Part 8
" I said there's a third way in, I know how to get into hell, I just don't know if I can get back out"... Angel
****
"Acathla" Angel almost whispered the dreaded word. It was a part of his past he hoped he would never have to face again, the memories and guilt were just too raw to deal with in normal circumstances.
" Acathla" Giles voice echoed the word in almost as much pain. Xander, Willow, Spike and Cordelia all stood deadly still, each remembering the part they had played and how their lives had never been the same again.
"What's an Acathla and how does this help Buffy?" Riley asked impatiently, ignoring the pained looks on the two men's faces.
Tara and Anya were also in the dark over the name, although Anya was sure she'd heard it somewhere before. Both girls realising the seriousness of the situation took the decision to stay quiet.
Xander looked nervously towards Cordelia, then Willow and finally Giles, wondering which of them was going to volunteer the information. Who ever it was, Xander didn't envy them. That period of history had been rough on all of them, but especially Giles and Buffy, Xander seriously doubted Riley knew anything about it.
"Acathla, was a demon that came forth to swallow the world." Angel turned; his dark brown eyes haunted with grief as he started to explain the history of the demon.
"He was killed by a virtuous knight who pierced the demon's
heart before he could draw a breath to perform the act. Acathla turned
to stone and was buried where neither man nor demon would want to look. Until...until.." Angel faltered.
" Until Angelus discovered it's whereabouts and pulled out the sword, the demon took its' first breath and created a vortex" Giles took his own deep breath and looked at Angel with unexpected pity. The hatred he still felt over Jenny's murder and his own subsequent torture was reserved now, only for the demon, no longer the man.
" The only way to close the vortex was for Buffy to send Angel to hell in the demon's place, which she did"
"Yeah, with a sword through his chest. " Cordelia added dramatically.
"And how on earth is this trip down memory lane supposed to help Buffy" Riley sneered at Angel's pain.
Ignoring Riley, Giles continued. " Angel came back from hell"
Angel's memory of that time had never fully returned, a real explanation had never been found but the simple facts were, there was a way in and there could be a way back.
" What happened to Acathla...after I left, where is it now?" he asked quietly, hiding the fear that was gnawing away at his soul.
The scoobies all looked at each other, nervously.
" We buried it again" Xander spoke quietly, unable to look Angel in the face. The whole Acathla history was something he wasn't proud of, luckily nobody had ever found out about his atrocious lie and that's how he intended to keep it.
" Angel, you can't possibly be thinking...." Wesley was too afraid to finish the sentence. Cordelia had also picked up on his train of thought and her eyes widened in horror.
" It's the only the way.... Was the sword still imbedded?" Angel gritted his teeth and physically flinched as he felt the pain in his chest again.
** And the pain in Buffy's eyes** his soul whispered
Giles nodded, he desperately wanted to object to this plan, but in his heart, he knew it was Buffy's only chance of survival.
The two men stared long and hard at each other, each closing the gap that had been forged by the demon all those years ago. A new respect and a new understanding was accepted without a word being spoken.
"Well, we better dig it up again, as soon as possible" Riley demanded, he didn't have time to waste on all this sentimental rubbish. As far as he was concerned, too much time had been wasted already and the sooner they started the sooner Buffy would return home, to him.
" The sun's almost up. I suggest you, Xander and Wesley see to Acathla. I'll go over the ritual with Angel" Giles was quietly relieved to see the back of Riley, he understood that the boy was worried about Buffy, but they were all worried and his hysteria wasn't helping anyone.
" I'm thinking, if Angel's going into hell shouldn't we bind his soul or something. Like the protection spell we did for Buffy?" Cordelia asked. The thought of sending her friend into hell, unprotected was terrifying her.
" She's right, the last thing Buffy needs is Angelus getting loose down there" Anya added with a helpful grin, she'd heard all about the famous Angelus and he was the last person they needed at the party.
Giles deliberated the question very carefully
" I'm afraid a binding spell wouldn't be strong enough for Angel's soul, he has lost his soul once already with the happiness clause. It would only take the devil to trick Angel into believing he was truly happy and we would have Armageddon on our hands all over again."
