Disclaimer: I do not own Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize
Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.
Chapter 102- Orpheus
The Scoobies all sat back down as Buffy picked up the remote and turned the recording on.
Angelus started drinking from Faith as she gave a strangled cry before suddenly pushing her away and falling backwards, gasping. "What did you do?" Faith looked at him, holding her neck.
"What did she do?" Buffy asked.
"Here it comes", Summers smirked.
A few minutes ago, Faith strode forward and shot Angelus with the trank gun. He ducked aside and the shot missed, then kicked Faith backward into a stack of boxes as she reloaded. Wesley chambered a round in his shotgun and opened fire. Again, Angelus' demonic reflexes allowed him to evade the gunfire. Faith slid up her pant leg and took out a syringe. "You gotta do better than that, Wes! Come on! I'll give you one more. Strike three!" Faith plunged the needle into her arm, injecting herself with the drug.
"Oh my God, what the hell is that?" Buffy asked.
"Orpheus", Rosenberg said grimly.
"A mystical intoxicating drug, it's like heroin for Demons", Maclay explained, and that disturbed the past people other than Willow and Giles, as the former knew the details and the latter knew of the drug.
"Wow, she went real hardcore using that on herself", Dawnster commented.
"So it's bad for them both?" Tara asked Willow, who just gave a nod.
"Yeah."
Angelus grabbed the scaffolding and tried to haul himself up but Orpheus weakened him as he fell down. "You, you sp…you spiked…." He was knocked out as Wesley tumbled off the scaffolding and crashed to the floor, pushing himself up as he looked at Faith. "You all right?" Faith smirked. "Kicked his ass." And then she was unconscious too.
"That you did", Dawn agreed.
"Why so reckless, Faith?" Buffy wondered.
"It was the only play that came to her mind, she doesn't have to be like us, she is different", Summers defended her fellow Slayer.
"I'm not judging, I'm concerned", Buffy told her.
"She wouldn't want you to be concerned over her play", Harris pointed out, and Buffy had to concede with a sigh.
Fred was reading in Hyperion when Gunn arrived with an unconscious Angelus. Lorne arrived too as Gunn asked Fred to bring steel shackles, so she ran off to do it while Connor appeared, then Wesley entered, carrying the unconscious Faith in his arms, a large blood-soaked bandage pressed to her neck. He asked them to get Angelus downstairs as Gunn pulled Connor away from Faith, giving him the shackles while Wesley asked Fred to help him with Faith.
"She got him, but by risking her own life", Willow sighed sadly.
"It all turned out well in the end though, right?" Tara asked.
"Yeah, it did, but it was still something", Willow shook her head.
Wesley put Faith on a bed, followed by Lorne and Fred, while Gunn and Connor dragged Angelus into the cage and shackled him. Lorne noticed the needle track on Faith's arm while Fred entered with hot water and fresh bandages. She removed the cloth from Faith's neck and started cleaning with a fresh towel.
"Lorne knows about this drug, doesn't he?" Giles asked, noticing his expression.
"Yeah, and he considers it unfortunate", Dawn told him.
Angelus was secured and Connor knew he'd fed from Faith when he jerked in his chains as Gunn and Connor leapt backward, the former having his trank pistol ready as Angelus mumbled about killing while Faith tossed and turned in her sleep, mumbling too. Lorne asked if Wesley had shot Faith full of the junk and fed her to Angelus, to which he said it was her own choice and she knew the risks, but Lorne said she couldn't, only for Fred to shush him so he lowered his voice but was still angry, saying that drug did a lot to people, especially if the dosage was super-sized.
"Except Wesley didn't do it, she did it herself", Xander pointed out.
"Guess she did take it all the way, just not the way Wesley wanted", Buffy commented. "He unintentionally pushed her to this."
"Yep, and this worked out better at the end", Summers sighed. "Not that this was good."
Cordelia was skeptical about Faith's coma, noting Angelus was secured now as Connor assured he'd protect them. When he mentioned Faith again, Cordelia slammed him to the wall, accusing him of falling for her, though Connor was shocked she'd been able to slam him due to the anti-Demon spell. Cordelia turned around, saying he wasn't loyal, so now he assured he'd do anything for her, and she turned back around, now sweet, blaming it on hormones as she told him to go see how Faith was doing.
"She has him wrapped around her little fingers", Dawnster commented, the sudden personality change quite disturbing.
"And he is wrapped too", Willow sighed. "Guess he still can't see it."
"Nope, like we keep saying, it will take a long while", Maclay told her.
Connor later asked the rest what was up with Faith while Fred asked Wesley about the drug, and Lorne revealed it was Orpheus, which humans injected into them and Vampires fed off those humans. Some folks had tried to deal it at Caritas and that was the only instance he'd banned anyone. Lorne then also revealed it was enchanted as Connor was disgusted with magick again, while Wesley and Lorne explained the effects in full, with Gunn locking and chaining the cage downstairs.
"Oh my God! Was Riley taking that too?" Buffy now asked.
"No, he was just getting off on having those whores drink him", Summers scoffed. "Not that it's much better."
