Summary: Angel's time has come once again, but this time it's his choice. Once the sun goes down, Angel will see his end. But there's a twist in the story – fate steps in.
Author's Note: THIS WILL BE THE LAST CHAPTER. I know I've said it before but this is gonna be it. Sorry it's dragged on for so long but I just couldn't squeeze everything into a couple of chapters. This chapter is gonna be big. It's gonna be important and there's gonna be some special moments. There's also gonna be some confusion and twists so watch out! Please review the finished product and tell me what you think overall. Please also tell me your favourite bit!
Rating: PG: WARNING: LOW LEVEL COARSE LANGAUGE
Chapter Six: No title – no words can describe what is gonna happen. It's an important moment in Angel history because it involves everyone around him. You can't sum that up in a few words to name a title of the chapter. Sorry readers, this is just "Chapter Six".
The sun had gone down and there was nothing but an orange glow over the buildings left to be seen. Angel led the way outside, followed closely by Spike, then Buffy, Willow, Dawn and Xander. Angel stood in the middle of the small backyard.
'Angel.' Buffy said softly. 'Can we dig you a grave?' She was a little embarrassed by her question, but Angel agreed and the three boys began digging a two-foot grave to bury Angel's dust in.
The hole was about a metre wide by a metre long. Angel stepped down into the hole and looked across at his old friends and companions.
'Are you going to tell Giles about us coming back?' Angel asked Buffy.
'We'll tell him that Spike was the only one to survive the attack back in L.A.' Angel smiled and looked down at his feet
'I'll explain everything to him, if he wants to know.' Spike offered.
'Thanks Spike. And please, in your story, don't make me die like a woos.' Everyone couldn't' help but laugh, even though Angel was being serious. Spike held out his hand to his grand-sire.
'See ya round mate.' He said, shaking hands with Angel.
'Yeah.' Xander did the same, then Willow and Dawn hugged him one last time.
'Goodbye Angel.' They both said, wishing him well even though they didn't want to think about the torment he would go through where he was going.
'Bye.' He smiled and hugged them both tightly. Buffy stepped down into the hole with him and threw her arms around him. She began sobbing into his shoulder.
'I'll never forget you doing this.' She whispered. 'I'll never forget you.'
'You have Spike now.' Angel told her.
'But he's not you.' She drew back and smiled. 'There are things you promised to tell me.' He swallowed a lump in his throat and turned away nervously. 'But it's alright.' He smiled at her and she stepped back up out of he hole. Spike pulled her close and placed his arm around her stomach. She gently grasped his wrist and Angel looked from person to person as the light disappeared behind buildings. A back light came on, illuminating them all in an eerie, pale orange light.
'Okay Spike.' Angel said, giving Spike the all clear to stake him. Spike stepped forward and took a stake from out of his jacket pocket.
'The past couple of days we've tried to get you well again. Now, you tell us that we have to kill you. We let you live through a lot of pain mate, and for that I'm sorry. I'll never forget everything you've done for me for the past two hundred years. And as much as I hate to say it, I'll miss you.' Angel fought back tears and laughter, not sure which would be appropriate for the moment.
'Thanks Spike. I'll see you again someday.' Angel sighed. 'Go ahead.' He pulled his coat away from his chest, as he cleared his chest ready to be staked.
'Sorry mate.' Spike firmly gripped the stake and lifted it above his shoulder. He forced it down into Angel's chest, then just as quickly pulled it out. Angel's eyes scanned across each person standing watching him. They came to rest on Spike's as he fell to dust.
Spike stepped back. And threw the stake into the hole He couldn't see Angel's dust amongst the dirt but he knew it was there. Without anyone saying a word, Spike and Xander began filling in the hole. Buffy couldn't' help herself, and she began crying. Willow and Dawn tried to comfort her, while also fighting back their own tears.
When the hole was filled in everyone simply stood and stared. Buffy had picked a small red rose that was growing in the garden and laid it on the earth where Angel was buried. The group stood in the same spot for most of the night, just watching Angel's grave hoping once day he'd come back. Deep down they all knew he was gone, and that he would never come back.
ANGEL
I watched the stake come towards me as Spike shoved it into my chest. I felt it splinter my heart, and then be ripped out. God the pain. I looked at all my friends, not having even a moment to think before my eyes came to rest on Spike and then I was gone.
