CHOICES – A Buffy/ Angel Saga
Chapter 9 – Oh What Tangled Webs We Weave
While Buffy and Angel continued to work the bond the rest
of the group was still researching how it was that they were to go about
killing Ha Nachash. They had virtually moved Giles' entire library to Angel's
mansion not to mention what Wesley had brought with him when they had first
arrived in Sunnydale. The room had been relatively quiet except for the sound
of pages turning or books being exchanged.
"HEY." Xander exclaimed although not spoken that loud his
voice cut the silence of the room and startled the rest of the occupants to his
attention. Seeing the looks on the faces of the people surrounding him Xander
realized what he had done.
"Sorry but I think I found something here."
Wesley walked over and took the book from Xander and
looked over the passage the boy had pointed out. When Wesley had finished
reading he handed the book to Giles. Giles looked up at Wesley first and then
at Xander. The elder Watcher put the book down on the table in front of him and
removed his glasses surreptitiously wiping them.
"Well G-Man did I get it or did I get it?"
"Yes Xander you uh did indeed get it."
Xander couldn't help the smug look of satisfaction that
fell across his face at being the one to find what they needed.
"So what does the book say Giles?" Willow asked.
"Well it says that Ha Nachash can be killed and that he
will be in corporeal form…"
"Wait I thought for Ha Nachie…"
"Nachash."
"Whatever. I thought for him to be corporeal Buffy and
Angel needed to be dead?" Xander questioned.
"For him to be corporeal in his own body then yes he
needs to defeat Buffy and Angel but in order for him to take them on it appears
he is able to be corporeal in another's form.
"Which means what?" Oz asked.
"It means he is going to posses somebody and use their
body to accomplish his goal."
Giles took a breath and sat on the edge of the table
beside him before continuing.
"According to the text Ha Nachash will try to pray on
someone within the Slayer's circle. He will try to manipulate them to his will
because if he successfully possess them then it will make it that much easier
to defeat the Slayer."
"I don't understand. How will his possessing anyone make
it easier?" Cordelia piped up.
"Because." A voice popped up from in behind them. "If he
possess someone close then it makes it harder for me to fight. He'll use my
feelings against me. He knows I will have a hard time killing a demon that
wears the face of someone I love."
Everyone was silent a moment and there was no mistaking
that Angel had tensed visibly as the unbidden memories of Angelus and the
damage he inflicted because Buffy had killed him too late.
"Yes well he is going to prey on the weakest link here.
Someone who would be easily swayed to help kill Angel at the very least."
Wesley interjected.
Suddenly everyone turned and stared at Xander.
"WHAT? Why is everyone staring at me?" Xander cried.
"Well it's not like you've exactly been on the Angel band
wagon." Cordy barked.
"No it's not Xander."
"How do you know Buffy?"
"Because there is only one person who would feel they
would benefit from Angel's death, who right now would actively seek it."
"Who's that Buffy?" Giles asked.
"Riley."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Riley was out patrolling well sort of. He was out
stalking through graveyards and he was incredibly pissed off, almost
irrationally so and anything that got in his face was bound to end up dusted.
Riley couldn't understand this anger. He knew he was
annoyed about losing Buffy to Angel but he had understood that he wasn't ever
going to have Buffy in the way that he deserved to have her. They had both
admitted that regardless of whether or not Angel stepped back into the picture
that whatever he thought he had with Buffy would never be anything more than a
shell of a relationship devoid of feeling, barren of love.
Something had now crawled under his skin and he found
himself not wanting to acquiesce to a vampire. Something was telling him that
Buffy would never look at anyone twice, least of all him as long as the vampire
lived.
"Riley what's the deal man? Are you really going to let her just walk away from you like that? She's making a fool out of you. You need to be a man. You need to be a man and fight for the love of your woman. I can help you fight Riley. I can make your dreams come true just let me help you."
Riley didn't know where the voice was coming from. He
just knew that it was offering him a way to keep Buffy and right at that
particular moment that was more than enough for him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Knowing that Ha Nachash was going to use someone against
her made Buffy uneasy and wary. She knew that Riley was the most likely candidate
because he had been passed over in favor of Angel, not that she and Riley had a
very substantial relationship to begin with.
