Obsidian

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Obsidian, part 1

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It was a strange night, Angel mused. Something about the way the sky looked was off. One couldn't normally see many stars in the night skies of Los Angeles, but tonight the firmament seemed even darker than usual.

Maybe it was just his mood.

Angel came home just before dawn, tired from a long and tough battle, and bumped into Gunn in the lobby. The young man seemed to be in a disgustingly good mood and was clearly excited about something.

”Angel, man, I gotta ask you, what is it with you and the chicks?"

“Gunn, I am very tired. Would you please tell me what you mean?"

Gunn grinned and motioned upstairs.

“I came by to ask you for help in outing some Vampires from the neighborhood. You weren't home ..."

“Obviously."

“ ... but there is a pretty girl sleeping in your bed."

Angel was stunned for a moment.

“Could you repeat that, please?"

“There is a pretty girl sleeping in your bed. Man, you really attract them by the scores, you know?"

Angel shook his head. A girl sleeping in his bed? Either Gunn was seeing things or someone had some explaining to do. He knew that Wesley and Cordelia were conspiring to get him set up with somebody. Said he needed some loving company or such. If this was their doing, they would pay for it.

Well, just one way to find out.

“Want me to come with you?" Gunn asked teasingly as Angel started walking towards the stairs.

Angel ignored him and walked up to his bedroom. The lights were off, the heavily draped windows not allowing a single slice of approaching daylight into the room. Vampire eyes had little trouble making out the form lying on his bed, though.

If he were blind, he would have recognized her.

“Buffy?" He whispered.

The Slayer was lying in his bed, seemingly deep asleep. She was dressed very strangely. Black pants, black shirt, black coat. Angel looked down, knowing that he wore the exact same things.

Buffy was breathing evenly, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. She looked so very beautiful when she slept. A large part of him wanted nothing but to sit down and just watch her sleep. He hadn't seen her in months and their last few meetings hadn't exactly been cozy. Having her this close ...

He realized her cheeks were covered with dried tears. There were rings beneath her eyes and she looked like she hadn't even been close to a bed in days, if not weeks. Also, there was something off about her. Like earlier with the night sky, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Something about her was wrong.

He hated having to disturb her. The way she curled into his sheets made him want to believe that she had come here to … don't even think it, Angel. They were not meant to be, they could never be together. Nothing had changed.

Deciding to get it over with, he touched her shoulder, gently shaking her.

"Buffy? Please, wake up!"

It took a long time for her to stir, but when she opened her eyes and saw him leaning above her, she immediately came wide awake and threw her arms around him, burrowing her face in his chest and crying so hard that her entire body rocked with her sobs.

Angel, not knowing what else to do, wrapped his arms around her and let her cry, whispering soothing words into her ear and stroking her hair. He didn't know how long it took and neither did he care. She was the most important thing in the world to him and he would have held her for all eternity if that was what it took.

After some time her sobs became fainter and the tears dried up. Angel gently pulled her away from his chest to look at her. Her beautiful face was a mask of pain and sorrow. Seeing her like this made him want to weep, but he couldn't. He would be strong for her.

"Angel!" She whispered, looking at him like he was the only thing left in a world gone mad.

"I am here, beloved. Tell me what happened!"

Sniffing, she wiped some tears from her face with her sleeve and slouched down beside him. She looked confused, as if she didn't quite know where to begin.

"Take your time." He told her, gently wrapping his arms around her again. She leaned into his embrace, her fists curling into his shirt.

"I … I don't even know … Angel, it was …"

"Start at the beginning, Buffy. What happened?"

She sniffed again.

"It … it began with the killings. Within three nights six dead bodies had been found near Sunnydale Park, all of them young women. All of them had been drained, not of their blood like a Vampire did, but of their very life essence, leaving them dried-out husks."

Angel nodded for her to go on. Her voice gradually became steadier.

"Giles gave a long lecture about the possible suspects. The most likely according to him was a form of Incubus, a male demon presence feeding off mortal females. He also told me to be careful at least a thousand times, as those suckers seem to have the ability to mesmerize any female."

"I have met an Incubus once. Unpleasant fellow."

"It wasn't one, though. It was something else entirely."

"Just go on, Buffy."

She clutched him tighter and continued.

"So I was patrolling the Park, dressed a little more provocative than I usually do, hoping to set myself up as bait. Nothing happened for hours and I was about to call it a night. Then …"

Her voice broke and she started sobbing again.

"Did it attack you?" Angel inquired softly.

"I … I am not sure. Suddenly there was … God, it was so …"

Angel hugged her tighter, feeling the incredible confusion inside her head. Whatever had happened to her, it must have been traumatic.

"And … and when I woke up … I was still in the park and …"

She looked at him, her eyes blurry with tears.

"It was there."

"What was there?" Angel asked.

She looked down, her hands gesturing towards her clothing.

"This!"

Angel was confused. What did she mean? Her clothes?

"I don't understand, Buffy." He admitted.

Her hands clawed into the coat and shirt she wore, tearing at the fabric. Angel watched with wide eyes as what seemed to be leather warped and twisted under her hands, stretching like rubber. The black fabric rippled and pulsed, almost as if alive, only to fall back into its old shape when Buffy let go.

"It won't come off!" Buffy whispered, tears on her face again.

###

Obsidian, part 2

Buffy shivered, even though she felt safer here than she had felt anywhere else these past few days. It was Angel, her Angel. His very presence calmed her, gave her the feeling that everything would turn out right in the end.

Why had she treated him the way she did? Why had she let him go away?

Angel carefully reached out to touch the … thing, she didn't have a better name for it. His fingers trailed across the fabric and it felt to her as if he was touching her bare skin. Electricity seemed to flow where his fingers touched her and she had to suppress the urge to moan.

"It feels like leather." Angel said.

She shook her head.

"Not to me. I barely feel it, it's like it's not really there. And … and it didn't look like this at first."

"How did it look?"

"It … I didn't even notice at first, because it made itself look exactly like the clothing I wore before it … well, you know. It only turned into this when I started … thinking of you."

Angel nodded, the deep commitment to help her clearly visible in his eyes. It soothed her. Angel would make it all right. She knew it.

"It appears that this thing is in some way responding to your thoughts."

He was only thinking out loud, but Buffy paled, thinking of the things she had not told him yet. She pushed down the urge to cry again. She had done more than enough sobbing for today. Angel was here. Everything would be all right.

"I tried to get it off," she whispered, hating how very much afraid she sounded, "but it wouldn't. It just wouldn't come off."

Angel held her, trying to be there for her.

"What did Giles say about this?" He asked.

Buffy winced. This was the question she had been afraid of. Angel saw the look in her eyes.

"You did show it to him, right?" He asked.

She looked away, unable to meet his eyes.

"Buffy, if you don't tell me what happened, I can't help you. What happened in Sunnydale? Why did you come here?"

Fresh tears rolled down her face and she leaned forward to burrow into his chest once more. Angel closed his arms around her. Something terrible must have happened.

"Angel, I …" She chocked, the words just wouldn't come out.

"Please, beloved. Tell me!"

She nodded, trying to look brave, even though she felt anything but.

"Okay. Here is what happened."

#

Buffy felt strange, which was probably not a good sign. She remembered very little of what had happened during the last few hours, which worried her even more. The only thing she still knew was that she had been hunting for a demon and suddenly been attacked herself.

Closing her eyes, she tried to remember what she had seen. Darkness mostly, closing in on her from all sides. Obsidian blackness attacking her, touching her. She remembered striking out, yet hitting nothing. She remembered panic, a feeling of helplessness so profound that she shivered just thinking about it.

