Gone 2: Rome: Part Eight
by Bria
All the characters that appear on Buffy do not belong to me, they were created by the all powerful Joss (all bow down) All others, such as Lily or Aaron, belong to me, as does the story line. I have taken Anya’s story, Gone, and given it a little twist. Buffy and Willow have switched places, so now Buffy is the half vampire. I just couldn’t bear Angel and Buffy being apart. (Becoming nearly killed me and Innocence and Surprise gave me a heart attack!) This is my first fanfic of any kind, all feedback is welcome, but no flames, purty pleeze. Hope you enjoy the fic.
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Part Eight
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ONE CHANCE
Silently Zachary entered the darkened bedroom and closed the door behind him. His vampire eyes allowed him to easily pick out Angel’s still form sitting rigidly in a chair next to the bed, staring at a spot on the mattress without really seeing it. Zachary was certain Angel had heard him enter. Though he’d made no noise that a human ear could pick up, it was enough for a vampire to hear. Still Angel didn’t move from his position, hands gripping the arm rests, feet planted firmly on the ground as if to leap up at any moment.
Without saying anything Zachary crossed the room to the window and stood there, concentrating on the thin layer of material that was all that stood between him and the now faint, yet still deadly sunlight. After a short period of silence, he spoke, his voice calm, almost detached as it always was before he fought a battle he knew would be to the death. “Sometimes I miss it. The sun. I remember when I was a boy, I would rise earlier than anyone else, just so I could climb to the top of the oak tree in the front and greet the sunrise alone,” he hesitated for a moment. “The last time I saw a sunrise was 136 years ago. But I can remember it as if it were yesterday. The way it peeked over the tops of the hills, slowly changing the night sky from black to blue to violet, the stars fading stubbornly, not wanting to let go. Then came the streaks of pink, red, orange, yellow and finally a light blue would over take it all, illuminating the world and promising a wondrous day.”
Angel sat quietly, listening to the younger vampire express feelings so like his own. He missed the sunlight too, so much it hurt, but he also had the moon, his beautiful white moon that cast a mystical spell on the land every night. Usually it was enough, but sometimes, like Zachary, he longed to feel the warmth of sunlight on his pale, up-turned face.
“I’ve missed this too, old friend,” Zachary continued, turning to face him. “You are the only one whom I can confess these feelings to and know they will be accepted. Aaron and Lily, they still see it as a terrific game gone horribly wrong. Life wasn’t supposed to be like this for them, it wasn’t supposed to be this unfair. And Matthew. . . Though he’s lived with us all his life, he can never truly understand our world, our thoughts, our emotions and passions. You, though. . . You are like me in so many ways. Except for one,” he paused, his blue eyes boring into Angel’s dark ones. “ The girl. The girl has changed you, the way you think. The others don’t notice, but I have. You hold her more precious than anything else, don’t you? Dearer than life, than blood, than the night which has always given you strength. I don’t think I have felt that strongly for any human since I was changed. Nor have you, in all the years since I first met you a century ago. What makes you love her?” His tone of voice was curious, wishful for that which he couldn’t have, yet respectful of his old colleague.
Angel sighed and moved for the first time, rising languidly out of the chair and walking over to the dresser. He picked up one of the knickknacks that had been there when they first arrived and fingered it thoughtfully. “I can’t explain it right now, Zachary. I’m too upset, too confused. I told you a part of it when we first reunited, but there’s more, so much more. I’m willing to tell you all of it, though words alone can’t explain it. But first I have to know she’s safe, that I can rest. Then I’ll be able to tell you all about it, as best as I understand it.” He replaced the small statue and turned to face him. “First I have to kill Kalith and then I’ll have all the time in the world.”
Zachary nodded, immediately understanding, knowing not to push. He opened his mouth to speak, but the door suddenly opened, letting in a flood of artificial light. Aaron stood still for a moment, silhouetted in the doorway. Beyond him, Angel could glimpse the still form of Lily sprawled over a big wing chair, her light red hair flowing down her back, catching a few more minutes of sleep before the sun set. They had all gotten about five hours of rest, not a lot by human standards, but enough for them to function on and be alert enough to survive the night.
For a long, tense moment, no one spoke. The three male vampires could almost feel the animosity in the room. Angel really couldn’t say he blamed Aaron, after all he had betrayed the family’s trust. Loyalty was the first thing a vampire was taught when he entered their world and Angel had abandoned that loyalty. Aaron had every right, in a vampire’s mind, to hate him and to never forgive him, though for people who would live forever, ‘never’ wasn’t really appropriate. Hate didn’t always last through the centuries.
Finally Aaron shifted, stepping into the room and nearly shutting the door. Speaking quietly, he said, “Everything’s prepared. I just phoned Matthew. He agreed to stay away from the warehouse, and he found a sort of blessing in one of the old volumes. He’s not sure if it will work on your girlfriend, but it’s better than nothing, hmm?”
Angel stared at him for a second, unmoving. “Yeah,” he said, accepting the uneasy truce. “Better than nothing. Are you ready?”
Aaron nodded, re-opening the door. “I’ll wake Lily. The sun will set in another couple of minutes, so we’ll have about an hour to make it to the warehouse, with about 15 minutes to check out any traps he might have set.”
Angel nodded. “ Good. Just remember one thing. Kalith is mine.” He said it as if he expected the statement to be challenged. Aaron didn’t disappoint him.
The younger vampire stiffened, fire entering his eyes as he automatically responded, “No. He killed my parents, he destroyed my life. I want his blood.” The pain in his heart flared as he remembered how Kalith had destroyed his innocent world in the space of a few hours, so many years ago.
Angel took a step forward, determined to have his revenge for both Ariel and Buffy. “You did get his blood, Aaron. We made him pay in Germany, decades ago. I don’t know how he survived the fire, he was so weak from loss of blood that he couldn’t have gotten out alone. But you’ve made him suffer. Now it’s my turn. He challenged me. Me. He killed Ariel because of me and if he kills Buffy then even death won’t keep me from coming after him for as long as he lives. Please - brother - I ask this one thing of you. Let me have his head.” Angel chose his words carefully, not begging, but asking his adopted kin for the chance to set his conscience at rest.
Zachary waited for them, left out of their thoughts and emotions, watching silently, always watching. Angel was silent, vowing to himself that even if Aaron didn’t agree, he would find a way to have a show down with Kalith before Aaron got to him. Aaron stood stock-still, resembling a statue caught in the midst of a question of honor and brotherhood. The only clue to his internal turmoil was the muscle in his jaw that clenched as he swallowed tightly. Finally he nodded tightly. “Fine. You helped me find him in Germany, and I did make him suffer. You can have your shot at him. But remember, if you fail, I won’t hesitate to kill him immediately. You’ve got one chance to get to him.”
Angel smiled grimly, his docile manner gone, replaced by an animalistic glare in his eyes. Slowly a feral grin crept across his face, one as cold as Kalith’s. “One chance is all I’ll need.”
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