Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Josh Whedon, WB, and any other station that is hosting Angel right now.
Rating: PG
Warnings: Minor cussing.
Summary: After Not Fading Away, Angel discovers the consequences of signing his Shanshu away incorrectly.
I also took some facts from the fic 'A Day in the Life of Puppet Angel' by Michael Weaver with his permission. A fic I highly recommend for anyone who loves Puppet Angel.
A Different Type of Shanshu
Part Two
By Marie Nomad
"I'm telling you, I don't need you to carry me." Gunn said as he walked with his crutches up the stairs. The doctors had let him out early and they were still amazed at how pain resistant he had been. Gunn just told him that he came from the ghettos and that was good enough for them. Ironically, it wasn't until he moved in into that lush Wolfram and Hart that he felt the most pain, both physically and mentally. The doctors let him out early just in the afternoon, he wanted to surprise everyone.
"I know that." Faith said as she walked beside him. She had been in Africa for a while and when she heard about the mysterious LA attack, she rushed right in to help out. She had been busy helping the survivors and hunting down any demons that who might want to hurt her friends. The slayer looked at him and asked, "Wes is really dead?"
"Yeah, he's dead. We cremated him ourselves, just to make sure he doesn't become a zombie or anything like that. You know, Wes is my bud but well, I don't want him to come back as an undead."
"Oh, that makes complete sense." Faith quipped. She sighed, "I miss him."
"Me too. At least the others are okay. B said that Spike and Illyria's fine but that's no surprise. Angel's good too."
"I can't wait to see Angel again. After that crazy mind meld thingy and you two working for Evil Inc. You're not evil right because if you are, I have to kill you."
"No, I'm not evil. I'm a street fighter turned unemployed corporate lawyer." Gunn paused, "Wait a second, aren't you still a fugitive?"
"Riley and Willow erased my criminal record. I've done my time and I helped saved the world. I think that's enough."
Gunn took a deep breath. "Maybe."
"How's Angel? Has he been… shanshued yet?"
"Well... he's fine. You don't have to worry about him." Gunn snickered as he thought about his now pint sized boss. Seeing him made his day, hell, it made his year.
Faith cocked an eyebrow. "What was so funny? Every time I mentioned Angel you snicker."
"You… you have to see it for yourself, Faith. Trust me, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Ummm… excuse me, did I hear right?" The two looked up to see a teenaged boy with dark hair came up. "Angel's alive?"
"Yeah, who the hell are you?" Faith asked.
Gunn stared at him and grinned. "Oh yeah. You're that kid with the super natural powers. I remember you. Funny, you just seem to stick out in my mind."
"Yeah, funny how things are like that. I'm Connor Riley and I'm a… friend of Angel's." Connor grinned hesitantly, "Anyway, can I see him?"
"Sure." Gunn said quickly. "But, I gotta warn you, he's not himself."
Connor paled. "He's Angelus?"
"No! No! He's definitely not Angelus. He's still Angel just looks different." Gunn waved his hand and then he asked, "How did you know about 'Angelus'?"
"Who doesn't know about Angelus?" Connor said as he sweatdropped. "Look, I just want to make sure he's okay."
"Right. This way." Gunn said as he gestured to the doors. The three walked in and their jaws dropped in astonishment. Gunn who had thought was not going to be shocked saw Fred and Illyria at once in the same room with Fred trying to play chess with Angel who was sitting on a pile of old phone books.
"Just mind over mater, Luv." Spike whispered, "Just focus."
"Right." Fred held up her hand and concentrated. The white knight got knocked over. "Damn! It looked so much easier on Ghost."
"You'll get it. Spike got it… eventually." Angel said comfortingly.
Connor and Faith also stared at the sight and Faith just gasped. Buffy saw the three standing there still staring. "Hi!"
Faith stared at Angel and choked out, "A-Angel?! What the hell happened to you?!"
Angel sighed in relief. Faith was the first woman who wasn't gushing about how cute he looked.
