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 7
Another day passed until Wesley set his foot in the Hyperion. Angel was pacing back and forth in the lobby, while Cordelia was going through a pile of books.
Angel hunted the English man with his eyes. "You got it?" He grabbed his shoulder.
"Yes," Wesley gasped. He walked to the desk and laid his bag on it. He took out the book that was covered with rags.
Angel looked at the book with shining eyes. "Cordelia, call Nabbit and tell him to transfer the money to the British Museum as we agreed." He looked at the book, trailing his hands on the carved letters. "There is blood on this book." He said quietly. "Old blood."
"Ewww gross." Cordelia looked down at the decorated ancient book.
"Not just human blood. Also demonic." Angel opened the book looking at the brown fading pages.
"How are we going to translate it?" Wesley asked.
"I'm giving you unlimited resources to get whatever information you need," Angel flipped through the book. "You just get it translated as soon as possible. Buffy's running out of time."
"I'll try my best."
"No, not your best, more than that." Angel put his hand on Wesley's shoulder. "You're going to translate what we need for Buffy's cure."
Angel said quietly and went away up to his room.
He stopped in his track in the hallway when he heard a sound coming from his room.
It was a lullaby. The sweetest voice he ever heard. He stood silently in the doorway and watched his beloved, sitting curled up in a chair, her face was pale and she was looking blankly in the direction of the window. Her slim body was covered in a blanket. She finished her little song and sighed.
"My mom used to sing me this song when I was little," She told him without moving her head to him.
"We have the book." Angel told her, stepping closer.
"I hope mom isn't too upset I'm gone… I didn't even say goodbye. And Dawn… I didn't say goodbye to anyone…"
"You'll see them soon, love. I'll get you home."
"I'm living on borrowed time… only one human sense left and what's keeping me alive is just my supernatural slayer essence…" She whispered.
"You'll be all right. We're working on a cure." He said reassuringly.
"Angel, come here," She motioned to him, reaching out her hand for him.
He took her hand, standing above her.
"I love you," She said simply, squeezing his hand.
"I love you," He whispered back, almost choking on tears.
She put a genuine smile on her weary face. "Nothing can change that. Not even death." She quoted his own words from long ago.
"Don't say that, love. You know I'm not going to let you die." He kneeled in front of her, still holding her hand. He brought her palm to his mouth, kissing it.
"Angel, you gave me something so precious, and I didn't completely deserve that."
"You deserve my every drop of happiness, you deserve everything that I could give you. Buffy, you brought sunshine to my life. You set me on my path, you made me." A tear started rolling on his cheek, he took Buffy's hand, taking off her glove, and put her burnt hand on his face. "My redemption is worth nothing without you." He whispered.
"Redemption?" She asked. He sighed, closing his eyes. That's right, she doesn't know. He was afraid she would drop all her life and waste it waiting for the day he received his shanshu.
"You can take comfort in the fact that a slayer's shelf life is 25 tops, so I'm almost all the way through." She smiled. "Or actually right in the middle…" Her smiled faded.
"You'll be the longest living slayer. I gave away everything so you could live longer, this is not going to be in vain. I'll get you back home safe, to your mother, your sister and…" He stopped, looking at her. "And your boyfriend. Even though I really don't like him."
Buffy smiled. "He's okay. On occasions… Not big with the brain, but he's normal… more or less." She laughed. He looked at her in admiration.
Wesley walked into Angel's room, finding his boss fully clothed, lying in bed with Buffy cuddled in his arms. Angel had one arm around her and with his other hand he stroke her hair and face gently and lovingly. He kissed the top of her head and slid her slowly away from his arm and onto the bed. He got up and walked over to Wesley, leading him out of the room.
"Tell me what you found." He demanded.
Wesley fixed his glasses on his nose. "Not much. I think I got the right chapter. I recognized some words, including the demon's species. The rest is just guesses-"
"Look, Wesley." Angel cut him out. "I don't think you understood what I meant earlier. I give you unlimited resources to find information. I don't care if you bribe every single demon in Caritas to find…" Angel started saying, then looked at Wesley.
"Caritas! That's it…" He hummed.
"You're going to sing?" Wesley raised his eyebrow.
"No, I'll take Buffy to sing! The Host could read her soul and guide us the way!"
"You think he will?"
"Of course. He helped me with the pregnant woman, didn't he? We should have gone there sooner!" Angel walked back into his room to wake Buffy up.
"I'm not going to sing!"
"Buffy, come on. This demon can help us only if you sing." Angel tried to convince her.
"No, I'm a terrible singer."
"Well, it's only karaoke, you don't need to be good."
"And I look terrible, I can't even see what I look like…" She groaned.
"You look as pretty as always."
"You're a terrible liar."
"Honestly, you always look perfect to me."
"Keyword- to you. But I'm not gonna show myself in front of people." She shook her head.
"Well you see… they're not people…"
"I don't understand…"
"It's a demon club." He explained.
"Oh that's even better. NO."
"Buffy, please. It might be the only way."
"Maybe after I lose my hearing, so I don't have to listen."
"That's not funny." Angel put his arms on her shoulder. "Come on, Buffy. Please."
"I'm not going to sing, Angel!"
"Do it for me, then. Please?" He covered her cheek with his big hand. "For me, okay?" He leaned and kissed her softly.
TBC...
