Malicious Reality
CH 2 ~ Facing Destiny
Comments: Yeah, yeah, Angel didn't loose his soul. But I figure Joss only made that up to have a nice little excuse to kick Angel off the show. Then he could make the spin off and earn millions more than he was already making off of BTVS. So my fic is a CWC. (Curse? What curse?)
"Buffy. Buffy, wake up." Something was talking to her, pulling Buffy from the furthest recess of sleep.
She'd been having a beautiful dream, and kicked the thing, turning over to try and capture it before she fully woke. Angel's cry of pain brought her to her senses. "Angel?" Her voice was groggy with sleep.
"Are you always this agreeable when you wake up?" Angel's wry grin made her heart stop.
"No. It's not already-" Buffy stopped as Angel nodded, parting the curtains.
The sun was sinking below the horizon, covering everything in its hatefully soft glow. Buffy stared at the blackness, shaking her head. "It can't be. It's not enough time." Angel's face turned into a frown.
Somehow, these words made him uneasy. "I know." He reached for her hand, dragging her from the covers.
"But we have to go." Buffy shook her head, again grasping for time.
"We still have time. The sun hasn't set yet." She pointed out, capturing him in a kiss tasting of longing.
Angel couldn't bring himself to pull away. He remembered something. "I have something for you." He said, breaking their searing kiss.
Buffy looked at him, tears in her eyes. This time, he knew she wouldn't let them fall. Mustering her voice, she asked, "What is it?"
Angel opened one of the drawers. His hand came out clutched around a box. "Open it." He handed it to her, his voice urging.
Buffy stared at him while opening it. She looked down, and tightly closed her eyes. It was a large silver cross, made of two separate bars of metal lying perpendicular to each other. "Oh." Was all she could bring herself to say.
"I- I was going to give it to you when you first came. All this time-" Buffy pulled the necklace from the box.
She took off her wooden cross- strung on a black leather thong. Angel stopped her before Buffy could replace it. "Let me." Buffy sat still as Angel pushed her hair aside, looping the chain over her head.
He clasped the chain, and bent, kissing her neck. Buffy inhaled sharply, stiffening at first, but leaning back into him. "I don't want to leave this." Angel knew what she meant.
"Look." Buffy pulled her eyes to the window, and they saw the last fading rays of sunshine disappear behind the horizon.
"God, how can it be over already?" She asked quietly, knowing no response would come.
"We've got to meet Giles and the others." Buffy nodded, but neither moved.
"Five more minutes." Buffy pleaded, turning around to face him.
Angel nodded slowly, mesmerized by the look in her eyes. As they began to kiss, the world slipped away, all thoughts of destiny forgotten.
**
Buffy and Angel ran to the library an hour late, making hurried excuses to the anxious group. "What was more important than saving the lives of hundreds?" Hannah asked testily, handing them weapons.
"Um-" Angel struggled to think of a response.
Buffy jumped in, a fierce look warning away questions or chiding remarks. "It was our last night, ok? We got a little caught up in the moment." Giles stammered, his statement lost in embarrassment.
"I think Giles is trying to ask if everyone's cool with the plan." Oz said calmly, tucking two stakes into his belt.
"Yeah." Buffy responded, following Oz's example.
"Let's roll." Hannah's voice was steady, despite her obvious fear.
As they filed out of the library, Angel stopped Buffy. She bit her lip, bracing herself for the goodbye. As if he'd read her thoughts, Angel said, "I'm not going to say goodbye." Buffy stared at him, her lip growing raw.
"We're going to see each other again. I promise." It took some doing, but Buffy kept her tears in check at the empty pledge.
After a pause to find words, to find breath to speak, Buffy agreed. "We will. I- I don't want you to be too far. Ever. If we stay close, then maybe..." Neither of them wanted to hear the end of the statement.
Angel bent down, whispering in her ear. A last kiss, and they walked out together, each taking strength in the other. As they climbed into Oz's van, Buffy repeated his words in his ear. "I love you." And it was quiet.
**
The plant was silent as death. Buffy and Angel went around to the back, each taking one of the door guards and stood to wait. Hannah, Giles, and Oz had little trouble staking the vampires guarding their door, and once inside, slid behind the scenes, creeping along the far wall to free the caged humans. The vamps standing watch at the cage had their backs turned, watching the horrible machinery do its job to a man strapped down on the table. Giles and Oz staked them while Hannah broke the wooden bars keeping them inside. By now, the vampires had noticed their arrival. They raged, breaking up themselves. A total of thirty vampire minions had come to watch the show again tonight, not including the Master, Willow, and Xander, who were quite a distance from them. Hannah assumed her fighting stance, instructing her group to grab the shards from the cage to help in any way possible. The battle flared, and the human number dropped considerably. Giles and Oz joined forces, and having a better lot of freed prisoners, fared well, taking out all of their vamps. Hannah's people had almost immediately screamed and fled. All but five were dead, and they were holding back ten vamps. Oz and Giles rushed to aid her, but too late. By the time the vampires were dusted, she had been drained and dropped on the floor like a piece of garbage. Oz ordered the people to run, he and Giles followed, praying for a miracle.
