Title: Afterlife
Part title: The Journey

Author: GMB loves Angel

Spoilers: Iwry (as always), the last four eps of Angel season 2, the bachelor party, Hero, the gift... that's kinda it...

Rating: PG-13

Timeline: A few months after the gift...

Authors notes: This fic series will go between two worlds. Here's my version of what happened after the gift... I admitt it I'm completely hung up in Pylea... Iwry happened a season after than it did in the show...

Dedication: To Dawnie, for her wish for a new part... And to Sarah Mclachlan, because her CD, Fumbling Towards Extacy is playing in the background and it's very inspiring...

Seeing her again was an incredible feeling. He didn't know how to describe it. It was just amazing. He saw the emotions cross her face, then he saw her sink to the floor, crying.

- No, she muttered. - It can't be true…

She started to rock forwards and backwards on the floor. This wasn't the reaction he had hoped to find, but it wasn't unexpected. He remembered Fred's reaction when her parents came to take her home. He couldn't believe that he was finally there. He had been right all the time.

He ran to Lorne right that instance. He needed his help. Only Lorne knew the way to the hot spots. Or he knew someone to help. Whatever he knew, it would help. He also had to get the book with the key words. He had to get to Pylea. Nothing frightened him, not even the beast that could be released there. All he could think was how to get there quickest. He didn't want to miss out on an other day with her, when he didn't have to.

He was about to go to her, comforting her, when he felt it. No, it couldn't be happening, but it was too late. He felt the change. All of a sudden he was… The Beast… All his senses was covered, hidden. And he relied only on instincts. Then , as he made his way towards Buffy, something green and spiky grabbed him and started fighting with him. Cordelia watched them, not knowing what to believe.

- Doyle…?

Cordelia was looking at Doyle. How could it be true. She had seen him die and here he was. Did everyone who died come here? She didn't know how to feel. She wanted to hug and kiss him all over, but seeing as he was fighting Angelus, it was kind of impossible. She was looking at his demon self. The thing he had been hiding from her for so long, afraid that she would tell him to get lost if he showed it to her, but here she was watching him and fell in love once more…

She had insisted to come. Sending Angel alone to Pylea, would be an idiotic thing to do, especially as he could convert to Angelus at any moment while being there. She remembered Angelus true face. He had been wild, running on instincts and sending him with the baby, would be just as bad as killing the baby. Neither she or Buffy would forgive her if she let him. He wouldn't even hear the suggestion of leaving the baby behind. He told Cordelia that the most important thing was to reunite the family. Buffy had been taken away her daughter by the Oracles, without knowing what had happened with her and he would not settle with telling Buffy she was all right. He wanted to show her. It was important. Now they were back, looking at the two suns. It was still strange to see Angel in daylight, which was possible here. But the bad side of him was also worse here, so it wasn't such a paradise after all…

Their first stop was the Deathwalk clan, Lornes family. Here they were met with the same hospitality as he had been met with the last time. It didn't take long before they revealed what they knew. They asked Angel how the girl was doing. Knowing in his gut that they were talking about Buffy, Angel tried to find out everything he knew. All they could tell them was that she had come to them, when she was in labor and that the baby had been born in their house. And that she had been with a man. None of them could understand who. And they couldn't tell them where she was. Cordelia could see that Angels heart leaped, despite the fact that he was undead.

They continued their way to the Palace. Cordelia had butterflies in her stomach. She was about to meet the Grusalugg again. But also there was something clogging. She didn't understand, she just had a gut feeling that something was going to surprise her.

Doyle had the upper hand in the fight, but yelled for help. Groo was at his side immediately, ready with his sword.

- No, Buffy cried. - Don't hurt him. Get him chained up or something. It's Angel…

She got up and helped Groo and Doyle and soon they had him chained up.

- Are you all right, Buffy, Doyle asked.

He hadn't seen Cordelia yet. She felt a tear running down her cheek. He hadn't seen her. What if he was in love with Buffy… what if… At that moment, he turned around and their eyes met. His demon mask became his human one and he just stared at her. Something told her Groo was looking at her too, but she didn't care about him anymore. It had always been Doyle. How many times hadn't she looked at that tape they had made with that stupid commercial she had insisted they would make. She had started to hate her idea, but she still kept watching it, because it was the only thing she had that allowed her to see him. Time stood still.

Buffy was looking at Cordelia as well, but what took her attention was the little bundle of joy that Cordelia was holding. In only seconds she was at Cordelias side. Cordy passed on the baby to her, the mere second the baby was no longer in her hands, she was in Doyle's arms. If it had been any other moment, Buffy would have admired the way they looked together, but she had her daughter back. Her little girl. The tears returned, only this time they weren't about sorrow, loss or surprise, but joy. They were tears of joy. Buffy felt like crying for days and nights, forever. She never wanted to let her go. Never again.

In his chains, Angel returned. The sight of Buffy and the baby reunited, made it happen. That was his strength, his motivation to keep on going and here it was the trigger of his human form.

- Buffy, he whispered.

She looked up, cradling the infant close to her. The emotion she was feeling was indescribable. He had found her. She had him here. She was no longer alone. She walked towards him. And was ready to sit down with him and curl up in his arms.

- Don't, he whispered. - I'm a danger for both of you. I can't say when he'll return, but I know he will. I don't want your deaths on my conscience. I don't want to loose you.

She sat down, at least three feet from where any part of him could reach with his chains. But still with this distance, she eyed him carefully.

- You found me, she whispered. - They gave her to you?

- Yeah…

- Do you know why?

- Probably to find you. If the powers hadn't wanted me to find you, none of this would have happened. They didn't only give me the baby, but they also gave both me and Cordelia a vision. I saw you… I saw your last moment, where you sacrificed yourself. I felt what you felt and I saw your first few seconds here. They wanted me to find you.

She saw tears coming down his face. She felt them coming down hers. Soon they were both crying silently. Letting their frustrations come out.