"Angel, where are we going? And why are we going there? I'm supposed to be on patrol. And we're supposed to be not seeing each other. You know, vampire-human. Vampire-slayer. We can't be together." Buffy was rambling.
"I told you. We're going to see somebody who's going to give us some insight on….well, on us."
"Oh yeah, you just know somebody who's going through the same thing we're going through?"
"Well, not exactly the same thing," Angel admitted with a chuckle. "But close. A chosen one and her chosen one. You'll like them."
"And they live in the woods?" Buffy asked skeptically. They were stomping through the woods, trying to remain quiet but twigs and branches breaking regularly beneath their feet.
"Not really. It's just through here."
They broke through the trees, into a clearing that led to a sprawling mansion with massive trees framing the pathway to the door. It was a gorgeous old style house with blacked out windows, all except one at the top of the house. Buffy whispered, "Did you bring me to a vampire den for fun, Angel?"
"No, I brought you to visit somebody. Just, try not to stake anybody. These vampires, they're more like me than they are anyone else."
"So they all have their souls?"
"No. But…they're…more friendly towards humans. You'll see why once we get inside. Come on."
He took his hand in hers and pulled her forwards, towards the house. She put up little resistance and followed along. Once they were closer to the front door, she hissed again, "Angel, this house is big enough to house thirty vamps."
"Closer to thirty five," Angel corrected. "All peaceful. The power they serve doesn't allow for violence. Ever. You'll see."
With that, he raised his hand and knocked heavily on the door four times. He informed her, "We still have to be invited inside."
"Vampires have to invite each other into their own house?" Buffy questioned snarkily. "Seems like the evil inside would invite more evil."
"Like I said, they're a little different." With that, the door swung open to reveal a short, dark haired vampire sporting reading glasses and a business suit.
"Angel," he greeted, "nice to see you. And who is this?"
"This is Buffy. Fawn will want to meet her. Is she asleep?"
"No. She just woke up. I'll call on her. Wait here until she approves of you being invited in."
Angel nodded and the small man in reading glasses turned and left. Buffy asked, "Shouldn't he be out hunting, with all the other vamps?"
"I told you, they're different. Not feeling like listening tonight?"
"It's just….Angel, we're not supposed to even be seeing each other and you show up at my house, telling me there's something important we have to do and it just can't wait. So I get dressed and ready for patrolling, and you drag me out to the middle of the woods so I think, 'Okay, maybe this is his weird idea of a date.' But nope, you bring me to a vampire den of weirdos and you just keep telling me that everything's going to be explained inside. What am I supposed to do?"
"Just…."
The door swung open to reveal a girl smaller than the vampire in the reading glasses. She was wearing a long purple velvety dress and her blonde hair was piled in sweeping ringlets on her head. Buffy sighed, "You brought me to meet a girl from a Jane Austen novel? Are the vampires not even trying to dress like they're from this century anymore?"
"Oh, I'm not from this century," the girl cheered with an excited smile. "I'm from a very long time ago. James, come look! Look who's come to visit."
Behind her appeared a vampire taller than Angel. He exuded it. The blood lust, the soullessness, the quiet sex appeal. His dark hair was tousled as if he'd just woken up and his deep blue eyes were dark and light all at the same time. He was dressed in a black suit. He wrapped his arms around the tiny girl's waist and rested his chin on top of her head. Barely moving his lips, he murmured, "Well look there, it's Angel. The lost son. The one whose soul didn't come from my little princess."
The girl laughed again and she teased, "Not him, silly. Though it is nice to see you again, Angel. I've decided to quite forgive you about the whole ordeal with Drusilla so it's nice that you've finally come to see all of us again. But, Jamie sweet, I'm talking about her. We get to meet the slayer! We get the honor!"
"Yes, we do, bunny." Buffy raised her eyebrow at the smirk that decorated the vampire's visage. "Now you should introduce yourself, since you already know her."
"Do I have to use the whole name?"
Buffy looked up at Angel questioningly and found him with a half smile decorating his face. He glanced down at her and nodded towards the couple in the doorway. The girl had her head twisted to look up at the vampire wrapped around her. The vampire who was smiling lightly down at her. Buffy wandered if the dark half smirk was a vampire thing because that's definitely what James was doing down at the girl. He informed her, "Yes, princess, you have to use your full name. It's important for people to know who you are."
She made a small whining sound in the back of her throat and James leaned forward to press his lips to hers for a long, what Buffy assumed to be hard, kiss. When they were done, the girl spun back to face forward and rolled her eyes before she listed off, "I'm Vengala Denlanite. Bringer of the Light, Keeper of the Dark. Decision maker and creator of knowledge. She who rose from the blood of the lamb to lead the lions forth into righteousness. She who is protected by those that live in the night. She who loves those without the souls and she who restores pain and fear to those who do wrong. But you can call me Fawn."
Fawn stuck her hand through the doorway and grinned widely at Angel and Buffy. Buffy took her hand and replied, "Buffy, the Chosen One. Vampire Slayer. Protector of the Innocent. Um…high school Junior and hopeful Senior if I manage to pass my finals in a few months."
