Disclaimer: Characters off BtVS and Angel belong to Joss Whedon.
Authors note: Hi, slow update again. Can't really help it. My computers stuffed. Word isn't working too well, obviously making it a little hard to type up my chapters. I think it's ok now. I cant say my update will be fast next cos whenever I do they just get slower. But it's the school holidays again soon so as long as I can think of stuff to write about I should have more time to update.
CHAPTER 14 Buffy poked her head around the corner of Angel's quarters. She looked around for the souled vamp, who had promised her that she could have a one-on-one with him.
Once Buffy had cottoned on to Kendra's lessons she had decided that she wanted to try him out for herself. Angel had first stalled her, not wanting to have to deal with two of the young potentials in a short space of time. He was afraid that Buffy was not up to the same standard as Kendra, since the Jamaican was much more dedicated to the fighting as far as he could tell.
But Giles had later urged him to give the tiny blond a try. She had been getting rather cocky, and Giles had decided that being beaten by a vampire was just the thing she needed to get her mind away from thinking that she could beat anyone.
While it was true that she could beat several of the older potentials she had not yet been tested on a vampire or demon, both of which would obviously have the added power of their species behind them. The potentials may have been faster and stronger than ordinary humans, but they had nothing like the strength of a vampire.
No human did. Excepting the Slayer of course. And she wasn't exactly on hand to give lessons to Potentials.
So Angel had reluctantly agreed to take on Buffy at least once. He figured that he could always refuse to continue after this match. If she lost, well that meant she needed to practice more on her skills. But if she won, well who knew.
Obviously Buffy didn't know this. She had just figured that Angel had given in to her, as he usually tended to do. She was jubilant of her success and felt like bragging to everyone. So she had.
And had ended up disappointed with the result. No one really seemed to care. Kendra hadn't been happy to discover her position as Angel's prize student could be usurped of course, but most of the others had been indifferent.
Except for Xander. But then again, any time anyone said anything about the training the Potentials went through his eyes had grown wide in amazement.
But Buffy didn't really care about him. He was just a normal boy. She wanted someone who could really challenge her. Xander couldn't do that. In fact, at times the boy was so uncoordinated he just fell over his own feet.
And Kendra, Faith and she were now so evenly matched that it was rare that any of them could get one up over another. So that was generally boring as well.
But Angel. Angel posed a challenge. He had the full strength of a vampire, making him stronger than her. Plus he had the experience to give her the type of battle she craved.
Buffy knew that she was small, but also that she was really strong. And a better fighter than most of the other Potentials. To be honest, she had to admit, she hadn't had a really good fight in awhile.
Giles lurked in the upper wings of Angel's quarters, watching his young charge enter. She looked so small, but hardly defenceless. The child had really been getting rather frustrating lately. She was forever bragging about how well she had done in this class or another. He was quite frankly sick of it.
Her main advantage was her age. It was well known that younger children adsorbed new things much quicker. The older Potentials had to unlearn many things before their style could improve, but his charges did not.
They were, to put it metaphorically, blank canvases. Ready to be painted or drawn upon. There were no bad habits to remove, no previous experiences to mar the learning of the new things they were taught.
However, that did not mean that bad habits could not be learned. Everyone had flaws. He just wished that Buffy would realise that she did. Instead she was starting to think she was invincible, above everyone else. That was not a good trait to be in the character of a Slayer, or even a Potential one.
If a Chosen One did not realise her mortality, she would most likely lose her life all the more quickly.
Giles hated to think of his young charges as the Slayer they could someday become, but he knew it was a real possibility that at least one of the three would be Called sometime in the next decade or so.
It saddened him in his heart to think of it. But it was necessary. All he could do was pray that they were not Called, and prepare them in all fields in case that day did eventually come.
And that meant getting Buffy to realise she was not unbeatable. He hated to do this to the girl who was, after all only five, but a Potential could not enjoy the childhood that many children would take for granted.
She could not get big -headed, and would always have to realise her flaws, to recognise them, so she could hopefully overcome them. So although he hated setting the child up for what would probably be, to her, a humiliating defeat, he knew he had to.
