AN: Okay sorry guys for the late-a-tude, I've had major internet problems.
But now they're fixed and chapter 7 is up. As always reviews are essential,
so I know that there's someone out there actually reading it, otherwise you
know...
Chapter 7
Buffy walked into the school library to find Xander, Willow and Oz sitting around the table. It had become a custom her friends had adopted. Xander with his feet up on the table was another custom he had adopted, one that Giles would no doubt kill him for. She perched on the edge of the table.
"Hey guys."
"How was the appointment with Dr Pain?" Xander questioned.
"Let it be said that pop quizzes are a welcome breath of fresh air in comparison."
Upon hearing her voice, Giles appeared from his office, teacup in hand.
"Buffy, how did the dentist go?"
"I'm the slayer, I have a high pain threshold."
"Enough said." He replied taking a mouthful of his tea.
Buffy took a seat next to Willow and Giles stood at the head of the table.
"The slayer meeting is now in session." Willow whispered to Buffy, causing the pair to giggle.
"So Giles, any new monsters running rampant, or is tourist season on an all time low?" Xander asked as Giles pushed his feet off the table.
"As always Xander, you can be counted on to simplify the most complex of matters to their smallest form."
"Just doing my bit, G man."
"I thought we talked about you never calling me that again."
Xander and Giles continued to argue as Buffy, Willow and Oz talked.
"How much longer do you think they can keep this up?" Buffy asked.
"Hours." Willow replied.
"My money's on Giles." Oz stated, as they sat back and watched the pair.
Noticing that the room was quiet, albeit their arguing, the pair turned to their audience.
"Well, now that that's over with, can we get on with this?" Buffy replied.
"Of course." Giles began. "We will continue to research the demons that attacked you and Angel last night, there may be more of them, apart from that there appears to be no other Hellmouth activity that I have learned of. Although that doesn't mean that any of you should let your guard down, there are still vampires and the Hellmouth is always a potential threat. Buffy I suggest you continue your nightly patrol with Angel."
"Ah, I can patrol by myself, there's no need to bother Angel with this."
"Buffy did something happen?" Everyone looked at her.
"It's just, Angel just seems to be upset about something. I think he just needs some space." Willow placed her hand on Buffy's shoulder, comforting her friend.
"It's weird, one minute we're talking and the next he's saying he sympathies with Cordelia and that he needs to know why he's here."
"Cordelia?" Xander asked puzzled. "Angel isn't rich...is he?"
"Well he does have that big mansion." Oz added.
"If he is he hid it well." She replied. Then remembering her sighting of Cordelia that morning she continued. "Also I saw Cordelia at the butchers this morning."
"Well Buffy that is hardly a cause for..."
"She was buying blood." She jumped in.
"...concern." Giles added finishing his sentence, thinking over the news.
"Why would Cordelia buy blood?" Willow asked.
"Well I've been telling you guys for years that she could drain the blood out of any of us." Xander added. "Maybe she ran out of victims."
"She was acting wicked wiggy the other day, almost, and I use the word almost, nice, you know nearly human. Notice my use of the word almost here."
"I haven't seen her today." Oz replied.
"And with Angel in some sort of depression, I think it's likely that whatever is effecting one is also effecting the other." Giles said pacing the library.
"Okay for those of us here who are me, can you make that sentence take on some form of English?" Xander said, feet back on the table.
"What I'm saying is, that obviously Cordelia's strange behaviour is somehow connected to Angel's depression of sorts. We should continue to research the demons that attacked Angel, Cordelia may have come into contact with them somehow, they might be the cause of all this."
"Right we all meet back here once school is out, we can research and I'll patrol tonight, see if I can find anymore of those demon thingies. I'll stop by Angel's on the way."
The rest of the day had passed with relative ease, there was still no sign of Cordelia and after finally convincing Harmony to talk, they had learnt that even she hadn't seen or heard from her since yesterday.
