"Yeah," agreed Xander quietly, still smarting from Cordy's earlier remarks, "and when - and how - did you get back here?" Angel sighed. Long explanations just weren't his thing. But he owed it to all of them�

"Two months ago, when Buffy stabbed me with the sword and sent me to Hell through the Acathlan vortex, my soul had been restored just beforehand - a fact you are probably all aware of." The group nodded sadly. Angel continued. "Anyway, because I had done so many evil deeds in my lifetime - particularly regarding Drusilla, and the six months after Angelus returned - I was already suffering - more so than ever, with Buffy involved�" He looked away briefly to glance at Buffy's peaceful face, and a wave of anger at himself shot through him. He shook his head, and continued. "So, I was sent into another dimension between Hell and earth - a place that is worse than Hell for those that can feel the pain and guilt of their past actions. Instead of being tortured by others, you are left alone with your thoughts�

"I have been in that dimension for the last month and a half, or so, and there I was supposed to stay for all eternity - but about a week ago, a small vortex suddenly began to form before me. It was too small to be of use, at first, but as the days went by, it grew larger, until finally, three days ago, I was able to step through. And Sunnydale was where it led me."

"So that would explain the wall!" exclaimed Giles, quite animated about the discovery, "You, Angel, are the demon sent forth from Hell that the poem spoke of! - oh, but it wasn't Hell�"

Angel nodded. "No, but you are right - according to legend, the last time this happened was over 400 years ago. An invisible wall surrounds the town to which the demon will be sent, as a sort of barrier, in case more than the chosen demon manages to escape. I was not technically in Hell, so there was no real danger there to begin with, but it formed anyway, for safety," Angel concluded. "Actually," he added, thoughtful, "I would like to know who cast the spell to bring me back." Everyone looked at him, confused. "It takes ultimate power to do that sort of thing - a power no mortal could possibly possess," he explained, "I guess we'll never know."

"But what was the "chaos will reign" part referring to, then?" asked Willow, curious. Angel smiled slightly.

"It's not meaning "chaos" in the more negative sense of the word, Willow - it refers more to the chaos that is caused amongst those that know the demon, since they aren't really expecting them to come back! I think the last demon sent back from Hell was the soul of a young man called Romeo�"

"Ok, we don't need to know the la-la story of R and J, pal," interrupted Xander, rolling his eyes, "We now know the 'how you came to be here' part. What about the 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer is now a vampiric Vampire Slayer' part?" Angel's smile faded, and he shifted uncomfortably on the sofa.

"Ah�.that part." He glanced around at the enquiring, curious eyes of the Watcher and Buffy's friends. "Ok�.uhh�.I came across Buffy in the park - she was lying flat on her back, with a vampire kneeling beside her, draining her blood." Willow gasped, and automatically gripped Oz tighter. "Buffy wasn't even fighting�" Angel said, closing his eyes briefly to mask the fear he felt as he remembered seeing the Slayer like that. He continued. "I raced over to her, picked up a stake that Buffy must have dropped during the fight, and quickly finished off the vamp. But I was too late�too much of Buffy's blood had been drained�"

"So basically, she was�dying?" whispered Cordelia, sadly. Angel nodded slowly.

"Yes�she was still conscious when I finally got to her - but barely. When Buffy saw me�" Angel smiled slightly at the memory of her beautiful, surprised, 'only-for-Angel' smile spreading across her pale face, "�she was so happy�she knew she was dying, too. And I could tell that she didn't want to. The look in her eyes�Buffy whispered that she could not bare leaving any of you. Or�or me. Her request was so firm and decided - Buffy knew what she was doing when she asked me to�so, I-I did it. Then I brought her here, and laid her down while you were all in the office. I was going to stay, but some vampires were lurking outside - I didn't want them to get Buffy in her weakened state. I came straight back�I-I thought she sleep for longer�" Angel broke off, and buried his face in Buffy's neck to hide the tears that threatened to fall. The room remained very silent, until Xander cleared his throat, and started over towards Angel.

"I�I'm sorry�" whispered Xander, almost inaudibly. He reached Angel, and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "You had a tough choice�I think you made the right one." Xander smiled respectfully at Angel, who was surprised, to say the least, at having just received one of the only truly kind comments Xander had ever said to him.

"I agree," added Willow, nodding. Giles added his approval, as did Oz and Cordelia.

Angel smiled.