Disclaimer: See news item in chapter six.
Notes: Well, that A/C shipper has been put to brutal rest, thank the Powers. Still, I get the feeling that their lot's like mosquitoes: every time one flies into the poison strip ten more buzz over to see what's going on. The only thing for it is to put up more fly paper, I suppose. ::sighs as she lays out a fresh batch of anthrax-coated Charisma Carpenter head shots::
Distribution: Contact me about visitation rights.
Inheritance
By Myopic
Part Seven: Like Pulling Teeth
Angel rushed into the lobby of the Hyperion hotel doing a complete spin to determine who was there and who was missing. Cordelia was at her desk, the phone at her ear and a copy of the Yellow Pages open before her as she dialed. Gunn and Fred were on the red couch with a stack of dusty books between them and a pair of empty coffee mugs at their feet.
A few steps further into the room revealed a glimpse of Giles and Wesley sitting across from each other in the back office, obviously researching as well.
Fear gripped his throat, so the words sounded a bit strangled. "Where's Conner?"
Five heads snapped up at the unexpected noise.
"It's three o'clock," Gunn answered, checking his watch. "He should be home soon."
Angel looked only marginally less worried.
"What's the worry?" Cordelia asked, putting the receiver down. "It's hours before dark."
"Right." He sighed with relief. "She doesn't do daylight."
Fred, and Gunn, and Cordelia exchanged looks.
"Who doesn't do daylight?" Fred inquired timidly.
"Drusilla."
There was a grim silence.
"What is this, Sweeps Week?" Cordelia exclaimed. "Someone get Darla and the Scoobies and we can have my high school reunion right here."
No one laughed.
"Fine, then. Let's hear it," she sighed.
"Okay, so we'll meet at seven at Conner's on Friday night," Dale continued, walking backwards down the sidewalk from McJay's.
"Sounds good," Conner agreed, kicking a soda can into the sewer. "Guys?"
Pete nodded, but Summer bit her lip.
"Actually, that might be a problem." She drew in a breath. "God, this is totally embarrassing. My Dad's always been completely overprotective. And with the election coming up and everything he's been even worse than usual, which is like. you have no idea what it's like. If I'm a minute late he thinks I've been kidnapped by terrorists. He calls the cops and his bodyguards, it's so lame. Anyway, he insists on meeting any guys I go out with, even if they're just friends so."
"So we'll meet at your place," Conner supplied, smiling kindly.
She beamed at him and he missed a step, bumping into Dale.
"Watch it," snapped the brunette, stopping to pull out a notebook and pen. "What's your address. Summer?"
She started to write down the directions the other girl dictated, but stopped at as a scribbled note caught her eye. "Conner, don't you have a dentist appointment?" she asked.
"I strongly disagree," Giles interjected, pacing the lobby in frustration. "I believe the best way to protect ourselves and Conner is to increase our efforts to find Buffy, not divide them between finding her and Drusilla."
"How do you figure that?" Gunn demanded, scowling at the older man. "We're leaving ourselves wide open if we don't even try to track that maniac down."
"That's right," Fred agreed, standing at her husband's side. "From what I've heard Drusilla's a serious threat. This Slayer's been missing for a while, it won't hurt to wait a little longer to find her."
"I know that she's a threat," explained Giles through clenched teeth. "That's why we need as much backup as we can get. Buffy's the strongest Slayer in history. If anyone has a chance of taking Drusilla down it's her."
Angel frowned. "Not when she was fifteen she couldn't," he said slowly. "Let's face it. We don't know for sure that the new Slayer even IS Buffy. And if Buffy has been reincarnated, there's no telling how much of her skills she's retained. She might not even know how to throw a punch, Giles. She certainly won't have the experience and training twenty year old Buffy had. Add that to the fact that Buffy has never defeated Drusilla either, and I don't think there's any way finding her can be our top priority." He looked down and his next words were very quiet. "You're right about one thing, though. It doesn't make sense to split our resources on two separate searches. The logical thing to do is take care of Dru first, then continue the search for the Slayer."
Giles stared at him for a moment in anger that quickly turned to defeat. "I just don't understand. You of all people should be backing me up."
"I'd like to," Angel said evenly. He met the Watcher's eyes squarely. "But people depend on me. I have to do what's right, regardless of my personal priorities. We simply don't have the manpower for two searches and I have to go with the most urgent. You of all people should understand THAT."
