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Soul Searching (Part 2)
By Eliz
ealutz(at)hotmail.com

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, or even the idea for the plot they find themselves in. They belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc.

. . .

Giles, actively panicking, watched Xander and Oz rush out of his apartment, while simultaneously lighting the candles for the ritual. He tried to clear his mind, knowing that the spell required full concentration. He couldn't stop thinking about Buffy, though. What if her soul had been taken completely? Were she and Angel fighting the demon even now?

Willow held the spellbook for him with steady hands, her eyes meeting his with what she apparently thought was a reassuring smile, but looked rather shaky. "It'll be okay, Giles. Let's get this done," she said, her voice squeaking.

Drawing a deep breath, Giles performed the ritual.

. . .

Mid-leap across the room, Angel felt a rush of warmth that he'd felt only twice before, and the distraction caused him to miscalculate his lunge and hit his head on the desk. He fell down practically at Kathy's feet, but rolled quickly this time and escaped her attempt to pin him by the throat again. The door slammed open, almost off its hinges, and both Angel and Kathy glanced over, seeing a very pissed off Slayer standing at the threshold.

Buffy leapt into the fray, leaving Angel to scramble backwards, out of range. All three combatants froze again a moment later as a swirling, black portal opened near the door.

Kathy fell back in horror, while Buffy and Angel simply stared. A much more wrinkly, hooded demon emerged from the vortex, exchanged a few guttural words with the suddenly whiny Kathy, then opened a similar vortex on the floor of the room, frighteningly near Angel. Kathy tumbled into the hole as Buffy reached frantically across the suddenly infinite floor space towards her love... all the while a similar vortex replaying its fate in her mind's eye. She caught his hand and together they scrambled across the floor, away from the pit, just as the other demon disappeared within it... and it folded into itself.

"That was... not usual," Xander said from just outside the broken door.

Angel agreed fervently, picking himself up from the floor and helping Buffy up as well. She had some leaves and small twigs stuck in her hair, and he started to smooth them out as she hugged his waist wordlessly.

"What happened to the window?" Oz asked, headed for the phone to call Giles' place. The spell had obviously worked, from the pleasant - if still unsettled - expression on Buffy's face.

"She threw me out," Buffy mumbled into Angel's shoulder.

"Bet you wish you lived on the first floor, huh?" Xander asked rhetorically.

"I definitely wish I didn't live on the third," she conceded. "I wonder what all that," she gestured to the space where the two demons had conferred before disappearing, "was about."

"She said something about leaving her dimension to come here for college," Angel said. "Maybe her parents didn't want to pay out-of-state tuition." There was a profound silence while everybody just looked at him. "What, I can't joke?"

"I wasn't sure you knew you had," Xander quipped.

. . .

"Is everything attached? Everything in place?" Buffy asked anxiously, pacing around Willow and Angel the next evening. They were in the mansion, Willow having arrived after her classes to do a little soul-searching.

Willow struck a match to light the candle in the midst of a heap of smelly herbs. "If you'd just settle down somewhere, Buffy, the candle might light and I could actually check," the wicca said in a long-suffering tone. Buffy, unabashed, stopped moving, and instead looked over Willow's shoulder at the spellbook.

"Buffy! Quit hovering and go sit on the couch!" Willow finally snapped, her concentration wavering.

"Geez, Will," Buffy muttered as she retreated, sulking, to the sofa. "Maybe we ought to check YOUR soul."

Willow rubbed her eyes. "Sorry, Buffy, but this is hard enough to do without you reading over my shoulder. Just… be quiet for a few minutes, and it shouldn't be any problem for me to check."

Angel closed his eyes as Willow instructed, trying to focus his entire being on the aroma of the herbs, and the warmth of the candle. He heard Willow chanting, but didn't open his eyes, trusting her implicitly. He felt a non-physical pressure for a moment, somehow, almost squeezing his chest… then it was released. He heard Willow blow out the candle and sigh. Opening his eyes, he saw Buffy crouched once more on the floor next to them. "Well? " the Slayer was demanding.

Willow grinned. "Still attached. It seems like Kathy was able to whittle away at the edges some, and that's what she absorbed. But she couldn't get any more than that, and what was taken is now firmly back in place. Not to worry."

Buffy smiled hugely in relief, hugging her friend before launching herself at her boyfriend, almost bowling him backwards into the coffee table with her enthusiasm. He held her tightly, just as relieved. "God – I'm just so glad it's all over," Buffy gushed, clenching her arms around his torso, her head on his chest. "It was all just so creepy… I wonder if we'll ever find out what really happened?"

"I don't know… I can't remember more than a few of the sounds the other demon made, and Giles can't find a trace of their language to begin with," Angel replied, kissing her forehead.

"Still…" Buffy leaned back from him, eyeing him for a moment. "I was right about her, wasn't I? Say it."

Angel groaned. "Not this again, Buffy."

"Say it," she insisted. "Say it."

"See?" he said to a giggling Willow. "She's been like this since yesterday. Can you check her, too?" he asked plaintively. Buffy smacked him on the arm. "Ow. She's dangerous, I tell you."

"Sorry, Angel. I would, but I'd hate to get on her bad side."

"So would I," he agreed, then winced at Buffy's pointed look.

"You tied me up!" she reminded him indignantly.

He grinned at her... a grin with a definite edge. "And I can do it again, baby. And this time I think you'll appreciate it." She flushed becomingly.

"Guys? Leaving now!" Willow called, already more than halfway to the front door, visibly blushing.

"Thanks Will! For everything. You're the best!" Buffy called at her retreating friend's back. The front door slammed heavily, and Buffy looked up at Angel slyly. "Think we scared her away?"

"Maybe." His smirk was dangerously seductive. "But I have other more... pressing concerns right now."

Buffy arched an eyebrow at him, her arms around his neck, eyes limpid. She kissed him slowly, knowing that only her Angel could make her feel this safe... this loved. "Just tell me one thing," she whispered.

"Anything," he murmured, his eyes deep and loving.

She tucked her head against his throat, caressing the nape of his neck with her fingertips. "I was right about Kathy, wasn't I?"

. . .

Page 2 of 2
The End.

Feedback is received with hoots and hollers at ealutz(at)hotmail.com.

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