Chapter 14
Disclaimer: See previous chapters. Thanks to all my reviewers, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Buffy didn't realize until after school just how exhausted she was from the lack of sleep she had gotten the night before and even the past two nights. Buffy barely made it to her bedroom before the exhaustion set in and she collapsed on the bed falling into a deep sleep. She felt like she had only been sleeping for five minutes when the dream started again and Buffy woke up covered in a cold sweat, her heart pounding fiercely, feeling as if it was about to bust out of her chest. She sat in bed trying to get control over the dread and emotions she was feeling. She didn't understand why she kept having this dream; she had talked to Faith that day and Faith had told her she hadn't had the dreams so it meant they were nightmares. Buffy got out of bed, realizing that she had about twenty minutes before sunset and she jumped out of bed changing her clothes and running a brush through her hair, pulling it back into a ponytail. She grabbed a stake out of her drawer and stuck it into the waistband of her jeans, grabbing a light weight jacket out of her closet and throwing it on and then leaving the house going to meet Faith so they could go to the school and find out where Dominick and Giles wanted them to patrol.
" Hey B, you look like shit." Faith said hopping off of the car she had perched on when Buffy walked up to her.
" Shut it, F, before I make you." Buffy said in a dry humorless voice.
" Well I just call 'em like I see 'em." Faith told Buffy shrugging. Faith could feel the uneasiness and worry radiating off of her sister, which she figured must of had something to do with the two of them being twins not mention slayers. She knew most of her sister's worry had to do with the frequent dreams Buffy had been having, and Faith wish she could make her sister feel better. Faith reached out and threw an arm around her sister, squeezing her shoulders slightly, " Don't sweat it B, we killed that bitch."
" Yeah, but we never proved it Faith, how can you be so sure?" Buffy asked.
" Fine, B, we'll find her, we'll slay and then we'll par-tay." Faith said pulling her arm off of Buffy shoulders and doing a few dance moves causing Buffy to laugh.
" That's so extremely optimistic of you." Buffy said still laughing, and she picked up on some of her sister's enthusiasm. The girls walked to the school, chatting lightly about both Xander and Angel, and Buffy felt a little less strained. When they got to the school they were surprised that they weren't met by Giles and Dominick in the library, but instead by Miss Calendar, the school's computer science teacher and the woman who Giles was dating. She too was an unofficial member of the Scooby gang, as she knew that both Buffy and Faith were the slayers.
" Hey Ms. C, where are Dom and the G-Man?" Faith asked arching one eyebrow in question.
" Umm, I'm not quite sure but they gave me an address and I'm supposed to take you there to meet them." Jenny told the girls. Buffy looked at Faith raising an eyebrow in question, and Faith just shrugged as they followed Jenny out of the library and to her car. They drove for a little while and Buffy soon realized that the streets they were following looked extremely familiar, almost like the path that they took to the Bronze.
" Are we going to the Bronze?" Buffy asked Jenny curiously.
" I'm not sure, they gave me an address, I'm following their directions" Jenny said shrugging. All of sudden Buffy's slayer senses kicked in and her senses became heightened, and she looked over at Faith, and knew she too must have felt it because Faith was know visibly tense. They began to glance around nervously and their eyes finally rested on the alley in front of them, where they saw a group of highly suspicious looking people, possibly vampires searching for something in the back of a truck.
"This looks funky, stop for a sec." Buffy told her, and Jenny finally realized why their demeanor had changed. She quickly pressed on the brakes as the girls opened the car doors.
" You, know girls, maybe you shouldn't." Jenny said nervously, afraid of what Giles and Dominick would do if something happened to the girls
" We don't have a choice, chosen two, sacred duty, yada, yada, yada, you know the story." Buffy said giving Jenny a wry smile trying to reassure her that her and Faith would be able to handle their own.
" Come on B!" Faith shouted and Buffy turned and ran following Faith to the truck, sneaking up on the vampires, a quick look told them that there were at least six of them.
" Every time I see you you're stealing something you should really talk to someone about this klepto issue." Buffy quipped, recognizing on pf the vampires that had helped Drusilla and Spike before Buffy killed them. The vampire turned and growled which got the rest of the vampires attention and they rushed the two girls.
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" Where are they?" Angel asked for the fifth time in five minutes and everyone shushed him, listening for Buffy and Faith to approach
" Do you hear that?" Willow asked Giles curiously when the sounds of a scuffle presented itself from the alley outside The Bronze. Giles and Dominick had rented The Bronze out for the night for Buffy and Faith's surprise party, and all of their friends were there, Angel, Giles, Dominick, Willow, Xander, Willow's date, Oz and Cordelia, the queen of mean who wasn't really their friend but Buffy and Faith had saved her life a few times so she kind of became part of the Scooby gang even helping research sometimes, but she still was mean to them, and acted as if she was forced to hang out with them and to everyone's surprise she had agreed to come to the party. Everyone was now scattered throughout The Bronze hiding and waiting for Faith and Buffy to come in so they could all jump out and scream "Surprise".
