Shadows of sins Past by Zauriel Angelus
Disclaimer: Buffy and all related characters belong to Joss Whedon. Zauriel and hi spals belong to me and so does this story I'm telling.that's all. Enjoy !!!!!
Part 3---
Finally after an hour , the taxi cab reached its destination and the young guardian was at the same abandoned warehouse he was fighting in hours ago . the man on the phone said to meet him there if he was to help him . Even though it had a high chance of being a trap he went anyway .There wasn't really anything else he could do to pass the time. And so with his trusty backpack he plunged into danger .
As he stepped into the building , a familiar voice spoke from the darkness of the warehouse.
"What took you so long ? Time is of the essence kid ."
Zauriel turned and inspected the person addressing him . Looking at him from head to toe , you could've sworn he wasn't human . At least that was evident of his fashion sense that's the tackiest wardrobe on the face of this earth Who would wear that? What's up with the hat?
Zauriel stopped staring for a moment and answered "the wacky hijinks of my next door neighbor .You are Whistler right? "
The man smiled "in the flesh" adjusting the large lapels jacket he continued, " I heard a few things getting blown up on the phone. Were you attacked or something ?"
"Nope just a little problem with the electricity. I got here as soon as I could. You were saying something about helping me ."
"Here take this.." he took out an envelope and handed it over to Zauriel .
Shaking the contents of the envelope the confused guardian looked at Whistler.
"What's this ?" he asked of the suspicious envelope .
"cash and keys. You'll need them in Sunnydale" Whistler replied .
"Sunny-what ? I thought you said you'd help me , not... bribe and relocate me .."
"look behind you" Whistler gestured with his finger .
A gust of wind seemed to pick up and the warehouse brightened as a vortex of light began to form.
"go through the portal and you'll find everything you're looking for."
Zauriel shoved the envelope into his side pocket and turned his gaze back at Whistler , searching for any sign of insincerity , still unsure what to make of it .
Whistler noticed and spoke again "there isn't much time kid .take a leap of faith ."
The guardian went silent and considered his choices . "always wanted my own property agent."
what do I have to lose? The guardian shrugged , sighing internally and decided for once to do what he was told to do . He was about to throw himself into the portal till he remembered something .
"Whistler ..." he called .
Whistler approached the young man unsure of what to expect till a fist with his name on it laid him flat on his back . For a second he recalled the moments before. that hurt...a lotHe really should be expecting that.
"Owwww....." Whistler groaned , rubbing a sore bruise on his face .
The guardian smirked " Now I feel better about leaving . I don't wanna go without owing you something. Besides I think you would deserve it even if not right now."
Zauriel turned his eyes to the portal and with a wave of farewell , finally entered it.His form vanished from the warehouse with a crack of thunder leaving the portal to dissipate soon after .
"I really should learn to try being less cryptic." Whistler stood up still groaning .
He looked at the spot where the portal used to be .
With a whisper to the wind he smiled.
"I like that kid"
Back in SunnyDale things weren't looking good for Faith . She was out numbered and unarmed , surrounded by things which were as strong if not stronger than her . Being a slayer would normally boost your chances of survival but these weren't good odds even for a slayer like Faith. Her leather jacket was torn apart and she was already bloodied by the blows she took
oh crap. Who are these guys? Think Faith ! think!Admist racing thoughts her eyes still kept watch of the beings which were seemingly studying her . She looked at down at the bruises on her body that she just received and weighed her chances . She's lucky enough to be still standing .
I'm surprised I'm even still alive. There's no way I'll be able to run from them but I won't go out without taking some of them with me.
Her legs were weakening but she staggered into fighting stance once more . She wasn't going to die begging . She IS the Slayer and she would fight till her last breath as many slayers before her had . She wasn't surprised that this would be how she would die . In her line of work this was expected . She never thought much of death because she never really thought much about life . She always wondered if her existence mattered at all in the long run . There will be another slayer to take her place and another to replace the one before .Besides the world already has Buffy who was oh so perfect in every way .Death would be a release from all the pain she endured in life . Now she wonders why she never didn't invite death sooner .
She looked at her enemy and left all the pain back in her mind. It no longer mattered to her who or what they were . She was taking those sons of bitches down with her .
"Alright you assholes. Come get some ."
Receiving a new burst of strength she charged with absolute ferocity , pushing her body to the extreme as she gave the fight her all .Losing herself to the violence that predated her future . Lashing out in a barrage of furious kicks and punches that showed no mercy .
Time became non-existent , the only images in her mind were memories of a life she hated serving only to fuel her fury . the figures she attacked were stunned by every blow she gave and it all began to approach defeat but as soon as she begun winning the impossible fight , she started losing it . Her arms were wearing out quickly and her strength depleting itself rapidly . She didn't even have the power to stop her tears from rushing down her cheek as all her emotions overcame all thought. In a way she was freed as the unflappable Faith finally gave in to herself . The blows she gave weren't hard enough to be fatal ,merely slowing them down , prolonging the inevitable .
She fought till she could no more as her body surrendered to the darkness of pain she couldn't bear any longer . She remembered every single thing life brought her .Her friends , Her family , Her home . Did she even have any of those ? And with one devastating blow to the head ,she flew to the ground spiralling to unconsciousness .
her last thoughts echoed through space and time and she finally found peace.
so this is death....
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"
Not again...never again
never again....
images of a lost life flooded the mind of a shocked young guardian as he awoke from unconsciousness admist dead leaves littered on soft earth . Immediately he stood up sensing something very wrong happening . His head hurt like hell but something kept shouting to him of impending catastrophe .
"what the....I landed into a tree...Hard " he looked at the red liquid staining the tree and touched his forehead .
" I knew he deserved that shot to the face."
"That's IT !I'm never ever traveling by express after this episode." He said burying his face into his hands .
His fingers were wet with his own blood as he did so but strangely the pain that reached his soul wasn't his .