"This is even worse, why are people so stupid?" Buffy wondered. "Not Faith, she was executing her plan, the others who do this Orpheus and Vampire feeding stuff. Its much, much worse than actual drugs or alcohol addiction."
"Some people just have nothing good in life, and this is what they turn to", Rosenberg sighed sadly.
In New York, 1902, immigrants came via steamer ships with a filthy and disheveled Angel making his way through, and Angelus appeared in his way. Angel took no notice and passed through him, Angelus now angry while Faith appeared too. He tried to attack her but passed right through, falling down while Faith laughed, reminding him of the definition of insanity, which she'd learnt in murder rehab.
"Don't think he has been to one", Willow commented.
"What is happening?" Tara asked. "It's a flashback, right?"
"Orpheus sent them into a shared hallucination, magical side-effects", Rosenberg explained to them.
"Huh?" Dawnster noted. "So, they are going to be in his memories or what?"
"Oh yeah, now you're going to see a good bit of Angel's life before he met us", Summers nodded.
"Sounds depressing", Xander commented. "Considering the time with the Thesulac."
"Let's just watch", Buffy sighed, wondering what she would see this time, and hoped it wasn't something that disappointed her.
Angelus wondered why Faith was in his flashback as she noted it must be a side-effect of Orpheus. Faith looked at Angel walking through the crowd, commenting he didn't know about the invention of bath as Angelus was disgusted by him, making Faith realize it was Angel in the flashback. Faith then told him she was dying and babysitting him was her last job. Angelus said he'd thought her suicidal tendencies were gone, to which Faith said she'd rolled the dice and it paid even odds.
"She was…..okay with dying?" Buffy asked in shock.
"Angel saved her, she would do anything for him", Maclay explained to her. "Even give her life, she believes in her mind that she owes him everything."
Buffy didn't reply, her respect for Faith rising as she now realized just how deep and special the bond between Angel and Faith was.
The rest seemed to think the same, based on the lack of comments.
In Chicago 1922, Angelus and Faith walked past some crap players as they saw Angel on a bench, cleaned up. Angelus was furious now as a car sped on the road, and Angel ran there, saving a puppy, to Angelus' disgust and Faith's amusement at his disgust.
"Oh my God, he saved a puppy!" Dawnster squealed happily, and the other girls had the same reaction.
"Puppy, huh, now that's nice", Xander quipped.
"He's so cute", Buffy said. "And Angel saved him."
"Praise him!" Willow cheered.
"Such a sweet thing to do", Tara smiled too.
"That was good", Giles muttered.
"I know right? A puppy!" Summers said.
"Saving puppies always makes anyone okay in any sane person's book", Harris quipped as the rest chuckled.
"Well, it's a puppy, what do you expect?" Rosenberg asked.
"Puppies just have that cuteness, and so do kitties", Maclay smiled.
"We should get one each sometime", Dawn said as they laughed again.
A girl ran out of the club, overjoyed as Angel had saved her puppy, and took it back from him. The girl wanted to thank him but he asked her to get lost, so she walked back to the club angrily with her puppy while Angelus called this Hell, and Faith agreed, since he was reliving Angel's good deeds.
"If there was any doubt that Angelus is a monster, it is gone here, how can you not love puppies?" Dawnster asked and the rest nodded in agreement.
"Definitely Hell for Angelus", Buffy commented.
Lorne watched over Faith as Wesley, Fred and Connor were at the counter. The monitor nearby showed Gunn standing watch over Angelus in the basement. Wesley said. "There's only one thing we can do for Faith now, finish what she started." Fred realized. "You mean re-ensoul Angel." Connor argued. "Impossible. We've been over this. No jar, no soul. No soul, no Angel." Fred counseled. "It's not that simple, Connor. I've been doing some research." Connor snapped. "It is simple! Angelus is all that's left. First he slaughtered Lilah, now he's killed Faith."
"Wrong on both counts", Willow quipped.
"Yeah, he takes it personally while claiming not", Dawn shrugged.
Wesley pointed out. "She's not dead yet." "You're lying to yourselves!" Connor snapped at the rest of Team Angel. "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." "I don't think so." Everyone turned to see Willow standing in the lobby. "I think you need a witch."
"Oh my God!" Dawnster said, excited to see Willow here, just like the rest. "It's you!"
"And that was a nice entrance", Tara smiled at her girlfriend.
"How did you come at exactly the right moment?" Xander asked.
"Actually, I was..." Willow trailed off. "Wait, it was Gunn who said something about how they may not be able to do anything and in that case, they'd need to kill Angelus. Connor wasn't even there."
That confused everyone as Buffy asked. "Are you sure?"
"Yes", Willow said.
"You know something?" Tara asked the future people.
"It will be explained by year's end why you didn't remember Connor being there", Summers told her.
"Is it like what happened with me?" Buffy inquired. "Time travel mumbo-jumbo?"
"No, its something else, but Connor was there, you just don't remember it", Maclay explained. "Why and how, you'll see later."
"Speaking of, we didn't know he existed until watching these recordings, and I find it highly unlikely Angel wouldn't tell Buffy", Xander made a point of his own.
"Like we said, watch till year's end, its all explained", Harris assured. "Until then, just be surprised."
