"My, my, John, I don't think she likes you. You have excellent taste, my dear. Are you sure that you don't want to stay here and rule by my side?" Ruby-red lips curled into a sultry smile as crystalline blue eyes tried to influence the small, yet powerful blonde.
"You're not my type, Big D. We need to negotiate before I go anywhere. The way I understand it, me being here is causing problems not only Earth, but here too. Am I wrong?" She stared into eyes suddenly alive with fire and brimstone. Her lips curved up into a sweet, innocent smile. "Carrot Toes stays a war free zone. If anyone can escape this far, then you leave them alone, and anyone already here is off-limits."
"This is my kingdom, little girl, not yours. I decide what takes place here, not you. Leave while you still can." Large, black, fire-tinged wings burst from his back; his eyes blazed hotter.
Constantine grabbed her hand to try to draw her away. Buffy shoved him aside, yelling, "No." All three stared at her in shock as she advanced on Lucifer. "Fine. I'll just stay right here and see how much real estate I can clear. It'll be like Demon Monopoly. Who knows? We could end up neighbors."
"You're willing to cause the End of Days for souls that are already damned?" Constantine waited for her answer, not realizing that he held his breath.
"The end will come, one way or another, the damage has already been done here. No one deserves Hell for things that were beyond their control. Veruca's a werewolf. She didn't ask to become one and the changes it caused weren't her fault. I'm not saying that I'm the person to judge other people's fates, but they're my responsibility now. I won't just abandon them. Do we have a deal, or do I start picking out wallpaper?" A pale golden eyebrow rose in stubborn challenge while she waited for his answer.
An angry growl rose from deep within Lucifer's chest. "I can't permit them to just live here as if they aren't in Hell."
"Why not? They're still in Hell, aren't they? They can't go home, can't see the ones they love, and know that they can't ever leave Sanctuary. Doesn't exactly sound like Paradise to me, does it to you?" Buffy said sadly.
"Fine, if I do this then what are you willing to give me in exchange?" Lucifer's smile resembled a snake. His role in tempting Eve to bite the apple came to his audience's minds.
'No, Buffy, don't." Veruca and Constantine spoke simultaneously.
"What do you want?" She tilted her head, eyeing him warily.
"You can't join Heaven's Legions until the actual End of Days," he said, giving her a brilliant smile. If he could keep this one from entering Michael's army, all the better for his own army.
"Done." She didn't look at the others as she walked away, calling over her shoulder. "I thought you were in a hurry. Well, come on." Buffy didn't want any teary goodbyes with Veruca and she couldn't hide the hurt she felt at the others' deception.
Constantine stared at Lucifer for a moment before quickly following Buffy. When he caught up with her, he clasped her hand, pulling her toward the exit point. They were almost out of time. Soldier demons crept closer as the portal began to close.
"Hold on." Hugging Constantine closely with one arm, Buffy leapt toward the portal. Behind her wings unlike anything, John had ever seen unfurled to carry them up and away from his worst nightmare. He couldn't drag his eyes away from those wings even after she sat him down back at Poppa Midnight's.
The others seemed to have the same problem. Buffy's wings weren't white, black, grey or any adaptation in between, but an opalescent white with golden veins and tips, which matched her clothing.
Buffy whirled around, sitting John behind her to face off against Balam and Balthazar. Her blades appeared, causing everyone except Constantine to shout. "No!"
A handsome black man stepped forward, placing himself between Buffy, a king of Hell and his minion. "I'm Poppa Midnight, and fighting isn't allowed in my establishment. I maintain the balance here." His heavy accent and strong personality, not to mention powerful magics, were ordinarily enough to keep anyone in line.
"You know what they are and don't care?" Her intelligent green eyes studied the powerful voodoo priest's face. He nodded his head. "Then you're worse than they are. You don't keep the balance by not stopping evil. There's two evil for any good in this world. How are you keeping the balance by doing nothing?" Buffy faced off, challenging Poppa's beliefs.
Michael moved forward to diffuse the situation. "Buffy, I'm sorry that you ended up in Hell. No one understands how this occurred, but I'm here to take you to Heaven where you belong. I'm Michael." His beautiful face glowed, filling Buffy with a sense of peace she'd never known before.
"I can't do that. Big D agreed to leave Sanctuary alone if I stayed here until the End of Days."
Michael stepped back shocked, ultimately finding his voice. "You can't do that. Your place is in Heaven, fighting in God's army. Buffy, you do understand that you're no longer a Slayer. When you died, you became a Power, a Warrior Angel. Higher order angels can't inhabit this plane. You have to come with me." His voice boomed in the office, brooking no disobedience.
