TITLE : For Whom This Soul Fits
AUTHOR : SueAngelDPB
DISCLAIMER : The almighty Joss owns ALL. If not don't you think I'd have DPB to myself
RATING :
PAIRING : That would give away the ending
TIMELINE : Set after the end of Season 2
NOTES : In Grimmers (my) universe, Buffy is still alive and Willow still likes men
It would make the main content of the story a little awkward otherwise
SYNOPSIS : Angel has an almighty decision to make
FEEDBACK : Of course, but as this is my first attempt, please be gentle
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For Whom This Soul Fits
Chapter One
"Aha !! Got it", Wesley exclaimed triumphantly, looking down at the endless scribbles on the writing pad in front of him, "Using all my powers of deduction and logical reasoning I believe I know exactly who the perpetrator of this heinous crime is"
He adjusted his glasses, shifted in his seat and looked at the expectant faces of the Angel Investigations crew sat all around him. Beside him Cordelia, looking as elegant as ever, patiently drummed her fingernails against the table, while Fred and Gunn leant forward on their elbows waiting for his answer. It was a very tense moment.
"Well come on English", Gunn said finally, "Don't just leave us in suspense here. Tell us your great theory and get it over with"
"Yeah Wes", Cordelia agreed, placing her hand lightly on his arm, "We really need to know who the killer is and I'm sooo counting on you to get this right"
Wesley gave a nervous gulp. [Gee thanks Cordy] he thought [What's a little added pressure between friends]
He forced himself to relax, after all there was nothing about his current predicament that he could not handle. Right?. He had been in dozens of situations just as intense as this before. More even. Why wasn't it only a couple of weeks ago that he, Angel and Gunn had thrown themselves into a wormhole thus venturing the very realms of the unknown to rescue Cordelia and Fred from the hands of some power mad priests. And over the past year hadn't he faced and defeated some of the very faces of true evil that this dimension could muster. Of course he had. This was child's play in comparison.
However with the added pressure now being placed upon his shoulders he was starting to second guess himself. The Thesulac demon had once called him paranoid and now he wasn't all that inclined to disagree with it. He had to be sure that the decision he made was the right one. He looked up at Cordelia and Gunn again for some semblance of support. Instead their faces were like stone. He then glanced at Fred who simply gave him an impish smile that made her nose wrinkle and her eyes shine.
Wesley liked this girl. She hadn't been part of their close knit group for long but already he was beginning to become extremely fond of her. He realised with affection that the people surrounding him at the table were the people that mattered most to him in the world. They were not only his allies in battle but also his closest friends in play. In short they were his one true family. He would lay his life down for anyone of them in a heartbeat.
"Wesley are you gonna tell us or not", Fred's nervous giggle interrupted his reverie and brought his focus back to the matter at hand, "I mean I'm getting so excited I can't stand it",
Wesley adjusted his glasses for a second time, "After reviewing the facts placed before me and after intense investigation……" he began
"God damnit Wesley", Cordelia interrupted impatiently, "Enough of the British waffle. Just tell us who the killer is already!"
Wesley could feel a thin bead of sweat forming on his brow and his palms suddenly felt very sticky. His throat had become dry and he was desperately aware of three sets of eyes boring into his very being. He took one final intake of breath and finally said, "It is my belief that it was……"
Every single member of the Angel Investigations team held their breath in anticipation of the forthcoming answer. Fred had even decided to cross her fingers for extra good fortune. The room was so silent that the proverbial pin could have dropped and everyone would have been alerted to its presence. Wesley opened his mouth and finally spilled the info they had all been waiting for.
"Colonel Mustard. In the dining room. With the candlestick!"
The reaction to his words was a mixed one. Cordelia gave an exasperated sigh, Gunn let out a victorious howl of laughter and Fred gave her wrinkle nosed smile again and a sympathetic shrug of her shoulders.
"Oh Wesley!" Cordelia screeched pushing back so hard on her chair that it fell over, "How could Colonel Mustard possibly be the killer when he was right here in my hand cosying up to prudy Mrs Peacock. You are such a dumb ass. Everyone here could tell you it was Professor Plum. Even Fred!"
As if to prove her point ,Cordelia snatched up the envelope that was sitting in the middle of the game board and removed the cards to reveal a picture of a purple bodied, stuffy faced man.
"See", she said taking the card and hitting Wesley over the head with it, "Professor Plum"
Wesley raised his hands to his head in a vain attempt to try and defend himself
"You know Cordelia" , he stuttered in between swipes, "it is just a game you know. It's not as if any lives have actually been lost here"
Those words did not have the calming effect that Wesley was hoping for instead they only seemed to anger Cordelia even more. The urghhhh sound that escaped her lips were testimony to that fact.
"I mean it was only our pride at stake here Wesley", she wittered on, "Our professional pride. Look at laughing boy over there. He is going to brag about this for…God… months"
Wesley glanced over his shoulder to where Gunn was still laughing. He was no longer seated but instead dancing around the room in a very similar fashion to that of Lorne's brother Numfar back on Pylea.
"See" she said pointing at Gunn before storming off into the main lobby to pour herself another glass of wine. What had meant to be a quiet night of friends relaxing and spending time together instead of being demon chow was turning into anything but a quiet evening.
"Wait a minute Cordelia", he said following her, "Gunn hasn't been victorious all night. We did beat him at Trivial Pursuit and at Pictionary remember. Surely we have some bragging rights too"
Obviously not. There was that urghhhh sound again. Cordelia threw her hands up in the air tossing her newly poured wine over her shoulder, "Were you born retarded or did you just grow up that way. We don't get bragging rights. We have nothing. Nothing but humiliation for the next month"
"Well if you want my opinion I think that you are blowing this out of all proportion", Wesley said picking up a pretzel and retiring to the sofa in the lobby, "If Gunn can brag about his wins, why can't we brag about ours"
Cordelia gave Wesley an incredulous look and slowly sauntered over to where he was sitting. She placed her hands on his shoulders and leant forward to whisper in his ear.
"I'll tell you why little Englishman. In fact I'll give you three reasons why"
She stood up straight again and started counting down her reasons on her meticulously manicured fingernails, "Number one", she started, "Nobody but nobody brags about Trivial Pursuit. It just isn't cool. I mean who wants to brag about knowing boring stuff like who Henry the VIII's third wife was."
