A/N: This chapter is a repost. The only changes made have been for
grammar, spelling, and the occasional stupid line. Thanks to Ferris Valyn
for his help with this chapter.
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Cordelia ran. It was the only thing she could do. Panting, she looked behind her, seeing if she had put distance between herself and....IT. She turned down a side alley, hoping to lose It. Cursing, she began climbing the chain link fence that kept her from freedom. She was about half way up when a hand grabbed her ankle and began pulling. She glanced down, and nearly gasped when she realized that the Beast, something she'd never thought she'd see again, was the one tugging on her ankle. She grit her teeth, tears of agony beginning to spill on her face, as she wrenched her foot out of his grasp. Cordelia cried out at the pain and popping sounds freeing herself made. Ignoring it for the moment, she scrambled to the top of the fence. To her relief, she jumped down into the trash dumpster. It beat trying to land on concrete; with what she was sure was a now broken ankle. Hoisting herself out of the dumpster, Cordelia turned to see where the Beast was. She looked around, but he appeared to be gone.
Panicked now, she took off again. Running as best she could, Cordelia threw a look behind her, checking to make sure that she wasn't still being followed. She gasped aloud, realizing that her little stunt in the alley had been fruitless. It, along with the Beast, was behind her, and gaining. Cordelia dug deeper, getting a last burst of strength. It didn't do her any good, because the Beast was suddenly in front of her, appearing as rock-like as ever. She came to a sudden stop, looking for an escape. She winced as her ankle threatened to give out, stopping as she had. That moment cost her. The Beast grabbed her, causing her to cry out in pain. Silently, he forced her to her knees in front of It, grabbing her jaw so that she could hardly open it to breathe. His grip caused her to keep looking up at It, or else have her jaw broken by the pressure. It smiled, the Beast laughed, and Cordelia shuddered.
"I once called you master - now, I am forced to look upon you with complete and utter disgrace." Said the Beast. Above her, It spoke.
"You should have known it would be futile to run." It said, it's voice containing an almost melodic tone.
"It's not in me to surrender. Jasmine knew that." Cordelia managed to get out around the Beast's mammoth claw at her mouth. Instead of fearing her statement, the It merely laughed, a husky sound that made her cringe. She struggled to free herself from the Beast's grasp.
"Yes, and look how well that turned out for everyone. Don't you understand?" It moved in for the kill. "This isn't Sunnydale or L. A. This is all inside your mind. I'm a part of you. You can't get rid of me." It went on, a smirk on its face. With that revelation, Cordelia realized she would have to fight, but it seemed that things weren't as terrible as she had originally imagined. She took that moment to break free from the Beast's grasp and turned to face It.
"Bring it on, wannabe Bitch!" She exclaimed.
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Buffy put down the phone, her expression somber. She'd just called and set up an appointment for that night with the bank. She didn't want to know why they were so accommodating to her schedule, but they had agreed to an early evening appointment, just after sunset. She pulled out the key to Spike's safety deposit box, and ran her fingers lightly over the object. How had it gotten inside that folder? What was inside the box that was so important? Buffy pondered these two questions, turning them over in her mind, until Dawn came thundering down the stairs. Buffy couldn't put her finger on it, but something was different about her sister.
"Are you ready?" Dawn asked, startling her. Buffy shoved the key back into her pocket, and smiled at Dawn.
"Yes. Just let me get my jacket." Buffy replied, grabbing her coat. They were on their way to work. Dawn called out her good-byes to Willow and Xander, who were upstairs in Xander's new room. She and Dawn were a little worried about them. Ever since Kennedy had gone off to school, Willow had been mopey. Granted, it wasn't as bad as when Oz had left her, but it still worried them. Especially with what happened after Tara. Xander had his good days and his bad, though Buffy knew his jokes were forced, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him smile. Anya had taken those with her, leaving Xander without his usual laughter. Buffy called out her good-byes as well, almost glad that she was getting out of the house.
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Xander and Willow were sprawled on Xander's bed, watching a cheesy old movie. Rather, the movie was playing, but neither one were exactly paying attention to it. Xander had a small smile on his face, and Willow was listening to him talk about his favorite subject these days...Anya.
"I was just thinking about the night we kicked Buffy out of the house." Xander said, having the good conscious to look guilty about their little mutiny. "That night, it...it was definitely the night of eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you die. Although at the time, for me, I was beginning to wonder if maybe we might be starting again - it even felt like the first time I had sex with her." ' Please remove your clothes', Anya's voice sounded in Xander's head as he smiled, tears in his eyes. "She was something, wasn't she?" He asked Willow, looking down at her. She had her head resting on the edge of his lap, and he was playing with a strand of her hair. She'd lost count of how many times's he'd braided and unbraided the strand.
"Yes, she was." Willow answered, but not about Anya. She was lost in her thoughts, most of them about Kennedy.
"God, it just hurts so bad, Will." Xander burst out, getting her attention. Willow sat up, and pulled him into a hug. She cradled his head in her arms, her chin resting against his hair. Xander sobbed for a moment, and Willow herself teared up. How could she even be moping about Kennedy? They were having a long distance relationship, and while she hadn't heard from her girlfriend in a few days, she was still alive. Anya wasn't.