She had woken up in the Park just a few minutes ago and no demon was in sight. She checked herself, but seemed unwounded. Had she driven it off somehow? Had it retreated for some reason? There was no way for her to know. The only thing she could do was get back to Giles and hope that he found out something.

Making her way towards Giles' apartment she remembered all the things going on in her life right now. Her mom in the hospital. A brain tumor. Dawn, her sister, yet not her sister. Glory, the demon that searched for Dawn. Spike, who obviously had developed feelings for her. Riley, whom she made feel more and more useless these past few months.

He was useless, she realized with a start. He no longer had any super powers, yet he was not able to see that. He insisted on putting himself in danger, even though he couldn't handle it. He wasn't even good for sex anymore. She had too much on her mind and he was too busy feeling left out.

She didn't even love him.

When exactly had she come to that realization? She hadn't really loved him, not ever, but she had always been fond of him. He was a nice guy, always there for her. Thinking about him right now, though, the only things she felt was disdain.

Without realizing it she walked towards Riley's place, clenching and unclenching her fists, filled with the pulsing desire to do … something. She had no idea what, but she knew that Riley was not the man she loved and she wanted to rub it into his face.

Riley wasn't home, though. Walking back out onto the streets, she suddenly knew where to go. It was as if she could scent him in the air. She walked swiftly toward a nearby graveyard and made a straight line towards a crypt.

Inside the crypt two people were fucking. One was Riley. The other was a Vampire.

#

"After that …", Buffy continued, "everything is blurry. I … I am not exactly sure what happened, but …"

Angel cursed below his breath. Riley Finn was very lucky that he was nowhere near at hand right now, or the Vampire would have torn him to shreds right then and there. Instead he stroked his hand across Buffy's hair.

"The only thing I know is …", she sobbed, "… when I came to … the first thing I clearly remember after that … is blood."

#

Buffy stared at her hands, at her body, and fear the likes she had never experienced before held her in its iron grip. Her clothing had changed, it moved, it lashed out with her anger. Obsidian fabric reformed and rippled, billowing around her body like a huge coat or cape.

On the floor before her she saw a pile of dust and a dead body. Her hands and large portions of the floor were covered with blood. So much blood.

She didn't need to look down to know that the dead body was Riley. Pieces of the thing that covered her body were still reaching out, caressing the cooling flesh at her feet like a lethal lover. Buffy felt shivers run through her body and she realized that it was excitement.

Not hers, though.

She screamed and started tearing away at the thing, trying to rip it off her body, trying to tear it into little pieces. Her nails dug into the Obsidian fabric and where she touched it there was movement, warmth. It was alive.

It wouldn't come off. It just wouldn't come off. It seemed to grow directly into her flesh without any visible seam. There was no telling where it ended and she began. Buffy screamed again and her hands found the knife Riley carried in his boot. She slashed into the thing.

It parted around the cutting edge and reformed directly behind it. Buffy was frantic and cut into her own flesh. That produced a reaction. Suddenly she was taken off her feet, ripples of darkness enveloped her, surrounded her, and she watched as the wound closed before her eyes. It was pulled together by Obsidian tendrils growing inside her flesh.

#

"It's everywhere," Buffy cried, "it's inside me. Sometimes I can feel it move inside me, through me. God, Angel! It's like that thing has become me."

Angel could see that his beloved was shaken to the core and the worst thing was that he did not know how to help her. He had never dealt with something like this before. Something that had taken possession of the woman he loved and had apparently killed for her.

"I … I did not even feel bad about Riley." She confessed, sobbing. "It's like that thing is in my head as well. It took my feelings and warped them, used them. I could feel it killing him and it made me feel good, Angel."

Angel knew the feeling only too well.

"Do the others know?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"I ... I couldn't. Not after what happened. Angel, I am so afraid. This thing ... it's doing things to me. It's making me do things, reacting to the tiniest bit of anger. I … I couldn't risk it harming the others."

She looked up at him.

"I had to come to you, Angel. I didn't know where else to turn. I love you, Angel, and I hate myself for the things I said and did to you."

Looking down again, she shook her head.

"If you don't want to help me, I … I would understand that."

He gathered her into a bone-crushing hug.

"Don't be a fool, beloved. How could you even think I would refuse to help you?"

"After … after all said and …" She sobbed into his chest.

"It doesn't matter, Buffy. I love you, nothing will ever change that. I promise we will find a way to beat this thing, no matter what."

She just stayed there, curled up against him, sobbing, holding on to him as if she was afraid to lose herself otherwise.

"I promise we'll find a way." He whispered.

Buffy fell back into uneasy sleep and Angel held her all through the day.

###

Obsidian, Part 3

Angel walked down the stairs to see Gunn smirking at him.

“Well? She is a hottie, right?"

The Vampire grabbed him by the throat and pushed him against the wall. Gunn found himself face to face with the demon.

“Her name is Buffy and if you say another bad word about her, I'm gonna rip your throat out, got it?"

“Got it man, cool it!"

Angel put him down, surprised at the intensity of his reaction. Gunn was a friend, he hadn't meant anything by it.

“Sorry, Gunn. It's just ..."

“Did I just hear the B-word?"

Cordelia walked into the lobby, followed by Wesley.

“B-word?" Wesley asked. Cordelia looked at him, annoyed as always.

“B as in Buffy. You know? The girl that always makes him miserable?"

Wesley nodded, understanding. Gunn just looked at them, confused.

“She is upstairs." Angel said.

“Oh, great!" Cordelia yelled. “She has been here twice before and both times was a disaster. Is she aiming for triple crown now?"

Angel just ignored her and walked over to the phone, dialing Giles' number from memory. The ex-Watcher picked up after the third ring.

“Yes?"

“Giles, it's Angel."

There was a pause and Angel could almost smell the worry that radiated off Giles.

“It's about Buffy, Giles."

“Is she with you? We haven't seen her in days and what with ..."

He stopped. Angel knew what he had been about to say.

“I know that Riley is dead, Giles. Buffy told me."

“Is she all right? We feared that whatever demon killed Riley might also have ..."

“Giles, it's a bit more complicated than that."

“How so? What's wrong with Buffy?"

“It's hard to explain over the phone, Giles. Suffice to say that Buffy is okay at the moment, physically at the least."

“I'll be in L.A. in two hours, Angel. I'll bring the others."

“I don't think that's the best idea, Giles. It's ... complicated."

“What do you mean? Angel, if anything has happened to Buffy ..."

“I said she was all right, Giles. As far as circumstances allow anyway. Right now she is terrified and she doesn't want to see any of her friends."

“But why? Angel ..."

“Giles, please! Trust me!"

There was another long moment of silence, the Angel could hear Giles sigh.

“Very well. Just please, keep me apprised."

“I will. And Giles, please look up anything you can find about demons and the likes that bond with people and can make themselves look like clothing."

“Clothing? Angel, what ...?"

“I wish I knew, Giles. I wish I knew. Just do it, okay?"

“Will do. I'll call as soon as I got something."

Angel put down the receiver to find everyone looking at him.

“Care to let us in on why hurricane Buffy is passing over L.A. again?" Cordelia asked.

“Something happened to her and she came for help. Just let it be Cordy, okay?" Angel said as Cordelia was about to open her mouth again.

“Okay, okay! But, really, I mean, she dumps you, she rubs her new boyfriend in her face, and now she comes crawling for help?"

“Her boyfriend is dead, Cordelia."

“Oh!" That managed to shut her up for several moments.

“What was that about demons that mimic clothing?" Wesley asked.

“Sounds like something for Barbie Queen here." Gunn remarked.

“Hey!" Cordelia yelled at him.

“Shut up, all of you!" Angel yelled at them, which produced silence in the lobby.

