Part Four- THE FIRE THREATENS TO CONSUME

"No you didn't bother me at all dear," the older woman assured Cordelia and the others. "I'm glad to see you rising at such an early hour. I normally wake up around this time- for early morning prayer. Ever since I was old enough to speak, father would see to it that I rose early."

"Thank you, Ms. Holt," Cordelia said as Ms. Holt offered them all a place to sit.

"Yeah that's me. I rise. early. Ummm. I'm an early riser- uh," Xander stumbled, realizing the connotation of his words.

Ms. Holt ignored the remark, "Yes. Well then, what would you like to discuss, Carly?"

"It's Cordelia," the brunette said. "We just have a few questions."

"Yes," Wesley said, facing the woman. "About the orphanage."

The older woman smiled and Giles got a better view of her, "I started working there so I could bring the word of the Lord to his children."

"Forgive me but I noticed your arm," Giles said, pointing to her prosthetic plastic arm. "Did that occur during your time as director of the house?"

"Oh goodness no," Ms. Holt said, touching the false left limb. "I was a little girl when it occurred, it's nothing. I used to need a cane to walk around and such, but what with new fangled science it's not necessary."

"It must have been quite difficult though," Wesley mused. "Trying to care for all of the children and not having the use of both arms."

Ms. Holt shrugged it off, "No burden is greater than the burdens of God."

"Of course," Giles said. "Excuse us for asking this but- um, did you notice anything peculiar during your time at the house?"

The older woman gave him a confused look, "Peculiar?"

"Yes, ah. well. Were there were objects that seemed to levitate or suddenly appear out of nowhere," Wesley prodded. "Perhaps you saw persons drifting in and out of the house and yet strangely gone when you looked again?"

Ms. Holt turned back to Cordelia, "Why that's insane! Carly- I haven't seen you since your grandmother moved on but. It might be wise if you choose to associate with people more conscious of the ways of God."

"It's Cordelia," the brunette corrected again, irritated. "So you're saying nothing like that happened? Nothing- no deaths, no freaky ghosts?"

"Demons and ghosts are the workers of the devil," Ms. Holt said sternly. "Once a child is saved, the occult holds no power on you. Robert Jessup is living proof of that. I caught him with incantations of the evil, pentagrams scribbled in his notebook."

"And you saved him," Xander added, worried of where the conversation was going.

"That was my job- I loved him. I loved them all as they were my own. Once he was saved- well. He carved me a special oak cane, for my left arm. I lost it in the move, when the college took over the house. A young boy from the college was supposed to give it to me last night. Graham I think was his name. Anyway said he found it wrapped in some plastic inside of the attic."

"You said you saved them," Wesley said, processing the information. "How exactly did you do that?"

"I prevented them from being lost to the devil incarnate- I saw to it that they did not stray from the path of righteousness," she said nonchalantly. "I removed the temptations of evil- of earthly pleasures. Girls wasting away the precious life that God gave them by standing in the mirror to primp their hair."

"So you just hacked it off," Cordelia realized, and cried out.

"I merely refocused them to the divine. Without the temptation they became better Christians for it," she contended.

"And you repressed every normal biological urge in them- stopped them from laughing or being loved," Wesley fumed.

Ms. Holt evenly stared back at him, "I did what was necessary to ensure their place in the Kingdom of God."

"And does that include drowning them in the bathtub too?" Xander said, remembering what Willow had described to him.

"I performed the sacrament of Baptism on all of my children. Cleaned them of their sin! How dare you-"

Giles interrupted, "No- how dare you! How dare you abuse the children with your warped sense of morality! Because of you those children were traumatized and no doubt grew to be disturbed individuals!"

Ms. Holt stood up and faced him, "You pass judgement on me, when I can smell the sin on each of you. Reeking of sin and all things evil!"

"Yeah? You smell sin? Well let me tell you something, lady, she who smelt it dealt it," Xander cried out, earning him a strange look from everyone in the room. "It's like what Giles said, but faster."

"I must insist you leave now Carly," Ms. Holt said, rushing to throw them out. "And take your band of sinners with you!"

