Author: ESW
E-MAIL: ewilliams5@nc.rr.com
Rating: PG-13 (it might go to R)
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy, nothing belongs to me!!
Category: W/A; X/C
Summary: A prophecy misinterpreted leads to a few surprises and reveals some of the gang’s true nature.
Spoilers: Takes place during season 4 (Faith never came to town, Xander and Willow never kissed; however Willow and Oz are still in relationship limbo and she is becoming a rather powerful witch, and Angel and Buffy have broken up)
Distribution: whoever wants it, just ask.
Feedback: This is my 1st attempt a writing anything, so any feed back would be GREATLY appreciated!! This was beta read by my computer so excuse the mistakes please.
Dedicated: This fic is for Destiny (aka the Notorious Queen Dee), she encouraged me to actually try writing and to post what I wrote. Thanks De!!!
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“Yo! G-man what’s with the urgent Scooby meeting?!” Xander questioned as he, Willow and Buffy burst through the library doors.
“I do recall telling you NOT to call me that!!” Giles replied." At any rate there is another prophecy that seems to have me completely baffled.”
“Well don’t keep us in suspense Giles, spill. I’m sure what ever it is Willow can research it out and then I can make with the slayage.”
“Buffy I am afraid it isn’t that simple. I believe we may need more than just the slayer on this. I have phoned Angel, in fact he should be here shortly. This prophecy might make more sense to some one of his advanced age, maybe he has seen or heard of it in his experiences.”
As if on cue the doors burst open again, and in walked Angel.
{He looks so sad} Willow thought {He can’t even look in Buffy’s direction, not that she would notice. She has been pretty preoccupied with dating and what not since her break-up with Angel to notice to much of anything}.
The thought of break-ups made Willow think of her relationship with Oz that seemed to have fallen apart. It wasn’t something that either of them did wrong, they were simply not in love and growing apart. They had discussed their sad state last night and decided that just being friends would be best since that is actually all that they had been for awhile, they had just refused to see it sooner. Willow was actually glad that they had decided to wait on sex, now she still had something to offer the right man if she ever found him.
{The right man. Why does the right man always seem to look like Angel?} she wondered wistfully.
When Angel had gotten the call from Giles earlier he wasn’t sure that he would actually come. Buffy had hurt him deeply when she said it was over. He couldn’t blame her really though, she deserved a normal life or as normal as a slayer’s life could be. But he could forget the almost callous way she had told him it was over or the way she looked when she said never really loved him, he was just her way of rebelling against what she call fate’s evil plan for her life....being the chosen one. She had somewhat blindly hoped that by romancing a vampire the PTB would find her and unfit slayer and take back their “gift”. She realized she was being stupid and decided to stop the sham of a relationship that they had and to move on to something real, with someone really alive. He had wanted to stake himself then. And now walking in to the library and seeing her sitting there like she didn’t care whether he was “alive” or dust, he wished he had staked himself. He felt like a fool.
“Giles, I got here as fast as I could, what is the emergency you phoned me about?” He was trying as hard as he could to not look at Buffy.
“Well now that everyone is here I think I can begin. First off there is a new prophecy, but I cannot make heads nor tails out of it. That’s were you come in Angel I thought that you might be able to help with this uh new prophecy.”
“I’ll do what I can, tell me what it says.”
By this time Angel had managed to fit himself into an isolated corner, not too far away to miss anything, but not close enough to touch anyone either. This placement did not go unnoticed.
“Hey Dead boy, not that I mind not having you breathing all down my neck, but I would be more comfortable with you were I can see you instead of you brooding in a dark corner behind my back.” Xander quipped.
“Yes Angel, do come closer, I fear that this is rather too important for you to miss any if the information.”
Angel grudgingly moved to the chair next Willow and Xander, yet still as far from Buffy as he could get. Once he was seated Giles begin.
“Well, this prophecy appears to be about 215 years old...”
“Hey!!”
“Yes Willow” Giles sputtered, he hated being interrupted especially when he was about to be on a roll.
“Well I yelled “Hey!”, because, well Hey! check the dates. That prophecy is about the same age as Angel”
“Actually Willow I am 240”
“I know that, I didn’t mean Angel, Angel; I meant vampire Angel. Do you think that somehow his becoming all grrr had something to do with this prophecy?”
“You might have something there Willow. That may be what it means by a ‘Blossoming Angel’, if I have the translation right.”
