Teaghlach
Title: Teaghlach
Author: beccers4469
Rating: PG13 for violence
Word Count: 2227
Notes: prompt(s):27Family, 52Trust, 59Secret
Teaghlach is the Gaelic word for family, it's not some scary demon;P I own nothing and all mistakes are mine;) Spell Check is my friend.
Summary: Angel get's a call that will change lives forever.
Angel was walking towards his office in the Hyperion when the phone rang. He stopped, looked longingly around for Cordy and remembered she was in the kitchen with Breena, who had offered to teach her how to make cookies. Angel sighed, he hated answering the phone. Walking like a petulant child he picked up the receiver.
“Angel Investigations, we hope you're helpless...I mean...”
“Angel?” A voice asked, sounding tearful and hopeful all at the same time. Angel recognized that voice all though it had been months since he had last heard it.
“Xander?”
“It's me, I need your help.”
“So tell me again why we are going to Sunnydale?” Wesley asked from the back seat of Angel's car, he was sitting behind Angel with Cordy in the middle and Gunn on the other side. Breena had gotten the front, she had offered to sit in the back, but when she was putting bags in the trunk Angel had glared at them all and they told Breena it was all right, they liked the back.
“Xander called, he needs my help.” Angel said not being more illuminating.
“We get that man,” Gunn said leaning forward in his seat. “I got no problem going to help the Xan Man. But we need some more info, so we are better prepared.”
“Yeah is there a Apocalypse in the making or did Spike finally go all homicidal?” Cordy said nodding her head, like that was what had happened. “Wouldn't surprise me, he's insane.”
Angel slammed on the brakes with no warning sending everyone flying forward, Breena into the dash and others into the seats in front of them. Angel swiveled around in his seat so fast one second he was facing forward the next he wasn't. Facing Cordy his eyes flashed yellow and he growled, Breena laid a palm on his leg her eyes dilated and lost all color, the Soul Reader equivalent of a Xanex directly into the bloodstream. Angel took a deep breath and faced Breena, who smiled at him, he nodded and faced forward once more, placing the car in drive he motored forward. Putting his right hand over Breena's on his leg, she curled her fingers into his and squeezed rubbing her thumb along the top of his hand.
The car was silent for long time after that, everyone was confused, but afraid to ask why Angel had reacted the way he did, he obviously knew things he wasn't going to tell the others and from the way Breena was acting, she must have knew some of it too. Because the more Wesley studied the duo in front seat, the more he realized they were both tense like a coiled spring waiting for the next shoe to drop. Oncoming cars would flash past every now and then breaking up the monotony of the desert at night.
The car started to slow and veer to the right onto the shoulder of the road and finally stopped. Everyone looked around trying to figure why they stopped but to afraid to ask. So they all watched Angel, he was staring ahead at something in the distance. It was Cordy who saw it first, the 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign was illuminated by a couple of lights across the top of it.
“Everyone hold on,” Angel said shifting the car into drive, they all quickly did as he said and braced themselves, still not sure what was going on. He had let go of Breena's hand and she placed both of hers against the dash in front of her, she nodded at Angel and winked, making him smile for the first time since they had left. His left foot was resting against the brake when he put his right against the gas and started the tires to kicking up dirt and gravel.
“For William.” He took his foot off the brake and the car rocketed forward and slammed into the sign sending it over the thankfully closed roof of the car and onto the side of the road behind them. Angel pulled the car back onto the road while everyone in backseat breathed heavy, eyes wide. Breena slid closer to Angel their hips touching and once again took his hand in hers.
Traveling through the city limits and through the town itself was like being thrown back in time for Wesley, Cordy, and Angel. Even remote buildings like the roller rink and the marina held significance for one of them.
“Angel, man, don't get mad,” Gunn said speaking up for the first time since Angel had 'freaked' on them, as Gunn liked to think of it. “But exactly where are we going?”
“Buffy's.” And with that one word everyone in the backseat tensed up, and for the wrong reasons. They all assumed he was tense because he was anxious about seeing Buffy and dealing with their history but it was so far from that that it need a new zip code. The only one who was in the 'know' was Breena, she had been there after Angel had hung up with Xander and he had almost collapsed in grief, she told him until they knew all he had to be strong, for William.
So when the car came to a stop at the curb in front of the Summer's house, the three in the backseat looked at one another and took deep breaths and got out of the car. Leaving the suitcases till later they walked up the sidewalk towards the front door, Angel holding Breena's hand led the group. But it was Breena who knocked, three firm raps spaced evenly. They waited a minute and heard someone coming at a clipped pace, the door was thrown open to show Buffy standing just inside. Her hair was up in a messy knot at the back of her head, wrinkled clothes and no makeup. She took in all of them, especially the way Breena and Angel stood so close to one another holding hands.
“Angel?” She said a tad breathlessly. “What are you...” She began but was interrupted from shout from inside.
“Angel!?” Xander pushed past Buffy and flung his arms around Angel's shoulders and began to sob into his neck where he had pressed his face. Breena laid one hand on Angel's back and one on Xander's and hung her head closing her eyes. Buffy wondering what the hell was going on was about to interrupt them, and ask Breena why she was touching them like that when she didn't really know them. When Cordy walked past the three on the porch and gently pushed Buffy farther into the house.
