Chapter 5
After what seemed like only a fraction of a second, Charles pulled back and coughed softly.
"Not that I don't like being kissed by a hot girl, but, uhm, boyfriend?"
"You have a boyfriend?" I asked, completely bewildered.
"What? No! Hell no. You do," he said and, after seeing the confused look on my face, went on. "Right? I mean, that Wesley guy..."
"Oh, Wesley's not my boyfriend!" I exclaimed, relieved. Obviously, this was all just a misunderstanding, I thought to myself. "Just a close friend."
"I bet that's not what he's feeling tho'..." Charles replied.
"Of course he is!" I replied indignantly, "we're the best of friends, but..."
"Look, all I'm saying is, you didn't see the brother's face when the Big Nasties were using you as a chewtoy," Charles said. I just looked at him in disbelief. Wesley? My best friend? No way... Noticing the expression on my face, he sighed.
"He offered himself to save your life. Trust me, if there's anything good about me, it's that I know people. The man is head over heels in love with ya."
I just stared at him, and was quiet for once. "Oh..." was all I could manage to say.
We both sat there, slumped on the ground in a deserted alley, not knowing just what to say to one another. Finally, Charles turned to me.
"Right. Well, we should get crackin' on that whole saving-the-day thing. I can go get my guys. They're pretty good with a stake."
"What do you mean when you say 'your guys'?" I asked. "You have like your own private militia or something? And how do you know about vampires and stuff? Are you like a government organization or something like that –'cause I hear they exist?"
"Nah. Well, sorta- the militia thing. It's actually just a bunch of us who try to kill as many of the punks as we can."
"Wow," I said. "Why?"
"Huh?" Charles responded.
"Well," I said, "you must be doing this for a reason. Most people don't just decide to go out and kill some creatures of the night..." I said tentatively.
There was a long pause. "They turned my baby sister," he said at long last. "I had to kill her..." Silence fell between us.
"I'm sorry," I said softly.
"Don't sweat it. Let's just focus on the maiming and killing, 'kay? I'll warn the guys," he said, and attempted to get up. I put my hand on his shoulder and shook my head.
"I don't think that'd do much good," I said, discouraged, "Wesley said they were pretty much the creepiest vampires that ever walked the earth or whatnot. I mean, you've seen what they're like. They're intelligent, manipulative and they know how to strategize. Brute force isn't gonna cut it..."
"Okay, so then what do we do?"
I shrugged and closed my eyes. What would Wesley do, I thought to myself. He always knew what to do in these situations...
"Oh, I got it!" I suddenly exclaimed, and looked at Charles with a huge smile on my face.
"The Watcher's Council," I said, assuming that would explain itself. Of course! Wesley had worked for them in a town not too far from L.A.
Charles just frowned.
"The what now?" he said. I didn't reply, but instantly got to my feet, not caring about the pain anymore.
"Is there a payphone here somewhere? We should find one. I need to call a man called Rupert Giles..."
After what seemed like only a fraction of a second, Charles pulled back and coughed softly.
"Not that I don't like being kissed by a hot girl, but, uhm, boyfriend?"
"You have a boyfriend?" I asked, completely bewildered.
"What? No! Hell no. You do," he said and, after seeing the confused look on my face, went on. "Right? I mean, that Wesley guy..."
"Oh, Wesley's not my boyfriend!" I exclaimed, relieved. Obviously, this was all just a misunderstanding, I thought to myself. "Just a close friend."
"I bet that's not what he's feeling tho'..." Charles replied.
"Of course he is!" I replied indignantly, "we're the best of friends, but..."
"Look, all I'm saying is, you didn't see the brother's face when the Big Nasties were using you as a chewtoy," Charles said. I just looked at him in disbelief. Wesley? My best friend? No way... Noticing the expression on my face, he sighed.
"He offered himself to save your life. Trust me, if there's anything good about me, it's that I know people. The man is head over heels in love with ya."
I just stared at him, and was quiet for once. "Oh..." was all I could manage to say.
We both sat there, slumped on the ground in a deserted alley, not knowing just what to say to one another. Finally, Charles turned to me.
"Right. Well, we should get crackin' on that whole saving-the-day thing. I can go get my guys. They're pretty good with a stake."
"What do you mean when you say 'your guys'?" I asked. "You have like your own private militia or something? And how do you know about vampires and stuff? Are you like a government organization or something like that –'cause I hear they exist?"
"Nah. Well, sorta- the militia thing. It's actually just a bunch of us who try to kill as many of the punks as we can."
"Wow," I said. "Why?"
"Huh?" Charles responded.
"Well," I said, "you must be doing this for a reason. Most people don't just decide to go out and kill some creatures of the night..." I said tentatively.
There was a long pause. "They turned my baby sister," he said at long last. "I had to kill her..." Silence fell between us.
"I'm sorry," I said softly.
"Don't sweat it. Let's just focus on the maiming and killing, 'kay? I'll warn the guys," he said, and attempted to get up. I put my hand on his shoulder and shook my head.
"I don't think that'd do much good," I said, discouraged, "Wesley said they were pretty much the creepiest vampires that ever walked the earth or whatnot. I mean, you've seen what they're like. They're intelligent, manipulative and they know how to strategize. Brute force isn't gonna cut it..."
"Okay, so then what do we do?"
I shrugged and closed my eyes. What would Wesley do, I thought to myself. He always knew what to do in these situations...
"Oh, I got it!" I suddenly exclaimed, and looked at Charles with a huge smile on my face.
"The Watcher's Council," I said, assuming that would explain itself. Of course! Wesley had worked for them in a town not too far from L.A.
Charles just frowned.
"The what now?" he said. I didn't reply, but instantly got to my feet, not caring about the pain anymore.
"Is there a payphone here somewhere? We should find one. I need to call a man called Rupert Giles..."