Chapter Five: The Approaching Storm
"I think I'm getting butterflies," Spike said, as he flopped down next to Buffy on the curb of the sidewalk.
She took her gaze off the stars only long enough to look at him and say ," Now I know the world is going to end." Spike laughed and glanced towards the door of Angel's hotel room. Inside he could see the dark figures moving around finalizing plans, trying to say goodbye with lingering glances, and just stressing out.
He looked back to Buffy," Are you going to be careful?"
"I'll do what I have to."
"That's not what I asked," Spike said, insisting on an answer. He let out a long breath. "She reminds you of Dawnie."
"A little," Buffy admitted. "But I don't love her because she's like Dawnie. I love her for being Victoria."
"Don't act like you only care about saving her," Spike suddenly said softly. Buffy looked up sharply with a wounded look in her eyes. "If he makes it through this the big poof is going to be human."
"Would you like to be human?" Buffy asked suddenly.
"Don't dodge the topic, hon. You don't do it very well." Buffy sighed.
"He's involved," she said.
"Love isn't brains. It's blood," Spike said," His and yours no one and nothing has ever stood a chance in between the two of you." Spike paused, letting his words sink in. "Be careful," he warned again and left her as he found, sitting on the curb staring at the stars.
***************************
"No, Riley, I understand," Buffy said into the mouthpiece, acutely conscious of Angel's eyes from across the room. "Look how can you help it if the demon population in Borneo suddenly sparked? .... No, it's fine... I don't even think they have all night planes from Borneo." There was a pause while she listened to his comment and then she laughed. "Yeah," she said softly. "I wish you were too," she said. "Yeah, he is... It's not like that... I know... Well, I-- It's just... Yes, I realize that... You know me." There was a long pause. "I-- Listen, Riley, I'm sorry, but that's not why. I really need to talk to you, but I can't do it now, or here," she said, turning her back to Angel. "I will call you. I'll tell them. Bye," she said, putting the reciever back in it's cradle. "The Initiative's a no go," Buffy anounced to the room, "but Riley sends his love."
"How is he?" Xander asked, rather absent-mindedly. He was preoccupied sharpening a wicked looking stake.
"He's good," she said. "He offered to try and catch a plane back after their action over there, but I told him that wasn't neccesary... It isn't neccesary, right?" she said, looking for aproval. "We're going to be okay without him." She was expecting Willow to answer, but Angel did.
"I don't know," he said. "Are you going to be alright without him?" his voice had a hard edge to it. She felt annoyance rise in her throat.
"I wasn't asking you," she said, rather pointedly. Angel opened his mouth to make a response, but he was cut off by a look from Buffy, as she crossed the room to join Victoria. "Can I talk to you outside?" Buffy said, softly. Victoria nodded and followed Buffy outside. Angel watched them go.
"Should I get out the dust buster to vaccum the pieces of your ego out of the carpet?" Cordelia asked, the years not having done anything to soften her tongue.
******************************
Buffy gazed up at the stars. If she closed her eyes she imagine herself up there in the sky. The sense of freedom was overwhelming... It made her yearn for it...
"I keep asking myself how I could let this happen?" Buffy said, not looking at Victoria.
"It's not your fault," the Brit said. "Prophecies happen."
"Do you ever wonder if they have good prophecies for slayers?" Buffy asked. "I think it goes against some code."
"I know," Victoria said.
"Know what?" Buffy shooke her head.
"That you told Angel not to tell me who the vampire was, that you're trying to protect me..."
"Victoria..."
"Wait, I want to say this. Thank you. Thank you for trying to protect me. There's no one," Victoria stopped to wipe her eyes. "No one has ever tried to protect me, because I'm the slayer. I'm not supposed to need it, but you realize that I do. That I did. And you saw that I needed to take breaks and make friends and I'm so sorry that my watcher wasn't more like you... But that doesn't matter now. That prophecy is for me, not you. You may have the strength and the heart, but you're not the slayer. A slayer is primal, a hunter, almost a creature even... You aren't that," Victoria choked. "I am... You have friends and loves and ties to this world and I have the hunt and instict and the darkness that tells me this is my time to die."
"I won't let that happen to you," Buffy said, fiercely. "We'll work on this. You'll enroll in school and make friends..."
"You're not listening," Victoria said. Buffy sighed. "I'm going to get a drink," the young slayer said, heading down to the vending machines. Buffy kicked a stone. Then, she had an epiphany and darted inside the hotel room.
"Angel, outside now," she said, her voice brimming with anger. Angel followed slowly.
"Round two," Cordelia clucked.
