Part 9/?
"Their gone," Buffy stared blankly at the shop's wall as the two stepped inside. "Oh god, their gone."
Angel crushed her body to his. "It's okay, we'll find them."
Everything had been fine, they'd talked to Willy, and were on their way back to the Magic Box. The store was trashed, tables flipped over, and one of the window's was broken.
"How can you say that? I let something happen to them, while I was off getting information. I should have known. Sewers. That's how we get out when vampires attack, why didn't I realize they could get in that way too?" Buffy cried against his shoulder.
"Well, we have a lead. We'll follow the sewers, and find them." Angel said, stroking her hair.
"No, that won't work. There's thousands of miles of sewers in Sunnydale," she said weakly. She didn't feel like fighting anymore.
"Buffy, listen, don't give up. We'll find them, then we'll find Connor. I can smell them. I know Willow, and I'll be able to smell her." Angel said as she continued stroking her hair.
"Yeah, I guess so," she replied. She pulled away from his embrace and started gathering weapons. She pulled out her slaying bag from behind the counter and loaded stakes, crosses, holy water and garlic into it.
Angel took a battle axe from the display cabinet. It had always been his specialty.
"Let's go," he said gruffly, already picking up on Willow. The vampires couldn't have gotten far.
Buffy and Angel ran side by side, and as her speed increased, his did too. They reached a fork in the tunnels, and each went a different way.
Buffy slogged through the sewers, but stopped suddenly when she heard voices. Vampires. She unzipped her bag, pulled out two stakes and tucked one into her jacket. She held the other in her right fist.
"Tell me, witch, where is it?" a male vampire asked Willow. Buffy heard the smack of his hand against Willow's cheek, and Willow's cries of pain.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Willow replied, tears streaming down her face.
"How 'bout you, bitch," another vampire asked.
"No," Anya replied hoping she wouldn't get hit.
"I'm sure you do," he replied.
"No, I'm sure you don't want to lay another hand on her." Buffy said, as she made her presence known.
"And why not?" The vampire asked.
"Well, I'd keep talking if I wanted my ass kicked." Buffy said, raising her stake.
"Oh shit," a vampire standing behind the two exclaimed; obviously a newbie.
"Oh shit is right," Buffy said. "Unless you let my friends go, I'm guessing you're going to be a pile of dust in less than 5.2 seconds."
"Hell no, we want the book, we want Angelus' son," the first vampire replied.
"I'm thinking no," Buffy said, as she flew at the first one with a side kick. He fell to the ground and was out. "Anyone else wanna mess with me?"
"I do," a female vampire stated. Buffy turned to look, a pale, slender vampire stood behind her. Game face on.
Buffy squared her shoulders, while still keeping an eye on the remaining vampire behind her. The newbie must have known what was good for him, because he was gone. "And who the hell are you?"
"Your worst nightmare," the vampiress replied.
"Please, that so came from a horror movie," Buffy said, taking a step forward. Suddenly, behind her, she heard the vampire get up. She spun on her heel and kicked him in the gut. He stumbled back, but didn't fall. She punched him in the nose and heard the satisfying crunch of bone, as blood spurted from his wound. She took this opportunity to plunge the stake into his unbeating heart. A spray of dust splashed into her face.
"Impressive," the vampire said smiling. She hadn't moved. She didn't want to fight.
"What do you want?" Buffy asked, turning to face her.
"Angelus' son," she replied patiently.
"Doesn't everybody?" Angel asked from behind, causing the vampiress to turn quickly.
"Angelus?" She questioned.
"Angel," he corrected.
"Angel," she echoed slowly, rolling his name around on her tongue.
"I guess you know we're not going to let you have his son, right?" Buffy asked.
"I think I'm going to try," she replied.
Angel rushed to Buffy as the unnamed female vampire disappeared from the tunnels. "Should we follow her?" Buffy asked uncertainly.
"No, she's not going to be found until she wants to be." He said, loosening the rope from Willow's wrists. Buffy began untieing Anya's restraints.
"What did they want?" Willow asked as she rubbed the rope burns on her wrists.
"A book," Buffy replied.
"All that for a book?" Anya questioned angrily.
"A book that will find Connor," Angel sighed. He had known this was too much trouble. He should have never come here. "I never should have come here," Angel said, voicing his thoughts.
"Don't say that," Buffy scolded.
Angel didn't reply, and the tension was evident as they made their way back to the Magic Box.