"Yeah! You're… a muppet!" Connor exclaimed, "Those Wolfram and Hart guys are evil."
"Muppet…" Faith paled slightly and then shook her head. Spike glanced at her and smirked. The slayer scowled and turned away. Vampires can smell fear and love to exploit it.
"You okay? You're scared." Spike said as he snickered and then glanced at Angel.
"No, I'm not." Faith denied as she crossed her arms.
Gunn came up to the ghostly Fred. For once, he could barely complete a sentence. "Fred? What… how?"
The woman shrugged. "I don't know. I just popped out. I'm a ghost and I can sense Ria but I'm fine. For a ghost which is really cool."
The man limped forward and put his hand up. Tears filled his eyes. He had lost one of his best friends and now he had just regained someone that he thought was gone forever. "I thought your soul was destroyed. I thought I will never see you again."
Fred put her hand up next to Gunn's and smiled again. "It's okay. It's not your fault. You didn't know. I was letting my curiosity get the best of me, as usual."
Gunn stared at her. He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, he wanted to get onto his knees and thanked every good entity there was. "I… I'll do everything I can to make you normal again. I won't let you get into Hell."
"Thanks." Fred said as she smiled, "I'll be fine. Spike is helping me with this ghost thing, in fact, I've been training with An-" She looked down to see the puppet and Connor missing. "Where did they go? Oh no!" She ran off and through the wall.
"She is concerned." Illyria said as she stood up.
"About what?" Gunn asked, "You knew Connor, he's okay."
The ex god stared at him. "How fallible human memories are." She got up and walked out of the room.
XXX
Connor and Angel sat in one of the empty rooms. "Dad, what happened to you? You look like someone from 'Smile Time'."
"Shanshu gone wrong. That's it." Angel replied as he sat there. "So, what are you doing here?"
"I was making sure you were alive or undead or… animated." Connor replied, "I went home just to make sure the Rileys are okay and I tried to look for you but there were all these cute girls running around."
"They're slayers, be careful. They may be small but they are built to kill vampires." Angel warned.
"I know. I know. I got your gift, that's a lot of money." Connor said, "Where did you get it?"
"It was your college fund. I got it from a group of demons who… it's a long story. Anyway, it was yours from the beginning. I felt that at least you should have it if not for your college but for a house payment or something like that."
"Thanks."
There was a sudden sigh of relief and the two looked up. "Fred?" Angel called out, "Are you there?"
Fred stepped through the wall and waved. "Hi. I… we noticed you two disappeared and I thought… well…"
"I'm fine, really." Angel said confidently, "Go ahead."
Fred glanced at Connor again and then nodded. "Okay. I'll go but please go back down to the lobby soon." She walked back through the wall.
Connor recognized the look of unease. "She remembered?"
"Illyria was in the room. Fred must've regained the memories when it happened. I'll talk to her. I need you to be careful now. Live a normal life, well, as normal as you could."
"Sure." Connor said as he grinned, "I'll just go with the internship I got going."
"You do that."
They got up and Connor looked down and said, "Sorry, but I have to do it." The guy knelt down and patted his father on the head.
Angel sighed, "Just don't carry me. I can walk."
XXX
"I'm telling you, I smelled fear while the Puppet Poof was here." Spike insisted as they waited for Angel and Connor to get back.
"I am not afraid of puppets. I am a Slayer. I slay vampires with a passion." Faith argued as her fists tensed up.
Buffy smiled at her but didn't say a word. While the idea of Faith being afraid of something was amusing, she didn't want to tease her.
"Hi." Angel said as he walked through the door. Faith jumped and then took a deep breath. "Are you okay? Did a demon attack while I was gone?" He glanced around nervously.
"No, nothing like that." Fred said as she sat in a chair. "Where's Connor?"
"He had to leave so he went out the back." Angel replied. In reality, he didn't want Connor to be exposed to any more dangerous mystical stuff and the sooner he left, the sooner his son can have a real normal life with real normal memories.
