Ain't destiny's grand?: Chapter 15
by i_hate_mornings
Disclaimer: Only the story line is mine. Every now and then I use quotes as I’m sure you’ve seen. They are also not mine. Obviously.
Chapter 15
It was in the wee hours of the morning when Giles finally finished explaining things to Xander. The boy sat there, stunned, as everyone continued to watch him. Giles and Wesley had the same disapproving looks on their faces at Buffy’s decision to tell her friend everything. Buffy had argued that he had read her diary, there fore he already knew most of it and Angel had to agree with her. It would probably be best if the boy knew it ll. There was no way it could have been kept from him much longer anyway.
Like tonight for example. How had Buffy and Willow expected to hide things from him? There was no way he could have just wandered around the mansion while they had a secret meeting. The boy would have tired of exploring quickly before searching out the two girls. Surely he would have walked into one of their research sessions.
Buffy looked devastated and happy at the same time. He knew she was happy that she didn’t have to keep this secret from him anymore, though she was upset that he had now been brought into this world. The vampire looked around the room at his friends and family and he half-smiled. Yeah, it was good to have people who cared and who already knew about what really went bump in the night.
He really hoped the boy accepted this because Buffy needed all the allies she could get if she were to stay alive. Xander seemed to be a very loyal young man, he protected the ones he loved and they in turn protected him.
Buffy leaned forward and put her hand on they boys knee. ‘I know it’s a lot to take in,’ she said soothingly and Xander shook his head, finally coming out of his clouded mind.
‘Actually,’ he said slowly, nodding his head. ‘It explains a lot. Especially Jesse. I knew he wasn’t stabbed by a barbeque fork. He hated barbeques.’
Buffy rubbed his knee comfortingly and Angel felt a wave of a jealousy hit him in solar plexus. He barely stopped himself from growling. A smirk from Connor showed him he wasn’t completely successful.
Xander shakily stood from the chair and Buffy and Willow rose with him. He brushed off their concern and decided to head for home. Angel almost laughed out load when the boy stopped at the door and motioned Buffy over. Even though they were over near the door, Angel heard clearly- thanks to his enhanced senses- Xander ask Buffy to walk him home. He did chuckle, however, when the boy told the Slayer ‘I want to have dinner, not be dinner.’
Buffy gave in and walked the boy home. Angel sat still for about two minutes after she left before he got up without a word and followed them.
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Buffy walked in silence from the mansion, leaving Xander to mull things over as he walked beside her. She knew he take fairly well when he got over the shock. His first reaction had been extreme, because of the confrontation with Cordelia. Buffy was still dying to know what the Seer had said to Xander and Willow but she kept quiet. They’d tell her if they wanted to.
She knew as soon as she’d heard about their friend Jesse’s death that it had been a vampire attack. First Willow knew. Now Xander knew. Thee was no going back for him. He knew now. Never again would he walk down the street without worries. He would live with the same paranoia as everyone else. Forever feeling eyes watching him from the darkness, forever feeling followed when he was out for a walk. Every plant would seem to move, every bush seem to leap out at him. Every tree, wall house, could have vamps hiding in it or behind it. Never again would he feel safe in his own home.
Buffy had changed his whole world in one night and she had no idea whether he thought it a change for the good or the bad. He continued to stare at the pavement as they walked, a frown marring his boyish face.
A tingling at the base of her spire alerted her to the souled vampire’s presence. He was following them and she couldn’t help the smile that blossomed on her face at his concern for her safety. It was sweet; in a stalkerish kind of way.
Xander’s house came into view an Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. Soon he would be home in his bed and when he woke up he would be in full ‘Yay Buffy’s a Slayer’ mode. Hopefully.
The house was dark, only the kitchen seemed lit an Buffy frowned. Her frown deepened as she remembered his parents were away. ‘Are you sure you’ll be okay? Wills and I could spend the night if you wanted,’ she offered but mopey brunette shook his head.
‘As great as that sounds, I think I’m just gonna have a bath and get some sleep. Heaps to think about you know?’ he said with a small smile. At least he’s trying, she thought. ‘Although if you throw in a couple of pizzas and an Indian movie for tomorrow night, I’m there.’
Buffy laughed and Xander grinned in return. ‘Indian?’ she raised an eyebrow. ’Nice one, Cowboy.’
