Timeline

Chapter 12

Angel headed to the basement. Apprehensive.
Why am I so nervous?Suck it up big guy.
"I wondered when ye would show ye face. A man could starve to death down here "
"Liam" With the pleasantaries over with ,Angel pulled the chair up and sat down and bought one leg up onto the other." Sit" he ordered.
Liam stood for a while before Angel said "Please " in a tense tone.
"You could do with working on ye manners , didn't ye dad ever teach you"
The man thinks he's a comedian Angel thought to himself." We need to go over a few things before we start your rehabilitation into this world."
"And if I dont wish to"
Angel reached into the back of his jeans and spun a stake in his hand. " Try it". Angel put the stake in his lap, in plain view of Liam.He continued " No feeding off humans. That rule cannot be broken."
"Can't miss what I haven't had"
"Tomorrow , we will cut your hair so that you will be more like me.You will be trained to fight , Buffy will take care of that , a few other slayers will be present , should you try anything"
"Now thats something I could get my teeth into, Figuratively speaking"
Angel took a deep breath, Why the bloody hell did I bring him back. He took another deep breath before he continued." After a while we will get you out on the street , supervised of course, to take up my role as a demon hunter"
"Are ye twisted , You were a demon and you hunted your own kind?"
"Yes" Angels patience was wearing thin." I don't expect you to understand it now , but you will.Over the course of the next few days we will show you how the world has changed, so that it is not a shock to you."
Buffy came down into the basement carrying a mug of blood and some books.
"How thoughtful , thankyou " Liam took the books and placed them under his pillow, something Angel would do when he himself was human .... pre vamp human that is.
"Hows the briefing going "Buffy asked as she sat on Angels lap , her arms around his neck.
"It's O.K. Could be better , how is it going upstairs?"
"Crowded and restless.The potentials are getting tetchy , I think I best take them out patrolling tonight,get rid of the pent up energy.I dread to think what the hotel will look like if I don't."
"Bring a few down here,I could think of a few ways to relieve some of their frustrations" Liam said with his wicked grin firmly in place.
" He never stops does he " Buffy said nuzzling into Angels neck " Kinda reminds me of you 'way' too much"
Angel kissed her nose and whispered " I don't think this is the time or place Buff " nodding at the cage.
"Point taken, will you be long"
" Should be up soon.Let me know before you head out" .He watched as she headed up the stairs
"A little thin for my liking but each to their own" Liam said as he watched Buffy's ass disappear up the stairs
Angel shot off the chair and grabbed Liam by the collar " Eyes off my girl"
Liam just fell to the floor laughing.
Angel said "Lessons over" and he bound up the stairs after Buffy.

Buffy rounded up a group of ten potentials, they all congregated in the dining room for the debriefing.
"We sweep from Wiltshire up,for those of you who do not know the area , take a map and compass .Shelley and Rose , your with Faith. The rest of you pair up .Kennedy and Ellen , your with me.Make sure your all armed and fully equipped. I want no casualties girls, we didn't survive hell for nothing!"
The girls giggled and headed off to get their weapons.
"Well said Buff, looks like you got them under control" Angel said as he slipped his arms around her.
" Some , others are pretty cocky now they have full slayer strength."
"Like someone I know then"
"Ha ha , you got me"
"I hope so." Angel pulled her tighter into his embrace."Please be careful.Stay clear of Wolfram and Hart"
"Hey Hellmouth borne and bred, how bad can a law firm be?"
"We may not have a hellmouth here but their just as bad if not worse.Made my life very difficult lately."
"Oh please , how hard can a suit and a briefcase be after an Ubervamp "
Angel had to laugh. "I'm serious here"
"I'll be back before you know it". She lent up and kissed him tenderly .Buffy grabbed up her sythe and called to the girls "O.K slayers lets hunt!"
Angel watched her leave and went into the foyer. He checked on Liam on the newly installed camera.Liam was reading on his bunk. Things were quiet so he made his way upstairs .
Cordy had been hiding out in her room for the most part of the day.She had said it was too noisy with the swarm of new slayers .Angel couldn't blame her, teenage girls tend to be full of energy.He knocked on her door quietly.
"C'min, unless your a fifteen your old slayer with the need to chew my ears off"
"Just me" Angel said as he entered
"Hey Champ.How's it going down there?"
Angel slumped into her easy chair and ran his hands through his hair."Best you don't ask Cor"
"That bad huh "
"Worse. I think I totally screwed things up bringing Liam back"
Cordelia sat on the end of her bed. She looked troubled. Tiredness evident on her face.
"You could just send him back.Give him a list of times and places .Voila.... taken care of"
"I wish it was that simple."
"Can't it be" She looked at Angel with her eyebrows raised.
Angel sat forward , his elbows on his knees "I doubt it now"
"Explain" Cordy got up and went into her kitchen, returning with a soda for the both of them.
Angel opened it up , took a swig "Urghhhh" . He looked at the can and placed it on the table.
"Not a lover of soda then" She half laughed
"Initailly I just thought that by ensouling Liam I would protect the lives I would have taken as Angelus.Then we thought he would have little chance as he had no guide.Normally a vamp stays with it's sire til it is strong enough and smart enough to survive.In some cases they never leave their sire."
"Like you with Darla"
"Yes.She only left me when I got my soul. Now my memories are changing.I have no idea what I have done and what I haven't now.It's all blurring into one"
"What do the Watchers make of it"
"They are as puzzled as I am.Giles and Wes are working on it though."
"A vision"
"What do you see Cordy?"
"Oh boy"
Cordelia's eyes went cloudy and she levitated off the bed.
"Phew that one even had smell'o'vision. You best sit down and listen carefully".
Angel sat back in the easy chair."It's Buffy isn't it"
"Angel ...... Buffy goes after Wolfram and Hart..... WAIT!"
Too late , Angel was out the door.

