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P As In Perfection
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A/N: So after I demand you all trust me we have a Spuffy-less chapter. However they will be back. We're working on plot here. Throw me a bone! And review for goodness sake. I want reviews. Please?
Laura was crying when she got done retelling the tale.
"I didn't really remember anything until they were gone. I just remember feeling the sweetest emotions. I was loved and it was warm. Then it was gone. I knew I had to leave. I don't want to face Dawn and everyone until I know."
"Maybe you should call them just to let them know."
"I'm not ready, can you…"
Angel nodded and picked up the phone. Laura dialed Dawn's number.
***
Dawn was frantic. There was absolutely nothing to be found of Buffy, Spike, or Laura.
She froze as the phone rang. After four days she expected the worst.
"Hello?"
"Dawn?"
"Angel? Why are you calling…"
Angel felt a surge of panic. He had never really spoken with Dawn, she was just Buffy's little sister. He always felt uncomfortable around her. Now he had to tell her that her sister was dead.
"Dawn there have been some things that happened."
Dawn's heart fell, but she swore that she was going to be brave.
"Buffy and Spike didn't make it. It wasn't death, it was more like they were carried to heaven."
Dawn stifled her tears that were threatening to fall.
"Laura is here with me. She is going through some changes that she needs my help with. She kind of needs some space."
Dawn pushed away the tears. They could wait.
"Is she okay?"
"A bit shaken. I'm sorry she just needs some peace."
"No problem. Have her call me when she's feeling better. Bye Angel."
"Bye Dawn."
Dawn hung up the phone. Before she called Giles in London she broke down. She sobbed long and hard for the memory of her sister. For the memory of Spike. For the two people who had been her parents in her teenage years. She would miss them.
***
Angel was uncomfortable. He didn't know what to say to her. He was as confused as she was.
"Do you want to get a drink."
She nodded eagerly. She swigged down the blood that he had given her. She needed a stiff drink. She was as uncomfortable as he was.
The pair got up and went to Angel's car. Laura was a bit uncomfortable in Cordelia's clothes, they were nicer than she was used to. Laura spent much of the car ride looking at the clothes she wore. She suddenly felt grown up.
Angel watched her, when he wasn't looking at the road. He thought that perhaps he would see Cordy when Laura wore her clothes. However there were too many differences. Laura was shorter and her build was slighter. She was built like Buffy. She didn't remind him of Buffy. She was definitely an entity of her own.
He took her into the bar and they sat down. Laura looked around and was shocked.
"This is a room full of demons."
She looked around wide eyed.
"I know it seems like I should not be surprised seeing as I am partially one and grew up around them."
"You've lived in Sunnydale, New York and London and you've never seen another demon bar? I know that there are plenty."
Laura shrugged, "Maybe dad never felt comfortable taking me into them."
"Spike took you into bars?"
"Well not until I was sixteen. We lived in England half the time anyway."
It was at that moment that Lorne came over to the table. He was staring at Laura strangely. Angel began to make introductions, but Lorne couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"Lorne," Angel said for the fifth time.
Lorne shook his head as if he was trying to clear his head. Laura was just looking at the green demon as if it was normal to be leered at. She sat waiting for him to recover.
She was the most unflappable creature that Angel had ever seen.
"Hello I'm Laura," she said, putting out her hand.
"Sing please," Lorne asked quietly.
Laura crinkled her forehead, but complied with his request.
"Lorne what is going on?" Angel asked beginning to become uncomfortable. She was his responsibility. He didn't really like the way that Lorne was looking at her.
Lorne watched her, "She's got an aura like I never seen. I've gotta see her sing. Now be quiet."
Angel watched as she took the microphone.
"I'm Laura, this is a song for my parents, this song always made them smile."
A voice sweet as a whisper began to sing.
Did you ever know that you're my hero,
You're everything that I would want to be
I could fly higher than an eagle
If you were the wind beneath my wings.
Angel wanted to cry as the orphan gave an ode to her parents. Her words were the admiration of her parents. They had supported her for so long, and now they were gone.
"She's beautiful," Lorne sighed. When Angel looked over at him he realized that Lorne was crying.
Angel was suddenly gripped by an overwhelming urge to grab Laura and leave the room. He didn't want anyone else looking at her.
"What do you see?" Angel asked Lorne.
Lorne looked at him, "I can't even describe it. It's pure."
Angel gritted his teeth. Lorne was starting to grate on his nerves.
