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 3
"Buffy?" Angel whispered softly as he entered his room.
He looked around at the empty bed, then his eyes wandered to the balcony. He stepped to the balcony that was lighted by moonlight.
Buffy was leaning on the banister. He watched her face for a moment, the moon giving her hair mixed dark colors, and the shades dropping on her body, the way he remembered. It was so long ago, but it felt like it was only yesterday that he held her in his arms, and...
"L.A is so beautiful," Buffy said quietly, not turning to him. She knew he was there even if he was sneaking behind her like a cat.
"Not everyone can appreciate the beauty. I remember..." She wiped her eyes with her gloved hand. "When I was a little girl and my dad took me to his work, downtown in a big building... I was admiring the views and I used to imagine I'm the princess, ruling the world from her big tower..." She wrapped her arms around herself and Angel stepped closer, taking off his coat and wrapping it around her slim shoulders.
"Then my dad was yelling at me, because I climbed on the window, and took me out to his secretary." Buffy wrinkled her nose letting a small smile on her weary face. Angel stepped closer, his body touching hers and he put his hands on the stone rail, trapping her between his arms. Buffy leaned onto him instinctively. "Was she evil?" He asked. Buffy let out a brief laughter. "She was! I was turning into the princess that was locked in the tower by the evil witch and I was waiting for the white knight to come rescue me."
"The princess can rescue herself, she doesn't need a knight." Angel whispered softly into her ear.
"And what if she's too weak? What if this is the last time she sees her world? What if she needs her knight?"
"She's stronger than any knight." Angel said after a moment of silence. He touched her hair softly, laying his hand reassuringly on her shoulder.
"I... I called Giles. I told him everything."
Buffy turned to face him. "Is he angry with me for running away?"
"He was worried," Angel looked away to the lights of the city. "They were searching for you all over Sunnydale and the surrounding area."
Buffy looked down.
"He trusts us to help you. He said he'll help with anything, and asked us to contact him daily." Angel told her.
"Maybe I should go back... Maybe I should be there when I die..."
"You're not going to die. Wesley and Cordy are researching like crazy. They're on the brink of discovery. I'm sure they'll be here any minute. You should go get some rest now," Angel moved towards the room.
"I... I've lost my sense of smell..." Buffy half-whispered as Angel made a step into the room.
"What?" He returned to her side.
"I mean... what's a smelling sense? it's not all that important..." Buffy started to babble. "It can actually be an advantage... there are things that just... suck." She avoided his stare.
"When did it happen?" He asked, trying to sound calm.
"I noticed this morning..." She shrugged.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want to worry you." She admitted quietly.
"Don't worry about me, love." Angel said softly "I mean, Buffy..." Angel fixed his little slip up quickly. They looked at each other, embarrassed.
"I better go see what Wesley has found so far..." Angel mumbled, turning to leave. "You get some sleep."
"Angel..." Wesley was startled to turn around and see the vampire behind him. Cordelia lifted her head from the computer. "I'm so tired.." She yawned, looking away from the computer's monitor.
"Did you find anything?" Angel tapped on the back of Wesley's chair.
"Not really... I..."
"You have to hurry... We don't have much time."
"I'm trying my best, Angel, but I just..."
"Well, speed up!" Angel raised his voice, he took a book flipping through its contents and threw it away.
"Don't waste time on details... just find something!"
"This species is really rare, and there aren't a lot of cases... I saw only references..."
"Track those reference."
"It takes time!"
Buffy woke up in haste. She panted and walked into the bathroom to wash her face. Her vision turned blurry and she started to panic, holding herself close to the wall. She started walking slowly into the room.
"Angel..." she whispered, rubbing her eyes. She tried to look around and bumped into a chair. Her sight got foggier and she tried to make her way to the bed. "Easy... Easy girl..." She whispered to herself, navigating her way in the room. As the fog covered her sight, blacking it, her breath became faster and irregular. She was terrified.
She heard doors slamming somewhere.
"Angel..." She turned her head in the direction of the noises.
Her sight was brighter, until it cleared. Buffy looked around, feeling like she was seeing the world for the first time.
