Sorry about the long wait between posts. There's been a lot going on in my
life. If you want the next chapter soon, write a review. It makes me happy
that you care enough to respond, even if you are critical.
Chapter 5
Crystal walked into Buffy's hospital room and stopped short. She blushed, embarrassed at having walked in on the tenderness of Angel's comforting murmurs to Buffy, before reminding herself why she was here. It was only fair that Buffy knew.
"Buffy, could I. Uh, could I have a word? Erm, in private? There's, uh, something you should know."
Buffy's reluctance for Angel to leave showed on her face, and Crystal knew Buffy wouldn't accept it without seeing Angel's reaction firsthand, so she carried on regardless of Angel's presence.
"I really don't know how to say this, so. Oh, God, I can't! But. Buffy. Angel's. He's a rapist," she eventually whispered. At least she'd got that bit out of the way. Now there was just Buffy's reaction to deal with.
"Firstly, was a rapist. Secondly, I know."
Crystal blinked in surprise. "Wha- What?
"Angel didn't always have a soul. His demon, Angelus, did many terrible things. None of them are Angel's fault, yet he bears the guilt of them. I've known this for ages. How did you find out, anyway?"
The witch glanced at her shoes, then at Buffy, before deciding it would be easier to explain to Angel. Hesitantly, not quite ready to trust him, she turned to the vampire.
"Do you remember a blonde-haired, brown-eyed woman form Poland in the Second World War? She looked a bit like me." Seeing his nod, Crystal continued. "You - Angelus - nearly raped her. Angelus nearly raped my mother." A deep sadness mingled with the terror in her eyes.
The ensouled vampire lowered his gaze from her eyes in guilt. So much pain had been caused by him, by Angelus. how could he ever make up for trying to rape this woman's mother. How could you make up for something as terrible, as hideous and eternal, as rape? It never went away; it was always there. It could destroy faith and trust, and living.
It was worse than any of the demons Buffy and Angel regularly faced. It could not be made up; it should not even be forgiven. And yet forgiveness was one thing Crystal was ready to give. Trust, that would take longer. But the time for forgiveness had arrived; was almost past.
"Anyway, she showed me what you did," Crystal continued. "I think she's trying to punish you through Buffy, but I couldn't say how... I also think she gave the spell I did for Spike and Drusilla an extra power boost. That's why Buffy was hit by the pain so suddenly - it would normally be quite a gradual build-up."
Buffy tentatively raised a hand.
"Um, I think I know what your mother's trying to do."
* * * * * * "You never told me this!" Angel exclaimed, hurt that his lover should keep something so important from him.
"I know, I know!" Buffy answered, exasperated. "I just. I wasn't about to tell Angelus, was I? And by the time you'd come back, it didn't seem important, what with everything you'd been through!" She was breathless by the time her outburst had ended, and Buffy's pulse rate had rocketed.
"Alright, shh, honey, it's alright," Angel soothed, desperate to steady the pounding of her heart before it exploded. "I know you would've told me if you'd thought to. I just worry, tha-"
"You worry iso i much that you were going to leave me, that you believe I didn't even think to tell you? God, I nearly told Angelus all about it just because he looked like you!"
"I didn't really think that, honey, please believe me," Angel begged, aware that, anywhere else, this would have continued for much longer, on both parts.
Buffy sighed, the anger and frustration leaving her tired body.
"I know," she said weakly. "I just."
Angel smiled understandingly and brushed a stray strand of hair out of the corner of her mouth.
"Don't worry about it. We'll stop these nightmares and get you out of here as soon as possible. I promise."
* * * * * * Balweena saw what was happening, saw how her daughter cared for the vampire. and for his lover. She saw that her daughter hated what was happening, hated how Buffy was being punished for something that had happened so long ago. And Balweena knew that the price of vengeance was too high if Crystal hated it. So she did the only thing she knew of that would break the hex.
Her eyes fixed on the image in the scrying bowl as she lifted a dagger from the wooden bench in front of her. As she lifted it to her throat, she noted the dark corners of the old-fashioned room she had lived in for the past 17 years; the evil appearance of the home that had never been home.
Drusilla walked in on the witch just as the blade dropped to the ground. She reached to grab Balweena, but, with one harsh movement, the witch thrust a stake through the insane vampire's heart.
