Chapter 36
Jenny surveyed the vampire on the doorstep. She knew who he was and was astounded to see him standing there. "What is it that you want?"
Angel blinked, once, twice. She was still there. He was looking at Jenny Calendar and she was talking to him in the same voice he had last heard telling him she knew how to restore his soul. She had died at his hands. He had chased her down through the school enjoying every second of the chase; the pounding of her heart, the gasping breaths, and the overwhelming scent of fear, which trailed behind her like a dust cloud.
She would never have outrun him. She was always going to die that night because Angelus had decreed it to be so. She went quickly; a snap of the neck and Jenny Calendar was no more.
The guilt he felt at seeing her now, alive and well and obviously still fighting alongside Giles threatened to consume him. Angel found he was shaking.
"Who is it?" Cordelia Chase appeared. She paused in the centre of the room and eyed Angel.
"Cordelia, get a cross bow and keep it on him," Jenny said calmly.
"What's going on?" Oz came into view a cross bow in his hands.
"Giles. I need Giles," Angel said.
"What do you want with Rupert?" Jenny asked.
"I need his help. This isn't real. I need his help to…Amy!" Angel suddenly remembered her. "Your friend the witch, she's in danger. Tomorrow the Mayor is going to take her from school and Willow intends to drain her of her power."
Jenny flinched, a hard look crossing her face. "And why are you providing us with this information?"
"Like I said, I need Giles help and I want you to know you can trust me even if I am a vampire. I'm not like the other vampire's in town. I'm Angel."
"I know who are you," Jenny said.
"I know that. It was your gypsy clan who cursed me with the soul and you're here in Sunnydale to make sure I'm still suffering because of it. Am I right?"
Surprise lit her eyes at his announcement. Jenny nodded. "Yes, you're right."
"I know all this because I killed you over it," Angel spoke quietly. "In another Sunnydale in another reality I lost my soul and killed you to make sure you couldn't curse me with it again."
"Another reality?" Oz frowned. "Another Sunnydale?"
"Wonder if its as crappy as this Sunnydale," Cordelia muttered.
"I made a wish to a vengeance demon and everything changed to this," Angel made a circular motion with his arm. "I need Giles help to reverse the wish and put everything back to normal."
Oz's brow puckered an uncertain look on his face. "Why should we believe anything you say?"
"Because if I had lost my soul believe me we wouldn't be standing here having this conversation, I'd have burnt you out of the apartment by now and the air would be filled with your screams of agony as I tortured you for the mere fun of it."
"From what I've read about you I'm inclined to believe that," Jenny said rubbing her hands up and down her arms.
"Vengeance demon's aren't allowed in Sunnydale," Cordelia's hands came to rest on her hips. "There's magical wards up preventing them entering the town. Just how did you manage to make a wish to one if they aren't even allowed in Sunnydale?"
"I told you, it was in an alternate reality. Where I come from there's nothing preventing them coming ton Sunnydale. Why aren't they allowed here?" Angel looked confused.
"There are a few demons who can't enter Sunnydale," Oz explained. "Spike's banned anyone or anything that has even the slightest chance of ruining the empire he's built."
Angel rolled his eyes. It was just his luck for Spike to think of everything. "But witches are still allowed, your friend Amy can't be the only witch in town?"
"Amy!" Jenny's body made a small jerky movement. "Cordelia..."
"I'm on it," Cordelia rounded the sofa and snatched up the phone. "Principle Snyder, it's me, Cordelia. We need to get Amy out of town. Uh huh, yeah, we just got word. Tell Giles a man, well, when I say man what I mean is a tall, dark, hunk of salty goodness is on his doorstep. It's Angel, he's the one who told us about Amy. Uh huh, well we don't know it's not a trap…."
"It's not," Angel said and Cordelia paused to look up at him. "After Willow's drained her of her power she's going to end up Xander's plaything. You need to do whatever it is you do and help her."
Cordelia turned ashen, her grip on the phone tightening as she repeated Angel's words to Principle Snyder. She listened for a moment and then said goodbye and hung up. "He said Giles is on his way home."
