Chapter 29 Old One

Previously: "His blood, he was born innocent but we had to make believe he wasn't." The monk looked at her. "He has been kept safe for two hundred years but no more the abomination has found its way here. Only you can protect him, his blood will open the door."

"Angel?" She asked and the monk nodded.

"We knew you the slayer would protect life, he is the key his blood is the blood of champions he was meant to be vampire to live until he dies and only you can protect and save him." The monk said. "We knew he would love you and knew you protect him." Buffy's eyes began to water.

"What do you mean until he dies?" Buffy asked knowing the monk was dying.

"Human, protect the vampire, the champion, together you are strong."

"Now tell me where is the blood of the martyr?" But the monk said nothing and in saying nothing he knew he would die.

"They've kept him safe for this long I think we can keep him safe a little longer." Buffy said.

Gunn, Xander, Willow and Oz walked into the college library seeing books laid out. Giles looked up and they all knew what was going to happen, more research. Dawn was at school same with Buffy she had a dance rehearsal but Willow and Xander had a few hours before class. Doyle, Cordelia and Angel had headed off to LA in the early hours in the morning to talk to Lorne to get any more insight on Glory. Wes was out at other local bookstores and libraries looking for information on Glory.

"You know we're in a rut with this." Oz said. Giles wanted to tell them about Angel but now was not the time. Glory had yet to unleash her full furry at the moment but he knew it was coming.

"Be nice to know where she's hiding out." Willow stated while grabbing a book.

"No doubt lurking around some sewer or condemned church or rat infested warehouse you know the most usual haunts." Xander said and looked at a book and Gunn nodded agreeing.

Glory sat in her huge bed wrapped in a silk robe while one of her minions came before her. She looked angry and frustrated. The demon she found and sent out on the slayer failed her now she had to find another way. It was a vampire slayer, she should be so easy to take out in fact there shouldn't even be a slayer on earth anymore.

"Most beautiful and supreme magnificent one," The ugly little midget said while holding something. "This dark spell I hold in my worthless hands is our gift to you most wonderful Glorificus,"

"No please call me Glory," The woman said as she tried on some shoes. She then held her hand and the minion gave her the paper and she unrolled it and smiled. "Dreg right?" The minion nodded. "This spell is going to work right?" The minion nodded frantically hoping to please her.

"It will."

Meanwhile Riley walked up to the mansion and noticed the front door was slightly opened. He slowly walked in and could tell everyone was gone. Angel had mentioned he was in LA talking with some friends and Cordelia and Doyle had tagged along. Buffy was at the college campus dancing while everyone else was up at the campus doing research. He walked in further and then noticed a huge blanket on the floor and picked it up. He then turned around sharply and Angel stood before him.

"Oh Jesus," Riley said while jumping, Angel was very quiet and could sneak up anyone without them noticing, it was a skill he perfected over his two hundred years of existence.

"Sorry not Jesus." Angel said looking just slightly down at Riley feeling some satisfaction that he scared him.

"Back so soon?" Riley asked and then held up the blanket smiling thinking he used it to get back in and not be hurt by the sun even though it was a little cloudy out.

"That's not mine," Angel said, his blanket was black and then they both heard something upstairs.

"The door was open when I showed up." Riley explained and Angel nodded, he knew where everyone was and Riley took out a pistol and the two headed upstairs. Maybe it was that Glory woman, Angel really wanted to beat the living hell out of her. They came to the hall and Angel's door was slightly open, he knew Buffy wasn't here so a low growl swelled in his chest, something was lurking in their bedroom. The two moved down the hall quietly. In the room however was Spike, he was holding a white sweater in front of it, sniffing and he seemed to be enjoying it. Angel pushed the door open slightly and saw the vampire. Angel then slammed his hand against the wall and Spike jumped, turned around and hid the sweater behind him as his Sire stood there looking not too pleased.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Angel asked and Riley lowered his gun and relaxed, Angel could handle this plus he didn't want to go into this room.

"What? Me? Uh…what are you doing in here?" Spiked asked and Angel looked confused.

"This is my room." Angel stated.

"Oh right love what you've done with it, classy yet modern." Spike said as Angel walked closer to him.

"Thank you but I think I'll rip your arms off while I'm at it." Angel then stood before him and Spike had to look slightly up at Angel.

