***
New SiT chapter! There's a wee bit of a cliff *g*, and you'll probably groan and want to throw things at me. Sorry!
I had a couple questions I wanted to answer here relating to the use of AtS canon...most of what happened on AtS never occurred in the case of this fic. So Angel doesn't know Lindsey, and there is no such thing as the word 'Shanshu'. Everything from AtS is pretty much nonexistent accept for the use of Lorne, Doyle, a club, etc.
Enjoy!
~Isis
***
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Part 5
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~a few days later~
The bright morning sun slowly crept across Buffy's bedroom until it reached her pillow. Her eyes flickered open, blinking furiously against the harsh light assaulting her vision. After a few moments of adjusting to the light, she sat up in her bed, yawning away the remnants of sleep. The movements made her wince as wave after wave of nausea wracked her body. She closed her eyes, trying to force the uncomfortable feeling away, but within seconds was making a mad dash to the bathroom.
Once inside, she fell to the floor in front of the toilet, retching up the contents of her stomach. Minutes later, with her heart racing and beads of sweat pouring down her face she slumped down to the cold tile floor. Her fingers trembled as they tried to soothe the spasms still attacking her insides. Gradually, the nausea and pain began to fade away, leaving Buffy weak and exhausted on the bathroom floor.
She laid there for another fifteen minutes, allowing her body to recover from the sudden sickness. Carefully, she pulled herself off the floor hoping that the nausea would not return. When it didn't, she made her way to the sink and brushed her teeth, removing the foul taste from her mouth. After splashing some cool water on her face, Buffy quietly opened the bathroom door and peeked out into the hallway. She was glad to find no one nearby. If they knew she wasn't feeling well, they'd pester her non-stop.
Walking into her room, she tiredly laid down on her bed and curled into a ball. Being sick was definitely not on her list of fun things to do. And today was not a good day to be sick. Ashlynn's birthday party was tonight and she just couldn't ruin it. Her daughter had been looking forward to it for weeks. Lorne was closing down the club for the night so that they could use the downstairs for a party for family and friends. She just couldn't mess up Ash's night.
Buffy let herself rest for a few more minutes before taking in a deep breath and resigning herself to getting up. At least whatever illness that had come over her this morning seemed to have, for the most part, passed. She still felt kind of gross, but the nausea was gone. Happy for that, Buffy went to her closet and pulled out some old clothes so that she could go down into the club and get it ready for the party. No matter what, she planned on making this a fun night for her daughter.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
~that night~
Angel once again found himself standing on the sidewalk across from 'Black Destiny'. He didn't know why he was still in Seattle. His intention had been to come, make sure Buffy was okay, and then leave again. She didn't need him here. He'd only mess up her life. But as he'd walked away a few nights ago there'd been a nagging feeling deep in his gut telling him not to leave, that it was important for him to stay. So against his better judgment, he was still in Seattle, standing only a short distance from Buffy.
He knew he was playing with fire by getting so close, but he couldn't help himself. After seven years apart, he was starved for her. Just seeing her face and her smile touched him on a level he couldn't even begin to describe. He craved the mere feel of her presence nearby. Maybe that was why he was now risking being found.
Creeping across the street, he moved closer to the building. He could tell that she was inside. The tingling in his spine told him that much. He wasn't sure he wanted to know who she was with, though. His heart ached at the thought of seeing her in the arms of that man again. Wanting her to be happy with someone else was one thing, seeing it was an entirely different issue.
Despite that, he snuck up to one of the windows to the right of the staircase. Maybe just one more glimpse of her would sate his need and he'd be able to leave and let her live her life in peace. Or it could just make him want to stay. It was a toss up. Either way, he needed to see her again.
His height allowed him to peer unobtrusively through the window and into the club. He was surprised to see that it didn't appear to be open. From what he could tell there were only about ten people inside gathered around a couple large tables in the center of the room. A large column was blocking his view, though, so he couldn't get a clear picture.
Angel looked to his left and noticed there were a few windows on the other side of the stairs. As quietly as possible, he left his position and moved to one of the other vantage points. The new angle gave him a much clearer view of the inside of the club and also its occupants.
He was only somewhat surprised to see Willow and Oz present and sitting together. If he was remembering correctly, Faith had said something about Willow and Seattle. The only other person he recognized he was quite shocked to see. What on earth was Cordelia doing there? She and Buffy had never really been friends. Angel was slightly baffled by the brunette's presence, but he supposed that things could have changed in the seven years he'd been gone.
