Chapter 5 - Pain and Reflection
He stood and ran to her, gathering her in his arms. "Oh God...I thought everyone was dead."
"How are you...?"
"I heard that Cordy was murdered while I was away, then Connor kidnapped. I couldn't believe it when Wesley was killed." He stepped backward, still holding onto her shoulders. "Please tell me that Gunn is still alive."
She shook her head, letting a tear fall. "They shot him. He tried to escape. They just told me a few minutes after they arrested me. Then...I saw him dead...he was just laying there...in a puddle of blood...Oh God.." She fell to her knees, hugging Angel's legs. "What happened to us, Angel?"
He knelt. "I don't know. Everything just went wrong at once." He stroked her hair. "I heard you had a child."
She nodded. "I guess I did."
"How is it?"
She shook her head again. "Sick. I didn't know...I didn't know...She's too innocent to die."
He nodded. "So was Connor...but I had to bury my own son anyway."
"Wait..." she stopped crying and stood, taking a step back from him, "how are you here?"
He raised an eyebrow. "You don't remember? I left because the powers sent me away to become mortal again. I'm a mortal, Fred..." He could see it in her eyes. "You honestly didn't know."
She sat down in a pew. "What are you doing now?"
He smiled slightly and touched the collar around his neck. "Making up for what I did wrong. I'm a priest." Angel took a seat next to her and stroked her hair.
"Gunn killed them. And I think I was there." She took a deep breath and let it out.
"Who?"
She looked straight into his eyes. "Cordy, Connor, Wesley...the other four. Innocent people, all of them. Especially Connor." She shook her head, disbelieving the things that she had supposedly done. "If I tell you something, would you believe me?"
"After a life like mine...I'll believe anything."
* * *
Fred stood over the graves of the loved ones who she had lost. The stones were cold, hard, reminders of the warm, loving bodies that she once knew. She had thought, for a brief moment in her life that there was a spark of hope between she and Wesley, but she was too shy to make a move. She placed the rose on top of the stone, running her hand over the indentations in the granite.
Wesley Phillip Alexander Wyndham-Price
B. March 27th, 1967
D. March 26th, 2003
"May the Watcher be forever watched in the eyes of God"
"I wrote that." Angel said, stepping up behind her. He offered her a cup of warm hot chocolate.
She nodded and accepted the offering. "I killed him a day before his 36th birthday." She would have cried, but no longer had the strength. "I should have been planning his surprise party. Wesley hated surprises..."
The tall, dark, handsome man rubbed her back gently. "You didn't do it Fred. It's not your fault." He turned her to face him. "I see now that you've learned your lesson."
She raised an eyebrow. "What lesson?"
Out of the shadows came a familiar figure. His eyes were red as blood, with matching horns that stuck out of his green forehead. "Hiya, Doll."
Fred's eyes darted back and forth from Lorne to Angel.
"I called him. He knows exactly what's going on." Angel stepped back and let Lorne do the talking.
"Look, babes. The thing was...you and Wesley were dying to get to know each other better. I could read it all over you. Geez...you were at the perfect moment. You should have kissed...but you didn't." He shook his head. "But remember, I'm not always going to be here to help you learn your lessons and sort out your life."
She dropped the hot chocolate, spilling it over the cold snow. "Please, tell me...what lesson?" She stepped towards him.
He smiled his usual green smile and sighed. "Carpe Diem, sweetcakes. Carpe Diem."
He stood and ran to her, gathering her in his arms. "Oh God...I thought everyone was dead."
"How are you...?"
"I heard that Cordy was murdered while I was away, then Connor kidnapped. I couldn't believe it when Wesley was killed." He stepped backward, still holding onto her shoulders. "Please tell me that Gunn is still alive."
She shook her head, letting a tear fall. "They shot him. He tried to escape. They just told me a few minutes after they arrested me. Then...I saw him dead...he was just laying there...in a puddle of blood...Oh God.." She fell to her knees, hugging Angel's legs. "What happened to us, Angel?"
He knelt. "I don't know. Everything just went wrong at once." He stroked her hair. "I heard you had a child."
She nodded. "I guess I did."
"How is it?"
She shook her head again. "Sick. I didn't know...I didn't know...She's too innocent to die."
He nodded. "So was Connor...but I had to bury my own son anyway."
"Wait..." she stopped crying and stood, taking a step back from him, "how are you here?"
He raised an eyebrow. "You don't remember? I left because the powers sent me away to become mortal again. I'm a mortal, Fred..." He could see it in her eyes. "You honestly didn't know."
She sat down in a pew. "What are you doing now?"
He smiled slightly and touched the collar around his neck. "Making up for what I did wrong. I'm a priest." Angel took a seat next to her and stroked her hair.
"Gunn killed them. And I think I was there." She took a deep breath and let it out.
"Who?"
She looked straight into his eyes. "Cordy, Connor, Wesley...the other four. Innocent people, all of them. Especially Connor." She shook her head, disbelieving the things that she had supposedly done. "If I tell you something, would you believe me?"
"After a life like mine...I'll believe anything."
* * *
Fred stood over the graves of the loved ones who she had lost. The stones were cold, hard, reminders of the warm, loving bodies that she once knew. She had thought, for a brief moment in her life that there was a spark of hope between she and Wesley, but she was too shy to make a move. She placed the rose on top of the stone, running her hand over the indentations in the granite.
Wesley Phillip Alexander Wyndham-Price
B. March 27th, 1967
D. March 26th, 2003
"May the Watcher be forever watched in the eyes of God"
"I wrote that." Angel said, stepping up behind her. He offered her a cup of warm hot chocolate.
She nodded and accepted the offering. "I killed him a day before his 36th birthday." She would have cried, but no longer had the strength. "I should have been planning his surprise party. Wesley hated surprises..."
The tall, dark, handsome man rubbed her back gently. "You didn't do it Fred. It's not your fault." He turned her to face him. "I see now that you've learned your lesson."
She raised an eyebrow. "What lesson?"
Out of the shadows came a familiar figure. His eyes were red as blood, with matching horns that stuck out of his green forehead. "Hiya, Doll."
Fred's eyes darted back and forth from Lorne to Angel.
"I called him. He knows exactly what's going on." Angel stepped back and let Lorne do the talking.
"Look, babes. The thing was...you and Wesley were dying to get to know each other better. I could read it all over you. Geez...you were at the perfect moment. You should have kissed...but you didn't." He shook his head. "But remember, I'm not always going to be here to help you learn your lessons and sort out your life."
She dropped the hot chocolate, spilling it over the cold snow. "Please, tell me...what lesson?" She stepped towards him.
He smiled his usual green smile and sighed. "Carpe Diem, sweetcakes. Carpe Diem."