PART 1:

Buffy couldn't believe her eyes. Lily had pushed Ken off that balcony, at first she thought he was dead, but he wasn't. It took her a few seconds to get over the surprise of seeing Lily be so brave. All Buffy could do was give her a small smile, then go back to what she was doing ... trying to get them all out of there. Buffy didn't know how she would do it. Guards were surrounding them everywhere, and she didn't exactly know where she was in this place, or where the exit was ... if there was an exit. So they ran, as fast as they could, Buffy yelling to the other girls to follow her out. They would find a way out. Buffy knew they would.

So they ran, but got stuck at a gate before the exit. Buffy remembered it. It lead to the apartment that Ken was staying at, in his human form. She quickly ran to the gate, trying her hardest to pull it up so the girls could get through. Eventually, she had it up enough so all of them could pass, but without warning, somebody grabbed her from behind, pulling her back into hell. Lily was the last one out. She glanced at Buffy, sadness on her face, "Buffy!"

"Go!" Buffy yelled to her, "Don't worry about me!"

"I can't leave you here..."

"Go..." She repeated, being held behind by someone, although she didn't know who.

Lily gave her one last glance before saying a short thank you, and jumping up to the portal above her head, and into Ken's apartment with the rest of the girls. Lily turned around and looked at the portal as it turned into glass. She jumped down on it, punching it as hard as she could, trying to get an opening for the time Buffy did escape. But she couldn't break it. Buffy saw the portal crystallize before her eyes, and then saw Lily's shadow above it, trying desperately to break it open. Then the scene went black as she was hit with a blunt object, and set unconscious in her cell.

***

A few hours had passed and Buffy finally awoke, finding herself lying on the ground. She reached up and touched her head in pain and winced. She glanced at her hand, covered in blood. "I hate when they hit me..." She grumbled, sitting up slightly. She noticed a man sitting on a cot across from her, staring in her direction. "I was beginning to wonder when you would wake up..." He said, standing. "You put on quite a show out there ... most fun we've had in weeks ... actually."

Buffy stared up at Ken angrily, "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Why am I doing this to you... Because you asked for it... Anne." He walks over to her slowly and kneels, "You wanted a way out of the world... I gave it to you. Why are you not happy?"

"Happy? You really expect me to--"

Ken put a finger to her lips, "Shh.. Be quiet. Just listen." He pulled his finger away from her mouth and sat down on the floor next to her. He glanced up at two guards at the door of the cell, "Don't try anything. The minute you do..." He gives Buffy the neck slashing motion and looks to her, "Get the picture?"

Buffy nodded, "Talk."

"I know who you are. I know where you're from... I know your destiny."

"Yeah? So what?"

"Buffy Summers... Sunnydale California ... the so called Slayer... We sure picked the right girl, didn't we?"

Buffy sighs, "So you know who I am... do you think I care?"

"You will once you know what we're going to do with you..."

"And what are you going to do with me?" Buffy said, somewhat sarcastically.

"As we heard... A new slayer can't be called unless the old slayer is dead... Keeping you here until your natural death would keep the world unprotected..."

"Wrong."

"Oh?"

Buffy sighed, remembering Kendra's death. She glanced down at the ground.

"Ohh.." Ken said, reading her mind. "There were two of you? Now the other's dead... and another will be called. I see... I guess we'll have to find her too, and bring her here."

"And what about after we die? Are you going to track down every slayer and bring her here? And what about this hell time thing... As I recall you said 100 years would pass here and then only a day on earth... A new slayer every day pretty much, did you think of that?"

"Hmm.." Ken pondered for a moment. "Yeah, I did. I happen to have a few couple hundred places on earth that would gladly take you into holding while you live out your life and die..."

"So you're sending me back up there..."

"Eventually... but not quite.. I want a few years of work from you first. I have to get something out of this, you know."

"Plus.. There is someone I'd like you to meet."