Buffy pulled back from around the corner, nodding at Angel. "They haven't run out a different exit. I think they're still getting the people out of there."
"Right." Just then, the door swung open, and Willow and Xander frowned at them.
"What, more naughty humans? Now can we have fun?" Willow pouted, staring up at Xander with her puppy-dog eyes.
She cocked her head, staring at Angel. "Look, its puppy. Oh, you've been a bad dog. Naughty to run away from home like that, leaving me all worried." Buffy took no time in reacting.
She released the trigger on her crossbow, getting Willow directly to the abdomen, as Angel effectively blocked her head. Taking her cue, Angel slashed at Xander, who growled, trying to dodge a particularly well placed blow. The two vampires had no weapons. It didn't take time for them to realize that this wasn't an ordinary fight. "No fair." Willow cried, as Buffy's bolt hit home.
The vampire exploded in a cloud of ash. Her death made Xander fiercer. He let out a bloodcurdling howl, and lunged at Angel, grabbing for the sword. Buffy shot him in the side, trying to disable him. Angel managed to pull away the blade, getting sliced across his stomach. Buffy shot Xander again and again, missing his heart as he squirmed and fought for the sword. Finally, Angel swept the blade across his throat, cleaving the head straight off his shoulders. "Good luck getting past the Master." Xander's last bitter words disappeared on the air, as did his remains.
"Well, that wasn't so bad." Buffy panted, approaching Angel to see how badly he was wounded.
"No, I'm ok. The Master's coming, stay on top." He ordered gruffly.
Again, the door swung open. Only it wasn't just the Master. Something happened that none of them planned for. Behind their leader, almost a hundred vampires stood. They had hidden somewhere in the plant, as the Master had suspected an attack. "I had no idea you'd be so prepared." The Master grinned at them.
"But I was more so." He indicated the legions of vampires flanking him.
"We came here to accomplish one thing." Buffy informed him, her voice growing tart with anger.
"Killing you." Angel thrust his sword through the wrinkled vampire as hard as he could.
The blade nearly passed through him. Only the hilt remained on their side. As he chuckled, and pulled out the blade, Buffy shot him, taking the sword from the ground as the angry vampires rushed forward. As promised, Angel stood by Buffy, taking the sword from her and getting into a fighting stance. Buffy glanced at Angel repeatedly during the fight. Vampire after vampire was dusted. She seemed to be breathing the gold dust into her lungs as much as she was getting air. Finally her crossbow ran out of bolts and was discarded. She pulled a stake from her sheath, wielding it against the crowd. But finally, the numbers overwhelmed them. For each vampire they dusted, three more seemed to replace it. The crowd of minions surged forward, sweeping them up, turning in on them, and it was over. Buffy managed to see Angel's last moment. His eyes were fixed on her, and she heard him call for her before his remains flew the ground, mingling with those of the slain. Buffy felt her life slip away, and she prayed that it wasn't the last time she would see Angel again.
**
Giles and Oz came back, giving out crosses and holy water to the surviving humans. They waited for Buffy and Angel to return, refusing to face the facts that the prophecy had been brutally correct. They waited long after the sun had rose, and only after the sun had again set did they go back to the scene to find Buffy's body.
Giles felt bile rise in his throat when he saw the festering corpse. Around it, tiny traces of dust could be seen. Oz collected the Master's bones while Giles moved Buffy's body into the factory. When the work was finally done, they looked back at the abandoned plant. "Go ahead." Giles nodded to Oz, who held a red metal jug with a long funnel-shaped nose.
Oz nodded solemnly, and began pouring the gasoline around the building, and emptied it inside, throwing the empty container in as well. Oz lit a match from a pack in his hand, and threw it onto the damp trail. It caught fire immediately, spreading along the gas. Giles couldn't watch the flaming building. The day had been saved, but at the cost of three brave people. He turned away, ready to get inside the vehicle. "Wait." Oz told him, staring intently into the flames.
"Do you see that?" Giles turned back to the plant.
Inside the building, the flames roared. But beyond the wall of leaping crimson flame, two figures rushed to meet. Oz and Giles watched their passionate embrace. "Buffy-" Giles began, hurrying to the door.
Oz held him back. "What are you doing? She's alive, Buffy's inside..." The ex-watcher trailed off, staring helplessly.
"No. She's finally at peace." Giles nodded his head after a minute of thought.
"Yes. I suppose you're right." They turned away from the scene, just missing the figures as they disappeared.
