Title: How It All Comes Together Series
Disclaimer: I DON'T own ANY of the characters from Buffy The Vampire Slayer or Angel. They belong to Mutant Enemy and Fox Productions. But the chants and incantations involving the restoration of Angel's soul are taken from Buffy the Vampire Slayer The Watchers Guide on pages 159-161. That I do NOT own. But the plot I do. So please no one sue me!
Timeline: The Beginning of Season 6 of Buffy
Spoilers: Pretty much whatever is circulating around the net right now (which could be rumors) And the finale of Buffy Season 5.
Synopsis of Series: After Buffy has been resurrected, life on the Hellmouth has gone back to normal. Except for Buffy who feels unusually weak. She goes off to LA to seek solace in Angel, only to find something evil instead. Dun Dun dun.......
Synopsis of Part Seven: I don't really know what to put here so...
Author's Notes: I have problems.
Pairing: A/X, W/T, C/G B/A/us
Feedback: This is indeed my first fan-fic so I would appreciate it VERY VERY much if I got some feed back! (Criticism helps get the gears turning!) Whatever you would like to tell me just tell me!
Rating: PG-13 Some sexual references

"Is everything set for the spell?" Wesley asked generally looking at Willow and Tara.

"You know what mate, would you like me to share a bit of advice I've learned about women with power?" Spike was obviously not going to stop for an answer. "It's that you don't push them. They'll get all piss ant on your ass. And trust me you don't need that." He concluded with a flick of his cigarette.

Everyone who had gathered around in the living room just glared at him. "Spike, you really are stupid aren't you?" Gunn asked with an arched eyebrow. Spike just made a face at him.

"Well, as much as I DON'T like sitting around and waiting for a psychotic killer to come hunt us down one by one like animals, I really would like to know if there is anything we can do as of now." Cordelia piped in looking at Willow.

"Well, we have everything ready, but..." Tara looked down as she spoke.

"..But," the redhead picked up where Tara had trailed off. " We still need The Orb."

"Oh, yes. I had one stored at the office just in case. I brought it up when we had come to Sunnydale. Let me go get it." Wesley replied as he stood up from the couch.

A few minutes after Wesley had left Dawn had realized what had been bugging her. "Spike? Where's Xander and Anya?" But as soon as she asked she heard Wesley scream from upstairs. Then the sound of feet running down the stairs.

"I... I... uh... walked in on Xander and Anya..." Wesley blushed as he clutched the orb in his hand.

*^*^*^*^*^*

Angelus lunged at her. But Buffy was too quick for him even in her wiriness. She sent a roundhouse kick to his jaw sending him flying up into the wall across the room. He slowly stood to his feet cackling. "Why are you here?" Buffy asked in an angry voice while staying in her stance.

"C'mon Buff. You know why I'm here. Angelus replied through suppressed laughter as he stood shakily to his feet.

"I'm having a blonde moment you'll just have to humor me."

"Well." He started as he swiped a left hook at her face and missed. "I thought I would just have to teach you a lesson. "

Just then Giles strode into the room unaware of the fight. "Buffy I brought you some-" But Angelus had grabbed him. Giles had his back pressed up against Angelus's chest and Angelus was now holding a pocketknife he pulled out of Giles coat to his throat. "Damn it!" Giles cursed.

An evil smile crept across Angelus's face he quickly dragged the knife across the watchers' neck. Giles eyes instantly bugged out of his head as he cupped his hands down on the wound. Angelus let him drop to the floor.

Buffy quickly rushed to his side. She tried to stop the bleeding with her own hands. Angelus saw this moment of utter weakness in the slayer and used it to his advantage. Buffy glanced up to see where their assailant had gone. And to Buffy's horror he took a step backwards. He swiftly reached back and yanked a plug out of the wall. There was a deafening beeping sound as Riley's heart monitor spiked quickly then began to fall. For a moment the slayers world came crashing down on her. She didn't know what to do, or who to help. She had to leave the side of her beloved watcher and let him die, or watch her former boyfriend and companion helplessly die.