He walked on finding himself somewhat drawn into a clearing and what he saw brought back the images of his worst failure . a girl was lying in a pool of blood after just being hit by one missile of a punch. She laid still in the middle of the crowd of human monsters surrounding her .
All he felt was rage ...... unequaled hatred . Never had it burned so much but that it did when her face gazed back . It beckoned for him . for his vengeance . For his justice . Reminding him so much of his pain and of others' he unwittingly caused as well.
IT reminded him .......
Of Blood......
Of Pain.......
Of Death......
Of Evil........
History was repeating itself.......
He won't let that happen again
"Not again.....never again...."
With blistering speed he rushed headlong in blind fury , bolting straight ahead for his targets .
"ZAAAUUUUURRRRRRIIIIIIIEEEEEEELLLLL!!!!"
the blade of Anserak came at his call as its flames burned with his seething hatred .
He struck swiftly bringing the crowd of monsters down one by one , relishing in their pain as his blade tore everything limb from limb , separating them from the lives they laid havoc upon , remembering nothing but his anger .
There were no faces.
No blood .
There was only death and fire .
He never blinked nor cried , emotionless when his enemies died .
A quick end to their unholy existence .
That was all that happened in those ten seconds of rage.
"Ashes to Ashes , Dust to Dust ......." He observed with some satisfaction at the ground his enemies burnt on . He spat out the dirt on his lips and left to tend to the girl .
He crouched down and felt her hand hoping desperately for her to have a pulse. Her face was frighteningly pale and she lost a great deal of blood as well . If she even had a pulse she won't last very long .
"don't die on me now. Not now. Stay with me"at least she's still alive
There wasn't any time to get her to a hospital . he didn't even know where he was or even if there was a hospital . Carefully he removed what was left of the jacket she wore and examined the extent of her injuries. He used the flames he wielded to stop some of the bleeding and lifted her limp body from the ground . He knew what needed to done but he needed a safe place to get to in order to do it . Looking for a good place to crash became a top priority in this case .
He suddenly remembered the envelope he was given and took it out quickly. He never took the time to check its contents but he prayed it contained what he hoped it would .
Taking a deep breath he reached into the envelope and examined its contents "YES!! GOTCHA! Thank you Whistler !Now just gotta find a way out of this place"
In his arms she felt as light as a feather. He wasn't sure that was a good sign . He ran carrying the girl as he searched frantically for a way out of the park.
"C'mon.. stay with me .please stay with me" he kept saying it over and over as he neared the main road , racing against time he didn't have
"please..."
Sunnydale High School library
9.45pm
"Giles !!"
The mention of his name brought Giles out of his apparent reverie and staring back into the face of Angel
"Oh , s-sorry bout that . ..Angel... ?" He polished his glasses and put them on in confirmation . He shifted to serious mode after noticing Angel's own stern face.
"Where's Buffy ?" Angel asked
"She went out with Xander and Willow .They're likely to be at the Bronze." Giles replied and continued with questions of his own "What happened ? You were supposed to be here sooner ."
"I got caught up .New guys in town looking to kill the slayer and start another apocalypse." Angel replied becoming more and more restless . "They were talking about some guardian as well . might be worth researching . I couldn't make out the rest of their conversation." He finished .
"I'll immediately contact Buffy . Where are you going ?" his eyes trailing Angel's leaving form .
"To provide escort if needed . You fill Buffy in on the situation." He threw over his shoulder and left.
Giles went over to the phone in the library and dialed in the number of Buffy's beeper , hoping she remember to carry it this time.
The Bronze
The previous hour had seen Buffy finally enjoying herself and forgetting all else on her mind . Together with Xander and Willow, she laughed and had some real normal fun for a change . The music was blaring and the mood was definitely soaring .
They danced their hearts away for some time and now looked for empty seats to rest their tired asses on
After five minutes they found empty seats and sat themselves down . Buffy had been trying not to laugh too much at Xander's antics but failed miserably and found herself constantly out of breath because of that. Willow was having trouble keeping her eyes off Oz who was playing onstage with his band .Xander couldn't keep his eyes off Buffy the entire evening , finding joy in seeing her so happy.
They were sitting around discussing the perils of dancing till something interrupted them
Beep ! Beep !Beep ! Beep !
"Huh? What's that beeping sound ?" Xander looked around searching for its origin .
"Its Giles .I knew it was too good to be true." Buffy replied sadly . she dug out her purse for it to confirm her suspicions . Her face fell and she immediately frowned . I can't have one day of peace . figures..
"I didn't know Giles beeped . heck I'm not even sure he could burp." Xander joked trying to lighten up the mood .
"maybe Giles wants you to get something like pizza or....or...Xander help me with this?" Willow looked helplessly at her friend .
"Well...er..." He didn't quite finish when Buffy cut him off .
"Don't worry about it . thanks anyway ."Buffy smiled weakly at her friends' attempt to cheer her up and left them reluctantly to find a phone .
"I'll deal with this Will." Xander assured Willow and followed after Buffy who was easily navigating her way through the crowd .
He lost sight of her for a few minutes but bumped into her as she made her way back to return to their table. They both walked together to their table with Buffy not saying so much as a word .
guess I gotta be the one who talks first "Buffy ...so what did G-man say ?"
"Giles didn't say anything to upset me Xander . He just said to meet him at the library pronto .I said we'd be there in thirty minutes ."
----------------------------
"Hey...How's everything ?"
Willow turned to see her boyfriend Oz give her a peck on her cheek . " OZ ! hey !"
" I'm free at the moment and thought I'd drop by. Where's Buffy and Xander? Saw them with you a moment ago ."
"We were doing fine till Buffy got the beep from Giles . Xander went after her to cheer her up ." Willow explained as she moved closer to Oz . hope Buffy's alright
"Hmmnnn....." said Oz drifting back to his monosyllabic nature . He smiled at Willow in comfort and saw Buffy and Xander nearby . "....don't worry , there they are." He gestured behind her .
