Immortal Beloved

by regertz

-Different versions of what happened during and post the rendevous in Rome of the Angel "Girl in Question" episode. Brainstorming fragments, shorties, a few full tales but unless indicated not sequential tales.

4. Chapter 4

"Immortal Beloved..." LXXXIV...

A shortie..

.PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...

Ok, I lied about stopping at 50...But me poor ole mum would just say, "so long as I like it, it's ok..."

(Think the last scenes of Coppola's adaptation of "Dracula" for this one...)

Transylvania...February 2005...

The grim and forbidding ancestral castle of the legendary Dracule, guardians of Romania and protectors of the Church during the early years of the Turkish conquest...

Not so well liked afterward...

Home of the famed Prince Vlad of the Dracule...

No, not that twit from S5...He was only the Immortal One's worthless grandnephew...

Vlad Dracula...First vampire to achieve a kind of redemption...And in our modern world better known as that captain of Eastern European industrial/scientific revival...And bestseller author...

The Immortal...

Unfortunately...Despite the sincerity of his efforts at a sort of redemption...And his recovery of a certain ability to judge right and wrong, making him, unlike your typical Evil-driven vamp, responsible for his actions...

Love...In the form of what he at least believes to be his reincarnated Princess Elisabeta, the wife whose loss drove him to his dark fate...Has led him a bit off the path of true redemption...

Having, in order to gain the strength to woo his beloved in daylight during his weakest moments, a little escape clause granted to the strongest of vampires, found it necessary to again turn to human blood...Well, a kind of human blood...Rather, a certain, amazingly powerful source of energy in the form of a very unique individual's human blood...

Namely, the not-exactly strictly human sister of his beloved...A young woman created out of pure energy by some panicky monks to keep her energy from a certain megalomanic goddess...

With the unfortunate, lamentable result of the young girl's transformation...And her subsequent destruction by the band long gathered round his beloved...Aided by a fairly hefty number of young women gifted with the same super power granted to the object of his affections...

One Buffy Summers, once greatest of the Slayers...Who, her friends would say, sadly and self-delusionally, has accepted Vlad's claims of her being his lost love...Hey, it somehow sounds right...And worse, has been, under his influence, displaying an astounding tolerance for veering from the straight and narrow...

Not only accepting, albeit reluctantly, Dawn's murder and transformation, but embracing his offer of Immortal life with him...Only her devoted friends standing in the way of her final transformation, backed by her equally devoted former lover...Who knows something about sacrificing oneself's for one's love, believe you me...William...

In their company, she has traveled to this bleak fastness...They and William hoping to destroy Dracula and free her from what most of them try to view as his thrall...She, leading them on in order to join he whom she believes as he does, is her lost beloved...

While she and her once most trusted friend and instructor, now most feared enemy, Chairman Dr. Rupert Giles of the Royal Council of Librarians and Antiquarians, wait within the castle...Giles having disposed of various members of the Dracule clan dormant in their coffin...The others...The noble Xander, near-brother to the Slayer...The courageous Andrew...The still and ever loving William...And their Slayer comrades...Race against the setting sun after the transport bearing the battle-weakened Dracula, buried in a box of his native soil...(Bloody stupid superstitions, doesn't do a damn bit of good...Will notes to his friends)...Guarded by his faithful servants...(Even better paid than Wolfram-Hart's boys)...

Willow being again away on an astral plane tour...And that tall, brooding guy with the hair having been disposed of back during an earlier fight with Dracula and his new girl in London...

Told him not to tell her about The Immortal's romp with Darla and Dru...Will reflected as they closed in on the transport...

Trapped in his weakened state, The Immortal cries out to Buffy who summons up her growing near-but-not-quite-undead powers over nature to hinder her friends' efforts...

To little avail, there being after all twenty Slayers and a group of folks very well experienced in this sort of thing...

And fortunately her own Slayer power trumped a bit by her near-Undead curse which allows Giles some power over her through religious artifacts...

He not able to quite repress the thought that he should have tainted her long ago...As controlling her via religious implements would have spared a lot of past arguments between them...

Despite her fanatical insistence on the veracity of 'her' Immortal's story... I feel it's true, Giles...she continually babbles... He can't give up trying to reach her nobler self...

"He killed Dawn, Buffy...Led you to kill Angel...He wants to kill you and make you a fiend...How can you give yourself to him?..."

"I'm his beloved, Giles...His Immortal beloved for all time...I sense it, I feel it...I know I've been with him in the past..."

Well...With somebody in the past...I'm pretty sure it's him...she notes...

Not all that bright Willow called her...he sighs...

The transport crashes through the castle gates as the posey reaches it, Xander, William, Andrew, and two Slayers making it through the magics-reinforced gate before it seals again...

The sun has reached the horizon's edge and begins to vanish...

Xander hops onto the transport but is brutally stabbed from behind as he forces the now-stopped vehicle's back door open, killing the guard inside with the coffin and sliding the box back out onto the ground as William runs to it...

Buffy and Giles emerging from the castle as William forces the box open...Buffy screaming at him as the Slayers fight off the last surviving guards about the scene...Xander collapsing into the snow, Andrew desperately trying to tend him...

But the sun has nearly set...

Though Buffy is rather puzzled, eyeing the guy she'd thought was long gone...Another fellow who'd died for her, she remembers...Though perhaps under somewhat, some might say, more noble circumstances...

"William?..." she calls...Forgetting for a moment her beloved struggling within his box of earth...

"What are you doing here?...And in daylight?..."

"Came back a while ago, the October of the year I roasted, Buf...After our fight with the Partners back last May, I woke up to find myself...Human..."

Human?...she blinks...And here to save me, again?...

Whoa...

But hey, my true beloved in the box there...She tenses for battle, though Giles' restraints hold her...Not to mention...

"How come you never came to me in Rome?..." she calls...A bit peeved...

Buffy?...The Immortal, banging away in his box, is somewhat put out, hearing...

UnLife and Death struggle here, dear...

Xander gasping out his last...Comforted in his death throes by a vision of Anya...Who seems in a forgiving vein...

"I did come, once...After you and Vlad here..." Will bangs the coffin, cutting ropes as he pulls a short, mean-looking sword... "Started hangin'...At the time it seemed ok...So I left things as they were..."

Andy never told you I was back?...he stared at her...Both turning to stare at a briefly...Given his tending of poor Xander...Proud Andrew's firm stare...Break a promise to a compadre?...Never...His look says...

"Well, that was dumb..." she calls...Eyeing the sun now all but gone...Vlad now breaking through the box and rising up...As William slices his throat and stabs him in the chest...

Not quite doing the job...As the Immortal demonstrates by tossing human Will back, then falling out of the transport and box and collapsing onto the ground by Buffy...Now partially freed of Giles' restraints by the coming of night...She grabs a rifle dropped by one of Dracula's deceased guards, confronting William and the Slayers about him...William waving the Slayers back, looking at her calmly...

Hmmn...She eyes the two..Vlad groaning on the ground as his Undead life's blood spills out...William eyeing her sadly...

William back...Again...

But William didn't come...And he does seem kinda mad at her...Which might possibly be understandable given her willing to go with the soulless if charming vamp who killed her sister and not the souled and passionate vamp who saved her and the world...

Oooh...She notes Xander, nearly dead on the ground...Looking at Giles' grim face...And the Slayers' now confronting her...

Guess I'm not likely to be too popular with my old gang right now...she notes to herself...

"Well...?" Will gives her a quiet look...

"Will you do the same for me...?" she indicates Dracula...Who'd really like a little medical assist now, please?... "When my time comes...?"

"Loving you as I do...And having been in the grip of a monster like Spike for over a century?..." he pauses...

You bet your booties, I would, girl...

She blinks...

"I've loved you too long, Cicely..." he stares at her... "To lose you to that..." a wave at the now vainly trying to crawl to the castle door...In hopes of finding something, a towel, a rug to staunch the blood...Immortal...

"Or this..." he waves at her nearly-Undead form...

"Cicely?..." she stares...

Hmmn...Uh-oh...

Could I have possibly been mistaken regarding that past life thingy...?

"Immortal Beloved..." LXXXV...

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...

Ok, I lied about stopping at 50...But me poor ole mum would just say, "so long as I like it, it's ok..."

Archived at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of theBuffy Rebecca verse, . (scroll on down to the IB series)...

A black-haired, bearded, sharp-featured twenty-something man in long black duster, black shirt and black pants, grinned at his computer screen...

"Gentlemen, we're in..." he announced...

His two associates, Lloyd, a bristly-haired twenty year old in pale green, half-tucked shirt and beige, slightly tight pants and Joe the Pig, bald and heavily overweight, in ancient, unwashed and crusted T-shirt and similar jeans, came over...

"You made it..." Lloyd nodded... Sweet...

"So much for the retirement savings of 100,000 earnest and eager employees of the Bessinger corporation..." Roy, the first speaker, smiled...Tapping keyboard...

"But don't fret grandma...Bush's gonna set up death camps for old fogeys shortly..." he chuckled...

"Roy?..." Lloyd eyed him... "Did we make anything outta this?..."

Roy the Ax, master hacker of the NX5-G group..."You don't know what it means cause we don't want you to know..." their motto, spun round in his chair...Raising a forefinger...A stern look...

"Boys...We are not in this...Merely...For personal gain..."

Just mostly...he grinned...

"Yeah, we took our ten percent...And our corporate flack employers get to write off their share...Reimbursed by Uncle Sam as soon as their lobbyists open doors Monday..."

Just the dweebs in the office and on the factory floor spend their golden years wishin' they'd not voted out Social Security...he chuckled...

The door to their somewhat seedy apartment office was kicked open...All three looked over...

To where a short, twenty-something blonde woman eyed them...A tall, dark, distinguished, somehow not quite youthful (though in appearance he should have been)-looking man beside her...

"Hey..." she stepped in...The NX5-G team eyeing her... "You guys are the NX5-G guys, right?..."

Roy, recovering his aplomb, rose to confront the girl...Giving his best cold stare...Which couldn't quite come close to matching hers... "Yeah...That's us..."

She nodded, looking round... "Why do you guys always decorate the same way?..." she sighed...

"We like it..." Roy noted, eyeing the tall guy behind her who seemed a bit uncomfortable...

Though whether it was the purpose of their visit, the company present, or the deplorable decor was hard to say...

"Just who the hell are you, blondie?...And what the hell do you and your Jude Law clone here want?..."

"Buffy Summers...You trashed a site of mine recently..." she eyed him... "A friend of mine who knows you spotted your handiwork..."

"Roy the Ax leaves a large footprint..." he smiled... She eyed his duster, frowning for a second...

"Who's your friend?..." "My companion here wants to be anonymous...But if you mean the friend who lead me to you...Andrew Wells..."

"Hey...Andy..." Lloyd nodded... "I know him...How's he and that jerk Mears doin'?..."

"You call this girl, Lloyd?...She for us?..." Joe the Pig entered the conversation a bit late, staring at Buffy...Buffy frowning at him briefly... No, man...Lloyd hissed to him...Go sit down...

"Tell that spaz Wells I'll remember he's betrayed one of his own...And get out, unless you want me to throw you and Jude there out..." Roy frowned at her...

Or call the cops about two trespassers...he added...Suddenly feeling for the briefest instant under her now icy glare that perhaps a physical threat was not the best idea here...

"The site you brought down meant a lot to me..." she said quietly... "It was a memorial to someone I cared..." she paused, a brief glance at the Immortal...

"Someone I loved..."

"Not another Elvis site?..." Roy grinned...Then shook his head... "Either it musta been somebody with cash who's had way too many sites or it musta been pretty bad..."

But, maybe...For the right price...he grinned... "I could be merciful next time...After you get it back up..."

Wait a minute...he stared at her tense face...

"Buffy Summers?...The Slayer?...You?..."

Yeah...she nodded...

"I think I know the site you're talkin' about..." Roy smiled... "Never a site deserved to die more..."

He turned his chair to Lloyd... "...'Midnight descends in raven's colored clothes'..." he quoted, chuckling...

"Right, the poet guy?...From the 1800's...William, right?..." Lloyd grinned...

1880...Buffy said, coldly...

"Five of the world's worst poems, four bad short stories, that goofy bio, and the ridiculous nineteenth century nerd himself in black and white photo...No great loss to the literary corpus, sweetie..."

One of those poems and that 'goofy bio' was mine...she thought, glaring...

"Nice coat..." she said coldly... "I knew someone who used to wear one like it..."

Yeah?...Roy brushed his side hair back... "Spike, right?" he grinned... "Yeah, girly I know about him..." he leered at her quietly staring face...The Immortal frowning at him slightly...

"William's demon counterpart...I know the whole story..." a chuckle... "Buffy and Spike, the soul...The First...Roast William a'la Sunnydale...I got it out all outta the Watchers' mainframe a year ago, that's what led me to your site..."

Spike was ok...A reasonably stone-cold killer...Though not a finger on Roy the Ax...he grinned... "But ole Victorian Willie's got to go..."

"And if ya put his stuff up again...I'll just hack it down...I'm not in it for the money on this one, babe...Unless, of course..." a cold sneer...

"It wouldn't be money I'd offer you..." Buffy smiled back coolly... "Just the safety of your various body parts...But it's too late now..." she sighed...

"Some of what you destroyed were the only copies on Earth of his work...There were no hard copies made by the Council and I hadn't had a chance to print out everything..."

"Then the world's saved from another bad poet...My work is done..." Roy grinned...Lloyd vaguely grinning now as well, sensing Roy the Ax had triumphed again...

Joe the Pig busy examining the contents of his nose...As the Immortal grimaced slightly at him...

Sometimes I wonder if it is truly wise to save...All...Humanity...

"Time you and your friend got lost, Slayer..." the Ax frowned at them... "Or my friend Lloyd here will call the cops while I take a look at Buffy Summers' credit report..."

"You know Roy, I really have to tell you...You've done a lot for me..." Buffy said quietly... "I might never have confronted my feelings for William until you killed what little I had left of him..."

"Leave the ashes in the pit at Sunnydale, sister...I did you a favor...Now, get lost..."

"I was beginning to think..." she continued, ignoring him... "That I'd never find myself able to love somebody the way I love him...Dead or alive...Gone or here...And able to do, minus a love spell, what I'm ready to do for his memory now..."

"What?..." Roy eyed her...As she moved on him... "Look, I can't give you his stuff back...It's gone with the electrons..." Yeah, I know...she nodded... "But I can still do something for his memory...And rep..."

I mean...That the Slayer loved him so much as to do this for him...she smiled..."It's gotta pump his name up..."

"And I know Spike in Hell will be tickled pink even if William in Heaven is a mite troubled for me..."

Huh?...he stared as she grabbed him...

"Buffy?..." The Immortal called to her... Just a min, Henri...she waved him off...

"Well...Roy?...You ever see a guy get his head shoved up his ass?..." Buffy eyed him...

Heh...Roy chuckled... "Whoa...Hey..." he feebly struggled...

Buffy?...The Immortal stared at her raging face and the leather-clad young man in her grip...

"We really shouldn't be manhandling people like..."

A harsh scream from Roy, echoed by Lloyd and Joe the Pig both of whom now ran from the room...

Oh, my...the Immortal blinked...

Hmmn...Not in my most evil past days...he thought...

Damn...Must be the real thing, I guess...he noted, as she came over to him...

"Ok...I think we're done here...Lets go..." Buffy eyed him...

By all means...he nodded...Staring a bit...

Yeah, yeah...she sighed... "I guess you understand what this means, Henri...Though I have enjoyed our time together...I think I gotta speak to Willow and see what could be done...Maybe even consider...Waiting...If she can't help..."

"The true thing, ya know?...Baked cookies and all?...I can't just give it up..."she eyed him sadly... "Even if it means waiting till I'm old and ready for my third trip under..."

Though I guess I better do the penance thing...she eyed Roy, now on the floor...

"I can't believe it, man..." Lloyd shook his head at Joe the Pig who simply stared, eyes bulging at the heap of leather, blood, no longer writhing flesh on the floor they'd found on re-entering the room after Buffy and the Immortal had been gone a half hour...

"She actually did it..."

Whoa...

Uh... "Roy?" Joe the Pig tried addressing the heap... "You...ok?...Should we get you a doctor?..."

"Think he's dead, man..." Lloyd sighed...

Search: The Web Angelfire

"Immortal Beloved..." LXXXVI...

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...

Ok, I lied about stopping at 50...But me poor ole mum would just say, "so long as I like it, it's ok..."

Archived at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, . (scroll on down to the IB series)...

LA...Aftermath of the battle with the Senior Partners...Early morning...

Very early morning...

A battered William wakes suddenly to find himself, surprisingly, still Undead...And apparently in a reasonably safe place...And startlingly quiet, given the roar of battle that had been going on continuously before he'd collapsed after being surrounded by a horde of the enemy closing on him...

"Angel?..." he looks up to see a bloodied, slightly bowed, Angel looking down, smiling a bit at him...

Christ, don't tell me he saved me...I'd rather have died my second heroic death...Please let it be Illyria who got me out...

He notes vaguely the forms of many women standing round, quietly watching him as he lay...Someone bandaging his wounds, applying ointments...More women, mostly but by no means all young adults or teens, rushing by...

Slayers?...Meaning?...He anxiously tries to stir and can't...

"Don't Will..." Angel comes to him... "She's already gone...Soon as she got you in and the Partners were flying back to Hell..."

Lovely...Didn't even stay to say...Well, must be fair...I didn't stay in Rome that night...

Still...His deliberations end with his loss of consciousness...

He wakes in a hospital bed...Angel and now Illyria by him...

A quick, hopeful look round...Nothing...

"How's Charlie...?" he mumbles...Straining to hear a voice...The sound of her feet...The rustle of her blouse...Sniffing discreetly to catch a trace of her perf...Well, Nina's about anyway...No doubt on that Chanel she pours on...

"She's not here..." Angel smiles...Choosing to kindly answer the key question first... "And Charlie's doing well...Thanks to her and her Slayers..."

Not here...

Well...Guess His Benevolence must run a tight ship...

Nice of her to come though...he tries a sigh but the pain involved makes him switch to an agonized gasp...

"Angel..." Illyria frowns at him, moving to pat William slightly...

"Ok..." he puts up a hand...Pulling something out of his pocket with the other...

"She left this for you..." he shows a cassette tape...

Apologized handsomely for letting Giles sway her on the 'not trusting Angel anymore' issue...he beamed...

"And..." Illyria glared...

"And...Said you were a jerk and a little blonde coward..." Well, she did...You heard her...he noted to the frowning Illyria... "But to play the tape soon as you felt up to it..." he finished...Lifting a small tape player onto the table near the head of William's bed...

"Do you want it now?..." Illyria asked gently...

"Yes, thanks...But don't start it yet...Great, thanks...Now, get out...Please..."

Play

"We said our goodbyes

The night before

Love was in your eyes

The night before

Now today I find

You have changed your mind

Treat me like you did the night before

Were you telling lies

The night before?

Was I so unwise

The night before?

When I held you near

You were so sincere

Treat me like you did the night before

Last night is the night I will remember you by

When I think of things we did it makes me want to cry

We said our goodbyes

The night before

Love was in your eyes

The night before

Now today I find

You have changed your mind

Treat me like you did the night before

When I held you near

You were so sincere

Treat me like you did the night before

Last night is the night I will remember you by

When I think of things we did it makes me want to cry

Were you telling lies

The night before?

Was I so unwise

The night before?

When I held you near

You were so sincere

Treat me like you did the night before

Like the night before..."

(The Night Before, Lennon/McCartney)

"I have a world-famous, more-or-less redeemed vamp, incredibly cute Immortal billionaire waitin' on me so you damned well better be dialin' the followin' number right now...And be armed with one of the world's truly great excuses, you son-of-a-Dru..." Buffy's voice noted in stern tone...

"William...Please don't make me cry any more..." her voice in a tense whisper... "I couldn't...Can't...Bear it, beloved..."

"DAWN!..." A faint... "Yeah?"... "How'd ya dial our damned number here?..."

He opened his phone...

Out in the hallway various passing members of the hospital staff eyed the group clustered around William's door...Particularly the two young women performing a minor acrobatic feat at said door...

"Well?..."

"Ok, he's got his phone open...Gee, he looks awful bad, I don't think he'll be able to..."

"Right...Good enough...Here, Angel..." Buffy waved the waiting, staring Angel over... "Take her..."

"Whoa...Wait a minute!...Hey!..." Dawn tried to secure a hold on the window above Will's door as Buffy manuevered her from her shoulders onto Angel's...And rushed through the door...The thrown-open door slamming back against the wall...

Angel staggering as he was pushed aside, Illyria, Nina, and several Slayers about trying to grab at Dawn as she desperately hung on to the upper window frame...

"So..." a nonchalant pose...Will blinking at the Buffy standing at his bed... Buffy?...

"Just thought I'd save you the charges..." she smiled...

Uh...Huh...He started to pinch his arm... Will?...she stared...

"Right..." he stopped, nodding... "Last thing I want to do is wake up now..."

.***

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"Immortal Beloved..." LXXXVII...

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...

Ok, I lied about stopping at 50...But me poor ole mum would just say, "so long as I like it, it's ok..."

Archived at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of theBuffy Rebecca verse, . (scroll on down to the IB series)...

Rome...Three days before William and Angel's brief tour of the Eternal City...

"Please..." a gasping whimper... "I'm only doing my job...Mr. Angel assigned me to follow you..."

"Mr. Angel, eh?..." the frowning slight blonde woman eyed the rather husky, well-built, apparently human agent whom she'd just cornered and body-slammed after luring him into following her into the nearest dark alley...

"And what else did 'Mr.' Angel want you to do..."

"Just...To follow you...He was concerned about you..."

Right...she looked him over carefully...Definitely human...Unfortunately...

Leaving torture out as a option...

Maybe...

"Buffy..." a nervous Dawn beside her cut in... "He's probably tellin' the truth...Angel would do something like that..."

"Yeah...?...Yeah, I suppose..."

The agent, still in her choke hold, nodded vigorously...Trying to glance up the alley for any hope of help or rescue...

"When he's not passin' out amulets, I guess..." Buffy frowned... "All right..."

Oh...The man moaned as the initial fear of death which had kept the pain of his injuries at bay to some extent faded a bit...

"I think we better get him to a hospital, sis...You slammed him one pretty hard..."

"I was picturin' Angel..."

"Just...Following...Orders..." another gasp...

"Buffy you can't keep blaming Angel for what happened..." Dawn sighed...

"Right..." the Slayer nodded... "After all, I left him there..." Arggh...Dawn fumed...

"William wouldn't want you to..."

"No..." the agent grabbed at a faint hope of mercy... "He wouldn't want you to let me die...A great guy since he won back the soul...He'd be very...Oh..."

"Pal...My concern over how Angel would feel is not quite what it..." she blinked...

"Won back?...Angel didn't..."

"No..." the man groaned... "I mean William...Slayer, he'd be upset for you, hearing...You'd done harm..."

I think he's...Got you on a...Ped...Arrrrghh...Destial...

"William...?" she stared at him...Lifting him to his feet...

Arrhh...Oh...

"Whatdaya mean, William?..."

As they stood in the hospital corridor, waiting the newly summoned member of their party, Dawn eyed Buffy's grim face...

"Didn't trust me...Was alive all this goddamn time..." the Slayer mumbled... "All this goddamn time while I..."

"Buffy?..."

"Wishin' I'd stayed at the cavern, apocalypse or no...Wantin' to die...Giles havin' to get Willow outta town after I wouldn't stop hounding her, even when Osiris turned us down for the third time..."

And all the time...Bastard...

Cowardly little blonde...Never trusted me for a minute...

"Buffy?...Are you gonna...?"

"But he's alive...Well...Whatever..." a gentle smile...Followed by renewed frown...

"Who the hell is it?...Dru?...Harmony?...One of Angel's ex-girls, tired of not being able to go all the happy way?..." she turned to Dawn... "Who's keepin' him in LA, Dawn?...What dimwitted idiot...Or maybe some greedy WH staffer, claiming to love his poetry ...?"

Dawn gave a shrug, raising arms...How would I...?

"Ladies and cohabitors..." Andrew gave a warm beam as he entered the corridor from the elevator...The beam freezing as he saw Buffy's furious face...

You...she glared at him...

"You...Knew..."

Ummn...He looked at Dawn...Who gave a brief nod...Jig's up, Andy...

"You knew William was alive...You must have...You were in LA..." Buffy came to him...He looking desperately for the elevator door, now closed behind him...

"He didn't want me to...Uhhh..."

"Buffy, put him down..." Dawn grabbed at her sis' arm... "He gets nosebleeds real easy..."

A bench in the hospital corridor...Andrew slowly recovering from his intense session with his Slayer Inquisitor...Buffy and Dawn sitting on his opposite sides...

"All right..." Buffy frowned... "He's not being held by the Partners or Angel...Though if you got it right, Andrew..."

I did, I did...

"Angel nearly let his spirit slide to Hell...And never told me about him..."

I'd say I'm no longer feeling a little uncertain as to if Giles' evaluation of Angel's action in taking over Wolfram-Hart, LA...And our need to keep from trustin' him too far...Was entirely justified...

"Great...Well...Fine..."

Ah...Dawn sighed with relief...

That's ov...

"I'll just have to come up with something that'll get him over here...And keep him jerkin' round for a few months till he decides he's got the guts to face me..."

Hmmn...She thoughtfully tapped Mr. Pointy against an urn and a folder of documents she'd been carrying...The urn containing the ashes of the fiendish Immortal...Her latest victory, saved for study as an unusual type who'd found a way to function for long stretches of time in the light of day...A master manipulator who'd actually strung even the Council along for a century or two...

A couple of pages fell out of the folder...Dawn picking them up...Some important as to the location of stolen art and magics treasures the Immortal...Dumbass, Dimwitt...She felt a tad sad not to have Spike here to help think up some good ones...Had secreted away over the centuries...

Not to mention some pretty nice properties...She eyed a real estate document referring to an estate in Grenoble...Make that damned nice properties...

Hmmn...William must be loaded if he's workin' with Angel the CEO now...And I betcha we could pick these all up for a song, relatively speakin'...And not meanin' to summon the demon Sweet...

"Nice..." she noted to Buffy, seeing her sis eye the photo of the late, less than Immortal Immortal's estate...

Hmmn...Buffy stared at the folder...

"Didn't Giles tell us Spike and Angelus had had dealings with this guy?..."

Yeah...Dawn grinned... "He did..." Boy, did he...she chuckled...

Ummn...Right, I wasn't supposed to be listening in the other room when Giles told you about the Immortal and Darla...And Dru...

"And everybody but Giles, you, and me thinks the Immortal is a preety great guy, right?...Not to mention, still alive..."

"Yeah...He's famous for his...so-called...Redemption..." Dawn rolled her eyes... "A very nice act he had...Even Angelus mighta taken notes..."

Ok...Buffy eyed her two companions...Andrew nervous again after having had a moment's escape from her attention...

"We're gonna bring His Benevolence here..." she tapped the urn... "Back to life...In a way...And as exactly the kinda great, redeemed guy he loved pretending to be..."

The perfect guy...For an Undead type, anyway...

A paragon...

"William's ultimate nemesis..."

Andrew eyed Dawn who eyed him back...Hmmn...?

And Angel's boy in there...She pointed her thumb towards the room door...Is gonna help us...

"And tell Angel...And therefore William...That I am fallin' head over heels for Mr. Undeadly Right..."

That'll get him here...she smiled angelically... "Probably Angel too..."

Then...We'll really give it to him...

"Andy, your role is gonna be essential...But you oughta love this, loving old movies as you do..." Buffy grinned...

Ever see... 'North by Northwest'?...she smiled...

"Immortal Beloved..." LXXXVIII...

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...

Ok, I lied about stopping at 50...But me poor ole mum would just say, "so long as I like it, it's ok..."

Archived at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, . (scroll on down to the IB series)...

LA...Aftermath of the (considering the odds,hardly far to call it a) battle with the Senior Partners...

A horde of rather battered demons raising fists in triumph...OOOGHA...HMPF!...General backslapping where something approaching a hand or a back was available...

The surviving vampires in the force keeping a bit aloof from the deplorable gloating and hubris of the others...Perhaps secretly not all that het up about a victory over the two rebel antiheroes of their kind...

Especially one that had not exactly brought many fruits of victory...

We've conquered...An alleyway...Which, given our need to conceal our presence on Earth form the human forces now converging on the site...The possibility of the enemy's more powerful allies arriving, even if too late...And the approach of daylight...We must evacuate...

And entailed losses of about 9,632 to 8, one clerically-minded fellow assigned to compile stats noted...If we can count in the last-minute humans who'd joined Angel and his force in the fray, whoever they were...

The remains a little too trampled to add right now...

But anyway...It was a moment all too rare...One to savor...

For once...With odds of about 10,000 to 1 in our favor...A victory...

At last...

Of course Wolfram-Hart, Inc, USA and the Black Thorns are shot to hell...Meaning we've lost our command team and our last major permanent foothold on Earth...The records-keeper vamp pointed out with not a little contentment...Having warned previously the losses here would so far outweigh the benefits that it would've been best to cut a new deal with Angel and write off the Circle...Worthless dolts to get taken so easily at that...

"Well..." one large, heavy-horned demon spoke up, ramming the little vamp down and trampling him to dust as he did so... "I got Spike's new coat..." he...Or possibly, she...Waved part of a leather jacket...

Great...the collective group eyed him...With a collective sigh...

We'll have it bronzed...

"People..." Senior Partner Joseph, once mighty head of the LA firm...Previously on leave during the Angel period...Now permanently unemployed, he noted to himself, sighing...Appeared in the midst of the group... "Time to withdraw...Human police and rescue forces are approaching and we've no assets left locally to bribe with..."

Several of the celebrating demons frowned at the little humanish, bald creature...Though none was so foolish as to challenge him...

"Victory is ours, Mr. Joseph!..." one tried to share the joy... "Let us celebrate and plunder!..."

"People...It's one thing to fight a few superheroes..." Joseph shook his head... "It's quite another to take on the entire US military and police forces..."

"Besides...I wanna get out before...Pickup..." he sighed...

Hmmn?...Several clueless demons eyed each other...A few passing their detachable eyes about to help the one-eyed or Harbringers left over from the First's army...The vamps about exchanging knowing looks...

Pickup...Yeah, lets go...Nothing more discouraging than seeing one's defeated enemies carried off to eternal joy...

Kinda makes one question the whole Evil system...We risk our possibly Immortal existence to kill a bunch of clowns who haul off to Heaven if they lose...

Whereas if we lose...

A bright light suddenly appeared all around the area...

Lovely...Joseph sighed, noting the second hand on his watch had frozen...Too late, time's been suspended...

"Back...Please..." a gentle voice commanded...The demons of the task force instinctively falling away...One or two feebly threatening or attempting to rally more sensible comrades who refused to budge...

You don't fight these guys...Straight from the Big One itself...

A glowing figure now stood just off from the largest body of demons...A few tried to make out its features but the bright light it gave off was too much for them...Ignoring the group it began scanning the devastated battle area...

Ah...The figure, its nun's habit now visible, smiled...Waving to a group of four now slowly moving her way...

"Hello...Welcome!..." it called...

"Lets go, people...No need to have it rubbed in our faces..." Joseph turned to his host, shrugging in resignation...

But...We won...Right?...The demon holding part of Spike's torn jacket looked at his companions...

"Dru?..." an approaching William eyed the gleaming figure in white nun's habit beaming at them...She held out a hand to him...

"Mr. Walthrop..." she hesitated a moment...

"William...Congratulations...You've won a most notable victory over evil..."

He looked round a bit...Well, quite a few dead demons...

"I mean your soul's triumph, Will...Not the overall body count..." she grinned...

"And here are our other friends, safe and sound..." she waved...He turned to see Angel, Illyria, Charlie, and a young woman vaguely familiar to him, approaching, all in the same gleaming white as Dru...Eyeing each other in considerable surprise...Both at seeing each other again and in their unusual mutual clothing choices...

"You three stop to shop at the Salvation Army thrift or something?..." Will grinned at them... "Same place as you..." Charlie noted...Will looking down to see that he was indeed likewise in white...

Hmmn...Clashes a bit with the blonde...he frowned...

"I don't suppose..." he turned back to Dru... "When we get where we're goin' you can wear anything you like, William..." she smiled...

"Dru...?" Angel blinked at her...

"Human-souled Dru..." Will guessed quickly, smiling at her...She nodding back with a grin...Yeah...

"So...We lost, eh?..." Charlie frowned... "I am right in assuming we're all dead?...Nice as it is to see my grandma was right about the white robes, lights, and all..."

"I think any fair-minded military commander would hand the palm to you...The Partners suffered irreplaceable losses...And since some of the Slayer Corps showed and more are on their way..." Dru smiled at the young woman standing with them... Ah, Claire the Slayer from our little army, right...Will nodded... "They're forced into abandoning Earth for good..."

"Not an utterly humiliating outcome for us..." Illyria nodded...Then looked at her white outfit carefully...

"Does this mean...?" she asked Dru... "Welcome to the Light, sister..." Dru smiled...

"The winning side is preferable..." the no-longer blue one pronounced...

"But..." she lost a little composure...An anxiously questioning look to the white nun...

"Best to ask him...And her...Yourself..." Dru pointed to where another group in white was now taking form...

"Cordelia..." Angel gasped...

"Hey..." a merry wave from a Cordy who hurried over...Lifting Angel off the ground for a hug, spin, and kiss to his shock...

"Wesley..." Illyria blinked...Ummn...Oh...

"Hello...Dr. Burkle..." she eyed a white-robed Winifred at Wes' side...

Whoa...She gasped as Fred walked into her, literally...Will, Charlie, and Angel staring...

"They're one now..." Wes explained... "She's won her place as another dimension to Fred's immortal nature...Which for a demon is no mean achievement..." he smiled at the beaming Winifred-Illyria...

"Make room there, miss..." Darla tapped Cordy on the shoulder... "Hello, Dad..." she grinned at Angel... Darla?...

"I hear leaving our boy with you was not the worst idea I've ever had..." she hugged him...

Ummn... "We've agreed to share...If that's ok by you, Angel..." she eyed Cordy who nodded...

"Of course...We may have a few other nice fellows we'd each occasionally like to visit..."

Or at least I would...she grinned...Allowing for Eternity and all...

Gram...? Charlie found himself tossed up... "Sweetie-pie!..." a booming cry of joy...As a horde of relatives joined his grandmother around him...

"Liam..." Another figure came forward, followed by others...Angel's jaw dropping...

"Mother...Father..."

"Boy...Seems ye've gone and done it this time..." the stern voice followed by a smile...

Well done, my son... A firm nod...

"And high time you brought yer mother a grandson..."

"Mother..." Will stared at the figure moving his way... "Oh, William..." she smiled, extending arms... "You've made me so proud, son..." she hugged him as he sobbed in her arms...

"William..." a shy voice as he looked...

"Cicely?..." he gasped...

Hmmn... "You did resemble that vengeance..." "I was..." Cicely sheepishly nodded, stepping forward to him...Showing Halfreck form for an instant...

"But the soul is immortal in Eternity if not on Earth...And it seems the one I did harm to forgave me...Publicly..." she smiled at him... "So, here I am..."

Thank you for your poem, William...she kissed him... "It was the one thing my soul clung to within Halfreck...That kept part of me a little bit human...That someone idealized me so..."

"So...Dru..." Angel looked at her from his mother's embrace as she watched the group happily...

"What now...?"

"Now?..." she smiled...

"Now...My dearest friends...You get the big finale...Naturally..." she chuckled...

"Courtesy Mr. Cole Porter..."

She cocked her head and put hand to her ear...The others from Heaven smiling and gathering round her as the Angel group watched...

(Blow, Gabriel, Blow...Cole Porter)

Play

Dru:

"Do you hear that playin'?

Chorus (Wes, Angel's family, Mrs. Walthrop, Cicely, Charlie's family, friends):

(Yes, we hear that playin'.)

Dru:

Do you know who's playin'? (Mother?...Will stared at the trumpter beaming at him...)

Chorus:

(No, who is that playin'?)

(sung) Dru:

Well, it's Gabriel, Gabriel playin'!

Gabriel, Gabriel sayin'

"Will you be ready to go

When I blow my horn?"

All:

Blow, Gabriel, blow,

Come on and blow, Gabriel, blow.

I've been a sinner, I've been a scamp,

But now I'm willin' to trim my lamp,

So blow, Gabriel, blow.

Oh, I was low, Gabriel, low,

Mighty low, Gabriel, low.

But now that I have seen the light

I'm good by day and I'm good by night

So blow, Gabriel, blow.

Dru (rest as backup):

Once I was headed for Hell.

Once I was headed for Hell!

But when I got to Satan's door,

I heard you blowin' on your horn once more,

So I said, "Satan, farewell."

And now I'm all ready to fly

Yes, to fly higher and higher

'Cause I've gone through brimstone

And I've been through the fire

And I purged my soul

And my heart too

So climb up the mountaintop

All:

And start to blow, Gabriel, blow

Come on and blow, Gabriel, blow

Dru:

I wanna join your happy band

Play all day in the Promised Land

So blow, Gabriel, blow!

Get up you scamps, get up you sinners!

Get up on your feet and SING!

All (including Angel group):

Blow, Gabriel, blow, (Blow, Gabriel!)

Come on and blow, Gabriel, blow. (Blow, Gabriel!)

I've been a sinner, I've been a scamp,

But now I'm willin' to trim my lamp,

So blow, Gabriel, blow.

Oh, I was low, Gabriel, low, (Low, Gabriel!)

Mighty low, Gabriel, low.

But now that I have seen the light

I'm good by day and I'm good by night

So blow, Gabriel, blow.

Once I was headed for Hell.

Once I was headed for Hell!

But when I got to Satan's door,

I heard you blowin' on your horn once more,

So I said, "Satan, farewell."

All (fading):

So, Blow, Gabriel, blow!

Blow, Gabriel,blow! Oh...

I wanna join your happy band

Play all day in the Promised Land

So blow, Gabriel, blow, Gabriel,

blow, Gabriel, blow "

William and Mrs. Walthrop off to one side...

"William?..." she eyed him... "Anything troubling you...?"

"Apart from guilt over killing you and thousands over the last century, Mother?..." he wryly smiled as she gave him a frown...Will...

"Well, maybe just one thing..."

Ah...she nodded...

"Cicely is a nice girl..." she noted with a faint smile...

"Who is very fond of me now...Though still not quite in love with me, I think..." he smiled back... "But, no...That's not it..."

I see...she patted him and led him to a piano which had suddenly taken form in a room not unlike their old sitting room back in Victorian London...

"Is this...?" he looked around...Unable to keep a modicum of disappointment out of his voice...

Not that it wasn't Heaven to be home...Just...Well...

"Heaven's what and where you want it to be, William..." Mrs. Walthrop smiled...

"Or in this case, just for the moment...Where I'd like it to be..."

Of course...he smiled back...Patting her gently...

"Though we're not required to stick to tunes of our own time..." she noted...Offering him a music book, turned to a certain page...Which he scanned...

"You and Dru have become quite the Porter fans..."

He smiled at her ruefully... "A boy's best friend indeed..." he smiled at her, shaking his head as she rose, gently kissing him...And began playing, singing softly as she left...

Play

"In the still of the night...

as I gaze out of my window

at the moon in it's flight...

My thoughts all stray to you...

In the moon's yellow light...

while the world is in slumber

Ah,the times without number

Darling, when I say to you..."

Buffy's voice caught him by surprise...

"Do you love me...as I love you?..." He turned to her as she came to the piano bench...

"Sorry, I couldn't get through the pack in time..." she sighed... "But I was there..." she smiled, taking a seat by him...

Together:

"Are you my life to be...

My dream come true

Or will this dream of mine...

fade out of sight..."

"While the Moon's growing dim...

on the rim of the hill...

in the chill, still...of the night..."

(In the Still of the Night...Cole Porter...)

"But we did win, right Mr. Joseph?..." the demon tried again as the 'victorious' army of Evil raced back for its Hell portal...Slayers pouring in against them from all directions...Eyeing the now abandoned dead bodies of the Angel team he and his comrades had dragged to a would-be victory pyre...

"Shut up and run like Hell, kid..." Joseph frowned at him...

"Immortal Beloved..." LXXXIX...

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...

Ok, I lied about stopping at 50...But me poor ole mum would just say, "so long as I like it, it's ok..."

Archived at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, . (scroll on down to the IB series)...

Part A.

Two months after the defeat of the Senior Partners...

Theme from "LA Law..." plays as a determined-looking Angel in expensive suit strides the hallowed halls of the LA county courthouse to enter courtroom 11a...Followed by an equally determined-looking Nina, in elegant yet screaming competent aggressiveness formal suit, a rather irritated-looking William, rather uncomfortable in his own monkey suit...And looking rather nervous, Illyria and Gunn, likewise well-dressed...All but William carrying briefcases...Which as they take seats behind a table, the bearers open in unison...

William rolling his eyes...

Entering now to take seats, across the aisle...The plaintiff and her team...Several of America's most famed, if perhaps not deserving of such fame, attorneys...

G. Lou Failey...A somber nod to the applauding courtroom audience...The applause cut short by the presiding judge's curt demand for silence...

Jackie Childs, attorney to the stars...A gleaming beam of the pearly whites and a wave to the world at large...

Alan Herskowitz...Famed defender of the undead...Well, Claus at least had certainly seemed more undead than most of the truly...Scowling over at the Angel team...

"What's his problem?..." Will hissed to Angel...

"Eh, he was up for my job when we were still Wolfram-Hart, LA..." Angel shrugged... "He was sniffing around, trying to check out my credentials all last year, claiming they'd no right to give the job to someone whom nobody at the California Bar Association could remember having taken the exams...Though I think what really pissed him off is I have better hair and look more like a TV lawyer..."

"Quite a team they got..." Gunn whispered, seeming a tad anxious...Will eyed him...

"I don't suppose you've retained those hot-shot legal skills...?"

"Uh...Sure...Uh...Some..." Charlie nodded...Will looked at him...As did Illyria...

"I've got our strategy all worked out..." he noted, brightening...

She peering into his briefcase, pulled out...

"... 'Legal Tactics for Dummies'...?" she held the book up, Charlie grabbing it...

Careful...he hurriedly put the book back in his briefcase, glancing across the way... "They may have a copy to consult..."

"Christ...How did I get into this one?...Why didn't I just give in to her when I had the chance?..." Will sighed... "Instead I got the team that couldn't beat the clowns Ally McBeal's firm used to take on..."

"Now, William..." Angel eyed him firmly... "Just cause she's assembled some talent to keep us occupied is no reason to panic..."

"No?...Well, I'll tell ya, ole pal...I'd feel a little better about this if any one of you lot actually were lawyers..."

"Hey..." Angel frowned... "We are lawyers...And have the mystically faked documents to prove it..."

'Sides...he noted... "I hear Failey is slipping, Childs is a grandstander, and Herskowitz's heart really isn't in this one...He having had legal troubles with his girl friends before..."

"And none of us have the slightest idea what we're doing..." Will shook his head...

"Please...We'll wipe up the floor with them...And make her wish she'd never started this..." Angel beamed...Then looked over to where the plaintiff sat, looking quite lovely in her modest dress, though rather sad...Especially since his last remark which she'd clearly overheard...Nervously brushing a blonde hair back...Occasionally making slight glances over at William who stubbornly refused to look at her...

"Besides..." Illyria cheerfully noted... "We could probably kill everyone here quite easily should all else fail..."

Gunn and Angel eyed each other...Well, always good to have a back-up strategy...

Two weeks earlier...

Offices of Angel, Burkle-Wyndham-Price, Gunn, Walthrop...LA...

"This is ridiculous..." the slight man fumed, rapping the document in his hand... "Crazy..."

Angel, behind his desk, eyed his new associate partner and his flagrant violation of firm dress...Not gettin' me in a monkey suit, boss...as William sat across from his senior partner in his favorite black leather jacket and t-shirt...

"Ridiculous or no, it's valid...And as she's refused all of Charlie's attempts at negotiation, you are facing a court proceeding..."

Arghh...William shook his head...And turned to eye Gunn... "Couldn't you get anywhere with her?...You're supposed to make things like this go way...She can't be that unreasonable..."

"Man...She was furious that you didn't come...I told you, she wouldn't even talk to me...You should've handed this yourself, Spike..."

"The court will never...For her?...It's impossible..." "They already did...And a date is set...There's nothing more we can do regarding preventing this from going to court..." Angel sighed...Then brightened...

"But you'll have our best to help out there...I'm frankly kinda looking forward to leading the team on this one..."

Jesus...Will glared at him... Gunn and Illyria beside him looking nervous as well..."You?...In court...?"

"Boss..." Charlie hesitantly began... "It might not be so good for you to handle this one..."

Not having any courtroom experience...Or any valid legal credentials of any kind outside our shared faked degrees and phony resumes...he did not say...

"You are not a lawyer..." Illyria stated flatly...

"Hey...I'm licensed to practice...I can produce a diploma and bar certification..." Angel frowned...

"I'm dead...Er than ever..." William sighed... "Just mail me to her in a box..."

"You should have gone to see her when she called you..." Illyria frowned at him...Then beamed... "Wesley would gone...Even if she were the demon who'd...Involuntarily...Taken Ms. Summers' body..."

"This is not the same thing..." he glared at her...

"Hell, she's not even..." he paused... "And the whole is ridiculous...How can she sue me for breech of promise in 2005?..."

And what the hell promise did I ever...? he eyed the group...

"Well..." Illyria began... "If I understand the facts in the case..."

"I never made any promise!..." he insisted... "This is all a fantasy on her part...And might I again point out...She's..."

"Don't say it, Will..." Angel cut him off... "We can't use that argument anymore...We've gotta get out of that mind-set..."

"State of California ruled in her favor...She can take you to court..." Gunn noted... "And this is more than just 'breech of promise'...Liability, damages...There is potential for criminal prosecution here, you're lucky she isn't pursuing that line..."

Yet...

You should've gone to see her...Illyria sighed... "...'A woman scorned'..." she noted, rather surprising herself by the quote...

Demon or human...Or whatever..., she noted firmly...

"Well, we'll all be there, Will...Backed by the remnants of Wolfram-Hart's old research team...We can't fail..." Angel nodded decisively...

Great...Will sighed... "I'm sure the Brood will wow the hell out of the judge..."

The courtroom...Now fairly well packed...Reporters milling in back...

A judge in black robes took her seat...Eyeing the group at the Angel table over the rim of her glasses...With a rather severe frown...

"How come she gets this case?..." Will hissed... "She's the one who ruled on her initial petition to sue me..."

Isn't that some indication of her bias here?...Can't you get somebody else?...

"We tried..." Gunn whispered...Looking at Angel who looked a tad embarrassed... "The Boss had a few problems with the motion..."

"Just a few details I hadn't gotten down..." Angel noted... "But this time..."

"Lovely..." Will put his head in his hands...

Well, not like I have all that much to lose...he sighed...Just my income for the next thousand years or so...

He scanned the jury in their box...Eight women...Four men...The women looking sympathetically at the sad-faced plaintiff, looking rather downcast in her seat...The men looking as well...Three with rather extreme attention...One a bit indifferent, apparently...And now eyeing Will with a rather direct stare...

And smile...

Well, at least one male juror appears to be gay...A thin ray of hope there...he thought...Smiling back...

Well, hell...Desperate times, desperate measures...

"I would ask members of the media...And those in attendance..." the judge suddenly spoke... "To maintain silence during these proceedings...I understand the interest in this case, but I will have the room cleared if any disruption occurs..."

She picked up a folder in front of her and opened it...

"In the case of Ms. Buffy Anne Summers, R...versus...Mr. William Soames Walthrop..."

The courtroom door opened suddenly...The judge giving an annoyed glare...

"Hey!..." Buffy called from where she just entered...Followed by two deputies, one now drawing his gun...She glaring down towards the judge who eyed her coldly... "I object!..."

Buffy...A nervous Willow following the deputies... "You don't object..."

"You bet you don't...In my courtroom..." the judge glared back at the Slayer...Who withered a bit, much to the surprise of Willow...And the Angel team, including William who'd turned round to witness the scene... "William..." she breathed, staring... "Ms. Summers, H...I believe?..." the judge drily noted, scanned further in the folder...Several reporters attempting to get a picture...Deputies now confronting them as well as more surrounding Buffy...

"William?..." Buffy called... Buffy?...Willow stared at her... "What the hell's going on here?..."

He shrugged to her...

"Sit down, Ms. Summers...Or I will have you charged with contempt of court and disrupting court proceedings...Now..."

Uh...Well...She looked round...Hmmn...Grrr...She spied her twin, now looking back to her...Hi! Buffy!...Willow!...The plaintiff Ms. Summers, R waved back to them...

"Ms. Summers, both of you...I won't tolerate this again..." the judge eyed each...Ms. Summers, R nodding sheepishly and taking her seat...Failey and Herskowitz consulting briefly, Childs smiling for the cameras...

Willow pulled Buffy off to a seat...

"My god he really is..." Buffy shook her head... "You knew he was alive...In his way..." Willow whispered...

"Knowin' and seein' him in the Undead flesh...Two different things, Wil..." the Slayer hissed back...

God, I should be the one suing here...she noted angrily... "He never even called me..."

Well, you didn't even mail that card you and Dawn bought after Andy came home and told us about Will, Dana, and the hands thing...Willow did not say...

"I guess our Botty feels pretty much the same way..." she noted instead... "Though she seems a leetle more determined to get him..."

Say...Willow eyed Botty at the plaintiff's table... "She looks pretty good...Though I'd sure like to know who found her and had her repaired...And enhanced her programming to the point she could do convince a court she should be entitled to human legal status..."

Eh, California...Buffy hissed...They'd rule a tree human here...

"She looks a few pounds heavier than me...And she still doesn't have my fashion sense..."

"Ms. Summers, R..." the judge looked to Botty who smiled back... "Let me see if I've got the facts here straight..."

"I frankly don't see why Will doesn't just give in and marry her..." Willow whispered as the judge addressed Botty...

Buffy eyeing her friend a bit coolly now...

"I mean...She's potentially Immortal more or less, she looks like you...And she loves him like nobody's..." she paused as Buffy's stare moved to hard glare...

"She's not human...She doesn't love him anymore than a coffee maker would..."

Buffy?...

"You're dating His Benevolence...A very nice guy, by your say-so..."

"Yeah...And I'll bet he thinks it's the title...Do you think he thinks it's the title, Wil?..."

Ummn...

"I'll bet Andy told him it was the title that got me...Heck, like I would want to be called 'Her Benevolence' for the rest of my life...Hell, he gave himself the title at that..."

Last week after a week at his Geneva estate, he was the greatest...Willow did not say...This week, one look at William and he's pond scum...

"He's fighting this...He's doesn't want her..." Buffy nodded, rather pleased...Hmmn...

"You think that means he doesn't love me anymore...?" she looked anxiously at Willow...

Uh...Well...

