Till Death Do Us Part

Disclaimer: Two words: NOT MINE.

Timeline: My timelines are all screwed up! Ok, here it goes: Buffy season five (somewhere between "No Place Like Home" and "Family"), Charmed season three, before the season finale you know what happened and Angel season two (between "First Impressions" and "Untouched"), when they finally got the Hyperion Hotel. I know that seasons four, three and one aired simultaneously but I changed it a bit. I hope you don't mind. Oh, and Gunn and Lorne will be in the next chapters too. Also Kate is going to make an appearance in future chapters. Plus the original major story arcs (like "The Key" business and "Darla") are going to be AWOL for this fic because it doesn't really fit the story. I hope that makes sense.

Spoilers: Everything up to the Seasons mentioned above. Plus MAJOR spoilers on the Angel season one episode "I Will Remember You" I almost wrote a summary of it below.

A/N: Mmmmh... maybe Faith can be brought into this fic by some way or another. Dunno yet, but expect some major Faith action on the upcoming chapters. Wow! To tell you the truth, I've already lost interest in this fic because I started writing this thing way back in May 2002 but only posted this fic on FF.net this December, got blocked and forgot all about it, but since you guys are lovely, lovely people for reviewing this fic, I'll do my best to continue it even though I already forgot the original plot for this, but I decided to change the storyline into a better one, don't worry. I'm sorry to say that the Charmed Ones are going to be absent in this chapter cause this chappie mainly focuses on the long awaited reunion of the Scoobies and the AI gang. I don't see them fitting in any of the get-together scenes with all the history and the supposed to be awkwardness of the situation regarding the BtVS and Angel group. But don't worry; they will play a big role in the upcoming chapters. This chapter is just a piece of angst or fluff in the gathering of the ever so connected but different groups. Oh, and don't ever, ever forget to send feedback. ;-)

Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter Two: The Road to Ancient History

"Hand me a stake!" Buffy Summers shouted, still in combat with a more aggressive and hideous than usual bloodsucker.

Buffy, Riley, Xander, Willow, Tara, Anya and even Giles and Spike are in the graveyard battling out demons that are believed to be the ones who are killing single and beautiful women in Sunnydale this past couple of weeks.

This incident is a slap in the face for Buffy, Willow, Tara, and Anya and even for Dawn, Buffy's little sister since they are in danger of being harmed by that demon. Since Riley won't let Buffy battle that demon alone, Willow and Tara persist on coming believing that their magic can help, Anya refusing to be left out, the same reason for Xander, Spike went only for the thrill in battling out demons since it's the only ones he can hit and kill and Giles because he's just bored burying his British nose in those ancient books hence, the whole gang is at the graveyard battling these vampires who had the nerve to kill the slayer and her friends. Dawn wanted to come too but she can't escape the wrath of her sister even if she tried to beg for her sister's authorization to let her come.

They were supposed to hunt the graveyard for the demon when suddenly and out of nowhere, five ugly vampires attacked them and they have no choice to battle these nocturnal bloodsuckers. A fight that is easily won by the Scoobies since the battle is five versus eight.

After only just a few minutes, the last vamp was finally dusted by Buffy herself.

"I could swear that there's nothing more disgusting than vampires and their kind." Riley said. "All of them are all the same."

Not all of them. Buffy added silently, thinking of that brooding vampire she once knew. Her first love, Angel. The ever so mysterious vampire with a soul. The same vampire she loved and hated. She sacrificed the one she loved to save the world, and now, look how it did her any good. Yeah, he came back, but then went to L.A. to pursue his so-called destiny. And for all Buffy knew, he's already shagging with that pain Cordelia Chase. She wouldn't be surprised if the feared Angelus wouldn't be released to the world since she's selfishly confident that she's the only one who can give him that deadly ultimate happiness.

