Chapter 47
Angel, leaning heavily on Buffy, walked into the Hyperion with Cordy, and Wesley behind him. Fred was the first to see them.
"Oh my God!"
"I thought you guys might be dead." Xander said.
"Don't stop thinking it yet." Angel said.
"Is that it?" Lorne asked.
"The Sword of the Bosh M'ad." Cordy said.
"Slayer of the Beast." Wesley added.
"Oh.. Can I play with it?" Gunn asked. Angel smiled and tossed it to Gunn who hefted it and waved it around.
"Where's Connor?" Fred asked.
"Patrolling." Buffy said.
"We have the sword. Now all we need.." Wesley was cut off by a loud crash. Everyone looked over to where Gunn had sliced the coffee table in two with the sword. He looked up guiltily. "My bad."
"All we need to do is locate the Beast."
"Well, most of my connections have amscrayed to dimensions a little lighter on the stomping-your-entrails out. All I could Kolchak was a rumor of bad mojo rising down in the warehouse district." Lorne said.
"Then that's where we'll start." Angel said.
"Wait. We found some relevant passages in the Paranych Grimoire which we were able to cross-reference with Wo Pang's.. butt." Fred said.
"Either he's got one hell of a funky mold or we figure there's only one way to kill the Beast." Gunn said.
"How?" Wesley asked.
"Piercing its brain with the Bosh M'ad." Fred said.
"Sounds like a plan to me." Angel said.
"And what about the sun?" Buffy asked.
"One good poke in the coconut should take care of that, too." Gunn said.
"When the Beast is dead, the energy used to block the sun should be released." Fred said.
"There's a catch, isn't there?" Wes asked.
"One small eensy."
"Always with the fine print." Buffy said.
"Took a whole lot of power to pull off permanent midnight." Gunn said.
"Which will all be released when I kill the Beast." Angel said.
"As far as we can figure from the texts, nothing human will survive at that close a range. I'm not even sure that you can." Fred said.
"I'll let you know."
"You're not going to fight this thing by yourself." Buffy said.
"There's no choice."
"There's always a choice."
Angel took the sword from Gunn. "Not for me. I have to do this. You made a difference. Each of you. Not just to me but to the world. We've been pushed to edge so many times, done things we're sure can never be forgiven, but we're always there for each other when it counts. We've never let the darkness win. And it's not because of the Powers That Be or the super strength or the magickal weapons. It's because we believe in each other. Not just as friends or lovers but as champions. All of us. Together." He nodded and headed for the door.
"Angel, wait. You just said it. We're stronger together. You can't do this alone." Buffy said, rushing up to him.
"I'm not."
"Drop the Hallmark crap. That might placate the shiny-happies over there but I'm working with a little more investment. I can't lose you. Not now. Not ever."
"Don't worry. I'll be coming back."
"What if you don't?"
"That's not going to happen."
Buffy wiped away a tear. "You don't know that."
"I've never been more sure of anything. I'll come back, Buffy. I promise. For you. But first I've gotta do this. I have to find the Beast and.." Suddenly, the front doors to the hotel shattered and smashed inward. The Beast strode into the lobby and towered over Angel. "Oh. There he is."
"I grow weary of your cowardice, Angelus." The Beast said. "If you will not stand with me, then suffer the agony of my wrath." It noticed the sword. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Go!" Angel yelled. Buffy and Gunn headed towards the weapons cabinet. "No! Get out of here."
"No!" Buffy yelled back.
"All of you. I can't do this with you here."
Wesley pulled Buffy toward the doors as the Beast hurled Angel across the lobby. She tried to go to him but Wesley stopped her.
"No! Angel!" Buffy yelled.
Wesley dragged her out the door as Angel got to his feet, sword at the ready. The Beast held up its hand, a wound sizzling where the sword struck it.
"That stings." The Beast said.
"Not as much as it's going to." Angel said.
"We could rule this world. Why do you oppose me?"
"Rain of fire, blocking out the sun.. And you just kinda piss me off." Angel attacked again, but the Beast blocked Angel's blows with the sword. It seized the sword mid-swing and held it motionless while Angel struggled to pull it free.
"It doesn't have to be this way, Angelus."
"I'm thinking it does." Angel ripped it free of the Beast's grasp and sliced it across the creature's abdomen. The Beast groaned in pain and dropped to its knees. Angel raised the sword and brought it down but the Beast seized it again. Angel put all his weight into it as the Beast twisted with all its strength. It was a struggle of two titans. Then finally the sword itself shattered. Angel looked at the broken blade in stunned horror as the Beast seized him by the throat and lifted him off the floor, gasping and choking in pain.
"Did you really think you'd win?" The Beast asked. Suddenly an axe came down on the Beast's arm and it dropped Angel to the floor. The Beast turned to find Connor squaring off to attack. "The boy joins the father in death."
