Anywhere But Here
Author: Hana
Email: cordeliachase@slayme.com
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: BTVS and Angel are owned by Joss Whedon, UPN, WB, Mutant Enemy Inc, David Greenwalt, etc (of course I don't own them - I'm not that mean). Ten Things I Hate About You is owned by.whoever wrote, produced, directed and starred in it. (Have I spelt Joseph Gorden-Levitt right?) Chocolate Crunchie Bars are owned by Cadbury's ("There is no problem that cannot be solved by chocolate" - Buffy).
Title: Chapter 4: Monsters
Author's Notes: Um...well I'm not sure if there's anything left to add, if you've read the other 3 chapters you'll know the basics.and that's pretty much it. If you guys wanna know about the bullet shot, that only really means anything in later chapters. Also it didn't affect her because it was already removed and she has slayer healing! Also she was supposed to have had the hole for a few days. I don't like this chapter much but it is needed! Oh yeah, this chapter is set 2 weeks after the last one finished.
Dedication: Manoj for just bothering to take the time to read my stories (even if he does it days after I ask him to).next time tell me!
Distribution, Reviews and Feedback: see previous parts
Angel walked round the graveyard. He was patrolling alone that night because Gunn and Cordelia had gone to the movies ("They're showing Ten Things I Hate About You! Gorgeous Heath Ledger and Joseph Gorden-Levitt! It's a bloody two-for-one deal! I can't miss it just to patrol with you!"), Fred was out of town and Wesley was busy translating something he had been working on for the past two weeks. It was about the black substance that had been on Buffy's clothes. * Buffy, I wonder what she's doing now. Stop it. You can't keep thinking about her. She left without so much as a goodbye or a thank you and probably doesn't even want to see you again. * His thoughts did not comfort him, however and he was left to wade in them for the rest of the night as he only came across fewer then twelve vampires. When he returned back to his apartment he found the light was still on and saw Wesley still dutifully at his desk translating the desk. "Wesley don't you think you should be getting home soon?"
"What?" he said looking up from his work.
"It's past midnight, Wes."
"Oh, I know I'm just working on this word."
Angel peered over his shoulder. "That's the same one you were working on when I left and that was at eight o'clock."
"Oh, I know but I think I've almost got it now."
"That's it," said Angel and started closing the books.
"What are you doing?" exclaimed Wesley jumping out of his chair.
"Packing." Once he had finished putting the books in the briefcase he held it out to Wesley. "I'll only give you this if you promise you'll go to sleep and only start researching in the morning."
"Um..." started Wesley hesitating. "Alright," he said finally although he was not sure whether or not he had lied to him. He started towards the door once he had his briefcase back when he noticed something was bothering Angel. "So, how was patrol?" said Wesley trying to make conversation.
"Okay. Not too many vampires out tonight."
"Are you okay?" he said finally, not knowing how else to approach his friend.
"Sure, why do you ask?" said Angel putting away his files.
"Well, something seems to be bothering you and I'd like to know what."
"It's nothing Wesley, I'm fine."
"If you say so." He went back to the door when an idea struck him. "Thought about Buffy lately?" he offered. He saw Angel immediately stiffen. "Sometimes."
"Any idea where she is?"
"Not really. Been busy lately."
* Yeah right. More likely you can't admit that you can't stop thinking about her. * "Well, I better get going."
"Yeah, okay." He opened the door, but before he left he took one last look at Angel. He was still sorting out the files and desperately trying to prove himself that his mind was not elsewhere. He decided that he had not lied to Angel and went home.
The next day.
Cordelia was rummaging through Wesley's cupboard. She was looking for where he had kept his briefcase but she could not find it. She turned round to see that Angel and Gunn had had no luck on the shelves either. "Well, I guess we've run out of options then." She started towards the corridor when they caught up with her.
"Cordelia, he must have got home yesterday at one o'clock. Let him sleep."
"Yeah, well so did I Angel, you don't see me snoring away."
"Yeah, well Cordelia at least Wesley wasn't doing something he does every night." Cordelia blushed for a second but then she pouted and burst inside Wesley's bedroom.
He was still lying in bed, his glasses on the bedside table. She went right next to him, bent and shouted into his name into his ear. He got up and exclaimed, "What?" until he realized it was just the three of them.
"Morning sleepyhead," said Cordelia sweetly.
"Yeah, morning," said Wesley only half-awake.
"Rise and shine it's twelve noon already," she said cheerfully.
