The Night Remembers - Part 40
"How long?" Xander asked again his gaze never leaving the form of the
General and his men who were still standing in the center of a circle Gunn
and his friends had formed around them.
"Half an hour," Giles replied. He was nervous. No, he wasn't just nervous.
He was scared. More scared than he could remember being. Or at least more
than most of the times. When he'd found the prophecy in the Codex that Buffy
was about to die, he had felt the same. And when she hadn't returned from
her encounter with Angelus. When she'd gone into the high school to blow up
the mayor, when she'd encountered Adam, then Glory - when she had died.
"Is everything alright?" came Tara's voice from behind them. She gave
everyone a quick smile, and then moved to stand beside Willow who was still
lost in the power of magick. "She won't be able to hold it much longer.
We're getting tired," she said, her face concerned.
"Will you be able to do it as long as they're down?" Wesley asked.
"Yes," she nodded.
"That's good," Dawn smiled at Tara, but it was slightly wobbly. Her sister
was in Hell, together with Angel and Spike who was an evil vampire but also
her friend. She didn't know Faith that well and the few times she
remembered, the other slayer had been almost as evil as the vampires she
hunted, but she seemed to have changed and Dawn didn't want her to suffer
either. "They'll make it, won't they?" she asked nobody in particular.
"Yes," Giles said, not sure he believed his own answer.
"You know," Wesley came to stand beside him, his voice just a whisper. "I
really don't like the way that General is smiling all the time, it makes we
wonder..." he trailed off rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Makes you wonder what?" the older man inquired.
"Well, I don't know, but the last time someone looked so smugly," he sighed,
thinking about another time, another person, "I just don't like it. I would
eat a horse with skin if that guy hasn't gotten a nice surprise for us."
"What do you mean?" Giles turned fully around, his eyes alert, he felt his
pulse rising.
"Look at him!" Wesley nodded towards General Brookridge, "He's caught,
surrounded by Gunn and his friends, unable to move a finger without us
noticing it, and he still smiles. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"
If you looked at it that way. "You're right," Giles felt fear gripping his
gut, "Riley," he called the commando.
"Yes," the blond came over a serious expression on his face. "What's the
matter?"
"How well do you know General Brookridge?"
"Uh... not really well, I worked with him in Brazil once. I'm glad he left
the country after that. I could hardly believe it when he showed up here.
Why?" Oh he remembered the General all right. He'd taken them deep into the
rain forest, to make them hunt vampires where they could hardly see them.
Six of his comrades had been killed that night. Oh yes, he would hardly
forget the man.
"Would you trust him?"
Riley thought about the question for a moment, then slowly shook his head,
"Not a chance. I mean, he would obey a direct order under any circumstances,
but as a person he could lie into your face. And he would sacrifice everyone
and everything for the cause *and* for his career."
"Hmmm," Giles made, while Wesley's mind was racing. And then it hit him.
Whirling around faster than anyone had ever seen him, the former watcher
went right into the General's face, "You bloody bastard," he shouted,
startling the others with his sudden outburst. "You already timed the bomb,
didn't you? That's the reason you are smiling like that. You know," he
threatened, his voice suddenly low and dangerous, "I wouldn't like anything
more than wiping that smile from your face. Preferably with my fist." Then
he thought about it, "Or even better, I leave you to the people whose lives
you endanger."
"Oh my God," Willow, who had just come out her trance, now taken over by
Tara again, breathed. Dawn stifled a gasp, while the others' eyes widened in
horror.
"Is he right?" Giles approached General Brookridge menacingly, "Is it true?
Is there a bomb already?"
The General's smile had never wavered at Wesley's attack and it widened now,
"Of course there is," feeling in total control, "Or do you think I would
come down here and leave the fate of the world to you. How stupid are you? I
never liked the tales of the slayers. Maggie Walsh admired the slayers,
until she got, let's say, sidetracked. I never shared her enthusiasm, nor
did I make myself believe that they could make a difference. You're a
watcher, Mr. Giles, how many have died doing their duty? And have the
vampires, the demons, lessened? No. On the contrary, they're stronger than
ever. And now tell me, where is the use of the slayers."
