Part 7

Buffy had finally drifted off to sleep again and the Obsidian seemed dormant for the moment. Angel rose, careful not to wake his beloved, and made his way out of the room. In the hotel's library -formerly the dining room- he found Wesley and Giles in conversation.

"Seems pretty radical to me." Wesley said.

"That's putting it mildly," Giles said, "but it may be our only chance."

"You found something?" Angel asked.

The two ex-Watchers looked up at him and he saw a mixture of worry and hope on their faces.

"We may have found a way to drive the Obsidian from Buffy's body, but I'm afraid you won't like it, Angel. I certainly don't."

Angel sat down on the table and listened as Giles and Wesley explained their plan to him. Giles had been right. He didn't like it one bit.

"Are you sure it will work?" He asked them, resisting the urge to simply tell them to forget about it. If it was possible ...

"We are not sure, Angel," Wesley said, "but we are sure that we are running out of time. The Obsidian has bonded with her four days ago. The longer it stays, the harder it will be to separate them without killing Buffy."

"Angel," Giles said, "believe me, I would never propose something like this if I didn't see a chance. I love Buffy like a daughter and I want her to be safe. She won't be as long as that thing is inside her."

Angel sunk back into his chair. He didn't want to do this. Everything inside him screamed not to do this. The pain it would put her through ...

"Okay," he sighed, "we will need Willow for this, right?"

"Yes, and her friend Tara. I don't believe you met her. She is also a witch, quite powerful."

"Do you trust her?" Angel asked Giles. No way would he put his beloved's life in the hands of someone he couldn't trust.

"Tara is good people, Angel. I trust Buffy's life to her and Willow."

Giles walked forward, putting a hand on Angel's shoulder.

"I also trust it to you."

Angel looked into the ex-Watcher's eyes. In the past there had been a lot of bad blood between them. They would, in all probability, never be friends. But one thing both were sure of was that they both loved Buffy above all others.

"Very well. Call Willow. Wesley and I will prepare as much as we can."

Angel walked out of the library, hoping that he wasn't making a fatal mistake.

#

Willow and Tara arrived three hours later. Darkness had fallen over L.A. again and Angel was on the verge of going insane with worry. Buffy had slept all through the day. The Obsidian hadn't moved once and Angel could only imagine what it might be doing inside Buffy.

"I don't like it." Willow said after they had explained the plan to her.

"None of us do," Angel said, "but we have to try. I want that thing gone and fast."

The two witches began setting up things for the spell.  Angel closed his eyes, trying to steel himself for the things to come. It wouldn't be pretty, that was for sure. If things went wrong ... no, he wouldn't think about that. He couldn't.

If things went wrong ...

#

Buffy woke with a start, instinctively reaching out to find that she was alone in bed. Where was Angel? He wouldn't leave her alone, would he? He had promised to help her. She got up and barely noticed that the Obsidian flowed out of her skin, dressing her in Angel clothing again.

Where was Angel? She shivered, the thing that was clutching her skin making her creep out. She had to get rid of it, she had to find Angel. He would make it right, he had promised. She walked out of the room, an Obsidian tendril closing the door behind her. Buffy suppressed a scream, seeing the thing move that way. She could feel it move beneath her skin.

Before she even reached the stairs black tendrils flowed of the coat-lookalike out and crept into the lobby. With a start Buffy realized that she could see into the lobby, even though it was still around the corner. The tendrils shot images into her head, images of a deserted lobby.

She closed her eyes, she didn't want to see this. That thing was invading her deeper and deeper every second. She scratched her nails along her arms, an unconscious attempt to get it off, but it wouldn't come off.

Buffy almost stumbled down the stairs, frantic to find Angel. She felt a need inside her, a need so profound that it couldn't hail from her alone. With a start she realized that the Obsidian was hungry. She could feel its need inside her head. The thing wanted Angel, or rather the feelings Angel's presence caused inside her.

It almost made her turn around, run away from Angel. But she couldn't run away from this thing. It was inside her. And Angel was her only hope to get it off.

She heard a noise from behind a closed door. She had barely formed a thought when the Obsidian reached out and wrenched the door open, almost tearing it off its hinges. The need was growing and so was the Obsidian's impatience.

