"So, should we still contact the Powers?" Willow asked, chomping a bite of chicken-salad.
"I guess we can try," Cordy said, "but Angel's right. They aren't usually real forthcoming with the info. I usually end up more confused. Plus, it's really bright in there. Bring sunglasses, I mean it," she said to Buffy.
"We can at least try. I mean, they've made such a grand effort to get us all here. Angel and I can try to see them together," Buffy decided.
Giles and Wesley were nodding in agreement. "Yes," Giles said, sipping a mug of tea. "It's worth a shot. Obviously they've had a hand in this matter." He stood up, "Buffy, could I talk to you a moment, in private?"
She nodded and stood up. They walked to the training room. Before he could say anything to her she jumped into conversation. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Oz in the dream, but I didn't tell you a little more either. A lot more, actually."
"More?" her Watcher asked. "What else did you dream?"
She told him, again, about the tomb, then about her memories of Riley and Angel, and how she had thought of all of her friends, Giles included, in her dream. Anyone who had ever been important in her life. "And now, we're all here. To fight Angelus again," she concluded.
"Buffy, I didn't bring you back here to chastise you. I appreciate you telling me this information, I'm sure it will be helpful. And I understand why you didn't mention it earlier, though I think that each detail should be considered important on its own," he looked at her meaningfully and she nodded. "I only asked to speak with you in private because I want you to know that I sent Olivia away. I'm sure we'll stop Angelus before any harm can be done, but I couldn't take that chance with her. Not after…"
"Jenny," she whispered. He nodded. "I won't let him hurt anyone, Giles," she vowed.
Giles sighed. "I know. Olivia wanted me to tell you that she knows how strong you are, and that you can get through this. She wanted to stay and help, but I forced her to leave, to return to London until it's safe to return."
"I understand. That's the smart thing to do," she said. "We'll stop this, Giles. We have to. If I have to kill him…it will be for the last time. I don't think he'll get a third chance on earth. But the vision…it says I don't fight back."
He looked at her, knowing how much this much pained her to talk about. Suddenly he hugged her. "I'm so sorry for this, Buffy."
She was surprised at this show of emotion from the usually stoic Giles. "I know. It's okay. I've done it before," she told him weakly.
They broke apart and she smiled at him. "It'll be good, no worries," she reassured him, and they walked back into the shop together.
"Everything groovy?" Willow asked quietly as Buffy sat back down. Buffy nodded and gave her a small smile.
Angel's eyes sought hers and she gave him a slight nod, letting him know all was well between she and the Watcher. Angel nodded back.
"I had forgotten you were born in Ireland, Angel. What part?" Oz asked.
Angel looked uncomfortable. "Galway," he answered.
Oz look surprised. "Really? Ballinrobe is right outside Galway."
Angel nodded.
"The wizard, he's from a long line of them. His family's been practicing there for centuries."
"Orin?" Angel asked.
Oz looked more surprised. "Yeah, how did you know?"
"Orin's family hasn't been practicing there for centuries. Orin has. He's older than I am, very powerful. He was a legend in my village, a man to be reckoned with," he told them, a bit of Irish brogue coming out as he spoke.
"Neat," Oz said, simply, in typical Oz fashion.
"You know this wizard?" Buffy asked.
"I know of him," Angel answered.
"He lives outside your village?" Buffy continued to ask questions, fascinated by Angel's former life, which she knew little about.
He nodded.
"Have you ever been back?"
He sighed, "No."
"Would you ever go back?"
Angel pushed away from the table and stood up. "What does it matter? There's nothing there for me now," he said bitterly, walking to the front of the store.
Buffy followed him. "Angel…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."
"You didn't," he said after a moment.
She stood there, not knowing what to say. Finally he broke the silence, "Buffy, do you not realize the severity of all this? In two days time we're going to fight, to the death. One of us will kill the other."
She watched him, watched the angst in his facial expression. "I know," she said.
"How can you be so calm? How can you sit there and ask me questions about my past and eat your cheeseburger and pretend like this isn't happening?" he barked.
"Because it isn't happening. Not yet. I can't absorb all this right now. I'm choosing to believe we'll find a way to stop this. I can't kill you again, Angel!"
"And I can't kill you a first time," he said, his voice cold.
"It won't be you who's trying," she whispered. "That's part of what makes this a little easier. I know that nothing that's going to happen is going to be your fault."
"It's still my body…Angelus is still me, but without a conscious. You'd be the same way without a soul."
