Special thanks to SMGbest, annekebb4ever, BloodyPasion, Delia Winters, and Angellufy for the reviews and to everyone else who alerted and favorited this. Can't even tell you how happy it makes me that you guys are enjoying this!

Angel didn't show up for a few days after kissing Buffy but she wasn't too concerned. They had left on good terms and now that she had a somewhat better understanding of some of the things he did she was much more prepared for when he did reappear.

It was after school during quarterstaff training when he suddenly appeared on top of the stacks. Buffy and Giles didn't notice him at first and when Giles did finally notice him he frowned heavily.

"I thought you were gone."

Angel, who was sitting on top of one of the stacks reading War and Peace, gently set the book down and leaned back against the wall while his feet dangled and kicked absently. "Good to see you too Giles."

Giles pursed his lips together and went to say something but jumped back when Angel suddenly appeared a foot in front of him. Seeing he had scared him he took a step back and adopted a chastised look, "Sorry."

Giles set down his quarterstaff and glanced at Buffy who was getting a drink of water off the counter, not at all concerned about the angel's sudden reappearance. She had obviously seen him before now. "Did you just teleport?"

Angel shook his head, "Flew, wings are pretty much back. Look Giles…" He paused as he gathered his thoughts. "I want to apologize for last week. You were right that I owed you an explanation and I'm sorry for losing my temper. You've been nothing but good to me, even cared for me instead of taking advantage of the fact that I was a wounded angel. I hope we can move past this."

Giles watched him closely to see if he was insincere in any way but he looked like he was telling the truth. He sighed and removed his glasses before wiping them, "I thank you for your apology Angel but I have a question before I accept it."

Angel cocked his head to show he was listening and waited for the question.

"I believe we've covered quite a bit in conversation but something has been bothering me and I feel I need to just ask you outright." He took a few steps back, "Angel are you evil?"

A crooked smile showed on his lips as he laughed, "You're a brave one I'll give you that. Or crazy. So you ask me this and what if I say I am? What if right now I give you your answer then smite you to the darkest pits of hell where you won't even be able to think of peace because you can't stop screaming?" He watched Giles take another step back and Buffy start to tense. "Or how's this, are you and the slayer evil?"

Buffy instantly shouted, "I am not evil!"

Angel turned his attention to her and continued speaking calmly and in a light tone, "But you kill things. What if what you kill are the ones that deserve to live, or that are supposed to live in the grand scheme and you destroy them because you're choosing to play God? What if you've killed things that weren't evil, they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

Giles frowned heavily as he thought about everything, "You didn't answer the question."

Angel's age was suddenly very apparent in his tone and his eyes, "You'd think heaven and hell would be black and white but its not. There are more shades of gray than you can grasp."

"You're evading the question."

Angel shrugged, "I feel I've given you your answer but you pick out of what I said what you choose. But I'd like to ask you a question, what is evil? Who's to say your version isn't different than mine?"

Buffy watched him closely but wasn't getting hostile vibes off of him to she stayed calm and looked at Giles who looked deep in thought.

"I suppose but I don't think your version is correct. After all my transgressions aren't burned into my skin."

Angel's eyes reddened instantly but he forced himself to stay calm. Giles was baiting him and he knew it, after all he wasn't new to the game. He stared down at the floor and bit his tongue so hard the metallic taste of blood flooded over his taste buds.

Giles watched the angel closely and was surprised that he hadn't attacked verbally or physically at the under the belt comment. "I concede. You provide valid points. I accept your apology." He cleaned his glasses before pulling out a piece of paper, "Would you answer a few more questions for me?"

Angel nodded stiffly with his head down, still trying to rein himself in.

"When you had your… outburst last week the weather changed. Did that have anything to do with you?"

"Virtues control the weather, not Dominions," he said instantly.

Giles eyes narrowed, "That didn't answer my question."

Angel looked anywhere but at Giles, "No. No it didn't."

Knowing he wasn't going to get an answer he sighed again and moved onto a different topic. "So then there really are nine levels of angels?"

The large man nodded, obviously pleased to get away from the topic of himself for a moment. "Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels."

Giles switched into watcher mode and fired off another question, "And you are a Dominion?"

He nodded as Giles recited what he knew from memory, "Dominions regulate the duties of lower angels. It is only with extreme rarity that the angelic lords make themselves physically known to humans. They appear as divinely beautiful humans with a pair of feathered wings."

An amused smile covered Angel's face, "Gee Giles, you think I'm beautiful?"

Buffy watched Giles blush before she coughed trying to hide her laugh. "So the Archangels are towards the bottom? Like Michael and stuff?"

"Yes, drives him crazy. I mean all angels of course serve a purpose and one cannot exist without the others but some are more crucial than others. He used to be a lot more useful than he is now." He let out a small laugh. "He hates me."

Giles, who had been writing furiously looked up, "Why?"

Angel shrugged, "I replaced him. Father brought in younger blood and it more than pissed him off. Pisses him off I'm so much more powerful too. Guy's kind of an ass."