"Being proud and knowledgeable about ones heritage is neither uncool nor boring", Wesley replied defensively.
Cordelia crossed her arms in front of her and gave him an unconvinced stare
"Number Two", she continued, "Let's not forget that I was on Gunn's team when we played Pictionary and its quite clear to me that you cheated"
Wesley's mouth almost dropped to the floor. "I beg your pardon, I cheated how exactly?"
"You had Angel on your team"
"Your point being?"
"Well he's only like a professional artist and stuff. He draws all the time and he's really good at it. That's an unfair advantage Wesley and that is what I - call - cheating"
The last three words were emphasised by a poke of her finger on Wesley's chest.
"You're just being antsy because I - bagsied - him - first", he replied poking her upper arm in return
He knew he had won that particular argument as Cordelia's face began turning into an interesting shade of crimson.
The colour of Cordelia's complexion had not gone completely unnoticed by either Fred or Gunn. Once the accusations had started to fly they both quite sensibly took a step back to leave Wes and Cordy to it retreating to the relative safety of the inner office. From there they watched the enfolding argument between their two friends with a certain amount of interest but Fred was also more than a little concerned. It didn't seem right that these two were verbally abusing each other over something as simple as a board game.
"Do they always yell at each other like this?" Fred whispered to Gunn.
The amusement he was getting from this little episode was more than apparent. It was written all over his face.
"Oh yeah. It's all part of the Cordy and Wes show. Man they should sell it to cable, they'd make a whole ton of money"
"But aren't they upsetting one another"
"Nah don't worry about it Fred, they get like this sometimes. I think its sexual tension between them personally. If they got it on they'd get along a whole lot better or would it be a whole lot worse. I dunno. Anyway they're cool. Now just watch it. They haven't even got to the name calling yet"
Fred turned her attention back to where Cordelia and Wesley were still standing off against each other.
"You said there were three reasons Cordelia", Wesley said calmly, "Are you ever going to get over yourself long enough to tell me what the third one is"
Cordelia placed her hands on her hips and smiled sweetly at Wesley. Anybody who knew anything about Cordelia Chase knew that this was her battle stance. The biggest bitch in Sunnydale's history was about to go in for the kill.
Cordelia took two steps forward until she right in Wesley's face. She leant forward and took hold of Wesley's tie in her right hand twisting it around her fingers. With a gentle tug she pulled him even closer to her so that she could look directly into his eyes.
"The third and perhaps the most poignant reason why Gunn will rag on us for the next few months" she began. Her voice was deceptively mellow yet rich with superiority and contempt, "Is that you Wesley" she continued, still calm, "WORK FOR A GODDAMN DETECTIVE AGENCY!"
The demeanour had changed and the volume had most definitely been turned up a few decibels. The grip on the tie around his throat was getting tighter as she continued to yell,
"SOLVING CRIMES AND IDENTIFYING SUSPECTS IS WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO FOR A LIVING!! JEEZ WES YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY SIGNS OF INCRIMINATION EVERYDAY OF YOUR WORKING LIFE YET YOU CANNOT SEE ONE THAT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OFYOUR VERY NOSE. SOME BLOODY SHERLOCK HOLMES YOU ARE!!"
"Well it's comforting to see that you kids have been playing nice while I've been out"
Cordelia and Wesley swung their heads round to where Angel was striding across the lobby in his customary leather duster carrying three bags of takeaway food from various fast food outlets.
"You know I leave you two out of my sight for just one second and look what happens"
He placed the food on the table in front of him and the group pounced like wild animals. Even Cordelia and Wesley managed to untangle themselves from their previous position to attack the food placed in front of them like rabid dogs.
Fred immediately aimed for the Taco Bell bag and pulled out a large tray of nachos and some salsa. She had been back on this earth for a couple of weeks and must have eaten Mexican take out almost every day. It tasted far better than she remembered and definitely better than the bark enchilladas she had created back on Pylea.
Charles Gunn was a simple man with simple tastes and he was more than satisfied with his Big Mac Double Cheeseburger with extra cheese, large fries and soft drink of his choice.
Cordelia and Wesley had opted for Chinese. In fact it was the only thing that they had managed to agree on all evening. However now they were bickering about who ordered noodles and who ordered rice.
Angel let out a very rare smile and sat back as he watched his crew devour their midnight munchies. This is what he had missed the last few months. Friendship. Companionship. A sense of belonging. Up until a couple of weeks ago he didn't think that this was something that he would ever feel again.
When he had fired his gang, he had convinced himself that it had been for their own good. He was very close to hitting the self destruct button and he didn't want the people that he cared most about in the immediate vicinity when he exploded. That's what he had told himself when he let them go. That's what he had told himself when he continued with his vindictive and ruthless pursuit of Wolfram and Hart. And that's what he told himself when he willingly gave himself to Darla in an attempt to achieve a feeling of belonging he so desperately craved.
It was only now whilst watching the gang embroil themselves in idle banter, that he realised that it was these people who could have saved him from reaching his rock bottom.
They knew who he was and they had known the things he had done and yet they trusted him. They believed in him. He should have let them inside of his soul instead of shutting them out of his life and his head. If he had let them, they would have saved him.
God - what a wonderful gift the benefit of hindsight is
Angel was more than aware that he was a lucky man. It isn't often in your 'undead' life that you get a second chance let alone a third (if you count the whole returning from Hell thing). Yet these amazing human beings had offered him that chance albeit rather reluctantly at first.
The whole Pylea experience had once again enforced their bond and now he was going to make damn sure that nothing happened that would break it again.
It was time for them to become a family again.
Snapping himself out of his sentimental trance, Angel walked over to where the rest of the group were sitting and perched himself on the arm of a chair.
"Did you know that I could hear you two yelling at each other from a couple of blocks away" Angel said looking at Cordelia and then Wesley in turn.
"Well no wonder you could hear us", Cordelia spoke though mouthfuls of noodles, "you have like supervamp hearing. You would have been able to hear us from the next state"
"Cordelia, the way you two were going at it a dead man could have heard you from the next state"
"Well technically you are a dead man so that's OK", Cordelia replied pulling her tongue out at him before devouring more noodles.
Angel suppressed a smile. Of all the people that he had missed, it was Cordelia he had missed most of all. He was glad that they were back on good terms and also glad that he had a platinum Visa. It was expensive getting back on Cordy's good side.
