Welcome to the disclaimer, that's right, the disclaimer. Yea yea offspring diddy I know that's why I'm here, only one down there in that block of text some people would call a story is skye, a figment of my highly over reactive imagination. Joss owns angel. Sue me and you'll be disappointed as I'm POOR. The song lyrics are BodyJar's "Clean Slate" a funky Aussie band anddddddd well that it I think. Enjoy!!

LONDON 1903

It was cold. No cold's not the right word for it. Freezing, Arctic, Glacial. Those were good words. Bitter, that's another one, sums up my mood too. I was hopelessly lost. Oh I knew were I was, middle of nowhere, London. I knew how to get out of there too but I didn't know what to do then. Wherever I went next I'd still be lost. I wasn't so much lost as I had lost something. A big thing. Something you shouldn't misplace or let out of your sight for more than a millisecond. A crazy, obsessive evil homicidal vampire. Angelus. Not that I'm crushed that I can't find him, hate the barstard, but rah rah go me I'm his - guide, I guess. Yeah never made much sense ta me either, why should a Wicca Warrior guide Angelus the nastiest son of a bitch vampire Europe has known? Why should he get me? whatever, stopped trying to figure it out years ago. Just gotta put up with him until - I dunno when he's dust. but he's not and he's missing. And *no one* knows where he is. He hasn't come after me for _years_ which is not like him. Normally he can't go a day or so with out trying to kill me, not that I miss it, oh yeah that was fun, having to protect the thing whose M.O is to kill you, and well anything else along the way. But I still gotta play the babysitter and find him. I hate my job. Then I heard something, something very soft and far away. It sounded like a child crying. Me being the protector-type I am, naturally went to check it out. It wasn't a child. Curled up on the snow, leaning against the alleyway wall, crying softly was Angelus. He didn't notice me for a while, he just bawled and repeated "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" over and over. It was getting on my nerves, I don't know what he was planning but it didn't amuse. plus he looked *really* pathetic. I cleared my throat and he looked up at me, blinked and wiped some tears off his cheek. "skye" he whispered. "angelus" I nodded back. Then he started crying again. Rocking back and forth "I'm sorry I'm sorry" To point out the obvious something was wrong, different. Angelus didn't cry, he vented his frustions by ripping people throats out. I stepped closer to him. "what's wrong? run out of original torture ideas?" I joked that only made him cry harder. And "I'm sorry" was replaced by "it's all my fault" I stood there watching him for awhile. Eventually he stopped crying and rocking back and forth. "help me skye"

Clean slate

Suddenly waiting for something that I know won't come Now I've Only got time to think how did I end up this way?

It was strange. In that second, from those three words, I didn't feel threatened by him anymore, or hate or anything. Just pity, and an overwhelming urge to protect him. I slowly went and sat down beside him. "what happened?"

not enough not enough inside not enough not enough inside

"it hurts" his voice was barely audible. "what does?" "everything"

All the things that are here to remind me would you take them away? All the things that you learn to rely on Change in your lifetime

"everything? Angelus your gonna need to be a bit more pecific" "everything, everything I've ever done" I frowned. "what happened? you grow a conscience?" he let out a small sob and looked at me his eye's were so, there was something there. something more, something warm. Then I knew. "you have a soul"

Dream state I won't deny now that something was holding us back Clean state

Nothing worth writing so I just confide in myself

I didn't know what to think now. A soul? How long- how come I didn't know- was this why I was sent to protect- . A Soul? It made sense now, why I was his guide. But a soul? A vampire with a soul? Angelus with a soul? "are you sure?" he scoffed. "yea, pretty sure" A soul?

not enough not enough inside not enough not enough inside

how could he live with himself, well I guess that was my job now. To help him. But, a soul? I looked at him. He was staring down at the snow. I slowly put my hand on his shoulder. He flinched, but I didn't pull away. "do you want me to do anything?"

All the things that are here to remind me would you take them away? All the things that you learn to rely on Change in your lifetime

"what would you do? Take it away?" he said bitterly. "ugh, no I guess not, that wouldn't be an option. But, I'm here for you. If you want" he was quiet for a while. "I don't." "yea" "I don't deserve anyone"

not enough not enough inside not enough not enough inside

"everyone deserves someone" "not me" "maybe, but you deserve a chance" "what do you mean?" "maybe you can I dunno, try to be - good" It was a long shot. Angelus and good didn't go well together. Unless it was good *at* being evil. But, It was different now. Maybe he would, could help people. "good?" "yea, you could, help people - I don't know. What the hell am I meant to do? This is a tad weird for me. last time I saw you things were a little more, violent" I think I said the wrong thing. "I'm sorry, I. look Angelus. Is this what you wanna do? Just curl up and disappear?" "yes" "yes? Come on, you can't hide from this, now's your chance to make something useful of yourself. Do you just wanna be remembered as the Scourge of Europe? You could be something more" he seemed to consider it. "what could I do? Help people? It's not enough" "it's a start" "it won't change what I've done" "no, but it's better than you doing nothing. It's better than just dying and saying "that's what I've done to the world" and leaving it at that" "you'll help me?" "sure, I guess that's why I'm here" ". I guess it is" we sat for a while. I was in shock. Angelus, my Arch nemesis of all Arch nemesis's. needed me. and me helping him. It was strange. Even more strange I knew I could trust him now. Stranger still I liked his company. We just sat, in comfortable silence for hours. "Skye?" he eventually said "yea?" "thanks" I smiled "s'ok" "and.and I'm sorry, for trying to kill you and everything. You must hate me" "that's ok. You're. beginning to grow on me" he chuckled and gave me a weak smile "yeah, you too"