Angel was standing inside what appeared to be a library, his back to her. She had eyes for nothing else, only him.

"Angel!" She cried out, the Obsidian reaching for her lover.

Angel turned around and Buffy gasped.

"So great to see you, Buff!" Angel said, demon face smiling at her. She looked into his eyes, searching for the man she knew. There was nothing there. Only emptiness, complete and everlasting.

She finally noticed the rest of the room. Giles was there, and Wesley. Willow. Tara. They were lying on the floor, blood flowing from open wounds.

"They wanted to do a spell to help you," Angel said, walking closer, "only there were some unfortunate side effects."

The Obsidian recoiled as Buffy finally realized who it was she was facing.

"Angelus." She heard herself whispering.

"Miss me?" He smiled.
 

###
 

Part 8
 

Buffy just stood there, staring at the monster that wore the face of her lover. He grinned at her, flashing fangs.

"Always good to be back here," he mused, "it's been a while, after all. You know? Since we danced our last dance."

He walked closer, moving across the floor like dancing with an invisible partner.

"Just the two of us," he continued, "under the pale moonlight. The blood of your friends our only companion."

"This can't be happening!" Buffy whispered. The Obsidian sensed her distress and rippled around her, trying to wrap her up in a protective cocoon. Then anger penetrated past the shock inside Buffy's mind and black spikes grew out of her arms.

"Never again!" She whispered.

Angel moved around her, smiling all the while, still dancing.

"Never again? Never again to taste the sweet blood? Never again see that beautiful fear on your face, my love? Come on, just one more time!"

He stood directly behind her, cold lips almost touching the spot where his bite still scarred her skin, when Buffy lashed out, arm covered in Obsidian armor and spikes. Angel was thrown all the way across the library and crashed into the door. After a moment he rose from the wreckage and laughed.

"You still know how to play rough, I give you that."

Buffy began stalking toward him, shivering with rage, the Obsidian rippling around her like a thunderstorm. Long black claws grew out of her hands, armor of darkness wrapped itself around her entire form. The Obsidian drank in her rage, her hatred, and relished in it.

"I will kill you this time!" Buffy said through clenched teeth.

"Been there, done that!" Angel said, rising. "Oh, wait! It wasn't me you killed. You killed your lover. You sent him to hell."

In a flash the world around her changed and Buffy found herself standing in the old mansion in Crawford Street. In front of her stood Akathler, gaping maw ready to swallow the world, the fiery vortex of hell already forming.

Angel stood before her, looking hurt and confused. The light shone in his eyes, the love he felt for her.

"Buffy?" He asked. "I feel like I haven't seen you in months."

"No, no no!" She heard herself whispering.

"Oh yes!" Angel said, appearing behind her. No, not Angel! Angelus.

"Buffy, what's going on?" The other Angel asked her.

Buffy screamed, her hand which held the sword moving of its own accord, ramming the blade into Angel's chest. He gasped with the pain, a look of total astonishment spreading on his face. Angelus laughed out loud.

"I love seeing that scene!"

"This can't be real!" Buffy whispered, watching helplessly as her lover was swallowed into the maw of Akathler. Obsidian tendrils reached out, feeling her desire to hold him, to keep him by her side, but they came too late. Angel vanished, leaving only Angelus behind.

Buffy fell to her knees, tears flowing freely. She could feel Angelus crouch down behind her, putting his cold hands on her shoulders. The Obsidian flowed away from his touch, but Buffy didn't have any anger left at the moment to direct his way, so the thing did not attack him.

"It is real," Angelus assured her, "all of it."

The scenery changed again. Buffy found herself standing on a roof, the black night sky spreading above her. She knew that roof. She would never forget it.

"No!" She whispered.

Two forms came crashing through the window, tumbling onto the roof. One quickly recovered from the fall and clamped handcuffs around herself and the other.

"No running!" Buffy yelled at Faith.

The two Slayers fought across the roof, kicking and punching, while Buffy could only watch, the Obsidian rippling around her in confusion.

"There is something about two beautiful girls kicking the crap out of each other," Angelus mused, "that just gets me going. Don't you feel the same way?"

Buffy saw herself taking out the knife, determination on her face. She wanted to kill Faith, wanted to make her pay for what she had done to her lover. The same lover she had sent to hell.

