Gnashing her teeth in frustration, Kat cursed herself mentally as the words on the page before her began to blur. Four hours, and so far no one had managed to find a damn thing. The tiny brunette was already getting a crick in her neck from pouring over the books for so long. Reaching up to her temple, the brunette massaged it gently, the beginnings of a dull headache making itself known. Giving her tired eyes a break, she closed her book softly, looking around the room from her cross-legged perch on the top of the library counter. The library was silent but for the typing Willow was doing, her dainty fingers flying over the keyboard as she continued to search various websites online. A small frown marred her elfin features, her bottom lip sucked into her teeth as the redhead sought the rest of the prophecy they had unearthed a couple of weeks ago.
Her lips quirking in a soft smile, Kat glanced over at Cordelia and Xander, who were pouring over a book together. Or rather, Xander was actually reading, while the beauty queen filed her nails, occasionally glancing over Xander's shoulders before resuming her task.
'Cordy is not what one would call an avid reader,' Kat mused silently, her lips twitching in amusement. Giles was his usual serious self, his head bent over a musty old book as he researched with the same diligence Willow demonstrated at the computer. From time to time he would stop, pinching the bridge of his nose or rubbing his glasses before reading further. Evidently he was having no more luck than the rest of them.
Angel watched as Kat glanced around the room, her face wistful as she watched the other Scoobies doing what they did best: research. His own eyes remained on her as her gaze moved slowly in his direction, light green settling on dark brown. Ashamed at being caught staring he glanced down at the book he was supposed to be reading, aware that her eyes were burning holes into his skull. It was by sheer coincidence that he managed to actually read a passage from the book he was looking at, the blood he had drank earlier that day freezing in his veins as he stared at the words before him. His lips moved soundlessly as he read the section over again, making sure he saw correctly. '…and begins with the phrase Fang and talon, devil and daemon…shall meet under full moon's light…'
'Wait a minute…those words! Aren't they…' Choking down his surprise, Angel shot to his feet, clutching the book tightly in his hands. All heads turned in the vampire's direction as he looked up at Giles, eyes unfathomable as he held the book out for the librarian to take. "I think I may have found something…"
"Let me see that Angel," Giles said, taking the dusty book from the vampire and, peering at the page, cleared his throat in surprise. "This is amazing!" The group moved closer to the librarian, Kat remaining on her counter perch as Giles read aloud from the passage Angel had glanced at. "This appears to be an accounting of…of the library of Alexandria!" A hint of wonder and awe filled the Watcher's voice as he pondered just what they were getting themselves into.
"Uh…who's Alexandria?" Xander piped up, wondering what some old hag's library had to do with Kat and their present day problem.
"Alexandria was a great library in Egypt, perhaps the biggest library in all of history," Willow offered before Giles could explain. At the librarian's nod of affirmation, the redhead's eyes widened as the thought occurred to her: Egypt…Kat…prophecy. Sucking in her breath, eyes bright, the petite hacker bounced on her feet. "What does it say Giles?"
Bending his head back over the book, Giles read aloud as his eyes scanned the text. "Among the notable Greek literature and thoughts contained in the library at Alexandria where what many scholars believe to be the 'Heavenly Scrolls,' prophecies and ideologies passed from various deity sects throughout the land of Egypt. Many were lost or scattered during the sacking of Alexandria, and it becomes hard to find a full version that exists today."
His voice rising in barely contained excitement, Giles read on, coming closer to the passage Angel had found. "An example of what the scholars believe to be the Heavenly Scrolls is contained below. It is a section from a scroll believed to have come from the shrine of the Egyptian goddess Sakhmet, who was the embodiment of divine judgment," Giles continued, ignoring Kat's soft gasp from behind him on the counter. "This section is considered to be authentic, and begins with the phrase Fang and talon, devil and daemon, summoned near by witch's power, shall meet under full moon's light. However, there is no evidence to suggest this is in fact one of the Heavenly Scrolls, as the rest of the scroll is missing and has yet to be discovered."
The air seemed heavy with disappointment as Giles paused. Sighing, he closed his eyes briefly, summoning his patience. A defeated look crossed his features as he read on, his voice losing most of its eagerness. "The only other line revealed from this scroll thus far is the ending, which reads '…And the cursed shall become the gifted.' At this time, it is anyone's guess just what this refers to, as no mentions of the cursings of Sakhmet have been found." With a heavy heart the librarian shut the book, finding himself unable to look in Kat's direction, to see the disappointment he knew must be on her face. Staring at the cover of the tome in his hands, Giles sighed. "It appears that our search will be more…extensive…than usual." As no one dared to speak he reached up, pinching the bridge of his nose briefly. Opening his eyes, he looked around at the weary faces around him and, shoulders slumping slightly, waved a hand at the group. "Let's call it a night. We'll pick this up again some other time."
