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Part 7
"NOW!!" Buffy shouted, as she shot an arrow through his shoulder. Angelus turned with a look of shock and then pain as the arrow penetrated his shoulder.
"AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Xander cried as he charged Angelus. Xander hit Angelus with the staff, knocking him off Harmony. Angelus rolled away, while Harmony got up with a groan. Buffy took aim as the bedraggled Harmony joined Buffy, her hands almost pulsed with power. A ball was suspended between her hands. Angelus looked at the now bedraggled Harmony. Her hood at fallen back and her hair was mussed. He took one look and began to laugh. Buffy and Harmony paused in shock. The waited, weapons at ready, for him to stop. He slowly finished laughing, tears in his eyes from laughing so hard.
"I'm sorry, Harmony" he said, "I thought you were dead, not undead. Well sis'? Shoot!"
Harmony looked at him for a moment, before a smile crossed her face. "My pleasure," she said and threw the ball of light between her hands at his chest. He screamed in agony. Buffy smiled and sent another arrow through his stomach. While he was screaming, Xander got close enough to sweep his legs out from under him. Buffy threw aside her crossbow and closed in. She and Xander quickly pummeled him. Harmony called a stop, and Angelus was tied to the chair.
Harmony replaced her hood and looked around her. She went over to the counter where the black box still sat. She removed the Orb of Thesely from the black box. It was perfectly clear and strangely did not distort the images seen through it. Mystical jumped to her shoulder. The others all grabbed a chair and put them in a semi-circle around Angelus and stood in front of them. Buffy put her chair in Harmony's spot. "Thank you," Harmony said, "but you're going to need a chair too."
"Slayers are stronger than normal people," Buffy said.
"Perhaps, but you are going to be the main source of emotional power."
"I'll stand," Buffy said with a smile.
"Very well," Harmony said. She put the black box at her feet, and held the Orb before her in her cupped hands. "Angel Crowley, we your friends and loved ones, Buffy Summers, Oz Wolfe, Willow Rosenburg, Alexander Haris, Rupert Giles, and Harmony O'Conor, call you forth. Shantal kentra sutmon" Her hands began to glow and the Orb slowly rose above her hands. A white mist began to swirl inside the Orb. The mist steadied and glowed a warm, blue light. A feeling swept over them all and they knew it was Angel. Harmony sighed. "Now comes the hard part," she muttered, "Casto gitmo autbay chivot se demontra. Homtew bintox Angel yit ketall ponre." As she chanted, she could see Angelus began to glow a dull green. The warm blue of Angel left the Orb and enveloped Angelus. The green slowly became less inside the blue until there was no green at all. Then the blue began to fade. When Harmony saw it fade, she began to chant, "Witto vinram hinba!" As she chanted the blue light grew brighter, until on the last syllable of the third time, it disappeared all together.
The Orb of Thesely fell into Harmony's hands. Willow, Oz, Xander, and Giles fell back into their chairs with a sigh of exhaustion. Buffy let out a sigh and closed her eyes. Harmony reached out her right hand toward Buffy, but did not touch her. Angel looked around with confusion and bewilderment in his eyes. "Your memories should return to you soon. Now break free and catch her. I have little strength left," Harmony said from inside her hood. Angel took one glance at Buffy and quickly broke free. He caught her and carefully lowered her to the ground, cradling her to his chest. Harmony dropped into the chair behind her, and closed her eyes with a sigh of relief.
As Angel looked at the unconscious Buffy, the memories of what had happened since the night of her 17th birthday came back to him, first slowly, then quickly. His eyes began to widen in horror and then filled with tears. He closed his eyes and began shaking his head. "I'm so sorry. I should have know better. Oh God, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry for the things I said. I'm sorry for Ms. Calendar. I'm sorry. You must all hate me," he mumbled. The tears flowed out of his closed eyes, and down his checks. He didn't even notice when Buffy woke.
"We don't hate you," Buffy murmured, touching his cheek with the back of her hand. His eyes flew open, there were tears in his eyes and fear of what he might see.
"I remember the hate in your eyes," he said sadly, starting to pull away.
"I hate Angelus," she said, "I love you." And with that she pulled him down into a passionate kiss. When the kiss ended, Angel looked at her with love and confusion in his eyes.
"Buffy, the demon's here I can feel him. Our love can't be, the spell-" Angel said, tears welling in his eyes.
"Love binds the spell now. Love will only strengthen it," Harmony cut in. Angel eyes lit up in surprise and joy.
"So strengthen," Buffy said playfully, pulling him down for a passionate kiss. It was long and passionate. The kiss of reunited lovers. Angel gazed at her with love and wonder.
"You are amazing. I don't know how you could love me after the past few months," he told her softly.
"You haven't done anything in the last few months, except be dead," Harmony stated,"The memories of the last few months are Angelus's, not yours."
"But Angelus and I are one."
"No you're not," Harmony said, "You are two different beings in the same body. It's like two people sharing a house. The memories of what the body has done are there, and what the body has felt are there. The perspective of the body is the same as the person or demon in charge. That does not make you the same entity."
"I see," Angel said slowly nodding.
"They don't usually tell vamps. It might give 'em ideas," she said with a smile.
"So Harmony, how long do sorceresses live?" Angelus asked smiling.
"Longer than humans, but not as long as you're thinking Uncle," she
said giggling and opening her eyes to look at him.