"ANGEL!" Buffy screamed as she woke up from her deep sleep. She looked
around until she saw Angel standing beside her bed.
"Buffy, what's wrong?" He asked as she flung herself into his arms.
"It was horrible, horrible!" She shook violently out of shock. Angel tried to calm her. He spoke to her gently and rocked her back and forth until finally she drifted off to sleep again. He kissed her forehead and then left the room to join the discussion downstairs.
"She having dreams" He said rushing past Giles to the kitchen.
"Dreams?" Giles asked puzzled as he followed him. Angel grabbed a glass and filled it with water.
"What kind of dreams?" Giles asked Angel. Angel finished his glass and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"About Angelus" He said quietly looking at Giles with a 'please help her' look. "Did you find out who wrote that note?" Angel asked as he rushed past Giles again into the lounge.
"Ah.not exactly" Giles said following Angel. "But we will find out who's doing this Angel" He looked into Angel scared eyes. Angel put am arm on Giles' shoulder.
"Thank you" He said as he picked up his leather jacket and put it on.
"Where are you going?" Willow asked Angel. Angel looked at her then at Doyle.
"Com'on" He urged.
"Where are we going?" Doyle asked.
"I'll tell you on the way" Angel walked to the door pulling Doyle by his jacket.
"Wait!" Willow cried. "What do we tell Buffy?" Everyone looked at Angel. Angel looked up the stairs.
"Hopefully you wont have to" He said lovingly and walked out the door with Doyle in tow.
"Where are we going? " Doyle asked trying to keep up with Angel who walked faster.
"My place" He said.
"Well, why?" Doyle asked.
"You'll see" He hurriedly walked about the corner entering the mansion courtyard. Doyle stopped dead.
"Wow!" He said. "Is she yours?" He pointed to Angel's car.
"Yeah" he said softly. "Get in" He said to Doyle who wasted no time in doing so.
"So, where are we going?" Doyle asked rubbing his hands together. "Can I drive?" He said like a small child at Christmas.
"To the Oracles" Angel said as the drove out of Sunnydale.
"Whoa!" Doyle said. "The Oracles?! Are you mad man?!" He shouted at Angel. "What do you want with them?"
"An explanation" Said Angel taking the correct turn for the 2 and half hour drive to L.A. Doyle saw the sign.
"How did you know the Powers are in L.A?" Doyle asked looking at Angel. Angel looked dead ahead.
"You" He said.
"Me? I never told you" Doyle protested.
"But you came from L.A after you had a vision about me. And you knew the Powers were dangerous. How would you know that unless someone had warned you? The Oracles" Angel continued his analysis.
"Your good" Doyle joked.
"I know" Angel said seriously.
"The gateway for lost souls" Angel read the Latin over the archway. "Is under the post office?" He looked at Doyle puzzled.
"Makes sense when you think about it. Now the Oracles are finicky and unpredictable, so you ask your question and you get out. Don't dilly dally!" Doyle finished preparing the spell to gain access.
"We beseech access to the knowing ones" He lit the spell and a bright, white light shone out into the passage.
"Your in" He said to Angel as they both put their hands up to protect their eyes from the light.
Angel looked at Doyle and then walked through the light. He looked behind him as the light disappeared leaving a grey brick wall.
"Come before us, lower being" The male Oracle said to Angel. "Well?"
"What's happened to me?" Angel kept an eye on both Oracles.
"It worked then brother. He is no longer a warrior," The female Oracle laughed.
"This is not my redemption?" Angel questioned.
"Your redemption?" the male Oracle chuckled. "Did you save humanity, avert the apocalypse?" Angel looked at the floor.
"I thought the Powers."
"The Powers that Be.what do you know about the Powers? You, lower being, have nothing to question here" The Oracles turned to walk up the corridor they appeared from.
"Yes I do" they stopped dead. How dare this lower being question them? They turned and stared at him with angry eyes.
"The Slayer, what is to happen to her while I am human?" Angel was clear of his intent to protect Buffy however he could.
"Oh, this is a matter of love. It does not concern us" The male Oracles turned away.
