Chapter Three: Is There a New Evil?
"Oh...and you picked this hotel?" Angel asked.
"Yeah...Giles thought it looked like there was room." Buffy replied.
"Well, there is. I guess you guys beat the First. I knew I wouldn't need that second line here."
"So you got a bathroom?" Andrew asked.
"Uh...yeah. It's back that way." Angel pointed to where the bathroom was and Andrew hurried off.
"Thank God he's gone for a few minutes. That kid was drving me nuts with his whole "I have to do to the bathroom now" speech. He was too scared to go into the woods." Faith sighed and sat down in a nearby chair.
"Who is that guy anyway?" Angel asked.
"Andrew. He was our hostage and now he just tags along." Buffy explained.
"Oh." Just then Fred, Gunn, and Wesley walked out of another room. They looked up at everyone who had just arrived curious. Angel turned around. "Hey...this is Buffy, Giles, Faith, Willow, Xander, and I'm affraid I don't know the others."
"Oh yes, Buffy. Hello." Wesley greeted. "And Faith..."
"Hey, Wes. It's so great to see ya." Faith replied.
"Fred, hi!" Willow waved.
"Hey...it's been a while." Fred responded.
"Yeah. Oh and this is Kennedy." Willow pointed to Kennedy as she stepped up.
"It's nice to meet you."
"Same." Kennedy looked around investigating the hotel.
"Wow...all these people staying with us over night?" Gunn asked.
"Yes. They are." Angel replied.
"I'm sorry to dop in like this...we didn't think you'd actually be here." Buffy explained.
"But I am. I don't mind if you guys stay. Go find a room upstairs, there are plenty. I have food too."
"Thanks. I'll let the potentials go up first."
"Hey Angel." Dawn smiled.
"Hi Dawn." Angel replied.
"Okay guys, why don't you potentials go find a room and the rest of us will take what's left." Buffy instructed as they went upstairs. Willow, Xander, Giles, and Principle Wood also went up. Buffy and Faith remained downstairs. "Please go back to what you were doing before we game. I um...we didn't mean to interupt."
"You didn't. We weren't doing anything important." Angel responded smiling.
"Are you two going to get all gooey now?" Faith asked.
"Don't you have some where to be?"Buffy put her hands on her hips and turned to Faith.
"Nope. I'm cool...oh. Got it, don't worry. I guess I'll go find me a room while you two love birds chat it up." Faith got up and walked upstairs.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I think I'm going to go back into the office. I believe Faith was correct. Angel and Buffy probably want some alone time." Wesley turned towards Fred and Gunn.
"Enough said. I'm gone." Gunn replied.
"Me too." Fred added following Gunn
"As much as I want to stay I think I'll go along with the others. I am the one who made the suggestion after all." Wesley resonded as he and the others went back into the office. Inside they secretly listened in.
"So, the First went down and I missed it?" Angel asked.
"Yeah. You did get to see me kill Caleb though. You have to admit that I kicked some major ass." Buffy smiled.
"Oh, preacher boy. It was quite amusing to see him fight for his life."
"It was wasn't it?"
"Tell me about what happened considering the fact that I well missed it."
"We went down into the hellmouth, killed a ton of ubervamp things, and won."
"I got that part. What did you do with the necklace I gave you?"
"I um...well..."
"I'm waiting."
"I gave it to um...Spike."
"Oh, Spike. Where is he now?"
"Uh...when he put it on he kinda burst into flames."
"What?"
"I didn't really understand it either. He caused some kind of earthquake then burst into flames. I assume he's gone."
"Good. The guy really bugged me."
"Angel..."
"What? It's the truth. Just because he has a soul too doesn't mean he's better than or even eqaul to me."
"I know. You a little jealous or something?"
"No...not jealous."
"You absolutely possitive about that?"
"Yes."
"Fine I'll change the subject. What have you been up to?"
"Nothing much..."
"Where's Cordelia? Did she work with you or something?"