"And you say that Mr. Walthrop therefore...In view of both refusing to marry you...And in abandoning you after you were temporarily severely disabled..." the judge continued to Botty...Who looked a bit distressed...

Ummn...Well...Ma'am...

"Your Honor..." Failey rose...Childs jumping up, waving... "Your Honor, this is a case of right vs wrong...Of an abused, betrayed legal person seeking redress..." Failey and Herskowitz now glaring at their colleague... "Look at her, once a strong, proud member of the android race, loving and trusting...Now, betrayed...Abandoned...Her reason for existence gone...Her life ruined...She's pitiful..." Childs waved his hand in a slashing gesture...

"Your Honor...This case points to a straightforward violation of the plaintiff's personal rights.." Failey tried to cut in...

Botty looking rather embarrassed, glancing again over to the stony-faced William as he sat watching the judge...

"Be seated, gentlemen..." the judge cut both of the standing attorneys off... "We'll get to you later..."

"You clowns try to cut me out of this case again and I'll have your balls in a glass jar on my library shelf..." Herskowitz quietly hissed to his partners as they reluctantly sat...

"Your Honor..." Angel began, rising...

"The case here deals with whether or not Mr. Walthrop and Ms. Summers, R..." he smiled at Botty who beamed back... "Had by virtue of his purchasing her from one Warren Alonzo Mears, late of Sunnydale, California, an implied marital and prenuptial contract with her..."

Eh, boy...Willow sighed...Trying to scrunch down in her seat...

Did he have to mention the late Mr. Mears?...In a court of law?...

Let us consider what a contract is...Angel continued...

Uh-oh...Gunn pulled at him...Boss, we agreed not to pursue this line...Even though you thought it was a brilliant strategy...

You promised, Boss...he pulled again, discreetly...Illyria and Nina frowning at Angel as well...

This was not to be our defensive plan...Illyria glared...

"A contract is a legally binding agreement which is unbreakable...Unbreakable..." Angel nodded...

And if such an implied contract existed between Ms. Summers, R and Mr. Walthrop...It would be Mr. Walthrop's duty to at the very least, provide permanent maintenance for the one he'd caused to have brought to existence...

We're dead...Gunn sighed...Trying to smile confidently at William...

"However...If the said Ms. Summers, R...In her original form...Failed to meet her specific operational requirements...As laid out in the purchase agreement..." Angel smiled...

A very distressed look from Botty...Angel?...

"William?...Did I ever fail to meet my operational requirements?..." she called over to him...He, catching the distress in her voice, unable to repress the gentlemanly instinct turned...

"Never, love..."

Buffy in the back, blinked...

Aw...Willow smiled...That's so...She looked at Buffy's angry face...

Nothing...I said...Nothing...

Hmmn...Angel blinked a bit...Somewhat nonplused by the sudden undercutting of his argument...

"Anyway...My point is...My client, Mr. Walthrop..."

Has a warranty...He waved a sheet of paper...

"Yes..." the judge nodded... "I have a copy here...Please give this to the jury to look over..." she handed the copy to a bailiff...

"Your Honor..." Failey rose...Childs again jumping up... "Your Honor, Walthrop there has just admitted our poor girl here never failed to meet expectations...She was beautiful, she was available, she got the job done...End of story...Case closed..."

"Ah, but Your Honor...Ms. Summers, R in fact, did not live up to said expectations..." Angel smiled his best mysterious Perry Mason smile... "The said Mr. Mears, her designer and builder, promised a humanoid Buffy-bot who could deceive Ms. Summers, H's friends and family...And fight successfully as a Slayer..."

I have here a brief videotape, taken by a security camera after Ms. Summers, R did battle with a rather puny vampire...Angel waved a videotape...

"It shows Ms. Summers, R taking significant damage from said puny vampire...Confirming that she did not, in the realm of Slaying...Live up to stated specifications..."

Hmmn...Botty looked down...

"Mr. Angel..." the judge sighed... "Need I remind you that Ms. Summers, R has been declared a legal person in this state...And no legal person can be held to a warranty on themselves..."

"But, Your Honor...Our contention is...That on the as yet unexplained death of Mr. Warren Mears, Ms. Summers, R became the legally obligated person pledged to fulfill the signed purchase agreement and warranty..."

Bwhhah...Herskowitz struggled to repress a chuckle...Childs and Failey smiling from their seats...

That's their defense?...

Hmmn...Will eyed the downcast Botty...

No need to shame the poor thing in public...She did her best within her limitations...

"And there's more..."Angel hastily added...

"I'd like to call the first of my witnesses...Ms. Willow Rosenberg..."

Huh?...Willow stared...

Thought I was just here for moral Buf support...

"Why is he looking at her like that, Wil...?" Buffy anxiously poked her, eyeing William's sympathetic look towards Botty...

Part B...

Angel gave his best combination "LA Law, Legal Eagles, The Practice, Perry Mason..." attorney-at-law stare at Willow now nervously sworn into her chair...

"You are Ms. Willow Rosenberg...?"

Uh... "Yeah..." a decisive nod...

"Best friend of both Ms. Buffy Summers, H...And Ms. Buffy Summers, R...?"

Botty giving a best-friendly wave to Willow...Hey...Hey, the wiccan waved back...

Cutting it short as she caught Buffy's glare from her seat...

Ummn...Well...

"I guess...From both their points of view..." she began...

What the hell does that mean? ...Buffies H and R thought...

"I suppose I am..."

"And did you know the creator of Ms. Buffy A. Summers, R...One Warren Alonzo Mears...?"

"Hey!..." Buffy called... "Stop calling that thing by my name!...She's a bot...She's not my robosister or my robodaughter..."

"Ms. Summers..." the judge glared at her...Withering her again as a startled Willow looked over...

That's one damned good glare...Especially for a non-Slayer...

"If I hear one more outburst in my court from you...I will throw you in jail...You get me, miss?..."

Yes, Your Honor...Buffy nodded sheepishly...Taking her seat...

"As for Ms. Buffy A. Summers, R...Who I likewise caution not to wave or speak to witnesses on the stand..." Botty hung her head in shame... "Her programming interface has been permanently fused to exclude new commands and she has been declared a legal person by the State of California...And that does it for me...And for anyone else in my court..."

Continue, Mr. Angel...

"I repeat my question, Ms. Rosenberg..."

Oh, please don't...Willow sighed internally...

Still one did have to face up to one's hideous crimes one day...And best before any chance of absolution was impossible...

"Were you acquainted with Mr. Warren Alonzo Mears of Sunnydale?...Creator of Ms. Buffy A. Summers, R."...

Huh, hey...Ummn...

"Acquainted?...Well, I suppose..."

Answer the question, miss...Today...the judge coldly informed her...

"Yes...I was acquainted with Mr. Mears..."

"And would you say he was a competent robotic engineer?...Capable of mastering all intricacies of duplicating a human being in robot form?..."

"Warren?...Well...He did a neat job with Botty...er Ms. Summers, R..."

"A 'neat' job..." Angel nodded...I see...

"But would you say his creation could fulfill his contract with Mr. Walthrop, aka Spike...As I quote... 'a robotic copy of Buffy Summers, true to all details'...?"

Well...Willow hesitated...Looking over to where Botty sat, looking sadder than ever...

"Your Honor!..." Failey and Childs in chorus, on their feet at once...

We actually died the night of the battle, didn't we...? the seated Gunn whispered, head buried in his hands...Now coming up to eye Illyria...

"And this is my lil' corner of Hell, right?...Where I'll have to relive this nightmare every day, forever..."

"Down, gentlemen...Let Mr. Angel proceed..." the judge frowned at the two attorneys...

"Angel actually seems to be succeeding on a few points..." Illyria noted quietly...Charlie pulling head up...Hmmn?...

At least he has made a start of a case on the crazy warranty thing...she pointed out...

"Ms. Rosenberg?..." Angel prodded her...

"I guess she didn't exactly match Buffy in all respects..." Willow sighed... "Though judging by her recent independent actions, she's come a long way since we left her in the dumpster..."

Ummn...She looked over at Botty who was now examining the floor and her feet...Tears clearly beginning to run...

"Ah, yes..." Angel nodded... "The dumpster...I'll be getting to that shortly...But lets get back to my question...You agree that as originally constituted, Ms. Summers, R did not quite live up to Mr. Mears' stated promise in the sales contract and warranty...?"

You bet she didn't...Dumb cluck-bot...Buffy fumed in her seat...

"Weeelll...I guess not...No..." Willow sighed...

But she really has come a long way, whoever repaired her...she firmly noted...Botty giving a quick, grateful beam her way...Thanks...

No sweat, kid...Wil's return smile...

"Now to the dumpster...Which I offer the following photo of, marked as exhibit B..." Angel waved a large photo...

"Ms. Rosenberg...You and your vamp hunting gang placed a certain degree of reliance on Ms. Summers, R's abilities as a Slayer after Ms. Summers, H's death...Correct?..."

"Oh, yeah...Botty was great..." Willow beamed...

"But not quite up to Ms. Summers, H's mark?...Correct?..."

"Heck even most of our new Slayers aren't up to Buffy's mark..." Willow insisted... "Botty did damned..." a quick, apologetic look to the frowning judge... "er...Darned...Well..."

"I see...And...After Ms. Summers, R was severely damaged by demon raiders the night of Ms. Summers, H's resurrection...What did you and your companions do with her?..."

Uh...We...Uh...

"You threw her remains in this Town of Sunnydale dumpster, did you not?..." Angel tapped the photo...

Uh...Ummn...Yeah, well... Willow squirmed in her seat as the majority of the courtroom attendees stared at her...

"We didn't think she could be repaired...And Buffy, H...er human Buffy...Was back..."

Was she still functional?...

Ummn...sorta...Willow whispered...Botty staring at her...William as well...With a sympathetic glance Botty's way...

Buffy, in spite of herself, staring as well...

"Would you speak up, Ms. Rosenberg?...Was Ms. Summers, R still functional?..."

"Yeah...Yes..." Willow sighed...A murmur in the court...

"So...Feeling Ms. Summers, R did not deserve the regard and respect a human being would normally command...You and your friends decided to abandon her, though still functional and to some degree, conscious, to whatever fate awaited her in the town dump?..."

Bo...oss...Gunn hissed... "You're going over the line..."

He's getting the jury on her side, is he crazy?...he whispered to Illyria...Botty's legal team obviously agreeing as they sat, beaming at Angel...

It's ok...Botty's kind look to Willow said as Wil stared embarrassedly at her...

"You know..." William sighed to Illyria as he watched Botty's generous action... "One must admit, she's quite a compassionate girl..."

"I guess we did..." Willow nodded sadly to Angel...

Even Buffy looking a bit distressed...Wil?...

"And did my client, Mr. Walthrop...Her nominal owner at the time, before her legal emancipation...Participate in this decision to abandon her...?"

Uh...No...

"What was that?..."

"No...He did not participate in the decision...Xander...Mr. Harris, a member of our group...And Buffy's sister, Dawn...Decided with me..."

Kinda feel bad about it now that we didn't think it over...But we were busy with resurrected Buffy and all...

"So my client did not participate or agree in the decision of your group to abandon Ms. Summers, R...?"

"No..." Willow nodded...

"I sure would like to know who repaired her, though..." she added...

The judge frowning, cautioned her on making unsolicited statements...

"That's all, Ms. Rosenberg...Thank you..." Angel nodded to her...

Mr. Childs?...the judge eyed him... "I see you can't wait..." A titter through the room as Childs rose quickly...

"Never...When justice needs servicing, your Honor..." Childs nodded gallantly...

"Ms. Rosenberg...Hello..." a wide smile...

Hey...Willow nodded...

"When Mr. Walthrop thrust my client into her time of cruel bondage and inhumane abuse..." Childs clasped hands in a tormented expression...Deep grief furrowing his brow...

He was an Undead, hideous fiend...Was he not?...

"Spike was a demonic vamp, yeah..."

"A brutal, maniacal killer of the worst kind, correct?..."

"He was pretty bad...Though he's better now..." Willow noted...

"Damned straight!...He's a hero!..." Botty called...Beaming at William...

"Absolutely!...Yeah!..." Buffy rose hastily...

No damn cluck-bot's gonna cut me outta paying my guy his due...she glared at Botty...

"Ms. Summers, R!...And H!..." the judge snapped at them...

"Sorry, ma'am..." they chorused, sitting...

Girls...Will eyed each, turning to Botty, then back to Buffy...With a sheepish smile...

Which each of the twins returned with firm nods...

Our Champion...

"Mr. Childs..." the judge nodded to him...

"Yeah, my client gave him utter devotion and love...Correct?..."

"Sure...I mean...She was crazy about him...He was her reason for existence...She was made to love him..."

"Programmed you mean...Enslaved, in actual fact!..." Childs noted...Banging fist on the rail of the witness box for emphasis...Willow jumping a bit...

Mr. Childs...the judge frowned...He waved a hand... "A hard thing to bear witness to your Honor...Ms. Rosenberg...My client could not resist the demon Spike, even to the level of...Sexual relations...Correct?..."

"Well no...Spike commissioned her as a sex-bot Buffy after all..." Willow noted...

Though William is much better now...she hastily added...Will giving a faint smile and nod...Thanks, Red...

"A sexual slave of a foul, Undead, unholy fiend!...This was my client's life in those horrible days...Unable to fight her desire for this admittedly studly monster from Hell..."

Buffy eyed Botty...Botty, Buffy...Both smiling at William...

Oh, yeah...

"I guess so..." Willow nodded...

"And she defended him against the goddess Glory...And even when partially emancipated by you from her previous condition she still loved him all that the summer you had her take on the role of the deceased Ms. Summers, H...Correct?..."

Still do...Always will...Botty's long, wide-eyed stare at William said...

Buffy frowning to glare intensity as she watched...

"And after rending him these services...Not to mention involuntarily joining you and your little self-appointed troupe of world-savers in your fight to save the world from vicious evildoers of all descriptions at great personal risk...Performing feats that any fair-minded human being would consider heroic..."

She was left to rot in a pile of garbage...Childs sighed heavily...The entire jury glaring now at William...

"Unloved, uncared for...Abandoned..."

God, why didn't we settle for any amount when we had the chance?...Gunn shook his head...

" 'Cause she doesn't want money.." Illyria reminded him in a whisper... "You offered her practically everything Will had on his instructions..."

No further questions...Childs smiled, taking his seat...

"Mr. Angel?..." the judge eyed him...

"Ms. Rosenberg, again...Did my client make or have anything to do with the decision on disposing of Ms. Summers, R's remains?..."

Willow shook her now rather teary-faced head...No...

No further questions, your Honor...

"Botty, I'm so sorry..." she called over, sobbing as she left the stand...Botty shaking head, a kind smile...

"You might've asked me what I wanted you to do with her..." Buffy hissed to Willow as the wiccan returned to her seat... "I might've found a nice, pleasant...Utterly inaccessible and isolated plot for her fully disassembled parts somewhere..."

You were kinda out of it then, Buf...Wil noted...Dabbing eyes with hanky, then blowing nose...

Not to mention far too utterly absorbed in yourself that whole year to give a damn about any of us, excepting maybe Dawn, including Botty or William...she did not say...

"Good thing for you Angel didn't bring up how Warren died..." Buffy whispered...Willow frowning at the ten or so reporters scattered about them, straining to hear what the former paramour of the defendant and template for the plaintiff was telling the most recent witness...Several aiming their Sound Master 8000 mikes their way...

"Yeah...I would have sobbed like blazes remembering how my good ole fellow geek pal died so tragically..." the wiccan hastily noted...Loudly...

"If I may call my next witness..." Angel smiled to the judge...Who gave a slight smile back...

Gunn, noting it eyed Illyria...

A ray of hope...She likes the Brooding One...

"Ms. Buffy A. Summers, R..." Botty looked from where she'd been longingly staring at William...Hmmn?...

Part C...

Botty sworn in, Angel came up, smiling at her in the witness box...

"Ms. Summers...Hi..."

"Angel..." she nodded...Eyeing him curiously...

"Your pointy hair looks less bloody stupid..." she noted...

Oh...She looked as most of the courtroom attendees tittered...Along with several members of the legal teams...

Uh...Sorry, boss...Illyria sheepishly stifled her grin as Angel glared back at her...And then at Buffy, who rolled eyes...Sorry...

"Sorry...Old bit of data record popping up in my system..." Botty apologized... "I'll arrange to delete that...You do look very nice in a suit, Angel..."

"Thanks..." he frowned at her... "Ms. Summers, R...Who repaired you after you were deposited in the Town of Sunnydale dumpster...?"

She eyed him...Repaired me?...

"Before or after I got off the landfill hill in LA?... 'Cause I think before, it was my automatic emergency repair that got me going again..."

"After..." Angel smiled... "When you regained all these parts that seem to be working so well for you..." She smiled back, shyly pleased...Thanks...

Well...she pondered... "First I was mailed to an engineer in Scotland...Then he couldn't fix my motor control interface, so he had me shipped to Japan...They do neat work on bots in Japan, ya know?...They did most of my new prosthetics too..."

Then, I think to England for a gyroscope and some sensory repairs...And then, Germany, I think...No, it was Switzerland...Geneva, yeah...

Well-traveled girl is our Botty...Willow noted to Buf... "Shut up..." Buffy frowned...

"I remember 'cause I was there when Buffy came into town with the Immortal...One of the lab techs at the electronics firm that was repairing my primary power system showed me a photo of them together in the paper..."

I was kinda shocked...she sighed, not looking at her twin... "I mean...Everybody knew William was alive...And had survived the big fight in LA with the Partners..."

Couldn't understand...I mean after all he'd done when she came back...The soul, the thing at Sunnydale...?

"Buffy...?..." she looked over to her... "How could you leave William for that bloody stupid pointy-haired, aristocratic jerk?..."

Not you, Angel...she hastily noted... "See, I just still need an initial plane of reference in establishing a new character in my data files..."

Buffy now looking round at various members of the court and attendees staring at her...

"Then when I found out who'd arranged for my repairs..." Botty beamed...

Ah...Angel smiled...Waving a finger...

Oh-oh...Failey looked at Herskowitz, then Childs... "She tell any of you guys who that was..." Childs shrugging...Herskowitz attempting to look like one who knew everything but was not inclined to say...

"And who was it, in fact, who actually arranged and paid for your restoration, Ms. Summers, R...?"

Eh, no sweat, girl...Will smiled at the beaming Botty...

"William, of course..." she pointed to him, a loving smile on her face... "After we found each other at the landfill, when one of the Partners' tossed him halfway across LA to die there when dawn came...And my systems were jarred back on...And I pulled him down to a couple of guys who caretake the place...Really nice guys, Hank and Joey, you know them?...The next day, from the hospital, he had me carried over to a local guy who fixed enough of my emergency systems to keep me going...And I was in a crate to Scotland the next day..."

She saved him from the Partners?...He got her fixed?...Buffy hissed to Willow...Who was tearing again..."God, that's so..."

Ummn...Unimportant, next to the one who helped him get his soul back...Yeah...she solemnly noted to her friend...Buffy giving her a narrow look...

Even if she didn't do a thing to help him get the soul back...Willow thought, rolling eyes...

"So...My client, William Soames Walthrop, arranged for your repairs, Ms. Summers, R...Is that correct?..." Angel eyed Botty who nodded...Absobloomingtootly...

How come Will and Angel never told us this?...Gunn hissed to Illyria as they watched...Then eyed her narrowly as she gave a Mona Lisa...Well...Winifred-Mona-Lisa-Illyria...Smile...

"They told you?...Not me...?"

"Will wanted my opinion...He was afraid even then the robotic Ms. Summers might view it in the wrong light..."

"Now, Buffy, R...If I may call you Buffy, R..." Sure...she smiled...Thanks... "Sure...Why would you want to sue the man...Unman...Who'd done this for you?..."

Botty looked down...Ummn...

"I thought it meant..." she paused... "I mean...Buffy H didn't seem interested...What with her hangin' on the Immortal's arm day and night..."

Hey...Buffy frowned...

"So I figured...Will must be trying to say...In his poet's way..." she sighed, smiling at her beloved lil' poet...

"But when I came straight to LA after Switzerland...He didn't...Want to..." she started breaking up...

"Then I..." she frowned... "I lost my temper..."

Didn't know I had one till I lost it...she grinned...

A sound of chuckles through the court...Ms. Summers, R...the judge frowned...

Sorry...

"And I went to see a lawyer...Cause William's a lawyer now as well as a heroic human-souled vamp defender of Humanity and poet...And I thought, since he did order me for a permanent companion...See I'd read up a little on law...To kinda impress him...And there's a lot of cases of women whose boyfriends and fiancees run out on them..."

Not that you ran out, Will...she called...

"Then my first lawyer...The first one I went to...Had me thrown out of his office, saying I must be part of a joke...I went to ten lawyers in LA and San Francisco...And finally one told me I had to be human...Or human-souled, at least...To seek legal redress..."

But...He being a very nice man...He told me in California, practically anything could be declared human by the right judge...

Uh...Sorry...she eyed the frowning judge...

"And so then I watched the episode of "Star Trek" where Mr. Data got declared human...And the old "Outer Limits" episode where they tried a robot for murder..." And I knew I could make as good a case as they could...And I knew a case involving a robot twin of a human Slayer in love with a human-souled vampire was sure to make headlines...So...she beamed... "I looked up on the Net the three most brilliant...And most headline/glory-hogging, mercenary legal minds in the USA today and got them to take my case..."

You go girl...Willow hissed...

Another narrow stare from her companion...Whose side are you on, Willow?...

"Didn't know you were on any side here, Buf..." she replied...

She did all that for me?...William stared at Illyria, then the earnest Botty on the stand...

"Wil...You suppose if I invited him home and made him dinner?..." Buffy hissed...

"Think that would count as more heroic self-sacrifice on his part, Buf..." Willow noted...

more?

Search: The Web Angelfire

"Immortal Beloved..." XCI ...

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...

Ok, I lied about stopping at 50...But me poor ole mum would just say, "so long as I like it, it's ok..."

Archived at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, . (scroll on down to the IB series)...

LA...Yesterday...

"Look, Slayer...Buffy..." William spoke into the phone Harmony had handed him a moment before... "I understand about the Immortal...About everything...It's fine...But I really don't think..."

Buffy...I'm sorry...But as I keep telling you...Every time you call...he sighed... "I've come to agree with you...We're not meant..."

Well, ok...Agree with the old you...Yes, before the cookies came out...

"I wish she'd stick them back in a little longer..." he hissed to Harmony, hand on phone, listening to Buffy continue...

"Buffy, I appreciate that you...Yes, I believe you...You loved me at the crater, that's wonderful, sweet...But as to our getting together again...Really, I think it would..."

No, no...I'm not seeing anyone...No, I'm not even shagging Harmony...She's human-souled again, Buf...

Not that that would stop me...Harm sighed, watching him speak...

"I just feel there'd be too many obstacles...And come on, love...This only started with you after the Immortal dumped...Right, after you decided he wasn't my redemption-seeking stand-in...Fine..."

Buffy...Ms. Summers...

"I really think I would rather not see you, thanks...I don't see a future with you...I don't see you at all in my life, Buffy..."

No...he frowned at the phone... "I don't think you're beneath me...Where'd you get that?..."

But you were the one who never made an effort to help me when I was Spike...Never worried your pretty head all that time we were lovers...

"Well, you may have been severely depressed, love...But I'd say my condition merited a little attention...If you'd cared for me..."

I won't even get into mentioning how you never went beyond restoring Angel's curse for that 'love of your life'...he thought...Even with Willow the super-wiccan by your side...

"Hell, a kindly staking as an act of love would've been welcome...And I have been back for some time, as you knew...But I don't want go on down this path...I don't blame you, girl...I just don't want to walk this road again..."

Yes, yes...I believe you...And I'm sorry...

"Yes...I'm sure you'll always love me...I'll always love you too, in my way...Goodbye, love...Yes, yes...Now, goodbye..."

Phew...he put down the phone...Which rang again immediately...

"No, I don't want to come and see Dawn, my old babysitting charge...Enough, Buf...Goodbye, good luck...Bye..."

Jesus...he sighed, looking at Harmony... "Ever since His Benevolence took a hike I've been the unrelenting focus...Why can't she just meet some nice, sexy Italian vamp there and relieve the tension...Or find her own true..."

They eyed each other...Her own true...Buffy?...Right, uh-huh...Grinning a bit...

Well, she's sure to find somebody new soon...he noted...

Continuously...

"So..." Harmony looked a bit downcast... "You don't love Buffy anymore..."

Not at all...Will shook his head... "A Buffy Summers is the love of my existence...The Buffy I told you about...From in my dreams while I was alone in the Sunnydale High sub-basement...Visions I had when I was a ghost...And even recently..."

Hmmn...But...Harmony eyed him... "Those are just fantasies, Will..."

No, no...he waved a hand... "They're projections, from other existences, granted to me via my link to the Eternal..."

I had it confirmed by our research staff...They detected quantum teleportational shifts during one of my visions...he noted...

"There is a Buffy out there for me...The one I've dreamed of does exist...One part our Buffy, one part Winifred Burkle...Strength, unbeatable courage, charming wit, infinite compassion, utter devotion, and endless, selfless love in one blonde package..."

The woman of every dream of love I've ever had...he smiled...

"Of course...According to my more concrete visions recently, she's actually a human-souled robot copy of another dimension's Buffy...But she is a Buffy all the same..."

And one day, perhaps here on Earth...Perhaps in Heaven when all the Williams across the infinite multidimensional universe are united...I'll meet her...

A violent crash over near the front entrance...Several security guards tossed back...Harmony rolled her eyes and pulled up her phone, dialing... "911?...We got an intruder again here at Angel, Burkle-Wyndham-Price, Gunn, and Walthrop..."

Yeah, female, twenty-ish...Same as usual...

"William!..." Buffy called as she entered... "I'm here!..."

Whatever evil force has caused you to claim you don't wanna be with me is gonna get its ass kicked right now...she beamed at him...

"Buffy..." he sighed...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCII...

A shortie..

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...(and of course, Cole's)

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...

Ok, I lied about stopping at 50...But me poor ole mum would just say, "so long as I like it, it's ok..."

This one is utterly my wife's fault...Helps to have seen the "Night and Day" duet in "De-Lovely..."

Rome, the courtyard of Buffy and Dawn's apartment building...Late evening...

Utter darkness...

"Ow!..." "Sorry, honey..." "It's ok, sweetie..." a kind tone, Nina's voice...

"Where's William?..." "Right here..." a resigned tone... "I have him..." Illyria's voice... "He's not going anywhere..."

A flashlight popped on...Vague faces briefly glimpsed in the darkness...The light focused on a hand hold a sheet... "Here it is...Take your copy, Will..."

"Here..." Illyria's firm voice...A hand grabbing the sheet away... "He has it...Over here..." The light briefly revealed the face of William...In rather nice tuxedo...Hair slicked back...The beam then running down his arm to where he held the sheet which had been grabbed...Another hand, with dress sleeve running to its wrist holding his hand firmly...

"Wish we'd done this part from the street...I can't see my hand in front of my face...Though thank God there's no moon tonight..." a sigh... "I'd really rather not test out my new restraining spell in public..."

"It will hold when you need it, honey..." Angel's voice, reassuring... "Have you got the CD player?...The guys ready in the street?..."

"Ready to roll...And the guys are standing by..."

"Ok, Mr. Walthrop...You're on..."

"I can't do this...Lets go back to LA..."

"Not a chance...You promised Nina and Illyria here before the Big One that if we made it, you'd go for broke and try..."

"You did, William...We bear witness to your solemn oath..." "Yeah...Angel, don't let him back out now..."

"She doesn't want me...She would've..." A pause...

"You didn't even let her know you were back..." Nina's voice, fuming...

"She knows...And could care less...Hell, she's practically Her Benevolence now if Andrew was telling the truth...Lets leave it be..."

"Not until you have fulfilled your solemn pledge..." Illyria's voice was stern... "A pledge made in the cause of Love must be fulfilled..."

"Wesley would want it that way..." A no excuses permitted tone...

"Will...You have the full resources of a somewhat depleted and disrupted, but still leading multinational behind you..."

Hell, man...Give it a shot...For both our...Ummn...

"Yeah?...You were sayin' babe...?" Nina's tone was somewhat curt...

"Uh...For the sake of Love...Like Illyria says..."

"William..." Harmony's voice cut in from behind..."Even my demon self told you to give her a chance...For her sake..And yours..."

After all...You guys took a chance on me...

"Hell, girl...We knew your demon'd do anything...Even go to Africa and get her soul...To get her job back..."

"Well then...For what you owe my soul...After takin' shameful advantage of me..."

Arrggh...

"Look...I can't sing this...Lets go back to LA and try selecting another tune, a few weeks or months of singing lessons...I could try writing some new poems..."

"No...!..." Illyria, Nina, Harmony in chorus...

"Look, Will...This one is sure fire...You can sing this...You just have to remember who you're singing it for...The love of your life...My Angelus demon could win Buffy over with this one...Just remember she's the One...The love of your existence..."

"Especially if that thing we dug out of the W-H archives about that Cicely person and Buffy is true..." Illyria noted...

"All you have to do is think of the words...And of the one you love..." Angel urged...

"The one He loves..." Nina firmly noted... Uh, yeah...

"I'll sing with you...Here..." Angel's hand came into the beam of light still held on the sheet in William's hand...Holding its own copy.."Where are you?...Ok..."

Would you kindly move your hand off my face?...William fumed...

"Hit it, honey..." Sound of a CD player starting...

Angel, then William reluctantly joining in...

(Night and Day, Cole Porter...)

"Like the beat beat beat of the tom-tom

When the jungle shadows fall...

Like the tick tick tock of the stately clock

As it stands against the wall...

(Gotta admit it has that unrelenting, obsessive quality...Will noted...Cordy always loved that song, Harm sighed sadly...Nina patting her...)

Like the drip drip drip of the raindrops

When the summer shower is through...

So a voice within me keeps repeating you, you, you..."

(Lights go on in the Summers' apartment above...

"Ok, hit it guys...!" Nina's voice into a microphone...Floodlights come on from the front and sides of the courtyard...An orchestra now is heard booming from the street outside...)

"Night and day, you are the one

Only you beneath the moon or under the sun..."

("Beautiful, guys..." Nina beams at the two...Angel with hand on William's chest...Illyria holding Will's arm...A slightly dreamy look on her now-visible Winifred face...Harmony likewise, standing to William's other side...)

"Whether near to me, or far

It's no matter darling where you are...

I think of you... Night and day..."

("What the ...?" a call from the balcony above...)

Angel, William, Illyria...Harmony joining in...

("Illyria?...Harmony?...Better let the boys..." Nina begins...)

"Day and night, night and day, why is it so

That this longing for you follows wherever I go

In the roaring traffic's boom...

("Angel, honey?...I think Will can take it now..." "William?...You really are...?...William?...Hey?..." Buffy's voice now cutting in...

Angel and William staring at each other intently as they sing...Illyria looking rather adoringly into William's eyes...Harmony singing rather plaintively to the night...)

"In the silence of my lonely room

I think of you

Day and night, night and day ..."

("Uh, guys?...Illyria?...Buffy's here..." "William?...Angel?...")

"Under the hide of me

There's an oh such a hungry yearning, burning inside of me

And this torment won't be through

Until you let me spend my life making love to you

Day and night, night and day ..."

("Will?..." "Oh, hi Buffy...Nice to see you...Excuse us..."

"Where the hell are the three of them going?..." Buffy eyed Nina...Who stared after them...

Harmony still singing to the night sky...

"Hey, Will...Wait up!..." "Angel!")

"Night and day, you are the one

Only you beneath the moon or under the sun

Whether near to me, or far

It's no matter darling where you are

I think of you...

Day and night, night and day, why is it so

That this longing for you follows wherever I go...

In the roaring traffic's boom

In the silence of my lonely room..."

(Will, Angel, Illyria's voices fading as they walked off, Buffy and Nina hurrying after...)

"I think of you

Day and night, night and day ...

(Cordy..." Harmony added as she stood alone, the orchestra's music behind her...

"Hey, Will, wait!..." Buffy's voice, calling...)

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIII...

A shortie..

.PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...(and of course, Cole's)

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...

Ok, I lied about stopping at 50...But me poor ole mum would just say, "so long as I like it, it's ok..."

LA...Night...

Ah!...A sudden scream...

A light pops on, revealing a rather battered-looking slight man swathed in bandages...His blonde, if somewhat singed hair visible above the facial wrappings, sitting up and leaning on the edge of what is clearly a hospital bed...His arm extended to the lamp on a small night table which he's snapped on...

"Hey...You alright, mate?..." he looks over to the bed across from his...

"I had the dream again..."

Yeah?...

"Had Buffy's head shoved in a bucket of horse piss...It dissolved into cookie dough goo, floating on the surface..."

"So it was the same one again..." William nodded...Yeah, the heavily bandaged Angel sighed from where he lay...

"Of course...That's just something floating in from Angelus...I've moved on..." Angel noted...

"Absolutely..." William nodded...

"She might have send a card, though...Even Andrew sent a card..." Angel's voice sounded a bit miffed...

"Dawn sent me one...Said she was sorry not to call or write when Andy told them after Dana...She wants to visit during summer break..."

"So you told me...Five times today..."

"Didn't say a word about Buffy though...Except that she was visiting the Immortal's place in the Austrian Alps..."

"So you said...Many times..."

Hey...A hurt tone... "You're the one who woke me up...With a rather Freudian dream, if you ask me..."

"I didn't...Besides...Don't tell me you of all people weren't hurt when she didn't show..."

"She's moved on...I've accepted it...I always said I knew I didn't have a chance, right?..."

"Are you saying it didn't bother you?...Knowing she knew what was up and she couldn't be bothered to come?...Hell, even Giles sent help and he hates me...For good reasons, I suppose..."

"Well, she wasn't really monitoring things with the Council, that Slayer, Gretchen said...Has been trying to keep her distance this last year..."

"Well...Angelus' rage aside...I'm annoyed with her, I don't mind sayin'...God, how many times did I risk death for her?..."

"After you and she called it quits?..." a mocking tone... "I'd say exactly zero, but for the Big One...Including the time you didn't even try to help her after she came back, remember?... Something about 'separate paths' wasn't it...?"

He frowned over at his hospital roommate... "And I can tell you...She needed help then like never before...And she was hurt..."

"She was?...Hmmn...I guess I was preoccupied...I figured long as she was alive again...And I did come when her Mom died...And for the Big One, I was there..."

"True enough...She did appreciate that I know..."

"So?...Where was she?...I mean, just for old times' sake...Friendship...Saving the head of an organization on her side that could be invaluable in helping her Slayers...And..." Angel paused...

You...

Hmmn?...

"Well, for God's sake William...You won your soul back for love of her...You saved her and the world and you've done nothing but good since...And you..." a sigh... "Even as Spike you were there when she needed you that year...When I didn't show..."

How she can not at least?...

"Probably just doesn't want me gettin' ideas...Tryin' to be kind in her blonde, Californianly thoughtless way..."

"You still in love with her?...You are, aren't you?..."

"Sure...You?..."

"I have a girlfriend...And I guess it was over a while ago...Look, Will...Why don't you take Illyria out when we get outta here?...She's still moping over poor Wes but she knows he's with Fred now..."

"I like Lyri...But..." a sigh..

"Don't you hate her a little?...She didn't even call after Andy told her how you got your hands cut off saving that maniac Dana?..."

"No...Well, I mean...It hurts some, sure..."

Ok, a lot...

"But...I can't make her care, can I?..."

Hmmn... "Well, you know...Will...She's not all that smart when it comes to magics protection..."

"Come on...My demon threw her invisible ass out when she wouldn't fess up to her guys about us...I'm not gonna stoop to love spelling now..."

Though, God...She was a sucker for love spells...

"Say, how do we know the Immortal doesn't use magics?...Ever?...All we got is the word of a Wolfram-Hart staffer...Who coulda been workin' for him?...Hey, maybe the Immortal was one of the Partners...Maybe he took Buffy and was arranging our deaths...Or to have us wipe out the others and leave him head honcho..."

"While we're wishing things like this...I'd like a pony..."

"Didn't Dawn's card say anything about Buffy?..."

"Just what I tole ya..."

"I say that's suspicious...We outta call Giles and demand the lowdown on His Benv..."

"If it makes you happy, go ahead...Best wait till morning in England, though..."

"Why don't we go to England?...We still got the jet...I'm CEO of the new firm thanks to all the threats of revealing the tight connections of our national and state leaders to the foul evil of the Partners...We could just go...On a visit to check out our roots, say...And while we're looking up your past in London, we pay a call on Rupert and the Council..."

And all those Slayers who left you their numbers...he noted...

Hmmn...Will pondered...

"The fourteen who stayed on in LA to visit me could use a ride back to England...They're still in training there..."

"Perfect...And if Giles confesses to us that he has doubts about His Benevolence..." (And being Rupert Giles he is sure to at least have 'doubts'...Will noted...) "We go to Austria and make sure alls well..."

Hmmn...Nah...Will shook his head...

"We looked like idiots in Rome...Lets not go that way again...If Rupert gives us something concrete, we can think it over then...After all, if he were really worried..."

I guess so...A disappointed tone...

"But a trip to England and maybe to see your old sod across the way would be nice...I'd like to see if any family made it to the present..."

"Yeah...I suppose I should too...Now that I can help them out, my mother would appreciate my looking out for the family...Though in modern-day Ireland, they're probably not making out badly..."

"Less of course all surviving family you didn't kill were hunted down and massacred as relatives of Angelus..." Will noted...

"My people are survivors...Some probably made it...Say?...Were there really fourteen of them who stayed behind here to visit you?..."

"You were there when they came yesterday...They'll probably be in today...Count em..."

"Whoa...And all because of the memories they got from her?..."

Guess so...

"Nice ladies, too...And that Gretchen's quite the beauty..."

"I guess..."

"Will, if she can move on...Without even tryin' at closure..."

"I am what I am, mate...Victorians mate rarely, usually for life..."

"Jesus...At least admit you're angry at her...Even some of the Slayers were mad at her..."

"I don't want it to end in anger...I've done enough of that...But the England trip's a good idea when we're up for it...Go back to bed, Angel..."

And try to remember the good times...I try to...

He snapped off the light...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIV...

A shortie..

.PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...(and of course, Cole's)

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...

Ok, I lied about stopping at 50...But me poor ole mum would just say, "so long as I like it, it's ok..."

Rome...The day after the final battle with the Senior Partners in LA...

He looked at the tape player Dawn had passed over to him …Pressed for a rewind…

"Andrew?..." he turned to the boy… "I never said a word…I promised him...and you…"I never mentioned his being there…I swear…" Andrew in tears now…Dawn hugging him…

"I see…" Giles looked at Andrew… "And she got this just this morning…After the news from LA last night?…"

"Giles?..." Dawn sighed... "Why didn't you tell us what was up in LA, Giles?...Even if she hadn't known he was there, alive…She would have gone to help Angel, whatever you said about him…"

She would have been there even if she couldn't have saved him…

"I thought it for the best…Honestly…He'd had the sense not to come…She seemed…The Immortal and she…" Giles paused…Fighting to hold on…

Did she say anything, after listening to this?...He indicated the now-rewound tape…

"She just stared at it a while..." Dawn said quietly… "Then she locked herself in her room…Playing it over and over...And when I couldn't get her to answer or come to the door…I called you…" she sat down suddenly, her face shadowed and drained…

Giles pressed the play button…

The high, somewhat squeaky voice of Cole Porter, accompanied by thumping piano…

(from "You're the Top"…Cole Porter)

"At words poetic, I'm so pathetic…That I always have found it best…

Instead of getting them off my chest…To let them rest…

Unexpressed…

I hate parading…My serenading…And I'll probably miss the bar…

But if this ditty…Is not so pretty…

At least it'll tell you how great you are…

You're the top…"

He, Andrew, and Dawn quietly listened to the end…Where William's voice suddenly cut in over Porter's…A warm, embracing tone...

"…but if my Buffy I'm the bottom…

You are... most definitely...the top…"

"Immortal Beloved..." XCIV...

A shortie..

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: The usual-One of (95 now) multiple versions of the outcome

from "Girl in Question" or further in Angel S5 to "Not Fade Away..."

This is actually a short...And somewhat different version of what will

be IB100...

'Fraid I couldn't resist trying it this way first...

Archived at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at

.com/zine2 , scroll down to

"Immortal Beloved" series...

"Ok...So...The baby, saved from its terrible fate as the holy vessel of the cruel, if excellent-prenatal-care-provid -ing demons...Was taken to safety, under the protection of his rescuer, Prince William..." A woman's voice, perhaps a tad weary...

"Who killed all those guys, right?...The ones who were gonna hurt the baby?..."

"Well..." a man's voice cut in... "They didn't plan to hurt the kid per se...At least not for a while...Lets not be unfair to them..."

"But the Prince got 'em all, right...?" "Well..." a slight hesitatation...

"Oh, yeah..." the woman's voice hastily cut in... "He took out all of them...And they will never bother the baby again...Ever..."

"Never..." the man's voice agreed...

"And so, at last, the noble, beautiful, and loving Prince was freed from his dark curse by his beloved...And became a Hero and Champion in arms with the gallant Prince Angelus, fighting courageously for all that's good..."

The rather exhausted-sounding woman, by appearance just into her late twenties, eyed the boy tucked away in his bed...

"Beautiful?..." the man's voice questioned... "No doubt about it..." the woman's smilingly replied...

"Yeah, yeah...But you can't end it there...What about the brave and handsome Princess?...What was she doing sittin' in Europe with that other guy?...Who's no good, right?..." a nervous look with the plaintive tone... "I mean, he can't be the Immortal Beloved, right?...When did she come to LA to find the real one, the Prince I mean?...There's gotta be more..." the eight year old eyed his mother who sighed, wearily, lifting herself from the bed where she'd been precariously perched... "Sure...But, tomorrow, kiddo...Mummy's pooped..."

"Dad?..." the boy looked to his father, likewise sitting on the bed...

"Mum's telling this one, laddie..." he smiled at the boy... "'Sides...I don't know this part of the story so well..."

Though am kinda curious to hear it myself...he grinned at 'Mum' who frowned at him...

"See...Dad wants to hear too...Mom?...Please?..."

Urghh...Thanks, sweetheart...she glared at her slight, blonde mate...

"Ok...One more chapter and that is it...I mean it..."

"Ok..." the boy nodded...Deal struck...

"All right...Where were we...?"

"Prince William and Prince Angel...The vamp heroes...And the others, Queen Illyria and Prince Charlie, were about to clobber the big-bad guys...the Old Partners..."

"Senior Partners..."

"Right...Were those guys like...Bad cowboys?..."

"Oh, yeah..." the father grinned... "A regular demonic crew of gunslingers...Ridin' in after their hired aces, the Black Thorns, bit the dust to try and send the boys to their long-belated ash-heaps..."

Cool... "And the Princess was about to help them, right?...After takin' out the Immoral Asswipe?..."

"Hey!..."

"Soory..."

"You taught him that, didn't you?..." "Me?..." an innocent look... "You..."

"Guys..." the boy frowned at his parents...Who looked at him...

"Ok...But no more swearin', got me?..."

The boy eyed his dad who gave a careful eye roll...If you want more from her tonight...

"Yeah, sorry..."

"Anyway, the Princess wasn't about to 'clobber' the Immortal..." the woman began...

No?...A disappointed chorus from father and son...

Ummn...Well...The mother looked a tad sheepish...

"She still kinda thought..."

"Oh, no...No...The Princess is not in love with that creep...Anybody can see he's the bad guy...Workin' for the Pardners...She's not that dumb..." the boy noted confidently...

Dad eyeing his wife...Well?...

"Wasn't a question of being 'dumb', Will..." she informed her son, frowning at Dad... "The Princess was still very sad over losing the Prince before she could make him see how much she loved him...And she was trying to find a little consolation..."

Had been for a...very...long time...

"Something or someone to make her feel better..." she explained to the boy's puzzled look...

Really?...Dad noted dryly...

"And the Prince having been so gutless as not to trust the Princess with his heart again ...Although she had been made aware of Prince William's return...And had worked on her own valiantly to lift his horrible curse...She didn't know if he could love her again...Enough..."

It had been a while...she sighed...

"And there was the burden of his horrible curse..."

"... 'But on hearing of the battle coming, she had to go to LA and save him...And Prince Angelus'..." the boy prompted... "After she dealt with the other guy..."

"Who's telling this, Will?..." Mom eyed him...

Sorry... "But I know this part...The Princess learned the Immortal...Whatever...Was about to go to LA with the Evil One...The One who'd cursed him and now would destroy Prince William forever..."

And she got 'em both first...a grin...

"Will..."

"Well she did..."

"Ok, she did..." Mom conceded... Ya...the boy and Dad chorused...

"Though of course she didn't hurt the Evil One too much..." she carefully noted... "Just made her a friend...And helper..."

"And then she went to LA...And freed Prince William and Prince Angelus from their curses..."

And then, after she was sure of them, helped them gore and slaughter the Partners...the boy beamed...

"So, even she suspected him of selling out to the Other Side?..Even with ...?" a frown from Dad...

"No...Never..." Mom insisted... "But she couldn't be sure...Maybe the Evil One was still holding him somehow..."

Or, worst of all...Maybe he truly didn't love her anymore...

"Ridiculous..." Dad snorted...

"Well, she didn't know...He'd never called her after he came back...From the magic amulet...The guy who'd let his demon be driven back to Hell for love, won his soul back voluntarily for a Slayer?...What was she supposed to think?..."

"He shoulda called her..." the boy agreed... "Absolutely..." Mom nodded...

"And even now he was gutless about...Didn't even try to face her after the fight..."

That was kinda gutless...the boy nodded...

"So whaddid she do?...And how did she clobber the bloody stupid guy?..."

"She didn't hurt Prince Angelus..." Mom looked puzzled...

"I mean the other guy, 'His Benevolence'...Bloody stoopid if ya ask me..." the boy grinned at Dad who returned grin...

"Don't say that when Uncle Liam's around..." Mom hastily noted... "Ok, well the Princess was visiting in Rome, Italy..."

A knock at the door...

"Told you it was late..." Mom sighed... "Come in..."

A wan-looking Buffy in nurse's outfit entered carefully...Ma'am...she nodded...

"Is it feeding and bath time already, Buffy?..." Dru eyed her kindly...Soulless Spike smiling at her as well...Hey, Slayer...

"Yes, ma'am..." Buffy came over... "How are you feeling, ma'am...?"

"'Bout as good as a pregnant vampire can feel, Buffy, thank you...I do wish Grandmother were still on Earth to help me through this..."

"Now, Dru...Angelus and I reviewed the entire Wolfram-Hart spell catalog...It will be fine, you know that..." Spike patted her...

"And Buffy can always call her friends Willow and Giles and get some advice with a little careful manipulation by us...Right, Buffy?...You could speak to them without getting them all upset about you?..."

Yes, William...a wan nod... "Like after I helped Dru kill the Immortal in Rome...And stole the Angelus curse disk for her so she could help you and Angelus...They still think I went to be with you in LA..."

"Well, love you did..." he patted her... "In a manner of speakin'...Anyway we're all one big happy family now, eh?...You and the Nibs are very happy with us, right?..."

Yes, William... "I don't think Dawn should be fed on again for a few days yet, though...She's very weak..." she noted...

"Absolutely...Maybe we'll take her over to LA General for a transfusion later..." he nodded... "Though of course we don't want to wait too long to give Will Jr and the new one an older sister..."

No, William...Buffy nodded...

"Well...Will Jr, since it's feeding and bath time...We'll continue the story later, ok...?" Dru patted the boy who took demon face...

"You promise?..."

"Ok..."he sighed... "Hi, Auntie Buffy..."

"Hello Will..." Buffy nodded, with vague smile... "Ready for dinner and your bath?..."

"Yeah..."

She knelt and exposed her well-marked neck to him...He sinking fangs...

"Could you do more of the story after I finish, while I get my bath...?" he looked up from Buffy's neck...Blood smeared on his lips... "Auntie Buffy wants to hear the story too, don't you Auntie Buffy?..."

Ohhh...Yesss...Buffy whispered faintly...

"Tomorrow, tomorrow...Mom and lil' sis here..." Dru patted her swelled middle... "...are for bed..."

"Best to let it go, lad...Your mum'll continue it tomorrow...And every day, til it's done...For now, it's bedtime for Mumso and your

sis...and you, after your bath..."

"O...K..." a sigh...

"Not too much, William...Auntie Buffy is a little tired these days..." Dru cautioned...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCVI...

A shortie..

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: The usual-One of (96 now) multiple versions of the outcome from "Girl in Question" or further in Angel S5 to "Not Fade Away..."

This one being of course in part a little tribute to one of my favorite Asimov characters…

Archived at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to

"Immortal Beloved" series...

Rome...

