Hello wonderful readers :) Again, let me grovel my being sorry for not updating sooner... I just don't want you to think that you guys aren't important. You reading and reviewing means the WORLD to me. So enough of me, I hope I make it up by you guys liking the chapter. Happy Reading and let me know what you think. Pretty Please...
And so you guys now, I think a couple more chapters and we're coming close to the end. How exciting :P... Sad but exciting...
Chapter 9
Wesley pulled up to the Summers' residence a lot faster then he thought he should have. He figured it had to do with the odd fact that Sunnydale seemed more deserted than it should be. Things might be as bad as Angelus had made them sound and if that was true, then he was glad that they'd decided to come.
They all made their way up the front door, Wesley reaching for the door bell… You could hear tons of chattering and at the sound of the door it all went suddenly silent. Giles opened the door abruptly as if he'd been ready to attack…
"OH!" he said as he noticed Wesley and the group, "Wesley…?"
"Wow…" he returned, "don't seem so happy to see me…"
He chuckled a bit, "Sor… sorry… it's just… well things are… why don't you… come in, I'll explain…" he said scratching at his head with an axe.
"Nice axe…" Faith said walking in.
"Faith?" Giles said taken.
"OH right, we have much to tell you as well…" Wes added.
Gunn stepped in, "Charles Gunn, sir… but call me Gunn…" he extended his hand.
"Winifred Burkle, but you can call me Fred…" she said smiling sweetly.
Faith pulled Connor forward, "and this kid here is Connor…"
Giles was about to ask who Connor was when a green looking demon stepped forward startling him, "Hey…" Lorne began, "I'm not that ugly, demons are sensitive too you know…"
"He's with us…" Wes put his hand on Giles' shoulder.
"Right, it shouldn't surprise me…" he let out, "Come in…" Giles invited.
They all stood in the foyer in an awkward silence…
"Giles…?" Willow called out as she descended down the stairs, "what's… going on?"
Xander came from the basement talking to Dawn and stopped short at the sight of their guests, "Wesley…?" he said stunned, "uh… what are you…"
Giles took off his glasses wiping them slightly then said, "Are the potentials being kept busy?"
"Yeah…" Xand answered, "they're down at the basement training with Kenndy and Wood…"
"Good…" he said placing his glasses back on, "why don't we all head into the dining room so we can talk…"
They nodded and made their way into the next room.
/
"Buffy…? Where are you going…?" Angelus said as she made her way to the door.
"I have to go… what you said… it… it…" she looked around him into the kitchen curiously, "did you… did you make me breakfast…?"
*He tried…* Angel laughed.
Shut up! Angelus returned.
He glanced down somewhat uncomfortable, "Um… well… I just… pulled some stuff out that the people that lived here had…"
*What?* Angel continued taunting, *I'm just impressed, but I am getting a little tired of this. Stop trying to win my girl over…!*
Our… girl…
Buffy walked into the kitchen and on the breakfast bar was a glass of orange juice, a plate with buttered toast, and a bowl of strawberries and apples. She smiled… so okay, Angelus had admitted his love for her which was very shocking, but this… was just…
She turned around to look at him; a dorky smile curved his lips.
She walked up to him and pulled him down for tentative kiss, when he responded by pulling her to him by the waist, she moaned her approval.
"Mmmm… thank you…" she said against his lips.
"Welcome…" he smirked at her back.
*Have you two forgotten I even exist…?* he said annoyed that Buffy seemed just completely okay with all of this.
Wish I could… You're annoying the hell out of me…
She pulled away from his arms and picked up a slice of toast taking two bites into it…
"So…" he began walking towards her, "where were you headed…"
Buffy looked up at him… she'd been so use to recently keeping secrets from everyone that she'd almost forgotten how to open up with somebody else. She never shared her burden with anyone, except with Angel, but Angelus was the one asking to be allowed to be that person. Spike had been there, sure, but there were many things still that she didn't tell anyone. Part of the reason she was sure that she was going insane…
Angelus stared intently… he saw the doubt in her eyes. He could tell that she was analyzing how far she should go with him. After all, he was still soul less and though, he'd admitted his love for her now, that didn't mean that he wouldn't turn on her, did it?
*She's torn…* Angel noticed, *between letting you in or not…*
Angelus mentally sighed; of course she would be…
"It's okay…" Angelus finally said disappointed, "I just don't want you to go out there alone…"
Buffy saw disillusionment on his face and it hurt, he was really trying. She had to admire that, she thought.
"Something you said made me remember something…" she said sipping some juice, she was giving in.
Angelus could have given her the biggest grin in the world, but he just listened.
"I think Caleb is hiding something… and I'm gonna go find out what…"
"I think you should wait till night fall, that way I can back you up…"
"I can't… it might be too late by then…" she grabbed an apple and gave him a quick peck on his lips, "I'll be fine, I have to do this… I can feel it in my gut that I'm right…"
*Say NO…* Angel said concerned.
Angelus nodded, he understood, he wasn't okay with it but she was the chosen one for a reason.
"I'll be back, I promise…" she said honestly. She threw one quick glance at the evil vampire that'd gone soft for her, and then slipped out.
*Are you out of your mind…!* Angel growled incredulous.
What would you have me do…? Its day time wise guy… he said rolling his eyes.
/
Wesley tried to summarize the story of the happenings from Angel Investigations to the rise of the beast, to releasing Angelus, bringing Faith on board, to Connor…
"Wait wait wait…" Xander said standing, "So hell spawn here is Angel's son?"
