Disclaimer: Blah Blah Blah - see previous
Ratings: PG
Chapter 10
The chained and locked gate held up briefly, then gave in against Slayer strength. She opened the gates, wincing as one groaned and shuddered. They all slipped inside, Angel bringing up the rear. Buffy led them into the plant building, a small one with only two levels. It was dark inside, but she could still see it was empty. She looked around, then darted silently up the stairs to take a look inside the office, which was equally empty. She came out and looked down at her friends, then shook her head.
"Where did everybody go?" Cordelia asked, in a parody of Xander.
"I durro!" Xander now sounded like Scooby-doo. "Shaggy?" He turned to Oz, a grin on his face. Oz joined in.
"I dunno, either, Scoob. Maybe Velma can tell us." He looked at his wife, who was shaking her head in amazement.
"Velma? Thanks guys." Willow grinned.
"Hate to break this up, but I think I've found something." Wesley said from the other side of the building, crouched down in front of the wall. Angel came across to him quickly, looking at what Wesley was pointing at.
"That looks remarkably like a blue-print of this plant." Angel observed.
"Hey, you'd be that tall blonde guy that I can't remember the name of right now." Xander told him.
"Xander, no one can ever remember his name. That's the point." Willow told him. Buffy was looking over Angel's shoulder at the blue print. "Hey, look at that." She pointed out. "It's a hidden room."
"And introducing Daphne to the stage!" Cordelia announced. Buffy and Angel looked at her curiously. "Well, if you're whatshisname, then that would mean Buffy is Daphne, wouldn't it? Besides, she always points out strange stuff."
"True. And his name was Fred." They all stared at her, silently. She cleared her throat. "Anyway, as I was saying, there's a hidden room on the other side of the plant. Probably an old store room or something. What do you think, Will? Good for ritual recipes and baking?"
"I'd say so, Buffy. Only one way to check it out."
"And that sounds like a plan to me!" Xander announced. He looked at Cordelia and grinned. "We have a plan now. Aren't we smart!"
"Smart? Xander, that word should never be heard coming out of your mouth. It could be dangerous."
"Now listen, Queen Cordelia, I happen to know a lot of stuff nowadays."
"Like?" Cordelia asked. The others were heading out of the building, and Xander and Cordelia walked out behind them.
"Well, like......Um.....An apple a day.."
"I already knew that one. Anything new?"
"How about the fact that the hidden room is glowing?" He said, pointing at the dirt floor about fifty yards away, to the right. The others had stopped and were looking at the glowing dirt.
"I'd say the ritual has started." Giles observed.
"Really? And what would make you say that, Giles?" Wesley asked him. "It couldn't be the fact that this ordinary looking dirt is glowing like a 70watt bulb, could it?"
"Well, then. Let's go in and gate crash this little shindig, shall we?" Buffy asked, getting a more comfortable grip on her cross-bow.
"Sounds good. Ahh, where's the door?" Angel asked, looking around.
"Over here." Oz said, pointing towards a gap in the ground, with stairs leading down. Buffy and Angel went over and then looked at the others.
"Remember, we just want you dealing with his lackeys. And the one's we don't get first, at that. No heroics." Buffy glared at them all. They nodded in unison. She looked at Angel, her eyebrow raised. "Shall we?"
"Remember. I get Timothy." Angel growled, mouth snarling.
"Sure, you get Timothy." The two of them trotted silently down the stairs, the rest filling up on weapons and following at a slower pace.
Angel slowly opened the door, wincing as it creaked slightly. He snuck his head around and saw that the room was divided up into several smaller rooms, with a corridor connecting them. Angel opened the door completely, and he and Buffy walked slowly inside. Buffy went to the first door and opened it, then shut it quickly.
"That would be those spirit things."
"Rubels." Angel told her.
"Whatever. We've got to find those five pure souls and get them out of here, before they're dead."
"Buffy." Angel grabbed her arm softly, getting her attention. She looked back at him. "Buffy, they're probably already gone. That guy back in the apartment was probably the last of them. We're actually not here to save their lives, but their souls. If we let this ritual continue, both the rubels and the souls will be stuck here, inside Timothy, feeding him, giving him power and immortality."
"So it would be eternal damnation sort of thing?" Buffy whispered.
"Yes. Trust me when I tell you, that's not a good thing. We have to find Timothy, and stop this ritual before he binds them to him." She stared at him for a long time, then reluctantly nodded.
"The glowing upstairs came from this direction." He walked softly to the last door, laying his hand against it. "They're in there."
"Who are?"
