Chapter 8
Back at Giles' House
The remainder of the Scooby gang was scattered around the small, cozy living area of Giles' apartment. Xander and Anya were clustered together in a dark corner, half-researching while making out with eachother. Willow and Tara were sitting on the small loveseat, the redhead busily punching away at her laptop computer while the second witch sifted through a pile of books on the coffee table in front of them. Giles was sitting at his table, a large mass of well-aged books and papers spread out, leaving the wooden surface barely visible. It had been almost two hours since Buffy had ran out to patrol, and although she sometimes patrolled for hours on end, they were all beginning to wonder where she was, and if she was alright.
Giles periodically took breaks from his research to glance at the clock on the wall, then removing his glasses to rub them with a handkerchief from his pocket. He was clearly stressed, whether from research or waiting for his "daughter" to return was not clear. His last peek at the clock told him that it was almost eight-thirty at night, and they most definitely had a long night of research ahead of them. He reached for his teacup to find it cold and empty save for on or two amber-colored drops clinging to the bottom. Suddenly he was ready for a quick break from the mundane researching. He stood up from his table and surveyed the room surrounding him. All was silent except for the occasional quiet murmurs from Xander and Anya's corner, and the clicking of the keys as Willow voraciously typed away. Giles cleared his throat and spoke, startling everyone out of their own worlds. "Perhaps we should take a break for a moment. Would anyone like a bit of tea?"
"Mmm. That would be nice," answered Willow, while Tara nodded in agreement.
"No thanks. I'm afraid it might make me too British," came Xander's reply.
"Anya?" Giles quested.
"Only if you have mint tea. I don't like anything else. Xander, you could have some. Mint tea isn't really tea, it's made from mind leaves and other herbs. It wont make you all stuffy and English like Giles."
"Thanks, An, but I don't think so. It's still called tea.
Giles had already turned to walk into the kitchen when Anya started rambling. He called over his shoulder that he would have to look, since herbal mint "tea" was not something he usually drank.
"So, Will, anything on these demon-things yet?" Xander asked from across the room.
"Not really. We need to know more about them. Everything that I've found is pretty vague."
"Me, too," said Tara. "We need some sort of description."
"I wonder if Wesley knows anything about these demons. It was Wesley that called Giles, right?"
"I think so, Xan, but we could ask. Giles didn't seem to want to talk about it before, but it may have been because Buffy was here, and, well, Wesley works for you-know-who, and he probably just didn't want to get into it and make Buffy upset."
"Maybe. Hey, G-man," Xander yelled. "Are you sure you got all the info you could on these beasties? I mean, you're not holding out on us, are ya?"
"Quite sure, Xander. I told you everything that I know."
"Maybe we could call Wesley," Willow intervened, "Maybe he knows something else."
"I'm afraid he doesn't."
"It wasn't Wesley that called you, was it?" Willow questioned, a little quieter.
"No. In fact, it was Angel. And he didn't call, he stopped by to see me last night. I didn't want to say anything before because he requested that I didn't."
"It's okay. We understand. We hate seeing sad Buffy just as much as you do. But do you think Angel knows any other useful information?"
"We could try and find out. I think he was going back last night, you could try to call him now."
Willow nodded and set her laptop down on the coffee table. She got up and went Giles' table to use the phone. "Do you know his number, Giles?"
"Yes, I believe he gave it to me.hold on." Giles could be heard shuffling through papers in the kitchen before returning with a small business card in hand. "Here you go."
Willow looked at the white, rectangular card with the simple angel in the corner. It read "Angel Investigations" in bold letters, and underneath, "We Help the Helpless." There was simply a phone number and an address on the card, no other names. Willow picked up the phone and dialed the number. The phone rang several times before a breathless, yet familiar British voice picked up on the other end. "Hello, Angel Investigations, how can we help you?"
"Wesley, this is Willow. I was hoping to talk to Angel, is he there?"
"Angel? He's not back yet. He must still be in Sunnydale."
