Continued from previous page.

The first thing Buffy did was run to Willow's house. *How do I get out of this vampire face?* she thought as she ran. She just thought about turning back, and slowly she formed back into herself. Finally she got to Willow's door. After five loud knocks, out came a sleepy Willow.

"Buffy," she said. "What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"It's Angel. He got his soul back, but before that happened...he killed me. I'm a vampire." Willow gasped and backed up. "But I do have a soul," she said. Willow still looked mortified.

"S...s...so does that mean you can't come to the funeral for my cousin?"

"Willow! You need to try to get me back to normal!" Buffy exclaimed.

"Well that will involve talking to Angel which I'm definitely not!" Willow said boldly.

"Please Willow? I'll come with you," Buffy pleaded.

"Oh no!" Willow answered.

"You don't understand. It might already be too late!" Buffy thought Angel ran away. She told Willow the whole story, "Come on. He's probably still at his apartment packing or something. Let's go!" She grabbed Willows hand as they raced off into the night.

Xander had been helping Cordy at cheerleading practice. It was now his unofficial duty as their pom-pom boy. He didn't describe it as anything other than that. He was about to cross the street to his neighborhood, when he heard rapid footsteps behind him. He turned to see Buffy practically dragging an unwilling Willow down the pavement. He stopped to let them catch up. "Hey Buff, Will. What are you two gals doing out here at this time of... what's wrong?" He could tell by their faces that something was wrong. It was Willow who finally spoke.

"He got her," she sad quietly.

"Hey, I'm still here!" Buffy snapped. She was not in a very good mood.

Xander all of a sudden didn't feel so good. "What are you talking about?"

Buffy stepped forward and let go of Willow's arm. "Xander, I'm a vampire," she said simply.

Xander felt like his whole world had collapsed at his feet. One of his best friends. A vampire just like Jessie. He had had enough.

"But I still have a soul," Buffy added noticing the anger and hatred in his eyes. "I guess it's because I'm still the slayer."

"Who?" Xander asked quietly.

Buffy hesitated. "Angel. But he got his soul back right after."

With unseen rage, Xander sprinted in the direction of Angel's apartment, ignoring the two shouting figures behind him.

Xander pounded down the concrete steps towards Angel's home. He ran right into the door, but luckily, it was open. Angel had been sitting at his desk writing something when Xander came in. Startled, he turned around and stood up.

*Damn,* he thought. *What does he want?* He had just finished his letter to Buffy when Xander came bursting in. "Xander," Angel started. He was sure that Xander had found out what he had done to Buffy.

"Shut up, Overbite," Xander said coldly. "You have gone too far. You deserve to die."

"Don't you think I know that? I want to die," was Angel's reply.

"Then why aren't you dead yet?" Xander asked evenly.

Angel looked at the floor, then back up at Xander. "Because that would be too easy of an escape. I'm going to live forever, suffering, remembering."

Xander shook his head. "I'm not buying it. You're going to Hell..." Xander lunged at Angel, just as Buffy and Willow entered the room. Seeing Xander meant to hurt Angel, Buffy grabbed his arm and yanked him back before he could get very far.

"Xander! What do you think you're doing?" Buffy screamed wildly. She then noticed Angel's open suitcase on his bed. She dropped Xander and stepped towards Angel. What do you think you're doing?" she asked, gesturing to the suitcase.

Angel was not prepared for this line of questioning. "I'm leaving. Forever. You guys won't have to see me again," he started.

"WHAT?!?" Buffy exploded. She was pissed. He couldn't abandon her when she needed him the most. "Oh, no you're not!"

Willow took this as her cue to exit. She grabbed Xander's arm and dragged him outside. Angel was now pissed. He didn't want her telling him what to do.

"I said, I'm leaving," he said through gritted teeth.

"And I said, no your not!" Buffy challenged evenly.

"Try and stop me!" Angel yelled.

"Fine!" she exclaimed as she raised her fist to connect with his face. He blocked her blow and sent one right back that hit her in the stomach. Unfazed, she kicked him in the kneecap. He grabbed her hair and yanked as hard as he could until she screamed in pain. Realizing what he was doing, he let her go. She backed away from him, surprised that he had hurt her. *Oh God!* he thought. *I hurt her. I actually hurt her!* Mortified with himself he shoved everything in his bag, forced it close, and ran out the door, leaving a terrified vampire/slayer in his past.

"We have got to find him!" Buffy said alarmed. "I'm afraid for the people out there. If he can do that to me when he's pissed, imagine what he will do to the other people of Sunnydale."

"I just hope he's not hungry," Willow said.

"I'm going to go get him," Xander said.

"No you're not!" said both girls in unison. "You're going to get hurt. We need to tell Giles about this. Hopefully he'll have some ideas," Buffy said worriedly.

"Well, I have to go pick up Cordy after practice. It's part of my new job," Xander said, trying to find a good excuse to get out of having to do more research.

