Part 10.
Buffy sighed and stretched, taking full advantage of the opportunity to wake up slowly.
Then, suddenly she sat upright in bed, realizing that this wasn't her bed, and she wasn't in her room.
Silently she slipped out of bed, feeling more refreshed that she had in a long time.
As she padded down the hallway, her socks made no sound on the tiled floor.
Buffy smiled as she entered the lounge room, seeing Angel and Conner sitting there.
"Looks like someone slept well." Angel remarked, looking up from feeding Conner a bottle.
She pouted, but her eyes held a teasing look. "This place is still really girl unfriendly."
Angel chuckled, remembering the discussion they had had about the same issue a long time ago. "You look fine."
She paused, considering the thought. Then she grinned. "Okay then." She was still smiling when she threw herself down next to him and kissed him.
"What did I do to deserve that?" Angel asked, teasing her.
Lorne chuckled as he entered, "Well I could take a guess, but I don't really think I want to."
Buffy looked quizzically at him, and then at Angel.
"He knows Buffy," Angel began, "He read us both when we sang to Conner last night."
Buffy just looked at him, "What?"
Lorne suddenly clicked that Buffy didn't understand his gift. "When people sing I can read them, sort of their thoughts and look inside them."
Buffy nodded slowly, "Sort of like an Empath, except that you don't read emotions."
Lorne and Angel both nodded.
"I won't tell anybody," he began, "It's your business, but I won't say anything, just so you know."
"What's your business? And what won't Lorne say anything about?" Cordy asked as she entered the room. She handed Buffy a cup of coffee as she sat down.
"Just some stuff." Buffy answered, sounding casual.
"Like what?" Cordy pressed.
"Like what sort of gift I'm going to get for Dawn when she gets elected class president."
"What have you come up with so far?" Cordy asked, sounding interested.
"I thought about a bracelet, a special bear that you sign, or something else. I'm not really sure." Buffy answered, coming up with ideas on the spur of the moment.
"You'll want to give her something she can keep." Cordelia began, "So jewelry is always good, you could even get the piece engraved."
Buffy nodded, "Like an ID bracelet or a ring."
"Or if you still have any of your mom's jewelry, she might like a special piece." Angel added.
"She was a nice lady, your mom." Cordy said to her.
Buffy got up to look out the window. "What time is it?"
Angel turned his hand up to check his watch. "Ten o'clock-ish."
Buffy's eyes widened. "Dawn must be worried."
"Dawn was the one who didn't want to wake you last night." Angel answered her.
Buffy smiled again. "I must have been so out of it."
"You had a pretty big day yesterday, so I'm not surprised." Angel chuckled.
"I should get home, they'll still be worried about me."
Angel shook his head, and reached out his hand to her. "I want to show you something."
Curiosity peaked; she took his hand and let him lead her across the room. She looked at him quizzically as he motioned for her to sit down.
With one hand he lifted the drop cloth in front of her to reveal a piano.
Buffy smiled at him. "Nice. I played my first exam on a baby grand."
His eyes widened in surprise, "I didn't know that." he paused, before urging her. "Play something."
Buffy pushed the cover open to reveal the piano keys. She sat poised with her fingers spread out over the keys for a moment, before beginning to play.
As she began to play Angel closed his eyes, he didn't know what she was playing, but the piece appeared to be only an instrumental. Buffy could play the piano unlike anyone he'd ever met before.
His eyes remained closed until she stopped playing. Conner stirred in his arms once more.
Lorne stood beside him, astonished at how well she had played. "What is that piece called?"
"Song Without Words, second movement of 'Suite in F'." she replied. "I haven't played that piece in so long."
Cordelia laid her hand on Buffy's shoulder. "That was beautiful." she paused for a second. "Play something we know?"
Buffy chuckled, as she turned back to the keys. A bittersweet melody filled the room, lulling it's occupants into an almost dreamlike state.
"I woke up this morning
And my mind fell away
And looking back sadly from tomorrow
As I heard an echo from the past
Softly say 'come back, come back, won't you stay?'
I wanted to reach you
Let you know I still care
And lost in the silence of my sorrow
I put a promise in the wind, on the air, to fly away to you there.
Touch the wind
Catch my love as it goes sailing
Touch the wind
And I'll be close to you."
Buffy stopped playing and turned to look at them all.
"We don't know that song." Cordelia chided her.
Angel smiled, "Speak for yourself."
Buffy smiled at them, "Mom taught me how to play that when I was a little girl. It's one of the first pieces I ever learned to play."
Angel laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'd almost forgotten that song. You played that for me once didn't you?"
Buffy nodded, "I don't think I've played it since."