//But all of those are ancient history now. Now I'm with Riley who probably is the most normal guy I've ever dated. And I'm really thankful for that. Really.//

But not surprisingly, that didn't ease the sinking feeling at the pit of her stomach that could only be classified as jealousy. Why she was jealous, she did not know. Maybe she just didn't want other people taking the only one that she ever truly loved.

"So what now?" Willow asked, distracting her from her reverie. "Are we still going to hunt for that demon 'coz-"

Willow was cut off by the ringing of Xander's brand new cell phone that was given to him by Anya, so as she says, so that they can stay in touch, and also so Xander will look less pathetic.

"Hello?" Xander answered the phone.

"Xander?" a very familiar voice answered from the other line. A very familiar voice. Too familiar in fact. "Where are you all? Look, you need to get to the Magic Box already so we can speak to you all at the same time, because frankly, I don't trust you with this kind of information."

"What?!" Xander said, confused. "Cordelia? Is that you?"

"Yes, you moron!" she snapped. "Call us when your there."

She hung up. And that left Xander surprised and still very confused.

"That was Cordelia." Xander announced.

"We heard." Anya said.

"Why did she call?" Giles asked.

"She said that we have to go to your house immediately so that they can speak to all of us at once." Xander replied.

"Why, what's the matter?" Willow asked. "Is something wrong?"

"She didn't say." Xander replied.

"Typical Cordelia..." Giles mused.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Buffy said.
***
"All set." Riley, who's been fixing the phone stood up and said.

They all looked each other, then at Buffy who just stared back. They all knew that Buffy should call Angel and find out what in the Hellmouth is going on, but they're not sure if Buffy is up to it.

"Um..." Willow said breaking the tense silence. "I think we should call them now."

"Yeah." Buffy replied, still not moving from the stool she's sitting in.

"Ok," Xander said. "Does anybody want to do it? Especially the one who's Angel's closest with."

"Bloody Hell," Spike muttered. "Were wasting time here. Just call your nancy-boy ex already."

Buffy felt Riley stiffen beside her. She knew that he still thought that Angel's bad and he's just trouble.

"He's -" Buffy started.

"Fine, I'll go call them." Willow finally said to everyone's relief. She punched the numbers on the telephone and whispered, "It's ringing."

The whole gang watched as she talked to the phone and finally pressed the button for the speakerphone.

"Hey, you all there?" Cordelia asked.

"Were here." Giles replied. "What's supposed to be the matter?"

They heard a little muffling and a voice from afar saying, "Angel, you talk."

"Why me?" they heard a subtle voice said, obviously Angel.

"Because... I still have a headache." Cordelia oh-so obviously lied.

"Uh..." Angel awkwardly began. "Look, right at the point. We've been tracking this demon, it's uh... a demon that's been known to be killing children back in San Francisco and just lately, Cordelia has gotten a vision of the same demon probably killing women there in Sunnydale-"

"We know," Buffy spoke up. "We've been tracking it down for a couple of days already."

There was a beat at the other end of the line.

"Well, the problem doesn't end there." Wesley piped in, his British accent portraying that it's him. "As I found out through my researches, the demon grows about five inches every time it devours a human being. The demon is called Cataula, and the funny thing is, the demon is originally just a foot tall."

"So, because he's just a foot tall, the only kind of human he can eat are children since they're smaller than adults, but what's with the female victims and stuff." Tara piped in to the gang's amusement. She rarely joined the discussions. She often just sits quietly, listening attentively to what was happening and the plans.

"Who's that?" Cordelia loudly asked.

Buffy can see that Tara's cheeks are burning. Thankfully, Willow came to her rescue. She introduced her and also Riley who they still don't know.

"I don't know if you agree with me, but I think that's it's wise if you all go here it L.A. so we can fight this demon side by side since that the females are incapable of doing such." Wesley said.

"Excuse me?" Buffy exclaimed.

"What?!" they also heard Angel exclaim at the same time.

