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Part 9
There's something about the look in your eyes
Something I noticed when the light was just right
It reminded me twice that I was alive
And it reminded me that you're so worth the fightThere's something about the way you move
I see your mouth in slow motion when we love
More subtle than something someone contrives
Your movements echo...the love of my life
"Here ya go, Angel." Xander returned upstairs from the mansion's kitchen, a book in one hand, a glass in the other.
"Orange juice? You brought him orange juice, sweetie??" Anya was admitedly not the most saavy when it came to "human ways", but she was fairly positive that orange juice was not going to help in Angel's current condition.
"Hey- it always helped me when I was sick. Oooo.that and these little taffys that tasted like cherries. My mom used to give me those all the time-"
"Wonderful..." Angel grumbled from under the covers. "At least...when I die I can- I can say my last...meal was fruit...and sugar..."
"You're not going to die, Angel," Dawn reassured him from her seat on the bed. "Everybody's busy figuring this out and you're going to be fine. Besides...I don't think you've yelled at me more than two times and you want to catch up to Buffy's record, right?" she tried joking with him, trying to bring back some semblance of the healthy big brother who just over a week ago was dancing with her at his wedding. While his condition hadn't worsened any since his and Buffy's return from Hawaii, it hadn't gotten any better. Now lying in bed, his only comfort came from the knowledge that Buffy was beside him, and everyone was busy trying to sort things out- almost everyone...
"Fred..." he looked over to the young girl as she adjusted her glasses, intently reading through some papers, "have...Gunn and Wes found...have they found Ash yet?"
"No...but even if they haven't, they promised to be here later tonight." She stood up from her seat, clutching her papers and folder to her chest as she neared him- her boss, her savior. "Get some sleep, Angel," she gently placed a kiss on his forehead as she and Dawn followed Xander and Anya out of the bedroom, leaving the couple to try and relax. Watching their door slowly shut, Buffy lifted her head from Angel's chest long enough to see him wince in pain once more, his sharp intake of breath making her wince as well. "I should let you sleep..." Buffy had barely begun to softly slip out of his arms when his weak grasp took hold around her waist.
"No...just...just stay...here," his eyes pleaded with her with a fear she had never seen in him before. "Please..."
"You're in pain," her voice nearly broke as she whispered to him. "You need to rest..."
"I need you..." Angel meekly opened his arms for her, urging her to stay with him. Tenderly, Buffy laid back down beside him, gently running her fingers through his mussed hair trying to soothe him back to sleep as the others continuously worked downstairs, eagerly awaiting news from Wes and Gunn.
Part 10
Caught up in the middle
Had no choice, had no choice
Birthright forgotten, so silent
No voice
I see you
You know who
Little girl, little girl
It wasn't The Bronze's busiest night, but the young girl still found the hot spot to be more enjoyable and pleasant than her current home in LA. ‘I'm thinking I should pick up a change of address form on the way back to get my things- there's no way in hell I'm going to reside anywhere within ten feet of this sideshow now...no reason for me to stay- thank god!’
Now realize little girl
Overlooked little girl
Bottled up and empty holding back
At loss you're forgotten
Getting back, get back
‘None of them care about me anyway. Wesley's overbearing, Gunn thinks he's some sort of war general- they're both probably still out on the streets looking for me. Fred's too prim and proper, and Spike...I'll never understand why Angel never staked him. As for Angel...’
Expectations of another
Love given to the younger
Broken family, broken brother
Emptiness feeds the hungerNow realize little sister
Overlooked little girl
Change, change, change
"Damn right," Ash voiced her agreement to the band's words as they finished up on stage. Downing the rest of her drink in a single gulp, she stood, headed out the club's side door. ‘As for Angel...the hell with him- and Buffy.’ Her wonderful mood and ever-increasing happiness still intact, she never noticed the two shadows emerging from behind her as she walked the quiet streets of Sunnydale.
"Well if it isn't the slayer's sister," the taller of the two vamps spoke first.
"Out for a night on the town by yourself?" the second added with a wicked smile. Stopping in her tracks, not even bothering to turn around, Ash couldn't help but laugh to herself.