"No. In kicking your stony ass." Connor said.
The Beast threw a punch but Connor ducked it and slammed the axe into its chest. He landed blow after blow, ducking every one of the Beast's punches. On the floor, Angel reached for the broken sword blade. The Beast grabbed Connor's axe and used it to flip him to the floor and kick him into the reception counter.
"Such arrogance. So much like Angelus."
Connor pushed himself up with a gasp of pain and smiled. "His name is Angel." The Beast turned around and Angel slammed the sword blade up through its chin and out the top of its head. Angel smiled. "Consider your ass kicked." He ran across the lobby and took cover as Connor shielded himself from the Beast's destruction. Its face glowed a bloody red and then its whole body erupted in an explosion of energy. Then it was gone. The only thing left was a smoking pile of dust on the floor. Outside, the dark pall covering the sun disappeared and the light blazed forth once again. Connor got up and helped Angel to his feet.
"Dad.." Connor said.
"You came back." Angel said.
"Like I'd let you take all the credit for saving the world?"
"Just like your mother."
"Speaking of." Connor looked up just as Buffy burst through the doors.
"Connor! Oh! Angel!" Buffy flew into Angel's arms. "You did it!"
"We did it. All of us." Angel said. "Now could one of you do me a favor and sweep that up?"
Later that day, Angel stood upstairs staring out the window at the people on the street who were staring at the sun in awe. Buffy walked in silently, but Angel knew she was there. She walked up right behind him and looked out the window.
"It's hard, seeing everyone so happy because of what you did. Bringing the light back." Buffy said.
Angel let the curtain fall as he turned around to look at her. She was gorgeous. Her hair was loose over her shoulders and she hadn't dried it, so it was in loose curls. She had a slight touch of makeup on that only accentuated her beauty and her clothes were form fitting, hugging her curves in all the right places. He smiled at her. "There's no place I'd rather be.. than here with you." He looked deep into her eyes. She leaned forward and kissed him softly, then more urgently. He suddenly seemed worried and pulled back slightly. "Buffy.."
"No. Whatever it is. Whatever the reason or excuse or logic, we're here. Now. Together. Everything is the way it's supposed to be. For once. Angel.. Haven't we been through enough?"
They kissed again, their passion mounting. Buffy unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off his shoulders as he slid her shirt over her head and kissed her neck. Their hands worked each other's belts and soon they were only in their underwear. They quickly rid themselves of their underwear and Buffy jumped up onto Angel's waist. It was slow and intense, just like their first time together, as they worked their way over to the bed. Angel pushed her down on the bed and lowered himself down on top of her. Buffy closed her eyes as Angel made love to her, sighing with pleasure. As their passion mounted and their climax approached, Angel's eyes suddenly snapped open in shock and he rolled off Buffy and looked around fearfully.
"Buffy.. Oh God.. No!"
"Angel?" Buffy sat up, not bothering to cover herself. "What's.. Oh God, the shaman put the loophole back in!"
"Buffy.." Angel closed his eyes tightly, fighting it at first, but when he opened them again he was lying strapped to the table inside the steel cage in the basement. Wo Pang stood over him, clothed in his ceremonial robes.
"Illusion becomes reality." Wo Pang said. He turned and looked at Buffy. "It is done."
A small smile played across Angel's face and he turned his head to look out at Buffy and the others. Buffy looked into his eyes and knew. "Angelus.." Gunn moved over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder protectively. Fred moved to her other side and held her hand. On the table behind them, Angel's soul glowed a milky white inside the glass receptacle. As Angelus watched them from inside the cage, his smile became a chuckle, then a malicious laugh.
"Come on." Gunn said. He and Fred led Buffy upstairs. Connor and the others trailed behind them. A few minutes later, Wesley and Wo Pang came up.
"How did he get out?" Cordy asked.
"He unstrapped Angel and then teleported." Wesley said. He turned to the shaman. "Thank you." The shaman nodded and then disappeared.
Buffy wiped away her tears and then headed towards the basement door. Connor ran after her. "Mom, where are you going?"
"To get Angel's soul. We need to put it somewhere safe." Buffy said as she kept walking. "Just stay here." She disappeared through the door. Walking down the steps slowly, Buffy knew Angelus had quit laughing and gotten off the table. He stared at her as she walked over to the table and picked up his soul.
"Why Miss Summers, you are beautiful." Angelus said behind her. "Oh, wait.. It's Missus. now isn't it? And I'm Mister. Isn't this just.. Neat?" Buffy ignored him and started up the stairs with the jar in her hands. "Come on, Buff! Don't play like that! We had so much fun last time I was around." She just kept walking and headed right out the door. "Well, that was just rude. MY wife just walking out and not saying a word to me? Fine!" Angelus yelled. "I can entertain myself." He walked over to the wall behind him and sat down, singing to himself.
