Prophesy After the Fact
Part Three
By Marie Nomad
When one thinks of Heaven and Hell, mortals believed that they are on opposite ends of the known realm. However, it was far from the case. In the higher realms, Heaven and Hell existed next to each other with a fine line between them. In those realms, the entities watched in a place that if a mortal would see it, they would see their home.
Shanshu sat in the sofa with the remote in her hand watching the young man getting out of the office on the wide screen flat TV. The room was covered in TVs or crystals where every entity watched along with seats. It was the place made for all entities so there are always room and chairs.
"So, that's him." Cordelia said as she sat next to the entity. "Not bad."
"He's adjusting well." Shanshu looked at her. "What are you doing here?"
"Watching. This is so much better than cloud city." Cordelia leaned back on the sofa. "Makes me feel so alive again. No thanks to a certain deity."
"It was meant to happen! I did not write the script or the storyline!"
"You are for this one."
"True."
"What are you going to do to Angel now?" Cordelia asked as she watched anxiously.
"Nothing. I'm going to give him the normal life that was promised in the written form of the prophesy." Shanshu answered, "His sister is a slayer but with all of the other slayers out there, the demons won't attack Angel."
"That's so dull." Cordelia pouted, "He's miserable without his friends and he can't even find out what is going on."
"It's about moving on. He needs to be cut off from his former life." Shanshu argued.
"Not like this! He might as well be dead!"
"He was dead! Death and Birth are two halves of the same coin! That's why my name means both life and death. Don't you dare interfere with me." Shanshu said as she stood up and her body glowed. "Angel is under my jurisdiction. No one, not the Senior Partners or the Powers that Be have any right to his fate but me!"
"Fine." Cordelia smiled as she looked at the man on the screen. "I gotta go. Later." She vanished in a bright sparkle of light.
"Oooh! I am so glad she's gone." Shanshu said as she tapped her foot. "She thinks that she is so hot. I need to cool off." She vanished in a whirlwind.
XXXAngel's heart pounded as the sun beat down onto his skin. His lungs hurt as he pushed his body to the limit. The flowers were blooming in the garden as Angel trudged his way to his front yard and collapsed onto his back.
"It's good to be alive."
"You better get up before cramps settled." A kind old voice said. Angel looked up to see an elderly Japanese man with white hair, glasses, and a cane standing in front of him.
"I know. Thanks. Who are you?" Angel asked as he struggled to get up.
"I am Ryoma Yamamoto." Ryoma said as he bowed. "Your little sister works for me at my greenhouse."
"It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Yamamoto." Angel said as he bowed back and then winced at his pain. "I just had a hard workout."
"So I see. We know each other for a long time." Ryoma said as he studied him. "So, William, how are you coping? Do you remember anything?"
"No. I guess Leia told you about my amnesia." Angel shrugged as he and Ryoma got into his house.
"It troubled her greatly but she is a strong girl… Barry Manilow?"
Angel took a deep breath as he stretched. "She told you about that too."
"We have a close relationship. She comes to me when she has problems that she could not tell her family." Ryoma explained and Angel stared at him. The ex-vampire couldn't put his finger on it but there was something odd about the elderly man. Maybe it was his paranoia but Ryoma just felt strange.
"How close?" Angel asked cautiously.
Ryoma blinked and then laughed. "Oh no. Not like that. I like to think of Leia as a granddaughter I never had. I have some salve for your muscles. It has worked for many generations." He reached into his pouch and got out a jar of strange smelling salve.
"I'm willing to try." Angel said as he accepted the jar. "I better go. Thank you, Mr. Yamamoto." He limped back into the house and nearly ran into Leia.
"Mr. Yamamoto!" Leia exclaimed as she rushed out of the house. "What are you doing here?"
"Ah, I was here to let you know that Giles-san is here along with his young charge, Buffy. He wanted to know if you want to come to share some tea with us."
Leia's eyes widened. "Really? Sure. That would be great. She could really help me with Will. At least, figure out what's going on with him."