"I'm sorry." Willow whispered, rubbing his back in a comforting motion. He pulled back a little, and they stared at each other. The tension in the room was palpable, and Willow wondered if she would be able to touch it if she tried. The stare spoke volumes. The eyes really are the windows to the soul, Xander thought idly, staring into Willow's. The pain and loss he was feeling was echoed back in hers. Something, he wasn't sure what, but something urged him to take comfort in her. Listening to the urge, he moved as if to kiss her. Startled, Willow extracted herself from him, and hopped off the bed. "I know you're hurting. I am too. But this isn't the answer." She told him.
"I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry." Xander apologized, instantly regretful. He was rewarded with a smile from Willow.
"Let's go for a walk." She suggested, holding out her hand. He smiled back at her, and took her hand.
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Dawn yawned. It was boring when Buffy didn't have any patients scheduled. Normally, paperwork kept her busy, but she had been fairly productive today, and now she was reading a romance novel for the tenth time. Absently, she played with a strand of her curly hair. Just before the final battle with The First, she had indulged in a hair cut and a perm. The effect was stunning on her, and it made her look years older. She knew that Buffy wasn't as thrilled about her almost 17 year old sister looking near 20, but it meant a lot that Buffy had started to treat her as a grown up. Buffy had even started to confide in her a little bit too. They'd talked about Spike, somewhat. There were somethings Dawn didn't ever want to know, no matter how old she got. They'd discussed Willow and Xander as well, and how Buffy was feeling now that she wasn't the only Slayer anymore. The talk that had really gotten to Dawn, however, was the one where Buffy wanted to know where she was planning to go to college. Dawn was only going to be a junior in high school, but Buffy was already asking her to make an adult decision.
Dawn sighed, and reread the page of her book for the second time in ten minutes. This time she was interrupted by Buffy, and not her internal monologue.
"Dawn?" Buffy said from the doorway of her office.
"Yeah?" She answered, looking up.
"I'll be taking off early today. I'm meeting Angel." Buffy told her, flushing a little.
"Meeting Angel?" Dawn asked, her eyebrows raised.
"It's not like that, Dawnie. It's business." Buffy replied.
"Business? Well, if that's what you two kids are calling it these days..." Dawn trailed off, a smile on her face. Embarrassed, Buffy crinkled up a piece of notebook paper and tossed it at her sister.
"Owe!" Dawn cried out, laughing. "That hurt." They giggled for a few more minutes, before Dawn pulled herself together. "What kind of business?" She wanted to know.
"I'm not sure, exactly." Buffy answered. She reached into her pocket and produced the key to Spike's safety deposit box. "We found this in the manila folder that came with the amulet. There was a bank letter, and it said this is a key to a safety deposit box. The box is in Spike's name." Buffy told her. Dawn looked surprised, but didn't say anything, hoping Buffy would go on. "I made an appointment with the bank this morning, and they were nice enough to meet me late enough so that Angel could go with me." She finished.
"What kind of bank meets with clients after 6 o'clock at night? Aren't they usually closed?" Dawn questioned. Buffy shrugged. "Sounds a little fishy to me." She continued.
"Well, I suppose I'll find out. Speaking of, Angel should be here any minute, so I'm going to let you drive home." Buffy answered, handing Dawn the keys to her car. Dawn looked at them as if they were exhalted, surprised that no choir of angels was serenading them, that no bright, golden light from heaven was shining down. She took the keys, glad that they were closing early that night.
"I'll see you at home." Dawn said, gathering her things. She hugged Buffy good-bye. "Have fun with Angel." She told her sister, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Buffy started laughing again, and picked up the paper ball she had just thrown at Dawn. She tossed it at her a second time, hoping to catch Dawn at the door. No such luck. She slipped out before it could hit her, and Buffy was mortified as it thwapped Angel in the chest. She could hear Dawn laughing from down the hall, and dropped her head into her hands.
Angel picked up the paper ball and set it on the desk with a smirk. He touched Buffy's shoulder.
"I hear stakes work better on vampires." He teased. She turned a darker shade of red, and clapped her hand to her face. "You ready?" He asked her, changing the subject. Still blushing, Buffy nodded and grabbed her small briefcase. They exited her office, and she locked the door behind them.
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Cordelia huddled in the darkness. She'd been playing cat and mouse with It and the Beast, and so far, she'd managed to stay just ahead of them. She wiped a stray tear, and tugged on her clothes. Once the most beautiful and best-dressed girl at Sunnydale High, she wondered what all of her so-called friends would say if they could see her now. Cowering in an alley, in clothes that were dirty, torn, and smelled faintly of her trip through the dumpster. Her hair, though short now, was a tangled mess, and no matter how much she tried to make it a little less messed, it seemed as if it still had enough nats and tangles to support a small family of animals. She shuddered. Great line of thought, Chase. She chastised herself, leaning back against the wall. Now she was dirty, smelly, and fearing there may be rats in her hair. Reaching down, Cordelia gingerly touched her ankle. From what she could tell in the darkness it was swelling rapidly, and if she wasn't mistaken, she could feel where the bone was out of place.
