Title: A Challenge Fic Answered 2
Author: Twilight Unicorn: The Vampiric Unicorn (and my friend WhiteRavenHorse partially in chapter 5, then completely after that)
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Never will. But don't you wish I did? ;) lol! All I own is Maeve and this story. So don't sue, as I have no money. If fact, the only money I have goes to keeping me in college, and even THAT'S iffy most of the time.
Author's Notes: This is a continuation of a challenge fic that I wrote (as if you couldn't tell THAT from the title!). The challenge was given by Lady Destiny of the Yahoo!GroupList: AlwaysBA. I have continued the fic, and have made it my own. So this is now MY universe (but the idea is Lady Destiny's, and the shows STILL belong to Joss Whedon).
Notations: Inner-thought, "Mind-speech"
Dedication: "Thank you" to Lady Destiny for giving me the challenge to write this alternate universe. A "thank you" as well to all who asked for a sequel. Without you all encouraging me to do this, this would not have been written. Thank you thank you thank you:)
A Special Dedication: Thank you WhiteRavenHorse, for helping me complete this fic, and for going into this blind. (Sorry for the crash course in the Buffy and Angel 'verses!)
Spoilers: Anything and everything up to season 2 of Buffy is canon. That is: until we get to the scene with Acathla awakening in Becoming 2. Anything after that may, or may not, appear on occasion.
Summary: Buffy's back...but not doing to well. What's going on with Angel's lineage? And how is the new Slayer connected to all this?
Rating: If you can watch the show, then you can read this. Let's say…PG/PG-13.
Chapter 1
Angel gently brushed sweat-soaked hair away from Buffy's face as she moaned in pain. His unbeating heart burned with sorrow at the sight before him.
Buffy lay on Angel's bed in a simple silk top and bottom that Willow had gotten from Buffy's home. Her face was strained from some unseen pain, which eased at Angel's touch.
"What did they do to you, Beloved," Angel whispered mournfully.
He rose from where he sat on the bed, and left the room. Watchers and Slayerettes alike looked up at Angel as he entered the main room of the mansion and went to stand in front of the fireplace, gazing into the fire that had been lit while he took care of Buffy.
Angel said, "Before you all start asking me questions, I want you to see something." He turned and looked at Willow. "Willow, could you take them into The Room?" He closed his eyes in pain, and said hoarsely, "I would, but I can't force myself to go in there right now."
Willow nodded, stood, and went into The Room, the others following. Angel leaned back against the left side of the fireplace, and slowly slid down to the floor as he heard the sudden shouts and exclamations of startlement and fear from The Room.
Moments later, the group of Watchers and Slayerettes were once again in the main room. They stared in shock as they saw a single tear of blood slowly fall down Angel's deceptively blank face. One would only need to look into the ensouled vampire's eyes to know how much pain and heartbreak he was feeling at that moment. But they could not, as his eyes were closed; his eyelashes dark as soot against his unnaturally pale skin. Sensing the presence of the others in the room, Angel sighed, and ran his right hand through his hair, the Claddagh ring on his hand glinting in the firelight, before wiping the blood-tear from his face.
A faint gasp caused Angel to open his eyes. His gaze fell upon the Head of the Watchers, as she gazed at him in fear and wonder.
"So," she whispered, her voice wavering, "you kept your vow to find your 'soulmate.'"
In a blur of motion, Angel surged to his feet, lunged at the Watcher, and grabbed her in a vice-like grip. He gazed into suddenly frightened eyes, as his own burned with barely suppressed rage. He growled lowly, dangerously, "How do you know of that?"
"A-All who are descended of your line know of the promise you made. The Vow of Liam Kells. He who was turned to the darkness by one of darkness. The Bearer of the Mark of Kells. Future Warrior for the Light, as prophesied at your birth," said the Watcher in fear, afraid to not answer truthfully.
Angel, as he had listened, had gone from anger, to shock, to terror. In a choked whisper he asked, "What are the words of the vow that I made?"
She swallowed thickly before answering, "I, Liam, a Son of Kells, vow to not rest until I find she who is my soulmate. Life, Death, nor even the forces of Darkness shall deter me from my vow. Only when I have found her will I wear the wedding band: the Claddagh upon my right hand, heart in. This I vow by the power of the heavens…and my soul."
Angel's hands fell away from the Watcher as he backed away from her, shaking his head no. As his back touched a wall, memories of his life as a human came to him: Words spoken by his father damning him for a fool. His father saying he was damned to Hell for what he had done. He and his father arguing over nothing and everything. Him taking up drinking to spite his father. Him waking up naked with an unknown woman beside him, hung-over for the first time. The downward spiral of his life…ending suddenly and explosively by his Sire Darla.
A choked cry escaped him as he collapsed to the ground. His body shook as he wept for the destruction of his life…for all that had been stolen from him by his father. All because of a promise he had made. He felt as thought he were drowning, darkness enveloping and destroying him. Then suddenly, as he lost all hope, a light pierced the darkness.
