AN: The chappie is shorter and I apologize, but I'm setting up something big here. Got nothing much else to say, except read Jen's 'Born in Darkness' and 'Waiting in the wings' both have major good time smut!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. If I did, I would have Angel and Buffy boffing everywhere they could!
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Angel thought back to a few weeks ago. Everything seemed right and it seemed him and Buffy could take on the world and come out swinging. He felt happiness, a huge surge of happiness that flowed constantly through him when he was around Buffy and thought of her. He thought they could beat down Glory and send her packing. He felt the strength in their bond, unwavering, guiding, supportive through everything.
A few little words sent a small feeling of dread that slowly made its way known. A few little words that were cryptic and unsure. 'Death if your gift.' Buffy told him after she returned from her spiritual quest. When those ominous words left her mouth, Angel did something that everyone was convinced that he didn't do anymore. When he was alone, he climbed up to the top of the mansion, finding the peace he was searching for, and brooded.
He brooded heavily on those 4 little words. To him, it seemed like a message. He didn't know how to translate it, but he knew those 4 words meant that he had to get ready for something major. Angel knew that the fight with Glory was about to head towards its climatic end.
Question was…..who's going to strike first?
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He got his answer a week later. Still trying to decipher the meaning of Buffy's words, Glory stepped up her search for the key. He still didn't find a weakness and was incredibly frustrated when he found out she was still alive, even after receiving a rocket to the face. He had to find a weakness and fast, but felt the first tendrils of hopelessness creep into his mind, body, and soul. He didn't see a way out to fight off Glory.
Glory struck when no one expected.
Willow and Tara got into a major argument, fight, something in that nature that lead to them splitting up for a bit. Angel didn't really know what was happening between them and was surprised when Willow was at Buffy's house venting or trying to calm down. He looked over at Buffy and told her that he was going on patrol. She nodded and then proceeded to talk to Willow.
He walked around the whole town, not really patrolling, just walking. He noticed one of Glory's minions get killed by Giles and chuckled warily. He kept on walking till he noticed Willow running towards a huge group of people. Curious, he followed her, only to find Glory in the middle of sucking out Tara's brain. He felt rage course through him and charge at the god.
He let his new vampire visage come to the fore, and felt a great burst of strength flow through him. He leapt straight towards Glory, pushing her away from Tara. Willow used the momentary distraction to get Tara and get her to safety. Angel stood up and started pounding on the downed god. He quickly put his knee on her chest on then started punching her face with rights and lefts. Glory was surprised at the feel of pain registering in the hits Angel was dealing upon her. She gathered her strength and pushed him away from her.
She was about to comment, when Angel cut her off by delivering a monster of a roundhouse kick, sending Glory flying into a booth.
"GET HIM!" She screamed out to her minions and they all attacked Angel. He let out another powerful roundhouse kick, taking out 2 minions at once. He then jumped over another minion, driving his claws through the back of the neck. He pushed the dead minion into another charging minion and tossed both bodies out of the way. When he looked over to where Glory was, he noticed she disappeared. He let out a few curse words then picked up the minion that was still alive and broke it's neck.
He ran towards Buffy's house to let know what happened to Tara, but was surprised to see the house empty. Damn, I'm getting surprised to much. he thought to himself. He tracked down Buffy's scent, surprised to find her leaving a group of underground caves he didn't know existed. She noticed him right away and ran into his arms to try to get some strength for another showdown with Glory.
"Buffy, you ok?" He asked while gently running his hand down her back. "I was there trying to stop Glory. I didn't get to Tara in time. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything."
"No, don't beat yourself up. You tried your best, but now it's my turn to take that bitch on again." She knew he was starting to feel guilt but she needed him to have that carefree spirit she was now used to in order to fight. "Angel, please, don't feel guilty. I need you strong, by myself. I don't know if I can do this."
"Yes you can. I'll be strong and get drunk with Doyle later." He knew he lightened up the mood a bit when she let a small smile grace her face. "Ok, do you know where Glory is?"
"Yeah, she got a new place and Willow is heading there to try to kill Glory."
"Damn, lets get to Willow first, then kick Glory's ass."
"Agreed."
They both let each other go and ran toward the direction of Glory's new place.
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Buffy told Angel to be outside the door to fight off any minions trying to sneak in and get in the middle of the fight. He didn't have to wait long.
"Hello boys. My girl's in there 'talking' things over with the hell bitch, it wont be long." He said to the 3 approaching minions.
He didn't give them a chance to reply back because Angel vamped out and let his claws come shooting out from his hands. He charge into the minions, slicing one minion's head off, while slashing another in the throat. The last minion tried to run away but Angel leapt at it and broke its neck. He was about to charge into the living room to help Buffy out, when she came rushing out with Willow in tow. He saw the force field and Glory being held back and flipped her the bird with his right middle finger and claw.