‘What?’ Xander looked at her puzzled.
‘Huh?’
‘Cowboy?’
‘Oh. Duh, Cowboy’s and Indians,’ she said, mimicking and an Indian throwing an axe. ‘You know?’
‘That’s not what I meant,’ he grinned, shaking his head in disappointment. ‘Don’t you know anything. It’s one of mine and Willows ritual's. Indian movies and pizza.’
‘Yeah,’ Buffy nodded.
‘I mean Taxi driver Indian’s, not Cowboy’s and Indian’s,’ he explained and she got it.
‘Right. Indian movies. Like Bollywood?’
‘Yeah,’ he agreed excitedly. ‘She’s got it. By George, I think she’s got it,’ he cried out to the night and Buffy shook her head.
‘I can’t believe you’ve seen My Fair Lady. That is so sad.’
‘Just you wait until Miss Rosenberg gets her hooks into you, missy,’ he warned. ‘You’ll watch what you're told to.’
Buffy smile and patted him on the shoulder. ‘Goodnight Xander.’
‘Night Buff. Going straight back to the mansion?’
‘Nah, I’m gonna patrol a little then head back. Bye.’
She watched Xander enter his house then turned on her heel and strolled towards Shady Hill. The cemetery was one of her favourites. There was always a vamp there.
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The moment Buffy entered the cemetery she knew something was wrong. The air was too still, too quiet. No wind, no animal noises, nothing. She drew a stake from the waistband of her pants and clutched it tightly as she moved with fluid grace around the gravestones.
A shrill whistle sounded across the graveyard and Buffy’s heart picked up it’s pace. Finally, something was happening. Lately she’d been feeling seriously unchallenged. She rounded a mausoleum and froze.
Three vampire were standing over a grave, watching as the top soil began to move. Buffy realised what was happening too late. The newbie punched it’s way from the grave at the same moment the vamps became conscious of her presence. They turned to her, full vamp face and she smiled.
‘Oops,’ she shrugged unapologetically. ‘Is this a private gathering or can anyone join in? I can go get snacks,' she offered perkily and the vamps snarled and took a step towards her.
’Okay, so you don’t like the idea of snacks. My bad.’ One lunged for her and she sidestepped it, plunging her stake into it’s chest. ‘They’d just give you heartburn anyway,’ she said reasonably as it exploded into dust. She sneezed.
The remaining vamps charged her as the fledgling continued to pull itself from the grave. She blocked a punch to the face and threw the vamp of her shoulder, bringing it down with a bone jarring crack onto a near by headstone. The other vamp caught her in the chest with a kick and she stumbled back. They’re a lot stronger than they should be, she rubbed her chest unhappily.
She ducked under the branch one of the vamps swung at her, then sucker-punched it in the face until it relinquished the branch. She wrapped the branch around one vamps head while she kicked the other in the chin. It howled in agony and she brought the tree limb around and shoved it towards the vamps heart. It looked at her disbelievingly before it dusted.
Buffy collapsed to the ground as she felt something hard hit her head. A sharp laugh made her cringe as she lay on the damp ground. She rolled over and tried to pull herself to her feet. Little birdies danced across her vision as she struggled to get up. That bastard hit me with part of a broken gravestone, she thought angrily as the birdies cleared. The fledgling had freed itself now and stood with the last of the original three.
A quick feeling of the back of her head let Buffy know she’d need a couple of stitches. Her hand came away bloody and the vamps clumsily charged her, driven by the smell of her blood. Slayers blood. She raised a shaking hand to fight them off but knew she was too badly hurt. Where’s Angel?
The first vamp lashed out at her and she flung it away. A long scratch appeared on its chest from the forgotten stake still clutched tightly in her hand. The fledgling grabbed her arm and tried to bite down. She angrily shook it off, knocking it off balance. She kicked it in the knee, shattering its kneecap. She brought the stake down Buffy was flung aside before she could connect.
She fell to the ground and realised, with no small amount of worry, she was having trouble getting to her feet. A roar broke the eerie stillness of the graveyard and Buffy smiled through her pain. The vamps were looking around wildly, searching for the source of the feral sound. Angel appeared out of nowhere, black duster billowing out behind him as he thundered towards the now scared looking vamps.