"No." Wesley quickly replied. "I don't mean it that way. Uh... the demon can kill anybody it wants to kill, and just a touch of its hand can and will mean instant death. And at this moment, its prey are females and-" Wesley said when Angel piped in.

"Just one touch from its hand is proved fatal to females." Angel finished.

"Ok," Xander said. "But what about the men? Are they in danger too."

"Well, not the same as the females." Wesley explained. "Males wont die by just the touch of Cataula, uh, the demon's name, but it can still kill them the old fashion way. I'm just saying that if Buffy and the others are here, we can easily track the demon, Buffy can kill it's accomplices and Angel and the others can fight the demon itself. The demon has been spotted with, most peculiarly, vampire accomplices. We admit that we're a little ill-handed with people who can really fight." Wesley further explained. "That is if... if you agree with me."

"It seems like a good plan." Willow said.

"Yeah, I've been wanting to see L.A. for awhile." Anya said. "And since Angel is already free, since Buffy, you know..."

"Anya!" Xander scolded.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Riley stubbornly said.

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"Because..." the only reason that Riley don't want Buffy going there is because obviously she's going to see her ex again and that would be bad for him. "Because we don't have any place to sleep in. It would cost too much if we would stay in a hotel just to track this stupid demon. And what about your little sister? You can't just leave her here with your mom being all busy with the gallery."

"He's right." Giles spoke up.

"Oh, no problem about that." Wesley said. "The hotel's got plenty of rooms for you all."

"What hotel?" Buffy asked, puzzled.

"I thought we talked about not renting a hotel." Riley mused.

On the other line, arguments also rang out.

"What?!" Angel exclaimed.

Cordelia also shouted the same word.

"What's wrong with you two?" Wesley whispered so that he wouldn't be heard at the other line. "Well, where do you want them to stay? This hotel's too big for the three of us anyways. Even including Gunn. It's about time that the other rooms be occupied too instead of the hundreds of dust bunnies that's been sheltering there since time began."

"Well, it's just that-" Angel began but Cordy cut him off.

"Ok, fine!" the ex-may queen said, throwing her hands in the air, signaling that she gave up. "They can all stay here and wreck the place into pieces if they have to! But don't blame me if they demolish everything in sight."

"Hey! When will I got to have a say for all this?" Angel asked, in his eyes a questioning and a briefly amused look.

"Don't worry Angel." Cordelia said. "There will surely be enough bedroom space for you and Buffy to 'get on with it'."

"What?!" Angel's pale face suddenly turned into a bright shade of red. Cordelia almost laughed out loud at the mere sight of Angel having some color other than his usual white façade. "That's not what I-"

"Oh, please!" Cordelia exclaimed. "Save us the details."

Angel and Cordelia as usual continued to bicker while Wesley talked to the Scoobies about the supposed to be plan.

"Um, we allegedly forgot to tell you..." Wesley said. "Angel's office kind of... um... blew up... and... um... Well, it's a really, really long story. Just go to this address and you'll see what we're talking about."

"Ok, whatever you say Wes." Xander spoke up.

"Right, and we'll be expecting you." Wesley answered back. "Oh, and be careful."

"We'll do Wesley." Giles said farewell and disconnected the phone.

"Hey, we still didn't talked about Dawn." Anya said.

"What about her?" Xander said. "She doesn't need a baby-sitter anymore. She already pointed that out to us for probably a million times already."

"No, I don't want mom worrying anymore than she have to about Dawn, now with her being all busy at the gallery, we really don't need Dawn, getting in any more trouble." Buffy spoke up. "No choice, we're taking her with us."

"What about Spike?" Anya asked again. "Are we taking Spike with us too?"

"Please say 'no'!" Xander whined.

"Considering that I've been just sitting here, listening to you all whine and go on about this and that, it's about time that you even acknowledge that I'm also bloody hell here!" Spike exclaimed.

"I didn't know that I was talking to you, Spike." Xander snapped. "I was obviously talking to Buffy."