Buffy knew she had been deluding herself. She had wanted
so badly to have the normal existence that Angel had left her for but it
extended deeper than that. She had wanted to prove to herself that she could
sustain a relationship and after Angel and then Parker
Buffy was…well she was at a pretty low point so at
everyone's insistence she had given Riley a chance. Outwardly it looked like
she was holding her own but only at night under the cover of darkness did she
allow herself to give into her true feelings. Only when she was alone would she
allow herself to cry and now her selfishness may cause Riley to die by her
hand.
"Great just great so not only do they all leave but I
have to kill them all too." Buffy mused to herself.
She was sitting out in the garden. She needed a little
time to process what she had found out. It had been decided that no one was to
leave the mansion just yet so that Ha Nachash couldn't prey on them which only
meant Riley would be targeted for sure. Buffy bit back a sob of frustration and
silently wished that this whole thing were over with so she could get back to
the task of not living her less than normal life.
She was so wrapped up in trying to not let anyone know
how upset she was she never heard Angel slip into the garden with her. In fact
until he sat behind her and slipped his arms around her waist she hadn't known
he was there.
Buffy immediately sunk back into Angel's embrace. Angel
nuzzled her head, peppering the side of her face with kisses.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
"I was just thinking how far we've come since the first
time we ever saw one another."
"Yea it's been quite a ride."
The two were quiet a moment as they remembered the first
time they had seen each other.
//
'Is there a problem ma'am?'
'There's a problem. Why are you following me?'
'I know what you're thinking and don't worry…I don't
bite. Truth is I thought you'd be taller or bigger; muscles and all that.
You're pretty spry though.'
//
Buffy then had a flash of watching herself walking down
the steps of Hemery high with her friends.
//
'So I'm like Dad you want me to go to the dance in an
outfit I've already worn? Why do you hate me?'
'So is Tyler taking you?'
'Where were you when I got over Tyler? He is of the past.
Tyler would have to crawl on his hands and knees to get me to go to the dance
with him which he's supposed to do after practice so I'm gonna wait.'
'Okay see ya later.'
'Call me. Call me. Call me.'
Back outside of the Bronze.
//
'What do you want?'
'Same thing you do'.
'Okay what do I want?'
'To kill 'em. To kill 'em all.
//
Again Buffy had a vision of herself sitting on the steps
of her old high school.
//
'Buffy Summers'
'Yeah. Hi. What?'
'I need to speak with you.'
'You're not from Bullock's are you cause I meant to pay
for that lipstick.'
'There isn't much time. You must come with me. Your
destiny awaits.'
'I don't have a destiny. I'm destiny free really.'
'You are the Chosen One. You alone can stop them.'
'Who?'
'The vampires.'
'Huh?'
Of to the side Buffy can see a car with blacked out
windows parked close by. Even in this vision she gets the sensation of being
watched. She peers a little closer and there is something there. Something
familiar that she just can't put her finger on, something about that car.
Again she see's the Bronze.
//
'Sorry that's incorrect but you do get this lovely watch and
a year's supply of Turtle Wax…what I want …is to be left alone.'
'You really think that's an option anymore? You're
standing at the mouth of hell and it's about to open.'
//
Buffy didn't understand what was happening. She couldn't
understand why she was seeing visions of herself on the day she was called.
Especially mixed in with the first time she ever saw Angel. What did one have
to…Oh My God!
Suddenly Buffy remembered that Angel had mentioned that
he had been there when she was called. If memory served he told her that he had
fallen in love with her right then because she had held her heart out for all
to see. Buffy decided that she was going to talk to Willow about this before
letting Angel in on it.
Buffy turned slightly in Angel's embrace, just enough so
that she could see his face. She wondered how she would go on if she would
never be able to look into this face again.
"Whatcha thinking about?"
"Nothing that matters."
Buffy reached up and kissed Angel gently on the lips.
"I'm gonna do a quick sweep. You should get some rest."
"You should be resting too. You need to be ready when we
face Ha Nachash."
