Disclaimer: I do not own Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize
No, your eyes aren't tricking you. This is a reaction chapter update and not a break chapter update on a day that is not Saturday. Usually don't do that, but I'm making an exception today because its my birthday :)
The next chapter, which will be the Season 2 premiere, will come out on the usual day, that is Saturday.
And now finally, the Season 1 finale, which I think aside from 'Five by Five' and 'Sanctuary' is the best episode of this Season, followed by the Pilot episode and then 'Hero'.
Hope all enjoy.
Chapter 28- To Shanshu in LA
"The final one", Dawn muttered. "For this year."
"Well, by all accounts, it may not be as eventful as we think", Buffy said. "I mean, it's not like they're facing a big bad who's been harassing them the whole year."
"Wolfram and Hart does count though", Willow pointed.
"Let's just watch it and see for ourselves", Xander said.
"Yeah, let's do it", Tara agreed.
"Would be better than talking", Giles added.
"Sure", Buffy said as she finally turned it on.
Wesley was researching while Angel read a book and Cordelia a paper. Wesley was stuck on a word called 'Shanshu' as Cordelia asked what was taking him so long and Wesley made a long, sarcastic remake about his brain being sucked as Cordelia said he got testy while translating, and Wesley said the word was pivotal to the prophecy about a Vampire with a soul. Cordelia told him to hurry up so she could find out what it said about her, but Wesley said it was a sacred text, not a magic eight ball as Cordelia said no one got her humor but Angel had found it funny.
"Did he really?" Buffy asked.
"Well, I found it funny", Xander said. "So he probably didn't."
"But he wants her to think it was funny", Dawn commented.
"Didn't Cordelia ask him to be honest around her?" Tara reminded. "Maybe he isn't lying."
"Yeah. Could be it", Willow agreed.
A hooded figure in a cape moved into Angel's building as Cordelia noticed in the paper that Lindsey had been promoted to Junior Partner, and Wesley was disgusted he hadn't taken the opportunity to change, but Angel was unconcerned before freezing and looking up, telling Wesley it was late for visitors. He went into the outer office, the two following. The hooded figure was shown from behind as Angel tapped his back with the battle ax and he cowered, screaming and revealed himself to be David Nabbit.
"Oh it's the rich guy!" Xander said.
"Why did you do that?" Buffy wondered. "Are you trying to die?"
"What a foolish fellow!" Giles agreed with her.
"Some people choose the wrong people to surprise", Willow said.
David panicked before saying it was awesome and asked to do it again. Wesley asked if he needed help but he said he was here to hang and blew off his board of directors to be dungeon master, and then asked about his cape, which Cordelia complimented while David asked if they wanted to hang, and then noticed their office, going inside and commenting how it worked there excitedly, and then he said their lives were meaningful and exciting since they fought Demons and then asked if they'd seen any cool Demons lately.
"He's a good guy, but man he's annoying", Dawn said.
"Yeah, and he really has the wrong idea about this kind of life. Probably got it from his brothel experiences", Buffy said.
"It's meaningful, yes, exciting? No. It's dangerous", Tara said in agreement with Buffy.
"Some people always make the wrong assumption", Giles commented.
Two monks chanted around a white circle between some trees. The ground trembled, the circle flamed up high. Through the flames a face was seen, covered down to its mouth by a bronze-colored mask and framed by the hood of a cloak. He stepped from the circle and walked past the two monks to where Lindsey, Lilah and Holland were waiting in front of their office building. Holland greeted. "Welcome to Wolfram & Hart. I hope you had a pleasant journey?" The demon walked past them without a word and the three lawyers followed.
"There, another Demon for them to mess up the day", Xander commented.
"Can't let Team Angel have a day of peace, can they?" Willow asked.
"No, they're too evil to give a break", Buffy said.
"And this one doesn't look like he's going to hold back", Tara told them.
David, after some awkward talk, finally left as Cordelia said he was a wealthy man with no life while Wesley had the word figured out. He went to his book, saying it could be a different language and found it meant 'Death', and Cordelia said there was a mistake before realizing Angel would die.
"What?" Everyone went together.
"Angel's….gonna die?" Buffy wondered. "He's been living with that for all this time?"
"He never said anything", Willow muttered.
"Maybe he just didn't want to share about it", Tara said.
"That's…..strange", Xander just said about the prophecy.
