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Briefcase ] | |With Angel holding her up, Buffy limped to the top of the
stairs. "okay, hop along" Angel chuckled, lifting Buffy into his arms "I
don't think you want to hop down the stairs". Buffy grinned "I could scoot"
she replied. "uh-huh" Angel murmured looking down the stairs "and your
sister would be old and gray before you got to the bottom".
Buffy held onto him as he jogged down the staircase "you just want a reason to hold me" she teased. Angel didn't deny her claim"maybe" he agreed, "but you would still take twenty years to get down".
"Buffy" Dawn jumped up as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Buffy smiled at her sister's enthusiasm "down girl" she chuckled. Angel gingerly sat Buffy on the couch before turning to greet the girl he heard so much about. "So, this is Buffy's Angel" Dawn mused "cute, very cute".
Buffy laughed as Angel blanched "gee that mouth sounds familiar" he chuckled. Dawn beamed proudly "I learned from the best" she declared sitting on the couch by Buffy. Buffy pulled her little sister into a hug "what are you doing here squirt?" she asked.
"You don't call, you don't write" she complained "you get hurt bad and leave us wondering.." Dawn continued. Buffy rolled her eyes "I'm okay" she protested. "yeah" she is okay now" Angel commented,"but she gave me a real scare".
"Hush you" Buffy stuck her tongue out at him. "Buff" Xander came in carrying several pieces of luggage. "Geez Dawn" Buffy drawled "are you moving in or what?"
Xander dropped the luggage at the top of the stairs "So, soul boy" he greeted Angel "you got a bellhop here?" Angel gave him a dirty look "sorry Harris" he returned "guess you have to do your own dirty work". Xander walked up to Buffy and enveloped her in a hug "thanks for scaring us, Buff" he said.
Buffy sighed "Geez, you'd think I almost died or something" she said. "You did" Angel reminded her. Dawn and Xander sat on either side of her on the couch. "Have you heard from Giles?" Buffy asked. Dawn nodded "he is back in glorious old England with his daily tea time" she said.
Angel tried unsuccessfully to supress a grin "I bet he's in heaven" he said. Dawn shrugged her shoulders "last I knew he was itching to come back to America".
"Can't say as I blame him" Spike said, sauntering into the room "its bloody cold in England right now". Dawn jumped up and ran to Spike, who gave the young girl a hearty hug "how ya been l'il bit" he greeted. "Good" she returned "I thought you were gone for good" she told him. Spike hugged her again "are you kidding" he asked "I'm the proverbial bad penny".
"you got that right" Angel muttered, surprised at Dawn's reaction to seeing his grandsire. Buffy grinned at him, "they are pretty close" she said reading his mind "Spike took care of her after I died". Angel winced, he hated hearing her talk about the time she died. The memory was as clear today as it was the day he found Willow in his hotel.
FLASHBACK
After rescuing Fred, the team at AI only wanted to go home. "home sweet h..." Angel trailed off seeing a distraught willow in his lobby. He didn't need to be told why she was there. Something had happened to Buffy, by Willow's reaction, something REALLY bad.
END FLASHBACK
Angel sat in Dawn's vacated seat beside Buffy, while Dawn and Spike settled on the couch adjacent to them. Angel reached for Buffy's hand, softly caressing her fingers. "So how was New York, l'il bit?" Spike asked Dawn. Dawn grinned "busy" she said "buffy, Xander and I had a blast in central park, though".
"So, why did you leave New York, Buffy" Spike inquired. Buffy shrugged, "after we left Sunnydale, all we did was tour the world" she said "and all I wanted to do was come home" she looked at Angel. Angel squeezed her hand in his. "So you left L'il bit in New york" Spike asked.
"Xander was with her" Buffy defended "besides she wanted to stay". "I've never been to New York" Dawn said "I wanted to stay and explore the city".
All eyes were on Buff, who seemed to be wore out. She yawned and leaned against Angel who wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Buffy tried to stay awake, but soon her eyelids fluttered shut and she was sound asleep. "What is really wrong with her?" Xander asked concerned "she seems especially weak".
Angel agreed "I don't know" he admitted, "but it seems everything wears her out". "you don't think it is one of those slayer trials, do you" Faith asked walking into the room. "That really wiped her out".
"who would be administering the drugs?" Angel asked. Faith shrugged "I don't know its just a thought". Spike looked at Faith "is there ever a time when a slayer just wears out?" he asked. "I don't know" Faith admitted 'but there is only one person who might be able to help her".
"maybe we should call him" Angel suggested. "Call who" asked Wesley entering the room with a cup of coffee. "Giles, right" Xander asked uncertain. Angel nodded "I think Faith is right, we need Giles".
Wesley began to protest, "but I can..."
"yes, you can Wesley" Angel said "but Buffy needs someone who knows the best way to help her heal".
"And that is Giles" Wesley sighed "I never did get to bond with Buffy". Angel reached down and swung her into his arms "not many people do" he said,thankful that he wasn't one of them. "I am taking her to bed" he said walking up the stairs "Dawn, Xander, Wesley and Loren will help you find rooms".
The scooby gang and the AI team watched him walk away, as if cradling pure gold in his arms. "She's so comfortable with him" Dawn remarked, never really seeing her sister so at ease, even with Spike. "Yep" Faith agreed "they have the original forbidden love".
"I think she is just tired" Dawn said softly "her whole life has been put on hold for everyone else". Xander nodded in agreement "It doesn't seem fair, huh?" he asked. The room launched into a worried silence. "I..ah..I'll go call Giles" Wesley finally stood and walked into the office.
