PART 14 R

Warning: This part gets really graphic and might be disturbing for some people. Reader discretion is adivsed.

Angel sat in the dark corner of the musty room, hiding from the window. The curtain didn’t completely cover the deadly rays of the sun. He had been sitting there for hours, waiting. Waiting to live, waiting to die. Angel was scared. The usually fearless vampire was so scared of what was going to happen. Not just to him, but to Buffy. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her. If Spike and Drusilla tried to make him evil again, he would drive a stake through his heart before they got the chance. He just sat there, thinking. It was all he could do. He thought of the past, of the horrible things he had done. He remembered killing Mira. He thought about how he hadn’t told his friends the whole story. He hadn’t lied to them, but he withheld some information. Gruesome information. Yes, Angelus had killed her family, mutilating them. Gouging out their eyes, bashing their heads in, ripping their still beating hearts out of their chests. Sucking every bit of blood out of their bodies that he could get. He remembered grabbing her little puppy from the backyard. The thing was only about four months old. Angelus had nailed the puppies tiny body to the wall above her families bodies. He could still see Mira’s face when she had dashed through her front door so show her mother the gift her watcher had given to her. The sapphire pendant. The happy look on her face twisting into utter horror. And when the girl had found him in the graveyard, he had said “Your family tasted sooo good!” She tried to fight him, but couldn’t. She didn’t have the will. The thing that Angel didn’t tell them was that she didn’t just give up after a fight, he had abused her. Angelus had pushed her down on the ground, and tore her clothes off. She laid there, frightened, shocked, in fear of him, and didn’t struggle when he did the most horrible thing he could do to a girl, he raped her. He remembered her crying, sobbing, shaking. When she couldn’t take it anymore, she told him to kill her, and he did. He leaned down on her naked body, turned her head to the side, exposing the soft, white flesh on her neck, and slowly sunk his fangs into her jugular. He sucked every ounce of blood that was in her body. And when he had finished, he left her there, walking away without a second thought.

Angel shuddered. He loathed himself. He hated thinking about the things he had done in the past. All the killing, the hurting, the pain. A tear fell down his pale face. So much guilt filled his body. He choked back the emerging sob. His body quivered. He reached up and grabbed the cross he wore around his neck. Despite the burns that it caused him, he wore it anyway. It helped calm him. Angel looked down at his hand and gazed at the claddagh ring, the heart pointing toward him, representing his love for Buffy. Just this calmed him down. All of a sudden he was ripped from his thoughts to the sound of a key in the door. He watched the doorknob slowly turn, and the door creep open. .

Ring.

“Shit.”

Ring.

“Don’t you dare answer that phone.”

Ring.

“But...”

Ring.

“NO!”

Ring.

“It might be Buffy..”

“Ugggh!”

Xander reached over and grabbed the phone. Breathlessly, he answered. “Hello?”

“Xander?” a worried voice said.

“Uh, yeah?”

“This is Giles. Something terrible has happened.”

“What? Is everything okay?” Cordelia shot him a look of disgust.

“No, unfortunately not. There is a huge crisis on our hands. Everything is in a complete disarray. I made a costly error. My inaccuracy could be the downfall of everything...”

“Whoa, Whoa, Slow down. What is going on?” Xander asked, greatly concerned. He looked at Cordelia, who sensed his worry.

“I don’t have time to explain over the phone, just get to the library right now. Call Cordelia and have her come too.”

“Right...right. What about Willow?”

“I’ve already called and informed her. Now hurry.”

“Wait--Giles!” Xander called, but Giles had already slammed down the receiver. Xander hung up the phone.

“What’s going on?” Cordelia asked, her voice filled with fear and concern.

“I don’t know, but something bad has happened. Giles, he sounded, so, un-Giles like. He seemed so scared.” He gazed up at her face.

“Will everything be okay?” She whispered, not wanting to reveal her fear, but he already felt it. Suddenly her hugged her fiercely, not wanting to let go, not wanting to go to the library, or find out the horrible news that awaited them. He wanted to protect her from the world, but he couldn’t. She grabbed his face and kissed him. “We have to leave. We need to help Giles and Buffy.” He nodded, grasped her small hand, and the two teenagers left Xander’s house.

“I wonder what he is doing right now...” Buffy said. “I hope he is okay...”

