Part 39

Where was the gate, Faith asked herself after they'd walked through the outer skirts of hell for what seemed like an eternity. Where was this damned thing they all risked their lives for? She sighed inwardly. She was nuts. She had to be nuts. What on God's green earth had driven her to jump when Kate had come to see her in prison a few days ago? She hadn't hesitated at all, hadn't even asked what exactly was waiting for her.

Oh yes, she was definitely nuts.

There was no other explanation for this trip from hell. Or rather into. Okay, so she was the slayer, she dealt with demons and vampires on a daily basis, and had so for some years, but walking around in the demon dimension. No, it certainly wasn't in any job description. Not that there had been any at all. Spike was right she never had a choice.

Just the way Buffy never got to choose. Slayers didn't wake one morning with a smile on their face, thinking that slaying demons and vampires at night, losing friends, looked at like a freak, was their dream job. No, their calling found them, without mercy, without chance to turn your back on it. Faith remembered how frightened she had been when her watcher had told her about what went bump in the night.

But unlike Buffy she came to love her job, embraced the power and the thrill of the hunt. She knew it was in Buffy too. More hidden, far more under the surface, but when it came to it, she was a slayer from head to toe, aware of her calling, her destiny. They had embraced it, more or less, and it was reason they were still alive. She winced glancing at her sister slayer. All right, so Buffy had died twice. But she had overcome it. Hey, Faith wanted to shout, look at her. She is a slayer and fooled twice death, there is no demon strong enough to beat us, just come and we'll kick your ass.

But of course she didn't shout. There was no way she would risk to have the demons noticing them. It wasn't that she was afraid now, she told herself, her sweaty palms and trembling hands were just a sign of the heat down here, had nothing to do with the things she saw. Oh Hell, she was scared spit less. And she hated it. Hated the feeling of fear, the feeling of being helpless. But no, she wasn't helpless she was a slayer and-

"Don't sweat, slayer," Spike interrupted her musings. "What is the worst that can happen down here?"

"They could kill us?" Buffy asked, raising a brow. "And I *so* don't like the thought."

"Neither do I," Angel agreed, "Did anyone of you see anything that looked like a Gate?"

"Nope," Faith replied, "I was thinking the very same just a minute ago."

"Maybe they should've given us a description, you know, is it a shiny brass gate, or one of those high-security thingies or just some shabby, wooden door. Although I think wood might not be the best-," Buffy stopped abruptly, staring ahead of her, "Uh-oh," she said, tightening the hold on her lover's hand to a bone-crushing grip. "I think we have our answer."

"Yeah," he said, exhaling sharply, "I suppose we have."

They were standing in front of the gate. It was nothing they had expected. It wasn't anything palpable, but an invisible force that prevented them from going any further.

"Welcome strangers," a voice said but they saw no body belonging to it. The voice was neither male nor female it was neutral, unreal. Unmistakable was the evil in it. The kind of evil only Angel knew, had heard before, but only heard, he'd never come near it. Until now. And he shivered, trembled, as his lover's hand did in his own. You couldn't have a human soul and not tremble at such undisguised evil.

Maniacal laughter followed the greeting. It wasn't the same voice that had welcomed them, it was more real, more from their world above. And although the laughter sounded like some crazy woman out of an 19th century novel, Angel was sure he had heard the voice before. Often. Daily. And not so long ago.

He inhaled sharply, his suddenly clumsy fingers fumbling in his pocket reaching for the spell Willow had given him. They needed to get out of here. All his survival instincts were set on running. Running as fast as possible. But there was still Buffy's hand in his.

Together you are strong.

And he stayed. Taking a deep breath, calming him, collecting his thoughts. No, he told himself firmly, he was not falling apart. Not now. Not ever. The world needed him. His friends needed him. Buffy needed him. Another steadying breath did the trick, his breathing slowed, the panic lessened. He would not fall apart. He would-

"Hello Angelus."

The vampire froze, his hand cramping around the piece of paper in his pocket. He forgot to breathe. This wasn't possible. They were in the demon's dimension. This was just a dream, she couldn't be here. It was only a trick like the first evil had once played on him. Only his imagination running wild. Calm down. She is not here. Not here.

"I suppose it's a little surprise to see me down here," she spoke again.

"And not a pleasant one," Spike muttered under his breath. After the initial shock all he felt now was disgust and hatred. He had never liked her. She was too much a bitch in his eyes, and much too possessive of his grand-sire.

"Darla," Angel turned around slowly, finding his lover staring at his blond sire, Faith watching them with confusion and Spike growling in full game-face. He noticed all, but saw nothing. Not really. "This isn't possible."

"My thoughts exactly," Spike muttered again.

"Oh, but it is," she smiled. Evil. Superior. "You see, I thought this whole vampire existence is kind of pathetic, don't you think? So when a friend came and asked me if I would help bringing you and your little cheerleader down," she laughed, this maniacal laughter again, "Well, I just couldn't resist. And aren't you a pair. A vampire and a slayer," her pretty face contorted in rage, "Disgusting. An abomination. Do you have no self-respect, Angelus? I thought I taught you better."

It had to be true. She stood there, looking at him. And the others saw her as well. The initial shock fading, he recovered quickly. "And I thought we've been over all this crap," his voice sounded annoyed now, and Buffy found herself turning towards him sharply. What did she not remember? Or hadn't maybe known at all?

"Angel?" she asked in confusion, sensing there was more between them. She recognized Darla, remembered her being dusted at the Bronze. She had thought her dead, dust in the wind, and now she was standing before them. And the slayer sensed there were things between her and her childe, things Buffy couldn't quite grasp.

"Tell her Angelus," Darla smiled, tilting her head. "I suppose she doesn't even know what we shared."

"We shared nothing," he hissed. "Absolutely nothing. Whatever was between you and my demon, it's over. I don't belong to you, never did, so why don't you just go and leave us alone. We have a job to do."

Her laughter sounded honestly amused, "You remember me, little girl, don't you?" she asked, approaching Buffy.

"Oh yeah, I do," the slayer shot back, desperately trying to hide her confusion, "You were the one who attacked my mother and laid the blame on him. And then he dusted you," she smiled sweetly, "for me."

"You!" Darla shouted, slipping into game-face, her demonic eyes flashing yellow, her prolonged canines shining in the light of the torches. "You uncouth little girl," she hissed, "hasn't anyone taught you how to treat your elders?"

