Phoenix
By Cynamin
Part Eleven
"You mean we've never done this before?"
Buffy grinned at Angel's befuddled question. "Nope, never."
Angel took a second to think about that. "We were involved, as you say, on and off for three years and we never went to dinner and a movie together?"
"Movie, yes," she replied, taking another bite of her meal. "Out to dinner, no."
After a second, Angel spoke again. "Why?" he asked simply. When Buffy did not immediately respond, he added, "Or is that one of those questions you can't answer?"
Buffy ate slowly to give herself time to think of an appropriate answer. "There are…some parts of the reason we never went out to dinner together that I can't explain," she said. "I can say that we were never conventional date sort of people."
Angel stopped eating abruptly and looked at her. "Is that what this is, then? A date?"
Her food stuck in her throat. "Angel, I…"
He waved it off. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He broke their gaze and wiped his hands on his napkin in a nervous gesture.
Buffy felt awful. Giving Angel her best reassuring smile she said, "I've had a great time tonight so far."
Angel's return smile was half-hearted at best. "So have I," he replied.
That just made Buffy feel worse. Ever since their trip to the beach, their 'let's get together and have a good time' outings had been getting more and more date-like. Buffy just couldn't bring herself to think of them that way, though. It was not that she didn't love Angel; part of her always did. The more time she spent around Angel, amnesia or no, the stronger her feelings for him got.
He'd changed slightly with the loss of memory. For one thing, his general mood seemed lighter. He hadn't lost his ability to brood, but it didn't have the weight of centuries behind it anymore. He also was frequently uncertain, and carried with him a charming sort of innocence.
Yes, she loved him more every day. And though he said nothing, she knew he loved her, too. He was terrible at hiding his feelings; something else that had changed.
And that terrified her, seeing that he loved her so clearly. Because she didn't deserve it, not anymore. She was terrified with Angel's memories looming on the horizon that he'd remember her role in his death and hate her for it. Not only that, but that he'd hate her for being with him through the summer months when he'd rather never see her again.
So she did her best to keep her distance. Not her physical distance, of course, since he needed her there, but her emotional distance. Yet every time she pulled away, she saw the hurt clearly in Angel's expression. That just made her feel terrible.
There was no good solution to this situation.
The rest of the meal was shared in relative silence, and the couple of bites Buffy managed to force down were heavy in her stomach.
Angel insisted on paying the check, unintentionally increasing the date-like atmosphere of the evening. There was nothing that could be done about it, though, as Buffy had very little money. He may not have been able to do much work in the last two months, but Angel was still the one with a job.
Buffy did not look at Angel as they exited the restaurant. With any luck she could get away with not saying anything all the way through the movie. This was not the way she'd planned for this evening to go. She stared down at her feet as they walked.
"Buffy, I'm sorry," Angel began, trying to draw her attention.
Buffy just nodded to herself. "I know," she mumbled.
"I really shouldn't have said anything," Angel said, only half to her. "I just…it's…"
They were too distracted by each other and their feelings to have any inkling of the attack before it came. One moment Buffy was looking at the pavement in between her feet, and the next moment she was tasting it. A moment later she felt a sharp pain at the back of her skull, and then….
It was cold and damp and Angel ached all over. The ground beneath him was hard and there was a significant weight pressed against his left side. He opened his eyes and for a moment couldn't see anything. This could not be a good thing.
There was nothing wrong with his vision. He was simply trapped in total darkness the likes of which he had never seen. Even as his eyes adjusted he could see nothing. He could feel, though. He could feel that the floor beneath him was concrete. He could feel that the weight against his side was alive. "Buffy?" he queried, his voice very loud in the darkness.
She shifted against him with a moan as she stirred. "Angel?" she whispered.
"Right here," he whispered back, giving her a gentle squeeze around her shoulders. Right now he needed to be reassured of her presence just as much as she needed his.
She relaxed against him. "Did you get the name of that truck?" she muttered.
If it had been under less dire circumstances, he might have laughed. As it was, he turned towards Buffy in concern even though he could not see her. "Are you alright?"
"I will be," came Buffy's reply. "I wish they hadn't hit me so hard, though."
Angel was amazed at her light tone. "Who were they?" he asked.
Angel could feel Buffy's shrug in response. "This is your town," he explained. "You have a better chance at knowing them than I do."
"In other words, no chance at all," Angel muttered.
Buffy pulled away from him slightly. "Now is not the time for brooding," she scolded him. "Cheer up!"
"Cheer up?" Angel asked in shock. "We've been abducted off the street and locked up who-knows-where and you want me to cheer up?!"
"What else can you do?" Buffy replied simply. "I've been in bad situations before. So have you. Brooding about them never did any good."
Angel leaned back against the cold stone. "I've been in bad situations before? Situations like this?"
Buffy was silent for a long moment. "Exactly like this? I'm not sure. But some pretty bad situations. Some very bad situations."
"Captured and imprisoned?" Angel asked after a moment, completely shocked at the idea.
Buffy paused again. "Yes," she said reluctantly.
Angel shivered. Captured, cold, afraid…he'd been in situations like this before? It felt so alien to him. "What aren't you telling me?" he whispered.
"Angel, I can't…" Buffy began helplessly.
"Don't say that!" Angel suddenly yelled in frustration. "You keep telling me that there are things you can't tell me, and I thought I understood that. But, Buffy, I can't take these partial explanations and half-truths anymore! You tell me I'm wanted by the police for helping a murderer. You tell me that I've made enemies. You tell me that one of them – a police officer, no less – wanted me captured and now thinks I'm dead. You tell me that I've 'been in bad situations before.'" He paused to catch his breath. "It's like a puzzle missing too many pieces to make out any sort of picture. I'm missing something, and since my memory doesn't seem to be forthcoming, I'm assuming you know exactly what's going on. Considering the situation, I think you need to tell me."
For a very long time Buffy said nothing at all. "Angel," she said wearily, "this isn't something I can just tell. It's too hard for me, and I'm afraid…"
"Afraid?" Angel asked sharply. "Don't you think I'm afraid? And not just now, with being captured. I mean every day. I'm afraid because I wake up every day and I don't know. I don't know! Everything in my life is a complete blank. I can't see a future for myself, because I don't have a past! So what are you possibly afraid of?"
