Stardom:
Confliction
by Scribs

"In the darkest hour the soul is replenished and given the strength to continue and endure"
-Heart Warrior Chosa

Angel wasn't the same person he had been just a short week before. Ever sence Buffy had been reported missing, he had gone without sleep and with very little nourishment. He had turned into a robot. The only thing he could think about was getting Buffy back safe and sound.

Cordy and Doyle watched on with worried expressions. "Doyle, what's going to happen if he doesn't find Buffy?" Doyle looked at the saucy brunette who had captured his heart. "Let's just say the world will loose the only vampire with a sould it ever had. And our side will loose a great fighter." Cordy turned to him. "So we'd be in big trouble." "To put it plainly, yeah."

Images of her played over and over in his head. Images of her staring in wonderment at him, her large hazel eyes showing everything she felt towards him. Images of her fighting vampires while he had watched from behind trees and bushes. He had never seen a more beautiful creature in all of his two hundered and forty-four years. He still had to see something that could match her in strength and beauty. And she had been his. For those few precious months, she had been his. He had her undying love and she had his eternal love, devotion, friendship, and protection. He would walk out into the sunlight to protect her.

The phone ringing jolted Angel out of his reverie. "Hello?" He asked hopefully. "Angel? It's Giles." Angel's heart sank. "Any word on Buffy yet?" Angel shook his head though he knew Giles couldn't see. "None." He heard Giles sigh. "All of us are hoping for something soon, Giles. And if something does turn up, you'll be one of the first to know." "Thank you." Angel hung up the phone and went back to his leather chair by the stairs. The man he had fought at the Grammies coudl be the person behind Buffy's kidnapping. Or he could just be a wanker. But which one?

Buffy's first feeling when she regained consciousness was that of intense pain. Her head was throbbing and her arms and legs were cramped. When she tried to open her eyes, it made her head throb even harder and she moaned. "Well," Came a voice. "I see that you've finally come to. I was starting to get a little concerned." Trying again to open her eyes, she managed to get them into slits. She slowly moved her head around, trying to see where she was.

As far as she could see, stone walls with lush green vines surrounded her on all four sides. But, it was what filled that large space was what surprised her. All around her there were flowers. They included roses, irises, exotic ones she didn't know, and numerous others. And right in the center of that beautiful scene was something she hadn't expected to see. The young man with flowing white hair that stood in front of her looked like something out of a medevil fairytale. An odd mixture of revulsion, curiousity, and attraction filled her as she took in his boyish features. "Who are you? She asked weakly. "I am Puck. Trickster of the gods." The man took a deep bow. He stepped forward. "And you," He said as he stroked her cheek, something she had only allowed Angel to do. "are something very special." His hand was cold, but not cool like Angel's. This man's hand was so cold it was like she was pressing her cheek to a block of ice. "And soon, you'll be mine forever."

"Come on Angel, stay with me here." Trish pleaded. Angel shook his head and focused on her. "I'm sorry, Trish. What were you saying?" "I was saying that Batman just walked in the door and mooned us." She walked over to the couch where he was sitting. "I know you're worried about Buffy. We all are. But if you continue on like this, ou won't have a carreer left." He looked her straight in the eye as he said, "The reason I became a singer was because of her. She was my inspiration for almost all my songs. How do you expect me to continue knowing she's out there somewhere probably scared out of her wits being held capitve by God knows who?" "The police are doing the best they can. All we can do is hope for the best." Angel stood up and started pacing. "I have a feeling the police won't find anything. Someone else needs to get involved." "Like who?" Angel looked at her and gave the most serious face he could muster when he said, "The Scooby gang."

"We'll be there as soon as we can. Yes, thank you." Giles hung up the phone and stared at the three teens sitting in front of him. "Who was that?" Willow asked. "It was Angel." Willow looked at him hopefully. "Did he find Buffy." Giles shook his head. "No, but he wants us to come to LA to help with the search."