None of the others were familiar to him. There was a short, rather sloppy looking man with dark hair sitting close to Cordelia. It appeared as though they were romantically involved. Another surprising detail since the guy didn't look to be the former cheerleader's type. Then next to those two was what was obviously a demon with green skin, red horns, and the most ugly suit he'd ever seen. Angel assumed the demon was a good guy since everyone seemed okay with his presence. There was also a shy looking woman with dirty blonde hair sitting near Willow and Oz.
Finally, there was Buffy standing at the head of the center table wearing an absolutely gorgeous deep blue dress. He involuntarily sucked in an unneeded breath at the sight of her. Gods, she looked amazing. Angel was dismayed, though, to see the man from the night before walk up to the table holding a cake in his hands. The mere presence of the strange male made Angel's fists clench at his sides.
Soon, it became apparent to Angel that they were having a birthday party for someone. He watched as Buffy lit the candles on the cake and then walked out of his line of vision. When she returned a few moments later, his dead heart nearly fell out of his chest. In her arms rested a blonde haired little girl with her hands over her eyes. He knew in an instant that the child had to be Buffy's. If it weren't for the way she lovingly held the girl he would have known it from physical appearance.
Buffy had a child. The realization made him want to combust on the spot. She really had moved on. She had a...lover...and a child, and what looked like a great job and place to live. The perfect life. She'd found it all. And without him. It hurt more than he possibly thought it could. In the back of his mind he'd always hoped that someday they'd have a chance. That hope was gone now. She didn't need him, not when she already had it all.
There was no need for him to stay and watch anymore, but he did anyway. Maybe it was his masochistic need to punish himself that made him remain, or maybe it was just his need to get his fill of her before he left. The reason didn't really matter as he continued to stand there and watch the group's activities through the window.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Inside the club, Buffy walked back toward the tables with Ashlynn in her arms. They wanted to surprise her with the cake so she'd told her young daughter to keep her hands over her eyes and not take them off until she told her too. The cake was custom made strawberry and vanilla swirl on the inside, vanilla icing, a picture of the Power Puff Girls on top, and 'Happy 6th Birthday Ashlynn' written in pink gel icing above the picture. Buffy knew Ash was going to love it.
The little girl squealed in delight once she was finally able to remove her hands from her eyes. She impatiently waited while the group of friends and family sang 'Happy Birthday' to her and then excitedly blew out the candles. As is tradition, she received the first piece of the cake and managed to eat it and get only a little bit on her clothes.
After cake came what was of course the best part of the night: presents. As usual, Buffy spoiled her only daughter by giving her numerous new outfits and toys. Willow and Oz got her the video game system that she'd been asking for months to have. To go with that, Cordy and Doyle had gotten her several children's rated games. From Lorne, she received several teen-pop cds. Buffy had grudgingly allowed him to buy them, wary of the influence of scantily clad females on her little girl. Tara gave her quite a few books since she knew Ash loved to read even at her young age. So at least that balanced out the questionable music.
The last gift came from Lindsey. Knowing of Ashlynn's love for drawing, painting and other such activities, he'd gotten her a large, and rather expensive, art set. The birthday girl grinned broadly at the wonderful present and ran to Lindsey, allowing him to swoop her up in his arms. She laughed at the act and gave him a hug and he kissed her cheek lovingly. After a minute, he set the girl down and watched as she raced off to play with all her new toys.
Her joy was contagious and the adults in the room found themselves smiling happily. They contented themselves at the tables with drinks and chatter while Buffy quietly slipped away to the far side of the room. She leaned heavily against the wall, feeling a sad pang in her heart as she watched her daughter giddily fiddle with the art set from Lindsey.
Moments like these brought memories long past to the forefront of her mind. She was well aware of the heritage of Ashlynn's artistic abilities. The child certainly hadn't gotten them from her. No, they were a genetic link to a man she'd never met; her father. She'd only ever bore witness to his abilities during his time as Angelus, but she knew of his love to draw just as she knew that talent had been passed on to their offspring. It was a painful reminder of what was lost and gone, never to be returned.
Seven years may have passed, but to Buffy, it was always there. He was always there. How could he not be when all she had to do was look into her daughter's deep brown eyes and see him reflected within. It soothed and stung all at once, an ever-present reminder of her past and a man never forgotten, but gone nonetheless.
A sudden chill swept down Buffy's spine as she reclined against the wall. She shivered at the sensation, her body growing tense. Unable to shake the feeling, nor the growing tension in her body, she swirled her eyes around the club searching for...something. She found nothing, though, except her friends jovially laughing a few feet away and her daughter engrossed with her gifts.
