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A Momentary Grace (part 4) |
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Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the show "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer." |
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Buffy hadn't gotten the note. Kelvasus and his followers were preparing to turn Sunnydale into the most ironically named spot on the globe and Angel realized he was the only one in a position to stop them. Angel was alone, against more than fifty dedicated and organized vampires. He had the advantage of surprise and a certain freedom of movement but as soon as he acted they'd know. He couldn't fight them all. Still he had to do something, for Buffy. ================================================================ "Oz! Vampire!" Willow shrieked. Oz spun on his heel, slamming his stake into the vampire's chest. The vampire lifted him off the floor by his shirtfront. "Shouldn't you be doing the dust bit about now?" Oz asked. The vampire grinned, "No heart, no dust." "Leave him alone!" Willow yelled spraying the vampire with holy water. The vampire screamed, effortlessly tossing Oz across the room, then ran out. "Okay," Oz said, climbing shakily to his feet. "What went wrong there?" Willow thought about it for a few seconds, then went to the bedroom doorway and mimicked Oz's spinning around and driving the stake home. "Oh," she said, "You got the right side, I mean the wrong side, of the chest that is." "The heart's on the left side?" Oz asked. Willow nodded, her reddish hair swinging into her face. Oz smiled brushing it back. "I'll make a not of that," Oz said. "For future reference." ================================================================ Angel slowly worked his way to the front of the crowd. Sunnydale High's courtyard had been transformed; mystic symbols had been drawn on the pavement, vampires, their pale skin almost luminescent under the unnatural light of an eclipsed sun, gathered around the edges. At the center of it all stood Kelvasus. His business suit was completely out of place in this setting, but he wasn't. There he stood calm, regal and confident. Before him on an alter sat the Shadwen, it rose from a rounded base to a narrow pointed spire. It was a pearly, shimmering, opalescent color. Angel had considered killing Kelvasus, trying to anyway, but that wouldn't guarantee anything. One of his followers might have been able to take his place. The key was the Shadwen, without it they wouldn't be about to do anything. He had to take or destroy the Shadwen, somehow. ================================================================ "Well here we are, and no sign of Giles," Cordelia announced. "I'll go in. Cordy you stay here. Have the others join us as they finish their lists," Buffy said. "That's an excellent plan," Cordelia agreed. "You do your Chosen One thing, I'll get the calvary." In a short time Buffy found the window Giles had used to get in and headed in herself. She could hear sounds of fighting in the distance, hurriedly Buffy moved in that direction. Almost immediately she was confronted by a pair of vampires. "Why am I not surprised to see you?" Buffy asked raising her stake into fighting position. Together the vampires moved toward her. Buffy met the one on the left with a spinning kick to the chest, sending the vampire staggering back as she turned to deal with the other one. The second vampire was a blond girl who'd been about Buffy's age when she died. She smiled exposing sharp fangs, then lunged forward trying to knock Buffy off her feet. Buffy side stepped her lung, then staked her through the back. As Buffy moved to attack the first vampire, a third dropped from the crates onto her back. Buffy rolled, tossing the vampire on to the floor then staking him. As the late comer exploded into dust Buffy twisted to Stake the first vamp, who had tried to sneak up on her while she dealt with his companions. "You'd think they'd try something new once and a while," Buffy muttered hurrying toward the sounds of commotion. ================================================================ The Shadwen was glowing softly, Kelvasus chanted over it, occasionally tossing herbs or liquids onto the coals which had been carefully arranged around it. The smoke rising from the coals filled the air with a sickeningly sweet odor. Angel was as close to the Shadwen as he could get without drawing attention to himself. He shrugged slightly. There was nothing left to be done in preparation, no time left for delays and no other options left. Angel dashed up the steps, slamming into Kelvasus and the alter as he grabbed the Shadwen sending the coals flying into the crowd. Trying to capitalize on the chaos he'd generated Angel started running, forcing his way through the stunned crowd, the Shadwen cradled against his chest. In his arms the Shadwen was still glowing, burning him. Angel only tightened