"Yes it does" Angel was becoming more confident. "Will she die?" The female Oracle nodded solemnly. Angel looked at the floor with a tear in his eye. He stepped forward.
"Then I ask you to take me back" The Oracles looked surprised.
"It is not our place to grant life and death," The male Oracle said.
"You're asking to be what you were? A Demon with a soul" Angel looked at her, as did her brother.
"I'm no good to you like this. I can't protect her or anyone this way, not as a man" The female Oracle stood, deep in thought.
"It is not our place to indulge the whims of lower beings." The male Oracle started.
"You are wrong," The female said. The male jumped back in surprised. Angel looked up to them with his brown eyes soaked by tears. "This one is willing to sacrifice every drop of human happiness he has ever known or another. He is not a lower being" The male Oracle admitted defeat.
"There is one way, but it is not to be undertaken lightly"
"We swallow these events as though they never happened" The female said.
"Then none of this happened, Buffy and i..."He looked up at them, "What will stop us from doing the exact same thing?"
"You" She said. Angel grew worried. There had got to be a catch, he knew there was. "You alone will carry the memory of these events. Can you carry that burden?" She looked at Angel who, with a tear in his eye, looked to her then the floor. She knew his answer.
Angel and Doyle returned to Sunnydale that same night. Slowly and quietly they entered Buffy's house with the key Giles had given Angel. Angel looked around the corner and saw Willow and Oz together on the couch.
"Upstairs still?" he asked Willow. She nodded. He began to climb the stairs when Willow called out.
"Angel?" He looked at her and she knew something was wrong. "You ok?" She asked.
"Fine" He answered continuing his ascent. Willow looked at Doyle who stood in the doorway. He shrugged and watched Angel go upstairs.
As Angel got closer to Buffy's bedroom he regretted everything he had just done, but it was for her, and he loved her so much. He didn't knock, just walked in slowly, closing the door behind him. He moved as slowly as he could, trying not to disturb her as he slept. He finally got to the chair that sat next to Buffy's bed and sat down. Looking at her he asked himself some questions. Had he done the right thing? How would he live without her, especially for eternity? She stirred under his thought and he knew she could sense him. Buffy's eyes flicked open and she smiled at him, in the way she did.
"Hey" She said happily. Angel knew this wasn't going to be easy. Buffy noticed he was wearing his jacket.
"W...Where are you going?" She grew concerned.
"Nowhere"
"Then why do you have your jacket on?" By this time Buffy had sat up out of bed and Angel knew he had to tell her.
"I.uh.I" Angel rubbed the back of his neck. "I went to see the Oracles. I asked them to change me back" He couldn't look at Buffy. Her eyes streamed with tears.
"What?" She half whispered to him. "You didn't" Angel looked up at her.
"I'm sorry" He tried to comfort her.
"Don't" She put her head down towards the floor, her face in her hands. Angel reached out and put his hand on her face, bringing her up to look at him. "Why?" she asked, till crying. Buffy put her hand on Angel's and closed her eyes. Angel put his other hand up on the other side of Buffy's face and kissed her. When they separated, she opened her eyes. "Why?" She repeated her question. Angel stood up and walked to the window, just as in Buffy's dream. She watched him move towards the window and waited for his words.
"I.It's because, now I know more than ever how much I love you" Angel still faced the window. Buffy got up off the bed and walked over to him. He turned around just as she got there and caught her as she fell into his arms. A tear ran down Angel's face as he held Buffy.
"I wasn't sure I could do it if I woke up with you one more morning" He explained.
"I understand," cried Buffy but her words were muffled. She looked up at Angel. "Now what happens?" She tried to sound strong.
"The Oracles are giving us back the days, turning back the time" He paused to take a deep breath. "And nobody will know but me" Angel tried to swallow a lump in his throat.
"So what.none of this happened" Buffy broke down again. Angel pulled her to his chest again.
"Please Buffy, don't cry. We have to be strong," He himself was crying. They stood in each other's arms for a time Angel would never forget. He knew the Oracles would do it soon so Angel held Buffy and tried to make her say very little.
