The Time Has Come

by Alana Hill

Disclaimer: Am I the devil disguised in the form of a man? Do I like to torment fans by tearing apart the couple who BELONG together? No, so I'm obviously not Joss, so I obviously own nothing. Please don't sue! :)
Rating: 14A I guess. If you can watch the show, you can read it.
Authors Notes: Takes place sometime after the last (new) episode (Who Am I), so all things stand true.

"What is done can not be undone," the male oracle protested.

"What is not yet done can be avoided," the female intervened.

"Temporal folds are not to indulge at the whims of lower beings."

"You are wrong. This one is willing to sacrifice every drop of human happiness and love he has ever known for another. He is not a lower being."

"There is one way. But it is not to be undertaken lightly."

"We swallow this day, as though it had never happened. Twenty-four hours from the moment the demon first attacked you, we take it back."

Angel licks his lips. "Then none of this happened and Buffy and I. What - what'll stop us from doing the exact same thing again?"

"You," the female stated simply. "You alone will carry the memory of this day. - Can you carry that burden?"

Angel was gone, and the oracles stood silent, watching the place the warrior had once stood.

"He has passed his test," the female oracle spoke.

"And the girl?" the male asked. The female idly fingered the vase in her hand.

"Her time will come."

"So I'll meet you after patrol?" Buffy asked her boyfriend, Riley Finn, as they walked to her dorm.

"Sounds good," he agreed. "So the Bronze around 11:00. Hey, I gotta jet," he excused. "Those term papers aren't going to grade themselves." He bent down to kiss her good-bye then turned and ran off in the other direction. Buffy smiled as she watched him go.

"Buffy!" she heard from behind her. She turned around.

"Will," she said to her best friend. "What is it?" Willow paused briefly to catch her breath.

"It's Giles. He's hurt."

Buffy stormed into the hospital and rushed to the reception desk.

"Rupert Giles," she demanded of the receptionist. "Where is he?"

"I'm sorry, but only family-"

"Where the hell is he?" she threatened.

"Room 24, down the hall to your left." But Buffy was already running, Willow close behind.

Xander and Anya were waiting outside Giles' room. They stood to see Buffy and Willow running towards them.

"Buffy-" Xander started, but she couldn't hear him. The humming of machines coming from the room beside them rang through her mind, blocking out all other senses.

"They said only family-" Anya started, but Buffy was already in the door.

Buffy felt her heart stop at the sight of him. Seeing the tubes sticking out of him and machines attached caused tears to slide down her already worry-stricken face. Slowly she sat down in the stool by his bed. His eyes were closed and he was in bad shape. Cuts and bruises masked his face, and his left arm wore a cast.

Ignoring the tears now falling freely from her eyes, Buffy grasped his right hand and brought it to her cheek.

"God, Giles," she sobbed. "Who did this to you? Who hurt you?" She let out a soft whimper then kissed his hand. "You're going to be ok, you hear me? You're gonna be there when I kill whatever did this to you." Crying she rested her head on the bed beside him.

"Uh." he grunted softly. Buffy's head shot up.

"Giles?" she asked, relief and arm in her voice.

"Oh," he moaned again. He turned his head towards her, his eyes still closed. "B-Buffy?"

"Ya Giles," she said as she cried with relief. "It's me."

"What-? Where am I?" he asked, struggling to sit up.

"Shh," she whispered, urging him back down. "You're in the hospital."

"Hospital?"

"You're hurt. But you're going to be ok. I'm going to get a doctor, ok?" He nodded and she went to the door.

The gang waiting outside jumped as she entered the hallway.

"We need a doctor!" Buffy called down the hall and two nurses ran into the room.

"Is something wrong?" Willow asked, concern and fear in her voice. Buffy shook her head, and the gang let out sighs of relief.

"He woke up."

Buffy loaded the bolts into her cross bow.

"Look, Buffy," Willow tried to reason. "I know you're upset about what happened to Giles, but don't you think you're being a bit rash?"