"You have no idea how often she saved the world," Dawn shouted, tears
gathering in her eyes. Her sister had risked her life, did it now, the very
moment, and this man talked about her as if she was nothing.
"Hey," Xander put a gentle arm around the trembling girl, pulling her to
him, protecting her with his embrace, then held his free hand out for Anya
who took it. "She's right, you know," he said, looking at General
Brookridge, "You have no idea what Buffy did. Without her, the world
wouldn't exist today. You weren't there. She saved the world and you with
it."
"Whatever she did," he replied, "is of no consequence. The bomb is timed and
will blow up soon. And with it the hellmouth will be closed." He gazed at
Giles, "I read your records, you did it once, and it worked."
"The circumstances were completely different," Giles snapped, itching to
beat the idiot into a bloody pulp. He didn't have violent thoughts very
often anymore. Not since he had called himself Ripper, and had been much
younger, and more stupid, but the urge was very strong now. He could see
that Wesley was on the edge as well. "There was a demon and the aim was this
demon, not to close the bloody hellmouth. You are not very thorough with
your reading, I see."
"Stop this bomb," Wesley demanded, his eyes only slits now.
"Certainly not," the General said arrogantly. He wouldn't listen to these
civilians who obviously thought playing war was some nice hobby. Most of
them were barely out of their teens. Ridiculous.
"Stop it, General," Riley came to stand beside the two watchers.
"You shut up, Agent Finn. You've been a nuisance before, disobeying my
orders in the rain forest. You don't think I forgot."
"No, I didn't," the blond commando said, not feeling an obligation anymore.
Obviously people being in charge in the Initiative tended to go nuts. "I
didn't forget a single thing, but that isn't the point here. Tell me where
this bomb is."
General Brookridge just laughed, "Over my dead body," he said, laughing even
harder about his own joke, nobody else understood. "This bomb will go off
in," he checked his watch, "twenty minutes. Your friends better be back
then, or - sorry to say that - they will be buried down there. Eternally."
*****
Angel could all but stare at the spot where his girlfriend had just been
standing before. Somewhere in his mind he knew and saw she was gone, but the
bigger part of his mind refused to accept it. She couldn't be gone. A person
didn't just vanish into thin air right before his eyes.
Maybe he was still confused from his encounter with Darla. From all the
things he'd expected to see down here, his sire hadn't been one of them.
Trying to remember what she'd said exactly, he frowned. Someone had
convinced her to come down to bring Buffy and he down. And she'd agreed. She
left the earth only to have her revenge. Angel had to admit, that, although
knowing her longer than any other creature on this planet, he had
underestimated her. Well, it would certainly not happen again. He and Buffy-
Buffy.
She was gone. Had vanished.
Angel drew air in his collapsed lungs, the breathing causing a sharp pain,
making him notice that one or two ribs had been cracked when he connected
with the wall. Just what he needed. The ribs from their encounter with the
Morahs were barely healed and now this. Not that it wasn't enough that Buffy
was missing, they were standing - or in his case sitting - close to the Gate
of Hell, surrounded by demons, only disguised by Willow's spell that-
The spell.
Frantically his hand searched his pocket and coming in contact with nothing,
he groaned. During his flight against the wall he'd lost the spell, Willow
had given him. Damn. Of course it wasn't in his pocket, he'd been holding it
in his hand the moment some force had slammed into him, making him flying
against the wall. The same force that had taken Buffy.
Oh God, Buffy.
Only now the whole situation settled in his mind, and quickly despair
threatened to take over. He had to get to Buffy. Buffy. Buffy. Nothing else
mattered, panic gripping him. He couldn't lose her again. Couldn't be
without her or lose her. Not again. He wouldn't survive another time, not
after they'd found a way to be together. Please, no. "NO."
Angel didn't even realize that he'd shouted this one word, his voice
sounding hoarse, and his soul crying out for its other half. How would he
manage to get to her? The fate of the world was lying on their shoulders. He
didn't want to be forced to choose, but maybe he would and for the first
time he realized what sort of choice Buffy had had to make the day she'd
sent him to Hell. How had she been able to stand it, live with it, live
through it? She had to be strong, incredibly so. Could he be so strong?