*^*^*^*^*^*

"Not dead, nor not of the living. Spirits of the interregnum, I call. Restore to the corporal vessel that which separates us from the beast. Use this orb as your guide." Willow finished. Just as she had finished, the orb began to change. It slowly levitated off of the pillow in the center of the floor and exploded mid-air in brilliant purple and white rays of light. The air around them imploded as the orb disappeared.

"It worked didn't it?" Tara asked excitedly.

"Well, that's what happened the last time." Replied the redheaded witch.

"I don't know whether to jump for joy or sulk for sadness." Xander said wryly.

Anya quickly smacked him in the head. "You should be happy. Angel will be back." She said miffedly.

"We don't know that yet." Wesley said not daring to tear his gaze from the spot the orb had once occupied.

"But we can only hope for the good right?" Gunn asked looking expectantly at Cordelia.

"When it comes to evil, there is never any good." She replied, a grim look toying with her features.

"You're wrong. There is always some good. What do you think keeps the evil around?" Dawn replied as she looked at Cordelia quizzically.

*^*^*^*^*^*

As Buffy was in her own private hell. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know who needed more help. Her mind raced. While Buffy was caught in her private hell Angelus strode over to her and grabbed her by her hair and pulled her up. He opened his mouth ready to bite down, when something happened. Buffy looked into his eyes. They were filled with tears and bright purple, white swirls. "Buffy?" came Angel's soft meek voice. "What happened? Why does it hurt so much?" As he looked up at Buffy she fell into his arms and began to sob. The still clueless Angel replied "Shhhhhhh.... don't cry..." as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her shoulder. "Shhhh.... don't cry."

But as he did this, a handful of doctors and nurses ran into the tiny hospital room expecting to revive only a flat-lining Riley, but to also find another in need of medical attention. Buffy and Angel watched helplessly as the doctors and nurses tried to revive both Giles and Riley. "What happened here?" Shouted one of the nurses to Buffy pointing to Giles?"

Buffy didn't know what to do. She had to protect Angel. "A man came in here rambling about some payback and when he," she nodded to Giles as she when on through her sobs, " tried to protect us, the man pulled out a knife... and he... and he..."

"It's alright. You don't have to finish." The nurse told her in a soft soothing voice as she placed an idle hand on Buffy. Angel hugged her tighter and buried his face deeper into her shoulder as all the memories came flooding back to him.

*^*^*^*^*^*

"We got here as fast as we could." Willow gasped as she gulped down badly needed air. She had run down the hospital corridor to meet Buffy. "What happened? You kept it pretty vague on the phone." The others were quickly walking down the hall towards them.

Buffy looked up at the ceiling to keep the tears from spilling out. "Ahhhhh.... man Will. He... ahhhh... before he got his soul back he killed.... awww man..." The tears that had been threatening her began to spill out and roll down her cheeks as the others walked up to where they stood. Buffy closed her eyes to say the words. "He killed Riley. He pulled his respirator out and it caused him to go into shock. All I could do was just sit there and watch. And then.. then.. then he slit Giles throat. And he did it all with a smile on his face... The doctors... they say that.... that he might not make it through the night. They said that it... it was very deep and he had lost a lot of blood."

Xander came up to her and wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "It's going to be ok. We've been through so much worse Buffster." He said as he backed out of the hug. "Where's Angel right now? I wanna talk to him."

"He's back at the mansion." Buffy pointed in the general vicinity of the exit doors Angel has used to leave. Xander started off towards the doors and to the mansion. He had a mission now.

But as soon as Xander had let go of his embrace of Buffy, Spike had replaced it. As much as Buffy disliked Spike, she felt at ease in his arms. "It'll be alright love."

"I hope so." Buffy replied shrugging out of Spike's arms.

"Buffy how many times have things become really bleak then worked out for the best?" Dawn piped in. Buffy contemplated this for a moment.

"Are you ok?" Asked Gunn. He looked at Wesley for some sort of confirmation that would never come. Wesley just looked solemnly down at the ground.