"Good." Fred sighed in relief.
"What's your problem with the kid?" Gunn asked confused. "I never saw you act so edgy around a guy."
"She has her reasons, let her be." Illyria said to Fred's defense. At that, Gunn just stopped. If Illyria was protecting her, Fred must have a good reason to be wary of Connor.
"She's right." Angel said fully agreeing. He looked up at Faith and said, "So, are you okay? You're shaking."
"I'll be fine. Really." Faith took a deep breath and summoned every ounce of courage she had.
"Okay." Angel couldn't help but feel uneasy and yet a little comforted. Faith was seriously unnerved by his appearance. 250 years of being a fierce vampire had taught him how to tell when people are uneasy around him. He couldn't understand why. He was not a vampire and he didn't have the same level of power he had when he was Angelus. Heck, he was a felt puppet, how threatening can he be?
Thankfully, before anyone could react, Andrew walked in. "I'm back. I'm sorry it took me a while to get back." He said as he glanced at Spike. "Spike! Like Spock, you had risen from the ashes again." He greeted as he came up and hugged Spike.
Spike fought the urge to bit the guy's neck. It was bad enough that he was told to get lost while in Rome and now he was being hugged again. Andrew let go and saw Angel. "He's adorable! A real muppet from Smile Time! Where did you come from, little one?" Andrew reached up to pick him up.
Angel bopped him in the nose and made Andrew drop him onto the floor. Despite his now miniature size and the lack of vampire strength he still packs a punch. "Don't call me 'little one' and what do you mean by 'Smile Time'?"
Andrew's jaw dropped. "Angel?! Who did this to you?"
The vampire turned puppet just crossed his arms. "I'm not talking to you."
"Are you upset with me about Rome?" Andrew asked in a sweet cooing voice. Angel just scowled and kept on looking away. It was bad enough that he was actually seen on Smile Time by someone he knew but to be treated like he had a brain of a five year old was not acceptable.
"He's been through a lot and he's sensitive about his condition." Buffy said, "I need to have a word with you, alone." The slayer took Andrew by the ear. "Excuse me." She took the guy to the other room.
Spike put his ear to the door. Fred walked up and stared at it. The vampire whispered, "Okay, Luv, all you have to do is focus and you can listen anywhere without being seen."
"No thanks."
Angel watched and then curiously looked at the door. He fought the urge to go there and eavesdrop. He turned his head several times and head for the door. He strained to listened at the door but heard only muffles. At that moment, he really wished he had his vampire hearing back. All of a sudden, Angel jumped back and let Andrew come in looking rattled followed by Buffy.
"I was just worried." Andrew said sheepishly. "I mean, Angel is evil."
"Was evil." Angel spoke up as he raised his hand. "I'm going to go and get myself something to eat." He said as he walked off to the kitchen.
Gunn called out, "Need help? Those shelves are pretty high."
"No thanks! I'm just going to fix a sandwich."
"He could eat?" Buffy asked amazed. While she knew about Angel's resistance to sunlight and possibly anything holy, she never thought that he would need to eat.
"Yeah, well, I think so. When he was a vampire puppet, he got hungry like any other… vampire." Gunn said as he thought of those very funny days after the puppet fiasco.
"How can I forget? I caught him stalking and trying to eat my poor Feigenbaum." Fred said as she blushed, "The poor guy was so hungry. So, I offered him Feigenbaum so he could eat. But he refused since he didn't want to eat anyone I know."
"Who's Feigenbaum?" Buffy asked.
"My stuffed bunny, a friend of mine since childhood."
Buffy chuckled at the thought of a puppet Angelus stalking a stuffed bunny. All of a sudden, there was a crash and Angel screamed, "Stupid jar!"
"I'll be back." Buffy said as she got up and then she pointed out. "Don't follow me." She ordered firmly as she walked out.
