**This was sent to me from Earthangel. Hope you enjoy it!**
*This story takes the place of Becoming as far as the issue of restoring Angel's soul. All the characters belong to Joss Whedon with the exception of Kestrel who is my own creation. Fell free to e-mail me with your own personal thoughts and opinions. Enjoy =) *
"You're not working with me here," Buffy said over her gasping breath. "You see," she panted and gave the vamp a nice roundhouse kick to the stomach, "I am the slayer, and I am supposed to slay you." She delivered a clean blow to the distorted face and returned to her fighting stance. "Hey, it wasn't my idea, that's just the way it works." The vampire slowly pulled itself to its knees and faced Buffy. She calmly brushed a loose hair from her face. "Do you think you're ready to end this now ‘cuz I was actually thinking about studying for my chem test tomorrow, and it's really getting late." The vamp peered at her with glowing sapphire eyes as if he were planning a strategy. Buffy prepared herself for the forward attack when another vampire lunged from behind and grabbed her around the waist. Pinned against the new vamp, Buffy was helpless to defend herself from the approaching demon she had been about to defeat. "Okay, I was..uh..just kidding. If you want to fight some more, far be it from me to deny you of your kicks," Buffy quipped as she desperately racked her brain for a plan. The vamp was closing in, jaws opening ready to do some serious damage to her health. If she could just get one arm free... A heeled boot swung up and nailed the hungry vamp square in the jaw. The second vampire, caught off guard by the surprise attack, dropped Buffy and spun around. Buffy grabbed her stake up off the ground and quickly dusted her adversary. She whipped around ready to stake the other vamp. She saw him instantly disintegrate. As the dust settled, Buffy saw a shadowy figure standing coolly holding a sharpened tree branch. "Sorry, I thought that you could use a little help," the girl said as she took a step toward the wary slayer. Buffy marvelled at her appearance. A few inches taller than herself, the girl stood casual, yet strong. Her chestnut hair lightly fluttered on her bare shoulders, and her hazel eyes shimmered in the moonlight. The girl seemed innocent enough, but judging from her fighting skills, appearances could be deceiving. ‘Vampire,' she thought. She wasn't quite sure, but she knew she had better be careful. "Who the hell are you," she questioned with little patience. She had actually been somewhat serious about studying. "Well, it's nice to meet you too," the girl joked. "You must be Buffy. I've heard a lot about you. You are quite famous for your slaying history." Buffy just stared at her, trying to mask her confusion and insecurities. "I know that this may sound a little like de ja vu," Buffy replied, "But who the hell are you?" The girl muffled a quiet laugh. "I apologize for not introducing myself," she said. "I'm Kestrel. I've heard about you and I thought that I could do something to help you, and judging from that little predicament that you got yourself into just now, it looks like I was right." Buffy glared at her incredulously. She had learned to be wary around people that she didn't know anything about, especially if she wasn't even sure that they were human. In her line of work it was sort of a necessity. "Okay, yeah, sure. And exactly why is it that I am supposed to trust you again?" Buffy interrogated the girl with a bit of bad, T.V. cop-like attitude. The girl smiled with a mocking sweetness. Something was telling Buffy that this whole situation was wiggy. "You do have a point," she agreed. "I sure as hell wouldn't trust you if I didn't know you. Especially if you were standing there pointing a sharp, wooden stake at me like you are right now." Buffy looked down at her right hand firmly grasping the stake. She remained in fight stance, just in case things got a little out of hand. "I doubt that there is anything that I can say to absolve your suspicions so I will just get on with my plans." The girl lunged at Buffy. She was caught a little off guard, but quickly recovered and kicked her assailant in the ribs. The girl responded with a swift blow to the side of the head with her black, leather boot. The two took turns exchanging hits until the girl snapped her right leg back and delivered a sharp kick to Buffy's hand. The hand holding the stake. The weapon flew to the ground and the girl sent Buffy along with it. She knelt over the wounded slayer and positioned the stake over her heart. Wooden stakes were generally used for vampires, but could be equally as deadly to humans. Buffy closed her eyes and prepared for the final blow. The girl got up off her knees and dusted her pants to remove the loose bits of grass. "You see, I just proved two points," The girl stated in the manner of a teacher. "If I came here to kill you, you would be dead, pure and simple." Now she was sounding a bit cocky. Buffy had to admire her. "Secondly," she said extending a hand to the fallen slayer. "You really could use my help." Buffy looked at the outstretched hand for a moment. She was at least right about one thing. If this girl wanted to kill her, she would do so, resistance or not. Buffy figured she might as well take the chance. She could use the help as much as she hated to admit it. Reluctantly she took the girl's hand. "Okay, you win," Buffy declared. "So what exactly was your name again?" The girl smiled. "Kestrel," she said proudly. "Hmm... Kestrel. Pretty name," Buffy said politely. She really did look like a Kestrel. She possessed a sort of exotic beauty. "This is usually the part of the conversation where I go, ‘Hi, I'm Buffy,' but we've already covered that earlier." Buffy thought for a moment. "Why are you here? I mean we've been over the ‘I'm the slayer, the only girl in all the world who can stop the vampires' thing, but what's your story?" Kestrel looked at the headstones as they walked through the graveyard. She knew that she was going to have to explain her past to this girl, but all the preparing never made it any easier to bring back the memories that she had tried so hard to forget. "My family was killed by vampires when I was very young," she began sadly. "Actually, slaughtered is more the operative word." Buffy looked down, almost embarrassed that she had asked, but she felt that she was entitled to the truth. The girl went on. "I was asleep in my bed when a man awoke me from my sleep. He was standing over my bed, I thought that he wanted to hurt me. I began screaming in horror. My older sister, who was much like a mother to me, came to my room and tried to soothe me to silence. The man had receded into the shadows and seemingly disappeared. I whimpered like a baby in my sister's arms. She rocked me back into a light slumber and told me that everything would be fine. I trusted her because she had an ability to sense things. People often said that she was crazy, but I knew her and she loved me. She would never lie to me." Kestrel almost choked on the outpour of the memories for her sister. She hadn't intended to get so emotional. "She rocked me to sleep and left to return to her room. The man, the man that I had seen in my room, reappeared from the corner and headed to the door from which my sister had just left. I was too terrified to scream, I just lay there like an inanimate object incapable of making a sound. Maybe if I had not been so selfish, I could have warned her. I didn't want him to hurt me, so I stayed silent. If I had only made a sound. My silence killed her!" Kestrel was now fighting back the violent sobs that threatened to escape. Buffy put a hand on her trembling shoulder to console her. "Hey look, it wasn't your fault, you were only a little girl. You have to learn that you are not responsible for everything bad that happens around you. I have to face death everyday of my life, and it's hard, but there are things that you have to learn to deal with. I know how cruel that world can be. I know how it can give you something so great, and then take it away with no warning. Sometimes I wonder if the world is worth saving at all." Buffy felt a connection with this new girl. They had common interests and common experiences. They had both lost someone they love. Her feelings of mistrust began to ebb away. They needed each other. Kestrel regained her composure and continued her story. "I laid in bed until morning, I couldn't move. I was in a dream state where nothing felt real. When the sun rose, I crawled out of bed and crept to my sister's room. She was not there. Somehow I knew that she was not anywhere. She had the gift to see things that far surpassed anything of nature, but I also had a sense, especially when it concerned those that I loved. She was gone. Nothing in her room was out of place, no bags had been packed, I could just feel the emptiness that rang from the walls. The only thing that was missing, was her favorite