"Oh yeah well me too." Spike said but then he realized he had no idea what he just said and Angel nodded. Riley then left knowing this was stupid. Angel then tried to look behind Spike knowing he had something but Spike flinched.

"Were…were you just smelling Buffy's sweater?" Angel asked.

"Uh no," Spike said but Angel could tell he was lying and crossed his arms. "Well alright I did but it's a predator thing nothing wrong with it," Spike began to explain as Angel stood there. He was smelling Buffy's clothes and going through her stuff, this wasn't going to settle well. Yes while sniffing out your enemy was something vampires did this was just weird. "Just know your enemy's scent wet the appetite for a hunt." He then took in a huge whiff of the sweater. "That's the stuff, slayer scent it's bitter and aggravating." Angel nodded and took the sweater away and tossed it aside. He then punched Spike right in the nose and grabbed him by the collar of the shirt.

"Get the hell out of my mansion." He said as he dragged Spike out of the room. But just before Spike left he saw one of Buffy's panties and grabbed it stuffing it into his back pocket. He then threw Spike down the stairs. Spike got up and Angel was already there ready and grabbed him by the shirt again. Riley stood off to the side smiling; this was funny two vampires fighting over the slayer not for food but for love. Angel punched Spike again. "Come into our room again I'll rip your throat out." He then opened the front door and tossed Spike out slamming the door shut. Then he heard knocking.

"My blanket, I'm cooking out here!" Spike screamed, Angel looked down and saw the blanket and picked it up, opened the door and tossed it outside and slammed the door again. "Thank you!" he heard Spike yell back. Angel took off his coat and headed back upstairs making sure Spike didn't steal anything else.

Night had fallen but the campus was still opened. Everyone was there except Angel and Buffy. They all sat around with books opened still reading. Willow sighed while running her fingers through her hair. At another table were that Watchers reading up on Angel's past and what they noticed was his mother's side of the family didn't start existing until the twelve hundreds his father's side was still dating back further. This interesting Giles thought, so something on his mother's side could be the reason why Glory was here. Further research of course was needed.

"I just wish we knew what we were dealing with." Willow said point blank but she wasn't the only one wishing it. "It feels like we're going around in circles."

"And circles are going around in circles." Xander commented. "We've got circles around here Giles." Giles looked up not catching what they were talking about but nodded anyways.

"Maybe she's not in the books." Cordelia suggested and took a bite of food that Gunn brought in for everyone. "What if she's not a demon or something?" That could be true; great everyone thought they've been wasting time. Now Giles heard that part, marked his book page and closed it and came over.

"Something new you mean?" He asked coming over and Wes joined him, this could be true maybe Glory was something brand new.

"That or something old." Doyle suggested. "Like maybe an Old One."

"Old One?" Xander asked.

"Yeah before time I guess you had the original demons the Old Ones they fought each other and now lay sleeping somewhere well what if she's an Old One." Doyle stated and both Watchers nodded.

"Like that time Illyria got free?" Cordelia asked. Illyria came about the first year Cordelia joined up with Angel, somehow she broke free from her prison and took form but she couldn't live as human it weakened her to where Angel could defeat her but it wasn't an easy battle won by any means. Giles nodded, this could be true.

"Well how many Old Ones are there?" Gunn asked.

"Thousands." Wes replied and Xander shrugged as in great.

"Well that Dagon sphere Giles you said it can repeal," Willow began.

"That which cannot be named." Giles finished and he had the look like things were coming together.

"Maybe she is an Old One." Doyle said and Giles nodded.

"It's possible but," Giles was about to explain.

"But what?" Angel asked coming into the library followed by Buffy, Riley and Spike. The four were done with patrol at the moment and caught the last little bit of the conversion. Spike was only here because he somewhat saved Riley's life. The four passed the table where Wes and Giles had been studying and just for a second one book covering caught Angel's eye it was the bird tattoo he had but his focus went back to the group.

"The only way to know if she's an Old One is to go to the Deeper Well." Giles explained. "There they can tell you if Glory is an Old One and if she escaped."

"Well if I don't have to do anymore readying then great." Xander said closing a book.

"Well where is this well?" Buffy asked.

"A resting place it's where Illyria came from but we never went it was no doubt she was freed." Wes stated. "It's in Cotswold."