"All right, and back to the entrance thing, I was standing outside the door and waiting to make an entrance, the line gave me a chance to", Willow revealed, and that got some chuckles.
"You know, behind the scenes drama is less epic that what's on-screen", Rosenberg quipped, making them chuckle more.
"Well, regardless of that, this was nice", Buffy said. "Better than my entrance in any of the recordings."
"Yeah, she puts us to shame", Summers agreed, sharing a knowing look with Rosenberg.
"So it is time for the re-ensoulment then", Giles realized.
"Yeah, and it won't be as easy as last time", Maclay warned.
"Because of the being?" Buffy asked.
"Because of the being", Dawn confirmed.
"It tried to thwart Will", Harris told them.
"Didn't know what it exactly was at the time", Rosenberg said, sounding a little guilty.
"Would have helped Cordy if I knew", Willow agreed with a sad nod herself.
Willow walked to the counter, putting her bag down as Connor was skeptical, and she noted he was Angel's handsome yet androgynous son, and when he said his name, she called the sneer genetic.
"Destroyed in seconds", Dawnster said as they laughed again.
"Yeah, he's got nothing on Will", Buffy commented as Willow and Rosenberg smiled.
"Don't remember this, but I was cool", Willow cheered to the amusement of the rest.
Willow and Fred greeted each other while she made a comment on Wesley's appearance which got long and winded so quipped that someone stop her for the love of Hecate, Fred saying she was a yammerer from way back. Wesley asked. "Are there forces gathering? Did the call of magick draw you here?" Willow corrected. "Oh, no. More like the call of Fred." Wesley realized. "Of course. Bring in the only living person to ever re-ensoul Angel."
"One scene and already stealing the show", Tara said as she and Willow shared a smile.
"Yeah, she's the big hero here", Maclay agreed, she and Rosenberg sharing a smile too.
Fred said Willow might look into things they missed, only to have her research praised by Willow, who wanted Cordelia for the debriefing but Connor scoffed about Angelus hitting her right thigh with a crossbow bolt. Wesley said she'd still want to meet Willow since they have history and Willow had travelled a long way.
"How could I miss it?" Willow now wondered.
"It's not your fault, honey, you still weren't completely confident with your magic up till then based on what you told me", Tara reminded her gently.
"Plus, aura reading is our thing, but we were dead and our spirit was trapped in a Hell dimension by daddy dearest at the time for ditching the blood kin", Maclay sighed as Rosenberg wrapped an arm around her.
"So, what will this thing do?" Xander asked.
"It was pretty friendly at the time, fooled me", Willow muttered.
"Actually, it was quite terrifying to watch here, since there is something we didn't know at the time", Rosenberg revealed, to the past people's shock.
"Just watch", Summers warned grimly.
Cordelia sat propped up in bed, her belly hidden by the covers. A knock at the door and Connor entered, leading Willow inside. "Hi there." Cordelia smiled. "Long time, no see." She noticed Connor staring suspiciously at Willow. "It's okay, Connor. I'm fine." He nodded and walked out, closing the door behind him. Willow sat down on the bed with a smile. "How have you been?" "Higher power. You?" "Ultimate evil. But I got better."
"It's like when Amy and I talked", Buffy remembered, and Willow didn't disagree.
"Yeah, uncanny similarity", Willow agreed.
"Kind of scary, since now you're talking to the ultimate evil", Xander said.
"Tell me about it", Willow muttered, seeing this bit through a different lens now.
"This isn't even the tip of the iceberg", Rosenberg told them.
Cordelia asked. "You heard about Faith?" Willow noted. "Coma again." "What about Angelus? Did you go down and see him yet?" Willow told her. "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." "You really think you can pull it off?" Cordelia asked as her hand slipped beneath the covers and closed around a butcher knife.
Now the eyes of the past people widened, Tara and Xander both tightening their grips on Willow, and since Dawnster wasn't next to Willow, she ended up tightening her grip on Tara instead.
"What the…..?" Willow trailed off, horrified.
"Yeah, that happened", Rosenberg muttered, her and Maclay holding hands.
"It has a knife…" Xander muttered.
"Oh my God, oh my God!" Dawnster was repeating.
"Will….." Buffy muttered, not believing Willow had come this close to dying and no one had known a thing about it.
"Good Lord!" Giles exclaimed.
"Well, I'm still here", Willow commented, not that it did anything.
"Almost weren't", Summers sighed. "All because of that thing inside Cordy."
"Keeps giving us more and more reasons to hate it, doesn't it?" Harris asked.
"It does", Dawn agreed.
Willow asked. "Putting his soul back? It's the first spell I ever learned. Not gonna forget that." Cordelia asked. "What about the muo-ping?" Willow agreed it was a problem. "The jar holding Angel's soul? Therein lies our boneage." Cordelia pointed out. "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." Willow agreed. "Yeah, the question is, how do we get the soul out if we don't know where the jar is?" Cordelia added. "And apparently the thing's impervious to magick." Willow revealed. "I know. I already tried a standard locator spell but zero joy." Under the covers, Cordelia's hand loosened on the knife. Willow was apparently not a threat after all.