"The souls and Timothy. I think he binds them before the Rubels. It would make sense." The door knob moved without warning, and Angel jumped back, hiding in the deeper shadow behind the door. Buffy did the same. The door opened, and out walked one of the most hideous demons Angel had ever come across. And he'd seen a few. He heard Buffy whisper a soft eeew and agreed with her. The demon was covered in what looked like mucus, and smelt like bile. The head was a twisted shape, much like a lump of dough that had been kneeded too much. The single eye was perched on top of the head, and it's mouth dripped the same mucus like substance that covered it's body. The demon had no arms, but seemed to be insect like. It scuttled across the floor on four of its limbs, the other two reaching out to grip the door know where Buffy had found the Rubels. Angel and Buffy exchanged a quick glance, then darted forward, weapons raised. Angel swung heavily at the doughy head, thudding against it and hacking away with the axe. Buffy sighted down her cross-bow and aimed for the eye. In almost every demon she had encountered, the eyes were always vulnerable. The demon opened it's mouth in a mute scream, and at that moment, Angel succeeded in decapitating it. It's head dropped with a dull thud, and then the insect like body folded in on itself and withered, drying quickly. The door hung open and Angel looked up to see the Rubels peering out, their faces lined with stress.
"Stay there. We will be back to free you soon." One of them looked at him, it's face flowing like water. It smiled back at him.
"Sure thing, Angel man." Buffy watched as Angel's eyes went wide in shock, then he leaned in closer, his breath stopping.
"Doyle?" His breathed. "Doyle, is that you?"
"What, did you think I was going to other way? Never, man. Look, right now you've got a thing to deal with. I'll be round when you've finished. Besides, I've got an urge to see the Fair Cordelia." Buffy pulled at Angel's arm, silently urging him along. Angel looked up and saw the others at the door.
"Guard this door. Don't let anything through." He barked at them, then dashed across the corridor to join Buffy. They kicked the door out simultaneously, it crashing to the floor with a loud thump, startling those inside. Angel was through, his axe held casually in his right hand. Buffy backed him up, sighting down her cross-bow.
"Angel!" The human in the middle of the demons cried out, surprised. Then he grinned. "I'm stunned. I didn't think you'd be out yet. I thought it would take your side-kicks a little longer to find you." He then looked at Buffy, who had her Slayer face well and truly plastered on her features. "And who is this pretty creature?" Timothy asked, staring intently at her.
"I'm the Slayer." She told him flatly. He raised his brows in disdain.
"The Slayer? Really. And you thought to come and kill little old me?" He grinned. "Hate to tell you this, Slayer. But I'm human. You can't kill me. It's against your rules."
"I can make an exception." Buffy told him. "Stay there!" She barked, swinging around to face a snarling cat looking creature. She studied it. "You know, you look a lot like Sabre-tooth from the X-men." She observed. It snarled. "Ah, ah. No movies, other wise you get a present from Mr Cross-bow here."
"She really likes her work, doesn't she?" Timothy observed to Angel.
"Loves it. Good at it too. So, are we going to get to it now, or talk a bit more? Cause frankly, I have plans for tonight."
"So did I, Angel. Looks like one of us is going to be disappointed. Wonder who will it be?"
"Trust me, Timothy. It isn't going to be Angel. I'm making sure of that." Buffy was watching the demon to the left of her, who was slowly creeping up, just on the edge of her vision.
"Oh. I think I detect some sparks in here. Don't tell me you two do business and pleasure. How cliché." Buffy couldn't help herself. She laughed. Loudly.
"What is funny, Slayer?" Timothy asked, curious.
"Cliché. Us. You, who happen to be a blood-mage. Who lives in apartment 666 at 13 Devils Road, are calling us Cliché? Sorry, that's just too amusing for words." She turned and fired, killing the demon in mid leap. It fell before her, it's claw brushing her toe.
"Looks like it's on for young and old." She quipped. Three demons came at her at once, thinking to subdue her by numbers. They were too close for the cross-bow, so she fired the remaining two bolts at two more demons, slightly farther away, and used the bow as a weapon, striking Sabre-tooth guy across the face with it, sending him hurtling in to the wall. She used her elbow on the way back, breaking a remarkably human looking demon's nose on the way through. She smiled when he vamped out. She always felt at home when she was killing vampires. One of the bow's ends found it's way into the vampire's heart, and he disappeared with a roar and a cloud of ash. Unfortunately, the cross-bow went with it. She looked around, searching for some sort of weapon when she heard a shout. She looked behind her to see Giles holding out a sword. He flung it at her, and she caught it, hilt first. She turned back and swung the sword around, getting its weight.
"Next?" She asked. Saber-tooth roared and pounced, his hands extended like claws of a cat. Buffy stepped back and neatly cut him in two. It was a very sharp sword. She turned to see another two coming slowly towards her.
"Two at a time? But I'm not that kind of girl! Really. Oh, alright. Just this once."
Angel and Timothy stood a few metres apart, both watching the Slayer work. Angel had a slightly proud smile on his face. Timothy had a frown.