TIMELINE: AFTER "ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN" AND BEFORE "FIRST IMPRESSIONS"
ONCE UPON A TIME... NOT SO LONG AGO - PART 7
Another day passed until Wesley set his foot in the Hyperion. Angel was pacing back and forth in the lobby, while Cordelia was going through a pile of books.
Angel hunted the English man with his eyes. "You got it?" He grabbed his shoulder.
"Yes," Wesley gasped. He walked to the desk and laid his bag on it. He took out the book that was covered with rags.
Angel looked at the book with shining eyes. "Cordelia, call Nabbit and tell him to transfer the money to the British Museum as we agreed." He looked at the book, trailing his hands on the carved letters. "There is blood on this book." He said quietly. "Old blood."
"Ewww gross." Cordelia looked down at the decorated ancient book.
"Not just human blood. Also demonic." Angel opened the book looking at the brown fading pages.
"How are we going to translate it?" Wesley asked.
"I'm giving you unlimited resources to get whatever information you need," Angel flipped through the book. "You just get it translated as soon as possible. Buffy's running out of time."
"I'll try my best."
"No, not your best, more than that." Angel put his hand on Wesley's shoulder. "You're going to translate what we need for Buffy's cure."
Angel said quietly and went away up to his room.
He stopped in his track in the hallway when he heard a sound coming from his room.
It was a lullaby. The sweetest voice he ever heard. He stood silently in the doorway and watched his beloved, sitting curled up in a chair, her face was pale and she was looking blankly in the direction of the window. Her slim body was covered in a blanket. She finished her little song and sighed.
"My mom used to sing me this song when I was little," She told him without moving her head to him.
"We have the book." Angel told her, stepping closer.
"I hope mom isn't too upset I'm gone… I didn't even say goodbye. And Dawn… I didn't say goodbye to anyone…"
"You'll see them soon, love. I'll get you home."
"I'm living on borrowed time… only one human sense left and what's keeping me alive is just my supernatural slayer essence…" She whispered.
"You'll be all right. We're working on a cure." He said reassuringly.
"Angel, come here," She motioned to him, reaching out her hand for him.
He took her hand, standing above her.
"I love you," She said simply, squeezing his hand.
"I love you," He whispered back, almost choking on tears.
She put a genuine smile on her weary face. "Nothing can change that. Not even death." She quoted his own words from long ago.
"Don't say that, love. You know I'm not going to let you die." He kneeled in front of her, still holding her hand. He brought her palm to his mouth, kissing it.
"Angel, you gave me something so precious, and I didn't completely deserve that."
"You deserve my every drop of happiness, you deserve everything that I could give you. Buffy, you brought sunshine to my life. You set me on my path, you made me." A tear started rolling on his cheek, he took Buffy's hand, taking off her glove, and put her burnt hand on his face. "My redemption is worth nothing without you." He whispered.
"Redemption?" She asked. He sighed, closing his eyes. That's right, she doesn't know. He was afraid she would drop all her life and waste it waiting for the day he received his shanshu.
"You can take comfort in the fact that a slayer's shelf life is 25 tops, so I'm almost all the way through." She smiled. "Or actually right in the middle…" Her smiled faded.
"You'll be the longest living slayer. I gave away everything so you could live longer, this is not going to be in vain. I'll get you back home safe, to your mother, your sister and…" He stopped, looking at her. "And your boyfriend. Even though I really don't like him."
Buffy smiled. "He's okay. On occasions… Not big with the brain, but he's normal… more or less." She laughed. He looked at her in admiration.
Wesley walked into Angel's room, finding his boss fully clothed, lying in bed with Buffy cuddled in his arms. Angel had one arm around her and with his other hand he stroke her hair and face gently and lovingly. He kissed the top of her head and slid her slowly away from his arm and onto the bed. He got up and walked over to Wesley, leading him out of the room.
"Tell me what you found." He demanded.
Wesley fixed his glasses on his nose. "Not much. I think I got the right chapter. I recognized some words, including the demon's species. The rest is just guesses-"
"Look, Wesley." Angel cut him out. "I don't think you understood what I meant earlier. I give you unlimited resources to find information. I don't care if you bribe every single demon in Caritas to find…" Angel started saying, then looked at Wesley.
"Caritas! That's it…" He hummed.
"You're going to sing?" Wesley raised his eyebrow.
"No, I'll take Buffy to sing! The Host could read her soul and guide us the way!"
"You think he will?"
"Of course. He helped me with the pregnant woman, didn't he? We should have gone there sooner!" Angel walked back into his room to wake Buffy up.
"I'm not going to sing!"
"Buffy, come on. This demon can help us only if you sing." Angel tried to convince her.
"No, I'm a terrible singer."
"Well, it's only karaoke, you don't need to be good."
"And I look terrible, I can't even see what I look like…" She groaned.
"You look as pretty as always."
"You're a terrible liar."
"Honestly, you always look perfect to me."
"Keyword- to you. But I'm not gonna show myself in front of people." She shook her head.
"Well you see… they're not people…"
"I don't understand…"
"It's a demon club." He explained.
"Oh that's even better. NO."
"Buffy, please. It might be the only way."
"Maybe after I lose my hearing, so I don't have to listen."
"That's not funny." Angel put his arms on her shoulder. "Come on, Buffy. Please."
"I'm not going to sing, Angel!"
"Do it for me, then. Please?" He covered her cheek with his big hand. "For me, okay?" He leaned and kissed her softly.
TBC...