The past people sighed in relief before Maclay warned. "Don't be relieved yet. They're still in the same room."
"For some reason, I'm not", Willow agreed, remembering her idea which was coming right in a moment.
Cordelia agreed. "Right. Plus Wesley's shaman says there's no way to extract a soul from a distance." Willow sighed. "Soul trapped in a glass jar, impervious to magick, it is complicated. Cordelia quipped. "Tough nut to crack." Cordelia's words sparked an idea in Willow. Cordelia saw her expression and her grip tightened on the knife again.
Now the past people paled again as Tara and Xander held Willow, and Dawnster held Tara, and Buffy and Giles were watching with wide eyes. The future people were tense too, even if they'd seen it once before.
Willow asked. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Cordelia replied. "I doubt it." Willow suggested. "We just break the jar!" Cordelia indicated a glass of water on the nightstand. "Can you hand me that drink?" Willow was caught up with inspiration and Cordelia's question didn't seem to register. "That way we don't have to magick the soul out, we just break the glass around it." Cordelia seethed. "Great idea. I'm really thirsty." Willow continued. "And then Angel's soul is still released into the ether and there's something called Delothrian's Arrow. We don't even need to know where the target is. Cordy, this is fantastic! We're going to get him back." She turned and ran out, closing the door behind her. An instant later, the butcher knife slammed into the door right where Willow's head was a moment before. Cordelia sat in her bed, seething.
The past people all jumped at that bit, the future people only barely controlling themselves.
"Oh my…Goddamnit!" Xander snapped, letting it out.
"Whoa…." Willow trailed off, rubbing her face, now realizing how close to death she'd been there.
"Screw you!" Dawnster snarled at the being possessing Cordelia.
"You almost…." Tara said with wide eyes.
"I'm still here", Willow assured her.
"You got out in time", Buffy sighed in relief finally.
"And she cannot go after you without exposing herself", Giles added.
"Yeah, I was safe after that", Rosenberg nodded. "But this was such a shock."
"Yup, if only someone had known", Maclay sighed.
"Can't change the past now, only change the future", Summers muttered.
"I'm sure that's why we brought them here", Dawn reminded as the two sisters chuckled.
"Let's carry on, Will's alive, and has a plan", Harris said, and all nodded, finally getting over Willow's almost-death.
Lorne tried to comfort the unconscious Faith and holding her hand, sang to her. "There'll be another song for me, and I will sing it. Oh, there'll be another dream for me, someone will bring it."
They found the scene both saddening and sweet. Saddening because Lorne believed Faith could die, and sweet because of how caring he was, even to someone he barely knew like Faith.
In the 1970's, Angel was in a donut shop as he changed song on the jukebox to Barry Manilow's Mandy, to Angelus' disgust and Faith's amusement.
"Figured he'd like it too, since he cried at the ballet", Dawnster remembered.
"Well, there are different tastes for everyone", Rosenberg sighed.
Angel looked at a couple walking out longingly as Angelus commented how he always felt the need to tear apart flesh whenever he got close, but Faith said Angel was on the outside. A clerk poured Angel a cup of coffee as Angelus said he was always inside.
"And he keeps you inside", Buffy told Angelus. "You'll never come out again."
A robber then arrived, shooting into the ceiling as he asked the clerk for money, and he did as asked, but still got shot as the robber ran out. Angel rushed to the clerk's side, trying to help him while Angelus was amused, saying he loved this, but then heard a buzzing which annoyed him.
"Poor guy", Xander said about the clerk.
"He isn't the only one", Maclay told him sadly.
"And what is that buzzing?" Dawnster asked.
"Just watch", Dawn told her.
Cordelia held the crystal ball in her hands, trying to contact Angelus, saying he could return from the darkness or let the red-headed meddler put his soul back.
"We all know what he chose", Willow quipped as the rest chuckled.
Willow and Wesley prepared a spell, a bubbling jar in the front, as they discussed about the Delothrian's arrow, though Wesley didn't respond to her jokes, commenting his sense of humor was trapped in a jar somewhere. Willow commented he'd given in to the grumpy side of the Force as he said he'd seen a darkness in himself, but Willow said she'd flayed a guy alive and tried to destroy the world, so Wesley didn't make eye contact, while Willow said she'd been in darkness.
"I'm not sure whether to be amused or feel bad", Xander commented.
"You can do both, I won't be offended", Willow assured.
"Yeah, me neither", Rosenberg spoke up.
"Sorry you had to go through that", Tara sighed.
"You don't need to repeat it", Willow assured as they shared a kiss.
"You two are getting along quite well", Dawnster commented. [1]
"Magic thing, right?" Dawn asked.
"With Tarebear gone, I needed something like that", Willow said, sharing a look with Tara as their future selves did the same.
Wesley revealed he'd a woman chained in a closet, which Willow called dark, and eventually Willow asked about Fred as Wesley looked away and did a double take. In the donut shop in the 70s, Angel was squatting next to the clerk, apologizing as the clerk died and Angel backed away. Angelus taunted Faith, asking her who the hero was now as she said it wasn't his fault, but then Angel returned, vamping out and lifting the clerk as Faith's neck started bleeding. Angelus taunted. "Or did he choose to be a little slow on the draw? Whoops! Dinner by armed robbery. Look at him, Faith. You're a murderer. You know just how good that blurry line tastes. You didn't think my hell was private, did ya?" Angel screamed.