So lost in her thoughts, Buffy startled slightly when an arm wrapped around her shoulders. "You okay, darling?"
Buffy turned her head to find Lindsey gazing worriedly at her. Forcing a smile onto her face, she answered, "I'm fine. It's just been a long day."
"You sure?" he pushed, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
"Yeah," Buffy nodded her head and relaxed against him though she couldn't lose the earlier feeling that had rushed over her, one that felt oddly like she was being watched.
Cautiously, her eyes again scanned the club for the source of her discomfort, but there was still nothing. Maybe she was just still feeling the remnants of whatever sickness had overcome her this morning. Sighing, she forced away her worries and walked with Lindsey back to the tables where her friends sat. She was supposed to be having fun tonight, not stressing over something she wasn't even sure was there.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Under the guise of retrieving more snacks, Lorne and Doyle had managed to slip away from the group and back into the club's kitchen. They carefully checked to make sure the room was indeed empty, not wanting to have their upcoming conversation heard by anyone. Once positive they were alone, Doyle carefully closed the door and walked to the center of the room, leaning heavily against the stainless steel counter.
"Seems as though the Angel-cakes I've heard so much about has made his triumphant return," Lorne stated with a bit more glee than he was actually feeling.
"So ya noticed that too?" Doyle sighed and ran a hand through is already disheveled hair.
"Kinda hard not to with that one's aura just screaming away to anyone and everyone," the green-skinned demon grimaced at the things he felt radiating off the unexpected visitor. Typically he had to hear a person sing to get a beat on them, but with the infamous vampire, well...his soul was like Rudolph's nose in a pitch-black room.
"Well, that's better than having the bosses mentally slap ya upside the head and point out our peeping-tom," Doyle frowned unhappily. The move was a little surprising for The Powers, but he supposed they wanted to make sure he was aware of the vampire's presence. Given that piece of information, Doyle was forced to believe that the souled one had a role to play in whatever was about to happen.
"You thinkin' what I'm thinking?" Lorne questioned when he noticed that Doyle was lost in thought.
"That if the bosses want me ta know he's here, he's supposed ta be here?" the half demon voiced his thoughts.
"Pretty much," Lorne shook his head in the affirmative.
"Yup, that's what I was thinking," he reiterated and ran a hand over his face.
"Think she knows he's here?" pondered Lorne absently.
"No, but I think she feels something," Doyle shrugged noncommittally.
Lorne's eyes drifted to the door, past which his friend was enjoying a night with her friends and daughter. He couldn't help but worry over whatever it was she was about to face. "We better get back. Don't need them wondering what is taking us so long."
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Still perched outside the window, Angel had watched each and every moment inside the club with morbid fascination. A little voice in his head told him that what he was doing was wrong, but he couldn't force himself to leave. So he'd stood there and watched every heart rending detail of the life he was no longer part of.
He'd watched friends laugh and gather together; the cake and the singing; the exchange of gifts; and he'd watched Buffy, the girl, and man who had taken his place. It tore at every fiber of his being when the giggling blonde headed child had leapt into the man's arms, and the resulting smile on his beloved's face. And he'd watched as the man worriedly embraced his love just moments ago after he'd almost been found out.
Yes, he'd also noticed the sudden concern tense the ever-vigilant Slayer. But he had also noted the lack of recognition in her eyes. She no longer felt his specific presence. That small iota of information only further reinforced the knowledge that his place in her life was gone. He tried to keep telling himself over and over that that was what he had wanted for her, but it made no difference. Seeing her happy with someone else, and with a child was a veritable nightmare. But, he reminded himself, she was alive, not dead as he had believed when he first started this 'mission'.
That realization alone was enough to temper even the fiercest of his varying emotions. He was a man, or rather demon, who could endure much. But Buffy being dead was something he knew deep inside he would not survive. If her being alive meant that she was with another, then he would accept it. He didn't like it, but he would accept it. All other feelings could be pushed aside and he would take a small amount of comfort in the knowledge that she was alive and happy.
Still, the fact that she had not recognized his presence struck a sad chord in his soul. He knew she had felt something, her wondering eyes had told him that much. The roving gaze had forced him to tuck out of the line of vision so that she would not spot him. Luckily, he had not been caught. At least not by her.
It had not escaped him that the dark haired man with Cordelia had glanced almost directly at him. Angel had been about to run, afraid to be confronted, but the man had casually redirected his eyes back to the party and said nothing to the others to lead him to believe he'd been spotted. Maybe the unknown man had just heard something and looked in his direction. Either way, he was relieved nothing had come of it.
