Disclaimer: If I owned these two shows, they would both be on the air
Summary: See chapter #1 (so very many moons ago)
Author's notes:
Yes, I know, I've taken my sweet time to end this one. I realize that, and I would like to thank all the readers for hanging in there with me.
"" Dialogue, '' thoughts
C.O.S. change of scenery
Italics are used in emphasis
Chapter#22: The end at last
The group walked back to the van in total silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Events had taken an extremely weird turn that none expected- Holtz was dead, and the threat was gone. The night was peaceful for a moment, and as they neared the van they heard the echo of sirens heading in their general direction. The group picked up the pace, as nobody wanted to answer any questions about the body, and a fire. It was obvious that Lorne had heard them too because he had both the van and car ready to go. Angel followed by Buffy made their way to the car, and got in the front with Fred, and Gunn sitting in the back with Connor fast asleep in between. The rest of the group including Lorne all piled into the van, and it started up. Angel was driving, led the way down the long boulevard and out onto the streets. It was a silent ride home, Buffy staring straight ahead of her, and Fred asleep on Gunn's shoulder. It was a relief when the car finally pulled into the Hyperion and parked. Angel made his way around and without a word unbuckled the car seat and lifted Connor onto his shoulder, and made his way inside and up the stairs without a word. Buffy, a haunted look in her eyes hung back, noticing that she clearly was not welcome company to him at the moment. Gunn motioned Fred to go on ahead of him into the hotel, and moved beside Buffy, calmly waiting for her to speak.
"I-I didn't mean to attack him like that. He-He hypnotized me." She stammered, her voice like that of a small child.
"He knows that, I think he just needs some time. It was likely a tougher battle than we know in that house." Gunn answered. They continued to the front door, and walked into the eerily silent lobby.
Buffy moved to help Dawn who had busied herself getting bandages cut, and got the first aid kit down. Willow was sitting down ready to be taken care of, so Buffy did that first, beginning with the cuts on her forehead, and a cuts on her hands.
"What happened in there?" Buffy asked, realizing that Willow was the only other one besides Angel to know what happened to make him so distant.
"I don't really know exactly. All I know is, we found three children, all tortured in varying ways, but still alive. We had to fight our way out, through what seemed to be an army of vampires. We got into the first bedroom and found a small boy surrounded by the tools of an exorcist; I picked him up, meaning to take him out of the house. I hadn't made it down the stairs before we heard a scream, so I followed it to a second bedroom. There was a girl stretched out on what looked to be a torture machine. We got her set up on the bed, and Angel went on fighting his way through the house. He found a second girl in the bedroom next to it. So he brought the little girl into the bedroom. Eventually we fought our way through to the front door, and he sent me and the three children out of the house." Willow paused, and winced as Buffy applied some antiseptic to a cut above her eyebrow.
"Why three children?" Buffy asked.
"The two girls are named: Sarah and Emma, the same names as Holtz' two daughters. The boy's name is Connor." Willow answered.
"Angellus tortured them terribly, then set fire to the house. Holtz came home and seeing the house in flames, he collapsed to his knees. He could hear the screams of his wife and daughters as they burned. It was then he vowed to make Angel pay." Buffy said shivering, as she remembered the vivid detail that was used to describe it in Angel's chronicle.
"There's more. The children's father was one of the vampires- Holtz' army. He attacked Angel with explosives tied to his chest. He was so sad after his wife died, so angry at the world that he was looking for a way to get back at it and Holtz he felt gave it to him. Angel let him die to protect the children." Willow explained. Buffy walked away from her, as Spike took a seat beside Willow, and took her hand. Spike gave her a concerned look, wondering at the amount of bandages.
"I'm okay, really. Better than okay even, now that you're here." Willow answered, reaching her arms around Spike.
C.O.S: Angel's room.
Buffy stood in the doorway and watched as Angel put Connor to bed. It was still hard to imagine, this man who had once been known as the Scourge of Europe as a father. But somehow it felt right to her, watching as he lovingly tucked the baby into his crib. As she watched him, she began imagining what he would be like with their children, a little girl with his eyes, and her hair. Buffy smiled as she imagined the little girl that would of course have her father wrapped around her little finger. Angel noticed her and motioned her to come in. She noticed his weariness as he sunk into the beige low-backed chair stationed in one corner of the room, and found that to her surprise it matched her own. She moved behind the chair and slowly began massaging his neck.
"That feels so good." Angel finally said, as he closed his eyes sighing in pleasure. Buffy smiled in response. After a few moments longer he grabbed her hands and brought her around to face him. She took a seat on the footstool, and sat in silence waiting for him to start the conversation she knew was coming.
