Lindseyiswicked
Liaison
Amazing still! I'm not up to speed with with the chapters yet, almost though. Every chapter you're story gets better, truly awesome!
The Colony of Lost Souls
- Thread starter Angelic Slayer
- Start date
Angelic Slayer
Daydream Believer
WOW! Thanks so much guys! I'm glad you're enjoying the fic, sorry for the wait with the updates, I'm really busy and tend to foget though (*blushes*)
Anyway, here's 12, enjoy! 😀
Chapter Twelve
""¦Giles it's early, if you wanna do the cryptic-british-guy thing call me back later, "˜cause right now I'm not in the greatest of moods"¦yes everything's fine, I was in the middle of a good dream though! "¦ Oh ya, because so many of my freaky-metaphor dreams are that good."
Angel stirred at the sound of Buffy's voice. Dreamily he reached beside him, only to find that the space she had occupied was empty. Concerned, the vampire opened his eyes and looked around the room, everything was in order and as he looked out the door he caught sight of Buffy pacing in the living room, with what looked like her cell phone in her hand. Silently cursing the miserable device that seemed more and more like some twisted hell spawn, Angel got out of bed and headed to the living room. Buffy was, in fact, talking on a phone and from her expression of annoyance; Angel guessed whomever she was talking to had woken her up. (Which, from experience, Angel had already learned was not a good idea)
Leaning against the doorframe, Angel watched as the blonde paced back and forth, oblivious to her audience.
""¦So what you want me to check it out? "¦I don't get it why am I assigned to do this, especially after the-"¦ Oh so we get be all stealthy with this one so the council won't catch on? "¦Yes "˜we', that is if he wants to come"¦ Giles he's good, I swear"¦I donno"¦ okay"¦ I'll be over around sunset- you said to be stealthy! "¦ "˜kay, you too"¦ bye"
Buffy sighed tiredly, running her fingers through her hair. Turning, she spotted Angel, and almost jumped in surprise.
"Jeez, next time maybe make a little noise?"
Angel smirked,
"Sorry, you weren't sleeping, I wanted to make sure you were alright."
Buffy's expression softened somewhat at his worry.
"I'm fine. Giles just called, he wants me to check out a couple bars or something tonight, apparently there's a new gang of demons somewhere in the city, and of course our beloved council is too ignorant to do anything about it."
"He wants you to go out, alone, to a bunch of bars?"
"Two bars, actually. They're both underground, kinda low on the radar. Apparently it's where a lot of the not-so-human people go, Giles figures we can find Linds at one of them."
Angel gave her a bemused look,
"Linds?"
"Lindsay. A contact Giles knows, he used to work for the council but quit like forever and a half ago, he's managed to evade them ever since. He's where you go when you need some info, I've only met him a couple times but I'll be able to find him."
"And you're going alone?"
Buffy smirked,
"Well if someone felt the need to help me out, I sure wouldn't object."
Angel nodded and went into the kitchen, looking through his cupboards for coffee.
"I'll warn you though," Buffy said as she came into the room, "if you wanna come you're gonna have to meet Giles. And that could lead to oodles of questions and- ohh is that coffee?"
Angel smiled at her abrupt change of subject.
"I'll come with you and I'm sure I can survive any questions he comes up with, and yes, this is coffee. Not the kind you like but I have lots of sugar."
"You sure know the way to a girl's heart." Buffy graciously took the sugar-filled drink from Angel and sat up on his counter. "Why don't you drink coffee? I mean, does it still wake you up or do you just drink blood?" she asked curiously.
"No I drink other things, just caffeine makes me jittery. I usually have tea in the morning." Angel said, putting a teabag in his mug.
Buffy rolled her eyes as she took another sip.
"On second though, you and Giles are gonna get along just great."
The sun had just set, and the sky was a deep blue shade. Angel and Buffy were on their way to Giles' house to check in, although it was early in the evening, Angel had managed to convince Buffy that he would be more than safe from the sun. Realising that the earlier they left the earlier they could get done, Buffy reluctantly agreed, yet insisting that they stay by the shadows.
Angel was feeling unexpectedly nervous as they drew closer and closer to their destination. He knew Giles was like a father to Buffy and he didn't want to make a bad impression. If it weren't for his nerves, Angel would laugh; he was acting like a teenaged boy going to meet his girlfriend's parents for the first time. Not that the knowledge was comforting at all, but except for a few things (most of which he suspected Buffy would slap him for) nothing was going to ease his nerves completely.
Noticing his discomfort, Buffy gave him a soft smile.
"Don't worry so much. You're a tea drinking, karate chopping, bookworm. Giles will love you."
Angel gave her a sad imitation of a smile, nodding slightly.
"Come on, we're only like a block away."
Buffy was right, a few minutes later the two were standing in front of Giles' door. Ignoring Angel's weak protests, Buffy opened the door and half-dragged him inside, not bothering to knock before she entered. Unfortunately, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ran straight into a familiar brunette.
"Oh god, Tara! I'm so sorry! I seriously did not see you there." She apologized, picking up her sister's dropped books.
"No, it's fine. I was just heading to work to drop these off." Noticing Angel, Tara smiled. "And who might this lovely man be?"
For once, Angel was glad that he was unable to blush.
"Right! Sorry, Angel this is Tara, Tara this is Angel."
Tara resisted a laugh, noticing the somewhat dreamy expression on her sister's face at the mention of his name.
"Hi! You must be that really gorgeous guy Buffy has been talking about! You saw her with Gunn right? That time she was on patrol, and you came to the colony that night and she caught you watching her and she thought you were like the most ama-" Tara stopped for a second, finally noticing her sister's pleading/embarrassed glare. "aaaand I don't even know why I'm saying this, Buffy hasn't mentioned anything about you."
Smiling slightly, Angel nodded (and made a mental note to ask Buffy what exactly she thought, later on.)
"Hi."
Observing her sister's teasing look, Buffy quickly broke the silence.
"Hey, Tara, I'm sorry we're holding you up aren't we? You probably want to get to work and stuff, and we have to see Giles still so I'll see you later."
Tara shrugged, heading for the door.
"No problem, I should get going. Bye, it was nice meeting you Angel."
Angel nodded, just as the door had closed, Buffy was halfway across the room.
"Sorry about her she has a wild imagination, Giles should be in the library so lets go." She said quickly.
Angel let out a small laugh (partially in amusement, but mostly in nervousness) and followed Buffy into a nearby room. The library was enormous, two floors of books (that he could see) and small tables here and there. The walls were (as usual) silver, but were covered with so many bookshelves it was hardly noticeable. In the middle of the room was a huge metal table with chairs gathered around it, and to his right was a counter with several rooms behind it (where he assumed Giles' office was). On the table, several books were stacked high, many had been left open on the table. Buffy hopped up on the table and looked around.
"GILES! WE'RE HERE!!!" she yelled.
Angel winced at the volume of her voice; he didn't think someone that small could be that loud.
"Buffy, as I have told you many times before, it would serve us all well if you would look for me once and a while." Giles said, as he came out from his office.
Angel watched as the man stepped into the room. He was a few inches shorter than Angel, yet still a lot taller than Buffy; his hair was grey from age, and glasses hung over his eyes. He was dressed in grey pants and a dark blue sweater, and held a thick looking book in his hand.
"I looked! See, I sat, and made with the looking, and didn't see." Buffy said innocently.
"Yes, because I'm never in other parts of the house." Giles turned to Angel, "You must be Angel, I'm Rupert Giles, Buffy's trainer."
"It's nice to meet you sir." Angel said politely as he shook his hand.
The trainer nodded, placing his book on the counter.
"Giles, what's a fie-ral demon?"
"A Fyarl Demon is a tall creature with curved horns on their head, they can shoot paralysing mucus from their nostrils. They are very strong, formerly to be used for henchmen or soldiers." Giles said absently, as he began looking through a nearby stack of papers. "Why exactly do you ask?"
Buffy held up an open book in reply, her nose scrunched up.
"It was in this book, and for the record "˜ew'!"
Angel smiled as she put the book down, he found her unbelievably cute when she was grossed out.
"So Giles, what's the what?" Buffy asked, suddenly she felt extremely bored.
Giles looked up from the pile of papers.
"Hm? Oh yes, as you know there is word that a group of demons recently made their way inside the colony. I want you to visit these bars and see if anything looks suspicious. Also do your best to find Lindsay, I'm sure he would prove to be most helpful in this case." Giles said as he handed her a piece of paper, on it were several addresses scribbled down.
"Okaay, so what exactly are we looking for?" Buffy asked, confused.
"We need to determine whether or not these demons are peaceful, and if not, what their plans are. As you know this is command central for the council, it's a prime target for attacks."
Buffy shoved the paper in her pocket.
"Gotcha, info-trip only."
Getting up, the warrior made her way across the room, signalling Angel to follow.
"Angel? A moment please." Giles said before he could leave.
Buffy turned and gave Giles a "go easy on him" look, before going out the door. Angel turned to the trainer, his nervousness slowly returning.
"Yes sir?" he asked.
"It is quite obvious, Angel, that Buffy wants to help you. She trusts you infinitely, and it would seem that in the past few days she has opened up to you considerably, which I can honestly say is a rare thing for her. I admit, some of my reservations are because of what you are. Buffy has reluctantly informed me of your soul, however the idea of a vampire willingly helping a warrior is quite foreign from my perspective."
"I understand." Angel said in agreement.
"Nevertheless, I trust Buffy's judgement. She tells me that you are indeed peaceful and thus far, I have not seen any evidence to the contrary. But I must know, what are your intentions with her?"
Angel considered his answer carefully, that was what he had been asking himself all along. Deciding that honestly was the best answer, Angel looked up at the man before him.
"I don't know." At his answer, Giles raised a brow. "Buffy is"¦ she's important to me. There's a lot of things about how I feel about her that's I'm unsure of, I've barely spoken to humans in the last century never mind-"
Angel paused, trying his best to put his feelings into words.
"But I do know that I want to help her, in any way I can. I care about her more than anything; so much it scares me sometimes. I want to protect her. I want to help her train, and come into the potential that she has, teach her everything I know so that she can survive when she's put on duty. I know it's not the clearest of answers but"¦"
Giles nodded, a knowing look crossed his face. Angel's feelings for Buffy were obvious to the trainer.
"I understand. Thank you."
Angel nodded and headed out the door, relief washing through him. Across the room was Buffy, tossing a sculpture up in the air.
"You ready?" she asked, setting it on a nearby table.
Angel nodded, following her out the door.
"So wha'cha guys talk about?" she asked curiously as they headed into town.
"Nothing." Angel replied, as a smirk crept across his face.
It was about a half hour later before the pair found the first bar, it was behind dozens of back alleys and almost impossible to find. Loud music blared from inside, as the two of them entered, coloured lights and crowds assaulted them. It was more of a club, throngs of people were dancing in the center of the room, tables were scattered throughout the building and at the far side of the room was a large bar. Nodding to her companion, Buffy followed him through the thick crowds of people to a quiet(er) spot in the corner of the room.
"See anything?" Buffy asked, as she scanned the hordes of people in the club.
Angel shook his head, doing his best to tune out the uncomfortable crowd.
"I don't see Lindsay either, there's an upper level, maybe we should check up there."
Reluctantly, Angel nodded and followed her up a staircase to the next "floor". You could see through the flooring to the people below, although the second level was a lot less busy.
"Lets split up, we can get through this faster." Buffy said, and before Angel could object she was gone.
Angel let out a weary sigh before heading off in the other direction. He gazed at the people as he passed by them, wishing that he was anywhere but there. Over the years, Angel had become pretty good at suppressing his demon, but when he was here, with massive amounts of living humans all around him it was even hard for him to resist the temptation. He could smell each and every one of them, feel their energy pulsing through their bodies, each heartbeat was like a loud drum in his ear that he couldn't block out.
"Angel?"
The vampire jumped at the feel of a small hand on his arm, turning, he was relieved to see Buffy staring at him.
"Whoa, you okay?" she asked, noticing his reaction.
"Fine." He said, surprised that he didn't feel her coming.
"It doesn't look like he's here, and if there is anything suspicious going on it's way too crowded to tell."
Angel nodded,
"Lets go."
Taking her hand, he led her down the stairs and through the crowds of people. They were a few feet from the back exit when a familiar voice called out.
"Hey! Angel man!"
Angel groaned and turned to see a short Irishman coming towards them, a half-empty cup in his hand.
"Angel, surprise to see you here. Coming to "˜ave a drink?"
Buffy stepped out from behind Angel, eyeing the Irishman curiously.
"Ah, aren't you a sweet one." He said, nodding to Buffy.
"Doyle-" Angel half-growled in warning.
"Don't worry man, I'm sure the girl don't mind me talkin' to yer for a while."
"I think he's drunk." Buffy said to Angel, noting the slight lack-of-balance in Doyle's steps.
"Nah, you see lass if I were drunk I'd be suggesting a lot more inappropriate things, which I'm sure Angel here already would be making me regret."
Buffy smirked, sure she was slightly embarrassed, but at least he was honest.
Angel, however, didn't show as much appreciation for his friend's comment.
"We're looking for a guy, name's Lindsay. You seen him?" he asked, deciding to change subject.
"Ah that guy, ya I've seen him here and there- not very often mind you he's not exactly Mr. Social; he usually hangs out in some of the less lively bars. Quiet, not as crowded and such."
Angel nodded and turned to the door.
"Thanks for your help Doyle." Buffy said as she remembered the strange man's name.
"Not a problem lass, it was a pleasure meeting yer. Be sure to keep Angel in line." He replied, giving her a slight wink.
Buffy smiled and followed Angel out the door.
"What's with the grouchy face? He didn't seem that bad." Buffy said, as she led him to their next destination.
Angel just scowled in return, more than a little annoyed (and jealous) by Doyle's comments towards Buffy.
"Well I like him." Buffy said before moving ahead.
Angel let out a growl, hoping that their next stop was a bit less eventful.
End of Chapter Twelve.
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-Katie
Anyway, here's 12, enjoy! 😀
Chapter Twelve
""¦Giles it's early, if you wanna do the cryptic-british-guy thing call me back later, "˜cause right now I'm not in the greatest of moods"¦yes everything's fine, I was in the middle of a good dream though! "¦ Oh ya, because so many of my freaky-metaphor dreams are that good."
Angel stirred at the sound of Buffy's voice. Dreamily he reached beside him, only to find that the space she had occupied was empty. Concerned, the vampire opened his eyes and looked around the room, everything was in order and as he looked out the door he caught sight of Buffy pacing in the living room, with what looked like her cell phone in her hand. Silently cursing the miserable device that seemed more and more like some twisted hell spawn, Angel got out of bed and headed to the living room. Buffy was, in fact, talking on a phone and from her expression of annoyance; Angel guessed whomever she was talking to had woken her up. (Which, from experience, Angel had already learned was not a good idea)
Leaning against the doorframe, Angel watched as the blonde paced back and forth, oblivious to her audience.
""¦So what you want me to check it out? "¦I don't get it why am I assigned to do this, especially after the-"¦ Oh so we get be all stealthy with this one so the council won't catch on? "¦Yes "˜we', that is if he wants to come"¦ Giles he's good, I swear"¦I donno"¦ okay"¦ I'll be over around sunset- you said to be stealthy! "¦ "˜kay, you too"¦ bye"
Buffy sighed tiredly, running her fingers through her hair. Turning, she spotted Angel, and almost jumped in surprise.
"Jeez, next time maybe make a little noise?"
Angel smirked,
"Sorry, you weren't sleeping, I wanted to make sure you were alright."
Buffy's expression softened somewhat at his worry.
"I'm fine. Giles just called, he wants me to check out a couple bars or something tonight, apparently there's a new gang of demons somewhere in the city, and of course our beloved council is too ignorant to do anything about it."
"He wants you to go out, alone, to a bunch of bars?"
"Two bars, actually. They're both underground, kinda low on the radar. Apparently it's where a lot of the not-so-human people go, Giles figures we can find Linds at one of them."
Angel gave her a bemused look,
"Linds?"
"Lindsay. A contact Giles knows, he used to work for the council but quit like forever and a half ago, he's managed to evade them ever since. He's where you go when you need some info, I've only met him a couple times but I'll be able to find him."
"And you're going alone?"
Buffy smirked,
"Well if someone felt the need to help me out, I sure wouldn't object."
Angel nodded and went into the kitchen, looking through his cupboards for coffee.
"I'll warn you though," Buffy said as she came into the room, "if you wanna come you're gonna have to meet Giles. And that could lead to oodles of questions and- ohh is that coffee?"
Angel smiled at her abrupt change of subject.
"I'll come with you and I'm sure I can survive any questions he comes up with, and yes, this is coffee. Not the kind you like but I have lots of sugar."
"You sure know the way to a girl's heart." Buffy graciously took the sugar-filled drink from Angel and sat up on his counter. "Why don't you drink coffee? I mean, does it still wake you up or do you just drink blood?" she asked curiously.
"No I drink other things, just caffeine makes me jittery. I usually have tea in the morning." Angel said, putting a teabag in his mug.
Buffy rolled her eyes as she took another sip.
"On second though, you and Giles are gonna get along just great."
The sun had just set, and the sky was a deep blue shade. Angel and Buffy were on their way to Giles' house to check in, although it was early in the evening, Angel had managed to convince Buffy that he would be more than safe from the sun. Realising that the earlier they left the earlier they could get done, Buffy reluctantly agreed, yet insisting that they stay by the shadows.
Angel was feeling unexpectedly nervous as they drew closer and closer to their destination. He knew Giles was like a father to Buffy and he didn't want to make a bad impression. If it weren't for his nerves, Angel would laugh; he was acting like a teenaged boy going to meet his girlfriend's parents for the first time. Not that the knowledge was comforting at all, but except for a few things (most of which he suspected Buffy would slap him for) nothing was going to ease his nerves completely.
Noticing his discomfort, Buffy gave him a soft smile.
"Don't worry so much. You're a tea drinking, karate chopping, bookworm. Giles will love you."
Angel gave her a sad imitation of a smile, nodding slightly.
"Come on, we're only like a block away."
Buffy was right, a few minutes later the two were standing in front of Giles' door. Ignoring Angel's weak protests, Buffy opened the door and half-dragged him inside, not bothering to knock before she entered. Unfortunately, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and ran straight into a familiar brunette.
"Oh god, Tara! I'm so sorry! I seriously did not see you there." She apologized, picking up her sister's dropped books.
"No, it's fine. I was just heading to work to drop these off." Noticing Angel, Tara smiled. "And who might this lovely man be?"
For once, Angel was glad that he was unable to blush.
"Right! Sorry, Angel this is Tara, Tara this is Angel."
Tara resisted a laugh, noticing the somewhat dreamy expression on her sister's face at the mention of his name.
"Hi! You must be that really gorgeous guy Buffy has been talking about! You saw her with Gunn right? That time she was on patrol, and you came to the colony that night and she caught you watching her and she thought you were like the most ama-" Tara stopped for a second, finally noticing her sister's pleading/embarrassed glare. "aaaand I don't even know why I'm saying this, Buffy hasn't mentioned anything about you."
Smiling slightly, Angel nodded (and made a mental note to ask Buffy what exactly she thought, later on.)
"Hi."
Observing her sister's teasing look, Buffy quickly broke the silence.
"Hey, Tara, I'm sorry we're holding you up aren't we? You probably want to get to work and stuff, and we have to see Giles still so I'll see you later."
Tara shrugged, heading for the door.
"No problem, I should get going. Bye, it was nice meeting you Angel."
Angel nodded, just as the door had closed, Buffy was halfway across the room.
"Sorry about her she has a wild imagination, Giles should be in the library so lets go." She said quickly.
Angel let out a small laugh (partially in amusement, but mostly in nervousness) and followed Buffy into a nearby room. The library was enormous, two floors of books (that he could see) and small tables here and there. The walls were (as usual) silver, but were covered with so many bookshelves it was hardly noticeable. In the middle of the room was a huge metal table with chairs gathered around it, and to his right was a counter with several rooms behind it (where he assumed Giles' office was). On the table, several books were stacked high, many had been left open on the table. Buffy hopped up on the table and looked around.
"GILES! WE'RE HERE!!!" she yelled.
Angel winced at the volume of her voice; he didn't think someone that small could be that loud.
"Buffy, as I have told you many times before, it would serve us all well if you would look for me once and a while." Giles said, as he came out from his office.
Angel watched as the man stepped into the room. He was a few inches shorter than Angel, yet still a lot taller than Buffy; his hair was grey from age, and glasses hung over his eyes. He was dressed in grey pants and a dark blue sweater, and held a thick looking book in his hand.
"I looked! See, I sat, and made with the looking, and didn't see." Buffy said innocently.
"Yes, because I'm never in other parts of the house." Giles turned to Angel, "You must be Angel, I'm Rupert Giles, Buffy's trainer."
"It's nice to meet you sir." Angel said politely as he shook his hand.
The trainer nodded, placing his book on the counter.
"Giles, what's a fie-ral demon?"
"A Fyarl Demon is a tall creature with curved horns on their head, they can shoot paralysing mucus from their nostrils. They are very strong, formerly to be used for henchmen or soldiers." Giles said absently, as he began looking through a nearby stack of papers. "Why exactly do you ask?"
Buffy held up an open book in reply, her nose scrunched up.
"It was in this book, and for the record "˜ew'!"
Angel smiled as she put the book down, he found her unbelievably cute when she was grossed out.
"So Giles, what's the what?" Buffy asked, suddenly she felt extremely bored.
Giles looked up from the pile of papers.
"Hm? Oh yes, as you know there is word that a group of demons recently made their way inside the colony. I want you to visit these bars and see if anything looks suspicious. Also do your best to find Lindsay, I'm sure he would prove to be most helpful in this case." Giles said as he handed her a piece of paper, on it were several addresses scribbled down.
"Okaay, so what exactly are we looking for?" Buffy asked, confused.
"We need to determine whether or not these demons are peaceful, and if not, what their plans are. As you know this is command central for the council, it's a prime target for attacks."
Buffy shoved the paper in her pocket.
"Gotcha, info-trip only."
Getting up, the warrior made her way across the room, signalling Angel to follow.
"Angel? A moment please." Giles said before he could leave.
Buffy turned and gave Giles a "go easy on him" look, before going out the door. Angel turned to the trainer, his nervousness slowly returning.
"Yes sir?" he asked.
"It is quite obvious, Angel, that Buffy wants to help you. She trusts you infinitely, and it would seem that in the past few days she has opened up to you considerably, which I can honestly say is a rare thing for her. I admit, some of my reservations are because of what you are. Buffy has reluctantly informed me of your soul, however the idea of a vampire willingly helping a warrior is quite foreign from my perspective."
"I understand." Angel said in agreement.
"Nevertheless, I trust Buffy's judgement. She tells me that you are indeed peaceful and thus far, I have not seen any evidence to the contrary. But I must know, what are your intentions with her?"
Angel considered his answer carefully, that was what he had been asking himself all along. Deciding that honestly was the best answer, Angel looked up at the man before him.
"I don't know." At his answer, Giles raised a brow. "Buffy is"¦ she's important to me. There's a lot of things about how I feel about her that's I'm unsure of, I've barely spoken to humans in the last century never mind-"
Angel paused, trying his best to put his feelings into words.
"But I do know that I want to help her, in any way I can. I care about her more than anything; so much it scares me sometimes. I want to protect her. I want to help her train, and come into the potential that she has, teach her everything I know so that she can survive when she's put on duty. I know it's not the clearest of answers but"¦"
Giles nodded, a knowing look crossed his face. Angel's feelings for Buffy were obvious to the trainer.
"I understand. Thank you."
Angel nodded and headed out the door, relief washing through him. Across the room was Buffy, tossing a sculpture up in the air.
"You ready?" she asked, setting it on a nearby table.
Angel nodded, following her out the door.
"So wha'cha guys talk about?" she asked curiously as they headed into town.
"Nothing." Angel replied, as a smirk crept across his face.
It was about a half hour later before the pair found the first bar, it was behind dozens of back alleys and almost impossible to find. Loud music blared from inside, as the two of them entered, coloured lights and crowds assaulted them. It was more of a club, throngs of people were dancing in the center of the room, tables were scattered throughout the building and at the far side of the room was a large bar. Nodding to her companion, Buffy followed him through the thick crowds of people to a quiet(er) spot in the corner of the room.
"See anything?" Buffy asked, as she scanned the hordes of people in the club.
Angel shook his head, doing his best to tune out the uncomfortable crowd.
"I don't see Lindsay either, there's an upper level, maybe we should check up there."
Reluctantly, Angel nodded and followed her up a staircase to the next "floor". You could see through the flooring to the people below, although the second level was a lot less busy.
"Lets split up, we can get through this faster." Buffy said, and before Angel could object she was gone.
Angel let out a weary sigh before heading off in the other direction. He gazed at the people as he passed by them, wishing that he was anywhere but there. Over the years, Angel had become pretty good at suppressing his demon, but when he was here, with massive amounts of living humans all around him it was even hard for him to resist the temptation. He could smell each and every one of them, feel their energy pulsing through their bodies, each heartbeat was like a loud drum in his ear that he couldn't block out.
"Angel?"
The vampire jumped at the feel of a small hand on his arm, turning, he was relieved to see Buffy staring at him.
"Whoa, you okay?" she asked, noticing his reaction.
"Fine." He said, surprised that he didn't feel her coming.
"It doesn't look like he's here, and if there is anything suspicious going on it's way too crowded to tell."
Angel nodded,
"Lets go."
Taking her hand, he led her down the stairs and through the crowds of people. They were a few feet from the back exit when a familiar voice called out.
"Hey! Angel man!"
Angel groaned and turned to see a short Irishman coming towards them, a half-empty cup in his hand.
"Angel, surprise to see you here. Coming to "˜ave a drink?"
Buffy stepped out from behind Angel, eyeing the Irishman curiously.
"Ah, aren't you a sweet one." He said, nodding to Buffy.
"Doyle-" Angel half-growled in warning.
"Don't worry man, I'm sure the girl don't mind me talkin' to yer for a while."
"I think he's drunk." Buffy said to Angel, noting the slight lack-of-balance in Doyle's steps.
"Nah, you see lass if I were drunk I'd be suggesting a lot more inappropriate things, which I'm sure Angel here already would be making me regret."
Buffy smirked, sure she was slightly embarrassed, but at least he was honest.
Angel, however, didn't show as much appreciation for his friend's comment.
"We're looking for a guy, name's Lindsay. You seen him?" he asked, deciding to change subject.
"Ah that guy, ya I've seen him here and there- not very often mind you he's not exactly Mr. Social; he usually hangs out in some of the less lively bars. Quiet, not as crowded and such."
Angel nodded and turned to the door.
"Thanks for your help Doyle." Buffy said as she remembered the strange man's name.
"Not a problem lass, it was a pleasure meeting yer. Be sure to keep Angel in line." He replied, giving her a slight wink.
Buffy smiled and followed Angel out the door.
"What's with the grouchy face? He didn't seem that bad." Buffy said, as she led him to their next destination.
Angel just scowled in return, more than a little annoyed (and jealous) by Doyle's comments towards Buffy.
"Well I like him." Buffy said before moving ahead.
Angel let out a growl, hoping that their next stop was a bit less eventful.
End of Chapter Twelve.
PLEASE Review!!! *G* 😀
-Katie
Lindseyiswicked
Liaison
Lindsey!!! I finally got up to speed with you're fic and it really inproves in the last couple of chapters. *Not that it wasn't good before!*. Awesome job!
Angelic Slayer
Daydream Believer
Thanks so much for the reviews you two!!! I'm really glad you liked it (Lindseyiswicked- lol, well I'm glad you're all caught up! Yeah, this fic is a real learning experience for me!)
Sorry for the delay, back to school crazyness has kept me away from the site! Here's 13, enjoy mes amis! 😀
Chapter Thirteen
It didn't take Buffy and Angel very long to track down the next bar; surprisingly it wasn't difficult at all. It was a small place on the edge of the city, the near-abandoned street and little lighting made the small building easy to spot. Buffy looked at Angel and nodded, slowly she crept inside.
The room was small; there was a bar at the far side with stools lining it, and a few tables scattered through the space. The lights were muted, that combined with the dark violet, red and black colour scheme made it hard to make out specific faces. There were only a few people inside, three or four sitting at the bar and maybe seven or eight more scattered at the tables. Quiet music played in the background, sad, melodious songs, mostly.
Buffy stepped to the side of the room, enfolding herself in the shadows. As she looked closely at some of the people at the bar she was surprised to see a lot of them weren't human; a yellow-skinned demon with red horns sat with his back to her, drinking a shot of whiskey. She was thankful when no one bothered to look her way, warriors weren't usually welcomed in bars like this (with or without people who were obviously demons) and although she suspected Angel might draw some attention, most of them (the demons anyway) would have recognized he wasn't human immediately, not considering him a threat. As she walked to the far side of the bar she spotted a man in the dark corner, only visible by his glass and the golden-ringed finger that held it. Buffy looked back at Angel momentarily before heading to the table.
Slowly she drew closer to the table and stopped a few inches from the edge.
"You know where I can find some paper?" she asked, her voice even.
Angel looked at her puzzled, but held back his objections. The man at the table sat up.
"What kind are you looking for?" the stranger asked.
"Grey."
The man stood up, his face coming into view. He was fairly tall; his piercing blue eyes stared at the two. He had long, dark hair that hung to his shoulders, and was dressed in black paints, with a dark grey shirt, matched with a red blouse underneath. He blended into the room well, almost impossible to spot unless you knew where to look. The stranger surveyed the two before he nodded, and led them across the bar into a back room. It was decorated in the same way as the front, instead of a bar there were a few tables and it was free of other costumers. The dark-haired man sat down and looked up at them expectantly.
"Linds. Good to see you again." Buffy said, smiling slightly.
Lindsay nodded, a smirk crossed his face.
"Good to see you too. Wish I could say you look taller than the last time we met. Who's your friend?"
"Angel." The vampire replied simply.
Lindsay just nodded, understanding why most people didn't say much. This wasn't a personal visit; it was business.
"You're not entirely human." It wasn't a question: it was a statement.
Angel smirked,
"Neither are you."
"Touché." He said, before turning to Buffy, "What do you need to know?"
Buffy sat down; reluctantly, Angel did the same.
"I hear there's a new group in town, demons. What are they and whose side are they on?" Buffy asked, keeping her voice strong.
Angel was amazed at her change in demeanour, gone was the fun, teasing, energetic woman he knew, instead she was serious and to the point, not showing any emotion. Her voice was stern and forceful, not quite commanding but still, it held a certain threat to it, the confidence she held in her power seeming much larger than what Angel had witnessed earlier. He suppressed a smile, this woman never ceased to amaze him.
Lindsay took a sip of his drink,
"A group of seven, all of them are demons but to the naked eye they look human. They came in last week; four of them are peaceful, just looking for a place to lie low. Two of them are more violent, they figure they can get some easy victims here, you'll wanna look out for them but they're gonna be more minor. Stirring up bar fights and mugging the odd person. One of them though, the tallest of the group, he's in line with one of the generals of the demon forces based in San Francisco. He's the one you're gonna have to get."
Buffy nodded, absorbing the information.
"It's only the beginning." Lindsay said, pulling Buffy from her thoughts.
"What do you mean?"
"There's something coming. Something Big. Nobody knows what it is but it's gonna change the face of the planet, the war, society, everything. Every being on earth can feel it on some level; some are ignoring it, others are trying to escape, but most of all everyone is afraid. No one can stop this thing from happening, and it's sending a lot of people into panic. We don't know any specifics, we don't even know what exactly it's gonna be, all anyone can figure out is that it's soon"¦ and it's coming whether we're ready for it or not."
Both Buffy and Angel were silent, they gave each other a quick glance, doing there best to keep their emotions concealed.
Buffy turned to Lindsay,
"Is there anything else?"
Lindsay shook his head.
"No, like I said it's all a big question mark at this point. That's why the demons are sending in spies, they want to know what the council knows, but not even they have much info yet. It's gonna be one hell of a ride, that's for sure." He said, giving Buffy a smirk.
Buffy nodded. She and Lindsay didn't know each other very well, they weren't exactly friends, but they respected each other. She knew what he said was the truth; after all, he didn't need to lie. Standing up, she looked to Angel then back at Lindsay.
"We'll see you around. Stay clear." She said, and exited the bar with Angel closely behind her.
The two chose to walk down the back streets, knowing that there would be fewer soldiers there. Angel turned to Buffy.
"Stay clear of what?" he asked.
"The radar. Both the council and the demons are after him, they'd rip him apart to get answers. He's just smart enough to evade them."
"And the paper thing is some code?"
Buffy smiled,
"Kind of. Anything really works, it's just in case council people are around. The colours are just what side you're on at that time. Black is the demons, white is the council, and grey is neutral. It's used all around the not-supposed-to-be-there part of the colony. Kinda cheesy when you think about it." Her brow furrowed in thought.
Angel nodded. He was torn between going into serious-mode over the possible apocalypse (semi- productive thinking), or smiling over how unbelievably cute Buffy looked right now. Banishing the thoughts from his mind (or trying to), he decided to change the subject from Buffy-cuteness.
"Do you think he was lying?"
"Nope." Buffy said lightly.
Angel gave her an incredulous look.
"Why not?"
"He doesn't have to." At Angel's glare, Buffy continued, "He doesn't work for anyone, he plays by his own rules and made sure he has more than enough protection for himself. Lindsay does things for one simple reason: he wants to. He won't do anything for anyone unless he feels like it. He has no reason to lie to us, nothing would be gained, and nothing would be lost. And since I'm such a cute little blonde he tells me what I need to know without argument."
