Disclaimer: The regular, don't own them, wish I did, end of story.
Author's notes: 1. C.O.S.: Change of Scenery
2. ""= Dialogue ''= thoughts
Chapter #17
Wesley too, must have fallen asleep. He was awakened by a knock on the door. He gently laid Cordelia's head down on her pillows and went to open it.
" Wesley, is Cordelia around?" Angel asked.
"She's actually asleep now. She had a vision earlier. I heard Connor crying, and came in, and found her on the floor. At the mention of his son, Angel pushed past Wesley and went straight for the bassinet. He gazed down at his son. Connor smiled in recognition.
" I hear you've had an exciting afternoon. Connor began to giggle. It's going to be all right. You were a big strong man today for Cordy." Angel told his son, as he gathered Connor into his arms. Wesley watched all of this with a bemused look on his face.
"If it isn't my two favourite men, not strangling each other." Cordy spoke up from where she sat against her pillows. Both men turned their gazes towards her.
"Wesley says you've had a vision." Angel prompted.
"It was of Holtz. He was holding someone up against a wall. I even felt his hands around that person's neck. Then the scene changed to a cemetery, we were all there, standing in a circle, about to confront him. And Angel, Buffy attacked you. I don't know why, but one minute she was standing beside you and the next she was attacking you." Cordy paused, as she watched the emotions play on Angel's face.
"The next scene Holtz stood, alone, and vulnerable over the gravesite." Cordelia finished. There was a second pause as Angel considered his words carefully. After a time, he glanced directly at Wesley:
"What are you thinking Wes?" Angel asked.
"Mind-control. Something so subliminal, that we aren't even able to detect it." Wesley answered.
"Okay, I want you to research it." Angel sighed, as he left. Wesley paused wondering if he should follow.
Angel added, sensing Wesley's hesitation: "Now." Wesley followed him through Cordelia's door. "I'll be alright. Wesley: Thank you for earlier." Cordelia said, as she stood at the doorway and watched them walk down the hallway. Cordelia walked back into her room. She glanced at the rumpled bed, and remembered with a smile how it felt to have his arm around her as she slept. It felt good to have him home again.
C.O.S.: Lobby.
"Okay everybody, break's over, it's time to start the research. Willow, and Spike I want you to look through the books on the shelf behind the desk on spells. Fred, and Gunn, I want you to search the Internet on any possible demons. Wesley, you're taking care of what we talked about earlier. Buffy, Xander, Dawn, and Cordelia, I want you to come out on patrol with me later." Angel instructed the team, as he headed down to his office.
'It didn't bother me, as much as I thought it would- seeing them together earlier. They looked comfortable. Sure, I still remember that night, and the kiss, I also remember how I was about to tell her how I felt, and ruin what might be one of the best friendships that I've ever had. And now lately, I've begun to realize what a blessing in disguise that might have been. I realize that now I could never have been faithful to Cordelia. My feelings for Buffy are just too strong. And getting stronger each day she remains here. I just hope he treats her right, like she should be treated. I guess in a way, I'm glad to have him home.' Angel thought, as he settled into his chair, and prepared to do some research of his own.
Some time Buffy came to his office door. 'It was all happening so fast, first I was dead, and now, I'm alive- and here with him. I thought I was over him. I had Riley, my life in Sunnydale. And we just keep meeting up. I look at him now, and think how caring attentive, and loving he has been, like the man I fell in love with. I suppose it's fate we keep running into each other. I'm beginning to realize that I never was over him. There's still this unexplainable attraction between us backed up by deep affection. I want to make it work no matter what this time.' Buffy thought to herself as she stood watching Angel, intently concentrated. He became aware of a pair of eyes on him, and looked up:
"I just came to see what you were doing. It's been two hours since you came back here." Buffy said, moving behind his chair.
"Has it been long, I haven't noticed." Angel replied distractedly. Buffy's hands moved to his neck and began massaging motions.
