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Part 4
Angel sat back in his curved leather chair and watched the wall of surveillance screens grimly. He saw how Red Squadron had returned through the main sub train tube only a few minutes ago. One of their members had been missing, probably dead, and a few of them nursed minor injuries. Their faces had been bright, however, which boded well for the success of their mission. But HE was still with them. Distantly, Angel had hoped that the demons would have gotten lucky and relieved him of the young man's vexing presence.
There was a timid knock on the door of the briefing room.
"Come in." he called, turning in his chair sharply to face the doorway.
The metal portal opened with a soft gasp and a worn and dirty young man stepped carefully into the room. He was wearing a newly broken in Red Squadron uniform.
"Uh, Director. I have the information that was retrieved on the mission." He held out a small, shiny disk between trembling fingers. "Commander Summers asked me to tell you that she will be in with her full report before the day is out."
Angel's left eye twitched unconsciously. Commander Summers. The words brought back painful memories for an instant.
"Come in, please." Angel walked over and accepted the disk. "McGuinness, isn't it? How did your first assignment with your new squadron go?"
"Good, I guess, Sir." McGuinness answered as Angel turned and began thumbing through a small holder filled with similar disks. "It was a lot different from the Academy simulations, that's for sure, but I think I did all right. Not as good as Private Van Winkle, though. Everything happened so fast. I don't know how he did it."
Angel paused in his sorting, his back turned to the boy. It took him an instant to realize the bot was talking about Gabriel. "Did what?" he asked evenly.
"He saved the whole troop, Sir." McGuinness marveled, "We were trapped inside the data storage building with this huge demon. Gabriel rushed it like it was nothing. The thing must have been ten feet tall. Bullets couldn't hurt it, so he blew it up with the demolition explosive. I thought we were all going to be dead, but he pulled us out of there like a pro."
"Really." Angel commented darkly, his left eye twitching wildly, "Thank you, Private. That will be all."
McGuinness grew wary of Angel's darkening mood and exited with only a short salute. Angel eased back down into his chair and steepled his hands before him. It was happening again. He could see it already. The events of twenty years ago were reoccurring, only with a new generation this time. Gabriel's appearance had screamed danger at him from the very first moment Angel had seen him. Now he was more convinced than ever. As soon as he was finished scanning the new data disk, he would make a point to check in with Willow and see how she was doing on translating the spell to send Gabriel back home. This time, things would be different.
Fides reclined darkly on a throne made of bone and leathery flesh. The whip-like appendages that were attached to her shoulders twitched fitfully in agitation. Her lip curled angrily as she slowly scraped the tip of a razor sharp talon up along her armored navel. Although she was undamaged, the scorch marks would remain for a long time. The wound to her pride would last far longer.
"I want him dead." She growled petulantly, "I want to drink his blood and crunch his bones between my teeth."
She leaned over to regard her conversation companion, a dirty, bedraggled girl of twenty years or so. She was scarred horribly, her face marked by years of torment, and her hair hung in lank patches from her skull. Her arms were bound over her head and melded into the fleshy wall. Below her, the girl's feet were similarly encased. The same dark fluids which sustained the life of the Tower, sustained her as well, flowing endlessly through her circulatory system, polluting both mind and body. She had been that way for years, suffering endless torture, yet being denied the peace of death.
Fides reached out with one of her whips and nudged the girl's chin up.
"Are you listening to me?" the demoness asked with a soft chuckle.
The captive girl stared, unseeing, with blank, blooshot eyes, one of which had gone completely white.
"Good." Fides seemed satisfied, "You weren't around the first time, so I'll fill you in a little. I should have killed him, but I thought it would be more fun just to break him a little. Like we did with you. I guess I just didn't break him enough."
The girl groaned slightly and a thin line of drool ran down her chin.
"Now don't get all excited." The demon general cautioned, "I'll get to the good part soon. You see, there's no doubt that it's him. I'd never mistake that sanctimonious look in his eyes. But he's young again, younger than you are, and somehow he's got his spirit back."
The girl responded with a choked gurgle and Fides chuckled again.
"You're right," Fides nodded thoughtfully, "he COULD be a problem. But he could be a lot of fun, too. I liked hurting him and I'm going to like it again, but first I think we can make use of him."
The girl made a low animal-like whine and her head lolled to one side.
