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snoggedProvided you haven't given up on the updates for this story, we've reached the final chapter of this story. Thanks so much to everyone who came along for the ride.
Title: Hell Can Be Anywhere (6/6)
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
snogged and idioticonion
Disclaimer: Carter Bays and Craig Thomas own How I Met Your Mother. Joss Whedon and co. own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I don’t. Please don’t sue.
Pairing: Angelus/Ted with a Willow/Marshall friendship
Word Count: 1901
Rating/Warnings: Overall: FRAO/NC-17; dark, slash, adult language (sexual slurs), violence, abduction, mind-fuckery, dub-con/non-con. This Chapter: FRT-13/PG-13 - aftermath of abuse, references to nudity.
Summary: This is the story that Ted will never tell his kids...
Setting: Post-S7 of Buffy. Post-S5 of Angel. I consider it AU though, since Angel's lost his soul again.
Beta:rockstarpeach. Please be aware, however, that this was co-written by an American and a Brit. We chose to utilise the British spellings of things, and it’s our sincerest apology if there are any inconsistencies or grammatical errors that did not get caught.
Previous Chapters
Several thoughts go through Marshall's mind as he crashes into the ground, managing to get under Willow somehow and pull them both to their feet.
The first thought is: ‘Holy CRAP, I have to tall Ted about this. And Lily! And Barney. And possibly Robin although she'll never believe it!’
The second thought is: ‘Holy CRAP, there are two guys totally having sex on the floor.’
The third thought, as the image of pale flesh smeared with dark patches burns onto his retinas in the aftershock of Willow's spell, is: 'Holy-"
Marshall doesn't finish the thought because one of the guys on the floor is Ted, and his mouth is open in a yell which echoes around the cavernous space. Willow tries to hold him back, but he closes the gap between him and his best friend in seconds, tentatively checking the safe parts of Ted’s body for any other injuries.
After losing her grip on Marshall, Willow feels her heart flutter inside her chest when Angelus's eyes meet hers. He's naked. Very, very naked. And damn, Buffy was not kidding about the six pack abs...
She pinches herself in the arm to remind herself that he's still evil and that look in his eyes is one of a hungry, pissed off wolf that’s starting to see other dinner options.
"Witch," Angelus hisses, knocking Marshall out of his way as he steps closer to her. He knows damn well why she's come here. Knows damn well what she's about to try, and he won't stand for it. "Should have snapped your neck years ago."
Willow gulps, trying to keep her eyes off the flaccid cock dangling between his legs as she pulls the orb out of her pocket and steels herself for what's next. To her credit, though, her recently acquired Advanced Wicca powers have made this ritual way easier then it was when she tried it at 16. She looks over at Marshall, whose arms are wrapped around Ted, and she flashes them her resolve face. "Get out of here, Marshall. You don't need to be here for this."
Marshall hesitates. Ted is slumped in his arms, groaning, and he tries to simultaneously support his friend while also scrabbling around on the floor for his clothes. His cell phone’s gone, fallen out of his pocket on their bumpy ride here. Instead, he finds Ted's in his pocket and dials 911.
Ted groans again, more loudly, and in the dim light Marshall can see the blue-black bruise across his ribs and stomach that could be something really freakin' serious. The words "internal bleeding" spring to mind. He talks desperately to the cops, giving them an approximate address, but he doesn't exactly know where they are.
Out of the corner of her eye, Willow can see Marshall's cheek pressing against his cell phone and she feels a cringe, flashes of gangs on PCP running through her mind. Getting police involved in demon business never goes well.
But before she has a chance to warn them, Angelus whirls and lunges for Marshall, knocking the phone out of his hand. The cell phone shatters when it hits the brick wall, the voice of the operator fading into the distance.
In a flash, his hands encircle Marshall's neck and he lifts the boy off the ground, glaring at him. "Don't fuck with me, boy."
Marshall chokes, his fingers scrabbling at Angelus's hands. He's a strong dude, but this tall, naked guy is even stronger. Like, body builder, strong. Like Terminator strong.
Jesus is he a Terminator? Do they have vampire Terminators? Because that's just not fair.
But as awesome as vampire Terminators might be, it doesn't help with the fact that he's being throttled and his vision is going steadily grey.