"Angel," Faith's frantic voice slowly broke through the daze he'd been in
and he blinked, forcing himself to focus on her face, to make him feel the
hands that were touching him.
"Wh- what?" he blinked again.
"You're back," Spike grinned at him, "We thought you were gone to some loony
place already."
"Oh, shut up," Faith hissed, hitting him over the head.
"OW," he yelled, rubbing the spot. "Don't do that, I can't defend myself."
"I know," she replied, giving him a look.
"Hey, are you enjoying hitting a poor, defenseless vamp? You did that before
and..." he trailed off remembering clearly to what it had lead. Taking in
their surroundings again he could imagine a nicer place to get rid of some
sexual energy. But maybe she was up to it later on.
Maybe some of his thoughts had mirrored on his face, because Faith hit him
again, harder this time and hissed, "You're a sick bastard. B. is missing."
"I know," he muttered, helping his grand-sire, who was struggling to get on
his feet.
Angel grimaced, feeling each cracked rib, each bruise, but there was no time
to dwell on it. He closed his eyes for a short moment, then opened them
again, "Did anyone of you see what happened?"
"No," Faith shook her head. "You were casting the spell, then suddenly wham,
a light, a force, we were all thrown against the wall and B. was gone." She
suddenly felt tears well up in her eyes, and then said what she'd been
thinking from the moment the blond slayer had disappeared, "Do you... Do you
think she's dead?" Her voice cracked on the last word as a tear left her
right eye.
"No," Angel said firmly. "No, she isn't dead." And with saying this, he
believed it. He knew it. She wasn't dead. He would feel it if she were dead,
would know, especially now when the bond between them was stronger than
ever. He closed his eyes again, trying to feel her, ignoring the shouts and
laughter around him, ignoring the sudden increase of evil power around him.
He heard Spike gasp, but didn't look at him. Something was happening. Where
had Darla gone? And why had she been able to see him. Hadn't Willow's spell
worked on her? And if not, why? Who was behind all this? The devil? Whatever
the devil was. When he'd grown up he believed in God and now learned that
God was just a word for something you couldn't really grasp.
'Together you're strong' it whispered in his head. Doyle's voice. 'Don't
forget it, my friend. Never forget, that together you are strong.' It was
barely a breath, but he heard it. Was it real? Was Doyle with him now? Were
the Powers with him? Could they trespass the barrier to Hell? Be with him in
mind, remembering of the connection he had with Buffy. Whatever it was, he
suddenly knew.
"They try to weaken us by taking Buffy from me."
"Oh yeah?" Spike cocked a brow. "That's something new."
"No, I mean," Angel shook his head, too many things whirling around in his
head, too many things that were suddenly clear, but had been muddled just a
minute ago. "Together we're strong," he said.
"Meaning?" Faith had tilted her head, was staring at him.
"When I heard it, I always thought it meant just Buffy and me," Angel
explained, opening his eyes again, "but it means us, the good fighting
against the evil. We need to stay together, fight together."
"Really hate to say it, but aren't we already doing that? And look where it
brought us to," Spike had never heard his grand-sire talking like this.
Angelus had always been a crazy bastard, but now he was talking as if he
wasn't even one of them anymore. There was a tremor in his voice, a look in
his eyes. It was more frightening than his worst wrath had been over a
century ago.
"You don't understand," the dark-haired vampire smiled, almost an eerie
smile. Hell, what was happening to the bugger?
"Angel, get your marbles back together," his grand-childe said gruffly.
"I haven't lost them," Angel replied, snapping back from his trance. "But
now I know, I understand."
'Angel, I'm still here. You just have to do it. You know what to do,'
Buffy's voice whispered in his mind. Or was it Doyle helping them to
communicate, to help them through this? Angel didn't care. Buffy was alive
and she was near by.
"Buffy hasn't vanished," he told the others. "They just made her invisible."