"I know. He seems like a very nice and polite man."
The slayer frowned. "That's not how he usually treats you. He was more… blunt. Something weird is going on."
"I understand but I believe that there is never good or bad that happen in the world but what is meant to be. Only our reactions to what happens make it good or bad." Ryoma philosophized.
Leia sweatdropped. "I know you for two years and I still don't understand you."
"You will but first, let us have some tea."
XXXAngel sighed in relief as he rubbed the salve over his aching legs. "That was refreshing." He looked down and saw a familiar looking black circle over his left breast. "Huh?" It vanished before his eyes.
"Yo!" Josh said as he entered the bedroom. "What's up?"
Angel looked at his chest again. "Nothing. I was just working out and recovering."
"Cool. Ryoma's special healing salve is so rad. I nearly got wasted when I tried to surf in that storm. Major mistake but that salve really helped." Josh recalled. "Oh! Ready to go down to the Deep Below Nightclub tonight? There are major babes down there who miss you totally."
The ex-vampire just shook his head. Josh had been trying to get him to go to that nightclub for several days and he couldn't. He didn't want to try to meet up with some strange woman and find out a little too late that she was one of the undead. With his luck, he may end up as Angelus again. "I don't know. I'm not ready to get into a relationship right now."
"Dude, I'm not talking about a relationship. I'm talking about having fun for one night with a warm beautiful girl in one hand and a cold beer in the other. I just want you to be happy. Ever since you got out of that coma, you've been… dull. I mean, you listen to Barry Manilow and you haven't even gotten out to party. It's like you're a totally different guy. I'm worried about you, Bud."
Angel sighed deeply. He had been a little shy when it came to people outside of his new family. While, he saw people every day, he found it hard to talk to them about anything. "Well, okay. I'll go to the nightclub with you but that's it. I'm not going to try to get together with any girls or do anything stupid." Angel clearly said, "I don't want to get into any relationships or one night stands yet. That's not the way I work."
"Okay, no picking up girls. Maybe, you can do some singing."
"No singing."
"Dancing?"
"No dancing."
Josh stared at his friend. "Dude, who are you and what did you do with Will? It's like you're a pod person."
Angel's jaw dropped as he backed away. Did this strange man figure out what happened? His heart pounded. What could happen? "Me? A pod person? No, no absolutely not."
Josh laughed as he put his arm around his friend's shoulders. "I'm just joshing with you, dude. Man, you're way too serious."
"One of my flaws." Angel admitted, "Okay, I'll try to socialize tonight. What's the worse that could happen?" He smiled uneasily.
XXX"It's a complete disaster." Leia moaned as she and Buffy sat in the greenhouse on a bench. "Will is working out, looking for a job, cleaning, and he doesn't listen to heavy metal any more. He's… a pod person!"
Buffy sighed softly. She had dealt with many things as the 'Elder Slayer' as everyone seems to call her despite the fact that she was only 25. She had helped train and counsel slayers with their problems after the calling but soon she wasn't needed so much after the basics were enforced. Now, she was trying to find her own way while still helping Slayers. "I had been through my own crisis and people change to cope. Your brother is the same way. We did the tests and he's normal. He's not possessed by any gods, he's not been turned into a demon, and he's not a pod person. Pod people don't even exist."
"I just feel… he's like a stranger to me." Leia held herself. "It's my fault he's like this."
"You didn't know what was going to happen." Buffy said firmly, "You're a slayer and these things happen. You should call yourself lucky that's all that Will been through. He could've been turned into a vampire or worse."
"Yeah, but… I'm greedy, I want my old brother back." Leia leaned into Buffy and she hugged her with one arm.
"I'll talk to him and see what he's really like. If he's evil, then we will just find a way to turn him back. I promise." Buffy vowed as she held on to the younger slayer.
"Thanks. But, how are we going to get you to meet him without him getting suspicious?"
"I have a plan."
XXXAngel's jaw dropped. He could not believe it. He didn't want it. "A blind date!"
