Armageddon SagaTwo weeks of intense training past quickly. The Slayers were now a formidable cohesive
Chapter Fourteen: Interim
By the Lady Sirona ladysirona@LadySirona.com
battle team lead by Buffy and Angel. The Slayers [all except for Kendra] couldn't
believe that Slayer prime was loving and living with a vampire, even if it was the
Cucularaine. It was beyond anything they ever heard of, so many just wrote it off to the
Prophecy.Angel and Buffy were slowly rebuilding their relationship after her traumatizing trip to
his past and were living and working together. Angel finally accepted that Buffy did
accept him despite seeing the devastation he visited on his family when he crossed over
to vampirism. She was warm, loving of him and the impending battle, and the potential
end of the world, Angel was the happiest he had ever been in his entire 245 years.Buffy finally accepted that he loved her as much, if not more than his dead wife. She
realized his lack of laughter and happy emotion was not because of her, but because of
his experiences after becoming a vampire. She stopped taking his brooding manner so
personally.One day a summons came to the Sunnydale Hellmouth team to go to Tirla's quarters.
They arrived in her drawing room and there was sign of Tirla so they waited. Angel
lounged next to Buffy, avoiding Giles eyes. Angel and Giles had been civil with one
another, but there was a strong tension between them. Xander was uncharacteristically
quiet, and spent the most of his time staring at Willow. Willow was busily surfing the web
while those around her were lost in their own thoughts.Tirla swept into the room. "I am glad you have arrived. I have a job for your team... one
you personally won't like Angelus, but your part is essential."Angel looked at her, he didn't like the sound of that, and she stared right back at him. He
had a bad feeling about this. Tirla continued. "I need the Watcher diaries and I need
Mira's necklace."Buffy glanced at Angel to see if he knew what she was talking about. He looked totally
freaked. She had never seen him that upset, not when she hunted him, not even when he
told her about Drusilla.Tirla continued to address the group. "They are in the catacombs, protected by the Pack.
You will need to eradicate the Pack, and obtain the diaries and return Mira's necklace to
me. It is an essential part of the upcoming battle." They were all staring at Angel who
looked like he was trying to swallow a golf ball.Tirla continued, pointedly ignoring Angel's distress. "You will be staying at the main
Romani base camp.."[Like HELL!] Angel erupted out of his chair to his feet, transforming into game face and
swearing in Gaelic. They stared at Angel, never had they seen such a display of Anger
from him [Silence!] Tirla snapped back in Gaelic. Angel and Tirla glared at one another
and finally Angel sat down reluctantly. She continued in English. "You will stay there
because you will need back up and support. They are obligated to me long before their
problems with you. The final goal is our concern, not your personal feelings. You’re past
actions necessitate that only you can do this. You leave tomorrow at three PM." Angel
raised an eyebrow. " You will travel in a rug until sunset."Xander laughed getting a glare from Angel whom didn't relish traveling for hours
wrapped in a rug. Tirla gave Giles a file and left the room. Willow and Xander looked at
one another with an amused expression. Buffy looked at Angel who was totally upset.
"OK Angel. What’s going on?" Buffy asked gently. "Obviously it is a result of the demon
time, tell us what we nee to know."Angel got up and paced around the room. He had vowed to himself he would no longer
hide things from Buffy after the fiasco about his family. He slowly started to speak. "I
went to Budapest after I left the British Isles. I had a falling out with the Master, and
Darla and I had to leave the Master's court for a while. I came here and joined the pack.
Within a decade I was leader."Angel paced back and forth as he talked. They just watched him. He obviously didn't
like what he had to say. "It was me that set the Pack up in the catacombs. I designed it
so there was only one way in and out for mortals while many for us vampires. No one to
my knowledge has ever successfully breached our defenses."Angel looked at Buffy, begging forgiveness with his eyes. "The Watcher diaries Tirla
wants are the ones from the Slayers who attempted to breach our defenses and went
after the Pack. In over forty years I was there, were only five Slayers who tried to come after
us, none survived. I kept their diaries, it breaks the communication with the next Slayer."
Giles nodded. The Slayerettes realized that to get the diaries, the vampires also killed
the Watchers."The only other person to breach our defenses other than the Slayers was the Gypsy
Healer Mira. She was the gypsy girl, had to be dumb as a post to enter a vampire's lair, in
what I think it was in a vain attempt to protect her little sister and clan. She wore a
beaded necklace, which apparently gypsy legend said would protect you from a vampire.
Obviously it didn't. I killed her and as a result got cursed by her clan."Angel avoided everyone's eyes. He hated talking about the things he had done. Angel
slumped down in his chair, his whole body showing his despondency. The others looked
at one another, this was the most Angel had ever said to all of them at any one time.
They realized what it cost him to say it."Hanging with the Gypsies will be a bitch too." Buffy said softly, putting her hand gently
on his shoulder. She bent over is ear and told him softly "I love you". Angel turned his
face into her chest and just hid there as she slowly enveloped him in her arms. She felt
him shudder. The emotions and memories this trip was going to cause would be intense.Later, as Buffy and Angel were settling down to sleep after packing for their trip, Buffy
snuggled up against him as he spoke in a low voice. "I don't want to do this” Buffy
snuggled closer and told him gently "I know." He held her a little while in a silence she
knew better than disturb.Finally when he was ready he spoke. "Buffy, I'm afraid. I'm afraid after you see this
you'll hate me." She started to speak and he silenced her with a finger to her lips. "I
know that you think you know while I was pre-soul I did some horrible things. I have told
you some, and you have even seen others." Buffy nodded and he continued. "As you
know
however, there is a difference between hearing about it and seeing it." Angel sighed
deeply and hugged her tightly."Seeing it?" Buffy swallowed hard. How could she see what occurred years ago?
