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 15
"So, tell me... what's been up with you for the last 5 years?" Buffy asked
Pike when they sat down at Denny's.
"Got expelled, my parents and I had a big fight... I ran off... When I came
back my mom was dead and my dad was vamped..."
"God, I'm sorry!" Buffy said genuinely.
He shrugged. "Then I killed him... before he killed me. And then I met Gunn
and his sister. Their parents were victims as well. So I joined their gang."
"And you've lived on the streets since then?"
"Yup, got used to it fast. I've always spent more time on the streets than
at home," He shrugged again.
Buffy nodded in understanding.
"So what about you? My dad kept saying the Slayer was dead and 'he' will
rise. The Master or whatever." Pike took a bite from the big hamburger
sandwich he ordered. It was not everyday he was invited to eat at a diner. Mostly
they ate at the shelter.
"Well... I died, but only for a minute. The Master is long gone since. I
just moved to Sunnydale... lots of vampires and demons there... it's the
Hellmouth."
"Seems like L.A is a Hellmouth as well. There's even a vampire with a soul
here! First one I ever saw."
Buffy nearly choked on her food.
"Yeah, I know it sounds weird," Pike nodded. "He helped us last year. And
Gunn helps him out every now and then. But I heard he turned evil and had to
be killed."
Buffy lowered her eyes.
"Too bad. If his soul was permanent it would have been super-cool. And very
helpful. He did a lot of damage to his own kind."
"Yeah, well... there's always got to be a catch. It can't be perfect." Buffy
said quietly.
"I don't think I believe in the word perfect... I don't think there's such a
thing."
"Maybe there is, but no one promised it's as good as it's supposed to be..."
"You sound like you've been there."
"It doesn't end any better even my dreams..."
"My dreams can pass for perfect, I suppose."
"You're lucky."
"So that's all you've been doing? Kickin' an' Slayin'?"
"In a nutshell.. "
"Any... boyfriends?"
"Uh... there were... a few."
"A few?"
"Yeah, well, uh, officially just uh, two." Buffy stammered.
"Haven't met the love of your life yet?"
Buffy looked down.
"Well, maybe if you call him he will come." Pike joked.
"I wish..." She stabbed her fork in her food. "I'm not sure he'll pick up
the phone."
"Well then, you can compromise for less in the meantime." He put his hand on
hers. "And when he comes, you'll know."
She raised her eyes to look at him. "Wh... um, what about you?"
"I don't think I can offer anything to anyone... I'm not exactly a woman's
dream, you know? I can't offer a girl a normal life, two kids, a dog and
white picket fence... Wherever I go darkness follows..." He said, leaning forward.
"But a girl should..." Buffy leaned forward herself. "Normal life... is a
girl's dream... that's what we should hope for..."
His lips met hers in midair above the table. His lips were rough, but warm.
Buffy let herself be drawn into his kiss.
They broke the soft kiss and looked at each other.
"Maybe I want normal life myself... but I gave up that dream a long time ago,"
He said. "I don't believe in fairy tales."
"I'm... I'm sorry, I... I gotta go..." Buffy whispered. She took out a pile
of rolled money from her pocket and put it on the table. "Here, pay for
the dinner... and keep the rest for yourself."
"Where are you going?"
"I think I'm gonna finish a fairy tale." She smiled at him and walked away.
Buffy entered the Hyperion hesitantly. It was dark and awfully quiet.
"Angel?" She asked.
She stepped into the middle of the lobby, and considered walking up the
stairs.
She walked into the kitchen instead.
The fridge was torn opened, a few empty blood bags were torn and scattered
on the floor.
Some blood was spilled around as well.
She heard a growl behind her and turned around.
The beast was moving in the shadows, not far from there.
Buffy stepped out of the kitchen. AngelBeast moved away in the shadows.
"Show yourself." Buffy demanded.
In an instant the beast was right in front of her, growling and snarling.
"I'm not afraid of you." Buffy said confidently, not even stepping back.
She saw the red eyes of the monster softening, and she could recognize him
again.
"You told me you'll always love me," Buffy pointed her finger at him. "You
said you'll love me even if I was covered with slime."
The demon's eyes seemed to glimmer.