"Oh? Who?" Now Buffy was just getting angry, she didn't care anymore.

"Just a guy who has been here for a long time... I think you know him." He turned around and smiled slightly at her.

Buffy's eyes went wide, realizing who was here. She knew he was here... She felt him the whole time. "That's right... your beloved... how.... Sweet. You'll see him eventually... Doesn't mean he'll talk to you. He's not quite the talker these days. He was the day he came in though. Swearing under his breath about you... about how you sent him here, and how he would get revenge on you..."

Buffy gulped, "Revenge?"

"Yes... Revenge. Said the minute he got to see you he would kill you.." Ken walked to the door, "Of course, we won't let that happen. You've got a lot of work to do for us, Slayer."

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PART TWO:

Buffy sat in her cell, curled up in a ball in the corner when she noticed them. The guards were transporting someone into another cell. The feelings inside Buffy were calling to her stronger now, and she ran to the front of the cell, watching the guards carefully. The man had a hood of some sort covering his face, but Buffy knew who it was. It was Angel, and she knew it. She glanced across the cell and noticed them putting him into the cell across from her, "What kind of games are they playing here?" She grumbled to herself, watching them push Angel into the cell in front of her. The guards closed the door behind him and left the two of them alone, unattended. She just watched the other cell carefully. He had not yet removed that hood from his face. Buffy had longed to see him again for what it seemed like forever...

Angel sat down at the cot in the cell across from her. He moved very slowly. He pulled the hood down off of his face, and removed the cloak that was over his body. They told him they wanted to keep him covered until he was safe in his cell, although he didn't know why. He didn't understand much anymore. He felt more alone than anything. He hated being here. Who would like it in hell? That's when he felt it. He felt someone watching him. He turned his head slowly to look at the adjacent cell.

Buffy caught his gaze and turned her head quickly. He saw her, she knew he saw her. She glanced back a few seconds later to still see him staring, a look of pain on his face that only she would understand. She was the only one who would ever understand. She found herself gazing in his eyes, maybe even asking forgiveness through them.... But his expression didn't change. It remained the same, and he still stared. A part of her was scared of him. After what Ken told her... He wanted to kill her.

He didn't want to kill her. That was all a lie. Ken lied to her, and she didn't know it. He just wanted to scare Buffy, and it worked. Angel sat staring at Buffy for what it seemed like hours, but it was only minutes. She looked different... a lot different, actually. Pained, maybe. Of course she was in pain. She sent him to hell. She had to sit through the torture of sending her lover to hell to save the world. Deep down inside he understood... but it was so long that maybe he had forgotten a lot of it. There was so much anger deep down inside of him, anger that he sometimes couldn't bear, anger that he didn't understand.

"Angel?" The words finally escaped her mouth. It ended the silence that had lasted since the guards had left them alone. But he say a word back to her, he just stared. Buffy wondered what was wrong with him. But she knew what was wrong with him. He was hurt! Of course he was hurt! She sent him to hell. Maybe he never truly understood... but maybe he did. Maybe he remembered himself as Angelus... But mainly, he was hurting because of the many years he was alone here in hell. Being tortured, working as a slave. She watched him, pained by the sad expression on his face. "Angel? Please... say something."

He watched her longer, before the words came out of his mouth. "Buf..." He couldn't get it out, no matter how much he tried, her name would not pass his lips. It was as if he were forbidden to say her name by the powers that be. He tried for a few minutes than gave up, finally turning his head from Buffy.

"I know you're angry with me." She spoke, watching him across the cell. "I don't blame you, really... I think if you had been the one who sent me to hell.. I would have been angry too... But... I had no choice. It was either let you stay and the whole world goes to hell... or let you go and save them all... I didn't know what to do, Angel." She sighs, turning away from him. "I'm sorry... I really am."