"She's very good." Timothy told Angel.
"I know."
"What is her name?"
"Buffy Summers."
"Buffy? You're kidding. That's Buffy Summers? I thought she was supposed to be about 7 foot tall."
"Not quite." He turned and looked at Timothy, his face hardening.
"And you and she...? Great, I chose the wrong town and the wrong vampire."
"You did." Angel snarled. This man before him was directly responsible for more than fifty deaths in the last year. He could feel them pressing on him, screaming for revenge. Timothy turned and smiled. He held up a hand, watching it in the light.
"I'm very strong now. You and your Slayer can not defeat me. The ritual was almost complete. And your Slayer is tiring." He smiled. "Even now, I grow stronger." He reached out and grabbed hold of Angel's throat with his hand, gripping tightly. Angel didn't move.
"Did I forget to mention that I have acquired a new skill? I can ensure that my victims do not struggle by freezing their central nervous system. In effect, I paralyse them." He glanced over at Buffy, who was slowly being beaten back by three very strong, very large demons. He liked that. He looked back to Angel, who was glaring silently at him. "Shall I give you back you're power of speech?"
"You have not won, Timothy." Angel snarled. "Watch and learn." Angel turned his eyes to Buffy, who was now wailing on the three demons, feet and fists flying in concert. Timothy had relaxed his grip on Angel's throat, and he could breathe again. Buffy quickly knocked two demons to the ground, snapping one neck on the way. She then flipped her fallen sword up with her foot and quickly decapitated one demon and then efficiently stabbed the other through the heart. Without pause, she whipped around and dispatched the final demon, then turned back and started towards them, only to freeze in mid step.
"Now that's unfair!" Buffy complained, straining against the freeze. She looked at Angel. "But at least I now understand why you've not been helping. You're forgiven." She grinned at him.
"How did you manage to defeat my demons?" Timothy asked, shocked. Buffy shrugged. Or rather, she looked like she wanted to shrug, but couldn't.
"I was just better than them."
"But not me." Timothy gloated. "I am more powerful than you, and have won."
"Now hang on a second, Mr I'm-better-than-you-are."
"My name is Duvant."
"Like I said. Hang on a second. I can't hear a fat lady singing, I certainly can't see a dark tunnel with a light at the end, so ain't no one won yet."
"I beg your pardon?" Angel smiled. Timothy didn't understand Buffy speak.
"She said that we aren't dead yet, so no-one has won."
"Why didn't she just say so?"
"Because she's Buffy." He smiled. Even in the middle of a life and death situation, she could make him smile.
"That's my name!" She grinned back.
"You want death? Have it!" They both felt a pinch at the back of their neck, and fell to the floor. Neither could breathe, and they couldn't move at all. Their eyes were open but neither could move nor could they speak. Within seconds, spots were appearing before their eyes. They were running out of oxygen.
"Hold!". A voice boomed out. Without warning, the room disappeared and they were in some sort of cave like chamber. In front of them were two old men, each sitting in a large, wooden chair.
"Now, that's not fair!" The bald one said, gesturing widly. "He hasn't finished the ritual, so he can't have those powers yet! You're cheating again, Ceedee."
"Well, you always win these big ones, Marqu! It's not fair! I just wanted to win one for once!"
"There's a reason for that. I insist that you undo that power, or I'll tell Dad on you!"
"Fine then." Ceedee waved his hand, then sat back, sulking.
"Begin!" They were suddenly back in the hidden room. Angel shot up like a rocket, and pounced on Timothy, snapping his neck in a signature Angelus move. Timothy sat back, stunned.
"That wasn't very nice." He complained, rubbing his neck. Angel stood back, watching.
"Axe?" Buffy asked.
"Please." Buffy darted to where Angel had dropped his axe, then came back to watch at Timothy slowly collapsed down into a heap, his lips turning blue. He looked up at Angel, his eyes sad.
"I think I'm about to go and see a fat lady in a tunnel." Buffy frowned. The light slowly dimmed in Timothy's eyes, then they faded completely. He was dead. Angel and Buffy stared down at him for a long time.
"That was an anti-climax." Buffy said, a little sulky. Angel nodded.
"Was, rather. I could say something about later, but I'll restrain myself." Buffy looked at him in confusion, then hit him across the shoulder, hard.
"Angel!" She berated him, blushing slightly.
"What are you complaining about, anyway. You got to do all the fighting. I just snapped a guy's neck. That's it. Two seconds, and I'm done. I've got all this energy stored up, and no fight!"
"My turn to say, later?" Buffy grinned, then looked around behind her. The Scoobies and company were standing just inside the doorway, watching them.
"Any trouble?" Buffy asked, walking over to them, stepping around gore and demon blood.
"One demon thingy. It's dead now, though." Willow informed her.
