Chapter Four: The Grand-Daughter
It wasn't yet noon when the front door was opened and slammed shut in a second.
Like a whirlwind, a young girl entered Willow's home. Her brown hair long and
flowing, her movements flawless and very female. "Auntie Willow," she cried
when she entered the living-room and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a
stranger sitting on the sofa. "Hi," she said with a sheepish smile.
Angel couldn't think and he was glad he didn't have to breathe. He had to blink
at the girl standing right in front of him to clear the haze in his mind. He
didn't even realize that Willow had come into the room as well.
"Anne, my darling," she greeted the girl. "I'm so glad you could come."
"Me too," she raised an eyebrow at the old woman who she loved as if she were
family. "Auntie Willow, do you secretly entertain young lovers?" A wicked
expression was in her eyes.
The witch playfully hit her shoulder, "Anne. You're teasing me again. This is a
good friend of mine. His name is Angel. Angel this is Anne, Buffy's
grand-daughter." At the mention of the ex-slayer's name the laughter left the
girl's eyes and was replaced by grief. It had been four weeks since the
plane-crash, but the wound from losing her parents and her grand-mother was
very raw. She had to admit that she'd been closer to her grand-mother than to her parents and that her loss was hurting even more, although Willow did her best to help her through this.
She looked at the stranger who was now standing and extended a hand, "Hi,
Angel."
He didn't move, only stared at her. Thousands of emotions ran through him and
he knew he had to get out of there. Now. Clearing his throat he looked at Willow, "I'm sorry, I really need to feed," he said with a cracking voice and without a further glance at the girl he was down the stairs.
"Well, I'd say...," Anne turned to gaze at the stairs where he'd disappeared.
"I really didn't mean it when I said he was your lover. Geez doesn't he
understand a joke?"
Willow took the girl's arm and pulled her to the sofas, "Come on, my sweet,
there's a lot I have to tell you." She sighed loudly, "I ... God, this is so
hard."
"Auntie Willow, are you ill? Please don't tell me you're going to die. I
couldn't face another...," her voice was sounding panicked.
"No, no," the witch quickly assured her. "I'm fine. It's about you and Buffy
and Angel. There are lots of things you don't know. Promise you will listen and
not interrupt?"
"Sure," Anne said eagerly, not really understanding what was going on, but
wanting to know everything.
"Alright, my love, did you ever hear about vampires...," Willow began.
*****
Barely reaching the basement Angel sank to the floor, pulled his knees to his
chest and rested his forehead on them. This was more than he could handle. He
couldn't have stayed another minute in the same room. She had been old and she
was dead and now she'd been standing in front of him.
The rational part of his mind knew it was Anne. But his whole being screamed
Buffy. Was it another foul play of fate to make her like her grand-mother's
twin, he wondered? Sure her hair was dark and longer and curlier, but the rest.
She had the same body, the same face and most importantly the same eyes. Those
hazel eyes he saw whenever he thought of her.
For a moment it had been as if Buffy had been walking in. Young, vibrant and so
close to touch. But she wasn't Buffy, not Buffy, not her, his mind repeated
again and again.
How could two beings be so alike? Buffy had only been her grand-mother, dammit.
She'd only given a quarter of her genes, but obviously the ones that mattered.
She even smiled like her. To see Anne like this was pure agony and pure
pleasure at the same time. It was as if Buffy'd been sent back to him, he could
look at her and imagine her, but that was where the pleasure stopped. Because
she wasn't Buffy. She was Anne. With her own personality, her own dreams and her
own life that didn't include him, well not in any other way than as her
protector. And he wouldn't have it any other way. Because she wasn't Buffy.
He knew it for certain. The soul in this body was different. This was Anne.
And he had to get away from her. He knew he couldn't stand it, couldn't stand
looking at her face in another person. But then his hand reached in his pocket
and found the letter. He had no choice in this, as it was so often in his life.
