Chapter 5
Buffy was reading through some newspaper articles from deaths in young girls while Xander and Anya went through some papers Willow had printed out and Giles looked over the net on Willow's lap top. All was quiet till the frantic pounding on the door. Buffy and Giles wearily got up, looked at each other, then answered the door.
Willow ran into Buffy, franticly passing her in the room.
"Will? What is it? Where's Riley?"
"Mark, " she franticly started. "He came out of nowhere again. He threw Riley and me from behind. Riley went to fight him, he told me to go. I didn't want to but I didn't know what to do."
"It's okay Wills. Just take me to where you two were." Buffy said, trying to calm her.
"Okay." Willow whispered in a calming-down voice.
"We were here." Willow said twisting in the air, almost looking for him. "Where is he?" She turned behind a bush and stumbled, falling to the ground.
Right next to a dead body.
She turned to see what it was.
Right next to Riley's dead body.
Buffy helped Willow as she franticly scrambled to get to her feet. She then took Willow into her arms as she pulled her attention from Riley, hugging her, and closed her eyes so she didn't look at him herself.
She started whispering hush comfort, to her as Willow sobbed. Buffy opened her eyes once more to see the broken, bloody body laying at her feet, eyes staring their death at her.
Buffy walked Willow into Giles' house, her arm around her as Willow had as much emotion on her face as Buffy.
None.
Giles and everyone looked at them as they walked in and Giles knew instantly what had happened. Xander ended up being the one to break the silence.
"What happened?"
Willow looked to Buffy and then back down to the floor, she dragged herself to the couch and plopped down. Buffy leaned up against the wall, looking down to her feet as well.
"Riley didn't make it through the fight." She looked up for a second then back down. "We found the body. It was, well, it was ugly." She looked up and over to Willow. "It's not safe for you here anymore."
"And where can I go?" She asked, looking over from the floor to Buffy then back. "He's going to find me, we both know that."
"As much as it's going to kill me to admit it, you'd be safer with someone else."
"Who's better than the slayer?" She looked up confused. That's when she saw Buffy's eyes and knew the answer. "Oh."
"You'll be safer there than here."
Angel heard the door to the main office open as he sat in his office reading. When he looked up he saw the last person he expected to see.
"Buffy." That's when he saw who was with her. "And Willow." He stood up. "How can I -- What are you doing here?"
"Hey to you too." Buffy stated dryly.
"Hey Angel." Willow said, shy and uncomfortably waving to him.
"Hey." He walked over to them and looked at them strange. "Umm, what's up?"
"New problem in Sunnydale." Buffy answered.
"Demon?"
"Witch. It, ah, killed a bunch of people. Five in the town near by. Two in Sunnydale. So I, ah, was hoping Willow could stay here. You know, till we catch this guy. Just to know she's safe."
"Yeah. You know you guys are always welcome here."
"I figure I could ask Cordelia if I could stay with her for the time, you know. So I don't impose."
"You won't impose. And I truthfully trust Cordelia, with my life even, but I think it's better if you stayed here with me. If this witch does track you here then it could get to you in Cordelia's place so you'd be safer in a place I'm at."
"I don't know."
"I hate to admit it, but I agree with him, Will. If something happened, who knows who'd be better." She looked at Angel with the last part then looked down. There was an awkward silence till Angel broke it.
"Well, I'll help you with your bags." He went to move past them till Buffy took his arm as Willow went out the doors to car.
"Angel." She stopped and didn't meet his eyes. "I, ah, just wanted to say thank you. You didn't have to so for you to do this." She looked up. "It means a lot to me. And Willow, I'm sure."
"No problem." He turned and headed to Buffy's car. While she was alone she stared at the door.
"No, my life's not complicated at all." With that she left to help the others.
Buffy was reading through some newspaper articles from deaths in young girls while Xander and Anya went through some papers Willow had printed out and Giles looked over the net on Willow's lap top. All was quiet till the frantic pounding on the door. Buffy and Giles wearily got up, looked at each other, then answered the door.
Willow ran into Buffy, franticly passing her in the room.
"Will? What is it? Where's Riley?"
"Mark, " she franticly started. "He came out of nowhere again. He threw Riley and me from behind. Riley went to fight him, he told me to go. I didn't want to but I didn't know what to do."
"It's okay Wills. Just take me to where you two were." Buffy said, trying to calm her.
"Okay." Willow whispered in a calming-down voice.
"We were here." Willow said twisting in the air, almost looking for him. "Where is he?" She turned behind a bush and stumbled, falling to the ground.
Right next to a dead body.
She turned to see what it was.
Right next to Riley's dead body.
Buffy helped Willow as she franticly scrambled to get to her feet. She then took Willow into her arms as she pulled her attention from Riley, hugging her, and closed her eyes so she didn't look at him herself.
She started whispering hush comfort, to her as Willow sobbed. Buffy opened her eyes once more to see the broken, bloody body laying at her feet, eyes staring their death at her.
Buffy walked Willow into Giles' house, her arm around her as Willow had as much emotion on her face as Buffy.
None.
Giles and everyone looked at them as they walked in and Giles knew instantly what had happened. Xander ended up being the one to break the silence.
"What happened?"
Willow looked to Buffy and then back down to the floor, she dragged herself to the couch and plopped down. Buffy leaned up against the wall, looking down to her feet as well.
"Riley didn't make it through the fight." She looked up for a second then back down. "We found the body. It was, well, it was ugly." She looked up and over to Willow. "It's not safe for you here anymore."
"And where can I go?" She asked, looking over from the floor to Buffy then back. "He's going to find me, we both know that."
"As much as it's going to kill me to admit it, you'd be safer with someone else."
"Who's better than the slayer?" She looked up confused. That's when she saw Buffy's eyes and knew the answer. "Oh."
"You'll be safer there than here."
Angel heard the door to the main office open as he sat in his office reading. When he looked up he saw the last person he expected to see.
"Buffy." That's when he saw who was with her. "And Willow." He stood up. "How can I -- What are you doing here?"
"Hey to you too." Buffy stated dryly.
"Hey Angel." Willow said, shy and uncomfortably waving to him.
"Hey." He walked over to them and looked at them strange. "Umm, what's up?"
"New problem in Sunnydale." Buffy answered.
"Demon?"
"Witch. It, ah, killed a bunch of people. Five in the town near by. Two in Sunnydale. So I, ah, was hoping Willow could stay here. You know, till we catch this guy. Just to know she's safe."
"Yeah. You know you guys are always welcome here."
"I figure I could ask Cordelia if I could stay with her for the time, you know. So I don't impose."
"You won't impose. And I truthfully trust Cordelia, with my life even, but I think it's better if you stayed here with me. If this witch does track you here then it could get to you in Cordelia's place so you'd be safer in a place I'm at."
"I don't know."
"I hate to admit it, but I agree with him, Will. If something happened, who knows who'd be better." She looked at Angel with the last part then looked down. There was an awkward silence till Angel broke it.
"Well, I'll help you with your bags." He went to move past them till Buffy took his arm as Willow went out the doors to car.
"Angel." She stopped and didn't meet his eyes. "I, ah, just wanted to say thank you. You didn't have to so for you to do this." She looked up. "It means a lot to me. And Willow, I'm sure."
"No problem." He turned and headed to Buffy's car. While she was alone she stared at the door.
"No, my life's not complicated at all." With that she left to help the others.