The Lady Tirla, an ancient Magickal practitioner who leads the Watcher Council and isArmageddon Saga
In the Beginning
Prologue One
By the Lady Sirona ladysirona@LadySirona.com
assisting the Slayers and Watchers to stop the Demon Lord from opening the Hell mouths,
has sent Buffy and Giles back through time. They have been sent back to the time of previous
Slayer. Their goal is to obtain a Magickal talisman that once belonged to the Demon Lord
and the Watcher diaries chronicling her time, which tell of her battles with the Demon Lord
now threatening their time. With luck they will find a record of a weakness they can use to
win in the future. Magick has made their understanding of ancient languages possible to
complete their mission.
Revised 3/24/01
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In the BeginningBuffy awoke and looked up into the bright blue sky. She moaned as she rolled over.
"Watch that first step... it's a wild one!" Giles could only moan in pain. Everything hurt."Time travel via magic isn't what it's cracked up to be," Buffy told him. "Are you OK,
Giles... you look green." He was sitting in a lump looking as if he wanted to throw up his
breakfast. "I am all right... I, um, have a problem with...seasickness." She stared at her
usually unflappable Watcher in surprise."Good thing we aren’t on the ocean, huh?" Buffy joked to Giles only to be rewarded with
the sound of him losing his breakfast. "OOPS, Watcher...Major Ick factor.""*Watcher,* pray tell ye?" They turned around to face a woman with dark hair and
flashing green eyes. She was standing with one hand on her hip and another on a rock.
Giles felt the Slayer power rolling off of her, as well as he did from Buffy. "And what do ye
watch, Watcher?" She smiled."You must be The Slayer, Elizabeth Boyle. I am a Watcher and this is my Slayer. We need
to speak to your Watcher as soon as possible." He stood up and tried to look calm despite
the remnants of his previous meal, which lay at his feet."Are you ill, sir?" She looked quite afraid of illness. He shook his head ‘no’. She nodded
and turned away, then motioned them to follow. "What brings ye to Donegal County?” She
asked, “and how do you know me to be the Slayer?""I am a Watcher on a quest. I seek to help a Slayer in the future far beyond your time."
Giles was at a loss to how much to tell this Early time Slayer. She was an unknown, her
Watcher diaries were missing in the future, and that was the reason he existed along with
the others back in time. They needed information from a previous battle that she’d had with
the Demon Lord, which theoretically should be in the Watcher diaries. They also needed a
talisman she took from him to return to the future and save the world. *Life was never easy.
* He watched her warily."I will take you to my Watcher. She was injured in a recent battle, and so we are staying at
my eldest brother’s farm while she heals." She started walking toward the sunset, boldly
and confidently, like a Slayer. They followed."Will your brother mind if the two of us shack up in his house?" Buffy asked. Elizabeth
laughed."We are from a large family. He loves people. He is quite the sweetheart, and I assure you
he will welcome us into his home and family with open arms. He knows of my calling, as
well as his wife and they have assisted me many times, although she is too far with child to
be of much help now. It's to be her third!" Elizabeth was obviously proud of her brother's
family."Your brother sounds like quite a man," Buffy said.
She laughed. "Oh, yes. An angel!"
They arrived at a small cottage where a very pregnant woman tending two small children
in the yard while an older woman sat in a chair nearby. Elizabeth walked up and kissed the
older woman, then turned to Buffy and Giles and introduced them. "Maria, here are some
people in our calling who have come seeking us." The woman looked up from the chair and
then at Buffy, confused."We have come from...afar." Giles said hesitantly. "We seek information and knowledge
to assist a Slayer...far from here." Giles looked at Buffy. It sounded lame even in his own
ears. "We ask for shelter and assistance."Maria looked up at him. "You are a Watcher... I feel it. And this young girl is your Slayer.
Now, since my Slayer is still alive... you have come from far beyond far. You ask hospitality.