"Please!" Leia pleaded, "She is a really good friend who's in town! She's very nice and really good looking."
"If she's so good, then why does she need to go on a blind date?" Josh asked as he ate a carrot stick.
"She just had bad luck with men. It's nothing big, just a dinner date tonight." Leia said as she crossed her fingers.
"No way! Will's going with me to get some real women!" Josh announced as he put his arms around Angel.
"We're just going to a club." Angel muttered under his breath. He didn't like the idea of meeting any of the girls that Will had known and probably had sex with before. Then, an idea popped into his head. "How about this girl meets us at the Deep Below?"
"Awesome! We can get the girl a date there!"
"No!" Angel looked away. He felt bad but he wanted to use his blind date as a shield against any women who want his body. At least he wants to be with a girl who would be just as awkward about this as he was. "I'm sure she will have a good time there."
"Good. I'll tell her. Meet us in the club at six sharp." Leia said as she smiled at him and then ran off.
"My first blind date in so long." Angel muttered as he watched his sister leave. "I have to find out what she's like, should've asked for her name and number."
"Well, you could always sneak in and poke into her room." Josh suggested.
"No way. I'm not going to invade my sister's personal space just because I am curious about my blind date." Angel said firmly. "Besides, the door was always locked."
"Bummer. Leia is so paranoid. Especially after your accident." Josh recalled. "I blame it on teenage hormones."
"Maybe." Angel held his head. "I wonder why Leia is so insistent of me going on this blind date? She doesn't trust me."
"Who knows? I never understand girls." Josh said. "Especially that one."
"Maybe, this blind date can help us figure Leia out." Angel pondered. Leia was mysterious in her own way. A part of him was afraid that she may not as normal as he hoped but the other part figured that he was just being over paranoid as usual. "I better get ready. Why don't you take me there at 5:30?"
"Sure thing. You'll love Deep Below." Josh said as he grinned. "Later." He walked out of the room.
Angel closed the door and took a deep breath. "I better start getting ready." He said as he went to the drawer. After he had gotten back to life, he never went outside in the dark. The knowledge of what really lurks after sunset frightened him to no end. He really didn't want to be outside during a full moon. "I had to get out sooner or later."
XXX"A blind date." Buffy muttered as she looked over her wardrobe. Her heart pounded as she got out some clothes. The last time she went out on a blind date, it turned out to be an evil demon. Of course, this was different for her since she thought up the blind date and knew William from Leia. Still, she was nervous about meeting the man for the first time. It had been a long time since she went out on a date with anyone who didn't know what a slayer was and vampires really exist. There was the fact that Leia thinks that Will is really a demon of some sorts despite the herbal brownie recipe she gave her. Leia had good instincts about this sort of thing but it was very personal for her and that clouds even the best Slayer's instincts.
She slipped on her stripped white shirt with black pants and boots and put 'Mr. Pointy' in her jacket. "Let's go."
XXX
Angel felt uneasy memories creep up to him as he and Josh entered the nightclub. It was a typical club filled with flashing lights and young men and women dancing. He glanced at all of the giant fish tanks lining the walls and he remembered the time he spent at the bottom of the ocean with nothing but hallucinations and the passing fish as his companions.
"What is with the fish tanks?" Angel asked as he clutched his fists.
"Oh, that. This used to be an aquarium until the owners redid the place completely." Josh replied as he put his arm around Angel's shoulders. "Relax. This is a place to party. There hadn't been any accidents since the piranhas were taken out."
"Piranhas?" Angel repeated.
"Oh, Will…" A tall redhead with blue eyes and a slinky outfit came up and hugged Angel making him wish he could just disappear like he normally did as a vampire. "I missed you so much. Things weren't the same after that little accident you had."
Angel stumbled back. "Uh… er… who are you?"
"Vicky!" Vicky pouted, "You still don't remember anything?"
"Nope." Angel said as he politely pried her body off. "Look, Vicky, I'm not really looking for a relationship right now. I mean, you're beautiful and all but I'm not… I'm not myself right now."