Grimacing, Cordelia searched the nearby pile of trash for something to wrap around her ankle. Finding an old sheet, among other things, she set about tearing an end of it into strips. After she had torn a few, she wrapped them around her ankle, gasping aloud. Cordelia tied them as tightly as she dared, trying not to wonder how dirty the sheet was. She thought about what It had told her. Supposedly, this was all in her mind. She couldn't even begin to fathom how. It did explain though, how she had never been able to find the hotel. She had watched from inside herself as Jasmine forced her own birth, and from that moment on, Cordelia had been wandering the streets of L.A. No clue as to how she'd gotten there. No clue as how to get home.
A sound echoed through the distance, and Cordelia jumped up. They'd found her again. She went to take a running lead, but stumbled over something in the alley. Her broken ankle gave out, and she collapsed against the ground. Amid the pain, Cordelia registered a pair of feet coming in to her eyeline. She looked up, staring at its angelic face.
"You stupid little girl! When is it going to sink in? You can't outrun me. I'm everywhere. I'm a part of you and I'm not going away. It's pointless to fight it. You're only hurting yourself." It placated her. Cordelia wasn't having any of it.
"I'll never stop fighting. You'll have to kill me." She rebutted, hauling herself to her feet. Her broken ankle protested, but Cordelia gritted her teeth against the pain.
"Pity." It said, a wide smile on its face. Cordelia shuddered, and then took off running. It chuckled out loud. "Cat and mouse. My favorite game." It continued, watching her run off.
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Buffy was quiet as the limo that carried her and Angel to the bank wound it's way through the streets of L.A. The silence was a bit awkward, but Angel had already filled some of it by answering her questions about the limo and the high rise office building. While he was a little short on the details, Angel had explained something about stopping a demon that everyone had started worshipping.
While Buffy was contemplating the silence, Angel was contemplating the Slayer herself. She looked thinner, and while she seemed happier, there was a sadness in her eyes. A sadness, he knew, that was caused by Spike. He almost couldn't believe it when she'd told him. It was Spike. If someone had told him a couple of years ago that when he left Sunnydale, Buffy would eventually move onto Spike, and that as a result Spike would get a soul and save the world, Angel would have been laughing for days. Nevertheless, that's what had occurred and Angel had no idea how to ease Buffy's pain. He didn't know how to comfort her about the death of someone he'd barely been able to stand.
"What do you think we're going to find?" Buffy asked, getting his attention.
"I'm not sure, Buffy. Knowing Spike, it could be anything." He answered. The driver called out before she could reply.
"We'll be there in about five minutes, sir." The driver told him, using a speaker system instead of lowering the divider. Buffy looked out the window with interest, a few minutes later, staring at the building they had pulled up in front of. It wasn't nearly as large or impressive as Angel's skyscraper, but it was nicer than most. Angel got out first, and held out a hand to help her out of the car. Buffy placed her hand in his, and for a moment, the old connection between them flared up. Angel backed up quickly, leading her away from the car. The driver shut the door, and then settled himself back in the front. Angel let go of her hand, and moved over to the window. He spoke the driver quietly, and then stepped back as the limo drove off.
"That's interesting." He commented, his eyes narrowed.
"What's that?" Buffy asked, half-afraid to go inside.
"This building is owned by Wolfram and Hart." He answered her, pointing to the lettering on the door he was holding open. She walked past him, and into the bright lobby. A balding, older man was waiting on them, rather impatiently it seemed. A pair of dark classes covered his eyes, and he held a folded cane in his hand.
"Ms. Summers?" He asked.
"Yes, that's me." Buffy answered.
"I'm Mr. Matthews, the President of the bank." He replied.
"This is Angel, my co-worker. He's here for moral support." Buffy introduced. Maybe some light ass kicking too, she thought, catching the shifty, panicked look on the man's face.
"I'm afraid only you and I can go into the Safety Deposit room. Bank policy." Matthews told her, rubbing his hands nervously over his bald scalp. Buffy didn't trust him, and by the look on Angel's face, he didn't either.
"Look, I know that you have rules and things that you have to follow, but it would mean a lot to me if Angel could go in with us." Buffy tried.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Summer's. Rules are rules." He replied, his facial expression giving himself away. So, it was a trap, she thought, looking up at Angel with a smile.
"Well, Angel. You know how I feel about rules." She said to him. He nodded, before Mr. Matthews could blink, Angel had him in a headlock. "They're meant to be broken." Buffy finished her pun, glancing around the lobby.
"Which way?" Buffy demanded. He pointed meekly to a hallway, and then groaned as they set out, Angel half dragging him.
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Wesley was reading aloud quietly to the comatose body of Cordelia Chase. It had been almost a month, and the doctors were firm in their belief that she would not improve. Wesley looked down at her face. When she slept, Cordelia gave the air of an innocent girl. Awake, she was a beautiful hellcat, vicious, yet caring. A force to be reckoned with. He smoothed back her hair, and sadness stole over him. Although at one time he'd cared for her deeply, now all he felt was regret for the loss of a dear friend. They had fought most of the time, but when it counted, she'd been there for him. Been there for all of them. He no longer blamed her for not going to him when Justine had slashed his throat, either. She'd already not been herself.
