| Soulripper (conclusion) Part 13: A Simple Plan �I have just one question,� Lorne started. �Does Senor Diaz need to be conscious for this?� Tara looked up from the spell book with a perplexed look on her face. �I don�t think it should matter. Willow?� �It shouldn�t matter,� Willow said. The redhead lit incense candles all about the room. Willow then took the Crystal of Hekate and carefully placed it on a small stand on the table. The Crystal was shaped as a prism, and was about the size of a baseball. When the light from the candles struck it, the Crystal bent the rays into a multitude of colors. �So, for us laymen not educated in the art of magik, do you think you could explain this one more time?� Fred asked. �It�s called an Adficio Spell,� Tara explained. �The idea is to drain him of his mystical powers so he can�t do any more harm.� �So the Crystal of Hekate is used to store the power?� Gunn asked. �No. By storing the power, there is always the chance that it could be freed. Diaz could find a way to reabsorbed his magik,� Tara said. Willow finished adjusting the prism before picking up the explanation. �If we wanted to merely capture his power, we�d just use a mystical orb or some other device. But using a prism is different.� �She�s right,� Tara continued. �When the mystical energy is pulled into the prism, the crystal has the same effect as it does on light waves. It actually disperses the energy into different elements.� �And when the elements are dispersed, it�s like taking apart the components of a bomb,� Willow said. �The mystical energies are rendered impotent.� �You can do this?� Gunn asked. �Theoretically,� Tara said. �What?� she asked off his look. �It�s not like I�ve ever done this before. Sure, I�ve read about it. I�m fairly certain I can do this.� �How certain, Cupcake?� Lorne asked. Tara wrinkled her nose as she thought about it. �Ninety-four percent?� �Are you asking us or telling us?� Gunn wondered. �Uh, I�m telling you,� Tara decided. Gunn, Lorne, and Fred did not look convinced. Groo was busy playing with the coffee maker, while Angel sat in the corner, listening to the conversation. �You won�t be in any danger, right?� Angel asked. �If something were to go wrong, would you be harmed?� �Probably not,� Tara said. When Angel was about to object, she defended herself. �Like I said, I�ve never done this before. But I am fairly certain I can do this. Besides, don�t the benefits outweigh the negatives? If this isn�t done, who knows what this guy will do? Maybe he won�t hurt you again but we saw how many beads were on his necklace. He�d stolen souls before, and if we don�t do this, he might do it again.� Angel had to admire the resolve the young woman showed. But still, the doubt was there. �Willow?� he asked. �She�s right, Angel,� Willow said. �The risk is too great to not try. And I believe she can do this. Tara is one kick-butt witch,� she said proudly. Tara returned the compliment with a shy smile. �Then I guess that�s settled,� Gunn observed. �How soon can we do this?� �As soon as I get a fire going,� Tara answered. *********** The still drugged form of the soul stealer was laid unceremoniously on the mattress. At the foot of the bed was the table. In its center sat the Crystal of Hekate, and on both sides were a pair of lit candles. Behind the table sat Tara in one of the hotels cheap wooden chairs. To her right on a small stand rested a metal bowl. A small flame burned gently inside it. To Tara�s left was another chair, and on top was tray containing various herbs that she would need during the incantation. Surveying the room setup, and double-checking her ingredients, Tara finally decided that she was ready to go. �Ok,� she said to the others. �I�m ready.� Everyone gathered around the bed holding small bundles of smoking herbs. The group mimicked Willow�s motions as they all waved them in the proper fashion. Tara grabbed a small handful of a ground, yellowing substance and dropped it into the fire. A bright yellow flame shot up, almost causing Fred to drop her herb bundle. �Goddess,� Tara beckoned. �I call on you to help us. Please give us your blessing and give me the power to fight this harm. Goddess, I beg you, help me remove the magik from he who takes souls!� Tara took a handful of a bluish powder and tossed it into the flame. The fire once more shot up, casting a blue shadow over the room. �Goddess! Direct his power into your Crystal, guide it so he may never bring harm again!� Suddenly, Diaz�s eyes snapped open. �Is this normal?� Fred asked fearfully. Diaz bolted upright, his eyes devoid of any recognition. His head was thrown back as his mouth dropped open. �Goddess! Expel him of his power!� Tara pleaded once more. From Diaz�s mouth poured a black mist. Tara slumped in her chair, but Willow was soon by her side. Everyone else watched as the mist crawled towards the Crystal of Hekate. �Did it work?� an exhausted Tara asked. �I think so,� Willow said. �Look.� The mist began to enter the prism. The Crystal of Hekate began to glow with a tremendously bright luminescence. In the darkened room, the sight was all the more remarkable, as the mystical energy was broken apart. A rainbow of colors shot from the prism as the now ineffective magiks were separated. �Wow. Pretty,� Groo observed. �Be silent now, pseudo-Angel,� Lorne said �Ya gotta admit,� Gunn whispered. �You don�t see that every day.� Diaz flopped back against the bed, the spell knocking him further into the drug-induced unconsciousness. While Willow tended to Tara, Lorne place a lid over the bowl to put out the flame. �So what now?