Late the next night, as he had arranged, Giles heard a knock on the door. He opened it holding Buffy's letter. He took in the dark stranger lurking in the shadows; then, unexpectedly, handed him the letter. "Here. You have the right to see this now."
The man in the doorway hesitated, then took the letter. "Will I want to read it?" he asked in a low voice.
"I didn't say you would like it." Giles said a little sharply. "I said you had the right to see it."
The man acknowledged this with a shrug and a half-smile. "Well, Giles? Aren't you going to invite me in?"
Giles looked keenly at him. "No. Call it a test."
The man laughed without mirth, and calmly walked into the room. Giles' eyebrows twitched. "Neat trick, huh?" the man said. "I can also cross running water, wear silver, go to church, all kinds of fun stuff. But you know what's best of all? I no longer have this weird compulsion to pick up every grain of rice after a wedding!" He gave a self-deprecating grin as Giles was startled into a short laugh.
The man glanced around the room to his reflection in the mirror. "Ah, that's the best of all," he said contentedly. "Well," he considered, "that and lobster, with a light wine. Taken at noon. Outdoors. And look! I got a little sun today!" He held out his arm and almost chortled.
Giles smiled, convinced. He offered his hand to the young man, who took it in a firm grip. "Giles, I owe you my life," he stated evenly. "Tell me how I can thank you?"
Giles had had his answer ready for a long while. "You can go find my slayer and bring her home." The man looked puzzled, and Giles gestured toward the piece of paper in his hand. "Read the letter."
The dark-haired man sat down and brought the lamp closer. He read the letter silently, then read it again. He folded it up and somberly handed it back. "I'll do it." He said.
"I knew you would," said Giles. "Thank you, Angel."
"No, not that." The said man impatiently. "Didn't you and the priest tell me that this was my chance for a fresh start? My name's Adam. 'Angel' seems a bit pretentious now, but I can certainly qualify for 'made of clay.'" He flashed his trademark half-smile.
"Adam, then. It fits. How much do you remember?"
"I remember everything," Adam said bleakly. "I remember Jenny Calendar, and Drusilla, and almost killing Buffy, and - yeah, I remember it all.
"I also remember waking up in that church looking up at you and Joe. The nearest I've ever been to heaven was waking up then, with the sun in my face." He fell silent and expressionless.
Giles said softly, "Yes, I remember." Angel - no, Adam, he corrected himself, had awakened lying in full sunlight, and had started sobbing as if his heart would break. This time he had had no merciful spell of amnesia to dull the pain. He'd been like a newborn baby, only laden with the guilt of centuries. Father Joe had baptized him right away, to cleanse him from original sign, and had christened him "Adam Christian Angelus." "Christian" was to keep him safe from evil; "Angelus" was because, although his past was forgiven, it would remain part of his personality; and "Adam" to show that he was just as human as everyone else, made from dust and clay.
Giles came out of his reverie and said again, "It fits."
Both men were silent for a moment, then Adam stirred. "So where is she?" he asked.
"I really don't know. The letter was postmarked from New York, but letters from some of the surrounding towns go through that post office, so -" Giles left the statement hanging.
"Don't worry about it. I can find her," Adam said confidently.
"There's more," Giles said. He removed his glasses and wiped off a lens. "We think she may have, uh, had some dealings with Spike. He is mentioned in the letter, and also there was the... um, the tutu incident." He blushed, then swallowed and continued. "Apparently, Buffy and Spike had collaborated on a plan to ruin your-uh, I mean Angel's scheme and kill you. Him. I asked Buffy's mother about it, you see."
"I remember," Adam said, absently rubbing the back of his skull. "He came after me with a crowbar. And you don't have to refer to me in the third person. I am Adam now, but Angel is still with me." He looked up with a twinkle in his eye. "The tutu line was pretty good," he admitted.
"Yes, I was rather proud of that... at the moment." Giles said, slightly discomfited that Adam remembered even that. "Actually, I would rather like to forget that moment, if you don't mind - as you should."
Adam nodded, his dark eyes preoccupied. He stood to leave. "Thank you, Giles. And don't worry. I'll find her."
|
|
|
|
Rave
Barbie Girl (Becca)
biscuit07
Filmtheory (Jim)
Malice (Jess)
MebbtheScribe (MichaelB)
Reset (Allie)
Shay (Marrisa)
somnambulist29 (Shea)
Stephanie Loss
Wendyness (Wendy)
Questions?Contact Us
|
|
All stories on this site have been archived with the authors' consent. Do not copy these stories for your own uses without the express consent of the author themselves. Buffy the Vampire Slayer TM and Angel TM are © UPN, WB, Fox and its related entities. All photos on the site are © UPN, Fox, Warner Bros, and/or their respective owners. No profits are being made by use of these images.
Powered with the assitance of eFiction.
|
|
|