"Why do you suppose he wanted us to meet him here?" Oz asked at they stared up at the intimidating building of Motown Records. "I have absolutely no idea." Giles answered as they walked into the lobby. Trish looked up at them and smiled. "Hi. You must be Mr. Giles, Ms. Rosenburg, Mr. Stewart, and Mr. Harris." "Yes, that's right." Giles said. "Angel said you would be coming. Follow me." Trish led them to the elevators and hustled them into one. "It will take you straight to the recording floor. Just follow the sound of Angel's voice and you'll find him." And with that, she stepped back and the doors closed.

As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they were engulfed by music. It seemed to vibrate through the walls and hit them in waves. Then, it was Angel's voice that hit them. "Spending another night alone. Wondering when I'm gonna ever see you again." They stood in shocked silence for a few seconds before moving down the hall. further. "Thinking what I would give, to get you back, baby. I should have told you how I felt then. Instead, I kept it to myself, yea. I let my love to unexpressed. 'Till it was too late. You walked away.

They came upon the clear glass booth that Angel was in when he started into the chorus. Standing outside the booth was Cordy and Doyle. "Was it something I didn't say, when I didn't say 'I love you.'? Was it words that you never heard. All those words I should have told you? All those times, all those nights, when I had the chance to. Was it something I didn't say.

"Man, you would think that he would come up with more cheerful songs." Xander quipped. Cordy just glared at him, but Doyle locked eyes with him. "Listen man, he's just lost the best thing that's ever happened to him and you expect him to sing happy songs?" "How insensative are you?" Cordy hissed. "And when did you get so protective of him?" Xander shot back. "When Angel became my friend. So why don't you go sit down and shut up." Cordy answered with venom in her voice. Xander immediately backed up and sat in one of the chairs that sat against the wall. Cordy turned back to Angel as Doyle put a supporting arm around her shoulders.

"Always assumed that you'd be there. Couldn't forsee the day you'd ever be leaving me. How could I let my world slip through my hands, baby? I took, for granted that you knew, yea. I guess, you never had a clue. Till it was too late. You walked away."

Angel was fighting back tears. Tears of rage and sadness. Sadness at the realization that he didn't know if Buffy was still alive or not. Rage at the thought that someone had the nerve to take her away from him. Who ever it was, was going to pay. With their lives. That he silently swore. They were going to pay. He would make sure of it. "Was it something I didn't say, when I didn't say 'I love you'? Was it words that you never heard. All those words I should have told you. All those times, all those nights, when I had the chance to. Was it something I didn't say."

They watched as Angel's face contorted into a face of pure anguish and pain, the muscles beneath the tight white wife beater bunch and his hands clench into fists. "Oh. All the words were in my heart. But they went unspoken. Baby now my silent heart, is a hear that's broken. Shoulda let you know. You're the one I needed near me but I never let you hear me was it somethin"

Tears were rolling down Cordy and Willow's cheeks. They both understood what he meant in the lyrics. Angel was blaming himself for Buffy's disappearance. And by the looks of it, it was killing him. Cordy had buried her face into Doyle's shoulder and he let go of her shoulders to wrap his arms around her waist. Willow was platered to Oz's side and their heads were leaning against each other.

"Was it something I didn't say, when I didn't say 'I love you'? Was it words that you never heard. All those words I should have told you. All those times, all those nights, when I had the chance to. Was it something I didn't say." All of the Scooby gang watched as a single tear slid down Angel's cheek when he finished the song. "I'm so sorry girl. So sorry."

They had to wait another half hour before Angel was able to talk them. "Follow me" was all he said as he walked by them. He ushered them into a conference room near the end of the hall and locked the door after all of them were in. Once they were all seated, he started to talk. "Righ after Buffy disappeared, I went to her house before the police got there. I found something that the police don't know about." He reached into his jacked pocket and pulled out what looked like a small medalion. "I found this on Buffy's bathroom floor." After all of them had seen it, Angel have it back to Giles who studied it further. The medallion itself was solid silver with a deep maroon ribbon tied to the end of it. Carved into the silver was a lute surrounded by delicately carved leaves. "I think that the person who is responsible for Buffy's disappearance is not your average run-of-the-mill kidnapper." "You mean of the demon variey?" Cordy asked. "Yes." Angel replied. "Why does everything wit! h you two have to deal with demons? Couldn't see just be kidnapped by some normal whako wanting money?" Cordy whined. Angel and the others only glared at her. "What!? All I'm saying is it would be nice to have a non-demon case for once." It was Giles who interrupted her. "This medallion has the mark of the god Pan." "Wasn't he a trickster or something?" Xander asked. "Yes in a way. Pan was the messenger of the gods. He was told to have "played", as you would say, with mortals. He would make them do outrageous things and in turn do outrageous things to them." "Any way we can summon this guy?" Oz asked. Angel took a book out of his bag. "Right here."

