The next day Xander woke around noon. After determining he and Angel were
safe, he slowly stretched and took stock of their situation. He and Angel
were back in Sunnydale and while an indeterminate number of years had
passed for them, only three months had passed in this dimension. That
meant that they probably wouldn't have to worry too much about finances or
people wondering where they had gone. A summer road trip would cover him
and well, no one really would have been looking for Angel.
He got up and went to the bathroom. He wasn't surprised to see that the while it had modern amenities, there was no mirror hanging on the wall. He wasn't too sure if he wanted to see what he looked liked. The other place didn't have mirrors; most demons found no use for the objects and Xander had only occasionally seen his reflection in some water. He knew by his friends' reactions that he looked different than before. He wasn't certain that he wanted to note the difference. He knew that the scars from those years would clearly show through and he didn't know if he wanted to permanently acknowledge those changes and by seeing the changes, he could no longer deny that they had taken place.
But for now, he didn't have to make that choice. After letting the water in the shower warm up, he stepped into the first shower he had taken since the day he had disappeared from Sunnydale. He spent quite a bit of time enjoying the warm water and was glad he was back, even if he ended up having to slay something really big and slimy.
When the water starting running cold, he knew it was time to get out. He reached for the towel he had found in a cupboard and dried off. He had managed to scrounge up a clean set of clothes he could wear from Angel's closet. He had found leather pants and a silk over shirt to wear and put them on. He looked at his other clothes in disgust, but he didn't know quite what to do with them.he did want to keep them. They were, after all, made to fit him and were comfortable. He just wasn't sure if he could clean the others. Well, he'd make sure to drop them off at a drycleaners; hopefully they'd be able to remove the smells and stains that come from hundreds of battles and from only having one real set of clothes.
By the time he was fully dressed, it was only a couple hours to dusk. He went back to the bedroom and shook Angel awake. He was the only one that could approach the vampire without Angel going on guard. Angel woke and smiled up at Xander, "Hello."
Xander smirked back, "Hello. Sleep well?"
"Yeah. How long have you been up?"
"Long enough to have the best shower of my life and to realize you don't have any food here."
"Why don't you go out and get us both something to eat-I probably have some cash around here. I'll take a shower and wait for you to come back." Angel smirked and got up from the bed. He headed for his closet and grabbed some clothes; he didn't care what as long as it was clean. Xander was still standing where he had left him. "What? Couldn't find the cash?"
Xander just shook his head and walked over to the dresser. "Where would you hide it?"
"Um, probably there. Nobody comes into the Mansion, so I didn't have to hide it too well."
"Okay, fine. Do you think that the drycleaners would get slime out of my old clothes?"
Angel started to laugh. "Probably, but do you really want to wear them again?"
"Yeah, they fit really well, and I have a feeling we'll need sturdy clothing. I'll go out, get the food, blood and hit the drycleaners. By the time I get back, it should be full dark and we can go hit your contacts. Find out what the TPTB want. By that time, it should be time to head over to Giles'."
"Alright." Angel walked over to Xander, who was now standing by the door. "Be safe, it's still Sunnydale out there."
"Yeah, I know, but I can take care of myself. I have been for a long time now."
Hurt quickly appeared then disappeared across Angel's face. "Fine, I just don't want anything to happen to you."
Xander saw the look on Angel's face. He sighed, "Angel, I didn't mean it that way. You're my protector and always will be. You taught me everything you know and should take confidence in that." He placed his hand on Angel's face, "Trust me?"
Angel smiled slightly. "I just don't want to lose you. I know you can take care of yourself, but this town has brought both of us nothing but pain." Angel leaned over and rested his forehead against Xander's. "Be careful?"
"Of course." Xander gently kissed his mate and then pulled away. "I'll come back to you, I promise." He turned and walked away.
Angel watched him until he turned outside the door, and then picked up his clothes again. He was looking forward to a shower himself. Hopefully the water had warmed back up enough after Xander the water hog's shower.
Xander walked to downtown Sunnydale. He had found a drycleaners that promised to have them done by the end of the night. Xander wondered why they'd be open that late at night, but he mentally shrugged and thought 'only in Sunnydale.' He spotted his favorite Chinese restaurant and went in and stocked up on his favorites. He couldn't remember the last time he had non over the fire cooked meat. After placing the large order, he decided to hit the butchers while he waited for the meal to be done. He was able to get a fairly large supply and made arrangements for more to be delivered to the Mansion in a few days.