"How, you ask? I'll explain." Fides stood up and stretched languidly, the covering of tiny, interlocking scales creaking with the strain, "He's a Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. I know him, I can feel him, I can smell him. If they've taken him to their base, it's the biggest mistake they've ever made. It seems kind of ironic that I found another means to destroy them just as I'm about to complete my first plan. When it rains, it pours, I guess. Still, it can't hurt to be thorough."
Fides laughed triumphantly, but stopped short when she realized that her prisoner was not paying attention. The demoness sauntered gracefully over to her tortured captive and leaned in so that they were face to face. She traced the tip of a talon down over the girl's scarred cheek, drawing a line of blackish-red blood in its wake. The entrapped girl didn't seem to notice.
"You're getting boring." Fides observed absently, "I never should have ripped your tongue out, although you DID have it coming. I think you need a friend. Maybe I'll put Gabriel in the wall next to you. Would you like that? A little company for you to moan with."
The girl grunted harshly and then slumped in her fleshy encasement.
"Oh, I know, I know." Fides patted the girl's cheek gently, then turned away, opening a large valve-like door with a wave of her hand, "But don't worry. It will all be over soon. And you'll have the distinction of being the last Slayer there ever was."
The demoness broke into a gale of cruel laughter and sauntered through the valve-like door. As Fides receded into the distance, the zombie-like girl shook and moaned piteously, a long, mournful sound that shuddered through her broken body and echoed hauntingly in the high ceilinged chamber.
Gabriel paced back and forth across his quarters agitatedly. Darlene had arrived at his door soon after they had returned from the mission at the data repository and he had immediately hurried her inside.
"What do you think? Can you do it?" Gabriel asked the small blonde.
Darlene ran a slim finger over the top of a small monitor that was mounted on the top of the desk in the back corner of his room and smiled.
"Piece of cake." She answered, "What I don't understand is why you want to get in there? There's nothing in that database but archived reports and maybe a few old personal logs."
"Let's just say it's important to me."
"All right, " she shrugged, pulling a small metal chair over and seating herself before the blocky monitor. "I'll have to take your word for it, I guess. Just a few backdoor passwords, an encryption blocker and . . . whala! There you go. You now have access to every file contained in data stand one-two-two-seven."
She hopped to her feet and presented the now-empty chair to him with a majestic flourish.
"I was kinda hoping you had something a little more challenging in mind." She sighed, "But I guess I can't have everything. Just make sure you shut the terminal off when you're done, or else someone might track the connection back here. Not that anyone ever bothers to check, especially in that dusty old storage drive."
"Thanks, Darlene." He pressed his lips to her forehead, "I really appreciate this."
"Yeah, well, you can PROVE it to me later." She blustered, heading for the door, "Hope you find what you're looking for."
"So do I." He said, sinking into the chair and listening to the door hiss closed behind her.
He tapped the keys nervously, afraid he might get caught. Who knew what sort of punishment existed in this harsh time? The interface was not difficult to manage and it did not take him long to find what he was looking for. A small cache of data lit up under the highlight of the terminal's selection bar. GILES, GABRIEL, it read in plain green typeface. He kept the data cache's icon highlighted, but hesitated to open it. It felt like he was about to unearth his own grave. Pressing the key, he waited anxiously for the window to open and the cache's contents to be revealed. A rectangular window opened, filling half the screen. Unfortunately, it was empty. Someone had gotten here before him. Disappointment weighing heavily on his mind, he sank back in the chair. Now what could he do?
Acting on gut instinct alone, he searched through the other data caches for another collection of files. The data was well organized and he found it within seconds. SUMMERS, BUFFY A., it read. Selecting it, he opened it and found a tremendously long list of dated text files. Apparently, these were her personal logs, the digital equivalent of a journal.
His heart pounded in his chest. These were her private thoughts and, whether he wanted to admit it or not, this was an invasion of her privacy. It couldn't be helped, though. This was the only other option he could see. He had to know what had happened. Choosing a file at random, he tapped one of the console buttons and it opened into its own separate window.
MARCH 17, 2009
THE RESULTS CAME IN THIS MORNING AND HE DID IT! XANDER HARRIS ACTUALLY MADE THE SENATE. HE'S PROBABLY THE YOUNGEST MEMBER ON RECORD. THINGS ARE GOING TO BE A LOT EASIER NOW. WITH HIM TAKING HIS MESSAGE NATIONALLY, MAYBE SUPPORT FOR THE RESISTANCE WILL ACTUALLY PICK UP FOR A CHANGE.