"Bring her along," Willow said. "Maybe if she whines enough, the gods will bring Angel back to shut her up."

"Willow, this is not time to let out your mean side," Buffy scolded. "We have to get to work. Let's go see if Giles is still at the library.

The only thing Cordelia said was, "Get in the car!" The four drove to the school's library and sure enough, Giles was there.

Xander was still a little upset with Cordelia for being so reluctant. She could be such a snob sometimes. As they settled down around the library table with Giles, the explanations began. Giles was horrified to learn that Angelus had gotten to his slayer. And worst of all, she would have to live like this forever.

"Are you sure there isn't a way to turn her back?" Willow asked meekly. She had recovered from the initial shock just enough to try and help her friend.

Giles sighed and shook his head. "Positive. If there was a way, don't you think we would have used it a long time ago to try and bring Angel back?"

Cordelia finally put her word in. She had been silent throughout the explanations. "Why didn't you change?" she asked Buffy carefully.

"Huh?" Buffy asked, not quite understanding the question.

"Into a demon," Cordelia said. "You're still the same you, just different."

Buffy looked thoughtful. "I don't know. I'm still the slayer, I just have an uncontrollable craving for Coke."

"Coke?" the kids asked in unison.

"That's what it feels like," Buffy said awkwardly. She shifted positions in her chair.

"Oh, ewww!!" Xander exclaimed. He too, had been quiet for sometime. Everyone looked at him in wonder. "Don't you get it?" he asked them. They all shook their heads. "It's not Coke she's craving," he told them. "It's blood. She's a vampire and she wants blood. But that's not the ewww," he assured them. "Well, not totally."

"Get to the point!" Willow yelled impatiently.

"Okay, okay. Sheesh, people these days." Willow looked like she was about to slap him when he continued. "She had Angel's blood to become a vampire, and that's what she craves now. But she said she wanted Coke. That means...."

Cordelia cut him off, "Oh! I get it! That means blood must taste a lot like Coke!! Oh, ewww!!" she exclaimed.

The others, except Buffy, had grossed-out expressions on their faces.

"Exactly," said Xander.

"So, how do I get some blood?" Buffy questioned. They all looked at each other.

Angel was almost in tears again as he quickly made his way to the train station. He still couldn't believe he had hurt Buffy. After all he had done already as a demon, he had to go and hurt her when he was good. He purchased his ticket to Portland, Oregon. From there, he would head to Seattle, Washington and maybe stay for awhile. He wasn't sure. He just had to get away from them all and live his life suffering. That wasn't the only reason he didn't kill himself. He wanted to help people. That was why he was headed towards Seattle. He had been hearing for a decade now that the vampires had hit there big. The homicide rate was steadily increasing. He waited by himself on the lonely bench for the train to come and take him away. An old woman came and sat down beside him.

"Hello young man," she said sweetly. "Waiting to get out of this small town?"

"Yeah. Something like that. And I'm not as young as I seem. I've been around awhile," he said sadly.

"I know," said the woman. "I've watched you." she had a familiar accent. The last time he had heard someone talk like that was Jenny Calendar's uncle when he had mauled him. He had a sneaking suspicion.

"What do you mean?" he demanded menacingly.

She just laughed. "You killed the young girl of our clan. Emily. I was there. I gave you your soul. And I was also there when you fought with the young slayer. I gave you the strength you needed to break free. Poor girl. I was too late."

"No. It was all my fault. I should have known the consequences. I should have been able to save her," Angel said. He buried his face in his hands and wept.

The old woman put her hand on his head and gently stroked his hair. "Dear boy," she started. "You cannot save everyone. You try too hard to help. You feel guilty for what you have done. The other gypsies, they did not understand, did not know that it was not your fault."

"How can you say that?" Angel asked turning his tear stained face towards her own wrinkled and smiling one.

"It is true, look into your heart, into your soul. Could you have done the things the demon did?" she asked.

Angel shook his head. "Never."

"You see? Not you. I never thought you should suffer. I watched you many times on the streets of Manhattan and Chicago. You never did anything to deserve that. Then, I sent Whistler after you..." she was cut off by the train arriving.

"You sent Whistler?" he asked quickly.

"Yes. To bring you to help the slayer. I watched as you watched her. I was across from you, and I could see your face. You thought of her as a mere child. But then, you looked again as she was home. I could see your heart singing for her. Even if you didn't know it then, you were in love with her." she finished.

"I knew it. I wanted her from the first moment. She made me jealous at times. I'd never felt that for a long while..." he trailed off.

"The boys she went with. I know. You wished many times you could be like them so you could be with her and be a normal person. But you couldn't. That's why I thought you would stay away from her. But you didn't. You just wanted her more. And you had her." The woman stood up and looked at the almost full train.

"I'm not going," Angel said softly. "Buffy, she needs me."

