Chapter 9
Serena finished off the three vamps that were attacking her and flew at the remaining two attacking Angel. She decapitated one, while Angel staked the other. Serena dusted off her hands and smoothed her hair. Serena eyed Angel. She remembered talking with Cordelia the previous morning about asking Angel to go out, not on a date, but just to go out somewhere, since he seemed to be taking his sweet old time asking her.
"He's just been doing nothing. We've been doing nothing." Serena informed Cordelia sadly. "I just don't know what to do." She sighed, feeling confused.
"Ask him to coffee." Cordy told her expertly. "It's the non-relationship drink of choice. It's not a date, it's a caffienated beverage. Okay, it's hot and bitter, in a relationship way, but---" Angel walked into the room and Cordelia shut her mouth.
Serena came back to reality and took a deep breath. "I was just thinking. Wouldn't it be funny if we could see each other it it's not a slaying thing or just hanging around thing?" She waited for him for him to say something. He just stared at her. She added, "Not funny ha ha."
His face hardly changed at all. "What are you saying, you want to have a date?"
"No." Was she saying that? And what would be wrong with a date, anyway? After the way he kissed her---
"You don't want to have a date," he stated.
Hey, wait, don't shut that door, she thought anxiously. "Who said date? I never said date."
"Right, you just wanted to have coffee or something." What, was he a mind reader? How did he know about---
"Coffee?" she echoed.
"I knew this would happen." He sounded kind of tired. Or resigned.
"What? What do you think is happening?" Her voice was a high and shrill. She had to lower it. She had to be cooler.
"We need to talk." He sighed loudly.
"What? What do we need to talk about?" she asked, much cooler this time.
"Listen, there's no easy way of saying this, but this can never work. I'm 245 years old and you're seventeen."
"I've done the math." She said, trying not to sound hurt.
"You don't know what you're doing, you don't know what you want." He went on, crushing everything crushable about her ego. He sounded so above it all. He sounded like he knew what he didn't want.
"Oh, no? I think I do. I've been on my own for over a year. I've been an adult since I was fourteen. I had to learn the hard way about life and knowing what I want." She told him defiantly.
"But you are still seventeen." He protested.
"Yeah, seventeen going on forty. Sure, I may not know my destiny or anything, but I'm sick of you treating me like a child. You need to realize I do know what I'm doing and know what I want." The anger rose in her voice. "Don't you think it's a little late to be reading me the warning label?"
She turned and ran from him, not wanting to finish the argument. She just ran.
For the next few days, Serena walked around depressed. She didn't eat and hardly slept. She had lost the spark she had before. Angel had a stone face and had an attitude with every one. Cordelia, knowing what was going on, watched the whole lot of nothing going on. Besides a few cordial words, Serena and Angel steered clear of each other. Cordelia kept her mouth shut for the first few days, but had enough by the fifth day of silence. She took Angel aside.
He sat at his desk while Cordelia glared at him. She pointed a finger at him. "You. I can't believe you. You sit around and snap at people when it's all your fault!"
"What?" Innocence cloaked his face.
"Oh, you know what I'm talking about." She growled, waving her finger at him. "I mean, you're gonna live forever! You don't have time for one cup of coffee?" She ranted, then stormed from the office. Angel just sat, stunned.
The familiar searing pain. It felt like two red-hot pokers were being shoved through each of her eyes. Her temples pounded from the all too unwelcome vision. Cordelia opened her eyes wearily and found that Serena had caught her. Angel and Wesley were staring at her, concerned.
"Um, normal unwanted pasty white people attacking a little girl at Midway and 48th." Cordy mumbled, popping two aspirins. Serena and Angel glanced at each other. Since Gunn was out in the neighborhood checking on his crowd, they were stuck with this job, with each other, for better or for worse. Her face expressionless, she led the way out of headquarters, Angel following.
Serena glanced at the numerous piles of dust and ash, then turned her attention to the little girl with the huge blue eyes and curly blonde hair that was about to become a midnight snack for the Fang Gang. She was about seven years old. The ugly, toothy vamps didn't succeed. The little girl ran into her apartment after Serena and Angel dropped her off.
The two walked silently for a few blocks, but surprisingly enough, Angel broke the silence. He stopped outside of a coffee shop only a few blocks from headquarters and looked straight at her. Serena faced him, not knowing what was going on. She tingled to the soles of her feet. "I hear this place serves great coffee."
Coffee.
"Thought maybe you and I should get some."
He was asking her on a date!
She didn't respond. She would make him say it, all of it. She would make him eat his words.
"Sometime." He added.
She still kept her face a mask.