Angel nodded, somehow making sense of that. Lindsay seemed like an interesting man, it was obvious he would have one hell of a story to tell. Although he couldn't stop the small bit of annoyance he felt for Buffy knowing him so long (and obviously encountering him before), Angel didn't think he was lying. As unfortunate as the truth seemed.
"We'd better get to Giles', I'm sure he'll want to hear all about the nice shiny apocalypse." Buffy said, only half-joking.
Angel laughed a bit, leave it to Buffy to bring humour out of a doom-and-gloom situation. He noticed that she yawned and was beginning to lean on him slightly; he looked down at her blonde head.
"Tired?" he asked softly.
"Mmhm," Buffy said wearily, "Giles woke me up too early. Didn't sleep enough."
"Come on, the faster we get to Giles', the faster you can get some sleep"¦ or if you wanted I could go tell him on my own, you could go home."
Buffy smiled,
"And let you have all the gossiping fun? No way, besides we were there for like five minutes, explaining it to Giles won't take that long."
"And you absolutely are certain that's what he said? You didn't hear him wrong?" Giles asked.
Buffy and Angel had arrived at his house over an hour ago; they were both sitting in chairs in the library, doing their best to stay awake.
Buffy sighed,
"Yes Giles for the zillionth time we're sure. We did not hear him wrong, the music was not too loud, demons did not attack us, he was not lying or controlled by a spirit, I did not hit my head, neither of us are drugged, I don't have short term memory loss, we're positive that's what he said now can I please go home?!"
Giles gave her an annoyed look.
"Buffy I don't care for your attitude. We are talking about what could very well be the end of the world here and you're worried about a few extra hours sleep!"
"Well at least my way I'd be able to die HAPPY!" Buffy retorted, banging her head on the table.
Giles sighed in frustration. Angel, after remaining mostly silent for the evening, decided to intervene.
"Mr. Giles, we're all tired. It's obvious that something is going to happen but if Lindsay's right it won't be around for a while. An extra few hours sleep isn't going to hurt at this point, and that way we can look over it again tomorrow when we're not all at each other's throats."
Buffy looked at him thankfully, before giving Giles a pleading look.
The trainer sighed,
"Yes, you're right. Go home and rest, come back tomorrow sometime and we'll look over it again."
Buffy smiled weakly.
"Thanks Giles. "˜Night."
"Goodnight Buffy, and you as well Angel."
Angel nodded and led Buffy out the door; they walked to the street before turning to each other.
"So, I guess this is where I get off." Buffy said, almost visibly wincing at the words.
"I guess, I could walk you home if you wanted."
"No, it's fine. I know you're tired too and your place is in the other direction. I'll be fine."
Angel nodded,
"Are you coming over tomorrow? For training."
"I'd love to, but I think Giles has us book bound. How about I meet you here sometime tomorrow and if he lets us out of the cell early we can go to your place. After all, I owe you a butt kicking." She said, smiling slightly.
"We'll see." With that, Angel turned and walked away. "Goodnight Buffy, sweet dreams."
"Goodnight!" Buffy said.
She stared at the empty space where he had stood for several moments, before slowly heading to her place.
Over an hour later, Buffy was lying in her bed, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. She was beyond tired and needed her sleep for tomorrow, but no matter how hard she tried she could not drift off. A part of her wished she didn't know why, but it was all too obvious. Angel wasn't there. She almost laughed, it had only been a couple days yet even now she felt strange"¦ like a part of her was missing without him by her side. When he put his arms around her she felt so safe and protected, one thing that she hadn't ever had before. Now she felt uncomfortable in her darkened room.
Her apartment didn't seem like home to her. It wasn't personal or decorated, it was merely a place that she ate, showered, slept and so on, she hadn't ever realised how little she had settled in. She groaned, and buried her face in her (very un-Angely) pillow and closed her eyes. Wishing that her handsome companion were there with her.
Across town, Angel wasn't having any more luck than Buffy. He'd given up trying to sleep a couple hours ago and pulled out his sketchpad. So far, he had several drawings of Buffy, yet even one of his most relaxing hobbies wouldn't put him to sleep. Looking at the clock, he realised it was only ten minutes later than the last time he checked. He groaned and got up to make some coffee. Maybe if he drank enough, he could knock himself out for a couple hours.
End of Chapter Thirteen.
PLEASE REVIEW!!! ^_^
Sorry for the delay, back to school crazyness has kept me away from the site! Here's 13, enjoy mes amis! 😀
Chapter Thirteen
It didn't take Buffy and Angel very long to track down the next bar; surprisingly it wasn't difficult at all. It was a small place on the edge of the city, the near-abandoned street and little lighting made the small building easy to spot. Buffy looked at Angel and nodded, slowly she crept inside.
The room was small; there was a bar at the far side with stools lining it, and a few tables scattered through the space. The lights were muted, that combined with the dark violet, red and black colour scheme made it hard to make out specific faces. There were only a few people inside, three or four sitting at the bar and maybe seven or eight more scattered at the tables. Quiet music played in the background, sad, melodious songs, mostly.
Buffy stepped to the side of the room, enfolding herself in the shadows. As she looked closely at some of the people at the bar she was surprised to see a lot of them weren't human; a yellow-skinned demon with red horns sat with his back to her, drinking a shot of whiskey. She was thankful when no one bothered to look her way, warriors weren't usually welcomed in bars like this (with or without people who were obviously demons) and although she suspected Angel might draw some attention, most of them (the demons anyway) would have recognized he wasn't human immediately, not considering him a threat. As she walked to the far side of the bar she spotted a man in the dark corner, only visible by his glass and the golden-ringed finger that held it. Buffy looked back at Angel momentarily before heading to the table.
Slowly she drew closer to the table and stopped a few inches from the edge.
"You know where I can find some paper?" she asked, her voice even.
Angel looked at her puzzled, but held back his objections. The man at the table sat up.
"What kind are you looking for?" the stranger asked.
"Grey."
The man stood up, his face coming into view. He was fairly tall; his piercing blue eyes stared at the two. He had long, dark hair that hung to his shoulders, and was dressed in black paints, with a dark grey shirt, matched with a red blouse underneath. He blended into the room well, almost impossible to spot unless you knew where to look. The stranger surveyed the two before he nodded, and led them across the bar into a back room. It was decorated in the same way as the front, instead of a bar there were a few tables and it was free of other costumers. The dark-haired man sat down and looked up at them expectantly.
"Linds. Good to see you again." Buffy said, smiling slightly.
Lindsay nodded, a smirk crossed his face.
"Good to see you too. Wish I could say you look taller than the last time we met. Who's your friend?"
"Angel." The vampire replied simply.
Lindsay just nodded, understanding why most people didn't say much. This wasn't a personal visit; it was business.
"You're not entirely human." It wasn't a question: it was a statement.
Angel smirked,
"Neither are you."
"Touché." He said, before turning to Buffy, "What do you need to know?"
Buffy sat down; reluctantly, Angel did the same.
"I hear there's a new group in town, demons. What are they and whose side are they on?" Buffy asked, keeping her voice strong.
Angel was amazed at her change in demeanour, gone was the fun, teasing, energetic woman he knew, instead she was serious and to the point, not showing any emotion. Her voice was stern and forceful, not quite commanding but still, it held a certain threat to it, the confidence she held in her power seeming much larger than what Angel had witnessed earlier. He suppressed a smile, this woman never ceased to amaze him.
Lindsay took a sip of his drink,
"A group of seven, all of them are demons but to the naked eye they look human. They came in last week; four of them are peaceful, just looking for a place to lie low. Two of them are more violent, they figure they can get some easy victims here, you'll wanna look out for them but they're gonna be more minor. Stirring up bar fights and mugging the odd person. One of them though, the tallest of the group, he's in line with one of the generals of the demon forces based in San Francisco. He's the one you're gonna have to get."
Buffy nodded, absorbing the information.
"It's only the beginning." Lindsay said, pulling Buffy from her thoughts.
"What do you mean?"
"There's something coming. Something Big. Nobody knows what it is but it's gonna change the face of the planet, the war, society, everything. Every being on earth can feel it on some level; some are ignoring it, others are trying to escape, but most of all everyone is afraid. No one can stop this thing from happening, and it's sending a lot of people into panic. We don't know any specifics, we don't even know what exactly it's gonna be, all anyone can figure out is that it's soon"¦ and it's coming whether we're ready for it or not."
Both Buffy and Angel were silent, they gave each other a quick glance, doing there best to keep their emotions concealed.
Buffy turned to Lindsay,
"Is there anything else?"
Lindsay shook his head.
"No, like I said it's all a big question mark at this point. That's why the demons are sending in spies, they want to know what the council knows, but not even they have much info yet. It's gonna be one hell of a ride, that's for sure." He said, giving Buffy a smirk.
Buffy nodded. She and Lindsay didn't know each other very well, they weren't exactly friends, but they respected each other. She knew what he said was the truth; after all, he didn't need to lie. Standing up, she looked to Angel then back at Lindsay.
"We'll see you around. Stay clear." She said, and exited the bar with Angel closely behind her.
The two chose to walk down the back streets, knowing that there would be fewer soldiers there. Angel turned to Buffy.
"Stay clear of what?" he asked.
"The radar. Both the council and the demons are after him, they'd rip him apart to get answers. He's just smart enough to evade them."
"And the paper thing is some code?"
Buffy smiled,
"Kind of. Anything really works, it's just in case council people are around. The colours are just what side you're on at that time. Black is the demons, white is the council, and grey is neutral. It's used all around the not-supposed-to-be-there part of the colony. Kinda cheesy when you think about it." Her brow furrowed in thought.
Angel nodded. He was torn between going into serious-mode over the possible apocalypse (semi- productive thinking), or smiling over how unbelievably cute Buffy looked right now. Banishing the thoughts from his mind (or trying to), he decided to change the subject from Buffy-cuteness.
"Do you think he was lying?"
"Nope." Buffy said lightly.
Angel gave her an incredulous look.
"Why not?"
"He doesn't have to." At Angel's glare, Buffy continued, "He doesn't work for anyone, he plays by his own rules and made sure he has more than enough protection for himself. Lindsay does things for one simple reason: he wants to. He won't do anything for anyone unless he feels like it. He has no reason to lie to us, nothing would be gained, and nothing would be lost. And since I'm such a cute little blonde he tells me what I need to know without argument."
Angel nodded, somehow making sense of that. Lindsay seemed like an interesting man, it was obvious he would have one hell of a story to tell. Although he couldn't stop the small bit of annoyance he felt for Buffy knowing him so long (and obviously encountering him before), Angel didn't think he was lying. As unfortunate as the truth seemed.
"We'd better get to Giles', I'm sure he'll want to hear all about the nice shiny apocalypse." Buffy said, only half-joking.
Angel laughed a bit, leave it to Buffy to bring humour out of a doom-and-gloom situation. He noticed that she yawned and was beginning to lean on him slightly; he looked down at her blonde head.
"Tired?" he asked softly.
"Mmhm," Buffy said wearily, "Giles woke me up too early. Didn't sleep enough."
"Come on, the faster we get to Giles', the faster you can get some sleep"¦ or if you wanted I could go tell him on my own, you could go home."
Buffy smiled,
"And let you have all the gossiping fun? No way, besides we were there for like five minutes, explaining it to Giles won't take that long."
"And you absolutely are certain that's what he said? You didn't hear him wrong?" Giles asked.
Buffy and Angel had arrived at his house over an hour ago; they were both sitting in chairs in the library, doing their best to stay awake.
Buffy sighed,
"Yes Giles for the zillionth time we're sure. We did not hear him wrong, the music was not too loud, demons did not attack us, he was not lying or controlled by a spirit, I did not hit my head, neither of us are drugged, I don't have short term memory loss, we're positive that's what he said now can I please go home?!"
Giles gave her an annoyed look.
"Buffy I don't care for your attitude. We are talking about what could very well be the end of the world here and you're worried about a few extra hours sleep!"
"Well at least my way I'd be able to die HAPPY!" Buffy retorted, banging her head on the table.
Giles sighed in frustration. Angel, after remaining mostly silent for the evening, decided to intervene.
"Mr. Giles, we're all tired. It's obvious that something is going to happen but if Lindsay's right it won't be around for a while. An extra few hours sleep isn't going to hurt at this point, and that way we can look over it again tomorrow when we're not all at each other's throats."
Buffy looked at him thankfully, before giving Giles a pleading look.
The trainer sighed,
"Yes, you're right. Go home and rest, come back tomorrow sometime and we'll look over it again."
Buffy smiled weakly.
"Thanks Giles. "˜Night."
"Goodnight Buffy, and you as well Angel."
Angel nodded and led Buffy out the door; they walked to the street before turning to each other.
"So, I guess this is where I get off." Buffy said, almost visibly wincing at the words.
"I guess, I could walk you home if you wanted."
"No, it's fine. I know you're tired too and your place is in the other direction. I'll be fine."
Angel nodded,
"Are you coming over tomorrow? For training."
"I'd love to, but I think Giles has us book bound. How about I meet you here sometime tomorrow and if he lets us out of the cell early we can go to your place. After all, I owe you a butt kicking." She said, smiling slightly.
"We'll see." With that, Angel turned and walked away. "Goodnight Buffy, sweet dreams."
"Goodnight!" Buffy said.
She stared at the empty space where he had stood for several moments, before slowly heading to her place.
Over an hour later, Buffy was lying in her bed, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. She was beyond tired and needed her sleep for tomorrow, but no matter how hard she tried she could not drift off. A part of her wished she didn't know why, but it was all too obvious. Angel wasn't there. She almost laughed, it had only been a couple days yet even now she felt strange"¦ like a part of her was missing without him by her side. When he put his arms around her she felt so safe and protected, one thing that she hadn't ever had before. Now she felt uncomfortable in her darkened room.
Her apartment didn't seem like home to her. It wasn't personal or decorated, it was merely a place that she ate, showered, slept and so on, she hadn't ever realised how little she had settled in. She groaned, and buried her face in her (very un-Angely) pillow and closed her eyes. Wishing that her handsome companion were there with her.
Across town, Angel wasn't having any more luck than Buffy. He'd given up trying to sleep a couple hours ago and pulled out his sketchpad. So far, he had several drawings of Buffy, yet even one of his most relaxing hobbies wouldn't put him to sleep. Looking at the clock, he realised it was only ten minutes later than the last time he checked. He groaned and got up to make some coffee. Maybe if he drank enough, he could knock himself out for a couple hours.
End of Chapter Thirteen.
PLEASE REVIEW!!! ^_^
this was great! your writing has improved so much from when you started (not that it wasn't great back then, you knoe i thought it was!) it just goes to show, the more you write, the better you get.
the Lindsey character has me curious. angel mentioned that he wasn't entirly human, so my brain is trying to figure this out!
this was an awsome update. i know you're busy with school, but try not to leave it so long between posts! i need my fix!! LOL!!
the Lindsey character has me curious. angel mentioned that he wasn't entirly human, so my brain is trying to figure this out!
this was an awsome update. i know you're busy with school, but try not to leave it so long between posts! i need my fix!! LOL!!
Angelic Slayer
Daydream Believer
Thanks so much for the feedback Lyri! As I promised, Chapter 14! Enjoy! 😀
Chapter Fourteen
Buffy sat in a metal chair, pouring over books that had been scattered around the table. It was late in the day; she had arrived at Giles' early that morning (after a very unrestful night) and they had been searching through his (rather large) collection of books, ever since. Buffy stared at the page, trying her best to concentrate on the words in front of her. It seemed like she had read this book a thousand times, and yet she still could not understand most of what she was reading. She could count on one hand how many books she'd read thoroughly in her life, it wasn't as though she was illiterate, she just would much rather be doing something else. Groaning, she pushed her current book aside and turned to her trainer.
"Giillllllllesss!" she drawled, giving him a pleading look. "This is pointless! I don't even know what I'm looking for!"
Giles gave her a weary glance,
"Buffy you know how important this is. I admit, this work is somewhat tedious but it's more than necessary."
"But come on! I mean everyone is already looking for this! The council, the demons, probably everyone in between. Why don't we just wait for them to find it?" she said, a pout crossing her face.
"Forgive me, but I feel much more comfortable with us finding the information, rather than the demons who wish to annihilate us or the berks at the council."
Admitting that he did have a point, Buffy sighed.
"Seriously though, you're totally breaking the rules here! The council told you not to snoop through these majorly boring books, so we really should put them back. I mean, those rules are there for a reason! I'd be wrong to just throw them aside because we feel like it."
Giles laughed,
"I'm sorry Buffy, it's just"¦. A lecture coming from you about following the "˜rules of the council', is quite funny."
Buffy scowled and looked down at her abandoned book once again.
"I'm not that bad." She mumbled.
After a half-hour, Buffy gave up trying to concentrate on the book and looked up at Giles. He was madly scribbling notes on a pad of paper, going through books at lightning speed. She wasn't sure if he was anxious because he finally gets to see what secrets the council didn't want him to know, or if his frenzy truly was out of worry. She honestly didn't see why he was freaking. The idea of what Lindsay told them was unsettling, but it wasn't going to happen for a while. She knew that if she voiced her thoughts to Giles he would just tell her that she's not seeing the "˜big picture'. Of course she was worried about it Lindsay's warnings, but pointless "˜researching' wasn't going to make it go away. A small part of her wanted to believe that this thing (whatever it may be) would be for the best, but given what she knew of the war, the chance of that seemed slim to none. When she thought about it, things for Giles probably seemed even more grim.
In all the years she had known him, he was usually a more or less optimistic person. But as she grew older, she quickly realised how cynical he was when it came to the war. She could still remember the day she found out why. She had asked Gunn's trainer one day when she was visiting Gunn (he had been off training sick all week), if something had happened to Giles and reluctantly, he had told her. Years before she had arrived at the colony, there was an attack by a large army of demons on the council base. The council had received warning of it a few weeks prior, but at the time had brushed off the caution, since they hadn't seen anything to indicate an attack. The army was larger than anyone had expected, and even with the council's forces; a good part of the colony was severely damaged, and more than a quarter of the population had died. Giles had been at Headquarters at the time, however his wife had been killed. Buffy was surprised at this news, she didn't think Giles had ever been married, but then again, she could understand why he had never told her.
Apparently, the loss of his wife had been hard on him, not only had his outlook on the war become dismal, but she had noticed he had little tolerance for demons. She had been surprised by Giles' seemingly "˜light' reaction to Angel, even though he trusted her judgement, she couldn't believe how easily he seemed to accept him. Her mind went back to when Giles had asked to talk to him alone, although Angel had seemed alright when he came out, a part of her had worried about what Giles would have said. And if he was really that accepting, why was it different with Angel?
Her thoughts were interrupted, however, by a soft knock at the front door. Thankful for a distraction, Buffy quickly got up and headed to the front entrance. Yawning, she opened the door, to reveal a familiar face.
"Angel! Hi." She said, surprised that she didn't notice how late it was.
"Hi." He said, smiling a little.
Buffy stared at him for a few moments before she snapped out of her thoughts and opened the door further.
"Come in."
"Thanks." Angel said as he entered the room.
Buffy led him to the library; finally she noticed that he was carrying a small stack of books.
"What are those?" she asked curiously, as they entered the library.
"I looked through some of my books last night, I thought these might have something in them." He held the books out to Giles.
"These books are of ancient prophecies and such, yes? The council claimed they were lost in a battle several centuries ago." Giles said, surprised, as he looked over the covers.
Angel just shrugged and sat down, examining some of the books on the table.
"You've gone through these?" he asked
"Most of "˜em. And they all say squat about this- whatever it is." Buffy said, somewhat grouchily.
"Yes, I'm afraid we have yet to find anything significant." Giles said distractedly.
Noticing how absorbed he was in Angel's books, Buffy stood up, a cunning smile planted on her face.
"Well Giles, you know we haven't found anything yet, and you have those really helpful books. So maybe Angel and I should go out for a quick patrol, so we don't get in your way. Check back in a couple hours?"
"Yes, of course." Giles mumbled, his eyes transfixed on the page.
Smiling, Buffy quickly grabbed Angel's hand and pulled him out of the house.
As soon as the couple made it outside, Buffy let out a deep breath.
"I don't know where you found those books but I'm eternally grateful." She said, walking towards the downtown.
"No, problem"¦. Where are we going?"
"Patrolling of course. You didn't think I could take advantage of, and lie to Giles in the same sentence did you?"
Angel resisted the urge to smile.
"Buffy I don't want you to get in trouble."
"Oh don't worry," Buffy said, she reached into her boots and pulled out two stakes. "See? I'm prepared. One for you and one for me."
Angel took the offered stake.
"That's not the kind of trouble I was talking about."
Buffy sighed,
"Don't worry about the council, they won't catch us."
Knowing that there was no point in arguing with her, Angel fallowed the blonde through the back streets. As they walked through the dark alleys, Buffy became all-too aware of how close Angel was staying. She was partially relieved that he wasn't too far away, since she couldn't see well in the dark, but him being that close was somewhat distracting.
Suddenly, she felt Angel's hand touch her shoulder, signalling for her to stop.
"What's wrong?" she whispered, not seeing anything out of the ordinary.
"You hear that?"
Buffy listened closely, the air was silent, but as she waited she heard something-footsteps. Just as she realized what they were, a figure emerged from behind the shadows, leaping towards them. Buffy and Angel quickly took defensive stances; it looked to be a dark-haired woman. She flew towards Buffy, the blonde quickly dodged the attack and turned around just in time to block a punch coming her way. Before Angel had a chance to react, Buffy kicked out at the brunette, sending her flying down the alley, and closer to the light. Buffy fallowed her, but froze as soon as her attacker came into the light.
"Faith?" she said, allowing herself to relax.
The brunette, looked from Buffy to Angel for a moment, before realization dawned on her face.
"B? Damn, I thought you and your guy here were a couple "˜a vamps. Gunn said you weren't supposed to be out this late."
"Ya, well, I had a thing"¦. And I was going stir crazy so"¦."
Faith nodded,
"Ya, I get you. Just do us all a favour and be a little more careful! If somebody had seen you, you'd have a major problem. The council's been running around like crazy lately, they'd probably just have you locked up for a few months."
Buffy glanced at Angel for a moment.
"Why? What's going on?"
"Haven't you heard? Demons are starting to sneak in again. The council's been ordering us all to find them before the public find out. If news got out that our colony wasn't as locked-up-tight as it seemed, people'd go nuts over it!"
Buffy nodded, so the council knew about the demons already.
"So, who's the boy-toy?" Faith asked, looking Angel up and down. A sly smile crossed her features.
Angel looked to Buffy, his eyebrow raised slightly at Faith's words.
"Oh, um"¦ Faith this is Angel, Angel this is Faith."
"Hey, how you doing?" Faith said, before turning back to Buffy. "So, our virgin mary finally got herself a guy?"
Buffy's face turned bright red, to the point where even in the dark; it was near impossible that Angel wouldn't notice.
"Actually, Angel and I are just friends." She said, her eyes stared at her feet.
"Ohh, sure, gotcha." Faith winked at Angel, "Well I'll leave you and your friend alone. Just do me a favour and be fast with whatever it is you're doing. There's double the warriors out there than usual."
Buffy nodded,
"I will. Thanks."
"You owe me!" Faith yelled, as she faded into the distance.
"She seems"¦. nice." Angel said, a smirk evident on his features.
Buffy did her best, to suppress her irrational jealousy. Faith was her (kinda) friend, but Buffy knew all too well what most guys thought of her. And "nice" was usually an understatement.
"That's Faith. Always with the nice."
"Has some interesting viewpoints too."
She needed to kill something. As in now.
"Yep, crazy girl. There's a graveyard a couple minutes from here, we should go, check it out." Not bothering to wait for him, Buffy went ahead.
Angel decided to ignore the abrupt change of subject and fallowed Buffy before she was out of his sight.
"Did I say something wrong?" he asked, when he had finally caught up.
Buffy sighed and turned to face him,
"No, it's not you, I'm sorry it's just-" Buffy stared up at him, as though debating whether or not to say something. "I just didn't get much sleep last night."
She put on the best smile she could muster; her lack of sleep was part of it.
Angel nodded,
"Oh, I couldn't really sleep either."
Buffy was quiet for the rest of their trip to the graveyard. As they approached the cemetery, Buffy realised for the first time how deserted it was. She had gone on patrol loads of times, but hadn't ever been caught. True, the graveyards weren't exactly full of un-life, but she didn't ever remember seeing anyone else going through them. It was strange; in a lot of ways this graveyard felt more like home than any building she had lived in before.
Giles had always been lenient when it came to her patrols, but even with his watchful eyes, he had no idea how often she had come out here. When she was a young girl, she used to sneak out in the middle of the night, and sit up in a big oak tree in the middle of the central cemetery. It was her only real escape from the life of training she had, the one place where she could be herself.
After a few minutes of walking aimlessly between the gravestones, Buffy stopped, and looked up at Angel's questioning gaze.
"It's so weird, I haven't even known you all that long, and now"¦ it's almost like I can't imagine you not being here. Like I've known you since I was a little kid or something."
Angel nodded, silently urging her to continue.
"Angel, I think"¦ I mean I'm not sure because it's never really happened- to me before but"¦. I- I t-think"¦ I think that I l- oooof!"
Before Buffy knew what had happened, she was tackled to the ground, her head dizzy from the blow. She looked up to see four men clothed in black robes standing around her. Several more were coming her way, and from what she could hear, Angel had his hands full as well. Struggling, she jumped onto her feet, immediately the robed men surrounded her. They all attacked at once; their blows harder than any she had ever endured before. Every time she managed to block an attack, three others seemed to come out of nowhere. She cried out as one of them hit her kneecap, causing her leg to give out. Pain shot through her body, as four of the men grabbed her arms, successfully restraining her.
Suddenly, a loud growl reached Buffy's ears. Despite the immediate throbbing it caused, her head shot up to see her companion. Angel was on his knees, he had bruises and cuts all over his body as well, and five men were crowded around him. She watched as he tried to fight them off, but there were too many for him to handle. Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy saw a glint moving towards him, horror shot through to her very soul as she realised that one of the men had pulled a knife. Buffy renewed her struggles, yelling out to Angel. Everything was happening so fast, so loud, voices were ringing in her skull; the throbbing of her head was so much she could barely stand it. They were too strong, she couldn't get them off, she couldn't do this, she had to do something!
Angel's shrill yell pierced through the air.
Buffy snapped.
With a thunderous cry, she lashed out, throwing her assailants off of her. As they came running towards her, she reflectively attacked, sending them to the ground. Almost blind with rage, she quickly advanced on Angel's captors, three of them came towards her, as one of them tried to land a punch, but Buffy quickly snapped his arm and threw him away. As the other two ran to her she grabbed their heads and knocked them together, sending their unconscious bodies to the ground. Jumping at the one with the knife, she grabbed his arm, causing him to fall alongside her. Struggling to get the knife away, she eventually gained the upper hand, getting on top of him; she thrust the knife, stopping only a hairsbreadth away from his neck.
"Lei fallirà ." He spat, leaning his head back as he prepared for the devastating blow.
Quickly Buffy knocked her head against his, putting him out cold. Standing up, she pocketed the knife and ran over to Angel, who was sitting on the ground, with a look of shock evident on his now rigid face. This we unnoticed to Buffy as she quickly threw her arms around him, as though to reassure herself that he was there. Pulling back, she looked at him with wide eyes, her body still whirling with energy. As she tried to ask him if he was okay, one of the robed men let out a groan. The others seemed to be coming to, Buffy held Angel's arm and pulled him up.
"Giles." She said simply, her head suddenly reeled.
Angel nodded, and the two quickly began heading to Giles', hoping that they would be able to make it there before their "friends" caught up. Buffy leaned heavily against Angel, suddenly her body began to shake, her head spun. The last thing she saw was Angel's vampiric, worried, face as everything faded to darkness.
End of Chapter Fourteen.
PLEASE REVIEW!!!! =D
Katie
Chapter Fourteen
Buffy sat in a metal chair, pouring over books that had been scattered around the table. It was late in the day; she had arrived at Giles' early that morning (after a very unrestful night) and they had been searching through his (rather large) collection of books, ever since. Buffy stared at the page, trying her best to concentrate on the words in front of her. It seemed like she had read this book a thousand times, and yet she still could not understand most of what she was reading. She could count on one hand how many books she'd read thoroughly in her life, it wasn't as though she was illiterate, she just would much rather be doing something else. Groaning, she pushed her current book aside and turned to her trainer.
"Giillllllllesss!" she drawled, giving him a pleading look. "This is pointless! I don't even know what I'm looking for!"
Giles gave her a weary glance,
"Buffy you know how important this is. I admit, this work is somewhat tedious but it's more than necessary."
"But come on! I mean everyone is already looking for this! The council, the demons, probably everyone in between. Why don't we just wait for them to find it?" she said, a pout crossing her face.
"Forgive me, but I feel much more comfortable with us finding the information, rather than the demons who wish to annihilate us or the berks at the council."
Admitting that he did have a point, Buffy sighed.
"Seriously though, you're totally breaking the rules here! The council told you not to snoop through these majorly boring books, so we really should put them back. I mean, those rules are there for a reason! I'd be wrong to just throw them aside because we feel like it."
Giles laughed,
"I'm sorry Buffy, it's just"¦. A lecture coming from you about following the "˜rules of the council', is quite funny."
Buffy scowled and looked down at her abandoned book once again.
"I'm not that bad." She mumbled.
After a half-hour, Buffy gave up trying to concentrate on the book and looked up at Giles. He was madly scribbling notes on a pad of paper, going through books at lightning speed. She wasn't sure if he was anxious because he finally gets to see what secrets the council didn't want him to know, or if his frenzy truly was out of worry. She honestly didn't see why he was freaking. The idea of what Lindsay told them was unsettling, but it wasn't going to happen for a while. She knew that if she voiced her thoughts to Giles he would just tell her that she's not seeing the "˜big picture'. Of course she was worried about it Lindsay's warnings, but pointless "˜researching' wasn't going to make it go away. A small part of her wanted to believe that this thing (whatever it may be) would be for the best, but given what she knew of the war, the chance of that seemed slim to none. When she thought about it, things for Giles probably seemed even more grim.
In all the years she had known him, he was usually a more or less optimistic person. But as she grew older, she quickly realised how cynical he was when it came to the war. She could still remember the day she found out why. She had asked Gunn's trainer one day when she was visiting Gunn (he had been off training sick all week), if something had happened to Giles and reluctantly, he had told her. Years before she had arrived at the colony, there was an attack by a large army of demons on the council base. The council had received warning of it a few weeks prior, but at the time had brushed off the caution, since they hadn't seen anything to indicate an attack. The army was larger than anyone had expected, and even with the council's forces; a good part of the colony was severely damaged, and more than a quarter of the population had died. Giles had been at Headquarters at the time, however his wife had been killed. Buffy was surprised at this news, she didn't think Giles had ever been married, but then again, she could understand why he had never told her.
Apparently, the loss of his wife had been hard on him, not only had his outlook on the war become dismal, but she had noticed he had little tolerance for demons. She had been surprised by Giles' seemingly "˜light' reaction to Angel, even though he trusted her judgement, she couldn't believe how easily he seemed to accept him. Her mind went back to when Giles had asked to talk to him alone, although Angel had seemed alright when he came out, a part of her had worried about what Giles would have said. And if he was really that accepting, why was it different with Angel?
Her thoughts were interrupted, however, by a soft knock at the front door. Thankful for a distraction, Buffy quickly got up and headed to the front entrance. Yawning, she opened the door, to reveal a familiar face.
"Angel! Hi." She said, surprised that she didn't notice how late it was.
"Hi." He said, smiling a little.
Buffy stared at him for a few moments before she snapped out of her thoughts and opened the door further.
"Come in."
"Thanks." Angel said as he entered the room.
Buffy led him to the library; finally she noticed that he was carrying a small stack of books.
"What are those?" she asked curiously, as they entered the library.
"I looked through some of my books last night, I thought these might have something in them." He held the books out to Giles.
"These books are of ancient prophecies and such, yes? The council claimed they were lost in a battle several centuries ago." Giles said, surprised, as he looked over the covers.
Angel just shrugged and sat down, examining some of the books on the table.
"You've gone through these?" he asked
"Most of "˜em. And they all say squat about this- whatever it is." Buffy said, somewhat grouchily.
"Yes, I'm afraid we have yet to find anything significant." Giles said distractedly.
Noticing how absorbed he was in Angel's books, Buffy stood up, a cunning smile planted on her face.
"Well Giles, you know we haven't found anything yet, and you have those really helpful books. So maybe Angel and I should go out for a quick patrol, so we don't get in your way. Check back in a couple hours?"
"Yes, of course." Giles mumbled, his eyes transfixed on the page.
Smiling, Buffy quickly grabbed Angel's hand and pulled him out of the house.
As soon as the couple made it outside, Buffy let out a deep breath.
"I don't know where you found those books but I'm eternally grateful." She said, walking towards the downtown.
"No, problem"¦. Where are we going?"
"Patrolling of course. You didn't think I could take advantage of, and lie to Giles in the same sentence did you?"
Angel resisted the urge to smile.
"Buffy I don't want you to get in trouble."
"Oh don't worry," Buffy said, she reached into her boots and pulled out two stakes. "See? I'm prepared. One for you and one for me."
Angel took the offered stake.
"That's not the kind of trouble I was talking about."
