The plane had started it's decent, but I kept my eyes closed. I didn't want the Team to see the tears I knew lingered in them.
After we had landed and taxied to a stop, we exited the plane and made our way to the four Broncos that were sitting on the runway. We would break up to keep anyone from suspecting that we were a team. Bobby and Steven would ride in one, going to a motel just outside of Sunnydale. Kathryn and Jerry were registered at a little bed and breakfast as husband and wife. They were already arguing about who got to sleep on the bed that night.
I expected George to come with me. Every time we had ever split up like this, George and I were partnered. This time though, he got into the Bronco with Alex and departed for another motel. That left me with Angel.
I decided not to say anything, and just got into the passenger seat. Angel drove for a few hours in silence unti he pulled up in front of a warehouse at around three in the morning. On the outside, it didn't look like much, but I knew it held a nice, secluded apartment within it.
I followed Angel in and set my gear by the couch. By this time, I was exhausted enough to sleep despite the tension in my body. I barely even heard him say he was going to go out for awhile.
I woke up sometime later and looked at my watch. It was after three in the afternoon. I had slept for twelve hours. I don't remember ever having slept that long. Not even after staying awake for three days straight.
I was also starving, but I knew Angel wouldn't have anything I could eat. The thought of even looking in his fridge and seeing packets of blood hanging actually grossed me out. I took a quick shower and was about to grab the keys off the counter when another set of keys caught my attention. A motorcycle key. Did he still have the Harley? Only one way to find out.
Five minutes later, I was flying down the highway with the wind in my hair. It felt wonderful. I can understand why Angel bought the bike. The wind seemed to erase all of my tension.
I stopped at McDonald's and grabbed a Big Mac and a Coke. Not the best meal, but it would have to do. I was going to force myself to do something I knew I really didn't want to do. Visit Cordelia.
I couldn't yet, though. I needed to center myself. I knew I couldn't drive to the beach, that had too many unpleasant memories. The school was out because the Gang could have been there. My parents had moved to LA shortly before graduation. Last time I had talked to them, they were going to go to Africa to teach school children. That left the park.
It was just how I remembered it. Of course, not much about Sunnydale had really changed. A missing store or two, but that was all.
I got off the bike and started up the pathway. The trees gave the place a shadowy, mystical feeling. Almost as if I had went back into time.
"Alex! Come back here!" I heard the shout at the same time a saw a little bundle with pig tails barrel down the hill that separated the path from the playground. She didn't even seem to see me, she was laughing so hard at the fact that she had gotten away from her keeper.
I scooped the girl up and held her to me. She didn't cry or anything. Just looked at me with wide, chocolate brown eyes. I grinned at her, figuring that she was unused to strangers and took my sunglasses off, bouncing her on my hip. She grinned back, and I felt my heart melt. If Cordy and I had ever had a child, she'd look about like this.
A teenager came limping down the hill, yelling the little girl's name frantically. When she saw me holding her, she managed to speed her pace up, even though I could tell it hurt to do so. From the way she was hobbling, I say she had a sprained ankle.
The little girl yelled out "Mandy!" and waved. Mandy visibly relaxed when she realized that I wasn't running away with the kid. I was glad of that, she didn't need to hurt herself any worse that she already was.
I started to walk towards her, meeting her at a bench half-way up the hill. "Lose something?" I asked the dark haired Mandy.
"Alexandria! You know better than that! How many times has your mommy told you never to go off alone?"
Alex started to sniffle, and buried her head in between my neck and shoulder. I patted her back trying to sooth her. I didn't yell at Mandy for the reprimand, though. In Sunnydale, the only way to stay alive was to be cautious.
"Sit down, let me take a look at your ankle."
"Oh, it's fine." Mandy replied. "I just twisted it last night while walking through the park. It should be better by tomorrow."
I raised an eyebrow at her. She can't be more than sixteen, and she was walking through the park at night? The girl obviously needed a warning about the dangers in doing that.
"Look, Kid," I said. "Sunnydale is no place to be walking around alone at night. Do me and Alex a favor. Don't do it again."
"Thanks for the advice, but I can take care of myself." She laughed at the expression on my face. "Honestly, I'm stronger than I look."
That must mean a strong wind couldn't knock her down, but I had my doubts. She looked like a feather could knock her over.
"Anyway, thanks for grabbing Alex. I have to get her back to her mom, though. And no, I don't need a ride."
I laughed. "I wasn't going to offer one. if I was driving anything but a...Friend's motorcycle, I probably would though." If she noticed how I hesitated in calling Angel a friend, she didn't indicate it.
I carried Alex until we got to Mandy's car. The bike was parked right beside it. I strapped the little girl into her car seat and watched as they pulled away, heading towards the school.
I once again straddled the bike. I only had about two hours to get back to Angel's. That gave me almost an hour to see Cordy. I wanted to tell her everything that had happened in five years, even if she couldn't hear me.
I pulled up outside Sunnydale General, and parked the bike. I could do this. I could.
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