***
new chapter of SiT today! To quote my beta: this is 'where the good stuff begins to happen' which means that the actions is about to pick up.
If anyone's gotten as discombobulated as I have because I'm posting two fics at once at the moment; here's a tiny recap of where we are in SiT: Buffy's just visited Sunnydale because of her Mother's death and is now back in Seattle with the gang. Angel has finally gotten a clue and gone to search out Buffy. He's now on his way to Seattle after hearing from Faith that Buffy may be there.
Thank you to everyone who sent feedback on SiT #4 part 3! Your comments are greatly appreciated!
~Isis
***
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Part 4
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~back in Seattle~
"No buts, Buffy," Cordelia stated as she folded her arms across her chest.
"But-," Buffy started to reply but was cut off.
"I'm pretty sure I said no buts," the brunette repeated and then turned to look at Doyle. "Didn't I?"
"That's what I heard, Princess," Doyle nodded in agreement.
"I have work to do, though!" yelled Buffy in frustration, not liking being ordered around.
"No, you have until Friday off," Cordy smiled smugly. "Lorne's orders."
Buffy frowned and glared at her two friends. Pouting slightly, she leaned back against the couch before conceding defeat. "Fine."
"Buffy," Cordelia sighed and walked over to sit down next to the blonde. "We just want you to take it easy for a couple days. Things have been pretty stressful with your Mom's death and then running into Xander. Take some time just to let everything settle."
"I'm fine, really, I am," she tried to reassure them, though she knew they were right. Her life was already busy with having an almost six-year-old daughter, a job, and slaying, and then add onto that the recent events and she was a bit worn out.
"We know you're fine," stated Cordy sympathetically and put her hand over Buffy's. "But it can't hurt to take a few days to relax. And hey, how often do you have your boss ordering you to take time off?"
Buffy had to chuckle at the statement. She supposed a few days off would be nice. "Okay, okay. I'll do it. I won't set foot inside the club until Friday."
"Good!" Cordy grinned. "Oooh! Why don't we kick off your vacation right and go shopping later?"
"Yeah, and I can watch the li'l one," Doyle offered his assistance. "I can take her down ta the office. Ya know how much she loves ta sit in yer big chair."
"I think she spends more time in that chair than I do," Buffy mock frowned, but then couldn't help but smile thinking of her little daughter happily seated in the huge leather chair that sat behind her desk.
"So, shopping?" Cordy reiterated anxiously.
"Sure. I have to get some stuff for Ashlynn's birthday, plus something to wear for the party," Buffy answered, mentally going through all the things she needed to get while out.
"Good. I have an appointment to get my nails done in half an hour, so how about we plan to leave in and hour and a half?" Cordy checked her watch to see what time it was.
"Sounds good. I'll check with Willow to see if she wants to come with us," Buffy added, knowing the redhead could probably use a day of shopping since she spent so much time working.
"Okay," agreed Cordy. She and Willow weren't exactly the best of friends, but they managed to get along fairly well these days. As she was about to get off the couch, she felt Buffy put a hand on her arm.
"Thanks for being there for me, and for being such a good friend," Buffy spoke seriously, her eyes showing her genuine appreciation.
"Anytime," Cordy smiled warmly as the two girls hugged briefly before Cordy stood up. "All right, I'll see you in an hour and a half then."
Buffy watched Cordy and Doyle leave, silently saying 'thank you' to whoever was responsible for bringing them into her life all those years ago. She honestly didn't know how she would have made it to this day without their support. Would she have even made it out of Sunnydale without Cordy? Probably, but she was glad that she didn't have to do it alone.
Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy saw Willow standing in the doorway leading to the hall that their bedrooms were off of. She turned her head to look at her friend and noticed the pensive look on the redhead's face.
"Something wrong?" she asked worriedly.
"What? Oh...no, nothing's wrong," Willow shook herself out of her internal thoughts. When Buffy gave her a disbelieving look, she spoke again. "It's just still weird, even after all these years."