Of course he would protect her, when it came to Buffy there'd never been a
choice.
*****
"Wow," Anne looked at Willow in awe and leaned back, "This is some
information."
"Yeah," the witch tiredly rubbed her eyes.
"So this vampire, Angel, the one down in your basement was Granny's first," she
blushed slightly, "you know."
"Yes," Willow confirmed and her lips twitched. "They loved each other very
much. So very much and didn't have a chance to live it."
"Star-crossed lovers," Anne sighed loudly, then suddenly frowned, "Granny never
talked about him."
"I know," Willow sighed again, "but how should she? I mean bringing him up
she'd have had to explain more and frankly I think it just was too painful for
her to talk about him at all." She studied the girl's face for a moment, then
asked, "The fact that you're going to be the slayer doesn't give you the
wiggins?"
"No," Anne shook her head, "strange isn't it. You told me Granny freaked about
it, but maybe it's because he's here and he already protected her for such a
long time." She shrugged, "I don't know. Wow, he really is a vampire."
Willow had to chuckle at the way she had been saying this, "You should've seen
your Grandma when she found out. She was shell-shocked. He'd changed into what
she called his "game-face" while they were kissing."
"Ewwww," Anne shuddered at that picture.
"It wasn't really like that," the witch gave the girl a smile. "Later we
discovered that he would change automatically when his emotions ran too high.
It was actually an expression of his deep feelings for her. After a while Buffy
didn't mind it at all. She even once told me she kissed him deliberately. He'd
always been so ashamed for what he was. With having his soul and all he
resented the fact that he was a vampire at the same time."
Suddenly something dawned in Anne, "So Spike's a vampire as well. I always
wondered, why he slept downstairs and never was around in Sunlight. Does he
have a soul too?"
"No," came a voice from the doorway and startled them. Angel looked at the two
women, "Spike's not like me."
"No, he's not like Angel," Willow affirmed. "He is still an evil vampire, but
many years ago someone caught him and they planted a chip in his head. As a
result he can't harm humans anymore."
"I'm sorry that I left like that before," the dark-haired vampire said ignoring
the witch's words. "It just," his eyes were watery, "you're so much like her.
You look like Buffy when she was young."
"I know," Anne nodded. "She showed me her pictures some time ago. I could
hardly believe it. When Willow told me about ... well, about your history I
understood."
Angel nodded at that and sat down on a chair and gazed at the former red-head,
"Did you," he cleared his throat again, still not fully master of his emotions,
"did you tell her ..."
"Yes," the witch folded her hands in her lap, "She knows that she's going to be
the slayer and that you're meant to help her."
"I've actually never seen a vampire before," she frowned, "no I have. Spike.
But I never guessed he was one. Grandma was very protective it seems. She never
told us. Mom didn't have a clue either." Suddenly her eyes watered, "I'm sorry,"
she apologized quickly. "I wonder how much time it needs I can talk about them
without beginning to cry."
"It's okay," Angel said softly and looked at her.
Still sniffling a bit, she gave him a shaky smile, "You have beautiful eyes,"
she said without warning and blushed furiously. "Sorry, I don't even know where
this comes from."
He couldn't help but grin at her and he could hear Willow giggle. "I can live
with it."
"Sure," she said gravely. "You've certainly heard it before."
"It came up once or twice," he joked. "I actually can't remember them. So I
have to take your word for it."
"Oh yes, no reflection, Aunt Willow told me," she said knowingly. "Isn't that
strange. I mean, how do you shave."
Now the witch laughed out loud, "I asked that once too."
"You did?," Anne smiled. "Yeah, well, it's an interesting question."
"Practice," Angel said and grinned. "Although I was glad when the electric
razors were introduced. It's much more bloodless."
"Oh Angel," Willow said between tears, she'd laughed so hard, "I really did
expect anything. But I never thought we would sit in my living-room and laugh
at your jokes. It's so good to have you back."