Willow feels a surge of power go through her and the Orb buzzes against her palm, a soft glow pouring from the ancient crystal.
It's time to set the bad ass Wicca free.
"Quod perditum est, invenietur. Not dead nor not of the living. Spirits of the interregnum I call."
She can feel her vision darkening; can feel the magic taking over her. She just needs to stay in control.
On the ground, Ted feels the crackle of static electricity in the air, all the hair on his arms standing up. His skin itches, pulls taught, like he's caught in a giant magnet. He groans and tries to stand, spitting blood, clutching at his broken ribs. Not far away, he sees a pair of bare feet, and a pair of dangling shoes, and he kicks out, as hard as he can, against the bare ankles with blind fear and hatred.
The spell draws a primal roar from Angelus's lips and he drops Marshall to the ground, barely noticing the brief spark of pain from Ted kicking his shin.
He lunches for Willow, clawing at the air in front of her, but her energy shields won't let him touch her.
Willow takes a sharp breath and keeps going with the words, feeling stronger by the minute. "Get out of here," she moans as the orb continues to draw magic from her, as it gets brighter, sharper, more vivid.
She's so close to the end. So close to finishing this.
Marshall gasps for air, bending to pull Ted to his feet, flinging his friend's arm over his shoulders as he supports him. "C'mon man, let's get out of here right now... I think this place is gonna blow!" All he can see is the vampire attacking a huge ball of flaming light, roaring, his fangs bared.
It's pretty awesome.
But he shakes himself and helps Ted outside.
Willow barely notices Marshall and Ted leave but it doesn't matter now.
When the final words of the spell are spoken, Angelus's eyes flash gold, white-hot fire searing his flesh, his veins, his heart. He falls to his knees, hitting the cement floor of the factory with a hard thump, as his soul rushes into him.
Willow exhales sharply, her own body feeling the exhaustion of her spell-casting. "Angel?"
"Willow?"
His throat feels wrecked, ravaged. His body aches with tremendous pain. But at least, he's not waking up in Hell this time.
"Let's get you out of here," Willow whispers, crouching down beside him, and pulling his arm around her shoulder. She glances over at the pile of clothing, noticing that most of it is in tatters. "And maybe, if they don't hate you, Ted and Marshall will help you out with some clothes."
Marshall pants hard, his chest heaving as he tries to get Ted out of there, now running on pure adrenalin. He's terrified, but also just desperate to protect his Bro. He hears the metal door to the warehouse creak open behind him and Ted whimpers, losing his footing.
"C'mon dude!" Marshall tries to encourage him. "Can't get you to help unless you do some of the work here, man!"
"Marshall, wait!" Willow cries, spotting them as her and Angel stumble out of the factory. She knows that it can't look good to be holding onto the same naked man who did a lot of damage to Marshall's friend, but she's told the soul story before, and eventually, they all come around...
Or Buffy pummels their faces in until they come around...
Which she hopes isn't an option, seeing that the Slayer is off on other official business at the moment.
Marshall's slow with Ted's dead weight weighing him down - slower than he realizes. Before he knows it, Willow and the vampire are hot on his heals. "Please... don't hurt us..." He says. "Can't you see he's been through enough?"
Ted groans and opens one eye, shrieking like a girl as he sees Angelus.
"We're not here to hurt you," Willow says, pleading in her soft eyes. "We're friends, remember? Marshall, you pulled me out of a dumpster for goodness sakes." She looks down at Angel, barely able to support his own weight right now, and looks over at Ted. "And this...Angel...he's complicated. He's not like other vampires. And if you'd just let me explain...we can make everything better."
Ted sputters around a split lip, spraying blood as he laughs weakly, bitterly. "Is that a fucking euphemism? Not like other vampires? The freak is a gay RAPIST!" Marshall tries to comfort him, holding his friends arms to his sides so that he doesn't hurt himself. His stomach twists and roils at the words. Oh god... the vampire... he didn't?
Willow feels her heart clench in her chest, and wonders if this is what it's like to be trapped in a maelstrom or a hurricane or a typhoon. It always feels like this after Angel comes back, and although getting the soul back doesn't cleanse of him of sin, she can't just...Goddess, it's Angel.