“Okay, listen up", Angel explained to them, “Buffy is here because she needs help and I intend to give it to her. Wesley, I want you to research demons that bond with people ..."

“... and mimic clothing?" Wesley asked.

“Right. The rest of you better not be around for a while, because ..."

“Angel?"

Everyone turned to see Buffy walk down the stairs, looking sleepy. Her clothing, or what appeared to be her clothing, looked exactly like Angel's.

“Oh, great," Cordelia sighed, “back for two minutes and they're dressing alike." Buffy just stared at Cordelia and it actually made the ex-cheerleader fall silent. A bad feeling spread in Angel's stomach. Someone gasped as the black leather coat Buffy wore suddenly started to ripple and change.

“Cordy, I think you should go." Angel said without taking his eyes off Buffy. His beloved's face was growing darker, anger clouding her eyes. She had told him that the thing responded to her thoughts and emotions and that became evident right now.

“Cordy, run!" Angel yelled as the leather coat lost its shape, reformed, and surged toward Cordelia in the form of a dozen Obsidian tendrils.

Cordelia screamed.

###

Obsidian, Part 4

Angel's mentioning of a demon that could mimic clothing struck a chord with Rupert Giles. It took him twenty minutes to remember where he had heard something like that before. It then took him another half hour to reach the Magic shop and find the book he was looking for.

The next ten minutes he spent skipping through the pages, cursing the time it took him to translate the ancient language inside his head. Finally he found the chapter he had been looking for.

Exactly one hour after Angel's call Giles had a pretty good idea what had happened to Buffy and his blood ran cold. He picked up the phone, but no one answered at Angel Investigations.

One hour and two minutes after Angel's call Giles jumped into his car, thanking the Lord that he no longer drove that old Citroen, and drove toward LA as fast as he could.

#

Angel shoved Cordy to the side as the Obsidian tendrils came surging toward them and put himself in harm's way. He didn't know what that thing could do to him, but he would not allow it to harm his friends. It had already used Buffy to kill once, there would not be another.

Buffy, still standing on the stairs, blinked as if waking from a dream and saw what was happening.

"No!" She yelled.

The tendrils came to a stop inches from Angel's face, hovering there like snakes waiting to strike. Angel looked past them at Buffy, who still stood on the stairs, looking frightened and confused.

"Angel?" She asked. The tendrils snapped backwards, toppling a chair and smashing into the receptionist desk on the way, and molded back into the black coat. No one noticed that the phone got crushed as well.

"Leave!" Angel told the others. "Now!"

No one argued for a change. Angel never took his eyes off Buffy, only the sound of receding footsteps told him that everyone else had gone. Only then did he slowly walk up the stairs and towards Buffy.

"Angel, I ...," she began, confused, "... I ... was angry at Cordelia and ..."

"It's okay," he said, tenderly touching her shoulders, "no one was harmed. You stopped it."

"But ... but I ... almost ... my God!"

She crumbled into this arms, shivering. Angel held her tight, wishing there was something he could do. This had to be Buffy's worst nightmare. Becoming a danger to her friends and family, becoming one of the monsters she always fought.

"Help me, Angel! Please!" She cried into his chest.

"Whatever it takes, beloved. Whatever it takes."

Having his arms around her, Buffy felt perfectly safe. He would make it right, he just had to. Angel would never betray her with another, he would always be there for her, no matter how cruel she treated him.

She felt warm, almost fuzzy, and suddenly Angel's grip around her lessened. He coughed and she opened her eyes.

"Buffy!" He said, looking down the length of her body. Buffy followed his gaze and felt the blood rush to her cheeks.

"Oh my God!"

The black clothing had vanished. She could see the last threads of Obsidian fabric retreat into her skin, vanishing into her body. It left her completely nude in front of Angel.

Angel took no – or almost no – time to admire the view. He took off his coat and draped it around Buffy's shoulders, covering her nudity. She took the clothing thankfully, resisting the urge to draw in Angel's scent that saturated the fabric.

"Why did it vanish?" Buffy asked after overcoming the initial surprise.

"What are you feeling?" Angel asked.

"Safe. Protected." Buffy admitted after a moment.

Angel nodded.

"Whatever this thing is, it reacts to your emotions. You felt safe, so I guess it considered you out of danger and ... I don't know, went to sleep."

Buffy clutched Angel's coat tightly around herself. She was afraid, so very afraid. How could she possibly control this thing if it reacted to her every emotion? She couldn't afford to grow angry at anyone, otherwise the thing would try and kill them. When she felt safe, it left her nude.

"I really hate it!" She murmured.

"I think the safest thing would be for you to just stay inside and not around people until we figure out what this thing is." Angel said.

Buffy nodded, allowing him to lead her up the stairs again. She didn't know what to do, but she trusted Angel. He would make it right.

Angel brought her to his room, searching through the closet for anything she could wear. Having her this close and undressed was definitely not a good idea. The long separation from her had not lessened the way he desired her.

Buffy watched Angel rummaging through his closet and had trouble breathing. A minute ago she had been too shocked and confused, but now she was almost painfully aware of his proximity and her state of undress. His own black shirt stretched over his muscled chest, the black pants molded perfectly over his behind as he bent down.

The world narrowed down to Angel standing in front of her, thinking about anything else became difficult. She felt something move beneath her skin, inside her body, but she didn't pay attention to it. Desire swelled up inside of her.

When Angel turned around, a large black shirt and a pair of jogging tights in hand, he was confronted with a sight that would have taken his breath away, if he'd had such a thing.

"Angel!" Buffy murmured, her voice hoarse with passion.

His coat was on the floor, forgotten. The Obsidian fabric returned, flowing out of her skin like water, dancing around her body. Angel was reminded of an oriental dancer, swirling veils around herself with every motion. Buffy did not move, though. She stood still as the thing rippled around her and looked at him in a way that left no room for misunderstanding.

"Buffy ..." he began.

Black tendrils reached out for him, not in a threatening way as before, but like a lover's hands. Angel inched back, not wanting to anger her, but he stood with his back to the closet door and could retreat no further. The tendrils touched him tenderly, opening the buttons of his shirt.

Buffy walked closer, the thing moving with her, and Angel had a hard time thinking about the threat she might pose to him. His eyes could not help but follow the sleek curves of her flesh, the way her skin gleamed in the soft light of the room.

She reached him and her fingers reached out to unbutton his pants. Angel wanted to move his hands to stop her, but the moment he touched her he forgot why he wanted to stop her. Obsidian fabric flowed around them both, sealing them off from the outside world, and Angel could not think of anything but the girl he loved more than life itself.

Buffy's hands slid across his chest, drawing him in, and their lips met in a passionate kiss.

The blackness around them rippled with joy.

###

Obsidian, part 5

Angel awoke without a clear memory of exactly when he had gone to sleep and looked around the room. There was something strange about it, something off. He hadn't lived here that long, but he knew that this was not the way the room was supposed to look like.

Everything was too dark, too black. The wallpapers certainly hadn't been black before, had they? Angel liked black, it suited his mood most of the time, but a black on black room would have been taking things a bit too far.

He looked to his side, remembering that Buffy had come to him yesterday. With a start he remembered what they had done and ice-cold fear gripped him. The curse. Angelus. What if ... at that moment he got his first look at Buffy and what he saw chased all potential happiness and bliss from his body.

Buffy's face was a picture of contentment and happiness. She seemed to be sleeping without a care in the world. Her face was one of the few parts of her body he was able to see.

The black thing had woven itself around her like a spider web, or maybe a butterfly cocoon. She hung inside an intricate construct of darkness and shadows, the Obsidian fabric hugging her like a lover. It had spread throughout the room and touched everything.