"Seeing it. You are going to walk into a vampire's lair. One actively used for nearly a
century. It isn't pretty. What is worse, it used to be my lair. I planned it, I set it up and I
used it. I lead the pack from it." Angel held her tightly and buried his face into the
softness of her hair. He wouldn't bear to survive if she rejected him, and he honestly felt
she could. "I don't want you and the others to see that much of the other side of me. The
memories I carry with me are bad enough. Walking that era of my life, and dragging you
all with me, will be horrendous.""I love you Angel." Buffy stroked his chest gently, enjoying the temperature difference
between them. "I know when possessed by the demon you were a shit, a real bastard. Soprepare me. What will I see?" Angel hugged her tightly and hesitated to speak but she
continued. "Tell me so I won't have any horrible surprises like the last time."Angel looked down at her. She looked up from where her head rested against his silent
chest. "Do you love me?" He asked quietly. Buffy was initially insulted, but then she
remembered he asked the same question when he told her about Drusilla. It wasn't that
he doubted her…he was just insecure. It was almost a necessary ritual for Angel to get
reinforcement and support before baring his soul."Yes Angel, I love you and I trust you,” She told him softly as she stroked his body. She
realized he must be really upset, her touch had absolutely no sexual effect on him, none
what so ever. Angel was focused on his memories and was back in time over 100 years."I had a falling out with the Master. Spike and Drusilla had taken off together, and I
needed to get away from the Master's court so Darla I went to the continent and ended
up in Budapest for the big Earthquake. Darla hated Hungary and I wouldn't come back to
the British Isles, so we went our separate ways. I joined the Pack and within a few years
I was leader." Angel looked sheepish and ashamed of being a vampire leader. Buffy just
hugged him."I controlled the Pack tightly. I was a vampire with a big reputation and I gloried in it. I
kept the pack small, less than 10. We made the catacombs and set ourselves up... We
kept outright killing to a minimum believe it or not." Buffy looked surprised. He continued in
explanation. "If you don't kill them, the same human can supply a vampire for ages. We
would range out and away from our lair's emendate area for the killing hunt." Angel
frowned. He didn't even like talking about killing."Buffy, there are some horrible things in the catacombs. Things I don't want you so see,
or know I had any part in. For example, we kept prisoners for 'entertainment' and
emergency food, and we were not kind to them. We had pits where we threw the bodies
of our victims that were killed in the catacombs." Angel avoided her eyes. He couldn't
risk seeing disgust in her eyes. "I had my own pit, behind my rooms where I threw my
victims. That is where I threw Mira's body."Angel was in agony. To tell Buffy of such things was horrible and he wanted to hide it
from her... but he couldn't risk losing her from such evasive lies again. "That is also
where I threw the five Slayers I killed." He said the last softly.Buffy pulled away and looked at him. "FIVE Slayers? YOU killed the five Slayers?" She
stared at him in shock. She couldn't believe he killed Slayers. Her love, her passion, a
Slayer killer?"Yes Buffy. I killed the Slayers. I didn't play with them as Lothos did I killed them
outright. As leader, it was I who killed the Slayers who attacked the catacombs. I then
went after their Watchers and killed them and took the diaries. That way the Slayer who
followed would not know anything about us or learn from their predecessor's mistakes."Buffy stared at Angel. "How many Slayers have you killed?" She asked slowly, afraid of
what his answer was going to be. Giles had been upset that Spike had faced two Slayers
and killed them. Now she finds out that Angel had also killed Slayers..."You know about my sister..." Buffy nodded. "And the five who attacked the catacombs,
that makes six..." Buffy realized with a sinking feeling he was continuing to add then up
in his head. Angel sighed. "I think maybe about fifteen, give or take a few, I never
bothered to really keep count.""You killed FIFTEEN?” Buffy asked shocked. Angel only nodded and avoided her eyes.
Buffy stared at him. How easily he could have killed her when they first met had he not
had his soul, and the thought terrified her. She had invited him into her home back then.
Had he not been ensouled and in control she very well could have signed her and her
mother's death warrant."I told you I had a reputation, I never told you what it was for. I was the Master's Slayer
Killer." Angel said slowly. He hoped this didn't ruin the relationship they built. She had
to know. No more lies. "I was mean and vicious, and my knowledge of how a Slayer
worked from working with my sister and her Watcher made me invaluable to the Master.I went after the Slayers who caused him trouble." He looked at her, begging forgiveness
with his eyes as he continued, "Had I met you as a demon, you never would have
survived the Harvest. I am so thankful the curse wasn't broken until the demon was as
besotted with you as I am."Buffy looked at him confused. *Besotted... The demon? * She looked at Angel, almost
cringing. He was terrified of her response. She was upset he had killed Slayers, but then
she killed vampires. That also had been the demon. "You hadn't ever killed a Slayer after
you got your soul have you?" She asked softly."No. I made a few mistakes while learning to not kill to survive, but I never killed a
Slayer after I regained my soul." She slowly snuggled up against him, showing with her
body her acceptance of him where he had expected only hate.