"I know but I can't sleep knowing I may have let some
vamps have free munchies. I promise I'll be quick."
Buffy and Angel rose and headed back into the main room.
Before they went in Angel pulled Buffy back into a kiss. It was soft and yet
spoke volumes. When he pulled away he rested his forehead against hers, his
arms firmly wrapped around her waist.
"Be careful Buffy."
"You know me."
"Exactly…I want you to come back home to me."
"I will."
'Angel all you have to do is ask and I would give the
world for you.' Buffy thought to herself. She watched as Angel made his way upstairs to his bedroom and then she
headed into the main hall.
"Spike I wanna do a sweep and I need backup. You up for a
little demon ass kicking?"
"Am I? All you need do is ask."
Buffy almost laughed at Spike's enthusiasm as she
collected her slaying bag.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Buffy and Spike were walking through Sunny Rest cemetery
and Spike was complaining about the lack of ass kicking they were experiencing.
"I am bored Slayer. If we don't find something to knock
around soon then headache be damned I hitting you."
"Oh that's nice like it's my fault all the demons have
taken a night off."
"Probably is. Every time something goes to hell round
here you and those Scooby's of yours are usually not to far away."
"Oh I can't believe your going to blame the Hellmouth on
me."
"You better believe it. In fact…"
"Spike shut up."
"Don't tell me…"
"Spike!"
"What?"
"Riley."
Spike looked in the direction Buffy was pointing and sure
enough Captain Cardboard was headed their way. From the determined look on the
soldier boy's face they knew he had seen them so there wasn't much Buffy and
Spike could do but wait.
"Spike don't say anything to him. I don't want him to
know what we know."
"Alright pet as long as I can kick his ass."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Riley walked up to Buffy and Hostile 17 with caution. He had
to remember to keep his cool and find some way to convince Buffy to bring Angel
out into the open. Bring him away from the protection spell surrounding the
mansion and the meddling witches. He found it difficult to bite down the anger
that flamed up inside.
Buffy had always discouraged him from patrolling with her
and yet her she is and with a vampire no less. This was one of the many
problems that kept Buffy at arm's distance from Riley, her need to make nice
with the enemy. She was the Slayer for god's sake. It should be hunt, find,
kill. It should be textbook but Buffy never was one to follow the books.
"Hey Buffy."
"Riley."
"So anything new about our demon?"
"No it would appear our guy has about as much information
on him as he does body mass."
"Oh so you just doing a regular patrol?"
"Yeah well you know me, I'm slay girl."
"Well I'll come with you and then we can all go back to
the mansion together."
"I don't think that's such a good idea Riley."
"Why not? I've been helping out this far."
"No you've been fighting more than helping."
"I won't fight with anyone. Please Buffy I just want to
spend some time with you."
Riley almost managed to sound sincere and Buffy may have
bought into it except that her Spidey-sense told her that Ha Nachash had already
gotten to him. That and the dark and vacant look his eyes now held.
"Riley I can't…not until I have defeated this thing. I…I
just can't deal with us right now. I thought you understood that."
"Oh but I bet you don't have any problem spending time
with Angel right? I bet he doesn't cause you any confusion or grief at all does
he?"
"Riley you have no idea what my feelings are or ever have
been where Angel is concerned and I have to be around him. He is targeted in
this right along with me so I have to focus my attentions on him. I know this
hurts you Riley and that was never my intention but my life is at stake here.
Sacrifices have to be made."
"And I have to be one of them. I always have to be one of
them don't I?"
"I'm sorry Riley."
"That you are Buffy and I must be too because regardless
I still love you."
Riley had stepped closer to Buffy and Buffy had noticed
that Spike had melted far enough back into the shadows to not be seen but not
too far that he couldn't help if needed. Riley reached out and took Buffy's
hands. Buffy noted the coolness of his skin but didn't comment or flinch. He
pulled her close and rested his forehead against hers, his hands holding onto
her arms.
"Buffy lets just go back to the mansion, we can talk and
we can work this out. Please."
"Riley I can't. Please just understand that I can't. If
we survive this we'll talk then but until then I can't. I'm sorry."