Tara pressed her mouth up against Willows ear and whispered, after a few moments, Willow nodded her agreement excitedly.
" Tara thinks it's possible to re-curse Angel, maybe take out the happiness clause once and for all " Willow offered helpfully. Angel's head shot up; hardly daring to believe that was possible.
Giles carefully considered the consequences of such a transaction before replying.
** Angel without a happiness clause could cause an awful lot of problems, but that was something they would have to deal with later. Getting Buffy home safely was the priority here and if that meant no happiness clause, then so be it.**
" Yes, that's a good idea. Do you still have the original curse, Willow?" as he asked the question Giles, tried desperately not to dwell on a certain computer teacher's face. He failed as her beautiful dark features entered his head, but the feeling that accompanied them was, thankfully, peaceful.
Willow said she knew exactly where the disc was stored and headed off with Tara to fetch it. Angel sat quietly contemplating how different his life could be if the re-curse was possible, then he remembered his last conversation with Buffy and realised, sadly, that it no longer mattered. Buffy had made it perfectly clear, she wanted Riley and he would never stand in her way, no matter how much it broke his heart. The only important thing now was getting Buffy back safely from hell.
Xander, Riley and Wesley returned to the mansion later that morning exhausted and covered with dirt. They lowered a large crate from the back of a borrowed truck and dragged it slowly inside. Willow and Tara arrived almost at the same time with the most unbelievable news.
" Read it, Tara saw it as soon as she read it, it's not the same" Willows voice grew higher with each word as she waved a piece of paper in front Giles face
" It's a transcript of every word, there's no mistake" Willows excitement had caught the attention of all present in the room.
Giles took the sheet of paper and proceeded to read aloud
"Quod perditum est, in venietur"
(What was lost shall be found)
"Not dead, nor not of the living.
Spirits of the interregnum, I call.
Let him know the pain of humanity, gods -
Reach your wizened hands to me, give me the soul of...."
Wesley and Angel walked in at that point; just the sound of the curse sent shivers through the vampire, he continued to listen as Giles finished the reading
"Gods bind him, cast his heart from the demon realm return ...
te implor Doamne, no ignora accasta rugaminte!
Lasa orbita sa fie vasul care - i va transporta sufletul la el!"
(I call on you, gods, do not ignore this supplication!
Let the orb be the vessel to carry his soul to him!)
"Este scris, aceasta putere este dreptul poporuil
meu de a conduce...."
(It is written, this power is my peoples right to wield....)
"Asa sa fie! Acum!"
(Let it be so! Now!)
" My god, you're right" Giles passed Wesley the paper for further inspection.
"You know what this means? There was NEVER a happiness clause in the second curse" Wesley looked up and was mortified by the depth of pain he saw reflected in Angel's eyes. All that time he and Buffy had denied themselves, it was all for nothing. Angel turned and without saying a word, walked from the room.
Willow found Angel standing by the grate of a roaring fire, lost deep in thought. She crossed the room quietly and stood next to the man that had saved her live more times then she wanted to remember. Angel had always held a sadness about him, but Willow couldn't help noticing how deeply this new information had affected him, it seemed as if a light had gone out in his eyes.
" Angel, what's hell like?" she asked softly
At first, Angel didn't seem to notice as he continued to stare into the crackling flames.
" Milton, describes hell as... *A place where peace and rest can never dwell.
Where hope never comes. A place where torture is without end.....* He was wrong" Angel's voice sounded so distant, so cold it made Willow trembled.
" It's a million times worse," he added sadly still gazing into the fire.
"How can you possibly go back to a place like that?" Willow asked in amazement. As much as she wanted Buffy back, her heart went out to the sacrifice Angel was offering to make.
Angel turned away from the fire and faced the young girl.
"That's easy, I'd spend the rest of eternity in hell to give Buffy one more day in the sun." Angel replied truthfully letting his guard down for a second, he opened his heart and Willow saw that the love he still held for the Slayer blazed brighter than any fire in hell.
Unable to comment, Willow simply nodded that she understood. They stood watching the fire for a few more minutes and then Willow spoke again
"Tara thinks we should repeat the curse, I'm not sure why, but she insists it's really important. Is that all right, Angel?