Buffy sighed,
"Don't worry about the council, they won't catch us."
Knowing that there was no point in arguing with her, Angel fallowed the blonde through the back streets. As they walked through the dark alleys, Buffy became all-too aware of how close Angel was staying. She was partially relieved that he wasn't too far away, since she couldn't see well in the dark, but him being that close was somewhat distracting.
Suddenly, she felt Angel's hand touch her shoulder, signalling for her to stop.
"What's wrong?" she whispered, not seeing anything out of the ordinary.
"You hear that?"
Buffy listened closely, the air was silent, but as she waited she heard something-footsteps. Just as she realized what they were, a figure emerged from behind the shadows, leaping towards them. Buffy and Angel quickly took defensive stances; it looked to be a dark-haired woman. She flew towards Buffy, the blonde quickly dodged the attack and turned around just in time to block a punch coming her way. Before Angel had a chance to react, Buffy kicked out at the brunette, sending her flying down the alley, and closer to the light. Buffy fallowed her, but froze as soon as her attacker came into the light.
"Faith?" she said, allowing herself to relax.
The brunette, looked from Buffy to Angel for a moment, before realization dawned on her face.
"B? Damn, I thought you and your guy here were a couple "˜a vamps. Gunn said you weren't supposed to be out this late."
"Ya, well, I had a thing"¦. And I was going stir crazy so"¦."
Faith nodded,
"Ya, I get you. Just do us all a favour and be a little more careful! If somebody had seen you, you'd have a major problem. The council's been running around like crazy lately, they'd probably just have you locked up for a few months."
Buffy glanced at Angel for a moment.
"Why? What's going on?"
"Haven't you heard? Demons are starting to sneak in again. The council's been ordering us all to find them before the public find out. If news got out that our colony wasn't as locked-up-tight as it seemed, people'd go nuts over it!"
Buffy nodded, so the council knew about the demons already.
"So, who's the boy-toy?" Faith asked, looking Angel up and down. A sly smile crossed her features.
Angel looked to Buffy, his eyebrow raised slightly at Faith's words.
"Oh, um"¦ Faith this is Angel, Angel this is Faith."
"Hey, how you doing?" Faith said, before turning back to Buffy. "So, our virgin mary finally got herself a guy?"
Buffy's face turned bright red, to the point where even in the dark; it was near impossible that Angel wouldn't notice.
"Actually, Angel and I are just friends." She said, her eyes stared at her feet.
"Ohh, sure, gotcha." Faith winked at Angel, "Well I'll leave you and your friend alone. Just do me a favour and be fast with whatever it is you're doing. There's double the warriors out there than usual."
Buffy nodded,
"I will. Thanks."
"You owe me!" Faith yelled, as she faded into the distance.
"She seems"¦. nice." Angel said, a smirk evident on his features.
Buffy did her best, to suppress her irrational jealousy. Faith was her (kinda) friend, but Buffy knew all too well what most guys thought of her. And "nice" was usually an understatement.
"That's Faith. Always with the nice."
"Has some interesting viewpoints too."
She needed to kill something. As in now.
"Yep, crazy girl. There's a graveyard a couple minutes from here, we should go, check it out." Not bothering to wait for him, Buffy went ahead.
Angel decided to ignore the abrupt change of subject and fallowed Buffy before she was out of his sight.
"Did I say something wrong?" he asked, when he had finally caught up.
Buffy sighed and turned to face him,
"No, it's not you, I'm sorry it's just-" Buffy stared up at him, as though debating whether or not to say something. "I just didn't get much sleep last night."
She put on the best smile she could muster; her lack of sleep was part of it.
Angel nodded,
"Oh, I couldn't really sleep either."
Buffy was quiet for the rest of their trip to the graveyard. As they approached the cemetery, Buffy realised for the first time how deserted it was. She had gone on patrol loads of times, but hadn't ever been caught. True, the graveyards weren't exactly full of un-life, but she didn't ever remember seeing anyone else going through them. It was strange; in a lot of ways this graveyard felt more like home than any building she had lived in before.
Giles had always been lenient when it came to her patrols, but even with his watchful eyes, he had no idea how often she had come out here. When she was a young girl, she used to sneak out in the middle of the night, and sit up in a big oak tree in the middle of the central cemetery. It was her only real escape from the life of training she had, the one place where she could be herself.
After a few minutes of walking aimlessly between the gravestones, Buffy stopped, and looked up at Angel's questioning gaze.
"It's so weird, I haven't even known you all that long, and now"¦ it's almost like I can't imagine you not being here. Like I've known you since I was a little kid or something."
Angel nodded, silently urging her to continue.
"Angel, I think"¦ I mean I'm not sure because it's never really happened- to me before but"¦. I- I t-think"¦ I think that I l- oooof!"
Before Buffy knew what had happened, she was tackled to the ground, her head dizzy from the blow. She looked up to see four men clothed in black robes standing around her. Several more were coming her way, and from what she could hear, Angel had his hands full as well. Struggling, she jumped onto her feet, immediately the robed men surrounded her. They all attacked at once; their blows harder than any she had ever endured before. Every time she managed to block an attack, three others seemed to come out of nowhere. She cried out as one of them hit her kneecap, causing her leg to give out. Pain shot through her body, as four of the men grabbed her arms, successfully restraining her.
Suddenly, a loud growl reached Buffy's ears. Despite the immediate throbbing it caused, her head shot up to see her companion. Angel was on his knees, he had bruises and cuts all over his body as well, and five men were crowded around him. She watched as he tried to fight them off, but there were too many for him to handle. Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy saw a glint moving towards him, horror shot through to her very soul as she realised that one of the men had pulled a knife. Buffy renewed her struggles, yelling out to Angel. Everything was happening so fast, so loud, voices were ringing in her skull; the throbbing of her head was so much she could barely stand it. They were too strong, she couldn't get them off, she couldn't do this, she had to do something!
Angel's shrill yell pierced through the air.
Buffy snapped.
With a thunderous cry, she lashed out, throwing her assailants off of her. As they came running towards her, she reflectively attacked, sending them to the ground. Almost blind with rage, she quickly advanced on Angel's captors, three of them came towards her, as one of them tried to land a punch, but Buffy quickly snapped his arm and threw him away. As the other two ran to her she grabbed their heads and knocked them together, sending their unconscious bodies to the ground. Jumping at the one with the knife, she grabbed his arm, causing him to fall alongside her. Struggling to get the knife away, she eventually gained the upper hand, getting on top of him; she thrust the knife, stopping only a hairsbreadth away from his neck.
"Lei fallirà ." He spat, leaning his head back as he prepared for the devastating blow.
Quickly Buffy knocked her head against his, putting him out cold. Standing up, she pocketed the knife and ran over to Angel, who was sitting on the ground, with a look of shock evident on his now rigid face. This we unnoticed to Buffy as she quickly threw her arms around him, as though to reassure herself that he was there. Pulling back, she looked at him with wide eyes, her body still whirling with energy. As she tried to ask him if he was okay, one of the robed men let out a groan. The others seemed to be coming to, Buffy held Angel's arm and pulled him up.
"Giles." She said simply, her head suddenly reeled.
Angel nodded, and the two quickly began heading to Giles', hoping that they would be able to make it there before their "friends" caught up. Buffy leaned heavily against Angel, suddenly her body began to shake, her head spun. The last thing she saw was Angel's vampiric, worried, face as everything faded to darkness.
End of Chapter Fourteen.
PLEASE REVIEW!!!! =D
Katie
i liked the fact that you gave a little history for giles. this was nice, coz we never real got to do that on the show, except for the afct that his grandmother and father were watcher's too. so i liked that.
the fight scene in the graveyeard was good too, but a little short. i think it might have been better if it was longer.
but overall, a great update, as always!!
the fight scene in the graveyeard was good too, but a little short. i think it might have been better if it was longer.
but overall, a great update, as always!!
Angelic Slayer
Daydream Believer
Lyri, thanks so much for the reply! Only have a minute or two, so can't post major comments but thank you so much! And yeah, I haven't written a lot of action before, so I wasn't sure about how much or little to do, I'll make sure to keep that in mind when I'm writing the next scene like that though! 🙂
Anywho, enjoy!
Chapter Fifteen
Giles stood in the library, suddenly wishing that he had a nice big bottle of brandy with him. He looked almost longingly to the door, contemplating how far he could make it before his colleague caught up. Standing before him was a tall, younger trainer, who over the last few years Giles had made a point to avoid. He was dressed more-or-less casually, with a light-brown tweed sweater and a red plaid shirt underneath. He had dark, short hair, and glasses. Although he had long given up the suits he wore when Giles had first met him, he was still far from "laid back".
Giles and Wesley had known each other for several years, and had never exactly been "friends". They had met just after Buffy and Faith had begun training together, and since Wes was Faith's trainer, they had seen all-too much of each other before Faith had been put on duty. They didn't hate each other, but Wesley had always been pretty firm believer in the council's regulations and what it stood for. Not too many years ago, he had almost had Buffy re-assigned to another trainer, after informing the council about the leniency Giles showed towards her. Ever since, Giles was wary around the younger man, and had done his best to avoid any kind of confrontations with him.
Tonight, however, he didn't have much of a choice.
Ever since Faith had been put on duty, Wesley hadn't had to train her as much, which meant that he performed more of the council's "chores" now. He had arrived an hour ago to discuss Buffy's punishments (and to ensure that she was fallowing them accordingly), only to find Giles buried in books that he wasn't supposed to be reading, and Buffy nowhere in sight. The two of them had been bickering about what to do, and Wesley was currently drowning on about how "inappropriate" his actions were.
"Mr. Giles, I honestly don't know what to do. You were told that these resources are off-limits yet you insisted on disobeying orders. What do you expect me to tell the council?"
"Well I was hoping that you'd tell them I was doing a splendid job and that the world's all merry and grand." Giles said dryly.
"This is no laughing matter Rupert! You know as well as I do how unforgiving the council can be. They'd have you behind bars before you knew what hit you."
Giles rolled his eyes.
"Yes, and I'm sure you would be so heart-broken by that. Imagine you, telling the council something just to get me fired? Besides, I'd love to see how they worm their way out of that headline "˜council locks up trainer for looking at big-bad books'."
Wesley sighed,
"I suppose I deserved that. But despite what you may think I don't wish to "˜have you fired'. I have to insist, however, that you stop what you are doing immediately!"
"I can't do that. You know something is going to happen Wesley, and I plan to find out what it is so-"
"So what? You can stop it? Forgive me, but I can't see any of us stopping whatever this is. No one even knows if it's going to be a bad thing or not."
"Are you that much of a nit? We didn't prepare last time and look what happened, I honestly can't think of anything that could even begin to end this war anymore."
"Well putting your pessimism aside, I doubt getting thrown behind bars is going to do much good for either you or Buffy. Not only that, but you have a substantially greater chance of doing something productive without your hands cuffed together."
Giles sighed and fell into a nearby chair, knowing that Wesley was right. The amount of sleep he'd achieved since Buffy brought him Lindsay's warnings was slim to none, and as a result his patience and manners were suffering. He took a deep breath, before turning to the other trainer once again.
"It's obvious that we have a problem here, so how about we both stop this pointless bickering and start working on a solution?"
"Agreed." Wesley replied in a firm voice. Members of the council were trained for much of their lives, as were their warriors, and one of the top things they were taught was how to solve a situation in the most logical and efficient way possible. "What do you suggest?"
"Buffy, for the most part, has done extremely well at obeying the punishments shown by the council. As for my research, it is a breach of protocol however it is hurting no one. And perhaps it would be much better if no one found it, given the council's state at the moment."
Wesley considered his words for a moment,
"I will agree to overlook Buffy's recent escapades, but I can not simply ignore something like this. It is a direct violation of the rules."
"Rules that have no purpose in being there in the first place!" Giles shot back.
"That is not for you or I to decide!"
"Says the idiots who've never staked a vampire before in their life!"
"That doesn't matter!"
Before Giles had a chance to retaliate, the loud bang of the front door being kicked open rang through the room. Fallowed quickly by a loud, almost fear-filled yell.
"GILES!!!"
The two trainers exchanged a quick glance before racing in the front hall. Giles' eyes widened in both horror and shock at the sight that greeted him. Angel was standing in the entrance, injuries plainly visible on his body, a limp Buffy in his arms. His face revealed the vampire that he was, his face now rigid and fanged, and his eyes glowing amber. He heard Wesley take in a gasp behind him, undoubtedly suppressing a scream.
"What in god's name happened!?" Giles said loudly, leading the vampire to a nearby couch to lay Buffy on.
"We were attacked"¦. there were so many, they were too strong- I don't know how, she just lashed out"¦ I couldn't help her-" Angel ranted, a thousand emotions playing through his mind at once.
"Angel calm down! I need to know if she was poisoned." Giles said, barley managing to remain calm himself.
"No- I... maybe, I don't know! I didn't see but that doesn't mean"¦"
"She's breathing and has a pulse, that's a good sign." Giles muttered, taking his attention off the raving vampire to quickly look over Buffy's injuries.
"Is she alright?" Angel asked more harshly than he meant.
"Yes, I believe so. Was she knocked out by one of your attackers?"
"No, she got rid of most of them, we started walking and she passed out. I don't know what happened, I've never seen anyone move like that. She was so strong, it doesn't make sense!"
Wesley watched in shock as the scene in front of him unfolded. He had heard of the ensouled vampire being seen training Buffy, but he couldn't have expected behaviour like this. He hadn't ever seen anyone react this strongly to a warrior getting harmed, especially not when it's technically her job to kill you. The vampire seemed distraught, and so focused on Buffy that he was either unaware or ignoring his own injuries.
"Wesley!" Giles called, pulling the trainer from his thoughts.
"Yes?"
"Up the stairs and to the right there's a closet with a first aid kit. I'm going to need a few cloths, bandages, and a bowl of cold water."
Wesley nodded and headed off. Giles turned to Angel.
"Angel sit down. Buffy is going to be fine, I need you to try and calm down."
Taking a deep breath, Angel nodded and knelt down next to Buffy. He could hardly believe how much this was affecting him, but despite his rational side, the inner conflicts of emotions were raging. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn't going to be near "calm" anytime soon.
Faith smiled as she walked through the familiar streets of the colony. She and Buffy had trained together for years now, and although they had never been "˜pyjama-party best friends', she'd picked up a few things here and there. One of them being, Buffy's love life- or total lack thereof. She didn't understand why, but Buffy had always stayed away from guys, claiming that she didn't "˜have time for a boyfriend', and was completely oblivious if/when any guy liked her. Riley, for instance, had liked Buffy for years now but she had always brushed off his attempts at asking her out. Well "˜brushed off' maybe wasn't the word, she had always thought he was just trying to be friends and had successfully ditched any of his efforts so far. Riley was an okay guy, not terrible-looking, but Buffy had always found him annoying, and as for Faith, she was much too into the "˜sad puppy dog' thing he had going for him.
Needless to say, Buffy had never really had a boyfriend before. And Faith knew it. Which meant that Buffy had to expect an odd joke or two at her expense, now that she had a new "friend". The look on their faces when she brought up "boy-toy" made Faith laugh, Buffy's face had practically turned into a tomato and Mr. Gorgeous' expression was half-embarrassment, half-smirk. When she thought about it, she hadn't actually seen that guy before. It was rare for new people to come into the colony; it made her wonder where exactly he was from (and how Buffy of all people had managed to snag him). She was glad Buffy had found a guy (maybe now she'd loosen up a bit with the getting on duty thing), but Faith couldn't help her surprise at the tall stranger she had met. Buffy was her friend, and she didn't want to be mean or anything, but he seemed anything but her type. She always figured she'd end up with some nerdy, soldier guy, not a mysterious hunk like that.
Faith shrugged as she came up to her familiar compound, sometimes people can surprise you. She led herself through the halls until she reached her apartment, and speedily typed in her access code and walked in. Looking around, she noticed a low light coming from her kitchen, that wasn't there when she left. Picking up the nearest object (which turned out to be a huge textbook- thank you Wesley) she approached the entrance to hear a plate clanging on the table. Quickly, she leaped into the kitchen and tackled a figure by her fridge, knocking them to the ground. She lifted up the book, ready to knock whoever it was who broke in, but quickly stopped as the familiar face registered.
"Wow! Hey! I give up! Don't kill me or anything!" his voice said, half-joking.
Faith smirked and got off the man, throwing her book onto the counter.
"Jeez Charlie-Boy, what have I told you about breaking into my place?"
Holding his head, Gunn got up and pulled out a can of soda from the fridge.
"I was hungry, besides you gave me the code, so it's not like I broke down the door or anything."
Faith laughed and leaned against the counter. She and Gunn had been best friends for as long as she could remember. They'd grown up together, trained together, heck they'd even lost their teeth at the same time. He was the first guy who was willing to admit that she could kick his butt, and didn't try to make up flimsy excuses as to why a girl beat him. He'd always respected her skills like he would any other warrior's, and been there through all the tough times. She knew him almost as well as she knew herself, and could honestly say he knew her just as well. The one person in the world who she had ever opened up to completely"¦. Well, almost completely, after all, a girl's gotta have her secrets.
"See I knew I'd regret that last martini! Next time I get drunk, do me a favour and don't ask how to get into my apartment."
Gunn laughed,
"Yeah well I don't see why you're complaining, I'm the poor sucker you assaulted."
"Whatever, it serves you right for stealing my food! Besides, you're not the first one tonight."
"Seriously? What other innocent civilians did you beat up?"
Faith punched him lightly in the arm.
"You're a tough guy, you'll live. I actually jumped B and some guy in an alley, and hey get this, our little girl's got herself a guy."
"Buffy? I thought she wasn't supposed to be out on patrol? And w-hey! Did you just say Buffy has a boyfriend?"
Faith gave a triumphant smile.
"Yep. She says they're "˜just friends' but the way they were looking at each other it was totally a bunch of crap."
"Wow, surprise of the century, who's the lucky guy?"
"Donno. Never seen him before. Not what I was expecting for B though, has the whole tall dark and handsome thing going for him. Real girlie name, like Angie, or something."
Gunn's eyes widened.
"Angel?"
"Ya! That's it! Like I said, real girlie name. Pretty fine though, seems like the cryptic, mysterious type."
Gunn sighed and sat down on a nearby stool, a sombre look on his face.
"Yo, Gunn what's wrong?"
Gunn glanced at her.
"This guy, was he tall? Dark spiky hair, wearin' black from head to toe?"
"Ya, I take it you've met?"
"Oh ya, me and my guys had the honour of escorting him to his apartment after he came. Donno why the council let him in, he freaks the crap outta me that's for sure. Buffy caught up with us when we were on our way, I've heard rumours that she was seeing him, but I never thought she was like that."
"Okay so this guy creeps you out? Why do I feel like I'm missing the main event here?"
Gunn rolled his eyes.
"He's a vamp, Faith."
"What!?" Faith said, nearly chocking on the drink she'd just opened. "Buffy's banging the undead!?"
Gunn's face distorted slightly,
"And thanks for the scary imagery there, haven't been mentally scarred near enough today."
"Seriously! What's her problem! He's a vamp, she's a warrior, we kill demons, we don't cuddle with "˜em."
"Faith chill alright? I mean where are you getting that Buffy's sleeping with him? We're talking about BUFFY here. It's freaky and a bit disturbing but she obviously knows what he is. Besides she's a tough chick, she can handle herself."
"But still, come on! It's so "˜eeleh'!"
Gunn laughed,
"Ya, and like that soldier guy you were with last month was much better."
"He was a perfectly okay guy, besides he had a pulse! I've gotta talk to B about this, it's just too weird."
Gunn gently grabbed his friend's arm.
"Faith leave it. He didn't seem overly hostile when I met him, and the council let him in so he can't be that bad. For now we can leave the blonde wonder on her own, and the next time we see her we'll mention it."
Faith sighed, giving her friend an annoyed look.
"Fine. I don't trust him though, and you can't ask me to like him either. I don't care if he's neutered, a vamps a vamp and if he hurts Buffy"¦"
"Come on, if I remember correctly we had a night of poker and drinking planned."
Faith gave him a weak smile and fallowed him into the living room, silently praying that Buffy knew what she was getting herself into.
Five hours had past since Angel had came racing in Giles' front door, and still Buffy hadn't woken up. Giles had assessed her injuries and concluded that she wasn't physically hurt (past a few bumps and bruises and a nasty cut on her shoulder), and she'd probably just passed out from exhaustion after- whatever it was that she did. They had moved her to the downstairs living room and laid her on a larger couch so that she would be more comfortable, and Angel had been by her side ever since. After about an hour, he had finally managed to get his game face under control and be properly introduced to Wesley. Both trainers had given up trying to pry him from Buffy hours ago.
He was sitting in a small chair that he had pulled next to the couch and held Buffy's hand in his, murmuring inaudible nonsense every now and again. She was going to be fine, he knew this, but seeing her collapse like that and be helpless to save her had scared him more than he would admit, and a part of him was afraid that if he left, she'd slip away completely.
The two trainers stood just outside the doorway, looking at the couple silently. Neither could ignore the obvious care Angel held for Buffy, and as they watched him they found themselves perplexed. What they were observing went against everything they had been taught, their beliefs, everything their modern-day society was based on was proved utterly false, by what was happening before their eyes. They couldn't help but question how many things the council may have been wrong about.
Pulling Giles into the main hall, Wesley turned to him and spoke.
"Don't worry about the council. They will not hear of your research from me."
Giles nodded,
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
"I have to admit, after seeing that display, it makes me wonder how superb the council really is."
"Yes, it would seem so."
There was a moment of silence before Wesley turned to the door.
"I'll see you soon."
"Yes, and thank you again."
Wesley gave him a polite nod before heading out the door, realising that for the first time in his life, he felt like he'd actually done something right.
Angel sat by Buffy, her hand clutched in his own. He placed a gentle kiss to her hand, staring at her calm face. When she slept, a look of almost peace crossed her features, as though it was a relief for her to get away from the world. There was a lohe didn't understand with her, why she held her feelings inside, or almost pretended to be someone else when others were around. She took on a shy, compliant demeanour, which slipped into place at lightning speed, as though it had become a reflex over the years. Now though, she didn't look like she was sleeping, her face was more one of exhaustion, like her body was fighting to regain the energy that had been used so quickly.
Carefully he reached up and gently caressed her face, brushing a stray piece of hair from her features. He gave her a gentle smile.
"Wake up soon Buffy, I miss you."
He sat by her side, oblivious to the world around him, praying that she would be all right.
End of Chapter Fifteen.
PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! ^_^
Katie 😀
Anywho, enjoy!
Chapter Fifteen
Giles stood in the library, suddenly wishing that he had a nice big bottle of brandy with him. He looked almost longingly to the door, contemplating how far he could make it before his colleague caught up. Standing before him was a tall, younger trainer, who over the last few years Giles had made a point to avoid. He was dressed more-or-less casually, with a light-brown tweed sweater and a red plaid shirt underneath. He had dark, short hair, and glasses. Although he had long given up the suits he wore when Giles had first met him, he was still far from "laid back".
Giles and Wesley had known each other for several years, and had never exactly been "friends". They had met just after Buffy and Faith had begun training together, and since Wes was Faith's trainer, they had seen all-too much of each other before Faith had been put on duty. They didn't hate each other, but Wesley had always been pretty firm believer in the council's regulations and what it stood for. Not too many years ago, he had almost had Buffy re-assigned to another trainer, after informing the council about the leniency Giles showed towards her. Ever since, Giles was wary around the younger man, and had done his best to avoid any kind of confrontations with him.
Tonight, however, he didn't have much of a choice.
Ever since Faith had been put on duty, Wesley hadn't had to train her as much, which meant that he performed more of the council's "chores" now. He had arrived an hour ago to discuss Buffy's punishments (and to ensure that she was fallowing them accordingly), only to find Giles buried in books that he wasn't supposed to be reading, and Buffy nowhere in sight. The two of them had been bickering about what to do, and Wesley was currently drowning on about how "inappropriate" his actions were.
"Mr. Giles, I honestly don't know what to do. You were told that these resources are off-limits yet you insisted on disobeying orders. What do you expect me to tell the council?"
"Well I was hoping that you'd tell them I was doing a splendid job and that the world's all merry and grand." Giles said dryly.
"This is no laughing matter Rupert! You know as well as I do how unforgiving the council can be. They'd have you behind bars before you knew what hit you."
Giles rolled his eyes.
"Yes, and I'm sure you would be so heart-broken by that. Imagine you, telling the council something just to get me fired? Besides, I'd love to see how they worm their way out of that headline "˜council locks up trainer for looking at big-bad books'."
Wesley sighed,
"I suppose I deserved that. But despite what you may think I don't wish to "˜have you fired'. I have to insist, however, that you stop what you are doing immediately!"
"I can't do that. You know something is going to happen Wesley, and I plan to find out what it is so-"
"So what? You can stop it? Forgive me, but I can't see any of us stopping whatever this is. No one even knows if it's going to be a bad thing or not."
"Are you that much of a nit? We didn't prepare last time and look what happened, I honestly can't think of anything that could even begin to end this war anymore."
"Well putting your pessimism aside, I doubt getting thrown behind bars is going to do much good for either you or Buffy. Not only that, but you have a substantially greater chance of doing something productive without your hands cuffed together."
Giles sighed and fell into a nearby chair, knowing that Wesley was right. The amount of sleep he'd achieved since Buffy brought him Lindsay's warnings was slim to none, and as a result his patience and manners were suffering. He took a deep breath, before turning to the other trainer once again.
"It's obvious that we have a problem here, so how about we both stop this pointless bickering and start working on a solution?"
"Agreed." Wesley replied in a firm voice. Members of the council were trained for much of their lives, as were their warriors, and one of the top things they were taught was how to solve a situation in the most logical and efficient way possible. "What do you suggest?"
"Buffy, for the most part, has done extremely well at obeying the punishments shown by the council. As for my research, it is a breach of protocol however it is hurting no one. And perhaps it would be much better if no one found it, given the council's state at the moment."
Wesley considered his words for a moment,
"I will agree to overlook Buffy's recent escapades, but I can not simply ignore something like this. It is a direct violation of the rules."
"Rules that have no purpose in being there in the first place!" Giles shot back.
"That is not for you or I to decide!"
"Says the idiots who've never staked a vampire before in their life!"
"That doesn't matter!"
Before Giles had a chance to retaliate, the loud bang of the front door being kicked open rang through the room. Fallowed quickly by a loud, almost fear-filled yell.
"GILES!!!"
The two trainers exchanged a quick glance before racing in the front hall. Giles' eyes widened in both horror and shock at the sight that greeted him. Angel was standing in the entrance, injuries plainly visible on his body, a limp Buffy in his arms. His face revealed the vampire that he was, his face now rigid and fanged, and his eyes glowing amber. He heard Wesley take in a gasp behind him, undoubtedly suppressing a scream.
"What in god's name happened!?" Giles said loudly, leading the vampire to a nearby couch to lay Buffy on.
"We were attacked"¦. there were so many, they were too strong- I don't know how, she just lashed out"¦ I couldn't help her-" Angel ranted, a thousand emotions playing through his mind at once.
"Angel calm down! I need to know if she was poisoned." Giles said, barley managing to remain calm himself.
"No- I... maybe, I don't know! I didn't see but that doesn't mean"¦"
"She's breathing and has a pulse, that's a good sign." Giles muttered, taking his attention off the raving vampire to quickly look over Buffy's injuries.
"Is she alright?" Angel asked more harshly than he meant.
"Yes, I believe so. Was she knocked out by one of your attackers?"
"No, she got rid of most of them, we started walking and she passed out. I don't know what happened, I've never seen anyone move like that. She was so strong, it doesn't make sense!"
Wesley watched in shock as the scene in front of him unfolded. He had heard of the ensouled vampire being seen training Buffy, but he couldn't have expected behaviour like this. He hadn't ever seen anyone react this strongly to a warrior getting harmed, especially not when it's technically her job to kill you. The vampire seemed distraught, and so focused on Buffy that he was either unaware or ignoring his own injuries.
"Wesley!" Giles called, pulling the trainer from his thoughts.
"Yes?"
"Up the stairs and to the right there's a closet with a first aid kit. I'm going to need a few cloths, bandages, and a bowl of cold water."
Wesley nodded and headed off. Giles turned to Angel.
"Angel sit down. Buffy is going to be fine, I need you to try and calm down."
Taking a deep breath, Angel nodded and knelt down next to Buffy. He could hardly believe how much this was affecting him, but despite his rational side, the inner conflicts of emotions were raging. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn't going to be near "calm" anytime soon.
Faith smiled as she walked through the familiar streets of the colony. She and Buffy had trained together for years now, and although they had never been "˜pyjama-party best friends', she'd picked up a few things here and there. One of them being, Buffy's love life- or total lack thereof. She didn't understand why, but Buffy had always stayed away from guys, claiming that she didn't "˜have time for a boyfriend', and was completely oblivious if/when any guy liked her. Riley, for instance, had liked Buffy for years now but she had always brushed off his attempts at asking her out. Well "˜brushed off' maybe wasn't the word, she had always thought he was just trying to be friends and had successfully ditched any of his efforts so far. Riley was an okay guy, not terrible-looking, but Buffy had always found him annoying, and as for Faith, she was much too into the "˜sad puppy dog' thing he had going for him.
Needless to say, Buffy had never really had a boyfriend before. And Faith knew it. Which meant that Buffy had to expect an odd joke or two at her expense, now that she had a new "friend". The look on their faces when she brought up "boy-toy" made Faith laugh, Buffy's face had practically turned into a tomato and Mr. Gorgeous' expression was half-embarrassment, half-smirk. When she thought about it, she hadn't actually seen that guy before. It was rare for new people to come into the colony; it made her wonder where exactly he was from (and how Buffy of all people had managed to snag him). She was glad Buffy had found a guy (maybe now she'd loosen up a bit with the getting on duty thing), but Faith couldn't help her surprise at the tall stranger she had met. Buffy was her friend, and she didn't want to be mean or anything, but he seemed anything but her type. She always figured she'd end up with some nerdy, soldier guy, not a mysterious hunk like that.
Faith shrugged as she came up to her familiar compound, sometimes people can surprise you. She led herself through the halls until she reached her apartment, and speedily typed in her access code and walked in. Looking around, she noticed a low light coming from her kitchen, that wasn't there when she left. Picking up the nearest object (which turned out to be a huge textbook- thank you Wesley) she approached the entrance to hear a plate clanging on the table. Quickly, she leaped into the kitchen and tackled a figure by her fridge, knocking them to the ground. She lifted up the book, ready to knock whoever it was who broke in, but quickly stopped as the familiar face registered.
"Wow! Hey! I give up! Don't kill me or anything!" his voice said, half-joking.
Faith smirked and got off the man, throwing her book onto the counter.
"Jeez Charlie-Boy, what have I told you about breaking into my place?"
Holding his head, Gunn got up and pulled out a can of soda from the fridge.
"I was hungry, besides you gave me the code, so it's not like I broke down the door or anything."
Faith laughed and leaned against the counter. She and Gunn had been best friends for as long as she could remember. They'd grown up together, trained together, heck they'd even lost their teeth at the same time. He was the first guy who was willing to admit that she could kick his butt, and didn't try to make up flimsy excuses as to why a girl beat him. He'd always respected her skills like he would any other warrior's, and been there through all the tough times. She knew him almost as well as she knew herself, and could honestly say he knew her just as well. The one person in the world who she had ever opened up to completely"¦. Well, almost completely, after all, a girl's gotta have her secrets.
"See I knew I'd regret that last martini! Next time I get drunk, do me a favour and don't ask how to get into my apartment."
Gunn laughed,
"Yeah well I don't see why you're complaining, I'm the poor sucker you assaulted."
"Whatever, it serves you right for stealing my food! Besides, you're not the first one tonight."
"Seriously? What other innocent civilians did you beat up?"
Faith punched him lightly in the arm.
"You're a tough guy, you'll live. I actually jumped B and some guy in an alley, and hey get this, our little girl's got herself a guy."
"Buffy? I thought she wasn't supposed to be out on patrol? And w-hey! Did you just say Buffy has a boyfriend?"
Faith gave a triumphant smile.
"Yep. She says they're "˜just friends' but the way they were looking at each other it was totally a bunch of crap."
"Wow, surprise of the century, who's the lucky guy?"
"Donno. Never seen him before. Not what I was expecting for B though, has the whole tall dark and handsome thing going for him. Real girlie name, like Angie, or something."
Gunn's eyes widened.
"Angel?"
"Ya! That's it! Like I said, real girlie name. Pretty fine though, seems like the cryptic, mysterious type."
Gunn sighed and sat down on a nearby stool, a sombre look on his face.
"Yo, Gunn what's wrong?"
Gunn glanced at her.
"This guy, was he tall? Dark spiky hair, wearin' black from head to toe?"
"Ya, I take it you've met?"
"Oh ya, me and my guys had the honour of escorting him to his apartment after he came. Donno why the council let him in, he freaks the crap outta me that's for sure. Buffy caught up with us when we were on our way, I've heard rumours that she was seeing him, but I never thought she was like that."
"Okay so this guy creeps you out? Why do I feel like I'm missing the main event here?"
Gunn rolled his eyes.
"He's a vamp, Faith."
"What!?" Faith said, nearly chocking on the drink she'd just opened. "Buffy's banging the undead!?"
Gunn's face distorted slightly,
"And thanks for the scary imagery there, haven't been mentally scarred near enough today."
"Seriously! What's her problem! He's a vamp, she's a warrior, we kill demons, we don't cuddle with "˜em."