For a moment everything was black. I could feel that I was still alive because I could think.
Where do I go next? I thought. Then everything went a bright white, and I raised my hand to shield my eyes. My hand was still there; I was still solid.
Then I was falling. The white light became softer and I felt something beneath my feet. Ground. I blinked, and then right in front of me was a door. I turned around to find nothing but a vast expanse of white nothingness. I turned back and opened the door.
NORMAL
Inside was Angel's office from back in the Wolfram and Hart building. He stepped inside and the door flew closed behind him.
'Please, take a seat.' A female voice said. His old chair swung around and a pretty blonde woman smiled at him. He wandered over to the desk and took a seat opposite her.
'What is this place?' Angel asked.
'You might like to call it, "the waiting room." Or rather, that's what you were just in. This is where you come when you die to determine whether you go to Hell or Heaven. So, which one is it?' she said brightly.
'My guess is Hell.' Angel answered. 'I'm a vampire.'
'I know what you are, but that doesn't determine where you spend the rest of eternity.' The woman explained.
'Now Angel, my name is Vai and it is my job to decide where you go based on what kind of person you've become.' Angel wasn't sure what to say.
'Doesn't it matter who I was?' he asked finally.
'That is taken into account, but the most important thing is who you are now. What kind of person you have become.' Through a chute in the ceiling a large pile of papers dropped down onto the desk. Angel jumped in surprise.
'Are those files on me?' he asked.
'They sure are.' She flipped through a few pages. '…Says here you terrorised half of Europe for most of the seventeen and eighteen hundreds.'
'I'm not proud of what I've done.' Angel told her. 'But I've changed. I'm not the same guy I was back then.'
'Yes. In 1860 you were cursed with a soul so you could feel guilty for all the lives you'd taken. Interesting.'
'Interesting?'
'Well, you see because of that soul you changed. For a hundred years you've been a changed man. You've done many good things, helped hundreds of people and save hundreds of lives.'
'It doesn't change the fact that I took a lot of lives.' Angel said remorsefully.
'No, it doesn't. But you've done enough good things in these past hundred years to redeem yourself from some of the bad things you've done.'
'But I'm still going to Hell.' Angel concluded with a sound of defeat in his voice.
'It appears so. I'm sorry Angel. Enjoy the rest of your eternity.' She smiled cheerfully and picked up the phone. She pressed a single button and spoke. 'Please escort Angel out.' She hung up the phone and looked back at him. 'You can go now.'
'Can I ask a question first?' Angel asked.
'I suppose so.'
'The Shanshu Prophecy.' Angel's question got her attention.
'I am familiar with it. What about it?'
'Is it true? I mean, will the vampire with a soul be redeemed for his good deeds and made human?' He looked on hopefully, realising that there may be a life for Spike back on Earth still.
'It is true. The prophecy is real.' She explained. 'Why do you ask?'
'I have a friend back on earth who is a vampire but he also has a soul. Will he become human, because he fought in the apocalypse?'
'There will need to be contemplation with the Powers that Be before that is decided.' Vai explained.
'Oh.' Angel got to his feet and headed back to the door. He heard something behind him and turned back to face Vai. In her hands was a single sheet of paper.
'Angel, please take a seat.' She said. Angel sat back down. 'The Powers that Be have just sent me a message. It seems that you have fulfilled the Shanshu Prophecy.'
'There must be a mistake.' Angel choked out a laugh.
'No, there is not.'
'But I signed it away before I died.' Angel explained.
'Ridiculous. You can't sign away a prophecy. It is unheard of!'
'But then why…' Angel began, but was interrupted.
'Do you want to return to Earth Angel?' Vai asked.
'Yes.'
'Then you may. You will return as human, the reward for your good deeds over the past hundred years.'
'But I died so that the Senior Partners wouldn't rule anymore. If I go back, they still exist because I am will be a living member of the Black Thorn again.'
'Your past history will be basically wiped clean. You will no longer be a Black Thorn, and the society will be dead. You will return with a different identity, but your friends will still know who you are. You can return to Earth and live as you would have before you were turned, Liam.'
Angel stared in amazement. 'Liam…' he whispered. 'My name is Liam.'