She almost reached out to snatch the knife away from her younger self, but her entire form was trembling. The Obsidian tried to figure out her emotions, but found only chaos and confusion.

Buffy rammed the knife deep into Faith's belly. The other girl gasped as the pain went through her, looking down in disbelief to look at the wound.

"You really did it!" Faith said, amazed.

"I ... I ..." Buffy stuttered.

Faith struck her down and Buffy felt the impact, even though she was not the one who had just fought her sister Slayer. Angelus caught her as she stumbled back, smiling down at her.

"Very good," he complimented, "for a first kill, that is."

"I am not a killer." Buffy whispered.

"Really?"

Again everything changed and Buffy found herself standing inside a crypt. It didn't take more than a moment to figure out where she was now. On top of one of the caskets she saw the man she had tried to love, screwing with a Vampire.

"Riley?" Someone yelled and she saw herself walking into the crypt, outrage and confusion evident in her voice. She wanted to tell herself to be calm, she didn't know what kind of damage even the slightest bit of rage could do.

"Buffy." Riley looked up from the female Vampire. "What are you doing here?"

Angelus growled behind her. "He really is pesky, isn't he?" The Vampire said.

Buffy saw herself and the growing rage inside her own eyes. She knew what would happen. She could already see the first tendrils of Obsidian oozing out of her own skin.

"What are YOU doing?" Buffy yelled at Riley.

Riley sighed.

"Well, after learning that you made with the undead lover ..."

Buffy wanted to do something, anything. She knew what would happen now, it was burned into the insides of her lids, she saw it every time she closed her eyes. Darkness exploded from her body, the Obsidian coming fully awake inside her, and ripping into her boyfriend like the wrath of God.

Buffy screamed. She had wanted it to happen, wanted him to die for betraying her like this. He deserved nothing less.

"Feels good?" Angelus asked.

Buffy fell to her knees, still screaming. Hatred, rage, anger, fear, sorrow, love, it whirled through her like a maelstrom. The Obsidian raged around her, trying to drink in all those glorious emotions its host felt, all at the same time.

Angelus knelt down before her, forcing her to look at him.

"Angel must have been glad to be rid of a bitch like you!" He smirked.

She felt like her chest was torn in two, pain and agony ripping through her, and she felt herself fall, her own scream accompanying her into the darkness.

###
 

Part 9
 

"Did it work?" Willow asked.

They had to physically restrain Angel from interfering when Buffy started screaming. Right now the Slayer was lying curled up on the floor, writhing in pain, screaming her heart out for everyone to hear. Darkness oozed from her every pore, the Obsidian overcome by the emotional turmoil inside its host.

Angel could only see his love in pain and it was killing him. His part in the spell had forced him to play Angelus, to pretend being the monster that wanted nothing but to hurt his beloved. Flinging those cruel words into her face, seeing her hurting the way she did, it had been too much.

Wesley and Gunn could only hold him back because a small part of Angel knew that it had to be this way.

"The Obsidian seems to be leaving her body." Giles said, watching with deep worry lining his face. More and more of the dark fabric flowed out of Buffy's body, much more than her small body should be able to hold, and it kept coming. Buffy screamed, the nightmare spell still holding her in its thrall.

"You're killing her!" Angel screamed, straining against the men holding him.

"We have to finish it, Angel!" Giles yelled over Buffy's screaming. "No trace of the Obsidian must remain!"

The black fabric piled up beside Buffy, still more of it flowing from her form. The Obsidian was overloaded, the intensity of Buffy's emotions too much for it. It could not exist outside a host for any length of time, but neither could it survive the turmoil inside its host.

"Ready?" Giles asked the two witches, who had another spell prepared to deal with the Obsidian. They were not sure, but all texts suggested that the thing could not survive for any length of time without a host. If they could just contain it, prevent to bond with anyone, it should die.

They had to destroy it. Something like this couldn't be allowed to bond with anyone else. It was too dangerous. Willow and Tara started chanting and weaving their hands. Magical energy flowed in the room.

Arcs of electricity started to play across the black surface of the Obsidian, enveloping the thing in a bubble of cobalt-blue energy. The flow of it from Buffy's body had slowed to a trickle and dried up.