Oz hoisted the crossbow again, aiming it at Angel's heart. "If this is a trap, you're the first one to die."
Jenny stepped back from the doorway, just enough to give Oz a clear shot if he needed it. She couldn't seem to bring herself to move too far away from Angel. He was right, she did know who
Angel was, she did know his history. Her Uncle had sent her to Sunnydale to keep an eye on him just as Angel had said. His claim bordered on the fantastical, yet Jenny couldn't quite explain this feeling she had deep inside her which told her to trust him. She would wait until Rupert arrived and see what he had to say.
They stood in silence for a while, Angel was acutely aware of them watching every little twitch he made and he forced himself to remain still and to try and look as unthreatening and trustworthy as possible.
It was Cordelia who broke the silence; unable to bear the strain of it any longer and her curiosity demanded to be satisfied. "If you're telling the truth and there is another version of Sunnydale, what am I doing in it? Am I still rich and popular?"
Angel nodded. "Yes, you're still the same, and fighting the forces of evil."
Cordelia beamed. "I always knew I was meant to be the Queen of Sunnydale High. I am Queen of Sunnydale High, right?"
"So I'm given to understand," Angel said. In a world which had been turned upside down he found a small measure of comfort in Cordelia.
"Being popular is the best, I don't know why you're so indifferent to it," she looked expectantly at Oz.
Oz shrugged. "There's life after High School, Cordelia, at least there's supposed to be. Not many of our friends have made it this far. In the big wide world it won't matter whether you're the head cheerleader or the class nerd." He grinned at her, "I'll stick to my guitar and let you run the school, how's that?"
"I don't know what difference the big wide world makes, we're not going to see much of it stuck here on the Hellmouth fighting vampires."
Oz smiled softly. "You don't need to work so hard to be Miss Popular, Cordelia. If people could just see this side of you they'd love you anyway. You're willing to stay here and put your life on the line to help anyone who needs it."
Cordelia kissed his cheek. "It's the right thing to do. But that doesn't mean we aren't outta here the second you score a recording contract."
He laughed. "I don't see that happening any time soon. With just me and Devon left standing its hardly a band anymore, is it?"
Cordelia huffed. "Hardly a great reception when the groom can't even play at his own wedding." Holding out her left hand she examined the ring on her third finger. "Has he proposed to me yet? In your Sunnydale?" she looked up at Angel.
Angel shook his head surprised eyed darting from Cordelia to Oz and back again. "You're not together where I come from. You're with Xander…."
"…Harris!" Cordelia's voice rose in a shriek. "But he's a vampire."
"Not where I come from."
"More importantly, he's a complete loser!" When Angel didn't refute this Cordelia scowled darkly her arms crossing over her chest. "I'm not so sure I like the idea of this other Sunnydale."
Before Oz had a chance to ask about the other version of himself, Giles appeared a stake in his hand his body tense as he watched Angel warily. Angel willingly stepped right back from the door giving Giles a clear path to enter the safety of the apartment.
"Before you say anything," Jenny put a hand on Giles shoulder. "Hear him out."
Angel took his time to describe his meeting with Anya and the wish he had made. He watched Giles carefully as he told the story, hoping for some sign that the Watcher believed him and would help him. Giles looked older in this Sunnydale, he was thinner, dark circles hugged his eyes and he had a five o'clock shadow covering his chin.
"This is the Hellmouth, it needs a Slayer to protect it and you had that, why in God's name would you wish her away?" Giles was astounded and it showed.
"I had my reasons," Angel said quietly. "Not the best reasons in the world, I admit, but that's personal. Besides, I didn't know I was talking to a vengeance demon, I didn't really make the wish. It was just talk."
"So this is why the Slayer is in Cleveland and not here where she should be. This is why innocent people live in fear and are killed every night; because you made a wish for reasons which aren't the best reasons in the world!" Giles was almost purple in the face.
"I came here for help," Angel said. "If I made a wish I can unmake it. There has to be a way to undo it and return everything to normal."
"Don't you see, Rupert," Jenny spoke softly, hope lighting her eyes. "All this may not even be real. He hasn't come to an alternate reality, he's altered his own reality. If we undo the wish all this goes away and the Hellmouth has a Slayer to protect it."