"That may be."
He turned to her, his eyes intense and dark. "We have to find a way to stop this," he said.
She nodded. "We will…but not tonight. We're tired. It's been a long day and we have nothing to go on. Wanna get out of here?"
He looked back at the others. Cordelia was leaning on Gunn, snoozing. Willow and Oz were talking, but they each looked tired. Wesley was rubbing his eyes from exhaustion. "I think we're spent for the evening."
She walked back to the table. "We're not going to get anything done here tonight. I vote we go home and sleep. Meet back here tomorrow and cram."
Cordy woke and raised her hand. "I second that," she said sleepily without lifting her head off the table.
"Tomorrow, first thing, I'll try to meet with the Powers," Buffy said. The others nodded and began packing up to go home.
"Cordy, you and Gunn can have Dawn's old room, if that's okay. Oz, do you have a place to stay?"
Oz looked from Buffy to Willow. "He's going to stay at the house with us. We want to catch up," Will answered.
Buffy nodded. "Okay. Wesley…"
"Rupert has offered me his spare bedroom, but thank you, Buffy," Wesley said.
"Great. Sleeping arrangements settled, I'm heading out," she said, and gathered her things. Angel followed her. The rest of the group exchanged glances, wondering what was going on between them.
"So, anyone else think they'll get back together?" Anya asked, just loud enough for her voice to carry to the front of the store. Buffy's hand froze on the doorknob. She turned and looked at Angel.
"We've always been together," she said, echoing Angel's words of so many years ago.
Angel stared at her as she walked out of the door. So she does know, he thought, and followed her out into the streets.
*****
They began walking, taking the longest route possible back to Buffy's house, which involved passing by the mansion again.
They walked in silence, thinking over the events of the day. "What are we going to do?" she asked him after several minutes.
"I don't know. I guess we'll see what the Powers can tell us tomorrow, if anything."
"I'm really sorry if I upset you, asking about Ireland."
"You didn't, really. I'm sorry I accused you of not being upset. I'm trying to see how many times we can argue in a single day," he joked.
"It's okay…I just can't think about it. I can't think about killing you again. The first time was hard enough."
"I'm sorry," he said, knowing that the words in no way made up for the pain he had caused her.
"It's not your fault. You didn't know what would change you. I don't hold you responsible for anything Angelus did. He's not you."
"You have to remember that, Buffy. You may have to kill me to save yourself, to save your friends."
"He's not you, but you're the vessel he lives in. I can't kill you knowing that there's a way to restore you, that he's only occupying your body!"
"You may not have a choice. Promise me," he said, venomously, "promise me you won't give up if we have to fight. That you'll protect yourself."
She looked at him through eyes clouded with anger. "Promise me you won't give up trying to prevent this from even happening," she spit back at him.
They stared at each other in a standoff. Moments passed. Finally, a smiled played on Angel's lips. "We really are a mess, aren't we?" he said, shaking his head.
She tried to fight it but a grin broke out across her pretty face. "Hopeless," she said, when a scream broke the calm of the evening. The looked at each other and took off running in the direction of the sound. Flying around the corner of an alley Buffy suddenly came to a halt, causing Angel to almost collide with her. In front of them was a clan of five or six vampires and three teenage girls. The girls were surrounded, backed up against a fence, terrorized.
"Oh boy," Buffy muttered. She did a quick count. Six vampires. "Wanna go dutch?" she asked Angel.
"You know I fully support women's lib," he deadpanned and the two broke into action.
Buffy ran up to the leader of the clan and with a flying kick knocked him flat on the ground. "So, new in town?" she asked, grabbing him by the hair and bashing his head back against the concrete street. The vampire grabbed her arms and threw her backwards, then leapt to his feet.
"They told me a Slayer lived here," he said.
"Huh. It's a shame you won't get to tell them they were right," she said and flipped him over as rushed at her. Grabbing a stake from her jacket she quickly dusted him and took off after his lackeys. "Run!" she shouted to the girls. But the girls just smiled at her.
"Nah," one said, her face morphing, "We think we'll stay."
Buffy froze. "Angel!" she screamed. "It's a trap!"
Angel looked up. He face would have paled if it could. He quickly finished off the vamp he had been fighting and attacked two more as Buffy took on the three girls. The alley was littered with trash and Buffy used this to her advantage as one of the girls barreled straight for her. She quickly jumped up onto a trashcan and then back off as the girl ran by her. Before the vamp had a chance to turn around Buffy staked her through her back.