"Are we even sure it's the right word though?" Giles pointed out. "It's an ancient language, he could have gotten it wrong. Also, in ancient languages sometimes the same word had different meanings."
"So, 'Shanshu' may not mean death?" Dawn asked.
"No, it may not", Giles told her.
"So, this could be wrong?" Buffy asked too.
"Not sure, but there is a good chance", Giles said.
"I hope so", Buffy said, her heart heavy from this information.
Angel seemed to not care as Cordelia said they could talk of her raise and Wesley said apocalyptic prophecies weren't scientific so there was no reason to be concerned, and Angel didn't look even remotely concerned. Then Cordelia jumped as she had a vision of a blurry lady being attacked, and the two helped her as she asked for a painkiller while telling them about the Demon and location. Angel decided to go on his own as Cordelia said she'd punch the Powers That Be on the nose if she met them, and Wesley smirked while she asked if they had noses.
"The visions are getting worse", Willow realized. "She didn't need painkillers before."
"Human minds can't take that for long", Tara agreed.
"Well, that's horrible, something has to be done about it!" Buffy said.
"I know right? Like, we need to help her out", Xander agreed. "Somehow."
"Maybe you don't know, but she was already helped regarding it", Willow said and Xander's eye widened.
"Really?"
"Really."
At Wolfram and Hart, the Demon called Vocah was furious the scroll had been lost as the raising couldn't be done without it, and Lindsey said he'd rectify the mistake but Vocah told him he'd retrieve it, and Holland informed him Angel had stolen the scroll. Vocah ranted how he was summoned to raise the thing that would bring Angel down to them and now he had the scroll, Lilah saying they were aware of the irony as Vocah said now he would cut off Angel's connections to the Powers That Be and have the scroll returned.
"Wait, they are trying to raise something that will bring Angel to them?" Buffy asked, confused. "What could that be?"
"Some mind corrupting ancient Demon or something?" Willow suggested.
"He just said he's going to cut off Angel's avenues to the Powers That Be", Tara pointed out and all paled as they realized what that meant.
"Cordy", Xander muttered.
"The Oracles too", Giles realized.
"But is he powerful enough to kill the Oracles as well?" Dawn asked.
"I have no idea, my dear", Giles said in response.
Two officers were talking as Kate arrived and they joked about her while she greeted them and walked past, one asking if she wanted an Ouija board mockingly, but she ignored the comment and walked into the alley where she heard sounds of fighting and then Angel comforting someone, and then Angel walked out with a middle-aged homeless woman, holding a battle ax, as she told Kate he'd saved her and said she didn't appreciate the dental association watching her, and then walked off.
"What was that about?" Xander wondered.
"Best we don't think of it", Giles told him.
"This is going to be weird", Buffy said, and all were a bit uncomfortable now seeing Angel and Kate talk due to good reason.
Angel told Kate it was a slime demon as she joked how the town had everything, including Vampires, and Angel said it wasn't easy for most people to find out, only for Kate to say someone who wasn't even a person was lecturing her about most people, and said she was going to rid the city of Angel's kind, meaning it too since they'd killed her father and she never forgot. She walked off as Angel looked at her for a moment and left too.
Xander was disturbed now. Because he saw some parallels with himself, and he decided to confirm it just so he could know where he stood.
"I'm gonna ask you all something, and I want an honest answer", Xander said so they gave him their undivided attention.
"Is this what I sound like whenever I go on a rant against Angel or Spike?" Xander asked, and hoped to get a genuine answer.
"Well….yeah", Willow said with a nod.
"I love you Xander, but you do rant against the two of them like this", Buffy agreed.
"I have the same mind as them", Dawn said too.
"I want to say you don't sound like that, but you told us you want an honest answer", Tara told him.
"The others have already said it", Giles said, not wanting to comment much himself.
"Well, crap!" Xander said, now finally realizing how bad he could get. "I think I realize that I may not be too bad, but regarding them, I can get pretty toxic with my thoughts."
"At least you admit it", Buffy told him.
"I am a bigot!" Xander said.
"You don't have to be", Tara assured as Willow patted his shoulder.
"Hey, look at me!" Willow said and Xander did. "You are a good person, you and I won't be friends if you weren't. Just because you have a flaw doesn't mean you are bad. You can always work on it."
"Yup, working on it is what is needed", Buffy said too.
"And since you realize it, you can not be a bigot one day", Dawn shrugged.
"You just need some work", Tara nodded too.