"Faith chill alright? I mean where are you getting that Buffy's sleeping with him? We're talking about BUFFY here. It's freaky and a bit disturbing but she obviously knows what he is. Besides she's a tough chick, she can handle herself."
"But still, come on! It's so "˜eeleh'!"
Gunn laughed,
"Ya, and like that soldier guy you were with last month was much better."
"He was a perfectly okay guy, besides he had a pulse! I've gotta talk to B about this, it's just too weird."
Gunn gently grabbed his friend's arm.
"Faith leave it. He didn't seem overly hostile when I met him, and the council let him in so he can't be that bad. For now we can leave the blonde wonder on her own, and the next time we see her we'll mention it."
Faith sighed, giving her friend an annoyed look.
"Fine. I don't trust him though, and you can't ask me to like him either. I don't care if he's neutered, a vamps a vamp and if he hurts Buffy"¦"
"Come on, if I remember correctly we had a night of poker and drinking planned."
Faith gave him a weak smile and fallowed him into the living room, silently praying that Buffy knew what she was getting herself into.
Five hours had past since Angel had came racing in Giles' front door, and still Buffy hadn't woken up. Giles had assessed her injuries and concluded that she wasn't physically hurt (past a few bumps and bruises and a nasty cut on her shoulder), and she'd probably just passed out from exhaustion after- whatever it was that she did. They had moved her to the downstairs living room and laid her on a larger couch so that she would be more comfortable, and Angel had been by her side ever since. After about an hour, he had finally managed to get his game face under control and be properly introduced to Wesley. Both trainers had given up trying to pry him from Buffy hours ago.
He was sitting in a small chair that he had pulled next to the couch and held Buffy's hand in his, murmuring inaudible nonsense every now and again. She was going to be fine, he knew this, but seeing her collapse like that and be helpless to save her had scared him more than he would admit, and a part of him was afraid that if he left, she'd slip away completely.
The two trainers stood just outside the doorway, looking at the couple silently. Neither could ignore the obvious care Angel held for Buffy, and as they watched him they found themselves perplexed. What they were observing went against everything they had been taught, their beliefs, everything their modern-day society was based on was proved utterly false, by what was happening before their eyes. They couldn't help but question how many things the council may have been wrong about.
Pulling Giles into the main hall, Wesley turned to him and spoke.
"Don't worry about the council. They will not hear of your research from me."
Giles nodded,
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
"I have to admit, after seeing that display, it makes me wonder how superb the council really is."
"Yes, it would seem so."
There was a moment of silence before Wesley turned to the door.
"I'll see you soon."
"Yes, and thank you again."
Wesley gave him a polite nod before heading out the door, realising that for the first time in his life, he felt like he'd actually done something right.
Angel sat by Buffy, her hand clutched in his own. He placed a gentle kiss to her hand, staring at her calm face. When she slept, a look of almost peace crossed her features, as though it was a relief for her to get away from the world. There was a lohe didn't understand with her, why she held her feelings inside, or almost pretended to be someone else when others were around. She took on a shy, compliant demeanour, which slipped into place at lightning speed, as though it had become a reflex over the years. Now though, she didn't look like she was sleeping, her face was more one of exhaustion, like her body was fighting to regain the energy that had been used so quickly.
Carefully he reached up and gently caressed her face, brushing a stray piece of hair from her features. He gave her a gentle smile.
"Wake up soon Buffy, I miss you."
He sat by her side, oblivious to the world around him, praying that she would be all right.
"Am I in heaven here or am I in hell
At the crossroads I am standing
So now you're sleeping peaceful
I lie awake and pray
That you'll be strong tomorrow and we'll
See another day and we will praise it
And love the light that brings a smile
Across your face..."
-Sarah McLachlan
At the crossroads I am standing
So now you're sleeping peaceful
I lie awake and pray
That you'll be strong tomorrow and we'll
See another day and we will praise it
And love the light that brings a smile
Across your face..."
-Sarah McLachlan
End of Chapter Fifteen.
PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! ^_^
Katie 😀
nice idea introducing wes as faith's 'trainer' i liked that. i also like the relationship you've created between faith and gunn, i could totally see them having the convo!
i liked the last bit, where angel was keeping watch over buffy, but for some reason i kept seeing the scenes from 'birthday' when angel sits by cordy when she's in the coma!!
but this is a really good update.
i liked the last bit, where angel was keeping watch over buffy, but for some reason i kept seeing the scenes from 'birthday' when angel sits by cordy when she's in the coma!!
but this is a really good update.
Edmund Blackadder
Scooby
Angelic Slayer
Daydream Believer
Lyri- Wow, thanks! The Faith/Gunn thing is something I'm having a lot of fun writing, I really love their characters! I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for the reply! 🙂
Dia DeLa Muerte- Yay! (lol 😉 ) seriously, thanks so much! 😀
And now, for your reading enjoyment, chapter sixteen.....
Chapter Sixteen
Darkness. Everything was so dark. A cold feeling washed over her as she tried to take in her surroundings, it was all so muddled though, why couldn't' she see? Carefully, she began to step forward, her vision improved a little as she moved along; below her was a thick swamp, mist wistfully flowed along the ground. Trees hung heavily above her head, their leaves were almost too dark a green to make out without the aid of light. Behind her, she could almost feel something creeping up; reflectively she began moving faster, not daring to turn around. Suddenly, she heard leaves rustle behind her, fear shot through her veins as she began running, as fast as she could, anywhere that was away. As she moved faster and faster, she began to hear what started out as whispers, but were quickly turning to screams. Voices speaking in so many different languages, only the odd English word was audible through the chaos. She could feel the figure that was chasing her draw closer; her heart began to beat rapidly as her pulse rang in her ears. The voices were screaming at her now, so loudly that she couldn't concentrate. Almost out of nowhere, her foot caught on a root; sending her to the ground. She scrambled to get up, but it was as though the root was holding her to the ground. She turned and let out a scream, as the dark figure engulfed her.
Buffy eyes flew open and she took in a sharp breath. She looked around in confusion, her mind still muddled from her dream. She was lying on a couch"¦. Somewhere. She probed her mind for the details, trying to put together the missing pieces. Suddenly it all came back to her, the fight, Angel's injuries, her sudden strength. Angel"¦ quickly she looked around, holding back a sigh of relief when she realized where exactly he was. He was sitting next to her, clutching her hand in his two larger ones. His head was down as he whispered something that sounded foreign, yet oddly familiar to her, although she had no idea what the words meant, he recited them like a prayer.
She stared at him for a moment or two, forgetting for a second her frightening dream and studying his strange behaviour. Finally finding her voice she spoke, her words sounded soft and raspy from her somewhat gazed state.
"Angel?"
She felt his hold on her hand tighten as his head shot up to stare at her. His face was one of shock and something else that she couldn't quite figure out, before she had the chance to ask what was wrong, he flew forward and wrapped his arms around her.
"Buffy!"
He chanted her name over again, clutching her close he planted butterfly kisses in her hair. Awkwardly, she gently put her arms around him as well, more than a little surprised by his actions (given his usual less than forward demeanour). After a few moments, he finally pulled back, he held her face in his hands, a look of relief evident on his features.
"How are you feeling?"
Buffy took a moment to focus on her injuries. Her head hurt a little, and she knew that her arm was bruised, but nothing major.
"I'm alright." She said simply, giving him a poor imitation of a smile.
He chuckled at her brush off of the wounds she had endured.
"Most of your bruises should be healed within a couple days, you have a cut on your shoulder that may take a little longer though."
"And a bit of headache." She added quietly, more for his benefit that her own.
He nodded,
"I'll go get Giles."
Buffy sighed and closed her eyes once again, her dream flashed through her mind. Through her life she'd had strange dreams, some were cryptic, most were frightening, but none had ever affected her as much as this one seems to have. She had a feeling that it wasn't just some random dream, mysterious as it may be, it meant something"¦ something that was going to- or perhaps already has, happened to her. And from what she had felt in the dream, she wasn't sure if that was necessarily a good thing.
She was quickly brought out of her thoughts, however, when Angel came through the door, Giles close behind him.
"Hey." She said wearily
"Buffy, I'm relieved to see that you're awake. How are you feeling?" he asked, in a fatherly tone.
"I'm good." She said lightly
"No pain at all?"
"Well a bit of a headache but other than that I'm super."
She could feel Angel's eyes on her; she didn't have to look up to see his you're-lying-and-I-know-it glare.
"Yes, well that's good to hear." Giles said, doing a horrible job of showing his surprise.
"So, what actually happened out there?" Buffy asked, sitting up to stare at the two. "I remember the fight and everything, but after getting to Angel everything kinda goes blurry."
Giles looked to Angel pointedly.
"We started walking and you were leaning on me pretty heavily. You passed out after a couple steps; I caught you and carried you here. The guys that attacked us were coming, but I don't think they followed." Angel said, not taking his eyes off her.
Buffy resisted the urge to shift under his gaze.
"Ya- those guys. I don't think they were completely human Giles. They were unbelievably strong."
"Did you find anything strange about them? Tattoos or such?"
Buffy thought for a moment, before pulling a knife from her pocket.
"Here, I got it off one of the guys that jumped us; he looked like the leader or something. They wore black robes, and the one- he said something to me. I don't know what it was, not English that's for sure."
"Do you remember what exactly he said?"
"It was weird"¦. Like "˜lee falleara' or something."
"Lei fallirà ." Angel spoke up, "It's old-style Italian, means roughly "˜you will fail'."
"You will fail? Fail at what? They're the ones that attacked us." Buffy said.
"That seems to be the question of the hour"¦. You speak Italian?" Giles asked Angel, somewhat intrigued.
"Among others." He answered simply. "Did your friend know anything about what's going on?"
Giles shook his head.
"No, I'm afraid not. It would seem the council is about as clueless as we are at this point."
"Friend? Why do I feel like I'm missing something here?" Buffy asked
"Wesley came over earlier; council business."
Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Oh joy."
Ignoring Buffy's remark, Angel turned to Giles.
"But now we're ahead right? At least we know more than the council does at this point. Whoever attacked Buffy and me, I can't believe that it was a mistake. We know that they're Italian and that knife probably says something about them. And Faith said that the colony was full of demons."
"Yes well it will certainly take some research but as unfortunate as your experience was it should defiantly bring us one step ahead."
"Great, well if that's all cleared up, I'm outta here." Buffy said, getting up quickly, ignoring the wave of dizziness that rushed through her.
"Just a moment Buffy, we haven't been able to determine what happened to you out there. Angel explained briefly what had happened when you "˜attacked' but he doesn't have the details. We were hoping that you could clear some of the details up." Giles questioned
Buffy sighed before turning to him with an uninterested expression.
"Not much to tell. They pissed me off, I snapped. I kicked their butt end of story. I guess I passed out because I was tired or something."
"Buffy I've never seen anyone move with that kind of power before. It doesn't just pop out of nowhere like that." Angel said, not taking his eyes off her.
"Look. Guys I'm really tired so I just want to go home and sleep. Can we do this tomorrow or something?" she said quickly, giving Giles a pleading look.
"Yes, of course Buffy, if you're tired we can finish this later."
Buffy nodded and headed for the door.
"I'll walk you home." Angel said, standing up.
"No!" Buffy said quickly, "No, it's alright. I'll be fine, and my place isn't that far anyway. I'll stop by tomorrow or something."
Quickly she turned and walked out of the house, not looking back. Giles and Angel turned to each other, both with a worried look on their face. Angel sighed and shook his head, something wasn't right, now he'd have to find out what.
Buffy moved around her apartment, glad that Angel hadn't followed her, she went into her bathroom and with shaky hands washed her face. Once she was done, she grabbed a nearby towel and dried her features, noticing the small blood that came off onto the cotton. Curiously she looked up at the mirror, one of her cuts had reopened, but that wasn't what caught her attention. As she looked at her reflection she wasn't sure of how to react, carefully she ran her fingers across her face, not believing what she saw. Staring back at her was the same face, the same golden hair, but her eyes looked almost foreign even to her. She almost couldn't recognize herself anymore. She broke into tears and fell to the ground, confusion and grief overwhelming her.
Angel sighed in frustration and worry as he moved around Giles' library. It had been three days since Buffy had woken up and still she hadn't stopped by, nor had she been seen anywhere. Giles had tried calling her a few times, but there was no answer, Angel himself had even stopped by her apartment but she either wasn't there or just wouldn't answer the door.
Giles had been keeping himself busy with research, trying not to worry, but even though Angel had spent most of the last two days helping him, his mind was mostly focused on Buffy. She had acted so strange that night, at first she seemed fine, but once he came back in the room it was like she was a completely different person. Dismissive and detached, not to mention the "˜stretching of truth' that she had used when Giles had asked her how she was. She had been so unlike the Buffy he knew, he wasn't quite sure how to react to that.
Sighing, he looked out a nearby window carefully, the sun was almost set, it would be risky going out, but if he stayed in the shadows he could manage it. He'd been racking his brain for where she might be, recalling every word she had ever said to him but each time he drew a blank.
"Giles?"
"Hm?" the trainer asked, looking up from his book.
"The warriors, most of them are teenagers right?"
"Yes, a majority of them are at least."
"Well with that many teenagers wandering around, there has to be some place they go, to relax or hang out."
Giles thought for a moment.
"I'm afraid I am not exactly "˜up' with the hangouts these days. However Tara is upstairs I believe, she may have the answers you need, given that she is Buffy's age."
Angel nodded his thanks and made his way upstairs. He searched through the long halls before finally arriving at a partially opened door; carefully he gave it a soft knock, peeking inside.
Sure enough, Tara was sitting in a chair, a pile of papers beside her scribbled with small drawings. At the sound of his knock she looked up, giving him a small smile.
"Angel, hi." She said, surprised, putting down a picture. "What can I do for you."
"I just wanted to ask you something, I'm not disturbing you am I?"
"No, not at all! Come on in."
Angel let out a breath of relief and sat across from her in a chair. He hadn't really gotten to know Buffy's surrogate sister, but he had seen her around the house a few times and she seemed nice. For the most part she was quiet, but friendly as well, Angel liked her.
"Have you heard from Buffy lately?" he asked, trying not to sound worried.
Tara shook her head.
"No, Giles told me a bit about what happened. It really doesn't sound like Buffy at all."
"I've tried going to her house, but there wasn't an answer, and she won't pick up her phone either."
Tara just nodded.
"I was thinking, are there any places she might be? Places that people your age hang out or something?"
"Oh, well um"¦ There's not much to be honest, most of us just meet up wherever is handy. Oh! T-there's this club! The Bronze, it's just across town. Buffy used to go there a lot, but once she hit seventeen she just stopped for some reason. Other than patrolling I can't think of any other place she might be."
Angel nodded and stood up.
"Okay, thank you. I'm just going to"¦"
"Go." Tara said with a smile. "Oh and Angel?" he turned to her, "I'm glad you met Buffy, it's like she's finally opening up to someone, it's good for her."
Angel gave her a small smile before heading out the door. He'd stop by his apartment on the way to get the address; hopefully Buffy had decided to go for a night out.
Buffy danced feverishly to the fast beat that whipped through the air. It had been over two years since she had come here, but as she moved to the strong rhythms of the music, she could almost forget about all that had happened. She closed her eyes and her mind drifted from the worries and fears that had clouded her mind for the past two days. She felt others move around her, close but never letting anyone touch, she let the music take her, the world flowing away with each moment.
Then she felt it, a small tingle starting at her spine and working its way through her body. She felt his eyes on her, and she urged herself to keep dancing, that maybe if she ignored him long enough he would go away. Her hopes went unanswered however, when she heard the song fade out. She slowed to a stop, simply standing on the dance floor with her eyes shut. Two strong arms wrapped around her and it took all she had not to move into his welcoming embrace. A slow melody came from the speakers, slowly the two began swaying to the music.
"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked softly, not turning to meet his gaze.
"Looking for you. You didn't come by, I was worried."
Buffy held back the tears that threatened to gather in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she turned in his embrace and gave him a smile.
"I'm fine."
"No Buffy you're not." Angel said, looking into her eyes. "You didn't pick up the phone or answer your door, and you practically ran out of Giles' the other day. This isn't like you."
"And how would you know? You barely know me Angel, how are you so sure that this isn't just who I am?" she asked, raising her voice slightly
Angel didn't reply, just looked away, causing Buffy to immediately regret her words.
"Look, I was tired alright? I didn't hear anyone come to the door and my phone was buried somewhere in my apartment."
"You know that's not true Buffy. But you just cut everyone off like that, how are we supposed to help you when you're pushing us all away?!"
"You don't know what it's like!" Buffy said, almost yelling now.
"So tell me!" Angel said just a loudly, desperately trying to get through to her.
The people around them froze and stared at the two. Angel looked at Buffy expectantly, but the blonde just looked around at everyone, tears gathering in her eyes. Quickly she tore herself from Angel's embrace and raced out the back door, walking as fast as she could without running. She had only managed to get a few steps away from the club before Angel grabbed her arm, turning her to face him.
"What do you want from me!?" she yelled, breaking off his hand.
"I want you to talk to me Buffy! Yell at me, beat me up, just do something!"
"I don't want to talk about it!"
"You have to! Look at what this is doing to you! What's it even about? Is it what happened the other day? Then fine, what happened to you!? How did you beat up those guys? Where did it come from?!"
"I don't know!" Buffy yelled, tears now pouring freely down her face.
Angel stared at her, worry and silent questions crossed his face.
"I-I don't know what happened." Buffy said again, in a quiet voice. "I saw t-them hurting you, a-and one of them had a knife. I was so scared, he was going to kill you and I couldn't s-stop it"¦. I f-fought as hard as I could but it wasn't enough, they were too strong. T-then I heard you s-scream, and it was like"¦. Like something i-inside me came out a-and I just snapped. It was like I wasn't even in control"¦ a-all I could think of was that they were h-hurting you, and I had to stop it."
She looked up at Angel, her eyes that of a scared little girl.
"I had a dream"¦ a-a nightmare. Something was chasing me and I couldn't stop it, I couldn't run fast enough and then it was"¦ it was in me. There's something inside me and I have no idea what it is. It's strong but I can't control it Angel! Something changed when it took over and I don't know how to stop it. I'm so scared! I'm scared of what it is, and what it's doing to me, and god Angel I'm scared of myself." She sobbed, falling to the ground.
Angel caught her before she hit the pavement and sat holding her against his chest, as she clutched his shirt, weeping. His strong arms wrapped around her as he gently rocked them back and forth, whispering soothing nonsense in her ear. Buffy let it all out, the pain, the fear; her frame shuddered with sobs as grasped Angel as hard as she could.
After what seemed like hours, Buffy's tears began to settle, Angel carefully lifted her chin up so she was looking up at him.
"Buffy, listen. I don't know what this is, but I promise you we will find out. Alright? No matter how long it takes we will get to the bottom of this. But you have to remember this might be a good thing too. You saved both our lives, and even though you were dazed you were still so careful when you came to me; so clear-headed when we started walking. We'll figure this out together, and until we do I'm going to help you learn to control this."
Buffy looked at him questioningly.
"H-How?"
He gave her a small smile and shrugged.
"Different techniques, a lot of training. I've had a demon living inside me for nearly three centuries, you pick up a few things here and there."
Buffy laughed, who would of thought Angel of all people could liven up such a serious situation. She didn't knowwhat to say, she hadn't even considered that whatever it is that was inside her might not be evil, and the prospect of being able to control it brought her so much relief that she nearly burst into tears again.
"Thank you." She said softly, giving him a small, but without a doubt true smile.
He just nodded, gazing down at her. Suddenly she felt all her worries and fears all melt away, replaced with new emotions of both love and lust. She gazed at him, as his eyes shifted from her own to her lips, his chocolate brown orbs seemingly darker than usual. She unconsciously licked her suddenly dry lips as they began to inch closer and closer to each other. She closed her eyes as they crept nearer, until they were a mere hairsbreadth apart. Their lips met in the softest of kisses, happiness and love washing through them. They moved closer, wrapping their arms around each other and deepening the kiss; both joyfully oblivious to the world around them. They were together, and for now, it was all that mattered.
End of Chapter Sixteen.
Please Reply with your thoughts! ^_^
Katie
Dia DeLa Muerte- Yay! (lol 😉 ) seriously, thanks so much! 😀
And now, for your reading enjoyment, chapter sixteen.....
Chapter Sixteen
Darkness. Everything was so dark. A cold feeling washed over her as she tried to take in her surroundings, it was all so muddled though, why couldn't' she see? Carefully, she began to step forward, her vision improved a little as she moved along; below her was a thick swamp, mist wistfully flowed along the ground. Trees hung heavily above her head, their leaves were almost too dark a green to make out without the aid of light. Behind her, she could almost feel something creeping up; reflectively she began moving faster, not daring to turn around. Suddenly, she heard leaves rustle behind her, fear shot through her veins as she began running, as fast as she could, anywhere that was away. As she moved faster and faster, she began to hear what started out as whispers, but were quickly turning to screams. Voices speaking in so many different languages, only the odd English word was audible through the chaos. She could feel the figure that was chasing her draw closer; her heart began to beat rapidly as her pulse rang in her ears. The voices were screaming at her now, so loudly that she couldn't concentrate. Almost out of nowhere, her foot caught on a root; sending her to the ground. She scrambled to get up, but it was as though the root was holding her to the ground. She turned and let out a scream, as the dark figure engulfed her.
&&&
Buffy eyes flew open and she took in a sharp breath. She looked around in confusion, her mind still muddled from her dream. She was lying on a couch"¦. Somewhere. She probed her mind for the details, trying to put together the missing pieces. Suddenly it all came back to her, the fight, Angel's injuries, her sudden strength. Angel"¦ quickly she looked around, holding back a sigh of relief when she realized where exactly he was. He was sitting next to her, clutching her hand in his two larger ones. His head was down as he whispered something that sounded foreign, yet oddly familiar to her, although she had no idea what the words meant, he recited them like a prayer.
She stared at him for a moment or two, forgetting for a second her frightening dream and studying his strange behaviour. Finally finding her voice she spoke, her words sounded soft and raspy from her somewhat gazed state.
"Angel?"
She felt his hold on her hand tighten as his head shot up to stare at her. His face was one of shock and something else that she couldn't quite figure out, before she had the chance to ask what was wrong, he flew forward and wrapped his arms around her.
"Buffy!"
He chanted her name over again, clutching her close he planted butterfly kisses in her hair. Awkwardly, she gently put her arms around him as well, more than a little surprised by his actions (given his usual less than forward demeanour). After a few moments, he finally pulled back, he held her face in his hands, a look of relief evident on his features.
"How are you feeling?"
Buffy took a moment to focus on her injuries. Her head hurt a little, and she knew that her arm was bruised, but nothing major.
"I'm alright." She said simply, giving him a poor imitation of a smile.
He chuckled at her brush off of the wounds she had endured.
"Most of your bruises should be healed within a couple days, you have a cut on your shoulder that may take a little longer though."
"And a bit of headache." She added quietly, more for his benefit that her own.
He nodded,
"I'll go get Giles."
Buffy sighed and closed her eyes once again, her dream flashed through her mind. Through her life she'd had strange dreams, some were cryptic, most were frightening, but none had ever affected her as much as this one seems to have. She had a feeling that it wasn't just some random dream, mysterious as it may be, it meant something"¦ something that was going to- or perhaps already has, happened to her. And from what she had felt in the dream, she wasn't sure if that was necessarily a good thing.
She was quickly brought out of her thoughts, however, when Angel came through the door, Giles close behind him.
"Hey." She said wearily
"Buffy, I'm relieved to see that you're awake. How are you feeling?" he asked, in a fatherly tone.
"I'm good." She said lightly
"No pain at all?"
"Well a bit of a headache but other than that I'm super."
She could feel Angel's eyes on her; she didn't have to look up to see his you're-lying-and-I-know-it glare.
"Yes, well that's good to hear." Giles said, doing a horrible job of showing his surprise.
"So, what actually happened out there?" Buffy asked, sitting up to stare at the two. "I remember the fight and everything, but after getting to Angel everything kinda goes blurry."
Giles looked to Angel pointedly.
"We started walking and you were leaning on me pretty heavily. You passed out after a couple steps; I caught you and carried you here. The guys that attacked us were coming, but I don't think they followed." Angel said, not taking his eyes off her.
Buffy resisted the urge to shift under his gaze.
"Ya- those guys. I don't think they were completely human Giles. They were unbelievably strong."
"Did you find anything strange about them? Tattoos or such?"
Buffy thought for a moment, before pulling a knife from her pocket.
"Here, I got it off one of the guys that jumped us; he looked like the leader or something. They wore black robes, and the one- he said something to me. I don't know what it was, not English that's for sure."
"Do you remember what exactly he said?"
"It was weird"¦. Like "˜lee falleara' or something."
"Lei fallirà ." Angel spoke up, "It's old-style Italian, means roughly "˜you will fail'."
"You will fail? Fail at what? They're the ones that attacked us." Buffy said.
"That seems to be the question of the hour"¦. You speak Italian?" Giles asked Angel, somewhat intrigued.
"Among others." He answered simply. "Did your friend know anything about what's going on?"
Giles shook his head.
"No, I'm afraid not. It would seem the council is about as clueless as we are at this point."
"Friend? Why do I feel like I'm missing something here?" Buffy asked
"Wesley came over earlier; council business."
Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Oh joy."
Ignoring Buffy's remark, Angel turned to Giles.
"But now we're ahead right? At least we know more than the council does at this point. Whoever attacked Buffy and me, I can't believe that it was a mistake. We know that they're Italian and that knife probably says something about them. And Faith said that the colony was full of demons."
"Yes well it will certainly take some research but as unfortunate as your experience was it should defiantly bring us one step ahead."
"Great, well if that's all cleared up, I'm outta here." Buffy said, getting up quickly, ignoring the wave of dizziness that rushed through her.
"Just a moment Buffy, we haven't been able to determine what happened to you out there. Angel explained briefly what had happened when you "˜attacked' but he doesn't have the details. We were hoping that you could clear some of the details up." Giles questioned
Buffy sighed before turning to him with an uninterested expression.
"Not much to tell. They pissed me off, I snapped. I kicked their butt end of story. I guess I passed out because I was tired or something."
"Buffy I've never seen anyone move with that kind of power before. It doesn't just pop out of nowhere like that." Angel said, not taking his eyes off her.
"Look. Guys I'm really tired so I just want to go home and sleep. Can we do this tomorrow or something?" she said quickly, giving Giles a pleading look.
"Yes, of course Buffy, if you're tired we can finish this later."
Buffy nodded and headed for the door.
"I'll walk you home." Angel said, standing up.
"No!" Buffy said quickly, "No, it's alright. I'll be fine, and my place isn't that far anyway. I'll stop by tomorrow or something."
Quickly she turned and walked out of the house, not looking back. Giles and Angel turned to each other, both with a worried look on their face. Angel sighed and shook his head, something wasn't right, now he'd have to find out what.
&&&
Buffy moved around her apartment, glad that Angel hadn't followed her, she went into her bathroom and with shaky hands washed her face. Once she was done, she grabbed a nearby towel and dried her features, noticing the small blood that came off onto the cotton. Curiously she looked up at the mirror, one of her cuts had reopened, but that wasn't what caught her attention. As she looked at her reflection she wasn't sure of how to react, carefully she ran her fingers across her face, not believing what she saw. Staring back at her was the same face, the same golden hair, but her eyes looked almost foreign even to her. She almost couldn't recognize herself anymore. She broke into tears and fell to the ground, confusion and grief overwhelming her.
&&&
Angel sighed in frustration and worry as he moved around Giles' library. It had been three days since Buffy had woken up and still she hadn't stopped by, nor had she been seen anywhere. Giles had tried calling her a few times, but there was no answer, Angel himself had even stopped by her apartment but she either wasn't there or just wouldn't answer the door.
Giles had been keeping himself busy with research, trying not to worry, but even though Angel had spent most of the last two days helping him, his mind was mostly focused on Buffy. She had acted so strange that night, at first she seemed fine, but once he came back in the room it was like she was a completely different person. Dismissive and detached, not to mention the "˜stretching of truth' that she had used when Giles had asked her how she was. She had been so unlike the Buffy he knew, he wasn't quite sure how to react to that.
Sighing, he looked out a nearby window carefully, the sun was almost set, it would be risky going out, but if he stayed in the shadows he could manage it. He'd been racking his brain for where she might be, recalling every word she had ever said to him but each time he drew a blank.
"Giles?"
"Hm?" the trainer asked, looking up from his book.
"The warriors, most of them are teenagers right?"
"Yes, a majority of them are at least."
"Well with that many teenagers wandering around, there has to be some place they go, to relax or hang out."
Giles thought for a moment.
"I'm afraid I am not exactly "˜up' with the hangouts these days. However Tara is upstairs I believe, she may have the answers you need, given that she is Buffy's age."
Angel nodded his thanks and made his way upstairs. He searched through the long halls before finally arriving at a partially opened door; carefully he gave it a soft knock, peeking inside.
Sure enough, Tara was sitting in a chair, a pile of papers beside her scribbled with small drawings. At the sound of his knock she looked up, giving him a small smile.
"Angel, hi." She said, surprised, putting down a picture. "What can I do for you."
"I just wanted to ask you something, I'm not disturbing you am I?"
"No, not at all! Come on in."
Angel let out a breath of relief and sat across from her in a chair. He hadn't really gotten to know Buffy's surrogate sister, but he had seen her around the house a few times and she seemed nice. For the most part she was quiet, but friendly as well, Angel liked her.
"Have you heard from Buffy lately?" he asked, trying not to sound worried.
Tara shook her head.
"No, Giles told me a bit about what happened. It really doesn't sound like Buffy at all."
"I've tried going to her house, but there wasn't an answer, and she won't pick up her phone either."
Tara just nodded.
"I was thinking, are there any places she might be? Places that people your age hang out or something?"
"Oh, well um"¦ There's not much to be honest, most of us just meet up wherever is handy. Oh! T-there's this club! The Bronze, it's just across town. Buffy used to go there a lot, but once she hit seventeen she just stopped for some reason. Other than patrolling I can't think of any other place she might be."
Angel nodded and stood up.
"Okay, thank you. I'm just going to"¦"
"Go." Tara said with a smile. "Oh and Angel?" he turned to her, "I'm glad you met Buffy, it's like she's finally opening up to someone, it's good for her."
Angel gave her a small smile before heading out the door. He'd stop by his apartment on the way to get the address; hopefully Buffy had decided to go for a night out.
&&&
Buffy danced feverishly to the fast beat that whipped through the air. It had been over two years since she had come here, but as she moved to the strong rhythms of the music, she could almost forget about all that had happened. She closed her eyes and her mind drifted from the worries and fears that had clouded her mind for the past two days. She felt others move around her, close but never letting anyone touch, she let the music take her, the world flowing away with each moment.
Then she felt it, a small tingle starting at her spine and working its way through her body. She felt his eyes on her, and she urged herself to keep dancing, that maybe if she ignored him long enough he would go away. Her hopes went unanswered however, when she heard the song fade out. She slowed to a stop, simply standing on the dance floor with her eyes shut. Two strong arms wrapped around her and it took all she had not to move into his welcoming embrace. A slow melody came from the speakers, slowly the two began swaying to the music.
"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked softly, not turning to meet his gaze.
"Looking for you. You didn't come by, I was worried."
Buffy held back the tears that threatened to gather in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she turned in his embrace and gave him a smile.
"I'm fine."
"No Buffy you're not." Angel said, looking into her eyes. "You didn't pick up the phone or answer your door, and you practically ran out of Giles' the other day. This isn't like you."
"And how would you know? You barely know me Angel, how are you so sure that this isn't just who I am?" she asked, raising her voice slightly
Angel didn't reply, just looked away, causing Buffy to immediately regret her words.
"Look, I was tired alright? I didn't hear anyone come to the door and my phone was buried somewhere in my apartment."
"You know that's not true Buffy. But you just cut everyone off like that, how are we supposed to help you when you're pushing us all away?!"
"You don't know what it's like!" Buffy said, almost yelling now.
"So tell me!" Angel said just a loudly, desperately trying to get through to her.
The people around them froze and stared at the two. Angel looked at Buffy expectantly, but the blonde just looked around at everyone, tears gathering in her eyes. Quickly she tore herself from Angel's embrace and raced out the back door, walking as fast as she could without running. She had only managed to get a few steps away from the club before Angel grabbed her arm, turning her to face him.
"What do you want from me!?" she yelled, breaking off his hand.
"I want you to talk to me Buffy! Yell at me, beat me up, just do something!"
"I don't want to talk about it!"
"You have to! Look at what this is doing to you! What's it even about? Is it what happened the other day? Then fine, what happened to you!? How did you beat up those guys? Where did it come from?!"
"I don't know!" Buffy yelled, tears now pouring freely down her face.
Angel stared at her, worry and silent questions crossed his face.
"I-I don't know what happened." Buffy said again, in a quiet voice. "I saw t-them hurting you, a-and one of them had a knife. I was so scared, he was going to kill you and I couldn't s-stop it"¦. I f-fought as hard as I could but it wasn't enough, they were too strong. T-then I heard you s-scream, and it was like"¦. Like something i-inside me came out a-and I just snapped. It was like I wasn't even in control"¦ a-all I could think of was that they were h-hurting you, and I had to stop it."
She looked up at Angel, her eyes that of a scared little girl.
