PART 7

Deep in the darkness it waited, soon... soon it thought, very soon it would be time to arise. The time in which he would destroy the chosen one and bring forth Hell to Earth. Soon...

Joyce walked into the office building and headed straight for the lift, when she climbed aboard she waited impatiently for it to stop at her floor. Eventually after what had seemed like an eternity it opened to the correct floor and she began to march down the hallway to her husband's office, bumping into Lindsey as he was leaving.

"Hello Mrs Porter... I mean Joyce. I'm sorry for knocking you, are you okay?" Lindsey asked politely.

"I'm fine, thank you" Joyce replied as he walked off. She fleetingly wondered why Buffy couldn't be interested in some nice boy like Lindsey, instead of that Angel-guy.

She barged into the office and Rob looked up in shock. "Joyce... what are you doing here?" Rob asked confused.

"This just arrived in the mail" Joyce replied as she handed him an envelope.

Rob took it and quickly glanced at the contents. "Why is this upsetting? I think it's great, even though I haven't met him yet."

"She's way too young to make a life altering decision like that. What is Buffy thinking... getting married at her age and how could she just send me an invite and not at least tell me in person" Joyce blabbed on.

Rob stood silently for a moment and then said, "Maybe she didn't want to hear you rubbish the guy again."

"How can you even say that? You didn't meet that Angel-guy, you don't know what he's like" Joyce said storming out.

Rob let her go. {Angel... the vampire} he thought, {Just wait until I tell Holland about my soon to be son-in-law}.

Angel looked across the room at Buffy; he could hardly believe that in a week she'd be his wife. It was more than he'd ever thought that he'd have... he never would've thought that she a young, vibrant vampire slayer would fall in love with him, a broody and moody, old vampire. It had never really mattered to Buffy that he was essentially a corpse with an inner demon who was cursed with a soul... she'd always just seen him as her soulmate, her guardian angel.

Buffy saw Angel out of the corner of her eye and noticed that he was smiling. She was relieved because he'd been so broody (even more than usual) since Giles had told him that the prophecy was about her and not Faith. Since he'd been so worried about her, she'd given into his demand that Cordy and Doyle stick to her like glue during the day, she'd have done just about anything to ease his mind. Buffy was shaken from her thoughts by the phone ringing, "Hello?"

"Buffy" a familiar voice said.

"Hey Wils" Buffy replied glad to hear from her, "I guess this means you got the invite?"

"Yeah. Oz and I are so happy for you and Angel... but there are a few unhappy people here" Willow told her.

"Let me guess... Xander and that psycho Faith" Buffy guessed.

"Well yeah and the others."

"What others?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Well... Giles was a little shocked but Jenny's helping him past it. Spike on the other hand..." Willow was saying.

"Spike? What did he want?" Buffy asked cutting Willow off.

"He's claiming that it's sick... because Angel is more than 200 years older and then there's the fact that you're a vampire's mortal enemy and Angel should be slaying you and not laying you" Willow repeated what Spike had told her.

"He's such a sicko. Maybe he and Faith should hook up," Buffy suggested.

"Since she's a total slut, they probably already have" Willow commented nastily.

"Willow Rosenberg, I'm shocked" Buffy said laughing.

"Hey, it's so true. I bet there's maybe ten guys alive or dead in the entire world she hasn't had and you and I are dating two of them and the other's with a techno-pagan."

They talked for a few more minutes and then they hung up after Willow promised to visit before the wedding. Buffy walked over to where Angel was sitting on the couch and straddled his lap. "What are you thinking about?" Buffy asked him.

"You" Angel replied honestly.

"Good answer" Buffy told him as she kissed him.

Her hands started to move down his body and when he realised what she had in mind he said, "Buffy, maybe we shouldn't."

"Why?" Buffy asked continuing.

"Well, it's the middle of the day... and... Cordy and Doyle will be back from lunch soon" Angel said.

"So?" was Buffy's reply.

Angel gave in; he knew that in the end she'd get what she wanted anyway... because he couldn't deny her anything.

Rob Porter knocked on Holland's office door, just about dying to tell him the latest news of that pesky vampire, Angel.

"Come in" an authoritative voice from inside came.

Rob went inside and stood before his boss and friend, "I have new information about Angel."

"What? If it's about him shacking up with the slayer... we know."

"Actually, today Joyce and I were invited to a wedding..." Rob began.

"And what... Angel's the priest," Holland said sarcastically.