And then Angel slips off her shoulder, hitting the concrete with a whimper, his dark eyes swimming with the pain and agony, the crimes he's committed fresh in his memory.
"I'm sorry....sorry...sorry...." Angel moans.
Willow looks up at Ted and Marshall and doesn't expect them to get it. Doesn't expect them to forgive and forget. They're not built for the same kind of insanity that she faces everyday, the world where everything is gray. A world where a demon could rip out your heart in an instant...or sell you a chili cheese dog because the hat covers up the horns.
Maybe it's time that they just go home...
Marshall gives Angel a look of complete disgust. "I think..." he says, his voice cracking. “I think I'd better get Ted to a hospital." And call the cops, and get this THING locked up. This thing that is now groveling on the floor, asking for an apology after it... did such an appalling thing to his friend.
Marshall wants justice. He wants the law thrown at this vampire. But right now, he just wants to get Ted to safety.
The fear in the air is palpable, and it's almost as if she can read Marshall's mind. He wants more than hospitals for Ted, he wants hellfire. "The cops can't do shit here. This type of thing is way beyond their powers of perception."
She sighs, feeling their pain envelop her heart.
"We can take care of this. And by we, I mean witches and Slayers. People you should never have to mess with." As an afterthought, she adds: "People who don't get to have normal lives because they’re up to their ears in demon guts and complicated soul storylines."
Willow wishes she had the time to prove to them that with his soul, Angel becomes a champion, that him and the killer inside him are two different creatures. But explaining Jekyll and Hyde never goes well.
"We'll be out of your hair in no time."
She looks down at Angel, muttering: "Hold onto me" before lifting her arms towards the sky. A few words in Latin is all it takes, and she knows right where she plans on heading. It's time to get Buffy and Giles involved.
Right before they vanish, she flashes Marshall and Ted a soft smile, and mouths the words "Take care."
Some cities just aren’t made to host a brooding vampire with a soul. And as far as she can tell, New York is not the place for the devil to find sympathy and the world…is probably better for it.
Title: Hell Can Be Anywhere (6/6)
Author:
snogged and idioticonionDisclaimer: Carter Bays and Craig Thomas own How I Met Your Mother. Joss Whedon and co. own Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I don’t. Please don’t sue.
Pairing: Angelus/Ted with a Willow/Marshall friendship
Word Count: 1901
Rating/Warnings: Overall: FRAO/NC-17; dark, slash, adult language (sexual slurs), violence, abduction, mind-fuckery, dub-con/non-con. This Chapter: FRT-13/PG-13 - aftermath of abuse, references to nudity.
Summary: This is the story that Ted will never tell his kids...
Setting: Post-S7 of Buffy. Post-S5 of Angel. I consider it AU though, since Angel's lost his soul again.
Beta:
rockstarpeach. Please be aware, however, that this was co-written by an American and a Brit. We chose to utilise the British spellings of things, and it’s our sincerest apology if there are any inconsistencies or grammatical errors that did not get caught.Previous Chapters
Several thoughts go through Marshall's mind as he crashes into the ground, managing to get under Willow somehow and pull them both to their feet.
The first thought is: ‘Holy CRAP, I have to tall Ted about this. And Lily! And Barney. And possibly Robin although she'll never believe it!’
The second thought is: ‘Holy CRAP, there are two guys totally having sex on the floor.’
The third thought, as the image of pale flesh smeared with dark patches burns onto his retinas in the aftershock of Willow's spell, is: 'Holy-"
Marshall doesn't finish the thought because one of the guys on the floor is Ted, and his mouth is open in a yell which echoes around the cavernous space. Willow tries to hold him back, but he closes the gap between him and his best friend in seconds, tentatively checking the safe parts of Ted’s body for any other injuries.
After losing her grip on Marshall, Willow feels her heart flutter inside her chest when Angelus's eyes meet hers. He's naked. Very, very naked. And damn, Buffy was not kidding about the six pack abs...
She pinches herself in the arm to remind herself that he's still evil and that look in his eyes is one of a hungry, pissed off wolf that’s starting to see other dinner options.