doll, the doll that she had since she was a child. It was then I knew that she would never be returning." Kestrel paused for a moment. She was getting too involved in the story. She hated to expose her weaknesses to anyone. She had to finish the story. If Buffy was going to trust her, she had to gain her sympathies and tell her why she was there. "I went down the hall to my parents' bedroom," she continued. "When I opened the door I was greeted by the mangled, bloody, corpses of my mother and father. I turned and ran. I wanted to run away from my own existence. I was only seven years old when I was tossed out into the cold, uncaring world." Kestrel stopped for a moment to take a breath. "Hey, I'm sorry," Buffy started to intervene in the obvious emotional trauma that these memories were bringing to Kestrel. "You don't have to keep going, I understand..." "No, no. It's okay." Kestrel reassured her. "I need for you to know this. I just had the feeling that I needed to tell you this." Kestrel was as bewildered as Buffy was. She really didn't know what possessed her to tell this girl everything about her past. She knew that it felt right. "I lived out on the street for awhile, scrounging up meals and rags where ever I could find them, even if it meant stealing them. When I got a little older, I began selling myself to stay alive. I found shelter in a brothel where I slept and worked. I was close to death, and that thought was the only thing that made me happy. I stayed in that brothel for several months, I'm not sure exactly how long it was, for each day was the same as the one before. I was seriously considering ending my life when a man came to see me. He was not a customer, he came to save me. He was incredibly handsome, early to mid twenties, and a perfect gentleman. He took me in his home and fed me and cared for me, and gave me a reason to live. I stayed with him for several years, and eventually grew quite fond of him. He never took advantage of me, as most men would of a common whore. We came to love each other more than life itself. He was the first man I ever had who was not a paying customer." She paused again. This was the only thing that was worse than the memories of losing her sister. "He was a vampire," she said as if it were a difficult thing to admit to anyone, including herself. "He was a...vampire?" Buffy questioned curiously. The first thought that ran through her head was Angel. It couldn't have been him. There had to be more vampires who retained their souls other than Angel. It wasn't him. She didn't want to say anything to Kestrel about it, but she was curious. "What happened to him?" Kestrel swallowed thickly. "A group of vampires came to our home, they ravaged the place, I still don't know why they were there. To torture us for fun, or maybe they were looking for something, I don't know. They killed him," she finally said. It was almost as if she were reliving that moment as she spoke of it. Buffy looked at her sympathetically. "Look," Buffy began, unsure of what she was going to say. "I am sorry. I know how it feels to have someone you love taken away from you. I've...lost someone recently. I really loved him. It was my fault that he is gone." All the memories of Angel came flooding back. The two of them really had more in common than she expected. Kestrel regained her composure and continued. "Well, that's when I decided to start helping the slayer," Kestrel concluded. "I never really worked with the slayer directly, I just sort of deal with some of the problems before the slayer has the chance to even realize what is going on. You're the first one that I've ever had the inclination to meet. I heard that you had killed the master, and I was really impressed. I don't think that I could have done that. I feel like there is something drawing me here," she said finally. "Oh, hey, don't worry about it. That's just the Hell mouth, centre of mystical convergence thing," she replied matter-of-factly. "It has a tendency to bring in the wackies." She caught herself too late. "Uh, I mean...what do I mean," she stammered. "It wasn't that. I mean, sometimes being a wacky is good," she finally recovered. Kestrel laughed. "I think I understand what you're trying to say." "Good, ‘cuz I'm not sure I do," she admitted. "I really think that together we can kick some serious ass," Kestrel declared. Buffy had to laugh at that. "Yeah, well, judging from your fighting techniques, I don't doubt that," Buffy said, beginning to trust the mysterious Kestrel. "Come on," she said. "I've got to go meet up with my watcher at the library. We'll see if he's got anymore prophecies of evil in Sunnydale. God, forbid that he would have good news." The two quietly made their way to the library.
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Giles was leaning over his desk flipping through one of his dusty, ancient volumes when the library door swung open. “Xander,” he said to the trying-to be-suave figure strutting across the tile floor. “What on earth are you doing at school at this hour?” The door swung open again as a tall, pissed-off brunette sauntered in. “Xander Harris,” Cordelia scolded. “I know that you were raised in a barn and all, but have you not learned any manners. You are supposed to hold the door open, not let it hit me in the face. The least you can do is pretend that you are a human being.” Xander scoffed at her ice princess speech. “I usually reserve the holding the door open Xander for my paying customers,” he joked as he dramatically straightened the collar of his shirt. “They like to give tips to the nice guys.” “Wow, then you could get two shiny nickels. God,” she whined. “Why am I dating such a loser?” “Just lucky I guess,” Xander remarked and turned to face Giles. “I know, it’s shocking that I, who seems to be allergic to school, should show up when I’m not required to be here. Well I called Willow to see if she wanted to hang with me, and her mom said that she was out with Buffy. I figured that since Buff was out fulfilling her slayer duties, Willow must be up here doing a little demon background check. I’m sure that it was a mere oversight that I had not been paged to rescue the fair slayer, so I thought that I had better show up to save the day.” “Good for you,” Giles remarked sarcastically, “But actually, there is nothing for you to do. Buffy is at her post, I’m doing research in my books, and Willow is on the net looking up some information for me.” Xander looked a little hurt. “Well then, I came here to lighten the mood,” he joked. “And, to bring a little bit of chocolatey goodness,” he said as he whipped out a bag of oreo cookies from his back pack. Willow came in from the computer lab just in time. “Ooh, cookies,” she sighed in joy. “Xander, did I ever mention that you are my favorite person in the whole wide world?” Xander smiled. “I know, but what can I say. I know how to please a woman,” he said with a debonair quality to his voice. “Oh please,” Cordelia muttered. “You’re going to make me toss my cookies. Literally.” Xander just glared at her and Willow suppressed a laugh. Giles looked at them in exasperation. “Since everyone is here except Buffy, I might as well share with you what I have found,” he said as they all crowded around the desk. “Sources tell me that something big is going to happen here.” Xander was alarmed. “Can you elaborate on big ‘cuz I think that the fact that corpses rise out of their coffins and proceed to chow down on the citizens of Sunnydale is pretty big,” Xander said slightly alarmed. “Are we talking end of the world big, or something a little less big.” “Well, I..uh..don’t exactly know,” Giles admitted sheepishly. Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Great, I could have been out doing something cool, but no, I’m here with you all for some reason that no one knows about,” she said in her usual snobby tone. Everyone just stared at her and then looked back to the book Giles had been reading. “This volume indicates that someone is coming to Sunnydale that could potentially save or destroy the world,” he said growing a little uneasy. “Right, so we find this person, buddy up with him and viola, we save the world and all go home happy, who wants another cookie?” Xander proposed. “I’m afraid that it’s not that simple,” Giles continued. “There are other factors here that can influence this person. As surely as we try to persuade the person to our side, their will be others to seduce him against us. We just have to wait,” he concluded. “Great, waiting, sounds like fun,” Willow joked over her uneasiness. “So what about Buffy?” “We’ll tell her about it when she returns from the hunt, which should be any time now.” Giles answered as he looked at his watch. "For the time being," he began, but was cut short by the sound of a crashing window behind them. Windows began to shatter all around them as four vampires walked in the door, followed by Angel. "Hey everyone," Angel greeted. "I'm having a party and you're all invited."