"No, but it was to his wedding. He's marrying the slayer."

Holland was shocked, "They must know about the second prophecy. We have to ensure that the first succeeds."

"How?" Rob asked eager to serve. He tried to convince himself that he was doing it for the greater good and not because he was a company stooge.

"We help raise Zanthar" Holland told him simply.

"But Buffy..." Rob said realising that it meant his stepdaughter would die.

"Is an acceptable casualty?" Holland said as he continued to outline his plan.

Rob now realised that he had to tell Buffy what was going on. Even though she wasn't his biologically... he still loved her as though she was his own and he didn't want her to die.

Buffy and Angel were just leaving the office to go to the movies (Buffy's idea) when they ran into Buffy's stepfather Rob. "Buffy... I need to talk to you, it's important," Rob told her.

"Look, if mom sent you..." Buffy began.

"No, it's about the prophecy" Rob replied.

Buffy and Angel looked at each other in surprise. "What prophecy?" Buffy asked trying to play dumb.

"The one involving the resurrection of Zanthar and the death of the slayer, in this case that would be Buffy" Rob answered hoping this would convince them to listen to him.

"How do you know all this?" Angel asked him suspiciously.

Rob looked around nervously, "I work for Wolfram and Hart."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Buffy questioned not understanding the connection. "

They're your friendly neighbourhood bad guys" Angel replied.

Awareness began to settle over Buffy, "You knew who I was..."

"Buffy I swear I didn't, not until after I'd married Joyce. My employers thought it was a great bonus... until you took out three of our top clients" Rob told her. "I've done everything that they've ever asked me too... until now. I can't let them kill you."

Angel looked at Rob and saw the sincerity in his eyes, "To protect her, I need to know everything you do."

"Of course" Rob answered.

They went back inside and Rob began to tell them everything that he knew about the plan to aid in Zanthar's resurrection and how they planned to stop the second prophecy no matter what they had to do in order to accomplish that.

After Rob had left, Buffy and Angel sat there in complete silence, both in deep thought over what they'd been told. It was Buffy however who was now not only worried about not only going up against a demon that would most likely kill her, but also a nationally prestigious law firm. Angel saw how upset she was and pulled her into his arms, but he wasn't sure exactly how to comfort her in this unusual situation.

Buffy was the first to speak, "Why me? Did I do something to piss off the PTB or something?"

"Buffy your mom..." Angel began thinking she was upset over her stepfather's deception.

"This is *so* not about my mom, frankly it has nothing to do with her. I mean... why does a law firm that really has nothing to do with me, want to join forces with some icky demon to kill me," Buffy said in confusion.

"I don't know" Angel told her, "I wish I could tell you things would work out, but I can't. All I can tell you is the last day you walk on this Earth will be mine also."

Touched by his words Buffy kissed him and curled up next to him and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Angel carefully picked her up and carried her to the bed, he remained awake in case she needed him during the night and as he looked upon her sleeping form he silently vowed that no matter what he had to sacrifice Buffy would survive.

The next day in a cavern about 100 miles from LA, Lindsey, Holland, Rob and some of the others from the firm were setting up the ritual that would speed up Zanthar's resurrection. Once they had set up, they formed a circle and began to chant. Rob watched from the sidelines wishing that he'd known about this so he could've warned Buffy and Angel. Suddenly the chant stopped and Rob was grabbed from behind and brought into the centre of the circle.

"Lindsey, Holland... what's going on?" Rob asked confused.

"Did you really think we wouldn't find out about your late night visit with the slayer and her vampire?" Holland answered in reply.

"But... Buffy's my daughter" Rob justified.

"No, she *was* your daughter" Holland told him as he gave the order to start the sacrifice.

Rob's scream echoed through the cavern as his blood was spilled and then there was a second of silence before the chanting resumed.

Buffy awoke suddenly with a sense of dread, like something evil was coming and she realised the first prophecy was beginning. She laid there in bed and tried not to think about what this might actually mean, that she may be dead really soon. This in turn got her thinking about the things she wouldn't get to do... like marry Angel, graduate from college, see if there was any truth to that second prophecy. She felt so depressed she got up and headed to the kitchen to find something to eat.

Angel woke up a few minutes later to an empty bed and wondered where Buffy had gone. He got up and went into the living room, where he found her on the couch eating a tub of cookie dough fudge mint chip. "Buffy, what's wrong?" he asked concerned.

"It's starting... I can feel it" she replied staring into her ice-cream.