"Look you two- it's late, I'm tired, and I'm hungry-"
"So are we," the vamps inched closer towards her turned back.
"Well there you go- I'll be heading down to Fontana's for a sandwich and you two can go beg for blood from the butcher. Problem...solved." Ash's face began to show signs of worry as they grabbed her from behind. She quickly became aware of one of the downsides to now being human- try as she might, her normal strength was not enough to break free of their hold. As one yanked her head to the side, preparing to drink, Ash's eyes tightened in fear...
"You two don't want that one-" the taller vamp's head met the wall with a sudden loud smash as Spike pryed him off of Ashlan, "-you don't know where she's been."
Part 11
Buffy glares over to the clock on their nightstand- only 9pm. Finally hearing Angel's breathing become steadier and more peaceful, she's hesitant to leave his side, but decides to get up anyway. Trying not to wake him, Buffy slowly lifts her head from his chest and tries to disentangle herself from his arms, when she feels him stir underneath her.
"Buffy?" he whispers.
"Shhh...it's okay. I'm right here," she lovingly traces the back of her hand across his cheek. "I tried not to wake you."
"You didn't...wake me." His eyes focus on his wife, soothingly caressing the side of his feverish face. "Please forgive me," he whispers.
"Forgive you?"
"For putting you through this. This...is really rough-on you- I see it. You shou- you shouldn't have to..."
"Angel-" she stops him in midthought, her welled up tears nearly springing forth at his never ending selflessness.
"Buffy...you...you sacrifice so much-"
"I'd sacrifice everything for you," a single tear flows down her cheek. "You're going to be fine. You will..." she softly eases herself back into his arms. "I love you," she whispers, turning slightly to give him a gentle kiss. Though extremely weakened and tired, Angel draws strength from the kiss, deepening it ever so slowly- the love in his beloved's touch giving him the first small bit of happiness since becoming so dreadfully sick. But Buffy quickly jerks away as she feels him wince back sharply, holding a hand to his chest as his pain drastically escalated. "Aaagghh..." Angel himself is almost on the brink of tears from the radiating pain surging through his body.
"Angel?! Oh god- Guys! Guys!!" She continues calling out for her friends as she tries to calm her stricken husband. After a few moments, the pain begins to subside and Buffy notices the tears streaming down Angel's face. "Are you alright? Angel? Oh Angel- please," she sobs as she helps him settle back down.
"I'm fine. I'm fine now. It just...it- it hurts," his voice breaks with the pain he just endured as Buffy sinks down, gathering him into her arms as they tearfully drift off to sleep together.
"Buffy...? Buffy...?" Tara gently shook her sleeping friend's shoulder as the slayer peacefully slept alongside her husband. Slowly, she began to rouse at the sudden shaking from the wiccan.
"Tara? What's going on?"
"It's okay. I came up about an hour ago when we heard you shouting, but you two were already asleep- I didn't want to wake you. Buffy.Wes and Gunn are here- they couldn't find Ash. We've found something though- downstairs. We think we know what's happened." Nodding her head, Buffy softly pulled from Angel's side, trying her best not to wake his finally sleeping, peaceful form. Placing a soft kiss on his forehead, the slayer turned to follow Tara downstairs to the mansion's library, where both gangs were waiting with their discovery.
Part 12
"We've finally found something-" Wes spoke for the group. "It's not much to go on, but it is a start at explaining things." He sat up from his chair, carrying the book he had finally found their much needed information in. He opened to the page as he placed it ontop of the larger of the three tables for Buffy to see.
"There's really not much information in regards to any of the specific spells and magics of the Oracles, or for that matter, the Powers either, but- there is mention of the bonds that are established by the Powers which they deem fitting for certain individuals. You and Angel for example seem to.you two *have*-" Wes corrected himself, knowing full well the very special connection the two shared without question, "what's called a Semper bond- an eternal bond of the souls."
Buffy smiled unconsciously at the truth of Wesley's discovery. ‘Like he really needed to look that up in one of his books...’
