Part 3/?
"Shh, I think she's coming to." William said.
"Elizabeth. Elizabeth dear, you had quite a spell." Catherine said.
"Where am I?" Buffy asked.
"Galway, Ireland," Cathy, the eldest daughter answered.
"Oh, yeah, I remember," Buffy replied weakly.
"Maybe you should lie down for a while," Catherine said. "I'll make sure you get some good food and some nice rest, you must be ill."
"Come, my son has the best room in the house; he can sleep on the floor. I'm sure after you rest and get some food in your stomach, you'll be good as new. You're awful thin," William said.
William helped her into his son's room, and left as she lay down on the bed.
Buffy settled into the nice, warm bed, and drifted off into a dream world.
// She was floating. Floating in nothing. There was nothing around her, nothing but space. Suddenly, she saw the Oracles. They approached her, and began to explain the situation.
"Warrior, you are here, to save the one you call Angel, from becoming Angelus. The Powers That Be believe that the Star-Crossed Lovers have suffered enough. After seeing your bravery in the fight against Glory, they have decided to reward you. If you can stake Darla before she turns Liam, he will be spared. That is all." The male said.
"We wish you luck, and we will visit you again," the female said.
"Beware, you have two weeks. Two weeks to save your Angel," the male added.
"Blessed Be," the female said, before they both disappeared. //
Buffy awoke with a start. She heard groaning. What was it? She got out of the warm bed and padded slowly into the main room. Angel, or *Liam* sat slumped in a chair. His parents stood around him. His hair was a wreck, and it was obvious he'd been drinking again.
"Liam, why can't you come home at a decent hour, and not be drunk?" His mother asked angrily.
Liam starred up at her, unable to answer. The truth was, he couldn't.
"Boy, answer your mother when she speaks to you!" Liam's father demanded.
"Shhh, you'll wake the girl," Catherine said.
Buffy quietly padded back to her room. She climbed into the bed and let sleep take her. After all, she had two weeks until she needed to do something. Maybe she could convince him to stay inside after dark. But, did she really want his life spared? If she saved him from being turned, her whole life would change. She might change her future and not ever know the love of Angel.
Buffy awoke to a thud. It was dark outside, and there was almost no light in the room. Her eyes soon adjusted and she noticed a figure lying motionless on the floor.
She peered over the side of the bed and noticed he was still breathing. [Must be Angel. He's so drunk he collapsed on the floor.]
She got out of bed and crouched beside him. "Are you okay?" she asked. He moaned but didn't say anything. "Are you okay?" she repeated.
He groaned, and rolled over onto his stomach. He seemed to be sobering up. "I'm B-Elizabeth." She said, introducing herself again, because she had a pretty good idea he didn't remember meeting her earlier that day. He lay there, motionless for a few minutes, until he finally defended himself.
"I knew that," he said, "Liam."
"Uh huh," she grinned.
He propped himself up on his strong arms, and shook his head slightly, the effects of the alcohol slowly wearing off. "So what brings ye to Ireland?"
"I don't know really. I don't remember much about how I got here," she lied.
"Oh," was all he said.
Buffy helped him up. She couldn't help but feel the attraction she had always felt for him.
"Thanks," he said. He really was a man of few words.
Buffy followed Liam as he hobbled into the kitchen. [He seems to limp. Must have taken a spill when he was drunk.]
"Ah, Elizabeth, you're up." Catherine smiled. "Just in time for dinner."
Buffy smiled. It was strange being called 'Elizabeth.' Her mother hadn't called her that since she was a child. It had always been Buffy. She wasn't quite sure why it was Buffy, because Buffy didn't seem to be short for anything.
Catherine motioned for Buffy to sit down next to Mary, the youngest daughter, and herself. Buffy gladly accepted. She didn't know how long it had been since she had had an actual meal since her mom died.
"Elizabeth, tell me a bit about yourself." Catherine said once everyone was seated and had a plate of hot food.
"My name is Elizabeth, but everyone I know calls me Buffy." She said, not knowing what else to tell them.
"You sound as if you're from America," Liam started.
"I am." Buffy answered. Quickly she made up a lie. "My parents and I were traveling in Europe, but I don't know how I got separated from them.
"Dear, that's so sad," Catherine said. "You can stay with us until we figure something out."
"Thank you, that's so very kind of you," Buffy said graciously.
"You're very welcome," Catherine smiled. She seemed never to stop smiling. And Buffy liked that.
After dinner the girls sat down in the floor, begging Buffy to braid there hair. She did all three and was about to collapse when Catherine spoke up. "I think it's bed time for you three," She smiled, crinkling her nose at the children.
"Thanks, I was getting a little tired of doing hair," Buffy giggled.
"S'okay," Catherine answered.
Soon, only Liam and Buffy sat together in front of the roaring fire.
"Something's different about you," Liam noted.
"Don't you think that's a little rude?" Buffy asked.
"Well, it's the truth isn't it?" he asked.
"Certainly not," Buffy said. "At least you've sobered up some. You could barely speak earlier."
He nodded, as Buffy yawned. She was getting sleepy.
"Looks as if you're getting tired."
"Yeah," she replied. "I think I'll go to bed."
Liam followed her into his room, as she lay down. Not knowing what else to do, he lay down beside the bed. What was so different about her? He didn't want to try to touch her, or hurt her. He felt a connection much deeper, and it confused him.
It was strange. It reminded her so much of the night he had spent at her house. Though she had slept so much that day, she was drawn to sleep. Maybe by her will, or maybe by that of a higher being.