"What were two you arguing about this time anyway?" he asked her pinching a piece of chicken from her takeaway carton.
"Doesn't matter now", Wesley intervened. He desperately did not want the whole argument to start up again. Nor did he want Cordelia or Gunn reminded of it. He had suffered more than his fill of embarrassment for the day and he was certain that no more jibes were necessary.
Gunn wasn't going to let him off the hook so easily however, "Lets just say that there's gonna be a lot of fun for Gunn", he said slapping Wesley on the back. Wesley almost choked on the food in his mouth and returned a dry smile to Gunn.
Cordelia was about to come back with a Chase special when she suddenly felt that all too familiar throb in her temples
"Er guys…incoming" she managed to get out before throwing her head back, noodles flying everywhere.
Angel immediately rushed to her side and managed to catch her before she hit the floor. Slowly, he sank to his knees and cradled her head in his lap holding her gently while she convulsed. It broke his undead heart to see her like this and more than ever he wished that he could take the visions from her to save her from all of this pain and emotional distress.
"Is she alright?", Fred asked. Angel had told her about Cordelia's visions but she had never actually witnessed Cordelia having one. Now it was happening before her very eyes it was scary and she didn't like it.
"Yeah she's OK Fred", Angel replied, "She's having a vision"
"Is there anything I can do?"
He looked down at his lap. Cordelia's body was still twitching and twisting. He gently smoothed her hair away from her face only to see her eyes shut and contorted with pain.
"You could help by getting some painkillers from her desk drawer and a glass of water", he said quietly, "She'll need them in a minute or two"
Fred got to her feet and made her way to the back office as instructed. She wanted to be helpful in any way that she could.
Wesley and Gunn were standing behind Angel watching their friend suffer courtesy of 'her gift'. They had been through this scenario dozens of times before and they knew that there was nothing that they could do for Cordelia until she snapped out of it. It didn't make it any easier to watch though.
Whatever arguments had been taking place earlier were now long since forgotten as their immediate concern centred on their best friend's well being.
"Is it me", Gunn whispered to Wesley, "or are these visions getting longer every time she has them"
Wesley nodded his head. "It certainly seems that way", he agreed, "and the longer they last, the longer it takes her to recover"
In Angel's arms, Cordelia began to stir. She opened her eyes to see the face of an Angel looking down upon her. His eyes were filled with such kindness, she thought. Slowly she tried to sit up and fought the urge to vomit. Her eyes were hot with lingering white flashes behind her eyelids. She rubbed her temples trying to get the blood to circulate and purge the pain from her skull. She could feel Angel's hands on her shoulders and she gently leaned back to rest against his chest.
"Any chance of a painkiller this millennium?", she asked tiredly
"On its way. Fred's gone to get them", Angel replied rubbing small circles on her back
Cordelia nodded allowing herself to be comforted by Angel's healing touches. Just as if her timing couldn't be better Fred returned. She handed the glass of water to Cordelia who accepted it gratefully.
"I brought the whole bottle of pills" ,Fred said kneeling down to be on the same level as Cordelia, "I wasn't sure how many you'd need"
"Two will be just fine Fred, thank you" she smiled at the well meaning girl. She quickly slipped both pills into her mouth and took a several large sips from the water. Wesley helped her to stand and she moved to the relative comfort of the large sofa in the foyer.
"I guess you're gonna want know the details on the latest big scary"
She closed her eyes recapturing the images that had painfully been shown to her moments earlier
"OK it's a demon in fact I'm sure there's more than one of them. They're at what looks like an abandoned movie theatre north of the city. Oh God they're gonna take some kids"
Quickly her eyes opened and she switched her focus to Angel, "Oh Angel they're gonna take some kids"
Angel placed his hands over Cordelia's, "Not if we find them first", he assured her, "Now can you describe the demon you saw"
Cordelia nodded and waited for Wesley to fetch his notepad and pen before continuing
"It was big. Mottled skin, kind of pale green in colour. Its ears are kind of pointed you know like Spock kind of pointed. Its eyes are a deep red and it has thin, spike like needles coming out of the upper part of its body, across the shoulders and part way down the arms and urgh can I mention that it smells really bad like…. like…. sulphur or something"
Wesley stood up from his place at Cordy's side and moved to his substantial supply of books at the far end of the office. He knew exactly which volume he needed and managed to retrieve it without problem. He flicked through the pages until he found what he was looking for
He returned to the group to share his findings, "I think the demon you're describing Cordelia is a Braxior demon", he informed them
Angel took the book from Wesley and studied his soon to be enemy
"A Braxior. What can you tell me about them"
"Well from what I can gather put simply they are cold blooded killers"
"Any idea why they would be targeting children?".
Wesley sighed, "Braxior demons sustain their existence primarily by killing and feeding at random. They hunt in packs of 3 just as Cordy surmised. However, every 50 years, they need to regenerate or they will grow weak and eventually die a slow agonising death as their flesh deteriorates. The book says that 'Only from the essence of youth can one be reborn' The Braxiors steal the children and eat their hearts thus absorbing their purity and innocence"
Angel shook his head. He had witnessed many atrocities in his time, been the cause of a lot of them, but he was never more affected than when children were involved.
"Well we're not gonna let that happen. How do we kill them?" he said defiantly.
"Standard slice and dice. Beating them will be tough though. They hunt for sport mostly so they have highly attuned battle strategies. They defeat their opponents using sharp talons to slash and disembowel. The thin spikes Cordy spoke of are actually referred to as spindles. The spindles contain a poison. The poison can be extremely painful even deadly dependent on the amount absorbed into muscle tissue and the bloodstream. The Braxior shoots these spindles from their bodies usually to paralyse its prey before finishing it off with the talons"
"Nice to know what were dealing with", Gunn chipped in, "But we gotta find 'em first. Now if my memory serves me correctly the old MacMillan cinema is in the North part of the city. It's also close to St Johnson's school so it's a pretty safe bet that this could be the place we're looking for. We should try there first "
Angel walked to his weapons cabinet and removed a large crossbow and axe. He threw the crossbow to Wesley and the axe to Gunn. He then removed a broadsword and several other items of weaponry placing them all within easy access on his body.
"Fred get on the computer and run a check on other possible movie theatres in that area. Cordy get some rest and that's an order, Wes, Gunn let's go I guess we have a re-birthday party we need to break up".