his grip. Behind him Kelvasus roared, "Stop him." The crowd responded, suddenly Angel was tearing at a sea of restraining hands. Angel's face shifted as he fought revealing the demon within. There were too many of them. All over him. Angel couldn't focus on an opponent, instead he twisted and struck out at random. Someone kicked the side of his knee. Angel screamed as the joint collapsed . As he fell Angel's hold on the Shadwen loosened. When he hit the ground it was underneath him, the spire slashed into his chest, through his heart. He felt a wave of fire rippling out from the Shadwen. Angel's body curled around the pain. The burning was so intense, Angel never felt the blows the mob rained on him. "Back off," Cletus ordered. Slowly the crowd pulled back. Angel remained on the ground shuttering uncontrollably. Nev grabbed Angel by the shoulder and jerked him onto his back. As Nev pulled the spire from Angel's chest it's glow died. ================================================================ "Giles found it or something," Cordelia reported, "Buffy's in the warehouse now." "We'll be there in a few minutes," Joyce replied, hanging up the phone. ================================================================ "What is this, a vampire flop house?" Buffy asked dispatching yet another vamp. "A most succinct description," Giles replied, holding off several other with a bottle of holy water. Buffy had fought her way to his side just in time. Giles had managed to destroy the largest of the vampire threatening him, but in doing so he'd given the read head and the boy an opening. Buffy had arrived to see the vampire girl preparing to sink fangs into her Watcher's throat. Fortunately the vampires were so intent on Giles they failed to notice Buffy. She staked them both before they had time to correct their oversight. Then the Slayer and Watcher had continued into the depths of the warehouse. Buffy found the maze like arrangement of the crates and the vampires popping up at random intervals disturbingly reminiscent of a video game Xander had talked her into playing a few weeks ago, Area 54, or something like that. "Shouldn't these guys be in a hurry to get to their ceremony thing?" Buffy asked during a lull in the vamp deluge. "If these vampire are Kelvasus', yes," Giles replied. Buffy stared at him, "These guys are the wrong bad guys?" she asked. Giles looked tired, "The eclipse is in effect and this group seems totally unfocused. They have no agenda, no plan for this event." "What!?!" Buffy exclaimed. "Well lets pull back. Cordy's supposed to be regrouping the others outside. I think it's time for a new plan." Giles sighed, "Buffy I don't know what to do now. The eclipse is underway and we know next to nothing about the Shadwen or Kelvasus. We seem to have run out of time." "No," Buffy said firmly, "Even if we can't stop him, we'll find a way to undo his eclipse." She smiled, "We can't give up, we're the good guys." Giles returned her smile, "Of course, how could I forget." ================================================================ Xander, Oz, Willow, Cordelia and Joyce crept into the warehouse. Joyce nervously held a cross before her. she was the only adult in the group, but she was also the only one who hadn't been involved in this sort of situation before Xander lead the group, stake in hand. Willow and Oz flanked him each carrying a water gun filled with holy water. Joyce brought up the rear with Cordelia, who also carried a cross as well as a duffel bag holding the rest of their slaying supplies. Xander, Willow and Oz all looked determined. Cordelia looked annoyed. "Where to now?" Cordy asked. A pile of crates at the end of one of the aisles toppled as a vampire crashed into it. "That way looks good," Xander replied running toward the vampire. Before the vampire could extricate itself from the crates Xander destroyed it, then stood to see Buffy and Giles finishing off another vampire of their own. "Where's the ritual?" Xander asked. ================================================================= The bizarre half-light reflected off the vampires' pale skin, making their hands and faces seem to glow. Several had reverted to their more demonic forms. The crowd parted making room for the small group half dragging the injured, dark haired vampire back to the alter and Kelvasus. "The Shadwen is undamaged," Nev said presenting it to his lord. "The spell components have been wasted," Kelvasus said quietly as he accepted the blood stained spire his solider offered him on bent knee. At his words Angel raised his head, revealing glowing yellow eyes set in a leathery skinned visage as horrific as that of any of his captors. His smile radiated a calm satisfaction that was at odds with his demonic appearance. The vampire lord glanced down at this most unexpected enemy. "Why?" he asked, "You may not have wanted to follow me, but what vampire would not desire an end to the sun's tyranny?" "For the