******************
When It All Falls Apart
******************
Angel opened the door and there stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had long dark blonde hair and Blue eyes. She wasn't too tall, but she had a commanding presence. She resembled Buffy, and he knew who she was. He could feel the blood coursing in her veins.
"Laura."
His voice was horse. He knew what had happened. He could feel his childe's demise. It was not like the pop of Drusilla. It had been a slide and then he was gone. He had followed Buffy to heaven. He had received something that no vampire should have. He got it because a woman loved him.
Now, Angel realized, was time for his role in her life.
Of course she would show up now when things were so complicated.
He had just lost Cordelia, he didn't know if he could take this. She stood there with long hair, reminiscent of Spike and features that had the delicacy of Buffy in her face. There was her parents determination in her eyes. For the first time in a long time he was scared. The aura that emanated from her was luminous.
"Are you going to invite me in?"
He realized then that she was standing in the rain and that she was soaking wet. He wordlessly stepped aside. She shook her head.
"That isn't good enough."
She vamped out.
Angel stepped back into the room in shock. He didn't know what to do. He had promised to protect this girl, but she was a vampire.
Her vamp face faded. She stood there looking up at him with wide blue eyes. If they had been green he would have melted immediately, they would have been Buffy's eyes. However she looked at him with Spike's eyes in a way that Spike never had. He had seen his eyes in hate and in pain. She was looking to him to help her.
She stood there in the pouring rain, wearing only a red shirt and jeans and looked up at him with all the trust in the world.
"I've got a heartbeat, a soul, and a craving for blood," she whispered as confused as Angel felt.
Angel was still speechless he was at a loss of what to do. The past couple of weeks had been too much.
It was then that Laura got angry. It was a wonder which parent she got her anger from. They had matching tempers. She had one that would put either of theirs to shame.
"You damned vampire. Invite me in out of the rain. You put your hands on my head when I was just a baby and you promised to protect me. You are all I have left and I'm scared."
Angel reached out and felt her neck. There was a slow steady beat.
"What are you?" he whispered.
She looked up at him again with those big blue eyes, "Wet."
He shook himself out of the trance he was in and invited her into his empty house.
She entered shivering. She stood dripping on the floor of the hotel. He decided that questions could wait, vampire or not, she needed to get dry. He didn't know if she was prone to cold like a humans. He brought her upstairs. He brought her into Cordy's old room. He didn't know what else to do. He gave her towels and motioned for her to take things from the drawers and closets. It would be too big, but they were dry.
Angel went and waited in the lobby. He was still in mourning. He loved Cordelia. He had aged enough to take this without brooding. Cordelia was gone and he had a few moments with her before she passed on.
Laura was almost a gift. She was almost a distraction from the pain that was in his heart.
After a bit of showering and warming up, Laura came down the stairs wearing a casual outfit. She was drying her hair and she had bare feet.
Angel ignored the pang of seeing Cordy's clothes. Humans died. Their things were recycled.
"What happened."
She looked at him with tears in her eyes. She began her tale.
***
The man was breathtaking. He was sweet and opened the doors for her. Anton was from one of those Eastern European countries. For the first time it seemed to Laura that she had found someone that she could love.
Being smart she had kept him away from her parents. It was hard to explain them and it was hard for any man to measure up. They were brutal. They had never liked anyone. Well they had liked Alex Harris, but he had fallen for a slayer and broken her heart.
She hadn't told this man anything, but she hadn't needed to. She was enjoying the first pangs of the relationship. It was nice.
***
Dawn was worried as she approached the house on Revello Drive. Buffy had refused to give up the house. Even for the long years when they lived in England. When Laura was nine they had brought her to Sunnydale.
Dawn took another breath.
There was something wrong with Anton. He was wrong somehow. He had convinced Laura to wait to tell her parents. Dawn was sworn to secrecy, but she needed to know. Years of research had made it fairly easy to find that Anton was not who he said to be. However Laura wouldn't see it. She was too happy.
"Nibblet. Nice surprise."
Dawn entered the house and asked Buffy and Spike to sit down.
"There is something I have to tell you," Dawn said reluctantly.
Buffy and Spike immediately turned serious.
"What. Are you in trouble?" Spike asked.
Dawn shook her head.
"Its Laura."
