As everyone arrived back at the Hyperion – Xander driving one van as Cordelia drove the other and complained about how bad it looked for her to be driving such a bad car – Wesley was waiting on a couch with the prophecy in hand, making notes on a yellow legal pad. Gunn sat in an armchair, sharpening and cleaning his axe, as Angel brooded in the shadows, watching as Buffy tiredly walked into the lobby. Eyes narrowing, Angel stepped partway into the light of the lobby. Even as Wesley and stood to greet the new guests, he just stood as still as he could, trying to look like he wasn't to be noticed, but Cordelia knew better. He was like the older brother she never had, and Cordelia could read Angel like a book.
"Angel, stop trying to look all cool by standing in the shadows and greet your guests!" Cordelia shouted at him, poking the vampire in the side. "Be a good host. Xander and I are ordering dinner. Pizza okay with everyone?" A chorus of sleepy 'yes's' came and Cordelia and Xander whisked themselves into the kitchen as Angel stepped closer to the group. Fred, Willow, and Dawn immediately noticed that Buffy and Angel wanted to talk, so the three gathered all the guests and shooed them upstairs while Gunn and Wesley excused themselves to get proper drinks besides coffee and blood.
"So, Buffy," Angel began, walking over to the blonde Slayer. "How have you been?"
"I've been good," replied Buffy, cocking her head to the side. "Cordelia said something about you have a son? Where is he?"
"Oh," Angel said, blinking. "Um, he's in his room. He spends a lot of time there."
"Like father, like son," Buffy stated with a small smile. "So, how are you? Have you found anyone, you know, to be with?"
"Buffy," Angel sighed, running a hand over his face. "I can't be with anyone. You know that. What if I lose my soul again? I could come after you, or Dawn. I think it's better that I'm not with anyone."
"I-I'm sorry," Buffy stammered, blushing and dropping her head to look down. "I know that you can't be with anyone."
"It's less that," began Angel, "and more that. . . Never mind."
"No, tell me," Buffy encouraged, trying to catch Angel's brown eyes. "I'm supposed to be your friend."
"You are," Angel agreed. "It's just that. . . It's hard to tell you."
"Just tell me already," Buffy said, exasperated. "Angel, if this is some kind of joke, getting me worked up over you being alone, then so help me-"
"It's just that, Buffy, I can't be with anyone," said Angel, interrupting the blonde's rant, "because. . . because I'm still in love with you."
Buffy, startled, flapped her mouth, looking much like a fish out of water. She might have been able to take down demons twice her size, kill a nest of vampires in one night and still go to college the next day, but the longest living Slayer was out of her league when it came to matters of the heart. Buffy blushed again, and opened her mouth to say something, when Angel interrupted her again.
"I know you've moved on, but I'm a vampire, Buffy," sighed Angel, moving to go back into his office. "Love lasts a long time in our eyes." With that, he shut the door and left the blonde Slayer to deal on her own. Well, you learned something everyday, right?
-
Willow nearly bounced downstairs for dinner. She, Buffy, and Giles were going to make dinner, as a change in pace from all the take out and fast food that Angel Investigations was getting. They were in the kitchen, Fred, Gunn, Cordelia, Dawn, Andrew, Faith, and even Xander, talking and laughing and making jokes. Cordelia was even nice to Faith, and immediately adored Andrew and Andrew's quirky personality.
Suddenly, Xander sat up straight, getting a serious look, as if he were focusing on something. His brows were furrowed and his mouth was pulled into a small frown, as he looked forward, as if staring into space. No one really noticed, except for Willow. Willow followed his line of sight and saw a shade moving slightly. This wouldn't have been a big deal, except that the window wasn't open, the air conditioner was out of commission for the week, no one had passed by the window, and there was no other breeze in the office. Was the hotel haunted or something? She'd talk to Angel later.
Xander squirmed in his chair. This was the fifth time today that he saw something out of the ordinary in the hotel. He'd thought he'd heard something this time, a whisper of his name and a grunt of pain. It was starting to freak him out. He'd been hearing these noises for the duration of his stay at the Hyperion, which was why he tended to stay in his room. His room meant safety and security.
