Buffy ran to the door. It was probably about 2:30 in the morning, but she knew what to expect. Slightly cold, damp air breezed into the living room. Buffy threw her arms around the visitor. "Angel! You came quickly."
"I told you I was coming, didn't I?" Angel hugged Buffy back uncertainly, and let her lead him into the room.
Angel stood in the doorway. "Angel? What's wrong?" Buffy squinted at his dark form.
"You didn't invite me in." Angel's voice seemed different.
"But..." Slowly, as if she didn't want to, Buffy flipped on the porch light. The flood of artificial light surrounded the dark form.
Angel's face was hard, and looked inhuman. Buffy gasped, and stepped back. "How did you come back?" Her voice grew unfriendly.
"That's for me to know. And you-" Angel reached inside the house, grabbing Buffy's arm in a tight grasp.
"To find out, isn't it?" Buffy didn't have time to scream as the object came into contact with her skull. She was out cold, and Angelus scooped her into his arms, carrying her into the darkness. The door to the Summers' house swung back and forth sullenly, moving with the wind.
Angelus tossed Buffy rather unceremoniously onto the large bed. He opened a closet and put the bat he'd used to take out the slayer inside, with his suitcase. It was a hard battle. He'd nearly lost to Angel, his weaker counterpart. But finally, he was free again, and he also had the slayer. Angelus knew that Spike wasn't going to be any help this time. He was on his own, but Angelus didn't mind so much anymore.
"Angel," he said aloud, "I can't wait to hear you scream, begging for the life of this pathetic mortal." Angelus' laugh echoed through the empty mansion.
"Giles, I'm not kidding! She's not at her house. And she would've called me if she was going to visit her dad, or something!" Willow's voice shrieked over the phone.
"I'm worried! She should be here. Buffy never missed our shopping sprees, ok? Just trust me."
"Good. You do that. I'll call the others, and we'll be at your place in about half an hour. Thank you!" Willow hung up the pay phone, and put in more money. As she dialed Xander's number, she wondered if she had enough money to call LA and get Cordy up here.
Buffy groaned, and tried to reach her head with her right hand. She shook against the chains tying her to the bed. "Your other hand is free." Angelus walked in, wearing all black, from his sweater to his shoes.
"Hmm. How nice of you. Why aren't I dead?" Buffy felt the growing lump on the back of her head carefully.
"I knew that this is the best way to bargain with your little group of vampire slayers. And," Angelus smiled evilly. "It's also the best way to torture Angel."
"Why torture him? You're in control now." Buffy tried not to feel too helpless. There had to be some way out of this situation.
"Not for long. He'll take back over in a few hours. I need to make him agree to let me have power over this body forever."
"Why don't you just take away his soul?" Buffy glared at Angelus in the darkened room. How could the two be so different?
"He was coming here to tell you, Buffy. But I guess I'll just spill the beans. His soul is permanent. Before he called you last night, he was granted the shanshu. So I have 72 hours to loose it. And believe me, I do plan to use-" Angel's face distorted, and he fell to the ground.
"Angel?" Buffy shrieked, forgetting momentarily, that this wasn't the souled vampire she was used to.
"Buffy?" Angel dragged himself to his feet. "What's going on? I remember calling you, and then..." Angel came over to the bed, and took off the chain on Buffy's wrist.
"Are you all right? What did I do to you?" Angel looked so upset, Buffy tried not to laugh.
"Nothing. And it wasn't you, remember? Angelus just bashed me in the head last night, and brought me here to reveal his evil plan."
"What was it?" Angel sat on the edge of the bed.
"He said he only had 72 hours to try to loose your soul." Angel looked past Buffy, in an effort to hide something.
"He already told me about your soul. Aren't you happy?" Buffy touched his hand lightly, surprised at its warmth.
"Sorry I didn't tell you over the phone, it's just I wanted to surprise you." Buffy smiled. "I know. I'm not mad, I just wish that Angelus wasn't out to ruin everything again. Tell me something. If in 72 hours, he doesn't do anything, you're home free?"
