Okay, so new story! I'm going to try and keep with both plotlines, but I'm not going to put in all the dialogue – just bits that I'm changing. This first 'episode' is an attempt to set the scene both Angel and Buffy changes. If bits are skipped out, just assume they are either exactly the same, or so close that it isn't worth it and a mention will be made later.
I wanted this to be posted about a week ago, but fanfiction seemed to be down, so sorry you had to wait so long on top of me being away for three weeks anyway. Here it is – finally …… the sequel!
It was nighttime in the main Sunnydale cemetery, the only light coming from the street lamps and passing cars, and the only movement inside the graveyard was the swaying trees in the wind and two girls. Both seemed unconcerned by their location, although everyone in Sunnydale knew that the graveyards at nighttime are just not the safest place to be; in fact the two teenagers were having a casual conversation.
One of them sighed, and paced impatiently in front of a gravestone. She carried a stake in one hand.
"Anything?"
The other girl was sitting on a memorial stone with a group of papers in her hands
"Ah! 'Introduction to the Modern Novel.' "A survey study of twentieth century novelists." Open to freshmen, you might like that."
Buffy was still rather sceptical.
"'Introduction to the Modern Novel?' I'm guessing I'd probably have to read the modern novel." That was a scary thought, although Angel would probably be able to help her there. It was quite an advantage to have a 243-year-old boyfriend at times.
"Maybe more than one, sorry Buffy."
"I like books, not as much as Angel, but then he doesn't really get out much during the day. Do they have an introduction to the modern blurb?"
Willow looked down, scanned the page and shook her head. Then she looked back down again.
"Short story? And where is Angel anyway? He's normally on patrol with you – he's hardly let you out of his sight all summer."
"Well, I think he just wants me to know that he isn't leaving me – he's been living out of the bag of stuff he brought back with him and bits that he left at the mansion when he left coz he didn't want to go back to LA for a few days. I've finally convinced him to get the rest of his stuff, so he's gone for tonight; he'll get his stuff together and be back an hour after sunset tomorrow. But short story, that's good.
"Oh, no. It conflicts with Psych."
"Maybe I shouldn't take Psych."
"You gotta. I-It's fun, a-and you can use it as your science requirement. Anyway, Professor Walsh is supposed to be great. She's like, world-renowned."
"How do you get to be renowned? I mean, like, do you have to be 'nowned' first?"
"Yes, first there's the painful 'nowning' process. Wait! 'Images of Pop Culture.' This is good. T-They watch movies, T-TV shows, even commercials. So are you Bronzing tomorrow with Angel, or what?"
"I dunno yet. I think I'm doing a quick patrol, and then helping him move all his stuff after that. There probably wont be much time left to bronze it. Maybe the day after, or I could stop by before sunset? Wait, go back a minute. Did you say watching TV and movies? For credit?"
Willow laughed. "Isn't college cool? You should stop by – the gang … we all miss you, you know. This summer, you've been real busy it seems, with … everything."
Buffy looked a bit guilty. "Sorry, Wills. I have kind of been wrapped up with Angel and everything. I missed him!"
"Yeah I know. I think I'd be the same if Oz left and came back."
"But Pop Culture? How'd I miss that one?"
Buffy walked over and sat beside Willow. Willow just looked at her.
"You did sort of wait till the last minute with your course selection."
"Sorry, 'Miss I-chose-my-major-in-playgroup'. I still have a week left, anyway!'"
"That's an exaggeration. I just, you know, think it's good to be prepared. Don't want to be caught unawares. Didn't Angel try to make you choose a couple of weeks ago?"
Buffy grinned, and behind them a hand thrust up out of a fresh grave.
"Now that was a conversation I'll never forget. He just couldn't understand why I couldn't pick anything, and then we got interrupted. He never brought it up again – I think he just gave up on me. And anyway, it's been a very slay-heavy summer. I just haven't had a whole lot of time to think about life at UC Sunnydale."
A vampire's head and shoulders emerged from the grave, but the girls didn't notice, too engrossed in their conversation.
"You mean, between seeing Angel, hanging with Dawn coz all her friends are on holiday and slaying. But university! It's so exciting, isn't it?" It wasn't really a question. Willow was so excited about being out in the big wide world.
