken down factory, which seems to be attracting vampires these days plots were being made in the dark. Angel and Giles burned parts of it down but there was a section still functional. A huge vampire sat at a table needing to know what was happening on the outside.
"Mister Trick, talk to me." The vampire demanded and a black vampire dressed in a very nice suit came over smiling. The vampire called Trick came over.
"This town, this street, wired with fiber optics." He sounded excited about it. "See we jack in a t-3, two hundred twenty five megs. We've got the whole world at our finger tips." Trick explained but the demon didn't seem interested. "If we stay local whether humans are jumpin' and the cotton is high, we live global." Trick smiled. "You know what I mean you get the hankering for blood of fifteen year old Filipinos, express air the next day."
"I want the blood of the slayer." The vampire demanded, that's all he wanted the blood of the slayer.
"Well, there's good news and bad with that." Trick sat down on a beat up sofa. "Rumor has it that this town already has a slayer…a male slayer too." The vampire looked up at him not understanding. "He's pretty good from the rumors, killed the Master and slayed Elizabeth the Scourge." The vampire growled a little. "Rumors hold true that makes two and not sure how that happened," The vampire got up looking furious.
"I don't care if there's a hundred slayers! I'll kill them all!" The vampire yelled. "She's going to pay for what she did to me." The vampire showed him his eye that looked like it was gouged out. "And the boy that'll just add to my reputation." The vampire growled.
"I'll run a check on every hotel and new rental in town, meanwhile until the sun goes down we hang tight." Trick assured him and then there was a knock and Trick put a glove on. "Food's here boys." He announced and before the pizza boy said anything Trick pulled him in and it was time to eat.
Angel came down the stairs of his house holding his coat as his mom started to put dinner away. Angel was hoping to leave now before Faith finds him. He should try to bond with her, get to know her, she was like him the only other slayer.
"Angel," He heard his mom call and he went into the kitchen. "Use you're tallness and muscles please?" She asked and Angel came in to put something up high and then there was a knock at the door. Joyce went to get it and Faith was standing there. "Can I help you?" She asked and Angel came over.
"I'm Faith, Angel didn't mention me?" She asked and Joyce looked to her son. Joyce let her in and Faith looked around the place.
"She's a slayer mom," Angel spoke up and Joyce's eyes widen and she smiled a little.
"Interesting." Joyce sounded intrigued by this. Angel signaled his mom with his eyes to go to the kitchen real fast.
"Be right back." Angel assured Faith as mother and son went into the kitchen. "Yes, she a slayer, yes there are two of us and yes we're about to patrol." Angel hoped that he answered all his mom's questions.
"Two slayers fighting is better than one." Joyce stated and Angel nodded slowly. "Unless," Joyce paused for a moment. "She could take over." He knew she was going to say that. When Kendra came around a small part of him thought about quitting but he didn't for reasons such as people out there count on him even if they don't realize it. He was given a duty because something chose him and he was going to honor it.
"Mom," Angel needed to get going.
"I mean she's good right." Joyce was now living in fear knowing her son was putting his life on the line every night.
"You're not getting a new slayer until the other one dies." Angel then realized what he just said but decided to continue knowing there was no going back. "There's only one slayer at a time."
"You died?" Joyce asked sounding in shock and she went pale. "When? How?" Angel slightly scoffed.
"Two years ago that night at the Spring Fling well I died in the sewers." Angel answered honestly. "I was dead for about two minutes but I did die."
"Who saved you?" Joyce asked so she can find that person and thank them.
"Bu…Buffy saved me." Angel didn't want to talk about and Joyce nodded seeing it.
"Angel, you died." Joyce repeated and it was hitting her that she lost her son for two minutes and Angel could see it. "You died," Angel walked over to her and hugged her. "I don't want you to die." And he felt her wanting to sob.
"I'm ok mom, I promise." He assured her and pulled away. "I got help now." Joyce nodded and smiled.
Angel and Faith walked the streets together not finding anything as he had his crossbow. He did miss his crossbow and he'll admit it. It looked scary enough to warn off evil things, it was quiet and got the job done. Faith liked the crossbow too it made him look very dark and mysterious. She liked how Angel carried himself and got a hint of a bad boy vibe but yet he had a good heart. Finding a man like that these days is hard.