Angel flipped through the book until he found the right passage. Giles and the others set up numerous candles and symbols around the room. When all was ready, Angel started the incantation. "Pan. Puck of Greece. Trickster of the gods. Hear my call. Come down from your perch on Olympus and stand before me. Let my word be law. Now!" Those were the last words he spoke before he collapsed to the floor, unconcious.

For the past hour, Buffy had watched as Puck just walked along the top of the wall. He would occasionaly look down at her, give a small smile, rub his hands together and blow on them, which made different flowers delicately twine themselves in her hair. And what shocked her the most was that she enjoyed the attention she was getting from him. It was almost like she craved it. She tried to break the chains that held her to the silk filled fountain. The soft silk slid against her bare legs, sending goosebumps along her skin as she moved. But her struggles were to no avail. The chains held tight. She frowned in frustration. It was as if she has lost her strength. She sighed and burrowed deeper into the sheets of silk. She closed her eyes and she dreamed.

She dreamed she was lying in a large four post bed, surrounded by deep maroon silk sheets. She closed her eyes and moaned as she felt soft, cool lips trail along her neck and collarbone. Angel. She opened her eyes and saw him lying next to her in the sheets, as nude as she was. Firelight coming from a fireplace hidden by the foot of the bed made his pale skin glow with soft light. His deep chocolate eyes were set aflame by the light. It seemed that the light came from inside him instead of from the fire. And those glowing eyes were filled with lust and desire. Lust and desire for her. He trailed his fingertips along her jaw and lips, sending shockwaves to the center of her being. She moaned again when his fingers were replaced by his lips. The trailed over her closed eyes, brow, and nose.

Her breath came in quick pants from her partially opened mouth when he rolled on top of her and his hands caressed her sides, trailing from her shoulders to her thighs. She trailed one set of nails along his bicep while the other hand tangled itself into the silky hair at the nape of his neck.

The gasp that came from her when he filled her was lost in his mouth when his lips found hers. Her tongue traced over his and he sucked deeply on hers, always teasing hers to come in just a little bit further. She arched up to meet him when his hips began to move in an age old rhythm. Through hooded eyes, she saw Angel's broad chest glowing with beads of sweat that had formed. She leaned up and gently licked a line of droplets off his chest, which elected a rumbling purr from him. His fingers entwined with hers into two fists and he held them above her head.

He leaned down and kissed her deeply again. The kiss seemed to last for hours and when he finally let her up for air, he looked down at her with hooded eyes. "I love you so much." He whispered. "I love you too." She answered immediately. He have her his half grin and gently ran his fingers through the damp hair along her face. She smiled and turned her face into his hand. His fingers stroked her cheek and she pulled him down for another kiss.

"Too bad this moment won't last." Came a voice from off to the side of them. They both gasped and Angel moved so Buffy's body was hidden from the intruder's view while she pulled the sheet around her. They both watched as a young man with waist length pure white hair emerged from the shadows. His outfit was somewhat similar to that of a medieval court jester. Except without the hat and the bells. His ears were pointed at the top and his mouth was turned up in a teasing grin. The firelight made the large gold hoop earring in his ear shine. The firelight turned into pure white light and as Buffy hid her face in Angel's shoulder, Angel turned his face into hers. "Who are you?" Angel asked, trying to seek out the figure in the bright light. "I am Pan. You summoned me, lower one." It took Angel a minute to realize that he had. "If I summoned you, then why is Buffy here?" Angel demanded. "I just thought it would be nice to give you two some time together before I make her mine forever." Pan said, obviously bored.