Buffy wasn't convinced. She would always have a full time job that no one could ever know about, and as nice as college and having a normal day life went, it could be a strain. She had to skip so much of high school to be the slayer – no other slayers had ever had to cope! Faith had dropped out, and had been on her own (and we all know how well that went!) and all other slayers (like Kendra) had been living with their watchers for their entire lives, in the world, but apart from it.
"Yeah! It's gonna be an adjustment." She had to be optimistic, if not for herself then for willow.
"Yeah, it's like, five miles away. It's uncharted territory."
Behind them, still unnoticed, the vampire struggled to climb up and out of his grave.
"Giles said I have to be secret-identity gal again."
"That makes sense."
The vampire made it out of the grave and started walking toward them, his face vamped out.
"It's gonna be tough, though... with a roommate." A roommate that wasn't Willow or Angel that is…
"Yeah." It was okay for Willow! She didn't have to figure out how to get past a roomie. Then again, she did have an out of college boyfriend, and it's not like she would really worry about her. Buffy could just blame it on the night life and be thankful that slayers didn't need as much sleep as normal people – four hours was usually more than enough to refresh her, and give herself a lie-in on a day when she had no classes. When she slept with Angel's arms around her though, less hours were needed, and more were wanted.
Buffy tried to put across some of her fears, and hoped that Willow understood. For someone so normal, her best friend could understand quite a lot about how she felt about slaying. Angel was better, but Angel was in LA for two days … two torturous days.
"I'm psyched about college. Definitely. I just need to figure out how it's going to work with my extra-curricular activities." As she talked, the vampire smiled and moved closer, but stopped when he saw the large assortment of weapons stacked against a gravestone. He looked at Buffy, the smile gone, shook his head, turned and walked away. "I just can't let it take the edge off my slaying. I gotta stay sharp." She looked behind her toward the fresh grave. "Is this guy ever gonna wake up?"
Angel entered his old apartment carrying two collapsed cardboard boxes. He dumped them unceremoniously on the floor and began to relax, taking off his jacket and shoes, dropping the jacket over the back of a sofa and leaving his shoes as they were. Then he froze, and looked over his shoulder.
"I like the place. I mean it's not much with the view, but it has a nice bat-cave sort of an air to it."
"Who are you?" Angel might not have been living there anymore, but it was still his apartment.
"Doyle." He started playing with a deck of cards in his hands, and Angel turned around fully.
"You don't smell human. And your name doesn't tell me who you are – what you are."
"Now that's a bit rude. So happens that I am very much human." He sneezed. "On my mother's side." He shook his head and the spikes that came up with the sneeze quickly disappeared. Doyle walked past Angel and settled himself comfortably on the sofa. "Well, I come in uninvited, so you know I'm not a vampire like yourself."
"What do you want?"
"I've been sent. By the Powers That Be."
"The powers that be what?"
"Let me tell you a little bedtime story."
Angel was unimpressed. He was tired, slightly hungry, and wanted to get whatever this was over and done with so that he could get back to Buffy. If he hurried, he thought he would be able to pack up and get back just in time for sunrise, so he could spend all of tomorrow night with her.
"But I'm not sleepy." So what if he was? He didn't have to put up with this rubbish!
"Once upon a time" Angel inwardly groaned, "there was a vampire." He groaned again – this was going to be a biography. "And he was the meanest vampire in all the land. All the other vampires were afraid of him, he was such a - bastard." Well, at least he had a reputation to go with the guilt! "Then one day he was cursed by gypsies. They restored his human soul. And all of a sudden he is mad with guilt. You know: 'What have I done?' You know, he's freaked." Angel knew all right. He also knew what happened next … now, how to get rid of the annoying half demon?
Angel sat down.
"Okay. Now I'm sleepy." And still Doyle continued – it didn't work.