"So," Oz stepped forward. "We can fix this? We can make Sunnydale like it was before Spike came along?"
Giles surveyed Angel for a long moment. "I know who you are, therefore I know your history with Spike. He's obviously in your world. Is he in Sunnydale?"
Angel nodded. "But he's not a threat. He has a soul." Something told him it was best to withhold the truth about Spike and Willow and Angel always followed his instincts.
"Well that at least is good news," Giles let out a sigh. "Well, I suppose the first thing to do is research vengeance demons. I'm afraid I don't know much about them."
"It's not surprising, what was the point in reading up on demons who aren't able to get into town?" Oz pointed out. "We've had more important things to deal with."
"Rupert," Jenny caught his arm and gestured to Angel. "Are we going to leave him standing out there?"
"I don't mind, I understand you don't have any reason to trust me," Angel said quickly. "You can put a book just outside the door for me to look through. I'll stand well back."
"Rupert," Jenny said again, pressing her fingers into his arm.
Giles sighed again. "Come on in and we'll get started."
Stepping into the apartment Angel closed the door behind him and watched Giles rifling through some books. Oz and Cordelia took seats at the table, their movements had a familiarity to them, Angel had a sense of relief as he watched them; even without Buffy the same people had been drawn together to fight the forces of evil.
"Come and sit down," Cordelia smiled invitingly at Angel. "We'll probably be a while, we usually are."
Angel took a seat next to Cordelia as Jenny set up the laptop and Giles headed upstairs to the bedroom to collect another book. Jenny's eyes followed him, her head tilted slightly as she listened to him cross the ceiling.
"Don't tell him," she looked first at Angel, "What you said about killing me in your world, don't tell him. He doesn't need to know."
Cordelia's eyes went wide. "But…"
"Promise me." Jenny gave both Oz and Cordelia hard probing looks.
"If that's what you want," Oz agreed.
Cordelia bit her lip uncertainly but nodded. "I promise."
Angel's chest tightened, a wave of mingled respect and sadness creeping over him. Buffy had truly surrounded herself with the best, even without a Slayer present they were still fighting, still willing to sacrifice themselves if necessary for a better world. Whether it was patronizing or not Angel didn't know, but he was proud of them; proud to say he knew them and had fought alongside them.
They were human, they didn't have superior strength or innate hunting skills or any form of supernatural power; but they were strong and stubborn and never gave in no matter what odds faced them; in that way they were stronger and better than him. He had folded in on himself when his soul was returned, wallowed in his own guilt and misery when he could have been doing something to help the innocent and the unfortunate as these people did every day.
Giles returned with the book he had been looking for and took a seat at the table. Cordelia started, her lips parting as though she were going to speak, but she caught Jenny's eye and changed her mind, sitting back in her chair and chewing her lower lip.
Silence reigned in the apartment and Angel could almost believe he was back in his own Sunnydale. Researching had a touch of the familiar about it and it eased the tension in his shoulders a little bit. Jenny's fingers tapped away at the keyboard; the noise brought Willow to mind and from Willow it was just a small step to Spike. Angel stifled a sigh, he missed Spike; not I'm-on-a-crazy-power-trip Spike, but his Spike. The Spike he knew well, the Spike he had fought with and against, the Spike he had drunk with and murdered with and tortured with and loved and lost. Angel could hardly wait to get back to his world and see his Spike again.
Finally Jenny looked up from the laptop screen. "You said the vengeance demon you spoke with was Anya?"
"That's right."
"Have you found her?" Oz asked.
"Yes. Her name is Anyakna. We're going to have to summon her and destroy her power source in order to break the spell."
"Summon her? With magic?" Cordelia guessed.
Jenny nodded. "That's right."
"I'll call Devon, we'll all fit in the van," Oz said getting up and heading for the phone. "Did Snyder say where he was taking Amy?"
"Yes," Giles took a sip of tea. "I know where she is."
"Cordelia, help me gather the ingredients Amy will need for the spell," Jenny said pressing the print button and picking up the copied page from the printer sitting on a shelf just behind Angel.