"I have to go…" Buffy softly noted…The divinely handsome figure next to her sighed but nodded… "Of course you do…He's your beloved, Buffy…I'm glad for you and I understand…"

"I'm sorry…" she began… "It has been very nice these past…"

The apartment front door was thrown open…The couple on the sofa looked to see a fuming Dawn and rather miffed Andrew coldly staring at them…

"All right, you!..." Dawn cried…Waving a charm of some sort… "You're had it!..." she tossed the charm, a chain of antique metal balls like a bracelet at Buffy…

"Your Evil power is broken…Thanks to Chairman Giles and the Watchers' Council…!" Andrew struck what he took to be a defiant Watcher's pose…

"Hardly Evil, my friend…" the Immortal shook his head as Buffy stared at him…My God…

"And your token there would only have a temporary effect…If I wished to oppose you…" the now little and rather deformed man smiled at the charm on the floor…

"He's not what he seems, Buffy…Never has been…He's been deceiving us with some kinda telepathic power…" Dawn glared at the Immortal… "Giles' spell has made us see him clearly…" A nervous glance... "You better get him in case he's right…"

And tell me…Please…You never went all the way with this guy…she thought, eyeing the shocked Buffy…Who'd fled the sofa and was now standing, facing the little man who looked up at them with sad, quiet eyes…

"You tricked me…Tried to…" Buffy fumbled for the stake in her pocket…

"No, Buffy…It is true I used my power to conceal my true form…As I have for centuries…And I did try to lessen your grief over William…I couldn't bear seeing you suffer so…"

But I was perfectly willing to let you go today…he noted… "And you know yourself you've never been made to stop loving him…Or to love me…"

"You were in my mind…Made me…"

"No, only the lightest on your mind's surface…And again, I never moved you to change your feelings…Only to help put a little distance between you and grief…"

"I would have gone to him…When Andrew told us…"

"No…" he shook his head… "I never stopped you from going…You feared to face him and learn why he hadn't come straight to you…It was your fear not any control of mine…"

Must be damned good power to get us to not see that form for so long…Andrew noted…

"Don't trust him, Buf…Giles finally got the dope on him…He's a mighty telepath…God knows what he really was doing to you…" Dawn moved to her sis' side…

The Immortal sighed and shook his head…

"Did Mr. Giles also tell you that I only use my ability for the cause of peace and to protect the helpless and spare the suffering pain?…Though I must be sparing in its use to prevent the evil, or those who would deem me a monster if they knew of my power from destroying me…As, obviously, I have little but my power to defend me…"

"Sure you do…You're His Benevolence…" Dawn sneered… "Make everyone worship you, make my poor sis love you, and then…"

"No…" Buffy shook her head…Eyeing the little man, who carefully adjusted his twisted, badly deformed arms with what was now, clearly, great pain…And settled, a hair more comfortable, as he sat… "He didn't make me love him…"

"Thank you…" the Immortal nodded…

"Though you did influence me, I know that now…" she eyed him coolly…

"Only in the mildest way, Buffy…And if I chose, I could, even now with Mr. Giles' toy there opposing me…Reduce the three of you to mindless servitude…Or blank the memory of all these events from your minds…" he smiled…

But I am not a monster, merely a wreck of man with a gift he's slowly learned to try to use in what ways he can to help Humankind…Please, listen to me…I do want people to understand me…

"It was only after many years, centuries ago, that I discovered Nature had not only trapped me in this miserable form you see before you for all eternity…But, perhaps in recompense, given me the ability to bend wills to mine…It took even longer for me to realize that no other, even among the supernatural, had my power…"

And the responsibility that came with it…Which I must admit took me a good number of those intervening centuries to acquire…I did indeed have my time of petty conquest and power, lording my ability over others until the slow lessons of Time taught me to care for my fellow humans and to admire…and desire…genuine, unforced feeling above all else…

"Not that I never use my abilities today as you know…The millions who admire me and perhaps in a way, love me, would never love what you see before you…They see what they want to see in their hero…But I don't put anything but what they themselves desire in their minds…And of course I have used my mental powers to protect others…"

"You've been controlling me..." Buffy began coldly…"Trying to make me love you…"

"No, Slayer…At least not in the way you think…Your kindly feelings for me, the friendship we've developed over these past months is your own emotion…"

A feeling I cherish…And will continue to…he smiled wanly at her… "Though I know you've never loved me, even in my rather charming illusion…"

"Damned right!…My sis'll never be yours…" Dawn raged…

"Dawn, I never expected she would…And it would have been pointless to force her to be…I only wanted to help her…First with her grief, then…When he came back…Until she was ready for this moment…When she'd go back to face him and reveal what is in her heart…Which she is going to do, now…" he looked at Buffy…

Though it will be a very tough fight, she will…he smiled sadly…

"You never…That's all you wanted?..." Buffy eyed him…

"It's all I could ever hope to have…Nature having played me one last little trick…" he shook his head…

"Certainly I could have made you very happy, Buffy…But though I may have tried to ease your pain in the past months, I've never forced and have no wish to force the emotion on you…And it would be necessary for me to do so to keep you with me now…"

He eyed the three…And they could feel the faint touch of his mind, revealing its vast latent force…

"So, Slayer, you and your friends go in peace, in the name of what I choose to call…Friendship…And save your beloved…"

Buffy paused at the door, Dawn and Andrew waiting, a bit nervously, outside…

"Who are you…Really?..."

"I have been many names…" the little man sighed…Rubbing his twisted nose…

"But perhaps the one that truly suits me…Is that of 'The Mule'…"

Not, obviously, for my physical strength…A rueful smile…

"Immortal Beloved..." XCVII...

A shortie..

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: The usual-One of (97 now) multiple versions of the outcome from "Girl in Question" or further in Angel S5 to "Not Fade Away..."

Archived at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series...

Rome...late...The day before the battle with the Senior Partners at LA...

"You're not going...Even now?..." Dawn stared at her sister, seated rather languidly on their apartment sofa next to her latest...The, as always immaculately groomed, divinely handsome, Immortal...

Buffy looked at her with cool, appraising eyes... "Giles only said there seemed to be trouble brewing with the Black Thorn Circle...Angel may be up to something...Or he may have sold out to them after all...We'll have to wait and see..."

But...Dawn hesitated...Buffy smiling at her...

"All of a sudden he matters to you?...After you telling me all year long it was for the best that he didn't come...That we don't see each other..."

I think my sis misses her old babysitter...she turned to the Immortal with a grin...

"He saved our lives, Buffy...And...You..." the girl paused again, eyeing her sis carefully...

She's just afraid to let the feelings break out...That's gotta be it...She looked over to where their surprise guest, one Xander Harris, sat in a chair...Thoughtfully watching them all...But nodding to Buffy...

"I think Buf's right, Dawn...Best to see what happens...If Angel really is moving against the Partners we can get help in there in a few hours or so..."

"He...And Angel...Could be dust by then..." Dawn shook her head...

"I'm worried for them too, Dawnie..." a note of concern now injected... "But we've gotta sensible about this..."

"If he'd been sensible..." Dawn began...

"Spike would still be on Earth...And poor William might actually be happier, safe in Heaven..." Buffy's voice was cool again... "I can't take a team of half-trained Slayers in till we know what's up..."

Take a team?...Dawn looked at her...

Since when would sis ever bother with a team...Or hesitate...For Angel and Will?...

"Things are different now, Dawn..." her sis reading her thoughts... "I have responsibilities...And someone I care about who would worry about me..." a smile to her companion...

"Angel...And William...Are still my friends...I hope...And I care about them...But I hafta be sensible..."

'Sides...she shrugged with a teasing smile... "I go charging in there and what's poor Will gonna think...Be cruel to get his hopes up, don't ya think?..."

"I don't understand why you haven't gone before...Or at least called...At least after Andy came back..."

"He didn't feel like coming here then...And when he did come, he didn't stay and see me...I think it's best to let things be, sis..."

"Absolutely..." Xander chimed in...

His Benevolence seemed a trifle exhausted, he noticed...And somewhat vaguely agitated...

Buffy taking note as well, turned to her latest... "You look tired, Henri...Why don't I call you a cab home?..."

"Not just yet, my dear..." he smiled...And turned to Xander...

"So, Mr. Harris, do you know what Chairman Giles plans to do here?..."

"Just what you guys know...He'll monitor the sit, call us if things seem to be going dangerous..."

And has at least twenty local Slayers standing by...Very eager to meet Spike...er William...

"Exactly..." Buffy beamed... "So, you see Dawnie...No reason to worry...Or to get Will hurt by making him think things that will never be..."

"You said you loved him...You told me you meant it...For months you were acting like..."

"At the time, I did...But that was a different time...I've moved on..." Buffy cut her off, settling back in the sofa... "And as I pointed out, he didn't feel inclined to come to me..."

And, again...I have someone else to think about now...She looked over to a clock set on an end table...

"Time you headed for bed, kiddo..."

"I'm not a kid..." an irritated frown...

"Indulge me..." Buffy gave her a serious look... "Besides I'll sure as heck be heading for bed in a few...And I want a minute alone with my two cuties here..."

Hmmn...Ok, the Big, Dangerous Plan must be kept from lil' Dawnie...Dawn frowned...

Well...Just so long as she is going...This new 'Cautious Commander' Buffy persona may please ole Giles...Apparently even Xander...But I much prefer 'Risk It All for My Loves and Buds' Buffy...

"All right..." she sighed... "But if you hear anything..." "We'll drag you outta bed if we have to to wake you..." Buffy smiled... "Don't worry...Will and Angel are big vamp boys, they'll be fine...Right, Henri?...Xander?..."

"They'll be ok, Dawn..." Xander nodded...

She returned the nod and came over for a hug, then to Buffy...And turned to go...

"Hey?..." Buffy's voice was a tad sharp... "No kiss night-night for my feller?..."

"Sorry, nite..." Dawn gave a quick wave at His Benevolence who smiled and waved back as she went into her bedroom...

"I guess Dawn just doesn't like to give up those romantic fantasies..." Buffy smiled at Xander who shrugged and smiled back...

"Yeah, well...She's probably still got the guilts about William..." he said quietly... "She was feeling pretty badly she never got a chance to tell him she was sorry about the way she treated him that last year...And proud of him..."

"Hey, so am I..." Buffy shrugged... "But I have to be the Slayer Corps Commander as well as sentimental Buffy..."

Sure...Xander nodded...

"But it's good to have you here, Xander...I've missed you..." she reached to pat him... "Just why though did Giles send you now...?"

"He didn't...Though he does know I'm here..."

Oh...

Hmmn-hmmn...

"So what was it?...You heard from Giles about LA and wanted to be sure crazy for love Buf didn't do the foolish, headstrong thing?..."

"Something like that..." he grinned...

"Well...No need to worry...I've finally managed to get some of Giles' teachings through my thick, sentimentally romantic blonde skull..."

Great...he nodded...

"That's all I needed to hear..." he smiled at her, rising a little...

"And exactly what An warned me you'd say..." he whirled, then pulled up and fired a gun of sorts...Into the chest of the startled Immortal, who cried out...

An?...the words had barely left Buf's lips when the dart from his gun whizzed at her...She caught it with one hand...

"Nice try…Big Brother…" she sneered, tossing the dart aside and rising… "And I gotta hand it to you, 'one who sees all even with one eyeball missin'…But you're no match for me, boy…"

"Eh..." he shrugged as she deftly moved to dodge his second shot and block his escape...Sorry, but I will have to kill you now...she noted...

"I've learned a few things in my time...Your Benevolence..." he tossed a box at her which opened in mid-air to reveal a net formed of wires and some kind of gelatinous goo...She tried to avoid it but it struck her and adhered at all points of contact...A violent electrical discharge beginning as soon as it had made contact at two places...

She shuddered and collapsed, eyes rolling as she writhed on the floor...The net flowing over her...Glowing with intense energy...

Dawn's door opened... "No, Dawn!...Keep back!.." he put up a hand as she hurried out to them in nightie and robe... "What the...?...Buffy!..." she cried at the Slayer now shaking and nearly convulsing on their living room floor...

"It's ok, Dawn!...But keep back till it's done!..." Xander pulled at her...She jumping back from him... "What are you doing to her?...Who are you?..." she backed further, then looked for help to the sofa where the Immortal was now sprawled and either unconscious or...

No longer worthy of his title...

"No, Dawnie...It is me..." Xander sighed as she looked for a way out...No chance, boxed in...She reached in her robe to pull out a cell phone...Trying to dial while watching him and her sis on the ground...Buffy now a bit further away from convulsions apparently, but still shaking as the current or energy of some sort flowed across the net over her...

"You can go ahead and call Giles...He knows about it...Dawn, you know Buf's been acting strangely..." he stopped as Buffy let out a low, painful moan...Both of them looking at her

As something...Rather like a shiny jellyfish...Emerged...Tightly folded at first, then expanding to a large, flat disc, from her right nostril...

My God...Dawn stared...As Buffy slowly opened her eyes, staring round the room...

She stared at the jellyfishlike thing as it wriggled on the ground by her…

"Wha…What the hell…"

"Buf…Dawn..." Xander waved at the thing on the ground… "May I introduce…the Immortal…"

Or at least the transfer vessel for his consciousness…

"What?..." Dawn looked at the thing...Buffy struggling to sit up, then, with a hoist from Xander, to her rather wobbily feet...

"According to Giles, he…it…can keep a human host in almost perfect condition, exactly as it was the day it entered for upwards of a thousand years before a new host is required…The guys who finally fingered him in the archives after I got to London the other day say His B has switched genders a number of times in the past...I guess this host was reaching its warranty expiration and he...It...Figured the greatest Slayer would be a definite trade up…"

Entered?...Buffy looked at the writhing mass…Which reared up a bit…Appearing almost…Enraged?...

"Careful!..." Xander threw a sofa cushion over the raging little mass as it fired out a long tentacle towards her…Both she and Dawn backing off...He threw several books on the cushion and then set a heavy table, marble side down on top...The stack quivered then was quiet...

"That tentacle must be how it first gets its hooks into a host…The process takes weeks to months of preparation, Giles' boys in London said…Though he gains a measure of influence over the new host preety quick...Which is why you didn't tell us when he inserted it...And weren't quite the romantic idiot Buf we all knew and fretted over all those months back after Sunnydale... "

Dawn nodding, with a smile now...That's our big bro...

"But…" Buffy eyed the handsome body on the floor by the sofa… "He was still…"

"The final move is telepathic...He gains more and more control but doesn't do the actual transfer until the body is completely prepped and the brain ready…Though he tried a rush job when he realized I was on to him..."

She sat down, still stunned…

Oh, my God...she looked up to them...

"William!...He's..."

"Yeah...He's alive...Well, you know...And in LA..."

"I remember..." she nodded...Frowning at the body... "He...It...Is allied to the Partners...Or was...He was hoping...I think...His buddies and Angel and Will would kill each other off in the final battle, with a little help from us, leaving him free..."

As me...she sighed... "To enslave the Slayer Corps using his little parasites..."

Eehew...Not that I disapprove of Willow's lifestyle choices... she hastily noted...

"But we can't stand around here!..." She staggered a bit then straightened... "I've gotta get to LA!...Now!...Dawn, give me your phone!...Oh God, I'll never make it, now!" she eyed Xander rather desperately...

And somewhat annoyed...I mean, not ungrateful to have that thing outta my skull, but geesh...Couldn't you have come a day or two sooner?...

"Don't worry..." Xander grinned... "Giles is sending every Slayer he can get hold of to LA and I've got an orb of Callistos in my bag...We can teleport as soon as you rest a little..."

"I gotta call him!..."

"You gotta rest first, Buf..." he shook his head... "And let me make sure all of...It..." They all eyed the Immortal's past human form... "Is outta you..."

Yeah...Definitely...Dawn nodded, looking at the sofa cushion...Which still quivered slightly...Buffy eyeing it as well...

"Well...Let me make sure of It, anyway..." she frowned...And with a quick, hard shove, crushed down on the upturned table and book stack...

A squishing sound...And a very faint, high-pitched shriek-like sound...

Followed by a seeping of...Eehew...Dawn twisted her mouth at the green mush...

Our landlord is not gonna like this...

"That outta settle His Benevolence..." Buffy coldly frowned at the remains...Then staggered again a little, Dawn and Xander steadying her...

Guess I better rest a mo at that...she noted wearily... "If I'm gonna show my Champion the way the Slayer proves her 'I love yous'..."

Uh-boy...Dawn sighed...Oh, well...Knew I'd wind up with a vamp in-law one way or the other someday...

"But..." Buffy looked at Xander... "How did you...Did Giles?..."

"An old friend told me the other night...And finally got me to go to London about it..." he smiled... "Actually she's been trying to warn me for weeks now but you know me...She had to practically take material form and toss me outta bed to make me believe it wasn't just a dream..."

By the way, if you could ask William about that corporealization spell after you save him in LA?...

"She did want me to apologize though..." he grinned at them... "She knows you woulda preferred her reaching Will and sending him straight to ya..."

But An's the romantic idiot type too...

"Immortal Beloved..." XCVIII..

.

A shortie..

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: The usual-One of (98 now) multiple versions of the outcome from "Girl in Question" or further in Angel S5 to "Not Fade Away..."

Archived at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series...

Downtown LA...About 1 am...

A slight man of about late twenties in appearance staggered down a street which clearly had been visited by some mammoth catastrophe...The long-heralded 'Big One' at last, perhaps?...

There were certainly the vast cracks and gaping holes in the boulevard in front and behind him, the badly-damaged buildings...In particular, the shattered Wolfram-Hart Tower building behind him, the broken gas mains on fire, the broken and spouting water mains, the mass of debris...Destroyed cars, steel and concrete torn from various buildings, and above all, glass everywhere, the wailing alarms...Though mercifully far fewer in number than a few minutes ago, to lead an observer to that surmise...

And the to be expected piles of corpses and broken, torn bodies about...

Though perhaps, rather strange bodies for the overwhelming part...More animal than human in appearance...And odd animal at that...As if perhaps a great metropolitan zoo had been the epicenter of the disaster...

Yet the young-looking, battered man looked anything but a zoo keeper...

He paused...Listening and tensing at the sound around him...A howling vortex of cries, yells, alarms, explosions...Some uncomfortably near, and off, in the distance, the thin wailing of long-delayed rescue vehicles, fire, police... That his intense concentration on matters at hand until just moments ago had forced away from his consciousness, excepting those sounds...War cries, shrieks of rage, the sound of charging feet or hooves...Which had formed a part of those matters...

And now that he could hear the other sounds about him...He realized there were people in the area...Human as opposed to that which was strewn about him in the street...

And mostly, women, judging by the voices...

Women?...A jolt of pure, incandescent joy hit him...Even as did the pain of his many injuries which, like the extraneous sounds, he'd kept from his consciousness during the chaotic time which seemed now to be gradually ending...

As he collapsed, a momentarily concern for his new and fairly expensive jacket leading him to angle his fall away from a particularly bloody...Green blood at that...corpse, in favor of a hit to the hard street, the thought flamed in his mind...

She's here...She came...

She came...Darkness closing in as someone...Nope, something...Slammed down on him...Apparently anxious to make assurance double sure...

"Hey?..." a sharp voice called, shoving away the dark…He looked wearily up to see a short young blonde woman in dark glasses and leopard-spotted fake fur-trimmed leather coat…Spiky heels…

Buffy?...he whispered, staring…

"Get off…" she shoved the large demon crushing his chest back and skewed him on a long pole she snatched up from the rubble in the street…

"God, where'd they get that one…Whata clodhopper...Didn't even have the brains to get when the getting's good..." A harsh NYC accent…

Nope, not Buffy…he sighed…

But at least…Without doubt a Slayer…

"You William?..." she eyed him where he lay on the ground…Bleeding from about as many areas as he could ever remember having bled from…He started to nod…

Yeah…she smiled faintly…Pulling glasses to reveal a face that startled him in its essential, though not quite, Buffiness…Even something of her manner, he noted...

"I recognized you…Got her memories of ya, ya know?…Though you've looked bettah if I remember right…" a grin which he feebly returned…Yeah…He moved a bit as if to rise but she knelt by him…

"Don't strain yourself…Things are settling down…"

"Angel…The others…"

"The big guy's ok, just down the street with some of the other girls…So's the blue freak…er sorry…Your pal, I mean…And the black guy's on his way to LA General…One of the girls here's a nurse, she thinks he'll make it…"

"Great…" he tried to rise again…She holding him back…Whoa, boy… "Almost nobody left to fight William, don't go getting yourself dusted now…"

…When you got me to live for…she smiled at him…A slight blush visible now even with the poor lighting and what he could now see was rather heavy make-up…

"By the way…Stella Marcus…Vamp Slayer…" she offered…

A cry moving their way…He looked and tried to sit up as two new figures…Likewise short, likewise blonde…

And again something in their manner…That for the first seconds…He could've sworn…

Or perhaps so desperately wanted to believe…he ruefully noted to himself as the two women reached them, looking at him rather anxiously…

"William?...Are you ok?..." one asking… "Is he ok?..." she looked at Stella…Who frowned…

At the extra company as much as the question?...he wondered, looking at her annoyed face…

"Hey, he's William…He's fine…"

But if three Slayers were here…And hell, there had to be lots more from the sound, he looked back up the street…Stella had said more were with Angel or engaged with the enemy…

If they were here, she had to be here…

"Is Buffy…?"

One of the newly arrived pair eyed him, then her mates, carefully… "She wanted to come…She was busy…"

"But we all came…" the third hopefully noted…

I see…he sighed involuntarily…

"The three of us…" the third of the three women continued… "And all the others who could make it…"

"Thanks…We do appreciate it, ladies…"

"We especially wanted to be here…" the second of the three smiled at him… " 'Cause we're…"

"Girls…Willy here needs some rest and a trip to LA General…" Stella cut in sternly…

"The ones who look most like her…?" he finished for the second, smiling faintly at her…

She beamed, nodding…

"Course Stella here had to dye her hair…" Glare from Stella… "And I've been on a crash diet since I was activated…Marie Brezowski, hi…"

"William…Sorry we meet under such inelegant circumstances…"

"Walthrop…" the third woman noted…He blinked at her…

"How'd you know?…Even Buffy…"

"Looked your university record up on the Net…Had to do some searchin' to correlate your record with reports on Spike's activities at the time but it wasn't all that hard…"

Mr. Walthrop…she smiled at him…

"Thanks…Nice to finally be properly introduced…Angel?..." he looked to where Angel was slowly moving to them…

Staring himself at the three Buffy-imitations as he came up…Supported by a Slayer…

Thankfully red-haired and rather un-Buffy…Spooky to think they might all be trying to ape her…

"Any word on our man Gunn?..." "He's at LA General, Illyria's on her way…The docs there think he has a good chance…"

And with our demon Queen around they'll be motivated for sure…he grinned, again eyeing the three blondes…Hey, Angel...they chorused...Hmmn…

"Well, you seem to have found yourself a bumper crop of Buffies…" he noted to William…Yeah…

"Wish she'd and Giles'd let us know they were sending help..." Angel frowned a bit...

"She knew you'd be mad about that…" Marie eyed him… "She's sorry…But you did give her the amulet…And you were workin' for Wolfram-Hart…And you didn't tell her William was back…"

Yeah…Stella and the third blonde eyeing him…A bit grimly…

As was the red-head supporting him…

"The Brooding One did what he thought was right, girls...And he did ok by me, as you see..." Will tried to rise now...

"No, William!..." the third blonde Slayer went to him...Stella, still kneeling by him turning to hold him as well... "Will ya stay down, already, William?...C'mon, we're tryin' to help ya here..."

Yeah...Marie nodded...

"Better listen to your nursing team, Will..." Angel smiled... "The thing's just about over, anyway...The Partners threw in the towel when they couldn't quite finish us and the Slayer Corps came in on them..."

"The Prussians at Waterloo..." Will grinned... "Though I like your uniforms much better, ladies..."

Thanks...A beaming chorus...Angel's red-head joining in...

"So...Buf couldn't come...The ladies say she wasn't able to make it?..."

"Really?...Well, she probably still doesn't trust either of us…" Angel frowned…His Slayer at his side looking a bit puzzled...She what?...

"But..." the red-head, one Gretchen, began...Marie coming over to her...A quick whisper...Gretchen staring at her...Marie and from her spot next to Will, Stella, and the remaining blonde, Phoebe by name, all giving her a hard and solemn look...

"Uh...Right...She couldn't come...Real busy with the Immortal I think..."

"Yeah..." Stella nodded... "I think he was taking her to Switzerland or something..."

Oh...Will nodded...Oh...a hard groan...

"We betta get ya to the ambulances back there..." Stella waved to the other three... "They'll never get through the mess here to us...Get that door over here, Pheeb..." Phoebe dragged a large metal door from the street over... "C'mon, girls...Gently..." They clustered about William and lifted him onto the door... "Ok, lift..." All grabbing a corner...William groaning...

"It's alright. William...I'm here..." All four chorusing...

"Angel...?" Gretchen now holding a corner of the door looked to him...He waved a weary hand...

"I'll be fine, get him back...Will, good job, Partner..." he called... "I expect to see you in the office Monday at 9..."

Well, maybe Tuesday...he grinned back at them...

"Monday, but 11..." Will called, a bit feebly... "I keep my own hours, Broodo...Never chain me to any..." he passed out...

"Lets go, ladies..." Stella commanded... "Angel, we'll send some of the girls and the idiot peace makers back..."

"It'll give me time to come up with some explanation..." he grinned, waving to her... "Get him back...And thanks, ladies..."

Sighing as they hurried off...And more Slayers, and indeed, the first teams of police and fire ferried by chopper over the wreckage-clogged streets began to move in about him...

She didn't come with them?...Not even for William?...Let alone...I can't believe it...he shook his head...

Maybe we should've stayed and checked her out in Rome...

"Angel!..." a fierce cry as Nina burst from the wave of Slayers hurrying down the street...

Well...he noted, rather happily...At least it seems I really do have a girlfriend...

"I don't know if I should go along with this..." Gretchen sighed as the four Slayers hurried a carefully covered William down a side street...Away from the ambulances and rescue crews they'd claimed to be heading for...Towards a van in an alleyway just a few blocks further...

"I was with Buffy when she boarded the plane...Everyone there saw her get on...And you were sitting next to her..." she eyed Stella...Then Marie...

"You wanna your crack at William or no?..." Stella stared at her... "Buffy's had her chance...She didn't come for him when she knew he was back...And alls fair in love and war..."

Where William is concerned...she noted...

"Yeah..." Marie and Phoebe echoed her...

"But when he sees he's not..." "We're taking him to a private hospital...Just not in LA...We'll just tell him they was too overcrowded...We stay with him there and bring him to our place to rest up and we all got a few weeks to make our cases..."

Marie's the manager there so we even got the phones set up...Stella smiled at Marie...

"Will tries to call...If he can reach a phone even...We redirect it and fake an answer..."

"...'So sorry, monsieur...Ms. Summears, she is skiing with ze Immortal and does not wish to be...How you say?...Disturbed'..." Phoebe faked a French accent...

A few weeks maybe...Likely a few days...Before Buffy comes to kill us all...Gretchen pointed out...

"She won't kill us...Dismiss us from the Corps in disgrace, maybe..." Stella waved a hand... "But this is a chance with William we're talkin' about here...A chance to make him happy...You went along with us back with Angel so you're in now for the long haul..."

Like it or no...

"Can I get a wig and some new clothes?..." "Sure...Plenty of stores near where we're taking him in San Francisco..."

And I get my fair crack at him?...To see if he'd go for me?...Gretchen eyed Stella who nodded...

"Geesh...Good thing you didn't tell more of the girls...There'd be thousands lining up..." the redhead noted...

Well, hey...It's William...Stella beamed at the unconscious William as the group turned the alleyway corner, their van waiting...

"But what about Buffy?..." Gretchen stared at the other three...Who looked at each other, Marie and Phoebe a bit sheepish...

"She's fine...Oughta be set for oh, another coupla hours at least..." Stella grinned... "Thanks to me gettin' that transfer last month to baggage at LA International...Just before I went back to England for Mr. Giles' big briefing on the Angel sit...Nobody checks that closet in baggage storage but the manager...Me..."

"And she'll hafta get out of the chains and handcuffs and find her way to a phone...Another half-hour at least...Plenty of time for us to get Will away..."

The real job was getting her to take that cargo plane instead of waitin' for a passenger jet...Phoebe noted...We never coulda got her alone and drugged her on a passenger plane...

"She oughta be proud of us...In a way..." Marie suggested... "It was her training in England that made it all possible..."

#99's a bit too long for here, it's down as a separate tale... Immortal Beloved XCIX

Hope you enjoy Dru and biplane as much as I did writing it...

#100? Well...I wanna tweak it a bit and it's a long one...

"Immortal Beloved..." CI...

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...

I've skipped ahead of 99 and 100 as they're longer ones...

LA...The early morning of the battle with the Senior Partners...

A tall, weary-looking figure looked out over the vast field of the slain...Fires breaking out everywhere, creatures of all shapes and sizes running about...In many cases groaning and screaming for help for their hideous wounds...Or silent...

"But...If he's even still alive out there..." the tall figure turned back to stare at the slight blonde woman in front of him...Then at the sheet of what he'd just written at her order...

"Just shut-up and read it back to me..." she frowned...

Hmmn...Ummn...(Wish I had my glasses...)

Play.

"William,

(La Vie en Rose-English)

Hold me close...and hold me fast

The magic spell you cast

This is la vie en rose...

When you kiss me, Heaven sighs

And though I close my eyes

I see la vie en rose...

When you press me to your heart

I'm in a world apart

A world where roses bloom...

And when you speak...Angels sing from above

Every day words...Seem to turn into love songs...

Give your heart and soul to me

And life will always be

La vie en rose...

I thought that love was just a word

They sang about in songs I heard

It took your kisses...to reveal

That I was wrong, and love is real...

Hold me close and hold me fast

The magic spell you cast

This is la vie en rose...

When you kiss me, Heaven sighs

And though I close my eyes

I see la vie en rose...

When you press me to your heart

I'm in a world apart

A world where roses bloom

And when you speak

Angels sing from above

Every day words

Seem to turn into love songs...

Give your heart and soul to me

And life will always be

La vie en rose..."

"Ok...Fine..." she eyed the tall..Demon... "When you find him, summon me first and I'll try to do it, but if you can't reach me...See that he gets it, Ashes or Undead...Read it to him...Whatever it takes..." she glared at him... "That soul of his will be hanging on...He'll hear..."

An explosion rocked the street...Gas mains going off, the demon noted...

"Ok, go...And make sure you stress the part about my thinking love was just a word till..."

"Ma'am...?"

"What?..." she snapped... "If you're thinking of betraying me to the Partners, just look around at your dead ex-comrades here and remember I still have a little power..." she faded a moment and reappeared... "Left..."

"No, no...I mean...It's beautiful...But I really don't think..." the demon sighed... "Even with you coming in on his side after things were going the Partners' way and all here...And him and his pals gettin' no help from his Slayer and all..."

"He might..." the First looked at her minion with a rather wistful, even pleading look... "I never told him I'd come to love him, at the very end...And I did just use what little energy I could summon to try and save him...If I can make him believe I've changed...Heck, he did, didn't he?..."

Oh, please...Please...she did not say, simply looking up at him...

"I'll try to find him..." Clem nodded kindly...Turning to head out...

"And remember I mean the kiss was metaphorical!..." she called... "Though he did try once..." she said, almost to herself...

Once, in the basement when he thought I was her, taking care of him...

"And canon, sir? Care you nothing for Canon?"

"My Canon's ropes are cut and it's rolling about the gundeck. But you can always jump ship to the good ship Whedonverse, mate."

"Immortal Beloved..." CII...

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...

C'mon, there had to be a "Star Wars" one...(as noted before 99 and 100 are longer and in progress..)

LA...The very early morning following the long, horrible night of the battle with the Senior Partners...

"You're a fool, girl..." William frowned at the glaring young blonde woman before him...He shook his head, staring round the battlefield...Slaughterhouse more like it...

The gore of countless demons, natch...But more than that...Enough of a ocean of human blood...Supercharged human blood...To make a vamp a bit crazy with feeding frenzy even with the soul...

He struggled to contain himself as he turned back to stare at his long-awaited Buffy...

But not the Buffy his demon and his soul given up existence for...

No, human as she still was...This was no longer Buffy Summers...

"This was all for you, William..." she said coldly... "The Immortal swore he and the Partners could arrange your resurrection and keep you safe for me if I joined them, secretly..."

"You've betrayed all these women, girls...Buffy?..."

"I betrayed the Partners, too..." she noted... "Exceptin' the Immortal...For now...Heck we slaughtered their army too and the world's still got one Slayer...The odds are still even..."

He looked at the raging yellow eyes... "Do you have any idea of the deal you've made?...What you've lost...?"

"It was all for you..." she repeated coldly... "You didn't believe me...And I don't blame you...I did nothing for you before..."

But now...she smiled, the eyes returning to normal... "Now at last, I've put my soul on the line..."

"Girl...Not even you can make a Faustian bargain like that and survive intact...Buffy, if you wanted to prove you loved you coulda just come when I materialized..."

Leading your girls to be slaughtered?...Not really necessary...

"The Immortal told me it was the only way to protect you...Besides, the world's safer with one Slayer...A lot of them couldn't really handle the power...A few'd already turned evil and had to be dealt with..."

"And you can?..." he eyed her, the eyes yellow once more...

"I have for ten years...What, you think Evil can ever get a hold on me?..."

"You just killed Angel and Giles for the Senior Partners, Buffy...After lying to them and your friends all year...I'd say that was pretty Evil, with capital E..."

"Eh, Angel took the deal with Wolfram-Hart...And Giles tried to kill you, still thought it was a good idea to leave you to be destroyed, probably woulda done it himself..." she waved an annoyed hand...Geesh, I do all this for him and he carries on like this?...

"We can go now...We just have to destroy the Immortal to finish the job and you'll be safe...My love..." she moved to take his hand...

He pulled back, she, startled, staring at him...William?...

"The Buffy I loved is dead..." he told her quietly... "I'm not going anywhere with you..."

"William?..." a battered Illyria suddenly appeared, stumbling up the rubble-filled boulevard...

Buffy looking at her, then at William, eyes yellow with rage...

You...she eyed Buffy... "You killed Angel...Your own Slayers...I saw you..."

"Your little demon girlfriend made it, eh?..." Buffy rounded on William... "You told me she'd been killed!..."

"I only wish I could've done the same for Angel..." he noted quietly...

Liar!...she shrieked, staking him...

Oops...she eyed the ashes, eyes back to normal...

Ummn...William?...

Ummn?...Honey?...she addressed the air... "I promise as soon I kill the Immortal I'll make Willow bring ya back...I swear...Oh, Will...Ya gotta believe...Hey!..."

Illyria slammed a fist down hard on her back...She fell forward but caught herself...

"So...The bitch who got my William to betray me wants a piecea me, huh?.." she turned to face her enemy...

"More than a piece, Ms. Summers...And you're the one who did the betraying from what I can see...Say...I'd watch that open gas line behind us, Slayer...It could blow any moment..."

"I'm gonna teach you what means to try and take the Slayer's guy, you blue bitch!..." Buffy slashed at her...

I told her to watch the gas line...Illyria thought as she stumbled through the shattered streets seeking help...Trying to note any surviving Slayers or humans...

"Well..." Buffy lay on her hospital bed...The Hospital Immortale in Geneva... "How bad..." her voice a harsh whisper trailed off...

"My dear..." the Immortal sighed, benevolently... "We were lucky to save your life and limbs...I'm afraid reconstructive surgery can not help much here..."

Shit...she eyed the hideously disfigured face in the mirror...Breathing tube sticking out of her neck...

"Where's William?...Is he ok?..."

"My dear..." Another benevolent sigh...

"I'm afraid you had another one of your little fits of rage on encountering him..."

Aw...Crap...

"Immortal Beloved..." CIII...

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...Ok, just had to do one more...but I absolutely, positively...On my mother's soul...

Ok, I'm lying...But me poor ole mum would just say, "so long as I like it, it's ok..."

LA...

The roped-off area outside the largest and most luxurious hotel in town...Site of the greatest party of the 21st century to date...The celebration held to inaugurate the new firm established on the ruins of the late Wolfram-Hart, Inc...Wiped out a few short weeks before along with its board of directors by a devastating, if mysteriously localized earthquake, followed by a series of scandals abroad during which US CEO Liam Angel had exposed and turned over to international justice a number of global execs of the firm who'd been committing acts both criminal and so unsavory as not fit to be printed in most family newspapers...

In which area, among a crowd of eager reporters, celebrity hounds, and those irresistibly drawn to such events, a couple waited...The young blonde woman elegant in gown and jewels, the man, dressed in equally stunning attire, so handsome in appearance as to have attracted a large segment of the crowd, sure he must be somebody...A few recognizing the famed Immortal from his book covers...

A large and hulking bouncer emerged from the hotel entrance and came to them...

"I'm sorry...This is a private party, miss...Sir..." the bouncer handed a card back to the Immortal, who gave a sour look... "Invitation only..."

"Just a sec...I'll handle this..." Buffy patted His currently somewhat-less-than-Benevolence's arm...

"Just tell William...Buffy is here..." she beamed at the bouncer...

"William?..." he stared...

"William the Bloody?...Your boss...Well, assistant boss, I suppose...If he's not available, tell Angel...Ummn..." she paused, thinking... "Well, forget Angel...He might be a little pissed yet...Just tell William..."

"Ma'am?..." the bouncer waved a hand... "I need more of a name..."

The Immortal frowned a bit at her...Said she'd get us into this thing, no problem...

Ummn...she blinked... "Never asked him, really..." she hesitated... "But you must know William, Angel's partner...?"

Oh...The thought suddenly struck her...

"Unless...He's dead...er...? Maybe he was killed in the big fight?..." she looked a bit nervously at the guard...

"Wait?...Do you mean Mr. Angel's partner, Mr. Walthrop?..."

"Walthrop?...Ummn...Maybe...Uh..."

"William Soames Walthrop?..."

"Uh, yeah..." she nodded brightly..."Tell him, 'Buffy...His Buffy is here to see him'...That'll do it..." she smiled...

Hmmn...The bouncer sighed, but waved in another guard and went off to a slightly less noisy spot, pulling cell phone...

"Don't worry...We'll be in in a sec..." she hissed to the Immortal...Still clearly put out at his card's rejection...

No one fails to let His Benevolence in...Anywhere...Hell, the Pope comes to the door himself to let him in...

The bouncer spoke a bit on the phone, folded it away, and returned...

"I'm sorry...There's no 'Buffy' on the list...And Mr. Walthrop is not available..."

Uh...?

"He did say however to say the following..." the bouncer continued...

" 'Ms. Summers...The events of our past encounters have not been such that I should wish to renew our acquaintance...Best of luck, William Soames Walthrop'..."

"Wait...That was what he said...?"

Hmmn...His Benevolence coolly eyed the young woman who failed him...After insisting they come and that they'd have no problem gaining admission to the party of the century...

Well, she was only one of 23,889 Slayers...And, when one came right down to it, for all her battle prowess, not exactly the sort of sophisticated female he preferred to have about him...

One can only discuss 80's to 90's TV shows and the trashier films so many times before wishing...Desperately...To move on to more intellectual subjects...

Now that wiccan goddess, Ms. Rosenberg...There was a woman with a trace of education and an intellect...

"Yes, ma'am...Mr. Angel did add something but Mr. Walthrop felt it was not entirely appropriate for me to repeat it...Good night, ma'am...Sir..." He turned on his heel and went back to the entrance...

Uh...

The crowd now losing a good deal of its interest in the couple, much to His Benevolence's chagrin...

Not to mention likely to harm book sales...

"I think...My dear...We should consider returning to our hotel..." he noted coldly...

"It's gotta be Angel...He's all upset over Giles' order not to have contact with him...The not trusting him anymore thing...Will is just goin' along...He'll be out here to see us in just a mo, don't worry..." she insisted...

Yes...Certainly...A cool frown..."But I think we'd do well to await his invitation back at our hotel...Dear..."

"I mean, sure...He might be a little put out that I didn't come to check on him or help him out in the Big One...But I know my Will...He'll be here...Any minute...You go back if you want...I'll call you..."

"No, no...Dear..." His Benevolence smiled thinly... "I will call you..." He turned and headed for his waiting limo...

"Have my flight home prepped for immediate take-off and Ms. Summers' bags moved to the economy suite..." he hissed to his chauffeur...

"Looks like rain, sir..." the chauffeur noted as he pulled out...Buffy standing in the crowd, trying to work her way back to the hotel entrance...

Several hours later...

"She still out there?..." William, somewhat uncomfortably decked out in formal suit sighed to Angel...Equally uncomfortable in his getup...As they strolled about the grand reception hall...Nina in gown on Angel's arm frowning a bit... "Will?...Didn't you tell have someone tell her you didn't want to see her?..."

"Hours ago..." he shrugged...

"Well, you better go and see her...Poor thing must be soaked by now..." she looked out at the heavy rain rattling against the large sheets of glass...

"Still..." she frowned at the rain a bit...Memories of the bitter battle crowding in...Particularly Angel's severe wounds...

"She didn't show when you needed her, didn't even come to the hospital after Angel'd put in that call to Giles and to Rome...I guess I'd leave it your call..."

"All I can say is...She'd better have been possessed by the First or under the Immortal's mind control..." Angel glared...

Though of course...He hastily added...As Nina frowned at him... "I'm completely over her myself...I just don't like the way she let Will down..."

"I'll go..." Will sighed...

Hmmn...He stared out into the rain, standing near the grand front door of the hotel...Considering...

The faint opening bars of "New York, New York..." came to him...He looked up to see on a TV monitor where Liza Minnelli had just halted on her way to see her errant ex-husband, played so well by Robert DeNiro...

Hmmn...

"Is that blonde young lady still...?"

"Yep..." the same bouncer, on duty at the door nodded...Pointing out to where a bedraggled Buffy stood in the rain...

"Here..." Will handed his overcoat to the same bouncer... "Give this to her and put her in a cab to her hotel...Tell her I'm sorry but I stand by what I said before..."

"Immortal Beloved..." CIV...

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not

Fade Away" on Angel...Ok, just had to do one more...but I absolutely,

positively...On my mother's soul...

Ok, I'm lying...But me poor ole mum would just say, "so long as I

like it, it's ok..."

"Ok...?"

"No…Problem." A confident beam…

"You sure?...Have you really done this…?" "Sure I'm sure…Once, about a century ago…You ready?..."

Uh…

"Slayer, come on…We've handled much worse than this…Singley and together…Just a few months ago in LA as a matter of fact…"

When you came to tell me something important…And two thousand demons couldn't block your way…he smiled at her…She smiling back…

"Hey!..." Dawn's voice calling, a mocking tone… "You guys going chicken on us or no?..."

"We're just taking our fair time, Nibs!...Like the professionals we are!…" a firm shout back…

"Yeah, right…Chicken…Bok-bok-bok!..."

"Girl, we been challenged…It's now or never…"

Right, right… A quick check of the vital equipment…"Ok…I'm ready…"

"Ahem…Ladies….Mr. Wells…"

Said Mr. Wells giving his way-more-manly-now bow in response…

"…And whatever you bloody well are, Harris…We who are about to die…"

A loud raspberry from the said Harris, standing with Andrew among a reasonably large group of assorted females, among them Dawn, Willow, and Kennedy…Most rather heavily bundled up in coats, hats, and gloves…

Ow!... "Love?..."

"Will you shut up?...I'm nervous enough...And where's your goggles?...Spell or no, your eyes are still gonna be sensitive to the light, Willow told you that…Especially here against the ice…"

"Got em…Lets go, girl…Our greatest challenge yet awaits us…"

Buffy gave her slight, blonde companion in arm a slightly annoyed look… "Thought our mutual returns from the dead were that…You know you're just making me more nervous…Maybe we oughta forget the whole thing…"

And find some nice quiet corner in the lodge…Alone…With cocoa…

Alone…she repeated…Giving a somewhat frowning glance out to the group watching…

"We're gonna look like idiots…" she noted, glancing down at the skates strapped to their respective feet…

"Nonsense…And vacationing in New England…With our little family there…Was your idea…You can do this, girl…Child's play…One quick step out to get started and…" he gave her a hard shove onto the ice…Ahhhhhh!...And followed…

Slam!...

Oooh…Xander looked away…Super beings or no, that's gotta hurt…

"I shoulda staked you, soul or no!..." a cry… "Hey, whhhyyy aaarrreee wwweeee still gooooinnn'?"

"Iiiiceee, ddddeeeeaaarest…Saaayy, watcchh the branccchhh…" Ow!... "We're slipppperyyyy…"

"Use the skates to brake!..." Kennedy, competent LI skater shouted…

"My boooottttoooommm's frrrreeezzing off!...Stttttoooppp usss, Wiiiiillll!..." OWW!...

"At your command…Ok, just a little trouble on take-off…We'll be taking on the Russian starring couple before you know it…Now lets just…One, two, three…Up!..."

OW!...

"You've put on a little weight, dear…" Ow!...

"Shut up!"

"All right, lets try that again…Together…One, three…Up!...There we…"

OOOWWW!..."

"Sorry…" "I'm gonna black and blue everywhere…"

Which is in part the idea...a whisper from her companion…

Hmmn?...

"Just play all bruises to the hilt and we can spend the next two days in our room tending our severe injuries together…Alone…" he noted…

Hmmn…A beam…

"Are you guys ok?..." Kennedy whizzed rather elegantly up to them…Swirling round them in a delicate glide…To a degree of applause from the admiring group now milling on the pond bank…

"Sure…" a rather peeved tone… "We can do this…C'mon, Will, lets try it again…"

"This was really too big a pond for them to begin with…" Willow hissed to Dawn…

"Anything smaller and they'd've gone flying into the woods…" Dawn replied…

"Immortal Beloved..." CV...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: The standard IB format, one of (105) different versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Rome...

A classic film on TV...Four intently watching...At least one far more involved in the old movie than she'd ever expected to be...

"My love...No man has ever suffered as you have for me..." the reincarnated Princess Anckesen-Amon tells Boris Karloff's resurrected mummy, the former high priest Im-Ho-Tep, disguised as modern (1932) Egyptian historian Ardath Bey...

She having in a magical dream relived his horrible nightmare of being caught in her tomb 3500 years ago while trying to revive her with the sacred scroll of Life and Death and following hideous torture, being mummified alive and sealed in her tomb...

Fortunately some fool having forgotten and left the sacred scroll with him so as to allow his resurrection by a clumsy British archeologist ten years previous in 1922...

"The suffering is forgotten my love in the joy of our reunion...And in but a moment we shall be together for all time...There is but one thing left to be done, a brief sacrifice on your part..."

Ummn...Sacrifice?...The Princess in her living human body eyes him...He hastening to prepare the sacred implements...The infidels will be returning to the museum and they must act quickly to finish in time, he tells her...

"Finish...?" she stares at the rather sharp scalpel laid out with other rather gruesome tools...

"You must undergo but a moment of pain as I kill this body and revive you as I am, a mummy..."

What you say...? she stares at him... "Die and be raised up as a mummy?..."

"But..." Karloff blinks, shocked at her hesitation... "It is only a moment of pain, I can administer that which will ease even that...Surely for our deathless love you can endure the merest fraction of what I..."

"No, help!...Help!..."

"You bitch!..." Buffy screamed at the TV... "After all he's gone through for you!..." She ran out of the room, clearly in tears...

The visiting Xander eyed Dawn...Dawn, Xander...

Yes...Andrew nodded sagely from his chair...It appears my little test has worked...And with events in LA moving toward what seems to be a final consummation.

Perhaps...He thoughtfully sucks at his never-lit-or-ever-to-be-lit pipe...

It is time...

"Immortal Beloved...CVI..."

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down! It's all yours and ME's

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Ok, so no one asked and the Missus begged me not to...Some things just will out...And like my devil in "The Devil and Dr. Walthrop" I am reputed to play with the truth sometimes...However if I am lying about lying...

As always one of multiple (106) versions of an outcome to the events following Angel S5...

(Now, now...most of them have been very nice to Buffy)

Rome...Buffy and Dawn's apartment...

Ummn...Buffy stared at the glaring trio in front of her...Who, having destroyed the main force of the Partners in LA by forcing them out, were now in Italy to finish the mopping up...

And were now seeking info on the final surviving member of Evil, Inc from his current girlfriend...

"Look, guys...I can see where you might be a little peeved with me...Did I mention how glad I was to see you alive, Will?..." Buffy beamed nervously...

"We just told you the Immortal was one of the Senior Partners of the Wolf, Ram, and Hart, Buffy...Doesn't that bother you?..." William stared at her...

"Well, sure..." she shrugged... "But he wasn't with them at the end..." she wagged a finger at him...

"Only because he was clever enough to straddle the fence and keep a foot in both camps...Which, no doubt, explains why he can call himself "The Immortal"..."

"All right, all right...Maybe I did let myself get swept...But that doesn't mean..."

"Where is he...?" Angel demanded...

"I haven't seen him in a while...Did you try his office in town?..."

"Buffy...Two of my best friends are dead because of him and his friends...Where...Is...He?..." Angel repeated...

"Geesh...Angel?...You think I'm covering for him?...Will, are you gonna let him talk to me like..."

"No one in our organization trusts you..." Illyria said firmly...

Buffy blinked...Who the hell...?

"Well..." Will frowned... "I wouldn't have put it that way..."

"I would..." Angel said...Glaring at Buffy... "For God's sake you people sure were quick enough to drop my rating to pond scum without even asking me why I'd cut my deal with Wolfram-Hart..."

"That...Was Giles' decision...Not mine..." Buffy nervously insisted...

"I'm sure he's glad you now toe his line..." Angel frowned...

Will?...She looked at him...

"What?..." he eyed her... "We want the Immortal, Buffy...Considering he's the only other vamp with some kind of soul, however filth-ridden and merged with his demon, he's a murderous scum bag worse than Angelus or Spike put together and a coward hiding behind your pants to boot..."

"Buffy..." Angel cut in... "You can either hand him over...And we'll see he gets a fair trial...Or..."

"Or what...?...Lets remember who we're talkin' to fellas...I'm Slayer Counselor General...And a world-saving one at that..."

"Who sided voluntarily with a Prince of Darkness..." Illyria noted...

"I didn't know he was still thinkin' of rulin' the world...I was...Tryin' to help him..."

Cause he reminded me of you, Will...she beamed...Lord, he rolled his eyes...

By the way, who's the blue freak?...she hissed to him... "You haven't gone and got yourself another girl on me?..."

"Helping him?...Really..." Angel smiled coolly... "Then you can do him a real kindness and let him atone for his sins...In a court of law..."

"Which by the way brings us to our other matter..." he noted... "Your Slayers killed five vamps in our people's care...And wounded three of our folks when they tried...Peacefully...To stop them...And unless you agree to our demands for future restraint on your organization's part, ours is gonna haul your asses into court..."

Oh...Buffy waved a hand... "Vamps...We dust them, that's what we do...This crazy idea you guys got of tryin' to save them is just..."

The boys eyed her coldly...

"Giles says..." she squeaked a bit...

"We don't give a damn what Giles has to say...And you of all people know that vamps can be helped, under the right conditions..." Will frowned... "And we intend to try..."

"Aw..." she frowned... "That's such a silly waste of...Ummn..."

"Yeah, God knows you sure never wasted time trying to help me..." Will nodded...

"Look..." Angel grimly cut in... "We've told you how it's gonna be...Your people can do all the defending against attackers they like but from now on keep your people in defensive mode until ours have had a decent chance to try and help these folks and everything's hunky-dory...You cross us up and we'll have you before the International Court of Justice, the UN, and the world press as vigilante murderers...Of folks a lot of whom still have living, caring relatives..."

"But..."

"I know it's difficult to stay that slaying arm, girl..." Will eyed her... "Lots harder than that good ole kill, kill, kill...But no one's asking you people to take a risk..."

"But Will..."

"But that's how it crumbles, Slayer..."

"But...What about us?..."

"What 'us'?..." he stared at her startled face... "You couldn't even bother yourself to send a card or call after Andy went back and told you...And I know he did, girl...About your psycho Slayer cutting my hands off when I tried to help her...Let alone try and reach my soul via Willow to see I was alright and safe in Heaven when you thought I was neatly dead and outta the way..."

"But...I told you...Back at Sunnydale..."

"Tell it to His Benevolence...He'll need it when we find him..."

"Immortal Beloved..." CVII...

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...Not a continuous series, though some are multi-part...

Archived at the "Normal" Buffyverse page of the BR verse, .

Rome...One day before the great battle at LA...

"Well, then he went off without a word to us...And in September, I found him...With soul...Insane in the high school basement, near the Hellmouth Seal..."

"So then...What he did say?..." an eager look... "I mean, can you remember his first words to you when you saw him there, his soul recovered for love of you, but he himself insane?..."

"He was insane...He babbled a lot...But he did have a soul, I could sense it right off..."

"Yes, but what did he say?...Then and in that church you mentioned, later on..." pen in hand, waiting over paper...

