Chapter 11

"Angel, where did you go? Dawn said you were on the swing chair when she left for breakfast, but hello? Sun? Ashes? Ringing any bells? You scared me. I didn't know where you were, if the sun had got you!" Buffy yelled at Angel when as he entered the house minutes after the sun had set.

"I…I…I don't remember where. I was on the porch talking with Dawn. She left. Than…I was at the Mansion on Crawford Street and it was sunset."

"You don't remember…like…you were hit on the head? Like a spell?" Buffy was seeing her new found perfect world already falling apart.

"I don't know. I just don't remember anything from Dawn to sunset."

"We better call Giles. Maybe he and the Scoobie's can find something."

Angel just nodded his head.

"Angel! You're okay!" Dawn ran into the hall and jumped in his arms.

"Yea Dawn. Sorry I worried you."

She smiled brightly as she backed out of his arms, "You know what to bribe me with; maybe I'll forgive you."

"So, remind me again, why are we waiting here? Why are Buffy and Angel the only ones in Sunnydale? If I remember correctly, apocalypses are usually a group effort." Xander was tired of reading old books that smelled funny.

Willow looked up from her own book, "Giles? What are we looking for, have we at least figured out that much yet? Or should I just keep reading until something strikes me?"

Giles was writing on a legal pad, still trying to interpret the prophecy, "Mourning comes. Death. Funeral. Morning comes. Sunrise. Dawn. Dawn comes? But than somebody would already have had to die."

"Giles!"

"Hmm…What?"

Willow groaned, "Have we figured out what we're supposed to be looking for specific references too?"

Giles frowned, "No...not really. I suppose we really just have to wait until something else comes along."

Inanna entered with a flash of light. "Hello all!" She said cheerfully, taking a seat next to Xander.

Xander scooted away as inconspicuously as he could.

"Why are you here?" all three of the researchers asked in unpracticed unison.

"It occurred to me that you might need some help. So…Here I am!"

"Help? For what?" Giles decided to play dumb.

"The End of Days of course. It's upon us. And the End of Days doesn't just mean humans. Flowers, trees, humans, animals, demons, gods. None of us will be here if it goes badly for the good guys. As the representative of one group of Gods I've decided to step in and help." She smiled happily and tucked back a loose strand of white-blonde hair, "First of all I'll help you by saying you're not going to find anything in those books. There's nothing but the prophecy. Second of all I'll help you by telling you not to interfere with the champions in Sunnydale. Third of all I'll help you by telling you that tomorrow everything's gonna' change. You should get some sleep while you can." She left through the front door.

"I knew it! I knew it! Angelus always shows up. Always!" Cordelia spoke from experience.

Gunn raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

"Well he does!"

"She's right; the poofter has always had a nose for a good time. The man knows his natural disasters and apocalypses." Spike got a dreamy look on his face as he remembered.

Joyce finally spoke up, "But…How exactly has he become Angelus again?"

Anya answered, "Well, usually it's sex or drugs. Hey! Maybe this time it's rock and roll!" When everybody just looked at her blankly she muttered, "Well, I thought it was funny."

"But they haven't had sex yet. Have they? Did I miss it? Why didn't anybody call me? You know that's what I was waiting for!" Spike began glaring at everybody, knowing it was their fault that he had missed it.

"You haven't missed anything Spike. The two of them have hardly even kissed." Cordelia rolled her eyes at the man who was as old as one of her great grandfathers but instead acted like a teenage boy.

"But there haven't been any drugs either, have there? I mean, has someone been slippin' the man some doximall?" Doyle spoke for the first time since entering the viewing room.

"There isn't anybody there to slip him anything. Only Buffy and Dawn, and neither are fans of the hottie in leather pants." Anya spoke knowledgeably.

"So, basically," Joyce deduced from the discussion, "no one knows why my daughter's soul mate has turned evil yet again."

Wesley sniffed a bit, as if insulted by the insinuation that he didn't have an answer, but felt compelled to reply, "That is correct."

Everyone turned back to watch the television and their friends.

"Well, I must say there are several spells that would mess with one's memories. You've taken part in several of them during your years in Sunnydale."

"Ugh…Did youremind me. Well, if you don't have any good suggestions I'm gonna' go. Talk to ya' later Giles." Buffy hung up the phone and looked into the living room where Angel and Dawn were playing some sort of card game that Dawn had probably made up.

"Dawn, do you remember that spell I did when mom had the tumor? The one that allowed me to see spells?"

"Yes…" Dawn said, unsure of where her sister was going with the mention of that spell.

"Do you think you could find the book? I thought I'd perform it again and check out Sunnydale. Figure out if Angel's lost memory is spell induced, see if the Sunnydale we're living in is a spell. So, do you think you could find the book?"

"Maybe…It's probably in Mom's old room, 'cause that's where we moved you and all your stuff after you died. I'll go check!" Dawn jumped up, abandoning her game to run up the stairs.

TBC