The past Scoobies were shocked again.
"He….bit the guy…." Xander trailed off.
"He was already dead", Willow pointed out.
"Could not control it this time, could he?" Giles asked.
"After this, he felt so much guilt he became a homeless wanderer, and only fed on rats", Summers told the past people, surprising them since they didn't know that detail. "He punished himself for this enough."
"That's when Whistler found him, didn't he?" Buffy asked and got a nod.
"Yes, and he showed you to him", Rosenberg said. "From there, he started his path, obviously."
"So, no judging, got it!" Xander said, raising his hands.
"Nope", Harris agreed.
"He had a moment of weakness, and he punished himself for years over it", Maclay said sadly.
Lorne dabbed the tears from a whimpering Faith's face, Connor watching when Wesley arrived, saying it was time. Fred walked around the lobby in a circle carrying a lit white candle and ringing a bell as Willow lifted her chin higher, complimenting her, explaining the plan to her and Gunn both who went to the basement in case Angelus woke up.
"Do you like her?" Tara asked, not jealous, just amused.
"Well…..yeah!" Willow said lamely.
"She was cute, and she was like me before magic!" Rosenberg said. "And I know she doesn't swing that way!"
"Well, if I never came back, and she did swing that way, I would approve of you and her", Maclay assured both the Willows.
"Really?" Both asked simultaneously.
"Really", both Taras said simultaneously.
"And well, better her than Kennedy", Dawn piped up.
"Oh let's not talk about her", Dawnster said and all nodded in agreement. No one liked Kennedy!
"It's about to get intense though", Willow warned.
"You ready?" Wesley asked. Willow nodded. "Should be a snap." A bolt of orange energy hit Willow and sent her sliding across the floor. "Stay your hand, witch!" Cordelia held the crystal ball, speaking as Beastmaster. "You will not interfere with what must come to pass."
Tara grasped Willow tightly as the past people watched in terror as well as awe.
"It's coming after you", Buffy muttered.
"I held my own", Willow assured.
"It didn't know who it was messing with", Rosenberg smirked.
Willow stood, covering her head with her hands and weakly mumbled. "Invadoria disparu!" "You think to banish me?" Willow told Wesley. "There's somebody in my head." Cordelia snarled. "As long as the soul is under my protection, it will never be freed." Willow chanted to the sky. "Vetsche invadoria disparu!" "I'th bid my thongue." Wesley told her. "He's enormously powerful. It's the dead Beast's master. He contacted Angelus the same way." Fred realized. "He wants to stop us from getting the soul." Willow was black-eyed, holding her hand out, the marble in it floated and started to glow. "Open the window. Fill this stone. Inside, outside. Two made one." Cordelia asked. "You wanna go, Glinda? We'll go." Willow was knocked down by another bolt of energy from the Beastmaster. Connor asked. "Are you sure she can handle it?" Willow was still black-eyed, focused on the glowing ball in front of her. "Alesh ashtoreth!" The ground started shaking. Wesley said. "I think she can hold her own."
"Clash of the magical Titans now", Xander commented.
"Oh yeah, but only one will come out the victor", Maclay said as she, Rosenberg, Willow and Tara smirked.
"The thing finally got another setback after a while", Dawn nodded happily.
Faith was gasping as the building shook while Lorne assured her they'd get Angel back when she sat up with a gasp. Faith found herself in a dark alley full of trash as Angelus asked if the lie of everything being worth it kept her going in prison, to which she asked if he kissed his mama with that mouth, only for Angelus to appear and say he ate her with it. Angelus said she was fading and he could feel it while Faith said she could hear a holler in the distance.
"You're gonna go, Faith's gonna stay", Buffy said firmly to Angelus.
"Pretty close now", Dawnster said in some excitement.
Willow was still up against the Beastmaster as Faith told Angelus. "Tells me you're about to get what's coming to you." Angelus countered. "Or not. I've got friends in high places." Further down the alley, Angel stumbled around, knocking over garbage cans. "Him, not being one of 'em." Angel grabbed a rat and ate it.
Everyone looked disgusted as Summers said. "This is what we were telling you about."
"Angel punishing himself", Giles sighed in realization, now feeling even worse for him, which he never would have if not for these recordings.
Faith was disgusted. "Ugh. When is this?" Angelus was angry. "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!"" Faith countered. "He's paying for what he did. Angelus snarled. "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 stood up as Angelus spun around to face him, "jackass."
"What?" Buffy asked, wide-eyed, like the other past people. "What's happening?"
"Angel meets Angelus", Maclay told them with a smirk.
"Bet you always wanted to see that", Dawn quipped.
"Wow!" Buffy said.
"How is it even happening?" Xander asked.
"The spell", Summers revealed.
"My spell is reaching out", Rosenberg nodded.
"So we helped", Willow smiled.
"This we need to see", Dawnster said, excited.
