Groggily he opened his eyes and looked around. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He was back in his lead coffin staring out through his little window into the black eternity that was the ocean floor. He was worried. Was that all another hallucination? Or had the blast thrown him back through time like Illyria's death had done before. One thing was for sure, the coffin was very real. He could feel the cold metal restraints cutting into his torso, waist and legs and the temperature of the air inside was painfully biting his flesh. He could feel the hunger pangs and the numbness in the parts were his flesh was truly dying. He couldn't do this again. If his 'life' had been a hallucination then he couldn't be sure that Wes would come for him and if it had been real then he couldn't bear to have to wait all that time.

Angel started to push against his restraints. The metal sliced through his flesh but despite the pain he kept going. When it became obvious that prolonged pushing was getting him no-where he began to rock his body back and forwards. He felt the bars start to give. After at least half an hour of rocking he had eventually worked them loose and away from his body. He now had enough room to get out of the binding. He threw all his weigh and strength against the door and to his shock it just flew off its hinges. Not willing to wait around and question his good fortune he swam towards the surface. Noting the light coming from above he stayed far enough below the surface that the sun's rays couldn't touch him and began his swim to shore.

By the time the sun went down Angel was so exhausted that he could do little more than sink into the sand and sleep. He was awoken by the sounds of a boat leaving the nearby docks. The grating and chugging of the engine felt overly loud and abrasive to his ears which were used to the muted underwater world. He forced himself up and found that he was fully rejuvenated. Deciding that it was prudent to get moving and not wait around for dawn or trouble he headed up to the docks. Angel had never advocated crime but the sight of a car with its keys in the ignition was too good to pass up. Making the best possible use of his vampire stealth he got into the car and pulled out of the car park. Pulling on to the freeway he considered his options.

The strength he'd had when he'd woken up had all but evaporated through the effort that it took to get into the car. He needed to feed. He also needed dry clothes. More important though, was the need to find out what the hell was going on. The way he saw it was he either returned to the hotel where they had no books that could possibly cover this topic, go to Wolfram and Hart (not likely) or try the Oracles. He knew that they had been killed by Vocah years ago but he reasoned that their temple was a gateway to the Powers and hopefully he would be able to contact someone. He saw his exit and pulled off the freeway and drove towards the post office. He was grateful that Conner had not stolen his watch when he'd dumped him in the ocean as that was all he had that he could offer whoever was there. He pulled up outside and wandered a little way down the street until he came to a manhole cover. He moved it aside and dropped into the welcome darkness of the LA sewer system.

All too soon he found himself in the anti-chamber to the Oracles. He went to the urn and took some of the herbs that he had left there the last time that he came. Sprinkling them over the fire he set going he intoned the words that Doyle had taught him all those years ago. "I beseech access to the knowing ones." He was relieved when the doorway opened and the bright light spilled out. Shielding his eyes he stepped through the doorway. Stood in the centre of the room was Whistler. Of all the people or demons that Angel had hoped to see, Whistler hadn't even made the list. Also, his dress sense had not improved.

"Why is it that each time we meet, you need guidance?"

"What can I say? I'm a lost soul."

"Glad to see that you haven't changed kid. So what do you need this time?"

"Answers."

"Really. And here I was hoping that you were here to enquire after my health."

"You're immortal. Your health isn't really an issue. Mine on the other hand…"

"You think that you've lost your mind? Yeah time travel can do that to a bloke."

"I know I'm going to regret this but, time travel?"

"Yes. Time travel. You see, things went very very wrong and Illyria's supernova gave us the energy to try to change things. Put them back to how they should be."

"How did things go so wrong? They told me to bring the Circle down. They can't just decide now that they were wrong!"

"Calm down kid. They were wrong. That's what I'm saying. They thought that destroying the Circle would help bring things back to normal. It didn't, it made everything about a hundred times worse. But I don't need to tell you that do I? You saw it for yourself. Well, it was gonna be ten times worse than that alley, let me tell you that. It was going to be hell on earth."

"I think that you need to start from the beginning Whistler, because so far I'm not following you."

"Ok kid here goes. You had better get comfy. All the bad started when a little red haired witch thought that she knew better than the PTB and that her friends were above the laws of nature. Enter the re-animated Slayer. Now as I am sure you are aware, when someone dies their soul leaves their body. Putting that back? That's tough, because you have to make sure that you bring it all back without any hitchhikers. Now the little witch managed that, however she failed to incorporate the fact that the dead girl was a slayer. There is a reason that we leave slayers dead and buried – a very good reason.

When the Shadow Men made the Slayer they did so by forcing a girl to take in a shadow. A demon. It just happened to be the only corporeal form the First Evil could manifest in this dimension. Bringing the Slayer back allowed the shadow in her to become a gateway for the First to pass into this realm. He couldn't become corporeal as she held the shadow. But what does that matter? Enjoying the tale so far?"