Angel, leaning heavily on Buffy, walked into the Hyperion with Cordy, and Wesley behind him. Fred was the first to see them.
"Oh my God!"
"I thought you guys might be dead." Xander said.
"Don't stop thinking it yet." Angel said.
"Is that it?" Lorne asked.
"The Sword of the Bosh M'ad." Cordy said.
"Slayer of the Beast." Wesley added.
"Oh.. Can I play with it?" Gunn asked. Angel smiled and tossed it to Gunn who hefted it and waved it around.
"Where's Connor?" Fred asked.
"Patrolling." Buffy said.
"We have the sword. Now all we need.." Wesley was cut off by a loud crash. Everyone looked over to where Gunn had sliced the coffee table in two with the sword. He looked up guiltily. "My bad."
"All we need to do is locate the Beast."
"Well, most of my connections have amscrayed to dimensions a little lighter on the stomping-your-entrails out. All I could Kolchak was a rumor of bad mojo rising down in the warehouse district." Lorne said.
"Then that's where we'll start." Angel said.
"Wait. We found some relevant passages in the Paranych Grimoire which we were able to cross-reference with Wo Pang's.. butt." Fred said.
"Either he's got one hell of a funky mold or we figure there's only one way to kill the Beast." Gunn said.
"How?" Wesley asked.
"Piercing its brain with the Bosh M'ad." Fred said.
"Sounds like a plan to me." Angel said.
"And what about the sun?" Buffy asked.
"One good poke in the coconut should take care of that, too." Gunn said.
"When the Beast is dead, the energy used to block the sun should be released." Fred said.
"There's a catch, isn't there?" Wes asked.
"One small eensy."
"Always with the fine print." Buffy said.
"Took a whole lot of power to pull off permanent midnight." Gunn said.
"Which will all be released when I kill the Beast." Angel said.
"As far as we can figure from the texts, nothing human will survive at that close a range. I'm not even sure that you can." Fred said.
"I'll let you know."
"You're not going to fight this thing by yourself." Buffy said.
"There's no choice."
"There's always a choice."
Angel took the sword from Gunn. "Not for me. I have to do this. You made a difference. Each of you. Not just to me but to the world. We've been pushed to edge so many times, done things we're sure can never be forgiven, but we're always there for each other when it counts. We've never let the darkness win. And it's not because of the Powers That Be or the super strength or the magickal weapons. It's because we believe in each other. Not just as friends or lovers but as champions. All of us. Together." He nodded and headed for the door.
"Angel, wait. You just said it. We're stronger together. You can't do this alone." Buffy said, rushing up to him.
"I'm not."
"Drop the Hallmark crap. That might placate the shiny-happies over there but I'm working with a little more investment. I can't lose you. Not now. Not ever."
"Don't worry. I'll be coming back."
"What if you don't?"
"That's not going to happen."
Buffy wiped away a tear. "You don't know that."
"I've never been more sure of anything. I'll come back, Buffy. I promise. For you. But first I've gotta do this. I have to find the Beast and.." Suddenly, the front doors to the hotel shattered and smashed inward. The Beast strode into the lobby and towered over Angel. "Oh. There he is."
"I grow weary of your cowardice, Angelus." The Beast said. "If you will not stand with me, then suffer the agony of my wrath." It noticed the sword. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Go!" Angel yelled. Buffy and Gunn headed towards the weapons cabinet. "No! Get out of here."
"No!" Buffy yelled back.
"All of you. I can't do this with you here."
Wesley pulled Buffy toward the doors as the Beast hurled Angel across the lobby. She tried to go to him but Wesley stopped her.
"No! Angel!" Buffy yelled.
Wesley dragged her out the door as Angel got to his feet, sword at the ready. The Beast held up its hand, a wound sizzling where the sword struck it.
"That stings." The Beast said.
"Not as much as it's going to." Angel said.
"We could rule this world. Why do you oppose me?"
"Rain of fire, blocking out the sun.. And you just kinda piss me off." Angel attacked again, but the Beast blocked Angel's blows with the sword. It seized the sword mid-swing and held it motionless while Angel struggled to pull it free.
"It doesn't have to be this way, Angelus."
"I'm thinking it does." Angel ripped it free of the Beast's grasp and sliced it across the creature's abdomen. The Beast groaned in pain and dropped to its knees. Angel raised the sword and brought it down but the Beast seized it again. Angel put all his weight into it as the Beast twisted with all its strength. It was a struggle of two titans. Then finally the sword itself shattered. Angel looked at the broken blade in stunned horror as the Beast seized him by the throat and lifted him off the floor, gasping and choking in pain.
"Did you really think you'd win?" The Beast asked. Suddenly an axe came down on the Beast's arm and it dropped Angel to the floor. The Beast turned to find Connor squaring off to attack. "The boy joins the father in death."