By the time he was done there, it was time to pick up his order. After doing so, he started to make his way to back to the Mansion. He ran into a couple of acquaintances from school, but Xander only nodded to them in passing. He really didn't want to get into any conversations about where he'd been all summer without consulting with Giles to see what cover story they had made up about his disappearance.
He made it safely back to the Mansion just as dusk fully fell. By the time they ate, it'd be safe for Angel to go out and about. He walked in as Angel finished dressing in the bedroom. "Hey, babe. Got you prezzie!" Xander held out the bags of blood.
"Gee, blood, that just screams 'I love you!'" Angel sarcastically replied.
"Hey, to a vampire, it should!" Xander had a quick come back.
Angel just smirked and grabbed the bags. He was hungry. He hadn't eaten for a while and the blood lust was getting to him. His feeding face came out and he lowered his fangs to puncture the bag. He looked up in surprise. "This is human!"
"Yup, found a butcher that had it. Seems like a few demons like it and he makes a fair profit. It's all freely given-he has a deal with the blood bank. This is the stuff humans can't use for one reason or another," Xander looked hopefully over at Angel.
"Thank you. I haven't had human in a while."
"Told you I had a prezzie." Xander muttered to himself as he sat down on the bed. He opened his bad of Chinese and started eating Lo Mein out of the box. Angel laughed and went to the kitchen to place most of the blood in the fridge and to warm up a bag on the stove. This done, he placed the blood in a mug he had rinsed out and went back to Xander.
"Why don't you eat in the dining room?"
"'oo 'usty."
"Huh? Oh, too dusty?"
"'eah."
"Ah, we'll have to clean a bit when we get back."
Xander snorted into the take out box. They clean? He'd persuade Angel to hire a cleaning service.
Xander quickly devoured a large portion of his food. The rest he put in the refrigerator for a snack later on that night. "Okay, let's go."
They both loaded up on weapons-the Mansion had plenty, along with what they had brought. The last thing they did before leaving was put on their dusters. Neither had gone anywhere in longer than they count without them.
Angel led the way to the demon part of town. They stopped in at Willie's and frightened the bartender. The last time he had seen Angel, it was Angelus. They didn't enlighten him either. He gave the information they were seeking quickly and was relieved when they left. He couldn't quite figure out who the human was and why Angelus hadn't eaten him already, though.
****
The banging on the door woke the sleeping demon. He was confused because most people made appointments to see him and no one had arranged to see him tonight. While unusual, it was nice to have a break.
He opened the door just as the banging began to get louder. "What do you want?" He stopped himself from saying more as he realized that Angelus was standing at his door. He stepped back and started to slam the door shut.
"No!" Xander shouted and reached out and stuck his hand out to stop the door from fully closing. He almost lost a finger or two, but managed to stop it from closing. He inserted his body into the doorway and walked in far enough to prove he wasn't a vampire.
"Who are you? Why is Angelus here?"
"He's not Angelus anymore; he's Angel."
The man slowly opened the door to see if they were speaking the truth. The dark haired boy seemed sincere, but he wasn't going to take chances. Angelus stood there silently, which was unusual for the vampire. Angel, on the other hand, didn't have to be the center of attention. He looked into the vamp's face and saw pain. He asked again, without the hostility of before, "What do you want?"
This time Angel answered. "I need to talk to TPTB. I have to know why I'm here. We were stuck in another dimension until yesterday when we were brought here in our sleep. We don't know how or why. We need to know this and you are our key to finding out. Will you help us?"
In response the man opened the door wider and simply said, "Come in."
Angel smiled and walked through the door. Xander, who had stepped behind Angel during the discussion, followed and closed the door after them.
They followed the demon into a back room. It was decorated with half burnt candles in pewter holders and strange writings and drawings all over the walls and the floor. Once fully into the room, the demon starting pulling out roots and herbs from various boxes on the lone table in the room. He put them in a mortar and used the pestle to grind them. Once a fine powder, he used it to trace one of the designs on the floor. Once done, he physically moved the two men into the positions he wanted them to be in. Quickly telling them not to move, he started chanting.
As the chanting went on, it became hard for Xander to see anything. His vision became blurry and he swayed in time with the chants. He closed his eyes to regain his balance, hoping that if the world around him wasn't moving, he wouldn't either. When he opened them again he found himself in another room. This one was white and had no decoration. The only thing in it was three shadowed figures standing in the center of the room. While Xander couldn't see their faces, he knew they were staring at him. The intensity of their purity was almost too much for the man who spent several hundred years in Hell. He flinched away and noticed for the first time that Angel was standing next to him. The vampire was still and Xander reached out to touch his shoulder.
