&&&&&&&&
Buffy fell to the ground, and the sword smeared with the Mohra blood
went flying across the room. "NO!" she yelled.
Angelus laughed cruelly, and dropped to his knees next to her. "Now,
now, Buffy," he said as he leaned down over her. "It will all be over
soon. You'll never feel any pain again. So, I'm really doing you a
favor."
Neither Buffy or Willow had noticed as Xander had moved closer to
Buffy and Angelus. The others hadn't made a move to stop him either,
too fascinated by the scene unfolding as Buffy and Angelus fought.
"No, I am," he whispered from behind Angelus then, and raised the
stake to finish Angelus.
Buffy screamed again, "NO!"
Willow's voice joined with hers, as she summoned all her powers
desperately. "STOP!" she yelled, squeezing her eyes shut with the
force of her concentration. Everything was silent. She dared to open
her eyes, and laughed nervously. "It worked!" she said, amazed that
she'd managed this. Everyone except for her was frozen in place. The
stake in Xander's hand was just an inch from Angelus' back, and if
Willow had waited another second, Angelus would now be a pile of ash.
Willow knew she didn't have much time, these spells usually only
lasted for a matter of seconds. She sighed, and walked over to pick
up the sword first. "Cordelia, I sure hope you know what you're
talking about with this," Willow said. "I don't like keeping what
happened that day from Buffy, but maybe she's remembering anyway, no
thanks to Angelus," She scowled at the vampire leaning over her
friend.
She walked back to the three. First, she took the stake out of
Xander's hand. "I'm sorry, Xander," she said, wanting to reach out
and touch him, comfort him, but knowing if she did it would break the
effects of the spell on him. She shook her head, sadly, "I know you
hate him, but Buffy doesn't. Not even when he's like this. And she'd
never forgive you if you destroyed him. I just hope you can forgive
me for doing this...."
She knelt beside Buffy, and touched her shoulder, breaking the spell
for her. "Huh?" Buffy started, and Willow calmed her saying, "Spell,
Buffy. I stopped everything." She helped Buffy slide out from where
she'd been pinned by Angelus and handed Buffy the sword.
"Xander had a--"
"Not anymore," Willow interrupted, holding up the stake.
"Willow, this is incredible! You froze us, everything!" Buffy
exclaimed with an amazed look around. "For how long?" she asked.
"About..." looking down at her watch, "one more minute," Willow
answered.
"Willow, what happened?" Buffy asked then. "What am I...remembering?
Is it real? It can't be..." she looked to Willow, a pleading look on
her face.
"I can't, Buffy. Ask Angel when you bring him back," Willow answered
sadly.
"But--"
"It's not my place, there isn't enough time anyway. Just concentrate
on doing this, fast. Right when he comes out of it."
Buffy nodded, looking down at the sword in her hand.
"Oh, and this might help, too," Willow added, pulling Angelus' sword
from his grip.
Buffy smiled, "Yeah. Guess that's the added advantage I need."
"It's wearing off now," Willow said, and backed away. Buffy watched as
everyone unfroze. Xander followed through with what he thought was the
stake, but as he realized it was gone, he stumbled back in
shock. "What the hell?" he yelled, looking around in confusion.
Angelus snarled as he realized that Buffy was no longer pinned under
him, and then added a "What the hell?" of his own when the sword he
raised wasn't there either. He jumped to his feet and looked at
Buffy.
Buffy said, "Please come back to me," as she stabbed him in the side
with her sword. As she pulled it out he fell to his knees, looking at
her in disbelief.
Suddnely, there was a flash of light. Angelus' eyes changed, from the
cold, cruel eyes empty of any emotion that had looked at Buffy a
moment earlier, to the warm, loving eyes that still held her heart
captive.
"Angel?" she asked, still not sure of what had happened.
"Buffy?" he said, looking around, a confused look on his face. "What?
I..." he was disoriented for a moment, before he remembered the
events of the last few nights. She saw the pain enter his eyes, and
her heart broke for him, as he moaned, "Oh, God, no!" and buried his
face in his hands.
"Angel, it's okay," Buffy approached him slowly, holding back her own
tears. "Everyone's all right. You're all right. That's all that
matters...Noo!" she wailed then, as another barrage of images burst
into her head.
{She and Angel in a silo of some sort. He was hurt, and she was
holding him in her arms. "Don't talk. You're all right that's all
that matters. You're all right and we're together."}
Angel didn't notice though. He saw Cordelia, and said, "Cordelia, I
have to get out of here," his eyes pleading.
"It's okay, Angel," Cordelia said soothingly, as she walked over and
knelt next to him. When she touched his arm, she knew why he didn't
want Buffy near him. His skin was warm, meaning one thing. The Mohra
blood had worked, all right. It hadn't just given him back his soul,
though, it had returned his humanity. Again.
