CHAPTER ELEVEN

Angel and the gang rested for three days before deciding what to do next. Cordy came to visit and revealed something surprising to Angel. She had a vision, a vision of him as Angelus together with the Beast. The Beast had known Angelus.

On the fourth day, something even worse happened. The Beast performed a spell, turning day into night. Turning LA into a demon's playground. Angel and Co stayed indoors to strategize their next move.

Lorne was sitting at the counter, worrying about Abigail. She was back at her hotel room and hadn't visited since the fight with the Beast, letting him and the others recover.

" So…the Beast blotted out the sun and now the vampires can come out during the day?" Abigail said on the phone, " Wonderful. What else can go wrong?"

" Just stay put and you should be fine." Wesley said, sounding more than preoccupied.

" I think that's a good idea. Just tell me what you guys are planning to do next."

" I have an idea I'd like to run by you, before I mention it to the others."

" Go on,"

" The Beast knew Angelus, years ago. I'm thinking that it could be possible to bring back Angelus so that he can tell us what he knows of the Beast. He can give us an idea on how to destroy him, who he's working with-or for."

There was a long silence.

" Abigail?" Wesley prompted.

" Are you mad?" Abigail exclaimed, " I've read everything Angelus has ever done and it's given me a few nightmares. He's a vicious creature." she hesitated, " but it's a plan Wesley and right now, the only one we got. I'll be there soon." And they hung up.


Two nights later, the gang had constructed a cage down in the basement. " So this will hold?" Abigail asked uncertainly.

" It will hold. It has to." Gunn replied.

" Believe me, he's not getting out." Wesley assured him, checking on the tranquilliser guns.

" Hey, uh, listen, Angel cakes. If it's all the same with you, I think I might sit this one out upstairs, hm? You know how dark magic unleashing this unspeakable evil gives me the heebies." Lorne said to Angel.

" It's OK. Tell Cordy, Fred and Abigail they don't need to be down here either." Angel told him. The demon nodded and headed upstairs, feeling dread. This plan of Wesley's was dangerous but necessary.

Connor started to walk up the stairs too but his father called after him.

" What"

" Look, I know you like to think that I'm the enemy, but if this works, I will be. I'm gonna become the one thing you were raised to believe I was. The thing I never—never wanted you to see."

" Yeah. I think I can handle it."

" Uh-huh. Well, just keep in mind that whatever Angelus says, whatever he does—remember, he's not your father. I am. No matter what happens—or, happened—I—I love you. Since I'm gonna be out of commission for a while, I want you to, you know, take care of everybody. Keep 'em safe. That means, if anything should go wrong with Angelus, you're gonna have to kill me."

" OK" Connor agreed quickly.

" If... anything goes wrong." Angel added sharply.

" Right. I got it"

" Everything ready down there?" Fred asked Lorne.

" Yep. Show's almost on," Lorne replied, " Angel says we can all stay up here."

" Good, I was hoping he'd say that." Abigail said, " Coffee anyone? Tea? A good stiff drink?"

" The last one," Lorne said and she went behind the counter. Connor was walking through the lobby and he spotted Abigail.

" What is she doing here?" he demanded Lorne.

" She's here to help" Lorne replied.

" And she has a name," Abigail countered frowning at Connor. There was no love lost between them. She had looked after Connor when he was a baby and he was never grateful for it. Most of the time he acted like a spoiled brat.

" Well, she ran off when the going got tough," Connor reminded them all.

" No she didn't. It was a personal thing." Fred jumped to Abigail's defence.

" So, you're planning on staying or running away again?" Connor asked Abigail.

" Staying." She glared at him.

" Good." Connor headed upstairs.

" Brat." She muttered under her breath.

" Heard that," she heard him call.

Angel is lying on the table in the cage.

" The vision becomes reality. It is done." The shaman said after two hours of chanting.

Angelus turned his head to look at Angel's gang as they watched him.

" Angelus," Cordy said.

Angelus started to laugh maniacally. His soul was now contained in a jar represented by white smoke.