"They didn't need to die." Angel said, his voice filled with regret. She waited as she chose her words carefully.
"Angel, what you did in there tonight was what needed to be done. Holtz needed to die, he was after your family and he needed to be stopped. His long life must have been torture. He was probably glad to die, he would be able to be with his wife and family." She started.
"It's not him that I regret killing. There's another man. His wife had died and left him to raise three children on his own. He was so sad, so angry at the world that he was looking for an outlet. Holtz discovered him, and he was brought across. He strapped explosives to himself and was supposed to attack me. Instead, he realized that now he was a vampire he couldn't give the children the life they deserved. He helped me leave the house alive then detonated the explosives." Angel explained.
"Angel, it was for the best. He realized that all he could give his children was a life in darkness and he didn't want that for his kids. It was a mercy that he died before realizing what he had done. Those children will find a good home, I'll see to it even if we have to adopt them ourselves." Buffy assured him, taking his hand in both of hers.
"That's another thing we should talk about- us. Is there going to be an us?" Angel asked. Buffy was silent as she pondered how to answer that. She knew that she wanted there be an 'us,' wanted it more than anything in the world. 'Okay Buffy, let's stop being cautious and just take the leap.' She thought to herself.
"I do want there to be an us." She replied, smiling at him. There was an uneasy silence. Angel looked at her eyes and still saw that small hint of sadness in them.
"What's wrong? This is what you wanted right?" He asked her.
"Angel, I want an honest relationship with you. And being perfectly honest with you, you've hurt me a lot in the past. And I have a lot of trouble forgetting that." Buffy gulped at the end.
"I know when I walked away from Sunnydale after graduation I hurt you. No amount of excuses, or explanations will say why I did it. All I knew at the time was that you had a whole life of good things ahead of you and being with me put you in constant danger. I left because I wanted you to have it all, and because if I stayed I would condemn you to a life in darkness." He began. Buffy cut him off:
"You still don't get it do you? All I ever wanted was you, all I could ever think about was you. You were it for me, I never wanted anyone else and I never thought of anyone else. I always compared you to every guy I dated, and nobody ever came close to you. You are a part of me, and when you left a part of me died. Since I've been here, I've felt so alive, and we have felt so right together. It's been very easy get used to that, and if that stopped, if you left again…"
Angel put his finger to her lips in shushing motion.
"I know that I took you for granted for a long time, but when you died- the most recent time, it seemed so permanent. Now it's like we have a second chance given to us. I don't know what the future holds for us, but I can tell you, I will not leave you again like that, so you're stuck with me." He half-smiled at her.
Whatever held Buffy back disappeared in a moment and she knew that this was exactly where she was supposed to be. Angel reached for her hand, and guided her to a spot in his lap. She settled in, placing her head on his shoulder, and within moments was asleep. Angel sat there in the chair for sometime, afraid to move. Finally, he heard Connor stirring quietly in his crib. He stood up careful not wake Buffy, carried her across to the bed, and laid her gently on it. He then took a blanket out of a drawer and draped it over her. He then went to see what Connor wanted.
"That's my guy, sleep through all the excitement wake up when it's calmer." He told him leaning over his crib. He picked up his son and made his way to the rocking chair that was positioned close to the crib and sat down and began rocking.
"Dad's found his princess, Connor. At last you'll have a mom, and aunts and uncles who will all look after you." Angel said. Connor gurgled in response.
"I want to give you a life that I never got, full of love and jokes and laughter. I want to teach you how to ride your bike, and throw a ball. Most of all though I want to protect you from all the evil things of the world." Angel stopped rocking as he looked down at Connor and realized he was a sleep. He muffled his own yawn, and stretched. He moved towards the bed Connor still with him, and he lay down and snuggled the baby in between them. He kissed the top of Connor's head and fell asleep.
Buffy awakened the next morning and smiled down at the picture next to her. Angel had fallen asleep with Connor in his arms. She noticed the twin expressions on their faces of complete peace, and wished she had a camera. 'Spike would never let him forget it', she thought to herself with a chuckle. She stood up and stretched, wondering what time it was exactly, crossed the room and opened the curtains a touch, and peeked out at the grey sky of dawn. She gazed out at the lightening dawn savoring the moment.
C.O.S.: Willow's room
"So what do you want to do now?" Spike asked turning over in bed. Neither he and Willow had slept after they got back, choosing instead to go for a long walk through the streets of L.A. until just before dawn.
"I hadn't really thought about it. Go back to Sunnydale I think, don't get me wrong, this big city is exciting and everything, but only in small doses. I think I'd like to take over the magic shop. I don't know that Giles was ever really comfortable there, it would free him up to go back to England." Willow answered.