"Invisible?" Spike yelped, jumping back. "Slayer, let's go, the bugger has
lost his mind. Losing his mate has cost him his last marbles."
"No," Angel's voice was sharp and commanding. "We need to close the gate.
Now. And then we will get her back."
"Are you sure?" Faith asked putting a hand on his arm.
"What?" Spike asked, horror in his eyes, "You actually believe him? He's
nuts, absolutely nuts. I say we leave. If you want I knock him out and we
take him with us, but let's go as long as Red's spell is holding."
"SHUT UP," slayer and dark-haired vampire yelled unison, making Spike shrink
away, holding up his hand in defense.
"Alright, alright, I'm shutting up. But if this goes down, I will remind
you, that I said so before."
Ignoring him, Angel closed his eyes, trying to remember the spell Willow had
given him. When he was sure he remembered the words, he began to chant.
*****
"He's not going to give away where the bomb is," Riley said pacing in front
of the others, "and I doubt his guards know."
"Damn," Wesley muttered. They had tried everything to make the General talk
to them, had threatened him, Giles had even punched him, nothing worked. Not
even threatening to shot one of his men, what of course nobody would've
done, but it had been an attempt to get him talking. In vain.
"How long?" Xander asked.
"They've got ten minutes to come back. It'll be a close call," Willow said,
anxiously staring at the hellmouth, praying her friends would make it.
None of them had watched General Brookridge after he hadn't been reacting to
their threats. And nobody was looking at him now, when he suddenly produced
a tiny metal thing.
"We need to find out where it is, we need to," Riley stopped and whirled
around, when he recognized the object the General was holding in his hand.
Something he recognized immediately and his eyes widened in horror. "A
remote control, it never was a time bomb," he shouted, starting towards
General Brookridge, knowing the same moment it would be too late to reach
him, his finger already pressing down the button.
"FREEZE!"
Willow's command sounded through the night, her eyes flashing green, her
hands outstretched in front of her, the power radiating from her almost
palpable. General Brookridge's finger froze, the button halfway down, held
there by Willow's will. The redhead's whole body trembled with the force of
the spell, even more so as she was exhausted from exchanging places with
Tara to keep the hell mouth sealed.
"Oh wow!" Dawn whispered in awe. She'd seen Willow's work before, but never
it had her impressed the way it did now.
"Yeah, wow," Wesley agreed, staring at Willow, remembering the shy girl he'd
known and seeing the woman she'd become, the powerful witch, a trusted ally.
They were all so concentrated on Willow and the General that nobody noticed
when Tara suddenly began to tremble and then slumped to the ground, her hold
on the hellmouth breaking the very moment. Willow wasn't able to take over,
her whole being focused on General Brookridge.
The same moment hell broke loose, Demons and Vampires streaming from the now
unsealed hole in the ground, their faces contorted with hatred and hunger,
the first of them grabbed General Brookridge who wasn't moving due to
Willow's spell, while the remote control slipped from his hands and fell to
the ground.
*****
Faith covered her ears with her hands when the noise around her became
deafening again. She stared at Angel who was surrounded by a bright light,
reciting Willow's spell, the power around him increasing. Spike had backed
away against the wall, the bright light around his grand-sire hurting almost
as Holy Water.
The moment Angel had said the last word the Gate began to gleam, and
different colors making it glow like a rainbow, bathing the surroundings
into bright light. A wind was blowing, whispering words nobody could
understand.
And suddenly Buffy materialized between them, with a sob sinking into
Angel's arms. "You did it," she cried, hugging him. "You did it, you
believed."
"Yes, I believed. I love you," he shouted over the storm that was raging
now. Demons and vampires flying through the air like a leaf. "Let's get out
of here," he shouted. "There can't be much time left.
"What's happening?" Faith shouted back, while Spike had already started to
run the way back.
"I don't know," Angel replied, holding onto his lover's hand. "Maybe we'll
never know, but have to go now."
And they did, they ran, faster and faster with full slayer and vampire
speed, towards the exit, before the hellmouth would be sealed and they'd be
trapped down here. They could already see it, could see their friends
fighting vampires and demons, when suddenly the world around them exploded.