"I'm afraid you'll hate me!" Buffy cried in response.
Angel was completely shocked. "Buffy, what…"
She swallowed so hard Angel could hear it. "You would. I know you would! So yes, Angel, I'm afraid. I'm afraid you'll remember and you'll hate me."
"I could never hate you," Angel said thickly, the words sticking in his throat.
"You could," Buffy said softly. "If you remembered everything I've done to you, you could hate me."
"Buffy," Angel said certainly, "you have helped me far more than I ever expected. Without you, I would still be cowering in my basement apartment, probably barely speaking. Now, not to say that this situation is a great improvement…" That earned a faint chuckle from Buffy. "It would have been far worse without you here."
"That's why you'll hate me," Buffy whispered. "You'll hate me because if you knew what I know, you wouldn't want me here. I shouldn't be here."
"Then why are you here?" Angel asked earnestly. He felt her withdrawing from his side and reached for her blindly. "Please, Buffy! If you think I'd hate you so much, why are you here?"
"Because I love you," Buffy whispered in the darkness.
Angel was certain he hadn't heard her right. "What?"
"I love you, okay!" Buffy yelled suddenly. Then she breathed in harshly. "Oh…" she whispered.
Angel felt the breath rush from his lungs. "I love you," he heard himself whisper back.
He heard a sob catch in Buffy's throat. "Angel, please…"
"Buffy…" He caught her arm blindly. His mind was swimming. "Please, don't…"
She pulled her arm away. "Don't do this to me!" she cried. "You don't know what you're saying! You don't know…"
"But I do know," Angel said calmly back. "I do know. I love you. I always have and I always will."
Buffy sobbed. "You know that?" she whispered hopefully. The she sobbed again. "You couldn't know."
Angel's head felt all fuzzy, but one thing was clear. "I know," he said with certainty. "I love you, too."
Suddenly Angel felt her weight against him as she flung herself against his side. "I love you," she cried. "I never stopped. I didn't mean what I said." He held her as she shook with tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I love you."
Her words were a soothing balm on a wound that Angel didn't even know he had. Despite the cold and the damp and the fear, Angel felt himself smiling. Holding her tightly against him, he let the world slip away.
Part Twelve
Section notes: The song is "Tip Toe" by Kila. / / denotes flashback.
Tip toe through tireless peace
Come and go, leave your toys and sweets
If I had a place you could visit me
Read fairy tales, play hide and go seek
Angel held Buffy to him, rocking slightly as one might comfort a small child. Without really thinking about it, he hummed a soft tune reminiscent of a lullaby as she calmed in his arms.
Cliff faces are far too steep
Even though we try to smile through our teeth
Yet even as he devoted his thoughts to giving her comfort, his mind was being pulled elsewhere. It was as if his mind had been struck by lightening, and now something he could not name was burning him from within. It was impossible to fight it.
/Disorientation. Confusion. Sensation./
This surface is not too deep
Although we have our secrets to keep
/Scents hung heavy in the air, like over-fragrant incense. It smelled like frankincense, so thick that it had lost all possibility of pleasantness. There was a hint of something else beneath it, but he couldn't tell what it was. It softened the scent slightly, but not enough.
It made his lungs burn./
Tightropes are seldom too weak
Say I've lost my shoes or I have cold feet
/His entire body felt wrong. Like it didn't belong to him. His chest felt tight. And that felt wrong, unfamiliar. He…he couldn't breathe. He was suffocating.
His sudden gasp for air made him cough violently. It hurt…actually, everything hurt. The burning in his lungs, however, faded with each gasping breath./
Say stranger how did we meet
Who will hear us when we start to speak
/Without realizing it immediately, he had opened his eyes when he had started coughing. His vision was simply a blur at first, a swirl of reds and oranges. For some reason the flickering, fiery images made him deathly afraid.
He tried to wipe his eyes to clear them, but found that he couldn't. He couldn't move his arms. Both were held fast about the wrists and he struggled in vain against his bonds./
Our shadows are still out on the street
My skin still as white as a sheet
/Two figures entered his hazy and confused vision. At first he only got vague impressions they were there. The first was a vibrant, energetic, and powerful presence that soothed him in a way he didn't understand. The second figure was dark and suffocating, as if it took everything around it in and gave nothing in return./
Our time is short and fleet
Empty pockets, trick or treat
/The dark figure spoke first. "Your creation is awake, old woman," he said. His image resolved itself into a middle-aged man. He was dressed in a long, red robe, but beneath it peeked the collar of a dress shirt and tie.
The second figure was a woman, and despite the man's words she did not seem to be old to the captive. In truth, he could not tell what age she was. Her hair was long and straight, and pure white. She, too, was dressed in a robe, white as her hair, though she wore hers like it was a part of her instead of simply ceremonial trapping./
We all need food to eat
Friend or foe we all go to sleep
/"He is not my creation," she said in a voice that was both young and old. She had an odd accent. "You make me sound like Dr. Frankenstein."
The man scoffed at that. "We all saw the ashes," he said. "You can't expect me to believe that…"
"I don't care what you believe, so long as you listen," the woman snapped. "I told you; you can not simply kill this man. He is too important to Them. The retribution would be beyond what either of us could imagine. The best we can do is render him powerless…helpless. Than neither he nor They can do anything against you."
The man smiled cruelly. "I like the way you think, old woman," he said, running a hand down her side./
Life away from home is far from cheep
So look long before you leap
/The woman looked disgusted at his touch. "Stand back, fool," she demanded. "I'm not done here."
"What do you mean you're not done?" the man demanded. He gestured towards the captive. "Look at him, staring at us like a frightened animal. He's helpless. Harmless."
"Yes, he is," the woman agreed. "But do you want him to stay that way or for him to remember exactly what you did to him the moment he walks out that door?"
The man looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he stepped out of the captive's field of view. "Proceed," he ordered./
Hey soldier please have a seat
You're only alive while your own heart beats
/To the man, it might have appeared like she was leaning over the captive, chanting. To the captive it was something else entirely. She held a long knife in her hands, its blade catching the firelight. "I'm sorry," she whispered so that only he could hear. "I wish there was another way. But the Phoenix must rise again."
