After Buffy fell asleep, Angel gently left the bed and walked out the room to call Giles.
“Ah, hello?” sounded the groggy voice on the other end.
“Giles, its Angel.”
“Oh. What do you want?”
“Giles, I think Buffy is in really big trouble.” Ignoring Giles’ comment.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Buffy has been chosen to become the bride of Mozenrath.”
“Mozen- who?”
“Mozenrath. He has chosen Buffy to rule by his side. And when this happens, there will be no hope left for Buffy or anyone for that matter.”
“Oh dear. Where is she now? When is all this going to ta…”
“I don’t know! All I know is that we have to get Buffy out of that hospital without her knowing what’s really going on. I also know this. Mozenrath is not a guy you want to mess around with.” With that, Angel hung up the telephone, leaving a very confused and worried Giles.
“Angel? Angel, no. Please!” Cried Buffy from the bed as Montrovont walked in and looked at Buffy.
“Poor child. You cannot out run what fate has in store for you. Say farewell to your beloved Angel. For you will never see him again. The time has come for you to start a new life at Mozenrath’s side.” Spoke Montrovont as he leaned down and kissed Buffy on the forehead, sealing her fate with the devil himself. Before he walked out, he left a black rose on the bed, next to Buffy’s head. The rose was a symbol to Angel that Mozenrath was back in town and was going to collect what was owed to him.
Just as Montrovont rounded the corner, Angel smashed right into him.
“Oof.”
“Sorry.” Mumbled Angel as he walked away. His mind was swirling with ideas that he didn’t realize it was Montrovont that he had smashed into before it was too late. With a panic, Angel took off towards Buffy’s room, hoping that he was wrong in his assumption.
As he entered the room, he could smell his scent. He looked towards Buffy and noticed that she had paled considerable and was whimpering in her nightmare filled sleep. That was when Angel noticed the rose, and remembered Mozenrath’s long forgotten words, “When the moon is full, I shall have my revenge. You have taken what should have been mine. Now, I will take what is yours. You have done me wrong for the last time Angelus. The one whom you love more than life itself, shall become mine.”
Cried Angel’s heart. How could he have forgotten Mozenrath’s words?
“No, stay…stay away from me.” Buffy cried in her sleep, as she wrested in her bed, fighting off some unknown demon.
“Shhh, calm down Buffy. It’s going to be alright.” he said, stroking Buffy’s hair as she woke up.
“Angel, who was just in here? I know it wasn’t you.” Buffy asked, looking straight in to Angel’s eyes.
“What…do you mean?” he asked worriedly.
“Listen, Angel. Don’t get all Cryptic Man on me, okay? I know you left. Nevertheless, you also came back. That is what matters.” she said smiling. “Now really, who was he? He didn’t feel right.”
“His name is Montrovont. He is another vampire. I asked him to watch you while I went to call Giles.” He lied, and hoped she bought it.
“Well, you have some strange friends. Just the way he talked sent shivers up my spine. His voice echoed through my sleep.”
“I’ll be back in a second. I’m just going to call Willow and tell her you are awake.” He stood up and walked out the door.
She thought ruefully.
“Whoa! Where did that thought come from?” she asked aloud. “Sleep. Buffy, you just need to sleep.”
Meanwhile, Angel was pacing when Xandar walked up.
“Angel, what’s the matter? What’s wrong?” But Angel didn’t hear him. He just kept on pacing.
“Hey, Dead Boy! What’s wrong?”
“He has asked you not to call him that, Xandar.”
“Giles, its about time! Where have you been?”
“Why, what happened?”
“Montrovont was here. He left this,” as he held out the rose, “ as a symbol to me.”
“Oh dear. Xandar, run and get Willow here, now!” Xandar just stood there, dumbfounded, but jumped at the tone of Giles’ voice. “Damn it Xandar, for once, do what I say!” Xandar didn’t need to be told again, and was off in a heartbeat.
“Okay, did he leave anything else?” Giles asked when Xandar was gone
“Yeah, his scent.” He replied coldly.
“What do you know about Mozenrath, Angel? And of what is this symbol he left?”
“Well, Mozenrath was my mentor of sorts. He trained me after my sire was staked. We never got along, though. He claimed that I took something that was rightfully his.” Stated Angel as he looked off in the distance. Giles could tell how much Angel disliked talking about the subject, but he needed to know everything.
“Angel, what does this have to do with Buffy?” he asked gently.
“Everything! Mozenrath stated that he would collect was owed to him. Since I took the one he so called loved, he swore that he would have revenge. He would take the one whom I would give my life for. And that person is Buffy! He has come to collect his dues.”
“Whoa! Be kind, rewind! I’m some prize?” she shrieked
“Buffy!” both men said startled.