"I had a dream"¦ a-a nightmare. Something was chasing me and I couldn't stop it, I couldn't run fast enough and then it was"¦ it was in me. There's something inside me and I have no idea what it is. It's strong but I can't control it Angel! Something changed when it took over and I don't know how to stop it. I'm so scared! I'm scared of what it is, and what it's doing to me, and god Angel I'm scared of myself." She sobbed, falling to the ground.
Angel caught her before she hit the pavement and sat holding her against his chest, as she clutched his shirt, weeping. His strong arms wrapped around her as he gently rocked them back and forth, whispering soothing nonsense in her ear. Buffy let it all out, the pain, the fear; her frame shuddered with sobs as grasped Angel as hard as she could.
After what seemed like hours, Buffy's tears began to settle, Angel carefully lifted her chin up so she was looking up at him.
"Buffy, listen. I don't know what this is, but I promise you we will find out. Alright? No matter how long it takes we will get to the bottom of this. But you have to remember this might be a good thing too. You saved both our lives, and even though you were dazed you were still so careful when you came to me; so clear-headed when we started walking. We'll figure this out together, and until we do I'm going to help you learn to control this."
Buffy looked at him questioningly.
"H-How?"
He gave her a small smile and shrugged.
"Different techniques, a lot of training. I've had a demon living inside me for nearly three centuries, you pick up a few things here and there."
Buffy laughed, who would of thought Angel of all people could liven up such a serious situation. She didn't knowwhat to say, she hadn't even considered that whatever it is that was inside her might not be evil, and the prospect of being able to control it brought her so much relief that she nearly burst into tears again.
"Thank you." She said softly, giving him a small, but without a doubt true smile.
He just nodded, gazing down at her. Suddenly she felt all her worries and fears all melt away, replaced with new emotions of both love and lust. She gazed at him, as his eyes shifted from her own to her lips, his chocolate brown orbs seemingly darker than usual. She unconsciously licked her suddenly dry lips as they began to inch closer and closer to each other. She closed her eyes as they crept nearer, until they were a mere hairsbreadth apart. Their lips met in the softest of kisses, happiness and love washing through them. They moved closer, wrapping their arms around each other and deepening the kiss; both joyfully oblivious to the world around them. They were together, and for now, it was all that mattered.
End of Chapter Sixteen.
Please Reply with your thoughts! ^_^
Katie
Edmund Blackadder
Scooby
I really liked this part........you complemented me on my characters and i must do the same...obviously with the twists but still believable with the ones we know.
Well done.
Well done.
gotta agree with DDLM. this was a great cahpter...can't wait to find out what's going on with buffy!
and they kissed!! FINALLY!!
i'm nt a bangel shipper, but this story def has me on that band wagon!
more soon!
and they kissed!! FINALLY!!
i'm nt a bangel shipper, but this story def has me on that band wagon!
more soon!
Angelic Slayer
Daydream Believer
Dia DeLa Muerte- Awwwe! Thanks so much! The characters are one thing I really focus on, since I write the chapters (usually) over such a long period of time, that I have trouble keeping them, well, them. Lol, but thanks again, glad you liked it! 🙂
Lyri- Lol, wow! Well I'm glad you're enjoying it! And lol, well, I'm glad you're not horrified by the bangelness of it all! 😉
On with Chapter 17.......
The two sat on the deserted street, both blissfully unaware of the rain that threatened to fall over them. Angel had his arms wrapped around her body, a wave of emotions crashed over him as his tongue slipped between her soft lips. For weeks he had been dreaming of her, she had haunted him day and night and now here she was, writhing in his arms and clutching him like a lifeline.
In all his existence he had been with dozens of women, some who had devoted their entire life to pleasing and mastering the desires of others; who most men would kill to have, yet as he held this small blonde in his arms, in this dark, polluted alleyway, he had never felt such desire for another creature before. A simple kiss stirred more emotions within him than sleeping with any woman he had been with before, holding her in his embrace almost made him ache with need for her. It was more than just lust- that he was sure of. Even in his dazed state, he couldn't ignore the screaming in his soul for her, or the impossible heartbeat he swore he could hear ringing in his ears. It was like he could never get close enough, but at the same time he could be perfectly content if this kiss was all he experienced in the rest of his existence.
A small voice inside his head was screaming to pull away, or to apologize; but caught in the rush of emotions and the feel of having her against him, he didn't particularly care. And if her sudden moan was any indication- she wasn't in any position to stop him.
It wasn't until the skies opened up and rain began pouring over them, that either managed enough grip on reality to pull away. Suddenly drenched in the cold downpour, Buffy broke away, staring at Angel, her muscles unwilling to move. They gazed at each other in silence as they quickly realized what had happened, a thousand unspoken questions flew through their minds. Shock was evident across both their features, but mostly they were both too perplexed to say anything.
Suddenly realising their position, Angel started to pull away completely.
"We should get inside." He chocked out, his voice almost too low for his companion to hear.
Buffy merely nodded, before detangling herself from him and slowly rising. Silently, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and the two took off at a brisk pace across town, as he led her to the closest building he knew of.
Several minutes later, they both entered Angel's apartment, completely soaked to the bone. He led her inside and closed the door behind them, signalling for her wait in the living room as he went to gather some towels. Not long after, he emerged again and handed her a fluffy white towel; she gave him a small nod in thanks before wrapping it around herself. After quickly drying himself off (since he had no real risk of catching a cold) he turned to his old (and appearingly long-abandoned) fireplace. For not the first time since he had arrived, he was thankful for the relatively "˜old' design; although the council had upgraded some of the necessary appliances and made the apartment comfortably liveable, it was obviously what most people call a meagre home (which in Angel's case, seemed to be a blessing in disguise).
Carefully, he loaded pre-cut pieces of wood into the opening and lit it, not long after; the room began to fill with heat from the blazing flames. He got up and turned to Buffy, studying her for a moment before speaking.
"Sit by the fire, it'll help you warm up. I'm going to go make some tea." He said quietly, her only reply another nod and a small smile.
Angel sighed as he moved into the kitchen, the last thing he wanted was to mess up the relationship he and Buffy had managed to form, but now everything was different- and at the same time not. His feelings for her remained the same, but now she obviously knew how he felt and was no doubt confused by his actions (just as he admittedly was by hers), and that changed everything. Not only was he worried that he had just ruined what they had, but he was also more than a little nervous about the feelings that the kiss (mistake or not) had stirred within him. He couldn't remember ever feeling this aroused, or happy, or worried, or in love, or a zillion other emotions that were running through him- ever. He knew that he cared about her but now"¦. The realization of just how strong he felt struck him hard and fast, the recognition both giving him joy and scaring him out of his mind.
Groaning, he filled a pot with water and took out two mugs, hoping to sort out at least some of what happened before facing her again.
Meanwhile, Buffy sat curled up on the mantle, staring at the flames. A small part of her was amazed and excited about the old fashioned fireplace- another thing she hadn't experienced before, but unfortunately her thoughts and worries overwhelmed any enthusiasm she had. Her mind replayed the earlier scene in shock; she didn't know what had happened but she knew that it had affected Angel; in what way was anyone's guess. She could feel him tense up on the way here, even as he had built the fire he was unusually concise and "˜avoid-y'. She had wanted to talk to him, to say something; but as she opened her mouth to speak no words had come out, a small nod the only reply she could give.
She had kissed him, made out with him right there in the alley with no warning whatsoever. As much as she wished she could blame it on her semi- breakdown (just another thing that she was completely embarrassed by), she vividly remembered that moment; and nightmares were the last thing on her mind. How could she have been so stupid? He was probably avoiding her in shock, torn between revulsion and how to tell her how much he wasn't interested in her like that. She couldn't help her added embarrassment by her actions themselves as well.
Over the years she had gone on a few minor dates, and obviously kissed a guy before, but usually it hadn't gone beyond a simple peck; there was only once or twice that she had even kissed anyone like that before (and even then, it hadn't emotionally come close to what had happened tonight). As part of their training, female warriors are taught that any kind of behaviour like that is both unneeded and unacceptable, given the amount of time the council needs the two genders to "mingle" and work together, it is no surprise how hard it is drilled into girls' skulls from such a young age. They are taught to cover up their bodies and that the only time they should engage in anything even remotely sexual is if/when they are old and married. Not all girls responded to this rule (some, like Faith, rebelled against it completely), however being a naturally timid person already, it had always affected Buffy, and she couldn't help the blush that crept across her features as she remembered her almost blatant behaviour. Just another thing she was sure Angel was less than thrilled about.
But her apprehension was more than just old regulations coming back to haunt her. Not only was she sure she had screwed up the friendship she had with Angel, but another thing that caused her to have doubts is thinking: if she could do it all again- would she take it back? When she had kissed him it was like the whole world melted away, she felt so safe and protected, like nothing could touch her. She had been filled with so much love and desire (most of which she wasn't even aware she had), and honestly could not remember ever feeling that at peace; like she was slowly finding a missing part of herself. Of course she feared the rejection that was no doubt to come, as well as him telling her how much of a mistake it was, but she had been rejected by guys before, with Angel it was a totally different story. Not only would it end any romantic relationship they may have had, but hearing the words out loud would no doubt crush her heart (and the friendship that she had already grown to rely on).
She sighed again, tears threatening to fall. Ever since she first saw him, he had somehow made his way inside her; she had opened up to him like no one else before. Not even Giles, who had practically raised her, knew some of the things that she had confided in Angel. She had always been reluctant to let people into her life; it was the only way she had known to keep herself from getting hurt. But for some reason she felt a bond between them, something beyond what she could explain, and that had caused her to want more than anything, to let him into the most guarded parts of her heart, to put so much trust in him that talking to him about anything, seemed to flow freely from within. He unknowingly had the power to make her heart soar, but he could also hurt her more than anyone else could. She had seemed to grow so close to him, and now, because of one kiss, she may have ruined everything.
Holding back her tears, she was brought back to reality when she heard a pot clanging in the kitchen. Panic rolled though her, what was she supposed to say when he returned? How could she look him in the eye? How would he act around her? Realizing that she probably had a few more minutes to wait while the tea was steeping, she came up with the only solution she saw. At least the only one that would delay the talk that they were undoubtedly going to be forced to have.
A few minutes later, Angel returned to the living room with a hot cup of tea for his blonde companion. He doubted he would be able to hold off her questions for very long, so he'd decided it would be best to just get it out of the way now. However, as he walked into the room he froze. There, curled up next to the fire was a sleeping Buffy, her face expressionless, as her exhaustion had undoubtedly overwhelmed her. With a small smile, he put the mug back into the kitchen, before carefully picking up a now more-or-less dry Buffy, and carrying her to his bed. Gently he laid her down, slipping off her shoes, socks, and jacket, and removing the towel from around her body; careful not to wake her. Quietly, he managed to slip her under the sheets and put away her belongings for the morning. His own weariness had caught up to him, and he was somewhat thankful that she had fallen asleep, considering how little he probably would have been able to focus on what she was saying. Heading to the kitchen, he quickly gulped down the mug of blood he had prepared for himself, and brushed his teeth before heading back into the room, finding Buffy in the exact same place he'd left her.
Carefully he moved into the bed beside her, reflectively placing a loose arm around her before allowing sleep to take him.
Several minutes after he drifted off, Buffy peaked one of her eyes open, doing her best to determine if he was asleep. Thankful for his exhausted-dulled vamp senses, she took in a deep breath of relief, knowing that under usual circumstances, he would have easily heard her rapid heartbeat and known she wasn't asleep. Sighing, she curled up close to him and closed her eyes, doing her best to nod off. She knew that things weren't right, and that they'd have to have the dreaded talk once she woke up tomorrow, but until then she could pretend. Just for now, they could be a normal couple, falling asleep in each other's arms. For now, ignorance was bliss.
It wasn't until late the next day that Buffy felt herself drifting into consciousness. Slowly becoming more and more alert, she groaned and attempted to snuggle further into the large body that she had curled up to last night. When all she met was empty space, she sighed and carefully opened her eyes, thankful when she noticed that no sunlight was coming through the windows. She had never been a morning person to begin with; to be almost blinded by sunlight that usually poured into her room was anything but her idea of fun.
Yawning, she did her best to get up, slowly remembering what had happened the night before. Everything was a mess, they weren't any further ahead than they were last night, but at least now she could tackle her embarrassment and worries fully rested. Looking around, she was surprised at the time, and even more so that she hadn't felt Angel get up. Usually it was hard not to notice, considering how "˜tangled' they somehow managed to get each and every night, but given how tired she was last night, she had probably fallen into too deep a sleep to notice.
Slowly getting up, she spotted her shoes and jacket on a nearby chair, presumably dried out over night. She made a mental note to thank Angel, sleeping in wet jackets and soggy shoes was never a fun thing. After doing her best to look somewhat presentable (which was a bit difficult, considering a glass picture frame was the closest thing Angel seemed to have to a mirror), Buffy took a deep breath and padded through the apartment in search of her broody acquaintance.
He was standing in the middle of the kitchen, a mug of what she assumed to be blood in his hands. He was turned slightly away from her, but mostly he was too engrossed in his thoughts to notice her walk in. Clearing her throat a little, Buffy spoke up.
"Umm, hi."
Angel jumped slightly at the unexpected voice, quickly whipping around to face her.
"Buffy!" he said, surprised. "Hey. I didn't expect you to be up so soon."
Buffy managed a small smile.
"And you are aware that it's past noon right?"
Angel looked up at the clock,
"Oh, well I just thought- I mean with you passing out last night"¦"
Buffy managed a sheepish expression, fighting to look convincing.
"Ya, sorry about that. Guess Buffy's crazy little breakdown took more out of me than I thought."
Angel sighed as she moved across the room, so they were avoiding now (because that always solved things of course).
Buffy turned to him, a confused look on her face. Angel looked down to see his half-empty coffeepot in her hands.
"Are you drinking coffee?" she asked, "I thought you hated this stuff."
"I figured I might need a bit of extra energy today." He said, hoping she would catch the hint.
(Seemingly) clueless, Buffy shrugged and poured herself a mug of the still-warm beverage.
"Giles phoned, earlier. He wants us to stop by later, he thinks he might have finally found something."
"Great." Buffy said shortly, taking another sip of her coffee.
The two sat in silence for several minutes, after a while they were both staring at the bottom of their empty mugs as though they were the most interesting things in the world.
Finally, unable to stand it any longer, Angel spoke up.
"Buffy?" he said quietly, she looked up at him shyly, "I think we need to talk."
After a moment Buffy nodded slowly; at her silence Angel continued.
"About, what happened last night."
Sighing, Buffy shrugged and let him lead her to his living room. They sat opposite each other on separate couches, and Buffy looked at him expectedly, doing her best to hide her emotions.
"I guess you might have a few questions." Angel started, doing his best to keep his voice steady.
Buffy shrugged.
"Not really, I mean it's not like you- I mean I was the one that"¦. You don't have to say anything, I get it, really."
Angel stared at her in surprise,
"Y- you do? I mean, I didn't mean for that to happen, I just got caught up in the moment and"¦"
"No, it's all right. I understand, you don't"¦ feel that way and that's fine. It's not a huge surprise anyway, and I'm sorry I shouldn't have done it at all." Buffy said, her tone all-too light to be genuine.
Angel looked to her, more than a little confused by her words.
"What? But Buffy you have nothing to apologize for, I was the one that started it"¦ but what do you mean I don't "˜feel that way'?"
"No, it's just I wasn't really expecting you to think of me like that. You're probably more into girls like Faith or something, it's fine I mean it's not like you're not the first or anything."
"Faith? Buffy what are you talking about?"
"Well you know, she's more experienced and is all "˜wild' and rebellious. A lot of guys go for that, I didn't think that you'd feel that way for me, I mean I'm just me after all and-"
Angel ended her rant as he moved forward to crouch down in front of her.
"Are you saying that you think I'm into Faith?" he asked in disbelief.
"Well, not necessarily her I mean there's a whole colony full of older, prettier girls and I get it and it's fine so you really don't have to explain." Buffy said quickly, avoiding his eyes once again.
Angel almost laughed at the absurdity of what she was saying. Carefully he put a finger under her chin, raising her eyes to meet his own.
"Buffy, I'm not interested in another girl." At her frown of confusion, Angel took a deep breath, "I'm crazy about you."
Buffy's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly, she stared at him in disbelief.
"W-what? But"¦. H-ho- why? I mean"¦. But you couldn't have just said"¦.. m-me?"
He gave her a small smile and nodded, his insides twisting in nervousness of her reaction.
"B-but you said"¦. And I thought"¦." She trailed off, staring at him in shock.
"I didn't think you felt the same way, so I didn't tell you. But I've fallen for you since the first moment I saw you."
"So last night- you wanted that?" she asked shakily, mentally praising herself for forming an actual sentence.
Angel sighed,
"Like I said, I didn't mean for it to happen- it just kind of did. I was just so afraid that I'd messed up what we had."
"S-so you're not freaked out and appalled by me?"
Now it was Angel's turn to be in shock.
"What? You didn't think-?"
Buffy looked down, embarrassment creeping across her features.
"It's just that, warriors- female warriors, are usually taught that behaviour anything like that is kinda frowned upon."
Again, Angel's mind registered with shock. He figured that the council was strict, but he never would have imagined that they would implement such old beliefs. Nor that they would affect Buffy, of all people.
"I- no! I mean"¦." At a loss for words, Angel made a mental note to come back to that subject. "So, how do you feel about this"¦us?"
"I'd really like there to be an us. If that's what you mean." She said smiling.
Angel grinned, going his best to ignore his shock and focusing on her, his expression becoming momentarily serious.
"Buffy, I don't know what exactly the council told you about what men like and don't like. And we'll take this only as fast- or slow as you're comfortable with. But what happened last night? Believe me when I say I really didn't mind."
If possible, Buffy blushed even further.
"Oh." After a minute of silence, she looked up at him again. "So, what now?"
Angel thought for a second.
"Well, we have to get to Giles' later, and I fully intend on cooking you some kind of brunch, training is probably in order, but if it's alright I'd really like to kiss you right now." He said, giving her his trademark half-smile.
Buffy all but melted under his gaze, unable to stop the smile that spread across her face.
"I think that could be arranged." She said, leaning down into a sweet kiss.
Several hours later, Buffy and Angel were walking up the driveway to Giles'. They had managed to get in a brunch (which clued Buffy into Angel's hidden talent of cooking) and training in after all, and although they had yet to start work on Buffy's "˜inner persona' problem, they had managed to get in a couple good hours of hand-to-hand (which Angel had to admit, Buffy had improved on since their last match).
As they entered the library, they immediately noticed the montage of books stacked and spread out everywhere, Giles was pacing around the stacks, apparently looking for the one book they hadn't taken out already, while (to their surprise) Tara was sitting at the centre table looking over a text.
"Well, Giles if I knew you were having a book sale I would have brought more friends." Buffy said sarcastically, looking up at her trainer.
The British man looked briefly at her and Angel before coming down, placing a new stack of books on the table.
"Buffy, Angel, it's good you're here. It would seem that the texts you provided proved more helpful than I had expected." He said, speaking to Angel, "We found some vague references to the clan that attacked you, and from that we were able to determine who exactly they were."
"Wait, are you trying to tell me that we were attacked by a bunch of seafood?" Buffy said incredulously.
Angel smiled at her,
"Clan Buffy, not Clam. A group or tribe of"¦ warriors?" he asked, turning to Giles.
"Yes, it seems that they were members of an ancient tribe of "˜those who remain unnamed', they were created millions of years ago to prevent a prophesized Armageddon."
"As in good vs. evil final battle thing? But it doesn't make sense, why would they attack us?" Buffy asked.
Giles shrugged,
"It could be that they saw you as a threat, or that you were simply an "˜easy' target."
"Unfortunately no one is exactly sure what this "˜final' thing means. It's like they know it's a change of some kind, and that it's coming, but that's about it." Tara said, speaking up
Giles nodded.
"Yes, it would seem that no one is sure if this is a good or bad thing. It could even be as simple as the council simply changing it's name for all we know."
"So everyone just automatically assumes for the worst and goes into panic mode"¦ Which is why all the demons are sneaking into the colony." Angel finished.
"And why these warrior guys are showing up all of the sudden." Buffy added, sighing. Sitting down, she turned to her sister. "Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here anyway?"
Tara smiled.
"Giles said that you might need some help, I might not be able to fight but I know a bit about magic and stuff, and I like reading so"¦."
Giles turned to the blonde.
"So Buffy, I'm to assume that you are feeling better?" he asked.
Buffy nodded, giving Angel a small smile.
"Ya, I'll get through it."
Giving the two a knowing smile, Tara quickly changed the subject.
"So, you guys in the mood for some researching?"
Buffy groaned, as Angel sat beside her and with a smile handed her a book.
"Bring it on."
Just a few miles away, the senior members of the council sat in their conference room, all dressed in black suits, as they argued back and forth.
"She is a risk to the council." One said
"But you saw the reports, she is beginning to come into it already."
"This one has been trained her almost her whole life though, she has a distinct advantage on the others."
"One we could use." Another agreed. "Especially with what is coming."
"But you know what will happen-"
"We wouldn't be able to-"
"Silence!" trong voice yelled, catching the undivided attention of everyone else in the room. They all turned to their leader; there was a moment of silence before Travers spoke again. "This one, despite her upbringing is no different from the others. We will proceed as we always have and continue to boost the training on the warriors. We all learned over a century ago how much of a risk it is to go against what's been done, we can't risk the same mistake twice."
Nodding, the men agreed and silently filed out of the room, leaving only Travers and Garrison behind.
"Are you positive about this sir?" Garrison asked, knowing his colleague's apprehensions about what's coming.
"It changes nothing Richard." He replied simply.
Neither noticed the pair of piercing blue eyes watching them from the darkness, twisting the golden band on his finger. Things were about to get a whole lot more complicated.
End of Chapter Seventeen.
Comments? Replies? Pretty Please! 😀 ^_^
Katie
Lyri- Lol, wow! Well I'm glad you're enjoying it! And lol, well, I'm glad you're not horrified by the bangelness of it all! 😉
On with Chapter 17.......
The two sat on the deserted street, both blissfully unaware of the rain that threatened to fall over them. Angel had his arms wrapped around her body, a wave of emotions crashed over him as his tongue slipped between her soft lips. For weeks he had been dreaming of her, she had haunted him day and night and now here she was, writhing in his arms and clutching him like a lifeline.
In all his existence he had been with dozens of women, some who had devoted their entire life to pleasing and mastering the desires of others; who most men would kill to have, yet as he held this small blonde in his arms, in this dark, polluted alleyway, he had never felt such desire for another creature before. A simple kiss stirred more emotions within him than sleeping with any woman he had been with before, holding her in his embrace almost made him ache with need for her. It was more than just lust- that he was sure of. Even in his dazed state, he couldn't ignore the screaming in his soul for her, or the impossible heartbeat he swore he could hear ringing in his ears. It was like he could never get close enough, but at the same time he could be perfectly content if this kiss was all he experienced in the rest of his existence.
A small voice inside his head was screaming to pull away, or to apologize; but caught in the rush of emotions and the feel of having her against him, he didn't particularly care. And if her sudden moan was any indication- she wasn't in any position to stop him.
It wasn't until the skies opened up and rain began pouring over them, that either managed enough grip on reality to pull away. Suddenly drenched in the cold downpour, Buffy broke away, staring at Angel, her muscles unwilling to move. They gazed at each other in silence as they quickly realized what had happened, a thousand unspoken questions flew through their minds. Shock was evident across both their features, but mostly they were both too perplexed to say anything.
Suddenly realising their position, Angel started to pull away completely.
"We should get inside." He chocked out, his voice almost too low for his companion to hear.
Buffy merely nodded, before detangling herself from him and slowly rising. Silently, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and the two took off at a brisk pace across town, as he led her to the closest building he knew of.
Several minutes later, they both entered Angel's apartment, completely soaked to the bone. He led her inside and closed the door behind them, signalling for her wait in the living room as he went to gather some towels. Not long after, he emerged again and handed her a fluffy white towel; she gave him a small nod in thanks before wrapping it around herself. After quickly drying himself off (since he had no real risk of catching a cold) he turned to his old (and appearingly long-abandoned) fireplace. For not the first time since he had arrived, he was thankful for the relatively "˜old' design; although the council had upgraded some of the necessary appliances and made the apartment comfortably liveable, it was obviously what most people call a meagre home (which in Angel's case, seemed to be a blessing in disguise).
Carefully, he loaded pre-cut pieces of wood into the opening and lit it, not long after; the room began to fill with heat from the blazing flames. He got up and turned to Buffy, studying her for a moment before speaking.
"Sit by the fire, it'll help you warm up. I'm going to go make some tea." He said quietly, her only reply another nod and a small smile.
Angel sighed as he moved into the kitchen, the last thing he wanted was to mess up the relationship he and Buffy had managed to form, but now everything was different- and at the same time not. His feelings for her remained the same, but now she obviously knew how he felt and was no doubt confused by his actions (just as he admittedly was by hers), and that changed everything. Not only was he worried that he had just ruined what they had, but he was also more than a little nervous about the feelings that the kiss (mistake or not) had stirred within him. He couldn't remember ever feeling this aroused, or happy, or worried, or in love, or a zillion other emotions that were running through him- ever. He knew that he cared about her but now"¦. The realization of just how strong he felt struck him hard and fast, the recognition both giving him joy and scaring him out of his mind.
Groaning, he filled a pot with water and took out two mugs, hoping to sort out at least some of what happened before facing her again.
Meanwhile, Buffy sat curled up on the mantle, staring at the flames. A small part of her was amazed and excited about the old fashioned fireplace- another thing she hadn't experienced before, but unfortunately her thoughts and worries overwhelmed any enthusiasm she had. Her mind replayed the earlier scene in shock; she didn't know what had happened but she knew that it had affected Angel; in what way was anyone's guess. She could feel him tense up on the way here, even as he had built the fire he was unusually concise and "˜avoid-y'. She had wanted to talk to him, to say something; but as she opened her mouth to speak no words had come out, a small nod the only reply she could give.
She had kissed him, made out with him right there in the alley with no warning whatsoever. As much as she wished she could blame it on her semi- breakdown (just another thing that she was completely embarrassed by), she vividly remembered that moment; and nightmares were the last thing on her mind. How could she have been so stupid? He was probably avoiding her in shock, torn between revulsion and how to tell her how much he wasn't interested in her like that. She couldn't help her added embarrassment by her actions themselves as well.
Over the years she had gone on a few minor dates, and obviously kissed a guy before, but usually it hadn't gone beyond a simple peck; there was only once or twice that she had even kissed anyone like that before (and even then, it hadn't emotionally come close to what had happened tonight). As part of their training, female warriors are taught that any kind of behaviour like that is both unneeded and unacceptable, given the amount of time the council needs the two genders to "mingle" and work together, it is no surprise how hard it is drilled into girls' skulls from such a young age. They are taught to cover up their bodies and that the only time they should engage in anything even remotely sexual is if/when they are old and married. Not all girls responded to this rule (some, like Faith, rebelled against it completely), however being a naturally timid person already, it had always affected Buffy, and she couldn't help the blush that crept across her features as she remembered her almost blatant behaviour. Just another thing she was sure Angel was less than thrilled about.
But her apprehension was more than just old regulations coming back to haunt her. Not only was she sure she had screwed up the friendship she had with Angel, but another thing that caused her to have doubts is thinking: if she could do it all again- would she take it back? When she had kissed him it was like the whole world melted away, she felt so safe and protected, like nothing could touch her. She had been filled with so much love and desire (most of which she wasn't even aware she had), and honestly could not remember ever feeling that at peace; like she was slowly finding a missing part of herself. Of course she feared the rejection that was no doubt to come, as well as him telling her how much of a mistake it was, but she had been rejected by guys before, with Angel it was a totally different story. Not only would it end any romantic relationship they may have had, but hearing the words out loud would no doubt crush her heart (and the friendship that she had already grown to rely on).
She sighed again, tears threatening to fall. Ever since she first saw him, he had somehow made his way inside her; she had opened up to him like no one else before. Not even Giles, who had practically raised her, knew some of the things that she had confided in Angel. She had always been reluctant to let people into her life; it was the only way she had known to keep herself from getting hurt. But for some reason she felt a bond between them, something beyond what she could explain, and that had caused her to want more than anything, to let him into the most guarded parts of her heart, to put so much trust in him that talking to him about anything, seemed to flow freely from within. He unknowingly had the power to make her heart soar, but he could also hurt her more than anyone else could. She had seemed to grow so close to him, and now, because of one kiss, she may have ruined everything.
Holding back her tears, she was brought back to reality when she heard a pot clanging in the kitchen. Panic rolled though her, what was she supposed to say when he returned? How could she look him in the eye? How would he act around her? Realizing that she probably had a few more minutes to wait while the tea was steeping, she came up with the only solution she saw. At least the only one that would delay the talk that they were undoubtedly going to be forced to have.
A few minutes later, Angel returned to the living room with a hot cup of tea for his blonde companion. He doubted he would be able to hold off her questions for very long, so he'd decided it would be best to just get it out of the way now. However, as he walked into the room he froze. There, curled up next to the fire was a sleeping Buffy, her face expressionless, as her exhaustion had undoubtedly overwhelmed her. With a small smile, he put the mug back into the kitchen, before carefully picking up a now more-or-less dry Buffy, and carrying her to his bed. Gently he laid her down, slipping off her shoes, socks, and jacket, and removing the towel from around her body; careful not to wake her. Quietly, he managed to slip her under the sheets and put away her belongings for the morning. His own weariness had caught up to him, and he was somewhat thankful that she had fallen asleep, considering how little he probably would have been able to focus on what she was saying. Heading to the kitchen, he quickly gulped down the mug of blood he had prepared for himself, and brushed his teeth before heading back into the room, finding Buffy in the exact same place he'd left her.
Carefully he moved into the bed beside her, reflectively placing a loose arm around her before allowing sleep to take him.
Several minutes after he drifted off, Buffy peaked one of her eyes open, doing her best to determine if he was asleep. Thankful for his exhausted-dulled vamp senses, she took in a deep breath of relief, knowing that under usual circumstances, he would have easily heard her rapid heartbeat and known she wasn't asleep. Sighing, she curled up close to him and closed her eyes, doing her best to nod off. She knew that things weren't right, and that they'd have to have the dreaded talk once she woke up tomorrow, but until then she could pretend. Just for now, they could be a normal couple, falling asleep in each other's arms. For now, ignorance was bliss.
It wasn't until late the next day that Buffy felt herself drifting into consciousness. Slowly becoming more and more alert, she groaned and attempted to snuggle further into the large body that she had curled up to last night. When all she met was empty space, she sighed and carefully opened her eyes, thankful when she noticed that no sunlight was coming through the windows. She had never been a morning person to begin with; to be almost blinded by sunlight that usually poured into her room was anything but her idea of fun.
Yawning, she did her best to get up, slowly remembering what had happened the night before. Everything was a mess, they weren't any further ahead than they were last night, but at least now she could tackle her embarrassment and worries fully rested. Looking around, she was surprised at the time, and even more so that she hadn't felt Angel get up. Usually it was hard not to notice, considering how "˜tangled' they somehow managed to get each and every night, but given how tired she was last night, she had probably fallen into too deep a sleep to notice.
Slowly getting up, she spotted her shoes and jacket on a nearby chair, presumably dried out over night. She made a mental note to thank Angel, sleeping in wet jackets and soggy shoes was never a fun thing. After doing her best to look somewhat presentable (which was a bit difficult, considering a glass picture frame was the closest thing Angel seemed to have to a mirror), Buffy took a deep breath and padded through the apartment in search of her broody acquaintance.
He was standing in the middle of the kitchen, a mug of what she assumed to be blood in his hands. He was turned slightly away from her, but mostly he was too engrossed in his thoughts to notice her walk in. Clearing her throat a little, Buffy spoke up.
"Umm, hi."
Angel jumped slightly at the unexpected voice, quickly whipping around to face her.
"Buffy!" he said, surprised. "Hey. I didn't expect you to be up so soon."
Buffy managed a small smile.
"And you are aware that it's past noon right?"
Angel looked up at the clock,
"Oh, well I just thought- I mean with you passing out last night"¦"
Buffy managed a sheepish expression, fighting to look convincing.
"Ya, sorry about that. Guess Buffy's crazy little breakdown took more out of me than I thought."
Angel sighed as she moved across the room, so they were avoiding now (because that always solved things of course).
Buffy turned to him, a confused look on her face. Angel looked down to see his half-empty coffeepot in her hands.
"Are you drinking coffee?" she asked, "I thought you hated this stuff."
"I figured I might need a bit of extra energy today." He said, hoping she would catch the hint.
(Seemingly) clueless, Buffy shrugged and poured herself a mug of the still-warm beverage.
"Giles phoned, earlier. He wants us to stop by later, he thinks he might have finally found something."
"Great." Buffy said shortly, taking another sip of her coffee.
The two sat in silence for several minutes, after a while they were both staring at the bottom of their empty mugs as though they were the most interesting things in the world.
Finally, unable to stand it any longer, Angel spoke up.
"Buffy?" he said quietly, she looked up at him shyly, "I think we need to talk."
After a moment Buffy nodded slowly; at her silence Angel continued.
"About, what happened last night."
Sighing, Buffy shrugged and let him lead her to his living room. They sat opposite each other on separate couches, and Buffy looked at him expectedly, doing her best to hide her emotions.
"I guess you might have a few questions." Angel started, doing his best to keep his voice steady.
Buffy shrugged.
"Not really, I mean it's not like you- I mean I was the one that"¦. You don't have to say anything, I get it, really."