Cordelia revolved back to her as they all filed out to leave, "It's Co-You know what, you're not worth the bother."

***

"Well, that totally adds to my `old people are crazy' theorem," Xander said as they walked back to Angel's car. "But I still don't get it. I mean- yeah, those kids went through some major damage but none of them kicked the proverbial bucket. So where did those ghosts come from?"

Cordelia opened the door for them, "And why are Buffy and Angel suddenly the sex tri-athletes of the world?"

"I believe it's not necessarily spirits that haunt the house, but rather the tremendous negative energy those abused children left behind," Giles thought out loud as they walked. "It's possible they all could be apparitions, born out of repressed sexual energy and intense adolescent emotions."

"But that still doesn't explain the cane thing," Xander protested as they all got into the car. "How does that factor in?"

"Maybe it was the trigger," Wesley suggested as Cordelia drove. "Yes! Perhaps that Robert boy really was a practitioner of the occult- and carved the cane to release Ms. Holt's inhibitions somehow."

"Oh that's a good plan," Cordelia mocked. "So why was she still the Lord's dutiful dictator then, huh?"

"Ms. Holt said she used the cane for her left arm. HER PLASTIC left arm. And that when that college boy found it, the cane was wrapped in plastic," Wesley said to Giles who began to understand.

"Of course," Giles agreed. "Those types of magiks don't work with man made materials, plastic or anything else synthetic stops the effect. But they'd need a large energy source to tap into."

"Hence Angel and Buffy acting like the lust bunnies they are," Cordelia added. "Spilling out sexual energy all over the place."

"Okay, let's not talk about what they're spilling out," Xander shuddered. "So what? We just cover the cane with Seranwrap and poof? Everything's back to normal?"

"No, it's too late for that. They already have Buffy and Angel as a source of energy and will use them until they run out of it," Wesley mused.

"Then we've got to hurry! I mean sure. There are whole super human stamina issues, but- eventually even the two of them will get tired," Cordelia said.

Giles suddenly turned grave, "I don't think they'll get tired. I believe. they will die."

Xander turned serious too, "Ok- not good! So what's the plan, people?"

"We need to think about this rationally! There has to be- The cane! The cane. I believe the cane was sprinkled with Etruscan Powder, a very powerful potion," Wesley turning to the older Britishman.

"Yes that would make excellent sense," Giles agreed. "Even more powerful than it's precursor Corinthian powder. Both are supposed to make those who are effected by it control the different realities of the mind."

"Huh?" Xander asked from the front.

"It lets you experience whatever you want," Wesley paraphrased. "Only, Etruscan Powder is the stronger of the two. If gives the user a better control of their minds, although as I said before- it's uses are limited to natural materials."

"Which brings us back to Xander's unusually non-idiotic question. How do we stop it before they die?" Cordelia asked the Watchers.

"Well. Literally, they are polar opposites of a battery," Giles answered. "In theory a battery is a connected circuit of polar opposites. So, if we were to bring the physical ends of the battery together- the flow of energy would be interrupted."

Wesley seemed impressed, "That may work in this case as well- bring Buffy and Angel physically together."

"So we bring Angel over to the house? To the room that Xander said Buffy locked herself into," Cordelia wondered aloud.

Xander looked at of all as if they were crazy, "How the heck are we going to do that?"

***

The most reccent exchange between the lovers had been. well, just as intense and full of love as all of their love making is. But the couple could tell their physical bodies were waning. More than waning, they were barely coherent. As if the source of their strength, not just their endurance but what made up their very souls was being drained away. And even in the face of that depletion, mystical forces secretly at work or not- they still wanted more.

"I want to die like this," Buffy announced from her place on top of Angel's sweaty body. "With you inside of me, loving me. And me loving you."

Angel gave his wife a very hungry kiss but could feel the energy immediately leave him, "I want to die like this too."

Angel pulled her mouth down to his for more kissing, easing Buffy so she could lie flat on top of him. He brushed the blonde strands off of her forehead as he lovingly kissed her, feeling himself drain not into Buffy- but into the menacing channels around them. And Angel did not like it- Buffy was being robbed of what he wanted to give to her from the very moment he first saw her. His life.