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Buffy and Kestrel pushed open the door to the library. "Hello," Buffy called out. Giles was supposed to be here to meet her after she was done slaying. "Giles?" She noticed the broken glass all over the floor. "Oh, God," she cried as she rushed into the library. No one was there. She walked by the counter and found a letter sitting there. She picked it up and slowly read: To My Dear Juliet, Hello lover. I thought that maybe we could get together this evening for a few drinks or something. I'm dying to see you, or at least your friends are. Hope to see you soon. Your Beloved Romeo Buffy crumpled the letter in her fist and shut her eyes tightly. She tossed it into the trash. "Come on," she instructed Kestrel. "Things might get a little out of hand, so be careful." "Vampires?" Kestrel asked. "The worst kind," Buffy answered. They reached the mansion where Angel and his clan had been staying since the factory burned down. "I'm going to try to sneak in and get them out of there without getting caught," Buffy said as she relayed her intentions to Kestrel. "I want to avoid as much fighting as possible." It was a high expectation she knew, but she really didn't want to face Angel right now. They entered the old building and quietly snuck through the corridors searching every room for the others. A vamp jumped out from behind one of the doors and Buffy quickly staked it. She was in no mood to deal with anyone right now, especially not Angel. They continued through the dark halls prepared for another surprise attack. They came to a large open space, possibly an old ballroom. A few candles lit the room just enough to make way through it without tripping over the furniture and empty boxes. Buffy and Kestrel were just about to proceed up the stairs when a voice spoke behind them. "Hey Buff," Angel taunted. "It's good to see you, as usual. I was beginning to think that you weren't going to show." Buffy stared at him hard, hoping to instill some feeling of intimidation in him. "Angel?" Buffy thought that the surprised voice had escaped from her lips, but turned when she realized it was Kestrel. She looked at the girl in confusion. Angel's hard mocking face fell and he almost exhibited some form of emotion for the girl, but quickly recovered. A devious grin spread across his face. "Kestrel," he said with a tinge of sincere surprise behind his cool tone. "I thought you were dead." She began to move toward him. "They told me that they had killed you," she murmured still in a state of disbelief. Angel welcomed her with open arms. She gladly fell into his embrace. It had been so long. Buffy just stared in horror at the sight that was before her. This girl that she had trusted was holding Angel. She didn't understand. Angel kissed the top of Kestrel's head. "Hey Dru," Angel called. "Come see what I've got for you." Drusilla emerged through the doorway with the excitement of a young child at Christmas. She looked at Kestrel, but did not recognize her. "You probably won't remember her, she's changed a little since you last saw her. This is Kestrel, your little sister." Drusilla rushed toward her with the care of a mother. "Kessie," she cried. "Just look at your face, it's all dirty. Just let mummy get you all cleaned up." She touched Kestrel's face to clean her and shrunk back in horror. She hid behind Angel like a frightened puppy. "She reeks of humanity." Angel just shrugged. "Yeah, well, we can probably fix that. She could prove to be very useful to us." He laughed."Wow, this is great," he exclaimed excitedly. "I've got my three favorite lovers all under one roof. This is my kind of party." Dru moved out from behind Angel. "Angel," she whined in a very disapproving tone. "You have been a naughty daddy, she is just a little girl." Angel snickered. "Could've fooled me," Angel responded with a sly smile. Spike rolled in on his wheelchair. "What the hell is going on? This is like a bloody family reunion," he quipped. "I say we kill them both and be done with it." "Now, now," Angel intervened. "There's no rush." He faced Kestrel. "You'll have to excuse the Rolling Wonder. He tends to be a bit rash in his decisions." Kestrel took a step toward Spike in disbelief. "William the Bloody," she addressed him. He rolled his eyes. "Actually, its Spike," he corrected her. "You know, I'm sort of up with the times." He turned to Angel and Drusilla. "So, everyone has been introduced, let's drink their blood already." Drusilla moved to her sister and took her hand. "I know it isn't your fault that you've got all those nasty feelings. You can have some tea with Miss Emily," she suggested as she handed her doll to Kestrel. Buffy stood their motionless. She seemed not to exist. "Kestrel, don't listen to them," she warned the bewildered girl. "That's not Angel anymore. That is the demon that killed your family. She took a step toward Angel. "Now, I'm only going to ask this once. Where the hell are they?" Angel just looked at her. "Why, I think you're going to have to ask nicer than that," he taunted. Buffy responded with a hitch kick to his jaw. Angel stumbled back, but remained on his feet. He smiled at her mockingly and returned her hit with a solid punch to the abdomen. Buffy doubled over in pain and drew her right foot back for another kick. Angel grabbed her foot and sent her flying onto her back. Her head was spinning from the fall. Angel kneeled over her, pinning her legs down with his own. "Wow, this feels familiar," he said as he bent his head down to her neck. Kestrel watched in horror as she realized what Angel about to do. She looked at her sister with pleading eyes and turned and ran to Buffy. She kicked Angel hard in the ribs. The blow was strong enough to lift him up off of Buffy and throw him a good five feet to the side. He climbed to his feet and faced his attacker. "Aw, come on babe, I thought we were tight," he said innocently. Kestrel punched him and sent him reeling back. She proceeded to kick him and hit him with all her might to release the anger that she felt. Drusilla grew tired of this and approached the battling couple. She grabbed Angel by the shoulders and nearly tossed him out of the way. She faced her sister with a stern expression on her face. "Surely mummy never taught you to be so rude to your host," she scolded. They stared at each other for a moment and Drusilla's expression softened. "You are sick with humanity, but you're mummy will make it all better." Kestrel stared at her wide eyed as she pulled a knife from under her skirt. Spike sat up in alarm and shot Angel an evil glare. "Where the hell did she get that? You know better than to give that girl sharp objects." Drusilla positioned the blade at the base of her throat preparing to cut herself and heal her sister. Buffy ran toward Kestrel and pushed her away from Dru, breaking the spell. She grabbed her up off the floor and the two of them ran out of the mansion as fast as the could.