There was some bustling about the room as Jenny and Cordelia put a bag together for Amy, while Oz and Giles checked their weapons. It was when Jenny hoisted the bag on the table and took a moment fiddling with the stubborn zipper that Angel first noted the gold band on her finger. He felt a jolt in his chest and squeezed his eyes tightly shut. Was he always meant to destroy this woman's life?
Reaching out he touched the ring with the top of his fingers. "I'm sorry," he said softly.
Jenny gave him a small smile and shook her head. "Did it help?"
He nodded. "In a lot of ways."
Jenny patted his hand reassuringly. "Sometimes sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. You should never be sorry for that."
"Devon's here," Cordelia said letting the curtain drop back to cover the window.
Oz grinned. "Let's rock and roll."
"Do you have a weapon of choice?" Giles asked Angel gesturing towards at chest sitting against the wall.
Angel took a sword out of the large chest and tucked a stake into the waistband of his trousers. "This will suit me. Thank you."
They went down to the street where a white van was parked against the curb with a large boy standing by the open back doors waiting for them. Angel had the feeling that sneaking around at night was a regular occurrence for these people, they moved quickly and efficiently with hardly a word between them doing all they could to keep a low profile.
Angel found himself shut up in the back of the van with Cordelia, Oz and Jenny while Giles took the seat up front next to Devon.
"She got out alright, no problem," Devon said. "Won't take long to get to her. Snyder's talking about moving her further afield tomorrow to make sure she's off Willow's radar."
"How did Willow even know about her?" Angel ventured to ask. "And why Amy? Why is she so special?"
"Her power must be growing," Jenny said. "Willow is a very powerful witch. We've figured out over the last few months that she's somehow able to sense other witches in the area, especially if they're strong or if their power is growing. A strong and powerful witch, while nowhere near the level of Willow's power, still has the potential to become a very real threat. Spike doesn't tolerate threats of any kind and he seems to especially hate witches. From what we've heard, any witch who survives the draining of their power can expect to die a horrendous death at the hands of Spike himself."
Just like Spike, Angel thought, to hate all witches for what some had done to Willow.
"So witches aren't allowed in Sunnydale?"
"They don't seem to bother the witches much until their power becomes strong enough to require some action on the vampire's part," Jenny said. "Coven's are forbidden though. All coven's have to keep a very low profile."
"How did Willow become so powerful?" Angel asked. "The Willow I know has magic but not like this."
Jenny rolled her shoulders. "I don't know."
"I was told her power grew when she woke from a magical coma," Angel begun. "I suppose you know about the coven of witches Spike slaughtered? They put a spell on Willow, sent her into a coma and when she woke from it she was stronger."
"That is interesting," Giles turned in his seat. "You see, from what intelligence I've been able to gather, Willow assisted Spike in taking over the demon population, but it wasn't until after the slaughter of the witches that things really began to change and the demons took over Sunnydale with Spike at the helm."
"I learnt all this from Jessie," Angel said. "He and Darla were watching over Willow when Spike went on the rampage. Jessie told me that when Willow woke up he could feel the change in her power and Darla said Willow's eyes were black."
Cordelia sniffed, "The only interesting thing about Willow was her eyes, such a nice shade of green. She was always such a geek with ridiculous taste in clothes. How she could be of any kind of interest to someone like Spike is beyond me."
"Black?" Giles mused. "That is curious, and very concerning. When black colours the countenance or hair or eyes in a witch or warlock it's usually associated with dark magic, extremely dark magic. "
"Well she's hardly the Good Witch of the North, is she?" Cordelia pointed out crossly. "Wicked Witch of the West is more like it."
"Hey, Giles," Devon finally spoke. "Didn't you tell Snyder once that demons are drawn to the Hellmouth because of its evil vibes and dark energy? Or something like that?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well, if Willow's all dark and evil now, couldn't the Hellmouth have something to do with it? I mean, maybe she can, oh I don't know, use its energy for her spells or something?" He gave a low groan and shook his head. "Oh I don't know what I mean."