"If you want," he finished.
And with the tingling came triumph.
"Yeah," she said, savoring the sweet, sweet moment.
Angel brightened. He looked happy, and relieved.
"Sometime," she went on. "I'll let you know."
She began walking again, and her smile grew.
Epilogue
The whole Investigations gang walked into the karaoke bar and found a table.
"Angel, what are we doing at a karaoke bar?" Serena asked uncomfortably.
"Well, you want to know your destiny right? Go up and sing, and then you'll know." Angel told her.
"I don't want to sing!" Serena whined.
"Don't be a chicken. Just pick a song and sing." Angel reassured.
"Trust me, no one could be worse than Angel singing on that stage." Cordelia told her, ignoring the evil glare from Angel.
The amazing psychic demon, Lorne suddenly appeared and sat in a sixth seat. "Angel, are you going to wow us with a song?" Lorne asked, smiling.
"No, actually, but someone else will." Angel replied, ignoring the demon's remark. "This is Serena. She wants to know her destiny." Angel stood up with her and gave her a little shove in the direction of the stage. Serena grumbled under her breath. She picked a song in memory of her sister and mother. She took the stage and the music to 'One Sweet Day' started.
Serena took a deep breath and began to sing the words.
"Sorry I never told you, All I wanted to say, And now it's too late to hold you, Cause you've flown away, so far away"
The gang braced themselves for the croak that Serena would try to pass as singing. But surprisingly, the words came out sweet and soft. Her voice trembled every now and then, but her voice grew strong as she sang more of the song. After she finished singing, she found her seat, ducking off the stage and avoiding the thunderous applause. Angel smiled at her.
"I thought you said you couldn't sing!" he scoffed.
"No, I told you I didn't want to sing. I never said I couldn't." She corrected. She turned toward the psychic demon. "Well?"
"Oh, oh my." Was all he could say.
"What, what is it?" Serena demanded.
"Well, you are the Slayer, correct?" Serena nodded. "With the special gifts?" Again, she nodded. "Hmm. Your destiny, well, your next big feat, that is written in prophecies, is to help Angel, the vampire with a soul, regain his humanity." The demon sipped his gin and tonic.
"Humanity?" Everyone asked incredulously.
To be continued.
Read Deceit: The Slayer Chronicles, the next story in the trilogy.
Serena finished off the three vamps that were attacking her and flew at the remaining two attacking Angel. She decapitated one, while Angel staked the other. Serena dusted off her hands and smoothed her hair. Serena eyed Angel. She remembered talking with Cordelia the previous morning about asking Angel to go out, not on a date, but just to go out somewhere, since he seemed to be taking his sweet old time asking her.
"He's just been doing nothing. We've been doing nothing." Serena informed Cordelia sadly. "I just don't know what to do." She sighed, feeling confused.
"Ask him to coffee." Cordy told her expertly. "It's the non-relationship drink of choice. It's not a date, it's a caffienated beverage. Okay, it's hot and bitter, in a relationship way, but---" Angel walked into the room and Cordelia shut her mouth.
Serena came back to reality and took a deep breath. "I was just thinking. Wouldn't it be funny if we could see each other it it's not a slaying thing or just hanging around thing?" She waited for him for him to say something. He just stared at her. She added, "Not funny ha ha."
His face hardly changed at all. "What are you saying, you want to have a date?"
"No." Was she saying that? And what would be wrong with a date, anyway? After the way he kissed her---
"You don't want to have a date," he stated.
Hey, wait, don't shut that door, she thought anxiously. "Who said date? I never said date."
"Right, you just wanted to have coffee or something." What, was he a mind reader? How did he know about---
"Coffee?" she echoed.
"I knew this would happen." He sounded kind of tired. Or resigned.
"What? What do you think is happening?" Her voice was a high and shrill. She had to lower it. She had to be cooler.
"We need to talk." He sighed loudly.
"What? What do we need to talk about?" she asked, much cooler this time.
"Listen, there's no easy way of saying this, but this can never work. I'm 245 years old and you're seventeen."
"I've done the math." She said, trying not to sound hurt.
"You don't know what you're doing, you don't know what you want." He went on, crushing everything crushable about her ego. He sounded so above it all. He sounded like he knew what he didn't want.
"Oh, no? I think I do. I've been on my own for over a year. I've been an adult since I was fourteen. I had to learn the hard way about life and knowing what I want." She told him defiantly.
"But you are still seventeen." He protested.
"Yeah, seventeen going on forty. Sure, I may not know my destiny or anything, but I'm sick of you treating me like a child. You need to realize I do know what I'm doing and know what I want." The anger rose in her voice. "Don't you think it's a little late to be reading me the warning label?"