End Chapter 4.
It wasn't yet noon when the front door was opened and slammed shut in a second.
Like a whirlwind, a young girl entered Willow's home. Her brown hair long and
flowing, her movements flawless and very female. "Auntie Willow," she cried
when she entered the living-room and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a
stranger sitting on the sofa. "Hi," she said with a sheepish smile.
Angel couldn't think and he was glad he didn't have to breathe. He had to blink
at the girl standing right in front of him to clear the haze in his mind. He
didn't even realize that Willow had come into the room as well.
"Anne, my darling," she greeted the girl. "I'm so glad you could come."
"Me too," she raised an eyebrow at the old woman who she loved as if she were
family. "Auntie Willow, do you secretly entertain young lovers?" A wicked
expression was in her eyes.
The witch playfully hit her shoulder, "Anne. You're teasing me again. This is a
good friend of mine. His name is Angel. Angel this is Anne, Buffy's
grand-daughter." At the mention of the ex-slayer's name the laughter left the
girl's eyes and was replaced by grief. It had been four weeks since the
plane-crash, but the wound from losing her parents and her grand-mother was
very raw. She had to admit that she'd been closer to her grand-mother than to her parents and that her loss was hurting even more, although Willow did her best to help her through this.
She looked at the stranger who was now standing and extended a hand, "Hi,
Angel."
He didn't move, only stared at her. Thousands of emotions ran through him and
he knew he had to get out of there. Now. Clearing his throat he looked at Willow, "I'm sorry, I really need to feed," he said with a cracking voice and without a further glance at the girl he was down the stairs.
"Well, I'd say...," Anne turned to gaze at the stairs where he'd disappeared.
"I really didn't mean it when I said he was your lover. Geez doesn't he
understand a joke?"
Willow took the girl's arm and pulled her to the sofas, "Come on, my sweet,
there's a lot I have to tell you." She sighed loudly, "I ... God, this is so
hard."
"Auntie Willow, are you ill? Please don't tell me you're going to die. I
couldn't face another...," her voice was sounding panicked.
"No, no," the witch quickly assured her. "I'm fine. It's about you and Buffy
and Angel. There are lots of things you don't know. Promise you will listen and
not interrupt?"
"Sure," Anne said eagerly, not really understanding what was going on, but
wanting to know everything.
"Alright, my love, did you ever hear about vampires...," Willow began.
*****
Barely reaching the basement Angel sank to the floor, pulled his knees to his
chest and rested his forehead on them. This was more than he could handle. He
couldn't have stayed another minute in the same room. She had been old and she
was dead and now she'd been standing in front of him.
The rational part of his mind knew it was Anne. But his whole being screamed
Buffy. Was it another foul play of fate to make her like her grand-mother's
twin, he wondered? Sure her hair was dark and longer and curlier, but the rest.
She had the same body, the same face and most importantly the same eyes. Those
hazel eyes he saw whenever he thought of her.
For a moment it had been as if Buffy had been walking in. Young, vibrant and so
close to touch. But she wasn't Buffy, not Buffy, not her, his mind repeated
again and again.
How could two beings be so alike? Buffy had only been her grand-mother, dammit.
She'd only given a quarter of her genes, but obviously the ones that mattered.
She even smiled like her. To see Anne like this was pure agony and pure
pleasure at the same time. It was as if Buffy'd been sent back to him, he could
look at her and imagine her, but that was where the pleasure stopped. Because
she wasn't Buffy. She was Anne. With her own personality, her own dreams and her
own life that didn't include him, well not in any other way than as her
protector. And he wouldn't have it any other way. Because she wasn't Buffy.
He knew it for certain. The soul in this body was different. This was Anne.
And he had to get away from her. He knew he couldn't stand it, couldn't stand
looking at her face in another person. But then his hand reached in his pocket
and found the letter. He had no choice in this, as it was so often in his life.