This time it was Angel who simply nodded. ** They could curse him a million times now and it wouldn't make any difference to the way he felt. Just one more mistake to add to the long list of wasted opportunities.**
The pair then joined the others just in time to watch Acathla being uncreated. Both their eyes fell on the protruding sword that Buffy had used to impale her love. Angel felt Willow's small, warm hand slip into his and he gripped it for support.
" There you are, Angel. I'm not sure what kind of weapons you want to take with you" Giles asked holding two different types of axe in his hand.
Tara walked over, a shy smile turned up the corners of her mouth, placing her small hand on Angel's arm she asked.
" Angel, can we talk" Willow smiled and walked away leaving them to their privacy.
" No weapon on earth can defeat the devil, you know that, don't you?" The shy girl blushed when Angel turned his eyes on her; he then nodded that he understood perfectly. Tara continued in a quiet voice
" The devil cannot not be destroyed, not by us, anyway. The ultimate battle between good and evil will be fought on a different stage, another place and time." Angel studied the girl carefully; she seemed to have a far greater understanding then expected.
" I have to try" Angel replied, any other thought was unacceptable.
" I said you couldn't destroy him, but it might be possible to confine him, not for long, but if we use the forces of Mother Nature and the purest of white magic, you might have a chance"
Angel looked slightly confused.
" The reason I want to re-curse your soul is to add the ingredients you will need, when the time is right the powers will flow"
" I still don't understand"
" You don't have to understand, Angel. You just need to believe. Do you trust me?" she held out her small hands. Angel stared deeply into her eyes, searching right down to her soul.
"I trust you" he replied simply, he reached out and clasped her small hands between his, Angel was shocked to feel an incredible surge of energy inside this small girl, the power of light.
When he removed his hand he felt something remain in his palm, opening his eyes in wonder he looked back at Tara.
" Acathla is the door to enter hell, this is your key home" she then smiled. Angel looked at the palm of his hand once more and nodded.
" Thank you"
The curse was then quickly completed with the aid of an 'Orb of Thesulah' and once again Tara confirmed the lack of a happiness clause.
" Hey! Spike. Just a thought, while we're doing deadboy here, how about we throw one your way? Two for the price of one" Xander grinned. The look of horror that crossed Spike's face was comical
" Not on your bleeding life, I like me just as I am thank you very much. Besides, one pathetic soul boy is enough for this world" Spike shuddered causing Xander to smile again
" Like I said, just a thought"
" Well next time, keep your daft thoughts to yourself " Spike walked off. The sooner he tested the strength of his chip the better. He just didn't want to give the game away too soon.
" Angel, we are ready whenever you are" Wesley said softly as the last part of the packing case was removed.
"Wesley, I don't want to do this in front of an audience, I want you to take the girls and leave" Angel requested quietly. His friend and ally desperately wanted to protest but simply agreed instead. He realised that Angel didn't want his friends around if anything went wrong.
" Well I'm not leaving" Riley stared at Angel not even attempting to hide his hatred for the vampire. This time Angel met his gaze, telling him in no uncertain terms that the feeling was mutual.
"If you think that curse is going to change things when you get back, you're wrong" Riley tried desperately to look as if he believed his own statement
** Buffy had promised him it was over with Angel, she didn't lie** he continued to remind himself.
Angel, really wasn't in the mood to humour the boy who had been a constant pain in his ass; he had better things to do. Sadly, Riley hadn't. He continued to push how good his relationship with Buffy was into Angel's face. Eventually Angel snapped.
" If you believe for one micro second that Buffy loves you more than she loved me, you're a fool" the intensity in Angel's eyes almost made Riley flinch.
" She adored you and you left her, so tell me Angel. Who's the bigger fool?" Riley smirked. He knew at once that he had hit a raw nerve.
" You really are a bastard" Angel pushed down the demon inside him that was fighting to surface and rip Riley's head off
" Yeah, but I'm a live bastard, not a walking corpse. Curse or no curse Buffy wants normal, you know it and I know it. So why don't you do us all a favour, send Buffy home, and then stay down there with your own kind. Riley turned and walked away feeling better than he had in days.
*****
Hell....
