Title: How It All Comes Together Series
Disclaimer: I DON'T own ANY of the characters from Buffy The Vampire Slayer or Angel. They belong to Mutant Enemy and Fox Productions. But the chants and incantations involving the restoration of Angel's soul are taken from Buffy the Vampire Slayer The Watchers Guide on pages 159-161. That I do NOT own. But the plot I do. So please no one sue me!
Timeline: The Beginning of Season 6 of Buffy
Spoilers: Pretty much whatever is circulating around the net right now (which could be rumours) And the finale of Buffy Season 5.
Synopsis of Series: After Buffy has been resurrected, life on the Hellmouth has gone back to normal. Except for Buffy who feels unusually weak. She goes off to L.A. to seek solace in Angel, only to find something evil instead. Dun Dun dun.......
Synopsis of Part Eight: I don't really know what to put here so...
Author's Notes: I have problems.
Pairing: A/X, W/T, C/G B/A/us
Feedback: This is indeed my first fan-fic so I would appreciate it VERY VERY much if I got some feed back! (Criticism helps get the gears turning!) Whatever you would like to tell me just tell me!
Rating: PG-13 Some sexual references

"You haven't eaten any of your food yet."Angel said quietly trying to break the silence.

"If you knew what this stuff tasted like you wouldn't be saying that."Buffy replied sticking her fork into her mashed potatoes. Angel slowly took the fork from her and dug it into the food. He quickly put it in his mouth.

No sooner had he pulled the fork out of his mouth, then a disgusted look was over his face."I see your point." He said through a mouthful of food he was attempting to swallow. She looked up and smiled at this. "When was the last time you actually ate food that didn't taste like cardboard?"

"About three days ago." She was now smiling broadly at Angel.

Angel stood and pushed his chair in. "C'mon." He said as he took Buffy's coat off the back of her chair and helped her get into it.

"Where are we going?" She asked as she put her arms into her coat.

"To get you some actual food."

*^*^*^*^*

"Ok, I think I speak for everyone here when I say HUH?" Xander said looking at Wesley incredulously.

"I can't be any more simpler then that." Wesley replied not bothering to keep the agitation out of his voice.

"I agree with Xander. There were some big ass English words in there." Gunn replied as he arched an eyebrow.

"You have to break it down for us. We're all a tad slow today from the sleep deprivation." Cordelia said with a yawn.

"Ok. Let me get this straight. You and Giles were looking up a restoration spell that would be permanent. And you found it?"Willow questioned as she looked at Wesley.

"Precisely."

"Then how come I couldn't find it before?" Willow whined. Tara came up and hugged her from behind.

"That's because you were only one person." Tara smiled at her.

"Well, no actually. It was in one of the books we just obtained from a prior case. Supposedly it's the only book that holds spells like that." Wesley said as he lay down on the couch."It's very easy to find when you have the correct materials."

"Someone slap the cockyness out of English over here." Gunn muttered.

"Ohhhh let me!" Spike offered a little too quickly. He got death stares for throwing in his two cents there. "What?"

"You're too tactless. Even more than me."Anya said looking at Spike distrustfully, yet saying it in an upbeat tone.

"So are we going to use the spell?" Asked Dawn from her spot next to Spike. She rarely left his side these days.

"I believe we should. It would be a wonderful surprise for both Buffy and Angel." Wesley replied from his now half sleep

Cordelia reached over from where she sat and swatted Wesley. "How can you sleep at a time like this?"

*^*^*^*

"Now this is edible food." Angel said as the waitress put a plate of food in front of Buffy. He never looked up at Buffy. He was avoiding her gaze deliberately. Buffy just stuck a fork into her food and played with it.

"Are you sure you don't want anything sir?" Asked a brunette waitress with her tight ringlets pulled back at the top of her head.

"Yes thank you." Angel said without pulling his gaze from the table. Angel watched as Buffy pushed her food all over her plate. He sighed. "Buffy, I know you're not hungry but you have to eat. You're going to get sick."

"What do you care?" She snapped at him.

Angel finally looked up at Buffy. His eyes were rimmed with tears that were threatening to spill out. "That was cold. That was cold and you know it. Do you actually think that I don't care?" He didn't dare keep the pain out of his voice.