He shifted on the rough chair in her room. Wesley came by every evening to visit with her. Talking to her, filling her in on what was going on with everyone. Sometimes, like today, he read to her from her favorite book. It seemed funny to think of her as having one, but she did. He knew the others visited too, but not when he was there. They all seemed to have grown apart a bit in the last few weeks. Busy with their own things, the running of their new company. Cordy's monitor made a weird beeping noise, getting Wesley's attention. It began beeping faster and faster.
She jerked on the table, a trickle of blood forming at the corner of her mouth. A cracking noise sounded loudly in the room, cause Wesley to pay attention to Cordelia's ankle. It was broken, and bleeding. Fearing for her life, Wesley did the first thing he thought of, and paged the doctor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Buffy's shoes clacked in the nearly silent hallway. She was following behind Angel, and the headlocked Mr. Matthews. He was giving directions, and Angel was clearly intimidating him. She wasn't sure where they were being lead, but breathed a sigh of relief as they arrived in what was clearly a room full of safety deposit boxes. Angel released Matthews from the headlock, and stepped back. Slightly unnerved, Mr. Matthews gestured with his right hand which box was Spike's.
"You have the key, Ms. Summers?" He asked her. Buffy dug into her pocket, and pulled it out. She stood in front of the box, and bit her lip. Her normally steady hands were shaking the tiniest bit as she slid the key into the lock. She listened as the tumbler clicked, then curled her fingers around the handle. Slowly, almost reverently, she pulled the drawer opened. Cautiously, she reached her hand inside. Her fingers brushed against something, and she grabbed a hold of it. Pulling it out, she stared at the object in her hands. It was a book, and it nearly hummed with power.
On the front cover, if she wasn't mistaken, was an imprint of her scythe. Her weapon. The weapon of the Slayers. On the back cover, to the disbelief of her eyes, was an imprint of the amulet. The amulet Spike had worn in the final battle. The amulet that had killed him, and taken Sunnydale and the Hellmouth along for the ride. The book felt heavy in her hands, but it also felt right. As if this, along with her scythe, was hers. As if it was made for her. Judging by the marks on it, it very well may have been.
Angel, intrigued, plucked it out of her hands. He, too, drew a breath as he took in the engravings. He stared at it a moment longer, and flipped a few pages. It definitely wasn't in English, that was for sure. However, he wasn't entirely sure what language it was in, a fact he pointed out to Buffy.
"Great. Another ancient book in another ancient language." Buffy grumbled. They began walking back down the hallway they came, Matthews trailing after them. Angel smiled at her comment. Typical Buffy. They arrived in the lobby, as she took the book back from him. Flipping it over to the back cover, she gently ran her hands over the engraving of the amulet.
"Thinking about Spike?" He asked. Angel wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know if she was or not.
"Yeah." She smiled sadly, her eyes trained on the engraving. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by the arrival of a woman clearly out of breath.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Ms. Summers. There was a break-in." She said. Matthews squeaked when he heard her speak, and tried to head for the door. Angel grabbed his jacket and held him in place. Looking at Matthews, she continued. "You were fired last week. Aren't you finished cleaning out your office?"
That was the moment all hell broke loose. Four vampires came rushing from various corners of the lobby, headed straight for Buffy. Shestared at the snarling vampires now circling her. They'd been right. It was a trap. She dropped kicked one of the vamps, just in time to miss the attack of a second one from behind. The vamp in front of her flew back from the blow, and crashed against the wall. Pissed, he reached into the waistband of his jeans, and drew a knife. Buffy tucked the book into the front waistband of her slacks, then chanced a glance at Angel. She turned back to her two assailants, anticipating their next move.
Angel had his hands full as well. He was struggling to hang on to Matthews, and dispose of two other vampires. Buffy staked one of her vamps quickly, and then without looking, flung her stake backward into one of Angel's adversaries. The vamp poofed and Angel grinned ferociously at his remaining opponent. The other vampire fighting Buffy was extremely angry by this point. He rushed her, and they fought roughly. He tried stabbing her with his knife, but succeeded only in grazing her arm with it. It cut deep enough to stun her, and she cried out. The vampire took that moment to hightail it out of the back room of the bank; just as Angel was finishing off vampire number four. Buffy went to put her hand over the cut on her arm, but Angel beat her to it. He pressed a white handkerchief to it, and tied it in place, smiling down at her. Matthews, who Angel had let go of to help her, moved towards the door and hightailed it out into the night. Angel turned to find the woman who had interrupted earlier staring at them.
"Are you all right?" He asked her.
"Yes, I think." She answered, sounding lost.
"I'm sorry, but we never got your name." Buffy said, pulling the book loose.
"Samantha. Samantha Smith." She introduced herself. "I'm the bank president." She continued.
"If you're..." Buffy began; turning to look in the direction Matthews had fled. "Then who was that?" She asked.
"He was the former bank president. He was fired a few weeks ago." Samantha explained. Buffy and Angel shared a look, and she was about to comment when his cell phone rang. Embarrassed, Angel fumbled with his coat before finding the phone.
"Hello?" Angel answered.
"Angel? It's Wesley." Wesley replied.
"Wes? What's going on?" Angel wanted to know.
"It's Cordy." Wesley told him.
"How bad is it?" Angel demanded.