" Yes, Willow, it sounds like someone fighting." Giles told her, as everyone came out of their hiding spots, as curiosity got the best of them. Just then Buffy and a vampire came crashing in still in the throes of their fight, and Faith jumped in the broken window, pulling the vampire off of Buffy, staking him as he crumbled into a pile of dust. Buffy coughed sharply as the vampiric dust fell on her and she inhaled it, Buffy pushed herself up turning to face her friends, just as Cordelia jumped up shouting " Surprise!".
" Yeah that about says it all." Xander said turning to face Cordelia rolling his eyes, and Cordelia very immaturely stuck out her tongue at Xander.
" Are you okay?" Willow asked Oz seeing the bewildered expression on his face.
" Yeah but did that guy just turn to dust?" Oz asked bewildered unable to take his eyes off of the dust that had settled on the floor where the vampire had once stood.
" Yeah, lots of vampires live in Sunnydale, Willow will fill in the blanks." Xander said nonchalantly as he felt two arms wrap around his waist, squeezing softly, "Hey baby, nice ass-kicking back there." He said leaning down and kissing Faith softly.
" Just another night on the job." Faith said shrugging as she kissed him again. While this was going on Buffy had walked over to Angel and Giles.
" Are you okay?" Angel asked Buffy.
" Yes what happened?" Giles asked.
" Umm see there were these vamps," Buffy began but stopped when she noticed the decorations all around the Bronze, " What's going on?"
" A surprise party." Giles said.
" You guys did all of this for us, that is so sweet." Buffy said ignoring Giles, only paying attention to Angel.
" A little help here." Jenny called from the doorway carrying a very big box and Giles and Angel took it from her, " Those creeps left it outside."
" Hmm, a present for me?" Buffy asked looking at Jenny questioningly who just shrugged.
" I think you mean us B." Faith said, smirking.
" What is it?" Buffy asked.
" I don't know. Can it be opened?" Dominick asked.
" There is a release right here." Buffy said. The rest of the gang had gathered around to see what was in the box. Buffy opened the box slowly, afraid that something was going to jump out at her, and found an arm clad in armor nestled in the box.
" Okay what the hell is that?" Faith asked, just then the arm jumped out of the box wrapping around Buffy's throat and squeezing her windpipe. Buffy struggled to breathe as Angel and Faith were trying to pry it away from her throat. They managed to pull it off and got it into the box slamming the lid down forcefully, and Buffy began to cough.
" And that would be the Hellmouth's answer to "what do you get the slayers who have everything." Xander said trying to lighten the mood.
" B, you alright?" Faith asked her sister.
" Yeah, that thing had major grip though." Buffy said coughing.
" Yeah what the hell was that? A killer arm?" Faith asked.
" It can't be. She wouldn't." Angel murmured and everyone looked at him curiously.
" What is that like the vamp's version of snake in a can?" Xander asked.
" Angel what is it?" Buffy asked him.
" Its a legend...of a demon sent to rid the world of the plague of humanity... separate the righteous from the wicked and burn the righteous down. They call him the Judge." Angel explained.
" And this is the Judge?" Dominick asked raising one eyebrow skeptically.
" Not all of him." Angel said.
" Umm hello still needing back-story." Buffy said.
" Yeah and I'm really not loving the burning thing." Faith remarked.
" Um...he-he couldn't be killed, so they sent an army against him. He- he was dismembered and his body parts were scattered at every end of the earth." Giles explained.
" So all the pieces are being brought here." Faith summarized.
" By Drusilla," Buffy said and everyone wondered how she had made that conclusion, " The vamps outside were Spike's men, I've seen them before."
" She is crazy enough to do it." Angel said.
" What? Reassemble the Judge?" Willow asked nervously.
" Yes, and bring about Armageddon." Angel said.
" And anyone not wanting that to happen, raise your hands." Xander said.
" We have to get this out of town." Giles said.
" Angel, you have to do it, your the only one who can protect this thing/" Jenny said bluntly, as everyone turned towards her gaping at her like she had suddenly grown two heads. She knew that send Angel away would tear Buffy up, almost as if she had lost him for good but it had to be done and someone had to speak up.
" What?" Buffy said when she finally found her voice after Jenny's off the wall statement, " Why Angel? Faith and me are the slayers, we'll handle it." Buffy demanded and Faith nodded.