"From what I can gather," Wes continued, adjusting his glasses a bit, "Ashlan and Angel are connected by a Salvatel bond, a..." Wes let his hand linger in the air for a moment, trying to explain the relationship between the brother and sister. "...a sort of salvation bond.a source of redemption. From what Whistler told us when Angel was granted his humanity, Angel found his own redemption through you first, then Ashlan."
"And now Ashlan has been granted her own humanity..." Dawn surmised.
"Yes- but not naturally. Angel helped earn his through his work for the Powers, but Ash..."
"She's only been back for a few months," Cordy picked up on where her friend's observations where leading.
"And from what you guys said," Buffy began pacing along the table, "she hasn't exactly been in the most cheery and helpful mood." Stopping in front of Cordy, she turned to her friend with pleading eyes. "Do you know what had her so upset? Why she was acting the way she was?"
"It bothered me too, Buffy." All the friends had quickly taken notice of the seeming "relationship" that Cordy was slowly building with Ash. With help from mostly her, Ashlan quickly caught up to speed with the ways of her new existance...but the more she learned...the more she began to reject it- without ever letting on to the Scoobies that she no longer wanted to do it- to go on with life anymore if she had to exist like she was- snatched back and stuck.
"All she would talk to me about," Cordy sighed, rubbing her forehead, "was how to contact the Oracles. Then one night, right after I got off the phone with you, I got a vision and then...then she was gone. The next morning she was returned, but she was human."
"And the morning after I talk to you was when Angel started getting sick. That's when he collapsed the first time."
"So the Oracles must've granted her humanity..." Tara formulated her own theory, surprised by what she was just about to say, "...at the cost of Angel's. They're slowly taking his life away to completely give Ashlan hers."
"It seems to be happening sporadically," Giles adds. "Something must trigger it when Angel is being...drained. If we could only figure out what does it before it's too late."
"We also need to find a way of reaching the Oracles. They had the power to do this- they have the power to change it back," Buffy bluntly decides. "Wes? Giles?" she turns to them, searching their faces for any means of contacting the Powers to fix things.
"We're already searching," Giles answers. "We'll find something, Buffy. I swear to you- we will."
******
"Let me go- what the hell are you doing here, Spike?"
"Now that's funny, love- I was going to ask you the exact same thing." Finally unclenching his hands from her shoulders, Spike took a step back, allowing Ashlan to turn around and face him. "Where have you been? Everyone's been lookin' around for you- Wesley and Gunn are probably still running rampant through LA just trying to find you."
"What does it matter to you?"
"Because I'm really finding it hard to believe that you just went out for a stroll and ended up here. What gives?"
"I wanted to get out- get away for the night..."
"I see..." he nodded with a disbelieving smile across his lips. "A sort of...celebration...is that it?"
"Well I'm glad you can see the great significance in me wanting to get as far away from all of you for once. So...as you can see, I'm fine. Thanks for the- ugggh...help," she clutched her side in pain as more blood gushed over her hands.
"The celebration may be ending soon, girlie," Spike told her, slinging an arm around her back to help support her.
"Oh this-" she motions to her bleeding side, "this is *good*. This is proof. It's proof that I'm really human now. Never seen anything more reassuring in my-"
"I'm not talking about your lil' scrape-up. I'm talking about Angel." He helped her balance herself as they headed down the street.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm talking about your lil' magic act. Whatever those bloody Oracles did to you...we think it did something to Angel. While they were making with all their mushy crap in Hawaii, Angel got sick. Passed out a few times-"
"So? Maybe he ate some bad fish or something."
"Well it seems he started getting sick the morning the Oracles returned you. That's just too convenient, wouldn't you agree?"
"Mmm.she half-agreed. "And, uh- the point of this is what exactly?" Spike stopped in his tracks, pulling her to a halt as well as they were just a block away from the mansion.
"How bout a lil' less with the attitude, luv? Buffy decided to bring Angel home. Once you get all patched up, the lot of us are going to try and straighten this out. Figure out just what those gloworms did to the two of you and see if we can't switch things back to normal-"
"And just how do you plan on doing that?"
"You managed to get yourself recruited by your golden buddies...you can do it again- and take Angel with you to change things back to the way they were." As they neared the mansion, the deafening silence that fell over them was soon broken.