I ask truth."Giles sighed. "We have been sent back in time for information against the Demon Lord
and for his talisman. The rest I need to discuss in private." He assumed they were sent to
this particular time because Elizabeth was to fall soon. Since the Watcher diaries were
missing in the, err...present, then Maria had probably fallen with her. He felt like a ghoul
stealing from the dead and soon to be dying."Kathryn, you best start dinner, and Elizabeth can you help her? There will be a tassel of
people to feed and a hungry man from the fields soon enough!" She shooed the women folk
into the house and motioned for Giles to continue. "This is as private as it gets here. My
Slayer's brother is a good man, as good as they come and better than most I have ever met,
but as poor as any farmer here. Privacy is a luxury only seen in the rich." Giles nodded and
continued quickly."We are from the future, more than two hundred years. We were sent back to the past to
gather the Watcher diaries from you and Elizabeth. They do not exist in the future, for
reasons that I’m not aware of. We know of your recent battle with the Demon Lord, and we
are to fight him at his full strength in the future. I do not know how you die or when you and
your Slayer die, but I fear it will be soon. We cannot interrupt or change anything, for to do
so will change the future. What will be will be. I am sorry." Giles felt horrible.Maria sighed and looked at them. Her eyes fell to Buffy. *This is a powerful Slayer, more
than even Elizabeth, who had years on her. * Maria looked at Buffy. "You have faced death
before. I see it in your eyes. You have fought the large battles. Whom did you do battle
against? What great enemies have you vanquished?”"I fought and took out the Master--" Buffy started slowly but was interrupted by Maria.
"The Master? You have a strong Slayer, Sir. I lost three Slayers to the Master. I am glad
to learn that at some time that bastard dies at a Slayer’s hand." She sighed and sank into
her chair. "I am a tired old woman and I am ready for my final rest. Elizabeth is young, and
will not go gently. But when one falls, another is called. That is the way. Come, let us to the
meal table and away from dreadful thoughts." She reached up and Giles assisted her to
stand. She was bent and weak. They followed her into the cottage.‘Small’ didn't begin to describe the cottage. It was basically one large room with two beds,
one obviously for the couple and another for the Watcher and Slayer. Kathryn was
apologetic for the cramped quarters. "I am sorry, good people. Clean, dry floor space with
blankets and each other for warmth is the best I can do for ye." Instinct told her they were
used to better, far better.Buffy looked at Kathryn. She was slight of build and radiant in her motherhood. Her
clothes were simple; her auburn hair was braided back. She had two children at her feet
grabbing her skirts, and was enormous with child. Here was a woman raising her family,
and living in the middle of Hell with a Slayer. Buffy was jealous of her 'normal’ life... a
home, children and a man she obviously loved. But then, Kathryn wasn't the Slayer. Even
Elizabeth didn't have those things. Buffy sighed."Thank you," Buffy nodded. "You are more than kind." She looked around at the cottage.
Everything was obviously handmade, made with passion and love. She looked at Kathryn,
alive and bright with the glow of motherhood and realized that she herself may not live long
enough to even consider becoming a mother. Kathryn’s smile lit the room when she even
referred to her husband. Obviously she loved him very much. They lived a fairy tale life.
Buffy felt the keen pain of her recent loss of Angel more. *This was about his time. This
was when he was a ‘breather’ as he called it. *"Is your husband prone to tea or porridge?" Kathryn asked her. Buffy looked up at her
confused. She nodded to Giles. "He is not your husband? Oh I sorry... I thought..." Words
failed her and she trailed off, embarrassed. With a deep blush, she made a flustered gesture
towards Buffy’s Claddagh ring"He's not my husband, he's my Watcher, and he prefers tea. I wear the ring for another."
Her eyes became sad and melancholy as she gazed at the ring while thinking of her Angel.
He was gone from her forever, bound for one hundred twenty one years in the service of the
Lady. At least he had reclaimed his soul. A deep sigh escaped her lips to match the tear in
her eye."I see the signs.” Kathryn looked at Buffy with wise eyes. “You are deeply in love and your
duty keeps you apart. I know not of such duty but I know when things try to keep you
apart.” The pregnant woman smiled wistfully. “My father wanted for me to marry for
money. I chose to marry for love. We haven't much, but we have it all. Land for my bread,
children who grow strong, a home for guests to visit and each other. What more can a body
ask for? When you get the chance... love your man. Don't let naught stall you or turn you
aside... it is not worth the pain." Kathryn continued to cut the vegetables and dice the
potatoes. "Do you love your man and he you?" Buffy nodded. "And he has duties as well?"
Buffy again nodded. "Seize what moments you can, lass. Life is far too short, especially for
one such as you. Kathryn nodded and then went to the storage box, leaving Buffy standing
there, shell-shockedGiles motioned to Buffy to lean forward. "In this time... modesty was quite, Ah, different.
