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Post by yolanda7g on Dec 11, 2009 2:16:39 GMT 9.5
Angel shook his head, his expression painful when Buffy said Angel was too good for her. What an untrue statement. Here Angel was, trying to care for Buffy by leaving her alone, and what does he do? Come back to her, only to confuse things again. Angel's mind raced and he was forced into silence by his thoughts as Dawn made her appearance.
He looked as if he was listening but his mind went back to the day he and Buffy shared, the day she doesn't even remember. How much hope and passion was crushed in 24-hours, left blank. It was painful to look at Buffy, knowing...
...it was a pain Angel deserved to bare.
What was he thinking coming back into Buffy's life like this, knowing that his presence would only mess things up for her? She has enough things to worry about, and all Angel wanted was for her to have a life she deserves.
He would have to make up for it then. Snapping out of his daydream, he caught Dawn's moping comment. She was right. He had to do something. He knew it was probably a suicide decision to face this demon by himself, but now more than ever, Angel was willing to make the sacrifice. He was no good to anyone back in LA, running after apparitions of Darla while the world kept turning. He was cracking. He knew it. He knew that the world should probably find another 'champion'.
"I'll be the distraction." Angel said simply, his voice low, glancing at the ground. He looked up at the sisters. "You're right, Dawn...I-I should do what's right. It would be better for all of us if I just...stayed behind. You guys run." He swallowed, his gaze locking on Buffy, silently pleading for her to do as he asked...to leave him behind.
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Post by Dawn Summers on Dec 13, 2009 5:09:37 GMT 9.5
Blinking and hearing Angel, Dawn furrowed her eyebrows "W...what? I didn't say that Angel..." Looking at Buffy, she tried to get her sister to agree with her, expressing what she wanted with her eyes "Buffy...I didn't tell him that..."
Seeing everyone's expressions, she shook her head again "Come on people...quit acting like this...w...we've got to do something..."
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Post by Buffy Summers on Dec 13, 2009 7:50:28 GMT 9.5
Buffy looked at Xander with a blank expression. "What does it sound like I'm saying, Xander? I can't do this anymore... I love you guys too much to put you through this any longer. If it wants the Slayer, the Slayer it will get. It will give you all time to go and make it."
She now turned to Dawn after hearing what she'd said. "You are special, Dawnie. You'll take my place one day... and maybe that one day will be today. You're strong, unlike me." Buffy looked down to the ground now, feeling ashamed. There, she'd finally said it... the truth. It was out there now.
Then Angel spoke up and Buffy's eyes narrowed as she now regarded him. "No! This is what I have to do, Angel. The Slayer has to go down one day, right?" Her eyes bore into his, ignoring his pleading ones. "You need to go on. You have a place here now... I don't." She added softly, shrugging lightly like it was just an obvious fact.
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Post by yolanda7g on Dec 13, 2009 17:27:26 GMT 9.5
"No. You didn't say that I should stay behind, Dawn. I did." Angel told her, his gaze determined. He looked at Buffy again.
"Buffy, your calling is to be a slayer," Angel told her seriously. He stepped up to her, so she could see his sincerity. "You were called to do this for a reason. You and I both know that." Angel swallowed hard, finding it difficult to accept the things he would say next. "...and I should be back in Hell where you sent me. I should've stayed there. Everyone in this room knows that too. I'm only a burden here and no matter how many lives I save, no matter how many apocalypses I fight, I can't make up for..." He paused, breaking his intense gaze, unable to look at Buffy in the eye anymore.
"Go," he said finally, gravely. He walked a few paces away from her. "I should be able to fight whatever it is off in order to give you guys a chance. If you hurry I can buy enough time for you to think of a plan." He turned around to all of them, seeing Buffy, Xander, Dawn, Faith...all of them. Realizing how he failed them all. Even Cordelia, Wes, Fred, and Gunn. The Powers were wrong. He was no champion. His place in the world was cursed when he became Angelus. For the longest time he tried to trick himself into believing Angelus didn't exist because he had a soul now. He knew that wasn't true. Angelus was deep inside him, waiting for the next opportunity to kill. Angel knew he couldn't let that happen. The only way to kill Angelus was to kill Angel.
