Q & A 1
He leaned against the wooden beam supporting the boardwalk above him. He stared out across the water feeling the sun on his eyes. He could see the water glittering in the mid-day sun. He longed for the time when he could just step out from the shadows and feel the heat of the sun on his pale flesh. But those days have long since passed. He longed for many things: the taste of food dancing across his tongue, to feel the fatigue of his muscles after a long intense workout, but he knew that if he tried to ingest anything it would just end up tasting like dirt.
He closed his eyes, sucking in a cool breath of oxygen not really something he needed anymore. He could taste the salt from the ocean on his lips. He wanted to spit it out but he knew it was only a sensation and not really a taste that was really there. He watched the woman standing at the water's edge burring her toes beneath the damp sand. The thin satin swim suit cover up she wore billowed out in the ocean breeze. Her hair cascaded down her back in long thick caramel colored waves. Her skin, as he knew, was soft and smooth like finely polish marble. He watched as the muscles in her legs and arms clenched as uncleaned as she moved.
He shifted, moving to rest against the other side of the same wooden pillar, getting a better view. He looked her over; his eyes took their time savoring every inch they took. He wished he could walk out and wrap his arms around her waist and rest his chin on the top of her head and inhale her warm scent. He inhaled once more imaging her musky vanilla aroma delightfully invading his nose. His thumb wound around the black metal wedding band claiming his ring finger. She wore it's mate. She was his, against all odds. Against all trials she was his. He glanced up catching her watching him. A small mischievous grin curling at the corners of her thin plush lips.
She turned taking small short strides toward him. She took her time. He could see the gracefulness of her strides. She was a beautiful huntress in search of prey. The muscles coiling beneath her skin, she could lunge at any moment. He smiled he was the lucky one. He was the one she hunted. "I come to beach to enjoy the sun and sand and I find a man with the face of an angel staring after me. Tell me are you taken?" She asked lifting her hand using the tips of her fingers to trail down the side of his face. A small smile spread across his lips. He lifted his left hand in front of her showing her the black band.
"I am." He spoke happily. She glanced to the side and sighed.
"Such a shame," she looked up again continuing, "the good ones are always taken." His arms reached out grabbing her around the waist in a powerful iron grip and yanked her into the shadows with him. He brushed the rogue strands of hair away from her neck and he ducked his head. His sharpened canines grazing the nape of her exposed vulnerable skin.
"A good one huh? Some would disagree." He argued. She panted lightly with the rapidness of her heart beat. In one slick fluid motion, she had him pinned against the same pillar he was resting against only moments ago. She felt the hardness of his body, like rock, as she pressed against him.
"Those some don't know you like I do." She whispered leaving a faint barely there kiss on his slightly parted lips.
From behind them they heard someone clear their throat. "It's bad enough that you are like this at the office, do you really have to do it out here too." The voice was whinny and belonged to the mean girl in high school. The one whom everyone hated but every girl wanted to be. He flicked his eyes away from the woman pressed against him.
"Cordelia, what is it?" His tone conveyed his annoyance. Cordelia took a short step forward and handed him a small slip of paper. He read it and looked up. "Can't the others handle this?" She shook her head.
"Connor?" He asked. Cordelia stayed silent. "Spike?" He asked.
"Angel." Finally she spoke her voice containing a hint of sadness. Angel went to continue the list. She cut him off. Her tone rising.
"Angel…its Buffy." She managed finally. Cordelia glanced over at the girl that was attached to one of Angel's arms and then back at Angel.
"Buffy?" He asked nearly whispering. Cordelia nodded.
"Yes. She's in trouble. There's something big on its way to SunnyDale. They have no way to fight it." She said somberly. Angel stole a glance to the side at his wife. She nodded.
"We should go Angel." Her tone was all but excited but she knew this was something he couldn't turn down.