“He is probably thinking of you.” Hope replied.

“You think so?”

“I know so. I can see the love you share just by the looks you give each other. Its like an electric current running on high.”

The Slayer smiled at her new friend. “You know, Hope, I have to be honest with you. When we first met, I didn’t trust you.”

She seemed a bit hurt. “What do you mean?”

“Well, when I’m near you, I get this weird feeling. It’s like, you give off this sensation, these funky vibes. Remember when we shook hands? When you touched me, you sent these tingles throughout my body.” She glanced at Hope, you looked confused. “Don’t’ get me wrong, I do like you, but there is something different about you.”

“Well, I can’t say that I felt the exact same way, but, when I met you, something was different. It was like, I was supposed to meet you...I had a reason for it. Almost like fate.” She looked away. “Do you think it has anything to do with Mira?”

“I have no clue.” Buffy sat and pondered for a moment. “Where is your necklace?”

“Oh, it’s right here.” She pulled it out of her bag.

“Can I see it?”

“Sure.” She handed the pendant to Buffy.

The Slayer took it from her. She fingered it, staring into it. It was mesmerizing, like a deep ocean of blue, swimming in her head. She stared hard into it, going deeper and deeper past the surface. She was suddenly lost in its beauty. Buffy felt like was *in* the stone. Her head started to spin. She felt dizzy, and dropped the necklace. Then everything when black.

Xander and Cordelia entered the dark confines of the library. Giles and Jenny huddled at a table full of weapons, sharpening stakes and putting together a new crossbow, while trying to repair the broken one. Willow sat in a corner, going through books. Giles noticed that they weren’t alone. He looked up and saw the them standing there. “Thank God you have finally arrived. It’s about bloody time.” He said, rushing over to them.

“Giles, you called us *five* minutes ago.” Xander said.

“Time is of the essence. You don’t’ understand what is going on.” he immediately went into the details of their situation.

“This is really serious.” Cordelia spoke, after Giles finished.

“Yes, it is. We have to...”

“I GOT IT!” The Watcher was interrupted by a loud voice. “I FOUND SOMETHING!”

Everyone in the room looked at Willow, who jumped up with glee at her newly found information.

“You found what?” Xander asked.

“Well, you know how you told me that Hope was so strong and Buffy felt so weird around her?” Giles nodded earnestly. “Well, I think I might have found an explanation. Listen to this: There is only one slayer in each generation. She is the chosen one who has the skill and ability to fight and destroy the demons that walk the earth. However, if her power is not strong enough, she may obtain guidance or help. A slayer from the past may reach out to her by bestowing her power on to a girl of the age of 16. It is customary that she be of blood relation. The source of the power may come in a special origin, presumably in an item that was greatly significant to the slayer.”

PART 17 G

“Buffy? Buffy? Are you there?”

Buffy slowly opened her eyes to the sound of the soft voice calling her name. Her vision was blurry, and took a moment to focus. She looked at her surroundings. “Where am I?”

“You’re in your subconscious.” the soothing voice said.

Buffy staggered to her feet. She felt as if she were floating on a cloud. She was in a garden of wild flowers, endless fields of them, all around her. She spun around to see an angelic-like girl standing in front of her. “Who are you?” She asked suspiciously.

“You know who I am.” the girl said. Buffy looked into her familiar eyes. “Hope?”

“No, my dear. Not Hope. But someone very close, yet distant to her and you. Buffy, you and I share a connection. I am Mira, the Vampire Slayer.

“No way. You’re dead, very dead. For a couple hundred years now.” Buffy said uneasily.

The girl gave a small laugh. “Yes, I am dead, but I’m coming to you in a dream. Don’t be frightened.”

“Well, what do you want?”

“To tell you something very important. It is about Angel.”

Buffy felt a small lump in her throat. “Is he dead?” she uttered.

She smiled. “No dear, he is alive, but in grave danger. You must rescue him as soon as possible. Or else he will no longer be your Angel.”

“Wait a minute, why are you telling me this? He killed you and your family, what makes you want to help him?” Buffy asked.

“Your wrong. He didn’t to all those horrible things. Not Angel, but Angelus, the demon within him. When you become a vampire, your soul flees to safety, and is forced to watch the demon take over your body, destroying everything dear to you. Angel has been forgiven. He has redeemed himself by becoming good. He no longer feeds on humans, and has joined you in your fight against the forces of darkness.”