The remainder of the night held much the same for Angel. He never left his position, watching the group inside laugh, smile, and be happy. Even after the party ended, he stayed. Only the dirty blonde had left, accompanied by the dark haired man and the odd looking demon. The man returned a short while later and helped some of the others clean up. All the while, Angel still watched.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Sometime later, Buffy walked quietly out of the front door of the building, frowning to herself. She hated lying. Her friends thought she was going to run to the all-night market a few streets away for some ice cream. It wasn't an unusual act, at least not to them. To Buffy, though, it was her typical story when she just needed to get out for a short while on her own. She loved her friends dearly, but they had a tendency to be a bit over-bearing.
The rule was that she never go out alone at night, or at least patrolling alone. It was safer that way. They made concessions when she wanted to 'run out to get ice cream' thinking that she would stay only on well-lit, busy streets. So that was the excuse she used tonight, needing even just a few short moments by herself. She was well aware that she was putting herself at risk, but she was the Slayer. It wasn't like she couldn't handle trouble. She wasn't going to go looking for it either. All she wanted was a short walk to try and clear her head a little bit. Too many things were bothering her at the moment.
Striding down the concrete staircase, she turned right and headed down the street. In her mild distraction, she never noticed the shadow beneath the window that shifted ever so slightly. She walked slowly down the sidewalk, taking time to enjoy the fresh air, and the cool temperature. There were a fair number of people out and about so Buffy relaxed somewhat, knowing a vamp attack on a busy street was unlikely.
She was a few blocks away from her home when the feeling from earlier returned, but even stronger this time. There was someone watching her, she was positive of that. Years of being a Slayer clued her in to the sensation. Instinctively, she wanted to turn around and confront whoever, or whatever, was following her, but she knew that probably wasn't the wisest decision. So instead, she carefully scanned her surroundings, looking for a way to outwit her stalker.
In front of her, a large group of people, drunk teenagers she thought, were goofing off in front of a twenty-four hour coffee shop. Seeing the opportunity, Buffy advanced directly into the group, allowing herself to be surrounded by the oblivious teens. She pushed to the other side as nonchalantly as possible until she was free and then quickly ducked left into an alley just past the coffee shop.
Using her Slayer speed, Buffy dashed down the alley, turned left, and then circled back around. The movements, she hoped, would bring her out behind whatever was shadowing her. As she neared the end of the second alley that would lead her out onto the street she'd originally been on she slowed her pace considerably. Reaching the exit point, she carefully peeked her head out, searching for anything suspicious.
At first, she saw nothing of relevance. Then, as she continued inspecting the area, she saw a dark figure hovering in the shadows along a building just before the group of teens she'd just walked through. Bingo! she spoke triumphantly to herself. Her feeling had been dead on. Someone was indeed tracking her. Except she'd lost him...it...whatever...and now had the upper hand.
Sneaking silently out of the alley, Buffy crept toward the unaware stalker who appeared to be searching for her everywhere but behind him. That, of course, made it all the more easier for her to sneak up on him. And from her vantage point now, it did appear to be a him. A tall, bulky him. She felt a little twinge in her gut at that, but ignored it, focusing entirely on the situation in front of her. Within seconds, she was only a few feet from the still unaware man. Raising a brow at that, Buffy halted her steps, and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Any particularly reason you are following me?" she spoke clearly into the night. The sound of her voice, she noticed caused the man's body to tense immediately, but he made no movement otherwise and said nothing in response.
The relative lack of response irked her and she shifted her weight slightly before speaking again. "Do I get an answer or do I have to beat it out of y-."
Anything else she had to say died on her lips as the mysterious man slowly turned in her direction. The face that met her eyes sent her mind reeling. Never in a million years would she have expected this. So great was the shock that the stake held poised in her hand fell clamoring to the ground without a second thought. All she could focus on was the oh-so-familiar face now staring back at her intently.
She told herself she was dreaming, that it wasn't possible. There was no way that he was standing mere feet from her. It couldn't be him. It just couldn't. She knew otherwise, though. The eyes searching hers were the same dark brown ones she'd dreamt about for so long. The supple lips were the ones she remembered kissing more times than she could count. There was no denying who it was that was stalking her, but still she couldn't quite face what was staring straight at her. She didn't know if she wanted to face it.
Her feet took two steps backwards, needing space, needing air...needing anything but to be in the situation she was currently in. Frantically, her eyes darted around her, looking for what she didn't know. This was too much. It was all too much. And then he spoke.
"Buffy," came her whispered name in only that tone he could create.
The single word snapped something inside of her. Confused and dazed, she did the only thing she could think to do; turned and ran.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
TBC!!
