DISCLAIMERS ETC IN PART 1.
TIMELINE: AFTER "ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN" AND BEFORE "FIRST IMPRESSIONS"
ONCE UPON A TIME... NOT SO LONG AGO - PART 2
"So no one knows you're here?" Angel asked when Buffy walked out of the bathroom the next day.
"I… I didn't want to hurt them… I just took off… I was terrified…" She said, lowering her eyes.
"I see… I'll call Giles later…" he said as she walked over to him.
"I'm sorry… I have nothing to offer you… Maybe Wesley would have something for you to eat".
Buffy walked behind him to the parking lot.
"I love the car", she said. He smiled and entered the car himself, starting the engine, the roof closed on them, and Angel covered himself in a hood. He looked at Buffy.
"Could you just close the window, so I won't… you know… burst into flames while driving". He smiled and she couldn't help it and smiled back.
"You changed so much… you even smile more often now". She put her hand on his shoulder, lovingly.
Wesley opened the door. Angel, raising smoke, walked in fast and took off the hood that covered him.
Buffy followed him.
"Hello Angel, Buffy", Wesley started saying, then looked at Buffy amazed. "Buffy!"
"Hi Wes", Buffy smiled and walked in.
Wesley's apartment was a small one-bedroom apartment. Angel looked around at the miniature kitchen and back at Buffy.
"Maybe we should go over to Cordelia's", He said, pondering.
Cordelia was busy rehearsing for some audition when Angel, Wesley and Buffy entered her apartment.
Buffy watched her amused.
"Hi Buffy, long time no see", Cordelia flashed a smile at her, then looked over at Angel.
"So, what's going on? You're not planning on turning human again, are you?"
Both Angel and Buffy glared at her. "Huh?"
"Cordelia", Angel said in a low warning voice.
"Never mind!" Cordelia smiled again and turned away.
"What is she talking about, Angel?" Buffy asked.
"I don't know…" Angel murmured. He left Buffy with Wesley and grabbed Cordelia's hand, pulling her inside the kitchen.
"What were you talking about?" He asked her when they were out of Buffy's earshot.
"Doyle told me".
"Told you what?"
"Duh. Everything?"
Angel eyed her. "So you know?"
"That Buffy was here for a whole day and you were human and you turned back the day yadda yadda yadda? Yes, I know".
Angel sighed. "Well, she doesn't. So don't mention it again".
"Um, okay. Sure. So, why is she here?"
"She needs our help".
"Is she gonna pay?"
Angel glared at her.
"I'm kidding! She's family, I know that!" Cordelia smiled and patted his shoulder in a friendly gesture.
Angel was more relaxed now. He looked around. "Could you, um…"
"Breakfast?" She asked.
He nodded, smiling shyly.
"So, Buffy is a demon?" Cordelia asked after Angel briefed them. Buffy looked uncomfortably at her red hands.
"Wesley, I need you to do some search on demons that infect their killer with one of their demonic traits".
Wesley looked at Angel. "The same demon from-"
"No, I haven't encountered one of those ever since and thank god for that", Buffy said eliminating that idea.
"Hold on, I have brought some books that might come in handy". Wesley walked over to the pile of books he had left on Cordelia's floor. They still hadn't moved everything to Angel's hotel.
"Too bad *someone* didn't buy a new computer. Might be faster". Cordelia hummed.
Buffy was quiet, just looking at them, feeling somewhat out of place and not at all a part of their little family.
Angel was smiling at Cordelia more than he ever smiled at her. She remembered feeling so special every time she managed to squeeze at least half a smile from him.
'Admit it. He was so broody with you, just like your friends say, and now he's so much happier in an undangerous way' She thought.
"Buffy?" Wesley's voice made her snap from her thoughts.
"Yeah?" She asked, her voice barely heard.
"Could you look for a familiar demon here? This is the contagious demons chapter".
Wesley laid the book in front of Buffy. She flipped through the pages. "None of those. Ewww.. none of those either…"
She sighed when the chapter ended. "Nothing".
"Are you sure? This book has every contagious demon known to the Council of Watchers". Wesley was surprised.
"I'm pretty sure", Buffy said, flipping through the pages in a furious attempt to discover what was wrong with her. Angel and Wesley exchanged worried looks.
"Oh God. I killed one of those last week". Buffy said and they both leaned over to see the picture her gloved hand pointed at.
Wesley took the book from her hand and started reading. "That's not a contagious demon, that's…" His expression changed as he continued reading. "Oh lord…" He put down the book.
"What is it?" Angel asked.