"No," Buffy argued. "I'm being a lot rash."

"At least she's aware," Anya mumbled.

"Buff," Xander started. "We're upset too, but you don't see us storming off into the night looking for some demon we don't even know."

"I'm the Slayer. It's my job."

"But Buffy," Willow pleaded. "Giles is pretty tough, I mean he can hold his own."

"Yet he doesn't even remember this thing," Xander finished. Buffy finished loading her weapons, then turned to her friends.

"I'm going."

The night was dark. Too dark. The moon didn't shine, and there were no stars. It was as if the were in hiding. Hiding from the evil that walked beneath them. Through the shadows the figures of two men could be made out. Though they were not men. They were darkness and evil. They were death.
"The time is drawing near," the male oracle informed as he and his partner observed the Slayer through a tiny portal in the shape of a pond. The female nodded in agreement then dipped her fingers into the pool. The portal rippled then focused once again. This time on the two figures prowling through the cemetery, just a few inches from the patrolling Slayer.

"Her test will be difficult."

"The girl is rash and impulsive," the male protested. "How can you be so certain she will pass?" She tilted her head slightly, admiring the scene in the portal.

"She will. Her heart is good."

"You like these mortals!" he spat, almost disgusted. "And their emotions. Especially that of love." She didn't answer. He turned away from her. "If she fails, there will be no way for us to intervene. A test like this.It cannot be undone. Let us hope your faith draws true." The female oracle nodded at her partner then turned back to the portal, watching as the Slayer approached the dark figures. As she approached death.

"Well hello," Buffy whispered to the figures ahead of her. "What have we here?" Silently she reached behind her and grabbed her crossbow. She aimed the bolt at the chest of the nearest figure. "This is gonna be easier than I thought." The figure turned at this. Buffy aimed the bolt and pulled the trigger.

The bolt froze in mid air, and Buffy turned to see the arm of the other figure raised, as if to stop the shot.

"What the hell are you guys?" she asked as she reached for another bolt. But the first figure's arm shot out and her weapon went sailing in the opposite direction. "What the hell?" Buffy asked as she backed away. "Ok, I am so not liking this turn of events."

"Leave," the first figure ordered as he neared her.

"It was you wasn't it?" she asked, somehow knowing they would understand.

"He had something we required," the second figure said of the Watcher.

"Who are you?" Buffy demanded. "What do you want?" The further figure stood still then lifted his cloak from his face. The glow of his eyes was mesmerizing, and suddenly Buffy was paralyzed.

"This is not part of our task," the furthest told her. "We shall let you live, but we will not be so generous twice." He replaced the cloak back over his face then turned around. Breathing heavily Buffy realized she was able to move again. She wasted no time in running away.

"So I'm thinking an 'I told you so' is in order," Willow said as Buffy told the gang of her encounter.

"Yes," Buffy groaned. "You were right."

"Hey!" Xander said, slightly annoyed. "I was right too!"

"So they said they had some sort of task?" Willow asked, bringing the conversation back on topic.

"Ya," Buffy replied. "And something about Giles having something they need."

"Or needed," Anya corrected. "They've got it now. Whatever it was."

"We've got to talk to Giles," Buffy said to them. "He's the only one who might have some idea of what exactly we're dealing with."

"You really shouldn't have been out there," Giles said matter-of-factly. The gang sat in the hospital room, surrounding his bed.

"I know, I know," Buffy agreed. "Buffy was dumb, can we move on please?"

"Yes, well you say they were tall, dark, with glowing eyes?" Giles asked of the demons Buffy had encountered.

"Ya, with these long cloak things covering their faces. Ooh!" she exclaimed. "And, when they looked into my eyes it was like I had no control. I couldn't move or anything, like some sort of trance."

"You think that's why the G-man can't remember anything?" Xander asked. "They put the eye-trance whammy on him."

"Yes Xander, perhaps," Giles said, annoyed but too tired to argue.