humans," Angel said. "Vampires are a curse upon the Earth. I'd see them all destroyed if I could." "Don't think you've won," Kelvasus replied. "I have worked for this nearly two thousand years. Your interference buys only a few more years, and I can afford to wait." Another wave of pain crashed through Angel's body, leaving him hanging limply between the vampire restraining him. "Angelus," the vampire lord said, waiting patiently until his prisoner recovered himself enough to raise his head again. "You could have joined with us," he continued. "Instead you chose a deranged alliance with humans, against your own kind. And now you have failed and will die, for nothing." The vampire stepped forward and viscously backhanded his captive, sending the younger vampire reeling into unconsciousness. "Leave him for the sun," Kelvasus commanded. ================================================================ "I believe we should return to the library," Giles said as they left the warehouse. "Time for some heavy duty research," Buffy sighed. "Perhaps Angel will be able to get away from Kelvasus' people, now that the eclipse has occurred," Giles commented. "With any luck he'll be able to provide a detailed description of the spell Kelvasus used. Information which could prove invaluable in reversing it." "As long as he remembers which side he's on." Xander muttered. Willow glared at him, saying, "We should go." "Yes, quite," Giles added. After getting into Oz's van, Willow put on the welding mask again. "That's odd," she said. "What?" Oz asked. "A little of the sun's showing, it's like the eclipse is ending normally," Willow replied. "You're sure?" Oz asked. "I thought we failed. We didn't stop Kelvasus, we didn't even find him." Willow shrugged. By the time they arrived at the school there was no doubt about what Willow had seen, the sun was more than half visible. As they climbed out of the cars, Buffy was torn between elation and concern, "Angel must have done something to stop them," she announced. "Or they didn't have any more luck finding the Shadwen than we did," Xander offered. "Either is a possibility," Giles said. "We need to learn what happened. Someone should check if Angel has returned to the mansion yet." "He might have gone to my place," Buffy said. "Angel knows I'd be looking for him." "I'll check at home," Joyce offered. Giles unlocked the school's front door. "While we look for Angel, why don't the rest of you continue our research on the Shadwen and Kelvasus." ================================================================ By the time everyone had regrouped in the library the sun was shining, completely unobscured in the clear, bright, blue, Southern California sky. "No Angel?" Willow asked, analyzing the grim looks on her friends' faces. "No," Buffy replied as Giles unlocked the door to his office. "Angel can take care of himself," Willow offered. "I'm sure he'll be all right." "Buffy," Giles' voice was tense. Everyone looked up to see him standing in the door of his office holding a sheet of paper. "They were here," he said. "It's from Angel, they were here all the time and they had the Shadwen." "Maybe they're still here," Xander said. Quickly the group split up to search the school. Passing a window over looking the school courtyard Buffy froze. A figure in dark clothing lay face down in the sunlit area by the fountain. "It can't be," she whispered, running into the yard. "No, Angel!" Buffy knelt by Angel's side, gently she turned him over, the concrete where he had lain glistened with blood in the brilliant sun. Tentatively Buffy touched his face, whispering his name over and over again. Angel's face was covered with bruises and blood. His eyes remained closed despite Buffy's pleading. "Giles!" she screamed, gathering Angel into her arms. A few moments later Buffy's friends reached the courtyard. "Dear lord," Giles exclaimed. "Quickly get him out of the sun." He rushed to help Buffy move Angel into the school. "Wait," Joyce warned. "He might have neck injuries." "Joyce," Giles replied, lifting Angel with Buffy's help. "Angel is a vampire, the sun is a much greater danger to him than the possibility of spinal cord injuries." "Why hasn't he burned already?" Cordelia asked. Noticing the look Buffy was giving her, she continued. "What? Is it a crime to ask the obvious question? Don't vampires normally burn right away when they get in the sun?" Carefully Giles and Buffy set Angel don in the shadow of the building. "She's right," Giles said softly. "He shouldn't have survived that exposure." Buffy knelt on the ground, gently cradling Angel's head in her lap, tears running down her face. "How can we help him?" she begged. Joyce turned Angel's hand over pressing her fingers to his wrist. "Angel doesn't have a heartbeat," Xander said. "Not even when he's not hurt." "He'll be okay," Willow said kneeling beside Buffy. "Remember the organ loft falling on Spike? He healed from that." "I'm getting a