"What about Anya?" Spike asked
"Annoying as she admittedly is, she is knowledgeable on demons. I'd keep her in part time I think." They lapsed into a comfortable silence.
"What do you plan to do?" She asked her voice going quiet.
"I thought I'd come back to Sunnydale. After 200 years of restlessly roaming the earth even an undead bloke needs a quiet place to settle down. I don't suppose you know of any basements I can rent? I don't think I can bear going back to that stingy old crypt alone." Spike replied. Willow smiled in response:
"Actually I do. How about under the magic shop?" Then you'd be there, I'd be there. You could help us a bit around the shop, and you and I could take over some of the slaying duties from Buffy. We could be: magic and steel."
"Magic and steel, I like the sound of that." Spike answered.
"What about this?" Spike asked pointing between himself and Willow.
"This. This is good; I would hope this would continue with you living in Sunnydale, and me living in Sunnydale. This could even promise to be something more." Willow answered. It was Spike's turn to smile at her response.
C.O.S: Lobby, a few hours later
After a few hours spent wrapped in each other's arms holding one another Buffy and Angel came downstairs to join the group. Gunn was the first one to notice, and warily approached Angel making sure his stake was handy:
"You two look happy. Not too happy I hope?" He asked.
"No, only content and hungry." Angel answered slipping his arm around Buffy's waist.
They made their way to the office behind the reception desk where a fridge had been stocked. Angel turned to the shelf and handed over a box of doughnuts to Buffy who opened them and took one out and began eating. Se walked to the small table with the microwave and coffee maker on it, and began making coffee. Angel meanwhile got down two mugs while Buffy anxiously tapped her fingers waiting for the coffee maker to finish. As it was finishing Dawn walked into the room. Buffy reached up to the shelf and grabbed two mugs just as the coffee maker finished, and poured. Dawn took a cup gratefully and sat down at the little table blowing on it, and gingerly sipping at it. Dawn spoke after a couple of minutes of silence:
"Are you staying here in L.A.?"
Buffy glanced at Angel.
"Yes. We really want this to work out this time. And from what we've talked about Willow can handle herself." Buffy said.
"Okay, I know you're kind of my guardian right now since mom died and I should stay with you but Sunnydale is really the only home I've ever known. I have friends there, and I'm still in school there. D-do I have to move here with you guys?" Dawn asked. Buffy glanced again at Angel, and turned back to Dawn.
"I've been thinking about that. I think I'd like you to begin physical training as a slayer. You could study with Willow- she really knows lots of stuff about magic and that. She could teach you. You could stay and do the rest of high school in Sunnydale, then go to college." Buffy proposed.
"I'd like that. I'll miss you though." Dawn says as she crossed to give Buffy a hug, then left the room. Buffy sat down where Dawn had been and put her head in her hands.
"That was a noble thing to do." Angel told her.
"It felt right. Besides, I want her to have a better life. I want her to take the time to grow up, and actually enjoy it." Buffy answered. Angel moved to put a hand on her back.
C.O.S.: Back Garden
Wesley paused with his hand on the doorknob to go outside, and watched Cordelia as she paced the garden. He had seared the feeling of her in his arms in his mind, and nothing had ever felt so right. He hadn't realized until he returned how much she'd changed since Sunnydale. She was more mature, grown up. She didn't seem as concerned with superficial things as she did. It was her he wanted, Wesley had never been so sure of that. Now all that remained was to tell her that. He finally opened the door and went out into the sunset. He began walking, circling the garden on the stone path his hands clasped behind his back. He made it around the circuit twice before he noticed that she had taken a seat on the bench. He made his way across the garden to where she sat, and timidly sat down beside her. Wesley took a deep breath:
"Nice night."
"Yes it is." There was silence then.
"That was quite the battle."
"Yeah who would have thought it all would end like that." Cordelia replied
"Yeah. Who would have thought…" Another silence ensued.
"Okay, we have to stop this tiptoeing around the subject with awkward conversation. You came out here to talk to me about us, and I came out here to think about us, so let's talk." Cordelia said.
Wesley gulped:
"You've changed." Cordelia looked at him puzzlingly and stayed silent waiting for him to continue.
"I mean that in a good way. You've grown up Cordelia, and you've become the woman I always knew you had the potential to become. And you have become more attractive to me than any woman in the world." He finished. Cordelia blushed lightly.
"I want you in my life. " replied Cordelia.
"So what next?" Wesley asked
"We take it slow. Dating to start with like any other couple. Then we'll see where it goes." Cordelia answered. She moved closer to Wesley and put her head on his shoulder.
"For now we watch the sunset." She said.