Hours passed, and the two were asleep in their cots... both only having the other on their mind. Buffy was constantly thinking of what Angel could possibly be thinking of her, if he had it in his heart to forgive for what she had done to him. Angel just didn't know what to think. A part of him wanted to break down the bars in the middle of them and hug her, but another part wanted nothing to do with her. The beast in him. The part that was tortured for so many years, lacking compassion, lacking love. It had been so long, a part of him had forgotten what it was like, and didn't want it again.

He sat up from his cot, looking over at Buffy who was sleeping on hers. He didn't want to wake her, but he thought he could talk now. "Buf--" He tried again, "Buffy?"

Buffy opened to the sound of Angel's voice calling her, "Just a dream... only a dream..." She mumbled to herself, tossing and turning on her cot. The third time he calls she awakes and looks over at him, who is sitting at the bars of his cell, looking to her, calling her. She sat up quickly, moving the hair from her eyes. She slowly stood, walking toward the exit to the cell, and was stopped by the bars before her. She sat down at the end, maybe a feet or two in the middle of the two cells. "Angel?"

Angel lashed a hand out at Buffy, grabbing her neck tight, pulling her hard into the bars in front of her. Banging her against them with all his might. Buffy screamed out in pain, "Angel... Angel..." Then she awoke from her daydream, to see him sitting in his place by the bars as she stood a few feet away. A part of her was crying out, hoping that he was Angel... and not Angelus.

"Angel?" She was cautious, as to see if he was Angel. She had no idea how he might act toward her, and right now, she could only think the worst. Her daydream proved it. She slowly made her way down to the floor.. and to the bars before her.

Angel sat in his cell, looking toward her. She was just as beautiful as he remembered... if not more. He reached out his hand.

Buffy gasped and sat back quickly, then was relieved when his hand just opened up, waiting for her to place her hand in his. She found her place again, and reached her hand between the bars, placing her hand in his. She felt Angel placing something in her hands. When he let go, she pulled her hand away, and brought it back into the cell. She opened her hand slowly, revealing his clauddagh ring in her palm. She looked up at him, "Angel?"

"I.. I missed you... Buffy.." He looked down, then back up at her again. "Every day... I.. I thought of you... I.. unders..tand.. what you had to do." He was still having a difficulty talking. For so many years he didn't say a word... Not talking to anyone due to the amount of pain that he was facing. "I.. I'm not... angry..."

Buffy glanced down at the clauddagh ring in her palm, and placed it in her finger. "I missed you, Angel." She glanced up at him, "Every day I regretted all the things that led to this..."

"I'm.. I'm sorry about all of this, Buffy. I had no idea that... what we did.. would cause this." Buffy leaned up against the bar, reaching out her hand to touch his face, "Shh... it's not your fault, Angel... it's not... you didn't know... Don't be sorry... You're back now..."

"What are we going to do, Buffy?" He reached out his hand for hers, "I've already spent hundreds of years in here... and you... you'll die here if you don't get out."

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PART THREE:

Angel awoke to hearing angry guards in his cell. "Get up, half-breed," they told him. He obliged. Of course he obliged. What else would he do? He sat up slowly, then stood to his feet, looking toward the guards. The guard behind Angel pushed him toward the front of the cell, where two chains were hanging from the ceiling. Angel looked up, a look of fear in his eyes, "No... not... not again."

"Quiet." The guard in front of him grabbed him, chaining him up to the wall while the guard behind him pulled a few things out of a black leather bag. Angel knew what was coming. The torturing. He glanced over at Buffy's cell... She was standing there, just watching them, true pain expressed on her face. He noticed someone entering her cell, it was Ken.

Ken opened Buffy's cell, accompanied by two guards behind him. "I suppose Angel thinks that he's going through a normal torture..."

"Don't talk to me!" Buffy glares at Ken, focusing back on Angel.

"Don't you want to know what we're going to do to him? Quite simple really... We've been keeping him around here all these years... For one purpose."

"And what would that purpose be?"

"You..."

"Me? Yeah, well thanks for the gift, really!"