I got a great idea "How many minutes did you say again Buff ?" Xander stopped in front of her and asked.
huh?"Thirty minutes .why do you ask ?" Buffy answered curious to where this was going.
Xander reached out and offered his hand . "our song's playing . wanna dance ? won't take five minutes I promise" giving her his best puppy-dog impersonation .
The corners of Buffy's mouth pulled into a wide grin as she stifled a laugh . "We DON't have a song Xander and stop giving me that look ."
Xander didn't give in so easily " what better time to have one than now and besides I've gotten reasonably good at slow dancing . Xand-man won't step on your feet by mistake either .it's a guarantee." He grabbed her hand and refused to let go , pleading her with his eyes .
Buffy merely raised her eyebrow at that comment but Xander didn't back down .
"C'mon Buffy, please dance with me ." he asked one last time .pretty please with a cherry on top?
the slayer couldn't stop smiling at the effort he put in and gave him her reply
" How could I say no to that ?" she met his eyes with her own and nodded ,"why not?" gesturing to the dance floor .
Xander almost flew through the roof when he heard that . " really ? GREAT !!!!"
Excitedly he led her to the dance floor as a slow song begun its cue . piano keys twinkled in the background as acoustic guitar strummed sweetly to its tune. The lights dimmed complementing the already perfect atmosphere .
They embrace each other naturally and swayed to the rhythm with Xander taking great care not to step on her feet but still not letting his eyes leave her . He enjoyed being in her arms and reveled in her sensual fragrance , losing himself in the moment . You're so beautiful , I could look at you forever
He didn't think it possible but it became evident that he fell in love with Buffy all over again that very moment. He never did stop loving her after all .Even when he was with Cordelia or any other girl, Buffy always had a special place in his heart . His golden angel for all time .
Buffy was surprised at how her body reacted in close proximity to Xander's .It felt so natural and pleasant being in his arms. They molded together with ease feeling so comfortable in the company of each other. She was feeling something terribly amiss when Giles talked to her over the phone and that feeling bothered her relentlessly . Somehow Xander managed to make her easily forget it entirely as she laid her head on his shoulder .She smiled to herself , still not believing what was happening .what am I going to do with you Xander?
Xander never wanted to end this dance anytime soon . With Buffy laying her head on his shoulder , he was practically in heaven I'm in paradise...oh..boy.....let this last forever...
Meanwhile Willow and Oz had been observing their little dance for some time now. It was unexpected to see Buffy slow dancing with Xander . However despite having just a tinge of jealousy creeping up in her whenever Xander is concerned , Willow couldn't help but feel happy for him.
He finally got the dance he wantedWillow grinned at her two best friends .and he's not stepping on anyone's toesshe giggled to herself and turned back to Oz who gave a knowing gaze as she motioned towards the couple .
"We're not gonna let them have all the fun are we ?" Willow smirked .
Oz grinned as he replied "Hell no ." and off they went, holding hands as they descended upon the dance floor
"Xander...." Buffy stirred and met his gaze .
"Yeah , Buff .." he studied her face giving her his complete attention.
Buffy hesitated for a moment now unsure of whether she should speak her mind .
"You can tell me ...I won't get mad"
"You sure ?" Xander nodded in response.
" Well....do you think I did the right thing with Angel .Tell me the truth ." She instantly wondered if she was going to regret saying those last few words .
Angel. so that's it ?He was quiet for a minute engaged in thought causing Buffy to momentarily panic inside .
Just when Buffy felt it was time to change the subject , Xander looked at her and smiled .
He's smiling . is that good or bad?
Xander tightened the embrace they shared and took in a deep breath, unwavering in his gaze on his golden angel .
"Buffy I've always been quite vocal in my opinion on the whole Angel thing. At the end of the day my senses pretty much tell me he's still a demon...,"
"Y'know its probably better if we dro..."Buffy's interruption stopped short as a finger on her lips silenced her .
"let me finish . but as much as I hate to admit it he really did care and love you . Almost as much as I do in fact . I have to give him that . He's okay for a vamp .He saved our lives a few times and that's not bad . Thinking back the only reason I hated him was because he had the one thing I always wanted ."
"and that is...?" Buffy asked returning his gaze . he has pretty eyes....very pretty eyes
"You of course ."
"oh.." She didn't quite know how to respond to that .
Xander continued " With regards to whether or not you did the right thing ....here's the deal . Every time I find myself in a situation that scares the hell outta me or when I'm stuck between difficult decisions , y'know who I think of ? you Buff . You're always strong and brave in spite of what's thrown in front of you , doing the right thing for all of us . You inspire me to carry on believing and keep on fighting ...."
Buffy was speechless as she listened to every word Xander said .are you really my Xander-shaped friend ? she wondered quite taken by his answer .
"You're my hero Buffy and whatever you decide to do , you know I'll always be there for you ."
I'm your hero? "thank you...Xander." She let out softly ,the darkness hiding the bright flush of pink .
Everything he just said touched her on so many levels as deep brown eyes met her own distinct hazel green. The room seemed to host only them and no one else and for once in her life she felt an overwhelming urge to meet his lips with hers as they inched closer and closer together . Her mind exploded into a million thoughts but she could only feel her heart as it raced ,beating faster and faster in anticipation.
"the song's over ." Xander spoke breaking the moment . "We don't wanna be late ." He didn't notice the turn of events unfolding before him as he spotted a familiar face in the crowd .Angel's here
"huh...?...yeah you're right." what the hell was I doing? disappointment left its mark as she stood confused in her own thoughts .
"There's Angel . Go to him . I know you'll do what's right." He gestured behind her and quickly left her embrace much to chagrin of Buffy and walked over to Angel .
"right ....." she turned around and looked behind her .who?
" She's all yours Deadboy" he said a sad smile tracing his face leaving them both behind . I actually did that .Who da thunk it? what he did , surprised himself more than anyone else as he walked away to get himself a drink . I need a break.