Buffy looked around her. Where was Angel? She couldn't see him. She would have expected him to be waiting for her, ready to start. He couldn't have forgotten surely?
A slight noise came from the corner, like the movement of a coat, rustling slightly with its' wearers movement. She stood her guard, getting ready to fly at whatever came out of the shadows.
Angel grinned wryly from his hiding place. Most wouldn't have heard the slight noise his long duster made when he moved. He had to admit the child had sharp ears. However, that was not going to help her much. It might help her figure out his location, but when he attacked was when the real test of her skills would begin.
Buffy shifted nervously. What was Angel up to? Why didn't he appear already?
She had the sense to keep moving on her feet, never standing still, that way if he suddenly jumped out from somewhere she would have a better chance of evading his attack than if she had to go from flat standing.
Giles smiled down at the child. He couldn't help it. She looked so cute when she was readying for an attack. Of course she didn't mean to, but her small stature just made her look like she was copying something she'd seen on TV or something.
Obviously she wasn't though. The child really was very well trained in several fields and was improving. Her fighting stance was real, not copied off some show or other. Anyway, the Potentials didn't get to watch television very much. The council disapproved.
But since Wesley's charges and the remainder of his were allowed to watch the TV that Giles owned Buffy, Kendra and Faith did have access to it much more frequently than other Potentials.
Giles liked it that way. He didn't see why his three should not be allowed to take part in some normal childhood activities on top of their training. Of course, this was only as long as said training was not disturbed or neglected due to recreational activities.
But he wasn't here to decide the merits of television, or to think how adorable his small charge was. He was here to observe this young Potential in a battle situation.
The council had asked him to assist in the rating of the three Potential's skills, so on top of this being a lesson he believed Buffy sorely needed, he would also be observing how well she could fight.
He partially wished that the council had chosen another person. He did not want his personal feelings to make him go easy on the child, or alternatively, to go hard on her, in fear of going easy on her.
But he had to do this, and so he would. It was part of his duty as a member of the Council. He had done it before, for many other potentials and trainers in the years past. This was no different.
But it also went the other way now that he had charges of his own. He in turn would be being assessed in his care of the children. And of course his training of Faith in hand to hand, since none of the instructors had yet agreed to re- assume training her, still being scared at the amount of strength the small girl had.
No. He was not going to think about that now. He was going to keep his mind on the task at hand. He was going to do his job, grade his subject and then go and write the report he had to do. Then, sometime soon he would be doing it all again for Kendra.
Buffy was getting impatient. Couldn't Angel hurry up and attack already? Was he doing this to make her take her guard down? Well if he was it wasn't going to work. She wasn't that stupid. He should know that.
Angel smiled slyly. The child was getting nervous now, trying to anticipate his attack. That was exactly what he wanted her to do. Whatever she anticipated, well it wasn't very likely to be right. In fact, if he were doing this right she should be thinking he was doing exactly the opposite of what he really was.
He darted around the shadowy edges of the room again and then, getting behind Buffy, leaped out into the middle. Buffy span around and lashed out with a spin kick.
Angel grinned at her. "Hi there Buffy" he said "expecting that were you?" Of course she had been. She was supposed to.
Buffy grinned right back at him. "Of course I was silly. You wanted me to" God. How stupid did he think she was? It was so obvious he was trying to set her up.
Angel winced inwardly. He was doing it again. Why did he keep underestimating these 5- year olds? Well, that would be down to the fact that he was a softy. He knew it and worse, they knew it.
But his soft nature wasn't going to stop him from beating this little Potential. The way she pointed out that she knew what he was up to? That was just plain smug. And Angel didn't much like smug. It annoyed him.
But that was a good thing. Emotions more often helped him than hindered. And annoyance was good. It added fuel to his fighting.
He lashed out towards the girl's middle, hoping to knock the breath out of her and give him more time to attack. He was well aware that he was going easy on the child. He was sure she was too. But she was so small, and looked so fragile. He didn't want to hurt her too badly.
Buffy hurriddley threw herself to the floor to avoid the kick Angel had just aimed at her. Then let her brain work. Darn. She had done what he might have wanted her to.
