Chapter 8: The Morah
4 weeks later
Anne was shivering in the cold breeze in the cemetery. They had all been afraid
around her for days. She didn't know why, they'd found out more about that
special demon the prophecy was referring to and now she and Angel waited
to face this special creature.
She wasn't afraid. Why should she be? There was Angel with her and he would
take care of her, as he'd done throughout the last nine months. She understood
why her grandmother had been relying on him so much. He was completely reliable.
Although she would never understand Buffy's attraction towards him. Sure, he was
a hottie, but he was soooo old and a vampire. The thought of being with a vampire intimately made her shudder.
Not that he'd ever tried anything. He hadn't. He was like the older brother,
always looking out for her, holding her when she was frustrated, sometimes
also gently scolding her. She liked him. A lot actually, but she wasn't
attracted to him. Luke on the other hand. A little sigh escaped her mouth. Luke
was in college, two years her senior he was deadly attractive and she thought
about him being the one to introduce her to carnal pleasures. She was 18 after
all and in her eyes it was time. Most of her friends talked about their
boyfriends and what they did with them, while she'd always shrug and avoid the
subject as far as possible. Being the slayer wasn't good for a teenager's
love-life.
"Are you ready," Angel's voice interrupted her and turned to look at him.
"Of course," she played with the stake in her hand. With Angel training her
she'd become better and better. She was strong, a little bit taller than Buffy,
Angel had told her and with time she wanted to become as good as her
grand-mother. "Let this ugly demon come." She could see him smile at her words.
Often she wondered how often he thought about Buffy when he looked like this.
Would he dream of her? And how were his dreams? It must have been interesting to
see them together. Like watching a love right out of one of these sappy novels.
Willow read them sometimes, she'd caught her with one of the books one evening.
Did she make him remember? He said she looked like Buffy. She knew it from
pictures, but Angel certainly saw more. He could see behind the facade. Was
there more of Buffy inside of her. Were there some gestures or things she said
that brought memories back to him?
"I can hear something," the vampire suddenly warned her.
"Me too," she nodded and took a fighting-stance. Only a second later it was
right in front of her. Dermott had told her it would be a strong Morah-demon.
They were messengers of evil, sure sign of an upcoming darkness.
Without a warning the Morah attacked. It was a furious battle, Angel and Anne
fighting side by side. The demon was strong and a trained fighter. Landing a
roundhouse kick on his stomach, Anne quickly glanced at Angel, who was laying
on the ground and shaking his head to get the daze out of it. The demon had
smashed his head right into a trunk. "You okay?," she asked concerned.
"Fine, try to smash the jewel in it's head" he groaned. "Look out," he shouted
and only the last minute she saw the demon's sword falling down on her. She
rolled aside and grinned.
"Not fast enough, my ugly friend. Why on earth do all the demons have to be so
ugly? Well at least the gem is pretty, but it'll be gone soon."
"A darkness is coming," the Morah announced and attacked again.
"Sure," she replied a bit breathless and landed another kick on his jaw. "For
you anyway, that's certain."
With lightning speed the demon suddenly grabbed her neck and pressed on her
windpipe, making her choke. "You're dead slayer," it hissed and then he
smashed her into a headstone.
With horror in his eyes Angel realised that she didn't move anymore. He wanted
to check on her, but the demon was attacking him now. "Vampire," it hissed.
Angel rolled away and grabbed the sword that had fallen from Anne's hands and
with one swift movement he smashed the jewel of the upcoming Morah. It
shuddered and died in an instant.
On his knees the vampire crawled over to the still unconscious girl laying on
the ground, "Anne," his panic stricken voice was hoarse. "Oh God, Anne. Please."
In an instant he realised she wasn't breathing, yet he could feel a faint pulse
at her wrist. So she wasn't dead, but she needed CPR. Like a flash he though of
Xander and Buffy in the caves. He couldn't give her air, but he could very well
massage her chest. So he tore her jacket away and began to pump on her ribs
rhythmically with both his hands. "Breathe," he ordered desperately, "come on,
Anne. Breathe. You're strong, you can do that." Buffy had asked him to take
care of her and he would do that. He wouldn't disappoint her.
