Chapter 2
"Do you feel better?" Angel asked quietly after Serena had a hot shower.
Serena pulled the terrycloth robe around her slim body. She used the towel to scrunch and dry her hair. "Yeah, a little." She forced a smile. "Better than before, anyway."
"So if you need anything, just let me know!" Angel said, not forcing any cheerfulness or a smile.
"Angel?" Serena asked suddenly.
"Yeah?" He turned at the door.
"Thanks." She gave him a warm smile.
Angel flashed a quick but sincere smile. "You know if you need to talk, I'm here." He hesitated with his next few words. "I don't know what you have been through, and what you're feeling, but."He trailed off, not knowing what to say next. "I'd really like to help you though this. I know it must be hard."
"Well, at least I'm not alone this time when something devastating happens to me. I'm just thankful for that." She sat down on the edge of the bed, clutching her towel tightly. Angel could tell that she was trying her best to keep the emotions and tears inside. She was a strong person.
"Angel?" she asked, her head snapping up.
"Hmm?"
"Um, well, I would like to go to Sunnydale to go see my mother's and sister's grave. Do you think that maybe you could drive me? It's a lot easier than walking down there."
He smiled weakly. "Sure, I'll drive you. I, myself, would like to see her grave too."
"If you give me five minutes and let me change, I can explain everything." She said, standing up.
"Okay, I'll meet you downstairs." He told her then stepped out of the room.
Almost exactly 5 minutes later, Serena shuffled into the lobby and hopped onto the countertop. Angel noted how much relaxed she looked in a cotton long sleeve shirt and baby blue pajama bottoms. She didn't have the Slayer edge like she had before. Her chocolate brown hair was pulled up with a few shorter hairs hanging stray. He noticed a similarity between Buffy and Serena. But Serena had darker features. Her hair was darker, with a few lighter streaks, and darker eyes as well. Nevertheless, Serena was beautiful, even without any makeup on.
"You even look pretty when you are ready to go to sleep." Angel commented. He looked at her, really looked at her, his dark eyes penetrating hers.
"You're eyes are brown." Angel noted. "Buffy's were hazel and Dawn's are blue."
"Yeah, I get the dark eyes from my dad." She trailed off as if it pained her to talk about her father.
"So you want to tell me what happened?"
"I guess. There's so much. I don't know where to begin." She sat analyzing everything within the past year. Angel sat back in his chair and propped his feet up on the counter. Serena sighed, then began her story.
"I guess I came here with two missions. One, to find my family. I still want to see Dawn, but I was hoping for Buffy and my mother. Talk about mission impossible. And two, to track down a vampire clan that I've been tracking for over a year, ever since I became the Slayer."
"Why would you have interest in a simple vampire clan? Why not more notorious demons?" Angel questioned.
"I was just about to get to that. A little over a year ago, I became the Slayer. This vampire clan learned of it and the leader, Vladimir, decided to make me weak, then kill me. My father was out of town at the time and wasn't too thrilled when he found out I was training to be Chosen. Needless to say, he wasn't happy at all when he found out that I was the One. Anyway, my buddy Vlad got a hold of my father and turned him. When he came home on time and everything seemed cool, my stepmother and I didn't think twice. Well, until daddy got a little hungry and decided to have a midnight snack, and that my stepmother would do." Serena paused, her eyes closed as she remembered that awful night. "I awoke to a scream. Not a major scream.nothing that would be suspicious to any normal person, but I was. There was terror in the scream. So I went downstairs to the kitchen and found my stepmother lying in a pool of blood and barely hanging onto life." A single tear trickled down her cheek. She continued. "With her last ounce of strength, she past on 2 gifts to me to help me with my slaying. You witnessed those earlier." Angel managed to smile at this.
"Yeah, quite a backhand!" Angel winced and rubbed the back of his head. "I think I have a good sized lump on the back of my head. Thanks to you."
"Sorry." She apologized. "I thought you were a full-fledge vamp.at least that's what a reliable source told me. An unnamed reliable source." Angel raised an eyebrow in curiosity, but said nothing.
She continued with her tale. "After my stepmother died, my father, the damn vampire, ran like a coward. I hunted him down and dusted him." She paused, her brow furrowed in concentration. The anger and hurt was apparent on her face. Angel watched her face intently. "You know what?"
"What?" Angel asked curiously.