Angel pounced, pinning the girl to the ground. He knew he had this one won. The girl was very strong for her age, but just too inexperienced. However, he doubted the match was over just yet.
Buffy groaned. She had let him overpower her. Then she looked at how he had pinned her, standing over her chest, and had an idea. She let a small grin escape through her lips and then kicked upwards with all her might. And that was a lot of might.
Angel doubled over and clutched at his 'private area'. Little witch. He may have been a vampire, but that didn't mean that it didn't still hurt when someone did that to you.
Buffy grinned sweetly at him and jumped neatly back to her feet. "Got you" she said, putting as much sugar into that statement as she could.
Angel felt his face shift. OK, now he was mad. He started punching for real, having to aim downwards of course to accomodate for his opponents slight stature.
Buffy parried every blow, feeling a kind of abandon. Now this was fun. Not to mention funny. The look of fury on Angel's face really amused her. She felt like giggling.
So she did. And that was her downfall.
Angel stopped his blows in amazement when Buffy started giggling. What was she doing? A spar was certainly not the place to burst out laughing. A vampire who wanted an opening would have killed her by now if she did that in the middle of a battle.
So he took advantage of it and did the equivalent of killing her. Pinning her to the ground (watching where he stood this time) and leaning down over her neck and touching it very gently with his fangs.
Buffy lay still as the rules of spar required, and started to sulk. It wasn't fair. He had only got her 'cause he had made he laugh. It just wasn't fair.
Then to add insult to injury Angel leant down again and started to tickle her. "So you want to laugh do you" he mock growled and attacked her in this way with a new fury.
Giles looked down at the two in amusement. Buffy had passed the test. Well as long as he left out the bit about her bursting out laughing. But he didn't plan on putting that in the report anyway.
And he suspected she had figured out that she was not as unbeatable as she thought she was. He really hoped so. After all, that had been the main purpose of the exercise. The evaluation had just been an add on.
He watched the two wrestle and tickle for a little longer, then snuck out. Leaving them to their fun. Neither of them had enough time to play. This was good for both of them.
Authors note: And I thought the LAST chap was long. Oh well, you deserve a long chapter considering the length it took me to get it written (damn computer) Anyway, please review.
Authors note: Hi, slow update again. Can't really help it. My computers stuffed. Word isn't working too well, obviously making it a little hard to type up my chapters. I think it's ok now. I cant say my update will be fast next cos whenever I do they just get slower. But it's the school holidays again soon so as long as I can think of stuff to write about I should have more time to update.
CHAPTER 14 Buffy poked her head around the corner of Angel's quarters. She looked around for the souled vamp, who had promised her that she could have a one-on-one with him.
Once Buffy had cottoned on to Kendra's lessons she had decided that she wanted to try him out for herself. Angel had first stalled her, not wanting to have to deal with two of the young potentials in a short space of time. He was afraid that Buffy was not up to the same standard as Kendra, since the Jamaican was much more dedicated to the fighting as far as he could tell.
But Giles had later urged him to give the tiny blond a try. She had been getting rather cocky, and Giles had decided that being beaten by a vampire was just the thing she needed to get her mind away from thinking that she could beat anyone.
While it was true that she could beat several of the older potentials she had not yet been tested on a vampire or demon, both of which would obviously have the added power of their species behind them. The potentials may have been faster and stronger than ordinary humans, but they had nothing like the strength of a vampire.
No human did. Excepting the Slayer of course. And she wasn't exactly on hand to give lessons to Potentials.
So Angel had reluctantly agreed to take on Buffy at least once. He figured that he could always refuse to continue after this match. If she lost, well that meant she needed to practice more on her skills. But if she won, well who knew.
Obviously Buffy didn't know this. She had just figured that Angel had given in to her, as he usually tended to do. She was jubilant of her success and felt like bragging to everyone. So she had.
And had ended up disappointed with the result. No one really seemed to care. Kendra hadn't been happy to discover her position as Angel's prize student could be usurped of course, but most of the others had been indifferent.
Except for Xander. But then again, any time anyone said anything about the training the Potentials went through his eyes had grown wide in amazement.
But Buffy didn't really care about him. He was just a normal boy. She wanted someone who could really challenge her. Xander couldn't do that. In fact, at times the boy was so uncoordinated he just fell over his own feet.