"Riley get the Council's jet ready." Angel stated and Riley got onto his portable phone. "We can be there in about ten hours."

"It'll have a guardian a keeper it won't be easy to get into." Giles stated but right now that's all they had to go on.

"Well wasting time talking about it." Angel said and they all knew he was wanting to leave.

"I'm coming with," Buffy stated but Angel shook his head no.

"I need you here to keep Glory in check besides I don't want to risk anyone I care about coming with the Deeper Well isn't good." Angel said.

"I'll go," Spike said.

"Ok come on." Angel said to the vampire.

"Angel the jet is ready." Riley stated and Angel turned to Buffy to kiss her good bye.

"I'll be back tomorrow." And he was off. The rest of them were to find any more information on Glory if it was possible. Riley walked out with the two vampires and while Buffy was worried about Angel he was getting away from here. Giles walked up to Buffy and quickly looked behind him noticing the others were talking amongst themselves. He leaned into Buffy's ear to tell her something.

"It might be best if he stays out of the country." Giles said quietly and that thought wasn't far from Buffy's mind. "Also I've might have found something on Angel." Buffy looked up to her Watcher indicating later they would talk.

Spike sat in the chair uneasy and Angel noticed.

"Right this is the first time you've flown." Angel stated and the vampire turned towards him. Riley was in the seat behind the two. He was here to make sure the jet made it back in one piece. Spike nodded and looked out the window. "Why were you in our room?"

"What?" Spike asked then realized what he was asking. "Oh uh…nothing."

"Didn't look like nothing." Angel said looking out the window at the night sky.

"Oh please you think I'm hot for your honey?" Spike asked and Angel gave him that look of saying yes. Spike didn't say anything and just looked out his window. "Well back to the mother country. Hey after we figure this out we should hit a show."

"Well I've never seen Les Miserables." Angel said and Spike laughed.

"Please trust me half way through the first act you'll be drinking humans again."

Glory smiled looking at what she made, a snake not small one but a big one. She held out her hand and it seemed to nuzzle in her palm.

"Find the blood." She ordered and it slithered away. She smiled thinking why she hadn't done this before.

Angel, Spike and Riley walked through a forest of some kind looking.

"So is it like a well, well or something else?" Riley asked but the vampires didn't talk.

"There it is." Angel said staring at a tree with an opening. "Want to bet that's the entrance?"

"That or Christmas land." Spike said and Angel looked at him. "Do you have any fun?" But then two little demon things came out hissing and ran after to them.

"I'm about to." Angel said and the two shifted.

"And they even brought us weapons." Spike added while Riley cocked his gun and the vampires looked at him. "Won't work captain cardboard." Why was he called that Riley asked himself. "Strategy?"

"Just hold my hand." Angel responded holding his hand out and Spike shrugged could be worse. He grabbed his Sire's hand and then smiled.

"St. Petersburg," Spike said nodding knowing they got this.

"Thought you've forgotten." Angel said and then the two pulled away from each other with a thin twin of rope causing the demons to lose their heads. Now that was just a little cool Riley thought. Angel and Spike picked up the demons' weapons and more came out. The two vampires fought while Riley hung back. After killing about two dozen the vampires looked to the tree. "Is that all?" He asked screaming. "We're just warming up!" Then something came out of the tree.

"That's enough." The man stated.

"Drogon?" Angel asked walking up to him.

"Angel," The man acknowledge and the two shook hands, they knew each other quite well. Spike thought that was odd so did Riley.

"You're the keeper of the well?" Angel asked.

"Have been for a few decades now." Drogon said.

"Well who the bloody hell," Spike began but was cut off.

"Do NOT ask me a question!" Drogon yelled getting into Spike's face. "If you ever ask me a single question I will kill you out right." He threaten but Spike wasn't too intimated. "Don't think for a moment I can't."

"He can and he would." Angel said as more of a warning.

"Why are you here?" Drogon asked facing Angel.

"We think another Old One might have been freed." Angel stated and Drogon nodded.

"Follow me." He said and the three followed but not before Spike asked a question.

"But how," But Spike was cut off again.

"Did I not just say a moment ago do not ask!" Drogon glared at the vampire and then kept walking.

"Really he doesn't like questions." Angel stated.

"Why the bloody hell not?"

"He can't lie." Angel answered and walked in.

The four walked down a dark hall only lit by a torch.

