I reach The Hyperion just as the sun breaks over the horizon. Gunn
acknowledges me with a nod as I step in. He's cleaning an already polished
blade and it looks as though he's been at it for hours.
"Quite night." He says when I pass him by to check the mail on the desk.
I sort though the papers and nearly throw out the water bill along with some advertisements. "What? Oh yeah." My eyes flicker toward him while putting the mail back into a pile that Cordy would be proud of.
"Where were you?" His tone is almost accusing.
I go around to the bar refrigerator and take out a cup of pigs blood. I raise the thick liquid to my lips and taste it before answering. "Out."
His eyes flash toward the dawn that has already settled across the sky. "Out doing what exactly?" He wasn't satisfied with my non answer.
"I met up with something." I half lie to him.
He seems to light up at that and places the weapon down as he walks over to the desk. Leaning his elbows on the granite he meets my eyes with a wicked smile. "We up for a fight then later?"
I shake my head and drain the rest of my cup, diverting my attention from Gunn. He's a good warrior, and he's saved my ass a few times, but sometimes I worry his thirst for battle is a little to strong. Then again, he grew up with a fight or die attitude. So you can't really blame the guy.
He shrugs and I catch the sigh that escapes his lips. His eyes glance around the hotel idly as if with the birth of the sun he's lost where he was going. I'm about to suggest he go find Fred when I hear her come in.
"Angel." Her voice is meek and I divert my attention toward her slim frame that is standing at the bottom of the steps. She curls a bronze lock of hair around her finger. "There's something on the news you better see." I glance at Gunn but he only shrugs. He follows me as Fred leads us up to her room.
"I was just watching the news." Her words seem to stumble over each other as she speaks. "You know, for anything out of the ordinary and such. I didn't realize it at first, I mean, you told me about her but I didn't know that it was her. I didn't want to worry you. . ."
I understand another through her babble who she's referring to. Pushing my way ahead of her I run to her room to see a photo of Buffy on the television. Her hair is straightened, barely brushing her shoulders. Her lips are curled in a soft smile that causes her emerald eyes to look bright.
"She disappeared." Fred says after a pause. "There wasn't a note. . . but they think it has something to do with a friend of hers. . . Spike."
Her voice is small, as though she expects me to lash out at her for this. But my rage is directed at my unruly child.
Thoughts race through my mind and I can't even concentrate enough to respond or move for that matter. What has he done to her?
Images of Buffy chained up and beaten while Spike runs his fingertips along her skin, whispering into her ear about what he'll do to her cloud my mind. I can see him bruising her, touching her, taking her. . .
A low growl erupts in my throat and I shove Gunn out of the doorway. His startled gaze watches me as I head way to the weapons rack.
"You going to go find her?" He asks as I select a broad sword that shines in the lamp light.
Fred stands nervously beside him and I glance at them with contempt that is meant for a blonde vampire. "Just a matter of tracking the scent." I murmur to myself as my eyes run over the blade.
I'll kill Spike if I find he's hurt her. Send him to his own bloody hell.
And it occurs to me as I walk out of the door, coat swirling behind me that even if she is in need of saving and I rescue her, it's not like I'll be able to keep her.
I'll have to hand her back to her husband, to Riley.
"Quite night." He says when I pass him by to check the mail on the desk.
I sort though the papers and nearly throw out the water bill along with some advertisements. "What? Oh yeah." My eyes flicker toward him while putting the mail back into a pile that Cordy would be proud of.
"Where were you?" His tone is almost accusing.
I go around to the bar refrigerator and take out a cup of pigs blood. I raise the thick liquid to my lips and taste it before answering. "Out."
His eyes flash toward the dawn that has already settled across the sky. "Out doing what exactly?" He wasn't satisfied with my non answer.
"I met up with something." I half lie to him.
He seems to light up at that and places the weapon down as he walks over to the desk. Leaning his elbows on the granite he meets my eyes with a wicked smile. "We up for a fight then later?"
I shake my head and drain the rest of my cup, diverting my attention from Gunn. He's a good warrior, and he's saved my ass a few times, but sometimes I worry his thirst for battle is a little to strong. Then again, he grew up with a fight or die attitude. So you can't really blame the guy.
He shrugs and I catch the sigh that escapes his lips. His eyes glance around the hotel idly as if with the birth of the sun he's lost where he was going. I'm about to suggest he go find Fred when I hear her come in.
"Angel." Her voice is meek and I divert my attention toward her slim frame that is standing at the bottom of the steps. She curls a bronze lock of hair around her finger. "There's something on the news you better see." I glance at Gunn but he only shrugs. He follows me as Fred leads us up to her room.
"I was just watching the news." Her words seem to stumble over each other as she speaks. "You know, for anything out of the ordinary and such. I didn't realize it at first, I mean, you told me about her but I didn't know that it was her. I didn't want to worry you. . ."
I understand another through her babble who she's referring to. Pushing my way ahead of her I run to her room to see a photo of Buffy on the television. Her hair is straightened, barely brushing her shoulders. Her lips are curled in a soft smile that causes her emerald eyes to look bright.
"She disappeared." Fred says after a pause. "There wasn't a note. . . but they think it has something to do with a friend of hers. . . Spike."
Her voice is small, as though she expects me to lash out at her for this. But my rage is directed at my unruly child.
Thoughts race through my mind and I can't even concentrate enough to respond or move for that matter. What has he done to her?
Images of Buffy chained up and beaten while Spike runs his fingertips along her skin, whispering into her ear about what he'll do to her cloud my mind. I can see him bruising her, touching her, taking her. . .
A low growl erupts in my throat and I shove Gunn out of the doorway. His startled gaze watches me as I head way to the weapons rack.
"You going to go find her?" He asks as I select a broad sword that shines in the lamp light.
Fred stands nervously beside him and I glance at them with contempt that is meant for a blonde vampire. "Just a matter of tracking the scent." I murmur to myself as my eyes run over the blade.
I'll kill Spike if I find he's hurt her. Send him to his own bloody hell.
And it occurs to me as I walk out of the door, coat swirling behind me that even if she is in need of saving and I rescue her, it's not like I'll be able to keep her.
I'll have to hand her back to her husband, to Riley.