Heavily chained to a hot wall, Buffy opened her eyes. For a second she had almost convinced herself she was home, *home* she rolled the word around her mind and could no longer picture it's meaning.
** How long had she been here now? Weeks, months, years** Buffy no longer kept record of time. Back in her safe world above, only a few hours had passed, but here time moved so much faster or maybe that was just an illusion too. Buffy knew she hadn't aged, so maybe it was all part of the devil's plan to break her. She knew that he could kill her anytime he wanted but he'd never break her. Buffy closed her eyes and drifted back off to sleep. She reached out for comfort and found a picture in her heart of the same brown eyes she used every night.
" Angel" She sighed in despair and lost herself to her memories.
*****
Giles and Angel both stood staring at Acathla in total silence, each struggling with their own memories.
Eventually it was Giles that broke the stillness.
" Angel, are you absolutely sure you know what you're doing, this could be a potential Armageddon"
" It's the only gateway I know that's certain to take *me* back to hell" Angel walked over and laid his hand on the evil stone, a shiver of fear ran through his fingers and moved right into his soul. Pushing that thought away, Angel tried to smile but the memories were just too painful
" At least I won't get a sword through my chest this time" he turned from the stone demon and walked over to the table. Slipping his long duster over his broad shoulders, he placed a few necessary accessories into his pocket.
Spike sauntered into the room and strolled over to his grandsire.
" It doesn't matter what you take, you know you're not coming back, don't you?" he asked casually.
Angel turned to face his obnoxious grand childe.
"You've told us everything, right? " Angel asked simply, he knew he had no choice but to trust Spike.
" Yeah" Spike nodded truthfully. Angel seemed lost in thought for a moment.
" No one in their right mind would attempt this, It's suicide, well as close as it gets for a demon.... Angel, he wants you with a vengeance. You escaped once, he's never gonna let that happen twice"
" Buffy needs me" was Angel's only reply.
" I always knew that one day she'd be the death of you" the usual cockiness in Spike's voice was missing
" So did I" Angel spoke so softly it took Spike by surprise.
" You still love her that much?"
" Always" Angel turned around and walked towards the stone demon, Spike followed.
" I'm coming with you, I'll watch your back" Spike offered
Angel quirked a surprised eyebrow.
" I thought you said anybody who does this is insane?" Angel asked, his grand childe's offer was the last thing he expected.
"I did and they are. I guess it's all the years I spent with Dru, some of it must have rubbed off...I owe the Slayer...she brought me my nice new duster" Spike tried to laugh it off and not face the real reason. He hated to admit it, but he couldn't let the Slayer die. ** There was something about the annoying little bitch that had grown on him and breaking in new slayers was always a real pain. And then of course there was Dru**
" You switched sides Spike, if you go down there again, it will be worse for you than me" Angel warned, he understood only too well what would happen if they were caught. In a way, Spike would suffer more then he would, Spike didn't have the excuse of a soul to fall back on.
" I like a good fight, what better way to go" Spike grinned and cracked his knuckles.
Angel nodded ** They were in for a fight all right, the fight of their unlives**
" There's nothing I can say that will make you change your mind?"
Spike shook his head; his mind was made up.
"No, I'm a stubborn bastard. Remember?" Spike grinned from ear to ear. The thought of a really good ruckus cheered him up no end.
" You better bring that bag then" Angel pointed to the table on the other side of the room.
" What bag...?"
Spike turned his head back straight into Angel's fist.
"ANGEL!" Giles shouted in astonishment and the blonde vampire crumbled to the floor.
Angel looked down at the unconscious vampire and then back towards Giles.
" He'll thank me for it one day...I hope" The dark haired vampire smiled sadly and then picked up a small blade.
" Right, I've got some place to go" he ran the blade across the palm of his hand releasing a thin crimson line of blood. Angel then placed his hand on the sword and in one swift movement, withdrew it.
The demon awakened, its eyes started to glow as it prepared to take its first breath. The mouth slowly opened releasing a small whirlpool.
Angel looked at Giles and then, without another word he cut his hand once more and slammed it down onto the demon.
The vortex wrapped around the vampire, pulling him backwards. Angel closed his eyes and focused all his thoughts on Buffy, as he was sucked back into hell.
