Note: everything in italics is a memory.
And I'm sorry this took so long to update but I've been sick, and I have
VCE to do but the holidays are coming up soon and I will probably be
posting at least once a week.
Just to clear up some confusion, Angel is Liam. Angel got the identity of
Liam from Giles and Willow who together created a fake identity for him
just in case.
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Watching the way they sparred, the way they anticipated each others moves as if they were of one mind, dancing together, Madeline thought of the only other operatives in Section that had been know for their ability to communicate with only a glace or a touch; Michael and Nikita. She was easy enough to read but he was another matter altogether. Just when she thought she had him figured out he changed dramatically and everything she though she knew about him was thrown out the window. He though he had everyone tricked, with his blank stare and the words 'I'm fine' but Madeline also knew that Nikita managed to look into his eyes and see what he was feeling. Nikita had managed to do in 5 minutes what had taken her almost 13 years to do: understand Michael. Madeline wondered how long Buffy and Liam had been sparring together and why they seemed unworried when they woke up in Section and were told their friends and family thought they were dead. Their only concern was for each other. Buffy's and Liam's affection for each other was similar to that of Nikita's for Michael, Michael cared for Nikita that was certain but how much he cared Madeline was never able to find out. She doubted anyone would know Michael's thoughts and feelings without him volunteering them which would never happen, not while Operations and her still reigned over Section One. She felt saddened that she had in part helped to keep them apart for so long. At least she was able to convince Operations they worked better together as a team then apart. That conversation would forever be burned into her memory:
"What do you mean you think they should be allowed to be together?" "I just believe that we should stop using valuable operative time keeping them apart when we both know they work better together." "Have you forgotten Madeline what happened when we let Michael and Simone be together? Nikita does not have the same restraint Simone did. Do you really think Nikita will be as calm as Simone was when Michael was sent on valentine missions? Together they will be to busy watching each other's backs, they won't get the mission done. No Madeline, they will not be allowed to be together." "Pau,l don't you remember when we went to Adrian and requested we be allowed to be together? Adrian allowed it, not because of anything she felt personally but because she wanted to give us a chance to prove we could do it. Paul, give them the same chance that was given us" 'Maybe they will be able to handle it better then we did' she thought "What if they screw up? Then what's going to happen?" "At least they would have been given the chance and we both know that Michael won't fail, he will do everything in his power to make sure things go well" "No-one is to know about their relationship, it's to be kept quiet. Have them come to my office" "Thankyou Paul."
'THUMP!' Madeline was brought out of her memories by the startling sound of Buffy pinning Angel to the mat. "Begin the test" came the disembodied voice from the speaker in the corner of the room. The three unknown operatives swarmed in on them, Michael and Nikita were staying back away from the action judging the style in which Buffy and Angel fought the others, to get a feel for the way they moved and fought and to recognise the way they worked with each other. Buffy and Angel thought and moved as if they were one. Paul, Damien and Chris, the operatives Buffy and Liam did not know were transfers from another sub-station to help with another upcoming mission. Paul tried to sweep Buffy's feet out from under her. Buffy jumped to the side and delivered a well aimed kick at Paul's midsection. He tried to use the kick for momentum but Buffy packed more of a punch then he realised and he slumped over clutching his middle, which was when Buffy kneed him in between the legs. Angel looked over at Buffy with fear shining in his eyes, fear that she might knee him in the family jewels as the boy, Paul, was it, was rolling around on the ground. "Come on Angel, you know I would never do that to you" she said exasperated. Angel lifted his eyebrow in a mocking gesture. "Hey, that was self defence, not my fault, and besides, you remember why" Angel looked ashamed at what she said. To Angel bringing up Acathla and the events surrounding the demons almost release into the world, was not something he wanted to remember. It hurt to be reminded of the things he said and did, no matter what Buffy said, Giles, Willow, Cordelia and certainly not Xander would ever forgive him for what he did. Killing Jenny the way Angelus had was a way of getting to Buffy, get everyone wary and tense then strike at the most unexpected time. Of course he never got the chance. He had the chance to send the world to hell in a hand basket and he blew it because as he told Spike upon the return of Angelus 'To kill this girl you have to love her' apparently it was rather difficult for Angelus to kill the girl. He loved her, not in the same way that Angel had, but in his own twisted way he loved her the only way the demon knew how to love her. Both Angel and Angelus had the capacity to love but only Angel used it, Angelus refused to succumb to the urges of the human world, he preferred lust over love, and hate over humanity. Whatever Angel was, Angelus was the complete opposite. Where Angelus was hateful and evil, Angel was caring and compassionate. Angel had had his humanity returned through the curse of a soul and Angelus was still fighting him every step of the way for control of his body. The two entities were at war with each other and unless they could find a peaceful balance they would destroy each other and when that happened both Angel and Angelus would be no more. The body they were both fighting for would be nothing but a shell when they were finished.