The ground shook in the hotel as Cordelia chanted in front of the muo-ping. Gunn felt the ground shake too as he guarded Angelus. An apparition of a huge, demonic head floated above the gang in the lobby, shrieking and growling but Willow told Connor to ignore it.
"What's that for?" Dawnster asked.
"Just to scare", Willow shrugged. "And of course I'd to tell Connor to ignore it, not that I remember it."
Willow's glowing ball came straight to the muo-ping as Cordelia stopped it, annoyed. Willow and Cordelia clashed magically, Cordelia wishing this was a few weeks later as Willow commanded. "Break the glass! Let loose the soul!" Connor banged on Cordelia's door, and that distracted Cordelia enough for the muo-ping to shatter as Angel's soul was released into the ether.
"Hell yes!" Xander said as all cheered.
"You did it", Tara smiled at Willow.
"Well, Connor did help unintentionally", Rosenberg pointed out.
"So, Willow the hero and Connor the accidental hero", Buffy pointed out, making them chuckle more.
"Huh? In that case, credit to Connor", Willow shrugged, but she remembered she'd barely managed to come out on top. If this was how, why didn't she remember?
"She is pissed", Dawn said about the entity inside Cordelia.
Angelus was outraged. "I don't believe this! You're the one behind this whole true-Hollywood sob-story?" "Angel, it's good to see you", Faith greeted as Angelus chuckled. "Hate the hair." Angel asked. "Faith, why are you still here?" Faith replied. "Just waiting to see this pervert get stuffed back into the deep, crazy ground he came from." Angel pointed out via question. "Then what? After that, what happens?" Angelus kicked Faith, knocking her down. "Probably something like that. I had a feeling the rules have changed." Angel told him. "She's not who you're after." Angelus agreed. "No kidding, rat boy. The slayer will just be gravy once I finish you off." Both Angel and Angelus declared at the same time. "I've been waiting a long time for this."
"Seeing them fight like that makes you not hate Angel anymore", Xander commented.
"I agree", Giles nodded, now the distinction in his head clearer.
"Come on Angel", Buffy started cheering for him. "Come on, you can do this."
"He, Willow and Faith all did this together", Summers smiled.
Angel and Angelus started fighting. Angel knocked Angelus down and urged. "Faith, get up! Are you listening?" Faith weakly said. "Angel, I'm dying." Yeah. It's a lot easier than redemption, huh?" Angel asked as he kicked Angelus who blocked, then dodged some blows and grabbed Angel by the neck. "Always so concerned with the human condition", he threw Angel down the alley. "It's no big mystery, man. They suffer, they die. That's what they're there for." Angelus kicked Faith as he said that, making a cut appear on her cheek in real life to Lorne's surprise. Angel lunged at Angelus, tossing him down and throwing him into some trash cans. "I'm not perfect, Faith. Even with a soul, I've done things I wished a thousand times I could take back." "Yeah, like those Manilow concerts", Angelus snarled as he decked Angel twice, then threw him across the alley. "You son of a bitch!"
"He is pissed", Dawnster said uneasily.
"So is Angel", Dawn smirked.
"And unlike Angelus, he has something to fight for", Maclay reminded, and that increased the hope.
Connor burst into Cordelia's room, pushing away a barricade of furniture when she banged his head with a ceramic vase that shattered, then apologized, saying she thought the floaty head had returned and lied it had almost killed them, saying Willow had let hell into the hotel, and Connor couldn't stop her, but he could stop the source of this all by killing Angelus. Willow, Wesley and Fred lit candles downstairs as Fred commented Connor's relationship with Cordelia was a little icky while Willow said she had to channel Angel's soul into the Orb of Thessulah.
"Little icky? It's the definition of 'ewww'!" Xander said.
"Like we said, it's like they're under some spell", Harris sighed.
Cordelia told Connor to kill Angelus before anything else went wrong. Willow and Fred held books, chanting simultaneously. Cordelia told Connor as much as she loved Angel as a friend, killing Angelus was the only way now, adding Connor was protecting the world, because one death could spare infinite pain.
"You're trying to destroy it, don't lie to the kid", Dawnster scoffed.
"This death is going to cause infinite pain", Summers sighed.
"Who's going to save Angel now?" Buffy asked.
"Guess who?" Rosenberg smirked, and it hit them all.
"Oooh, spanking to the face, right?" Dawnster asked.
"Hell yeah", Dawn nodded.
Angelus threw Angel away and kicked him into trash cans while he urged the delirious Faith. "Faith, wake up!" Faith muttered. "I've rolled the bones. You for me." Angelus picked up Angel, only to be punched twice. Angel dodged a punch, then knocked Angelus down, telling Faith. "I used to think that. That there'd be a point when I'd paid my dues." Angelus knocked Angel down with a trash can, annoyed. "Anybody notice a battle with your alter-ego going on here?"
"He cares more about his friends than a psycho", Willow shrugged.
"He is too delusional to understand that", Rosenberg pointed out.
"Once more, shows the difference", Tara smiled.