Wesley looked between the two men, frowning. He knew that what Angel said was true, Drusilla had to be taken care of. But at the same time he understood, probably better than anyone, the emptiness a Watcher feels when he no longer has a Slayer to watch over. Even now, after all these years, and despite the fact that he knew there was nothing he could have done to prevent Faith from turning to the dark side - even now he could feel the sense of failure like a scab in the back of his head, buried deeply under all the responsibilities, pleasures and pain of his new life, but there nonetheless. His empathy for the older Watcher picked away at the old wound. There must be some way..
"Angel's right, Giles, we don't have the manpower here to conduct two searches. But it occurs to me that there's an easy remedy for that. I believe Cordelia mentioned something about the Scoobies earlier?"
A light broke over Giles' face and he gave the first approximation to a smile since he'd shown since arrived in L.A. He grabbed the glasses off his face and wiped the lenses excitedly. "Yes, yes of course. That would be the ideal - I'm sure they'd be willing to help. Yes, I'll make the calls." He hurried to Wesley's office, muttering to himself about who he should call first.
Cordelia flashed Wesley a smile before returning to her desk, and Fred's eyes brimmed with tears.
"That was a nice thing, English," Gunn said, clapping a had on the other man's shoulder.
Wesley shrugged it off, embarrassed. "Nonsense, it was the logical solution," he sputtered.
"Let's get back to work, then," Angel announced, his back to them. "I'll see if I can get some more information from Spike."
Suddenly the front door flew open, sending a square shaft of evening light into the lobby. Angel jumped back into the shadow of the staircase as everyone else turned, startled to the intruder.
"SorryI'mLateBeReadyInaMinute," Conner shot over his shoulder as he rushed up the staircase to his room.
Fred rushed over to close the door as a thud and running water could be heard from upstairs. A second later Conner stood before them without his bookbag, his dark hair brushed back and his breath minty from a hasty brushing.
"All right, let's go."
"Go where?" Angel asked from behind his son. Conner jumped, and turned around.
"Jeez, Dad, give me a heart attack, why don't you? Cordy said I have a dentist's appointment today."
"Oh! Duh." Cordelia slapped herself in the forehead and grabbed her purse and keys. "Let's go, we're gonna be late."
"Good luck," Angel called to them before disappearing into the basement.
Notes: Um. G. A sharp. Pick one you like.
Notes: Well, that A/C shipper has been put to brutal rest, thank the Powers. Still, I get the feeling that their lot's like mosquitoes: every time one flies into the poison strip ten more buzz over to see what's going on. The only thing for it is to put up more fly paper, I suppose. ::sighs as she lays out a fresh batch of anthrax-coated Charisma Carpenter head shots::
Distribution: Contact me about visitation rights.
Inheritance
By Myopic
Part Seven: Like Pulling Teeth
Angel rushed into the lobby of the Hyperion hotel doing a complete spin to determine who was there and who was missing. Cordelia was at her desk, the phone at her ear and a copy of the Yellow Pages open before her as she dialed. Gunn and Fred were on the red couch with a stack of dusty books between them and a pair of empty coffee mugs at their feet.
A few steps further into the room revealed a glimpse of Giles and Wesley sitting across from each other in the back office, obviously researching as well.
Fear gripped his throat, so the words sounded a bit strangled. "Where's Conner?"
Five heads snapped up at the unexpected noise.
"It's three o'clock," Gunn answered, checking his watch. "He should be home soon."
Angel looked only marginally less worried.
"What's the worry?" Cordelia asked, putting the receiver down. "It's hours before dark."
"Right." He sighed with relief. "She doesn't do daylight."
Fred, and Gunn, and Cordelia exchanged looks.
"Who doesn't do daylight?" Fred inquired timidly.
"Drusilla."
There was a grim silence.
"What is this, Sweeps Week?" Cordelia exclaimed. "Someone get Darla and the Scoobies and we can have my high school reunion right here."
No one laughed.
"Fine, then. Let's hear it," she sighed.
"Okay, so we'll meet at seven at Conner's on Friday night," Dale continued, walking backwards down the sidewalk from McJay's.
"Sounds good," Conner agreed, kicking a soda can into the sewer. "Guys?"
Pete nodded, but Summer bit her lip.
"Actually, that might be a problem." She drew in a breath. "God, this is totally embarrassing. My Dad's always been completely overprotective. And with the election coming up and everything he's been even worse than usual, which is like. you have no idea what it's like. If I'm a minute late he thinks I've been kidnapped by terrorists. He calls the cops and his bodyguards, it's so lame. Anyway, he insists on meeting any guys I go out with, even if they're just friends so."