"What are you working on?" Buffy asked, leaning over his shoulder to peer at the screen.
"Oh, it's nothing." Angel replied. 'She's too delicate, I won't tell her, not yet.' Angel thought to himself.
"How are things going out there?" He asked.
"Pretty good, Wes thinks he has something. We've been able to narrow it down to either a demon posing as Holtz or more likely a Holtz from another dimension." Buffy replied.
"All we have to do is find evidence." Angel pointed out the obvious.
"And then what?" Buffy asked.
"And then we move. But first, I'm going to go out for a bit.
"Do you want me to tell your team it's time to go?" Buffy asked
"No, there's something I have to do alone." Angel replied rising from his seat and grabbing his jacket. He followed Buffy out. They got to the lobby, and before leaving Angel turned to them: "I'm going out, Buffy's in charge while I'm gone." He said crossing the lobby and leaving. The group turned to each other with questioning looks on their faces.
"Alright, I'll follow him." Spike sighed, as he told the group and turned to leave.
"Spike don't start anything." Willow admonished.
"I'll go with him to stop him from doing anything stupid." Xander piped up as he followed Spike.
"Odds are though, somebody's coming back with a few broken bones." Xander added, his head turned to his audience as he walked out to join Spike. The pair followed Angel to a church of all places they gazed up at the bell tower, as they heard it striking midnight.
"Oh, don't tell me the poof's gone and found religion." Spike suggested, allowing the disgust, and sarcasm to show through his voice.
"Well, I guess we should find a nice comfy not so noticeable spot in the bushes, and settle down to wait." Xander suggested, as he led the way to a bench by a grove of bushes. The two were silent as both settled in to wait.
"So, what do you think he's doing?" Spike asked rhetorically, as he stared straight ahead.
C.O.S: inside the church Angel stared straight ahead, concentrating on the altar at the end of the aisle. He could do this; he had to do this for her for Buffy. Love hurts sometimes Angel understood, as continued to walk resolutely down the aisle. He paused, half in uncertainty, half in reverence as he looked into the flame of the candles. The realization came to him, that the church did have some peace in it for him, even after all this time after all the terrible things he did. Angel continued to gaze into the flames at the wonder of it all. A single man in grey robes came striding towards him. "Come, lower being, they will see you now." Angel crossed himself uncertainly, as he followed the man through the door behind the altar. The man opened the door and stepped through, as Angel shielded his eyes as to the blinding white light.
"Come in, lower being." A female voice commanded. Angel nervously walked in.
"Whatever evil is down there is well in hand." "Soon there will be peace throughout the land" The male rhymed.
" Oh, forgive my brother, he likes to rhyme. But it is not our help with evil that you seek. It is help with a different kind of problem. So tell us, champion what is it?" she asked Angel.
"I was wondering if you could ground my soul?" Angel got right to the point.
"For love?" asked the girl.
"No, wait, do not answer, I can see it in your eyes. It is for love, I can tell. The slayer. She is yet another of our champions. She is one like you, strong of heart, mind, and body. You believe that you, and she are mates of the soul. I will then give you a gift; I foresee that the two of you together are better than each of you singly. It is with this in mind that I shall grant your wish, for there is no greater calling than that of the human heart. Go now, then Champion, for our compliance with this request is conditional upon this quest for us. Come to see us again, after the demons have been fought." The female answered.
Angel turned, and with a lighter step walked out. He took off the suit jacket he had been wearing, and left it as a gift.
C.O.S.: Outside the Church "How long, have we been sittin here?" Spike asked, tearing his gaze away from the open door.
Angel came walking from the opposite direction than where they'd been watching: "Too long, I've been watching you for the last 20 minutes and I thought you guys would never spot me. Let's start back to the hotel"
Xander, and Spike hurried to catch up, each hardly believing the mood their friend was in, and each wondering when the other shoe would fall.