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“Okay, so this is the part of the story where Buffy comes and saves us, right,” Xander joked nervously. “Oh, Xander shut up!” Cordelia demanded, sick of his complaining. “Sorry your majesty,” Xander replied abruptly. “Talking is the only thing that keeps me from fainting, so if you don’t mind I kind of want to keep a firm grip on my consciousness, thank you.” Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Always thinking about your needs,” she retorted. “Well what about my needs? You are giving me a headache with all of that complaining, so you can just...” “Shut up both of you,” Giles snapped. “Someone is coming.” They all sat as still as they could and listened to the approaching footsteps.
Buffy and Kestrel hid out in one of the rooms along the empty corridor trying to plan what to do next. Kestrel was still a mess from the incident with Dru and Angel, Buffy could tell, but she was doing an exceptional job of hiding it. "Look," Buffy began, but was interrupted by Kestrel. "Don't, not now. We have to find a way to get your friends out of here." Buffy nodded in agreement and got up off of the dusty floor. She looked at the wall across from the door. "Can you hear that?" she asked Kestrel who was also getting up. She walked over to the wall and tapped on it. "It's hollow," she said. The two girls looked at each other and simultaneously punched through the wall. They pulled away the remains and climbed through. They ended up in a stairwell that led down below the house. "They're down here," Buffy said. "I can feel it." They quietly crept down the wooden steps to the cellar. When they reached the bottom, they looked around carefully searching for other vampires. One stood beside a heavy oak door. Buffy snuck up behind him and drove a stake through his heart. He turned to dust instantly. She pulled open the heavy door and peered in. "Buffy," Xander cried. "Boy am I glad to see you. I would offer you some oreo cookies as a reward, but those nasty bloodsuckers confiscated them. It's weird, I didn't even think they liked ‘em." "I'm glad you came," Willow commented. "I wasn't too keen about the idea of being someone's lunch." Buffy smiled and began to untie them. "Come on, we have to hurry," she warned. "Angel knows that we are here." Xander looked at Kestrel. "I don't believe I've met We," he babbled as he continued to stare at Kestrel. "I'm pretty sure I would have remembered We." Cordelia fought back the urge to scold her boyfriend. Frankly, she was more concerned about getting out of there. "This is Kestrel, its a long story that we'll talk about later," Buffy said as she finished releasing them. "Let's just get out of here." No one complained. "Hey Buffy," Xander called nervously as the group made their way up the darkened staircase. "Are you sure that this is the way out ‘cuz frankly it creeps me." Buffy turned around and shushed him. "If you keep talking, you are going to make us all vampire cuisine," she snapped. Willow's eyes opened wide. "And that would be very not good," she added anxiously. They crawled through the hole in the wall that Buffy and Kestrel had created earlier. Buffy went through first, followed by Kestrel, then Willow, Giles, Cordelia and finally Xander. "You know, I don't think I want to be on the end," he whispered as to not get yelled at by Buffy again. "It's not that I'm afraid or anything," he reassured the group. "It's just that I think I should be somewhere in the middle, so in case something happens, I would be better positioned to jump out on save the day." "Oh, shut up Xander," Cordelia commanded. "You are whining like a baby." Xander chimed in to defend himself. "I'm not whining, I just don't want to get eaten. I know," he suggested. "We should put Cordy on the end so the vamps'll bite her, and think that all humans taste like that, and never feed on us ever again." Cordelia shot him an icy glare. "Oh no, I think that you..." she began, but was interrupted when a vampire lunged out of the darkness and grabbed her around the waist. "Get it off, get it off!" she shrieked as she tried to twist out of the demon's grasp. Xander stepped forward. "Hey, you're the one who stole my cookies," he accused angrily. The vamp turned and looked at him somewhat surprised. Xander, who had been momentarily side tracked by the memories of his lost oreo cookies, quickly returned to the topic at hand. "Why don't you go eat someone else's girlfriend," he cried and jumped toward the vampire in attempt to throw him off. The vampire released Cordelia and grabbed Xander instead. "This isn't going the way that I planned," he whined as he struggled to free himself from the vampire's grasp. Buffy jumped behind the vamp and staked him through the heart. The vampire instantly turned to dust and Xander was dropped to the floor. Cordelia ran to where he sat dusting himself off and helped him up. "Xander, you risked your life for me," she said somewhat surprised at his bravery. "No guy has ever done that for me before." Xander stood proudly."Oh, hey, no problem," he said smoothly. "I had it all under control." Cordelia grinned coyly and put her arms around his neck. "Did you really mean what you said, you know, about me being your girlfriend," she asked. Xander shrugged, trying to maintain a nonchalant attitude while accepting the first nice thing that ever came out of Cordelia's mouth. "Well, since our groping is no longer confined to the utility closet, I'd say that we have a definite thing here," he admitted. Cordelia smiled and kissed him sweetly. Xander did not protest. Everyone stared at them. "You know, this is kinda sweet in a sick and twisted sorta way," Buffy admitted. "I hate to break up your moment, but we kind of need to get out of here before we encounter one of his hungry friends," she said pointing to the dusty remains of the deceased vampire. Xander nodded and the group quietly made their way out of the mansion.
