Darkened Dawn
It was a quiet night when she heard the knocking on the doors of the hotel. Gunn had left to fight something, Wesley hadn't been heard from since his release from the hospital, and Angel and Cordelia hadn't been seen since the night they met at Dume Point, almost a week ago. She was worried, Gunn should have been back hours ago, but she didn't know where to begin looking for him. It was a short time until sunrise, and then she'd go find him. Until then, she sat, listening for any indication of the condition of anyone.
Opening the door, she saw a form curled in a tight ball where a mat would have been if anyone had bothered to buy one for the old building. Kneeling before him, she waited a moment for any sort of response, but was surprised when she got one. His head slowly rose and he stumbled to his feet. Stepping into the building behind her, he jumped when the door slammed behind him. She pulled him over to the couch in the middle of the lobby, carefully removing his duster as he did so. He bleached blond hair was in tatters, as was the rest of his face and body.
Kneeling in front of him she quietly asked, "Who are you?"
"William," he answered, just as quietly. He looked up at her. "I tried to save him."
Fred's eyes wrinkled around the edges in confusion. "Who?"
"The black fellow fighting the Erasant buggers. I didn't get there in time."
Her eyes widened. "W - what?"
He looked up at her, blinking back tears. "There was nothing I could have done."
Sinking to the floor, her hand brushed against his skin. She pulled back, as if she'd been burned. "You..you're a vampire."
Nodding, he looked down and answered, "I try to forget. Some shaman in Africa gave me my soul."
"Oh."
They sat in silence for what felt like hours, but may have only been minutes. Finally, unable to take the silence any longer, he broke down into tears, chanting "I'm sorry," again and again. Reaching up, she only hesitated for a second before sitting beside him on the couch and embracing him. Thinking of Gunn, she began to sob. They stayed that way long after dawn had reached the streets of Los Angeles, and the world continued to live and die, destroying itself a little more each day.
It was a quiet night when she heard the knocking on the doors of the hotel. Gunn had left to fight something, Wesley hadn't been heard from since his release from the hospital, and Angel and Cordelia hadn't been seen since the night they met at Dume Point, almost a week ago. She was worried, Gunn should have been back hours ago, but she didn't know where to begin looking for him. It was a short time until sunrise, and then she'd go find him. Until then, she sat, listening for any indication of the condition of anyone.
Opening the door, she saw a form curled in a tight ball where a mat would have been if anyone had bothered to buy one for the old building. Kneeling before him, she waited a moment for any sort of response, but was surprised when she got one. His head slowly rose and he stumbled to his feet. Stepping into the building behind her, he jumped when the door slammed behind him. She pulled him over to the couch in the middle of the lobby, carefully removing his duster as he did so. He bleached blond hair was in tatters, as was the rest of his face and body.
Kneeling in front of him she quietly asked, "Who are you?"
"William," he answered, just as quietly. He looked up at her. "I tried to save him."
Fred's eyes wrinkled around the edges in confusion. "Who?"
"The black fellow fighting the Erasant buggers. I didn't get there in time."
Her eyes widened. "W - what?"
He looked up at her, blinking back tears. "There was nothing I could have done."
Sinking to the floor, her hand brushed against his skin. She pulled back, as if she'd been burned. "You..you're a vampire."
Nodding, he looked down and answered, "I try to forget. Some shaman in Africa gave me my soul."
"Oh."
They sat in silence for what felt like hours, but may have only been minutes. Finally, unable to take the silence any longer, he broke down into tears, chanting "I'm sorry," again and again. Reaching up, she only hesitated for a second before sitting beside him on the couch and embracing him. Thinking of Gunn, she began to sob. They stayed that way long after dawn had reached the streets of Los Angeles, and the world continued to live and die, destroying itself a little more each day.