“A what?!?!” The entire gang shouted.
“Well if I may continue on with the reading everything may come together. Now where was I? Ah yes, this prophecy appears to be about 215 yrs. old. I have spent all night trying to translate it. It is written in an ancient Gaelic. And before I am interrupted again, I know that is Angel’s native tongue.”
He spoke the last part when he noticed the little red-headed hacker about to chime in again.
“Can we skip the history lesson and get to the part where Willow is research girl and I get to slay something already?” Buffy sounded said with a twinge of anger. She did not like the idea of Angel being here.
{Sure Angel has helped in the past, but that’s because his love for me gave him a purpose. Quite frankly, I don’t need or want his help any more} Buffy thought hostilely.
“Buffy sometimes the history of a prophecy can give us a clue to unlocking it and...” Angel never got the rest out.
“Who asked you?! Why are you even here?! We don’t need or want you help!!” Buffy shouted.
“I had better go. Giles if you need anything..”
“He won’t so just go!!”
Giles managed to eek out a “Now see hear.” But Angel had already started moving towards the door. He made it about halfway down the hall when his path became blocked by a very out of breath and very irate hacker.
“No Angel you are not leaving!”
“Willow I think it’s for the best.”
“The best for whom? Buffy?! She may not want your help, but I..uh..we do.” she implored.
“Willow you don’t understand Willow. She hates me. She sees me has the reason she is cursed with being the Chosen one. I don’t think I can handle being in the same room with her knowing that she sees me as the reason for her pain.“
“You’re right I don’t understand. YOU did not make her the Chosen One, she was born that way. All you did was love her and try to be there for her. Please come back to the library Angel.”
Angel looked down into emerald eyes brimming with tears.
{How can I resist, she looks so helpless standing there} “Alright Willow I’ll come back, but for you not for Buffy.”
They reentered the library and were greeted by Giles, Xander and Buffy arguing amongst themselves.
“Buffy how dare you behave in such a manner?!”
“Look Giles I know you think we need him on this but that’s what Willow’s for, she is ‘research gal’ after all.
“Look Buff, Willow is not your personal ‘research gal’. She happens to be your best friend.”
“Ahem!” Willow cleared her throat. “We’re ready to get back to the meeting.”
“What’s HE doing here?!” Buffy inquired.
“He is here to help. and if you have a problem with it I suggest you just ’deal’ as you are so fond of staying. Because Angel isn’t going anywhere!”
As to make her point she held onto Angel’s hand and lead in to the chairs. All Angel, Giles and Xander could do was stare in awe at the fiery display put on by the petite red-head. Buffy just glared and turned away from the group to sulk.
“Okay Giles, we are ready to begin again.” Willow said breaking the silence.
“Well for the last and final time, the prophecy says.. When darkness comes with the sun evil shall come forth to rule again. Friend shall become foe, foe shall become friend. An angel shall blossom in the dark to fight along side of the chosen warrior. Only when the two become one will they have the power to overcome.”
“That is screwy, and it doesn’t even really rhyme.”
“Xander shut up!!” every one yelled.
End Part 1
“So Giles, where exactly did you find this prophecy and why is my help needed?” Angel inquired.
“Well Angel that’s just the thing...I not quite sure how I found it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Prophecies don’t normally fall out of the sky G-Ma..uh..Giles, no matter how often we seem to trip and fall into one.”
“As strange as this may sound, I was sitting here 2 nights ago re-reading some of the more obscure watcher journals...”
“Yeah that sounds really strange.”
“Xander, please this is supposed to be serious, now let Giles finish!” The hacker chastised.
“Thank you Willow, ahem, as I was saying I was going over the journals and I came across this section on Angelus. That in it self is not so strange considering his rather large reputation, but this particular volume never had mention of him before. In fact I would swear that even when I turned to that page it wasn’t there.”
“I don’t get it, what are you trying to say?” Buffy questioned. She was calmer now and in fact she wasn’t even sure why she had flown into such a rage earlier. Truth be known she wasn’t even sure why she had said all of those horrible things to Angel when they had broken up two nights ago. She had been to shocked and confused to go back and try to make things right.
“What I am saying is that section was on witches and warlocks and that is exactly what I saw before...uh...”
Giles grew pale as he remembered what happened to lead to his discovery. Willow and Buffy noticed this and both became alarmed.
