Disclaimer: Joss etc. own them, I only own this story.
Feedback: Please.
Distribution: Take it if you want it, but let me know where it is please.
Synopsis: Trouble on Earth leads to help from Heaven.
Spoilers - Season 2, before Surprise/Innocence.
Timeline - before Surprise/Innocence but my own universe!
Rating - if you can watch the show you can read this - no smut or bad language here.
Author's notes: my first fanfic, am trying to do my next one but real life interferes.

The angel slowly closed her eyes as her tears began falling. "Now what do we do?" she wondered. Behind her there was a cough. Katherine turned round to see Michael and Gabriel. Both were as sad as she was. Gabriel stepped forward and hugged her, knowing that the events that they had just witnessed were bringing back terrible memories.

"Someone is going to have to go down to Earth and help the Slayer", said Michael slowly. "The others in her group will need to know what has happened too. I'll try and find Whistler".

Katherine stepped out of Gabriel's embrace and sighed. "Looks like I'll be going back again, doesn't it?"she sighed. He nodded. "But you know that that's what you've been training for over the centuries. Your fate was different to the other Slayers because it was known that your particular skills would be needed again. Come on, let's get your things packed". Katherine looked at him. "I can't wear what I wore when I was mortal - everything has changed so much over the past several centuries. And what about documents, money, and things like that?"

"That's all been taken care of" replied Michael, who had returned with Whistler. "Katherine, it's going to be tough down there but you know that we'll come and help if you need us to. Take care and God Bless. He wants you to pay Him a visit before your departure - I think He wants to give you a special Blessing".

The three angels and Whistler made their way to the eternal audience chamber, where those who were newly arrived in heaven were formally received by their loved ones who had gone before them. He was also there and the four knelt in prayer before He smiled at Katherine and gave her a very special Blessing. Leaving the chamber, Michael and Gabriel gave Katherine a last hug before sending her on her way to Earth with Whistler to explain why an angel was going to the Hellmouth.

****

Rupert Giles had just made himself a cup of tea and was settling down to a quiet evening's read in the library of Sunnydale High when Buffy and Angel walked in from patrol. Both looked puzzled.

"What's the matter?" demanded Giles.

"We're not sure", replied Angel as Buffy went to the cage and proceeded to replace her worn down stake supply. "We staked a number of vamps but they seemed to think that something funny was going to happen".

"Funny ha-ha or funny peculiar?"asked Willow who had just come in with Xander and Cordelia from the Bronze. Angel looked thoughtful. "Funny peculiar, as though they knew something we don't and that we won't like it when we do." His voice trailed off and he began pacing up and down the library floor".

"When have we ever liked what they've pulled?" sighed Willow.

A knock on the library door brought them all to their feet. Buffy selected a stake and began moving towards it, Angel vamped out into his game face and the others all picked up something that they could use against vampires. To everyone's surprise, Whistler walked in with a small woman, about Buffy's height. Angel winced on seeing the woman who looked at him very intently and then smiled.

"Peace, Angelus I'm not after you".

"Katie, Angel, remember?" Whistler looked upset at the angel's use of the demon's name and then reminded himself all over again that one of the reasons why she would be undertaking this mission was her attention to detail.

"Whistler, don't ever abbreviate my name again. Do you want to go another bout with my friends?" she asked him as she gave him a stern look. He shook his head and then began the introductions.

"Guys, this is Katherine who's an angel. She's here to help." he mumbled as he caught the look on Angel's face.

"I think you'd all better sit down," said Katherine, seeing the bemused looks on people's faces. "Whistler, scoot. I'll do the explaining. And stay out of trouble this time, d'you hear?"

The group sat down where they could find seats. Katherine looked round at each of the faces, identifying each of them by face, name and the background data she had picked up during her research prior to transfer to Earth. "Yes, I am an angel and my name is Katherine. I have both good and bad news for you all."

Xander looked apprehensive at this point. Buffy and Angel's fingers were entwined and both Willow and Cordelia looked upset. Katherine's face turned to Giles. "Two new vampires have been sired. They are not ordinary vampires. Two hours ago they were the girl who would have been the next Slayer and her Watcher. A group of vampires found them where they were living in secret and decided to mess things up for all of you."