The other two circled her, taunting her. "Think Angelus will cozy up to me when he's brought forth?" one of them asked her, grinning evilly. Buffy's eyes flew open wide.
"What do you know about Angel?" Buffy screamed at them.
"Enough to almost make me want you to live," she answered. "From what I hear, Angelus is…creative when he kills." Simultaneously the girls charged her, one coming from each side. Buffy scanned the area. Thinking quickly she jumped straight up in the air and kicked out with both legs, knocking one of the girls to the ground and the other backwards into a broken chair leg.
Two down, one to go, not to mention the brutes left that were watching, amused, as two of them started to get the better of Angel. Two of the vamps were holding him as one punched him in the stomach. And the fourth, who had been standing off to the side, was now wielding a giant axe. Leaving the girl for a moment, Buffy ran to Angel's aid.
Before she could do anything Angel jumped up and kicked his assailant backwards. He shook free of the other two. "Run!" he shouted to Buffy, grabbing her arm and helping her back out of the alley.
"We'll be here when it's time, Angelus!" one of the vamps shouted at them as they booked out of the alley.
Angel was leading and Buffy followed him closely, running as fast as she could. She realized they were headed to the mansion but didn't argue with him, though her heart beat faster as she thought of being there for a second time today, alone again.
Angel flung the door open and locked it quickly behind her as she ran inside. He peered out the window, checking to be sure no one had followed them. Satisfied, he turned to her. "Are you okay?"
"I should ask you the same thing," she said, walking over to the couch. Angel flipped on a few lights and lit the fire.
"That was a set up," he said, angrily. "There were more of them inside that building."
She nodded her head. "They were waiting for you. They called you Angelus. One of the girls said something about 'when Angelus comes forth.' She wanted to watch him kill me." Buffy shuddered.
Angel looked stricken. "I won't let that happen."
Buffy stared at him. "It's looking more and more like that's what's going to happen, Angel." She sat on the couch, her eyes downcast, knotting her hands.
"It's not. It won't. We'll find a way," he said angrily.
"First, my dream. Then Cordy's vision. Then Oz and that wizard, now this. Vamps are waiting for him. It's not looking good," Buffy said softly, her eyes focusing on something far away in her head.
He lost his cool. "Damn it!" Angel shouted, knocking a vase to the ground. The sound of it shattering reverberated around the room. He moved swiftly to the couch and sat beside her, turning her towards him. Placing his hands on her face he forced her to look into his eyes. "You asked me to promise that I wouldn't stop looking for a way out of this. You can't give up now," he said. His eyes searched, hers stared blankly back at him.
After a moment Buffy broke contact and turned back to the fire. "You wanted to talk tonight. What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked, changing the subject.
Angel watched her for a moment, stared at the girl who, he knew, was at this moment contemplating her own death. He cleared his throat, not prepared for the change of subject. "I just wanted you to know, you're not alone. I know you don't have anyone in your life…but you're not alone. You're always loved," he said sincerely.
She nodded, her eyes not moving from the fire. "I know."
"I hope so."
She remained silent. "Buffy?" he asked.
"You're not alone either," she admitted. The light of the fireplace reflected on her face and he saw that tears were threatening to spill over her eyes.
"I'm glad," he said, smiling. He reached for her hand and brought it up to his lips. The shock of his lips on her skin brought her out of her trance and her eyes slowly moved to him. He dropped her hand. Her fingers traced the spot on her hand where his lips had touched.
"I want to tell you something, I want you to know. Before the full moon. In case…in case you have to kill me."
Her gaze returned to the fireplace, her eyes fixated on the flames. "What?" she whispered.
"Everything I said earlier, about caring for you, thinking about you, was true."
She smiled faintly. "I know."
"I'm sorry I can't give you a life."
She said nothing, just concentrated on the fire. After several moments her heart took over and she said, "I'm sorry I can't stop loving you."
He sucked in his breath, the weight of her words hitting him full force.
"Do you?"
Her eyes never left the fire; she stared, blankly, not seeing the flames. She knew if she looked at him she'd never get the words out. "You know I do," she said, sadness ripping through her. "You're the reason my relationships all fail. You're the reason I'm not happy with anyone else. Every man I see is instantly compared to you and they never size up. You're the last thing I think of before going to sleep and the first thing I think of when I wake. You're the reason I'll never give up hope. And you're the reason I can't ever kill Angelus." Her voice broke then and tears began to fall down her face. "I don't want to die, Angel…but I can't kill you." She jumped up off the couch and stumbled for the door.
