Nights Like These: Part 4
by Rebecca Carefoot
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the buffyverse. Sometimes I steal them like I am doing now but I always return them as good as new. And I never make any money off them. (That would make me a pimp if I did wouldn't it?) They belong to the nice people at Fox, the WB and of course to Joss Whedon.]
The only thing I claim is Lily, who was hatched from my very own brain. Also thanks to my fabulous beta reader: Dare the Great :)
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Part Four
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Buffy stood in front of her mirror staring at herself. She smoothed the light blue dress she had finally decided on and pulled on her boots. She moved closer to the mirror and checked her make-up. Her body turned back and forth in front of the mirror, the dress swaying slightly against her legs. Finally she tore herself away from the almost hypnotizing image in the mirror. She grabbed the jacket he had given her, slipped two stakes into her wrist sheaths and put on her cross. She tucked the cross into her dress, locked her door in case her mom came looking for her and slipped out the window.
The night air lightly kissed her face as the moon shone like a beacon. The world was unreal, empty. For a moment Buffy felt utterly alone. But only for a moment. She jumped down from the roof and walked along the sidewalk. She was meeting Angel in the park that sat quietly about a block from her house. The park was peaceful, deserted; there was no sign of Angel yet, so Buffy sat on one of the benches drinking in the velvet darkness of night. The branches whispered softly above her head and through the dark stode a figure who could only be Angel. Everytime she saw him it sent a thrill through her heart and a shiver up her spine. He was so gorgeous, so smart, she could barely believe that he could love someone like her. Someone who was so immature compared with him. Someone so inexperienced.
She rose from her seat and walked to meet him. As soon as she was within reach he grabbed her around the waist and drew her to him. She traced the line of his cheekbone as he pulled her in for a kiss. Everytime their lips met, it was like an electric shock. Everytime their eyes met, the world disappeared. Buffy sighed a little and put her arms around his powerful chest. He held her close, as if he was afraid she would be ripped from his arms. She relaxed against his chest, resting her head over his heart. Safety, comfort, love; inside the circle of his arms she had it all. He bowed his head, lightly kissing her hair. Her love warmed him, and he would've given anything to keep her safe; to protect her from the threats the vampires had brought him, the threats that he had to tell her about. If only time would stop, if only they could spend eternity wrapped in each others arms. Buffy stared up at Angel's face, her eyes glittering with unshed tears and was surprised to see a single tear roll down his cheek. She caught the tear on her finger, entranced for a moment by the bead of salty blood tinged water. Then she absently shook it away.
"What's wrong?" she asked. Angel looked down at her innocent eyes. She had seen so much horror, yet she retained an innocence that he wanted to protect. An innocence that he knew would dissappear slowly, a little piece vanishing with each terror she faced.
"Let's sit down for a second." he said. The pair walked back to the bench that Buffy had vacated. Buffy sat, holding Angel's hand in hers and rested her head on his shoulder. "Last night I had a little visit." Angel started.
"What kind of visit?" asked Buffy.
"The blood-sucking kind."
"So you met up with some of the fang gang. What else is new?"
"You don't understand." Angel said, shaking his head. "This is different. They came into my apartment and they gave me a warning."
"What do you mean?" Bufffy asked turning to look at Angel's face as he finished the story.
"I mean, the Annointed One sent a couple of baddies to tell me that I have to deliver your dead body to him in three days."
"Or what?"
"Or they'll hunt me down and kill me."
"We can handle it. We've fought together before."
"And we barely survived," interrupted Angel. "That was three vamps, we're talking about every vampire in the city hunting me until I am dead. It's a totally different story. And there's something else, one of the vampires who brought the message, she was incredibly powerful. I'm talking about power that could rival the Master's."
"Yeah well, I killed the Master remember. I can take care of her too." Angel would've chuckled at her bravado if he wasn't so worried.
"You don't understand what I'm saying yet. She's as strong as the Master was and yet she serves the Annointed One. Don't you see what that means? He must be incredibly powerful."
"He's just a kid though." Angel shook his head at Buffy's comment.
"No, he looks like a kid. But he's not, he is pure evil. Powerful evil."
"Ok I get your point," Buffy agreed. "Come on." She stood up and pulled on Angel's hand.