� Fred asked. �What do we do with him?� Angel placed two fingers on Diaz�s neck artery. �Well, he can�t hurt anyone. I guess we put him on the first plane to Brazil, Honduras, or wherever he is from. I really don�t care.� �Angel�s right,� Gunn said. �Now that Diaz has been neutered, we got more important things to worry about.� �It will be tough,� Angel told them. �Where she�s being held is surrounded by many vampires.� �How many is many?� Lorne asked. Angel stared at Diaz�s form as he stated his answer. �Fifty, give or take a few.� A collective moan of disbelief rose from the group. �Their Master is a tribesman named Kelemoke. He�s strong and he�s smart.� �Which means?� Gunn asked. �This means he�ll realize how important Cordelia is and is probably prepared for an assault.� �So basically, we�re fucked,� Gunn stated �I could do a spell,� Tara offered. �It�d be enough to give cover until you get inside the building.� �That should be good enough. Gunn, Groo, and Lorne can use that to sneak in the backdoor and get Cordelia,� Angel said. �What are you gonna do?� An almost evil smile played at Angel�s lips. �I�m going to go right through the front door.� He picked up his coat from the floor and went to the door. �I need to go make a few deals. I�ll be back by sundown.� The vampire was gone before they could question further. Only a few minutes later, a new day began to rise. And all knew, one way or another, it would all end tonight. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 14: Storm Rising �What the fuck is that?� Gunn shouted. Angel returned shortly after sundown to the hotel. When everyone came out to greet him, they noticed the way the trunk of his convertible sagged. When the vampire popped the trunk, they found something that shocked them all. �That,� Angel said seriously, �is 200 pounds of C-5 explosive.� The gang stared at the 20 bricks of explosive that weighed down the car. Willow carefully took one of the bricks in her hand. It was plainly marked: US ARMY, C-5 HIGH EXPLOSIVE, PLASTIQUE. �Um, Angel, I don�t mean to be a snoop, but where the fuck did you get plastic explosives from?� Willow asked. Angel grimaced as he remembered. �We destroyed a vampire clan in south LA. They were major weapons runners. I went and found their main competition, a group led by a Mosack demon named Sumner. When he found out I was responsible for him now having a monopoly, he was gracious enough to give me some complementary explosives.� �Nice guy,� Tara commented. �Not really,� Angel answered. �If Angelus was still around, Sumner would be at the top of his hit list. He�s got a real bad attitude. He also has a tendency to smell like cottage cheese.� Everyone was still staring at the explosives in awe. �Uh, Angelcakes, I hate to be the one to ask a stupid question, but what the hell are you planning on doing with 200 pounds of explosive?� �Well Lorne,� Angel said, �I plan on killing them all. Two hundred pounds should be enough.� �Should?� Gunn asked incredulously. �Angel, dude, fifty pounds of that stuff will level a building. Two hundred will obliterate it.� �Like I said, two hundred should be enough.� �I�m going to assume you have a plan,� Tara said. Angel slammed the trunk shut, much to the chagrin of the gang. �Don�t worry,� he said. �They can�t go off unless the detonator is in place.� �I�d rather not test that assumption,� Lorne declared. �But Cutie Pie brought up an interest point there, something about a plan I believe it was.� �It�s simple: Tara uses her spell to blanket movement. Gunn and Groo haul Cordy out to safety. Meanwhile, I create a major distraction by parking the next Oklahoma City right in Kelemoke�s living room. I�ll try to find a way out, then I�ll blow the place down.� �Try to find?� Fred asked fearfully. �Try,� Angel said emotionlessly. �If I can�t, then the place goes down anyway.� �But wouldn�t this kill you?� Groo added. The group moaned at his stupidity, while Lorne tried to refrain from slapping the back of his head. It was Willow who spoke for the group. �Um, Angel? I think everyone will agree with me when I say Bad Plan. Very Bad Plan.� �Well, one way or another that place is coming down. Personally, I�d appreciate it if you guys rescued her before I flip the switch.� �Angel!� Willow tried to reason. �You cannot just destroy a building!� �Why not?� Willow would have laughed if the vampire didn�t look so serious. �Do you even realize the ramifications of doing so? This isn�t like staking a vampire. There will be evidence of a bombing. The hollowed out crater in downtown Los Angeles will probably be a giveaway. If you go through with this, the authorities will find you. It might be tough to explain certain things, like the fact you�re a vampire.� �Willow,� Angel said gently, �they will not trace anything back to me. This C-5 has been missing for several months. If they can trace it, it will lead them to Sumner and his people, not me. And it�s not like they can trace this car to me either. Since I�ve never officially owned a vehicle, plus the fact that I don�t have a valid Social Security Number, Driver�s License, or Birth Certificate. I�m a ghost. You can�t trace a ghost.� Willow threw up her arms in frustration. �Will somebody reason with this stupid vampire?� It was Gunn that stepped forward. �When do we do it?� �What?!� Fred, Willow, and Tara all turned to face him. �Charles, what the hell are you saying?� Gunn didn�t flinch at his girlfriend�s tirade. �He can�t blow up a building! It�s ridiculous, it�s�� �The best idea we have,� Gunn answered calmly. �It�s best by default,� Lorne said. �If there�s only one team, that kind of makes them the best whether they play or not.