Prophesy After the Fact

Part Two

By Marie Nomad

Angel gazed out of the window of the SUV in excitement. He had spent a couple of days dealing with physical therapy to recover from his body being in a coma for so long. The doctors were impressed on how fast he healed despite his 'brain damage'. Adjusting to a new body hasn't been hard. He had past experience with a body swap with an old man. At least his body is younger and healthier and he won't die any time soon. Now, he can finally get out and do the stuff he wanted to do like eat real food, go out for a walk in the sun, and finally figure out what to do with his new life.

"Here we are." Jacob said as he pulled into a driveway of a normal looking house in the suburbs. It was white with blue shutters with a garden in front.

"Wow, it looks normal." Angel said as he got out and closed his eyes. "Ahhh…" The warm sun beat down on his skin for the first time in what felt like forever. It was much warmer than the necroglass that he used at Wolfram and Hart. He opened his eyes to see his new family staring at him. "Been in that hospital too long. Missed the sun."

"Of course." Elizabeth opened the door and on habit, Angel stood just outside waiting to be invited. "Oh right." He came in on his own. Inside was a lush house with a stereo system, TV, and even exercise equipment.

"Nice place." Angel commented. His parents told him that Elizabeth was a pharmacist and Jacob was an electrician that led very busy lives. He had to admit, Shanshuu had put him in a very nice place.

"Let me take you to your room." The woman said as she took his hand and lead him to a door. "I haven't touched it since the accident. I wanted everything to be like it was before."

"Thanks, Mom." Angel said as he opened the door and saw before him a disaster. Dirty clothes were scattered all over his floor, he had a computer with pizza boxes all around. The instruments were caked with dust while lying on the amps. "This is my room?"

"Yes, does it bring back any memories?" Elizabeth asked.

"No but… can I spend some time alone please? Maybe, try to absorb what's in this room?" He asked as he picked up a shirt.

"Sure, I will get lunch ready. I'll make your favorite." Elizabeth smiled at him and then left.

Angel's smile dropped as he stared at the room. It looked like the Apocalypse had erupted in this room. "Looks like I have some cleaning to do."

XXX

Angel wiped his brow as he piled all of the clothes in an empty laundry basket. Even without his vampire sense of smell, he could still smell the stench of the year old dirty clothes. He finished putting the pizza boxes to the side when Leia came in and her jaw dropped.

"You're… you're cleaning!" The girl exclaimed as she looked down at the floor. "I can actually see the floor!"

"Was he- I mean, was I always this messy?" Angel asked as he picked up a pair of moldy underwear with a pencil.

"Yeah." Leia nodded blankly. "I was just checking to see how you're doing."

"I'm fine." Angel said as he looked around. He sat down on the bed. "How could anyone live like this?"

"I don't know. Say, Josh is coming over to see how you're doing. He's your best friend. He would've visited but he was banished from the hospital after that… incident." Leia winced, "He may seem a little weird but he's cool."

"Okay, just let me clean up this first." Angel said as he looked around. "I can't let them see it like that." He paused and then asked, "Did I do anything… wrong? I mean, like drugs, sex… or anything… dark?"

"Not that I know of." Leia shrugged, "But, you had been a little weird. But, I love you for that."

Angel picked up another t-shirt that read 'Living Dead'. "I see that."

All of a sudden, a cell phone rang and Leia sighed. She answered it. "Hello? Now? Okay, okay. I was just helping Will with his memory problem. Okay. Bye." She hung up and frowned.

"Is something wrong?" Angel asked as he put down the shirt.

"No! Not at all!" Leia hugged him and he hugged back. "You just take care and don't rush things. I have to take care of some errands. Do you need anything?"

"Scented candles. The vanilla type." Angel answered. "And some matches. If I don't smoke."

"Okay." Leia ran off. Angel shook his head and went on into his work.

XXX

Angel lay on the bed exhausted. After several hours, he had finally made the room livable. All of the dirty clothes had been piled up, his bed was made, his instruments are cleaned up, and he had managed to arrange his CD collection in alphabetical order.

"Hey, Will!" A tall blond guy with a goatee with tattoos all down his arms came in. He had several rings on his face and ears. "What's up? Heard you're back from being brain dead and all." He looked in the room and gasped, "Whoa… it's… clean."

"Yeah. And I'm keeping it like this." Angel said as he looked at him. "Who are you?"

"Huh? Oh, the amnesia thing." The blond hit his head. "I'm Josh. Josh Stansworth. We're like best buds."

"I see." Angel smiled at him. He looked strange and he talked like a beach bum. "So, Josh…How are you?"