It also touched him, Angel realized with a start. The pillows, the covers, everything was covered with the blackness, it surrounded him on all sides. Angel breathed a tremendous sigh of relief when he found no instances of it actually entering his body. Still, what was going on here?

"Buffy?" He tried to wake her up, touching her face, gently shaking her. The black thing did not react, neither did his beloved. She kept on sleeping, smiling in whatever dreams she had, and was oblivious to his presence.

Angel rose carefully, trying not to touch the thing anymore than he had to. His shirt and pants were on the floor where he had left them hours ago, though he could not quite remember how he had come to lose them.

He and Buffy had always had more heat between them than was good for them, but he was sure that this time had been more than a loss of control. The thing, it had driven them somehow. Angel remembered only parts of it, but he did remember that thing rippling in an almost orgasmic manner when Buffy and he had fallen into one another.

Vampire hearing suddenly picked up voices outside the door. Several voices. There was also the dull sound of someone knocking against the door. Repeatedly and not gently. Angel walked over and saw Obsidian tendrils retracting out of his way, making a way towards the door.

"Gee, thanks!" He mumbled.

He opened the door to find Wesley, Gunn, and Giles standing outside. Cordelia was nowhere to be found, which didn't really surprise Angel. She had gotten more than a little scare just a few hours ago.

"Giles?" Angel asked. "Why are you here?"

Giles barely paid attention to him, trying to see into the room. He caught a glimpse of the black thing wrapped around Buffy and tried to get past Angel. The Vampire made no move to stop him, but the ex-Watcher found his way barred by a score of Obsidian tendrils, growing across the door like poison ivy.

"What happened in there?" Giles yelled at Angel.

Gunn looked at the rumpled state of Angel's clothing and smirked.

"Pretty obvious, ain't it?"

"You didn't ..." Wesley began, questioningly.

Angel looked down.

"God!" Wesley whispered.

"What's the matter?" Gunn asked.

"Don't worry," Angel told Giles and Wesley, "with that thing in there, I don't think perfect happiness is an issue this time."

Wesley nodded reluctantly, Giles didn't even pay attention. He stared at the barred door and the sleeping form he could just make out beyond it.

"You found out something, Giles." Angel said. It wasn't a question.

Giles looked at him, blinking, as if only now realizing that he was there. The ex-Watcher looked down, taking his glasses off to polish them.

"I am afraid so. I have found some information on this thing. It's called Obsidian Shadow and it is a form of demonic symbionite."

"You sure you don't mean parasite?" Angel asked him.

"Not in the strictest sense. Apparently the Obsidian does not do any physical harm to its host, unless the host is too weak to stand its presence. Quite the opposite actually. It protects them form bodily harm and strikes out against the host's enemies."

"It has a very loose definition of enemy, though." Wesley said.

Giles nodded.

"Wesley told me what happened with Cordelia."

"The thing reacts to her emotions," Angel said, "and not just the negative ones."

The three men looked at him questioningly.

"I am not sure I can explain it. There has always been a strong ... connection between Buffy and me. A few hours ago, though, it was as if my thoughts were pushed aside, everything but my want for her was no longer important."

Giles nodded. He seemed to have expected, or rather feared, something like that.

"The Obsidian is a form of emotional Vampire, Angel. It feeds off its host's feelings. Both the negative and the positive ones. The stronger the emotions, the better it likes it."

"Which means that it is actively causing strong emotional reactions within her. Turning slight irritation into murderous rage."

"And sexual attraction into hormonal overdrive?" Gunn remarked.

Angel gave him a dark stare, but did not respond. Gunn didn't know Buffy like the rest of them did, but he was worried as well, Angel could smell it.

"Any way to get it off her?" Angel asked.

"There are only two known ways for an Obsidian to leave its host. One is when the host dies, either by natural means or because it can't take the strain the symbiosis puts on it."

"The dried-out bodies in Sunnydale." Angel said, remembering what Buffy had told him.

"Yes," Giles said, "apparently they were not strong enough to survive the bond. Buffy is the Slayer, though. I think she could survive it for an indefinite period of time."

"What is the other way?"

Giles looked at the floor.

"The symbionite must leave her of its own free will. Which it will only do when it finds ..."

"... a worthier host." Angel concluded.

"Yes." Giles nodded.

Someone the Obsidian could take over instead. Someone as strong and enduring as the Slayer, but with even more emotional issues.

"I guess I have to take it from her, then." Angel said.

###

Obsidian, part 6

Giles shook his head.

"I am afraid that will not be possible, Angel."

"What do you mean?" Angel asked. If the only way for Buffy to be free of the Obsidian was to take the thing upon himself, he would do it in a heartbeat.

"The Obsidian will not bond with you, Angel. I am not sure why, but throughout all the records I found of its existence, it has only taken to women."

Angel shook his head.

"We have to find a way. I have to help her and ..."

"It already has you."

"What?"

Giles sighed, polishing his glasses again.

"It does not simply feed off the emotions of the host, Angel. The Obsidian can also use emotional connections the host has with those around her."

Angel remembered what had happened just a few hours ago. He and Buffy, compelled towards intense love-making, while the Obsidian had rippled around them.

"It's already feeding off me then." Angel concluded.

"Yes," Giles said, "You and everyone else in the vicinity that Buffy has a strong emotional connection to."

Angel sighed. "So we would need a female someone who is as tough as Buffy, has lots of emotional issues, and no emotional connection to her."

"We also have to consider the fact," Wesley said, "that the Obsidian is very powerful. I would not want it to be bonded to someone that is emotionally unstable and aggressive."

Angel knew that Wesley was talking about Faith, but he had never really considered her. The dark Slayer was on her way back towards the light, if slowly, and Angel could not burden her with something like this. It would destroy her and they'd be right back where they started.

"Best way would be to just destroy it." Gunn said.

"I hear you, Gunn," Angel said, "but considering that it has spread itself through Buffy's entire body, how do you intend to accomplish that without killing her?"

Gunn was about to say something that Angel probably did not want to hear, when a scream came from inside. Giles started toward the door, but had to move back or be run over by Angel. The Obsidian tendrils moved out of his way and he was in the room in a flash.

Buffy was wide awake and staring in horror at the thing growing out of her body, flowing through the room. The Obsidian reacted to her panic, seeing itself as the source of it, and folded in upon itself, withdrawing back into her body.

By the time Angel reached her and gathered her into his arms, the last of the symbionite had vanished somewhere below her skin, safely out of sight. Buffy was clutching Angel with desperate strength, her heart beating so fast it threatened to burst from her chest.

"My God!" She whispered.

"I am here, Buffy!" Angel said, holding her tight.

"What is happening to me, Angel?" She asked him, looking up at him with frightened eyes.

Angel looked over at the door, where Giles was standing, unsure of what to do.

"Giles found out some things." Angel simply said.

Buffy finally saw him and a mixture of relief and fear flowed across her face.

"Giles?" She asked, hesitantly.

He came forward, smiling.

"I know what happened, Buffy. I am here to help."

"Giles, I ... Riley ..."

Angel saw the pain in her eyes and couldn't help a pang of jealousy flooding through him. Riley Finn had been an idiot, not worthy of his beloved. He had betrayed her and Angel would have liked nothing better than to make him pay for it in person.

Unfortunately the Obsidian had beaten him to it. Riley was dead and Buffy blamed herself for it. Even from beyond the grave Riley was still hurting her. Angel almost growled.

"The Obsidian killed him, Buffy," Angel said, "not you."

"Obsidian?" She asked, tears in her eyes.

"The thing, it's called Obsidian Shadow. It amplifies and feeds off your emotions."

She looks at him, her eyes wide.

"Then ... then it was my anger at Riley that ... that ..."

Angel grabbed her, holding her tight again.

