Chapter 4
The grass was a lot greener and lusher then Serena imagined grass in a graveyard could be. She just stood there, overlooking the graveyard, not knowing where to look for the graves she didn't want to see. She was terrified of coming there, although she didn't show it. At twilight, they had left Los Angeles, and within a few hours, they were in Sunnydale. She was shaking, and quiet on the ride down. Angel just stared at the road and took a few deep breaths of the fresh air that blew in his face.
Serena was very good at hiding her emotions, tucking them deep inside where no one could reach them and reveal them. Deep down, she was scared of letting her feelings show. She also knew, with Angel there, he would see these emotions and that scared her too. She would just try to compose herself as much as she could. She face was so rigid; it seemed it was carved from wood. It was expressionless, empty.
Angel led her to her mother's grave. Serena took a few steps forward and collapsed to her knees. The sadness ate at her, and within a few seconds, her face was wet with tears. Her face was no longer empty, but filled with hopeless sadness.
"Mom." she whispered, caressing the soft grass. "Mommy." Her voice shook. She leaned forward and touched the granite headstone. Her fingers outlined the curved writing as she closed her eyes. "Mommy, I miss you so much!" she murmured hoarsely. "I hate myself for not being here when you needed me the most. I'm sorry, mommy, I'm sorry." She couldn't say anymore. Angel watched from a distance. His unbeating heart broke for her.
After a long time, she said her last words. "I love you mom. I really do." She kissed her hand and laid it down on the ground, as if to kiss her mother goodbye.
Serena turned around. Her face was blotchy, her eyes bloodshot. A tear slid down her cheek as she walked away. She hastily wiped it away as she stepped toward Angel. Without a word, Angel put an arm around her to comfort her and soon found Buffy's grave. Angel walked with Serena up to the grave. She silently began to sob, reading the words on her gravestone, whispering the words as she read.
"Buffy Anne Summers 1981-2001 Beloved sister Devoted friend She saved the world A lot"
"Its true." Serena whispered. "Now I carry on the torch. I'm going to do this for her. To show her that if I did half of the things she did for the world, that would make me the best Slayer. I want her and mom to see that in heaven." Tears streamed down her face. She turned to look Angel in the face. There were tears in his eyes. She read his expression.
"You loved her a lot, didn't you?" she asked, searching his features. He nodded slowly.
"I did." He replied, his first words since they left Los Angeles. Serena gently took him into an embrace and held him tightly. This gesture surprised Angel. He wrapped his arms around her slim body, and the tears spilled onto his cheeks. They held on to each other tightly until there were no more tears left to shed. They got back into the convertible and left Sunnydale behind.
The next day, Serena was up by 11am. She had barely slept a wink the night before, and felt tired, but she pushed it aside, and got up out of bed. She changed quickly and made her way downstairs. Angel was up, sorting through the mess of papers on the counter.
"Morning." Serena mumbled, rubbing her face and yawning.
Angel held a cup of coffee in his hand as he searched the piles of paper. He looked up. "Oh, morning. What are you doing up? I didn't expect you up for a while yet!" Angel commented, looking back down at what he was doing.
"I couldn't sleep, so I figured, why should I be in bed doing nothing if I could be down here doing nothing?" She poured herself a hot cup of coffee and sipped it. "How about you? I'm surprised to find Mr. Nocturnal up in the middle of the day."
"Same as you.couldn't sleep." He shrugged.
"Oh."
Angel glanced back up at her as she just stared off into space. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked, concerned.
"Yeah, just tired. I still feel crappy from yesterday, I guess." She shrugged helplessly.
"You don't look to great." He commented.
"Thanks a lot!"
"No, I didn't mean it like that. You just look incredibly tired." He explained quickly.
"I know what you meant. I was just kidding." She smiled weakly. "So what's on the agenda today?"
Gosh, he really does have the most penetrating eyes I've ever seen! She thought.
"Actually, good news. Gunn heard some stuff about your clan." Angel said.
Her head snapped up. "What kind of stuff? Did he find out where the nest was?" She asked quickly, standing up.
"Um, yeah, I think so. You'll have to check with him when he comes in." Angel said absentmindedly.
"When he comes in? When will that be?" she asked loudly.
"I don't know.probably not until tonight."
"Tonight?! That's too far away. I'm going to find him now." She grabbed her sword.
"Wait, hold on. You have plenty of time to find them."
"Angel, I've been tracking those damn bloodsuckers for over a year. I want this done, over with. I'm sick and tired of them getting away. Tell me where to find Gunn." She argued angrily.
"Calm down. Do you realize that I can't help you because it's in the middle of the day?" Angel asked calmly.
"I can do the job myself! I'm a big girl. I'm the Slayer." She said through gritted teeth. "I'm going to finish this job, okay?" Just then, Gunn made his appearance.
"Gunn, you need to tell me where the nest for the clan I'm tracking is." Serena called immediately.
"Calm down, girl! You need to chill!" Gunn commented. Anger built up in Serena.
"Tell me where to find it!" She yelled. If he doesn't tell me, I'll break his neck! She fumed.
"Okay, in some woods north of here!" Gunn said defensively. Serena was out of the door in a blink of an eye.
"Wait, Serena!!" Angel called after her. He was not heard. "Gunn, follow her. Make sure she doesn't get into trouble."
"Man, I don't want to go chasing her!! That's just a pain in my ass!" Gunn complained.
"You're going to have bigger pains if you don't go!" Angel threatened.
"Okay, okay! I'm gone. I'll call you from the cell phone." Gunn said flatly, then ran out of the hotel after Serena.
