Howdy Guys!!!

Here is the sixth (and not the last) chapter of the Stuck in the Past series!

I am a little off about the set up of this one, i have to say this is not my best work...but still i couldn't let it sit on my computer any longer!

Thankyou so much to all those who reviewed...i am so grateful for all your support and positive comments!

So without any more speals from me...here is the sixth chapter: Last Breath

Same disclaimer and rating apply!

1952

Back at the hotel, the manager looked up at the actress before him. "Right! You once asked me where you could purchase a gun."

The actress fluffed her hair, looking away distractedly. "That was for protection." She smiled.

The actor stood up and moved to the counter, overhearing the conversation. "Protection perhaps from a salesman who was ready to turn you in for solicitation?" He asked, moving to stand beside the actress.

The bellhop looked up at the manager, "He shot himself, remember?"

The manager raised an eyebrow. "Did he? Were you there?"

The bellhop loosened his top button, visibly uncomfortable with the conversation. "It was Consuela! She's the one that found him!" He shouted, trying to shift the attention from himself.

An old man snorted. "Yeah, she could have found him and then shot him."

At once everyone started yelling, each wanting to declare who the person was that killed the man. Not paying attention to the others in the room, they were shocked into silence by a new voice. Turning in its direction, they watch in silence as he pulls a badge out of his pocket. "The name's C.Mulbihill, P.I." He held his badge out for the room to see.

A writer glanced at the man beside him, "He looks suspicious." He muttered.

The P.I. ignored the comment and held up a photo. "I'm looking for this woman." Moving closer, he revealed the person in the picture to be Judy.

Angel opened the door for Buffy. Noticing the quiet lobby, he frowned. "I think something's up." he muttered, looking around. Slowly approaching the elevator, he shared a look with Buffy. "Are you ready?"

Buffy smiled slightly. "I'm ready to cry Angel. I have years of tears saved, just for this."

Angel chuckled and hugged her to him. "I love you Buffy." He leant down to kiss her temple.

Buffy held on tight. "I love you too Angel." Smiling, she pulled back. Looking ahead as the elevator dinged to a stop, she silently climbed on, wishing that what they do to Angel doesn't backfire. As the doors opened again, on the desired floor, Buffy gasped. Everyone was gathered around Judy, their angry shouts bouncing off the walls.

An old man, leaned in to Judy, "What gave you the right to hide out up here?" he screamed, backed up by a series of agreements.

Judy whimpered and tried to wriggle out of his gasp. "Please stop it, you're hurting me."

The actress laughed harshly, her head tipped back. "We're gonna do more than that if you don't start telling us everything."

The actor nodded furiously in agreement. "We know about you, missy."

The manager raised his fist, "the name you registered under is a fake! We have proof!"

Buffy took Angel's arm and began walking, slowly approaching the fight, passing two guys leaning against the walls of the hallway.

The actress leant in closer; her faced pushing in front of Judy's. "Who knows what else she's lied about, the little slut!"

Judy gasped and reeled back in shock. "I didn't mean anything, please, I'm sorry!"

The old man hobbled forward, following her steps. "Now you're sorry! I thought you didn't have anything to be sorry for!"

Buffy let the axe fall to the floor, the bag following moments later. Sharing a fearful look with Angel she hurried forward, anxious to stop the fighting.

The actress stop up straight and stomped her foot in frustration, "Stop lying!" she screeched over the yelling.

The manager pushed his way forward. "Come on!" he yelled.

Judy screamed in fear. "It wasn't me! It wasn't me!" she cried. Seeing Angel and Buffy hurry forward, she pointed. "It was him! Look in his room! Go ahead, look! He's got blood! He's a monster!"

Buffy stopped dead and glared at Judy, some what satisfied when she shrunk back, fear taking the place of the tears that were streaming only seconds earlier. Feeling Angel tense beside her, she turned in time to see the PI and the bellhop walk forward carrying their discarded items.

"What kind of maniac are you?" The PI asked from behind them.

Angel turned and was surprised to see the PI rush at him, the axe held before him. Before he had time to react, the PI struck him in the chin, and then smashed it on his back, knocking him down. As he was about to strike again, he gasped in shock as Buffy ripped the axe out of his hand and turned it back on him, knocking him out with a single blow. Turning fearfully, she watched as Angel made no attempt to fight, his gaze held on Judy. As his eyes slowly began to close she screamed in fury, pushing her way into the battle, removing 5 people from her path in the process.

Falling to her knees, she watched as Angel was dragged out onto the open hallway above the back of the lobby. Standing she hobbled forward, tears streaming down her face. Remembering his warning to stay back, she kept to the side; painful sobs wracking her body, the show long over, these tears were real.

The bellhop hurried to move halfway down the steps to get a better view. The manager laughed in delight and called to the men dragging Angel, "Get him over there! The bellhop laughed maniacally, "Ha-ha, we got you now!" He slapped the banister still laughing. "Come on! String him up! String him up!"