Buffy sighed and stretched, taking full advantage of the opportunity to wake up slowly.
Then, suddenly she sat upright in bed, realizing that this wasn't her bed, and she wasn't in her room.
Silently she slipped out of bed, feeling more refreshed that she had in a long time.
As she padded down the hallway, her socks made no sound on the tiled floor.
Buffy smiled as she entered the lounge room, seeing Angel and Conner sitting there.
"Looks like someone slept well." Angel remarked, looking up from feeding Conner a bottle.
She pouted, but her eyes held a teasing look. "This place is still really girl unfriendly."
Angel chuckled, remembering the discussion they had had about the same issue a long time ago. "You look fine."
She paused, considering the thought. Then she grinned. "Okay then." She was still smiling when she threw herself down next to him and kissed him.
"What did I do to deserve that?" Angel asked, teasing her.
Lorne chuckled as he entered, "Well I could take a guess, but I don't really think I want to."
Buffy looked quizzically at him, and then at Angel.
"He knows Buffy," Angel began, "He read us both when we sang to Conner last night."
Buffy just looked at him, "What?"
Lorne suddenly clicked that Buffy didn't understand his gift. "When people sing I can read them, sort of their thoughts and look inside them."
Buffy nodded slowly, "Sort of like an Empath, except that you don't read emotions."
Lorne and Angel both nodded.
"I won't tell anybody," he began, "It's your business, but I won't say anything, just so you know."
"What's your business? And what won't Lorne say anything about?" Cordy asked as she entered the room. She handed Buffy a cup of coffee as she sat down.
"Just some stuff." Buffy answered, sounding casual.
"Like what?" Cordy pressed.
"Like what sort of gift I'm going to get for Dawn when she gets elected class president."
"What have you come up with so far?" Cordy asked, sounding interested.
"I thought about a bracelet, a special bear that you sign, or something else. I'm not really sure." Buffy answered, coming up with ideas on the spur of the moment.
"You'll want to give her something she can keep." Cordelia began, "So jewelry is always good, you could even get the piece engraved."
Buffy nodded, "Like an ID bracelet or a ring."
"Or if you still have any of your mom's jewelry, she might like a special piece." Angel added.
"She was a nice lady, your mom." Cordy said to her.
Buffy got up to look out the window. "What time is it?"
Angel turned his hand up to check his watch. "Ten o'clock-ish."
Buffy's eyes widened. "Dawn must be worried."
"Dawn was the one who didn't want to wake you last night." Angel answered her.
Buffy smiled again. "I must have been so out of it."
"You had a pretty big day yesterday, so I'm not surprised." Angel chuckled.
"I should get home, they'll still be worried about me."
Angel shook his head, and reached out his hand to her. "I want to show you something."
Curiosity peaked; she took his hand and let him lead her across the room. She looked at him quizzically as he motioned for her to sit down.
With one hand he lifted the drop cloth in front of her to reveal a piano.
Buffy smiled at him. "Nice. I played my first exam on a baby grand."
His eyes widened in surprise, "I didn't know that." he paused, before urging her. "Play something."
Buffy pushed the cover open to reveal the piano keys. She sat poised with her fingers spread out over the keys for a moment, before beginning to play.
As she began to play Angel closed his eyes, he didn't know what she was playing, but the piece appeared to be only an instrumental. Buffy could play the piano unlike anyone he'd ever met before.
His eyes remained closed until she stopped playing. Conner stirred in his arms once more.
Lorne stood beside him, astonished at how well she had played. "What is that piece called?"
"Song Without Words, second movement of 'Suite in F'." she replied. "I haven't played that piece in so long."
Cordelia laid her hand on Buffy's shoulder. "That was beautiful." she paused for a second. "Play something we know?"
Buffy chuckled, as she turned back to the keys. A bittersweet melody filled the room, lulling it's occupants into an almost dreamlike state.
"I woke up this morning
And my mind fell away
And looking back sadly from tomorrow
As I heard an echo from the past
Softly say 'come back, come back, won't you stay?'
I wanted to reach you
Let you know I still care
And lost in the silence of my sorrow
I put a promise in the wind, on the air, to fly away to you there.
Touch the wind
Catch my love as it goes sailing
Touch the wind
And I'll be close to you."
Buffy stopped playing and turned to look at them all.
"We don't know that song." Cordelia chided her.
Angel smiled, "Speak for yourself."
Buffy smiled at them, "Mom taught me how to play that when I was a little girl. It's one of the first pieces I ever learned to play."
Angel laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'd almost forgotten that song. You played that for me once didn't you?"
Buffy nodded, "I don't think I've played it since."