" And what? You just skip town and school for months?" Jenny asked, hoping the girls would now understand why it had to be Angel, without her having to go into anymore detail.
" Months?" Buffy asked softly, her eyes rapidly filling with tears, and Angel squeezed Buffy's hand again.
" She's right, Buffy," Angel told her gently, " I have to do this, and I'm the only one who can do this." At his last statement Buffy spun around to face him, her eyes glistening with tears.
" But months? You know there are these newfangled inventions called airplanes, they can get you where you want to go in only days, weeks tops." Buffy said, sadness and fear evident in her voice. Angel leaned down kissing Buffy's forehead and then took her into his arms.
" Buffy you know I can't fly. There isn't any any complete way to guard against the sunlight." Angel said.
" When?" Buffy managed to choke out before the tears she was holding back overwhelmed her.
" Tonight." Angel said simply and
" But it's my birthday." Buffy said softly
" I'll drive you to the docks." Jenny said softly pulling her keys from her purse, and walking towards the door, Buffy and Angel followed her hand in hand.
As Jenny drove them to the docks she watched Angel and Buffy in the backseat of the car, arms wrapped around one another, silent tears falling down Buffy's cheeks, as Angel gently stroked her hair and rocked her ever so slightly, and Jenny couldn't help but feel guilty that she had been the one who instigated Angel's departure. But it wasn't her choice, she had been sent to Sunnydale not as Jenny Calendar, but as Yanna of the Kalderash gypsy clan. She had picked up the name Jenny Calendar in the states, her people were the ones who had originally cursed Angel with his soul. She had been sent to Sunnydale two years ago to watch Angel and make sure that the curse still held and that Angel still suffered for the deeds he had done as Angelus. She hadn't expected to become friends with the Slayer or to fall for Buffy's watcher, and Buffy falling for Angel was even more unexpected. And falling for Giles had just made her job in Sunnydale harder, especially when her Uncle Enyos had flown into town unexpectedly to tell her that Angel's suffering was lessening now, and that meant she had to get him out of Sunnydale or have the whole clan come against her.
They pulled up in front of the docks and both Buffy and Angel got out of the car. Buffy walked up the docks slowly, wiping the tears from her face as they fell. Her mind was numb, still not fully comprehending what was going on. She was totally in love with Angel and she hadn't even got a chance to tell him yet, and now he was going away, possibly for months and she didn't know how she would go on without him. She could feel Angel behind her and she couldn't help but wonder if he was taking leaving her as hard as she was taking his inevitable departure.
Angel watched as Buffy walked up the docks to the ship that he would be taking out of town, her shoulders were slumped, and he knew she was crying. He remembered now why he had stayed away from people for so long, besides the bloodlust he hadn't want to hurt anyone when they realized his true nature. But that had all changed when he had first seen Buffy on the day she had first been called as the Slayer. He remembered how vulnerable and childlike she had looked on that day, and at that second he had vowed to always protect and keep her safe, if only from a distance. But never in his wildest dreams had he expected to fall in love with her, but he had, no matter how hard he fought it, it still happened.
When they reached the ship, Buffy came to a stop and turned to look at Angel, tears glistening on her cheeks and her eyes in the soft ship light and Angel felt his heart breaking at Buffy's pain. He hated to see her cry, he wanted to just pull her in his arms, tell her it would all be okay, that he would stay, anything to get her to stop crying, Buffy's tears always got to him like that. But those were lies, pretty lies to make the one he loved fell better, but if anything he needed to be honest with her and himself, it would be hard, but he knew she deserved honesty. He placed the box on the ground in front of him and pulled her into his arms, not saying anything, just holding her. He could feel her shoulders shaking as she sobbed, her tears soaking the front of his shirt burning him when they touched his skin, he kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair. Buffy couldn't explain it but she felt safer in Angel's arms, a safeness she had never felt before, but then when he pulled away that safeness fled and all she felt was the turmoil of her emotions.
" Buffy, I should go the rest of the way alone." Angel said.
" Okay." Buffy said like an automaton.
" I'll be back though, I will." Angel told her, putting his hand on her chin and forcing her to look at him.
" When? Six months, a year. You don't even know how long it will or if we'll even.." Buffy said her voice cracking with emotion again.
" If we'll even what?" Angel asked gently.
" Well in case you haven't noticed someone pretty much always wants us dead." Buffy said tears filling her eyes once again.
" Don't say that. We'll be fine." Angel tried to reassure her.
" We don't know that." Buffy told him looking at her feet.
