Chapter 2
Serena stared out of her window into the glowing lights of Los Angeles below her. It was late at night, and yet, the city was still awake, buzzing with excitement. Her mind wandered elsewhere, ignoring the city sounds below. Time was running out. Shadow monsters haven't been seen since their last encounter and Aubrey's soul was taken and seemed to disappear. Serena scratched her head, frustrated. There seemed to be so much more at stake than just getting a soul back and killing a snake god. She felt like she was up against the wall with nowhere to go. She rested her head in her hands and stared out at the city, thinking deeply.
She heard footsteps enter her room. She didn't have to peer into the darkness to know who it was. She didn't even turn her head. She just stared out at the flickering lights.
"I was going to make some tea. Do you want some?" Angel asked quietly, studying her still figure.
Serena shrugged, standing up slowly. "Sure, I guess. I could use some." She rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn. She followed him down to the dark lobby. All was silent between them, except the sound of their footsteps.
"So, what were you doing up there, all by yourself?" Angel asked, filling the teakettle with water.
"Thinking." She answered carefully.
"About what?" Angel set the kettle onto the stove and sat down across from the Slayer, watching her features and waiting for a response.
"About." Serena stopped herself. She wasn't going to let herself get too close to him. "About stuff."
"Stuff," Angel repeated thoughtfully. He picked at the corner of the placemat. "You could have been thinking about stuff," he began, "or you could just be telling me that so that you could just tell me something and have it done and over with." He gazed at her levelly. "So, you don't want to talk to me anymore?"
Serena turned her head away. "After what you said to me the other night, you expect me to confide in you? For things to be the same? For us to have a relationship?" she asked incredulously. She laughed cruelly. "I wouldn't even call what we had a relationship." She shook her head.
"Why is that?" Angel asked, his voice cold.
Serena's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't call a relationship something where one person devotes everything and another just pretends to and is really thinking about his girlfriend's dead sister the whole time!" she exploded. "Would you call that a relationship?" Angel didn't respond. "Cause I sure as hell wouldn't."
"Serena, let me explain." Angel started, trying to be calm.
"Explain what? Explain that every time you kissed me you thought of her? I don't want to hear about it!" She stood abruptly, turning her face away.
"I can't do this anymore." She mumbled, running her fingers through her hair. Her voice grew loud. "I can't live like this anymore."
Angel's eyes grew wide. "What are you talking about?"
Serena motioned with her hands. "This. I can't take this anymore. I'm always hurting, always." She couldn't find the words. She took a deep breath. "I'm leaving. In the morning. Don't try and stop me. I'll be gone before you even try to stop me."
She turned on her heel and ran to her room to pack, leaving Angel behind, stunned.
*****
When Angel awoke, he found Serena already gone. Loneliness sat in the pit of his stomach, settling in the place it knew best. He scanned his demon books, not quite focusing on the words. He grew listless as dark grew near. He wondered where she was and if she was all right. Days passed and there was no word of Serena. Angel grew more worried about Serena and angry with himself as time wore on.
Wesley noticed Serena gone and Angel's apparent unhappiness with that. He decided to speak up. "Angel, why don't you go with Gunn and patrol a bit? I think it would be best."
Cordelia emerged from the back office. "Um guys? I just had a vision." She rubbed her head gingerly. "Yeah, the ground was pretty hard when I landed on it, but it really couldn't compare to the head-splitting vision I was having." She grimaced, biting her lip.
"Vision?" Angel asked expectantly.
"Right. Um, you might want to go talk to our own Detective Kate Lockley on Jamison Street, in front of the apartment buildings." Cordelia sat down slowly, taking a little sip of water.
"Got it." Gunn nodded, looking over at Angel. "Time to go visit the detective lady."
*****
Flashing lights greeted Angel and Gunn when they reached the scene. They found the area around the apartments taped off and several police officers and paramedics scouring the area. Angel spotted Kate and made a beeline towards her.
She regarded him coolly. "What is it now?" She asked, crossing her arms across her chest and staring at him hatefully. It wasn't so much that she hated him; she didn't. She just didn't trust him. No, she trusted him. She just didn't like him.or maybe she didn't trust herself for trusting him. Something like that. When it came to Angel, things got very confusing.
Angel turned toward the scene. "What happened here?"
"That's confidential information that I can't disclose to the public." She bit off icily. "Is there anything else?"
"Come on, Kate. All I want to know is what happened here. Nothing serious. I'm trying to find a bigger picture here." Angel reasoned.
"If you want information, you could try asking that girl you have staying with you." Kate leafed through some paperwork. Angel looked at her questioningly. "Serena, isn't it? She's been by here already. She said she had to give you some information on what happened here. Funny, she said just about the same thing.the bigger picture." Kate trailed off, staring off into space. She snapped back to reality. "So if you want to know, ask her." Kate walked away.
Angel turned to Gunn. "She's been here. She's okay." He muttered. "She's going to see this thing through." Angel said, realization hitting him.
Then, he saw her, walking down the front stairs of the apartment building. He locked his eyes with hers. He pleaded with his eyes for her to come back. She slowly shook her head, and walked away.
