Daughter of Destiny
Author's Note: Thanks for the Reviews, sorry it took so long for an update but I've had other things on my mind. I hope you enjoy this second chapter as much as the first, I'm going to slowly reveal more and more of Sage's past as we go along. Please read and review, tell me what you think.
Chapter Two: Sing
The Future
"You'll need an alias," Conner said as they hurried towards the Hyperion Hotel, the rain pelted down on the already soaked siblings, "So that they'll never figure out who you are." They reached the hotel and Sage stood outside in front of the door, looking at her brother.
"I won't need one, not with the name Sage," she said, finally reaching towards the door handle, "Dad and mom won't ever figure. I mean, mom would never name her kid Sage."
"And yet she did," Connor chuckled lightly, shaking his sopping head. He looked like wet dog, Sage mused to herself, but she would never admit it out loud. She knew she probably did too at this point.
"No, I named myself Sage," she reminded him, "Or, I changed around my middle name at least." A pained look crossed both of their faces as they remembered the circumstances of her changing her name. It hurt her too much to even hear the name she had been given at birth, too many memories, too many voice and pet names she would and could never hear again. Instead, she had opted for her middle instead.
"Right," Connor nodded finally, a thick silence lay between them. They never talked of it, never would, it was understood how both of them felt and no matter how close the siblings were there was no way either of them would ever talk about that night, or the nights before and after that. Too much pain hung there. Connor hadn't felt the same hatred towards his name, it had already bared years of trouble, so much pain and guilt already hung onto it by then for him to care much. Sage couldn't even wear her last name, their last name, Angel anymore.
"Connor…" She looked at her brother, seriousness etched across her features, "Do you think we can do this?" Not after all the times she had failed everyone as she had, not after she had failed herself. No one would know it by looking at her but it was true.
The Present
I know you think that I shouldn't still love you,
Or tell you that.
But if I didn't say it, well I'd still have felt it
where's the sense in that?
Or return to where we wereI will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
I know I left too much mess and
destruction to come back again
And I caused nothing but trouble
I understand if you can't talk to me again
And if you live by the rules of "it's over"
then I'm sure that that makes sense
I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
And when we meet
Which I'm sure we will
All that was there
Will be there still
I'll let it pass
And hold my tongue
And you will think
That I've moved on....
I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be
Everyone stood in quiet shock, staring at her as she finished singing the slow, sweet melody of the song she had always loved, even when it was considered 'ancient' eighteen years in the future. Lorne stared at the sixteen year old for another reason altogether than everyone else in the room. Like the others, he hadn't made a judgment on whether or not she would be a good singer or a horrid one. He would've put good money on the latter when she had refused to sing.
Sage had a voice of an angel, and not her legendary Vampire father either. She sang the song as well, if not better than Dido herself and that was saying something coming from Lorne. Nor was it what he read off of her that shocked Lorne. Sage knew many things that would come to happen, some would call her a prophetess, but she just called herself unique. In truth though, Sage didn't know that much at all, she knew that while most other didn't believe it. She was just a scared, confused, sixteen year old girl trying to figure things out and be normal all the while learning about her powers.
There was much that he couldn't and wouldn't tell Angel and the rest of the Fang Gang about Sage. Lorne knew though that he loved his girl more than for her great singing voice alone or the fact that her mother was none other than Cordelia Chase. "Well, well, aren't we a bid modest," Lorne finally said, chuckling, "Could say I'm a bit surprised considering I've heard both your parents sing. Guess talent skips a generation in your family."
"Guess so," Sage shrugged, nonchalantly. Slowly, her pain was beginning to wear off and she was preparing to get out of bed, to go on and complete her mission. Mixing with her family had been a bad idea; she shouldn't try to change anything. Not more than she already had anyway. Before she had come here she had been warned time and time again that there were dire consequences to messing with the past. It could alter the future too much, could completely erase people.
"Where do you think you're going?" Angel asked, as the teen tried to get past him. The rest of the gang still stood in silence. Something uncharacteristic of them, something she never thought she would live to see. Of course, they hadn't lived for her to see it instead.
"I came here for a reason," Sage told him, "A reason I'd like to get back to now."
"You're not going anywhere nibblet," Spike mentioned from his corner of the room, "I believe you got some explainin' to do to the rest of us."
