Chapter 7
Angel poured the tea he had been brewing into a mug and stared upstairs where Serena's room was. Wesley watched helplessly. Ever since they had brought the Slayer home, she was a zombie, not talking, eating, or sleeping. Angel had been working to get to her, but she was traumatized from what she had been through. Wesley realized she needed time
"You don't think she'd want a cup of tea, do you?" Angel asked suddenly, turning to Wesley, seeking advice.
"I don't know." Wesley answered truthfully. There were a few moments of silence. "Angel, you do realize that she does need time."
"Yeah, but." Angel trailed off.
Wesley looked up, surprised. "Angel, she murdered innocent people. She's the Slayer. That's not her job description. There was something inside of her that she couldn't rid herself of that murdered the innocent. You, of all people, should know what she's going through." Wesley scolded. "Maybe you should tell her about what you went through in order to get to her." Wesley suggested.
Angel tapped the mug with his finger, his ring clanking loudly. Wordlessly he made his way up the stairs.
He tapped on Serena's door and Cordy answered. "Yeah?"
He gently pushed the door open. "You can take a break from the storytelling if you want."
"Which, translated, means its Serena and Angel alone time." She said, smiling. She stood and walked up to Angel. "Play nice." She winked and was out the door in a matter of seconds.
He slowly made his way across the room, holding two steaming cups of tea. "I thought you could use a cup, so I decided to bring you some." He told her. No response. He set one cup on a table next to Serena's bed and kept the other for himself. He sat next to her on the bed and turned to face her. Serena just stared off into space. Angel noticed her gaze was somewhere on the wall behind him.
"So how are you doing today? Do you feel like talking?" Angel asked, taking a sip of tea. Again, there was no response.
Angel decided to go into what was going on with Christian Edwards. "So we may have pinpointed where he was. Its this industrial plant, a few miles away. I'm going to get Aubrey's soul back. The ceremony is tomorrow night. We're going to stop it, and hopefully."
Serena's eyes shifted from the wall to Angel's eyes. A tear ran down her cheek. "Am I some sort of monster?" She whispered, her voice hoarse.
Angel cut his sentence off and just stared. He reached for her. "No, no, of course."
"Because only a monster would have done what I did." Her voice cracked. "All I felt was their pain. I can still feel their blood dripping down my chin, coating my throat, drizzling down. All I can see is the terror on their faces as I tore them apart, as death ascended on them. I enjoyed it, tried to make them scream a little louder before I killed them. All of the slaughter, the murder, the blood." She closed her eyes and wiped away tears. "I was Chosen to protect them from demons that inhabit this world, that hide in it. Instead, I became one of those monsters who hid in the dark and killed those people I was meant to protect." She shook her head sadly.
"Trust me, I understand." Angel comforted.
"Do you?" She asked, her eyes flying open.
"Yes I do. I'm a monster remember? I feel the need for blood everyday. I used to kill people with out remorse and loved it. I killed my family because I could. Because I had the power to. I killed innocent people for decades." He retorted hardly.
Serena's eyes widened and she placed a hand over her mouth. "I forgot. You're right." she trailed off, forcing herself not to cry. She looked away from him.
"Just a few days ago, you hated me for it. Now you realize somewhat what I went through." He told her. "Which I think, in the end was good for you. I'm not a monster, not anymore, and neither are you. We'll be non- monsters.together." Angel smiled, cupping her chin and turning her face towards his so her gaze would meet his.
"What about that Buffy thing?" Serena asked quietly. "I know, impeccable timing, but."
"I was wrong about Buffy. Yes, I loved your sister, but you're different. You don't take her place, you just have a place of your own in my heart." He gently caressed her cheek. "I love you."
Serena looked up at him with surprise. "I love you too." She whispered. "I just need alone time. Time to get over this possession thing." She stood, running her fingers through her hair. Angel wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm here if you need to talk." Angel told her, kissing her forehead. She nodded. Angel left the room without another word. Serena sat, thoughts buzzing in her mind. She stared out of her window at the coming nightfall. The setting sun glowed a vivacious orange through the now-opened blinds. She felt guilty inside, as well as hollow. She needed time to heal.