... to be continued
"How long?" Xander asked again his gaze never leaving the form of the
General and his men who were still standing in the center of a circle Gunn
and his friends had formed around them.
"Half an hour," Giles replied. He was nervous. No, he wasn't just nervous.
He was scared. More scared than he could remember being. Or at least more
than most of the times. When he'd found the prophecy in the Codex that Buffy
was about to die, he had felt the same. And when she hadn't returned from
her encounter with Angelus. When she'd gone into the high school to blow up
the mayor, when she'd encountered Adam, then Glory - when she had died.
"Is everything alright?" came Tara's voice from behind them. She gave
everyone a quick smile, and then moved to stand beside Willow who was still
lost in the power of magick. "She won't be able to hold it much longer.
We're getting tired," she said, her face concerned.
"Will you be able to do it as long as they're down?" Wesley asked.
"Yes," she nodded.
"That's good," Dawn smiled at Tara, but it was slightly wobbly. Her sister
was in Hell, together with Angel and Spike who was an evil vampire but also
her friend. She didn't know Faith that well and the few times she
remembered, the other slayer had been almost as evil as the vampires she
hunted, but she seemed to have changed and Dawn didn't want her to suffer
either. "They'll make it, won't they?" she asked nobody in particular.
"Yes," Giles said, not sure he believed his own answer.
"You know," Wesley came to stand beside him, his voice just a whisper. "I
really don't like the way that General is smiling all the time, it makes we
wonder..." he trailed off rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Makes you wonder what?" the older man inquired.
"Well, I don't know, but the last time someone looked so smugly," he sighed,
thinking about another time, another person, "I just don't like it. I would
eat a horse with skin if that guy hasn't gotten a nice surprise for us."
"What do you mean?" Giles turned fully around, his eyes alert, he felt his
pulse rising.
"Look at him!" Wesley nodded towards General Brookridge, "He's caught,
surrounded by Gunn and his friends, unable to move a finger without us
noticing it, and he still smiles. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"
If you looked at it that way. "You're right," Giles felt fear gripping his
gut, "Riley," he called the commando.
"Yes," the blond came over a serious expression on his face. "What's the
matter?"
"How well do you know General Brookridge?"
"Uh... not really well, I worked with him in Brazil once. I'm glad he left
the country after that. I could hardly believe it when he showed up here.
Why?" Oh he remembered the General all right. He'd taken them deep into the
rain forest, to make them hunt vampires where they could hardly see them.
Six of his comrades had been killed that night. Oh yes, he would hardly
forget the man.
"Would you trust him?"
Riley thought about the question for a moment, then slowly shook his head,
"Not a chance. I mean, he would obey a direct order under any circumstances,
but as a person he could lie into your face. And he would sacrifice everyone
and everything for the cause *and* for his career."
"Hmmm," Giles made, while Wesley's mind was racing. And then it hit him.
Whirling around faster than anyone had ever seen him, the former watcher
went right into the General's face, "You bloody bastard," he shouted,
startling the others with his sudden outburst. "You already timed the bomb,
didn't you? That's the reason you are smiling like that. You know," he
threatened, his voice suddenly low and dangerous, "I wouldn't like anything
more than wiping that smile from your face. Preferably with my fist." Then
he thought about it, "Or even better, I leave you to the people whose lives
you endanger."
"Oh my God," Willow, who had just come out her trance, now taken over by
Tara again, breathed. Dawn stifled a gasp, while the others' eyes widened in
horror.
"Is he right?" Giles approached General Brookridge menacingly, "Is it true?
Is there a bomb already?"
The General's smile had never wavered at Wesley's attack and it widened now,
"Of course there is," feeling in total control, "Or do you think I would
come down here and leave the fate of the world to you. How stupid are you? I
never liked the tales of the slayers. Maggie Walsh admired the slayers,
until she got, let's say, sidetracked. I never shared her enthusiasm, nor
did I make myself believe that they could make a difference. You're a
watcher, Mr. Giles, how many have died doing their duty? And have the
vampires, the demons, lessened? No. On the contrary, they're stronger than
ever. And now tell me, where is the use of the slayers."