She ran to the kitchen to see Angel lying on his back with a jar of crunchy peanut butter on his chest. "Being short sucks." Angel muttered as he sat up with the jar in his hands.
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked as she fought the urge to snicker at the sight of her ex-boyfriend in puppet form struggling with a jar of peanut butter.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Don't feel a thing." Angel replied as he got up and looked at his jar. "Buffy? Can you open this for me? My hands kept on slipping." He asked as sweetly as possible as he held out his jar.
Buffy had to bit her lip as she took the jar. Opening a jar with felt hands must be like opening a jar with a pair of wool gloves. "Sure." Buffy slowly opened the jar. It was a snap for her thanks to her slayer strength but she didn't want to make it too easy for him. "Here you go." She said as she finally opened the jar and handed it back to him. "The other slayers must've tightened it too much again."
"Right." Angel said as he climbed up to the counter and got out the knife and bread. He sat on top of the counter as he made his sandwich.
"So, what can puppets eat?"
"Well, I did some experimentation the last time. I can drink blood but I craved cotton and stuffing more. I could also drink alcohol and other things. I could eat normal food but they don't taste right. So, I'm hoping that I have some sense of taste." Angel explained as he smeared the peanut butter onto the bread.
"Why crunchy peanut butter?" Buffy asked curiously.
Angel stiffened. He remembered the forgotten day very well. It was the only day that he spent as a human, the day that ached at him for the longest time. Only Doyle and the Oracles knew about what happened and they were dead. "I felt like it." He simply replied as he took a bite. "Hmmm… I can actually taste it. It tastes like peanut butter. I can eat."
Buffy jumped up and hugged him. "That's great." She cooed and then she let go. "Sorry."
"No, don't be." Angel shook his head. He wanted her to hold her longer. Part of him, which may be the cute snuggly part, wanted to snuggle up with her on some lonely night. No, he can't. It might have been right years ago, maybe even just a few months ago but not now.
"What this up here?" Buffy looked in to see a plate of brownies. She touched it and it was as hard as stone. "There are some really old brownies over here."
"Let me see." Angel put his sandwich down and saw the brownies. "Cordy's brownies… she made a batch of them for Fred, Wes, and Gunn and well, they hid them over there. They didn't want to hurt her feelings and I guess we just forgot about them." He sighed. Was it that long ago that they had been together happy? Before Darla came back into their lives with Connor, before Wesley kidnapped his son and handed him to the enemy, before Cordelia became possessed by an evil entity bent on destroying the world?
Buffy saw how sad her ex-boyfriend was and put the brownies away. "You missed them don't you?"
Angel gazed upwards. "Every day. Wes and Cordy changed from back when you knew them. Wes got stronger, more confident; he even managed to pose as me. Cordy, she was strong and very unselfish in her own way. They didn't deserve to suffer so much."
The slayer came up and put her hand around his shoulders. "Hey, I've been dead too, remember? If they had changed like you said, then they're in a heavenly dimension and at peace."
"I hope so. They deserve it." Angel gazed up at her.
"Awww, how cute!"
The two looked up to see a couple of slayers standing there. Buffy recognized them as the newer slayers; a set of twins that gained the power at the same time. They were blond haired and blue eyed who were identical in every way. "Jessi, Jamie, this is Angel."
"It's a muppet or puppet." Jessi said as she came up and picked him up. "Is he a demon because he's the cutest demon I had ever seen?"
"I'm not a demon! Well, not any more. At least, I don't think I am. It's complicated!" Angel yelled as he pulled away and turned around feeling very embarrassed.
"Girls, leave him alone. He's… under a spell. Sorta. Please." Buffy said as she stared at them.
"Sure, hope you feel better." Jamie said as the twins walked off.
Angel sighed in relief. "Thanks. Those girls really listened to you."
"Well, I was their senior. Many of the girls don't know what happened when they became Slayers. There's only so many watchers and… they need someone who's been there, who's done that. Might as well be me."