"Oh." Willow looked a little perplexed. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. He has not returned; however, if you see him, would you please tell him that Cordy has just had a vision and we need to speak with him."
"Um, okay. Well, thanks anyway." Willow said goodbye and hung up the phone as Giles returned to the room with a tray of tea and cookies. She turned to face her inquisitive audience. "That was strange. Wes said that Angel was not back yet."
"Hm. I could've sworn he said he was leaving last night."
"You mean deadboy's gone AWOL?" Jibed Xander.
"Um, it would appear so. Maybe he's still in Sunnydale."
"If that's the case, then maybe someone should try to find him."
"Look, deadboy's a big.uh.vampire. He doesn't need a babysitter. He probably just decided to take the scenic route home or something."
"Xander, it's been a whole day! Sunlight and everything! Someone should try to find him. Besides, we have to ask him about the demons anyway. He may be able to help us."
"Alright, alright. I get it. Me and An will go search for Angel, in the rain."
Willow cut him off before he continue complaining, "Thanks, Xander. That would be good. In the meantime we'll continue researching, and maybe Buffy'll come back."
"Maybe Buffy found deadboy and staked him after he left Giles last night," Xander quipped. "We all know she still has a little pent up anger about him leaving, like, a year ago."
"Shut up, Xander. Buffy would never kill Angel, um, I mean, she would never stake him. Besides, did she look like she just saw Angel last night?"
"You're right. She still looked somewhat normal today. Alright, me and Anya will be back in a little while. We're off to check out Angel's old hideouts, maybe Willy's."
"Xander, do we really have to go out in the rain? I mean, it's not like we have anything to do with Angel not being in L.A. I don't see why we have to look for him," Anya asked her boyfriend.
"It's okay, honey, at least we don't have to research. This is why I always volunteer for donut runs, too."
"Oh. I guess I can see your point, but still."
Anya and Xander continued bickering on their way out the door, and once again all was silent in Giles' apartment as the three remaining scoobies continued to research and sip on their hot tea, waiting for the return of their slayer or any bit of helpful information.
Back at Giles' House
The remainder of the Scooby gang was scattered around the small, cozy living area of Giles' apartment. Xander and Anya were clustered together in a dark corner, half-researching while making out with eachother. Willow and Tara were sitting on the small loveseat, the redhead busily punching away at her laptop computer while the second witch sifted through a pile of books on the coffee table in front of them. Giles was sitting at his table, a large mass of well-aged books and papers spread out, leaving the wooden surface barely visible. It had been almost two hours since Buffy had ran out to patrol, and although she sometimes patrolled for hours on end, they were all beginning to wonder where she was, and if she was alright.
Giles periodically took breaks from his research to glance at the clock on the wall, then removing his glasses to rub them with a handkerchief from his pocket. He was clearly stressed, whether from research or waiting for his "daughter" to return was not clear. His last peek at the clock told him that it was almost eight-thirty at night, and they most definitely had a long night of research ahead of them. He reached for his teacup to find it cold and empty save for on or two amber-colored drops clinging to the bottom. Suddenly he was ready for a quick break from the mundane researching. He stood up from his table and surveyed the room surrounding him. All was silent except for the occasional quiet murmurs from Xander and Anya's corner, and the clicking of the keys as Willow voraciously typed away. Giles cleared his throat and spoke, startling everyone out of their own worlds. "Perhaps we should take a break for a moment. Would anyone like a bit of tea?"
"Mmm. That would be nice," answered Willow, while Tara nodded in agreement.
"No thanks. I'm afraid it might make me too British," came Xander's reply.
"Anya?" Giles quested.
"Only if you have mint tea. I don't like anything else. Xander, you could have some. Mint tea isn't really tea, it's made from mind leaves and other herbs. It wont make you all stuffy and English like Giles."
"Thanks, An, but I don't think so. It's still called tea.
Giles had already turned to walk into the kitchen when Anya started rambling. He called over his shoulder that he would have to look, since herbal mint "tea" was not something he usually drank.