"You were angry at him for betraying you, Buffy. That was all. You didn't kill him. That thing did, there was nothing you could have done to prevent it from happening. You didn't even know it was there."

"He is right, Buffy," Giles said, "you have nothing to blame yourself for."

Buffy nodded, shaking. Angel knew she would need time to get over this, but he would be there for her. No matter what happened, he would be there.

"Can you get it off me?" Buffy asked Giles, her voice desperate.

Giles looked down, unable to meet her eyes. He didn't need to say anything.

"We will find a way." Angel tried to assure her. Buffy sank into his arms.

"I can't stay like this, Angel," she whispered, "afraid of even the slightest urge. I'd rather be dead than like this."

"Don't say such a thing!" Angel said, caressing her hair.

Angel saw Giles and the others quietly retreat from the room, leaving them alone. Angel nodded at them. They would continue the research and try to find a way to get this thing off his beloved.

He couldn't leave her side, not now. God alone knew what the Obsidian would do with Buffy in the state she was in. Angel wondered whether sadness, desperation, and guilt were also emotions the demon could consume. He hoped the thing would choke on it.

"Don't leave me, Angel!" Buffy whispered.

"Never!" He told her.

Somewhere below Buffy's skin the Obsidian Shadow rested, filled with the glorious buzz of emotions. It had truly chosen a worthy host this time, so strong and full of emotions. The closest human equivalent to what he felt for his host had to be love. She was its mate, bonded for all eternity.

It would never, ever let this one go.

###

Obsidian, part 7

Buffy had finally drifted off to sleep again and the Obsidian seemed dormant for the moment. Angel rose, careful not to wake his beloved, and made his way out of the room. In the hotel's library -formerly the dining room- he found Wesley and Giles in conversation.

“Seems pretty radical to me." Wesley said.

“That's putting it mildly," Giles said, “but it may be our only chance."

“You found something?" Angel asked.

The two ex-Watchers looked up at him and he saw a mixture of worry and hope on their faces.

“We may have found a way to drive the Obsidian from Buffy's body, but I'm afraid you won't like it, Angel. I certainly don't."

Angel sat down on the table and listened as Giles and Wesley explained their plan to him. Giles had been right. He didn't like it one bit.

“Are you sure it will work?" He asked them, resisting the urge to simply tell them to forget about it. If it was possible ...

“We are not sure, Angel," Wesley said, “but we are sure that we are running out of time. The Obsidian has bonded with her four days ago. The longer it stays, the harder it will be to separate them without killing Buffy."

“Angel," Giles said, “believe me, I would never propose something like this if I didn't see a chance. I love Buffy like a daughter and I want her to be safe. She won't be as long as that thing is inside her."

Angel sunk back into his chair. He didn't want to do this. Everything inside him screamed not to do this. The pain it would put her through ...

“Okay," he sighed, „we will need Willow for this, right?"

“Yes, and her friend Tara. I don't believe you met her. She is also a witch, quite powerful."

“Do you trust her?" Angel asked Giles. No way would he put his beloved's life in the hands of someone he couldn't trust.

“Tara is good people, Angel. I trust Buffy's life to her and Willow."

Giles walked forward, putting a hand on Angel's shoulder.

“I also trust it to you."

Angel looked into the ex-Watcher's eyes. In the past there had been a lot of bad blood between them. They would, in all probability, never be friends. But one thing both were sure of was that they both loved Buffy above all others.

“Very well. Call Willow. Wesley and I will prepare as much as we can."

Angel walked out of the library, hoping that he wasn't making a fatal mistake.

#

Willow and Tara arrived three hours later. Darkness had fallen over L.A. again and Angel was on the verge of going insane with worry. Buffy had slept all through the day. The Obsidian hadn't moved once and Angel could only imagine what it might be doing inside Buffy.

“I don't like it." Willow said after they had explained the plan to her.

“None of us do," Angel said, “but we have to try. I want that thing gone and fast."

The two witches began setting up things for the spell. Angel closed his eyes, trying to steel himself for the things to come. It wouldn't be pretty, that was for sure. If things went wrong ... no, he wouldn't think about that. He couldn't.

If things went wrong ...

#

Buffy woke with a start, instinctively reaching out to find that she was alone in bed. Where was Angel? He wouldn't leave her alone, would he? He had promised to help her. She got up and barely noticed that the Obsidian flowed out of her skin, dressing her in Angel clothing again.

Where was Angel? She shivered, the thing that was clutching her skin making her creep out. She had to get rid of it, she had to find Angel. He would make it right, he had promised. She walked out of the room, an Obsidian tendril closing the door behind her. Buffy suppressed a scream, seeing the thing move that way. She could feel it move beneath her skin.

Before she even reached the stairs black tendrils flowed of the coat-lookalike out and crept into the lobby. With a start Buffy realized that she could see into the lobby, even though it was still around the corner. The tendrils shot images into her head, images of a deserted lobby.

She closed her eyes, she didn't want to see this. That thing was invading her deeper and deeper every second. She scratched her nails along her arms, an unconscious attempt to get it off, but it wouldn't come off.

Buffy almost stumbled down the stairs, frantic to find Angel. She felt a need inside her, a need so profound that it couldn't hail from her alone. With a start she realized that the Obsidian was hungry. She could feel its need inside her head. The thing wanted Angel, or rather the feelings Angel's presence caused inside her.

It almost made her turn around, run away from Angel. But she couldn't run away from this thing. It was inside her. And Angel was her only hope to get it off.

She heard a noise from behind a closed door. She had barely formed a thought when the Obsidian reached out and wrenched the door open, almost tearing it off its hinges. The need was growing and so was the Obsidian's impatience.

Angel was standing inside what appeared to be a library, his back to her. She had eyes for nothing else, only him.

“Angel!" She cried out, the Obsidian reaching for her lover.

Angel turned around and Buffy gasped.

“So great to see you, Buff!" Angel said, demon face smiling at her. She looked into his eyes, searching for the man she knew. There was nothing there. Only emptiness, complete and everlasting.

She finally noticed the rest of the room. Giles was there, and Wesley. Willow. Tara. They were lying on the floor, blood flowing from open wounds.

“They wanted to do a spell to help you," Angel said, walking closer, „only there were some unfortunate side effects."

The Obsidian recoiled as Buffy finally realized who it was she was facing.

“Angelus." She heard herself whispering.

“Miss me?" He smiled.

###

Obsidian, part 8

Buffy just stood there, staring at the monster that wore the face of her lover. He grinned at her, flashing fangs.

“Always good to be back here," he mused, “it's been a while, after all. You know? Since we danced our last dance."

He walked closer, moving across the floor like dancing with an invisible partner.

“Just the two of us," he continued, “under the pale moonlight. The blood of your friends our only companion."

“This can't be happening!" Buffy whispered. The Obsidian sensed her distress and rippled around her, trying to wrap her up in a protective cocoon. Then anger penetrated past the shock inside Buffy's mind and black spikes grew out of her arms.

“Never again!" She whispered.

Angel moved around her, smiling all the while, still dancing.

“Never again? Never again to taste the sweet blood? Never again see that beautiful fear on your face, my love? Come on, just one more time!"

He stood directly behind her, cold lips almost touching the spot where his bite still scarred her skin, when Buffy lashed out, arm covered in Obsidian armor and spikes. Angel was thrown all the way across the library and crashed into the door. After a moment he rose from the wreckage and laughed.

“You still know how to play rough, I give you that."

Buffy began stalking toward him, shivering with rage, the Obsidian rippling around her like a thunderstorm. Long black claws grew out of her hands, armor of darkness wrapped itself around her entire form. The Obsidian drank in her rage, her hatred, and relished in it.