Of course he would protect her, when it came to Buffy there'd never been a
choice.
*****
"Wow," Anne looked at Willow in awe and leaned back, "This is some
information."
"Yeah," the witch tiredly rubbed her eyes.
"So this vampire, Angel, the one down in your basement was Granny's first," she
blushed slightly, "you know."
"Yes," Willow confirmed and her lips twitched. "They loved each other very
much. So very much and didn't have a chance to live it."
"Star-crossed lovers," Anne sighed loudly, then suddenly frowned, "Granny never
talked about him."
"I know," Willow sighed again, "but how should she? I mean bringing him up
she'd have had to explain more and frankly I think it just was too painful for
her to talk about him at all." She studied the girl's face for a moment, then
asked, "The fact that you're going to be the slayer doesn't give you the
wiggins?"
"No," Anne shook her head, "strange isn't it. You told me Granny freaked about
it, but maybe it's because he's here and he already protected her for such a
long time." She shrugged, "I don't know. Wow, he really is a vampire."
Willow had to chuckle at the way she had been saying this, "You should've seen
your Grandma when she found out. She was shell-shocked. He'd changed into what
she called his "game-face" while they were kissing."
"Ewwww," Anne shuddered at that picture.
"It wasn't really like that," the witch gave the girl a smile. "Later we
discovered that he would change automatically when his emotions ran too high.
It was actually an expression of his deep feelings for her. After a while Buffy
didn't mind it at all. She even once told me she kissed him deliberately. He'd
always been so ashamed for what he was. With having his soul and all he
resented the fact that he was a vampire at the same time."
Suddenly something dawned in Anne, "So Spike's a vampire as well. I always
wondered, why he slept downstairs and never was around in Sunlight. Does he
have a soul too?"
"No," came a voice from the doorway and startled them. Angel looked at the two
women, "Spike's not like me."
"No, he's not like Angel," Willow affirmed. "He is still an evil vampire, but
many years ago someone caught him and they planted a chip in his head. As a
result he can't harm humans anymore."
"I'm sorry that I left like that before," the dark-haired vampire said ignoring
the witch's words. "It just," his eyes were watery, "you're so much like her.
You look like Buffy when she was young."
"I know," Anne nodded. "She showed me her pictures some time ago. I could
hardly believe it. When Willow told me about ... well, about your history I
understood."
Angel nodded at that and sat down on a chair and gazed at the former red-head,
"Did you," he cleared his throat again, still not fully master of his emotions,
"did you tell her ..."
"Yes," the witch folded her hands in her lap, "She knows that she's going to be
the slayer and that you're meant to help her."
"I've actually never seen a vampire before," she frowned, "no I have. Spike.
But I never guessed he was one. Grandma was very protective it seems. She never
told us. Mom didn't have a clue either." Suddenly her eyes watered, "I'm sorry,"
she apologized quickly. "I wonder how much time it needs I can talk about them
without beginning to cry."
"It's okay," Angel said softly and looked at her.
Still sniffling a bit, she gave him a shaky smile, "You have beautiful eyes,"
she said without warning and blushed furiously. "Sorry, I don't even know where
this comes from."
He couldn't help but grin at her and he could hear Willow giggle. "I can live
with it."
"Sure," she said gravely. "You've certainly heard it before."
"It came up once or twice," he joked. "I actually can't remember them. So I
have to take your word for it."
"Oh yes, no reflection, Aunt Willow told me," she said knowingly. "Isn't that
strange. I mean, how do you shave."
Now the witch laughed out loud, "I asked that once too."
"You did?," Anne smiled. "Yeah, well, it's an interesting question."
"Practice," Angel said and grinned. "Although I was glad when the electric
razors were introduced. It's much more bloodless."
"Oh Angel," Willow said between tears, she'd laughed so hard, "I really did
expect anything. But I never thought we would sit in my living-room and laugh
at your jokes. It's so good to have you back."
End Chapter 4.