"Well", Xander said with a smile. "Thanks guys."
They nodded and went back to the recording.
Next day, Wesley sat on Angel's desk, telling Cordelia all the sources translate 'Shanshu' to death, but Cordelia pointed out he faced it all the time while getting a doughnut, but Wesley said it was Angel's reaction that concerned him. Cordelia said he wouldn't scream like a girl as he was cool. Wesley said he wanted nothing and was cut off, it was desires that made one human. Cordelia said he was like one due to having a soul, but Wesley said he was still not part of the world and could never be. Cordelia found it ridiculous as Wesley took her donut away and said all were connected by the simple truth of living growing and changing, and Cordelia realized Angel had none of it, and so he'd be the same and remain cut off from the world, so they needed to do something about it. "He's Angel. He's good. And he helps the helpless and now - he's one of them. - Well, he's gonna have to start wanting things from life, whether he wants to or not!"
"That is a sad way to live", Tara agreed. "You just stay the same and want nothing, it becomes monotonous for you."
"And you don't care about anything, whether you live or you die", Willow sighed.
"It's because of me", Buffy realized. "When we did it, he was perfectly happy and lost his soul, so now he is trying to remain detached so that nothing of that sort happens. What have I done to him?"
"Buffy, not everything is your fault", Dawn assured her.
"But still….." Buffy trailed off.
"I am sure Angel can deal with it", Xander told her. "At least Cordy cares about him enough to cheer him up."
"I know she can succeed if she tries", Willow said with a smile.
Angel then arrived as the two greeted him and Cordelia asked if he wanted coffee or donuts or cream fillings, and then Angel caught on as Wesley mentioned how he didn't want anything and Cordelia said he was cut off from life so they'd fix it, starting by getting him something like a puppy, and Wesley decided to go to an antique shop to translate the prophecy properly though he wouldn't take the scroll, and asked Angel to consult the Oracles, to which he refused but Wesley told him to think about it while leaving and Cordelia said it could be fun as Angel went down the elevator.
"Well, that failed", Willow said lamely.
"Angel didn't seem detached when I met him though", Buffy said to them.
"Well, 4 years is a long time, a lot of stuff would have happened", Tara said.
"Yeah, could have", Buffy sighed.
The Oracles reprimanded someone for entering their sacred space on a whim. It was Vocah, and he said he wasn't here on a whim. The woman said the powers of darkness weren't allowed to cross the threshold and they didn't council his kind either. Vocah said cryptic sentences as the Oracles told him to depart and they would speak no more as Vocah put a hand behind his back, a battle scythe appearing and he agreed.
"I have a feeling the Oracles are not gonna make it", Xander said.
"With how confident he is, I'm inclined to agree", Giles said too.
Cordelia walked through an open market, seeing a painting as a woman who was shopkeeper inquired about it and Cordelia said she was looking for something for a friend who was detached from stuff, and the woman said art was the best therapy as they were used in mental institutions, but Cordelia said he wasn't crazy, just different, as the woman wondered if he was depressed.
"I think he is very depressed", Buffy muttered sadly.
Cordelia decided to buy the pastels and then got the entire set while Vocah walked into the crowd by himself. Cordelia managed to get it all as the woman thanked her for making her day, and told her she was a good friend, to which Cordelia thanked her too. Cordelia walked off after bidding farewell when Vocah passed her from behind, slightly brushing his hand against hers. Cordelia looked around and didn't see a thing. She started to walk on when she got hit by a short vision. She pulled out her cell phone, but before she could dial she got hit by another stronger vision. This one didn't end, and she fell to the ground screaming and crying. The art lady came over and crouched down beside her and screamed for someone to dial 911.
Everyone was horrified at this point.
"What the hell did that bastard do to her?" Xander roared.
"Visions", Tara realized. "Multiple visions, they're going through her."
"She told me about it", Willow muttered.
"Oh my God! Poor Cordelia, it's so…." Dawn trailed off, scared and sad as Tara held her.
"She was a link too, to the Powers, and now this guy has targeted her", Buffy snarled, feeling very angry at Vocah. "Is there a way to fix her?"
"There would be, but it must be hard to get", Giles said, feeling sympathy for Cordelia himself. The poor girl had gone through a lot since leaving Sunnydale, and now his perception of her being completely vain and self-centered was changing slowly. She was brave and selfless too, with flaws, like everyone else.
"I hope that Demon dies a painful death", Xander scoffed. "And she gets fixed soon."
