The Bride of Dorvar: Part 5
by Amy Donegan
Part Five -- did I fool anyone? Probably not, but I hope it made you think just a bit. Enjoy the conclusion. Characters belong to Joss etc…
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Part Five
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Seconds before his teeth sunk into her neck, Dorvar cried out in pain and pulled back. Buffy felt his minions loosen their grip, startled at their master's outcry and wrenched her right arm free. In a fluid movement, she grabbed a stake from her belt and plunged it into the vampire that had released her. As he was turning to dust she was already in the process of flipping the one on her left onto his back pinning him with her foot while grabbing a second stake to finish him. That done she turned to aid her friends who were struggling with two other vampires.
On the platform, Adriana pulled back her hand to reveal the crucifix she had palmed before dropping the chain. With one hand, Dorvar held his neck where she had burned him with the charm, with the other he grabbed her wrist with such force the crucifix fell free.
"Slut!" he exclaimed, "you've sealed your doom!"
He had both arms on her shoulders now and pulled her to him in his second attempt to suck her blood. Suddenly, a figure flew down from the ceiling and struck him to the ground. Standing over him Angel turned to Adriana.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
She nodded, "Took your time, didn't you?"
"'Just waiting in the rafters enjoying your performance," he said, turning his attention back to Dorvar, who was rising.
Adriana backed away wincing as the two vampires clashed. Dorvar threw Angel down from the platform to the floor and followed stepping down slowly and laughing tauntingly.
"So, Angelus the cursed thinks he can defeat me?" Dorvar asked archly.
Upon hearing Angel's name, Buffy reeled.
"Angel?" she gaped, but had no time to absorb the situation before being grabbed from behind by the last of Dorvar's minions.
Angel rose from the floor, his face transformed by his vampire's nature. He circled Dorvar cautiously, waiting for his opening.
The master vampire continued his jeering, "You think your strength compares to that of a Master, boy? Even in your glory days you had not strength, you relied on your face you were weak then and your soul has made you weaker."
Angel cried out like an enraged animal and barreled towards Dorvar who dodged easily and whirled around to continue facing him.
"Angel, calm down," Adriana murmered through gritted teeth, but doubted he heard her.
Buffy continued to struggle against the last vampire, who held her in a vise-like grip. She was so absorbed in getting free and helping Angel that she was surprised to feel the vampire arms seemingly dissolve around her and barely kept from falling over. Turning, she was surprised to see her Watcher, his hands still on the stake he had plunged into the creature's back. Nodding her silent thanks she rushed into the final fray.
Despite her doubts, Adriana's words did reach Angel's ears and he was now holding his own, deflecting Dorvar's blows, but not landing any of his own. Then Buffy was there, unceremoniously leaping on to her opponent's back and putting a choke hold on him.
"I have one thing to say to you," she said through clenched teeth.
Angel moved forward to grab the master's hands before they could pull the Slayer off. Buffy pulled one last stake from her boot and plunged it into the demon.
"Velour is out," she said to the pile of dust.
She looked up at Angel and smiled, reaching out to touch him, though he was still in vampire form. He backed away and she lowered her hand.
"Angel?" she asked.
Silently he turned and headed for the door.
"Angel!" she cried.
He turned, his face normal again and looked at her with all the longing and sorrow that was in her voice; and then he was gone.
Buffy collapsed in tears. Adriana, closest to her reached out to offer comfort. Buffy reeled on her and lashed out.
"Stay away from me you bitch!" She cried, "what the hell do you think you were doing up there anyway?"
Adriana didn't even flinch, "The Trojan Horse," she stated simply.
"What?" Buffy was incredulous.
"Beware Greeks bearing gifts and Gypsies bearing cruicifixes? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Any of this ringing any bells?" Adriana kept her tone hard.
Buffy gaped, "You might have told us."
"I might have," Adriana agreed easily, "but my success depended on Dorvar believing your reaction to my betrayal. It had to be real. Besides, if I was wrong I wanted you to have no qualms about slaying the new me."
She walked past the stunned young Slayer and paused in front of Giles, her heart in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she whispered and left the lab without another word.
She was almost out the main door when she heard Buffy call out, "Ms. Carson."
Not sure she could stand another pummeling from the girl, Adriana sighed and turned.
Buffy walked up to her calmly.
"Ms. Carson, you forgot these," Buffy held out her hand revealing the silver chain and crucifix.
