Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy herself, and any other related characters or places are the sole property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and the WB. The character Erik and this story are my own ideas and I would like to keep it that way... unless of course the people at BtVS would like to buy them.
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Part Three
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The next night at the Bronze Buffy and Erik hash out their plan, "So, we just sit here hoping that Angel will come in and see us? That's your 'big' plan?", Buffy says with a sarcastic smile. "That's the gist of it, but to get Angel to really notice us we're not just gonna sit here.", Erik replies with a grin as he moves in and kisses Buffy. 'I like this plan.', Buffy thinks as she notices Xander and Cordelia come in out of the corner of her eye, 'What are they doin' here?'. Likewise, Xander notices Buffy and Erik having a make-out session and says to Cordelia, "There's Buffy, lets go say hi.". 'Do we have to?', Cordelia thinks to herself as Xander drags her by the arm. Buffy pulls away from Erik as Xander and Cordelia walk up to the table, "Hi, Xander.", Buffy remarks in an irritated manner, "Aren't you supposed to be helping the others?". "Everything's all set up, we're just waiting for you to arrive with the guest of honor.", Xander replies.
"We were just working on that.", Erik adds.
"Yeah, I could see that.", Xander remarks sarcastically.
At that moment, to everyone's surprise, in walks Angelus with Drusilla hanging on his arm. Xander is the first one to say anything, "Well look who's here.". 'Why did he have to bring her?', Buffy thinks to herself. "Look at all of the beautiful people, Angel, it's just like a party.", Drusilla says in a 'lively' tone. "Yeah, and someone invited the Slayer.", Angelus replies. "Are we going to have fun with her Angel?", Dru asks Angelus with a enthusiastic smile. "Sorry Dru, but you're gonna have to go home and sit this one out.", Angelus answers. "I never get to have any fun.", Dru whines. "Go on now.", Angelus remarks as he gives Drusilla a playful slap on her butt as she turns to leave. Buffy watches Drusilla leave as Angelus turns his attention towards her. Without hesitation Angelus strolls over to their table with a very nonchalant look on his face. As he reaches the table, Angelus says with a devilish grin, "Funny meeting you guys here. I must admit, Buffy, I didn't think I'd see you around for awhile after the other night.". "Well think again.", Buffy replies trying to contain herself. The band starts a song, "Hey, Buff, they're playing our song. Come on, for old times sake.", Angelus sarcastically remarks as he holds out his hand. "I always thought our song ended with the line, 'Ashes to ashes we all fall down'.", Buffy replies with a hard stare. "Ouch, that hurt.", Angelus says as he pretends to wince in pain. 'Why do we have to go through this?', Buffy thinks to herself while managing to hide her emotions. "The air's growing thick in here, why don't we step outside for a breath of fresh air?", Angelus asks. "Lets.", Buffy replies as she stands up to leave. Xander stands up to prevent Buffy from leaving. Erik grabs Xander by the shoulder and forces him to sit back down. Buffy and Angelus leave the Bronze and an irritated Xander says, "What do you think you're doing? We shouldn't of let her go out there with him.". "It's all part of our plan.", Erik replies as he stands up.
Outside the Bronze a battle is about to take place between good and evil. On the side of good is the beautiful yet strong Slayer who never wanted this moment to come, but it has. Fighting for the side of evil is the monster known as Angelus who, since his return, has dreamed of this moment every night. So the stage is set and it begins, "We don't have to do this, I can help you.", Buffy pleas with Angelus. "Trying to appeal to my better half won't get you anywhere, Buffy. The one you knew as Angel is no more and there is nothing you or any of your friends can do about it.", Angelus replies. "Then you leave me no choice...", Buffy says as she delivers a roundhouse kick to Angelus' head with such force that it causes him to turn until his back faces her. The pain in his jaw brings Angelus to his knees, as he raises his head he notices a twinkle of light in the distance. In the instant that it took Angelus to get to his feet, a shot was fired and before he could react, he had taken a tranquilizer dart to the heart. He turned to face Buffy who had a single tear streaming down her cheek, 'I hope this works.', she thinks as Angelus' knees buckle and he falls to the ground. Xander and Cordelia come running of the Bronze and Xander says, "Willow and Oz will be here any minute,", he hesitates when he sees Angelus laying on the ground, "Whoa, what happened here?". "A little 'sleeping potion' Erik put together.", Buffy answers as she kneels down beside Angelus. Erik walks up holding a rifle and Xander asks him, "What was in that stuff?". "Just a mixture of some tranquilizer and some holy water… for those restless nights.", Erik jokes as he conceals the rifle in his trench coat. "Holy water? Won't that kill him?", Cordelia asks. "I only used enough to weaken him so that the tranquilizer could take affect.", Erik answers.