"It's quite extraordinary, actually. She's awake, and she's asking for you." Wesley said. The only sound in the quiet lobby was that of Angel's phone as it hit the floor.
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Cordelia ran. It was the only thing she could do. Panting, she looked behind her, seeing if she had put distance between herself and....IT. She turned down a side alley, hoping to lose It. Cursing, she began climbing the chain link fence that kept her from freedom. She was about half way up when a hand grabbed her ankle and began pulling. She glanced down, and nearly gasped when she realized that the Beast, something she'd never thought she'd see again, was the one tugging on her ankle. She grit her teeth, tears of agony beginning to spill on her face, as she wrenched her foot out of his grasp. Cordelia cried out at the pain and popping sounds freeing herself made. Ignoring it for the moment, she scrambled to the top of the fence. To her relief, she jumped down into the trash dumpster. It beat trying to land on concrete; with what she was sure was a now broken ankle. Hoisting herself out of the dumpster, Cordelia turned to see where the Beast was. She looked around, but he appeared to be gone.
Panicked now, she took off again. Running as best she could, Cordelia threw a look behind her, checking to make sure that she wasn't still being followed. She gasped aloud, realizing that her little stunt in the alley had been fruitless. It, along with the Beast, was behind her, and gaining. Cordelia dug deeper, getting a last burst of strength. It didn't do her any good, because the Beast was suddenly in front of her, appearing as rock-like as ever. She came to a sudden stop, looking for an escape. She winced as her ankle threatened to give out, stopping as she had. That moment cost her. The Beast grabbed her, causing her to cry out in pain. Silently, he forced her to her knees in front of It, grabbing her jaw so that she could hardly open it to breathe. His grip caused her to keep looking up at It, or else have her jaw broken by the pressure. It smiled, the Beast laughed, and Cordelia shuddered.
"I once called you master - now, I am forced to look upon you with complete and utter disgrace." Said the Beast. Above her, It spoke.
"You should have known it would be futile to run." It said, it's voice containing an almost melodic tone.
"It's not in me to surrender. Jasmine knew that." Cordelia managed to get out around the Beast's mammoth claw at her mouth. Instead of fearing her statement, the It merely laughed, a husky sound that made her cringe. She struggled to free herself from the Beast's grasp.
"Yes, and look how well that turned out for everyone. Don't you understand?" It moved in for the kill. "This isn't Sunnydale or L. A. This is all inside your mind. I'm a part of you. You can't get rid of me." It went on, a smirk on its face. With that revelation, Cordelia realized she would have to fight, but it seemed that things weren't as terrible as she had originally imagined. She took that moment to break free from the Beast's grasp and turned to face It.
"Bring it on, wannabe Bitch!" She exclaimed.
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Buffy put down the phone, her expression somber. She'd just called and set up an appointment for that night with the bank. She didn't want to know why they were so accommodating to her schedule, but they had agreed to an early evening appointment, just after sunset. She pulled out the key to Spike's safety deposit box, and ran her fingers lightly over the object. How had it gotten inside that folder? What was inside the box that was so important? Buffy pondered these two questions, turning them over in her mind, until Dawn came thundering down the stairs. Buffy couldn't put her finger on it, but something was different about her sister.
"Are you ready?" Dawn asked, startling her. Buffy shoved the key back into her pocket, and smiled at Dawn.
"Yes. Just let me get my jacket." Buffy replied, grabbing her coat. They were on their way to work. Dawn called out her good-byes to Willow and Xander, who were upstairs in Xander's new room. She and Dawn were a little worried about them. Ever since Kennedy had gone off to school, Willow had been mopey. Granted, it wasn't as bad as when Oz had left her, but it still worried them. Especially with what happened after Tara. Xander had his good days and his bad, though Buffy knew his jokes were forced, and she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him smile. Anya had taken those with her, leaving Xander without his usual laughter. Buffy called out her good-byes as well, almost glad that she was getting out of the house.
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Xander and Willow were sprawled on Xander's bed, watching a cheesy old movie. Rather, the movie was playing, but neither one were exactly paying attention to it. Xander had a small smile on his face, and Willow was listening to him talk about his favorite subject these days...Anya.
"I was just thinking about the night we kicked Buffy out of the house." Xander said, having the good conscious to look guilty about their little mutiny. "That night, it...it was definitely the night of eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you die. Although at the time, for me, I was beginning to wonder if maybe we might be starting again - it even felt like the first time I had sex with her." ' Please remove your clothes', Anya's voice sounded in Xander's head as he smiled, tears in his eyes. "She was something, wasn't she?" He asked Willow, looking down at her. She had her head resting on the edge of his lap, and he was playing with a strand of her hair. She'd lost count of how many times's he'd braided and unbraided the strand.
"Yes, she was." Willow answered, but not about Anya. She was lost in her thoughts, most of them about Kennedy.
"God, it just hurts so bad, Will." Xander burst out, getting her attention. Willow sat up, and pulled him into a hug. She cradled his head in her arms, her chin resting against his hair. Xander sobbed for a moment, and Willow herself teared up. How could she even be moping about Kennedy? They were having a long distance relationship, and while she hadn't heard from her girlfriend in a few days, she was still alive. Anya wasn't.