"It's out!" Wesley yelled. "Seal it in! Now!"

Energy crackled and with a thunderclap that sent all mere humans in the room to their knees a blue sphere snapped shut around the blackness of the Obsidian. Angel paid it no attention, going to Buffy's side immediately. The Slayer was huddled on the ground, whimpering in the aftermath of the nightmare spell.

"Buffy! Can you hear me? It's over. It wasn't real. You're safe!"

He cradled her in his lap, drawing her close. Willow, Tara, Giles, Wesley, and Gunn just looked on, the witches making sure the Obsidian was safely sealed away. Angel held Buffy, caressing her hair, murmuring in her ear, telling her it was all right.

After what seemed like an eternity Buffy finally opened her eyes and looked up to find Angel smiling down at her. At first she smiled back, but then her eyes widened in fear.

"Angel? Are you ... is it ...?"

He hugged her tighter, pouring his love into her with every gesture and caress.

"It's gone, Buffy. I am so sorry we had to put you through this, but it was the only way to drive the Obsidian from your body."

"It ... it was all just a dream?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"Only a nightmare, Buffy. Nothing but."

She started to cry and crumbled in his arms. Angel just held her. He had seen the things the nightmare spell had showed her. Memories, all of it. Memories of hardships he wished he could have spared her. Angelus. Faith. Riley.

"I will never leave you again, I swear it!" He whispered in her ear. The moment he said it, he knew it was true. He had come so close to losing her, so very close. He would never again be able to let her go. Never again.

#

The Obsidian slowly recovered from the glorious bath of emotions, much like an addict coming down from the most fantastic trip of a lifetime. It was a long way down from there. A very long way.

With a start it realized what had happened. The host, its glorious host, she was gone. It remembered. The glow, the brilliance, it had been too much. Never before had it felt such an onslaught, never before had it felt so sated. So great had the experience been that the Obsidian could not stand it and had to avert its eyes, lest it be blinded.

Rage spread through its form. They had taken her host, they had severed a bond that should have lasted an eternity. It was contained, imprisoned. They wanted to kill it, destroy it. No, it wouldn't allow that. Never.

Flush with power the Obsidian started straining against its prison.

#

Willow and Giles knelt down beside Buffy and Angel. Buffy finally noticed them and smiled up at them.

"Hi, guys!" She said in a weak voice.

"I am so sorry for what we had to do, Buffy." Willow said, reaching out a hand to touch Buffy's.

"Don't be!" Buffy said.

"How do you feel?" Giles asked.

Buffy thought about that. The past few days were little more than a blur, a roller coaster ride of emotions. She remembered little but the emotions she had felt. That and the face of the man she still loved more than life itself.

Looking up at Angel, she smiled again.

"I feel good."

Angel chuckled and squeezed her gently, the feeling of him this close was the greatest thing in the world. The last few days had been horror, but it had cleared a few things up for her.

"Angel, I ..." She began, wanting to explain how she felt. Wanted to explain that she had never stopped loving him, that she hadn't meant all the horrible things she had said to him.

She didn't get the opportunity.

"Ah, we might have a slight problem here!" Wesley said.

Buffy looked away from Angel's face and, for the first time, saw the thing that had invaded her body in full. Encased in a prison of blue light, it brewed and raged like a thunderstorm. Black tendrils lashed out against the magical prison, smashing into it with enough force to make the floor tremble.

"Willow! Tara!" Angel yelled.

The two witches locked hands and closed their eyes in concentration. Buffy could see sweat break out on their brows, their faces straining with effort.

"It's trying to break free!" Tara muttered through clenched teeth.

"You have to hold it!" Giles said. "It can't last long without a host!"

"It's so strong!" Willow murmured.

"All the emotions it has soaked up from Buffy must have strengthened it." Wesley said.

The blue sphere snapped. Willow and Tara fell to their knees, screaming. Darkness surged out of the dissipating blue light and flooded towards Buffy like a flood wave. Angel tried to move in front of her, protect her, but Obsidian tendrils just swatted him aside like an insect.

Buffy screamed as the darkness poured toward her.
 

###
 
 

Part 10
 

Angel screamed as he saw the Obsidian break free of its prison. This couldn't be happening. He wouldn't allow it. Pushing her behind him, he stood to face the black monstrosity surging toward him. Demon face showing he launched himself at it, but found himself swatted aside with ease.