"No. I'm good at breaking the rules. Bet angels aren't supposed to go the Hell either, but I already took that ride. So, I'm going to hang around and keep the peace until it's not time to keep the peace. Especially," she gave Midnight a glare filled with emerald fire, "since there are so many happy to sit on their butts and sip chocolate."
Poppa Midnight bristled at the censure from a girl who appeared little more than a child, but wisely kept his mouth shut. Balthazar assumed he was safe and decided to join in the fun. "If she's permitted to remain, then a high level lord of Hell gets to pass over too."
As the last word left his lips, Buffy's blade separated his head from his shoulders. She walked up to Balam. "Tell Big D that I kept my end of the deal, but it didn't open the door for anyone else. If he doesn't like it, I can go to Heaven, or just go back and expand my real estate holdings."
The king of Hell took a step back, realizing that this creature didn't know how to play the game. His Master whispered in his ear to agree to the terms. "The normal status and rules will not change." Balam bowed his head, acknowledging a worthy opponent before melting into the floor. He was delighted to return to Hell, where at least he knew what to expect.
Everyone turned to stare at Buffy as if she were the newest exhibit at the zoo. "What? Sanctuary's people are my responsibility, even if they didn't tell me everything. I just bought them time until the real End of Days. That's all. Luci thought he pulled a fast one, keeping me out of Heaven, but I have a feeling that this place needs me."
"Child, you're willing to give up Heaven for souls that are already damned? You'll never grow old as you wait for the End of Days, as you protect this plane, never allowed the peace found in Heaven," Gabriel said in bewilderment. Her golden hair fell forward to cover part of her face, giving her the appearance of a mischievous cherub.
"It's what I do." A slender shoulder shrugged, explaining everything with the one small gesture. Buffy, considering the topic closed, turned to Ether and Chas. The younger man had a familiar scent and feel to him, even though she knew they'd never met. The priest was a different matter entirely. The deep fear and wisdom in his eyes told her a lot. His eyes reminded her of the way hers looked after a prophetic dream. "You can't escape from them, believe me I've tried. They can be used for you rather than against you if you allow them."
Constantine pushed his way between the two who seemed to communicate without words. "Leave him alone; he didn't do anything to you."
"Back off, Connie, I'm not going to hurt him. In case you didn't catch the big words we were throwing around, I don't hurt innocents. I'd be happy to leave if someone would tell me where I landed." She looked at Constantine expectantly.
Chas laughed, liking her instantly. She wasn't only beautiful, but funny and didn't take anything from anyone. "I'm Chas Cooper; it's a pleasure to meet you. Ether and Beeman told me about you. I did some digging on my own, knew your name sounded familiar. You're a legend. You're in practically every book I've ever read about supernatural warriors," he gushed with a big smile.
Buffy smiled at the young man, shaking his hand. "You make me sound old and I'm only a few years older than you are. Do I look old?" She pouted prettily for him, causing him to stammer and blush.
"Come on, Chas, Ether, we're done here." Constantine nodded to the others; somehow, he couldn't bring himself to meet Buffy's eyes.
"Hey, paleface," Buffy called out to him, "could you give me a lift? Anywhere is better than here."
He held the door open for her. Before he could escape, Michael whispered, "We hold you responsible for this mess, Constantine."
A golden blur with a warm wind following its path flew past Constantine. Michael found himself tackled to the floor with a brassed-off Buffy staring down at him. "Get this straight, Mike, cuz I'm only going to say this once. He came to get me out and that's what he did. Connie over there didn't have anything to do with my deal. No one could've stopped me, even though he tried. I'm the one responsible for me." Buffy felt slender, yet strong fingers pull her off the leader of the Archangels.
Michael stood with a boneless grace that exhibited power and an otherworldly aspect. "He made a deal to attain forgiveness for the life he took," he explained, staring at Buffy. Michael didn't want Buffy to associate Constantine and hoped to turn her away from him.
Buffy studied Constantine, seeing pain flicker deep in his eyes. "Who'd he kill?"
"I committed suicide when I was fifteen to stop the visions I was gifted with from childhood," Constantine said bitterly.
"What!" She rounded on Michael and Gabriel as her wings popped free from her shoulders. "You mean to tell me that a child, who couldn't handle what his mind showed him, would be condemned to Hell, no matter the circumstances?" Buffy's back stiffened with fury at the very idea.
"That's the law." Several voices answered at once.
"No, it isn't."