"I'll always love you Angel," she whispered.
"Buffy, what's wrong?" He asked as she flung herself into his arms.
"It was horrible, horrible!" She shook violently out of shock. Angel tried to calm her. He spoke to her gently and rocked her back and forth until finally she drifted off to sleep again. He kissed her forehead and then left the room to join the discussion downstairs.
"She having dreams" He said rushing past Giles to the kitchen.
"Dreams?" Giles asked puzzled as he followed him. Angel grabbed a glass and filled it with water.
"What kind of dreams?" Giles asked Angel. Angel finished his glass and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"About Angelus" He said quietly looking at Giles with a 'please help her' look. "Did you find out who wrote that note?" Angel asked as he rushed past Giles again into the lounge.
"Ah.not exactly" Giles said following Angel. "But we will find out who's doing this Angel" He looked into Angel scared eyes. Angel put am arm on Giles' shoulder.
"Thank you" He said as he picked up his leather jacket and put it on.
"Where are you going?" Willow asked Angel. Angel looked at her then at Doyle.
"Com'on" He urged.
"Where are we going?" Doyle asked.
"I'll tell you on the way" Angel walked to the door pulling Doyle by his jacket.
"Wait!" Willow cried. "What do we tell Buffy?" Everyone looked at Angel. Angel looked up the stairs.
"Hopefully you wont have to" He said lovingly and walked out the door with Doyle in tow.
"Where are we going? " Doyle asked trying to keep up with Angel who walked faster.
"My place" He said.
"Well, why?" Doyle asked.
"You'll see" He hurriedly walked about the corner entering the mansion courtyard. Doyle stopped dead.
"Wow!" He said. "Is she yours?" He pointed to Angel's car.
"Yeah" he said softly. "Get in" He said to Doyle who wasted no time in doing so.
"So, where are we going?" Doyle asked rubbing his hands together. "Can I drive?" He said like a small child at Christmas.
"To the Oracles" Angel said as the drove out of Sunnydale.
"Whoa!" Doyle said. "The Oracles?! Are you mad man?!" He shouted at Angel. "What do you want with them?"
"An explanation" Said Angel taking the correct turn for the 2 and half hour drive to L.A. Doyle saw the sign.
"How did you know the Powers are in L.A?" Doyle asked looking at Angel. Angel looked dead ahead.
"You" He said.
"Me? I never told you" Doyle protested.
"But you came from L.A after you had a vision about me. And you knew the Powers were dangerous. How would you know that unless someone had warned you? The Oracles" Angel continued his analysis.
"Your good" Doyle joked.
"I know" Angel said seriously.
"The gateway for lost souls" Angel read the Latin over the archway. "Is under the post office?" He looked at Doyle puzzled.
"Makes sense when you think about it. Now the Oracles are finicky and unpredictable, so you ask your question and you get out. Don't dilly dally!" Doyle finished preparing the spell to gain access.
"We beseech access to the knowing ones" He lit the spell and a bright, white light shone out into the passage.
"Your in" He said to Angel as they both put their hands up to protect their eyes from the light.
Angel looked at Doyle and then walked through the light. He looked behind him as the light disappeared leaving a grey brick wall.
"Come before us, lower being" The male Oracle said to Angel. "Well?"
"What's happened to me?" Angel kept an eye on both Oracles.
"It worked then brother. He is no longer a warrior," The female Oracle laughed.
"This is not my redemption?" Angel questioned.
"Your redemption?" the male Oracle chuckled. "Did you save humanity, avert the apocalypse?" Angel looked at the floor.
"I thought the Powers."
"The Powers that Be.what do you know about the Powers? You, lower being, have nothing to question here" The Oracles turned to walk up the corridor they appeared from.
"Yes I do" they stopped dead. How dare this lower being question them? They turned and stared at him with angry eyes.
"The Slayer, what is to happen to her while I am human?" Angel was clear of his intent to protect Buffy however he could.
"Oh, this is a matter of love. It does not concern us" The male Oracles turned away.
