Chapter 2
"That - that surprises you?" Buffy gasped. "Isn't my life always on the line?"
"Buffy, it's okay. Everything's gonna be fine," Angel intoned in an effort to keep both himself and Buffy thinking positively: Giles would just think, either positively or negatively, depending on the situation.
Angel walked over to Buffy and tenderly raised her head. Slipping himself onto the sofa under it, he settled it back on his legs and lovingly stroked Buffy's blonde hair.
"I hate to interrupt," Giles interrupted, "but it may not be that simple."
* * * * *
"Well done, Crystal." Spike praised the witch sarcastically, falsely. "The spell seems to be working. C'm 'ere, Dru."
"The stars will align tonight. It makes her weak." Drusilla tingled with excitement.
"That's good, pet. Cos tonight-" Spike paused for dramatic effect "-we strike." He put his arm around Drusilla's shoulders and smiled.
* * * * * "So, Buffy's under some spell or other, and Angel's at her house, worrying or doing who knows what, and Buffy couldn't get into school today, which, by the way, Principal Snyder will not be happy about, does that about sum things up?" Xander said from his perch on the mahogany table in Sunnydale High School's dark, dingy, but very resourceful - if you wanted information on the forces of evil, anyway - library.
"In other words," Cordelia agreed, "we're in trouble."
"To be perfectly blunt, yes, it would appear so. And especially due to the lack of a healthy Slayer."
"Note, Giles," Xander responded, "The words 'We're in trouble' says it quickly and clearly. Short, but to the point. Got it?"
"Yes, Xander, but they way in which I talk is not currently our main concern. Apart from the, er, general public, Buffy is." Giles was tired - he'd been up all night worrying about Buffy - and on the verge of losing his temper. However, he tried to remain patient with Xander. If there was to be a discussion about his use of the English language - which was, after all, his native tongue - it could wait. Xander might just be trying to think about something other than Buffy because he was so worried. The boy could still have that crush on her, in spite of everything.
* * * * * "Are you sure you don't want anything, honey?" Joyce Summers asked her daughter.
"I'll be fine, Mum, but you could pull the curtains so that Angel can come near me without, y'know, turning to dust." Buffy had told her mother about her being the Slayer, as well as everything about her relationship with Angel. Her mother also knew that Angel was a vampire and would explode in direct sunlight. She crossed the grey-carpeted room and pulled the white curtains together.
"I'll leave you two in peace. Just call if you need anything." Joyce realised she made it sound like she lived somewhere else and was asking her daughter to 'phone her, but she didn't want Buffy getting out of bed.
The Slayer nodded, so Joyce smiled and left. Angel came out of the shadowy corner of Buffy's bedroom and perched lightly on the edge of her bed.
"The sun'll go down soon. You didn't have to ask your mother to do that," he whispered, referring to the curtains.
"She'd never have gone if I didn't. Besides, I wanna talk to you." Having said that, Buffy winced.
"How're the pains?"
"No worse, which I guess is a good thing, but no better, either."
"I wish I could make them go away, Buffy. We're gonna get to the bottom of this, I promise." Angel felt the dark, velvety blanket of night spread over Sunnydale, a false blanket of security that hid and protected monsters such as himself as Buffy answered,
"I know."
The windowpane shattered and fell away deafeningly. Spike's bleached hair appeared, followed by the rest of his head. Drusilla's face also came into view, the top of the red sleeveless dress that was designed to impress coming into sight.
"Aren't you going to invite us in? You owe it to Dru. After all, you did drive her nuts." The dry humour was directed at Angel.
"Come in an' you're dead," Angel growled. Spike laughed as he and Drusilla clambered through the window.
"We're already dead, mate. Thanks for the invite." Spike turned to look at his girlfriend. They'd come back to Sunnydale for some fun with the Slayer. "You get the girl. I'll take care of Soul-Boy here."
"That - that surprises you?" Buffy gasped. "Isn't my life always on the line?"
"Buffy, it's okay. Everything's gonna be fine," Angel intoned in an effort to keep both himself and Buffy thinking positively: Giles would just think, either positively or negatively, depending on the situation.
Angel walked over to Buffy and tenderly raised her head. Slipping himself onto the sofa under it, he settled it back on his legs and lovingly stroked Buffy's blonde hair.
"I hate to interrupt," Giles interrupted, "but it may not be that simple."
* * * * *
"Well done, Crystal." Spike praised the witch sarcastically, falsely. "The spell seems to be working. C'm 'ere, Dru."
"The stars will align tonight. It makes her weak." Drusilla tingled with excitement.
"That's good, pet. Cos tonight-" Spike paused for dramatic effect "-we strike." He put his arm around Drusilla's shoulders and smiled.
* * * * * "So, Buffy's under some spell or other, and Angel's at her house, worrying or doing who knows what, and Buffy couldn't get into school today, which, by the way, Principal Snyder will not be happy about, does that about sum things up?" Xander said from his perch on the mahogany table in Sunnydale High School's dark, dingy, but very resourceful - if you wanted information on the forces of evil, anyway - library.
"In other words," Cordelia agreed, "we're in trouble."
"To be perfectly blunt, yes, it would appear so. And especially due to the lack of a healthy Slayer."
"Note, Giles," Xander responded, "The words 'We're in trouble' says it quickly and clearly. Short, but to the point. Got it?"
"Yes, Xander, but they way in which I talk is not currently our main concern. Apart from the, er, general public, Buffy is." Giles was tired - he'd been up all night worrying about Buffy - and on the verge of losing his temper. However, he tried to remain patient with Xander. If there was to be a discussion about his use of the English language - which was, after all, his native tongue - it could wait. Xander might just be trying to think about something other than Buffy because he was so worried. The boy could still have that crush on her, in spite of everything.
* * * * * "Are you sure you don't want anything, honey?" Joyce Summers asked her daughter.
"I'll be fine, Mum, but you could pull the curtains so that Angel can come near me without, y'know, turning to dust." Buffy had told her mother about her being the Slayer, as well as everything about her relationship with Angel. Her mother also knew that Angel was a vampire and would explode in direct sunlight. She crossed the grey-carpeted room and pulled the white curtains together.
"I'll leave you two in peace. Just call if you need anything." Joyce realised she made it sound like she lived somewhere else and was asking her daughter to 'phone her, but she didn't want Buffy getting out of bed.
The Slayer nodded, so Joyce smiled and left. Angel came out of the shadowy corner of Buffy's bedroom and perched lightly on the edge of her bed.
"The sun'll go down soon. You didn't have to ask your mother to do that," he whispered, referring to the curtains.
"She'd never have gone if I didn't. Besides, I wanna talk to you." Having said that, Buffy winced.
"How're the pains?"
"No worse, which I guess is a good thing, but no better, either."
"I wish I could make them go away, Buffy. We're gonna get to the bottom of this, I promise." Angel felt the dark, velvety blanket of night spread over Sunnydale, a false blanket of security that hid and protected monsters such as himself as Buffy answered,
"I know."
The windowpane shattered and fell away deafeningly. Spike's bleached hair appeared, followed by the rest of his head. Drusilla's face also came into view, the top of the red sleeveless dress that was designed to impress coming into sight.
"Aren't you going to invite us in? You owe it to Dru. After all, you did drive her nuts." The dry humour was directed at Angel.
"Come in an' you're dead," Angel growled. Spike laughed as he and Drusilla clambered through the window.
"We're already dead, mate. Thanks for the invite." Spike turned to look at his girlfriend. They'd come back to Sunnydale for some fun with the Slayer. "You get the girl. I'll take care of Soul-Boy here."