pulse," Joyce said, looking up. "It's unsteady but definitely there, he's also breathing." "That isn't possible," Giles said, taking Angel's other hand. Joyce cautiously opened Angel's eyes checking the pupils. "Call 911," she said. "I think he has a concussion." Everyone simply stared at her, then Giles snapped, "Do it." Cordelia whipped out her cell phone and dialed, as she spoke with the operator the other looked expectantly toward Giles. "This isn't possible," Giles said. "But Angel survived direct sunlight, he has a pulse, it breathing and his skin is warm to the touch. I don't understand what could have happened, but he's not a vampire, and he's badly injured." ================================================================ A confused and concerned group gathered in the Sunnydale hospital's emergency room. Giles had taken the lead in dealing with the official's questions, claiming that Angel was his nephew on a visit from England and that he'd planned to meet Angel at the school, but had no idea how he'd come to be injured. Once the question had been dealt with there was nothing for anyone to do but worry, they couldn't even discuss what had happened in the busy emergency room. Finally the doctor cam out. "Your nephew has a concussion and several broken ribs, in addition to a number of bruises and cuts, some of which required stitches." "He's going to be all right though?" Buffy asked. "Most likely," the doctor replied. "However we can't be sure until he regains consciousness." "Can we see him?" Buffy asked. The doctor nodded, "But only one at a time, and only family." Giles glanced at Buffy, "Doctor, Angel is far from home. Buffy and the others are very close to him, let them see him." The doctor looked at Buffy's tear streaked face then back at the door to the emergency room. "Go ahead," he said with a sigh. Buffy followed the doctor back into the emergency room. She pulled up a chair and sat down beside Angel's bed. "Angel," Buffy said, taking his hand. "Please wake up. You're alive now, really alive, you have to be okay. Angel, I love you. Please be all right, please." ================================================================ In the waiting room Joyce and the Slayerettes sat quietly exchanging looks, wishing that they could speak openly to one another. They were too distracted to discuss everyday topics. Giles had gone in to check on Angel and Buffy again. It had been two hours since the doctor had spoken with them. Angel hadn't regained consciousness yet. The doctor had informed Giles that the longer he remained unconscious the greater the likelihood of serious brain damage became. Giles was afraid that some of Angel's symptoms came from the immense shock of changing from a vampire to a human. How were the doctors to deal with his medical condition when they didn't even believe in the species he'd belonged to for the vast majority of his life. Even Giles, who was as much of an expert on vampires as could be found in the country, had no idea of how this had happened or what the side effects might be. Finally Willow, Xander and Oz gave up their attempts to talk about normal subjects, they moved their chairs close together, trying to keep their conversation discrete. "Angel, alive," Willow whispered. "It's wonderful really. Wonderful, except for him being hurt of course. Still he'll get better then he and Buffy can be like a normal couple." "Buffy hasn't been the same since that whole soul thing last year," Xander admitted. "His being back didn't really fix things, maybe this will." Oz nodded, he was the latest addition to what Xander called the Scobby Doo Gang. The first time he'd really helped out had been just after Angel had switched sides, so he didn't know what Buffy had been like before, and Oz hardly knew Angel at all. Still, he had an idea of the pressure Buffy had been under. Also that Buffy and Angel were in love was apparent, even to Cordelia, the restrictions and dangers inherent in their relationship had to be tearing them apart. Oz wondered what it was like for Angel, living with the shadow of his past and the possibility of becoming Angelus again hanging over the future. Oz's own deepest fear was that he might kill someone while in his wolf-phase. As Angelus, Angel had committed any number of murders and murder was only one of a list of atrocities which could be lain at the vampire's feet. Also no matter what else, Oz knew that when the night ended he'd be himself again, the wolf safely locked away until the next full moon. Angel didn't have that, if his demon gained control there was no guarantee that Angel would ever be back. Finally Angel's life could never be normal. Even when he was Angel, Angel was still a vampire, with all the restrictions and needs which that entailed. Oz could safely ignore that he was a werewolf for all but three nights a month. Oz knew what he would have given not to be a werewolf, he could only imagine how much more Angel must want a cure