No one argued with the Watcher, everyone silently gathering their things and heading for the library doors. Sliding off the library counter, a silent Kat hovered near the doors, waiting for Willow in order to walk her home. As the dejected hacker moved in her direction the brunette heard a soft noise behind her and, turning, came face to face with a concerned looking Angel. The vampire gave her a soft smile, his hands laden with the gifts his friends had given him as he spoke. "Mind if I walk you two home?"
Kat hesitated, debating how to decline, when suddenly Willow's head jerked up, her eyes regaining some of their inner light as she smiled at the vampire. "Sure Angel!" the slender hacker beamed, her mind working overtime as it cycled through one evil idea after another. 'Get him to walk us home, drop me off first...' Hiding her mischievous musings behind her most innocent smile, she turned to a bewildered and wary Kat, who looked as if she wanted nothing more than to run far, far away. "Can we stop by my house first though? Coming up with a big ole nothing on the computer has kind of left me tired…"
'Willow is very, very evil.' Kat grumbled inwardly as she half-glared at the naïve-looking hacker, who was even now grabbing Angel's arm at the elbow and escorting him out the library door, leaving the shorter brunette to trail behind them reluctantly. Gruffly the dark-haired werecat followed, her arms wrapped around her chest as she lengthened her stride in order to catch up with the pair.
Kat's mood didn't improve as Willow continued to cling onto Angel's arm, talking animatedly with the tall vampire as they headed towards the Rosenburg residence. Apparently the redhead's earlier frustration with the lack of information on the prophecy had melted away as she asked Angel about whether or not he liked his surprise party. Kat managed not to grind her teeth as Angel responded, smiling down at the hacker with amusement as she commented on Xander's idea of good present.
"…I still don't think it was very nice of him to get you a stake, but then Xander was never one for giving much thought to his gifts. One year for Christmas he got me a stuffed frog, and I don't even celebrate the holiday!" Willow shuddered as she recalled her reaction to Xander's choice of cuddly, if not terrifying to the redhead, toys. Angel's chuckling response to her reaction was worth it however…as was the pair of daggers she could feel in her back, courtesy of Kat's eyes she was sure. The petite hacker did her best to hide her crafty smile from the two she was walking home with. It wouldn't do for them to notice her attempts at pushing the couple together.
"Xander's present was fine Willow," Angel couldn't help but smile as Willow continued to babble alongside of him. As they rounded the corner onto Willow's street, he continued. "I enjoyed each of my presents, and they mean a lot to me Little One." The vampire stiffened only slightly as he felt Kat's eyes settle on his back. The delicate beauty had not said a single word since he had offered to walk them home, and he was beginning to regret making the suggestion in the first place. It was rather obvious that the dark-haired young woman would rather be left alone right now, but Willow either wasn't paying attention or disagreed entirely.
Fortunately for the vampire, they were standing in front of Willow's house just then, so he could safely say his goodbyes to the two young women and head for the mansion for some 'brood time' as Willow liked to call it. "Here you are Little One, safe and sound," he commented, smiling softly down at the hacker, and then flashing another smile back at Kat as he began to back away from them slowly. "Thank you both for a very enjoyable evening..."
"You're not going to walk Kat home?" Willow inquired, her lower lip sticking out as she frowned at the vampire. Kat stiffened beside her, eyes darkening in suspicion as she regarded the seemingly innocent looking redhead. 'What is that girl up to,' the brunette pondered. She didn't have to wait long as the redhead plunged on in a rush of words. "Because she lives in the direction of the mansion, so it wouldn't be a problem to take her. And it's not very gentlemanly to let a woman walk around all alone at night like this, since you never know what is out there. What if she was ambushed by like six vampires at once, or some creepy guy pulls a gun on her while she's not looking, or…" the redhead yelped as Kat clamped a hand over the girl's mouth, her lips set in a firm line as she glared at Willow.
"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself Wills," the brunette ground out, her nervous energy flaring her temper even more. Sardonically she raised an eyebrow at the redhead. "Or have you forgotten I'm not exactly your average, everyday teenager?" Feeling Willow nod her acknowledgement of Kat's strength, she removed her hand from the other's girl's mouth before returning her attention to the nearby vampire, who looked as if he was mulling over the redhead's words. "There's no need for you to walk me home." Her tone was firm, her expression fierce as she stood in front of Willow defensively, as if ready to fight over the issue.
Centuries of life had done nothing to bury Angel's more chivalrous nature…if anything his time as a souled vampire had strengthened his desire to protect the fairer sex. Willow's words had the effect of a cold bucket of water on the vampire: he could picture, in very vivid and graphic detail, all sorts of unpleasant things that could befall the fiery kitten, no matter her strength and speed. As each terrible scenario flashed before his eyes his hands tightened on his packages, the need to rend and tear bubbling under the surface. Growling low in his throat, his pride leaped to the forefront at Kat's firm denial of assistance. "Willow's right," he said slowly, earning a full-blown scowl from the kitten as he continued. "I can't let you walk home alone kitten. Who knows what kind of trouble you'd get into."