First there was no reaction, but then suddenly her eyes flew open and she
sucked a deep breath. He almost collapsed with relief, "Anne," tears welled up in his eyes.
For what seemed minutes she stared at him as if she'd never seen him before,
then she began to cough, "Oh God," she groaned hoarsely, "Death really sucks. I
hate that." A frown appeared on her forehead as if she tried to remember
something, but it was gone soon. When she tried to sit up, Angel gave her a
concerned glance.
"Easy, Anne. Does it hurt?"
"Like hell," she reached for her head but was relieved when she couldn't find
any blood. "It was strong."
"Yes. Very strong. Morah's are strong. I once met one. Your Grandmother and I
fought it," he said with a slight smile. The Buffy-smile Anne called it. He
stood up and held out his hand.
With a smile she took it and got up. They stood near to each other for a moment
and Angel could feel his mouth go dry. He was still holding onto her hand and
instantly let go of her as if he'd burnt himself. What the hell was going on
here, he thought.
"Are you alright?," she asked seeing him frown at her. "Do you hurt?"
"No," he replied after a moment and stepped back desperately hoping she
wouldn't notice his instant erection. "I'm fine," he gave her a smile, although
he felt not at all like it. "And you?", he asked but didn't listen to her answer. He was too busy trying to understand what was going on with him. He knew that extreme situations could trigger extreme reactions but this? It had to be their life and death situation. There was no other explanation for his sudden desire for this girl. She hadn't even attracted him until now. Shaking his head in disbelief and frustration he looked at her again. "We should go back. I'm sure they're waiting for us."
"Sure," she nodded and began to walk.
Was there anything different about her he wondered and watched her while they
made their way to Willow's house. Did she move differently? No, he couldn't see
anything. Then why on earth did he feel different all of a sudden. Maybe
because he thought her dead and had thought about Buffy and how she'd feel about
his failure to protect her. Yes, that had to be the reason. The relief that she
wasn't dead after all.
"Angel?," she asked and he felt it again. God, get a hold on yourself, he
scolded inwardly.
"Yeah?"
"What did he mean about the darkness coming. What do you think?" Suddenly she
stopped and frowned. Her eyes wore an expression of utter confusion.
He stopped as well and gazed at her, "What?"
"I...," she raised her head again, "I don't know. There was something, a sudden
picture in my head. I didn't understand it, but.."
"Maybe it's a slayer-feeling. Slayers - some of them - have prophetic dreams
and some of them can be psychic," he explained.
"No," she shook her head, "It was a ...," she shook her head again and suddenly
smiled, "It's gone now." She took a deep breath. "Maybe because that demon
smashed me into the headstone."
"Probably," he gave her a smile. Hell, he wanted to touch her and hold her.
What was going on? This question repeated again and again in his head. Something
had changed. But what? Could there be something like an instant attraction after
more than nine months? He'd never experienced something like this. When he was
attracted to woman it had always been instantly and strong. So why did it happen
now and with Anne of all possible women? And more importantly what could he do
about it. He would never, not ever, betray Buffy. And certainly not with her
grand-daughter. Never. He had to get a hold on himself. The soon the better.
He couldn't just run away. That would be the coward's way, but he wasn't a
coward. Had never been one. And for God's sake an over 300 year old vampire
would find a solution to this ... this mess. Maybe he could ask Willow ... but
no, he would never tell Willow that he had these kinds of feelings for Buffy's
grand-daughter. And maybe, just maybe it would go away after a good night's rest, when everyone was at ease again and relaxed. Yes a certain part of his should relax soon, he thought and groaned inwardly.
He was more than glad when they reached Willow's house and Anne went to bed
after some minutes. They discussed the Morah demon for some time and then decided that they would meet again the day after tomorrow to talk about everything and to decide what to do next. That left Angel alone in the basement of Willow's house with his thoughts, his own personal demons and a long, cold shower.