"Child, I believe that we know a little more about the laws pertaining to Heaven and Hell than you do." Michael tried be conciliatory but was fast losing his patience.
"Connie, were the visions about the future or demons?" Buffy asked, ignoring the others especially Michael.
"I saw, well still do, the half-breeds that walk this plane, demons and angels alike."
Buffy started pacing the room while everybody stared, waiting for her to talk. She ignored them while she tried to muddle through it all. Taking a deep breath, Buffy started to speak. "There are more than just demons, angels and what you call half-breeds in this world. There's another group called warriors, some fight for good and others evil. Warriors of Light protect the innocent. In order to do that, they receive 'gifts' like strength, healing, visions, well, you get the picture. Throughout their lives, they'll have to pass tests to ensure they stay on their path. The reason I didn't know that I was in the real 'Hell' was because I've been to a hell dimension before. I realized later that it was a test, showing me that I needed to return to my duties."
Poppa Midnight spoke up with a soft smile. "Then, you do understand about the balance."
"What you're doing here has nothing to do with balance," Buffy bit out, green eyes sparkling with suppressed anger aimed at the voodoo priest. "You hide behind your balance because you're scared that you'll become what you once were. If you're too afraid to do anything, then you're worthless in this war. There's no balance between good and evil. Do they weigh the same, have the same effect or even smell alike? What you believe you're accomplishing here isn't what you assume it is. Evil doesn't play nice; it doesn't wipe its feet before it enters your house and guts your family. I'm glad that I made my deal with the devil. In case you aren't aware of it, this city sits on top of a Hellmouth, a big one. While I have to sit around and wait for the End of Days, at least I can thin out the population."
"A Hellmouth? Are you certain?" Constantine asked worried about the implications.
"Of course I'm sure. I lived on one for five years. Wonder how this one affects the one Sunnydale?" She walked back toward the door, stopping before opening it. "How can Warrior Angels die and what can we do?"
"You can't die from anything on Earth and on only an equal demon spawn can injure you. From what I've heard, you're already well versed in your abilities. You can fly, which you've already demonstrated. All angels have the ability to become invisible by clearing their minds and…" Before he could complete the sentence, Buffy disappeared. "She's a fast learner." Buffy reappeared with a glorious smile that lit the room with a golden glow. "Where will you go, child?" Michael asked kindly, not wanting to leave things on a bad note.
"I have some friends in LA that I'll look up before I go to see my family," she responded before slipping from the room, leaving the others to think over the information she'd shared.
Constantine followed behind, grumbling. A grin spread across his lips, looking unusual on his normally stoic face, when he heard screams from inside the club. He moved forward to find that there wasn't a single demon left alive. He saw Buffy walk through the doors and went to follow when Midnight ran stopped him. "Looks like you've got some deciding to do." Constantine started to light up a cigarette then thought better of it. He remembered Lucifer's fingers pulling the cancer and nicotine from his lungs with a shudder.
Poppa Midnight's dark, unreadable eyes surveyed the shambles Buffy left in his club. "She'll cause the balance to tip. The End of Days will come sooner, and this world isn't ready for that. Constantine, you have to make her see reason."
John turned to study the most feared magic practitioner in the city, perhaps the world, and saw fear. "Midnight, you don't get it do you? She wouldn't leave Hell until Luce gave her what she wanted, not the other way around. Buffy didn't bat an eye at not being able to go to Heaven, or staying until the final battle. I'm not sure she either knew or cared how long that could be. It didn't matter to her. She gave those people her protection and wasn't going to leave them without any, period." Constantine walked away, leaving Midnight stunned.
~~~~~
Buffy stood outside, talking with Chas and Ether. She saw Constantine approach, but ignored him to and continued listening to Chas tell her about his family. It surprised Constantine to learn that Chas even had a family, primarily because he had never bothered to inquire.
"Come on, slow poke. I need to get to my friend's. Hopefully, he can get me some clothes, because I can't wear this home to see my family." Her hands unconsciously smoothed the golden material over slender hips, causing Chas and Constantine to swallow hard. The same thought went through their minds - she looked more than fine to them and the view was spectacular.
Chas climbed behind the wheel, Ether claimed the front seat while Buffy and Constantine got into the back. "Where to, fair lady?" He sent her a charming smile through the rearview mirror.
Memories of Angel flooded Buffy's mind. "The Hyperion, do you know it?"
Constantine, Ether and Chas looked at her with strange expressions on their faces. They knew the old hotel and its owner, although none realized their companions did or why. The cab's passengers concentrated their thoughts on the same man, one souled vampire named Angel.