� �Are there any other choices?� Gunn shot back. �We go charging in? The seven of us? Against something like fifty vampires? We�re good, but were not that good.� Silence fell as they considered the options. Not that there were many. But still, blowing up a building? It was suicidal at best for Angel. He may have done some awful things recently, but none believed his death to be an acceptable outcome. �It�s simple,� Angel said. �Either you�re with me, or you�re not. I could care less. But one way or another, that place, and every vampire inside will be destroyed. I�d just prefer Cordelia wasn�t there as well. Tara?� The vampire�s piercing brown eyes captured hers, demanding an answer. Sighing in resignation, she agreed. �I�ll do the spell.� �Gunn, Groo? �I�m in,� Gunn answered. �So am I.� �I am too,� Willow said. �I�ll go with the boys. Just in case there�s trouble.� �Where Charles goes, so do I,� Fred stated. �Well, I�m certainly not going to be the lone duck on this pond,� Lorne said. �I guess I�m in.� �When do we do it?� Tara asked. �Just before sunrise,� Angel said. �When all the vampires will be there. I want to kill them all.� *********** �I have to say, Miss Chase, I�m surprised Angel hasn�t appeared yet,� Kelemoke said. The master vampire sat on Angelus� bed flipping through a copy of Playboy. �Hello Miss February,� he whistled. He tossed the magazine aside at Cordelia�s disgusted look. �As I was saying, I expected Angel to come charging in last night. I�ve never known him to have much restraint.� �Maybe he�s changed more than you think,� Cordelia told him. Kelemoke laughed at the suggestion. �My dear, perhaps you give him too much credit. At his core he is still a malevolent entity. Brutal, savage, impulsive. I think that has all been proven.� �But that�s when he�s soulless,� Cordelia argued. �And now he has a soul,� Kelemoke agreed. �But even without a soul, you were the object of all his desires. With a soul, those feelings are only intensified. Emotions can be a real bitch, as you Americans might say. He�ll come for you, and soon, I hope. �Buy anyway,� Kelemoke continued, �I�ll leave you alone now. It�s nearly two in the morning, and I still haven�t eaten yet.� �Yeah, you go do that,� Cordelia said dryly. �You gotta keep your strength up. But before you go, how about letting me out of these handcuffs? I think my hands are turning blue. Besides, it�s time for a bathroom break.� Kelemoke thought for a moment before calling in two of his minions. �Please free Miss Chase from her bounds,� he ordered the minions. �Escort her to the bathroom. When you bring her back in, you may keep the handcuffs off.� Kelemoke then breezed out of the room, leaving Cordelia alone with the two minions. Even though she knew they wouldn�t hurt her, it still made her anxious. Once more, she prayed to whoever was listening to send her some help. ********** Under a street lamp at the Rest and Go Motel, Willow and Tara sat on the curb. Tara sipped a Doctor Pepper while flipping through her magic book. She�d long memorized the spell she would need, but now she was merely killing time. Willow sat next to her, a can of Sprite between her legs and a cellphone to her ear. �Yeah, Buffy, I know we�ve been gone a while,� she spoke to he friend. �We�re still here in LA helping out on the case. No everything�s cool. It�s just with Wesley on sabbatical, Cordy and Angel needed someone to help with research and such. �No, you don�t need to come down here. If all goes well, we should be home in a day or two. Yeah, I did see the news about that. Yeah, it is the law firm Angel�s been having trouble with. I don�t really know what that was about. Maybe they pissed off the wrong client. From what Cordy and Angel have said, they�re scum.� When Willow saw Gunn coming out of the hotel, she spoke quickly. �Hey Buffy? I�m going to need to let you go. Yeah, we got some night work to do. Sorry for calling so late. Goodbye.� �You lied to her,� Tara said without looking away from her book. �Yup,� Willow said simply. �It�s need to know information, she didn�t need to know.� �You�ve seen too many X-Files.� �Probably,� Willow agreed. Gunn crossed the parking lot to where the two women were sitting. �Is it time?� �It�s time.� The women slowly rose to their feet and followed Gunn back inside. Glancing at her watch, Willow noticed it was only an hour and a half until sunrise. Willow caught Tara�s eye, and in a simultaneous moment, both understood the truth of the situation. Good or bad, it all ended in 90 minutes. ********* Angel pulled the Cadillac to a stop a block away from the garage entrance to Kelemoke�s building. On the opposite side of the building, the rest of the gang would be gathering to make the extraction. Taking a deep breath, Angel tried to steady himself. Contrary to what the others believed, he didn�t want to die. Not again. Because he knew where he�d go afterward. But Angel had every confidence that they could rescue Cordelia. So he didn�t have to worry about her getting hurt. And he knew what he had to do. Remove the threat. Because Angel knew if he didn�t, Kelemoke would launch a campaign to destroy them all. But Kelemoke wouldn�t have the chance. �God. I know I�ve done some evil things in my lifetime. I know I�m a monster, an abomination, a plague. I also realize you might not even be listening to me right now. But if you are, please give me the strength to do this. Give me the strength to keep my family safe one last time.