CH 2 ~ Facing Destiny
Comments: Yeah, yeah, Angel didn't loose his soul. But I figure Joss only made that up to have a nice little excuse to kick Angel off the show. Then he could make the spin off and earn millions more than he was already making off of BTVS. So my fic is a CWC. (Curse? What curse?)
"Buffy. Buffy, wake up." Something was talking to her, pulling Buffy from the furthest recess of sleep.
She'd been having a beautiful dream, and kicked the thing, turning over to try and capture it before she fully woke. Angel's cry of pain brought her to her senses. "Angel?" Her voice was groggy with sleep.
"Are you always this agreeable when you wake up?" Angel's wry grin made her heart stop.
"No. It's not already-" Buffy stopped as Angel nodded, parting the curtains.
The sun was sinking below the horizon, covering everything in its hatefully soft glow. Buffy stared at the blackness, shaking her head. "It can't be. It's not enough time." Angel's face turned into a frown.
Somehow, these words made him uneasy. "I know." He reached for her hand, dragging her from the covers.
"But we have to go." Buffy shook her head, again grasping for time.
"We still have time. The sun hasn't set yet." She pointed out, capturing him in a kiss tasting of longing.
Angel couldn't bring himself to pull away. He remembered something. "I have something for you." He said, breaking their searing kiss.
Buffy looked at him, tears in her eyes. This time, he knew she wouldn't let them fall. Mustering her voice, she asked, "What is it?"
Angel opened one of the drawers. His hand came out clutched around a box. "Open it." He handed it to her, his voice urging.
Buffy stared at him while opening it. She looked down, and tightly closed her eyes. It was a large silver cross, made of two separate bars of metal lying perpendicular to each other. "Oh." Was all she could bring herself to say.
"I- I was going to give it to you when you first came. All this time-" Buffy pulled the necklace from the box.
She took off her wooden cross- strung on a black leather thong. Angel stopped her before Buffy could replace it. "Let me." Buffy sat still as Angel pushed her hair aside, looping the chain over her head.
He clasped the chain, and bent, kissing her neck. Buffy inhaled sharply, stiffening at first, but leaning back into him. "I don't want to leave this." Angel knew what she meant.
"Look." Buffy pulled her eyes to the window, and they saw the last fading rays of sunshine disappear behind the horizon.
"God, how can it be over already?" She asked quietly, knowing no response would come.
"We've got to meet Giles and the others." Buffy nodded, but neither moved.
"Five more minutes." Buffy pleaded, turning around to face him.
Angel nodded slowly, mesmerized by the look in her eyes. As they began to kiss, the world slipped away, all thoughts of destiny forgotten.
**
Buffy and Angel ran to the library an hour late, making hurried excuses to the anxious group. "What was more important than saving the lives of hundreds?" Hannah asked testily, handing them weapons.
"Um-" Angel struggled to think of a response.
Buffy jumped in, a fierce look warning away questions or chiding remarks. "It was our last night, ok? We got a little caught up in the moment." Giles stammered, his statement lost in embarrassment.
"I think Giles is trying to ask if everyone's cool with the plan." Oz said calmly, tucking two stakes into his belt.
"Yeah." Buffy responded, following Oz's example.
"Let's roll." Hannah's voice was steady, despite her obvious fear.
As they filed out of the library, Angel stopped Buffy. She bit her lip, bracing herself for the goodbye. As if he'd read her thoughts, Angel said, "I'm not going to say goodbye." Buffy stared at him, her lip growing raw.
"We're going to see each other again. I promise." It took some doing, but Buffy kept her tears in check at the empty pledge.
After a pause to find words, to find breath to speak, Buffy agreed. "We will. I- I don't want you to be too far. Ever. If we stay close, then maybe..." Neither of them wanted to hear the end of the statement.
Angel bent down, whispering in her ear. A last kiss, and they walked out together, each taking strength in the other. As they climbed into Oz's van, Buffy repeated his words in his ear. "I love you." And it was quiet.
**
The plant was silent as death. Buffy and Angel went around to the back, each taking one of the door guards and stood to wait. Hannah, Giles, and Oz had little trouble staking the vampires guarding their door, and once inside, slid behind the scenes, creeping along the far wall to free the caged humans. The vamps standing watch at the cage had their backs turned, watching the horrible machinery do its job to a man strapped down on the table. Giles and Oz staked them while Hannah broke the wooden bars keeping them inside. By now, the vampires had noticed their arrival. They raged, breaking up themselves. A total of thirty vampire minions had come to watch the show again tonight, not including the Master, Willow, and Xander, who were quite a distance from them. Hannah assumed her fighting stance, instructing her group to grab the shards from the cage to help in any way possible. The battle flared, and the human number dropped considerably. Giles and Oz joined forces, and having a better lot of freed prisoners, fared well, taking out all of their vamps. Hannah's people had almost immediately screamed and fled. All but five were dead, and they were holding back ten vamps. Oz and Giles rushed to aid her, but too late. By the time the vampires were dusted, she had been drained and dropped on the floor like a piece of garbage. Oz ordered the people to run, he and Giles followed, praying for a miracle.
