Angel crept up the stairs noiselessly. He peered around the corner at the top and was greeted by what likely used to be the bathroom door, totally torn apart by…
The vampire heard snarling downstairs, but it was too deep to be a rabid Buffy or Willow. He understood that it was Oz and assumed correctly that the werewolf had deconstructed the door as well. He made sure no one was going to ambush him from behind and went to see what was in the room.
Angel found a very unconscious but still alive Joyce lying in the bathtub, essentially unharmed, aside from being unconscious. The room was a shambles; the window frame was very scratched up with both claw marks and the marks of a simple instrument, probably scissors. Someone was probably trying to open up the window.
From Buffy’s room, there came a yell and a dull thump. Angel hurtled immediately across the hall and opened the door swiftly. In the room was Cordelia, looking very scared, and Willow, looking tired and slightly gray but otherwise normal, except for the bite mark in her side.
Cordelia’s expression looked relieved as the vampire entered the room. “Angel! You’ve come to save me!”
Willow wheeled around and smiled that extremely evil smile again. “Oh, good. A vampire I can give it to. I’ve been trying to pass it on to this one for quite some time now… she just won’t take to it.”
“She’s mortal,” Angel provided. He whirled around and saw Buffy almost float into the room.
“Of course! That makes sense,” the Slayer said. “You’re not, though. I think you want it. To kill again, to taste fresh blood… it’ll be freedom for you.”
And Angel found that he did want to kill. He hadn’t felt the desire for the kill since he’d been evil, but here he was, totally soulful and very rabies-less, wanting – or needing – to feel a life slip away at his hand. He felt his face transform into vampmode.
“There. See? Just being around such power is letting you get a taste of what it used to be like. Let me give freedom to you again, Angel. Let me have a little taste.”
Angel smiled his Angelus smile and pulled Buffy in towards him. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, Buff. I want to be free again. But let me just ask you…” He whirled around and gave her a swift kick in the stomach that sent her flying backwards and onto the bed. “…is that how weak you really think I am?”
Xander, who had been standing out of sight listening to this whole exchange, came into the room with his cross in hand. Angel and Willow, who had been coming right at Xander, both shied away, but Angel took the opportunity to put Willow in a headlock. He strode quickly over to the bed and pinned Buffy down with his other arm. “Do this now,” he told Xander.
“I may burn you.”
“I don’t care.”
Xander held the cross between Willow, still under Angel’s right arm, and Buffy, thrashing on the bed. Angel was just out of reach. Xander said his speech, and a bigger wind just went right out of the room. Angel caught Willow before she hit the floor and laid her beside the bed with Buffy. He demorphed and simply stared at Buffy. “Cordelia, are you alright?” Angel asked.
From the corner of the room, a faint croak was uttered. Cordy cleared her throat and said, “Yes.”
“Good. Go outside and tell Giles to take Joyce out onto the lawn. Watch over Oz; he’s probably not a werewolf anymore. You were the one who put Joyce in the tub?” Cordy nodded. “That’s good work. Go talk to Giles.” Angel turned toward Xander, but was reluctant to take his eyes off Buffy. “Can you carry Willow outside?” Xander nodded and picked up his unconscious best friend.
Angel picked Buffy up and took her downstairs. They passed Giles in the hallway. Outside, Cordelia was looking down at Human Oz, still unconscious, with a kind of sadness. Xander set Willow down, and Angel set Buffy down and then stared at her some more. He opened his mouth to speak a few times, but closed it again. Finally:
“What you saw, Cordelia, and what Xander heard up there was me coming very close to giving in to evil because of the atmosphere. It’s the same reason Oz turned into a werewolf, even though the moon is waxing. I’m standing here in neutral atmosphere now and I feel no desire for the kill. It passed. However,” for the first time Angel took his eyes off Buffy and looked up at Cordelia and Xander, “if the situation ever presents itself where I won’t be able to talk myself out of it, don’t hesitate.” Angel looked back down at Buffy. “She won’t remember anything. None of them will. Please don’t mention this again.” Angel turned and started to walk away. “The source of the curse in the first plane needs to be eliminated. I can’t do this on my own.” Xander nodded. He swept past Angel, who only paused to tell Cordelia they’d meet them back at the library. Then he caught up to Xander.
Giles came down the stairs with Joyce in his arms. She seemed to be coming out of it already; Giles put her down softly next to Buffy. Oz sat up abruptly as soon as Joyce was on the ground and looked around suspiciously. “Huh.” Oz turned and saw Willow lying on the ground next to him. He blinked a few times, stood up, and rubbed the back of his head. Oz turned to Cordelia. “Did I go wolf-like in there?”
“Yep.”
“Did I attack you?”
“You tried.”
“I am very sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Oz expressed his thanks to Giles, and then sat next to Willow and waited for her to wake up.
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