Angel gathered his crew and any potentials he could wake up.Wesley , Gunn and Giles met him in the foyer.
Cordelia ran down the stairs."Angel wait , you need to know what else happens"
Angel had his broad sword and shrugged his duster on. "What happened Cordy" he snapped
"She lied to you , she's taking the girls straight to their offices.The slayers take out half the staff thats there.Lilah triggers the top level security and ..... All I see after that is Buffy in a white room , theres a coffin there and an amulet".
"An amulet"?
"Large white stone, pretty"
"Spike"
"He's dead , whats that got to do with him."
"The amulet, it's the one I gave Buffy.Spike wore it and closed the hellmouth, but not before being burnt alive"
"Angel you can't go.If the law firm find out your human , we cant risk it"
"Cordy's right Angel" Wesley said.
"I cant just sit here , if they know who she is they will use her against me, I can't let that happen, I WONT!"
Angel rushed to the doors and flung them open , stopping , he slumped to the floor , tears running down his face.
"I can't lose her now , not after everything we've been through"

Wolfarm and Hart

"So this is the Slayer, Hmmmm , thought she'd be taller.Feisty though I'll give her that" Lilah said as she wiped the blood from her lip.
"And this is the big evil law firm...... kinda thought it would be scarier "
Lilah laughed " You have no idea"
Buffy had the potentials to her rear, all in their fighting stance.Buffy confidently swinging her sythe.
"D'ya know how many times someone or thing has said "OOOOO I'm the big bad to me."
Lilah laughed again "Quite the comedian too, in normal circumstances I might actually like you"
"Flattered , but I don't think we'd get on , I don't choose to have skanky hoes as friends"
The smile went from Lilah's face " So , lets get down to it then, why are you here.Angel not man enough to take us on himself, or is that he realises he has no hope in winning. Why would he send you in like sheep among the wolves?"
"We can take care of ourselves."
"Oh yeah , like you took care of the hellmouth. From what I heard , well , more like know , it took a vampire with a soul to do that. Of course it wasn't the one we hoped it would be.Who knew there was two of them"
That statement took Buffy back a bit.
"You , you sent the crystal amulet to Angel"
"We have a winner!"
"Why"
"Isn't it obvious, we wanted to remove Angel from our list of ... problems"
"Hate to keep repeating but , Why"
"A little thing called a prophecy, couldn't let it happen"
So they knew about the prophecy too , How? Buffy thought to herself.
"What could the prophecy possibly mean to you."
"Now if I told you that, I'd have to kill you"
"Like you could try "Buffy said in an uptempo voice
Lilah nodded towards the door of her office.Her bodyguards opened the doors , three huge demons and what looked the entire L.A swat team piled in.
Lilah whistled " I'd give it a damn good try. Have to say , it really doesn't look good for you"
The potentials spun on their heels and raised their weapons. Some looked edgy."We took out the ubers , we can do this"Kennedy yelled before charging at the huge demon stood to her left.
The rest of the girls charged at the other threats.Taking out the demons was relatively easy .
"Big dumb smucks" Kennedy said as her demon hit the floor.
Lilah made a hasty retreat to the hidden door behind her desk. Buffy caught her arm as she ducked her head through.
"Leaving already, and I thought you'd stay and enjoy the show.I think you'll like the finale".Buffy swung Lilah and she landed in her chair. "Now stay , good dog"
Buffy threw the scythe through the air and Kennedy caught it and immediately started swinging it , taking three swat guys out at a time.
"Still fancy your chances Lilah?"
"Do you think that you'll be able to leave and this is all we got?"

Downstairs, Gunn and the A.I Team stealthily entered .
"O.K. , guess your girl and her team have done a pretty good job so far" Gunn said as he took in the devastation in the foyer.
Wesley walked to the elevators and checked "One's out of use, the others up on twenty - one"
"Lilah's office" Angel said with a low growl in his voice."Lets go"
Angel flew up the stairs, Gunn , Wes and the potentials fast behind him.
"So , whats the unno , drill when we get their Angel " one of the potentials spoke up
"Retrieve Buffy and whoevers left , kill whats not ours"
"Aren't they just lawyers and urm human" another said
Angel almost laughed "No-one that works for this law firm are human. Keep up"
By the time they had hit the tenth floor Angels energy was flagging. "This mortal stuffs taking alot of getting used to" he said
"Now you know how we felt" Gunn said, slapping Angel on the shoulder for emphasis
Angel started up the stairs again.


Buffy slapped Lilah round the face and asked her again" What has the prophecy got to do with you"
The potentials had taken out all of the swat team and demons , they had some walking wounded, but nothing serious.
"You know I could stand here and hit you all day, question is could you take it all day" Buffy raised her hand
"Stop , stop" Lilah shouted " Angel , the prophecy , he has a son" Lilah swallowed another mouthful of blood , almost choking on it. " His son "
" O.K. Now , the amulet" She raised her hand
Lilah raised her hands in a surrender, then slowly reach for a drawer in her desk, still one hand raised. She reached in and retrieved an envelope. She threw it onto the desk.
"Well done, didn't hurt me a bit "Buffy quipped.
Buffy reached for the envelope and tore it open.She tipped it up and the amulet slid out into her palm.