"Where's Cordelia?" Angel asked, noticing her absence. Giles frowned.
"She was standing outside the door that we were guarding, when it opened and one of them stepped out, said 'Hiya, Princess' and held out a hand. She just followed him back inside." Angel looked at Buffy.
"I've got to go talk to him for a minute. Be back." He walked quickly outside and knocked on the other door.
"Would that be an ex-vampire by the name of Angel?" He heard an Irish voice ask.
"Doyle!" The door opened, and he stepped inside. The three Rubels stared back at him.
"You're free to go now. Timothy is dead." They gasped in unison, the one who was Doyle echoing it.
"It's okay. He wasn't human any longer. Not by anyone's standards. You can go and take him to CeeDee now. He is free to go."
"You know of CeeDee?" One of them asked, stunned.
"I just met him before. Kind of. Him and Marqu were having a discussion on the benefits of cheating. They are the PTB, aren't they?" The Rubel's nodded.
"You met the PTB?" Cordelia asked, coming forward. "Did you ask them take these visions away from me?"
"Ahh, no. Sorry, I kind of forgot about that." She threw up her arms in disgust, muttering as she walked away. The won who was Doyle followed after her.
"You can call him Doyle. We do." The other Rubel's told him. They flowed out of the room, the door closing after them.
"So, Angel man. What's been up with you lately?" Doyle asked, coming back with Cordelia in tow.
"Well, I lost my memory for a couple of months. I fought a few demons, plagues, end of the world demons and stuff. Killed Darla, my sire, again. Rid the world of some nasty lawyers. Admittedly that wasn't me, but kind of my fault. They just kept bringing up demons to kill me, and they wouldn't obey instructions. Oh, that's right, I became human again."
"Human? Really? So what's the deal? You normal Joe now?"
"Not quite. Kind of like a male slayer. Which reminds me." He opened the door and pulled Buffy, who was waiting outside, in.
"This is Doyle, just in case you can't remember. He died around 3 years ago."
"Looking pretty good for a dead guy." Buffy told him. "Doyle? But wasn't he a demon?"
"Yup. Still am. Just a better classed one. So you two are together now."
"Trying to be. But there's a bit of a problem." He held on to Buffy's hand tightly.
"Oh?" Buffy and Doyle asked as one.
"Life span. Slayers don't live very long, and my line of work isn't very safe and secure. I was thinking, seeing as how you've got a direct line to Marqu, maybe you could have a whisper in his ear?" Doyle hesitated, then nodded and closed his eyes. Within seconds, he'd opened them again. He looked a little guilty.
"What?" Buffy demanded, seeing his face.
"Ahh, it looks like there was an.....administration error to do with you both." Angel tensed up, dreading what was to come. Given their past, he was sure it was news that he really wasn't supposed to be human yet, or Buffy was required to leave and go off to East Asia or something equally separating.
"What kind of administration error?" Buffy was growling now.
"Ahh, we forgot to tell you both some things that we should have a long time ago."
"Like?" Angel whispered.
"Like that fact that you two will remain as you are until such time as you're no longer needed."
"Huh?" Cordelia asked for all of them.
"That sounded like you just said we're immortal." Angel sounded horrified.
"No, not immortal. You will still be as you are now. Human, mortal. But you won't age, and you won't slow down. You will remain as you are, your age right now, until the PTB have...grown up a little bit and stopped fighting amongst themselves." He grinned, looking pleased with himself. "Marqu and Ceedee are PTB, but they're young. I went above them. To the one they call Dad. He let me know what to tell you. You're not immortal. No one is. But you can only be killed, you cannot die of natural causes." He paused for a second. "That really doesn't sound like a reward, does it? But what I meant to say was-."
"I think we understand. We'd have difficulty letting anyone else do our job, so Dad has given us as long as we need to do it in. And after that, we'll age normally again, and live until we get old kind of thing." Buffy summed up what he was trying to say.
"That sounds about right." Buffy and Angel were looking at each other.
"Dad also said, and I quote 'this time marry, or it will be permanent separation'. Guess Dad wants it legal."
"Legal." Buffy sounded shocked. In all the time she'd loved Angel, she'd never thought of marrying him. Not that she didn't want to. But it never occurred to her before.
"I have a feeling that Dad didn't want any.....nooky before then."
"Nooky?" Cordelia snorted.
"Fine then, no sex before marriage." Buffy and Angel looked at each other, then grinned.
"Is there a bulk buying store anywhere near here?" Buffy asked.
"What do you need in bulk?" Cordelia asked. "Oh, wait. I don't want to know."
"Not that. Well, not quite. We need some chocolate, some peanut butter."
"And some mint choc cookie dough fudge ice-cream. Buckets of it." Angel said with a grin.
"Buckets?" Buffy turned to him.