The bright light darkened and both Buffy and Angel could see their surroundings had changed. They were now in the silk filled fountain where Buffy was being held. Buffy unconciously moved closer to Angel, as if she feared he would disappear at any moment. "This is where I am." She whispered. She looked up at the wall and saw the Pan she knew still walking along the top of it. Angel turned back to Pan. "Why do you want to make Buffy yours?" " Because only a god an truely appreciate an angel such as her. She deserves to be loved by someone who would worship her as she deserves. Surely not by one of the walking dead. The lowest scum of demons." Angel's face darkened in anger. He moved to go to Pan, but Buffy clung to his back tighter, reminding him why he was there in the first place. He scooted closer to her and drapped one of his arms over her waist. he glared darkly at Pan. "Why don't we go to a different place and we'll settle this thing the old fashioned way." He growled. Pa! n just threw back his head and laughed. "How could you stop me? You're not even here!"

Pan's last words echoed in his mind as Angel regained conciousness. He opened his eyes and could see the Scooby Gang plus one gathered around him. "Are you all right?" Willow asked. "Yes, what happened?" Giles broke in. Angel sat up and rubbed his head. "I met Pan." He said plainly. "What did he say?" Doyle asked. Angel didn't hear him as he frowned and remembered what Buffy had told him when they found themselves in the fountain. 'This is where I am.'

He got to his feet and turned to Doyle. "Where is there a place that has four walls with vines growing on them surrounded by numerous species of flowers with a large fountain in the center of them?" Doyle thought for a moment but it was Cordy who spoke up. "You took me there once." She said to Doyle. She looked back at Angel. "It sounds like the center of the maze down by the beach off highway seven." "Good. Now we know where Buffy is. Now all we need to do if figure out how to get her out of there."

Buffy opened her eyes and shivered. Night had falled and it had turned cold. She wrapped the silk tighter around her. "Now I know why silk sheets aren't popular in the northern states." She grumbled. She thought about the dream and what it meant. Since Pan had brought Angel here in the dream, it could mean that Angel was on his way to save her. But where was here? She wondered.

Angel's convertible screeched to a stop outside the maze and the Scooby gang plus one jumped out. They stood for a moment outside the enterance before Angel turned to look at them. "We don't know what we're going to be dealing with once we go in there. I suggest that you keep at least on person with you at all times. Got it?" The others nodded and Angel turned back to the maze. "Let's go."

The first part of the maze was just a long straight chute of tall bushes. It was easy for them. Too easy, Pan decided as he looked into Titania's mirror, which stood as least two feet taller than he and at least three feet wide. Then Pan grinned. "Why not have a little fun with them." He decided. "Earthly bushes, in the maze, come alive with your woody ways. Surround the old one, to you I pray. Hold him tight and make him stay!" He chanted.

As they continued their search, they fanned out into a single long line, starting with Angel, then Doyle, Cordy, Xander, Willow, Oz, and bringing up the rear was GIles. After the chant by Pan, the bushes immediately to Giles' rear started to come alive. He turned around and didn't have time to shout a warning to the others before the branches wrapped around him and pulled him into the camouflage of the leaves. Pan laughed as he saw the expression on Giles' face when he was pulled into the bushes. Perhaps it was going to be more fun than what he had expected. He looked back at Buffy, who was sound asleep and his concentration faltered. He walked over to her, sat down on the edge of the fountain, and gently brushed a lock of hair from her face. She was so beautiful. Now he knew why Zeus couldn't stay away from mortal women. They were just too irresistible. She moaned as she felt his hand. "Angel." She sighed. With the mention of Angel's name, Pan's face darkened. That one would be the last to pay. And he would pay dearly.

He walked back over to the mirror and looked at the person who was now in the back of the line. A young man with sandy red hair. But Pan could tell this was no ordinary mortal. That one was a werewolf. He grinned. This one could be fun. "Bushes, I command you now, take the werewolf from his friends. But do it silently I pray!" Oz thought he heard something behind him and turned around. His eyes widened as he saw the limbs of the bushes coming towards him. Like Giles, he didn't have time to shout a warning to the others before he was pulled into the bushes.

