THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.
CHAPTER 10-NOPE, NO ONE YET, AND CONFUSION
It was almost two in the morning before Wesley and Faith finally brought to a halt their night of drinking and fighting. Both had drank more than they had ever thought possible. Much of the fighting had come as a result of their inebriated condition and a few demons that hadn't been very happy that two humans were drinking beside them. Wesley had become so drunk that Faith had to help him stand, and the burning sensation in his chest had come back. Had he been sober he would have realized that the pain stemmed from the effects of Willow's spell wearing off, but in his current condition the pain was simply an irritant. Faith had begun flirting wildly with every man that she met, forcing Wesley to use all of his strength to pull her back to their table or booth. Several times during the night Faith had pulled Wesley into a kiss that seemed to offer much more if he was interested. But he had always pushed her away with what little remained of his willpower, even though a slowly growing voice in the back of his mind was begging for him to not spurn her advances the next time the opportunity arose. It would be only a couple of hours before dawn before Wesley and Faith would finally end their wild night. After the last bar Wesley had splashed water on his face in an attempt to clear his vision. Knowing that neither he nor Faith were sober enough to drive he had mumbled something incoherently to Faith, who returned the words by looping her arms around his neck and pulling him into the last fiery and passionate kiss of the night. When the sun slipped up above the horizon it would find the two, fully clothed and completely oblivious of what had transpired the night before, passed out in Wesley's office at Wolfram and Hart. Wesley had collapsed into the chair behind his desk while Faith had passed out on the couch, curling up into a small ball.
* * * * * *
Giles cautiously pulled the van to a halt at the side of one of the larger downed black tents. Without checking whether or not the sun had fully gone down Angel vaulted out of the van and instantly began going from body to body, surveying the damage and looking for survivors. Andrew slid out of his seat with a nervous look on his face before he saw the first body and rushed behind one of the tents before giving in to the bile that was quickly rising in his throat. Shaking his head at the former villain's actions Giles sighed deeply before saying a silent prayer for the deceased. Xander slid out shortly thereafter and after forcing himself to swallow with a sickly look on his face took off running in search of Anya.
"Did you find any survivors," Giles asked softly with a frustrated frown on his face as Angel walked back towards him, trying his best to brush the dirt and blood off of his hands.
"No…and I can't smell Cordelia or Anya anywhere," Angel replied with a grim scowl on his face as Andrew sheepishly shrugged his shoulders and turned the digital video camera off.
"Are you sure…I know that you'd be able to recognize Cordelia's scent because of your work together but with Anya…," Giles trailed off with a worried frown on his face before he took his glasses off and began to clean then with a handkerchief from his pocket.
"I didn't smell anything other than what I expected to…blood, gunpowder…and death…," Angel mumbled back softly in reply as the two and a half century old vampire looked about ready to pull his hair out.
"What do you want me to do…," Andrew asked meekly as he visibly cringed and turned slightly away from Angel, expecting to be shouted at.
"Start walking that way and don't stop until I tell you…got it," Angel said with a frustrated scowl on his face as he glared lightly at Andrew before taking off in the opposite direction that he had pointed out to Andrew. Andrew quickly nodded his head and took off as fast as his legs could carry him in the opposite direction, fully intent on proving his worth to Angel. Giles pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to stave off the urge to yell at Andrew to slow down. Minutes later a nervous and exasperated Xander ran up and bent over an attempt to catch his breath.
"Anything…," Angel asked with a nervous look of hope on his face, a look of hope that fell apart in an instant as Xander sullenly shook his head.
"Angel…do you think that this…all this…could possibly have just been…," Giles asked with a worried and frustrated scowl on his face as he turned back to Angel.
"A wild goose chase Giles…no…those pictures are real…she's here, Cordelia's here…or at least she was…and I intend to find her," Angel answered with an impatient frown on his face before he turned and took off in the opposite way that Andrew had gone.
"Where's the nerd headed to…," Xander asked slowly as he had finally regained enough breath to form complete sentences.
"Angel sent him off to look for Cordelia and Anya…but come to think of it I'm not sure if Angel should have sent him off all alone…," Giles replied with a tired look on his face as he dug a hand into his jeans pocket in the search of his handkerchief.
"Getting soft in your old age Giles…," Xander quipped with a sly grin on his face as he lifted his head up a bit and gave the old watcher a wink.
"Hardly…but maybe it would be prudent if you made sure that Andrew didn't get into any trouble…or fall into the crater," Giles replied with a slightly perturbed frown on his face and his arms crossed before Xander chuckled a bit and set off after the former villain.
* * * * * *
"Anything…," Vi asked with a nervous frown on her face as she walked out of one of the rooms on the Hyperion's third floor and looked down the hallway at the others.
"Nope…no sign of her," Rhona answered with a frustrated frown on her face as she shook her head and leaned back up against the wall.
"This doesn't make any sense…I saw her walk down the stairs and then to the front doors before I looked down for a bit…and when I looked back up she was gone…she should be in one of these rooms," Dawn exclaimed with a nervous frown on her face as she took a deep breath and crossed her arms.