He already knew about Xander's appointment to the senate, that was old news. He needed something more recent. Closing the entry down, he scrolled through the series of postings, scanning for anything of interest and selected another randomly.
APRIL 22, 2010
XANDER CONTINUES TO BE THE LIGHT OF HOPE THAT GUIDES US. HE FINALLY GOT THROUGH THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE ORDER OF TERAKA TODAY AND THEY'VE AGREED TO JOIN US. WITH A GROUP OF FIGHTERS AS DETERMINED AND TALENTED AS THE ORDER, WE STAND A FAR BETTER CHANCE OF WINNING THIS WAR.
That explained how the Order had gotten involved with the war, but it was not what he was looking for. Unsatisfied, he skipped ahead through a long portion of the list and selected an entry.
NOVEMBER 16, 2012
THINGS WITH THE ORDER ARE GETTING WORSE. XANDER GRANTED THEM A SEAT ON THE COUNCIL HOPING THEY WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO FOLLOW COMMANDS IF THEY FELT THEY HAD A FAIR SAY THEY'RE STILL DOING THINGS THEIR OWN WAY AND ITS HAVING A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON THEM. THEIR NUMBERS MUST HAVE BEEN CUT DOWN TO HALF BY NOW. EVERY TIME ONE OF THEM GETS KILLED, TWO MORE HAVE TO GO ON A VENGEANCE TRIP AND END UP DYING, TOO. THIS CAN'T KEEP HAPPENING.
From what he knew of the Order's penchant for singlemindedness, this was not much of a surprise. And it was still no good. At this rate, it could take all day to find what he was looking for. He didn't have that kind of time.
JANUARY 4, 2013
I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED TODAY. XANDER CALLED FROM THE WASHINGTON OFFICE. SOMEONE CAME IN THIS MORNING CLAIMING TO BE GILES NEPHEW. I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO ASK WHICH ONE. THEY DON'T HAVE A CONFIRMATION YET BUT XANDER SAYS HE LOOKS GENUINE. MY HEART JUMPED INTO MY THROAT WHEN I FIRST HEARD. I WONDER WHERE HE'S BEEN ALL THIS TIME. THIS COULD CHANGE A LOT OF THINGS AROUND HERE.
He sat back in his chair and blew out a long breath to steady his nerves. This was it. Finally, he would find the answers he needed. Selecting a new entry a little farther down the list, he opened it.
JULY 11, 2013
WE CLEANED OUT ANOTHER NEST YESTERDAY. THE BATTLE WAS PRETTY TOUGH AND IF IT WASN'T FOR GABRIEL, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE DONE IT. I CONTINUE TO BE AMAZED AT THE LEVEL OF SKILL AND BRAVERY HE DISPLAYS. THE NEWS REPORTS LOVE HIM. HE'S BECOME LIKE A CELEBRITY AROUND THE BARRACKS. HE'S STILL LOOKING AT ME IN THAT WAY, THE WAY HE USED TO BACK WHEN WE WERE KIDS. AFTER THE FIGHT WE TOOK THE SUB-TRAIN BACK TO BASE TOGETHER AND HE ASKED ME OUT BUT I SAID NO. I WONDER IF THAT WAS A MISTAKE. IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'VE HAD THE TIME, LET ALONE THE INTEREST, TO GO OUT WITH SOMEONE. NOW THAT ANGEL'S TAKING OVER MORE RESPONSIBILITY ON THE COUNCIL, THEY DON'T NEED ME TWENTY-FOUR/SEVEN LIKE THEY USED TO. I MIGHT TAKE OUR LOCAL HERO UP ON HIS OFFER AFTER ALL.
So his suspicion about Buffy and Xander had been wrong. Fourteen years after he had first met her in Sunnydale and his attraction for the Slayer had apparently not faded. A distant image of her face flashing in his mind, he didn't find it hard to believe. Frowning in thought, he moved on to another entry.
JULY 20, 2013
WE'VE BEEN POSTED CLOSER TO THE FRONT. THE NEWS REPORTS ARE BROADCASTING XANDER'S SPEECHES AROUND THE CLOCK. THE RESISTANCE HAS NEVER ENJOYED SO MUCH SUPPORT. GABRIEL INSISTED ON HAVING OUR DATE, ALTHOUGH HE PREFERRED TO CALL IT 'REACQUAINTANCE TIME'. WE HAVEN'T SEEN EACH OTHER IN SO MANY YEARS, IT SEEMS STRANGE TO BE SO AT EASE AROUND HIM. THINKING BACK, THOUGH, I GUESS I REALLY SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISED THAT THINGS ARE GOING SO WELL. WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A LOT IN COMMON. I HAVE TO ADMIT, I LIKE THE IDEA OF BECOMING "REACQUAINTED".