Angel leaned across the door frame of their room arms folded across his chest watching as his wife hastily tossed clothes into a small black duffle bag. "You don't have to go you know." He offered. She paused after throwing in an extra pair of shirts for the both of them. She looked up at him.
"As much as I would like to coward out and not go because of how awkward this might be…For well all of us. I can't very well just leave you to fend for yourself." She moved to stand in front of him her arms folded in the same manner as his. She was quiet for a moment and took a deep breath before working enough courage to speak. "I know how much she meant...means…"
"Quinn." She put up a hand stopping him. He sat back on his heels and closed his mouth.
"I know how much she means to you. I know you love me, but I also know you still care a great deal for Buffy." She managed to say the name. She could feel tears welling up but she stopped them from doing much more than that. "As much as I want to be against it, I think Buffy and I should meet." She finished. Angel met her gaze.
"Are you sure that's what you want?" He asked.
"It's what's best." He managed zipping up the bag and tossing it to him.
The drive from LA to SunnyDale was long and drawn out due impart to the silence. Neither spoke but a few short sentences. Both were lost in their thoughts as to how this whole ordeal was about to work out. Cordelia wasn't much help by way of being able to tell what was coming or when it was going to come. They were pretty much left on their own. They pulled up in front of a small suburban house. "I think I should…" Angel began. Quinn nodded.
"Best to break it gently." She reached over and slid the ring off of his finger and closed his fingers around it. "Tell her when you're ready. I'll be around." She leaned over and kissed his cheek before he could say anything she was gone...
Quinn wandered aimlessly down the street a few blocks from where she had left Angel. She eventually found herself strutting into the SunnyDale cemetery. Rows and rows of head stones lined her walkway. A few of them were fresh. She felt an odd sense of calm wash over her stammering nerves. She felt the block of sharp wood in the waist band of her pants as she walked. This was something she was familiar with, something she was comfortable with. Behind her a twig snapped. She spun around, her eyes searching the darkness. Her ears strained as she listened. She inhaled. All she could smell was the strong stench of rotting flesh and the aroma of newly turned up grass and dirt. "You're not the slayer." A throaty voice called out behind her. She spun around again. A tall man in a brand new black suit that was dirty with the mud he had to climb up through covered him. He had been young when he died. His hair was dark and cut short to his head. It was gelled.
"Sorry to disappoint." She responded. She watched as his nostrils flared when he sucked in a breath of unneeded air.
"You don't smell human…but you are human…" His brow furrowed in frustration as he tried to concentrate. "What are you?" He asked taking a step toward her. She pulled the stake from her the waist band of her pants and twirled it in her palm.
"The person that is about to end your new beginning." She tossed the stake up into the air she spun on her back leg and kicked the stake sending it hurling toward him. Faster than he thought was possible he was a pile of dust. Quinn walked forward kneeling down she reached for the stake. Well that was anticlimactic…She thought sadly. Before she got completely to her feet she was tackled from the side. The impact sent her sprawling to the ground. She looked up to see what had attacked her but they weren't lying on the ground beside her they were already on their feet standing above her a stake looming over the center of her chest.
"Little girls shouldn't wander alone at night, especially in the cemetery." With that she squatted thrusting the stake down. Quinn twirled her legs trapping one of the other girls and swept her feet from beneath her. Quinn flipped onto her feet and looked down. The girl was about her height. She wore a plain cotton t-shirt and dark pants. Her hair was short and blond.
"Hold on a second." Quinn said holding her hands out in a time out manner. The blond girl flipped to her feet looking like she was ready to lounge at any second. "I'm not what you think I am." She said. The other girl scoffed a small smile curling at the corner of her lips.
"Exactly, you vile creature of the night." She lunged throwing a series of punches and kicks. Quinn managed to block the flurry. This girl had strength she shouldn't have. She wasn't just a human. This must be the slayer. Quinn's eyes widened as realization washed over her. She tried to block the other girl's advances by going on the defensive end. Ducking and parring.
