Angelus' fangs sunk into the scar on her neck, teeth lining up perfectly, and he began to feed greedily from Buffy. She groaned in pleasure and urged him on, but he suddenly dropped her. Buffy crumpled to the ground, feeling dazed, broken, and high. Her neck hurt and she knew he'd managed to take a fair amount of the blood left in her that hadn't already bled out of her other wounds.
He wiped his mouth as he stumbled back away from her. "What…. did you do?"
"Knew you'd fall for it." Buffy slurred.
Angelus tried to stay standing as he said, "You…. you sp…. You spiked…." He fell over and passed out next to her.
Wesley fell down to the ground behind Buffy and she turned to look at him. "You all right?" He asked her.
Instead of answering, Buffy just passed out on top of Angelus.
Fred was sitting at the front desk doing research. The place was quiet since Gunn had left the hotel. Connor was back on Cordelia duty. Willow had called the hotel to let them know she was on her way from Sunnydale. Suddenly, Gunn walked in through the front doors carrying a passed-out Angelus.
"Connor!" He yelled.
"Oh, my God! Angelus." Fred squeaked.
"Pick up your tranq gun. I don't know how much time we have. Connor!"
"What happened?" Fred came around the desk and handed him the tranq gun.
"Wes called, I went."
"Where is he? Where's Buffy?"
Lorne walked into the lobby from Angel's office. "Well, what is all the…. Aah! Angelus! He's in the hotel."
"Gimme steel shackles," Gunn said.
"Oh, uh, but maybe we're already aware of that."
"All I had was rope in the truck."
Connor appeared on the balcony. "What's going on?"
"Get down here now." Gunn looked at Fred. "Leg irons too."
Connor ran down the stairs. "She found him."
"Wesley and Buffy." Lorne said. "Where are they?"
Wesley walked in carrying an unconscious Buffy in his arms. "Get him downstairs."
"What happened to Buffy?" Connor asked, rushing over to her.
"She captured Angelus."
"God, what did he do to her?" Fred asked.
"Gunn?" Wesley asked.
"We got it." Gunn said, taking the shackles from Fred.
"She looks not well." Lorne said, pushing his way up towards Buffy.
"She's gonna be…." Connor said, moving Buffy's hair away from her face.
"Wake up, kid. I need you here." Gunn snapped at Connor.
"Help me with her."
Fred led the way up to Angel's room with Wesley holding Buffy and Lorne holding a towel to her bleeding neck. Wesley gently laid her on Angel's bed while Fred got a bowl of hot water and a washcloth. Lorne got a look at the very clear injection mark near Buffy's hip. He turned to glare at Wesley, but the ex-Watcher just stared straight ahead.
Fred came in with the bowl of water and sat down beside Buffy. Fred removed the towel from Buffy's neck and was slightly taken aback at the wound.
"He's bitten her before." Wesley said. "The scar makes it look worse than it is."
Buffy's head twitched and she muttered something about being shoved in a box. "She's not making any sense." Fred said.
Lorne pulled Wesley aside. "And speaking of sense, have you gone on permanent sabbatical from yours? Tell me you did not shoot Angel's greatest love full of junk and then feed her to him."
"It was her choice. Buffy knew what she was doing."
"She couldn't have! Wesley, I know what that drug does to people. Especially when they super-size the doses to make sure they really get the job done. And you damn well know it too."
Connor came rushing into the room a few minutes later. "Buffy…."
"She's completely out of it." Fred said.
"What's going to happen to her?"
Fred looked at Wesley as he sat with an ice pack to his head. "Actually, I'd like to start with what exactly was it, Wesley?"
"Orpheus." Lorne said.
"Orpheus?" Connor asked.
"Some kind of opiate?" Fred asked.
"Mystical variety." Lorne confirmed. "Humans inject it. Vampires feed off the humans. Folks tried to deal it at Caritas…. Only folks I ever banned from my club."
Buffy muttered something again and Connor sat down beside her, holding her hand. "So, if ordinary humans do this junk, Slayers are all super, right?" Fred asked, glancing at Connor.
"That's what makes it so dangerous. Orpheus isn't entirely physical. It's an enchanted drug."
"Magic. This is what it gets you."
"That, plus the biting, makes for some serious psychic psychedelia. And the more you take, the deeper you sink."
"It leads you down to hell…. And leaves you there."
A ship pulled into the harbor of Ellis Island. Buffy looked around in confusion as the huddled masses of men, women, and children poured off the ship and onto the docks around her. She turned to see a long-haired Angel walk through the crowd. It seemed to part for him as he made his way towards her.
"Angel?" Buffy asked.
"Hey!" Angelus was suddenly standing beside her as Angel walked right through him. "What is that about?"
"You tell me." She said, looking up at him. "I believe this is your flashback, cause it sure isn't mine."
Angelus tried to tackle her, but he just went right through her. She laughed at him, which made him growl and turn on her. "All right, Miss Blow-It-All. If this is my flashback. Why are you in it?"
