Renewal and Restoration
Author: buffy1
Email: buffsummers via hotmail
Spoilers: All of Buffy and Angel including season 5.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. Just borrowing them (sigh).
Summary: Set two years after 'Chosen' and the year after 'Not Fade Away'. Angel is back to running Wolfram and Hart with the rest of AI when they receive devastating news.
Pairings: A/Nina to start with, B/A, B/S friendship, W/F
Author's note: This is my take on what happens next. In this version Fred was saved and she doesn't stay as Illyria. Also Wesley and Gunn didn't die! I don't know Nina that well so just bear with me. Sorry to all of my readers of 'A New Beginning' and 'Judgment'. I will be posting new chapters soon but this idea has completely taken over my mind. For anybody who is actually reading 'Journey of Love', I have decided to discontinue it because I have completely lost interest and the whole idea I had for it just seems stupid. If anybody wants to continue it just email me and ask. If you do email me please write who you are and stuff in the subject line or it'll get deleted.
Chapter One: Discoveries
The noise was excruciating. Screams bombarded her from all sides. It was sheer pandemonium. All around her buildings burned to the ground, the smoke assaulted her nose sending her into a choking fit. The smell of blood was thick in the air. She fought to keep her balance and hold her ground. She knew if she gave up now it would all be over. Everything they had worked for would be no more. And they would have won.
All around her people fought and died. The people she loved and cared about. Many had already fallen, many were soon to fall. She had tried to warn the others. She found out of a plan that would destroy them, but nobody had believed her, and by the time they acted it had been too late.
The screams got louder and more died; more of her friends. Most of her friends had already disappeared and were presumed dead. None of the bodies had been recovered and she was forced to protect the last of their team.
It was too much for her and she finally fell to her knees. The leaders of the assault noticed her weakness and sent retrievers after her. She looked around her in a panic, hoping to see their recovery, only to witness the deaths of her best fighters. She hung her head in defeat. She knew it was over. But she was not finished yet. One of her loved ones remained standing. She watched her fight, proud of the woman she had become, only to be stopped as the blade of a sword pierced her shoulder. She fell to the ground, a cry on her lips, while she could only stare on in horror.
She was still staring in shock at her fallen loved one when strong clawed hands took her by the arms, the retrievers. She attempted to fight them, to make them release her, but they were too strong and dug their sharp claws painfully deep into her back. She screamed in pain and screamed to be let go. She screamed so much it felt like somebody was tearing out her throat. She continued to struggle, all the while making it harder and more painful for herself. Blood seeped out of the deep gash in her back, and she began to feel light-headed. The last thing she saw was more retrievers take her fallen loved ones from the battlefield.
"No..." and she passed out.
"Morning Angelcakes," Lorne said as he entered Angel's office. Lorne had had a hard time after the battle with the senior partners. He had been forced to take a human life, and it had not been easy adjusting. But with the help of the others he had managed to recover and life was as back to normal as normal could be in an evil law firm, "Keeping busy?"
"I don't have much choice in that matter. As CEO of this firm, mountains of paperwork sort of goes with the territory," Angel answered without looking up from the reports he had been reading. Lorne shrugged,
"Anyways, I only came by to deliver this report, which I know you are looking forward to reading. Have fun," Lorne stated cheerfully, placing the report on top of all the other paperwork littering Angel's desk, before heading for the door.
Angel looked up at the departing Lorne, clearly not thrilled. Angel lowered his head, once again, and continued to work through all of his neglected paperwork. He continued his work for another two hours until he heard a quiet knock at the door. The door opened and Nina entered the room. Angel smiled at her,
"Hey. What are you doing here?" Nina smiled back,
"Hi. I was thinking maybe we could get some lunch? I know this great little outdoor café that makes these amazing sandwiches-"
"Nina, it sounds great and all...but I'm a vampire. And it's daytime. Plus I really don't need to eat," Angel reminded her. Nina's hand immediately flew to her mouth,
"Oh god, sorry! I keep forgetting about the whole daytime thing. Must be the office and these windows," Nina surmised, looking around the brightly lit office. Angel didn't look too upset,
"Yeah, must be," Angel replied distractedly, "Listen, Nina? I don't want to seem rude or anything, but right now I really have a lot of work to do..."