Buffy backpedaled, tried to scoot away, out of the thing's path, but she was too slow. It swept over her like a wave of darkness, nothing but rippling black fabric and a cold that seemed to freeze the breath coming out of her mouth.

The Obsidian touched her skin and Buffy screamed. Its touch felt like cold fire, burning across her skin, scorching every nerve fiber. The first time it had invaded her Buffy had not been conscious, had not known what was happening to her. Now she knew and was helpless.

The outside world disappeared behind a barrier of dark fabric, it enveloped her form all sides. Buffy lashed out blindly, but where she touched it the Obsidian just latched onto her skin, broke into every pore, flooded back into her body. All the struggling in the world did not help her.

Buffy disappeared beneath the Obsidian. Angel flipped back to his feet and started tearing into the thing that had taken his beloved with the ferocity of a wild animal. It was of no use, though. The Obsidian flowed away from his strikes and lashed out in turn, tendrils forming from the rippling mass to strike at Angel.

Giles and Wesley drew the semi-unconscious witches away from the scene of battle. The Obsidian pulsed, growing larger, and struck out randomly. Tendrils smashed into walls and ceiling, plaster rained down, and the entire hotel seemed to tremble.

"Angel, stop! It's no use!" Giles screamed, but the Vampire paid him no heed, ignoring the wounds the Obsidian caused him. No matter how often the thing swatted him away, Angel kept coming back for more. Giles pressed his hands to his ears as the Obsidian shrieked, only to be drowned out by the growl of the Vampire.

"They will tear the building apart between them!" Wesley yelled over the noise.

"What if they don't stop with that?" Gunn yelled back.

Giles motioned for them to get Willow and Tara to safety. The two witches were still out of it from the Obsidian breaking their magical prison and wouldn't be of much use right now. Giles then looked around for anything that could possibly of use as a weapon against the Obsidian, at the same time knowing that it was a foolish though.

#

The Obsidian was quickly getting frustrated. The creature that was attacking him could not cause any real damage to its form, but the constant pestering prevented it from concentrating on reestablishing the bond with its host. Even flush with power as it was it could not survive on its own much longer.

It needed a connection with its host, something to focus it. By its very nature it was not easy for the Obsidian to focus on anything, the only desire that was truly its own was to be bonded to a worthy host. All other actions were dictated by the host's desires and urges.

The Obsidian reached out, penetrating into the mind it wanted to bond with, searching for a way to focus. Something, anything, to help it focus on the creature attacking it. The host mind was in turmoil, though, filled with fear and terror. The Obsidian used the runaway emotions to boost its strength, lengthening its survival by a few minutes.

Diving deep into the host's perceptions the Obsidian made her look at the attacker, forced her to see him and feel for him. There was love, so much love, so brilliant and bright it almost hurt. The Obsidian fed on it, thrived on it, but it didn't help fend off the attacker. Was it possible she felt nothing but love for this creature?

No, the Obsidian almost sighed with relief. There it was, a deep-held core of hatred and anger. For a moment it was confused, for the feelings did not seem directed towards the attacker, yet somehow they were. The Obsidian did not understand this duality. It was almost as if the appearance of the attacker represented two totally different individuals to its host.

Feeling itself growing weak after such a long time without a full bond, beginning to fray out the edges, the Obsidian decided that it did not matter. The host held deep hatred for the attacker, or at least an aspect of him. That had to suffice. It latched onto that hatred, drew it out, wrapped it around itself, tasted it, and found the focus it needed.

With a shriek the Obsidian lashed out.

#

Angel had lost himself in a fighting madness. The thing in front of him wanted to take his beloved, wanted to hurt her, nothing else mattered. He would fight it with his dying breath and beyond.

Suddenly the black mass that was his enemy rippled, changed, and lashed out with blinding speed. Angel saw it coming, but was too slow to do anything. A tendril formed out of the darkness and flashed toward him, impaling itself deeply into his chest.

The impact threw him back, but for some reason it did not hurt. Angel had been impaled before. He had vivid memories of Buffy driving a sword through his chest, the pain of that moment was a constant companion. Yet this did not hurt nearly as much.