"All of us do", Buffy said.
Vocah walked into Angel Investigations while Angel walked down the steps to his apartment, studying the scroll and then locked it in the weapons cabinet when the phone rang and he picked it up, being informed of Cordelia's condition. Hanging up, he hurried out while snagging his coat and then Vocah walked in, broke open the weapons cabinet, took the scroll, put in something else and closed it again.
"He got it", Tara muttered as they all gulped.
"Now I'm wondering what Wolfram and Hart are gonna use it for", Xander said.
"Nothing good", Buffy sighed.
Angel arrived at the hospital, looking for Cordelia and then heard her scream as he hurried to her convulsing on a bed in the room. The doctor asked. "Are you family?" Angel didn't even hesitate. "Yes!"
That little bit brought smiles to most of their faces, seeing how the bond between Angel and Cordelia was stronger now.
The doctor wasn't sure what had happened as a flash of Cordelia's vision was shown, and she was told Cordelia had no history of mental illness or drugs but she was clearly having a psychotic episode, but their CAT scans showed no organic damage, yet they couldn't sedate her. Angel tried to reach out to Cordelia as more visions were shown as the doctor asked if she had allergies but he said drugs won't help, and then he looked from the convulsing Cordelia to the doctor and back.
"That bastard did this so that she'd feel all of the pain", Xander snarled, clutching his fists, the anger at Vocah just increasing.
"He must be really horrible to make her go through that much pain to end her", Willow agreed, as not all Demons would be this cruel.
"Some people are just beyond any kind of reason and love being sadistic like that", Buffy said with a sigh.
Wesley walked into the office carrying books and went downstairs, seeing the broken lock on the weapons cabinet. He put the books down and opened it slowly before backing away. Angel pulled up across the street and got out of his car. When he was halfway across, a fiery blast coming from the lower story lifted him into the air. He landed in a heap on the road while flames engulfed the building and car alarms started blaring all along the street.
"Wesley!" Pretty much all of them went at the same time, their hearts and minds racing at what would happen to him now.
Angel ran into the burning apartment and found Wesley lying on the stairs leading up. He checked for a pulse, slung Wesley over his shoulder and headed out.
All sighed in relief this time, happy that Wesley had at least survived.
"He is going to pay for this", Buffy snarled about Vocah.
"And I can't wait to watch it", Dawn agreed.
Fire engines and police arrived as Wesley, wearing an oxygen mask was wheeled over to an ambulance with Angel walking beside him. Wesley was loaded up as Angel started to go to his car when Kate arrived and when Angel said he needed to go, she snapped and said he wouldn't due to being a major witness to a crime scene. Angel had enough and asked if she'd try to stop him, to which she said she was glad they weren't playing friends anymore and was sick and tired of his attitude. Angel finally had it. "This isn't about the law, this is about a little thing - called life. Now I'm sorry about your father. But I didn't kill your father. And I'm sick and tired of you blaming me - for everything you can't handle! You want to be enemies? Try me." He hurried past her to his car as she looked after him.
"Lay into her!" Xander said, as sick of her attitude as the rest.
"The irony of saying she is sick and tired of his attitude while not thinking about her own", Buffy agreed. "She deserved it."
"I feel bad for her father dying, but yeah, she has become way too annoying now", Willow said.
"She is blaming Angel constantly for everything supernatural. Losing her father has to be hard, but this is not right", Tara agreed with her.
"So, go Angel!" Dawn cheered.
"She is just trying to stop him due to her own vendetta and prevent him doing what's truly important", Giles agreed.
At the hospital, Wesley lay unconscious and battered, his heart monitor beeping regularly as Angel stood beside his bed, watching him. He then turned and walked into another wing to Cordelia's bed. She was sedated and not convulsing but still had permanent visions. He took a hold of her left hand and leaned on the bed. "Cordelia - I'm gonna fix this. - Promise. - I'm gonna get you back. - I need you back."
The scene was heart-touching, they all had to admit. And Willow and Tara could both tell there was something more here than just a lot of concern and worry for a friend.
Angel then let go of her hand and noticed a black symbol on its back. He then later held a piece of paper with the symbol on it and did the spell to get to the Oracles, the doorway opening with a blinding flash of light as he stumbled into the chamber but found both of them dead, Vocah's bloody scythe buried in the woman's body.
"He actually killed them both", Giles muttered, everyone horrified by the kind of power this scythe possessed.