C.O.S.: Hotel Angel began whistling as he led the way through the maze of streets on the way back to the hotel. Xander and Spike just looked at each other, speechless. Both wanted to question it, but neither dared. They walked into the hotel and were greeted with a series of questioning stares. Angel glanced at Buffy, as he past her on the way to his office still whistling. Buffy knowing what the good mood might signify grabbed a stake, and went back to his office. Angel settled into his leather chair swinging his legs onto the desk. He glanced up, as Buffy stood in the doorway.
"You left all broody, and determined, and you came back.?" Buffy began.
"Happy. No, relax, it's not what you think." Angel finished.
"I see, then what is it?" Buffy asked still confused. Angel was silent as he thought through what to tell her. He replied:
"I went to see the oracle. I wanted to see if there is anyway they could ground my soul."
"Why?" Buffy reflexively asked.
"You. You bring hope, and light into my life. You are my goal, what keeps me fighting. Over the last few days, I've realized what a big mistake I made, when I left Sunnydale. I hurt you that night for purely selfish reasons. I thought I was keeping you safe, and it was the 'right' thing to do. Existence became empty for me after I left. I began to come to the realization that you made me whole, made me human. I will spend the rest of my life making up the wrong I did to you. Buffy you are my soul mate, my friend, and my companion. I have lived long enough to know, that to find all three in one person is very rare. I love you very much heart." Angel said.
Silence filled the room, as Buffy walked over to the desk and stood in front of it, making eye contact with him. She looked into his chocolate brown eyes, searching for the truth of his words. When he never broke contact with her gaze, she realized with a shock that he was serious. She broke the eye contact, and ran from the room. Angel noticed her shoulders beginning shake, as she began crying and followed her as far the lobby. Willow, Spike, and Xander, stopped their conversation, as they noticed Buffy running across the lobby. Their glances met Angel's face, his expression showing pain. Willow sighed,
"I'll go after her." Willow left, as Xander, and Spike continued to glare at Angel. Angel turned, and went back to his office.
Okay, that ends another chapter.
To get another chapter, you need only to review.
Happy reading.
-A.B.
Author's notes: 1. C.O.S.: Change of Scenery
2. ""= Dialogue ''= thoughts
Chapter #17
Wesley too, must have fallen asleep. He was awakened by a knock on the door. He gently laid Cordelia's head down on her pillows and went to open it.
" Wesley, is Cordelia around?" Angel asked.
"She's actually asleep now. She had a vision earlier. I heard Connor crying, and came in, and found her on the floor. At the mention of his son, Angel pushed past Wesley and went straight for the bassinet. He gazed down at his son. Connor smiled in recognition.
" I hear you've had an exciting afternoon. Connor began to giggle. It's going to be all right. You were a big strong man today for Cordy." Angel told his son, as he gathered Connor into his arms. Wesley watched all of this with a bemused look on his face.
"If it isn't my two favourite men, not strangling each other." Cordy spoke up from where she sat against her pillows. Both men turned their gazes towards her.
"Wesley says you've had a vision." Angel prompted.
"It was of Holtz. He was holding someone up against a wall. I even felt his hands around that person's neck. Then the scene changed to a cemetery, we were all there, standing in a circle, about to confront him. And Angel, Buffy attacked you. I don't know why, but one minute she was standing beside you and the next she was attacking you." Cordy paused, as she watched the emotions play on Angel's face.
"The next scene Holtz stood, alone, and vulnerable over the gravesite." Cordelia finished. There was a second pause as Angel considered his words carefully. After a time, he glanced directly at Wesley:
"What are you thinking Wes?" Angel asked.
"Mind-control. Something so subliminal, that we aren't even able to detect it." Wesley answered.
"Okay, I want you to research it." Angel sighed, as he left. Wesley paused wondering if he should follow.
Angel added, sensing Wesley's hesitation: "Now." Wesley followed him through Cordelia's door. "I'll be alright. Wesley: Thank you for earlier." Cordelia said, as she stood at the doorway and watched them walk down the hallway. Cordelia walked back into her room. She glanced at the rumpled bed, and remembered with a smile how it felt to have his arm around her as she slept. It felt good to have him home again.