"How could you belittle my feelings so much? How can you expect me to walk
away from you in times like that? What I feel doesn't count?" She admonished
him. "You think I can just wake up and stop loving you? My love is weaker
than yours? You always make my decisions for me!" She raised her voice, flushing him with her words. "I'm old enough to make my own choices now, and I'm the Slayer. I can die any
day. I can find another list-whatever demon and next time no one could help me..."
She grabbed the beast's hand, feeling his claws in her skin. "Angel, I love
you. I don't see how it can change... and you're not that..." She looked at
his dreadful features. "Well, at least you're not covered with slime." She
leaned and kissed him softly on his forehead. "I want to be with..." She
stopped talking when she heard loud thunders and open her eyes.
The dim light went off in a bang, and Buffy tried to move closer to the
monster. In a flash, all the lights in the Hyperion returned and in full
power.
"What..." Buffy looked around, until it suddenly registered in her mind that
she couldn't feel the beast's claws penetrating her skin in sharp scratches
anymore. She was now holding Angel's human hand. The same large hand she
knew all too well.
She looked up confused, Angel, in his human form, was still looking around,
blinking at the bright light.
"Angel!" She called out and threw herself on him, wrapping her arms around
his neck.
She started crying tears of joy, holding herself as close to his cold body
as possible. She wanted to become a part of him, melt into him.
"Buffy..." He whispered, and then slowly realized he was able to talk. He
held her, and raised one hand above her to check out if it was real and he had
really got his human body back.
"How did it happen?" He asked in amazement, putting his hand back on Buffy's
hair, stroking her gently.
"I don't know..." She whimpered, her face buried in his chest.
He took one step back and pulled her away from him. He lifted her chin to
look into her eyes. "*You* did it, Buffy. You saved me." He said softly.
She stopped whimpering, but her eyes were still teary.
"You saved me first..." Her lower lip trembled. Her whole body was shaking.
In the corner of his eye he saw a movement in the lobby. He turned his head
just in time to see the sorcerer stepping backwards and disappearing into
thin air.
TBC....
TIMELINE: AFTER "ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN" AND BEFORE "FIRST IMPRESSIONS"
ONCE UPON A TIME... NOT SO LONG AGO - PART 15
"So, tell me... what's been up with you for the last 5 years?" Buffy asked
Pike when they sat down at Denny's.
"Got expelled, my parents and I had a big fight... I ran off... When I came
back my mom was dead and my dad was vamped..."
"God, I'm sorry!" Buffy said genuinely.
He shrugged. "Then I killed him... before he killed me. And then I met Gunn
and his sister. Their parents were victims as well. So I joined their gang."
"And you've lived on the streets since then?"
"Yup, got used to it fast. I've always spent more time on the streets than
at home," He shrugged again.
Buffy nodded in understanding.
"So what about you? My dad kept saying the Slayer was dead and 'he' will
rise. The Master or whatever." Pike took a bite from the big hamburger
sandwich he ordered. It was not everyday he was invited to eat at a diner. Mostly
they ate at the shelter.
"Well... I died, but only for a minute. The Master is long gone since. I
just moved to Sunnydale... lots of vampires and demons there... it's the
Hellmouth."
"Seems like L.A is a Hellmouth as well. There's even a vampire with a soul
here! First one I ever saw."
Buffy nearly choked on her food.
"Yeah, I know it sounds weird," Pike nodded. "He helped us last year. And
Gunn helps him out every now and then. But I heard he turned evil and had to
be killed."
Buffy lowered her eyes.
"Too bad. If his soul was permanent it would have been super-cool. And very
helpful. He did a lot of damage to his own kind."
"Yeah, well... there's always got to be a catch. It can't be perfect." Buffy
said quietly.
"I don't think I believe in the word perfect... I don't think there's such a
thing."
"Maybe there is, but no one promised it's as good as it's supposed to be..."
"You sound like you've been there."
"It doesn't end any better even my dreams..."
"My dreams can pass for perfect, I suppose."
"You're lucky."
"So that's all you've been doing? Kickin' an' Slayin'?"
"In a nutshell.. "
"Any... boyfriends?"
"Uh... there were... a few."
"A few?"
"Yeah, well, uh, officially just uh, two." Buffy stammered.
