He felt a moment of panic as he looked down at Kennedy’s prone form. How the hell was he going to hide her body? He picked her up off the ground easily carrying her into the woods that surrounded the crumbling manor home. Tall oak trees shielded the view from the house one thing that Angel had to be grateful for. He moved silently deeper into the dense forest. Finding a area covered in thick bushes he laid Kennedy down in the brush carefully arranging her body so that she mimicked the pose that he left Jenny in. Perhaps Giles would be the one to find her. He felt something akin to glee at that thought.
Moving carefully he drifted back out of the forest he caught a glimpse of a red ember fiercely glowing. The scent of tobacco hung heavy in the air. A low husky voice called out, “Yo Angel whatcha doin’?”
Angel felt himself relax a little, the sound of Faith’s voice held no trace of awareness of what he had been up to. She seemed relaxed and even a little bored. He was grateful that he normally didn’t talk much so he settled with a noncommittal grunt.
“C’mon I know that you are feeling low. What with Buffy and all. You need an ear I am right here... We’re buds.” Her low husky voice was filled with concern. He felt like tearing her head right off her shoulders. What did she think? That they were soul mates just because she had killed one man? Comparing herself to him like that was like comparing vinegar to wine. And he had aged well.
“Faith if I needed someone to talk to I would be talking to Gunn or...” He almost choked on the word. “Wesley. I mean this isn’t the kind of thing you would understand...”
“Try me...” She put a wealth of feeling behind those words. He could see her eyes flashing at him with his enhanced night vision. He could tell that he had hit a nerve by dismissing her. That he had hurt her by rejecting her offer. This was going to be easy.
“Faith to tell you the truth I really don’t want to be sharing anything this personal with you...” He sighed acting all exasperated. “You and I have some sort of a history but I was just helping you out of pity. Pity and the need to work of some of my own guilt. By saving you I was saving myself... Do you get it? I don’t need you to help me...” He gauged her reaction. Needing just a little more pain he added. “You can’t even help yourself...”
Every word that Angel said drove itself home. Her heart ached and her eyes burned with unshed tears. Blinking them back she felt her defenses snap up. Iron doors that had been broken down over the past year slammed closed around her once again. What he had told her was confirmation of every thought that she had about herself. Reaffirming her self loathing and guilt. Anger kicked itself in gear. Her favorite defense.
“Y’know Angel... Everyone here told me what an asshole you can be but, I really didn’t believe them. You live. You learn.” She shook her head disapprovingly. “No wonder Buffy kicked you to the curb.” At that parting shot she stubbed out her cigarette and headed back into the manor.
Angel held himself back from tearing into her when she had the nerve to even mention the fact that Buffy hadn’t chose him. It took every fibre of his being to stop the demon inside him from coming out to destroy her. She was too strong for him now. A fight with her would only alert every other Slayer by the intensity of their battle. He needed to be stronger. The blood that he had imbued from Kennedy sang throughout his body. He was stronger already. The blood making him more powerful by the mouthful. Slayer blood it seemed had that effect. Why hadn’t Spike told him? A grin spread across his face. Chilling in its intensity.
A clock ticked on the mantle. The fire burned cheerily on the hearth crackling and popping sporadically.The two people in the room looked around aimlessly trying to think of something to say to fill the silence between them. Giles cleared his throat. That was all it took for Willow’s already thinly stretched nerves.
“I’m sorry Giles. I didn’t mean to say those things back in L.A. Can you understand how this is really confusing to me?” Her words all came out in a rush blending together in a fast stream. “I... I... don’t know what is exactly going on between us but Kennedy and I are really done. I told her that it was over and that it didn’t have anything to do with you. We were... not right. Tara was right. Oz was right. Do you know what I am saying?”
Giles felt a surge of elation come over him when she told him that she was through with Kennedy. He had always thought that girl was a prissy bitch. Her presence had always been something of a thorn in his side. She had added a nasty element to the house in Sunnydale. When he had started to see Willow in a different light she had become loathsome to him.
On the thoughts about them, he knew exactly how Willow felt. He was amazed that there might be some kind of future for them. Realizing that now wasn’t the time to push he reviewed what he was going to say to her in return before he just blurted out his feeling for her.
“Willow, it hurt what you said in L.A. but I understand why you said it. I am just as confused as you are. There IS something there, so it seems, and we can just take things slow and figure out just what that means to the both of us.” Giles resisted the urge to go to her and smooth out the worry lines that had formed on her forehead with kisses.
Taking in what he said she visibly relaxed. A huge grin transformed her face lighting her from within. “Does that mean that we can start meditating again. And that you can help me with my control. Or that we can go to their library and go through their spell book on harnessing sunlight. It looks really tricky...”
Giles smiled back at her entranced. She was made for him.
Dawn came running into Andrew’s room. Seeing Spike and Buffy passionately kissing made her pause for two seconds. Didn’t Buffy ever come up for air? She had heard that there had been no change in Andrew’s condition and had come here for the sole purpose of seeing Spike. She knew that they weren’t on speaking terms when had had “died” but she now had the chance to be forgiven. And she wasn’t going to wait even a second longer.