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When they got back to the library Kestrel was formally introduced. Everyone was at a loss for words. Giles was the first who had the nerve to speak. "So there is more than one vampire in the world capable of possessing a soul. I have to say that it is a bit surprising." Kestrel was a little uncomfortable with the whole situation. She hadn't planned on letting anyone know that she was a vampire. Giles went on. "Pardon me for asking such an impertinent question, but how exactly did you regain your soul?" "Angel made me out of love, not blood lust. He did it to save my life, because I asked him to," she said. Xander couldn't help but bring up the issue of Angel's honesty. "I thought that good Angel never drank human blood after the curse," he said. Buffy stared at him and then at Kestrel. "He didn't," she answered. "Another vampire nearly drained me of my blood. Angel gave me his so I would not die. He never took my blood. I guess that's how I retained my soul. I was not created by a demon, so I could not become one." They all seemed to find this acceptable. Buffy was still a little uncomfortable with the whole situation. Kestrel could sense this. "Look, I'm going to go outside and get some fresh air," she said and quickly excused herself. Giles remembered the research he had been doing earlier. "Buffy, I may have found some interesting news," he said. "Kestrel may be the key to stopping Angel and Drusilla from destroying the world." They were bewildered. "How is she supposed to that?" Cordelia asked. Giles looked down sheepishly. "I not quite sure of that yet," he admitted. "Wow, you're just a fount of useful information, aren't you," Xander quipped. Willow cut in. "There has to be some way that she can help, I mean she's a strong fighter right Buffy?" Buffy nodded in the middle of her thoughts. "I know, she can go psychovamp on fang boy and rip his throat out," Xander quipped. Judging from the smile less faces around him, he realized that no one was amused. "Okay, bad time, bad joke," he admitted and hung his head. "Well Buffy here is a superhero, and she can't stop them, so what makes you think that this girl can do any better?" Cordelia questioned in her usual shallow tone. "She's their a weakness," Buffy said quietly. "Buffy?" Giles asked. "She's their weakness," she repeated with more confidence. "I saw the way they reacted to her in the mansion. They needed her. Drusilla tried to take care of her like she were her own child. Angel didn't lay a hand on her when they were fighting. They were all so involved with her that they didn't even notice that I was standing there. They don't want to kill her, they want her on their side," she finished. Willow recapped what she had just said. "So you want to use her as a distraction?" she asked. "I'm not sure, but for some reason I think that she can stop Angel. He still has some human emotions for her," Buffy replied and hung her head. Willow looked at her sympathetically. "Maybe she can bring Angel back," Willow offered. "Angel is never coming back," Buffy said miserably. "There is only one thing left to do and that is to destroy him." Buffy took a deep breath. "Look, we need to come up with a plan of attack," Buffy suggested. "Giles, you and Willow see if you can come up with anything that can help me fight against Angel and Drusilla. "I'm going to talk to Kestrel," she said and left the library. "I am going to the computer lab to look up any spells that might be useful," Willow said and scampered off. "Right," Giles agreed, "And I am going to consult my volumes to see if there is any pertinent information." Xander stood there racking his brain for something he could do to be useful. "I'll go get supplies," he said finally. Giles turned to him, "We have all the supplies that we need here." Xander shook his head. "I was thinking more along the lines of oreo cookies," he said proudly. "Ya know, for nourishment." Cordelia followed him out of the library. "Is that all you think about?" she asked. "Hey, a man's got his needs," he replied matter-of-factly. Giles shook his head at the departing couple. They really needed to come up with a plan. Willow caught up with Buffy in the hall. "Hey Buffy," she called. Buffy stopped and turned around. "Look I'm really sorry about Angel, and I know that his whole thing with Kestrel being one of his...well, you know, kinda has you a little edgy," she said sympathetically. Buffy smiled. "Yeah," she admitted quietly. "I've tried to tell myself that I need to stop Angel and the only way I can do that is by killing him, but their is still a part of me that has some hope." Willow nodded and attempted to lighten the mood a little. "You know," she began. "I think that living on the Hell mouth has taken its toll on each of us. It doesn't seem that any of us are able to have normal, healthy relationships. I mean Angel, being a vampire, Oz turning out to be a werewolf. That took a little getting used to. But I think that Xander got it worst of all," she sighed. "He ended up with Cordelia." Buffy had to laugh at that. "Wow, that does make me feel better," she declared. Willow regained her serious composure. "Look, I just wanted you to know that I sort of understand what you're going through, and I'm here for you," she said softly. Buffy gave her a hug. "Thanks Will," she said sincerely. "It really means a lot to me." They broke their embrace. "I've got to go talk with Kestrel and stop by my house to get some supplies," Buffy announced. "I'll meet up with you guys back in the library." They said their goodbyes and continued on their way. Buffy sat down on the steps next to Kestrel. "I'm sorry if I sounded a little weirded out back there. It's just that, well, I mean, I knew Angel had other...lovers in his past, but I never thought that I would ever become friends with one." Kestrel nodded. "You love him," she said more as a statement than a question. Buffy didn't speak. She didn't have to. "We have to kill him," she said, almost emotionless. Buffy nodded in agreement. "You know that Drusilla is not your sister anymore," Buffy said quietly. "She's a demon, just like Angel. You know I recognized him as the man in my room that night. I knew who he was. He said that he came to make it up to me, to take care of me. I know he meant it. I should have killed him when I first had the chance," she whispered with regret. "I know how you feel," Buffy agreed, reflecting on her own memories of Angel. "There is nothing we can do to save either of them." They sat in silence for a moment. Buffy stood up. "I have to go to my house to get a few things. You're welcome to come along." Kestrel shook her head. "I should stay here and help," she replied. Buffy disappeared into the dark night. Kestrel rose to her feet and headed back inside. There had to be something she could do for Dru and Angel. There had to be.
**************
Willow skimmed through the listing of spells on Miss Calendar's computer. She was hoping to find something that could help Buffy fight against Angel. She wasn't quite sure what she needed, but she thought she'd give it a try anyway. She came across one that sounded promising. "Spell for Immobility" she clicked on it and a brief description and material list came up. "Spell to render persons or animals immobile for a short period of time," she read. This could be good. "Materials: ground human skull." "Ewww," Willow groaned and quickly erased it from the screen. That was definitely a big, not an option. She continued to scroll down the screen, not finding anything terribly useful. She was growing tired of all this searching, but she wanted to help Buffy. Willow shifted her weight and accidentally knocked a stack of papers onto the floor. She bent down to gather the fallen papers and tried to reorganize them the way they were. She was missing a few, so she got down on the floor and looked under the desk. She found the remaining papers wedged in between the desk and the computer table. She carefully pulled them out and dusted them off. As she reached back in, she noticed a yellow disk that had fallen as well. She picked it up, and with a shrug, slid it into the computer. Maybe she would find something she could use here. She opened the only file on the disk, restor. doc, and the document popped up on the screen. There was a column written in some ancient language that Willow thought to be Romanian or old Latin, and a column with the text deciphered into English. The title read, "Ritual of Restoration." Willow sat paralysed. It was the spell to restore Angel's soul.
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Buffy climbed in her window as quietly as she could as to not wake her mother who slept across the hall. She crept to her closet and pulled her large cedar chest into the centre of the room. She opened the lid and lifted the top compartment to reveal her supplies for vampire slaying. She knew that she couldn't face Angel without weapons. She pulled out three freshly sharpened stakes, two small bottles of holy water, and her cross, the one that Angel had given to her the first time they met. She fastened the cross around her neck, and shoved the other materials in her bag. She looked around her room. She had to face the fact that she might not make it. Angel could very well kill her. Buffy was sure of one thing. One of them was going to die tonight. She sat on her bed for a moment, trying to sort out her feelings. She hated Angel. She hated him so much because she still loved him. Buffy opened the jewellery box that sat by her bed. She pulled out the silver claddagh ring that Angel had given her the night they made love. The night that he lost his soul. She remembered the look on his face, the sadness in his eyes when he thought that he was going to have to leave her. He gave her the ring, which was a symbol of his people. The crown symbolized loyalty, the hands friendship, and the heart represented love. He had hardly been able to get the words out. Wear it with the heart facing away from you means you are available. Wear it with the heart pointing towards you, you belong to someone. She thought of Miss Calendar, and what Angel had done to her. She slid the ring on upside down, gathered her supplies, and quietly slipped out into the night.