Chapter Two
Wesley felt like his head had swollen to three times its normal size, and the pounding he felt behind his eyes only seemed to confirm his theory. He had woken up face down among an array of battered cardboard boxes and in all likelihood he had been there ever since he had hit the wall when one of the Braxior demons had thrown him across the room.
Slowly he stumbled to his feet, steadying himself on a nearby upturned crate before beginning to search his surrounding area. The room was pitched in darkness except for a small shaft of light coming from an open doorway in the far corner. Trying, without much success, to focus his double vision, Wesley headed in the direction of the light taking small tentative steps his arms outstretched in front of him to check for any obstructions.
As he drew closer he thought he could hear a voice. It was faint so he couldn't be sure. Wesley continued towards the door when he heard it again. It was definitely a voice and if not mistaken it sounded like Gunn.
As he reached the open entrance, Wesley cautiously placed his head around the frame. Hell he didn't even know whether or not the battle was over or if he was walking unarmed into a waiting trap. If the Braxiors were still alive, he certainly did not want to alert them unnecessarily to his presence.
His first scan of the room however gave him the answers that he needed. All of the demons were dead, their bodies scattered in various states of dismemberment around what looked like a very large and very old storeroom.
Satisfied that their enemies were no longer an issue, Wesley's concern then moved to the wellbeing of his friends, "Gunn!", he shouted, remembering the voice he thought he had heard earlier, "Are you in here ?"
At first there didn't seem to be any response so he shouted again. This time he heard Gunn reply, "Yeah Wes, we're over here"
Wesley followed the direction of the voice to find Gunn kneeling on the floor his back turned towards him. He appeared to be okay apart from a nasty looking cut to his left arm.
As he moved closer, Wesley realised that Gunn was leaning over the fallen body of his vampire friend. Angel was lying on his back, his eyes open but fixed in the direction of the ceiling. His body was trembling and his head was shaking uncontrollably from side to side.
Wesley immediately fell to his knees at the side of Angel placing a gentle hand on his forehead. Angel reacted with a painful flinch. His skin was still cool to the touch and Wesley became aware of an unusual odour.
"What happened?", Wesley said quietly, his hand not leaving Angel's face. Gunn lowered his head as if in shame.
"One of the Braxior demons blindsided me and tried to take me out of the game", Gunn explained his voice trembling and edged with guilt, "Angel saw it, distracted it and simply got in the way when it made its move. He saved my ass but he took these in the process"
Gunn carefully moved the bottom of Angel's unbuttoned shirt aside to reveal several sharp thin needles protruding from Angel's abdomen. Each wound was seeping with a thick white fluid and it was this liquid that was giving off the awful bad eggs like stench.
"Braxior spindles", Wesley whispered, his worse fears confirmed, "Has he said anything at all?".
He needed to ascertain how much of the poison from the spindles had been absorbed into Angel's body.
Gunn shook his head, "No, he's been in this semi-catatonic state since he fell. I've tried talking to him but he doesn't seem to be responding to anything I say"
Wesley knew that was a bad sign. He turned to face Angel, "Angel….Angel….can you hear me……Angel it's Wesley", he called lightly slapping the vampire's face, "Angel……can hear me Angel……Angel"
Nothing. Angel's eyes were almost black in colour, his pupils fixed with hardly any movement. His body still trembled.
"We need to get him out of here and get those spindles out of his body", Wesley said to Gunn, his concern for his former employer ever increasing, "The longer those needles remain embedded in his flesh, the more painful the torment for him is going to be. This catatonic state is merely the first stage"
"Then let's get gone"
Carefully, they each took hold of one of Angel's arms and gently pulled him to his feet. Angel gave a loud painful moan of protest at being moved. Supporting him with his arms over their shoulders, Wesley and Gunn managed to get Angel back to the car and laid him across the back seat. Wesley climbed in with him and placed Angel's head to rest across his knees. He knew that if Angel began to convulse on the way back to the hotel, he would need someone to hold him down. Wesley cast his eyes over his injured friend. Angel's eyes were still directed skyward and it disturbed Wesley to notice that a small blood tear had started to form in one corner.
"Gunn, get us back to the hotel and quickly", he said panic stricken, "I think Angel is about to hit stage two"
Back at the Hyperion, Cordelia could not hide the fact that she was worried. She knew that it was for her own well being that she had been told to stay home but she hated being left behind. Especially if it was one of her visions that had been the cause for them to leave.
Cordelia had been the lucky owner of her mind shattering, debilitating visions for over a year now, and although she would never admit to getting used to them, she had certainly learned how to cope with them. Not only could she detect when one was about to hit her but she had also learned how to make sense out of the random illogical images that were placed so painfully into her head. It had taken a while to master, but she now seemed to instinctively know how to extract the relevant and essential pieces of information.
Recently however her visions were starting to take their toll on her, each one seemingly more painful than the last and draining her of all her energy. But there was something about the vision she had tonight that really bothered her. She could not shake the uneasy feeling she had that something was going to go wrong.
She glanced at the clock in the office. It had been four hours since the guys had left and she hadn't heard a word from them. She had tried calling each one of their cell phones, more than once, but each time she received no reply.
Fred had fallen asleep a couple of hours ago and was still sat at one of the desks, her head cradled on her arms. Cordelia gave a small smile. Fred looked so young and it was obvious that she was still adjusting to being back in this world. Cordelia found a blanket that she kept in one of the cupboards and draped it over the young girl's shoulders. She wanted to use that blanket not only to protect Fred from the cold but to shield her from all the horrors that she had yet to face. She wanted to save Fred from ever having to find out the cruel nature of their profession thus preserving her innocence. But hey who was she trying to kid. Fred had been sucked out of the only world she had ever known and dumped into an alternative dimension. She had been holding her own on a human slave planet for five years so she was already more than aware of what went bump in the night and she could handle it just fine.
Cordelia looked nervously at the clock again and began to pace. She was about to try ringing Angel again when she heard the front doors of the Hyperion swing open. 'Thank God', she thought to herself.
"Its about time", she shouted making her way around the reception area to the main lobby, "Where the hell have you guys been? Didn't you think that I'd be worried out of my…….."
Her tirade ended abruptly when she was faced with the sight of Wesley and Gunn holding up a battered and severely wounded Angel. His head was hung low and he was mumbling incoherently.