"Yes it does" Angel was becoming more confident. "Will she die?" The female Oracle nodded solemnly. Angel looked at the floor with a tear in his eye. He stepped forward.
"Then I ask you to take me back" The Oracles looked surprised.
"It is not our place to grant life and death," The male Oracle said.
"You're asking to be what you were? A Demon with a soul" Angel looked at her, as did her brother.
"I'm no good to you like this. I can't protect her or anyone this way, not as a man" The female Oracle stood, deep in thought.
"It is not our place to indulge the whims of lower beings." The male Oracle started.
"You are wrong," The female said. The male jumped back in surprised. Angel looked up to them with his brown eyes soaked by tears. "This one is willing to sacrifice every drop of human happiness he has ever known or another. He is not a lower being" The male Oracle admitted defeat.
"There is one way, but it is not to be undertaken lightly"
"We swallow these events as though they never happened" The female said.
"Then none of this happened, Buffy and i..."He looked up at them, "What will stop us from doing the exact same thing?"
"You" She said. Angel grew worried. There had got to be a catch, he knew there was. "You alone will carry the memory of these events. Can you carry that burden?" She looked at Angel who, with a tear in his eye, looked to her then the floor. She knew his answer.
Angel and Doyle returned to Sunnydale that same night. Slowly and quietly they entered Buffy's house with the key Giles had given Angel. Angel looked around the corner and saw Willow and Oz together on the couch.
"Upstairs still?" he asked Willow. She nodded. He began to climb the stairs when Willow called out.
"Angel?" He looked at her and she knew something was wrong. "You ok?" She asked.
"Fine" He answered continuing his ascent. Willow looked at Doyle who stood in the doorway. He shrugged and watched Angel go upstairs.
As Angel got closer to Buffy's bedroom he regretted everything he had just done, but it was for her, and he loved her so much. He didn't knock, just walked in slowly, closing the door behind him. He moved as slowly as he could, trying not to disturb her as he slept. He finally got to the chair that sat next to Buffy's bed and sat down. Looking at her he asked himself some questions. Had he done the right thing? How would he live without her, especially for eternity? She stirred under his thought and he knew she could sense him. Buffy's eyes flicked open and she smiled at him, in the way she did.
"Hey" She said happily. Angel knew this wasn't going to be easy. Buffy noticed he was wearing his jacket.
"W...Where are you going?" She grew concerned.
"Nowhere"
"Then why do you have your jacket on?" By this time Buffy had sat up out of bed and Angel knew he had to tell her.
"I.uh.I" Angel rubbed the back of his neck. "I went to see the Oracles. I asked them to change me back" He couldn't look at Buffy. Her eyes streamed with tears.
"What?" She half whispered to him. "You didn't" Angel looked up at her.
"I'm sorry" He tried to comfort her.
"Don't" She put her head down towards the floor, her face in her hands. Angel reached out and put his hand on her face, bringing her up to look at him. "Why?" she asked, till crying. Buffy put her hand on Angel's and closed her eyes. Angel put his other hand up on the other side of Buffy's face and kissed her. When they separated, she opened her eyes. "Why?" She repeated her question. Angel stood up and walked to the window, just as in Buffy's dream. She watched him move towards the window and waited for his words.
"I.It's because, now I know more than ever how much I love you" Angel still faced the window. Buffy got up off the bed and walked over to him. He turned around just as she got there and caught her as she fell into his arms. A tear ran down Angel's face as he held Buffy.
"I wasn't sure I could do it if I woke up with you one more morning" He explained.
"I understand," cried Buffy but her words were muffled. She looked up at Angel. "Now what happens?" She tried to sound strong.
"The Oracles are giving us back the days, turning back the time" He paused to take a deep breath. "And nobody will know but me" Angel tried to swallow a lump in his throat.
"So what.none of this happened" Buffy broke down again. Angel pulled her to his chest again.
"Please Buffy, don't cry. We have to be strong," He himself was crying. They stood in each other's arms for a time Angel would never forget. He knew the Oracles would do it soon so Angel held Buffy and tried to make her say very little.
"I'll always love you Angel," she whispered.