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Kestrel made her way through the empty hall back toward the library. She passed the open door of the computer lab where Willow sat at the teacher's desk. She knocked lightly and the poor girl almost jumped out of her seat. She was sitting and staring at the computer unable to speak. "Am I interrupting something?" Kestrel asked apologetically. "I a..umm..I was..uh..no," she finally stammered. "I was looking at some of Miss Calender's spells and incantations that she left, and I found this disk on the floor." She pointed to the glowing screen. "I think this is the spell to restore Angel's soul." Kestrel moved in and looked at the screen. "Oh my God, I've seen this before," she said surprised. "I was investigating a demon who plagued this village in Africa, and I saw them perform this spell on the demon. It was a little different because some of the ancient Romanian language had been lost and replaced with the native language of the tribe, but it is the same spell. This is it, the key to restoring Angel's soul," she said excitedly. "We have to get started on this right away. Listen, I don't want Buffy to know about this. I don't want to get her hopes up in case it doesn't work. It could put her in danger if she has to face Angel before the spell is complete." Willow printed out the information. "Now let's get to the library and tell Giles."
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Buffy approached the school and saw a group of vampires making their way to the campus. Angel must have sent them as a little gift for her. Buffy pulled a stake out of her bag and ran towards the group. One vamp lunged out for her, but she easily dodged it and drove the stake into its back. Another attacked her from behind and lifted her up off the ground. She kicked it hard in the knee, and the demon dropped her. The other vamps started to close in, and they were very hungry. She knew that there was no way she could handle this many vampires on her own. She quickly got up off the ground and ran toward the school.
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Willow and Kestrel ran into the library and showed Giles the spell. "How on earth did you find this?" he inquired of Willow. "There was a disk that had fallen under the desk, and I found it and put it in the computer. It must have been what Miss Calender was working on when she.." Willow stopped, not wanting to finish that sentence. Giles was enraged. That was why Angel killed Jenny, he knew that she had found the ritual to restore his soul, and tried to destroy it and her before anyone could find out about it. Willow went on. "It says there that you need an orb of something to complete the ritual." "Orb of Thesulah," he corrected. I have one in my office. I've had it since Ethan and I used to...well never mind. I'll get it." He was willing to do anything to stop Angel and to help Buffy. Together, the three of them gathered the supplies that they needed to perform the ritual of restoration. Willow sat in the centre of the circle while Kestrel helped to match the Romanian text with it's English counterpart. Together they chanted as Giles circled them with the appropriate herbs. They were deep in concentration when the doors swung open and a breathless Buffy stumbled through. "There is an ambush of vamps outside. Kestrel, I need your help," she cried and tossed her a stake. Kestrel turned to Willow. "Finish the spell," she commanded in a hushed, but authoritative voice, and ran out after Buffy. Kestrel was greeted by the sight of twenty or so vampires slowly approaching the school. "How do you want to go about this?" she questioned the slayer. Buffy thought for a moment. "You take the right, I'll take the left, and we'll meet in the middle," she said finally. She sure was glad that she didn't have to face this alone. This many vampires at once would take a miracle to defeat. They were some of Angel's boys, fresh, young and stupid. They weren't exceptional fighters and should be fairly easy to kill. This many, would be a trick, even for the slayer. She effortlessly tossed a stake through the heart of one of the vamps. "One down, a bunch to go," she sighed and headed into the crowd. Kestrel found that these vamps were surprisingly weak. New, she suspected as she recalled the disorientation of her transition. She threw a clean roundhouse into the belly of the first demon. He fell to the ground and she easily drove the stake through his heart. The vampires appeared to be zombies as they paid little attention to their fallen comrade and merely marched on over him. She continued her battle on into the crowd. The two girls fought for nearly ten minutes before all the vamps had been dusted. "Well, that was pretty much the stake and move on method of slaying," Buffy joked. "I guess Angel just wanted to keep us busy for awhile." The two girls looked at each other. "I'm going to the mansion," Buffy told the other girl in a calm voice. Kestrel nodded. Buffy grabbed her bag of weapons and headed away from the school. Kestrel just hoped that Willow finished the spell before Buffy killed Angel.
"I don't see why we didn't just kill them when we had the chance," Spike complained. "This is all a bloody joke. That damned girl is going to come here again and you are going to get all soft hearted and let her walk all over us. You deserve to get killed the way you're carrying on." Angel snarled at Spike and leapt to his chair. "Watch what you say roller boy," he growled. "Next time I go fishing, I just might use you as bait." Angel shoved the wheelchair back. "No mate, I think you are the one who ought to be careful," Spike retorted, fighting the urge to get up and kill the son-of-a-bitch himself. "Ooh, what are you gonna do, roll over my toes?" Angel mocked. Spike was getting angry. With a bit more energy, he almost could carry out that threat. "I know the slayer is coming, it's all part of my plan." Spike laughed. "Right, good plan mate. Get her all pissed off and then lure her here so she can kill you. I'm impressed with that ingenious plan." Angel glared at him in hatred. "Well, destructo boy," Spike began. "I was just wondering what you plan on doing after you destroy the world. I mean, that's sort of your goal in life. What would be left for you to do when that was done?" Angel threw him an icy stare. He tried never to entertain the idea that Spike could be right. "The girl," he began angrily and then calmed himself. "The girl could be very useful to us if we could just get her to ditch the soul and play on our team." Drusilla walked out combing her doll's hair. Angel grabbed her in his arms and pulled her close. He leaned in to her ear and made her giggle like a child. "We could be one, big, happy family, don't you agree Baby?" She smiled dreamily. "Oh, we could be one big happy family," she repeated. "I could be the mummy, and you could be the daddy, and Spike could be the..." "Annoying little terrier that nips at everyone's heels," Angel finished in attempt to anger his cripple friend. Spike let it pass without much attention. "I'm going out. I would really loved to see you get bagged by the slayer, and all, but I have other things to attend to," he announced as he wheeled himself out of the room. "Good," Angel declared. "That gives me and Dru an opportunity to be alone." He pulled her closer to his body. Spike paused for a moment, thought better of it, and continued out of the room. Angel would pay.