End Chapter 8.
4 weeks later
Anne was shivering in the cold breeze in the cemetery. They had all been afraid
around her for days. She didn't know why, they'd found out more about that
special demon the prophecy was referring to and now she and Angel waited
to face this special creature.
She wasn't afraid. Why should she be? There was Angel with her and he would
take care of her, as he'd done throughout the last nine months. She understood
why her grandmother had been relying on him so much. He was completely reliable.
Although she would never understand Buffy's attraction towards him. Sure, he was
a hottie, but he was soooo old and a vampire. The thought of being with a vampire intimately made her shudder.
Not that he'd ever tried anything. He hadn't. He was like the older brother,
always looking out for her, holding her when she was frustrated, sometimes
also gently scolding her. She liked him. A lot actually, but she wasn't
attracted to him. Luke on the other hand. A little sigh escaped her mouth. Luke
was in college, two years her senior he was deadly attractive and she thought
about him being the one to introduce her to carnal pleasures. She was 18 after
all and in her eyes it was time. Most of her friends talked about their
boyfriends and what they did with them, while she'd always shrug and avoid the
subject as far as possible. Being the slayer wasn't good for a teenager's
love-life.
"Are you ready," Angel's voice interrupted her and turned to look at him.
"Of course," she played with the stake in her hand. With Angel training her
she'd become better and better. She was strong, a little bit taller than Buffy,
Angel had told her and with time she wanted to become as good as her
grand-mother. "Let this ugly demon come." She could see him smile at her words.
Often she wondered how often he thought about Buffy when he looked like this.
Would he dream of her? And how were his dreams? It must have been interesting to
see them together. Like watching a love right out of one of these sappy novels.
Willow read them sometimes, she'd caught her with one of the books one evening.
Did she make him remember? He said she looked like Buffy. She knew it from
pictures, but Angel certainly saw more. He could see behind the facade. Was
there more of Buffy inside of her. Were there some gestures or things she said
that brought memories back to him?
"I can hear something," the vampire suddenly warned her.
"Me too," she nodded and took a fighting-stance. Only a second later it was
right in front of her. Dermott had told her it would be a strong Morah-demon.
They were messengers of evil, sure sign of an upcoming darkness.
Without a warning the Morah attacked. It was a furious battle, Angel and Anne
fighting side by side. The demon was strong and a trained fighter. Landing a
roundhouse kick on his stomach, Anne quickly glanced at Angel, who was laying
on the ground and shaking his head to get the daze out of it. The demon had
smashed his head right into a trunk. "You okay?," she asked concerned.
"Fine, try to smash the jewel in it's head" he groaned. "Look out," he shouted
and only the last minute she saw the demon's sword falling down on her. She
rolled aside and grinned.
"Not fast enough, my ugly friend. Why on earth do all the demons have to be so
ugly? Well at least the gem is pretty, but it'll be gone soon."
"A darkness is coming," the Morah announced and attacked again.
"Sure," she replied a bit breathless and landed another kick on his jaw. "For
you anyway, that's certain."
With lightning speed the demon suddenly grabbed her neck and pressed on her
windpipe, making her choke. "You're dead slayer," it hissed and then he
smashed her into a headstone.
With horror in his eyes Angel realised that she didn't move anymore. He wanted
to check on her, but the demon was attacking him now. "Vampire," it hissed.
Angel rolled away and grabbed the sword that had fallen from Anne's hands and
with one swift movement he smashed the jewel of the upcoming Morah. It
shuddered and died in an instant.
On his knees the vampire crawled over to the still unconscious girl laying on
the ground, "Anne," his panic stricken voice was hoarse. "Oh God, Anne. Please."
In an instant he realised she wasn't breathing, yet he could feel a faint pulse
at her wrist. So she wasn't dead, but she needed CPR. Like a flash he though of
Xander and Buffy in the caves. He couldn't give her air, but he could very well
massage her chest. So he tore her jacket away and began to pump on her ribs
rhythmically with both his hands. "Breathe," he ordered desperately, "come on,
Anne. Breathe. You're strong, you can do that." Buffy had asked him to take
care of her and he would do that. He wouldn't disappoint her.