This was not what he had been anticipating. From what he had surmised so far, he had expected to find nothing good about his present-day self. But, everything he was reading seemed positive. He remembered how Angel and Buffy had been close and wondered, briefly, if the apparent relationship he had shared with her was at the heart of the tension between himself and the vampire. He doubted it. Angel was too angry. Something more serious must have occurred to embitter the vampire so much toward him. Tapping the direction key, he continued his search.
JANUARY 1, 2014
THE NEW YEAR IS HERE AND IT'S PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME IN A DECADE THAT I'VE ACTUALLY BELIEVED THIS TO BE A GOOD THING. GABRIEL SPENT THE NIGHT AND WE BROUGHT IN THE NEW YEAR TOGETHER. I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER FELT SO GOOD IN ALL MY LIFE. THE DEMONS ARE FALLING BACK; WE RETOOK FOUR SECTORS JUST YESTERDAY. AND NOW I HAVE GABRIEL. HE SAYS THAT THERE IS A PART OF HIM THAT IS ONLY TRULY ALIVE WHEN WE ARE TOGETHER. I FEEL THE SAME WAY. WHEN THE WAR IS OVER I CAN REALLY SEE US HAVING A LIFE TOGETHER.
There was no doubt about the nature of his relationship with Buffy now. But there was still no answer to why Angel hated him so much.
FEBRUARY 14, 2014
VALENTINE'S DAY MARKS A LOT OF CHANGES WITHIN THE RESISTANCE. ANGEL WAS ELECTED HEAD DIRECTOR OF THE COUNCIL YESTERDAY. GILES IS FINALLY STEPPING DOWN. GABRIEL AND I HAVE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT HIM. LATELY, HE HASN'T BEEN FEELING WELL. GABRIEL THNKS IT MIGHT BE HIS HEART. WE TOOK HIM DOWN TO THE MEDIC YESTERDAY FOR A CHECK-UP AND HE TURNED OUT FINE. HOPEFULLY, THE REDUCED WORKLOAD WILL HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON HIM. ON AN UP NOTE, I NOW HAVE A NEW ROOMMATE. GABRIEL MOVED MOST OF HIS THINGS INTO MY PLACE THIS AFTERNOON AND WE ARE PLANNING A ROMANTIC DINNER FOR TONIGHT. GUESS WE'LL HAVE TO MYSTERIOUSLY LOSE OUR BEEPERS AGAIN. THIS IS SO GREAT!
He paused as he read his uncle's name. The man had always been driven and stubborn. In the short time Gabriel had spent with him in Sunnydale, he had gained a great deal of respect for the former Watcher's dedication and strength of will. It was no surprise to learn that he had served the Resistance for so long. He felt a small pang of homesickness and he was forced to shove it aside. With no guarantee of ever getting home again, it would be easier for him if he acclimatized himself now instead of waiting on possibly misplaced hope.
MAY 9, 2014
GABRIEL WAS HONORED BY THE ENTIRE COUNCIL TODAY. IT'S ONLY BEEN A MONTH SINCE HE WAS GRANTED COMMAND OF HIS OWN SQUADRON AND HE'S ALREADY RECEIVED THE MEDAL OF VALOR. I DON'T GET TO SEE HIM AS MUCH NOW THAT HE'S NO LONGER IN MY SQUAD, BUT I'M GLAD THAT HE IS DOING SO WELL. HIS TEAMMATES LOVE HIM, BUT HOW CAN I BLAME THEM? HE HINTED THAT HE HAS SOMETHING TO ASK ME WHEN HE GETS BACK FROM THE FIELD. WILLOW THINKS THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH A RING AND A WHITE DRESS. I'VE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS NOT TO DOUBT HER. BUFFY GILES? I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE I CAN CONVINCE HIM TO TAKE MY NAME INSTEAD LIKE WILLOW DID WITH OZ. AND MAYBE I'M JUST JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS. ONLY TIME WILL TELL.