Kat nearly choked on her outrage. The nerve of those two, ganging up on her as if she was some damsel that needed protecting! Wanting nothing more than to slap the arrogant smile that flickered across Angel's face, Kat took a step forward, preparing to give him a good tongue lashing about women's rights and where his sense of chivalry could go. Unfortunately, Willow had other ideas.
"Great, it's settled…Angel will walk you home Kat. You two take care!" Unable to hide her grin, the redhead spun around and, before either brunette could reply, bolted inside her out and closed the door behind her.
As silence began to descend upon the two willful people standing outside on the Rosenburg lawn, Angel glanced at the closed door, then down at his reluctant companion. Raising an eyebrow, he gave the young woman a half bow and, with a smile of inevitability on his lips, tilted his head to one side. "Shall we Kitten?"
* * * * * * * * *
'I'm going to kill Willow; I'm going to kill Willow…' Kat chanted one of her favorite mantras in her mind as she walked next to the now silent vampire. So far they had been walking for the past five minutes, and neither one had managed to say much. Angel was having a tough time breaking the ice, and Kat was perfectly content not to start any conversation that would eventually lead toward mugs, showers, or conversations with two deranged teenagers in a mall. And so they plunged onward, both lost in their own circular thoughts, the tension between them almost unbearable.
Shifting the packages in his arms, Angel tried to think of a good way to start conversation with the brunette walking quietly beside him. From the dark look on her face, he was certain she was as uncomfortable in this silence as he was. He wondered what it was she was thinking about. Idly his eyes flicked over her features, coming to rest on the pale scar he could see when her hair moved away from her neck. Recalling her explanation on their first night of patrol together, he frowned. 'So much pain, and in such a short time,' he mused sadly, concern for the brunette reflected in his soulful eyes as he continued to watch her out of the corner of his eyes. 'I wonder what else she had been through.'
Meanwhile Kat happened to glance in the vampire's direction, her eyes coming to rest on the portrait that Willow had given him. Recalling the expression on Angel's face as he had glanced at it, the young woman wondered who the people who…and why they meant so much to him.
Her questions must have been reflected on her face, because Angel spoke up softly, his tone inquiring, "What is it Kitten?"
Nervously Kat reached up with one hand to play with her hair, shooting a glance up at Angel as she debated whether or not to ask her question out loud. Taking a deep breath, she crossed her fingers mentally and plunged on in. "Who are the people in your picture?"
Of all the things to ask the vampire, that one question, asked in a breathless whisper, managed to freeze Angel in his tracks. Sadness overwhelmed him for a moment and, closing his eyes, the vampire took a very deep breath to steady himself. Opening his chocolate-brown eyes he collected himself as well as he could before beginning. "They are my family…my vampire family if you will. Adjusting the packages so that the portrait was visible, Angel named them off for the confused kitten. "Darla, the light-haired woman, was my Sire…she brought me across, made me what I am today. Or, rather, what Angelus was in his day. The dark beauty is my childe Drusilla, a very….talented….young woman. She's a powerful psychic, and, thanks to Angelus, stark raving mad."
Kat listened to Angel as she glanced at the portrait, studying each woman's face carefully. Darla looked like she owned the world, the type of person who was used to manipulating others. Dru looked beautiful, if a little on the spacey side. Pointing to the image of the other man, Kat looked back up at Angel, her eyes curious. "And that one?"
"That? That is William; though he goes by Spike these days, he's my other childe." Angel's voice dripped with sadness as he looked at his protégé, the childe he was the most proud of, and who he also hated the most. As Kat watched him carefully Angel began walking again, his voice far off as he went on about the golden haired vampire. "Spike was the youngest of the group, but also the most enthusiastic member of the Scourge of Europe; as the Watcher's Council likes to refer to our days of carnage…." As Kat remained mute beside the vampire, urging him to continue, Angel related some of the tales of the 'good ole days' as Angelus would remember it. "We were pretty close, until Spike got it into his arrogant head to try and usurp my place in the group. He was very close to Dru, probably half-way in love with her, and he felt he should have her all to himself. That, and the curse of course, managed to drive a very big wedge between the four of us. We parted company, and hadn't seen each other since."
"Until recently?" Kat asked, recalling the names Xander had used to describe Spike and Dru. Apparently the duo had managed to stop by Sunnydale in the past few years.
Angel nodded, a rueful smile touching his lips. "Aye. Spike came swaggering into town, headstrong and cocky as you please. He changed over the years…he's even more rude and crude than he was when I first met him, and he seems to have developed a fascination with bleaching his hair…" A smile touched Kat's lips as she heard Angel go on, ranting about Spike's many new habits, all of them bad. Another minute went by before Angel realized she was still smiling. "What?"