Angel responded with a nod and watched him leave . He'd been watching them both for a while and listened with interest to Xander's heartfelt speech . When he first saw Buffy dancing with Xander , he was understandably jealous and wanted to rip his guts out . A visual graphic he disturbingly enjoyed replaying in his mind. Having a soul nixed any ideas of acting that out though. what a drag
However what he heard coming from the boy's own mouth threw him completely off guard .
He didn't expect that . He was even more surprised that Xander didn't rub it in to his face when he left Buffy's embrace. He was forced to regard his actions with begrudging respect and didn't say a word when Xander dismissed himself so the vampire could speak with Buffy . he really loves her
"Buffy...." Angel greeted the slayer before him.
"Hey..." Buffy replied , still recovering from the past few minutes .
"Giles needs us at the library .I'm here for escort ." he started , studying her face as he did . "gather up the gang ." he paused as she appeared a little disorientated . "You okay ?"
"huh.. Wha....oh ! Giles said you'd be here . We could take Oz's van .It'd be quicker that way ." what's wrong with me? She regained her composure and acted normally or at least tried.
"I agree with the suggestion .C'mon let's find them ." Angel immediately found Willow and Oz just sitting down at a table and approached them with Buffy in hand . I'll talk with her later
Willow and Oz had just finished dancing and decided to sit down . they both noticed Angel's presence and Xander leaving to get himself a drink . They were too engrossed with themselves as they danced together and neither failed to notice the recent exchange Xander had with Buffy .
"Angel ,what's up ?" Willow asked the vampire walking towards them .
Oz intended to greet Angel but his attention drifted to Xander whose shoulders slumped noticeably as he looked on nearby at Buffy and Angel who were locked hand in hand . He made a mental note to investigate later.
"We need to get to the library." Angel replied .
"my van then ?" Oz interjected .
"that was the idea ." Buffy answered. She noticed someone missing . "Where's Xander ?" she asked as she looked around . Angel winced at the mention of his name but kept quiet .
"I'll get him . meet us at the van ."Oz supplied and got up to fetch Xander . He winked at Willow who immediately understood.
"let's go now. Van's a waiting ." said Willow as she got up from her seat . She eyed Buffy who seemed to be acting quite strange . What's up with Buffy ? I wonder....
Angel took notice of it as well but didn't bring it up . Business came first . He would talk to her in time . Still there was something very weird going on with Buffy and he'll find out what it was.
THUMMMPPP!!
A door just met its untimely death as a frustrated Guardian kicked it down . He didn't have time to fiddle with the keys . He found the apartment surprisingly quick thanks in no small part to the map enclosed in the envelope he was given . Awfully convenient but he didn't ponder about it too long .
It was quite musty inside but it had all the proper necessities needed plus a bed with clean sheets. That was good enough for him . It also helped that the place was quite isolated . He didn't need nosy neighbors.
He laid Faith down on the bed before him and scrambled to the bathroom to get some water .her pulse was fading . He had to prepare quickly . The door was put back into its place to keep out unwanted guests and welded its edges shut with his flames and shut all the windows down as well .
can't afford any interruptionshis thoughts focused on the task at hand as he quickly removed his shirt and cleaned himself of dirt and dried blood . he went over to the slayer on the bed and sat beside her .
he wet a damp cloth over the slayer's injuries and cleaned the dirt off her face . carefully he framed her face in his hands wiping off blood from her pale lips . Only then did he realize that even though she didn't look exactly like 'her' , he couldn't ignore some striking resemblance to the girl he once knew . same dark wavy hair , same lips . He sighed and continued his work .
"the clothes might burn and stick on her permanently . They gotta go ." He paused for a moment as the reality of that statement sunk in.
"great....now I just have to take her clothes off . never done that before ...er...okayyy..." He fumbled awkwardly as he proceeded in doing so , trying his best not to peek at the voluptuous figure laying before him . Even though he knew it was for a good reason , he felt it was still wrong to violate her and had no desire to see his first nude female as tempting as that might be .
When she was finally down to her underwear he wrapped a blanket around her and carefully took off the rest ,covering her decency and touching nothing that shouldn't be touched. He sat her up in front of him and cupped her face with his hands and noticed something important he ignored
oh crap...she isn't breathing he felt for a pulse
"Oh FUCK !!!!!"
SunnyDale High school library .
10.22pm
The gang just arrived , bursting through the doors of the high school library desperate for answers . Angel was carrying Buffy in his arms with Xander not too far behind him . Oz was having his hands full calming down a hyperventilating Willow . Fear and worry were clearly written all over their faces .
"Giles ! we need help here ." Xander called out as Angel set Buffy down on chair nearby.
The librarian immediately stopped whatever he was doing and rushed to their aid .
"What happened to Buffy ?" He asked as he looked her over .
"We were hoping you tell us." Xander answered , his eyes not leaving Buffy .please wake up
"She suddenly collapsed when we reached the high school . Don't have a clue to what caused this ." Angel offered .
"What's wrong with her Giles ?" Willow asked with a shaky voice . Having your best friend suddenly collapse next to you was not the most pleasant of experiences at all.
"She seems to be fine physically... other than having an increased heart rate...I haven't the slightest idea,"
a puzzled Giles declared . " It could be the workings of a spell but I'm not entirely sure." He continued his examination with a furrowed brow.
Without warning a gasp escaped Buffy as she jumped out her seat causing Giles to jump back in surprise. Angel immediately caught her mid-air and lowered her back into the chair as the gang cleared to give Buffy room for air . She was breathing rather heavily and drenched with sweat.
Xander was the first to ask ,"Buffy , are you alright ?"
"Faith...." She started
"Where is Faith anyway ?" Willow asked Giles .
Angel was about to ask the same thing when Buffy answered the question .
"I-I..FaiFaith...I-I.... Faith...I felt ..." tears were welling up in her eyes .
"I felt her die...."
End part 3
So how was it ?come on somebody tell me something !!! should I keep this up??feedback of all kinds welcome. The next part will take a while . that's it peace I'm out.