"You know, your friends are too easy when it comes to being captured." Pan commented after he had captured all of them except for Angel. Buffy just snorted. "You won't find Angel as easy." She hissed. Pan turned to her and laughed. "I'm sure I won't." He replied as he turned back to the mirror.

Back in the maze, Angel knew that the others had been captured. Though he hadn't turned to help them, he had heard them disappear one by one into the bushes. And now, he was the only one left. he had to be on full alert in order to save Buffy. He came to a part of the maze where there were no bushes around to grab him. He stopped next to a rock that sat on the back on a small pond and cleared his mind of everything except Buffy. As he concentrated, his mind reached out to her. "Buffy." He silently called. Buffy could har him, but she knew that she couldn't talk back to him. She looked at Pan then concentrated on Angel's voice. "Buffy, you have to sing for me. I'm at a crossroads in his maze. I need you to sing for me so I know which way to go. Please my love. Sing." Buffy nodded to herself. If Angel wanted her to sing, then she would sing.

"Oh oh. My heart, says we've got something real. Can I trust the way I feel? Cause my heart's been used before. Am I, just seeing what I want, to see? Or, is it true, could you really be"

Buffy's voice flowed through the passage furthest away from Angel loud and clear. Her voice was like a siren, beckoning him to come to her. Angel quickly jogged over to the passage and stood and listened to her sweet voice for a moment, gathering strenth from it.

"Someone to have, and hold. With all my heart and soul. I need to know, before I fall in love. Someone who'll stay around, through all my ups and downs. Please tell me now, before I fall in love."

Angel smiled to himself as he listened to her. he automaticaly knew that she had forgiven him for what happened at the Grammies. To say the truth, he was downright relieved. The night she told him about what was going on with the letters, he hadn't been sure if she had forgiven him or not. Now he knew, she had.

Pan watched as Angel made his way down the passage and frowned. He hadn't expected him to make it this far. Well, he was in for a little surprise when he met the rock demon. That thing could hold a grudge for centuries. Angel knew something wasn't right the minute he entered the miniature stone quarry. He walked through it with caution, scanning the area around him. That was when the earth around him started to move. It shook more violently than any earthquake he had ever been in. The rocks around him started to move. But not in the way that rocks move when they were being pushed around. They were the source of the shaking. Angel watched in awe and horror as the rocks rose and formed the body of a demon.

The rock the made up the head grew two large, bulging eyes that looked down at him. A mouth below that opened and curled up into a snarl. A huge arm made of boulders pulled back, then came forward and threw Angel against the concrete wall of the maze.

Buffy saw Angel slam up against the wall through the mirror, but she kept her voice strong. "Oh oh. I'm at, the point of no return, so afraid of getting burned, but I wanna take a chance. Give me a reason to, believe. Say, you're the one, that you'll always be. Someone to have, and hold. With all my heart and soul. I need to know, before I fall in love. Somone who'll stay, around. Through all my ups and downs. Please tell me now, before I fall in love.

Angel heard Buffy's voice singing to him again and got to his feet. The wind blew through the large rips the climbing roses on the walls in this part of the maze had made in his shirt. He was just glad that the shirt he was wearing wasn't one of his favorites. He looked at the demon who was stalking towards him. How could he kill it? He quickly looked around him and saw a rock crusher not 10 yards away from him. His lips curled into a tight smile as he bolted for it with the demon hot on his heels.

He reached the top of the crusher just as the demon reached him. He turned around and grabbed the creature's head. They circled each other for what seemed like hours before the creature lunged. Angel quickly dodged, but not before the creature tore the tattered remains of his shirt off. The demon screamed as it fell into the crusher. with the rock demon trapped, Angel turned his attention back to the sound of Buffy's voice.

"It's been so hard on me, to give my love away. But I would give my everything, just to hear you say. Someone to have and hold, with all my heart and sould. I need to know, before I fall in love. Someone who'll stay around, through all my ups and downs. Please tell me now, before I fall in love."