She contemplated for a few seconds, then looked Angel directly in the eye. "He was the first vampire I ever dusted." She rubbed her temples, and sighed once more. "My Watcher, Bruce, was so intent on finding this clan and killing them as soon as possible. I guess I couldn't move fast enough, because Bruce ran into their lair a few nights after my stepmom died and got himself killed. I found him there the next night." She squeezed her eyes shut, as if to block out the memory. "I have never seen a human body so mangled. It was awful. I never got to tell Bruce how much I loved him." The tears began to stream down her face. Angel leaned forward to consol her. He gently rubbed her back. After a few sniffles, Serena finished her story. "I vowed to kill every vampire in that clan. I've been trying, but it's no use. Vladimir just keeps on slipping away while sending his minions to do his dirty work. So he gets away, and I track him, then try to kill him again, but no matter how much I try, he always gets away." The tears were replaced by growing anger.
"I can help, if you like." Angel offered. "I have a pretty mean backhand, although not quite as unique as yours. I would really like to help you. Buffy would have, so I am going to."
"I don't want you to do this because Buffy would have." She argued.
"If I can help Buffy's family, or avenge it or something, it would help me move on. Really, I want to."
"All right, but on one condition." She said.
"Name it." Angel replied.
"I dust Vladimir. You can dust all of the vampires you want. Have fun with them, torture them.I don't care. But you leave Vladimir to me." Sparks of fury danced in her eyes.
"Sure." Angel said.
"The sun's about to come up. I'm going to bed." She yawned. "If you need anything killed, come up and get me." She grinned.
"Or I could send Gunn." Angel argued. "I wouldn't want you wake you."
"That smart mouth asshole?? Yeah right!" Serena scoffed, beginning to walk up the steps with Angel only a few steps behind her. "You need a real killer, not a wannabe. Just wake me up, okay?"
Even Angel let out a small laugh. "Sure. And I won't tell Gunn you called him a smart mouth asshole and a wannabe. That way you'll get on his bad side."
"Go ahead and tell him. Hell, I'll tell him. I'm not scared of him. All I have to do is freeze him in time!!" she remarked confidently.
"Go to bed. And watch what you say to Gunn, or he'll get ticked." Angel commanded.
"Too bad. Night!!" Serena called, before disappearing into her room and closing the door behind her. Angel just shook his head.
"Do you feel better?" Angel asked quietly after Serena had a hot shower.
Serena pulled the terrycloth robe around her slim body. She used the towel to scrunch and dry her hair. "Yeah, a little." She forced a smile. "Better than before, anyway."
"So if you need anything, just let me know!" Angel said, not forcing any cheerfulness or a smile.
"Angel?" Serena asked suddenly.
"Yeah?" He turned at the door.
"Thanks." She gave him a warm smile.
Angel flashed a quick but sincere smile. "You know if you need to talk, I'm here." He hesitated with his next few words. "I don't know what you have been through, and what you're feeling, but."He trailed off, not knowing what to say next. "I'd really like to help you though this. I know it must be hard."
"Well, at least I'm not alone this time when something devastating happens to me. I'm just thankful for that." She sat down on the edge of the bed, clutching her towel tightly. Angel could tell that she was trying her best to keep the emotions and tears inside. She was a strong person.
"Angel?" she asked, her head snapping up.
"Hmm?"
"Um, well, I would like to go to Sunnydale to go see my mother's and sister's grave. Do you think that maybe you could drive me? It's a lot easier than walking down there."
He smiled weakly. "Sure, I'll drive you. I, myself, would like to see her grave too."
"If you give me five minutes and let me change, I can explain everything." She said, standing up.
"Okay, I'll meet you downstairs." He told her then stepped out of the room.
Almost exactly 5 minutes later, Serena shuffled into the lobby and hopped onto the countertop. Angel noted how much relaxed she looked in a cotton long sleeve shirt and baby blue pajama bottoms. She didn't have the Slayer edge like she had before. Her chocolate brown hair was pulled up with a few shorter hairs hanging stray. He noticed a similarity between Buffy and Serena. But Serena had darker features. Her hair was darker, with a few lighter streaks, and darker eyes as well. Nevertheless, Serena was beautiful, even without any makeup on.
"You even look pretty when you are ready to go to sleep." Angel commented. He looked at her, really looked at her, his dark eyes penetrating hers.
"You're eyes are brown." Angel noted. "Buffy's were hazel and Dawn's are blue."
"Yeah, I get the dark eyes from my dad." She trailed off as if it pained her to talk about her father.