People living in a one-room cottage made their own privacy. Do not be, Uh, surprised by
activity you would, Ah, expect to be done behind closed doors." He was blushing furiously
and seemed quite put out. *They screw with others in the room? * Buffy thought...
"Clothing is also not always worn in the home... they may be somewhat nudist or such. Be
prepared." She nodded her eyes wide.The little boy toddled up and pulled at his mother’s skirts. "What now, Colin?" she asked
as she bent down to him."Papa...Papa," the little one ran outside, and Kathryn turned around, her face lit with love.
To see such love was painful for the Slayer. "Here is my husband," Kathryn said simply,
with all the pride in the world. Both Giles and Buffy turned to meet their host.The man walked in, deeply sun-tanned with immense shoulders, with long dark hair and
the most piercing brown eyes. He was chewing on a potato and the sun reflected off his face
as Giles and Buffy stared in shock. Elizabeth knew her handsome brother often attracted
such attention so she took it in stride. "Let me introduce you all to my brother, Angelus. We
call him Angel."
Angel walked into the room and bent over to the small child with raised arms. He swung
the little boy to his embrace and then settled him onto his hip. The little girl raised her hands
for her father’s attention and with a blinding smile he scooped her up and into his arms
also. Kathryn looked on with her hand on her very pregnant belly. He walked over and gave
his wife a deep and thorough kiss. He walked back to the table and sat down opposite from
Buffy and Giles. He nodded at his new visitors and then looked curiously at his sister."Angel, these are a Slayer/Watcher team on a quest. I told them you would call them
guest." Elizabeth was somewhat shy, and Giles wondered if they overstepped their
welcome. Angel's face broke into a wide grin and his eyes danced. Buffy just stared at him
in shock... her Angel was never this happy!"Welcome to my home,” Angel said generously to his guests. “I haven't much, but what I
have is yours." Kathryn walked over and he put his arm around her. Buffy felt as if she had
been knifed. She hadn't even known that he had been married; never mind with two or three
kids. She stared at him, smiling and laughing, his face sun-tanned, and eating real food. It
was such a far cry from the tortured, brooding soul of her time who came out only at night
and drank blood to survive. Buffy bolted from the cottage into the yard.Angel watched in surprise as his guest ran from his dinner table in tears. He started to rise
and Giles put his hand out to and stopped him. "She just recently lost her love, and you
remind her too closely of her loss. Do not take it to heart. It is just the heart of a young girl
breaking for her man. There is nothing you can do. Anything you try will just make it
harder." Giles hated to hang Buffy's heart out like that, but he knew that if Angel tried to
comfort her, it was all going to go to hell in a hand basket.Angel sat down. "I see she wears a Claddagh. It was not just a lost love, she lost her
husband." Giles looked at Angel, confusion plainly on his face. "You know not of the
Claddagh? It is given in these times more than a wedding band. Church weddings are for
the rich and for us poorer folk are far and few between. A Claddagh is more important to
use than even than often broken wedding vows. For some, vows are taken far too
frivolously, but never the Claddagh!" He reached over and took Kathryn's hand."I didn't know." Giles looked at Angel as he kissed the ring on Kathryn's hand.
"Family and Clan are everything. Without my Family and Clan I would be nothing." He
picked up both children and looked at Giles. "Have you a wife and children?"Giles shook his head ‘no’.
Angel sighed. "I suppose you also have to keep single, like my poor sister here and her
Watcher. They live through my family. My children are her children, but my wife’s labor
pains are her own." He reached out with a smile and she came to sit in his lap. "Yes, family
is everything. Without it...I would be just half a man." Giles reflected on that, the silent
brooding soul he remembered Angel was to become and realized he spoke the truth.Buffy sat outside the door and listened to Angel speech on family with tears running down
her face. She knew when he became a vampire he would kill his family. She had thought
that it was his parents...brothers and sisters. She hadn't realized it had been his wife, and
included his children.
Elizabeth found her in the dark a while after supper. "I suppose you don't want to come in
out of the dark, do you?" She sat next to the younger Slayer and took her hand, then looked
at the Claddagh ring. "It is beautiful...” Her voice trailed off. “Your Watcher says you lost
your love. He gave you this?" Buffy nodded. "You loved him very much...my brother Angel
reminds you of him, does he not?" Again Buffy nodded. "You were being kind to Kathryn.
