Love's Truth
"LA?" Dawn whispered excitedly.
"Yes. And you aren't coming," Buffy replied in her full big sister mode now.
"What? Why not?!" Dawn was in full annoying little sister mode now.
"Because. Angel wouldn't have called and asked me to come unless it was something important and that means it will probably be dangerous. So, no little sister coming along. You can stay at Willow's or Giles's or Xander's. Your pick."
"Uuuuuuuuhhhhhhh! This is so unfair!" Dawn crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her older sister.
"Yeah, well get used to it," Buffy shrugged and headed towards her bedroom. Spike was about to follow her but stopped by the angry teen and said, "Don't worry Nibblet. I'll try 'n talk your big sis into it."
"Really?! Oh Spike you are so cool!" Dawn flung her arms around him.
"I'm not making any promises though. You know how your sis is."
"Just try," Dawn whispered as he began to follow Buffy's path up the stairs.
"Sure thing 'lil bit."
***
"Buffy, luv, I think you should reconsider making Dawn stay here," Spike said as he entered the slayer's room.
She was throwing various articles of clothing into a suitcase and mumbling something about her hair.
"What?" she looked up in surprise. "You want Dawn to come with us to where there's dangerous evil stuff?"
Spike was prepared for that. He had thought of all the reasons for Dawn to come as he walked up the stairs.
"Pet, did you forget something? LA isn't the hellmouth, Sunnydale is. Sure, something big's going down there, but with her two strongest bodyguards gone, who'll protect her?"
Spike's point was being made, but Buffy wouldn't give up that easily.
"Willow and Tara can handle it. They're both powerful witches." Buffy continued with her packing.
"But Buffy, how would you feel if something did happen to your little sis and the witches couldn't do a thing 'bout it?"
Buffy was silent. Spike took that as a time to continue his argument. "Plus, when was the last time Dawn ever left this sodding town?"
"Fine!" Buffy growled as she turned around. "Go tell her to get her butt in gear."
Spike grinned and said, "You won't regret it luv."
"Yeah, sure."
***
"I'm back!" Cordy called as she entered the LA hotel, shopping bags in hand.
"Hello??" she turned in a circle as she looked around for any signs of life-or unlife.
"Anybody here?" she called.
"Cordy," a voice said behind her.
"Ah!" she yelled before turning around to see who it was. "Oh, Gunn, you scared the hell outta me."
"Sorry," he replied quickly.
"So where's our favorite vampire with a soul?" she asked.
"Dunno. I just got here. I already looked everywhere for him, not here. I was just going to check with the Host."
"I'll come too," Cordy set down her shopping bags and followed him out the door.
They made their way to Caritas and Lorne immediately spotted them. "Cordy! Gunn! Where's Angelcakes?" he asked after noticing that they were missing their other member.
"You don't know where he is either?" Cordy asked.
"Nope." The demon shook his head.
"Well I guess we'd better-" Cordy was cut off as Angel himself walked in.
"Where were you?" she asked.
"Just walking. Why? Miss me?" he teased.
"You made me worry!" Cordy smacked him on the chest. "You're going to give me worry lines!"
"Oh, sorry Cordy. And I actually thought you cared."
"And you made me leave my shopping bags at the hotel!" The brunette ran out of the bar and Gunn shrugged.
"Better follow her," Angel said.
The two of them walked outside and saw Cordy almost a block away from them. They weren't in the mood to run after her, so they continued walking down the sidewalk while keeping their eyes on her.
Suddenly, Cordy vanished from their sight. "Uh, Angel, where's Cordy?" Gunn asked.
"I don't know," Angel took off in the direction where they had seen her last, Gunn close behind.
***
"I can go?! That is sooo awesome!" Dawn cried, throwing her arms around Spike for the second time that day.
"Yeah, but you better get packing because your sis isn't in such a patient mood." Spike took a step back away from Dawn.
"This whole seeing Angel thing is making her a little freaky," he added.
"Yeah. It usually does," Dawn sighed and sat down on her bed. "Can you hand me that suitcase in the closet?" Dawn pointed to the top shelf of her closet.
"Sure." Spike grabbed it and tossed it to the slayer's younger sister.
Catching it, Dawn decided now was the best time to ask him something. "Spike?"
"Yeah nibblet?"
"I…just wanted to ask you…do you think that you and Buffy will…you know…get married?" the nervous teen blurted out the last part.
The question took the ex-vamp by surprise. "I'm not sure Dawn. I mean, I love your sister and I'm pretty sure she loves me, but I know we're not even close to being that ready, prophecy or not."