"Not really."

"Don't worry, it gets worse…"

Angel was thunderstruck. What Whistler had told him… that couldn't be true? If it was…

"What do I do?"

"Stop it. Stop all of it. Every thing. Every phase – you have to stop them all. Think you can manage?"

Angel didn't respond. He couldn't. If he did then it was all real and the task was just too big. Even for him.

"Actually, the real question is do you want to? You were chosen for this Angel. That Shansu prophecy that speaks of the vampire with the soul is about you. Not because you're better or smarter than Spike, but because both sides chose you as their potential champion. It was always a destiny that Spike could have had, but they chose you. Never forget that. So I ask again – do you want to?"

"No, but I will."

"I think that is why you were chosen."

Angel just nodded. Whistler pressed an object into his hand.

"You are going to need this. Don't let any of them sway you Angel. They will try – its human nature to rebel against predestination. You have to do this."

"I'll try."

Angel walked to the Hyperion, despite his wet clothes and heavy heart. He had never felt so alone. He heard people laughing and singing drunkenly as the clubs and bars emptied for the night, it was as if they were mocking his misery. He barely felt it when a man crashed into him, and he put no effort into staking the vamp that was attacking the woman in the alley. It was all too much.

He stood outside the hotel. Through the glass doors he could see his family, alive and well and together. Well, almost together. He saw Conner. He had to face his son and know that he could have turned out so differently if not for Holtz and that place. For minutes he debated whether or not to go in but he only had two days. Two days to gather his team and stop the first event. This wasn't about him anymore and there was no way that they could stop him this time. He had changed. For better or worse, he wasn't the Angel of this time. He was harder. There was little room in his soul for emotions.

He had no choice.

As he pushed open the doors of the hotel he absently noted that had it been the other Angel he would have delighted in the looks of joy and hate that were displayed on the faces of the humans before him. Fred threw herself at him, clinging to him like a limpet. Gunn hovered just behind her, ready to latch on when she let go. Conner made his way to the weapons.

"Take one more step and I will kill you." The tone was harsh and unforgiving. There was no time to play nice. Hell was coming and Angel didn't care if he had friends when it got here.

"You're evil."

"You wish. That would justify dropping me to the bottom of the ocean wouldn't it? But here's the deal kid. I'm the champion. These people are champions. You aren't. Yet." Conner frowned at Angel's pause. "Want to get revenge for the hell dimension you grew up in? Want to prove that you are better than me? Well buckle up kid because wishes happen to be horses today."

As soon as he said those words he regretted it. There was a sharp image of Spike's manically grinning face and a deep pain in his chest. A pain he couldn't dwell on. A thousand hurts to painful to bear in this very room. A million aches that hadn't yet come to pass. He bottled the despair and stored it. He'd use it later. He was good at that.

"Angel? What do you mean? What did Conner do?"

"Short story – dropped me, in a lead coffin, to the ocean floor. The long story will have to wait. I want everyone to pack a bag. We need to leave now. We have two days to get Lorne and Wesley and get to Sunnydale."

"Angel, are you sure you're aright? Cos you hate Wes and Lorne's livin la Vida Loca in Las Vegas. And if this kid did what you said he did – why ain't we kicking the crap outta him right now?"

"Because we'll need all the help we can get. Trust me on this. I'll explain everything once we get to Sunnydale."

"Umm… Angel? I know this mightn't be the right time but…"

"Cordy's missing. I know. That will work itself out, or so I've been told."

Angel gave Fred a sparing glance and his heart melted. The brown eyes that he had missed more than anyone would know were looking up at him with utter faith in the fact that he was her handsome man. That he would save her from the monsters. He had failed her and he had her back. He needed to treasure them all.

"Guys, look, I know I am being harsh and pissy but there is a reason. Please all of you trust me. I know that appearing from nowhere and making demands isn't the best way to achieve that but we don't have time. The Apocalypse is counting down and we can stop that but we need to move now."

"You had me on the words 'pack a bag'." Angel smiled as he remembered the first time Gunn had said that to him. Darla and Dru had seemed so much more than two vampires. Now they would barely register.

"Here's how we play this. Gunn, you and Fred go to Vegas. Get Lorne. He is being held against his will by his employer. Get him out and back here by tomorrow evening at the latest. Do not, I repeat do not do any gambling. In and out."

"Ok Bro' we're on it."

"Gotcha'"

They headed upstairs to pack their bags, leaving Angel and his errant son in the lobby.