"The prophecy?" "Yeah" Buffy said depressed. Angel sat next to her and pulled her close, "I wish I knew what to say."

"You don't have to say anything... just be here with me" Buffy told him.

"Until the day" Angel answered.

Buffy snuggled as close as she could into Angel's embrace and prayed to the Powers that Be that it wouldn't be the last time.

Once the ritual was complete, Lindsey asked Holland, "What do we have to do now?"

"What we do is that we get out of here before Zanthar awakens" Holland replied condescendingly.

"Why?" Lindsey questioned his superior in confusion.

"Because once he has risen, he will kill all that stand between he and the slayer and we do not want to be perceived as a threat" Holland told him impatiently.

They left all of the ritualistic items that they'd brought behind and quickly headed back to the limo and drove away from the cavern. As they left the floor of the cavern began to crack open and from the depths came a dark green, horn covered hand with long, sharp retractable claws.

Buffy could feel it coming... closer and closer, as each second past she knew that she was another second closer to her destiny, but which one... death or life. As much as she wished, hoped and prayed for the second alternative, she had the extremely bad feeling that it was her death that was approaching. Buffy looked across the room at Angel and her friends and saw the worried looks on their faces, and she realised that the time for sulking was over and it was time to go out and grab the demon by the horns and fight.

She stood up and said, "It's time. I'm tired of this, I'm not gonna wait for it to come and find me... I'm gonna take the fight to it."

"Buffy..." Angel began.

"Save it Angel. We both know that the outcome will be the same whether I go to it or it comes to me" Buffy told him.

Angel nodded, "Okay, let's go."

When Doyle and Cordy tried to follow, Buffy told them, "No. This is not your fight, it's mine."

"But Buffy we're your..." Cordy began tearfully.

"I know and I so totally appreciate that fact" Buffy replied impulsively hugging Cordy, "I'll be back here before you even miss me."

Cordy and Doyle watched their friends leave and hoped with all their might, that everything would work out and that Buffy and Angel would return safe and sound.

In the cavern, another hand slowly clawed it's way to the surface, expanding the crevice that was forming. An angry grunt could be heard as the ground shook, then suddenly an eerie silence and then a growl of "soon" came from beneath.

Several hours later the crevice split open further and Zanthar managed to pull himself free of his underground prison. He sniffed the air to gage the direction of the slayer; a moment later he headed off in the direction of Los Angeles.

Buffy and Angel had been driving around for close to an hour, when all of a sudden Buffy told Angel to pull over. When he'd stopped the car, Angel noticed that they were in front of an abandoned warehouse.

"What are we doing here?" Angel asked her confused.

"I wanna limit the casualties" Buffy replied climbing out of the car.

Angel followed her lead and they went inside of the warehouse.

Once inside Buffy did a quick sweep, "This will do."

"Are you sure?" he asked concerned. Actually he was terrified, he didn't want to lose her again.

"Yeah" she replied. Then she saw the look on Angel's face, "I'll be okay. Just remember what is supposed to happen if... I mean, when I survive."

"Alright. So what do we do now?"

"We wait," she told him.

They had been sat in the warehouse for almost three hours and Angel was sitting there silently going crazy with worry. Buffy on the other hand was totally calm, she had excepted that it was her destiny to face the big ugly evil thing, but she had hope (however slight) that things may be alright.

Buffy saw Angel get up and start to pace, "Sweetie... could you not do that, it'll drive me nuts."

"Sorry" Angel muttered sitting back down, "how come you're so calm?"

"Acceptance" Buffy stated calmly.

Angel was about to say something else, when they heard a deep, foreboding growl echo throughout the warehouse.

"It's time" Buffy whispered, she quickly kissed Angel and told him, "I love you. I always have and will."

"I love you too," Angel told her as she ran off to finally face her destiny.

Buffy let her slayer sense guide her to the demon and when it finally came into view she could hardly believe her eyes. Zanthar (the demon) was at the very least eight feet tall, dark green in colour, covered in horns and spikes and had retractable razor sharp claws.

"So you are the chosen one?" he growled at her unimpressed by the small girl who stood defiantly before him.

"And you're a Godzilla wanna-be" Buffy quipped back.

"You will die... painfully" Zanthar informed her.

Buffy looked at the demon and thought about all she had to live for, "Maybe I'll surprise you."

"I doubt it" he replied walking towards Buffy. He circled her as a predator circles his prey, this act of dominance was to show Buffy that he was the one who would control the outcome of this fight and not her.