“Before what?” They both exclaimed.
“Before...before Jenny came to see me.”
Angel gasped, as he felt all eyes stare at him. Oh what he wouldn’t have done to have that stake handy right now!
“Um Giles”, Angel asked hesitantly, “what did Jenny have to say?”
“She said ‘It is coming’, and I asked her what ‘it’ was. She said that I needed to read the book because it was coming, evil was coming.”
He stared at Angel and at each of his charges.
“After she spoke her last words there was a bright, almost blinding light. I sat down and just stared into space. Then eventually I looked down at the journal and instead of witches there was Angelus...and there was the prophecy. So you see Angel that is why I need you. It appears that you are tied into this somehow. In what way I don’t know, but this must be something greater than we have ever encountered or..Jenny wouldn’t have come back to warn us.”
“Wow, we have had some weird things to face in the past but this is starting to take the cake.” Xander quipped.
“So were should we begin researching Giles? Do you have any idea what kind of evil we will be facing this time?” Willow asked.
“I am afraid I haven't a clue. I have no earthly idea what we are up against or where to begin searching. It seems to that we will be performing a blind search.” Giles relayed dejectedly.
“Wow, bleak much?” Buffy interjected.
“Well we do know or at like we can speculate that Angel or Angelus has something to do with this. That’s a start.” Willow added.
“I propose that we team up and each group take a section of the prophecy. Two heads are better than one.” Giles suggested.
“I’ll team with Giles” Buffy volunteered. She was still rather uncomfortable about her outburst and wanted to talk to Giles privately about it.
“Well I guess Willow and I will pair up” Angel said as he passed a sad look in Buffy’s direction.
“Hey were does that leave me? I only have one head!” Xander yelled.
“Yeah and what a sad accessory that is!” Cordelia spoke as she entered the library.
She had figured she could find her wayward boyfriend in here. Although she hated to use boyfriend and Xander in the same sentence.
“Cheering practice finished early, so I figured Hey, it’s a Friday night everyone popular or even normal is Bronzing or at least dating so that must mean you guys would be here!! Am I psychic or what?” Cordelia chimed in.
“Well we are glad you decided to stop in Cordelia, you help is needed.” Giles replied.
“Yeah! Now Xander can have two heads!” Willow smiled sweetly.
“Yeah, but considering the two heads they are still coming up short.” Buffy muttered.
“Hey, I heard that slayer! Now what is it that I am supposed to be helping with?” she
stopped suddenly and whirled around.
“The world isn’t coming to the end again is it? It can’t, I have a test next Tuesday and Daddy said if I get an A I can get his new platinum Visa for a week. We are talking some major spendage! So you see it can not end.”
“Cordelia has spoken! Prophecy be damned! There will be no evil until the visa has been maxed !”
“Okay Xander, can the jokes or there will be no more closet time in the near foreseeable future.”
“Yes Mommy!!” Xander whimpered.
“Cordelia, if Xander can behave himself, I will try to give you a brief synopsis of the problem” Giles intervened.
Cordelia interrupted, ”Wait let me guess. There is a new prophecy that no one has ever heard of and it needs to be researched. Right?”
“Well, yes I guess you have the jest of it, and we are splitting up into teams to do our research which I suggest we get started on. Willow you and Angel take the first part ‘When darkness comes with the sun evil shall come forth to rule again. Friend shall become foe, foe shall become friend‘. Buffy and I will take ‘An angel shall blossom in the dark to fight along side of the chosen warrior‘ and Xander and Cordelia will take ’Only when the two become one will they have the power to overcome‘. Now every one, shall we begin? ”
End Part 2
The gang split up into their groups. Buffy and Giles went to his office, Willow and Angel Sat by the computer and Xander and Cordelia went to a corner suspiciously close to a closet.
Inside Giles’ office a hushed conversation was going on.
“Buffy what is it? You look so dejected.” She really looked worse but unlike Cordelia he had tact. Buffy’s normal vibrancy was gone. Her usually bouncy, luminous blonde hair was now lackluster and limp. Her blue eyes had no sparkle and she had dark circles underneath them. What had happened to transform his slayer?
“Giles, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I really lost it in there early. It’s like all I felt was this really intense rage. All of it directed at Angel. You remember when I told you about the break up?”
“Yes, I recall. You said that you both agreed that you needed someone who could give you a normal life, that it was an amicable break-up and he even suggested your seeing other people.” Giles answered.