"I think it's the magical side-effects of my little bait and switch back there."
He shook his head. "I'm almost sad, Buff. I really thought we'd had a breakthrough. I enjoyed feeling your tight little body on mine."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah…. It was all a ruse, though."
"I'm actually impressed." He shrugged dramatically. "All right, so what is this, huh? Puff-the-Magic-Dragon City? Fairyland?"
"It kind of looks more along the lines of the plot of your very own 'A Christmas Carol.'" She turned and walked after Angel with Angelus following beside her.
He groaned loudly at Angel's appearance. "The whole way over here, he crouched in the filth of animals just to avoid human temptation. This isn't my life…. It's his! It annoyed the crap out of me the first time around. This sucks!" He rounded on her. "Why do you get to be Marley's ghost?"
"I'm dying maybe? Someone got greedy and took a huge amount of blood in a short time span."
"Hey, I was planning to give some back."
She shrugged. "Well, it's not the first time I've been headed out the door. Or the second. Probably won't be the last with my track record. Either way, I guess I'm baby-sitting you until Willow gets to the Hyperion and shoves a soul up your…."
"Not gonna happen."
"Oh, it will. She's already on her way."
As they followed Angel away from the docks, they ended up walking into a different era. Jazz music was playing and seriously old-timey cars were driving through the streets. Buffy looked up to see a sign that said they were standing outside of the Blue Mood Lounge. A small group nearby was playing a game of dice on the street. A couple walked down the sidewalk hand in hand wearing some fancy clothing.
"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto." Buffy quipped as they walked along side by side.
"Early 20's by the cars." Angelus said. "What is this…. Chicago?" They spotted Angel sitting on a bench on the other side of the street. "Oh, no. I remember this. I remember this place. I gotta get out of here."
"Why are you freaking out?"
"It's coming." A car sped around the corner down the street in front of them. "Again."
"What's coming?"
"I can't do it again. I won't!"
Angel suddenly ran into the street and dove right in front of the car. "Angel!" Buffy yelled. Angel kept running until he was completely across the street. She heard a squeaking sound coming from his arms and he turned around to reveal that he was holding a tiny Pomeranian puppy.
Angelus began throwing a fit next to her and Buffy laughed at him. "You're seriously pitching a toddler worthy tantrum because Angel just rescued a puppy?"
A woman ran up to Angel and took the puppy out of his arms. "Oh, my stars! You saved her, Mister." Angel just stared at the woman.
"I'm in hell." Angelus said. "This is hell, and I'm in it."
"Oh, gee, big fella. How can I thank you?"
"We haven't fed on a human in decades. She's begging for it, you moron!"
"Get lost." Angel snapped at the woman.
"Beg pardon?" She asked.
"Take a hike, Betty. Scram."
"Well, pound snow, you mook!" The woman stormed back into the club with her dog.
"Oh!" Buffy began laughing again. "Oh, you're definitely in hell if we're reliving Angel's good deeds."
"Shut up." He growled at her.
"There's only one thing we can do for Buffy, now." Wesley said. He, Fred, and Connor were in the lobby. Gunn was keeping watch over Angelus and Lorne was upstairs with Buffy. "Finish what she started."
"You mean, re-ensoul Angel?" Fred asked.
"Impossible." Connor said. "We've been over this: no jar, no soul. No soul, no Angel."
"It's not that simple, Connor. I've been doing some research…."
"It is simple. Angelus is all that's left. First he slaughtered Lilah, now he's killed Buffy!"
"She's not dead yet." Wesley countered.
"You're lying to yourselves. You all think that I'm taking this personally so that you don't have to, but inside you know I'm right. We need to put Angelus down."
Just then, Willow walked into the lobby through the front doors. "No we don't. You just need a witch."
"Willow." Wesley said, standing up and walking towards her.
"She's a witch?" Connor asked.
"Yes. Hi. You must be Angel's handsome, yet androgynous, son.
"It's Connor."
"Buffy's right! The sneer's genetic."
"Hi Willow." Fred said.
"Hey Fred. It's good to meet you. Oh, and it's the Marlboro Man. Or at least his extra stubbly, mentally unstable, insomniac, first cousin of…. For the love of Hecate, somebody stop me."
"It's ok. I'm a yammerer from way back."
"Are there forces gathering?" Wesley asked. "Did the call of magic draw you here?"
"Oh, no. More like the call of Buffy."
"Of course. Bring in the only living person to ever re-ensoul Angel."
"So, Buffy's been keeping me up to date on everything. Where is she?"
"She's…. Upstairs." Fred said.
"Angelus killed her." Connor said.
"She's not dead!" Wesley snapped. "She's just…. In a coma from a drug she used to capture Angelus."