Until next time I remain.............
Disclaimer: Buffy and all related characters belong to Joss Whedon. Zauriel and hi spals belong to me and so does this story I'm telling.that's all. Enjoy !!!!!
Part 3---
Finally after an hour , the taxi cab reached its destination and the young guardian was at the same abandoned warehouse he was fighting in hours ago . the man on the phone said to meet him there if he was to help him . Even though it had a high chance of being a trap he went anyway .There wasn't really anything else he could do to pass the time. And so with his trusty backpack he plunged into danger .
As he stepped into the building , a familiar voice spoke from the darkness of the warehouse.
"What took you so long ? Time is of the essence kid ."
Zauriel turned and inspected the person addressing him . Looking at him from head to toe , you could've sworn he wasn't human . At least that was evident of his fashion sense that's the tackiest wardrobe on the face of this earth Who would wear that? What's up with the hat?
Zauriel stopped staring for a moment and answered "the wacky hijinks of my next door neighbor .You are Whistler right? "
The man smiled "in the flesh" adjusting the large lapels jacket he continued, " I heard a few things getting blown up on the phone. Were you attacked or something ?"
"Nope just a little problem with the electricity. I got here as soon as I could. You were saying something about helping me ."
"Here take this.." he took out an envelope and handed it over to Zauriel .
Shaking the contents of the envelope the confused guardian looked at Whistler.
"What's this ?" he asked of the suspicious envelope .
"cash and keys. You'll need them in Sunnydale" Whistler replied .
"Sunny-what ? I thought you said you'd help me , not... bribe and relocate me .."
"look behind you" Whistler gestured with his finger .
A gust of wind seemed to pick up and the warehouse brightened as a vortex of light began to form.
"go through the portal and you'll find everything you're looking for."
Zauriel shoved the envelope into his side pocket and turned his gaze back at Whistler , searching for any sign of insincerity , still unsure what to make of it .
Whistler noticed and spoke again "there isn't much time kid .take a leap of faith ."
The guardian went silent and considered his choices . "always wanted my own property agent."
what do I have to lose? The guardian shrugged , sighing internally and decided for once to do what he was told to do . He was about to throw himself into the portal till he remembered something .
"Whistler ..." he called .
Whistler approached the young man unsure of what to expect till a fist with his name on it laid him flat on his back . For a second he recalled the moments before. that hurt...a lotHe really should be expecting that.
"Owwww....." Whistler groaned , rubbing a sore bruise on his face .
The guardian smirked " Now I feel better about leaving . I don't wanna go without owing you something. Besides I think you would deserve it even if not right now."
Zauriel turned his eyes to the portal and with a wave of farewell , finally entered it.His form vanished from the warehouse with a crack of thunder leaving the portal to dissipate soon after .
"I really should learn to try being less cryptic." Whistler stood up still groaning .
He looked at the spot where the portal used to be .
With a whisper to the wind he smiled.
"I like that kid"
Back in SunnyDale things weren't looking good for Faith . She was out numbered and unarmed , surrounded by things which were as strong if not stronger than her . Being a slayer would normally boost your chances of survival but these weren't good odds even for a slayer like Faith. Her leather jacket was torn apart and she was already bloodied by the blows she took
oh crap. Who are these guys? Think Faith ! think!Admist racing thoughts her eyes still kept watch of the beings which were seemingly studying her . She looked at down at the bruises on her body that she just received and weighed her chances . She's lucky enough to be still standing .
I'm surprised I'm even still alive. There's no way I'll be able to run from them but I won't go out without taking some of them with me.
Her legs were weakening but she staggered into fighting stance once more . She wasn't going to die begging . She IS the Slayer and she would fight till her last breath as many slayers before her had . She wasn't surprised that this would be how she would die . In her line of work this was expected . She never thought much of death because she never really thought much about life . She always wondered if her existence mattered at all in the long run . There will be another slayer to take her place and another to replace the one before .Besides the world already has Buffy who was oh so perfect in every way .Death would be a release from all the pain she endured in life . Now she wonders why she never didn't invite death sooner .
She looked at her enemy and left all the pain back in her mind. It no longer mattered to her who or what they were . She was taking those sons of bitches down with her .
"Alright you assholes. Come get some ."
Receiving a new burst of strength she charged with absolute ferocity , pushing her body to the extreme as she gave the fight her all .Losing herself to the violence that predated her future . Lashing out in a barrage of furious kicks and punches that showed no mercy .
Time became non-existent , the only images in her mind were memories of a life she hated serving only to fuel her fury . the figures she attacked were stunned by every blow she gave and it all began to approach defeat but as soon as she begun winning the impossible fight , she started losing it . Her arms were wearing out quickly and her strength depleting itself rapidly . She didn't even have the power to stop her tears from rushing down her cheek as all her emotions overcame all thought. In a way she was freed as the unflappable Faith finally gave in to herself . The blows she gave weren't hard enough to be fatal ,merely slowing them down , prolonging the inevitable .
She fought till she could no more as her body surrendered to the darkness of pain she couldn't bear any longer . She remembered every single thing life brought her .Her friends , Her family , Her home . Did she even have any of those ? And with one devastating blow to the head ,she flew to the ground spiralling to unconsciousness .
her last thoughts echoed through space and time and she finally found peace.
so this is death....
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"
Not again...never again
never again....
images of a lost life flooded the mind of a shocked young guardian as he awoke from unconsciousness admist dead leaves littered on soft earth . Immediately he stood up sensing something very wrong happening . His head hurt like hell but something kept shouting to him of impending catastrophe .
"what the....I landed into a tree...Hard " he looked at the red liquid staining the tree and touched his forehead .
" I knew he deserved that shot to the face."
"That's IT !I'm never ever traveling by express after this episode." He said burying his face into his hands .
His fingers were wet with his own blood as he did so but strangely the pain that reached his soul wasn't his .
