::Buffy Narrating::
I continued to read the book, but it was hard. Some of the chants were transliterated from Urdu or Hindi or whatever language Jen spoke. I was looking at the book at school that morning before class. I realized I should put it away, though, before any one saw it. Just as I was putting in my locker, Willow came up from behind.
"Hey, Buffy!" she said cheerfully. I jumped.
"Nothing ... what ..Oh, Will, you startled me. Hey."
"Wuts up? How are ya feeling?"
"Not much. Better, although I don't think my life will ever get back to the way things were before."
"You mean our version of normal?" said Willow, with a laugh. "It wasn't normal in the first place. Everything is so weird and crazy, and it will always be weird and crazy, ya know."
"I know. Its just that .... Adjusting to NOT having Angel around is harder than adjusting to having him around though."
"I could say I know, but I really wouldn't," said Willow, sympathetically. "But can understand the fact that you have guy-related problems. I do, and so does Cordellia."
"What is up with that? It's like -- you and Cordellia are actually getting along! What an accomplishment!"
"Yeah well ... it's just a thing. She complains to me, I listen. Then its my turn."
"Yeah, well, I guess that since I've been far away, I think Andromeda, lately, you would need someone to talk to."
"No Buffy, its not like that. I mean, its not that you haven't been there for me. I mean, I can see that you are going through a tough time and sometimes, you don't have a choice what planet you visit, whether its Mars of Venus or Andromeda. I've been there before, and were always there for me when I had problems. Now its my turn to be there for YOU, Buffy."
"Thanks, Will. It's great to know I've got friends who will stand behind me no matter what." I said, feeling moved. "So how are things with you & Oz?"
"Great. Better than great actually. We're going out tonight. To the movies."
"That's wonderful. So, the werewolf thing is not getting between you?"
'What -- oh that. Well, it is only three days out of a month. Three day out of a month, I'm not really going to be normal, ya know." said Will, with a laugh.
"I know the feeling." I replied with a laugh.
Then, the bell rang. "I'd better get to class. I'm treading thin ice with ALL of my teachers and I'm sure that every one of them will gladly report to Principal Snider what I did, even if I didn't do it."
"Okay, bye Buffy!"
"Bye, Willow."
* * *
I continued reading the book at home. My mom was thrilled to see me studying. Thank God she didn't know what I was studying.
According to the book, I would need three things -- a bottle of holy water in a pure silver cup, a silver cross, and the remains of one of Angel's victims. Interesting. I knew Jannah had ashes of her sister. I guess that is remains. I snuck into her room, and grabbed them of the dresser.
**********
::Jen narrating::
Angel's fate has been decided. Tomorrow night, he dies. Its Badan, the night when the full mental powers of the Masters of the Three Arts, Mental Arts, Warrior Science, the Naturals ((those who are born with the first two)) and is unleashed. With my mind at its strongest, once I've decided, only the most sincere apology or action can stop me. Or if Buffy shows up.
If only I could have found that book. If only -- but it's to late for if onlies now. Too bad, Angel. And too bad, Buffy, too. I deserve my rest don't I? I mean, eternal life isn't all its cracked up to be. And your life -- it basically becomes one big lie.
Lying -- I was lying to everyone. Buffy, Giles, all of them. They deserved better. the truth was painful and bizarre.
I laid down. It was tomorrow night I would finally be free of this torturous body and painful world. If God would forgive me for what I was about to do.
* * *
I arose the next morning around sunrise. I looked at my digital clock. it read 5:45 a.m.
I quickly dressed myself and went outside. Although it was nearly winter, the weather was fairly nice. I sat down in the grass and began to meditate.
As I sat and prayed I felt a renewed spirit inside of me. My heart felt happy and light.
When I finished my early morning prayer and went inside.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen Joyce and Buffy had started breakfast. "Why were you outside?" asked Buffy, suspiciously.
"Oh, I was meditating. I felt like going outside instead of sitting inside this morning."
"That's nice," said Joyce, slightly nervously. I felt that she was a little uneasy about my religious beliefs.
