Part 4


Los Angeles, California

Gunn had nearly the same reaction as Giles when he met Emma. She so clearly did not belong, looking so British Boarding School that she seemed straight out of a porn movie. He even bet that her underwear was white and cotton and extremly modest. And then he smacked himself mentally for thinking about her underwear when she was so clearly a damsel in distress. A pretty, raven haired, big blue eyed, long legged damsel in distress.

"What can Angel Investigations do to help you?"

"I need to see my brother, Wesley. Do you know when he'll be in, or perhaps where he might live?"

"Uh - The entire team's gone to England - I'm watchin' the place for them."

Her face crumpled.

"I just came from there!" She sniffled. "I need to see him!" tears slid down her sculpted cheeks. "I-I-I need his help! They're after me and I need Wesley!"

She reached into her bag, pulled out a kleenex and blew her nose daintily.

"So sorry for the outburst. You must think I'm terribly weak."

"I could call him?"

"Would you? Oh that would be ever so kind of you!"

******

London, England

Wesley swore. Loudly.

Cordelia turned from the window she was staring out of.

"So it's happened then?" Wesley said into the reciever. Pause. "Please keep an eye on her - she's very - Yes I know she is. She's underage, Charles. Don't let her out of your sight, unless you're going someplace where she shouldn't be - then don't take her with you. Don't let her drink, don't take her out to clubs and don't try anything with her."

"Why? Why? Because, as I mentioned before, she is underage. She's my sister, and she knows self defense."

"Two black belts and a brown."

"Yes, I'm sure that's why she's so toned. May I speak with Emma, please?"

"Em? What are you doing in Los Angeles?"

"No, I won't tell Dad where you are."

"No, he isn't in the room with me. He's not home."

"I'll be back in a week, sit tight and don't do anything stupid."

"Yes, Emma. I love you too."

Wesley hung up the phone.

"So you're not gonna tell your Dad where she is?"

No, I'm not. If he found out, he'd drag her back, and there'd be hell to pay for both of us."

******

Galway, Ireland, or somewhere abouts

"Honeymoon?" The tiny receptionist asked as Angel arranged for their rooms in the small hotel just outside the town.

"No, we're not married." said Darla. The woman frowned.

"Seperate beds then?"

"Yes, please." Angel said, Darla detected what she thought was a note of relief in his voice.

"Americans, eh? First trip to the Emerald Isle?"

"I'm American." said Darla. "He was actually born here. Right here in this very town."

"A search for your roots thing?"

"Sort of." She took the key and they went upstairs.

"Why'd you tell her you were American?" Angel hissed.

"Because it's much easier than explaining that while I lived and died in Virginia, and have an American accent, I am not in fact an American because when I was alive, that country did not exist."

"Oh."

"So, does Galway look any different two centauries later?"

"Very, very different." said Angel. "There are more - people for one thing. And a lot of the streets seem to have been renamed. And there are new buildings."

"We'll go on a walking tour tommorrow."

"I hear it's supposed to rain." Angel was starting to feel nervous about walking around the town of his birth, death and first bloody rampage.

"Good, then we can go in the daytime."

******

It did rain, and Darla bought a pale blue umbrella for herself, and a black one for Angel. They strolled down the street, feeling just like two normal, human people. They even got a few stares, rarely was such an attractive couple seen outside of films or television.

"Does this bother you?" Angel asked. "I mean - walking around like this, in the place where we caused so much pain?"

Darla smiled. So young, still so young.

"There's no where I haven't caused pain. If I went around avoiding the scenes of my crimes, I'd have to lock myself in the closet and be fed pancakes under the door."

"True."

He felt compelled to hold her hand for some strange reason. It still felt as soft and dainty as it always had.

"There's the tavern where I first saw you." She said. "Do you want to go inside?"

"They might hassel me about that tab I never paid off!" Angel joked. A slight chill as they passed another significant spot on their way to the pub. The alley where they'd first met. The place where he'd been turned, where his life had changed forever.

They stood and looked at it for minute, each lost in his or her own thoughts. As allies go, it was pretty crummy. Black, muddy puddles, water dripping off beams and roofs and window sills. Modern trash thrown on the ground where Darla's delicate shoes had once stood, while Liam died in her arms.

Darla put her arm around Angel's waist and leaned her head against his chest.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"Hindsight is 20/20." said Angel sadly.

"Well, well." A voice oozed like oil. "If it isn't Angelus and Darla. Back from your little trip abroad?"

Dark shadows loomed behind them, appearing almost from out of the woodwork and the tiny spaces between buildings.

"Hamilton." Said Darla.

The voice became a man in his thirties, with long, shaggy red hair and an old green fishmen's cap on his head. He was in game face.

"You two have been gone a long, long time. Things have changed around here - I'm in charge now."

"That's good for you." said Angel. "Way to go, Hammie."

"I won't have you screwing things up for me."

"We weren't planning on it." said Darla. "You leave us alone and we'll leave you alone."

"I can't do that, Darla." said Angel. "We have an obligation to these townspeople."

"Damn your obligations, Angel! I don't want a fight!" Darla protested.

"Trouble in paradise?" Hamilton leered. He leaned in and caressed Darla's blonde locks. "Wanna a trade up for a real man?"

Angel shoved the other vampire away from his Sire.

"Oooohh...So it's like that, huh?"


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