Willow's face darkened. "What kind of drug?" Wesley explained what Orpheus was as he led the red headed witch to Angel's room. Willow walked over to Buffy and placed her hand on the blonde's head, closing her eyes. After a moment, she sighed and pulled her hand away, opening her eyes. "She's deep in the drugs effects. I think her and Angelus are sharing a hallucination. It was all kind of…. Choppy."
"Will she pull out of it?" Lorne asked.
"Buffy's strong." She smiled reassuringly at the demon. "We should probably start the debriefing. I need to see Cordelia."
"She's locked in her room like Buffy asked." Connor said.
"Have you spoken with Buffy about…." Wesley trailed off, but Willow understood what he was asking.
"Yes. She's told me. That's sort of why I need to see her." Cordelia was sitting on her bed, covered up, when Connor escorted Willow into her room. "Hi there."
"Long time, no see." Cordelia said. She was clearly sullen to be stuck in her room.
"I'll be right outside if you need me." Connor said.
"Thank you." Willow turned back to Cordelia as Connor left the room. "How've you been?"
"Higher power. You?"
"Ultimate evil. But I got better."
"You heard about Buffy?"
"Yeah. I've already been to see her. She'll be ok."
"What about Angelus? Did you go down to see him yet?"
"I'm way avoidy. Too many memories. I'm just glad I don't have to be in the same room with him when I re-ensoul him."
"Oh, you really think you can pull it off?"
"Putting his soul back? It's the first spell I ever learned. I'm not gonna forget that."
"What about the Muo-Ping?"
"The jar holding Angel's soul? Therein lies our boneage."
"Stolen right from our safe. And if we can't get the soul out of the jar, we can't put it back in Angel."
"Yeah, question is: how do we get the soul out if we don't know where the jar is?"
"And apparently, the thing's impervious to magic."
"Yeah, I know. I already tried a standard locator spell, but zero joy."
"Right. Plus, Wesley's shaman says there's no way to extract the soul from a distance."
"Soul trapped in a glass jar, impervious to magic. It is complicated."
"Tough nut to crack."
"Not really. I've already cracked it."
"Oh? Can you hand me that drink?"
Willow wasn't going anywhere near Cordelia. She could feel the bad mojo coming off the woman in waves. She also knew that Angel's soul was somewhere in this room. "I'll get Connor to help you. I've really got to work on this spell." She turned and hightailed it out of the room.
Wesley and Connor were both waiting outside. Willow looked at Wesley and gave a subtle nod. He looked grim as he nodded back. Connor missed the exchange, though. He turned and watched the two walk down the hall as he took up his post guarding Cordelia.
Buffy and Angelus were sitting in a booth in a 1970's donut shop. Disco music was playing on the jukebox as a long-haired Angel walked in past them. Buffy had to laugh at his clothing and even harder as he chose a different song on the jukebox.
Angelus rolled his eyes. "Bring on the pain!"
"I forgot he loves Barry Manilow so much." Buffy said, watching Angel enjoy the music. She looked at Angelus. "It's nice seeing you going through the mental torture thing. How bad does it kill you that he loves power-ballads so much?"
He sneered at her. "Worse were the concerts." They watched a couple walk out past Angel, who watched them leave with a longing look. "You know what that's like? Every time he gets close, I feel it. Wanting to tear their flesh apart. The hunger. It's like a blade in my gut."
"But it's not your gut. Angel belongs on the outside, not you."
"You think it's that cut and dry, don't you? That if Angel gets his soul back…."
"When."
"You'll just hang up your spurs and ride off into the sunset knowing you put the monster back in his cage."
"I know it's not that cut and dry. You seem to forget that I was the one Angel shared everything with. I know that you're always in there. But that body belonged to Angel long before you came along."
A man walk into the shop and the cashier looked up cheerily. "Hi. Can I help you?"
"Gimme your money." The man that walked in had a gun in his hand and took a shot at the ceiling. "Gimme the cash in the drawer."
"Oh. Ok."
"Open it!"
"Oh, all right. I, uh…."
"Come on!"
"I, uh, I just need to…."
"Now!" The gun went off and the cashier dropped to the ground.
Angel got up and ran over to the cashier's side. "It's gonna be ok. I'll get you to a hospital. You're…. you're gonna be ok. All right? It's…. everything's gonna be…."
"It hurts." The cashier said.
"Yeah, I know."
"Doc, I think we're losing him." Angelus taunted. "God, I love this episode! What is that buzzing?"
"I don't hear any buzzing." Buffy said.
Angel held the cashier as the man died from his gunshot wound. "God, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"So, who's your big hero now?" Angelus taunted as Angel backed away from the cashier's body.
"He'll always be a hero to me." Buffy said. "This event has never changed the way I feel about it him."
"God, of course you now about this, too."
"We had a lot of time to talk." Buffy said as she watched Angel locked the door.
"Gotta be different actually watching him do it though."
Angel vamped out and lifted the clerk's neck to his mouth. Buffy jumped slightly as she felt the scar on her neck suddenly open up and begin to bleed. "This can't be good," she said as the world went black.