"They did it..." She whispered and walked out of the room.
"Buffy!" She was surprised to meet Xander and riley halfway through the stairs.
"Oh I think I found something!" Cordy said, straightening up.
Angel left his pile of books and moved behind her, looking into the monitor.
"That's a book reference..." Angel said quietly.
Wesley got up looking at the title of the book. "I'm familiar with this book. I don't think it's translated though." He said.
"Do you have it?" Angel asked, glancing over at the pile of old books.
"There's just one copy. Not translated. It's at the museum." Cordelia read the text aloud.
"Okay. We'll just break into the museum and borrow it then..." Angel said.
"It's The British Museum. In London." Cordelia said, pointing her finger on the text.
There was a moment of silence, when they all looked at the screen.
"I'll never get there in time..." Angel sighed.
"Wait, didn't Giles work there at the British Museum?" Cordelia asked, looking up at Wesley. "Well, him being all British.. and librarian.."
"That's right, he was a curator there before he was called. Maybe he knows the new curator." Wesley said.
"But how can we get it here on time? we don't have time to wait for it!" Angel brushed his hair quickly, frustrated.
"You're right... dear lord..." Wesley sighed.
"Hello? 21st Century? We'll have him send it with FedEx!" Cordelia called.
"I'll talk to Giles." Wesley said and started walking out of the library.
"I'll just..." Cordelia stopped in mid-sentence, glaring into space. It was registered in Angel's mind only a few seconds later that she was hit by a vision.
He grabbed her before she fell to the floor.
"God..." She whispered.
"What is it?"
"Buffy..." Cordy whispered between breaths.
Angel became alerted, his body tensed. "What's wrong?"
"She doesn't see... the demon behind her... she's..." Cordelia whispered.
"Where?"
"Near the hotel. Go there.. now!" Cordy raised her voice, and rubbed her forehead.
Angel sprinted out of the library with no further word.
TBC...
TIMELINE: AFTER "ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN" AND BEFORE "FIRST IMPRESSIONS"
ONCE UPON A TIME... NOT SO LONG AGO - PART 3
"Buffy?" Angel whispered softly as he entered his room.
He looked around at the empty bed, then his eyes wandered to the balcony. He stepped to the balcony that was lighted by moonlight.
Buffy was leaning on the banister. He watched her face for a moment, the moon giving her hair mixed dark colors, and the shades dropping on her body, the way he remembered. It was so long ago, but it felt like it was only yesterday that he held her in his arms, and...
"L.A is so beautiful," Buffy said quietly, not turning to him. She knew he was there even if he was sneaking behind her like a cat.
"Not everyone can appreciate the beauty. I remember..." She wiped her eyes with her gloved hand. "When I was a little girl and my dad took me to his work, downtown in a big building... I was admiring the views and I used to imagine I'm the princess, ruling the world from her big tower..." She wrapped her arms around herself and Angel stepped closer, taking off his coat and wrapping it around her slim shoulders.
"Then my dad was yelling at me, because I climbed on the window, and took me out to his secretary." Buffy wrinkled her nose letting a small smile on her weary face. Angel stepped closer, his body touching hers and he put his hands on the stone rail, trapping her between his arms. Buffy leaned onto him instinctively. "Was she evil?" He asked. Buffy let out a brief laughter. "She was! I was turning into the princess that was locked in the tower by the evil witch and I was waiting for the white knight to come rescue me."
"The princess can rescue herself, she doesn't need a knight." Angel whispered softly into her ear.
"And what if she's too weak? What if this is the last time she sees her world? What if she needs her knight?"
"She's stronger than any knight." Angel said after a moment of silence. He touched her hair softly, laying his hand reassuringly on her shoulder.
"I... I called Giles. I told him everything."
Buffy turned to face him. "Is he angry with me for running away?"
"He was worried," Angel looked away to the lights of the city. "They were searching for you all over Sunnydale and the surrounding area."
Buffy looked down.
"He trusts us to help you. He said he'll help with anything, and asked us to contact him daily." Angel told her.
