A/N : No one is picking up on my subtle hints of different characters.
(sniff) So you're getting a whamy of pain and torture for little Dawn!
(evil grin) Fed up with the whiny bitca, she's gonna be seventeen, and she
still acts like a 12 yr old. Hence pain and despair for the littlest
Summers. Thanks to Insane1, for *finally* getting the last chapter of her
fic up there. I love her stuff, and I'd recommend anyone who likes this to
read her stuff cos hers is the cake to my bread. I know, Iknow, I should
get on with the story. But I won't.
I'm not putting anymore up until I have more reviews, so if ya like this, shout out and say so! Okay(grumbling as Insane1 pokes her in the arm) I'm getting on with it. Ow! On with the fic.
Dedication: To Moonflwer who *finally* got it up there! And Insane1, who *hates* Dawn more than I do.
"Spike?" Dawn stepped back, and stared at the bed. Spike was battered, bruised, and bloody. His blue eyes were the only things that remained the same. Even his hair had grown out.
"Yeah. It's me. Now will ya tell me what the bloody hell you're doin' in my crypt when big sis wouldn't let ya in 'ere *before* I left?" Spike painfully hauled himself up on his elbows, and stared at the girl.
"Buffy is so dumb, she won't have realised I sneaked out. And I always come here. I clean it and stuff." Dawn gestured to the posters stuck on the walls and the scented candles in varied shades of pink and purple that stood around the crypt. Catching sight of the posters, she realised that someone had tried to rip them down.
"Oh no! Who did that? I *knew* Clem didn't like Britney!" she said indignantly.
"I did it. I'm a vampire, not a teenager with no friends. Get out!" Spike yelled. Dawn stared at her former cohort.
"What did I do?" she said softly, as tears started to streak down her cheeks.
"I wanted to sleep with your sis, I babysat you. Now there's no chance of me with her, so get out. I may be neutered but hangin' with you is a torture I no longer need to endure," Spike said, injecting 2 suffering years worth of venom into his voice.
"O..kay. I'll.go," Dawn snuffled, as she climbed up the stairs slowly.
"Wait platelet." She turned, hope sparking in her eyes.
"Take your crap with you," Spike said with his eyes closed, gesturing at the walls. Dawn fled.
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Cat stretched out, and tried to fall asleep. It was no good. As far as her body was concerned, it was not going to fall asleep. With a sigh, she sat up, and instantly was awake. What's wrong with me? Normally I fall asleep really quickly?
Cat swung herself off the couch, and stood up. And knocked over the coffee table.
Buffy paused, and dropped the crossbow she'd been loading. She raced down th4e stairs, to see Cat in the middle of the room, righting the coffee table.
"Sorry, I couldn't sleep," Cat said, apologetically.
"Oh god, I shoulda thought. You're a Slayer, so your Spidey sense will go off at nightime," Buffy said, smiling. Cat rasied an eyebrow.
"What?" Buffy demanded, pouting. Cat cracked up.
"I'm sorry, it's just, in every fanfic I've ever read, you *always* end up pouting. And saying your *Spidey sense* is tingling. It's just too funny!" she gasped, trying to stop laughing.
"Fanfic? "Buffy asked, puzzled.
"I told you, back home, you're a TV show. And people have sites that are based around the show, on which they publish fanfiction. And spoilers. So I have read the most bizarre situations on there, and all the cliches in this show come out to play," she finished.
"*what* have you read?" Buffy demanded.
"Trust me, getting with Spike is not the worst situation. Actually, it's kinda good!" Cat mused, thinking what she could shock Buffy with, but leave her conscious.
"What is the worst!"
"Well, there's threesomes with you, Faith and Giles. But then there's a whole range of fic on you and Ethan Rayne," Cat said matter of factly.
"Ewwwwwwwwww!" The Slayer looked ready to pass out.
"Yeah. So now sleeping with Spike is *not* the worst thing that ever happned to you. At least he doesn't go phsyco when you wake up!" Cat pointed out.
"But he's evil. " Buffy crossed her arms like a five year old ready to do battle.
"Maybe. But so is Riley!' Cat cracked up again, and catching sight of Buffy looking blank, sighed and started to explain *that* joke.
