Making Things Right

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. Joss gets that distinction although I would love to borrow them for awhile. I'm afraid to say that I'm going to be quite mean to them. Especially Spike because that'sjust my way. I'm also not making any money from this story.

Warning: Lots of torture, rape, and mean stuff. Maybe not in this chapter, but in later chapters.

Longer Summary: The battle is over and now things have to be made right. Unfortunately the AI group has been played badly by the Powers That Be and the Apocalypse being stopped was just a way to prove that the group is more trouble than it'sworth because Angel and his colleagues are interfering with the balance of good and evil. Now there is another big bad that wants retribution and plans to exact its revenge by harming the group. Luckily Angel has someone on his side(for this chapter at least) that can ease the pain. Please please review. No flames though. There's really no point in being mean. :-)

The battle was fierce and Angel had gotten to slay the dragon. Fortunately that was all that needed to be done to finish things because at that point he was on his own. Wes and Lindsay were dead. Lorne was MIA. Gunn had fought until the blood loss from his wound killed him. Connor had even disappeared after awhile. Angel figured that his son had died and been buried under the mass of dead demons that seemed to pile up. He had watched the dragon come at the three that were left. Illyria and Spike hadn't seemed worried at all. Illyria just stared at the beast and Spike had somehow gotten close enough to it to get a light off of its breath without being incinerated. Angel, on the other hand, was trying to figure out how to kill it without getting killed.

Most of the fight was spent dodging the dragon's tail and flaming breath. Illyria decided that nothing could hurt her and was about to dodge the dragon's breath when she found that she could no longer move. Angel watched in mild indifference as she was incinerated. Spike found it more interesting that she didn't burn, but just stood there. It was as if she was frozen.

The dragon managed to hurt both vampires badly and then went for a final death blow at Angel, it's tail erupting in spikes and heading toward the dark haired man's heart. Spike shoved Angel out of the way and took a Spike in the head. Angel stared in disbelief as Spike slid to the ground. At least he's not dust...why isn't he dust? As the dragon started toward Spike again, Angel saw something glistening on the beast's chest. Ah. The weak spot. He dove toward the dragon and slid on the spilled blood under the dragon, thrusting his sword up into the heart of the giant lizard.

He continued to slide and stopped next to Spike as he watched the thing crack apart and explode in an amazing display of light. He shielded his eyes and waited for it all be over. He didn't know whether he was knocked out or if the change was instantaneous, but he knew that he was no longer on the ground in the alley. He sat up and looked around. He was alone in a white room. He looked down and smiled at the white pajamas he was wearing. Okay...I'm either dead or I'm here to become human. He pushed himself off of the bed and stretched, feeling quite good. His numerous cuts and bruises were still there, but they had been treated well.

He walked around the room a few times and frowned when he realized that there was no door. After a few moments of confusion he sat back on the bed. A loud voice interrupted his thoughts. "Angel, of the clan Aurelius, you have been ordered to appear."

"Uh..." He looked around. "Appear?" He stood up and his eyes darted around warily. A door appeared and opened to reveal a large comfortable living room with plush chairs and a leather couch. He stepped in and turned to see the door close and disappear. He sighed. "I hate parlor tricks." He walked around the large room, trying to take in everything. He had been mistaken when he likened it to a living room. It was more like a library in a great mansion. Large mahogany tables held books and journals. He wanted to look at them, but figured he''d wait and make sure that he was allowed since he didn't necessarily trust loud voices that came out of thin air.

As if reading his thoughts, it appeared again. "Sit!"

Angel jumped and grimaced. He sat in one of the large chairs. "Now what?"

Three men faded into existence in front of him. They talked at the same time, but he only heard one deep voice. The men were all older and had silvery white hair. If Angel had to pick a picture to describe ''wisdom'' this would have been it.

"You have been a bother. You were trusted to bring balance to the world. Good and evil must always stay in sync. You have fought evil time and again and won. We reached an agreement so you would head up Wolfram & Hart and that restored everything. Evil was placated." They paused and looked at him. "You have a question. Speak."

Angel had dealt with the unknown long enough to not question how they knew that he was curious about something. "You said ''good'' and ''evil''. You mean God and the Devil or is there something else?"

The men nodded in understanding. They expected the question and it was a good one. God exists. Satan exists. However, you will never deal with them. Think of a business. To influence the entire company you may only have to effect change from the Vice Presidents down. You will never see the President because he simply cannot be bothered. He trusts his subordinates to deal with little trifles...like you."

"I see. So the apocalypse and all of that?..."

"Evil wanted it. Good didn't."

"So you're telling me that by stopping the apocalypse I screwed up?"

"No. You did just what you were supposed to. Evil cannot have ultimate rule."

"I'm confused. Stopping the destruction of mankind tipped things toward good."

The man in the middle cracked a smile. "Mankind has good and evil. It is the perfect balance."

"Okay, so the problem is?..."

