***<\/p>\n
Sarah stroked his cheek affectionately. No longer used to the close contact of another being, Angel\u2019s first reaction was to jerk away. But the slight redhead\u2019s touch soothed him. He responded with a contented sigh and nuzzled her hand.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s almost time for the ritual,\u201d Sarah stated softly. Angel nodded slightly in acknowledgement. \u201cI must warn you that you will feel an intense pain at first, but that will soon be replaced by an unprecedented strength.\u201d Angel purred softly as Sarah continued to lightly caress his face. \u201cYou must know that few here trust you to do as I ask. They believe you to be a monster.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n A pained looked appeared in Angel\u2019s eyes. \u201cI am a monster,\u201d he whispered.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMaybe so,\u201d Sarah admitted. \u201cBut unlike them, I do believe that you will help us. I believe in you, Angel. I wouldn\u2019t trust this power with any being. They have to be special. They must have the heart of a Champion.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI have the heart of a murderer,\u201d Angel countered.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Sarah denied. \u201cYou have the heart of a Warrior. You just happen to have a demon on the inside.\u201d She was surprised that the vampire didn\u2019t have a response. \u201cAre you ready?\u201d Angel said that he was.<\/em><\/p>\n The village priestesses gathered around the pair. Using the flickering light of the nearby bonfire, the seven women began to read from their tomes in a language that Angel recognized as Gaelic.<\/em><\/p>\n Sarah reached over to the nearby table and grabbed a small clay bowl. \u201cThank you, Angel,\u201d she whispered.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cFor what?\u201d Angel asked curiously.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cFor everything.\u201d With that said, Sarah dipped her finger into the bowl. She took her fingertip and traced the shape of a triangle on his forehead with the thick gray powder. She then began her incantation.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHecate, Goddess of the Arts, I beckon you. Daphne, Mother of the Clan, I beckon you. I, your dutiful servant, do humbly ask that you bless this Warrior. Instill in him the forces of light in which we hold so that he may drive back the forces of darkness. Give him the power to be the Champion of your people so that he may protect us from those who oppose you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Angel began to spasm in pain as energy radiated throughout his body. A bright yellow light seemed to glow inside him as the Goddesses infused in him the power he would need to destroy the enemy. When the light faded, Angel collapsed to his knees and gasped for breath. Guilty for causing him pain, Sarah knelt by the vampire and swept the hair from his face.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAngel? Are you well?\u201d Angel whispered that he was. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry. I wish it didn\u2019t hurt.\u201d Screams of terror filling the camp interrupted her apology. \u201cOh God,\u201d she whispered. \u201cHe\u2019s here.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Mustering up his strength, Angel slowly rose to his feet. \u201cHe won\u2019t be for long,\u201d Angel gritted. Following the screams, Angel went off to meet his destiny.<\/em><\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n Hannah, Emma, and Kayla were curled up on the couch wrapped in blankets and sipping on fresh cups of coffee. Spike and Angel were in the kitchen draining down cups in an attempt to shake off the last traces of alcohol. Buffy was mentally trying to speed them up.<\/p>\n She wanted the interrogation to start. She, like Willow and Dawn, were curious as to what the hell was going on. Finally, Angel set his cup aside and walked into the living room.<\/p>\n Angel grimaced slightly as he sat in the recliner opposite the women. The hangover hadn\u2019t completely subsided. Buffy, Willow, and Dawn pulled chairs from the kitchen and gathered around. Spike stood off in a far corner, intent on watching without being seen.<\/p>\n After several long minutes of silence, Angel finally began to speak.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019re She, or Her, or It.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am,\u201d Hannah answered softly. \u201cI am the Keeper. My mother passed on the gift when I turned sixteen. The clan has been under my control ever since. That was six years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a tremendous responsibility for a girl your age,\u201d Angel said softly.<\/p>\n \u201cI was too young,\u201d Hannah answered with certainty. \u201cAnd now, after a thousand years of balancing the power, the reign of our people will end under my rule.\u201d<\/p>\n It was then that Buffy raised her hand to prevent the discussion from going on any further. \u201cUm, I think I speak for a few people in the room when I ask what the hell she is talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel smiled slightly at Buffy. She had every right to be curious. After all, she was opening up her home to complete strangers. \u201cHannah is the Keeper of the O\u2019Hara Clan.