� With that, Angel floored the accelerator. The Cadillac flew down the street and onto the entrance tunnel. The car shattered through the gate at over sixty miles per hour. The sentries could do nothing but leap out of the way. Slamming the brakes, the car skidded to a stop in the center of the garage. Quickly, he reached into the glove box and removed the radio detonator. Tucking the small controller in his jacket pocket, he glanced at the clock. The gang had thirteen minutes to find Cordelia and get her out. Meanwhile, Angel wanted to find Kelemoke. Dying by a bomb was too good for him. Angel wanted to see his face when he buried a stake in his chest. �Angelus!� Angel turned and saw the two sentries streaking towards him. Pulling out the crossbow slung inside his coat, Angel ended both of their lives. Angel took a moment to look at his watch. Twelve minutes, twenty seconds left. Angel calmly walked to the elevators and pressed the button. Seconds later an elevator opened up. Climbing aboard, Angel pressed �3�. He would find Kelemoke there. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 15: To Paint With Fire The dark and damp tunnels beneath the building provided the access. Quietly, Gunn removed the grate, giving the rescue party access to the boiler room. Within a couple minutes, everyone was climbing an old stairwell, searching for the place they needed to go. "Do we know where we're at?" Fred asked. Lorne mentally went over the directions Angelcakes gave him. "Well, we just came from the boiler room. The stairs take us up to the basement, which is where we are now. Take a left down this corridor, then a right and we should find a stairwell to the first floor. Angel said Cordy was in a bedroom on the East Wing, first floor." The gang crept along the corridor wall, mindful of the countdown and of vampires. When they reached the right turn, Gunn poked his head around the corner. "Four vamps," he whispered. "Tara?" Tara pulled a small pouch from her pocket. She dumped the powdered contents into her hands and muttered a few Latin phrases. Raising her palm to her face, Tara blew the powder into the hallway. "Blind," Tara whispered. Turning to Gunn she said, "Go." Gunn and Groo bolted from the corridor. The vampires rubbed their eyes in confusion. They heard the sound of running, but they were blinded by the attack. The vampires were dust in moments. The rest of the gang scampered behind after the two men. When they reached the stairwell door, Tara quickly performed the spell again to ensure anyone on the stairs would be defenseless. Meeting no intruders, the rescue party rushed up the steps to the first floor. "Which way is east?" Willow asked. "That way," Lorne pointed to his right. In a SWAT-like cover formation, Lorne used the sledgehammer he brought to knock down doors, allowing Groo and Gunn to rush inside. On the fourth try, they finally found the right room. "Princess!" Groo shouted when he found Cordelia sitting on the bed. "Groo! Watch out!" Cordy shouted. One of the two room sentries sucker punched Groo in the gut. Lorne quickly brought the sledge down on the head of the vampire, crushing his skull. "Holy Shit! That really is therapeutic!" he exclaimed. From behind, Willow raised her crossbow and loosed the bolt straight into the second vampires heart, turning it to dust. "Nice rescue," Cordelia commented. "This is the rescue, right?" "Yes Princess," Groo wheezed. "Where is Angel? He has his soul, doesn't he?" "Yeah, he does," Lorne said. "He's taking care of some business. Speaking of which, we need to take care of our own." "He's right, we only got about eight minutes to get out of this place," Gunn said. The gang ushered Cordelia from the room and ran in the direction they came. "What the hell happens in eight minutes?" she asked. "The explosion!" everyone cried. "THE WHAT?!" *********** Angel's broadsword sliced easily through the necks of any vampire that got in his way. After decapitating a fifth minion, he finally found the one he was looking for. "Kelemoke!" The tribesman appeared from his library, a Japanese Katana in his hands. "Angelus," Kelemoke calmly replied. "What brings you back to my humble abode?" "The woman, mainly," Angel said. "Mainly?" "I'm also going to destroy you and every vampire in this place." Kelemoke smiled at Angel's brass. "And how do you plan on doing that?" he inquired. Angel's slow smirk even gave Kelemoke chills. The souled vampire slowly pulled the remote from his pocket. "Isn't technology wonderful? In less than seven minutes, we all go to hell. Unless of course I push this button." Angel fingered a small green button on the remote. "But that won't be happening." "So why come after me at all?" Kelemoke asked. "Why not just let the building blow?" "Because I want to die, too." *********** "You got any of that magic powder left?" Gunn asked. "Nope," was Tara's short reply. The gang had made it back into the boiler room, but they ran into a problem. About a dozen vampire kind of problem. That was a bitch when there was only six minutes left on the clock. "Any other way out?" Fred asked. "Not that Angel told me about, Kitten." "Well, I guess we fight," Willow said. "Unless of course I hear some suggestions. Cordy?" The redhead turned to ask Cordelia if she had an alternative. "SHIT!" "What?" Gunn asked. "Oh, nothing, just the fact that CORDELIA IS GONE!" The Seer was nowhere to be found. *********** Well, there was no question what one of her demon powers was. Smell was definitely one of them. Cordelia was certain that there were several benefits to