"Buckets." He agreed.
Ratings: PG
Chapter 10
The chained and locked gate held up briefly, then gave in against Slayer strength. She opened the gates, wincing as one groaned and shuddered. They all slipped inside, Angel bringing up the rear. Buffy led them into the plant building, a small one with only two levels. It was dark inside, but she could still see it was empty. She looked around, then darted silently up the stairs to take a look inside the office, which was equally empty. She came out and looked down at her friends, then shook her head.
"Where did everybody go?" Cordelia asked, in a parody of Xander.
"I durro!" Xander now sounded like Scooby-doo. "Shaggy?" He turned to Oz, a grin on his face. Oz joined in.
"I dunno, either, Scoob. Maybe Velma can tell us." He looked at his wife, who was shaking her head in amazement.
"Velma? Thanks guys." Willow grinned.
"Hate to break this up, but I think I've found something." Wesley said from the other side of the building, crouched down in front of the wall. Angel came across to him quickly, looking at what Wesley was pointing at.
"That looks remarkably like a blue-print of this plant." Angel observed.
"Hey, you'd be that tall blonde guy that I can't remember the name of right now." Xander told him.
"Xander, no one can ever remember his name. That's the point." Willow told him. Buffy was looking over Angel's shoulder at the blue print. "Hey, look at that." She pointed out. "It's a hidden room."
"And introducing Daphne to the stage!" Cordelia announced. Buffy and Angel looked at her curiously. "Well, if you're whatshisname, then that would mean Buffy is Daphne, wouldn't it? Besides, she always points out strange stuff."
"True. And his name was Fred." They all stared at her, silently. She cleared her throat. "Anyway, as I was saying, there's a hidden room on the other side of the plant. Probably an old store room or something. What do you think, Will? Good for ritual recipes and baking?"
"I'd say so, Buffy. Only one way to check it out."
"And that sounds like a plan to me!" Xander announced. He looked at Cordelia and grinned. "We have a plan now. Aren't we smart!"
"Smart? Xander, that word should never be heard coming out of your mouth. It could be dangerous."
"Now listen, Queen Cordelia, I happen to know a lot of stuff nowadays."
"Like?" Cordelia asked. The others were heading out of the building, and Xander and Cordelia walked out behind them.
"Well, like......Um.....An apple a day.."
"I already knew that one. Anything new?"
"How about the fact that the hidden room is glowing?" He said, pointing at the dirt floor about fifty yards away, to the right. The others had stopped and were looking at the glowing dirt.
"I'd say the ritual has started." Giles observed.
"Really? And what would make you say that, Giles?" Wesley asked him. "It couldn't be the fact that this ordinary looking dirt is glowing like a 70watt bulb, could it?"
"Well, then. Let's go in and gate crash this little shindig, shall we?" Buffy asked, getting a more comfortable grip on her cross-bow.
"Sounds good. Ahh, where's the door?" Angel asked, looking around.
"Over here." Oz said, pointing towards a gap in the ground, with stairs leading down. Buffy and Angel went over and then looked at the others.
"Remember, we just want you dealing with his lackeys. And the one's we don't get first, at that. No heroics." Buffy glared at them all. They nodded in unison. She looked at Angel, her eyebrow raised. "Shall we?"
"Remember. I get Timothy." Angel growled, mouth snarling.
"Sure, you get Timothy." The two of them trotted silently down the stairs, the rest filling up on weapons and following at a slower pace.
Angel slowly opened the door, wincing as it creaked slightly. He snuck his head around and saw that the room was divided up into several smaller rooms, with a corridor connecting them. Angel opened the door completely, and he and Buffy walked slowly inside. Buffy went to the first door and opened it, then shut it quickly.
"That would be those spirit things."
"Rubels." Angel told her.
"Whatever. We've got to find those five pure souls and get them out of here, before they're dead."
"Buffy." Angel grabbed her arm softly, getting her attention. She looked back at him. "Buffy, they're probably already gone. That guy back in the apartment was probably the last of them. We're actually not here to save their lives, but their souls. If we let this ritual continue, both the rubels and the souls will be stuck here, inside Timothy, feeding him, giving him power and immortality."
"So it would be eternal damnation sort of thing?" Buffy whispered.
"Yes. Trust me when I tell you, that's not a good thing. We have to find Timothy, and stop this ritual before he binds them to him." She stared at him for a long time, then reluctantly nodded.
"The glowing upstairs came from this direction." He walked softly to the last door, laying his hand against it. "They're in there."
"Who are?"