"You aren't my elder," Buffy snapped. "You are just some overripe vamp who is in desperate need of dusting."

"Yeah, I agree," Faith couldn't keep her mouth shut any longer. "Let's get it done," she suggested, clenching her fingers around her stake.

"No, let them," Spike argued. "It's just starting to get interesting." He liked to watch a good drama enfolding and regarding all the information Dru had given him this would become a first class one.

"You shut up, fang-boy," Faith whirled around, glaring at him, the stake in her hand not looking very friendly.

"Whoa," he raised his hands, "I'm just a vamp with a chip, okay. And I'm your ally. Remember, Spike is good, he helps the slayers, even gives them a happy."

Her eyes narrowed, "You better not forget it!"

"All this aggression," Darla smiled, enjoying the scene. "We should love each other, children."

Buffy rolled her eyes, "What's this? Are you getting holy on us now? Where does this crap come from? I thought you were a hooker before you became a vamp and the undead don't like churches a lot."

"Oh, but there was this priest in Dublin," her eyes wandered to Angel, "do you remember, my dear boy? They're awfully catholic in your home country. Even believed that a mere cross could hold us back. What a joke."

"Yeah, I remember. Unfortunately. So what do you want Darla?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," she made, shaking her head, "always in such a hurry, my boy. At least you take your time making love."

"We didn't make love," Angel hissed the same time, Buffy shouted, "WHAT?"

Darla laughed again, "You didn't tell her?" she sighed dramatically, "Men. Always with their little secrets. Never trusting in the love of a woman. Don't you think she'd forgive you? You see," she looked comparatively at Buffy, "we spent a night together. Just recently. And what a night it was," she sighed again. "Even after hundred years he hasn't forgotten a thing about making a woman feel special. Just one thing, Angelus. These days the guys usually call their ladies a cab afterwards."

"Damn you," Angel hissed, slipping into game-face himself, but not moving towards her, "Damn you, Darla." He turned towards Buffy, his human features returning, his eyes pleading, "Buffy, you have to believe-"

"Stop," she held up her hands, then slowly directed her gaze towards Darla. "So you had sex with him?" she shrugged almost casually, "Big deal. I had sex with Riley. We weren't together then, so what?"

The vampiress was speechless, not expecting this reaction from the blond slayer. The last time they'd met she'd been no more than a little girl, but Darla had to admit this wasn't a little girl anymore. "You have no idea what you're talking about," she spoke slowly, intently, "Angel and I, we share more than a century of passion, we were together for longer than you'll live. How can you compare to that? Tell her William, tell her how it was. Tell her, he was mine before she was ever born."

"Yeah, they were inseparable," Spike agreed with a shrug. He saw Darla grinning smugly. **Oh yeah, this is going to be good.** "But I also remember Dru telling me about the little mojo you were running on my grand-sire to make him lose his soul. Magic Darla?" he raised a brow. "Did you lose your touch or what?"

"You ... You'll pay for this," she yelled, realizing that none of them would fall for this. "You'll never leave this dimension alive."

"We'll see," Angel replied, pulling the spell from his pocket. "I think we're close enough," he said while Darla began to retreat towards the Gate, towards the pit of Hell.

"POWERS OF GOOD - HEAR MY PLEATO BAN EVIL WE STAND HERE BEFORE THIS GATEWE SEEK YOUR HELPCOME AND LEND US YOUR STRENGTHCLOSE THIS GATEEND THIS EVILCLOSE THIS GATE"

Angel's eyes were closed when he recited the spell, Willow had given to him, feeling the strength of it gather around him, increasing with each word.

"POWERS OF GOOD - HEAR MY PLEA TO BAN EVIL WE STAND HERE BEFORE THIS GATEWE SEEK YOUR HELPCOME AND LEND US YOUR STRENGTHCLOSE THIS GATEEND THIS EVILCLOSE THIS GATE"

He opened his eyes, saw his lover and the others staring at him. Buffy smiled, her eyes shining with love. And he began for the third time, feeling the power pulsing.

"POWERS OF GOOD - HEAR MY PLEA TO BAN EVIL WE STAND HERE BEFORE THIS GATEWE SEEK YOUR HELPCOME AND LEND US YOUR STRENGTHCLOSE THIS GATEEND THIS EVILCLOSE THIS-"

There was suddenly a blinding light, and an almost deafening noise, laughter, shouting, cries, and then thunder and then Angel found himself thrown against a wall, the impact pressing all the air from his lungs.

When he opened his eyes again, Buffy was gone.

Part 40

"How long?" Xander asked again his gaze never leaving the form of the General and his men who were still standing in the center of a circle Gunn and his friends had formed around them.

"Half an hour," Giles replied. He was nervous. No, he wasn't just nervous. He was scared. More scared than he could remember being. Or at least more than most of the times. When he'd found the prophecy in the Codex that Buffy was about to die, he had felt the same. And when she hadn't returned from her encounter with Angelus. When she'd gone into the high school to blow up the mayor, when she'd encountered Adam, then Glory - when she had died.

"Is everything alright?" came Tara's voice from behind them. She gave everyone a quick smile, and then moved to stand beside Willow who was still lost in the power of magick. "She won't be able to hold it much longer. We're getting tired," she said, her face concerned.

"Will you be able to do it as long as they're down?" Wesley asked.

"Yes," she nodded.

"That's good," Dawn smiled at Tara, but it was slightly wobbly. Her sister was in Hell, together with Angel and Spike who was an evil vampire but also her friend. She didn't know Faith that well and the few times she remembered, the other slayer had been almost as evil as the vampires she hunted, but she seemed to have changed and Dawn didn't want her to suffer either. "They'll make it, won't they?" she asked nobody in particular.

"Yes," Giles said, not sure he believed his own answer.

"You know," Wesley came to stand beside him, his voice just a whisper. "I really don't like the way that General is smiling all the time, it makes we wonder..." he trailed off rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Makes you wonder what?" the older man inquired.

"Well, I don't know, but the last time someone looked so smugly," he sighed, thinking about another time, another person, "I just don't like it. I would eat a horse with skin if that guy hasn't gotten a nice surprise for us."

"What do you mean?" Giles turned fully around, his eyes alert, he felt his pulse rising.