"Hey, you must be tired," Xander said, taken back. "You didn't give me the 'despite the Xander-speak' thing or the 'you've managed to take something really complex and boil it down to it's simplest form' thing!"

"Yes," Giles started. "Well we don't have the time. Xander, Anya, I need you to go to my place and pick up some books. We need to research."

"There's the man we know and love," Xander joked as he and Anya left the room.

Buffy excused herself from the room and went to make a phone call. She was beyond late for her date with Riley, and he was probably worried sick. She put a coin in the phone and dialed his home number.

"Riley," he answered.

"Riley, hey," she started. "Look I'm sorry I couldn't make it. I had a sort of run in with these-"

"A pair of demons with glowing eyes right?"

"How did you-?"

"It's all over town. Three people have already been hospitalized. No one knows what they are. But they're strong. No one can fight them."

"We're researching them right now. Trying to find out what they are, and more importantly, how they die."

"Be careful Buffy," he warned. "Two of my men were hurt already. You won't be able to take them on your own."

"I'll be fine," she assured.

"Ya, just promise me you won't do anything rash."

"Couldn't have that," she said absently as she hung up the phone.

"Buffy!" Xander called from the room. She ran towards him.

"What is it?"

"We've found something."

"They're called Excessum," Giles read from the text.

"Excess what?" Buffy asked, confused once again by a demon's name. She absently wondered if "Bob" just wasn't menacing enough.

"It's Latin," Giles explained. "It means death."

"Whoa," Xander exclaimed. "The reaper's in town, and he's looking to take someone down under." Anya shot him a look, which he promptly ignored.

"They travel in pairs," Giles continued. He picked up another book, flipping to the correct page. "Apparently they hold the key to opening the gates of hell."

"So the world is ending yet again," Willow grumbled.

"Yes. But apparently the key was split in two and scattered across the world. The first piece is a gem of some sort," he paused, reaching for another book. "The Crystal of Mortis." He handed the book to Buffy to examine the gem. It was small, about the size of a quarter, and blood red.

"What about the other half?" Buffy asked, passing the book on to Willow.

"Yes, it's called the Ring of Affero. The jewel sits in it, allowing the wearer to open the gates of hell, thus plaguing the earth with its torment. Humanity would cease to exist."

"This ring, did you have it?" Buffy asked, remembering her encounter with the Excessum.

"I did," Giles admitted. "But I'm sure they took it when I was attacked."

"How do you kill them?" Anya asked.

"The basics," Giles read. "Beheading, fire, actually they are vulnerable to all mortal weapons."

"If you get the chance to attack," Buffy reminded. "They paralyze you, you're helpless."

"Unless you can distract them," Xander muttered.

"What?"

"There are only two of them, what if you can distract them both? Have a sort of decoy while someone else goes in for the kill?"

"That might work," Giles said, deep in thought. Buffy nodded.

"We're going to need some back-up."

"I'm sorry Buffy," Riley said of her plan. "But I can't get any of my men to help. You're not exactly their favorite person. And I'm still injured," he said, reminding her of the wound Adam had inflicted. "I'd only be a liability."

"Then I guess I'll have to find someone else," she said, hanging up.

"Any luck?" Willow asked as Buffy re-entered Giles' room.

"No commandos. But I got someone just as good. He'll be here in about an hour."

"Who-?" Xander started, but the answer came to him before he finished. "Deadboy?!?"

"There's no one else," Buffy confirmed. She turned to Giles. "Anything new?"

"Well the gates can only be opened at exactly sunrise." He informed. "Angel will have to be careful." Buffy nodded.

"He will. Anything else?"

"Well I presume they've already obtained the gem, and we know they have the ring. So unless you can kill them by sunrise." he trailed off, not needing to finish.

"I know," Buffy said. Then she turned to the gang. "Who's going to be bait?"

Angel walked into the hospital, and up to the receptionist. "Rupert Giles?" he asked.