"Everyone I know *hates* Riley. He was boring, a ken doll, and I think the standard nickname is Fishboy. There are hundreds of Angel/Riley stories where Riley gets beaten into a bloody pulp. And they're hilarious!"
"So let me get this straight. The one *vaguely* normal boyfriend I've ever had everyone hates?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah. You're meant to be with vampires, honey!"
"That is *so* not funny!" Buffy punched Cat in the arm, lightly, but with Slayer strength, it constituted as an 'Owie' in Cat's book. She punched her back.
"I rthink it's safe to say you won't mind goig patrolling," Buffy said, wincing as she held her arm. Cat smiled smugly.
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"So Spike and *Willow* stuff is on the net?" Buffy asked, as she fiddled with a stake.
"Uh huh. And *so* much Angel and Willow it's unbelievable. But Buffy/Angel shippers are still the favourite," Cat said, patting Buffy on the arm.
"Okay. Ooh, vamp nearby, you wanna do this one?' Buffy asked, and handed Cat a stake.
"Are you sure I'm a Slayer? That I won't try to get this into him, and end up like a flat tyre?" Cat asked, sceptically.
"Just stake him already!" Buffy complained. Cat laughed.
"You and your sister can be so alike sometimes!"
"Take that back," the Slayer said, her eyebrows arched, and her arms folded.
"Staking in progress. Back soon," Cat said quickly, and darted off, leaving Buffy to complain,
"But you didn't take it back!"
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The two girls strolled down the street, licking ice cream, and laughing.
"So what happened then? " asked Cat.
"Well this vamp started *listing* the sex stuff Angel had used on his mate, and Angel just stood there, and if vampires could blush, he would have. And then we were like, he has a soul, and he was like, I don't care, I want to kill him, all she wants to do is have me torture her now, and Angel just whips out a stake and dusts him, and doesn't talk to me for the next few days!" Buffy finished, laughing. She had been a little unerved by the fact that the entire *world* could see her and Angel, whenever, and now the whole Spike thing was wide out in the open, but it meant sharing stories she would *never* tell anyone who didn't already know stuff.
"So when he came back, did you ask him about it?" Cat questioned, licking her ice cream.
"Who, me?" Buffy asked, innocently. " Nah. Just put handcuffs and rope on my bed while I was out, and reaped the fun of teasing a vamp!" They burst out laughing.
"Hey, is that, *Dawn*?" Buffy asked, pointing at a slim figure in the distance.
"Yeah, I think so," Cat replied, squinting at the girl. Almost waist length dark hair, tiny figure, tall, yeah, Dawn sprang to mind.
"*Dawn*!" Buffy's yell stopped everyone within a 2 mile radius.
"Yeah, *that* will do it!" Cat snickered. The figure they thought was Dawn ran in the opposite direction.
"Dawn?" Cat asjked casually.
"Dawn." Buffy replied.
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Dawn climbed the trellis, and hauled herself inside. Landing on the floor, she stripped quickly, and jumped into bed. The front door clicked, and she could hear through the window, that girl's voice. It must be the new Slayer, on patrol. *She'd* never been given icecream after patrol!
Buffy led Cat upstairs, and into her room.
"Basic artillary weapons. Bow, stakes, staff, general stuff," she began, but Cat was straing at the butterflies on the wall.
" What?" Buffy asked.
"The meaning of the butterflies, there are so many reasons floating around. I don't want to know, I'll stick with being a fanfic writer on that one.." she paused.
"*You* write fanfic?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah I do. Mainly about you and Spike!" Cat laughed. Buffy sighed.
The next day, Angel and Connor managed to meet them in the sewers. Willow and Oz had gone to a film, taking Dawn with them. Anya and Xander had met up at some weird café place, to 'talk', which meant wild screaming sex, and stilted conversation.
"Hey," Cat greeted them with, as she dropped in. Angel nodded.
"Hi." Connor looked at the girl. Not stunning, more freckles, and shoulderlength reddish hair, but she was still pretty.
"You must be Connor. Pretty dumb question, I've seen the end of Season Three, and spoilers for Season Four, and I plan on *watching* Season Four, so don't tell me anything!" Ct pronounced, her hands on her hips.