C.O.S.: The Church
Angel had made his way to the church that housed the oracles. He strode up the aisle with purpose, unhindered by his surroundings and paused at the rail leaning on it long enough to say a prayer for the lives taken the night before. The same man dressed in grey robes guided him to a door, opened it for him then left Angel to walk through it. Not a moment goes by before Angel hears a female voice say:
"Come in lower being." Angel approached the growing white light.
"The evil fought, is gone for now. The champion has earned his rewards how…" A male voiced rhymed.
"He has past the final test: The test of mercy." The female filled in.
"He has killed two men with much grief and pain,
One a vampire, the other driven insane.
So to us for a reward he came,
That reward he has yet to name. The male finished. Angel looked on puzzled.
"What reward do you want Vampire?" asked the woman. Angel struggled with his words for a moment
"My soul. I want you to ground my soul."
"It is not just that, but it is something else you seek." She continued meeting Angel's gaze. The male picked up from that point:
"In the afterlife you three will meet
But for now you must take our word that they are at peace.
Good has for now won
You may leave here and watch the rising sun.
Be our champion forever more
Your deeds written down, your name in lore"
"Go now Champion and be happy. Know that you have shown a most important human virtue: mercy." The female said.
Angel placed his offerings in front of the pair of oracles and left. On his way to the door of the church he paused, and lit a candle each for Holtz, and the vampire. He said a silent prayer and left the church.
C.O.S.: hotel
He stopped before going into the hotel, and gazed through the windows at the scene. There was a blanket spread over the floor, and takeout cartons spread out on it picnic style. On the couch closest to the door sat Fred and Gunn. On the floor facing him were Wesley Cordelia, Spike and Willow. At one end sat Buffy who was settling Connor in her lap.
"Angel, do you mind grabbing the door for me?" Xander's voice came from behind him. Angel took a couple bags then opened the door for him. At once the bags were taken away from him.
"Wow if I would have known that food was such an aphrodisiac, I would have actually learned to cook for myself." Xander commented dryly, and moved to get himself a paper plate then sat down. Angel took a spot next to Buffy, who was holding a dozing Connor.
"I'll take him up. It'll give me more practice for when the two of you have more babies." Dawn said reaching for Connor.
"DAWN ELIZABETH SUMMERS," Angel and Buffy shouted in unison. Dawn merely giggled as she made her way up the stairs. Buffy moved closer and placed her head on Angel's shoulder.
"I guess this means you'll be staying here?" Willow asked. Buffy smiled at Angel, as she answered:
"Yes. I was kind of hoping you would take over for me in Sunnydale. You are strong enough to handle all the small stuff. And I've already talked to Dawn about this: I want her to stay there too and finish high school. I also want her to start training as a slayer."
"That sounds good. I'll move into the house so she can keep her familiar surroundings and look after her a little." Willow replied.
"I'll always protect her Buffy. You have my word on that." Spike added, as he slipped his arm around Willow.
"And she's always welcome here too." Fred piped up. Buffy smiled at her.
"Well it's time for this warrior to turn in and get some shut eye." Gunn said yawning. He got to his feet and stretched. He put a hand out to help Fred up, and they walked off hand-in-hand upstairs.
"The three of us should probably hit the hay too. We've had a tiring few days and should get back to Sunnydale soon." Willow spoke for her, Spike and Xander. She moved around and tugged Xander to his feet, then went upstairs.
"Alone at last." Angel commented.
"Yep." Buffy replied.
"There's something I've been wanting to do ever since I've come through that door."
"And that would be?" Buffy asked coyly.
"This." Angel answered, and placing a hand on either side of her head, kissed her passionately. Buffy just melted into his arms, as if there was no doubt whatsoever that they were her place, her home. The kiss was interrupted:
"Ahem, Ahem." Dawn cleared her throat. The pair looked up at her.
"This is a hotel, get a room." She commented. Buffy blushed. Dawn smiled at her in response.
"I just came down to say good night. So good night." She hugged both Buffy and Angel and went upstairs.
"We should probably take this somewhere more private." Buffy suggested.
"Yeah. We can clean this up in the morning." Angel rose, and scooped Buffy up in his arms and carried her up to her room.
They kissed, and from that moment on were oblivious to the world around them, exalting in each other, as they made love countless times. As they lay exhausted near dawn, they vowed to each other that they would make the most of this second chance they had, and that they will stay together no matter what fate threw at them, because now they realized that their love was eternal.
The End
That's all for this story. Hope the ending is to everyone's satisfaction, and that everyone enjoys it.
Please read and review this and all my other stories (there are nine of them)
I'd like to thank my readers for coming along on this wild ride, and being so extremely patient with me.
Happy Reading :D
Angel's babe