"Look at him!" Wesley nodded towards General Brookridge, "He's caught, surrounded by Gunn and his friends, unable to move a finger without us noticing it, and he still smiles. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

If you looked at it that way. "You're right," Giles felt fear gripping his gut, "Riley," he called the commando."Yes," the blond came over a serious expression on his face. "What's the matter?"

"How well do you know General Brookridge?"

"Uh... not really well, I worked with him in Brazil once. I'm glad he left the country after that. I could hardly believe it when he showed up here. Why?" Oh he remembered the General all right. He'd taken them deep into the rain forest, to make them hunt vampires where they could hardly see them. Six of his comrades had been killed that night. Oh yes, he would hardly forget the man.

"Would you trust him?"

Riley thought about the question for a moment, then slowly shook his head, "Not a chance. I mean, he would obey a direct order under any circumstances, but as a person he could lie into your face. And he would sacrifice everyone and everything for the cause *and* for his career."

"Hmmm," Giles made, while Wesley's mind was racing. And then it hit him.

Whirling around faster than anyone had ever seen him, the former watcher went right into the General's face, "You bloody bastard," he shouted, startling the others with his sudden outburst. "You already timed the bomb, didn't you? That's the reason you are smiling like that. You know," he threatened, his voice suddenly low and dangerous, "I wouldn't like anything more than wiping that smile from your face. Preferably with my fist." Then he thought about it, "Or even better, I leave you to the people whose lives you endanger."

"Oh my God," Willow, who had just come out her trance, now taken over by Tara again, breathed. Dawn stifled a gasp, while the others' eyes widened in horror.

"Is he right?" Giles approached General Brookridge menacingly, "Is it true? Is there a bomb already?"

The General's smile had never wavered at Wesley's attack and it widened now, "Of course there is," feeling in total control, "Or do you think I would come down here and leave the fate of the world to you. How stupid are you? I never liked the tales of the slayers. Maggie Walsh admired the slayers, until she got, let's say, sidetracked. I never shared her enthusiasm, nor did I make myself believe that they could make a difference. You're a watcher, Mr. Giles, how many have died doing their duty? And have the vampires, the demons, lessened? No. On the contrary, they're stronger than ever. And now tell me, where is the use of the slayers."

"You have no idea how often she saved the world," Dawn shouted, tears gathering in her eyes. Her sister had risked her life, did it now, the very moment, and this man talked about her as if she was nothing.

"Hey," Xander put a gentle arm around the trembling girl, pulling her to him, protecting her with his embrace, then held his free hand out for Anya who took it. "She's right, you know," he said, looking at General Brookridge, "You have no idea what Buffy did. Without her, the world wouldn't exist today. You weren't there. She saved the world and you with it."

"Whatever she did," he replied, "is of no consequence. The bomb is timed and will blow up soon. And with it the hellmouth will be closed." He gazed at Giles, "I read your records, you did it once, and it worked."

"The circumstances were completely different," Giles snapped, itching to beat the idiot into a bloody pulp. He didn't have violent thoughts very often anymore. Not since he had called himself Ripper, and had been much younger, and more stupid, but the urge was very strong now. He could see that Wesley was on the edge as well. "There was a demon and the aim was this demon, not to close the bloody hellmouth. You are not very thorough with your reading, I see."

"Stop this bomb," Wesley demanded, his eyes only slits now.

"Certainly not," the General said arrogantly. He wouldn't listen to these civilians who obviously thought playing war was some nice hobby. Most of them were barely out of their teens. Ridiculous.

"Stop it, General," Riley came to stand beside the two watchers.

"You shut up, Agent Finn. You've been a nuisance before, disobeying my orders in the rain forest. You don't think I forgot."

"No, I didn't," the blond commando said, not feeling an obligation anymore. Obviously people being in charge in the Initiative tended to go nuts. "I didn't forget a single thing, but that isn't the point here. Tell me where this bomb is."

General Brookridge just laughed, "Over my dead body," he said, laughing even harder about his own joke, nobody else understood. "This bomb will go off in," he checked his watch, "twenty minutes. Your friends better be back then, or – sorry to say that - they will be buried down there. Eternally."

*****

Angel could all but stare at the spot where his girlfriend had just been standing before. Somewhere in his mind he knew and saw she was gone, but the bigger part of his mind refused to accept it. She couldn't be gone. A person didn't just vanish into thin air right before his eyes.

Maybe he was still confused from his encounter with Darla. From all the things he'd expected to see down here, his sire hadn't been one of them. Trying to remember what she'd said exactly, he frowned. Someone had convinced her to come down to bring Buffy and he down. And she'd agreed. She left the earth only to have her revenge. Angel had to admit, that, although knowing her longer than any other creature on this planet, he had underestimated her. Well, it would certainly not happen again. He and Buffy-

Buffy.

She was gone. Had vanished.

Angel drew air in his collapsed lungs, the breathing causing a sharp pain, making him notice that one or two ribs had been cracked when he connected with the wall. Just what he needed. The ribs from their encounter with the Morahs were barely healed and now this. Not that it wasn't enough that Buffy was missing, they were standing - or in his case sitting - close to the Gate of Hell, surrounded by demons, only disguised by Willow's spell that-

The spell.

Frantically his hand searched his pocket and coming in contact with nothing, he groaned. During his flight against the wall he'd lost the spell, Willow had given him. Damn. Of course it wasn't in his pocket, he'd been holding it in his hand the moment some force had slammed into him, making him flying against the wall. The same force that had taken Buffy. Oh God, Buffy.

Only now the whole situation settled in his mind, and quickly despair threatened to take over. He had to get to Buffy. Buffy. Buffy. Nothing else mattered, panic gripping him. He couldn't lose her again. Couldn't be without her or lose her. Not again. He wouldn't survive another time, not after they'd found a way to be together. Please, no. "NO."

Angel didn't even realize that he'd shouted this one word, his voice sounding hoarse, and his soul crying out for its other half. How would he manage to get to her? The fate of the world was lying on their shoulders. He didn't want to be forced to choose, but maybe he would and for the first time he realized what sort of choice Buffy had had to make the day she'd sent him to Hell. How had she been able to stand it, live with it, live through it? She had to be strong, incredibly so. Could he be so strong?

"Angel," Faith's frantic voice slowly broke through the daze he'd been in and he blinked, forcing himself to focus on her face, to make him feel the hands that were touching him.

"Wh- what?" he blinked again.

"You're back," Spike grinned at him, "We thought you were gone to some loony place already."