"And what if I don't want things to go back to the way they were?"
"I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice here, Ash. This is serious. Angel is *sick*. Your brother is..." he hesitated with his choice of words, not wanting to speak the thoughts that were running rampant through all their minds. "...we think he's dying."
"Brother..." she whispered with a small laugh. "What brother?"
"What the hell are you sniveling about now?" Spike's frustrations with her were nearing the breaking point.
"Angel...all of you...are of no concern to me. I'm human- *normal* and finally able to be rid of all of you. Have a life of my own- life I was never given the chance to have. Something real."
"Listen and listen good you whining lil' bitch- you wouldn't even be standing here right now if it wasn't for him, so-"
"That's right, *William*...I wouldn't! If it wasn't for Angel draining our mother- feeding from her like the monster he is- I would have never gotten the chance to endure all of this pain and torture! I would've never been killed- finally knowing peace for 104 years, and then yanked back like nothing had happened! So you know what? I'm so glad you brought me here to see him before he dies, because I really must thank him for all he's done for me!"
"It.it wasn't Angel who did any of it...it was Angelus. Nothing was Angel's fault and you know that for a fact. He never asked to be made a vampire any more than you did."
"We are who we are- people don't change. All of you idiots think that just because he's human now, that means he's lost all his evil?"
"Angel was never evil," Spike bluntly defended his sire before picking Ashlan up, slinging her wounded frame over his shoulder as he walked towards the mansion's front door.
"What the hell are you doing?! Put me down- now!!"
"I've heard all I'm going to hear from you. I'll let the others have a crack at you first before I beat you any more senseless than you already are!"
Part 13
Opening the front door, Spike is surprised to find no one to greet him. "Where is everyone?" With Ashlan still hoisted on his shoulder, Spike begins walking through the hall, still searching for the others.
"Spike-" Cordelia is the first to spot him as she walks out of the library. "Ash!! You found her- thank god! Where have you been?! Do you have any idea what's going on?! What you've done?! I could-"
"Before you go getting all homicidal, princess" Spike finally released the struggling Ash, simply dropping her wounded body to the cold floor, "she's been hurt."
"What happened?" Cordy sighed before heading to one of the hall closets to retrieve the first aid kit.
"Funboy here deciding that kidnapping is no longer a criminal offense," Ash muttered as she pulled herself to her feet.
"And what's the worst punishment I would be sentenced to in court- death? Lil' late for that one. So forgive me- the next time I see you getting pummeled by a bunch of vampires, I'll just stand by and sell tickets to everyone who's going to want to see you dead after what you-"
"Stop- the both of you!" Cordy walked over to Ashlan, wrapping a piece of gauze over her cleansed wound. "Buffy and the others are right in there," she craned her head back towards the library. "We've figured out what happened."
"How wonderful for all of you," Ashlan smirks.
"Ohhh...you are so lucky I do not want to get any blood on this skirt because that's the only thing that's keeping me from slamming your now-vulnerable body through that wall," Cordy places the final piece of tape over the bandage, securing it in place. "How could you have done this, Ash?"
"Hey- how the hell was I supposed to know what would happen?! But now that it has..." Ash folds her shirt back down into place and slips on her leather duster, "...it's a real eye opener isn't it? Poor Angel...just turned human...and married too. I'm guessing kids are gonna be out of the pictu-" *whack*!! Cordy's fist makes direct contact with her left eye, knocking Ashlan off of her feet, staggering backwards over the couch.
"Ooops- I'm guessing that hurts now that you've gotten your precious humanity, huh?? Welcome to the land of the living!"
"Nice right cross, love" Spike congratulates her. "But next time, reach a lil' farther back- you'll increase the swelling size by a whole lot." Spike leaves them, chuckling to himself as he enters the library. "I found her." Without a word, the friends follow him out to the hall where Ash was holding her soon-to-be swelled and bruised eye.
"You've got a lot of explaining to do," Fred is the first to speak.
"You're right...I do," Ash begins her pace towards the group. "For starters, I might try explaining to myself just why I would bother with any of you freaks!"
"You really want me to hit you again, don't you?" Cordy is held back by Spike before she can inflict any more damage to the young girl.