Angel followed the sound of her voice until he came to the center of the maze and found that it was exactly what he had seen in his dream. He looked around and his eyes quickly found the silk filled fountain which held Buffy in it. He saw her kneeling in the silk, watching him. "Before I fall in love." She sang and tears came to his eyes. He had never seen a more beautiful sight in all of his life.

But his view was quickly blocked by Pan, who stood ten feet away from him. "I must commend you, lower one. You've done an excellent job. But, there is one more thing you must do." "And what's that?" Angel asked.

Before Pan could answer, a spine tingling screech was heard and an explosion of rock and dust made sight and sound impossible for a few seconds. Another scream and the rock demon came into view. Its mind set on revenge and its sights set on Angel. The demon screamed in rage and charged. Before Angel could move, Pan was in front of him, his hands outstretched forward. Angel watched as Pan's eyes grew red. He lifted up one palm and the creature stopped, as if unable to move forward. Pan balled his hand into a fist and threw a punch into the empty air in front of him. But the motion made the rock demon explode into tiny bits of gravel and dust. Angel turned his attention back to the fountain, but where the fountain stood was now a pile of rock. "Nooo!" He screamed. He rushed forward, not realizing his face had changed. How he moved the rocks, he never knew, but soon he was looking into the ashen face of his beloved Buffy. The purple lilies in her hair were now a dull gray with the dust. "Oh God no." He pleaded as he pulled her to his bare chest, holding her and rocking her back and forth. "Buffy, please come back to me." He begged. "She's gone." Pan said simply. Angel shook his head. "No. She can't be. No. No." He chanted.

"Tell me what makes you so worthy to have her?" Pan asked, deadly serious. Angel looked down at Buffy, at his love. She had sent him to hell, but he loved her none the less. He looked back up at Pan.

"Here I am. Broken wings. Quiet thoughts, unspoken dreams. Here I am. Alone again. I need her now. To hold my hand. She's all. She's all I've ever had. She's the air I breathe. She's all. She's all I've ever had. It's the way she makes me feel, it's the only thing that's real. It's the way she understands, she's my lover, she's my friend. When I look into her eyes, it's the way I feel inside. Like the man I wanna be, she's all I'll ever need.

"So much time, so much pain but. There's one thing. That still remains. It's the. The way she cared, the love we shared. And through it all, she's always been there. She's all. She's all I've ever had. In a world so cold, so empty. She's all, she's all I've ever had. It's the way she makes me feel, it's the only thing that's real. It's the way she understands, she's my lover, she's my friend. When I look into her eyes, it's the way I feel inside. Like the man I wanna be, she's all I'll ever need."

Tears were flowing down Angel's cheeks. He didn't know what else to say to Pan that would convince him that he was worthy of having Bufy. He had found out for himself not too long ago that even though he had commited horrible crimes as Angelus, he still deserved her. And he would do anything to prove it.

He felt movement in his arms and looked down to see Buffy open her eyes and look up at him. Angel hadn't seen a more beautiful sight in his life. He looked back at Pan and saw that the god was thinking. Pan looked at him and smiled. "You have proven yourself worthy of her. Even Cupid couldn't have done any better." "But what about my friends?" "Your friends will be realeased in a few hours." "A few hours!?!" Buffy squeaked. Pan nodded. "That should give you enough time to reaquaint yourselves with each other." Pan grinned. "But we can't, I mean if we did..." Buffy began, her face starting to turn bright red. "Hush child. Zeus isn't the only one with those kind of powers. Angel is now human, but he still has his strength to help you fight. Now, if you two ever get on the outs again, trust me when I say that I'll be back." And with that, Pan disappeared into the night air.

Buffy reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and he held onto her for dear life around her waist. "I'm so glad you're safe." He whispered. Buffy looked up at him. "Buffy, I think we need to...." But Buffy silenced him. "Don't. Just kiss me." She whispered huskily. Angel grinned and captured her mouth in a breath taking kiss and Buffy pulled him down into the silk that appeared below them as the sun shone its first rays onto the couple on the first day of the rest of their lives.

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