-'Enter Sandman.'-
Pairings: a little angst for right now, something more substantial later.
A/N: Special thanks to Ed Scott for editing and betaing.
A/N2: God knows you can't write more unless you get reviews.
Disclaimers: I don't own anything relating to Buffy, Angel.
Timeframe: S2 AU "Innocence," you know the episode after Buffy sleeps with Angel.
Dedicated to the ones you can't save, and to the ones you can.
///////////////////////////////
The man poured himself a glass of water. "Tonight was the first time the other side made a move. They captured one of our pieces and turned it against us. Although Buffy was the one that made a move, but I stopped trying to make sense of her actions a long time ago."
The man took another glass and offered some water to him.
"No thanks," Xander said, "I'm not thirsty."
The man raised his eyebrows. "Oh you will be, trust me. Although it's not real water, and were technically not here, it still kinda helps you talk after a while."
"Huh?"
"You'll figure it out eventually. You'll remember bits and pieces now and then. Not really information. Mostly nuances, hints, direction, misdirection, I swear I don't understand how it all works. I only know what I can and can't tell you."
Xander began to understand. "Prophecies?"
The man shook his head. "Nope, this is a one time deal. That's why we have a lot to discuss. I lived this through and trust me, it all ended VERY badly. This is a battle that has been set in motion for centuries for a war that will last forever."
"Then what are you saying?"
The man smiled again. "Chaos."
///////////////////////////////////////
"Run."
Willow looked at Xander. "What?"
Xander pushed Willow away as Angel smirked. Xander kept his face on Angel but shouted at Willow. "RUN!!"
Angelus realized that something had given him away and rushed Xander, knocking him over. He grabbed Willow by the wrist with one hand and by the throat with the other.
Xander rolled back to his feet. "No! Don't do that!"
Angelus held Willow between himself and Xander. "Oh I think I do that."
Jenny Calendar appeared from the end of the hallway. "No! He's not Angel anymore."
Angelus smiled at her and licked his fangs. "Wrong. I _am_ Angel." He tightened his grip on Willow.
Xander felt a cold shiver come from the back of his head. "Oh, my God."
Angelus looked at the boy. "Wrong department, but tell Buffy I got a message for her."
Buffy ran from around the corner to see her love squeezing the life out of her best friend. "Why don't you give it to me yourself?"
He smiled as he saw her come into view. "Well, it's not really the kind of message you tell. It sort of involves finding the bodies of all your friends and family on your doorstep."
He tightened his grip on Willow even more as she lets out another pained yelp.
Xander felt the shiver lessen and began to inch towards Jenny.
Buffy inched towards him. "This can't be you."
Angelus had a smirk on his face. "Gee, I thought we already covered that subject, but now I remember you ARE a natural blonde."
"Angel, there must be some part of you inside that still remembers who you are."
"Dream on, schoolgirl."
With Angelus' back turned, Xander took the cross from Jenny and snuck up behind him.
Angelus continued to taunt the blond slayer. "Your boyfriend is dead. You're all gonna join him."
Buffy continued to slowly walk forward. "Leave Willow alone, and deal with me."
"But she's so cute," Angelus took pinched her cheek, "and helpless. Really a turn-on."
Xander shoved the cross into Angelus' face and jumped on his back. The shock forced him to drop Willow who ran behind Buffy for safety.
"GET OFF ME BOY!"
Xander held on for dear life. Kicking and punching whenever he could. "FUCK YOU!"
Angelus rammed Xander into a locker, knocking him off. He ran to Buffy and whispered, "Things are about to get _very_ interesting."
He kissed her, shoved her into the wall and backed out the door. Willow and Jenny went over and helped Xander up.
Xander walked over to where Buffy was wanting. "Buffy, you okay?"
Buffy just stared at the door.
/////////////////////////////////
Giles paced alongside the main library table. Xander stand off to the side while everyone else was talking.
Giles took off his glasses. "And we're absolutely certain that, that Angel has reverted to his former self?"
Willow sat at the table. "Giles, you wouldn't have believed him. He was so... He came here to kill us."