A wave of silence washed over them. After a few beats Buffy decided to ask."Angel?"

"Hmmmm..." He mumbled without looking up.

When I... when The Powers That Be brought me back," But Angel had looked up as soon as she said the words The Powers That Be. He could have sworn his unbeating heart skipped a beat. "they said to bring my inquiries to Los Angeles. Angel... they obviously meant you. Do you know what they were talking about?" She looked up from her cloth napkin she was picking at and gazed into his hypnotic eyes. They were filled with tears.

"I was hoping I would never have to tell you this."

"Tell me what?" There was a note of shrillness in her voice.

"Remember about two years ago, around Thanksgiving, you came to LA to tell me you didn't want me sneaking around?" He waited for Buffy to repy. But all she seemed to be able to do was nod.

"You know how a demon attacked us and I knew how to kill it? You know how I told you I had past experience with that particular demon?" He took an unneccessary deep breath. "Well... I really have no idea how to tell you this without sounding crazy. So I'm just going to say it. I became human that day."

Buffy's mouth dropped open. "No you were never human... well at least not when I've known you. Nothing happened that day it-" Buffy started in protest before Angel cut her off.

"... It never happened. You don't remember that happening, because that day never happened. The Powers That Be erased that day."

"What the hell are you talking about? You aren't making any sense." She said puzzled.

"That day you came up, we were in my office when the Morah demon attacked. We fought it but we didn't kill it. It ended up getting away. Later that day I tracked it down and killed it. But not before I got cut. It's blood got into my cut. It's blood made my heart beat again Buffy. It made me breathe. It made me of the living again. It opened up doors for me. For us."

"Then what happened to that day?" Her voice was barely above a whisper and it contained so much pain and longing for more answers. Her eyes were beginning to well up with tears as she looked at him with an unspoken yearning.

"We ended up cornering the demon. Actually it ended up cornering us." He laughed wryly at this. "I was pretty much helpless. I could have gotten you killed. But I didn't. So I went to The Powers That Be. They told me that if I stayed human you would die soon. So I made a deal with them. They turned me back into the demon I am today. They also turned back time and allowed me to alter that day. But in return I was promised you would live longer. I am the only one that knows about this day. It was my job and only my job to make sure that day didn't repeat. I killed the demon in my office so quickly becasue I knew how to from experience.

"Oh my God, Angel." Was all Buffy could manage to get out. Angel gathered her hands up in his from across the table. "I am so sorry. I never intended to tell you."

"You gave up everything for nothing. The Powers That Be didn't even keep their promise!"

"You're here now aren't you? That's all that matters. I don't think I could live without you." He looked up into the pools of hazel that were now tearing. "C'mon. You're done eating, and you need sleep." He said as he stood. He walked over to her and pulled out her chair for her. He reached into his pocket, brought out a twenty dollar bill and placed it on the table, then he helped her put on her coat draped his arm protectively around her shoulders as they began to walk. >

"I don't want to sleep. I want to go check on Giles." There was a long silence between them after Buffy uttered Giles' name. "Part of me won't forgive you for killing Riley or hurting Giles. But you know that no matter what, no matter the terms I'll always love you right?" Buffy said keeping her eyes directly on the ground in front of her.

Angel pulled her closer to his side. "Buffy, you don't know how unbelievably sorry I am. I wish I could redo it all. But I can't." He paused for a minute, then continued. "I wasn't sure you'd still go on loving me before. But now I know." He slowly guided her out the door and into the cool night air.

*^*^*^*

The Scoobies and the LA gang had finally gotten bored waiting for Buffy and Angel. In order to keep their sanity they decided to take a trip down to Sunnydale General Hospital to check up on Giles. They had found him in the same state as they'd left him in. Eventually they'd scattered.

Wesley, Spike and Dawn had gone back to the Summers' house for much needed sleep. Gunn and Cordelia were in the waiting room flipping through the strewn magazines. Xander and Anya were in the gift shop hastily searching for the perfect gift for Giles to brighten up his dreary room. Willow and Tara were now the only ones waiting outside the hospital room. They were waiting for any sign of life anywhere else in the hospital. But since it was so late, there was barely any.

"What do you think?" Tara asked as she entwined her fingers with Willow's.