"You miss them." Her words were a statement, not a question, as she regarded the vampire softly. Angel stared at the young brunette, unable to speak as she continued. "They are you're family, so it's perfectly natural to miss them. No matter what they do, or how they stray, they are your family."
Angel didn't know what to say…certainly no one had ever pretended to understand why he could miss his two childer so much, no matter if they were evil or no. Eyes bright with some unreadable emotion, Angel whispered a 'Thank you' to the insightful kitten. Seeing her return smile, he didn't bother to speak for a moment as they continued to walk, nearing the hotel where she was staying.
* * * * * * * * *
It wasn't until they had reached Kat's hotel room that Angel found his voice again. As she was turning the key in the lock, opening the door and preparing to go in, he cleared his throat. When she turned back around, he hesitated, and then asked the question he had been meaning to ask all night.
"Tell me about your mother?"
Kat winced inwardly as Angel's simple question brought up a barrage of images and emotions. Ouch, but he certainly knew the one question she would rather not answer. Leaning against the doorway, she pondered whether or not to tell him anything this night.
'But that is hardly fair, considering what you asked him,' her mind chided her gently, forcing the brunette to agree reluctantly. Raising her eyes to meet his, Kat shrugged as calmly as possible. "What do you want to know?"
Fearing he had asked the wrong question, Angel took an unneeded breath to steady himself. "What was she like?"
A gentle smile graced Kat's lush lips as she thought of her mother. "She was probably the kindest person I had ever known. Willow kind of reminds me of her, always trying to help the ones she cares about." Wrapping her arms around herself, the delicate young woman stared off into space as she continued. "She hated to be a werecat I think, my mother did. She was a pacifist by nature, and she didn't like the bloodlust that comes with the curse. I think that's why she devoted her life to studying Egyptian curses…to find a way to cure us."
Her eyes grew sad, then hardened, as she recalled the events of that fateful night she had learned of the curse. "I think that's why she didn't change, the night the vampires came. She couldn't bring herself to hate enough to bring the change upon herself, so she died unable to defend herself. I changed, but I was too late to save her." Swallowing hard around the lump in her throat, Kat's voice grew softer, more strained with the difficulty in maintaining her composure. "The last thing she told me was not to let hate cloud my destiny, whatever that means. Something about having hope."
Angel's heart went out to the dark beauty in front of him. An aura of strength rolled off her in waves, and yet he saw the other side of her that few managed to see: the side that was still vulnerable and held such sadness. He wasn't surprised to find Kat wasn't so much as shedding a tear, though he knew she probably felt that way inside. It was just like the kitten to bottle up her emotions, to put up a front for the rest of the world…
The silence that followed Kat's words was not nearly as tense as it had been, but it was still thick with unspoken words. Angel opened his mouth to say something, anything, only to have Kat reach up, pressing her delicate fingers to his lips to silence him. They stared at each other, blue-green eyes to chocolate ones, neither one speaking of the other things they wanted to say just then. Finally, softly, Kat smiled that special 'friend' smile she had given him before and, stretching up on her tiptoes, brushed her soft lips across his cheek. "Goodnight Angel," she whispered, "Thanks for listening." Before the vampire could respond she took a step back, backing into her hotel room and closing the door slowly, sealing the barrier between them.
Staring at the door, Angel could barely comprehend what had just happened. His cheek near burned from the soft caress Kat's lips had given it and, had his hands been free, he would have touched that spot. Struggling to understand the mysterious brunette, as well as the feelings that were growing inside of him, the confused vampire backed away from the door in a daze, turning to begin the lonely walk back to his mansion. "Goodnight…Kitten." He whispered, his words hoarse as he disappeared into the night.
* * * * * * * * *
As she lay down in her bed, Kat stared up at the ceiling of her hotel room, replaying that scene outside her door over and over in her mind. A soft blush spread over her cheeks as she recalled the way his cheek felt against her lips: cool as marble, but good at the same time. Desperately she tried to think of something, anything other than her impulsive act.
Her mother's face swam unbidden into the werecat's mind, causing a stab of pain and guilt to overcome her. Curling up on her side, the young woman reached out to the desk beside her bed, her hand curling around a small, leather-bound journal of some kind. Drawing it closer she clutched it to her breast, as if the words within would give her some small sense of comfort. Drawing her knees up into a fetal position, Kat trembled as her mind replayed her mother's death, the last words her mother had said as she lay dying in Kat's arms fresh in her mind.
"Don't…don't fear, and don't hate my little kit-kat," her mother had said. "Hate will cloud your mind, and you may lose your only chance. Remember…Remember. Hope…rests in…angel's tear…" Kat was sure her mother was going to say more, but whatever she had been about to say was lost as death claimed the sweet woman before her time.