She held the knife steadily over his chest. His breath came faster in fear. "You will now remember me," she said, "but you will see me again, Angel."
Then the knife lowered slowly. It pierced his skin and he cried out in sudden pain. He continued to scream as she dragged the knife along his chest. It cut deep, and somewhere beyond the pain and terror he could feel the dampness of his own blood. As she looked into his agonized gaze she chanted softly, inaudible over his screams. She continued her work with careful precision, a lone teat trickling down her cheek./
There will always be wolves among the sheep
But what's left of the earth will be plowed by the meek
Ploughed by the meek
By the meek…
/Suddenly she stopped, removing her knife, and the scream died in Angel's throat. He was panting for breath, already feeling strange from the loss of blood. She stood tall before him, already withdrawing from his vision.
"Clean and dress that wound," she ordered the man still somewhere in the room. "You don't want him dying after all the work I did to give him to you alive." The woman swept out of sight a second later, and Angel could hear the sound of a heavy door slamming.
She was gone./
Tip toe through tireless peace
Come and go, leave your toys and sweets
/The man reappeared before Angel, a sneer twisting his already cruel features. "Clean and dress that wound," he mocked. "No, it may hurt like hell, but it won't kill you…yet." He leaned over Angel and pressed a hand over the precise cuts, making him bite back another cry of pain. "Just think," the man said. "Reborn, the first sound you make is always a scream." He pulled his hand away and showed Angel the blood. "Revenge is sweet, isn't it?"
He stood up again, still smiling. "You will leave here when we are done with you; don't doubt that," he said. "No reason for us to keep you around any more than necessary. First, though…" he turned from Angel to direct his attention to someone out of sight. "Do with him what you will," he said. "So long as he'd breathing when he leaves here, nothing else matters."
He returned his gaze to Angel and his voice dropped into a mocking tone. "Be a good boy and drop into a coma for us, would you?" he said. Then he, too, was gone.
The pain and the screams continued./
When I have a place you can visit me
Read fairy tales, play hide and go seek
And go seek
And go seek
And go seek
Go seek…
"Angel!" Buffy's voice was very close at hand. "Angel, what's wrong?"
Angel's breath calmed and his heartbeat slowed. He looked down at Buffy, knowing that she was concerned even though he could not see her in the darkened room. "What?" Angel asked in confusion.
"You were shaking," Buffy explained. "You were holding me, humming, then stopped suddenly, started shaking, and wouldn't answer me."
"I'm alright," Angel assured her, but he wasn't so certain of that himself. He felt dazed, disoriented. He put his hand to the scar on his chest and was faintly surprised to find that it wasn't bleeding or even painful. "How am I alive?" Angel whispered.
Buffy sat up straighter, pulling away from him slightly. "What?"
"I was dead, wasn't I?" Angel asked. He was surprised at how easily the question came. He frowned in concentration. No, there was something more… "How long was I...?"
"You remember something," Buffy said in understanding.
"Yes," Angel whispered, preoccupied.
"Tell me what it is, Angel, please?"
Angel leaned back, suddenly exhausted. "I saw…when I was brought back, I guess. I…can't explain how they did it. And I don't know who they were. But I know I was dead. And I think you know it, too. But how long…"
Buffy sighed audibly. "Were you dead?" she finished for him. "We…Cordelia, Wesley, and I…aren't sure, exactly. You were gone for several days, but considering…the condition you were in when you were found, you may have only been dead for a brief time, then kept…elsewhere. Captive." There was a long pause as Buffy contemplated what to say next. "That's not all you're asking, though, is it?"
Angel didn't even need to think about his answer. He felt like he was standing on the edge of a large precipice, possibly even already falling, over the gaping hole called 'past.' "No, that's not all I was asking."
Buffy shifted against him, and Angel could imagine her thinking of how to approach the subject gently. She took a deep breath, then spoke slowly and precisely. "You were dead…undead…for two and a half centuries." She waited silently for Angel's response.
"Undead?" he asked, ready to refute what she'd said. Then it all seemed to slip together, dreams traveling over the line into memory. "Vampire."
"Yes," Buffy replied carefully.
Angel was faintly surprised. Not at the facts, which came together, healing his fractured memory with each passing second. Rather he was surprised that Buffy, who had refused to tell him anything about his past, was suddenly so forthcoming. "Why are you telling me this now?" he asked.
"Because you were right," Buffy explained. "I don't know what we're up against, but it always has something to do with demons, vampires, or fighting all of the above. I would bet anything that whoever captured us is in league with demons or evil or something." She sighed and leaned comfortably into Angel's arms once again. "Besides," she whispered, "I get the feeling you already knew."
Faces without names. Names without faces. Names and faces together. Mother, father, sister…sire, childe…friend, lover… "Yes, I knew."
Part Thirteen
Buffy leaned comfortably into Angel's embrace. The warmth of his body, delightfully unfamiliar, drove back the chill of their cell. That's what this was, of course, a cell. Buffy had not doubt about that. Whoever had put them there had taken care to knock her out before she could put up a fight. She never even caught a glimpse of them.
She wasn't thinking about that right now. Her chance – their chance – to fight would come. There was nothing they could do until the opportunity presented itself. No, instead she was taking comfort in Angel's presence as best she could. She listed to the steady beat of his heart and the soft whisper of his breath. His arm was loose but comforting around her shoulders. She wished this could go on forever. Well, under better conditions, of course. She was afraid it wouldn't continue, though.
"Angel?" she asked very softly.
She felt him shift slightly and knew he was looking at her. "What?" he asked, sounding distracted.
She swallowed hard. "How much… What do you remember?"
Angel said nothing for what felt like an extremely long time. "Buffy," he said with a sigh. "It's…I don't know."
"You're confused," Buffy said, half in question. She knew he remembered some; she could feel it. She didn't know, though, whether this would be a miraculous recovery like they talked about in the movies, or just another step on a long road. Buffy was hoping for the former, but she was betting on the later.