Marriage? His heart started pounding against his ribs. The strange feeling of familiarity he had gotten from Alex started to make sense now. It also explained her impressive battle skills and her possession of an extraordinary sense. The power of a Slayer and a Seventh Son were united within her. Was this Angel's reason for hating him? Curious, he selected another entry.
MAY 25, 2014
I JETTED STRAIGHT TO THE EMERGENCY WARD AS SOON AS I GOT THE CALL. GABRIEL AND HIS SQUADRON WERE AMBUSHED BY FIDES AND A CRACK TEAM OF DEMONS OUTSIDE DETROIT. OZ AND HIS BLUE SQUADRON HAD TO MOUNT A RESCUE ASSAULT TO GET THEM OUT. GABRIEL BARELY ESCAPED WITH HIS LIFE. THE REST OF HIS TEAM WEREN'T SO LUCKY. OUR BEST DOCTORS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON HIM ALL NIGHT TRYING TO SAVE HIS LEG. DOCTOR ELLIOT KEEPS ASSURING ME THAT THEY ARE DOING THEIR BEST AND THAT THINGS LOOK PROMISING. WHY DO I HAVE SUCH A HARD TIME BELIEVING HIM? A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING FROM A DREAM NOW. ALL I WANT IS FOR HIM TO SURVIVE. I HAVE TO STAY STRONG. I DON'T THINK I COULD BEAR IT IF THIS WAR TOOK HIM AWAY FROM ME.
A tightness in his chest constricted his heart and cold fear gripped him. Oz had told him that the Gabriel he knew had been killed. Was that why there appeared to be no sign of him anywhere? The mention of Fides only increased his trepidation. He had seen first hand what the demon general could do.
AUGUST 15, 2014
GABRIEL'S BEEN SO RESERVED SINCE THE ATTACK. HE BARELY EVEN TALKS TO ANYONE ANYMORE. ALL HE DOES IS LIE IN BED AND BROOD. DOCTOR ELLIOT SAYS HIS LEG IS DOING MUCH BETTER AND HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A FULL RECOVERY. MAYBE HIS MOOD WILL IMPROVE WHEN HE'S BACK ON HIS FEET AGAIN. THE DEATHS OF HIS TEAMMATES ARE WEIGHING HEAVILY ON HIS MIND, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE BOTHERING HIM, SOMETHING HE WON'T TELL ME ABOUT. I WISH I HAD MORE TIME TO SPEND WITH HIM, BUT I HAVE TO MEET ANGEL AND THE OTHERS IN THE BRIEFING ROOM IN A LITTLE WHILE TO PLAN THE NEXT SERIES OF RAIDS.
He was relieved to find that his future self had survived. Then what could have happened to him? And why did no one remember him? It seemed like anyone who did was trying their best to forget. It was hard to imagine what he might have been like in this time.
DECEMBER 2, 2014
GABRIEL HAS BEEN ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR OVER A MONTH NOW AND I'VE ONLY SEEN HIM IN PASSING. IT SEEMS LIKE HE'S AVOIDING ME. HE STILL HASN'T ACCEPTED COMMAND OF A NEW TEAM, VOLUNTEERING INSTEAD TO TAKE UP A FLOATING POSITION AND ACCOMPANY EVERY MISSION THAT GOES OUT. I THINK HE'S PUSHING HIMSELF TOO HARD, BUT HE WON'T LISTEN TO ME. EVERYONE KNOWS IT WASN'T HIS FAULT, BUT HE STILL BLAMES HIMSELF FOR THE LOSS OF HIS SQUAD. MAYBE I 'LL ASK OZ TO TALK TO HIM, HE'S ALWAYS HAD A WAY OF GETTING THROUGH TO HIM. GOD KNOWS I CAN'T ANYMORE.
It troubled him to see tension between Buffy and his future self, even if it was referred to in the past tense. For him, it represented the future. He stretched in his chair and scanned through a few more entries.
DECEMBER 26, 2014
GILES ISN'T DOING SO WELL. HE HAD A MILD HEART ATTACK TWO DAYS AGO AND GABRIEL CAME STRAIGHT HOME TO BE WITH HIM. WE HAD A LONG TALK AND THINGS SEEM TO FINALLY BE GETTING BACK ON TRACK AGAIN. HE'S PROMISED TO SPEND LESS TIME IN THE FIELD. HE LOVES GILES QUITE A BIT AND I THINK THIS SCARE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOMETHING OF A WAKE UP CALL. HE SEEMED SO MUCH MORE LIKE HIS OLD SELF AGAIN. HE EVEN TOOK ME TO THE OLD ST. PETER'S CHURCH WHERE WE FIRST KISSED. I CAN TELL HE'S STILL HURTING, BUT HE'S GETTING BETTER. HOPEFULLY, NOW WE CAN GET BACK TO THE LIFE WE WERE ABOUT TO START TOGETHER.