Watching the way they sparred, the way they anticipated each others moves as if they were of one mind, dancing together, Madeline thought of the only other operatives in Section that had been know for their ability to communicate with only a glace or a touch; Michael and Nikita. She was easy enough to read but he was another matter altogether. Just when she thought she had him figured out he changed dramatically and everything she though she knew about him was thrown out the window. He though he had everyone tricked, with his blank stare and the words 'I'm fine' but Madeline also knew that Nikita managed to look into his eyes and see what he was feeling. Nikita had managed to do in 5 minutes what had taken her almost 13 years to do: understand Michael. Madeline wondered how long Buffy and Liam had been sparring together and why they seemed unworried when they woke up in Section and were told their friends and family thought they were dead. Their only concern was for each other. Buffy's and Liam's affection for each other was similar to that of Nikita's for Michael, Michael cared for Nikita that was certain but how much he cared Madeline was never able to find out. She doubted anyone would know Michael's thoughts and feelings without him volunteering them which would never happen, not while Operations and her still reigned over Section One. She felt saddened that she had in part helped to keep them apart for so long. At least she was able to convince Operations they worked better together as a team then apart. That conversation would forever be burned into her memory:
"What do you mean you think they should be allowed to be together?" "I just believe that we should stop using valuable operative time keeping them apart when we both know they work better together." "Have you forgotten Madeline what happened when we let Michael and Simone be together? Nikita does not have the same restraint Simone did. Do you really think Nikita will be as calm as Simone was when Michael was sent on valentine missions? Together they will be to busy watching each other's backs, they won't get the mission done. No Madeline, they will not be allowed to be together." "Pau,l don't you remember when we went to Adrian and requested we be allowed to be together? Adrian allowed it, not because of anything she felt personally but because she wanted to give us a chance to prove we could do it. Paul, give them the same chance that was given us" 'Maybe they will be able to handle it better then we did' she thought "What if they screw up? Then what's going to happen?" "At least they would have been given the chance and we both know that Michael won't fail, he will do everything in his power to make sure things go well" "No-one is to know about their relationship, it's to be kept quiet. Have them come to my office" "Thankyou Paul."
'THUMP!' Madeline was brought out of her memories by the startling sound of Buffy pinning Angel to the mat. "Begin the test" came the disembodied voice from the speaker in the corner of the room. The three unknown operatives swarmed in on them, Michael and Nikita were staying back away from the action judging the style in which Buffy and Angel fought the others, to get a feel for the way they moved and fought and to recognise the way they worked with each other. Buffy and Angel thought and moved as if they were one. Paul, Damien and Chris, the operatives Buffy and Liam did not know were transfers from another sub-station to help with another upcoming mission. Paul tried to sweep Buffy's feet out from under her. Buffy jumped to the side and delivered a well aimed kick at Paul's midsection. He tried to use the kick for momentum but Buffy packed more of a punch then he realised and he slumped over clutching his middle, which was when Buffy kneed him in between the legs. Angel looked over at Buffy with fear shining in his eyes, fear that she might knee him in the family jewels as the boy, Paul, was it, was rolling around on the ground. "Come on Angel, you know I would never do that to you" she said exasperated. Angel lifted his eyebrow in a mocking gesture. "Hey, that was self defence, not my fault, and besides, you remember why" Angel looked ashamed at what she said. To Angel bringing up Acathla and the events surrounding the demons almost release into the world, was not something he wanted to remember. It hurt to be reminded of the things he said and did, no matter what Buffy said, Giles, Willow, Cordelia and certainly not Xander would ever forgive him for what he did. Killing Jenny the way Angelus had was a way of getting to Buffy, get everyone wary and tense then strike at the most unexpected time. Of course he never got the chance. He had the chance to send the world to hell in a hand basket and he blew it because as he told Spike upon the return of Angelus 'To kill this girl you have to love her' apparently it was rather difficult for Angelus to kill the girl. He loved her, not in the same way that Angel had, but in his own twisted way he loved her the only way the demon knew how to love her. Both Angel and Angelus had the capacity to love but only Angel used it, Angelus refused to succumb to the urges of the human world, he preferred lust over love, and hate over humanity. Whatever Angel was, Angelus was the complete opposite. Where Angelus was hateful and evil, Angel was caring and compassionate. Angel had had his humanity returned through the curse of a soul and Angelus was still fighting him every step of the way for control of his body. The two entities were at war with each other and unless they could find a peaceful balance they would destroy each other and when that happened both Angel and Angelus would be no more. The body they were both fighting for would be nothing but a shell when they were finished.