He walked on finding himself somewhat drawn into a clearing and what he saw brought back the images of his worst failure . a girl was lying in a pool of blood after just being hit by one missile of a punch. She laid still in the middle of the crowd of human monsters surrounding her .
All he felt was rage ...... unequaled hatred . Never had it burned so much but that it did when her face gazed back . It beckoned for him . for his vengeance . For his justice . Reminding him so much of his pain and of others' he unwittingly caused as well.
IT reminded him .......
Of Blood......
Of Pain.......
Of Death......
Of Evil........
History was repeating itself.......
He won't let that happen again
"Not again.....never again...."
With blistering speed he rushed headlong in blind fury , bolting straight ahead for his targets .
"ZAAAUUUUURRRRRRIIIIIIIEEEEEEELLLLL!!!!"
the blade of Anserak came at his call as its flames burned with his seething hatred .
He struck swiftly bringing the crowd of monsters down one by one , relishing in their pain as his blade tore everything limb from limb , separating them from the lives they laid havoc upon , remembering nothing but his anger .
There were no faces.
No blood .
There was only death and fire .
He never blinked nor cried , emotionless when his enemies died .
A quick end to their unholy existence .
That was all that happened in those ten seconds of rage.
"Ashes to Ashes , Dust to Dust ......." He observed with some satisfaction at the ground his enemies burnt on . He spat out the dirt on his lips and left to tend to the girl .
He crouched down and felt her hand hoping desperately for her to have a pulse. Her face was frighteningly pale and she lost a great deal of blood as well . If she even had a pulse she won't last very long .
"don't die on me now. Not now. Stay with me"at least she's still alive
There wasn't any time to get her to a hospital . he didn't even know where he was or even if there was a hospital . Carefully he removed what was left of the jacket she wore and examined the extent of her injuries. He used the flames he wielded to stop some of the bleeding and lifted her limp body from the ground . He knew what needed to done but he needed a safe place to get to in order to do it . Looking for a good place to crash became a top priority in this case .
He suddenly remembered the envelope he was given and took it out quickly. He never took the time to check its contents but he prayed it contained what he hoped it would .
Taking a deep breath he reached into the envelope and examined its contents "YES!! GOTCHA! Thank you Whistler !Now just gotta find a way out of this place"
In his arms she felt as light as a feather. He wasn't sure that was a good sign . He ran carrying the girl as he searched frantically for a way out of the park.
"C'mon.. stay with me .please stay with me" he kept saying it over and over as he neared the main road , racing against time he didn't have
"please..."
Sunnydale High School library
9.45pm
"Giles !!"
The mention of his name brought Giles out of his apparent reverie and staring back into the face of Angel
"Oh , s-sorry bout that . ..Angel... ?" He polished his glasses and put them on in confirmation . He shifted to serious mode after noticing Angel's own stern face.
"Where's Buffy ?" Angel asked
"She went out with Xander and Willow .They're likely to be at the Bronze." Giles replied and continued with questions of his own "What happened ? You were supposed to be here sooner ."
"I got caught up .New guys in town looking to kill the slayer and start another apocalypse." Angel replied becoming more and more restless . "They were talking about some guardian as well . might be worth researching . I couldn't make out the rest of their conversation." He finished .
"I'll immediately contact Buffy . Where are you going ?" his eyes trailing Angel's leaving form .
"To provide escort if needed . You fill Buffy in on the situation." He threw over his shoulder and left.
Giles went over to the phone in the library and dialed in the number of Buffy's beeper , hoping she remember to carry it this time.
The Bronze
The previous hour had seen Buffy finally enjoying herself and forgetting all else on her mind . Together with Xander and Willow, she laughed and had some real normal fun for a change . The music was blaring and the mood was definitely soaring .
They danced their hearts away for some time and now looked for empty seats to rest their tired asses on
After five minutes they found empty seats and sat themselves down . Buffy had been trying not to laugh too much at Xander's antics but failed miserably and found herself constantly out of breath because of that. Willow was having trouble keeping her eyes off Oz who was playing onstage with his band .Xander couldn't keep his eyes off Buffy the entire evening , finding joy in seeing her so happy.
They were sitting around discussing the perils of dancing till something interrupted them
Beep ! Beep !Beep ! Beep !
"Huh? What's that beeping sound ?" Xander looked around searching for its origin .
"Its Giles .I knew it was too good to be true." Buffy replied sadly . she dug out her purse for it to confirm her suspicions . Her face fell and she immediately frowned . I can't have one day of peace . figures..
"I didn't know Giles beeped . heck I'm not even sure he could burp." Xander joked trying to lighten up the mood .
"maybe Giles wants you to get something like pizza or....or...Xander help me with this?" Willow looked helplessly at her friend .
"Well...er..." He didn't quite finish when Buffy cut him off .
"Don't worry about it . thanks anyway ."Buffy smiled weakly at her friends' attempt to cheer her up and left them reluctantly to find a phone .
"I'll deal with this Will." Xander assured Willow and followed after Buffy who was easily navigating her way through the crowd .
He lost sight of her for a few minutes but bumped into her as she made her way back to return to their table. They both walked together to their table with Buffy not saying so much as a word .
guess I gotta be the one who talks first "Buffy ...so what did G-man say ?"
"Giles didn't say anything to upset me Xander . He just said to meet him at the library pronto .I said we'd be there in thirty minutes ."
----------------------------
"Hey...How's everything ?"
Willow turned to see her boyfriend Oz give her a peck on her cheek . " OZ ! hey !"
" I'm free at the moment and thought I'd drop by. Where's Buffy and Xander? Saw them with you a moment ago ."
"We were doing fine till Buffy got the beep from Giles . Xander went after her to cheer her up ." Willow explained as she moved closer to Oz . hope Buffy's alright
"Hmmnnn....." said Oz drifting back to his monosyllabic nature . He smiled at Willow in comfort and saw Buffy and Xander nearby . "....don't worry , there they are." He gestured behind her .