"No. In kicking your stony ass." Connor said.
The Beast threw a punch but Connor ducked it and slammed the axe into its chest. He landed blow after blow, ducking every one of the Beast's punches. On the floor, Angel reached for the broken sword blade. The Beast grabbed Connor's axe and used it to flip him to the floor and kick him into the reception counter.
"Such arrogance. So much like Angelus."
Connor pushed himself up with a gasp of pain and smiled. "His name is Angel." The Beast turned around and Angel slammed the sword blade up through its chin and out the top of its head. Angel smiled. "Consider your ass kicked." He ran across the lobby and took cover as Connor shielded himself from the Beast's destruction. Its face glowed a bloody red and then its whole body erupted in an explosion of energy. Then it was gone. The only thing left was a smoking pile of dust on the floor. Outside, the dark pall covering the sun disappeared and the light blazed forth once again. Connor got up and helped Angel to his feet.
"Dad.." Connor said.
"You came back." Angel said.
"Like I'd let you take all the credit for saving the world?"
"Just like your mother."
"Speaking of." Connor looked up just as Buffy burst through the doors.
"Connor! Oh! Angel!" Buffy flew into Angel's arms. "You did it!"
"We did it. All of us." Angel said. "Now could one of you do me a favor and sweep that up?"
Later that day, Angel stood upstairs staring out the window at the people on the street who were staring at the sun in awe. Buffy walked in silently, but Angel knew she was there. She walked up right behind him and looked out the window.
"It's hard, seeing everyone so happy because of what you did. Bringing the light back." Buffy said.
Angel let the curtain fall as he turned around to look at her. She was gorgeous. Her hair was loose over her shoulders and she hadn't dried it, so it was in loose curls. She had a slight touch of makeup on that only accentuated her beauty and her clothes were form fitting, hugging her curves in all the right places. He smiled at her. "There's no place I'd rather be.. than here with you." He looked deep into her eyes. She leaned forward and kissed him softly, then more urgently. He suddenly seemed worried and pulled back slightly. "Buffy.."
"No. Whatever it is. Whatever the reason or excuse or logic, we're here. Now. Together. Everything is the way it's supposed to be. For once. Angel.. Haven't we been through enough?"
They kissed again, their passion mounting. Buffy unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off his shoulders as he slid her shirt over her head and kissed her neck. Their hands worked each other's belts and soon they were only in their underwear. They quickly rid themselves of their underwear and Buffy jumped up onto Angel's waist. It was slow and intense, just like their first time together, as they worked their way over to the bed. Angel pushed her down on the bed and lowered himself down on top of her. Buffy closed her eyes as Angel made love to her, sighing with pleasure. As their passion mounted and their climax approached, Angel's eyes suddenly snapped open in shock and he rolled off Buffy and looked around fearfully.
"Buffy.. Oh God.. No!"
"Angel?" Buffy sat up, not bothering to cover herself. "What's.. Oh God, the shaman put the loophole back in!"
"Buffy.." Angel closed his eyes tightly, fighting it at first, but when he opened them again he was lying strapped to the table inside the steel cage in the basement. Wo Pang stood over him, clothed in his ceremonial robes.
"Illusion becomes reality." Wo Pang said. He turned and looked at Buffy. "It is done."
A small smile played across Angel's face and he turned his head to look out at Buffy and the others. Buffy looked into his eyes and knew. "Angelus.." Gunn moved over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder protectively. Fred moved to her other side and held her hand. On the table behind them, Angel's soul glowed a milky white inside the glass receptacle. As Angelus watched them from inside the cage, his smile became a chuckle, then a malicious laugh.
"Come on." Gunn said. He and Fred led Buffy upstairs. Connor and the others trailed behind them. A few minutes later, Wesley and Wo Pang came up.
"How did he get out?" Cordy asked.
"He unstrapped Angel and then teleported." Wesley said. He turned to the shaman. "Thank you." The shaman nodded and then disappeared.
Buffy wiped away her tears and then headed towards the basement door. Connor ran after her. "Mom, where are you going?"
"To get Angel's soul. We need to put it somewhere safe." Buffy said as she kept walking. "Just stay here." She disappeared through the door. Walking down the steps slowly, Buffy knew Angelus had quit laughing and gotten off the table. He stared at her as she walked over to the table and picked up his soul.
"Why Miss Summers, you are beautiful." Angelus said behind her. "Oh, wait.. It's Missus. now isn't it? And I'm Mister. Isn't this just.. Neat?" Buffy ignored him and started up the stairs with the jar in her hands. "Come on, Buff! Don't play like that! We had so much fun last time I was around." She just kept walking and headed right out the door. "Well, that was just rude. MY wife just walking out and not saying a word to me? Fine!" Angelus yelled. "I can entertain myself." He walked over to the wall behind him and sat down, singing to himself.
