Disclaimer: Joss, WB, UPN et al. own Buffy. I do not.
Title: The Prices We Pay
Author: Paradigm Shifter
Rating: R.
Feedback: Please?
Thanks: VegaKeep, for setting this up in the first place with 'Love Hurts'. Also, all the people who took the time to give me a review.
Notes: I've been listening to a few selected tracks from the Final Fantasy Soundtracks. At Zanarkand, Memories of That Day, Liberi Fatali, Only a Plank Between One and Perdition, Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec, The Extreme, Ride On, Ending Theme etc...
Angel stood in the shadows in the alleyway. Buffy had told him the previous night about Darla being back, or at least some like her, and he felt it was his responsibility to make sure it wasn't her.
Or if it was, to make sure she was dust before she hurt anyone.
But he had a slight concern. Buffy had also mentioned that Xander was with her. That made the situation very sticky.
It would go in one of two possible ways, as far as Angel could see. One; Darla was actually holding Xander captive, which meant that he would be only too happy to be freed, and might ease up on the Deadboy jokes. That was good. Or it could go two; Xander actually loves Darla, and does not want any outside interference. That would go badly.
Very badly.
Angel sighed, but did not move from the shadows.
Xander rolled over on the bed, and felt the cold emptiness left by the absence of the other person who should have been in it. He sat up, confused and disoriented for a few seconds, before calling out uncertainly, "Darla?"
There was no response.
"Darla?" he called out again, getting out of the bed and shrugging on a silk robe. Silk. He shook his head in wonder. He was really beginning to get used to being spoilt.
A note on the dresser caught his eye...
Alexander, read the note,
I am leaving you for a short while... there are some things I must take care of before I... we, go any further.
Darla walked through the graveyard, a preoccupied expression on her features. She stopped suddenly as a short blonde stepped out from behind a gravestone, and stood in her path.
"Going somewhere... Darla?" asked Buffy sweetly.
Darla almost snarled, but pulled back her automatic response at the last second. "Actually," she said tiredly, "I am. I'm looking for Angelus."
Angel stepped out of the shadows. "Well, you found him." He said.
Darla cast a look at Buffy. "Do I have your word, Slayer, that you won't try anything funny?"
Buffy shrugged, and looked at Angel, who nodded imperceptibly. "Sure."
"Can I talk with Angelus alone, please?" Darla nearly choked on the 'please' but felt it might make them more disposed toward her.
Angel looked suspicious, but nodded. He turned to Buffy, who didn't look too pleased, but acquiesced. "I'll... just be over there..." she said, "but don't go thinking that you can stake him or anything!" she warned.
Darla shrugged herself this time. "Whatever."
As Buffy walked off, Angel asked quietly, "What is this about?"
Darla pulled a face. "I... it's about Xander."
Angel nodded. "That much I guessed."
"I'm having strange feelings. I never felt this way before, and I'm not entirely certain I like it."
"Go on."
Darla sighed. "You're not going to make this easy, are you?"
Angel smirked, and for a second, Darla was sure that it was the man known as the 'Scourge of Europe' that stood in front of her rather than the neutered weakling he had become. "Me? Never."
"I'm in love with Xander Harris." Darla blurted it out before she could chicken out of the revelation.
Angel merely raised an eyebrow. "And this concerns me how?"
"Well... you're a vampire."
"And?"
"And you're in love with a human... so how can you get it to work? Or is it some kind of special magic that only a Slayer and a vampire with a..." Darla shuddered, "...soul... can use?"
Angel smiled. "You don't like the feeling?"
"You didn't answer my question." Darla snapped accusingly.
Angel chuckled. "No... it's not some special magic. Anyone can use it. In fact," he looked at his blonde sire with an appraising expression, "I think you already are..."
"So can you..." Darla choked on her pride for a second, and finally threw it to the winds "help me?"
Angel shook his head. "I can't help you Darla."
Her eyes betrayed her shock. "What?!" she raged, "after I came out here, and risked the wrath of the Slayer?! How can you say that to your sire?!"
Angel calmly explained, "I can't help you, because you've already helped yourself."
Darla stood for a few seconds, contemplating exactly what this meant. Angel smiled privately to himself and vanished into the shadows to join Buffy.
I need to get some closure... and to know exactly what it is that I want. I don't know what to do... you're the first person I have ever met to cause me this. If something goes wrong... forgive me.
Darla.
Angel looked at Buffy for a second, gauging her reaction. Buffy spoke before he could. "Do you think she means harm? To Xander? Or to any of us?"
Angel shook his head. "To Xander, no, never. She loves him... and I'm scared to say that it's maybe the first time she's known that simple emotion since she was born." He frowned. "To us? Well, maybe to me... but I can handle myself, and time will inevitably tell in the end..."
Buffy looked down. "But what could she do? She hasn't got a soul..."
Angel reached forward and took Buffy's chin in his hand. "Buffy... there are humans... vampires in their way, a thousand times worse than the most evil demon could ever be. Vlad the Impaler, Elizabeth Bathory... not to mention the more modern ones..."
"I... I worry, about Xander I mean..."
Angel kissed her gently on the lips, before pulling back and examining her face. "You wouldn't be human, and he wouldn't be your friend if you didn't."