"Outside of Cordelia, they were the only links to the Powers That Be, and taking them out is a huge blow", Buffy sighed. "He is evil but he really thought this through."
"Most of them do that", Willow said with a wince.
Then a ghostly image of the woman appeared, and she knew Cordelia was in trouble as Vocah, Warrior of the Underworld had opened her mind to all who cried out in pain, so she didn't have long, and the only way to save her was the scroll of Aberjan that had the words of Anatole, and Vocah had it. Angel said he'd make Vocah pay for this, so the woman told Angel he was here for the raising and hid behind man's law before fading as Angel said he'd stop him while grabbing the scythe.
"Angel got the scythe", Tara noted. "Now he can use that against Vocah."
"So the odds are evened now", Buffy smirked.
At Milano's Italian kitchen at night, Gunn and some of his gang loaded boxes of leftovers in the back of their truck outside as Gunn said this was good work when Angel arrived in his convertible, and Gunn went to meet him as Angel said he needed help again. Gunn said if it involved tossing a Vampire in with the lawyers, he was in since he found that funny but Angel said his people were in the hospital and needed protection while he hunted the guy who did this, and Gunn eventually agreed, noting they both meant a lot to Angel.
"It's the first time he has ever admitted that", Willow realized.
"So maybe he's not so detached after all", Tara said with a smile and now all felt their hopes rise.
At a crypt, five vampires were chained to a box sitting in the middle of a five pointed star inside a star laid into the floor. The two monks entered followed by Vocah. They started chanting as the Earth trembled. Some lawyers from Wolfram and Hart including Holland, Lilah and Lindsey walked down some stairs as Lilah said they were going to be late but Holland told her that one never wanted to be on time for a ritual as it went on forever.
"Not wrong about that", Xander said lamely.
Lindsey gestured to 2 guys in front of a van to come with them while Angel peeked out from behind a pillar. Holland told Lindsey the Senior Partners were keeping watch so they mustn't be let down, and Lilah reminded Lindsey that they had made Robert Price eat his liver for letting them down, then sarcastically commented she didn't know what had made her think that. Eventually, all of them drove off to the crypt and Angel followed in his convertible.
"I think what made you think of that is that you wanna scare the crap out of Lindsey", Buffy said to Lilah.
"Made him eat his liver? These are worse than Gnarl", Dawn muttered, disgusted and horrified.
Vocah and the monks all did the ritual as the party from Wolfram and Hart arrived too and Holland commented they hadn't even gotten to the Latin. Vocah looked up, then lay the scroll down on top of the crate and walked to face some steps leading down into the crypt. Lilah and Holland wondered what it was. Vocah produced another scythe. A moment later Angel burst through the door at the top of the stairs and the two of them got into a battle of the scythes.
All were tense. Angel was one of the most skilled and dangerous Vampires ever, but Vocah was a Warrior of the Underworld, and he had another scythe too. If Angel made a wrong move, it could lead to disaster.
Angel was smacked back but he came back, the two clashing and seeming equal grounds while Lindsey went to the circle and picked up the scroll on Holland's command, and then he started chanting, moving to the Latin as well. Angel's and Vocah's duel was a stalemate so far, and then Holland sent Lilah to get the movers while Angel was tossed into the monks, knocking them out. Lindsey continued chanting on his own, repeating 'Serge' a few times as the five Vampires turned to dust and bones while the Earth shook and a whirlwind began to spin around the box. The whirlwind sucked the vampire dust and bones into the box, then a ring of light exploded outward throwing Lindsey against the wall. He landed in an unconscious heap on the floor.
"They've brought something back", Willow said as they tensed.
"Something very dangerous", Giles whispered.
"Wolfram and Hart are definitely gonna use it in their fight against Angel", Buffy realized in horror.
"Can't get a break, can he?" Dawn muttered.
Angel and Vocah fought, Angel ducking to avoid some swings and fought back while Lilah returned with the movers and they got the box out. Holland threw a quick glance at the unmoving Lindsey then followed the others out. Angel was thrown down and got up, trapping Vocah's scythe and tried to hit him but Vocah freed it and smacked him down again. He got up as Vocah leapt near him and kicked him away. They continued fighting, Angle dodging some blows before being smacked down once more. He then avoided a swing and kicked Vocah's face while Lindsey started coming to. Angel was thrown into a wall and tried to block a blow but was thrown down but then he managed to get on Vocah's other side and putting his scythe in the wall above, swung up and kicked Vocah as he ran to him. Vocah's scythe dropped and before he could pick it, Angel trapped it with his foot and struck Vocah's face before pinning him to the wall with the scythe.