"Whatever happened to wanting to be normal?" Angel asked.
"Normal is relative."
"I see." Angel fidgeted again. "I need to get something to drink." He climbed up to counter and got out a paper cup. Buffy reached into the fridge and got out some milk. Angel glanced at the drink and said, "Thanks. I can handle things from here." He heaved the milk and poured it. Thankfully, the milk container was a half gallon one and he didn't want to risk spilling the milk all over. Buffy watched and then she looked away. Angel was still sensitive about his new form and she had done her deed for the day. Besides, she still had to figure out a way that more teenage slayers won't start cooing at the sight of a moving muppet.
Angel sat on top of the counter eating and drinking his milk. His feet were dangling off of the edge swinging idly as he drank his milk through a straw. He glanced up to see Fred standing there watching. "Sorry." Fred said sheepishly as she walked up. "So, that was Buffy. She seems nice."
"Yeah, she is." Angel said as he nodded.
"Do you still well… ummm…"
"Kinda hard to say. She and I had a very complicated relationship. I offered her my hand but she told me that she wasn't done 'baking' yet." Angel replied as he glanced at his hands. "I'm not exactly ready for 'eating'."
"I see." Fred said as she leaned back. Angel told Wesley about the whole 'cookie' thing after he came back. Wesley told her about it. "Would you want to 'eat' if that's possible?"
"Not really…" Angel sighed and whispered in her 'ear', "let's just say that I lost more than my fangs."
Fred's jaw dropped and then she looked at Angel's pants. It wasn't possible and yet it made sense. "Oh no."
"Oh yeah."
"You didn't tell us before."
"Well, Spike was there and he was already having a ball about me being a puppet." Angel complained and then gazed at her.
"I won't say a word." Fred vowed. She respected Spike, there was something about him that just made her feel good. Of course, she also respected Angel, he was her shining knight who saved her from the Hell Dimension. Nothing will ever change that, even if he was now a cute plush puppet.
"Good." Angel nodded and started eating again.
"Oh my god. That is an adorable puppet." Another teenage slayer said as she came in. She had red hair and green eyes and she cooed at Angel. A few more teenage girls appeared and Angel inched away.
"Oh shit." The puppet jumped down and rushed off and the girls chased after him.
XXX
Rupert Giles, former watcher, now head instructor and researcher pulled into the driveway of the Hyperion hotel. He had heard of what happened with the Black Thorn Circle by Wesley. Wesley had changed on him. He could see it in his eyes; the former watcher was no longer the book boy who was green but a skilled fighter, a man who could dabble in the dark arts. He had been on the dark side and been through many things. Wesley had even betrayed his own friends because of an prophesy that was misinterpreted. Then, Angel managed to make everyone forget about his son. If it weren't for the diaries he had kept, he would not have remembered anything about the miracle child.
Giles never could trust them after they sold their souls to the lawfirm. After that, he had to keep the slayers distance from them. The new slayers are too naïve, too green. Wolfram and Hart could corrupt them or worse. Despite their pleas for help, he kept Willow and the others from knowing. If they know, they would just jump in and help. Now, he was wondering if he had made that mistake. He had made mistakes like this before. It wasn't his fault that he hates vampires, he was trained to hate vampires.
He got out of the car and heard some rustling in the bushes. Taking out his knife, Giles glanced around. "Who's there?"
Tina, a new slayer came out of the bush. Her long hair was covered in twigs and her pants were caked with dust. She asked, "Have you seen a muppet running around?"
"Muppet?" Giles repeated as he put away his knife. He had dealt with a villainous dummy once or twice and possessed dolls but demonic muppets?
"Yeah, I thought I saw him hiding out here. He's an adorable puppet about three feet tall and has the funniest hair." Tina gushed.
"I do not!" A very familiar voice rang out and Giles and Tina saw a three foot tall muppet hiding in the shadows. Giles' jaw dropped at the sight. None of his watcher training and experience prepared him for that. Tina squealed and Angel let out nervous eep. Angel dashed off and Tina ran after him.