Buffy didn’t know what to say. “Will he become the new Master when the sun goes down?”

Mira nodded. “That is why you must hurry.”

“But how do I save him? Spike and Drusilla have him captured, and he can’t go outside or the sun will kill him!” Buffy said exasperated. “I can’t lose him. I love him.”

“I know. That is why he will be given a second chance. You must give him a token of life. It will be the key to his humanity. It will protect him from harm.”

“What? What is the key?” she desperately asked.

“You will know when you see it.”

“Oh god, this is all too much for me to handle.”

“You are strong, Buffy. Believe in yourself and you can do anything.”

“Mira, why is Hope here? There has to be a reason.”

“She is here to help you. She will fight by your side. She has the power within her.”

“What power? How does she have power like that? She isn’t a slayer.”

Mira gave Buffy an angelic smile. “Don’t ask so many questions. Just have faith in her and in yourself. She hasn’t realized the gift she has been give, but she will.”

“Gift? What gift? I don’t understand!”

“Good bye, Buffy.” Her image started to fade away.

“No wait! Don’t leave!” Buffy ran to her but it was too late, she had already disappeared. “Now what do I do?” Her head began to throb again, and frustration filled her mind. She looked up into the sky and there was a blinding flash of light. Then darkness.

Angel stared at the door. He knew what was coming. He watched as it slowly opened, and Spike walked through. He gestured to someone outside the hall, then shut the door behind him.

“Well, man, how you holding up?” he asked casually. The vampire looked around and saw that Buffy was gone. “So she did escape? I’m surprised. I didn’t think she would leave you.”

“What do you want?” Angel growled.

“Hmm...let’s see. What do I want? To be honest, I want to kill you. You are a traitor. But, you being my sire and all restricts me from doing so, I have two options: I can torture you, or, I can make that damn soul of yours go away and return you to your true ways.”

Angel stood up. “That’s really funny Spike. You amuse me to no end.”

“You know, it’s really too bad that your precious slayer is going to die. She is quite the feisty one, don’t you agree?” Spike something out of his pocket. It was small, and Angel couldn’t tell what it was. “Curious, Angelus? Here.” He threw the object at Angel. He caught it. Opening his palm, he saw that it was the claddagh ring that he had given to Buffy.

“How did you get this?” Rage filled his body.

“Oh, very easily. When you two were tied up, I slipped it off her finger. She never even noticed.” He laughed. “Nor did she even care.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Angel asked, suspiciously.

“Tsk tsk tsk. You are dense, aren’t you. You really disappoint me. What I mean is that she really *doesn’t* love you. She is just using you.”

“She is NOT using me. We love each other. Something you will never understand.”

“Oh, poor Angelus. She *is* using you. She doesn’t love you. She just pretends to care so you will stay on her side....so you will continue killing your own kind.”

“YOU'RE WRONG!”

“Just keep telling yourself that old boy.” Spike said. He grabbed the ring back from Angel and walked toward the door. When his back was turned, Angel lunged at him, knocking him down. Spike kicked him away, and quickly got back up. Angel tried to lunge at him again, but two vamps from out in the hall ran into the room after hearing the commotion and held him back. Spike rubbed his sore jaw. “It’s only a matter of time.” He said, and walked out the door. One of the vamps grabbed a baseball bat and hit Angel over the head with it, knocking him unconscious. They left, and slammed and locked the door shut behind them.

“Buffy! Wake up! Buffy?” Hope shook her friend slightly. Buffy had been passed out on the couch for ten minutes, and nothing seemed to wake her up.

“Buffy!” Hope went to the bathroom and grabbed a bottle of rubbing alcohol from beneath the sink. She poured a little on a cotton ball and waved it underneath her friend’s nose. Buffy stirred, and slowly opened her eyes.

“Mira? Don’t go, Mira, tell me the key, I have to help Angel.” Buffy murmured.

“Buffy, It’s Hope, not Mira. Remember me?”

“Help me, Mira. Please don’t go,” she said, and closed her eyes again.

“Buffy! No, don’t close your eyes. Uugghh! What do I do? What do I do?” She was racked with worry. An idea flashed in her mind. She ran to the kitchen and searched for a phonebook. When she found one, she looked up a number and grabbed the phone and dialed.