The grass was a lot greener and lusher then Serena imagined grass in a graveyard could be. She just stood there, overlooking the graveyard, not knowing where to look for the graves she didn't want to see. She was terrified of coming there, although she didn't show it. At twilight, they had left Los Angeles, and within a few hours, they were in Sunnydale. She was shaking, and quiet on the ride down. Angel just stared at the road and took a few deep breaths of the fresh air that blew in his face.
Serena was very good at hiding her emotions, tucking them deep inside where no one could reach them and reveal them. Deep down, she was scared of letting her feelings show. She also knew, with Angel there, he would see these emotions and that scared her too. She would just try to compose herself as much as she could. She face was so rigid; it seemed it was carved from wood. It was expressionless, empty.
Angel led her to her mother's grave. Serena took a few steps forward and collapsed to her knees. The sadness ate at her, and within a few seconds, her face was wet with tears. Her face was no longer empty, but filled with hopeless sadness.
"Mom." she whispered, caressing the soft grass. "Mommy." Her voice shook. She leaned forward and touched the granite headstone. Her fingers outlined the curved writing as she closed her eyes. "Mommy, I miss you so much!" she murmured hoarsely. "I hate myself for not being here when you needed me the most. I'm sorry, mommy, I'm sorry." She couldn't say anymore. Angel watched from a distance. His unbeating heart broke for her.
After a long time, she said her last words. "I love you mom. I really do." She kissed her hand and laid it down on the ground, as if to kiss her mother goodbye.
Serena turned around. Her face was blotchy, her eyes bloodshot. A tear slid down her cheek as she walked away. She hastily wiped it away as she stepped toward Angel. Without a word, Angel put an arm around her to comfort her and soon found Buffy's grave. Angel walked with Serena up to the grave. She silently began to sob, reading the words on her gravestone, whispering the words as she read.
"Buffy Anne Summers 1981-2001 Beloved sister Devoted friend She saved the world A lot"
"Its true." Serena whispered. "Now I carry on the torch. I'm going to do this for her. To show her that if I did half of the things she did for the world, that would make me the best Slayer. I want her and mom to see that in heaven." Tears streamed down her face. She turned to look Angel in the face. There were tears in his eyes. She read his expression.
"You loved her a lot, didn't you?" she asked, searching his features. He nodded slowly.
"I did." He replied, his first words since they left Los Angeles. Serena gently took him into an embrace and held him tightly. This gesture surprised Angel. He wrapped his arms around her slim body, and the tears spilled onto his cheeks. They held on to each other tightly until there were no more tears left to shed. They got back into the convertible and left Sunnydale behind.
The next day, Serena was up by 11am. She had barely slept a wink the night before, and felt tired, but she pushed it aside, and got up out of bed. She changed quickly and made her way downstairs. Angel was up, sorting through the mess of papers on the counter.
"Morning." Serena mumbled, rubbing her face and yawning.
Angel held a cup of coffee in his hand as he searched the piles of paper. He looked up. "Oh, morning. What are you doing up? I didn't expect you up for a while yet!" Angel commented, looking back down at what he was doing.
"I couldn't sleep, so I figured, why should I be in bed doing nothing if I could be down here doing nothing?" She poured herself a hot cup of coffee and sipped it. "How about you? I'm surprised to find Mr. Nocturnal up in the middle of the day."
"Same as you.couldn't sleep." He shrugged.
"Oh."
Angel glanced back up at her as she just stared off into space. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked, concerned.
"Yeah, just tired. I still feel crappy from yesterday, I guess." She shrugged helplessly.
"You don't look to great." He commented.
"Thanks a lot!"
"No, I didn't mean it like that. You just look incredibly tired." He explained quickly.
"I know what you meant. I was just kidding." She smiled weakly. "So what's on the agenda today?"
Gosh, he really does have the most penetrating eyes I've ever seen! She thought.
"Actually, good news. Gunn heard some stuff about your clan." Angel said.
Her head snapped up. "What kind of stuff? Did he find out where the nest was?" She asked quickly, standing up.
"Um, yeah, I think so. You'll have to check with him when he comes in." Angel said absentmindedly.
"When he comes in? When will that be?" she asked loudly.
"I don't know.probably not until tonight."
"Tonight?! That's too far away. I'm going to find him now." She grabbed her sword.
"Wait, hold on. You have plenty of time to find them."
"Angel, I've been tracking those damn bloodsuckers for over a year. I want this done, over with. I'm sick and tired of them getting away. Tell me where to find Gunn." She argued angrily.
"Calm down. Do you realize that I can't help you because it's in the middle of the day?" Angel asked calmly.
"I can do the job myself! I'm a big girl. I'm the Slayer." She said through gritted teeth. "I'm going to finish this job, okay?" Just then, Gunn made his appearance.
"Gunn, you need to tell me where the nest for the clan I'm tracking is." Serena called immediately.
"Calm down, girl! You need to chill!" Gunn commented. Anger built up in Serena.
"Tell me where to find it!" She yelled. If he doesn't tell me, I'll break his neck! She fumed.
"Okay, in some woods north of here!" Gunn said defensively. Serena was out of the door in a blink of an eye.
"Wait, Serena!!" Angel called after her. He was not heard. "Gunn, follow her. Make sure she doesn't get into trouble."
"Man, I don't want to go chasing her!! That's just a pain in my ass!" Gunn complained.
"You're going to have bigger pains if you don't go!" Angel threatened.
"Okay, okay! I'm gone. I'll call you from the cell phone." Gunn said flatly, then ran out of the hotel after Serena.