New SiT chapter! There's a wee bit of a cliff *g*, and you'll probably groan and want to throw things at me. Sorry!
I had a couple questions I wanted to answer here relating to the use of AtS canon...most of what happened on AtS never occurred in the case of this fic. So Angel doesn't know Lindsey, and there is no such thing as the word 'Shanshu'. Everything from AtS is pretty much nonexistent accept for the use of Lorne, Doyle, a club, etc.
Enjoy!
~Isis
***
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Part 5
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~a few days later~
The bright morning sun slowly crept across Buffy's bedroom until it reached her pillow. Her eyes flickered open, blinking furiously against the harsh light assaulting her vision. After a few moments of adjusting to the light, she sat up in her bed, yawning away the remnants of sleep. The movements made her wince as wave after wave of nausea wracked her body. She closed her eyes, trying to force the uncomfortable feeling away, but within seconds was making a mad dash to the bathroom.
Once inside, she fell to the floor in front of the toilet, retching up the contents of her stomach. Minutes later, with her heart racing and beads of sweat pouring down her face she slumped down to the cold tile floor. Her fingers trembled as they tried to soothe the spasms still attacking her insides. Gradually, the nausea and pain began to fade away, leaving Buffy weak and exhausted on the bathroom floor.
She laid there for another fifteen minutes, allowing her body to recover from the sudden sickness. Carefully, she pulled herself off the floor hoping that the nausea would not return. When it didn't, she made her way to the sink and brushed her teeth, removing the foul taste from her mouth. After splashing some cool water on her face, Buffy quietly opened the bathroom door and peeked out into the hallway. She was glad to find no one nearby. If they knew she wasn't feeling well, they'd pester her non-stop.
Walking into her room, she tiredly laid down on her bed and curled into a ball. Being sick was definitely not on her list of fun things to do. And today was not a good day to be sick. Ashlynn's birthday party was tonight and she just couldn't ruin it. Her daughter had been looking forward to it for weeks. Lorne was closing down the club for the night so that they could use the downstairs for a party for family and friends. She just couldn't mess up Ash's night.
Buffy let herself rest for a few more minutes before taking in a deep breath and resigning herself to getting up. At least whatever illness that had come over her this morning seemed to have, for the most part, passed. She still felt kind of gross, but the nausea was gone. Happy for that, Buffy went to her closet and pulled out some old clothes so that she could go down into the club and get it ready for the party. No matter what, she planned on making this a fun night for her daughter.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
~that night~
Angel once again found himself standing on the sidewalk across from 'Black Destiny'. He didn't know why he was still in Seattle. His intention had been to come, make sure Buffy was okay, and then leave again. She didn't need him here. He'd only mess up her life. But as he'd walked away a few nights ago there'd been a nagging feeling deep in his gut telling him not to leave, that it was important for him to stay. So against his better judgment, he was still in Seattle, standing only a short distance from Buffy.
He knew he was playing with fire by getting so close, but he couldn't help himself. After seven years apart, he was starved for her. Just seeing her face and her smile touched him on a level he couldn't even begin to describe. He craved the mere feel of her presence nearby. Maybe that was why he was now risking being found.
Creeping across the street, he moved closer to the building. He could tell that she was inside. The tingling in his spine told him that much. He wasn't sure he wanted to know who she was with, though. His heart ached at the thought of seeing her in the arms of that man again. Wanting her to be happy with someone else was one thing, seeing it was an entirely different issue.
Despite that, he snuck up to one of the windows to the right of the staircase. Maybe just one more glimpse of her would sate his need and he'd be able to leave and let her live her life in peace. Or it could just make him want to stay. It was a toss up. Either way, he needed to see her again.
His height allowed him to peer unobtrusively through the window and into the club. He was surprised to see that it didn't appear to be open. From what he could tell there were only about ten people inside gathered around a couple large tables in the center of the room. A large column was blocking his view, though, so he couldn't get a clear picture.
Angel looked to his left and noticed there were a few windows on the other side of the stairs. As quietly as possible, he left his position and moved to one of the other vantage points. The new angle gave him a much clearer view of the inside of the club and also its occupants.
He was only somewhat surprised to see Willow and Oz present and sitting together. If he was remembering correctly, Faith had said something about Willow and Seattle. The only other person he recognized he was quite shocked to see. What on earth was Cordelia doing there? She and Buffy had never really been friends. Angel was slightly baffled by the brunette's presence, but he supposed that things could have changed in the seven years he'd been gone.