"How is he Buffy?" Ash smiles as she moves face to face with the slayer. "Sorry to ruin your vacation plans. You know, you should've just kept him in Hawaii..." inching closer to whisper in her ear, a small, wicked laugh escapes her lips. "...when he dies, you would've been able to just toss him in one of those volcanos- I believe the expression is 'No fuss, no muss?' "
Staring her coldly in the eyes, unwilling to let her see her emotions, Buffy responds. "I want you to see something." Willow, Tara, Cordy, Wes, and Giles lead the way up the stairs as Buffy grabs hold of Ashlan's wrist, tempted to break it in two, but instead pulls her up the huge staircase to the master bedroom.
"Hold her here," Buffy releases Ash into Wesley and Giles hands before she and the other girls enter the bedroom. "Angel...Angel," Buffy gently runs her hand through his hair as he finally awakens. "It's okay- we've got Ash-"
"Ash? You...you found Ash?" Angel attempts to sit up in bed, the happiness of hearing that his sister was alright giving him a slight burst of strength. But it's shortly lived as another shot of pain ran through his body. Buffy and Cordelia clung to his frame as he clutched his chest once again, Angel's sudden attack more excruciating than the last. Dragging Ash in with them, Wes and Giles finally enter once Angel's pain begins to subside.
"Angel, are you alright? What happened?" Giles asks.
"I don't...I don't know," he whimpers, still breathing heavy as Buffy wraps herself around him as best she could without inflicting any more pain. "When I saw that- that you had Ash...I was...just happy- she was.okay, and..." as Angel trails off, pulling his wife closer, Giles' mind begins replaying every detail Buffy had given to him when explaining when Angel's sudden pains began flaring up. Suddenly, everything fell into place and his keen mind discovered the connection they had all overseen. "Happiness..." he whispers.
"Excuse me?" Cordy asks.
"That's what's causing these sudden attacks- happiness. Buffy- when Angel first collapsed on the beach, when you asked him what happened-"
"He said he was happy to see me and then, wham," Buffy finishes for him, finally picking up on his trail of thought. "And when we were swimming the next day, and then just a little while ago, we kissed and it happened again."
"So with every random moment of happiness," Wes speaks up, "Angel's life is being drained more and more. Almost like the clause in his curse- instead of paying for it with his soul-"
"He's paying for it with his life," says Willow. "The everyday happiness that Angel has from finally being human and with Buffy is being taken, along with his humanity, and given to Ashlan." The room turned, all eyes on the still held Ashlan who was smirking as her gaze fell upon her sick brother. "I guess if you all want him alive so bad, it's back to brooding and misery for poor Angel, isn't it?"
Part 14
"How can you be like this?" Tara pleaded with her. "What's happened to you? You were given a second chance...you had so many powers...all wasted. You had everything"
"I had everything *taken* from me," Ash defended.
"Still...wasted. Now all you want to do is destroy...something...anything."
"Oh no...no, you've got it all wrong. All I want to do..." her eyes turned once again to focus on her brother, "is watch him die...slowly...and painfully. I'm sick of all this! All the fighting...all the pain and struggles. I've finally cut myself loose...from Angel, from Buffy, from all of this-"
"Because you're human?" Buffy sarcastically asked, unable to supress the laugh that followed. "You'll never be human. Being human isn't about not having to fight or being able to die. It's not about being able to shed blood. It's about being able to bleed on the inside- to have a soul. That's something you'll never have." Sitting up from the bed, she approached her, the slayer's eyes wary, almost confused by what she now knew Ashlan was truly about and capable of. "It's hard to believe that you're even related to Angel..." the slayer says, an almost apologetic tone overcasting her words.
"You think I really care?? My advice to you- to all of you," she yelled as she finally pulled away from the two stunned watchers, "is to enjoy the time you have with him, because he looks like death warmed over..." she laughs, attempting to make an exit through the door but finds Cordelia blocking her path.
"And my advice to you is to start talking pretty damn fast," the brunette warns her, the slight ache in her fist going unnoticed as she envisioned having to hit the young girl again. "What exactly did the Oracles tell you and how do we fix it?"