Riley tightened his grip on Buffy's arms to the point where
she gasped in pain. Buffy pulled her head back away from Riley and looked him
in the eye a moment before smashing her forehead into his nose with such force
that she felt the bone give way like it was nothing and his blood splattered
all over her face.
Riley staggered back, one hand covering his nose the
other being used as some kind of balance to keep him from falling to the
ground.
"BITCH." He roared.
When he was sure of his footing he lunged forward at
Buffy, all previous tethers on his emotions long since snapped. Spike watched
in absolute awed silence, as Buffy became a whirling dervish of flying fists
and spinning kicks. Each blow was meant to take Riley down but not really hurt
him. Her goal was to disable him, not kill him not if she could avoid it.
It wasn't long before Riley was a crumpled bloody mass
lying unconscious on the ground. Buffy moved to his prone body and made to pick
him up.
"Spike help me."
"What are you doing Pet?"
"I can't leave him out here. His place isn't that far."
"After what he just did to you you're going to help him?"
Spike asked in disbelief.
"I can't leave him here to be a midnight snack for some
trolling vamp. I just can't do that. Please Spike."
"Alright Pet, where to?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Buffy walked back into the mansion and she tried to
quietly sneak in without being seen. She was bruised and bloody and she really
wasn't up for twenty questions. She just wanted to burn her clothes, scrub
every inch of herself with a wire brush and sleep until this whole demon thing
was over and she could wake up to her less than pleasing somewhat normal
existence of slaying demons that she could at least see.
Buffy was walking past Angel's room and she had just
about made it past when the door opened.
"Buffy?" Came Angel's sleepy voice.
"Yeah it's me."
"You okay?"
"Yeah just real tired so I'll see you tomorrow 'kay?" Her
voice wavered with the tears that threatened to betray her.
Buffy started towards her room again and had gotten maybe
two steps down the hall when he was behind her. She scrunched her eyes closed
and willed him to go back to his room but Angel simply slipped his arms around
her shoulders and pressed himself slightly against her.
"You wanna talk about it?"
"What's to say?"
"Buffy talk to me."
Buffy's body tensed as she tried to tamp down the
onslaught of emotion that coursed through her. She felt Angel kiss the top of
her head and before the first tear had fallen Angel had steered her into his
bedchamber. Buffy sat on the edge of Angel's bed and Angel went to turn on the
light.
What he saw when he turned back to her broke his heart
and infuriated him all at the same time. Buffy's face and hair was covered in
dirt and sprayed in blood…human blood. Oh god what happened. She had
cuts and bruises, her clothes were torn and bloodied and when he kneeled on the
floor in front of her and placed his hands on her arms she winced in pain.
"What happened Buffy?"
"Riley, it was…he was possessed and so angry. He wanted
to come back here and I said no and we fought."
"What possessed him?"
"Ha Nachash. This is all my fault and because of it Riley
is going to die and the worst part is I don't care."
Buffy saw the look in Angel's eyes and she rephrased.
"Well I care that he is going to die just not the way I
should care, not the way I would if it were you."
Buffy just sat on the edge of Angel's bed and waited for
the speech but all Angel did was clean Buffy up, slip her into one of his
shirts and tuck her under the cover's with him. Without another word Buffy fell
asleep in the protective embrace of her Guardian Angel.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Open the windows and listen to the breeze blow through
the pines
Take a deep breath, what more can you do
Let the sun fall down all around you
Let the night surround you in a blanket of starlight
I'll whisper you a lullaby
Let the sun fall down
That old dark cloud acts like he knows you
He takes up too much time
Time you could be spending holding me
But he can't have you now
It's you and me here in this room
(Oh) Let the sun fall down all around you
Let the night surround you in a blanket of starlight
I'll whisper you a lullaby
Let the sun fall down
The world will keep on turning
It'll all be there come morning
So tonight
Let the sun fall down all around you
Let the night surround you in a blanket of starlight
I'll whisper you a lullaby
Let the sun fall down
(Oh) Let the sun fall down all around you
Let the night surround you in a blanket of starlight
I'll whisper you a lullaby
Let the sun fall down
*Let the Sun Fall Down by Kim Richey