Duty isn't all that keeps you apart does it?" Buffy shook her head. "Is he dead?""He has been dead a long time. But he walks." She saw horror dawn in Elizabeth’s face.
"He’s a vampire. Yes I am a Slayer who loves and was...is ...loved by a vampire with a soul.
About eighty years before I met him gypsies cursed him with his soul. The night he gave me
the Claddagh ring and we consummated our relationship, he lost his soul again... and when
he got it back he was... is... obligated to serve another for one hundred and twenty one
years." A sob escaped her. "I will be long dead and buried before he is free to love again.
So now he serves Her and I will never see him again." Tears flowed freely. Elizabeth was at
a loss. How could a Slayer love a vampire, never mind to this degree? She put her arm
around her shoulder and let Buffy cry. When Buffy wound down, she finally just said simply,
"come inside."Buffy followed Elizabeth inside and quickly saw the sleeping arrangements. Angel and
Kathryn and the children were on one bed in the corner, while Elizabeth and Maria had the
other bed. Giles was laid out in a clear spot on the floor with a blanket where obviously she
was to sleep next to him. She crawled next to Giles and snuggled up to him. He felt her tears
wet his shirt... *This mission is going to be hell.*Buffy lay in bed and listened to Maria and Elizabeth. She couldn't hear any words but their
sounds were soft and loving. Obviously the two were not without their lovers... they had
each other. She wondered how many Watcher/Slayers pairs became lovers.She then heard Angel and Kathryn talking. She felt horrible listening to their pillow talk,
but perversely this was an opportunity to know more of her elusive and secretive love.
"Please, love," Angel entreated Kathryn. " I need you so much, it's been months""And it will be months more,” Kathryn replied to him in a stern tone. “You know what the
wise woman said. No sex after the third month of pregnancy and not for 3 months after the
baby is born. I haven’t died in the childbed from the birth fever and I give birth to strong,
live children. Therefore I will continue her advice." Angel moaned in frustration and she
added softly "I will please you in other ways if you need is great, husband.""No." Angel spoke with a passionate undertone to his voice. " I will pleasure you as well
as myself wife, and if I need to wait to do so, then so be it. I will wait." Buffy felt tears
running down her cheeks. To hear Angel so passionate and so much in love with another
woman hurt her immensely. This woman was his wife of several years, and the mother of
his children. No matter what was ever between her and Angel...he had loved Kathryn first.
Buffy finally drifted off to sleep listening to Angel and Kathryn's pillow talk.
A loud banging on the door aroused them all. "Angelus! Angelus!" A man was calling to
their host. "Quick, we need your horses... there is a carriage in the river!" Angel bound out
of bed and had opened the door. Angus entered and looked at the sleeping crowd. "I'm
sorry to bother you, but we need your plow horses. We need to get a carriage from the
river." Angus was an older man and his run to Angel's farm had winded him.Giles jumped up but Angel waived him back. "I'll take care of it. The horses will make
short work of this." Buffy stared in shock. Angel was standing there, nude. She
remembered that Giles told them that modesty was different in these days, but he was just
so splendid... and his tan didn't go everywhere. He also didn't have any tattoo on his
shoulder. Angel turned and gathered his clothes and left.Angus sat at the table and Kathryn rolled out of bed. She put fresh wood in the stove, then
water on to boil and sighed. Giles snuck a look at his timepiece. It was only eight p.m. They
had gone to bed with the dark around six p.m. In a land with no electric light, the people
rose and set with the sun. It was going to be a long night.Time had past while Angus was entertaining the women and Giles with the tale of the
antics of the gentle people who rode their carriage into the river and their plea to his home
for assistance. A name caught Buffy's ear: ‘Darla’. Buffy's heart stopped for a second."Is she a blond woman, about my height?" asked Buffy as she interrupted Angus' tale. He
nodded. "Did you invite them into your house?" Again, Angus nodded. "Oh, shit! Elizabeth,
It’s time to Rock and Roll! We need to call back Angel." Buffy was on her feet and
grabbing at Elizabeth's stake supplies."No Buffy.” Giles grabbed Buffy's hand. “We cannot interfere!"