Serena stared out of her window into the glowing lights of Los Angeles below her. It was late at night, and yet, the city was still awake, buzzing with excitement. Her mind wandered elsewhere, ignoring the city sounds below. Time was running out. Shadow monsters haven't been seen since their last encounter and Aubrey's soul was taken and seemed to disappear. Serena scratched her head, frustrated. There seemed to be so much more at stake than just getting a soul back and killing a snake god. She felt like she was up against the wall with nowhere to go. She rested her head in her hands and stared out at the city, thinking deeply.
She heard footsteps enter her room. She didn't have to peer into the darkness to know who it was. She didn't even turn her head. She just stared out at the flickering lights.
"I was going to make some tea. Do you want some?" Angel asked quietly, studying her still figure.
Serena shrugged, standing up slowly. "Sure, I guess. I could use some." She rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn. She followed him down to the dark lobby. All was silent between them, except the sound of their footsteps.
"So, what were you doing up there, all by yourself?" Angel asked, filling the teakettle with water.
"Thinking." She answered carefully.
"About what?" Angel set the kettle onto the stove and sat down across from the Slayer, watching her features and waiting for a response.
"About." Serena stopped herself. She wasn't going to let herself get too close to him. "About stuff."
"Stuff," Angel repeated thoughtfully. He picked at the corner of the placemat. "You could have been thinking about stuff," he began, "or you could just be telling me that so that you could just tell me something and have it done and over with." He gazed at her levelly. "So, you don't want to talk to me anymore?"
Serena turned her head away. "After what you said to me the other night, you expect me to confide in you? For things to be the same? For us to have a relationship?" she asked incredulously. She laughed cruelly. "I wouldn't even call what we had a relationship." She shook her head.
"Why is that?" Angel asked, his voice cold.
Serena's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't call a relationship something where one person devotes everything and another just pretends to and is really thinking about his girlfriend's dead sister the whole time!" she exploded. "Would you call that a relationship?" Angel didn't respond. "Cause I sure as hell wouldn't."
"Serena, let me explain." Angel started, trying to be calm.
"Explain what? Explain that every time you kissed me you thought of her? I don't want to hear about it!" She stood abruptly, turning her face away.
"I can't do this anymore." She mumbled, running her fingers through her hair. Her voice grew loud. "I can't live like this anymore."
Angel's eyes grew wide. "What are you talking about?"
Serena motioned with her hands. "This. I can't take this anymore. I'm always hurting, always." She couldn't find the words. She took a deep breath. "I'm leaving. In the morning. Don't try and stop me. I'll be gone before you even try to stop me."
She turned on her heel and ran to her room to pack, leaving Angel behind, stunned.
*****
When Angel awoke, he found Serena already gone. Loneliness sat in the pit of his stomach, settling in the place it knew best. He scanned his demon books, not quite focusing on the words. He grew listless as dark grew near. He wondered where she was and if she was all right. Days passed and there was no word of Serena. Angel grew more worried about Serena and angry with himself as time wore on.
Wesley noticed Serena gone and Angel's apparent unhappiness with that. He decided to speak up. "Angel, why don't you go with Gunn and patrol a bit? I think it would be best."
Cordelia emerged from the back office. "Um guys? I just had a vision." She rubbed her head gingerly. "Yeah, the ground was pretty hard when I landed on it, but it really couldn't compare to the head-splitting vision I was having." She grimaced, biting her lip.
"Vision?" Angel asked expectantly.
"Right. Um, you might want to go talk to our own Detective Kate Lockley on Jamison Street, in front of the apartment buildings." Cordelia sat down slowly, taking a little sip of water.
"Got it." Gunn nodded, looking over at Angel. "Time to go visit the detective lady."
*****
Flashing lights greeted Angel and Gunn when they reached the scene. They found the area around the apartments taped off and several police officers and paramedics scouring the area. Angel spotted Kate and made a beeline towards her.
She regarded him coolly. "What is it now?" She asked, crossing her arms across her chest and staring at him hatefully. It wasn't so much that she hated him; she didn't. She just didn't trust him. No, she trusted him. She just didn't like him.or maybe she didn't trust herself for trusting him. Something like that. When it came to Angel, things got very confusing.
Angel turned toward the scene. "What happened here?"
"That's confidential information that I can't disclose to the public." She bit off icily. "Is there anything else?"
"Come on, Kate. All I want to know is what happened here. Nothing serious. I'm trying to find a bigger picture here." Angel reasoned.
"If you want information, you could try asking that girl you have staying with you." Kate leafed through some paperwork. Angel looked at her questioningly. "Serena, isn't it? She's been by here already. She said she had to give you some information on what happened here. Funny, she said just about the same thing.the bigger picture." Kate trailed off, staring off into space. She snapped back to reality. "So if you want to know, ask her." Kate walked away.
Angel turned to Gunn. "She's been here. She's okay." He muttered. "She's going to see this thing through." Angel said, realization hitting him.
Then, he saw her, walking down the front stairs of the apartment building. He locked his eyes with hers. He pleaded with his eyes for her to come back. She slowly shook her head, and walked away.