"Oh, shut up," Faith hissed, hitting him over the head.

"OW," he yelled, rubbing the spot. "Don't do that, I can't defend myself."

"I know," she replied, giving him a look.

"Hey, are you enjoying hitting a poor, defenseless vamp? You did that before and..." he trailed off remembering clearly to what it had lead. Taking in their surroundings again he could imagine a nicer place to get rid of some sexual energy. But maybe she was up to it later on.

Maybe some of his thoughts had mirrored on his face, because Faith hit him again, harder this time and hissed, "You're a sick bastard. B. is missing."

"I know," he muttered, helping his grand-sire, who was struggling to get on his feet.

Angel grimaced, feeling each cracked rib, each bruise, but there was no time to dwell on it. He closed his eyes for a short moment, then opened them again, "Did anyone of you see what happened?"

"No," Faith shook her head. "You were casting the spell, then suddenly wham, a light, a force, we were all thrown against the wall and B. was gone." She suddenly felt tears well up in her eyes, and then said what she'd been thinking from the moment the blond slayer had disappeared, "Do you... Do you think she's dead?" Her voice cracked on the last word as a tear left her right eye.

"No," Angel said firmly. "No, she isn't dead." And with saying this, he believed it. He knew it. She wasn't dead. He would feel it if she were dead, would know, especially now when the bond between them was stronger than ever. He closed his eyes again, trying to feel her, ignoring the shouts and laughter around him, ignoring the sudden increase of evil power around him.

He heard Spike gasp, but didn't look at him. Something was happening. Where had Darla gone? And why had she been able to see him. Hadn't Willow's spell worked on her? And if not, why? Who was behind all this? The devil? Whatever the devil was. When he'd grown up he believed in God and now learned that God was just a word for something you couldn't really grasp.

'Together you're strong' it whispered in his head. Doyle's voice. 'Don't forget it, my friend. Never forget, that together you are strong.' It was barely a breath, but he heard it. Was it real? Was Doyle with him now? Were the Powers with him? Could they trespass the barrier to Hell? Be with him in mind, remembering of the connection he had with Buffy. Whatever it was, he suddenly knew.

"They try to weaken us by taking Buffy from me."

"Oh yeah?" Spike cocked a brow. "That's something new."

"No, I mean," Angel shook his head, too many things whirling around in his head, too many things that were suddenly clear, but had been muddled just a minute ago. "Together we're strong," he said.

"Meaning?" Faith had tilted her head, was staring at him.

"When I heard it, I always thought it meant just Buffy and me," Angel explained, opening his eyes again, "but it means us, the good fighting against the evil. We need to stay together, fight together."

"Really hate to say it, but aren't we already doing that? And look where it brought us to," Spike had never heard his grand-sire talking like this. Angelus had always been a crazy bastard, but now he was talking as if he wasn't even one of them anymore. There was a tremor in his voice, a look in his eyes. It was more frightening than his worst wrath had been over a century ago.

"You don't understand," the dark-haired vampire smiled, almost an eerie smile. Hell, what was happening to the bugger?

"Angel, get your marbles back together," his grand-childe said gruffly.

"I haven't lost them," Angel replied, snapping back from his trance. "But now I know, I understand."

'Angel, I'm still here. You just have to do it. You know what to do,' Buffy's voice whispered in his mind. Or was it Doyle helping them to communicate, to help them through this? Angel didn't care. Buffy was alive and she was near by.

"Buffy hasn't vanished," he told the others. "They just made her invisible."

"Invisible?" Spike yelped, jumping back. "Slayer, let's go, the bugger has lost his mind. Losing his mate has cost him his last marbles."

"No," Angel's voice was sharp and commanding. "We need to close the gate. Now. And then we will get her back."

"Are you sure?" Faith asked putting a hand on his arm.

"What?" Spike asked, horror in his eyes, "You actually believe him? He's nuts, absolutely nuts. I say we leave. If you want I knock him out and we take him with us, but let's go as long as Red's spell is holding."

"SHUT UP," slayer and dark-haired vampire yelled unison, making Spike shrink away, holding up his hand in defense.

"Alright, alright, I'm shutting up. But if this goes down, I will remind you, that I said so before."

Ignoring him, Angel closed his eyes, trying to remember the spell Willow had given him. When he was sure he remembered the words, he began to chant.

*****

"He's not going to give away where the bomb is," Riley said pacing in front of the others, "and I doubt his guards know."

"Damn," Wesley muttered. They had tried everything to make the General talk to them, had threatened him, Giles had even punched him, nothing worked. Not even threatening to shoot one of his men, what of course nobody would've done, but it had been an attempt to get him talking. In vain.

"How long?" Xander asked.

"They've got ten minutes to come back. It'll be a close call," Willow said, anxiously staring at the hellmouth, praying her friends would make it.

None of them had watched General Brookridge after he hadn't been reacting to their threats. And nobody was looking at him now, when he suddenly produced a tiny metal thing.

"We need to find out where it is, we need to," Riley stopped and whirled around, when he recognized the object the General was holding in his hand. Something he recognized immediately and his eyes widened in horror. "A remote control, it never was a time bomb," he shouted, starting towards General Brookridge, knowing the same moment it would be too late to reach him, his finger already pressing down the button.

"FREEZE!"

Willow's command sounded through the night, her eyes flashing green, her hands outstretched in front of her, the power radiating from her almost palpable. General Brookridge's finger froze, the button halfway down, held there by Willow's will. The redhead's whole body trembled with the force of the spell, even more so as she was exhausted from exchanging places with Tara to keep the hell mouth sealed.

"Oh wow!" Dawn whispered in awe. She'd seen Willow's work before, but never it had her impressed the way it did now.

"Yeah, wow," Wesley agreed, staring at Willow, remembering the shy girl he'd known and seeing the woman she'd become, the powerful witch, a trusted ally. They were all so concentrated on Willow and the General that nobody noticed when Tara suddenly began to tremble and then slumped to the ground, her hold on the hellmouth breaking the very moment. Willow wasn't able to take over, her whole being focused on General Brookridge.

The same moment hell broke loose, Demons and Vampires streaming from the now unsealed hole in the ground, their faces contorted with hatred and hunger, the first of them grabbed General Brookridge who wasn't moving due to Willow's spell, while the remote control slipped from his hands and fell to the ground.

