Part 5: The Watchers

Three days passed, before the Watchers came. During that time, Giles and Willow constantly tested the bond that Angel and Darkmoon now shared as Master and Familiar. They learned many things. One of which was that Angel and his familiar did not seem to get along very well. They also learned that both had a very twisted sense of humor.

"What do you mean you can cast spells!" Angel asked in astonishment.

"What else am I going to do for two hundred forty-five years? Take up swimming! I'm a familiar, for the sake of the stars!" Darkmoon retorted.

Angel leaned back in the chair he was sitting in, and smiled faintly, a malicious gleam in his eyes, as he said, "I'd pay to see that."

At the other side of the library, Willow whispered to Giles, "You know, it's real creepy when you can only hear one side of their conversations."

"If only I could find that spell to let a familiar talk to whomever they wish," Giles muttered as he slowly flipped through an old book.

Silence fell in the room for a brief moment, then Angel said with raised eyebrows, "I didn't know you could read! pause Hey! another pause Alright! I was only joking! an even longer pause Giles, Darkmoon says to try the 'Book of Druidic Chants', if you have it."

"I'm not sure I do. What does it look like," Giles asked, as he put up the book he had been looking in.

With what sounded like a disgusted growl, Darkmoon went over to where Giles was standing. Angel said, with raised eyebrows, "I'm not even going to repeat that."

"I'm grateful, I'm sure," Giles said dryly as he followed the familiar deeper into the stacks.

Two hours later, Angel fell backwards in his chair as Darkmoon landed squarely on the vampire's chest to wake him up. On instinct alone, Angel shouted, and threw the cat off of himself.

"Not again!" Darkmoon said just before crashing into a wall.

Moments later, the familiar came back to life, shook himself off, and hissed at Angel.

"Good Lord," whispered a man's voice at the entrance doors of the library.

All except for Angel turned to see eight men and women standing just inside the library. As Giles went to greet them, Angel stalked over to the black cat, and grabbed him roughly by the scrap of the neck, raising him to eye-level. He growled at Darkmoon, his eyes glowing yellow.

"Honey," Buffy said quietly, "calm down and behave."

Closing his eyes, Angel did as Buffy asked. Once calmer, he released Darkmoon, and went to sit back down where he had been before being awakened by the cat.

"You didn't have to wake me up like that!" Angel snapped at Darkmoon, still upset.

"Well, how was I to know you would react like that!" the familiar snarled back as he leapt up onto Angel's lap.

While Angel glared at the cat, Buffy went up behind him, and began to rub his shoulders. After a moment, Angel -- almost against his will -- closed his eyes, and rolled his head forward. Another moment passed, before Angel began to -- what sounded like -- purr or growl in contentment.

"Enough with the cat theatrics," Xander suddenly exclaimed. "Buffy, can you wait until you get him home to do that!"

"Yes," Giles said. "For once, I concur with Xander about this."

Muttering under her breath, Buffy stopped, as Angel made a faint sound of protest. The protest stopped when Buffy quickly kissed him on the lips, then whispered in his ear, "Later, Honey."

Angel nodded, then brought his focus onto the newest group of people to enter the library. He tilted his head to the side, and commented, "Introductions would be a good idea, Giles."

"Yes, of course," Giles said while adjusting his glasses. "You need not know their names, only that they represent the Council of Watchers, and will aid us with current matters."

"Names would be nice," Buffy said while crossing her arms.

Giles looked down, sighed, then raised his head and glanced over at Buffy. He said quietly, "I'm sorry, Buffy, but they will not allow it."

"Then," Willow asked, "what are we to call them?"

"Sir, Ma'am, or Miss will do," said one of the Watchers.

Angel stiffened, as memories of a childhood best forgotten came to him. He tightened his hands around Darkmoon.

"Don't!" the familiar shouted in Angel's mind. Immediately, Angel's grip loosened. "Don't you dare, Liam Kells. Dieing once a day is enough."

"Sorry," Angel murmured to Darkmoon as he regained his composure. He then added, "And don't call me that. I'm no longer that person."

A female Watcher asked, "And who is this, Giles?"

Firmly but quietly, Giles said, "I think you should learn that last." He then pointed to Buffy -- and each in turn as he called them -- and said, "This is Buffy Summers, the Slayer." Buffy waved, then picked up Darkmoon from Angel's lap, and sat on said vampire's lap, placing the familiar on her own lap as Angel wrapped his arms around the Slayer. "Yes, of course... This is Xander." Xander looked up from the comic book he was looking at, and smiled. "This is Willow. Our resident Wiccan." Willow waved timidly from where she sat, holding Oz's hand. "And the one next to Willow is Oz. He is a werewolf." Oz nodded as the Watchers murmured amongst themselves. "There is also another in this group that is not here this night: Cordelia. It is very rarely that you will see her, as she tries to keep her distance from us as much as possible."

The female Watcher once again spoke, saying, "And the one you have not yet introduced. Who is he?"

Giles sighed, then said, "That is Angel, the souled vampire. It is he who went and came back from Hell."

"Giles!" Buffy said sharply, as Angel drew in breath harshly, eyes widening in terror.

"Damn that Watcher!" Darkmoon thought angrily as he leapt up onto Angel's shoulders. Once there, he pressed his head against the vampire's. Memories not his own overwhelmed him.

Pain.
Terror.
Unspeakable acts that left him numb from overwhelming pain.
Mind losing its grip on reality.
Demon and soul united in their cries of unbearable torment.

With an unearthly howl, Darkmoon broke free of the memories. Shuddering, the familiar called out, "Mother! Help me!"

Instantly, Darkmoon felt power flow through him. With a new determination, he focused once again on Angel's mind.

Pain and terror banished.
Tormentors faced and defeated.
Reality brought back into focus. Focused upon the one who loved him.
Demon and soul brought to an understanding.
Memories put to rest once and for all.

As Darkmoon withdrew from Angel's mind, the souled vampire drew in a shuddering breath, and buried his face in Buffy's hair, shaking.

"What the H--" Xander stopped, and amended what he was about to say. "What in the world just happened?"

Darkmoon -- knowing that Angel was safe with Buffy -- leapt from the vampire's shoulders and onto the table where Angel sat. Once on the table, he picked up a pencil with his mouth, trotted over to a pad of paper, and began to write a message.

Moments later, Darkmoon put the pencil down, and -- with his nose -- pushed the pad over to Willow. The Wiccan picked up the paper, and read, "I just helped the vampire put his memories of that place to rest."

Willow tilted her head as she gazed at the familiar, then asked "How?", and pushed the pad back over to Darkmoon. A minute later, she had her answer.

"I made him face them," she read.

Xander snorted, and said, "That's helpful!"

Darkmoon's eyes narrowed, as he thought, I'm beginning to see why my master doesn't like him. Now how to repay him...? Oh! I know.

Angel's silent command of "Don't." kept Darkmoon from doing what he truly wanted to do. Tail lashing in agitation, he walked over to Xander, and purposefully landed on the boy's comic book instead.

"Hey!"