"About what?" She squeezed Tara's hand.

"About Angel getting his soul permanently?"

Willow sighed. "We haven't performed the spell yet. I don't even know if Angel would like it."

"You don't even know if I would like what?" Said a husky voice from behind them. Angel strode towards them holding Buffy's hand. He looked questioningly at Willow. Buffy now sure that her participation in this topic wasn't needed walked past her friends and into the room where Giles lay unconscious.

"Uhhh... nothing." Tara stammered. " We just have a surprise for you and Buffy when we go back to Buffy's." Angels face looked as if it had gone even more pale then it usually was.

Willow noticing this continued where Tara had left off. "But it's not a bad surprise or anything. It's a good one.... Really!"

Just as Willow had finished Buffy walked out with a sullen expression upon her tired face. "He's not doing any better." She looked down at the floor. She had just created a tension between everyone there unintentionally.

"You know what? Tara and me could do a spell." Willow offered. But Buffy just gave them a puzzled look.

"What does a spell have to do with anything?"

"Well... we could do a healing spell. It could help drastically."

"Do you really think we'd be able to get Giles out of here?" Angel pipped in.

"Well it's not that kind of spell. We could just lock the door to his room and perform it in there." Willow said as her mind raced with ideas.

"But first we would have to go back and get some materials for the spell." Tara reasoned.

"Can we go now?" Buffy asked, hope lighting up her eyes.

"Yeah let's just round up everyone first."

*^*^*^*

"Wesley? Wesley? Wake up!" Dawn yelled into the watcher's ear as she shook him from his sleep. Wesley just mumbled some incoherent thing. Dawn sighed and continued with the shaking. "C'mon! The spell is supposed to be a surprise! If you don't get up right now it won't be a surprise any more. With this Wesley reluctantly rolled off the couch and proceeded towards the dining room to set up. Just as he reached the dining room there was the sound of the door openning and shutting.

"Buffy, Angel will you come here?" Wesley called from the dining room.

"It's of dire importance. Without a single word or glance, Buffy and Angel headed towards the diningroom.

"What's English doing now?" Gunn asked. But as far as Buffy and Angel were concerned, it was just in the background.

"What's wrong Wes?" Buffy sighed in an exasperated tone. The circles under her eyes seemed to intensify under the lighting. Angel placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm just going to come out with it. Earlier this week Giles and I found a spell that would help us all out a great deal-" Wesley started before Angel cut him off.

"Not to be rude or anything Wes, but what does this have to do with us? Cuz we have something else we should be attending to."

"I was just about to get to that. Angel, it's a spell that would keep your soul permanently intact." Welsey looked at Angel then to Buffy. Both of them were speechless and near tears.

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked in desperation for an answer.

"Yes. And not to push but if we do this we need to do it tonight. Unless you want to wait another month for the next full moon." Wesley replied in a barely audible whisper. "I should leave you two alone." He finished as he got up and walked out of the room leaving them to talk.

For a while neither Buffy or Angel spoke a word. Then Buffy finally decided to ask. "Are you going to do it?"

For a while Angel didn't reply and Buffy thought that he hadn't heard her question. "It's up to you." Was all he said.

"What do you mean it's up to me?" She asked in a meek voice avoiding his glances.

"Buffy. You're the reason I want to have a soul. I want to love you with all my heart, body, and soul; but I can't. This is a chance for me to be able to love you with all my might. You're the reason this unbeating heart beats. But I don't think I deserve to have a permanent soul. After what I've put you through, I don't think I deserve the privilege to love you. And if I can't love you then I don't want a permanent soul." He cupped her chin with his hand as he finished. Her eyes were swimming with tears.

"Angel, I love you. No matter what you do, I'll always love you. Why can't you see that? Why can't you see that I love both you and the monster?" She was now sobbing. "If you get your soul back permanently then we have a chance. A chance you know you want to take with me. Please! We have to try this! You can't just throw this chance away because you think I'll stop loving you!" Her pleading eyes bore into his.

*^*^*^

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Gunn asked.

"I"ve never been so sure of anything else in my life." Angel replied. Then with one glance at Buffy he decided to edit his last sentence. "Almost anything." He smiled as did Buffy.