*
"I'm going home to see Dawn," Buffy said, as they arrived at the shop. She couldn't stay there with *him*. Why was he acting so stupid?
She brushed tears from her eyes. They had so much, and he was going to let that be ruined because Willow and Anya were kidnapped? Hell, they'd all been in danger before! Buffy slammed the door angrily, and Dawn came running down the stairs.
"Buffy!" she said, surprised. "I thought you were in LA. You know, doing the lovey-dovey thing with Angel."
"I'm home," Buffy replied dully.
"Way to state the obvious," Dawn smiled cheerfully. She quickly noticed Buffy's frown. "What's wrong?"
"It's Angel's son," Buffy replied. "I know, long story, but he has a son, *had* a son, and Holtz took him. Now, he thinks it's hopeless to look for him, even after I beat up Willy, who told us their was a book that could find Connor." Buffy spilled, tears welling again. "He said he shouldn't have come here."
"Oh, Buffy," Dawn said, wrapping her small arms around her sister. "It'll be okay. He's Angel, and I'm sure he'll come to his senses. Especially if he has an annoying girl telling him how you always come through."
Buffy laughed slightly. She had always been able to count on Dawn, even when she was being a brat.
They sat, sisters, and they talked. For once, they talked. They talked about Angel, Dawn's crush, Brad, and her stealing problem.
*
Buffy moved from her spot on the couch, were Dawn lay asleep. It was past midnight. She winced at the tingling sensation in her legs. She grabbed her jacket, and quietly left the house. She made her rounds, not looking for *him,* but of course, you find things when you're not looking for them.
"Buffy," he whispered as she approached. He sat, leaned against a grave stone.
"Angel," she regarded him.
"I'm sorry," he said softly.
"Good," she said coldly. "You should be. You can't give up when things go wrong." She said. "Do you know how many times I tried to forget you after you left? It was hard, but I made it. And, then I fell hard for you again."
"I know," he sighed. "I just hate dragging you into things."
"I like to be dragged," she said. "That doesn't sound right, but I like to help. And, I have to. For you."
Angel nodded, but didn't reply.
She took his hand cautiously. He returned her grip and smiled. "Are we good?"
"Yes," she replied. He placed a gently kiss on her lips, and the two walked silently back to her house.
*
TBC?? Do you still like!!
"Their gone," Buffy stared blankly at the shop's wall as the two stepped inside. "Oh god, their gone."
Angel crushed her body to his. "It's okay, we'll find them."
Everything had been fine, they'd talked to Willy, and were on their way back to the Magic Box. The store was trashed, tables flipped over, and one of the window's was broken.
"How can you say that? I let something happen to them, while I was off getting information. I should have known. Sewers. That's how we get out when vampires attack, why didn't I realize they could get in that way too?" Buffy cried against his shoulder.
"Well, we have a lead. We'll follow the sewers, and find them." Angel said, stroking her hair.
"No, that won't work. There's thousands of miles of sewers in Sunnydale," she said weakly. She didn't feel like fighting anymore.
"Buffy, listen, don't give up. We'll find them, then we'll find Connor. I can smell them. I know Willow, and I'll be able to smell her." Angel said as she continued stroking her hair.
"Yeah, I guess so," she replied. She pulled away from his embrace and started gathering weapons. She pulled out her slaying bag from behind the counter and loaded stakes, crosses, holy water and garlic into it.
Angel took a battle axe from the display cabinet. It had always been his specialty.
"Let's go," he said gruffly, already picking up on Willow. The vampires couldn't have gotten far.
Buffy and Angel ran side by side, and as her speed increased, his did too. They reached a fork in the tunnels, and each went a different way.
Buffy slogged through the sewers, but stopped suddenly when she heard voices. Vampires. She unzipped her bag, pulled out two stakes and tucked one into her jacket. She held the other in her right fist.
"Tell me, witch, where is it?" a male vampire asked Willow. Buffy heard the smack of his hand against Willow's cheek, and Willow's cries of pain.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Willow replied, tears streaming down her face.
"How 'bout you, bitch," another vampire asked.
"No," Anya replied hoping she wouldn't get hit.
"I'm sure you do," he replied.
"No, I'm sure you don't want to lay another hand on her." Buffy said, as she made her presence known.
"And why not?" The vampire asked.
"Well, I'd keep talking if I wanted my ass kicked." Buffy said, raising her stake.
"Oh shit," a vampire standing behind the two exclaimed; obviously a newbie.