"I can make you remember. I still have the teddy." Vicky said in her soft sweet voice.
"Ummm… well…" Angel felt his face burning bright red as he stepped back and then he saw his sister in the crowd. "Thank God. I have to go and meet my date!" Angel rushed off in the direction of his sister. He was getting too deep into William's love life. He could see the other girls looking at him hungrily. How much sex did Will have? "Leia!"
Leia turned around and waved. "Will!"
Angel plowed his way through the crowd and looked at his sister. "Thank God I found you. Those girls were vicious, especially Vicky." He laughed and then saw his blind date looking at the fish behind her.
"Oh, this is your date. Buffy, he's here." Leia said as she poked Buffy's shoulder.
"Buffy?" Angel repeated and the woman turned around. At that second, his heart froze in his chest. Standing in front of him was Buffy Summers, the girl who had stolen his heart and gave him a reason for living. "Uh… uh…"
Buffy looked at him and smiled. "What is it? You look like you saw a ghost."
"No. NO. You… you… look pretty." Angel nearly slapped himself in the face. How can he talk to the woman who he had broken up with? It was insane. Then, another thought occurred to him. If Buffy was his blind date, then how does she know Leia? "Can… can we talk somewhere where there's less people?"
The slayer nodded. "Sure. It's too loud and… fishy here."
"I… think there's a place over there." Angel said as he took Buffy's hand and led her to the other side of the building where there was a door-marked 'café'.
They went through to see a more quiet setting. "Ah… this is much better." Buffy said as she and Angel sat down in a booth. "I'm in the mood for a cappuccino. What about you?"
"Coffee… yeah, me too." Angel nodded as he drummed his fingers. Buffy was here and talking to him like he was a stranger. She didn't change much since the last time he saw her. Her hair was darker and she was dressed in more sensible clothes. She wouldn't kill him but he couldn't help but wonder why he would rather face a clan of vampires than face this one girl?
They ordered their drinks and stared at each other. Buffy gazed at her date's eyes and face. There was something oddly familiar about him. She knew that she had never met him and yet her heart pounded in anxiety. "So…"
"So…"
"Why did you want to date me?" Angel asked. It was a sensible question considering his circumstances.
"Oh… Leia told me all about you and I was interested in meeting you." Buffy answered as she shrugged.
"Oh. How did you know Leia?"
"We met over the Internet and became friends." Buffy replied quickly. "She's a nice girl and I was in the neighborhood so I thought I could help her with you."
"I see. Well, I don't know much about myself so tell me about you." Angel dared. He was curious about what Buffy really think of his vampire past and how far she went with the Immortal. Unfortunately, she wouldn't tell him much since she thinks that he was just a normal guy who doesn't know anything about vampires except from Anne Rice novels.
"I'm from California. I have a little sister named Dawn who's in school right now. I am a traveling counselor for certain girls who are in need of guidance, like Leia. I'm 26 years old and I came back from Europe only a few months ago." Buffy rattled off.
"Is there anything wrong with Leia?" Angel felt himself sank. It all made sense. Leia's evasiveness, her strange bumps and bruises, her unusual errands and her knowledge of Sunnydale, California added up to slayer.
"Oh no. No. She's a teenager and all teenagers go through… things but normal things." Buffy laughed. "She's just worried about you."
"I don't blame her. Josh, Mom, and Dad, think that I act way differently than I did before."
"I know exactly how that is. When I came back from the- from a bad illness, I wasn't myself for several months. I did things that weren't too bright at the time." Buffy confessed.
"Like what?" Angel whispered.
Buffy's eyes widened. "Spike." She gasped.
"Yup, that's me, Slayer." Angel turned around to see Spike standing there dressed in his usual black t-shirt with dark pants and black duster. His jaw dropped as Buffy got out of the booth and faced Spike. What was Spike doing in New Jersey? Did he somehow sense where he was? Or was it just some big coincidence? Either way, he didn't want to deal with Spike right now. "Miss me?"
To Be Continued…