"I think we need him." Buffy suddenly spoke up, much to Xander's irritation at her answer. "Since, females can't really fight that damn demon-"

"You obviously need my big strong muscles and venomous fangs!" Spike said, a big goofy and amused smile pasted on his face. "All right, I'll go."

"For the love of God! He's just going to annoy us to death!" Xander said, shaking his head. "And can you please control your already bulging ego, Spike? Mickey Mouse has bigger muscles than you, and your fangs are NOT at all venomous!"

"Hey!" Spike shouted, pasting a bogus 'hurt' look at his face. "I-"

"Just cut the crap already!" Buffy hollered. This silly and nonsense argument is really getting on her nerves. "Shut up!"

"So, it's set." Willow said. "We'll leave tomorrow."

To their amazement, Buffy just stayed silent deep in thought.
***
Angel still could not believe that Buffy is coming to L.A. and he's going to see her again. After all these long years of being alone, he's going to again have the chance to look into her beautiful blue eyes and touch her milky smooth skin. He still remembered the time they last saw each other. Angel went back to Sunnydale to apologize to her for their little misunderstanding at the police station about that rogue slayer Faith, and Buffy's new relationship with her moronic boyfriend. He remembered the last time that he held her in his arms like it was just yesterday.

The day that never happened.

He became human because of battling that Mohra demon causing to him and its blood to mix. He spent a night of passion with Buffy but then he had to take it all back. The demon said that more would be coming and the slayer will die so he went to the Powers that Be and ask them to turn him back. Turn him back to what he was. A nocturnal creature, not human nor animal, not alive nor dead. He knew what he was giving up. A lifetime of happiness and peacefulness in him, with his heart lively beating inside his chest, live blood surging through his veins. He knew all that, yet he was willing to sacrifice it all for the one girl that he ever loved and still love, up until now after two long years. The oracles agreed and so they turned back the time, being it the only way that it could ever be done, already saying to him that he alone would bear the pain and the hurt of remembering that unbelievable but magnificent day that they shared together.

He fiercely remembered the way he held her just a minute before everything that they ever knew disappeared into nothingness, before the time will be brought back.

//I'll never forget, I'll never forget, I'll never forget!//

But she did forget everything. Every little thing that they did went away from her memory, leaving him grasping the sole idea that what they did may never ever happen again. And that hurts the more, than fatal cuts and bruises that Angel receives almost every single day.

She didn't remember a single thing while Angel never forgot a single small detail about it.

He remembered it all and never forgot anything, up until now.

The sun is shining brightly outside as Angel can see but never can feel. He was at the lobby of the Hyperion Hotel, sitted at one of the soft cushioned sofas while waiting for Buffy and the gang to arrive. The witches and the others went back to their hotel and said that they would check on them for further updates on the demon while they do their own research. Angel asked them if they would like to stay at the Hyperion Hotel with them so they wouldn't waste any more money on their hotel fees but they insist on keeping their old residence.

Cordelia and Wesley, as Angel can hear through his vampiric senses, were arguing about what will happen when the whole gang of the Slayerettes are finally here at the Hyperion Hotel. He knew that they're trying to be sneaky by being inside the office with the door shut closed and not let him hear about what they're talking about but unfortunately for them, Angel could hear every single word.

"Wesley, give me a break!" Cordelia said, fed up of the annoying Brit. "They'll just wreck the whole goddamn place apart! And what will happen if Angel and Crybuffy can't hold their surging hormones to themselves and ends up shagging on the couch? We are doomed!"

"Cordy, I think you are over reacting." Wesley patiently said, looking through a thick pile of papers, which Angel assumed that that was the initial reports and information about the demon they were hunting that Gunn managed to dig up on the streets and his crew.

"I am not over reacting!"

"Yes you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Look, what's done is done." Wesley argued, taking a deep breath and letting it out as if it can erase the annoyance that he is now feeling because of Cordy's non-stop complaints. "The damage has already been made, if that's what will shut your big and injudicious mouth-"

"How dare you?!" Cordelia exclaimed, her mouth hanging open as if she could not believe that Wesley said what he said.