"I found him! This way!"
Giles picked up his jaw and looked around wondering if there was some weird errant spell. He came up to the door and saw Spike was sitting at a window with a camera in his hand. "Man! That tiny guy can run fast."
"It would be great if you could go out and save him." Gunn said as he watched beside him.
"Can't, bright outside. I'll be a crispy critter. What about you, Charlie boy?"
"I can barely walk."
The two sat there and finally Spike suggested, "So, we just bet on who can catch Puppet Poof first?"
Gunn nodded. If he was told five years ago that he would be betting with a vampire about who would get Angel, he would've gave him a black eye. On the other hand, if he was told that he was going to be a lawyer for Wolfram and Hart, he would've given the guy two black eyes. He glanced up to see an older man standing there wearing spectacles.
Spike recognized him instantly. "Giles." He said as he straightened up. He didn't know what to think of the Watcher. Giles was a decent human but he ignored them just when they needed help the most. He could attack him but Buffy would hate him for that and he wanted to get on her good side again.
"So, it's the guy." Gunn said as he glared at him. He wasn't the type to hide his grudges. When he gets mad at someone or something, he shows it. He had done it to Angel when he fired him. He had done it to Wes when he… did something he was sure he was pissed off about. He had done it to himself when he sold his soul. Now, he will do it to this guy for ignoring their pleas for help.
"Giles, I'm glad you made it." Buffy said as she came up. "We're working on the… aftershocks of the last Apocalyptic battle. Have you seen Angel?"
"Yes, how did he become a… puppet?" Giles asked as he tried to look around.
"Shanshu gone wrong. For once, I'm glad I wasn't the guy." Spike said as he peeked through the window again. He saw Angel rushing by with several eager slayers at his heels. "Look at him go!"
"Maybe he retained his former vampire speed." Gunn said as he watched the puppet do another lap around the hotel.
"He's nowhere near as fast as he used to be." Spike shook his head.
Buffy nearly laughed at the sight of her ex-boyfriend being chased around and him showing real fear. Finally, she asked, "Can someone go and get Angel out of that mess?"
"Ummm… Ria, can you go and get Angel away from them?" Fred asked her 'twin' who was watching as well.
"If that is your desire." Illyria said as she opened a window, stuck out her arm, and pulled Angel back in.
"That was close." Angel said as the former god put him onto the couch. "Thanks."
"You were being elusive from those girls despite they wanted to worship you. Why did you avoid them?" Illyria asked confused.
"I'm shy." Angel replied as he dusted himself off. He didn't like the idea of being chased after by a horde of slayers despite the fact that he was not a vampire again. Maybe it was their squealing, or his embarrassment but he didn't want to deal with a group of super strong teenage girls.
Giles cleared his throat and said, "Ummm… hello, Angel."
Angel turned around and saw Giles there staring at him. The puppet felt anger rising in him again. He turned around and crossed his arms. While he couldn't hurt Giles in any way, especially since he was no longer a vampire, he could still give him the worse kind of punishment.
"Angel, what happened to you?" Giles asked as he stepped forward curious about the vampire's new form. Angel just frowned and faced away from him. "Hello? Can you hear me?"
Fred watched the puppet and shook her head. "He can. He's just giving you the silent treatment."
The watcher rolled his eyes in disbelief. Angelus, the scourge of Europe, the man who had tormented him and killed his girlfriend, was giving him the silent treatment like a child. "Are you that mad at me?" He asked again.
Angel just frowned and kept on staring off.
"Angel is… more emotional in this state." Fred explained to Giles, "So, he's more reactive."
"Right now, I'm surprised that he wasn't attacking you right now." Buffy said as she crossed her arms. "Why didn't you tell me or at least Willow that Fred needed help?!"
"Ummm…" Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them. "I really thought that it was a trap. Besides, our organization is fragile; we couldn't form any alliances with anyone evil."