None of the others were familiar to him. There was a short, rather sloppy looking man with dark hair sitting close to Cordelia. It appeared as though they were romantically involved. Another surprising detail since the guy didn't look to be the former cheerleader's type. Then next to those two was what was obviously a demon with green skin, red horns, and the most ugly suit he'd ever seen. Angel assumed the demon was a good guy since everyone seemed okay with his presence. There was also a shy looking woman with dirty blonde hair sitting near Willow and Oz.
Finally, there was Buffy standing at the head of the center table wearing an absolutely gorgeous deep blue dress. He involuntarily sucked in an unneeded breath at the sight of her. Gods, she looked amazing. Angel was dismayed, though, to see the man from the night before walk up to the table holding a cake in his hands. The mere presence of the strange male made Angel's fists clench at his sides.
Soon, it became apparent to Angel that they were having a birthday party for someone. He watched as Buffy lit the candles on the cake and then walked out of his line of vision. When she returned a few moments later, his dead heart nearly fell out of his chest. In her arms rested a blonde haired little girl with her hands over her eyes. He knew in an instant that the child had to be Buffy's. If it weren't for the way she lovingly held the girl he would have known it from physical appearance.
Buffy had a child. The realization made him want to combust on the spot. She really had moved on. She had a...lover...and a child, and what looked like a great job and place to live. The perfect life. She'd found it all. And without him. It hurt more than he possibly thought it could. In the back of his mind he'd always hoped that someday they'd have a chance. That hope was gone now. She didn't need him, not when she already had it all.
There was no need for him to stay and watch anymore, but he did anyway. Maybe it was his masochistic need to punish himself that made him remain, or maybe it was just his need to get his fill of her before he left. The reason didn't really matter as he continued to stand there and watch the group's activities through the window.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Inside the club, Buffy walked back toward the tables with Ashlynn in her arms. They wanted to surprise her with the cake so she'd told her young daughter to keep her hands over her eyes and not take them off until she told her too. The cake was custom made strawberry and vanilla swirl on the inside, vanilla icing, a picture of the Power Puff Girls on top, and 'Happy 6th Birthday Ashlynn' written in pink gel icing above the picture. Buffy knew Ash was going to love it.
The little girl squealed in delight once she was finally able to remove her hands from her eyes. She impatiently waited while the group of friends and family sang 'Happy Birthday' to her and then excitedly blew out the candles. As is tradition, she received the first piece of the cake and managed to eat it and get only a little bit on her clothes.
After cake came what was of course the best part of the night: presents. As usual, Buffy spoiled her only daughter by giving her numerous new outfits and toys. Willow and Oz got her the video game system that she'd been asking for months to have. To go with that, Cordy and Doyle had gotten her several children's rated games. From Lorne, she received several teen-pop cds. Buffy had grudgingly allowed him to buy them, wary of the influence of scantily clad females on her little girl. Tara gave her quite a few books since she knew Ash loved to read even at her young age. So at least that balanced out the questionable music.
The last gift came from Lindsey. Knowing of Ashlynn's love for drawing, painting and other such activities, he'd gotten her a large, and rather expensive, art set. The birthday girl grinned broadly at the wonderful present and ran to Lindsey, allowing him to swoop her up in his arms. She laughed at the act and gave him a hug and he kissed her cheek lovingly. After a minute, he set the girl down and watched as she raced off to play with all her new toys.
Her joy was contagious and the adults in the room found themselves smiling happily. They contented themselves at the tables with drinks and chatter while Buffy quietly slipped away to the far side of the room. She leaned heavily against the wall, feeling a sad pang in her heart as she watched her daughter giddily fiddle with the art set from Lindsey.
Moments like these brought memories long past to the forefront of her mind. She was well aware of the heritage of Ashlynn's artistic abilities. The child certainly hadn't gotten them from her. No, they were a genetic link to a man she'd never met; her father. She'd only ever bore witness to his abilities during his time as Angelus, but she knew of his love to draw just as she knew that talent had been passed on to their offspring. It was a painful reminder of what was lost and gone, never to be returned.
Seven years may have passed, but to Buffy, it was always there. He was always there. How could he not be when all she had to do was look into her daughter's deep brown eyes and see him reflected within. It soothed and stung all at once, an ever-present reminder of her past and a man never forgotten, but gone nonetheless.
A sudden chill swept down Buffy's spine as she reclined against the wall. She shivered at the sensation, her body growing tense. Unable to shake the feeling, nor the growing tension in her body, she swirled her eyes around the club searching for...something. She found nothing, though, except her friends jovially laughing a few feet away and her daughter engrossed with her gifts.
So lost in her thoughts, Buffy startled slightly when an arm wrapped around her shoulders. "You okay, darling?"