"Oh. Right. Just give me five minutes." And with that he fell back onto the bed. Cordelia let out a little "Humph" of disappointment and pulled on the side of his bed sheet. He immediately fell onto the floor, disappearing behind the bed. A hand shot up and a very alert voice could be heard saying, "I'm up!"
Wesley stepped out of his bedroom and into the living room. His friends were sitting on the sofa watching television and happily munching on chocolate crunchie bars that they had obviously found upon raiding his fridge while he was washing. He cleared his throat to let them know of his presence.
"Finished beautifying yourself then, Wesley? Honestly, you take longer than me in the shower."
"Well, I guess that's saying something Cordy."
"What's that's supposed to mean?" Angel just chuckled and led Wesley to a different part of the room while Cordelia and Gunn argued among themselves.
"Well?" asked Wesley expectantly.
"This morning, at about eleven o'clock Cordelia and Gunn came to the office and they said that this morning Lilah came to her place."
"As in Lilah from Wolfram & Hart?"
"Yeah."
"What did she say?"
"Apparently, she had said something about some new demon and it being dangerous because it has vampire support and -"
"Lilah is interested in whether some demon kills us or not?" asked Wesley incredulously.
"I haven't finished. She said it's something to do with links. She wouldn't say anymore but she did mention that it was very powerful."
For a few moment s Wesley regarded this in silence. Then he realized what Angel was implying. "You mean you think it has something to do with that black stuff on Buffy's jacket? You think it's from a demon?"
"Well, actually it's more that I think than him, but he'll come around," Cordelia chirped. Apparently, she and Gunn had resolved their fight but the outcome was unknown. "Besides, Buffy always was bad news." Wesley could sense Angel was trying not to come to her defense as he was trying to pretend to himself and the others that he didn't have feelings for her anymore.
"So, what do you think we should do?" asked Wesley trying to fill up the uncomfortable silence.
"Well, Angel thought that maybe you would be able to help us work out how to get into Wolfram & Hart files," said Gunn.
"I'm not at all good at the computer though," Wesley protested.
"That may be so, but I am so the 'net girl and since you are old supernatural book guy we need you to help us find demon stuff so you better come with us and scoot your butt over to the office." Somehow Wesley had to smile. Cordelia always managed to surprise him.
"Shall we go then?" said Angel finally gaining his vocal cords back.
"Let's," said Wesley enthusiastically and after he got his coat they all left to head to Angel Investigations.
That night.
Angel peered round the edge of the tree to see if there was anyone in front of them. Then he signaled to Gunn that the coast was clear and they walked slowly, silently, next to each other. Cordelia and Wesley were going into town to go to a place where the computer system was more sophisticated than theirs so they could access the Wolfram & Hart files. Since Angel and Gunn were of no use whatsoever in the world of computers and would only be able to find information in Wesley's books if they were indexed (which, incidentally, none of them were) they were patrolling to kill time. They had only come across six vampires in the past two hours, but that was better than having last week - they'd come across over a dozen vampires and almost gotten themselves killed - twice.
They patrolled for a while until Gunn suddenly stopped. "Wait."
"What is it?" asked Angel.
"There's someone here."
"A vampire?"
"Not sure. Maybe."
"Where?"
"Over there," he said pointing to his left. They walked carefully and pulled back some branches so that they could see behind it. They saw a vampire standing there, blood dripping down his fangs. A woman with blood on her neck was running in the other direction, as fast as she could in her extremely high heels. The vampire, on the other hand, was standing rooted to the spot and looking extremely afraid - although he was doing his best to cover it up - for some peculiar reason.
"What's wrong with that vamp?" questioned Gunn.
"I don't know." Then they noticed another woman standing up from underneath a different bush. She had a stake in her hand poised to kill and the vampire was looking worse than he had before. "You can't stop me." He had tried to say it in a sort of hiss sound but it ended up coming out as more of a squeak.
"That's the third time you've said that to me. You and your demon friend. I'm getting tired of it. I guess I'm gonna have to kill you," said the woman. For a moment Angel thought he recognized her voice, but he shrugged it off for now.
"Yeah right. You can't kill me, you can't kill any of us," said the vampire but he sounded scared. "We'll see about that." She spun around and kicked the vampire in the face. It fell to the ground and she started to bend down to stake it when Angel saw her face. "Buffy," he called and raced out from behind the bush with Gunn running to catch up.
"Angel?"
"Buffy what are you doing here?" asked Angel standing in front of her, with Gunn panting behind him.