"Wh…what happened," she asked rushing to their aide, helping Wesley to support Angel
"No time for explanations right now Cordelia," he said, "We need to try and get him upstairs"
Wesley and Gunn started moving Angel towards the main stairwell when suddenly Angel began to convulse. The violent action pulled Angel from their grip and he fell to the floor his body thrashing. His face was stained with blood streaks and the white fluid that had been seeping from his wounds earlier was now leaking from his mouth. His eyes, previously devoid of any reaction, reflected only too clearly the pain he was feeling.
Cordelia dropped to her knees and placed her hands on either side of Angel's head. Slowly she tried to turn him to face her. Angel reacted to her touch and tried to pull himself free but Cordelia's grip remained gentle but firm.
"Angel…..Angel", she whispered so only he could hear, "I need you to try and focus. I want you to look at me. Look at me Angel"
Angel's body was still in spasm and Cordelia could see he was struggling to gain control. She tried to keep him steady but Angel was shaking worse than ever. With a renewed determination, she tried again
"Angel I know you can hear me and I know you can stop this. I want you to look in my eyes Angel, I need you to focus on my eyes Angel………. Angel……...Angel"
Angel could not think of anything except pain. He felt like his body did not belong to him and would not respond to his simple commands. Every movement resulted in a searing pain that shot through every nerve and every muscle. He wanted to scream and cry out but he couldn't make a sound. He didn't know who he was, he didn't know where he was. All he knew was that he was in pain. Lots and lots of pain.
Cordelia continued to encourage Angel to snap out of his stupor but he did not seem to register that she was even there.
"He's been like this on the ride over here", Gunn said leaning towards her, "I don't think he recognises us or even knows we're here"
"We need to try and do something to get him out of this", she replied still stroking his face and hair, "Maybe if we gave him some blood, it may help him regain some of his strength"
"On it", Gunn quickly ran to the fridge where he hoped Angel had not run out of his supply. Opening the door, he saw three clear containers and two bags. Figuring the container would be easier for Angel to drink from, he returned to the group with a now awakened Fred in tow
"Here", he said passing the container to Cordelia.
Cordelia adjusted Angel's head on her lap and placed the carton to Angel's lips. Angel resisted at first, small rivulets of blood dripping past his mouth and onto his chin. Undeterred Cordelia tried again but this time she gently massaged his windpipe to encourage him to swallow. Thankfully he did. The small shallow sips he had started by taking changed to all consuming gulps and it was not too long before the carton was empty.
Angel's response to the intake of his life fluid was immediate. His body stopped shaking and instead became rigid. His eyes closed and for a minute there was no movement at all.
Cordelia looked to his face. She wasn't sure whether she liked this turn of events, not convinced that he was any better off than he was five minutes ago. His face did not have the same lines of agony from before but that did not give her the comfort she wanted. His skin was paler than usual and the dried trails of blood from his eyes gave him the look of a devil. She pulled at the sleeve of her $250 dollar blouse and began to wipe the blood smears from Angel's cheek. Angel's hand quickly grabbed hers to stop her.
Still holding Cordelia's hand to his face, Angel slowly opened his eyes and looked up into her welcoming eyes.
"Cor……Cordelia", Angel finally managed to rasp out, his voice very hoarse, "I thought I told you to rest"
Cordelia gave a small, disbelieving yet relieved laugh back at him and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.
Wesley and Gunn who had been standing back allowing Cordelia to take command, were glad to see that for the first time since finding him over an hour ago, Angel looked like well ……Angel. His torment was for the time being subdued and Angel seemed to be in control of his senses. They needed to make the most of the situation before Angel's condition deteriorated.
"Angel", Wesley said kneeling at the side of his former employer, "We need to get you upstairs. Can you move at all?"
Angel nodded, "I think so but I'm gonna need your help"
Once again, Wesley and Gunn helped Angel to stand and supported his weight as they headed for the stairway. Angel winced with each step that he took until finally they reached Angel's unliving quarters.
Cordelia and Fred followed closely behind the guys. Cordelia had collected the first aid kit from the bottom drawer of her desk.
She was used to playing nursemaid. She added that particular responsibility to her job description. It was almost every night that she had to fix at least one of the guys up but this current injury of Angel's was perhaps one of the worse she had seen. Cordelia was saddened at the thought of just how much pain Angel had had to endure. In all the time that she had worked for him she had seen him in various worse for wear conditions. He had been tortured by Spike. He had been forced to compete in an illegal fight club as well as run the trigger happy gauntlet set by Gunn and his gang. He had undergone a three part trial for no reward not to mention the numerous beatings and shootings he suffered as simply part of the territory. And all of that was just his physical pain. Emotionally he had suffered just as much if not more so. There was Buffy and the day that never was, Doyle's death, his prophesised Shanshu, Wolfram and Hart, Darla, his curse, not to mention the living with the sins of Angelus. The list was endless. Putting everything he goes through in perspective and his daily struggle to contain his demon, maybe it wasn't so surprising that he lost his way for a few months.
Cordelia vowed to herself at that moment that she would apologise to Angel for not being more supportive during his Darla crisis. Instead of judging and condemning him, maybe she should have been a true friend and helped him. Instead she had turned her back. They all did. She only hoped that he would forgive her for not being there. She was determined she was not going to let him down a second time. She would pull him through this latest trouble.
When they reached the room, Wesley and Gunn sat Angel on his bed. He gingerly touched his side and felt the thin spikes that were the cause of his pain.
Cordelia helped him to remove his shirt and forced him to lie down. She took a cool dampened cloth and began to wipe Angel's face. She was determined to restore his handsome features and not allow him to look like a minion from hell.
Angel was grateful for the cool touch against his skin. He could feel the temperature rise from within him and Cordelia's touch was so tender that he swore for a single second she took all of the pain away. But now it was back and he felt so tired that he longed to sleep for a thousand years as he closed his eyes against the world.
"Now are you guys gonna tell me what happened", Cordelia said still bathing Angel's skin, moving across his shoulders, down to his arms and hands.
Wesley pointed to the protruding needles in Angel's lower body. The white fluid was no longer there but was instead replaced by a discoloration of the flesh surrounding each puncture.