for vampirism. Oz only hoped that Angel's cure hadn't cost him his life. ================================================================= Angel was confused, he wasn't truly aware yet, just drifting slightly below consciousness, but he felt something was terribly wrong... no right, with him. For a long time Angel's partially awakened mind was completely overwhelmed by a pulsing sensation throughout his body. He was fascinated by it and frightened as well. It was strange and confusing, but somehow vaguely familiar at the same time. Later, after his mind came to terms with the differences within his own body, Angel's awareness began to expand. His senses slowly began to function again. There was a sensation of warmth on his face and arm, pressure on his hand and a soft murmuring in the background. It was all unexpected, but reassuring. Voices, words, Buffy... It was Buffy speaking, holding his hand. Angel couldn't understand what was being said, couldn't begin to explain the warmth on his skin, but it didn't matter. Buffy was there, with him. Somehow that made everything all right. Relaxing, Angel slid into a true sleep. ================================================================ Angel blinked then opened his eyes. It was bright, blindingly so. He found himself starring out an open window directly into the setting sun. Angel jerked upright in the bed, panicked, fighting to free himself from monitors, tubing, wires and the bed sheets. Suddenly someone was holding him still and Buffy was saying, "Angel, it's okay. Don't fight me Angel." What was wrong with her? It was the sun, he would die. Instincts developed over the course of two centuries drove him to escape, but Buffy's arms were like steel bands, holding him there in the deadly light of the sun. Angel felt as if his chest were about to explode, his lungs constricted in terror and his heart pounded painfully against his ribs. Then the blinds came down, heavy metal blinds blocking out the fearful sight of the sun. Angel eased back on the bed, surprised that he didn't feel any burns. Buffy still held him and Giles stood at the window, Angel realized he'd been the one to shut the blinds. Then the room was filling with strange people. They were fussing with the things Angel had disarrayed in his panic, scolding him for moving, checking his various injuries. "It's okay," Buffy whispered in his ear, "I'll explain later." A hospital? Angel thought, what am I doing here? One of the doctors placed a stethoscope on Angel's chest, Angel waited for his expression to change, to fill with confusion then fear, but he only nodded. Then Angel understood the throbbing in his chest, his heart was beating. Dazed Angel allowed the doctor to finish with him. When the room was finally quiet again Buffy took Angel's hand once more, smiling broadly at him. "You're human," she said. "Not a vampire, not anymore." "I'm dead," Angel said dully. "Nothing can change that." "Angel, we found you at the school, in the sun. Unconscious, but alive," Giles said. "I don't know how, I would never had thought it possible, but Angel, you are alive." "Even the doctors think so," Buffy added. "The Shadwen," Angel said softly remembering the events of the eclipse. Giles looked startled, the shock of finding Angel had completely distracted him from the current crisis, an inexcusable lapse. "What happened?" Buffy asked. "I screwed up the spell," Angel replied. "But Kelvasus still has the Shadwen, he'll try it again." "Did you learn where their lair is?" Giles asked. "It's the salvage yard," Angel said. "I met Kelvasus in the guard shack." ================================================================= There were still fifteen minutes left before the sun disappeared over the horizon, Buffy thought. Time for them to go in and get the Shad-thing and get out before Kelvasus could get his whole organization moving against them. This time it was just her, Giles, Willow, Xander and Oz. Angel couldn't leave the hospital yet, and Buffy had persuaded her mother to stay with him. Cordelia had left hours before Angel woke-up. Cordy had said she was trying to cut down on her exposure to losers, since it seemed contagious and that she had better things to do than hang out in hospitals waiting to find out if a murder was going to be all right. So here they were the original Slayerettes plus Oz hurrying through the salvage yard, hoping Kelvasus hadn't chosen another resting spot for the day. "Stay out of the shadows," Giles had advised. In a junk yard that wasn't easy. Still they knew Kelvasus had more follower than would fit in the guard shack. That was the whole point of getting out before night fall, keeping the numbers of vamps they fought at any one time down to the minimum. The Chosen One protected the world from the forces of darkness, but Buffy's first rule of Slaying was don't get killed. Taking on fifty odd vampires would definitely be breaking that rule and would probably leave Kelvasus