"I wasn't gonna," Connor said. The English accent remained. (1)
"Oh, God, you will not *believe* how great it is to hear an English accent. I keep on dropping into American, and I like being British, and there's no Spike to ask about, so you're the only thing resembling English at the moment," Cat said excitedly.
Connor looked puzzled, then his expression cleared.
"Nice to meet you, too," he said politely. Angel smiled proudly.
"Hey. So, battle plan?" Buffy asked, sliding into the sewer.
"You've been around Oz."
"Yup. Staying with us at the moment, to keep Willow happy. Anyway,what's happening?"
Angel smiled. " I was planning on going back to the mansion, and starting training there. Connor can spar with you, Buffy, and I can start some stuff with Cat."
"That sounds cool," Cat said, looking at Buffy.
"Spar with Connor? Wouldn't I hurt him?' Buffy asked Angel.
" I can hold my own," Connor said, smiling at Cat. Cat grinned back.
"Okay, that's the plan."
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In the mansion, Angel whisked Cat away to start off some basic training, while Buffy and Connor started to spar. She soon realised that he was just as good at certain things, and being the son of two vampires gave his fighting an 'edge'.
Angel stood in the middle of the room, and pushed Cat in front of him.
"I'm going to blindfold you. Your Slayer sense should tell you where I am, and I want you to try to hit me with the staff, "he explained. Cat nodded.
"But, at the same time, I'm going to try to attack you, by throwing knives. You have to dodge them, and find me at the same time. Three hitsd means I'm dead," he finished, with a small smile. He tied a blindfold on her.
Okay, *this* feels like Buffy. Only more of a Giles moment. She reached out, and tried to hit the area around her, but just then a knife whistled through the air at her. A prickling down her spine strted and, she could *feel* Angel standing towards a certain area.
"I can tell you've picked up on it," he said, moving slightly. She spun, and *felt* himfacing her. She lashed out, and felt the staff strike his arm.
"Ow!" Angel rubbed his arm.
That hurt!
"I'm guessing I hit an owchie?" came the sarcastic retort, and Cat lashed out again. It was easy, Angel hadn't moved, asnd she hit him squarely in the centre of his torso.
"Okay, enough with the staff. Your Slayer sense works just fine," he said, rubbing his stomach.
"And your sarcasm," he muttered.
"What was that?' Cat picked up on the murmer instantly.
"Nothing, nothing! It's like Cordelia all over again."
Angel flew back by about eight paces, and slammed into the wall. Cat examined her knuckles. They were unhurt, by shoving 150 pounds at least of solid male into the wall.
Huh. Guess I can hit harder, then
"Shall we go and see what Buffy and Connor are doing, then?" Angel asked, clutching his side.
"Uh uh. I thought this was a training session. When do I get to practise staking a vamp?" Cat asked with a wicked smile.
"You and Spike would get on, *so* well. He always had a thing for bating older vampires, too," Angel replied, and then looked startled.
"You're not going to hit me?" Cat smirked.
"No, I like Spike! He's cool." Angel sighed, and shook his head.
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Connor punched in at Buffy's side, and she flipped out of the way, and came in wirth a roundhouse kick. He blocked it, and tossed her. She landed behind him, and dropped as he kicked upwards.
"Okay, stop the massacre," Cat said, walking into the room.
"Hi Cat. The work out not too strenuous?" Buffy asked, then sized up Angel. If vampires needed to pant, he'd be doing that.
"Yeah. I want to do some hand to hand stuff, you know when you first fought Spike's henchman at the Bronze, and sent Xander off to find a stake, and fought him hand to hand which was *so* funny, what with the going through your bag, and the stuff he pulled out!" Cat laughed. "Season two," she explained.
"*Right*. Anyway, if you want to spar, Connor's good. And he'll teahc you some stuff that I don't know," Buffy said, pushing the boy forward.
They started to fight, and the adults walked off, leaving the teens to get on with it.
"So how's L.A?" Buffy asked, gazing up at the vampire.
"Good. Gunn and Fred are looking after the Hyperion, and Cordy stops in when she can. Connor is gonna start school this fall, and we have a new case to work on. All in all, life is good," Angel said, smiling at her.