"Angel!" he heard from his left. He turned to see Willow waving him into a room down the hall. He nodded then proceeded to follow in her direction.

Buffy never thought it would be this hard. But the instant he entered the room it all came back to her, in an overpowering wave of emotion. She stiffened, as he looked her in the eye. She turned away.

"Buffy," he whispered. He struggled to compose himself. "How- how are you?"

"I'm good," Buffy answered, avoiding his eyes out of fear. Fear that he would take one look at her, into her soul, and see that she was lying. That she wasn't 'good' and hadn't been since he had left. But he didn't need to look at her. He could just tell, but he didn't prod, and she was grateful.

The silence engulfed the room. An awkward presence watched over them, and each stood quiet, afraid the immense force would crush them at the slightest sound. It was Xander who first shattered the silent tension.

"So what's the plan?"

They moved fast. It was almost sunrise. Buffy, Angel, Willow and, much to Anya's dismay, Xander searched the cemetery for the Excessum demons. Giles had assured them that the ritual would only work in the resting-place of the dead. It was sort of poetic, searching for Death in the cemetery, in a dark and disturbing kind of way. As they searched Buffy went over the plan again.

"You guys have to act intimidating," she said to Xander and Willow. "If this decoy thing is going to work, they need to think you two are a threat."

"What if it doesn't work?" Willow asked meekly.

"You two run," Angel answered. "Don't worry about Buffy and I. Just get away."

"Angel's right," Buffy added. "If something goes wrong I'm not going to be able to stop them if I'm worrying about you two being in danger."

"Ya," Xander agreed. "But nothing's gonna go wrong."

"Let's hope."

The Excessum entered an old mausoleum. The first pulled the Ring of Affero from his cloak then placed it on his finger. The other removed the lid to a casket in the far corner of the crypt. Removing a small pouch from the remains, he spoke to the other.

"It is almost time."

"Soon," the other agreed. "Soon."

"Well hello!" Xander called into the mausoleum. "We too late for the party?" The Excessum rose their heads and turned to Xander and Willow, both armed with crossbows.

"Come and get it!" Willow called as she and Xander ran from the crypt. The first Excessum nodded, and the other handed the pouch to him. He removed the Gem of Mortis from the pouch then placed it on top the ring.

The other approached Xander and Willow at a steady pace.

"Fools," he said as their weapons flew from their hands. "You think you can stop us?"

"No!" Buffy answered as she landed a roundhouse kick in the demons back. "But I can." Angel stood behind her and handed her a crossbow; he was armed with a long sword.

"You are all fools," the demon laughed. "It has already begun!" They turned to the crypt, as the second Excessum held the ring to the rising sun.

"Angel!" Buffy warned. He nodded, then rose the sword to the first demons neck. His head was off within seconds, and his remains disappeared into an explosion of dust.

"Get out of here!" Buffy screamed to Angel and her friends. Angel ushered Willow and Xander into the far shadows. Buffy ran to the remaining Excessum. He laughed at her.

"You are too late. You cannot stop this unless you die."

"What?" Buffy asked.

"The portal will open within minutes, unless you enter it first. You'll be ripped to pieces, but your precious world will be saved. It isn't worth it." Buffy shook her head.

"Yes. It is." She shot the crossbow into the demon's chest, and he disappeared as the first one had. Buffy turned to her friends in the nearby shade. She smiled between tears; this was what she had to do. She feebly waved her hand as she neared the portal. Suddenly she knew what to do. This was her big moment. Tears streamed her cheeks as she faced her friends. She looked around her one last time. Was it really worth dying for? But she knew it was. Silently she wished she had time to say good bye. To hold Angel one last time. But this was it; the time had come.

"No," Willow sobbed. "No, no, no." Xander just stared, unable to make a sound. Angel tried to run to her, but the morning sun stood in his way.

"Buffy!" he screamed at her. She smiled sadly.