"Witch," Angelus hisses, knocking Marshall out of his way as he steps closer to her. He knows damn well why she's come here. Knows damn well what she's about to try, and he won't stand for it. "Should have snapped your neck years ago."
Willow gulps, trying to keep her eyes off the flaccid cock dangling between his legs as she pulls the orb out of her pocket and steels herself for what's next. To her credit, though, her recently acquired Advanced Wicca powers have made this ritual way easier then it was when she tried it at 16. She looks over at Marshall, whose arms are wrapped around Ted, and she flashes them her resolve face. "Get out of here, Marshall. You don't need to be here for this."
Marshall hesitates. Ted is slumped in his arms, groaning, and he tries to simultaneously support his friend while also scrabbling around on the floor for his clothes. His cell phone’s gone, fallen out of his pocket on their bumpy ride here. Instead, he finds Ted's in his pocket and dials 911.
Ted groans again, more loudly, and in the dim light Marshall can see the blue-black bruise across his ribs and stomach that could be something really freakin' serious. The words "internal bleeding" spring to mind. He talks desperately to the cops, giving them an approximate address, but he doesn't exactly know where they are.
Out of the corner of her eye, Willow can see Marshall's cheek pressing against his cell phone and she feels a cringe, flashes of gangs on PCP running through her mind. Getting police involved in demon business never goes well.
But before she has a chance to warn them, Angelus whirls and lunges for Marshall, knocking the phone out of his hand. The cell phone shatters when it hits the brick wall, the voice of the operator fading into the distance.
In a flash, his hands encircle Marshall's neck and he lifts the boy off the ground, glaring at him. "Don't fuck with me, boy."
Marshall chokes, his fingers scrabbling at Angelus's hands. He's a strong dude, but this tall, naked guy is even stronger. Like, body builder, strong. Like Terminator strong.
Jesus is he a Terminator? Do they have vampire Terminators? Because that's just not fair.
But as awesome as vampire Terminators might be, it doesn't help with the fact that he's being throttled and his vision is going steadily grey.
Willow feels a surge of power go through her and the Orb buzzes against her palm, a soft glow pouring from the ancient crystal.
It's time to set the bad ass Wicca free.
"Quod perditum est, invenietur. Not dead nor not of the living. Spirits of the interregnum I call."
She can feel her vision darkening; can feel the magic taking over her. She just needs to stay in control.
On the ground, Ted feels the crackle of static electricity in the air, all the hair on his arms standing up. His skin itches, pulls taught, like he's caught in a giant magnet. He groans and tries to stand, spitting blood, clutching at his broken ribs. Not far away, he sees a pair of bare feet, and a pair of dangling shoes, and he kicks out, as hard as he can, against the bare ankles with blind fear and hatred.
The spell draws a primal roar from Angelus's lips and he drops Marshall to the ground, barely noticing the brief spark of pain from Ted kicking his shin.
He lunches for Willow, clawing at the air in front of her, but her energy shields won't let him touch her.
Willow takes a sharp breath and keeps going with the words, feeling stronger by the minute. "Get out of here," she moans as the orb continues to draw magic from her, as it gets brighter, sharper, more vivid.
She's so close to the end. So close to finishing this.
Marshall gasps for air, bending to pull Ted to his feet, flinging his friend's arm over his shoulders as he supports him. "C'mon man, let's get out of here right now... I think this place is gonna blow!" All he can see is the vampire attacking a huge ball of flaming light, roaring, his fangs bared.
It's pretty awesome.
But he shakes himself and helps Ted outside.
Willow barely notices Marshall and Ted leave but it doesn't matter now.
When the final words of the spell are spoken, Angelus's eyes flash gold, white-hot fire searing his flesh, his veins, his heart. He falls to his knees, hitting the cement floor of the factory with a hard thump, as his soul rushes into him.
Willow exhales sharply, her own body feeling the exhaustion of her spell-casting. "Angel?"
"Willow?"
His throat feels wrecked, ravaged. His body aches with tremendous pain. But at least, he's not waking up in Hell this time.
"Let's get you out of here," Willow whispers, crouching down beside him, and pulling his arm around her shoulder. She glances over at the pile of clothing, noticing that most of it is in tatters. "And maybe, if they don't hate you, Ted and Marshall will help you out with some clothes."