Angel stared at her in surprise,
"Y- you do? I mean, I didn't mean for that to happen, I just got caught up in the moment and"¦"
"No, it's all right. I understand, you don't"¦ feel that way and that's fine. It's not a huge surprise anyway, and I'm sorry I shouldn't have done it at all." Buffy said, her tone all-too light to be genuine.
Angel looked to her, more than a little confused by her words.
"What? But Buffy you have nothing to apologize for, I was the one that started it"¦ but what do you mean I don't "˜feel that way'?"
"No, it's just I wasn't really expecting you to think of me like that. You're probably more into girls like Faith or something, it's fine I mean it's not like you're not the first or anything."
"Faith? Buffy what are you talking about?"
"Well you know, she's more experienced and is all "˜wild' and rebellious. A lot of guys go for that, I didn't think that you'd feel that way for me, I mean I'm just me after all and-"
Angel ended her rant as he moved forward to crouch down in front of her.
"Are you saying that you think I'm into Faith?" he asked in disbelief.
"Well, not necessarily her I mean there's a whole colony full of older, prettier girls and I get it and it's fine so you really don't have to explain." Buffy said quickly, avoiding his eyes once again.
Angel almost laughed at the absurdity of what she was saying. Carefully he put a finger under her chin, raising her eyes to meet his own.
"Buffy, I'm not interested in another girl." At her frown of confusion, Angel took a deep breath, "I'm crazy about you."
Buffy's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly, she stared at him in disbelief.
"W-what? But"¦. H-ho- why? I mean"¦. But you couldn't have just said"¦.. m-me?"
He gave her a small smile and nodded, his insides twisting in nervousness of her reaction.
"B-but you said"¦. And I thought"¦." She trailed off, staring at him in shock.
"I didn't think you felt the same way, so I didn't tell you. But I've fallen for you since the first moment I saw you."
"So last night- you wanted that?" she asked shakily, mentally praising herself for forming an actual sentence.
Angel sighed,
"Like I said, I didn't mean for it to happen- it just kind of did. I was just so afraid that I'd messed up what we had."
"S-so you're not freaked out and appalled by me?"
Now it was Angel's turn to be in shock.
"What? You didn't think-?"
Buffy looked down, embarrassment creeping across her features.
"It's just that, warriors- female warriors, are usually taught that behaviour anything like that is kinda frowned upon."
Again, Angel's mind registered with shock. He figured that the council was strict, but he never would have imagined that they would implement such old beliefs. Nor that they would affect Buffy, of all people.
"I- no! I mean"¦." At a loss for words, Angel made a mental note to come back to that subject. "So, how do you feel about this"¦us?"
"I'd really like there to be an us. If that's what you mean." She said smiling.
Angel grinned, going his best to ignore his shock and focusing on her, his expression becoming momentarily serious.
"Buffy, I don't know what exactly the council told you about what men like and don't like. And we'll take this only as fast- or slow as you're comfortable with. But what happened last night? Believe me when I say I really didn't mind."
If possible, Buffy blushed even further.
"Oh." After a minute of silence, she looked up at him again. "So, what now?"
Angel thought for a second.
"Well, we have to get to Giles' later, and I fully intend on cooking you some kind of brunch, training is probably in order, but if it's alright I'd really like to kiss you right now." He said, giving her his trademark half-smile.
Buffy all but melted under his gaze, unable to stop the smile that spread across her face.
"I think that could be arranged." She said, leaning down into a sweet kiss.
Several hours later, Buffy and Angel were walking up the driveway to Giles'. They had managed to get in a brunch (which clued Buffy into Angel's hidden talent of cooking) and training in after all, and although they had yet to start work on Buffy's "˜inner persona' problem, they had managed to get in a couple good hours of hand-to-hand (which Angel had to admit, Buffy had improved on since their last match).
As they entered the library, they immediately noticed the montage of books stacked and spread out everywhere, Giles was pacing around the stacks, apparently looking for the one book they hadn't taken out already, while (to their surprise) Tara was sitting at the centre table looking over a text.
"Well, Giles if I knew you were having a book sale I would have brought more friends." Buffy said sarcastically, looking up at her trainer.
The British man looked briefly at her and Angel before coming down, placing a new stack of books on the table.
"Buffy, Angel, it's good you're here. It would seem that the texts you provided proved more helpful than I had expected." He said, speaking to Angel, "We found some vague references to the clan that attacked you, and from that we were able to determine who exactly they were."
"Wait, are you trying to tell me that we were attacked by a bunch of seafood?" Buffy said incredulously.
Angel smiled at her,
"Clan Buffy, not Clam. A group or tribe of"¦ warriors?" he asked, turning to Giles.
"Yes, it seems that they were members of an ancient tribe of "˜those who remain unnamed', they were created millions of years ago to prevent a prophesized Armageddon."
"As in good vs. evil final battle thing? But it doesn't make sense, why would they attack us?" Buffy asked.
Giles shrugged,
"It could be that they saw you as a threat, or that you were simply an "˜easy' target."
"Unfortunately no one is exactly sure what this "˜final' thing means. It's like they know it's a change of some kind, and that it's coming, but that's about it." Tara said, speaking up
Giles nodded.
"Yes, it would seem that no one is sure if this is a good or bad thing. It could even be as simple as the council simply changing it's name for all we know."
"So everyone just automatically assumes for the worst and goes into panic mode"¦ Which is why all the demons are sneaking into the colony." Angel finished.
"And why these warrior guys are showing up all of the sudden." Buffy added, sighing. Sitting down, she turned to her sister. "Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here anyway?"
Tara smiled.
"Giles said that you might need some help, I might not be able to fight but I know a bit about magic and stuff, and I like reading so"¦."
Giles turned to the blonde.
"So Buffy, I'm to assume that you are feeling better?" he asked.
Buffy nodded, giving Angel a small smile.
"Ya, I'll get through it."
Giving the two a knowing smile, Tara quickly changed the subject.
"So, you guys in the mood for some researching?"
Buffy groaned, as Angel sat beside her and with a smile handed her a book.
"Bring it on."
Just a few miles away, the senior members of the council sat in their conference room, all dressed in black suits, as they argued back and forth.
"She is a risk to the council." One said
"But you saw the reports, she is beginning to come into it already."
"This one has been trained her almost her whole life though, she has a distinct advantage on the others."
"One we could use." Another agreed. "Especially with what is coming."
"But you know what will happen-"
"We wouldn't be able to-"
"Silence!" trong voice yelled, catching the undivided attention of everyone else in the room. They all turned to their leader; there was a moment of silence before Travers spoke again. "This one, despite her upbringing is no different from the others. We will proceed as we always have and continue to boost the training on the warriors. We all learned over a century ago how much of a risk it is to go against what's been done, we can't risk the same mistake twice."
Nodding, the men agreed and silently filed out of the room, leaving only Travers and Garrison behind.
"Are you positive about this sir?" Garrison asked, knowing his colleague's apprehensions about what's coming.
"It changes nothing Richard." He replied simply.
Neither noticed the pair of piercing blue eyes watching them from the darkness, twisting the golden band on his finger. Things were about to get a whole lot more complicated.
End of Chapter Seventeen.
Comments? Replies? Pretty Please! 😀 ^_^
Katie
Angelic Slayer
Daydream Believer
Oh my gosh! I am SOOOOO sorry! Things have been insane here lately and I totally forgot about this! My SINCERE apologies, I'm a total flake!
Lyri- Thanks for the reply, I'm glad you liked it! As for the guy, look carefully at some of the previous chapters, it'll tell ya!
NOW, given the little amount of time I have these days, and in fear that I will AGAIN forget about this post, I'm just going to post the link to the main site on which this fic is hosted. It is a WIP, but there are a lot more parts posted there. I will eventually get around to posting the rest here (all of 'em, no worries!) but for now I just really don't have the time! I ask that you please leave replies (reviews) for me (since I LOVE hearing from y'all), you can either PM me here, or right at the site there's a reply button. Although I prefer signed reviews there (reviews made by people who are registered, simply because I can thank them and reply to their comments), I 100% accept non-member reviews, and if you leave your email I'll be happy to get back to you!
Here's the link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2312832/1/
As I said, I will post the next chapters here eventually, so here's chapter 18, however I can't garauntee when the next time I add (here) will be.
Chapter Eighteen
Buffy took in a deep breath, trying to clear her mind as she sat Indian-style on the large mat, her eyes closed by Angel's command.
After an hour or two of looking through a good part of Giles' "mountain", they had decided to head back to Angel's place, hoping to get a break from the intense reading as well as in search of any new material Angel may have overlooked. Upon their arrival, Buffy had been pleasantly surprised by the discovery of Angel's collection of books. He had several boxes full of different volumes, most of which she was sure Giles would have considered "˜long lost' if he had seen them. Buffy (despite her upbringings) had never been a real book nerd, but as she gazed at Angel's collection she couldn't help but feel almost giddy. One thing she had always longed to know about was the unknown, only unlike most; she usually found that in history. As she spent more and more time with Angel she couldn't help the questions that she longed to ask, she had refrained from doing so up until now, not wanting to annoy or bother him with things that really didn't matter, but as she'd looked over the old covers, it had taken a lot for her to hold back her questions; not to beg him to re-tell the stories that no doubt lay behind them.
The two of them took a good half hour to look over the books; a lot of them were in such strange languages that Angel alone had to look at it. Mostly, Buffy just sat looking over the covers for interesting designs, or even a single word of English. She had found one book, it's cover old with a dark pattern across it, she couldn't read what was inside (it was again, written in some foreign language), but as she stared at the pages, she felt a strange pull towards it, as though it was trying to tell her something within the pages that she could not understand. She had mentioned the book briefly to Angel; he had scanned a few pages before shaking his head, and muttered a title briefly, telling her that it probably wouldn't have anything on the warriors. Overall, they had managed to find a couple more books, and after some minor debating had agreed to do some training.
Which is what led them here, sitting on the floor of the gym in silence, and Buffy (unsuccessfully) trying to clear her head. Angel sat across from her, studying her features closely, while giving her soft commands ever now and then; mostly urging her to close off her mind. He sighed as he saw her features twitch, he knew that she was trying, but unfortunately the first step of clearing one's mind was proving more difficult for her than he'd expected.
"Buffy, you have to relax, try not to think of anything, just let it all flow away." He urged softly.
A few moments passed before Buffy let out a sigh of frustration and opened her eyes.
"Angel I can't do this! I can't just get rid of my thoughts, they're my thoughts! They're my thinking- things! I try not to think but all I can think about is thinking of not thinking!" she rambled, all but growling in annoyance.
"I know it's not easy but you can do this Buffy, you're just trying to hard. Relax, don't worry about doing things right or wrong, there is no wrong way to do this."
Buffy sighed, grudgingly admitting that he was right. She didn't want to screw this up"¦ mostly because of her "instructor", but this, whatever it was, is important to her (even though she feared the outcome). Closing her eyes once again, she tried to allow her worries to flow away, subconsciously replaying Angel's soft words "˜there is no wrong way to do this'. After several moments, she felt strange, peaceful, as thought she was lost in nothing.
Angel smiled as the dormant expression crossed her face; softly he spoke the next step, trying not to disturb her.
"Now, I want you to focus on the other side of you. Focus on the darkness you felt that night. Can you feel it?"
Buffy reluctantly nodded.
"Reach for it, call it forward, let it come to you." He said softly
Buffy's hands began to shake on her lap, distress crossed her features.
"I'm scared." She whispered, trying not to allow her emotions to come through.
Carefully, Angel placed his hands in her own, squeezing them reassuringly.
"It's alright Buffy, I'm right here, I won't let it hurt you I promise. Okay?"
Buffy nodded, taking a deep relaxing breath.
"Now, I want you to try again, just call it, it'll come to you on its own."
Buffy sighed, filled with confidence, she dove inside herself once more, finding the now familiar darkness embedded in her soul. It crept forward almost hesitantly, as though daring to dart anywhere at any moment. It was like a separate being, she could hear its thoughts whispering in the back on her mind, one melding with another too quickly for her to hear. The voice started to get louder; slowly creeping closer and closer to the surface. Buffy tightened her grip on Angel's hands ever so slightly, the reassurance that he was there the only thing keeping her going.
She silently called in forward again, willing it to follow her command. It crept closer, but still so far away.
"It's alright Buffy," she heard Angel say, his voice soft and reassuring, "it's just your own doubts that are stopping it, try and clear your mind."
Buffy tried to relax, but as her mind became more and more clear fear once again began to set in. She could feel it moving, threatening to break free at any moment. It was so big, so unknown, she might not be able to control it-
Suddenly her vision plunged into darkness; before Angel knew what had happened she lashed out with a scream, sending him flying into the far wall. He could see her eyes take on a dark glow for a moment as she looked around much like a crazed animal would. Her eyes locked with his, and he could almost hear the "click" of realization within her. She took in a deep breath and shook her head slightly, looking back at him he watched as they quickly returned to their previous form. But no sooner had the "˜normal-Buffy' reappeared when she faltered, landing in a heap on the ground.
Despite his aching bruises, Angel quickly rushed to her side, resting her head on his lap he pulled her rebellious hair from her face, to see her eyes flickering open with a small groan, she stared at him in confusion for a moment before the realization hit and she offered a weary smile.
"Oops?" she said softly, her voice cracking from fatigue.
Angel gave her a reassuring smile,
"Don't worry about it. I wasn't expecting you to master it the first try. But you got it to back off faster this time, that's good."
Buffy shakily sat up, trying to clear her head.
"Ya I guess. I was fine but then it just took over so fast, it was like I could see everything but again someone else was driving. I saw you, and I was so worried that I'd hurt you, and it was like"¦. I screamed at it to back off and it did. I- I'm sorry, about"¦" she mumbled, referring to his already healing bruises.
"I'm fine. Trust me when I say I've had worse. You did great." Standing up, he offered her his hand. "Come on, let's get you some tea or something."
Buffy couldn't help the groan that escaped her lips.
"Okay that's it, first thing tomorrow I'm getting you hot chocolate."
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Tara poured over her current book; the pages were browned from age and were written in a newer form of Latin. Thankfully she had been able to take a basic course a few years ago, and although she wouldn't be able to translate the pages as Giles could, she could get the main idea of the text. Although it wasn't the biggest of help, it felt good to be doing something like this, being a part of something for once.
She for the most part had a great life, she loved the kids she taught as though they were her own and she was grateful for Giles letting her stay with him. He had raised her like a daughter, and she couldn't help but feel like he was her father more than any blood-relative. But as she had grown up, she couldn't help but envy Buffy at times, at one point she and Giles were training everyday, and although Giles had included her as best he could (especially in any kind of academic training), she had at times felt a bit like an outcast, a third wheel you could say. But at the same time, she had witnessed first hand what being a warrior had done to her sister, and that was something that she would never wish upon herself.
She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face at the thought of Buffy; she had changed dramatically over the last while, ever since Angel came along. It was like night and day, and she was overjoyed at the sunny disposition that had returned to her sister's face after all these years.
In her early days, Buffy had always been energetic and full of life. She as a child was always comfortable in large crowds and so friendly she treated most people like family. But more so than anything, Buffy had always been curious about anything and everything in life, she would bound up the stairs to Tara's room almost every morning, jumping excitedly at the small fact she had been told. She would always be asking questions to anyone who would listen, fantasized by every new thing she learned. She'd worn her heart on her sleeve, and even though she never knew her real parents, she had no doubt been the happiest and most loving girl she had ever known.
But then, just after she'd turned the small age of seven, her training had begun. At first it didn't seem like a huge deal, Giles started to tell her about different demons and such, she had to go to classes once or twice a week, but it quickly became more and more often and soon it took up almost every waking moment of her time. She was drilled with regulations and protocols before she'd lost half her baby teeth, by the time she was ten she was pressured not only with the physical tests she was put up to once a month, but also with the almost daily quizzes she had to endure. Buffy's personality, despite her struggles otherwise, was quickly being suppressed; her natural curiosity shunned by the berating of her teachers if she spoke up, her friendliness crushed by the strict environment she was in most of the time.
By the time she was fourteen, she was facing a major identity crisis. Torn between her natural desires and personality, and the strict warrior she was becoming, Buffy couldn't find any sort of balance there; and as a result had ended up having a major breakdown that year. A shiver ran up Tara's spine as she remembered the horrified look on Giles' face as they came home from running an errand that night. Buffy was standing in the kitchen with a strange looking and bloody knife in her hand, staring at the deep gashes on her forearms entranced. Dazed, she kept whispering something about not feeling and asking why it didn't hurt, but when Giles had tried to approach her she'd lashed out, yelling in so many unfamiliar languages at once that not even Giles could decipher their meaning. She had thrown him to the ground and ran all through the city, in the end, it had taken five men with tazers to bring her down. She was hospitalized and put in therapy for the next year and a half.
During that time, Tara had seen little to none of her sister. It was months before she could even see her, and even then it was just a quick glance through a glass window. She could count on one hand how many times she'd spoken to her before she arrived home. And when she finally did, she was, to say the least, a completely different person. She went straight back to her studies, not bothering to catch up on the section she'd missed, insisting that she'd lived in the past enough, and that it was time to move forward.
She no longer tried to make friends, or asked questions, it seemed that she had found a simple solution to her identity crisis: give in. At home there was a small change in her behaviour, when she was around Tara or Giles she'd be friendly and talkative, the last trace of her former self remaining, but even then she was distant, and her smiles seemed forced; as they never quite reached her eyes. But any other time, she was more or less a robot, focusing solely on becoming a warrior. What had been her newly formed friendship with Faith and Gunn (the only two friends she'd ever really had) turned strictly to training. She'd closed off her heart to everyone around her, the spark that she once had was long buried behind the inner walls she'd built, that seemed even greater than those that surrounded the colony. She was almost obsessed with "patrolling", coming home almost nightly with bruises and cuts that Giles had never known of. She was convinced that all demons were against humanity, taught to kill any that crossed her path and that given the opportunity, they would do the same to you in a second.
One night Tara had been reading when Buffy had come home from patrol, she had a frightened expression on her face that she would never forget; her stake was shaking in her hand. She'd been wandering the graveyard when three vampires attacked her; the first ones she had ever seen without a thick layer of glass between them. Her voice had shook as she recalled how they had pinned her down, and how terrified she was as their features twisted into the horrifying ones of a demon. She had managed to stake one, her very first vampire, before running, not looking back until she was safely inside. That night, as she held her crying sister; promising never to speak of it again, Tara was sure that the last bit of what was her sister had been lost.
But then, not too long ago, all that had changed. As far as she knew Buffy had been out on a routine patrol, and the impact that it had been left on her was plain for all to see. Her old, bright personality seemed to have quickly surfaced, and although she had not seen much of it first hand, she could see that spark of curiosity every now and again, old habits kept her sister from asking, but Tara had no doubt that millions of questions were burning just below the surface. Some of which, she had obviously begun to ask, as Tara had noted her small inquires with Angel earlier.
Angel- now there was something that Tara doubted she would ever fully get over the shock of. After years of being cold and detached, he, a vampire no less, had managed to seemingly restore a part of Buffy that she had long deemed lost forever, as well as awaken new emotions that she knew were unfamiliar to her sister. At first hearing of him Tara admittedly had her doubts, she had been taken aback and worried by her sister's sudden change of persona, and she could tell that Buffy had already let him into a part of her she had long since closed off to the world. She had been more than a little concerned about if he was even aware of how much he could hurt her. But after seeing them together, her doubts were quickly put to rest. Angel looked at Buffy like she was the only person in the world, although he obviously knew of her strength, he (unknowingly) would take a somewhat possessive stance when beside her; ready to protect her at any given moment. Even as Buffy asked her small questions he would answer them as best as he could without hesitation, giving her reassurances and strength when she needed it. His name seemed to fit him well, because given what Tara had seen of her sister since the two had met, he truly was a gift from god; a guardian angel sent to reignite the small spark within her that had been long since smothered with sorrow.
What had possessed her sister to aid the handsome demon in the first place was lost on her, knowing Buffy's fear and bitterness towards vampires especially. But it would seem that her former misconceptions were forgotten, if not gone altogether, and that somehow, for some reason, she had accepted who and what he was.
Smiling, Tara looked towards Giles to see him still fumbling with his stack of texts. Shaking her head, she returned to her long-forgotten book with a smile, silently thanking whatever power had sent the tall vampire that had brought her sister back to her. Watching her go through so much pain over the years had been torture, but maybe- seeing the returned joy in her eyes and the bright smiles, it wasn't all for nothing after all.
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Buffy was in heaven. After their "successful" training session, she and Angel had made small talk for a little over an hour before he had suddenly announced he was going to make her a meal of some sort. Buffy had managed small tastes of his cooking here and there, and well, it took all she had not to jump up in down in anticipation. So she sat at the table, watching as he somehow made a meal out of what seemed to be nothing. He'd managed to buy a few foods for her earlier that week, but nothing that she ever would have thought would taste good in a meal. But if the aromas going through the air were any indication- she was truly watching the construction of a masterpiece.
She couldn't help but smile. So much seemed to have changed over the time she'd known him, and if possible, she seemed to be loving him more and more each day. Yes, she had finally been able to admit it to herself, it scared her to put it mildly, but she had finally accepted that there were defiantly some more-than-like feelings involved. Although her thoughts were clouded with so many fears right now, being around him seemed to calm her to no end; it was like living some freaky-messed up but in the best way dream. There was still so much she wanted to ask him, why had he come to the colony? Where was he born? What was the world like before the war? But more than anything, the one question that was burning at her the most was how did he get his soul? Vampires had been the object of her fears and just plain anger for so long, but once she met Angel all her conceptions about "˜his kind' had been thrown out the window. She may not know a whole lot about demons, but she knew enough to know that a vampire with a soul is not an everyday thing. It was something that she'd been aching to ask for a while now, but had decided to try and leave it alone, unsure of how he would react to the question.
She was pulled from her thoughts when he set down a plate and small bowl before her, she looked at it amazed and more than a little puzzled. On the larger plate was what looked to be some kind of pasta dish, and in the small bowl was a white, fluffy desert of some kind; she looked up at Angel in shock, his face held a sheepish expression.
"I was in Italy a few centuries ago, before the war, I picked up a few things here and there."
Buffy just smiled and reached for a fork, twirling some pasta onto it before plopping it into her mouth. She couldn't help the low moan that escaped her.
"Oh my god, Angel this is fantastic! How did you make this? I can barely make a peanut butter sandwich!"
Angel chuckled and sat down with a shrug.
"I just tried to include whatever I had. The desert is an old twist on a meringue I came up with on the spot, I don't know how good it'll be but I know how much you like sweets."
Buffy smiled, resisting the urge to tear up at his thoughtfulness.
"That's so sweet, and I'm sure it will be just as delectable as everything else you've made for me."
Angel just smiled and watched her eat, glad that he could make her smile; and, although he'd never admit it, to see her eating a well balanced meal. Call him old-fashioned but he had already seemed to develop worries over her eating and sleeping habits, both signs that he knew led nowhere good. Looking to her smiling face he shook his head, he had it bad.
They both perked up at the sudden knock at his door. Shrugging, he got up and made his way across the apartment curiously, reaching for the door handle. He inwardly groaned as the short Irishman came into view, although Angel had begrudgingly admitted to himself that he'd taken a liking to the friendly (half) demon, his visits so far had always worn on his nerves more than he'd care to divulge.
"Oh, Angel, good to see you again. Sorry to drop by unannounced, but I've gotta talk to ya "˜bout something." Doyle said, his tone a tad more serious than usual.
"Doyle, I'm sorry but this really isn't the greatest time-"
"I know man, and I'm sorry, but it'll only take a minute, cross my heart."
Reluctantly, Angel stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him, not wanting Buffy to hear.
"It's about the bonny lass you've got in there. DON'T go all growly on me now, she's fine, but as you've probably realised there's something happening here, and I hate to tell you but it's a fair bit larger than a simple "˜inner darkness in everybody' thing."
Angel remained silent, urging him to continue.
"That guy you met a while back, Lindsay? He'll be at that bar for the next three nights, sometime within that time you've gotta get out and talk to him. And trust me when I say not to bring the girl along with ya, this is heavy stuff you're getting into, and I don't want to be scaring the poor lass to death."
"Why? What's going on?" Angel asked; his worry peaked considerably.
"Whoa, man chill, alright? It's okay, nothing's gonna happen to hurt her anytime soon, but the guy knows things and it's important that you find out what it is."
Angel sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Alright, I'll see what I can do. Thanks Doyle."
"No problem, I'll be seeing ya soon." He said, turning to leave.
Angel nodded and headed back inside; he took a few deep breaths before heading back to the kitchen, where Buffy stood against the counter with an empty plate on the counter and was finishing off the desert in her hand.
"This is REALLY good by the way." She said, her voice laced with something that sounded suspiciously like a giggle. "Who was that at the door?"
"Oh, just some guy from upstairs, looking to borrow something."
Buffy nodded and took another spoonful of the fluffy sweet, unknowingly smudging a bit just beside her mouth.
"I hate it when people do that, coming to your door to "˜borrow' this and that, I mean it's not like you ever get it back or anything, so really they should be saying that they want to "˜take' something, but I guess then people probably wouldn't give them whatever it is they were looking for in the first place and- what? Is there something on my face?" she asked, noticing his stare as well as the trademark smirk.
"There's a little, thing, just"¦" he said, stepping a bit closer
"Where? Here?" Buffy asked cluelessly, missing the small spot by a mile.
"No, more"¦." Angel said, trying to motion where it is.
"Here?" she asked again, once again missing the spot.
Smiling, Angel reached down and wiped the small fluff from her face with a finger, holding it out to show her.
"Just there"¦ it's nothing, see?"
Buffy's eyes quickly turned from playful to lustful, as she slowly bent forward and licked the said sweetness from his digit. Angel stared at the sight surprised and awash in a wave of emotions, as she looked up at him ever so innocently. Unable to resist the urge, he bent down and covered her lips with his own, pulling her close. Her hand wrapped around his neck, and her head tilted back a bit, trying to get as close to him as she could. Their arms quickly tangled up in each other as their passion grew more and more heated. Suddenly realizing what was happening, Angel quickly pulled away, taking several steps back from her, his eyes closed in defeat.
"I-I'm sorry, I can't do this Buffy." He stammered, unable to look at her confused and shocked face.
"What?" she asked in disbelief, wondering if she heard him right.
"This, us, I can't do it. I just can't."
"Why not?" Buffy asked, too caught up in her emotions to stop herself or even care.
"It's wrong Buffy! I might look human, I might even act human, but I'm a vampire."
"And you don't think I know this?"
"You don't understand! This isn't some "˜happily ever after' story, this is real life. Us being together is too dangerous, too unfair to you, it goes against everything you've been taught your whole life."
"Again, you don't think I know this? That I don't get how "˜weird' us being together would seem? You don't think I can tell that the danger's there!"
"Obviously not, or else you wouldn't be here, with me now!"
"God I can't believe this!" she yelled, taking a deep breath. "Angel it's not that I don't know, I do, this is dangerous and unordinary and all that I understand that. But I don't care, that doesn't matter to me."
"Doesn't it? How can it not? I'm a demon Buffy, a bloodsucking creature of the night, and when we're together like that"¦. I can't control myself." He almost pleaded, willing for her to understand.
"Don't you think it's a little late for this? For warnings like this? I know what I signed up for Angel, I've known since the first moment I saw you what I was in for. If you don't want me then just say it, but if not there's no way I'm letting you go because of what could happen."
Angel sighed, struggling to find something to have her see reason.
"Buffy, I want you, you know that. I just"¦ can't let you get hurt."
"And I won't. You can't hurt me Angel, it's like"¦ against your programming or something." She sighed. Coming forward, she placed his hand on her heart. "You're the only person who I've ever been this close to. You made your way"¦ inside and now- you're a part of me Angel, I care about you like- like nothing I've ever felt before. You have something that no one else in the world ever had"¦ you have my heart. All of it, you're inside there all the time. And I can't let you go." She sniffed, giving him a small chuckle. "Not without a fight, and I can totally kick your butt mister. You're stuck with me now, you broke down all these walls I had up, and now there's just me. You could hurt me more than anyone in this world, because you're closer than anyone else has ever been"¦ but I know you won't, that you'll keep me safe, you're"¦ you're my Angel."
Angel was taken aback by her proclamation, catching the loaded words that tugged at his heart. Never had he felt so lucky in his entire existence, what he'll ever do to deserve her he doesn't know, but at this moment he couldn't let go.
Tears streamed down Buffy's face, she knew that her words had got through to him, she just hoped he'd caught the meaning behind them, the unspoken words that she wasn't yet brave enough to say.
Sighing, Angel pulled her against his chest, resting his head against her crown in defeat. She smiled and held him just as tight, knowing that for now, she had managed to lay his doubts to rest.
Angel looked down at her, silently having a battle over what to say.
"˜Tell her you love her. It's the perfect time just do it!'
He opened his mouth, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't will the words that he so desperately wanted to say. So, instead, the two stood in a comfortable silence, just happy to be by each other.
It wasn't for a while that they finally separated, sharing a sweet kiss, they pulled apart with a smile.
"We should probably get those books to Giles." Buaid, nodding towards the small stack in the living room.
"Oh, here, you go grab your jacket, I'll get the books."
Buffy gave him a nod and moved to his room where her forgotten jacket laid. As she walked in she could hear the shrill ringing of her cell phone, rushing across the room she quickly dug it out of her jacket pocket and pressed the talk button.
"Hello?" she said, picking up her jacket, Angel entered the room with the books in one hand, silently questioning her sudden stop. ""¦. What? No, it's just-"¦. Are you sure?"¦. but why I mean"¦.. okay"¦. Tomorrow?"¦ no that's fine"¦. Okay"¦ thank you"¦.bye."
Turning off her phone, she stared at it blankly, her face expressionless. Worried, Angel carefully took a step forward and put a hand on her face, tilting her eyes to meet his own.
"Buffy? Are you alright?" he asked, searching her face for any sign to who the caller may have been.
Nodding slowly, Buffy took a deep breath, her eyes filled with shock.
"That was the council"¦. They- they want me to start patrolling, to meet them tomorrow. I- I'm a warrior now- I'm on active duty."
End of Chapter Eighteen.
I know, I'm evil, big sorrys! Next chapter(s) available above, otherwise, I'll try and update soon
Lyri- Thanks for the reply, I'm glad you liked it! As for the guy, look carefully at some of the previous chapters, it'll tell ya!
NOW, given the little amount of time I have these days, and in fear that I will AGAIN forget about this post, I'm just going to post the link to the main site on which this fic is hosted. It is a WIP, but there are a lot more parts posted there. I will eventually get around to posting the rest here (all of 'em, no worries!) but for now I just really don't have the time! I ask that you please leave replies (reviews) for me (since I LOVE hearing from y'all), you can either PM me here, or right at the site there's a reply button. Although I prefer signed reviews there (reviews made by people who are registered, simply because I can thank them and reply to their comments), I 100% accept non-member reviews, and if you leave your email I'll be happy to get back to you!
Here's the link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2312832/1/
As I said, I will post the next chapters here eventually, so here's chapter 18, however I can't garauntee when the next time I add (here) will be.
Chapter Eighteen
Buffy took in a deep breath, trying to clear her mind as she sat Indian-style on the large mat, her eyes closed by Angel's command.
After an hour or two of looking through a good part of Giles' "mountain", they had decided to head back to Angel's place, hoping to get a break from the intense reading as well as in search of any new material Angel may have overlooked. Upon their arrival, Buffy had been pleasantly surprised by the discovery of Angel's collection of books. He had several boxes full of different volumes, most of which she was sure Giles would have considered "˜long lost' if he had seen them. Buffy (despite her upbringings) had never been a real book nerd, but as she gazed at Angel's collection she couldn't help but feel almost giddy. One thing she had always longed to know about was the unknown, only unlike most; she usually found that in history. As she spent more and more time with Angel she couldn't help the questions that she longed to ask, she had refrained from doing so up until now, not wanting to annoy or bother him with things that really didn't matter, but as she'd looked over the old covers, it had taken a lot for her to hold back her questions; not to beg him to re-tell the stories that no doubt lay behind them.
The two of them took a good half hour to look over the books; a lot of them were in such strange languages that Angel alone had to look at it. Mostly, Buffy just sat looking over the covers for interesting designs, or even a single word of English. She had found one book, it's cover old with a dark pattern across it, she couldn't read what was inside (it was again, written in some foreign language), but as she stared at the pages, she felt a strange pull towards it, as though it was trying to tell her something within the pages that she could not understand. She had mentioned the book briefly to Angel; he had scanned a few pages before shaking his head, and muttered a title briefly, telling her that it probably wouldn't have anything on the warriors. Overall, they had managed to find a couple more books, and after some minor debating had agreed to do some training.
Which is what led them here, sitting on the floor of the gym in silence, and Buffy (unsuccessfully) trying to clear her head. Angel sat across from her, studying her features closely, while giving her soft commands ever now and then; mostly urging her to close off her mind. He sighed as he saw her features twitch, he knew that she was trying, but unfortunately the first step of clearing one's mind was proving more difficult for her than he'd expected.
"Buffy, you have to relax, try not to think of anything, just let it all flow away." He urged softly.
A few moments passed before Buffy let out a sigh of frustration and opened her eyes.
"Angel I can't do this! I can't just get rid of my thoughts, they're my thoughts! They're my thinking- things! I try not to think but all I can think about is thinking of not thinking!" she rambled, all but growling in annoyance.
"I know it's not easy but you can do this Buffy, you're just trying to hard. Relax, don't worry about doing things right or wrong, there is no wrong way to do this."