Buffy looked at him. "If you think for one minute I will stand by while that blood sucking
bitch does her thing, you’ve got another think coming!" Buffy grabbed Angus. "Where are
they now?" He told them of the ford at the river."We'll all go," Giles announced. Himself and the two Slayers went into the night, leaving
Kathryn, the children, and the injured Watcher at home with Angus.They arrived at the river to find carnage. Bodies lay on the banks of the river and were laid
about the carriage they had so earnestly tried to save. Elizabeth cried as she walked from
one old friend to another, turning them over, seeking what she didn't want to find. Angel."He's not here,” she cried out. “Angelus is not here!" The horses that belonged to Angelus
were still tied to the carriage, obviously from an attempt to pull it from the river. Where
was her brother? The signs of vampire feasting were plain to see. Some of the dead had
been killed outright, their throats torn and their intestines spilled on the ground in a
mockery."Oh, God," Elizabeth moaned. "Home!" She began running back to Angel’s house. They
followed her, fear building in their hearts. All Buffy could think of was the time when Angel
had told her once that he had killed his family.
They arrived at the cottage to find all within still safe and sound. The children were asleep
in Kathryn and Angel's bed, and the adults were sitting around a small lamp talking.
"They're all dead," Elizabeth announced as she walked into the cabin. "We didn't find
Angelus." She slumped down on the bench next to Maria. "I'll go back to get the horses in
a little while"Kathryn looked at her sister in law, horror in her eyes. "Angelus is not dead among
them?" She looked over at the sleeping children and then back again. "Angel may still be
alive?" Her eyes filling with tears, she held out her hand in entreaty."I don't know, Kathryn," Elizabeth answered softly "I just don't know. He could have
escaped, he could have been killed away from the others, and he could be...." She couldn't
say her biggest fear: that Angelus would be turned into a vampire and she would have to kill
him with her own hand.Giles and Buffy looked on horrified. They knew that Angel had been turned, and soon all
hell would break loose. All he had ever loved would be dead. Giles looked at Maria. Sorrow
and resignation were in her eyes. He realized she knew her Slayer would fall to her beloved
brother turned vampire.Elizabeth stood. "I will go get the horses," she announced to the group. She motioned for
Buffy to come close. "Please, stay and protect the family. If my brother returns and cannot
cross the threshold without an invitation... kill him" Elizabeth swallowed hard. "Invite no
one in."Buffy could only nod...although she knew she wouldn't be able to kill Angel. Besides her
love of him, it would change the future. But she couldn't lead horses, and Elizabeth needed
to feel her family was safe to go out into the night.Elizabeth turned to Kathryn. "Go to bed and sleep if you can. I will return with Angelus or
news of him if I can." Kathryn nodded and went to lie down on their bed with her sleeping
children.Angus went and lay down in an unoccupied space then went to sleep. Maria sat up with the
others. "I am scared." Maria addressed the group at the table softly as not to awaken or
alarm the others resting. "I am afraid that Angelus has been turned and she will not be able
to kill him. This is how a Slayer falls." A solitary tear ran down Maria's face. Giles put his
arm out and she sank into his embrace."I wish we could do something, but we cannot." Giles put his head on Maria’s hair and
continued. "To change the past is to change the future. What will be, will be""He's changed isn't he?" Maria asked in a hoarse whisper barely heard by those at the
table. Giles nodded sadly. He held Maria as she mourned the impending death of her Slayer.Buffy looked on. She saw the raw pain in Maria's eyes when she realized her Slayer would
fall. She was aware there was an attachment of a Watcher to a Slayer...but she hadn’t
realized that it was such a strong bond. She wondered how much of Maria's pain was from
the Watcher of a Slayer and how much was her impending loss of a lover. *Would Giles
feel as such if I were to fall? * She wondered to herself.Giles looked around and then said softly "We all need to go to bed. Tomorrow will be a
very long day." Everyone just nodded and went to their sleeping area."Giles, what do we do if this is when Angel was changed?" Buffy asked him quietly as they
lay down next to each other. She snuggled up under his arm and looked at him with her big
eyes."We pray. Because if he is, I think Elizabeth will not be able to fight him and everyone will
die." He looked down at her, her face in shadows. "Buffy, I know you want to and I do as
well, but we cannot stop it, nor can we kill him or Darla... We cannot risk altering the
future." Buffy sighed. It would be a long nightIt was a few hours later and Elizabeth came in and woke Kathryn. Buffy listened to
Kathryn cry as the Slayer told the woman she never found a trace of Angel and all of
Angus' family was dead. Elizabeth then went to her bed and told Maria the same thing
before sinking into her Watcher’s arms crying. Buffy cried herself back to sleep
Dawn found a tired and haggard bunch. Kathryn started porridge for the morning meal
and readied the children for the day. Buffy watched carefully. Kathryn seemed an
automaton, a robot. Grief was etched into her face and showed through her eyes. Buffy
knew how she had felt when Angel's soul had been lost and he had been turned into a
vampire. The pain Kathryn had been feeling was far too close to Buffy's pain.It didn't help Buffy that she knew Angel was a vampire and would kill his entire family. A
newly changed vampire usually killed everyone they ever loved before the change. This had
several functions. First, the ones who know the vampire were easy prey to a weak fledgling.