"Don't worry Dawnie…she's here, Buffy wouldn't leave without telling anyone…," Willow said with a hopefully reassuring smile as she patted Dawn on the shoulder while beside her Kennedy rolled her eyes and turned away.
"But…," Dawn started to reply with a worried look on her face before a nervous Fred came around the corner and interrupted her.
"Everybody come downstairs quick…," Fred gasped out quickly as she doubled over slightly in her attempt to catch her breath.
"What is it Fred…," Willow asked with a concerned frown on her face as she walked towards the Texan.
"Lorne thinks that he may have found something," Fred replied with a still out of breath look of exasperation on her face before she straightened up and headed off back down the stairs. Willow was just about to yell for Fred to slow down a bit before Dawn rushed by and headed towards the stairs.
"Guess we go downstairs…," Kennedy quipped with a sarcastic frown on her face as Willow sighed and shook her head before following Dawn and Fred.
* * * * * *
After Giles' startling revelation Buffy, Spike, and Molly had retreated to one of the cheaper hotels that Sunnydale offered. Giles and Joyce had done their best to try to convince the trio to stay with either one of them but Spike had begrudgingly declined and said that the three had some circumstances to discuss, and that they needed privacy to do them. Before the three left Buffy asked Giles if he would again tell her younger self and the Scooby's to not tell anyone about their presence. Giles' brows had furrowed in concern a bit at that request but after a few seconds the old watcher and agreed and Joyce a minute later. When the trio got to the hotel Buffy had started to head to the managers office to get them lodgings for the night but Molly had offered to undertake that assignment. Buffy had started to argue before Spike had thrown the young slayer some money and gave her the green light.
"Why did you do that…," Buffy asked with a demanding look on her face, the one that Spike had always thought that she looked so cute wearing.
"Calm down luv…we're going to be here for awhile so I thought it best if the Bit learned to do some things on her own…besides…," Spike answered with at first a calm frown on his face before his countenance changed into a sly smile as he wrapped an arm around Buffy's waist and pulled her close, kissing the nape of her neck. A short giggle escaped Buffy's lips before she turned around in Spike's grasp so that the two were face to face.
"I know…but what are we going to do…we can't stay here and the money that Giles gave me isn't going to last very long…not to mention the fact that no one here can remember us and…," Buffy started so say slowly at first before she began to mumble and stare at first Spike and then at the ground. She was stopped abruptly by Spike as the former vampire placed two fingers overtop her lips and smiled.
"It'll all work out Buffy, there are plenty of places in this world for us to go…places where three people can disappear for a few years…and we'll deal with everyone's memories tomorrow…," Spike whispered softly back before he moved the fingers that were overtop his loves mouth and used them to wipe away a salty tear that had somehow managed to free itself.
"But how Spike, we can't just ask them to forget us…and what are we supposed to tell people that we meet along the way…we can't tell them the truth…," Buffy asked with a nervous look on her face as she slid around to Spike's side and laid her head on his shoulder.
"We'll use a spell or some potion or something to make everyone forget about us…then we'll take whatever we need to get us started on our search for that spell to take us home from Giles…along with those notes that he scribbled down, can't leave anything behind…and if anyone asks we'll just say that we're newlyweds looking for a place to settle down…," Spike replied softly with a deep breath as he stared up into the sky, which was awash with a sea of bright colors as the sun was almost beneath the horizon.
"Okay…that's works for most of it…but what about Molly…people will get all wigged out if we say that we're newlyweds and…," Buffy said with a confused frown on her face at first before she gazed up through Spike's featherlike eyelashes at the first few stars that appeared in the night sky.
"Well…uhm…we'll just say that…she's my little sister, yeah…our parents died a few years ago and so she's going to stay with us whenever we find a place," Spike stuttered out with a nervous look on his face at first before his confidence in his idea grew and a proud smile quickly spread itself across his face.
"That could work…but first we're going to have to find you a last name, because if we're going to pose as newlyweds then I need to know your last name…," Buffy said with a slight nod of her head and shrug of her shoulders before Spike shifted his weight from his left foot to his right with a nervous frown on his face.
"Sorry luv…but…honestly I don't remember my last name…never needed one as a vampire so…," Spike mumbled with a very nervous frown on his face as he gave Buffy a reassuring squeeze.
"You could always just use mine…I know Summers might not sound British enough for you but…," Buffy replied with an almost comforting tone to her voice as she slid her other arm around Spike and leaned in a bit closer to the former vampire.
"Nothing wrong with the name Summers pet…but yeah a right proper British last name is what I need…hmm…," Spike said with a calm look on his face as he and Buffy slowly sat down on the hood of a nearby car.
"What about using my last name…," Molly asked with a slightly embarrassed smile on her face as she clasped her hands together behind her back.
"What…," Buffy asked with a nervous look on her face as she and Spike were shaken out of the serene state that they had been in only moments before.
"You said that Spike needed a British name…and if he and I are going to pass as brother and sister then we'd need the same bloody name right…so what about Windholm," Molly said, with a little bit more confidence in her voice, as she stood up straight and looked at the couple in front of her for their reaction.
"How did you…," Spike mumbled softly as he looked at the smirk that played across Molly's face.