Angel poured the tea he had been brewing into a mug and stared upstairs where Serena's room was. Wesley watched helplessly. Ever since they had brought the Slayer home, she was a zombie, not talking, eating, or sleeping. Angel had been working to get to her, but she was traumatized from what she had been through. Wesley realized she needed time
"You don't think she'd want a cup of tea, do you?" Angel asked suddenly, turning to Wesley, seeking advice.
"I don't know." Wesley answered truthfully. There were a few moments of silence. "Angel, you do realize that she does need time."
"Yeah, but." Angel trailed off.
Wesley looked up, surprised. "Angel, she murdered innocent people. She's the Slayer. That's not her job description. There was something inside of her that she couldn't rid herself of that murdered the innocent. You, of all people, should know what she's going through." Wesley scolded. "Maybe you should tell her about what you went through in order to get to her." Wesley suggested.
Angel tapped the mug with his finger, his ring clanking loudly. Wordlessly he made his way up the stairs.
He tapped on Serena's door and Cordy answered. "Yeah?"
He gently pushed the door open. "You can take a break from the storytelling if you want."
"Which, translated, means its Serena and Angel alone time." She said, smiling. She stood and walked up to Angel. "Play nice." She winked and was out the door in a matter of seconds.
He slowly made his way across the room, holding two steaming cups of tea. "I thought you could use a cup, so I decided to bring you some." He told her. No response. He set one cup on a table next to Serena's bed and kept the other for himself. He sat next to her on the bed and turned to face her. Serena just stared off into space. Angel noticed her gaze was somewhere on the wall behind him.
"So how are you doing today? Do you feel like talking?" Angel asked, taking a sip of tea. Again, there was no response.
Angel decided to go into what was going on with Christian Edwards. "So we may have pinpointed where he was. Its this industrial plant, a few miles away. I'm going to get Aubrey's soul back. The ceremony is tomorrow night. We're going to stop it, and hopefully."
Serena's eyes shifted from the wall to Angel's eyes. A tear ran down her cheek. "Am I some sort of monster?" She whispered, her voice hoarse.
Angel cut his sentence off and just stared. He reached for her. "No, no, of course."
"Because only a monster would have done what I did." Her voice cracked. "All I felt was their pain. I can still feel their blood dripping down my chin, coating my throat, drizzling down. All I can see is the terror on their faces as I tore them apart, as death ascended on them. I enjoyed it, tried to make them scream a little louder before I killed them. All of the slaughter, the murder, the blood." She closed her eyes and wiped away tears. "I was Chosen to protect them from demons that inhabit this world, that hide in it. Instead, I became one of those monsters who hid in the dark and killed those people I was meant to protect." She shook her head sadly.
"Trust me, I understand." Angel comforted.
"Do you?" She asked, her eyes flying open.
"Yes I do. I'm a monster remember? I feel the need for blood everyday. I used to kill people with out remorse and loved it. I killed my family because I could. Because I had the power to. I killed innocent people for decades." He retorted hardly.
Serena's eyes widened and she placed a hand over her mouth. "I forgot. You're right." she trailed off, forcing herself not to cry. She looked away from him.
"Just a few days ago, you hated me for it. Now you realize somewhat what I went through." He told her. "Which I think, in the end was good for you. I'm not a monster, not anymore, and neither are you. We'll be non- monsters.together." Angel smiled, cupping her chin and turning her face towards his so her gaze would meet his.
"What about that Buffy thing?" Serena asked quietly. "I know, impeccable timing, but."
"I was wrong about Buffy. Yes, I loved your sister, but you're different. You don't take her place, you just have a place of your own in my heart." He gently caressed her cheek. "I love you."
Serena looked up at him with surprise. "I love you too." She whispered. "I just need alone time. Time to get over this possession thing." She stood, running her fingers through her hair. Angel wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm here if you need to talk." Angel told her, kissing her forehead. She nodded. Angel left the room without another word. Serena sat, thoughts buzzing in her mind. She stared out of her window at the coming nightfall. The setting sun glowed a vivacious orange through the now-opened blinds. She felt guilty inside, as well as hollow. She needed time to heal.