The next day, Angel was doing research in the office. He gave Wesley, Doyle, and Cordelia a few weeks off, mostly so they could get ready for the fight against Glory. He was deep into he found that detailed hell gods throughout the dimensions when Buffy and Dawn came bursting through the doors.
"Hey, what's going on?" Angel asked when he saw fear and terror in Buffy's eyes. "Hey baby, what's wrong," he asked Buffy while drawing her into his arms running a soothing hand down her back.
"She knows." Buffy said in a scared, low voice.
Angel didn't need to ask what she was talking about as his eyes shot straight to Dawn and felt a protective instinct rush through him. His eyes changed to now stormy blue/grey with gold flickers throughout the iris signaling that his vampiric nature was clashing with his genetic genes.
"What do we do now?" He asked mussed out loud, not knowing Buffy already had a plan.
"We run. Sunnydale isn't safe right now."
Angel looked at Buffy's eyes and safe the quiet acceptance of running register and gave her a chaste kiss. "Ok, I'll let Wes and Doyle know to get ready for a fight."
"No, I mean all of us, you too!"
"Look Buffy, someone has to stay here to give you a chance to run. I'll fight off Glory as much as I can to give you all a chance to run." Buffy shook her head trying to convince him to run with her, when his words registered in her mind. "Please Buffy, it's better. Plus you know my healing, I'll be able to fight her off and try and find a weakness."
"Kay, but promise me that you'll be ok?"
"I promise."
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Angel decided to stay behind, telling Wesley, Doyle, and Cordy to take the Plymouth and follow the RV Giles acquired. Spike tagged along with the Scoobies in the RV, giving Angel a promise to take care of both Dawn and Buffy. When he saw them out of sight, Angel set his plan into motion.
He went down to the basement and opened up a safe that he had in there. Inside the safe held explosives that he stole from various demon bounty hunters trying to get the slayer. He grabbed some C4 and went back upstairs to get the explosives ready. He put them in a duffle bag, then went to weapons chest and got out a short broadsword and a handheld crossbow. He loaded up arrows into his pockets, grabbed his equipment and walked out of the office.
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He went back to Glory's place and snuck inside the new condo. He used his stealth to sneak around to various beams around the place and planted the explosive charges. When a minion nearly found him, he quickly let an arrow loose towards the neck of the minion, instantly killing it. He then made his way outside and started planting the last of his charges around the Condo. In total, he planted 8 charges and pulled out the remote detonator. He ran towards a group of trees and pressed the button, letting loose a huge explosion which was bigger than the rocket he fired into Glory's other building. He expected Glory to survive and wasn't disappointed when she came stumbling out, uttering curse words. He came out from the shadow of the tree he was hiding behind and pulled out his broadsword.
"YOU!" She screeched out.
"Me." Angel quipped back.
He ran towards Glory and took a mighty swing that should've cut off Glory's head, if she didn't catch the blade. Once she caught the blade, she broke it in half, then gave Angel a punch in the side of the head. He was momentarily dazed, but quickly recovered and swung out a kick to Glory, only to have her block it and trip him. She then straddle Angel, and started punching him in the face with all the god-like strength. She saw the broken blade of the sword lying a few feet away and she leapt up and marched over to get it.
Angel was out of it. He could take hits, major hits! But this was something else. He struggled to get back to his feet to face Glory. When he did, he swung slowly at her and she ducked and jammed the blade deep into Angel's chest, nearly burying the blade in his heart. Angel felt the sharp pain flow through him and fell to his knees trying to breath in. Glory smirked at the sight and left Angel on his knees.
He fell back and was convinced this was the end for him. He failed in his quest to protect Buffy and tried valiantly to fight off the darkness, but he succumbed to it. Or so he thought.
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Something deep stirred inside Angel's mind. Something that should've left when he was turned human, but the fighting demon in him stayed. Or his essence at least. Angelus was convinced he wont ever get to cause mayham again, but he knew he didn't want to die. Hell he wanted Buffy again and again! And if the only way was to experience that through soul boy himself, then so be it. Fuck it then! He told himself.
Angelus felt the darkness trying to take over Angel's consciousness and decided to finally make his presence known.
"Hey soul boy, your really going to let a little blade kick your ass? C'mon fucker on your feet!" He said in an effort to rile up Angel.
"Who…..are….you?" Angel replied back weakly not knowing he had this individual in the recesses of his mind.
"Oh I'm an old buddy you can say. Now get your ass up and get moving, you want to make it back to Buffy right? You wont be able to in a casket or if your worm food. I would take over, but alas, I can't. So I'm only here in spirit."
"The….fuck?"