Connor walked down the hall, Cordelia's words echoing in his head. Willow chanted with the Orb of Thessulah in front of her. Angel blocked Angelus' blows and tossed him away, knocking him down before holding Faith up by the arms. "Faith, listen to me. You saw me drink. It doesn't get much lower than that. And I thought I could make up for it by disappearing." Faith muttered. "I did my time." Angel told her. "Our time is never up, Faith. We pay for everything." Faith said. "It hurts." Angel assured. "I know. I know."
Buffy and the other Scoobies felt ashamed of their prior treatment of Faith again as Willow agreed with a nod. "It hurts a lot, but we can only try to be better."
"This was where she finally understood that", Rosenberg told them.
Willow was working on the spell to re-ensoul Angel in the lobby. "Este scris aceasta putere este dreptul poporuil meu de a conduce. Connor walked down the stairs into the basement. "Hey, Gunn, you should know..." he punched Gunn, knocking him out, "they haven't finished the spell yet."
"You little punk", Xander said as all shook their heads in disappointment.
Angel was talking to a weakened Faith. "Get up! You have to get up now. Faith, you have to fight. I need you to fight. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Angelus sneaked up behind Angel and knocked him away with a metal pipe. "What won't I miss?" He said, knocking Angel away again. "The moralizing. Soul's already in the ether, boyo. I can smell it. How 'bout I send it off to that big puppy rescue in the sky." "Arf arf, psycho." Angelus turned to see Faith back up and quipped. "Faith. Getting back into the game." Faith nodded. "I guess I am." Angelus swung the pipe at Faith, but she disappeared as Angel got back up. "Hey!" Faith woke with a start, and without missing a beat, she ran out of the room.
"There she is", Willow said with a smile as all cheered.
"Connor and the being get foiled again", Summers told them.
"Can't wait", Buffy smirked.
Willow was still working on the spell to re-ensoul Angel in the lobby. "Asa sa fie, acum." Angelus and Angel started to glow and combine into one being. In the basement, the chained Angel was mumbling to himself with Connor kneeling over him. "I need you to fight." "I'm pretty clear about what you need", Connor raised a stake. Faith grabbed Connor's wrist from behind, stopping him from staking Angel. "Break me off a switch, son", she threw Connor against the cage wall. "There's about to be a whoppin'." Connor punched Faith, and she elbowed his face before tossing him out of the cage. H rushed her but she grabbed the cage's top and kicked him back. Lorne ran into the room, Fred and Wesley following. "She's alive. It's a miracle!"
"And now she's kicking his butt across the room", Dawnster smirked as all cheered.
"Just what he needed for this once", Dawn quipped, no one disagreeing.
"She saved him", Buffy muttered.
Faith blocked Connor's blows, decked his stomach, blocked a kick, then decked his face and tossed him across the room. He got up as she dodged another blow and flipped him near the cage, spin kicking him near the bars as he tried to get up. Angel grabbed his neck through the bars. "Connor, it's over. It's me. Really."
"Angel", Buffy smiled happily as the other past people sighed in relief.
"You and Faith did it", Tara smiled at Willow as they shared a kiss.
"They got a reprieve, for a while", Maclay warned.
"How long does it last?" Giles asked grimly.
"Just up until we leave with Faith", Rosenberg revealed and they groaned.
Later, Faith came outside to talk to Angel. "Hey." Angel asked. "How're you feeling?" Faith quipped. "Like I did mushrooms and got eaten by a bear." Angel agreed. "That about sums it up." "Yep." Angel noted. "And now you're going to Sunnydale." Faith told him. "I think I prefer the bear, but the way Willow talks it up, that's where I'm needed. " "Never stop fighting." Angel leaned on the rail beside Faith who said. "Hey, I was gonna, but someone got all pep-talky on me." Angel told her. "Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't get to see you. Our little brain tour notwithstanding." Faith smiled. "Another time." Angel stood up. "I have a lot to thank you for." Faith told him. "Well, that vice is plenty versa. I even start, it's only gonna lead to hugging, and..." she shrugged and smiled. Angel agreed. "Right. We can't have that." "No." Faith agreed as they walked inside.
"They had a special bond ever since he saved her", Summers told the past people.
"I can see that now", Buffy nodded in agreement, seeing their relationship in full now. They were like best friends, like siblings to each other.
"He brought her back, and she and I brought him back", Willow smiled.
"All of us have something to thank the other for", Rosenberg agreed with a nod.
"And Connor?" Dawnster asked.
"Being shown he messed up", Harris told them.
Faith and Angel walked inside to see Connor sitting on a couch with Gunn standing in front of him with his arms crossed. "All right. I get it. I messed up." Faith tapped his shoulder. "Hey, cheer up, punk. That just makes you one of us."
"When you learn from it, then you will be", Willow added.
Gunn asked Faith. "You headed out?" "Yeah, no tears, big guy", Faith gave Gunn a high-five as he said. "Nah, I'm good. I just wish I could've seen you kicking the crap out of junior, here." "It was pretty funny", Faith said as both chuckled.
"They look like they would make great friends", Xander noted.
"Oh they are", Dawn assured him.