TBC.....
" I said there's a third way in, I know how to get into hell, I just don't know if I can get back out"... Angel
****
"Acathla" Angel almost whispered the dreaded word. It was a part of his past he hoped he would never have to face again, the memories and guilt were just too raw to deal with in normal circumstances.
" Acathla" Giles voice echoed the word in almost as much pain. Xander, Willow, Spike and Cordelia all stood deadly still, each remembering the part they had played and how their lives had never been the same again.
"What's an Acathla and how does this help Buffy?" Riley asked impatiently, ignoring the pained looks on the two men's faces.
Tara and Anya were also in the dark over the name, although Anya was sure she'd heard it somewhere before. Both girls realising the seriousness of the situation took the decision to stay quiet.
Xander looked nervously towards Cordelia, then Willow and finally Giles, wondering which of them was going to volunteer the information. Who ever it was, Xander didn't envy them. That period of history had been rough on all of them, but especially Giles and Buffy, Xander seriously doubted Riley knew anything about it.
"Acathla, was a demon that came forth to swallow the world." Angel turned; his dark brown eyes haunted with grief as he started to explain the history of the demon.
"He was killed by a virtuous knight who pierced the demon's
heart before he could draw a breath to perform the act. Acathla turned
to stone and was buried where neither man nor demon would want to look. Until...until.." Angel faltered.
" Until Angelus discovered it's whereabouts and pulled out the sword, the demon took its' first breath and created a vortex" Giles took his own deep breath and looked at Angel with unexpected pity. The hatred he still felt over Jenny's murder and his own subsequent torture was reserved now, only for the demon, no longer the man.
" The only way to close the vortex was for Buffy to send Angel to hell in the demon's place, which she did"
"Yeah, with a sword through his chest. " Cordelia added dramatically.
"And how on earth is this trip down memory lane supposed to help Buffy" Riley sneered at Angel's pain.
Ignoring Riley, Giles continued. " Angel came back from hell"
Angel's memory of that time had never fully returned, a real explanation had never been found but the simple facts were, there was a way in and there could be a way back.
" What happened to Acathla...after I left, where is it now?" he asked quietly, hiding the fear that was gnawing away at his soul.
The scoobies all looked at each other, nervously.
" We buried it again" Xander spoke quietly, unable to look Angel in the face. The whole Acathla history was something he wasn't proud of, luckily nobody had ever found out about his atrocious lie and that's how he intended to keep it.
" Angel, you can't possibly be thinking...." Wesley was too afraid to finish the sentence. Cordelia had also picked up on his train of thought and her eyes widened in horror.
" It's the only the way.... Was the sword still imbedded?" Angel gritted his teeth and physically flinched as he felt the pain in his chest again.
** And the pain in Buffy's eyes** his soul whispered
Giles nodded, he desperately wanted to object to this plan, but in his heart, he knew it was Buffy's only chance of survival.
The two men stared long and hard at each other, each closing the gap that had been forged by the demon all those years ago. A new respect and a new understanding was accepted without a word being spoken.
"Well, we better dig it up again, as soon as possible" Riley demanded, he didn't have time to waste on all this sentimental rubbish. As far as he was concerned, too much time had been wasted already and the sooner they started the sooner Buffy would return home, to him.
" The sun's almost up. I suggest you, Xander and Wesley see to Acathla. I'll go over the ritual with Angel" Giles was quietly relieved to see the back of Riley, he understood that the boy was worried about Buffy, but they were all worried and his hysteria wasn't helping anyone.
" I'm thinking, if Angel's going into hell shouldn't we bind his soul or something. Like the protection spell we did for Buffy?" Cordelia asked. The thought of sending her friend into hell, unprotected was terrifying her.
" She's right, the last thing Buffy needs is Angelus getting loose down there" Anya added with a helpful grin, she'd heard all about the famous Angelus and he was the last person they needed at the party.
Giles deliberated the question very carefully
" I'm afraid a binding spell wouldn't be strong enough for Angel's soul, he has lost his soul once already with the happiness clause. It would only take the devil to trick Angel into believing he was truly happy and we would have Armageddon on our hands all over again."
Tara pressed her mouth up against Willows ear and whispered, after a few moments, Willow nodded her agreement excitedly.