A voice that was not a voice but a soul called to him. The soul touched him. Love…and a power unlike anything he had ever felt before surrounded and enveloped him, pulling him back, away from the darkness.
Angel opened his eyes, and found himself gazing into a pair of lucid hazel eyes.
"Angel?" a voice so familiar asked in his mind.
His eyes widened as he whispered, "Buffy?"
Buffy's eyes danced with laughter before a voice once again whispered within Angel's mind, "Yeah. Think with your mind, as though you are talking out-loud. I want to see if you can do this as well."
"How is this possible?" he thought, too shocked to NOT do what Buffy asked.
Laughter filled his mind as Buffy replied, "We are speaking through our souls."
Sitting up suddenly in wonder, Angel said, "You ARE my soulmate!"
Buffy arched an eyebrow haughtily. "Of course we are! How could you ever doubt it? Our very natures should make it impossible…but here we are." Buffy closed her eyes, the humor leaving her face. "Angel, I can't leave your presence. If I do…I'll be unable to remain sane."
"Then I will not leave your side," Angel said with conviction. Buffy looked at him. "You are too precious to me, Beloved, to risk that."
With tears falling down her face, Buffy threw her arms around Angel. He held her closely as she wept for joy.
"I love you," Angel whispered into Buffy's hair as she quieted down.
Buffy raised her head from Angel's chest, and gazed with wonder into Angel's love-filled eyes. Carefully Angel held onto Buffy as he reached into a pocket of his jeans, and pulled out a ring. A Claddagh ring. Buffy gasped as Angel placed the ring, heart facing in, on Buffy's right hand, and brought her hand to his lips to kiss the ring, never taking his eyes off of Buffy.
"Be mine forever?" Angel asked.
"Always," Buffy whispered breathlessly in Angel's mind.
Gently, Angel put a hand under Buffy's chin, tilting her head up ever so slightly. Slowly Angel moved his lips closer to Buffy's until they touched. In a moment of infinite stillness…they kissed.
For several moments neither were aware that someone was trying to get their attention, until a cross was unceremoniously thrust into their faces. Within a split-second they had pulled away from each other and the cross.
All those in the room felt a shiver of fear run down their backs at the sight before them. Slayer and Vampire crouched down on opposite sides of the fireplace, growling. Their eyes equally expressed the rage they felt at being interrupted, as did their lips pulled up in snarls.
The one who held the cross stood with grim determination. In a firm voice, Willow said, "I am sorry to have interrupted, but there are people here who I advise you don't do that in front of. Angel, also consider your curse. We don't know if it's permanent or not."
The tension swiftly left the two supernatural beings as they suddenly realized how foolish they had been. Both offered apologetic smiles to Willow for the way they had acted.
"I am sorry Will," Angel said as he stood. Willow lowered the cross to allow Angel to walk over to Buffy. "Everything was happening so fast that I didn't have time to think."
Angel helped Buffy to stand. When she was standing, Buffy turned to Willow, and said with some difficulty, "S-s-sor-ry, W-W-Wil-low."
Everyone looked on in concern or shock, as Buffy gritted her teeth in frustration before hiding her face in Angel's chest. Angel held her close to himself, as he asked questioningly within Buffy's mind, "Beloved?"
Buffy clung to Angel in sudden desperation as she shuddered with memories of her time in Hell. "They took my voice!" she thought wildly in fear.
In a moment of sudden terrifying comprehension, Angel understood what was happening to Buffy, as tales he had heard after becoming a vampire came to him. Swiftly Angel scooped up the Slayer into his arms, carried her back into his bedroom, and laid her shaking form down onto his bed. He laid down beside Buffy and drew her closer to him.
A flurry of motion at the bedroom door made Angel look up from the tormented Slayer. What he saw made him furious.
"Get. Out." Angel said distinctly through gritted teeth.
The Watchers and Slayerettes did not move. With rising anger, Angel quietly rose from the bed and stalked towards the humans. Only three feet away from them, he stopped, and said slowly with dark intent, "If you do not leave now, and let me do what I must, you will find yourself with a very insane Slayer…and an enraged vampire. If you leave my home now, that will not happen. The choice is yours."
Willow silently gazed at Angel, then when she had caught his eye, nodded once, turned around, and left. One-by-one, the Slayerettes followed Willow's lead. When only the Watchers remained, Giles included, the Head of the Council of Watchers spoke.
"I do not condone this course of action, but see no other way around it. Should anything happen to the Slayer while in your care…your 'unlife' is over."
With these words, the Watcher turned and left. The others swiftly followed. Angel watched them leave, then turned his gaze to Giles, and raised an eyebrow in a unspoken question.
"Take care of her Angel. I have no doubt that it is because of you that she has returned."