"So we'll meet at your place," Conner supplied, smiling kindly.
She beamed at him and he missed a step, bumping into Dale.
"Watch it," snapped the brunette, stopping to pull out a notebook and pen. "What's your address. Summer?"
She started to write down the directions the other girl dictated, but stopped at as a scribbled note caught her eye. "Conner, don't you have a dentist appointment?" she asked.
"I strongly disagree," Giles interjected, pacing the lobby in frustration. "I believe the best way to protect ourselves and Conner is to increase our efforts to find Buffy, not divide them between finding her and Drusilla."
"How do you figure that?" Gunn demanded, scowling at the older man. "We're leaving ourselves wide open if we don't even try to track that maniac down."
"That's right," Fred agreed, standing at her husband's side. "From what I've heard Drusilla's a serious threat. This Slayer's been missing for a while, it won't hurt to wait a little longer to find her."
"I know that she's a threat," explained Giles through clenched teeth. "That's why we need as much backup as we can get. Buffy's the strongest Slayer in history. If anyone has a chance of taking Drusilla down it's her."
Angel frowned. "Not when she was fifteen she couldn't," he said slowly. "Let's face it. We don't know for sure that the new Slayer even IS Buffy. And if Buffy has been reincarnated, there's no telling how much of her skills she's retained. She might not even know how to throw a punch, Giles. She certainly won't have the experience and training twenty year old Buffy had. Add that to the fact that Buffy has never defeated Drusilla either, and I don't think there's any way finding her can be our top priority." He looked down and his next words were very quiet. "You're right about one thing, though. It doesn't make sense to split our resources on two separate searches. The logical thing to do is take care of Dru first, then continue the search for the Slayer."
Giles stared at him for a moment in anger that quickly turned to defeat. "I just don't understand. You of all people should be backing me up."
"I'd like to," Angel said evenly. He met the Watcher's eyes squarely. "But people depend on me. I have to do what's right, regardless of my personal priorities. We simply don't have the manpower for two searches and I have to go with the most urgent. You of all people should understand THAT."
Wesley looked between the two men, frowning. He knew that what Angel said was true, Drusilla had to be taken care of. But at the same time he understood, probably better than anyone, the emptiness a Watcher feels when he no longer has a Slayer to watch over. Even now, after all these years, and despite the fact that he knew there was nothing he could have done to prevent Faith from turning to the dark side - even now he could feel the sense of failure like a scab in the back of his head, buried deeply under all the responsibilities, pleasures and pain of his new life, but there nonetheless. His empathy for the older Watcher picked away at the old wound. There must be some way..
"Angel's right, Giles, we don't have the manpower here to conduct two searches. But it occurs to me that there's an easy remedy for that. I believe Cordelia mentioned something about the Scoobies earlier?"
A light broke over Giles' face and he gave the first approximation to a smile since he'd shown since arrived in L.A. He grabbed the glasses off his face and wiped the lenses excitedly. "Yes, yes of course. That would be the ideal - I'm sure they'd be willing to help. Yes, I'll make the calls." He hurried to Wesley's office, muttering to himself about who he should call first.
Cordelia flashed Wesley a smile before returning to her desk, and Fred's eyes brimmed with tears.
"That was a nice thing, English," Gunn said, clapping a had on the other man's shoulder.
Wesley shrugged it off, embarrassed. "Nonsense, it was the logical solution," he sputtered.
"Let's get back to work, then," Angel announced, his back to them. "I'll see if I can get some more information from Spike."
Suddenly the front door flew open, sending a square shaft of evening light into the lobby. Angel jumped back into the shadow of the staircase as everyone else turned, startled to the intruder.
"SorryI'mLateBeReadyInaMinute," Conner shot over his shoulder as he rushed up the staircase to his room.
Fred rushed over to close the door as a thud and running water could be heard from upstairs. A second later Conner stood before them without his bookbag, his dark hair brushed back and his breath minty from a hasty brushing.
"All right, let's go."
"Go where?" Angel asked from behind his son. Conner jumped, and turned around.
"Jeez, Dad, give me a heart attack, why don't you? Cordy said I have a dentist's appointment today."
"Oh! Duh." Cordelia slapped herself in the forehead and grabbed her purse and keys. "Let's go, we're gonna be late."
"Good luck," Angel called to them before disappearing into the basement.
Notes: Um. G. A sharp. Pick one you like.