Chapter 46

-Angel-

I walk into Caritas. Lorne is cleaning up around the club. Everyone else has gone home. Lorne doesn't look up at me. He's been expecting my visit.

"Hello Sugarmuffin. " Lorne sits down at the bar and indicates the seat next to him. I take the seat. He pours me an Irish whiskey and slides it in front of me.

"I've got some news, but it's not good. The only way to talk to the Powers now days is to go straight to the source, no in betweens, no messengers. It takes a powerful lot of whammy to get you there, without dying and they may kill you anyway for having the audacity to try." Lorne says.

"I don't care, Lorne. I'm tired of fate screwing me and Buffy over. We earned the right to a life together, a happy life together, one not fraught with can't have can't do can't want." I take a sip of my whiskey and glance up at him.

"I'm going to agree with you there, but I'm not sure the Powers would." Lorne says.

"I don't give a flying fuck what the Powers think anymore, Lorne." I throw my glass at the mirror and shatter the reflection I have come to hate in the past few weeks.

"Alright, Sweetcakes, I'll do what I can, just don't destroy my bar. Go home, sleep. You look like death warmed over, and since you're not anymore, you shouldn't." Lorne pushes me out the door.

I drive home, trying to beat the dawn.

*

I wake up hours later and suck down a mug of coffee. I grab a stale jelly donut out of the box and in my mind I hear Buffy chide me about not eating healthy. I don't care. Death would be a welcome release if this is what the rest of my human life is going to be like.

"Angel, are you okay?" Fred asks me timidly. I didn't even hear her come down the stairs.

"I'm not dying, unfortunately." I snap. I know I look bad. I haven't shaved in several days. I haven't showered in at least as many. I think my clothes are clean but I really can't be sure.

"Okay, well, uhm if you need something that I can help you with just let me know cause I'll help if I can." Fred is backing out of the room as she speaks.

"Wait, Fred." I snap to attention. She jumps a little. "Portals, you know about portals."

Fred nods and looks at me wearily. I'm sure I look like a crazy man; in fact I'm pretty sure I am one at this point.

"Can you make a portal to whatever realm the Powers reside in?" I ask.

Fred wrinkles her brow and looks at me, stumped. "I-I don't know. I mean no one knows what dimension the Powers are in. In fact, lots of people argue the Powers are in all the dimensions. I guess, I mean there must be a way because there used to be gate ways, but even the gateways never went directly to the Powers. I don't know."

"Will you look into it for me? Don't try anything without talking to me. I just want to know if it can be done and how." I say calmly.

"Sure. I'll let you know if I find anything." Fred said disappearing to her room to start my research. If there are physics to the Powers plane of existence, Fred will find it.

*

-Buffy-

I give chase after the slimy green demon that attacked the girl in Sunnydale City Park. I hate when they run. I mean come and face me like a man, demon something that doesn't run. I've already killed his two friends tonight without much of a fight but then ever since-well let's just say I've been Uberslayer lately.

I duck into the alley, right behind Slime Boy. I've been in this alley a hundred times. I grin. It's a dead end. I slow down my pace and walk nonchalantly to the corner where the demon cowers. I could almost feel sorry for him, except he and his friends were planning on making a meal out of the girl in the park. I really wish I hadn't left that dagger buried in slime demon number 2's neck. I've got enough slime on me, thank you very much. I cast a glance around the alley. Of course someone had to clean this one recently. There's not a nice long piece of metal or wood to be found. I snatch the stake out of the waistband of my pants. It looks like I'm going to have to get nice and close for this kill.

"Look, it's late. I want a shower, next time you and your friends want to snack down, just avoid California all together, or at least Southern California." I quip.

I step in close and am surprised at the ferocity with which Gook Demon comes from the corner. He slashes at me. I stumble back but one long slime covered talon scrapes across my sternum. I catch myself with my left hand before landing on my butt like a complete fool. I push up to my feet and keep my momentum going forward. I bury the stake in the demon's throat, giving my front a fresh new coat of slime. I feel the tip of the stake scrape brick. The demon makes some scratchy, high pitched dying screams and then falls silent. I sit back on my haunches and glance around. I have two options. I can leave the body here and hope that by the time someone finds it, it will be so rotted that it doesn't look like anything, or I can haul his slimy ass into the dumpster. I look down at my slime covered shirt and jeans. It's really not going to get any worse.