Wesley helped Willow prepare the Delothrian's Arrow spell she was setting up. She watched the bubbling jar in front her closely and then nodded. "Look, it's working."
"I thought Delothrian's Arrow was used to protect good magicks." Wesley said.
"It is."
"So, how can you use it to break the jar? The Muo-Ping is a sacred object. It's holy."
"It's glass, therefore crunchable. The sacred's what's inside. 'All life a container….'"
"'For the heart of all life.' You've studied the Daharim."
"It had to be something specific. There's lots of jars in the world. Can't shatter them all. I mean, you could, but good things come in jars. Peanut butter, jelly, those two-headed fetal pigs at the natural history museum. Come on, everybody loves fetal pigs."
"Sorry. I think my sense of humor's trapped in a jar somewhere."
"Does seem like you've given in to the grumpy side of the force."
"A lot's happened. Not just Angelus. I've been…. I've changed. I've seen a darkness in myself. I'm not sure you'd even begin to understand…."
"I flayed a guy alive and tried to destroy the world."
"Oh. So…."
"Darkness. Been there."
"Yeah. Well, I never flayed…. I had a woman chained in a closet."
"Hey!"
"That doesn't compare."
"No, dark. That's dark. You've been to a place."
"You seem exactly the same as when I left. No other major changes I'm not up on?"
"Just…. little things."
Wesley sighed. "So, you truly believe Cordelia is the Beast's master?"
"She doesn't feel right. Not like Cordelia should. And I definitely felt the presence of a misplaced soul in that room. Buffy's right, everything points to her being the Beast's master. The sooner we can get Angel back, the sooner that can be dealt with."
Fred walked into the lobby from upstairs at the same time Gunn did from downstairs. "Is everything ready?" He asked.
"Yes."
"How's Buffy?" Gunn asked Fred.
Fred shook her head. "Lorne says she's taken a turn for the worse. Her neck is bleeding again."
"Buffy will pull through." Willow said. "She always does." She handed Fred a candle and a bell. "I need you to, well, do laps around the lobby while ringing this bell."
"I can do that." Fred began her first lap.
"Ok, now all I gotta do is contact the spirit world, harness the Delothrian ebb, and focus it through my little marble of doom here." She held up a small metal ball. "And we'll restore the Muo-Ping's entropic equilibrium."
"The jar goes smash?" Gunn asked.
"Smash-o-crash."
"All I need to know. I'll be downstairs in case the Prince of Darkness wakes up." Gunn headed back downstairs.
"You ready?" Wesley asked.
"Should be a snap."
When Willow snapped her fingers, a bolt of orange colored energy hit Willow, sending her sliding across the floor. She grabbed her head as a booming voice yelled, "Stay your hand, witch! You will not interfere with what must come to pass."
"Invadoria disparu!"
"You think to banish me?"
"There's somebody in my head."
"As long as the soul is under my protection, it will never be freed."
Willow held out her hands and looked up at the ceiling. "Vetsche invadoria disparu!"
"It's the dead Beast's master." Wesley said as Willow retrieved her metal marble. "He contacted Angelus the same way."
"He wants to stop us from getting the soul!" Fred cried.
Willow held out her hand holding the marble. "Open the window. Fill this stone. Inside, outside. Two made one." The marble began to float and glow a fiery orange.
Willow was knocked down by another bolt of energy from the Beastmaster just as Connor came running to the balcony. "I can hear Cordelia in her room chanting. Should I stop her?"
"No. We don't want her to hurt you." Wesley said.
"You think Cordelia is the Beast's master?" Fred asked.
"Alesh ashtoreth!" Willow yelled as the ground started shaking.
"Do you feel that?" Wesley asked.
"There's something evil rising in the hotel." Connor said as an apparition of a huge demonic head floated above them in the lobby, growling and shrieking. "What the hell is that?"
"Ignore it." Willow snapped.
"Go guard Cordelia." Wesley ordered Connor.
Connor nodded and ran upstairs as Willow said, "Find your target. Leave my side." She shoved her hand out and sent the marble away from her. "Gethnaharoth castellumtol. Break the glass let loose the soul!"
Buffy woke up in a dark alley full of trash laying in a pile of soft trash bags. She groaned as she felt the severity of her wounds. She'd been beaten nearly to death four different times in a span of barely a week. Then she'd overdosed herself with a mystical drug that she could feel was killing her. Dragging her down.
Angelus was there in the alley with her. He was laying on his side next to her, head propped up on his hand, watching her. "It'll all be worth it. Eventually you and Angel will have your happy ending and I'll be buried away for good. Is that what you tell yourself, Buff?"
She rolled her eyes at him. "No, because I'll probably die before Angel and I can ever truly be together."
"If that's the case for you two, then why not give into me now? You can still have the body and the brain and I can make you pretty unkillable."
"Why would I want that?"
