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 5
Wesley returned to the Hyperion, carrying books.
"Did you talk to Giles?" Cordelia greeted him.
"Yes. It's settled. Giles will handle it. You better get some sleep now." Wesley looked over her.
"Yeah… I'm worried about Angel though." Cordelia said. "He's in the basement… Buffy was attacked earlier."
"Dear God.. is she all right?" Wesley's eyes widened.
"Yeah… well, don't tell Angel, but…" Cordelia lowered her voice and got closer to Wesley. "I had a vision. Buffy is losing her sight… I dunno, I felt she was in total darkness. Doesn't look good." She whispered.
Wesley pondered for a moment what Cordelia had told him. "Go home, Cordelia. I'll talk to Angel, but I'm afraid, things aren't looking good for us." He said.
"Angel?" Wesley asked, walking down to the basement.
Angel was wearing a black sleeveless shirt and he was hitting the boxing bag mercilessly. Wesley guessed he's probably been doing it for quite some time now.
Angel stopped pounding on the sack, grabbed it and looked over at Wesley.
"Well, what did he say?" He asked.
"He will talk to his replacement. He'll do his best to get him to send the book as soon as possible." Wesley nodded.
"Good. When can we expect it to arrive?"
"Angel, there's still one problem." Wesley cleared his throat.
Angel looked at him, waiting for explanation.
"Giles confirmed my fears about the book."
Angel was still looking at Wesley, arching his eyebrow.
"Well…" Wesley searched for words. "The book has never been translated. Apart from a few known subjects the book covers, familiar words and demons species… it is said that the book deals with powerful black magic… Giles said the only person that ever tried to translate this book went insane. The book and its contents are very dangerous." Wesley looked away from Angel's stern face.
"If it holds the cure for Buffy, it's the only way." Angel finally said. He ran his hand through his hair. "I'll get it translated. I don't want to risk your life."
"The problem is not risking our lives, Angel." Wesley emphasized. "There is no translation."
"We'll find one. Go to sleep Wesley." Angel said and focused his attention back on punching the bag.
"Aren't you going to sleep?"
"I can't." Angel said without stopping his thrusts. Wesley, understanding Angel was not going to say anything further on the subject, left.
"Buffy?" Angel spotted Buffy's small figure at the far end of the hall. She was just standing there, looking lost.
"Help me…" She whispered, but her lips didn't move. He started to move in her direction. He walked fast, then faster, but as fast as he walked he couldn't reach her.
"Buffy!" He yelled.
The lights dimmed as he continued to run in the hall, she was still far from him, protected by the sunlight that seemed to come from within her. She was the only source of light in the hallway.
He stopped running and leaned on his knees.
"It's no use," He told her. "I can never reach you."
"Yes, you can Angel." She called to him in the darkness. "Don't give up now."
He let out a bitter smile. "Even if I reached you, I'll burn. I'm a creature of the night. I don't belong in the light with you. I only fooled myself to think I was."
He saw her reaching out for him, he could feel the flame, the heat, and walked back into the darkness.
"I won't let you burn…" He heard her whisper as if she was standing near him, then he saw her burning in the flames. He covered his eyes from the bright light of the fire. "Buffy…" He looked ahead as the fire consumed her until there was nothing left but darkness.
The tears burned his throat. "No!" He yelled.
Angel woke up panting hard. He touched his forehead and looked around.
Outside it was already daylight. He got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen taking a blood bag from the fridge.
Walking stealthily into his room, his eyes wandered to his bed, expecting to see Buffy sleeping safely between his sheets.
When he didn't see her, he became alarmed.
"Buffy?" He asked cautiously, taking a hesitant step towards the balcony that was now bathed in sunlight.
He pulled aside the curtains, keeping himself away from the direct beams. "Buffy?" He asked again before closing the curtains again.
He walked to the bathroom but she wasn't there either. The door was wide open, and Angel could swear that his unbeating heart was racing in his chest.
He ran outside of the room.
"Buffy!!" He called.
TBC...