"The souls and Timothy. I think he binds them before the Rubels. It would make sense." The door knob moved without warning, and Angel jumped back, hiding in the deeper shadow behind the door. Buffy did the same. The door opened, and out walked one of the most hideous demons Angel had ever come across. And he'd seen a few. He heard Buffy whisper a soft eeew and agreed with her. The demon was covered in what looked like mucus, and smelt like bile. The head was a twisted shape, much like a lump of dough that had been kneeded too much. The single eye was perched on top of the head, and it's mouth dripped the same mucus like substance that covered it's body. The demon had no arms, but seemed to be insect like. It scuttled across the floor on four of its limbs, the other two reaching out to grip the door know where Buffy had found the Rubels. Angel and Buffy exchanged a quick glance, then darted forward, weapons raised. Angel swung heavily at the doughy head, thudding against it and hacking away with the axe. Buffy sighted down her cross-bow and aimed for the eye. In almost every demon she had encountered, the eyes were always vulnerable. The demon opened it's mouth in a mute scream, and at that moment, Angel succeeded in decapitating it. It's head dropped with a dull thud, and then the insect like body folded in on itself and withered, drying quickly. The door hung open and Angel looked up to see the Rubels peering out, their faces lined with stress.
"Stay there. We will be back to free you soon." One of them looked at him, it's face flowing like water. It smiled back at him.
"Sure thing, Angel man." Buffy watched as Angel's eyes went wide in shock, then he leaned in closer, his breath stopping.
"Doyle?" His breathed. "Doyle, is that you?"
"What, did you think I was going to other way? Never, man. Look, right now you've got a thing to deal with. I'll be round when you've finished. Besides, I've got an urge to see the Fair Cordelia." Buffy pulled at Angel's arm, silently urging him along. Angel looked up and saw the others at the door.
"Guard this door. Don't let anything through." He barked at them, then dashed across the corridor to join Buffy. They kicked the door out simultaneously, it crashing to the floor with a loud thump, startling those inside. Angel was through, his axe held casually in his right hand. Buffy backed him up, sighting down her cross-bow.
"Angel!" The human in the middle of the demons cried out, surprised. Then he grinned. "I'm stunned. I didn't think you'd be out yet. I thought it would take your side-kicks a little longer to find you." He then looked at Buffy, who had her Slayer face well and truly plastered on her features. "And who is this pretty creature?" Timothy asked, staring intently at her.
"I'm the Slayer." She told him flatly. He raised his brows in disdain.
"The Slayer? Really. And you thought to come and kill little old me?" He grinned. "Hate to tell you this, Slayer. But I'm human. You can't kill me. It's against your rules."
"I can make an exception." Buffy told him. "Stay there!" She barked, swinging around to face a snarling cat looking creature. She studied it. "You know, you look a lot like Sabre-tooth from the X-men." She observed. It snarled. "Ah, ah. No movies, other wise you get a present from Mr Cross-bow here."
"She really likes her work, doesn't she?" Timothy observed to Angel.
"Loves it. Good at it too. So, are we going to get to it now, or talk a bit more? Cause frankly, I have plans for tonight."
"So did I, Angel. Looks like one of us is going to be disappointed. Wonder who will it be?"
"Trust me, Timothy. It isn't going to be Angel. I'm making sure of that." Buffy was watching the demon to the left of her, who was slowly creeping up, just on the edge of her vision.
"Oh. I think I detect some sparks in here. Don't tell me you two do business and pleasure. How cliché." Buffy couldn't help herself. She laughed. Loudly.
"What is funny, Slayer?" Timothy asked, curious.
"Cliché. Us. You, who happen to be a blood-mage. Who lives in apartment 666 at 13 Devils Road, are calling us Cliché? Sorry, that's just too amusing for words." She turned and fired, killing the demon in mid leap. It fell before her, it's claw brushing her toe.
"Looks like it's on for young and old." She quipped. Three demons came at her at once, thinking to subdue her by numbers. They were too close for the cross-bow, so she fired the remaining two bolts at two more demons, slightly farther away, and used the bow as a weapon, striking Sabre-tooth guy across the face with it, sending him hurtling in to the wall. She used her elbow on the way back, breaking a remarkably human looking demon's nose on the way through. She smiled when he vamped out. She always felt at home when she was killing vampires. One of the bow's ends found it's way into the vampire's heart, and he disappeared with a roar and a cloud of ash. Unfortunately, the cross-bow went with it. She looked around, searching for some sort of weapon when she heard a shout. She looked behind her to see Giles holding out a sword. He flung it at her, and she caught it, hilt first. She turned back and swung the sword around, getting its weight.
"Next?" She asked. Saber-tooth roared and pounced, his hands extended like claws of a cat. Buffy stepped back and neatly cut him in two. It was a very sharp sword. She turned to see another two coming slowly towards her.
"Two at a time? But I'm not that kind of girl! Really. Oh, alright. Just this once."
Angel and Timothy stood a few metres apart, both watching the Slayer work. Angel had a slightly proud smile on his face. Timothy had a frown.