"But I don't want to die yet," she managed to say to her husband.

"Neither do I," he agreed, pulling her down to him as they fiercely went on.

Part Five- THE FIRE REMAINS

"Whoa. That wasn't here before," Xander said to Cordelia as he pointed at the vines covering the house. "And why am I here and not at the séance?"

"We need to get them together before it's too late," Cordelia huffed as she got out of the car. "Giles and Wesley know about that kind of mystical thing, right? And Willow and Tara chant and stuff.They do the séance, keep the haunting munchkins busy and we get Angel to Buffy to stop this."

"Okay are you trying to convince us or yourself? Cause, it's not effective either way," Xander said sarcastically. "And when did my life get reduced to being Angel's man servant while he's getting it on with Buffy in dreamland??? "

"He's like a very large child. A horny child," Anya noticed as she easily helped Angel out of the car. "You just need to know how to handle him."

The brunette laughed as she took out an axe from the trunk, "Good. Now tell me how you can handle Angel without him getting all touchy and we're all set."

"Actually. He's gotten very quiet now. Not even a few ohiths or a niawa for his mate," she commented as Cordelia walked around to help her.

"See- no real boyfriend would ever stop giving his mate an. oh hi, or whatever you said," Xander snickered as he took the axe from Cordelia's hand.

Anya glared at him angrily, "You've NEVER given me a OHITH. Besides, I don't think it's his fault- he seems to have stopped all motion whatsoever."

"That's not good," Cordelia said as they came on the steps of the house gripping both Angel and her small pink handbag. "Please Will. Keep the ghosts- energies or what ever they are busy."

***

Wesley looked at the pale faces in shock, "Yes. Uh- ummm.Hello."

"Gonna need something more than that here," Willow whispered to the younger Englishman.

"We thank you for coming forth so that we may know you," Tara picked up, her voice calm and sure.

Giles saw all of the apparitions look oddly back at the circled group, "Yes, we want to know you're pain. To understand your suffering."

"And to help stop it," Wesley recovered, only to wince at his choice of words. "Not to stop Angel and Buffy from living! We wish to keep them alive. Although Angel is dead already. But uh- to stop the pain. yes, the uh. p-pain."

Willow tried to go on, "Yeah! Transform your pain! You don't have to suffer this torment anymore! Release your past. And ... uh ... um. get over it."

The red head turned to Giles for support, but he gave her doubtful look in return.

***

"I'm coming," Angel cried out as they dragged the vampire up the steps.

Xander cried out, "Oh god not again. Trust me Deadboy we ALL don't want to hear about it."

But as they walked through the hallway the vampire quickly veered to the left, taking all four of them to the side. Xander opened his mouth to complain before a gigantic vine crashed through the drywall, blocked their previous path. The young man turned back to the vampire in explanation, but the same enigmatic features graced his face.

"Buffy- now," Angel commanded, though they all wondered if he really could hear them.

Without stopping to find out, they ran over to next flight of stairs to climb up to the dorm room.

***

"You need to let go," Wesley said as the wind in the room began to pick up.

"Yes, there's no need to feel blame. Or shame. Or-," Giles stumbled as the table in front of them levitated in the air and holding hands in a circle became more difficult.

"Lame," Willow weakly offered, the only word coming to her mind. "There is peace in letting go of the past."

The wind blew furiously now as Tara began yelling, "Find here the serenity you seek, the peace you - "

But it was too late. The table jerked in front of the four, causing them to break the circle. They lost the grasp of each other's hands and tumbled to the floor. The round wooden table flew across the room, smashing into bits as the ghostly apparitions disappeared.

"What happened?" Giles asked, looking at his former colleague and the two witches.

"We lost them," Tara said, looking around the room.

"Then they're back at the house," Willow gasped, turning to Wesley.

Wesley worried out loud, "Cordelia."