He looked at everyone in the room and shook his head apologetically. "I'm so sorry..." He told them. He was sorry for everything. For getting in the way of the good fight, for making them trust him. For hurting them. He shook his head again, feeling something deep within him...something just wasn't right. But he didnt have the motivation to pay much attention to it. His mind was elsewhere.
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Post by Buffy Summers on Dec 13, 2009 19:21:34 GMT 9.5
Buffy didn't move a muscle as Angel got nearer to her. She listened to his words, her eyes not leaving his. What he was saying did make sense. Angelus had practically destroyed her life and her friends. He had caused so much pain and misery to them all, she didn't even know how or when she'd forgiven him. She glanced at Dawn then Xander, wondering if they'd realised the same as she had... Angel had a point.
She took a deep breath and walked up to him. "Angel... I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm gunna agree with you. As Angelus... you ruined my life. You hurt me so much... I think you're right. You should do what's right, to make up for Angelus' time" Buffy grabbed hold of his hand and looked into his eyes, sorrow etched on her face. "Thank you, Angel. I'm sorry too... it was me who brought of Angelus... so I sort of brought it on myself."
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Post by yolanda7g on Dec 14, 2009 4:20:40 GMT 9.5
This is it. Hearing Buffy's words burned him, but he took them in because he knew every word was true. And as her words pierced his very being, all the wrong he's ever done came rushing back to him in one moment, one painful moment. Everything from Angelus to Doyle's death. No, he would be lying to himself to say he was a hero. He would be lying to say that Buffy wasn't right.
So this was it.
Angel squeezed her hand and stroked her face with his other hand, brushing away her blonde hair. "Don't be sorry Buffy," he said, a pained expression his face as he mentally faced the fact that this would be the end for him. But he would rather die protecting the people he loved than waiting until the moment when his friends would kill him as Angelus. He swallowed hard. "I know...I know this is the right thing."
Saying goodbye was so hard. Buffy meant the world to him, even after everything that's happened. Looking into her eyes crushed him inside. "I love you Buffy," Angel told her. "I want you to know that. I--"
Suddenly, there was a sound of glass breaking. The demon came in the window. Angel pushed Buffy away from him and stepped forward to face it.
"What? You guys are still moping around here?" He laughed. "I thought it was closed."
"Go. NOW." Angel commanded, everyone, looking uncharacteristically terrified. Yet he faced this demon, forcing himself to be ready.
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Post by Dawn Summers on Dec 14, 2009 5:57:15 GMT 9.5
Blinking and hearing Buffy, Dawn shook her head "W...what?" Furrowing her eyebrows and listening to her say that today could be the day Dawn took Buffy's place, Dawn frowned "No Buffy...Angel...you've both gotta survive this..." Listening to them, she looked down and shook her head backing up from them then bit her lip turning away "I can't take her place...I'm not strong...I'm not anything..."
Listening to them once again, she suddenly heard a crash and turned sharply hearing the demon as he crashed through the window. Shaking her head once again, she thought of the weapons in the training room and looked toward the door. Using the momentary distraction, she ran into the training room "Angel can't take him alone...and Buffy said that I could take her place...but what if that's not the solution."
Swallowing and grabbing what she could she bolted toward the door and threw Buffy a weapon along with Angel then looked around at everyone else. "You guys...if it's one thing I learned...soemtimes you can't fight these things alone...you gotta do it together..."
Wondering where all this was coming from, she gripped her weapon and glared at Buffy "Don't you dare talk me out of this...you yourself said that I was strong and I could someday take your place. That day isn't today though...now are you going to fight or are you going to cower and run?"
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Post by Xander Harris on Jan 2, 2010 22:58:14 GMT 9.5
This whloe time, while Angel, Dawn and Buffy moped, Xander was lightly banging his head agaisnt the bookcase. He listened to the others complain about their lives. He kept thinking to himself, that his life was worse. He had no special gifts, he wasn't a slayer, a witch a vampire a mystical key from another dimension. He was an ordinary human, and in this world that came at a cost.
He silently agreed with Angel. That he was responsible for majority of the pain and suffering caused to Buffy, and the rest.
He was about to express his feelings when the demon crashed through the window. Xander took Angel's advice and ran. He followed Dawn into the training room, and retrieved a handful of weapons.
"Dawn's right" he nodded in agreement. "It doesn't matter that Angelus was cause of our misery, we're in this fight together" he said with vains full of adrenaline, which seemed to be a temporary cure to the demons spell.
