Timeline

Chapter 9

Wesley was still chanting , his voice was steady , but he was dripping sweat and was getting weak. Faith had come to give him support and to stop anything that could or would , use the portal . Faith was getting restless .
"Man this gig blows " she said , not expecting to get an answer from Wes"I know , you cant answer me , but hey , gotta say it. Do you think Willow will be much longer"
Wes just looked at her with an expression that said it all
"Ya , I get ya , you bloody hope not" she said in her best english upper class accent.Wes smiled , for all that had happened in the past, he admired the strength of the girl. She had hit rock bottom, been a killer , but had somehow clawed her way back from that.It was the same with Angel, thats why he respected the vampire.


Back at the grave, Liam had risen and was disoriented and completely gobsmacked.He squinted his eyes up trying to focus on the sight in front of him.
"What is this, how can I be staring at myself.What kind of foolery is this "
"It's not foolery , it's magick" Angel said
"Are ye some kind of witch, and how gullible do ye think I am"
" I forgot how stupid I could be in those days" Angel said to the girls "This is a witch and this is a slayer" He continued , gesturing to the girls in turn.
"The girls are tasty wee morsels ya bought for me"
All three of them turned round , as if they had forgotten he was a vampire,just as he went to game face. Angel got his fighting stance on , which momentarily took Liam by surprise. Willow cast a binding spell , which routed Liam in place.
" This is whats going to happen" Angel said "We are going to curse you with your soul. You wont feed on another human .You will fight against evil and eventually you will have the chance to become human again." Angel continued
"Well dont ye have it all planned out. What makes ye think I would do as you say?"
" I am you and my memories are yours. I will know and I will come back to your time and stake you myself. If we dont do this now it will happen to you in a few years time when we , I , you, feed of a gypsy girl , your choice.I have already staked your sire, Darla, so you no longer have her to show you the world , and to guide you. So you will no longer be ther scourge of europe. You will possibly be staked within a month."Angel was pacing back and forth , agitated and restless, wishing Willow would just get on with it
"How dare you think I would be so dumb"
Buffy couldn't help herself ,"Not exactly the poster child for mensa though are you"
"Hey guys , dya think we can just get on and get gone, we kinda have a timeline here" Willow reminded them.
"Curse me , him now " Angel said as he walked to a safe distance .
Buffy and Angel stood behind Willow as she started the chant .The wind picked up and Willow started to glow a bright white .Liam started to laugh , He wasn't taking it at all seriously, which in turn annoyed Angel.Buffy pulled his hand into hers , Angel appreciated the gesture of reassurance.
Willow started to shout as the wind whistled around her.

"Quod perditum est, invenietur.
Not dead nor not of the living. Spirits of the interregnum I call.
Let him know the pain of humanity, gods. Reach your wizened hands to me. Give me the sword. Gods, bind him. Cast his heart from the evil realm. I call on you gods. Te implor, Doamne, nu ignora aceasta rugaminte.
Nici mort, nici de-al fiintei, Te invoc, spirit al trecerii. Reda trupului ce separa omul de animal!
Nici mort, nici al fiintei.
Lasa orbita sa fie vasul care-i va transporta, sufletul la el.
Utrespur aceastui. Asa sa fie! Asa sa fie! Acum! "

Willow, Angel and Buffy all shouted the incantation.

"What is lost, return.
Let him know the pain of humanity, gods. Reach your wizened hands to me. Give me the sword. Gods, bind him. Cast his heart from the evil realm. I call on you gods.
I implore you, Lord, do not ignore this request.
Neither dead, nor of the living, I invoke you, spirit of the passing. Return to the body what distinguishes Man from the beast!
Neither dead, nor of the living.
Let this Orb be the vessel that will carry his soul to him.
Restore this one. So it shall be! So it shall be! Now!"

