Fred had a strange feeling as they walked through the village after they arrived. She had never seen a place like this before, and there was a...feeling in the air. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, like they were being watched, and she wondered if Angel could feel it too. She shrugged into her coat and drew closer to him, more for comfort than because she was cold.
A moment later, her feeling that they were being watched were confirmed when they found themselves surrounded in the middle of the road. The man in front of them obviously knew who Angel was...and who she was. Of course, she was the one holding his hand, so maybe it wasn't so weird that he figured out who she was, but the fact that he knew still sent shivers down her spine.
But she knew that she couldn't show fear. She was here for Angel, and they could face this. So she straightened up a bit and nodded, looking the man directly in the eye.
"I'm the one," she said.
He looked her up and down before motioning toward a building in the distance. "Bring them."
Soon, they were being ushered into what looked to be the pub and back into a room in the back. Four people - two men and two women - sat waiting for them and once they were brought in, the others who had "met" them in the street filed into the room, taking up positions around the perimeter. Angel and Fred were pushed forward while Wesley and Giles were made to stand back and watch.
"We understand that Angelus has come before us to ask to have his curse lifted. Why should we agree when he killed not just one...but two of our cherished daughters?" One of the men looked over at Giles when he said this, and Fred glanced back, seeing Giles look startled. "Why should we allow Angelus to experience happiness?"
"Because Angel is not the same person that killed those people," Fred said, stepping forward. "He's a good man who's helped so many people. He saved my life. He's saved others. He deserves to find happiness."
"And why should we listen to you?"
Without hesitation, she answered, "Because I love him. I wish to undertake the trial to become the owner of his soul."
One of the women stared at her for a moment. "You love him. Do you love him enough to die next to him if it's so called for?"
She nodded. "I do."
"Do you love him enough to die by him?"
Her eyes opened wide, uncertain what she meant by that. Did she mean...? She looked over at Angel, remembering how she had drawn him off in Pylea, not sure if he would kill her or not, but not caring because she knew it was the only way to help both him and the others. She knew she would do the same again, if needed. "I...yes. I do."
"Take her," the woman said.
Before they could react, several hands grabbed Fred, and she was torn away from Angel.
"Wait! No! Stop! Angel!" she cried out, trying to reach for him.
As he stood there, listening to the clan questioning Fred, Angel began to wonder if this was safe. He loved Fred with all his soul, but he still didn't know if he was worth it. There were other men out there for her; men who were alive and had heartbeats and souls that weren't cursed. These men could give her marriage, and children, and a beautiful home. All he could give her was a rundown hotel.
He was about to say something to Fred when the clan asked their last question. Die by him? What was that supposed to mean? And when Angel saw the horror on Fred's face, he suddenly understood. Was the clan planning on releasing Angelus on all of them? "No!" He firmly said just as Fred was answering them. "Fred! No!"
Angel tried to reach out for her but before he could, she was gone. He turned and looked at Giles and Wes. Both men drew their weapons and the elder clan members shook their heads.
"It's part of the trial. She's in good hands," one of them said before turning to look at Angel. "You have to get her though. She's on an island and you have to take the boat to her. But, a word of caution - be careful of what's in the water. It doesn't like vampires."
Angel opened his mouth to speak but everything around him faded, and soon he was standing on the shore of a lake. He looked across and saw an island. He then looked to the side and found a small row boat. It seemed easy enough so he got into the boat and start to row across the murky waters.
When Fred woke up, she bolted upright, her heart pounding. "Angel!" she cried out, her last memories of being torn away from him in the middle of the crowd crashing down on him. "Angel!"
She then realized that she wasn't in the pub anymore, and there was no one around. In fact, it was almost eeriely quiet. Blinking, she looked around her, seeing that she was lying on a bed of moss, surrounding by trees. There should have been the sound of rustling leaves, of birds...the sounds of nature out here, wherever she actually was. But there was none of that - the stillness around her was unnatural.
Carefully, she got up, reaching up to rub the back of her neck. She felt like her head should have been throbbing or she should have felt weird since she had obviously been knocked out somehow to be brought her, but she felt fine. There was nothing to indicate she had been shot up or hit or anything else.
She was just alone.
It had be magic, she realized. The books had said she had to use that spell at some point, and magic had been used to give Angel his soul back and place the curse on him, so this had to be based in magic somehow, but that didn't make it feel any less real.
She slowly walked forward until she reached the edge of land and found herself look out across an expanse of murky water. She couldn't see anything beyond it, didn't know how far she was from land. She could see, though, that this piece of land she was on wasn't very big. It was an island of some sort.
Reaching down, she dunked her hand into the water, wondering if she could try to swim across when the sun came up. But then she saw the water churning, and a roar echoed into the night disturbing the stillness, and with a gasp she fell back onto the mossy ground. There was another roar, but then the water settled, and the stillness returned.
Fred stared out, wondering what the hell that had been and what she was supposed to do now.
The lake was too big. No matter how long Angel rowed the boat, he couldn't reach the island. It seemed so close but it was almost like he was stuck in place, even though the boat was moving. He knew that with his strength, he could row all night but he was afraid of what might happen when the sun came up. And he couldn't leave Fred there.
"I love her," he whispered into the night. "She owns my soul, not any of you." Angel didn't know who he was talking to but he continued to say the words over and over again, and soon the island started to move closer to him. He was almost there and he could smell Fred's essence on the wind.
