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 8
"It's closed," Wesley said when they reached the entrance to the Caritas.
"Closed? How can it be closed?" Angel asked, surprised.
"Good, it's closed. Let's go…" Buffy turned to walk away but Angel pulled her back.
"It's not closed. Come on." Angel knocked on the door.
"We're closed!" They heard a call coming from inside.
"You heard that? Let's go…" Buffy tugged on Angel's sleeve.
Angel pummeled on the door, and then stepped back and kicked the door open. The barman, who was busy cleaning his bar, looked at them surprised. "I said it's closed."
Angel looked at him sporting his game face. "We're here for the late show."
The MC walked over to them. "Hey big fella, you missed one hell of a performance tonight." The green demon said cheerfully.
Buffy scouted for someone to hold on to and found Wesley's arm. Angel grabbed the Host's lapels, bringing him close to his vampiric threatening face. "I need you to do some reading," He hissed.
"This is not MTV's Total Requests Live here, we do things in order, there's a show…" The Anagogic tried to explain and release himself from Angel's grip.
Angel snarled, baring his fangs. "I don't think you understand… I need you to do a reading." He said, emphasizing each word. "And I need it now."
"Angel, let's go…" Buffy called still holding onto Wesley.
"I already packed for tonight… the staff are gone. Just me and beer here." The host said.
"Look, I'm losing my patience here… I don't believe I introduced myself properly-" Angel started saying, tightening his hold.
"Okay, okay, start singing." The Host raised his hands in surrender.
"Not me, her." Angel reverted back to his human face and looked over at Buffy.
"Lovely girl, a little pale…" The Host scanned Buffy's body and stopped when Angel gave him a stern look.
"She's sick and we need a cure…" Angel explained briefly.
"Well, cupcake, hit the stage." The Host motioned to Buffy.
Buffy kept clinging to Wesley's arm.
"Come on, Buffy," Angel walked over to her and took her hand. "You just need to sing one song."
"That makes me feel so much better."
"Stage fright?" The demon asked.
"I fear I'll fall from the stage…" Buffy muttered, still clinging to Wesley.
Angel went over to Buffy and took her hand. "Trust me," He said softly. She walked hesitantly after him, her fingers intertwined with his.
He looked over at the disassembled karaoke machine. "Is there a song you know by heart?" He asked.
Buffy smiled shyly. "A few…"
The Host struggled with the wires but eventually managed to hook up the machine. And music filled the quiet air.
"The stage is all yours, gorgeous." He hummed.
Buffy coughed, holding the mike. "So… I'm just gonna pretend you're all naked." She smiled mischievously. The Host turned off the music.
"Slayer!" They heard someone roar before Buffy got to start her song. Everyone but Buffy stared at the group of demons and vampires in game faces that flowed into the club.
They threw Wesley away and he hit a table, knocking the chairs to the floor.
Angel jumped off the stage, facing the demons that tried to get to the stage.
"Hey, hey! No violence allowed in this club!" The Host called. "And it's closed."
One of the vampires smirked. "Then why are they here?"
They pulled the chairs off the tables and sat down. "We'll wait for the slayer when the show's over."
"Oh great. I got groupies…" Buffy whispered into the mike. Wesley got up, rubbing the back of his head.
The Host looked at the demons settling down in the chairs and gave up. he looked gloomily at Angel. "What's a slayer anyway?"
"I'd like to dedicate the next song to a very special someone. They know who they are…" She said professionally and closed her eyes.
"Love of my life you've hurt me…" Buffy started singing softly. Her voice was sweet and tender. Everyone went quiet and looked at her.
"You've broken my heart and now you leave me…" The Host fell down to his knees, but everyone else was mesmerized.
"Love of my life can't you see… Bring it back bring it back.." Buffy's voice cracked a little when tears started to well in her throat. "Don't take it away from me…Because you don't know… What it means to me…" She put aside the microphone. "I'm sorry I can't…" She whispered.
"That was great!" One of the vampires said. The others clapped their hands.
Angel took Buffy's hand. "It's okay, I think it was enough." He kissed her forehead reassuringly.
He glanced over at the Host and saw him lying on the floor. "Hold on…" He told Buffy and jumped from the stage, walking over to the Host.
"Buffy, look out!" Wesley yelped spotting the demons herding the stage. Angel just reached the Host, looked behind him and received a blow from a vampire, sending him across the room.
"Guys… autographs later…" Buffy said and kicked away one of the demons. She started to fight them blindly, relying only on her slayer sense.