that, her present situation being the first. But she rued the day she'd have to use a port-a-potty. The Seer followed her nose as she tracked a scent that was distinctly Angel. Not Angelus, she realized, this scent had something extra to it. It was the soul. And it was leading her directly to him. The sounds of metal striking metal resounded throughout the lavish corridors of Kelemoke's palace. *********** Kelemoke narrowly dodged the blow from Angel's broadsword. The blade whizzed over his head and shattered a vase on the table behind him. "Hey, you son of a bitch! That's from the Ming Dynasty! You can't just buy those at flea markets!" "Put it on my tab," Angel growled. The vampires continued to trade blows at a vicious pace. Finally, Kelemoke delivered a devastating roundhouse kick that sent Angel crashing to the ground. Kelemoke stood above the fallen vampire. "Looks like I win, doesn't it Angelus?" Angel grinned evilly up at the tribesman. "Do you now? It's really gonna suck when you try to use the remote." Angel laughed as Kelemoke's eyes flashed yellow. "The remote does shit. You really think I'd risk you shutting down the bomb?" "ANGEL!" Kelemoke's eyes snapped up and locked on the beautiful young half-breed. It was all Angel needed. The elder vampire rammed his sword through the groin of the tribesmen, the trajectory slicing along the useless intestines of the younger vampire. "Looks like I win," Angel said. Angel kicked Kelemoke off him and leapt to his own feet. The tribesman was pressed against the wall, holding onto the spot where his genitals once were. A clean slice was all it took to end Kelemoke's existence. "Angel!" Cordelia rushed into the arms of her Champion. "That's really you, right?" "Yes," Angel said, his tone suddenly somber. "It's me." Cordelia grabbed the vampire's arm and tugged. "C'mon, we have to go. The gang told me we don't have much time. We need to get out of here." "No Cordelia," Angel said. "You go. I'm going to make sure that none of the others try to escape." "NO!" Cordelia shouted. "You will not do this! God dammit! I am not going to lose you, Angel! I need you!" The vampire shook his in denial. "Angel, I know you're hurting. I know about the things that you've done. I know that you're still hurting about Connor. But damn it, Angel, you still have a purpose in this life, and so do I. And you know what? It's together! Champion and Seer! Now you can either come with me and get out of here, or I can stay and we both die! What's your choice?" Angel stared into the eyes of the woman he had caused so much pain. He wanted to see hatred. He wanted to see a cold disgust. It would make what he needed to do so much easier. But all he saw was an undying faith. Faith in him. "Angel," she pleaded. "Please." "Cordelia," he began. "I'm sorry." He couldn't stop himself from kissing her softly on the lips. "I'm so sorry," he said again. ********** The gang finally managed to beat back the group of vampires blocking their escape. "But what about the Princess?" Groo yelled. "Angel will find her," Gunn shouted back. "He'll make sure she's safe." The gang made their way through the access tunnels beneath the complex and into the sewage system beneath the streets. Everyone finally resurfaced through a manhole in an alley three blocks away from the building. "But how can you be sure he will?" a desperate Groo asked again. "Because he's Angel," Fred said with absolute confidence. "He always saves her." *********** Inside the building, what was left of Kelemoke's minions tried desperately to figure out what to do. They knew that their Master had been slain, and that Angelus was the betrayer. But none of them knew that their lives were over. Not until the timer on the fuse hit zero. None of them realized quickly enough that they were on their way to hell. The blast shot upward from the parking garage, destroying the infrastructure of the building. Those who weren't destroyed by the initial explosion were consumed by the fire that fed on the oxygen in the vast corridors. Once the basement collapsed, each of the seven floors above it fell like a row of dominos. The rubble spread for several blocks in all directions. The gang waited for several hours after the explosion, waited long after the ambulances, police, and fire trucks arrived. They waited long after the new dawn rose in the east. They waited, hoping, that Angel and Cordelia would arrive at the rally point. It was nearly twelve hours after, that all realized the truth. Angel and Cordelia weren't coming. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Part 16: Survival The decision was never really up to him. It was a simple fact. Cordelia�s life was far more important than his own. He would save her life, even if he took him away from the death he so wanted now. �Follow me, quickly!� he shouted. Angel grabbed his Seer�s hand and ran back to Kelemoke�s library. Cordelia followed, having full faith that Angel would save them. But she was confused, how would they get out through here? Angel led her to the bookcase behind Kelemoke�s desk. On a shelf about shoulder level sat a bust of Nero. Angel pulled hard on the bust. Cordelia realized it was a lever. Machinery grinded audibly as the bookcase slid to the left, reveling a stone stairwell. �It leads to the tunnels below! Come on!� No sooner that the two set foot on the first step did they hear the sounds of the explosion. The pair raced down the steps into a stone lined tunnel. The earth quaked around them. Dust dropped from the ceiling below as the wooden rafters shook. Chunks of stone began to drop from above. �Angel! We�re not going to make it!