"Oh, the usual. I'm part of a new band which is wicked and I can get you a part too." Josh said as he sat down. "I'm glad you're back, Dude. It hasn't been the same since the accident. You don't remember a thing do you?"

"No, but we can get to know each other again." Angel said as he held out his hand. Josh seemed somewhat trustworthy but he felt strange. He wasn't Will and he couldn't let anyone know. It was as if he had stolen Will's life but he was brain dead. The best he could do was to make Will's life count.

"Cool." Josh shook his hand. "Maybe, we can shoot some pool and pick up some chicks…"

"No, I can't." Angel said as he looked down. "I mean, I'm not exactly right for picking up girls. I could barely remember what my name is."

"But, that's the best part. You're all tall dark and mysterious. You don't even know who you are. That will attract the chicks." Josh said as he grinned.

Angel blinked. He had been tall dark and mysterious and only a few girls had been attracted to him. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. The amnesia thing is a great way to get girls. You and me, we can get laid by tomorrow."

"No thanks." Angel stepped back. "I… I'm a little uncomfortable with all this. Can I have some time to sort out everything in my life? I… I don't want to get some poor girl in trouble."

"Oh. Okay. Wanna hang for a while?" Josh asked.

"Sure." Angel said as he lay back on his bed again and Josh lay beside him.

"Ahhh…"

There was a knock on the door and Elizabeth came in. "William? Joshua? Lunch is re- The room is clean!" She gasped as she looked around. "Oh my god. I can actually see the floor."

"Yeah, I had to clean it." Angel replied and the older woman hugged him.

"This is wonderful!" Elizabeth gazed at the room again. "Come on down stairs."

"Sure thing, Mom." Angel said excited that his 'mother' actually approved of his cleaning.

The three went downstairs and Angel saw a vast spread of different foods. His stomach rumbled and he put his hand on it. "Wow." He sat down to see his father sitting there. "Hi, Dad."

"Hi." Jacob looked at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Confused. But, I'm fine." Angel said as he fidgeted. He had eaten his first father; he didn't want to make the same mistake. Jacob had been the busiest and the hardest to connect with but he had to do it.

"He cleaned his room. I mean, it looks good." Elizabeth gushed as she hugged Angel again. "He's changing."

"I bet." Jacob looked at him again.

Angel picked up his plate and started piling stuff. His mouth drooled at the smells of the different food. He recognized them as some kind of tofu type with salads and macaroni. He really didn't care. All he got to eat was some hospital food which was interesting for the first day but it tasted like cardboard after that.

He and Josh started eating. Angel winced but kept on eating. He didn't want to disappoint his 'mother' by not finishing his food. "Where's the meat?" He asked as he looked around.

Josh choked and said, "Meat? That's murder, Dude."

"You're a vegetarian." Elizabeth said, "Unless, you want to eat meat."

"Oh no, I forgot." Angel smiled as he eat again. "This does tastes great."

"Good." Elizabeth sighed as she hugged him. "I can cook some meat for you for dinner. Okay?"

"No need." Angel said as he hugged back. He was a vampire so he had to feast on things that once lived. Plants don't feel pain, at least plants from Earth. He had eaten the flesh of humans and animals for the blood so being a vegetarian won't be bad.

"I… I have to get to work." Jacob got up and walked out of the house.

Angel frowned as he left. "Does he hate me?"

"No! No. This amnesia is a little tricky for him." Elizabeth said firmly. "He loves you and so do I."

"He's always been a major pain in the butt." Josh observed as he finished his food. "Ah, well, I gotta go. Bye, Mrs. S." He hugged Elizabeth and saluted Angel. "Chou for now." He walked out of the room.

"He's interesting." Angel observed as he looked out of the window.

"Yeah. Does he bring back anything?" Elizabeth asked hopefully.

"No. I've been trying but… nothing. Maybe, I won't be able to get my memory back at all." Angel said worried. He knew that there was nothing wrong with his memory except that he was in the wrong body.

"Just keep on trying." Elizabeth said as she picked up the dishes. Angel stood up and helped her. "You don't have to."

"No, I insist. I've been… in a coma for so long. It's the least I could do." Angel said as he gathered the rest of the dishes and asked, "Where's the kitchen?"

"That way."

"Thanks." Angel went off with the dishes.

"He cleans his room and he washes the dishes." Elizabeth sighed as she watched him leave.

