Desperate Acts: Part Seven
by Wravyn
They're not mine, and we all know it.


Angel left the mansion as soon as the sun set, intent on discovering what this new Sunnydale was like. < I wonder if Spike and Dru are around, > he thought idly, as he made his way to the Bronze. < I haven’t seen any signs of vampires yet. Something’s up. > He walked quickly to the club on the so-called “bad” side of town, hoping to avoid any vampires that may be out on the prowl tonight. No such luck.

“Hey ... you look familiar. Angel, huh? I’ve heard of you. You’re the Slayer’s pet, aren’t you?” The vampire stepped out from behind one of the trees lining the avenue. The young male was obviously a fledgling no more than a few years old. It was always the young ones that tended to act rashly. Most vampires would not dare to face the infamous Angel with so little experience. It was a shame that all of them were usually cocky, careless fighters who were out to make a reputation for themselves.

“You don’t look so tough. Wait’ll the guys hear that I killed the vampire formerly known as Angelus!” The fledgling laughed at his own joke, and lunged towards Angel with a snarl. A punch, a kick, and a well-aimed stake later, the young vampire was dust. Angel sighed and brushed off the ash that had inadvertently got on his clothes then continued on his way. There were no more incidents that night.


* * *
Angel entered the Bronze and was hit with the familiar sight of the place. he thought. He reminded himself that this was not his world, and once again looked around for anything suspicious. He saw nothing suspicious, but he did see ... Buffy.

She was beautiful. She looked exactly as he remembered her, her blonde hair shining under the lights, her body moving sensually to the music. He was dancing with that annoying boy that Cordelia inexplicably liked – Xander. Jealousy coursed through him, but then he remembered what Cordelia had said about his recent relationship with Willow. he brooded. It didn’t matter, anyway. He felt a pang of regret that he couldn’t go near her, their relationship being on the realm of nonexistence right now. He turned to leave, unable to keep the emotions from flooding over him. Love, lust, want, longing ... whatever it was, it had the usual effect on him. Pain. He gave one more look at the Slayer and stopped. She had seen him standing in the shadows. And she was smiling. At him.


* * *
Buffy saw Angel lurking about and a huge grin spread through her features. She grabbed the arm of the boy dancing next to her and whispered excitedly. “Xander! He’s here! Angel is here!”

The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes at her exuberance, his attention elsewhere. More specifically, he was staring at Willow and Oz dancing. he thought jealously. He glanced at Buffy, whose eyes were trained on the vampire. From the looks of it, was similarly mesmerized. He sighed. “You know you want to go talk to him, Buff,” he said, giving her a little push in Angel’s direction. “And he obviously feels the same way. Just do it.”

Buffy smiled gratefully at her dance partner. “Thanks. I’m sorry for leaving you in the lurch. Are you sure you’ll be okay out here by yourself?”

Xander brushed off her apology with a grin. “I’ll be fine. Go, talk to your Lover Boy,” he said, shooing her off. “I’ll find some other lucky girl who’ll appreciate my irresistible charms.” Buffy gave him a hug and headed for Angel. Once the Slayer was out of sight, the smile Xander had put on his face promptly vanished. His gaze once again drifted to his former girlfriend. he thought wistfully.

Xander gritted his teeth. He looked around the crowded dance floor for his best friend. he wondered. As he suspected, Cordelia was nowhere to be seen on the dance floor. He scanned the nearby tables to see if she was sitting there, but he didn’t see the brunette at any of them. Xander started to get worried. He tried to think if he had even seen her come in the club that night. He hadn’t wanted to call her house to announce their usual trip to the Bronze, since he figured she was still mad about what had happened earlier that day. Guilt suddenly washed over him.

His concern for Cordelia went beyond her unusual actions that day. A little voice in his head asked him if her actions really were that strange. Xander remembered the irrational fury that had swept through him at the sight of Willow and Oz kissing. His jaw dropped as he finally caught a sight of his friend coming in through the door of the Bronze.


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