C.O.S.: Lobby.
"Okay everybody, break's over, it's time to start the research. Willow, and Spike I want you to look through the books on the shelf behind the desk on spells. Fred, and Gunn, I want you to search the Internet on any possible demons. Wesley, you're taking care of what we talked about earlier. Buffy, Xander, Dawn, and Cordelia, I want you to come out on patrol with me later." Angel instructed the team, as he headed down to his office.
'It didn't bother me, as much as I thought it would- seeing them together earlier. They looked comfortable. Sure, I still remember that night, and the kiss, I also remember how I was about to tell her how I felt, and ruin what might be one of the best friendships that I've ever had. And now lately, I've begun to realize what a blessing in disguise that might have been. I realize that now I could never have been faithful to Cordelia. My feelings for Buffy are just too strong. And getting stronger each day she remains here. I just hope he treats her right, like she should be treated. I guess in a way, I'm glad to have him home.' Angel thought, as he settled into his chair, and prepared to do some research of his own.
Some time Buffy came to his office door. 'It was all happening so fast, first I was dead, and now, I'm alive- and here with him. I thought I was over him. I had Riley, my life in Sunnydale. And we just keep meeting up. I look at him now, and think how caring attentive, and loving he has been, like the man I fell in love with. I suppose it's fate we keep running into each other. I'm beginning to realize that I never was over him. There's still this unexplainable attraction between us backed up by deep affection. I want to make it work no matter what this time.' Buffy thought to herself as she stood watching Angel, intently concentrated. He became aware of a pair of eyes on him, and looked up:
"I just came to see what you were doing. It's been two hours since you came back here." Buffy said, moving behind his chair.
"Has it been long, I haven't noticed." Angel replied distractedly. Buffy's hands moved to his neck and began massaging motions.
"What are you working on?" Buffy asked, leaning over his shoulder to peer at the screen.
"Oh, it's nothing." Angel replied. 'She's too delicate, I won't tell her, not yet.' Angel thought to himself.
"How are things going out there?" He asked.
"Pretty good, Wes thinks he has something. We've been able to narrow it down to either a demon posing as Holtz or more likely a Holtz from another dimension." Buffy replied.
"All we have to do is find evidence." Angel pointed out the obvious.
"And then what?" Buffy asked.
"And then we move. But first, I'm going to go out for a bit.
"Do you want me to tell your team it's time to go?" Buffy asked
"No, there's something I have to do alone." Angel replied rising from his seat and grabbing his jacket. He followed Buffy out. They got to the lobby, and before leaving Angel turned to them: "I'm going out, Buffy's in charge while I'm gone." He said crossing the lobby and leaving. The group turned to each other with questioning looks on their faces.
"Alright, I'll follow him." Spike sighed, as he told the group and turned to leave.
"Spike don't start anything." Willow admonished.
"I'll go with him to stop him from doing anything stupid." Xander piped up as he followed Spike.
"Odds are though, somebody's coming back with a few broken bones." Xander added, his head turned to his audience as he walked out to join Spike. The pair followed Angel to a church of all places they gazed up at the bell tower, as they heard it striking midnight.
"Oh, don't tell me the poof's gone and found religion." Spike suggested, allowing the disgust, and sarcasm to show through his voice.
"Well, I guess we should find a nice comfy not so noticeable spot in the bushes, and settle down to wait." Xander suggested, as he led the way to a bench by a grove of bushes. The two were silent as both settled in to wait.
"So, what do you think he's doing?" Spike asked rhetorically, as he stared straight ahead.