"I guess so. I didn't know anything about my curse leaving or coming back or anything like that. I thought after it was granted, that I'd be human again."
"Hold it right there, Dead Boy! I know what you're up to!" Xander threw a water balloon at Angel, triumph written all over his face.
As the water balloon hit Angel in the back, he gasped. And then froze. The balloon was filled with holy water, but it no longer had an effect.
"What happened? I told Willow specifically, Holy water, not tap water! Xander held up his cross, looking at Angel with interest.
"Xander! What are you doing?"
"Saving you! What does it look like?"
"Angel is human now. For some reason, Angelus has 72 hours to loose Angel's soul. Right now, Angel's in control. So would you stop acting like such an ass hole?"
"Are you sure? What if Angelus is just pretending to be Angel?"
"Come feel his skin. He's warm." Buffy glared at Xander. "Will you put that away!" Xander tucked the cross into his pocket sheepishly.
"Sorry Dead Boy. Oh. Wait, you're not dead. Guess I'll have to think of something else to call you."
Willow, Giles, Spike, and Tara ran into the room. "Where is he? Buffy? What are you doing?" Willow screamed at Buffy, who was in a tank top and boxers, sitting on Angel's lap.
Buffy sighed. "What does it look like?"
"But... but we thought you were Slayer-napped!" Willow stood there helplessly, trying not to look in Giles' direction, knowing he'd be upset.
"It's a long story." Buffy smiled. "And I don't feel like talking about it. Um, could you guys leave now?" Buffy looked at Angel, who nodded to the Gang.
"Yes. Sorry for the interruption, Buff." Xander walked out, dragging Spike, who was laughing so hard Buffy was sure he was going to give himself a heart attack.
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Buffy? You do remember what happened last time." Giles asked, trying not to embarrass either party.
"Giles, Angel is human now. And before Angelus comes back, I just want to spend some time with him, ok?" Giles nodded, knowing he'd get a better explanation later. Giles, Tara, and Willow walked out of the bedroom, the puzzled looks never leaving their faces.
"I told you I was coming, didn't I?" Angel hugged Buffy back uncertainly, and let her lead him into the room.
Angel stood in the doorway. "Angel? What's wrong?" Buffy squinted at his dark form.
"You didn't invite me in." Angel's voice seemed different.
"But..." Slowly, as if she didn't want to, Buffy flipped on the porch light. The flood of artificial light surrounded the dark form.
Angel's face was hard, and looked inhuman. Buffy gasped, and stepped back. "How did you come back?" Her voice grew unfriendly.
"That's for me to know. And you-" Angel reached inside the house, grabbing Buffy's arm in a tight grasp.
"To find out, isn't it?" Buffy didn't have time to scream as the object came into contact with her skull. She was out cold, and Angelus scooped her into his arms, carrying her into the darkness. The door to the Summers' house swung back and forth sullenly, moving with the wind.
Angelus tossed Buffy rather unceremoniously onto the large bed. He opened a closet and put the bat he'd used to take out the slayer inside, with his suitcase. It was a hard battle. He'd nearly lost to Angel, his weaker counterpart. But finally, he was free again, and he also had the slayer. Angelus knew that Spike wasn't going to be any help this time. He was on his own, but Angelus didn't mind so much anymore.
"Angel," he said aloud, "I can't wait to hear you scream, begging for the life of this pathetic mortal." Angelus' laugh echoed through the empty mansion.
"Giles, I'm not kidding! She's not at her house. And she would've called me if she was going to visit her dad, or something!" Willow's voice shrieked over the phone.
"I'm worried! She should be here. Buffy never missed our shopping sprees, ok? Just trust me."
"Good. You do that. I'll call the others, and we'll be at your place in about half an hour. Thank you!" Willow hung up the pay phone, and put in more money. As she dialed Xander's number, she wondered if she had enough money to call LA and get Cordy up here.