I got a great idea "How many minutes did you say again Buff ?" Xander stopped in front of her and asked.
huh?"Thirty minutes .why do you ask ?" Buffy answered curious to where this was going.
Xander reached out and offered his hand . "our song's playing . wanna dance ? won't take five minutes I promise" giving her his best puppy-dog impersonation .
The corners of Buffy's mouth pulled into a wide grin as she stifled a laugh . "We DON't have a song Xander and stop giving me that look ."
Xander didn't give in so easily " what better time to have one than now and besides I've gotten reasonably good at slow dancing . Xand-man won't step on your feet by mistake either .it's a guarantee." He grabbed her hand and refused to let go , pleading her with his eyes .
Buffy merely raised her eyebrow at that comment but Xander didn't back down .
"C'mon Buffy, please dance with me ." he asked one last time .pretty please with a cherry on top?
the slayer couldn't stop smiling at the effort he put in and gave him her reply
" How could I say no to that ?" she met his eyes with her own and nodded ,"why not?" gesturing to the dance floor .
Xander almost flew through the roof when he heard that . " really ? GREAT !!!!"
Excitedly he led her to the dance floor as a slow song begun its cue . piano keys twinkled in the background as acoustic guitar strummed sweetly to its tune. The lights dimmed complementing the already perfect atmosphere .
They embrace each other naturally and swayed to the rhythm with Xander taking great care not to step on her feet but still not letting his eyes leave her . He enjoyed being in her arms and reveled in her sensual fragrance , losing himself in the moment . You're so beautiful , I could look at you forever
He didn't think it possible but it became evident that he fell in love with Buffy all over again that very moment. He never did stop loving her after all .Even when he was with Cordelia or any other girl, Buffy always had a special place in his heart . His golden angel for all time .
Buffy was surprised at how her body reacted in close proximity to Xander's .It felt so natural and pleasant being in his arms. They molded together with ease feeling so comfortable in the company of each other. She was feeling something terribly amiss when Giles talked to her over the phone and that feeling bothered her relentlessly . Somehow Xander managed to make her easily forget it entirely as she laid her head on his shoulder .She smiled to herself , still not believing what was happening .what am I going to do with you Xander?
Xander never wanted to end this dance anytime soon . With Buffy laying her head on his shoulder , he was practically in heaven I'm in paradise...oh..boy.....let this last forever...
Meanwhile Willow and Oz had been observing their little dance for some time now. It was unexpected to see Buffy slow dancing with Xander . However despite having just a tinge of jealousy creeping up in her whenever Xander is concerned , Willow couldn't help but feel happy for him.
He finally got the dance he wantedWillow grinned at her two best friends .and he's not stepping on anyone's toesshe giggled to herself and turned back to Oz who gave a knowing gaze as she motioned towards the couple .
"We're not gonna let them have all the fun are we ?" Willow smirked .
Oz grinned as he replied "Hell no ." and off they went, holding hands as they descended upon the dance floor
"Xander...." Buffy stirred and met his gaze .
"Yeah , Buff .." he studied her face giving her his complete attention.
Buffy hesitated for a moment now unsure of whether she should speak her mind .
"You can tell me ...I won't get mad"
"You sure ?" Xander nodded in response.
" Well....do you think I did the right thing with Angel .Tell me the truth ." She instantly wondered if she was going to regret saying those last few words .
Angel. so that's it ?He was quiet for a minute engaged in thought causing Buffy to momentarily panic inside .
Just when Buffy felt it was time to change the subject , Xander looked at her and smiled .
He's smiling . is that good or bad?
Xander tightened the embrace they shared and took in a deep breath, unwavering in his gaze on his golden angel .
"Buffy I've always been quite vocal in my opinion on the whole Angel thing. At the end of the day my senses pretty much tell me he's still a demon...,"
"Y'know its probably better if we dro..."Buffy's interruption stopped short as a finger on her lips silenced her .
"let me finish . but as much as I hate to admit it he really did care and love you . Almost as much as I do in fact . I have to give him that . He's okay for a vamp .He saved our lives a few times and that's not bad . Thinking back the only reason I hated him was because he had the one thing I always wanted ."
"and that is...?" Buffy asked returning his gaze . he has pretty eyes....very pretty eyes
"You of course ."
"oh.." She didn't quite know how to respond to that .
Xander continued " With regards to whether or not you did the right thing ....here's the deal . Every time I find myself in a situation that scares the hell outta me or when I'm stuck between difficult decisions , y'know who I think of ? you Buff . You're always strong and brave in spite of what's thrown in front of you , doing the right thing for all of us . You inspire me to carry on believing and keep on fighting ...."
Buffy was speechless as she listened to every word Xander said .are you really my Xander-shaped friend ? she wondered quite taken by his answer .
"You're my hero Buffy and whatever you decide to do , you know I'll always be there for you ."
I'm your hero? "thank you...Xander." She let out softly ,the darkness hiding the bright flush of pink .
Everything he just said touched her on so many levels as deep brown eyes met her own distinct hazel green. The room seemed to host only them and no one else and for once in her life she felt an overwhelming urge to meet his lips with hers as they inched closer and closer together . Her mind exploded into a million thoughts but she could only feel her heart as it raced ,beating faster and faster in anticipation.
"the song's over ." Xander spoke breaking the moment . "We don't wanna be late ." He didn't notice the turn of events unfolding before him as he spotted a familiar face in the crowd .Angel's here
"huh...?...yeah you're right." what the hell was I doing? disappointment left its mark as she stood confused in her own thoughts .
"There's Angel . Go to him . I know you'll do what's right." He gestured behind her and quickly left her embrace much to chagrin of Buffy and walked over to Angel .
"right ....." she turned around and looked behind her .who?
" She's all yours Deadboy" he said a sad smile tracing his face leaving them both behind . I actually did that .Who da thunk it? what he did , surprised himself more than anyone else as he walked away to get himself a drink . I need a break.