Angel shuddered when Xander touched him. When he reached the room, he had immediately felt the intense emotions that filled it. They fought with his demon and caused him to freeze up. Only Xander's touch grounded him and allowed him to finally move and focus on his mission. He looked up at the cloaked figures and bluntly asked, "Did you pull us out of Hell?"
"Yes." The choral voice rang in and around and through the two men standing. It sounded as if they heard all three voices as once, in perfect harmony, but at the same time, they were one.
"Why?" he pleaded.
"You were needed."
"For what?" this time Xander's exasperated voice filled the room.
The three figures seemed to pause and consult each other.
Xander knew that if they didn't say something soon, that Angel and he would not get the full story. "No, no conferring, no trying to come up with some random story to get us to do what you want. Tell us the truth!" he demanded.
His words seemed to strike a chord among one of the white figures. This figure nodded and started to speak. The choral voice once again filled the room. "We need you."
"Yeah, we got that."
"Xander!" Angel tried to get Xander to be quiet, knowing they did not want to antagonize these creatures.
"What?" Xander tried his innocent face, but knew it didn't work on his lover.
Angel just sighed and hoped TPTB would talk again. His wish was granted and they continued talking after watching the two with amusement.
"We need you," the voice paused waiting for an interruption. When they didn't get it, they continued. "Years ago a demon came into this world from Hell. It slowly integrated itself into Earth's demon society. He became indispensable to a great number of creatures-men and demons alike. Even to ourselves; we needed him as a balance. But this balance is now threatened by his presence. Yet he will not leave. No one in this realm could defeat him so we brought you back. You will slay him." The three turned and started to walk. As they walked toward the far wall, they faded.
Xander's voice made them stop and turn back. "Wait! How will know this demon? What does it look like? Where is it? How can we slay it?"
"You will know it when it finds you. You already have the knowledge you seek. It will find you soon." The three turned back and faded completely just as they reached the back wall. When this happened, Angel and Xander felt a huge jerk around their waists. They both blacked out briefly and when they opened their eyes they were once again in the original room with the demon they had sought out.
Angel and Xander pushed themselves off the floor and stood up. The demon spoke again, "Did you get what you wanted?"
"Yeah."
The two walked through the house and stopped right outside the door. "We're going to have to do this, aren't we?"
"Yes, we are."
"I don't want to."
"We don't have a choice. Come on, it's almost 9, we're due at the Watcher's."
Xander and Angel walked down the street, their dusters flapping behind them, illuminated only by the street lights placed on either side of the street.
He got up and went to the bathroom. He wasn't surprised to see that the while it had modern amenities, there was no mirror hanging on the wall. He wasn't too sure if he wanted to see what he looked liked. The other place didn't have mirrors; most demons found no use for the objects and Xander had only occasionally seen his reflection in some water. He knew by his friends' reactions that he looked different than before. He wasn't certain that he wanted to note the difference. He knew that the scars from those years would clearly show through and he didn't know if he wanted to permanently acknowledge those changes and by seeing the changes, he could no longer deny that they had taken place.
But for now, he didn't have to make that choice. After letting the water in the shower warm up, he stepped into the first shower he had taken since the day he had disappeared from Sunnydale. He spent quite a bit of time enjoying the warm water and was glad he was back, even if he ended up having to slay something really big and slimy.
When the water starting running cold, he knew it was time to get out. He reached for the towel he had found in a cupboard and dried off. He had managed to scrounge up a clean set of clothes he could wear from Angel's closet. He had found leather pants and a silk over shirt to wear and put them on. He looked at his other clothes in disgust, but he didn't know quite what to do with them.he did want to keep them. They were, after all, made to fit him and were comfortable. He just wasn't sure if he could clean the others. Well, he'd make sure to drop them off at a drycleaners; hopefully they'd be able to remove the smells and stains that come from hundreds of battles and from only having one real set of clothes.
By the time he was fully dressed, it was only a couple hours to dusk. He went back to the bedroom and shook Angel awake. He was the only one that could approach the vampire without Angel going on guard. Angel woke and smiled up at Xander, "Hello."
Xander smirked back, "Hello. Sleep well?"
"Yeah. How long have you been up?"
"Long enough to have the best shower of my life and to realize you don't have any food here."
"Why don't you go out and get us both something to eat-I probably have some cash around here. I'll take a shower and wait for you to come back." Angel smirked and got up from the bed. He headed for his closet and grabbed some clothes; he didn't care what as long as it was clean. Xander was still standing where he had left him. "What? Couldn't find the cash?"
Xander just shook his head and walked over to the dresser. "Where would you hide it?"