"You seem uptight." Faith broke the silence as they walked down an ally. Angel looked to her but didn't answer the question. "I know you've been slaying for what three years now I get it you're the boss but I get this feeling a bottle in you needs some unscrewing or screwing for that matter." Angel brushed it off and wasn't going to open up to her. He'll be glad when her Watcher comes for her. "Is it the whole Buffy thing?" That made Angel stop dead in his tracks.
"Who told you about Buffy?" Angel demanded.
"You're friends. The gist I got was you fell in love with a vampire, you two got real close, did it to where she lost her soul and killed her." Faith summed it up but it wasn't that easy or simple. "Doing it with a vampire nice Angel." Angel was going to kill all his friends that was a private matter. "You find love and lose it and move on but you haven't yet. Maybe it's all that sexual frustration."
"You don't talk about Buffy anymore, not to me not to my friends. Buffy is off limits to you. You don't need to know everything about me, we're slayers and that's as far as this goes between us." Angel was stern as he towered over her.
"Wow, we are up tight and are you threatening me?" Faith asked with a smile folding her arms.
"Yeah I am. We may be slayers but from I was told we come off an assembly line, I can get another one." Angel was very upset right now and she wasn't helping just making it worse.
"You think you can take me? Kick my ass?" Faith was testing him and Angel brought up his crossbow.
"Don't have to." Which meant Faith better back down right now. Then Angel held up his crossbow and Faith stepped away and he fired and it went passed her and a vampire was dust. Faith turned around as Angel reloaded the crossbow and fired again. Angel vampire charged at Faith and she punched him down.
"We live for Kakistos Angel took out the rest of the vampires with little trouble and then turned to Faith and saw she was still beating the living hell out a vampire. He was subdued and should be killed. Angel walked over to her and kicked her away, stood over the vampire and fired at point blank.
"What the hell is wrong with you!" Angel yelled. "I get it you maybe new at this but we do kill them!" Angel wanted her to leave.
"I had him." Faith protested.
"Yeah and you should have eight six the guy." Angel pointed out.
"Sorry you don't like to beat up vampires." Faith spat back.
"Yeah and maybe you like it just a little too much." Angel got the last word in as he picked up the arrow. "First chance you always take them out never ever pass that up." He pointed the arrow at her and then reloaded his crossbow and went to collect the other arrows.
The next day at school came and Angel burst into the library and into Giles' office. He was startled at Angel's grand entry and could tell his slayer was very, very upset.
After speaking to Giles about what happened and how Faith was slaying wrong he seemed to calm down a little.
"Angel, you and Faith have different fight styles. Yours is very direct and one-dimensional you find that moment, take it and move on. It's a good style means you don't let the opponent take a chance overpowering you. Faith may well, maybe she knows how to beat them down and then defeat them." Giles wasn't siding with either one although he favors Angel's methods. Angel sighed and rubbed his temples.
"She brought up Buffy, made seem like it didn't matter." Angel added.
"She never knew Buffy you need to give her the benefit of the doubt on that. She was repeating what she heard." Giles added. "I know Buffy is not an easy conversion and it's a sensitive topic for you but if you two are going to be working together then you have to work…together." He didn't know how to end that last part. "Anything about the vampires?"
"One told me he lived for toast, he lived for kissing toast." Angel said but the way he said he knew he wasn't pronouncing it right. He was in total slayer mode at that moment so remembering what a vampire says isn't the first thing he thinks to remember. "Or maybe it was taquitos?" Angel looked confused.
"You mean Kakistos?" Giles asked and Angel nodded.
"Not good right?" Angel asked and he knew it.
"Kakistos is Greek, it means the worst of the worst. It's also the name of a vampire so old his hands and feet are cloven." Giles answered and yes it was bad.
"Got a strange feeling that he and Faith are connected." Angel added.
"You sure?" Giles asked going through some books.
"I don't believe in coincidences and leprechauns…for some reason." Meaning Angel felt something.
"You're Irish and don't believe in leprechauns?" Giles asked sound confused.
"Half Irish, mom is middle American." Angel added and Giles nodded but didn't understand the last part. "Leprechauns aren't real right?"
"As far as I know no they are not. Well, I'll do research on Kakistos." Giles spoke up. "I'll try to get a hold of Faith's Watcher and you need to ask Faith if she knows of Kakistos and why he maybe here." Angel nodded and stood up to start his day and oh boy it was going to be a long one.