Buffy could feel Angel nod. "Yes, I'm confused, " he acknowledged. "As for what I remember…I couldn't give you the story of my life at the moment, but at least I know I actually had a life now." He chuckled weakly. "At least, I know I had a life once."
Buffy couldn't help but smile slightly at that. At least, even in such dire circumstances, he'd managed to keep his sense of humor. She didn't know where things stood between them, though. "Do you remember…" she began hesitantly.
She never got to finish her sentence, as the door suddenly opened with a loud groan. With her eyes fully adjusted to the total darkness of the cell, the sudden light blinded her. She scrambled to her feet, instantly ready to fight against the assailants she couldn't see. Angel stood quickly beside her.
"Well, isn't that sweet," an older male voice said sarcastically. "Restrain her quickly!" he ordered, and Buffy felt herself grabbed from behind.
She struggled against her captors. An elbow connected with someone behind her, and she heard a grunt of pain. She felt a flash of triumph before someone else grabbed her, tighter than the first.
"Hold her!" the same man as before yelled as she struggled. Suddenly she felt a needle dig painfully into her upper arm, and then her whole arm seemed to go numb. The person holding her relaxed.
Even as her vision adjusted to the light, she began to feel woozy and lethargic. "What have you done to me?" she asked thickly.
"Simply a mild tranquilizer…made just for you," the man said confidently. "Can't be too careful. Don't worry; it will wear off soon enough. Of course, you'll be dead by then…." He smiled coldly at her before turning to the men – his flunkies, she supposed – who stood with him. "Bring them both!"
Buffy's eyes adjusted quickly after that, even as the drug took its toll. Through her blurry vision, she could see Angel being led out before her. He was being held by one disgustingly muscular man and not fighting. She wanted to yell at him to try and break free but couldn't. Then, slowly, he turned around to look at her, and something in his gaze made Buffy's words die in her throat.
He gave her a reassuring smile, and Buffy felt herself smiling in return. Whoever their captors were, they had no idea that Angel had maintained his supernatural strength! He turned his back to her again before his gaze could be noticed.
They were escorted into a large room with high ceilings. The room was empty of furnishings, except for a high backed chair facing a large wooden pole secured to the floor. Buffy had the strongest sense of déjà vu, and being burned at the stake really wasn't a memory she looked forward to revisiting. There were people moving about the room, some in street clothes, some in ceremonial robes, all of them human as far as Buffy could tell.
Near the center of the room, two people were arguing vehemently. The first was an older man, his hair just beginning to go gray, wearing an expansive looking business suit. A nervous looking younger, smaller man who had 'flunky' written all over him hovered behind him carrying a length of red fabric. He was being ignored. Instead, the older man screamed at an elderly woman facing him. Buffy tried not to show too much interest as she listened to the argument.
"This is no good!" he yelled. "he was supposed to be out of the way! Instead, I've got a Slayer to deal with, too!"
The woman was completely unfazed. Calmly she replied, "I said he'd be helpless. I didn't say he couldn't find outside help." Buffy realized in surprise that though her hair was completely white, Buffy had no clue how old this woman was after all.
Even as she listened to the argument, Buffy found herself watching Angel's reaction. He'd paled considerably as soon as he'd seen the two of them. He no longer looked at them, but stood stiffly in his captor's grasp. Buffy wanted nothing more than to comfort him, but it was taking all of her strength at this point to remain standing.
A pointed cough sounded in Buffy's ear. One of the guards holding Buffy cleared his throat noisily to gain the suited man's attention.
The strange argument stopped abruptly. Buffy could not help but notice their vastly differing reactions. The man gave a self-satisfied grin and walked towards them possessively. The woman, on the other hand, looked shocked – even possibly alarmed – at seeing them. Or, more specifically, at seeing Angel; her eyes were locked upon him.
"Good. They're right on time," the man said, sounding immensely pleased with himself.
The woman came up behind him, looking very worried. "What have you done?" she asked urgently.
The man laughed. "It's times like this, Jade, that I wonder if you really support us." There was a hint of threat in his voice.
The woman – Jade, apparently – looked offended at that. "Have I failed to help you yet, Marion?" she asked disdainfully.
Anger flashed in the man's eyes. "That's Hunter…or Mr. Hunter… to you," he said dangerously. "Unless you want to get the next space on the stake. I'm sure the Slayer would love some company."
Buffy felt her heart clench in fear. I won't go through this again.
Distantly, she heard Angel yell, "No!" Glancing at him, she saw him begin to struggle.
"Restrain him now!" Marion…Mr. Hunter…barked.
One of the guards released Buffy and she found her weakened muscles weren't as capable of holding her as she thought. She crumpled to the floor, and no one bothered to help her up again. Instead they were to busy restraining Angel, who fought valiantly against them. He had knocked out the single guard that had been holding him and now faced off against another. One of the guards in the midst of the struggle managed to fling Angel into the room's only chair. He sat down hard and suddenly did not move.
The room fell silent when the fighting stopped. Hunter laughed lightly. "It works like a charm," he said, staring at Angel. Angel was glaring at him angrily, but neither moved nor said a word. "Your magic never ceases to amaze me, Jade."
Jade, however, looked nowhere near as pleased. "You never told me what you were using the chair for," she said angrily.
The suited man gave her a pointed look.
The white haired woman continued unfazed. "You are a fool, Mr. Hunter," she said, and his name took on a mocking tone. "I warned you before of the consequences of killing this Warrior."
"And we won't," he replied calmly. "No, he's going to live a long, healthy, mortal life. The Slayer, however…"
Angel looked furious, and his struggle to move was evident on his face.
"Kill the Slayer and another is called," Jade pointed out.
The man chuckled. "For once I am ahead of you," he said. "This Slayer has already died once. Her replacement is in an L.A. prison awaiting trial for murder. There are those that will make sure that her trial takes a long time, and that she gets put away for life. Kill this Slayer, and we are free to do as we please for, oh, fifty years at least."
"And you are free to, oh, take over the world," Jade replied, completely deadpan.
Mr. Hunter smiled. "Of course," he replied. "You have no idea of the kind of status I will gain by being the one to kill this Slayer. That's all that really matters." He looked to his unoccupied guards. "Tie her up!" he ordered, gesturing towards Buffy.