Buffy walked over to the library table and sat down as she pictured an old man pissed off at Angel for taking his job. Her thought were interrupted when Giles asked a very good question, "Why have we never heard of you?"

"Why would you?" Angel countered. "I'm new so I'm not in any bibles and very rarely do I come to earth. It would be strange if you had."

A thought occurred to Giles as he thought about everything he knew about Dominions. "Where is your orb of light?"

"In the pommel of my sword."

Giles frowned, "And where is your sword?"

Angel was silent for a moment obviously trying to decide if he wanted to answer the watcher's question. "It's always with me, just not where you can see it."

Giles finished his notes and tucked them away before looking at Buffy who was sitting at the table watching the two of them interact. "Anything to report Buffy, anything new?"

She shook her head before snapping her fingers, "Angel tell Giles about that he/she demon thing. Alida or whatever."

Angel crossed his arms across his chest, "Abaddon, ever heard of him?"

Giles paled, "He was here? In Sunnydale?"

Angel nodded, "Yes, and I think he's here for me."

Buffy's watcher dropped down heavily into a chair and shook his head. "Honestly, how powerful are you Angel? Is he going to kill you?"

The slayer's attention snapped to Angel who glanced at her before meeting Giles' stare, "I'm more powerful than either of you realize but I don't know who will come out on top."

"Let's find out shall we?"

Everyone turned sharply to stare at the new arrival in the library. Giles frowned at the tall woman and his eyebrows shot up when Buffy whispered, "Abaddon."

The woman sauntered over to Angel and offered a small pout, "It doesn't have to be like this Liam. We don't have to be enemies."

Angel's eyes reddened, "Yes we do and it ends now, one way or the other. I will not keep looking over my shoulder for you."

Adabbon shrugged, "Have it your way," before running forward and grabbing Angel and disappearing, Angel's wide eyes meeting Buffy's before only she and Giles remained in the library.

Buffy looked around frantically before looking at Giles, "Call Willow and Xander and have them meet at your house. I'm going to look for Angel." Not waiting for a response she ran out of the library and into the night desperate to find Angel.

When she finally found them she stopped at the edge of the trees and watched the pair. Angel was lying on the ground bleeding from a gash in his hairline and trying to get up, which was proving difficult with Abaddon's foot on his chest.

"You foolish child. I've existed since God cast out Lucifer, did you really think you could beat me?"

Angel chuckled darkly and removed Abaddon's foot from him with a remarkable show of strength before standing up and shaking his head. "You have no idea who I am do you?"

The woman looked confused for a moment, "Commander?"

"More than that." Angel laughed menacingly as he removed his jacket and shirt. His eyes turned blood red and his fangs descended. "Your stupidity will cost you."

Buffy's eyes widened at his perfect body and she gasped when Angel's wings materialized out of nowhere. They were massive, at least eight feet each and towered over him. Each one was spread wide, the tips so sharp they looked like they could cut glass and the bases so black that they blended into the night. There were hundreds of feathers covering them and each one was long and wide, the sheen on them perfectly reflecting the moonlight that was cast over the two.

Her attention was brought back to Abaddon who was glaring at the massive black wings. "So that's how its going to be? Fine."

A horrible ripping sound reached Buffy's ears and she withheld a gag when the woman's skin seemed to rip in half to reveal a huge demon. He was taller than angel and also had massive wings, made of thin brown skin and sharp bones. His tongue was forked and stuck out from between his jagged teeth, his tail swishing back and forth across the grass.

Buffy watched as they bared their teeth at each other, hands at their sides and ready while their wings tried to make them look as large as possible. It was beautifully feral, beautifully animalistic.

They stared at each other as they circled, both waiting for their opponent to make the first move. With a screech Abaddon surged forward, his wings propelling him up and forward. Angel mirrored the action and when the two met it was with such force that Buffy was knocked unconscious.

Teeth, wings, fists, and feet clashed viciously as growls and screams could be heard from both. Blood and feathers coated the earth as they each fought for victory. Angel drew first blood with a vicious right hook but was knocked to the ground when Abaddon tackled him, his tail quickly wrapping around Angel's neck trying to crush it.

A scream erupted from the demons throat when Angel grabbed the tail to rip it off but just before it was severed Abaddon reached out with his clawed hands and raked them across Angel's face and chest before attacking again.

Angel rolled backwards and shook his wings out as he stood, his opponent doing the same. Knowing this needed to end soon his hand dropped to his side, a large broadsword with a glowing handle appearing in his grip. Abaddon, who had been trying to get his wings to cooperate after receiving so much damage, eyed it before smiling and lunging forward again.

The fight continued neither giving an inch until Abaddon was finally able to grab one of Angel's wings and pulled as hard as he could, his claws savagely ripping through the feathers and flesh and breaking the bones. Angel screamed in pain and tried to get him away, accidently dropping his broadsword in the process. With wide eyes he watched as Abaddon grabbed his dropped sword and raised it, ready to deliver the killing blow.