Connor made to attack him but Faith stopped him.
"Xander…!" Will scowled at him, "Sorry…" she said glancing at Connor, "He and your fath… Angel, I mean, don't really get along…"
"How's that even possible…?" Giles questioned.
"It just is…" Wes said, "I don't think we have time for the in depth conversation. Now tell us about the First…"
Giles sighed, might as well get all the information out in the open. He explained their current battles, the loss of some girls, Spike having a soul, the First's revealing himself in dead people, the potentials, to Buffy's confession of Angelus, and finally… them kicking her out…
"You WHAT…." Faith yelled unbelieving, "Buffy is your best chance at beating this thing…"
"She lied to us Faith, and put everyone's safety at risk…" Willow told her.
"I doubt that…" Faith went up to her, "we had an encounter with Angelus, and he may not have a soul but it is still Angel somewhere inside of him, he cares for Buffy…"
"He was the one to suggest for us to come and help her…" Gunn added.
"We think…" Fred started slowly, "that Angelus may be as in love with Buffy as Angel is…"
"Seriously…" Xand said disbelieving, "this is you reasoning… Angelus is a sadistic soul less vampire that has done more damage than you can possibly imagine and you want us to believe that he can love…?"
"True sweet cheeks…" Lorne said, "He is evil, but it's true… I've seen it, I've felt it…"
"Why should we believe you…?" Dawn said finally speaking up.
"Because… he has a gift…" Wes said, "He can read people when they sing, see their true selves, and sometimes even their future…"
They all gazed at the green demon speculatively…
"Alright…" Giles said, "Let's say we believe you… where's Angel's soul and when do you plan on putting it back…"
"We don't know where it is…" Connor said, "but he wants us to wait till after this fight to put it back…"
"He said what…" Xand and Will asked in unison.
"We don't have much of a choice guys, anyways…it's not like he's just going to hand it over. He's going to wait until he accomplishes whatever it is the hell he's after…" Faith answered.
"So what now…?" Xand questioned.
"Now…" Cordelia appeared, "We go into battle, Buffy's gone after Caleb alone…"
"Cordy…" Willow called, as Xander and Giles smiled going up to her.
Connor and Lorne got in their way… "It can't be her…" Connor said.
"Cordelia's dead…" Lorne voiced.
"How can I be dead, if I'm right here…" Cordy acted hurt, "we don't have time for this guys Buffy needs us…"
Faith made a move to grab her and her arms went through her…
There where gasps all around…
Cordelia laughed wickedly… "That doesn't mean that the slayer isn't in danger…" and with a flash of light, she was gone.
/
Angelus paced in the empty house like a caged tiger, anxiously waiting for night fall. Buffy had been gone for a while and he wanted to get out of there to make sure she was okay. Ridiculous that he'd let her get this far with him, but it couldn't have been avoided even if he wanted to. She was as much part of him as he was of her.
The last of the sun finally went down and just as he was about to slip out the door… he felt her…
He stopped and opened the door pulling her inside quickly… she seemed a bit beaten, but nothing that was of major worry.
Buffy laughed, "Missed me…?"
"Ye… No…" he played it cool, "what's with the weird ax thing…?" he said changing the subject.
*Liar…*
"Um… well I'm not sure, but the way it makes me feel… it's like, powerful… like it belongs to me… I think it's time to revisit with the gang, find out if what I think is true…"
"If that's what you want, but before we do that, there's something that I need to show you…" he pulled out and odd looking medallion, "I stole this from Wolfram & Hart with some inscriptions and rolls… I think it's something we'll need to defeat this thing…"
Buffy scanned the medallion… This was it, she thought. They take the ax and this trinket to Giles for research and translation for the final battle that they may not come out alive from.
Angelus noticed how her expression went from curiosity to serious…
"Buffy…?" he walked up to her pulling her chin up to look at him.
"I… it's just… if we take on this thing, we may not make it out alive."
He wanted to disagree with her, but he didn't know what they were up against except that it was the beginning of all evil. He could be cocky and tell her that they'd prevail, but the truth was that even if they stopped this… it didn't mean they'd make it.
Then why the hell was he agreeing to do this…?
Angel scoffed, *Just look at her…*
He did… those hauntingly beautiful aquamarine eyes boring into his… made the blood rush through his veins a million miles a minute.
Right, he thought, that's why…
"Where are you getting at…?" he finally said.
"I want us… to spend the night… together…" she breathed.
Angelus heard her heart sped up in desire… he gulped…
"Are you sure lover…?" he questioned in a hoarse loving tone, already feeling his craving rise.
Being called that by him should have upset her, angered her, been a turn off, but… it was his way of admitting that he was Angelus and that this pretend game was over. That and the way he whispered it to her, had done something to her body that yearned to be touched by him.
Buffy nodded seductively entwining her fingers in his and led him up the stairs…
At least, for one night, if everything was to go to hell tomorrow… she'd have one of the men she loved, because that's how she saw them. Angel and Angelus though in the same body, were two different sides of the man that she loved equally… because they were part of her life's true love, her soul mate.
So… there's evil in everyone, now granted Angelus could be really vicious, but love was blind. And when you truly love, you love the person with their faults and their virtues. If she were unsuccessful tomorrow… she'd leave this world happy because it'd be with the memory of this moment…