"Well, ever since Willow pulled that 'I want to end the world' stunt, we've been resting on our, what do you call 'ems? "She looked up, laughing. "Qwhatever they are. Giles is in England, and Anya is still vengence gal, but I think she and Xan are working on that."
"What about Spike?" The question came nonchalently, but Buffy knew just how badly it must have hurt, to hear that the one you loved had been with your worst enemy. It had felt that bad when she heard about Darla.
"Nothing. He left, and hasn't been back since. I thought that since, well, I haven't heard from him." Buffy looked at her hands.
" How about Dawn?' Angel had never called Dawn anything but Dawn. No nicknames, not even Dawnie. She had idolised him, and hated Buffy, but Angel had seemed to take no notice.
"Dawn's Dawn. Sneaking out, seventeen, me with side effects, basically. I suppose it's because shes that much screwed up, but she doesn't listen, and she's failing school. At this rate, she won't graduate next year. " Buffy shifted.
"Do you mind? " Angel asked, placing a hand on top of hers.
"Yes.But, the only person she actually listened to, was Spike. And he's gone. "
The shouts that accompanied successful strokes in the fighting changed to a yell of pain.
"We'd better go," Angel said, and chased after her.
Cat had Connor in a headlock.
"Apologise," she demanded.
""What are you *doing*! The exercise was to fight, not, fight."Angel trailed off.
"He said that I might be the next Slayer, but I would run away screaming from the first vamp to come my way, and that unless I had a cross tattooed on my pulse points, I would get bit my first night out!" Cat said, indignantly.
"Kill him," Buffy said, her eyes narrowing . Angel stared at her. "What? She's a Slayer, you gotta respect that!"
"Connor, son, apologise, and I'll bet Cat will let you go," Angel said soothingly.
"Like hell I will!" Cat said. "He insulted me, and my fighting skills, now I show him just how *puny* I am!"
"I'm not apologising!" yelled Connor, and yelped as she increased the choke hold.
"You'd better," she said, calmly, adjusting the way she stood.
"Children! Behave! If you break something, I.. " Angel stopped.
"*I'm* going to break something!" Buffy threatened. Cat released Connor, and stepped back.
(1) Can't remember whether Connor *had* an English accent or not, but my guess is that he would, Holtz being the only one around.
I'm not putting anymore up until I have more reviews, so if ya like this, shout out and say so! Okay(grumbling as Insane1 pokes her in the arm) I'm getting on with it. Ow! On with the fic.
Dedication: To Moonflwer who *finally* got it up there! And Insane1, who *hates* Dawn more than I do.
"Spike?" Dawn stepped back, and stared at the bed. Spike was battered, bruised, and bloody. His blue eyes were the only things that remained the same. Even his hair had grown out.
"Yeah. It's me. Now will ya tell me what the bloody hell you're doin' in my crypt when big sis wouldn't let ya in 'ere *before* I left?" Spike painfully hauled himself up on his elbows, and stared at the girl.
"Buffy is so dumb, she won't have realised I sneaked out. And I always come here. I clean it and stuff." Dawn gestured to the posters stuck on the walls and the scented candles in varied shades of pink and purple that stood around the crypt. Catching sight of the posters, she realised that someone had tried to rip them down.
"Oh no! Who did that? I *knew* Clem didn't like Britney!" she said indignantly.
"I did it. I'm a vampire, not a teenager with no friends. Get out!" Spike yelled. Dawn stared at her former cohort.
"What did I do?" she said softly, as tears started to streak down her cheeks.
"I wanted to sleep with your sis, I babysat you. Now there's no chance of me with her, so get out. I may be neutered but hangin' with you is a torture I no longer need to endure," Spike said, injecting 2 suffering years worth of venom into his voice.
"O..kay. I'll.go," Dawn snuffled, as she climbed up the stairs slowly.
"Wait platelet." She turned, hope sparking in her eyes.
"Take your crap with you," Spike said with his eyes closed, gesturing at the walls. Dawn fled.