“I will kill you this time!" Buffy said through clenched teeth.

“Been there, done that!" Angel said, rising. “Oh, wait! It wasn't me you killed. You killed your lover. You sent him to hell."

In a flash the world around her changed and Buffy found herself standing in the old mansion in Crawford Street. In front of her stood Akathler, gaping maw ready to swallow the world, the fiery vortex of hell already forming.

Angel stood before her, looking hurt and confused. The light shone in his eyes, the love he felt for her.

“Buffy?" He asked. “I feel like I haven't seen you in months."

“No, no no!" She heard herself whispering.

“Oh yes!" Angel said, appearing behind her. No, not Angel! Angelus.

“Buffy, what's going on?" The other Angel asked her.

Buffy screamed, her hand which held the sword moving of its own accord, ramming the blade into Angel's chest. He gasped with the pain, a look of total astonishment spreading on his face. Angelus laughed out loud.

“I love seeing that scene!"

“This can't be real!" Buffy whispered, watching helplessly as her lover was swallowed into the maw of Akathler. Obsidian tendrils reached out, feeling her desire to hold him, to keep him by her side, but they came too late. Angel vanished, leaving only Angelus behind.

Buffy fell to her knees, tears flowing freely. She could feel Angelus crouch down behind her, putting his cold hands on her shoulders. The Obsidian flowed away from his touch, but Buffy didn't have any anger left at the moment to direct his way, so the thing did not attack him.

“It is real," Angelus assured her, “all of it."

The scenery changed again. Buffy found herself standing on a roof, the black night sky spreading above her. She knew that roof. She would never forget it.

“No!" She whispered.

Two forms came crashing through the window, tumbling onto the roof. One quickly recovered from the fall and clamped handcuffs around herself and the other.

“No running!" Buffy yelled at Faith.

The two Slayers fought across the roof, kicking and punching, while Buffy could only watch, the Obsidian rippling around her in confusion.

“There is something about two beautiful girls kicking the crap out of each other," Angelus mused, “that just gets me going. Don't you feel the same way?"

Buffy saw herself taking out the knife, determination on her face. She wanted to kill Faith, wanted to make her pay for what she had done to her lover. The same lover she had sent to hell.

She almost reached out to snatch the knife away from her younger self, but her entire form was trembling. The Obsidian tried to figure out her emotions, but found only chaos and confusion.

Buffy rammed the knife deep into Faith's belly. The other girl gasped as the pain went through her, looking down in disbelief to look at the wound.

“You really did it!" Faith said, amazed.

“I ... I ..." Buffy stuttered.

Faith struck her down and Buffy felt the impact, even though she was not the one who had just fought her sister Slayer. Angelus caught her as she stumbled back, smiling down at her.

“Very good," he complimented, “for a first kill, that is."

“I am not a killer." Buffy whispered.

“Really?"

Again everything changed and Buffy found herself standing inside a crypt. It didn't take more than a moment to figure out where she was now. On top of one of the caskets she saw the man she had tried to love, screwing with a Vampire.

“Riley?" Someone yelled and she saw herself walking into the crypt, outrage and confusion evident in her voice. She wanted to tell herself to be calm, she didn't know what kind of damage even the slightest bit of rage could do.

“Buffy." Riley looked up from the female Vampire. “What are you doing here?"

Angelus growled behind her. “He really is pesky, isn't he?" The Vampire said.

Buffy saw herself and the growing rage inside her own eyes. She knew what would happen. She could already see the first tendrils of Obsidian oozing out of her own skin.

“What are YOU doing?" Buffy yelled at Riley.

Riley sighed.

“Well, after learning that you made with the undead lover ..."

Buffy wanted to do something, anything. She knew what would happen now, it was burned into the insides of her lids, she saw it every time she closed her eyes. Darkness exploded from her body, the Obsidian coming fully awake inside her, and ripping into her boyfriend like the wrath of God.

Buffy screamed. She had wanted it to happen, wanted him to die for betraying her like this. He deserved nothing less.

“Feels good?" Angelus asked.

Buffy fell to her knees, still screaming. Hatred, rage, anger, fear, sorrow, love, it whirled through her like a maelstrom. The Obsidian raged around her, trying to drink in all those glorious emotions its host felt, all at the same time.

Angelus knelt down before her, forcing her to look at him.

“Angel must have been glad to be rid of a bitch like you!" He smirked.

She felt like her chest was torn in two, pain and agony ripping through her, and she felt herself fall, her own scream accompanying her into the darkness.

###

Obsidian, part 9

"Did it work?" Willow asked.

They had to physically restrain Angel from interfering when Buffy started screaming. Right now the Slayer was lying curled up on the floor, writhing in pain, screaming her heart out for everyone to hear. Darkness oozed from her every pore, the Obsidian overcome by the emotional turmoil inside its host.

Angel could only see his love in pain and it was killing him. His part in the spell had forced him to play Angelus, to pretend being the monster that wanted nothing but to hurt his beloved. Flinging those cruel words into her face, seeing her hurting the way she did, it had been too much.

Wesley and Gunn could only hold him back because a small part of Angel knew that it had to be this way.

"The Obsidian seems to be leaving her body." Giles said, watching with deep worry lining his face. More and more of the dark fabric flowed out of Buffy's body, much more than her small body should be able to hold, and it kept coming. Buffy screamed, the nightmare spell still holding her in its thrall.

"You're killing her!" Angel screamed, straining against the men holding him.

"We have to finish it, Angel!" Giles yelled over Buffy's screaming. "No trace of the Obsidian must remain!"

The black fabric piled up beside Buffy, still more of it flowing from her form. The Obsidian was overloaded, the intensity of Buffy's emotions too much for it. It could not exist outside a host for any length of time, but neither could it survive the turmoil inside its host.

"Ready?" Giles asked the two witches, who had another spell prepared to deal with the Obsidian. They were not sure, but all texts suggested that the thing could not survive for any length of time without a host. If they could just contain it, prevent to bond with anyone, it should die.

They had to destroy it. Something like this couldn't be allowed to bond with anyone else. It was too dangerous. Willow and Tara started chanting and weaving their hands. Magical energy flowed in the room.

Arcs of electricity started to play across the black surface of the Obsidian, enveloping the thing in a bubble of cobalt-blue energy. The flow of it from Buffy's body had slowed to a trickle and dried up.

"It's out!" Wesley yelled. "Seal it in! Now!"

Energy crackled and with a thunderclap that sent all mere humans in the room to their knees a blue sphere snapped shut around the blackness of the Obsidian. Angel paid it no attention, going to Buffy's side immediately. The Slayer was huddled on the ground, whimpering in the aftermath of the nightmare spell.

"Buffy! Can you hear me? It's over. It wasn't real. You're safe!"

He cradled her in his lap, drawing her close. Willow, Tara, Giles, Wesley, and Gunn just looked on, the witches making sure the Obsidian was safely sealed away. Angel held Buffy, caressing her hair, murmuring in her ear, telling her it was all right.

After what seemed like an eternity Buffy finally opened her eyes and looked up to find Angel smiling down at her. At first she smiled back, but then her eyes widened in fear.

"Angel? Are you ... is it ...?"

He hugged her tighter, pouring his love into her with every gesture and caress.

"It's gone, Buffy. I am so sorry we had to put you through this, but it was the only way to drive the Obsidian from your body."

"It ... it was all just a dream?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"Only a nightmare, Buffy. Nothing but."

She started to cry and crumbled in his arms. Angel just held her. He had seen the things the nightmare spell had showed her. Memories, all of it. Memories of hardships he wished he could have spared her. Angelus. Faith. Riley.

