The person belonging to the footsteps stopped not far from the engrossed
couple. The figure cleared their throat in an attempt to gain the couples
attention.
Buffy whirled around ready to fight the intruding person.
Realising the figure was none other then the head systems analyst Birkoff,
Buffy dropped her fighting stance.
"Hey Birkoff, what's up?" Buffy asked, relaxing now she knew the figure to
be non-threatening.
"Well.." He began nervously "Operations wants to see you" He looked up at her with a gaze full of sadness.
"What's wrong with that?" Buffy questioned, unafraid of the answer.
"It's just that this never happens. Operations never talks to the recruits until after they come off probationary status" Birkoff explained.
"Oh! Well when does he want to see me?"
"Well actually, he wants to see both of you now. He sent me to get you"
"Lead the way," Buffy said following after Birkoff. Angel's hand shot out to grab her upper arm.
"Buffy," Angel said warningly, "Be careful."
Buffy gazed up at him with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes and said, "Always am." Angel's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Buffy relented "Ok, fine, I'll be careful." Buffy sashayed out the door, hurrying in an attempt to catch up to Birkoff. A smirk grew on Angel's face as he stood there shaking his head before following out the door.
***The Perch***
"Buffy and Angel are here to see you sir" Birkoff announced into the intercom positioned above the keypad that opens the door. Birkoff gave Buffy a wary smile before turning around when he heard Gail call his name. The door to Operations Perch opened before Birkoff could tell Buffy or Angel anything. Operations stood in the doorway next to Madeline looking at the pair in front of him, before standing back and letting them enter the Perch. Madeline addressed them when they had just crossed the threshold. "Sit down." "Thanks" Buffy said as she walked in and threw herself into one of the chairs in front of Operations desk. Angel sat down with more grace then you would expect. Buffy moved as if to put her feet up on Operations desk but stopped at the look she received from Angel. Madeline witnessing this silent communication reminded herself to write that little bit of information into their files. They were as good at talking to each other without words as Michael and Nikita were, perhaps even better. "There are a few things we need to discuss before you are allowed to go on tonight's mission. It has been postponed for another hour" Buffy opened her mouth to speak but Angel beat her to it. "What things?" "Well to begin with, we need to see how good you are at recognising danger." Madeline interrupted Operations, "You will both be blindfolded and you will have to defend a dummy from being attacked" "How many people will we be up against?" Buffy asked her curiosity getting the better of her. "There will be 5 opponents. Buffy you and Angel will be fighting together, we want to know if when you are unable to see, you can recognise each other" Madeline ended with a smile. "Go to the training room" Operations said, dismissing them Buffy and Angel were walking towards the training room, when Angel expressed his concern they has forgotten the feel of each other and they would not only hurt each other but fail this test. Buffy turned to him, her eyes saying 'piece of cake.' Angel lifted one eyebrow and Buffy said out loud "You don't think so? Why don't we have a little bet then?" "Buffy." he said, trying to calm her down. "No Angel, seriously you don't think I can do this, then why don't you bet on it? How about if I win, you have to do everything I say for a day and you have to apologise" "And if I win?" Angel asked knowing he was going to loose the bet, he didn't mind at all. "If you win, I will do anything you ask for a day" Angel was fighting with his subconscious over whether to accept the bet or not. Buffy, as if seeing this, leaned over and said, "There are no restrictions to what either of us ask the other to do." Still sensing his reluctance Buffy gave him the look he both loves and hates, the puppy dog eyes and the pouty lip. Angel reclined his head and said, "Alright." Buffy replied with "May the best woman win." They turned the corner and found themselves outside the training rooms. They could see the five people they would be fighting, of which only two they recognised, Michael and Nikita. They were sitting on a bench together, talking while the three other operatives were warming up for the fight. Buffy and Angel walked down to the practise mat and warmed up before beginning to spar with each other. When they began to spar every operative stopped what they were doing to have a look at the two that were making sparring more then an art form. It was almost as if they were dancing to an unheard tune. Almost without realising what they were doing Buffy and Angel had closed themselves off, their world limited to include only each other.