Buffy sighed, grudgingly admitting that he was right. She didn't want to screw this up"¦ mostly because of her "instructor", but this, whatever it was, is important to her (even though she feared the outcome). Closing her eyes once again, she tried to allow her worries to flow away, subconsciously replaying Angel's soft words "˜there is no wrong way to do this'. After several moments, she felt strange, peaceful, as thought she was lost in nothing.
Angel smiled as the dormant expression crossed her face; softly he spoke the next step, trying not to disturb her.
"Now, I want you to focus on the other side of you. Focus on the darkness you felt that night. Can you feel it?"
Buffy reluctantly nodded.
"Reach for it, call it forward, let it come to you." He said softly
Buffy's hands began to shake on her lap, distress crossed her features.
"I'm scared." She whispered, trying not to allow her emotions to come through.
Carefully, Angel placed his hands in her own, squeezing them reassuringly.
"It's alright Buffy, I'm right here, I won't let it hurt you I promise. Okay?"
Buffy nodded, taking a deep relaxing breath.
"Now, I want you to try again, just call it, it'll come to you on its own."
Buffy sighed, filled with confidence, she dove inside herself once more, finding the now familiar darkness embedded in her soul. It crept forward almost hesitantly, as though daring to dart anywhere at any moment. It was like a separate being, she could hear its thoughts whispering in the back on her mind, one melding with another too quickly for her to hear. The voice started to get louder; slowly creeping closer and closer to the surface. Buffy tightened her grip on Angel's hands ever so slightly, the reassurance that he was there the only thing keeping her going.
She silently called in forward again, willing it to follow her command. It crept closer, but still so far away.
"It's alright Buffy," she heard Angel say, his voice soft and reassuring, "it's just your own doubts that are stopping it, try and clear your mind."
Buffy tried to relax, but as her mind became more and more clear fear once again began to set in. She could feel it moving, threatening to break free at any moment. It was so big, so unknown, she might not be able to control it-
Suddenly her vision plunged into darkness; before Angel knew what had happened she lashed out with a scream, sending him flying into the far wall. He could see her eyes take on a dark glow for a moment as she looked around much like a crazed animal would. Her eyes locked with his, and he could almost hear the "click" of realization within her. She took in a deep breath and shook her head slightly, looking back at him he watched as they quickly returned to their previous form. But no sooner had the "˜normal-Buffy' reappeared when she faltered, landing in a heap on the ground.
Despite his aching bruises, Angel quickly rushed to her side, resting her head on his lap he pulled her rebellious hair from her face, to see her eyes flickering open with a small groan, she stared at him in confusion for a moment before the realization hit and she offered a weary smile.
"Oops?" she said softly, her voice cracking from fatigue.
Angel gave her a reassuring smile,
"Don't worry about it. I wasn't expecting you to master it the first try. But you got it to back off faster this time, that's good."
Buffy shakily sat up, trying to clear her head.
"Ya I guess. I was fine but then it just took over so fast, it was like I could see everything but again someone else was driving. I saw you, and I was so worried that I'd hurt you, and it was like"¦. I screamed at it to back off and it did. I- I'm sorry, about"¦" she mumbled, referring to his already healing bruises.
"I'm fine. Trust me when I say I've had worse. You did great." Standing up, he offered her his hand. "Come on, let's get you some tea or something."
Buffy couldn't help the groan that escaped her lips.
"Okay that's it, first thing tomorrow I'm getting you hot chocolate."
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Tara poured over her current book; the pages were browned from age and were written in a newer form of Latin. Thankfully she had been able to take a basic course a few years ago, and although she wouldn't be able to translate the pages as Giles could, she could get the main idea of the text. Although it wasn't the biggest of help, it felt good to be doing something like this, being a part of something for once.
She for the most part had a great life, she loved the kids she taught as though they were her own and she was grateful for Giles letting her stay with him. He had raised her like a daughter, and she couldn't help but feel like he was her father more than any blood-relative. But as she had grown up, she couldn't help but envy Buffy at times, at one point she and Giles were training everyday, and although Giles had included her as best he could (especially in any kind of academic training), she had at times felt a bit like an outcast, a third wheel you could say. But at the same time, she had witnessed first hand what being a warrior had done to her sister, and that was something that she would never wish upon herself.
She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face at the thought of Buffy; she had changed dramatically over the last while, ever since Angel came along. It was like night and day, and she was overjoyed at the sunny disposition that had returned to her sister's face after all these years.
In her early days, Buffy had always been energetic and full of life. She as a child was always comfortable in large crowds and so friendly she treated most people like family. But more so than anything, Buffy had always been curious about anything and everything in life, she would bound up the stairs to Tara's room almost every morning, jumping excitedly at the small fact she had been told. She would always be asking questions to anyone who would listen, fantasized by every new thing she learned. She'd worn her heart on her sleeve, and even though she never knew her real parents, she had no doubt been the happiest and most loving girl she had ever known.
But then, just after she'd turned the small age of seven, her training had begun. At first it didn't seem like a huge deal, Giles started to tell her about different demons and such, she had to go to classes once or twice a week, but it quickly became more and more often and soon it took up almost every waking moment of her time. She was drilled with regulations and protocols before she'd lost half her baby teeth, by the time she was ten she was pressured not only with the physical tests she was put up to once a month, but also with the almost daily quizzes she had to endure. Buffy's personality, despite her struggles otherwise, was quickly being suppressed; her natural curiosity shunned by the berating of her teachers if she spoke up, her friendliness crushed by the strict environment she was in most of the time.
By the time she was fourteen, she was facing a major identity crisis. Torn between her natural desires and personality, and the strict warrior she was becoming, Buffy couldn't find any sort of balance there; and as a result had ended up having a major breakdown that year. A shiver ran up Tara's spine as she remembered the horrified look on Giles' face as they came home from running an errand that night. Buffy was standing in the kitchen with a strange looking and bloody knife in her hand, staring at the deep gashes on her forearms entranced. Dazed, she kept whispering something about not feeling and asking why it didn't hurt, but when Giles had tried to approach her she'd lashed out, yelling in so many unfamiliar languages at once that not even Giles could decipher their meaning. She had thrown him to the ground and ran all through the city, in the end, it had taken five men with tazers to bring her down. She was hospitalized and put in therapy for the next year and a half.
During that time, Tara had seen little to none of her sister. It was months before she could even see her, and even then it was just a quick glance through a glass window. She could count on one hand how many times she'd spoken to her before she arrived home. And when she finally did, she was, to say the least, a completely different person. She went straight back to her studies, not bothering to catch up on the section she'd missed, insisting that she'd lived in the past enough, and that it was time to move forward.
She no longer tried to make friends, or asked questions, it seemed that she had found a simple solution to her identity crisis: give in. At home there was a small change in her behaviour, when she was around Tara or Giles she'd be friendly and talkative, the last trace of her former self remaining, but even then she was distant, and her smiles seemed forced; as they never quite reached her eyes. But any other time, she was more or less a robot, focusing solely on becoming a warrior. What had been her newly formed friendship with Faith and Gunn (the only two friends she'd ever really had) turned strictly to training. She'd closed off her heart to everyone around her, the spark that she once had was long buried behind the inner walls she'd built, that seemed even greater than those that surrounded the colony. She was almost obsessed with "patrolling", coming home almost nightly with bruises and cuts that Giles had never known of. She was convinced that all demons were against humanity, taught to kill any that crossed her path and that given the opportunity, they would do the same to you in a second.
One night Tara had been reading when Buffy had come home from patrol, she had a frightened expression on her face that she would never forget; her stake was shaking in her hand. She'd been wandering the graveyard when three vampires attacked her; the first ones she had ever seen without a thick layer of glass between them. Her voice had shook as she recalled how they had pinned her down, and how terrified she was as their features twisted into the horrifying ones of a demon. She had managed to stake one, her very first vampire, before running, not looking back until she was safely inside. That night, as she held her crying sister; promising never to speak of it again, Tara was sure that the last bit of what was her sister had been lost.
But then, not too long ago, all that had changed. As far as she knew Buffy had been out on a routine patrol, and the impact that it had been left on her was plain for all to see. Her old, bright personality seemed to have quickly surfaced, and although she had not seen much of it first hand, she could see that spark of curiosity every now and again, old habits kept her sister from asking, but Tara had no doubt that millions of questions were burning just below the surface. Some of which, she had obviously begun to ask, as Tara had noted her small inquires with Angel earlier.
Angel- now there was something that Tara doubted she would ever fully get over the shock of. After years of being cold and detached, he, a vampire no less, had managed to seemingly restore a part of Buffy that she had long deemed lost forever, as well as awaken new emotions that she knew were unfamiliar to her sister. At first hearing of him Tara admittedly had her doubts, she had been taken aback and worried by her sister's sudden change of persona, and she could tell that Buffy had already let him into a part of her she had long since closed off to the world. She had been more than a little concerned about if he was even aware of how much he could hurt her. But after seeing them together, her doubts were quickly put to rest. Angel looked at Buffy like she was the only person in the world, although he obviously knew of her strength, he (unknowingly) would take a somewhat possessive stance when beside her; ready to protect her at any given moment. Even as Buffy asked her small questions he would answer them as best as he could without hesitation, giving her reassurances and strength when she needed it. His name seemed to fit him well, because given what Tara had seen of her sister since the two had met, he truly was a gift from god; a guardian angel sent to reignite the small spark within her that had been long since smothered with sorrow.
What had possessed her sister to aid the handsome demon in the first place was lost on her, knowing Buffy's fear and bitterness towards vampires especially. But it would seem that her former misconceptions were forgotten, if not gone altogether, and that somehow, for some reason, she had accepted who and what he was.
Smiling, Tara looked towards Giles to see him still fumbling with his stack of texts. Shaking her head, she returned to her long-forgotten book with a smile, silently thanking whatever power had sent the tall vampire that had brought her sister back to her. Watching her go through so much pain over the years had been torture, but maybe- seeing the returned joy in her eyes and the bright smiles, it wasn't all for nothing after all.
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Buffy was in heaven. After their "successful" training session, she and Angel had made small talk for a little over an hour before he had suddenly announced he was going to make her a meal of some sort. Buffy had managed small tastes of his cooking here and there, and well, it took all she had not to jump up in down in anticipation. So she sat at the table, watching as he somehow made a meal out of what seemed to be nothing. He'd managed to buy a few foods for her earlier that week, but nothing that she ever would have thought would taste good in a meal. But if the aromas going through the air were any indication- she was truly watching the construction of a masterpiece.
She couldn't help but smile. So much seemed to have changed over the time she'd known him, and if possible, she seemed to be loving him more and more each day. Yes, she had finally been able to admit it to herself, it scared her to put it mildly, but she had finally accepted that there were defiantly some more-than-like feelings involved. Although her thoughts were clouded with so many fears right now, being around him seemed to calm her to no end; it was like living some freaky-messed up but in the best way dream. There was still so much she wanted to ask him, why had he come to the colony? Where was he born? What was the world like before the war? But more than anything, the one question that was burning at her the most was how did he get his soul? Vampires had been the object of her fears and just plain anger for so long, but once she met Angel all her conceptions about "˜his kind' had been thrown out the window. She may not know a whole lot about demons, but she knew enough to know that a vampire with a soul is not an everyday thing. It was something that she'd been aching to ask for a while now, but had decided to try and leave it alone, unsure of how he would react to the question.
She was pulled from her thoughts when he set down a plate and small bowl before her, she looked at it amazed and more than a little puzzled. On the larger plate was what looked to be some kind of pasta dish, and in the small bowl was a white, fluffy desert of some kind; she looked up at Angel in shock, his face held a sheepish expression.
"I was in Italy a few centuries ago, before the war, I picked up a few things here and there."
Buffy just smiled and reached for a fork, twirling some pasta onto it before plopping it into her mouth. She couldn't help the low moan that escaped her.
"Oh my god, Angel this is fantastic! How did you make this? I can barely make a peanut butter sandwich!"
Angel chuckled and sat down with a shrug.
"I just tried to include whatever I had. The desert is an old twist on a meringue I came up with on the spot, I don't know how good it'll be but I know how much you like sweets."
Buffy smiled, resisting the urge to tear up at his thoughtfulness.
"That's so sweet, and I'm sure it will be just as delectable as everything else you've made for me."
Angel just smiled and watched her eat, glad that he could make her smile; and, although he'd never admit it, to see her eating a well balanced meal. Call him old-fashioned but he had already seemed to develop worries over her eating and sleeping habits, both signs that he knew led nowhere good. Looking to her smiling face he shook his head, he had it bad.
They both perked up at the sudden knock at his door. Shrugging, he got up and made his way across the apartment curiously, reaching for the door handle. He inwardly groaned as the short Irishman came into view, although Angel had begrudgingly admitted to himself that he'd taken a liking to the friendly (half) demon, his visits so far had always worn on his nerves more than he'd care to divulge.
"Oh, Angel, good to see you again. Sorry to drop by unannounced, but I've gotta talk to ya "˜bout something." Doyle said, his tone a tad more serious than usual.
"Doyle, I'm sorry but this really isn't the greatest time-"
"I know man, and I'm sorry, but it'll only take a minute, cross my heart."
Reluctantly, Angel stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him, not wanting Buffy to hear.
"It's about the bonny lass you've got in there. DON'T go all growly on me now, she's fine, but as you've probably realised there's something happening here, and I hate to tell you but it's a fair bit larger than a simple "˜inner darkness in everybody' thing."
Angel remained silent, urging him to continue.
"That guy you met a while back, Lindsay? He'll be at that bar for the next three nights, sometime within that time you've gotta get out and talk to him. And trust me when I say not to bring the girl along with ya, this is heavy stuff you're getting into, and I don't want to be scaring the poor lass to death."
"Why? What's going on?" Angel asked; his worry peaked considerably.
"Whoa, man chill, alright? It's okay, nothing's gonna happen to hurt her anytime soon, but the guy knows things and it's important that you find out what it is."
Angel sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Alright, I'll see what I can do. Thanks Doyle."
"No problem, I'll be seeing ya soon." He said, turning to leave.
Angel nodded and headed back inside; he took a few deep breaths before heading back to the kitchen, where Buffy stood against the counter with an empty plate on the counter and was finishing off the desert in her hand.
"This is REALLY good by the way." She said, her voice laced with something that sounded suspiciously like a giggle. "Who was that at the door?"
"Oh, just some guy from upstairs, looking to borrow something."
Buffy nodded and took another spoonful of the fluffy sweet, unknowingly smudging a bit just beside her mouth.
"I hate it when people do that, coming to your door to "˜borrow' this and that, I mean it's not like you ever get it back or anything, so really they should be saying that they want to "˜take' something, but I guess then people probably wouldn't give them whatever it is they were looking for in the first place and- what? Is there something on my face?" she asked, noticing his stare as well as the trademark smirk.
"There's a little, thing, just"¦" he said, stepping a bit closer
"Where? Here?" Buffy asked cluelessly, missing the small spot by a mile.
"No, more"¦." Angel said, trying to motion where it is.
"Here?" she asked again, once again missing the spot.
Smiling, Angel reached down and wiped the small fluff from her face with a finger, holding it out to show her.
"Just there"¦ it's nothing, see?"
Buffy's eyes quickly turned from playful to lustful, as she slowly bent forward and licked the said sweetness from his digit. Angel stared at the sight surprised and awash in a wave of emotions, as she looked up at him ever so innocently. Unable to resist the urge, he bent down and covered her lips with his own, pulling her close. Her hand wrapped around his neck, and her head tilted back a bit, trying to get as close to him as she could. Their arms quickly tangled up in each other as their passion grew more and more heated. Suddenly realizing what was happening, Angel quickly pulled away, taking several steps back from her, his eyes closed in defeat.
"I-I'm sorry, I can't do this Buffy." He stammered, unable to look at her confused and shocked face.
"What?" she asked in disbelief, wondering if she heard him right.
"This, us, I can't do it. I just can't."
"Why not?" Buffy asked, too caught up in her emotions to stop herself or even care.
"It's wrong Buffy! I might look human, I might even act human, but I'm a vampire."
"And you don't think I know this?"
"You don't understand! This isn't some "˜happily ever after' story, this is real life. Us being together is too dangerous, too unfair to you, it goes against everything you've been taught your whole life."
"Again, you don't think I know this? That I don't get how "˜weird' us being together would seem? You don't think I can tell that the danger's there!"
"Obviously not, or else you wouldn't be here, with me now!"
"God I can't believe this!" she yelled, taking a deep breath. "Angel it's not that I don't know, I do, this is dangerous and unordinary and all that I understand that. But I don't care, that doesn't matter to me."
"Doesn't it? How can it not? I'm a demon Buffy, a bloodsucking creature of the night, and when we're together like that"¦. I can't control myself." He almost pleaded, willing for her to understand.
"Don't you think it's a little late for this? For warnings like this? I know what I signed up for Angel, I've known since the first moment I saw you what I was in for. If you don't want me then just say it, but if not there's no way I'm letting you go because of what could happen."
Angel sighed, struggling to find something to have her see reason.
"Buffy, I want you, you know that. I just"¦ can't let you get hurt."
"And I won't. You can't hurt me Angel, it's like"¦ against your programming or something." She sighed. Coming forward, she placed his hand on her heart. "You're the only person who I've ever been this close to. You made your way"¦ inside and now- you're a part of me Angel, I care about you like- like nothing I've ever felt before. You have something that no one else in the world ever had"¦ you have my heart. All of it, you're inside there all the time. And I can't let you go." She sniffed, giving him a small chuckle. "Not without a fight, and I can totally kick your butt mister. You're stuck with me now, you broke down all these walls I had up, and now there's just me. You could hurt me more than anyone in this world, because you're closer than anyone else has ever been"¦ but I know you won't, that you'll keep me safe, you're"¦ you're my Angel."
Angel was taken aback by her proclamation, catching the loaded words that tugged at his heart. Never had he felt so lucky in his entire existence, what he'll ever do to deserve her he doesn't know, but at this moment he couldn't let go.
Tears streamed down Buffy's face, she knew that her words had got through to him, she just hoped he'd caught the meaning behind them, the unspoken words that she wasn't yet brave enough to say.
Sighing, Angel pulled her against his chest, resting his head against her crown in defeat. She smiled and held him just as tight, knowing that for now, she had managed to lay his doubts to rest.
Angel looked down at her, silently having a battle over what to say.
"˜Tell her you love her. It's the perfect time just do it!'
He opened his mouth, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't will the words that he so desperately wanted to say. So, instead, the two stood in a comfortable silence, just happy to be by each other.
It wasn't for a while that they finally separated, sharing a sweet kiss, they pulled apart with a smile.
"We should probably get those books to Giles." Buaid, nodding towards the small stack in the living room.
"Oh, here, you go grab your jacket, I'll get the books."
Buffy gave him a nod and moved to his room where her forgotten jacket laid. As she walked in she could hear the shrill ringing of her cell phone, rushing across the room she quickly dug it out of her jacket pocket and pressed the talk button.
"Hello?" she said, picking up her jacket, Angel entered the room with the books in one hand, silently questioning her sudden stop. ""¦. What? No, it's just-"¦. Are you sure?"¦. but why I mean"¦.. okay"¦. Tomorrow?"¦ no that's fine"¦. Okay"¦ thank you"¦.bye."
Turning off her phone, she stared at it blankly, her face expressionless. Worried, Angel carefully took a step forward and put a hand on her face, tilting her eyes to meet his own.
"Buffy? Are you alright?" he asked, searching her face for any sign to who the caller may have been.
Nodding slowly, Buffy took a deep breath, her eyes filled with shock.
"That was the council"¦. They- they want me to start patrolling, to meet them tomorrow. I- I'm a warrior now- I'm on active duty."
End of Chapter Eighteen.
I know, I'm evil, big sorrys! Next chapter(s) available above, otherwise, I'll try and update soon
Angelic Slayer
Daydream Believer
As promised, I'm putting up some of the next chapters for anyone who's reading the fic and hasn't gone to the main hosting for this fic (listed in the above post), I'm afraid I'm currently in a writer's block phase with this fic, but regardless I do have some of the latest chapter complete, and another ficlet on the way (which will be posted on here soon).
Anywho, enough of my writers blurb, enjoy! 😀
PS: Just wanted to wish good luck to all my fellow nominees for the "Storyteller Award" (and do a lil happy dance that I got nominated as well 😉), you are all very talented writers! :thumbsup:
Chapter Nineteen
Buffy stared at the small phone in her hand, in too much shock to notice the surprised look on Angel's face, or the slight flash of worry that quickly flickered before his eyes.
She was on duty. Something that she had been wishing and working so hard for; all these years working up to this moment, and now it was here. She'd reached her goal- what she'd always wanted.
So why did she feel so strange? Why wasn't she bursting with joy and jumping up and down like she should be?
Before she had a chance to tackle those thoughts, Angel's arms wrapped around her and pulled her into a friendly embrace. Snapping out of her daze, she planted a smile on her face as he pulled back and gave her a happy and somewhat proud smile.
"Whoa, that's great Buffy, congratulations." He said sincerely, pushing his worries to the back of his mind.
Buffy gave him a small smile.
"Thanks." She said distractedly, still trying to brush off the strange feelings within her.
"Hey," Angel gave her a slightly concerned look, tilting her head gently so her eyes met his own. "Are you okay?"
"What? Oh yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just really really shocked I guess. Gonna take a while to sink in." she said, smiling a bit more.
Angel could tell as he looked into her eyes that she wasn't completely honest, that something was obviously off with her, but deciding that she'd tell him if or when she was ready, he let it go, nodding slightly.
"That's understandable"¦ any idea why they want to meet with you tomorrow?" he asked, as smoothly as he could.
"Oh, well I guess just to go over the rules and stuff. What my responsibilities are and that. It'll probably just be with a senior warrior or something as per usual, which is a bit disappointing since I'd love to see Garrison's face, but it's fine. Shouldn't take all that long. I'm gonna try and get my bike back when I'm there too, the "˜punishment' is technically over so it's only fair that I get it back right?"
Angel nodded, smirking at his memory of the loud vehicle from the night they met. Mostly because of his old-fashioned lifestyle, he'd never been a big fan of motorized vehicles (with the exception of a little red sports car back in the 1980's, which he's sworn never to speak of again) but it was obvious that Buffy had taken a great liking to them, which given her complex and unpredictable personality didn't really surprise him all that much.
Buffy, finally recalling why she'd come in here in the first place, quickly moved to pick up her phone and jacket once again. Angel, following suit; gathered the now forgotten books and moved towards the front entrance, his blonde companion trailing not too far behind.
Their walk across town was pleasantly uneventful; neither of the two spoke much at all (well, Buffy was oddly quiet and so really the only difference was that Angel had no one to listen to). Angel snuck a few side-glances at the blonde warrior before him, worried about her sudden change in demeanour. His initial reaction to her being put on duty was suspicious, given the council's attitude towards her in the past, he all-too surprised by their abrupt "˜change of heart'. Silently he hoped that his visit with Lindsay might help to clear things up a bit, perhaps someone who used to work for the council might have some idea of what they're doing.
Buffy, on the other hand, was too far in thought to notice his glances, or much else around her. The shock had started to die off, and as a result although she was happy about her "˜promotion', with it came some very real worries that shook her to her very core.
After her "breakdown" all those years ago, she'd spent months trying to regain some sense of balance within herself, as well as clarity over what happened that night. She could remember it, with vibrant detail and surround sound in fact, and although she understood why she had felt that way and what had led up to it, what she'd done that night was all an emotional daze for her; something that she'd never been able to completely work out. As for her "inner balance", she had done what she'd been told would get her out faster, and what she knew would more or less "fix" her problems enough for her to have a normal life again- she gave in. She let who she was move to the most guarded parts of her heart and decided on a main goal, one that she would do anything and everything to achieve, the reason she got up every morning- the goal that made her keep going day by day. And now, all these years later, she'd achieved it.
It was here, over with, done. A part of her was thrilled that she'd finally been accepted to do the job she knew she could handle, but a greater part of her was not only scared"¦ she was downright terrified. Her main focus all those years had been this- the thing that she had devoted everything to after her breakdown. It seemed like it was the only real thing she'd had to hold on to, the thing that had allowed her to be the person she was for the past five and a half years. And now it was gone. She no longer had that to work for and she couldn't help but wonder what she was going to do now; what she had to strive for. And most importantly, what did this mean for her as a person? Now that that "˜brace' was gone, what was really stopping her from going back to the way she was? True, she had noticed a significant change in herself since she'd met Angel; he seemed to slip through all the walls that had been guarding that part of her, and maybe because of that she felt at ease with him, like the Buffy-ish her just fell right into place again. But even then, when it came down to it she was more than capable of slipping back into her old attitude (some of which had unknowingly come out when she'd first introduced Angel to Lindsay), and now- with what she'd thought "˜held it' there gone, what was to keep her from going all emotionally-wacko again? Or worse, a repeat of the night that often went unspoken between her family and friends.
Sighing, she shook her head, a small voice inside her laughed while another part of her mentally kicked herself.
/This is what you get for not dealing with it then. /
Buffy suppressed a groan, unresolved issues- one thing that no matter how hard you try, always seem to come back and bite you in the ass.
Sighing, she looked up at Angel, finally noticing his eyes on her.
"What?" she asked, finally snapping out of her reverie.
Angel shrugged,
"I was just wondering if we were actually going to Giles' tonight, or if you've walked by it three times for any particular reason."
Buffy looked around and sure enough, they were a few yards past Giles' driveway, and judging by the time, a good twenty minutes later than they should be. A blush quickly crept across her features.
"Oh my god, sorry, kinda zoned out again." She offered weakly, turning towards the large building.
"Not a problem, although if you were to tell me what's bothering you we might be able to avoid this on our way home." He teased, only half-joking.
Buffy offered him a reassuring smile.
"It's nothing. See?" she said, twirling around slightly. "I'm fine, just a little dreamy; no big."
Angel raised an eyebrow, giving her that "and-you-honestly-expect-me-to-buy-that?" look. She merely rolled her eyes and walked inside the familiar home, hoping that he'd forget about it for a while. Knowing that the subject had officially been "dropped" and that it was pointless to continue with it for now, Angel shook his head and followed her inside and to the library, hearing what sounded like a stack of books drop as he walked into the large room.
Sure enough, there was Giles; a shocked look on his face and a pile of books now by his feet, he stared at Buffy; seemingly frozen to the spot. Tara quickly came through the doorway of Giles' office, obviously in search of the crash and not having heard whatever had just happened.
"Sorry, but, what did you say?" Giles chocked out, staring at Buffy as though she'd grown a second head.
"The council just called- they're putting me on duty, like active duty." Buffy said, amused by her trainer's unfathomable expression.
"Wha-? A- are you sure that you heard them right?"
Angel chose that moment to speak up,
"They phoned this afternoon, I was there. She's right."
Giles blinked a few times before all but falling into the nearest chair, muttering a "Dear lord" under his breath.
"Dear lord? As in bad dear lord?" Buffy asked, a worried expression crossing her features.
"No, no of course not Buffy, that's wonderful, congratulations." Giles said, giving her a fatherly smile. "Just give me a moment for my heart to start beating again."
Buffy smiled. Tara stepped forward, embracing her sister in a hug.
"That's really great Buffy! I'm happy for you, you've earned this a zillion times over!" she said with a smile.
"Thanks." Buffy said, blushing slightly at her sister's whole-hearted congrats.
"Here," Angel said, handing his small stack of books to Giles. "We found these at my apartment, there might still be a few more I haven't checked them all, but for now"¦"
Giles looked up at him in surprise, gratefully taking the offered volumes.
"Yes, well thank you these should shed some light"¦ my god, is this what I think it is?"
Angel shrugged, taking a seat by the large stack of books that again, seemed to have accumulated from nowhere.
"Angel some of these texts, they must be over thousands of years old. They were lost centuries ago."
Again Angel shrugged,
"When I was "¦early after my turning I seemed to acquire a taste for rare and ancient artefacts."
Giles nodded, being thoroughly informed of Angel's early "˜vamped' activities. Buffy however, who had yet to work up the guts to ask Angel about his soul, gave him a confused look.
"When you were what?" she asked, feeling as though she was missing a big piece of the puzzle.
Angel inwardly cringed, recalling their lack-of chats about his past, masking his reaction he gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry about it, I was just young." He said, silently berating himself.
/And just after you finished trying to get convince her not to keep secrets from you. /
Buffy, knowing how uncomfortable he was talking about his past, let it go and turned her attention to the mass of books that was the library table.
"Giles, where do you get all these?" she asked, groaning slightly.
Giles tore his eyes from the ancient texts, snapping out of what Buffy referred to as his "reading daze".
"Oh, well as you know this library is more than well stocked, and I'm afraid that given my former restrictions, I haven't had a chance to go through it all. It seems that the more and more we look, the more volumes we uncover that may point us in the right direction."
"May? As in all these books we're going through might not have anything to do with any of this?"
When Giles' didn't object, she groaned, her head already aching enough for one day. Sighing, she sat down next to Angel, pulling her chair suspiciously close to his; she started sorting through the books for one in what only Giles could reasonably call English.
For a few hours the small group rummaged through the mountain of books, doing their best to scan through the pages and keep the finished books separate from those that they still had to read. Not much had been spoken, each too engrossed in their current volume to worry about making small talk. They'd silently formed a kind of order; Tara would go through the Latin books as best she could, while Giles took care of those in the foreign human languages he knew as well as a couple demon tongues he had a scant understanding of. Angel took care of the demon languages, as well as any Gaelic or ancient ones they'd come across; leaving Buffy to try and sort through the many English books at their disposal. Or what was called English, it had far too many cryptic and big old words that she could never understand for her liking.
They had migrated somewhat through the night, unknowingly placing their chair that much further from its original spot. Giles was sitting with a pot of strong black (hours old) coffee at the far end of the table, Tara sat close by, needing assistance with the occasional word here and there. Books were askew across the floor, counters, tables, chairs, etc"¦ everyone seeming to have their own "system" for filing. Tara, who had finally finished a large Latin volume on ancient civilizations (which, although somewhat interesting, hadn't included anything helpful), yawned, taking a sip of Giles' coffee, she took the short break to look around; smiling at the sight that greeted her. Silently, she nudged Giles, nodding towards their two companions when he looked up at her questioningly.
The two were sitting at the other end of the table, both pouring over their own volumes. Both their chairs had migrated over the last few hours though; now Angel was sitting at a strange, sideways angle with his legs stretched out in front of him, allowing Buffy to move her chair against his, leaning against his chest in weariness, her feet propped up on the table; making her seem like she was more laying down than sitting. Her eyes fell shut momentarily before she quickly darted them open again, obviously fighting off sleep as best she could. Angel had an arm wrapped comfortably around her shoulders, mindlessly toying with her long blonde locks as he was engrossed in a volume in some form of Gaelic. The two unknowingly made a beautiful (and sinfully cute) picture in their position, it was both surreal and heart warming to the trainer and sister. They were both glad that Buffy seemed to be happy again, having found someone who she was comfortable around, and who, unknown to her, cared about her a great deal. They had both figured that the two had grown close quickly, no doubt developing some form of a romantic relationship. But here it was; the living proof of what had grown between them. Knowing what they did, it was almost impossible to believe that by nature the two were enemies of one and other; each in a way, born to destroy the other at any cost. To any casual observer, it would seem quite the opposite.
Exchanging knowing smiles, Giles spoke up, noticing the time of night.
"Err, Angel, Buffy?" he asked softly, trying not to startle them
Angel looked up from his book, looking dazed for a minute before his eyes focused on Giles. Buffy, who seemed to be near slumber with her eyes closed, didn't move from her spot, or show any sign that she heard him at all.
"I think it would be best if you- and Buffy headed home." He said, smiling at Buffy's state.
Angel, suddenly dazed by the time (not expecting to have stayed that long), merely nodded and looked down, as though finally realizing Buffy was there. For not the first time, he was glad that he couldn't blush as he saw Tara and Giles' amused smiles. Gently, he shook Buffy, suppressing a laugh as she unconsciously moved further into the crook of his arm.
"Buffy." He said softly, shaking her a bit harder.
She snapped out of it with a start, her eyes searching wildly out of confusion.
"I'm here, just"¦. Reading?" she finished, remembering where and why she was here with a disbelieving groan.
Yawning, she sat up giving Giles an inquiring look.
"So, is there a reason you woke me up or are you just being mean?" she mumbled.
"It's late, we have to go." Angel said, placing his book back on the table.
"Yes, it would be best if you got some sleep as well, I can't imagine you being very lively for your meeting otherwise." Giles added.
Buffy nodded and got up; despite the pain it caused her stiff muscles. Looking at the clock, she was relieved to find that they still had several hours before the sun would be up (mostly because it rose so late nowadays), this way she and Angel wouldn't have to rush, and he could get in some whatever he did before he's trapped inside.
Quickly muttering their goodbyes, the pair left silently, walking hand in hand down the dark streets of the colony. It wasn't long before they were in front of a familiar metal door, Buffy turned to her companion.
"Thanks for walking me home." She said with a slight smile, silently wishing he didn't have to go.
He smiled.
"I'll see you later?"
"Yeah, sounds good."
"Goodnight." Angel said, before planting a soft, sweet kiss on her lips.
Smiling, he pulled back and moved down the hall, and for the second time she found herself staring at the now empty space with an unsaid goodbye. Sighing, she moved into her apartment, suppressing a growl. Angel was wonderful, caring, smart, strong; but thank the gods he was that good a kisser because sometimes he was damn well the most frustrating man she'd ever met.