"You're the one they use as a messenger girl. Why don't you tell me?"
"Okay- that's it!" Buffy's arms made a motion in the air, the blonde fed up of Ashlan's games. "Either you help us or I'll personally see to it that you spend the rest of your existance at the bottom of that bay again!"
"Oooo...is that a threat?"
"No...a promise, you little-" Buffy reaches back, balling up her fist, but is suddenly blinded by the energy-surged white light that began to surround Cordelia. "Cordy!" the slayer shouts, squinting her eyes, barely able to make out her friend's silhouette before the light is gone, along with Cordelia.
Part 15
"It is her, brother."
"What have you brought us?"
"Brought you? First you decide to use me as your own personal intercom to deliver your mission assignments to Angel, then you just beam me here without any warning, and you want to know what I've brought you?" Cordelia, still dazed by what had just happened, stood with her hands on her hips, sternly eyeing the golden brother and sister before her.
"You must forgive my brother," the female Oracle spoke. "He often fails to remember that mortals need only bring us offerings when they seek us out. You needn't have brought anything since we have summoned you."
"Just like you summoned Ashlan?" Cordy asked, a certain harshness in her voice at what the Oracles had really done in granting Ash her undeserved humanity. "What did you do to her?"
"The young fighter requested to be granted humanity," the brother answered. "We merely provided her with her wish."
"At the cost of Angel's life?! Angel is the Powers chosen warrior- why would you do such a thing to him?"
"To show Ashlan the value of a life. She is still not yet worthy of being granted redemption-" the female began.
"Oh, big surprise there!" Cordy made no attempt to hide her displeasure at the Oracles methods. "Angel is dying. How long do you two plan on continuing this 'lesson'?"
"The girl needed to be shown just what bond exists between her and her brother," the brother spoke, ignoring her question. "Before she can fully work towards redeeming herself, she needs to understand just how important and powerful her connection with Angel truly is. He is the source upon which she will finally gain redemption."
"How do you expect her to do this if Angel is dying and she could care less?! Have you two even been paying attention?!"
"Do not raise your voice at us," the brother warns.
"Brother, please..." the female sighs, turning to face her cynical brother. "She is our chosen messenger. She and our warrior have developed their own bond. She has a right to be upset." She turned back to face Cordelia, approaching her slowly as she takes notice of the brunette's angry glare. "Until Ashlan requests that her own humanity be sacrificed to save her brother's, the Power's ritual will not be reversed."
"What??!! You're telling me that..." Cordy's mind swirled for a moment as she took in what she had just been told. "No...no, you have the power to fix this. You two...you two are the damn Oracles!" she shouted, no longer able to contain her detestation at their reluctance to interfere.
"It is not our place-"
"The hell it isn't!" she shouted back at the brother. "You two were the ones who did this! You two...you have to. Angel can't die," she almost began sobbing but instead, held back her tears and forced herself to put forth her most determined spirit. "Angel is the best man I know. And he's the Powers chosen warrior," she emphasized. "To sacrifice him, just to teach Ashlan a lesson is ludicrous. She cares nothing for him or the rest of us- she won't request to be changed back. I'm sure of it. Isn't there...any other way?" The sister Oracle, often sentimental to the pleas of mortals, slowly shook her head.
"The powers have set this course forth. Ashlan's soul is what gives her full humanity. As long as Ashlan has her soul, Angel's is at risk of being lost- along with his own humanity."
"But you can't-" Cordy winced back as the sharp light came shooting at her once more and the brother and sister faded into its ominous presence.
Part 16
"Cordy, are you sure? I mean- are you sure that's all they said?" It was approaching morning. Cordy, Buffy, and Dawn had remained sleeping at Angel's bedside while the others were scattered in the mansion's various rooms, trying to get some sleep. In the great hall, Spike was stretched out across the cold floor, leaning back against the wall opposite of the Scoobies latest capture.
All it took was a few quick punches from the slayer- as well as a stinging kick from Cordy for good measure- to knock out Ashlan long enough to be chained up downstairs. As the blonde vamp sat watching her, his eyes pensive with deep thought, Buffy and Cordelia were still trying to sort out the Oracles message.