"Alright. We're ready to begin. Willow do you have the incantation?" Wesley was yelling from the kitchen as he brought in a handful of holywater for precautions. They weren't sure if this spell would bring out Angel or Angelus at first.

"Yep. Tara are you ready?"

"I was born ready." Replied the dirty blonde cooly. "Let's start."

Willow and Tara joined hands as they began their whispering mantra. "Not of the dead, nor of the living, instead a demon of the night. A creature of darkness touched by light, goddess of light and god of darkness restore indefinitely the soul of this renounced vampire. Not of the dead nor of the living, instead a demon of the night. A creature of the darkness touched by light, goddess of light and god of darkness restore indefinitely the soul of this renounced vampire."

As they did this the orb that had again been placed in the centre of their meagre circle began to rattle. It flew up five feet into the air and levitated there. It was glowing a deep midnight blue and a rich blood red. This time instead of imploding, it exploded, shattered in mid-air in a brilliance of white light. The shards of the glass stayed floating in the air as if they were incased in some sort of bubbles. Then there was a low rumbling sound and all at once the shards fell to the ground. As the shards of glass hit the floor Angel screamed in pain and fell to the floor next to Buffy.

"Oh God! Is he ok?" Buffy shouted in a panic to Wesley who was standing there in awe himself.

"I don't know." He replied simply. Angel was doubled over in pain on the floor. He was holding his head. Buffy sank to the floor next to him and took him up in her arms to cradle him. As she cradled him he moaned so only Buffy could hear, "It hurts so much. But I deserve this pain. Especially after what I've put you through." His whole body was trembling.

"Wesley, you can put the holywater away. It's fine." Buffy instructed as she finally noticed the bottle in his hands. She looked down at Angel who now had his head in her lap. Tears of pain were streaming down his pallor cheeks. "Shhhhhhhhhhh...." she said soothingly. But as soon as the pain had come, it had gone. He had stopped trembling and moaning. But he continued to cry. These tears were of sorrow for what he had put Buffy through, as much as they were for happyness. Buffy just sat there and cradled him as one by one every one of the Scooby Gang and LA Gang filed out of the room to give them privacy.

*^*^*^

"Do you think it worked?" Spike asked speaking in Willow's direction.

Willow shrugged. "I have no idea."

"The only way to be one hundred percent sure is if.. well if Buffy and Angel.." Wesley couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

But Spike finished the sentence for them both. "Do the horizontal momba."

"Well, yes."

"C'mon Tara, we should go get the other supplies for the healing spell."

Willow gently grabbed Tara's arm and pulled her out of the room. This left Spike, Wesley, Xander, Anya, Cordelia, Gunn and Dawn in the room.

"Ya know, Dead Boy deserved all that pain." Xander said through clenched teeth. "I felt different about it earlier but when I saw those questioning eyes filled with pain, I don't know. It's just you could see in his eyes that he didn't understand why he was being put through all that pain. And that just annoyed the hell out of me."

"Xander, I know he killed Riley and hurt Giles really badly, but that wasn't him. You can't forget that. We're all mad that he did that, but at the same time we all know that sitting here and bitching about it isn't gonna change anything. We've just got to forgive and forget. No matter how hard it is." Dawn replied coldly.

"Yeah. And it's not like he can control his alter ego." Cordelia piped up.

"Xander, even I have some compassion for that guy." Spike replied matter of factly. "And that says something."

*^*^*^*

A little while later after eveyone had gotten some rest and everything had calmed down, both the Gangs headed towards the hospital. Willow and Tara had quickly locked themselves in Giles' room so they could perform the spell undisturbed. That had left everyone else outside to ponder all the possible outcomes.

"What do you think is taking so long?" Buffy asked impatiently.

"Buff, breathe, spells take a long time to complete." Spike sighed

"I know, I know, it's just really nerve-racking." But as Buffy was in the midst of finishing her sentence, the door to Giles' room swung open and Willow appeared in the doorway with Tara behind her.

"Giles is asking to see you Buffy." She beamed as she said the precious words. Buffy walked into the room but before she made it the whole way Willow grabbed her arm. "He's going to be fine. And so will you and Angel." All Buffy could do to respond to this was smile. And she entered Giles' room.

What do u guyz think? Is this sequel material or no. Be honest. So how'd ya like it?

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