"I got the rooms quickly enough and when I came back you two were lost in your own little world so…," Molly answered with a nervous smile on her face as she unclasped her hands from behind her back and held up two keys in front of her face.
"Wait…two keys, why…," Buffy asked with a nervous and slightly confused frown on her face as her brows furrowed before Molly giggled a bit and answered.
"A room for me and one for the two of you…what, I'm not blind…I need my beauty sleep and I think it's safe to say that you two won't be getting much sleep tonight so…," Molly said with an overly smug smile on her face before she winked at Spike, tossed him one of the keys and headed off towards her room.
"Are we that obvious pet…," Spike asked with a slightly embarrassed grin on his face as he looked down at Buffy, who smiled back up at him.
"Only you Spike…only you…," Buffy replied with a stifled laugh before she took the key from Spike and headed off towards their room. As she walked Buffy could hear Spike mumble something under his breath about how Molly was beginning to remind him a little too much of Dawn.
* * * * * *
Consciousness returned Faith at almost exactly the same moment the throbbing pain in her head did. Waking up with a hangover was nothing new to Faith but it took a few moments to regain her bearings as at first glance she didn't recognize her surroundings. She slowly started to calm down when she squinted through the bright glare of the rays of sun streaming into the room to see Wesley snoring softly in his chair behind his desk. Even though she tried her best to remember the previous night Faith found that much of the night was a total blank, all that she got when she tried to remember was a feeling like she had gotten something big off of her chest and now felt better about it. Her lips tasted of beer and dried vomit, forcing her to almost crawl to the bathroom and pull herself up to the sink. She slowly turned the cold water knob on the top of the sink and let the water run for a bit before dipping her hands under the stream of water. A slight shiver ran through her body as the frigid water came into contact with her skin. With a nervous shrug of her shoulders Faith cupped her hands under the jet of water, and when a sufficient amount of water had built up there she leaned down and splashed the collected water onto her face. Faith jumped a bit at the face that greeted her in the mirror when she looked up, for it looked as if she had been through every dumpster in Los Angeles, and had thrown up in every one. Her makeup, what was left of it, was a mess and there were clumps of dried something in her hair that elicited a sickly frown as she started to pull them out.
Faith started to lean down to splash some more water on her face when a sudden surge of bile in her throat forced her to rush to the toilet, and violently throw up the lid before she was wracked by a fit of vomiting. When the fit finally subsided she sunk back down to the floor of the bathroom, leaning back up against the finely tiled wall. Even though she tried to fight it she found herself drifting off back to sleep. She was still in that same position when Wesley stumbled into the bathroom a few hours later.
The bright glare of the almost midday sun streaming through his office window nearly blinded Wesley when he finally woke up. His mouth tasted of booze, blood, and oddly enough a little bit of what he finally determined was lipstick. Cursing the hangover that with each step felt like someone was beating on a large drum in his brain Wesley stumbled to the bathroom. He was to out of it to see Faith scrunched up near the toilet at first so he did his best to walk to the sink before furrowing his brows at the sight of the water still running. Shrugging it off Wesley bent down and splashed his face and neck with the now almost artic water before he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye.
"Faith…," Wesley asked softly with a kind look on his face as he knelt down beside the former rogue slayer, who slowly looked back up at him with a tired look on her face.
"Wes…," Faith answered softly with a slightly confused look on her face as she let Wesley help her back up to her feet.
"How's your head…," Wesley asked with a concerned look on his face as he saw the uncomfortable grimace on Faith's face.
"Not so loud…," Faith moaned with an annoyed look on her face as Wesley helped her back out to the couch and sat down beside her.
"Sorry…," Wesley whispered softly with a sly smirk on his face as he leaned all the way back in his seat, an act which Faith soon imitated.
"Sure you are…," Faith mumbled back with a fake tone of anger in her voice as she lightly hit Wesley in the shoulder.
"Now isn't this just a cozy sight…and after what you two were doing last night…," Lilah purred with a vindictive smile on her face as she entered the room with a large manila folder in her hands.
"What do you…want Lilah," Wesley started to yell before the all too familiar pain in his chest returned and he had to pause for a bit before finishing.
"And what do you mean…what we two were doing last night…you mean getting piss ass drunk…," Faith added with an angry tone to her voice as if by want rather than rational thought she pulled her feet up onto the couch and snuggled up next to Wesley.
"Wait…you mean that you two don't remember anything about last night…," Lilah asked, the excited fireworks going off in her eyes as she lightly leaned on Wesley's desk.
"No Lilah, last night is pretty much a total blank after I left the Hyperion…why…," Wesley replied with a frustrated scowl on his face as he brought a hand up and scratched his chin.
"Oh no reason…but most people…not me exactly, but most…would be embarrassed if were to go as far as you two did last night…," Lilah purred back with a devilish look of enjoyment on her face as Wesley and Faith regarded her with worried and confused looks on their faces. "See you around Wes…," Lilah added with a wicked smile on her face as she left the room, leaving a bewildered Wesley and Faith to struggle to piece together the events of the past night.
END OF CHAPTER 10