" Tara thinks it's possible to re-curse Angel, maybe take out the happiness clause once and for all " Willow offered helpfully. Angel's head shot up; hardly daring to believe that was possible.
Giles carefully considered the consequences of such a transaction before replying.
** Angel without a happiness clause could cause an awful lot of problems, but that was something they would have to deal with later. Getting Buffy home safely was the priority here and if that meant no happiness clause, then so be it.**
" Yes, that's a good idea. Do you still have the original curse, Willow?" as he asked the question Giles, tried desperately not to dwell on a certain computer teacher's face. He failed as her beautiful dark features entered his head, but the feeling that accompanied them was, thankfully, peaceful.
Willow said she knew exactly where the disc was stored and headed off with Tara to fetch it. Angel sat quietly contemplating how different his life could be if the re-curse was possible, then he remembered his last conversation with Buffy and realised, sadly, that it no longer mattered. Buffy had made it perfectly clear, she wanted Riley and he would never stand in her way, no matter how much it broke his heart. The only important thing now was getting Buffy back safely from hell.
Xander, Riley and Wesley returned to the mansion later that morning exhausted and covered with dirt. They lowered a large crate from the back of a borrowed truck and dragged it slowly inside. Willow and Tara arrived almost at the same time with the most unbelievable news.
" Read it, Tara saw it as soon as she read it, it's not the same" Willows voice grew higher with each word as she waved a piece of paper in front Giles face
" It's a transcript of every word, there's no mistake" Willows excitement had caught the attention of all present in the room.
Giles took the sheet of paper and proceeded to read aloud
"Quod perditum est, in venietur"
(What was lost shall be found)
"Not dead, nor not of the living.
Spirits of the interregnum, I call.
Let him know the pain of humanity, gods -
Reach your wizened hands to me, give me the soul of...."
Wesley and Angel walked in at that point; just the sound of the curse sent shivers through the vampire, he continued to listen as Giles finished the reading
"Gods bind him, cast his heart from the demon realm return ...
te implor Doamne, no ignora accasta rugaminte!
Lasa orbita sa fie vasul care - i va transporta sufletul la el!"
(I call on you, gods, do not ignore this supplication!
Let the orb be the vessel to carry his soul to him!)
"Este scris, aceasta putere este dreptul poporuil
meu de a conduce...."
(It is written, this power is my peoples right to wield....)
"Asa sa fie! Acum!"
(Let it be so! Now!)
" My god, you're right" Giles passed Wesley the paper for further inspection.
"You know what this means? There was NEVER a happiness clause in the second curse" Wesley looked up and was mortified by the depth of pain he saw reflected in Angel's eyes. All that time he and Buffy had denied themselves, it was all for nothing. Angel turned and without saying a word, walked from the room.
Willow found Angel standing by the grate of a roaring fire, lost deep in thought. She crossed the room quietly and stood next to the man that had saved her live more times then she wanted to remember. Angel had always held a sadness about him, but Willow couldn't help noticing how deeply this new information had affected him, it seemed as if a light had gone out in his eyes.
" Angel, what's hell like?" she asked softly
At first, Angel didn't seem to notice as he continued to stare into the crackling flames.
" Milton, describes hell as... *A place where peace and rest can never dwell.
Where hope never comes. A place where torture is without end.....* He was wrong" Angel's voice sounded so distant, so cold it made Willow trembled.
" It's a million times worse," he added sadly still gazing into the fire.
"How can you possibly go back to a place like that?" Willow asked in amazement. As much as she wanted Buffy back, her heart went out to the sacrifice Angel was offering to make.
Angel turned away from the fire and faced the young girl.
"That's easy, I'd spend the rest of eternity in hell to give Buffy one more day in the sun." Angel replied truthfully letting his guard down for a second, he opened his heart and Willow saw that the love he still held for the Slayer blazed brighter than any fire in hell.
Unable to comment, Willow simply nodded that she understood. They stood watching the fire for a few more minutes and then Willow spoke again
"Tara thinks we should repeat the curse, I'm not sure why, but she insists it's really important. Is that all right, Angel?