"Oh shit is right," Buffy said. "Unless you let my friends go, I'm guessing you're going to be a pile of dust in less than 5.2 seconds."
"Hell no, we want the book, we want Angelus' son," the first vampire replied.
"I'm thinking no," Buffy said, as she flew at the first one with a side kick. He fell to the ground and was out. "Anyone else wanna mess with me?"
"I do," a female vampire stated. Buffy turned to look, a pale, slender vampire stood behind her. Game face on.
Buffy squared her shoulders, while still keeping an eye on the remaining vampire behind her. The newbie must have known what was good for him, because he was gone. "And who the hell are you?"
"Your worst nightmare," the vampiress replied.
"Please, that so came from a horror movie," Buffy said, taking a step forward. Suddenly, behind her, she heard the vampire get up. She spun on her heel and kicked him in the gut. He stumbled back, but didn't fall. She punched him in the nose and heard the satisfying crunch of bone, as blood spurted from his wound. She took this opportunity to plunge the stake into his unbeating heart. A spray of dust splashed into her face.
"Impressive," the vampire said smiling. She hadn't moved. She didn't want to fight.
"What do you want?" Buffy asked, turning to face her.
"Angelus' son," she replied patiently.
"Doesn't everybody?" Angel asked from behind, causing the vampiress to turn quickly.
"Angelus?" She questioned.
"Angel," he corrected.
"Angel," she echoed slowly, rolling his name around on her tongue.
"I guess you know we're not going to let you have his son, right?" Buffy asked.
"I think I'm going to try," she replied.
Angel rushed to Buffy as the unnamed female vampire disappeared from the tunnels. "Should we follow her?" Buffy asked uncertainly.
"No, she's not going to be found until she wants to be." He said, loosening the rope from Willow's wrists. Buffy began untieing Anya's restraints.
"What did they want?" Willow asked as she rubbed the rope burns on her wrists.
"A book," Buffy replied.
"All that for a book?" Anya questioned angrily.
"A book that will find Connor," Angel sighed. He had known this was too much trouble. He should have never come here. "I never should have come here," Angel said, voicing his thoughts.
"Don't say that," Buffy scolded.
Angel didn't reply, and the tension was evident as they made their way back to the Magic Box.
*
"I'm going home to see Dawn," Buffy said, as they arrived at the shop. She couldn't stay there with *him*. Why was he acting so stupid?
She brushed tears from her eyes. They had so much, and he was going to let that be ruined because Willow and Anya were kidnapped? Hell, they'd all been in danger before! Buffy slammed the door angrily, and Dawn came running down the stairs.
"Buffy!" she said, surprised. "I thought you were in LA. You know, doing the lovey-dovey thing with Angel."
"I'm home," Buffy replied dully.
"Way to state the obvious," Dawn smiled cheerfully. She quickly noticed Buffy's frown. "What's wrong?"
"It's Angel's son," Buffy replied. "I know, long story, but he has a son, *had* a son, and Holtz took him. Now, he thinks it's hopeless to look for him, even after I beat up Willy, who told us their was a book that could find Connor." Buffy spilled, tears welling again. "He said he shouldn't have come here."
"Oh, Buffy," Dawn said, wrapping her small arms around her sister. "It'll be okay. He's Angel, and I'm sure he'll come to his senses. Especially if he has an annoying girl telling him how you always come through."
Buffy laughed slightly. She had always been able to count on Dawn, even when she was being a brat.
They sat, sisters, and they talked. For once, they talked. They talked about Angel, Dawn's crush, Brad, and her stealing problem.
*
Buffy moved from her spot on the couch, were Dawn lay asleep. It was past midnight. She winced at the tingling sensation in her legs. She grabbed her jacket, and quietly left the house. She made her rounds, not looking for *him,* but of course, you find things when you're not looking for them.
"Buffy," he whispered as she approached. He sat, leaned against a grave stone.
"Angel," she regarded him.
"I'm sorry," he said softly.
"Good," she said coldly. "You should be. You can't give up when things go wrong." She said. "Do you know how many times I tried to forget you after you left? It was hard, but I made it. And, then I fell hard for you again."
"I know," he sighed. "I just hate dragging you into things."
"I like to be dragged," she said. "That doesn't sound right, but I like to help. And, I have to. For you."
Angel nodded, but didn't reply.
She took his hand cautiously. He returned her grip and smiled. "Are we good?"
"Yes," she replied. He placed a gently kiss on her lips, and the two walked silently back to her house.
*
TBC?? Do you still like!!