“I definitely think that you may have found something. If this is true, then it explains a lot. Especially with Hope.” Giles said, when Willow finished.

“Giles,” Jenny said, “Something crossed my mind. Hope came to Sunnydale just in time for us to find out about all of this. She has the strength of a slayer, but not the skill. Her aunt was a slayer, and she wears a mysterious pendant. I’m might be wrong, but It almost fits in with what Willow just read to us. Is it possible that Mira sent Hope here to help Buffy?”

Giles thought for a moment. “It is very likely. But what would her source of power be?”

“The necklace?” Jenny suggested.

“So the plot unravels...” Xander’s attempt at dry humor was cut off by the telephone.

Giles walked over and picked it up. “Hello?”

“I need to speak with Giles!!!” The voice said urgently.

“This is him.”

“Oh I’m so glad you there! It’s Hope. I’m at Buffy’s house, and we were talking and she was looking at my necklace and then she passed out and I can’t wake her up and I don’t know what to do!” Hope rambled quickly.

“Calm down, calm down. Where is she now?”

“She is lying on the couch. She woke up for a minute and was murmuring something and then passed out again!”

“All right, I’ll be over there as soon as possible.” He hung up the phone. “Something is wrong with Buffy. She’s passed and can’t be woken.” He told them. “I am going over to her house right now.”

“Well I’m coming too!” Xander said.

“If he is going, I’m going.” Willow said.

Cordelia piped up. “Well then I’m going too.”

Everyone looked at Jenny. “I don’t want to be here alone, so I’m also going.”

Giles sighed. “Very well then. Let’s go. We still need to prepare, so we will do it at her house. Gather up all the weapons and books that you can. And hurry!”

The group gathered up everything that they could and made their way to Buffy’s house. In Giles’ drove Willow, Jenny, and Cordelia with Xander.

“Giles, what do you think is wrong with Buffy?” Jenny asked.

“I really don’t know. Hope was very frantic on the telephone.”

“I hope she will be okay, she is our only hope.”

“But remember that Hope is here to fight too, and Hope is also our hope.” Willow said. “Did that make sense?”

“But Hope has no skills. She is strong enough to go against a vampire, but doesn’t ability to fight him.” Jenny said.

“Maybe she does.” Giles said.

“What do you mean by that?” Jenny asked.

“Well, perhaps Hope does possess the skill and ability, but she just doesn’t recognize it yet. It is possible that she doesn’t know how to use her power.”

“Let’s just pray that she figures it out.”

*Groan* Angel’s head was pounding as he slowly drifted in and out of consciousness. He opened his eyes, and looked around. The walls were spinning and the floor was moving, like he was on a roller coaster. Sickness came over him, and he felt like we was going to throw up. Angel brought his hand to his forehead and felt a big lump. he thought. He looked up to see Drusilla standing over him.

She knelt down beside him. “Hello Angel. How are we feeling?”

“Like I’ve been hit by a semi truck. Where am I?” he asked.

Dru was puzzled. “You don’t know?” she asked him, helping him sit up.

“I don’t remember anything.”

“Do you remember me?”

“Of course I remember you. I could never forget you. I just can’t seem to remember anything else.”

“What is the last thing that your pretty little head does remember?”

“I don’t know. It’s like my memory is jumbled. What is going on?”

“Nothing, my luv.” she smiled. “Do you remember Buffy?”

He looked puzzled. “Who the hell is Buffy?”

Dru squealed. “I’ll be right back. You just wait here.”

She ran out of the room. “Spike! Come here. Spike!” He walked into the hallway.

“What?”

“Angel doesn’t remember anything.”

“What do you mean?”

“Come and see him, luv.” She gently pulled on his arm and lead him into the room.

Angel looked up. “Spike, buddy. What’s going on?”

“Buddy? I’m not your buddy. Are you feeling okay, Angel?”

“Okay, you two are getting me *really* confused. Would you tell me where the hell I am, and why do you keep calling me Angel?”

Spike was confused. < What the bloody hell is wrong with him? > “What do you want to be called?”

“Gee...Hmmm...I don’t know.” he said, sarcastically. “What do you think?” he asked, angrily. “My name is Angelus.”