XXX

Angel sat on his bed again as he looked through the papers. Apparently, Will had written music which was interesting and something Spike would've loved. He paused as he thought of the vampire. What happened to him? Did he went off to Rome like he had been trying to or was he hiding from the Senior Partners? His old friends, most of them are dead and only a few are left. He should try to contact them but he really didn't see the point. Buffy and her friends don't trust him. His few friends think he was dead. And who would believe that he was really Angel brought back to life in another body?

"Let's see what kind of music Will listens to." Angel said as he put a CD in the player and turned it on.

In a blast that would rival a nuclear bomb, a heavy metal song shot out of the speakers and into his ears. "GAH!" He crawled back to the player and turned it off. "He has the same tastes as Spike." He said as he lowered the volume and took out the CDs.

"Spike?"

Angel turned to see Leia, tired, holding a bag. "I mean, this guy." Angel said as he held up a CD cover of a heavy metal star with spiky hair.

"Oh." Leia handed him the candle. "I love this. It's so clean. But, why vanilla scented candles?"

"Oh… this nurse smelled like vanilla so I thought… I like it." Angel said as he grinned. "I met Josh. He's a nice guy."

"Yeah, he is but a real… space cadet." Leia sighed. "I'm sorry I took so long. My errand took longer than I thought."

"That's okay. Am I really a vegetarian?" Angel asked, "Mom told me that I was."

"Yeah." Leia sat down and winced slightly.

"Are you okay? You look hurt."

"Oh, I'm fine. I just tripped while walking backwards and fell on my butt. Really embarrassing." Leia laughed as she patted her knee.

"Oh." Angel nodded. Something about Leia's behavior felt strangely familiar. He couldn't figure out what but it must be something bad. "Say, I noticed that I have some money and I want to redo the room. Can we go out to the mall to do some shopping? If we have one, right?"

"The mall? Sure. We can shop."

"Good."

"I have to change and get a shower." Leia said as she got up. "I can drive you there."

"Great."

Leia left and Angel took a deep breath. "Shopping. I'm going shopping." Angel said as he looked at his stuff. He wanted to get some decent music that doesn't involve destroying his eardrums and some drawing supplies. He had a checkbook with a decent amount of money in it. He could use it to make some changes in Will's life. To do that, he was willing to do anything; including shopping with his teenage sister.

XXX

Leia glanced at Angel nervously as she drove the car down the street. "Are you sure you want to do this on your first day out?" Leia asked again.

"I'm fine. I want to go out and get some CDs. Do I have any arch enemies that I need to be aware of because you seem a little nervous?"

"No, not at all." Leia laughed. "I didn't want you to wear yourself out."

"I see." Angel said as he leaned back and adjusted his outfit. He was wearing his long sleeve black shirt with black pants and a long coat. At least his clothes didn't need much changing. The long black duster is in right now.

"When are you going to start singing?"

"I don't sing." Angel said automatically and then stopped.

"Wha?"

"I… I don't feel too comfortable about singing in public." The man said as he fidgeted. He realized that he was in a body of a musician who dedicated himself to his work.

"Oh man." Leia moaned. "Well, maybe that will change after you get your memory back."

"Sure." Angel looked down again remembering that he does have his memory.

XXX

Angel had never seen the mall in such brightness. People were bustling around lost in their worlds, not knowing the true world outside. He stared around looking for a good music store when he saw an ice cream booth. "Ice cream." He rushed to the booth with Leia behind him. Like a kid, Angel put his hands on the window and saw chocolate chip mint ice cream. "I want a large chocolate chip mint ice cream please." He said eagerly.

"You got it." The vendor said as he scooped up the ice cream. Leia stared at him and then got herself a vanilla cone twist.

"Ice cream." Angel started to shovel it into his mouth. "Cold!" He gasped and then started again.

Leia ate her ice cream and said, "William, you hated chocolate."

"I did?" Angel asked as he stuck his spoon in his mouth. "I don't know why. I just love the stuff. Maybe… the amnesia changed my taste in food."

"Maybe." Leia finished her ice cream.

After the two finished their ice cream, Angel saw the Sam Goody and rushed in. Leia followed him stunned at his over excited behavior. Instead of going to the heavy metal section, he went to the soft pop section and got a few CDs. Leia looked over his shoulder. "Barry Manilow?"

"I… heard his song on the radio." Angel said as he looked at his CD.

"Barry Manilow?"

"He had a good voice."

"Barry Manilow?!" Leia screamed causing everyone to stare at them.

"Come on." Angel took her shoulder and led her away.

The counter clerk looked at him. "Will! What's up? I haven't seen you all year."

"Oh, I've been in a coma." He held out his CDs. "I want these please."