� �Yes we are!� Angel shouted back. As more stone began to fall above them, Angel spotted a hole located at the bottom of the wall to his left. �Dive in there!� he commanded. Cordelia, for once, did as he told her. The vampire followed behind her. The hole actually led to a small room that had been blocked off by stone. �This looks like a damn bomb shelter!� Cordelia exclaimed. Plates of steel lined the walls of the room. It looked several inches thick. �It probably is,� Angel exclaimed. �This place was built in the fifties.� Both turned as they saw that stones had fallen and blocked the access hole. They were sealed in. �We�re trapped!� Cordelia said. Angel grabbed onto Cordy to calm her down. �It�s okay,� he tried to assure her. �These tunnels are fairly well built. They should be able to bare the brunt of the blast. It may take a little time to push the stone out of the way, but we WILL get out.� Cordelia stared at the stone a moment longer before nodding. �Yeah,� Cordelia whispered. �We�ll get out.� Staring into Angel�s eyes she asked, �How did you know to go here?� �I explored this building inside and out. Just in case I needed to leave in a hurry. I found this room on one of my explorations,� Angel explained. The pair stood in silence as the last vestiges of the explosion died down. The earth stopped shaking. The sounds of thunder ceased echoing. A single heartbeat between two individuals marked the only sound. Angel made a very unmanly �eek� of surprise when Cordelia enveloped him in a hug. �I�m so glad you�re back.� If Angel breathed, he would need to do it right about now. Cordelia clung to him tightly. Angel so wanted to enjoy the contact, but he wouldn�t allow himself to. Gently, he broke the embrace. �Glad to be back,� he said. Angel hoped he sounded convincing. From Cordelia�s look, he decided he didn�t. �Come on,� he said, wanting to avoid a lecture. �Let�s get to work on moving those rocks.� ********* For several hours the duo worked to free themselves from the shelter. They finally succeeded. When they finally crawled from the room, they were able to survey the tunnels. Angel was right, the tunnels did survive the brunt of the blow. In fact, it seemed that most of the fallen stones decided to drop in front of the bomb shelter�s opening. Cordelia didn�t fail to make note of that. �Would you rather have taken your chances we�d make it?� Angel asked. �Not really,� Cordelia mumbled. Angel almost smiled at her child-like response. Almost. Angel led the way through the darkened tunnels. After what was probably a walk of several city blocks, they came to a steel door. With a strong tug, Angel jerked the door opened. �Sewer? Eww.� �We�ll be in there only long enough to get to a manhole,� Angel assured her. Hopping into the wet, dark sewage tunnels, the pair only had to walk another block before they reached a manhole. Climbing up first, Angel easily flipped the cover to the side. From the smell, the vampire could tell that the sun had just set. Angel jumped up into the alley, and then helped pull Cordelia to the surface. When the two walked into the street, they were amazed at the sight. There was nothing left of Kelemoke�s palace. The only thing to mark the past existence of the large and stretching building was the rubble that scattered for blocks. Firetrucks, ambulances, and police cars surrounded the scene. �Oh my God,� Cordelia said. �It�s like a war zone.� �That�s because it is,� Angel said solemnly. �Come on. Let�s go find the others.� *********** At Cordelia�s apartment, the gang waited in silence. None knew what to say. For a while they batted around ideas about how to deal with Diaz, but that conversation died down. They mainly just sat and hoped that their friends would arrive. �Y�know what would be great?� Willow asked. �Call INS and sick them on that Diaz bastard. I could alter his visa to say it expired. Get them to get him out of the country.� Gunn sat in a recliner, Fred resting her head on his shoulder as she sat in his lap. �Sure,� he said. �Go for it.� The room fell into silence again. When the doorbell rang, everyone started at the loud noise. Willow stood quickly and went for the door. But before she reached it, she had seconds thoughts. �Dennis,� she called. �Who is it?� The phantom began to knock excitedly on the coffee table. A rush of air was felt as the ghost sprinted to the door. The door bolts were quickly unlocked and the door flew open. Excited shouts filled the previously silent room as the gang rushed to greet Cordelia and Angel. Cordelia eagerly accepted the hugs that everyone offered, but the vampire hung back from the crowd. He smiled slightly as the Seer was engulfed in the crowd. �We�re glad you�re safe,� Gunn said for the group. �Yeah!� Fred said anxiously. �Did you see that explosion? Where have you guys been?� �No, I didn�t see the explosion. I sure as hell felt it though. We escape into some tunnels and hid in a bomb shelter or something that was underneath the compound. It just took a while to dig out.