"So, Will, anything on these demon-things yet?" Xander asked from across the room.
"Not really. We need to know more about them. Everything that I've found is pretty vague."
"Me, too," said Tara. "We need some sort of description."
"I wonder if Wesley knows anything about these demons. It was Wesley that called Giles, right?"
"I think so, Xan, but we could ask. Giles didn't seem to want to talk about it before, but it may have been because Buffy was here, and, well, Wesley works for you-know-who, and he probably just didn't want to get into it and make Buffy upset."
"Maybe. Hey, G-man," Xander yelled. "Are you sure you got all the info you could on these beasties? I mean, you're not holding out on us, are ya?"
"Quite sure, Xander. I told you everything that I know."
"Maybe we could call Wesley," Willow intervened, "Maybe he knows something else."
"I'm afraid he doesn't."
"It wasn't Wesley that called you, was it?" Willow questioned, a little quieter.
"No. In fact, it was Angel. And he didn't call, he stopped by to see me last night. I didn't want to say anything before because he requested that I didn't."
"It's okay. We understand. We hate seeing sad Buffy just as much as you do. But do you think Angel knows any other useful information?"
"We could try and find out. I think he was going back last night, you could try to call him now."
Willow nodded and set her laptop down on the coffee table. She got up and went Giles' table to use the phone. "Do you know his number, Giles?"
"Yes, I believe he gave it to me.hold on." Giles could be heard shuffling through papers in the kitchen before returning with a small business card in hand. "Here you go."
Willow looked at the white, rectangular card with the simple angel in the corner. It read "Angel Investigations" in bold letters, and underneath, "We Help the Helpless." There was simply a phone number and an address on the card, no other names. Willow picked up the phone and dialed the number. The phone rang several times before a breathless, yet familiar British voice picked up on the other end. "Hello, Angel Investigations, how can we help you?"
"Wesley, this is Willow. I was hoping to talk to Angel, is he there?"
"Angel? He's not back yet. He must still be in Sunnydale."
"Oh." Willow looked a little perplexed. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. He has not returned; however, if you see him, would you please tell him that Cordy has just had a vision and we need to speak with him."
"Um, okay. Well, thanks anyway." Willow said goodbye and hung up the phone as Giles returned to the room with a tray of tea and cookies. She turned to face her inquisitive audience. "That was strange. Wes said that Angel was not back yet."
"Hm. I could've sworn he said he was leaving last night."
"You mean deadboy's gone AWOL?" Jibed Xander.
"Um, it would appear so. Maybe he's still in Sunnydale."
"If that's the case, then maybe someone should try to find him."
"Look, deadboy's a big.uh.vampire. He doesn't need a babysitter. He probably just decided to take the scenic route home or something."
"Xander, it's been a whole day! Sunlight and everything! Someone should try to find him. Besides, we have to ask him about the demons anyway. He may be able to help us."
"Alright, alright. I get it. Me and An will go search for Angel, in the rain."
Willow cut him off before he continue complaining, "Thanks, Xander. That would be good. In the meantime we'll continue researching, and maybe Buffy'll come back."
"Maybe Buffy found deadboy and staked him after he left Giles last night," Xander quipped. "We all know she still has a little pent up anger about him leaving, like, a year ago."
"Shut up, Xander. Buffy would never kill Angel, um, I mean, she would never stake him. Besides, did she look like she just saw Angel last night?"
"You're right. She still looked somewhat normal today. Alright, me and Anya will be back in a little while. We're off to check out Angel's old hideouts, maybe Willy's."
"Xander, do we really have to go out in the rain? I mean, it's not like we have anything to do with Angel not being in L.A. I don't see why we have to look for him," Anya asked her boyfriend.
"It's okay, honey, at least we don't have to research. This is why I always volunteer for donut runs, too."
"Oh. I guess I can see your point, but still."
Anya and Xander continued bickering on their way out the door, and once again all was silent in Giles' apartment as the three remaining scoobies continued to research and sip on their hot tea, waiting for the return of their slayer or any bit of helpful information.