'Liam O'Connor will be your name. You're heritage is Irish. The rest is all on paper here. Now Liam, the Powers that Be have given me a gift to send you back with.'
'What kind of gift?' Liam asked.
'A gift for your old friend William.' Vai smiled and handed him the piece of paper she was reading. It not only had his details on it but also the details of William Rochdale, an Englishman born in London.
'What is this?' Liam asked, confused.
'Liam, there is another prophecy which now can only refer to your friend Spike. The other vampire with a soul. This prophecy states that the demon who has love for and is loved by the Slayer will be turned human to bring the two together. That is Spike.'
'She loves him?' Liam said softly to himself.
'Yes Liam. But don't feel bad, you will return and find love. You will be whole and you will live a normal life.' Liam smiled.
A normal life. It's something he and Buffy dreamed of having. Now she would be with Spike, and he could find love with someone else.
'Thankyou Vai.' Liam thanked the woman, folded up the paper with his information on it and started to leave.
'Enjoy your life Liam. You've deserved it.' She smiled and suddenly everything round Liam went white.
Not this again. Everything went black, then white, then black, then white. His surroundings flashed black and white until he felt himself falling again. The flashing stopped and he could see nothing but black all around him. He waited, knowing that everything would come in time. Then he felt the ground under his feet. He blinked and when he looked again he was back in the garden.
Everyone had gone back inside, probably to get some sleep. The sun was beginning to rise of the buildings, and Liam panicked.
'No.' he said. 'I don't have to.' A broad smile appeared on his face and he wandered up to the back door. He knocked three times.
He heard footsteps from inside, and wasn't sure how the person would react. Who would it be that found him? Buffy? Spike? The door opened.
'Angel?'
'Spike. Oh God I'm so glad to see you.' He stepped inside the house and hugged Spike. He pulled back and looked Spike in the eyes.
'How the bloody hell did you…?'
'It doesn't matter. I'm back, and I'm human.' Liam cried.
'Spike what's wrong?' Buffy called from in the dining room.
'Buffy?' Liam pushed past Spike and left him standing in the doorway, shocked.
'Angel?' she yelped when he walked into the room. 'God Angel!' she ran up to him and threw her arms around him. 'I thought you were gone.'
'I was, but I'm back. And I'm human.'
'Human?'
'Yeah. My name's Liam O'Connor and I'm human!' he hugged Buffy joyfully. Spike walked into the room, and Willow, Dawn and Xander came in the other doorway.
'Morning everybo…' Xander stopped when he saw Angel. 'Angel?'
'Liam.' Liam corrected.
'Angel, how on Earth did this happen?' Willow asked.
'It's Liam now, and the Powers that Be said I fulfilled the Shanshu Prophecy.' He paused while everyone understood. 'They made me human!' He smiled happily, then in the silence heard his heart beating in his chest. He felt it. He was alive.
'Okay, time-out.' Xander said. 'How did you get back here?'
'The Powers that Be sent me back.' Liam explained.
'Ang… Liam.' Spike began. 'Does that mean you're not a vampire?'
'Right Spike.' Liam replied. Spike felt the defeat hanging over him. He stepped back, shocked. Backing into the kitchen, he saw everyone watching him.
'Spike…' Buffy called.
'Wait Spike! They gave me something to give you.' Liam ran into the kitchen after Spike, with everyone else in tow.
'What could they possibly give me that I'd want? You've got the humanity, so what is left for little old me?' Spike was angry. He was furious that after all this time, after the apocalypse, that it wasn't about him.
'You're going to be human too.' Liam declared.
'I'm gonna what?' Spike asked in disbelief.
'They gave me another prophecy that's about you.' Liam explained. 'Spike, you're going to be human.'
A/N: Well, that's the end. Hope you guys all liked it. There is going to be a sequel called Deliver Us – I don't know why I'm going to call it that it's just the first thing that came into my mind when I finished this story. Well, please review and tell me what you liked and didn't like. Thanks for being such dedicated readers, and watch out for the sequel!
Angel has returned as a human because he fulfilled the Shanshu Prophecy. He is now Liam. Liam has a prophecy sent by the Powers that Be that say Spike's going to become human as well. When will this all happen? How is this going to happen? What will everyone think of these recent events? COMING SOON: Deliver Us.