� While everyone continued to pay attention to Cordelia, Angel took the opportunity to slip away. He needed someplace dark, someplace where he could brood about what a monster he was. Cordelia had no intention of letting him do that. As Willow and Tara gave her a group hug, her eyes followed the vampire that both tried to kill her, and tried to save her. Cordelia knew him to well. She knew what Angel was thinking. She knew he wanted to reflect on the things he�d done. Cordelia removed herself from all the hugs and followed the vampire. The gang knew that they needed to talk, so they busied themselves with talk about how they saved the day and on how to deal with Diaz. Cordelia found him in the bedroom by the moonlit window, sitting in a cheap rocking chair she bought at a garage sale. The vampire was fully aware of her presence. After years of working with him, she knew his mannerisms, most of them anyway. He had a habit of stiffening his shoulders slightly when someone entered a room that he alone occupied. �This is a great chair,� he said softly. �I used to have a rocker. Bought it in London around 1843. It was an impulse buy. The thing lasted about two weeks. Darla ended up smashing me over the head with it after a squabble.� �You vampires, I tell ya, you�re crazy creatures. I never said it before, but I always hoped you kids could work out your problems.� Angel fell silent. The vampire continued to stare out the window, the moonlight glowing over his face. Cordelia couldn�t stand it. �Knock it off, Vampire. I�m not going to tolerate your fucking brooding.� Angel�s eyes locked onto her face. Good, she thought, she had his attention. �You�ll listen to what I say, and then we�ll begin to move on, you got it?� Angel continued to stare at her, but Cordelia could see that spark of attention in his eyes. �I know what you are, what you�re capable of. I know the evil you can cause. I�d seen it before this ordeal, so had Willow. �But in the time that we�ve worked together, I�ve learned to accept the demon as a part of you. I did so because I cared for you, because I loved you. I owed you that love, because you were probably the first person to ever accept me for what I was. �Kelemoke told me that at your core that you are a vicious monster. Shut up,� she said when Angel tried to speak. �I don�t believe that. It isn�t the demon that defines who you are. The demon is inside all vampires. What defines who you are is the soul, not the demon. I�ve seen what your soul is capable of doing. I�ve seen the incredible good that you�ve done. You�re soul is a good one, no matter what you might think. �What you�re thinking is this: I want to die. I deserve to die. Be quiet!� she silenced him again. �That�s bullshit. You lost your soul. You had it ripped from your body. The events that transpired afterwards are not your fault. �So I will not listen to you brood over things beyond your control. And I will hear nothing, and I mean NOTHING, about you wanting to die. I told you back in that building, we have a purpose in this world. We were meant to be together on this. Without out you, what point is there to any of it?� Cordelia flopped down on her bed, exhausted from her tirade. Dust and dirt coated her hair and skin. Her wrists were rubbed raw from trying to escape the handcuffs he had placed on her. But her eyes held a deep passion and conviction for what she was saying. �Cordelia�� he began. �No, Angel,� Cordelia interrupted. She crawled from the bed and knelt before the vampire. �You have to listen to me. I NEED you Angel. Because all we�ve done, all the good we�ve done in this city means shit if you back out now. I can�t do my job without MY Champion. I need you Angel. Not just because of the mission, but because I love you.� Angel sucked in a long breath. He wanted to refuse her, to deny what she was saying. He was worthless, a monster at best. But her eyes, God, her eyes. They made him want to believe. In the end, his decision came down to one simple truth. He couldn�t refuse her anything. �Okay,� Angel agreed softly. �I�ll live. For you.� Those were the words she wanted. The tears that had barely been kept back flowed freely then. Angel slid down into the floor next to his Seer. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as the tears continued to fall. �I�m so sorry,� Angel whispered in her ear. �I hope you forgive me someday.� Cordelia clutched the vampire tighter. �I already have. I hope that you forgive yourself.� Angel held onto Cordelia like she was his lifeline. Hell, he just practically said she was. �I�ll try,� Angel promised her. �I�ll try.� -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Dedication: To Amber Benson, for over two years of being by favorite character on that show. This part and story is dedicated to her for Amber�s oftentimes underrated, under appreciated, but always remarkable work. (Liam begins to sob uncontrollably). They (Hits) killed (head) my (on) babydoll (desk)! Those bastards!) Part 17: Epilogue Three Days Later They had been allowed to move back into the Hyperion the previous day. The AI gang all breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the spacious lobby. It was like coming home. Near the door sat the bags of Tara and Willow. Buffy and Xander would be coming soon to take them back home. Their job in LA was done, although both were sad to leave. It was a change to get away from the squabbling of the Scoobies, and work with the AI gang. Both were curious how the aftermath of this ordeal would turn out. Cordelia stepped gracefully down the Hyperion stairs. Dressed in faded jeans and white t-shirt, the Seer had bandages wrapped around both of her wrists. Willow was amazed that this was the same Cordelia Chase she knew in High School. For a girl that Willow could once barely stand, she now held Cordelia in the same esteem as she did the Slayer. �Are you sure that you won�t stay longer?� Cordelia asked them. �Now that everything�s been settled, it�d be a great chance to relax in the big city. We could grab Fred and have a girl�s day out at Disneyland or something.