The two conscious guards hauled her unceremoniously to her feet. They did not even take care to make sure she was standing before they half dragged, half carried her across the huge room. She couldn't feel her feet, but she could feel her back when they shoved her against the pole. They were quite efficient with the ropes, tying her up until she couldn't move regardless of the sedative.
Finally allowing his flunky to put his robe over his shoulders, Hunter wore a triumphant smile. Shrugging into his sleeves, he looked at Angel. "And you will get a front row seat, my fried," he said mockingly.
Angel's eyes betrayed everything his tongue could not. It was pure anger, and beneath that a hint of old and new fear. Buffy couldn't interpret everything he was feeling, but she could understand it. Their gazes met, and Angel's eyes begged her to come up with a solution. Buffy, terrified, knew her own gaze gave no answers as they began to pile the wood around her.
Part Fourteen
Frozen in place, Angel watched helplessly as unknown people moved in and out of the room, preparing to burn Buffy alive. They came in with piles of wood, seeming not to notice what they were about to do to a human being. They all seemed to be human, too. At least, that's all Angel could tell from their appearance.
Mr. Hunter had his attention completely on his workers and on Buffy, so he was ignoring Angel in the process. Not that there was any reason he should have been paying attention to Angel. He could struggle for all he was worth to move or even speak and it wouldn't make any difference. Every couple of seconds he tested his invisible bonds to no avail.
All this time, the white-haired woman stood on the edge of the room, a look of stern disapproval on her face. With everyone else occupied, she turned, focusing her gaze on Angel. This was the first time he had gotten a good look at her, and he froze in fear. He knew her, and always would; white hair, too young face, and a sense of power. In his mind's eye she wielded a knife. If Angel hadn't been restrained he knew he would have been shaking.
She walked calmly across the room, drawing no attention as she approached Angel. He could not look away from her. She was very determined in her purpose, but no one other than Angel seemed to even notice her presence in the room. His desire to run from this woman warred with his need to rescue Buffy. As it was, he could do neither,
The woman crossed the cavernous room unnoticed, finally coming to a stop facing Angel. He followed her the entire way with his eyes. Their gazes met at last, and Angel did not let himself be swayed by the apparent sympathy on her face. After all, the last time he had seen her she had been whispering apologies while….
"Shhh," she whispered suddenly, coming very close to inspect Angel's magical bonds. "I'm here to help you."
Help me? Angel thought bitterly. Now why do I find that hard to believe?
"I have no idea," the white-haired woman whispered sarcastically. "But you need my help if you're going to save the Slayer's life."
If Angel hadn't been bound, he would have jumped in surprise. As it was, his thoughts reflected his shock. What?! How…?
"Your thoughts are easy for me to read," she whispered. She smiled up at him briefly from behind the chair.
Lovely, Angel thought to himself, still thick with sarcasm. This was the oddest way to hold a conversation. Now the same people who had been bringing in the wood were beginning to come in with torches, ringing the room. Now's really not the time for chit-chat, Angel thought to his oddly sympathetic captor, letting her feel his rising panic.
She looked up, taking in the sight of the brightly burning torches, and grimaced. "You're right," she agreed. "Please, stop struggling. Hold still."
…what…?
"I'm going to release your bonds," she explained patiently. "We can't have…him…notice that you're free before you get a chance to do what must be done."
Angel was highly confused. Could this be some sort of trap? First she captured him, tortured him…now she was going to set him free? It made no sense to him. There had to be something else going on here, something that he still did not understand. Still, the chance to save Buffy's life… He'd take any chance, however small. Alright.
Suddenly angel felt his capacity for movement returned. It was all that he could do not to spring out of his chair that instant and rush at Buffy's captors. As it was, he clutched at his seat until his knuckles were turning white. "Why?" he asked in a harsh whisper.
Jade did not move from where she crouched next to the chair. "No speaking," she said in a hushed tone. "Do not draw attention to us. I will tell you everything you must know, but first there is something you must do."
Angel knew this was too good to be true. So much for a touch of hope in a bad situation. Here it comes…
"Save the Slayer," she finished.
This time Angel did jump. That was the last thing he had expected her to say. 'Die,' maybe. Certainly not this. "What? I…"
"Hush!" the woman said quickly, suddenly tensing, her gaze locking on the activity going on in front of them.
Mr. Hunter was standing between Angel and the stake Buffy was tied to. His hands were raised, and the torchbearers fell into line behind the stake. Silence descended upon the large room. He turned and looked at Angel, a cruel smile on his face. Angel froze in fear of discovery. Fortunately.
"Only minutes now," Hunter said. "Only minutes and there will be nothing you can do to me any more."
Angel continued to stare at him in anger touched with fear.
Mr. Hunter's gaze turned to Jade. "Let him speak," he demanded.
The woman rolled her eyes and placed herself in between Angel and Hunter. She gave Angel an amused look as she made a complicated, yet unnecessary gesture. Angel had no clue what she was playing at, be he went along with it. She stepped aside and Angel scowled at the older man.
"Why are you doing this?" Angel snarled.
"Why?" Hunter mocked. "Do you know what it was like before you came to this town? No matter what we did, as long as the police didn't notice, as long as we had power – demonic or otherwise – behind us, we could do as we pleased. I could do as I pleased." He scowled. "And then you had to come to town. You could have done like so many other demons have. You could have been a power in this town on your own. Instead, you had to upset things. You had to cause trouble." He smiled coldly. "Witness me getting rid of trouble."
"I don't understand," Angel said slowly.
"Don't play that with me anymore!" the red robed man demanded angrily.
Jade spoke quickly. "I told you the ritual would effect his memory," she said. "That was how you wanted it."
"If he lost his memory," Hunter said, turning his gaze on Jade, "then how come the Slayer is here?"
"She has done nothing to you!" Angel said angrily, barely restraining himself from leaping out of his chair and throttling this man.
"In time, she would have," Hunter replied with certainty.
"Why are you doing this?" Angel demanded in helpless frustration. "You're not a demon. What do you want?"