Angel looked down and found the Obsidian entering his body, flooding into him, and suddenly the pain he had been missing a moment before was present with a vengeance. Not physical pain but something far worse. The thing seemed to reach directly into his heart and tried to tear it in two.

A howling sound filled the air, a scream so terrible it made Angel's blood run cold. He knew that sound, he knew that scream. Realization dawned in his mind even as the pain reached new heights, causing the demon to shriek and the man to scream. The thing was not attacking him, it couldn't, for Buffy felt no hatred toward him.

She hated Angelus, though, and that was who the Obsidian now attacked.
 

###
 

Part 11
 

The Obsidian had found its focus. Reaching deep into the being of the attacker it found the object of its host's hatred and attacked it. The Obsidian did not care that its prey was not a physical entity, at least at the moment, nor did it care that its prey resided inside the body of someone its host loved dearly.

The Obsidian had found something to attack, something to vent all the power pouring in from the host against. That was all it needed.

Angel screamed as the power poured into him, ignoring all that was human, directing its anger against the demon. Angelus howled in pain, straining against the prison that was Angel's soul. He wanted to strike out, wanting to sink fangs into the thing that was hurting him.

Buffy was lost inside the black folds of the Obsidian. Everything inside her struggled against it, tried to shake it loose, but it was for naught. She could feel it inside her head, could feel it feeding on her emotions and desires.

It made her see Angel, made her see Angelus. It took her hatred, she felt it tear out the dark emotions she carried inside her mind, and flung them against the demon. Buffy heard Angel scream and saw his face change from man to demon and back again as the Obsidian attacked that part of him that she hated.

Buffy could see the Obsidian reach inside Angel, reach inside for the parts of him that were the demon. She could see it tearing them out one by one, smashing them to pieces. At first she felt an almost feral joy. Angelus was dying and he knew it, he was torn to shreds by a power greater than himself.

Only then did she realize that Angel was screaming as well.

The demon was what made Angel immortal, what prevented time from catching up with him, death from claiming him. The Obsidian was tearing these parts away and was killing Angel in the process. Buffy screamed, her emotions were killing the man she loved.

The Obsidian immediately picked up the distress surging through its host. The hatred that allowed it to attack the enemy wavered, ebbed, something had changed. But what? What?

Looking into the mind of its host the Obsidian saw only terror and fear. The man she loved was dying. How could this be? It wouldn't allow her to be hurt like this, not when her lover was such a wonderful source of emotions for her. What was killing him? The Obsidian would protect its host and those dearest to her from all harm.

The Obsidian looked into the mind of its host and saw that the enemy was itself.

It did the only thing it could do.

#

Giles could only watch in horror as Angel was impaled by the monster. The seething mass had completely devoured Buffy, he could see no trace of her in the shifting folds of the Obsidian. Angel screamed in pain and Giles ran over to him, picking up a broken piece of glass as the only weapon in sight.

Slashing at the thing produced no result at all, apparently he wasn't even worth its attention. Giles desperately tried to think of something to do, but nothing came to mind. The Obsidian shrieked, louder than ever, and Giles turned to look at it.

The blackness exploded outward, arcs of power rippling along every tendril and fold of it. Giles watched in fascination as a pulse of energy traveled along the tendril that had impaled Angel and struck him like lightning. Giles stumbled back, blinded, and heard Angel scream once more.

Walls crumbled around them, the Obsidian tearing the building to shreds. Giles caught a glimpse of Buffy inside the darkness, but had no time to make sure. The ceiling came down and he had to run for cover.

Giles made it out into the lobby and saw Wesley and Gunn near the exit, dragging Willow and Tara outside. Giles dared look over his shoulder, but the inside of the library was lost to an inferno of crackling energy and pulsing darkness. He could do nothing but save himself.

He barely made it out before the hotel went down behind him.

#

The darkness around her slowly faded and Buffy became aware of her surroundings again. The folds of the Obsidian fell away around her. Pieces of it still touched her skin, but that feeling of cold fire was gone. She touched the dark fabric and it felt lifeless. Dead.

Buffy gasped as she saw the devastation around her. What had been a hotel only minutes ago was now so much rubble, pieces of stone and plaster scattered around her with slices of darkness strewn out among them. She noticed that the area immediately around her was completely free of debris. As if the Obsidian had protected her until its dying breath.