� Cordy was very sad to see the pair go. She owed them so much, but she knew she had little to offer in return. �No,� Willow said kindly. �We really should be going. We�ve missed enough classes as it is. Besides, Buffy and Xander are already on their way. Should be here any moment.� �Thank you for offering though,� Tara added. She respected Cordelia a great deal. She admired the love and devotion she showed towards Angel. Plus, Tara thought with a grin, she�s kind of cute. The three stood in silence for a few moments before Cordelia began. �I can�t tell you enough how much I appreciate you helping us. You came down here even though you had nothing at stake in this. You risked your lives to save Angel and myself. I wish I had something more to offer you both, but all I can say is Thank You.� Tara and Willow just smiled back. They had no idea how to respond. �No problem� or �Que nada� just didn�t seem appropriate. �But I want you both to know,� Cordelia said her voice becoming thick with emotion, �that if you two ever need anything, you can always come here. The door is always open.� Cordelia laughed at that. �Well, except for whenever we�re surrounded by Lilliad Demons or Vampire Cult. Then that sucker is barricaded.� �So,� Tara began, �are you going to tell Angel that you love him? You know, in the more than platonic, best friend kinda way?� Willow looked at her ex-girlfriend in surprise. What the hell was she talking about? Cordelia however, didn�t skip a beat. �I don�t know. I don�t think now is really the time. So much has happened lately, starting with Connor and Wesley. And what the hell would I do about Groo?� �Dump him,� Tara said simply. �I mean, he�s probably a real nice guy. A little on the slow side though. But as for timing, maybe it�s the best time to tell him. It might just give him the incentive he needs to keep going.� Cordelia considered the words for a minute. �Maybe,� she shrugged. �Life is a bitch.� Although she wasn�t real sure about the whole Cordelia/Angel love thing, Willow joined the conversation. �So where is Angel? Isn�t he going to come say goodbye?� �Angel�s still in his room. He was asleep when I checked. But he�s still brooding over everything. I think he�s getting better,� Cordelia said honestly. �I�ve gotten him to smile a couple times. I even got him to chuckle once. Hopefully he�ll be back to being his normal dorky self soon.� Willow looked at the Seer dubiously. �Dorky self? Are we both talking about Angel?� �Yeah, I always heard he was kind of quiet,� Tara added. �Pfft! That boy is the biggest dork you�ve ever met. He actually thinks Urkel is cool.� Tara and Willow both laughed at that. So the vampire had layers. In Sunnydale, Willow could probably count the times she saw Angel smile on one hand. Even then, it was always around Buffy, and it always contained a tinge of sadness to it. But from the way Cordelia made him sound, Angel had changed. He almost seemed human. A car horn sounded from outside the Hyperion. �That must be Buffy and Xander,� Tara said. The girls grabbed their things, Cordelia grabbing a couple of duffle bags to help out. Opening the door, they found Xander and Buffy waiting in his car. �Before you go, there�s one thing I have to ask, � Cordelia began. She helped put the bags in the trunk as the warm California sun shined down on them. �What the hell happened to Diaz?� Willow grinned wickedly, causing Cordelia to break out smiling herself. �What?� the Seer asked. �I altered his visas,� Willow said. �Then I entered the INS database and put out an alert that he�s in the country illegally. He�ll probably be held a few days, questioned to make sure he�s not doing anything dirty, then they would normally deport him after that.� �Normally?� �Well,� Willow said evilly, �he might be arraigned if there are any international warrants out for his arrest.� Cordelia didn�t even want to know. �Don�t tell me! Plausible deniability! Remember when I said if you ever need anything? Well, if you get arrested, forget it. You can make your own bail, got it Red?� Willow grinned in response. �So what about Wolfram and Hart?� Tara asked, changing the subject. �They won�t be bothering us for a while, considering most of the Los Angeles hierarchy are dead. But right now we have to concentrate on healing. We�ll worry about Wolfram and Hart later.� Cordelia then gave both girls hugs and bid them a safe trip. �Remember,� she told them, �the door is always open.� Tara and Willow smiled their thanks and said goodbye. Climbing into the backseat of the car they waved farewell to Cordelia. �So how did things go?� Buffy asked as they pulled away from the curb. �Cordelia didn�t irritate you too much, did she?� �No,� Willow said. �I never thought I�d say it, but she�s a hell of a person.� Xander looked at his best bud in the rearview mirror skeptically. �Right,� he drawled. �Now Willow, I am going to ask you to pass forward the wacky weed. You know that stuff isn�t good for you.� �So what did you guys do?� Buffy asked. �Research, surveillance, filing, nothing special,� Tara answered. Off Willow�s amused look she said softly, �Need to know information. They don�t.� The girls shared a knowing smile while the two in front just shrugged in confusion. �Any interesting gossip? Thoughts, comments, suggestions?� Xander inquired. �Not really,� Willow said. �Just that Cordelia and Angel need to say �I Love You� and get it over with,� Tara added. The car came to a screeching halt. Buffy and Xander jerked around to look at her. �WHAT?!� �Did I say that aloud?� End. Archive |