"Because right now, you're fading fast, baby. I can feel it."
"Maybe, but at least I know that Angel will be back where he belongs."
"Or not. I've got friends in high places." They heard someone stumbling around closer to the mouth of the alley and Buffy struggled to a sitting position to see that it was Angel falling into some garbage cans chasing down a rat to eat. "Him, not being one of 'em." Angelus got to his feet and Buffy climbed painfully to hers, holding her broken ribs.
"When is this?" She asked.
"When isn't it? Twenty years after that stupid donut shop, and his fingers never smelled of anything but rat! 'I'm so sorry. I give up. I'm gonna live in a sewer!'"
"He was paying for what you did."
"He's hiding from what he is…. Which may be a big Psych 101 revelation for you, cupcake, but I already know this crap, so why do I have to go through it again?"
"Maybe cause it's not about you," Angel said, standing up from the turned over trashcans. "Jackass."
Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. "Angel."
Angel smiled at her. "Hey stranger. You're looking a little worse for the wear."
"You wanna be the pot or the kettle?"
"I don't believe this!" Angelus snapped. "You're the one behind this whole true-Hollywood sob-story?"
Buffy limped over to Angel, her head swimming with the drug. She had to catch herself on a nearby wall to keep from falling over. "Hi. I hate the hair."
Angel moved closer to her. "Buffy, why are you still here?"
"I've been stuck babysitting psycho boy until Willow can shove him back into his box."
"Then what? After that, what happens?"
Angelus suddenly grabbed Buffy and threw her into a nearby wall. She crumpled to the ground in a heap. "Probably something like that. I had a feeling the rules have changed."
"She's not who you're after."
"She's always been who I've been after. But right now, our Slayer will just be gravy once I finish you off."
"I've been waiting a long time for this." Angel and Angelus said in unison.
Angel threw the first punch and they traded them back and forth until Angel managed to throw Angelus away a few feet. He went over to check on his downed Slayer. "Buffy, get up! Are you listening?"
"I'm sorry, Angel. I'm trying not to, but I'm pretty sure I'm dying."
"You're not. You're not allowed."
"I think you're ignoring the fact that I've been beaten nearly to death more than three times in a week." She winced in pain as she shifted. "And I forgot everything I learned in all those 'say no to drug' programs from school."
"The world needs you alive, Buffy. This world needs you. I need you, ok?"
Angelus grabbed Angel by the neck. "Always so concerned with keeping your little Slayer alive." He threw his souled half down the alley. "It's no big mystery, man." He kicked Buffy hard in the face and sent her reeling back, a fresh wound opening on her cheekbone. "Slayers suffer and they die. That's what they're there for."
Angel dove at Angelus, tackling him away from Buffy. They began an exchange of powerful blows until Angel finally managed to throw Angelus down the alley and into a wall, knocking him out cold. He ran over to Buffy and lifted her into his arms. "Buffy, look at me. You do not have my permission to die today."
"It's ok." She reached up and cupped his cheek. "If the trade if you for me, then I'm ok with that."
"Yeah, but I'm not. I've never been ok with that trade. You are not dying today. I won't let you."
"I wasn't lying to Angelus before. I'm so tired, Angel."
"I know. I know, Buffy. Look at me. I've been there, too, but someone very smart once told me that strong is fighting. You should listen to her."
"She was optimistic then. She's been through too much and she's done some stupid things since then."
"Hey, you know that I'm not perfect. Even with a soul, I've done things I wished a thousand times I could take back. A lot of them were to you." Buffy closed her eyes, feeling the drug pulling her down. "Buffy, wake up!" He yelled. "Get up!" He shook her and then started to stand up with her. "Come on. You have to get up now. Buffy, you have to fight. I need you to fight. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Angelus snuck up behind Angel and hit him hard over the head with a metal pipe. "What won't I miss?" He hit Angel again and Buffy closed her eyes, summoning all of her strength she had left to her. Angel needed her. "The moralizing. Soul's already in the ether, boyo. I can smell it." Buffy felt a rush of adrenaline at the thought of Angel dying and she surged to her feet. "How about I send it off to that big puppy rescue in the sky." She grabbed Angelus by the back of the neck and threw him backwards. He got to his feet and turned around to face her with a grin. "Buff! Welcome back!"
"Hello, lover."
Angelus swung the pipe at her head, but she disappeared. When she opened her eyes, she was laying in Angel's bed. Lorne was sitting beside her holding a cool washrag to her forehead and Connor was sitting on the floor holding her hand. Lorne looked down at her in surprise.
"Buffy?" He asked.
Connor jumped up. "You're alive!"
"Ow." Buffy croaked.
"I'll get you some water." Connor said, running off into the other room.
"We didn't think you would pull through." Lorne said.
"I didn't either." Buffy answered, letting the green empath demon help her to sit up some. Connor came back and handed her the water. "Thank you." She drank the cold water gratefully and handed the glass back to him. "Has Willow done the restoration spell?"