Angel responded with a nod and watched him leave . He'd been watching them both for a while and listened with interest to Xander's heartfelt speech . When he first saw Buffy dancing with Xander , he was understandably jealous and wanted to rip his guts out . A visual graphic he disturbingly enjoyed replaying in his mind. Having a soul nixed any ideas of acting that out though. what a drag
However what he heard coming from the boy's own mouth threw him completely off guard .
He didn't expect that . He was even more surprised that Xander didn't rub it in to his face when he left Buffy's embrace. He was forced to regard his actions with begrudging respect and didn't say a word when Xander dismissed himself so the vampire could speak with Buffy . he really loves her
"Buffy...." Angel greeted the slayer before him.
"Hey..." Buffy replied , still recovering from the past few minutes .
"Giles needs us at the library .I'm here for escort ." he started , studying her face as he did . "gather up the gang ." he paused as she appeared a little disorientated . "You okay ?"
"huh.. Wha....oh ! Giles said you'd be here . We could take Oz's van .It'd be quicker that way ." what's wrong with me? She regained her composure and acted normally or at least tried.
"I agree with the suggestion .C'mon let's find them ." Angel immediately found Willow and Oz just sitting down at a table and approached them with Buffy in hand . I'll talk with her later
Willow and Oz had just finished dancing and decided to sit down . they both noticed Angel's presence and Xander leaving to get himself a drink . They were too engrossed with themselves as they danced together and neither failed to notice the recent exchange Xander had with Buffy .
"Angel ,what's up ?" Willow asked the vampire walking towards them .
Oz intended to greet Angel but his attention drifted to Xander whose shoulders slumped noticeably as he looked on nearby at Buffy and Angel who were locked hand in hand . He made a mental note to investigate later.
"We need to get to the library." Angel replied .
"my van then ?" Oz interjected .
"that was the idea ." Buffy answered. She noticed someone missing . "Where's Xander ?" she asked as she looked around . Angel winced at the mention of his name but kept quiet .
"I'll get him . meet us at the van ."Oz supplied and got up to fetch Xander . He winked at Willow who immediately understood.
"let's go now. Van's a waiting ." said Willow as she got up from her seat . She eyed Buffy who seemed to be acting quite strange . What's up with Buffy ? I wonder....
Angel took notice of it as well but didn't bring it up . Business came first . He would talk to her in time . Still there was something very weird going on with Buffy and he'll find out what it was.
THUMMMPPP!!
A door just met its untimely death as a frustrated Guardian kicked it down . He didn't have time to fiddle with the keys . He found the apartment surprisingly quick thanks in no small part to the map enclosed in the envelope he was given . Awfully convenient but he didn't ponder about it too long .
It was quite musty inside but it had all the proper necessities needed plus a bed with clean sheets. That was good enough for him . It also helped that the place was quite isolated . He didn't need nosy neighbors.
He laid Faith down on the bed before him and scrambled to the bathroom to get some water .her pulse was fading . He had to prepare quickly . The door was put back into its place to keep out unwanted guests and welded its edges shut with his flames and shut all the windows down as well .
can't afford any interruptionshis thoughts focused on the task at hand as he quickly removed his shirt and cleaned himself of dirt and dried blood . he went over to the slayer on the bed and sat beside her .
he wet a damp cloth over the slayer's injuries and cleaned the dirt off her face . carefully he framed her face in his hands wiping off blood from her pale lips . Only then did he realize that even though she didn't look exactly like 'her' , he couldn't ignore some striking resemblance to the girl he once knew . same dark wavy hair , same lips . He sighed and continued his work .
"the clothes might burn and stick on her permanently . They gotta go ." He paused for a moment as the reality of that statement sunk in.
"great....now I just have to take her clothes off . never done that before ...er...okayyy..." He fumbled awkwardly as he proceeded in doing so , trying his best not to peek at the voluptuous figure laying before him . Even though he knew it was for a good reason , he felt it was still wrong to violate her and had no desire to see his first nude female as tempting as that might be .
When she was finally down to her underwear he wrapped a blanket around her and carefully took off the rest ,covering her decency and touching nothing that shouldn't be touched. He sat her up in front of him and cupped her face with his hands and noticed something important he ignored
oh crap...she isn't breathing he felt for a pulse
"Oh FUCK !!!!!"
SunnyDale High school library .
10.22pm
The gang just arrived , bursting through the doors of the high school library desperate for answers . Angel was carrying Buffy in his arms with Xander not too far behind him . Oz was having his hands full calming down a hyperventilating Willow . Fear and worry were clearly written all over their faces .
"Giles ! we need help here ." Xander called out as Angel set Buffy down on chair nearby.
The librarian immediately stopped whatever he was doing and rushed to their aid .
"What happened to Buffy ?" He asked as he looked her over .
"We were hoping you tell us." Xander answered , his eyes not leaving Buffy .please wake up
"She suddenly collapsed when we reached the high school . Don't have a clue to what caused this ." Angel offered .
"What's wrong with her Giles ?" Willow asked with a shaky voice . Having your best friend suddenly collapse next to you was not the most pleasant of experiences at all.
"She seems to be fine physically... other than having an increased heart rate...I haven't the slightest idea,"
a puzzled Giles declared . " It could be the workings of a spell but I'm not entirely sure." He continued his examination with a furrowed brow.
Without warning a gasp escaped Buffy as she jumped out her seat causing Giles to jump back in surprise. Angel immediately caught her mid-air and lowered her back into the chair as the gang cleared to give Buffy room for air . She was breathing rather heavily and drenched with sweat.
Xander was the first to ask ,"Buffy , are you alright ?"
"Faith...." She started
"Where is Faith anyway ?" Willow asked Giles .
Angel was about to ask the same thing when Buffy answered the question .
"I-I..FaiFaith...I-I.... Faith...I felt ..." tears were welling up in her eyes .
"I felt her die...."
End part 3
So how was it ?come on somebody tell me something !!! should I keep this up??feedback of all kinds welcome. The next part will take a while . that's it peace I'm out.
Until next time I remain.............