When he hit the shore, he got out of the boat and looked around. Fred was sitting in the distance and he ran over to her. "Fred!" he cried out as went to embrace her. But before he could, she disappeared. It really wasn't her. It was nothing but a trick.
He looked around and saw her near the shore. Running over to her, he pulled her close to him, happy to know it was her. "Fred...I have to get you off the island," he said, taking her over to the boat. It was then that he noticed it was only big enough for one person. "Okay. You can sit in the boat and I'll swim along the side of it."
A moment later, her feeling that they were being watched were confirmed when they found themselves surrounded in the middle of the road. The man in front of them obviously knew who Angel was...and who she was. Of course, she was the one holding his hand, so maybe it wasn't so weird that he figured out who she was, but the fact that he knew still sent shivers down her spine.
But she knew that she couldn't show fear. She was here for Angel, and they could face this. So she straightened up a bit and nodded, looking the man directly in the eye.
"I'm the one," she said.
He looked her up and down before motioning toward a building in the distance. "Bring them."
Soon, they were being ushered into what looked to be the pub and back into a room in the back. Four people - two men and two women - sat waiting for them and once they were brought in, the others who had "met" them in the street filed into the room, taking up positions around the perimeter. Angel and Fred were pushed forward while Wesley and Giles were made to stand back and watch.
"We understand that Angelus has come before us to ask to have his curse lifted. Why should we agree when he killed not just one...but two of our cherished daughters?" One of the men looked over at Giles when he said this, and Fred glanced back, seeing Giles look startled. "Why should we allow Angelus to experience happiness?"
"Because Angel is not the same person that killed those people," Fred said, stepping forward. "He's a good man who's helped so many people. He saved my life. He's saved others. He deserves to find happiness."
"And why should we listen to you?"
Without hesitation, she answered, "Because I love him. I wish to undertake the trial to become the owner of his soul."
One of the women stared at her for a moment. "You love him. Do you love him enough to die next to him if it's so called for?"
She nodded. "I do."
"Do you love him enough to die by him?"
Her eyes opened wide, uncertain what she meant by that. Did she mean...? She looked over at Angel, remembering how she had drawn him off in Pylea, not sure if he would kill her or not, but not caring because she knew it was the only way to help both him and the others. She knew she would do the same again, if needed. "I...yes. I do."
"Take her," the woman said.
Before they could react, several hands grabbed Fred, and she was torn away from Angel.
"Wait! No! Stop! Angel!" she cried out, trying to reach for him.
A moment later, everything went dark.
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He was about to say something to Fred when the clan asked their last question. Die by him? What was that supposed to mean? And when Angel saw the horror on Fred's face, he suddenly understood. Was the clan planning on releasing Angelus on all of them? "No!" He firmly said just as Fred was answering them. "Fred! No!"
Angel tried to reach out for her but before he could, she was gone. He turned and looked at Giles and Wes. Both men drew their weapons and the elder clan members shook their heads.
"It's part of the trial. She's in good hands," one of them said before turning to look at Angel. "You have to get her though. She's on an island and you have to take the boat to her. But, a word of caution - be careful of what's in the water. It doesn't like vampires."
Angel opened his mouth to speak but everything around him faded, and soon he was standing on the shore of a lake. He looked across and saw an island. He then looked to the side and found a small row boat. It seemed easy enough so he got into the boat and start to row across the murky waters.
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She then realized that she wasn't in the pub anymore, and there was no one around. In fact, it was almost eeriely quiet. Blinking, she looked around her, seeing that she was lying on a bed of moss, surrounding by trees. There should have been the sound of rustling leaves, of birds...the sounds of nature out here, wherever she actually was. But there was none of that - the stillness around her was unnatural.
Carefully, she got up, reaching up to rub the back of her neck. She felt like her head should have been throbbing or she should have felt weird since she had obviously been knocked out somehow to be brought her, but she felt fine. There was nothing to indicate she had been shot up or hit or anything else.
She was just alone.
It had be magic, she realized. The books had said she had to use that spell at some point, and magic had been used to give Angel his soul back and place the curse on him, so this had to be based in magic somehow, but that didn't make it feel any less real.
She slowly walked forward until she reached the edge of land and found herself look out across an expanse of murky water. She couldn't see anything beyond it, didn't know how far she was from land. She could see, though, that this piece of land she was on wasn't very big. It was an island of some sort.
Reaching down, she dunked her hand into the water, wondering if she could try to swim across when the sun came up. But then she saw the water churning, and a roar echoed into the night disturbing the stillness, and with a gasp she fell back onto the mossy ground. There was another roar, but then the water settled, and the stillness returned.
Fred stared out, wondering what the hell that had been and what she was supposed to do now.
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"I love her," he whispered into the night. "She owns my soul, not any of you." Angel didn't know who he was talking to but he continued to say the words over and over again, and soon the island started to move closer to him. He was almost there and he could smell Fred's essence on the wind.
When he hit the shore, he got out of the boat and looked around. Fred was sitting in the distance and he ran over to her. "Fred!" he cried out as went to embrace her. But before he could, she disappeared. It really wasn't her. It was nothing but a trick.
He looked around and saw her near the shore. Running over to her, he pulled her close to him, happy to know it was her. "Fred...I have to get you off the island," he said, taking her over to the boat. It was then that he noticed it was only big enough for one person. "Okay. You can sit in the boat and I'll swim along the side of it."
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