" We can't know Buffy. Nobody can. That's just the deal. I want to give you something." Angel said, digging in his pocket and pulling something out and fiddling with it in his hands nervously, " I was going to give this to you at the party, but that doesn't seem like its going to happen now, so..." He said trailing off holding out a small silver ring for Buffy to see. It was a beautiful ring with a heart in the center, two hands on either side of the heart and a crown above the heart.
" God Angel, it's beautiful." Buffy said breathlessly the emotions running through her stealing her voice away from her.
"My people -- before I was changed -- they exchanged this as a sign of devotion. It's a claddagh ring. The hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty... and the heart... Well, you know... Wear it with the heart pointing towards you. It means you belong to somebody. Like this. ." He said, showing her how he wore his own ring. Buffy then took his hand kissing it softly.
" Put it on." Angel told her, taking the ring from her and slipping it on her finger.
" I don't wanna do this." Buffy said sobbing again.
" Me either." Angel told her. Buffy took his hand then placing it against her cheek
as she placed her own hand behind his head, pulling him down to her catching his lips in a gentle kiss. Angel wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer too him, as the gentle kiss slowly became stronger and more passionate, neither one of them wanting this moment to end, knowing what would happen when it was over. Buffy placed one hand on Angel's cheek, tracing the contours of his face almost as if she was memorizing them, and Angel shuddered involuntarily at her light caress.
" Buffy, I....I" Angel said stopping their kisses abruptly leaving Buffy wanting more, But his sentence was cut off when something hit his back knocking him off balance.
" Angel the box!" Buffy shouted and in one swift move Angel picked up the box and spun around, seeing now what Buffy had seen, four vampires were advancing on them and a fifth had been the one who had hit him. They both immediately got into a fighting stance as the first vampire rushed at them, and kicked Buffy causing Buffy to stumble backwards. Angel thrust the box he was holding outward, knocking the vampire across the jaw with it, sending it careening to the ground. As Buffy regained her footing as she saw that the vampires were now surrounding Angel and she quickly rushed forward to help him, sending a hail of punches and kicks to any vampire who got in front of her, but one escaped her notice and was on her in a moment grabbing her arms and pinning them behind her back, and she knelt down flipping him over her back causing him to knock over the three vampires in front of her, much like dominoes. She scanned the dock frantically for some sort of a stake, and wasn't paying attention just long enough for a vampire to come up behind her and kick her in the back sending her sailing into the wooden railings that separated the docks from the water. She grunted as all the air in her lungs was expelled at the impact of her body hitting the railing and she spun around just as two more vampires rushed her, lifting her up and throwing her over the railing and towards the water.
" Buffy!" She heard Angel shout before she hit the water. Her vision began to dim and her mind got fuzzy on impact as her body slowly slipped into unconsciousness, and began to inhale massive amounts of water.
Angel felt as if everything was moving in slow motion as he watched Buffy's small form getting pitched over the railing by the vampires to the water below. He shouted her name and ran to the railing looking over to see Buffy floating face down in the water, not moving or even attempting to swim. He felt his heart sink at the thought that he could lose Buffy like this. He dropped the box, knowing he couldn't swim with it and Buffy, not caring anymore if Spike and Drusilla got a hold of it, only caring that he saved Buffy, cause he didn't know if he could live without her. Without another thought he jumped in the water landing about five feet away from Buffy, and he immediately swam towards her, and when he reached her he flipped her over and pulled her against him, and was greeted with the sound of her breathing, even if it was coming slower and shallower than usual, which meant she was alive just unconscious. He swam with her in his arms to the shore, carrying her on to the beach and laying her down.
" Buffy." He said, slapping Buffy's cheeks gently, willing her to open her eyes. Finally her eyes flew open and she came to sputtering and coughing up some of the water she had inhaled, as her stomach revolted and she vomited up the rest of the water onto the sand. She shuddered violently as the night air hit her wet clothes and she dragged a hand across her mouth, sitting up and Angel pulled her to him standing with her still wrapped in his arms. Just then Buffy realized Angel was no longer holding the box that contained the Judge's arm.
" They got the box?" Buffy asked pulling out of Angel's arms, and he just nodded. " Well I guess we're gonna have to find away to kill the Judge huh? I mean a way that doesn't involve the army. We should probably go to the library and tell Giles and Dominick."
" Umm Buffy, we should probably change clothes first." Angel said indicating their soaking wet outfits, and Buffy chuckled softly as she imagined the look on the gangs' faces when they walked in soaking wet.
" Yeah, right, well I have clothes at the school but well you don't. So go change and meet me at the school." Buffy said and Angel kissed her on the cheek softly.
" Be careful." He said taking her hand in his own.
" Always am babe." Buffy said giving Angel one last kiss before she turned and walked away.
A/N: Some lines may have been taken from Surprise/ Innocence. Also some plot points have also been used. Please review.