It was dead. She could feel it.

She did not waste another thought on it. Only one thing mattered to her right now. She looked around, searching for any sign of life amidst the ruins. The hotel was a wreck, there was barely anything left standing.

Not even a single piece of ceiling.

It was day.

"Angel!" Buffy screamed.
 

###
 

Part 12
 

Angel slowly woke from unconsciousness. The only thing he remembered was pain, a blinding light entering his body, and more pain. Every muscle in his body ached and he had a hard time remembering how to open his eyes.

When he finally got them open he stared directly into the sun. He screamed.

"Angel!"

Buffy? Angel tried to cover, tried to hide himself away from the sun. It would set his flesh ablaze, would make him burn and turn to dust. He didn't want to die, he wanted to live.

"Angel, I am here!" Buffy said, her voice closer, and her hand touched his arm.

Slowly Angel realized that he was still there, not burning. He opened his eyes again, slower this time, and looked directly into Buffy's beautiful eyes.

"Buffy?" He managed. "Are you all right?"

She smiled. Not a single thought wasted on himself, he cared only whether she was hurt. She nodded, feeling her eyes water.

"I am okay, Angel. It is gone. The Obsidian is dead."

She helped him rise to a sitting position. Angel looked down at his hands, where the light of the sun touched his bare skin without setting it ablaze.

"How is this possible?" He whispered.

Buffy looked at him. It was the first time she saw him in sunlight and it took her breath away. Tears glistening in her eyes she wrapped her arms around him.

"I was so afraid I'd lose you, Angel. The Obsidian attacked your demon, using my hatred, and it would have killed you along with it."

Angel nodded.

"I felt it. I felt how it tore out my demon piece by piece."

He moved his fingers across his wrist.

"No pulse."

Buffy leant against his chest. The flesh below the torn shirt was still cool, nothing moved beneath it. Yet he was here, in sunlight, he didn't burn.

"The demon is gone," Angel said, "I can no longer feel it inside me."

Buffy tried to remember what had happened, what she had felt while trapped inside the Obsidian.

"I was so desperate," she said, "I felt it killing you and nothing else mattered anymore. Only that it was killing the man I love."

He looked at her, hardly able to believe that he would ever hear those words from her mouth again.

"I wanted it to stop. I wanted it gone. I hated it for what it was doing to you. Maybe ... maybe the Obsidian felt my desire and ..."

"... fulfilled it." Angel completed her sentence.

He remembered the blaze of power that entered his body. Electricity filling him from head to toe. The Obsidian had been flush with power, filled to the brink by Buffy's emotional turmoil.

Buffy trailed her hands across his skin and there was a sparkle, like a spark jumping back and forth between them. Angel suddenly felt Buffy breathe, he felt her heart beat. With a gasp he realized that his own heart was coming to life and beat in synch with that of his beloved.

"What is happening?" Buffy whispered, her hand touching his chest above a now-beating heart. Angel placed his own and on top of hers and felt their pulse beat in perfect synchrony. Their eyes met and both could see a mixture of confusion and hope in each other.

"The Obsidian," Angel began, "it could feed upon others by using emotional connections you had with other people. Maybe ... I don't know ... somehow it used its power to make our connection even stronger and ..."

"... tie our hearts together." Buffy finished. The feel of Angel's heart moving beneath her palm was the most beautiful thing she had ever felt. It felt true. It felt right. She looked at the pieces of dead darkness scattered around them.

"It gave us each other." Angel said.

They heard a sound in the distance and saw Giles and the others moving through the rubble, looking for them. They looked at each other and smiled.

"We should tell Giles," Angel said, "maybe he can figure this out."

"Maybe," Buffy smiled, leaning closer to him, "but do you really want them to find us right now?"

Angel saw the way her eyes gave a mischievous twinkle and felt their joint hearts beat faster. His flesh was still cool, but he could feel her warmth flood through him. Nothing else mattered but holding her close, never letting go.

"Let them keep looking a while longer!" Angel said.

Energy sparkled where their lips met.

"You'll never leave again," Buffy whispered to him, "I have your heart now."

He kissed her again and pulled her down with him.

"You always did."

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