Part 5:
Claire sat in the passenger seat of Giles' car looking out the window, her mind wandering, trying to work out what to do next. Obviously Angel had already moved to LA otherwise he would have been with the rest of the gang at Giles' house and Willow wouldn't have believed her lie. Damn! She thought. Now I'm going to have to find some way to get him here... She went over ideas in her head, deciding whether or not they were plausible.
Meanwhile, Giles was trying to work out where he had seen her before. As he was driving, he kept glancing at her but she seemed to be deep in thought. As they pulled up at the hotel, Giles turned to her.
"What room were you in?"
Claire stared on, oblivious to the fact that Giles was talking to her. In fact, she hardly seemed to notice that the car had stopped at all. Giles watched her, amused, as a small frown crossed her forehead. He wondered what she was thinking about. With that brooding look on her face she looked almost like, well, Angel!
"Claire?"
The young girl jumped, startled and turned to face the ex-Watcher.
"Sorry! I just...I mean..."
Giles laughed.
"It's okay! I was just wondering what room you were in so I can help you get your belongings."
"Oh! No, it's okay. I don't have much, I can get it myself." She started to get out of the car.
"No, I insist that I come and help you!"
"NO! I mean, I'll be fine, really! I'll be right back."
With that, Claire ran off before Giles could answer. He sat back in his seat, trying to think of a good reason why such a young girl would have so much to think about and why she was being so secretive. He realised that they didn't even know her last name...
***
Claire looked in each of the stalls, making sure that each one was empty before placing a sign on the door saying the toilets were being cleaned and turning to face the mirror. She placed both hands on the mirror and started chanting in Latin. Slowly, a vague and unclear picture appeared in the mirror and a quiet voice could be heard.
"You are doing very well Claire. No-one knows of your secret, make sure you keep it that way."
"Yeah, well I don't know how long I can keep that up! They already think I'm weird."
"You can do it Claire. Remember what will happen if you do not."
"I know, I know! Let's not get onto that subject again! By the way!" She said, her voice beginning to get louder. "You never told me that Angel was going to be in LA! How am I supposed to get him here? And Buffy? She has a boyfriend! What am I supposed to do about that, huh?"
"Lower your voice Claire! People might hear you! I'm sure you will think up a way. You seem to have endless excuses when it comes to anything else. Just do you're best and remember that no-one must know!"
Claire rolled her eyes and the picture in the mirror began to fade.
"Wait!" She cried out.
"Keep your voice down!" The picture said angrily. "What is it now?"
"I need some stuff. You know, clothes, belongings, money. I was sent in here to get my stuff from my room, which of course I don't have...."
"I understand." The person in the picture sighed. To think that a lot of people's lives depend on this girl.... He muttered some unknown language and a pile of clothes, money and personal objects appeared in front of Claire. "There, will that do?"
Claire looked at the objects in front of her.
"What kind of clothes are these?" She said, holding up some of the items with her nose scrunched up, as though they were something you would find in a dump. "These are like, SO out of date."
The picture looked at her in annoyance. "You must remember that you are back in 2000 Claire! These are the latest fashion right now. In fact, they were your mother's."
Claire looked at clothes in a different way now. If they were her mother's they MUST be the latest in style for that time. Her mother always had great taste.
"Now, is there anything else you need?"
"No...no this is fine." She said, looking at the wad of money and the personal items in front of her. They had even thoughtfully added her diary. "I hope you didn't read this!"
"Of course not Claire. What do you think we are? Common street children?" The picture's voice sounded exasperated now and was beginning to fade. "If that is all Claire, I really must go." With that the picture faded away.
"But....." She looked at the now clear mirror. "What about Angel....."
Claire sat in the passenger seat of Giles' car looking out the window, her mind wandering, trying to work out what to do next. Obviously Angel had already moved to LA otherwise he would have been with the rest of the gang at Giles' house and Willow wouldn't have believed her lie. Damn! She thought. Now I'm going to have to find some way to get him here... She went over ideas in her head, deciding whether or not they were plausible.
Meanwhile, Giles was trying to work out where he had seen her before. As he was driving, he kept glancing at her but she seemed to be deep in thought. As they pulled up at the hotel, Giles turned to her.
"What room were you in?"
Claire stared on, oblivious to the fact that Giles was talking to her. In fact, she hardly seemed to notice that the car had stopped at all. Giles watched her, amused, as a small frown crossed her forehead. He wondered what she was thinking about. With that brooding look on her face she looked almost like, well, Angel!
"Claire?"
The young girl jumped, startled and turned to face the ex-Watcher.
"Sorry! I just...I mean..."
Giles laughed.
"It's okay! I was just wondering what room you were in so I can help you get your belongings."
"Oh! No, it's okay. I don't have much, I can get it myself." She started to get out of the car.
"No, I insist that I come and help you!"
"NO! I mean, I'll be fine, really! I'll be right back."
With that, Claire ran off before Giles could answer. He sat back in his seat, trying to think of a good reason why such a young girl would have so much to think about and why she was being so secretive. He realised that they didn't even know her last name...
***
Claire looked in each of the stalls, making sure that each one was empty before placing a sign on the door saying the toilets were being cleaned and turning to face the mirror. She placed both hands on the mirror and started chanting in Latin. Slowly, a vague and unclear picture appeared in the mirror and a quiet voice could be heard.
"You are doing very well Claire. No-one knows of your secret, make sure you keep it that way."
"Yeah, well I don't know how long I can keep that up! They already think I'm weird."
"You can do it Claire. Remember what will happen if you do not."
"I know, I know! Let's not get onto that subject again! By the way!" She said, her voice beginning to get louder. "You never told me that Angel was going to be in LA! How am I supposed to get him here? And Buffy? She has a boyfriend! What am I supposed to do about that, huh?"
"Lower your voice Claire! People might hear you! I'm sure you will think up a way. You seem to have endless excuses when it comes to anything else. Just do you're best and remember that no-one must know!"
Claire rolled her eyes and the picture in the mirror began to fade.
"Wait!" She cried out.
"Keep your voice down!" The picture said angrily. "What is it now?"
"I need some stuff. You know, clothes, belongings, money. I was sent in here to get my stuff from my room, which of course I don't have...."
"I understand." The person in the picture sighed. To think that a lot of people's lives depend on this girl.... He muttered some unknown language and a pile of clothes, money and personal objects appeared in front of Claire. "There, will that do?"
Claire looked at the objects in front of her.
"What kind of clothes are these?" She said, holding up some of the items with her nose scrunched up, as though they were something you would find in a dump. "These are like, SO out of date."
The picture looked at her in annoyance. "You must remember that you are back in 2000 Claire! These are the latest fashion right now. In fact, they were your mother's."
Claire looked at clothes in a different way now. If they were her mother's they MUST be the latest in style for that time. Her mother always had great taste.
"Now, is there anything else you need?"
"No...no this is fine." She said, looking at the wad of money and the personal items in front of her. They had even thoughtfully added her diary. "I hope you didn't read this!"
"Of course not Claire. What do you think we are? Common street children?" The picture's voice sounded exasperated now and was beginning to fade. "If that is all Claire, I really must go." With that the picture faded away.
"But....." She looked at the now clear mirror. "What about Angel....."