***************
Spike wheeled himself out of the mansion and into the cool, midnight air. When he was sure that no one was following him, he pushed himself up out of the wheel chair and walked through the damp grass. He was losing his patience with Angel. When he first came, Spike had thought that he would be a great asset to them. After all, having the most evil vampire in history on their side was a definite bonus. Spike never took into consideration that Angel had a slight ego problem. He had turned out to be more destructive when he was on their side than when he was fighting against them. He was obsessed with the slayer. Instead of just killing her, he would waste his time taunting her and trying to hurt her. And he was moving in on Dru. That pissed him off more than anything. And Dru went along with anything he said or did. She had taken quite a liking to him, but that was going to be stopped. Spike was going to take great pleasure in killing Angelus, it was only a matter of time. In the meantime, he was going to enjoy preying on the unsuspecting humans of Sunnydale.
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Buffy headed up the steps to the dark mansion. "We should split up," Buffy suggested, "So we don't get cornered again. You go around through the back way." Kestrel agreed and headed for the back, and stopped. "Buffy," she called. The slayer stopped and turned to face her. "Leave Drusilla to me." Buffy nodded and entered the building. Kestrel hoped that things would go as planned. She wanted to convince her sister to come with her. If worse came to worse, she would be forced to kill her. She hoped that it wouldn't come to that, but she was not holding her breath. Reluctantly, she pushed through the rear door and into the quiet mansion. Buffy made her way through the dark corridors. She had a strange sense of de ja vu from earlier that evening. The hall was quiet, but she had learned that this was the time she needed to worry the most. She was not looking forward to facing Angel. Once she did that she knew that there would be not hope for them. No chance that everything could go back to the way it was. She just hoped that she could go through with it without getting herself killed. She thought of Kestrel. That girl would lose two people that she loved. She made her way into the dimly lit ballroom. She just wanted to get this over with. Buffy stopped and listened, not with her ears, but with her mind. A dark feeling rushed over her, a very distinct presence. Angel. She knew he was there before she even turned around. "What a surprise it is to see you here," said in his usual mocking tone. "I knew you would come to your senses eventually, and come back to me." Buffy turned to face him. "Hello lover," she greeted coldly. "Too bad that I'm going to have kill you now." He laughed. "I'm sure that you're going to try, but in the end you'll see what a mistake you are making. Oh come on, we could be so good together. We could own the world. Can't you see it?" She scoffed at his proposition. "I don't think I want to be a part of your world," she remarked. He feigned heartbreak. "Oh well, I guess I'll just have to kill you then," he said and moved towards her. She balanced herself and prepared for a fight. He rushed towards her and she leapt to the side before he could grab her. She kicked him in the small of the back and sent him forward. He spun around in anger. "Come on love, you're not playing fair," he whined as he delivered a smooth punch to her left cheek. "Now, that's fair," he said and moved to take another swing at her. She blocked his punch, but could do nothing to stop the motion of his leg, which caught her squarely in the ribs. She stumbled back, but quickly caught herself, and regained her balance. She rushed forward and returned the hit with a kick to the stomach and punched him in the face with all her weight behind it. He grasped his abdomen, but quickly recovered and reached up suddenly, grabbed her by the back of the neck and sent her flying into the wall. Her head slammed the concrete and she crumpled to the floor, barely holding on to consciousness. "Wow, this is pretty convenient," Angel said as he moved in on the fallen slayer.
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Kestrel quietly moved toward the ballroom where she hoped to find her sister. She held the stake Buffy had given her firmly in her hand. She didn’t want to kill Dru, but she would if she had to. She planned to convince her to come back with them, and save herself. Kestrel knew it was a futile effort, but she had to try. She rounded the corner into a lavish bedroom where she saw Drusilla sitting on the bed brushing her hair. “Why Kessie, you’re back,” she chirped. “Why did you run off like that, you had mummy all worried.” She patted the bed and motioned for her sister to come sit next to her. “Come my pet, and let me brush your hair.” Kestrel shook her head firmly. “Dru, I want you to come with me. We can be together just like we used to, before Angel came. Before things got bad.” Drusilla just stared at her as if she could not comprehend what she was saying. “You’re not listening to mummy. You don’t want to be bad, do you? Now come sit by me and let me make you all pretty.” Kestrel shook her head. “No,” she said firmly. Drusilla was enraged. She got up from her perch on the bed and moved toward her sister. Kestrel held the stake up and Dru stopped and stared at her in disbelief. “You don’t want to hurt your mummy, now do you?” She asked innocently. “You are being a very naughty girl, and you need to be punished.” She took a step toward Kestrel and held her hand in front of her face. “Watch the birdie,” she said and waved her hand back and forth. Kestrel started to feel a little light headed. Everything was going to be just fine. She was so calm and relaxed, it would all be... “No,” she shouted as she realized what was happening. She slapped Dru’s hand away making her all the more upset. Drusilla glared at her in anger and then slapped her across the face with all her might. Kestrel fell to the side and slammed against the night table. She held her hand up to her cheek and felt that the area was tender. She knew what she had to do. She sent a roundhouse kick into her sister’s abdomen and the girl stumbled backwards. “I’m sorry sister,” she said apologetically as she raised the stake over Dru. The angry vampire leapt up off the floor and grabbed for the wooden stake in Kestrel’s hand. The two girls struggled over the stake, both determined to obtain it. Kestrel was strong, but her sister was stronger. With one shove, Drusilla sent Kestrel flying backward into an old chair in the corner. A broken piece of the wood pierced her chest. Dru just watched in apathy as the life slipped from her sister. Kestrel’s dying body slid from the chair onto the floor. “Why did you have to make it so difficult?” Dru asked. “We could have been a family, but you had to go and ruin my plans. I have to go tell your daddy what you’ve gone and done,” she threatened like an angry mother as she sauntered out of the room. Kestrel stared up at the ceiling. All she could do was pray that Angel and Buffy could be spared.
****************
"Te implor, Doame, nu ignora aceasta rugaminte..." Willow called out as she recited the text of the spell. She wasn't sure if she was pronouncing the words right, she just hoped it would work. Giles circled her with the flaming herbs and read the English translation that accompanied it. "I implore you lord do not ignore this request," Giles read aloud. Willow went on. "Nici mort, nici al fiintei," she recited as best as she could. "Neither dead or living." Willow continued to read the text, then abruptly stopped. "What is it?" Giles asked, confused."That's it," she said slowly. "That's all that's written. The rest of the spell is missing."
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Buffy looked up at Angel through her blurry vision. “You know Buff, I really am going to miss you. Too bad it couldn’t have worked out,” Angel quipped. She could see him preparing to deliver the fatal blow. She rolled away just as his fists came down and cut through the air where her head had been. He fell forward a little with the motion of his arms. Buffy took advantage off this moment to knock Angel behind the knees causing him to fall to the floor. She quickly jumped to her feet and stood over him holding a stake. She looked down at her love and prepared herself to drive the stake through his heart.