-----
Angel, however, stayed in the shadows until she was inside, before quickly slipping out of the complex. Looking to the skies, and thankful that Giles had asked them to leave when he did, the tall vampire took off not towards his apartment, but in the opposite direction- a direction that would hopefully, lead him to some answers.
The small bar was busier than it had been before, but even as Angel stepped in he immediately noted how little it differed from before. There were a few demons sitting at a table close to the exit, obviously wary of uninvited guests. At the bar, however, were what looked like several groups of what Angel immediately recognized as vampires and demons, all in their seemingly human forms. He wouldn't say that the place was "packed" but without a doubt oddly busy. Looking around, he noticed that the table in the far, dark corner was once again occupied; there was one familiar face, given the vibe Angel got from him obviously Lindsay, with someone else who was too cloaked by the shadows to see.
Stepping to the bar, he quietly ordered a drink to blend in better; after taking a few sips he casually made his way towards the corner table, the whispers of the mystery man immediately stopping as he approached. Immediately aware of whom he was, Lindsay stood up, obviously expecting him.
"Angel, good to see you again." He said, although his voice was still slightly guarded.
Angel nodded, and stepped closer, barely masking his surprise as the other man's face came into view.
"You too"¦" he paused, turning to the other man, "the both of you."
The familiar British man turned to Lindsay, as though asking if he knew who and what Angel was.
"Don't worry, we made an appointment." Lindsay said, sensing the man's worries.
Wesley nodded, his visage surprisingly different from last Angel saw of him. Physically he looked the same, but his eyes had taken on a slightly darker, more dangerous edge.
"Yes, we will continue this at a later date. If you'll excuse me." Wes said, nodding goodbye to them both before standing and leaving the bar.
"Take a seat my friend." Lindsay said, motioning to the chair across from his own as he sat down.
Angel followed suit, carefully looking around the bar.
"Oh, don't worry; they're too busy worrying to listen in tonight."
Angel looked at the many demons curiously, noticing in particular a bleach-blonde male standing with his arm protectively over a small brunette girl's shoulders.
"What are they?" he asked warily, still uneasy about discussing Buffy in public.
"Rebels. Demons mostly, but a few humans- and half humans. They've been hiding out for years, but with the council kicking up their patrols it's getting harder and harder for them to survive. They meet here every now and then, trying to figure out some sort of plan. Wes and Doyle have both been trying to help "˜em out. That guy," he said, motioning to the blonde, "Is one of the leaders I guess you could say. He's not in charge or anything but he's their strongest fighter- a vampire, you've probably heard of him; Spike?"
"William the Bloody." Angel murmured, recognizing the name from over the years. He and William had met not long after he was turned, helped each other out in Italy a while back.
"That's the one. Not so bloody anymore though, had a change of heart a century or two ago after he found out that his sister- actual sister had been turned not long after he had. Took her under his wing, all he's care about is protecting her ever since. He's a good man, got all that honour and loyalty crap, but really just wants this over as much of the rest of us."
Angel nodded, looking towards the frail, somewhat nerdy brunette again, realizing that she must be the sister he'd spoke of.
"What about Wes, since when is he playing on our side?"
Lindsay shrugged,
"Not long, switched over a few weeks back, guess I have you to thank for that one." At Angel's curious glance, he continued, "Apparently when he saw you all down and crazy over your girl and it touched him, made him rethink a few things. A couple days later he tracked down Doyle, asked him how he could get in on the action."
Angel didn't respond, just took another slug of the liquor, although a part of him was glad he'd made an impact like that; he was still a little disturbed by it all, not used to being around people whatsoever, never mind changing their life's path.
"But you're not here for the crowd, you're here because you're worried about a little blonde that we all know and love." Angel growled slightly. "Some of us more than others."
"What do you know?" Angel asked, getting annoyed by the man's attitude.
"Buffy, she's a fighter, has a lot of power. Way more than us, but she's not aware of it, her dark side isn't a physical part of her yet, not like you and me."
"And what exactly are you?" Angel retorted.
Lindsay sighed, silently ordering another beer with a wave.
"You know," he started, nodding to the bartender as he handed him a tall glass. "That right there is a long story I really wasn't going to tell you at first, but then I found out about you, and I thought that considering how much we have in common, I might have to."
Angel raised an eyebrow, awaiting an explanation.
"You see Angel, a few years back, I was one of the key players in the council, top of the act, rising higher and higher everyday. I didn't give a damn about "˜the mission' or whatever the hell the line was they fed us all back then, I was in it for the power, and at the time, they could give it to me. But then, one bright and sunny day, I met a demon. He was dying, said that he could give me more power than I could have ever imagined, and so, of course I took it. I merged myself with him just as he passed away, had all his power and aspects transferred into me, making me"¦ half- demon I guess you could say. And as a result, I suddenly had the best of both worlds, power from both sides; the demons and the council. It lasted over a year, was about to be Quentin's second hand man but then Garrison ordered some idiots to follow me, and not too long after, the council had resigned my commission and started sending their most elite "˜disposal force' after me."
Taking a deep breath, he held up his hand, showing off his golden band on his finger.
"This ring, it keeps me cloaked from any magical or technological detection. It's the reason that the council hasn't been able to find me, but you? You don't have this luxury, nah you have something a hell of a lot better."
"Buffy?" Angel asked hesitantly, after a moment's silence.
"Wow look at the new guy, got it in one. You see, the one thing about being me is that you learn things, you know stuff before the person who told you really has a comprehension of it and that gives me the upper hand. Or, in this case, both of us. See Angel, the council, like every other person on this earth is afraid. I mean ya, they go on with all this "˜ending the war' crap but really none of it matters, the truth is they want this war to keep going, if it weren't for them it would probably be over by now. And that right there is something you're going to keep in mind for a while now, because it plays a key part in what I'm about to tell you."
Lindsay paused, taking another slug of beer.
"They tell you why you're here?" he asked, turning to the vampire once again.
"No." Angel said plainly, not knowing why that mattered.
Lindsay laughed.
"Nah, they wouldn't have told a guy like you. Too much danger. And that's really all this is about, danger- control- and power. You and I have something in common Angel, we have power over them. And I'm not talking about the demon I mean the kind they fear most- we have knowledge. I know pretty much everything anyone knows about this war, and you my friend know something too."
"And what's that?"
Lindsay shrugged.
"Well to be honest I was kinda hoping you'd tell me. You're old Angel, ancient really. But for hundreds of years you were a bystander, you didn't participate in what was going on and because of that you saw things- details, and you remember them. The council hides a lot of things, one, obviously has something to do with this war. Their goal is to stay in power, and they'll do anything to reach it. They fear what they don't understand, and when they're afraid of something they'll do one of two things: kill it, or try and control it. And that is why you're here. Somewhere inside you, whether you know about it or not, you have some knowledge that they see as a threat. I don't know a lot about what this big secret is, I discovered it just before I was fired, and I've been looking ever since. It happened a long time ago, when this war started and I donno whatever the hell it was but you were there for it and it changed the face of the world. And now they're terrified that the secret's gonna come out, which is probably the reason that they brought you here- to try and control you, keep you from saying anything."
Angel sighed,
"I still don't get it, what does any of this have to do with me? Of Buffy for that matter?"
Lindsay smiled.
"I met Buffy about five years ago, when she was hospitalized for what the council liked to call a mental breakdown. I don't know the details but at the time I was assigned to her, to make sure that she caught up on her basic attack training. Naturally I looked into her case and found something that peaked my interest. She took down three teams worth of warriors and six civilians, it took five men with tazers to finally get her down- she was fourteen at the time."
Angel sat up straighter as he heard this, more than a little disbelieving.
"As I trained with her I figured out quickly that she was guarded when it came to the accident, whenever it was brought up, there was a dark glow in her eye that I don't think she was even aware of. I trained her like I had to and told her how she could get out fast, did my job quick and painless, but after that I made sure to keep in touch with her trainer; if power like that ever came out again I wanted to know about it. Which is why I was less than surprised when I found out about the demon attack she "˜saved' you from. But you know," Lindsay smirked. "This is all just pointless blab, not what you're here to know."
Angel barely suppressed the growl that erupted from him, it was nearing sunrise and he was in no mood for games.
"A few weeks ago I managed to steal some visions from one of the council's prophets. The messages were kinda scrambled but I got the main gist of it. The council's big secret- it's the answer to whatever's coming, not only that, but it has something to do with Buffy. What or how exactly I donno, but these changes that she's going through obviously play a big part here. That secret could be the beginning or end of the world, and given what I know about the council, somewhere; deep down in that soul of yours, you have the key to it. You need to research, look through anything and everything that might be relevant, do some "˜soul searching' or whatever just get it done and get it done fast."
"And why the hell would I do what you say?" Angel asked, his tone challenging.
Lindsay gave him a hard look.
"I uncovered something else when I robbed the prophet's mind; when the time comes, when this end of whatever crap finally comes to a peak? Your ass is gonna be on the line, and in the end, Buffy will be the one to fall. You doing "˜what the hell I say' might be the only chance she has, "˜cause if we can't figure this out? Bufy is dead."
With that, Lindsay got up and left the table, leaving a shocked Angel behind.
His mind seemed to freeze up as the words reached his ears, his mouth hanging open slightly. Buffy dead"¦ the very thought sent chills down her spine, fear quickly overtook him. His blonde beauty, full of so much life, lying dead on the ground, the mental images the words evoked were enough to make him sick.
Dazed, he somehow made his way out of the bar and across town, arriving at his apartment minutes before the sun would be up. Not bothering to get undressed, he made his way to his bedroom and sat on the edge of his bed, carefully running his hands over the silk sheets that she'd been on just few hours ago. This wasn't just dealing with an Armageddon anymore; it was something much deeper than that, something that stuck him hard. If he couldn't figure this out, if he couldn't do something right here, right now, not only could the world be changed dramatically, but Buffy would die. She would die and it would all be because he couldn't figure out the one thing that could help her; he would have killed the small blonde that he'd silently sworn to protect. The meaning of the words finally sinking in, Angel collapsed on his bed and did something that he hadn't done in as long as he could remember"¦ he cried.
End of Chapter Nineteen.
Anywho, enough of my writers blurb, enjoy! 😀
PS: Just wanted to wish good luck to all my fellow nominees for the "Storyteller Award" (and do a lil happy dance that I got nominated as well 😉), you are all very talented writers! :thumbsup:
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Chapter Nineteen
Buffy stared at the small phone in her hand, in too much shock to notice the surprised look on Angel's face, or the slight flash of worry that quickly flickered before his eyes.
She was on duty. Something that she had been wishing and working so hard for; all these years working up to this moment, and now it was here. She'd reached her goal- what she'd always wanted.
So why did she feel so strange? Why wasn't she bursting with joy and jumping up and down like she should be?
Before she had a chance to tackle those thoughts, Angel's arms wrapped around her and pulled her into a friendly embrace. Snapping out of her daze, she planted a smile on her face as he pulled back and gave her a happy and somewhat proud smile.
"Whoa, that's great Buffy, congratulations." He said sincerely, pushing his worries to the back of his mind.
Buffy gave him a small smile.
"Thanks." She said distractedly, still trying to brush off the strange feelings within her.
"Hey," Angel gave her a slightly concerned look, tilting her head gently so her eyes met his own. "Are you okay?"
"What? Oh yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just really really shocked I guess. Gonna take a while to sink in." she said, smiling a bit more.
Angel could tell as he looked into her eyes that she wasn't completely honest, that something was obviously off with her, but deciding that she'd tell him if or when she was ready, he let it go, nodding slightly.
"That's understandable"¦ any idea why they want to meet with you tomorrow?" he asked, as smoothly as he could.
"Oh, well I guess just to go over the rules and stuff. What my responsibilities are and that. It'll probably just be with a senior warrior or something as per usual, which is a bit disappointing since I'd love to see Garrison's face, but it's fine. Shouldn't take all that long. I'm gonna try and get my bike back when I'm there too, the "˜punishment' is technically over so it's only fair that I get it back right?"
Angel nodded, smirking at his memory of the loud vehicle from the night they met. Mostly because of his old-fashioned lifestyle, he'd never been a big fan of motorized vehicles (with the exception of a little red sports car back in the 1980's, which he's sworn never to speak of again) but it was obvious that Buffy had taken a great liking to them, which given her complex and unpredictable personality didn't really surprise him all that much.
Buffy, finally recalling why she'd come in here in the first place, quickly moved to pick up her phone and jacket once again. Angel, following suit; gathered the now forgotten books and moved towards the front entrance, his blonde companion trailing not too far behind.
Their walk across town was pleasantly uneventful; neither of the two spoke much at all (well, Buffy was oddly quiet and so really the only difference was that Angel had no one to listen to). Angel snuck a few side-glances at the blonde warrior before him, worried about her sudden change in demeanour. His initial reaction to her being put on duty was suspicious, given the council's attitude towards her in the past, he all-too surprised by their abrupt "˜change of heart'. Silently he hoped that his visit with Lindsay might help to clear things up a bit, perhaps someone who used to work for the council might have some idea of what they're doing.
Buffy, on the other hand, was too far in thought to notice his glances, or much else around her. The shock had started to die off, and as a result although she was happy about her "˜promotion', with it came some very real worries that shook her to her very core.
After her "breakdown" all those years ago, she'd spent months trying to regain some sense of balance within herself, as well as clarity over what happened that night. She could remember it, with vibrant detail and surround sound in fact, and although she understood why she had felt that way and what had led up to it, what she'd done that night was all an emotional daze for her; something that she'd never been able to completely work out. As for her "inner balance", she had done what she'd been told would get her out faster, and what she knew would more or less "fix" her problems enough for her to have a normal life again- she gave in. She let who she was move to the most guarded parts of her heart and decided on a main goal, one that she would do anything and everything to achieve, the reason she got up every morning- the goal that made her keep going day by day. And now, all these years later, she'd achieved it.
It was here, over with, done. A part of her was thrilled that she'd finally been accepted to do the job she knew she could handle, but a greater part of her was not only scared"¦ she was downright terrified. Her main focus all those years had been this- the thing that she had devoted everything to after her breakdown. It seemed like it was the only real thing she'd had to hold on to, the thing that had allowed her to be the person she was for the past five and a half years. And now it was gone. She no longer had that to work for and she couldn't help but wonder what she was going to do now; what she had to strive for. And most importantly, what did this mean for her as a person? Now that that "˜brace' was gone, what was really stopping her from going back to the way she was? True, she had noticed a significant change in herself since she'd met Angel; he seemed to slip through all the walls that had been guarding that part of her, and maybe because of that she felt at ease with him, like the Buffy-ish her just fell right into place again. But even then, when it came down to it she was more than capable of slipping back into her old attitude (some of which had unknowingly come out when she'd first introduced Angel to Lindsay), and now- with what she'd thought "˜held it' there gone, what was to keep her from going all emotionally-wacko again? Or worse, a repeat of the night that often went unspoken between her family and friends.
Sighing, she shook her head, a small voice inside her laughed while another part of her mentally kicked herself.
/This is what you get for not dealing with it then. /
Buffy suppressed a groan, unresolved issues- one thing that no matter how hard you try, always seem to come back and bite you in the ass.
Sighing, she looked up at Angel, finally noticing his eyes on her.
"What?" she asked, finally snapping out of her reverie.
Angel shrugged,
"I was just wondering if we were actually going to Giles' tonight, or if you've walked by it three times for any particular reason."
Buffy looked around and sure enough, they were a few yards past Giles' driveway, and judging by the time, a good twenty minutes later than they should be. A blush quickly crept across her features.
"Oh my god, sorry, kinda zoned out again." She offered weakly, turning towards the large building.
"Not a problem, although if you were to tell me what's bothering you we might be able to avoid this on our way home." He teased, only half-joking.
Buffy offered him a reassuring smile.
"It's nothing. See?" she said, twirling around slightly. "I'm fine, just a little dreamy; no big."
Angel raised an eyebrow, giving her that "and-you-honestly-expect-me-to-buy-that?" look. She merely rolled her eyes and walked inside the familiar home, hoping that he'd forget about it for a while. Knowing that the subject had officially been "dropped" and that it was pointless to continue with it for now, Angel shook his head and followed her inside and to the library, hearing what sounded like a stack of books drop as he walked into the large room.
Sure enough, there was Giles; a shocked look on his face and a pile of books now by his feet, he stared at Buffy; seemingly frozen to the spot. Tara quickly came through the doorway of Giles' office, obviously in search of the crash and not having heard whatever had just happened.
"Sorry, but, what did you say?" Giles chocked out, staring at Buffy as though she'd grown a second head.
"The council just called- they're putting me on duty, like active duty." Buffy said, amused by her trainer's unfathomable expression.
"Wha-? A- are you sure that you heard them right?"
Angel chose that moment to speak up,
"They phoned this afternoon, I was there. She's right."
Giles blinked a few times before all but falling into the nearest chair, muttering a "Dear lord" under his breath.
"Dear lord? As in bad dear lord?" Buffy asked, a worried expression crossing her features.
"No, no of course not Buffy, that's wonderful, congratulations." Giles said, giving her a fatherly smile. "Just give me a moment for my heart to start beating again."
Buffy smiled. Tara stepped forward, embracing her sister in a hug.
"That's really great Buffy! I'm happy for you, you've earned this a zillion times over!" she said with a smile.
"Thanks." Buffy said, blushing slightly at her sister's whole-hearted congrats.
"Here," Angel said, handing his small stack of books to Giles. "We found these at my apartment, there might still be a few more I haven't checked them all, but for now"¦"
Giles looked up at him in surprise, gratefully taking the offered volumes.
"Yes, well thank you these should shed some light"¦ my god, is this what I think it is?"
Angel shrugged, taking a seat by the large stack of books that again, seemed to have accumulated from nowhere.
"Angel some of these texts, they must be over thousands of years old. They were lost centuries ago."
Again Angel shrugged,
"When I was "¦early after my turning I seemed to acquire a taste for rare and ancient artefacts."
Giles nodded, being thoroughly informed of Angel's early "˜vamped' activities. Buffy however, who had yet to work up the guts to ask Angel about his soul, gave him a confused look.
"When you were what?" she asked, feeling as though she was missing a big piece of the puzzle.
Angel inwardly cringed, recalling their lack-of chats about his past, masking his reaction he gave her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry about it, I was just young." He said, silently berating himself.
/And just after you finished trying to get convince her not to keep secrets from you. /
Buffy, knowing how uncomfortable he was talking about his past, let it go and turned her attention to the mass of books that was the library table.
"Giles, where do you get all these?" she asked, groaning slightly.
Giles tore his eyes from the ancient texts, snapping out of what Buffy referred to as his "reading daze".
"Oh, well as you know this library is more than well stocked, and I'm afraid that given my former restrictions, I haven't had a chance to go through it all. It seems that the more and more we look, the more volumes we uncover that may point us in the right direction."
"May? As in all these books we're going through might not have anything to do with any of this?"
When Giles' didn't object, she groaned, her head already aching enough for one day. Sighing, she sat down next to Angel, pulling her chair suspiciously close to his; she started sorting through the books for one in what only Giles could reasonably call English.
-----
For a few hours the small group rummaged through the mountain of books, doing their best to scan through the pages and keep the finished books separate from those that they still had to read. Not much had been spoken, each too engrossed in their current volume to worry about making small talk. They'd silently formed a kind of order; Tara would go through the Latin books as best she could, while Giles took care of those in the foreign human languages he knew as well as a couple demon tongues he had a scant understanding of. Angel took care of the demon languages, as well as any Gaelic or ancient ones they'd come across; leaving Buffy to try and sort through the many English books at their disposal. Or what was called English, it had far too many cryptic and big old words that she could never understand for her liking.
They had migrated somewhat through the night, unknowingly placing their chair that much further from its original spot. Giles was sitting with a pot of strong black (hours old) coffee at the far end of the table, Tara sat close by, needing assistance with the occasional word here and there. Books were askew across the floor, counters, tables, chairs, etc"¦ everyone seeming to have their own "system" for filing. Tara, who had finally finished a large Latin volume on ancient civilizations (which, although somewhat interesting, hadn't included anything helpful), yawned, taking a sip of Giles' coffee, she took the short break to look around; smiling at the sight that greeted her. Silently, she nudged Giles, nodding towards their two companions when he looked up at her questioningly.
The two were sitting at the other end of the table, both pouring over their own volumes. Both their chairs had migrated over the last few hours though; now Angel was sitting at a strange, sideways angle with his legs stretched out in front of him, allowing Buffy to move her chair against his, leaning against his chest in weariness, her feet propped up on the table; making her seem like she was more laying down than sitting. Her eyes fell shut momentarily before she quickly darted them open again, obviously fighting off sleep as best she could. Angel had an arm wrapped comfortably around her shoulders, mindlessly toying with her long blonde locks as he was engrossed in a volume in some form of Gaelic. The two unknowingly made a beautiful (and sinfully cute) picture in their position, it was both surreal and heart warming to the trainer and sister. They were both glad that Buffy seemed to be happy again, having found someone who she was comfortable around, and who, unknown to her, cared about her a great deal. They had both figured that the two had grown close quickly, no doubt developing some form of a romantic relationship. But here it was; the living proof of what had grown between them. Knowing what they did, it was almost impossible to believe that by nature the two were enemies of one and other; each in a way, born to destroy the other at any cost. To any casual observer, it would seem quite the opposite.
Exchanging knowing smiles, Giles spoke up, noticing the time of night.
"Err, Angel, Buffy?" he asked softly, trying not to startle them
Angel looked up from his book, looking dazed for a minute before his eyes focused on Giles. Buffy, who seemed to be near slumber with her eyes closed, didn't move from her spot, or show any sign that she heard him at all.
"I think it would be best if you- and Buffy headed home." He said, smiling at Buffy's state.
Angel, suddenly dazed by the time (not expecting to have stayed that long), merely nodded and looked down, as though finally realizing Buffy was there. For not the first time, he was glad that he couldn't blush as he saw Tara and Giles' amused smiles. Gently, he shook Buffy, suppressing a laugh as she unconsciously moved further into the crook of his arm.
"Buffy." He said softly, shaking her a bit harder.
She snapped out of it with a start, her eyes searching wildly out of confusion.
"I'm here, just"¦. Reading?" she finished, remembering where and why she was here with a disbelieving groan.
Yawning, she sat up giving Giles an inquiring look.
"So, is there a reason you woke me up or are you just being mean?" she mumbled.
"It's late, we have to go." Angel said, placing his book back on the table.
"Yes, it would be best if you got some sleep as well, I can't imagine you being very lively for your meeting otherwise." Giles added.
Buffy nodded and got up; despite the pain it caused her stiff muscles. Looking at the clock, she was relieved to find that they still had several hours before the sun would be up (mostly because it rose so late nowadays), this way she and Angel wouldn't have to rush, and he could get in some whatever he did before he's trapped inside.
Quickly muttering their goodbyes, the pair left silently, walking hand in hand down the dark streets of the colony. It wasn't long before they were in front of a familiar metal door, Buffy turned to her companion.
"Thanks for walking me home." She said with a slight smile, silently wishing he didn't have to go.
He smiled.
"I'll see you later?"
"Yeah, sounds good."
"Goodnight." Angel said, before planting a soft, sweet kiss on her lips.
Smiling, he pulled back and moved down the hall, and for the second time she found herself staring at the now empty space with an unsaid goodbye. Sighing, she moved into her apartment, suppressing a growl. Angel was wonderful, caring, smart, strong; but thank the gods he was that good a kisser because sometimes he was damn well the most frustrating man she'd ever met.
-----
Angel, however, stayed in the shadows until she was inside, before quickly slipping out of the complex. Looking to the skies, and thankful that Giles had asked them to leave when he did, the tall vampire took off not towards his apartment, but in the opposite direction- a direction that would hopefully, lead him to some answers.
The small bar was busier than it had been before, but even as Angel stepped in he immediately noted how little it differed from before. There were a few demons sitting at a table close to the exit, obviously wary of uninvited guests. At the bar, however, were what looked like several groups of what Angel immediately recognized as vampires and demons, all in their seemingly human forms. He wouldn't say that the place was "packed" but without a doubt oddly busy. Looking around, he noticed that the table in the far, dark corner was once again occupied; there was one familiar face, given the vibe Angel got from him obviously Lindsay, with someone else who was too cloaked by the shadows to see.
Stepping to the bar, he quietly ordered a drink to blend in better; after taking a few sips he casually made his way towards the corner table, the whispers of the mystery man immediately stopping as he approached. Immediately aware of whom he was, Lindsay stood up, obviously expecting him.
"Angel, good to see you again." He said, although his voice was still slightly guarded.
Angel nodded, and stepped closer, barely masking his surprise as the other man's face came into view.
"You too"¦" he paused, turning to the other man, "the both of you."
The familiar British man turned to Lindsay, as though asking if he knew who and what Angel was.
"Don't worry, we made an appointment." Lindsay said, sensing the man's worries.
Wesley nodded, his visage surprisingly different from last Angel saw of him. Physically he looked the same, but his eyes had taken on a slightly darker, more dangerous edge.
"Yes, we will continue this at a later date. If you'll excuse me." Wes said, nodding goodbye to them both before standing and leaving the bar.
"Take a seat my friend." Lindsay said, motioning to the chair across from his own as he sat down.
Angel followed suit, carefully looking around the bar.
"Oh, don't worry; they're too busy worrying to listen in tonight."
Angel looked at the many demons curiously, noticing in particular a bleach-blonde male standing with his arm protectively over a small brunette girl's shoulders.
"What are they?" he asked warily, still uneasy about discussing Buffy in public.
"Rebels. Demons mostly, but a few humans- and half humans. They've been hiding out for years, but with the council kicking up their patrols it's getting harder and harder for them to survive. They meet here every now and then, trying to figure out some sort of plan. Wes and Doyle have both been trying to help "˜em out. That guy," he said, motioning to the blonde, "Is one of the leaders I guess you could say. He's not in charge or anything but he's their strongest fighter- a vampire, you've probably heard of him; Spike?"
"William the Bloody." Angel murmured, recognizing the name from over the years. He and William had met not long after he was turned, helped each other out in Italy a while back.
"That's the one. Not so bloody anymore though, had a change of heart a century or two ago after he found out that his sister- actual sister had been turned not long after he had. Took her under his wing, all he's care about is protecting her ever since. He's a good man, got all that honour and loyalty crap, but really just wants this over as much of the rest of us."
Angel nodded, looking towards the frail, somewhat nerdy brunette again, realizing that she must be the sister he'd spoke of.
"What about Wes, since when is he playing on our side?"
Lindsay shrugged,
"Not long, switched over a few weeks back, guess I have you to thank for that one." At Angel's curious glance, he continued, "Apparently when he saw you all down and crazy over your girl and it touched him, made him rethink a few things. A couple days later he tracked down Doyle, asked him how he could get in on the action."
Angel didn't respond, just took another slug of the liquor, although a part of him was glad he'd made an impact like that; he was still a little disturbed by it all, not used to being around people whatsoever, never mind changing their life's path.
"But you're not here for the crowd, you're here because you're worried about a little blonde that we all know and love." Angel growled slightly. "Some of us more than others."
"What do you know?" Angel asked, getting annoyed by the man's attitude.
"Buffy, she's a fighter, has a lot of power. Way more than us, but she's not aware of it, her dark side isn't a physical part of her yet, not like you and me."
"And what exactly are you?" Angel retorted.
Lindsay sighed, silently ordering another beer with a wave.
"You know," he started, nodding to the bartender as he handed him a tall glass. "That right there is a long story I really wasn't going to tell you at first, but then I found out about you, and I thought that considering how much we have in common, I might have to."
Angel raised an eyebrow, awaiting an explanation.
"You see Angel, a few years back, I was one of the key players in the council, top of the act, rising higher and higher everyday. I didn't give a damn about "˜the mission' or whatever the hell the line was they fed us all back then, I was in it for the power, and at the time, they could give it to me. But then, one bright and sunny day, I met a demon. He was dying, said that he could give me more power than I could have ever imagined, and so, of course I took it. I merged myself with him just as he passed away, had all his power and aspects transferred into me, making me"¦ half- demon I guess you could say. And as a result, I suddenly had the best of both worlds, power from both sides; the demons and the council. It lasted over a year, was about to be Quentin's second hand man but then Garrison ordered some idiots to follow me, and not too long after, the council had resigned my commission and started sending their most elite "˜disposal force' after me."
Taking a deep breath, he held up his hand, showing off his golden band on his finger.
"This ring, it keeps me cloaked from any magical or technological detection. It's the reason that the council hasn't been able to find me, but you? You don't have this luxury, nah you have something a hell of a lot better."
"Buffy?" Angel asked hesitantly, after a moment's silence.
"Wow look at the new guy, got it in one. You see, the one thing about being me is that you learn things, you know stuff before the person who told you really has a comprehension of it and that gives me the upper hand. Or, in this case, both of us. See Angel, the council, like every other person on this earth is afraid. I mean ya, they go on with all this "˜ending the war' crap but really none of it matters, the truth is they want this war to keep going, if it weren't for them it would probably be over by now. And that right there is something you're going to keep in mind for a while now, because it plays a key part in what I'm about to tell you."
Lindsay paused, taking another slug of beer.
"They tell you why you're here?" he asked, turning to the vampire once again.
"No." Angel said plainly, not knowing why that mattered.
Lindsay laughed.
"Nah, they wouldn't have told a guy like you. Too much danger. And that's really all this is about, danger- control- and power. You and I have something in common Angel, we have power over them. And I'm not talking about the demon I mean the kind they fear most- we have knowledge. I know pretty much everything anyone knows about this war, and you my friend know something too."
"And what's that?"
Lindsay shrugged.
"Well to be honest I was kinda hoping you'd tell me. You're old Angel, ancient really. But for hundreds of years you were a bystander, you didn't participate in what was going on and because of that you saw things- details, and you remember them. The council hides a lot of things, one, obviously has something to do with this war. Their goal is to stay in power, and they'll do anything to reach it. They fear what they don't understand, and when they're afraid of something they'll do one of two things: kill it, or try and control it. And that is why you're here. Somewhere inside you, whether you know about it or not, you have some knowledge that they see as a threat. I don't know a lot about what this big secret is, I discovered it just before I was fired, and I've been looking ever since. It happened a long time ago, when this war started and I donno whatever the hell it was but you were there for it and it changed the face of the world. And now they're terrified that the secret's gonna come out, which is probably the reason that they brought you here- to try and control you, keep you from saying anything."
Angel sighed,
"I still don't get it, what does any of this have to do with me? Of Buffy for that matter?"
Lindsay smiled.
"I met Buffy about five years ago, when she was hospitalized for what the council liked to call a mental breakdown. I don't know the details but at the time I was assigned to her, to make sure that she caught up on her basic attack training. Naturally I looked into her case and found something that peaked my interest. She took down three teams worth of warriors and six civilians, it took five men with tazers to finally get her down- she was fourteen at the time."
Angel sat up straighter as he heard this, more than a little disbelieving.
"As I trained with her I figured out quickly that she was guarded when it came to the accident, whenever it was brought up, there was a dark glow in her eye that I don't think she was even aware of. I trained her like I had to and told her how she could get out fast, did my job quick and painless, but after that I made sure to keep in touch with her trainer; if power like that ever came out again I wanted to know about it. Which is why I was less than surprised when I found out about the demon attack she "˜saved' you from. But you know," Lindsay smirked. "This is all just pointless blab, not what you're here to know."
Angel barely suppressed the growl that erupted from him, it was nearing sunrise and he was in no mood for games.
"A few weeks ago I managed to steal some visions from one of the council's prophets. The messages were kinda scrambled but I got the main gist of it. The council's big secret- it's the answer to whatever's coming, not only that, but it has something to do with Buffy. What or how exactly I donno, but these changes that she's going through obviously play a big part here. That secret could be the beginning or end of the world, and given what I know about the council, somewhere; deep down in that soul of yours, you have the key to it. You need to research, look through anything and everything that might be relevant, do some "˜soul searching' or whatever just get it done and get it done fast."
"And why the hell would I do what you say?" Angel asked, his tone challenging.
Lindsay gave him a hard look.
"I uncovered something else when I robbed the prophet's mind; when the time comes, when this end of whatever crap finally comes to a peak? Your ass is gonna be on the line, and in the end, Buffy will be the one to fall. You doing "˜what the hell I say' might be the only chance she has, "˜cause if we can't figure this out? Bufy is dead."
With that, Lindsay got up and left the table, leaving a shocked Angel behind.
His mind seemed to freeze up as the words reached his ears, his mouth hanging open slightly. Buffy dead"¦ the very thought sent chills down her spine, fear quickly overtook him. His blonde beauty, full of so much life, lying dead on the ground, the mental images the words evoked were enough to make him sick.
Dazed, he somehow made his way out of the bar and across town, arriving at his apartment minutes before the sun would be up. Not bothering to get undressed, he made his way to his bedroom and sat on the edge of his bed, carefully running his hands over the silk sheets that she'd been on just few hours ago. This wasn't just dealing with an Armageddon anymore; it was something much deeper than that, something that stuck him hard. If he couldn't figure this out, if he couldn't do something right here, right now, not only could the world be changed dramatically, but Buffy would die. She would die and it would all be because he couldn't figure out the one thing that could help her; he would have killed the small blonde that he'd silently sworn to protect. The meaning of the words finally sinking in, Angel collapsed on his bed and did something that he hadn't done in as long as he could remember"¦ he cried.
End of Chapter Nineteen.