"Sure. Her ex-boyfriend has just been killed and her father figure has just been filleted. But yeah she's doing just peachy." Cordelia said sarcastically swatting Gunn in the shoulder.

*^*^*^*^*^*

The minute Buffy had stopped crying Angel had fled timidly back to his sanctuary to find some temporary solace. He had spent much time in the mansion. This time had given him a comfort zone to go to whenever he was needy. Here he felt safe enough to think. And thinking was what he had to do now. He sat in front of the roaring fire he had built. The bright orange and yellow flames grew taller. It's rhythmic movement was soothing and hypnotic. Angel quickly found himself gazing deeply into the fire deep in thought.

He let the salty streams of pain and remorse streaming silently down his cheeks. "What have I done?"

"You've just hurt the people who care about you the most again." Replied an emotionless voice. It was Xander. He had just walked in. The doors were still swinging behind him.

Angel looked up at Xander with a deep sadness in his eyes. "Xander what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get you." He looked Angel straight in the eye. Angel had to give him credit. Not many people would do that. In fact not many demons would even do that. But here was a twenty-year-old human looking Angel straight in the eyes without even the slightest wince.

"I'm not going anywhere." Angel replied tersely, not daring to look Xander in the eyes. At this point Angel just didn't feel worthy of that. He felt like a low life. He had hurt the people he loved the most again. And in his book it didn't get much worse than that.

"I really don't think you're in a position to be making decisions." He growled.

Angel sighed as he looked back into the glowing fire. "Xander. I just hurt Buffy way too badly this time. I don't think I can face her. Yet alone all the others. I can't ever tell you how sorry I am. I really and truly am."

"Sorry doesn't' make it better-" Xander started but Angel cut him off.

"I know sorry doesn't make it better. Riley is still dead. Giles is still on his deathbed. Buffy is still wounded more than words can express. And all I can do to make that the least bit better is to leave. And I've already done that Xander... God I wish I could show you how regretful I am of this whole situation." He finally looked up to Xanders eyes. Angel was crying now. And Xander's eyes were beginning to water.

Xander tried to cover it up. "You didn't let me finish my sentence. I was going to say, you can make it better. You can be there for Buffy. Her whole world is crashing down on her right now. And the one person in the world who can make that better, even if it's the slightest bit, isn't there." Angel just looked at him. "Angel, you know I'm not your biggest fan. I never have been. In fact sometimes I like to imagine you dying in a fireball of light," Xander laughed at the thought itself, "but right now I don't' want to imagine that. Kind of scary I know.... but you did something terrible, but you feel horrible for it. And you want to do something to make it better. That right there shows how much of a bad guy you're not." Angel went to reply.

"Don't correct my English. And don't interrupt. I'm not done. You have so much power to help people. And you go off into LA and help all those lost souls there. No pun intended. But you won't even help the ones you know the best. Look, everyone is down at the hospital right now. I think that if you were there, it would help a little bit more. You can't just go brooding every time something bad happens. You need to help make good out of the bad you've done. And then, and only then, will you have earned my respect and trust back Dead Boy."

Angel smiled sadly. "When did you get so smart?"

"When I realized that I had to grow up. Now get your coat." Angel slowly stood up and got his signature black duster that he had draped on the couch and slipped into it.

They headed towards the door and into the darkness of the night. "By the way don't call me Dead Boy. You know how much I hate that."

*^*^*^*^*

Buffy played with the straw from her soda in the hospital's cafeteria. She tried to keep her thoughts off of Riley, Giles, and Angel, and focus her concentration on the straw. She thought about what the cops had questioned her about. She had lied about everything. She gave a false composite of the so-called "assailant. She couldn't let them know it was Angel. She had to protect him. She would do it no matter how much he hurt her. She loved him and that would never change.

"Buffy?" Willow asked looking at her from across the table. When she got no reply she called Buffy again while waving a hand across her face.

Buffy snapped out of it the second time. She quickly shook her head. "Sorry Will. I was just off in my own little world."

"Maybe you should go home and get some sleep."