Her eyes burned with the need to cry, but no tears fell down Kat's cheeks as she shivered in her bed, eyes staring blankly out into the darkness in her room. When sleep finally came to claim her, her last thought was of an odd note. 'My mother studied a lot about the curses…I wonder if she has anything on them in her journal.' Before she could explore that thought further, however, sleep hit with a vengeance, forcing the young brunette into the sweet oblivion of a dreamless sleep. Or so she hoped.
Her lips quirking in a soft smile, Kat glanced over at Cordelia and Xander, who were pouring over a book together. Or rather, Xander was actually reading, while the beauty queen filed her nails, occasionally glancing over Xander's shoulders before resuming her task.
'Cordy is not what one would call an avid reader,' Kat mused silently, her lips twitching in amusement. Giles was his usual serious self, his head bent over a musty old book as he researched with the same diligence Willow demonstrated at the computer. From time to time he would stop, pinching the bridge of his nose or rubbing his glasses before reading further. Evidently he was having no more luck than the rest of them.
Angel watched as Kat glanced around the room, her face wistful as she watched the other Scoobies doing what they did best: research. His own eyes remained on her as her gaze moved slowly in his direction, light green settling on dark brown. Ashamed at being caught staring he glanced down at the book he was supposed to be reading, aware that her eyes were burning holes into his skull. It was by sheer coincidence that he managed to actually read a passage from the book he was looking at, the blood he had drank earlier that day freezing in his veins as he stared at the words before him. His lips moved soundlessly as he read the section over again, making sure he saw correctly. '…and begins with the phrase Fang and talon, devil and daemon…shall meet under full moon's light…'
'Wait a minute…those words! Aren't they…' Choking down his surprise, Angel shot to his feet, clutching the book tightly in his hands. All heads turned in the vampire's direction as he looked up at Giles, eyes unfathomable as he held the book out for the librarian to take. "I think I may have found something…"
"Let me see that Angel," Giles said, taking the dusty book from the vampire and, peering at the page, cleared his throat in surprise. "This is amazing!" The group moved closer to the librarian, Kat remaining on her counter perch as Giles read aloud from the passage Angel had glanced at. "This appears to be an accounting of…of the library of Alexandria!" A hint of wonder and awe filled the Watcher's voice as he pondered just what they were getting themselves into.
"Uh…who's Alexandria?" Xander piped up, wondering what some old hag's library had to do with Kat and their present day problem.
"Alexandria was a great library in Egypt, perhaps the biggest library in all of history," Willow offered before Giles could explain. At the librarian's nod of affirmation, the redhead's eyes widened as the thought occurred to her: Egypt…Kat…prophecy. Sucking in her breath, eyes bright, the petite hacker bounced on her feet. "What does it say Giles?"
Bending his head back over the book, Giles read aloud as his eyes scanned the text. "Among the notable Greek literature and thoughts contained in the library at Alexandria where what many scholars believe to be the 'Heavenly Scrolls,' prophecies and ideologies passed from various deity sects throughout the land of Egypt. Many were lost or scattered during the sacking of Alexandria, and it becomes hard to find a full version that exists today."
His voice rising in barely contained excitement, Giles read on, coming closer to the passage Angel had found. "An example of what the scholars believe to be the Heavenly Scrolls is contained below. It is a section from a scroll believed to have come from the shrine of the Egyptian goddess Sakhmet, who was the embodiment of divine judgment," Giles continued, ignoring Kat's soft gasp from behind him on the counter. "This section is considered to be authentic, and begins with the phrase Fang and talon, devil and daemon, summoned near by witch's power, shall meet under full moon's light. However, there is no evidence to suggest this is in fact one of the Heavenly Scrolls, as the rest of the scroll is missing and has yet to be discovered."
The air seemed heavy with disappointment as Giles paused. Sighing, he closed his eyes briefly, summoning his patience. A defeated look crossed his features as he read on, his voice losing most of its eagerness. "The only other line revealed from this scroll thus far is the ending, which reads '…And the cursed shall become the gifted.' At this time, it is anyone's guess just what this refers to, as no mentions of the cursings of Sakhmet have been found." With a heavy heart the librarian shut the book, finding himself unable to look in Kat's direction, to see the disappointment he knew must be on her face. Staring at the cover of the tome in his hands, Giles sighed. "It appears that our search will be more…extensive…than usual." As no one dared to speak he reached up, pinching the bridge of his nose briefly. Opening his eyes, he looked around at the weary faces around him and, shoulders slumping slightly, waved a hand at the group. "Let's call it a night. We'll pick this up again some other time."
No one argued with the Watcher, everyone silently gathering their things and heading for the library doors. Sliding off the library counter, a silent Kat hovered near the doors, waiting for Willow in order to walk her home. As the dejected hacker moved in her direction the brunette heard a soft noise behind her and, turning, came face to face with a concerned looking Angel. The vampire gave her a soft smile, his hands laden with the gifts his friends had given him as he spoke. "Mind if I walk you two home?"