"Child, you don't understand..." He sat down on Buffy's cot and continued to talk. "We've been waiting for this day. The day to get him out of his misery, and for you..." He smiles slightly.

"You're going to.. kill him?"

"Yes... He's no good to us now. He doesn't work... He doesn't talk. He's just another vampire to provide for, and that's not how we do things here. We expect to get work in return..."

"How do you expect someone to work for you? Even I'm repulsed... I can't imagine someone being here for hundreds of years and like you."

Ken stood up and walked over to Buffy, "You have a lot of nerve, Slayer. Talking to me like this?"

"So do you." She turned and glared at him.

"Fine... so be it... watch your lover die." He walked toward the door, "You'll be working tonight."

Buffy turned her head, focusing on Angel in time to see the guard holding an axe, about to hit Angel's neck. "Angel! Watch out!" She screamed, "He's going to kill you!"

A guard at the door came barging in Buffy's cell, knocking her out. He then left, leaving Buffy unconcious on the cell floor. She lay there on the floor for what it seem like hours, but it was only minutes. She could hear voices, voices in the background. Loud noises.

"Buffy... Buffy...." She could hear the voices calling out to her. So familiar, but yet so far away. She opened her eyes slowly, to see Angel above her, in her cell. "How did yo..." She stops midsentence, holding her head in pain.

"Thank you for warning me... Buffy..." He glanced over at his cell. The guards were dead. One, decapitated by the axe, and the other, hanging from the chains on the ceiling. "I guess I never had a reason to fight back."

"We.. we have to get out of here." Buffy tried to stand, but fell back against the floor. "I'm.. dizzy..."

Angel wrapped his arms around Buffy, picking her up like someone would a child. He cradled her in his arms, "I'll carry you."

She looked up at him, smiling, "I love you, Angel."

"I love you." He replied, kissing her forehead.

"Com'n, lets go."

Angel stood, carrying Buffy in his arms. He walked out the cell, wandering throughout the different rooms while looking for an exit. But he just found himself in the same place again. He glanced at Buffy a few times, to find her smiling up at him. The third time he looked, she was asleep in his arms. After becoming tired of walking, he took Buffy and sat down with her against a wall, behind something that would cover them from being seen by the guards, and Ken. She was still in his arms, asleep. A few minutes later, Angel found himself drifting off as well.

A few moments later, he was awaken to Buffy's slight moans in her sleep. He glanced down at her, noticing her struggling in his arms, as if fighting something. He reached his hand out to her, "Buffy.... Buffy... wake up, Buffy." He took his hand and placed it against her face lightly, "Shh... Buffy... wake up.. it's just a dream... Shhh..." He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Buffy opened her eyes as she felt his cold lips on her cheek. She found herself gazing into his eyes like she had many times before when he was there to comfort her. Her eyes were locked on his. He was staring back.

Without warning, Angel leaned down more, placing his lips on Buffy's. Buffy wrapped her arms around Angel's neck, now sitting on his lap. They kissed for what it seemed like an eternity to the both of them. They were so wrapped up in each other, what was around them had somehow faded away. That's how it always was for the two of them. One kiss could make every worry disappear.

They had no idea that someone had been watching them the whole time they had been there. They were startled, and immediately stopped what they were doing when they heard a familiar voice. "Well... Don't go too far now, Kids. You wouldn't want to have that one moment of happiness again, would you?" Ken said, glancing at Angel. He turns to his guards from behind him, "Grab the girl."

"No!" Angel stood, grabbing Buffy's hand. "I'm not leaving her."

"Very well..." He glanced to the guards, "Get him, too."

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PART FOUR:

Buffy and Angel hung inches apart from each other on the ceilings of what was a cell in 'hell'. Their arms were chained to the ceilings, their feet barely touching the floor. The two were extremely tired, hanging from the chains like ragdolls. Buffy had somehow found herself asleep there, even though she was standing up. Angel was alert, keeping his eyes open from anyone who might come near them.