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I should have realised that you'd be busy. I mean, being the CEO of a prestigious law firm and all," Nina said proudly. She was proud to be his girlfriend, and she took great pleasure in lording it over her friends and family, "How about we do something tonight? We could go see a movie. Or if you'd rather, we could always stay home and do something else..." She said in an openly suggestive tone.
Angel remembered the last time he had gone to see a movie. It had been very uncomfortable. They had assumed from the title that it had been about food. Of course it turned out that it wasn't about food at all. It had been, at first, tense when they left the cinema, but things had soon warmed up. Angel smiled at the memory. Nina was confused. She had just made a very clear offer for tonight, and Angel had seemed to get lost in his thoughts. He now wore a dreamy expression on his face. He truly looked like a man in love. He never had that expression when she was around...
"Angel?" Nina asked, slightly worried. Angel snapped out of his daze and looked at her,
"What? Sorry, something you said reminded me of something that happened," Angel explained.
"Did something just happen around here?" Nina asked, genuinely curious. Angel shook his head, unwilling to go into it,
"No. It was a long time ago."
"So anyway, what about tonight? Wanna get together?" Nina asked in what she thought was a seductive voice.
"You know what? I don't really feel up to it today. I've got too much to do and I'll probably be too tired by tonight." Angel told her. He really wasn't in the mood for a date with the werewolf. Nina was obviously disappointed,
"Oh. Okay. Some other time then," Nina replied, disappointed. She was starting to get suspicious now. Angel didn't normally turn her down, and then there was that look he had on his face earlier. 'It's probably nothing'. Nina smiled at Angel and turned to leave the office. 'That was weird. He didn't even look at me. Something weird is going on'. As Nina left the office, Fred passed her on her way to see Angel.
"Hi Fred," Nina greeted her politely. She figured it would pay off to be nice to Angel's friends. Fred smiled at Nina and nodded politely. She didn't particularly like the other girl, but she thought that it was good for Angel to date. Fred continued on into Angel's office, pulling the door shut behind her.
"What was that about?" she asked Angel, walking up to his desk.
"What was what about?" Angel asked her, innocently. Fred crossed her arms,
"You know what I'm talking about. I heard your conversation with Nina. You've done more strenuous things than reading a bunch of paper and signing things. Why'd you turn her down?"
"Fred..." Angel began,
"It's not going well is it?" Fred asked sitting down. Angel put his head in his hands,
"I thought it was. But, I just don't feel happy about this relationship, if we even have a relationship. We don't have what you and Wes have or what I had with- "
"You don't have what you had with who?" Fred asked, interested.
"It doesn't matter, Fred, just forget it."
"You don't have what you had with Buffy?" Fred asked. Angel looked up quickly at the sound of her name.
"What? No! I mean..." Fred looked at him like it was obvious,
"You still love her don't you?" Angel sighed and ran a hand through his hair,
"I do. I guess I never stopped. I've been thinking about her a lot lately and...I think Nina suspects something."
"You should talk to her," Fred suggested.
"Who? Nina?" Angel asked, thoroughly confused.
"Yes, Nina. If you don't think of her that way she should know. It's not fair to her. Not matter how much I don't like her," Fred mumbled the last part, but Angel heard her and smiled. One of the advantages of being a vampire.
"I'll call her later. What about Buffy?" Angel asked.
"Well, call her too. Call the Watcher's Council and ask for Buffy's number." Angel smiled, looking genuinely happy,
"All right. I'll do that now," Angel said picking up the phone. He punched in the familiar number of the Watcher's Council Headquarters in London, but instead of ringing he heard a recorded message saying the number was disconnected and no longer in service.
"That's strange," Angel mused out loud. Fred looked at him,
"What's strange?"
"I just called Giles' number at the Council and it said the number had been disconnected," Angel answered. Fred frowned, and at that moment Wesley burst into the office,
"Angel! Something has happened."
"Not now Wes. I'm trying to contact Giles," Angel said brushing him off.
"That's what I need to talk to you about. Something happened to the Council." Wesley had Angel and Fred's full attention now.
"What happened to the Council?" Angel asked very worried.
"The Council is gone. Destroyed." Angel was speechless, and in a state of shock.
"What about the Watchers? The people who worked there?" Fred asked, concerned.
"Dead, every last one. The ones who were lucky enough to escape were hunted down and executed." By this time Angel had recovered his voice,
"Buffy?" he asked simply. Wesley was visibly upset,
"They found her body amongst those in Brazil. I'm sorry, Angel. She's gone."