"She's very good." Timothy told Angel.
"I know."
"What is her name?"
"Buffy Summers."
"Buffy? You're kidding. That's Buffy Summers? I thought she was supposed to be about 7 foot tall."
"Not quite." He turned and looked at Timothy, his face hardening.
"And you and she...? Great, I chose the wrong town and the wrong vampire."
"You did." Angel snarled. This man before him was directly responsible for more than fifty deaths in the last year. He could feel them pressing on him, screaming for revenge. Timothy turned and smiled. He held up a hand, watching it in the light.
"I'm very strong now. You and your Slayer can not defeat me. The ritual was almost complete. And your Slayer is tiring." He smiled. "Even now, I grow stronger." He reached out and grabbed hold of Angel's throat with his hand, gripping tightly. Angel didn't move.
"Did I forget to mention that I have acquired a new skill? I can ensure that my victims do not struggle by freezing their central nervous system. In effect, I paralyse them." He glanced over at Buffy, who was slowly being beaten back by three very strong, very large demons. He liked that. He looked back to Angel, who was glaring silently at him. "Shall I give you back you're power of speech?"
"You have not won, Timothy." Angel snarled. "Watch and learn." Angel turned his eyes to Buffy, who was now wailing on the three demons, feet and fists flying in concert. Timothy had relaxed his grip on Angel's throat, and he could breathe again. Buffy quickly knocked two demons to the ground, snapping one neck on the way. She then flipped her fallen sword up with her foot and quickly decapitated one demon and then efficiently stabbed the other through the heart. Without pause, she whipped around and dispatched the final demon, then turned back and started towards them, only to freeze in mid step.
"Now that's unfair!" Buffy complained, straining against the freeze. She looked at Angel. "But at least I now understand why you've not been helping. You're forgiven." She grinned at him.
"How did you manage to defeat my demons?" Timothy asked, shocked. Buffy shrugged. Or rather, she looked like she wanted to shrug, but couldn't.
"I was just better than them."
"But not me." Timothy gloated. "I am more powerful than you, and have won."
"Now hang on a second, Mr I'm-better-than-you-are."
"My name is Duvant."
"Like I said. Hang on a second. I can't hear a fat lady singing, I certainly can't see a dark tunnel with a light at the end, so ain't no one won yet."
"I beg your pardon?" Angel smiled. Timothy didn't understand Buffy speak.
"She said that we aren't dead yet, so no-one has won."
"Why didn't she just say so?"
"Because she's Buffy." He smiled. Even in the middle of a life and death situation, she could make him smile.
"That's my name!" She grinned back.
"You want death? Have it!" They both felt a pinch at the back of their neck, and fell to the floor. Neither could breathe, and they couldn't move at all. Their eyes were open but neither could move nor could they speak. Within seconds, spots were appearing before their eyes. They were running out of oxygen.
"Hold!". A voice boomed out. Without warning, the room disappeared and they were in some sort of cave like chamber. In front of them were two old men, each sitting in a large, wooden chair.
"Now, that's not fair!" The bald one said, gesturing widly. "He hasn't finished the ritual, so he can't have those powers yet! You're cheating again, Ceedee."
"Well, you always win these big ones, Marqu! It's not fair! I just wanted to win one for once!"
"There's a reason for that. I insist that you undo that power, or I'll tell Dad on you!"
"Fine then." Ceedee waved his hand, then sat back, sulking.
"Begin!" They were suddenly back in the hidden room. Angel shot up like a rocket, and pounced on Timothy, snapping his neck in a signature Angelus move. Timothy sat back, stunned.
"That wasn't very nice." He complained, rubbing his neck. Angel stood back, watching.
"Axe?" Buffy asked.
"Please." Buffy darted to where Angel had dropped his axe, then came back to watch at Timothy slowly collapsed down into a heap, his lips turning blue. He looked up at Angel, his eyes sad.
"I think I'm about to go and see a fat lady in a tunnel." Buffy frowned. The light slowly dimmed in Timothy's eyes, then they faded completely. He was dead. Angel and Buffy stared down at him for a long time.
"That was an anti-climax." Buffy said, a little sulky. Angel nodded.
"Was, rather. I could say something about later, but I'll restrain myself." Buffy looked at him in confusion, then hit him across the shoulder, hard.
"Angel!" She berated him, blushing slightly.
"What are you complaining about, anyway. You got to do all the fighting. I just snapped a guy's neck. That's it. Two seconds, and I'm done. I've got all this energy stored up, and no fight!"
"My turn to say, later?" Buffy grinned, then looked around behind her. The Scoobies and company were standing just inside the doorway, watching them.
"Any trouble?" Buffy asked, walking over to them, stepping around gore and demon blood.
"One demon thingy. It's dead now, though." Willow informed her.
