A Union of Souls, Chapter Twenty-Four
"Your souls have been bonded." Whistler made the announcement as though he was announcing the sports scores.
Still a bit disoriented, very tired and weak, and beginning to feel the start of a splitting headache, Ami leaned back against the headboard of Angel's bed. The Tomorrow Person drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She said nothing, her eyes flickering from the vampire to the demon and back again.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Angel demanded. He was too weak to stand, but he managed to look quite menacing from where he sat in the armchair.
"You know exactly what it means," Whistler sighed. "Both of you do."
Ami still said nothing. Mainly because there was nothing to say. Yes, she knew what it meant and she *knew* that Angel did as well. She was aware of him on every level, aware that while he was sitting several feet away from her, their thoughts and feelings continued to crash and collide, jumbling and wrapping around one another. It was similar to and yet one hundred times different from her awareness of her fellow Tomorrow People. Her awareness of Angel was closer, stronger and somehow a thousand times more intimate and more intense.
Her mind raced backwards as she tried to make sense of everything and failed. Nothing had made much sense since she awoke to find herself going mad with pain and confusion. She had stumbled from Angel's bed more on instinct than with any conscious thought, seeking out the one thing that would ease her pain and suffering. She had no more known that it would be Angel than he had known it would be her.
The others had found them not very long afterwards. They had remained where they were on the floor, simply clinging desperately to one another while their minds, bodies and souls sought to make sense of everything. Whistler immediately tried to sweep them both away for a private conversation, but Adam — and Rupert — would not hear of it. Rupert was particularly alarmed when he found the bite on Ami's throat.
It had taken a while to get everyone calmed down. Calming down everyone included convincing Cordelia that Angel hadn't 'gone evil' again. And in the end, Adam and Giles had only conceded to allow Whistler this moment 'alone' with them if they could be present. Which had brought several protests from Megabyte, Doyle and Cordelia until Angel silenced them all with a menacing growl.
Now they gathered in Angel's bedroom, Ami seated on the bed with Adam hovering protectively by her side while Rupert leaned in the doorway and Whistler paced the length of the bedroom.
"Well," Rupert removed his glasses and lowered his head to his hands, pinching the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb. Random thoughts floated through the newly formed link she shared with Angel, and she knew the man only did that when he was frustrated. "Why don't you try explaining it for those of us who don't know what it means?"
Whistler did as he was told, but he directed the explanation not at Rupert Giles or Adam, but rather towards the two hundred and forty-six year old vampire who looked as though he was about to develop a taste for demons. "You're linked together now. You'll always be aware of one another, your minds, your thoughts. You'll learn to compensate, if you want. You'll gain back your privacy. And it's not as bad as it sounds—"
"It's not as bad as it sounds?" Rupert sputtered in indignation. "You're saying that an innocent girl has been soul-bond to a vampire and it's not as bad as it sounds? I suppose the next thing you'll be telling me is that really, opening the Hellmouth won't be as terrible as everyone's come to believe."
For the first time since meeting him, Angel was surprised to see the demon actually bristle in anger. Ami took a breath, shaking her head, amazed at how clearly the vampire's thought came through to her.
"There's a big difference between what's happened here and opening the Hellmouth, Watcher. So don't make light of it."
"Is there?" Angel asked. There was a heavy, mournful edge to his voice, that nearly brought tears to Ami's eyes. He agreed with Rupert — there didn't seem to be much difference in her being bond to him than in the opening of the Hellmouth.
That was less than flattering and certainly not comforting.
"The Powers That Be choose her for this. Whether you like it or not, there it is."
Angel's dark eyes sought out her gaze. The eye contact was electric; neither of them could hide anything when their eyes met, and she knew the moment that contact was made that he had been as aware of her thoughts as she was of his. She also knew that he hadn't meant to be insulting. His words were aimed at the demon, but his gaze never wavered from hers. "Why is she being punished?"
"Angelus, this isn't a punishment. They don't work that way."
"Don't They?" His gaze slid away from hers, pinning Whistler where he stood.
"No, They don't. Sure, I'll be the first to admit that They do a lot of things for their own reasons, but if They wanted to punish someone, They would find a different way to do it. They certainly don't punish the innocent.
"Look, you know as much about this as I do now. This is all a part of Their plan. You've been given an ally. Don't abuse it. And you," Whistler turned to look at her now, making certain that he had her full attention, "have been given a second chance at life. You know They brought you here for a purpose. Maybe it's the purpose you were born for. Whatever the case, you can't change it. No one can. You just have to learn to accept it."
"So that's it, then?" Adam demanded. "That's all you have to say? You walk around acting like you know so much when in the end you don't know anything at all."