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Cat stretched out, and tried to fall asleep. It was no good. As far as her body was concerned, it was not going to fall asleep. With a sigh, she sat up, and instantly was awake. What's wrong with me? Normally I fall asleep really quickly?
Cat swung herself off the couch, and stood up. And knocked over the coffee table.
Buffy paused, and dropped the crossbow she'd been loading. She raced down th4e stairs, to see Cat in the middle of the room, righting the coffee table.
"Sorry, I couldn't sleep," Cat said, apologetically.
"Oh god, I shoulda thought. You're a Slayer, so your Spidey sense will go off at nightime," Buffy said, smiling. Cat rasied an eyebrow.
"What?" Buffy demanded, pouting. Cat cracked up.
"I'm sorry, it's just, in every fanfic I've ever read, you *always* end up pouting. And saying your *Spidey sense* is tingling. It's just too funny!" she gasped, trying to stop laughing.
"Fanfic? "Buffy asked, puzzled.
"I told you, back home, you're a TV show. And people have sites that are based around the show, on which they publish fanfiction. And spoilers. So I have read the most bizarre situations on there, and all the cliches in this show come out to play," she finished.
"*what* have you read?" Buffy demanded.
"Trust me, getting with Spike is not the worst situation. Actually, it's kinda good!" Cat mused, thinking what she could shock Buffy with, but leave her conscious.
"What is the worst!"
"Well, there's threesomes with you, Faith and Giles. But then there's a whole range of fic on you and Ethan Rayne," Cat said matter of factly.
"Ewwwwwwwwww!" The Slayer looked ready to pass out.
"Yeah. So now sleeping with Spike is *not* the worst thing that ever happned to you. At least he doesn't go phsyco when you wake up!" Cat pointed out.
"But he's evil. " Buffy crossed her arms like a five year old ready to do battle.
"Maybe. But so is Riley!' Cat cracked up again, and catching sight of Buffy looking blank, sighed and started to explain *that* joke.
"Everyone I know *hates* Riley. He was boring, a ken doll, and I think the standard nickname is Fishboy. There are hundreds of Angel/Riley stories where Riley gets beaten into a bloody pulp. And they're hilarious!"
"So let me get this straight. The one *vaguely* normal boyfriend I've ever had everyone hates?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah. You're meant to be with vampires, honey!"
"That is *so* not funny!" Buffy punched Cat in the arm, lightly, but with Slayer strength, it constituted as an 'Owie' in Cat's book. She punched her back.
"I rthink it's safe to say you won't mind goig patrolling," Buffy said, wincing as she held her arm. Cat smiled smugly.
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"So Spike and *Willow* stuff is on the net?" Buffy asked, as she fiddled with a stake.
"Uh huh. And *so* much Angel and Willow it's unbelievable. But Buffy/Angel shippers are still the favourite," Cat said, patting Buffy on the arm.
"Okay. Ooh, vamp nearby, you wanna do this one?' Buffy asked, and handed Cat a stake.
"Are you sure I'm a Slayer? That I won't try to get this into him, and end up like a flat tyre?" Cat asked, sceptically.
"Just stake him already!" Buffy complained. Cat laughed.
"You and your sister can be so alike sometimes!"
"Take that back," the Slayer said, her eyebrows arched, and her arms folded.
"Staking in progress. Back soon," Cat said quickly, and darted off, leaving Buffy to complain,
"But you didn't take it back!"
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The two girls strolled down the street, licking ice cream, and laughing.
"So what happened then? " asked Cat.
"Well this vamp started *listing* the sex stuff Angel had used on his mate, and Angel just stood there, and if vampires could blush, he would have. And then we were like, he has a soul, and he was like, I don't care, I want to kill him, all she wants to do is have me torture her now, and Angel just whips out a stake and dusts him, and doesn't talk to me for the next few days!" Buffy finished, laughing. She had been a little unerved by the fact that the entire *world* could see her and Angel, whenever, and now the whole Spike thing was wide out in the open, but it meant sharing stories she would *never* tell anyone who didn't already know stuff.
"So when he came back, did you ask him about it?" Cat questioned, licking her ice cream.
"Who, me?" Buffy asked, innocently. " Nah. Just put handcuffs and rope on my bed while I was out, and reaped the fun of teasing a vamp!" They burst out laughing.