Faith walked to Wesley. "Wes." "Faith." He greeted back." Faith joked. "See. Brits know how to say goodbye. Angel here wanted a hug." Angel denied. "No, I didn't." Faith told Wesley. "Been a good show." Gunn spoke up. "Yeah, sit back and let the girl do all the heavy lifting." Wesley agreed. "That's pretty much it."
"Yeah, that's it", Buffy agreed with a nod.
"Still, this time he was a true Watcher at least", Summers pointed, and no one disagreed there too.
Fred walked out of the office with Willow, who was holding a book. "I think that volume's outdated. You'd know better than me, but there's some interesting stuff about Hellmouth. Might help." Willow agreed. "This is great." Fred was extra smiley. "I have to say, someday I'd love to bend your ear about the Pergamum Codex. I—I think some of the really obscure passages are actually Latin translated from a demonic tongue, and they're kind of a hoot." She giggled. "All this stuff about Bacchanals and spells and—actually, I think it's probably funnier in Latin. You know how that is sometimes." Willow finally said lamely. "I'm seeing someone."
"You thought she was flirting?" Tara asked Willow, as both she and Rosenberg looked embarrassed.
"Hey! Outside of you, I had no experience, Oz just went for it at the exact right time rather than flirting", Willow told her.
"Not our best moment", Rosenberg said lamely.
"Fred must be so confused", Dawnster as they all laughed at the whole thing.
"Yeah, she'd be wondering why Will is sharing her dating life with her randomly", Harris agreed as these was more laughter, both the Willows looking embarrassed.
"Still, better her than Kennedy", Dawn spoke up.
"Right there with ya", Buffy agreed as all nodded.
Faith spoke up. "Time goes by, Will." Willow agreed. "Okay. Good. Wagons west. See you guys." Angel started. "Willow..." Faith finished for him. "He's going to tell you how much he owes you." "Aw, don't mention it. I got a Slayer out of the deal, so we're even-steven." Willow hugged Angel. "I'll tell Buffy you said hi." Angel nodded. "Good. Thanks." Willow started to walk out but then turned to them. "Oh, um, next time you guys resurrect Angelus, call me first, OK?" Willow and Faith then walked out the front door, the latter waving.
"There we go", Rosenberg said as all nodded, realizing this was the last of both Willow and Faith they'd see in these recordings.
"Pretty nice, wasn't it?" Willow asked and got nods again.
"Oh yeah, loved it all", Xander said.
"And you repeated your first spell perfectly", Giles said, impressed.
"We were still unsure about magic at the time", Rosenberg spoke up.
"So redoing our first ever spell gave us the needed confidence", Willow finished.
"I am happy for you", Tara smiled as they kissed, and so did their future selves.
"Now it's gonna get bad again", Summers said as they groaned.
"Though you seem chipper here compared to when you were with us", Xander noted, and both Willows' expressions darkened.
"Putting up a front in front of new people", Willow told her friends.
"Yeah", Rosenberg nodded, everyone feeling bad for them. [2]
Angel turned to face the gang. "So, we're back." Wesley agreed. "It would seem." Angel started. "Look, I know things have been—" Cordelia walked down the stairs. "Sorry, Angel. But if this is the speech about how the worst is behind us, you may want to save it for later." Cordelia was wearing a trampy outfit that revealed her pregnancy to the gang. The screen went black.
"Oh boy!" Buffy said as they all groaned again.
"So everyone knows now", Dawnster commented.
"Yeah, and now they're going to be onto it soon", Maclay assured them.
"Can't wait, because seeing this thing use Cordy like that keeps angering me second by second", Willow snarled in anger, again wishing she could have done something when she had been there.
"All in the same boat", Dawn sighed.
"So, next one then", Buffy muttered, lifting the remote.
Best episode of Season 4, and Willow was just perfect here, and showed why she's my favorite Buffyverse character. She stole the whole episode with just her entrance scene, everything after that was just even more awesome, including destroying Connor in seconds. "Angel's handsome yet androgynous son." "The sneer's genetic, who knew?"
Then re-ensouling Angel, which was a repeat of her first ever spell, and doing so while battling Jasmine. Then mistaking Fred's rambling for flirting (I say again, better Fred than Kennedy, even if I don't really ship Willow/Fred, and FUCK KENNEDY!), and finally leaving with Faith after sharing a hug with Angel.
[1] Obviously a reference to Alyson Hannigan's and Alexis Denisof's real life marriage. Hilarious love triangle here, Wesley loves Fred, Fred too loves Wesley deep down, Willow thinks Fred's flirting with her, and Willow's and Wesley's actors were a thing at the time and got married later, so funny.
[2] In this episode Willow seemed flippant compared to her behavior in Buffy Season 7. Basically, she's putting up a front. She's always been really good at masking her own pain amongst people who doesn't know her well (and even close friends who doesn't care - i.e Buffy, Giles and Xander in 'Something Blue') and being flippant about it is the best way she can find to avoid going deeper into the subject where her mask can crack and it's not like Cordy, Faith, Wesley or Angel really know her well enough to take notice. Cordy maybe but Jasmine wouldn't care. And I thank Rutkowski for this explanation, since I couldn't come up with it on my own.
Anyway, hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter. Stay safe from the coronavirus ya all!