"She was just starting when I came up here." Connor said.
"I'll go let her know you're awake and see how she's coming along putting the soul back in our Angelcakes." Lorne said. He smiled at her and headed out of the room.
Connor took his place, sitting next to Buffy and watching her. "I'm glad you didn't die."
"I'll be glad when everything stops hurting." She said with a smile. He didn't smile back, though. "What's wrong?"
"You were right."
"About?"
"Cordelia. She's the Beast's master."
"You're positive?"
Connor nodded. "I saw the marble in Willow's spell go into Cordelia's room. I heard the glass break inside when I knocked on her door. And…." He hesitated.
"What is it?"
"She's pregnant." Buffy's eyes widened in shock. "I don't know with what, though."
"What do you mean?"
"I may have been raised in Quar'toth, but I know that a human baby doesn't grow that fast. She's getting big fast." He looked over at Buffy. "She never really loved me, did she?"
Buffy reached over and took Connor's hand. "Whoever or whatever is in Cordelia's body is not her. The real Cordelia loved you."
"How do you know?"
"I talked to her a few times after you were born. She adored you. I promise that your dad will make this right. He'll find a way to fix Cordelia."
"Will you stay and help?"
"Connor…."
"You're the first person in a long time that's treated me nicely. You haven't talked down to me like I'm some stupid teenager who's done bad things."
"You're not stupid, Connor. You're just a teenager and teenagers do some really dumb things. That's part of growing up. You're no different there."
"Please stay, Buffy."
"I wish I could, but I can't. I've got an apocalypse of my own to stop. I've got girls and friends back home depending on me to guide them through it."
"You could guide me! You could teach me to be a hero like you." Before she could answer, the door opened and Angel walked into the room. Connor sighed. "I'll leave you two alone."
"Connor." Buffy called before he could leave the room. "We'll talk later, ok?" He nodded and walked out, closing the door behind him.
Angel took Connor's place on the bed and reached out to cup Buffy's bruised cheek. "God, Buffy, I'm so sorry you got dragged into this."
"What do you remember?"
"I remember the dream that the shaman used to take my soul out. That was real?"
"For the two of us it was." She smiled. "It was an interesting way to play catch up with you."
"I'll say." He chuckled. "I also remember you telling Angelus about your relationship with Spike."
"It wasn't a relationship." She sighed. "You saw me after I came back, Angel. I wasn't myself."
"I know."
"I was in a dark, self-destructive place and he was…. Convenient. I used him and I hated myself every minute for it." She looked down at her hands. "I wanted it to be you."
"I'm sorry." She blew out a nervous breath. "I've been where you were, so I shouldn't judge you. It's how Connor came about." He took her hand. "I wanted it to be you."
"Will that ever change?"
"No. There's so much we've left unsaid for so many years."
"So much that Angelus said for us."
"Buffy…." He took a deep breath. "What do you want to know?"
"Is what he said true?"
"Yes. I was human with you for 24 hours that day you came to confront me about Thanksgiving. We made love over and over and we were just together and it was…. Amazing."
"I think I've dreamed about it. I've had these reoccurring dreams that have never felt like dreams. There's one where we're kissing in the sunlight by the Santa Monica Pier and then…." She blushed slightly. "The other one…. We're lying naked in bed eating ice cream and you drop some on your chest and I lick it off. It makes you laugh and that's my favorite sound in the whole world. I always look forward to that dream." Angel looked down at their still clasped hands. "It was real?"
"You promised me you'd never forget."
"Why did you take it back?"
"To save you. There's absolutely no other reason I would've taken back the best day of my life."
"Did I die?"
"No. But you would have and I couldn't bear the thought that I wouldn't be able to protect you." He snorted. "Fat lot of good it did me, though. You still died."
"You said in our shaman-induced fever dream that you were reminded of things that you'd done that broke your heart and destroyed you inside and out just to protect me."
"To make sure you were alive even if I couldn't be with you." He nodded. "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of our time together. Most days I change the outcome in my head."
Before Buffy could say anything, there was a knock on the door and Willow poked her head in. She smiled at them and came into the room, closing the door behind her. "Hey. Glad to see you're both up and at 'em."
"Up? Yes. At 'em? Not so much." Buffy said.
"Thank you for all your help, Willow." Angel said.
Willow nodded, looking at Buffy and Angel's clasped hands. "So, listen, uh…. I have something I need to tell you guys."
"What's wrong?" Buffy asked.
"Nothing. Nothing at all! I just…. I changed the spell."
"What spell?"
"The restoration spell?" Angel asked.
Willow nodded. "Changed how?" Buffy asked.
"I took the loophole out."
"You…." Angel started.
"How?" Buffy asked.
"I've been working on it for years, actually." The blonde Slayer looked startled at the revelation. "Buffy, you were never happy with anyone like you were with Angel. Even when you two were miserable together, you were happy. I figured it out just before Tara…. And then I never got to tell you because everything just kind of…."