A van pulls up, its headlights filling the area with an eerie light, and Oz and Willow jump out. "Giles and Ms. Calendar are all set up at the church. Are you guys ready?", Willow asks. Buffy turns to Erik and says, "Give me a hand with Angel.", gesturing to the slumbering vampire. Erik walks over to Angelus grabbing him by the feet while Buffy grabs him by the shoulders and they haul him over to the van. Oz slides the side door open and they load Angelus into the van. Everyone else gets in and the van takes off headed for the church on the other side of town. In the back of the van Buffy sits with Angelus' head in her lap, "How long 'til he wakes up?", she asks Erik. "He'll be out for awhile. No need in worrying about him waking up anytime soon.", Erik answers. "We'll be there in a few.", Oz says without taking his eyes off the road. "You guys get ready to haul Angel into the church.", Willow adds while looking at Buffy, 'I hope this works, for her sake.', she thinks. Erik turns his attention to Angelus, 'If this works, I don't have a chance with her anymore.', he thinks to himself and returns his attention to Buffy thinking, 'But maybe it won't work... No. I have to think positive, for Buffy's sake.'.
At the church Giles and Jenny Calendar make the final preparations for the ritual. They go about their individual tasks without saying a word to each other, but then Jenny speaks, "How long do you plan to ignore me, Rupert? I'm doing my best here and it doesn't even seem to matter to you.". Giles thinks, 'Oh, it does matter to me.', and hesitates before saying, "You betrayed our trust. It'll take time before we can trust you again.". "How many times do I have to apologize?", Jenny asks with a sullen expression. "Sometimes being sorry just isn't enough.", Giles replies turning his attention back to the task at hand. "What else do I have to do? Here I am helping to return the soul to the man who slaughtered my people and no one seems to appreciate it.", Jenny says. 'We... I appreciate you.', Giles thinks to himself and says, "Maybe things will change if the ritual is successful. Now lets finish what needs to be done.". The two return to their work without saying another word when the church doors open and Buffy and Erik walk in carrying Angelus. Giles finishes up what he is doing and goes over to assist the others, "All right, bring him over here.", he says gesturing over to a table rigged with leather straps and iron chains. "What all this for?", Buffy asks with a disapproving look on her face. "If he should wake up before the close of the ritual he needs to be restrained.", Giles replies. "Don't worry Buffy, everything's going to be fine. Now lets get him secured to the table.", Erik adds as they situate Angelus on the table. Giles circles the table fastening the leather straps and locking the chains with padlocks and then says, "Whenever your ready, Ms. Calendar.". "For starters we will need a possession of his that links his soul to this plane, a token of affection perhaps.", Jenny says. Buffy looks at her hand and eyes the ring that Angel gave her that night, a night that seems so long ago. She removes the ring from her finger and hands it to Ms. Calendar as a tear begins to form in the corner of her eyes. "I'll make sure to return this when where done.", Jenny says in a sympathetic manner. Ms. Calendar takes the ring and a crucifix and places it on a pedestal near Angelus' head, then she opens a tattered leather bound book. As she begins to chant in an ancient tongue, she raises the crucifix in one hand and Buffy's ring in the other. She continues to chant as the area around Angelus and herself fills with a blinding white light. Gusts of wind from an unknown source stir up dirt and leaves into the air as small beams of energy enter Angelus' body from the sky. Angelus' body begins to convulse violently as an unknown force attacks him. "What's going on!? What are you doing to him!?", Buffy yells at Ms. Calendar with tears running down her cheeks. Jenny does not here her question and continues to chant as Giles says to Buffy, "It would appear that the demon inside of Angelus and Angel's soul are fighting for control of the body.".
The blinding white light fills the entire church and in the next moment when the light dissipates, Angel finds himself in a dark corridor with a bright light at the end of it. He starts walking towards the light as a cold feeling passes over him, 'What am I doing? I have to turn back.', he thinks to himself. Then he hears a noise behind him and as he turns around to face what ever is there he finds himself in a room filled with mirrors, 'I shouldn't have a reflection. What's going on here?', he thinks. As he looks closer he notices that one of the reflections is not of him but of Angelus, 'What in the world?', he thinks to himself. Without warning his alter persona, Angelus, crashes through the mirror and tackles him, 'Can this be possible?', he thinks.
"Yes it can.", Angelus replies.
"You can read my thoughts?", Angel asks his alter ego.
"Fool, we share each others thoughts.", Angelus replies. Angel concentrates and sure enough, he can sense Angelus' thoughts and feelings, 'He wants to destroy me!', he thinks to himself. "You can say that again.", Angelus replies as he lunges at Angel again.
At the church Buffy and the others watch as Angelus' body continues to convulse violently. Buffy fearlessly walks over to his body and grabs his hand, "Come on, Angel, you can beat this. I know you can.", she whispers to Angelus.