"What is?" Buffy asked in confusion.
"Cordy. Or you and Cordy I guess you could say." Willow walked into the room and sat down on the couch next to Buffy. "It's just still kinda hard to fathom that you guys are such good friends."
Buffy frowned at the statement, which Willow immediately noticed and corrected herself. "I didn't mean like that. I just remember how she used to be, and how she treated all of us, and it is odd seeing her the way she is now."
"I know. It is kinda strange, but she's been a really good friend," Buffy answered honestly.
A flash of guilt flickered in Willow's eyes as she remembered all that had occurred nearly seven years earlier. "Yeah, she has," she agreed in a quiet voice.
The tone was not lost on Buffy. She knew exactly what her friend was thinking about. Even after all these years, the memories of her last days in Sunnydale were still vivid in her mind. She'd long since forgiven Willow for her inaction during the confrontation at Giles', but even so, she would never forget it.
"Does it bother you? That Cordy and I are such good friends?" Buffy asked suddenly.
Willow's eyes flickered to Buffy for a moment before she looked down at her hands. "It did a lot...at first. Seeing you so close to her when Oz and I first came was really hard. I remembered the way she was, and to see you two the way you were...it just made no sense. And I guess I was kinda jealous."
"I can understand that, but you know you are important to me too, right? I'm glad that you found me, and that you and Oz stayed here," Buffy told her friend.
"I'm glad we came too. I really missed you after you left," she smiled back at Buffy. "And I'm glad that Cordy was there for you when I wasn't."
"Oh, Willow," sniffled Buffy slightly, and then wrapped her arms around one of her best friends. They hugged for a long moment before they both burst into small chuckles at themselves over their impromptu bonding session.
"So, uh, did I hear something about shopping?" Willow questioned as she dabbed at the moisture in her eyes.
"Yup. Girls' Day Out. You game?" Buffy grinned, thinking about how nice it would be to get out for an afternoon and not think about anything serious.
"Of course! Though are you sure shopping with Cordy is such a good idea?" Willow raised a teasing eyebrow.
"Probably not," Buffy laughed and shook her head.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Several hours later, Buffy stood in line at a small Thai restaurant waiting to get some dinner. They'd decided to take a break from shopping so that they could eat. Actually, she and Willow had. Cordelia stated that she wasn't hungry and was going to try on some more clothes at the boutique they'd just been in. After she and Willow ate, they would go back and drag Cordy out of the store.
Once she'd gotten her food, Buffy surveyed the seating area of the small food court for Willow. She found her friend still waiting in line at the pizza place so she walked toward the nearest empty table. Placing her tray down, she realized she'd forgotten napkins and a straw. Not wanting to carry everything back with her, she left the tray and her bags at the table and went to fetch the items she needed.
Having gotten napkins and a straw, Buffy turned to walk back to the table. She wasn't quite paying attention and ended up walking smack into a person standing behind her. Her balance faltered momentarily and the napkins and straw slipped out of her hand, falling to the dirty ground.
"I'm so sorry!" she apologized quickly, and bent to pick up what she'd dropped.
When she stood back up to face the person she'd almost run over, there was no one there. She glanced to her right and left but found the tall gentleman nowhere. Shrugging, she threw the soiled napkins into the nearby trashcan and picked up some new ones. This time, she made sure to watch where she was going as she walked back to her table.
As she sat down and looked at her tray, a frown formed on her face. Her fork unexpectedly lay half nestled in the plate of food. Hadn't it come in a plastic wrapper? She didn't remember taking it out of the protective covering and putting it in her food. Or was it the Italian place that gave out forks in wrappers? She couldn't remember, they'd only eaten here a few times before.
Shrugging, Buffy told herself that the Thai place must just give out plain plastic forks. After all, who would come and unwrap her fork and put it in her food. Her thoughts about the oddly placed fork quickly left her mind as Willow walked up to the table and sat down opposite her.