"Patrolling." And as if to prove so she bent down to stake the vampire but it had gone. As one, they turned to see it running off behind the bushes. They ran after it and saw a few feet in front of them but at its pace they would never catch up. Angel was about to say so when Buffy lifted up her hands at arms length, no longer clutching a stake, but a gun. She fired and it hit the vampire in the center of its forehead and it fell to the ground. Gunn and Angel were shocked beyond words. She jogged up to it and staked it leaving behind only a pile of ashes. She came back up to them and they were still rooted to the spot. "Anyone ever told you that if you hit a vampire dead center in the forehead, it actually does have some effect?"
"But, I mean." his voice trailed off, not knowing what to say. "Buffy, where have you been for the past two weeks?" he said finally.
"Around."
"But.I mean.I haven't seen you."
"Maybe you just weren't looking hard enough." For a moment he felt like shaking her and shouting, but he stopped himself. Not because he thought she didn't deserve it. Because she did. But because he had to work things out with her and there was know way she would even listen to him if he did that. With all his thoughts whirling round his head and the loss of Gunn's constant panting he didn't realize that almost five minutes had past. "I'd better get going," she muttered to neither of them in particular and turned around.
"Buffy, wait," said Angel jogging up to her and placing his hand on her shoulder to turn her round to face him. She shrugged his hand off and looked up at him expectantly. If Angel had been trying to look at her and find answers then he was mislead because no one could have read her then. Not even him. Finally he muttered, "Where are you going?"
"To where I'm staying," she said after a few seconds. He wished Gunn wasn't there at that moment.
"Well, where are you staying?" he asked exasperatedly.
"Around." She turned to walk off again but he grabbed her.
"At least tell me what you meant about some other demon." She didn't say anything so he said, "It's to do with Wolfram & Hart isn't it." She nodded slowly. "Well, can you tell me about the demon?" She didn't say anything. "Buffy, I'm just trying to help you. You can't fight a demon on your own. Why is it after you?"
"It doesn't concern you."
"When it concerns my friends I think it matters to me and not you."
"When it concerns my friends it concerns me too." Angel was about to utter 'What on earth is that supposed to mean?' when she ran off in the other direction. He wanted to call out after her but she was gone and he knew she wouldn't listen anyway. Gunn shrugged at him hopelessly and Angel was left in the dark once again.
Author: Hana
Email: cordeliachase@slayme.com
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: BTVS and Angel are owned by Joss Whedon, UPN, WB, Mutant Enemy Inc, David Greenwalt, etc (of course I don't own them - I'm not that mean). Ten Things I Hate About You is owned by.whoever wrote, produced, directed and starred in it. (Have I spelt Joseph Gorden-Levitt right?) Chocolate Crunchie Bars are owned by Cadbury's ("There is no problem that cannot be solved by chocolate" - Buffy).
Title: Chapter 4: Monsters
Author's Notes: Um...well I'm not sure if there's anything left to add, if you've read the other 3 chapters you'll know the basics.and that's pretty much it. If you guys wanna know about the bullet shot, that only really means anything in later chapters. Also it didn't affect her because it was already removed and she has slayer healing! Also she was supposed to have had the hole for a few days. I don't like this chapter much but it is needed! Oh yeah, this chapter is set 2 weeks after the last one finished.
Dedication: Manoj for just bothering to take the time to read my stories (even if he does it days after I ask him to).next time tell me!
Distribution, Reviews and Feedback: see previous parts
Angel walked round the graveyard. He was patrolling alone that night because Gunn and Cordelia had gone to the movies ("They're showing Ten Things I Hate About You! Gorgeous Heath Ledger and Joseph Gorden-Levitt! It's a bloody two-for-one deal! I can't miss it just to patrol with you!"), Fred was out of town and Wesley was busy translating something he had been working on for the past two weeks. It was about the black substance that had been on Buffy's clothes. * Buffy, I wonder what she's doing now. Stop it. You can't keep thinking about her. She left without so much as a goodbye or a thank you and probably doesn't even want to see you again. * His thoughts did not comfort him, however and he was left to wade in them for the rest of the night as he only came across fewer then twelve vampires. When he returned back to his apartment he found the light was still on and saw Wesley still dutifully at his desk translating the desk. "Wesley don't you think you should be getting home soon?"
"What?" he said looking up from his work.
"It's past midnight, Wes."
"Oh, I know I'm just working on this word."
Angel peered over his shoulder. "That's the same one you were working on when I left and that was at eight o'clock."
"Oh, I know but I think I've almost got it now."