And Kendra, Faith and she were now so evenly matched that it was rare that any of them could get one up over another. So that was generally boring as well.
But Angel. Angel posed a challenge. He had the full strength of a vampire, making him stronger than her. Plus he had the experience to give her the type of battle she craved.
Buffy knew that she was small, but also that she was really strong. And a better fighter than most of the other Potentials. To be honest, she had to admit, she hadn't had a really good fight in awhile.
Giles lurked in the upper wings of Angel's quarters, watching his young charge enter. She looked so small, but hardly defenceless. The child had really been getting rather frustrating lately. She was forever bragging about how well she had done in this class or another. He was quite frankly sick of it.
Her main advantage was her age. It was well known that younger children adsorbed new things much quicker. The older Potentials had to unlearn many things before their style could improve, but his charges did not.
They were, to put it metaphorically, blank canvases. Ready to be painted or drawn upon. There were no bad habits to remove, no previous experiences to mar the learning of the new things they were taught.
However, that did not mean that bad habits could not be learned. Everyone had flaws. He just wished that Buffy would realise that she did. Instead she was starting to think she was invincible, above everyone else. That was not a good trait to be in the character of a Slayer, or even a Potential one.
If a Chosen One did not realise her mortality, she would most likely lose her life all the more quickly.
Giles hated to think of his young charges as the Slayer they could someday become, but he knew it was a real possibility that at least one of the three would be Called sometime in the next decade or so.
It saddened him in his heart to think of it. But it was necessary. All he could do was pray that they were not Called, and prepare them in all fields in case that day did eventually come.
And that meant getting Buffy to realise she was not unbeatable. He hated to do this to the girl who was, after all only five, but a Potential could not enjoy the childhood that many children would take for granted.
She could not get big -headed, and would always have to realise her flaws, to recognise them, so she could hopefully overcome them. So although he hated setting the child up for what would probably be, to her, a humiliating defeat, he knew he had to.
Buffy looked around her. Where was Angel? She couldn't see him. She would have expected him to be waiting for her, ready to start. He couldn't have forgotten surely?
A slight noise came from the corner, like the movement of a coat, rustling slightly with its' wearers movement. She stood her guard, getting ready to fly at whatever came out of the shadows.
Angel grinned wryly from his hiding place. Most wouldn't have heard the slight noise his long duster made when he moved. He had to admit the child had sharp ears. However, that was not going to help her much. It might help her figure out his location, but when he attacked was when the real test of her skills would begin.
Buffy shifted nervously. What was Angel up to? Why didn't he appear already?
She had the sense to keep moving on her feet, never standing still, that way if he suddenly jumped out from somewhere she would have a better chance of evading his attack than if she had to go from flat standing.
Giles smiled down at the child. He couldn't help it. She looked so cute when she was readying for an attack. Of course she didn't mean to, but her small stature just made her look like she was copying something she'd seen on TV or something.
Obviously she wasn't though. The child really was very well trained in several fields and was improving. Her fighting stance was real, not copied off some show or other. Anyway, the Potentials didn't get to watch television very much. The council disapproved.
But since Wesley's charges and the remainder of his were allowed to watch the TV that Giles owned Buffy, Kendra and Faith did have access to it much more frequently than other Potentials.
Giles liked it that way. He didn't see why his three should not be allowed to take part in some normal childhood activities on top of their training. Of course, this was only as long as said training was not disturbed or neglected due to recreational activities.
But he wasn't here to decide the merits of television, or to think how adorable his small charge was. He was here to observe this young Potential in a battle situation.
The council had asked him to assist in the rating of the three Potential's skills, so on top of this being a lesson he believed Buffy sorely needed, he would also be observing how well she could fight.
He partially wished that the council had chosen another person. He did not want his personal feelings to make him go easy on the child, or alternatively, to go hard on her, in fear of going easy on her.
But he had to do this, and so he would. It was part of his duty as a member of the Council. He had done it before, for many other potentials and trainers in the years past. This was no different.
But it also went the other way now that he had charges of his own. He in turn would be being assessed in his care of the children. And of course his training of Faith in hand to hand, since none of the instructors had yet agreed to re- assume training her, still being scared at the amount of strength the small girl had.