"Ugh! That line took forever!" the redhead groused unhappily.
"Told ya you should have gotten Thai with me," Buffy grinned smugly.
"Whatever," Willow waved her hand in a sarcastic gesture. "I can't believe that Cordy is still trying on clothes!"
"Did you expect anything else?" Buffy chuckled and started to eat her food.
"Actually," Willow pondered the thought for a moment. "No."
The two continued eating their dinners, sharing random chatter about various topics as they ate. They were almost finished when Willow suddenly remembered there was something she was supposed to tell Buffy.
"Oh shit!" the redhead exclaimed, smacking herself lightly on the forehead. "I totally forgot that I was supposed to tell you something!"
"Tell me what?" Buffy gave Willow and odd look.
"Lindsey called yesterday morning," she relayed with a pointed look toward Buffy.
"Shit!" This time it was Buffy who knocked herself on the side of the head.
"Uh huh," Willow acknowledged Buffy's screw up. "He's not very happy with you."
"Damnit!" the blonde cursed herself. "I meant to call him before we headed to Sunnydale, but everything was so screwy."
"Understandable," Willow gave her a sympathetic look. "He said you should have called and told him, though, and that he would have come home early and gone to Sunnydale with you."
"I know he would have," Buffy smiled gratefully, thinking about what a sweetie Lindsey was. "Is he still staying until next week?"
"No, he said he'd probably be home either tomorrow or the next day. I think his parents are driving him nuts," relayed Willow while getting her trash ready to throw away.
"He knew that they would," Buffy shook her head. "I don't know why he planned a two week visit knowing how they usually are."
"Men," snorted Willow and rolled her eyes. "They never think things through. Well, except my Oz."
Buffy laughed at the exemption of Oz and started gathering her stuff together. "Come on, let's go get Cordy before she buys the whole store."
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
~the next night~
"Are you sure you don't want to go to a movie, Darlin'?" Lindsey asked as he and Buffy walked back toward the club after having dinner out. He'd arrived back in Seattle earlier in the day.
"Yeah. I'm sorry," she apologized and then released a heavy yawn. "I'm just really tired tonight for some reason."
"Nothing to be sorry for. We can go see a movie over the weekend," he grinned at her, showing that he was not at all upset. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, the two continued the remaining short walk to Buffy's apartment.
Nearly two blocks away, Angel's anxious footsteps stopped abruptly. His eyes closed as he felt a slight tingle trickle down his spine. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in so long. One that told him that a Slayer was nearby. But not just any Slayer, His Slayer. The feeling was faint, but enough for him to recognize, though.
For long moments, Angel only stood and let himself luxuriate in the sensation. He wanted to jump for joy and weep all at once. She was alive. She was really alive. The hope that had sprung from his conversation with Faith now burned brightly inside of him. He had wanted to believe it before, but there was a small part of him that knew it was entirely possible that Faith was lying and trying to trick him. But now...now he had real hope. He could feel her presence, and he could finally truly believe that the nightmare that had started in a small bar in Ireland was just that; a nightmare.
He'd arrived in Seattle nearly two days ago and immediately set about tracking down any possible lead. It hadn't been easy. He wasn't familiar with the town and didn't have any sources to draw upon. So he'd had to resort to walking the streets; eavesdropping on other demons' conversations. The lucky break had come when he ran into one of Spike's old minions who, thinking he was still Angelus, had warned him to stay away from the opposite side of town because a Slayer was working the streets there. He'd pumped the vampire for everything he knew and then promptly staked him as a thank you.
So now he found himself walking toward some club called 'Black Destiny' that, if he was to believe the minion, Buffy was working out of. He was anxious and afraid and everything in between. All he wanted to do was see her, catch one small glimpse to reassure him that she was alive and well. After that, he didn't quite know what he would do.
