Author's Notes: Let's figure out what the heck is going on.



“Is she okay?” Gunn regarded Buffy from across the room as she examined the mass assortment of weapons that lined the walls and several display cases in the armory. “She seems, I dunno, uptight.”

“Wouldn’t you be?” Wesley rubbed his chin thoughtfully as she picked up an ancient Morgatha sword that would have broken his arm if he had attempted the same. She effortlessly swung it and it whistled loudly as it cut through the air. “She does appear to be in fine form.”

“It ain’t her form that’s got me worried, man. Did you see the look on her face?”

“She’s scared.”

“I heard Slayers ain’t supposed to get scared.” Gunn watched her put the Morgatha back onto the shelf and reach for one that was carved by a special breed of demon. Only the bravest of specific breeds could weild it without suffering. “That thing is gonna rip her hand off.”

They watched as Angel rushed toward her, hell bent on taking the sword from her. The vampire’s efforts were futile however as an aura surrounded Buffy, emanating from the lethal tip. “Damn,” Gunn said. “So that’s what it’s supposed to do?”

“Looks like,” Wesley replied. He could see Angel gesturing between the sword and the Slayer, but it looked as if Buffy’s mind had been made up. She slipped the special glove from her delicate looking wrist and slid it into the warrior belt that Gunn had had to cut a new hole into to make it small enough for her.

Shaking his head, Wesley turned his attention toward Spike, who was rubbing a polishing wrag back and forth along the edge of a Fegora Blade. Spike’s attention was solely given to Buffy and Angel, and Wesley watched as the wrag was severed into two pieces and Spike hissed and stuck his finger into his mouth. Spike looked at Wesley, gave him a crude gesture, and turned his back to everyone.

“Hey,” Fred said, joining Wesley and Gunn near the main entrance. “She finding everything she needs?”

“Yeah,” Gunn said. “Did you get the Powers approval for using the room?”

“Got it.” Fred proudly displayed a piece of parchment with a red ribbon tied around it. “Hallowed walls and all!”

Wesley caught Angel’s attention and motioned him over. “What’s wrong?” Angel asked.

Giving him the parchment, Fred said, “We got the approval. But only for two hours and time started right then. We need to hurry.”

Buffy, who had clearly heard the conversation, pocketed a few of the fighting stars and several stakes, then crossed the room at a brisk pace. “I need to see your magickal supplies.”

******

Almost an hour passed before Buffy had all the herbs and tools handy that she would need. Tucked under her arm was a crystal ball that probably weighed more than she did and an ancient medicine bag had been added to the belt around her waist. She followed closely behind Angel, who led the way down the winding maze of assorted corridors until they stopped in front of a door that was obscured by thick green vines. The only indication Buffy had that it was actually a door was the grisly looking knob that protruded several inches, which was shaped like a hand.

“Nice,” she said sarcastically. “I think you need a gardner.”

Angel gave her a small smile as he pressed the parchment into the hand shaped doorknob. The hand sprang to life, gripping the paper tightly. Within seconds, the vines slid back, revealing a pristine white door that swung silently open. Dim light emanated from the room and Buffy stepped forward, gazing at the scene before her.

Somehow the door opened into the outside, but that was impossible. They were several stories in the air, yet a beautiful waterfall cascaded in the distance and the most beautiful, green grass that Buffy had ever seen grew knee high to the edge of the doorframe.

She gasped as a unicorn, tall and majestic, emerged from a thatch of trees and lowered its head to lap at the water. An eagle soared across the sky and she watched as the sun burst from behind several puffy clouds. “Wow.”

“I have to stay,” Angel told her, motioning her into the room. “No one is allowed in here without a staff escort. Will that be a problem?” He nodded at the crystal ball. “Will you have trouble with the spell?”

“No.” She bit her bottom lip and stepped fully into the room. “You know, it’s awfully sunlighty in here.”

Angel stepped in behind her and shut the door. “I’ll be okay.”

Buffy stared up at him, studying him closely. “I can’t believe I never noticed how pale you are.”

“I don’t look that great in direct sunlight.” Angel told her, using the exact words she had used with him one night in the cemetery.

It didn’t go unnoticed by Buffy, but she simply nodded and moved closer to where the unicorn stood observing them. “Is that real? Is any of this real?”

“What is anymore?” Angel gently reached out to touch the unicorn, which walked closer to him and lowered its head for a scratch. “We don’t have much time.”

“I thought only virgins could touch a unicorn?” she said.

“Most people think unicorns are extinct, too.”

“And that vampires don’t exist.”

“Or that garlic keeps us at bay. I actually like garlic.”

“So does Sp-” She caught herself, and saw his eyes narrow, and trailed off. “I better get started.”

Buffy seated herself beside the pond and began to pull out her tools. Angel watched her prepare the herbs, arrange the tools, and annoint the crystal ball with the thick concoction. He wanted to ask her if Willow had taught her, but he knew that whatever she was doing would require her full concentration. He knelt a few feet from her, watching her intently as she began to chant.