"Your associates. They also stopped the evil."

"And they died for it."

"Yes, yet again tipping the scales to evil''s side. We can't allow such noble creatures to perish."

Angel smiled. "So...they''re not dead...or they''re not staying dead? That's great!"

"Yes, we thought you would be pleased."

"And the prophecy?"

"No, that cannot be allowed. With your champion status and the soul, giving you the gift of humanity would be too much. It is your choice though. Be human or bring your friends back."

Angel sighed, knowing that he''d be brooding about his friends for a long time. He knew that being a vampire would be easier to handle with the ones he loved around him. "I want my friends."

"And so it shall be. Once judgment is passed on them to restore balance they will join you."

"Whoa...balance?...judgment?...I thought that was finished."

"No, but your decision was made."

"But-"

They all held up their hands to silence him. "One by one. Get comfortable."

Angel took a deep unneeded breath and waited. Gunn appeared on the floor between them, blood flowing from his chest. The wound healed and the man was instantly clothed like Angel. Angel smiled and reached out, but Gunn just stood and smiled at him before fading away.

"Gunn! Wait!"

"No, he is needed."

"Where?"

Another person appeared. She was nearly glowing and she was the most beautiful creature he''d ever seen. "Cordy?"

"Hello Angel." She smiled and took his hands, pulling him up to kiss him gently. "Gunn is tired. I'm lonely. I took into account what you need and what I need and this was my best choice. I'm just so sorry that I couldn't fix everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Connor is also with me. He won't be helping me, but his existence throws things too far out of line. It is his time to be with the other good people who have gone before him."

"No...Cordy, they said that my friends would come back. That means my son and..."

"Stop this. Some is better than none. Except this and love the ones you're given." She looked away then as her face fell with guilt. "Remember that there are things that won't seem fair, but it was the decision that was made and the punishments..." She turned to him again and it scared him to see that she was crying. "It wasn't in my power. Those that answer to evil had demands as well. You're here because of me. You could just as well have been tried with them. Location means nothing."

"So Connor is gone."

"Yes, but he knows all that is in you as far as goodbyes. He's okay. I promise."

"Am I going to be punished?"

"No, not in the way you think. But order will be restored and revenge will be taken."

"Stay with me?"

"I can do that for now. Eve is gone. No existence. No burning in hell. Just gone. Erased from our sights."

He nods. "I can understand that."

"Lindsay is alive and well. You won't see him because he won't know you. He's where he should have been before he was corrupted."

"Where was he supposed to be?"

"Married. Happy with three beautiful little girls and a son on the way. Still a lawyer, but he's now fighting to help...the helpless." She smiles. "He prosecutes people that prey upon the good and decent humans.
He is a good man."

"I ordered his death. Lorne needs help to deal with this."

"Yes, but it was a wise choice. It hurt Lorne. So he will be returned to you. He will know where Lindsay is and that his murder of him was what caused his fate to turn out well. His guilt is alleviated."

"Good. Um...Cordy, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Are you supposed to be telling me this, because these guys were kind of in charge." He gestures to the men.

She smiles. "Think of me as a VP."

"Oh...oh! I get it. Okay...so I'm going to be alright? And what about Wes and Illyria?"

Her face falls in grief. "It was as I thought. The sentence is passed."

"What sentence? Wait! I didn't pass sentence."

The three men disappeared and Cordelia leaned up against one of the tables as if she were in pain. "Don't despair. It had to be someone."

He shakes his head. "I don't understand."

"The punishment needed to fall and nobody could decide who to punish. Gunn wasn't going to be returned. Connor, Eve, and Lindsay had their fates decided. That left five. You''ve chosen the four to save."

He shakes his head and thinks hard. "How did I do that?"

"You worried about them...."

Angel closed his eyes and thought back on the conversation. "Lorne is okay....I asked about Wes and Illyria....that's only three."

"You asked if you would be alright."

"Okay, so that leaves...Spike?"

She nodded. "Yes."

He sits and drops his head in his hands. "But...Lorne and Wes don't deserve the punishment. Illyria, Spike, and I could take it, but I'l take it."

"It doesn't work that way." She put her fingers to his lips. "Be quiet and hear me. Lorne will be the same and he will forgive you. Illyria is gone. Fred will be returned and will be aware of everything that happened in her absence. Wes will be returned and will stay true to you. They will all stay with you."

"And Spike? He's not coming back?"

She sighs. "He'll come back, but only after those that work for the evil things in this universe make him suffer for their loss."

"No! Cordy, please!"

She leaned down and kissed him softly. "Don't feel guilty. You weren't the only one that decided his fate. Goodbye Angel...."

She began to fade away and he called to her, but found that he couldn't speak and that it wasn't just her, but the entire room that disappeared. He was in darkness and stayed very still until the light began to seep into the area. Another location. Great... He was about to roll his eyes when he realized where he was. Hell....

TBC....