&&&&&&&&&
End of Part 16
Buffy fell to the ground, and the sword smeared with the Mohra blood
went flying across the room. "NO!" she yelled.
Angelus laughed cruelly, and dropped to his knees next to her. "Now,
now, Buffy," he said as he leaned down over her. "It will all be over
soon. You'll never feel any pain again. So, I'm really doing you a
favor."
Neither Buffy or Willow had noticed as Xander had moved closer to
Buffy and Angelus. The others hadn't made a move to stop him either,
too fascinated by the scene unfolding as Buffy and Angelus fought.
"No, I am," he whispered from behind Angelus then, and raised the
stake to finish Angelus.
Buffy screamed again, "NO!"
Willow's voice joined with hers, as she summoned all her powers
desperately. "STOP!" she yelled, squeezing her eyes shut with the
force of her concentration. Everything was silent. She dared to open
her eyes, and laughed nervously. "It worked!" she said, amazed that
she'd managed this. Everyone except for her was frozen in place. The
stake in Xander's hand was just an inch from Angelus' back, and if
Willow had waited another second, Angelus would now be a pile of ash.
Willow knew she didn't have much time, these spells usually only
lasted for a matter of seconds. She sighed, and walked over to pick
up the sword first. "Cordelia, I sure hope you know what you're
talking about with this," Willow said. "I don't like keeping what
happened that day from Buffy, but maybe she's remembering anyway, no
thanks to Angelus," She scowled at the vampire leaning over her
friend.
She walked back to the three. First, she took the stake out of
Xander's hand. "I'm sorry, Xander," she said, wanting to reach out
and touch him, comfort him, but knowing if she did it would break the
effects of the spell on him. She shook her head, sadly, "I know you
hate him, but Buffy doesn't. Not even when he's like this. And she'd
never forgive you if you destroyed him. I just hope you can forgive
me for doing this...."
She knelt beside Buffy, and touched her shoulder, breaking the spell
for her. "Huh?" Buffy started, and Willow calmed her saying, "Spell,
Buffy. I stopped everything." She helped Buffy slide out from where
she'd been pinned by Angelus and handed Buffy the sword.
"Xander had a--"
"Not anymore," Willow interrupted, holding up the stake.
"Willow, this is incredible! You froze us, everything!" Buffy
exclaimed with an amazed look around. "For how long?" she asked.
"About..." looking down at her watch, "one more minute," Willow
answered.
"Willow, what happened?" Buffy asked then. "What am I...remembering?
Is it real? It can't be..." she looked to Willow, a pleading look on
her face.
"I can't, Buffy. Ask Angel when you bring him back," Willow answered
sadly.
"But--"
"It's not my place, there isn't enough time anyway. Just concentrate
on doing this, fast. Right when he comes out of it."
Buffy nodded, looking down at the sword in her hand.
"Oh, and this might help, too," Willow added, pulling Angelus' sword
from his grip.
Buffy smiled, "Yeah. Guess that's the added advantage I need."
"It's wearing off now," Willow said, and backed away. Buffy watched as
everyone unfroze. Xander followed through with what he thought was the
stake, but as he realized it was gone, he stumbled back in
shock. "What the hell?" he yelled, looking around in confusion.
Angelus snarled as he realized that Buffy was no longer pinned under
him, and then added a "What the hell?" of his own when the sword he
raised wasn't there either. He jumped to his feet and looked at
Buffy.
Buffy said, "Please come back to me," as she stabbed him in the side
with her sword. As she pulled it out he fell to his knees, looking at
her in disbelief.
Suddnely, there was a flash of light. Angelus' eyes changed, from the
cold, cruel eyes empty of any emotion that had looked at Buffy a
moment earlier, to the warm, loving eyes that still held her heart
captive.
"Angel?" she asked, still not sure of what had happened.
"Buffy?" he said, looking around, a confused look on his face. "What?
I..." he was disoriented for a moment, before he remembered the
events of the last few nights. She saw the pain enter his eyes, and
her heart broke for him, as he moaned, "Oh, God, no!" and buried his
face in his hands.
"Angel, it's okay," Buffy approached him slowly, holding back her own
tears. "Everyone's all right. You're all right. That's all that
matters...Noo!" she wailed then, as another barrage of images burst
into her head.
{She and Angel in a silo of some sort. He was hurt, and she was
holding him in her arms. "Don't talk. You're all right that's all
that matters. You're all right and we're together."}
Angel didn't notice though. He saw Cordelia, and said, "Cordelia, I
have to get out of here," his eyes pleading.
"It's okay, Angel," Cordelia said soothingly, as she walked over and
knelt next to him. When she touched his arm, she knew why he didn't
want Buffy near him. His skin was warm, meaning one thing. The Mohra
blood had worked, all right. It hadn't just given him back his soul,
though, it had returned his humanity. Again.
&&&&&&&&&
End of Part 16