"You have no idea how often she saved the world," Dawn shouted, tears
gathering in her eyes. Her sister had risked her life, did it now, the very
moment, and this man talked about her as if she was nothing.
"Hey," Xander put a gentle arm around the trembling girl, pulling her to
him, protecting her with his embrace, then held his free hand out for Anya
who took it. "She's right, you know," he said, looking at General
Brookridge, "You have no idea what Buffy did. Without her, the world
wouldn't exist today. You weren't there. She saved the world and you with
it."
"Whatever she did," he replied, "is of no consequence. The bomb is timed and
will blow up soon. And with it the hellmouth will be closed." He gazed at
Giles, "I read your records, you did it once, and it worked."
"The circumstances were completely different," Giles snapped, itching to
beat the idiot into a bloody pulp. He didn't have violent thoughts very
often anymore. Not since he had called himself Ripper, and had been much
younger, and more stupid, but the urge was very strong now. He could see
that Wesley was on the edge as well. "There was a demon and the aim was this
demon, not to close the bloody hellmouth. You are not very thorough with
your reading, I see."
"Stop this bomb," Wesley demanded, his eyes only slits now.
"Certainly not," the General said arrogantly. He wouldn't listen to these
civilians who obviously thought playing war was some nice hobby. Most of
them were barely out of their teens. Ridiculous.
"Stop it, General," Riley came to stand beside the two watchers.
"You shut up, Agent Finn. You've been a nuisance before, disobeying my
orders in the rain forest. You don't think I forgot."
"No, I didn't," the blond commando said, not feeling an obligation anymore.
Obviously people being in charge in the Initiative tended to go nuts. "I
didn't forget a single thing, but that isn't the point here. Tell me where
this bomb is."
General Brookridge just laughed, "Over my dead body," he said, laughing even
harder about his own joke, nobody else understood. "This bomb will go off
in," he checked his watch, "twenty minutes. Your friends better be back
then, or - sorry to say that - they will be buried down there. Eternally."
*****
Angel could all but stare at the spot where his girlfriend had just been
standing before. Somewhere in his mind he knew and saw she was gone, but the
bigger part of his mind refused to accept it. She couldn't be gone. A person
didn't just vanish into thin air right before his eyes.
Maybe he was still confused from his encounter with Darla. From all the
things he'd expected to see down here, his sire hadn't been one of them.
Trying to remember what she'd said exactly, he frowned. Someone had
convinced her to come down to bring Buffy and he down. And she'd agreed. She
left the earth only to have her revenge. Angel had to admit, that, although
knowing her longer than any other creature on this planet, he had
underestimated her. Well, it would certainly not happen again. He and Buffy-
Buffy.
She was gone. Had vanished.
Angel drew air in his collapsed lungs, the breathing causing a sharp pain,
making him notice that one or two ribs had been cracked when he connected
with the wall. Just what he needed. The ribs from their encounter with the
Morahs were barely healed and now this. Not that it wasn't enough that Buffy
was missing, they were standing - or in his case sitting - close to the Gate
of Hell, surrounded by demons, only disguised by Willow's spell that-
The spell.
Frantically his hand searched his pocket and coming in contact with nothing,
he groaned. During his flight against the wall he'd lost the spell, Willow
had given him. Damn. Of course it wasn't in his pocket, he'd been holding it
in his hand the moment some force had slammed into him, making him flying
against the wall. The same force that had taken Buffy.
Oh God, Buffy.
Only now the whole situation settled in his mind, and quickly despair
threatened to take over. He had to get to Buffy. Buffy. Buffy. Nothing else
mattered, panic gripping him. He couldn't lose her again. Couldn't be
without her or lose her. Not again. He wouldn't survive another time, not
after they'd found a way to be together. Please, no. "NO."
Angel didn't even realize that he'd shouted this one word, his voice
sounding hoarse, and his soul crying out for its other half. How would he
manage to get to her? The fate of the world was lying on their shoulders. He
didn't want to be forced to choose, but maybe he would and for the first
time he realized what sort of choice Buffy had had to make the day she'd
sent him to Hell. How had she been able to stand it, live with it, live
through it? She had to be strong, incredibly so. Could he be so strong?