Crossing a street, Angel glanced at his surroundings. On the opposite side of the road his eyes were immediately attracted to a large brick building with a neon sign above the door that read 'Black Destiny'. He scented the air, picking up trace amounts of what he knew was her, but it was muddled with many others. This was the right place, though, he was sure of it.
Hesitantly, his eyes scanned the building and then to the right. As he shifted his gaze to the left, he could make out two figures walking toward the club across the street. Immediately, he knew it was her. It wasn't the short, petite figure, or the medium length blonde hair that gave her away, but rather a feeling inside him. He released a cleansing sigh as a solitary tear trailed down his cheek over the definitive proof that she was really alive.
Angel tucked himself into the shadows and watched as the two figures drew closer. His unbeating heart lurched when he realized that the other person was a man. And not just any man, but one who had his arm leisurely draped around his Buffy. Shattered at the sight, he slumped back against the wall, closing his eyes against the horrible truth. He'd always told himself that he'd wanted it to happen, that he had wanted her to find someone to spend her life and be happy with. Now that it was staring him dead in the face, tearing his heart to shreds, he didn't think there could be anything more painful.
He wanted to run, to get as far away as possible from the happy pair, but he was rooted in his spot. Slowly, he pried his eyes open and forced himself to watch the woman who would forever hold his heart. She looked as beautiful as ever, smiling and laughing in the arms of another. Obviously life had been good to her. That was what he'd wanted wasn't it? It hurt like a million holy water drenched stakes being shoved into his body at once, though. Still, he couldn't take his eyes off her, drinking in every nuance of the woman he hadn't seen in seven years.
The two arrived at the entrance to the club, and what he was also told was where she lived, with Angel's eyes still glued on them. Just as Buffy reached the door, he saw her abruptly stop and turn quickly around. Slinking further into the shadows he saw her eyes scan the surroundings searching for her discontent. He didn't reveal himself, and moments later she shrugged and entered the building with the lecherous man following behind.
For the remainder of the night, Angel remained standing in the same exact spot. He didn't know why he stayed, but he just couldn't seem to make himself leave. Part of him dreaded walking away and no longer feeling her soothing presence washing over his body, and other parts of him wanted to wait for the man to leave so that he could do something he knew he shouldn't. The man never left, though. He waited until nearly sunrise, but the only people he saw leave were drunken club-goers.
He didn't want to face it, but he knew he had to. She'd moved on. She was happy. He hated it, but his feelings were inconsequential. All that mattered was that she was really alive and that she was doing well. At least that was what he told himself was all that mattered. Ignoring the ache in his heart, Angel finally turned and slowly walked away, again, from the woman he would always love.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
~same night~
Lorne and Doyle stood stoically inside the office, both nursing stiff drinks. They waited until the club closed and all the others had gone off to bed before retreating to the club's private sanctum. But now that they were there, each found themselves unable to voice the thoughts in their heads.
Doyle was the first to break the uneasy silence. "It's starting isn't it?"
"'Fraid so, my friend," Lorne sighed and shook his head.
"Damn!" the half demon cursed loudly, slamming his glass down on the desk. "Have ya been able ta read anything else off her?"
"No, not even a smidge of detail out of the perky little head of hers," Lorne frowned at his lack of information. "All I get off her is that things are about to get ugly with a capital 'U'."
"Damn!" Doyle cursed once again. "They're not making this easy on us."
"Do they ever?" the green demon grimaced. "The Bosses aren't givin' you anything either?"
"Nothing," Doyle shook his head. "Whatever is going ta happen has them worried, though."
"That's not good. You sure we shouldn't tell her?" Lorne's eyes glanced upwards to where the object of their discussion was sleeping.
"Ya know we can't interfere in things like this. The bosses would have my head. And it's not like we really know anything," Doyle sighed and slumped down on the office's leather couch.
"I don't like it," Lorne again looked to the ceiling. "I just hope she'll make it through."