"That's all they said," Cordy finally breathed out. "There's no way they're going to reverse this...as long as Ashlan has her soul, Angel..." she didn't finish her thought- she couldn't. With the threat of losing Angel turning to a reality before their eyes, they were still nowhere closer to figuring out what could possibly be done to save him.
Buffy leaned her head on one hand, her other softly stroking her sister's hair as Dawn's head lay peacefully across her lap. "Why are they doing this?!" Buffy cried, a single tear trailing down her cheek. "Just for her," she muttered, the mere mention of Ashlan's name sure to send her into a fury. "What is Angel paying for? What does he have to do with this?"
"He's got everything to do with this, dollface " the annoyingly familiar voice came wafting into the room, along with its badly dressed, smart-ass, oddly-grinning owner.
"Whistler," Buffy said in exaggerated disbelief. "What are you doing here? What's going on? And if you give me even the slightest bit of a cryptic riddle..."
"Whoa, whoa- pull back babe." He removed his worn out, tattered fedora, slightly adjusted his leather jacket before approaching them. "Everyone's asleep around here except you two- and Mr. Billy Idol downstairs, but he's got babysitting duty, doesn't he?" Seeing her face turn a resolute serious, he cleared his throat as he eyed Angel's sleeping form. "None of this was ever supposed to happen, you know that don't ya? She was never supposed to be brought back. She was never even supposed to be- we never saw her coming. Edge and Christian...they really pulled out all the stops with that Ritual of Gangrel...we didn't even know it could be done."
"You're really wearing my patience you goon," Cordy speaks up. "We don't care- just tell us how to fix this. How do we save Angel?"
"Is he the only one you want to save?" he asks them in his usual obscure manner.
"Whistler!" Buffy shouts, hearing enough of his games. "How do we save Angel??"
"What are you prepared to give up, slayer? Or should I say, *who* are you prepared to give up- to sacrifice?"
"What are you saying?" Buffy asks, a look of worry and confusion on her face. "Don't give me that line again."
"The two of 'em- him and little sis..they can't exist together. She shouldn't exist, period. But that damn boytoy of yours...he's just so noble...thinking that everyone deserves a second chance...no one's beyond redemption," he smiled in spite of himself. "That's just one of the reasons we took her away a hundred years ago- she can't be allowed to exist as a hybrid." He pulled up a chair alongside them, huddling down to begin explaining things a little clearer.
"We never anticipated having to deal with a hybrid. Too unstable, too...uncontrollable. We didn't see any other way but to- ya know," he made a slicing motion with his finger across his neck as he chuckled to himself. "Then Edge and Christian come along, and everything goes haywire again. This was supposed to be the Powers way of giving her another chance- to see how much she really values the life she says she wants. But since I don't really see her coming 'round anytime soon asking to save her brother's life..." he stands up from his chair, popping his hat back on as he heads for the door.
"Oh no- you are not leaving us like this-" Buffy grabs him by the arm, spinning him around and slamming him against the wall. "How do we fix things?"
"You can't *fix* things, blondie...you can only *take*," he smiled. Slamming his forehead against the wall a second time, Buffy raised her voice. "You've got one more chance-"
"You're gonna have to take one for the other, slayer," he says as Buffy finally releases him. "To give Angel back his soul and humanity...you're gonna have to get rid of hers."
"How do we do that?" Cordy asks from her seat still beside her boss, but Whistler was already gone. Turning to face Cordy, Buffy's eyes finally held the realization of the only way of saving her husband- the only choice to be made. The choice she would have to make for him and only pray for his forgiveness at what she had to do.
"Watch him," Buffy whispers, heading out the bedroom door and downstairs to speak with Giles.
Part 17
I found myself
In another world
I found myself
Alive and well
I am the vapor
I am the gas
You be the angel...
...of everything
"What's the what? What are we doing, kiddies?" Spike strolls into the library, spotting Giles, Wesley, and Buffy sitting around the table with three very dismal faces.
"Where's Ashlan?" Giles asks.
"She's not goin' anywhere. Still chained up, sleeping like the lil' devil she is. What's going on? Everyone else asleep?"