The demons were thirsty for slayers blood.
"Remember me?" One of the vampires grabbed her. "You tried to fight me almost 6 years ago… I killed your best friends and you tried to set us all on fire in the gym. I thought you died… haven't seen you in L.A since then…" He smirked.
"Your friends tasted nice…"
Angel released himself from one of the demons' grip and walked to the stage, staking 2 vampires on his way.
"And your boyfriend Tyler… wanna know what happened to him? Or would you rather know how we turned Pike into a vampire?" the vampire continued. "I always wanted to taste a slayer…"
"Try this instead…" Angel said behind him and staked him.
"Wesley get the Host out!" He called over to Wesley. The British man grabbed the Host from the floor and started dragging him towards the exit.
Buffy was standing still, frozen. "Buffy, come on…" He pulled her hand. The demons started to approach them again. Angel lifted Buffy, kicking away the demons and ran, carrying Buffy in his arms.
"Jump in!" Wesley yelled, starting the engine. Angel gently put Buffy in the backseat and jumped in the passenger seat next to Wesley.
"Buffy, talk to me…" Angel whispered. They were at the Hyperion's lobby. Buffy sat frozen on the couch.
"She's in shock." Wesley stated, walking over.
"You don't think she lost anything else?" Cordelia asked.
Wesley pondered for a minute, brushing his fingers over his lips. "I don't know…" He looked over at the Host. "The Host still hasn't woken up. nothing seems to wake him."
"Buffy…" Angel whispered again, touching her face. "Buffy, please…"
"It's him…" Buffy whispered, shuddering. "He killed them… all of them…"
"What is she talking about?" Cordy asked.
Angel cupped Buffy's face. "He's dead now. Don't worry about it." He looked up at Cordy.
"When she was just called to her duty as a slayer, she was living in L.A… and she was still weak and this vampire and his gang killed her friends… she set the gym of her school on fire and then afterwards her mom moved to Sunnydale." He explained.
"He was the one that killed Merrick, then." Wesley hummed.
"Yes."
"Merrick…" Buffy covered her face with her hands. "He's dead…"
"Oww…" They heard the Host moaning. He slowly got up from the floor.
"What happened?" Wesley asked him.
"I know what's a slayer… more than I wished…" He rubbed his head.
"How can we help her?" Angel asked, letting go of Buffy and getting up.
"There's no future for her… I'm sorry. It's such a pity, she's really a cutie pie".
"That's not what I wanted to hear…" Angel gritted his teeth approaching the host.
"That's the reading. She's in the dark… I was knocked out from what I saw… There's nothing you can do to help her. Her destiny leads her to death. Only then will she know peace." The Host said. "Death is her reward. I really need something to drink."
The room was quiet. Buffy was still sobbing quietly, whispering her dead watcher's name. She was lost in her own world.
"I don't accept that." Angel said, grabbing the ancient book from the desk. "This book holds her cure. Tell us how to translate it." He shoved it into the Host's hands.
The Host looked at the book. "I'm not familiar with the language." He replied, handing the book back to Angel. "I better go now, before it's day and people start asking me if I'm from Star Trek.." He looked at Angel. "I'm sorry."
Angel rubbed his forehead, frustrated.
The Host turned to go, then looked at Buffy. "It's amazing how with all the darkness in her, so much beauty still remains inside. The big guys sure know who to pick."
Angel kicked his desk in temper. All the papers scattered around in a mess. He slammed his fist into the wall, and then just leaned on the wall with his arms, without turning around. Cordelia and Wesley watched their friend bowing down his head. His shoulders shaking slightly.
They exchanged stares. They've never seen Angel break down like this.
"Angel…" Cordelia said quietly, walking over to him.
"Go away." Angel said quietly without turning around.
"There's nothing you can do…" She tried to comfort him.
"There must be something." He said huskily. He turned around, his eyes glistening with tears.
"I'll just use the darkness to get her out of the dark." He said, clasping his hand tight.
"What do you mean?" Wesley asked.
"Take care of her." He said, turning to leave.
"What are you going to do? sell your soul?" Cordelia huffed mockingly. Angel just stared at her, deadpan.
"You can't be serious… Angel…" Her expression turned to horror.
"Stake me." He said quietly and walked out of the Hyperion.
"Angel, this is insane!" Wesley called behind him. But nothing could set Angel away from his path.
TBC....