"I'm sorry." Willow whispered, rubbing his back in a comforting motion. He pulled back a little, and they stared at each other. The tension in the room was palpable, and Willow wondered if she would be able to touch it if she tried. The stare spoke volumes. The eyes really are the windows to the soul, Xander thought idly, staring into Willow's. The pain and loss he was feeling was echoed back in hers. Something, he wasn't sure what, but something urged him to take comfort in her. Listening to the urge, he moved as if to kiss her. Startled, Willow extracted herself from him, and hopped off the bed. "I know you're hurting. I am too. But this isn't the answer." She told him.
"I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry." Xander apologized, instantly regretful. He was rewarded with a smile from Willow.
"Let's go for a walk." She suggested, holding out her hand. He smiled back at her, and took her hand.
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Dawn yawned. It was boring when Buffy didn't have any patients scheduled. Normally, paperwork kept her busy, but she had been fairly productive today, and now she was reading a romance novel for the tenth time. Absently, she played with a strand of her curly hair. Just before the final battle with The First, she had indulged in a hair cut and a perm. The effect was stunning on her, and it made her look years older. She knew that Buffy wasn't as thrilled about her almost 17 year old sister looking near 20, but it meant a lot that Buffy had started to treat her as a grown up. Buffy had even started to confide in her a little bit too. They'd talked about Spike, somewhat. There were somethings Dawn didn't ever want to know, no matter how old she got. They'd discussed Willow and Xander as well, and how Buffy was feeling now that she wasn't the only Slayer anymore. The talk that had really gotten to Dawn, however, was the one where Buffy wanted to know where she was planning to go to college. Dawn was only going to be a junior in high school, but Buffy was already asking her to make an adult decision.
Dawn sighed, and reread the page of her book for the second time in ten minutes. This time she was interrupted by Buffy, and not her internal monologue.
"Dawn?" Buffy said from the doorway of her office.
"Yeah?" She answered, looking up.
"I'll be taking off early today. I'm meeting Angel." Buffy told her, flushing a little.
"Meeting Angel?" Dawn asked, her eyebrows raised.
"It's not like that, Dawnie. It's business." Buffy replied.
"Business? Well, if that's what you two kids are calling it these days..." Dawn trailed off, a smile on her face. Embarrassed, Buffy crinkled up a piece of notebook paper and tossed it at her sister.
"Owe!" Dawn cried out, laughing. "That hurt." They giggled for a few more minutes, before Dawn pulled herself together. "What kind of business?" She wanted to know.
"I'm not sure, exactly." Buffy answered. She reached into her pocket and produced the key to Spike's safety deposit box. "We found this in the manila folder that came with the amulet. There was a bank letter, and it said this is a key to a safety deposit box. The box is in Spike's name." Buffy told her. Dawn looked surprised, but didn't say anything, hoping Buffy would go on. "I made an appointment with the bank this morning, and they were nice enough to meet me late enough so that Angel could go with me." She finished.
"What kind of bank meets with clients after 6 o'clock at night? Aren't they usually closed?" Dawn questioned. Buffy shrugged. "Sounds a little fishy to me." She continued.
"Well, I suppose I'll find out. Speaking of, Angel should be here any minute, so I'm going to let you drive home." Buffy answered, handing Dawn the keys to her car. Dawn looked at them as if they were exhalted, surprised that no choir of angels was serenading them, that no bright, golden light from heaven was shining down. She took the keys, glad that they were closing early that night.
"I'll see you at home." Dawn said, gathering her things. She hugged Buffy good-bye. "Have fun with Angel." She told her sister, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Buffy started laughing again, and picked up the paper ball she had just thrown at Dawn. She tossed it at her a second time, hoping to catch Dawn at the door. No such luck. She slipped out before it could hit her, and Buffy was mortified as it thwapped Angel in the chest. She could hear Dawn laughing from down the hall, and dropped her head into her hands.
Angel picked up the paper ball and set it on the desk with a smirk. He touched Buffy's shoulder.
"I hear stakes work better on vampires." He teased. She turned a darker shade of red, and clapped her hand to her face. "You ready?" He asked her, changing the subject. Still blushing, Buffy nodded and grabbed her small briefcase. They exited her office, and she locked the door behind them.
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Cordelia huddled in the darkness. She'd been playing cat and mouse with It and the Beast, and so far, she'd managed to stay just ahead of them. She wiped a stray tear, and tugged on her clothes. Once the most beautiful and best-dressed girl at Sunnydale High, she wondered what all of her so-called friends would say if they could see her now. Cowering in an alley, in clothes that were dirty, torn, and smelled faintly of her trip through the dumpster. Her hair, though short now, was a tangled mess, and no matter how much she tried to make it a little less messed, it seemed as if it still had enough nats and tangles to support a small family of animals. She shuddered. Great line of thought, Chase. She chastised herself, leaning back against the wall. Now she was dirty, smelly, and fearing there may be rats in her hair. Reaching down, Cordelia gingerly touched her ankle. From what she could tell in the darkness it was swelling rapidly, and if she wasn't mistaken, she could feel where the bone was out of place.