No. He was not going to think about that now. He was going to keep his mind on the task at hand. He was going to do his job, grade his subject and then go and write the report he had to do. Then, sometime soon he would be doing it all again for Kendra.
Buffy was getting impatient. Couldn't Angel hurry up and attack already? Was he doing this to make her take her guard down? Well if he was it wasn't going to work. She wasn't that stupid. He should know that.
Angel smiled slyly. The child was getting nervous now, trying to anticipate his attack. That was exactly what he wanted her to do. Whatever she anticipated, well it wasn't very likely to be right. In fact, if he were doing this right she should be thinking he was doing exactly the opposite of what he really was.
He darted around the shadowy edges of the room again and then, getting behind Buffy, leaped out into the middle. Buffy span around and lashed out with a spin kick.
Angel grinned at her. "Hi there Buffy" he said "expecting that were you?" Of course she had been. She was supposed to.
Buffy grinned right back at him. "Of course I was silly. You wanted me to" God. How stupid did he think she was? It was so obvious he was trying to set her up.
Angel winced inwardly. He was doing it again. Why did he keep underestimating these 5- year olds? Well, that would be down to the fact that he was a softy. He knew it and worse, they knew it.
But his soft nature wasn't going to stop him from beating this little Potential. The way she pointed out that she knew what he was up to? That was just plain smug. And Angel didn't much like smug. It annoyed him.
But that was a good thing. Emotions more often helped him than hindered. And annoyance was good. It added fuel to his fighting.
He lashed out towards the girl's middle, hoping to knock the breath out of her and give him more time to attack. He was well aware that he was going easy on the child. He was sure she was too. But she was so small, and looked so fragile. He didn't want to hurt her too badly.
Buffy hurriddley threw herself to the floor to avoid the kick Angel had just aimed at her. Then let her brain work. Darn. She had done what he might have wanted her to.
Angel pounced, pinning the girl to the ground. He knew he had this one won. The girl was very strong for her age, but just too inexperienced. However, he doubted the match was over just yet.
Buffy groaned. She had let him overpower her. Then she looked at how he had pinned her, standing over her chest, and had an idea. She let a small grin escape through her lips and then kicked upwards with all her might. And that was a lot of might.
Angel doubled over and clutched at his 'private area'. Little witch. He may have been a vampire, but that didn't mean that it didn't still hurt when someone did that to you.
Buffy grinned sweetly at him and jumped neatly back to her feet. "Got you" she said, putting as much sugar into that statement as she could.
Angel felt his face shift. OK, now he was mad. He started punching for real, having to aim downwards of course to accomodate for his opponents slight stature.
Buffy parried every blow, feeling a kind of abandon. Now this was fun. Not to mention funny. The look of fury on Angel's face really amused her. She felt like giggling.
So she did. And that was her downfall.
Angel stopped his blows in amazement when Buffy started giggling. What was she doing? A spar was certainly not the place to burst out laughing. A vampire who wanted an opening would have killed her by now if she did that in the middle of a battle.
So he took advantage of it and did the equivalent of killing her. Pinning her to the ground (watching where he stood this time) and leaning down over her neck and touching it very gently with his fangs.
Buffy lay still as the rules of spar required, and started to sulk. It wasn't fair. He had only got her 'cause he had made he laugh. It just wasn't fair.
Then to add insult to injury Angel leant down again and started to tickle her. "So you want to laugh do you" he mock growled and attacked her in this way with a new fury.
Giles looked down at the two in amusement. Buffy had passed the test. Well as long as he left out the bit about her bursting out laughing. But he didn't plan on putting that in the report anyway.
And he suspected she had figured out that she was not as unbeatable as she thought she was. He really hoped so. After all, that had been the main purpose of the exercise. The evaluation had just been an add on.
He watched the two wrestle and tickle for a little longer, then snuck out. Leaving them to their fun. Neither of them had enough time to play. This was good for both of them.
Authors note: And I thought the LAST chap was long. Oh well, you deserve a long chapter considering the length it took me to get it written (damn computer) Anyway, please review.