Buffy weakly called out as someone threw a rope over a rafter and slipped the noose around Angel's neck, while the other was tied to the railing, with the whole crowd screaming encouragement. Angel looked back at Buffy, his eyes pleading for her to be strong and hang back.

Shifting his gaze, he sighed softly at Judy who was still sobbing, as the others yell and scream for his death.

The bellhop looked up at Angel with satisfaction. "Good. Push him. Come on! Push him out! Push him out!"

The PI and the old man pushed Angel off the banister watching as he continued to drop, the end of the rope snapping him back towards the banister. Buffy let out an ear-piercing scream and hurried forward to reach over the banister for Angel. Watching in silence as Buffy reached for Angel, the crowd below all looked at each other, the scream of the bellhop breaking the silence.

"Yeah! Swing, you freak! Yea, that's right, you had that coming, ha ha ha!" He shouted, laughing happily.

As Angel continued to swing his eyes closed, the crowd slowly backed away, no-one wanting to admit they had just killed a man, who for all they knew could have been innocent.

The manager leant against the railing, his hands scrubbing at his face, "Oh, my lord. What have we done?"

The bellhop stared at Angel and continued to chew his gum. Noticing that the manager had said something he tore his eyes from the body and turned to the manager. "What?" he asked. When nobody bothered to say anything, he rushed up the stairs. "What's wrong?! - I don't get it."

"Come on!" He moved to stand next to the manager, who was staring at Angel. "Where is everybody going? Come on! It's just a - what do you call..." Noticing nobody was in the room, he stopped mid sentence and hurried out after them.

As soon as the bellhop had left the room, Angel opened his eyes. Taking a hold of the rope above his head and pulled himself up. Pulling the noose from around his neck he dropped down to the lobby floor, catching himself on his hands. Hearing Buffy's sobs, Angel almost flew up the stairs in his need to comfort her. "Hey" he soothed, pulling her shaking frame into his arms. "I'm ok, see not dead! Well, still dead, but not dust!"

Buffy threw herself deeper into his arms. "I almost believed I had seriously lost you. They were so harsh." Buffy buried her head deep into his chest. "I don't ever want to have to go through that again."

Angel hugged her tighter to him, pressing her form tightly against his, molding her to him. "You will never have to go through that again. I promise." Tipping her head up he kissed her soundly. The said kissing would have continued if it weren't for the fact that the air in the lobby had began to shiver and bulge. Pulling back, Angel frowned as the Thesulac became corporeal.

Glancing over the railing, Angel smirked at the demon. It was an ugly gray faced demon in a long hooded cape with tentacles sticking out from under it like a fringe. The Thesulac rubbed his hands together in victory. "Well, I don't know about you but I'm stuffed!" The demon laughed. "God I love people! - Don't you?" The demon laughed again. "They feed me their worst and I kind of serve it right back to them, and the fear and prejudice turns to certainty and hate, and I take another bite and mmm-mmm-mmm!"

Angel sighed heavily and taking Buffy's hand in his own began to slowly descend the stairs. Pausing he pulled Buffy against him. "I have to tell him to take them all, we can't change history" Angel frowned.

Buffy nodded slightly, "I know. We have to let it pass, otherwise our futures might change."

Angel nodded, and squeezed her hand in comfort.

The Thesulac grinned and started to move towards Angel and Buffy. "Oh what a beautiful dance! Oh you got your feelings hurt, didn't you? See now what happens when you stick your neck out for them? They throw a rope around it! And you thought you'd made a friend. News flash! You had!"

Angel stopped walking but did not turn around. He stiffened as Buffy turned to glare at the monster. Feeling her hands ball into fists, he wrapped his arm around her waist and squeezed slightly, to let her know it was ok, that the demon was just looking for a reaction.

The demon continued regardless of Buffy, though still slightly worried about the energy emanating from her small frame. "That's what made her the yummiest morsel of all. You reached her, buddy! Restored her faith in people. Without you she would have been just another appetizer. But you plumped her up good! Now, she's a meal that's gonna last me a lifetime!" The demon drifted towards Angel and Buffy. "Hey, you know what? There is an entire hotel here just full of tortured souls that could really use your help. - What do you say?"

Angel sighed heavily and pulled Buffy around. Without looking back, Angel sighed again. "Take them all." he muttered.

The demon laughed happily. "Take them all!" he mimicked, continuing to laugh.

2002

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Cordelia asked, staring at the old worn building.

Willow looked down at the photo in her hand. "Yep, this is the Hyperion."

"Right. So what do we do again?" Cordelia turned to Wesley and Giles.

"We go in, summon it, and kill it." Giles answered, glancing at the building.

"Good. I'm up for a fight." Gunn rubbed his hands together.

