After the Storm
Chapter 18
By Vixen
"Ready," Angel asked, and tied the last harnesses of the horse's saddle. There was something about horses; almost every alternate dimension had them, well except the Land of Only Shrimp. But there had to be an exception to every rule.
Terrin nodded earnestly, but kept quiet as Angel helped him into the saddle. The young boy then waited while Angel mounted his own horse, borrowed from one of the local tribesmen. They'd been riding together every other day for a month now. Angel had been the one to teach the boy the basics of riding, how to spur the horse into a canter, gallop, jumping would come later the man had promised.
Angel clicked his tongue, and dug the heel of his boot into the soft stomach of his horse, moving it into a slow walk. Terrin followed behind, and they set out into the desert. It was actually a pretty nice area the tribe had chosen to settle this month. Warm and arid, like most all of the other places they'd been, but the sunsets were spectacular.
While Angel tried to get the theme of Bonanza out of his head, he looked over at the boy. When they had first met, Terrin had been unresponsive, frightened of leaving the tribe's site. Now though, he welcomed the time away, smiling during the whole ride. His proficiency with his own horse had grown as well, he handled the reigns with care, knowing just how to control the animal and get it to work with him instead of against him. Still, he said nothing during their trips. The stress of what he'd experienced years ago not dissipating so easily.
Angel wondered what he could be thinking deep in that head of his. Though the quiet was soothing and the rides relaxing after a day of training, he had inwardly hoped he'd be able to cure the emotional damage done to the boy. That though seemed impossibly, however he remained patient and hopeful. It was more than helping the helpless, every time he looked at Terrin he couldn't help but be reminded of his own son. So innocent, so fragile, and so broken. Connor had been saved though. It took a deal with the devil, but Angel was happy with the road his son's life had taken, at least the last part of it. If there was hope for Connor, then maybe he could still do something to help this boy.
They galloped past a stream, and an unseen geyser shot up out from it. It was a strange part of the natural environment of this dimension, the waterspouts that shot up every so often. Fiyara had tried to explain the science behind them once, but Angel was never one for science. The water sprayed out at them, soaking their clothes, an unexpected turn of events.
Angel stopped his horse, a scowl fixed upon his face. While he shook some of the water off, he looked over at Terrin. He had gotten just as wet, but it didn't seem to faze him. He was even laughing, an even rarer occurrence.
Listening to the boy's joyful chuckling, Angel forgot his annoyance at the environment. He grinned, "It wasn't supposed to rain today." Terrin continued laughing, now from Angel's lame joke than from the waterspout. Noticing the suns had set and the sky was darkening, Angel remarked, "Let's get back to camp, so we can get some dry clothes, okay?"
Terrin nodded his agreement, turned his horse around and they both set off in a gallop across the desert. When they finally made it back to camp, Angel undid the straps to the saddles and led the horses into the makeshift gated area. Turning to Terrin, Angel said, "Want to go back out tomorrow? I only have one class to teach, and that's in the morning. We'll have a few hours before the sun sets for a nice ride."
A smile, a nod. It was all Terrin would say, but it was a clear yes.
Angel stood by the gate, watching Terrin as he headed for the doorway of the main cave of the tribes' residency. Then he turned and found Spike watching him, as he had expected. "What do you want?"
"You seem to be getting all cozy with the youngster." Spike said as he hopped up onto the fence. With a cocky grin he added, "You old softie, you."
Angel only rolled his eyes, knowing Spike wanted to talk about something more. He always seemed to have an ulterior motive whenever he spoke to the older vampire, "Just get to the point. If there is a point and you're not just following me around so that you can annoy me. Which is something I'm really starting to really believe these days."
"I know something you don't want me to know," Spike's singsong voice was childish, nagging at the vampire's last bit of patience. When he got to the end of his tune, he just smirked, waiting for the other to ask him what it was, daring him.
"And that would be...?" Angel asked impatiently, knowing he was falling into Spike's trap.