Cordelia looked around. "What are we gonna do?"
Giles finished cleaning his glasses and put them back on. "I'm leaning towards blind panic myself."
Xander watched them talk back and forth. He wasn't sure what to do. All he had were split second flashes of words or phrases of a conversation that he was pretty sure didn't exist. He came out from his internal dialogue to hear Ms. Calendar ask Willow a question.
"But you didn't know he had turned bad?"
Willow looked at Xander and Jenny. "No, How did you?"
Jenny became nervous. "What?"
"Well, you knew. You both told me to get away from him."
Jenny lied. "Well, I saw his face."
They both looked to Xander. He deadpanned. "What? I never liked the guy."
Giles was in his own conversation. "Well, something set it off. Some, some, uh, event must've triggered his transformation. Well, if anyone would know, Buffy, it-it should be you."
Buffy replied quietly. "I don't."
Giles continued. "Well, did anything happen last night that, that might..."
Buffy tried to hold the tears back as she got up from the table. "Giles, please, I can't."
Giles didn't know what he had said, but tried to stop her. "Buffy, I'm sorry, but we can't afford to... Buffy!"
//////////////////
Cordelia slammed her book shut. "This is great. There's an unkillable demon in town, Angel's joined his team, and the Slayer is a basket case... I'd say we've hit bottom."
Xander walked towards her, making sure no one could hear her. After Buffy left, they each had split up to do research. "I have a plan."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Oh, great, here's a lower place."
Xander decided to stick with the idea he had earlier. "I think that I know how to deal with this Judge guy."
He came around the table and sat across from Cordelia.
She leaned over and whispered, "Care to let me in on the plan I'm a part of?"
"No."
Cordelia stood up with her hands on her hips, giving Xander the best glare she could. "Why not?"
Xander pushed her back into her seat and quickly made sure no one was noticing them. "Because if I tell you, then you won't do it. Just meet me at my house in half an hour. And wear something trashy..." Xander looked Cordelia up and down with a smirk, "...er."
Pairings: a little angst for right now, something more substantial later.
A/N: Special thanks to Ed Scott for editing and betaing.
A/N2: God knows you can't write more unless you get reviews.
Disclaimers: I don't own anything relating to Buffy, Angel.
Timeframe: S2 AU "Innocence," you know the episode after Buffy sleeps with Angel.
Dedicated to the ones you can't save, and to the ones you can.
///////////////////////////////
The man poured himself a glass of water. "Tonight was the first time the other side made a move. They captured one of our pieces and turned it against us. Although Buffy was the one that made a move, but I stopped trying to make sense of her actions a long time ago."
The man took another glass and offered some water to him.
"No thanks," Xander said, "I'm not thirsty."
The man raised his eyebrows. "Oh you will be, trust me. Although it's not real water, and were technically not here, it still kinda helps you talk after a while."
"Huh?"
"You'll figure it out eventually. You'll remember bits and pieces now and then. Not really information. Mostly nuances, hints, direction, misdirection, I swear I don't understand how it all works. I only know what I can and can't tell you."
Xander began to understand. "Prophecies?"
The man shook his head. "Nope, this is a one time deal. That's why we have a lot to discuss. I lived this through and trust me, it all ended VERY badly. This is a battle that has been set in motion for centuries for a war that will last forever."
"Then what are you saying?"
The man smiled again. "Chaos."
///////////////////////////////////////
"Run."
Willow looked at Xander. "What?"
Xander pushed Willow away as Angel smirked. Xander kept his face on Angel but shouted at Willow. "RUN!!"
Angelus realized that something had given him away and rushed Xander, knocking him over. He grabbed Willow by the wrist with one hand and by the throat with the other.
Xander rolled back to his feet. "No! Don't do that!"
Angelus held Willow between himself and Xander. "Oh I think I do that."
Jenny Calendar appeared from the end of the hallway. "No! He's not Angel anymore."
Angelus smiled at her and licked his fangs. "Wrong. I _am_ Angel." He tightened his grip on Willow.
