My life is the most hectic in the world. I swear. I can't tell you how
sorry I am about the lateness of this update... I get three - six hours of
sleep a night. Please don't shoot me. Read the story... hopefully you
like it. :)
Chapter Fourteen
WAR
Silence. The tv was turned down, and Irene Ramirez's lips were moving. Her posture was concerned, but her eyes gave her away. She didn't care that Angels' only real family was dead. Sure, he had his cousins... but his only true parental figures were gone. Football star... like it really mattered. It seemed so trivial now, so unimportant Angel was in a state of shock.
Buffy held him tightly, feeling like she would never, ever let go of him. Quietly she led him upstairs to her bedroom and sat him on the bed. He walked as if in a haze.
" Sleep," she whispered as she kissed his forehead softly. Buffy pulled back her covers for him and began to leave the room.
"Wait."
A hoarse, unbelieving voice sounded. Buffy turned to her love.
Angel stared at her with somber, tear-filled eyes. "Stay with me, Buffy. Please.
"You're all I have left."
Ten minutes later they fell asleep in each others' arms, a spare tear trickling down Angel's smooth cheek.
*****
Phillippe was worried.
True, his son had escaped the bombing - a fact which angered his employers but relieved the father. But his step- daughter - their other target - was off the radar. Missing. And he had a feeling who had her. Without notifying him, at that. Kathy...
Abruptly, his cell phone rang. "O'Connor." "Phillippe." He froze. He knew that voice. No, not him, why him... " You are wondering what has happened to your daughter." "Step-daughter," he corrected. "Same value to you, is it not?
"She is with me."
Phillippe sucked in a breath.
" Why. Why not with Bizby or Flannerti or..."
The voice chuckled. " Why? The plan, Phillippe. The master plan. But - wait, you know nothing of the plan, do you? Your part of course, but not the big picture. Well, Phillippe, I think it's time you knew."
As the voice continued, an unearthly shiver ran down his spine.
"Got it, son?"
Phillippe gritted out his final words. "Yes... Father."
Dial tone.
*****
"And then he just turned off. Just like.... like one of my mothers' art sculptures, or something. Cold. Unmoving."
Buffy was relating to Willow in the living room. She had come as soon as Buffy had called. Now they sat over steaming cups of tea. Buffy looked more solemn than Willow had ever seen her.
" I just feel so helpless, you know? I can't help him. I wish..."
Buffy sighed, and looked down.
" Sometimes I wish I had super-powers. It sounds so stupid, but then... maybe I could save everyone that keeps being hurt. Angel's family, your friend Jesse, my friends in LA, Celia... and Angel."
Willow looked sympathetic.
"Buffy, you can't beat yourself up about this. Besides, superpowers don't exist, remember? Magic doesn't exist. That's in Harry Potter books. Not in real life. There's nothing you could have done."
Buffy's eyes shone with unshed tears.
"Will... his family is dead, because of me! I- "
Willow broke her sentence and gently said, "You have to be his family. YOU, Buffy. You and Spike and Dru are all he has left. You have to be there for him. Especially when no one else can be."
Buffy smiled sorrowfully and went to give Willow a hug.
"Thanks Will. You're such a good friend."
Willow gave a little laugh and hugged her back. "Thank you, Buffy! Before I met you, I was nothing like I am today. Your reaching out to me, being my friend, means so much."
The two girls smiled and laughed together.
"KATHY! NO!"
Angel shot straight up in bed, panting. Buffy was there in an instant. She looked about wildly, concerned.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
Angel was already gathering up his coat and shoes. He turned to herm eyes panicked, but somehow resigned.
"My sister Kathy. He has her."
Buffy followed him downstairs. "Who has her?"
Angel pulled her into a long kiss, filled with emotion. Then he swept down the driveway to his car.
He called bitterly behind him.
"My grandfather."
Wha-ha. REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Promise I'll write more - I'm homeschooling this year, so I should have more time, heh heh. ;)
Chapter Fourteen
WAR
Silence. The tv was turned down, and Irene Ramirez's lips were moving. Her posture was concerned, but her eyes gave her away. She didn't care that Angels' only real family was dead. Sure, he had his cousins... but his only true parental figures were gone. Football star... like it really mattered. It seemed so trivial now, so unimportant Angel was in a state of shock.
Buffy held him tightly, feeling like she would never, ever let go of him. Quietly she led him upstairs to her bedroom and sat him on the bed. He walked as if in a haze.
" Sleep," she whispered as she kissed his forehead softly. Buffy pulled back her covers for him and began to leave the room.
"Wait."
A hoarse, unbelieving voice sounded. Buffy turned to her love.
Angel stared at her with somber, tear-filled eyes. "Stay with me, Buffy. Please.
"You're all I have left."
Ten minutes later they fell asleep in each others' arms, a spare tear trickling down Angel's smooth cheek.
*****
Phillippe was worried.
True, his son had escaped the bombing - a fact which angered his employers but relieved the father. But his step- daughter - their other target - was off the radar. Missing. And he had a feeling who had her. Without notifying him, at that. Kathy...
Abruptly, his cell phone rang. "O'Connor." "Phillippe." He froze. He knew that voice. No, not him, why him... " You are wondering what has happened to your daughter." "Step-daughter," he corrected. "Same value to you, is it not?
"She is with me."
Phillippe sucked in a breath.
" Why. Why not with Bizby or Flannerti or..."
The voice chuckled. " Why? The plan, Phillippe. The master plan. But - wait, you know nothing of the plan, do you? Your part of course, but not the big picture. Well, Phillippe, I think it's time you knew."
As the voice continued, an unearthly shiver ran down his spine.
"Got it, son?"
Phillippe gritted out his final words. "Yes... Father."
Dial tone.
*****
"And then he just turned off. Just like.... like one of my mothers' art sculptures, or something. Cold. Unmoving."
Buffy was relating to Willow in the living room. She had come as soon as Buffy had called. Now they sat over steaming cups of tea. Buffy looked more solemn than Willow had ever seen her.
" I just feel so helpless, you know? I can't help him. I wish..."
Buffy sighed, and looked down.
" Sometimes I wish I had super-powers. It sounds so stupid, but then... maybe I could save everyone that keeps being hurt. Angel's family, your friend Jesse, my friends in LA, Celia... and Angel."
Willow looked sympathetic.
"Buffy, you can't beat yourself up about this. Besides, superpowers don't exist, remember? Magic doesn't exist. That's in Harry Potter books. Not in real life. There's nothing you could have done."
Buffy's eyes shone with unshed tears.
"Will... his family is dead, because of me! I- "
Willow broke her sentence and gently said, "You have to be his family. YOU, Buffy. You and Spike and Dru are all he has left. You have to be there for him. Especially when no one else can be."
Buffy smiled sorrowfully and went to give Willow a hug.
"Thanks Will. You're such a good friend."
Willow gave a little laugh and hugged her back. "Thank you, Buffy! Before I met you, I was nothing like I am today. Your reaching out to me, being my friend, means so much."
The two girls smiled and laughed together.
"KATHY! NO!"
Angel shot straight up in bed, panting. Buffy was there in an instant. She looked about wildly, concerned.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
Angel was already gathering up his coat and shoes. He turned to herm eyes panicked, but somehow resigned.
"My sister Kathy. He has her."
Buffy followed him downstairs. "Who has her?"
Angel pulled her into a long kiss, filled with emotion. Then he swept down the driveway to his car.
He called bitterly behind him.
"My grandfather."
Wha-ha. REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Promise I'll write more - I'm homeschooling this year, so I should have more time, heh heh. ;)