This time it was Angel who simply nodded. ** They could curse him a million times now and it wouldn't make any difference to the way he felt. Just one more mistake to add to the long list of wasted opportunities.**
The pair then joined the others just in time to watch Acathla being uncreated. Both their eyes fell on the protruding sword that Buffy had used to impale her love. Angel felt Willow's small, warm hand slip into his and he gripped it for support.
" There you are, Angel. I'm not sure what kind of weapons you want to take with you" Giles asked holding two different types of axe in his hand.
Tara walked over, a shy smile turned up the corners of her mouth, placing her small hand on Angel's arm she asked.
" Angel, can we talk" Willow smiled and walked away leaving them to their privacy.
" No weapon on earth can defeat the devil, you know that, don't you?" The shy girl blushed when Angel turned his eyes on her; he then nodded that he understood perfectly. Tara continued in a quiet voice
" The devil cannot not be destroyed, not by us, anyway. The ultimate battle between good and evil will be fought on a different stage, another place and time." Angel studied the girl carefully; she seemed to have a far greater understanding then expected.
" I have to try" Angel replied, any other thought was unacceptable.
" I said you couldn't destroy him, but it might be possible to confine him, not for long, but if we use the forces of Mother Nature and the purest of white magic, you might have a chance"
Angel looked slightly confused.
" The reason I want to re-curse your soul is to add the ingredients you will need, when the time is right the powers will flow"
" I still don't understand"
" You don't have to understand, Angel. You just need to believe. Do you trust me?" she held out her small hands. Angel stared deeply into her eyes, searching right down to her soul.
"I trust you" he replied simply, he reached out and clasped her small hands between his, Angel was shocked to feel an incredible surge of energy inside this small girl, the power of light.
When he removed his hand he felt something remain in his palm, opening his eyes in wonder he looked back at Tara.
" Acathla is the door to enter hell, this is your key home" she then smiled. Angel looked at the palm of his hand once more and nodded.
" Thank you"
The curse was then quickly completed with the aid of an 'Orb of Thesulah' and once again Tara confirmed the lack of a happiness clause.
" Hey! Spike. Just a thought, while we're doing deadboy here, how about we throw one your way? Two for the price of one" Xander grinned. The look of horror that crossed Spike's face was comical
" Not on your bleeding life, I like me just as I am thank you very much. Besides, one pathetic soul boy is enough for this world" Spike shuddered causing Xander to smile again
" Like I said, just a thought"
" Well next time, keep your daft thoughts to yourself " Spike walked off. The sooner he tested the strength of his chip the better. He just didn't want to give the game away too soon.
" Angel, we are ready whenever you are" Wesley said softly as the last part of the packing case was removed.
"Wesley, I don't want to do this in front of an audience, I want you to take the girls and leave" Angel requested quietly. His friend and ally desperately wanted to protest but simply agreed instead. He realised that Angel didn't want his friends around if anything went wrong.
" Well I'm not leaving" Riley stared at Angel not even attempting to hide his hatred for the vampire. This time Angel met his gaze, telling him in no uncertain terms that the feeling was mutual.
"If you think that curse is going to change things when you get back, you're wrong" Riley tried desperately to look as if he believed his own statement
** Buffy had promised him it was over with Angel, she didn't lie** he continued to remind himself.
Angel, really wasn't in the mood to humour the boy who had been a constant pain in his ass; he had better things to do. Sadly, Riley hadn't. He continued to push how good his relationship with Buffy was into Angel's face. Eventually Angel snapped.
" If you believe for one micro second that Buffy loves you more than she loved me, you're a fool" the intensity in Angel's eyes almost made Riley flinch.
" She adored you and you left her, so tell me Angel. Who's the bigger fool?" Riley smirked. He knew at once that he had hit a raw nerve.
" You really are a bastard" Angel pushed down the demon inside him that was fighting to surface and rip Riley's head off
" Yeah, but I'm a live bastard, not a walking corpse. Curse or no curse Buffy wants normal, you know it and I know it. So why don't you do us all a favour, send Buffy home, and then stay down there with your own kind. Riley turned and walked away feeling better than he had in days.
*****
Hell....