TIMELINE: AFTER "ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN" AND BEFORE "FIRST IMPRESSIONS"
ONCE UPON A TIME... NOT SO LONG AGO - PART 8
"It's closed," Wesley said when they reached the entrance to the Caritas.
"Closed? How can it be closed?" Angel asked, surprised.
"Good, it's closed. Let's go…" Buffy turned to walk away but Angel pulled her back.
"It's not closed. Come on." Angel knocked on the door.
"We're closed!" They heard a call coming from inside.
"You heard that? Let's go…" Buffy tugged on Angel's sleeve.
Angel pummeled on the door, and then stepped back and kicked the door open. The barman, who was busy cleaning his bar, looked at them surprised. "I said it's closed."
Angel looked at him sporting his game face. "We're here for the late show."
The MC walked over to them. "Hey big fella, you missed one hell of a performance tonight." The green demon said cheerfully.
Buffy scouted for someone to hold on to and found Wesley's arm. Angel grabbed the Host's lapels, bringing him close to his vampiric threatening face. "I need you to do some reading," He hissed.
"This is not MTV's Total Requests Live here, we do things in order, there's a show…" The Anagogic tried to explain and release himself from Angel's grip.
Angel snarled, baring his fangs. "I don't think you understand… I need you to do a reading." He said, emphasizing each word. "And I need it now."
"Angel, let's go…" Buffy called still holding onto Wesley.
"I already packed for tonight… the staff are gone. Just me and beer here." The host said.
"Look, I'm losing my patience here… I don't believe I introduced myself properly-" Angel started saying, tightening his hold.
"Okay, okay, start singing." The Host raised his hands in surrender.
"Not me, her." Angel reverted back to his human face and looked over at Buffy.
"Lovely girl, a little pale…" The Host scanned Buffy's body and stopped when Angel gave him a stern look.
"She's sick and we need a cure…" Angel explained briefly.
"Well, cupcake, hit the stage." The Host motioned to Buffy.
Buffy kept clinging to Wesley's arm.
"Come on, Buffy," Angel walked over to her and took her hand. "You just need to sing one song."
"That makes me feel so much better."
"Stage fright?" The demon asked.
"I fear I'll fall from the stage…" Buffy muttered, still clinging to Wesley.
Angel went over to Buffy and took her hand. "Trust me," He said softly. She walked hesitantly after him, her fingers intertwined with his.
He looked over at the disassembled karaoke machine. "Is there a song you know by heart?" He asked.
Buffy smiled shyly. "A few…"
The Host struggled with the wires but eventually managed to hook up the machine. And music filled the quiet air.
"The stage is all yours, gorgeous." He hummed.
Buffy coughed, holding the mike. "So… I'm just gonna pretend you're all naked." She smiled mischievously. The Host turned off the music.
"Slayer!" They heard someone roar before Buffy got to start her song. Everyone but Buffy stared at the group of demons and vampires in game faces that flowed into the club.
They threw Wesley away and he hit a table, knocking the chairs to the floor.
Angel jumped off the stage, facing the demons that tried to get to the stage.
"Hey, hey! No violence allowed in this club!" The Host called. "And it's closed."
One of the vampires smirked. "Then why are they here?"
They pulled the chairs off the tables and sat down. "We'll wait for the slayer when the show's over."
"Oh great. I got groupies…" Buffy whispered into the mike. Wesley got up, rubbing the back of his head.
The Host looked at the demons settling down in the chairs and gave up. he looked gloomily at Angel. "What's a slayer anyway?"
"I'd like to dedicate the next song to a very special someone. They know who they are…" She said professionally and closed her eyes.
"Love of my life you've hurt me…" Buffy started singing softly. Her voice was sweet and tender. Everyone went quiet and looked at her.
"You've broken my heart and now you leave me…" The Host fell down to his knees, but everyone else was mesmerized.
"Love of my life can't you see… Bring it back bring it back.." Buffy's voice cracked a little when tears started to well in her throat. "Don't take it away from me…Because you don't know… What it means to me…" She put aside the microphone. "I'm sorry I can't…" She whispered.
"That was great!" One of the vampires said. The others clapped their hands.
Angel took Buffy's hand. "It's okay, I think it was enough." He kissed her forehead reassuringly.
He glanced over at the Host and saw him lying on the floor. "Hold on…" He told Buffy and jumped from the stage, walking over to the Host.
"Buffy, look out!" Wesley yelped spotting the demons herding the stage. Angel just reached the Host, looked behind him and received a blow from a vampire, sending him across the room.