Again, it looked like his life had begun to settle down, with still no indication of what had happened to turn him into such a pariah.
JANUARY 18, 2015
I FEEL SICK TO MY STOMACH AGAIN TODAY. IT'S BEEN SO STRESSFUL AROUND HERE LATELY, I NEED TO SCHEDULE SOME DOWN TIME SOON. GILES PASSED AWAY LAST NIGHT IN HIS SLEEP. IT WAS TERRIBLE TO FIND OUT THAT HE WAS GONE, BUT, AFTER ALL HIS SUFFERING, AT LEAST NOW HIS PAIN IS OVER. GABRIEL ISN'T TAKING IT WELL AT ALL. NO ONE HAS SEEN HIM ALL DAY. I LOOKED IN THE USUAL PLACES WITH NO LUCK. I WISH HE WOULD JUST OPEN UP TO ME INSTEAD OF BOTTLING HIS FEELINGS INSIDE LIKE THIS. WHATEVER IT IS THAT HE'S HIDING IS EATING HIM UP INSIDE AND I CAN'T SEEM TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. NOW THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO BUT WAIT. I HOPE HE'S OKAY.
Uncle Rupert? Dead? The thought was disturbing to him. He wondered, briefly, how much worse it had been for his other self to find out.
MARCH 18, 2015
GABRIEL'S BEEN MISSING FOR TWO MONTHS NOW AND THE SEARCH HAS BEEN CUT BACK TO ALMOST NOTHING. THE POPULAR THEORY IS THAT HE WAS CAUGHT ALONE BY A DEMON PATROL. I KNOW THIS CAN'T BE TRUE. IF HE WAS DEAD, I'D KNOW IT. HE HAS TO BE OUT THERE SOMEWHERE. BUT WHERE COULD HE BE? AND WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM? ANGEL DOESN'T WANT TO SAY IT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT HE THINKS GABRIEL ABANDONED US. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT EITHER. I WON'T. I KNOW NOW WHY I'VE BEEN GETTING SICK LATELY AND IT MAKES ME HOPE EVEN HARDER THAT HE COMES HOME SOON.
Pregnant? A chill shot through his body as he realized who that child was and why Oz had been so determined to have him spend so much time with Alex. Gabriel had not known Angel long, but what he did know spoke of honor. Perhaps seeing Buffy bear a child that he could never have fathered had pushed him past the limits of that honor. Gone for two months. Gabriel had a strong feeling that this was the end of his future's tale.
AUGUST 15, 2015
I'VE BEEN OFF ACTIVE DUTY FOR FIVE MONTHS NOW AND I'M STARTING TO GO STIR CRAZY. MY BELLY HAS SWOLLEN SO FAR NOW THAT I FEEL AS BIG AS A HOUSE. I CAN BARELY GET AROUND ANYMORE. THE WAR IS GOING IN OUR FAVOR AND XANDER IS SET TO GIVE HIS FREEDOM DAY ADDRESS TO THE WORLD IN TWO WEEKS. IT'S EXPECTED THAT HE WILL OFFER TERMS OF SURRENDER TO THE DEMON HORDES, NOT THAT THEY'LL ACCEPT, OF COURSE. IT'S JUST A FORMALITY. WHO EVER HEARD OF A DEMON SURRENDERING? AS ALWAYS, I CONTINUE TO WAIT FOR GABRIEL'S RETURN, BUT IT'S GETTING HARDER TO STAY HOPEFUL. BUT AS THE RESISTANCE'S MOTTO GOES, 'WHERE THERE IS LIFE THERE IS HOPE'.
From what Oz had told him, he already knew what was going to happen to Xander, but the question still remained: What had become of himself? Had anyone even found out? He must have been killed. What else could possibly drive him away from the woman he loved and his unborn child? Leaning into the monitor, he opened another entry and continued to read.