Night came around and Angel had a bone to pick with Faith as he found her hotel room. He knocked and she answered. She could tell he wasn't pleased about something but then again he seemed to always be upset.
"What brings you here?" Faith tried to sound happy as Angel pushed his way in.
"Kakistos brings me here." Angel answered and when he faced Faith her eyes widen. "Take it you know him. Its funny how he gets here right around the same time you do. You brought him here? Also your Watcher found out she's dead. Now I'm not good at this but I'll try to connect the dots. Kakistos kills your Watcher, you try to kill him fail, run away and now brought him to my town."
"Your town?" Faith asked with a scoff and Angel started to walk closer to her and she backed away.
"Yeah, this is my town, I'm the boss, I run this place, you don't like it then get out and take Kakistos with you." Angel made the conditions clear. "You play by my rules here, put up or shut up and leave." Angel had backed her up into the corner. Faith pushed Angel slightly away and started to pack. "Running won't do anything, I know I've tried."
"Doesn't matter." She started to pack.
"If you just relax I can help." Angel offered. "We don't have to fight alone in this." Angel set the rules but he knew how valuable it would be to have her. Faith didn't say anything and opened the door to leave but stopped. Angel looked over and saw a huge vampire smiling.
"Faith," The vampire growled. Angel was glad he brought his crossbow with and shot at one of Kakistos' men and he kicked the door closed and locked it.
"No! No!" Faith yelled and Angel grabbed her as they ran to the bathroom and he kicked the window out. He helped Faith out and then he followed. Angel grabbed her arm and pulled her along as they ran.
"Pick it up Faith! Cry later!" Angel yelled, he wasn't trying to sound cold but it was true. They ran down an ally and jumped through some broken down pieces of wood and Angel shot up and held out his crossbow ready to fire. "What happened Faith?" He asked her still holding up the crossbow.
"He, he killed her, he killed my Watcher. I was there." Faith was catching her breath. "I saw what he did and I wanted to kill him but I couldn't so I ran." She sobbed and Angel lowered his crossbow and looked to her.
"Slayer rule number one, don't die and it was ok to run." He assured her and she nodded wiping some tears away. "Slayer rule number two, don't get mad just get even." She nodded. "There's two of us now."
"Oh god," Faith saw something and Angel looked behind him. "This is his place." She sobbed and Angel looked around and now it hit him. They were in part of the factory that wasn't burned. This sort of helped since he knew his way around just a little. "He led us here."
"Faith look at me," He put his hand on her cheek. "Look at me, focus, stay alive in here." He then pointed to his head and then put his hand over his heart. "And in here." She nodded and then looked over seeing some vampires. "Go!" Angel pushed her and he followed running right behind her. They came to a room and two vampires jumped out and Angel jumped over Faith and fired at one killing it. Another vampire came out and Angel rolled to the ground and went to fire but it kicked his crossbow away. Angel took out a stake and took him out.
Then Kakistos came out and Faith couldn't hold it together and started to sob. She picked up a pole and went to hit him but he grabbed her wrist and tossed her. Faith got up and started to run as Kakistos followed smiling. Angel jumped to his feet and grabbed a vampire shoving her back and staked her. Angel rolled to the ground and grabbed his crossbow and fired at the last vampire and then went after Kakistos and Faith. He held up his crossbow checking his corners.
Faith wanted to hide and get out as she ran around the factory. She kept as quiet as possible as she snuck around Kakistos hunted her. Faith backed up into someone and she wanted to scream as a mouth covered hers.
"Shh," She heard Angel hush her. He let go and pushed her along through the dark factory and she didn't want to leave his side. If he can kill the Master and kill Elizabeth then he knew what he was doing. She's been slaying for three months he's been slaying for three years she needed to trust him. "We're going to play a little game." Faith nodded.
Kakistos looked around for Faith. He wanted to kill her first and then the boy slayer. He had plans for the boy slayer; string him up to show all the future slayers that they meant nothing. Just then he heard something and smiled as he thought he was nearing in on Faith. He couldn't wait to drain her dry. He rounded a corner and came to a wall and then felt something in his back. He turned around and saw Angel standing there reloading his crossbow and fired again. This happened with the Master, both were so old it would take more than an arrow even a stake. Angel fired again and Kakistos laughed as he made his way to Angel.