The man smirked. "I'm part demon, actually. And what I want is to have you dead. You killed my patron…my mentor." Angel's surprise must have shown on his face, for Hunter went from darkly amused to coldly angry. He leaned a little closer to Angel. "Without him, I have nothing. No status, no power. And since I can't kill you…I will settle for killing the Slayer. If that does not bring my power and standing back, nothing will."
Angel simply scowled at him. "You're insane."
"No, I'm afraid for your sake that I am very sane." Hunter stood abruptly. "Enough of this chatter. It's time we saw the Slayer killed and you…we'll figure out what to do with you yet."
With that he turned his back on Angel and began to gesture to the others in the room. As soon as he'd looked the other way, Jade was whispering to Angel once again. Her hushed voice was filled with renewed urgency. "You have to stop this," she whispered.
As the men with the torches began to move towards Buffy, Angel nearly sprang out of his chair. Jade clamped a hand on his arm. "Not like that!" she hissed.
Angel glared at her viciously for a second before turning his gaze back on Buffy. She was starting to come out of her drug induced haze and began to struggle weakly against her ropes. She wasn't getting anywhere with it, and the drugs were obviously not going to wear off in time. "I have to save her," Angel hissed back. "I can't just sit here."
"Exactly," Jade agreed, "but if you go charging in there you'll only get killed this time for good. They won't hold back from killing you forever. You must save her life, and yours, with every weapon at your disposal."
"I don't understand you," Angel whispered angrily. He didn't have time for this.
Jade clutched at his arm, impatience clear on her face. "You are more than you realize," she said sternly. "Already you have seen that with your strength. You have never been simply human and you never will be. You need to learn all that you are before you can best save her!"
Angel turned and glared at her straight in the eye. It no longer mattered that he had no clue what she was talking about. "I don't have time to learn."
The white-haired woman started slightly at that. She released his arm and sat back on her heels. "Of course," she whispered, her accent suddenly thicker than before. "Another time perhaps," she added oddly.
Angel didn't take the time to ponder that statement; not while Buffy was in danger. At that moment the torchbearers closed their circle and as one bent to light the pyre. Nothing could possibly restrain Angel any further. He sprang from the chair and ran towards Buffy. "No!" he yelled without really meaning to speak aloud.
All attention turned towards him….
And the torches went out.
Hunter saw the cessation of activity and screamed, "Kill her!"
"But sir…" one of the torchbearers protested weakly.
Angel ran into the crowd before they could recover from their confusion. Hunter's gaze turned on him again. "You," he said darkly, his face twisted in fury. "I gave you a chance to live, which is more than you gave my…friend," he said. Then he turned to his torchbearers once again. "Kill them both," he demanded.
One of the torchbearers moved first, raising his now doused torch like a club. He swung it wildly at Angel's head. Angel caught it in mid swing and with his other hand punched the man in the jaw. He went down, but Angel did not have time to savor his victory. That seemed to be the cue for everyone else to attack. Angel immediately had two more thugs to deal with.
Angel was quickly being overwhelmed. At some point in the fighting the torches had miraculously relit themselves, and Angel found himself ducking flames as well as fists. He faintly noticed in the midst of fighting that Jade was there as well, using magic instead of force to knock out some of the men. On top of that, Angel could hear Hunter screaming orders no one was really paying attention to. It was a jarring haze of kill or be killed.
Buffy was fighting more earnestly against her bonds, but her Slayer strength had not yet returned. Her movement drew Angel's attention, his distraction allowing one man to land a lucky blow that made his vision swim. Her movement also drew the attention of one of the torchbearers, who suddenly remembered his standing order: kill them both.
Momentarily knocked down by his assailant, Angel watched in horror as the man lowered his torch to the pyre Buffy was standing upon. For a brief moment his eyes met hers from across the room. Then the edge of the pile of wood caught and Angel heard a wordless scream. He wasn't sure if it was his, Buffy's, or both, but he was moving again, praying that he could save her.
Sweeping the legs out from under one man even as he sprang to his feet, Angel was a blur of violent motion. He barely even felt the blows that landed upon him, only seeing the growing flames that Buffy was nearly standing upon. He fought furiously, and the men fell before him without Angel even seeing whom he fought.
Finally the fighting was behind him and Angel and Buffy were face to face once again, staring across the flames, fear and trust and love in their eyes. The flames were growing quickly, and the heat was nearly unbearable from where Angel was standing, but it didn't matter. It didn't matter how badly Angel got burned; he had to save Buffy.
He braced himself and strode into the flames.
An arm over his face to protect his eyes and lungs from the heat and smoke, it took a second for Angel to realize that the flames were not burning him. The heat was incredible, but right where Angel stood the flames muted and died. He didn't take the time to wonder at his luck, but scrambled over the wood to Buffy's side.
Coughing in the smoke, Angel hurried to untie Buffy's ropes. Suddenly free, her legs did not immediately support her and she began to fall. Angel caught her quickly, scooping her up into his arms. As he had been untying her, the flames had risen high once again, surrounding both of them. Angel's eyes watered and he gasped for air. They couldn't stay here long. Closing his eyes, Angel clasped Buffy to his chest and leapt.
Landing just beyond the burning pile, Angel released Buffy and then rolled to put out the bit of flame that was inching up his coat. Scrambling to his feet, he helped Buffy to hers and looked her over for burns or smoldering clothing. She said nothing, but smiled at him reassuringly. Once he was sure she was standing on her own, Angel took a deep breath and braced himself to return to the fight.
The last couple of thugs were already exhausted, fortunately, and fell quickly to Angel's swift attack. Soon all that were left were Buffy, Angel, Jade…and Hunter.
The older man was furious. Jade stood in front of him, her hands stretched towards him, palms forward. She was silent even as Hunter screamed at her. Angel supported Buffy against him and stood to join her.
"You betrayed me!" he was yelling as they approached. "All the time that you worked for me…"
"I never worked for you, Marion," Jade said calmly.
Hunter went suddenly speechless at that.
"I believe she has you there," Angel said calmly. He would ponder Jade's role in all of this later. Not that he wasn't curious…
"How?" Hunter yelled at her. "You said he'd be powerless, remember nothing!" He turned to look wildly at Angel. "What are you?" he gasped.