"You're the slayer." Quinn said. The girl looked at her with bright eyes.
"Duh." She responded.
"You're Buffy!" Quinn called out. Speaking her name gave the slayer pause.
"How do you know my name?"
"Oh no. You were supposed to be at home." Quinn stuttered. Buffy looked at her.
"Who are you? How do you know my name?" She asked again. Quinn sighed. This was not how it was supposed to have gone. Angel was the one that was supposed to have spoken to her.
"I came with Angel." Quinn spat out. Buffy lowered the stake.
"Angel?" She asked. Quinn nodded. "Angel is here?" She continued. Quinn saw what she thought was flash of pain in Buffy's eyes. But it was gone before she could completely analyze it. Buffy regained her ground and stood straight crossing her arms over her chest, stake gripped tightly in one of her hands. "What kind of demon are you?"
"I'm a half-breed." Quinn replied.
"Half what?"
Quinn sighed she was growing impatient. "I'll tell you later. Angel really wanted to talk to you." Quinn strode from the cemetery.
Angel sat on the couch across from the bubbly red headed witch. "So Cordy doesn't know what's coming just that its big and bad."
"That's pretty much the size of it. She did say that when it comes it is going to be must worse than the Master." Willows eyes widened.
"The Master is what killed..."
"Me." They both turned to see the blond haired slayer standing in the foyer. Angel rose to his feet raking his hair with his fingers.
"Buffy." His eyes flicked to the brunette standing behind him. Quinn moved around Buffy and stood next to Angel.
"Found her." She sighed taking a seat on the edge of the couch. Willow followed her as she went. Quinn leaned across the coffee table her hand extended. "I'm Quinn."
"Willow. I see you've met Buffy." Willow turned her eyes back to Buffy. Buffy's gaze was fixed on Angel and never wavered.
"We've…gotten acquainted." Quinn stood motioning to Willow. "I think we should let them have a second." Without a word Willow nodded and led them into the kitchen.
"Thank you." Quinn took the mug of hot tea. Willow took a long slow drag from her own mug. It was of the cheesy novelty type.
"You and Angel huh? What's that like?" Willow pried awkwardly. Quinn took a sip of her tea letting it slid down her throat warming it as it went before she spoke.
"Very interesting. There never is a boring day at the office. There is always something new about to cause havoc and destruction to the city." She paused and then looked around. "But I suppose that's nothing new to you here." She sighed. Willow gave a small laugh and smiled.
"Something new all the time." She agreed.
They stayed silent for a long time each standing at opposite ends of the living room. Angel could hear the clock ticking deafeningly in the other room. He could hear the murmurs of Quinn and Willow talking in the other room. If he concentrated he'd be able to understand what was being said, but he didn't want to put forth the effort. He heard muffled sounds of laughter. Buffy turned toward the kitchen. "Sounds like they are getting along." Buffy finally broke the silence. Angel looked over to her. "She didn't just come with you did she. She is with you." Buffy enunciated the words. Angel shoved off the wall.
"Look Buff, Quinn is a great girl. But that's not why we came." Angel started. Buffy looked at him. The way he said her name, it held so much affection. So much adoration.
"You love her?" Buffy asked. For not being able to feel anything he felt everything. Angel slipped his hand into his pocket and fished out the small band. He looked up at Buffy and slipped the band onto his finger.
"Yes." Buffy looked to the side, the same pain that Quinn thought she had seen earlier came to rest on the surface of her eyes.
"Why did you come?" She finally asked after taking a moment to collect herself. She was happy for him. She wanted to be selfish but she couldn't think that just because she couldn't have him no one else could. He deserved better than that. But it still hurt.
"Cordelia saw you were in trouble."
"I can take care of myself." Angel nodded.
"I know you can, but whatever it was she saw is worse than the Master."
"I can handle it." Buffy spoke stubbornly.
"Buffy, the Master killed you." Buffy met his gaze.
"I know."
