Chapter 3
Surprise, Surprise
"What the hell is that?" Xander asked looking at Anya who gave him a disapproving look. As she opened her mouth to begin, there was a loud knock at the door. Buffy looked around at them. Willow looked worried, so did Tara. Buffy took a stake and carefully walked over to the door and opened it a crack, looking outside, weapon at the ready. It was completely dark, but she could recognize the tall, dark figure.
"Angel?" She opened the door, open-mouthed. Being in shock as she was she forgot to lower the stake.
"Buffy. I-What..?" He stared at the stake, then back at her questionably.
"Oh. Hi. Yeah.... sorry..We've gotta new Big Bad in town and.Hi." She stammered."
"Hey..Big Bad is right. Can I come in? Something's come up."
"Uh. Sure." She said, blinking a couple of times.
"Ummm.I need a little more than that." He said, slightly smiling at her reaction. She was still the same old Buffy.
"Come in!" She said quickly.
Angel stepped inside and took off his jacket. They went over into the living room, where Angel received shocked glances from everyone else.
"Uh oh, we know something's up when we get a visit from Dead Boy here." Xander said.
"Yeah well..Something's coming. And it's not good. Back in L.A..I was walking down the street one night and I heard yelling. I saw a child, a girl I think, and she was killing some guy. Like, there was really powerful magic, I could feel it. By the time I got there she had disappeared and I thought nothing much of it. Then Cordy had a vision that included the end of the world, and the hellmouth. I told Wes about it and he did some researching, and apparently, she's..not good news-" He was cut off.
"Yes, I was just about to explain." Anya said, not liking they way Angel had taken all the attention off her. "She is The Apocalypse Child. She's been in existence since the beginning of time, her soul is ancient. She has a lot of power-power enough to create an apocalypse. If I'm not mistaken, she's created and apocalypse before. Only one. Everything was different then. The world was at peace with another. Demons, humans they all lived together. She didn't like the way everything was running its course so She ended the world so everything started all over. From the beginning of the Ice Age. She's only sighted before she creates an apocalypse; otherwise she is hidden to any being's eyes."
"So..We've seen her so she's gonna end the world? How do you know all this?" Xander asked.
"Like I said, I've been around a long time. I've heard things." She replied.
"I've heard things too. Rumors. That's why I came down. You guys can't do this on your own."
"And one vampire's gonna help?" Xander snapped.
"No. Fred, Gunn, Lorne Wes and Cordy are coming down some time soon."
Giles looked up from the book he had found and began to research from and frowned. "This..thing..Can't be destroyed. There's no way to stop her. Once she's declared the end of the world-it it happens. There's like a force field around her so no rain can make her wet and no fire can burn her. She is protected at all times."
Dawn, who had fallen asleep on the couch stirred and moaned. Buffy noticed, glanced at her watch and said, "all right, let's deal with this when the gang isn't asleep. Angel, you can stay over here."
Xander and Anya both went to Xander's place, Giles went to his. Willow and Tara both went to their room. Buffy tucked Dawn in hers and she went back to her own room. Angel turned his back while Buffy changed and then he chose to sleep on the floor. Buffy got in to bed, tossed Angel a blanket and a pillow and lay down, remembering that one night.
"Remember the night you saved me from The Three?" She asked quietly.
"Yeah." He said.
"Me too. This is exactly like this..in a way. Anyway thanks for coming down here. It really means a lot." She said, drifting to sleep. She had a sudden memory of that night, five years ago and smiled, saying "Angel? Do you snore?"
He smiled, remembering too. "I don't know. It's been a long time since anybody's been in a position to let me know."
"What the hell is that?" Xander asked looking at Anya who gave him a disapproving look. As she opened her mouth to begin, there was a loud knock at the door. Buffy looked around at them. Willow looked worried, so did Tara. Buffy took a stake and carefully walked over to the door and opened it a crack, looking outside, weapon at the ready. It was completely dark, but she could recognize the tall, dark figure.
"Angel?" She opened the door, open-mouthed. Being in shock as she was she forgot to lower the stake.
"Buffy. I-What..?" He stared at the stake, then back at her questionably.
"Oh. Hi. Yeah.... sorry..We've gotta new Big Bad in town and.Hi." She stammered."
"Hey..Big Bad is right. Can I come in? Something's come up."
"Uh. Sure." She said, blinking a couple of times.
"Ummm.I need a little more than that." He said, slightly smiling at her reaction. She was still the same old Buffy.
"Come in!" She said quickly.
Angel stepped inside and took off his jacket. They went over into the living room, where Angel received shocked glances from everyone else.
"Uh oh, we know something's up when we get a visit from Dead Boy here." Xander said.
"Yeah well..Something's coming. And it's not good. Back in L.A..I was walking down the street one night and I heard yelling. I saw a child, a girl I think, and she was killing some guy. Like, there was really powerful magic, I could feel it. By the time I got there she had disappeared and I thought nothing much of it. Then Cordy had a vision that included the end of the world, and the hellmouth. I told Wes about it and he did some researching, and apparently, she's..not good news-" He was cut off.
"Yes, I was just about to explain." Anya said, not liking they way Angel had taken all the attention off her. "She is The Apocalypse Child. She's been in existence since the beginning of time, her soul is ancient. She has a lot of power-power enough to create an apocalypse. If I'm not mistaken, she's created and apocalypse before. Only one. Everything was different then. The world was at peace with another. Demons, humans they all lived together. She didn't like the way everything was running its course so She ended the world so everything started all over. From the beginning of the Ice Age. She's only sighted before she creates an apocalypse; otherwise she is hidden to any being's eyes."
"So..We've seen her so she's gonna end the world? How do you know all this?" Xander asked.
"Like I said, I've been around a long time. I've heard things." She replied.
"I've heard things too. Rumors. That's why I came down. You guys can't do this on your own."
"And one vampire's gonna help?" Xander snapped.
"No. Fred, Gunn, Lorne Wes and Cordy are coming down some time soon."
Giles looked up from the book he had found and began to research from and frowned. "This..thing..Can't be destroyed. There's no way to stop her. Once she's declared the end of the world-it it happens. There's like a force field around her so no rain can make her wet and no fire can burn her. She is protected at all times."
Dawn, who had fallen asleep on the couch stirred and moaned. Buffy noticed, glanced at her watch and said, "all right, let's deal with this when the gang isn't asleep. Angel, you can stay over here."
Xander and Anya both went to Xander's place, Giles went to his. Willow and Tara both went to their room. Buffy tucked Dawn in hers and she went back to her own room. Angel turned his back while Buffy changed and then he chose to sleep on the floor. Buffy got in to bed, tossed Angel a blanket and a pillow and lay down, remembering that one night.
"Remember the night you saved me from The Three?" She asked quietly.
"Yeah." He said.
"Me too. This is exactly like this..in a way. Anyway thanks for coming down here. It really means a lot." She said, drifting to sleep. She had a sudden memory of that night, five years ago and smiled, saying "Angel? Do you snore?"
He smiled, remembering too. "I don't know. It's been a long time since anybody's been in a position to let me know."