TBC...
"Shh, I think she's coming to." William said.
"Elizabeth. Elizabeth dear, you had quite a spell." Catherine said.
"Where am I?" Buffy asked.
"Galway, Ireland," Cathy, the eldest daughter answered.
"Oh, yeah, I remember," Buffy replied weakly.
"Maybe you should lie down for a while," Catherine said. "I'll make sure you get some good food and some nice rest, you must be ill."
"Come, my son has the best room in the house; he can sleep on the floor. I'm sure after you rest and get some food in your stomach, you'll be good as new. You're awful thin," William said.
William helped her into his son's room, and left as she lay down on the bed.
Buffy settled into the nice, warm bed, and drifted off into a dream world.
// She was floating. Floating in nothing. There was nothing around her, nothing but space. Suddenly, she saw the Oracles. They approached her, and began to explain the situation.
"Warrior, you are here, to save the one you call Angel, from becoming Angelus. The Powers That Be believe that the Star-Crossed Lovers have suffered enough. After seeing your bravery in the fight against Glory, they have decided to reward you. If you can stake Darla before she turns Liam, he will be spared. That is all." The male said.
"We wish you luck, and we will visit you again," the female said.
"Beware, you have two weeks. Two weeks to save your Angel," the male added.
"Blessed Be," the female said, before they both disappeared. //
Buffy awoke with a start. She heard groaning. What was it? She got out of the warm bed and padded slowly into the main room. Angel, or *Liam* sat slumped in a chair. His parents stood around him. His hair was a wreck, and it was obvious he'd been drinking again.
"Liam, why can't you come home at a decent hour, and not be drunk?" His mother asked angrily.
Liam starred up at her, unable to answer. The truth was, he couldn't.
"Boy, answer your mother when she speaks to you!" Liam's father demanded.
"Shhh, you'll wake the girl," Catherine said.
Buffy quietly padded back to her room. She climbed into the bed and let sleep take her. After all, she had two weeks until she needed to do something. Maybe she could convince him to stay inside after dark. But, did she really want his life spared? If she saved him from being turned, her whole life would change. She might change her future and not ever know the love of Angel.
Buffy awoke to a thud. It was dark outside, and there was almost no light in the room. Her eyes soon adjusted and she noticed a figure lying motionless on the floor.
She peered over the side of the bed and noticed he was still breathing. [Must be Angel. He's so drunk he collapsed on the floor.]
She got out of bed and crouched beside him. "Are you okay?" she asked. He moaned but didn't say anything. "Are you okay?" she repeated.
He groaned, and rolled over onto his stomach. He seemed to be sobering up. "I'm B-Elizabeth." She said, introducing herself again, because she had a pretty good idea he didn't remember meeting her earlier that day. He lay there, motionless for a few minutes, until he finally defended himself.
"I knew that," he said, "Liam."
"Uh huh," she grinned.
He propped himself up on his strong arms, and shook his head slightly, the effects of the alcohol slowly wearing off. "So what brings ye to Ireland?"
"I don't know really. I don't remember much about how I got here," she lied.
"Oh," was all he said.
Buffy helped him up. She couldn't help but feel the attraction she had always felt for him.
"Thanks," he said. He really was a man of few words.
Buffy followed Liam as he hobbled into the kitchen. [He seems to limp. Must have taken a spill when he was drunk.]
"Ah, Elizabeth, you're up." Catherine smiled. "Just in time for dinner."
Buffy smiled. It was strange being called 'Elizabeth.' Her mother hadn't called her that since she was a child. It had always been Buffy. She wasn't quite sure why it was Buffy, because Buffy didn't seem to be short for anything.
Catherine motioned for Buffy to sit down next to Mary, the youngest daughter, and herself. Buffy gladly accepted. She didn't know how long it had been since she had had an actual meal since her mom died.
"Elizabeth, tell me a bit about yourself." Catherine said once everyone was seated and had a plate of hot food.
"My name is Elizabeth, but everyone I know calls me Buffy." She said, not knowing what else to tell them.
"You sound as if you're from America," Liam started.
"I am." Buffy answered. Quickly she made up a lie. "My parents and I were traveling in Europe, but I don't know how I got separated from them.
"Dear, that's so sad," Catherine said. "You can stay with us until we figure something out."
"Thank you, that's so very kind of you," Buffy said graciously.
"You're very welcome," Catherine smiled. She seemed never to stop smiling. And Buffy liked that.
After dinner the girls sat down in the floor, begging Buffy to braid there hair. She did all three and was about to collapse when Catherine spoke up. "I think it's bed time for you three," She smiled, crinkling her nose at the children.
"Thanks, I was getting a little tired of doing hair," Buffy giggled.
"S'okay," Catherine answered.
Soon, only Liam and Buffy sat together in front of the roaring fire.
"Something's different about you," Liam noted.
"Don't you think that's a little rude?" Buffy asked.
"Well, it's the truth isn't it?" he asked.
"Certainly not," Buffy said. "At least you've sobered up some. You could barely speak earlier."
He nodded, as Buffy yawned. She was getting sleepy.
"Looks as if you're getting tired."
"Yeah," she replied. "I think I'll go to bed."
Liam followed her into his room, as she lay down. Not knowing what else to do, he lay down beside the bed. What was so different about her? He didn't want to try to touch her, or hurt her. He felt a connection much deeper, and it confused him.
It was strange. It reminded her so much of the night he had spent at her house. Though she had slept so much that day, she was drawn to sleep. Maybe by her will, or maybe by that of a higher being.
TBC...