As soon as the question was uttered, Angel began to wonder the exact same thing. He glanced at Jade; if her words from earlier were any indication, she would have the answers.
"There are some forces that can't be stopped," was Jade's haughty response. She was clearly enjoying Hunter's fear and confusion.
Hunter looked back and forth between the three of the wildly. With his flunkies unconscious or fled, he seemed smaller somehow. He must have felt it, too, for he was acting…well, pathetic. "What are you going to do with me?" he asked.
For a moment none of them said anything. Both Jade and Buffy looked at Angel expectantly. "What do you think?" Buffy whispered.
Jade looked at him as well. "It's your life he's tried to destroy," she said. "You decide his fate now."
Angel stared at Hunter, surprisingly calm. He looked into Hunter's terrified eyes. Then he did the only thing he could. "Let him go," he said.
Jade and Buffy looked at him in shock, but not as much shock as Hunter was in. Before that shock could fade, Angel's calm façade broke. He grabbed Hunter by the older man's collar and let his anger at the past months' confusion at this man's behest show on his face. "I don't kill humans," he snarled, "or you wouldn't be so lucky. And none of us want the attention of the police. It would be fitting if I could dump you injured and wiped of memory like you did to me, but I can't. But know this," he pulled Hunter threateningly close, "you failed. That status you worked so hard for is gone. No one will ever work for you again.
"And this is my town. If I hear you're trying anything again, and I mean anything," he dropped his voice to a whisper, "I may just mistake you for one of the monsters."
Angel released Hunter so suddenly that the man stumbled back several steps. As the fires continued to burn behind them, Angel scooped Buffy into his arms. He nodded briefly to the white-haired woman, who smiled mysteriously at him in response.
"Let's go," Angel said, and led them away from the fires and the fear.
Part Fifteen
Buffy felt her strength returning quickly now that the battle was over. She was reluctant to leave Angel's arms, but she had seen him fighting before. He had to be exhausted, but he said nothing as he carried her down the nighttime street. Both he and the strange woman who had left with them seemed very focused on their thoughts and neither said a word. It was Buffy who had to break the silence.
"Angel," she whispered in his ear.
He looked at her, his eyes dark with thoughts she couldn't decipher. "Hmm?"
"I think I can walk now," Buffy said softly.
Angel looked at her closely before lowering her to her feet with a slow sigh. Holding her close, he waited until he was sure she was standing before releasing her. Buffy pulled away and took a couple of experimental steps on her own. Her legs were shaky, but they supported her weight. Angel held out his hands, ready to catch her.
"Are you all right?" he asked in concern.
Buffy nodded. "I will be," she said, then stumbled and nearly fell again. Angel caught her instantly, supporting her on her feet. His warm, strong arms held her gently, taking enough of her weight that she at least felt like she was walking on her own but was no longer worried that she'd fall on her face. It was a tender, silent sort of understanding that was so typical of Angel before everything had gone wrong that it brought tears to her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Angel asked softly. "Are you hurt?"
Buffy shook her head. "I'm alright." If she'd been able to stand on her own, she would have pulled away. "It's just…you save my life again…. You've been so kind…. I just want to thank you, but I don't deserve everything you've done for me."
"Yes, you do deserve it," Angel said earnestly. He steadied her and helped her walk a couple of steps. "You deserve more than I could ever hope to give."
Buffy felt a tear make its way down her cheek. "Angel…" she whispered pathetically.
Jade noticed the two of them were no longer walking with her and turned. She took one look at Buffy's distraught expression and walked back to join them. "Do not fret, Guardian," she said calmly.
Even through her tears and exhaustions, Buffy blinked at the white-haired woman. She didn't trust her by a long shot, but without her they'd both be dead, so…. "What did you call me?"
Looking at her oddly, Jade shrugged. She always seemed to know more than she was saying. "It does not matter," she said. "But there is no need for tears, either. He remembers."
Buffy's breath caught in her throat. "Angel?" she gasped.
He looked down at her with a small, sad smile. "It's all right now," he whispered.
"It's not all right!" Buffy cried, knowing exactly what pain lurked behind her eyes now. "If it wasn't for me…"
"I would still be existing instead of living," Angel finished for her. "It wasn't your fault, Buffy. What happened to me…it wasn't your fault."
"Angel…"
"Shh," he replied, turning his supportive embrace into a hug. "I can't explain it, but I don't think anything you did or didn't do that day at the police station could have changed what happened."
Before Buffy could object again, Jade spoke quickly. "You are right," she said to Angel. "It was meant for you to die that day, in that way."
Buffy had enough. "What are you?" she demanded in exasperation.
Jade looked at Buffy so calmly it was infuriating. "My name is Jadwiga," she said.
"I didn't ask your name, I asked what you are," Buffy pointed out. "You're not human," she said with certainty.
"I'm as human as either of you," Jade retorted.
That statement was met with silence. Angel looked at the young-old woman seriously. "That's not saying much, is it?" he asked softly.
Jade gave him a half smile. "No, that's not saying much."
"Hey!" Buffy exclaimed. "I'm human!"
"You're the Slayer," the mysterious woman replied as if that explained everything.
"Angel's human," Buffy continued.
Jade regarded him seriously, then looked back at Buffy. "I believe you're beginning to have doubts on that now, too."
Angel broke his silence at last. "I don't understand," he said yet again to her.
Jade looked at Angel then, ignoring Buffy's questioning gaze. "I saw you fighting; you've discovered your full strength again. I said it before, but you were not exactly listening to me," she said, sounding highly annoyed with him. "You've never been exactly human. If you had not become a vampire, you would have discovered that. You are finally back on the track you were meant to be on. Always, a warrior with a destiny."
"But what…" Buffy faltered.
"Phoenix," Angel said suddenly. Both of the women looked at him in surprise. "I heard you say that once," he said to Jade. "When you…" he couldn't finish the statement.
Buffy was officially completely lost. "What does that mean? And what the hell are you?" she demanded of Jade.
"I work for the Powers That Be."