"Hey, is that, *Dawn*?" Buffy asked, pointing at a slim figure in the distance.
"Yeah, I think so," Cat replied, squinting at the girl. Almost waist length dark hair, tiny figure, tall, yeah, Dawn sprang to mind.
"*Dawn*!" Buffy's yell stopped everyone within a 2 mile radius.
"Yeah, *that* will do it!" Cat snickered. The figure they thought was Dawn ran in the opposite direction.
"Dawn?" Cat asjked casually.
"Dawn." Buffy replied.
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Dawn climbed the trellis, and hauled herself inside. Landing on the floor, she stripped quickly, and jumped into bed. The front door clicked, and she could hear through the window, that girl's voice. It must be the new Slayer, on patrol. *She'd* never been given icecream after patrol!
Buffy led Cat upstairs, and into her room.
"Basic artillary weapons. Bow, stakes, staff, general stuff," she began, but Cat was straing at the butterflies on the wall.
" What?" Buffy asked.
"The meaning of the butterflies, there are so many reasons floating around. I don't want to know, I'll stick with being a fanfic writer on that one.." she paused.
"*You* write fanfic?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah I do. Mainly about you and Spike!" Cat laughed. Buffy sighed.
The next day, Angel and Connor managed to meet them in the sewers. Willow and Oz had gone to a film, taking Dawn with them. Anya and Xander had met up at some weird café place, to 'talk', which meant wild screaming sex, and stilted conversation.
"Hey," Cat greeted them with, as she dropped in. Angel nodded.
"Hi." Connor looked at the girl. Not stunning, more freckles, and shoulderlength reddish hair, but she was still pretty.
"You must be Connor. Pretty dumb question, I've seen the end of Season Three, and spoilers for Season Four, and I plan on *watching* Season Four, so don't tell me anything!" Ct pronounced, her hands on her hips.
"I wasn't gonna," Connor said. The English accent remained. (1)
"Oh, God, you will not *believe* how great it is to hear an English accent. I keep on dropping into American, and I like being British, and there's no Spike to ask about, so you're the only thing resembling English at the moment," Cat said excitedly.
Connor looked puzzled, then his expression cleared.
"Nice to meet you, too," he said politely. Angel smiled proudly.
"Hey. So, battle plan?" Buffy asked, sliding into the sewer.
"You've been around Oz."
"Yup. Staying with us at the moment, to keep Willow happy. Anyway,what's happening?"
Angel smiled. " I was planning on going back to the mansion, and starting training there. Connor can spar with you, Buffy, and I can start some stuff with Cat."
"That sounds cool," Cat said, looking at Buffy.
"Spar with Connor? Wouldn't I hurt him?' Buffy asked Angel.
" I can hold my own," Connor said, smiling at Cat. Cat grinned back.
"Okay, that's the plan."
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In the mansion, Angel whisked Cat away to start off some basic training, while Buffy and Connor started to spar. She soon realised that he was just as good at certain things, and being the son of two vampires gave his fighting an 'edge'.
Angel stood in the middle of the room, and pushed Cat in front of him.
"I'm going to blindfold you. Your Slayer sense should tell you where I am, and I want you to try to hit me with the staff, "he explained. Cat nodded.
"But, at the same time, I'm going to try to attack you, by throwing knives. You have to dodge them, and find me at the same time. Three hitsd means I'm dead," he finished, with a small smile. He tied a blindfold on her.
Okay, *this* feels like Buffy. Only more of a Giles moment. She reached out, and tried to hit the area around her, but just then a knife whistled through the air at her. A prickling down her spine strted and, she could *feel* Angel standing towards a certain area.
"I can tell you've picked up on it," he said, moving slightly. She spun, and *felt* himfacing her. She lashed out, and felt the staff strike his arm.
"Ow!" Angel rubbed his arm.
That hurt!
"I'm guessing I hit an owchie?" came the sarcastic retort, and Cat lashed out again. It was easy, Angel hadn't moved, asnd she hit him squarely in the centre of his torso.
"Okay, enough with the staff. Your Slayer sense works just fine," he said, rubbing his stomach.
"And your sarcasm," he muttered.
