Chapter 18 I Wanna Wake Up

A/N: Angelus is home. I re-watched Buffy/Angel episodes with Angelus so I could get a feel for just how nasty of a thing he is. Hopefully I do him justice and you guys like Angelus well I know you don't like him but he was one of the coolest vampires even if he was so cruel. So no more ranting hope you placed your bets may the best vampire win.

Angel shook Isabella awake, she didn't move all night which was good. She slept right through the night but he knew Angelus would be upset and come back with a vengeance.

"Izzy?" He asked and nothing but a small moan and he smiled and kissed her cheek. "Hey wake up sleepy." Angel then picked her up as if she was still a baby. She rested her chin on his shoulder as he held like he once did fourteen years ago. She was dead weight on him but he didn't care. "You hungry?" He asked and he felt a small head shake and smiled. He carried her out of his room and downstairs. She was slowly waking up but she would still be sleep deprived. Cordelia smiled seeing Angel carry Isabella like she was two again.

"She awake?" Cordelia asked.

"Somewhat right?" He asked and felt a small nod. Angel smiled as he swayed a little rubbing her back. "I remember doing this when you were a baby." Angel said with a smile remembering when she was tiny. She would fall asleep in his embrace and stay asleep. Angel missed those days. Of course he loved her getting older it meant they could do so much more but she was the cutest baby. She was funny when she was tiny. She didn't take no for an answer and while Angel felt up until Isabella's birth he needed to by a shot gun to keep the boys away Isabella held her own. It was when she was two and beat the snot out of Evan did Angel realize if a guy wanted to date her they would have to sign a waiver stating they understood they might get hurt, Isabella was fine. Isabella slowly picked up her head their foreheads met and her eyes were barely open. "Still my baby girl."

"I'm fourteen dad." Isabella mumbled but reminded him. He kissed her forehead and she rested her head back on his shoulder wrapping her arms a little tighter around his neck.

"You'll always be my baby girl." He assured her and kissed her head. Cordelia smiled at that moment. Angel walked to his office and sat down in his chair with Isabella still in his embrace. Tonight they would go after Angelus. Angel wanted to choke the life out of him for even looking at his daughter. He hoped that Buffy would show up to help no he knew she would. Buffy wasn't here physically but she was here. Isabella lifted her chin from his shoulder and their eyes met. He smiled and kissed her forehead and she shifted from his left shoulder to his right shoulder and settled. "I know I make a pretty good pillow but you need to wake up soon." He felt a head shake in protest. Angel sighed knowing the morning was going to be a little rough. Isabella probably won't let go. But it was tonight he was worried about.

The day turned into early evening now. Isabella was now being briefed on the plan.

"No I can't." Isabella said.

"Izzy I'll be with you." Angel assured her. "I won't let anything happen to you." Isabella thought about it. She had fear in her eyes. She was afraid because Angelus followed her in her dreams; he had complete control so there was nowhere to hide just run. Isabella nodded she just wanted this to be over.

"Ok," Giles said and he was ready to begin. "Now listen Angel the dream world and reality are not the same by any means. In dreams you can defy all logic. Angelus has control and it'll be up to you and Buffy to take it back." Willow sat at the table mixing something for the summoning spell. This spell though worried both her and Tara it on the edge of black magic. Summoning spells depending on what they were used for could be deadly. Whoever summoned Angelus was a very powerful wizard or witch or maybe something worse. But Angelus was not summon from beyond the grave he was alive in Angel. Buffy however was dead so to summon a spirit gone from these plains can be dangerous. Levy was not to engage in this spell only Willow and Tara. Also just in case everything went south they were ready to re-insole Angel too. "We all had to realize you've never fought Angelus." It was true Angel never fought his alter ego before. If Angelus was here Angel was gone they never collided before so for these to come head to head there was no telling what could happen. Also how do you kick someone out of a dream for good?

"You and Angelus will not outmatch one another ok so hopefully we can get Buffy in and she can help." Wes added.

"And how we kick him out?" Angel asked. "Just beat the crap out of him until says he'll leave?"

"I believe Isabella will be able to get rid of him when he ceases to have control." Giles answered and Angel nodded.

"How long do I have?" Angel asked.

"Well we could go at this every night." Lorne stated but he knew that wasn't the answer they wanted.

"Once Isabella wakes then you'll wake up too and then if we don't succeed tonight then," Giles was saying there were more rounds. Angel wanted to end this now. Angel rubbed his eyes, in all reality no one had a clue what was going to happen. It was going to be plop in Isabella's dream and the rest was up to him and Buffy if they are able to summon her.

Isabella was laying down in bed next to Angel as everyone was crammed into Angel's room. Instead letting them fall asleep they would give them a sleeping potion.