A slight frown from the narrator, a slight young blonde woman, seated on the couch of her apartment...

"You know..." she eyed her interrogator and dinner guest, the famed Immortal...

"You sure like to ask a lot of questions about William...Not to mention all the notes..." she eyed the three notepads he'd filled just this evening...

"I am a writer, Buffy...With my latest, the fourth volume of my autobiography, coming soon to a bookstore near you..." a Benevolent beam... "And this story, a vampire winning back his soul for love...I mean you must see it's a tale that deserves to heard by the world...For your William's sake, of course..."

"Yeah...'Course you know I got a few great tales in my lil' exploits...Like this time when..." she began...

"Indeed, indeed...And I enjoy hearing them, my dear, truly...All of them...But to be honest...Those are, after all, merely tales of your doing your job...And they pretty much all end the same way...Bad fellow goes poof, world saved..."

She blinked...

"But this tale...William the romantic poet, trapped for a century by a cruel rejection and headstrong act, but saved by...Well, freeing himself, you not really providing much support...Love..."

Huh?... "Now, wait a min..."

"It's a guaranteed sure-fire hit, Buffy...I mean of course in terms of allowing your noble friend's tale to be told as a tribute to his spirit..."

As a poet and writer, I'm sure he'd appreciate this form of tribute...The Immortal beamed again...

"Of course, if you had played a more active role in helping him overcome his tragic fate..." a slight sigh...

"Active role?..."

"I mean, had you shown any concern for his safe return to Humanity...Even as a mere friend let alone a lover..."

"But I told him I loved him..." she noted, a little wanly, blinking...

"Yesss...You did..." he seemed to consider a moment... "Nah, doesn't work...I mean you ran off and left him to die and never even tried so much as a seance to see if he was all right in Heaven...I mean, Buffy, come on...The boy was ready to die for you even soulless..."

I think we best leave the "I love you" out...he nodded thoughtfully...

"But..." she stared... "I really...Sorta..."

"Unless..." he gave her a sidelong glance...

You might...Possibly...I mean in the interests of seeing William's story properly told before the world...In the way I am absolutely sure you would have gone had the situation not been quite so...Hectic...That day...

"Consider a...Very slight..." he held thumb and forefinger a quarter inch apart... "Rewrite?..."

Ummn?...

"Rewrite?..." she stared...

"Just something to make it clear how deeply you did love the poor boy...I mean, dear girl...This is your story too...Your incredible romance that reclaimed a lost soul...If he is the romantic hero, your very own Michael Furey...You...My dear Buffy...Are certainly the romantic heroine..."

Hmmn...?

"Who's..."

"Character in Joyce...James, not your mother...Anyway, Buffy...I want to tell the real story buried within these factual events...The thoughts, feelings...The passions...You two felt before poor William's tragic end...An end you, with all your incredible abilities, could not save him from..."

"Uh...Oh...Oh..." Sounds of sobbing...

"Here, Andrew..." His Benevolence passed over some paper napkins from the table...Paper, he sighed, repressing the urge to roll eyes...Thank God I should have her signature on the contract's bottom line in the next ten...

Another night watching reality TV and eating whatever that horrifying concoction was with Ms. All-American Girl and I think I'd finally see a sunrise...

The things I do for great literature...And to allow myself what is necessary to maintain the image of "The Immortal"...Two castles, three chateaus, all fully staffed, naturally...And three, (thank God, mortal) ex-wives...

"Ooh...Ah...Buf...Buffy..." Andy stumbled over from his chair, wearing bathrobe, hair in towel...There being no Slayers-in-training to take round the sights this evening...

"It's ok Andy..." she patted him... "I know how much you miss him..."

"Bu...Bu...But...He..."

Hmmn...His Benevolence eyed Andy...Not quite the right image for the gallant friend, touched by Evil himself, who comes to support the romantic duo in their quest...I think perhaps I'll model him on Angel...Physically at least...

Hee...And perhaps that tiresome brooding fellow on this one...Comic relief in the former lover and now, by most accounts, rather dull CEO who didn't quite...Shall we say?...Hack it in the sack...

Anyway she says she's not even sure if it was him or Angelus that one time...

"Andy..." Buffy pulled up his chin... "You gotta get over this...Hey, I've moved on, you can too..."

"Bu...But he's not dead...I mean he's dead but not not Undead..." Andrew blurted...

And I am so dead when Chairman Giles hears I talked...

"He what?..." Buffy stared... "William's...?"

"In LA...With Angel...Well, they're not together or anything...So far as I know..." Andrew gave a thoughtful look...

"But he's working with Angel since he materialized in the old Wolfram-Hart office...Something to do with that amulet and some enemy of Angel's corporealizing him so he'd challenge Angel..." a hand wave...

"Alive?...I mean..." she gave a quick shrug...Then a frown quickly sliding to glare...

"And why the hell didn't he come to see me right away?..."

"He was trapped by the fiendish power of the loathsome Partners..." His Benevolence cut in... "Until that fateful day when his beloved, learning of his return from beyond beyond the grave..."

Hmmn?...she stared...

Hmmn...That would be kinda romantic...she thought...And Giles did say Angel might be up to something when he asked me to agree to cut him outta our loop till we knew what was up in LA...

"I think he was afraid to come though he did come by one time...Uh..." Andrew paused...

He what?...

"See Chairman Giles thought...When I told him after I got back from LA when that poor Dana girl cut Will's hands off when he tried to help her..."

Cut?...Buffy stared...

He tried to save a demented Slayer for his own love's sake and suffered a horrible fate...Oh, Lord for this bonanza thou is square with me for my own unjust condemnation...The Immortal gazed Heavenward...

"It might be a good idea for you to go, Buffy..." Andy noted... "I think Angel's moving against the Partners...All our LA surveillance reports in the Council point to him as the one who destroyed the Black Thorn Circle...And they probably will not be giving him a golden parachute when they hear..."

"The heroine arrives in the nick of time to save her beloved and her former (yes, definitely cast someone like dear Andrew...Perhaps that young actor I saw, Tom What's-his-name...Ah, right, Lenk, as Angel, he thought) lover...It's sheer poetry, Buffy..."

And a potential gold mine for a certain Benevolent...And not-at-all desiring to screw up a gold...er, great romance...Immortal...

"Naturally I understand...These times we've shared have been wonderful and I shall always treasure...(Here's your coat, dear)...Your friendship..." he pointed her towards the door...

"But you must...(Don't forget Mr. Pointy, sweetheart)..." No, indeed...She...And he...Must live...

For the sequel...

Hell, I smell a whole series here...Cha-ching, cha-ching...

"...go to him whom you truly love...And show him the true depth..."

Try to look the part, dear...At least till I cast Nicole Kidman...he sighed at her somewhat puzzled face...Andrew grabbing his coat as well...

"...of your love for him..."

Yeah?...Buffy stared...

"Absolutely..." His Benevolence patted her on the shoulder... "Now go, Slayer...The love of your life and his existence awaits you both..."

Yeah...she nodded vaguely...Ummn...

"Ready, Slayer..." Andrew struck a dutiful pose...Oh...He grabbed the towel from his head and threw it into his bedroom...

Hmmn...His Benevolence thought...

So Angel, towel on his head, emerges...

"Immortal Beloved..." CVIII...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: The standard IB format, one of (108) different versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

Looking round the room of exhausted but triumphant fri...Well, ok with Charlie Gunn in the hospital and it being a weary Illyria staring back at him, despite the Winifred look she'd donned...And not being quite ready to accept the word with William...Acquaintances and colleagues...Thank God at least Connor and Nina are here...A beaming Angel offered a toast in the last unbroken bottle of champagne Connor had flitched from the crumbling Wolfram-Hart building as the fight was winding down...

Ah, what the hell...After all we've been through?...

"To my friends...The greatest set of evil fighters this world at least has ever seen!...And our helpers from so far away..." he turned to the figures, rather pale and white...Ghostly, one might say...Who were rather filling the reception room he'd rented with the remains of his Wolfram-Hart expense account...

"Could you move, mate?...Hafta see our fearless leader pontificate..." William politely asked of a tall, vaporous fellow...Who kindly stepped aside...

Ghost Anya, Ghost Joyce, Ghosts of countless victims of Evil...Who'd been released and enabled to assist in fighting their past tormentors when the Partners had opened their other-world portal...

Who'd delighted in helping to make possible Good's greatest victory...The Partners' army retreating in panic at their entrance...

And now, before returning to their various Heaven abodes, were rather pleased to be attending what promised to be a truly great bash...

"...who made victory possible!...To all of us!..." he tossed off his share of the bottle, passing it on to Illyria...All...Ghosts bearing other world glasses of their own...Doing likewise...Illyria coughing a bit at the taste...Hmmn...Rather like mead only less sweet she noted to Connor... "Now, lets..."

A flash of light in the center of the room...Willow and a Buffy in Italian fashion dress, rather heavily...Somewhat over-heavily...Made up...Materializing...

They looked round at the startled crowd...Hey, Willow sighed to Angel...Smiling a bit at William...

"Oh...Geesh..." Buffy looked round... "Are we too late?..."

Willow rolling her eyes...

"We're fine...What do you want, Slayer?..." William asked, stepping forward from the crowd...

Is that?...Illyria hissed to Connor...

"Buffy Summers?...I think so..." he nodded...

Angel coming over now...Eyeing Buffy...

Geesh, he looked at Willow...What's with the makeup?...Who shrugged...

"William...Oh, Will...I'm so sorry we took so long..." Buffy took his hand...

Uh-huh...he nodded...

Mom?...She looked over to ghostly Joyce who was frowning at her...

"Nice of you to come to our party, Buffy...Willow..." Angel gave a cool smile...Nina now at his side, having rushed...Girl's faster than teleportation, Willow noted to herself...From where she'd caught sight of the infamous Ms. S...

"Hope we're back in your good graces now that I've proven I'm not the stooge of Evil..."

"William?...What's the matter?..." Buffy was a bit put out by his lack of response...

Where the guy who'd die for me in a hot minute...?

Especially when I need him...Like now...

"Angel, Giles made that decision...You know how he feels about you..." Willow sighed... "And we were a little thrown by your taking that spot with W-H...Especially after I did a spell check and found it was voluntary but had to do with your boy...Hey, Connor..." she beamed at him as he came up...

"Yeah, Angel...I just followed my Chairman's lead..." Buffy waved at him... "And we came, right?..."

Soon as we heard...she turned, a bit anxiously back to Will...

"Is she turned, possessed...?" Angel hissed to Willow... "What is with that outfit and makeup?..."

"The Immortal got her into Italian fashion...We did what we could to save her..." Willow hissed back...

At least she hasn't had the boobs job he wanted her to get...Yet...she noted...

Angel having a memory flash of the Italian director of Wolfram-Hart...

"What do I say, Will?...It's so great to see you..." Buffy tried again...

"Yeah, lovely...What do you want, girl?..." he frowned...

"You might tell me how good it is to see me..." she blinked at him with dark circled, heavily mascara'd eyes...

"Difficult with all that crap on your face...Have you been turned or something?..." he asked...

"Hey...This is a high quality Italian makeover..." she glared... "And do you know what it cost?..."

"Our lives possibly, and that of Charlie Gunn very likely, if that's what delayed you..." he eyed her...

Hey, Mom...she turned to beam at Joyce who gave her a stiff hug which passed through her...Still frowning, then a smile to William...

"I have to go...Buffy..." she motioned her over...Buffy blinking but following...To the nearest ladies room...

"You didn't come because of the battle, did you?..." Angel whispered to Willow whom he'd pulled over to the side...

No..Willow looked down... "If Giles or Buffy or that idiot Andrew had told me anything in time I woulda...You know that, Angel..." she sighed...

Real glad you guys came through intact, though...

"First, will you wipe that gunk off your face?...You look like a prostitute..." in the restroom Joyce hissed to Buffy...She staring at the white, ghostly figure...

"Mom...This is what they wear in..."

"I hope you haven't been letting Dawn dress like this..."

William and Connor watching the restroom doom from where they stood...

"So...That's Buffy Summers..." Connor nodded... "Interesting lady..."

"So...?" Angel eyed Willow...

"His Benevolence...Her new cutie..." she began, frowning over at the restroom...

I mighta guessed, Angel thought...

"A little better..." Joyce sighed at a Buffy who'd reluctantly wiped off a five hundred dollar makeup job...

"Now I've got to get back to Heaven soon...Tell me you're here to get William and that you and that gigilo from Italy are history...Make your dead mom happy..."

"Mom...His Benevolence is a wonderful guy..." Buffy frowned...

"He's not a gigilo...I can spot bad guys a mile..."

"Oh, please..." Joyce sighed... "So what are you really here for?...Buffy?..." she glared... "Don't treat your ex- like that..."

"I just wanted to make sure he was ok, Mom...And..." she hesitated...

"Don't make him die for you again, Buffy...He's a nice man and a fine soul...Besides...He's your...Shoot, out of time..." Joyce sighed...

My?...

"Mom?...What?...He's my what...?"

"Didn't you even look him up in the Council records...?" Joyce sighed... "Well, I've no time...Try and be nice to William, God knows he deserves it...Tell him I'm very fond of him...And will you change that dress?..." she frowned, fading out...

Mom?...

"Are you telling me that she actually has the nerve...When she knew he was alive since Andrew returned to England?...To come now and ask him to..." Angel fumed at Willow...

"I told her you'd be upset..." Willow sighed... "I didn't want to do this, Angel..."

"Will?...Mom had to go..." Buffy came to him... "But she wanted you to know she was very fond of you..."

"A good egg, your mom..." Will nodded... "I see she got you to get some of that crap off...You look almost alive..."

"Thanks..." she glared...

"But I'd get larger ones if you're going to continue wearing that dress..." he noted...

"You think so?...His Benevolence wants me to..." she asked hastily...

"I hope all four of you will be very happy..." he turned slightly...

"Will?..."

"Not that I'm interested, but what do you want, Ms. Summers?..." he turned back...

"I came to see you...Save you if you needed help..."

"Buffy...Two of your local Slayers are over there..." he pointed... "They came on their own to help and told me what I already knew...That you've known about me for months and Giles has been keeping steady tabs on Angel and his activities..."

"You're not here to save me...You frankly don't give a damn..." he eyed her...

"So...What...Do...You...Want...Miss..?"

"That's not true...You didn't come to Rome..." she tried...

"Would His Benevolence have welcomed me, too?...How is he by the way?..."

"Oh, great...Lotta cares, you know?...Been weighing him down, especially recently..."

"Sad...But I hear he's never put his ass on the line for Humanity or the world..."

"Well...Some of us have to keep intact to keep things running for all of us..." she noted...

"A philosophy I should try embracing..." he nodded...

"William, I'm sorry I didn't come sooner...Really...I was just so busy...And you didn't come to Rome, what was I supposed to think?..."

"When I materialized in Angel's office...I was sure...I knew...You and Willow had called me back...But...And then, when I sat in that hospital room a week, after Dana the Psychotic Slayer...How is she by the way?...Cut off my hands...I thought, she'll come...Andrew will tell her, no matter what I told him...And she'll come..."

But, you didn't...

"Will, I..."

"Then I was worried...As was Angel...About you and the Immortal..."

Ok, I was jealous too...But I was worried...

"And I went to Rome..."

Oh...she stared...

"Didn't Andrew tell you?...":

"Oh, that time..." she nodded...Beaming... "That was nice of you to check, Will..." A frown... "But why didn't you stay and say hi?..."

"I can't 'say hi' to you, girl..." he sighed... "If you don't understand why...There's no point in trying to explain..."

"You're sure...No spell, no mind control?..." Angel asked Willow...Who shook her head...

"Possession, maybe?...One of the Immortal's many girls?...Or boys?..." he tried...

"Will, I care...And I'm sorry if I hurt you...You know I did love you that year..."

"Please don't say that...Why do you modern people talk like that?...Say you liked me and we'll always be friends or some drivel like that?...Don't say that word unless you mean it..." he frowned...

"I did mean it...At the time..."

"Lady...Whatever you're here for...Whatever ridiculous knight's errand you want to set me on, forget it...Call in the stout...And I hear from Anya over there...Make sure you say hi before she has to go...He's getting quite so...Mr. Harris...Or better yet, your 20,000 Slayers...Or even the Italian police..."

"Will, the world's in danger...Ok, maybe not the whole world..." Buffy began...

"Whatever your friend over there wants, Angel's not going..." Nina told Willow firmly... "He's got a family to think of and plenty of world-saving to do right here...And I hope William remembers he has a son to think of..."

A what?...Willow blinked...

"See His Benevolence's firm in Asia stirred up a little trouble among some demon monks in Tibet...The company was just following Chinese government policy..." Buffy continued...

"I can't help you, Slayer..." he said firmly...

"I'd be going too, of course...Our lives on the line together again..." she smiled..."And nothing's settled between the Immortal and me, you know..."

"What, he has you pimping superheroes for him and hasn't offered a ring yet?...The cad..." William noted quietly...She staring...

"Sorry...Anyway, I have my little boy to think of now...I can't go throwing my existence away for no good reason..."

"But a major world leader...My current guy...Could die horribly...What little boy?..."

"I've adopted a kid some of the Black Thorn circle boys were going to sacrifice...His mom handed him over for cash and medical benefits and since I rescued him..."

"They're so cute together...You wouldn't believe what a terrific father William is...And a damned good mommie as well..." Nina beamed to a floored Willow...

"You have a kid..." Buffy stared...A vision clicking on...A dying brunette woman, stillborn baby in her lap...Screaming for...

Oh...

So that's why I was always screaming out his name when I woke up with Riley...

"Will, I really hoped we'd be together on this one...I'm honestly not sure about things..." she tried... "But if you've got responsibilities here, hey..."

Brief vision of the Immortal tortured to death by fiendish, pissed-off, demon monks...Enraged by his greedy sellout of democratic principles...

Well, if he really is "the Immortal" how bad could it be?...

"In fact, Will...We can screw it...I don't think we're needed that bad and he's got plenty of help...But look...Can't you get a few days?...Willow's got a daylight protection spell that I was gonna give you and Angel..."

"So we could go to Tibet faster..." he eyed her...

"Will, come on...I'm trying here..." she sighed... "Take a few days vacation...With me...And lets finally see where we stand..."

And bring along your boy...Does he look like you?...she grinned...

"Please...Well, I do think he's gonna be a blond..." Will noted...

"Speak to your boss there and get things settled, while I have Willow get me some Council records that I think I really need to look over..." she patted him...Say...

"You sure you really don't like the dress?..."

"Especially not around my son..."

"Immortal Beloved..." CIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (109!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond...

This one's a single...IB99 and 100 are multipart...(parts alphabetically listed)

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series...

"I still can't believe it's you...And that you finally came.." a sigh...

"I would've come...The moment I could...I just didn't think you wanted me..."

A slight stare...

"I loved you...I told you that...God knows..."

"Seemed a little feeble, no offense, at the end of our relationship..."

"Hey?..."

"You were kinda focused on getting the job done...And when you didn't come...Or even try to reach me..."

"I didn't know you wanted..."

"After all we've been through?...And you sure didn't waste anytime finding...Someone..."

"It was nearly a year before I..."

"Oh?...Not what your good ole pal...The little...Told me when I came before..." A cold glare at the 'good ole pal' watching with the others from their seats in the hotel living room...

"You came here before?...When?...Why didn't you..."

"I came to check up on you...By then I'd figured you weren't interested but when I heard you were in danger...Well, maybe not really...But you coulda been...I came..."

And saw you seemed reasonably well- 'serviced' by your latest...

"What?...Why the hell didn't they...?" Glare at several seated...

"Only your little friend knew...And I said to say nothing about my coming...For once, a pledge of silence kept..."

"I'll strangle the life out of the little...Ummn...Well, you know what I mean..."

Somewhat panicky look on the part of the little...

"A little late now...We both seem to have moved on..."

"Yeah, I guess...Son of a bitch!...If you'd just've...What kind of faith in me was that?..."

"You seemed pretty content that day..."

"Well you sure haven't taken a vow of celibacy!..."

"How the hell would you know?..." Nervous glance at the seated group...Several giving 'not me' shrugs...

"Same way you did..." Hard stare...

Seated, a desperately casual Andrew eyes a nervous Harmony...Who returns the stare...

"Ok, I haven't been strictly celibate since you...But God...For a year..."

"A year?..."

"Almost a year...Until my latest...Practically...And considering where I was and all..."

"Really?..." Pleased look...

"Only with you...Nearly always..." Look down... "Ummn...I mean...When I..."

Distressed looks from the seated group as they catch on...

"Oh...Say, I think I got the telepathic vibes from you a few times when I was...I mean...When I..."

"Then ya should've picked up the phone!...For cryin' loud!...I think I could outdo your mattress...Ummn..." Stares from the seated others..."Say, folks?...Could we have a little privacy?...Angel, Giles?...Willow?...Illyria?..."

"Yeah, get out...Especially you..." Hard stare at Andrew...

"And you..." Narrow glare at restored-souled Harmony...

Grumbling, the group backed out of the hotel room... "Geesh..." Harmony hissed to Angel as they left... "It was my evil side that blabbed...What are they blaming me for...?" "I'm just amazed your demon kept mum all these months..." he replied...

"I mean it, Andrew..." Continued hard glare till Andrew finally leaves... "So much for them...Until your latest, eh?...Seems to me that's been going on a while..."

"What?...Who told you that?..."

"You weren't the only one who went traveling incognito this past year..."

"When?..."

"A while back...Same reason as you...I'd heard tell of some danger and wanted to check on things..."

"Really?..." Fond smile... "You stupid blonde moron!...You coulda let me know..."

"You could've let me know..."

"Right...Guess we'd didn't have a lot of faith in each other..."

"Yet oddly enough we spent much of the year waiting..."

"Us waiting...?" a grin... "When did we become the 'waiting' kind?..."

"Guess we got cautious...When we really stood on the brink at last..."

"I'd say, stupid...Even cowardly..." a wry smile... "Hope to hell our enemies never learn what a couple of fearful little turds we really are..."

"Or maybe...Considerate...Willing to let the other decide for once..."

"Maybe...Though I'd still say, stupid..."

"So...How's..."

"Ok...But not you..." Hard look... "You and...?"

"Ok...But not you...Oh...How the hell could you not think I wanted you?...How could you have come here and not...?"

"How could you not have believed in me?..."

"How could you have believed what that idiot...Say, what the heck was said?..."

"It's just...I knew it wasn't a lie...You'd...And I figured, if that's the way you wanted it...I guess I was being stupid...Quite a bit jealous...But you didn't come...Ever...Oh, darling...My heart was bleedin' for this past year..."

"We thought we were doing the right thing for each other...I'd say your 'Stupid' pretty much hit it on the head for both of us...And my heart was bleeding too..."

"So?...Then what the hell's..." Fierce tone...Hand on hand...Embrace... "We'll tell them...They'll have to understand..."

"Wouldn't be very nice to do that to them...They love us..."

"Then they'll be hurt some but happy for us...It's our right to be together..."

"You could do that?...Hasn't your latest made sacrifices for you?...God knows, my poor..."

Fierce glare...

"Yeah?...So where is...?"

"My place...Wanted me to meet with you first...Figured something like this might happen, I guess..."

"Damned right...The hell with them...They're adults...More or less...They know our history, they'll understand or will have to...His Benevolence has been through this sort of thing many times and won't exactly suffer, I promise you...And she had no business getting involved with you, whether she saved you or no...Though it was Giles' fault for letting her know about the Partners' attack and not telling me..."

"Buffy..." William sighed... "Dawn is your sister..."

"Immortal Beloved..." CX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (110!) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond...

This one's a single...IB99 and 100 are multipart...(parts alphabetically listed)

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series...

New Sunnydale, California...

"Hello there. Pleasant evening, isn't it?"

"Ummn..." Buffy attempts to hide her nasty-looking stake from what appears to be an innocent, if somewhat odd toddler.

"So..." Narrow-eyed look from oval-headed infant in red jump-suit and yellow shirt. A large white-haired dog at his side, on two feet and bearing a video camera in his paw, looking resigned. "Buffy Summers...World-saving Slayer?"

"Uh...Yeah. Hey, who are you?" Slight defensive stiffening...

"No need to get all murderous, girl. My card."

She stares at crayon-written beige construction paper card... "Stewart Griffin, Esquire."

"Well, isn't that the cutest..."

"Oh, shut up you dim-witted blonde tin soldier! Do you think I came here to have you coo over my manly good looks?"

Stare...

"Well, yes...I did. But I have other concerns as well..."

"Huh...?"

"'Huh'...Tell me is that Californian for 'what do you want?' , 'sorrry, no speaka de English?', or meant to be a mere squeal before dying?"

"What the heck? Where are your parents?"

"The brain-dead couple who serve me left me in the care of a loathsome toad of an obese walking pimple. I and my associate Brian here left him to be consumed, oh I do so hope, by one of the rather unnatural creatures roaming about here in New Sunnydale. Slayer...I, Stewart Griffin, future Overlord of all Earth and several colonies I plan to found, offer you..."

"Honey, that's cute and so are you. But lets go find your parents and..."

"They are not my genetic precursors, you short twit! And I am speaking here!" Pulls ray gun from pocket...

"Hey!" stare at vaporized stake, ashes falling before her...

"The next shot takes out your feeble blonde brain! Now...Why, you..."

"Don't hurt him, ma'am. He really is an infant."

"You talk?"

"Yes. What, you gonna tell me you've never dealt with a talking dog before? My God. Is this 21st century California or the Middle Ages?"

"Sorry. So he's really just a kid?"

"I am STEWART GRIFFIN, future... Now, see here, you bitch! Stop that!"

"Such a little cutie with his widdle ray gun. Tickle, tickle...hee."

"Yeah. Widdle ray gun that he just destroyed several buildings of historic importance with..." Brian frowns.

"Set me down, you errand-girl sent by occult grocery clerks! Right, then...Our negotiations will be as follows. A certain party to whom I am reluctantly indebted to..."

"His mom likes you and William together." Brian sighs.

"William? But how would you..."

"I maintain full and intense surveillance on all global activities of interest, young lady. And the certain party heard about you and dead boy on Entertainment Tonight. Seems your dead boyfriend wrote a moving and heartfelt (Oh, boo-hoo) account of your time together and she..."

"What? But Will's dead...er... Did he leave a book?"

"Well...He may be dead...Or deader...But he's been looking pretty lively on the book tour circuit. Didn't you see him on Oprah the other day?"

"I've been busy. In Europe. He's Unlive?"

"Yes, and apparently was restored to Humanity for unselfish good deeds and world-saving or some such nonsense like that...Though given his current choice of fashion statement as opposed to his past, I would suggest he was better off dead."

"Alive? But why didn't he..."

"Yes, yes. Enough of that. Suffice it to say your beau lives and it being almost Valentine's Day, I've decided to placate the thing from which I derive sustenance from by bringing one of her numerous romantic fantasies to fruition."

"Huh?"

"Ah, that vacant look again. I can see why he stays away. However, dangerous as it might be to Humanity's genetic future to allow two such blonde things to mate, bringing you together is my mission and now, chop, chop...Off you go to romantic bliss."

"Now wait a minute. Hey, kid! Stop pushing!"

"Come on, you stupid cow!" "I'm sorry. He really does mean well."

"Look, stop it! It so happens, kiddo. I'm involved with someone right now."

"Inwhat?"

"Look, I didn't know he was still around. He never came to see me. And after a few..."

"You tramp! You mean to say this fellow died for you and with all the occult sources at your disposal you never even tried to get him back?"

"Hey! I'm not good at that sorta thing."

"Yes. You do look more like the type to carry a tray and take orders. So you went and got 'involved' with some clown? What, another animated corpse? I'd consider psychiatric help, young lady. Necrophilia must be nipped in the bud as I learned once much to my shame."

[Cut to Stewie with dead pet hamster in open cage several months ago. "Why Ms. Hamster, why so stiff and cold? Here, let the Stew man warm those...Whatever they are...I...

Oh, God...Why they're almost identical to Lois'...

OH GOD...]

"Listen, you little...I happen to be dating one of the world's most powerful, most important, most famous..."

Chuckles from Stewie...Brian struggling to keep straight face.

"Yes...Would that by any chance have been...His Benevolence, the Immortal?"

"The one and only..." firm nod...

Heh, heh...Ha...ha...ha...ha... Stewart and Brian rolling on ground now.

"Uh, sorry." Brian remembers himself and sheepishly stands up.

"And does...'His Benevolence'...Sport a goatee and mustache and wear a suit with top hat...Like Brian is now wearing?"

Ummn...

"And does he speak in a great, deep voice. Like Brian does...When he uses my special great, deep voice amplifier? Does he, huh?...Huh?...Huh?...I do hope I'm getting the little nuances of your impressive local dialect right..."

Oh my God...

"Buffy. I never meant to hurt you." Brian sighs.

"And believe me, girl...He's anything but Immortal." Stewie chuckles.

"It's symbolic. Each descendant takes the predecessors's place in the family line. See...For the past thousand years, Mankind has been in the protection of my kind. We try to see you don't utterly screw yourselves to what extent we can."

"You're lying...It can't be."

"Wanta see his mole? On the right cheek, remember? And you know what sort of 'cheek' I mean."

Arrggh... "No, wait. This is some kind of trick. You're a fiend from Hell, both of you are, and you want me to go and fall into your ambush. Well, kiddo...Buffy Summers wasn't born yesterday."

"No, but I was born less than a couple of years ago and even I can run rings around you intellectually, girlie. Heck even the moron dog here has played you like a..."

"Oh? And just why should I do what you want? Are you like, some super beast with mind-controlling powers disguised as an aberrant member of the Family Circus?"

"Oh, ho…ho. Good one, girl. Wait…Why you blonde bitch! "

"Disguised superbeast with incredible sexual prowess…?" sidelong look…

"Hmmn? Uh, well…No. Just the infant supergenius who's got your ovaries in a vise! Oh...Brian?"

Yeah….exasperated sigh from Brian holding video camera.

"Roll…film."

"Ok. Uh, look Buffy, I'm not involved in this…Just doing my job, you understand?"

"Roll the blasted video, you moronic dog!"

"Hey. That's yesterday...Right after I defeated the demonic Osama returned from the grave to lead Unholy war on civilized mankind."

"Ok..." Buffy shrugs. "So, a great win for me….What's the big…?"

"One more little scene…" Stewie smiles coldly.

"So ah, Slayer-girl. Nice one there wid the victory over Evil and all. I got it on my video cam here. Hey, Peter Griffin of Rhode Island, just visitin' with the family here. Brian, hold this a minute. So, ah…Buffy, right? You, ah, ever like to relax after battle with a little fast sex with a passer-by?"

"What?" Video image suddenly wavers wildly.

"Hey, just askin'. No need to wave that stick around. Anyway, if you're interested, my car's just over there. Here's my motel address if you like it better after dark."

"Get outta here, jerk!" grabs the rude speaker, a large, fat blob of a man, holding him close a second.

Later…Here's my number…Hang up if someone named 'Dawn' answers…a faint, quick hissed whisper…

"Could we hear that again, please? Volume up?" Stewie calls. Brian, sighing, rewinds.

Buffy staring…

"And we have more from that little…Rendezvous…Later that night. Should you need to see more?"

The really awful thing is…That Homer Simpson guy passing by a moment later turning her down…She running after him, begging, threatening while he pleads that he's a good husband and father? Brian thought. God, was this my fault? When I said we should wait till she was over William? Or is she just that desperate for something warm?

"You can really restore my beloved William to me?" Buffy asks hastily.

"Immortal Beloved..." CXI...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (111) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

The song, "I'm Confessin'..." was suggested by Ms. Rose Cooke...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

LA...2am...The attack of the Senior Partners' army, though insanely costly in terms of both personnel and material, was at last rolling to its inevitable conclusion...The tactical problem more the paucity of targets than anything else...Most of the damage having been inflicted through conflict among the various demon clans then by the common enemy, despite valiant fighting by said enemy...

Play

"I'm confessing that I love you.

Tell me, do you love me too?"

"You!" a startingly harsh cry from the slight blonde figure caused the group of huge scale-covered demons to stop in their nervous fleeing from the site on which the more courageous...Or foolhardy...were converging...The final moment of triumph, for some, not to be missed...For those more mindful of personal safety, to be avoided like the plague that had killed the humans this particular set of demons had once been...One turned...And trembled on recognizing the speaker...

It's..Her...

Nice dress...She noted the elegant if somewhat rumpled gown...Guess she was in a hurry not to miss things...

"Are they still...Which way?..." an tone not to be denied...

"Where are they?...So help me, if you don't..."

"Mercy..." the creature gasped, its fellows likewise cringing... "That way..." it pointed...

"Take me..."

"Ma'am?...I..."

"Take me or..."

"But...Arrrggghh..."

"Ok...You..." a point to the nearest survivor...

"Uh...Yes, ma'am...But, I think they're dust by now ma'am..."

"No...I'd know if he...If they were...Come on...You others, get lost!..."

An order obeyed with eager alacrity...

Geesh...The male called to duty as tour guide frowned at the small figure urging him on...

She musta teleported here...Why don't she just...?

"If we're too late you are gonna fry...!"

Right, speculate later, time of the essence...He hurried along...

"I'm confessing that I need you.

Honest I do."

"Need you every moment."

"Angel?..." A gasp... "Can you...?" A proffered stake... "I'm through...C'mon, poof...Take it, don't let them have the satisfaction...For God's sake, Liam..."

"I can't even see now, Spike..." a weary reply...

"Hey, soul boys!..." a cry from the merry band now surrounding them... "Where's your girlfriend and her buddies?...She too busy screwin' the Immortal to come?..." one witty fellow sneered, chuckling...Howls of laughter...

"Hey, Angel...You ready to see Hell again...No scenic route this time!..." another cackled...

"Look at him, he's blind!...Ha, ha...Arrrrggh..." sound of a body falling...

"Did I?..." Angel asked, trying to make anything out in the blackness...

"Nice shootin' for a blind man..." William patted him...Angel grabbed his arm, a tense hiss...

"Can you make it?...I'll try and keep them...Busy..."

"Angel...I'm minus one arm and my leg's about as broken as a vamp's can be...Thanks for the thought though..."

"You mean this?..." one in the crowd held up part of an arm, hand attached... "Come on over and maybe I'll give it back!...Har, har, ha...!" The crowd howled with glee...One looking back to sneer at the cowards fleeing the site of Evil's greatest triumph...You miserable...

Ummn...He blanched at the sight of the figures bearing down on them...

"My...God...It's...!" he turned to his mates...A horde of them turning...

"Outta my way!..." a harsh cry...The ranks parting, a number fleeing... "It's the Slayer!..." a few cried... Others staring...No?...Oh...A few falling to their feet...

Angel turning to a William now down on one knee, struggling to hold the stake he'd offered Angel to his heart with his remaining arm ...Buffy?...

"In your eyes I read such strange things,

but your lips deny they're true."

"Will your answer really change things,

making me blue?"

"I was afraid someday you'll leave me.

Saying: "Can't we still be friends?"..."

"Back!...Outta the way!..."

"Buffy..."

"William!...Angel!..." The horde had now completely parted to let her through...Most eyes on her, several looking at each other in confusion...What?...Why?...

"Buffy..." Will whispered...

The crowd of demons parting now at the back to let a small, bespectacled, death-'s head of a 'man' through... "Are they dust yet?...What's going on here?..." he demanded, shoving his way through... "Mr. Joseph, sir...She's here..." one of the crowd called to him... "What?..."

She stood before the two vamps now, an appraising look...Then a weak smile... "You two don't look so good..."

"Never...better..." William gasped out...

The crowd beginning to regroup, murmuring to each other...Silenced at a glare from her...

"What...?" she knelt by him... "No kiss for your girl?..."

He suddenly grabbed at her... "I knew you'd come, girl..."

"Sorry..." he gasped... Feeling himself slipping away... "So sorry, love..."

Her look, over his shoulder, a strange mix of harsh gleam, moderated by a sudden startled, nervous uncertainty...

"But if you go, you know you'll grieve me.

All in life on you depends."

"Am I guessing that you love me?

Dreaming dreams of you in vain."

"William..." she whispered as he collapsed round her into dust...

"Dammit!...Dammit!..." Joseph screamed as he broke through to them...Angel falling to the ground now as well, ashes in seconds... a faint "Nina..." on his lips...

She rose...

"You!..." Joseph hollered... "What have you done?...What were you thinking?..."

She gave a harsh glare at the little 'man'...

"They're dead...We've won...Lets go home..." she said coldly...

"Our chance to destroy their souls...Drag them to despair and Evil..." he fumed... "That one brief half-second when we could have triumphed over them eternally...How could you have let it slip?..."

"He knows...They know...They'll be hurt...Leave it at that..."

"Hurt?...Hurt?...Well, thanks...All this effort...This whole year to try and recover something from our defeats...Avenge your defeat, my dear..." he glared... "All for nothing...You had his soul in your hands...One word and you could have won him to us...Maybe Angel as well..."

"He wouldn't have broken...It was pointless..." she shrugged...

"They died content...You let them die content?..."

"He knows now she didn't come...That's victory enough for us...Lets go..."

"But he also knows now why she didn't come...Dammit, you knew we had only one shot to destroy him...Both of them..."

"He wouldn't have believed me...You and your partner the Immortal are fools...The plan was doomed from the start...There was no point in going on with it..."

He eyed her...No...It couldn't be...

"You...You're...With that foolish romantic nothing of a soul..."

She sighed... "I slipped up once in an immortal existence...Kill me...If you think you can..."

"No...I can't...But I can see you're kept drained of energy and tortured in Hell for the next ten thousand years!..."

"I can use the rest...Shall we go?..."

"You're the First Evil...Evil, pure and unadulterated...How could you do this?..."

"Look...You and the Immortal suggested I take her form and hang with him when he got the soul...You and he got me her body...You recommended I make this last try to break him...I can't help it if something of her..."

He stared at her...

"I don't know..." she hesitated... "Just...For that one moment when he reached for me...And was so sorry he couldn't stay...So sorry for me..."

"I was Buffy..."

"Heartwarming...If you weren't our only hope of turning the Slayer Corps..."

"No..." she sighed... "I don't think so...He wouldn't like it..." she whipped the stake she'd taken from William's ashes into her...Buffy's...body...

A glow of blue light beside Joseph as he and the huge crowd stared at the dead Slayer's body...

She...The one who'd guided her gasped..."She was...Corporeal...?"

"Sir..." the young woman just arrived turned to him... "His Benevolence is dead...The First has betr..." She stared at the body...

"I'm confessing that I love you,

over again."

"Immortal Beloved..." CXII...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (112) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at ., scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series ...

The great hall of Castle Immortale, imperial Alpine home of the famed Immortal...Where a dramatic confrontation of good and evil was taking place...

For once, Buffy a nervous and startlingly undecided onlooker...

"Buffy...I...I'm losing...I'm too weak to hang on!...You must help me...For William's sake!...Will you fail him yet again...Cicely?..." His Benevolence cried out to her as he held off Willow's series of mystic energy blasts...

"Willow...You'd better leave him for the Council...Let them decide what to do with him..." Buffy turned to her rather preoccupied friend...

"He's too... powerful...Most of the other Slayers and half the Council have fallen under his sway..." Willow shook her head grimly...Focusing all her power...

Heck even I had a little thing for him...And, ya know...she shrugged...

"Say...?" she briefly glanced Buffy's way... "Who's Cicely?..."

"Buffy..." a groan from the Immortal, struggling to maintain his shield... "If I am destroyed, William's protected status is gone...Even the spell that brought him to corporeality will be in jeopardy...You must help me...You know Willow has done evil herself..."

"Willow...Please...You don't understand...I need him..."

"Buffy..." a frown...

"No...Not that way..." the Slayer glared... "To save William...You don't know who William really was...Who I was..."

"I'm sorry about Spike, Buffy..." The Immortal's mystic energy shield flickered and seemed to collapse... "But this thing...has... to... die..."

And you can find another vamp boyfriend...

"No!..." She rammed Mr. Pointy into Willow's chest, the wiccan screaming in agony...

"Ha!...You think that's power, you bitch?...Here's real power!..." the Immortal rose, channeling his power directly at Willow... "Die, pseudo-goddess...!...And say hello in Hell to my spirit brother, Warren...! "

Willow collapsed, dead before she hit the floor...Her body disappearing in sudden flame...Only a few smoking rags and bits left...

"Willow!...Oh, God..." Buffy gasped...

"It was her destiny..." His Benevolence smiled coldly, rising up, apparently none the worse for wear... "And now you must fulfill yours...Now, together we will bring an end to the destructive, endless conflict of Slayer and Demon...Saving your William as well as countless others...Once more the Immortals will rule on Earth!...Mankind will be safe under our benevolence protection..."

And peace...will be restored at last...

She trembled, staring at him...A brief struggle but finally she knelt as he came over to her... "I...I pledge myself to your teachings...I'll do whatever you ask...If you'll save my William..."

Ah...A benevolent leer of triumph...

Ummn... "Except butchering defenseless kids like Anakin Skywalker did...There are limits..." she noted...

"What?...Well...I suppose..."

"And speakin' of limits...Dawnie remains off-limits...And I do mean save...Deal's off if he's smoldering when we get to LA..."

"Of course, my dear...I would point out I have already brought him back and protected him for a year...You can trust me to deliver him safe to you..."

What's she mean by that crack about her sister?...I've always gone out of my way to be nice to Dawn...

"Shall we head for LA, my new apprentice?...Your William is in some danger..."

"Yeah...Really sorry about this, Willow!..." Buffy nodded at the smouldering remains... "But your soul's clear and free now..."

And you of all folks know how love can send ya for a spin...

"Immortal Beloved..." CXIII...

Summary: Another of my IB versions of what happened at and/or after the last battle...Because, as the great Douglas once wrote, stress has become a major problem in the Galaxy, for this one you should know that one version of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" based on the radio scripts ended with Arthur Dent stealing the Heart of Gold, the famed Infinite Improbability Drive powered starship and heading off with the archeologist Lintilla (played by Rula Lenska) and the paranoid android Marvin, in an angry fit after learning that ex-part-time Galatic President Zaphod Beeblebrox had been part of a conspiracy to destroy the Earth to prevent the readout of the Ultimate Question to Life, the Universe, and Everything...

Disclaimers: Not mine but thine O, Joss!...And Douglas...Who is not like God but is God...Or should be...

Archived with the rest of the IB versions 1-113 at the "Normal"verse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, .com/zine2/buffyrebecca/index Scroll down to series...

Best of all, I can bring Arthur and co back in the "Buffy Effect" series...

"Hello there..." a voice from all about them..."Them" consisting of two figures, one standing with difficulty in what might be taken for a sort of defensive mode, if a rather pathetic-looking one, given the blonde-haired figure's wobbly stance and lack of arms...As in one limb being totally gone and the other holding nothing but the end of a metal pole...And the other figure, in rather worse shape, collapsed in a heap not calculated to give much encouragement to a belief in it as a living form...

An English-accented voice, William, the blond figure, noted wearily, looking round...

"Angel?..." he gasped... A groan from the battered mass on the rather shiny floor suggesting Angel was still to some extent with him...

"You have just been rescued from annihilation at an improbability factor of 2 x 10-37...

Normality, or what passes for it, will be restored shortly...Uh...Please stand by..."

The owner of said voice now turned from the control console he sat behind...

"At last...For once I'm the one who gets to do dole that sort of thing out...And someone else has to try to figure what the bloody hell's gone wrong with his lifestyle..." he sighed contentedly...

"Is that all it takes to satisfy you?..." the tall figure standing near him, humanoid in configuration...The usual two upper and lower limbs, one head of sorts, but clearly robotic in nature, sighed morosely... "If you had a brain the size of a planet as I do that wouldn't so much as fill the emptiness of one half of one of your 10exp55 nanomemory chips...Ah, but you don't..."

"Marvin..." the owner of the original English-accented voice which William had heard, a tall thirty-something human of relatively pleasant...If you happened to be a primate-descended human being...Appearance...Wearing an old and rather worn bathrobe, a pleasant if faded red in color on the outside ...Frowned at the robot...

"Shut up..."

"Before or after I complete the meaningless chore you intend to send me on?...You may as well just tell me to go in the corner and rust...It'd be equally satisfying...But it would spare having to go through the tedious muck of you canceling that last order and telling me to go and fetch the hybrid Earthlings..."

"Oh, just...Hybrid Earthlings?...What do you mean, hybrid?..."

"Just what I said...Attempting to communicate with your limited primate brain there's no point in trying to be subtle..."

"But hybrid, how?...You mean mixed parentage or something?...Well, let me tell you, Marvin..." the tall human in bathrobe drew himself up in his chair rather proudly... "On my Earth we'd conquered a lot of that kind of thing in our natures...I had a lot of 'hybrid' friends...And we didn't go round calling them..."

"That's not what I mean..." Marvin sighed... "They're not, fortunate creatures, fully Earth human...But then, this isn't fully Earth..."

"The devil you say?...Not fully human?...Are they, what?...Part alien?...Some other hitchhiker's offspring...God..." the human sighed...

"Don't tell me they're Zaphod's...I know he's been to Earth before..."

"They don't possess any of any Zaphod Beeblebrox's genetic material...If you mean alien as in the sense of coming from another planet rather than from over the next hill, no..."

"Well, then...Ehew..." the man stared at the robot... "You mean they're part dog or chimp or something?...My God, I know this isn't my Earth but still...Standards and all that..."

"I thought you said your people had conquered a lot of that kind of thing in your natures...It's recorded, to my utter boredom, in my memory bank..."

"I meant among human beings..."

"Oh?...Well, what an achievement...No wonder your species had progressed so far before the Vogons destroyed your Earth..." Marvin said with heavy irony...

"Are you trying to be funny?..." the man glared...

"I wouldn't waste the time...Pointless...Like my existence..."

"Bother your pointless existence for once...What did you mean by hybrid if they not part alien or animal or something?..."

"There were pan-dimensional gateways constantly opening on the planet below...A number of what loosely pass for sentient species crossed over from alternate Earths on a regular basis...Some of them chose to mate or otherwise combine with the humans here...Some, infinitely wiser, though none bearing a faction of my intellect, preferring just to hunt and eat the humans here..."

"Well that's horrible...Was this the best alternate Earth you could lead the ship to?...Surely there must be one more like my poor ole Earth?..."

"There are an infinite number of alternate Earths and their universes...This met most of the characteristics you said you wanted...It was only because I have the brain the size of a planet much larger than the miserably small world below that I was able to target the Improbability Drive to get us here...If you want to give me additional information we can try again...But you won't like it...And the creatures are part something besides human..."

"Most of the characteristics I wanted?..." the man repeated, frowning... "Marvin, I specifically asked for a safe Earth, free from hitchhiking aliens, spaceships, and all that sort of..."

"Hard to avoid when we must come in a spaceship..." Marvin noted... "But this Earth does meet that qualification best...It's shrouded by the dimensional gateways from normal hyperspace in this universe...We were only able to come because of the Improbability Drive...Nobody ever visits except from other Earths...Why they bother, I can't say...Awful-looking place...I..."

"Say?...You mean our guests...They're part pan-dimensional beings?...Like the mice who had my Earth constructed?..."

"Yes...But these beings obviously weren't in mouse form..."

"Well, they're still part-alien to me...And I told you I didn't want..."

"If I weren't so depressed I might try to point out this is their home, not yours...But it's pointless...God, I'm so depressed..."

"Well...Lets have a look at them..." the man twisted a knob on the control console...A viewscreen blinked on before him...

"Number One..." Captain Picard said resolutely, turning to his second-in-command, both with phasers ready... "Lets proceed to the bridge and see if we can meet our captors..."

"They look human enough..." the man eyed the pair... Hmmn...Doesn't look like one of our transit rooms...

"Isn't Normality...Such as it is in this universe...Restored yet?..." he turned to the robot...

"Yes..."

"Then why does the ship look so strange there?..." the man pointed at the screen at the two figures now moving down a grim-looking spaceship corridor...

Wait a bit...

"Marvin, is that Captain Picard of Star Trek?..."

"Yes...You're watching a television broadcast from the planet...The viewscreen engages to the transit rooms with the buttons to the right..." Marvin sighed...

Oh...Right...The man pressed the right button...

Hmmn...He eyed the two somewhat bedraggled-looking fellows...Definitely not resolutely moving anywhere... "They seem human enough too, if not so unwounded, clean, and resolute...But they must've been in quite a barroom brawl...Or was it a football match riot we pulled them out of?...By the way is that blonde fellow this Earth's Billy Idol?..."

"They were in an Apocalyptic struggle against several thousand of the evil versions of the pan-dimensionals I told you about...No, he's not..."

Though he does write this universe's worst poetry...Marvin noted...

"Apocalyptic struggle?...Against several thousand?...And you call this a 'safe' Earth?...Or do you definite 'safe' in some strange way at Sirius Cybernetics?..."

"They won...The enemies of what passes for Humanity have had to retreat, forever, to their world...And Humanity here has other powerful defenders...Why, God knows..."

"As so do I, having a brain the size of a planet...But..."

"Enough, Marvin..." the man cut him off...Pressing the next right button to Transit Room #2...

Hmmn...No one...?

"Where's...?"

"Corridor seven, doorway five..." Marvin sighed..."The fourth button on the right..."

The man in robe pressed the fourth button...A wary-looking, short, but lovely blonde girl, in slightly disheveled but stylish-looking clothes, holding something like a sharp stick in hand, carefully moving down a corridor that did look reasonably like the "Heart of Gold"'s corridors...

"Marvin?...What's that she's got in her hand...?"

"A wooden stick, sharpened...What a pleasure it is to serve you..." the robot droned, a slight sarcastic tone...

"I know it's a wooden stick...What's she going to do with it?..." (And is she seeing anyone, human or otherwise? being the real question uppermost in his mind...)

"If I didn't know the limitations of your primate brain to the nth root of infinity, I'd be touched by your faith in my ability to predict the future...But since I do, I'm just depressed by your inability to refrain from constantly asking senseless questions...And no, no particular person since she killed her most recent date..."

"Killed?..."

"Evil, deserved it...Though she was in the city with the other two to save the blonde one from his enemies..."

"Oh." the man gave a short, stilted one...

"Sorry...Life, let me tell you about life..."

"But how do you know...?"

"I can see the brainwave patterns in her primitive primate's brain just as with yours, though hers is a bit more..."

"She's speaking...I can't make out the words..."

"Interdimensional Califorian...Difficult even for the standard Babel fish brainwave translator...Better have the computer get you the advanced fish adapted for transdimensional travel...Though she's not saying anything worth your time...Just calling some names...Probably the other two..."

"William!...Angel!..." the woman on screen called...

"Computer?..." the man called...

"Hey, Art...This is Eddie, your shipboard computer, and really enjoying this little spree in a parallel universe...What can I do you for?..." a voice from a wall speaker returned...

"Arthur..." Arthur frowned... "In fact, "Mr. Dent" wouldn't be bad..."