*****

Faith covered her ears with her hands when the noise around her became deafening again. She stared at Angel who was surrounded by a bright light, reciting Willow's spell, the power around him increasing. Spike had backed away against the wall, the bright light around his grand-sire hurting almost as Holy Water.

The moment Angel had said the last word the Gate began to gleam, and different colors making it glow like a rainbow, bathing the surroundings into bright light. A wind was blowing, whispering words nobody could understand.

And suddenly Buffy materialized between them, with a sob sinking into Angel's arms. "You did it," she cried, hugging him. "You did it, you believed."

"Yes, I believed. I love you," he shouted over the storm that was raging now. Demons and vampires flying through the air like a leaf. "Let's get out of here," he shouted. "There can't be much time left.

"What's happening?" Faith shouted back, while Spike had already started to run the way back.

"I don't know," Angel replied, holding onto his lover's hand. "Maybe we'll never know, but have to go now."

And they did, they ran, faster and faster with full slayer and vampire speed, towards the exit, before the hellmouth would be sealed and they'd be trapped down here. They could already see it, could see their friends fighting vampires and demons, when suddenly the world around them exploded

Part 41

It was dark. Dark and quiet. Too quiet. Hadn't there been noises just a second ago? Noises and light? Disoriented Buffy's eyes opened. Slowly. Carefully. Not knowing what they would see. What had happened? Where was she?

There was nothing, but darkness. Everywhere. Surrounding her.

The Gate.

She remembered the Gate glowing. There had been a storm. A light. Noises. Voices. Shouting. Whining. Crying.

The slayer frowned. Why was it quiet now? Why was it dark?

Demons.

There had been demons. All kinds. Vampires, old and young. Where were they? She could still hear their voices crying in outrage and in panic. Just a minute ago.

Panic?

Why would a vampire cry in panic? There was no sunlight. The darkness surrounding her was almost frightening. But Buffy was sure there had been panic all around it. And she remembered Angel glowing almost unearthly, power coming from him. Then he'd taken her hand and they'd run.

Where was he now? Panic crept up her spine. Angel. Where was Angel? She tried to see something in this darkness but already knew it was impossible. Where were her friends? What about Spike and Faith? Had they made it?

Oh God! She stifled a sob and pressed a fist to her mouth. Maybe this was their damnation. Eternal darkness. Lonely. Lost. Was she maybe trapped in the demon's dimension? Was Angel trapped as well?

She almost jumped out of her skin when suddenly someone coughed beside her, then a voice croaked, "B.?"

"Faith!" there was so much relief in the blond slayer's voice, one could've believed she'd just found her best friend. "Oh Faith, are you okay?" She reached out in the darkness, tried to reach her. "Where are you?"

"Uh... no idea," the brunette replied honestly. What the fuck had happened? "Somewhere near by."

"I think you are on my left," Buffy reached out the same arm, waving it around, hoping to connect with human skin, human warmth. "Try touching me, Faith," her voice was frantic. She needed to touch, to be touched, to find warmth, if not light, in this darkness.

But there was none. Faith was there, but obviously too far away, to reach her. "Do you know what happened?" she asked finally giving up waving her hand around, rising on her knees instead, crawling towards the other slayer's voice. Her whole body hurt, she was sure she had bruises everywhere. She could remember boulders flying around, debris and shots of fire, a lot like it had happened before in the tunnel.

"No, I have no idea," Faith coughed again. She felt blood in her mouth, the coppery taste making her nauseous. She hated tasting her own blood. Her ribs hurt. Badly. Badly hurting ribs and blood in her mouth? Not a good sign. Every time she coughed it was as if someone was sawing her chest open. The brunette slayer stifled a groan and yelped when suddenly something warm connect with the skin of her arm.

"It's okay, it's just me," Buffy said quietly, "Oh God, Faith. What happened?"

"Damn if I knew," the other woman replied. "It was as if the whole world was coming down on us. Something hit me, hard, on my chest." She coughed again and this time she couldn't prevent the groan from leaving her mouth.

"Are you hurt?" Buffy asked instantly, her hands moving over Faith's body, searching for injuries, the touch light like a feather.

"Yeah, I think I am," the brunette slayer said after the worst pain had settled. "My ribs hurt and I can taste blood."

"Oh God, Faith," a sob came from the blond, startling Faith.

"Hey, B. I'm tough, I'm not going to die. So don't go soft on me now."

"I won't," Buffy said angrily, wiping the tears from her face, although Faith couldn't see them anyway. "I'm just a bit shaken. I can't find Angel."

"Oh," the brunette made. "But... uh... you haven't really searched for him, right? And it's dark. He might be around somewhere."

"Yeah, somewhere," Buffy's voice sounded defeated, "If we just knew where this somewhere is."

They were quiet for whiles, each hanging on their thoughts, when the blond broke the silence, her voice quiet, almost a bit shy, "I remember, you know. I remember everything now."

"You mean you... oh," Faith's voice was small and she was frowning in the dark. "That's... uh... good."

"Yeah, I guess. I remembered the moment Angel overcame the Gate, got me back. I don't know what happened, but the memory - well, the parts that were still missing - was back like that," she snapped her fingers.

"Well," the brunette said weekly.

"Hey, relax, I'm not going to shout at you," Buffy laughed nervously, running a hand through her hair.

"You're not?" Faith couldn't quite believe it. "That's a start then."

"Yeah, but I want to say something nevertheless."

"Figures," the brunette slayer muttered. Just when she'd thought they were finally over-

"Thanks."

Startled, Faith's head snapped around, looking at her sister slayer without seeing her. She wished she could see her eyes see the expression in them. Understand. "Why are you thanking me?"

"Because you came to help without asking."

"Angel did a lot for me," the brunette said slowly. "Without him I wouldn't have known where to go, what would've happened to me? Not that it's a blast to sit in a cell in prison, but..." she shrugged in the dark, her voice trailing off.

Buffy squeezed the other woman's hand, "I understand. And again thanks. You had no reason to come and help me. I wasn't really nice to you last time we saw each other."

"Yeah, well," Faith, laughed, regretting instantly when her ribs began to throb again, "you always were the jealous type."

"Oh yeah," Buffy laughed also, although it wasn't a happy sound. They were both too desperate, using the conversation to keep their minds from the reality around them. A reality they didn't even know. "I know."

"But," the brunette paused for a moment, welcoming the dark. It was so much easier to say things in the dark. "But I... uh... wasn't nice to you either."