Kat hesitated, debating how to decline, when suddenly Willow's head jerked up, her eyes regaining some of their inner light as she smiled at the vampire. "Sure Angel!" the slender hacker beamed, her mind working overtime as it cycled through one evil idea after another. 'Get him to walk us home, drop me off first...' Hiding her mischievous musings behind her most innocent smile, she turned to a bewildered and wary Kat, who looked as if she wanted nothing more than to run far, far away. "Can we stop by my house first though? Coming up with a big ole nothing on the computer has kind of left me tired…"
'Willow is very, very evil.' Kat grumbled inwardly as she half-glared at the naïve-looking hacker, who was even now grabbing Angel's arm at the elbow and escorting him out the library door, leaving the shorter brunette to trail behind them reluctantly. Gruffly the dark-haired werecat followed, her arms wrapped around her chest as she lengthened her stride in order to catch up with the pair.
Kat's mood didn't improve as Willow continued to cling onto Angel's arm, talking animatedly with the tall vampire as they headed towards the Rosenburg residence. Apparently the redhead's earlier frustration with the lack of information on the prophecy had melted away as she asked Angel about whether or not he liked his surprise party. Kat managed not to grind her teeth as Angel responded, smiling down at the hacker with amusement as she commented on Xander's idea of good present.
"…I still don't think it was very nice of him to get you a stake, but then Xander was never one for giving much thought to his gifts. One year for Christmas he got me a stuffed frog, and I don't even celebrate the holiday!" Willow shuddered as she recalled her reaction to Xander's choice of cuddly, if not terrifying to the redhead, toys. Angel's chuckling response to her reaction was worth it however…as was the pair of daggers she could feel in her back, courtesy of Kat's eyes she was sure. The petite hacker did her best to hide her crafty smile from the two she was walking home with. It wouldn't do for them to notice her attempts at pushing the couple together.
"Xander's present was fine Willow," Angel couldn't help but smile as Willow continued to babble alongside of him. As they rounded the corner onto Willow's street, he continued. "I enjoyed each of my presents, and they mean a lot to me Little One." The vampire stiffened only slightly as he felt Kat's eyes settle on his back. The delicate beauty had not said a single word since he had offered to walk them home, and he was beginning to regret making the suggestion in the first place. It was rather obvious that the dark-haired young woman would rather be left alone right now, but Willow either wasn't paying attention or disagreed entirely.
Fortunately for the vampire, they were standing in front of Willow's house just then, so he could safely say his goodbyes to the two young women and head for the mansion for some 'brood time' as Willow liked to call it. "Here you are Little One, safe and sound," he commented, smiling softly down at the hacker, and then flashing another smile back at Kat as he began to back away from them slowly. "Thank you both for a very enjoyable evening..."
"You're not going to walk Kat home?" Willow inquired, her lower lip sticking out as she frowned at the vampire. Kat stiffened beside her, eyes darkening in suspicion as she regarded the seemingly innocent looking redhead. 'What is that girl up to,' the brunette pondered. She didn't have to wait long as the redhead plunged on in a rush of words. "Because she lives in the direction of the mansion, so it wouldn't be a problem to take her. And it's not very gentlemanly to let a woman walk around all alone at night like this, since you never know what is out there. What if she was ambushed by like six vampires at once, or some creepy guy pulls a gun on her while she's not looking, or…" the redhead yelped as Kat clamped a hand over the girl's mouth, her lips set in a firm line as she glared at Willow.
"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself Wills," the brunette ground out, her nervous energy flaring her temper even more. Sardonically she raised an eyebrow at the redhead. "Or have you forgotten I'm not exactly your average, everyday teenager?" Feeling Willow nod her acknowledgement of Kat's strength, she removed her hand from the other's girl's mouth before returning her attention to the nearby vampire, who looked as if he was mulling over the redhead's words. "There's no need for you to walk me home." Her tone was firm, her expression fierce as she stood in front of Willow defensively, as if ready to fight over the issue.
Centuries of life had done nothing to bury Angel's more chivalrous nature…if anything his time as a souled vampire had strengthened his desire to protect the fairer sex. Willow's words had the effect of a cold bucket of water on the vampire: he could picture, in very vivid and graphic detail, all sorts of unpleasant things that could befall the fiery kitten, no matter her strength and speed. As each terrible scenario flashed before his eyes his hands tightened on his packages, the need to rend and tear bubbling under the surface. Growling low in his throat, his pride leaped to the forefront at Kat's firm denial of assistance. "Willow's right," he said slowly, earning a full-blown scowl from the kitten as he continued. "I can't let you walk home alone kitten. Who knows what kind of trouble you'd get into."
Kat nearly choked on her outrage. The nerve of those two, ganging up on her as if she was some damsel that needed protecting! Wanting nothing more than to slap the arrogant smile that flickered across Angel's face, Kat took a step forward, preparing to give him a good tongue lashing about women's rights and where his sense of chivalry could go. Unfortunately, Willow had other ideas.