with the Shadwen and plenty of time to get the hell out of Dodge before Faith or whoever the next Slayer was figured out what had happened. Not a good plan. There was the guard house. Tiny, maybe two rooms total, in enough of a clearing that reinforcements wouldn't be coming till sundown. "Is everyone ready?" Buffy asked, they nodded. Buffy turned and kicked the door down. "I know it's early," Buffy said, attacking one of Kelvasus' four body guards, "But I want to beat the crowds." The fight lasted only seconds, then they were moving on to the inner room. Kelvasus was waiting for them, the Shadwen sat on the bed behind him. He stood in the center of the room, calmly aiming a gun at the door. Buffy and the Slayerettes quickly scattered to either side of the door as Kelvasus triggered his first shot. "You've got a problem with aim don't you?" Buffy taunted. Kelvasus shrugged, "Given your reputation, I was expecting someone larger. Somehow one always forgets appearances are irrelevant with Slayers. But if you truly believe that I am incompetent with firearms, just step through the door and permit me to disabuse you of your illusions." "Aren't you just Mr. Eloquence," Buffy shot back. Kelvasus smiled, "It doesn't really matter to me, whether I shoot you or my followers tear you and your friends limb from limb come sunset. So please feel free to make up you own mind as to which you prefer." "Oh wow," Buffy exclaimed, "It's like one of those multiple choice tests. You know, fill in the bubble. But you forgot C." "See what?" Kelvasus asked, as Buffy on her knees leaned around the corner and threw a vial of holy water at him. The vial shattered as it hit Kelvasus' forehead. He dropped the gun to claw at his eyes and Buffy ran into the room and staked him saying, "Option C: none of the above." "Is this the Shadwen thingy?" Buffy asked picking it up from the bed then turning to display it to Giles. "Yes, I believe so," Giles replied. ================================================================= Cletus and Nev stood in the wreckage of the guard shack, dust spun in small vortexes around their feet. "Angelus must have lived, " Cletus said. "He was the only one who knew where we were." "Angel didn't turn Kelvasus and the others into dust-bunnies," Nev argued. "This was a sunlander's work, the Slayer most probably." "It's not a coincidence, us getting attacked the day after Angelus finds out where or sanctuary is," Cletus stated. "I never said it was," Nev replied. "Angel didn't just attack Kelvasus, he betrayed us to a sunlander." Cletus smiled nastily, "Treason has always been punishable by death, but then what isn't." ================================================================= Angel leaned heavily on Buffy's shoulder, "You shouldn't be out of bed," she objected. Angel smiled, "The room's on the wrong side of the building for watching the sun rise. I want to see it, I haven't watched a sunrise since I was a kid." Curious, Buffy asked, "Was this something you liked doing before you were a vampire?" "Not really," Angel replied. "Not after I discovered alcohol, hangovers don't go well with early mornings. I took everything for granted back then. I don't want to make that mistake again." "There's the elevator," Buffy said. "We should hurry, the nurses are going to notice you're missing soon." They rode the elevator up to the top floor, them climbed one more set of stairs to reach the roof. "Now sit," Buffy ordered. "We're here, so I don't want you hurting yourself." Angel almost laughed. At the mixture of bossiness and protectiveness in her tone. As he sat down, he pulled her down beside him, wrapping his arms around her and resting his cheek on the top of her head. This close Buffy could feel both his heartbeat and the warmth radiating off his skin, she sighed contentedly and snuggled deeper into his embrace. Together they waited for the sunrise. As the first rays of the morning reached them Angel tensed, fighting a vampire's survival instincts. Buffy twisted in his embrace to face him. "It won't hurt you," she promised, reaching up to caress Angel's face. "I know," Angel replied swallowing harshly. "But every instinct I have is telling me this is suicide." "Don't think about it," Buffy said. Angel pulled her close again, burying his face in her shoulder, shutting out the sight of the sun, waiting for the searing agony that it had brought for so long. Instead he felt a gentle comforting warmth. Gradually Angel relaxed, raising his head and looking at the colors dawn had painted across the sky. "It's beautiful," he said. Buffy grinned "This is real," Angel continued. "I can't believe it, I'm watching a sunrise, with you." He hugged Buffy tightly again. "I never though I'd see you by daylight." ================================================================ "Yes, the Shadwen is real," Giles said into the phone. "Buffy recovered it from a Celtic vampire called Kelvasus, he as attempting to use it to alter