"It's a Listis demon…" Wesley said quietly. Angel frowned.
"What? What is it?" Buffy looked at them, becoming very alarmed.
Angel's expression looked too familiar now.
"I've never encountered one of those", Angel started saying, looking away from Buffy's worried face.
"But I've heard of them. They're a threat even to vampires. They're very rare and if a vampire finds their hiding place, he just leaves them alone".
"And this little story has a point, I assume?" Buffy asked harshly. "I'm sorry". She apologized right away.
Wesley stepped in. "Because these demons are very rare, they have a special defense mechanism… which is essential to their survival".
"I'm not sure I want to hear this…" Buffy got up from the chair. Wesley and Cordy looked at Angel. He seemed disturbed.
Buffy took a deep breath. "Go on…" She whispered.
"Once their blood touches their attacker's bare skin, they start a procedure of stealing, of sucking their attacker's life force". Wesley said, looking at the book again.
"Listis. Means Listim, a robber in Aramaic and ancient Semitic languages". Angel noted.
"That doesn't sound good…" Buffy looked at Wesley. "What do you mean by 'life force'?"
"They suck all your senses, all your skills and strength until they suck your soul and revive themselves". Wesley explained.
"And Buffy dies?" Cordelia asked, shocked. Buffy's face turned gloomier.
"Not if I can help it", Angel said, determined.
Buffy looked at him and felt her heart flipping inside her.
She loved him so much. He was her Angel again, not a stranger anymore.
"Your hands… the loss of feeling", Wesley cut short her moment. "That's the first thing the demon sucked- your sense of touch".
Buffy looked at her gloved hands. "How long do I have?" her voice was husky.
Wesley looked in the book.
"It says here… um, the demon consumes its victim within 3 days".
"I killed it last week".
"It is also said here that beings with supernatural strength are being consumed approximately between 2 to 4 weeks".
"Oh God…" Buffy murmured.
"Wow… good thing you're a slayer, eh?" Cordelia said, then frowned. "Or maybe if you weren't the slayer you wouldn't have found this demon in the first place…" She bit her lips.
"Wesley, is it reversible?" Angel asked.
"I don't know…"
"Look!" Angel raised his voice. Wesley nodded and picked another book starting to flip through the pages.
"I'll go to the library and search on the computer", Cordy said and left the apartment.
TIMELINE: AFTER "ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN" AND BEFORE "FIRST IMPRESSIONS"
ONCE UPON A TIME... NOT SO LONG AGO - PART 2
"So no one knows you're here?" Angel asked when Buffy walked out of the bathroom the next day.
"I… I didn't want to hurt them… I just took off… I was terrified…" She said, lowering her eyes.
"I see… I'll call Giles later…" he said as she walked over to him.
"I'm sorry… I have nothing to offer you… Maybe Wesley would have something for you to eat".
Buffy walked behind him to the parking lot.
"I love the car", she said. He smiled and entered the car himself, starting the engine, the roof closed on them, and Angel covered himself in a hood. He looked at Buffy.
"Could you just close the window, so I won't… you know… burst into flames while driving". He smiled and she couldn't help it and smiled back.
"You changed so much… you even smile more often now". She put her hand on his shoulder, lovingly.
Wesley opened the door. Angel, raising smoke, walked in fast and took off the hood that covered him.
Buffy followed him.
"Hello Angel, Buffy", Wesley started saying, then looked at Buffy amazed. "Buffy!"
"Hi Wes", Buffy smiled and walked in.
Wesley's apartment was a small one-bedroom apartment. Angel looked around at the miniature kitchen and back at Buffy.
"Maybe we should go over to Cordelia's", He said, pondering.
Cordelia was busy rehearsing for some audition when Angel, Wesley and Buffy entered her apartment.
Buffy watched her amused.
"Hi Buffy, long time no see", Cordelia flashed a smile at her, then looked over at Angel.
"So, what's going on? You're not planning on turning human again, are you?"
Both Angel and Buffy glared at her. "Huh?"
"Cordelia", Angel said in a low warning voice.
"Never mind!" Cordelia smiled again and turned away.
"What is she talking about, Angel?" Buffy asked.
"I don't know…" Angel murmured. He left Buffy with Wesley and grabbed Cordelia's hand, pulling her inside the kitchen.
"What were you talking about?" He asked her when they were out of Buffy's earshot.
"Doyle told me".
"Told you what?"
"Duh. Everything?"
Angel eyed her. "So you know?"
"That Buffy was here for a whole day and you were human and you turned back the day yadda yadda yadda? Yes, I know".