" Where are we going?" he asked.
"We need some advice and I know the expert on advice."
**********
The insistent knocking on his front door woke Giles from his couch where he lay, glasses askew, an ancient tome knocked carelessly to the floor. "I'm bloody coming already!" he yelled as he staggered to the door. He peered out the peephole and cursed under his breath when he saw Buffy with Angel. He opened the door and Buffy breezed past him with Angel in tow. "Buffy, do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Way past your bedtime Giles, I know." Buffy said. "But you're going to have to give up your sleepy-time. This is WAY more important."
"Is the Hellmouth reopening?" asked Giles, as panic chased the last edges of slumber away.
"Sit down GIles," Buffy ordered. Obediently Giles sat down on the couch. "Tell Giles what you told me," said Buffy to Angel. GIles turned his attention to Angel as the vampire began his story again.
"Last night two vampires came to my apartment with a warning from the Annointed One. They said I have three days to deliver Buffy's dead body to him or else all the vampire's in the city will hunt me down and kill me." Giles opened his mouth to interrupt but silenced himself at a glance from Angel. "One of the vampires is as powerful as the Master was but serves Colin."
"Good God!" Giles exclaimed. "That boy must have immense power."
"He's not a boy," interjected Buffy. Giles stared at her. "Well he's not. He's pure evil." Angel smiled silently to himself.
"Right Buffy," said Giles. "You mustn't lose sight of that. It may be hard for you to kill s..something that looks like a little boy. But he's a monster like all the other vampires." Giles glanced over at Angel. "Pr..present company excepted of course." Angel just nodded in response.
"Giles, focus!" said Buffy. "What can we do about this?"
"First we find out more about this powerful vampire. We need to find out who he is." answered Giles.
"She," corrected Angel.
"I beg your pardon?" asked Giles.
"It was a woman, kind of short. Close cropped hair, pretty face." Buffy turned at his description, jealous in spite of herself.
"You thought she was pretty?" she asked. Giles rolled his eyes and left the room to collect the Watcher diaries.
"Buffy, she had a pretty face. You on the other hand are beautiful." Angel grimaced, trying to explain himself and diffuse the situation while Buffy glared. "When I close my eyes I picture the most beautiful thing in the world and it's your face. You have nothing to be jealous about." A wide grin settled onto Buffy's face and she leapt into Angel's arms, showering him with tiny kisses.
"You are impossible," she said as her lips met his. GIles re-entered the room, softly clearing his throat.
"In case you've forgotten, we do actually have a serious problem here," he said impatiently.
"Right, big problem" said Buffy as she reluctantly pulled away. "Very important." Giles pulled out several large leather-bound book and handed one to Buffy. Then he gave Angel a stack of five large books.
"Look for any descriptions that fit the woman you saw. Pictures are even better." Giles commanded the vampire. The group slowly worked their way through book after book until finally Giles found one of the older Watcher diaries. As he read, an awful suspicion entered his mind. "Is this her?" he asked, showing Angel an old portrait. A growl built up in Angel's throat when he recognized the woman from his apartment.
"That's her."
"Let me see." Buffy commanded. Angel handed her the book and she peered at the picture. "She's not so pretty." Angel laughed and kissed her hand gently.
"That isn't really important right now," said Giles. "Did you look at what it says about her?"
"No, what's so special about her?" asked Buffy.
"She was a Slayer," answered Giles. Buffy felt a chill run down her spine and she shivered in her seat. "That explains the power."
"But how, how did she become a vampire?" asked Buffy.
"It says that she fought the Master at that time. It was a different Master, one of the most powerful vampires in history. She had no chance. He decided to make her a vampire as a joke. But his blood, combined with her powers as the Slayer created something beyond his wildest dreams. She killed him and became the new Master. Then the record stops."
"but if she's this powerful, why would she obey the Annointed One?" asked Angel.
"The only thing I can think of is that he has something she wants. Or he has offered her something. If this book is correct. She could kill him easily." The trio stared at the picture. The portrait had been done before she became a vampire. She was smiling, eyes twinkiling with swallowed laughter. It was a picture of a young woman filled with life. It was a beautiful portrait, but looking at the smiling woman struck dread into each of their hearts.
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