"What is wrong with her?" Buffy asked worriedly.
"Well she is seeing a man. He's…creepy."
"You're scarin' your sister out of her mind for a guy who is "creepy"? We've takin' care of things that are more than "creepy." In fact most of Buffy's ex-boy-toys are creepy."
"They are not."
"Angel lurking in the shadows, Parker the slime bag, Riley the commando by day/vamp toy by night. What about the one who you dated after we stopped shaggin', but before we fell in love? He was enough to give me nightmares. I think that she gets her taste from you."
"Right," Buffy snorted, "Like Drusilla isn't Morticia Adams and perky cheerleader vamp? Those two give me the willies."
Dawn shook her head, "No I mean it's odd. It's like he has a control over her. There is something wrong with the relationship. I can't describe it, it's just my old senses are churning up. I mean he lives over on Gatwick drive in a big scary house and I can't find any record of him."
Buffy looked pale all of the sudden, Spike had suddenly fallen quiet and looked at Buffy."
"Does this bloke have dark hair and have a funny accent."
Dawn nodded.
Buffy looked very scared. She looked at Spike. They did that thing they did that involved the exchange of thoughts with minimal words.
"Do you think?" Buffy asked.
Spike nodded, "He hates you."
Buffy glared at him, "Well what does he owe you money from."
Spike shook his head now wasn't the time. It wasn't a pretty thing, "I think that this is no coincidence."
"Revenge?" Buffy said nervously.
"Nothing but," Spike agreed.
That was the end of their research and planning session. Both knew what they had to do.
Buffy got up and went upstairs. Spike went to the chest that contained weapons. Buffy came down in seconds. She was decked out in Slayer wear.
"What is going on?" Dawn asked confused.
"Well that man, he's kind of dead," Buffy said blankly.
"Goddamned Poofy Bat sucking bloody spotlight whore…" Spike muttered.
"You know him?" Dawn asked.
Spike walked to the bookshelf and threw a book at Dawn. Then stormed out of the house, Buffy a step behind.
Dawn looked at the book in her hands. It was one that she had seen Spike laughing over many times. He loved that book as a great humor relief.
Bram Stoker's Dracula.
When It All Falls Apart
******************
Angel opened the door and there stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had long dark blonde hair and Blue eyes. She wasn't too tall, but she had a commanding presence. She resembled Buffy, and he knew who she was. He could feel the blood coursing in her veins.
"Laura."
His voice was horse. He knew what had happened. He could feel his childe's demise. It was not like the pop of Drusilla. It had been a slide and then he was gone. He had followed Buffy to heaven. He had received something that no vampire should have. He got it because a woman loved him.
Now, Angel realized, was time for his role in her life.
Of course she would show up now when things were so complicated.
He had just lost Cordelia, he didn't know if he could take this. She stood there with long hair, reminiscent of Spike and features that had the delicacy of Buffy in her face. There was her parents determination in her eyes. For the first time in a long time he was scared. The aura that emanated from her was luminous.
"Are you going to invite me in?"
He realized then that she was standing in the rain and that she was soaking wet. He wordlessly stepped aside. She shook her head.
"That isn't good enough."
She vamped out.
Angel stepped back into the room in shock. He didn't know what to do. He had promised to protect this girl, but she was a vampire.
Her vamp face faded. She stood there looking up at him with wide blue eyes. If they had been green he would have melted immediately, they would have been Buffy's eyes. However she looked at him with Spike's eyes in a way that Spike never had. He had seen his eyes in hate and in pain. She was looking to him to help her.
She stood there in the pouring rain, wearing only a red shirt and jeans and looked up at him with all the trust in the world.
"I've got a heartbeat, a soul, and a craving for blood," she whispered as confused as Angel felt.
Angel was still speechless he was at a loss of what to do. The past couple of weeks had been too much.
It was then that Laura got angry. It was a wonder which parent she got her anger from. They had matching tempers. She had one that would put either of theirs to shame.
"You damned vampire. Invite me in out of the rain. You put your hands on my head when I was just a baby and you promised to protect me. You are all I have left and I'm scared."
Angel reached out and felt her neck. There was a slow steady beat.
"What are you?" he whispered.
She looked up at him again with those big blue eyes, "Wet."
He shook himself out of the trance he was in and invited her into his empty house.