Buffy walked into the library to find her friends gathered around the table, buried in a mound of books.
"You started the research party without me?" she said stopping at the table, with a hint of mock sadness in her voice.
"I wanted to wait, but Giles assured me that there would be plenty of research left for you, so I got over it." Xander said looking up at her.
"Wow, thanks Xand, and here I thought you'd all forgotten about me."
Giles loaded her arms with a pile of musty volumes.
"Which I would have gotten over." She moaned as she took a seat. "Wouldn't my efforts be better spent patrolling?" she asked looking up at Giles.
"When it's dark yes, but seen as it is still daylight and demons prefer to keep a low profile, you can help research."
"Don't they have these books on tape, or you know maybe a movie version. Everything you need to know packed into 2 hours of Brad Pitt action?"
"Oh or maybe that guy from ER." Willow said excitedly.
"He so needs to call me." Buffy grinned.
"Fortunately for me, they don't. Now Buffy if we want to get to the bottom of this problem involving Angel and Cordelia we need to research." Giles replied wiping his glasses.
"Fine." She mumbled opening a book, it was going to be a long night.
As soon as the sun had set Buffy sprang out of her chair, causing everyone to jump at the same time.
"Sun's down, patrol time."
Everyone glared, hearts still pounding from the surprise.
"What?" she asked sincerely.
The gang went back to their books and Buffy headed for the door.
"Don't forget to check in." Giles called after her.
"I won't." she called over her shoulder. "I'm going to Angel's."
She knocked several times, still no answer. Maybe Angel's out on patrol she thought to herself. Deciding that checking on Cordelia was the best idea, she headed over to the Chase residence.
Standing at the front door, Buffy raised her hand to knock, though the voices inside stopped her. Moving away from the door she headed to the kitchen window, using the shadows cast by the landscaping, Buffy peered into the kitchen.
Cordelia stood in the kitchen laughing, she was talking to someone in the other room although who, Buffy had no idea. Well at least she's still alive, she thought. Though nothing prepared her for what she saw next. Angel walked into the kitchen with a huge grin on his face.
TBC
Chapter 7
Buffy walked into the school library to find Xander, Willow and Oz sitting around the table. It had become a custom her friends had adopted. Xander with his feet up on the table was another custom he had adopted, one that Giles would no doubt kill him for. She perched on the edge of the table.
"Hey guys."
"How was the appointment with Dr Pain?" Xander questioned.
"Let it be said that pop quizzes are a welcome breath of fresh air in comparison."
Upon hearing her voice, Giles appeared from his office, teacup in hand.
"Buffy, how did the dentist go?"
"I'm the slayer, I have a high pain threshold."
"Enough said." He replied taking a mouthful of his tea.
Buffy took a seat next to Willow and Giles stood at the head of the table.
"The slayer meeting is now in session." Willow whispered to Buffy, causing the pair to giggle.
"So Giles, any new monsters running rampant, or is tourist season on an all time low?" Xander asked as Giles pushed his feet off the table.
"As always Xander, you can be counted on to simplify the most complex of matters to their smallest form."
"Just doing my bit, G man."
"I thought we talked about you never calling me that again."
Xander and Giles continued to argue as Buffy, Willow and Oz talked.
"How much longer do you think they can keep this up?" Buffy asked.
"Hours." Willow replied.
"My money's on Giles." Oz stated, as they sat back and watched the pair.
Noticing that the room was quiet, albeit their arguing, the pair turned to their audience.
"Well, now that that's over with, can we get on with this?" Buffy replied.
"Of course." Giles began. "We will continue to research the demons that attacked you and Angel last night, there may be more of them, apart from that there appears to be no other Hellmouth activity that I have learned of. Although that doesn't mean that any of you should let your guard down, there are still vampires and the Hellmouth is always a potential threat. Buffy I suggest you continue your nightly patrol with Angel."
"Ah, I can patrol by myself, there's no need to bother Angel with this."