Adriana fought the tears welling up in her throat as she took the treasures from the girl's hand.
"Buffy, we've just been through Hellmouth and back together," she said, "I think you can call me Addy."
"Addy?" Buffy asked.
Adriana looked over the girl's shoulder to where Giles stood with Xander and Willow. She smiled at him and winked a tearing eye before lookiing back at Buffy.
"It's what my modern American friends call me," she explained.
"Addy," Buffy tested it and smiled at the older woman, "I think I'd like that."
The two women hugged and the onlookers smiled with relief. All was explained, all was forgiven; Dorvar was slain.
* * * * *
He was sitting on her doorstep when she got there and she smiled at him gently.
"Are you all right?" She asked.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" he countered.
"Nah," she shook her head, "look at me. I've obviously survived my wedding day with my humanity in tact. I'm fine. What you should be asking me is how she is."
"Am I so transparent?" he asked.
"Only to me, coz," she assured.
"So, how is she?"
"Physically, just fine; but she's hurting, Angel - like you."
Angel buried his face in his hands and groaned, "what a mess."
Adriana sat next to him on the porch step and put her arm around his shoulders comfortingly.
"Everything will be all right, Angel," she assured.
He looked up at her, both hopeful and disbelieving.
"Come on," she said, standing, "Come inside, I have something for you."
He rose and entered the house chastising her as he did so, "You really should be more careful about inviting people into your home."
She chuckled, "Yeah, yeah. Sit down, I'll be right back."
She disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a Playmate (tm) cooler. She handed it to him and joined him on the sofa.
Puzzled, Angel opened the cooler to reveal several bloodpacks. He looked at Adriana questioningly.
"I was thinking to myself, 'what do you get for the man with eternal life AND a soul?' and I have this medic friend who volunteers at the blood bank and..." Adriana shrugged.
"This wasn't necessary," Angel protested.
"I know, I know," Adriana nodded, "You can get your own blood; but I wanted to help you in some way right now, before I left..."
"You're leaving?" Angel asked, surprised.
Adriana looked at him, exasperated, "I have a ticket to Rome, Italy booked for tomorrow afternoon. I should be able to contact one of the four great Romani tribes from there. If that pans out, I'll go to the Saint Sarah festival in France this coming May and start from there."
"You're really doing it?" Angel seemed awed.
"Of course I am," she said, "I promised you. I am not as treacherous as I would have some people believe."
Angel laughed wryly, "Yeah, that was some show you put on back there."
"You weren't fooled for a moment were you?"
"No."
"Am I that transparent?"
Angel smiled at her obvious prompting and replied as she had on the porch, "Only to me, coz."
She smiled in satisfaction, as if he had passed some test; and then opened a drawer in the coffee table, pulling out a box and handing it to him.
"More gifts?" he asked opening it to reveal a large medal.
"It's the Karonovich amulet," Adriana explained, "traditionally carried by the eldest man in the clan...I want you to have it."
Angel looked at her, stunned.
"You can't," he protested, trying to hand the box back to her.
She held up her hand.
"Yes, Angel," she insisted, "You are my one and only kinsman now. Maybe not by earthly relation, but in every way that matters to me, we are family."
Angel stared down at the amulet wonderingly.
"I don't know what to say."
"Well, as long as you're speechless, maybe you'll listen to some sisterly advice?" she ventured.
He looked up at her in puzzlement, "I thought we were cousins."
She shrugged, "'Cousinly advice' lacks any sense of authority."
"All right then, little sister, lay it on me," he sat back comfortably.
"Lighten up," she stated simply.
"What?"
"Lighten up," she repeated and went on to explain, "Angel, you were a good person before your transformation. The fact that you felt remorse over your acts as a vampire when they returned your human soul proves it. Not every soul would regret and atone the way you have. So, the curse worked, you've been punished; but there's more to having a soul than repentance. You've already discovered one of the most wonderful things about having a soul. You've fallen in love. Let yourself love. Let yourself experience joy and life and don't let your guilt over past deeds - which you ARE making up for, by the way - interfere with your living in the present."
"Are you finished?" he asked when she paused for breath.
"Not quite. Laugh once a night and never lose hope."
He smiled, "How will I laugh without you there to make me?"
"Just try, please," she said.
"All right," he nodded seriously, "I'll try."
He looked up suddenly and stood abruptly, "Sunrise."
"There's a cot in the basement. It's suitably dark down there," Adriana said calmly.