"Connor."
The word hung out in the air between them in the still of the night. Then unexpectedly, Angel grabbed Spike's duster, pulled him off the fence, and pushed him against a fence post. Spike's feet dangled in the air as Angel held him up by his duster. Both of them were more than a little startled, one by the fact that his secret was now out, the other because Illyria had not been lying and vampire mythology had been changed drastically. Spike grasped for words, "So, it's true? I'll be damned!"
Angel resisted the urge to tell him that they both already were. Instead in a brash tone, the vampire asked, "How do you know about him?"
Spike shook out of the other vampire's hold, "Blue told me. Didn't figure on it being true. Thought something like that was downright impossible." He straightened up and rattled off a few questions, "How did you do it, mate, weird science or mystical hocus pocus or just plain viagra? And just who in their right minds would sleep with you?"
Ignoring Spike's mock shudder at his last question, Angel told him sternly, "This stays between us. If I find out anyone else knows about my son, I will beat you within every inch of your life. Do you understand me?"
He was bordering on Angelus-type rage, and Spike couldn't think of a reply that wouldn't get his ass kicked right then and there except, "Whatever you say," Then he went back to his teasing, "But next time, it would be nice to be told. You know, do it proper, send a fella a cigar and all that."
Spike walked off, leaving Angel behind and at a loss for words. He shook his head, getting Spike to agree not to say anything had been simple enough. Making sure the younger vampire kept his word would take a bit work. He wondered if he should just tell Gunn the truth, but then the whole issue of switched memories would come up. And that was bound to be a touchy subject. It had been hard enough with Wesley, and Gunn's trust was even harder to earn.
At the thought of Wesley, Angel grew morose. It had been a while since the fight with the Black Thorn, but he still hadn't gotten over the loss of his friend. They'd gone through a lot together, and then it was just over. Just like that. He wondered if they had even changed anything back home, and figured with the way their luck had been going they would never make it back to find out.
..............................................
That's all for today. Tune in tomorrow for more.
Chapter 18
By Vixen
"Ready," Angel asked, and tied the last harnesses of the horse's saddle. There was something about horses; almost every alternate dimension had them, well except the Land of Only Shrimp. But there had to be an exception to every rule.
Terrin nodded earnestly, but kept quiet as Angel helped him into the saddle. The young boy then waited while Angel mounted his own horse, borrowed from one of the local tribesmen. They'd been riding together every other day for a month now. Angel had been the one to teach the boy the basics of riding, how to spur the horse into a canter, gallop, jumping would come later the man had promised.
Angel clicked his tongue, and dug the heel of his boot into the soft stomach of his horse, moving it into a slow walk. Terrin followed behind, and they set out into the desert. It was actually a pretty nice area the tribe had chosen to settle this month. Warm and arid, like most all of the other places they'd been, but the sunsets were spectacular.
While Angel tried to get the theme of Bonanza out of his head, he looked over at the boy. When they had first met, Terrin had been unresponsive, frightened of leaving the tribe's site. Now though, he welcomed the time away, smiling during the whole ride. His proficiency with his own horse had grown as well, he handled the reigns with care, knowing just how to control the animal and get it to work with him instead of against him. Still, he said nothing during their trips. The stress of what he'd experienced years ago not dissipating so easily.
Angel wondered what he could be thinking deep in that head of his. Though the quiet was soothing and the rides relaxing after a day of training, he had inwardly hoped he'd be able to cure the emotional damage done to the boy. That though seemed impossibly, however he remained patient and hopeful. It was more than helping the helpless, every time he looked at Terrin he couldn't help but be reminded of his own son. So innocent, so fragile, and so broken. Connor had been saved though. It took a deal with the devil, but Angel was happy with the road his son's life had taken, at least the last part of it. If there was hope for Connor, then maybe he could still do something to help this boy.