Buffy groaned, and tried to reach her head with her right hand. She shook against the chains tying her to the bed. "Your other hand is free." Angelus walked in, wearing all black, from his sweater to his shoes.
"Hmm. How nice of you. Why aren't I dead?" Buffy felt the growing lump on the back of her head carefully.
"I knew that this is the best way to bargain with your little group of vampire slayers. And," Angelus smiled evilly. "It's also the best way to torture Angel."
"Why torture him? You're in control now." Buffy tried not to feel too helpless. There had to be some way out of this situation.
"Not for long. He'll take back over in a few hours. I need to make him agree to let me have power over this body forever."
"Why don't you just take away his soul?" Buffy glared at Angelus in the darkened room. How could the two be so different?
"He was coming here to tell you, Buffy. But I guess I'll just spill the beans. His soul is permanent. Before he called you last night, he was granted the shanshu. So I have 72 hours to loose it. And believe me, I do plan to use-" Angel's face distorted, and he fell to the ground.
"Angel?" Buffy shrieked, forgetting momentarily, that this wasn't the souled vampire she was used to.
"Buffy?" Angel dragged himself to his feet. "What's going on? I remember calling you, and then..." Angel came over to the bed, and took off the chain on Buffy's wrist.
"Are you all right? What did I do to you?" Angel looked so upset, Buffy tried not to laugh.
"Nothing. And it wasn't you, remember? Angelus just bashed me in the head last night, and brought me here to reveal his evil plan."
"What was it?" Angel sat on the edge of the bed.
"He said he only had 72 hours to try to loose your soul." Angel looked past Buffy, in an effort to hide something.
"He already told me about your soul. Aren't you happy?" Buffy touched his hand lightly, surprised at its warmth.
"Sorry I didn't tell you over the phone, it's just I wanted to surprise you." Buffy smiled. "I know. I'm not mad, I just wish that Angelus wasn't out to ruin everything again. Tell me something. If in 72 hours, he doesn't do anything, you're home free?"
"I guess so. I didn't know anything about my curse leaving or coming back or anything like that. I thought after it was granted, that I'd be human again."
"Hold it right there, Dead Boy! I know what you're up to!" Xander threw a water balloon at Angel, triumph written all over his face.
As the water balloon hit Angel in the back, he gasped. And then froze. The balloon was filled with holy water, but it no longer had an effect.
"What happened? I told Willow specifically, Holy water, not tap water! Xander held up his cross, looking at Angel with interest.
"Xander! What are you doing?"
"Saving you! What does it look like?"
"Angel is human now. For some reason, Angelus has 72 hours to loose Angel's soul. Right now, Angel's in control. So would you stop acting like such an ass hole?"
"Are you sure? What if Angelus is just pretending to be Angel?"
"Come feel his skin. He's warm." Buffy glared at Xander. "Will you put that away!" Xander tucked the cross into his pocket sheepishly.
"Sorry Dead Boy. Oh. Wait, you're not dead. Guess I'll have to think of something else to call you."
Willow, Giles, Spike, and Tara ran into the room. "Where is he? Buffy? What are you doing?" Willow screamed at Buffy, who was in a tank top and boxers, sitting on Angel's lap.
Buffy sighed. "What does it look like?"
"But... but we thought you were Slayer-napped!" Willow stood there helplessly, trying not to look in Giles' direction, knowing he'd be upset.
"It's a long story." Buffy smiled. "And I don't feel like talking about it. Um, could you guys leave now?" Buffy looked at Angel, who nodded to the Gang.
"Yes. Sorry for the interruption, Buff." Xander walked out, dragging Spike, who was laughing so hard Buffy was sure he was going to give himself a heart attack.
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Buffy? You do remember what happened last time." Giles asked, trying not to embarrass either party.
"Giles, Angel is human now. And before Angelus comes back, I just want to spend some time with him, ok?" Giles nodded, knowing he'd get a better explanation later. Giles, Tara, and Willow walked out of the bedroom, the puzzled looks never leaving their faces.