\u201d They all eyed him strangely. \u201cGypsies.\u201d Eyebrows then rose.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, the irony isn\u2019t lost on me. For several hundred years, Hannah\u2019s clan was the dominant magical force in Ireland. Then in the late 1600\u2019s, the clan migrated to America and many settled in upstate New York. For a millennia, her clan has been a major force in the balance between good and evil.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Buffy drawled. \u201cBut there is more to the story. Why do I get the impression you did a favor for their clan, which, I might say is odd, because well, you know, them being gypsies and all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I did. Back in 1921, which if you\u2019re a history buff, is shortly after I came to this country. Back then, it was Hannah\u2019s great-grandmother, Sarah, that was the Keeper.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the Keeper?\u201d Willow asked.<\/p>\n It was Hannah that answered the question of her role. \u201cThe Keeper is the matriarch of the clan. It is with me that our clan\u2019s power lies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo this Merrick wanted to steal Sarah\u2019s power,\u201d Buffy deduced. \u201cHow would he do that? And maybe more importantly, who is Merrick?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMerrick is a monster,\u201d Hannah spat. \u201cUpon his release, he attacked our clan.\u201d Tears quickly began to form and spill down her cheeks. \u201cWe are the last three members of a group that only three months ago had over two hundred clansmen.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel was stunned. Her group had been wiped out. He swore then and there that he would destroy Merrick. He wouldn\u2019t repeat past mistakes. Sadly, Angel continued the description of the enemy.<\/p>\n \u201cMerrick is of a breed of demon called Necklars. They are an immortal race, but thankfully, a sparse one. That is due largely to finicky reproduction habits. An adult demon will insert its spawn into a human host. A new specimen fills out the body practically overnight. The only way to kill one is to destroy it\u2019s heart.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo he\u2019s going to be tough, isn\u2019t he?\u201d Angel nodded yes. \u201cAnd how does Merrick plan on taking Hannah\u2019s power? Kill her?\u201d Buffy found it odd that both Angel and Hannah paled considerably. \u201cHow does he take her power?\u201d<\/p>\n Angel cast a quick glance at Hannah. She tipped her head slightly, giving her approval to tell. \u201cKilling her isn\u2019t personal enough. He got to get, uh, closer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMeaning?\u201d Buffy prodded.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has to rape her.\u201d<\/p>\n The girls all turned towards the corner of the room. It was Spike who had uttered those words. Buffy and Willow wanted to deny that, but the look on Angel\u2019s face spoke volumes.<\/p>\n \u201cThink of it as symbolism come to life. Connotatively, a rape renders a woman powerless. Only here it transcends the figurative into the literal,\u201d Angel elaborated.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s just\u2026profound.\u201d<\/p>\n The room fell silent as the gravity of the situation hit. This was a demon that had totally annihilated a group of two hundred people. Buffy sighed heavily. Just when they finally resolve a little issue known as the apocalypse, they get some new demon strolling into town hell bent on gaining some power to do God knows what.<\/p>\n \u201cBut you\u2019ve beaten this thing. How?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a tough battle,\u201d Angel admitted. \u201cBut it went something like this.\u201d<\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n A vicious clubbing blow sent Angel crashing to his knees. A kick to the chin sent him toppling down the rock formation. The battle between Angel and Merrick had been raging for nearly half an hour. What had began as a brawl in the dusty streets of Calvary had evolved to a desperate war for survival scanning the length of the Devil\u2019s Backbone ridge to the east of town.<\/em><\/p>\n Angel finally rolled to a stop when he collided head first into a boulder. For the briefest of instances consciousness left his body, but the demanding nature of the situation demanded that he stay on this plane of being. So Angel used all his strength to make his way back to his feet. Blood pouring from a wound on the top of his head and from his nose, about the only thing keeping the vampire going was anger.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cCome down here you son of a bitch!\u201d Angel roared. \u201cI\u2019m going to rip you in two!