"He's winning!" Xander cheered as all looked slightly relieved.
"But he hasn't won yet", Buffy reminded.
Angel kneed and punched Vocah a few times and then knocked down his mask to reveal a maggot-filled hole where his nose used to be.
Everyone cringed in disgust as Dawn said. "Why did you knock off his mask?"
"Yeah, we didn't need to see that", Tara muttered in agreement.
"Warrior of the Underworld. Now I can tell the name makes sense", Willow sighed.
"Nice", Angel quipped before driving the scythe into Vocah's chest, finally killing him while Lindsey got up.
"Finally, he's done for", Buffy said as all sighed in relief. "Got what he deserved."
Lindsey held the scroll and picked a post topped by a cross, brandishing it in Angel's direction as Angel asked for the scroll but Lindsey refused to give it to him, saying it belonged to them, as Angel said he was putting his faith in Wolfram and Hart. You said I had to make a choice", Lindsey reminded. "And you did", Angel said. "Yeah. I had a crisis - and I want to thank you for your help with that - but I see things more clearly now", Lindsey told him. "You don't see anything. You don't know what faith is", Angel countered. Lindsey held up the scroll. "I see that what happened here tonight was foretold - that doesn't bode well for you. - I see that you are either the one with the power - or you're powerless." Angel threatened. "Uh-huh. You see what I'm gonna do to you if you don't give me that scroll?" Lindsey smirked. "You need the words of Anatole to cure your friend. She is your connection to the Powers That Be. And since it's foretold that we sever all your connections", he held the scroll into the flames burning in the urn beside him, "well..." Angel threw the scythe, cutting off Lindsey's hand at the wrist as the scroll dropped.
Everyone was startled since none of them expected Angel to do that of all things.
"Damn!" Xander exclaimed.
"He just….cut it off", Dawn muttered. "Wow!"
"Can't say he didn't deserve it though", Willow said, not feeling much sympathy for him.
"Well, he was gonna burn the scroll and let Cordelia even after everything Angel did for him", Buffy agreed. "So I'm in the same boat."
"All of us are", Tara told her.
"So Lindsey and Vocah are defeated, and Angel has the scroll, but whatever is in the box, that can't be good", Giles said, and all tensed at that thing's mention.
Lindsey dropped the cross and screamed as he dropped to the ground. He was cradling his bleeding stump against his chest, as Angel went to retrieve the scroll from the floor beside him. "Don't believe everything you're foretold." Lindsey tried to suppress his screams as Angel walked out.
"You did this to yourself", Xander said, no sympathy in his voice.
Cordelia lay on the hospital bed as Wesley sat nearby on a wheelchair while Angel leaned over her bed on the other side. Wesley read from the scroll and a nurse walking down the corridor saw a white flash from Cordelia's room, running to it. Cordelia blinked her eyes as Angel looked down at her hand to see the mark gone. She looked up at Angel as he smiled at her. "Hey." "Angel?" She asked. "Welcome back", Angel said to her while she looked over at Wesley and the nurse left to get the doctor.
"She's back!" Buffy exclaimed happily, while the rest sighed in relief and Giles smiled too.
"Angel did it", Willow smiled.
Cordelia looked back at Angel. "I saw them all. There is so much pain. - We have to help them." Angel assured. "We will", he stroked her cheek. "We will." Angel's hand gripped Cordelia's tightly.
Willow once more noted how Cordelia had acted the opposite of her on being exposed to the world's pain. She had wanted to destroy it while Cordelia now wanted to save it all.
"They look so sweet holding hands like that", Dawn said with a smile.
"Yeah", Buffy said in a whisper. She didn't want to believe it, but there was something between the two of them.
In her apartment the next day, Cordelia fixed a sandwich while Wesley was still studying the scroll and Angel sat on a chest against the wall. Wesley tried to find out about the Beast raised by Wolfram and Hart but there was nothing, and Cordelia told him to relax and eat, which he accepted. She also gave Angel a cup of blood, telling him not to be embarrassed as they were family, and he accepted. She saw Wesley staring at her as Angel said he wasn't used to the new her, and Cordelia said. "I know what's out there now. We have a lot of evil to fight, a lot of people to help. - I just hope skin and bones here can figure out what those lawyers raised sometime before the prophecy kicks in and - you croak. - That was the old me, wasn't it?" Angel said. "I like them both."