“Goddess, hear my plea
Bring forth the woman that I seek
Let me gaze upon her face
Bring her to this sacred place
Through this consecrated glass
Let nothing but knowledge come to pass
Allow my questions, this I plea
Bring Maria here to me”

There was a loud popping sound as a milky haze began to fill the crystal ball. Buffy leaned forward, slicing her hand and allowing several droplets of blood to fall on the shiny surface. Within seconds, the haze began to take the shape of an elderly woman. Her skin appeared to be deep bronze and was so wrinkled that it was hard to tell how old she could possibly be.

“Hello, child,” the old lady said. Her voice seemed to come from every corner of the room, whipping across the valley like a strong wind.

“I hope that I didn’t wake you,” Buffy told her, smiling genuinely for the first time in what seemed like forever.

“No, child. I was waiting. I knew you’d call on me. Your soul is crying out loud enough for me to hear. It’s deafening.You know that He has also heard.”

“I didn’t want to stop taking the serum.”

“It is too late to go back now. He knows that you are whole. And He will crave you now like a man undone. You’ve beaten Him and He will not forgive this.”

“No, he won’t.” Buffy ran her fingers through her hair and exhaled loudly. “Tell me what to do.”

“Child, we gave you the serum because we knew that your soul was broken. We knew that He could take what He wanted of you and leave you hollow. But there is another way.”

“Okay, not a fan of dramatic pauses.”

Maria’s laughter emanated from all directions. “Your soul is strong now. Powerful and whole. You need to give it to someone else for safe keeping.”

“What with the who?”

Angel stood, staring down at the crystal. “Buffy-” he said sternly.

Holding up a hand, Buffy said, “Maria, I don’t like the not having a soul thing. Evil isn’t my best color.”

“You won’t lose your soul, child. It will be pulsing inside of you all the time, but you’ll have something stronger than even His ability inside of you as well.”

“What? Watered down evil? It still makes me look washed out.”

“Protection.” Maria coughed and cleared her throat.

“Are you sick?”

“No, child. I’m fine.” The old lady dabbed at her eyes with a cloth. “I can feel their love for you. You can, too. You know that either would surrender his life for you and because they are both supernatural and their souls are strong enough to curb their impulses, they carry a magic inside that He doesn’t. You already carry them inside of you. It’s time for you to let them in all the way and once they’re there, once you trust in what they feel, your soul can’t be touched by anyone but them.”

“That sounds really nice, but Maria -”

“Child, my clan gave the dark one his curse. I know how powerful his soul is. It’s untouchable.”

Buffy met Angel’s eyes over the crystal ball. His jaw was clenched tightly as he glared at her. She swallowed hard. “What do I have to do?”

“You all have to come together. As one. You each have to trust the other.”

“That will never happen.”

Maria was silent for several seconds. “Merge. Share,” she finally said softly. “The physical act of love is the most powerful tool in the world.”

Buffy’s jaw dropped somewhere around her waist. “What!? Are you telling me ... are you saying ... what the hell are you saying?”

“There is no guilt in love, Buffy.” Maria wiped her eyes again. “I can tinker with both of their souls from here, once you’ve ... merged together. I can place a piece of each in you because they already own a piece of you. Once The Immortal tries to break through, the three of you will attack from within you.”

“I never thought that you, my mentor, would tell me to ... to ... have an orgy!” Buffy snapped. “I think you’re a pervert.”

“And I think you want to live, child.”

“You know what?” Buffy began to shove the supplies back into the bag. “You better NOT have told Diego to seduce my sister to protect her!”

“She is in no danger, but you are. You will die. He will suck you dry before you can say His name.”

“Well, I don’t really know his name now do I?”

“He knows yours, Buffy. And He knows how to destroy everything you are. I have not led you astray and I never would. You saved the future keeper of this clan and for that we will forever be in your debt. Believe in me as I believe in the power of what you and the vampires share. It will save you if you let it.”

Buffy swiped the knife across her hand and dripped blood on the globe again. “All my answers now fulfilled, the connection may be free, return us to our humble lands, as I will so mote it be.”

Not meeting Angel’s eyes, Buffy stood and angrily stuffed the rest of her supplies away. Wordlessly, she headed back toward the door. Angel followed. “Buffy, we can’t leave until our time is up.”

“Great!” Buffy threw her hands in the air and then threw her bag with all her might, scaring the unicorn back into the woods. “I love being held hostage! It’s really good for my mental health!”

“We need to talk.”

“Oh god. Every time you say that ...”

“You’re trusting the clan of gypsies who cursed me?”

“Did I say that I trusted them? Right now I think they’re a bunch of twisted, fornicating exhibitionists.”

“You went to the people who cursed me for *help*. Do you not see the wrong in that?”

“No offense, Angel, but when you aren’t cursed ... you kinda suck. Literally!”

“Oh great! I’ve deserved all these years of guilt, agony, and misery!”

“Duh!” Buffy could only stare at him in disbelief. “You’d rather be killing and rampaging all over the place still?”

“Well, okay, there is that!” Angel growled. “But the little happiness clause? That’s just dirty!”

“So was killing their princess or whatever she was. Don’t mess with powerful people and they won’t mess with you.”