TIMELINE: AFTER "ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN" AND BEFORE "FIRST IMPRESSIONS"
ONCE UPON A TIME... NOT SO LONG AGO - PART 5
Wesley returned to the Hyperion, carrying books.
"Did you talk to Giles?" Cordelia greeted him.
"Yes. It's settled. Giles will handle it. You better get some sleep now." Wesley looked over her.
"Yeah… I'm worried about Angel though." Cordelia said. "He's in the basement… Buffy was attacked earlier."
"Dear God.. is she all right?" Wesley's eyes widened.
"Yeah… well, don't tell Angel, but…" Cordelia lowered her voice and got closer to Wesley. "I had a vision. Buffy is losing her sight… I dunno, I felt she was in total darkness. Doesn't look good." She whispered.
Wesley pondered for a moment what Cordelia had told him. "Go home, Cordelia. I'll talk to Angel, but I'm afraid, things aren't looking good for us." He said.
"Angel?" Wesley asked, walking down to the basement.
Angel was wearing a black sleeveless shirt and he was hitting the boxing bag mercilessly. Wesley guessed he's probably been doing it for quite some time now.
Angel stopped pounding on the sack, grabbed it and looked over at Wesley.
"Well, what did he say?" He asked.
"He will talk to his replacement. He'll do his best to get him to send the book as soon as possible." Wesley nodded.
"Good. When can we expect it to arrive?"
"Angel, there's still one problem." Wesley cleared his throat.
Angel looked at him, waiting for explanation.
"Giles confirmed my fears about the book."
Angel was still looking at Wesley, arching his eyebrow.
"Well…" Wesley searched for words. "The book has never been translated. Apart from a few known subjects the book covers, familiar words and demons species… it is said that the book deals with powerful black magic… Giles said the only person that ever tried to translate this book went insane. The book and its contents are very dangerous." Wesley looked away from Angel's stern face.
"If it holds the cure for Buffy, it's the only way." Angel finally said. He ran his hand through his hair. "I'll get it translated. I don't want to risk your life."
"The problem is not risking our lives, Angel." Wesley emphasized. "There is no translation."
"We'll find one. Go to sleep Wesley." Angel said and focused his attention back on punching the bag.
"Aren't you going to sleep?"
"I can't." Angel said without stopping his thrusts. Wesley, understanding Angel was not going to say anything further on the subject, left.
"Buffy?" Angel spotted Buffy's small figure at the far end of the hall. She was just standing there, looking lost.
"Help me…" She whispered, but her lips didn't move. He started to move in her direction. He walked fast, then faster, but as fast as he walked he couldn't reach her.
"Buffy!" He yelled.
The lights dimmed as he continued to run in the hall, she was still far from him, protected by the sunlight that seemed to come from within her. She was the only source of light in the hallway.
He stopped running and leaned on his knees.
"It's no use," He told her. "I can never reach you."
"Yes, you can Angel." She called to him in the darkness. "Don't give up now."
He let out a bitter smile. "Even if I reached you, I'll burn. I'm a creature of the night. I don't belong in the light with you. I only fooled myself to think I was."
He saw her reaching out for him, he could feel the flame, the heat, and walked back into the darkness.
"I won't let you burn…" He heard her whisper as if she was standing near him, then he saw her burning in the flames. He covered his eyes from the bright light of the fire. "Buffy…" He looked ahead as the fire consumed her until there was nothing left but darkness.
The tears burned his throat. "No!" He yelled.
Angel woke up panting hard. He touched his forehead and looked around.
Outside it was already daylight. He got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen taking a blood bag from the fridge.
Walking stealthily into his room, his eyes wandered to his bed, expecting to see Buffy sleeping safely between his sheets.
When he didn't see her, he became alarmed.
"Buffy?" He asked cautiously, taking a hesitant step towards the balcony that was now bathed in sunlight.
He pulled aside the curtains, keeping himself away from the direct beams. "Buffy?" He asked again before closing the curtains again.
He walked to the bathroom but she wasn't there either. The door was wide open, and Angel could swear that his unbeating heart was racing in his chest.
He ran outside of the room.
"Buffy!!" He called.
TBC...