AN: Happy Belated New year :p
AN2: The End is near. thankyou to all those who've continued in your support of this story. i know it's been a long time in the making. luv u all heaps. MWAH xoxoxoxoxox
16:30
Ox arrived at the hospital with much in the way of Starbucks and sandwiches. The others accepted happily and when Oz told them his news Giles nodded.
"It seems that for once Xander you were right. I had a feeling you might be but I almost didn't want it to be true."
"Wow, I was right. Remember this day people." He quipped
"Yes, well taking into account the conditions he was in, there were only a few possibilities that I could come up with and the higher powers were top of the list."
"So what, we have to talk to them?" Willow was a tad bit nervous
"Not we, me." Buffy walked over to the group.
"I'll go with you." Giles stood to leave."
"No, I need you here to keep researching, just in case."
"I'll go." Xander stood
"Be careful you two." Andrew cautioned them, "The powers by reputation are not the easiest to get along with."
"Oh yea, and take a present." Oz told them, "Something of value."
"I have something." Buffy nodded.
"We'll call you if there is any change. In the meantime, we'll keep looking." Willow reassured them."
Everyone did a round of hugs and Buffy and Xander set out. The others settled back down to continue their research with Oz taking up Xander's book.
Buffy and Xander walked the seven blocks to their destination in almost total silence. Xander was quite content to look at everything around him while Buffy continued to dwell on the current situation. Eventually Xander spoke.
"Don't you think it's funny that when it comes to Angel, it's always you and me that team up?"
"Huh?" Having only woken up about ten minutes previous, Buffy was still a little dazed.
"Well like with the whole Acathla thing, it was you and me. When Angel went nuts at Christmas, you and me and now with his being all…well sick, it's…"
"You and me. Xander I know your not Angel's biggest fan. Why do you keep helping him?"
"Because I'm your biggest fan. Like it or not, I kinda love you. And if to see you smile again it means helping Angel then so be it."
Buffy stopped and wrapped her arms around his neck giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you Xand."
"Any time, now…where are we going?"
"The Post Office."
"Ah huh."
Having no idea why but deciding to shut up, Xander continued to follow his little blond friend.
Buffy stopped briefly at a small occult store after reading Oz's instructions before continuing on to their destination
Xander and Buffy both stared about them as they tried to take in the cavern below what seemed to be a normal Post office.
"So, what's that mean?" Xander asked as he pointed to an inscription above the door.
"No clue. I have enough trouble speaking English let alone some strange language."
Buffy turned to the pedestal and threw some of the powder she had bought into the basin,
"We beseech access to the knowing ones!" she called out.
Xander jumped back onto her foot as the gateway appeared before them.
"Um, maybe only you should go." Xander sounded nervous.
"I'll be very pissed off if they hurt another of my friends." Buffy declared, grabbing Xander's hand. Together they walked through the brilliant light.
On the other side they both spun around trying to take it all in. as they did a pair of beings appeared before them.
"Love the art work" Xander whispered. The male glared at him before turning to Buffy.
"You bring this lower creature before us Slayer?"
"Yeah I do. Here."
She took off the cross she was wearing; it was the one Angel had given her on their first meeting. It flew from her hand and the female spoke for the first time.
"Ahh, a gift of new beginnings. How appropriate. You are here because your vampire lover has fallen ill to a Mortal concern."
"Is it a requirement for all non-human beings to go to a special cryptic school? Learn the American language people!" Buffy stated in annoyance.
"Little patience if a growing disease with the human race." The male retorted calmly.
"Fine, but just so we're clear. What is wrong with Angel has nothing to do with his mortality, does it."
"No."
"So stop with the word games and fix the problem."
"We cannot allow this."
"Why the hell not?" Xander shouted from behind Buffy where he was trying to stay out of sight.
"What has been done to the Vampire was not meant to occur for another of your earth years. As it is, the future of your plain of existence is now quite uncertain due to the changes that his new humanity has brought about."
"I'm having an attack of dumb blond. You may want to explain to me what it is that's going on."
"The vampire is not meant to be human, not yet. The future is now being un-knowingly re-written. So much depended on Angel being a vampire that his humanity has thrown the whole balance off course." The Male summed up.
"So fix it, turn him back into a vampire!"
"The only way to do that would be for us to turn back time, and I'm afraid that the same thing would happen yet again."
"So what, you're going to leave him in a coma forever?"
"We don't see any other way."
"There must be something I can do. Please."
The pair turned to each other. The female looked at Xander and in an instant he was thrown from the room.
"HEY!"