Angel sighed. "Well, she doesn't. So don't mention it again".
"Um, okay. Sure. So, why is she here?"
"She needs our help".
"Is she gonna pay?"
Angel glared at her.
"I'm kidding! She's family, I know that!" Cordelia smiled and patted his shoulder in a friendly gesture.
Angel was more relaxed now. He looked around. "Could you, um…"
"Breakfast?" She asked.
He nodded, smiling shyly.
"So, Buffy is a demon?" Cordelia asked after Angel briefed them. Buffy looked uncomfortably at her red hands.
"Wesley, I need you to do some search on demons that infect their killer with one of their demonic traits".
Wesley looked at Angel. "The same demon from-"
"No, I haven't encountered one of those ever since and thank god for that", Buffy said eliminating that idea.
"Hold on, I have brought some books that might come in handy". Wesley walked over to the pile of books he had left on Cordelia's floor. They still hadn't moved everything to Angel's hotel.
"Too bad *someone* didn't buy a new computer. Might be faster". Cordelia hummed.
Buffy was quiet, just looking at them, feeling somewhat out of place and not at all a part of their little family.
Angel was smiling at Cordelia more than he ever smiled at her. She remembered feeling so special every time she managed to squeeze at least half a smile from him.
'Admit it. He was so broody with you, just like your friends say, and now he's so much happier in an undangerous way' She thought.
"Buffy?" Wesley's voice made her snap from her thoughts.
"Yeah?" She asked, her voice barely heard.
"Could you look for a familiar demon here? This is the contagious demons chapter".
Wesley laid the book in front of Buffy. She flipped through the pages. "None of those. Ewww.. none of those either…"
She sighed when the chapter ended. "Nothing".
"Are you sure? This book has every contagious demon known to the Council of Watchers". Wesley was surprised.
"I'm pretty sure", Buffy said, flipping through the pages in a furious attempt to discover what was wrong with her. Angel and Wesley exchanged worried looks.
"Oh God. I killed one of those last week". Buffy said and they both leaned over to see the picture her gloved hand pointed at.
Wesley took the book from her hand and started reading. "That's not a contagious demon, that's…" His expression changed as he continued reading. "Oh lord…" He put down the book.
"What is it?" Angel asked.
"It's a Listis demon…" Wesley said quietly. Angel frowned.
"What? What is it?" Buffy looked at them, becoming very alarmed.
Angel's expression looked too familiar now.
"I've never encountered one of those", Angel started saying, looking away from Buffy's worried face.
"But I've heard of them. They're a threat even to vampires. They're very rare and if a vampire finds their hiding place, he just leaves them alone".
"And this little story has a point, I assume?" Buffy asked harshly. "I'm sorry". She apologized right away.
Wesley stepped in. "Because these demons are very rare, they have a special defense mechanism… which is essential to their survival".
"I'm not sure I want to hear this…" Buffy got up from the chair. Wesley and Cordy looked at Angel. He seemed disturbed.
Buffy took a deep breath. "Go on…" She whispered.
"Once their blood touches their attacker's bare skin, they start a procedure of stealing, of sucking their attacker's life force". Wesley said, looking at the book again.
"Listis. Means Listim, a robber in Aramaic and ancient Semitic languages". Angel noted.
"That doesn't sound good…" Buffy looked at Wesley. "What do you mean by 'life force'?"
"They suck all your senses, all your skills and strength until they suck your soul and revive themselves". Wesley explained.
"And Buffy dies?" Cordelia asked, shocked. Buffy's face turned gloomier.
"Not if I can help it", Angel said, determined.
Buffy looked at him and felt her heart flipping inside her.
She loved him so much. He was her Angel again, not a stranger anymore.
"Your hands… the loss of feeling", Wesley cut short her moment. "That's the first thing the demon sucked- your sense of touch".
Buffy looked at her gloved hands. "How long do I have?" her voice was husky.
Wesley looked in the book.
"It says here… um, the demon consumes its victim within 3 days".
"I killed it last week".
"It is also said here that beings with supernatural strength are being consumed approximately between 2 to 4 weeks".
"Oh God…" Buffy murmured.
"Wow… good thing you're a slayer, eh?" Cordelia said, then frowned. "Or maybe if you weren't the slayer you wouldn't have found this demon in the first place…" She bit her lips.
"Wesley, is it reversible?" Angel asked.
"I don't know…"
"Look!" Angel raised his voice. Wesley nodded and picked another book starting to flip through the pages.
"I'll go to the library and search on the computer", Cordy said and left the apartment.