Summary: The Scoobies finish hearing the last of Spike's story and Angel becomes healthy again. Though, still not fully. Angel has a thought about the whole Black Thorn issue and decides on something that must be done for the good of the world.
Author's Note: Wow those last two chapters were kind of difficult to write because they were past history to what had happened so far in Paris. I couldn't have anything conflict with the story so far since they were flashbacks, and I hope I didn't do too badly with it. Please read and review and tell me what you think.
Rating: PG: WARNING: LOW LEVEL COARSE LANGAUGE
Chapter Six: So the Battle is Over
'So that's all of it up until now?' Buffy asked.
'Yep, basically.' Spike finished.
'Wow, that's some story.' Willow said.
'You should make it into a novel.' Buffy shot Dawn a look after her comment. 'What? He should.'
'S'alright pet.' Spike said turning to Buffy. 'I don't think it's gonna be happening anytime soon Dawn.' He concluded, returning his attention to Dawn.
'What time is it Buffy?' Xander asked suddenly, completely changing the subject.
'Um, I think it's about lunchtime. You guys wanna go out and get something?' Buffy said to Willow, Dawn and Xander. She knew that Angel and Spike couldn't go out in the daylight.
'Yeah, I'm getting a bit hungry.' Willow agreed. 'Are you going to be okay here Buffy?'
'Yeah, I'll be fine. Bring me back something nice.' She signalled for them to leave, so that only Spike, Angel and herself were left in the room.
'Do you want some blood?' Buffy asked the boys.
'Yeah, if you don't mind.' Angel answered.
'Thanks Buffy.' Spike added.
'Do you mind if I have a few minutes alone with Angel?' Buffy asked Spike.
'Uh… sure I guess. I'll um… go and get something from in the kitchen.' He disappeared and left Buffy alone with Angel.
Angel watched her as she sat down on the coffee table in front of him. She leant forward, resting her elbows on her knees.
'Something wrong?' he asked.
'I think we need to talk.' She replied. 'About everything.'
'Care to be a little bit more specific? What exactly do you want to know?' Angel asked.
'What's the deal with Connor? Who is he and where is he?'
'I told you, Connor is my son.' Angel answered, shifting himself so he could get comfortable.
'How? You said it happened with Darla. How is that possible?'
'Buffy, please. Can we just wait a few days until I get better and then I promise you that I'll explain everything?' Angel waited for her response, watching her expression change from angry and confused to calm and thoughtful.
'Okay, if you promise to tell me everything. And I don't mean, 'Angel' everything, I mean everything. Got it?' Angel nodded.
'Okay. Now, about this Fred girl Spike and Willow were talking about earlier. Who was she?'
Angel sighed. 'Fred was a girl I saved from another dimension called Pylea a little over two years ago. She disappeared from an L.A. library five years before that and was a slave until we brought her back here. She was studying to be a physicist and she ended up staying around on our team. She tried to help make Spike corporeal when he came back, but then a God named Illyria took over her body and killed her. We tried everything we could to try and save her but we couldn't. She fought with at the end, when it mattered. I'm just sorry she died.'
'Oh my God.' Buffy breathed. 'I didn't know anything about her. I remember Willow being called off to L.A. by someone named Fred, but I never really knew who she was. My God…' she looked away, down at the carpet.
'It's alright Buffy.' Angel assured her. 'We fought and we survived. I don't know how we did it, but we're here.'
'So the Black Thorn, they've been defeated?' Buffy asked.
'I am the only remaining member.' The fact dawned on Angel suddenly. 'Oh God.' He sat forward suddenly, his wounds remaining closed as they were almost healed.
'What is it?'
'I'm the only remaining member.' He repeated.
'What does that mean?' Buffy was curious.
'Lindsay said that to be a Black Thorn is to be the Senior Partners' instrument on Earth. I'm the only one left, which means the Black Thorn still exists until I die.'
Just at that moment, Spike re-entered the room. 'Hold up a second Angel. What's this about you dying?'
'Spike.' Angel jumped to his feet, startling Spike.
'Angel, sit down.' Spike was concerned.
'I'm fine.' He brushed it off. 'Listen Spike, I'm a Black Thorn.'
'Yeah, I know. You became one to bring the bastards down. I remember.'
'Well, as long as I'm alive the Black Thorn still exists and the Senior Partners still have control over us.' Angel explained.
'What the hell are you saying?' Spike asked angrily. 'Are you saying that your plan to show the Senior Partners that you're someone failed?'
'What, no?'
'Are you saying that Wes and Gunn and Blue died for nothing?' Spike continued.
'No! I'm saying that as long as I'm alive, they still rule over this dimension. I never put the whole thing together before, but it makes sense.'
Buffy looked on in utter confusion.
'Care to share?' she offered. 'I would like a clue.'
'Look,' Angel began. 'The Senior Partners are like the evil version of the Powers that Be. The Powers fight for good and the Partners just do it for power. Nothing more. The Senior Partners' have the Black Thorn to do their work in this dimension, giving them power over humanity. If the members of the Black Thorn are taken out, which is what we planned to do, then the Senior Partners won't have the control over this dimension that they once had. They will be powerless and we will have won.'
'But you're a Black Thorn now Angel, right? And you're still alive.' Buffy said.
'Exactly.' He looked at Buffy then over to Spike, who had now moved around the room to stand next to the couch on the other side of Buffy.
'God, Angel.' Spike put two-and-two together. 'You're not saying what I think you're saying, are you?'
'What's he saying Spike?' Buffy asked. 'What's he saying?'
'Yeah Spike, what am I saying?' Angel said challengingly.
'He's saying that he has to die.'
A/N: Don't worry about my logic, I just got an idea and went along with it. I basically explained the idea in what Angel said (the ) so that he could tell Spike and Buffy what he was thinking. The others don't know yet, but they will find out in the next chapter. The next chapter will be the last (or maybe the one after it, depending on how much I end up writing) and it will basically end the whole "Buffy meeting Angel and Spike again" but it won't be the end. What am I talking about? Read the last chapter and you'll see at the end.