the moon's orbit." "I'm not sure, however it seems to have been responsible for changing Angel back into a mortal." "Yes, Angelus." "No, I don't know how. It was an accident. What I want to know is how to destroy it, we've tried the living flame. It didn't even mar the finish." "Yes, I had heard the legend about the Shadwen being used to help create the Slayer. I still think it should be destroyed." "Look do you really ant an artifact that can be used to play marbles with the solar system laying around the headquarters? It would be like a magnet for every power hungry moron in the hemisphere." "No, I don't believe you would be able to learn to use it. Kelvasus had centuries to study it and, according to Angel, he only had a marginal understanding of it." "No, I'm not comparing the watcher's experts to a vampire." "Yes, I understand my position, I'm Buffy's watcher. You may have people more expert in occult artifacts, but I am the one on site." "Yes, of course." "No, I'm not." "Fine, when ill he be here?" "Certainly, I'll meet him at the airport. Please let me know when his plane will be arriving." ================================================================= Nev looked around the Bronze. Cletus as at the bar trying to find out if Angel had been in tonight. There weren't many places were humans congregated after dark in Sunnydale, it was only a matter of time before they found Angel's hunting ground. ================================================================ Monday morning, Buffy, Willow and Xander gathered on the steps of the school. Willow and Buffy were deep in conversation. Xander was supposedly reading a magazine, but hadn't turned a page in quite a while. "He actually watched the sunrise this morning," Buffy was saying. "I think he's getting used to the whole mortal thing." "It's a big change," Willow said. Buffy nodded, "It's going to be so great, showing him all the daylight things to do." "When does he get out of the hospital?" Willow asked. "Tomorrow," Buffy replied. "Oh and everyone's invited to a dinner at my place, sort of a welcome to being alive thing for Angel. Mom says I can skip school to come along when Giles picks him up from the hospital, as long as I make my classes today." Xander glanced up from his magazine, "Since when has the lack of parental permission ever kept you in school?" he asked. Buffy shrugged, "It's just nice that she understands. Angel wants to spend Wednesday here, can you believe it?" "Why?" Xander asked. "He's too old for them to make him go to school." At Xander's words Willow's face took on a thoughtful frown. Buffy replied, "He wants to see what it's like, something about seeing what I do." "How old is Angel now?" Willow asked. "Will," Xander replied, "Whatever else changed, Angel was still born sometime back in the Dark Ages." "No, I think the seventeenth century was the end of the Renaissance, way after the Dark Ages," Willow remarked. "Anyway, I mean Angel isn't physically 243 years old." Buffy shrugged, "I guess he just starts at whatever age he was at when Darla turned him into a vampire. I never asked how old he was then, it wasn't important, since I'd catch up to him eventually." ================================================================= Angel sat quietly in the garden behind the hospital. His and Buffy's expedition to the roof Sunday morning hadn't gone unnoticed by the staff. On the other hand, they been pretty nice about it. The doctor just said that any future trips would be taken with Angel in a wheelchair, at least until he'd been released from the hospital. Which wasn't that bad. Angel picked at the peeling skin on his nose. After he and Buffy had spent the whole day out in the garden Sunday, the nurses had also given him a lecture on skin cancer and a bottle of sunscreen. Angel had had to fight to keep a straight face during the nurses' very well meaning speech. It was just so strange to think of reddened skin as a "sunburn". The sunburn, more than anything else, brought home the reality of what had happened. It was a constant reminder that this was more than some daydream (he hadn't remember how much sunburns itched in centuries). He had a life again, a future. He had no clue what to do with it. Besides spending as much of it as humanly possible with Buffy. Angel knew Buffy and her friends were mostly planning on going to college the following year. He decided to ask Giles what one had to do to get in. He had a feeling that his lack of a high school degree or even a birth certificate might prove problematic. Still it seemed like a good place to start a life. Angel stretched his hands out, feeling the sun caress his skin and smiled. He felt good for the first time in longer than he could remember. Free from the night, from the demon that had possessed him for so long. Even the guilt and remorse that had shadowed him since regaining his soul seemed less consuming. As horrible as Angelus' actions had been, Angel couldn't