"Why not Grand Imperial Galatic Fleet Lord Poobah Arthur Dent while you're at it?..." Marvin sighed...

"Ok, Misterdent it is..." the voice replied... "Did I mention we have an intruder alert thing?...Corridor seven, doorway eight and coming this way...The subject, the very attractive young human female with a really astonishing metabolic rate we just brought aboard to Transit Room #2, being armed with what seems to be..."

"Yes, yes, I know..." Arthur waved a hand... "I'm having trouble understanding her language...Marvin says you have a more advanced Babel fish?..."

"The best catch of the day, Misterdent...Step right up to my #3 extruder slot and I'll give your ear a reason worth living..."

"Oh, God I'm so depressed..." Marvin sighed...

"Immortal Beloved..." CV...

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Various outcomes following "Girl In Question" and /or "Not Fade Away" on Angel...Ok, just had to do one more...but I absolutely, positively...On my mother's soul...

Ok, I'm lying...But me poor ole mum would just say, "so long as I like it, it's ok..."

Oh, God...

First visit home with soul and she has to be touring London...he shook his head, hoping that perhaps...

"William!...William!...Hey!..."

No such luck...

"I know thee not, old girl, fall to thy prayers..." he whispered to himself...

He stopped as she reached him, pulled at him... "William?...Oh, geesh...I can't believe..."

"Yes?...Ms. Summers?..."

"I can't believe it...Or that suit...Say, how are you managing...?" she indicated the bright afternoon sunshine...

"Our firm's acquired some daylight protections...Sorry, I'm on my way to an appointment with my publisher...Nice to see you again, Ms. Summers...Hello, Ms. Rosenberg..." he nodded to Willow...Who was still eyeing his light brown dress suit, spectacles, and rather longish, brownish-blonde hair...

"What?...What the hell's...?...Spike?..." she tried to embrace him but he pulled free and stepped back before she could...Eyeing her coolly...

"I'm afraid you have the wrong person, Ms. Summers..."

She frowned... Looking at Willow who shrugged...

"My name is William...Soames Walthrop...I believe you're looking for a demon named Spike, currently residing in Hell..." he said precisely, eyeing her...

"Oh...I get..." she started to take a classic hand on hip, glare pose but was a bit non-plussed to find he'd started off... "William?..." Willow tried...

He stopped, shaking his head...And turned...

"Ms. Rosenberg?..."

"William, what the fuck is going on?...You're mad at me?..." Buffy had reached him, Willow a bit reluctantly now, right after her...

"Ms. Summers?..." he stared at her... "Did you ladies want something?...I'm afraid if you need a Champion, you'll have to contact our firm...I only do that business by appointment through the office now..." he waited a moment...

"You didn't even tell me..." Buffy began, trying a glare again...Willow looking uncomfortable, glancing at his set face...

I don't think that's happiness to see us, Buf...

"It hardly mattered..." he replied coldly..."You'd moved on...And so have I..."

"I told you...At the Crater..."

"As I told you...That was kind of you..." he nodded... "Excuse me..."

Well...Willow thought...Xander loses five bucks...He didn't ask if His Benevolence appreciated it as much as he did...

"Look, Will...William?..." Buffy followed after him... "You gotta understand..."

He stopped again, as she pulled at his arm...

"All right, then..." he sighed... "It being my home turf, let me do this the right way, by my old human lights...Uh...Look, Ms. Summers...It pains me to say that the outcome of our previous acquaintanceship was not such as would lead me to wish to pursue any further relationship...I should like to receive no future attentions from you, nor do I intend to offer any such attentions to you...In short, Ms. Summers...My bloody cookies are no longer available to you...I wish you all good fortune with yours in your future life...Ms. Rosenberg..." he nodded to the blinking Willow...

"Good day..."

With that he turned and strode off...

"Willow?...What the hell's he doin'?..." Buffy looked at her for an answer...

"I think it's called a brush-off, Buf...Though maybe here in England..."

"He's been hexed or something...Check his aura thing or whatever..." she was looking after him as he continued to the corner and flagged a taxi... "Come on, we gotta follow him..."

"Buf...I don't think..."

"Right, you better teleport us to the cab...You still got enough juice for that these days?..."

"Not a moving one...Buffy, I really don't think we..."

"Hey, Cab!..." Buffy put a hand out to hold the cab that had stopped short in front of her as she ran out to intercept it... "C'mon, Wil..."

"Lady?...You crazy?..."

"Follow that cab...That one, by the corner, yeah..." she waved a credit card and cash at the passenger window, throwing the back door open... "Willow, come on!..." she grabbed at and dragged a glum Willow into the back... "Go on, move it!.." she hollered at the driver's window...

"You're the boss, lady..." the driver shrugged, pulling out...

"Buffy...He didn't seem..." Willow tried gently...

"Probably mind control..." Buffy shook her head... "Bet Angel lied to us about defeating the Partners with the local Slayer help Giles sent...Or maybe it's Drusilla..." she brightened...

Yeah...That would be perfect...Buffy closes the evil circle and saves her honey from his wrathful ex- with good ole Mr. Pointy...Yeah...

"Buf...I think maybe he just..."

"He loves me...You know that...There's something evil at work..."

Like maybe the two years you never did anything to see if he was ok in Heaven or wherever?...Willow did not say...

"You think...?" Buffy paused... "Wil, You think maybe he knows about...?"

"I think anyone who read 'People' this past year knew about you and the Immortal, Buf..." Willow sighed...

"But that was only a filler...I mean he's not around anymore, right?...Not a keeper..."

Hmmn?...It sure seemed back last year like you and he were...Till he started talking about an Immortal needing 'space'...And even I saw something was wrong when Andy came back, trying to be so tight-lipped and mysterious and the rumors about Spike started flyin'...

I mean, no offense, Buf...she thought...But if it were me hearing the slightest indication that Tara might still be...

"Some big bad is up to something and she's gonna pay...Hey, maybe it's the First, warping his mind again...Hey, put it to the floor, pal!..." Buffy called to the driver...Who shrugged and increased speed...Slightly...

Fortunately the London afternoon traffic keeping the other cab in range...

"What'd he mean, 'you've moved on and so have I'?...Wil?..."

"Ummn...Probably that you've found someone new...And..." she blinked at Buffy's murderously dark glare...

"...so he wants to make it easy for you..." she finished in near-squeak...

Times like this I still wish I hadn't blown the old wiccan battery out on Slayer powerup...She eyed the glaring Slayer...

"Then he must be in some dark bitch's grip..." Buffy nodded... "He'd never want to make it easy for me...He loves me..."

Perhaps he's just...Escaped some blonde bitch's grip...Willow did not say...Swaying as the cab lurched round a corner...

"He looked kinda nice it the suit..But I couldn't believe the hair...Wait?...Did he say 'appointment with my publisher'?..." Buffy asked... "You think he's writing again?..."

God, no...Reverse time and let the First win, anything but that...Willow sighed...

"That'd be so neat...I could be his Muse and all...I look great in those Greek robes...Remember when we did that bit from that Greek play in high school?..."

"Indelibly imprinted on my mind, Buf..." she sighed... "But Buffy, I think..."

"He said he'd love me to the end of the world...He died for me...This is a trick, an evil..." she looked, crestfallen, at Willow, then the window...

"A trick..." she firmly repeated... "Heck, even I've been magicksed with love spells and all...Hey, he's losin' us, move it, pal!..." hard smack at the divider plexiglass...

"Hey!...One more like that and out you go!..." the driver called back...

"Sorry...Hurry!..."

"...Or it could be a hate spell...He loves me but Dru or maybe Harmony...Or some really worthless bimbo...Is making him...But it's just making him..."

"Not like me...so much..." she stopped...Looking at Willow...

"He...Couldn't..."

"Sure...It must be a spell..." Willow nodded hastily... "Hey, pal! Pick it up!..." she called...

"Immortal Beloved..." CXVI...

Subtitle: "Mission: Implausible..."

A shortie...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: The usual note as to the IB sketches. Not a continuing story (unless lettered A-on) but possible and im- outcomes from "Chosen" and "Not Fade Away...".

Freelancer William Soames Walthrop has been given a vital assignment in...Yes, Italy.

Twilight, Los Angeles.

A short but lithe and handsome blonde young man in black leather jacket and red t-shirt strides across the deserted park. A grim visaged fellow standing in the shadows seeking prey eyes him but wisely thinks better of the notion, the young fellow turning to cast a quick, hard smile his way, not breaking his stride.

Reaching his goal, a park bench near the exit, the young man pauses, searching for something. Spying a bag in the battered wire trash bin next to the bench he removes it and grimacing a moment at the chewed and rotting remains inside, pulls out a broken beer bottle. A young and attractive female jogging by eyes him with a frown. Though looking up he immediately senses her annoyance is more than just a register of disapproval.

"Sorry, love." he calls to her, grinning. "Try back that way." he jerks a thumb pointing back to a path to his left where the other man still lurked.

Well, set one species of vermin to catch another...he notes to himself as the vampiress takes his advice and begins jogging back and to the left path.

Ah...The mother lode...He pulls out a small, rolled-up manilla envelope with a tiny cassette tape taped to the inner side which had been hidden in the bottle.

Damn...Sucking a cut thumb...They might've found an easy way to get this one to him. He pulled out a miniature tape player and inserted the cassette. Putting on small but highest quality earphones.

Hmmn...Sucking still bleeding thumb...Likely need stitches at this rate...Ought to speak to his Missus, Nina, one of these days. Broodo is clearly headed over the edge with this stuff.

"Good evening, Mr. Walthrop..." a voice issues...Loudly into the night. Oops. He shoves the plug of the earphones more tightly into the player's socket. Ah...

"A certain famed celebrity is due to be married in Italy shortly."

Angel? Have you been reading 'People'?

"Until now no media outlet has hoped to succeed in penetrating the tight security at the wedding site and obtaining first run photos and background on what is billed as the celebrity wedding of the century."

As they all are...the man sighs.

"However we have obtained, through our operatives, the credentials that will allow one of our best to pass as a guest and thus obtain what no other outlet has..."

"Gr...reat..."

"...the first pictures of the wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes."

"And did is what superhero Champions are reduced to once all major foes are vanquished?" the blonde man sighs. "At least tell me Katie is actually the First corporealized."

"Look, I know it's not defeating the Partners, Spike. Or even fighting human evil as top-notch lawyers." the taped voice continued. "But as you well know we couldn't continue claiming to be a law firm without actual law degrees and you were the one who wanted to write again."

"Yeah, write...As in literature and journalism...Not vapid candy for suicidally desperate housewives."

Still...A byline is a byline...And it would put diapers on adopted lil' William's fanny...

But...Italy...

Eh, what the hell. Big country...What are the odds? And even we did, say...Run into each other chasing some murderous Undead scum about to gorge on voluptuous Italian flesh...Big deal. I'm a professional...She's...Whatever...

Probably Mrs. Immortal now anyway...Never gets her hands bloody these days...Wouldn't even deign to notice me if she ran over me with her limo.

"As always. Should you be caught and staked...Or fried at dawn...We don't know you...Though Nina will be a good mom to Will, Jr."

"Thanks, loads."

"This tape will self-destruct in five seconds...Just kidding. Anyway, let me give you the low-down on the Cruise place..."

William ripped the tape out and threw it in the trash.

Hell, might as well make it a little challenging...

Mission: Impossible theme play ...

Cut to shot of William in glasses and formal suit entering Italian hotel. Cut to shot of confident, hulking security chief assuring rather overanxious Tom Cruise of his estate's safety from the curious...Cut to shot of hidden William in estate cubbyhole viewing Tom Cruise pulling human mask off to reveal hideous demon underneath...Cut to shot of Katie Holmes in passionate embrace of William in suit...Cut to shot of furious Buffy Summers in maid's outfit with small camera dangling at side catching said Katie and Will...Cut to shot of furious Mr. Cruise pounding fist on table a'la Richardo Montalban...Cut to shot of secret global warming weapon being dedicated to memory of Lord and Master L. Ron Hubbard by Cruise...Cut to shot of Buffy and William arguing...Cut to shot of Katie Holmes assuring William of her ignorance of Cruise's evil scheme...Cut to shot of Buffy rolling eyes...Cut to shot of Cruise and Holmes sans human masks exchanging gleeful sneers at handcuffed Buffy and Will about to meet doom by laser...Cut to shot of Cruise sneering as Holmes takes laser in forehead...Cut to shot of Buffy and Will free chasing Cruise to escape copter...Cut to shot of Cruise being forced to autograph both of their photos of the wedding couple before he is dispatched...Cut to nervous press agent trying to plausibly explain "tragic honeymoon accident"...Cut to shot of Buffy and Will fuming at each other...Cut to shot of Buffy's stunned face as Will mentions lil' Will...Cut to shot of Will's blinking face as Buffy shows picture of her own William Jr. currently home with Dawn...

Fade to black..Mission: Impossible end theme...

"Immortal Beloved..." CXVII...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (117) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond...

This one's a single...IB99 and 100 and others are multipart...(parts alphabetically listed)...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series...

The battle at LA has ground down to its inevitable conclusion... Though Illyria has managed to spirit the badly wounded Gunn away, after heroic and satisfyingly gory resistance, Angel and William have been captured by the massive army of the Partners and brought to the ruins of the plaza in front of the battered Wolfram Hart Tower to await execution by sunrise under the gloating, drooling (pardon me, one slobbering, seven foot, bony-plate-covered demon guard politely notes to Angel) horde commanded now by the surviving local Partner, one Mr. Joseph, in appearance a bald, lizard-eyed, bespectacled little death's-head of a man in remarkably gore-and-debris-free business suit.

"Ha, ha, hah! At last, the two traitors are at bay!" Joseph sneers at the badly wounded pair bound before him.

"How long till we get outta here? The human armed forces will wipe us out if they learn we've crossed over. I hear the new Initiative has permission to use tactical nukes if necessary..." one nervous bird-faced demon hisses to his companion.

"Like they'll need 'em considering how many we lost just taking down these two..." the other, a white furred beast hissed back. "But we go when they fry at dawn."

A jab from their commander, a hog-like fellow in heavy armor silences the two...

"How does it feel to face your fate at last, soul-boys?" Joseph continues. "In fifteen minutes you both roast...And I'm sorry to say your dear girlfriend is busy giving her heart and selling her soul to our dear comrade the Immortal."

"Hah! I knew it!" Will raises a bloodied head to stare at Joseph.

"Oh, please. You were the one who threw in the towel the moment Andrew said he thought she actually liked him. By the way, pal..." Angel calls to Joseph. "She's not my girlfriend. Mine is still trying to fight her way to me."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Will frowned. "Buffy doesn't know we're dying here."

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Joseph cackled... "Go on, Angelus. Tell the poor romantic dolt how deeply his beloved Slayer treasures his memory."

A few of the demon horde sentient enough to follow the conversation eyed William...A good number rather sympathetically...

No bigger suckers for a star-crossed romance than the (sentient) Undead condemned...

"Angel?"

"Uh. Will...The thing is...I did send a message out to Giles outlying my plans with the Black Thorn and requesting help. I figured it was the least I could do for you guys to try and get a little assist, much as I hated going to him a second time. His answer was that Buffy didn't think it was a good idea to risk trusting us."

"You mean you...Trusting you."

"Bwa-ha-hah!" Joseph and a few standing near him howled.

"Ummmn. I'm afraid he mentioned both of us. Apparently Andrew didn't hold out on you more than a day after he took Dana back."

Oh...Will stared a moment.

"Well...No problem...I never expected..." he tried looking off to where the first streaks of dawn were showing...

She knew about the hands and didn't come?...the white furred creature blinked. That's awful...

"Isn't Love grand?" Joseph sneered again... "Now, you die alone, Walthrop!"

"Who's Walthrop?" Angel stared.

"Me. William Soames. Pleased to meet you." William sighed. "Look, baldy...Gloat all you want. I've known since the soul Buffy's not obligated to care for me. I'm sorry to hear she's made another bad dating choice but as far as we're concerned she helped me recover my human soul and we're square."

"Besides." Angel chimed in. "He's not dying alone. Neither of us are. We've friends who'll remember us fondly as good men who did their best in a noble cause. Something none of you can say."

"Bah!" Joseph glared. "Your time is over. That of Evil is nigh. And soon the Immortal will bring the Slayer and many of her sisters to our side...Voluntarily. Your sacrifice is for nothing!"

"Don't be silly, mate. Buffy might fall for a pretty face, a smooth patter, and a powerful love drug...But she'll pull out of it shortly and he'll be another...Mortal...notch on her belt." Will shook his head.

"Too bad you won't be around to eat those words, boy!" the bald death's head replied, shaking fist, then calming.

Can we cross back to Hell now, please...? the bird demon sighed to itself, perking its head up at the faint sounds of human activity...Ambulance, police, and fire sirens faintly wailing in the distance.

"Any last words before we greet the new day?" Joseph faced the two bound vampires.

"Actually...Yes." Will nodded.

Key of E, please...He turned to a hulking demon guard who'd been fingering a harmonica in lieu of the victory celebration. The demon nodded...Harmonica to lips...

"Spike?..." Angel stared...

"People or whatever...As I was rolling in the gore of your comrades, I suddenly realized...After years of baiting this pointy-haired, poor imitation of Christ..."

"Spike!"

"Well...I suddenly realized that ... this... this man...I choose to call him...Well...

Play

No one ever made me feel like someone

'Til him..."

Joseph and demon horde staring...

Hey, he's as good as Matthew Broderick...

"Life was really nothing but a glum one

'Til him...

My existence bordered on the tragic

Always timid, never took a chance

Then I felt his magic...And my soulless heart began to dance ..."

Ooooh...Ooooh...ooooooh...ooooh...ooo...

Joseph frowned at the demon back-up...

Sorry, boss...

"I was always frightened, fraught with worry...

'Til him...

I was going nowhere in a hurry

'Til him..."

Ahhh...Ahhh...aaahhh...Ahhh...

"He filled up my empty life

Filled it to the brim...

There could never ever be

Another one...like him..."

"Will?...I never realized...You...You're gay, aren't you?" Angel stared...

Joseph and demons nod at each other...Remember that time...

"But that was Angel who enjoyed the hitting..." the bird demon noted...

"No!...I'm telling you we're friends...At least now that we're souled heroes and I trump you by being the one who gained his voluntarily, besides beating you in that chase for the chalice..."

"My Undead existence was incorporeal...Til Him..." Ah ah ah...demon back-up. Joseph again glares at his crew of sentimental fools who clam up.

"Even with the soul I was a no one...Til Him..." Ah ah ah...Argggh... a few valiant wanna be chorus demons are vaporized.

"I filled up his empty life..." Angel joins in... "Filled it to the brim..."

"There's certainly been no greater ego..." Will... "Til Him..."

Frowning Angel relents on Will's grin...

Well... "At least you can sing..."

Sure can...several demons nod...

"Thanks, Angel. I sang it for you. I sang it because much to my horror, on our funeral pyre, I have to admit...I'm your friend."

Angel stared ... "You are? Gee, I've had a lot of relationships, but until Wesley, you couldn't call any of them friend. But come to think of it."

sings (clearly attempting to outdo Will...)

"No one ever ever really knew me. 'Til him.

Everyone was always out to stake or screw me.

'Til him..."

Ahhhh...Aaaah...Ahhh...Aaaahh...Ahhh...

Joseph shrugs...They do back up well...

"Never met an Unman I ever trusted

Always killed them in the past

Now I'm well adjusted

'Cause I've got a friend at last."

Ah...ah...ah...ah...

"Fellas, don't help me."

A demon guard leads William who'd taken advantage of the horde audience's focus on Angel to free himself from his chains and start slipping stage left back to the funeral pyre...

"Always playing singles, never doubles

'Til him

Never had an Undead pal to understand my troubles

'Til him "

William shrugs as Angel sees their little escape attempt has failed.

Oh, well...William resumes:

"He filled up my empty life. (Apart from sex, cause I'm no poof..)"

Angel and Will:

"Filled it to the brim "

Will:

"There could never ever be

Another one ... like him "

Wow...the horde stares, even Joseph momentarily awed...The sun's rays beginning to strike..

Both vampires vanishing in a burst of energy...

Oh...The horde look at each other...

That was...Just...

Hmmn...Joseph stares...That didn't seem like the usual roasting...

"What the heaven happened? Were they destroyed?"

"Our magics people say no, sir." a humanoid demon sighed to him... "We detected a teleportation spell at 0601, destination England, probably London."

"Shit! The Watchers and that still-not-damned Rosenberg!"

"Sir? The human forces are closing fast! And our scouts report...Argghhh..."

Slayers with them...Joseph filled in for himself, eyeing the reeking corpse with stake in its throat...

"Retreat!"

"Fall back!...Fall...Arrgh..."

London...The restored Antiquarian Hall, home of the restored Royal Council of Antiquarians and Library Scientists...For some reason nicknamed the "Watchers' Council" among its members...

"Angel? Will?" Willow stared at the two bloodied figures now materialized before her and Giles...Who stared at her...Before wearily collapsing to their feet. Though William managed a quick glance about the room...

Not that he expected...Anything...

"William? Are you ok?" Dawn had reached him...

"Nibs...?"

"Why the hell didn't you tell us you could sing?" she grinned... "I was one of your back-up demons, with Willow...The blue-furred one..."

"What about..."

"Your team is fine, Angel...Nina reports Mr. Gunn is safe at LA General." Giles said as Angel managed to sit up...

"But I'm afraid we need your help now with Buffy."

"You...You're sayin' what that bloody Joe said was..." Will began...

"Will?...Come on..." Dawn frowned... "They were lyin'...But she did cut a deal behind our backs with the Immortal...How do you think you survived?."

"Deal?...What deal?"

"How should we know, we only found out when the First took her body as part of it...Go along with the Partners' scheme to separate us from Angel's group in exchange for saving your ass, I suppose...With a slight soul-corrupting catch I doubt she fully agreed to..."

"Though for a singing voice like yours in a lover..." Giles smiled...

"You weren't all there?..." Angel sighed...

"Xander had to go and continue monitoring Buffy...The First thinks she's fooled us by submersing herself in her...But he wanted us to tell you he thought it was beautiful." Willow grinned..

"Immortal Beloved..." CXVIII...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down! It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (117) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond...

This one's a single...IB99 and 100 and others are multipart...(parts alphabetically listed)...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at ?. , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series...

Rome…Night…

An alleyway…Pitch black…

Following, found, a scent…Racing on with stake out…

They have to pay…

They're gonna pay…

Got one, cornered…She threw aside the trash, boxes…

"No!..." Andrew screamed, blinking at her…

She found herself in red t-shirt and black leather jacket...Facing what seemed to be a jury of masked people, seated in a jury box...One happily smashing open peanut shells on the railing of the box and dropping shells and all into his large mouth, chewing delightedly...

"The accused has sworn to tell all..." a grim, yet...voice called out...

"What?..." She called back, looking first at the jury box, then round...No one in what she took to be the judge's box...

"How do you plead?..." a voice...Woman...Young...Familiar...

"Dawn?..." she called...

Dawn's face briefly appeared under a British judge's wig in the judge's box...As if she'd jumped up to be seen...Sound of feet hitting something hard...

"Pray address this court as Your Nibsness, prisoner..." Dawn's voice...Her head again briefly seen as she hopped up again... "How do you plead?..."

"Plead...?" Buffy stared...

"C'mon sis...Don't keep me here all night..." Dawn's voice, irritated...Then sly...

"You liked it, didn't you?...I know you did..."

"Your Nibsness?...My apologies for being late..." another voice, the doors at the back of the court opening...

"Angel?..." Buffy stared at Angel in robes, a small grayish wig somewhat less than securely on his head...

"You're late!...Ow!" Dawn's voice, a crash midway...As if a heavy object had missed its intended target chair and crashed to the floor in the box...

"LA traffic's a bitch at this time of day, ma'am...But I am here, fresh from the battle for my city, fully prepared to defend my former lover-client..." Angel smiled over to Buffy who nervously stared back...

"Angel?...What the hell's up here?...Is this a dream?...Am I drugged...?"

"Swallow it down...What a jagged little..." Willow, Kennedy, Alanis appear, singing, and vanish...

Angel came over to the witness box...Putting a hand on Buffy's shoulder...She gasped, shrieked, and threw it off...

"Hey...That was all that was left of him, Buf..." Angel frowned at her...Then shrugged... "You could've cloned him or done magic for him from that but no matter...Your Honorable Nibsness..." he turned back to the judge's box...

"Owww..." the reply... "Who moved my chair?..."

"Your Nibsness...I will endeavor to prove by Algebra that my client, Ms. Anne Hathawaytoreturn is her own great-grandmother and loved her neighbor in a selflessly chaste yet excessively Freudian manner...Might I have your Nibsness' kind indulgence to prevent a travesty of justice?"

"The State's...Ow!...Desire is always to arrive..." Crash… "Ow!...Aw, just go ahead!...And somebody get me another chair!..." Dawn called from within her box...

"Angel, what's..." Buffy began...

"Gentlemen and ladies of the jury..." Angel began, waving to cut her off...Holding his now-wriggling wig down on his head with one hand... "I plead for mercy on my client's behalf...She is given to monomania it is true...And abnormal in her desires, all...But what is past, should be past and she bears within an unspotted sweetness of..."

"God..." Drusilla spoke up suddenly from the jury box, pulling off her mask... "Listen to 'im...Tongue like an angel, 'e's got...Silver as the moon...Put 'im up for Parliament and be done with it..."

"Where is he?...Where is my son?..." she looked at Buffy, her voice now richly British, even regal... "What have you done to my only child?..."

"Mrs. Walthrop?..." she stared at the now white-haired, frail lady pointing a stick at her…

"Say nothing…"Angel hissed, a dramatic stage whisper…

"Remove this person…" he called to the empty benches behind them… "She is not wanted here…"

"My son!..." Mrs. Walthrop screamed, demanded… "You whore!...Liar!...I smell him on you!...Thief, murderess!..." Guards materialize and starting dragging her off…

"Yes!..." Drusilla, now beside her in nun's garment… "I can testify…She, the Unclean one!...Pagan harlot!..."

"This sounds bad to me, sis…" Dawn's voice…

"I didn't…" Buffy, still in red and black, but now brunette, pleads… "Dawn, why are you still up?..."

"Such a fine one you are now…" Dru, beside Angel now, dressed in shabby garb of a streetwalker of the 1880's… "Too good for the likes, eh?..."

"What a bloody pair you are…" she grinned to him and cocked a thumb at Buffy…

"I cannot conduct my case like this, Your Nibsness!…" Angel cried… "I must brood upon my existence…"

Broods…Darkness about him like a black halo…

"Oh, God…" a collective sigh through the court…

"Save him from me…" Dru, again in nun's habit, pleads to Buffy, standing before her… "Why didn't you?..."

"I plead the fourth…" Buffy tried, feebly…

"That's for the Yanks…" Dru shook her head… "We're all British here…"

"No longer!…" Angel shouts, fist clenched in the air… "Me native land is free, free!..."

"A bloody foreigner?..." Dawn's voice… "Throw him out of the bleeding court!..."

"I may plead in any court…" Angel insists…Guards in bailiff outfits materializing to seize him… "This toilet tissue, imported from my executive washroom, confirms my status!..." he removes the roll from his briefcase and waves it, as he's dragged to the courtroom door…

"Good enough…Let him be…" Dawn's voice… "But I'll tolerate no bloody talk of Home Rule…And proper respect for our Queen-Empress…Ah, my chair…"

Her head now appears just barely peeping over the rail of the judge's box…Periwigged…Red robe on her shoulders…

"Cicely…Oops…" she paused… "Does the accused accept her counsel?...Another can be appointed..."

"I…" Buffy begins…

Jonathan Levinson in wig rises, materializes at Angel's table… "I am happy to be of service in the matter…" Opens umbrella in left hand, waving it to the jury… "I have known the accused in two lifetimes and…"

"This is my case!..." Angel cries…

"Jonathan?..." Buffy eyes him…

"Miss Addams?...Are you well?..." he politely bows…"My apologies, Mrs. Walthrop, I should say…Hey, I got dumped, forgotten, in a hole so forgive my failure to…"

"I plead for mercy on the grounds of my client's condition!…" Angel hollers…

"She bears the pregnant memory of my old comrade-in-arms…" he explained to Dawn's and Buffy's puzzled looks…

"I thought Giles…" Dawn began…

"Spawn of evil must be purged!..." Giles in Puritan witchcraft trial prosecutor's garb with hat, materializes…Shaking a severed arm at Buffy sternly…

"Don't…" she pleaded… "I mustn't…"

"You can't let this come to light…Trust me, girl…" Giles, in confidential tone…

"A little water clears us of the deed…" he pours water from a pitcher into her lap…

"I should have killed you sooner…" she replies… "Why did I listen to you?..."

"It may start out normal…" he replied, now holding a cooing infant in his arms…

"Then the evil will surface…Put out the light and then put out the light…" he strangles the baby in his arms…

"I couldn't face him…" Buffy turns to Jonathan… "How could I tell him?..."

"Can we have that last testimony repeated?..." Dawn asked…

The First, blonde Buffy looking severe in court recorder's outfit, eyes Dawn…

"From that insult to my sister…" Dawn notes…

"With pleas..." The First repeats the testimony…Taking the form of each person…

"Giles: 'Spawn of evil must be purged!'…"

"Buffy: 'Don't…I mustn't…'"

"Giles: 'You can't let this come to light…'" "Stop there…" Dawn cut her off…

"I charge by the character, remember that..." the First vanishes...

"This sounds like a conspiracy…" Solemn Justice Summers notes solemnly…

"Were you both in on it?..." she asked Buffy, then Giles…

Neither responds…Giles looking everywhere but at Dawn, Buffy confused, trying to think… "I…"

"In short, who…killed…my…sister?..." Dawn in Wicked Witch of the West costume from her box…

"Sister?...No...I…I didn't want to…" Buffy stared at the jury box… "Giles said..."

"The guy was just too overpowering for you, eh?..." Dawn, back to judge's outfit…

Giles, looking full of Ripper menace... "Do it, you stupid blonde bitch's dam..."

"He…Please…" Buffy looked round... "Tell me what this is all about?...I don't understand…"

"God…" Dru guffaws…In streetwalker outfit in her seat in the jury box… "What a bloody liar…"

"Guilty as the day is long…" Dawn frowns, banging gavel, with a nod to Angel… "If I may borrow one of your land's many quaint sayings…"

"With stereotypically jovial Gaelic pleasure, Your Nibsness…" gallant bow from Angel…

"Mr. Levinson?..." Dawn addresses the seated Jonathan who is reading a comic book stuffed in a large folder of papers...

"I must apologize your Honorable Nibsness...I need to finish acquainting myself with the facts of the case..." he waves the folder...Several colorful comics falling out to the floor...

"What say you, jury…?"

"Crucify her!...Crucify her!..."

"I know I wash my hands of her..." Dawn sighs from her box...

"Dawn?..." Buffy...

"Yeah, Ma?..." Dawn eyes a desperate-looking Buffy...

"Crucifixion?...But..." Angel frowns... "Everybody knows...I...Prophecy...And my opening..."

Cut to shot of "Angel" opening...Faces uplifted as if beseeching Heaven...Saintly Angel face appears, brooding solemnly...Courtroom reappears...

"See...All point... "

Disembodied voice... "Bloody weak imitation of Christ..."

Buffy, the reappeared First, Mrs. Walthrop, Drusilla in nun's habit...Together:

"William!..."

Angel dons crown of thorns in hand...Guards in Roman centurion's uniforms appear, bearing large cross...

"My ma is so looking forward to this..." he notes proudly...The soldiers lay cross down and he lies upon it...They nail his hands and feet...

The disembodied voice:

"Nothing you can't see every Easter in the Phillippines..."

"William?...Avant, come forth!..." Buffy tries, desperately... "What the hell am I supposed to say?...God, why did I..." whisper, inaudible... "that moron Andrew..."

"...Kill..." the First repeats, loudly, from the middle of the courtroom...A sweet smile to Buffy, she vanishes...

"Inadmissible...If I may continue my defense..." Angel speaks from the cross...Now stood erect by the soldiers...

"Blasphemy!..." Giles waves arms at Angel on his cross... "Add it to the charges!...He can't be trusted anymore, Buffy...He's gone over...Ask my girlfriend over there..."

"Which of us?..." Jenny and Olivia, Siamese twins rise from the courtroom benches and stare at him...

"Buffy?..." Cicely in dock where Buffy had stood, but dressed in same red T-shirt and leather jacket blinks at him...

"A clever dodge...But the State will prove..." Giles began...

"The Council is not yet running the world, sir!..." Cicely yells...Now in antique dress... "You can't force me to stay!...We'll run, if we have to...!"

"Liar!...You agreed!..." Giles frowns...

"I thought he was gone..." Buffy, back to blonde and again in Spikean dress... "If I'd known..."

Her face hardens...

"If this is for...What I did..." she pauses, eyeing Dawn in her robes...

"What did you do, sis?..." Dawn asks, not unkindly...

"This answer your question?..." Andrew appears...A large tag marked 'Exhibit A' stapled to his chest...A large, blood-soaked wound in his chest...

"I don't think you can call that one an accident, Miss. Summers..." Dawn notes... "But frankly, Andy...We don't give a damn..."

"Murder most..." Giles begins, pauses...Looking apprehensive...

"You oughta know..." Ben appears and disappears...

"It's the other that concerns us...Family affairs..." Dawn continues...

"A minor case of strangulation..." Giles waves a hand... "Not that I took offense on a personal level..." He sticks out a black tongue, rolls eyes...The courtroom bursts into applause at his splendid rendering...

"...But Justice must be served..."

"...With tea and lemon..." disembodied voice...

"Like we care, Watcher..." Dawn frowns... "I woulda helped her if I were there..."

Buffy...Evasive... "There's nothing else...I..."

"Whatda pal..." Willow reappears...Head flopping to indicate broken neck...Kennedy beside her with bleeding head...

"'Please Willow...You can't tell Giles...I'll deal...'..." Willow mimics...

"If you'd helped..." Buffy glares...

"Some times the best thing a friend can do is say, no..." Willow says, solemnly...

"...'No'...And 'Giles, guess what Buffy's planning...?'..." Buffy says, with scorn...

"How was your astral plane tour, Willow?..." Giles asks, pleasantly...

"Involuntary...But ok..." she nods...

"Yes...So I gathered..." he replies... "Naturally I had to believe her...Did she really send you off on her lonesome?..."

"Only to Stasis...After we had ourselves a little spat..."

"She was fine...Still breathing..." Buffy insists... "I've seen worse...I've been worse...Soon as

I took care of everything, I'd''ve brought her home and gotten the best physical therapy money and/or magics could..."

"Like she helped Amy...Soon as she could...When she had free time..."

Willow glares, disappears...

"This is all circumstantial testimony..." Jonathan rises...

"That always sounds good on TV..." Angel nods from his cross...

"My client..." Jonathan sticks thumbs in his robe under armpits... "Has an impeccable record of service..."

"Yadda, yadda, yadda..." Dawn makes rolling gesture with hands... "Lets get on with the execution...She's obviously guilty..."

"Yeah, but..." Jonathan pauses...

"Hah! Britain takes the Cup!..Right!..." Giles pounds one hand into the other...

Ow!...Angel glares at the prosecutor pounding his nailed hand...

"But...You said..." Buffy eyes Dawn...

"I'd hardly have Giles prosecute his own murder, Miss Summers..." Justice Dawn formally notes...

"About time someone gave..." Andrew reappears...All frown at his bloodied corpse...

"Yeah, right..." Dawn sneers...

"I care, Andy..." the First, biting lip nervously, insists...Beaming cow's eyes...

"But Willow...Call her...I didn't ..." Buffy tries...Eyes avoiding...

"Not Willow either, Mom..." Dawn frowns...Then softens..."Mommy...Why did you do it?..."

"I...I thought he was gone..." Buffy, sobbing...Shakes head... "I was afraid...And Giles said..."

"Right..." Giles, rolling eyes... "Always the surrogate parent's fault...Now suppose we move along and let Justice take its course...I have a Chairman/CEO's golf tournament with Bill Gates and Dick Cheney...Oops...er, former CEO, Cheney...At four..."

"Ok...For the high crime of which the accused is charged...Off with her whatever..." Dawn nods... "Monkey-men...?"

Xander as flying monkey-man a'la Wizard of Oz appears leading a group of the same...

"Chop-chop...Literally..." she waves to Buffy...

William appears...Decked in 14th century Italian outfit as Dante Alighieri...Reads as the shocked courtroom group stares at him:

"Ahem...'...Such had this man become in his new life

Potentially, that every righteous habit

Would have made admirable proof in him;

But so much more malignant and more savage

Becomes the land untilled and with bad seed,

The more good earthly vigour it possesses.

Some time did I sustain him with my look;

Revealing unto him my youthful eyes,

I led him with me turned in the right way.

As soon as ever of my second age

I was upon the threshold and changed life,

Himself from me he took and gave to others.

When from the flesh to spirit I ascended,

And beauty and virtue were in me increased,

I was to him less dear and less delightful;

And into ways untrue he turned his steps,

Pursuing the false images of good,

That never any promises fulfil;

Nor prayer for inspiration me availed,

By means of which in dreams and otherwise

I called him back, so little did he heed them.

So low he fell, that all appliances

For his salvation were already short,

Save showing him the people of perdition.

For this I visited the gates of death,

And unto him, who so far up has led him,

My intercessions were with weeping borne'..."

(Purgatorio, The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri...)

"And I am grateful, Beatrice, my love..." he smiles...Buffy gazing at him...

"William..." she whispers...As he vanishes...

Dawn, whispering... "Daddy..." She blinks and sits upright in her robes...Head still barely peeping...

"Did I say we were in recess?...Move it, Xander...Or, rather...Remove it..."

Xander nods, two fellow monkey-men grabbing Buffy...He swings a large sword, severing her head...Holds it up...

"Now that's gotta hurt..." Angel notes from his cross...

"Cruel and inhumane punishment...Right...That's my motto..." Giles nods firmly...

"Let me file a protest on behalf of my client..." Jonathan insists...

"Oh, right...Show me up...You damned Brit bastard!..." Angel cries...

"Only in my first life..." Jonathan shakes head...

"Will you please?...My head is splitting..." Buffy's head calls... "Could someone please get these monkey paws off my face..."

"The prisoner is allowed to take her own custody on her own recognizance..." Dawn nods...Xander deposits the severed head into Buffy's hands...

"Stop poking me, idiot..." Buffy's head tells her hands...

"Poor creature..." a voice murmured sympathetically...

The eyes of her severed head looked up to see the slightly puffy, kindly, reasonably handsome if weary face of a dark-haired but slightly graying fortyish man of medium height in rather old-fashioned clothes staring down at her...

"Pardon the intrusion on so solemn...Very distressed to disturb...Only the most serious desire to be of assistance...My card..." he offered a card to her, politely holding it a few inches from her face for some time.

"Leopold Bloom, Pub. Can. Friend of Man At Large..." the card read...

"Don't trust him..." a tall, old fellow in a macintosh from a bench in back hopped up and shook a finger at her... "He's a regular low cad...When in Flower he goes by the name..." the man pinched a portion of his macintosh...

"Only to ease an aching heart..A harmless fancy..." Mr. Bloom, sighing sadly...

"Bloom, is it you, old lad?..." disembodied voice...

"Why, Mr. Walthrop?...Is that you, sir?...I've not had the pleasure since you and Mr. S. Daedalus and I tripped about Nighttown in '04, sir..." Bloom calls to the air...

"Who are you and how did you get..." Dawn begins...

"Oh, rocks..." a female disembodied voice and Drusilla, in streetwalker's outfit, together... "Now you've done it..."

Bloom, beaming... "My card, your Honor..." Hands card to guard by Angel...

Dramatic pause...

"By metempsychosis..."

"Great-grandpapa?..." Willow reappears, blinking at Bloom, head still flopping...

"Millie Jr...?" Bloom stares... "Such flaming hair...Such poor muscle control...Consult Wedicume's Wonder Worker...Strengthens the muscles of the spine, neck, and lower back..."

"Willow..." Willow corrects... "Ira's daughter..."

"Willow...You never told me you were a sister..." Angel stares...

"Great-grandpapli...Look what she did to me?...Don't take her side..." Willow pleads...

"Love and forgiveness, my girl..." Bloom says, kindly... "There's no other life for men and women..."

He turns to Buffy's head in her hands...

"Mrs. Walthrop...Tell us, please, darling girl...In your own words..."

"Giles said..." she begins...

Bloom eyes her...A sad, kind look...

"Always back on me..." Giles frowns... "Well, I'm dead and I've done paid my dues..."

"Yes...What did he say?..."

"Hey, she already has excellent counsel..." Angel calls, fuming a bit...

"It...It might be...It still could turn out..." she tries...

"Did you believe that...?" Leopold eyes her...

"I have to say...I do like how kind he always is to servants and old folks and the like..." Molly Bloom, she of the bounteous bosoms, to Drusilla in the jury box... "I was happy enough to see Leo, Jr. had dark eyes...Things were better after that, you see...And how that Blazes looked when it was sure not his, after he'd gone up and down smirking all over town about it..."

"I didn't know..." Buffy sighs... "I wanted to try...For him...But...I was all alone..."

"Right..." Dawn mutters..."Don't mind me, I don't exist..."

"I ran away to Rome...Just Dawn and me..."

"Always nice to be remembered in your memoirs, Mom..." Dawn flashed a grim little smile...

"I was going to try, I wanted to...But...God, I was so afraid...I missed him so much...I thought...I even thought..."

"Yes..." Bloom nods kindly... "We all have such thoughts from time to time...I suggest a vigorous yet leisurely course of walking...Clears the mind, frees the soul...or perhaps, setting-up exercises..."

"Of course he couldn't kill him that night..." Molly nods to the whispering Dru... "Poldy is the real thing Messiahwise...He just went and got the Second Coming wrong, the way he gets all those thngs he knows mixed-up in that brain of his...Had to reset the clock..." Listens to Dru's whispered comment...

"Well, how do you expect He'd respond to His wife's being an adulteress?..." Molly glares... "He turned the other cheek of course...It was only the one time I went all the way, after all..."

"Did I really kill them?..." Buffy, dodging...

"Maybe you did...Maybe you will...If you don't get things right with yourself..." Bloom pats the head gently...

"I never blamed William..." she tries... "Even after I found out...That he didn't come...But I was so ashamed...How could I face him and tell...And now, cause I couldn't face him..."

"I begged you not to, Mother..." Dawn notes quietly... "Didn't I beg you to wait?...See?..."

"Buffy...Oh, poor child..." Bloom sighs... "Believe me, girl...I know what it is to suffer this way..."

"Yes..." Molly from her seat, tears... "For so long...I thought it would never be the same..."

"You didn't..." Buffy begins...

"Mr. Angel?..." Bloom looks to Angel... "Since you insist on impersonating me...Would you and your associate do the honors...?"

Angel nods, Jonathan nods...Both smile gently at Buffy's head...

"He proves by Algebra that Hamlet's ghost..." Jonathan begins...

William in Hamlet costume appears...Scowling a bit...

"Ruddy poof outfit..." he fumes...

"...Is Shakespeare..." Angel smiles...Ow...

"Those things are a bitch..." Bloom nods sympathetically...

William, bald...In sixteenth century dress...Quill pen in hand...

"Willum..." Anne Hathaway, head reattached, stares at her beloved...

"And...That the Queen is..." Angel continues...

"Born in 1857..." Jonathan grins...

Cicely's head, severed again, stares at them...

"And...1981..." Angel notes...

"...Proving conclusively...If my colleague's existence didn't..." Jonathan...

"...That the soul never dies..." both...

"And just as Amelia Dawn lives and like Perdita was again found by her parents..." Bloom concludes...Smiling over to Dawn...

"And William was saved by his wife's love as Dante dreamed Beatrice would save him..."

"So Joyce Elisabeth waits to be reborn.."

"And said husband..." William chimes in...Taking and setting Buffy's head on her shoulders...

"Never gives up...And neither do you..." he smiles...Bloom nods...

She blinked at Andrew's terrified face...

"I didn't..." he begged... "Buffy, the Immortal has lied to you...We didn't plan this...You're not thinking ration..."

"What time is it?..." she asked him...He stared...

She lowered the stake... "In LA, what time...?"

"Four am, I think...Five, maybe..." he calmed slightly...She seemed a hair...

But then anything was better than when the Immortal had dropped her off, raving lunacy about killing them all...For killing William and her baby...

Though, true...Chairman Giles had pushed for that abortion in September...And Dawn certainly was bitter about it...But the Slayer'd seemed to have accepted it as the right choice...

However...Holding him here at stake point for the night after Dawn managed to slip out, ranting on about...

Well, Giles would be impressed that she'd read Dante...

...Didn't quite seem as though she'd quite gotten over it as well as they'd thought...

God...To think the Immortal was spending all this time not dating her, but getting her all worked up over another guy...

Seems I still lack a little something in my ability to fully perceive character flaws...

Hmmn...Evil, yes...But undoubtedly dedicated to his goal...Must be the immortality develops patience...

Say?...Magics were 'dirty'...But drugs and mental reprogramming ok?...

"Alright..." she sighed...Damn it...I could never get Willow patched up fast enough now even if I could pull her out of stasis in time...

"Have you got your phone?..."

He nervously fumbled...Handed her the phone...

"Giles?...Yeah, I'm better...But I am still gonna kill you and every Watcher and Slayer I meet if you don't get me and every Slayer in the US now to LA...Andy can vouch that I'm not fully outta my head now, right Andy?..."

"She's a little better!..." he hollered...

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Immortal Beloved..." CXIX...

PG 13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down! It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (119) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond...

This one's a single...IB99 and 100 and others are multipart...(parts alphabetically listed)...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at ., scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series...

LA...Set of "Ugly Betty"...

This week Nathan Lane being guest star, naturally it's the musical episode...

"Ok...Look, I cannot do this..." "Betty" in self-defined 'nice work outfit', braces proudly prominent, throws up hands... "I'm sorry Mr. Lane..." nod to Mr. Lane standing by "Henry" -Mode magazine junior accountant and would-be object of her affection... "But I don't sing...I take call, I type, I run Daniel's errands and even make excuses to his girlfriends..."

"Oh?..." Lane eyes said "Daniel"...Who tries to look casual...His "sister Alexis" beside him grinning...

"But I don't...Sing..."

"I sing!..." "Mark", pixie-ish minion of the evil Wilhelmina, eagerly pushing in...

"Great...When I need another Broderick, I'll call you..." Lane brushes him off...He returns to "Betty"...

"Betty...Darling...It's simple..." he pats her shoulder... "You just imagine yourself in the shower...You sing in the shower...We all sing in the shower...My career started in the shower..."

"No, I don't..." "Betty" nervously waves hands... "Uh...Not since my family asked me to stop..."

"Do it for Nathan, Betty..." Lane nudges her... "And for Henry our Bloom stand-in here who can't seem to take his eyes off you..."

Sudden crash from behind stage set momentarily startles and interrupts the cast but the shooting resumes quickly...Several people quietly coming in from round the back, avoiding the shooting area...

"The new girl..." an assistant barely hisses to the director who sighs briefly...

"Ummn..." "Henry" pushes glasses back, trying to help "Betty" at her pleading glance... "I was getting...Some information from her..."

"Uh-huh...Well then, lets just say..." Imperious look from Mr. Lane... "I'm Nathan Lane, king of Broadway...Guest of your employers and if I want you to sing with me...You sing!..."

"Uh..."

"Now if Betty doesn't want to..." "Daniel" cautiously tries a rescue...

"Sing!..." Lane imperiously stamps foot...

"Ok, cut..." the director calls...All pause...

"Lets bring in our stand-in for Betty to run the number while America changes for the dream sequence...Ok..."

"I can do the run-through..." Ms. Ferrara frowns...As a short, slight young woman in brunette wig steps forward...

She's new...Hmmn...Familiar somehow... "Henry" thinks...

The director steps over to Ms. Ferrara, whispering...

"Ok, ok..." she pouts a bit but heads off, turning back to narrowly glare at her new stand-in a moment...Said stand-in flashing nervous smile...Uh...

"What's with our sweet angel..."..." "Daniel" now off-camera, whispering to "Mark"... Who shrugs...

"Right, now lets do this from the start of the dream sequence song...Henry, forward..."

"Henry" steps to the front of the stage...The stand-in behind him, watching him...

"Ok...And begin..."

"Henry", staring out at imagined audience:

"The urge to merge can rob us of our senses...The need to breed can make a man a drone...

We must be on alert with our defenses...For every skirt will test...Testosterone..."

(The kid is good...Lane notes quietly to the director..."Broderick took a year to get the song down pat...")

"So knowing this, I severed all connection...With any creature sporting silk or lace...

I was firmly headed in the right direction...

When suddenly I stumbled on...

That face...

That face...That face...That fabulous face...I mustn't be unwise...

Those lips, those nose, those eyes...Could lead to my demise...

That face...That face...That wonderful face...I really must beware...

I'm certain if I fall in Love, I'm lost without a trace...But it's worth it for that face..."

Shy smile...Though perhaps something behind it...

"That face...That face...That marvelous face...

I never should begin...

Those cheeks, that neck, that chin...Will surely do me in...

I must be smart...And hide my heart...If she's within a mile..."

"Is he seeing anybody?..." "Angela" hisses to "Mark"...Who shrugs...

"Man's a complete loner after work, I hear...Always has to get home right away to take care of his son, he says..."

Oh.

"Un...married, that much I do know..."

"Oh..." bright smile..."Say, what's with the new stand-in?..." Narrow look at stand-in eyeing "Henry" intently from her spot...

"Relative of somebody, I think..." another shrug from "Mark"...

Hmmn... "Henry" brushes away a sudden nervous sensation...Fortunately not missing a beat...

"If I don't duck...I'm out of luck...She'll kill me with her smile..."

The stand-in staring at him from the edge of the desk she's been positioned at...Blinking apologetically as the director waves to her...And flashing smile to camera as she rises and halts in place, stumbles a bit ...

"That face, that face...That fabulous face...It's clear I must beware...I'm certain if I fall in love...I'm lost without a trace...

But it's worth it...For that..."

Crash as the stand-in rushes over to him, grabbing him from behind... Cast members, staff looking at each other...Several grabbing for cell phones, most checking for previously noted safe hiding locations, this sort of thing not being all that rare in series television...

"William, William!...Oh, William!..." fervent kisses...

"Who the hell's William?..." Lane asks the shrugging director who standing, claps for quiet...

"What's going on here?..."

"Buffy?..." "Henry" struggles to pull himself to his feet...Sheepish look to director and Lane, both frowning...Buffy, her wig askew, holding him tightly, kissing...

"I knew it was you!...First time I saw "Henry" on the show..." she babbled, kissing... "Giles wouldn't let Andy tell me about you...Then when Andy burst out crying when we thought Angel and his guys were gonna be wiped out and told me, and I forced him to send all the Slayers round to you, he lied to me, said you'd been destroyed by the Partners...Oh, why didn't you see me that night in Rome?..."