Buffy faked a yawn and told him, "Could you hurry up, because this whole stalking-thing is getting kinda old."

Zanthar stopped and growled, "Are you that anxious to die, slayer?"

"Well... if it meant I didn't have to look at your ugly mug..." Buffy began, but was stopped by an extremely vicious backhand from Zanthar that knocked her to the ground.

"For that it shall be a slow death" Zanthar told her.

Buffy looked up from her position on the floor and said sarcastically, "Oh... I'm just so scared."

In reply Zanthar picked her up by her hair and threw her across the room. Before Buffy could even stand up he was looming over her, she rolled out from under him and stood up. Buffy was a little woozy but her kick to the face was dead on centre, unfortunately it didn't have any noticeable effect on Zanthar and neither did any of her follow up moves. All her efforts accomplished was to tire herself out, when she could barely stand, Zanthar simply picked her up once again and extended his sharp claws with the intention of slashing her to pieces.

This was when Angel (who had been secretly watching) finally couldn't take anymore, attacked Zanthar in order to save his beloved. He took out a sword (he'd brought it in case Buffy had needed some help) and raised it to a fighting position, he ran out and was about to use it on the demon, when Zanthar suddenly dropped Buffy and turned his demonic attention to Angel. Zanthar grabbed Angel by the throat, causing Angel to drop his weapon and he slashed Angel across the chest, when he was done he threw Angel's body to the floor and turned back to the slayer.

Zanthar received a surprise... not only was Buffy back on her feet, but she was holding Angel's sword. "How many times do I have to say this" Buffy said as she judo kicked Zanthar in the head, "No-one messes with my boyfriend."

As she finished her sentence she wielded the sword high into the air and cleanly cut off Zanthar's head. Buffy took a moment to capture her breath again and then looked up to check on Angel.

What she saw threw her into a total panic, Angel was still lying there where he'd landed... but he wasn't moving.

Buffy rushed over to Angel's side and knelt down beside him. She reached out to touch him, but some sort of bright light enveloped his body and made him shudder with some sort of pain. When the light dissipated, Buffy realised that something was different; she reached out and laid her hand next to his wound. Buffy could hardly believe it, he felt warm and his chest began to heave as he gasped for his first breath in over 200 years.

"Buffy..." he wheezed, "I think I'm alive."

Buffy was in shock, she couldn't seem to form an answer... to express her opinion over the event. Eventually she was able to utter one word... "Wow."

Angel was breathing easier, "Is that all you have to say?"

Buffy found her voice, "Well I'm in shock, a good kinda shock, but still shock."

"You think you're in shock. Imagine not breathing for a couple of centuries and then suddenly..."

Buffy kissed him and asked, "Can you get up? We need to get away from here."

"I think so" Angel replied.

Buffy helped him up and practically carried him to the car, once she put him safely inside she drove him home. Buffy was so busy with Angel that she never noticed the black stretch limo parked across the street... watching.

"Damn it" Holland screamed. He couldn't believe that Zanthar an all-powerful demon had failed, that they'd been beaten once again by that annoying little girl.

"Maybe she didn't kill him," Lindsey suggested.

"Oh sure and maybe Santa really does exist" Holland replied sarcastically.

"What are we going to tell the senior partners?" Lindsey asked slightly panicked.

Holland then saw an out for himself... all he had to do was blame it on Lindsey. "Don't worry; I'll take care of it." Lindsey nodded and Holland signalled for the driver to take them back to the office.

Buffy helped Angel into their apartment and into the bedroom, where she laid him down. Angel was so exhausted from his transformation that he fell instantly asleep, not sure about what else to do she headed upstairs in search of Cordy and Doyle. She found them both sitting on the couch, holding each other and looking as if they'd both just lost their best friends.

"So... who died?" Buffy said stepping into view.

"Buffy" Cordy yelled jumping up and rushing over to hug her.

"Where's Angel?" Doyle asked in concern.

Buffy didn't know how to say it, so she decided to show them. "Come downstairs... there's something I need to show you."

They both followed Buffy down to the apartment, wondering what in the hell was going on. She led them to the bedroom and when she opened the door they heard the most horrendous noise.

"Wait... the great big mystery was a snoring Angel?" Cordy asked wondering how many blows to the head Buffy had received during her fight.

"Princess, since Angel can't breathe he can't snore. So what's goin' on?" Doyle said.