Liam sank to his knees, panting and in pain.The wind that had been rushing Willow , now headed towards Liam.It swirled round him and then lunged at his chest. A bright gold / white light shone in his eyes. Tears ran down his face as he sank deeper into the earth.
Willow sat on a headstone a little out of breath, but otherwise fine.Buffy went to Liam and helped him up.
"Are you ok"
"Buffy be careful , we cant be sure it worked" Angel said
"Take it from me , as a person there when we re - ensouled you, it worked"
Liam stood up aided by Buffy. He groaned and clutched at his chest.Buffy stood him next to Angel. Angel clearly unnerved by Liam , moved next to Buffy and put his arm around her waist.Willow finally stood up and walked over to Liam.
"So now what do we do with him Buffy.We could take him back and he could come out fighting so that nobody or no thing knows Angels human" Willow suggested
Angel gave a low grunt to show his disapproval.
"It is an idea, but if he loses his soul....... buffy drifted off ....... no , he should stay in this timeline and carry on, like the normal , original Angel did"
"Well thats a good idea , but we have changed history , I should be killing for a few decades before I get my soul , and we killed Darla, who knows what the future holds"
"I think its safe to say he keeps out of trouble and survives or else you wouldn't be stood here now " Buffy replied
"Good thinking " Willow chipped in
Liam stood up and faced them all."Why cant I stay with ye. I mean ye all go on about the soul thing, way I see it , ye will be protecting it as well as Angels secret"
Buffy was off in a world of her own , thinking about the changes they must have made to the world back home.She had a bad feeling about it . It burned into her stomach and made her feel sick.
"Hate to break up the party but I think we screwed up" Buffy said still looking dazed
"How"? The rest of the group said at the same time
"Well if Angel , Liam cant sire Druscilla , then she cant sire Spike , if she doesn't sire Spike then he cant save Sunnydale and all of us"
"Oh " is all Willow could manage when she realised that Buffy had it spot on
"We just make sure he does sire Dru" Angel said ." I know when and where she will be and when I sire her. I also know when and where Spike will be sired and can make sure he's sired, although I still think it would be better not to"
"Will you just drop the jealousy , it wears thin Angel, God I hate Vamp jealousy." Buffy said in a rather pissed voice.
"Why do you just assume its about you Buffy"
"Isnt it?" she said harshly
"No, theres a bigger picture, not everything that I did as Angelus was by my own hand.I used Spike and Dru to do some dispicable acts .I just think it would be better to not sire them regardless of what happens"
"Look I can see your point , a very valid point " Buffy took in a deep breath and sighed , " but bigger picture, I wouldn't be here if Spike hadn't been there wearing the amulet, so if we totally change history and Dru doesnt sire him , I'll die and the hellmouth will open. How many casualties do you think there would be then."
Willow knew to keep quiet, Liam stood there grinning .
"So do you two lovers do this alot cos I have to say its most entertaining, not as entertaining as that wench at the inn,I might like to get me some of the her" he inadvertantly vamped out at the thought.
Angel and Buffy looked at Liam , at least his outburst broke their disagreement.
Willow walked towards Buffy and ushered her towards a tree. " We could still get Liam to sire them, safely , without him feeding on others."
"How" Buffy asked
"Well Angel knows when and where, we just set Liam up to still do it."
"Can't see Angel liking it Will"
"More than He would like you and all the scoobies dying in the hellmouth2?
"Point taken"
The two girls walked over to Angel and Liam to put the idea over to them.Once they had explained it Angel rubbed his brow , deep in thought.
"Say I agree to it, what do we have to assure ourselves it will be safe , and how do we know he wont go on a feeding frenzy"
"We have you " replied Buffy,"I hope that his soul stops him as it stopped you, he is you after all."
"If we have a time period I could open another portal and Angel could do it himself, we wouldnt have to rely on Liam"
Liam was getting bored by the three Strangers, and was contemplating walking away from them.Buffy must have sensed it, and cleared her throat to let him know she was on to him.
Angel was apaulled at the idea , but had to admit, it was probably safer.

"I may be a simple man but will ye listen to ye goings on.I understand perfectly what it is that you are suggesting and personally, I think that I should come back with ye lot" he pointed and waved his finger at them all for emphasis ." If this portal thing works then my likeness and I can both come back and sire the two ye keep harking about"
"Hate to say this but, he has a solution worth thinking about.Angel said
"So we take fang boy and then just jump to the point where you sire Dru .Hey what if we curse her , and do the same , get her to sire Spike , curse him and well that would pretty much take care of all of you wont it?"
"This is starting to give me an ache in me head" Liam said "And an ache in my stomach"
Everyone heard the growl that came from the pit of his stomach
"We best find a butcher and let him feed or he could start getting outta control" Buffy said
"Lets just get home first , I doubt Wesley can hold out much longer" Willow added

The group headed back through town towards the ocean . Morning was only a few hours away and they had no idea what time it was back in L.A . Buffy and Angel hung back while Liam and Willow walked on ahead.
"I have a strange feeling this is going to be a mess Buffy. How can I exist within the same timeline as my former self"
"We will get all that info once we get home.Wes and Giles can research and Fred , is it , she can do the science. I am so tired I cant think straight now"
Angel put his arm around her and pulled her close , kissing the top of her head.
Liam glanced back at them and siddled up to Willow , a grin appearing on his lips " So ye think i can get a a bit of ye affections , I am so cold and a lass like you could warm me I am sure "
Willow held an arm out to keep him at a distance "I have a significant other who is also a slayer, she'll kick your ass if you touch me"
Liam backed off and came and walked with Angel "So in your time , women and women"? he asked with an even more wicked grin on his face
Buffy slapped Angel "Hey whats that for "he said displaying the same wicked grin that Liam had.
" Willow and Buffy laughed " Guess the two hundred years aren't long enough to change that side of him Buffy "
"Kinda reminds me of the time Xander got split into two , he had a dorky side and a sophisticated side though" Buffy said .With that they fell apart laughing , leaving Angel and his twin staring at them .

They came to the portal , it was still open but it was smaller than it had been initially .Willow said that due to its decrease in size only two could go through at once, in case it takes too much of Wesleys energy.She suggested that Angel and herself go through first , so that she could keep the portal open for Buffy and Liam. They all agreed . Angel gave Buffy a deep passionate kiss and took Willows hand . He looked back at Buffy as he stood at the mouth of the portal "Be careful" then he and Willow were gone.
"We're up next "Buffy said
"I don't know , how do ye know it is safe?"
"Your a vamp , you telling me that your scared of that? Tssskkkk "
Buffy grabbed his arm and pulled him apprehensively to the mouth of the portal
"And they called you the 'Scourge of Europe, now get moving Fangboy"
With that Buffy pushed Liam through the portal before jumping into it herself.