First there was no reaction, but then suddenly her eyes flew open and she
sucked a deep breath. He almost collapsed with relief, "Anne," tears welled up in his eyes.
For what seemed minutes she stared at him as if she'd never seen him before,
then she began to cough, "Oh God," she groaned hoarsely, "Death really sucks. I
hate that." A frown appeared on her forehead as if she tried to remember
something, but it was gone soon. When she tried to sit up, Angel gave her a
concerned glance.
"Easy, Anne. Does it hurt?"
"Like hell," she reached for her head but was relieved when she couldn't find
any blood. "It was strong."
"Yes. Very strong. Morah's are strong. I once met one. Your Grandmother and I
fought it," he said with a slight smile. The Buffy-smile Anne called it. He
stood up and held out his hand.
With a smile she took it and got up. They stood near to each other for a moment
and Angel could feel his mouth go dry. He was still holding onto her hand and
instantly let go of her as if he'd burnt himself. What the hell was going on
here, he thought.
"Are you alright?," she asked seeing him frown at her. "Do you hurt?"
"No," he replied after a moment and stepped back desperately hoping she
wouldn't notice his instant erection. "I'm fine," he gave her a smile, although
he felt not at all like it. "And you?", he asked but didn't listen to her answer. He was too busy trying to understand what was going on with him. He knew that extreme situations could trigger extreme reactions but this? It had to be their life and death situation. There was no other explanation for his sudden desire for this girl. She hadn't even attracted him until now. Shaking his head in disbelief and frustration he looked at her again. "We should go back. I'm sure they're waiting for us."
"Sure," she nodded and began to walk.
Was there anything different about her he wondered and watched her while they
made their way to Willow's house. Did she move differently? No, he couldn't see
anything. Then why on earth did he feel different all of a sudden. Maybe
because he thought her dead and had thought about Buffy and how she'd feel about
his failure to protect her. Yes, that had to be the reason. The relief that she
wasn't dead after all.
"Angel?," she asked and he felt it again. God, get a hold on yourself, he
scolded inwardly.
"Yeah?"
"What did he mean about the darkness coming. What do you think?" Suddenly she
stopped and frowned. Her eyes wore an expression of utter confusion.
He stopped as well and gazed at her, "What?"
"I...," she raised her head again, "I don't know. There was something, a sudden
picture in my head. I didn't understand it, but.."
"Maybe it's a slayer-feeling. Slayers - some of them - have prophetic dreams
and some of them can be psychic," he explained.
"No," she shook her head, "It was a ...," she shook her head again and suddenly
smiled, "It's gone now." She took a deep breath. "Maybe because that demon
smashed me into the headstone."
"Probably," he gave her a smile. Hell, he wanted to touch her and hold her.
What was going on? This question repeated again and again in his head. Something
had changed. But what? Could there be something like an instant attraction after
more than nine months? He'd never experienced something like this. When he was
attracted to woman it had always been instantly and strong. So why did it happen
now and with Anne of all possible women? And more importantly what could he do
about it. He would never, not ever, betray Buffy. And certainly not with her
grand-daughter. Never. He had to get a hold on himself. The soon the better.
He couldn't just run away. That would be the coward's way, but he wasn't a
coward. Had never been one. And for God's sake an over 300 year old vampire
would find a solution to this ... this mess. Maybe he could ask Willow ... but
no, he would never tell Willow that he had these kinds of feelings for Buffy's
grand-daughter. And maybe, just maybe it would go away after a good night's rest, when everyone was at ease again and relaxed. Yes a certain part of his should relax soon, he thought and groaned inwardly.
He was more than glad when they reached Willow's house and Anne went to bed
after some minutes. They discussed the Morah demon for some time and then decided that they would meet again the day after tomorrow to talk about everything and to decide what to do next. That left Angel alone in the basement of Willow's house with his thoughts, his own personal demons and a long, cold shower.
End Chapter 8.