"Uh, yeah, we aren't that far away from it." How does she know Angel? Does she know everybody? I wonder if she knows Mom.
How does she know him? Why would she know him?
May God have mercy on his soul and keep him on his path.
I wonder how Angel is. When we talked at Mom's funeral, he was still beating himself up about Darla and letting his friends down. They better have gotten over his tude, about making him pay for that, or I'll have to see what else is in my new bag of tricks.
Constantine couldn't let Buffy walk back into Angel's life without telling her what had taken place while she was in Hell. "Chas, take a left here." The young man turned to look at Constantine a question in his clear blue eyes. "Need to make a stop or two first." He glanced at Buffy with a quirk of his lips that passed as a smile. "You don't mind, do you? Promise it won't take long, no fighting and you won't be bored."
Buffy tried to read his face, but he simply kept his emotions too closed off for her to tell if he was taking her for a ride. Too bad she didn't get an angelic lie detector with her other super-duper powers. A giggle escaped her lips as an image of her standing in a Lycra suit with blazing WA across her chest and a utility belt with cool gadgets attached to it wrapped around her hips. Constantine eyed her as if she had lost her mind and she wondered if he wasn't right.
"Sorry, my bad, had a funny thought. Where are we going exactly?"
Constantine didn't know what to say and wanted to pick up Beeman then take Buffy to his apartment before starting with the explanations. "I know that you don't know me, and everything is pretty much screwed up for you right now, but would you trust me for a little while longer? We need to pick up a friend and head to my apartment. You deserve to know some things before you go to see your friend."
Buffy heard the way he said the last part, telling her that he knew Angel. She felt her heart beat faster in her chest and an urge to demand that Chas take her to the Hyperion right now. Taking a deep breath, Ether turned in his seat to capture Buffy's eyes and she sighed. "Okay, I'll go with you and listen to what you want to tell me. Just remember that I can so kick your ass if you're trying to pull something, Connie."
Chas laughed, quickly covering it with a cough when John glared at him. "I'm guessing you want me to swing by and grab the Beeman."
"What's a Beeman?"
"Probably the smartest man alive."
Chas pulled up to the 20 Lanes - Bowling Alley where John got out, leaning back in to look directly at Buffy. "Don't go anywhere and try not to kill anyone while I'm gone."
She sat back in the seat with a full pout on her lips. "Sheesh, kill a few demons and people think you're some kind of crazy vigilante." Constantine raised an eyebrow at her. "Fine, I'll be a good little, Slay...err…Buffy while you're gone. Happy?"
"Not really, but it'll do."
Buffy watched him walk into the building before she asked, "Is he always like that, or is it just me?"
"Don't worry, Buffy, John treats everybody like that. Hopefully, he'll lighten up now that he doesn't have a one-way ticket to Hell, thanks to you."
"I wouldn't hold your breath on that Chas. Connie doesn't look like an easy going guy to me. Until you've lived his life, or one like it, you won't understand. I only hope that you never do."
Buffy leaned her back against the seat, closing her eyes while she waited. A creaking door alerted her that John and the Beeman were back. She opened her eyes and scooted over to offer the new passenger room to sit. Buffy smiled at the sweet-faced man that climbed in with a happy hello for everyone. Constantine sat beside him, closed the door and tapped the roof, signaling for Chas to leave. She leaned forward so that she could see Constantine's face, giving him a pointed look.
When he didn't say anything, Buffy turned to Beeman, held out her hand and said, "Hi, I'm Buffy. It's nice to meet you. Do you own the bowling alley?"
"Y-yes." Beeman pushed large coke-bottle glasses onto a small snub nose. "You're her, the Slayer," he gushed, his eyes went even wider behind the thick glass.
A brief flicker of emotion flashed across her face before it melted away. "Sorta, used to be."
The cab fell into an uncomfortable silence at her words. Its occupants ready to escape the confines each for their own reasons. Thankfully, Constantine's apartment wasn't far, time for explanations and small talk could wait.
~~~~~
Angel walked down the stairs, looking haggard. He hadn't dreamed about Buffy in years. Last night he was back in Hell and this time she was there with him. The tortures he had suffered were nothing in comparison to watching the demons tear at her tender skin while her arms reached out to him. He stood by feeling helpless at the inability to save her.
"Sugar Lips, you look awful," Lorne said, taking in his friend's slumped shoulders with deep concern in his red eyes. He couldn't remember the last time the souled vampire looked this gloom and doom.