Laura came back to the table.
"So I can sense you are telepathic, I guess singing is a way to utilities that."
Lorne nodded, "Smart cookie. You're parents enjoyed that number."
Laura's eyes teared, "I hope so. It was supposed to be their wedding song, if they ever got married."
"Do you know why they never got married?"
"You do?"
"They just felt that they didn't have to. They were bound together. They didn't need anyone to tell them what they meant to each other. That is also why your father never marked your mother."
Lorne shot an odd glance at Angel.
"You get all that from one song?"
Lorne looked back at her and nodded.
"You are empathetic. I can read everything about you and those that you have surrounded yourself with. I know all about your parents, your witches, and all of the gang who loved you. I know about your great loves, Alex from your childhood and from your adult life the non-Lestat famous vampire."
Laura shivered, wanting to go on with the conversation. She didn't want to dwell while everything was so fresh.
"So what am I?"
"Sweetie, you are perfection."
She didn't get it, Lorne could see that. The skin of her brow wrinked.
"Great I'm perfection and I still have to wax my eyebrows," Laura muttered.
Lorne laughed, "Actually it means something else."
"So what does that mean?" she asked Lorne.
He shrugged, "I can't tell you that, but I know people who can."
He wrote an address on the napkin, "Go here."
Lorne looked at Angel who was staring at her. Lorne smiled a knowing smile.
Laura was oblivious, "The visions give you addresses?"
Lorne shrugged. He had been waiting for her for years. He didn't think that she would be so beautiful, but he had known for the longest time that she would come. He had known the address by heart for years. He chose to be non-commital for everything that she would mean.
"Can we go now?" she asked Angel after giving Lorne a strange look.
Angel nodded.
Impulsively she gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"I've gotta use the ladies, give me a second."
Angel watched her leave. She moved like a child. She didn't seem to have any worries. He felt very old next to her.
Lorne sighed, "That is one amazing girl."
"I know."
"If there wasn't another man, I'd fall for her."
Angel looked at the hallway to the bathroom.
"She still loves Alex Harris," Angel said nodding in understanding. His job was to protect her until he could deliver her to Alex's waiting arms.
Lorne didn't say anything as Laura made his way to them.
P As In Perfection
**************
A/N: So after I demand you all trust me we have a Spuffy-less chapter. However they will be back. We're working on plot here. Throw me a bone! And review for goodness sake. I want reviews. Please?
Laura was crying when she got done retelling the tale.
"I didn't really remember anything until they were gone. I just remember feeling the sweetest emotions. I was loved and it was warm. Then it was gone. I knew I had to leave. I don't want to face Dawn and everyone until I know."
"Maybe you should call them just to let them know."
"I'm not ready, can you…"
Angel nodded and picked up the phone. Laura dialed Dawn's number.
***
Dawn was frantic. There was absolutely nothing to be found of Buffy, Spike, or Laura.
She froze as the phone rang. After four days she expected the worst.
"Hello?"
"Dawn?"
"Angel? Why are you calling…"
Angel felt a surge of panic. He had never really spoken with Dawn, she was just Buffy's little sister. He always felt uncomfortable around her. Now he had to tell her that her sister was dead.
"Dawn there have been some things that happened."
Dawn's heart fell, but she swore that she was going to be brave.
"Buffy and Spike didn't make it. It wasn't death, it was more like they were carried to heaven."
Dawn stifled her tears that were threatening to fall.
"Laura is here with me. She is going through some changes that she needs my help with. She kind of needs some space."
Dawn pushed away the tears. They could wait.
"Is she okay?"
"A bit shaken. I'm sorry she just needs some peace."
"No problem. Have her call me when she's feeling better. Bye Angel."
"Bye Dawn."
Dawn hung up the phone. Before she called Giles in London she broke down. She sobbed long and hard for the memory of her sister. For the memory of Spike. For the two people who had been her parents in her teenage years. She would miss them.
***
Angel was uncomfortable. He didn't know what to say to her. He was as confused as she was.
"Do you want to get a drink."
She nodded eagerly. She swigged down the blood that he had given her. She needed a stiff drink. She was as uncomfortable as he was.
The pair got up and went to Angel's car. Laura was a bit uncomfortable in Cordelia's clothes, they were nicer than she was used to. Laura spent much of the car ride looking at the clothes she wore. She suddenly felt grown up.