***

The brunette threw one of her high heeled shoes at the attacking vines and managed to severe the killer stem. She lost the other shoe to another vine that tried to pull her down the steps and now was barefoot in the damp moss that covered the floor. Cordelia fumbled threw her bag for more things to throw as she fought to keep Angel moving. Anya struggled as well, with a large machete in one hand and Angel at the other. Xander held an axe, swinging wildly at the dirty roots and just barely reducing them to mulch.

"Ow! Stop it," Cordelia cried jumping up, as she began to feel tiny thorns growing under her feet to stab her.

Out of nowhere a vine whipped out like a tentacle and whipped around Anya's waist. It dragged her to the hard wall and began hitting her into it. All of Angel's weight fell to Cordelia, almost knocking her to the ground. Xander quickly ran over to her and tried to hack her out of it, as the vine continued to slam his girlfriend into the wall. It was hard for him to swing at it, for fear that he might accidentally strike Anya. Cordelia sat Angel down on carpeted hallway and picked up the machete that Anya dropped. Together she and Xander tried to cut Anya out of the vine's hold.

"We'll make it," Xander screamed out, trying to keep his girlfriend conscious.

Just as they got the girl free, another vine crept around the vampire and pulled him into a nearby bathroom. The three all ran over to the bathroom, just before the door closed behind them.

Before Cordelia could reach Angel she felt a pair of hands push her into the bathtub. For a moment, she thought she saw a group of young children glaring down at her. She flailed her arms and head in an effort to get free, looking up for any hope. Then she saw Xander and a badly bruised Anya pulling her away from the icy water.

The three turned back around to see the vines still clutching Angel, attempting to push him out the open window. They all grabbed at him and tugged hard to keep him inside. Angel's face suddenly twisted and he began moaning out again. Anya noticed a white cord sticking out of Cordelia's purse and reached inside. She triumphantly held up the small blow dryer and grabbed part of the vine that held Angel.

"Let go of him," Xander yelped out as he saw what Anya was doing.

The ex-demon ran to the bathtub as she plugged in the dryer and turned it on. But the vine in her hand suddenly sprouted up a thorn, jabbing straight through her hand. Anya yelled out in pain, dropping both the vine and the dryer into the bathtub. An electric shock hit the vine, racing its way up to the connected roots. Before the shock could reach Angel, Xander managed to chop the vines and free the vampire.

They all ran out to the hallway just a few doors down from where they could hear Buffy screaming out Angel's name. As they neared the door wails and howling boomed through the air, making it hard to hear where Buffy was.

Anya pulled Angel and snapped at the spirits, "Shut up, repressed crybabies!"

With that remark another vine came up and gripped her again, this time squeezing her so tight she couldn't breathe. As Xander turned around to help her, another vine got him too and without warning he was choking for air. Cordelia and Angel were the only ones left standing, finally at the dorm room Buffy locked herself into. The young girl pounded at the door, calling to the slayer inside.

Abruptly, Cordelia stopped as she found one of the vines choking her neck. It wrestled her to the ground until finally the former May Queen succumbed to her subconscious. Angel was left wobbly standing..

The vampire stood in front of the door, his mind not fully aware of what was going on. He felt conflicting sensations: warm lips, slimy vines, hot little lands and prickly thorns. Angel didn't know where he was or what to do. Darkness shrouded him and he felt like a lost child in night. No clue of where his home was or how to get back there.

Then he heard a voice, calling out for him. Angel suddenly heard her, Buffy- screaming out to him. Somehow he could feel that same confrontation in her, the insecurity of what to do. Frightened to death- she mentally reached out for him, clawing at the blackness- hoping to touch him. Angel sensed her reaching out and did the same- his fingers extending into the nothingness. They could feel their hands were so close to touching- but something was still between them. Buffy and Angel pounded on the invisible barrier, yelling out to each other from both sides.

All at once the door opened, and the lovers found each other's embrace. The light came back into their lives as they desperately held each other. Buffy and Angel saw Anya, Xander and Cordelia getting up off of the floor. The vines were gone and the house was void of the vicious greenery. Angel held Buffy tightly looking into her eyes.

"Hi," was all Angel managed to say.