"Um, probably there. Nobody comes into the Mansion, so I didn't have to hide it too well."
"Okay, fine. Do you think that the drycleaners would get slime out of my old clothes?"
Angel started to laugh. "Probably, but do you really want to wear them again?"
"Yeah, they fit really well, and I have a feeling we'll need sturdy clothing. I'll go out, get the food, blood and hit the drycleaners. By the time I get back, it should be full dark and we can go hit your contacts. Find out what the TPTB want. By that time, it should be time to head over to Giles'."
"Alright." Angel walked over to Xander, who was now standing by the door. "Be safe, it's still Sunnydale out there."
"Yeah, I know, but I can take care of myself. I have been for a long time now."
Hurt quickly appeared then disappeared across Angel's face. "Fine, I just don't want anything to happen to you."
Xander saw the look on Angel's face. He sighed, "Angel, I didn't mean it that way. You're my protector and always will be. You taught me everything you know and should take confidence in that." He placed his hand on Angel's face, "Trust me?"
Angel smiled slightly. "I just don't want to lose you. I know you can take care of yourself, but this town has brought both of us nothing but pain." Angel leaned over and rested his forehead against Xander's. "Be careful?"
"Of course." Xander gently kissed his mate and then pulled away. "I'll come back to you, I promise." He turned and walked away.
Angel watched him until he turned outside the door, and then picked up his clothes again. He was looking forward to a shower himself. Hopefully the water had warmed back up enough after Xander the water hog's shower.
Xander walked to downtown Sunnydale. He had found a drycleaners that promised to have them done by the end of the night. Xander wondered why they'd be open that late at night, but he mentally shrugged and thought 'only in Sunnydale.' He spotted his favorite Chinese restaurant and went in and stocked up on his favorites. He couldn't remember the last time he had non over the fire cooked meat. After placing the large order, he decided to hit the butchers while he waited for the meal to be done. He was able to get a fairly large supply and made arrangements for more to be delivered to the Mansion in a few days.
By the time he was done there, it was time to pick up his order. After doing so, he started to make his way to back to the Mansion. He ran into a couple of acquaintances from school, but Xander only nodded to them in passing. He really didn't want to get into any conversations about where he'd been all summer without consulting with Giles to see what cover story they had made up about his disappearance.
He made it safely back to the Mansion just as dusk fully fell. By the time they ate, it'd be safe for Angel to go out and about. He walked in as Angel finished dressing in the bedroom. "Hey, babe. Got you prezzie!" Xander held out the bags of blood.
"Gee, blood, that just screams 'I love you!'" Angel sarcastically replied.
"Hey, to a vampire, it should!" Xander had a quick come back.
Angel just smirked and grabbed the bags. He was hungry. He hadn't eaten for a while and the blood lust was getting to him. His feeding face came out and he lowered his fangs to puncture the bag. He looked up in surprise. "This is human!"
"Yup, found a butcher that had it. Seems like a few demons like it and he makes a fair profit. It's all freely given-he has a deal with the blood bank. This is the stuff humans can't use for one reason or another," Xander looked hopefully over at Angel.
"Thank you. I haven't had human in a while."
"Told you I had a prezzie." Xander muttered to himself as he sat down on the bed. He opened his bad of Chinese and started eating Lo Mein out of the box. Angel laughed and went to the kitchen to place most of the blood in the fridge and to warm up a bag on the stove. This done, he placed the blood in a mug he had rinsed out and went back to Xander.
"Why don't you eat in the dining room?"
"'oo 'usty."
"Huh? Oh, too dusty?"
"'eah."
"Ah, we'll have to clean a bit when we get back."
Xander snorted into the take out box. They clean? He'd persuade Angel to hire a cleaning service.
Xander quickly devoured a large portion of his food. The rest he put in the refrigerator for a snack later on that night. "Okay, let's go."
They both loaded up on weapons-the Mansion had plenty, along with what they had brought. The last thing they did before leaving was put on their dusters. Neither had gone anywhere in longer than they count without them.
Angel led the way to the demon part of town. They stopped in at Willie's and frightened the bartender. The last time he had seen Angel, it was Angelus. They didn't enlighten him either. He gave the information they were seeking quickly and was relieved when they left. He couldn't quite figure out who the human was and why Angelus hadn't eaten him already, though.
****
The banging on the door woke the sleeping demon. He was confused because most people made appointments to see him and no one had arranged to see him tonight. While unusual, it was nice to have a break.
He opened the door just as the banging began to get louder. "What do you want?" He stopped himself from saying more as he realized that Angelus was standing at his door. He stepped back and started to slam the door shut.