"You have no choice but to just treat them as such and after a week or so, they will surely go away." Wesley replied, still as cool as a cucumber. "Just go with the flow."

Cordelia laughed.

"You have no idea how funny it is to see you trying to imitate a beach dude!" she said.

"What-"

Angel chose not to listen anymore. Those two could go on and on forever until their mouths get tired of snapping various comebacks at each other. He just hope that when the whole bunch of Slayerettes get here, they wouldn't be as bad as these two, although that sounds like, to Angel, that is already asking too much.
***
"I think we're lost."

"No we're not! We are just... in the wrong place and cannot seem to find the right one."

"Same difference. Admit it Willow, we already lost all our precious 'finding-the-right-direction' skills."

"It's not my fault that Wesley gave us lousy directions!"

"No, Wesley gave you 'wrong' directions."

"It just seems too much to ask Wesley to give us proper and comprehensible information about where the bloody hell is that hotel they are talking about!" Giles sighed.

"Maybe we could ask somebody." Willow suggested, looking around the windshield to find anybody who's looking well enough to help them find the Hyperion Hotel.

"And what do you think we should ask them?" Xander said, steering the wheel into the right to avoid a near collision with a small blue car traveling at their side. " 'Hey! Do you happen to know where the Angel's Investigation is? You know, the detective agency owned by a vampire with a soul. You wouldn't happen to see a pale, slightly mysterious piece of cardboard person around would you?' "

"Very funny Xander."

He, Willow and Giles are at the front of the mini bus that Buffy managed to get from somewhere that the Scoobies don't even want to know, trying to find the Hyperion Hotel that Wesley is talking about just yesterday while the others are just lagging and peacefully relaxing at the back, doing whatever things that they can think of to pass the time that they spent traveling to L.A.. Dawn is looking more and more bored at the minute and every once in a while, she always go to the front of the vehicle just to say hi and bug Giles until he crack up and tell her to go back to her seat. Buffy is serenely sitting by herself at the bottom back of the bus, thinking all by herself while Riley gave up hours ago to get her to talk to him and confine whatever she was thinking. Well, whatever she was thinking at this very moment, the Scoobies could only guess what it is.

Meanwhile, Anya and Tara are engaged into a deep conversation to what Xander suspected was about witches and witchcraft, again. Anya was really willing to learn other magical properties that she didn't know as a demon so that she could be more useful in managing the Magic Box. Spike somehow managed to hide underneath one of the seats to cover from the sunlight, but was now complaining rather loudly about the pain in his back.

"No, I'm serious." Xander answered, a small smile forming at his lips. "I actually did a pretty good description of that vampire back there."

"Do you have to be so mean to him all the time?"

"I'm not being mean to anybody!" Xander protested. "I'm just telling the truth!"

"Willow, Xander..." Giles interrupted, raising his glasses further up his nose, signaling that he's getting irritated or just mildly uncomfortable. "Could you please get on with the problem ahead? We are wasting precious time."

"Well, a lot of time would already be saved if that bloke just gave us proper and intelligible directions!" Xander exclaimed.

"You're sounding more and more British here, Xand." Willow said, smiling. Smiling somewhat always managed to lighten up her whole face and cheer up the moods of the people around her. "Be afraid. Be very afraid!"

"Please don't talk to each other like I'm not here." Giles mused. "And what's wrong with being British?"

"I didn't say that there is something wrong with being British!" Willow said, somehow perplexed at the idea of being racist. "I'm just saying that-"

"Oh look, we're here!" Xander exclaimed happily, pulling the bus into a halt. It was already sundown and the Slayerettes are in deep need for some rest in a real bed and some refreshments and food.

Everybody stopped whatever they are doing and for some, like Buffy, finally woke from her trance-like reverie.