"Well.." He began nervously "Operations wants to see you" He looked up at her with a gaze full of sadness.
"What's wrong with that?" Buffy questioned, unafraid of the answer.
"It's just that this never happens. Operations never talks to the recruits until after they come off probationary status" Birkoff explained.
"Oh! Well when does he want to see me?"
"Well actually, he wants to see both of you now. He sent me to get you"
"Lead the way," Buffy said following after Birkoff. Angel's hand shot out to grab her upper arm.
"Buffy," Angel said warningly, "Be careful."
Buffy gazed up at him with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes and said, "Always am." Angel's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Buffy relented "Ok, fine, I'll be careful." Buffy sashayed out the door, hurrying in an attempt to catch up to Birkoff. A smirk grew on Angel's face as he stood there shaking his head before following out the door.
***The Perch***
"Buffy and Angel are here to see you sir" Birkoff announced into the intercom positioned above the keypad that opens the door. Birkoff gave Buffy a wary smile before turning around when he heard Gail call his name. The door to Operations Perch opened before Birkoff could tell Buffy or Angel anything. Operations stood in the doorway next to Madeline looking at the pair in front of him, before standing back and letting them enter the Perch. Madeline addressed them when they had just crossed the threshold. "Sit down." "Thanks" Buffy said as she walked in and threw herself into one of the chairs in front of Operations desk. Angel sat down with more grace then you would expect. Buffy moved as if to put her feet up on Operations desk but stopped at the look she received from Angel. Madeline witnessing this silent communication reminded herself to write that little bit of information into their files. They were as good at talking to each other without words as Michael and Nikita were, perhaps even better. "There are a few things we need to discuss before you are allowed to go on tonight's mission. It has been postponed for another hour" Buffy opened her mouth to speak but Angel beat her to it. "What things?" "Well to begin with, we need to see how good you are at recognising danger." Madeline interrupted Operations, "You will both be blindfolded and you will have to defend a dummy from being attacked" "How many people will we be up against?" Buffy asked her curiosity getting the better of her. "There will be 5 opponents. Buffy you and Angel will be fighting together, we want to know if when you are unable to see, you can recognise each other" Madeline ended with a smile. "Go to the training room" Operations said, dismissing them Buffy and Angel were walking towards the training room, when Angel expressed his concern they has forgotten the feel of each other and they would not only hurt each other but fail this test. Buffy turned to him, her eyes saying 'piece of cake.' Angel lifted one eyebrow and Buffy said out loud "You don't think so? Why don't we have a little bet then?" "Buffy." he said, trying to calm her down. "No Angel, seriously you don't think I can do this, then why don't you bet on it? How about if I win, you have to do everything I say for a day and you have to apologise" "And if I win?" Angel asked knowing he was going to loose the bet, he didn't mind at all. "If you win, I will do anything you ask for a day" Angel was fighting with his subconscious over whether to accept the bet or not. Buffy, as if seeing this, leaned over and said, "There are no restrictions to what either of us ask the other to do." Still sensing his reluctance Buffy gave him the look he both loves and hates, the puppy dog eyes and the pouty lip. Angel reclined his head and said, "Alright." Buffy replied with "May the best woman win." They turned the corner and found themselves outside the training rooms. They could see the five people they would be fighting, of which only two they recognised, Michael and Nikita. They were sitting on a bench together, talking while the three other operatives were warming up for the fight. Buffy and Angel walked down to the practise mat and warmed up before beginning to spar with each other. When they began to spar every operative stopped what they were doing to have a look at the two that were making sparring more then an art form. It was almost as if they were dancing to an unheard tune. Almost without realising what they were doing Buffy and Angel had closed themselves off, their world limited to include only each other.