That made Fawn grin wider and James cleared his throat. Fawn exclaimed, "Oh, yeah! This is James. He's my white night and my prince charming and the best man I've ever met."
"Except I'm not really a man. But you know that, Slayer. Bunny, would you like to invite Angel and Buffy inside?"
"Oh, yeah! Did you guys come for dinner? Or breakfast? Or what time is it James?"
"Closer to breakfast than dinner, bunny. Once again, invite them in."
"Oh, right! That's a good decision. Angel, Buffy, welcome to my home."
Fawn swept out of the doorframe and she and James stepped away, leaving Angel and Buffy on the doorstep. Angel motioned towards the doorway and Buffy whispered, "Are you kidding me? What does her name even mean?"
"It means a lot of stuff. She'll explain inside. She loves talking. And she's a huge fan of yours."
"A magical human girl dating a vampire is a fan of a slayer?"
"Yep. She's weird, but she's the only person who can give you a perspective on this. On us."
Buffy sighed but stepped into the house. She and Angel followed James and Fawn, who didn't seem to be looking back, into the kitchen. Fawn ordered, "Sit down, sit down. What would you like? Angel, blood? We have O and A positive. We're all out of B negative. Scotty is a glutton. Buffy, would you like tea? Or coffee? Maybe some water? Some milk? I think we also have soda. Jamie, sweetheart, is it called that in this century still? Am I doing it right? It's soda that young people are drinking, right? We also have some wine. Does the slayer drink wine?"
"Princess, shh."
"The usual, Fawn," Angel cut her off.
"Soda is fine."
The tiny blonde grinned again as if Buffy handed her the world's greatest compliment. She spun around and got to work. James hovered near her, a few inches away at all times. Removing things from the range of her elbows and tiny hands just before she knocked them over. Moving wine glasses before she had the ability to knock them off of the counter. James delivered the glasses as she poured them, smiling slightly at her the entire time. Buffy's eyes traced over James, watching him watching her. Fawn called over her shoulder, "So, what did you come about, Angel? I can't read minds, only tell you if things are good decisions or not. So don't think too hard about your relationship with the slayer because my brain is aching as I think about it. There's too much there to focus and I just can't…."
She froze and James plucked the wine bottle out of her hand as she pressed her hands to her forehead. With his free arm, he folded her into himself and massaged her scalp for just a second before he pressed a kiss to her crown and murmured, "Don't think of it, bunny. Shh. Don't think of it. Focus on the here and now. Not the then and there."
She breathed deeply for a second and then rose with a smile painted on her face as if her pain were nothing. James commanded, "Sit down, bunny. I'll get your drink. You're stretching yourself too thin again. Go. Sit."
"Bossy one, aren't you?" Buffy asked.
"He's my protector," Fawn sighed as she moved gracefully into her seat. "He always has been. He keeps me from being dead."
"And she keeps my afterlife lively," James grinned. He settled into the seat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, handing her the glass of wine.
"The two of you are gross."
"I know you don't mean because we're vampire and human," Fawn laughed. "Because that's a laugh coming from the slayer. The slayer in love with the vampire. Good decision for right now. Later gets confusing. Later hurts. Badly. James…"
"I know, bunny. Come here."
He reached over and lifted her up to pull her onto his lap. He lifted the wine glass up for her and lifted it to her lips so she could drink from it. Buffy looked over at Angel and rolled her eyes. Angel just smirked. He informed them, "Fawn, we didn't come to get an answer about our relationship. I wanted you to tell Buffy about who you are, about your life."
"Oh, you're not looking for confirmation of your decision. You're looking for somebody who went through what you're going through. Clever, clever, Angel."
He smiled and Buffy demanded, "How long have you two known each other?"
"Well, Angel's 200, and I'm roughly fourteen hundred, give or take a decade or two. So we've known each other about one hundred and fifty years."
"You're how old?" Buffy demanded, her attention suddenly piqued.
"Well, I was born in 453 AD. Right before the Greek society fell apart. And Father found me when I was about six years old. I stayed six for a while. Until around 510. Then he let me grow until I was ten and we repeated the ritual then. And technically I've only aged to seventeen. So my body is the same age as you. It's my brain that's a little older."
"And you're not a vampire?"
"Nope. I told you. I'm the one bathed in the blood of the lambs to lead the lions to righteousness."
"What does that even mean?"
"Princess, quit being vague," James scolded. "Just tell her what you are."
Fawn giggled and asked, "How specific would you like me to get, Angel? Do you have school tomorrow, Buffy? Should I hurry up?"
"Today was Friday, Fawn. Which means that tomorrow is Saturday. And I don't have school on Saturday."
"So you don't mind hearing it all?" Fawn's voice was sweet and soft, searching. Buffy had to admit that it was almost adorable. Knowing that the girl was truly over a thousand years old, yet still innocent and gorgeous was confusing. Added to the little whine she made whenever she thought too hard about Angel and Buffy's relationship. She was a magical, sweet, slightly scary, vampire loving, crazy person.
"No, no, I've got time. Go ahead, Fawn."
She glanced at James and he nodded slightly at her. She turned back and asked again, "You're certain that, for some weird reason, you want to hear all about my life?"
"Bunny, tell them a story," James murmured against her skin.