Grimacing, Cordelia searched the nearby pile of trash for something to wrap around her ankle. Finding an old sheet, among other things, she set about tearing an end of it into strips. After she had torn a few, she wrapped them around her ankle, gasping aloud. Cordelia tied them as tightly as she dared, trying not to wonder how dirty the sheet was. She thought about what It had told her. Supposedly, this was all in her mind. She couldn't even begin to fathom how. It did explain though, how she had never been able to find the hotel. She had watched from inside herself as Jasmine forced her own birth, and from that moment on, Cordelia had been wandering the streets of L.A. No clue as to how she'd gotten there. No clue as how to get home.
A sound echoed through the distance, and Cordelia jumped up. They'd found her again. She went to take a running lead, but stumbled over something in the alley. Her broken ankle gave out, and she collapsed against the ground. Amid the pain, Cordelia registered a pair of feet coming in to her eyeline. She looked up, staring at its angelic face.
"You stupid little girl! When is it going to sink in? You can't outrun me. I'm everywhere. I'm a part of you and I'm not going away. It's pointless to fight it. You're only hurting yourself." It placated her. Cordelia wasn't having any of it.
"I'll never stop fighting. You'll have to kill me." She rebutted, hauling herself to her feet. Her broken ankle protested, but Cordelia gritted her teeth against the pain.
"Pity." It said, a wide smile on its face. Cordelia shuddered, and then took off running. It chuckled out loud. "Cat and mouse. My favorite game." It continued, watching her run off.
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Buffy was quiet as the limo that carried her and Angel to the bank wound it's way through the streets of L.A. The silence was a bit awkward, but Angel had already filled some of it by answering her questions about the limo and the high rise office building. While he was a little short on the details, Angel had explained something about stopping a demon that everyone had started worshipping.
While Buffy was contemplating the silence, Angel was contemplating the Slayer herself. She looked thinner, and while she seemed happier, there was a sadness in her eyes. A sadness, he knew, that was caused by Spike. He almost couldn't believe it when she'd told him. It was Spike. If someone had told him a couple of years ago that when he left Sunnydale, Buffy would eventually move onto Spike, and that as a result Spike would get a soul and save the world, Angel would have been laughing for days. Nevertheless, that's what had occurred and Angel had no idea how to ease Buffy's pain. He didn't know how to comfort her about the death of someone he'd barely been able to stand.
"What do you think we're going to find?" Buffy asked, getting his attention.
"I'm not sure, Buffy. Knowing Spike, it could be anything." He answered. The driver called out before she could reply.
"We'll be there in about five minutes, sir." The driver told him, using a speaker system instead of lowering the divider. Buffy looked out the window with interest, a few minutes later, staring at the building they had pulled up in front of. It wasn't nearly as large or impressive as Angel's skyscraper, but it was nicer than most. Angel got out first, and held out a hand to help her out of the car. Buffy placed her hand in his, and for a moment, the old connection between them flared up. Angel backed up quickly, leading her away from the car. The driver shut the door, and then settled himself back in the front. Angel let go of her hand, and moved over to the window. He spoke the driver quietly, and then stepped back as the limo drove off.
"That's interesting." He commented, his eyes narrowed.
"What's that?" Buffy asked, half-afraid to go inside.
"This building is owned by Wolfram and Hart." He answered her, pointing to the lettering on the door he was holding open. She walked past him, and into the bright lobby. A balding, older man was waiting on them, rather impatiently it seemed. A pair of dark classes covered his eyes, and he held a folded cane in his hand.
"Ms. Summers?" He asked.
"Yes, that's me." Buffy answered.
"I'm Mr. Matthews, the President of the bank." He replied.
"This is Angel, my co-worker. He's here for moral support." Buffy introduced. Maybe some light ass kicking too, she thought, catching the shifty, panicked look on the man's face.
"I'm afraid only you and I can go into the Safety Deposit room. Bank policy." Matthews told her, rubbing his hands nervously over his bald scalp. Buffy didn't trust him, and by the look on Angel's face, he didn't either.
"Look, I know that you have rules and things that you have to follow, but it would mean a lot to me if Angel could go in with us." Buffy tried.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Summer's. Rules are rules." He replied, his facial expression giving himself away. So, it was a trap, she thought, looking up at Angel with a smile.
"Well, Angel. You know how I feel about rules." She said to him. He nodded, before Mr. Matthews could blink, Angel had him in a headlock. "They're meant to be broken." Buffy finished her pun, glancing around the lobby.
"Which way?" Buffy demanded. He pointed meekly to a hallway, and then groaned as they set out, Angel half dragging him.
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Wesley was reading aloud quietly to the comatose body of Cordelia Chase. It had been almost a month, and the doctors were firm in their belief that she would not improve. Wesley looked down at her face. When she slept, Cordelia gave the air of an innocent girl. Awake, she was a beautiful hellcat, vicious, yet caring. A force to be reckoned with. He smoothed back her hair, and sadness stole over him. Although at one time he'd cared for her deeply, now all he felt was regret for the loss of a dear friend. They had fought most of the time, but when it counted, she'd been there for him. Been there for all of them. He no longer blamed her for not going to him when Justine had slashed his throat, either. She'd already not been herself.