"I don't want to do this." Isabella had sheer fear in her voice which only angered Angel more. Angelus was truly hurting her and she was helpless. Angel grabbed her hand squeezing it and they faced each other.

"I won't let anything happen to you ok I promise." Angel assured her and she nodded and he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"Ok here's the potion." Willow handed them two cups and they sipped. Willow then joined Tara on the floor to begin the summoning ritual that would hopefully bring Buffy into this. Angel took Isabella's cup and set it aside.

"See you soon," Angel said and Isabella nodded and she was trembling. Because she was so tired the dreams only felt more real and dragged her deeper into fear. Angel picked up her heart rate that was racing and all he wanted to do was comfort here. He was hoping that he would find her right away but he had feeling that wasn't going to happen. Isabella fought hard to not go to sleep but it was an impossible battle. Angel felt the potion working too and nodded as Lorne came over. Lorne placed on hand on Angel's head and his other to Isabella's and was now going to link them.

Isabella looked around the basement, she hated basements, you couldn't get it out. She looked around the brick room.

"Dad?" She asked softly and begun to walk. She then came to a hall; it felt so hot her like she was going to hell. She was careful not to touch the wall feeling heat from it. Once in a while she would look behind her to see if anyone was following her.

Angel opened his eyes and looked around. He was laying flat on the floor and rolled over getting up fixing his coat. He looked around the white space.

"Izzy?" He asked but nothing. He turned around and saw a little girl it was Isabella when she was two. "Izzy?" He asked and she giggled and jumped a little. "Izzy come to daddy ok." And she shook her head no and took off running and he chased her. Angel followed her down a hall and then stopped realizing that wasn't Isabella. Angel looked back and the white hall was gone and before him was like a picture out of hell. "I hate dreams."

Isabella walked slowly by herself hoping to run into her father where she would be safe.

'Isabella!' A voice said and she turned to it but kept walking and found a flight of stairs and descended down and kept walking.

"Angelus?" She called out looking around. "I'm here!" She looked around and kept walking. Then she saw something on the ground. She walked over to it and picked it up. It was a picture frame with a picture in it. The picture was her covered in blood. She dropped it and it shattered a little more. "Ok come out here you son of," She screamed as Angelus was right in front of her. He laughed as she took off running from him. Isabella ran down another hall and rounded a corner. "Dad!" She screamed.

Angel kept walking when he heard a faint noise.

"Daddy!" Isabella screamed.

Angel heard it again and took off running knowing it was Isabella and she needed help. He wanted to kill Angelus with his bare hands.

"Isabella!" He called out looking around as he moved through the tight brick halls.

Isabella came to a dead end and went to turn back around but Angelus was there.

"Sweetheart why are you running?" He asked and Isabella just backed up into the wall sliding down. "Aren't you the sweetest thing I ever did see?" He was walking closer to her and all Isabella wanted to do was wake up. He was now hovering over her and knelt down. Isabella tried to back away as far as possible as he reached out to touch her face. Isabella swatted him away and that angered him. "Ok you've been a bad girl." He then lunged forward. Isabella fought her way from him and managed to crawl out from under him. "Women." Angelus said as she Isabella took off. She rounded a corner and Angelus was right there and grabbed her laughing. "Hush, hush just like that song. Hush little baby…"Isabella sobbed. "don't say a word…" Angelus gripped her tighter and brought her closer.

"No!" Isabella screamed.

"Papa's gonna by you a mocking bird," He sung in a creepy voice. "And if that mocking bird doesn't sing," He kept singing as he held onto is Isabella and she tried to break free. "Well then I'll just gut it." Isabella broke free and ran as Angelus laughed. "This is so much fun." And he went after her again. She wanted to wake up as she ran this was just too much. "Izzy get your ass over here you're grounded." Isabella looked behind her and kept running and found a flight of stairs and ran up them. She tripped but crawled for a moment up the stairs and then got up and ran. Why was she so helpless she was never this helpless?

Angel stopped running because there was no more screaming but then he picked up her scent that was riddled in fear.

Isabella ran down some other hallway and found another flight of stairs and was about to up but Angelus was waiting at the top.

"No," She sobbed and ran away again. She tripped, this was going to be a tripping dream she hated these. She crawled on the floor and then found what looked like a hole in the wall and crawled to it and in it. If she could wedge herself she could climb up the shaft so she did but something reach up and grabbed her leg pulling her out. Isabella skid across the ground and tried to crawl away from Angelus. "No! No!" She managed to get up and run but she couldn't run fast enough. She tripped again and this time Angelus managed to grab her. Isabella screamed an ear piercing scream as Angelus laughed.

"Oh no honey, shh it's ok." He said smiled while covering her mouth as she thrashed about. She then kneed him in a place that she knew would hurt. She pushed him off of her and got up and ran as Angelus rolled over in pain. Isabella rounded another corner and ran into someone else and screamed.