They galloped past a stream, and an unseen geyser shot up out from it. It was a strange part of the natural environment of this dimension, the waterspouts that shot up every so often. Fiyara had tried to explain the science behind them once, but Angel was never one for science. The water sprayed out at them, soaking their clothes, an unexpected turn of events.
Angel stopped his horse, a scowl fixed upon his face. While he shook some of the water off, he looked over at Terrin. He had gotten just as wet, but it didn't seem to faze him. He was even laughing, an even rarer occurrence.
Listening to the boy's joyful chuckling, Angel forgot his annoyance at the environment. He grinned, "It wasn't supposed to rain today." Terrin continued laughing, now from Angel's lame joke than from the waterspout. Noticing the suns had set and the sky was darkening, Angel remarked, "Let's get back to camp, so we can get some dry clothes, okay?"
Terrin nodded his agreement, turned his horse around and they both set off in a gallop across the desert. When they finally made it back to camp, Angel undid the straps to the saddles and led the horses into the makeshift gated area. Turning to Terrin, Angel said, "Want to go back out tomorrow? I only have one class to teach, and that's in the morning. We'll have a few hours before the sun sets for a nice ride."
A smile, a nod. It was all Terrin would say, but it was a clear yes.
Angel stood by the gate, watching Terrin as he headed for the doorway of the main cave of the tribes' residency. Then he turned and found Spike watching him, as he had expected. "What do you want?"
"You seem to be getting all cozy with the youngster." Spike said as he hopped up onto the fence. With a cocky grin he added, "You old softie, you."
Angel only rolled his eyes, knowing Spike wanted to talk about something more. He always seemed to have an ulterior motive whenever he spoke to the older vampire, "Just get to the point. If there is a point and you're not just following me around so that you can annoy me. Which is something I'm really starting to really believe these days."
"I know something you don't want me to know," Spike's singsong voice was childish, nagging at the vampire's last bit of patience. When he got to the end of his tune, he just smirked, waiting for the other to ask him what it was, daring him.
"And that would be...?" Angel asked impatiently, knowing he was falling into Spike's trap.
"Connor."
The word hung out in the air between them in the still of the night. Then unexpectedly, Angel grabbed Spike's duster, pulled him off the fence, and pushed him against a fence post. Spike's feet dangled in the air as Angel held him up by his duster. Both of them were more than a little startled, one by the fact that his secret was now out, the other because Illyria had not been lying and vampire mythology had been changed drastically. Spike grasped for words, "So, it's true? I'll be damned!"
Angel resisted the urge to tell him that they both already were. Instead in a brash tone, the vampire asked, "How do you know about him?"
Spike shook out of the other vampire's hold, "Blue told me. Didn't figure on it being true. Thought something like that was downright impossible." He straightened up and rattled off a few questions, "How did you do it, mate, weird science or mystical hocus pocus or just plain viagra? And just who in their right minds would sleep with you?"
Ignoring Spike's mock shudder at his last question, Angel told him sternly, "This stays between us. If I find out anyone else knows about my son, I will beat you within every inch of your life. Do you understand me?"
He was bordering on Angelus-type rage, and Spike couldn't think of a reply that wouldn't get his ass kicked right then and there except, "Whatever you say," Then he went back to his teasing, "But next time, it would be nice to be told. You know, do it proper, send a fella a cigar and all that."
Spike walked off, leaving Angel behind and at a loss for words. He shook his head, getting Spike to agree not to say anything had been simple enough. Making sure the younger vampire kept his word would take a bit work. He wondered if he should just tell Gunn the truth, but then the whole issue of switched memories would come up. And that was bound to be a touchy subject. It had been hard enough with Wesley, and Gunn's trust was even harder to earn.
At the thought of Wesley, Angel grew morose. It had been a while since the fight with the Black Thorn, but he still hadn't gotten over the loss of his friend. They'd gone through a lot together, and then it was just over. Just like that. He wondered if they had even changed anything back home, and figured with the way their luck had been going they would never make it back to find out.
..............................................
That's all for today. Tune in tomorrow for more.