"Immortal Beloved..." CXXXIII...

PG-13

Disclaimer: If ya are fan-fic writers, where's your disclaimers? Disclaimers? We ain't got no disclaimers...I don' need to show you no stinkin'...No, Joss, no...I make no claims, put that thing down!

It's all yours and ME's...

Spoilers for Angel to the bitter end...Flee at once!...

Summary: Though the standard IB format, one of (133) versions of events following the end of Angel S5 episodes from "Girl in Question" through to "Not Fade Away" and beyond... (Not a continuous story, though some are multipart...)

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The City of Angels…One more just arrived…

The night of the epic battle with the combined forces of the Senior Partners…

Now, despite the ridiculous odds at the opening, in full, disorganized retreat to their overloading Hell portal…

An anxious, weary-looking slight blonde-haired figure bending over what appeared to be a heap of debris or garbage covered in gore and a torn black jacket…But which in moving revealed itself to be…

"You're here…" he looked up at her through a world of pain…Recognition of her face slowly coming to him almost as if out of a mist… "You came…"

"Yes…I came…Now lets get you outta here…Are you in a lot of pain?...Can you lean on me?..."

"I'd say I can walk but the leaning thing is too good to pass up…" he grinned wanly…Feeble wave of arms…

She put her arm round him and his arm on her shoulder… "Ok, now…"

He groaned a bit as she raised him to his feet…

Careful…He looks bad…

I know that…

"Will…I'm sorry…" she turned to his battered face, pausing…He saw a tear run…

"Should we stop?...Should I put you down, get some help?..."

My dear God…You are now off the hook for my unjust condemnation, old fellow…He mentally, thankfully prayed…

"No, no…It's fine…Nothing that won't heal in a day…"

"Well, we'll let a doctor decide that…" she said firmly…

"Just don't go…" he looked at her face… "Even if this is just a dream before dying or you're the First or some shapeshifter…"

"It's me, Will…And I won't…"

"Angel...The boy…Lyri…" he looked around…

Lyri?...Is that the…

"They're safe, Will…The human guy…Charlie?..." she hesitated… "He's on his way to a hospital…Dr. Burkle's with him…" she paused again… "Is that her nickname?...Lyri?..."

"Yeah…" he nodded… "From her middle name…"

"Part demon, isn't she?..."

"Since her 'accident', yeah…"

"She was worried about you…But Angel and I told her we'd go on looking…Angel's somewhere about now…I'll see someone lets him know…"

I agree...I like William better…

Will you stop?...

Well, Angel's engaged or something isn't he?...

"That's great…" he was gasping a bit now…

"We'd better get a move on…Unless you need to…"

"I'm fine…Fine, now…"

He went limp and she took him up in her arms…

"Will…Will…"

Oh…Buffy…He's…

Quiet…He'll make it…We're going…

He opened his eyes…

"This one just keeps getting better…" another faint smile…

"I'll get you in now…" she said… "Just hold tight…"

"Forever…" he smiled…

They hurried on through the streets…The night lit up by the fires blazing merrily throughout the area…Consuming cars, buildings, the occasional screaming demon…Rain though was just starting to fall…

Hurry, hurry…

I am…I am…

"Will, are you ok?...Tell me to stop if you need me to…"

"Fine…fine…" fainter…

He's so much more beautiful than…

Yeah, yeah…Don't distract me…God knows what's still out here…I better keep talking…They say it's wrong to let somebody pass out after a head injury…

"Will…I'm sorry I didn't come before…" she spoke to him …

"How…Long…"

"Not long…A month…Andrew told me…"

"Really…" stronger voice, surprised… "Wells held out all this time?..."

Andrew…Anger…

Stop it…Giles told him not to…

"He wanted to tell me…Giles made him keep it to themselves…"

Damn…Is that the word?...Giles…

He was protecting me…He and you and I have a deal…And we are not gonna hurt him…You understand me?...

Yes…Reluctant…

"So, after Rome, eh?..."

He sounds better…Hurry up…

I don't want to hurt him more…

Tell him…That'll cheer him up…

Enough…

"He told me you were in Rome…" blurted…

Hey…What do you think you're doing?...

Sorry…But tell him…

"Did he?...Angel was there too, you know…"

"So he said…"

"Haven't read anything in the mags…How'd it work out?..." he asked, wearily…

See…He thinks…

I know…

"I wasn't with the Immortal, Will…That was a stand-in…An actress Slayer…"

"What?..."

I knew that would cheer him up…Look…

Stop it…

"Giles and Andrew thought I needed protection after Angel seemed to be going with the Partners…She was a very good copy…And was willing to take the gig…Also Giles wanted info on His Benevolence…"

"I rather suspected I was makin' a fool of myself…" whisper…

No…

"No, Will…It was beautiful of you…And Angel…Why didn't you try and…" she paused a second…

"…Punch his lights out…"

Good one…

Thanks…

Faint chuckle from Will… "God knows I wanted to…But I figured…" groan…

"Lets hold up a mo…I need to catch my breath…" she halted… "How are you?..."

