Summary: It's 1968 and Angel has found a moment of perfect happiness. Just what it means for Buffy remains to be seen. Not happy with the title, so this may change. Will take place at the beginning of Buffy/Season 2, but will deviate from original story line. Almost totally AU. Buffy/Angelus
Disclaimers: Mutant Enemy and Joss Whedon own it all. I'm just doing this for fun, and hopefully entertainment
The pairs arrived at Giles' apartment within minutes of each other, none having much success in their search.
"Where could they have gone? Maybe they just gave up and left town?" Willow asked with a hopeful tone.
"No they have the artifact and they know the power of Acathla. They won't give up until Dru has her paradise." He looked over at Buffy, at the concerned look on her face. He had to fix this, for her.
"What do you know of Acathla, Angel?" Giles wanted to know just how sincere the vampire was to stopping this latest apocalypse. Would he share his information?
Angel looked suspiciously at the watcher, okay a test, he'd play. "Well, according to the legend the demon possesses the power to literally swallow the Earth into Hell. He almost did it centuries ago, but he was stopped by a knight. He was then turned to stone with the knight's sword still embedded in him. He was hidden in a stone tomb and buried." He looked at the watcher, gauging his reaction. "When he wakes, every living thing on the planet will be sucked into hell. Is that the story you heard?"
"Indeed." Giles still wasn't sure what Angel, or Angelus as Giles suspected, wanted with Buffy. But he knew he had feelings for her, which was something he couldn't quite wrap his mind around. Time for truths, he imagined. "Well, first of all, it's not a legend, it's a fact."
"Most legends are." Angel pulled Buffy onto his lap again, he had the need for physical contact the watcher noticed.
Willow shivered. "Okay, somebody explain the whole 'suck the world into hell' thing, 'cause I am so not loving this."
Giles removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Well, the Demon Universe exists in a dimension separate from our own. With one breath, Acathla will create a vortex, a whirlpool that will pull everything from here into that dimension. A dimension where any non-demon life will suffer horrible and eternal torment."
"Neat! This is just so great. So, what do we do?" Buffy was becoming more frustrated with each passing minute. "We can't just sit here and wait."
"That is precisely what we must do, Buffy. They have to return to the Hellmouth and we'll be ready for them." Giles knew she was impatient and, to his horror knew Angelus could keep her under control.
"But what if they figure out how to wake him?" This feeling of helplessness was killing her.
Giles looked at the vampire. "Do you think they've figured it out, Angelus?"
Buffy's eyes flew open wide and Angelus just chuckled. So, he thought, the old man wasn't such an idiot after all. "No, if they did I don't suppose I'd be here."
The two men stared at each other, gauging the reaction of each ones disclosure.
"Xander, if you even attempt to enter this pissing contest I am so out of here." Cordelia had dated enough jocks to know when a male was marking his territory.
"Huh? I have no idea what is even happening here?" He looked at his behind-closed-doors girlfriend in confusion.
Cordelia turned back to the two men. "Listen the two of you, just cool it. You both have Buffy. Giles you're her watcher, her father figure. And Angel, Angelus, whatever… you're her boyfriend, lover-type guy. I mean if either of you want to trade places, we'll all I can say is, ewww! And excuse me, but I so don't get the attraction. I think we have something else that's a little more important, hello. Like how do we save Cordelia from eternal torment?"
Buffy finally found her voice. "Um, yeah, we have to stop Acathla, for Cordy's sake." She looked at Giles, "How long did you know?"
"For awhile. I was just waiting to see what his true motivations were."
"And?"
"They appear to be you." He answered, quite surprised at his calm demeanor.
Willow raised her hand. "Umm, excuse me? Why would Angel know how to wake up the big old demon guy?"
"Angel? Care to explain?" Giles waited.
"Why not?" Buffy attempted to rise, but he held her in place. "The sword, someone worthy, demon worthy, has to pull it out and use his blood to awaken Acathla and open the vortex."
"And let me guess. You are the worthy demon?" Xander just knew the guy was up to no good.
"Well, I am a powerful demon. The Master could've done it, but he wouldn't have. He loved to be the big cheese. Darla could do it, she's now first in line for the Order of Aurelius. Just hope twiddle dee and twiddle dum don't figure it out before we can get the relic."
Buffy turned to look at him. "What about them? Spike or Drusilla? They come from your bloodline right? Couldn't they do it?"
"Not strong enough. Dru's got power, just can't focus it well enough. As for Spike, he's just not there yet." Angelus looked at Giles. "So, we do as Rupert says, we wait for them to make a move."