Everyone chuckled as Tara said. "She's changed, but she still has her old personality traits too."
"Nothing wrong with that", Xander shrugged. "I like them both too."
"She's still Cordelia", Buffy smiled.
Wesley, looking at the books realized he'd made a mistake. The word 'Shanshu' actually meant Angel was going to live and explained the ancient source 'Proto-Bantu' considered life and death the same thing, a part of a cycle, and a thing not alive never died. "It's- it's saying - that you get to live until you die. - It's saying - it's saying you become human." Cordelia asked. "That's the prophecy?" Wesley replied. "Ah, the vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny, will Shanshu. Become human. - It's his reward." Cordelia said. "Wow. Angel, human." Angel said. "That'd be nice."
Everyone was as surprised as the ones in the recording.
"He'll become…human", Buffy trailed off.
"Which means he can have a normal life and grow old", Willow summed up. "That's…nice for someone like him."
"But there is some destiny to fulfill first", Tara pointed out. "What could that be?"
"Some big fight or something?" Dawn asked.
"An apocalypse could be it", Giles agreed. "So Angel shall become human again after defeating this apocalypse."
"It's an apocalypse though, I doubt he'd fight it alone", Xander pointed out.
"In that case, all of us will help out", Buffy said with a smile, happy for Angel.
"But they called us to watch Angel's life, or unlife, what are the chances something horrible happened?" Willow reminded and now they all deflated, realizing something horrible was going to happen.
"Wait. What's that thing about him having to fulfill his destiny first?" Cordelia asked. Wesley said. "Well, it's saying that it won't happen tomorrow or the next day. He has to survive the coming darkness, the apocalyptic battles, a few plagues, and some - uh, several, - not that many - fiends that will be unleashed." Angel told them. "So don't break out the champagne just yet." Cordelia said. "Yeah, break out the champagne, Pinocchio. This is a big deal!" Angel said. "I guess it is." Cordelia quipped. "Typical. I hook up with the only person in history who ever came to LA to get older."
That comment improved the mood as they all chuckled a little, but Willow's truth bomb was still hanging over them. What was this apocalyptic battle, and what had happened that had prompted their future selves to do this?
For some reason, they had a feeling the prophecy hadn't worked out as written.
At Wolfram and Hart, Holland, Lilah and Lindsey entered the vault where the box from the ritual was kept, Lindsey's right arm now in a sling. Holland told Lindsey the Senior Partners were impressed by his sacrifice and so the score will be evened soon. "Yes we will", Lindsey said. "Beginning with what's in that box", Holland told him. Lilah leaned to look in through the bars running along the top of the box. "We are all very pleased you're here. - I know it's a bit confusing - but it's going to be better soon - a lot better", a naked woman was crouched in one corner of the box, "Darla." It was Darla, afraid and confused! The screen went black.
Everyone's eyes widened and their jaws dropped in shock.
"Darla?" Buffy let out. "Darla?"
"Well, it was clearly her and Lilah called her by her name", Dawn said, as shocked as her.
"Wasn't expecting that", Tara muttered.
"All this time we thought it was a powerful beast, instead it's Angel's evil ex", Xander commented.
"I am sure they would have some reason to resurrect her though", Willow said.
"They want her to corrupt him and drive him to the dark side", Giles told them all as they gulped. "That is why they brought her back."
"Oh boy!" Buffy sighed. "This is why the second year is gonna be brutal."
"So, we just finished the first year!" Dawn realized.
"Yeah, we did", Tara smiled. "Time for year 2."
"And more brutal stuff", Xander added.
"I don't know much of what exactly happened with them there, but I did get the gist it wasn't pretty", Willow agreed.
"Let's watch to find out", Buffy said.
And we're finished with Season 1 at last! YAY! What a great finale, and we got some small hints for Cangel too, while Cordelia gets some really nice character growth. The Shanshu is also revealed. And Darla is back! I actually like the Angel/Darla pairing a lot too, it's an epic, complex and intriguing love story spanning ages and continents, filled with darkness but also some light.
Anyway, with Season 1 done, next chapter we shall begin with 2x1. Hope all look forward to it.
Hope everyone enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter. Stay safe from the coronavirus ya all!