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Merrick was more than happy to oblige the vampire. The demon skidded down the rocks and prepared to finish Angel off. With one quick strike he would be able to rip Angel\u2019s heart from his chest. Confident the battle was nearing completion, Merrick was stunned when Angel avoided the blow and countered with a hellacious left-right combination to the belly. A quick knee to the head sent Merrick toppling backwards.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAs long as I exist, you will not touch the Keeper,\u201d Angel promised. \u201cNot that after tonight you\u2019ll get the chance. I\u2019m going to destroy you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Merrick began to laugh hysterically as he steadied himself. \u201cYou\u2019re deluded, vampire. After I snap your neck, I\u2019m going down to that village and slaughter everything that moves. After that, I\u2019m going to find me that redheaded bitch, and I\u2019m gonna make her feel real good.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Infuriated, Angel lunged and nailed Merrick with a flying tackle that sent both crashing downhill. The distinct sound of bones breaking was heard as the pair hit rocks and tree stumps. When the demons finally came to a halt, they rested at the entrance to the Devil\u2019s Mouth, the largest cave in the ridge.<\/em><\/p>\n Broken and bleeding, Angel and Merrick rose to their feet to begin the final chapter of their battle. Merrick threw the first punches, but a grunt of frustration indicated his missing. Angel was far luckier in his assault. He couldn\u2019t help the smirk from crossing his face when he heard Merrick\u2019s nose shatter. And mustering up his last bit of strength, Angel executed a perfect spinning heel kick that sent Merrick flying into the cave.<\/em><\/p>\n Angel dropped to his knees in exhaustion. \u201cSarah!\u201d he called out. A small smile came to his face when he saw Sarah appear from behind some rocks, her white dress flowing in the breeze. \u201cHe\u2019s in there.\u201d Angel pointed to the cave. \u201cYou can do your thing now.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n And Sarah did. Closing her eyes, Sarah began to focus her entire will on the cave formation. The ground began to shake violently as rocks from above came rolling down in front of the opening to the Devil\u2019s Mouth. The cave was sealed now by nature. Now it must be sealed by magicks.<\/em><\/p>\n Calling out to the Goddess, Sarah summoned the magicks of the clan to seal Merrick in the cave for eternity. As the final words of Latin escaped her lips, Sarah fell to the ground unconscious, the exertion of using such magicks overwhelming her senses. Terrified she might be hurt, Angel crawled on hands and knees until he reached her. Tenderly, Angel pulled Sarah into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. It was there that the clansmen found them an hour later. The vampire had done precisely what Sarah had promised he\u2019d do.<\/em><\/p>\n He protected them from the monster.<\/em><\/p>\n ***<\/p>\n \u201cThat should have been the end of it,\u201d Angel stated confidently. \u201cThe forces Sarah used to seal the cave should have contained him for eternity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you destroy his heart?\u201d Buffy asked. \u201cYou had him beaten. Why didn\u2019t you finish him off?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I didn\u2019t have him beat,\u201d Angel answered. \u201cEven with the magick that Sarah infused in me, I was lucky to keep the fight even. We knew that would likely be the case going into the battle. So we decided the best course would be to neutralize him. Hence the cave.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut somehow he escaped,\u201d Willow mused. \u201cIf there\u2019s a magical solution, then I can find it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTomorrow,\u201d Angel insisted. \u201cWith drunken singing and late night visitations, I think we could all use some rest. There are answers, but we\u2019ll start looking in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n That was acceptable. It was nearing four in the morning. Thankfully it was Saturday and there was no school to worry about. The actual residents of the house said their goodnights and headed upstairs.<\/p>\n Spike mentioned something about grabbing a blanket and sleeping in the basement. Angel also started to head upstairs when a hand on his arm stopped him. He turned to find Sarah\u2019s green eyes staring up at him. That was his first thought at least. It was Hannah who stopped him.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you want to know what happened to my great-grandmother?\u201d<\/p>\n Angel was dying to know. \u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe died about ten years ago. She just passed away in her sleep.\u201d Angel nodded slightly. He was glad she didn\u2019t hurt at the end. He turned again to leave when Hannah stopped him once more. \u201cShe understood why you had to leave. But no one else did. You cared for her. Why did you leave?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was dangerous for both of us if I stayed. You\u2019re right. I did care for her. I just couldn\u2019t risk loving her.\u201d<\/p>\n Without another word Angel disappeared up the steps.<\/p>\n