Angel relaxed a bit and collected his cooler and amulet.
"You'll be gone by tomorrow night," he realized.
"Yes," she nodded striding to the foyer and returning with a notepad and paper, "give me an address where I can reach you," she instructed.
Angel scribbled obediently and looked at her sadly.
"How will I ever thank you?" he asked.
She shook her head, "You're my family, Angel. That's all I need."
They embraced at the top of the stairs leading down to the basement and Angel descended into the darkness.
* * *
After a shower and a refreshing nap, Adriana found herself sitting alone on the sofa sipping a cup of hot tea and looking pensively at her suitcases in the foyer. She had ordered the cab for one o'clock, Her plane left at three.
When the knock came at the door, she jumped, her reverie broken.
It was the Watcher.
"You weren't at school this morning," he stated.
"I hate to be cliché, but - master of the obvious?" she asked, reminding him of his young charges.
"Yes, well - I thought you might..." he paused, noticing the luggage and looked back up at her.
"Yes, before you ask, I'm leaving."
"I know," he said, "I guessed as much last night, but I must admit, I didn't realize it would be so soon."
"Well, I have an important task ahead of me and I've already lost time on it," she sighed.
"I take it this involved the mysterious appearance of the vampire Angelus last night?" Giles asked.
"Partially," she admitted, "but I suddenly feel free to explore the Roma magic within me and to do that, I must go to the heart of a Roma clan."
Giles nodded and heaved a sigh.
"Well then," he said, stepping out the door and picking something up from the step, "Perahps you might still want this."
Adriana gaped. Giles was holding a pet carrying case. Curled up inside the case was a Dalmation puppy.
"Oh my God, Giles!" she exclaimed taking the case from him and peering through the mesh at the animal. The puppy looked up at her, wagged it's tail twice in greeting and laid its head back down.
"He's beautiful!" she cried looking at Giles with tears in her eyes.
"I wasn't sure I would be able to find one in time," he admitted, "but Buffy directed me to the 'mall' this morning and it seems that a recent motion picture has instigated a booming demand for..."
"Giles," Adriana interrupted him, setting down the case.
"Y...yes?" he stammered to a halt.
"Thank you. Little John was just what I needed," she said, taking his right hand in hers and squeezing warmly.
"Little John?" he asked curiously.
"Mm-hmm," she nodded, "who fought Robin Hood valiantly with his quarterstaff, but was still bested."
For some strange reason, though she had never told him that watching him train with Buffy had reminded her of the scene, he seemed to understand and smiled. And then she couldn't fight it anymore. She wrapped her left arm around his neck as she pulled him closer with her right hand and reached up to kiss him. His arms wrapped around her tightly and he responded with an urgent passion that made her ears ring and her head swim.
She still had her eyes closed, savoring every moment of the embrace when they pulled apart. When she did open them it was to find his sparkling at her with uncharacteristic amusement.
"Virtue still in tact, eh?" he teased.
"You heard that? Oh God, how embarrassing," she blushed, "well, I was only ever tempted once..."
"Indeed? What happened?" he asked
"I asked him to leave," she said, surprised at his surprise when he realized she meant him, "Wrong place, wrong time, Giles," she added sadly.
"You...you're sure you can't stay?" he asked suddenly.
She shook her head, "no more than you can come with me."
"My life belongs to the Slayer," he reminded her, as if he had been repeating those words his entire life.
"I know," she whispered, "now so does mine."
A honking horn caused them to part and look out the still open door. A yellow cab was idling in the drive.
"Say goodbye to the kids for me," Adriana said slinging her smaller bag over her shoulder and handing him a keychain, "and lock up?"
"Shall I see you to the airport?" he asked.
"No," she shook her head, "I couldn't stand another goodbye."
She hugged him quickly and kissed him chastely on the cheek. Then she bent to pick up her large suitcase in one hand and the pet case in the other and carried them out to the cab.
The cabbie assisted her putting the bags in the trunk and opened the back door for her. She placed Little John's case in the seat and was about to enter the cab when a sudden flash of insight caused her to turn to the Watcher one last time.
"Rupert Giles," she said with authoritative certainty, "Some day you are going to make some Modern American Woman very happy."
Then she ducked into the cab and was gone.
---- The End ----???
Oh my God, I finished! That's it, my story. I loved dreaming it up - I enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you think: DnADonegan@aol.com.
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