"Exploded."
"Yeah! And then I suddenly had this opportunity to use the new, non-loophole spell…."
"Are you sure the loophole is gone?" Angel asked quietly.
"Definitely sure. The spell felt different this time, too, when I did it. I'm sorry to drop this on you guys like this. You two have got a lot going on and this is the last thing you need to worry about, but…. The loophole is gone and you guys have the option of starting over together…. Without worrying about Angelus coming out to play." Willow smiled at them and then quickly retreated out of the room.
Buffy and Angel stared at each other for a long time. Neither of them knew what to say next. Finally, instead of addressing the extra-large elephant in the room, Buffy said, "Cordelia is the Beast's master."
"What?" Angel asked, shaking his head at the sudden change of topic.
"I've had my suspicions since I showed up here…. For real…. And Connor just confirmed it. She's not been herself. The Cordelia I knew wouldn't sleep with your son. And speaking of that, she's pregnant with…. something. Connor is sure it isn't human, though." Angel stood up and walked across the room. He yanked his leather duster off and tossed it on a chair. "You're angry."
"No. I'm overwhelmed." Angel corrected. "I just had a lot of information dumped on me in the span of a few minutes."
Buffy sat up and swung her legs off the side of the bed, letting out an involuntary groan of pain as her broken ribs protested. Angel was instantly at her side, helping her to stand. "I've had Connor and Gunn taking turns keeping watch over her since we discovered Lilah's body."
"How did you know it wasn't me that killed her?"
"I've got your bite mark permanently on my neck. I think I know what it looks like by now. All I had to do was look at Lilah's neck to know that she was stabbed before she was bitten and that's not Angelus' style."
"Fair point."
"Anyway, Connor was taking his turn guarding Cordelia when the marble went into her room and broke the glass jar holding your soul. He heard the glass break."
"How?"
"He has really good hearing."
"No, I meant how is Cordelia the Beast's master?"
"Oh. Sorry. There's probably some brain damage happening up here." She gestured at her head.
Angel sighed. "Come here." He helped her into the kitchenette area and sat her down in a chair at the dining table. Going over to the cabinets, he pulled out a first aid kit and occupied the other chair in front of her.
She gave him a grin. "Just like old times."
"Except this time you're a little more wounded than I've ever seen you." He took an alcohol wipe to the large cut on her cheek.
"I wish I could stay to help you figure out this whole Cordy-is-a-bad-guy thing."
"You have a bigger battle to get through in Sunnydale."
She watched him for a long moment as he concentrated on dressing what wounds he could. A million things went through her mind. Most of them were about the possibilities that laid ahead for the two of them. She also thought about Connor. She felt an instant love for the kid because of who his father was and she cared about him. He was miserable in LA surrounded by people who didn't trust him and a deceptive woman he thought had been in love with him.
"Angel, I want to take Connor with me back to Sunnydale." Angel stopped and gave her a long, hard look. "Ok, look, just…. Hear me out, ok? He doesn't feel wanted here."
"I want him here!"
"I didn't say you didn't. But he feels like he's not. And from the reaction of your friend Gunn when I asked Connor to look out for your friends, Connor is kinda right about feeling that way. I don't know what bad things he did…."
"He dropped me to the bottom of the Pacific in a metal coffin for three months and didn't tell Gunn or Fred while they spent those months looking for me."
"Wow!"
Angel nodded. "To be fair, the man that raised him hated me and made Connor believe that I had killed him. He was seeking revenge for the man he thought of as his father."
"Ok. Well, I was an accessory to murder when I was his age and you were a drunk womanizing man-whore if I remember the stories correctly…. And I do…. So, I guess he's not doing anything so different from us." Angel chuckled. "I seriously think it would be good for him to get away from everything. You want him to get to know you and see that you're not a bad person?" He nodded. "Who better to teach him than the person that loves you the most?"
Angel looked down at his hands. "I just want what's best for him."
"Because you're a good father." She smiled sadly. "Isn't it funny that you left me so I could have kids and you're the one that ends up with one?" Angel just shot her a glare. "Sorry."
"There are times when I wish that I had brought him to you as a baby. We could've raised him together and maybe he wouldn't have grown up in a hell dimension."
"I probably wouldn't have gone off the deep end last year if you and baby Connor had shown up at my doorstep."
"We'd be celebrating his first steps and his first words right about now."
"His first word would totally have been 'Buffy.' Or the baby equivalent of it, anyway." She joked.
"'Mama'" He corrected her with a slight smile. "It would've been 'mama'." She looked up at him in surprise. "All I ever wanted was to have a life with you. The only reason I didn't come to Sunnydale with Connor is because I was scared."
"Of what?"
"Everything. I was most scared of how you might react and of becoming so happy at seeing the woman I love holding my son that I would lose my soul."