“Yeah that’s what I said, but that’s not what happened. Giles I exploded again. I told him I only used him to rebel against fate for make me the slayer. I told him horrible things, things I didn’t really mean I.. I..” She couldn’t go on.
Giles watched through a fathers eyes as his slayer broke down. She looked completely lost.
“Buffy did you really want to leave him? Could the things you said have been in your subconscious and finally erupted?” He desperately wanted to help her find some solace.
“Yes Giles, I had been thinking about breaking up, but that wasn’t the reason I went. Hell I wasn’t even considering it that day, I just went over there to spent to QT. I don’t understand what happened to me. Then or now.”
Outside Giles’ office work wasn’t actually the topic with other two teams either. Xander and Cordelia had inched closer and closer to the closet until they were practically connected to the doorknob. While that was going on Willow and Angel were actually trying to research, but falling short when conversation kept drifting back towards Buffy and their particularly brutal break-up.
“Willow you have always been the most forgiving one in this group. Even when I was about to take the world to Hell you wanted to do the restoration spell and save me instead dusting me as I deserved. Now you are here with me trying to prove that I was worthy of Buffy’s love, that I was more than stud on display. And most amazing, that I am worthy of your friendship!! Why Willow, why do you care so much about me?” Angel implored.
He realized he really did want a friend, even if he didn’t think he deserved one. Angel couldn’t think of a better friend to have than Willow. She is the most kind, sincere, trusting and PERKY person he had ever met in his entire life (and unlife). She had this way of taking in anything a person was; no matter how horrible they may seem to any one else, and finding the good. Such a pure soul was so rare.
As for Willow she couldn’t help but see the good in Angel. When she looked at him all she saw were chocolate brown eyes that held the most sorrow, pain and regret she had ever seen. His very being screamed for forgiveness. The way Angel had a way of down casting his eyes as if he was worthy to gaze upon the living. Yet there was a predatory air about him that he could not hide it was most noticeable when he walked, like a man on a mention ready to pounce at a moments notice.
{Ohh pouncing and Angel} Willow thought with a naughty grin. {Whoa bad Willow.. Angel pouncing bad bad bad!!}
“You are worthy of my friendship Angel. I only wish you would accept it. Now explain to me what you meant in the hall way earlier about what Buffy said to you.”
“Well, she pretty much said the whole relationship had been a lie, her feelings for me were a lie and I, I symbolized all of her burden.” Angel was staring at a very interesting spot on the table while he recounted that night. When he finally looked up, the look of utter bewilderment on Willow’s face was almost comical.
“What’s wrong Willow?”
“Are you sure that’s what she said, I mean I’m sure you’re sure cause you were there and all, and I guess that would kind of make you the Horse’s mouth in this case and..”
She looked up red faced.
“I’m babbling aren’t I? I am sorry, I do that when I am upset. But back to the subject at hand. Buffy told us an entirely different story altogether, she said it was mutual.”
“Willow, I appreciate what you are trying to do, and I will be more than happy to accept your offer of friendship. Let’s just leave the talk of Buffy alone for right now and concentrate on this prophecy.”
“You’re right. So were should we begin?”
They both reached for Giles’ journal and there hands lightly brushed each others. Willow felt a rush of heat and electricity. Angel felt it too, both were loss to what it was, but Angel did notice how Willow’s heart speeded up when he looked at her. What was happening?
“The beginning, we had the beginning of the prophecy. let’s see, When darkness comes with the sun evil shall come forth to rule again. Friend shall become foe, foe shall become friend. That sounds about right. Okay, Angel I say we start searching through the journal Ms. Calender seemed to want Giles to read. Then move on to the volumes that you, er, Angelus first appeared in. There has to be a connection somewhere.”
Angel merely nodded. He agreed with his apparent connection, but he hated the thought of being the cause of more misery to this group. Or further misery to the long dead Jenny.
Angel was flipping through the journal while Willow was gathering some more books.
“Willow wait! I think I have something here.”
Willow rushed back to the table to see what was found.
“Look here is a reference to a solar eclipse that is supposed to be in two weeks. That’s got to be a clue to at least part of the prophecy.”
“When darkness comes with the sun, a solar eclipse! Angel that’s got to be it! Score 1 for the good guys, I think this is a sign that we are on our way to figuring this thing out.
End Part 3
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