"Spindles", he said, "Several of them. We need to remove them as soon as possible or the pain Angel is going through is going to get even worse"
"So do it", Cordelia said turning her attention back to Angel. She placed her hand on his face and caressed his cheek with her thumb, "I don't want Angel to suffer any longer than he already has"
Wesley reached for the first aid kit and removed a pair of tweezers. He knelt by the side of the bed as if in prayer, and took a closer inspection of Angel's wound.
Surprisingly, it appeared as if there was very little if in fact no blood loss despite the puncture of the skin. Tentatively, Wesley reached out and touched the skin surrounding each spindle. Angel flinched and growled in retaliation.
"Sorry", he said resting back on his heels, "but this is worse than I thought. The spindles are embedded deep. I don't know if I am going to be able to get enough grip on them to pull them out"
"But you said we have to remove them or Angel will suffer even more than he is now", Cordelia replied, tears threatening to spill.
"I know, but with they way they are situated. Removing them is going to be unbearable for him"
"Can't we anaesthetise him like they do in hospitals", Fred asked. She had been so quiet since Angel's arrival that everyone had forgotten she was in the room.
"I don't think we can no. If we try to administer any type of drug, we won't know how it will react with the poison in his system. It may only make matters worse"
"But we can't just leave him like this to suffer", Cordelia protested.
"Nobody wants to see Angel suffer Cordelia, least of all I", Wesley snapped in return, "but whatever we decide to do, it WILL cause Angel a tremendous amount of pain"
"Hey, why is everybody talking about me like I'm not here", Angel spoke up weakly lifting his head from his pillow, "If anyone should make the decision then I guess it should be me right?". There was silence. "Right?" he said again a little more insistently.
The heads of his friends nodded slowly in agreement. They knew it was the right choice, after all they did not want Angel to die but nor did they want to see him in agony.
"Then lets stop arguing among ourselves and do it", Angel lowered his head again, the effort to keep it up was too much for him. "You might want to consider getting some chains", he added.
"What. Why?", Fred asked.
"Well, when the pain hits Angel is afraid that he may change into his demon. He doesn't want to hurt anyone", Wesley explained to her.
"Angel would never hurt any of us", she whispered, "I know it"
Gunn fetched the chains that had not been in use since the Rebecca Lowell incident and began to fix them to the bed. Cordelia placed her hand on Gunn's and stopped him
"The chains won't be necessary Gunn," she said looking at Angel, "I'll help him through this"
Angel's face was flush with weary confusion, "Cordelia", he protested weakly. Every ounce of energy was being drained from him, "It's for your own safety"
"Like Fred said, you would never hurt us", she said touching his face again. Angel saw the trust and obvious affection in Cordy's eyes. He would agree to anything.
"We really should be getting on with this", Wesley interrupted, "Time is of the essence"
Cordelia remained seated on the bed in her rightful place by Angel's side. She took hold of his hand in both of hers and raised them to her lips. He smiled gratefully as he steeled himself for what was to come.
With Cordy and Gunn preparing to hold Angel down and Fred holding the lamp for better vision, Wesley motioned to remove the first spindle. He tried to find one that had more of its root protruding from Angel's body. He placed the tweezers around the edge and gave a strong swift tug. The spindle came loose relatively easily but Angel let out an agonising scream as his body arched and his grip on Cordelia tightened.
Cordelia began to cry. It distressed her to see Angel suffer this much.
Wesley went to remove a second spindle. Again, it came away from his body without too much trouble but Angel thrashed against the bed growling as his demon took control.
The third one was trickier, Wesley had to pull a little harder and each touch invoked a stomach churning reaction from Angel. As he pulled the spindle free, Angel's face contorted to the worse it had ever been. His scream was shattering and as his body sank back into the mattress, he succumbed to unconsciousness.
All the people in the room looked around at each other, all of them obviously distressed at what was taking place.
Fred was trembling, "This is good for him right", she said her voice shaky, "I mean if he's asleep then he won't be able to feel you remove the other pointy things"
Cordelia wiped the tears away from her eyes only to shed a new set
"Yeah but my worry Fred," she whispered laying her head on Angel's chest, "Is now that he's asleep, he may never wake up again"
Angel knew where he was or at least he thought he knew.
Ireland. Galway. Home.
What he didn't know or understand was how he happened to be here. Was he dead. Well deader than usual. Was this really the end?
Angel circled trying to focus on something familiar. Over 200 years had passed since he had last seen this place yet standing here now it seemed like it was only yesterday.
Memories of a childhood he had thought long since forgotten haunted his vision now. These were the roads and pathways he had travelled as a young boy. These were the places of people who had known him before he became a killer and many who had known him since.
He turned to face the fields behind him. He was sure that over that hill was The McReedy Farm. He smirked a little as he recalled how he used to steal apples with his little brother from Old Man McReedy's orchard before being chased off. He then remembered that when he was older, apples were replaced by kisses and he would steal them from their youngest daughter Eilish instead.
To the right of him was an old oak tree in the middle of a fork road. It stood tall and proud like a sign post, its branches pointing out in all directions. Dublin to the left. Galway's port to the world branching out to the right. His sister Kathy had called it the Faraway Tree. They would meet there after church and spend hours sitting in the branches dreaming of exciting destinations and chances for adventure. She had always been so excitable, so trusting as far as Liam was concerned and he always thought of her to be the most precious little lady in his life. He had promised her the world back then. He closed his eyes against her memory and against his betrayal of her. Angel knew that if he killed a hundred demons, thousands even, that would never be enough to atone for what he did to his sweet innocent Kathy.
Tears rested in his eyes as he slowly opened them and continued to gaze upon the place he had tried so hard to run away from when he was a young man. The more he surveyed his surroundings the more confused he became. He couldn't be here – it just wasn't possible.
"Is this my own personal hell. There must be a reason why you have been brought to this place. Think Angel think", he said to himself, "What could have happened to bring you here"
"Ah well I may be able to help you with that one", a voice declared behind him.
Angel spun round to see the face of someone he believed he would never see again
"Doyle", he whispered
Chapter Three
Wesley was exhausted. It had taken a lot longer than originally expected to remove all the Braxior spindles from Angel's body. There were also a lot more of the poisoned needles than he originally anticipated, in fact he had counted seventeen in total. Some of them had been embedded so deeply that Wesley had been forced to cut them out of the skin and he was more than thankful that Angel had not been awake for that procedure.
Wesley wiped the last of Angel's blood from his hands and sat on a large leather bound chair by his patient's bedside. He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose trying to expel the overpowering need to sleep.