"I know you're not that ready yet, but I mean ultimately," Dawn corrected herself.
"Well, perhaps, when we're ready. I would really like to marry your sis lil bit, but I know that she's scared just being in a relationship at all."
Dawn nodded, taking all the information in.
"But maybe someday nibblet, someday," Spike said as he patted Dawn's head and walked out of the room.
"Spike as a brother-in-law. Now that would be interesting," Dawn whispered to herself.
***
"Cordy?" Angel called to the shadows.
He had just turned down the same alley Cordelia had been walking by when she disappeared and he hadn't found her yet.
Suddenly, Angel heard a noise behind him. It sounded like a muffled scream. "Cordy," Angel whispered and walked towards the direction of where he heard it.
Turning the corner, he saw quite an interesting sight. Two vamps were holding Cordy while one had his hand over her mouth. She was kicking, clawing, and biting the best she could against their superior strength. Another was standing nearby watching as his two minions battered the brunette. There were already two piles of dust on the ground, definitely the seer's work.
But her stake wouldn't help her anymore since it was lying a good ten feet away and she was unarmed.
The vamps all had their backs turned to Angel and he took that chance to attack before they caught his scent.
He dove on the one closest to him just as Gunn caught up and grabbed out a stake he had. He hadn't had time to grab his ax in all the rush.
Gunn staked one of the vamps holding the former May Queen and Cordy elbowed the only remaining guard in the stomach. He went down and Cordy motioned for Gunn to toss her his stake. He did so and she caught it and drove it home with suprising accuracy.
"Damn vamps," she muttered, "They broke my new heels." Cordy held up her damaged footwear, causing Angel and Gunn to groan.
"We save you, and all you can do is complain about your cheap 25% off shoes?" Gunn asked incredulously.
"Hey! These shoes were not cheap, and they were only 15% off!" Cordy retorted.
"Whoa, okay, down girl," Gunn held his hands up in front of him in a protective gesture.
"Humph," Cordy took off her damaged shoes, held them one in each hand, and began walking back to the hotel. "I could have handled them if I hadn't dropped my stupid stake."
"Well that's the point. You did drop your stupid stake, and we saved you." Angel stated matter-of-factly.
"Angel…just shut up!" Cordy cried in frustration, and threw her shoes up in the air.
The two men narrowly dodged the flying heels, but a nearby shop window was not so fortunate. Upon hearing the glass shatter, Cordy flinched and squeezed her eyes shut tight as if that would make it all go away. "Oopsie?" she whispered meekly as she turned around to review the damage. "Big oopsie," she corrected herself.
"Let's get outta here," Gunn motioned to the window that had just lit up near the shop.
"Agreed."
The three of them booked it all the way back to the hotel, Cordy running in her bare feet.
***
"Okay, we got everything?" Buffy asked as she scanned the DeSoto's trunk.
"Everything? This better be everything! Bloody hell woman, there's not even enough room to close it!" Spike cried as he pushed on the car's trunk.
Buffy just grinned mischievously and walked up to the passenger's seat, letting herself in.
Dawn was already seated in the back and had the window rolled down letting the early morning air wash over her.
Spike was finally able to drive the DeSoto during the day with the windows down. It sure would be a new experience, and a much cooler one at that.
Spike got into the driver's seat and rolled down his window. Xander, Anya, Giles, Willow, and Tara were all standing in the Summers's driveway, watching their friend's departure.
"Bye Xan! Bye Willow! Bye Giles and Anya and Tara!" Buffy waved at them gleefully. Spike wondered why she was so damn excited. Seeing her ex about a dangerous vision wasn't exactly her kind of fun. Just an hour ago she had been all slayer, ready to get her job done safely and quickly. But now she was acting as if it were just a road trip. It was probably just for Dawn's and the Scoobies's sakes; she probably didn't want them to worry.
Okay Buffy, she thought to herself, you're just going to see Angel. You know Angel, the guy that you loved and left you? Yes, of course you do. Now just relax and get ready to see him again. It won't be that hard, just look at him and ignore any past feelings that have to do with him. Okay. That will be simple. Those feelings wouldn't matter anyway, I'm with Spike now. Yup, good 'ol Spike. Nice, tasty, sexy, Spike…..Great! Now I'm nervous and horny!
Hi! Did you like that chapter or what? Don't worry, I didn't forget Wesley, he'll be there soon enough. You can only stand him for so long. J/K. Well, if you want more than I guess you'll just have to review your butt off, won't you? :^)~