"Never thought it would be you finding the last slayer Angel," Drogon stated. "Never thought you'd find love either."

"Wait," Angel was about to ask.

"It's the talk of the underworld, a vampire and a slayer in love, maybe they can make a movie out of it." Drogon stated.

"So you two know each other." Spike stated but Drogon took it as a question but Spike defended himself.

"So you believe another Old One got away?"

"Yes there's something in Sunnydale and we can't identify it, she's really strong." Angel stated.

"Yeah strong enough to beat the slayer to a pulp." Spike added and then they came to a bridge. Under the bridge were coffins, thousands of them.

"Other than Illyria's no other coffin had gone missing." Drogon stated. "You think another is freed."

"Yeah why do you think we're here?" Spike asked and Drogon looked like he was about to punch him but Spike had enough. "And what's your favorite color? What's your favorite song? Who the goal keeper to Manchester United? And how many fingers am I holding up?" Spike asked while holding up two fingers but in Europe it was the same as to flipping the birdy in America. "You want to kill me try but I don't have time for your quirks."

"No other coffin has been freed I can assure you." Drogon said.

"Great so coming here was a waste." Spike said while leaving and Angel leaned up against the railing thinking yes it was but then again they could rule out Glory being an Old One but then what was she? If she wasn't an Old One then how powerful is she?

The gang back in Sunnydale walked up to the mansion but noticed the door was wide opened. Gunn and Doyle walked in first looking inside seeing nothing but that didn't mean anything. Just as they walked in further a huge snake came down the stairs.

"Oh shit!" Doyle screamed as it slithered passed them. All the girls screamed as it raced out of the house. It turned around and hissed at Buffy and she knew what it knew. She took off after it. If it made its way back to Glory she would know Angel had the blood. She ran after it knowing everything depended on it, knowing Angel's life depended on it. Even though he was out of the country and much safer in England it still didn't matter. Buffy could see it was heading to a certain part of town so she went to cut it off. The snake burst through a gate and Buffy jumped from a hill grabbing it. She wrapped a chain around its neck and pulled it. She pulled the chain so hard the snake flipped franticly swishing its tale and hissing. Buffy put her foot to where she thought the neck was and pulled the chain causing it to break the spinal cord. The snake stopped thrashing and was dead. She looked around knowing Glory was somewhere nearby.

The jet landed and the gang waited for any news. Buffy had her hands across her chest, she was so anxious to hold him again even though it was only for a day they had been apart. But the snake scared her, it knew who Angel was, it sniffed him out and it was so close to relieving what it found to Glory. Giles was right it might have been better if Angel stays away but then what if Glory does find out and she's not with him, she couldn't protect him. She shook it off once she saw him get off the jet, the black coat whipping behind him, he was safe. She took off running to him as he walked closer to her. He was completely oblivious to what could have happened and just smiled as he saw her running to him. He stopped to brace himself as she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and held him tightly. She planted a kiss on his lips while Spike and Riley walked passed them to relieve that Glory is not an Old One. Buffy and Angel parted for a moment and he smiled while tucking some hair behind her ear.

"Maybe I should go away more often." He said jokingly and she laughed trying to be light and happy and hugged him. She didn't want to let go.

Angel was upstairs showering while Buffy, Wes and Giles huddled in the kitchen.

"Angel's mother's side of the family ends right around the twelve hundreds meaning before then they didn't exist." Giles stated. "Which means something either is covering the past or dimensions crossed but I have a theory that who or whatever Glory is whatever dimension she is from so is Angel linage." Buffy nodded but that was all the information they had that and the fact that Glory wasn't an Old One. And both news didn't give Buffy much comfort. She nodded and walked away. Wes and Giles felt yes while they were getting information it wasn't fast enough, something was going to happen and as always time was never on their side.

Buffy was back in her room and could hear the shower still going. She took off her coat and opened the bathroom door seeing the steam rising and Angel's outline through the glass. She smiled and begun to strip. She snuck in, Angel was in some other worldly thought when he felt a pair of small hands run up his back. He smiled and turned around seeing her. Well saver water shower together he thought.

So we don't know what Glory is or Angel for that matter. Hope you liked the Spike and Angel moment at that mansion and of course the "A Hole in the World" scene. More to come, comments and reviews are well liked in this dimension, thanks for reading.