"Angel," Faith's frantic voice slowly broke through the daze he'd been in
and he blinked, forcing himself to focus on her face, to make him feel the
hands that were touching him.
"Wh- what?" he blinked again.
"You're back," Spike grinned at him, "We thought you were gone to some loony
place already."
"Oh, shut up," Faith hissed, hitting him over the head.
"OW," he yelled, rubbing the spot. "Don't do that, I can't defend myself."
"I know," she replied, giving him a look.
"Hey, are you enjoying hitting a poor, defenseless vamp? You did that before
and..." he trailed off remembering clearly to what it had lead. Taking in
their surroundings again he could imagine a nicer place to get rid of some
sexual energy. But maybe she was up to it later on.
Maybe some of his thoughts had mirrored on his face, because Faith hit him
again, harder this time and hissed, "You're a sick bastard. B. is missing."
"I know," he muttered, helping his grand-sire, who was struggling to get on
his feet.
Angel grimaced, feeling each cracked rib, each bruise, but there was no time
to dwell on it. He closed his eyes for a short moment, then opened them
again, "Did anyone of you see what happened?"
"No," Faith shook her head. "You were casting the spell, then suddenly wham,
a light, a force, we were all thrown against the wall and B. was gone." She
suddenly felt tears well up in her eyes, and then said what she'd been
thinking from the moment the blond slayer had disappeared, "Do you... Do you
think she's dead?" Her voice cracked on the last word as a tear left her
right eye.
"No," Angel said firmly. "No, she isn't dead." And with saying this, he
believed it. He knew it. She wasn't dead. He would feel it if she were dead,
would know, especially now when the bond between them was stronger than
ever. He closed his eyes again, trying to feel her, ignoring the shouts and
laughter around him, ignoring the sudden increase of evil power around him.
He heard Spike gasp, but didn't look at him. Something was happening. Where
had Darla gone? And why had she been able to see him. Hadn't Willow's spell
worked on her? And if not, why? Who was behind all this? The devil? Whatever
the devil was. When he'd grown up he believed in God and now learned that
God was just a word for something you couldn't really grasp.
'Together you're strong' it whispered in his head. Doyle's voice. 'Don't
forget it, my friend. Never forget, that together you are strong.' It was
barely a breath, but he heard it. Was it real? Was Doyle with him now? Were
the Powers with him? Could they trespass the barrier to Hell? Be with him in
mind, remembering of the connection he had with Buffy. Whatever it was, he
suddenly knew.
"They try to weaken us by taking Buffy from me."
"Oh yeah?" Spike cocked a brow. "That's something new."
"No, I mean," Angel shook his head, too many things whirling around in his
head, too many things that were suddenly clear, but had been muddled just a
minute ago. "Together we're strong," he said.
"Meaning?" Faith had tilted her head, was staring at him.
"When I heard it, I always thought it meant just Buffy and me," Angel
explained, opening his eyes again, "but it means us, the good fighting
against the evil. We need to stay together, fight together."
"Really hate to say it, but aren't we already doing that? And look where it
brought us to," Spike had never heard his grand-sire talking like this.
Angelus had always been a crazy bastard, but now he was talking as if he
wasn't even one of them anymore. There was a tremor in his voice, a look in
his eyes. It was more frightening than his worst wrath had been over a
century ago.
"You don't understand," the dark-haired vampire smiled, almost an eerie
smile. Hell, what was happening to the bugger?
"Angel, get your marbles back together," his grand-childe said gruffly.
"I haven't lost them," Angel replied, snapping back from his trance. "But
now I know, I understand."
'Angel, I'm still here. You just have to do it. You know what to do,'
Buffy's voice whispered in his mind. Or was it Doyle helping them to
communicate, to help them through this? Angel didn't care. Buffy was alive
and she was near by.
"Buffy hasn't vanished," he told the others. "They just made her invisible."
"Invisible?" Spike yelped, jumping back. "Slayer, let's go, the bugger has
lost his mind. Losing his mate has cost him his last marbles."