Launching herself at them she attempted to pry them apart. Only to find her hands wedged in between their bodies. Oh gross! She let out a yelp! Spike realized what was going on first and broke off from kissing Buffy. His eyes glazed over for a second. Then looking into Dawn’s with such fondness that she dug her elbow into Buffy’s side to gain her attention.
Buffy’s snort of annoyance was anything but lady like. She knew how much Dawn had wanted to make up with Spike. How much she had regretted the things that she said. She excused herself under the lame pretense that she was going to the bathroom. While she was there she might as well splash some cold water on herself. Hoping that everything was going to be fixed Buffy sailed out of the room. She was going to give her ten minutes. She looked at her watch. Willing it to move faster.
Dawn looked at Spike for a second. She had known that he was alive. Seeing him here though was an entirely different story. She was flooded with memories. How he had treated her as a person, grown-up like, valuing her opinions. Listening to her. He had been her first real friend. The only one that hadn’t been influenced by the monks to like her. To protect her. She remembered the time that he had been tortured by Glory so he would give up her name. How he had cared for her after her mom died. After Buffy died. Tears well up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. There wasn’t anything that she could say that would let him know just how much he meant to her.
“Aw bit...” He opened up his arms to her and she flew into his embrace. Sobbing she told him how sorry she was. That she was so happy that he was alive. He quieted her as best he could. Shushing her and patting her on the back. He was humbled by the fact that he had somehow been forgiven by Dawn. He had loved her from the moment he had set eyes on her. The bond that they shared had been forged in mutual loss and the easy friendship that had sprung up between them. He was so grateful that she wanted him back in her life. All had been forgiven.
Buffy stood in the doorway smiling at the two of them...
The courtyard was deserted. Xander stepped outside to get a breath of fresh air. Sometimes being outnumbered about ten to one was very unnerving. Oh. He forgot to factor in the lovely ladies of the Coven so make that about twenty-five to one. Good luck getting a bathroom... He walked toward the bench near the herb garden he saw earlier. He sat down trying to relax some of the annoyance out of him.
He heard a soft sound. Stifled.He located the noise and moved towards it. Sitting in the back of the garden on the grass, with her knees bent up and her arms circled around them was Faith. At his approach she frantically dashed at her eyes and tried to look all tough.
He sat down next to her making sure that he had full view of her face. “What’s wrong Faith...” He reached out and placed his arm around her shoulder.
Faith felt the familiar warmth that he always aroused creep up on her. She ducked her head and muttered, “Nothin’. I just got something in my eye... No really...”
Xander tilted up her face and looked at her. In that moment Faith could see everything that he wanted to tell her in his face. She didn’t deserve anyone as good as him. She would only ruin it anyways. That’s what she did. Buffy was the Slayer and she was the... Destroyer. She wanted to be worthy of him so bad that it made her heart ache.
“No questions. Just hold me...” Xander’s strong arms encircled her and pulled her tight against him. Trying to give her comfort in any way that she would accept it.
Claire was coming in from her turn in patrolling. Even though they were in friendly territory Giles had thought that it would be prudent to keep sweeping the area for signs of Wolfram & Hart trying to get back at them. Kennedy had never showed where she was supposed to meet her to patrol. It wasn’t surprising considering everyone had heard that her and Willow were broken up. She was secretly glad. Patrolling with Kennedy tonight would have been a living hell. Her slayer senses had picked up a vampire in the area she felt like she had been punched in the gut it was so strong. She had pulled the stake out of its holster when he stepped out of the shadows.
Damn! It was that hottie vampire guy Buffy used to date. What was his name? Oh yeah... Angel. “Umm... hi.” God she sounded like such a dork.
Angel had been surprised that she had sensed him.And she had managed to pull a stake. He looked down at it and she shuffled a little bit and looked at it embarrassed before tucking it back into her holster. Shrugging an apology. This one was going to be a bit more difficult than the last slayer. Good he needed a challenge.
“Hi. Have you seen Gunn out here? I have been looking for him and I can’t seem to find him.”
Uhh... He is talking to me. C’mon brain work! Her brain kept saying, “Danger,” while her eyes and various other parts of her kept saying “Very Hot”. Focusing on the tiny part of her brain that was working she unscrambled the message that he had been trying to tell her. “Gunn? Umm... No. I haven’t run into anyone else out here. Just walking around... patrolling by myself.”
Angel smiled sweetly at her. “Do you want me to go with you patrolling?” He put on his best puppy dog face.
She looked at him and melted. “Sure...” It came out all breathy. She was wondering if this was such a great idea. What if Buffy got mad at her for going with him. They weren’t going out anymore but... It was just patrolling she reminded herself sternly. No problem with that. Inner debate solved she turned to him gesturing to the woods. “That’s the only place I have left to patrol.”
“After you...”
A/N: pretty please with sugar on top... review!
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