“Did you know that they were the ones who cursed me?”

“Angel-”

“Yes or no?”

“Yes.”

He turned away from her and took several angry strides back toward the water, then spun and stalked back toward her. “Aren’t you going to ask me why I could make love to you and not lose my soul?”

“I figured you’d tell me eventually.”

“It’s because we outsmarted them. They’re not that powerful, Buffy. We’ve got everything you need right here at Wolfram and Hart to beat The Immortal. You don’t need crooked, dirty people -”

“Angel, Wolfram and Hart is crooked and dirty. Scoundrels!”
Shaking his head, he held up a hand to silence her. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Neither do you!”

“Are you actually entertaining the idea of doing what she said?”

“Right now I’m thinking absolutely nothing could inspire me to touch you.”

“And nothing could inspire me to watch Spike ... to actually ...”

“Whatever.”

“Whatever.”

Buffy gathered her bag and repacked the contents that had spilled out. She stood next to Angel, each of them glaring at the door until it finally opened. Fred was standing on the other side, all smiles, but her face fell when Angel shoved her out of the way and stalked down the hallway. Buffy sidestepped and walked in the opposite direction.
“Oh dear,” Fred whispered.

~*~*~*~

“Let me make sure that I understand.” Wesley removed his glasses, rubbed them absently on his shirt, and put them back on. “Buffy contacted the gypsy elder of the Romany clan who cursed you and this elder told her to ... good lord.”

Gunn, who had a small grin on his face, shook his head. “Angel, man, if you don’t want to do it, I’ll gladly step in.”

Angel glared at Gunn for several long seconds, until the smile had faded from Gunn’s face. “I just - I can’t believe that she’d turn to them.”

“I can’t believe that they would risk your soul,” Wesley shook his head. “We have done all we can to protect it, but to urge you to make love with Buffy after what happened previously is, well, insane.”

“It’s safe,” Angel absently replied. “I didn’t lose it.”

Fred, who was thumbing frantically through a book entitled Romany Romance, drew a sharp breath and glanced up at Angel. “You cheated on Nina?”

Angel didn’t meet her gaze. “I don’t want to discuss it.”

“But if you’ve already been with Buffy, then what’s the big deal?” Gunn asked. “I mean, just do the damn thing and let’s get this Immortal thing finished.”

Angel stood and paced to the windows, staring outside at the darkening sky. “Why would Spike need to be involved?”

“Because he loves her.” Fred flipped a page in the book and read aloud. “Love is the strongest and most powerful bond that people can share. While in the act of love, the Romany believe that the souls combine, lock together, and leave traces, or stains, that indelibly mark the lovers for eternity.”

“Why can’t it just be me?” Angel turned and glared at Fred as if she were the one who had suggested it.

“Maybe you aren’t strong enough, Angel. Maybe all that serum that Buffy took weakened her soul, so she needs the two of you and what you both feel for her to piece it back together.” Noting the look on his face, Fred threw her hands in the air. “Do you have any better suggestions? Because I don’t! Every piece of information I have says that The Immortal is one of the most powerful beings on the face of the planet. Maybe he can’t hurt a soul that was created using magick. Oh my god! That’s probably it! Angel, I bet that you and Spike, both your souls, are impervious to his interference! And if he does somehow get through one ... I bet he won’t be strong enough to get through the other! He’ll starve!”

“Starve?”

“If he fights for a soul and loses, then he loses all of the reserve that he has. Where did I put the printout of Willow’s database?” Fred grabbed a stack of papers and read back through them. “Here it is: The same way a vampire needs blood to sustain immortality, a Vespara needs souls to sustain it. Human souls. That soul lasts for about three weeks and then the Vespara is drained, starved. However, if a soul proves too powerful or the victim is wise to what is happening and allows their soul to war with the Vespara, and the Vespara loses, he will also lose everything that makes him immortal and can then be killed.”

“How did we miss that?” Gunn asked, taking the papers and reading through them. “That’s what Buffy was trying to do with the serum. She was gonna let him get back inside her and then let the parts of her soul that was evil or whatever fight him.”

Angel, who had listened closely to the conversation, swallowed hard. “I didn’t even consider that. I just - I thought that she was trying to take an easy way out.”

“It couldn’t have been easy, Angel, to have everything stripped out of you. I mean, she was trying to do what was right.” Fred sighed and picked up the book again. “I can see if there’s another way. We can consult with the seers or try to-”

“No.” Angel shook his head. “We know what has to be done.”
Gunn watched as Angel crossed the room, grabbed his duster, and walked out the door. “He acts like a man condemned! He’s fixing to get a piece of a-”

“Charles!” Fred snapped.

“I’m just saying -”

Wesley removed his glasses again and exhaled loudly. “This is the part where I remind you that Spike and Angel hate one another. What if that’s the most powerful part of their souls?”

“I hate when you think like that, man. You do know that. Right?” Gunn crossed his arms. “We’re in for a long night.”
Fred tossed him a thick, leather book. “Might as well make it useful.”

“I hate when you think like that, too!” he said, but he settled into an armchair and opened the book with a resigned expression on his face.

~*~*~*~*~