Title: The Prices We Pay
Author: Paradigm Shifter
Rating: R.
Feedback: Please?
Thanks: VegaKeep, for setting this up in the first place with 'Love Hurts'. Also, all the people who took the time to give me a review.
Notes: I've been listening to a few selected tracks from the Final Fantasy Soundtracks. At Zanarkand, Memories of That Day, Liberi Fatali, Only a Plank Between One and Perdition, Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec, The Extreme, Ride On, Ending Theme etc...
Angel stood in the shadows in the alleyway. Buffy had told him the previous night about Darla being back, or at least some like her, and he felt it was his responsibility to make sure it wasn't her.
Or if it was, to make sure she was dust before she hurt anyone.
But he had a slight concern. Buffy had also mentioned that Xander was with her. That made the situation very sticky.
It would go in one of two possible ways, as far as Angel could see. One; Darla was actually holding Xander captive, which meant that he would be only too happy to be freed, and might ease up on the Deadboy jokes. That was good. Or it could go two; Xander actually loves Darla, and does not want any outside interference. That would go badly.
Very badly.
Angel sighed, but did not move from the shadows.
Xander rolled over on the bed, and felt the cold emptiness left by the absence of the other person who should have been in it. He sat up, confused and disoriented for a few seconds, before calling out uncertainly, "Darla?"
There was no response.
"Darla?" he called out again, getting out of the bed and shrugging on a silk robe. Silk. He shook his head in wonder. He was really beginning to get used to being spoilt.
A note on the dresser caught his eye...
Alexander, read the note,
I am leaving you for a short while... there are some things I must take care of before I... we, go any further.
Darla walked through the graveyard, a preoccupied expression on her features. She stopped suddenly as a short blonde stepped out from behind a gravestone, and stood in her path.
"Going somewhere... Darla?" asked Buffy sweetly.
Darla almost snarled, but pulled back her automatic response at the last second. "Actually," she said tiredly, "I am. I'm looking for Angelus."
Angel stepped out of the shadows. "Well, you found him." He said.
Darla cast a look at Buffy. "Do I have your word, Slayer, that you won't try anything funny?"
Buffy shrugged, and looked at Angel, who nodded imperceptibly. "Sure."
"Can I talk with Angelus alone, please?" Darla nearly choked on the 'please' but felt it might make them more disposed toward her.
Angel looked suspicious, but nodded. He turned to Buffy, who didn't look too pleased, but acquiesced. "I'll... just be over there..." she said, "but don't go thinking that you can stake him or anything!" she warned.
Darla shrugged herself this time. "Whatever."
As Buffy walked off, Angel asked quietly, "What is this about?"
Darla pulled a face. "I... it's about Xander."
Angel nodded. "That much I guessed."
"I'm having strange feelings. I never felt this way before, and I'm not entirely certain I like it."
"Go on."
Darla sighed. "You're not going to make this easy, are you?"
Angel smirked, and for a second, Darla was sure that it was the man known as the 'Scourge of Europe' that stood in front of her rather than the neutered weakling he had become. "Me? Never."
"I'm in love with Xander Harris." Darla blurted it out before she could chicken out of the revelation.
Angel merely raised an eyebrow. "And this concerns me how?"
"Well... you're a vampire."
"And?"
"And you're in love with a human... so how can you get it to work? Or is it some kind of special magic that only a Slayer and a vampire with a..." Darla shuddered, "...soul... can use?"
Angel smiled. "You don't like the feeling?"
"You didn't answer my question." Darla snapped accusingly.
Angel chuckled. "No... it's not some special magic. Anyone can use it. In fact," he looked at his blonde sire with an appraising expression, "I think you already are..."
"So can you..." Darla choked on her pride for a second, and finally threw it to the winds "help me?"
Angel shook his head. "I can't help you Darla."
Her eyes betrayed her shock. "What?!" she raged, "after I came out here, and risked the wrath of the Slayer?! How can you say that to your sire?!"
Angel calmly explained, "I can't help you, because you've already helped yourself."
Darla stood for a few seconds, contemplating exactly what this meant. Angel smiled privately to himself and vanished into the shadows to join Buffy.
I need to get some closure... and to know exactly what it is that I want. I don't know what to do... you're the first person I have ever met to cause me this. If something goes wrong... forgive me.
Darla.
Angel looked at Buffy for a second, gauging her reaction. Buffy spoke before he could. "Do you think she means harm? To Xander? Or to any of us?"
Angel shook his head. "To Xander, no, never. She loves him... and I'm scared to say that it's maybe the first time she's known that simple emotion since she was born." He frowned. "To us? Well, maybe to me... but I can handle myself, and time will inevitably tell in the end..."
Buffy looked down. "But what could she do? She hasn't got a soul..."
Angel reached forward and took Buffy's chin in his hand. "Buffy... there are humans... vampires in their way, a thousand times worse than the most evil demon could ever be. Vlad the Impaler, Elizabeth Bathory... not to mention the more modern ones..."
"I... I worry, about Xander I mean..."
Angel kissed her gently on the lips, before pulling back and examining her face. "You wouldn't be human, and he wouldn't be your friend if you didn't."