LIFE'S A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION: Part Seven
by Pen Horwitz
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the A:ts or B:tVS characters. In point of fact they belong to Joss Wheadon, Fox Television Production, and Mutant Enemy. This is just a creative exercise and not intended to infringe on any trademarks
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Part Seven
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An Interlude between the Darkness and the Light
He was waiting for her outside the cemetery. He saw her eyes light when she saw the car.
"Nice. When did you take up driving?" Brigid circled the car. "And when did you take up classics? Wait... Let me guess... Trunk space."
"Excuse me?" He asked confused.
"'The nineteen six-two caddie has the most trunk space of any car made in the last thirty years.' That's a paraphrase of course."
"Of what? The Detroit Automaker's history guide?"
"No," green eyes twinkled with mirth in the darkness. "_Forever_Knight_. Don't tell me you didn't watch it?"
"No, I avoid fairy-tales. Shows like that, plus people like Anne Rice made it a lot easier for vampires to feed, and spread their lovely little brand of evil."
Eyes, that moments before shown like stars, became emerald pointed daggers staring right into his soul. "And where do you fit in?"
"I don't. I'm a loose end."
"No, Angel, never that." She walked toward him with cat-like grace. He was captivated by the way she moved. God help him, he was falling all over again. She needed him, and much to his surprise he realized how much he needed her too. For the first time in his existence he accepted his fate gladly. The touch of her comforting hand covering his felt like fire, burning away all rational thought. He pulled her close, kissing her deeply. He could hear her heartbeat, feel the warmth flowing through her veins.
She pushed him away. "No! All you're seeing is Buffy, and all I'm feeling is her's too. I want a normal life."
He wanted to protest but he couldn't. He loved her too much. In his heart he knew what he saw, and it wasn't the pale shadow of Buffy Summers, as Brigid claimed. But if this was what she wanted, he'd respect her wishes, and wait... And hope.
"Anyway, I should get back. I promised Justin I'd be there when he arrived." She continued, her voice taking on a business like tone.
"Justin?" He winced as soon as he got the name out. [Great, Angel. Really well done.], he kicked himself mentally.
Before she could answer another voice intruded. "How sweet, but Angel I thought that you're taste ran into blondes... Oh I forgot, you don't kill anymore do you?"
A stake flashed into Brigid's hand as Angel stepped in front of her to confront this new threat. "Diana, I didn't think you'd reveal yourself so soon. Why don't you show yourself? Hell, I'd even say it was good to see you, even though we'd both know I was lying."
"How very droll, Angel. How many of our kind have you destroyed recently?" The voice asked from the shadows.
"Oh, I lost count after I broke into your place in Vienna. Sorry about your 'wine cellar'." He grinned, "And your sister thought I was sick. At least I'm not bringing humans over, keeping them captive, and then in a year or two feeding off of them."
"I'll make you pay for that."
He sneered, "You can try, Diana. Please, be my guest. I'm looking forward to it."
Her harsh laughter came from all sides. "Hiding behind your precious mortal? That's not like you."
"Why don't you come out so Angel can properly introduce us?" Brigid called out guilelessly as she gripped the stake in her hand.
"Oh no, little Slayer, if that's what you are, I have plans for you."
Brigid's grin was humorless as she spoke. "What, no dinner and movie first? Anyway, I really don't think your my type."
Diana chuckled from wherever she was hiding. "Actually, I prefer 'live' entertainment, as it were, and I think hunting season's about to begin."
"Angel, LOOK OUT!" She barreled into him as something hissed through the air. He hit the ground and turned to see the impact of a crossbow bolt into Brigid's body. He expected her to scream, but all was silence. Time slowed as she turned to face her shooter, one of Diana's minions. Pain twisted her mouth into a soundless snarl. When she found her voice again, it rose, not in a scream of agonizing pain, but a terrifying battle roar. She covered the ground between herself the her attacker with inhuman speed and tore the crossbow from his hands. There was a loud *CRACK* as the weapon broke in half. The stock of the crossbow now became it's shooter's demise as Brigid slid the length of wood into the vampire's heart. She then turned to Angel. "Are you all right?", she asked him calmly. He managed a stunned nod, still amazed at the sheer ferocity of her attack. She smiled, blinked twice, and then collapsed.
Angel caught her before she hit the ground. Cradling her against him, he swore softly, "I'll see you in Hell for this, Diana." Carefully, he picked the wounded girl up and place her in the car.
* * *
As Jenny watch Giles pace, it bothered her that there was so much she hadn't told him, even now. Things like why she had originally come to Sunnydale, her relationship to Angel, and how she had to prevent what she saw growing between the vampire and Brigid Giles. It was still strange to think of her as Rupert's daughter. Jenny loved him, and knew that anything happened between Brigid and Angel; Rupert would be hurt as well. Damn, it was so unfair! She owed her life to Angel. After all, he risked himself to save her from Eyghon. She wished she could make her clan understand that the curse and the years had changed him. Angel was again Angelus Cu Mhurchu, not Angelus the Damned who had destroyed so many of her people. Jenny realized he'd come full circle, now maybe it was time the clan realized it too.
The phone rang and Rupert pounced on it, "Hello?" Jenny looked up curiously and her heart stopped as Giles' face blanched, "No... Please tell me she's all right." A lifetime passed before he spoke again. "Thank God for small favors. Yes, I know Justin. He's coming here? All right, I'll see you in a half an hour. Goodbye."
"Was that Brigid?" She asked anxiously.
"Angel. Brigid's been shot." He said in the voice of a man who's worst fears had been realized.