Second, it was the demon's way to alienate the body he inhabited from any possibility of
external interference from others. Third, it removed the possibility of the soul finding an
emotional anchor to facilitate a return in order to regain command. Even if the soul was
able to momentarily regain command, there would be nothing in the world for the soul to
hang on to, despair would encompass the soul and eventually the soul would weary and the
Demon could once again regain command. [I like it!]Eventually, usually within the first three days of possession, the demon would be able to
completely imprison or evict the soul of the host, and then had complete control of the body.
It was essentially ‘soul rape’, and very few vampires remained with their souls intact from
the experience. Buffy's personal experience with some ensouled vampires taught her that it
was possible. The Watchers taught the Slayers that at change it was instantaneous, but she
knew that it wasn’t. Angel’s soul had stayed locked inside the demon and watched all the
horrible things it did with his body. She’d even had dreams of his soul while the demon was
in control. The soul existed, locked away, watching in horror at the actions of the demon,
unless the demon was able to evict it. While that was certainly the most common result, it
was by no way a guarantee...Angel, who would have his soul returned to him in the gypsy curse, would have a hundred
years’ long nightmare to remember. Now Buffy was going to live a small piece of his
nightmare. She remembered once asking about his family, she had wanted to know about
them. He couldn't even talk about it. Now she would see it first hand. She winced in dread
anticipation.The day dragged with little conversation or speech. Around dinner the children looked
about for their father who would never come. Kathryn just told them Papa was busy and
would not be home for dinner.Elizabeth looked at Buffy and Giles. "We need to go looking for him before he comes
here". They nodded. Maria motioned to Giles who bent over to hear her whisper. "My
diaries are in a bag under my bed. I took them from their original place which Angelus
knows about, and hid them there ... if the worse happens... take them." Giles nodded. They
left.They walked the entire area and found no sign of the vampires they hunted. They stopped
at a nearby neighbor’s house that was a friend of Angelus and Kathryn and found the
remnants of a vampire attack. Buffy was amazed at the carnage the vampires in this time
period left. Those they didn't feed on they killed, but the killing wasn't done outright. There
were signs of torture. Obviously these vampires were incredibly vicious, and enjoyed
'playing with their food’ first.Buffy remembered Angel's statement at the Bronze when he did mention his past and
family. "I killed mine. I killed their friends... and their friend's children... For a hundred
years I offered ugly death to everyone I met, and I did it with a song in my heart." Now she
saw first hand just what he meant by an ugly death. ‘Ugly’ was too tame a word for this
torture and carnage."Oh no,” Elizabeth cried, “they’re heading towards home!" She started running toward
Angel’s home.
They arrived at the cottage to find carnage worse than at the river or the other homes they
visited. Kathryn had obviously put up a fight to protect her children, but her valiant defense
had been in vain. She lay on the bed nude; bruises, scratches and lacerations marked her
body. She had obviously been raped, and her pregnant belly had been was ripped open, the
infant removed and then strangled with its own cord. They were both drained of blood.The little girl lay in a heap where her drained corpse had been thrown into a wall with
enough force to crush her skull. Dark, wet blood and other remnants of the child stained
and spattered the wall in a sick, obscene manner. Maria had been...shredded; drained and
then crucified against the wall. Angus was dead at the table, his throat ripped out. Elizabeth
walked among the corpses and cried. Buffy could only stare at Kathryn. Had Angel done
this to her or had it been another vampire?Giles went to the bed. He reached under and removed the Watcher diaries, which he then
put them in his bag. He then realized there was someone missing...the boy. "The boy is
missing. Quick, look around, find him... he may be alive!"During a quick search outside the cottage, the boy was discovered but in grave condition.