Heavily chained to a hot wall, Buffy opened her eyes. For a second she had almost convinced herself she was home, *home* she rolled the word around her mind and could no longer picture it's meaning.
** How long had she been here now? Weeks, months, years** Buffy no longer kept record of time. Back in her safe world above, only a few hours had passed, but here time moved so much faster or maybe that was just an illusion too. Buffy knew she hadn't aged, so maybe it was all part of the devil's plan to break her. She knew that he could kill her anytime he wanted but he'd never break her. Buffy closed her eyes and drifted back off to sleep. She reached out for comfort and found a picture in her heart of the same brown eyes she used every night.
" Angel" She sighed in despair and lost herself to her memories.
*****
Giles and Angel both stood staring at Acathla in total silence, each struggling with their own memories.
Eventually it was Giles that broke the stillness.
" Angel, are you absolutely sure you know what you're doing, this could be a potential Armageddon"
" It's the only gateway I know that's certain to take *me* back to hell" Angel walked over and laid his hand on the evil stone, a shiver of fear ran through his fingers and moved right into his soul. Pushing that thought away, Angel tried to smile but the memories were just too painful
" At least I won't get a sword through my chest this time" he turned from the stone demon and walked over to the table. Slipping his long duster over his broad shoulders, he placed a few necessary accessories into his pocket.
Spike sauntered into the room and strolled over to his grandsire.
" It doesn't matter what you take, you know you're not coming back, don't you?" he asked casually.
Angel turned to face his obnoxious grand childe.
"You've told us everything, right? " Angel asked simply, he knew he had no choice but to trust Spike.
" Yeah" Spike nodded truthfully. Angel seemed lost in thought for a moment.
" No one in their right mind would attempt this, It's suicide, well as close as it gets for a demon.... Angel, he wants you with a vengeance. You escaped once, he's never gonna let that happen twice"
" Buffy needs me" was Angel's only reply.
" I always knew that one day she'd be the death of you" the usual cockiness in Spike's voice was missing
" So did I" Angel spoke so softly it took Spike by surprise.
" You still love her that much?"
" Always" Angel turned around and walked towards the stone demon, Spike followed.
" I'm coming with you, I'll watch your back" Spike offered
Angel quirked a surprised eyebrow.
" I thought you said anybody who does this is insane?" Angel asked, his grand childe's offer was the last thing he expected.
"I did and they are. I guess it's all the years I spent with Dru, some of it must have rubbed off...I owe the Slayer...she brought me my nice new duster" Spike tried to laugh it off and not face the real reason. He hated to admit it, but he couldn't let the Slayer die. ** There was something about the annoying little bitch that had grown on him and breaking in new slayers was always a real pain. And then of course there was Dru**
" You switched sides Spike, if you go down there again, it will be worse for you than me" Angel warned, he understood only too well what would happen if they were caught. In a way, Spike would suffer more then he would, Spike didn't have the excuse of a soul to fall back on.
" I like a good fight, what better way to go" Spike grinned and cracked his knuckles.
Angel nodded ** They were in for a fight all right, the fight of their unlives**
" There's nothing I can say that will make you change your mind?"
Spike shook his head; his mind was made up.
"No, I'm a stubborn bastard. Remember?" Spike grinned from ear to ear. The thought of a really good ruckus cheered him up no end.
" You better bring that bag then" Angel pointed to the table on the other side of the room.
" What bag...?"
Spike turned his head back straight into Angel's fist.
"ANGEL!" Giles shouted in astonishment and the blonde vampire crumbled to the floor.
Angel looked down at the unconscious vampire and then back towards Giles.
" He'll thank me for it one day...I hope" The dark haired vampire smiled sadly and then picked up a small blade.
" Right, I've got some place to go" he ran the blade across the palm of his hand releasing a thin crimson line of blood. Angel then placed his hand on the sword and in one swift movement, withdrew it.
The demon awakened, its eyes started to glow as it prepared to take its first breath. The mouth slowly opened releasing a small whirlpool.
Angel looked at Giles and then, without another word he cut his hand once more and slammed it down onto the demon.
The vortex wrapped around the vampire, pulling him backwards. Angel closed his eyes and focused all his thoughts on Buffy, as he was sucked back into hell.
TBC.....