"This is classic..." Lane chucked at the pair, slapping thigh... "Kid, I've seen desperate attempts to break in but this one tops 'em all, except one I pulled once..."

"Is this in the script?...When did he get a dual role?..." from his chair "Mark" hissed to his sometime on-screen partner and occasional 'beard', "Angela" who was thumbing hastily... "I don't see any 'William'...What the hell's up?...They know each other?..." she hisses...A defeated look settling...

"You gotta believe me, William...I love you..." Buffy hugged the squirming William...

"Somebody know what's going on?" 'Daniel' asked several cast members... "Is this another script change nobody told me about?..."

"Yeah, yeah very nice...Can we hold the improv and get back to work, please?...Ms. Summers?... "Henry"?..." the director fumed...

Things I do to destroy my artistic career as a member of the Council... he sighed...Still, when the Slayer Counselor General tells you she wants work on your series as a stand-in...

Or else...

"Buffy...I am workin' here..." William hissed...

"So am I..." she noted... "Sorry, we're old friends...The song got to me...I'm ok now..." she called...

"Great...Can you manage the finish so we can move on to the next scene?..."

"I think..." "Alexis" noted carefully to "Mark" and "Angela"... "They know each other..."

"Brilliant...Who cares?...The cleaning lady knows the junior grip..."

"Angela" fumed back...

"Quiet!..." the director called...

"I wanna know where they get off with that little soap opera bit in front of Mr. Lane..." "Mark" continued...

"Yeah..." "Daniel" joined in... "If any of us pulled that..."

"SHUTUP!" William/ "Henry" cried...All staring at him...

"Go on, miss..." he told Buffy, giving her a quiet smile...Which was returned...

"Presence...I like that..." Lane noted to the director...

"That face, that face...That lovable face...It melts my Slayer heart..."

"Slayer?...Is that right?..." "Daniel" looked round... "I've read "That Face" top to bottom for when I do Leo in summer stock this August and I've never seen 'Slayer' in there..."

"I'm certain if I fall in love...I'm lost without a trace..."

"Henry" and Buffy:

"But it's worth it for...

That face..."

(Hmmn..."That's new...I like it..." Lane nods to the stunned director... Oh?...Well, if Nathan Lane says it's good...)

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"Immortal Beloved..." CXX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (120) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series

LA...Midst of battle as a vast, mostly lumbering horde of creatures somewhat other than human in general appearance tries to regroup and find its rather relatively tiny target in the muddle and confusion of its repeated botched charges...

"Hang on a sec...They've fallen back..."

"Yeah...Say that Marcus bloke's blood is something...We're tearing them to shreds...We keep this up and we might actually unlive through this thing..."

"Please...They're mostly trampling and killing each other...Half of them can't recognize a fellow demon from a lamp post...The rest don't care what they kill...Just try and keep 'em busy till Illyria's had enough time to get Charlie back...You ok?..."

"What's that supposed to mean?..."

"Spike, I only count three limbs on you..."

"The other arm's around here somewhere, I'll find it later...I'm holdin' my own up, poof...Just stop trying to protect that precious hair for Ms. Nina and join the party..."

"Is a whale of a time..." broad grin...

"That it is... Say...The boys and girls seem to be thinking it over..." wave at where the nearest part of the horde was now trying to sort itself into some kind of attack order...

"Should be a while..."

"And barely two hours till dawn...This is a piece of cake..."

"Uh-huh..." grin... "You did see me nail..."

"Yeah, for the fifth time...I saw...It was lovely...Though how one could help but hit a thirty-foot dragon from six feet..."

"Hey...I killed it with two hits..."

"Some of us could've done it with one...Spared the poor thing a little agony..."

"Shut up..."

"Tell me you didn't have that bloke with the red horns take a picture..."

"It was for the record..."

"Oh, please..."

"They're nearly ready to try again..." point to where the horde had managed to assume a vague kind of formation...A number more preoccupied with dining on their wounded or dead comrades...Several apparent leaders trying to beat or kill their way to establishing order...

"Well, we'll lead 'em a merry chase...Ummn...You haven't seen...Anything...?"

"No, not yet...Will, I don't want to be a bearer of bad tidings, but..."

"I'm not expectin' her, Angel...Just would be nice if the Council remembered a couple of Saviors of Humanity and dispatched a few Slayers our way...You know what we need for this one...?"

"I saw a burned-out bar back there..." point...

"No...Well, yeah, a pint or some whiskey'd be nice...But I mean a fight song..."

"A what?..."

"We need a good fight song...Get the spirits...And we the soul boys got em...And that Marcus blood up..."

"Are you out of..."

"Best to get movin'..." wave at the now charging mass... "Yeah..."

Pant... "Any ideas?..." "Lets try back through the alley there..."

"Ok, throw those barrels down...Good...They'll be channeled down here to a six-thing line..."

"I meant about the song..."

"Spike!..."

"Hmmn?...Oh..." turns to ram a long pole in his remaining hand into a huge gray cross between a giant armadillo and ten foot hedgehog...Angel despatching the driver... "Thanks...Now, I'd say a good ole Irish ballad..." Pulls a sheet from his pocket...

Hmmn...? "You brought the lyrics with you?..."

"For the Big One?...Natch... 'Sides, after I got Will, Jr. settled at Miss Nina's before I went to the poetry slam I had some time on my hands..."

Stares at sheet in his hands...Spike?...

Wait... 'Will, Jr.?'...

"'The Spanish Lady'?...Spike?...What kind of fight song is that?..."

"The best kind, mate...For two idiot romantics..." grin...

Which after a moment's stare was returned...

"All set?...You start..." "Hell, you wanted to do this, you start." "I like this, I show a little friendly feeling...I could've chosen an English song, ya know." "Spike?" "Yeah?" "Duck!"

Whizz of hard-thrown battleaxe...Sound of thud of said axe burying itself into the wrong Undead target, accompanied by scream of pain and howl of rage... "Thanks?" "For what, poof?...I saw it. So?..." "I still don't see what we need a fight song for..." "And you call yourself a expatriate IrishUnman?"

"The Spanish Lady..."

"As I went down to Dublin city,

At the hour of twelve at night,

Who should I see but a Spanish lady,

Washing her feet by candlelight.

First she washed them, then she dried them

Over a fire of amber coal,

In all my life I ne'er did see

A maid so sweet about the soul..."

CHORUS:

"Whack (Arggh!...Accompanying screams of several 'whacked' creatures, the massed line of demons, falling back a moment...) fol the toora, toora laddyWhack (Sound of poles skewering several in the front line, more screams...) fol the foora loora lay..."

"Whack fol the toora, toora laddy

Whack fol the foora loora lay..."

("We have them, charge them, kill them, you dolts!..." cry of demonic Senior Partner Joseph, bald, lizard-eyed little nearly human-looking fellow, in remarkably crisp suit, from the third row line..."What the hell?...Are they singing?..." he turns to a junior commander...)

"As I came back through Dublin city

At the hour of half past eight..". (Ahhhhh...Arghh...A huge blue furball of a creature is thrown back upon the front line...)

"Who should I spy but the Spanish lady

Brushing her hair in the broad daylight.

First she tossed it, then she brushed it,

On her lap was a silver comb

In all my life I ne'er did see

A maid so fair since I did roam..."

("You cowardly...! We outnumber them five thousand to...!" Joseph hollers at the paralyzed force before him, holding now in front of Angel's and William's flimsy barricade of barrels and trash...Hum...He falls back a bit as some flaming wreckage is hurled his way by Angel...)

CHORUS:

"Whack fol the toora, toora laddy

Whack fol the foora loora lay..."

("Hey they're good..." one in the front rank notes to a likewise,greenish, six-foot insectlike comrade... "Not bad..." his fellow shrugs...Both turning to force a panicky way back through the mass as the barrels, now burning with gas siphoned by Spike from several destroyed cars, roll their way...)

"Whack fol the toora, toora laddy

Whack fol the foora loora lay..."

("Oh, demon Lord..." Joseph sighs, head in hands, as the huge massive wedge of Demonity stumbles back in panic...A good part of the front row screaming and on fire... "Sir?..." "What now, Winthrop?..." he stares at his junior... "Sir, we've a report..." Hideous screams from the far rear of the demon mass... "What the Hell is...?" "Sir, I think they've got reinforcements coming on our rear..." "What?...What reinforcements?...Angel's kid and that broken-down wreck of an ex-demon queen?...Tell the fellas in the rear to get some guts and..." )

"I stopped to look but the watchman passed says he "young fella now the night is late

Along with you now or I will wrestle you

Straight way throught the Bride-well Gate"..."

("And there they go...!" Spike hollers... "Not quite...!" Angel points to a number of monkey-like things crawling along the walls of the buildings in the alley...)

"I blew a kiss to the Spanish Lady

Hot as a fire of angry coals

In all my life I ne'er did see a maid so sweet about the soul..."

CHORUS:

"Whack (Hideous monkeylike squeal...) fol the toora, toora laddy

Whack fol the foora loora lay..."

("Sir...?" "What?..." Joseph turns to call to another commander... "Damnit...Get those monkey boys some support!...The only fellas in our whole army with a few balls between...What?...What more to make this the worse night of Demonity's existence?..." "Sir, we think it's more than Angel's son and Illyria advancing on our rear...")

"Whack fol the toora, toora laddy ("Hang in there, poof..." Arhhhhh...Another monkey creature falls to its death from Spike's spear hit... "...they're ready to run..." Dozens of the monkey creatures now charging across the walls of the buildings... "Uh-huh...Spike, time to fall back..." "Just a mo, poof...")

"Whack fol the foora loora lay..." (Spike skewers two flying monkeys as they bear down... "Didn't think they had more air support...Guess we'd best pull back a bit...")

"As I went out through Dublin City as the hour of dawn was nigh

Who should I see but the Spanish Lady

I was lonely and want to sigh

First she coaxed me then she chid me

Then she laughed at my sad plight

In all my life I ne'er did see a maid so sweet as on that night..."

("Holy Christ..." Spike stares at the figure now regarding him with a grin from the top of the nearest alley building to the left from which several monkey creatures poised for a swoop now fell dead... "Holy shit!..." Joseph in his ranks stares at the figures now appearing along the building roofs...His own creatures falling from the walls as a rain of stakes pour down... "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph..." Angel stares... "Hey, watch it, girls!..." "Hold it, ladies!...Hey, you blonde twerp!...You better damn well still be in one piece!...Say, great song, guys!..." Buffy calls...)

CHORUS: (remarkably louder now...)

"Whack fol the toora, toora laddy

Whack fol the foora loora lay

Whack fol the toora, toora laddy

Whack fol the foora loora lay..."

("Sir...? Why are we singing?..." "Shut up and sing, all of you...They won't kill us if we've surrendered and joined their Chorus..." Joseph hisses...)

"I've wandered north and I've wandered south through Stoneybatter and Patrick's Close

Up and around by the Gloucester Diamond

Round by Napper Tandy's house

("Who the bloody blazes...?" "How would I know? I only visited Dublin once when I was ten...")

Old age has laid her hand on me

Cold as fire of ashey coals

But where, oh where, is my Summers Lady, neat and sweet about the soul?"

("Damn it, poof, did you say 'Summers' at that last?...Did you know all the time she was comin'?" "Who, me?" Hard stare... "Well, maybe Giles did say he'd think things over when I called him the other day..." grin...

"Fellas!..." Hug for Angel...

"Ow!...Hey?..." William rubs remaining arm...

"Jerk...Keepin' me hanging all year...Say...Oh, my God?...Will, where the hell's your...?..."

"Eh...It's around here, somewhere..."

"Angel?..You promised to watch out for him, damnit!...You swore if I kept to your plan and waited till we got the Immortal and his Partners out in the open..."

"You did what?..."

"Heh...Well, it all worked out right?...Hey, there's still one more verse..")

CHORUS

"Whack fol the toora, toora laddy

Whack fol the foora loora lay

Whack fol the toora, toora laddy

Whack fol the foora loora lay."

("Guys...Will, did you write that?..." eager beam...

"He certainly did...'The Summers' Lady' , he calls it..." Angel nods solemnly...Will giving him a...

"Oh, Will...That's beautiful...You really are a jackass, you know...Rome and making me wait so long and all, I mean...But that's beautiful...And I suppose it was all Angel's and Giles' fault, them and their 'big plan'..."

Uh...Angel eyes the glaring faces...

"Anyway, it's beautiful...Like that poem you wrote for me..." she beamed again...

"Ummn...? Thanks...Just an adaptation, really...Poem?..."

"'To Cicely', stupid...Geesh, Angel?...Didn't you tell him about the Watcher archives?..."

"Must've slipped my mind in all the confusion these last days...Cicely..." he eyes her... "How's about one more verse?...Spike?...Spike?..."

"Will?...You ok, honey?...William?...Oh, geesh...Great way to tell him, Angel..." she holds the limp Will in her arms...)

CHORUS

"Whack fol the toora, toora laddy

Whack fol the foora loora lay

Whack fol the toora, toora laddy

Whack fol the foora loora lay."

("Will you guys shut up and somebody get me some water?..." Buffy calls...)

"First she coaxed me then she chid me

Then she laughed at my sad plight

In all my life I ne'er did see a maid so sweet as on that night..."

CHORUS

"Whack fol the toora, toora laddy

Whack fol the foora loora lay

Whack fol the toora, toora laddy

Whack fol the foora loora lay."

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXI...

PG-13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (121) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond...

This one's a single...IB99 and 100 are multipart...(parts alphabetically listed)

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series...

LA...Night...

"She's not coming, William...She knows about you and couldn't care less...Neither for you or poor ole Angel..."

He said nothing...Ignoring the slight blonde, occasionally flickering, form taunting him to continuing swinging at the charging masses before him...The immediate horde to his front staggering back on their own ranks in shocked panic at his furious slashes...That super blood really is everything ole Angel said it was, he noted to himself...She watching...

"You think I'm lying...Where is she, then?...Andrew must've told her...William...It's all pointless...She doesn't care...She never did..."

"Girl..." he sighed... "Whether all you're saying is a lie or no, it doesn't matter...She's not obliged to me...Though ole Angel would have appreciated her showin'...I'm sorry..."

"He'll be past 'sorry' quick enough..." she sneered, indicating the reforming horde before them...

"No..." he shook his head... "I'm sorry for you...To never have the ability to love, let alone unselfishly...It must be terrible, seeing even weak excuses like the Brooding One and me manage it while you watch, unable to feel it in the slightest way, forever...You can never understand that joy, that glory...And so I'm sorry for you..."

A sudden wave of energy radiating outward from her...The horde suddenly flattened before him...

"Teach me..." she begged...

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXII...

PG 13

Disclaimer: No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (122) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond...This one's a single...IB99 and 100 and others are multipart...(parts alphabetically listed)...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series...

"Michael Henchard's Will…"

"'That Elizabeth-Jane Farfrae be not told of my death, or made to grieve on account of me.

& that I not be bury'd in consecrated ground.

& that no sexton be asked to toll the bell.

& that nobody is wished to see my dead body,

& that no murners walk behind me at my funeral.

& that no flours be planted on my grave.

& that no man remember me.

To this I put my name.'

'Michael Henchard'"

(From "The Mayor of Casterbridge", 1886, Thomas Hardy)

"Buffy?..." Giles stared at her frozen face as she looked up from the book she'd plucked from his library shelf while waiting… Startled, but noting the cover of the book, he'd begun a smile and was putting together a witty, light tease in his mind when he saw Cicely's pendant necklace from the Watcher archives swinging from her tense, white neck…

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXIII...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (123) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at ., scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series ...

"Buffy..." a sigh...Staring at the young woman seated at table, holding...Clutching the box stolen from the secret vaults...

"Why did you do this?..."

"Is it true?..." she asked...

Giles shook his head...But not in negation, she realized...

"Giles, is what Henri told me true?..." she said, slowly but grimly...

"Was William..." she paused... "Is he...?"

"Buffy, whatever the Immortal told you...Or that you have found here in the archives...William the Bloody is destroyed...And William Walthrop is long dead..."

"Then it's true, isn't it?...He was my husband...And you..."

"I did what I had to do to protect you...Spike couldn't be..."

"Liar..." she said softly... "Liar...You knew he had his soul back...That's why you tried to kill him before...You never tried to kill William the Bloody...But William Soames Walthrop...He had to die, right?...Otherwise, I might have...You bastard..."

"Buffy, we had a duty...Both of us...Humanity had to be..."

"My name is Cicely...Cicely Walthrop...And you knew it, didn't you, you liar?...You murderer..." she stood in front of him...Face grim, set, and cold...

"I didn't kill him, Buffy..."

"You told Andrew not to tell me...You wanted him dead..."

"He was a demon, Buffy...Soul or..."

She was ready to, he realized...Tensing for the blow...But suddenly she relaxed a bit and slowly sat down, lightly touching the dusty ole book of poetry and the packet of stolen century-plus old letters carefully wrapped in the box on the table...Looking up at him...

"I can understand Angel...You hated him...But for the love of God, Giles...My husband...With soul restored?..." she stared at him... "You knew...All the time, you knew..."

"Not always...But yes, the last few years...I'd known the general outline of the story of Cicely and William...All field Watchers have been briefed for the last century against..."

"My coming..." she said, flatly... "Our protectors...Keepin' a close watch in case I came back..."

"Chairman Travers warned me when William appeared in Sunnydale that it might not be coincidence...That you might well be...Buffy...I didn't want it to end like this...But there was no other..."

"You could have told me...I could have saved him..."

"Buffy, the menace to Humanity outweighed every other consideration...I am sorry...But that was another life...Buffy, you are not that woman now and..."

"You killed my husband, you bastards..." she said quietly... "All because I wanted a life...You would've killed anyone I'd hooked up with, right?...Hell, you killed me and my daughter in 1880 and you would've killed Buffy Summers just as easily if she became a problem...I mean a real problem, quitting Slaying or going off to save her vampire husband..."

Right?...She stared at him...

"We all have our duty, Slayer..." he said quietly... "We had a chance here to eliminate the demonic threat to Mankind forever...And whatever sacrifices had to be made, were made...:"

Will be made...

"Angel and Will eliminated the threat..." she shook her head... "You sat on your ass and let them die...And now what?...The Partners are back in Hell, their demons have fled this planet and their vamp hosts...You boys have 20,000 Slayers under your thumb, thanks to Willow and me...And no more vamps or demons to hunt, thanks to my husband and poor Angel...So now what?...The Council starts throwing its weight around?..."

Tell me...She eyed him... "Give me a good excuse to kill you all, for ole times sake..."

"The demonic threat is almost eliminated, Buffy..." he nodded... "But, excepting the occasional Simon Farris or Gwendolyn Post, we have no interest in seizing power...The Council could have sought power centuries ago...All we want is Humanity safe...And free..."

Of all things demonic...

She turned at the sound behind her...

...Of machine gun bolts being pulled back...

"Giles..." she turned to him...

"The others are all gone, dear, including poor Willow...They've done their duty and been retired as painlessly as possible...And with all the hell portals sealed there will be no more vampires and no more Slayers, no more demonic or demonic-powered forces unleashed on Earth..."

Even by us...He nodded to the armed men facing the now-standing Buffy...

She, in her turn, not really surprised to see that he made no move to avoid the fired bullets...

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXIV...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (124) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at ., scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series ...

Senzafine

[Music: Coti Zelati / Lyrics: Scabbia / Ferro]

[Adapted English translation:]

"My time flows slowly

gliding upon the veil of my naked skin

If I'd not overstepped the borderline given me

maybe I would not be here

Now what's the sense

of trying to embrace a purer past

Looking forward I will risk

but I will answer my questions

All that we'll be

It was already written

If he truly exists

God has failed

Every spoken word

will be the mirror of your sorrow

will reflect the fault

will feed the hatred

Beloved

My fate choose

For you I still resist

For you I'm still standing up in this moment

of pure madness

I understand no longer if I should wish for good or evil

Even if sin maybe gave me more

Now what's the sense

of opposing resistance to a settled destiny

But I will manage to withstand

Awake me

O...Beloved

My fate choose

For you I will resist

Awake me

It isn't choice without you

It isn't life without you"

"Don't stop it..." harshly...

"It's not exactly the original Italian..." Andrew paused, pulling his finger back from the tape player while eyeing the silent figure in the hospital bed... "But that's the note..."

"I see..." a quiet tone... "And that was the last...?"

"We lost all contact through our agent after that...Until she showed in Rome, claiming everything'd gone well in Austria...No mention of the note..."

"Andrew...I should kill you..." the same quiet tone... "If you'd told me when we came to Rome..."

"She'd've killed me...And you'd be dead...Maybe both of you..." Andrew sighed... "She thought she could handle him...So I did...But I didn't know what she was doing...I thought it was all part of the Chairman's plan...Not a deal of her own...I knew she loved you but I never thought..."

"She'd risk cutting a deal with a Partner to save me...And now..."

"I don't know exactly what's happened...But whoever or whatever the Immortal sent back to Rome that day...It's not the Buffy we know...However much she may seem..."

"She's not dead, Andrew...I'd know..."

"I don't think she is either...But this..." Andrew tapped the note... "It's obviously a message...She barely altered the lyrics of the song...She must have figured if our agent was stopped, no one would be too suspicious..."

"Yeah...He has her...And is trying to break her..."

"But...This is Buffy Summers...What could the Immortal have that...?"

"He had me of course...She didn't fight, isn't fighting, because he'd've had his buddies here destroy me...Andrew, why should I trust you?...It's much easier to believe you're the deception..." steady look...

Stare back...Ummn...

"Give me a reason...A good one...Right now..." return to the quiet tone...But a definite trace of menace...

"I...If I was lying I could have just had you dusted when you were brought here...Or if I was part of the plot, just let her come to you and finish you off..."Andrew, hurriedly, gulping a bit...But steady in his return look...

He has learned some Ripper from ole Giles...William thought...Nodding...

"Good enough...Though it's this..." he took the note from Andrew's hand... "...and my gut that I mostly believe..."

"We don't have much time, William...She'll be suspicious if I keep her from you while you're still here...I've got to get you out..."

"Is it her?...Her body?...Or can I kill her?...What am I dealing with, Wells?..."

Kill her?...Andrew involuntarily stared at the flat sheet under which a missing leg should have been...

"It's her...But..."

Voices in the hall...

"Well?..."

"I can't say more now...I don't know whom to trust here...Look, we have to get you safely to England where my people..."

"You have 'people' now?..."

"Spike...We can't trust anyone here...I can't risk saying more...But I'm going to get you out..."

"Right..." he nodded... "Thanks..." Andrew nodding back, rose...

"Leave the tape too, please..."

Ummn... "Will...Someone might..."

"It's all she has...All she's clinging to...I don't care, Wells...I have to have it...So long as I hear it, I can feel her..."

"Please, Andrew..."

Andrew sighed but handed him the player...

"Try to keep it hidden, Spike...Especially from her if she manages to reach you...See you in England..."

"Right...Thanks..."

The first faint strains reaching Andrew as he went out into the corridor where Council staff and a few of the local Slayers hurried about...

Awake...William whispered, listening...

Awake...O, Beloved...

(A little extra scene for the opening of "You Only Live Thrice...")

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXV...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (125) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at ., scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series ...

Rome...One month after the LA battle...

Hmmn...Andrew, head wrapped in towel, frowns at the insistent buzzer...

Not another Slayer seeking guidance from the One and Only...

Not to mention from Buffy as well...

About time I spoke to the Chairman and we ended this charade... Even if it was my idea...

Still...And speaking of the Chairman...It could be an urgent Council matter only one Wells could be entrusted with...

Or it could be my pizza...He sighed and stood at the door...

Hmmn...He peered out the peephole...

No one?...

Well...

"Mr. Wells?..." Buffy...Or rather 'Buffy'...Had emerged from her bedroom in a robe... "Is anything wrong?..."

He put up a hand...Not time to abandon character... "I think it's just a mistake or uno bambino playing the tricks...Ms. Summers..." he put emphasis on the Summers...

One never knowing...

She nodded, biting lip...Should know better than to come out of character without an all-clear... "Right...Andrew..." she giving it the full Buffy vocals...He nodding in turn...Very good...

Even if it was only...The buzzer ran again, startling them...

But, naturally the Vice-Chairman for Field Operations had chosen his Buffy double, a former actress called to Slaying, well...She held character, without skipping a beat... "Andrew?...Were you expecting someone?..."

He carefully put eye to peephole... "Let me..." she insisted, in excellent Buffy manner, gently pulling him away...Though not before he'd again taken a quick look...And seen that all remained seemingly clear...

She gazed through the peephole, carefully repressing her natural nervousness...Andrew pleased to see her taking a very Buffy initative...

"So...?"

"Nothing..." she sighed...Looking again...And pulling away with a shrug a moment later...

"What'd'ya think, Andy?...Shall we take a peek to be sure?"

"Buffy, I'd prefer to..." he paused as the buzzer ran yet again...

'Buffy' returned to the peephole... "No one again..." she looked back at Andrew...Both bewildered and a tad apprehensive now...

"It's William!..." she suggested... "He's come back as a ghost after LA and wants me to help him..."

Uh-huh...Andrew nodded...

My God how lame can you get?...he thought...

On the other hand...Maybe his spirit now knows about our little charade and is here in disembodied form to flay me alive...With Angel's equally enraging spirit perhaps assisting...

"I'd better take a look, Andrew..." she put hand to knob and unlocked the door with her free hand...

"Wait..." he put hand on hers...

Why, Andrew...slight-out-of-character-beam...She'd been waiting six months for the little guy to make a move...Even expressing a real interest during off-duty moments in her Immortal partying companion hadn't gotten a rise out of him...

Watchers are so dedicated as she'd mentioned to Ms. Dawn Summers during her visit during her break from studies in Milan...

Though it had been disconcerting the look Dawn had given her in return...Andrew?...

"Lets not do the classic slasher movie mistake, going out there alone...Obviously someone wants us to come out..." he noted...

She nodded, as a veteran of several such...

"Though on the positive side, if they were something invincible or even super, they'd've likely come in by now...Unless..."

"Vampire?...Right up my alley..." she beamed...But as he kept his...Very sweet hand on hers, she hesitated...

Should I put my hand on his arm?...To thank him for his show of concern?...Maybe encourage him a little?...

"Could be Drusilla..." he pondered... "She'd do it this way...And she could possibly be pissed at Buffy over Spike..."

Drusilla?...Oh, right...The psycho with hypno powers, William's ex-... "That's not a bad idea, Andrew...But..." projecting voice a little... "I've handled Drusilla in the past..."

He put up a hand...Ok...A slight smile...Very Buffy...Which she returned...

"Lets throw something on and I'll get the new projector and the thermal scanner...We'll see if anything warm-blooded is out there and if not flood the hallway with UV..."

"Make sure there are no kids out there, fooling around Andrew..." she said, anxiously as he went to grab the new equipment...All his inventions she thought with admiration, heading for her room...What a guy... "That thing could blind them..."

If only he could see how blind he was to me...

"We'll be careful..." he called back... "Just don't open the door..."

She emerged a couple of minutes later in sweater and slacks...

A crash from Andrew's room...

"Andy?..." "Fine, fine...Dropped a box..."

Another buzz...She peered out again but as she expected...Nothing...

"Ok..." Andrew emerged, in t-shirt and trousers, holding small cell-phone like scanner with tiny readout screen in left hand, large boxlike unit with giant flashlight-like projector on top barely managed in right...

She hurried to help with the projector, taking it in hand...As he began scanning the corridor...

Hmmn...The two people in what should be apartment 138 were either very recently dead victims stacked like cordwood or...Yeah, having sex...

Other than that, nothing remotely human around...And nothing at vampiral body temps...Though of course they could get pretty low if necessary...Cyborgs?...Nothing even that warm...

"Looks clear unless ghosts or robots...And they'd have to be robots operating at room temperature..."

"Maybe the buzzer's just not working right..." 'Buffy' suggested, setting down the UV projector which he now took up, struggling just a bit to conceal the effort...

Gotta steamline this thing...

"We'll see...Ok, Buffy..." raising voice a bit... "I think it's clear...Lets take a quick look..."

She nodded, pulled stake...Pleased at his pleased...That's Slayer form...Look...And moving to the door... "Ummn...Andrew?...Towel?..." she pointed at the towel turban still on his head...Whoops...Then opened the door, carefully...

Both peering out into the empty hallway...Not a thing...

Yet...

At his nod, she stepped out, cautiously, while he followed behind, lugging projector... "Let me give a burst just in case..." he passed a pair of rather hip-looking sunglass-like goggles to her and put a pair on himself...

And setting the projector down squarely in the middle of the doorway, activated it and carefully angled the flashlight-like emitter to cover the entire hallway...

No screams of agony or sudden flameouts...Good...He snapped the unit's switch to off...And turned to look at the buzzer...Which looked, to all appearances, normal...

"Should I take a look down the hall?..." 'Buffy' asked...

He gave a guarded look...Not very Buffy... "Ummn...You spotted anything I should check out, Andy?..." more confident tone... Sorry, her look back said...

Much better...His return look...

"Please wait just a minute, Slayer...I just wanna be sure this thing isn't the problem..." he pressed the buzzer; it rang normally...

Ok, so far...He gave her the 'Buffy now does her own thing' look... "I'll think I'll take a quick look down to the elevator..." she said, insistent tone...Hesitating only a second...

"Wait for me, Buffy..." he replied, rising to follow after her...

Phew...She thought...I dread the day when he really will have me do this stuff alone...

Though I am getting pretty good...

They moved down to the elevator, 'Buffy' looking self-assured...Though carefully eyeing each apartment door they passed...

"People in 138..." Andrew hissed as they passed... "Human, just making out..."

"Ok..." she nodded...

Wish he'd take a little inspiration from them...God, I know it's my job and my duty to play Buffy but why couldn't Buffy find Andrew attractive?...He's brave, he's brilliant, he's nice...He's human...And he's not that pompous jackass the Immortal...Or some of those egos I've worked with in my other career...

Heck, I'm beginning to think this Summers girl is a little...What with all the living dead boyfriends and all...

She'd reached the elevator...Andrew just behind...

Nothing...No one...or thing...

"I think we oughta check the other floors, then I guess I'd better go take that buzzer apart..." he said, shrugging... "And maybe try a poltergeist detection spell..."

God, how does he manage to know all these things?...She repressed an urge to beam at him...

Still no reason not to advance things a little...

"Thanks, Andy..." she patted his arm... "You're the best..."

Ummn...He blinked...

"I think we'd better take the stairs, just in case the elevator's booby-trapped..."

The elevator suddenly opened...A slender, attractive young brunette-haired woman stepping off...Stopping at the stares of the two before her...

"Ms. Summers?...Mr. Wells..." she addressed her neighbors in accented English...

"Carolina..." Andrew gave a friendly wave... "Nice to see you..."

"Carolina..." 'Buffy' smiled, likewise waving... "We're going to do some night photograpy in some ruins again... " she indicated the projector in Andrew's hand...

"Bene..." Carolina gave a smile back...Making her way between them...

Such an odd little American couple...Still can't figure them out...And even though Ms. Summers is always running around with that dashing aristocratic charmer...A real Italian gentleman of the old school...It's obvious she prefers the little fellow...

Perhaps it's a title she wants...Or she needs to marry for money...Americans aren't quite as loaded as they used to be these days...

Of course the little one is rather cute in his way...An inventor or engineer judging by the things they're always playing around with...Perhaps that's it...She's throwing herself at the wealthy Italian investor for sake of the brilliant inventor?...Who might be the next Gates-in-training?...She cast another smile primarily at Andrew as she reached her door... "Good night..."

"You sure she's not a vamp or something..." 'Buffy' hissed to Andrew as they watched Carolina's 136 room door close...

"Doesn't show any signs...I had all the neighbors checked out...Nothing questionable in her background...She seems like a nice girl..." Andrew noted... 'Buffy' frowning...

Nice girl, right...

No single Italian "stenographer" could afford an apartment in this building...Not to mention that outfit...

"Lets still take the stairs..." Andrew noted...

"Second floor...Clear..." Andrew pronounced as he and 'Buffy' re-entered the stairwell from the second floor, one floor below their apartment...

Though it was a shame about that elderly couple in 28, he noted...'Buffy' shuddering a bit again at the memory... At least nothing killed them but old age and dehydration...

"Sorry about staking that cat..." she sighed... "But it was eating the lady's toes and I thought it had to be..."

"It's fine...I got it out the window before anyone came...And demon or no, it was an evil cat..."

"Should we just go back?...The police'll be there for a while...Probably want to talk to us again..."

"We've just got the fourth floor to check now...We'll make it fast..."

"Right..." she took a more Buffy tone... As Andrew always notes in training, anyone could be watching at anytime...And a professional actress stays in character...

Even if she'd really like to cry on the shoulder of her sweet companion/Watcher-supervisor/live-in...That was awful back there...

Though clearly they had been a very devoted old couple...

They moved up the stairs again...Pausing at the fourth floor entrance...She set down the UV projector as Andy began a quick scan...

"Looks like everyone's home up here..."

No one around...I doubt anyone has a camera up here...

Now or never, girl...Though don't break character...

"Andrew..."

"Yeah, Buffy..."

"I've been thinking..."

"You have an idea?..." he looked at her... "What?..."

"I love you..." she said...

Uhh...

"You heard what I said?..."

Uhh...

"Buffy, I..."

"Yeah!...Buffy Summers loves Andrew Wells!..." she said, louder...

Hmmn...I don't remember suggesting that development in the character...Andrew thought...

"...And so does..." she hissed...Taking his arm...

"Sarah..." he hissed back... "What the heck are you doing...?"

"Don't make me break character, Andy..." she hissed back...

Ok...Maybe she's had an idea?...The William ghost again?...

"Buffy?...What do you mean?..." he tried to play along...Cautiously glancing round...Did she sense...Something?...

"I mean I love you, Andrew..." she beamed at him... "I have for a long time...I just finally worked up the nerve to tell you..."

Ok...Warren's evil ghost has possessed her for a practical joke, no doubt...

"Ummn...Buffy...That's very flattering...Were you exposed to anything recently?...An orb?...A jacket maybe?..."

"Andy...You know I love you...Can't you just accept it and tell me how you feel?..."

What is she up...To?...He gasped as she pulled him to her and kissed on the lips, hard...

"I'm not kidding, Andy..." she whispered... "But I don't wanna break character..."

Holy...

"So...?" she pulled back a bit...Eyeing his startled, rather wild-eyed expression... "How do you feel?..."

I really don't think Chairman Giles will approve of this version of our 'Buffy in Rome' playlet...

"What was that?..." he looked behind her...

"Andrew..." she frowned... "That is the oldest ..."

"No, I mean I heard footsteps...Let me check the scanner..."

They both heard the slam of the door on the third floor... 'Buffy' looking at Andrew...

"It was someone..."

God, Andy you are so sharp...she beamed...

"...Someones, maybe...Or things...Invisible...Come on!..." he pushed past her...

An alley...Five blocks away...

"Well?..." Buffy eyed William...Both now visible after application of the Trio's old invisibility ray in reverse polarity...

"All right...It was a double...Very good double too..."

"Not much shakes as a Slayer, I'd say...She never sensed us standing two feet away...If Andy hadn't heard us...The little..." She frowned... "Do you believe me now?..."

"Yeah..." he sighed, smiling...

"Ok, then...Jerk!..." she whacked him, hard...Knocking him down... "Believing I wouldn't come like a shot if I'd known...And not coming to me, then threatening Andrew, even Giles if you had to, once you found out about Buffy the play-actress...God-damn you, you little...You know what I've been though...?...And when I found out about us in the archives...Thinking I'd lost you again?..." she whacked him again as he rose...

"Easy, Cicely!...Or you will lose me again!..." he protested...

"Of course Andy has it coming too...The little..."

"He did think he was doing the right thing, you know..."

"And Giles, backing him up...Letting the guys think I'd gone ga-ga over that publicity-grubbing, Council-boot licking Immortal, telling me it was for my protection when it was to keep you away... And after never telling me about us, knowing our history from the files all these years...Ohhhh, I could just..."

A glowing, if somewhat fading-in-and-out Buffy appears, looking hopeful...

"Screw off girl..." Will frowned at the First... "She doesn't mean that..."

"I can't believe you...You think I'm dumb enough to blow two resurrections and my husband's salvation on revenge..." Buffy, equal frown... "Get lost!..."

The First faded out, fuming a bit...

"You know..." Will grinned... "We could bloodlessly turn the tables on our two little Shakespeares...If you were to step into the lady's shoes for a few days...Say we got Angel to have one of our W-H studios offer her a part and she had to take an immediate break...Buffy kindly agrees to fill-in..."

"Yeah?..."

"But through some mischance involving the hurried nature of the offer and an invisible mail/note thief, our Andy doesn't get word of the switch while Giles does...While Buffy carries on with lil' Wells where our lovelorn actress stepped out..."

"Will...That is evil..." Buffy grinned...

"Drive Giles crazy...And Andrew would have a lot of explaining to do to both your clueless gang and his girlfriend..."

"I wouldn't have to...You know..."

"Please...I may be a bad poet but I can write a few convincing love scenes without putting you both in the sack...And it's not all revenge...That boy needs to make up his mind and tell that poor girl what he wants...One way or the other..."

"I'd have to continue her playing around with the Immortal too..." she gave an arch look... "You think you could deal..."

"Judging by what we saw the other night, I'd say His Benevolence was more likely interested in young Wells than you..."

"Hey..."

"Not your fault, love...Or hers...But at least now we know why he was so obsessed with me over the last century..."

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXVI...

PG 13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (126) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at ., scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series ...

I rather like this one and may expand it to a regular story...

1880...Night of William's death and transformation...

Hell, Ministry of Information...

Naturally a morass of bureaucracy and inefficiency...Rife with very literal back-stabbing and betrayal...

"Ma'am...?" tap at the office door of Hell's all-powerful First Evil...

Currently using the form of the greatest Slayer living...Formerly one Cicely Addams...As of the previous night, Cicely Walthrop...

"Well?..." an icy, cruel-looking...Not even Halfreck the vengeance demon using her form this night on Earth in crushing the heart of the Slayer's mate looked so cold, the messenger tapping noted to his floppy-eyed self...

"Clement, ma'am...Message from Lord D'Hoffryn about Operation Walthrop, ma'am..."

"Hand it over..."

"Gouged in blood on my arm, ma'am..."

"Like I said, hand it over...Guard?..." a guard cut the extended arm off as Clem howled in agony...

Hmmn...The other false 'Cicely' perused the communique...

"So, D'Hoffryn's girl's nailed him using her form...And the Slayer blames herself...A good start..." she nodded...

But frowned after a moment...Representing several days on Earth...Clem nervously awaiting her dismissal...

"So where's her despair?...The summons to anyone or thing that could avenge her William's taking...?"

"Don't know ma'am...Might I have my arm back, ma'am?..."

"Grow another, fur-ball..." she sneered, tossing the arm for disposal...

Another pause...Representing nearly an Earthly month...

"What the hell?...Doesn't she care?...You there, pooch..." she glared at Clem...

"Go find out what's going on...And it'd better be horrendous news...For Humanity...Make sure you make full surveillance yourself...No more of this operating through that pimp and his vengeance demons..."

"Yes, ma'am...Uh, about my arm, ma'am?..."

"Get the here out!..."

"Yes, ma'am..."

London...1880...

Surveillance Report #1 Operation "Walthrop"...

Slayer Mrs. Cicely Walthrop was brought to an East End hospital looking mighty bad by her Watcher, Dr. Farris and his crew...Slayer is definitely pregnant and seemed delirious...

(Poor kid...Clem sighed... She did look awful...)

Mr. Farris seen to make contact with operative Halfreck this afternoon in hospital room...He confirmed that Slayer has been poisoned and is near death...

No word on whereabouts of vampire counterpart of Slayer's husband...Believed to be still on pleasure cruise off French coast with siress Drusilla...

Miss Halfreck aware of surveillance and in making contact afterwards, cautioned... (Boy, did she...) This operative to remain in passive mode... (My favorite anyway)...But agreed not to alert her human partner, Dr. Farris, to my presence...

Miss Halfreck in agreement Slayer not likely to accept an offer of help from D'Hoffryn or our own group at this time...She recommends...

(Hmmn...That Slayer isn't gonna cut a deal with us either...Why bother the poor thing on her deathbed?...he pondered...Erasing "She recommends..." after a moment's reflection...)

...at this time...No further recommendations...Will maintain surveillance...

Surveillance report #2 Operation "Walthrop"...

Slayer Cicely Walthrop died at 3 pm this afternoon, along with her stillborn daughter...Vengeance demon Halfreck reports there was no success in attempting to contract an arrangement with her departing soul, despite Slayer's avowed promise to return and save husband...

Slayer's father, Sir Richard Addams came to collect body and took it away following argument with Slayer's cousin, a Mr. Foxcroft...

As per orders (Do appreciate getting the arm back, ma'am, Clem eyeing severed arm with gouged instructions...) this operation will shortly resume in more limited fashion as Operation "Spike", focusing on intermittent surveillance of Slayer's husband's counterpart...

Romania...1898...

Surveillance Report # 2000 Operation "Spike"...

Break-up of Angelus pride seems imminent owing to previously described soul curse of former leader Angelus... Subject William the Bloody (WTB) increasingly asserting leadership, though as yet still held in check by vampiral pride leader, Darla... In discussion, WTB has recommended leaving pride to siress/mate Drusilla but as yet the decision has not been made... Pride remains vigilant and successful...

Have successfully made contact with WTB as fellow demon...Stood him drinks at local inn...

(Nice fellow, really...When fed...Though not much shakes at darts...)

WTB generally non-aggressive toward human society as whole...Somewhat malicious towards victims...Seems to ape Angelus' style to large extent...

Though drowning that bartender in his own beer keg had a distinctive Shakespearian touch...I mean Clarence in "Richard III", ma'am...

(Ow...He patted flaming fur...

Just tryin' to be clear, ma'am...)

Constantinople...1899...

Surveillance Report #2497 Operation "Spike"...

Angelus pride held together for the moment under Darla...Angelus clearly withdrawn from hunting activity with pride...Soul curse?...

Have maintained friendly relations with WTB, though Drusilla seems annoyed when he spends time away from her...Darla doesn't seem to like me much either.. (I'm sure "nice dog you picked up..." was meant as insult, Clem frowned at the paper...) May be necessary to avoid contact with the pride females...

(Of course Darla is having a rough time these days what with Angelus and all...)

Cautiously brought up subject of his transformation and past human existence with WTB as instructed...He deflected all discussion of his human past except to mention he was a famed and promising poet...

(Thank God I took a dart in the paw just then...)

China...1900...

Surveillance Report # 3010 Operation "Spike"

WTB defeated and killed the current Slayer tonight...She hesitated in her fight as if... (Clem paused and scratched out everything after "tonight..." Though it was true...As if she'd recognized him in a vague way, poor kid...)

After battle had drinks with him...He a bit curious as to my doings in China...I keeping to "on my way to the famous Hellmouth in the great California land in America..." explanation...He eager to review battle in any case...Though a bit troubled when I translated Slayer's last words for him...Talked about his past a bit for the first time, mentioning his own mother...After multiple rounds, noted Slayer's hesitation and admitted she could have destroyed him...Seemed troubled by that as well...Briefly...When taking him home...

Drusilla quite annoyed with both of us at near dawn arrival...

Angelus was caught by Darla protecting some people tonight...I think it must have been that soul he got in Romania...She's kicked him out once and for all...William and Drusilla however have decided for their part to leave the pride as well...

(Poor ole Darla...he thought...It's tough to be alone for all eternity...)

Russian Pacific coast...1900...

Surveillance Report # 3098 Operation "Spike"...

Drusilla has demanded she and WTB return to Europe...As it would look suspicious, I must continue onto America for now...Since there has been no further indication of a possible return of Mrs. Walthrop to date, I feel surveillance can be reduced to limited monitoring on a yearly or at most, monthly basis...If this is denied, I recommend another demon be assigned to watch WTB for a time to minimize suspicion...

(Right..."Go and check out the California Hellmouth, ask about the new American Slayer, then go to Europe, report to vampire Master, Heinrich Nast in France, then find and resume surveillance on William the Bloody...The Hell I'm letting you off this one..." he sighed, reading the reply sent back...Eyeing the sneeringly grinning imp bearer ruefully...)

England...1912...

Surveillance Report # 6001, Operation "Spike"...

Flagged as "For immediate attention..."

(It better be something, the First grumbling in her Cicely form...Having interrupted her beauty bath and torture session...)

Found Darla boarding passenger ocean liner bound for America, possibly in service of sire Heinrich Nast...WTB and Drusilla were not traveling with her as rumor indicated...

Correction: Located WTB and Drusilla following evening in Southampton pub celebrating likely demise of Darla...(Passenger liner struck iceberg, sank in North Atlantic with heavy loss of life...) Drusilla quite annoyed at my reappearance, though not very suspicious...Urged WTB to "make a rug of [me] for his Dru girl"...Enraged at WTB refusal...WTB and I spending after evening together in pub, he noting, after multiple rounds, a past infidelity of Drusilla's with Angelus...

(Eehew...Hybrid vampires and their incestuous relations...But that had better not be all...The First frowned...)

WTB continued at some length on general unworthiness of female sex, both human and demonic...However it was clear he was not primarily focusing on Drusilla, he mentioning "that other bitch" multiple times, with appreciative thanks to all Powers That Be that said "other bitch" was long in her grave and would not rise to trouble him again... I refrained from pressing the subject given his occasional snarls at my early attempts but of his own accord at round 19...Whiskey straight... He offered a gold ring for my perusal, noting it was a symbol of fidelity, transmuted into a constant reminder of female fickleness...

(In somewhat less clear terms, involving a chorus of "La Donna E Mobile"...Clem thought...)

There was an inscription of "Eternity is Ours" inside the ring...

I suspect this may be wedding ring from WTB human counterpart's 1880 marriage to Slayer Cicely Addams...

(It's that amazing brain of yours that keeps me assigning you these arduous tasks, moron...the First glared at the report...

Still...It is something...)

WTB made joke about keeping ring for pawning purposes when no well- loaded dinners are at hand...Cautioned me not to mention ring to Drusilla...

No word of Angelus, according to WTB, who seemed glad (and how) to have him gone...

Shame...They were like brothers once...

Sunnydale...2001...

"Surveillance Report # 12,071..."Operation Spike..."

Drinks at local bar with WTB...WTB once again denouncing Slayer Buffy Summers as "golden-haired bitch vomited from Heaven..."

It's definitely love...

Follow-up to report 12,067...I am convinced there is a psychic link between Ms. Summers and WTB...WTB has continued to mention past since spending night with Ms. Summers at local bar...Many references to the "other bitch" mentioned in last century's reports... ("Look it up, you moron!"...Flaming letters searing on to Clem's brow...)

Supplemental report for Report #12,071...

It was noted in report #6001, ma'am...

(I'm beneath her, she said, William told me...

...Jesus...)

Surveillance Report # 12, 073..."Operation Spike"...

Apologies for lack of reports in past six months...WTB's been busy...

Slayer engaged with goddess Glorificus...WTB concerned...

Slayer Ms. Summers' mother ill...WTB concerned about that too...

WTB generally pretty much focused on Slayer Ms. Summers these days...Surprised to find Slayer Ms. Summers seems comforted by his presence, though she continues to threaten him with staking should his "chip" (see report #10,902) fail...

(Wish he hadn't told me about lurkin' in her cellar and collectin' her old clothes...Clem thought, wincing slightly...)

Surveillance Report # 12, 101..."Operation Spike..."

Interesting development...Spotted WTB in graveyard being straddled by Slayer Buffy Summers...

She seemed quite happy about it...No signs of obvious thrall...Though Slayer's friends on arrival were not so pleased...

WTB rather oddly mum about development later when meeting for drinks and kitten poker...Seemed a little embarrassed when asked what Slayer was doing in his crypt when I arrived...Insisted Slayer "mad gone on him" when pressed after third round...

Correction...

Further surveillance indicates Slayer "mad gone" on WTB not Buffy Summers but robot copy...

Neat job, too...Very lifelike...

(She's so nice...Kissed my cheek and said any friend of Spike's was welcome to access programs 3-12 anytime Spike gave administrative permission and provided the password...)

Surveillance Report # 12, 202...

Note: Please delete reports 10,010 through 10,031; 11,063 through 11, 071; 11, 323 through 11, 325; 12,005...Slayer Ms. Summers' sister Dawn was a construct from an energy matrix...All memories associated with her are unreliable...

Slayer Ms. Summers defeated Glorificus tonight...Goddess is dead, killed while trapped in human shell by Slayer's watcher, Mr. Giles...She (Slayer) is dead also...

I'm convinced Slayer Buffy Summers was reincarnation of Slayer Cicely Addams Walthrop...However she failed to fully recognize WTB before her death...

So, I guess we won...

I don't want to do these anymore, ma'am...

I understand the consequences...

(I doubt that...The First, now in Buffy form, muttered grimly to herself...)

Night of the LA battle...

"William, William..."

"No...No, Slayer...Listen to me...I got him hid...He's alive...More or less...You gotta go...Survive...You'll find him later, I swear..."

"Clem?..." Buffy stared at him…"I left him…He was…"

"I know…Cicely…" he nodded, patting her gently, helping her up… She groaning from her wounds…Only a small force of Slayers having defied Giles' orders and backed her up…Now nearly all wounded or dead themselves…

"He's…"

"I'll bring him to you…I swear he's ok…" he nodded…

Yesterday…

"Clem...You know your career in Hell was toileted before, given your helping the Slayer against me...It's now completely flushed..." the First grimly frowned...Flickering slightly in her Buffy form…

Poor thing, Clem couldn't help a sympathetic look which earned a glare…

Never quite the same since the amulet blasted her back to Hell…

"Yes, ma'am..." he sighed...Readying himself as best he could...Eye- gouging, flaying...Drawing, quartering...You can never really be ready for them but...

He eyed the pictures on her desk, grabbed from him on his return…

Really shoulda thought before going hiking in the Canadian woods without a human costume…A beaming Buffy holding adopted Will, Jr, and her baby daughter, and a still rather hesitant but tentatively accepting daughter Dawn Amelia beside her eyeing her acknowledged father…A rather in his own right still stunned-looking William… "To Clem…The Walthrops…" the writing in marker across the photo…

"You're out, demon..." the First eyed him... "Hell will freeze over before her tender, warm bosom suckles the likes of you again..."

Ummn...?

"Well...You know what I mean...Guards, deposit this traitor at the gates of Purgatory...Hope you like punishment followed by white blankness, traitor..."

Ummn...Clem blinked...I'm out?...To Purgatory?...Meaning, a shot at...?

That's...It...?

A strange look in her eye... "Begone...Forever..."

Uh..."Yes, ma'am...Uh...Bye..."

Of course it could be a vicious joke...Best to be prepared to join in the laughter...