"So, how do you want this to play out? I see two options. One, I kick your ass like you deserve and toss you out on those bruises. Two, you say you are going to help and you mean it. I don't have time for games. I love you more than you will ever know but I will not hesitate to take you out if you put this mission in jeopardy."

Angel's face was devoid of emotion and Conner knew he was deadly serious. He wouldn't get the chance to betray Angel before Angel killed him. That wasn't the thing that worried him though. The fact that Angel seemed scared terrified him. Even when Conner had been dead bolting his coffin Angel had not been scared. The thing in front of him was a totally unknown creature.

"I'm in."

"Good. I need you to pack up all your stuff and pack up this office. We will be taking the books and weapons with us. Everything else – lock in the cellar. Think you can manage that?"

"Yeah. As long as you're not around."

"Don't worry, I won't be."

He took the tunnels to Wesley's flat. They had all managed to appropriate apartments that had tunnel access. Anything that got in his way never had the chance to get out of it. He was focused on his mission and enjoying the single mindedness that Angelus used to revel in. Nothing was going to get in his way. Not even Lilah Morgan.

The door opened to reveal a dishevelled and hung-over ex-Watcher. Wesley managed to look surprised, angry and nauseous all at once. Angel was impressed. Wesley rivalled his depressive states.

"Answer me one question and I will leave you alone."

"What, no hello? How are you?"

"I don't have the time for pleasantries and I think that Lilah is getting cold all by herself."

Wesley barely flinched as Angel said that. He had forgotten Angel's sense of smell but at the moment he was more interested in getting his former friend off his door step.

"What's the question?"

"Do you still have the mission?"

Whatever he had been expecting that wasn't it. Neither was the no nonsense Angel. This version of his friend reminded him of one of the darkest points in his life. He knew that it was serious.

"I never lost it."

"I need you to help me. The Apocalypse is coming and we have to stop it. If you're in we leave for Sunnydale tomorrow night. Bring all the books that you think you will need."

"I'll think about it."

Angel nodded and turned to leave. He owed Wesley more than that though. He hadn't had a chance to say goodbye to him before, and despite everything that was happening he couldn't live with himself if he did that now. This was the End of Days and Wes was his friend.

"I am sorry.For everything.Know that now.Goodbye Wesley."

Then he was gone and Wesley had no idea of what to think or feel about his little encounter

"We ready to leave?" Angel asked as he dropped the bag containing the extra supplies on the reception counter. Conner was busy zipping up a holdall that was full to brim of weapons.

"Yeah everything is packed or packed up." Conner paused, Angel looked tired and he was not acting like the monster that Holtz had described. "Angel? Is this bad?"

"Put it this way Conner. If I don't stop this then the world will become another Quor'thoth. I know that you don't want that and neither do I."

Conner shivered at the images that that idea brought forth. He wouldn't have survived that place without Holtz or the demon traits that he had inherited from the vampires that created him. He knew without a doubt that the normal people in this world would die horribly if the Earth became a hell. That didn't stop him puzzling over Angel though.

Angel had gone into the office and shut the door. But Conner could still see him through the glass windows. He looked exhausted and Conner felt pity clawing its way out of him. He suddenly wanted to be close to this creature as he was beginning to realise that he had never known anything about him at all. Holtz had never painted Angel as anything other than a vicious and blood thirsty animal. Yet Angel had been back for well over 6 hours and he had yet to feed or sleep. Not only that but Conner remembered his first few days here. Angel hadn't hurt him, just told him to come to him if he needed anything. This was all to confusing. Vampires were demons and demons are evil.

A traitorous voice decided to make itself known just as Angel put down the phone. 'If demons are evil, then what about Cordelia? You like her, don't you? She was good to you, just like Angel… Angelus… the blood thirsty monster that hasn't killed you for dumping him in the ocean for all eternity…That doesn't sound right to me…'

"Why haven't you killed me?"

Angel spun around at the soft voice that he couldn't find himself associating with Connor. He decided that the truth was the only way to go here. He had no time to play games and give the answer that Connor would want.

"What would be the point? The only person that I'd hurt would be me. I love you more than I have ever loved anything in this life. Don't tell me that demons can't love. We do, humans just find it too… primal. But I have a soul Conner. Like you and Fred and Gunn and Holtz. It would kill me to kill you. I'd give you the world if I could."

Angel broke off and collapsed heavily into a soft sofa. He scrubbed his hands over his face.

"The other reason, one I think that you will prefer, is that I need you in this fight. I want you to be the champion that you were born to be. Holtz may have stolen you from me but I won't let him take that from you."

He glanced at his son. The boy seemed to actually be listening to what he said rather than what he wanted to hear. He felt slightly encouraged by that and offered Connor a weak smile.

"Get some rest, we leave at sunset. I need to feed and sleep. If you need me come and get me." With that he headed off to bed.