"Come one" Faith gestured to Xander and Dawn "lets go find you guys a place to sleep".
Buffy held onto him as he jogged down the staircase "you just want a reason to hold me" she teased. Angel didn't deny her claim"maybe" he agreed, "but you would still take twenty years to get down".
"Buffy" Dawn jumped up as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Buffy smiled at her sister's enthusiasm "down girl" she chuckled. Angel gingerly sat Buffy on the couch before turning to greet the girl he heard so much about. "So, this is Buffy's Angel" Dawn mused "cute, very cute".
Buffy laughed as Angel blanched "gee that mouth sounds familiar" he chuckled. Dawn beamed proudly "I learned from the best" she declared sitting on the couch by Buffy. Buffy pulled her little sister into a hug "what are you doing here squirt?" she asked.
"You don't call, you don't write" she complained "you get hurt bad and leave us wondering.." Dawn continued. Buffy rolled her eyes "I'm okay" she protested. "yeah" she is okay now" Angel commented,"but she gave me a real scare".
"Hush you" Buffy stuck her tongue out at him. "Buff" Xander came in carrying several pieces of luggage. "Geez Dawn" Buffy drawled "are you moving in or what?"
Xander dropped the luggage at the top of the stairs "So, soul boy" he greeted Angel "you got a bellhop here?" Angel gave him a dirty look "sorry Harris" he returned "guess you have to do your own dirty work". Xander walked up to Buffy and enveloped her in a hug "thanks for scaring us, Buff" he said.
Buffy sighed "Geez, you'd think I almost died or something" she said. "You did" Angel reminded her. Dawn and Xander sat on either side of her on the couch. "Have you heard from Giles?" Buffy asked. Dawn nodded "he is back in glorious old England with his daily tea time" she said.
Angel tried unsuccessfully to supress a grin "I bet he's in heaven" he said. Dawn shrugged her shoulders "last I knew he was itching to come back to America".
"Can't say as I blame him" Spike said, sauntering into the room "its bloody cold in England right now". Dawn jumped up and ran to Spike, who gave the young girl a hearty hug "how ya been l'il bit" he greeted. "Good" she returned "I thought you were gone for good" she told him. Spike hugged her again "are you kidding" he asked "I'm the proverbial bad penny".
"you got that right" Angel muttered, surprised at Dawn's reaction to seeing his grandsire. Buffy grinned at him, "they are pretty close" she said reading his mind "Spike took care of her after I died". Angel winced, he hated hearing her talk about the time she died. The memory was as clear today as it was the day he found Willow in his hotel.
FLASHBACK
After rescuing Fred, the team at AI only wanted to go home. "home sweet h..." Angel trailed off seeing a distraught willow in his lobby. He didn't need to be told why she was there. Something had happened to Buffy, by Willow's reaction, something REALLY bad.
END FLASHBACK
Angel sat in Dawn's vacated seat beside Buffy, while Dawn and Spike settled on the couch adjacent to them. Angel reached for Buffy's hand, softly caressing her fingers. "So how was New York, l'il bit?" Spike asked Dawn. Dawn grinned "busy" she said "buffy, Xander and I had a blast in central park, though".
"So, why did you leave New York, Buffy" Spike inquired. Buffy shrugged, "after we left Sunnydale, all we did was tour the world" she said "and all I wanted to do was come home" she looked at Angel. Angel squeezed her hand in his. "So you left L'il bit in New york" Spike asked.
"Xander was with her" Buffy defended "besides she wanted to stay". "I've never been to New York" Dawn said "I wanted to stay and explore the city".
All eyes were on Buff, who seemed to be wore out. She yawned and leaned against Angel who wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Buffy tried to stay awake, but soon her eyelids fluttered shut and she was sound asleep. "What is really wrong with her?" Xander asked concerned "she seems especially weak".
Angel agreed "I don't know" he admitted, "but it seems everything wears her out". "you don't think it is one of those slayer trials, do you" Faith asked walking into the room. "That really wiped her out".
"who would be administering the drugs?" Angel asked. Faith shrugged "I don't know its just a thought". Spike looked at Faith "is there ever a time when a slayer just wears out?" he asked. "I don't know" Faith admitted 'but there is only one person who might be able to help her".
"maybe we should call him" Angel suggested. "Call who" asked Wesley entering the room with a cup of coffee. "Giles, right" Xander asked uncertain. Angel nodded "I think Faith is right, we need Giles".
Wesley began to protest, "but I can..."
"yes, you can Wesley" Angel said "but Buffy needs someone who knows the best way to help her heal".
"And that is Giles" Wesley sighed "I never did get to bond with Buffy". Angel reached down and swung her into his arms "not many people do" he said,thankful that he wasn't one of them. "I am taking her to bed" he said walking up the stairs "Dawn, Xander, Wesley and Loren will help you find rooms".
The scooby gang and the AI team watched him walk away, as if cradling pure gold in his arms. "She's so comfortable with him" Dawn remarked, never really seeing her sister so at ease, even with Spike. "Yep" Faith agreed "they have the original forbidden love".
"I think she is just tired" Dawn said softly "her whole life has been put on hold for everyone else". Xander nodded in agreement "It doesn't seem fair, huh?" he asked. The room launched into a worried silence. "I..ah..I'll go call Giles" Wesley finally stood and walked into the office.
"Come one" Faith gestured to Xander and Dawn "lets go find you guys a place to sleep".