"You behaved like a punk," Buffy's voice was matter-of-fact.

This time Faith managed just to chuckle. But even that hurt. Her injuries had to be a lot worse than she thought. Blood in her mouth, maybe a lung was punctured. Hell of time for such a mess. It didn't look as if there would be an ambulance any time soon. She felt tears threatening. No way she would die down here. Not now, it wasn't fair. Not now, when she had friends, people who cared for her. After all the crap that had happened in her life, she had managed to put it back together, to find a way for herself. She lifted her chin stubbornly. No way, she would die now.

"The shrink in jail said that I wanted to hurt other people the way I was hurting," she said, pressing a hand over her painful ribs. "She said it was the only way I knew to get attention," she took a deep breath, "I... I learned not to do it anymore. I hope."

"That's good," Buffy squeezed her hand again, "That's really good."

"Buffy, I don't want to die," Faith's voice was suddenly like that of a little child. "I don't want to die."

"We won't," the blond assured her, praying this wasn't a lie. "There's too much still waiting for us."

Like Angel. Oh, Angel, she thought, for the first time we have a chance. Please, those wonderful days with you, it can't be all we've been given. It can't be all.

****

Giles stood in the middle of the ruins of the old high school and looked around. The moon was shining so brightly that he had no problem seeing what was around him. There were Willow and Tara holding on to each other, their eyes huge and confused. Xander was holding Anya in his arms, he had a bleeding wound on his right arm, but it didn't look serious. Wesley was coughing, obviously in order to rid himself of the dust in his lungs. Kate held Dawn in her arms, the slayer's sister staring at the hole that had been the entrance to the hell mouth only minutes ago. Gunn was checking his friends while Riley was standing over the unmoving form of General Brookridge.

There were two neat little holes in his neck, his face was pale, his eyes closed, the features relaxed. The blond commando narrowed his eyes, then turned away in disgust. They had survived. He looked around counting heads and faces. Yeah, they had survived, but for what price. The hellmouth looked dormant as it had before, and it seemed as if nobody was suffering from serious injuries. Yet, he felt defeated and weary. Buffy, Faith, Angel and Spike hadn't made it.

If someone had told Riley he would ever mourn for a vampire he would've thought they were nuts. But now he did. Not for Angel as a person, he didn't know him well enough for that, but vampire or not, he had risked his life, or rather unlife, for the sake of the world. Suddenly it wasn't important anymore that Angel was a vampire. Or that Buffy had never stopped loving him, that Riley had hated him as long as he could remember, because he had never been able to overcome the other man's shadow.

All that was of no consequence. All that counted was that Angel had sacrificed everything for a world that didn't even know Angel or the things they were going against, existed. That was crying for the word hero and suddenly it wasn't so complicated anymore to understand why Buffy had always been so drawn to him.

His eyes met Giles' and they both looked at each other with a deep knowledge of having lost someone they loved. Giles with the eyes of a father, Riley... He wasn't quite sure about the expression in his eyes. Of course he had lost Buffy a long time ago, if she'd ever belonged to him at all wasn't important at the moment. Yet, the idea of her being dead was nothing he had ever imagined and the stab of pain it caused was deep and Riley knew it would be a long time until the wound healed.

He saw Dawn staggering over boulders and burnt wood towards Giles, the watcher catching her in a loving embrace, the girl was crying in his arms, her whole body trembling. Willow was crying as well, held by Tara and Xander didn't try to hide his tears, the realization that their friends hadn't been able to come back in time hitting them all the same moment.

"Oh man," Gunn came to stand beside Riley, his eyes focused on the closed hole in the ground. "I can't believe he didn't make it. Damn idiot," Riley heard him draw a sharp breath, Gunn's voice was thick with grief. "Why didn't he make it?" he shouted, addressing nobody in particular. "Stupid idiot."

"Gunn, Wesley," Cordelia's voice sounded through the night, her heels making a clattering noise as she ran towards her friends. "What happened? I couldn't stay at Buffy's house any longer. Did everything go okay?" She looked at the former watcher, saw the sadness in his eyes, took in Willow and Xander crying, Dawn sobbing senselessly in Giles' arms and her eyes widened in horror.

"No?" she shook her head, backed away, "No," she repeated, her eyes darting to Gunn, then back to Wesley. "Oh no." The first angry tears spilled over. "No, no, no, no, no," she shouted, stomping one foot on the ground. "He can't do that, he just can't do that."

"Cordelia," Wesley moved towards her, his voice gentle, but she held out her hand in front of her body.

"Don't," she warned. "Don't touch me. I won't believe it. He can't be dead. He c-can't... OH GOD," she moaned like a wounded animal, then almost crumpled to the ground, Wesley catching her the last moment.

"Shhhh," he soothed, gathering her in his arms. "It's okay, everything will be okay," he told her, stroking her hair. "It will all be okay."

"No, it won't," she sobbed, "it won't. He was meant to be immortal. He was meant to be immortal."

"I know," he said, exchanging a sad look with Gunn over her head, then gazed at Giles who hadn't been able to hold back his own tears any longer. They had stopped the Gate of Hell from opening, had closed the hell mouth. Yes, they had done well. But they wouldn't able to enjoy their victory.

Part 42

"Welcome Warrior," a beautiful, melodic voice sounded through the air, then a figure materialized, dressed all in gold, her forms as beautiful as the voice.

"Bloody Hell," another, not so beautiful voice, replied and Angel groaned. All he wanted to know is what had happened. He could remember the Gate gleaming in some unearthly light and then... nothing. Just plain nothing and now he was waking up in some wacky nightmare - it was the only way to describe it, regarding the fact that Spike was in it.

Only, it wasn't a dream at all. All Angel wanted to know was where Buffy was, if she was alive, hurt, injured, the worry almost consuming him. He wanted to go and look for her, but no. Being a warrior he was stuck with some supernatural being and his annoying grand-childe. Talk about a lovely day in the life of a vampire.

The smile on the face of the golden creature disappeared and she - at least it looked like a woman - shot Spike a stern look. "Be quiet. I will not warn you again."

The blond vampire stared at the figure, taken aback for a moment, but didn't say anything, just raised a brow. What the hell had he gotten himself into now?

"Warrior," the woman's attention shifted back to Angel again. "You did well," she said, smiling.

"Where are we? And can you tell us what happened?" the dark-haired vampire wanted to know.