He shifted on the rough chair in her room. Wesley came by every evening to visit with her. Talking to her, filling her in on what was going on with everyone. Sometimes, like today, he read to her from her favorite book. It seemed funny to think of her as having one, but she did. He knew the others visited too, but not when he was there. They all seemed to have grown apart a bit in the last few weeks. Busy with their own things, the running of their new company. Cordy's monitor made a weird beeping noise, getting Wesley's attention. It began beeping faster and faster.
She jerked on the table, a trickle of blood forming at the corner of her mouth. A cracking noise sounded loudly in the room, cause Wesley to pay attention to Cordelia's ankle. It was broken, and bleeding. Fearing for her life, Wesley did the first thing he thought of, and paged the doctor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Buffy's shoes clacked in the nearly silent hallway. She was following behind Angel, and the headlocked Mr. Matthews. He was giving directions, and Angel was clearly intimidating him. She wasn't sure where they were being lead, but breathed a sigh of relief as they arrived in what was clearly a room full of safety deposit boxes. Angel released Matthews from the headlock, and stepped back. Slightly unnerved, Mr. Matthews gestured with his right hand which box was Spike's.
"You have the key, Ms. Summers?" He asked her. Buffy dug into her pocket, and pulled it out. She stood in front of the box, and bit her lip. Her normally steady hands were shaking the tiniest bit as she slid the key into the lock. She listened as the tumbler clicked, then curled her fingers around the handle. Slowly, almost reverently, she pulled the drawer opened. Cautiously, she reached her hand inside. Her fingers brushed against something, and she grabbed a hold of it. Pulling it out, she stared at the object in her hands. It was a book, and it nearly hummed with power.
On the front cover, if she wasn't mistaken, was an imprint of her scythe. Her weapon. The weapon of the Slayers. On the back cover, to the disbelief of her eyes, was an imprint of the amulet. The amulet Spike had worn in the final battle. The amulet that had killed him, and taken Sunnydale and the Hellmouth along for the ride. The book felt heavy in her hands, but it also felt right. As if this, along with her scythe, was hers. As if it was made for her. Judging by the marks on it, it very well may have been.
Angel, intrigued, plucked it out of her hands. He, too, drew a breath as he took in the engravings. He stared at it a moment longer, and flipped a few pages. It definitely wasn't in English, that was for sure. However, he wasn't entirely sure what language it was in, a fact he pointed out to Buffy.
"Great. Another ancient book in another ancient language." Buffy grumbled. They began walking back down the hallway they came, Matthews trailing after them. Angel smiled at her comment. Typical Buffy. They arrived in the lobby, as she took the book back from him. Flipping it over to the back cover, she gently ran her hands over the engraving of the amulet.
"Thinking about Spike?" He asked. Angel wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know if she was or not.
"Yeah." She smiled sadly, her eyes trained on the engraving. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by the arrival of a woman clearly out of breath.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Ms. Summers. There was a break-in." She said. Matthews squeaked when he heard her speak, and tried to head for the door. Angel grabbed his jacket and held him in place. Looking at Matthews, she continued. "You were fired last week. Aren't you finished cleaning out your office?"
That was the moment all hell broke loose. Four vampires came rushing from various corners of the lobby, headed straight for Buffy. Shestared at the snarling vampires now circling her. They'd been right. It was a trap. She dropped kicked one of the vamps, just in time to miss the attack of a second one from behind. The vamp in front of her flew back from the blow, and crashed against the wall. Pissed, he reached into the waistband of his jeans, and drew a knife. Buffy tucked the book into the front waistband of her slacks, then chanced a glance at Angel. She turned back to her two assailants, anticipating their next move.
Angel had his hands full as well. He was struggling to hang on to Matthews, and dispose of two other vampires. Buffy staked one of her vamps quickly, and then without looking, flung her stake backward into one of Angel's adversaries. The vamp poofed and Angel grinned ferociously at his remaining opponent. The other vampire fighting Buffy was extremely angry by this point. He rushed her, and they fought roughly. He tried stabbing her with his knife, but succeeded only in grazing her arm with it. It cut deep enough to stun her, and she cried out. The vampire took that moment to hightail it out of the back room of the bank; just as Angel was finishing off vampire number four. Buffy went to put her hand over the cut on her arm, but Angel beat her to it. He pressed a white handkerchief to it, and tied it in place, smiling down at her. Matthews, who Angel had let go of to help her, moved towards the door and hightailed it out into the night. Angel turned to find the woman who had interrupted earlier staring at them.
"Are you all right?" He asked her.
"Yes, I think." She answered, sounding lost.
"I'm sorry, but we never got your name." Buffy said, pulling the book loose.
"Samantha. Samantha Smith." She introduced herself. "I'm the bank president." She continued.
"If you're..." Buffy began; turning to look in the direction Matthews had fled. "Then who was that?" She asked.
"He was the former bank president. He was fired a few weeks ago." Samantha explained. Buffy and Angel shared a look, and she was about to comment when his cell phone rang. Embarrassed, Angel fumbled with his coat before finding the phone.
"Hello?" Angel answered.
"Angel? It's Wesley." Wesley replied.
"Wes? What's going on?" Angel wanted to know.
"It's Cordy." Wesley told him.
"How bad is it?" Angel demanded.
"It's quite extraordinary, actually. She's awake, and she's asking for you." Wesley said. The only sound in the quiet lobby was that of Angel's phone as it hit the floor.