"Haven't met the love of your life yet?"
Buffy looked down.
"Well, maybe if you call him he will come." Pike joked.
"I wish..." She stabbed her fork in her food. "I'm not sure he'll pick up
the phone."
"Well then, you can compromise for less in the meantime." He put his hand on
hers. "And when he comes, you'll know."
She raised her eyes to look at him. "Wh... um, what about you?"
"I don't think I can offer anything to anyone... I'm not exactly a woman's
dream, you know? I can't offer a girl a normal life, two kids, a dog and
white picket fence... Wherever I go darkness follows..." He said, leaning forward.
"But a girl should..." Buffy leaned forward herself. "Normal life... is a
girl's dream... that's what we should hope for..."
His lips met hers in midair above the table. His lips were rough, but warm.
Buffy let herself be drawn into his kiss.
They broke the soft kiss and looked at each other.
"Maybe I want normal life myself... but I gave up that dream a long time ago,"
He said. "I don't believe in fairy tales."
"I'm... I'm sorry, I... I gotta go..." Buffy whispered. She took out a pile
of rolled money from her pocket and put it on the table. "Here, pay for
the dinner... and keep the rest for yourself."
"Where are you going?"
"I think I'm gonna finish a fairy tale." She smiled at him and walked away.
Buffy entered the Hyperion hesitantly. It was dark and awfully quiet.
"Angel?" She asked.
She stepped into the middle of the lobby, and considered walking up the
stairs.
She walked into the kitchen instead.
The fridge was torn opened, a few empty blood bags were torn and scattered
on the floor.
Some blood was spilled around as well.
She heard a growl behind her and turned around.
The beast was moving in the shadows, not far from there.
Buffy stepped out of the kitchen. AngelBeast moved away in the shadows.
"Show yourself." Buffy demanded.
In an instant the beast was right in front of her, growling and snarling.
"I'm not afraid of you." Buffy said confidently, not even stepping back.
She saw the red eyes of the monster softening, and she could recognize him
again.
"You told me you'll always love me," Buffy pointed her finger at him. "You
said you'll love me even if I was covered with slime."
The demon's eyes seemed to glimmer.
"How could you belittle my feelings so much? How can you expect me to walk
away from you in times like that? What I feel doesn't count?" She admonished
him. "You think I can just wake up and stop loving you? My love is weaker
than yours? You always make my decisions for me!" She raised her voice, flushing him with her words. "I'm old enough to make my own choices now, and I'm the Slayer. I can die any
day. I can find another list-whatever demon and next time no one could help me..."
She grabbed the beast's hand, feeling his claws in her skin. "Angel, I love
you. I don't see how it can change... and you're not that..." She looked at
his dreadful features. "Well, at least you're not covered with slime." She
leaned and kissed him softly on his forehead. "I want to be with..." She
stopped talking when she heard loud thunders and open her eyes.
The dim light went off in a bang, and Buffy tried to move closer to the
monster. In a flash, all the lights in the Hyperion returned and in full
power.
"What..." Buffy looked around, until it suddenly registered in her mind that
she couldn't feel the beast's claws penetrating her skin in sharp scratches
anymore. She was now holding Angel's human hand. The same large hand she
knew all too well.
She looked up confused, Angel, in his human form, was still looking around,
blinking at the bright light.
"Angel!" She called out and threw herself on him, wrapping her arms around
his neck.
She started crying tears of joy, holding herself as close to his cold body
as possible. She wanted to become a part of him, melt into him.
"Buffy..." He whispered, and then slowly realized he was able to talk. He
held her, and raised one hand above her to check out if it was real and he had
really got his human body back.
"How did it happen?" He asked in amazement, putting his hand back on Buffy's
hair, stroking her gently.
"I don't know..." She whimpered, her face buried in his chest.
He took one step back and pulled her away from him. He lifted her chin to
look into her eyes. "*You* did it, Buffy. You saved me." He said softly.
She stopped whimpering, but her eyes were still teary.
"You saved me first..." Her lower lip trembled. Her whole body was shaking.
In the corner of his eye he saw a movement in the lobby. He turned his head
just in time to see the sorcerer stepping backwards and disappearing into
thin air.
TBC....