"Shall we get going to school then?" I said eyeing Buffy's empty plate.
"Aren't you going to eat?" asked Joyce.
"Um, no I'm fasting today." I replied assuredly.
"All right then Jen. The keys are on the counter."
"What??? She's driving? Your precious car?"
"Jen has a perfectly clean record AND she has a license Buffy. you don't have either of those."
"Yeah, well, get to school."
* * *
At school, nothing out of the ordinary happened. That was really good. Things were supposed to very smooth during the day, then get really rough at night. that was what always happened on Badan. I should know, as I had seen twenty-two. but this was the first one I was actually going to use my power on. I wasn't sure that I was going to be strong enough.
I asked Giles if I could take off early, on account of it was a religious holiday. He agreed and I drove to Angel's house.
There, I slipped a note under his door and knocked twice. I slipped away.
The note read :
Angel,
Tonight is your night. I am challenging you. Meet me at the factory at sunset.
--Jannah
Sunset would bring Angel's fate.
***********
Sunset was in a half hour. I gathered myself and left for the factory. As I arrived, I did a quick mental to check for Spike and Drusilla. They weren't there.
I walked in and drew a circle with chalk on the ground. I sprinkled holy water on the circle that drew a cross inside it. I stepped carefully in it. This was my safe haven. No vamp could enter the circle, unless I willed them to.
Five minutes. My head was spinning. What would I do if Buffy showed up?
::Buffy Narrating::
It was 7:15. Fifteen Minutes till sunset. then this night called Badan would begin. This was the one night in the decade I could restore Angel's soul.
But I needed help. Jen couldn't help me; she seemed to have disappeared since this afternoon. Willow had a date with Oz. And I couldn't ask Xander -- he was a guy. And Giles would reprimand me for not telling him about the book in the first place. That left Cordellia. I sighed. I picked up the phone and dialed her number.
* * *
"So where would Angel be?" Cordellia asked. "I mean, there are only so many places in Sunnydale that allow vamps." she said sarcastically.
"Let's try the factory. That's the vamps major hang out." I replied, ignoring the sarcasm. I looked at my watch. 7:29. I hoped we would have good timing.
::narrator::
At 7:15 Angel showed up at the factory.
"Your late." Jannah said coldly.
"Okay, so are we fighting are what? Because -- " she cut him off.
Arms raised above my head Jannah began chanting "Badan ke rat aya hey ... mere den aya hey. abey jo merey ko chayhey ayga merey pas ... "1
She drew a circle in the air where the circle was drawn a sizzling and crackling ball of energy appeared, floating in mid air.
"Now shall I avenge my pain and my anguish. upon the first, shall he feel the pain of my parents, whom he brutally murdered."
She throws the ball at Angel and it strikes, knocking him against the wall and onto the floor.
"Upon the second, he shall feel the pain of Syria, my beloved sister, whom he stalked" Another ball of energy appears and strikes Angel, weakening him even more.
"And upon this third, he shall feel my grief and sorrow. He shall feel the pain of my heart. Upon this third, he shall cease to exist, except in the afterlife. Upon this third, shall come his death." Just in time to hear the last words of this chant, Buffy bursts into the factory, with Cordellia behind her.
The ball of energy that had appeared, disappears as Jannah loses her concentration.
"WHAT are you doing?!?!?!" Buffy exclaims, shocked that the
one person Buffy thought she could trust had betrayed her. Cordellia meanwhile, is just shocked.
Jannah falls to the floor, on her hands and knees. "Buffy I needed to rest! I needed peace!! Please forgive me!!"
"What do you mean, rest? Peace?"
"I have been lying to you. I supposed you have already figured that out. My life, it's all one big lie.
"I was born in the village of Batay in India in 1773." As this is spoken a look of shock passes on Buffy's ((and Cordellia's)) face. "When I was 25, the year 1798, I was engaged.
"The night before my wedding, I was talking with my sister Syria when we heard screams coming form my parents room. I hid Syria and went to investigate.