"Ha!" Angel laughed as he slouched down and shook with anger. He became very still again.
"I know that you're not evil." Buffy said as she sat down to try to cheer up the puppet by massaging his shoulders. She glared at Giles with the type of glare that made even the most brave demons skitter away. She mouthed 'apologize'.
Giles put on his glasses and sighed. He did owe the puppet and his friends an apology and they did seem hurt about what happened. He sat down onto the floor to look him in the eye. "Angel, I know that you try your best to be good and I just… I was scared. I just thought that Wolfram and Hart had done something to you to make you and your friends lose your judgment or perhaps your very souls. I was just trying to protect Buffy and the others. Can you forgive me?"
Angel tilted his head and his scowl lessened. He hated him with a passion but he was Buffy's friend. The puppet was not in the position to make more enemies. He gestured to Fred and said, "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."
"Of course." Giles stood up and held out his hand at Fred. "Fred… I'm sorry for not being able to help you. How are you feeling?"
"Fine, for a ghost." Fred said as she put her hand through his. Giles paled but not from the sight of the ghost but the thought that he could be somewhat responsible for what happened to her. "I'm okay, really. Spike was a ghost and he's solid again but that was because of evil forces. But, with Ria, I think I can figure out a way to get this straightened out."
"I'm sure that the council's resources could help." Giles said as he pulled his hand away.
"You are like him." Illyria said as she stepped forward. "Your manner, your aura is that similar to Wesley'. You will help us find our way?"
"Yes." Giles said as he nodded toward the ex-god. Illyria was too much like the long departed Anya. He had to wonder how many more ex-gods are out there waiting to become mortals. Yet, she was fascinating since she was an ancient god. Maybe, he can find out more and make it up to Fred at the same time.
The others watched the scene and Gunn nodded. Of all the people who should've suffered, Fred was the most forgiving. That was her nature, she loved like that. Only she would actually try to help the entity that booted her out of her body and made her into a ghost. "So, what are you going to do?" Fred asked Gunn.
"I don't know. Maybe I can help you guys out with the vampire stuff or if you need a good lawyer. I know about every human and demon law out there. And I could also help out with training the slayers. I may not be a slayer but I can kick vampire ass. Just wait until I'm a hundred percent then you can see what I can do. What about you?" Gunn looked over at Spike.
The vampire shrugged. "I'm sticking around. I have to help out these two and get ready for the next Apocalypse. I'm getting better at this, still undead but still kicking. Next time, I might even be a real boy." He looked at Angel and added, "And I won't screw up like Peaches here."
Angel crossed his arms and turned away. "I did not screw up my Shanshu."
"Oh really." Spike reached over and took Angel's right ear. He held it up and asked, "Then, what's this?"
"Give that back!" Angel screamed as he reached into his coat and got out a stake.
"Boys!" Buffy yelled as she marched up and took Angel's ear back. She handed it to the puppet and then took the stake and held it in her hands. "Can't you two be more mature? This is the second time I had to do this!"
"They're always like this when they're in the same room." Gunn laughed, "You should see them when you're not there." He winced slightly at the pain but it was worth it.
Buffy shook her head. It was no secret that Spike and Angel hated each other. In fact, she was surprised that they were working together for several months without dusting each other. Now, they are acting like a pair of teenagers. Then, she glanced at Angel who was putting his ear back on. "What about you, Angel?"
Angel stared at her and said, "I don't always act that way with Spike."
"No, I mean, what are you going to do?" Buffy asked and then wondered what he could do. He couldn't blend in as a normal human being. The only place he could fit in was Sesame Street ™.
Angel shrugged and was about to open his mouth when Tina popped in. "Found you!"
"GAH!" Angel skittered away and Buffy glared at Tina.
"What?"
XXX
The sun was setting as Buffy came to the roof to see Angel sitting on the top with sketchbook in his tiny hands. "I thought I might find you here." The woman said as she walked up. "Enjoying the sun or hiding?"