"Me too," Doyle added worriedly.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
TBC!!
new chapter of SiT today! To quote my beta: this is 'where the good stuff begins to happen' which means that the actions is about to pick up.
If anyone's gotten as discombobulated as I have because I'm posting two fics at once at the moment; here's a tiny recap of where we are in SiT: Buffy's just visited Sunnydale because of her Mother's death and is now back in Seattle with the gang. Angel has finally gotten a clue and gone to search out Buffy. He's now on his way to Seattle after hearing from Faith that Buffy may be there.
Thank you to everyone who sent feedback on SiT #4 part 3! Your comments are greatly appreciated!
~Isis
***
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Part 4
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~back in Seattle~
"No buts, Buffy," Cordelia stated as she folded her arms across her chest.
"But-," Buffy started to reply but was cut off.
"I'm pretty sure I said no buts," the brunette repeated and then turned to look at Doyle. "Didn't I?"
"That's what I heard, Princess," Doyle nodded in agreement.
"I have work to do, though!" yelled Buffy in frustration, not liking being ordered around.
"No, you have until Friday off," Cordy smiled smugly. "Lorne's orders."
Buffy frowned and glared at her two friends. Pouting slightly, she leaned back against the couch before conceding defeat. "Fine."
"Buffy," Cordelia sighed and walked over to sit down next to the blonde. "We just want you to take it easy for a couple days. Things have been pretty stressful with your Mom's death and then running into Xander. Take some time just to let everything settle."
"I'm fine, really, I am," she tried to reassure them, though she knew they were right. Her life was already busy with having an almost six-year-old daughter, a job, and slaying, and then add onto that the recent events and she was a bit worn out.
"We know you're fine," stated Cordy sympathetically and put her hand over Buffy's. "But it can't hurt to take a few days to relax. And hey, how often do you have your boss ordering you to take time off?"
Buffy had to chuckle at the statement. She supposed a few days off would be nice. "Okay, okay. I'll do it. I won't set foot inside the club until Friday."
"Good!" Cordy grinned. "Oooh! Why don't we kick off your vacation right and go shopping later?"
"Yeah, and I can watch the li'l one," Doyle offered his assistance. "I can take her down ta the office. Ya know how much she loves ta sit in yer big chair."
"I think she spends more time in that chair than I do," Buffy mock frowned, but then couldn't help but smile thinking of her little daughter happily seated in the huge leather chair that sat behind her desk.
"So, shopping?" Cordy reiterated anxiously.
"Sure. I have to get some stuff for Ashlynn's birthday, plus something to wear for the party," Buffy answered, mentally going through all the things she needed to get while out.
"Good. I have an appointment to get my nails done in half an hour, so how about we plan to leave in and hour and a half?" Cordy checked her watch to see what time it was.
"Sounds good. I'll check with Willow to see if she wants to come with us," Buffy added, knowing the redhead could probably use a day of shopping since she spent so much time working.
"Okay," agreed Cordy. She and Willow weren't exactly the best of friends, but they managed to get along fairly well these days. As she was about to get off the couch, she felt Buffy put a hand on her arm.
"Thanks for being there for me, and for being such a good friend," Buffy spoke seriously, her eyes showing her genuine appreciation.
"Anytime," Cordy smiled warmly as the two girls hugged briefly before Cordy stood up. "All right, I'll see you in an hour and a half then."
Buffy watched Cordy and Doyle leave, silently saying 'thank you' to whoever was responsible for bringing them into her life all those years ago. She honestly didn't know how she would have made it to this day without their support. Would she have even made it out of Sunnydale without Cordy? Probably, but she was glad that she didn't have to do it alone.
Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy saw Willow standing in the doorway leading to the hall that their bedrooms were off of. She turned her head to look at her friend and noticed the pensive look on the redhead's face.
"Something wrong?" she asked worriedly.
"What? Oh...no, nothing's wrong," Willow shook herself out of her internal thoughts. When Buffy gave her a disbelieving look, she spoke again. "It's just still weird, even after all these years."