"When I entered, I saw the bodies of two people lying on the ground -- my parents!! Then the attacker tried to grab me but because I had been secretly training in fighting arts, I threw him off my back. I looked at the face and I saw that is none other than --"
"Angel." Buffy finished for me.
"Right. he left, because people were approaching my house. Turned out that my sister had snuck out to get help.
"After the whole thing, I vowed never to rest until my parents death had been avenged. I physically couldn't die.
"Angel eventually began stalking my sister. She went mad and killed herself. I was alone.
"For years I hunted and researched Angel and his weaknesses. Then, one night I saw you in a dream. I knew you were his weakness. So I found you." Angel stirred and Buffy looked over.
Jannah tried to continue her story but Buffy stopped her.
"First we have to bring some one back." she said, sorrowfully. "Will he live?"
"Yes." said Jannah. " He didn't take the third blow."
Buffy took her bag and removed the supplies. A silver cup, a cross, and a jar.
"My sister? Why -- what??"
"It requires remains."
"How do you know?"
The Buffy took out a book.
"My book!! You stole it from me?"
"No, I found it."
She continued. She prayed the words not even I knew. We gathered around Angel's body and she mixed the ashes with the water and said
"With these ashes, and this pain, Angel shall have a soul once again." she solemnly. "Now we sprinkle this on him Jannah, do the honors."
Carefully, I took the cup and sprinkled the water on to Angel's body. Suddenly, it became dust.
"What happened?!?!?" all three of us said at the EXACT SAME TIME!!
"From dust we rose him, and from dust shall he rise again." said a voice from behind us. Buffy was the first to recognize it.
"Angel!! Is that really you!?!" said Buffy.
"It's really me, Buffy. I'm back."
Suddenly, Angel looks over Buffy into the eyes of. A strange moment passes, and his attention is back on Buffy. Angelus is gone, and the Angel that Buffy loved is back!!
************
Angel is back and the gang is celebrating at the Bronze. The last few weeks were one of worry and frustration, but now its party time.
Buffy and Angel are the center of this celebration and Jen just sits and chats with every one.
Angel whispers into Buffy's ear and she's off -- probably going to the ladies room for a bit. Angel approaches Jen and asks for a dance -- and of course he has Buffy's permission.
Jen agrees and they make their way onto the dance floor .. just as "You make me wanna" by Usher starts playing.
"It's been a long time, Jannah..." Angel whispers into her ear. "Everyday I wondered .. is she alive? is she dead? I felt so much pain ... that .. I just forced myself to forget."
"Angel, I can't do this. It hurts me and it will hurt Buffy. it's not fair to her. She doesn't know."
"I can't help but let it happen all over again."
"Angel, you can't have everything in life. Do you think that a day hasn't passed without me thinking of you, wanting you? But I already had you, and now you belong to someone else." says Jannah passionately. She slips out of his arms and whispers, "Tell her you love her Angel. You don't love me, because I don't exist. I'm leaving."
Jannah leaves, just as Buffy walks back onto the dance floor.
* * *
After the celebration, Buffy and Angel are alone at Angel's house sitting together. Buffy leans her head on Angel's shoulder. Angel's mind, meanwhile, is somewhere else.
Suddenly, "My Heart Will Go On" the love theme from Titanic plays in the air.
"Do hear it Angel? It's from Jannah." Buffy says excitedly. "How sweet."
"Every night in my dreams I see you, I feel you,
that is how I know you go on.
Far across the distance and spaces between us
You have come to show you go on
Near, Far where ever you are,
I believe that the heat does go on
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart and
my heart will go on and on
Love can touch us one time, and last for a lifetime
And never let go until we're gone
Love was when Ioved you, one true time, I hold to
In my life will always go on...
Near, Far where ever you are,
I believe that the heat does go on
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart and
my heart will go on and on
You're here, there's nothing I fear
And I know that my heart will go on
We'll stay forever this way
You are safe in my heart
and my heart will go on and on"
At the song ending, Jannah's voice echoes through the room
"I LOVE YOU"
Only Angel know their true meaning.
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