But something about the hauntings was familiar. Oddly familiar. What was so familiar about it? Xander couldn't put a finger on it. As he stayed longer, they became more numerous and more profound. Well, whatever it was, Xander just hoped it would stop, and soon.
-
Later that day, the Hyperion doors opened. Xander - he was on Cordelia's desk doing a crossword puzzle - and Cordelia – she was taking a quiz in Cosmo magazine – looked up as sunlight spilled across the floor. Cordelia gasped and Xander blinked unknowingly.
In the lobby of the Hyperion Hotel stood Lindsey McDonald, a red checkered shirt and a pair of blue jeans on. "Um… hey Cordelia."
"Lindsey," Cordelia said intelligently, blinking and mouth open. "Um… what a surprise?"
Andrew stumbled out from the kitchen, laughing with Kennedy and Faith at some joke about a cartoon. Kennedy and Andrew stopped at the sight of Lindsey.
"Oh my gosh!" squealed Kennedy, jumping slightly. "It's LINDSEY MCDONALD!"
"It is, isn't it!" Andrew exclaimed, hastily walking over to Cordelia's desk to pick up a pen and paper. "Can I have your autograph!"
"Sure," smiled Lindsey, taking the pen and paper and signing his name. A clear print that years in law school had refined him to doing. "There ya go."
"Thank you!" Andrew gasped, looking at the paper.
"What's going on?" Cordelia asked, looking from a bouncing Kennedy to a nearly sighing Andrew to an amused Lindsey.
"You didn't follow your boy here?" asked Faith, leaning against the wall behind the desk. "He's famous. A country singer, as I can tell, and Andrew and Kennedy listen to him all the fucking time. Getting fucking annoying hearing the damn sad lyrics over and over again."
"Hey!" snapped both Kennedy and Andrew, looking offended.
"Yeah, I finally got my big break in New York," stated Lindsey. He shrugged. "Is Angel in?"
"Lindsey, we just got company in and Angel's actually TALKING with them," explained Cordelia. And as if to prove that point, Willow, Dawn, Wesley, Buffy, and Gunn walked into the lobby conveniently. "See?"
Gunn and Wesley stiffened at the sight of the former lawyer. "What are you doing here?" Gunn practically growled.
"You wouldn't believe me," said Lindsey, shaking his head.
"Try us," snarked Dawn, crossing her arms and cocking her hip. "We've heard loads of things before."
"My producer is a Wicca and had a bad feeling, so she went to a local psychic who told her that something big was coming," said Lindsey, "so my producer took me to the psychicand the psychictold me I had to go back and confront my past to help stop the something big. How's that?"
"Well," Willow said, "not something we've heard before, but totally believable."
"Does this mean I have to make another room up?" Xander asked from his place still on Cordy's desk. Willow put her resolve face on and nodded. "Dammit."
-
Bending over to smooth out the crinkle in the sheet, Xander sighed as he was stuck with the making of beds. Not the most fun of jobs, but someone had to do it. Besides, if no one else would do it, making the beds, and the rest of the rooms, would never get done.
He turned slightly as he felt eyes on him, but no one was there. A breath whispered across his neck and Xander lurched around, expecting to see a giggling Dawn, but only saw two bright blue eyes.
"Spike…"
end of Chapter 3.
Author's Note: I had nothing to do today, and I'm sick. uu So, I decided to get more of the story done. I know this isn't as long as the other chapters, but a lot of people have come in now, and important things have happened.
Review Responses:
Euley: Too bad, it won't be Fresley. You know that. You know the ending pairings, for crying out loud! Besides. We're doing a Fresley story, which is against my nature, so stop yelling.
Imazdi: Thank you for always reviewing. I really appreciate it. So. I think you've gotten the wrong idea. The prophecy isn't about original characters of Buffy and Angel. The people that the prophecy talks about will make their appearance sometime soon. I think maybe in chapter four, or maybe in chapter five. I'm not sure.
Leave a review, please! It makes me think that my story is liked.
Also, I'm thinking about putting this under the Buffy section to see if I get more feedback, positive or negative. So please leave a review.