Ken came strutting into the cell the two were kept in, a smile on his face. He glanced down at Buffy who was still asleep. He reached out a hand to her chin and lifted up her head. Her eyes did not yet open. Ken pulled back his hand and slapped Buffy across the cheek, "Wake up!"

"Leave her alone!" Angel growled, pulling at the chains to break free, but not getting anywhere.

Buffy had awoken, a look of anger on her face. Nothing but anger. Her head still lowered, but eyes facing Ken. "You're going to pay for this."

He looked to her with a small grin on her face, "Am I? Really... I seriously doubt that."

In an instant, Buffy's feet went up leaping through the air, wrapping her legs around Ken's neck tightly.

"Oh you will pay for this..." Her legs tightened around his neck, choking him.

Ken yelled out in pain, "Guards! Guards!"

Angel scoffed to himself, "Chicken."

The guards came rushing into the room, watching the group. "Let him go..."

"Don't come any closer." Buffy warned them, "I'll snap his neck like a toothpick. Unlock Angel or he dies."

"Don't." Ken warned the guards. "Don't unlock him. She won't kill me. She can't."

Buffy's legs wrapped around his neck tighter, "Oh are you sure about that?"

Ken started to gasp for air as the guards quickly ran to Angel, unlocking his chains from the ceiling.

Angel fell down to the ground, holding back a grin. "You guys are really stupid, aren't you?" He pushed them both against the cell bars, knocking them to the ground, unconcious. He looked toward Buffy, "Ready to get out of here?"

"We'll find you." Ken says, in between gasps. "We know where you're headed... You won't get away with th--" He stops in midsentence, as Buffy snaps his neck, and he falls to the ground.

"You gonna unlock me?" She looked toward Angel and smiled.

Angel quickly went to one of the guards, taking his keys from his pocket. He studied the key-ring, filled with what it looked like hundreds of keys. "This ought to be a lot of fun."

"He used that one on you." She pointed to a key on the ring and smiled at him. "Com'on, hurry. More guards are probably on their way."

Angel quickly got the key and unlocked Buffy's chains. She fell to the ground and stood slowly, still kind of tired.

He turned to her and grabbed her arm, "Can you walk?" She nods, "Yeah, lets go."

Buffy and Angel run around 'hell' for what it seems like eternity, trying to find their way out. But they don't get anywhere. Wherever they go, they just end up where they started. The two of them get back there a third time, about to give up, when finally someone appears to them.

"You try to find the way out, but all you do is end up where you began. You really think you're gonna find it? You're not. There is no way out of hell, no way to escape." Jenny stood there in front of them, watching the two closely, especially Angel. "Why are you trying to save him?"

"Why-- Why are you HERE? I thought you would have been..."

"In heaven." Jenny finished her sentence. "I wasn't sent here when I died. I have been sent here now to help you." She looks toward Buffy, "And you alone."

"Meaning that I have to stay..." He looks toward Buffy. "You should go.. This is your only chance."

Buffy watched Jenny carefully, "Why? You can't bend the rules? I'm not leaving him!"

"And I'm not taking him out of here." She looked to Buffy, "Do you not remember what he did to me? Or did that heart get in the way of your job again? The powers that be have been watching you."

"Powers that what?"

"The powers that be?" Angel looked at Jenny closely, "They exist?"

"Of course they exist, you fool. Who do you think sent Whistler to find you to help Buffy? Yeah, you sure did help her, didn't you?"

"Stop it!" Angel growled.

"No. I have the right. As of right now I have the right to do anything and everything to you as I please. You're not coming. You're staying here... where you belong." Jenny stepped up to Angel closely, "You're nothing but a cruel animal. And those animals deserve nothing more than to be punished."

"But it wasn't him!" Buffy spoke up.