"Yes."
"Well?"
"She's in a coma."
"What?"
"It's a really long story."
"I've got time."
"I'm sure you don't want all of the details."
"Try me."
"Fine." Angel looked down at the floor as he thought of a way to summarize what had happened. He looked up and began to tell the story. "I had a son with Darla and he was stolen away from me. A little while later he shows up and trys to kill me."
"Uh?" Buffy stared at Angel lost in bewilderment.
"Cordelia later went on to be a higher being. When she came back it took he a long time to get her memory back. She connected with Connor, my son, and for whatever reason they ended up sleeping together, she got pregnant, and some demon thing came out of her. Now she's in a coma. We killed the demon though, but...it wouldn't bring her back."
"A lot was going on whil I was batteling the First. Wow...you have a son?"
"Yeah. I thought I told you."
"It never really came up."
"Oh well."
"Oh well? You did it with Darla, had a son, and never told me?"
"Buffy don't get mad. I had to tell you that to answer your question about Cordelia. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But, even if I did you would've forgotten it."
"Why?"
"Wolfram and Heart hooked me up with something. Connor was going through so much pain and I just wanted him to have a normal life. They earased his memory and sent him to a normal family who thought he was theirs. He lost is memory and everyone else forgot about him too...but me."
"Oh. That'd explain a lot. So, how long has Cordelia been in a coma?"
"I don't know exaclty...it's been a while. I don't know...if...she's going to...make it."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I'm sure you didn't come here to hear my sad stories."
"No, I didn't. I don't mind though. I asked what happened and you told me."
"Yeah..."
"So, you got a gang now or something?"
"What?"
"Last time I just saw Cordelia and some other guy."
"Oh. Yes. There's Wesley, Gunn, and Fred. I rescued Fred from a demon dymension called Piliah. You know Wesley. He came hunting me one day and we ended up fighting on the same side in the end. Gunn was in some gang nearby and some how he came to work for us."
"Sounds interesting."
"Oh it is."
"I should um...go see if there are any rooms left for me." Buffy smiled at Angel and then turned to go up the stairs. She couldn't beleive what he had just told her. Cordelia was in a coma. Buffy had never really loved Cordelia or anything, but at one time they were some what friends. Now she was in a coma and Buffy felt sorry for her.
Buffy reached the top of the stairs and saw Willow. She walked up to her and asked her is there were any rooms left. Willow told her there was and took Buffy to the one they had reserved for her. Buffy thanked her, entered her room, and sat down on the bed.
She was so tired and hadn't slept in days or even months. The First had been her first priority and sleep came later. Buffy's eyes were so heavy and she layed her head on the pillow. She then curled up and shut her eyes tightly. As she slept she had a dream.
Buffy walked in a graveyard patroling. The night was chilly and her sweater was thin. She pulled it tighter and made sure she had her stake handy. If any vampire showed up she didn't want to be off guard. Nights had been colder than this and she wasn't going to let that stop her. She had even patroled when it was pouring down rain. Buffy wondered why the air made her feel the way she did.
The night was young, but the vamp action was pretty still. She hadn't seen one vampire in her twenty minutes of patorling. It usually only took about ten before at least one vampire was trying to kill her. She only laughed at them. All of the newly made vampires made her laugh. They had now idea who she was or what she could do. They all assumed Buffy was some helpless girl lost in the graveyard at night. They were wrong.
Buffy gripped her stake tighter ready for anyone or anything that might attack. She stepped on a few twigs and they snapped, startling her. She walked for about five more minutes and then decided to sit down. There was no need to waste her energy walking around in circles before she had to fight. That is if any vampires showed up.
Twenty more minutes passed and Buffy was giving up. Maybe there just weren't any vampires out tonight. She stood up and put her stake in her pocket. It would still availibe if she were to need it, but she didn't have to hold it in he tired hand. She had been gripping so hard her hand was cramping.