"Guys… autographs later…" Buffy said and kicked away one of the demons. She started to fight them blindly, relying only on her slayer sense.
The demons were thirsty for slayers blood.
"Remember me?" One of the vampires grabbed her. "You tried to fight me almost 6 years ago… I killed your best friends and you tried to set us all on fire in the gym. I thought you died… haven't seen you in L.A since then…" He smirked.
"Your friends tasted nice…"
Angel released himself from one of the demons' grip and walked to the stage, staking 2 vampires on his way.
"And your boyfriend Tyler… wanna know what happened to him? Or would you rather know how we turned Pike into a vampire?" the vampire continued. "I always wanted to taste a slayer…"
"Try this instead…" Angel said behind him and staked him.
"Wesley get the Host out!" He called over to Wesley. The British man grabbed the Host from the floor and started dragging him towards the exit.
Buffy was standing still, frozen. "Buffy, come on…" He pulled her hand. The demons started to approach them again. Angel lifted Buffy, kicking away the demons and ran, carrying Buffy in his arms.
"Jump in!" Wesley yelled, starting the engine. Angel gently put Buffy in the backseat and jumped in the passenger seat next to Wesley.
"Buffy, talk to me…" Angel whispered. They were at the Hyperion's lobby. Buffy sat frozen on the couch.
"She's in shock." Wesley stated, walking over.
"You don't think she lost anything else?" Cordelia asked.
Wesley pondered for a minute, brushing his fingers over his lips. "I don't know…" He looked over at the Host. "The Host still hasn't woken up. nothing seems to wake him."
"Buffy…" Angel whispered again, touching her face. "Buffy, please…"
"It's him…" Buffy whispered, shuddering. "He killed them… all of them…"
"What is she talking about?" Cordy asked.
Angel cupped Buffy's face. "He's dead now. Don't worry about it." He looked up at Cordy.
"When she was just called to her duty as a slayer, she was living in L.A… and she was still weak and this vampire and his gang killed her friends… she set the gym of her school on fire and then afterwards her mom moved to Sunnydale." He explained.
"He was the one that killed Merrick, then." Wesley hummed.
"Yes."
"Merrick…" Buffy covered her face with her hands. "He's dead…"
"Oww…" They heard the Host moaning. He slowly got up from the floor.
"What happened?" Wesley asked him.
"I know what's a slayer… more than I wished…" He rubbed his head.
"How can we help her?" Angel asked, letting go of Buffy and getting up.
"There's no future for her… I'm sorry. It's such a pity, she's really a cutie pie".
"That's not what I wanted to hear…" Angel gritted his teeth approaching the host.
"That's the reading. She's in the dark… I was knocked out from what I saw… There's nothing you can do to help her. Her destiny leads her to death. Only then will she know peace." The Host said. "Death is her reward. I really need something to drink."
The room was quiet. Buffy was still sobbing quietly, whispering her dead watcher's name. She was lost in her own world.
"I don't accept that." Angel said, grabbing the ancient book from the desk. "This book holds her cure. Tell us how to translate it." He shoved it into the Host's hands.
The Host looked at the book. "I'm not familiar with the language." He replied, handing the book back to Angel. "I better go now, before it's day and people start asking me if I'm from Star Trek.." He looked at Angel. "I'm sorry."
Angel rubbed his forehead, frustrated.
The Host turned to go, then looked at Buffy. "It's amazing how with all the darkness in her, so much beauty still remains inside. The big guys sure know who to pick."
Angel kicked his desk in temper. All the papers scattered around in a mess. He slammed his fist into the wall, and then just leaned on the wall with his arms, without turning around. Cordelia and Wesley watched their friend bowing down his head. His shoulders shaking slightly.
They exchanged stares. They've never seen Angel break down like this.
"Angel…" Cordelia said quietly, walking over to him.
"Go away." Angel said quietly without turning around.
"There's nothing you can do…" She tried to comfort him.
"There must be something." He said huskily. He turned around, his eyes glistening with tears.
"I'll just use the darkness to get her out of the dark." He said, clasping his hand tight.
"What do you mean?" Wesley asked.
"Take care of her." He said, turning to leave.
"What are you going to do? sell your soul?" Cordelia huffed mockingly. Angel just stared at her, deadpan.
"You can't be serious… Angel…" Her expression turned to horror.
"Stake me." He said quietly and walked out of the Hyperion.
"Angel, this is insane!" Wesley called behind him. But nothing could set Angel away from his path.
TBC....