"Ah damn it soul boy, you got healing stuff going for you! You can recover. Or do you want Spike to have Buffy? To consol her when your gone. Hell knowing my childe, he's going to get her to spread 'em and she'll become his." Angelus knew that this would get Angel riled up enough to survive.
"Fuck….that!" Angel muttered out as he fight back against the darkness that threatened to take over.
"Yeah, there we go. Now c'mon, I for one want to get back to my slayer."
"She's not….yours." Angel felt the strength flow out of the essence that was habiting his mind and let it course through him to fight back.
"My slayer, our slayer, same thing. Point is, ah think of this!" Angelus then shoved Angel memories of Buffy in the throes of passion. He then felt Angel fight back even harder against the darkness. "C'mon just a little more, and I wont bother you, for now."
"Okay shut up, I'm getting there." Angel then became aware of the blade sticking out of his chest, grabbed the blade and ripped it out of his chest. He felt his healing instantly kick in and work on healing him. "So who are you?"
"The names Angelus. I'm the cooler of the two of us, well in my opinion. Plus girls think I'm sexy." Angelus said remembering all the girls that used to fawn over him.
"Hey I'm sexy too," he shot back to Angelus, "Since you obviously been stuck here a while, do you remember anything?"
"Yes and no."
"Okay?"
"Okay what?"
"What do you mean 'yes and no'?"
"Simple I remember something but not others."
"Well do you remember anything from 3 years ago?"
"Nope, all my memories are from a year ago and then from before 3 years ago."
"Damn, you too? I thought you couldn't get affected or whatever."
"Thought so too, till those lab bastards started the whole procedure thing. I noticed that I somehow stayed in your mind when you first woke up after the tank."
"I remember the tank somewhat. I just remember the pain."
"Hmm, okay enough bonding and stuff, we got a slayer to get back to! C'mon charge! Giddy up soul boy!"
Angel tuned out Angelus and rose to his feet. He shook off a wave of nausea and took off in a dead run towards the mansion.
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Angel waited brooded for a few hours when Doyle showed up. Angel looked up surprised at the sight of Doyle and then frowned that Doyle was there!
"Uh, what happened?"
"Well, where do I begin at boyo?"
"Try the beginning."
Doyle then told Angel about the Knights of Byzantium that showed up trying to kill Dawn in order to stop Glory. He told him about the small skirmish and then the siege the knights laid upon the AI team and Scoobies in the convenient store. He told Angel about the injury Giles sustained when the RV flipped over. Then went on to explain that Glory has a weakness. She changes form with a mortal and when she's in mortal form, she can be killed.
"Ok then. Whose the mortal?"
"Have patience my good lad." Doyle said as he explained the phone call Buffy made to some doctor named Ben. When he showed up, he fixed up Giles, then proceeded to ease the group's minds that he knew what went bump in the night. That was until Glory popped out of no where, took Dawn, killed the nights, slashed the tires on his Plymouth, and left Buffy in a catatonic state.
"Whoa she did what?"
"She slashed ye're tires."
"Oh that son of a bitch! Where is it now?!?"
"Wes called a tow truck and had it towed to Buffy's house, it cost a pretty penny also."
"I don't…..wait Buffy is what?" Angel remembered as the words rang through his head once more.
"She's catatonic. Like she shut down or something."
"Oh great"
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Angel didn't have to wait long, as Willow dared to venture inside Buffy's mind to pull her out. A few hours later the AI team and the Scooby Gang were assembled at Giles' magic shop.
Angel stood on the second floor that overlooked everyone when he felt two small hands wrap around him. He turned around and pulled Buffy towards his chest, trying to enjoy the moment of closeness.
"Buffy, I have to tell you something, I've been waiting for the right moment to say it also." He took a deep breath and stared at those green trusting eyes and was caught in the stare for a minute before recovering. "I'm pretty sure I've never felt this way about anyone else in all my life and I wont feel this ever again," he took a deep breath before continuing. "What I'm trying to say is……I, I love you."
Buffy felt her heart swell at the words she's been dying to hear for 2 years now! She wanted to shout it to him when they were making love, but held back, scared that he may have not felt the same way. So she loved this moments, this man. He equal in everyway.
"I love you too." She whispered to him. He smiled at her and pulled her to heated kiss nearly letting their passion take over, only to reel it in reluctantly. "Wow….that was…"
"Yeah I know." Angel held Buffy a little more before he switched to business mode. "So what's the plan."
"Simple, we use Tara and the big hammer over there," she said, while pointing to a huge hammer he was sure was heavy. "Angel, if something happens, please take care of Dawn."
"Buffy, nothing is going to happen."
"Just promise me please." He looked into her eyes before nodding reluctantly.
"I promise." A few weeks ago, Angel heard and felt the uneasy feeling that came with that cryptic message. Now, it came back full force, and he still didn't know what it meant, Death is your Gift.
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