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Post by Buffy Summers on Jan 7, 2010 21:50:04 GMT 9.5
Buffy had to close her eyes, she couldn't stand looking at Angel right now. It was all too hard, listening to the words he was saying to her. Then when he said he loved her, Buffy's eyes snapped open to see him looking directly into them. She smiled a small smile and was about to announce she felt the same when she heard glass breaking, then she found herself being pushed away from Angel.
"Angel..." She started, but trailed off, knowing he wasn't going to listen. She then looked up to find a weapon being thrown at her and she looked down at it in her hands for a moment. After a bit, Buffy looked back up to Dawn and smiled sadly. "You will, Dawn. You'll be a better Slayer than I ever was."
She turned to Xander too. "Together? Don't you remember? Slayer's aren't supposed to have togetherness. Am I that useless that none of you think I can do this alone?" Buffy remained where she was, still holding the weapon, not moving an inch.
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Post by Dawn Summers on Jan 8, 2010 7:20:04 GMT 9.5
Blinking and hearing her sister, after throwing her the weapon, Dawn shook her head and narrowed her eyes "Snap out of it Buffy...I'm not you and I'll never be you. I can't be a good Slayer because I'm not the chosen one...you are. Now get with the program or...get out!!" Shocking herself with what she said, she bit her lip then swallowed deciding to back up what she said "I'm sick of people feeling sorry for themselves and I'm not going to take it anymore...If you think you're useless or whatever, then leave...this is not the right time for you to fight.."
Looking back at Buffy, she shook her head "Get over it...we're in this together or nothing. If you can't get that through your thick skull...then do as I say and leave..." Looking at Xander, and the others, she swallowed "Let's do this..."
Not waiting for her sister to reply she stepped up and took a swing at the demon with the sword in her hand.
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Post by yolanda7g on Jan 11, 2010 2:37:41 GMT 9.5
Angel caught the weapon and looked down at it, as if he didn't know what to do with it, then back up at the demon who had a grin on his face. While the others were bickering, the demon stared at the vampire sadistically. "What do you think you're going to do with that, hm? Kill me?" the demon said, voice low and none of the others could hear over the bickering. "Listen to all your so-called friends. They want you to die. You caused so much pain...why fight back?" Hurt in his eyes, Angel swallowed hard, accepting this as truth. How could he not? Everything his 'friends' were saying was right. As he looked up at the demon helplessly, noticing that he appeared to be growing stronger and bigger as the emotions flared in the room. Instead of registering this information, he took this as a sign that he needed to give up. Angel dropped the weapon, the ax making a loud clang on the ground. His ears picked up the conversation behind him. "Together?" He whispered. He turned around to Dawn. "I told you all to run." He said seriously. "Just do it!" His anger stemmed from the fact that he knew they all had no reason to stay and fight. They were better off letting Angel parish. "Please," He looked at Buffy now. "Take your sister and go." (someone else wanna control the demon? )
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Post by Willow Rosenburg on Jan 14, 2010 6:15:32 GMT 9.5
Blinking and looking up from the computer she was working on, Willow sighed and looked at everyone as they were doubting themselves. Sometimes she felt like she was the helpless one, even though she could work with the magicks. But a lot of the spells she did required a lot of time to do...Time they didn't have sometimes.
Returning to her work, she suddenly heard the crash and looked up seeing the demon enter the store. Quickly looking at Dawn and Xander as they entered the the back of the store and exit with weapons, tossing them to Buffy and the others, she looked at Angel as he said that he would sacrifice himself.
Shaking her head, she slid behind the counter and quickly reached under the cash register, into the drawer where she kept the notebook of spells she'd written down for emergencies like this. She knew that times like this would roll around and she wouldn't be able to reach the books in time so she thought this would be a useful tool.
Looking up over the counter but remaining knelt behind it, she spoke the incantation of Astral Projection and watched as an image of herself appeared in front of the demon trying to distract him. Narrowing her eyes, she muttered "No way Angel...no one's going to sacrifice themselves today...we've lost too much as it is..." Holding out her hand, she focused on it and said another incantion causing a fireball to appear in it then quickly jumped up from behind the counter "Here!!" Not waiting for the demon to turn, she threw the fireball at it.