Marshall pants hard, his chest heaving as he tries to get Ted out of there, now running on pure adrenalin. He's terrified, but also just desperate to protect his Bro. He hears the metal door to the warehouse creak open behind him and Ted whimpers, losing his footing.
"C'mon dude!" Marshall tries to encourage him. "Can't get you to help unless you do some of the work here, man!"
"Marshall, wait!" Willow cries, spotting them as her and Angel stumble out of the factory. She knows that it can't look good to be holding onto the same naked man who did a lot of damage to Marshall's friend, but she's told the soul story before, and eventually, they all come around...
Or Buffy pummels their faces in until they come around...
Which she hopes isn't an option, seeing that the Slayer is off on other official business at the moment.
Marshall's slow with Ted's dead weight weighing him down - slower than he realizes. Before he knows it, Willow and the vampire are hot on his heals. "Please... don't hurt us..." He says. "Can't you see he's been through enough?"
Ted groans and opens one eye, shrieking like a girl as he sees Angelus.
"We're not here to hurt you," Willow says, pleading in her soft eyes. "We're friends, remember? Marshall, you pulled me out of a dumpster for goodness sakes." She looks down at Angel, barely able to support his own weight right now, and looks over at Ted. "And this...Angel...he's complicated. He's not like other vampires. And if you'd just let me explain...we can make everything better."
Ted sputters around a split lip, spraying blood as he laughs weakly, bitterly. "Is that a fucking euphemism? Not like other vampires? The freak is a gay RAPIST!" Marshall tries to comfort him, holding his friends arms to his sides so that he doesn't hurt himself. His stomach twists and roils at the words. Oh god... the vampire... he didn't?
Willow feels her heart clench in her chest, and wonders if this is what it's like to be trapped in a maelstrom or a hurricane or a typhoon. It always feels like this after Angel comes back, and although getting the soul back doesn't cleanse of him of sin, she can't just...Goddess, it's Angel.
And then Angel slips off her shoulder, hitting the concrete with a whimper, his dark eyes swimming with the pain and agony, the crimes he's committed fresh in his memory.
"I'm sorry....sorry...sorry...." Angel moans.
Willow looks up at Ted and Marshall and doesn't expect them to get it. Doesn't expect them to forgive and forget. They're not built for the same kind of insanity that she faces everyday, the world where everything is gray. A world where a demon could rip out your heart in an instant...or sell you a chili cheese dog because the hat covers up the horns.
Maybe it's time that they just go home...
Marshall gives Angel a look of complete disgust. "I think..." he says, his voice cracking. “I think I'd better get Ted to a hospital." And call the cops, and get this THING locked up. This thing that is now groveling on the floor, asking for an apology after it... did such an appalling thing to his friend.
Marshall wants justice. He wants the law thrown at this vampire. But right now, he just wants to get Ted to safety.
The fear in the air is palpable, and it's almost as if she can read Marshall's mind. He wants more than hospitals for Ted, he wants hellfire. "The cops can't do shit here. This type of thing is way beyond their powers of perception."
She sighs, feeling their pain envelop her heart.
"We can take care of this. And by we, I mean witches and Slayers. People you should never have to mess with." As an afterthought, she adds: "People who don't get to have normal lives because they’re up to their ears in demon guts and complicated soul storylines."
Willow wishes she had the time to prove to them that with his soul, Angel becomes a champion, that him and the killer inside him are two different creatures. But explaining Jekyll and Hyde never goes well.
"We'll be out of your hair in no time."
She looks down at Angel, muttering: "Hold onto me" before lifting her arms towards the sky. A few words in Latin is all it takes, and she knows right where she plans on heading. It's time to get Buffy and Giles involved.
Right before they vanish, she flashes Marshall and Ted a soft smile, and mouths the words "Take care."
Some cities just aren’t made to host a brooding vampire with a soul. And as far as she can tell, New York is not the place for the devil to find sympathy and the world…is probably better for it.
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on 2010-02-01 05:12 am (UTC)You two are fantastic, for realz.
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on 2010-02-01 05:19 am (UTC)Thanks hun!