"I did wonder about that," Giles admitted, "But I had no idea how she could have managed to make the Hellmouth work for her. It makes sense, what with the drastic personality change and the sudden power. I wonder if… if being unconscious and wrapped in a magical bubble so to speak, she was somehow more susceptible to the energy and power of the Hellmouth?"
"I don't suppose it makes much of a difference now," Oz said stretching out his back. "In less than an hour everything will be as it should be, with a Slayer on the Hellmouth to protect it. Right, Angel?"
Angel nodded. "I hope so."
Devon glanced in the rear view mirror at Oz. "You wanna catch me up, man? All you said on the phone was that we needed to get to Amy and fast. You were a bit short on the details."
It was Cordelia who jumped in to tell Devon the story of Angel's wish. Oz wasn't much for storytelling and Cordelia liked to talk. Angel let her talk, he felt he couldn't go through the telling of it again, every time he thought of it Angel was filled with shame and guilt that he had singlehandedly destroyed the town Buffy had fought and died for. She would be so disappointed in him and it made Angel squirm.
"Nice wishing," Devon said scathingly once Cordelia had finished the story. "Other people wish to be better looking, for more money, for talent, for a car, but not you, oh no, you had to make the mother of all wishes, didn't you. Nice mess you got us all into."
"I didn't mean for this to happen," Angel said defensively. "I didn't know she was a vengeance demon at the time."
Bringing the van to a stop and switching off the engine Devon said, "Never mind about that now. We're here. Lets get to making the town all nice and Slayer safe, hum?"
"Good plan." Oz opened the back doors and hopped out, reaching up a hand to help first Cordelia and then Jenny out of the van. Angel jumped out last, he glanced up at the building, just an ordinary house in an ordinary street with Devon's van now parked in the driveway. It had a nice garden though he noticed, with rose bushes at the mouth of the driveway and colourful bursts of tulips along the border of the lawn.
"Come on in," Giles said as he led the way inside to a kitchen.
"Amy!" Cordelia yelled. "Principle Snyder!"
A short, gnomish looking mad wearing a suit with the tie loosened appeared in the doorway. "Giles, what's going on? Don't shout, Cordelia."
"We're in need of Amy's services," Giles said, "Let's go through and I'll explain everything to you both."
Once again Angel had to suffer through the telling of his wish while Jenny and Amy set out the ingredients on the coffee table. Amy said nothing in response to the story, she simply looked relieved that there might be a way to change everything.
Snyder glared at Angel. "What a ridiculously stupid thing to do. You weren't the smart kid in your class, were you?"
"I hardly went to class," Angel snapped back.
"And it shows," Snyder said snippily. "Knowledge is power. Education is key. I keep telling you all and now you can see why. Next time you're busy goofing off school, or day dreaming in class ask yourself this, do you want to end up like this idiot?"
"Not really," Devon said plopping down on the sofa.
Angel glowered but said nothing. He didn't really have a leg to stand on right now, besides, very soon Sunnydale would return to normal and he wouldn't have to see that annoying principle again. Now he understood why Buffy complained about him so much.
"Are we ready?" Amy knelt by the coffee table and looked around the room.
"Do your witchy thing," Cordelia said sitting on the arm of the chair.
Amy took her time measuring out her herbs and mixing them in the bowl before she started chanting. "Oh Anyanka I beseech thee…."
Angel watched Amy avidly, a small wind rolled around the room for a moment and then out of the shadows she appeared, small in stature, brown hair flowing around her shoulders, ugly veiny face and hard eyes glaring at them all; Anyanka.
She didn't speak, she simply surveyed them all closing the distance between them with slow, purposeful steps. She exuded an air of immediate danger, the hackles on Oz's neck started to rise as the werewolf in him rose to the challenge and he hoisted his crossbow a little higher.
"Change it back!" Angel ordered stepping forward his eyes snapping with anger.
"You dare to bark orders at me?" Anyanka hissed at him.
"We aren't afraid of you," Giles said firmly. "Your power only lies in wishing."
She smiled suddenly, a hideously chilling smile. "Wrong." Her hand shot out and she sent Snyder flying into the wall without even looking at him. He hit the wall hard with a grunt and slumped to the floor, steadying himself on his hands and knees for a moment before managing to climb back to his feet.
