Chapter 7
**
Previously:
“Who are we calling?” Buffy asked, terrified that she already knew the answer.
Penny confirmed Buffy’s suspicions with a single dreaded word.
“Angel.”
**
“Buffy,” Penny addressed the Slayer. “I want you to ask whoever answers to put the call on conference, so that both Wesley and Angel will be able to hear the call. Ask Angel why you weren’t informed of Darla’s resurrection and ask him what happened. If he questions your need to know, feel free to explain to him that Darla’s resurrection is the first step in a prophecy you have to avert, because if it comes to pass it will mean the end of the world as we know it, and that is what makes it slayer business.”
“What prophecy?” Giles almost fell off his chair in an effort to reach the table and consequently, his notebook and pen.
“Why do I have to call?” Buffy pouted her displeasure, directing her gaze at the phone that Anya had just placed on the table. Spike was forced to adjust his position and pull his duster tightly around himself when he noticed her expression.
“Because you’re the Slayer, and the pout doesn’t work on me.” Penny grinned her amusement at Buffy before turning to Giles. “Sorry, Mr. Giles, I can’t for the life of me remember the name of the prophecy, but I’ll give you a complete rundown of it later. There’re a few ways to avert it. Stopping Darla from being revamped by Drusilla is one, or staking Angel before he has sex with her after she’s turned are just your first two options.”
“Wait. 'From being revamped’? She’s human?” Buffy asked incredulously.
“Bloody DRU vamps her?” Spike spat out, totally disgusted with his sire. “Well, if you ever needed proof positive about her insanity…only someone completely off their nutter would revamp that bleedin’ bitch.”
“Go back to the Angel stakage…can I just say now that that option’s got my full support.” Xander offered his enthusiastic vote.
“I’m with Harris on that one.” Spike grinned conspiratorially with the carpenter; for the first time ever, the two shared a joke in genuine amusement.
“There’s sex? With Angel? That’s not good, what with the whole clause in the curse thing, and Angelus and the grr. Is he the one that ends the world?” Willow babbled her questions.
“Why don’t we just make the call? I’m fairly certain most of your questions will be addressed during the phone call, and probably some that you haven’t asked,” Penny gently suggested.
“What we? I’m the one making the stupid call to the stupid vampire,” Buffy grumbled as she reached for the phone, set it on conference, and started dialling.
The occupants of the room sat in silence, all listening to the ringing phone and waiting for a voice on the other end to speak to them.
“Angel Investigations; we help the…”
“Cordy,” Buffy interrupted the ex-cheerleader’s spiel. “It’s Buffy. I need to speak to both Angel and Wesley. Can you put me on speaker to them?”
“Um…sure Buffy…hold on.”
The muffled voices that could be heard through the phone’s speakers seemed to escalate in volume, but were still not clear enough for those listening to understand what was happening at the other end of the line. Rustling, followed by a clearly audible ‘Fine’ that was apparently hissed by Cordelia, alerted the room to a probable deviation from the plan.
“Buffy? It’s Angel.”
“Am I on speakerphone?” Buffy asked bluntly.
“Well, no. I wanted to know what this is about? Is it important? We’re kinda busy here.”
“The quicker you put me on speakerphone, the quicker you’ll find out.” Buffy’s voice held steel in it; her tone brooked no argument.
“Look Buffy, we really don’t have time…”
“Now, Angel,” the Slayer demanded.
“Fine!” One could almost hear him rolling his eyes. His voice dripped with bad-tempered acceptance. A click and a slight echo indicated that the switch had been made. “Go ahead,” Angel sighed dramatically.
“Wes, you there?” Buffy asked, primarily to prove to the broody vampire that she didn’t trust him.
“Yes, Buffy, is there a problem?” Wesley inquired curiously.
“End of the world as we know it prophecy,” she deadpanned. “So, were you guys planning to give us a heads up that Darla was no longer of the dead?” Buffy quipped, her voice deceptively mild. Xander and Spike quietly snickered, both seriously looking forward to the conversation.
“Darla is none of your concern, Buffy,” Angel firmly stated in his best parent to child voice.
“Are you suggesting a link between Darla’s resurrection and this prophecy you spoke of, Buffy?” Wesley ignored Angel’s previous comment as his quick mind grasped the possible connection.
“Yeah, Wes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“I don’t believe it. There is no way…” Angel cut Buffy off to angrily begin his rant.
“Shut up, Angel,” Buffy, coldly spoke over him. She was forced to suppress her laughter as Spike had suddenly joined Xander in a silent happy dance. “Whistler paid us a visit and brought us a new friend to play with.”
Speaking over Angel’s angry but pointless blustering at being told to shut up, Wesley asked, “did you get your information from the…er…’friend’ that Whistler brought with him?”
“Yeah, Penny’s been really informative, told us lots of juicy little tidbits.” Buffy grinned at Penny. “Seriously, Wes. I need to know about the Darla sitch. What can you tell me?”
“Ahh…yes…well, it would appear that Wolfram and Hart wish to see the re-emergence of Angelus,” Wesley started to explain.
“Are they brain-dead or just suicidal?” Buffy deadpanned.
“Actually, Wolfram and Hart is an inter-dimensional law firm; they cater primarily to a mostly demon clientele.”
“So…we’re going with brain-dead,” she snarled. “How exactly did they plan to bring Angelus back into play?”
A tense silence follow, then some hurried whispering.
"Oh, this is ridiculous! Tell them or I will,” Penny snapped sharply.
“What?” Angel squeaked.
“That was Penny. She’s the one who suggested we give you the opportunity to tell us about Darla. So, how about you get on with it.” Buffy began to tap her foot impatiently.
“Well, if you already have someone there who can tell you, why do you need us to do it?” Angel grumbled childishly.
“What…are you twelve?” Buffy rolled her eyes. Turning to Xander, she said, “Can you call the Pizza place and organize a delivery, Xan? This could take a while.”
“Look, I’m sorry Buffy, but this is very uncomfortable for me,” Angle piped in, his ire that she seemed so unconcerned for his welfare was obvious in the accusation of his tone.
“Hence the asking of Wes. And I gotta say- Angel comfort when weighed against end of the world as we know it? The importance of the comfort factor is…not so much,” the Slayer explained. “So,Wes…if you wouldn’t mind?”
“Oh you guys are pathetic!” Cordelia’s voice boomed through the Magic Box, her voice laced with disgust. “Here’s the sitch…Wolfram and Hart brought the old slut back, then Angel started having dreams- which he sooo didn’t share- about boinking the geriatric ho-bag. We found out that she’d been doping the broody one so he wouldn’t know the difference between dreams and reality and that the dreams were actually real. Wolfram and Hart were hoping that getting the big guy laid would be all that was needed to bring back Angelus, but apparently Darla couldn’t get the job done,” she commented sarcastically.
“She’s prolly too old for him,” Spike offered innocently. However, his smirk at Xander’s snicker belied that innocence.
“Anywho…when they brought her back, they brought her back human. That’s all we know,” Cordelia summed up, after giving her own snicker at Spike’s comment.
“Buffy, was that Spike?” Angel asked suspiciously.
Buffy ignored his question in an attempt to keep the conversation moving. “Okay, I’ll let Penny talk now. She’ll fill you in on the rest.”
“Buffy. Was. That. Spike?” Angel ground out.
Again he was ignored.
“Right, the situation is this…” Penny started.
“I asked you a question, Buffy,” Angel cut in furiously. He was unprepared for Penny’s response.
“I believe that the subject at hand is far more important than your need for trivialities, but if you’d prefer to waste time on such matters, perhaps we should start with the day you had the Powers take back?”