feel quite as responsible for them as he had before. In fact even his memories of those atrocities were becoming foggy. It was as if that part of his life, the part where he'd been without a soul had been burned away with the demon. This was like a fresh start, a chance to reclaim the life he'd thrown away the night he'd met Darla. A chance to do things right this time. ================================================================= Buffy felt this party was going much better than the welcome home party her friends had thrown for her after she came back to Sunnydale. For one thing there weren't any undercurrents of hurt feelings, and for another thing, no zombies had shown up yet. Just a quiet peaceful dinner with the people she was closest to. It even seemed like Giles and Xander had finally forgiven Angel for the whole Angelus incident last year. Giles' news that the plane bearing the Shadwen back to England had disappeared over the Pacific without a trace was only a minor blemish on the evening. Buffy couldn't help but feel that they ere just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Things were too perfect and this was Sunnydale after all. "So the crisis is over?" Xander asked. "We won again, right?" "I don't know," Buffy said. "Kelvasus' bunch still seems pretty active around town." "Speaking of which, we should go on a patrol tonight," Giles said. "Awe, we can skip one night," Buffy pouted wrapping her arms around Angel's. "Tonight's special, you wouldn't want me to just abandon Angel on his first night out of the hospital would you?" "It's not a problem," Angel said. "I'll come along." "No!" Buffy and Giles chorused. "You just got out of the hospital," Buffy continued. "I don't want you to get hurt again." "I've been on patrol before," Angel argued. "You must admit things have changed dramatically since then," Giles said. "So what, I'm not a vampire anymore, I can still help." Angel stated. "Your ribs haven't even healed yet and you've still got several sets of stitches," Giles said. "Furthermore, in a fight would you remember that you don't have a vampire's strength or recuperative power any longer." "I'll adjust, I'm not helpless." Angel argued. "Nobody said you were," Willow said. "It just means you've got to give yourself time to get used to being more careful." "Which brings us back to the initial problem," Buffy said. "Patrol tonight, a bad idea." "We have to end the party soon anyway," Joyce said. "It's a school night, I'm sure Xander, Willow and Oz's parents expect them home at a reasonable hour and you need your sleep as well. You and Mr. Giles could take Angel home, then do a quick circuit of the town before you call it a night." "Mom," Buffy objected. "Angel's still recovering you can't just kick him out." "Buffy, Angel is an adult, he can take care of himself, and he can't spend the night here," Joyce paused. "Angel, I'm sorry, I just can't let you stay here." "I never would have expected you to," Angel replied. Still sulking Buffy argued, "It's still early, no one has to go yet." "Buffy," Angel's voice was gentle, "It's all right, we'll see each other tomorrow. We have the rest of our lives to spend time together, but now it's time to say goodnight." Buffy winced slightly, she hated it when she acted immature around Angel. Then she smiled, trying to put a good face on things. ================================================================= Angel walked quickly toward the mansion. He had split up with Buffy and Giles at the cemetery gates. "Well, well, well, what do we have here," a pompous, easily recognizable voice announced. Angel watched grimly as Cletus and Nev materialized out of the darkness. Angel wasn't impressed, he'd pulled the same stunt too many times to have it work on him. "Angelus, what a surprise, seeing you here, in one piece," Cletus continued. "Sorry to disappoint," Angel replied. "But you've really got to learn to be more careful when you kill someone." "We don't mind," Nev said. "In fact we've been looking forward to doing a better job of killing you." "Yes," Cletus added, "Last time we forgot all about torture." "Don't expect me to make things easy for you," Angel said, taking stock of his surroundings. The picket fence behind him had definite possibilities. As the two vampires advanced, Angel repositioned himself, preparing to fight. Giles and Buffy's argument against him going on patrol were echoing clearly in Angel's mind. He grinned fiercely, Angel knew they were right but several centuries of experience had to count for something. When they attacked, Angel ducked, tackling Cletus at the knees. As planned, Angel's momentum knock the vampire off his feet, dumping him neatly on the picket fence. Angel smiled, regaining his feet as Cletus crumbled to into dust. "You'll regret that," Nev said quietly, circling his opponent. ================================================================ |
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