C.O.S: inside the church Angel stared straight ahead, concentrating on the altar at the end of the aisle. He could do this; he had to do this for her for Buffy. Love hurts sometimes Angel understood, as continued to walk resolutely down the aisle. He paused, half in uncertainty, half in reverence as he looked into the flame of the candles. The realization came to him, that the church did have some peace in it for him, even after all this time after all the terrible things he did. Angel continued to gaze into the flames at the wonder of it all. A single man in grey robes came striding towards him. "Come, lower being, they will see you now." Angel crossed himself uncertainly, as he followed the man through the door behind the altar. The man opened the door and stepped through, as Angel shielded his eyes as to the blinding white light.
"Come in, lower being." A female voice commanded. Angel nervously walked in.
"Whatever evil is down there is well in hand." "Soon there will be peace throughout the land" The male rhymed.
" Oh, forgive my brother, he likes to rhyme. But it is not our help with evil that you seek. It is help with a different kind of problem. So tell us, champion what is it?" she asked Angel.
"I was wondering if you could ground my soul?" Angel got right to the point.
"For love?" asked the girl.
"No, wait, do not answer, I can see it in your eyes. It is for love, I can tell. The slayer. She is yet another of our champions. She is one like you, strong of heart, mind, and body. You believe that you, and she are mates of the soul. I will then give you a gift; I foresee that the two of you together are better than each of you singly. It is with this in mind that I shall grant your wish, for there is no greater calling than that of the human heart. Go now, then Champion, for our compliance with this request is conditional upon this quest for us. Come to see us again, after the demons have been fought." The female answered.
Angel turned, and with a lighter step walked out. He took off the suit jacket he had been wearing, and left it as a gift.
C.O.S.: Outside the Church "How long, have we been sittin here?" Spike asked, tearing his gaze away from the open door.
Angel came walking from the opposite direction than where they'd been watching: "Too long, I've been watching you for the last 20 minutes and I thought you guys would never spot me. Let's start back to the hotel"
Xander, and Spike hurried to catch up, each hardly believing the mood their friend was in, and each wondering when the other shoe would fall.
C.O.S.: Hotel Angel began whistling as he led the way through the maze of streets on the way back to the hotel. Xander and Spike just looked at each other, speechless. Both wanted to question it, but neither dared. They walked into the hotel and were greeted with a series of questioning stares. Angel glanced at Buffy, as he past her on the way to his office still whistling. Buffy knowing what the good mood might signify grabbed a stake, and went back to his office. Angel settled into his leather chair swinging his legs onto the desk. He glanced up, as Buffy stood in the doorway.
"You left all broody, and determined, and you came back.?" Buffy began.
"Happy. No, relax, it's not what you think." Angel finished.
"I see, then what is it?" Buffy asked still confused. Angel was silent as he thought through what to tell her. He replied:
"I went to see the oracle. I wanted to see if there is anyway they could ground my soul."
"Why?" Buffy reflexively asked.
"You. You bring hope, and light into my life. You are my goal, what keeps me fighting. Over the last few days, I've realized what a big mistake I made, when I left Sunnydale. I hurt you that night for purely selfish reasons. I thought I was keeping you safe, and it was the 'right' thing to do. Existence became empty for me after I left. I began to come to the realization that you made me whole, made me human. I will spend the rest of my life making up the wrong I did to you. Buffy you are my soul mate, my friend, and my companion. I have lived long enough to know, that to find all three in one person is very rare. I love you very much heart." Angel said.
Silence filled the room, as Buffy walked over to the desk and stood in front of it, making eye contact with him. She looked into his chocolate brown eyes, searching for the truth of his words. When he never broke contact with her gaze, she realized with a shock that he was serious. She broke the eye contact, and ran from the room. Angel noticed her shoulders beginning shake, as she began crying and followed her as far the lobby. Willow, Spike, and Xander, stopped their conversation, as they noticed Buffy running across the lobby. Their glances met Angel's face, his expression showing pain. Willow sighed,
"I'll go after her." Willow left, as Xander, and Spike continued to glare at Angel. Angel turned, and went back to his office.
Okay, that ends another chapter.
To get another chapter, you need only to review.
Happy reading.
-A.B.