Forever Anne: 22: confront
by Timan
Danny’s car sped over the boarder of Sunnydale on its way to L.A.
“So where about in L.A. are we heading?” Danny asked
“I don’t know exactly yet,” Doyle replied, “I say we head back to my place then I’ll do some checking around.”
“I’ll come with.” Buffy commented
Doyle looked over to her from the back seat.
“Sweet thought slayer but, correct me if I’m wrong, wasn’t that three groups of very angry people after you?”
“I don’t have time to play miss hide-away,” Buffy commanded, “We need to know where Ethan and Gwen went now.”
“Hey I’m not arguing I’m just saying we can’t stop the end of the world if you’re busy being dead. I’ll check my contacts see if they’ve seen any sign of either of them.”
“Fine.” Buffy replied soulfully.
For a longest moment the three of them remained silent. Buffy looked over to Danny cautiously. This was the guy she hurt and betrayed and here he was saving her from the council. This was a part of Danny that she couldn’t get over his natural sense of generosity. Danny felt her eyes on him and sighed impatiently.
“What?” Danny asked abruptly
“You came back for me.” Buffy commented lightly
“No I didn’t,” Danny remarked, “Doyle came for you he just needed a lift.”
“Don’t sell yourself too short Danny Boy. Being called by the powers is no mean feat.” Doyle replied
“You got called?” Buffy asked
Danny didn’t reply but continued to look on the road.
“Oh yeah,” Doyle replied casually, “apparently he has a part in stopping the apocalypse.”
“Really? Cant say I blame . . .”
“I’m sorry are we friends?” Danny snapped
Buffy lost her train of thought.
“No . . . I was just . . .” she replied awkwardly
“Could you not?”
Buffy dropped her head awkwardly as she fidgeted with her hands.
“What do . . . you want me to do Dan?” she asked
Danny shot a look.
“You wanna do something?” he asked viciously, “fine!”
Danny pulled over the car and stormed out. Curious Buffy exited the car and joined him. Danny turned to her in extreme annoyance.
“Come on! Let’s deal with this!” he snapped
Buffy looked around awkwardly.
“I don’t think this is the best place to do this.” She replied.
“You brought it up Anne I didn’t . . .” Danny snapped
He started to pace angrily trying to collect his words in his head. After a moment he turned at faced Buffy.
“ . . . You used me.”
“I didn’t . . . mean to.”
“Oh, that’s reassuring, you used me by accident,” Danny continued sighing, “I believed in you.”
Buffy dropped her head as she rubbed her arm awkwardly.
“I know . . . I-I don’t know what else to say.”
Doyle jumped out of the back of the car and moved up to the pair anxiously.
“I don’t really want to be a problem here,” he commented, “but these apocalypse things are impatient buggers. I think it’s best if we start moving again.”
Danny ignored him. He looked Buffy squared in the eyes.
“Were you planning on killing me to Anne?” Danny asked
This caught the former slayer off guard. She looked at him with a confused anxiousness.
“What?” she asked
“Was I a target like the other two? Just tell me.”
“I didn’t kill anybody.”
“Oh don’t give me that I know about the girl and the other guy.”
Suddenly everything became clear with a look of shock she stared at Danny
“Danny I didn’t kill Kendra.”
Danny rolled his eyes
“Yeah, and your real name is Anne.”
This was more then Buffy could stand. She twisted her face up in anger.
“How dare you,” She yelled “You think you know?”
“I think I tried.”
Doyle looked at the both of them cautiously.
“Okay I’m sensing a bit of tension here. I think we all should calm down, maybe take a moment, and then get back to what’s important.” He replied in attempt to diffuse the situation
“Oh no If Danny’s so desperate to learn the truth I’ll tell him.”
Buffy started to walk slowly and deliberately towards him.
“The first time I ever slept with a guy he turned evil,” Buffy said viciously, “Angel tortured me, my friends, he killed my Watcher’s Girlfriend then tortured him mercilessly for hours and do you want to know the crazy thing? I still loved him . . .”
Danny was speechless. His slowly he dropped out of his aggressive stance and stared at the former slayer as tears began to form in her eyes.
“. . . so there was only one thing left for me to do . . . I had to stop him myself. I went to his mansion, we fought, he lost and right before I ran a sword through his chest he turned back to who he was, the guy I fell in love with, he was my Angel again but I still had to kill him because I’m the good warrior who has to do right. You say you were used Dan? Fine, join the cue, ‘cause there are a lot worse things then what I did to you.”
Buffy breathed heavily as she scowled at Danny. Her entire body trembled with frustration. This was the first time in as many months she admitted this to herself and it was at that moment the reality sank in. Buffy’s bottom lip began to quiver as she broke down. Buffy dropped to the ground and put her head in her hands. Danny’s heart broke. This time he was convinced she was telling the truth and part of him was disgusted by the way he just acted.
Without hesitation he moved over to her and embraced her tightly. Buffy rested her head on his shoulder as he reassured her as best he could. Danny looked deeply into her soulful hazel eyes.
“God, I am so sorry,” he remarked, “I don’t know what to say that’s . . . just . . .”
Buffy looked at him with the innocence of a young girl.
“Tell me everything’s gonna be alright Dan.” Buffy replied softly
Danny smiled at her and stroked her hair lovingly.
“Yeah Buffy,” he replied, “Things are gonna be fine. We’re gonna beat this.”
Off in the distance Caleb watched the display curiously.
“My gosh,” the preacher commented, “Isn’t that sweet? Makes a fella believe there’s hope in this sinful world after all.”
From behind him The First, in the guise of Angel, steps out and joins Caleb.
“No argument here. It’s a shame you’re gonna have to kill all three of them before night fall.” The First replied
“Indeed it is but you did command the world be cleansed.”
The first looked over to Caleb.
“Just make sure you get the Prophet Stone from them first.”
Caleb smiled to himself warmly.
“Amen.” He replied
This story archived at: The Slayer\'s Fanfic Archive
The Slayer\\\\\\\\'s FanFic Archive - http://www.slayerfanfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=19494