.....................................................................................................................................
Part 4//is your mama gonna miss ya
now you´re gone//
Riley´s simple question set both Willow and Giles in alarm. Neither of them had heard from Buffy within the last 24 hours. Which was nothing unusual. They'd assumed Buffy was sleeping or probably patrolling and would show up later. But it wasn't like her to simply forget Riley."Look, Riley. She probably just ran into a demon or so. I'm sure she's fine." Willow tried to calm him.
"Damn. Why doesn't she have a cell phone?", Riley cursed under his breath.
Giles shot him an annoyed look. Right. It was no problem for his slayer to answer her cell phone while she was just approaching a demon or vampire! How stupid was this kid? Even Wesley had learned that quickly...once he'd met his first *real* demon.
"But we had a date. She'd never forget that.", Riley started again.
"Look Riley. She's the slayer. It might occur to you that she has other things in mind than a *date*.", Giles snorted.
There had been times when a date was everything Buffy could think of, he remembered and chuckled. But times were changing, right? And Riley of all people should understand that.
"I'm going to her house.", Riley announced and stormed towards the door.
"Wait! We're coming with you!", Willow called after him.
//when it all comes down baby,
all I want is you//
Meanwhile Buffy and Angel were on the highway, leaving San Bernardino behind, heading for Bodie. She had explained her plans to him, as soon as they were in the car. They'd stay one more night in a motel near the highway and start looking for something inside the town during the next day. It would be cheaper to stay in an small inn there.
After she had finished her speech, Buffy went quiet. Both were confused and embarrassed about what had happened between them earlier.
So Angel just leaned back against the window and watched her. She was beautiful. Her long, golden hair falling over her back and shoulders. Her tanned skin. Her bare arms, holding the steering wheel in an iron grip. She was so tiny inside the big driver's seat, she almost seemed to disappear. Angel watched her and wondered. Since when had she become so thin? He knew that her small frame betrayed the power radiating beneath her skin, inside her body. His tiny little slayer was glowing with power. Wait....again...*his*? She wasn't his anymore. She'd made that perfectly clear after the little accident this evening. If she was his, Angel wouldn't hesitate to pull her into his arms and never let her go, protecting her from all the harm and the world outside. Unconsciously Angel let out a sigh.
//i´ve been wandering around the house all night
wondering what the hell to do//
Giles´ car stopped in front of the Summers´ house. Everything was dark inside. And nobody answered their knocks and calls. Finally Giles pulled out a bunch of keys. Buffy had given him one, for cases of emergency. Carefully they entered the house. "Buffy?", Riley shouted. No answer. "I'm gonna check her room." Willow walked around the living room. The suddenly she cried: "Giles??" Both, Giles and Riley rushed to her side instantly. What was it? In her hand she held a slice of paper with something scribbled on it. "She's gone.", the redhead stated. "WHAT?" Riley yelped in surprise. "Willow, what does it say?""Ok, I'm gonna read it. `Mom. I'm going to L.A. Will, don´t worry. I´ll be back. Call Cordy. Buffy.´"
"Oh god...", Giles groaned.
"What do you mean? LA? Why would she....?" Riley pushed her. She didn´t even mention me.
"Angel's in LA.,", Willow blurted. She and Giles shared a knowing look.
"Angel? But what does she want...why....how could she....? Could you *please* explain what's going on?", Riley started with a whisper and ended up clenching his teeth in frustration.
"Riley, please, sit down for a minute.", Giles tried to sound calm when all he wanted to do was run for the phone. This was probably bad. Very bad.
All three sat down on the sofa.
"Riley, look. I´m sure it´s not what you think.", Willow started. Uhoh...bad idea. Hastily she continued.
"Ok, perhaps Angel needed her help and she had to leave in a hurry...or..."
"Willow, please.", Giles raised his voice. "I'm sure it's what you supposed. She'd never just..."
"Run away? Like she did the last time she had to kill Angel? When she was in LA for whole three months?", Willow started to panic. What had happened? Or was it even worse?
Riley tried in vain to utter a straight sentence. Willow and Giles were talking so fast he had trouble following.
"Ok, I'm calling Cordelia." The watcher finally gave up and when into the kitchen.
//and it cuts like a knife//
She heard him sigh and shot him a look. It was practically written all over his face that he was in full brood mood. Buffy couldn't help but smile. What pulled her out of her own deep thoughts.They had to talk.
"Angel, look. I'm sorry about what happened. And I promise it won't happen again. Guess it was just...habit...bad, bad habit. "Great, now I start babbling." And we have to talk, since we're going to spent time together the next days. I don't know how long it'll last or where we go, but I don't want us to be strangers. We have a past. And past means it's over. So I guess we'll have to try if we can be friends. You okay with that?"
Her words cut like a knife. But she was right, right? They couldn't be more than friends. Especially with regard to their past, friendship was all he could hope for. He messed things up and nevertheless she saved him. So...try friends.
"Angel?"
"Buffy, look, I'm also sorry, I shouldn't have....I owe you a lot. If you want us to be friends, we'll be friends. You mean a lot to me and I like spending time with you, even if it is running away and hiding from the police...."
Both started to laugh at his statement. So. Friends. Try this one.
"So, buddy, what's new in LA?", Buffy nudged him on the arm.
//vanishing....vanishing//
After what seemed like an eternity Giles came back into the living room. His face wore an expression of utter worry.
"Giles? What's going on in LA?", Willow dared to ask, before Riley could utter the same question.
"Well. It seems that Angel was arrested last night. They think he has committed several murders during the last few weeks."
"But, he's not....you know?"
"No, he's not Angelus. He's not guilty at all, but the police didn´t want to see that. They took him to jail.
"But what has Buffy to do with that?", Riley burst out, impatient.
"Apparently, Angel refused to make any phone calls to get out. He was supposed to go to court the next morning..."
"In the sunlight? But that would kill him!", Willow interrupted him again.
"This is why Cordelia and Wesley called Buffy. They told her what happened and I think Cordelia begged her to get Angel out.
"What??", Riley yelped.
"Wesley told me she promised to come to LA, that's all."
"Ok, but what happened? Did she save him?", Willow asked in worry. She cared for Angel, if even it might be just for Buffy.
"That's where things get unclear."
"What do you mean? Giles, please!", Riley wanted to shake him. What had this bloodsucker done with his girlfriend?
"If you would listen instead of interrupting me every sentence you might know. Wesley reported that this morning there were news about a supposed killer breaking out of prison, with the help of a probably pregnant girl who attacked a police officer to get to him. She´s still in hospital."
Willow grinned widely. That was Buffy. Nothing could stop her when Angel was in danger.
"Pregnant?", Riley screamed, but nobody paid attention.
Giles continued his report: "Furthermore Cordelia and Wesley discovered that some of Angel's clothes are missing, as well as several bags of blood."
"And her room is a mess.", Riley muttered to himself. As if she had to leave in a hurry. "Oh god."
"Seems like she left to save him." Willow stated the obvious.
"And seems like she succeeded", Giles continued.
"Question is: where the hell are they now?", Riley cursed in frustration. He wanted his girlfriend back. Now. He couldn't stand the thought of her spending time with her ex-boyfriend. Alone.
Suddenly the front door opened with a bang.
"SLAYER!"
tbc...