"What was that?' Cat picked up on the murmer instantly.
"Nothing, nothing! It's like Cordelia all over again."
Angel flew back by about eight paces, and slammed into the wall. Cat examined her knuckles. They were unhurt, by shoving 150 pounds at least of solid male into the wall.
Huh. Guess I can hit harder, then
"Shall we go and see what Buffy and Connor are doing, then?" Angel asked, clutching his side.
"Uh uh. I thought this was a training session. When do I get to practise staking a vamp?" Cat asked with a wicked smile.
"You and Spike would get on, *so* well. He always had a thing for bating older vampires, too," Angel replied, and then looked startled.
"You're not going to hit me?" Cat smirked.
"No, I like Spike! He's cool." Angel sighed, and shook his head.
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Connor punched in at Buffy's side, and she flipped out of the way, and came in wirth a roundhouse kick. He blocked it, and tossed her. She landed behind him, and dropped as he kicked upwards.
"Okay, stop the massacre," Cat said, walking into the room.
"Hi Cat. The work out not too strenuous?" Buffy asked, then sized up Angel. If vampires needed to pant, he'd be doing that.
"Yeah. I want to do some hand to hand stuff, you know when you first fought Spike's henchman at the Bronze, and sent Xander off to find a stake, and fought him hand to hand which was *so* funny, what with the going through your bag, and the stuff he pulled out!" Cat laughed. "Season two," she explained.
"*Right*. Anyway, if you want to spar, Connor's good. And he'll teahc you some stuff that I don't know," Buffy said, pushing the boy forward.
They started to fight, and the adults walked off, leaving the teens to get on with it.
"So how's L.A?" Buffy asked, gazing up at the vampire.
"Good. Gunn and Fred are looking after the Hyperion, and Cordy stops in when she can. Connor is gonna start school this fall, and we have a new case to work on. All in all, life is good," Angel said, smiling at her.
"Well, ever since Willow pulled that 'I want to end the world' stunt, we've been resting on our, what do you call 'ems? "She looked up, laughing. "Qwhatever they are. Giles is in England, and Anya is still vengence gal, but I think she and Xan are working on that."
"What about Spike?" The question came nonchalently, but Buffy knew just how badly it must have hurt, to hear that the one you loved had been with your worst enemy. It had felt that bad when she heard about Darla.
"Nothing. He left, and hasn't been back since. I thought that since, well, I haven't heard from him." Buffy looked at her hands.
" How about Dawn?' Angel had never called Dawn anything but Dawn. No nicknames, not even Dawnie. She had idolised him, and hated Buffy, but Angel had seemed to take no notice.
"Dawn's Dawn. Sneaking out, seventeen, me with side effects, basically. I suppose it's because shes that much screwed up, but she doesn't listen, and she's failing school. At this rate, she won't graduate next year. " Buffy shifted.
"Do you mind? " Angel asked, placing a hand on top of hers.
"Yes.But, the only person she actually listened to, was Spike. And he's gone. "
The shouts that accompanied successful strokes in the fighting changed to a yell of pain.
"We'd better go," Angel said, and chased after her.
Cat had Connor in a headlock.
"Apologise," she demanded.
""What are you *doing*! The exercise was to fight, not, fight."Angel trailed off.
"He said that I might be the next Slayer, but I would run away screaming from the first vamp to come my way, and that unless I had a cross tattooed on my pulse points, I would get bit my first night out!" Cat said, indignantly.
"Kill him," Buffy said, her eyes narrowing . Angel stared at her. "What? She's a Slayer, you gotta respect that!"
"Connor, son, apologise, and I'll bet Cat will let you go," Angel said soothingly.
"Like hell I will!" Cat said. "He insulted me, and my fighting skills, now I show him just how *puny* I am!"
"I'm not apologising!" yelled Connor, and yelped as she increased the choke hold.
"You'd better," she said, calmly, adjusting the way she stood.
"Children! Behave! If you break something, I.. " Angel stopped.
"*I'm* going to break something!" Buffy threatened. Cat released Connor, and stepped back.
(1) Can't remember whether Connor *had* an English accent or not, but my guess is that he would, Holtz being the only one around.