"That's it," said Angel and started closing the books.
"What are you doing?" exclaimed Wesley jumping out of his chair.
"Packing." Once he had finished putting the books in the briefcase he held it out to Wesley. "I'll only give you this if you promise you'll go to sleep and only start researching in the morning."
"Um..." started Wesley hesitating. "Alright," he said finally although he was not sure whether or not he had lied to him. He started towards the door once he had his briefcase back when he noticed something was bothering Angel. "So, how was patrol?" said Wesley trying to make conversation.
"Okay. Not too many vampires out tonight."
"Are you okay?" he said finally, not knowing how else to approach his friend.
"Sure, why do you ask?" said Angel putting away his files.
"Well, something seems to be bothering you and I'd like to know what."
"It's nothing Wesley, I'm fine."
"If you say so." He went back to the door when an idea struck him. "Thought about Buffy lately?" he offered. He saw Angel immediately stiffen. "Sometimes."
"Any idea where she is?"
"Not really. Been busy lately."
* Yeah right. More likely you can't admit that you can't stop thinking about her. * "Well, I better get going."
"Yeah, okay." He opened the door, but before he left he took one last look at Angel. He was still sorting out the files and desperately trying to prove himself that his mind was not elsewhere. He decided that he had not lied to Angel and went home.
The next day.
Cordelia was rummaging through Wesley's cupboard. She was looking for where he had kept his briefcase but she could not find it. She turned round to see that Angel and Gunn had had no luck on the shelves either. "Well, I guess we've run out of options then." She started towards the corridor when they caught up with her.
"Cordelia, he must have got home yesterday at one o'clock. Let him sleep."
"Yeah, well so did I Angel, you don't see me snoring away."
"Yeah, well Cordelia at least Wesley wasn't doing something he does every night." Cordelia blushed for a second but then she pouted and burst inside Wesley's bedroom.
He was still lying in bed, his glasses on the bedside table. She went right next to him, bent and shouted into his name into his ear. He got up and exclaimed, "What?" until he realized it was just the three of them.
"Morning sleepyhead," said Cordelia sweetly.
"Yeah, morning," said Wesley only half-awake.
"Rise and shine it's twelve noon already," she said cheerfully.
"Oh. Right. Just give me five minutes." And with that he fell back onto the bed. Cordelia let out a little "Humph" of disappointment and pulled on the side of his bed sheet. He immediately fell onto the floor, disappearing behind the bed. A hand shot up and a very alert voice could be heard saying, "I'm up!"
Wesley stepped out of his bedroom and into the living room. His friends were sitting on the sofa watching television and happily munching on chocolate crunchie bars that they had obviously found upon raiding his fridge while he was washing. He cleared his throat to let them know of his presence.
"Finished beautifying yourself then, Wesley? Honestly, you take longer than me in the shower."
"Well, I guess that's saying something Cordy."
"What's that's supposed to mean?" Angel just chuckled and led Wesley to a different part of the room while Cordelia and Gunn argued among themselves.
"Well?" asked Wesley expectantly.
"This morning, at about eleven o'clock Cordelia and Gunn came to the office and they said that this morning Lilah came to her place."
"As in Lilah from Wolfram & Hart?"
"Yeah."
"What did she say?"
"Apparently, she had said something about some new demon and it being dangerous because it has vampire support and -"
"Lilah is interested in whether some demon kills us or not?" asked Wesley incredulously.
"I haven't finished. She said it's something to do with links. She wouldn't say anymore but she did mention that it was very powerful."
For a few moment s Wesley regarded this in silence. Then he realized what Angel was implying. "You mean you think it has something to do with that black stuff on Buffy's jacket? You think it's from a demon?"
"Well, actually it's more that I think than him, but he'll come around," Cordelia chirped. Apparently, she and Gunn had resolved their fight but the outcome was unknown. "Besides, Buffy always was bad news." Wesley could sense Angel was trying not to come to her defense as he was trying to pretend to himself and the others that he didn't have feelings for her anymore.
"So, what do you think we should do?" asked Wesley trying to fill up the uncomfortable silence.
"Well, Angel thought that maybe you would be able to help us work out how to get into Wolfram & Hart files," said Gunn.
"I'm not at all good at the computer though," Wesley protested.
"That may be so, but I am so the 'net girl and since you are old supernatural book guy we need you to help us find demon stuff so you better come with us and scoot your butt over to the office." Somehow Wesley had to smile. Cordelia always managed to surprise him.
"Shall we go then?" said Angel finally gaining his vocal cords back.
