Renewal and Restoration

Author: buffy1

Email:

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).

Distribution: Feel free to take it; just tell me where it's going first.

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.

Chapter Two

The pain was unbearable. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced. She had been cut before, stabbed, various other injuries; it was common in her line of work, but she had never experienced the slow, burning pain of a painfully blunt knife slicing deeply into her skin. They were being patient with her, almost as if it were a game. A game played with toys that were intended to maim and kill. Or cause intense pain and suffering.

Demons of all kinds would drop by to watch, sometimes taking part in the 'fun'. She was their doll; their little pin-up doll, hanging limply, powerless to do anything while they had their fun with her, revelling in her anguish. She couldn't fight back, even if she wanted to. There was nothing left to fight for. Even if her friends had survived, which was doubtful, it wouldn't be for long. She, herself, knew that they would soon tire of her. And when that moment arrived it would all end.

She heard a sound from across the chamber and lifted her head. It was the demon she had soon discovered to be the leader carrying an impressive looking sword. He ceremoniously put the sword to the ground and roughly grabbed her long blood-matted hair and forced her eyes to meet his.

"Soon" and she felt it. The impact reverberated around her body and she did the only thing she could do; she screamed.

"I can't believe it. She can't be gone. I would have felt it. We had a connection!" Wesley looked sympathetically at Angel,

"I'm sorry, Angel, but it's true. They found her body in an underground chamber in Brazil, as well as the bodies of other Slayers and Watchers." Angel looked at Wesley helplessly,

"We had a connection," Angel said weakly. Wesley took a seat next to him,

"That was a long time ago, Angel. Connections fade."

"Not ours. Excuse me Wesley. I need to be alone." Wesley looked at him understandingly and nodded,

"I understand," Wesley turned to leave but stopped in front of the door, "You couldn't have saved her," he said without turning around. This said, he left the room gently closing the door behind him. Passing Harmony's desk he told her,

"See that he isn't disturbed." Harmony looked confused for a moment but then nodded her head in compliance. Wesley continued on to his office deep in contemplation, when he was intercepted by Fred,

"How is he?" she asked worriedly, as they entered Wesley's office.

"I'm not sure actually. He needed some time alone. I don't think he's fully accepted it yet. I'm not sure I blame him," Wesley stated sitting down. Fred joined him,

"Oh Wesley..." she started, resting her head on his shoulder, "this is so unfair. Angel finally gets the nerve to call Buffy and-" she broke off, obviously upset. Wesley wrapped a comforting arm around Fred's shoulders,

"I know. I was hoping to put this off. A team was sent to Brazil to collect the bodies, do some investigating. They asked for you to call." Fred nodded and took a breath,

"I suppose I should go see what they found," she said standing, "keep an eye on Angel?" Wesley just nodded, and Fred left with a kiss to his forehead.

"What the bloody hell is going on?!" Angel jumped slightly at the sound of Spike's voice. He may have advanced hearing, but it didn't help much when he was deep in thought.

"What do you want, Spike?" Angel asked wearily, avoiding his gaze.

"I want to know what's going on! I get here this morning and all I hear are people gossiping about the destruction of the Watcher's Council! And everyone in it!!" As soon as Spike finished ranting, he noticed that Angel had been sitting in the dark and staring at the opposite wall.

"Buffy's gone isn't she?" he asked, troubled. Angel only nodded, his voice failing him. Spike opened his mouth, as if he was going to say something, but changed his mind and left the office without another word.

Fred paced up and down her office, the phone gripped tightly in her hand.

"Are you sure?...Absolutely positive?...They don't just go missing!...Have you searched the area thoroughly?...I can't think of anything that would do that...What could they possibly want with it? All right...All right...Bye."

Fred sank to the floor of her office. 'This just gets more and more confusing all the time'.

"We need to figure out who or what would do this," Angel said much calmer than he felt. The whole team, minus Fred, were sat in his office discussing the recent events.

"Demons?" Spike offered. Angel considered this, as did Wesley,

"Ever since Willow performed that spell activating all Slayers, the Council has been a big threat to the demon community. It seems logical that they would launch an attack," Wesley reasoned.

"Yeah, it does," Angel agreed

"Now that we've got that figured out, what demons were they?" Lorne asked.

"I don't know," Angel answered, "Wesley, any ideas?"

"I do know of a few breeds that are prone to-"

"Guys!!" Fred interrupted, bursting into the office, "Something's happened."

"Now what?" Angel asked.

"She's missing! Buffy's body is missing.

To Be Continued...

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