"Oh, that explains everything," Buffy said sarcastically. "Like what you were doing working for someone that wanted to burn me at the stake."
"It was the only way I could do what had to be done," Jade said, though she did not seem as confident as before.
Angel had taken much of the evening's – or, for that matter, the months' – confusion in stride, but now it finally seemed to be getting to him. There was an odd, pained expression on his face and he held the arm that wasn't supporting Buffy close across his chest. Buffy suddenly remembered the mostly healed scar from the time he was missing and knew that Jade had a *lot* to answer for. "Explain yourself," Angel hissed.
Jade sighed. "The Phoenix is a warrior spirit, reborn every 500 years. That spirit exists within you. When you became a vampire, it disrupted the Phoenix's cycle of rebirth. When you were captured and forced to meet the sunlight, that was my chance to set things right again. Death by fire, and the Phoenix lives again for another 500 years."
Silence met her explanation once again. Buffy looked at her in shock, then looked at Angel. He seemed to be faring little better. After a stunned moment, he shook his head tiredly. "This is too much for one day," he said slowly. "I'm exhausted; I assume you can explain everything I need to know…later."
"I will be nearby when you are ready," Jade said. She stepped back from the two of them. As Angel supported Buffy for a couple more awkward steps, Jade turned to leave them behind. Just short of disappearing into the night, she turned to face them once again. This time her eyes locked with Buffy's. "Do not worry, Guardian," she said strongly. "If your love is meant to be, it will be, no matter what may come between you." With that, she disappeared into the night.
Angel and Buffy stood silently after she had gone. They had a ways to go before they could rest and they were both exhausted and overwhelmed. "Come on," Angel said softly, shifting his grip on Buffy. He supported her carefully as they continued on their way down the street.
"Angel," Buffy whispered. "About what happened… About what she said…"
He stopped and looked at Buffy gently. "I love you," he said simply.
"But…" Buffy protested.
"Buffy," Angel said gently, "I told you I could never hate you. Even when I didn't know, I knew. I love you, always." The last word was a whisper, and it brought tears to Buffy's eyes. "Now let's get off these streets," he said at last.
"No, Mr. Summers, I haven't heard from Buffy," Cordelia said wearily, looking at the clock next to the phone. It read one a.m. "No, I don't know where she is." What in the world was he doing calling at one a.m.? Oh yeah, the same thing she was doing answering the phone in the office at one a.m. "She went out to dinner with Angel…. No, he's not back yet, either…. Mr. Summers, I already checked. I promise I'll call you as soon as either of them show up…. Yeah, bye."
Cordelia hung up the phone slowly. Finally she let the frustration she'd hid on the phone out to play. "Where the hell are they?" she yelled.
Wesley rubbed his eyes and looked at her wearily. "You don't know. I don't know. No one knows. Remember?"
Cordelia sighed. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just worried about Angel, you know? I don't want to loose him for good this time." She paused and then looked at Wesley in wide-eyed panic. "Oh god, Wes! What if they ran into cop lady and she decided to kill him for good this time? Or, I mean, Angel doesn't remember anything. What if they ran into a demon and…?"
Wesley looked at her wearily. "Why not throw in Wolfram and Hart while you're at it?" he muttered.
"Oh no, what if they ran into one of those lawyers from Wolfram and Hart?"
Wesley felt an urge to hit his head on the desk a couple of times. It was far too late at night for this. No, wait, make that too early in the morning. He thought the bizarre early mornings with no sleep had stopped when Angel had stopped being a vampire. So much for that theory.
"Listen," Wesley said wearily. "Buffy's the Slayer. I'm sure she can take care of anything they might 'run into.'"
"But Wesley," Cordelia protested, "weren't you the one who insisted that Angel stay out of sight in case something happened….just like this!"
"Yes, but…" Wesley started.
The front door opened noisily, interrupting him. Both Wesley and Cordelia were on their feet instantaneously to see the missing pair come in. Buffy and Angel were clearly exhausted, leaning on each other. They were disheveled, bruised, and stained with soot…and grinning from ear to ear. Neither Wesley nor Cordelia could find the words to say anything at their entrance.
Stepping just inside the office doorway, Buffy and Angel met Cordelia and Wesley's surprised and concerned gazes. "You didn't have to wait up," Angel said, sounding amused.
Cordelia had enough. "Where the hell have you two been? What happened to you?"
"It's so nice that you're concerned," Buffy said a touch sarcastically.
"Well, pardon me," Wesley said, "but the two of you do look rather…awful."
"Yeah, well, we're both alive so you might call in an improvement," Angel said.
Buffy caught Cordelia and Wesley's surprised looks, so she said quickly, "We were captured, I was almost burned at the stake, Angel saved me, we defeated the bad guys. Oh, and Angel has his memories back. Now, if you don't mind, I've been drugged, Angel's exhausted, and we both just want to sleep." With that, she and Angel walked…or staggered, actually…towards the elevator.
"Angel!" Cordelia said in exasperation.
As he closed the elevator, Angel gave Cordelia a tired smile. "Tomorrow," he said briefly as the elevator began to descend.
Cordelia just stood there staring at the elevator shaft well after Angel and Buffy had disappeared. "So that's it?" she demanded finally. "Buffy's going to spend the night…morning? Like a lot of sleeping is going to get done down there…"
Wesley sighed. "They bother look exhausted," he said.
"Oh, totally," Cordelia agreed.
"I'm sure what you're suggesting is absolutely ridiculous."
"Sure it is," she replied with only a trace of sarcasm.
"Come on," Wesley said at last, picking up his jacket and heading for the door. "Why don't we at least get some sleep…this morning."
Cordelia followed him a second later. "Do you think we'll ever find out exactly what happened tonight?"
"There's always tomorrow," Wesley said.
"Yeah," Cordelia agreed, though she didn't sound so sure. "Tomorrow."
The End!
Note: Yes, I know I left a number of things hanging. And that explanation at the end wasn't very clear or complete. But that's because I do have ideas for up to 3 more stories taking place after this. Please, let me know if you want them! (I hope you do, because *I* want to write the fourth one! Believe me, it's a cool idea…but it needs the other 2 before it.) Feedback begged for as always!