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked, peering through the bus' glass window. "That's building's a little too big to be Angel's"

"Wow," Anya spoke up. "What's with Angel and big buildings? This is better than his mansion back in Sunnydale."

"What mansion?" Tara asked, still all confused and with the lack of knowledge about the vampire with a soul.

"Long story, Tara," Willow answered. "I'll tell you later."

"One way to find out." Xander announced, hopping out of his seat and heading to the entrance of the vehicle. "Are you guys coming or not?"

"What bloody choice do we have?" Spike responded, obviously annoyed and hurting from the look at the way he was clutching his back. "You guys really like to torture me by renting a bloody vehicle with no tint whatsoever, do you?"

"Hey! Nobody really begged you to come!" Xander retorted, eyeing the blond vampire with disgust.

"Who said-" Spike was about to lunch into his full battle of comebacks with Xander when Buffy unexpectedly put an end to it.

"Shut up, both of you!" she exclaimed. "This is not the time, nor place to be squabbling like brainless rugrats."

"Buffy's right," Willow said. "This is not really the time. Let's just go in, shall we?"
***
"Where are they?" Wesley said, looking at his watch for the umpteenth time.

"Wow, I expected Angel to be the one anxious for them to finally arrive, but you're really overshadowing him by the way you're acting." Cordelia said, strangely up on her feet and on her cleaning-the-hotel frenzy that only says that she's nervous and agitated as well for meeting her high school friends.

"I'm not anxious!" Wesley protested, who is now standing behind the counter, seemingly looking at the reports about the current demon business that they are working on right now. "I'm just worried that they got lost or something."

"Maybe you gave them wrong directions." Cordy suggested.

"I did not give them wrong directions!" Wesley exclaimed. "And it's so easy finding a five story building here in our block that a blind moronic pervert could even find it."

"Maybe they took a little wrong turn." Cordelia again evoked. "I wouldn't be really surprised because we all know that those guys are still a little... you know... dim?"

"Cordy-" Wesley was about to say that she shouldn't talk like that about her high school friends no matter how mean they are to her a long time ago when the front door finally opened up, revealing nine haggard and irritated looking individuals. Buffy, Riley, Giles, Xander, Anya, Willow, Tara, Dawn and Spike entered the beautifully furnished lobby of the Hyperion hotel looking like they had just entered a castle and could not believe that it was owned by a friend of theirs.

"Wow." Buffy said, flabbergasted. "Nice building."

"Yeah, can't believe Angel got it for such a bargain." Cordelia said icily, then turned to Wesley and whispered in an irritated voice. "Goddamit! I knew it! They're gonna wreck the whole place apart!"

There was this thick tension between these two independent but infamous girls that strikes Wesley as odd but he just ignored it, believing that it was because they are probably the two most important women in Angel's life - or unlife - the two most beautiful women in Angel's eyes and Wesley knew that he will do everything and anything just to save these two if needed.

"So, where's Angel?" Buffy asked, still looking around.

"He's upstairs." Cordelia replied. "Preparing, I guess."

As if by cue, there was a soft rustling coming from the nearby staircase that caught their attention and down came Angel, looking as gorgeous as ever with an all black attire, still not knowing that Buffy and the Slayerettes are already there. When he reached the final step, he finally looked up and surprise and recognition crossed his handsome face.

"Buffy-" he said.

"Angel-" she replied.

And at that very moment, some could say that the tension in the room is so thick that you could cut it with a knife.
***
A/N: Ok, I lied. This chapter is really just a piece of fluff about why and how the Scoobies finally get to the Hyperion Hotel to finally meet the L.A. gang, now an extended version with Gunn and Lorne. The NEXT chapter will be the one who's going to be dealing with the ACTUAL meeting of the guys where awkwardness, fluff and angst will arise. I'm suffering from a little block and I can't seem to just put into words and paragraphs what I originally planned for the story. And I'm still finishing three other stories and that is probably why I took so long to update. Sorry! I'll try harder next time, promise.
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