"We must speak alone in private."
"No more hurting my friends okay." Buffy was furious.
"The reason of you being here is neither about Angel the vampire nor Angel the person. You are here about matters of the heart and soul. We do not concern ourselves in these matters. They are emotions which have made your race weak."
"Weak. WEAK! I am a stronger fighter because of this. Anger gives me the drive to do what is needed. Sadness makes me realise why I fight, to stop this sadness affecting others. Fear drives me to extremes and happiness gives me the feeling of power, that I can do no wrong."
"These feelings are confused. They make you feel invincible yet in reality they hinder you. Anger will make you lash out without thinking. Sadness will cloud your judgment. Fear will stop you from moving forward and happiness will make you lax." The male stated.
"And then we come to the greatest hindrance."
"Love?"
"Tell me. When you fist saw Angel fall, what came over you?"
"Fear."
"And what did you do to the head of your 'Watchers Council'?"
"I hit him…In anger."
Buffy was a little wary, she could see where they were going but didn't know how to stop it.
"And when you heard that he was beyond medical help, what did you feel?"
"Sadness."
"And why did you feel all this?"
"Because of Love,"
"Precisely. Your greatest fear, hate, and grief is to lose your love." The male confirmed
"But what of the other two emotions?" The female questioned.
"The other two?"
"You sank into despair upon realizing the depth of all the previous emotions yet you also followed them with sheer determination. You and your friends were and are determined to cure him you are determined to be right and you are determined win this battle."
"Yes I am."
"And if you win, what will be accomplished?"
"Happiness."
"Will it? You would have to face the grim reality that the one you love will no longer have attributes of self protection. His Vampirism will be gone. He would not be able to fight."
"I can protect him."
"It may not always be so. He has been a vampire for two hundred years and a warrior to the cause for half that time. Do you honestly think he will sit art home while you wage a nightly battle?"
Buffy knew they were right but she couldn't afford to give in.
"Look, you're so determined to have your way. You've proved that you can throw me out of here at any time but I'm still here. What do you want me to say? You're right. I won't always be there for him. There will come a day when something will go wrong and nothing I do will be able to stop that from happening. But what of it? Incase you haven't noticed I'm kind of mortal too.
"There will come a day when something bad happens to me. I'm a slayer; I'm not going to live past twenty. I don't have a say in that. I can try and prevent it but when it comes down to it, I am a slayer. Pain, hurt and suffering is in the job description so why are you taking away from me the one thing that I can be happy about? Why take away from me the one thing that gives me the strength to make it through the night. Knowing there is someone out there who cares what happens to me. Knowing there is one person back home that would do anything to keep me safe, even leave me…stupid guy
"I may not be able to protect him and my friends forever and they won't be able to protect me but together we are a force to be reckoned with. So the futures going to change because he is no longer a vampire? Well whoop de doo. If it's that big of a thing then nothing that happens now will stop it, just the circumstances will alter slightly. If Angel is meant to meet up with someone in the future and the fate of the world rested on that then it will still happen.
"I believe Angel is still vital to the cause, you know it as well. So stop being all high and mighty and fix the problem before you actually do screw up the future."
The pair looked at each other calmly before turning back to the slayer. Buffy felt something in her hand before she was thrown from the room.
She groaned as she picked herself up off the floor.
"Ouch. Sorry I took so long Xand."
She looked around and saw Xander picking himself up off the floor also. She checked her watch and saw that only a minute had passed since they had entered the other dimension.
"Not to self, never do that again.," Xander exclaimed."
"Ditto."
Buffy realised her hand was clutching a small object that felt quite familiar. She opened her hand and gasped at the sight of her Claddagh ring.
"Impossible!"
Xander crawled over and took a look.
"I thought you said you lost this."
"I did."
"So what's it mean?"
The pair looked at each other before bolting from the cavern
16:00
Thankyou once again for your kind reviews
NextGenSuperStar: Smoochies will come...i hope :P
benluver22: hehehe, don't worry, you'll only need a few more boxes :P
buff: Thanx once again :)
yummy0o0: i'm glad ur intrigued. soz bout the tears :P
Buffy And Angel Forbidden Love: Lol, time will tell :P
ceel: Wow, thanx heaps. :D
BloodThirstyGoddess: thanx :)
Kathrine212: lol, yup, go Oz
Catrin: Oh i fully intend to continue. almost done i wouldnt stop now.
buffstuff500: hehehehe, a cleaning slave :p and dont get 2 much of a life. i depend on peeps like u 2 review :p if u had a life where would that leave me :P
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