Angel watched her, when he wasn't looking at the road. He thought that perhaps he would see Cordy when Laura wore her clothes. However there were too many differences. Laura was shorter and her build was slighter. She was built like Buffy. She didn't remind him of Buffy. She was definitely an entity of her own.
He took her into the bar and they sat down. Laura looked around and was shocked.
"This is a room full of demons."
She looked around wide eyed.
"I know it seems like I should not be surprised seeing as I am partially one and grew up around them."
"You've lived in Sunnydale, New York and London and you've never seen another demon bar? I know that there are plenty."
Laura shrugged, "Maybe dad never felt comfortable taking me into them."
"Spike took you into bars?"
"Well not until I was sixteen. We lived in England half the time anyway."
It was at that moment that Lorne came over to the table. He was staring at Laura strangely. Angel began to make introductions, but Lorne couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"Lorne," Angel said for the fifth time.
Lorne shook his head as if he was trying to clear his head. Laura was just looking at the green demon as if it was normal to be leered at. She sat waiting for him to recover.
She was the most unflappable creature that Angel had ever seen.
"Hello I'm Laura," she said, putting out her hand.
"Sing please," Lorne asked quietly.
Laura crinkled her forehead, but complied with his request.
"Lorne what is going on?" Angel asked beginning to become uncomfortable. She was his responsibility. He didn't really like the way that Lorne was looking at her.
Lorne watched her, "She's got an aura like I never seen. I've gotta see her sing. Now be quiet."
Angel watched as she took the microphone.
"I'm Laura, this is a song for my parents, this song always made them smile."
A voice sweet as a whisper began to sing.
Did you ever know that you're my hero,
You're everything that I would want to be
I could fly higher than an eagle
If you were the wind beneath my wings.
Angel wanted to cry as the orphan gave an ode to her parents. Her words were the admiration of her parents. They had supported her for so long, and now they were gone.
"She's beautiful," Lorne sighed. When Angel looked over at him he realized that Lorne was crying.
Angel was suddenly gripped by an overwhelming urge to grab Laura and leave the room. He didn't want anyone else looking at her.
"What do you see?" Angel asked Lorne.
Lorne looked at him, "I can't even describe it. It's pure."
Angel gritted his teeth. Lorne was starting to grate on his nerves.
Laura came back to the table.
"So I can sense you are telepathic, I guess singing is a way to utilities that."
Lorne nodded, "Smart cookie. You're parents enjoyed that number."
Laura's eyes teared, "I hope so. It was supposed to be their wedding song, if they ever got married."
"Do you know why they never got married?"
"You do?"
"They just felt that they didn't have to. They were bound together. They didn't need anyone to tell them what they meant to each other. That is also why your father never marked your mother."
Lorne shot an odd glance at Angel.
"You get all that from one song?"
Lorne looked back at her and nodded.
"You are empathetic. I can read everything about you and those that you have surrounded yourself with. I know all about your parents, your witches, and all of the gang who loved you. I know about your great loves, Alex from your childhood and from your adult life the non-Lestat famous vampire."
Laura shivered, wanting to go on with the conversation. She didn't want to dwell while everything was so fresh.
"So what am I?"
"Sweetie, you are perfection."
She didn't get it, Lorne could see that. The skin of her brow wrinked.
"Great I'm perfection and I still have to wax my eyebrows," Laura muttered.
Lorne laughed, "Actually it means something else."
"So what does that mean?" she asked Lorne.
He shrugged, "I can't tell you that, but I know people who can."
He wrote an address on the napkin, "Go here."
Lorne looked at Angel who was staring at her. Lorne smiled a knowing smile.
Laura was oblivious, "The visions give you addresses?"
Lorne shrugged. He had been waiting for her for years. He didn't think that she would be so beautiful, but he had known for the longest time that she would come. He had known the address by heart for years. He chose to be non-commital for everything that she would mean.
"Can we go now?" she asked Angel after giving Lorne a strange look.
Angel nodded.
Impulsively she gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"I've gotta use the ladies, give me a second."
Angel watched her leave. She moved like a child. She didn't seem to have any worries. He felt very old next to her.
Lorne sighed, "That is one amazing girl."
"I know."
"If there wasn't another man, I'd fall for her."
Angel looked at the hallway to the bathroom.
"She still loves Alex Harris," Angel said nodding in understanding. His job was to protect her until he could deliver her to Alex's waiting arms.
Lorne didn't say anything as Laura made his way to them.