"You are in," the figure smiled again, "well, for lack of a better term, you could call it Heaven."

"Are we dead then?" Angel asked quickly.

"Of course we're dead, Peaches," Spike jumped in. "We've been dead for quite a while now."

Irritated, Angel's head jerked around, his eyes glaring at his grand-childe, then wandering back to the figure. "Heaven? How can this be Heaven with him here?" he asked.

"Hey," his grand-childe shouted indignantly, "No need to get insulting. HEY!" he yelled suddenly being propelled backward against an invisible wall.

"Impertinent creature," the golden woman growled. "I said you should be quiet. Do not interfere again," she warned.

"You know you're pretty when you're aggressive," he grinned, then raised his hands, "Hey, that was a compliment. Not even compliments? Well, I'll be quiet then."

"That would be good," the woman said, but for the first time it looked as if she had to suppress a grin. With a little sigh and a shake of her head she turned back to Angel, "Warrior, you were brought before me, to explain what happened today."

The dark-haired vampire frowned but didn't say anything.

With a nod of her head the woman approved of his reaction and continued, "You overcame the Gate of Hell today," she said, "No other warrior has ever done that before. We owe you our thanks. You didn't save mankind for the first time today, so we thought we should congratulate you in person and tell you how pleased we are with you."

Angel said nothing, just looked at her, and her eyes became intent, questioning, "Are you not happy about it? You should be proud."

"There is nothing be proud of. I did my job, I... we do it every day. So why all this?" he gestured with his hand, motioning at the woman, then at the surroundings.

"We thought it might please you to know you did well."

"Where is Buffy?" Angel asked suddenly ignoring her last comment.

Understanding flickered in the woman's eyes and a gentle smile played on her lips, "Ah, the little warrior," she nodded, "Your connection always intrigued us. It was fascinating. We were watching you with great interest."

Now Angel's eyes narrowed, "Were you? Well you must have had a good show then," his voice dripped of sarcasm, "Was it amusing to see her suffer? How twisted do you have to be to enjoy this?"

His challenging eyes met hers and for a short moment something like anger was in them, but it was soon gone, replaced by a neutral expression. "It is not your place to criticize us," she snapped. "Don't overstep your boundaries."

If Angel hadn't been so weary of the previous - and still ongoing - night, he might have snapped back. As it was he just shrugged, not really interested anymore if she approved of him or not.

"Hey, if you're so grateful, you could grant him a wish, couldn't you?," Spike suggested, not liking the feeling to be left out.

The figure's eyebrows snapped up, her indignant gaze turning to the blond vampire, "A wish?"

"Yeah, you know, he says what he wants to have, and you give it to him. Like Christmas. You have to know Christmas. You invented it in the first place. A wish," Spike suddenly thought that there was some fun in this after all. You didn't get the opportunity to insult something like a god every day.

The haughty brows rose even more, "We are not to interfere with fate," she informed him. "We will not grant wishes. It would change the balance of good and evil. It is for our warriors to level things."

The blond vampire looked at her for a long moment, and then turned to his grand-sire, "'Our warriors'," he mimicked, "You know mate, I might have a chip in my head but hell, you really didn't get the better end of the deal. If she was my boss, I would just stake me and get over with it."

Angel shook his head wearily, and then asked, gazing at the golden creature, "So will you tell me what happened to Buffy?" he asked after a moment.

The woman gave him an assessing glance, then seemed to relax, the anger gone, "The little warrior should've been with you, but unfortunately," she sighed, rolling her eyes very human like, "not all things are perfect up here. Sometimes," she twisted her head, looking at a little white figure standing in the back, "an inexperienced messenger..." she sighed again, "We told her to bring you and the blond," another heavy sigh and her eyes went to Spike, "which obviously was a mistake."

The dark-haired vampire suppressed a grin the very last moment. Wanting Buffy and getting Spike instead, yes, things definitely weren't all perfect up here. A soulless vampire in Heaven. Go figure! On the other hand, and now the grin wasn't to be suppressed anymore, Spike would do anything to hide that little incident from the other vampires. He saw Spike narrowing his eyes at him and chuckled.

"So Buffy is alive?" Angel asked, coming back to the most urgent subject.

"Yes, very much so," the figure replied, inclining her head, "She's just lost in the darkness. All you have to do is find her, if..." she trailed off, suddenly tilting her head. "There is another option."

Angel's ears perked up, "Another option."

"We cannot grant wishes or change fate, but... we could offer you a reward. You could stay. Your suffering would be over. Your soul would be free, resting eternally up here."

"That isn't an option," the dark-haired vampire replied without hesitation. "I can't just leave. There's still Buffy, my friends and I have work to do.

Very slowly the smile came back to the woman's face and also reached her eyes now, "Yes," she said softly, "I expected you to say that. So you will go back?" When she saw him nod, she inclined her head, "Very well. You will return." Her gaze drifting towards Spike again, she raised a brow, "And you want to take *that* with you?"

"Hey," Spike yelled, feeling insulted. He hated being called an 'it', he was definitely male, he knew it.

Angel looked at his grand-childe, he would pay for this without saying, but at the moment there really wasn't another choice, "Yes, by all means, it includes him."

"Very well," the figure nodded again, "so will it be." She was about to raise her hand, to dismiss the two vampires, when Angel lifted his hand.

"But where is Buffy?"

"You will know. Listen to your heart and you will know," she said smiling again. "You can go. This matter is closed. You did well. We will not forget."

She began to disintegrate and the two vampires found themselves falling, faster and faster, and then their conscious faded.

****

"Tea, anyone?" Giles came from the kitchen in Buffy's house looking over the assembled people in the overcrowded living room.

"Yes, please," Wesley gave him a grateful nod, then gently pushed a loose strand from Cordelia's face whom he was still holding in his arms. "What about you?"

"No, thanks," she sniffed, her eyes bleary and red from crying, "But I'd take a glass of water."

"Of course," Giles replied, glad he had something to busy himself with. The emptiness in his chest made the Sahara desert a children's playground. "Anybody else?"

"Giles," Willow entangled herself from her lover's arms and touched the watcher's shoulder. "Don't you want to sit down? I can take care of the tea."

"Yeah, she's right," Kate stood as well. "We can do that."

Sudden indignation rose inside the watcher, "I'm not an old man who needs to be pampered," he told them, his body rigid, his eyes angry. "Don't treat me like that."