She turned and ran from him, not wanting to finish the argument. She just ran.
For the next few days, Serena walked around depressed. She didn't eat and hardly slept. She had lost the spark she had before. Angel had a stone face and had an attitude with every one. Cordelia, knowing what was going on, watched the whole lot of nothing going on. Besides a few cordial words, Serena and Angel steered clear of each other. Cordelia kept her mouth shut for the first few days, but had enough by the fifth day of silence. She took Angel aside.
He sat at his desk while Cordelia glared at him. She pointed a finger at him. "You. I can't believe you. You sit around and snap at people when it's all your fault!"
"What?" Innocence cloaked his face.
"Oh, you know what I'm talking about." She growled, waving her finger at him. "I mean, you're gonna live forever! You don't have time for one cup of coffee?" She ranted, then stormed from the office. Angel just sat, stunned.
The familiar searing pain. It felt like two red-hot pokers were being shoved through each of her eyes. Her temples pounded from the all too unwelcome vision. Cordelia opened her eyes wearily and found that Serena had caught her. Angel and Wesley were staring at her, concerned.
"Um, normal unwanted pasty white people attacking a little girl at Midway and 48th." Cordy mumbled, popping two aspirins. Serena and Angel glanced at each other. Since Gunn was out in the neighborhood checking on his crowd, they were stuck with this job, with each other, for better or for worse. Her face expressionless, she led the way out of headquarters, Angel following.
Serena glanced at the numerous piles of dust and ash, then turned her attention to the little girl with the huge blue eyes and curly blonde hair that was about to become a midnight snack for the Fang Gang. She was about seven years old. The ugly, toothy vamps didn't succeed. The little girl ran into her apartment after Serena and Angel dropped her off.
The two walked silently for a few blocks, but surprisingly enough, Angel broke the silence. He stopped outside of a coffee shop only a few blocks from headquarters and looked straight at her. Serena faced him, not knowing what was going on. She tingled to the soles of her feet. "I hear this place serves great coffee."
Coffee.
"Thought maybe you and I should get some."
He was asking her on a date!
She didn't respond. She would make him say it, all of it. She would make him eat his words.
"Sometime." He added.
She still kept her face a mask.
"If you want," he finished.
And with the tingling came triumph.
"Yeah," she said, savoring the sweet, sweet moment.
Angel brightened. He looked happy, and relieved.
"Sometime," she went on. "I'll let you know."
She began walking again, and her smile grew.
Epilogue
The whole Investigations gang walked into the karaoke bar and found a table.
"Angel, what are we doing at a karaoke bar?" Serena asked uncomfortably.
"Well, you want to know your destiny right? Go up and sing, and then you'll know." Angel told her.
"I don't want to sing!" Serena whined.
"Don't be a chicken. Just pick a song and sing." Angel reassured.
"Trust me, no one could be worse than Angel singing on that stage." Cordelia told her, ignoring the evil glare from Angel.
The amazing psychic demon, Lorne suddenly appeared and sat in a sixth seat. "Angel, are you going to wow us with a song?" Lorne asked, smiling.
"No, actually, but someone else will." Angel replied, ignoring the demon's remark. "This is Serena. She wants to know her destiny." Angel stood up with her and gave her a little shove in the direction of the stage. Serena grumbled under her breath. She picked a song in memory of her sister and mother. She took the stage and the music to 'One Sweet Day' started.
Serena took a deep breath and began to sing the words.
"Sorry I never told you, All I wanted to say, And now it's too late to hold you, Cause you've flown away, so far away"
The gang braced themselves for the croak that Serena would try to pass as singing. But surprisingly, the words came out sweet and soft. Her voice trembled every now and then, but her voice grew strong as she sang more of the song. After she finished singing, she found her seat, ducking off the stage and avoiding the thunderous applause. Angel smiled at her.
"I thought you said you couldn't sing!" he scoffed.
"No, I told you I didn't want to sing. I never said I couldn't." She corrected. She turned toward the psychic demon. "Well?"
"Oh, oh my." Was all he could say.
"What, what is it?" Serena demanded.
"Well, you are the Slayer, correct?" Serena nodded. "With the special gifts?" Again, she nodded. "Hmm. Your destiny, well, your next big feat, that is written in prophecies, is to help Angel, the vampire with a soul, regain his humanity." The demon sipped his gin and tonic.
"Humanity?" Everyone asked incredulously.
To be continued.
Read Deceit: The Slayer Chronicles, the next story in the trilogy.