"What is?" Buffy asked in confusion.
"Cordy. Or you and Cordy I guess you could say." Willow walked into the room and sat down on the couch next to Buffy. "It's just still kinda hard to fathom that you guys are such good friends."
Buffy frowned at the statement, which Willow immediately noticed and corrected herself. "I didn't mean like that. I just remember how she used to be, and how she treated all of us, and it is odd seeing her the way she is now."
"I know. It is kinda strange, but she's been a really good friend," Buffy answered honestly.
A flash of guilt flickered in Willow's eyes as she remembered all that had occurred nearly seven years earlier. "Yeah, she has," she agreed in a quiet voice.
The tone was not lost on Buffy. She knew exactly what her friend was thinking about. Even after all these years, the memories of her last days in Sunnydale were still vivid in her mind. She'd long since forgiven Willow for her inaction during the confrontation at Giles', but even so, she would never forget it.
"Does it bother you? That Cordy and I are such good friends?" Buffy asked suddenly.
Willow's eyes flickered to Buffy for a moment before she looked down at her hands. "It did a lot...at first. Seeing you so close to her when Oz and I first came was really hard. I remembered the way she was, and to see you two the way you were...it just made no sense. And I guess I was kinda jealous."
"I can understand that, but you know you are important to me too, right? I'm glad that you found me, and that you and Oz stayed here," Buffy told her friend.
"I'm glad we came too. I really missed you after you left," she smiled back at Buffy. "And I'm glad that Cordy was there for you when I wasn't."
"Oh, Willow," sniffled Buffy slightly, and then wrapped her arms around one of her best friends. They hugged for a long moment before they both burst into small chuckles at themselves over their impromptu bonding session.
"So, uh, did I hear something about shopping?" Willow questioned as she dabbed at the moisture in her eyes.
"Yup. Girls' Day Out. You game?" Buffy grinned, thinking about how nice it would be to get out for an afternoon and not think about anything serious.
"Of course! Though are you sure shopping with Cordy is such a good idea?" Willow raised a teasing eyebrow.
"Probably not," Buffy laughed and shook her head.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Several hours later, Buffy stood in line at a small Thai restaurant waiting to get some dinner. They'd decided to take a break from shopping so that they could eat. Actually, she and Willow had. Cordelia stated that she wasn't hungry and was going to try on some more clothes at the boutique they'd just been in. After she and Willow ate, they would go back and drag Cordy out of the store.
Once she'd gotten her food, Buffy surveyed the seating area of the small food court for Willow. She found her friend still waiting in line at the pizza place so she walked toward the nearest empty table. Placing her tray down, she realized she'd forgotten napkins and a straw. Not wanting to carry everything back with her, she left the tray and her bags at the table and went to fetch the items she needed.
Having gotten napkins and a straw, Buffy turned to walk back to the table. She wasn't quite paying attention and ended up walking smack into a person standing behind her. Her balance faltered momentarily and the napkins and straw slipped out of her hand, falling to the dirty ground.
"I'm so sorry!" she apologized quickly, and bent to pick up what she'd dropped.
When she stood back up to face the person she'd almost run over, there was no one there. She glanced to her right and left but found the tall gentleman nowhere. Shrugging, she threw the soiled napkins into the nearby trashcan and picked up some new ones. This time, she made sure to watch where she was going as she walked back to her table.
As she sat down and looked at her tray, a frown formed on her face. Her fork unexpectedly lay half nestled in the plate of food. Hadn't it come in a plastic wrapper? She didn't remember taking it out of the protective covering and putting it in her food. Or was it the Italian place that gave out forks in wrappers? She couldn't remember, they'd only eaten here a few times before.
Shrugging, Buffy told herself that the Thai place must just give out plain plastic forks. After all, who would come and unwrap her fork and put it in her food. Her thoughts about the oddly placed fork quickly left her mind as Willow walked up to the table and sat down opposite her.