He was quietly crying and looking at a piece of metal that passed through his abdomen and
pinned him to the wall. He was horribly pale and weak with blood loss; a vampire wound an
angry red mark on his pale young throat. He looked up at them, his eyes glazed with pain as
Elizabeth she bent down to hug him " Why, 'lizbeth? Why Papa do this?" Elizabeth stared
in shock as he closed his eyes and died. Buffy's mind reeled. It had been Angelus that did
this carnage!"Angelus has been turned already..." Buffy exclaimed to Giles. "We were too late!"
Buffy found her self slammed into the wall with Elizabeth holding her off of the ground.
"You knew Angelus would be turned into a vampire! You know of my family, you’re from
the future... talk!" Buffy was having a hard time talking since Elizabeth was grabbing her
neck."We don't know. That's just it. We don't know! Your Watcher diaries were missing in our
time. All we know is that Darla turned Angelus and that he killed his family." Giles tried to
pull Elizabeth off of Buffy with no success."If you do not have the diaries, how do you know that much?" Elizabeth cried.
"Angel told us. Angel is in the future. The safety of the world depends on him surviving to
1998. No matter what he has done, you can't kill him or Darla!" Giles continued to
uselessly try to separate the Slayers and she glowered at him. He continued. "He will
reclaim his soul from a Gypsy curse, he will work with us, save her life numerous times and
eventually he will serve the Lady Tirla. You cannot kill him."Elizabeth turned to Buffy "Your man, the vampire. The one you lost, who now serves the
Lady Tirla. It is Angelus isn't it? Your bonds mate is my brother." Buffy could only nod.
"That was why you cried to see him alive, with his wife and family? You know what horrors
his future holds?" Buffy could just nod.Elizabeth dropped her suddenly. "The rest of the family!" She raced out into the darkness.
They could do nothing but follow.
They arrived at a nearby farm, which was larger and appeared more prosperous. The
carnage continued. They ran to the house and found a similar scene. Elizabeth ran up to an
older woman. "Mama!" she cried as she dropped to her knees to hold the cooling body."You always were such a momma's girl." Angelus stood leaning against the doorjamb in
an insulting manner. His lopsided smile was not reflected in his eyes.Elizabeth grabbed a stake and threw herself at her brother with a scream of rage, and the
battle went outside. Giles blocked Buffy from following. "No, we cannot interfere!"It wasn't long until they heard her scream and when they looked out they saw him raising
his face from her neck where he had drained her. Darla came up to him and put out her
hand, which he knelt and kissed. "Very good, my Dark Angel. Your first night and you
killed a Slayer. The Master will be well pleased with you."He stood and started to walk toward the forest when he stopped and then crumpled in a
heap with a blood-curdling scream "KATHRYN!"In a flash Darla was at his side. "My dark Angel, drink again and strengthen the demon in
order to banish that horrid soul." She ripped at her neck and dropped to her knees and fed
her blood to him. He drank her blood, and then they stood and walked into the woods with
her hand in hand without looking back.Buffy and Giles spent the day gathering anything and everything that could be a talisman
from the bodies and burying the slain. Buffy couldn't look too closely at the torn and
ravaged bodies that were family to Angel. They buried them all but found nothing, then
realized that the talisman had to be in the other house.They returned to Angel's own house. The bodies remained untouched. They went through
every nook and cranny and removed anything that could possibly be a talisman. The stench
of the bodies and the collecting flies made it a disagreeable task, but one they had to do.
They removed all the jewelry. As she placed Kathryn in her grave Buffy picked up
Kathryn's Claddagh ring and felt a tingle. "I think I found it!" She cried to Giles as the
world started to swim.
1998
They appeared in the ritual chamber of Lady Tirla. She stood with calm understanding of
the hell they went through to get what she needed. She put her hand out and Buffy dropped
the ring into her hand. She looked at Giles and he brought out the missing journals. She
smiled. She nodded a dismissal and then walked out of the door with the ring and the
journal. Buffy watched her leave. In her mind’s eye she remembered Angel in the sunlight,
holding his children and laughing. It was a sight she would never see again, and one she
was sure would haunt his dreams, along with their deaths at his hands. She now shared his
nightmare