Still...I wonder what the punishment in Purgatory is for accidentally frightening a child to death...?

Of course I do have a few murders since then, but they were demonically inspired...I hear you get a break...Consideration...

Hmmn...He glanced down from the platform where the guards were chaining him, preparatory to his express elevator ride to another dimension...She staring up at him...A flash of a look coming over her flickering face...

Well, I'll be...No, actually I won't be...He thought, rather happily...

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXVII...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (127) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series ...

The offices of Angel, Burkle-Wyndham-Price, Gunn, and Walthrop...The firm reconstructed by the intrepid former CEO from the old Wolfram-Hart, following its sudden collapse after the violent 'terrorist' attack on LA had been defeated...

Most of the damage...Thankfully confined to a few blocks...By now, one year later, repaired...

"You must be kidding..." a firm refusal on the part of the last named partner, William Soames Walthrop, currently seated in his senior partner's office...The remaining partners, Charles Gunn and Dr. Winifred "Illyria (nickname the boys gave me, Mom)" Burkle-Wyndham-Price ("Dad, we were gonna call right after he asked but then that attack, you know..."), watching from their chairs with considerable interest...As was Angel's beloved spouse, Nina Angel...

"You were thinking of going to England for a while..." Angel pointed out... "And we need a partner to handle these negotiations with the Council if our rescue operations are gonna succeed..."

Save 'em, not kill 'em...I still don't think I've quite wrapped my mind around this one...Charlie noted quietly to Illyria...Who shrugged...Not the warrior queen to ask, kiddo...

Still, if Angel and Will want to try...

"So you go...Or just pick up the phone...You've got me loaded down with the European reorganization and that branch of our little rescue project...I'll be tied up for months...Then I'm going for a well-deserved vacation...Look up my roots...See if any family's left...Or any victims of Spike from our little effort who need help...And I have my boy and...Look, I'll have no time..."

"Will...She's with the Immortal in Rome...She probably won't even be there...You just need to settle things with Giles and the Council...It's important to get them to agree to let us have our chance...Restrain their Slayers till we can get things ready to use the modified spell...Lives and souls depend on this...A phone call won't do and I'm tied down here...Besides, you know Giles and I have a history...A bad one..."

"And we don't?...He tried to kill me, you know...And he..." a hesitant tone...

"...I'm sure he wouldn't have been able to help Winifred by then, Will..." Illyria, quietly...

"No offense or blame intended, love..."

"It's ok..." she smiled, a little wanly... "You guys are always much too nice about...Things..."

"Not at all...Well..." he returned to Angel... "The bottom line is..."

"He owes you...You didn't kill his girlfriend, you saved his little Slayer girl...And you were an innocent soul when he tried to kill you...He owes you and he knows it...That'll help...Plus, if necessary..."

Nina looking rather carefully at both Angel and William...

"Oh, no...No..."

"I'm not saying you'd have to ask her to help...Just remind him she'd probably back you if you did...C'mon Will...This is important and you're headed that way anyway...So you start the vacation first, right after this..."

"Look..."

He caught Nina's nervous glance...Please...?

Oh, Lord...Mum, this is your fault...Pounding it into my head from birth...A gentleman never refuses a lady...Till even Spike was polite with Joyce and such...

Poor kid...He sighed within...I think I see now who decided Angel was too busy to go to this thing...

"Another month's vacation...And no questions about how I operate in Europe...Just clean up any demonic messes I have to leave in settling things...I'm not pussy-footing around with any troublemakers with my boy in harm's way..."

"I said I'd leave that up to you...Just don't get into the papers too much..."

"When's and where's the damned thing...?"

"Next week...London...Giles is holding a full session including Slayer representatives from around the world..."

"What?...She'll be there!..."

"She and the Immortal are on their honeymoon...They're going to his estates in Greece next week...She won't be there..."

Will frowned... So you say...

"You'd be less likely to see her in England than in Italy next week..." Angel pointed out...

"""

London, one week later...New Antiquarian Hall of the Royal Council of Antiquarians and Library Scientists...

A dignified Andrew Wells in suit, dignified as befitting the Vice-Chairman of European Field Operations...Ignoring the slightly mocking looks of several young Observer candidates he passed...

Kids...

...Strode toward the tables now set up for the reception of various international dignitaries and Watcher/Council groups from around the world for the first full session of the Council since the destruction of the old Hall by the First Evil's minion, Caleb...

Hmmn...He caught a brief glimpse of a slight fellow, brown-blonde in suit...But it was the nervous-looking, shy brunette on the man's arm who seemed to be drawing stares...

Holy...! He looked round for the nearest Slayer...Gretchen...

One of the small but growing crowd now talking to the increasing nervous girl excitedly...

What the...? No, wait...My gosh...She's got a pass...

So it's true?...Angel really did?...

Drusilla...With a soul...

Wow...And...

Oh, no...God, no...He looked for an immediate escape route...

"Andrew?..." William called...

His way blocked by the growing crowd moving toward the surprise of the conference...

Poor Dru clearly terrified by the attention...William trying to gently urge folks to back off a bit...

A guard pushed through to Andrew...A little anxious to explain... "They've been cleared, sir..."

"Yeah, yeah..." he waved a hand...

The Chairman didn't say a word...Not a word...

Oh, God...

"Andrew...We're a bit overwhelmed by the kindness here..." Will had managed to push through to him, a rather quaking Dru holding to his arm with a vise grip...

"You know Ms. Waverly..."

"I never..." Dru hesitated... "You're not someone It..."

"No, Dru..." Will patted her arm hastily... "You never harmed Andy here...He works for the Council of Watchers...He used to work with Ms. Summers' people in Sunnydale..."

"Oh?..." she nodded vaguely...

"Andy, can't you get us out of this?..." Will indicated the crowd... "I didn't realize we'd attract so much attention..."

"Everyone is very kind..." Dru noted, nervously...Hastily signing a photograph book thrust at her by an over-eager young Slayer... "Very kind..." she repeated...

"Elise..."Andrew frowned at the girl...

"Sorry, sir..." Elise dutifully nodded, turning to head off in triumph...Got it!...

More Watchers, Slayers, various attendees moving their way...

"This way..." Andrew sighed, pointed...Ordering the guard still by him to clear a path...

"So very kind...Oh..." Dru halted, staring at one Watcher giving her a rather grim stare back...

"Very, very sorry, sir..."

"Come on, Dru..." Will tugged her along...Andrew pulling out handkerchief, mopping sweating brow as they proceeded slowly...

"Wait!..." a Slayer pointed... "It's William...!" she cried...Slayers around the hall, in the crowd all suddenly transfixed...

Oh, Jesus...Andrew groaned...

"William!..." "Spike, I love you!..." "William, it's William!..." cries from around the room... "Oh, gosh, William's alive!..."

Funny, Will thought...Eyeing Andrew who had hand to head...What to do, oh God?...

Surely everyone knew ten seconds after he got back to England that time...Still, I suppose some of the international Slayers never got the word...

"Andy?...Can we go...?"

"God, yes...Lets get out of..." the crowd, a bit thinner in this area, parted a little...

"What were you...?" a slight brunette in suit, talking with an eager Elise...Who turned her slightly to face the group moving their way...

You bitch...the now doomed Andrew fumed in rage...This is just because of that extra training session last week, isn't it?...

The brunette blinking at William, then Dru...Drusilla's face amazingly managing to turn a even paler shade...

"You're...?" the brunette nearly keeling...

I'm dead...Andrew noted, resignedly... "Get the Chairman..." he hissed to the guard... "Get him...Quick..."

No need, sir... the guard pointed to Rupert Giles now moving to them, turning to assist the staggering brunette...

"Buffy...?" William stared at the brunette...

When the devil did she stop?...

Dru looking behind for an exit...Though not releasing her grip on Will's arm... "Is that...?" she whispered...

"Yes...But Buffy won't hurt you, love..." Will, a rather vague pat on arm...

"No..." Dru whispered, eyes bulging now... "It's...Her..."

"Buffy..." Giles was helping Buffy...Startled as she shook him off rather violently...An icy stare at him...

Andrew carefully edging toward the thinner part of the regathering crowd...

There might still be a chance to slip out and head for Mehico on the first plane...

"Andrew..." icy tone...

She has been in England for a bit...Will thought...

"Get over here..."

"Buffy..." Giles began...Halting at her glare...Ummn...

"Just a moment..." she waved him off, turning to William and the quaking Dru...

"You're alive..." she said...In a rather clipped British accent, though unmistakably, if somewhat dazed, Buffy...

"You're brown..." he smiled...

"You..." she stared at Dru now... A cold rage on her face...

The crowd standing round eyeing each other...Uh-oh...

Still nothing like actually getting to see the famed one making her moves...

"No..." Dru gasped a little... "Ma'am...I..."

"Buffy...Dru has a soul, she's fine now...Well, still a vamp like me but..." Will, reassuringly...

What's with her?...Can't believe Kendra meant that much to her all these years...

Buffy calming a bit...Right...Soul...

"Of course..." she nodded...Still white as the frightened Dru... "Hello...You murderous..."

"Buffy..." Giles tried...

Another hard glare...

"Sorry..." she turned to the puzzled Will... "I don't meet my resurrected lover and his murderess...Lover?..." hesitantly... "Every day..."

"Nice to see you too..." he stared... "Didn't Wells tell you?..."

"No..." she said, frostily... "Andrew?...You didn't, did you?..."

"Uh..." the hapless Vice-Chairman croaked out... "Buffy..."

"Very funny...Isn't very funny, William?..." she said, coldly...

"Buffy..." Giles cut in...Earning a look of adoration from Andrew... "I ordered Andrew..."

"I know..." she said, quietly...

"You tried to kill him...You wouldn't let him tell me...You tried to stop me from going through the archives..." she stated, flatly...

Amazing that accent...Will thought...

"You kept him from me, you bastard..." she finished, coldly...

"Buffy..." Giles tried...

"Buffy...I'm sure Rupert thought..."

"I know what he thought..." she replied...Startling him by suddenly shaking, clearly near tears...But she got hold of herself...

"And you two...Back together..." she eyed them...Focusing on Dru...Whose panicked face was quite reminiscent of a deer in headlights now...

"Us?..." Will blinked... "Oh, no..." he shook his head... "Ole Dru just needed an escort round England and Italy while she got her bearings and helped us out with some rescue work I'm hear to discuss with Giles...She's hoping to get the Pope's permission to let her resume her devotions..."

"Oh?..." Buffy blinked...

Dru getting a slight clairvoyant notion that things were not quite so desperate, calmed a little...

"That's wonderful...Maybe I can put in a good word?..."

"Or maybe your new husband?..." Will couldn't resist it...

"My what?..." she stared...

"His Benevolence...Your beau ideal..."

"My...What?..."

Giles now considering joining Andrew in his slow sliding toward the crowd's protection...

"Giles, Andrew...Stay here, please..." a calm, but deadly tone...

"My husband?...The Immortal?..." she eyed Will...

"Isn't he?...You and he were married a couple of weeks ago in Rome..."

Angel's boys were keeping tabs...He explained...

"No offense intended to your guy...We just knew him from the ole days and wanted..." he eyed her quivering face... "I mean, when I saw you with him and spoke to Andrew in Rome...He said you'd moved on and..."

Ah...Cha...Andrew, though fully accepting of his certain fate, could not resist a choked gasp...

"When you saw me in Rome?...And spoke to...Andrew...?" she repeated...

"It was merely for your own protection, Buffy..." Giles began...

"You really should have burned everything Caleb missed, Mr. Giles..." she waved him off, coldly... "But that's right..." she held up her left hand, a gold ring on fourth ring... "You couldn't have burned this...Even if you'd melted it down, I'd've found it..."

So...Is she married or...? Will, bemused...

"Buffy...William...You must understand that the Council honestly feared..."

"For itself...With good reason..." Buffy nodded calmly at Giles...

"What is this all about...?" William stared at them... "It wasn't you in Rome?..."

"We had a wonderful actress..." Andrew noted... "For Buffy's protection, of course...It just worked out well for His B and ..."

He wilted under Buffy's cool stare... "...they just hit it off..."

"Get out of here...Both of you..." Buffy said quietly... "And please see to Drusilla here...My husband and I have to talk...Please go with Mr. Wells, Dru...No one's going to hurt you...I'm sure Chairman Giles can help with the Pope...The Council has great influence in the world...I can testify to that..."

"Oh? When did you and the Slayer...?" Dru, feeling a bit more secure, politely addressing the dazed William...

"1880...March..." Buffy explained... "We met but I looked different then, excepting the hair now..."

"Oh...Of course...Cicely, wasn't it?..." Dru, brightly...

"Cicely..." Buffy nodded...

"I'm very lucky to be alive aren't I...?" Dru eyed her...

"Yes..." Buffy nodded... "But I can't and won't blame an innocent soul...We'll all get together later..."

All of us...She eyed Giles and Andrew narrowly...

"Cicely...?" William gasped...

"Dad?..." Dawn, suddenly breaking through the crowd, staring at William and Dru, now moving to take Andrew's arm...

LA...

One hour later, London time...

"Angelus...You son of a...!" Giles' raging voice over the line...

"So it went well, eh?..." Angel grinned over to Nina... "Glad to be of service, Giles...Give our best to Cicely and William..."

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXVIII...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!...

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (128) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at ., scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series ...

"Yes, put her through…Hello, Buffy…What?..."

"Yes, I've seen the papers…" Giles eyes paper in hand… "…I'm sorry about Angel…I…"

"Well, Buffy…As Chairman of the Council, I must consider all potential risks to our Slayers and I did have good reason to think…"

"If I'd truly wanted Angel dead, Buffy…After all, dear, I could have ordered the local California Slayers to leave LA…And they were decisive in…What?...Well…Buffy, I'm sorry he didn't tell you himself but I think Angel made his decision long ago…Frankly dear, I never really thought…What do you mean, 'take a close look'?..."

Eyes photo over story… "Famed CEO of former Wolfram-Hart weds…"…Angel in wedding tux, Nina in bridal dress on arm, beaming for camera…Young Connor to the side looking very content…Some slight rather mousy girl to his right, holding his arm…A beaming young black man beside her…

Some slight fellow to Angel's left…

"Well…The girl…Nina What'shername?...Is a brunette, but she doesn't look anything like Drus…What?...Buffy, I really don't think there's any need for…Shit!..." he stared again at the slight blonde-brown haired figure next to Angel uncomfortably in tux reluctantly smiling at camera…

Damn…

Still…There's no reason she should think…

"Sorry my dear…Well, yes…It does look vaguely like Spike, but... My dear, really…"

"Are you accusing me of?...That's hardly fair, Buffy…Even if he were back, somehow…Highly unlikely, dear…Do you really think Andrew and I would have…?"

He blinked at the phone...

Never knew she knew words like that...

"Buffy...Now you know Mr. Wells always had a tendency to exagg...What?...What do you mean if it's 'ok'd by the Vice-President of the US'?...Under what?...Buffy?...You left Andrew where?..."

"Dear, really…Buffy…Would you please calm down?...What do you mean the First was more honest with you?...Buffy?...Hello, Buffy?..."

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXIX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (129) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

"Yes...This is the former corporate global headquarters of Wolfram-Hart, Inc...But we're now Angel, Burkle-Wyndham-Price, Gunn, and Walthrop...Inc... "

"No...He's retired...Permanently...Yes, the same for Mr. Joseph and the rest of the Senior Partners...Would you like me to...?"

"No...We don't carry out assassinations...No, I'm afraid not even if the target is 'kind of evil himself'...Though we do protect the...Why, yes, this is Ms. Kendall, Mr. Angel's..."

Pause... "Sure I do...You still owe me for the movie tickets...No, I wouldn't...No...Look, I have a soul again...And I'm working...Now do you want me to put you through to Mr. Angel or...? I just told you we don't do that...No, the Partners lost and good...er, Good...Prevailed...Didn't you get the memo from Hell?..."

"I tole you I'm at work now...And I wouldn't...At least not with you...And I should tell you we're tracing all calls from former clients...Hello?...Heeelllo?..."

Hmmn...William was right...Harmony reflected, hanging up...It does work...

"Hello...?" she caught the next in series... "Oh, hello...Yes, I'll try and put you through again...Yeah..." curt tone... "It is me...And can I say, thanks for all the help you gave me back in Sunnydale...Just a minute..." she pressed a button...

Dum...dum...dee...da...dum...She eyed the blinking light on her console...

Dum...dum...She observed her nails carefully...Dee...da...

Still...I am a professional...With soul...

She sighed and pressed another button...

"Angel?...She's back on line 3...You want me to tell her to get lost again?..."

I'm so sorry...Mr. Angel is so very busy what with the reorganization and all...she mentally rehearsed...

"Oh?...You sure?...Oookkk...Will do..." she frowned at the phone but pressed the button on line 3...Then held the other lines...

"Mr. Angel..." she told the mouthpiece...

Hmmn...She eyed the phone in her hand...

Just because I have a soul doesn't mean I can't have a little fun...She plugged in her headset and putting phone down in cradle, pressed a button...

"Well, Buffy..." Angel's voice... "I'm really sorry but it's true... I am very busy with the reorganization..."

Thanks, Boss...Harmony grinned...

Always great to have back-up from one's superior...

"And I've already told Giles...I can't..."

"Angel..." Buffy's voice, plaintative...

"Buffy, you have 20,000 plus Slayers available...What do you need me for?...And you've got His Benevolence on your dance card...Hmmn?...Really?...Well, ok...On your side...Just a minute...Harmony, get the hell off this line..."

Shoot...She pressed the line button and the light went out, unplugged the headset, and glancing around out at the hall before her office...Only workmen moving about on reconstruction tasks...Carefully slid her chair closer to the door to Angel's office...Putting her blood glass to the door, ear pressed against the bottom of the glass...

"Well, tell him I'll look forward to reading his latest..." Angel's faint voice... "Buffy, I understand that but I have responsibilities, too...Even if my books aren't vital to restoring the world's spirit, I have a major business to rebuild and redirect toward the Light side...People depending on me for their livelihoods..."

"That's not fair, Buffy...Most of these folks didn't even know what the firm was up to on the darker side of the balance sheet...And some of them were victims whom we've restored or are rescuing..."

Damn tootin'...Harmony glared...

"Hell, Wolfram-Hart ran hospitals and charitable institutions too, you know...And on top of that I have a son and a fiancee..."

Nina will appreciate the upgrade...Harmony thought...

"Yes, fiancee...No, it doesn't bother her...As a matter of fact she's very understanding, mainly 'cause she has her own troubles...Yes, Willow told you right, a werewolf...Pardon me?..." cold tone...

Whoops...Harmony listened intently...Always suspected Summers had an intolerant streak...

"That's not very nice, Buffy...Why is it you Slayers and your Watchers have this habit of always blaming the victim?..." Colder tone...

Long pause...

"Ok..Fine, forgotten...Yes, she is a wonderful person...In fact right now she's pouring through the old records we secured, looking to see if there's a way to keep Angelus away forever...And find herself and maybe Oz a cure...You and Willow do remember Oz?..."

"Well, he'd love to hear from you two... Anyway, Buffy...I don't see...No, I didn't mean anything...I know you were busy saving the world...Of course I did find time to see you after your mom died...Not to mention coming to Rome when I thought the Immortal was bad news..."

"All right, fair enough...I wasn't much help after you resurrected...Look, I wasn't meaning to reproach you either...Buffy, the bottom line is that my precious ass is at least as precious to me and some folks here as His Benevolence's and your Slayers'...Plus they need my signature on the paychecks...But I would be happy to see if any of my people would be willing...What?..."

"Oh?...Yes, it would be really nice if some Champion were at hand to help you out in this crisis..." he said, drily... "Yeah, it's a pity William's gone for good..."

Oh, please...Harmony frowned...

"Rumors?...What 'rumors'...?"

"Well, Buffy...As head of a major corporation I have to tell you as one CEO to another...You can't gamble on 'rumors'...What?..."

"Oh...Andrew said that, did he?...Well, you know Andrew...He always struck me as kind of...Say, just when did Andrew say that?..."

"Really?...And you've waited all this time to try and confirm this wild story...?"

"Now, Buffy...Say, would you like to hear another wild rumor?...I've heard the craziest story that those cyborgs sent to kidnap me a while back...The ones who used poor Wes' dad's face and personality for their leader...Were working for your Council?...Crazy, isn't it?..."

"Oh did he?...And you just kinda went along with it, eh?...Thanks for that show of support, Ms. Summers..."

"Fine..." curt tone... "I understand you nearly let the world be destroyed for your little girl's sake...?"

Huh?...Harmony blinked...

"Well, to me, Dawn doesn't exist as your sister...I had all spell traces removed from me years ago for my protection...I don't remember her outside meeting her after I left Sunnydale...For me, she's your daughter...Well, if I ever meet her socially I'll try to do that..."

Dawn?...Oh, right the artificial sister/energy key...

"It's nice you're taking an interest in him, Buffy...He'd've been pleased..."

Long pause...

Oooh...Angel...Harmony sighed a bit...

"Buffy?...I'm sorry...That was a little mean...No, no...Buffy, c'mon...You know he's a survivor...He's fine...Yeah...I wouldn't lie to you about that...He's just fine..."

"Well sure...He's not a monk, Summers...But no one serious that I know of..." he paused...

"Did you get that, Harmony?..." he called...

She moved away from the wall...For a moment...

Then cautiously eyeing the still-closed door moved back...

"Of course she's still listening...Harmony, don't forget the notes for my meeting at 3..." he called...

She managed to repress the urge to "Yeah, boss..."

"He's not going to consider it...'Cause I'm not telling him..."

"No, I won't...Buffy, he doesn't deserve this...He's got a soul...He's not vamp fodder for the grist mill...Plus he has his own responsibilities these days..."

"No, not Dru...Though he did help me rescue her...By the way, please don't let your people kill her when she comes to Rome, I already told Giles she has a soul again and she's just trying to get permission from the Vatican to rejoin her order...Thanks...No, actually...He has a son..."

Long pause...Harmony frowning after a bit...

Boss...That was a little...

"Buffy?...No...Adopted...Yes, adopted...He saved a baby from some demons after his parents offered to sacrifice him...Actually, he does look a lot like him...And he's just a toddler...Will can't just run off and throw his life..."

"Of course he would...He already did...Who do you think came with me to Rome, as if you didn't already know?..."

"Oh?...So now you'll get Willow to do a spell?...He might have appreciated that back when he materialized here..."

"No, I didn't...But I didn't know William then...And I did know Spike..."

"Fair enough...Yes, I was a little jealous..."

"Fine...A lot jealous...But why didn't you come when Andrew found him here?...Buffy, he lay in our hospital for a week with his hands stitched on, because he'd tried to save that crazy woman Dana for your sake as much as his redemption...Why didn't you come then?...Or at least after he came to Rome with me for you..."

"Well, I can tell you why...He was afraid you'd say you were 'glad to see him...But'...And then after Andrew told us you'd moved on..."

"Well, so do we...He, most of all...Anyway, I'll inform my people and if any of them..."

"Some are...Though your Council would have to pay them...They're not in it for the joy of protecting Humanity...Of course some might do it free just to suck up to me or your Council..."

"I told you, no...You want to see him, come over and track him down...It wouldn't be that hard, he's a partner in a multinational corporation that's on the front page of quite a few magazines and newspapers..."

"Yeah...He still writes poetry..."

Long pause...

Sigh...

"Yeah...Of course he does...He always will...But it's not fair of you to..."

"No, I told you...No one else...Seriously, anyway...So, about this crisis..."

"What do ya mean, it's nothing?...Yes, he still writes poetry...Much to my horror..."

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXX...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (130) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

This one plays with events in London before the action of "Heliophobia"…Although I do plan to tweak that story a bit sometime, this doesn't quite fit but I'm intrigued by some notions, so…

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at ., scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series ...

London…An elegant converted townhouse now the site of a law firm...

"It's very kind of you to show me around, Mr. Knowles…I appreciate it..." Buffy in rather chic white overcoat, green suit, a wan smile to the kindly face of the early-sixties?...she judged…lawyer…Brushing a loose strand from the carefully pinned mass of her hair...

"A pleasure to show it to one of our American side, Mrs. Walthrop… There's so few of the family left around here these days…" he returned the smile, moving to the first door in the second floor hallway he'd led her to…

And a pleasure to encounter such a sweetly old-fashioned type...Haven't seen a young woman wearing hair that way in twenty years, outside of television or movies...Nice to know the US branch has kept the standards up...

Sounds from below, where glancing over the elegant restored railing of the balcony hallway she could see several staff scurrying about below…

She instinctively put a hand to touch…No…She looked…

"Gone?..." she half-whispered…

"Mrs. Walthrop?..." Knowles called to her…

"I…" she looked over the carved railing again…The room was not so crowded but there were carpets laid and hangings of fabric on the walls…Gas lights burning brightly, a candle or two in places…James serving…She gripped the railing…Kneeling…

Had to hide…In a moment she'd be going down…Where all of them…Where he… Was awaiting her…

"Mrs. Walthrop?...Is something wrong?..."

"The lion's gone…" she looked up at him...Blinking a bit…

"Lion?..." he eyed her… "Do you mean the brass one?..." He cocked his head a bit… "It's been sold by the firm to Sotheby's…Didn't quite fit the décor up here…How did you know?..."

"Saw it in a photograph…Back home..." she quickly replied, turning away…

So that's where you stayed…Bitch…she thought…Hiding…While…

She came over to Knowles… "Sorry to keep you waiting…Yeah, my mom had one of it in her old photos…"

"It was a shame to lose it…I would have purchased it myself if I could've afforded it…"

"She used to…My namesake…I think she used to play with it a lot…The lion…My mother told me stories about it…"

"It was a noble beast…" he smiled... "Right out of "Narnia"…Hopefully they found it a good home…I think this room is still not in use yet…" he opened the door…

She moved to the door frame and peered in…Brushing hair back…Always coming down when I wear it this way, she noted apologetically to Knowles…

Dawn's puzzled look the day she came out, hair piled…You look like you're trying out for an old movie…

Henri likes it, she'd told her…Not quite ready to discuss it, then…She looked into the room...

Papa moving me round the floor…I must learn to dance like a lady…Like Mother…She eyed the old rug…

"You haven't changed things…?"

"Not much in here…The wallpaper had to be restored but we were fortunate to find it was still available…" Knowles noted…

I have something to tell you, William…She saw his worried face…Have I done wrong?...His eyes staring up at her from the seat he'd taken on her bed…Nervous that Father would come looking for her…Had to be done quickly…

Henry's found a minister…Who'll do it…Tonight…

Don't you believe me?...She stared at his nervous face…Didn't he?...

I meant every word…I…

Betrayer…Liar…Coward…

You lied to him…You left him…Always…

"It's amazing…" she gave Knowles a smile…Moving slowly about…

But not here…They didn't bring us here…After...

"This was the daughter's room, I believe…Cicely's room…"

"Yes…" she nodded…

He couldn't believe his luck…That she really meant it and…Oh, God…

She put hands to her head…Not again…She closed her eyes…

"No, you don't…" his words lingering…

And I left him…Just as she did…

And now…Now…Her dead hand on his heart forever…She won't let him live…

And I...

No, you don't...The whisper...

Please...Please...She closed her eyes...Oh, God...Please...Just one more chance...

"Mrs. Walthrop?..."

"Sorry…A bad headache…" she put her hands down…

But she still saw him…Burning, alone…And all for…

Well, at least not for Dru…Poor kid…

But not for me…Not really…Not for me...

She calmed...Her face setting...

But it will be for me…What ever I have to do…

I'll beat her...And free him...

"There used to be a back stairway…To the roof…In here…?"

"Yes, it's right up there…Pulls down…" Knowles pointed…

Up there on the roof…The first night?...No, later…I…She wanted to prove a point…Some star that wasn't blue?...

First time he touched me besides taking my hand…Helping her up the stairs…

I stumbled a little…Deliberately, so he'd hold me…

But it wasn't here where they brought us…Her…And…Dawn…

"And there's an old sitting room next door…But that's being replastered…It'll be an office…I'd show you the old master bedroom, Sir Richard's old room but it's in use by one of our seniors…"

"He'd be pleased to know an important man was using it…Sir Richard, I mean…" she replied…

"Yes, I suppose so…" Knowles eyed her… "You've learned a great deal about your husband's family, Mrs. Walthrop. Not that many people know of Sir Richard these days, especially outside of England…"

"My family actually, since I'm an Addams…I mean…" she paused… "I'm a descendant…"

"Yes, I remember now that you'd mentioned it…How did you manage to meet a Walthrop?...Are the families so well known to each other in America?..."

"I guess we kept in touch…Somehow…" she smiled… "I met him at a sort of family get- together one fall years ago…Over time we found out we shared a lot of the family history…" She stared at the closed door to the old master bedroom as they passed…

"That's good to hear…That the family continues to be close in the United States…" Knowles nodded…"I'll have to come over sometime and trace that side…"

"We'd love to have you…Though since my mom died the family hasn't met… But my husband is always ready to tell what he knows of the stories…"

"Indeed…Well, not much more we can see up here…There's an old sitting room that belonged to…"

"Mrs. Addams…" Buffy nodded…Peering into the room…Elegant old wallpaper of green and gold… "You've changed the carpet…" she noted…

"Yes, it was too worn to save…And the pattern couldn't be replicated within our budget…Still, not too off a match, I hope…"

"Very nice…" she stared…

Father kept it so long…Exactly as she'd left it…Wouldn't even let me move a few things…I could see he hated to see me in there…I looked so like…

She blinked hastily…

Fine...Fine, have your fun…But not till we strike a deal, lady…

And Henri agrees…

But we have to be quick…He's human, vulnerable…

And God knows I'm not losing him to some cute girl in LA 'cause he's given up on me…Or Dru changes her mind again…

Dru…

We can agree on that one, can't we…Cicely?...Human or no, Drusilla is not going to win…

Big vows, Summers...But you nearly lost him to her without so much as… Words not deeds…Deeds are what matter…He knew that...

"Deeds…" she whispered…

"Mrs. Walthrop?..."

"Hmmn?...Sorry, I was thinking of Sir Richard…A man of many deeds…"

"Yes, quite…And a tragic figure, at the end, rather…"

"Yes…" Oh, poor papa…So alone…What did you do without even me to ease that loneliness?...

"Wife lost in childbirth…Daughter died as a young woman…"

Like mother, like…

"What, Mrs. Walthrop?..."

She hadn't realized she'd spoken the words…

"I think the daughter…Cicely…Died in childbirth as her mother did…"

"Really?...In childbirth?...I'd known she'd married just before her death but…"

"Her husband…William…Died just before her…"

"Your husband's people…?"

"Yes…His side…I never…" her voice trailed a bit…

"Sorry, Mrs. Walthrop?..."

"I don't know about them…I never asked him about them…My husband…"

"I think one did well in munitions during or before the First World War…A brother of the William who married your ancestor, I believe…"

"I never asked…" Buffy repeated…Nodding vaguely to Knowles' words, brushing hair back lightly…

"It's strange sometimes how little we know about the people we love… Their family histories, their childhood…" Knowles noted kindly…

"The things they had to endure to be with you…" Buffy said quietly, staring at the wallpaper a moment…

"I'm afraid the garden has been built over in front…There once was a fine overlook down that way…" Knowles nodded in the direction of the hallway running toward the front of the house.

"That's too bad…"

"Yes, a pity...But...Too much of an expense for us to maintain, I'm afraid...Would you like to see the lower level?...There's been some work and in fact we just uncovered a little mystery..."

She looked at him...

"Some rooms, sealed off from the current rear of the house...Our architect and I suspect it may have to do with the fact that the Addams' were closet Catholics..."

"The chapel..." she nodded...

"Yes, quite...Even in the nineteenth century it wasn't something every prominent family would advertise..."

I'd've loved to have been married there...But Papa would surely...

So cold there...In the dark...Papa used to tell those stories about the priest they caught in the old manor...

Cold...Dark...But not lonely...

"...but why it would have been sealed up..." Knowles shrugged...

"Lets have a look...If you wouldn't mind...?" she paused, nearly at the stairs...

"Certainly...We will have to be a bit careful...It's still being opened up...But the workmen have put in some lighting... " he waved her on and she continued onto and down the staircase...Passing the busy first floor...Down...

I've felt this before...Once...

But I was digging my way out then, not crawling back in...

Oh, William...Don't abandon me...Not now...

They stood in a large room on the lower floor...Covered gas and plumbing fixtures about...A large old sink to their left...Brick, whitewashed walls...

"Kitchen here..." Knowles waved at the old fixtures... "Just a storage area now...And through here...Laundry room...And..."

He paused at the rear of the laundry...Nothing but file cabinets in it now...She eyeing the wall...Not quite able to stare at it for more than seconds...

"And down here is where they realized the wall had been blocked off and we got permission to pierce the wall..." he waved at a large opening, torn into the wall...He reached to a jury-rigged fixture and snapped a switch...Lights came on in the room beyond...

"Please be careful..." he told her...

"Yes..." she nodded... "I'd better be..."

Here...I'd better be...

She stepped inside, carefully protecting her coat from catching on the torn bricks...

Another large room, not different from the laundry, though fewer fixtures about...

"Back there..." she moved on...Passing into another room...Where a long wall was heavily paneled in carved wood...

"Magnificent isn't it?..." Knowles stared at the paneling... "This must have been the chapel..."

"Yes..." she nodded... "The altar was there...Nothing very big..." she pointed to where a rectangular black space could be seen on the floor...As if something large had been moved away...

"I think you're right...It must have been removed at some point..."

She stared at the long sweep of carved wood paneling...

"This is different..." she touched a large square...Which appeared no different from the rest...

"You think so?..."

"Listen..." she tapped the wood...He came and put an ear closer, imitating her own move...

"Yes...I hear it...Hollow, you'd say?..."

"I think I can..." she carefully pulled at a piece of molding on the panel...Working it gently to the eye but with concentrated, concealed force...

God, I hope I don't...The panel moved back...

"Well, hollow it is..." Knowles stared... "How did you guess...?"

"Mom must have mentioned it..." she said, hurriedly...Pushing the large panel to the side...A space large enough...

"Do you have a flashlight...Or can that reach...?" she indicated a work light hooked to a chain on the brick wall to their left...

"Just a minute..." he moved over to the work light and carefully lifted it off its hook...

"You'd better let me..." she took the light from him and turning, stepped inside before he could protest...

He followed, frowning slightly... "Mrs. Walthrop, please be careful...I..."

He froze at her sharp scream...Not a frightened cry...More like...

Rage...

"Mrs. Walthrop?...Are you all right?..." he came over to where she stood, the light a bit weak for the room's blackness...

"Murder..." she whispered...Staring...

He peering at the large bronze plaque, set in stone into the wall...

"Cicely Anne Walthrop...1857-...My God..." he backed away...

So...There you are...Bitch...She stared...

Poor bitch...So that's what happened to you...That's why you didn't...

"They did this..." she whispered...

Oh, God...They did this...

Giles...Giles...No...

I didn't want to...Believe her...

Giles... All these years...And when he finally freed himself...And you could have told me...

"Buried...Here...?" Knowles shook his head...

"Why?..."

Giles...You...Bastard...Her hands clenching...

You knew...You knew...

That's why...You didn't need to kill Spike...

But William...She put her hands to her face...

"Murderers...All of you..." she whispered...

"Look..." Knowles, touching a lower plaque...

"What?..." she stared blankly...

"Another one...Amelia..." he began reading...

"...Dawn..." she said, staring at the words..."Amelia Dawn Walthrop... 1880-..."

"No death date..." Knowles pondered...

"Yes, there is..." Buffy said quietly... "It was all the same...The birth and death day..."

It was kind of Father, really...To put a proper plaque up...

"Mr. Knowles?...You've been so kind...Could you just let me have a moment here?..."

"What?..." he looked at her, still stunned...

"Just a moment..." she said, her accent rather clipped...Precise... "I'd like to say a prayer or two..."

"Well...Yes...If you'd like...But please, not too long, Mrs. Walthrop...We should get upstairs...I'll have to let everyone know...This is quite a..."

"Of course..." she nodded...Smiling... "I'll be out in just a minute..."

He left her, cautiously backing out...Wiping his brow as he emerged...

So...She eyed the plaques...

Here you are...But thanks to me...And the Benedictine monks...Dawn's free...And you're alone...

"What a fool you were, Cicely..." she told the plaque... "You couldn't even save Dawn...Didn't even manage to stake him..."

This'll be a piece of cake, sweetie...

Though I am sorry for Henri...I think he really did care for you...And he means well...

"But you'll have your chance...I'll keep my end...And when we get him over here...We'll see..."

Just don't count on my playing fair...Cause you've had your chances before, loser...And Buffy Summers has never lost a battle...

"And this..." she felt the chain on her neck and pulled up an antique pendant... "This is gonna be mine fair and square...William's gift to the woman who loves him...And didn't fail him...In the end..."

Sorry...She looked down to Amelia's plaque... "But you're mine as much as hers now, Dawn...And I swear...I'll give you your father back...Whatever it takes..."

"Loser..." she repeated bitterly, eyeing Cicely's plaque... "You won't keep him in there with you, bitch...Cowardly bitch..."

"Bring it on..."

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXXI...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (130) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

Office of the CEO, Wolfram-Hart and Associates , October 2003...

"I'll take that..." grab at envelope...

"Buffy?..." Angel stares at the newly materialized figure...

Geesh, that encounter with the First has aged her a couple of years...

"Ms. Summers, what are you doing here?..." Wesley staring...

"Wes..." Buffy nods... "Tell Charley Gunn...Forget the brain boosters...If you really love Winifred, her life depends on it..."

"Buffy...What the hell are you doing here?..." Angel asks... "Is something wrong?..."

"I'm altering the past...For love..." she notes... "Angel...I'm sorry that I let my anger get in the way...I know what you're up to here..."

"What?..."

"I won't let you down next time, I promise...Will and I will be there..."

"Buffy?..." Wesley, shocked... "Are you saying you've altered the timeline?..."

"Hell, yes..." Buffy nodded... "I found out about Cicely, Wes..."

Uh-oh...Wesley gulped...

"But, Ms. Summers...To alter the timeline..."

"Wes...If Star Trek, Inc can do it...I can..." she nodded... "Bye..."

"Buffy?..." Angel blinked as Buffy vanished...Bearing envelope...

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXXII...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (132) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

Los Angeles…

Yesterday…

New offices of Angel, Gunn, Walthrop, and Burkle-Wyndham-Price…

"You're really up for this?..." Angel eyes his partner… William nodding…

"Well, I gotta admire you…The Immortal is a challenge…Though it's odd there's been nothing new about the two of them in over three years…" he leaned back in his chair… "But I did think you and Fred-Lyria…"

"I said I hate that name…" Illyria in Winifred form frowned from her seat…

"Fred has a fella waiting, Angel…" Will smiled at her… "I may have been many things in my time but I've never stolen another bloke's girl…"

Angel blinking at that one…Oh, really…?

"…before it was over…Nina doing well at the 'spa'?...Osborne been dispensing useful advice?..." innocently…

"Yeah…Great…" narrow look…

"Anyway…Now we got the Partners finally licked once and for all, I thought I ought to see what's up in Europe with our favorite Slayer…"

"Reports are pretty scarce on her…" Angel shook his head… "I'm convinced she's deliberately been keeping a low profile at least since the Partners tried to grab and enslave those Slayers two years ago…Frankly I wonder if she and the Immortal as a couple was some kind of smoke-screen…"

"All the more reason for me to pay a call on His B…" Will noted… "He'll at least have some answers…And I do have some formidable support…"

"You got him?..." Angel blinked again… "I thought for sure he was dead…"

"Actually he's in our waiting room…Eighty-three years old and semi-retired but still the man to call for a mission like this…" Will noted… "If I may…?"

"I gotta see this…" Angel nodded…

"Harmony…" Will buzzed the intercom… "Send them in…"

"Harmony?..."

"Uh, yeah…" vague reply… Giggling laughter… "Oh, I'm only in my twenties…Even with the vamp body…" to someone…

"Harmony…" Angel cut in… "Would you please send our visitors in?..."

Ummn… "Yes, Mr. Angel…"

A group of five entered…One woman, four men…All a bit on the far side of senior…But all good-looking for their age and extremely well-dressed in suits and lead by a tall man in gray suit…Who, despite white hair and wrinkles had a bearing and projected a general air of confidence and well…

Illyria smiling brightly at his smile…

"Mr. Walthrop…My team…Paul Kinsey, Salvatore Romano, Peter Campbell, Peggy Olsen…"

Slight frown from Peggy…Lord, when is he gonna put me before Pete…

"Mr. Draper…My partners, Mr. Angel and…"

"Hi, Winifred Burkle…" Illyria smiled warmly, hastily offering a hand… Uh… "Burkle-Wyndham-Price…" Draper, warm smile, appraising look…

Sorry, Wes…Just lost it there a sec…

Peter Campbell frowning to Paul Kinsey…Damnit if Draper still hasn't got it…

"You suppose his wife still hasn't caught on since '63…?" he whispered…

"You wanna keep working…?" Kinsey returned…

Salvatore still shaking William's hand…Apparently reluctant to release…

"Well, our campaign…" Draper nodded to Kinsey and Ms. Olsen who pulled folders from their respective briefcases…Romano setting up on a laptop…

"In dealing with your Ms. Summers we thought nostalgia might be the way to go…" Draper noted… "It's delicate…But potent…Screen, please…"

Slide of Buffy facing William in battle appears…

"When I got my first job as a copywriter, I worked for an old Greek named Teddy…" Draper began, exalted look, persuasive voice… "Teddy once told me…"

"He's the best…" Will noted to Illyria…

"Yeah…Shhh…" she said, staring at Draper…

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXXIII...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (133) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

The City of Angels…One more just arrived…

The night of the epic battle with the combined forces of the Senior Partners…

Now, despite the ridiculous odds at the opening, in full, disorganized retreat to their overloading Hell portal…

An anxious, weary-looking slight blonde-haired figure bending over what appeared to be a heap of debris or garbage covered in gore and a torn black jacket…But which in moving revealed itself to be…

"You're here…" he looked up at her through a world of pain…Recognition of her face slowly coming to him almost as if out of a mist… "You came…"

"Yes…I came…Now lets get you outta here…Are you in a lot of pain?...Can you lean on me?..."

"I'd say I can walk but the leaning thing is too good to pass up…" he grinned wanly…Feeble wave of arms…

She put her arm round him and his arm on her shoulder… "Ok, now…"

He groaned a bit as she raised him to his feet…

Careful…He looks bad…

I know that…

"Will…I'm sorry…" she turned to his battered face, pausing…He saw a tear run…

"Should we stop?...Should I put you down, get some help?..."

My dear God…You are now off the hook for my unjust condemnation, old fellow…He mentally, thankfully prayed…

"No, no…It's fine…Nothing that won't heal in a day…"

"Well, we'll let a doctor decide that…" she said firmly…

"Just don't go…" he looked at her face… "Even if this is just a dream before dying or you're the First or some shapeshifter…"

"It's me, Will…And I won't…"

"Angel...The boy…Lyri…" he looked around…

Lyri?...Is that the…

"They're safe, Will…The human guy…Charlie?..." she hesitated… "He's on his way to a hospital…Dr. Burkle's with him…" she paused again… "Is that her nickname?...Lyri?..."

"Yeah…" he nodded… "From her middle name…"

"Part demon, isn't she?..."

"Since her 'accident', yeah…"

"She was worried about you…But Angel and I told her we'd go on looking…Angel's somewhere about now…I'll see someone lets him know…"

I agree...I like William better…

Will you stop?...

Well, Angel's engaged or something isn't he?...

"That's great…" he was gasping a bit now…

"We'd better get a move on…Unless you need to…"

"I'm fine…Fine, now…"

He went limp and she took him up in her arms…

"Will…Will…"

Oh…Buffy…He's…

Quiet…He'll make it…We're going…

He opened his eyes…

"This one just keeps getting better…" another faint smile…

"I'll get you in now…" she said… "Just hold tight…"

"Forever…" he smiled…

They hurried on through the streets…The night lit up by the fires blazing merrily throughout the area…Consuming cars, buildings, the occasional screaming demon…Rain though was just starting to fall…

Hurry, hurry…

I am…I am…

"Will, are you ok?...Tell me to stop if you need me to…"

"Fine…fine…" fainter…

He's so much more beautiful than…

Yeah, yeah…Don't distract me…God knows what's still out here…I better keep talking…They say it's wrong to let somebody pass out after a head injury…

"Will…I'm sorry I didn't come before…" she spoke to him …

"How…Long…"

"Not long…A month…Andrew told me…"

"Really…" stronger voice, surprised… "Wells held out all this time?..."

Andrew…Anger…

Stop it…Giles told him not to…

"He wanted to tell me…Giles made him keep it to themselves…"

Damn…Is that the word?...Giles…

He was protecting me…He and you and I have a deal…And we are not gonna hurt him…You understand me?...

Yes…Reluctant…

"So, after Rome, eh?..."

He sounds better…Hurry up…

I don't want to hurt him more…

Tell him…That'll cheer him up…

Enough…

"He told me you were in Rome…" blurted…

Hey…What do you think you're doing?...

Sorry…But tell him…

"Did he?...Angel was there too, you know…"

"So he said…"

"Haven't read anything in the mags…How'd it work out?..." he asked, wearily…

See…He thinks…

I know…

"I wasn't with the Immortal, Will…That was a stand-in…An actress Slayer…"

"What?..."

I knew that would cheer him up…Look…

Stop it…

"Giles and Andrew thought I needed protection after Angel seemed to be going with the Partners…She was a very good copy…And was willing to take the gig…Also Giles wanted info on His Benevolence…"

"I rather suspected I was makin' a fool of myself…" whisper…

No…

"No, Will…It was beautiful of you…And Angel…Why didn't you try and…" she paused a second…

"…Punch his lights out…"

Good one…

Thanks…

Faint chuckle from Will… "God knows I wanted to…But I figured…" groan…

"Lets hold up a mo…I need to catch my breath…" she halted… "How are you?..."

Didn't you ever learn any medical procedures?...What do you call it…'First Aid'?...

I don't know anything that'll help here…He's a vamp…He'll either make it or…

"Help!...My William's hurt!..." she screamed suddenly…

"Buffy?..." William in her arms stared up at her…

Stop it…Don't do that again…

He needs help…

We have a deal and you're breakin' it…

Sorry…He needs help…

I know that!...

You don't care…You wouldn't even have come…

That's not true…

You could have come days…Weeks ago…We could've got here before he even…

Shut up!...

"Will, I'm better now…Are you ready to go?...We should get outta here…"

"Your call, love…I'm sure I'll go where you go…"

Move it!...

I said shut up!...But she hurried on…

"Will…Of course I came…But William…" Buffy sighed…

Not now…Buffy…

He needs to know…I won't let him die, thinking…

"I understand…" he said quietly… "I'm just glad you came…"

You told him you loved him…

I do…In my way…

"I'll always love you, William…"

In my way…Sarcastic…

Stop…

Where I come from…

You can do as you please…But here, you follow my lead…Or else…

Take me to Drusilla as soon as we get William safe…The Council's got her in confinement now…

You can't deal with a vamp…

I'll guide her…It'll save lives…Besides, she may opt for soul recovery…

Dru?...Please…

My mission with you is done…I have enough information…

Great, then you can go home…

"Leave me here, love…" whisper…

What?...Dual voices in head…

"I've no great wish to hang round…Let me go and see if I've made enough points to reach Heaven…"

"William, be quiet…"

"There's nothing for me here, Buffy…I have family in the afterlife…Just put me down and promise to think kindly of me…I'll be fine…"

Great job, Slayer…Sarcastic voice…

"No…" she replied to him…

"I'm not your burden, love…Let me go…" he feebly struggled…

"I can't…" she replied… "I won't…Besides, we're almost there…"

"Fine…" he sighed…

"I take it back…" she said, hastily…

"Sure…" he said, quietly… "I've never held you to…"

"No…That's not what I mean…"

"Buffy…We've never lied to each other…"

You didn't stop me…

No…I didn't…But leave this to me…

"I wanted to stay…At Sunnydale…" she said…

"That's not what I wanted, Slayer…"

"Why didn't you come to me?...Were you afraid?..."

"To death…Undeath…"

I see them…

Yeah…

"There's the disaster team…" she told him… "Just a little longer…You'll be fine…"

"Sure…"

"Give a girl a chance, Will…This is huge, you know…"

"Buffy…Don't…I'm sorry…I won't do anything…Just don't…"

"No, we love you…!"

"Well…Thank the Nibs for me…"

Damnit, I said!…

Sorry…

"We've gotta talk, Will…When you're better…Please…"

"Ok…"

I still say, take me to Dru if you aren't gonna…

Shut…The…F…Up!... She halted, nearly stumbling with him…

"Slayer?..." Will looked at her…

"Ummn…Sorry…Not you…"

"That was internal…" he said…Staring… "I'm still demon enough to sense that…When you shout at least…And I thought I heard…Whispering…Who's in there with you?..."

Oh-oh…Say, he's good…

I'll have to tell him…

Ok…Happy tone…And tell him I'll gladly take him off your hands…

In a whatever you use for a farm animal's eye…

"Yeah, there's someone else in here…" Buffy sighed…

"Not demon…I think…" he looked at her face…

"May I present my guest…Sorta…Malica…My visiting thing from another world…"

"Call me a visitor from Planet X…My people don't like to give away our stellar position till we know whom we're dealing with…" sheepish smile on Buffy's face…

"She's not in control…Just along for the ride…" Buffy explained as he frowned… "It's a deal between her folks and the Council…We were looking for new allies and they wanted more info about Earth…"

"I'm sorta an explorer and ambassador all rolled up in one…" she continued… "But like Buffy says, I'm not running her…" warm smile…

"I volunteered…We were worried what with some of the new Slayers turning to evil and Angel maybe lost to us…" Buffy shrugged…

"And our people were worried about your darker forces here…Some of them have been colonizing out in the Galaxy, you know…"

"I see…I guess…" Will stared…

"I'm not Evil, Will…Buffy can oust me at any time…But we oughta get you to the hospital…And let Angel know you're ok…"

"It really is ok, Will…"Buffy nodded… "But she's right, lets get you in, ok?...Then we can talk…"

"Dru's been caught…" she added hastily… "So if things don't work out…"

"That 'ousting' is starting to sound good…" Buffy said, coldly…

Just making my case, Slayer…

"I guess…I'm…Flattered…" Will blinked…

"You're the most wonderful creature I've ever…Jesus!..."