The clerk scanned them and stared at them. "Barry Manilow?"

"Just give them to me." Angel said as he handed the money.

XXX

Angel walked out with his CDs in his bag. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Barry Manilow doesn't sound like something that Will would have enjoyed. He knew that he couldn't make changes in Will's life without drawing attention but he couldn't enjoy some of the things that Will loved. He had to be himself.

The man paused and saw an art and crafts store. "Perfect." He came in and bought a set of charcoal pencils and a few pads of paper.

"What's that?" Leia asked as she saw the stuff.

"Art supplies. I want to do some drawing." Angel explained.

"Drawing? Since when do you draw?"

"I… don't know. I have amnesia, remember?" Angel shrugged.

"Okay…" Leia stared at him. "First the room, then the ice cream, then Barry Manilow, and now drawing. What is going on?"

Angel put down his stuff and hugged her. "Hey, I'm sorry if I'm scaring you. I know that I'm not acting like I'm supposed to but… I am not the same man that you knew before."

"You can say that again." Leia returned the hug and then stepped back. "It's… it's that you were hurt so bad and I thought you would be all normal after you woke up but you're acting weird, more…mature."

"Maybe, I'm growing up."

"Heh. I still think it's weird that you like Barry Manilow now."

"What's wrong with Barry Manilow?" Angel asked insulted about his taste in music.

"It's… Barry Manilow. That is just so wrong on many levels!" Leia said as they went down the mall.

"He's a good singer."

"He's not your type." Leia argued and then her cell phone rang. She picked it up. "Yeah? What? Again! Okay, let me get Will back home. Bye." The girl smiled apologetically. "I have another errand to do. We have to go."

"All right."

XXX

Angel and his new family ate around the table. It was surreal to be in such a normal setting talking about work and therapy without having to include words like 'dead' or 'ancient prophesy'.

"And those rats just ate up those wires." Jacob finished as they ate. "It was frightening."

"I can imagine." Angel laughed as he finished his second plate. Leia was poking her food. She had just come in only a few minutes ago. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Nah. I kinda ate." Leia started to eat again.

"You are getting thin. You're not getting anorexic are you?" Elizabeth asked, "You are looking so tired and thin."

"Just stress. I'll be fine." Leia sighed as she looked at Angel.

"What?" The former vampire asked.

"Nothing." The girl reached to the dessert dish and uncovered it to reveal a pile of brownies. "I made brownies."

"Oooh...." Angel took one and studied it. It looked very much like the brownies Cordelia tried to make with an old family recipe. Wesley was scared too death to try one and he couldn't taste them thanks to dead taste buds. Carefully, he bit into it. He winced at the slightly bitter taste. Then, he remembered staying with some hippies and trying out some interesting brownies. That was when that he discovered that vampires can become stoned. "What's in this?"

"Oh, just some… herbs. They're herbal brownies. Supposed to revive the memories." Leia explained.

"Okay." Angel swallowed his bite. Jacob and Elizabeth bit into their brownies and winced as well.

"I think you need to work on the taste and not make any more herbal brownies." Elizabeth said as put the brownies away.

"Oh… sure." Leia stared at Angel. "Do you feel any different?"

"No. Are you sure these herbs are not dangerous?"

"Yeah. I had a specialist recommend them to me." Leia stared at him and said, "Well, I better go."

Angel watched her leave and asked his father, "Ummm… Dad, is Leia okay? She's been acting… strange. Is it because of me?"

"No. She had been like that since the accident. She was there when you had that accident." Jacob replied, "Always going off and trying to support you while you were in that coma."

"She was feeling guilty for not being to help?" Angel guessed. If there was one thing he knew about besides blood, it was guilt. Now he was feeling guilty for having her brother's body walking around and it wasn't his decision.

"Yes, but she was getting better after you woke up. She'll recover." Elizabeth said as she took his hand.

"I hope so." Angel said as he put more food on his plate. Leia wasn't happy with him. He couldn't blame her. She and her family were expecting him to remember stuff that he never experienced. Still, he couldn't be the son they lost but he will be better.

XXX

"He was listening to Barry Manilow. That's not right." Leia said as she sat in her locked room. "Yeah, it's that he never called me 'Lei' or did a noogie, or anything like that. He even wanted vanilla scented candles. I put the herbs in the brownies like you said. No change. He's not a demon. Yes, I know that accidents would make people act differently but nothing like this! Okay, I'll watch him for a few months. Thank you so much for the help, Buffy." Leia hung up and reached into the closet to get out a wooden rod. She sat down and started sharpening it into a stake.

To Be Continued…