Chapter 34
As the night wore on Angel slipped further and further into his depression. Looking at her face he fully accepted that he was the one who killed her. Of course another part of his brain realized that she actually wasn't dead, but at the moment that part of his mind was not in a functioning capacity.
I did this. This is my fault. I should have been more careful rather than just busting into the room with false bravado, I should have known that she wouldn't be helpless, she's the Slayer, was the Slayer. I shouldn't be here, why can't they take me. TAKE ME DAMNIT! I might as well not be alive without her. Please, just take me. Let her live and grow old. I don't deserve it.
"Warrior."
What? Who the hell? Angel thought whipping his head around the room as his gaze rested on a book in the corner.
"Come to us. The answer is here." The voice replied, as the book flew off the shelf and hit him in the face.
Ow.
As Angel opened the book he became extremely confused. All the pages were completely blank, as well as the front of the book. However, on the last page there was a picture of the local post office with a tunnel underneath. Angel understood exactly what had to be done.
He ran as fast as his legs would carry his, unmindful of the honking horns and the bruises he received from cars that grazed him as he dodged and weaved through traffic. As soon as his gaze landed on the post office he stopped, unsure as to whether he should trust his own eyes. There right behind the post office was a bright light, it definitely had never been there before.
Okay maybe I had too much scotch. That definitely was not there before, maybe I should call Spike and…
"Hurry up I don't have all day," an Irish voice said, breaking Angel from his reverie.
Angel quickly looked to the left and saw a short man with dark hair that seemed to be addressing him.
"Oh that's right yer not speaking. They told me ye were a difficult one." The same man said, raising his eyebrow and starting to walk towards the light. "Well come on. We don't have all de time in de world ye know."
So Angel followed. He really didn't know what else to do, if there was a way to fix this incredible huge mess and get Buffy back he was going to do it. No matter what the consequences.
The man quickly led him through the tunnel Angel had seen in the book, through endless twists and turns until they ended up in a huge room. As Angel looked around the small man spoke again.
"Do ye have something to give em'? "The man asked.
At Angels blank look he replied. "The powers. Do ye have something to give them? Like a present?"
Angel gave the man a funny look but none the less took a watch off his wrist and gave it to the man.
"Alright that's better. It's not wonderful but it'll do. Ye know next time you should really buy china or jewelry they like that stuff."
"Servant." A voice said, as three ghostly beings appeared out of nowhere.
Of the beings, two were male and sat on either side of the female. All three sat on what seemed to be white marble thrones, all three also were a startling shade of silver.
"Ye know I don't like bein called that." The man grumbled. "Can't ye call me by me name. Whistler. It's not so hard."
"No." One of the males replied, glaring slightly.
"Now, warrior. What is it that you want? Do you have something to give us?" The female asked Angel, not unkindly.
"Oh me bad." Whistler said, throwing her the watch.
"Oh very nice. Thank you." The female replied. "Now I'm assuming you're here about the other warrior. The female."
At Angel's silence she replied, "Now we cannot help you if you do not talk to us."
"Take me." He boomed, seemingly angry.
"We cannot do that you are our warrior. We cannot lose you just to keep another." The female replied.
"Then make her better. Make her come back." Angel replied, losing hope quickly.
"She is just a female. There will be others warrior." The male on the right casually said, giving Angel a pitying look.
"There is no other. Never will be any other besides her." Angel replied, his jaw tightening.
"Alright warrior we can offer a deal of sorts. It was decided decades ago that with the death of each Nightrider and Slayer another would arise later on the lineage. Now, if you too should agree to our deal. The Slayer will be brought back to her original state of health. HOWEVER, if we do this you, Nightrider, and the Slayer will stay as such forever."
"What do you mean?" Angel asked, hoping that he was not hearing what he thought he was hearing.
"You both will become immortal. The current Slayer and Nightrider will stay as such until there is no use for them any longer." The female replied.
"But that makes no sense. We were made by the government, it's in our genes. And there is always going to be a need for us. There are criminals everywhere." Angel replied, dumbfounded.
"Ah warrior, you are so naïve. I supposed the Slayer never told you of her real duty."
"What do you mean?" Angel asked, confused yet intrigued.
"Have you ever heard of demons?" The male responded.
"Yea, but those are just myths. They do not exist."
"Ah, but they did exist." The female responded, leaning in. "Centuries ago the Slayer was created to fight the battles between darkness and light, protecting the innocent from the evil that threatened the world. However, many decades ago the demons disappeared into thin air. A spell from a local witch banished them to another world for two thousand years."
"Okaaayyyy. So what does that have to do with us?"
"The spell wears off in six months time. We need you and the Slayer to be here to control the demon population and keep the balance once again."
"Why can't the spell be done again?" Angel asked, giving her a funny look.
"What is done cannot be repeated. It was a last resort which cannot be done again." The female replied.
"I can't decide this for her." Angel replied, looking at them sadly. "I will accept my part as the Nightrider, but I will not force this on her."
"Very well." The man to the left replied waving his hand. " Warrior."
"What do you want now!" The female said, seeming to float in air. "You're such a pain in the ass!"
"Buffy!?" Angel said, rubbing his eyes.
"Hi Angel!" Buffy replied, trying to go over to him but unable to move. "Ugh! You guys are sooooo rude! I can't even say hi to my boyfriend!"
"You're not on this plane female." One of the male being said, the one who had not said anything before this point.
"I'll give you female you turd!" Buffy said, her eyes turning purple.
"Buffy, calm down." Whistler said, playing with his hat.
"Don't tell me to calm down. It's your fault I know them Whistler!" Buffy yelled, pointing at him accusingly.
"HEY! Don't point the messenger jeez!" Whistler replied.
"Warrior you have a choice to make."
"Yea, yea, I know…Become immortal and live with Angel or die…blah blah blah." Buffy replied, giving the powers a dirty look. "I'll be immortal."
"Buffy you don't…" Angel cut in.
"Yea I do. I was told a long time ago this would happen eventually. Granted I never thought it would be in these circumstances but I accepted this a long time ago." Buffy replied, looking at him lovingly. "If I'm with you I'll be okay."
"It is done!" A voice boom, as everything for Buffy and Angel went black.