Xander looked confused. "Excuse me, but I don't see why that would bring an angel here".

"Let me finish my story, please" replied Katherine. Angel was on his feet by this time and pacing up and down. He could see what she was getting at and by the look of him Giles was getting the picture too. "What we have now are two vampires who will be even more deadly than the usual ones you deal with. The girl is the worst as she combines both the strength and skills of a Slayer with the venom of a vampire and the woman knows much of the Watchers' Council and the training of Slayers along with whatever else she acquires as a vampire. But that's not all. Their deaths have left a huge gap in the training of the next Slayer, who is far too young to do the job yet. I am here to help defeat those vampires and to help protect Buffy. Her life means more than ever now."

"But how can you do that?" demanded Cordelia. "I mean, do you have special powers or something, being an angel?"

"Well yes I do", replied Katherine. "But I have another advantage - I was a mortal once and when I was mortal I was a Slayer myself". Her words caused a collective gasp. Giles went straight to his office where he found and returned with a list of all the Slayers that there had been since the Chosen One had first existed. Angel was beginning to appreciate the situation that Katherine was talking about. He gave the very strong impression that he could be relied on for help here which, although it tallied with everything that she had learned about him since Buffy's arrival in Sunnydale, still made Katherine feel strange inside. Giles, somewhat diffidently, asked Katherine to indicate where she was on the list.

Flipping back towards the early Middle Ages, Katherine stopped the pages at the middle of the twelfth century. "That's me," she said with a slight smile as she pointed to her own name on the list. "Wait a minute", said Buffy "You mean you're over eight centuries old?" Katherine laughed.

"I've been an angel for over eight centuries, yes. My Watcher and I were approached one day by a messenger from the Council who said that they had received word from heaven that the Slayer of the moment - me - would be needed later on as I have special abilities that would come in useful and that therefore I was going to officially "die" and that a new Slayer would be activated. Michael and Gabriel came down and took me up to heaven and I've been working with them on this project ever since." She stopped, on seeing the looks of amazement on her hearers' faces. "Michael and Gabriel - the Archangels?" wondered Xander. Katherine nodded.

"So why can't I just take these vamps out like I usually do?" demanded Buffy. Angel laid a hand on her shoulder. "It sounds to me like they will be too strong for you Buffy- which is why we need angelic help, right?" Again, Katherine nodded. He continued "Do you know when they will get here?" Katherine thought for a moment.

"They won't be in a hurry to get here. Whistler thinks that their plan is for them to get as strong as possible beforehand. They know that the Slayer will not be an easy option - but they are also aware of the problems that will ensue from Buffy's death. Which I am here to try to prevent."

"Can you tell us about these special abilities?" Giles asked her. He had been very badly shocked by what the angel had told them but was beginning to feel the stirrings of hope.

Katherine rose and walked around the group before answering. She was still coming to terms with having been unable to prevent the deaths of the two women and their rising as vampires. She looked straight at Giles as she answered. "Think of me as a Slayer who can neither die nor be sired. I'm also proficient in a number of spells although your library probably has ones I can learn. Plus, your average vampire is going to have problems getting anywhere near me to attack. That's something I can extend to Buffy. It won't make her invulnerable but it could make the difference between life and death. One more thing - if Buffy is killed I am under orders to protect the rest of you if I can. That includes Angel." With a smile she turned and walked up to the vampire holding her hand out. "Truce?"

Angel touched her hand hesitantly. She didn't burn him. This surprised the others, but Katherine's smile deepened. "When you are the way you are now I can let you touch me but I will have no hesitation in destroying Angelus should he control your body. I'm still mortal in some ways and I have control over how powerfully I can use my angelic powers so being around Angel here should not be a problem."

Drawing back a little, Katherine surveyed the group thoughtfully. "Where's Oz, the werewolf?" she asked Willow. Upon being told that he was at home because it was his equivalent of the time of the month she nodded and carefully avoided further mention of him so as to not hurt Willow's feelings. "Shouldn't you lot be going to your respective homes?" she continued.