Jenny turned to Buffy and glared, "You have no room to talk, slayer. If it wasn't for you so many more people would have been alive right now... but no. You two had to get pelvic.. and now look where we are. Don't you see? Everything that is happening right now is because of you.. and you alone."

Buffy scoffed, "If you want to get technical... who's fault this is... yours... Janna. And your people. Gypsies? They did this to him. And it is because of them. And maybe if you had told us... What we could do that would make him evil again... If you wanna talk about who's at fault here.. who to blame.. I blame you. You betrayed us. You lied to us. You had the chance to tell us about this curse... and you didn't."

"You think I didn't want to? Every day I wished I could but--"

"But what? You were sworn to secrecy?"

"Actually, yes."

"Well guess what, the secret killed you. If you had only told us... you'd still be alive... and Giles.. he would still be happy."

"Giles isn't happy?"

"You think he was happy to see you die? It broke his heart."

"Giles..." Angel spoke up, leaning against the wall. "I... I can't go back, Buffy.. He.. I.. I hurt him. He won't accept me.. and either will your friends. I can't go."

"Would you rather not be accepted or die and be tortured here alone, Angel?"

"Being up there seeing him and them would torture me more than anything down here could." He turns to Buffy, "I'm sorry. I can't... not until..."

Jenny speaks, "You won't get forgiveness from him. You'll NEVER get forgiveness from him."

Buffy turns to Jenny and snaps, "Shut up." She turns back to Angel, "Angel, please... you have to come with me."

Angel shakes his head and turns away, "I can't..."

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PART FIVE:

"Please, Angel... " Buffy stood in front of Angel, reaching her hands out to touch his. "You can't stay here... You have to come with me... Angel..." Then the tears started. She had lost him once, and she wasn't ready to lose him again. Not so soon. "Please..."

Behind the two, were some sort of portal. Like the one that pulled Angel into hell. From behind the two, it seemed exactly like the scene when Buffy sent him to hell. Her arms were wrapped around him now, and she was holding on with all her might. "I can't lose you again... Please..."

"I can't, Buffy."

"I want you to be with me..." She looked at Angel, through her tears.

Angel reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes,

"I don't think I could face them..."

"You.. You don't have to. They don't have to know you're back... We.. We could hide you... For now... and later when we think the time is right.."

"The timing will never be right, Buffy... Never. I don't think they'll ever be able to forgive me for what I did."

"It wasn't you, Angel... It wasn't you..." Buffy turned away from him, the tears coming stronger now. "Losing you again would kill me..."

"Buffy..." Angel reached out to her, and she spun around, looking directly into his eyes. "You don't understand, Buffy..."

"What don't I understand? Don't you understand? I don't want to leave you again... I don't want to lose you..."

"And I don't want to be without you, Buffy... But... I have to--"

"No!" She snapped at him, grabbing his hand, "You don't have to stay here. You know you don't have to." She closed her eyes for a a moment in attempt to stop the tears from flowing.

Angel took her hand, "Alright."

Buffy's eyes opened, "You'll come back with me?"

Angel nodded and squeezed her hand, "Yes..."

Buffy wrapped her arms around Angel tightly, "Thank you... Thank you." She looked back toward the portal, "We need to go..."

Angel sighed and walked with Buffy toward the portal, their hands in each others. He looked toward Buffy. They were in front of the portal now. Angel closed his eyes for a moment, and with one instant, he let go of Buffy's hand, and pushed her into the portal. He backed away slowly, still in hell.

Buffy turned back and looked at him, now inside the portal, screaming, "Angel! No! You can't leave me! Please!" She reached her hand out to him, "Com'on, please, Angel... please.. please.. please..."

And then the portal swallowed her, throwing her back into her reality.

But not the end of this. The Next part of this story is coming soon with the title "Redemption"... More is to come, believe me! This is not the end for Buffy & Angel. And I know I'm being like Joss here.. with all the angst... but I couldn't help it... I have a lot of good things in store.

Go to the next story Redemption

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