"I love you," she mouthed, then turned away. It was the only way. Angel tried to run again, but Xander's hands firmly held his shoulders back. Silently he gave in. It was no use.

Buffy took a deep breath and turned away. The cries of her friends and past lover were the last sounds she heard as she entered the portal. Then everything went black.

"Welcome," a voice called to her. She sat up, looking around. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was entering the portal, then everything was blurry. Was she dead?

"Where am I?" Buffy asked the figures in front of her. "Who are you?"

"We are the oracles," the male answered. "You are with us."

"Where with you?"

"In our dimension," the female answered. "We have brought you here."

"Why?" Buffy asked. She looked around again. Maybe this was some sort of afterlife. Or maybe she was dreaming. And any minute now she'll wake up in her bed.

"You have passed your test, and now you shall be rewarded," the female replied. She walked towards Buffy, offering her hand. Buffy accepted and she helped her to her feet.

"My test?"

"All warriors must pass a test," the male stated, annoyed by her ignorance.

"You sacrificed your own mortality for the lives of others," the female said, a hint of pride in her voice. "For the ones you love."

"Love has nothing to do with it!" the male snapped, but the female ignored him.

"You have proven yourself worthy."

"Worthy?" Buffy asked. The female nodded.

"Worthy of happiness," she explained. "The Powers have granted you your heart's desire in exchange for your selfless act."

"My heart's desire?" Buffy asked hopefully. Her breath caught in her throat and she stood silent. She knew what she desired most, but tried not to get her hopes up. What if it was a trick?

"You have both earned this," the male said plainly.

"Go to him," the female said softly. "And tell him not to worry." Buffy looked confused.

"Worry about what?"

"His strength will be retained. It will not be like last time." Buffy was still confused. Last time?

"It does not matter," the female said, as if reading her mind. "He will understand."

"Thank you," Buffy whispered, tears of joy running down her face.

"Now go," the male ordered. "The time has come." And the world was black again.

Angel fell to his knees. She was gone. Buffy was gone. Willow and Xander stood behind him, clutching each other and sobbing uncontrollably. Angel stood up then walked to the edge of the shade. The morning sun was high. He took an unnecessary breath, then stepped out of the shadows.
"Angel!" Buffy cried as she sped out of the mausoleum.

"Buffy?" he asked, turning towards her. She rushed forward and jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"I love you," she whispered as she pulled him in for a kiss. At the feel his lips once again on hers, Buffy's heart raced. Reluctantly she pulled away to look him in the eyes. "How do you feel?" she asked. He looked at her then at the sun shining directly on him.

"Alive," he said simply, but it spoke of a thousand meanings. Then he remembered the last time, with the Mohra. "Buffy, if I stay-"

"They said don't worry," she interrupted. "The oracles. They said it would mean something to you. The demon's strength, it's still yours." Angel smiled and kissed her again.

"It means everything to me."

"Buffy!" Willow and Xander called simultaneously. Buffy jumped off Angel and ran to her friends.

"Oh thank god," Willow whispered as they pulled in for a hug. "What happened?"

"These oracle guys," Buffy explained. "Said it was all some sort of test."

"And Deadboy was the reward?" Xander asked, gesturing to sun shining on Angel. Buffy grinned as she reached for his hand.

"They made him human," Buffy cried. Angel wrapped his arms around her.

"Oh my god!" Willow cried. She gave Buffy and Angel a hug. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Me too," Xander said, surprising them all. He shook Angel's hand and gave Buffy a hug. "Besides, Fishboy was getting on my nerves."

"Oh my god!" Buffy cried with realization. "I forgot about Riley!"

"Who's Riley?" Angel asked.

"Buffy's ex-boyfriend," Willow said smiling. "Well, not yet. But that's just a minor detail."

"Soon to be worked out," Buffy grinned, kissing Angel again. Angel smiled.

"Well," he said, leading her out of the cemetery. "Why don't we go work it out now?"

END.