"Where is Katherine going to stay?" asked Xander. Katherine shrugged. "It doesn't really matter where I stay tonight, I can get myself a place of my own soon."

"That won't be necessary", replied Giles. "There is a spare room in my apartment which you are very welcome to make use of".

"Right, it's about time we were all heading off now" sighed Cordelia. "It's been a long week". It was arranged that Angel and Buffy would see the others home whilst Giles drove Katherine to his home. She grinned a little at this. "No vampire will come near the car while I am in it - I'll be like a dose of holy water or something!" Angel smiled somewhat ruefully at that comment and the two groups separated.

After arriving safely at his apartment, Katherine unpacked one of her bags and then went to talk to Giles. "There are things we have to discuss. I will get a place of my own - you need your privacy." Rupert reluctantly agreed to this. "If things get messy around the vampires I can always take up residence in one of the churches - no one would realise that I was there and no vampire would risk an attack in a church where I could call upon help or use crosses or holy water etcetera. Seriously, there may be some difficult times ahead and I may not be able to help with them - I don't know exactly what will happen but I believe that the vampires that we are after may not come to Sunnydale for years - or they could turn up next week. I'll be around in the background but the less that your group think about me the better. The last thing you need is the vampires being alerted to my presence - I am not going to be used as a bargaining tool". Giles looked at her, appreciating her honesty. "I also think that it is best if you don't see me that often either. I'll float around and keep an eye on things and will help where I can. Angel's soul is very difficult but I may be able to sort things out there too - but don't say anything to anyone about this"

"You're saying that you could help with Angel's soul? How? It would mean so much to Buffy to be able to have a proper relationship with him." Rupert's voice trailed off and he coloured as he spoke. Katherine took pity on him. "There may be ways round that but I'm leaving that option open for the moment. I think I might move into one of the churches anyway, less awkward all round. Am I right in thinking that one of the Catholic chapels has a shrine to St Catherine?" Rupert nodded. "Very appropriate. I may take up residence there or I might still get a place of my own. Above ground level."

Several weeks later Katherine arrived at the library prior to Buffy going on patrol. The entire group was in residence and looked up as the angel appeared among them. She had kept herself to herself most of the time, occasionally helping Giles with research or providing a sounding board for his worries. Katherine had been on patrol every night since her arrival and had managed to weaken some of the vampires prior to Buffy and Angel staking them. Now she had bad news for them all.

"They've arrived". No one asked whom she meant by "they". "I wasn't expecting them so soon but I gather that they've been on a killing spree from Florida all the way to California and that they have acquired their own group of vampiric helpers. There are about thirty new vampires in town now and all of them have one aim in mind - kill the Slayer".

"How do you know all of this?" asked Willow who was at the computer as usual.

"I've been staying in the Cathedral for about a week now, and about eleven-thirty last night I saw a group of vampires pass by on the other side of the street heading towards one of the old warehouses. They had found a victim or two and were having "fun" with the poor soul. One or two of them were being fairly loud about what was going on. And, before you can ask, I couldn't have saved those people from that many vampires all by myself. Tania and Vicky were among them - I could take Tania out by myself but not all of the others put together as well".

"Do you think we'll face all thirty at once?" demanded Angel, who was looking extremely distressed by Katherine's account.

Katherine said that she understood that this group did everything together and she thought that that was quite likely. What concerned her was the possibility of Spike and Drusilla's group getting involved as well with the Slayer and her friends as piggy in the middle. Buffy said that in that case they would just get rid of all the vampires at once. Katherine shook her head.

"If it is going to get that messy then I am going to ask for some help. I very much doubt that those vampires will survive if Michael and Gabriel lend a helping sword or two".

Angel stepped forward, a little hesitantly. "What is it that you're not telling us?" he demanded.

The angel sighed. "Vicky is trying to raise more demons to help stop the Slayer. I don't know if my spells will work and I think I'm going to need any spells that Rupert and Willow can come up with - primarily offensive spells. I can take care of defensive ones."