"We don't," the redhead looked at him gently. "We don't. But we all have rested. You've been on your feet non-stop. You need to sit down. Giles, we need you."

"Oh yeah?" his eyes shooting daggers at her, his anger and frustration exploded, "You need me, huh? For what? I couldn't even keep my slayer alive!"

The whole room froze at his words, everyone staring at the watcher, whose body was still trembling with rage. Willow's hand flew to her mouth, covering it in shock, her eyes tearing up again. "Oh, Giles," she whispered, being the first to find her voice again. "That's not true. It wasn't your fault-"

"The hell it was," he shouted, "If I'd done my research better, if we'd been more careful." He pointed at his former colleague, "Wesley realized at once that something wasn't quite right about General Brookridge, but did I? Oh, no. Because I was too blind, and too stupid and I now I want you to bloody leave me alone." He turned and disappeared in the kitchen, leaving everyone to stare after him in speechless shock.

Dawn's anguished sob was the first noise, Gunn gathering her in his arms, holding her tight, experiencing a rush of feelings as if holding his sister Alanna again. Willow started after Giles, but Kate held her back. "No," she said quietly, "Let me. I know, I don't know him very well, but in my line of work I've got experience with something like that. And sometimes it's better to talk to someone who isn't that close."After only a short hesitation the redhead nodded, then squeezed the police officer's arm. "Thanks," she whispered. Kate just smiled and went for the kitchen.

"Oh God," Willow blinked rapidly, her eyes darting to the ceiling, "How are we ever going to get through this?"

*

Kate found Giles slamming cupboard doors, muttering something unintelligible, and then jerking the fridge open, with stiff movement he was searching for milk. His body language was unmistakable and all but cried 'stay away'. Well, Kate thought, one doesn't ever get what one wants and braced herself for the inevitable.

"You put on quite a show in there," she said, her voice casual, and sat on one of the barstools, bracing her elbows on the counter.

He went even more rigid, but he didn't turn, or even acknowledge her presence. With controlled movements he took the boiling water from the stove and poured it over the tea bags. Tea bags, he groaned inwardly, no culture in an American household. Setting the kettle back, he put it down so hard that some water spilled over his hand. Swearing an oath, he bit off a sound of pain, still ignoring his company completely.

"Auto-mutilation isn't going to help, you know," she commented, leaning her chin on her entwined hands.

"So far," he gritted out, "I thought you were a nice person, but that could easily change," he warned.

"Oh, well," she shrugged, "I'll take the chance."

"Just leave."

She sighed, "No, I won't. Giles, bottling all up like that won't help. Guilt won't either. You need to deal with this. If not for yourself, then for all the kids out there who depend on you. They're lost without you."

Slamming the empty tray he'd been holding down, he spun around and faced her, "Yeah? Well, they're lost with me too. Or didn't you notice. Two young women died today. Two brave, young women." Then more controlled he added, "And two vampires. And although they've been dead for a long time, I can't just wipe their faces from my conscience either."

"That honors you," she said gently, lifting her head, and putting her hands down on the counter, "But shouting at the others won't help. Building walls won't help. Forcing yourself to feel nothing won't help. It will only help the ones who survived. I know it hurts to lose someone you love, but-"

"I didn't just lose someone I loved, although by God I loved that girl. The point is I was responsible for her. I sent her down there, and she, believed that I wouldn't let her down. And you know what?" he asked, guilt almost overwhelming him, "I didn't. I let her die, because I wasn't thorough enough. Now, Detective Lockley, how do suggest I deal with that? Or have you run out of answers now?"

After only a short hesitation, she said, "Yes, actually I have. How would you like to be informed about more deaths, their deaths," she turned and pointed towards the living-room. "Because now that they've lost their protectors, they'll be lost without you."

*

"I hope she'll get through," Xander said after a while, his eyes the spot where Giles' had been standing before. "I've never seen him like that," there was a tremor in his voice and a tinge of panic, Willow had never heard before. "God, I feel so numb, so unreal. As if nothing of this has really happened."

"But it has," Cordelia lifted her head from Wesley's shoulder, wiping the tears from her cheeks, not even thinking about her smeared makeup or how it would ruin her complexion. This was not the moment to think about herself. "Maybe I should go to the kitchen and have a look. I mean I'm not that close to Giles either."

"Cordelia," Wesley put a restraining hand on her arm, "I don't-"

He was interrupted by the sound of the brunette's cell phone. Startled everyone looked at her, following her movements while she searched for it in her purse, "That might be Riley," she said, pulling it out, "He wanted to... This is Cordelia Chase," she said.All of a sudden all color drained from her face, the hand holding the phone began to tremble badly, while her body slumped back on the couch. "Wh- what?" she stammered, "Y-yes, I- I'm still there. Yes, we... we're all fine. Only some bruises," they heard her say. She took a steadying breath, "What? Buffy? No... no, I'm sorry, Buffy isn't with us." A sob suddenly tore from her throat and she wasn't able to talk anymore.

"What?" Wesley asked concerned, but she just shook her head and held the cell out for him. He took it, and then said, "Hello. This is Wesley, a friend of Cordelia's. Who am I talking-" Now his face lost all its color as well, his hand gripping the phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "Angel!" he exclaimed in a mixture of shock and relief.

The eyes of the others in the room widened, some of them were gasping, Willow's gaze connecting with Cordelia's in an unspoken question. The brunette just nodded, tears running down her face, an odd mixture of relief and grief. Relief that he was alive, but deep grief that they had to tell him about Buffy's fate.

"Oh God," Wesley ran his free hand over his face, "Angel. Are you all right? Oh, thank God. What? Spike is with you? Uh... well, that's good too, I think. No. No, Angel, Buffy isn't- What? Angel, wait, I need to tell you- But-" he sighed loudly, "Alright. If you think... I'm not going to hold you back, but the hellmouth is closed. Nobody could- Pardon?" his face changed listening to the other end of the line, the desperation faded and was replaced by hope, something the others registered with disbelief. After another moment, they heard him saying a "yes", and then he shut the phone down.

Steadying himself with a ragged breath, he let out a short laugh, "Well," he said finally. "As you've probably guessed, Angel is alive. So is Spike." Hearing a noise from the doorway he looked up, his eyes meeting Giles', and he smiled, "And believe it or not, but Angel is sure that Buffy and Faith are alive as well."

Go to Part 43