"So you want to tell me what happened?"
"I guess. There's so much. I don't know where to begin." She sat analyzing everything within the past year. Angel sat back in his chair and propped his feet up on the counter. Serena sighed, then began her story.
"I guess I came here with two missions. One, to find my family. I still want to see Dawn, but I was hoping for Buffy and my mother. Talk about mission impossible. And two, to track down a vampire clan that I've been tracking for over a year, ever since I became the Slayer."
"Why would you have interest in a simple vampire clan? Why not more notorious demons?" Angel questioned.
"I was just about to get to that. A little over a year ago, I became the Slayer. This vampire clan learned of it and the leader, Vladimir, decided to make me weak, then kill me. My father was out of town at the time and wasn't too thrilled when he found out I was training to be Chosen. Needless to say, he wasn't happy at all when he found out that I was the One. Anyway, my buddy Vlad got a hold of my father and turned him. When he came home on time and everything seemed cool, my stepmother and I didn't think twice. Well, until daddy got a little hungry and decided to have a midnight snack, and that my stepmother would do." Serena paused, her eyes closed as she remembered that awful night. "I awoke to a scream. Not a major scream.nothing that would be suspicious to any normal person, but I was. There was terror in the scream. So I went downstairs to the kitchen and found my stepmother lying in a pool of blood and barely hanging onto life." A single tear trickled down her cheek. She continued. "With her last ounce of strength, she past on 2 gifts to me to help me with my slaying. You witnessed those earlier." Angel managed to smile at this.
"Yeah, quite a backhand!" Angel winced and rubbed the back of his head. "I think I have a good sized lump on the back of my head. Thanks to you."
"Sorry." She apologized. "I thought you were a full-fledge vamp.at least that's what a reliable source told me. An unnamed reliable source." Angel raised an eyebrow in curiosity, but said nothing.
She continued with her tale. "After my stepmother died, my father, the damn vampire, ran like a coward. I hunted him down and dusted him." She paused, her brow furrowed in concentration. The anger and hurt was apparent on her face. Angel watched her face intently. "You know what?"
"What?" Angel asked curiously.
She contemplated for a few seconds, then looked Angel directly in the eye. "He was the first vampire I ever dusted." She rubbed her temples, and sighed once more. "My Watcher, Bruce, was so intent on finding this clan and killing them as soon as possible. I guess I couldn't move fast enough, because Bruce ran into their lair a few nights after my stepmom died and got himself killed. I found him there the next night." She squeezed her eyes shut, as if to block out the memory. "I have never seen a human body so mangled. It was awful. I never got to tell Bruce how much I loved him." The tears began to stream down her face. Angel leaned forward to consol her. He gently rubbed her back. After a few sniffles, Serena finished her story. "I vowed to kill every vampire in that clan. I've been trying, but it's no use. Vladimir just keeps on slipping away while sending his minions to do his dirty work. So he gets away, and I track him, then try to kill him again, but no matter how much I try, he always gets away." The tears were replaced by growing anger.
"I can help, if you like." Angel offered. "I have a pretty mean backhand, although not quite as unique as yours. I would really like to help you. Buffy would have, so I am going to."
"I don't want you to do this because Buffy would have." She argued.
"If I can help Buffy's family, or avenge it or something, it would help me move on. Really, I want to."
"All right, but on one condition." She said.
"Name it." Angel replied.
"I dust Vladimir. You can dust all of the vampires you want. Have fun with them, torture them.I don't care. But you leave Vladimir to me." Sparks of fury danced in her eyes.
"Sure." Angel said.
"The sun's about to come up. I'm going to bed." She yawned. "If you need anything killed, come up and get me." She grinned.
"Or I could send Gunn." Angel argued. "I wouldn't want you wake you."
"That smart mouth asshole?? Yeah right!" Serena scoffed, beginning to walk up the steps with Angel only a few steps behind her. "You need a real killer, not a wannabe. Just wake me up, okay?"
Even Angel let out a small laugh. "Sure. And I won't tell Gunn you called him a smart mouth asshole and a wannabe. That way you'll get on his bad side."
"Go ahead and tell him. Hell, I'll tell him. I'm not scared of him. All I have to do is freeze him in time!!" she remarked confidently.
"Go to bed. And watch what you say to Gunn, or he'll get ticked." Angel commanded.
"Too bad. Night!!" Serena called, before disappearing into her room and closing the door behind her. Angel just shook his head.