She entered shivering. She stood dripping on the floor of the hotel. He decided that questions could wait, vampire or not, she needed to get dry. He didn't know if she was prone to cold like a humans. He brought her upstairs. He brought her into Cordy's old room. He didn't know what else to do. He gave her towels and motioned for her to take things from the drawers and closets. It would be too big, but they were dry.
Angel went and waited in the lobby. He was still in mourning. He loved Cordelia. He had aged enough to take this without brooding. Cordelia was gone and he had a few moments with her before she passed on.
Laura was almost a gift. She was almost a distraction from the pain that was in his heart.
After a bit of showering and warming up, Laura came down the stairs wearing a casual outfit. She was drying her hair and she had bare feet.
Angel ignored the pang of seeing Cordy's clothes. Humans died. Their things were recycled.
"What happened."
She looked at him with tears in her eyes. She began her tale.
***
The man was breathtaking. He was sweet and opened the doors for her. Anton was from one of those Eastern European countries. For the first time it seemed to Laura that she had found someone that she could love.
Being smart she had kept him away from her parents. It was hard to explain them and it was hard for any man to measure up. They were brutal. They had never liked anyone. Well they had liked Alex Harris, but he had fallen for a slayer and broken her heart.
She hadn't told this man anything, but she hadn't needed to. She was enjoying the first pangs of the relationship. It was nice.
***
Dawn was worried as she approached the house on Revello Drive. Buffy had refused to give up the house. Even for the long years when they lived in England. When Laura was nine they had brought her to Sunnydale.
Dawn took another breath.
There was something wrong with Anton. He was wrong somehow. He had convinced Laura to wait to tell her parents. Dawn was sworn to secrecy, but she needed to know. Years of research had made it fairly easy to find that Anton was not who he said to be. However Laura wouldn't see it. She was too happy.
"Nibblet. Nice surprise."
Dawn entered the house and asked Buffy and Spike to sit down.
"There is something I have to tell you," Dawn said reluctantly.
Buffy and Spike immediately turned serious.
"What. Are you in trouble?" Spike asked.
Dawn shook her head.
"Its Laura."
"What is wrong with her?" Buffy asked worriedly.
"Well she is seeing a man. He's…creepy."
"You're scarin' your sister out of her mind for a guy who is "creepy"? We've takin' care of things that are more than "creepy." In fact most of Buffy's ex-boy-toys are creepy."
"They are not."
"Angel lurking in the shadows, Parker the slime bag, Riley the commando by day/vamp toy by night. What about the one who you dated after we stopped shaggin', but before we fell in love? He was enough to give me nightmares. I think that she gets her taste from you."
"Right," Buffy snorted, "Like Drusilla isn't Morticia Adams and perky cheerleader vamp? Those two give me the willies."
Dawn shook her head, "No I mean it's odd. It's like he has a control over her. There is something wrong with the relationship. I can't describe it, it's just my old senses are churning up. I mean he lives over on Gatwick drive in a big scary house and I can't find any record of him."
Buffy looked pale all of the sudden, Spike had suddenly fallen quiet and looked at Buffy."
"Does this bloke have dark hair and have a funny accent."
Dawn nodded.
Buffy looked very scared. She looked at Spike. They did that thing they did that involved the exchange of thoughts with minimal words.
"Do you think?" Buffy asked.
Spike nodded, "He hates you."
Buffy glared at him, "Well what does he owe you money from."
Spike shook his head now wasn't the time. It wasn't a pretty thing, "I think that this is no coincidence."
"Revenge?" Buffy said nervously.
"Nothing but," Spike agreed.
That was the end of their research and planning session. Both knew what they had to do.
Buffy got up and went upstairs. Spike went to the chest that contained weapons. Buffy came down in seconds. She was decked out in Slayer wear.
"What is going on?" Dawn asked confused.
"Well that man, he's kind of dead," Buffy said blankly.
"Goddamned Poofy Bat sucking bloody spotlight whore…" Spike muttered.
"You know him?" Dawn asked.
Spike walked to the bookshelf and threw a book at Dawn. Then stormed out of the house, Buffy a step behind.
Dawn looked at the book in her hands. It was one that she had seen Spike laughing over many times. He loved that book as a great humor relief.
Bram Stoker's Dracula.