Didn't you ever learn any medical procedures?...What do you call it…'First Aid'?...

I don't know anything that'll help here…He's a vamp…He'll either make it or…

"Help!...My William's hurt!!..." she screamed suddenly…

"Buffy?..." William in her arms stared up at her…

Stop it…Don't do that again…

He needs help…

We have a deal and you're breakin' it…

Sorry…He needs help…

I know that!...

You don't care…You wouldn't even have come…

That's not true…

You could have come days…Weeks ago…We could've got here before he even…

Shut up!...

"Will, I'm better now…Are you ready to go?...We should get outta here…"

"Your call, love…I'm sure I'll go where you go…"

Move it!...

I said shut up!...But she hurried on…

"Will…Of course I came…But William…" Buffy sighed…

Not now…Buffy…

He needs to know…I won't let him die, thinking…

"I understand…" he said quietly… "I'm just glad you came…"

You told him you loved him…

I do…In my way…

"I'll always love you, William…"

In my way…Sarcastic…

Stop…

Where I come from…

You can do as you please…But here, you follow my lead…Or else…

Take me to Drusilla as soon as we get William safe…The Council's got her in confinement now…

You can't deal with a vamp…

I'll guide her…It'll save lives…Besides, she may opt for soul recovery…

Dru?...Please…

My mission with you is done…I have enough information…

Great, then you can go home…

"Leave me here, love…" whisper…

What?...Dual voices in head…

"I've no great wish to hang round…Let me go and see if I've made enough points to reach Heaven…"

"William, be quiet…"

"There's nothing for me here, Buffy…I have family in the afterlife…Just put me down and promise to think kindly of me…I'll be fine…"

Great job, Slayer…Sarcastic voice…

"No…" she replied to him…

"I'm not your burden, love…Let me go…" he feebly struggled…

"I can't…" she replied… "I won't…Besides, we're almost there…"

"Fine…" he sighed…

"I take it back…" she said, hastily…

"Sure…" he said, quietly… "I've never held you to…"

"No…That's not what I mean…"

"Buffy…We've never lied to each other…"

You didn't stop me…

No…I didn't…But leave this to me…

"I wanted to stay…At Sunnydale…" she said…

"That's not what I wanted, Slayer…"

"Why didn't you come to me?...Were you afraid?..."

"To death…Undeath…"

I see them…

Yeah…

"There's the disaster team…" she told him… "Just a little longer…You'll be fine…"

"Sure…"

"Give a girl a chance, Will…This is huge, you know…"

"Buffy…Don't…I'm sorry…I won't do anything…Just don't…"

"No, we love you…!"

"Well…Thank the Nibs for me…"

Damnit, I said!…

Sorry…

"We've gotta talk, Will…When you're better…Please…"

"Ok…"

I still say, take me to Dru if you aren't gonna…

Shut…The…F…Up!... She halted, nearly stumbling with him…

"Slayer?..." Will looked at her…

"Ummn…Sorry…Not you…"

"That was internal…" he said…Staring… "I'm still demon enough to sense that…When you shout at least…And I thought I heard…Whispering…Who's in there with you?..."

Oh-oh…Say, he's good…

I'll have to tell him…

Ok…Happy tone…And tell him I'll gladly take him off your hands…

In a whatever you use for a farm animal's eye…

"Yeah, there's someone else in here…" Buffy sighed…

"Not demon…I think…" he looked at her face…

"May I present my guest…Sorta…Malica…My visiting thing from another world…"

"Call me a visitor from Planet X…My people don't like to give away our stellar position till we know whom we're dealing with…" sheepish smile on Buffy's face…

"She's not in control…Just along for the ride…" Buffy explained as he frowned… "It's a deal between her folks and the Council…We were looking for new allies and they wanted more info about Earth…"

"I'm sorta an explorer and ambassador all rolled up in one…" she continued… "But like Buffy says, I'm not running her…" warm smile…

"I volunteered…We were worried what with some of the new Slayers turning to evil and Angel maybe lost to us…" Buffy shrugged…

"And our people were worried about your darker forces here…Some of them have been colonizing out in the Galaxy, you know…"

"I see…I guess…" Will stared…

"I'm not Evil, Will…Buffy can oust me at any time…But we oughta get you to the hospital…And let Angel know you're ok…"

"It really is ok, Will…"Buffy nodded… "But she's right, lets get you in, ok?...Then we can talk…"

"Dru's been caught…" she added hastily… "So if things don't work out…"

"That 'ousting' is starting to sound good…" Buffy said, coldly…

Just making my case, Slayer…

"I guess…I'm…Flattered…" Will blinked…

"You're the most wonderful creature I've ever…Jesus!..."

Like I said, Slayer…

"Very flattered…" he grinned…

"She didn't make me come, you know…" Buffy, grousingly…

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