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Kestrel managed to drag herself to the doorway of the ballroom. She saw Buffy standing over Angel preparing to kill him. The spell hadn’t worked, she could feel it. Willow hadn’t been able to complete the ritual. Kestrel pulled herself up against the door frame and tried to recall the words of the incantation. It had been so long! She sent her thoughts back to Africa where she had seen the ritual performed. She listened carefully, straining to hear the words that accompanied the images in her mind. She had it! She carefully began to recite the end of the ritual in ancient Romanian. Her confidence grew with every word. “Asa sa fie! Asa sa fie! Acum!” she cried. A strong wind blew through the mansion causing it to creak and groan under the pressure. She tried to speak over the wind, but it was so loud and she was weakening by the minute. “So it shall be! So it shall be! Now!” she screamed over the howling wind. She completed the spell and the wind ceased almost as quickly as it had started. It had worked. Angel’s soul had been restored. Kestrel felt the energy drain from her body and she fell to the floor.
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The wind whipped Buffy’s hair around her face, and then abruptly stopped. Angel looked up at her with pleading eyes. “Buffy?” he cried softly. She looked down at him with confusion. It couldn’t be Angel. But it had to be. Tears welled up in her eyes blurring her vision. She lowered the stake slightly and looked at him, unsure of what to do. He tried to stand, but fell back to the floor. Buffy wanted to hold him in her arms, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. What if it wasn’t really him? A massive force knocked into Buffy’s side and threw her to the floor. Drusilla clawed at her face with razor sharp nails. “What did you do to my Daddy?” she shrieked. Buffy had been taken by surprise and was now pinned beneath Dru’s strong body. “You’ve been a naughty girl and you’re going to pay,” she taunted as she bent her sharp fangs to the slayer’s neck. Buffy writhed beneath her unable to move. Angel tried to reach her, but stumbled with every step. He was going to have to watch Buffy die. Buffy struggled trying to free herself. Once she realized there was nothing she could do, she closed her eyes and waited for it to come. An ear piercing shriek reverberated throughout the entire mansion. Buffy’s eyes flew open to see Drusilla roll off of her and on to the ground. The bewildered vampire touched the stake that pierced her heart. She looked up to see Kestrel standing above her. “What did you do to mummy?” she asked. A tear rolled down Kestrel’s cheek. “I’m so sorry,” was all she could say to her dying sister. A single drop of liquid glistened on Drusilla’s face and she reached out to Kestrel. She gave her sister her hand. As soon as they made contact, Drusilla disintegrated into a million tiny particles of dust. Kestrel collapsed from exhaustion. The battle had been won. Angel crawled to her side and held her fragile body in his arms. He was shaking, as the memories came flooding back to him. “I’m sorry, God, I’m so sorry,” he apologized tearfully. Kestrel smiled. “No,” she replied and tenderly touched his cheek with her hand. “I owed it to you. You saved my life. The least I could do was saves yours,” she replied. He shook his head and began to speak, but she quickly hushed him. “Shh,” Kestrel instructed. “I will finally be happy. I get to see Dru again. The real Drusilla, not the demon.” She smiled at the thought of a reunion with her sister. Her expression turned solemn and sincere as she looked back to Angel. “You showed me a life that no one would ever forget and I love you for that.” She looked over had Buffy who was sitting in the corner, politely giving them time alone together. “She still loves you, you know. She knows that it wasn’t you who did all those horrible things to her. The two of you belong together, I can feel it. Together, you can save the world from anything.” She took in a painful breath and shuddered. Angel held her tighter. "The curse is broken. Nothing can take away your soul now. You deserve to be happy," she said simply. "Maybe if I gave you some of my blood..." he began, but was silenced by Kestrel. "I'm done living," she replied matter-of-factly. "Frankly, I don't think anything could ever measure up to this. Besides, I miss Dru, and you and Buffy need to be alone together." He nodded. He never had been able to resist her wishes. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I love you," he whispered. She smiled. "I know," was her only reply. Angel released her and carefully laid her back on the ground. "Please tell Buffy that I want to talk to her." He nodded and walked towards Buffy. After a quick word Buffy slowly made her way to where Kestrel lay. "Hey girl," she greeted her as if they were in the hallway of school. "It's been a hell of a day." Buffy gave up trying to contain the sobs and let the outpour of tears flow down her cheeks. She felt happiness for Angel's return, but it was diluted by her sorrow for Kestrel. "Look," Kestrel continued in a more serious tone. "I want you to take care of him. He needs you." Buffy nodded unable to speak any intelligible words. "Everything is going to be okay for you two, I know it is." "Thank you for saving my life, for Angel, for everything," Buffy finally said. Kestrel shook her head. "Hey, no problem," she replied nonchalantly. "I want you to do me one last favour," she pleaded. "I want you to take that stake and drive it through my heart." Buffy looked down at the girl through the unwept tears in her eyes, and back at the stake in her hand. She positioned the stake over the girl's heart with her trembling right hand and grabbed Kestrel's hand with the other. Buffy closed her eyes and thrust her fist down. She heard a sharp intake of breath and opened her eyes. Kestrel looked up at her with admiration. "Thank you," she mouthed silently as her eyes slowly shut. She did not turn to dust.
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Giles looked at Willow, bewildered. "What was that," he asked referring to the wind that had just blown from nowhere. "I'm not sure," Willow replied, "But I think that everything is going to be all right."
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Angel came up behind Buffy and held her in his arms. She gratefully fell back into his embrace. The tears fell from both of their eyes as they consoled each other. "I love you," Angel told her. Buffy smiled relieved to have him back in her arms. "I love you too, God, I love you so much it hurts," she replied between sobs. "But it won't hurt anymore," he promised her as they softly kissed. Buffy pulled back reluctantly and looked down at Kestrel's lifeless body. She looked so peaceful. "We need to bury her some place. We can't just leave her here." Angel nodded in agreement as Buffy carefully lifted the girl up off the floor. Angel put his arm around her shoulder and together they left.
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Spike entered the mansion from the back, surprised at the quiet that greeted him. He rolled into the ballroom and cursed at the sight that lay before him. The room was a mess. Boxes lay scattered across the floor and a thin trail of blood lead to the other side of the room. Spike was anxious to find Drusilla. "Pet," he called out and was answered by the echoes of his own voice. "Dru, come out now, I've got a surprise for you." Still no answer. Spike became alarmed. He pushed his body up out of the chair and walked across the room, following the trail of blood. It led to a small pile of dust. In the centre of the mess, lay a silver chain. Spike slowly bent down and picked it up and examined it. It belonged to Dru. He tightly clasped his hand around the chain and closed his eyes in rage. "Damn Slayer," he exclaimed.