***

Sunrise was coming quickly. And though Angel's car had tinted windows, the group realized he needed to get under cover fast. None of them really wanted to stay at the Lowell House and collectively agreed that Buffy's house was the closest haven for the vampire. The house would be empty as well, since Joyce was away in Sante Fe for the month. Angel quickly got under cover while Cordelia and Buffy made sure that all the curtains in the house were carefully closed. By the time they got to the Revello Drive home, Cordelia had used Angel's cell phone to inform everyone they were going to Buffy's. Now, the entire group was at her house... All eager for a "talk". Once everyone was settled, they sat the couple down on the couch. In a strange sort of intervention, each person attempted explaining to Buffy and Angel what had happened.

Giles and Wesley spoke mostly on technical things mentioning the cane and Etruscan Powder, with no side comments. Willow worried that Xander would voice any snide remarks, but he remarkably seemed civil. Tara explained to them about the séance, stopping Willow from her worrying and to help elaborate. Cordelia mentioned the battle inside of the fraternity house, but mostly complained about losing her new stiletto heels. On top of all this, Anya kept asking them questions about various mythical sexual positions and in which order the couple had tried them in.

The couple remained quiet until everyone got out what they wanted to say. The mood was awkward when Buffy and Angel asked to be left alone for a while. Yet the motley crew understood and went their separate ways, all needing to get some sleep after the ordeal. Before Wesley and Cordelia left to stay with Giles, they took Angel aside. Both told Angel about the ritual they performed just before he went to sleep that night.

"And the whole time Buffy and I were together. I had my soul," Angel said as more of a statement rather than a remark.

"I believe we performed the rite just before the both of you began to sleep and. dream of each other," the young Englishman euphemized.

Cordelia pulled Wesley with her out the door as she said, "This time- just try to keep the noise down. We don't really want to hear about your love life- one way or the other. Call us at Giles when you're finished. Well, if you ever finish."

Before Angel could protest they hopped into the Gilesmobile and drove away. Angel wasn't given time to muse on the thought. He felt a tap on his shoulder was surprised as Xander offered him a handshake. The young man had to give Angel some credit- in the end, it was both his and Buffy's willpower that broke the spell. And in a way, that fact fostered the growing respect Xander had for the vampire. Angel realized they weren't exactly close, but Xander did respect him- and that made the vampire glad. He took Xander's silent peace offer and shook Xander's hand before he left with Anya. Angel turned back inside to see Willow and Tara hugging Buffy just before they slipped out themselves. Buffy and Angel were now alone in the huge house, wondering exactly what to say to each other.

Angel tried to begin, "Well that was-"

"Yeah," Buffy agreed falling down on the couch, staring at the floor.

"So," Angel said, sitting down on one of the easy chairs nearby.

"So. Who knew Giles could sing," Buffy tried to joke.

Angel smiled but regarded Buffy seriously, "About what happened between us."

Buffy finally looked up into his deep brown eyes, "I don't want to forget about it, Angel. I don't want to apologize or just write it off as `my daily dosage of freakiness in my freaky life'. When we were there- I knew. everything."

"I did too," Angel said, venturing to sit closer to her on the couch. "But why didn't you tell me about how you felt? I mean- everything. What you thought the first time you saw me.The nightmares you had before I came back. Even what you felt when I bit you during your graduation."

Buffy lay back quiet and reflective, "Probably the same reason why you pretended not to know me when I first saw you. Or not telling me what our cladaugh rings meant. Or why I felt as if the world ended when I walked out of your office last Thanksgiving."

Angel nodded, "There's a lot that's been left unsaid. But Buffy. I."

"You what," she said, inching close to him.

He smiled again and said the only thing he could say ever say to her, "I love you. I try not to but I can't stop."

"I can't stop either," Buffy whispered, meaning those words just as much now as she did all those years ago. "And I- I don't regret anything. I mean about my seventeenth birthday- god. That was the most beautiful. But just- loving you. And I think the only sad times in my life- were when I couldn't let myself just, just love you."