AUGUST 29, 2015
TODAY IS BOTH THE GREATEST AND WORST DAY OF MY LIFE. AT 10:03 AM THIS MORNING MY DAUGHTER WAS BORN. 8 POUNDS, 2 OUNCES, SHE'S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. SHE HAS HER FATHER'S EYES. AT 10:06 AM SENATOR XANDER HARRIS WAS ASSASSINATED DURING HIS SPEECH AT THE FREEDOM DAY CELEBRATION. IT'S HEART BREAKING THAT MY DAUGHTER'S FIRST BREATHS WERE ONLY MINUTES BEFORE XANDER'S FINAL ONE'S. HER FATHER COULDN'T BE HERE TO HELP NAME HER, SO I CHOSE TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF ONE OF THE FINEST HUMAN BEINGS I HAVE EVER KNOWN. IT SEEMS LIKE ALL I CAN DO ANYMORE IS CRY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALEXANDRA.
Gabriel's heart sank. It was ironic that one of the Resistance's greatest fighters would be born on the day when one of its founders was killed. He understood the root of Alexandra's name now, at least.
He pushed back from the monitor and rubbed his eyes tiredly. This was getting him nowhere. It was obvious that the reason no one talked about how his future self was killed was that no one really knew. He had simply dropped off the face of the planet and was never seen again. Feeling like he had failed, he scrolled to the bottom of the list to the last entry.
APRIL 17, 2023
THE HELLSPIRE IS WELL ON ITS WAY TO COMPLETION. THERE IS ALREADY A DIRECT CHANNEL TO THE TOWER ON SITE. THIS ASSAULT WILL HAVE TO GO OFF WITHOUT A HITCH. WE WON'T GET ANOTHER CHANCE TO DESTROY IT IF WE FAIL. I'VE VOLUNTEERED FOR THE MISSION, TAKING UP AN HONORARY POSITION WITH MY OLD SQUADRON. I HAVEN'T TOLD ANYONE WHY THOUGH. FOR MONTHS NOW, I HAVE BEEN HAVING DREAMS WHERE GABRIEL IS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE HELLMOUTH, TRYING TO HOLD IT CLOSED. I KNEW HE WAS STILL ALIVE. HE MUST BE A PRISONER INSIDE THE TOWER. THE COUNCIL WOULD NEVER AUTHORIZE A RESCUE MISSION, NOT WITH THE KIND OF SECURITY THE EMPEROR'S GOT SET UP. I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO TAKE MATTERS INTO MY OWN HANDS. THE HELLSPIRE CHANNEL IS THE ONLY WAY I CAN GET INSIDE THE TOWER UNDETECTED. ALEX DESERVES TO HAVE HER FATHER WITH HER AND I THINK SO DO I.
That was it. The reason this was the last entry was that Buffy had been killed on that raid. She died trying to save his life. The dream she had been having sounded surprisingly similar to the one he had experienced four nights ago. Apparently, she had interpreted it as meaning that the Gabriel she knew had been a prisoner and it had lured her to her doom. But it also suggested that he may not have been killed as everyone seemed to believe. He wondered if anyone else in the base knew. There was one who he was sure knew about it. Angel's grudge against him wasn't so much of a mystery anymore. With a heavy sigh, he stood up and pressed his fist into the small of his back, stretching. The question was, what could he do to fix things?
Oz yawned, rubbing his eyes, and walked into the briefing room. Angel was there, crouched down in the shadows at the end of the council table. He had been practically living there for the last few weeks. Oz caught a faint, almost undetectable scent of stale alcohol in the air. Angel hadn't been drinking again, had he? No, he wouldn't. Not after the problem he had developed after Buffy was killed and the struggle he had gone through to quit. Oz made a mental note to schedule some down time for his old friend and then to force him to take it. Even vampires needed rest sometimes.
"Okay," he yawned again, "I'm up. What's so urgent that it couldn't have waited another hour. My old bones don't work so well first thing in the morning."
"This." Angel grimly slid a sheet of paper across the table, watching his friend seriously.
Oz picked up the sheet and instantly the color drained from his face. "Where did you get this?" he gasped, now fully awake.
"It's a printout of part of the information that Red Squadron retrieved." Angel sat back in his chair and sighed, "I knew Fides was planning something, but I had no idea that it would be this big."
"What . . .what are we . . . going to do?" Oz was stunned, almost beyond words.
Angel's jaw set resolutely, "Send your son to see me, then call a council meeting. We have to make plans now. Before it's too late."
Oz pursed his lips and nodded, his eyes clouded with worry.