"The world has changed now vampire. This is the new world you made," Anyanka smiled again. "I do hope you're enjoying it as much as I am. I must admit it far exceeds my expectations."
"Change it back!" Angel demanded again. He moved forward his sword held aloft circling Anyanka looking for a good opening to lunge. Perhaps if he held her life in his hands she might be willing to undo the wish.
Oz watched them with narrowed eyes, just one more step to the left and he had the perfect shot of her shoulder. He didn't want to kill her, he had no idea if Anyanka's death would end the wish, and he wasn't taking any chances. But wounding her would give Angel the chance to get his hands on her and once they had her captive she might be willing to negotiate.
He fired. Anyanka gave a cry of pain as the bolt speared her shoulder and sent her staggering sideward. Angel lunged, his sword caught her in the ribs and she howled her hands shooting out to grip him by the neck. Her hold was tight, if he was human Angel wouldn't have been able to breathe. She lifted him easily and slammed him into the wall.
"You dare to try and kill me with your ridiculous little weapons?"
Angel could see she was healing and very quickly at that. Oz's bolt and his sword had made no lasting impression on her. Then he noticed she wore a green amulet around her neck and it was glowing. It hadn't been glowing before. Could it be helping her heal? Was it her power source?
Grasping the amulet Angel yanked hard and the chain came apart. He tossed it across the room to Giles
"No!" Anyanka released him and turned after her necklace her hand outstretched as though she could somehow reach it even as it arced through the air to Giles.
Devon was a closer than Giles and he leapt for it. The necklace disappeared in his large hands.
"Give that back! You don't know what you're doing!"
"Guess we found her power source," Cordelia said.
"Here," Snyder snatched up a paperweight off the bookshelf which lined the wall and handed it to Giles. "Destroy it."
Anyanka started forward but Angel grabbed her, pulling her back and throwing her bodily into the wall as she had done to Snyder. Anyanka groaned, clutching the wall to stop herself sliding to her knees. She looked at Giles who had the paperweight hovering over her amulet which Devon had set on the coffee table.
"You trusting fool! How do you know the vampire speaks the truth and his world is any better than this one?"
Giles looked up. "Because it has to be."
Angel watched as Giles brought the paperweight down onto the amulet. The glass shattered. Anyanka screamed. A green light illuminated the room. All went silent.
XXX
Angel blinked a few times, all he could see were green spots. He rubbed his eyes. Had it worked? Was he home?
"What are you doin' standin' round like a bleedin' statue?"
Angel started his hands dropping from his eyes. His vision was clear now and he saw Spike walking towards him, jeans slung low on his hips and his red shirt unbuttoned revealing his very naked chest. "Spike?"
"Yeah. What's with the eyebrows, Peaches? You forgotten I live 'ere now?"
"And Buffy, she's here, right?" Angel caught Spike's arm and shook it.
"Well, she's not 'ere right now."
"But she's in Sunnydale?" Angel insisted.
"Where else would she be?"
"And we're friends with her?"
Spike scowled. "I'll 'ave to wash your mouth out with soap if you don't watch you're language. And 'en I'll 'ave to torture you for good measure. I am not friends with the bloody Slayer! Got that!"
"Its you!"
"Uh huh. Didn't we already establish that part?"
"Everything's back to normal!" Angel beamed.
"I don't know about that," Spike said dubiously. "You're smilin'."
Angel laughed, relieved and happy and delirious all at once. "It's really you Spike!"
Before Spike knew what had happened he found himself enveloped in Angel's arms and Angel was squeezing him as though he might never let him ago. "What the hell? Peaches, are you drunk?"
Pulling back slightly Angel caught Spike's face in his hands and pressed a hard kiss to his forehead and one to his mouth. "Can't I just be happy to see you?"
Spike looked incredulous. "No. You're never 'appy to see me."
He clapped his palms against Spike cheeks and grinned. "I am now." Angel smiled again, turning he made his way to the stairs, he was tired, he could do with a good sleep in his own bed in his own town where everything was as it should be. "So good to be home."
"Gone bloody loopy, he has," Spike muttered and rubbed at his cheek.