The woman smiled, nodded her head, and boarded the train. Five minutes later, she was gone with the rush of people. Angel glanced down on the bench where she had been sitting. On it, was a delicate chain with a crystal pendant on the end. He recognized it at once. It had been his mother's. It was tradition in his family that the oldest son get it and give it to his true love, who would one day pass it on to their oldest son and so on. He picked it up and carefully placed it in his pocket. He knew what he had to do.

Xander paced the library restlessly. He couldn't believe that they were going to rob the bank. The blood bank, to be exact. It was so extremely icky that he'd never really thought about having to do it before, especially because he didn't need to before. Now everything was different. And they had to do it.

"If we could find Angel," Willow said, "Would he know how to bring her back you normal?"

"No! I told you," Giles said "Nothing will bring her back!"

"So no one has a coke?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"No!" they all said disgusted.

"Humph!" Buffy sighed. Urges came over her now, she wouldn't tell anybody, but she could barely look at Xander or Willow without getting hungry.

"Willow," Giles said. "You go check the airport. Xander, go check the bus station, and Cordelia go check the train station. Buffy and I shall look around town. Meet back here in one hour."

Angel was now changed. He had confidence that he was truly good and he could help Buffy. He loved Buffy more than anything, and he was not going to let an old demon keep them apart. He had been walking on the sidewalk for ten minutes now. He thought he caught a glimpse of Cordelia walking across the street, but she was too busy staring at the ground and muttering something about immature boyfriends that he couldn't see her face. *Oh, well,* he thought. He passed the bus station just as a familiar person walked out. Xander. They both stopped and stared at each other, but neither boy looked happy to see one another.

Finally, Xander broke the silence. "Well, well, well. Look who didn't have the guts to run away."

Angel was not in the mood for this. Right now, he wanted to find Buffy and help her. He knew she must be hungry. So was he. And he didn't want her to do anything rash. "Xander. Where's Buffy?"

"You'd like to know that, wouldn't you?" Xander said evenly.

Angel was now tired of his games. "Let me rephrase that," he said evilly. He knew he shouldn't be doing this but he really hated Xander and he really wanted to see Buffy. "If you don't tell me where she is right now, I'm going to rip your heart out with by hands and hold it before your eyes!" That got Xander talking.

"I don't know where she is. Everyone went looking for you. We're supposed to meet at the library." Xander said more politely. Angel motioned for him to follow. They walked four feet away from each other the whole way, without a single word.

On the way to the airport, Willow found a small shop for gypsies. She went inside, interested. As she looked around, a big leather bound book caught her eye. She opened it and started to read. To her great surprise, the first part was about changing vampires back to human! Willow jumped with delight. She went to see how much it was. It ended up being $20. Then she had to purchase three different crystals a blue one, a red one, and a green one to help cast the spell. Willow went up and bought the materials. All together, she spent $50, but she didn't mind as long as they got Buffy back. After buying it, she raced back to the library.

When she got to the library, everyone was already there. "Everyone!" she yelled. No one answered. "Everyone!" she said louder. "I found a book at an old gypsy store that says how to turn a vampire back into a normal person!" that got their attention. "We have to light three candles and put them in a triangle. Then put these three crystals," she took them out of her bag, "Inside the triangle. After that, turn out the lights and say the spell."

"Oh my God!" Giles said. "This is wonderful! Xander, go get three candles from my desk, light them then put them in a triangle while Willow sets up the crystals. Everything was ready. He turned out the lights and Willow read the spell!

Reic an sagart ant bocan air falbh

cruinninch an banacharaid an bhuat

an cait fhaic reic ga beo

an gasda beo cearr goirt

no earbsach donn i eagal beo

gasda!

"Everyone! Turn on the lights!" Willow called excitedly. Angel went and turned on the light while Xander blew out the candles. They all looked at Buffy. She had a beautiful glow around her. She slowly started to rise, then slowly went back down and the glow went away.

"You think she's still a vamp?" Xander whispered loudly.

"You guys," Buffy said. "The urges for blood are gone! I don't feel hungry or anything, I am back!"

Angel watched in great admiration. He recognized the words because they were his native language of Irish Gaelic. He was happy that Buffy was human again. A great sadness also tugged at him. When he had talked with that old gypsy, he thought that maybe Whistler had been right. Maybe this was their chance to be together forever. Now it was too late. He wasn't upset she was human, just sad that they could never have something ever again.

Buffy looked over to him from where she stood with her friends. She leaned over and whispered something in Willow's ear. Willow smiled and nodded and passed it on to everyone. Xander didn't seem too happy but after a glare from Cordelia, he quickly agreed. Buffy walked over to Angel.

"Now," she started. "It's your turn." She smiled at him and he felt his whole insides melt for her.

He looked puzzled for a moment. Then he understood. They wanted to bring him back too. With a fierce kiss to his lips, Buffy pulled him over to where she had stood and the spell began.

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