Buffy began to walk home when she heard footsteps behind of her. She took her stake back out and quickly turned around.
"Yay. A vampire. I was just hoping I'd run into..." Buffy's jaw dropped at what she saw. She lowed her stake and he eyes went wide.
"Hello, sweetie. Are you having a good night? You look suprised." Her mother smiled.
"What...who...what are you doing here?" She asked, confused.
"You know exatly who I am and what I'm doing here. I'm your mother, Buffy. You foget me already? I'm just making sure your night is going smoothly."
"You can't be real."
"I can't? And why do you say that?"
"You...no...are you the First?"
"Honey, the First has gotten into your head. The First is gone. You killed it. Great job, by the way."
"No...no...something's not right."
"Trust me, Buffy. It's mom. I am here. Could the First do this?" Buffy's mother reached out and stroked her hair. She then put the hair that was hanging in her face behind of her ears. "The First wasn't corporeal, remember?"
Buffy just stared at her mom. She wanted to believe what was going on, but something told her that it wasn't true. Something just didn't feel right. Then again her mother had indeed touched her. Something the First couldn't do.
"Mom?" Buffy reached out and touched her mom's face. She felt real, she looked real, and she sounded real. Buffy began crying and hugged her mom. Her mom hugged her back.
"Don't cry, baby. It's okay. Everything's going to be fine. I'm back and I'm twice is strong. You'll die as soon as I get my hands on you. I'm coming for you Buffy. I'm coming for you." Buffy's mom smiled and then dissapeared. Buffy looked around and there was no sign of her. What the hell was going on?
Buffy woke up extremely startled. She was used to having strange dreams, but what she had just had was a nightmare. What did it mean? A lot of her dreams some how told her things of the future. She didn't understand her dream that she just had. It didn't make sense. Did it mean the First was back?
Buffy immideately eliminated that. There was no possible way the First could be back. Besides her mother had touched her and the First could never do that. Buffy sighed and sat up. Maybe if she talked to Giles he could figure something out. She got up and tried to find him.
Buffy closed the door to her room and walked out into the hall. She decided to go to right, instead of her left, to look for Giles. It took about ten minutes, but she did indeed find him. They went into his room and had a discussion about Buffy's dream.
"Tell me again exactly what the last thing your mother said to you was?" Giles asked.
"Yeah. She said 'Don't cry, baby. It's okay. Everything's going to be fine. I'm back and I'm twice is strong. You'll die as soon as I get my hands on you. I'm coming for you Buffy. I'm coming for you.' Do you have any idea why she would say that?" Buffy asked Giles. He thought for a few minutes until he replied.
"No. I'll admit that most of your dreams do come true in one way or another, but not all of them. You could've just had your mother and the First on your mind."
"Yeah...I know that my mother wasn't the First though. She could touch me and the First could never do that."
"I'm not doubting you, Buffy, or over looking your dream. I'm just staying that maybe that dream wasn't a prophecy."
"Maybe...but something keeps telling me that it is. I don't know what someone or something is trying to tell me, but I think it might have to do with the symbol on the bus. Maybe the evil that is back is like the First and can take the form of dead people. But, maybe this evil is actually corporeal."
"There is a possibility. We'd have to look into it. If it is anything like the First it will probably be extremely hard to research. The First predated any written text. Maybe the same is true for this new evil. I will say again though that maybe the dream-" Buffy cut him off.
"Was just a normal nightmare. You've told me like one hundred times. I don't know though...I guess I'm just confusing myself. You're probably right."
"We'll keep your dream in mind, but we just won't make it urgent."
"Okay...I just...have this werid feeling. Could just be the tiredness talking. Even when I had this dream I only slept for about twenty minutes."
"Yes. I think you better rest and we'll talk about this tomorrow. We should also ask Angel if he knows anything about the symbol we found on the bus."
"Sounds good. I um...I'll talk to you later." Buffy got up and went back to her own room. She lied on her bed and tried to go to sleep.
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