Buffy pulled back from around the corner, nodding at Angel. "They haven't run out a different exit. I think they're still getting the people out of there."
"Right." Just then, the door swung open, and Willow and Xander frowned at them.
"What, more naughty humans? Now can we have fun?" Willow pouted, staring up at Xander with her puppy-dog eyes.
She cocked her head, staring at Angel. "Look, its puppy. Oh, you've been a bad dog. Naughty to run away from home like that, leaving me all worried." Buffy took no time in reacting.
She released the trigger on her crossbow, getting Willow directly to the abdomen, as Angel effectively blocked her head. Taking her cue, Angel slashed at Xander, who growled, trying to dodge a particularly well placed blow. The two vampires had no weapons. It didn't take time for them to realize that this wasn't an ordinary fight. "No fair." Willow cried, as Buffy's bolt hit home.
The vampire exploded in a cloud of ash. Her death made Xander fiercer. He let out a bloodcurdling howl, and lunged at Angel, grabbing for the sword. Buffy shot him in the side, trying to disable him. Angel managed to pull away the blade, getting sliced across his stomach. Buffy shot Xander again and again, missing his heart as he squirmed and fought for the sword. Finally, Angel swept the blade across his throat, cleaving the head straight off his shoulders. "Good luck getting past the Master." Xander's last bitter words disappeared on the air, as did his remains.
"Well, that wasn't so bad." Buffy panted, approaching Angel to see how badly he was wounded.
"No, I'm ok. The Master's coming, stay on top." He ordered gruffly.
Again, the door swung open. Only it wasn't just the Master. Something happened that none of them planned for. Behind their leader, almost a hundred vampires stood. They had hidden somewhere in the plant, as the Master had suspected an attack. "I had no idea you'd be so prepared." The Master grinned at them.
"But I was more so." He indicated the legions of vampires flanking him.
"We came here to accomplish one thing." Buffy informed him, her voice growing tart with anger.
"Killing you." Angel thrust his sword through the wrinkled vampire as hard as he could.
The blade nearly passed through him. Only the hilt remained on their side. As he chuckled, and pulled out the blade, Buffy shot him, taking the sword from the ground as the angry vampires rushed forward. As promised, Angel stood by Buffy, taking the sword from her and getting into a fighting stance. Buffy glanced at Angel repeatedly during the fight. Vampire after vampire was dusted. She seemed to be breathing the gold dust into her lungs as much as she was getting air. Finally her crossbow ran out of bolts and was discarded. She pulled a stake from her sheath, wielding it against the crowd. But finally, the numbers overwhelmed them. For each vampire they dusted, three more seemed to replace it. The crowd of minions surged forward, sweeping them up, turning in on them, and it was over. Buffy managed to see Angel's last moment. His eyes were fixed on her, and she heard him call for her before his remains flew the ground, mingling with those of the slain. Buffy felt her life slip away, and she prayed that it wasn't the last time she would see Angel again.
**
Giles and Oz came back, giving out crosses and holy water to the surviving humans. They waited for Buffy and Angel to return, refusing to face the facts that the prophecy had been brutally correct. They waited long after the sun had rose, and only after the sun had again set did they go back to the scene to find Buffy's body.
Giles felt bile rise in his throat when he saw the festering corpse. Around it, tiny traces of dust could be seen. Oz collected the Master's bones while Giles moved Buffy's body into the factory. When the work was finally done, they looked back at the abandoned plant. "Go ahead." Giles nodded to Oz, who held a red metal jug with a long funnel-shaped nose.
Oz nodded solemnly, and began pouring the gasoline around the building, and emptied it inside, throwing the empty container in as well. Oz lit a match from a pack in his hand, and threw it onto the damp trail. It caught fire immediately, spreading along the gas. Giles couldn't watch the flaming building. The day had been saved, but at the cost of three brave people. He turned away, ready to get inside the vehicle. "Wait." Oz told him, staring intently into the flames.
"Do you see that?" Giles turned back to the plant.
Inside the building, the flames roared. But beyond the wall of leaping crimson flame, two figures rushed to meet. Oz and Giles watched their passionate embrace. "Buffy-" Giles began, hurrying to the door.
Oz held him back. "What are you doing? She's alive, Buffy's inside..." The ex-watcher trailed off, staring helplessly.
"No. She's finally at peace." Giles nodded his head after a minute of thought.
"Yes. I suppose you're right." They turned away from the scene, just missing the figures as they disappeared.