"Actually, I'm really sure I don't," Sage shot back, "I don't owe anybody anything, certainly not anyone in here. So, if you don't mind I would like to get back to my mission, and then back to my own time."
Still, Angel made no move to let her past, out of the room. Sage didn't want to do this anymore; she didn't want to keep this tough girl persona up. Yes, she was tough but she was nothing like her brother. Hate for her parents and their friend had never existed in her eyes, she had always gotten along with Angel, Cordelia and whoever else was around. This was no time to start hating any of them. Really, all that she wanted to do was be around them, talk and laugh with them but she couldn't. Not only did it hurt too much, it just wasn't right.
"Why don't you let her go sweet cheeks," Lorne suggested, "She's got to deal with more than you'll ever know." Momentarily, Sage glanced at Lorne but quickly looked away. If it had been hard before she sang to look at him, it was harder now that he knew most of what happened. He had seen how she had failed all of them.
"No," Angel shook his head, a deep frown seemed to be permanently embedded into his face and Sage couldn't help but shoot him a glare now. Her patience was wearing thin. If she had to spend anymore time here with then, she knew that she wouldn't be able to stop herself from meddling in their affairs, from trying to save them.
"If you think I'm going to start getting all chatty and telling you about the future, think again," Sage told him, taking a deep breath, trying to remain calm. Although she could often be referred to as perky, she also had a hell of a temper. "I don't need your help to get this thing. Either I'll find a way to beat it myself, or I'll find someone else. Maybe another Slayer or something willing to help me, no questions asked."
"And I'll help any way I can," Lorne offered, his voice serious so that Sage knew he meant it. A small smile threatened to completely deteriorate her no-bull-shit demeanor; she could always count on Lorne.
"Fine," Angel heaved a sigh then stepped out of the way, "We'll help." Sage caught her father's eye and let her barrier down slightly, extending her mind into his own. She wanted to know what he was thinking. It had been a long time since she had allowed herself to read another's mind. Ever since the night that to this day haunted her dreams, she had kept and almost permanent barrier, closing herself off to other's thoughts. The other night during the battle, when she heard Gunn's own thought hadn't been by choice. This was.
She knew her father could feel something strange in his mind but he would never figure it to be her, or to be an intruder really. Sage had perfected her telepathy so that her presence in another's mind was barely recognizable; it was almost as if a breeze passed through or such. It pleased her to find that her choice in song intrigued him, but she knew this would also cause him to ask questions later. When he finally got her alone. There was so much more there, questions about her, who she was, what she wanted with them. He didn't trust her but that much was obvious to her, even without reading his thoughts.
Finally, she pulled out of his mind and nodded, glancing briefly around the room, deciding what should come next. Her mind was muddled with ideas, sure, she knew a lot about the past but now with the demon here in the present and now she was too, things were already beginning to change. The biggest change being that Spike, Fred and Gunn were still, or now in Fred's case, among the living when they had not been in her future. Them being here alone was likely already changing how things happened, and it sucked that she wouldn't know just how much it changed until she actually returned to the future.
"I have an idea where this thing might be staying during the day," she announced, "It prefers to hunt at night, less chances that something will go wrong, that it'll be seen." She looked solely at her brother now; "I'm going to check it out. I want Connor to come with, watch my back in case I'm not in as tip-top shape as I'm beginning to feel."
"Why Connor?" Angel inquired, raising a suspicious eyebrow, "Why not someone else?"
"I trust him, I know how he fights and I know that he's going to watch my back," Sage told him honestly, there was no reason to hide that fact. Already they knew she knew who Connor was, why not tell them some other small, unimportant facts. "Plus, not like your or Spike can help out, and I've never seen Gunn fight so he's out. Might've brought Illyria but since she can't shift into Fred anymore, she'd stick out like a thumb."
"Trust her," Lorne said quietly, "Connor's the best choice for this knowing what I know 'bout them."
"Go then," Angel sighed, "Becareful."
"Don't worry dad," Connor smirked, "I can handle myself." With that, Sage opened the door to the room and led the way out of the hotel, Connor close behind her. For the first time since she had gotten here, she felt a bit more familiarity with things. Her and Connor working a mission alone, something they did all too much of in the Future.