He didn't think, he just acted. Leaping from his seat he ran to her and grabbed her arm. Spinning her around he kissed her, taking her breath away. A hand sought her cheek and a finger lifted her chin to find him better. They melted together, feeling as if rockets were exploding in their bodies. Hands reached for and found, lips gave and received. He tasted her tears and the sweetness of them made him want to cry himself. The taste of each other had never left their memories. Her hands delved into his hair, pulling him closer to her. He responded by clutching her back, dragging a leg up so it wrapped around him.
Buffy broke away, breathless. "Angel…" she whispered, pain and love in her voice. He picked her up, one arm supporting her legs, the other holding her back. His lips sought hers once again as he held her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her heart slamming in her chest. He felt each beat, felt its rhythm speed up as their kiss deepened, and he rejoiced in the feel of her in his arms once again. Too many years have gone by, he thought, wildly.
He walked her into his bedroom and gently laid her on the bed. She looked alarmed. "Angel, we can't."
He placed a finger to her lips. "Shhh…I know. Just stay with me tonight. If we can't have anything else, we have two days until the moon."
She stared at him, her eyes sad and full of heat at the same time from having all she wanted in front of her and not being able to indulge. Two days…in two days time I'm going to lose the love of my life, again. We never get a break, not in ten years have we ever gotten a break, she thought, weighing her options. Passion won. But he's here now, she decided. The decision made, she nodded to him, held out her hand.
He couldn't get to her quickly enough. He sat down on the bed next to her and resumed his assault on her lips and on her senses. They lay back together, hands touching, exploring territory not known to each other in far too long. He stroked her hair, ran a hand up her back, sent shivers up and down her spine. She sat up, slowly, and removed the sweater she was wearing. "I didn't bring anything to sleep in…" she whispered coyly.
He groaned. "That's not playing fair," he said, and laid her out flat on her back, his body landing gently on top of hers. She tugged at his shirt, and he propped himself up enough that she could undo the buttons. Her hands splayed his chest, feeling the tautness of his muscles, remembering how he had felt that night. They lay together, skin against skin, each knowing they could go no further, but taking all of what they could have.
The kisses and touching lasted long into the night. Neither seemed to ever be satisfied. Slowly, in the wee hours of the night, they were content just to hold each other, tangled in the sheets.
"This is nice," Buffy said, her voice muffled against the side of his chest as she lay curled in the crook of his arm.
"We can stay here all night," he said, his fingers stroking her arm. "And tomorrow night."
"We just need some food," she said, yawning. "Ice cream. I'm hungry."
His body stiffened, remembering the snacks they had shared in bed so many years ago, on the day his heart beat for the first time in over 240 years.
"What?" she said, noticing the sudden ridged-ness of his body.
He forced his body to relax and smiled at her. "Nothing," he whispered, and kissed the top of her head.
"Are you hungry?" she asked.
"Just for you," he said.
She heard the smile in his voice. "I have a cure for that," she told him and rolled over to face him. She planted tiny kisses on his chest and he chuckled softly in delight.
"This works," he said. The kisses trailed off and she lay her head on his chest. "Someday I'm going to hear your heart beat in there, Angel," she whispered ferociously.
"Wh-what?" This was getting a little surreal, he thought. No way this is all a coincidence. She's repeating everything she said that day.
"This is going to blow over. It will. We'll find a way to stop it," she said, not lifting her head from his chest.
Angel stared at the ceiling, playing with her hair. "I hope so," he said at last.
She was silent, lost in thought. "Do you think this was a good idea?" she asked softly.
"Us? This?"
She nodded.
"We've never been too good at doing what's best for us, Buffy," he said ruefully. "At least when we're together."
"No, we haven't." Her voice sounded far away. "If we make it, if we stop Angelus from coming, what then?"
"I don't know," he answered her truthfully.
She was silent again.
"Buffy…" he said, concern in his voice.
She sat up abruptly. "Let's not talk about it right now. Let's just enjoy what we have. We've walked away before and that hasn't stopped us from loving each other. This time, let's give in and see where it takes us."
She moved in to kiss him. "Can you be satisfied without…you know…making love?" he asked her desperately.
She paused, her mouth inches from his. "Can you?"
Her body hung over his, her scent filling his nostrils, obliterating his senses. "Oh, yeah," he said huskily and devoured her mouth.