"Great, it's settled…Angel will walk you home Kat. You two take care!" Unable to hide her grin, the redhead spun around and, before either brunette could reply, bolted inside her out and closed the door behind her.
As silence began to descend upon the two willful people standing outside on the Rosenburg lawn, Angel glanced at the closed door, then down at his reluctant companion. Raising an eyebrow, he gave the young woman a half bow and, with a smile of inevitability on his lips, tilted his head to one side. "Shall we Kitten?"
* * * * * * * * *
'I'm going to kill Willow; I'm going to kill Willow…' Kat chanted one of her favorite mantras in her mind as she walked next to the now silent vampire. So far they had been walking for the past five minutes, and neither one had managed to say much. Angel was having a tough time breaking the ice, and Kat was perfectly content not to start any conversation that would eventually lead toward mugs, showers, or conversations with two deranged teenagers in a mall. And so they plunged onward, both lost in their own circular thoughts, the tension between them almost unbearable.
Shifting the packages in his arms, Angel tried to think of a good way to start conversation with the brunette walking quietly beside him. From the dark look on her face, he was certain she was as uncomfortable in this silence as he was. He wondered what it was she was thinking about. Idly his eyes flicked over her features, coming to rest on the pale scar he could see when her hair moved away from her neck. Recalling her explanation on their first night of patrol together, he frowned. 'So much pain, and in such a short time,' he mused sadly, concern for the brunette reflected in his soulful eyes as he continued to watch her out of the corner of his eyes. 'I wonder what else she had been through.'
Meanwhile Kat happened to glance in the vampire's direction, her eyes coming to rest on the portrait that Willow had given him. Recalling the expression on Angel's face as he had glanced at it, the young woman wondered who the people who…and why they meant so much to him.
Her questions must have been reflected on her face, because Angel spoke up softly, his tone inquiring, "What is it Kitten?"
Nervously Kat reached up with one hand to play with her hair, shooting a glance up at Angel as she debated whether or not to ask her question out loud. Taking a deep breath, she crossed her fingers mentally and plunged on in. "Who are the people in your picture?"
Of all the things to ask the vampire, that one question, asked in a breathless whisper, managed to freeze Angel in his tracks. Sadness overwhelmed him for a moment and, closing his eyes, the vampire took a very deep breath to steady himself. Opening his chocolate-brown eyes he collected himself as well as he could before beginning. "They are my family…my vampire family if you will. Adjusting the packages so that the portrait was visible, Angel named them off for the confused kitten. "Darla, the light-haired woman, was my Sire…she brought me across, made me what I am today. Or, rather, what Angelus was in his day. The dark beauty is my childe Drusilla, a very….talented….young woman. She's a powerful psychic, and, thanks to Angelus, stark raving mad."
Kat listened to Angel as she glanced at the portrait, studying each woman's face carefully. Darla looked like she owned the world, the type of person who was used to manipulating others. Dru looked beautiful, if a little on the spacey side. Pointing to the image of the other man, Kat looked back up at Angel, her eyes curious. "And that one?"
"That? That is William; though he goes by Spike these days, he's my other childe." Angel's voice dripped with sadness as he looked at his protégé, the childe he was the most proud of, and who he also hated the most. As Kat watched him carefully Angel began walking again, his voice far off as he went on about the golden haired vampire. "Spike was the youngest of the group, but also the most enthusiastic member of the Scourge of Europe; as the Watcher's Council likes to refer to our days of carnage…." As Kat remained mute beside the vampire, urging him to continue, Angel related some of the tales of the 'good ole days' as Angelus would remember it. "We were pretty close, until Spike got it into his arrogant head to try and usurp my place in the group. He was very close to Dru, probably half-way in love with her, and he felt he should have her all to himself. That, and the curse of course, managed to drive a very big wedge between the four of us. We parted company, and hadn't seen each other since."
"Until recently?" Kat asked, recalling the names Xander had used to describe Spike and Dru. Apparently the duo had managed to stop by Sunnydale in the past few years.
Angel nodded, a rueful smile touching his lips. "Aye. Spike came swaggering into town, headstrong and cocky as you please. He changed over the years…he's even more rude and crude than he was when I first met him, and he seems to have developed a fascination with bleaching his hair…" A smile touched Kat's lips as she heard Angel go on, ranting about Spike's many new habits, all of them bad. Another minute went by before Angel realized she was still smiling. "What?"
"You miss them." Her words were a statement, not a question, as she regarded the vampire softly. Angel stared at the young brunette, unable to speak as she continued. "They are you're family, so it's perfectly natural to miss them. No matter what they do, or how they stray, they are your family."