**************************
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Buffy yelled, as she paced up and down the pavemnent like a caged lioness. "I told you not to tell her. I am running this thing. Me," she said pointing to herself. "Don't come in here and go behind my back unless you're looking for a stake in yours," Buffy said, coming to halt in front of Angel.
"I didn't tell her," he said.
"Then who did?" Buffy said. Some of her anger had dissapeared with that statement.
"Maybe she figured it out." Buffy sat down on the curb and sighed. "And while we're on the subject," Angel said, sitting down next to her. "Let's talk about 'going-behind-backs' and being in charge..." Buffy looked at him. "Who died and left you in charge?" Buffy made a sound of disgust. "I brought this problem to your attention. I'm the one who's going to live or die here- -"
"Die?" Buffy said, sarcastically. "You can't die. You're already dead."
Angel ignored the comment. "And let's talk about going behind my back... You want to explain the whole Riley thing, because seriously as your partner I'd like to know why you even thought of calling the Initiative in... I'd like to seriously question your motives on that one. Really Buffy, using the apocalypse as an excuse to get back together with your ex? And what is with these moodswings? One minute you're in my arms and the next you're threatening me? What's going on here?"
Buffy looked at him. Her eyes filled with rage. "I called the Initiative to help, not to get back together with Riley. And the reason I asked to talk to him later was because when we broke up... It wasn't official, or a 'clean-break' as Xander called it. So I finally wanted to apologize! And moodswings? Can you say pot and kettle? When you first came you were actually, like flirting with me! And then I come and see you have a girlfriend!"
"So you're jealous and by the way that is a really loose definition of flirting."
"Oh like you aren't and weren't of Riley and Xander and everyone else."
"So, because I finally got a girlfriend you get to be all commando?"
"I'm in charge because I'm the slayer. You are a vampire," Buffy said, delibaretely intending to wound him. She could see the hurt register in his eyes. The only thing she really wanted to do was throw herself in his arms and tell him that she was lost and confused and scared... and had actually thought of using the apocalypse to get back together with an ex-- only it wasn't Riley.
"Oh yeah Slayer," Angel said, putting his fingers beneath her chin and tilting her head upwards. "Where's your watcher?" Before Buffy realized what was happening her hand was raised and brought down swiftly. The resulting slap echoed through the night. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean..." Angel said. Buffy got up and ran.
"I think I'm getting butterflies," Spike said, as he flopped down next to Buffy on the curb of the sidewalk.
She took her gaze off the stars only long enough to look at him and say ," Now I know the world is going to end." Spike laughed and glanced towards the door of Angel's hotel room. Inside he could see the dark figures moving around finalizing plans, trying to say goodbye with lingering glances, and just stressing out.
He looked back to Buffy," Are you going to be careful?"
"I'll do what I have to."
"That's not what I asked," Spike said, insisting on an answer. He let out a long breath. "She reminds you of Dawnie."
"A little," Buffy admitted. "But I don't love her because she's like Dawnie. I love her for being Victoria."
"Don't act like you only care about saving her," Spike suddenly said softly. Buffy looked up sharply with a wounded look in her eyes. "If he makes it through this the big poof is going to be human."
"Would you like to be human?" Buffy asked suddenly.
"Don't dodge the topic, hon. You don't do it very well." Buffy sighed.
"He's involved," she said.
"Love isn't brains. It's blood," Spike said," His and yours no one and nothing has ever stood a chance in between the two of you." Spike paused, letting his words sink in. "Be careful," he warned again and left her as he found, sitting on the curb staring at the stars.
***************************
"No, Riley, I understand," Buffy said into the mouthpiece, acutely conscious of Angel's eyes from across the room. "Look how can you help it if the demon population in Borneo suddenly sparked? .... No, it's fine... I don't even think they have all night planes from Borneo." There was a pause while she listened to his comment and then she laughed. "Yeah," she said softly. "I wish you were too," she said. "Yeah, he is... It's not like that... I know... Well, I-- It's just... Yes, I realize that... You know me." There was a long pause. "I-- Listen, Riley, I'm sorry, but that's not why. I really need to talk to you, but I can't do it now, or here," she said, turning her back to Angel. "I will call you. I'll tell them. Bye," she said, putting the reciever back in it's cradle. "The Initiative's a no go," Buffy anounced to the room, "but Riley sends his love."
"How is he?" Xander asked, rather absent-mindedly. He was preoccupied sharpening a wicked looking stake.
"He's good," she said. "He offered to try and catch a plane back after their action over there, but I told him that wasn't neccesary... It isn't neccesary, right?" she said, looking for aproval. "We're going to be okay without him." She was expecting Willow to answer, but Angel did.