"I know that I've spent a lot of years listening to the Powers That Be, kid, so don't try to jerk my chain. They tell me what They want me to know, and then if I should, I pass it on."
"You knew about this." Coming from anyone else the accusation would have been high-pitched and possibly tinted with hysterics. Coming from Angel it held a note of malice and venom, and Ami was grateful that she was not the one it was directed at. She hoped to never be the one that sort of thinly veiled ire was aimed towards.
The demon actually experienced a moment of fear. Angel smelled it, processed it and she became aware of it as well. Ami closed her eyes briefly, drawing what little energy she had left, and tightened her shields. The only way to block out Angel seemed to be to block out everyone, but that would have to do for now.
As she did, Adam gave her a concerned and startled glance. She could tell that he thought something was wrong — something besides what was immediately obvious — and she flashed him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. Ami avoided looking at Angel period.
"I knew that this would happen, yes. I didn't know when . . . or how," Whistler admitted, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I was sent here to make sure it happened, to make certain that you sealed the bond."
Ami's hand instinctively rose to the bandage on her throat, touching it gingerly. She felt three pairs of eyes knowing flicker towards her, but she continued to watch Whistler. She didn't need to look at Adam or Rupert to know that they were staring at her with concern. "So, what happens now?"
Whistler scooped his ugly, battered hat from the dresser and placed it on his head. "That's up to you, now. I've done my part, delivered the message that I had to deliver." He nodded to Rupert and Adam, turning lastly to Angel. "I'm sure this won't be the last I'll see of you, Angelus."
"If only I could be so lucky."
Whistler inclined his head towards Ami, but kept his attention on the vampire. His voice dropped, a low whisper that was still loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room. "This is gift, you know. There's supposed to be power in these sorts of things, you just have to figure out what that power is. And check the demon — you might be surprised."
With those words, Whistler turned and ducked out of the bedroom, never looking back.
"Yes, well," Rupert paused, returning his glasses to his face. He gave Ami a nod and a half-smile that she knew was meant to reassure. "If there is a way to reverse this — bond — we will find it. In the meantime, you should probably see about getting some rest. You've lost blood and it will take a while to recover from that."
Ami merely nodded in response to his suggestion.
He turned and walked towards the door, stopping in the doorway to look at Adam. His pale eyes flickered from the eldest of the Tomorrow People to Ami to Angel and then back again. "Adam, would you join me? I think that we very much need to talk."
[Ami?] She heard Adam's voice in her mind.
[Go on,] Ami urged him, [I'll be all right.]
[If you're sure . . .]
Ami glanced towards Angel. The vampire's eyes were focused on the doorway, but even shielded, she knew that he wasn't looking at the doorway. He was in thought, his brow partially furrowed in concentration. [I'm positive, Adam. I'll be fine.]
Her friend took a last, long glance at Angel before nodding in acquiescence. [If you need anything . . .]
"I'll shout," Ami smiled and gave his hand a squeeze. Her first words spoken aloud caused Rupert to raise his eyebrows at them and then shake his head.
"More and more curious," the man muttered as Adam followed him from the bedroom.
Left alone with the vampire, Ami watched him and waited. It was unbelievable how much had happened in the span of just a few days. Her life had been turned completely and wholly inside out and upside down, and she had been — and was still powerless — to do anything about it. In a just a few short days, she went from thinking that she knew everything there was to know about the world and its mysteries — the Tomorrow People being top on that list — to discovering that she was as uninformed and blind as the majority of the world's populace. If someone had told her that moving to Los Angeles would result in being kidnapped by a power crazy witch of black magick and wind up soul-bond to a vampire, she would have laughed at them.
The question she didn't have an answer to was whether or not she would have still moved to Los Angeles *if* she had known.
"Well, I'll be damned," Angel whispered, mostly to himself as he shook himself from whatever trance and thoughts he was submerged in. He looked up and around the room, his eyes finally coming to rest on her.
"Something wrong?" Ami asked quietly. Something besides what was obviously wrong.
"The demon . . . it's . . . controlled," Angel explained and then shook his head, dismissing the subject entirely. "Giles is right. You need to get some rest. You need to —" His eyes flickered briefly to her throat, and she watched him wince slightly, "Recover."
"Angel—"
"We'll talk later." He pushed himself to his feet, a note of finality and a ring of promise in his voice. "We'll have more than enough time to talk. But right now, rest."
Ami opened her mouth to object, then snapped her jaw tightly closed. He was right, of course, if Whistler's words about the bond rang true, if Rupert didn't find a way to reverse the effect, there would be plenty of time to talk.
Right now, Ami just needed to think. And . . . sleep.