"I will never leave you again, I swear it!" He whispered in her ear. The moment he said it, he knew it was true. He had come so close to losing her, so very close. He would never again be able to let her go. Never again.

#

The Obsidian slowly recovered from the glorious bath of emotions, much like an addict coming down from the most fantastic trip of a lifetime. It was a long way down from there. A very long way.

With a start it realized what had happened. The host, its glorious host, she was gone. It remembered. The glow, the brilliance, it had been too much. Never before had it felt such an onslaught, never before had it felt so sated. So great had the experience been that the Obsidian could not stand it and had to avert its eyes, lest it be blinded.

Rage spread through its form. They had taken her host, they had severed a bond that should have lasted an eternity. It was contained, imprisoned. They wanted to kill it, destroy it. No, it wouldn't allow that. Never.

Flush with power the Obsidian started straining against its prison.

#

Willow and Giles knelt down beside Buffy and Angel. Buffy finally noticed them and smiled up at them.

"Hi, guys!" She said in a weak voice.

"I am so sorry for what we had to do, Buffy." Willow said, reaching out a hand to touch Buffy's.

"Don't be!" Buffy said.

"How do you feel?" Giles asked.

Buffy thought about that. The past few days were little more than a blur, a roller coaster ride of emotions. She remembered little but the emotions she had felt. That and the face of the man she still loved more than life itself.

Looking up at Angel, she smiled again.

"I feel good."

Angel chuckled and squeezed her gently, the feeling of him this close was the greatest thing in the world. The last few days had been horror, but it had cleared a few things up for her.

"Angel, I ..." She began, wanting to explain how she felt. Wanted to explain that she had never stopped loving him, that she hadn't meant all the horrible things she had said to him.

She didn't get the opportunity.

"Ah, we might have a slight problem here!" Wesley said.

Buffy looked away from Angel's face and, for the first time, saw the thing that had invaded her body in full. Encased in a prison of blue light, it brewed and raged like a thunderstorm. Black tendrils lashed out against the magical prison, smashing into it with enough force to make the floor tremble.

"Willow! Tara!" Angel yelled.

The two witches locked hands and closed their eyes in concentration. Buffy could see sweat break out on their brows, their faces straining with effort.

"It's trying to break free!" Tara muttered through clenched teeth.

"You have to hold it!" Giles said. "It can't last long without a host!"

"It's so strong!" Willow murmured.

"All the emotions it has soaked up from Buffy must have strengthened it." Wesley said.

The blue sphere snapped. Willow and Tara fell to their knees, screaming. Darkness surged out of the dissipating blue light and flooded towards Buffy like a flood wave. Angel tried to move in front of her, protect her, but Obsidian tendrils just swatted him aside like an insect.

Buffy screamed as the darkness poured toward her.

###

Obsidian, part 10

Angel screamed as he saw the Obsidian break free of its prison. This couldn't be happening. He wouldn't allow it. Pushing her behind him, he stood to face the black monstrosity surging toward him. Demon face showing he launched himself at it, but found himself swatted aside with ease.

Buffy backpedaled, tried to scoot away, out of the thing's path, but she was too slow. It swept over her like a wave of darkness, nothing but rippling black fabric and a cold that seemed to freeze the breath coming out of her mouth.

The Obsidian touched her skin and Buffy screamed. Its touch felt like cold fire, burning across her skin, scorching every nerve fiber. The first time it had invaded her Buffy had not been conscious, had not known what was happening to her. Now she knew and was helpless.

The outside world disappeared behind a barrier of dark fabric, it enveloped her form all sides. Buffy lashed out blindly, but where she touched it the Obsidian just latched onto her skin, broke into every pore, flooded back into her body. All the struggling in the world did not help her.

Buffy disappeared beneath the Obsidian. Angel flipped back to his feet and started tearing into the thing that had taken his beloved with the ferocity of a wild animal. It was of no use, though. The Obsidian flowed away from his strikes and lashed out in turn, tendrils forming from the rippling mass to strike at Angel.

Giles and Wesley drew the semi-unconscious witches away from the scene of battle. The Obsidian pulsed, growing larger, and struck out randomly. Tendrils smashed into walls and ceiling, plaster rained down, and the entire hotel seemed to tremble.

"Angel, stop! It's no use!" Giles screamed, but the Vampire paid him no heed, ignoring the wounds the Obsidian caused him. No matter how often the thing swatted him away, Angel kept coming back for more. Giles pressed his hands to his ears as the Obsidian shrieked, only to be drowned out by the growl of the Vampire.

"They will tear the building apart between them!" Wesley yelled over the noise.

"What if they don't stop with that?" Gunn yelled back.

Giles motioned for them to get Willow and Tara to safety. The two witches were still out of it from the Obsidian breaking their magical prison and wouldn't be of much use right now. Giles then looked around for anything that could possibly of use as a weapon against the Obsidian, at the same time knowing that it was a foolish though.

#

The Obsidian was quickly getting frustrated. The creature that was attacking him could not cause any real damage to its form, but the constant pestering prevented it from concentrating on reestablishing the bond with its host. Even flush with power as it was it could not survive on its own much longer.

It needed a connection with its host, something to focus it. By its very nature it was not easy for the Obsidian to focus on anything, the only desire that was truly its own was to be bonded to a worthy host. All other actions were dictated by the host's desires and urges.

The Obsidian reached out, penetrating into the mind it wanted to bond with, searching for a way to focus. Something, anything, to help it focus on the creature attacking it. The host mind was in turmoil, though, filled with fear and terror. The Obsidian used the runaway emotions to boost its strength, lengthening its survival by a few minutes.

Diving deep into the host's perceptions the Obsidian made her look at the attacker, forced her to see him and feel for him. There was love, so much love, so brilliant and bright it almost hurt. The Obsidian fed on it, thrived on it, but it didn't help fend off the attacker. Was it possible she felt nothing but love for this creature?

No, the Obsidian almost sighed with relief. There it was, a deep-held core of hatred and anger. For a moment it was confused, for the feelings did not seem directed towards the attacker, yet somehow they were. The Obsidian did not understand this duality. It was almost as if the appearance of the attacker represented two totally different individuals to its host.

Feeling itself growing weak after such a long time without a full bond, beginning to fray out the edges, the Obsidian decided that it did not matter. The host held deep hatred for the attacker, or at least an aspect of him. That had to suffice. It latched onto that hatred, drew it out, wrapped it around itself, tasted it, and found the focus it needed.

With a shriek the Obsidian lashed out.

#

Angel had lost himself in a fighting madness. The thing in front of him wanted to take his beloved, wanted to hurt her, nothing else mattered. He would fight it with his dying breath and beyond.

Suddenly the black mass that was his enemy rippled, changed, and lashed out with blinding speed. Angel saw it coming, but was too slow to do anything. A tendril formed out of the darkness and flashed toward him, impaling itself deeply into his chest.

The impact threw him back, but for some reason it did not hurt. Angel had been impaled before. He had vivid memories of Buffy driving a sword through his chest, the pain of that moment was a constant companion. Yet this did not hurt nearly as much.

Angel looked down and found the Obsidian entering his body, flooding into him, and suddenly the pain he had been missing a moment before was present with a vengeance. Not physical pain but something far worse. The thing seemed to reach directly into his heart and tried to tear it in two.

A howling sound filled the air, a scream so terrible it made Angel's blood run cold. He knew that sound, he knew that scream. Realization dawned in his mind even as the pain reached new heights, causing the demon to shriek and the man to scream. The thing was not attacking him, it couldn't, for Buffy felt no hatred toward him.

She hated Angelus, though, and that was who the Obsidian now attacked.