“Trust me,” Cordy said patting the slayer's shoulder. “Don't ask questions.” Buffy mouth agape stood there while Wesley and Gunn filed past the three and into the house. They all watched as Breena lifted her head and whispered something to the men. Xander looked up and nodded hugging her tight. Breena put her arm around his waist and led him into the room just as Giles, Willow, Tara, and Dawn walked in from the kitchen.
“What is he doing here?” Dawn asked haughtily referring to Angel. It was Xander who answered.
“He's here to save Spike.” Xander said wiping his eyes with his free hand, the one not around Breena's waist. Angel stayed on Breena's other side, hand at the base of her spine, keeping physical contact with her. It seemed to help calm him more than anything else, ever since getting his soul firmly placed and merging with Angelus, he needed her to keep him from going insane sometimes, especially when he was already stressed, like now.
Breena stood watching the others as they started all talking at once, with a glance at each of them she saw who they had been, who they were now, and who they would become. One person in particular stood out from the rest. A older gentleman with glasses who stood as she did, watching. As if Giles felt her gaze, his eyes met hers and widened when he saw the swirling colors. A Soul Reader.
“Enough.” He said, effectively quieting everyone with his tone, which brooked no argument, and was all Ripper.
“Giles...” Buffy began a whining.
“No,” He said walking to the front of the group and silencing her with a quelling look. Ignoring the others behind him he focused his attention on the Soul Reader and Angel.
“Spike is the basement, unconscious, and slowly dieing.” Giles said stopping before the three, making Xander whimper. Giles, like Breena and Angel knew what was really going on.
“What happened?” Breena asked her Irish brogue washing over the room and somehow calming it. Tara gasped as she saw Breena's aura. Never before has she seen one so intricate and colorful, every single color in the spectrum was present swirling around one another, but somehow it all worked, looking at Angel gave her another start. His aura was now only one color, instead of two like it had been before, it was now a ruby red, and connected by a thin thread to Breena. She smiled.
“We were out fighting,” Buffy began, “when this demon came out of nowhere...”
“A Mutaash demon.” Giles said filling in. Wesley started and looked at Giles.
“Are you sure?” Wesley asked coming forward. Giles nodded once and took off his glasses and began to clean them on his sweater.
“Bloody hell.” Wesley gasped.
“What?” Gunn said, confused looking back and forth between Wesley and Giles.
“A Mutaash demon is one of the only demons in this dimension that is fatal to vampires if bitten. There is no known cure.” Giles said looking at Xander only, he gasped and hid his face on Breena's shoulder as once again his emotions overtook him, making the Sunnydale gang and the rest of the AI gang wonder what was really going on between Bleachy and their Xander.
“Well it's a good thing I came then.” Breena said, handing over Xander to Angel who took the other man in his arms.
“What do you mean?” Willow asked. “What can you do that we can't?” Buffy's arms crossed as she waited for the explanation. Tara backed away from her girlfriend and stood a few feet away from her taking Dawn with her. There was no saving her if Breena became pissed, not to mention the way Angel stood growling after Willow spoke up was enough to make the strongest man fear. The colors in Breena's eyes began to swirl faster as she walked towards Buffy and Willow, making Buffy wish she had a weapon, her eyes started scanning the room for a such a thing.
“I don't think so Slayer.” Angel said, Xander stepped away from Angel, feeling for the first time the tension in the other mans body. Angel walked forward hands forming claws, and his Vampire mask slipping on, he stood in front of Breena and growled.
“Angelus...” Buffy whispered, this one word as no other caused chaos. Giles started looking for crosses, Willow began a spell under her breath, one to imprison Angelus. Tara sensing this was the wrong side to be standing on crossed the room to the AI side pulling Dawn behind her and grabbing Xader as she passed him. The AI gang was eerily calm, Cordy stood shaking her head, having already been in the position Willow and the others were in. Xander was straining against Wesley and Gunn who were holding him by the arms.
“Don't worry man.” Gunn said to Xander. “Breena won't let anyone get hurt.” Xander looked over his shoulder at Gunn and nodded tears silently streaming down his face.
“ENOUGH.” Breena said loud enough that the pictures on the walls rattled. Holding up one hand she pointed a finger at Willow, who immediately stopped chanting and clutched at her throat, gasping, Breena had taken her voice. Giles like Buffy at hearing the word Angelus, had started looking for a weapon, finding a axe he rushed Breena, if he would have just stopped and thought about it, he would have known better. Breena knocked the axe out his hand like she was swatting a fly, with the same hand she grabbed him by the neck and held him aloft.
“GILES!” Buffy screamed, she too rushed Breena this time with a sword she had gotten from the trunk behind the couch. All her attention on the woman holding her watcher didn't see Angel till it was too late. With one punch to the side of the head Buffy fell unconscious. Angel stood over her inert body and roared at her.
“Liam.” Breena said voice still low and otherwordly, eyes dark as onyx, he turned and faced her. She lay an unconscious Giles next to his Slayer and held out her arms to Angel. He stood still for moment before walking forward and wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes. Breena brought her hands up and placed them against his cheeks.
“Shh, my Liam...all will be well.” He sighed and shivered once, demon face disappearing.