Like I said, Slayer…

"Very flattered…" he grinned…

"She didn't make me come, you know…" Buffy, grousingly…

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXXIV...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (134) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

UCLA subcampus …Evening adult extension class…

"Lit 311… "Shakespeare, Swift, and Joyce…A brief tour…" written on the large chalkboard at the auditorium hall's front…Thirty-seven students scattered about the only room available…

"The word known to all men…" written and underlined on the board…The instructor eyeing the class as best he could, given the scattering…A few, mostly women concentrated in the first two rows…A number clearly in hiding in the sides and rear…

"Right then…Nice to see a few of you have returned…To return to the theme we began at the end of class Tuesday… '…the word known to all men…' in 'Ulysses'…We've established from the earlier passage in the National Library scene that the word Stephen wishes from his mother's ghost… '…the word known to all men…' is love…"

Oh, yeah…One young brown-haired woman in front row nodded eagerly at the young teacher, rather too-good-looking for such a class despite his sedate beige suit pausing before her…

That's that word…

"Now the lines we discussed confirming that from the passage include a line conjoining two phrases from Thomas Aquinas's 'Summa contra gentiles', namely distinguishing between two forms of love…That unselfish love which in the first six words 'amor vero aliquid alicui bonum vult' genuinely wishes another's good and the selfish desire of one to secure pleasure for him- or her- self 'unde et ea quae concupiscimus'…"

"Jesus…" one young man in the back, left side, reasonably secure from the teacher's direct attention, whispered to the girl next to him…She even better hidden by a cement pillar… "He's giving us Latin now?..."

"Shut up…" the girl whispered back…

The man frowned but, noticing that despite the distance the young brown-haired teacher was now clearly eyeing him, was silent, pulling back a bit in his chair…

much for that…Girl's cute but just a bookhead…Like a lot of the girls in this damned class, he noted to himself…

Ah…Sides, she's wearin' a wig…Probably got cancer or something and she's all "soulful"…Not worth the trouble…He resumed the doodling in his notebook he'd been at since the class' start…God, did Jackie steer me wrong on this class… 'You'll get good lines to pick up girls', he said…

Uh-huh…What…Am I gonna quote Latin in a bar?…And all the good girls exceptin' Ms. Snotface here are down there droolin' at the guy…

"So we see the larger implications of 'Ulysses' follow from the accord of Bloom and Stephan Dedalus about love. If we consider the book as a whole, the theme of love will be seen to pervade it… 'Love's bitter mystery', quoted repeatedly from Yeats's poem 'Who goes with Fergus?' appears repeatedly, primarily as the song Stephen remembers having sung to his mother on her deathbed. Although Buck Mulligan is the first to quote the poem, he can't understand it, being a spirit that always denies. It's also alien to the experience of our womanizer Blazes Boylan. Yet Bloom understands it, and so does Molly, and both show us that they cherish moments of affection from their lives together as crucial points from which to judge later events."

Pen drop by a very young brown-haired woman in large hat, barely out of her teens if that, seated next to the woman in wig…She leaned to pick up the pen, holding hat firmly…

" …In the last episode of the book, Molly Bloom, after some equivocation between her physical longing for Boylan and her thoughts of Bloom, comes down firmly on the side of Bloom and of their old feelings for each other. 'Ulysses' ends in a vision of reconciliation rather than of sundering…"

Sound of book hitting floor…Hasty grab by woman in wig…

"Joyce, following his master, Dante, has made the case for love…Love in its various forms, sexual, parental, filial, brotherly, and by extension, social…Obliquely, to preserve the novel from didacticism or sentimentality…Like Dante, he tells us that affection between human beings, however transitory, however qualified, is the closest we can come to paradise…"

Oh…Yeah…Collective sigh from various women and men across the large auditorium…Gazes fixed on the teacher…He, catching, just a bit disconcerted for a second…

Ummn…He caught sight of the young woman usually hidden by the pillar…She staring back a moment, then pulling up her copy of 'Ulysses'…

"Ummn…Yes…That this affection may at times lose its force does not invalidate it…Dante claimed that Adam and Eve's paradise lasted only six hours and Proust reminds us that the only true paradise…" he stared again, a moment…

"…is the one we have lost…But, the word know to all men has been defined and affirmed, regardless of whether or not it may be subject to diminution…"

"Say, he's good…" Dawn hissed…Pulling hat down as the instructor eyed her as well…

"He went to Cambridge…" Buffy replied, a tad proudly, adjusting her brunette wig…

"How do you spell 'Aquinas'?" she whispered…

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXXV...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (135) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

"Are you sure?…" Angel eyes William…

"Pretty sure…" sigh…

"Really…?" looks over to group of assorted demons, vamps, occasional well-heeled corporate human types…All clustered rather respectfully about a slight blonde female of human aspect, in rather dashing red and black ball gown…Hair elegantly piled, with tiara…

That look a somewhat more difficult thing to do that one might imagine… Both of our heroes currently swinging upside-down, bound and hanging from cables…Though only about twenty feet up…

"Angel…Don't be a putz…" another sigh… "She might be annoyed with us, want us out of her life, but even she wouldn't have us in this position…"

Hmmph…Angel shakes head…

And they claim he got to know her better than me…

"Boys…You comfortable?…" Grinning image of Buffy Summers in gown staring up at them…

"Only thirty minutes till dawn you know…I hope the…Suspension…Ain't killing ya…"

Hee…Chuckle…

"Watch…" Will hisses…Giving final rub to loosened shoe on right foot… Which dropped toward the ground…But, to Will's startled surprise…

"Ow!…" the figure howled, jumping back…

Right…Angel, smug look to his swinging…and twisting, slowly in the wind, partner…You know her so well, don't you?…

"It can't be…" Will blinked… "She must have found a way to go solid…"

"Jerk!…" she picked up and threw the shoe, missing him…

First or no, she throws like Buffy…Angel thought…

"Lower them!…" she cried, waving to the hulking demons demoning the pulley system to which their cables were attached…

The boys were lowered slowly until their heads were just above hers…

"Nice touch, girl…" Will, pleasantly… "How'd you manage corporeal?… Lindsay make a deal with you or something?…"

"That's some way to treat your girl, Walthrop…After she's done so much for you…" grin…

"She's gonna give the speech now…" Angel noted…

"Ah right, the Speech…Remember when I was Evil?…I never wasted time with the Speech…Or, the Plan…" Will, nostalgically… "Just grabbed what I needed and came in, fangs out…"

"Are you interested in why I'm going to kill my lovers or not?…" she fumed…

"Girl…Why are you playing this broken record?…" Will did his best to shake head… "We've met, remember?…Or did our destroying you and your army leave you with amnesia?…"

Lovers…She did say…Lovers…Angel noted to himself, pleased…

Not that I need another girlfriend right now…

"You just saw proof I'm the real Buffy…"

"Please…"

"Fine…" she came to him, waved to the demon crew…

He was lowered by a foot…And gasped suddenly as she grabbed and kissed him…

Mmmppphhhff…

She let go…Arch look…

"Was that a trick?…Or real tongue…?"

I did not need to hear that, Angel thought…

"Lovely…Come on…Buffy would join the Partners and overactingly want us dead…Why?…"

"Ah…" grin… "Now I got your curiosity…"

"That was sarcasm, girl…"

"Oh…" slightly crestfallen look…

"Still as we've nothing to do till sunrise…And you obviously are desperate to tell us all…" Will paused…

"That's making a girl feel wanted…"

"You're not a girl…And you're not Buffy Summers…But…" vague hand motion… "Give us the Speech, if you must…"

"I am Buffy Summers…" she frowned… "Of course…I'm the First, too…" she resumed her grin… "And all thanks to my dear Willy-boy…"

"I think she's telling the truth, Spike…" Angel frowned…

"Shut up, you pointy-haired idiot…" she glared…

"Though you are quite correct…"

"Crap…" Will sneered… "You vs. the Greatest Slayer of Them All?…Who whipped your lil' ass thoroughly last time?…"

"I did it for you, Will…" she glared… "And some thanks I get…Betraying everyone and thing I hold dear…Letting the First crawl right back into the world through me…"

"Which of course was always my real plan…" grin… "Though I was willing to give Caleb and the Uber-vamps their shot…"

"Uh-huh…"

"You don't believe me?…Geesh…Angel?…You believe me, right?…I sense it's kinda tearing your guts out…That I'd do something so incredibly…"

"Stupid?…" Will, politely…

"…I was gonna say self-sacrificing…" she frowned… "But fine, 'stupid', if you like…"

"You?…For him?…"Angel stared…

"Bw…Ha, ha, ha…" both Unmen burst into laughter…Rapid swinging and twisting…

"Jesus, guys…" she stared at the two rather dizzy vampires… "Even I can get that this was an incredible act of Love…"

"Buffy coming to LA with a hundred Slayers would be an incredible act of love, girl…" Will smiled… "She don't do possession…"

"She's been possessed…Angel, tell him how I got possessed by a ghost that time…What?…" she looked over to where a demon was waving an arm at her…

"Great…We only got ten minutes now…" she sighed…Damn…

"Better move it along, girl…" Will, helpfully…

Oh, fine…She waved over a demon from the pulley team…"Eh, have the guys bring them into that big warehouse over there…" she pointed…

Eh…Seven feet of something like fossilized pus…Nodded and complied…

"Must be quite a Speech…" Angel noted as the two, still hanging, were towed along toward and then into the large warehouse…

The LA block around them utterly devastated, burning …

"Ok…" the First/Buffy?…nodded…Smile to the boys now swinging rather widely, thanks to the dragging…

"Hey, stop them would you, I'm getting dizzy watching them?….Thanks…So… Now we got a little more time…"

"We should finish them now!…" one of the Senior Partners…One of the humanish, corporate types in suit…Insisted…

"I'm running this show!…" Buffy/The First?…glared… "And I'll say when we destroy my boyfriends!…Hey…" she grinned… "The ultimate female fantasy, eh guys?…"

"Right…So why don't you cut us down and let your ex-s…"

"Ex-?…Will?…Are you dumping me, now?…" she frowned… "Without even hearing the story of what I/she did for you?…"

"Buffy is with the Immortal and has moved on, girl…And I'm good with that…But kudos for a good try…"

"That miserable Andrew!…" she cried… "I shoulda killed him in Rome before I slipped out of England…Damn him and his little jokes!…Well, don't worry Will…I'll have a Slayer disembowel him before the next sunrise over there…"

They trust me kinda blindly, she explained… "Most of them…So what I say goes, even if it might sound a little Evil…Stupid, but along with my slightly diminished but still pretty fair persuasive powers…You know, Will…And that's of course how we'll rule the world through the Slayers…"

"So I'll just tell one of them Andy's returned to Evil, gut and stuff him'…No problem, Will…"

"Uh-huh…"

"I got Giles and the whole remaining Council under Slayer lock-and- key, awaiting trial and execution on my return…" she noted… "You can magine…I told the girls he didn't say a word about you to me, letting you and Angel die when we couldn't get to LA in time to save you … Wanted to control us forever like they always did…That sort of thing…"

"Sure…Fine plan…"

"Angel?…" she turned to face his face, hanging about two feet above her… "You believe me?…"

"She has been possessed, Will…And it sounds like a Partners' scheme…"

"Yeah?…Lemme get this straight?…You got Buffy to just hand over …"

"For you…" she insisted, eagerly…

"For me…Right…And she fell for it, let you in, and you're now about to do global mayhem in her boots…And this was the real plan all along… Not Uber-vamp uber alles…?"

"The Ubies vs. the US military…In daylight?…Come on, Will…Give me credit for half-a-disembodied brain?…A few smart bombs on wherever we were hiding by day and it's over… "

Point there…Angel noted…

"Hans Christian Anderson couldn't have written a more tragic one, girl… I'm weepin'…Now can we cut the crap and you do whatever you plan to do with us?…You know by now, the Council's gotta have figured out Angel's plan or at least noticed your handiwork in LA…And Buffy and several thousand Slayers must be on the way…"

"Some guys…" she glared… "You don't believe I cared enough?…You think I took up with His Pompousity?…That was Andrew's plan to divert attention…That was an actress-Slayer you saw with him…You know, the one who did those Scooby Doo movies…"

She did look like Buf…And she'd be hard up enough, Angel nodded… And Wells kept that secret from us in Rome?…Andrew Wells?…" Will chuckled…

"Giles told him to…You know how he worships Giles…Besides he thought it was hilarious after the way you left me hangin'…"

Literally, I mean…She noted…"They found me on the end of a rope one day…Too Slayer to choke and not enough knowledge of how to do the neck break so I didn't quite manage it…But while I was in the coma…"

Bwwha…Ha, ha, ha, ha…Angel and Will…

Her face fell…What?…

"Buffy tried to kill herself…Over me?…" Will sputtered as he continued laughing…

"Lady…I take it back…"Angel, chuckling… "I don't believe it…"

"You assholes!…" she shrieked… "William, do you know what I went through after you died?…Again…And when I found out about Cicely…"

This is gonna end badly…I feel it…The Senior Partner who'd spoken up before, hissed to his comrades…

Can't we just blow the building and apologize to her redisembodied lf later?…When she's out of Summers and her fully uncaring self again?…

"Fate Joe…" Mao, his comrade noted… "Fate…"

"Cicely?…" Will stared…

"Well, that's got your tongue…" she noted, crossly… "Yeah, Cicely…"

"Cicely?…" Angel repeated… "Was that the girl you were always going on about but never would go out with Dru to kill?…"

"Yeah…Cicely?…" Will frowned… "Are you trying to say Buffy was jealous of Cicely?…And cut a deal with you 'cause she didn't want me going after her in Heaven or something?…"

"What?…Heaven, No…" she shook her head…

"She went to the archives in London…To look up your last name for a headstone…"

"Nice…Have to thank her…"

"And the idiot Watcher there let her see the files on Cicely Addams Walthrop…Vampire Slayer…"

"What?…"

"Walthrop?…" Angel blinked… "Say, wasn't that your…?"

"William Soames Walthrop…Beautiful name…" she beamed…

"Why would she keep the name?…And what do you mean, vampire-Slayer?…"

"You were married to her?…" Angel stared… "And all that time I thought Dru was being irrational…I mean over her usual…"

"Vampire-Slayer…As in…How could I make such a terribly selfish decision as to love and marry a poor man who'll be vamp-fodder no matter how much I try to protect him…?"

"Really?…"

"You seeing the point at last?…I sent you away to save you…But my Watcher and the Council had other plans…"

"You?…"

"Me…"

"I'm confused…" Angel sighed…

"Like we're surprised?…" she sneered… "Too much blood rushing to that little brain…Guys, put them on the floor…I want 'em both up for this…"

I'm heading home for Hell now…Good luck, boys…Joseph sighed to his mates…Mao and Adolf eyeing each other…

"Maybe we better…" Mao suggested…

"I won't go back from LA…" Adolf insisted… "We must hold every inch of Earth…"

"It didn't work on the Eastern front, Dolf…It won't work here…"

Will and Angel, still trussed up, on the floor now…

"Either of you need some blood…Water…?" she asked…

"A little Marcus would be nice right now…" Angel suggested…

"Funny…" she frowned…Chairs…She waved to her demon crew who brought chairs over…

Thanks…Will told the demon hoisting him into a chair…

"You welcome…" the fur-clad female smiled demurely…Backing off at severe glare from her mistress…

"So where were we?…Oh, yeah…" the First/Buffy? resumed… "So I went to Giles, raging…Cursing…Holding him up by the throat with one hand…Boy, was I pissed…But you remember how he tried to kill you with soul, Will? …Now I knew the real reason he'd done that…And that he'd known about you all along…And that the Council had suspected I'd be back for you… And them…And that Buffy Summers seemed to fit the bill for a Cicely reincarnate very nicely…If not brunettely…"

"Wait…"Angel frowned… "So that means…"

"I was looking for a soulful…If not necessarily souled vamp…When we met…" she nodded… "And that the only thing really between you and me, ex-beau, is that you created the thing that killed my husband…"

Very disturbing turn of events for Buffy…As you can imagine…She noted to the boys…

"Caused the death of her husband…The condemnation of her husband…Dated the thing that helped to kill him…Let the Council hoodwink her again… Failed to help him when he was right in front of her, suffering, for years…Even when he got enough of himself back to love her…Even when he got his soul back without her help…And to top it all off…"

"You can see how this could lead to a major shift in thinking on her part…" she noted…

"She'd never sell out…Not even…"

"Oh, God, Will…You know me well enough to know I thought I could handle me…She/I offered a chance to save you if I agreed to let her have some access…I took the deal and she/I told me where you'd been all this time and the danger you were in…Thanks to our wanna-be Christ figure here…" glare to Angel…

"Unfortunately…Once you let me in…I've a way of taking root…I played the waiting game and didn't push…And over time her anger and sense of betrayal…And Giles' efforts to prevent me from helping you…Pushed me into the driver's seat…" she beamed…

"So I owe it all to my hubbie…"

"Great…" Will frowned… "Brilliant, Cicely…Another fine plan…I think I want a divorce…"

"What?…" her face fell…

He grabbed her, ropes loosened round him, falling off…

"Hey…" she and Angel startled…

"I met Houdini once…Got him a genuine séance with his mother in exchange for a few tips…" he noted…

"So dearest…I guess this means you can die now…" he told her…Rope about her throat…

My minions'll kill you!…" she cried…

"Ok, ma'am!…" Eh nodded…Waving to archers…

"Hold it!…" she screamed…

Fine…Eh frowned…

Ever since she went solid she's been so changeable…

"How much longer….?" Will hissed…

"Fifteen, I think…Xander's bringing them in from the south of the city…" she whispered back… "God, did you know all the time?…"

"Pretty much after you didn't kill us right away…You know you're playing with fire, girl…It is the First…"

"Thanks…" whisper… "Nice to get a little respect after the way…"

"I can hold her till the exorcism…" Buffy nodded…

"At least let me kill my partners…" she whispered… "They persuaded me on this one…"

"And Buffy promised I could stay for the wedding…"

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXXVI...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (136) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

"You're out of your Undead mind..."

"Poof, we've no choice...We've got to take a risk..."

"A risk, Spike?...This isn't a risk...This is sheer suicide..."

"I like that...Angel, I happen to know what I'm about..."

"Right..."

"This is a sure-fire plan, Angel...And we can't go on like this, waiting for the inevitable end..."

"We've survived up to now...Illyria?...Gunn?..."

"Winifred..." Illyria corrected from her chair where she sat, decked out in Fredian dress...Extremely Fredian... "I don't mean to hurt anyone but you...Guys...All agreed..."

"Sorry, Winifred..." Angel sighed... "But you agreed this idea is insane?..."

"I don't know Angel..." Charley shook head...Will brightening at the support... "William may have something here...'Twilight' made a fortune and is still raking it in..."

"The last of what we scraped from the collapse of Wolfram-Hart after the LA battle?...On a book?...By him?..." Angel frowned at William...

"A book about zombies...?" he stared...

"Not just any run-of-the-mill zombies, Angel...Heroically redeemed, world-saving, romantic zombies..." Will noted, rather proudly...

"Oh, come on..."

"It's the untapped market, Liam..." Will enthused... "And best of all...Our main character is a woman...A heroine..."

"A zombie woman..."

"An Undead Heroine...Seeking her lost love..." Will beamed... "Defeating Evil while seeking to prove her regained...Well, semi-...Humanity...Repairing the damage she's done to others while unable to help herself...And of course the romantic quest..."

"Repairs the damage she's done...You mean, in eating brains?...Just how does she manage to repair that?..."

"We drop the brain-eating...It's passe anyway...She feeds off bioenergy..."

"Great...So how does she repair bioenergy sucking?...Her victims are dead, right?..."

"Ah, but in what form of dead are we talking?..."

"Ok...She goes round like some Undead Earl, what, finishing off her victims who are also zombies?..."

"Well...Sort of...But she restores them to a kind of normal life..."

"As domesticated zombies...?"

"I know of a lot of people who'd take their beloved ones back in any form not involving Evil and killing..." Will noted...

"And the sappy quest...?"

"I thought it romantic..." 'Winifred'/Illyria, a bit miffed... "William modeled the quested one on my Wesley..."

"Oh?..."

"Ummn..." William eyed Angel... "Yeah..."

"Oh...I see...So then the 'object of zombie desire' doesn't have blonde hair?..."

"No, certainly not...Brown hair..."

"And he's a scholar...From the nineteenth century..." 'Winifred'/Illyria noted...

"Really...?" Angel, thin smile at Will...

"Poet, by any chance?..."

"A very fine one..." she nodded... "Wesley did write poems, didn't he?..."

"All English scholarly types write poems, love..." William, hastily... "Of course, the character incorporates many different people...But the main thing is it's a star-crossed romance...That's always sure-fire..."

"But he's dead too, right?...Nineteenth century and all?..."

"Oh, yeah...But see, his soul hovers about, seeking to aid the love who killed him...Involuntarily of course...In her more Evil days..."

"Uh-huh..."Angel, frowning... "Who's gonna find a dead poet and a lumbering female zombie heroine an attractive couple...Wait?..."

"She's a Slayer, isn't she?...A zombie Slayer?..."

"We don't use the word...An Undead protector of Humanity..."

"I still see potential, Angel..." Charley noted... "We already have a studio interested..."

"What?..."

"I'm tellin' you, Angel...The gravy train is pulling up to our battered and weathered door..." William nodded... "We'd best be ready to hop on board...What?..." he eyed Angel's somewhat downcast face...

"It couldn't be vamps...?"Angel, reluctantly... "I mean, vamps are big now...At least on the screen..."

"Vamps have had their day...But they're passe now...We want to be on the cutting edge of the next wave...I see a TV series...The first season is all about our heroine's redemption..."

"From eating brains..."

Frown...

"Ok, from sucking bioenergy...And how does a zombie find redemption...Not to mention enunciate dialog besides...'Grrr, arrgh'..."

"Karloff's monster did it with hands and 'Grrr'...A fine actress...I'm thinking Hathaway, maybe...Can do the same...Besides a brilliant noble physician helps her recover some of her faculties midway through the story..."

"Well?..."

"Awful as it is..." Angel frowned... "I suppose..."

"Gunn, get Lorne on the phone and tell him we're in..."

"Great...So, who do we cast as her son?..."

"Son?..." Angel sputtered... "The zombie heroine has a son?..."

"Thought you'd like that touch..." Will nodded...

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXXVII...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers?

Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you

no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (137) versions of

events

following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question"

through

to "Not Fade Away" and beyond...

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca

verse at . ,

scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series...

"Shall I cry for you, guys..." mocking tone... "Big tears for my poor

beloved vamps?..."

"So she's the First?..." Angel looked over to William...Wrenching at

the chain collar holding his head...

"That's her..." Will nodded...

"Or maybe I'm the real deal...Ashamed of the two you Undead filth

polluting me..." sneer... "Glad to help out old enemies just to be rid

of you both...Lovers..." smile...

"She's a hair chunkier than ours..." Angel noted...

Blink...What...?

"I'd have to agree..." Will, thoughtfully looking her over...She in

rather elegant, though tasteful, coat, blouse, and slacks...

"I'm exactly...F-you two creeps!..." raging fume...Red face...

"Enjoy yourselves, losers...The dawn cometh..."

"Losers, eh?..." Will grinned... "I dunno...We were outnumbered 4000-

to-1 at the start and even with Illyria and young Gunn out to get him

to the hospital, the odds are still about the same...I'd say we done a

souled vamp's job..."

"And you've 'conquered' what?...Two blocks of LA?..." Angel added...

"Choice blocks, I grant you...But your Partners already owned most of

it..."

"The first step on my...Er, our..." nervous glance to Mr. Joseph and

the other Senior Partners frowning a bit at her presumption... "March

to victory..."

"Looks more like Hitler's march to Stalingrad..." Will noted... "Hell,

the US military hasn't even moved in yet and half of your guys won't

survive the dawn...The rest are mostly busy eating each other..."

Did he have to bring up that damned city?...Dolf, the Second Partner,

standing next to Joseph, sighed... Fine, I shouldn't have gone for the

Caucasus and the Volga at once...

"Not to mention..." Angel began...

"Buffy...And her Slayers...?" resumed mocking sneer... "You aren't

telling me you still think she's coming for you?...To rescue your

pointy-haired little head...And make the world safe for more of the

worst poetry ever written?..."

"I rather liked 'To Cicely' if you must know..." Angel replied...

Why, Angel...Will started...Trying to look over...

"What?..." sneer dropped...Head shake...

"I'm no expert...But I thought it was nice..."

"Geesh...Now I really can kill you with a light heart...You deserve to

die..."

"Whatever...As for Buffy, I'm not expecting her now..." Angel, unable

to resist a quick glance over the heads...Or whatever rested highest

on the demon bodies...Of the horde surrounding them...He and Will

chained and strapped to large poles on a raised platform... "...But

when she gets word, she be on her way...If there's anything left of

you folks to mop up..."

"But not for you!...For neither of you!..." raging voice...

"She didn't know..." Will nodded... "It's cool...We're fine..."

"Oh, come on..." narrow look... "You think Andrew Wells could have

resisted telling her for thirty seconds when he got back?..."

"Lady...I don't know..." Will sighed... "But however it was with

her...It's fine with me..."

"Right..." sneer... "You've moved on...Like she has..."

"Nah..." Will shook his head... "That was nonsense...I'll always love

her...But it's fine...I love her, that all that matters...She's not

obliged to love me..."

"And I...' Angel began...

"...'Have a girlfriend', we know...Too bad she's a dog...Probably in

heat with some other guy right now..."

"Wolf..." Angel corrected...

"Idiot...!...Idiots, the two of you...You die for

nothing!...Nothing!..."

"Not at all..." Will smiled... "We're dying as

heroes...Souled...Tickets to Redemption City stamped and our families

proudly waiting..."

"Who?...Your dead vamp mother, you wuss freak?..."

"Indeed...It'll be great to see Mum again...God, if my soul had sunk

down to despair in Spike I might never have had the chance...And

there'll be a few good friends, I'll be glad to see...And I'm sure a

lot of wonderful people to meet..."

"You've gotta come over to meet my family..." Angel noted... "My dad's

a bit stiff but Heaven has probably unbent him...And my mother's just

a angel...And we're talking ole Irish hospitality...Including the best

porter in the universe...We O'Connors were famous for it..."

"A pleasure, indeed...Many thanks...And you've got to visit with

us...Mum will be pleased that I finally did acquire a brother at

last..."

"Why, many thanks, Will..."

"Just no hugs in front of her...Victorian London you know..."

"Pardon me for interruptin' this tender, gay moment..." fuming

voice... "But maybe there is no Heaven..."

"Sure there is..." Will grinned... "You prove it by coming in from

Hell...Besides, our souls have some sensation of it...But look here,

girl..." he eyed her angry face... "Don't you ever ask yourself, what

am I doin' this for?...Seems to me you don't get much out of all

this..."

"What...I...I triumph over souls every day..."

"As vapid mist?...Hell, even as Spike and Angelus we had more

fun...Don't you ever wish for more, lass?..."

"Does seem like kinda pointless..." Angel agreed...

"The joy of watching you fry is all the pleasure I need!..." she

glared...

"Fine then..." Will smiled... "Go nuts...So, Angel...You think your

family's got a place like the ole manor Angelus used to tell me

about?..."

"I'm sure of it..." Angel nodded...

"She won't come!..." scream... "Guards!...Make them suffer!..."

Does seem a bit...Hollow...This one... Joseph sighed,

watching...Looking at his watch...

Half or more of our army from Hell thrown away and they're right...We

can't even stay past the dawn...

Oh, well...Evil triumphs again...The usual, transitory way...

Whoopie...

Demon guards approached the two with various implements of

torture...Clumsily removing them from sachels and boxes...One hulking

yellow mass of rotted tissue looking round for the instructions to his

set...

"Come on, come on!...It's dawn in fifteen minutes...!"

"Ma'am..." one guard hissed... "It'll take twenty minutes to properly

heat the irons..."

"Smash their feet, flay their flesh...Anything...!..."

Hmmn...William eyed the demon setting to work...

"You know, Angel...I think we're in that state badly wounded soldiers

go through...You know, where the shock keeps them from feeling

anything..."

"I'd say so..." Angel nodded as a demon hacked at his foot with an

ax...

"What are you talking about?..." the First looked at them... "This is

hideous torture...You, flay harder!..." she shook an incorporeal

fist at a guard who sighed and attempted to comply...

"There's many a famous account of it, girl..." Will noted... "But if

you like, just say God or our mums just kindly decided to make our

last moments easy...Say, Angel...You know what I'm really pleased

about, I mean what with the soul recovery and all?..."

"What's that?..."

"Christmas...I can enjoy it again...The right way I mean, not via

tormenting poor folks...Not that I mean to step on anyone's religious

toes here..." he looked over the horde...

"Thank you, that's nice of you..." the guard flaying his right leg

paused to look up...

"Don't mention it...You know what I mean, Angel?...It was such a great

time when I was a lad..."

"Best time of the year...Even as Angelus it was my favorite time..."

"Which you hideously profaned...!" scream in his face... "Shame on

your evil existence...!"

"Uh-huh...Angelus was a monster...But, anyway...You're right

Will...And we'll be with the families this year for Christmas...I

wonder if I can get Connor and Nina to do a seance..."

"You could still live!..." she tried... "William...I could be Buffy

for you...We could do our own viciously merry Christmas..." She took

on a new outfit, a Santa suit...

"Cute...But no, thanks..." he smiled pleasantly... "I'm not into an

incorporeally Evil relationship..."

"You could pledge yourselves to Evil again and my Partners could turn

her Evil...You could help..." desperation in voice... "She could still

be yours..."

"Buffy?...Please...Angel, how's about a carol...You know I always

loved 'Good King Wenceslas'...You know a carol about a good man doing

good in the world..."

"One of my favorites..." Angel nodded...

"He had the peasant flogged to death for stealing wood!..." she

cried... "You idiot, William...I'm offering you a chance

here...Angel...?"

"Good King Wenceslas looked out...On the Feast of Stephen..."

"While the snow lay round about ...Deep and crisp and even..."

Sentient members of demon horde starting to join in...To the Partners'

startled rage...

"Brightly shone the moon that night,,,Though the frost was cruel...

When a poor man came in sight...Gath'ring winter fuel..."

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXXVIII...

PG 13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan fic writers, where's your disclaimers?

Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you

no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (138) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

Archived (soon) at the 'Normal' Buffyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse at . , scroll down to "Immortal Beloved" series ...

Night of the LA battle…

Hell's favorite watering hole…Where a few of the Undead elite have preferred to wait for the outcome before taking up arms against their treacherous, if disgustingly human-souled, and ridiculously love- besotted brothers…

"Another round for my friend here, pretty one…"

"Watch it, pal." frown. "You know they're waiting for you at Wolfram-

Hart…Everyone's summoned for this one, no exceptions…"

Oooh…The elegantly dressed young(?) man's companions sniggering…

Modern era meets our friend, one noted…The first speaker frowning but

waving the young waitress off. Fine… "Tell the First, I'm not some

lackey to come running…I'll be in at the kill…" He returned to his

companions, they settling down…

"So, Edward, you were saying…?"

"Right…" the tall, dark, handsome if somewhat cadervous fellow to the

side of the elegant, somewhat miffed…No girl does this to me…Undead or

no…fellow nodded, with grin…

"…So I tell her… 'Oh, no, Bella…I'm a…Vegetarian…'"

Chortle…Chuckles from the others, excepting the unimpressed elegant

one…

"And she believes you…?"

"Are you kidding?" soulful look. Batting eyes.

Howls…

"Best of it is…I don't take a thing…I keep it going all summer. Till

finally, she's begging me to take anything I need. 'Oh, Edward…If you

need anything…' "

Howls…

"Not bad…Though I've done better." the elegant visitor from New Orleans nods.

"Immortal Beloved..." CXXXIX...

PG?13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan?fic writers, where's your disclaimers?

Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you

no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (137) versions of

events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question"

through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story,

though some

are multipart...)

LA...One hour before sunrise...

The unequal battle of the Partners and Angel's team has reached its

inevitable conclusion...

"Well, that was easy..." Angel notes... "Is our friend in the

ambulance ok?..." he raised his voice to be heard by the police

officer eyeing him from across the prisoner transport van in which he,

William, and a frowning...Why do we not kill these feeble human

warriors?...Toast our victory in their blood...Or at least the demonic

blood of the Partners' army...And go mourn my Wes with a proper

funeral pyre?...Illyria...Sat handcuffed...

"He'll be fine...Just sit tight..." the large woman replied...

"Why do I have to sit on this side?...Can't I sit over with my

husband?..." Buffy, similarly handcuffed with two Slayers by the

officer and two other large and burly policemen, asked, plaintively...

"Lady, I tole you ...You're staying on this side..." the officer

frowned...Eyeing the battered William... "She really your wife?..."

"So she's said..." William nodded, smile to Buffy which was

returned...Angel frowning...

"I still can't believe you jerks kept all this from me..." he

pouted...

"Tell your other lady friend there to sit still..." the female officer

pointed to a squirming Illyria... "I don't need any more trouble

tonight..."

"Illyria...I told you we'll get everything straightened out at the

station..." Angel turned to her... "Just relax..."

"Need to know, Angel..." Buffy replied...Slight frown back... "And you

weren't gonna tell me about Will?..."

"Giles said...When I called him..."

"Since when do you pay attention to anything Giles says?..."

"We worked very well together on this operation..." he noted, a bit

miffed...Hey, Liam is not incapable of team play even if Angelus...

"People..." the officer warned... "Lets can it a mo...We're here..."

The van pulled into a police garage and halted...Rear door opened to

reveal six officers with shields and billy clubs...

"Are they really cops, Slayer Counselor-General?..." one of the other

two Slayers, a tall brunette named Sharon, addressed Buffy...

"If not, aim for the heads..." Buffy hissed... "They're definitely not

vamps..."

"Quiet!...Lets go, people...!" the female officer urged...Tapping

Angel with billy club, indicating he was to stand...

"We can kill them if they beat us, correct?..." Illyria addressed

Will... "It's in the constitution, isn't it?...I think I remember from

my Fred memories..."

"Worse...We can take them to court..." Will noted... "And with the

Partners gone, we have about 3000 unpaid attorneys looking for

something to do..."

"I pity them..." Illyria nodded... Smiling benignly at the policeman

politely offering a hand while keeping his other firmly on his club...

"I'm not tellin' you again, blondey, you keep away from this man!..."

the female officer insisted...

"Hey!...I just wanna walk with my husband!...Lemme go!..." Buffy

yelled... "Will!..."

"It's all right, love..." he called... "Just be patient...I'll get it

all sorted out inside...Ummn..." He turned to the policewoman...

"Officer, I should mention there's a kid at home...In good hands..."

he noted... "But we do need to get home to him...Or at least word to

his sitter..."

"You'll be able to make a call...The rest's up to the judge, sir..."

she shook her head...

"Yeah, he hasn't had time to bond with me yet..." Buffy glared...

"This is crazy...Do you guys know we just saved this city?..."

"Ma'am...A lot of people tell us that..." the policewoman sighed...

"And sometimes it's true...But given your behavior tonight, I would

have serious reservations about letting you care for a kid without

some immediate aggressive behavior therapy...Now, lets go..."

Buffy staring...Open-mouthed...

William looking about, a bit embarrassed...Oddly enough, Angel and the

two Slayers showing the same look...All avoiding Buffy's stare but

Illyria, who frowned...

What is the cause of this behavior?...The Slayer Queen was merely

marking her possession of her mate when the blue warriors arrived...

"Inside, people...Lets go..." the policewoman urged...

"Yeah, we got a special level domestic disturbance here..." one of the

other officers was speaking into his walkie-talkie...

"You want a lawyer..." the policewoman who led the arresting team eyed

Angel as he, the Slayers, Illyria, and William sat in the station

office... "Aren't you head of Wolfram-Hart?...I saw you at the

policeperson's ball last October..."

"Yeah, I've always been supportive of the LAPD ball..." Angel

nodded... "But actually, I'm not an attorney per se...In the strictest

sense of the word as to courtroom law..."

Oh, please...Will frowned...Strictest sense of the word?...I doubt you

can spell 'attorney'...

"When can I make my call?..." Buffy rose...

"Lady, sit down...I'll be gettin' to you, honey..."

"I gotta right to make a call!...Will, tell her I have a right to make

a call.."

"Lady...I don't like your tone..." the officer glared... "You shut up

and wait till we get to you or I will put you in a cell where you can

cool those pretty...Italian?...Boots of yours still we get good and

ready to give you access to a phone...You hear me?..."

"Love..." Will hissed...

"I just wanna call Giles...He'll get this sorted...The Council's got

connections..." Buffy noted, moving to him...

"Did I say you could sit with him?..." the officer eyed her sharply...

"Oh, come on..." Buffy glared back... "Will, tell her to let me sit

with you...

"Girl, take your seat and don't give any more trouble...This is your

last warning..." stern look...

"Buffy..." Will, placatingly...

She frowned but sat...

Just wanna sit by my husband and call my Chairman...she glared at the

officer...Now on phone...

I just saved the world again ya know, ya big stupid...

"Ok..." the officer leaned back, cradling phone...

"The good news is we got confirmation there's nothing more on the

destruction of life and property issues...That's been made to go

away..."

Phew...Angel sighed...

"Seems you W-Hers really do have connections..." the officer frowned

slightly at Angel who gave an innocent smile back...

"Hey, you guys can go now...It's all set on the big charges..." she

addressed the three men and one woman in suits who'd been waiting

silently in chairs when the group had come in...

"The mayor'll be glad to hear that, Cheryl..." one rose...The woman

and remaining men still seated...

"Toodle-loo..." the officer eyed the three seated... "Unless you are

in fact counselors able to represent the folks here?..."

"We're from Washington...We've shown our credentials...We'll leave

when we're good and ready..." the older of the two men, a cadaverous,

icy-looking fellow, frowned at the officer, taking a drag on his

cigarette...

"No smoking in this office, pal...Put it out..." she frowned... The

cigarette-smoking man eyeing her with steely eyes a moment, then

breaking off and putting out his cigarette...

"And I'm waiting instructions from Miss Summers', Miss Gale's, and

Mrs. Evers' employer in England..." the woman, a petite brunette in

tweed, explained politely...

"Do you people mind these guys sitting in?..." the officer eyed Angel

and co... "'Cause if you don't want 'em, they are gone, 'credentials'

or no..."

"It's fine..." Angel nodded... "If your people don't mind, Buffy..."

"Giles sent you, right?..." Buffy addressed the woman who nodded...

"Fine, get us outta here...Will and I have a kid I need to bond with

at home...Are the other guys yours, Angel?..."

"We know each other..." Angel nodded, eyeing the cigarette-smoking

man...Who coolly nodded... And waving to the somewhat harassed-looking

mayor's office official now departing...

"Thanks, Lou!...My best to Hector!..." he called... Yeah,

yeah...Distracted wave as the mayor's aide headed out the double

doors...

Still gotta face those damned reporters and explain how five blocks of

prime business distinct got pulverized while the mayor was on

vacation...the aide sighed...

"Ok...The big ones are gone, as I say... And so far, nobody seems to

have reported any missing persons or zoo animals, so I'll assume it's

only the sort of body parts scattered round Wolfram-Hart Plaza that

are always gone without a trace the next day...And that they'll be

gone by eight am...?"

"Not to worry..." Angel nodded...

"Specimen collection..." the cigarette-smoking man spoke into a cell

phone.. "Wolfram-Hart...".

"You always have to be on your toes in these situations, Mr.

Mulder..." he explained to the young man sitting next to him as he

closed phone...

"I still don't know why you asked me here..." Mulder eyed him... "Who

are these people?..."

"...We'll see..." the officer continued... "But the other matter

remains..."

"If you wish to understand the secrets that have eluded you, Mr.

Mulder..." the cigarette-smoking man noted quietly...Indicating Angel

and the group about him... "You must be prepared to find the answers a

bit difficult to accept at times..."

"Can't we just let 'the other matter' go as well?..." Angel

suggested... "No charges are being pressed..."

"Yeah...Right, Will?..." Buffy looked at William...

Will?...

"Uh, no...No charges..." he nodded...

"That's fine..." the officer nodded in return... "But this is the

third offense witnessed and by state law we have to charge the young

lady..."

"She's the Slayer...The Chosen One...?" Mulder asked... "She was...Now

there are many..." his companion noted...

"I didn't mean anything...Will?...Tell her I didn't mean it..." Buffy

looked at him... "It was just...The way I show how much I care..."

"You beat your husband to show how much you care?..." the policewoman

frowned... "What about the kid you mentioned, he come in for a good

wallop when Mommie wants to say good night?..."

"Hey..." Buffy rose...

"Sweetheart..." Will cautioned...

"That's right, you better sit your ass back down, girl..." the officer

nodded coolly... "Now Officer Manning found you slamming your husband

on the ground and pounding his face when he found you two tonight...In

the midst of a very questionable sit, involving those body parts which

I hope Mr. Angel here is right about disappearing shortly and the

property damage you are very lucky has been made to go away..."

"I was...Happy to see he was ok..." Buffy tried... "See he didn't tell

me he was joining Angel to fight the Partners tonight...I nearly

didn't find out in time...So when I found him, I just wanted to keep

him from getting back into it...And I..."

Maybe I was a leetle upset with him for not tellin' me...After all

we'd been through to get back together and...

"Wait?..." Angel frowned... "You weren't gonna come if he wasn't

there?...You were trying to get him out while we were still likely to

die?..."

"He's done enough world-saving...Angel, I knew you could handle it..."

Buffy waved a hand... "And if things went south, we'd clean up the

mess...I just didn't see that he needed to take another risk when we

hadn't even gotten a chance to properly catch-up..."

"It was love, ma'am..." she concluded to the officer...Smiling at

Will... "I was just tryin' to protect the husband I'd lost a century

ago..."

"A century ago...?" Mulder stared...

"Cicely...Just wait, you'll find out..." the cigarette-smoking man

nodded...

"Honey, I don't care if you lost him a century ago or last night in a

card game...And that doesn't explain these two other incidents of

beating..."

Two other?...Angel, Mulder, the other two Slayers...

The cigarette-smoking man nodding sagely...We knew that...He notes to

Mulder...

She disciplines her mate well, Illyria nodding with approval...

"Two?..." Buffy blinked... "You mean that time back in Sunnydale was

reported?...Giles said he'd taken care of..." she eyed the Council

woman in tweed suit who was nervously waving hands...No, no...

"Guess 'Giles' slipped up that time...Maybe we should make that

four?...Incidents...?" the officer noted, sternly... "An incident here

in LA... In April...Outside the victim's apartment, eyewitnessed by

Officer John Lennings..."

"I was mad that he hadn't called or wrote...I'd just found out about

my being his reincarnated wife..." Buffy, nervously... "I just wanted

him to know how I felt..."

Uh-huh...

"Sunnydale...This looks interesting... The reporting officer found the

victim locked in a basement...Seeming deranged and malnourished...With

signs of severe beatings..."

"That was someone else..." Angel cut in... "The First, right,

Buffy?..."

Ummn...

"Mr. Angel...I'll ask for your input later...Miss Summers, the report

says you were found striking him and told the officer he needed it

because he was trying to get away from the basement...Charges were not

filed at that time, though I sure would like to know why not...Was

that your Mr. Giles' doing?..."

"I didn't want him to run away..." Buffy noted... "I only did it

cause that's the only way I could reach him when he was

nuts...Ummn...Tough love, you know...?"

"You didn't get him proper care?...Why was he in a basement?..."

"He'd just got his soul back and he was kinda nuts...I didn't know

want to do with him..."

"They told me you left him in the basement at Sunnydale High after he

won the soul back...Which seemed insane, given the Hellmouth..." Angel

cut in... "But you beat him?..."

"It always worked with Spike..." she tried...

Will looking sadly at her...Sweet...

"They didn't know, the others?..." Angel eyed her, then Will... "How

long was this going on?..."

"She thought I might still be Spike..." Will spoke up... "She was just

trying to keep a lid on..."

"Am I hearing that there were more incidents than what the officer

witnessed?..." the policewoman asked, cutting Buffy off in mid-

declaration...

"I was having my own problems..." Buffy tried... "I didn't know I was

a reincarnate...My heart was split right down..."

"So you hit us when you have problems?..." Angel frowned... "Even when

we get a soul for you?...Well, now I think I know where that shove

into Hell came from..."

"This is none of your business, Angel..." Buffy glared... "Speakin' of

which, how's Dru?...You never did clean up that little mess, did

you?...Your little psycho 'daughter' who murdered my husband..."

"People..." the policewoman frowned...

"Buffy..." Will called...

"I didn't know how else to deal then...I got him out after a little

while...He stayed in our basement till he burned to death..."

"You didn't get him any care?..." the officer eyed her... "Honey, I

wouldn't leave my dog in the basement, let alone my sick husband, ex

or unDead or what..."

"I didn't hit him then..." Buffy pleaded... "Tell her, Will..."

"She didn't...Except that time after the First brainwashed me in the

Sunnydale High basement and I was under her influence... But that was

just to help me..."

"Tough love again, huh...?"

"Something like that..."

"Girl, I think I see a serious pattern of violence here..."

"Well, I had been a killer vampire..." Will tried... "It was often

that or stake me in the early days..."

Thank you...Buffy mouthed...

Don't mention, sweet...

"But now you had a soul?..." the officer noted... "And she'd been

aware of that for some time...?"

Well...

"Don't we have any rights, Buffy?..." Angel, annoyed... "As human-

souled beings?...God, it doesn't surprise me at all you were born in

England, Cicely..."

"Oh, now...Angel, lets not let politics get into this..." William

sighed...

"Enough..." the officer put up a hand...

"If you knew your killer vampire husband..." she began...

"I didn't know he was my husband until I found out this year, in

London..." Buffy cut in...

Just for the record, she explained...

Right...The officer frowned...

"...if you knew he had gotten a soul and you'd stopped beating

him...For 'tough love' purposes...Why did you resume your behavior in

LA?...I mean, before, you beat him to 'save' him...Had he lost his

soul?...Was he being brainwashed...?"

"I...I was mad at him for not calling me right away...After burning up

and me thinking...After I found out William was my lost husband..."

Buffy looked at the group about her...

"Are you using some fiend mind control device with her?..." Mulder

eyed his companion...

"No, it's all her...See why JFK and Clinton never chased after

Slayers?..."

"I was just a little pissed at him...I lost it..."

I'm sorry...Mournful tone...

"I see...Mr...?" the officer eyed William...

"Walthrop, ma'am..."

"Mr. Walthrop...Do you wish protection from this lady?..."

Will?...Buffy stared...

"Will, you'd be welcome to stay with Nina and me..." Angel

noted...Frowning at Buffy... "I dare say the boy would be better

off..."

"Angel, I oughta...!" Buffy raged...

"If he doesn't want protection..."Angel began...

"I saved your miserable hide...!"

"People!...We'll have quiet here..."

"I don't need protection from my wife..." Will noted... "It's fine..."

The officer shook her head... "The problem is...Not only state law

requires an investigation...There's a child at home..."

"I never...Ever..." Buffy began...

"She nearly killed her sister/daughter at least once...That I know

of..." Angel cut in... "And she's had no time with the boy...William

just rescued him the other day..."

"Angel! I'm gonna...!"

"What?...What?...Kill me?..." he glared... "I don't think anyone

needs to hear that..."

"Ma'am..." he turned to the officer... "As a good friend and the

sire...Vampiral father, you might say...Of Mr. Walthrop...I think I

must say I certainly have reservations about Miss Summers being

allowed to..."

"Angelus, you murderous bastard!..."

"Buffy, darling!..." Will cried as she rose up in rage...

"Don't...For my sake, Cics..."

Ummn...She eyed him...Red-faced with rage...Angel taking defensive

stance...Cops pulling weapons...

"Lady...Sit down and be a good girl...Or we will have to do something

you won't like..." the officer glared at her...

"Please, dear..." Will sighed...

"Sure..." she looked round...

Nothing wrong, it's cool...

"I'm fine...Just tell that jackass to keep his opinions to

himself...Can we remember who and how many times saved the world?... "

"Considering the mayor and Warren Mears and even the Master weren't

what I would call, world-class threats..." Angel began...

"Angel...Enough..." Will frowned...

"I knew you hated me, deep down...Ever since I came back from the dead

the last time..." Buffy glared... "Jealous of me, jealous of

William...Not like you earned that soul, is it?..."

"I was good enough to be Buffy's first, wasn't I?...Maybe Cicely's

too?..." Angel sneered...

"Mr. Angel...Keep that up and I might put you and the lady in a cell

together..." the policewoman frowned...

"Below the belt, Angel..." Will noted quietly... "Lets remember we're

all friends here..."

"And God knows you weren't Cicely's first..." Buffy cut in, narrow-

eyed look at Angel...

"And from the little I remember I doubt you managed to be Buffy's

first either..."

Hmmphf...Mmmphf...

"Now we've gone and made Illyria cry..." Will sighed... "Fred, it's

ok...We just had a very stressful night..." he patted her...

"I thought we cared for each other...Can't we just be friends?...Or

fight it out to the death in private?...Wesley would want it that

way..." Illyria, sobbing...

"Lyri, I'm sorry..." Angel sighed... "Buffy, I lost my temper...Old

wounds opening up...I'm sorry..."

"You might apologize to my husband..." she noted, coolly...

He frowned, but... "Yeah...Will, I'm sorry...No offense intended..."

"It's fine, mate..."

"You were monitoring after Andrew left LA...How well have they known

each other...?" Buffy hissed to the Slayer to her left...

"Back to the matter at hand, people..." the policewoman sighed... "I'm

passing this on to the judge, with a strong recommendation that Miss

Summers here..."

"Mrs. Walthrop..." Buffy corrected.. "We'll have the paperwork to make

it legal again in soon..."

"You might want to hold up a bit on that..." the officer suggested,

dryly...

"Hey..."

"...Anyway, I'm recommending that the lady enter a domestic violence

program...But that will be at the discretion of the judge..."

"I'm going to jail?..." Buffy stared...

"We'll bail you...Angel?..." Will looked over...

Hmmn?...

"Well, assuming Wolfram-Hart's credit still exists..." Angel noted...

"I'll contact Mr. Giles..." the woman in tweed called... "Sorry about

the other incidents in Sunnydale, apparently we'd not been informed of

them..." she eyed Buffy who looked a bit around, nervously...

I saved the world...Lots...

"It'll be fine, pet..." Will called to her as two officers motioned

for her to rise...

"Whoa..."

"Impressed...?" the cigarette-smoking man eyed Mulder as they sat, the

room partially emptying now...

"I guess...But say, why do you bring me to these things and let me

know some of your secrets?...What's in it for you, given I won't

change my mind and turn to your side?..." Mulder asked...

"I know...But given Miss Summers' revealing a darker side in all her

goodness...And given in all these years you've never gone after that

Scully...I was thinking...We might go out..." the cigarette-smoking

man smiled...Hopefully...

"I can't believe she was in LA with you the whole time after Andrew

went home...And you two let me take that damned trip to Rome...You and

that 'could we put Buffy in a box?' or 'mind control her?' crap..."

"What?..." Buffy eyed a sheepish Will...

"Just maintainin' the decep..."

"Yeah, don't start hitting him again..." Angel said... "Jesus!..." he

shrieked at the blow...

"Hey, I'm not married to you..."