"Good morning to you too, Lorne," Angel said with a grimace. "I had a rough night, that's all. I need to ask you…"
"Angel, you're up, good. We've been looking over the scrolls and there's something quite strange that we would like you to take a look at." Giles walked up followed by Wesley.
"Can't this wait? Lorne and I are speaking." He turned to the two former Watchers with an underlying frustration.
"No, I don't think it can," Giles said firmly before pulling off his glasses to begin their ritual polishing, which showed everyone how distressed he was.
Angel's shoulder heaved with a large sigh as he turned back to Lorne. "I'll talk to you later. Show me what had you so upset, Giles." He glanced over the older man's shoulder at Wesley. "Do you agree with his concerns?"
"I'm afraid so. The information's dire and could tip the balance completely."
They walked to a large room with double doors, which was once a ballroom but over the years, they converted into a first-class library. Before they could open escape inside to discuss the matter at hand a voice rang out.
"Hey guys, where are you heading? We need help bringing in the groceries," Cordelia said from the hallway.
Her voice was cheerful, but they knew there was no getting away from Queen C when there were chores that needed doing. The former May Queen had mellowed considerably over the years, except when it came to someone trying to weasel out of work. The men sighed, knowing it was a losing battle, apocalypse in the offing or not, and went to help. One group worked diligently to unload groceries from two large SUVs, while yet another put them away in the industrial-sized hotel kitchen.
Buffy's death had farther-reaching effects than merely closing the portal and saving Dawn. It had closed the Hellmouth. The Scoobies couldn't bear to stay where they lost such a vital part of their lives. Anya and Xander moved to New Mexico. The last anyone heard from them, they had four children and stayed far away from anything to do with slaying. The others joined the AI team. Dawn had wanted nothing to do with her 'real' father. Spike followed her, determined to keep his promise to Buffy. The teen graduated with honors, won a scholarship to a prestigious art school in New York, where Spike had followed her to ensure the Big Apple nasties didn't take a bite out of his Bit. Dawn was making a name for herself as an artist and the vampire couldn't be prouder if he was her own father. She married at an evening wedding with Spike giving her away and gave birth to a beautiful little girl that she named Joyce Anne. Giles, Willow and Tara stayed with Angel's team, having found a home and family. The created a cohesive team over the ten years since Buffy's death.
"Okay boys, you can go play with your dusty book. Dinner will be ready in about an hour." Cordelia dismissed them in the same manner she wrangled them into doing her bidding.
They happily escaped before she could change her mind, rushing for the library as if the hounds of Hell were nipping at their heels. A strange air blanketed the room as they settled around a large table filled to overflowing with ancient tomes. Angel studied Giles and Wesley's faces, taking in the tired eyes, wrinkled clothes and mussed hair. A shiver raced down his back as his nightmares came back to him. "What was so important that you two stayed up all night researching it?"
A pregnant pause filled library while Giles and Wesley exchanged glances. They seemed to be having a mental debate as to who would speak first. Wesley gave Giles a final glare, and then cleared his throat. "Angel, have you had any dreams of the past, with regards to erm, what I mean to say is," Wesley hedged, not sure how to ask the much needed question.
"Oh for goodness sakes, man, what happened to that backbone you're always boasting about? Angel, have you had any dreams about your time in Hell?" Giles took over the conversation, giving Wesley the out he wanted.
"Why?" Angel went completely still; the way only vampires seem capable of doing. He stopped breathing, didn't blink and appeared to melt into the shadows within the room.
Giles rubbed his already pristine clean glasses before he cleared his throat. "While researching the demon possessing the corpses, we found a strange term that we crossed referenced with the scrolls. At first we assumed it meant the PTB, but researching showed we were incorrect."
"Giles, as interesting as this is, could you get to the part where you tell me what you found."
"Oh, yes, here it is." A long finger pointed to a specific section in the Scroll of Aberjian.
A Power shall fall to the depths of Hell
It will shake the Balance both above and below
A choice determines all fates touched by the gold
When no hope remains, give all that you are
"What does that mean? Are you saying that a Power's stuck in Hell? How could that even happen? Why's it in the scroll anyway? What does it have to do with me?" Angel stood up, shoving a hand through his hair. He paced the library's confines, combining the words with his nightmare. "Giles, do Slayer's retire metaphysically?"
The old Watcher gapped for a moment at the implication of Angel's question. His brilliant mind ran through the books catalogued here. Giles got up from the table moving toward a locked bookcase in the farthest corner. Pulling a key from a long chain hidden beneath his shirt, his hand shook ever so slightly as the key clicked, unlocking the past.