"I know. I've felt the same. I've loved you all my life," Angel confessed, running his index finger over her lips. "Whether I knew it at the time or not. "

"Angel," Buffy breathed, moving nearer to him. "I don't know if I can go on with my life without being close to you."

"I do," Angel asserted, his eyes dark with passion and love. "I KNOW I can't be without you. And I know that there are issues- stuff we need to work out. But if you'll have me-"

But Angel never finished that sentence, because suddenly Buffy's lips were on his mouth and all he could feel was her warmth. He naturally leaned into her mouth, feeling her slowly climb into his lap. His hands moved to her cheek to brush them, and ended up stroking her blonde hair. Buffy's arms were around his neck, her body cuddling against Angel's secure frame.

"Buffy," he moaned when she broke apart for air. "I want you. I mean all of you. I don't think I spend a working week waiting-"

"For the weekend to see me," Buffy finished, planting small kisses on his chest. "I couldn't do it myself. But we don't have to."

Angel tilted up her chin so he could gaze on her, "I wouldn't want you to leave Sunnydale and the Hellmouth exposed. And people need me in LA."

"That wasn't what I was thinking of," Buffy said, pointing to a vile of snow white powder on the table. "The Etruscan powder. We can use it during the night. And when we can't be together we can. well, we can still be together."

Angel took the vial allowing hope and love to enter his heart, "Are you sure we can use this? It isn't dangerous?"

"Willow and Tara have told me about it, and believe it or not. They made it using my mother's spice rack and a few witchy incantations. They told me it's not addictive like some of the other powders, like that Corinthian stuff Giles was going on about. But there is one major catch."

The vampire frowned, "What is it?"

"The powder doesn't work if the person using it is wearing anything made out of plastic. No lycra or elastic or anything else found in modern day in underwear," Buffy smiled, rubbing herself against his torso. "Although to be on the safe side, we might just go completely naked when we use it."

Angel laughed and wrapped his arms around her to kiss, "Sounds like a plan to me. I want to be with you, Buffy. So much. And I want-"

"Want what?" Buffy mumbled in between their sweetly locking lips.

"I want a wedding. Another one," he moaned out when she began kissing his neck. "And to spend the rest of our lives on our honeymoon."

Buffy giggled, straddling him wantonly, "I want our honeymoon now."

"Well. You did say your mother would be gone for the month," Angel agreed, his palms brushing along her soft flank. "I still meant it though, I want to marry you again."

"I know you did," she breathed, arching her neck so he could kiss and suckle the skin. "And I'm already yours."

"I still want to marry you," he said, his hands traveling lower.

"And I want to marry you again too," she sighed at his orchestrations. "Why don't you marry me now.oooohhh. Like you married me, on my.my, my birthday."

He smiled and got down on bended knee, "I take you Buffy Anne Summers, my only love- for eternity. In loyalty, friendship and love."

Buffy got on her knees with him, "And I take you my Angel, my only love- for eternity. In loyalty, friendship and love."

They sealed their renewed vows with a long soulful kiss. Buffy began to pull him down to the floor to lay on top of her, but he gently stopped her.

"Upstairs," he barely managed to say as he kissed her little ear. "And then we can work our way down from.ahhh. there."

Buffy merely nodded and Angel swept his beloved into his arms. He held her tightly in his arms, cradling her tiny knees on his left arm. Buffy's hands held onto the back of his neck, still kissing him as Angel made their way up the stairs. Before she opened the door for him, Buffy pulled his face close to hers.

"Angel, do you remember the very first fantasy I had about you and wrote in my diary?"

"I've never read your diary Buffy," Angel smiled. "So I wouldn't know."

Buffy flashed him an eager grin, "Well. I guess today you'll find out."

And just like the bride and groom they were, Angel carried Buffy over the threshold to her room and closed the door with his foot.

First off- thanks to anyone who read this story and got happy. It means I succeeded in my goal. :-)

But just a one question- does anyone want me to do a sequel to this fic? And if so, what would the storyline be? Or would people want me to attempt another re-write of an episode that was originally Buffy and Riley- but then add Angel in it instead? Email me if you have any opinions you'd like to share. Thank you!

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