Xander felt a cold shiver come from the back of his head. "Oh, my God."
Angelus looked at the boy. "Wrong department, but tell Buffy I got a message for her."
Buffy ran from around the corner to see her love squeezing the life out of her best friend. "Why don't you give it to me yourself?"
He smiled as he saw her come into view. "Well, it's not really the kind of message you tell. It sort of involves finding the bodies of all your friends and family on your doorstep."
He tightened his grip on Willow even more as she lets out another pained yelp.
Xander felt the shiver lessen and began to inch towards Jenny.
Buffy inched towards him. "This can't be you."
Angelus had a smirk on his face. "Gee, I thought we already covered that subject, but now I remember you ARE a natural blonde."
"Angel, there must be some part of you inside that still remembers who you are."
"Dream on, schoolgirl."
With Angelus' back turned, Xander took the cross from Jenny and snuck up behind him.
Angelus continued to taunt the blond slayer. "Your boyfriend is dead. You're all gonna join him."
Buffy continued to slowly walk forward. "Leave Willow alone, and deal with me."
"But she's so cute," Angelus took pinched her cheek, "and helpless. Really a turn-on."
Xander shoved the cross into Angelus' face and jumped on his back. The shock forced him to drop Willow who ran behind Buffy for safety.
"GET OFF ME BOY!"
Xander held on for dear life. Kicking and punching whenever he could. "FUCK YOU!"
Angelus rammed Xander into a locker, knocking him off. He ran to Buffy and whispered, "Things are about to get _very_ interesting."
He kissed her, shoved her into the wall and backed out the door. Willow and Jenny went over and helped Xander up.
Xander walked over to where Buffy was wanting. "Buffy, you okay?"
Buffy just stared at the door.
/////////////////////////////////
Giles paced alongside the main library table. Xander stand off to the side while everyone else was talking.
Giles took off his glasses. "And we're absolutely certain that, that Angel has reverted to his former self?"
Willow sat at the table. "Giles, you wouldn't have believed him. He was so... He came here to kill us."
Cordelia looked around. "What are we gonna do?"
Giles finished cleaning his glasses and put them back on. "I'm leaning towards blind panic myself."
Xander watched them talk back and forth. He wasn't sure what to do. All he had were split second flashes of words or phrases of a conversation that he was pretty sure didn't exist. He came out from his internal dialogue to hear Ms. Calendar ask Willow a question.
"But you didn't know he had turned bad?"
Willow looked at Xander and Jenny. "No, How did you?"
Jenny became nervous. "What?"
"Well, you knew. You both told me to get away from him."
Jenny lied. "Well, I saw his face."
They both looked to Xander. He deadpanned. "What? I never liked the guy."
Giles was in his own conversation. "Well, something set it off. Some, some, uh, event must've triggered his transformation. Well, if anyone would know, Buffy, it-it should be you."
Buffy replied quietly. "I don't."
Giles continued. "Well, did anything happen last night that, that might..."
Buffy tried to hold the tears back as she got up from the table. "Giles, please, I can't."
Giles didn't know what he had said, but tried to stop her. "Buffy, I'm sorry, but we can't afford to... Buffy!"
//////////////////
Cordelia slammed her book shut. "This is great. There's an unkillable demon in town, Angel's joined his team, and the Slayer is a basket case... I'd say we've hit bottom."
Xander walked towards her, making sure no one could hear her. After Buffy left, they each had split up to do research. "I have a plan."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Oh, great, here's a lower place."
Xander decided to stick with the idea he had earlier. "I think that I know how to deal with this Judge guy."
He came around the table and sat across from Cordelia.
She leaned over and whispered, "Care to let me in on the plan I'm a part of?"
"No."
Cordelia stood up with her hands on her hips, giving Xander the best glare she could. "Why not?"
Xander pushed her back into her seat and quickly made sure no one was noticing them. "Because if I tell you, then you won't do it. Just meet me at my house in half an hour. And wear something trashy..." Xander looked Cordelia up and down with a smirk, "...er."