Hell Is In the Details
For Ever and a Day
"Courier New"'>Hell Is In the Details – Chapter 21 – For Ever and a Dap>
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prepared to pass judgment based on the wishes of Spike, of the Order of
Slayers. You have become a liability to the cause you were charged with
fighting for.
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"Courier New"'>By binding your soul to your demon, you have grown complacent
and fat on the excesses available to you through Wolfram & Hart. You have
developed an exaggerated sense of self worth and propriety.
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"Courier New"'>You have lost sight of your mission and failed to maintain
contact with the lowest elements of society. You no longer care.
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"Courier New"'>We will remove your soul and its binding magicks,
and return it via the original Calderash malediction.
Until such time as the soul regains the lessons it’s lost and learns what
humanity has to offer, it will remain unbound.
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"Courier New"'>From this moment on, you are cast out from your position at
Wolfram & Hart. The Senior Partners have been informed of our judgment
against you and access to their resources have been
terminated.
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"Courier New"'>Your colleagues have already turned from your side. You will
continue to aid the helpless alone, as you once were. We suggest you keep to
the path set out before you. The consequences for straying
are… severe.
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"Courier New"'>You, Angel of Aurelius, will transport with us to our realm
until such time as your soul is newly ensconced in your body.
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"Courier New"'>Our business in this realm is concluded.
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With a loud earthshaking rumble, the
Tribunal sank back into the earth from which it has arisen, the ground returning
to its previous state, while Angel simply… vanished.
"Courier New"'> was the first to break the silence. “Oh
Goddess! Did you see that? I mean, look around – not a pebble out of
place. And Angel went poof! Well, not *poof* poof, but they’re really going to
remove his soul and curse him again. And, hey!
Sorta
feeling proprietary here. I mean, I’ve already re-souled
him twice, and…”
“That’s my Will.” Xander
laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “When surprised – babble.
turning to Spike, “some do. I gotta say that you and
Buffy make a mockery of the term ‘the second coming’.”
“If we t wat want to try for another bout
of ‘Who’s the
"Courier New"'>’,” said Lorne, pointing towards the lightening sky, “I think we
need to head back to my place.”
Looking around like a mother hen searching
for her chicks, the green-skinned demon realized someone was missing. “Has
anyone seen Wesley since this little confab began? I was sure he’d be here.”
Giles looked distinctly uncomfortable. He
didn’t know Gunn or Lorne well, and the prospect of telling them about their
friend unsettled him.
“Lorne, is it?” he
asked, tapping the Anagogic demon on the shoulder. “I’ve been in touch with
Wesley by phone. Quite frankly, he was too embarrassed by missing the signs of
Angel’s deterioration, as it were, to face you all. Especially you, Spike.”
mso-bidi-font-family:"Courier New"'>Removing his glasses in a time-worn
gesture, Giles pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stave off a
headache.
“In point of fact, Wesley is the reason
we’re here, at all. It was he who found out the lengths the Tribunal would go
to in meting out their brand of justice. That they would put
you on trial first. And while the world knows I am not your staunchest
supporter, I felt I ‘owed you one,’ to borrow a phrase from the children, for
my inappropriate actions last year.”
“
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"Courier New"'>!” Spike’s eyes glittered in the moonlight;
hard to tell with amusement or annoyance. “I’d say tryin’
to have me murdered in cold blood was more than inappropriate.
mate. An’ thanks for coercin’ the kiddies into
helping.”
Giles looked momentarily puzzled at Spike’s
salutation, before remembering the reference. “Yes, good.
Make fun of the silly Watcher who cracked one joke this year. And for your
edification, nobody had to be coerced into speaking up for you. Seems as though
coming back from the dead after saving the world carries bonus points with it
Gunn, Harmony and Lorne took the lead,
talking amongst themselves as they walked back towards
Lorne’s place. Buffy kept to the rear of the group, allowing Spike the rarest
of things – interaction with the Scoobies as an equal
participant.
She watched Spike come to life as Dawn
smacked the vampire on the shoulder, then hugged him – making all those little
sister faces Buffy had come to recognize over the years; Spike smiled
indulgently as Willow nattered on, hands waving about in emphasis of some point
or another, but the sight that would stay with her forever was
discussion about whether some mutant monster movie had based its demons on
actual species.
Except for missing her mom, Buffy’s family
was complete. Weird, and not entirely human – but complete.