"No!" Xander shouted and reached out and stuck his hand out to stop the door from fully closing. He almost lost a finger or two, but managed to stop it from closing. He inserted his body into the doorway and walked in far enough to prove he wasn't a vampire.
"Who are you? Why is Angelus here?"
"He's not Angelus anymore; he's Angel."
The man slowly opened the door to see if they were speaking the truth. The dark haired boy seemed sincere, but he wasn't going to take chances. Angelus stood there silently, which was unusual for the vampire. Angel, on the other hand, didn't have to be the center of attention. He looked into the vamp's face and saw pain. He asked again, without the hostility of before, "What do you want?"
This time Angel answered. "I need to talk to TPTB. I have to know why I'm here. We were stuck in another dimension until yesterday when we were brought here in our sleep. We don't know how or why. We need to know this and you are our key to finding out. Will you help us?"
In response the man opened the door wider and simply said, "Come in."
Angel smiled and walked through the door. Xander, who had stepped behind Angel during the discussion, followed and closed the door after them.
They followed the demon into a back room. It was decorated with half burnt candles in pewter holders and strange writings and drawings all over the walls and the floor. Once fully into the room, the demon starting pulling out roots and herbs from various boxes on the lone table in the room. He put them in a mortar and used the pestle to grind them. Once a fine powder, he used it to trace one of the designs on the floor. Once done, he physically moved the two men into the positions he wanted them to be in. Quickly telling them not to move, he started chanting.
As the chanting went on, it became hard for Xander to see anything. His vision became blurry and he swayed in time with the chants. He closed his eyes to regain his balance, hoping that if the world around him wasn't moving, he wouldn't either. When he opened them again he found himself in another room. This one was white and had no decoration. The only thing in it was three shadowed figures standing in the center of the room. While Xander couldn't see their faces, he knew they were staring at him. The intensity of their purity was almost too much for the man who spent several hundred years in Hell. He flinched away and noticed for the first time that Angel was standing next to him. The vampire was still and Xander reached out to touch his shoulder.
Angel shuddered when Xander touched him. When he reached the room, he had immediately felt the intense emotions that filled it. They fought with his demon and caused him to freeze up. Only Xander's touch grounded him and allowed him to finally move and focus on his mission. He looked up at the cloaked figures and bluntly asked, "Did you pull us out of Hell?"
"Yes." The choral voice rang in and around and through the two men standing. It sounded as if they heard all three voices as once, in perfect harmony, but at the same time, they were one.
"Why?" he pleaded.
"You were needed."
"For what?" this time Xander's exasperated voice filled the room.
The three figures seemed to pause and consult each other.
Xander knew that if they didn't say something soon, that Angel and he would not get the full story. "No, no conferring, no trying to come up with some random story to get us to do what you want. Tell us the truth!" he demanded.
His words seemed to strike a chord among one of the white figures. This figure nodded and started to speak. The choral voice once again filled the room. "We need you."
"Yeah, we got that."
"Xander!" Angel tried to get Xander to be quiet, knowing they did not want to antagonize these creatures.
"What?" Xander tried his innocent face, but knew it didn't work on his lover.
Angel just sighed and hoped TPTB would talk again. His wish was granted and they continued talking after watching the two with amusement.
"We need you," the voice paused waiting for an interruption. When they didn't get it, they continued. "Years ago a demon came into this world from Hell. It slowly integrated itself into Earth's demon society. He became indispensable to a great number of creatures-men and demons alike. Even to ourselves; we needed him as a balance. But this balance is now threatened by his presence. Yet he will not leave. No one in this realm could defeat him so we brought you back. You will slay him." The three turned and started to walk. As they walked toward the far wall, they faded.
Xander's voice made them stop and turn back. "Wait! How will know this demon? What does it look like? Where is it? How can we slay it?"
"You will know it when it finds you. You already have the knowledge you seek. It will find you soon." The three turned back and faded completely just as they reached the back wall. When this happened, Angel and Xander felt a huge jerk around their waists. They both blacked out briefly and when they opened their eyes they were once again in the original room with the demon they had sought out.
Angel and Xander pushed themselves off the floor and stood up. The demon spoke again, "Did you get what you wanted?"
"Yeah."
The two walked through the house and stopped right outside the door. "We're going to have to do this, aren't we?"
"Yes, we are."
"I don't want to."
"We don't have a choice. Come on, it's almost 9, we're due at the Watcher's."
Xander and Angel walked down the street, their dusters flapping behind them, illuminated only by the street lights placed on either side of the street.