The group collected together all the bits and pieces they thought they would need for the upcoming battle. Katherine prayed before they left the library, calling on Heaven for blessing and protection as well as reminding her friends of their promise to help if she needed them. Rupert was amused as the last part of the prayer consisted more of insistence than pleading - Katherine was more or less ordering the two Archangels to help her tonight or else.

"I can feel them" breathed Buffy as they approached the cemetery. Katherine could feel the evil too and decided to pull no punches. As the Slayer and her friends arranged themselves to take on the approaching group of vampires, Katherine blazed forth in pure angelic light with her sword in her hand and clothed in brilliant white. She had cast a special spell on Angel before leaving the library that would give any angelic helper the power to aid him or work around him without Angel being affected. The vampires screamed and rushed forward as a group.

The former Slayer-in-training and her former Watcher were in the middle of the group and were being protected by the other vampires. Katherine was aware of more trouble coming up behind them and shouted "Now!" The two Archangels suddenly appeared and took up positions behind Buffy and her friends and in front of Spike and Drusilla's vampires. Angel was feeling uncomfortable. The demon inside really did not appreciate all this holy stuff around and was trying to get out and do some damage. Katherine saw that he was having problems and uttered a warding spell that would ensure that the demon would stay put and that Angel could continue the fight.

The leading members of the first group of vampires were nothing more than piles of dust by this time, thanks to quick work by Buffy, Angel, Willow, Xander and Rupert. Cordelia took one down and Katherine moved in for the kill. She advised the mortals to stay back and for Willow and Rupert to cast as many offensive spells towards the middle of the group as they could. A vampire tried to grab hold of Katherine, only to crumble to dust as her sword found its heart. Most of the other vampires were having a really bad night. The Slayer having mortal help as well as that of Angel was bad enough, but now she rated angelic help too? This sucked. Some of the vampires tried to run away but fell, trapped by the spells that Willow and Giles were invoking.

Katherine rose slightly over the mortals that she was protecting, aiming directly for the two vampires in the middle of the group ahead of her. Behind her, she was aware that her friends were wreaking havoc with Spike and Drusilla's friends and was glad of this. A space cleared around the two vampires as the angel approached, her sword bright and her clothing being bright enough to burn any vampire who was stupid enough to get too close to her. The former Watcher, Vicky, began throwing spells at the angel but none of them could do her any damage. Katherine smiled.

Buffy and her friends worked their way through another dozen vampires before getting to the space where Katherine stood in front of the two she sought. Tania, who would have been Buffy's successor, snarled as she saw the Slayer and moved forward to attack. A warding spell from Katherine prevented this. Buffy and Tania would not be allowed to fight until Katherine had vanquished the vampiric Watcher whose eyes could not meet hers. Vicky produced a sword of her own and the fight between the angel and the demon began in earnest.

In some respects, the outcome of the fight was a foregone conclusion. Katherine could not be killed by a vampire although she could be hurt by one. Both fighters had taken a nasty number of injuries and had numerous sword cuts and broken bones. Katherine struggled to her feet and swung her sword at Vicky, finally managing to push the weapon into the demon's heart. The former Watcher exploded into dust and Katherine suddenly became aware of the extent of her injuries. Xander and Giles both stepped forward and gently lifted her away from the fight so that her injuries could be attended to. Katherine refused their attentions. "I can heal myself" she gasped. "Never mind me, watch Buffy".

As Vicky had exploded into dust, Tania had screamed and launched herself at Buffy. The Slayer had evaded the vampire and had thrown a couple of punches, one of which knocked the vampire back a little. The other vampires in her group were watching in terror. The destruction of Vicky had upset some of their plans and there was no way that they were going anywhere near the two Archangels ahead of them who were merrily destroying Spike and Drusilla's coven. Closing her eyes for a moment, Katherine uttered a powerful spell that destroyed all the vampires that Tania and Vicky had collected together. But she had had enough for the night. Even angels needed to rest and heal. She continued to glow and to hold her sword steady even as she observed the battles going on around them.