"Izzy it's me, it's me." Angel said and she recognized his voice. Angelus and Angel's voices were very distinct and different. Isabella jumped into her father's arms hugging him like her life depended on it. "Where is he?" Angel asked and Isabella pointed as Angel wrapped his arms around her.

"Isn't this a pretty picture?" A voice asked coming from behind them. Angel got in front of Isabella and she grabbed onto his arm gripping it with death. Angel for the first time was staring down the demon that has haunted him for years. "Gotta say Angel we made one good looking kid." Angle just held his ground ready to defend Isabella. "Also we're some pretty good looking felloes too but unlike me you won't use that to your advantage instead you morn for the loss of that slayer. Speaking of she was a pistol. I thought Izzy being her daughter there would be some fight in not some helpless brat." Angel started to back up with Isabella following his steps. "All she ever did was bitch and moan at least she's toilet trained now."

"Whatever he says Izzy don't listen it's not true." Angel whispered to his daughter nodded. Angelus just walked closer. "You leave her alone this is between you and me."

"Oh come on you know how to ruin the fun."

"Izzy run." Angel ordered but Isabella didn't want to leave her father's side. "Do it now." And she did what she was told and took off. Angelus stood there smiling.

"Come on daddy, what you got?" Angelus asked as Angel advanced to his demon self and delivered a hard swing. Angelus blocked it and delivered a punch himself and Angel was knocked back to the ground. "Being all soul having and being father has made a huge pansy!" Angelus went to slam his foot down but Angel blocked him and kicked his knee. Angel got back to his feet and punched him again. "About time." And the two swung a punch at one another at the same time.

Isabella kept running but she didn't know where to go. She saw another flight of stairs and climbed up and looked around and kept going hoping she wouldn't hit a dead end. She turned a corner again and stopped running looking around. She just wanted to be with her father, she felt so alone right now.

"Izzy where are you?" She heard and got up.

"Dad?" She asked.

"Izzy can you hear me?"

"I'm here dad!" Isabella screamed.

"Where?"

"Here!" Isabella ran to his voice but there was nothing and she stood there for a second. "Dad?"

"BOO!" Isabella screamed and took off running as Angelus laughed and reached out to grab her. She thrashed around trying to break free. Angelus then tossed her over the side railing and she landed on the ground. Angelus jumped over and knelt down beside her. "Oh look at this." He said in a baby voice and brushed some hair out of her face as she slowly turned her head away from him. "I think they gave you a potion and guess what my dear you aren't waking up for a long time. See throwing you over you should have woken up screaming but here you are." Isabella coughed catching her breath.

"I'm here too," A voice growled and two hands picked up Angelus by the shoulders and tossed him like a rag doll across the floor. Angel wasn't done yet and walked over to his not so better half and reached down and picked him and threw a punch and dropped Angelus. Angelus laid there for a moment and Angel kicked him in the stomach and Angelus grunted. Angel leaned back down and picked him again and threw him over another ledge and looked down as he fell. He would be back but round one went to Angel. "Asshole." Angel muttered then turned back to Isabella as she turned over slowly. Angel helped her up as she tossed her arms around his neck.

"Daddy," She said and he held her and picked her up. The two started to leave this spot to go elsewhere.

'Isabella!' And she turned to the voice; Angel heard it too and dragged his daughter along down another narrow hallway. But then stopped as Angelus was down the way.

"What the hell?" Angel asked.

"He's in control." Isabella said and tugged on her father to fall back and he did. If this was what it was going to be Angel had no idea how to get rid of him. The two backed away as Angelus advanced to them.

"Come on you two are no fun." Angelus said as he walked and when he came into better light he had his vampire face on. "Let's have another round daddy." Angel vamped out too and charged and they fell to the ground. Isabella took off running again. Angel punched Angelus as hard as he could and Angelus managed to get Angel to the ground and punched him back. Angel used both his legs and pushed Angelus off of him and then got up and kicked him right in the face. Angelus roared and tackled Angel back to the ground and they wrestle some more. Angelus threw another punch and Angel went down as Angelus took off but only made it a few inches. Angel lunged forward and grabbed him by the feet and Angelus fell face first.

"Going somewhere?" Angel asked and punched Angelus again.

Isabella stopped running and took a few deep breaths. She hated running away she should fight but when she did it was like her arms were made of jell-o. Isabella walked down yet another hall and then heard music. 'Nights in white satin, never reaching the end. Letters I've written, never meaning to send.' Isabella followed the music. 'Beauty I'd always missed, with these eyes before. Just what the truth us, I can't say anymore.' Isabella stopped as it seemed the music was all around her. 'Cause I love you, yes I love you. Oh how I love you.' Isabella started to cry and turned back around and Angelus was there.

"Singing it just for you." He said with a smile. Isabella backed away slowly from him.