Wesley snorted. "Nice of you to show up Mr Gunn."

Gunn glared at Wesley. "My pleasure."

Cordelia sighed. "Not now you two, wait until we have finished this demon."

Wesley and Gunn nodded. "Let's do this." Gunn muttered, leading the way into the building, a gasp dying on his lips at the pair standing in the hall.

"Hey guys. We're back." Angel smiled weakly.

"So how was the 1950s?" Cordelia asked smirking at the clothing they were wearing.

Buffy glanced up at Angel and smiled softly. "It was great. Although, the music could have been better...if not there at all."

Willow smiled at Buffy. "So are we ready to fight this demon?"

Buffy nodded. "Oh yeah, this demon needs its ass kicked!"

Cordelia made her way up the steps, sprinkling powder along them. "Are you sure this is going to work?" She asked.

Ignoring her question, Wesley opened the book he was holding and began reading. "We call thee forth, Thesulac of the netherworld, we command you, leave our minds and join us on this, the physical plane." Wesley held out his hand in the direction of Gunn. Not getting a response, he glanced over to see him fiddling with the backpack. Snapping his fingers, he glared at Gunn. "Orb of Ramjerin." He snapped.

Gunn smiled sweetly. "Or of Ramjerin please, makes it happen."

Wesley lowered his hand. "Please!" he cried in frustration. "And do be careful. Ancient conjuring orbs are notoriously fragile."

Gunn nodded, and tossed the orb to Wesley. Wesley cried out and dropped the book in his hand, to dive to catch it before it crashed to the floor. "Angel!" Wesley cried, hoping Angel would be able to get Gunn to take this seriously.

Angel eyed the group warily. "Guys, don't listen to it, alright? What ever it's whispering to you, just ignore it."

Cordelia frowned. "They were like this – all the way over here in the car."

Angel shook his head. "Oh." He muttered, before moving over to where Buffy was glancing up the staircase, where only moments before Angel had been hanging.

Giles took the orb from Wesley's outstretched hand. Holding up, the now glowing orb, he spoke into the large hall. "We invoke the by the power of the orb of priests of Ramjerin. What was once in out thoughts, be now in out midst."

Buffy smiled. "Here we go." She muttered as the air above the stairs began to shiver and bulge.

Angel stepped forward, preparing to fight. Turning back to the rest of the group, he called, "Watch his tentacles."

Cordy frowned. "Excuse me?" Did she just hear what she thought she heard?

Wesley sighed. "Tentacles!" he muttered to her.

Cordy blushed. "Oh."

The Thesulac smiled at Buffy and Angel. "I don't remember ordering take-out, but I like what you brung me. Not as delectable as the last one perhaps but full of tasty paranoia just the same." The demon laughed and motioned his head in Wesley's direction. "Especially that one!"

Wesley glanced fearfully at Buffy and Angel. "What did he mean by that?" he asked,

Buffy glared at the demon. "You had your last meal here a long time ago. You should have gotten out when you had the chance."

The Thesulac drifted further down the stairs, moving closer to where Buffy and Angel were standing. "Get out?" he asked, offended by the thought. "Now why would I wanna do that? When the room service in this hotel is still excellent. Has been for 50 years. Paranoia here – is like fine wine."

Buffy thoughtfully glanced at the demon, her face creasing with anger as she understood his meaning. "It gets better with age." She whispered. "You're still feeding!" She glanced around at Gunn, calling his name seconds later.

Gunn aimed his crossbow at the Thesulac and managed to successfully pin one of his tentacles to the banister of the stairs. Frustrated, the demon wrapped one of his other tentacles around Gunn's hand, throwing him and the crossbow against the wall. Gunn dropped to the floor and looked up at the demon. Cordy, Wesley, Giles and Willow all ran in different directions, successfully distracting the demon, giving Buffy and Angel time to grab one of the demon's other tentacles.

Buffy spied the electricity box, and tapped Angel on the shoulder. Opening the box, she watched as Angel dragged the tentacle over to the box. "The kitchen is closed!" he growled, as an explosion of sparks exploded from the box, and began to make its way up the tentacle to wrap around the demon.

Everyone in the room stopped to stare as the Thesulac was suspended in mid air, a scream sounding from its lips. Shortly after that an explosion of white light filled the room and the Thesulac disappeared.

Wesley glanced around, still upset about the earlier comment. "What did he mean, especially that one?"

Angel took Buffy's hand and left the others to deal with Wesley. Leading her up the stairs slowly made his way to Judy's old room, opening it to find her, now an old woman, sitting in a chair. "Judy?" he asked softly.

Judy turned her watery eyes in the direction of Buffy and Angel. "I don't hear them anymore. – Are they gone?"

Buffy moved to stand in front of her. "Yeah." She answered, smiling softly; she crouched down to place her hand atop Judy's.