"What do we do now Wesley", Cordelia's voice disturbed him. Wesley glanced up. Cordelia was still sat on the bed, her gaze never moving from the face of her best friend. She tenderly held his hand in hers as if she was holding onto his life itself. She had not once left Angel's side.
In fact, Cordelia was the only other conscious person in the room with Wesley. Gunn had managed to persuade Fred to get some sleep before leaving the hotel himself shortly after. Wesley knew that Gunn felt responsible for Angel's condition and he was also pretty certain that Gunn was going to unleash that guilt and frustration on some poor unsuspecting creature of the night.
"We wait Cordelia. All we can do is wait", Wesley finally replied
"Do you think he's gonna come through this?", Cordelia asked. Her question was fearful as if she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer. Wesley stood from the chair and walked over to stand behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders for support and looked at the now peaceful face of Angel.
"I hope so Cordelia", he whispered, his grip tightening, "I do hope so"
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Angel could not believe what he was seeing. His best friend who had died over a year ago was now standing in front of him as large as life as if he had never been away.
Doyle looked almost exactly the same as the last time Angel had seen him. His clothes were dishevelled, his hair unkempt and although Angel couldn't be certain there seemed to be a faint smell of whiskey hanging in the air.
Angel took a couple of steps towards Doyle and tentatively reached out half expecting his hand to pass right through Doyle's body but instead it connected with his chest as a hard shove.
"Hey", Doyle protested as he stumbled backwards, losing his footing and falling to the floor, "Is that any way to treat an old friend you haven't seen in a while?"
Angel shook his head, "Y…you can't be here", he said running a hand through his hair, "Y…y…you're dead."
"Well technically you're dead too but it doesn't stop you from walking and talking every day", Doyle replied icily, picking himself up and brushing the dust from his clothes
"No this is a trick. I saw you…..your body.…….it….it…..disappeared"
Doyle closed his eyes at the memory of his mortal death. He remembered all too well the painful details of how he had left his human life. The physical pain he endured at the hands of The Scourge however was nothing in comparison to watching the sorrow his friends had to been made to endure as they mourned for him. After his passing, he had found himself unable to sever the ties that bound him to both Angel and Cordelia and for that reason the PTB had assigned Doyle to become AI's unseen partner and guardian. The PTB were very clear on their instruction to Doyle. He was not allowed to interfere with matters that came to pass no matter how dire the situation. His role was that of observer only so as he watched them from his newly elevated spiritual position, Doyle had been more than touched by the depth of their grief. He never realised until that moment what an impact he had had on Cordelia and Angel's lives nor how much he truly cared for them in return. Glancing at Angel now he saw that grief once again in his eyes. He wasn't sure if that sorrow had ever really left. It moved him still.
Angel sank to his knees, his head in his hands. He deliberately turned his back away from Doyle convincing himself that what he couldn't see couldn't be real. "I don't know what to believe anymore", he murmured to himself, "I'm in a place that I haven't seen in over 250 years talking to a man who was burned alive in front of me. I must be going crazy. Again"
Doyle felt for his friend. He knew that Angel had been through an emotional roller coaster these past few months and he certainly didn't want to hurt Angel further. Doyle had come here to deliver a message of hope to Angel not plunge his one time mentor into further despair. Maybe it was a bad idea to bring him back to Galway to have his little chat. Maybe they needed a change of scenery, somewhere familiar, somewhere a little less angst ridden, somewhere where he could get a decent drink. He clicked his fingers and a brilliant white light engulfed them.
Angel lifted his head to see the scenery evaporate into darkness. He was still there, Doyle was still there but everything else had disappeared. Angel felt as if he was drifting, suspended in the middle of nowhere until the blackness began to materialise into reality and the silence into sound. He gave a rue smile as he recognised immediately his new surroundings. This was more like it. The rattling of glasses, the idle banter exchanged between friends and colleagues. If he had pictured a posthumous meeting with his half demon friend, then this is the place he would have chosen. O'Shea's Irish bar, two blocks away from the old Angel Investigation offices.
"Now I know it may be a little hard to see me man", Doyle said from the seat opposite him. He had managed to procure for himself an old bottle of malt whiskey and was pouring himself a second glass in as many seconds, "But believe me when I tell you I am real. I may not be as you remember me but I am most definitely real"
"Then how is it that you're here", Angel asked accepting the offer of a drink from his former partner, "Am I dreaming?"
"Well I wouldn't call it dreaming man more like astral planing"
"Astral planing?", Angel gave a half smile as he took a sip from his drink, "Well it's nice to know that even when you're dead, you don't make much sense"
Doyle gave a mock sigh of offence, "What's the last thing that you remember Mr Sarcasm?"
"Cordy had a vision about some Braxior demons. There was a fight……."
"Yeah, well that fight left you more than a little worse for wear and right now you are in a very bad way." As if to emphasise the point, Doyle leaned forward and placed his thumb on Angel's forehead.
Angel closed his eyes and in his mind he was no longer in a crowded bar but back at his apartment at the Hyperion Hotel. The room was filled with an eerie silence and he had an uneasy feeling. As he looked closer he could see himself lying unconscious on his bed his body wrapped in blood stained bandages. Cordelia was sat with him bathing his fevered body and it was obvious that she had been crying. Wesley was seated in the lounge area, surrounded by an array of his usual books. They both looked so tired.
"What is this?" he asked Doyle.
"What you are seeing is what is happening back in your reality", Doyle explained, "Your body is anchored and is suffering the effects of your battle. Your spirit has left your body and is now suspended between your conscious and sub conscious state. You are travelling an alternate plane like a ghost road. That was how I was able to meet you here. I live in this existence. I'm not alive but I'm not exactly dead either"
"Will I be able to get back?", Angel whispered. He wasn't afraid to die. In fact there were some days when he yearned for an end to his unlife but seeing the distress on the faces of his 'family', he knew now was not the time to go.
"Oh yeah there's no question of that", Doyle assured him, "Hence the reason why I'm here. I've been sent to guide you back but first I need to talk to you about something"
Doyle withdrew his hand and returned to his beloved bottle. Immediately the image in Angel's head cleared and slowly he opened his eyes. He felt himself relax a little. He was more comfortable about seeing Doyle now that there was a reasonable explanation for his presence. He had missed this man more than he realised. Doyle had been such an influential and colourful character in his life even if his impact had been tragically short lived.