“Last time I checked! Now what’s going on?” she demanded, flabbergasted.
“Buffy, you shouldn’t be out of bed. Get –“
“Oh nock it off Giles! Tell me what’s…what’s going..” However, Buffy couldn’t finish. She began to sway on her feet as her world started to tilt and spin. Angel was right beside her, ready for anything. “Oh God.” cried Buffy as she lost all her strength and collapsed into Angel’s waiting arms. Angel cradled her as he rushed off back into the room.
“Buffy? Oh God!” cried Joyce as she walked up. “Is she…she’
“Joyce! Thank God that you are here. Please sit down and-“
“Sit down? Are you mad? What happened to my baby?” asked a weeping Joyce as Giles guided her to see Buffy.
What met Joyce’s eyes made her gasp in horror. Her baby girl was lying there, motionless. Her skin a deathly shade of white. As she looked at the other side of the bed, she saw a shadow move from the darkness and come face to face with her. Joyce realized that she was facing the man who she wanted to kill.
“You! What are you doing here? Why did you leave her? WHY DID YOU LET THIS HAPPEN TO MY BABY?!” yelled Joyce as she started to hit Angel with all her might, letting out all the emotions that were running wild inside. “Why did you let this happen?” she asked again as she looked into Angel’s pain-filled teary eyes.
Angel had a hard time finding his voice. “Joyce, I never meant to…to hurt Buffy.”
“You may not have meant it, but you did. You weren’t the one to her hold when she cried herself to sleep at night. You weren’t the one to tell her everything would be all right when she woke up screaming from a nightmare. You weren’t there! Get out of my sight, you bastard.” Hell fires raged in Joyce’s eyes as her voice held the lace of ice and venom. Angel knew he shouldn’t have left Buffy the way he did. So admitting defeat, Angel slowly turned away from the heated glare of Buffy’s mother and knelt down at Buffy’s side. He took one of her hands in his.
“My angel. You are the stars that light up my darkened world. You, my love, are the sun and the moon that will shine endlessly, like time itself. I am sorry for leaving you and putting you through all the pain. I’m so sorry.” Angel said, as a bloodstained tear rolled down hid face. “Please forgive me for what I have done. Know this, I will always love you. I will never leave you. You may not see me, but I will be there. Good bye, my beloved Buffy.” With that, he stood up and gave Buffy one, soft, final kiss on her lips and then on the forehead as he tried to hold back the tears.
When he turned around, he could see Joyce, who just glared at him with eyes of fire and ice. Giles looked shocked and pain. Willow was trying not to cry, but failing miserably, as Xandar just held her, shocked as well. As he walked past Willow, Giles, and Xandar, Angel whispered, “Take care of her for me. Be there when the pieces of her life start to shatter and fall.” Angel just headed for the door, and did not look back. He felt a pain, unimaginable where his heart had been. Angel stopped feeling the moment he stepped out of the room. His soul was broken, shattered into a million pieces.
He started walking, but where, he didn’t know, nor did he care. He could hear thunder rumbling off in the distance as rain started to fall from the heavens above. It was as if they were mocking him for dreaming.
“Isn’t it enough that I have to live a life of a demon? Now, to have my one true love taken from me from my worst enemy? I don’t care what is done to me, just leave her out of this!” he cried into the dead of night.
“A-Angel?” He turned around at the sound of his name.
“Willow? What are you doing here?” he looked so defeated to Williow. He stopped being the Angel Buffy feel in love with the moment Mrs. Summers told him that she would never forgive him. He was a being with a soul, yet no will left to fight.
“Angel. Please don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t your fault. No one is to bla-“
“No, you’re wrong!” said Angel as he turned away so she would not see him cry. “Joyce was right. If only I hadn’t left. Buffy wouldn’t have experienced any of the pain and suffering that I caused. Damn it! She wouldn’t be lying there right now, hanging to life by a thread if it wasn’t for me. I am the cause of Buffy’s suffering. It would have been better if we never would have met!”
“Don’t you dare say that, Angel! Don’t you dare!” Williow yelled as lightning split the sky and thunder rumbled it’s mighty roar.
“Why not? You have no clue how it feels here!” he said as he thumped his hand over his heart. “The pain that I feel is so great. Yet, I know Buffy is hurting far more than I am. And that hurts most of all. If Buffy doesn’t make it, I will finally see another sunrise.” He whispered his voice hoarse. Angel suddenly collapsed t his knees and yelled out at the top of his lungs, “BUFFY!” and broke down sobbing. His blood-tinged tears were being washed away be the rain that continued to pour from the sky above, as if to mock Angel. All Willow could do was stand and stare, silently crying with Angel. She knew his words were true. If Buffy wouldn’t make it, neither would Angel.