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Post by Faith Lehane on Jan 14, 2010 6:23:31 GMT 9.5
Seeing the demon enter the store, Faith raised an eyebrow "Ok...looks like all the action is actually here.." Watching as Dawn exited the storeroom with Xander with weapons, she grinned "Whoa...cool...looks like Little B is starting to gain some confidence..." Looking at Buffy, she grinned "Better look out B...looks like you might have competition..."
Catching one of the swords thrown at her, she turned and looked at the demon "Ya know...I thought it was going to be a quiet night..." Swinging the sword at the demon, she tilted her head "I was wrong."
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Post by yolanda7g on Jan 23, 2010 11:55:44 GMT 9.5
(wants some else to control the demon lol)
Angel ducked out of the way when the fire ball came at the demon, only by instinct and impulse. He straighted himself and looked to see if it worked, swallowing hard, panicked. It wasn't just the demon that got him frazzled. It was his thoughts. He decided to keep to himself how badly he wanted to step in front of Willow's spell and accept the judgement those flames would give him. But basic instinct to stay living trumped his suicidal thoughts.
And for what? What life was he trying to preserve? Why did he have this...human...characteristic to stay alive? He was not alive. He was an empty shell of death. Death has nothing to offer life. There's nothing to preserve. The Angelus side of him made sure of that.
He watched from the side as Faith got into the action. And suddenly a voice inside his head asked 'Why didn't you do it?'
Blinking, he looked at the demon, it was speaking to him telepathically. And for some reason, he could help but answer. I'm...not sure, he thought.
"Are ye willin' to sacrifice yer friends for ye own selfishness, Liam?"
Liam?
The name made him freeze. Liam?
"You're just a useless drunkard, aren't ye?" The voice of the demon transformed into that of...his father. Angel stared wide eyed at the demon, terrified, and not believing what he was hearing. "Ye think fufillin' a prophecy and becomin' human again is gonna make things bette' fer ya? Ye were never human t' begin wit'! Yer were a useless dunk bastard, Liam..."
A part of Angel knew that something wasn't right, that this was his imagination. That this was some sort of mysticism. But that didn't stop it from hurting.
Angel shook his head and said, "Stop it." Backing away, backing into a shelf and knocking a few things over.
"From tellin' th' truth? 200 hundred years of livin' doesn't erase truth, Liam." He laughed. "I bet my blood on yer tongue was satisfin'. Killin' th' man ye was never man enough t' face. It's not Angelus, Liam...it's just you."
It stung. Part of Angel knew this was true. Angel gazed into the dark eyes of the demon as it was attacked, ignoring the commotion, ignoring everything around him, only seeing the demon.
That it, huh? He thought. I know this isn't my father talking to me because, you're right, I killed him. More than a hundred years ago. And I do deserve to die. But you're going to go first.
Angel picked up a sword and prepared to attack, his emotions driving him.
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Post by Xander Harris on Jan 23, 2010 23:53:15 GMT 9.5
(OOC- I have a great idea. In everyone's post they have the demon speak to them, and paralysis them with doubt, like what happened to Angel so she doesn't have to control him all the time "None of us are going anywhere Angel! You can't take this thing alone" he was relieved that Dawn and WIllow agreed with him. He was impressed by the magic that Willow demonstrated, it was a useful tactic one that he wondered why she didn't use more often. Xander noticed the affect the demon was having on Angel. It looked as if the demon was getting into Angel's head. It was weakening him with just a telepathic suggestion. When it looked liked it had defeated Angel temporarily. Xander, with his sword attacked, however the demon was aware of Xander's approach swung around and threw him into the bookshelf. Books fell upon him. As Xander tried to get out of his daze caused by the books, the demon came towards him. "You've always been the weakest link Xander, you have no special abilities, you're not a slayer, witch, key or even a vampire. I have no idea why you're even apart of this group. Except for Buffy, you love her, yet she'll never love you." The demon crouched down to his level.
It began speaking to him again, this time in Buffy's voice. "It's pathetic Xander, your schoolboy crush on me. You should just grow up. I will never... Love... Someone like you, and you know it." "No!" Xander brows furrowed, he tried to get up but kept slipping back down. "Don't even try to get up, you're just a weak human. You'll be dead soon anyway" it gave let out an eerie laugh.
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