"Both but yeah I wanted to get up here and draw the sunset. I tried to draw it but… my motor skills aren't all that good and all I can use was markers." Angel said as he held up his sketchbook to reveal a colorful sunset made with markers. It wasn't his usual ultra realistic charcoal drawings but it was nice.
"It's… nice." Buffy sat down besides him.
"Well, it's not at all like I used to do but maybe I can relearn how to draw." Angel sighed as he stared at his hands again.
"Well, you seem to be taking this puppet thing very well. What happened the first time you were a puppet?" Buffy asked as she studied the picture.
"Oh, well, it was while I was with Wolfram & Hart. Do you know the kid's show 'Smile Time'?"
"Yeah, the one with the singing puppets. I kinda flipped across them once but watching them made me have a headache." Buffy's eyes widened, "Don't tell me that they turned you into a puppet?!"
"Not intentionally. The show was in danger of cancellation so the show's founder made a deal with a group of demons to keep it going. These demons used the show to suck out the souls of innocent children. I was doing some hands on investigating and I went into this room with the 'nest egg' and wham! I became a cursed muppet vampire with a soul." Angel finished and Buffy had to giggle.
"You mean to tell me that the reason that kids TV shows get sold to demons is because of Producers?" Buffy asked.
"And a few others like Happy Days. Anyway, we went in, took care of the demons who were in the forms of puppets, destroyed the nest egg, and saved kids everywhere. The spell took a couple of days to reverse. So, I spent two days as a puppet. The staff had a field day with it, especially Spike."
Buffy just nodded. She could understand why Spike would react like he did. Heck, she could just imagine Xander's reaction to 'Dead Boy's transformation. "So, you know what to expect."
"Yeah."
"We're going to leave in a couple of days. We have our jobs to do after all. What are you going to do?" Buffy asked. She didn't know what Angel could do. He was a man trapped in a puppet's body with half the world hating him and the other half not trusting him.
"What can I do? I'm a bloody puppet." Angel sighed again. "I don't really know what I can do. I was thinking… well… I know that I'm not exactly a champion vampire any more but… I got like 270 years of experience and maybe I can help your group out. If they, you know, trust me. Be a teacher or a researcher…" He looked down at his hands, "or a mascot."
Buffy had to laugh at the joke. Angel was actually making a joke about his condition? "A former vampire being the Slayers mascot, that would be cute but I think that we really need someone with your experience." Buffy said as she laughed. "Maybe you can teach the new slayers like you taught me."
"Could they even take me seriously? I look the type of person that could host a kiddie's show."
"Oh, I'm sure after a few rounds with you and they will take you very seriously." Buffy said firmly.
Angel glanced down and said, "Well… umm… yeah."
"What?" Buffy saw how uncomfortable Angel got again. In his puppet form, he expresses himself so much better than he was when he was a vampire despite the fact that he can't really manipulate his mouth.
Angel shuffled his feet and asked,"Are you finished baking yet?"
"Oh, the cookie analogy. Well, I don't know, yet. I guess that you never know when you're done baking. You need a little cooking yourself."
"Maybe. I don't feel all that different. I'm still me. I'm just shorter." Angel tilted his head in thought and added, "Okay, a lot shorter and made out of felt and without my vampire powers but I'm still me."
"I believe you."
Angel could feel his body tensing up. Thanks to his stupid puppet body, he has a much harder time controlling his already overwhelming feelings. He already done things that he would never do as a vampire. What happened between he and Buffy should remain in the past. They had been with other people and tried to move on with their lives. Still, he wanted to be with her. But, even thought he was not a vampire, he wasn't entirely human either. "Good. Ummm… well… can you watch the sunset with me?"
"Sure." Buffy picked up the puppet and put him into her lap. She wrapped her arms around him and took a deep breath. They sat there as the sun slowly slipped into the horizon. Unseen by them, Spike stood at the door way watching.
To be continued in the next story.