The sun shone down through the skylight of the library of Sunnydale High School as Giles unlocked the doors leading into the library. He sipped a cup of Earl Grey tea as he walked into the room, and stopped short as he saw something unexpected.
Angel sat on the steps leading up to the second level of the library, leaning against the railing, asleep. Many books are spread out around him, open and closed. The sunlight is only a foot away from touching Angel.
Giles stood in the sunlight for a moment, just gazing at Angel, then noticed some of the titles of the books surrounding the vampire. "Exploring Demon Dimensions", "Mystery of Acathla", and "Hell's Gateways" were among the few.
Giles' eyebrows drew together in puzzlement, before frowning. He looked at the vampire, his expression becoming blank. Staying where he was, Giles called quietly but firmly, "Angel."
Angel stirred, the open book in his lap falling to the floor with a loud thud. Angel jerked completely awake at the sound. He blinked his eyes as he tried to gather his thoughts and clear his eyes from sleep. When his vision finally focused, he saw how close the sunlight was to him. With a curse, the vampire scrambled further away from the light. Only when Angel was safely away from the light, did he realize that he was not alone.
Angel looked over at Giles, and said in recognition of the Watcher's presence, "Giles."
Giles nodded once in acknowledgement, then said, "Not to be, as Xander might say, rude…but what are you doing here?"
Angel looked down at the books scattered around on the floor, sighed, ran a hand through his hair, looked up, and answered, "Doing some research."
Giles gestured to the books with his free hand, and commented, "That I can see, but what type of research? From what I can see, it concerns Acathla."
Angel winced, before nodding.
"Why," asked Giles bluntly.
Angel looked down, thinking. He said softly, painfully, "I…dreamt…of her, and…it raised some questions in my mind. Questions that needed answering."
Giles studied Angel, and noted the slump of the vampire's shoulders, as well as the overall look of soul weariness and grief. With a muttered curse for feeling sorry for what should be his enemy, Giles purposefully moved towards his office.
Angel's eyes followed Giles. When the Watcher disappeared, Angel looked down, and with a scowl, began to gather the books he could safely reach. A few moments later, Giles was picking up the books in the sunlight. When all the books were picked up and placed on a table safely away from the sun, the vampire and Watcher sat down. Angel leaned forward, elbows on the table, and his head resting on his hands. Giles sat opposite of Angel, a pad of paper and pen in front of him, and studied the ensouled vampire for a moment.
"What are you searching for…specifically?" asked Giles.
Angel asked in reply, his voice muffled, "Is there any possible way to bring back someone from Hell?"
After a moment of silence, Giles said quietly, "There's been no record of anyone returning once the gate to a dimension has been sealed."
"But is there a chance that it can happen?"
Giles rubbed the bridge of his nose, then gazed at the vampire for a moment before commanding, "Look at me." Angel looked up. His face was haggard and his eyes strained with some deeply hidden emotion that pained him. When Angel made eye contact with the Watcher, Giles continued, saying softly, "Angel, even if it were possible, Buffy would be dead by now. Time moves quite differently there."
Angel looked down at his now clasped hands, and said, "Suppose, somehow, that Buffy is still alive, and found someway to get out. What would she be like?"
Giles leaned forward, clasping his own hands in front of him on the table. He studied the vampire's posture. He saw how tense Angel was as he sat, and realized that Angel was hiding something. Giles' eyes narrowed, and he thought, What are you not telling me, Vampire? You may not want to tell me, but you will do so in time.
Giles' expression became blank as he thought of what to say, then said, "From what I understand about that dimension, it is a world of…brutal torment. She would have been, if I remember the timing correctly, in that dimension for somewhere around five hundred years by now. She would have been tortured without any thought of mercy." Giles paused, sighed heavily, then continued, saying, "Angel, it would take someone of…extraordinary will and character to survive that…and retain any semblance of self." Giles paused, then said softly, "Most likely, she'd be…mindless, unrecognizable as a human being."
"A monster," Angel whispered.
"Maybe, maybe not," Giles murmured, then said out-loud, "In my experience, there are two types of monster. The first can be redeemed, or more importantly, wants to be redeemed."
"Redeemed, huh?" Angel asked softly as he looked up at Giles, a glimmer of…challenge in his eyes. Vampire and Watcher made eye contact. Something akin to a battle of wills ensued, before Giles looked away. Angel asked quietly, changing the subject, "And the second?"
Giles replied in a low voice, "The second is void of humanity, and cannot respond to reason…or to love."
A moment of silence passed, before Giles said with a sigh of defeat, looking up, "Since you cannot safely return to your home until nightfall, you may stay here." Angel nodded, and started to rise, when Giles continued speaking. "There is one condition, though." Angel sat back down. "You must not let your presence be known to any of the children, should--or rather, when--they come into the library."
Angel nodded, stood, and began to gather the books on the table when Giles commented, rising, "Be glad that you came when you did, Angel. If the other Watchers came in and learned of your presence here, today…they would have in no doubt killed you."
Angel paused, and asked out of curiosity, "Where are they?"
Heading towards his office, Giles answered, "At my home, reviewing the journals that I have kept since coming to the Hellmouth. It will take them most of today to finish reading what they didn't get to last night."