###

Obsidian, part 11

The Obsidian had found its focus. Reaching deep into the being of the attacker it found the object of its host's hatred and attacked it. The Obsidian did not care that its prey was not a physical entity, at least at the moment, nor did it care that its prey resided inside the body of someone its host loved dearly.

The Obsidian had found something to attack, something to vent all the power pouring in from the host against. That was all it needed.

Angel screamed as the power poured into him, ignoring all that was human, directing its anger against the demon. Angelus howled in pain, straining against the prison that was Angel's soul. He wanted to strike out, wanting to sink fangs into the thing that was hurting him.

Buffy was lost inside the black folds of the Obsidian. Everything inside her struggled against it, tried to shake it loose, but it was for naught. She could feel it inside her head, could feel it feeding on her emotions and desires.

It made her see Angel, made her see Angelus. It took her hatred, she felt it tear out the dark emotions she carried inside her mind, and flung them against the demon. Buffy heard Angel scream and saw his face change from man to demon and back again as the Obsidian attacked that part of him that she hated.

Buffy could see the Obsidian reach inside Angel, reach inside for the parts of him that were the demon. She could see it tearing them out one by one, smashing them to pieces. At first she felt an almost feral joy. Angelus was dying and he knew it, he was torn to shreds by a power greater than himself.

Only then did she realize that Angel was screaming as well.

The demon was what made Angel immortal, what prevented time from catching up with him, death from claiming him. The Obsidian was tearing these parts away and was killing Angel in the process. Buffy screamed, her emotions were killing the man she loved.

The Obsidian immediately picked up the distress surging through its host. The hatred that allowed it to attack the enemy wavered, ebbed, something had changed. But what? What?

Looking into the mind of its host the Obsidian saw only terror and fear. The man she loved was dying. How could this be? It wouldn't allow her to be hurt like this, not when her lover was such a wonderful source of emotions for her. What was killing him? The Obsidian would protect its host and those dearest to her from all harm.

The Obsidian looked into the mind of its host and saw that the enemy was itself.

It did the only thing it could do.

#

Giles could only watch in horror as Angel was impaled by the monster. The seething mass had completely devoured Buffy, he could see no trace of her in the shifting folds of the Obsidian. Angel screamed in pain and Giles ran over to him, picking up a broken piece of glass as the only weapon in sight.

Slashing at the thing produced no result at all, apparently he wasn't even worth its attention. Giles desperately tried to think of something to do, but nothing came to mind. The Obsidian shrieked, louder than ever, and Giles turned to look at it.

The blackness exploded outward, arcs of power rippling along every tendril and fold of it. Giles watched in fascination as a pulse of energy traveled along the tendril that had impaled Angel and struck him like lightning. Giles stumbled back, blinded, and heard Angel scream once more.

Walls crumbled around them, the Obsidian tearing the building to shreds. Giles caught a glimpse of Buffy inside the darkness, but had no time to make sure. The ceiling came down and he had to run for cover.

Giles made it out into the lobby and saw Wesley and Gunn near the exit, dragging Willow and Tara outside. Giles dared look over his shoulder, but the inside of the library was lost to an inferno of crackling energy and pulsing darkness. He could do nothing but save himself.

He barely made it out before the hotel went down behind him.

#

The darkness around her slowly faded and Buffy became aware of her surroundings again. The folds of the Obsidian fell away around her. Pieces of it still touched her skin, but that feeling of cold fire was gone. She touched the dark fabric and it felt lifeless. Dead.

Buffy gasped as she saw the devastation around her. What had been a hotel only minutes ago was now so much rubble, pieces of stone and plaster scattered around her with slices of darkness strewn out among them. She noticed that the area immediately around her was completely free of debris. As if the Obsidian had protected her until its dying breath.

It was dead. She could feel it.

She did not waste another thought on it. Only one thing mattered to her right now. She looked around, searching for any sign of life amidst the ruins. The hotel was a wreck, there was barely anything left standing.

Not even a single piece of ceiling.

It was day.

"Angel!" Buffy screamed.

###

Obsidian, part 12

Angel slowly woke from unconsciousness. The only thing he remembered was pain, a blinding light entering his body, and more pain. Every muscle in his body ached and he had a hard time remembering how to open his eyes.

When he finally got them open he stared directly into the sun. He screamed.

"Angel!"

Buffy? Angel tried to cover, tried to hide himself away from the sun. It would set his flesh ablaze, would make him burn and turn to dust. He didn't want to die, he wanted to live.

"Angel, I am here!" Buffy said, her voice closer, and her hand touched his arm.

Slowly Angel realized that he was still there, not burning. He opened his eyes again, slower this time, and looked directly into Buffy's beautiful eyes.

"Buffy?" He managed. "Are you all right?"

She smiled. Not a single thought wasted on himself, he cared only whether she was hurt. She nodded, feeling her eyes water.

"I am okay, Angel. It is gone. The Obsidian is dead."

She helped him rise to a sitting position. Angel looked down at his hands, where the light of the sun touched his bare skin without setting it ablaze.

"How is this possible?" He whispered.

Buffy looked at him. It was the first time she saw him in sunlight and it took her breath away. Tears glistening in her eyes she wrapped her arms around him.

"I was so afraid I'd lose you, Angel. The Obsidian attacked your demon, using my hatred, and it would have killed you along with it."

Angel nodded.

"I felt it. I felt how it tore out my demon piece by piece."

He moved his fingers across his wrist.

"No pulse."

Buffy leant against his chest. The flesh below the torn shirt was still cool, nothing moved beneath it. Yet he was here, in sunlight, he didn't burn.

"The demon is gone," Angel said, "I can no longer feel it inside me."

Buffy tried to remember what had happened, what she had felt while trapped inside the Obsidian.

"I was so desperate," she said, "I felt it killing you and nothing else mattered anymore. Only that it was killing the man I love."

He looked at her, hardly able to believe that he would ever hear those words from her mouth again.

"I wanted it to stop. I wanted it gone. I hated it for what it was doing to you. Maybe ... maybe the Obsidian felt my desire and ..."

"... fulfilled it." Angel completed her sentence.

He remembered the blaze of power that entered his body. Electricity filling him from head to toe. The Obsidian had been flush with power, filled to the brink by Buffy's emotional turmoil.

Buffy trailed her hands across his skin and there was a sparkle, like a spark jumping back and forth between them. Angel suddenly felt Buffy breathe, he felt her heart beat. With a gasp he realized that his own heart was coming to life and beat in synch with that of his beloved.

"What is happening?" Buffy whispered, her hand touching his chest above a now-beating heart. Angel placed his own and on top of hers and felt their pulse beat in perfect synchrony. Their eyes met and both could see a mixture of confusion and hope in each other.

"The Obsidian," Angel began, "it could feed upon others by using emotional connections you had with other people. Maybe ... I don't know ... somehow it used its power to make our connection even stronger and ..."

"... tie our hearts together." Buffy finished. The feel of Angel's heart moving beneath her palm was the most beautiful thing she had ever felt. It felt true. It felt right. She looked at the pieces of dead darkness scattered around them.

"It gave us each other." Angel said.

They heard a sound in the distance and saw Giles and the others moving through the rubble, looking for them. They looked at each other and smiled.

"We should tell Giles," Angel said, "maybe he can figure this out."

"Maybe," Buffy smiled, leaning closer to him, "but do you really want them to find us right now?"

Angel saw the way her eyes gave a mischievous twinkle and felt their joint hearts beat faster. His flesh was still cool, but he could feel her warmth flood through him. Nothing else mattered but holding her close, never letting go.

"Let them keep looking a while longer!" Angel said.

Energy sparkled where their lips met.

"You'll never leave again," Buffy whispered to him, "I have your heart now."

He kissed her again and pulled her down with him.

"You always did."

THE END

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