"This is just a dream you're not real." Isabella blurted out and then with his quick vampire speed he was right next to her.

"Then why are you so afraid?" He asked and grabbed her by the throat but it didn't last long as something grabbed him and punched him. Angel reached down and pulled Isabella back to her feet and tossed her slightly telling her to move. Angelus got back up and vamped out and roared and once again two different sides of the same person fought for control. Angel lost his footing and Angelus tossed him over the ledge. Angel managed to grab onto some rope that was dangling. He had no idea what this place was. Angelus then advanced to Isabella as she went to run. He caught up to her and grabbed her. "You know this might be a little bit more fun if you could actually fight." And then he back handed Isabella and she flew to the ground. "Nope still fun." And then he pinned her down and she screamed. "Fear you reek of it, no true daughter of mine would be this scared I raised you wrong."

"Daddy! Daddy!" Isabella screamed.

"What I'm right here." Angelus laughed.

"No! I wanna wake up! I wanna wake up!" She pleaded.

"Sorry baby doll ain't happening it's just you and me." Angelus drew out his fangs and went to bite her when he was yanked away. Isabella begun to crawl away as Angel tossed his evil counterpart away roaring. Angel leaned down as Isabella jumped to him.

"Look out!" Isabella screamed as Angelus charged at them. Angel pushed Isabella aside as Angel fell to the ground and Angelus roared. "Dad!"

"You think you could stop me, I own her dreams and I'm going to make her go crazy because that's what I do best." Angelus then laughed. "Who's gonna stop me? You?"

"No that would be me." A voice said and Angelus looked up and a fist connected to his jaw. "Last time you came around I kicked your ass all the way back to hell guess you haven't learned your lesson." Then the person grabbed Angelus by his jacket and threw him through the wall. Angel looked up and his eyes widen. 'Willow and Tara did it.' She held out her hand and Angel took it as she pulled him up. "Sorry I'm late had to go through channels and then to find you two this place it's a maze." Angel just stood there with a smile and then she smiled back with those green eyes.

"Buffy," He sighed.

"That's me." She said smiling.

"You look good." Angel said, she was dressed in her normal fashion her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail that he always loved as if she had been here the whole time.

"You look timely and also good." She said smiling they were literally flirting with one another. Isabella stood up in disbelief as her mother was here but there was a noise. They saw Angelus running back for more and Angel was about to step in but Buffy pulled him back.

"Ok," Angel said as Buffy stood there holding her ground and Angelus charged but Buffy stopped him dead in his tracks and punched him. "God I miss watching this." Angel commented as Buffy kicked him again.

"Can I please just have a moment with my family then I'll kick your ass." Buffy said and then punched Angelus down and kicked him again. She grabbed him by his collar and threw him over the edge. "What a rude person." She said as she watched him fall and then she looked back over to still a shell shocked Angel and Isabella. "Well at least you two can tell me that you're glad to see me." Buffy hinted and Angel literally charged at her, cupped her cheeks and kissed her. It wasn't a sweet kiss no it was passionate. Isabella smiled at first seeing her parents together but as Angel kissed really passionately it started to become uncomfortable. She's never seen her dad kiss someone and now it was just gross it was like watching the teenage lovers kiss and grope each other in the hall at school. Then her mom wrapped her arms around him and she could see her hands start from the top of his back and one started to glide down and she knew where it was heading.

"Uh ah hem," Isabella cleared her throat breaking that chance of ever seeing someone squeeze her father's butt that was just nasty regardless if it was her mother doing the squeezing and the long lost lovers broke their heated kiss smiling. Buffy looked over seeing Isabella as she stood there.

"Look at you." Buffy said smiling standing there. "You're so big," Buffy reached out and the two embraced. "And so beautiful." She kissed the top of her daughter's head. Isabella hugged her mother and she felt so safe. She had both her parents with her even if it was just a dream they were actually here with her. She wasn't dreaming that her parents were here. No they were actually here together they were a true family for the first time since Isabella was born. Angel stood there seeing his two girls and smiled. The last time Buffy held Isabella was when she was just a few minutes old. Angel took a few steps forward still smiling. Then Buffy reached out and grabbed Angel and he joined in wrapping his arms around his two girls with Isabella in the middle. He wished that this place they were in would turn beautiful and they could stay together. He wanted his family and this felt like a tease knowing when this was over Buffy would be gone again.

Ok didn't leave you hanging for too long well from the last chapter at least. There's more Angelus doesn't go down that easy but I needed the family shot. Hope you like it that Buffy is back to break out a can of whoop-ass on Angelus. She won't do it alone she had Angel too. This will be a family effort in the end. So yeah another cliff hanger and I'll update soon. Comments and reviews are most welcomed thanks for reading.

Song excerpt is from Nights in White Satin by The Mood Blues