In a flash of white light Angel is again disoriented, as he looks around he begins to realize where he's at... the Bronze. On the dance floor he makes out a single figure, and as he looks closer he sees that the figure is Buffy, "Buffy,...", Angel says as he moves to the dance floor. All of a sudden Angel's legs stop responding and he cannot move any further. On the dance floor he sees that Buffy is no longer alone as another shadowy figure walks towards her. As the figure steps into the light Angel sees his alter ego, Angelus, "Buffy!", he yells trying his hardest to move his legs. "Buffy!", Angel screams again, but his efforts to move his legs are useless as he watches Angelus take Buffy and sink his teeth into the soft flesh of her neck. "Nooo!!!", Angel yells as he finally manages to move his legs, "No more games, demon.", he says as he charges at Angelus tackling him to the ground. The two get to their feet and take defensive stances, "Is that the best you got?", Angelus laughs, "Once more with feeling". Angel's head starts to hurt him as he sinks to his knees and then a voice comes out of the emptiness that surrounds him and his alter ego, "Angel! Don't give up, you're so close!".
Back inside the church Buffy kneels at Angelus' side holding his hand while Erik watches these events take place from a dark corner. "Angel.", Buffy yells as runs her fingers through Angelus' hair. 'If this works I don't know what I'll do or were I'll go... she obviously loves him more than she could ever love me... and I HATE him for that.', Erik thinks to himself.
'Buffy?', Angel thinks to himself as he stands up again, "She can't help you. And when I'm done with you I think I'll kill her... just for the fun of it.", Angelus laughs. "I don't think so.", Angel replies as he attacks Angelus with all of the rage and guilt that has built up inside of him since his soul was separated from his body. His ferocious attacks catch Angelus off guard and he falls to the ground unable to defend himself. "Oh no you don't", Angel barks out as he lifts Angelus off of the ground, "This ends, here and now.". Angel raises Angelus above his head and in one quick motion flips a table over with his leg and drops Angelus down, impaling his heart with a table leg. Angelus screams a deafening wail as he realizes that his death is inevitable. Angel watches as his alter ego dies, expecting to see him explode into a cloud of dust, it is a surprise to him when Angelus implodes filling the room with light. The light disorients Angel and he finds himself back in the tunnel that he started in, 'What now?', he thinks. Again he starts to walk towards the light but this time a warm feeling overcomes him as images of Buffy, Ms. Calendar, Giles, and the others flash through his mind. Unexpectedly he is engulfed by darkness, he feels himself slipping into unconsciousness as an image of an unknown man flashes through his mind.
Back at the church Angel's body stops convulsing, "Is it over? Did it work?", Buffy asks.
"I don't know.", Giles answers.
"Buffy?...", Angel says as he regains consciousness. He winces in pain as he tries to raise his head, the side affects of the tranquilizer. "Angel, is that you?", Buffy asks as a gleam of hope shone in her eyes. "Of course its me,", Angel replies as he looks down to see that he is in restraints, "could you get me out of this?".
"Oh, sure.", Buffy says as she circles the table and unfastens the leather straps and breaks the padlock securing the chains. Angel painfully sits up and Buffy embraces him for the first time in a long while. Without hestitation Angel returns the embrace and says, "I'm sorry.". "For what?", Buffy asks as they let go of each other. "For what Angelus put you through.", Angel replies. "Don't be, there was nothing that you could've done.", Buffy reassures him. Ms. Calendar walks up to the reunited couple, "I believe this belongs to you.", Jenny says as she hands Buffy her ring. "Thank you, for everything.", Buffy says as she hugs Ms. Calendar. Angel stands up and says, "I'd like to thank you too. Who knows what would've happened.". "Think nothing of it. I was just setting things right again.", Jenny says as she walks away. Then Angel turns to Buffy and takes the ring from her hand and slides onto her finger. Without saying a word they gaze into each others eyes reminiscing about good times and imagining there future together. 'Where did Erik go?', Buffy thinks to herself looking around the room.
"What's wrong, Buffy?", Angel asks with a worried look.
"Erik, where is he? I wanted him to meet you, the real you.", Buffy replies.
"It's probably for the best that he not be here.", Angel remarks jealously.
"What's that supposed to mean?", Buffy asks angrily.
Across the church everyone else has left except for Willow and Xander, the latter of the two has been paying very close attention to Buffy and Angel's conversation, 'Let him have it Buff.', he thinks. "Erik helped me through a rough period, and he helped to bring you back.", Buffy continues. Then Angel starts to say, "I don't mean to sound ungrateful...", and Buffy turns to leave. "Where are you going?", Angel asks as he starts to go after her. "I'm going to go find Erik.", Buffy replies as she storms off. "What did I say?", Angel says as Xander walks over to him and replies, "All the wrong stuff.". "I've been around for over two hundred years and I still don't get woman.", Angel remarks baffled. "Women are the eight wonder of the world, my friend. Many a man has died trying to uncover the mystery called woman, but the mystery remains buried", Xander says. "What do you think I should do?", Angel asks. "Give her space, she's been through a lot lately.", Xander answers.
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