He picked the stronger one up and threw it across the graveyard. Buffy grinned with satisfaction as it hit the wall of a mausoleum and didn’t get up. Buffy found full movement returning so she unsteadily crawled to her feet.
She went after the vamp Angel had thrown. It wasn’t as injured as Buffy thought it was. It was on it’s feet and brushing itself off as she got to it. She noted with no small amount of annoyance that she’d lost her stake when she’d fell.
The vamp, figuring it would be better to go after the more injured of the two, growled at Buffy and reached for her neck. It wrapped a hand around her throat before she could stop it. Feigning weakness, she slackened in the vamps grip, causing it to stumble back. A little shove had the vamp falling backwards, losing its footing. It fell against the tree behind it. Buffy watched with satisfaction as it looked down in disbelief. A branch had penetrated its heart in the fall.
Angel stood off to the side, watching closely. She gave him a weak smile before she sank gratefully to the solid ground. He rushed over to support her and she shook her head. ‘I’m okay, just need to rest a little.’
He sat down behind her and she rested back against him. He wrapped a strong am around her waist and stroked her wrist as they sat there. Buffy pulled his arm tighter around herself, loving the feel of his body so close to hers. Though the night was chilly and Angel's skin more of the cool persuasion, his contact warmed her like no heater ever could. He pulled her tighter against his chest and she leaned her head back so he could rest his chin. She felt so right in his arms, so safe and loved.
‘That was close, Buffy,’ he said quietly, his concern for her coating the words.
‘I know,’ she replied just as quiet. ‘I’m sorry.’
One large hand cradled her head. ‘No, I’m sorry. I was following you. I saw you leave Xander’s and I knew you were concerned about him so I lingered for a few moments, to make sure he was okay. I should have stayed with you.’
‘They were strong,’ she whispered thoughtfully. ‘Stronger than the regular vamps around here. Something was off there.’
She felt Angel’s body tense. She turned her head to look at him. ‘What is it?’
‘They were stronger? Are you sure?’ he brushed a loose hair off of her forehead.
‘Yep,’ Buffy confirmed. ‘Much stronger than the average vamp,’ she paused and turned fully to look at him. ‘That’s not the only thing that was weird though. When I found them, they were waiting for the newbie to rise. What vamp does that?’
‘We should go see Giles,’ Angel started to get up but Buffy held him in place. ‘What is it?’ he asked her concernedly as he settled back down. ‘Are you hurt?’
Buffy examined his face for a moment before she took his head in both hands and drew him down for a kiss. She sighed as their lips met, relishing the contact. His tongue beseeched access to her mouth and she happily open her lips wider. Could you die from just a kiss, she wondered hazily. If so, she’d snuff it anytime now. One of his hands came up to cradle her face while the other sank into her silky hair. She smiled against his lips and deepened the kiss.
The kiss seemed to last for ages, neither wanting to break the contact. Buffy abruptly jerked way, a small mewl of pain escaped her lips as Angel’s hand brushed over the gash from the headstone.
‘’Are you okay?’ he asked her, his breathing heavy. Buffy still marvelled at his habitual breathing. Most vamps just gave up the pretence.
‘Fine,’ she winced. ‘One of the bastards got me with part of a gravestone. Bled for a little, may need stitches.’
‘Can I… let me see,’ he tried to turn her so he could see the wound. She obligingly turned around and his large hands softly probed the healing wound. ‘You’re right. That’s going to need a few stitches. We better get you to the hospital.’
‘No,’ she shook her head. ‘Just take me to Giles.’
‘Buffy-’ he began to argue but she cut him off.
‘NO. No hospitals, please,’ her fear of hospitals was kicking in big time. ‘Just let’s go to Giles.’
Angel studied her for a moment and Buffy tried to hide what she was feeling. He must have seen her fear, however, because he relented. ‘Okay, Giles it is. But your not walking,’ he slid an arm around her back and one under her legs then lifted her into his arms. She rested her head on his hard chest.
He carried her all the way back to the mansion, not once seeming to notice the burden that was the Slayer. She smiled as she felt her eyes close. It was nice to be looked after or once. Maybe she could get him to do it more often.
I hope this is a better quality. My cat is recovering nicely now so I’m a little happier. Half of her head is shaved and she has to wear one of those huge collars, it’s so cute. She looks like E.T. I will review the last chapter at some point.
Feedback is always appreciated.
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