"I don't know," he said. "Are you going to be alright without him?" his voice had a hard edge to it. She felt annoyance rise in her throat.
"I wasn't asking you," she said, rather pointedly. Angel opened his mouth to make a response, but he was cut off by a look from Buffy, as she crossed the room to join Victoria. "Can I talk to you outside?" Buffy said, softly. Victoria nodded and followed Buffy outside. Angel watched them go.
"Should I get out the dust buster to vaccum the pieces of your ego out of the carpet?" Cordelia asked, the years not having done anything to soften her tongue.
******************************
Buffy gazed up at the stars. If she closed her eyes she imagine herself up there in the sky. The sense of freedom was overwhelming... It made her yearn for it...
"I keep asking myself how I could let this happen?" Buffy said, not looking at Victoria.
"It's not your fault," the Brit said. "Prophecies happen."
"Do you ever wonder if they have good prophecies for slayers?" Buffy asked. "I think it goes against some code."
"I know," Victoria said.
"Know what?" Buffy shooke her head.
"That you told Angel not to tell me who the vampire was, that you're trying to protect me..."
"Victoria..."
"Wait, I want to say this. Thank you. Thank you for trying to protect me. There's no one," Victoria stopped to wipe her eyes. "No one has ever tried to protect me, because I'm the slayer. I'm not supposed to need it, but you realize that I do. That I did. And you saw that I needed to take breaks and make friends and I'm so sorry that my watcher wasn't more like you... But that doesn't matter now. That prophecy is for me, not you. You may have the strength and the heart, but you're not the slayer. A slayer is primal, a hunter, almost a creature even... You aren't that," Victoria choked. "I am... You have friends and loves and ties to this world and I have the hunt and instict and the darkness that tells me this is my time to die."
"I won't let that happen to you," Buffy said, fiercely. "We'll work on this. You'll enroll in school and make friends..."
"You're not listening," Victoria said. Buffy sighed. "I'm going to get a drink," the young slayer said, heading down to the vending machines. Buffy kicked a stone. Then, she had an epiphany and darted inside the hotel room.
"Angel, outside now," she said, her voice brimming with anger. Angel followed slowly.
"Round two," Cordelia clucked.
**************************
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Buffy yelled, as she paced up and down the pavemnent like a caged lioness. "I told you not to tell her. I am running this thing. Me," she said pointing to herself. "Don't come in here and go behind my back unless you're looking for a stake in yours," Buffy said, coming to halt in front of Angel.
"I didn't tell her," he said.
"Then who did?" Buffy said. Some of her anger had dissapeared with that statement.
"Maybe she figured it out." Buffy sat down on the curb and sighed. "And while we're on the subject," Angel said, sitting down next to her. "Let's talk about 'going-behind-backs' and being in charge..." Buffy looked at him. "Who died and left you in charge?" Buffy made a sound of disgust. "I brought this problem to your attention. I'm the one who's going to live or die here- -"
"Die?" Buffy said, sarcastically. "You can't die. You're already dead."
Angel ignored the comment. "And let's talk about going behind my back... You want to explain the whole Riley thing, because seriously as your partner I'd like to know why you even thought of calling the Initiative in... I'd like to seriously question your motives on that one. Really Buffy, using the apocalypse as an excuse to get back together with your ex? And what is with these moodswings? One minute you're in my arms and the next you're threatening me? What's going on here?"
Buffy looked at him. Her eyes filled with rage. "I called the Initiative to help, not to get back together with Riley. And the reason I asked to talk to him later was because when we broke up... It wasn't official, or a 'clean-break' as Xander called it. So I finally wanted to apologize! And moodswings? Can you say pot and kettle? When you first came you were actually, like flirting with me! And then I come and see you have a girlfriend!"
"So you're jealous and by the way that is a really loose definition of flirting."
"Oh like you aren't and weren't of Riley and Xander and everyone else."
"So, because I finally got a girlfriend you get to be all commando?"
"I'm in charge because I'm the slayer. You are a vampire," Buffy said, delibaretely intending to wound him. She could see the hurt register in his eyes. The only thing she really wanted to do was throw herself in his arms and tell him that she was lost and confused and scared... and had actually thought of using the apocalypse to get back together with an ex-- only it wasn't Riley.
"Oh yeah Slayer," Angel said, putting his fingers beneath her chin and tilting her head upwards. "Where's your watcher?" Before Buffy realized what was happening her hand was raised and brought down swiftly. The resulting slap echoed through the night. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean..." Angel said. Buffy got up and ran.