"When I killed the green, horny-guy... Angel kinda started to breathe and have a pulse..." Buffy explained.

"You mean he's alive?" Doyle asked in amazement.

"What? No grrr" Cordy added, confused by the situation. She thought she'd sent two friends off to die (in one case for the second time) and instead they both came back alive.

"Yeah."

"What does it mean?" Doyle demanded.

"I don't know and I can't think of anyone to ask" Buffy replied.

"I can" Doyle told her, "But we'll need a gift."

Half an hour later, Buffy was with Doyle underneath the post office and she was confused as to why she was there. Buffy noticed that Doyle was doing some sort of chant-ceremony thing and before she could ask him what he was up too, she found herself in a room standing before two gold people.

"What did you bring us warrior?" the female asked.

"This crystal vase" Buffy replied nervously.

They examined it and then the male stated, "You wish to know the fate of the souled vampire."

"Yeah."

"He is mortal, yet not mortal" the female told her.

"What exactly does that mean?" Buffy asked.

The female took pity on her, "For all intents and purposes he is a human now... but he is also charged with your protection and the powers have allowed him to keep his strength and healing abilities. Think of him as the male version of you."

"Why do I need protection?" Buffy asked confused.

"You will see soon enough" the male replied, "Be gone."

Buffy suddenly found herself back under the post office with Doyle. "Did they give your answers?" he asked.

"Sort of" Buffy replied smiling.

"Good" Doyle replied, as they headed back to the apartment.

Buffy, Cordy and Doyle were all sitting in the living room when Angel finally emerged from the bedroom. "How are you feeling?" Buffy asked.

"Great, no aches or pains" Angel told her. He turned to Doyle and said, "We need to see the Oracles."

"Been there, done that" Doyle replied not moving from his spot on the couch.

Angel looked confused, "What?"

"Doyle took me to see them earlier" Buffy explained.

"What did they tell you?" Angel asked praying that it was good news.

"I believe that the exact words were... male slayer... It just means that you're totally human, but have kept your vamp strength and healing abilities," Buffy answered.

Angel sighed in relief and plonked himself down next to Buffy, who immediately snuggled into his arms.

"So what now?" Cordy asked wondering if the group was going to split up, she actually kinda liked her job.

"I don't see that anything has to change... except maybe getting a few more human clients" Angel replied.

They celebrated for a while and then Cordy and Doyle left. Buffy glad that they were finally alone, led Angel off towards the bedroom and the private celebration she'd planned for them.

A few days later:

Angel stood there in front of the celebrant and was nervously awaiting Buffy's walk down the isle. He couldn't believe that Buffy was about to become his wife... to take his mind off things he surveyed the guests. He spotted Jenny minus Giles who was to give Buffy away (her real dad couldn't be bothered and her stepfather was missing). Xander and Anya who had apparently declared their love, Willow and Oz who had brought with them some girl named Tara. Faith and Spike were sitting together and seeming to be disgusted with this marriage (but for totally different reasons) and finally Joyce sitting all by herself. Doyle took his place as best man beside him and whispered, "It's time."

Angel turned his head and saw Cordy coming down the isle (Buffy's maid of honour - self appointed). A second later he finally caught a glimpse of his beloved, she wasn't wearing some frothy, long concoction that would be worn once then thrown away... Buffy had gone for a white, knee-length dress, with a slit that ran up one thigh. When Angel saw this he almost swallowed his tongue. She finally arrived next to him and Giles let go of the girl he loved like a daughter, Angel took her hand and they turned towards the celebrant.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Elizabeth Anne Summers and Liam Angelus McKee. Before we begin, is there anyone here who wishes to make their objection known or forever hold their peace."

All eyes in the room turned and looked at Joyce, who for once was quiet. The celebrant was about to begin, when two voices said, "I object."

Buffy and Angel turned around and saw Pike and Wesley enter the small chapel. "Oh joy" Buffy said sarcastically.

"What is your objection?"

"That is not a man she's marrying... but an abomination," Wesley proclaimed.

"Yeah, he's also a vampire" Pike added.

The celebrant looked at Buffy and Angel; "Do you both still wish to proceed?"

"Yes" Buffy and Angel chorused.

Pike and Wesley sat down discouraged that their attempt to stop the marriage had been unsuccessful.

The celebrant continued with the ceremony and before anyone realised it, he said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife."

With that announcement Buffy and Angel left the chapel and headed off into the sunset.

The End.