"Buffy did something happen?" Everyone looked at her.
"It's just, Angel just seems to be upset about something. I think he just needs some space." Willow placed her hand on Buffy's shoulder, comforting her friend.
"It's weird, one minute we're talking and the next he's saying he sympathies with Cordelia and that he needs to know why he's here."
"Cordelia?" Xander asked puzzled. "Angel isn't rich...is he?"
"Well he does have that big mansion." Oz added.
"If he is he hid it well." She replied. Then remembering her sighting of Cordelia that morning she continued. "Also I saw Cordelia at the butchers this morning."
"Well Buffy that is hardly a cause for..."
"She was buying blood." She jumped in.
"...concern." Giles added finishing his sentence, thinking over the news.
"Why would Cordelia buy blood?" Willow asked.
"Well I've been telling you guys for years that she could drain the blood out of any of us." Xander added. "Maybe she ran out of victims."
"She was acting wicked wiggy the other day, almost, and I use the word almost, nice, you know nearly human. Notice my use of the word almost here."
"I haven't seen her today." Oz replied.
"And with Angel in some sort of depression, I think it's likely that whatever is effecting one is also effecting the other." Giles said pacing the library.
"Okay for those of us here who are me, can you make that sentence take on some form of English?" Xander said, feet back on the table.
"What I'm saying is, that obviously Cordelia's strange behaviour is somehow connected to Angel's depression of sorts. We should continue to research the demons that attacked Angel, Cordelia may have come into contact with them somehow, they might be the cause of all this."
"Right we all meet back here once school is out, we can research and I'll patrol tonight, see if I can find anymore of those demon thingies. I'll stop by Angel's on the way."
The rest of the day had passed with relative ease, there was still no sign of Cordelia and after finally convincing Harmony to talk, they had learnt that even she hadn't seen or heard from her since yesterday.
Buffy walked into the library to find her friends gathered around the table, buried in a mound of books.
"You started the research party without me?" she said stopping at the table, with a hint of mock sadness in her voice.
"I wanted to wait, but Giles assured me that there would be plenty of research left for you, so I got over it." Xander said looking up at her.
"Wow, thanks Xand, and here I thought you'd all forgotten about me."
Giles loaded her arms with a pile of musty volumes.
"Which I would have gotten over." She moaned as she took a seat. "Wouldn't my efforts be better spent patrolling?" she asked looking up at Giles.
"When it's dark yes, but seen as it is still daylight and demons prefer to keep a low profile, you can help research."
"Don't they have these books on tape, or you know maybe a movie version. Everything you need to know packed into 2 hours of Brad Pitt action?"
"Oh or maybe that guy from ER." Willow said excitedly.
"He so needs to call me." Buffy grinned.
"Fortunately for me, they don't. Now Buffy if we want to get to the bottom of this problem involving Angel and Cordelia we need to research." Giles replied wiping his glasses.
"Fine." She mumbled opening a book, it was going to be a long night.
As soon as the sun had set Buffy sprang out of her chair, causing everyone to jump at the same time.
"Sun's down, patrol time."
Everyone glared, hearts still pounding from the surprise.
"What?" she asked sincerely.
The gang went back to their books and Buffy headed for the door.
"Don't forget to check in." Giles called after her.
"I won't." she called over her shoulder. "I'm going to Angel's."
She knocked several times, still no answer. Maybe Angel's out on patrol she thought to herself. Deciding that checking on Cordelia was the best idea, she headed over to the Chase residence.
Standing at the front door, Buffy raised her hand to knock, though the voices inside stopped her. Moving away from the door she headed to the kitchen window, using the shadows cast by the landscaping, Buffy peered into the kitchen.
Cordelia stood in the kitchen laughing, she was talking to someone in the other room although who, Buffy had no idea. Well at least she's still alive, she thought. Though nothing prepared her for what she saw next. Angel walked into the kitchen with a huge grin on his face.
TBC