Buffy turned her head to find Lindsey gazing worriedly at her. Forcing a smile onto her face, she answered, "I'm fine. It's just been a long day."
"You sure?" he pushed, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
"Yeah," Buffy nodded her head and relaxed against him though she couldn't lose the earlier feeling that had rushed over her, one that felt oddly like she was being watched.
Cautiously, her eyes again scanned the club for the source of her discomfort, but there was still nothing. Maybe she was just still feeling the remnants of whatever sickness had overcome her this morning. Sighing, she forced away her worries and walked with Lindsey back to the tables where her friends sat. She was supposed to be having fun tonight, not stressing over something she wasn't even sure was there.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Under the guise of retrieving more snacks, Lorne and Doyle had managed to slip away from the group and back into the club's kitchen. They carefully checked to make sure the room was indeed empty, not wanting to have their upcoming conversation heard by anyone. Once positive they were alone, Doyle carefully closed the door and walked to the center of the room, leaning heavily against the stainless steel counter.
"Seems as though the Angel-cakes I've heard so much about has made his triumphant return," Lorne stated with a bit more glee than he was actually feeling.
"So ya noticed that too?" Doyle sighed and ran a hand through is already disheveled hair.
"Kinda hard not to with that one's aura just screaming away to anyone and everyone," the green-skinned demon grimaced at the things he felt radiating off the unexpected visitor. Typically he had to hear a person sing to get a beat on them, but with the infamous vampire, well...his soul was like Rudolph's nose in a pitch-black room.
"Well, that's better than having the bosses mentally slap ya upside the head and point out our peeping-tom," Doyle frowned unhappily. The move was a little surprising for The Powers, but he supposed they wanted to make sure he was aware of the vampire's presence. Given that piece of information, Doyle was forced to believe that the souled one had a role to play in whatever was about to happen.
"You thinkin' what I'm thinking?" Lorne questioned when he noticed that Doyle was lost in thought.
"That if the bosses want me ta know he's here, he's supposed ta be here?" the half demon voiced his thoughts.
"Pretty much," Lorne shook his head in the affirmative.
"Yup, that's what I was thinking," he reiterated and ran a hand over his face.
"Think she knows he's here?" pondered Lorne absently.
"No, but I think she feels something," Doyle shrugged noncommittally.
Lorne's eyes drifted to the door, past which his friend was enjoying a night with her friends and daughter. He couldn't help but worry over whatever it was she was about to face. "We better get back. Don't need them wondering what is taking us so long."
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Still perched outside the window, Angel had watched each and every moment inside the club with morbid fascination. A little voice in his head told him that what he was doing was wrong, but he couldn't force himself to leave. So he'd stood there and watched every heart rending detail of the life he was no longer part of.
He'd watched friends laugh and gather together; the cake and the singing; the exchange of gifts; and he'd watched Buffy, the girl, and man who had taken his place. It tore at every fiber of his being when the giggling blonde headed child had leapt into the man's arms, and the resulting smile on his beloved's face. And he'd watched as the man worriedly embraced his love just moments ago after he'd almost been found out.
Yes, he'd also noticed the sudden concern tense the ever-vigilant Slayer. But he had also noted the lack of recognition in her eyes. She no longer felt his specific presence. That small iota of information only further reinforced the knowledge that his place in her life was gone. He tried to keep telling himself over and over that that was what he had wanted for her, but it made no difference. Seeing her happy with someone else, and with a child was a veritable nightmare. But, he reminded himself, she was alive, not dead as he had believed when he first started this 'mission'.
That realization alone was enough to temper even the fiercest of his varying emotions. He was a man, or rather demon, who could endure much. But Buffy being dead was something he knew deep inside he would not survive. If her being alive meant that she was with another, then he would accept it. He didn't like it, but he would accept it. All other feelings could be pushed aside and he would take a small amount of comfort in the knowledge that she was alive and happy.
Still, the fact that she had not recognized his presence struck a sad chord in his soul. He knew she had felt something, her wondering eyes had told him that much. The roving gaze had forced him to tuck out of the line of vision so that she would not spot him. Luckily, he had not been caught. At least not by her.
It had not escaped him that the dark haired man with Cordelia had glanced almost directly at him. Angel had been about to run, afraid to be confronted, but the man had casually redirected his eyes back to the party and said nothing to the others to lead him to believe he'd been spotted. Maybe the unknown man had just heard something and looked in his direction. Either way, he was relieved nothing had come of it.