"Where's Cordelia?" Angel asked, noticing her absence. Giles frowned.
"She was standing outside the door that we were guarding, when it opened and one of them stepped out, said 'Hiya, Princess' and held out a hand. She just followed him back inside." Angel looked at Buffy.
"I've got to go talk to him for a minute. Be back." He walked quickly outside and knocked on the other door.
"Would that be an ex-vampire by the name of Angel?" He heard an Irish voice ask.
"Doyle!" The door opened, and he stepped inside. The three Rubels stared back at him.
"You're free to go now. Timothy is dead." They gasped in unison, the one who was Doyle echoing it.
"It's okay. He wasn't human any longer. Not by anyone's standards. You can go and take him to CeeDee now. He is free to go."
"You know of CeeDee?" One of them asked, stunned.
"I just met him before. Kind of. Him and Marqu were having a discussion on the benefits of cheating. They are the PTB, aren't they?" The Rubel's nodded.
"You met the PTB?" Cordelia asked, coming forward. "Did you ask them take these visions away from me?"
"Ahh, no. Sorry, I kind of forgot about that." She threw up her arms in disgust, muttering as she walked away. The won who was Doyle followed after her.
"You can call him Doyle. We do." The other Rubel's told him. They flowed out of the room, the door closing after them.
"So, Angel man. What's been up with you lately?" Doyle asked, coming back with Cordelia in tow.
"Well, I lost my memory for a couple of months. I fought a few demons, plagues, end of the world demons and stuff. Killed Darla, my sire, again. Rid the world of some nasty lawyers. Admittedly that wasn't me, but kind of my fault. They just kept bringing up demons to kill me, and they wouldn't obey instructions. Oh, that's right, I became human again."
"Human? Really? So what's the deal? You normal Joe now?"
"Not quite. Kind of like a male slayer. Which reminds me." He opened the door and pulled Buffy, who was waiting outside, in.
"This is Doyle, just in case you can't remember. He died around 3 years ago."
"Looking pretty good for a dead guy." Buffy told him. "Doyle? But wasn't he a demon?"
"Yup. Still am. Just a better classed one. So you two are together now."
"Trying to be. But there's a bit of a problem." He held on to Buffy's hand tightly.
"Oh?" Buffy and Doyle asked as one.
"Life span. Slayers don't live very long, and my line of work isn't very safe and secure. I was thinking, seeing as how you've got a direct line to Marqu, maybe you could have a whisper in his ear?" Doyle hesitated, then nodded and closed his eyes. Within seconds, he'd opened them again. He looked a little guilty.
"What?" Buffy demanded, seeing his face.
"Ahh, it looks like there was an.....administration error to do with you both." Angel tensed up, dreading what was to come. Given their past, he was sure it was news that he really wasn't supposed to be human yet, or Buffy was required to leave and go off to East Asia or something equally separating.
"What kind of administration error?" Buffy was growling now.
"Ahh, we forgot to tell you both some things that we should have a long time ago."
"Like?" Angel whispered.
"Like that fact that you two will remain as you are until such time as you're no longer needed."
"Huh?" Cordelia asked for all of them.
"That sounded like you just said we're immortal." Angel sounded horrified.
"No, not immortal. You will still be as you are now. Human, mortal. But you won't age, and you won't slow down. You will remain as you are, your age right now, until the PTB have...grown up a little bit and stopped fighting amongst themselves." He grinned, looking pleased with himself. "Marqu and Ceedee are PTB, but they're young. I went above them. To the one they call Dad. He let me know what to tell you. You're not immortal. No one is. But you can only be killed, you cannot die of natural causes." He paused for a second. "That really doesn't sound like a reward, does it? But what I meant to say was-."
"I think we understand. We'd have difficulty letting anyone else do our job, so Dad has given us as long as we need to do it in. And after that, we'll age normally again, and live until we get old kind of thing." Buffy summed up what he was trying to say.
"That sounds about right." Buffy and Angel were looking at each other.
"Dad also said, and I quote 'this time marry, or it will be permanent separation'. Guess Dad wants it legal."
"Legal." Buffy sounded shocked. In all the time she'd loved Angel, she'd never thought of marrying him. Not that she didn't want to. But it never occurred to her before.
"I have a feeling that Dad didn't want any.....nooky before then."
"Nooky?" Cordelia snorted.
"Fine then, no sex before marriage." Buffy and Angel looked at each other, then grinned.
"Is there a bulk buying store anywhere near here?" Buffy asked.
"What do you need in bulk?" Cordelia asked. "Oh, wait. I don't want to know."
"Not that. Well, not quite. We need some chocolate, some peanut butter."
"And some mint choc cookie dough fudge ice-cream. Buckets of it." Angel said with a grin.
"Buckets?" Buffy turned to him.
"Buckets." He agreed.