"Valid things to be scared of. If we're being completely honest, I don't know how I would've reacted. I was a mess last year. I completely missed my best friend becoming addicted to magic and my sister turning into a major klepto. I pushed everyone away and got into a seriously unhealthy, abusive…. Thing with Spike of all people."
"Did he hurt you?"
Buffy hesitated before saying, "We hurt each other."
"I don't like your hesitation."
"We can talk about it all later, ok? When we have actual time between apocalypses to concentrate on our lives and what exactly we're going to do about Willow's bombshell about your soul."
"I'm going to hold you to that."
"I wouldn't expect any less."
Angel went back to bandaging her wounds. As he was wrapping her ribs up tightly, he said, "If Connor wants to go with you to Sunnydale, I won't stop him."
"I really think it'll be good for him to get away from all the negativity in his life and hang out with me and mine for a while. Also, to get him away from whatever is parading around as Cordelia. She's been really jealous that Connor has been hanging around me."
"I'm not looking forward to figuring that out."
"I'm sorry about Cordelia. I know you two…."
"We never got started and now that my soul…." He trailed off.
"What?"
A smile creeped across his face. "My soul is permanent."
Buffy had to smile, too. "So Willow says." Her smiled faded, though as she recalled what he had just said about him and Cordelia. "Now that your soul is permanent, you want to give it a try with Cordelia if you get her back."
"No!" He grabbed her hands. "No. Buffy, my heart belongs to you and only you. If my soul is permanent, then you're the only one I want a future with." She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as he pulled her closer to him. "Stay here one more night?"
"Angel…." She was pressed against him with his arms around her now. Her hands held onto his shirt at his ribs, holding him to her.
"You need to rest. Your ribs are broken, you've got more cuts and bruises than I can count, and I'm pretty sure that drug isn't completely out of your system yet. If Willow wants to stay, we've got plenty of rooms."
She looked up at him. "If I stay one more night, I'll never leave."
"I wouldn't have a problem with that." They stared at each other intently for a long moment, but finally Angel reluctantly released her. "You're right. We've both got a lot on our plates."
Buffy nodded. "Right. Yes. This talk isn't over, though."
"No. It's definitely not." He took a step back. "I'll go talk with Connor." Angel headed for the door, but, at the last second, turned around and strode back over to Buffy. He pulled her to him and kissed her fiercely. She made an involuntary noise of pain, but kept her arms around his neck so he couldn't pull away. They allowed themselves a few moments to make out like they used to before the threat of Angelus loomed large over them.
Finally, they pried themselves apart and Buffy smiled brightly at him. "I've missed that."
"Me too." He kissed her one last time. "Ok. I'm going to talk to Connor."
Buffy, Willow, and Connor stood together in the lobby with Angel, Wesley, Lorne, and Fred. Gunn was upstairs keeping watch over Cordelia's room. He'd said his goodbyes before taking up Connor's post.
Lorne hugged Buffy gingerly. "Strumpet, it was so good to finally meet you. I look forward to seeing you again."
"Thank you, Lorne." Buffy said.
"Thank you for coming." Fred said. "I'm sorry you got the snot beat out of you so many times. I feel like that's bad hospitality."
Buffy shrugged. "It's part of being the Slayer. Don't worry about me, though." She hugged Fred. "Take care, ok?" She turned to Wesley. "Wes."
"Buffy." Wesley said.
"While this new, darker Wesley is a gun guy to be around, you should let some of that old, nerdy Wes come back out some. He was a hoot."
"I'll do my best."
Angel patted Connor on the shoulders. "I'm happy you decided to go with Buffy, son. She's a good teacher. You'll learn a lot from her."
"Good." Connor said.
"Just…. Take care of yourself and watch her back."
"I will."
"He's in overprotective mode." Buffy said conspiratorially to Connor. "Next thing you know, he'll be hiding in the shadows keeping tabs on you."
"Who says I don't already do that?" Angel shot back with a grin.
Connor shook his head. "You really are different around her."
"I think that volume's outdated." Fred said, handing Willow a book. "You'd know better than me, but there's some interesting stuff about the Hellmouth. Might help."
"This is great." Willow said.
"I have to say, someday I'd love to bend your ear about the Pergamum Codex. I think some of the really obscure passages are actually Latin translated from a demonic tongue, and they're kind of a hoot. All this stuff about Bacchanals and spells and…. actually, I think it's probably funnier in Latin. You know how that is sometimes."
"I'm seeing someone." Willow blurted.
Buffy laughed. "Ok, kiddo, let's hit the road. Will?"
"As I'll ever be." Willow said. "Wagons west. See you guys."
"Willow…." Angel started.
"He's going to tell you how much he owes you." Buffy said.
"Don't mention it." Willow said, heading for the door with Buffy and Connor.
"Buffy?" Angel asked just before she stepped out the door.
She turned around and looked at him with a slight smile tugging at her lips. "I know." He smiled and nodded at her as she walked out.