Finally Buffy managed to stake Tania but was badly wounded herself. Katherine floated over to her and extended her own shield to protect the injured Slayer. Of the other vampires in the coven led by Angel's children, only Spike and Drusilla were left and as Katherine watched they tried to run away. The two Archangels were having none of it. Instead, they caught hold of the two vampires and escorted them to their sire, who had been examining Buffy worriedly. "She will be fine, Angel" smiled Katherine.

Angel turned towards his children, aware that he had to kill them both now. There was no other way and, as their sire, it would be appropriate for him to do the killing. Spike crumbled to dust first, and then Drusilla. The ground where their dust had been changed suddenly and there, in the cemetery, lay the mortal bodies of Spike and Drusilla. They would be buried together quietly by the two Archangels after various injuries had been healed.

Michael knelt by Buffy and gently passed his hand lightly above her body. All her injuries faded and she opened her eyes. Michael grinned. It was good to heal a Slayer, especially this one. After all, He talked about her fairly constantly these days and that was a good sign. Gabriel had done the same for Katherine who leaned into his arms and hugged him once she felt her strength restored.

The three angels looked at each other and then exchanged nods. The two archangels went to dig the grave for Spike and Drusilla and Katherine went to Angel and Buffy. "How deep is your love for Buffy, Angel?" she asked him.

"I would do anything for her" he replied. Katherine asked Buffy the same question and got the same answer. She smiled. Common sense told her that that was love talking since it was unlikely that Buffy would agree to Angel turning her into a vampire. However, the reverse was possible.

"Just the answers I wanted" she grinned at them. "You two done yet?" she called to the other angels who had finished burying the former vampiric couple. Casually the two walked over to her and then the three of them linked hands. Then Katherine turned to Angel and Buffy who were looking somewhat confused as to what was going on. Giles was smiling, so it had to be a good thing.

"Angel, come here" Katherine said gently. "We won't hurt him, Buffy". Angel moved over to where the three angels were standing. "If you could have one wish in all the world granted, what would it be?"

Angel stared at her, stunned. What he wanted was to be human, to be with Buffy all the time. "To be human again" he whispered, but she heard him. Katherine grinned at him.

"Lie down". He lay down and the three angels moved to cover him, bringing Buffy in too. Buffy stood at his head and Katherine at his feet with the two archangels at either side. Then Katherine prayed.

"Lord, we beseech Thee to look down on Thy humble servants. We ask that Thou wouldst banish the demon from this body and restore the man to mortal life. We ask this that Thy servant, Thy Chosen One, may have his love and support for the rest of her life without fear of the return of Angelus. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen".

A curious light surrounded Angel and he screamed. Then Buffy screamed too, falling to her knees beside her love. The three angels waited, tense, as the demon emerged from the body it had inhabited for over two hundred years. Katherine passed Buffy her sword and told her to remove the head of the demon. Buffy swung the sword and the demon - still looking like Angelus - vanished into thin air with a wail. Michael knelt by Angel and examined him. He gave Buffy a huge grin as he rose to his feet. "There you go, one mortal by the name of Angel. He'll still heal fast and have all his vampiric strength but the demon has gone for good. " Turning serious he looked at Katherine. "We'll have to go and you'll be coming home soon too, won't you?" Katherine nodded as she looked at the young couple beside her.

Angel slowly got to his feet, impeded by Buffy hanging onto him for dear life. He gradually became aware of the fact that he was actually breathing and that his heart was beating. Buffy could feel the pulse in his neck and there was actual warmth to his body now. She burst into tears and Angel just hugged her with tears in his own eyes. He didn't think that he deserved this blessing but he was very grateful to everyone for their help.

The two archangels left a blessing with the group as they vanished back to Heaven. Katherine was delighted with what had happened but a little sad as she realised that she would have to leave her friends soon.

After having a little chat with Buffy, Angel turned to Katherine. "How can I ever thank you?"

Katherine grinned at him warmly and then hugged him. Winking at Buffy she said, "Just invite me to the wedding".

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