* * *
Brigid looked around, wondering what the heck had happened. The last thing she remembered was seeing the bolt flying toward Angel. She didn't recognize where she was. She saw figures in the distance, and moved towards them, hoping someone could tell her what the hell happened to her.
Then she saw it, and a sick terror filled her. Laid before her, on a bier, was a body burned beyond recognition. "You killed her." said a voice from her left and she turned to find her father standing staring at the body.
She shook her head. "No, Dad, it's not true and you know it! I didn't want Buffy to die."
"But she did die, and it was all your fault." Anger darkened his eyes. "And now you're trying to take her place. Do you really think you can? We both know you're worthless. After all, you were just a burden to your mother, and your real father knew better than to have anything to do with you!"
"Stop it! Stop it!" Brigid felt the tears burn her eyes as she tried to run, but Giles grabbed her shoulders, holding her fast.
"Take a good look at what you've done, and remember that you will never be half the Slayer she was."
"I seriously doubt that." An intruder stepped into the light, and smiled. "I think she's done a great job so far, and hey, she's adjusting a heck of a lot better than I ever did."
Brigid took a close look at the newcomer. "Buffy?"
The blonde Slayer smiled brightly. "The one and only. I noticed that someone was messing with your head, and thought it'd be a good time to do my usual 'throw a monkey wrench into the works' bit." She waved a hand at Giles and the body. "As Xander was so fond of saying, 'someone's been naughty.'" She paused and studied Brigid for a moment "Does he still say that?"
"Huh?" Brigid felt slightly overwhelmed, "Not that I've heard... What?"
"I keep forgetting this whole Slayer thing is still new to you, especially considering you handle yourself better that I did at the beginning." Buffy linked arms with her living counterpart and dragged her away. "Come on, I know a nicer place to chat."
Brigid blinked her eyes, and the scene shifted. She now stood in a well appointed, homey kitchen. She had never been there in her life, but she knew it well. "Buffy, what's going on?" She gestured to the new surroundings. "Am I dead?"
"Nah, this is just a dream. Whoever it was who was playing with your brain was playing hardball. Have any ideas about the guilty party?"
"Her name's Diana. She's rather twisted, even for a vampire, but how could she know about all this?"
Buffy shrugged as she sat down on a stool. "I don't think she knows, but I'd say she's trying to use your fears against you. Nightmares are pretty powerful stuff. Trust me, I've got first hand experience."
"So am I dreaming you?"
"Sorta... I mean we have this link thing going, and I needed to talk to you about some stuff, anyway. So, I popped in and ruined the fun." Buffy sat quietly for a moment. "We have a lot in common, besides the slayer stuff, we both got a second lease on life. We both had to survive Giles as a father figure, which I must admit I do not envy you in the least."
Brigid looked sourly at her companion, "He's the only real father I ever had, Buffy, and while he's traditional, stuffy, and archaic at times, he's been there for me. He didn't have to take me in. Hell, he could have sent me packing to my grandmother, but he didn't. I love him very dearly, and consider myself extremely lucky." She saw the hurt in Buffy's eyes, and realized how badly she'd put her foot in her mouth. "Anyway, he is _my_ father, and I'm the only one who can rag on him for it."
That brought a grin back to the blonde Slayer's face. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. You're right. It's just that even though you get a new perspective on life after you die, some old habits just refuse to go bye bye, making fun of Giles' lack of a life is one of them. Just please tell me he's stopped dressing in tweed."
Brigid smiled as she shook her head, and Buffy groaned, "Well, there goes the little slice of peace I had in my afterlife, but that's another subject all together. I want to talk to you about Angel."
"What about him?" Brigid asked suspiciously.
"Oh please, don't tell me you haven't noticed him?"
Brigid didn't like the way this conversation was going. "What's there to notice?" Buffy looked at her with a disbelieving glare. "Okay, so he's beautiful and charming, but that doesn't mean I have to fall all over him. He's a vampire, I'm the Slayer, and you of all people should know that this isn't a good mix!"
"Are you expecting a normal love life?" Buffy asked. "Because if you are, I hate to tell you, but it isn't in the cards. Angel's a great guy, and deserves to be loved. He's spent a hundred years suffering for somebody else's evil."
Brigid snorted, "So you're saying I should take up with him to make him feel better. Great."
"No, damn it! I'm saying that if you feel something for him, don't write it off. Don't try to tell me you don't feel anything, and don't try lying about it either, I know you."
Brigid conceded her losses. "Fine but I need to know something first. Why did he leave?"
The face of the Slayer became pensive. "You're really asking is he going to abandon you, right? I never meant to leave you with that impression. It was unfair of me. You have to understand, he was being taken away from me, on my birthday, and I couldn't do a damn thing about it!" Buffy pushed herself out of her seat and began to pace. "I knew why he had to go, but I was selfish. And a part of me never forgave him for it. For all my Slayer maturity, I was still just seventeen." Her voice filled those last words with bitter regret.
None of this recital meshed with the image Brigid had of the former Slayer. There was an emotional growth that didn't fit with her memories, almost as if acquired after death. "I'll give him a chance, Buffy. I owe you that much."
The blonde Slayer smiled at her successor, "Don't do it for me. Do it because you care about him... And kick him in the butt once and a while. It keeps him humble."
The younger woman felt this reality start to slip away, "Anything else before I go?"
"Yes, there are very few people you can trust. Keep your eyes peeled, and good luck." The voice faded and Brigid opened her eyes.
End Chapter Seven
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