"Whistler was here," Buffy tells him.
"I know- I seen him going upstairs...figured he'd be by. Him and trouble go hand in hand...just like all of us," he laughs, but stops himself when he notices their stares. "Well, what did he have to say?"
"We, uh-" Wes leaned back in his chair, staring aimlessly at the ceiling, "We know how to stop Ashlan."
"And the reason you're all sittin' here instead of fixing things is why, exactly?" Spike stood dumbfounded, searching all of their faces and waiting for one of them to fill him in.
"Whistler said the only way to give Angel back his life was to take hers...to take her soul," Buffy told him.
"Kill her?" Spike took in what he was just told, finally realizing what would need to be done to save his sire. "But wait...killing her won't take her soul. I mean, I may be out of the loop when it comes to living, but I do know that when a person dies, their soul goes with them."
This is the land of the living
This is the land of reprisal
This is the land of the living…
...the living
"We know," Giles says. "That's not what needs to be done, exactly."
"So then, how...? No...no!" Spike takes a step back in disbelief. "Not again...you have to change her back to...to that?! To a hybrid?! Are you all out of your bloody minds?! She'd be indestructible again! We'd have to go through all that again, and-"
"She wouldn't be a hybrid, Spike," Wesley tells him. "It was only as a result of Angelus feeding off of..." he trailed off, not wanting to rehash the entire story of how Ashlan came to be. "She's human now, so if turned, she would just be your run of the mill vampire."
"With a vendetta on all our heads!" he offers, still reluctant to their plan.
"She would never know what hit her," Buffy assures him. "This is the only way we can do this. We have to turn her first, to take her soul before we kill her. As soon as she's turned...she's dust."
"So what do you plan on doing...throw her into a vamp nest as a chew toy and hope they might turn her?"
"No..." Buffy answers him, hoping he would comply with her true intentions.
"Oh no...no, wait a minute love- don't give me that look. I can't do it- you know I can't do it, or have you all forgotten about this stupid chip?!" he yells, accenting his words with a few taps to the side of his head.
"True, your chip will emit a painful shock when you put a human life in danger," Giles explains, "but it doesn't actually prohibit you from going ahead and hurting them. I mean, you've hurt humans with the chip. You punched Tara- you've even punched me a few times."
"Spike," Buffy walks up to him, a resounding plea in her eyes. "I know it will hurt like hell, and I know it's asking a lot, but you *can* change Ashlan, and we *need* you to do this." She looked up into the blue eyes of the man she had more battles with and more contempt for than any other in her life, yet somehow, she knew she had always depended on him. Depended on him to be the smartass bastard that he was, to be a tough fighter, and to be a trusted friend- someone whose hands she was now putting hers and her husband's lives into. "Please..."
I lost myself
To a wider plain
I opened up
I'm not the same
I am electric
Made of wire
I'll be the match...
...you'll be the fire
With a deep sigh, Spike's eyes lowered to the ground. After everything he had faced- the demons, the monsters, the two slayers he single-handidly killed, none could compare to Buffy- or Angel for that matter. Somehow, though he attributed it solely to his implant, Spike had been reunited with his former self's conscience, his soul. "Have you told Angel?"
"No," came her meek response. "He's still sleeping. The last attack really took a drain on him."
"Are you going to?"
"I- I don't know yet...but...I'll be damned if I'm going to lose him."
"Angel's going to be...he may hate you for this..."
"I know..." she whispered, but unwilling to believe it. After all they'd been through, she knew Angel was incapable of ever hating her, of ever having any other feelings towards her except the powerful and overwhelming love the two of them would always share. But still, ‘No...no, it has to be done. They can't exist together...and I can't exist without him.’
This is the land of the living
This is the land of reprisal
This is the land of the living...
...the living
"Alright..." he whispered, clearing his throat as he returned his gaze back up to the others. "I'll do this..." he slid off his leather duster, tossing out onto the nearby table. "After all- I helped kill her once before...I might as well have the pleasure of doing it myself now that I get the chance."
In myself I try for you
Walk a thousand miles to get us through...
This is the land of the living...
...the land of survival
THE END!!!!
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