"Now!" Angel yelled and fired one more round and Faith jumped out with a huge two by four and rammed it into Kakistos. He looked down in shock and was dust. Faith looked to the empty spot to the thing that killed her Watcher. Angel would have gone in blind rage too if someone ever killed Giles. "You hungry?" Angel asked and Faith nodded.
"Starved." She answered and they left the factory.
In the library Giles announced to the A-Team as they all sat around except for Faith, she was at her hotel room sleeping, that Faith was going to stay here until a new Watcher is found. While Giles was speaking Angel realized that Faith overcame something last night yet she pulled through it. Even though her words were harsh to him maybe it was time to move on from Buffy. Maybe his dreams were telling him to he just wanted to hold onto something, but to what? She was gone forever and there was nothing he could do.
"Buffy was cured," Angel started and everyone looked up at her. Giles took his glasses off and Willow's jaw dropped. "She…she came back before I killed her. I was about to take her out and something went through her." Angel paused as everyone was finally getting that last piece of information that he was holding onto. "She wasn't Elizabeth anymore, she was Buffy again. But, but it was too late and I…I had too. So I told her I…I loved her then I kissed her. Then I killed her." No one knew what to say. "Been holding that back for a long time. But it worked Willow, just to late." Angel then left the library and they knew he needed to be alone.
Willow knew it worked she felt it pass through her but why didn't save Buffy? Did Angel not know? Did he not stall her long enough? There was another secret someone was hiding at this table but he wasn't going to speak up.
"Giles," Willow felt guilty that she caused some of this. If she had left it alone then maybe he would have just killed Elizabeth. "I know you don't like me playing with magic but I need to help with this binding spell." She insisted.
"There is no spell, I knew something was on his chest and there was." Giles headed to office. The spell wasn't real it was Giles' way to get Angel to talk for his own sake. Everything was on the table, the dreams and the death and now he can really move, he can let go.
Angel saw the outside of the mansion and sighed. He slowly made his way into the main room where it all happened and the flood of memories hit him. He fought back the tears as he was finally facing his nightmares and dreams. He stood over the spot where she came back to him, where he held her, where he kissed her and where he killed her. Angel knelt down touching the floor and sighed.
"I'm sorry, you saved my life but I couldn't save yours. Please…please forgive me. I thought there would be more time. I thought I could save you, make it right again between us but it was too late. I'm sorry, I love you Buffy. I miss you but…its time." He then kissed his hand and then placed it on the ground. "Good bye," Angel stood up and took in a deep breath and sighed looking around the dark place. He started for the exit and never wanted to come back.
Three am on the Hell Mouth meant anything can happen. Most people were asleep at this hour. Three am came around and something shook in the mansion off of Crawford street. A bright light appeared and it seemed to spew something from it. A body landed hard on the floor covered in sweat and steam from the heat of hell. The body of a woman coughed and rolled over to her side and opened her eyes but barely. She didn't recognize this place, she didn't even know who she was as she looked around. She got up to her knees and felt the need to feed, she was hungry.
Buffy's back! This is a game changer and I've changed quite a bit on how things are going to happen. Hope you like the tension between Angel and Faith and how he's probably hoping to get a replacement slayer. Angel is very different to Faith than Buffy was, I like it. And yes Angel looking up hell is his way on trying to find Buffy. So with that there's a deeper look into the chapter in the forum with a longer look to chapter 4. I know you're dying for more and it's coming soon. I'll update once I finish typing up chapters 15 and 16 which will be sometime next week so hang in there. Thanks for reading, comments and reviews are welcomed.
Chapter 4 From Hell and Back
"Right, right," Giles took his glasses off and rubbed his forehead. "Please don't, don't be alarmed,"
"What's the apocalypse now?" Angel assumed.
"No, no it's not that it's murder." Giles answered and Angel folded his arms across his chest.
"That's bad but it's something we deal with all the time." Angel reminded his Watcher.
"It happened last night, a student was found in the woods, Jeff Walken." Giles stared and Oz's eyes widen.
"Jeff?" Oz asked making sure he heard right. "I knew him…he was?" Oz then got quiet so the murder was close to home. Angel hated that feeling that someone that was killed was friend to his friends.
"He, he was mauled and," Giles didn't want to put too much detail into it. "He was torn apart."