"Ugh! That line took forever!" the redhead groused unhappily.
"Told ya you should have gotten Thai with me," Buffy grinned smugly.
"Whatever," Willow waved her hand in a sarcastic gesture. "I can't believe that Cordy is still trying on clothes!"
"Did you expect anything else?" Buffy chuckled and started to eat her food.
"Actually," Willow pondered the thought for a moment. "No."
The two continued eating their dinners, sharing random chatter about various topics as they ate. They were almost finished when Willow suddenly remembered there was something she was supposed to tell Buffy.
"Oh shit!" the redhead exclaimed, smacking herself lightly on the forehead. "I totally forgot that I was supposed to tell you something!"
"Tell me what?" Buffy gave Willow and odd look.
"Lindsey called yesterday morning," she relayed with a pointed look toward Buffy.
"Shit!" This time it was Buffy who knocked herself on the side of the head.
"Uh huh," Willow acknowledged Buffy's screw up. "He's not very happy with you."
"Damnit!" the blonde cursed herself. "I meant to call him before we headed to Sunnydale, but everything was so screwy."
"Understandable," Willow gave her a sympathetic look. "He said you should have called and told him, though, and that he would have come home early and gone to Sunnydale with you."
"I know he would have," Buffy smiled gratefully, thinking about what a sweetie Lindsey was. "Is he still staying until next week?"
"No, he said he'd probably be home either tomorrow or the next day. I think his parents are driving him nuts," relayed Willow while getting her trash ready to throw away.
"He knew that they would," Buffy shook her head. "I don't know why he planned a two week visit knowing how they usually are."
"Men," snorted Willow and rolled her eyes. "They never think things through. Well, except my Oz."
Buffy laughed at the exemption of Oz and started gathering her stuff together. "Come on, let's go get Cordy before she buys the whole store."
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
~the next night~
"Are you sure you don't want to go to a movie, Darlin'?" Lindsey asked as he and Buffy walked back toward the club after having dinner out. He'd arrived back in Seattle earlier in the day.
"Yeah. I'm sorry," she apologized and then released a heavy yawn. "I'm just really tired tonight for some reason."
"Nothing to be sorry for. We can go see a movie over the weekend," he grinned at her, showing that he was not at all upset. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, the two continued the remaining short walk to Buffy's apartment.
Nearly two blocks away, Angel's anxious footsteps stopped abruptly. His eyes closed as he felt a slight tingle trickle down his spine. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in so long. One that told him that a Slayer was nearby. But not just any Slayer, His Slayer. The feeling was faint, but enough for him to recognize, though.
For long moments, Angel only stood and let himself luxuriate in the sensation. He wanted to jump for joy and weep all at once. She was alive. She was really alive. The hope that had sprung from his conversation with Faith now burned brightly inside of him. He had wanted to believe it before, but there was a small part of him that knew it was entirely possible that Faith was lying and trying to trick him. But now...now he had real hope. He could feel her presence, and he could finally truly believe that the nightmare that had started in a small bar in Ireland was just that; a nightmare.
He'd arrived in Seattle nearly two days ago and immediately set about tracking down any possible lead. It hadn't been easy. He wasn't familiar with the town and didn't have any sources to draw upon. So he'd had to resort to walking the streets; eavesdropping on other demons' conversations. The lucky break had come when he ran into one of Spike's old minions who, thinking he was still Angelus, had warned him to stay away from the opposite side of town because a Slayer was working the streets there. He'd pumped the vampire for everything he knew and then promptly staked him as a thank you.
So now he found himself walking toward some club called 'Black Destiny' that, if he was to believe the minion, Buffy was working out of. He was anxious and afraid and everything in between. All he wanted to do was see her, catch one small glimpse to reassure him that she was alive and well. After that, he didn't quite know what he would do.