"No. No I can't do that. I have to stay here and watch Giles." She replied as she zealously shook her head from side to side.

"Well who's going to take care of Dawn? Tara and Anya can't do it all night. They need to get some rest to." Replied the red head voice of reason.

Buffy contemplated this for a moment. "Then Dawn can come here. Will, I know I'm being selfish, but I don't want to leave him. What if something happens while I'm at home sleeping?"

"Well you're down here with us right now. What if something happens to him while you're with us?" But this statement did more bad then good.

"You're right. I better go back up there." She said standing.

"Whoa Blondie. You have got to learn to stop pushing yourself. You have been sitting up there all night. You haven't left his side for a second. You needed to eat. You've left him for fifteen minutes. You need to eat and take a break. Nothing's going to happen to him. He'll be fine. So stop worrying over him. What good is it to get another person out of commission? Sit. Eat. Rest." Gunn ordered as he pulled her into her seat gently by her arm.

"You know he's quite right Buffy. We can't have you getting sick." Wesley replied solemnly. But Buffy just glared at them all.

"Will you at least eat something?" Cordelia asked pushing Buffy's plate of food back in front of her. But just at that moment Xander and Angel walked through the doors and walked towards the table. Buffy didn't even have to turn around to see who it was. She could feel him there. He stood at the end of the table and kept his gaze down at the floor.

"You guys can-" Angel started but was quickly cut off by Cordelia.

"Say no more. We'll leave you two alone." Cordelia said as she stood. This prompted the others to stand too. They all slowly walked off.

As Gunn walked by he patted Angel's shoulder. "Good luck pal."

Buffy and Angel were now alone at the table. Buffy wouldn't look at him. Instead she opted to stare at her straw again. "Buffy? I know you're mad at me. And you have every right to be. But I need you to talk to me. I don't think I could live with myself if you didn't talk to me." He said as he cupped her chin in his hand. She looked deep into his eyes. His soulful eyes. She had lost herself looking in those same eyes before.

"I don't think I can talk to you right now?" She replied painfully not pulling her gaze from his.

"Why?" He took his hand away from her face and placed it on the table.

"Because right now I don't know whether I love you or hate you." She replied in a toneless voice.

Angel sighed deeply as he stood and pushed his chair in. "Then I'll leave you." He turned to walk away but Buffy stopped him.

"I didn't say I wanted you to go." She said in a loud whisper. Angel stopped and slowly turned around to face her.

"You're going to have to choose ya know." He said avoiding her gaze.

"Choose what?"

"Whether you want me around for a while or want me out of your life." He said as he pulled a chair out and sank down into it.

Buffy reached over and put her hands over his. "Do you really think I don't love you? Do you really think I'd let you go? That will never happen. Because no matter what, I'll always love you. No matter how much it hurts me to love you, that's the one thing I'll never give up on."

*^*^*^*^*

"How is he doing?" Cordelia asked as Xander walked out of Giles's room.

Xander shrugged. "He's sleeping. But all the machines are beeping properly. So that's gotta be good right?"

"Well that depends. If it's a loud annoying beep that can't be good. But if it's a soft rhythmic beeping then it's cool." Willow replied.

"It's rhythmic." He replied with a smile.

"Don't any of you guys talk normally?" Gunn asked.

"No." Both Wesley and Spiked chimed simultaneously.

"Well, he's got a happy expression on his face too." Xander said optimistically.

"Well that's got to be bloody damn good then." Spike replied as he took a long drag from his cigarette. As he exhaled the smoke, a nurse walking by gave him the evil eye and pointed to the no smoking sign without even saying a word.

"Fine!" Spike called to her back. He threw the cigarette on the floor and stomped on it. "Can't even give into an addiction once in a while."

"Anyway.... we should all leave to get some sleep. Buffy and Angel are here any way." Cordelia reasoned.

"Yeah. We need a lot of strength for tomorrow." Replied Wesley.

"Why what's tomorrow?" Willow asked.

"Consequences for Angel's actions. And something I've been working on. You'll see." Was all Wesley replied with.

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