Angel didn't know what to say…certainly no one had ever pretended to understand why he could miss his two childer so much, no matter if they were evil or no. Eyes bright with some unreadable emotion, Angel whispered a 'Thank you' to the insightful kitten. Seeing her return smile, he didn't bother to speak for a moment as they continued to walk, nearing the hotel where she was staying.
* * * * * * * * *
It wasn't until they had reached Kat's hotel room that Angel found his voice again. As she was turning the key in the lock, opening the door and preparing to go in, he cleared his throat. When she turned back around, he hesitated, and then asked the question he had been meaning to ask all night.
"Tell me about your mother?"
Kat winced inwardly as Angel's simple question brought up a barrage of images and emotions. Ouch, but he certainly knew the one question she would rather not answer. Leaning against the doorway, she pondered whether or not to tell him anything this night.
'But that is hardly fair, considering what you asked him,' her mind chided her gently, forcing the brunette to agree reluctantly. Raising her eyes to meet his, Kat shrugged as calmly as possible. "What do you want to know?"
Fearing he had asked the wrong question, Angel took an unneeded breath to steady himself. "What was she like?"
A gentle smile graced Kat's lush lips as she thought of her mother. "She was probably the kindest person I had ever known. Willow kind of reminds me of her, always trying to help the ones she cares about." Wrapping her arms around herself, the delicate young woman stared off into space as she continued. "She hated to be a werecat I think, my mother did. She was a pacifist by nature, and she didn't like the bloodlust that comes with the curse. I think that's why she devoted her life to studying Egyptian curses…to find a way to cure us."
Her eyes grew sad, then hardened, as she recalled the events of that fateful night she had learned of the curse. "I think that's why she didn't change, the night the vampires came. She couldn't bring herself to hate enough to bring the change upon herself, so she died unable to defend herself. I changed, but I was too late to save her." Swallowing hard around the lump in her throat, Kat's voice grew softer, more strained with the difficulty in maintaining her composure. "The last thing she told me was not to let hate cloud my destiny, whatever that means. Something about having hope."
Angel's heart went out to the dark beauty in front of him. An aura of strength rolled off her in waves, and yet he saw the other side of her that few managed to see: the side that was still vulnerable and held such sadness. He wasn't surprised to find Kat wasn't so much as shedding a tear, though he knew she probably felt that way inside. It was just like the kitten to bottle up her emotions, to put up a front for the rest of the world…
The silence that followed Kat's words was not nearly as tense as it had been, but it was still thick with unspoken words. Angel opened his mouth to say something, anything, only to have Kat reach up, pressing her delicate fingers to his lips to silence him. They stared at each other, blue-green eyes to chocolate ones, neither one speaking of the other things they wanted to say just then. Finally, softly, Kat smiled that special 'friend' smile she had given him before and, stretching up on her tiptoes, brushed her soft lips across his cheek. "Goodnight Angel," she whispered, "Thanks for listening." Before the vampire could respond she took a step back, backing into her hotel room and closing the door slowly, sealing the barrier between them.
Staring at the door, Angel could barely comprehend what had just happened. His cheek near burned from the soft caress Kat's lips had given it and, had his hands been free, he would have touched that spot. Struggling to understand the mysterious brunette, as well as the feelings that were growing inside of him, the confused vampire backed away from the door in a daze, turning to begin the lonely walk back to his mansion. "Goodnight…Kitten." He whispered, his words hoarse as he disappeared into the night.
* * * * * * * * *
As she lay down in her bed, Kat stared up at the ceiling of her hotel room, replaying that scene outside her door over and over in her mind. A soft blush spread over her cheeks as she recalled the way his cheek felt against her lips: cool as marble, but good at the same time. Desperately she tried to think of something, anything other than her impulsive act.
Her mother's face swam unbidden into the werecat's mind, causing a stab of pain and guilt to overcome her. Curling up on her side, the young woman reached out to the desk beside her bed, her hand curling around a small, leather-bound journal of some kind. Drawing it closer she clutched it to her breast, as if the words within would give her some small sense of comfort. Drawing her knees up into a fetal position, Kat trembled as her mind replayed her mother's death, the last words her mother had said as she lay dying in Kat's arms fresh in her mind.
"Don't…don't fear, and don't hate my little kit-kat," her mother had said. "Hate will cloud your mind, and you may lose your only chance. Remember…Remember. Hope…rests in…angel's tear…" Kat was sure her mother was going to say more, but whatever she had been about to say was lost as death claimed the sweet woman before her time.
Her eyes burned with the need to cry, but no tears fell down Kat's cheeks as she shivered in her bed, eyes staring blankly out into the darkness in her room. When sleep finally came to claim her, her last thought was of an odd note. 'My mother studied a lot about the curses…I wonder if she has anything on them in her journal.' Before she could explore that thought further, however, sleep hit with a vengeance, forcing the young brunette into the sweet oblivion of a dreamless sleep. Or so she hoped.