"No," Angel's voice was sharp and commanding. "We need to close the gate.
Now. And then we will get her back."
"Are you sure?" Faith asked putting a hand on his arm.
"What?" Spike asked, horror in his eyes, "You actually believe him? He's
nuts, absolutely nuts. I say we leave. If you want I knock him out and we
take him with us, but let's go as long as Red's spell is holding."
"SHUT UP," slayer and dark-haired vampire yelled unison, making Spike shrink
away, holding up his hand in defense.
"Alright, alright, I'm shutting up. But if this goes down, I will remind
you, that I said so before."
Ignoring him, Angel closed his eyes, trying to remember the spell Willow had
given him. When he was sure he remembered the words, he began to chant.
*****
"He's not going to give away where the bomb is," Riley said pacing in front
of the others, "and I doubt his guards know."
"Damn," Wesley muttered. They had tried everything to make the General talk
to them, had threatened him, Giles had even punched him, nothing worked. Not
even threatening to shot one of his men, what of course nobody would've
done, but it had been an attempt to get him talking. In vain.
"How long?" Xander asked.
"They've got ten minutes to come back. It'll be a close call," Willow said,
anxiously staring at the hellmouth, praying her friends would make it.
None of them had watched General Brookridge after he hadn't been reacting to
their threats. And nobody was looking at him now, when he suddenly produced
a tiny metal thing.
"We need to find out where it is, we need to," Riley stopped and whirled
around, when he recognized the object the General was holding in his hand.
Something he recognized immediately and his eyes widened in horror. "A
remote control, it never was a time bomb," he shouted, starting towards
General Brookridge, knowing the same moment it would be too late to reach
him, his finger already pressing down the button.
"FREEZE!"
Willow's command sounded through the night, her eyes flashing green, her
hands outstretched in front of her, the power radiating from her almost
palpable. General Brookridge's finger froze, the button halfway down, held
there by Willow's will. The redhead's whole body trembled with the force of
the spell, even more so as she was exhausted from exchanging places with
Tara to keep the hell mouth sealed.
"Oh wow!" Dawn whispered in awe. She'd seen Willow's work before, but never
it had her impressed the way it did now.
"Yeah, wow," Wesley agreed, staring at Willow, remembering the shy girl he'd
known and seeing the woman she'd become, the powerful witch, a trusted ally.
They were all so concentrated on Willow and the General that nobody noticed
when Tara suddenly began to tremble and then slumped to the ground, her hold
on the hellmouth breaking the very moment. Willow wasn't able to take over,
her whole being focused on General Brookridge.
The same moment hell broke loose, Demons and Vampires streaming from the now
unsealed hole in the ground, their faces contorted with hatred and hunger,
the first of them grabbed General Brookridge who wasn't moving due to
Willow's spell, while the remote control slipped from his hands and fell to
the ground.
*****
Faith covered her ears with her hands when the noise around her became
deafening again. She stared at Angel who was surrounded by a bright light,
reciting Willow's spell, the power around him increasing. Spike had backed
away against the wall, the bright light around his grand-sire hurting almost
as Holy Water.
The moment Angel had said the last word the Gate began to gleam, and
different colors making it glow like a rainbow, bathing the surroundings
into bright light. A wind was blowing, whispering words nobody could
understand.
And suddenly Buffy materialized between them, with a sob sinking into
Angel's arms. "You did it," she cried, hugging him. "You did it, you
believed."
"Yes, I believed. I love you," he shouted over the storm that was raging
now. Demons and vampires flying through the air like a leaf. "Let's get out
of here," he shouted. "There can't be much time left.
"What's happening?" Faith shouted back, while Spike had already started to
run the way back.
"I don't know," Angel replied, holding onto his lover's hand. "Maybe we'll
never know, but have to go now."
And they did, they ran, faster and faster with full slayer and vampire
speed, towards the exit, before the hellmouth would be sealed and they'd be
trapped down here. They could already see it, could see their friends
fighting vampires and demons, when suddenly the world around them exploded.
... to be continued