"It's good to see you", he said finally to Doyle feeling just a little embarrassed.
"It's good to finally be seen", Doyle replied. He noticed the questioning glint in Angel's eyes and continued, "I may not have been with you in body but I've still been around even if you didn't know I was there"
"You've been keeping and eye on me". Angel should have known that Doyle would never truly leave them.
"You and Cordelia of course". Doyle returned, his mind drifting back to the memories of his princess. His one regret was that he never told Cordelia the truth about who he really was until it was too late. He had fallen in love with Cordy from the first moment she had insulted him and he had wasted his chance to be with her because of his insecurities over his half demon status. Doyle was brought back to the present by the sound of Angel's voice.
"So you're an Oracle now"
Doyle shook his head, "I'd say I was more of the freelance type. Too much of a free spirit and all that"
"And you work for the PTB"
"Well they do pick up the tab once in a while but just between you and me I did draw the line at the body paint and togas. Not my style man"
Angel smiled at the ease in which Doyle had managed to inject humour into their conversation. It had always been that way. Doyle had the ability to diffuse any dire situation with a lighthearted comment as much in the same way as Xander had back in Sunnydale.
"You said that you wanted to talk to me about something," Angel reminded him pouring yet another drink into Doyle's now empty glass before taking a final sip of his own.
"I certainly did", replied Doyle accepting the offer of alcohol all too willingly, "I wanted to talk to you about your Shanshu"
Angel choked on his whiskey , "My Shanshu, you know about my Shanshu?"
"Of course I do man. I make it my business to know about these things and it just so happens that I have been bargaining with the PTB on your behalf". Doyle leaned closer to Angel trying to make sure that the next words from his mouth were for Angel's ears only. "I've asked them to grant you your humanity sooner than prophesised in the Scrolls of Aberjian. It took some persuading but I think they've finally succumbed to my Irish charm"
Angel placed his glass on the table and leaned back in his chair. He could not believe what Doyle was saying to him, "Why Doyle? Why would you do that for me?" he asked, a slight tremor in his voice. "Why would you want to grant something to me that I don't even deserve"
Doyle had expected Angel to react in this unworthy manner after all he was the King of Torment. Angel only ever remembered the pain and suffering he had inflicted on others in a killing spree that had lasted approximately 150 years. He always dismissed the lives he had saved since, the demons he had killed, the good he had done. Doyle hated that. How could Angel expect those around him to forgive him for the deeds of Angelus if he couldn't forgive himself. Doyle believed in Angel. He believed he had a good heart and more than anything he wanted to grant Angel a happiness that had been denied him since that fateful night in a Galway alley 258 years ago. His only job now was to convince Angel that he was indeed worthy. He looked to his friend. Angel's head was hung low and he was staring at his hands. Doyle couldn't be sure but he thought he saw a tear forming in Angel's eye and once again he was overcome with guilt at hurting Angel more than he had planned.
"You want to know why I asked the PTB to grant your humanity", Doyle said trying to get Angel's attention back. Angel nodded sadly.
"Because it's your time Angel. It's time that this sick curse of yours is broken and you're allowed to live again. You deserve this"
Angel obviously did not agree, "But what about all the people I've killed, the families I've destroyed", he said, his voice was almost a whisper and Doyle had to strain to hear.
"And what about those who owe their lives to you. Angel I have watched you time and time again save the souls of strangers all in the name of redemption. Now its time to save your soul. Believe me the Powers wouldn't have granted my request if they didn't think that you had earned it."
Angel allowed Doyle's words to sink into his disorientated skull. Had he really made amends for all the lives he had taken. Could there finally be an end to his dark existence. He had to have faith that what Doyle was saying was true. And if it was………..
"I can't believe this is happening", he whispered to himself. His remorse had now been replaced by a feeling of optimism and he smiled at Doyle, "I'm gonna be human", he laughed, "I'm gonna be human"
Angel attracted the attention of the nearest waiter and ordered a bottle of champagne. If ever there was a reason to celebrate surely this was it. Doyle was more than pleased at the change in Angel's demeanour and hated to burst Angel's bubble of hope but he had not yet given him the full details of his deal with the PTB.
"Angel before you get too carried away with yourself, there's something else that you need to know"
Angel's smile stopped abruptly, "I knew it was too good to be true", he said slumping in his seat
"Now its not what you think", Doyle interrupted eager to maintain Angel's positive outlook, "The Powers have just decided to add a safety clause that's all"
"A safety clause. What do you mean ?"
"Well let's just say that recent events with a certain blonde haired vampire have the PTB running scared that soul or no soul you could still be turned to the dark side. They obviously don't want to see that happening so they will grant your humanity on one condition."
"And that is?", Angel asked suspiciously.
Doyle sighed heavily, "They want to assign a guardian to you. Someone who will be bound to you until the end of your days", he explained, "They also want you to choose who this person should be"
Angel's smile returned. To him it was obvious who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and Doyle should have known who he would choose too. As far as Angel was concerned all he had to do was say HER name and he could go back to his world and start his new life as a living, breathing human being.
"Then I choose……..", Angel began
"Wait, wait before you say anything I think you have to realise the importance of this decision", Doyle said holding his hands up and stopping him dead in his tracks. "I know that you have one person in your mind Angel, but you have to choose wisely and think with your head not necessarily with your heart this time. You see whomever you choose will become the protector of your soul. If you choose wisely then your Shanshu will be granted almost as soon as you return back to your reality but if you choose incorrectly then the PTB may decide not to grant your humanity at all not matter what the prophecy may say"
"Then how do I know who to choose?", Angel asked dejectedly. "If you say that Buffy may not necessarily be my guardian, then who else could it be?"
"I told you I was here to guide you," Doyle said encouragingly, "And I will. I want to help you make your choice so by using my new found power I'm gonna transport you from here and place you in different scenerios with each of the women in your life today. You have to think about the impact each one has made on you and whether you can trust her enough to hold your destiny in her hands. Do you think you can do that?"
Angel gave a reluctant nod. This was turning out to be a very strange night.
"Are you ready?", Doyle asked him. Angel agreed and braced himself for whatever Doyle was about to do. He felt Doyle's thumb on his forehead again.
"Then close your eyes, your journey is about to begin"
To Be Continued…………………..