The remainder of the night held much the same for Angel. He never left his position, watching the group inside laugh, smile, and be happy. Even after the party ended, he stayed. Only the dirty blonde had left, accompanied by the dark haired man and the odd looking demon. The man returned a short while later and helped some of the others clean up. All the while, Angel still watched.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
Sometime later, Buffy walked quietly out of the front door of the building, frowning to herself. She hated lying. Her friends thought she was going to run to the all-night market a few streets away for some ice cream. It wasn't an unusual act, at least not to them. To Buffy, though, it was her typical story when she just needed to get out for a short while on her own. She loved her friends dearly, but they had a tendency to be a bit over-bearing.
The rule was that she never go out alone at night, or at least patrolling alone. It was safer that way. They made concessions when she wanted to 'run out to get ice cream' thinking that she would stay only on well-lit, busy streets. So that was the excuse she used tonight, needing even just a few short moments by herself. She was well aware that she was putting herself at risk, but she was the Slayer. It wasn't like she couldn't handle trouble. She wasn't going to go looking for it either. All she wanted was a short walk to try and clear her head a little bit. Too many things were bothering her at the moment.
Striding down the concrete staircase, she turned right and headed down the street. In her mild distraction, she never noticed the shadow beneath the window that shifted ever so slightly. She walked slowly down the sidewalk, taking time to enjoy the fresh air, and the cool temperature. There were a fair number of people out and about so Buffy relaxed somewhat, knowing a vamp attack on a busy street was unlikely.
She was a few blocks away from her home when the feeling from earlier returned, but even stronger this time. There was someone watching her, she was positive of that. Years of being a Slayer clued her in to the sensation. Instinctively, she wanted to turn around and confront whoever, or whatever, was following her, but she knew that probably wasn't the wisest decision. So instead, she carefully scanned her surroundings, looking for a way to outwit her stalker.
In front of her, a large group of people, drunk teenagers she thought, were goofing off in front of a twenty-four hour coffee shop. Seeing the opportunity, Buffy advanced directly into the group, allowing herself to be surrounded by the oblivious teens. She pushed to the other side as nonchalantly as possible until she was free and then quickly ducked left into an alley just past the coffee shop.
Using her Slayer speed, Buffy dashed down the alley, turned left, and then circled back around. The movements, she hoped, would bring her out behind whatever was shadowing her. As she neared the end of the second alley that would lead her out onto the street she'd originally been on she slowed her pace considerably. Reaching the exit point, she carefully peeked her head out, searching for anything suspicious.
At first, she saw nothing of relevance. Then, as she continued inspecting the area, she saw a dark figure hovering in the shadows along a building just before the group of teens she'd just walked through. Bingo! she spoke triumphantly to herself. Her feeling had been dead on. Someone was indeed tracking her. Except she'd lost him...it...whatever...and now had the upper hand.
Sneaking silently out of the alley, Buffy crept toward the unaware stalker who appeared to be searching for her everywhere but behind him. That, of course, made it all the more easier for her to sneak up on him. And from her vantage point now, it did appear to be a him. A tall, bulky him. She felt a little twinge in her gut at that, but ignored it, focusing entirely on the situation in front of her. Within seconds, she was only a few feet from the still unaware man. Raising a brow at that, Buffy halted her steps, and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Any particularly reason you are following me?" she spoke clearly into the night. The sound of her voice, she noticed caused the man's body to tense immediately, but he made no movement otherwise and said nothing in response.
The relative lack of response irked her and she shifted her weight slightly before speaking again. "Do I get an answer or do I have to beat it out of y-."
Anything else she had to say died on her lips as the mysterious man slowly turned in her direction. The face that met her eyes sent her mind reeling. Never in a million years would she have expected this. So great was the shock that the stake held poised in her hand fell clamoring to the ground without a second thought. All she could focus on was the oh-so-familiar face now staring back at her intently.
She told herself she was dreaming, that it wasn't possible. There was no way that he was standing mere feet from her. It couldn't be him. It just couldn't. She knew otherwise, though. The eyes searching hers were the same dark brown ones she'd dreamt about for so long. The supple lips were the ones she remembered kissing more times than she could count. There was no denying who it was that was stalking her, but still she couldn't quite face what was staring straight at her. She didn't know if she wanted to face it.
Her feet took two steps backwards, needing space, needing air...needing anything but to be in the situation she was currently in. Frantically, her eyes darted around her, looking for what she didn't know. This was too much. It was all too much. And then he spoke.
"Buffy," came her whispered name in only that tone he could create.
The single word snapped something inside of her. Confused and dazed, she did the only thing she could think to do; turned and ran.
^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^
TBC!!