I wipe the majority of the mire and gook off on my jeans and walk out of the alley back onto the deserted streets of Sunnydale. "Just doing my civic duty," I mutter to myself as I make my way back to the mansion. I need hot, hot water and lots of soap.

Inside the bathroom I open a new box of Ivory. I hold the soap in my hands and take a deep whiff. Tears flood my eyes. It smells like him. I don't know why I buy his soap. I have a truckload of the vanilla stuff. It just smells more like home if I use Ivory soap. I strip off my slimy clothes; everything goes into a trash bag including my bra and panties. There's just no way to get that much slime out of something. I turn the water spigot to as hot as it will go and step inside the shower. I wince as I run the bar of soap over the fresh gash on my chest. It's not a big. It'll be closed up in no time. The shower stall goes wavy and I catch myself against the tile wall. Maybe a nice long shower isn't in the cards. The dizziness clears up momentarily. I quickly wash my hair and step out of the shower. I wrap up in a fluffy blue robe and light a small fire in the fireplace. I don't feel like getting into bed alone right now. I snuggle up on the couch with my blanket, my robe and my Romeo and Juliet. I had vowed to only read or watch love stories with happy endings. Have you chronicled my history with Angel? This is a happy ending to me.

I haven't been reading very long when the words on the page blur. I drop the book and hear the spine crack. I wince inwardly, knowing Angel that was a first edition signed by Shakespeare himself. I struggle to get to my feet. I feel like I'm bundled in cotton. I sway and the room goes wavy again. Ok something is so obviously not right here. I lean against the wall for support and stumble walk to the phone. I pick it up and dial Giles number.

"Giles, something's wrong with me. I'm at the mansion." The floor rises up to swallow me and I let it.

*

I wake up to Dawn sponging my head with a wet cloth. She smiles at me. I'm tucked into the bed. I can feel my blood boiling. I'm hot and cold at the same time. I shiver involuntarily. My voice comes out much weaker then I think it should. "Dawnie,"

She nods. "Giles, Xander and Anya are trying to figure out what's up. I'm going to go tell them you're awake." She leaves the room. I hear her say I'm awake.

Giles comes in the room shortly. He leans over me and places a palm against my forehead. " Buffy, are you okay? Your skin feels hot. Where did you get the cut?" He gestures to my chest. Gee twenty questions much Giles? I reach up and lay my hand on my sternum. I probe the gash there with my fingers. It stings. It feels angry and red and not healing.

"Slime demons, attacked a girl in the park. One of them ran and I chased it. I cornered it and it got me with these talon claw things I didn't realize it had."

Giles hmms over this new information, "Well, then I'll go research and if I find anything I'll let you know. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything." He leaves the room quietly

He doesn't speak until he's out in the main room. He forgets I can still hear most of what they say with my vampy senses.

"I'm afraid it's poison, although I'm not sure what kind. She mentioned a slime demon of some sort." Giles says.

"So if it's poison, it's not a deal right? I mean it can't kill her like Faith almost did Deadboy?" Xander asks.

"He's human, Xander. You will have to stop calling him that sometime and I would think the poison would just run its course. Most likely she'll be up and around within a few hours, by tomorrow evening at the latest. I'd still like to see what we can find on slime demon's that poison." Giles says. I can hear the concern in his voice and it worries me a little. I'm a vampire. I can't die from poison. I mean there are rules people have to abide by, sunlight, stake through the heart, beheading, fire. See; poison not one of the rules. I drift off back into unconsciousness before I hear anymore of their research conversation.

*

I open my eyes again. They feel crusty. Willow is sitting on the bed smiling at me. I smile back at her. "Will, where did you go? I missed you." I croak.
Willow shakes her head. The room goes wavy and she's gone. It's Dawn sitting on the bed. She's looking at me with a confused expression. I smile at her.

"Hey, Dawnie, Willow was here." I say.

"Buffy," Dawn's eyes widen. She dips a rag in a bowl of water and dabs my forehead with it. "Are you okay?" Her voice has that shaky quality she sometimes gets when she's scared and pretending to be brave.

I nod. "Just a little woozy. You heard Giles earlier. It will run its course and I'll be as good as new in a few hours."

Dawn bites her lower lip and tears spring to her eyes. "Buffy, that was two days ago."