+    The Midnight Hour    +

Title: "The Midnight Hour - Part 2"
Author: Monica V. Martinez
Summary: The follow up to when Angel comes across the new slayer, by the way she's also a witch.
Feedback: please write to me and tell me what you think. SparklinGlitr822@aol.com
(also please do not make fun of the spell I made up. I'm no expert, I just typed out junk that looked like a foreign language.)

* * * * *

Lydia was in her room trying to cast a new spell she'd been working on. Angel knocked softly and entered.

"Hey what're you doing?" Angel asked.

"Come here," Lydia said indicating that he sit down in front of her place on the floor. He did. "Hold your hands out, palm up," she instructed. Once again he did as told and she placed her hands, palm down, on top of his. She began to chant in some language Angel had never heard. He closed his eyes.

"What do you feel?" she asked softly.

"Warmth," he answered, "familiar warmth." She chanted some more.

"Now open your eyes and tell me what you see," she said.

When Angel opened his eyes he was no longer in Lydia's room in the Hyperion Hotel. He was out in the sun.

"How's this possible?" Angel asked.

"It's a spell. I've brought you into one of my memories. Look, that's me over there. I was eight. That's my mother and father. It's a year before my father died. This is the last happy memory I have with all of us," she explained. They were silent for a while enjoying the moment. "What do you think of the sun, Angel," she asked.

"It's beautiful. It's been so long. The sun is beautiful, and you are beautiful in it," Angel said shyly. He leaned in and kissed her. Though shocked at first, she kissed him back. When the kiss ended the sun light began to fade and they were back in the hotel.

"I'm sorry, I lost concentration. Let me take you back. Let me take you back to the sun's beauty," she proposed. "No," Angel said and then went on, "there's enough beauty here." He touched her face and then kissed her again.

"Oh how romantic," Cordelia said sarcastically from her hiding place.

"It is, isn't it," Wesley said startling her. Wesley knocked on the door and walked in calmly and slammed the door on Cordelia as she tried to follow.

"Angel, we have to do something about Cordy. Ever since Jasmine died she's been a real big b . . . " Wesley said not being his normal courteous self.

Angel cut in sharply, "Wesley."

"I am sorry Angel. I caught her spying on you two right now," Wesley explained.

"What a b . . . " Angel began.

"Angel!" Lydia yelled sharply. "I'll deal with it." Lydia went on and walked out of the room, and towards Cordelia's. Lydia knocked on the door and opened it not waiting for an answer. She found Cordelia on the floor trying to cast a spell of some sort. Lydia walked over to the siting woman and knocked over a vial that contained a power.

"Darlin' I'm a natural born witch. Do you really think that your magic can contest with mine?" Lydia said.

"Darlin'," Cordy said sarcastically and then went on, "I used to be a higher being. Can you contest with that?"

"Used to be," Lydia pointed out. At that the two went at it.

Angel had sent Wesley to get the rest of the gang. He was making his way to the room and got there just as the two began to fight. He tried to get in but couldn't. Lydia didn't notice this because as she was fighting off Cordelia she began to chant:

"Tri ach no dom inu fric umb ach dri
(Let the face reveal what is in the heart)
Voy ech lemab brit un lif
(Speak you intentions, evil and good)
Dom wi in un inu ech til
(Show us who and what you are)."

The gang arrived just as the spell turned Cordelia into a hideous beast. Lydia paused. She felt sorry for Cordelia. She hadn't asked to be used as part of an evil plan to end the world. She hadn't been asked if she wanted to give birth to a creature that would give Satan a run for his money. Now the evil inside her was finally on the outside.

"What the . . ." Gunn began.

"It's a True You spell," Wesley started.

"It's showing us who Cordelia really is," Angel filled in.

"Seeing her like this is really sad," Fred said.

"We should help her dad," Connor suggested.

"Which one?" Lorne asked. The group remained quiet.

"We can't get in. There's some sort of spell on the door. Fred, Wesley go get some books and see if you can break this spell. Connor, Gunn, Lorne . . . um there's not much we can do but watch," Angel said helplessly.

The fight continued. Cordy was really hurting Lydia now. The inner evil was taking over completely. Finally Lydia was knocked down to the ground. Cordy jumped on top of the girl and scratched her across the face. Lydia winced and Angel screamed trying to push through the invisible barrier at the door.

"You're so predictable! All of you!" Cordelia screamed at all of them. She went on as Fred and Wesley arrived with a bunch of books, "I knew Wesley would tell you I was spying. Hell, I knew you'd try to use the True You spell so that it'd make it easier to kill me. But what you didn't count on is my ability to cast spells of my own. Look up dear." Lydia looked up past the beast-like Cordelia.

All the weapons from the hotel were floating about four to five feet above Lydia's head. Cordelia reached up and grabbed a sword. "Oh and the door was easy. A privacy spell that Willow taught me in high school. I used to use it to keep my parents out of my room. Now I'm using it to keep your lover boy and his groupies out." Cordelia charged at Lydia. Lydia was able to duck the charge for the most part. However, the blade cut her on the side. The cut was about four inches long, not deep, but it bled a lot. Lydia, angry now, jumped kicked and used Cordy's chest as a stepping stone. She grabbed a crossbow floating in the air. Lydia landed softly on the floor but Cordelia landed on her back from the force of the kick. Lydia stood over Cordelia who was still in her beast-like form.

"I've got two things to say to you. One, Cordy, I'm sorry I have to do this to you. I'll watch out for Angel and Connor and the rest of the gang. It's for them that I'm doing this. Two: bitch," Lydia said and fired the bow into Cordelia's heart. When the bow hit, the weapons all fell from the ceiling. The privacy spell wore off and the gang was able to walk in. Lydia did not move. She stayed focused on Cordelia's dead body. Angel walked over and placed his hand on Lydia's shoulder. Startled she spun around ready to fight.

"You don't have to fight anymore. I'm here," Angel comforted.

"I've never killed a human before," Lydia cried.

"She wasn't human, you saw her she was a beast," Fred comforted as well.

"No you don't get it. She was human. She was evil. I was only able to kill her because she looked evil. But look at her now. Look at her!" Lydia yelled and they all looked at the body. "Look at her face. That's the face of a human. Angel you loved her, and so did you Connor, and Fred, she was your friend. Wesley, you used to like her back at Sunnydale. Gunn she was your protector, remember? She vowed to protect you from yourself. Lorne, she was the queen of your realm. She was all this to all of you. And I killed her." Lydia stormed out of the room grabbing her side in pain.

The midnight hour, Angel loved the beach at this time. This time he wasn't here to be alone but he knew someone who was. Angel spotted the silhouette of Lydia up ahead. "Angel I know you're following me. I can feel you," she spoke as he approached. She was still holding her side.

"Let me look at your cut. Then if you want I'll leave you alone," Angel offered. She moved her hand and let him fix her. He gently bandaged her with a small first aid kit he brought. Angel finished up and stood up.

"Don't," she said helplessly.

"Do you want me to stay?" Angel asked.

"The midnight hour, I love the beach at this time," Lydia said. Angel sat down next to her and she snuggled next to him.

* * * * *