"Yeah, well, it's a fairly dull tale. It needs a little sex, is my feeling. So sure enough: enter the girl." Angel smiled. "Pretty little blonde thing", he whistled, and Angel scowled at him. Buffy was his girl – no one had the right to, to whistle at her like some common bar maid. "Vampire Slayer by trade. And our vampire falls madly in love with her." Didn't he know it… "Eventually the two of them, - well, they get fleshy with one another. Well, I guess the technical term is perfect happiness." Best night of his unlife. But then … "But when our boy gets there, he goes bad again. He kills again. It's ugly." He so does not need reminding of that. "So when he gets his soul back for the second time, he figures hey, he can't be any where near Miss young puppy eyes without endangering them both." Aren't you missing a bit of that story out there, Doyle? There was a lot of other stuff that came before he decided to leave her. "So what does he do? He takes off. Goes to LA. To fight evil - and atone for his crimes. He's a shadow, - a faceless champion of the hapless human race." Worst mistake out of the lot of them. Good job Dawn came along when she did … "Say you wouldn't have a beer of any kind in here, would you?"
"No."
"Come on, you must have something besides pig's blood!" Angel got up off the sofa.
"Okay. You've told me the story of my life up till two months ago, but since I was there, I already knew, and you haven't finished it. So why aren't I kicking you out? I might not live here anymore, but it's still my property."
Doyle looked into the refrigerator that holds two old bags of blood.
"What do you mean you don't live here anymore? And what happened two months ago? I'm meant to know these things … but you haven't chucked me out quite yet because now I'm going to tell you what happens next. You see this vampire; he thinks he's helping. Fighting the demons. Staying away from the humans so as not to be tempted. Doing penance in his little - cell. But he's cut off. From every thing. From the people he's trying to help."
"You're a little behind the times, mate. I don't live here anymore, because I moved back to Sunnydale – to be with my slayer. I'm only back to move my stuff, hence the boxes and me being a little pissed off. I was like that for all of one week before Buffy's sister found me and brought me home."
"You sure?"
"Well, as it's my life, and I was there – yes."
"Oh." Doyle seemed genuinely confused. "You know I'm parched from all this yakking, man. Let's go treat me to a Billy Dee."
Angel sighed. Somehow, he knew he would regret this.
It was perhaps two hours till sunrise, the all night clubbers were heading back home, and the things that go bump in the night had just finished having dinner. Angel and Doyle were walking on the street, just having come back from a liquor store, the half demon carrying a bottle in a brown paper bag
"So you're telling me that the info I got is extremely out of date, and mostly wrong –you see, I thought I was meant to be talking to you about reaching out to people, showing them the love and hope still left in the world."
An old lady dressed in rags came up to the pair and asked him for some change.
"Get a job, you lazy sow." Angel shoved some money into her hand, and smirked as Doyle carried on. "I was meant to be spewing out crap about letting them into your heart. You know: 'It's not about saving lives; it's about saving souls.'"
"I want to know who sent you, and how you got your … misinformation."
"I'm honestly not sure. They don't speak to me direct. I get - visions. Which is to say great splitting migraines that come with pictures. A name, a face. I don't know who sends them. I just know whoever sends them is more powerful than me or you, and their just trying to make things right. One a while back showed me your place – old place – and ever since then, I've visited maybe once a week to see if you were there; I got lucky today I s'pose."
Angel was still sceptical.
"Why you, and me?"
"We all got something to atone for." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper. "Had a vision this morning. When the blinding pain stopped I wrote this down. Nice looking girl, needs help"
Tina Coffee Spot"Help with what?"
"How should I know? That's your business. I just take the names."
"Okay, so how am I supposed to know?"
"You're supposed to get into her life, remember? Get involved. Look, High School's over, boy. It's time to make with the grown up talk."
"I'm not good with people, and I already have things to do – am I just supposed to leave Buffy again?"
"I dunno, but whoever or whatever these people are, they want you here in LA, so you'd better sort out your personal life to suit. They're a hell of a lot more powerful than you and her put together, so you'd better listen to them first, and her second."
"Nothing comes before Buffy – I've learnt that lesson too many times the hard way, not again. I promised I wouldn't leave her."
"So don't."
"Well, she can't exactly leave the Hellmouth to fend for itself!"
"Sort it out later, if I'm not mistaken, you have to get home rather quickly, otherwise you might get a bit of sunburn."
Angel just scowled in his general direction.
Wow. That was longer than I had anticipated.