"Maybe I should go back... Maybe I should be there when I die..."
"You're not going to die. Wesley and Cordy are researching like crazy. They're on the brink of discovery. I'm sure they'll be here any minute. You should go get some rest now," Angel moved towards the room.
"I... I've lost my sense of smell..." Buffy half-whispered as Angel made a step into the room.
"What?" He returned to her side.
"I mean... what's a smelling sense? it's not all that important..." Buffy started to babble. "It can actually be an advantage... there are things that just... suck." She avoided his stare.
"When did it happen?" He asked, trying to sound calm.
"I noticed this morning..." She shrugged.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want to worry you." She admitted quietly.
"Don't worry about me, love." Angel said softly "I mean, Buffy..." Angel fixed his little slip up quickly. They looked at each other, embarrassed.
"I better go see what Wesley has found so far..." Angel mumbled, turning to leave. "You get some sleep."
"Angel..." Wesley was startled to turn around and see the vampire behind him. Cordelia lifted her head from the computer. "I'm so tired.." She yawned, looking away from the computer's monitor.
"Did you find anything?" Angel tapped on the back of Wesley's chair.
"Not really... I..."
"You have to hurry... We don't have much time."
"I'm trying my best, Angel, but I just..."
"Well, speed up!" Angel raised his voice, he took a book flipping through its contents and threw it away.
"Don't waste time on details... just find something!"
"This species is really rare, and there aren't a lot of cases... I saw only references..."
"Track those reference."
"It takes time!"
Buffy woke up in haste. She panted and walked into the bathroom to wash her face. Her vision turned blurry and she started to panic, holding herself close to the wall. She started walking slowly into the room.
"Angel..." she whispered, rubbing her eyes. She tried to look around and bumped into a chair. Her sight got foggier and she tried to make her way to the bed. "Easy... Easy girl..." She whispered to herself, navigating her way in the room. As the fog covered her sight, blacking it, her breath became faster and irregular. She was terrified.
She heard doors slamming somewhere.
"Angel..." She turned her head in the direction of the noises.
Her sight was brighter, until it cleared. Buffy looked around, feeling like she was seeing the world for the first time.
"They did it..." She whispered and walked out of the room.
"Buffy!" She was surprised to meet Xander and riley halfway through the stairs.
"Oh I think I found something!" Cordy said, straightening up.
Angel left his pile of books and moved behind her, looking into the monitor.
"That's a book reference..." Angel said quietly.
Wesley got up looking at the title of the book. "I'm familiar with this book. I don't think it's translated though." He said.
"Do you have it?" Angel asked, glancing over at the pile of old books.
"There's just one copy. Not translated. It's at the museum." Cordelia read the text aloud.
"Okay. We'll just break into the museum and borrow it then..." Angel said.
"It's The British Museum. In London." Cordelia said, pointing her finger on the text.
There was a moment of silence, when they all looked at the screen.
"I'll never get there in time..." Angel sighed.
"Wait, didn't Giles work there at the British Museum?" Cordelia asked, looking up at Wesley. "Well, him being all British.. and librarian.."
"That's right, he was a curator there before he was called. Maybe he knows the new curator." Wesley said.
"But how can we get it here on time? we don't have time to wait for it!" Angel brushed his hair quickly, frustrated.
"You're right... dear lord..." Wesley sighed.
"Hello? 21st Century? We'll have him send it with FedEx!" Cordelia called.
"I'll talk to Giles." Wesley said and started walking out of the library.
"I'll just..." Cordelia stopped in mid-sentence, glaring into space. It was registered in Angel's mind only a few seconds later that she was hit by a vision.
He grabbed her before she fell to the floor.
"God..." She whispered.
"What is it?"
"Buffy..." Cordy whispered between breaths.
Angel became alerted, his body tensed. "What's wrong?"
"She doesn't see... the demon behind her... she's..." Cordelia whispered.
"Where?"
"Near the hotel. Go there.. now!" Cordy raised her voice, and rubbed her forehead.
Angel sprinted out of the library with no further word.
TBC...