The last thing Balweena saw was the dust cloud settle on her long, dark skirt.
that you care enough to respond, even if you are critical.
Chapter 5
Crystal walked into Buffy's hospital room and stopped short. She blushed, embarrassed at having walked in on the tenderness of Angel's comforting murmurs to Buffy, before reminding herself why she was here. It was only fair that Buffy knew.
"Buffy, could I. Uh, could I have a word? Erm, in private? There's, uh, something you should know."
Buffy's reluctance for Angel to leave showed on her face, and Crystal knew Buffy wouldn't accept it without seeing Angel's reaction firsthand, so she carried on regardless of Angel's presence.
"I really don't know how to say this, so. Oh, God, I can't! But. Buffy. Angel's. He's a rapist," she eventually whispered. At least she'd got that bit out of the way. Now there was just Buffy's reaction to deal with.
"Firstly, was a rapist. Secondly, I know."
Crystal blinked in surprise. "Wha- What?
"Angel didn't always have a soul. His demon, Angelus, did many terrible things. None of them are Angel's fault, yet he bears the guilt of them. I've known this for ages. How did you find out, anyway?"
The witch glanced at her shoes, then at Buffy, before deciding it would be easier to explain to Angel. Hesitantly, not quite ready to trust him, she turned to the vampire.
"Do you remember a blonde-haired, brown-eyed woman form Poland in the Second World War? She looked a bit like me." Seeing his nod, Crystal continued. "You - Angelus - nearly raped her. Angelus nearly raped my mother." A deep sadness mingled with the terror in her eyes.
The ensouled vampire lowered his gaze from her eyes in guilt. So much pain had been caused by him, by Angelus. how could he ever make up for trying to rape this woman's mother. How could you make up for something as terrible, as hideous and eternal, as rape? It never went away; it was always there. It could destroy faith and trust, and living.
It was worse than any of the demons Buffy and Angel regularly faced. It could not be made up; it should not even be forgiven. And yet forgiveness was one thing Crystal was ready to give. Trust, that would take longer. But the time for forgiveness had arrived; was almost past.
"Anyway, she showed me what you did," Crystal continued. "I think she's trying to punish you through Buffy, but I couldn't say how... I also think she gave the spell I did for Spike and Drusilla an extra power boost. That's why Buffy was hit by the pain so suddenly - it would normally be quite a gradual build-up."
Buffy tentatively raised a hand.
"Um, I think I know what your mother's trying to do."
* * * * * * "You never told me this!" Angel exclaimed, hurt that his lover should keep something so important from him.
"I know, I know!" Buffy answered, exasperated. "I just. I wasn't about to tell Angelus, was I? And by the time you'd come back, it didn't seem important, what with everything you'd been through!" She was breathless by the time her outburst had ended, and Buffy's pulse rate had rocketed.
"Alright, shh, honey, it's alright," Angel soothed, desperate to steady the pounding of her heart before it exploded. "I know you would've told me if you'd thought to. I just worry, tha-"
"You worry iso i much that you were going to leave me, that you believe I didn't even think to tell you? God, I nearly told Angelus all about it just because he looked like you!"
"I didn't really think that, honey, please believe me," Angel begged, aware that, anywhere else, this would have continued for much longer, on both parts.
Buffy sighed, the anger and frustration leaving her tired body.
"I know," she said weakly. "I just."
Angel smiled understandingly and brushed a stray strand of hair out of the corner of her mouth.
"Don't worry about it. We'll stop these nightmares and get you out of here as soon as possible. I promise."
* * * * * * Balweena saw what was happening, saw how her daughter cared for the vampire. and for his lover. She saw that her daughter hated what was happening, hated how Buffy was being punished for something that had happened so long ago. And Balweena knew that the price of vengeance was too high if Crystal hated it. So she did the only thing she knew of that would break the hex.
Her eyes fixed on the image in the scrying bowl as she lifted a dagger from the wooden bench in front of her. As she lifted it to her throat, she noted the dark corners of the old-fashioned room she had lived in for the past 17 years; the evil appearance of the home that had never been home.
Drusilla walked in on the witch just as the blade dropped to the ground. She reached to grab Balweena, but, with one harsh movement, the witch thrust a stake through the insane vampire's heart.
The last thing Balweena saw was the dust cloud settle on her long, dark skirt.