Judy smiled at Buffy, her eyes traveling to Angel standing behind her. "It's you!"

Angel smiled back. "Yeah, Judy. It's us."

Judy reached out a hand to run her fingers through Buffy's blonde hair. Turning her eyes to Angel she frowned slightly. "You look the same."

Angel glanced down at Buffy. "I'm not."

Judy raised the hand that was stroking Buffy's hair to her own face. "They killed you – because of me." Looking fearfully at Angel she continued. "I killed you"

Angel shook his head. "No. No. No" he crouched down beside Buffy.

Judy looked around the room. "He kept them from the door. He told me I'd be safe. – Am I safe?"

Buffy smiled. "You're safe."

Judy smiled. "Can I go out now?" She asked, looking delightfully at the door.

Angel chuckled. "Yeah. You can go out."

Judy gave Buffy and Angel a big smile. Placing her hands on the sides of the chair, she slowly began to get up from her chair. Each taking a side, Angel and Buffy helped her to stand. "Here, let us help you." Buffy smiled softly.

Judy smiled gratefully at them both. "I just – I need to take a little rest first. Just a little rest." She smiled again as they helped her over to her bed.

"Easy." Angel muttered as he helped Buffy to gently lower her onto the bed.

Judy held onto Angel's hands. "I'm so sorry I killed you. Can you forgive me?"

Angel shared a look with Buffy, remembering a conversation that seemed like years ago. "Of course."

Judy beamed. "I'm just going to rest. Just a minute – and then – I'm going to go out."

Buffy leaned into Angel as the first wave of tears erupted out of her eyes. Turning back slightly, she sobbed as Judy closed her eyes for the last time. Angel wrapped her tightly in his embrace, his head resting atop hers.

Downstairs, Wesley, Cordy, Giles, Willow and Gunn sat waiting for Buffy and Angel to return from whatever they were doing.

Wesley frowned down at his hands. "I've been accused of a great many things in my time, but paranoia has never been one of them."

Willow grinned. "I don't think you're paranoid." She said, trying to hold the laughter back.

Wesley continued. "Unless people have been saying it behind my back."

Willow giggled, and leant close to Giles. "If that's not paranoia, I don't know what is." She whispered.

Giles nodded his agreement. He had never really got along with his fellow watcher, and had at times had the strong urge to punch the guy, but for some reason he appeared different. Maybe it was the fact that he didn't look as stiff as he once did. Perhaps moving to L.A had proven to be of some good.

Angel and Buffy slowly made their way down the stairs, the tears on Buffy's cheeks surprising the party gathered at the bottom.

Gunn glanced at the two of them. "You all right?" he asked worriedly, the quiet sob Buffy was emitting scaring him slightly. It wasn't comforting to see one of the strongest people in the world crying, soft sobs at that. Loud wails he could handle, the real tears hurt.

Buffy smiled through her tears. "We're fine."

Cordy stood up, brushing the dust from he pants. "Are we finished?" she asked, voicing a question, the others were too polite to ask.

Angel smiled slightly. "I think so."

Cordelia let out a puff of air. "Good. Because I for one will be glad to see the last of this place. Gives me the heebie-jeebies."

Willow nodded in agreement. "No lie. Plus it's kind of got an odor to it. Have you noticed that?"

Giles studied a particularly large pile of dust. "70 years of violence, mayhem and paranoia – bad vibes."

Angel shared a look with Buffy, a small smile gracing his features. Clasping an arm around her waist, he spread his other hand out, indicating the hotel. "We're moving in." He stated, smiling proudly.

Cordy spun around from the entrance, a smile now gracing her features. "I mean a few throw pillows what's not to love?"

Wesley frowned at the change in Cordelia. "Angel, surely you more than anyone must appreciate how for the better part of the last century this place has been host not only to a malevolent demonic presence, but the very worst faces of humanity!"

Willow moved forward. "This is a house of evil!" she added.

Buffy looked around, her eyes moving to where the demon had once floated. "Not anymore." She replied softly.

Wesley twisted his hands in front of him. "Angel – you don't – find me – especially paranoid, do you?" he asked, ignoring the snickers from the group behind him.

Angel grinned; his dark eyes alight with mischief. "Not especially." He said, avoiding making eye contact with Buffy, knowing that if he chanced a look, he's lose control and break down laughing.

Wesley sighed. "Oh, thank god! – I was worried."

Buffy hugged Angel. "We did it you know. We didn't change the past and even though it was 70 years too late, we saved Judy."

Angel nodded. "I know. I just wish we could have done more for her." Angel leant down fully intent on giving her a kiss, and would have, if it had not been for the whooshing sound and them disappearing. Again.

Phew, that was a long one, 3692 words in total!

Hahaha, where have they gone? Well I hope you have liked this chapter! Big thanks to everyone who reviewed on this!

Stay tuned for the next chapter