Chapter 4

Ok Chapter 4 I'm on a role! And as I promised Angel has entered! Please R&R

'Oh no that can't be a good sign'

"You don't know what a phone is?"

"No I do not"

"Ok let me ask you this. You do call this place Earth right?"

"Yes, and may I ask you why your asking such strange questions?"

Buffy sighed to her self. 'Maybe I'm not as close to home as I thought. I remember Anya talking about different forms of our own reality. Gee and I thought getting home would be as simple as buying a plane ticket'

"Let's just say I'm not from around here. Just trying to get a feel for things."

Erik led Buffy further threw the maze, until up ahead they saw light. Flickering light.

'Candles' Buffy thought, as she got closer there was no doubting it. The entire area was covered in candles. A large piano was to the side, the largest object in the room. As she walked deeper in Buffy looked around. There were mirrors, a lot of them most covered with a blanket. In another room she could see a huge swan like bed.

'Oh pretty! Hmm If I wasn't so sure he's human I'd swear he was a vampire. This whole décor just screams it'

"You live here?" Buffy asked still slightly in awe of the beauty of it.

"Yes"

"Does everybody here live underground?" Erik looked at her for a long moment. Was she joking?

"No, It's just me. I have reason's to hide."

"Got something to do with that mask doesn't it?" Erik froze. Of the few people he talked to no one mentioned the mask. Anger flared in him as well as sorrow. "That or your some crazy killer." Again Erik felt the anger flare up in him. But Buffy continued on without notice. "Or maybe your a bank robber. Stole millions of dollars and now your hiding away from the world. The masked robber!" she laughed and continued her exploration around Erik's home.

"Hmm you seem to have a theme going on here." Buffy observed as she noticed sketches around the room all of the same curly haired brunette. She looked young 'Must be about the same age as me' she was small and very lovely, in that old fashioned way that she had seen in the watcher's journals about Angel. She saw what looked like a miniature version of a stage with different little people on it. The young brunette one of them. She also noticed the mannequin looking thing off to the far corner almost hidden behind a curtain.

'Is it wearing a wedding dress? Okay creepy much? Probably shouldn't scratch crazy obsessive guy from my list yet. Wait hmm old fashioned people, no phones…unnecessary amount of candles?'

"I know how crazy this sounds but what year is it?"

"I feel I am growing use to your strange questions mademoiselle. It is 1870"

'Well that explains a lot. I wasn't sent to another world I was sent back in time. That's so much better' Buffy thought sarcastically to her self.

"Oh well that's great, really. and please call me Buffy."

"That news seems to have upset you Buffy. What exactly is going on?"

"On? well where to start? Okay you know how I told you I'm a slayer? I kill the bad things. Well tonight while I was killing one I fell threw a portal. Now I'm here. And first I thought I was in a different world but now I'm starting to think I'm just in a different time"

'And people say I'm crazy' Erik thought to himself and as confused as he was by all this he decided not to ask questions. It wasn't like the phantom to inquire about others.

"I see, any idea when you will be leaving. I've never been much for company."

XXX

The phone rang and rang. 'Why isn't he answering? The machine finally picked up. "Hi Angel? It's Dawn umm Buffy's sister. Look umm Buffy's missing, well I mean we know what happened to her just not where she is. I just…"

"Hello"

The phone was ringing when Angel came in. He wasn't having the best day. Darla was now a Vampire again turned by Drusilla and he'd fired all his friends. He didn't' have time for that mission anymore, couldn't they see that was just a small battle? What he was doing was fighting the war. Who ever was calling would have to get Cordy and the rest of the gang to help them. Angel didn't care anymore, he couldn't afford to. All he could care about was getting Darla and Drusilla and Wolfram and heart back for all they'd done. He didn't care about anything else anymore At least that's what he told himself until the machine picked up the call.

"Hi Angel?" he knew that voice. The sweet innocence of it but from where?

"It's Dawn umm Buffy's sister" As she said that it was amazing how quickly his new façade of not caring about anyone was gone. Buffy the only person in his very long life he'd ever loved. Naturally she'd be the one thing to get through to his cold heart. Had something happened to her? The thought sent the most sickening feeling to his unbeating heart.

"Look umm Buffy's missing. Well I mean we know what happened to her just not where she is. I just…" Buffy's missing…those words resounded in his head until it was all he could hear. His body going numb as his mind tried to process this news. 'Buffy's missing? Buffy's gone!'

Before he knew it the phone was in his hand and he was talking to Dawn. She quickly told Angel everything that had happened that night. 'A portal?'

No he didn't know much about them. No he didn't know how to get her back or where she'd gone.

He cursed himself for not being able to give the answer's Dawn needed. Every second he felt more and more useless. But I know people that will know.

Wesley he would know what to do. He would know how to get Buffy back. 'I'll go to him, apologize beg if I have to until they agree to help me. I can't lose her, I can't!'

Two minutes later Angel was out the door and on his way to Cordillia's apartment.

Yes of course they'd help, he was her watcher for a time. Obviously she'd help too how could he even think she wouldn't. They'd almost been friends and Buffy had saved her countless times. He'd look threw his books she'd use the computer and think of idea's.

And she did, let's ask Lorne he was a demon after all and she's in a demon dimensions.

The green demon named Lorne made a call to a friend. The place where the portal was would be cold for sometime, they couldn't open a new one there. They'd have to find another hot spot, luckily there were many in Sunnydale. She could feel them and told them the whereabouts. Where did she go? The lady didn't know the answer to that they'd have to go to the place the portal opened and read the energy left behind. No, only someone connected to those magical forced could read it. Yes like a witch. Angel would go to Sunnydale, he would help the Scooby's. Were going to of course, that's what they'd say. They were his friends they wanted to help Buffy. Gunn would stay in L.A try to keep things calm until they got back. Yes they'd have to go quickly. Angel would stay in the back of the car incase they didn't make it before dawn. Darla? Yes, she would have to wait, Buffy came first. She always did.

Everything that happened between getting the phone call and finally arriving in Sunnydale a half hour before dawn was a blur to Angel. To the Summer's house or the magick Box? He knew the gang would be at the store Dawn had told him as much. But Dawn was back at her house worried for her sister. Not allowed to do anything. He'd get her, bring her to the store with him; she had a right to help. 'Plus it's always good to have one more person around who likes me. Between Xander, Giles and Riley…Riley, oh wont this be a fun visit.'

They got Dawn, she hadn't been asleep. How could she with everything that was happening and soon they were there in the magic shop.

"Well look who it is. Dead boy came to save the day"

"Xander must say I haven't exactly missed you" Angel replied curtly. Looking over the group there were two people he had only seen a few times before Tara, Willow's Girlfriend. Right he remembered Buffy telling him all about it on the day that never was. Anya, yes that was her name. She'd brought and sent that vamp Willow back the last year he'd lived here. She helped with the ascension and had gone with Xander to the prom. Now they were dating and despite the obvious fact that her boyfriend hated him she still gave him a sweet smile. Willow came and gave him a quick hug before going to hug Cordy and Wes as well. Giles had a blank face but Angel was good at reading people, he noticed the coldness in his eyes. He'd killed Jenny, he deserved it. Riley's expression was Angel's favorite. The way his face just fell when he saw him. Angel could just feel all the boy's insecurities rising up 'maybe this wont be so bad after all' Angel thought as he gave a cocky smile to the group. 'It sure does feel good to be home'