"Let's," said Wesley enthusiastically and after he got his coat they all left to head to Angel Investigations.
That night.
Angel peered round the edge of the tree to see if there was anyone in front of them. Then he signaled to Gunn that the coast was clear and they walked slowly, silently, next to each other. Cordelia and Wesley were going into town to go to a place where the computer system was more sophisticated than theirs so they could access the Wolfram & Hart files. Since Angel and Gunn were of no use whatsoever in the world of computers and would only be able to find information in Wesley's books if they were indexed (which, incidentally, none of them were) they were patrolling to kill time. They had only come across six vampires in the past two hours, but that was better than having last week - they'd come across over a dozen vampires and almost gotten themselves killed - twice.
They patrolled for a while until Gunn suddenly stopped. "Wait."
"What is it?" asked Angel.
"There's someone here."
"A vampire?"
"Not sure. Maybe."
"Where?"
"Over there," he said pointing to his left. They walked carefully and pulled back some branches so that they could see behind it. They saw a vampire standing there, blood dripping down his fangs. A woman with blood on her neck was running in the other direction, as fast as she could in her extremely high heels. The vampire, on the other hand, was standing rooted to the spot and looking extremely afraid - although he was doing his best to cover it up - for some peculiar reason.
"What's wrong with that vamp?" questioned Gunn.
"I don't know." Then they noticed another woman standing up from underneath a different bush. She had a stake in her hand poised to kill and the vampire was looking worse than he had before. "You can't stop me." He had tried to say it in a sort of hiss sound but it ended up coming out as more of a squeak.
"That's the third time you've said that to me. You and your demon friend. I'm getting tired of it. I guess I'm gonna have to kill you," said the woman. For a moment Angel thought he recognized her voice, but he shrugged it off for now.
"Yeah right. You can't kill me, you can't kill any of us," said the vampire but he sounded scared. "We'll see about that." She spun around and kicked the vampire in the face. It fell to the ground and she started to bend down to stake it when Angel saw her face. "Buffy," he called and raced out from behind the bush with Gunn running to catch up.
"Angel?"
"Buffy what are you doing here?" asked Angel standing in front of her, with Gunn panting behind him.
"Patrolling." And as if to prove so she bent down to stake the vampire but it had gone. As one, they turned to see it running off behind the bushes. They ran after it and saw a few feet in front of them but at its pace they would never catch up. Angel was about to say so when Buffy lifted up her hands at arms length, no longer clutching a stake, but a gun. She fired and it hit the vampire in the center of its forehead and it fell to the ground. Gunn and Angel were shocked beyond words. She jogged up to it and staked it leaving behind only a pile of ashes. She came back up to them and they were still rooted to the spot. "Anyone ever told you that if you hit a vampire dead center in the forehead, it actually does have some effect?"
"But, I mean." his voice trailed off, not knowing what to say. "Buffy, where have you been for the past two weeks?" he said finally.
"Around."
"But.I mean.I haven't seen you."
"Maybe you just weren't looking hard enough." For a moment he felt like shaking her and shouting, but he stopped himself. Not because he thought she didn't deserve it. Because she did. But because he had to work things out with her and there was know way she would even listen to him if he did that. With all his thoughts whirling round his head and the loss of Gunn's constant panting he didn't realize that almost five minutes had past. "I'd better get going," she muttered to neither of them in particular and turned around.
"Buffy, wait," said Angel jogging up to her and placing his hand on her shoulder to turn her round to face him. She shrugged his hand off and looked up at him expectantly. If Angel had been trying to look at her and find answers then he was mislead because no one could have read her then. Not even him. Finally he muttered, "Where are you going?"
"To where I'm staying," she said after a few seconds. He wished Gunn wasn't there at that moment.
"Well, where are you staying?" he asked exasperatedly.
"Around." She turned to walk off again but he grabbed her.
"At least tell me what you meant about some other demon." She didn't say anything so he said, "It's to do with Wolfram & Hart isn't it." She nodded slowly. "Well, can you tell me about the demon?" She didn't say anything. "Buffy, I'm just trying to help you. You can't fight a demon on your own. Why is it after you?"
"It doesn't concern you."
"When it concerns my friends I think it matters to me and not you."
"When it concerns my friends it concerns me too." Angel was about to utter 'What on earth is that supposed to mean?' when she ran off in the other direction. He wanted to call out after her but she was gone and he knew she wouldn't listen anyway. Gunn shrugged at him hopelessly and Angel was left in the dark once again.