Crossing a street, Angel glanced at his surroundings. On the opposite side of the road his eyes were immediately attracted to a large brick building with a neon sign above the door that read 'Black Destiny'. He scented the air, picking up trace amounts of what he knew was her, but it was muddled with many others. This was the right place, though, he was sure of it.
Hesitantly, his eyes scanned the building and then to the right. As he shifted his gaze to the left, he could make out two figures walking toward the club across the street. Immediately, he knew it was her. It wasn't the short, petite figure, or the medium length blonde hair that gave her away, but rather a feeling inside him. He released a cleansing sigh as a solitary tear trailed down his cheek over the definitive proof that she was really alive.
Angel tucked himself into the shadows and watched as the two figures drew closer. His unbeating heart lurched when he realized that the other person was a man. And not just any man, but one who had his arm leisurely draped around his Buffy. Shattered at the sight, he slumped back against the wall, closing his eyes against the horrible truth. He'd always told himself that he'd wanted it to happen, that he had wanted her to find someone to spend her life and be happy with. Now that it was staring him dead in the face, tearing his heart to shreds, he didn't think there could be anything more painful.
He wanted to run, to get as far away as possible from the happy pair, but he was rooted in his spot. Slowly, he pried his eyes open and forced himself to watch the woman who would forever hold his heart. She looked as beautiful as ever, smiling and laughing in the arms of another. Obviously life had been good to her. That was what he'd wanted wasn't it? It hurt like a million holy water drenched stakes being shoved into his body at once, though. Still, he couldn't take his eyes off her, drinking in every nuance of the woman he hadn't seen in seven years.
The two arrived at the entrance to the club, and what he was also told was where she lived, with Angel's eyes still glued on them. Just as Buffy reached the door, he saw her abruptly stop and turn quickly around. Slinking further into the shadows he saw her eyes scan the surroundings searching for her discontent. He didn't reveal himself, and moments later she shrugged and entered the building with the lecherous man following behind.
For the remainder of the night, Angel remained standing in the same exact spot. He didn't know why he stayed, but he just couldn't seem to make himself leave. Part of him dreaded walking away and no longer feeling her soothing presence washing over his body, and other parts of him wanted to wait for the man to leave so that he could do something he knew he shouldn't. The man never left, though. He waited until nearly sunrise, but the only people he saw leave were drunken club-goers.
He didn't want to face it, but he knew he had to. She'd moved on. She was happy. He hated it, but his feelings were inconsequential. All that mattered was that she was really alive and that she was doing well. At least that was what he told himself was all that mattered. Ignoring the ache in his heart, Angel finally turned and slowly walked away, again, from the woman he would always love.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
~same night~
Lorne and Doyle stood stoically inside the office, both nursing stiff drinks. They waited until the club closed and all the others had gone off to bed before retreating to the club's private sanctum. But now that they were there, each found themselves unable to voice the thoughts in their heads.
Doyle was the first to break the uneasy silence. "It's starting isn't it?"
"'Fraid so, my friend," Lorne sighed and shook his head.
"Damn!" the half demon cursed loudly, slamming his glass down on the desk. "Have ya been able ta read anything else off her?"
"No, not even a smidge of detail out of the perky little head of hers," Lorne frowned at his lack of information. "All I get off her is that things are about to get ugly with a capital 'U'."
"Damn!" Doyle cursed once again. "They're not making this easy on us."
"Do they ever?" the green demon grimaced. "The Bosses aren't givin' you anything either?"
"Nothing," Doyle shook his head. "Whatever is going ta happen has them worried, though."
"That's not good. You sure we shouldn't tell her?" Lorne's eyes glanced upwards to where the object of their discussion was sleeping.
"Ya know we can't interfere in things like this. The bosses would have my head. And it's not like we really know anything," Doyle sighed and slumped down on the office's leather couch.
"I don't like it," Lorne again looked to the ceiling. "I just hope she'll make it through."
"Me too," Doyle added worriedly.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
TBC!!