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Chapter 5- Bump in the night
"Has anyone heard from her?" Giles asked the four people sitting across from him. "No Giles we haven't." Willow said anxiously looking back and forth between Oz and Xander. Riley paced the space in front of the fireplace.
"It's been almost a week, Giles, six days and noone has heard from her or found a trace of her anywhere." Riley stated sounding fearful.
"Maybe, she wanted a break-you know like a vacation from, stuff." Oz suggested wrapping a supporting arm around Willow. "No she's the Slayer, she can't take a vacation. Plus she knows better that to just up and leave. She has responsibilities to Sunnydale, to protect them, us, from the things that go 'bump in the night'." Willow disagreed.
"And even if she did take a vacation not only, again, leaving us to take over her job, but she picked a hell of a time, the bodies are piling up around here. So the demon community knows she's gone." Xander stated sounding disgusted.
"The bodies haven't been 'piling up' Xander, twelve bodies don't add up to a pile. Sure it's a lot but,"
"Just who's side are you on Will?" Xander asked her throwing his hands up in frustration. "Noone's-ours," Willow stammered. "Ok children, if we could get back on task. Buffy is missing and we have no idea as to where she might be." Giles chimed in.
"Actually, there is one other place she could be," Willow trails looking Giles with a telltale look. Xander picked up on it and jumped to his feet.
"No. No she wouldn't go to him. She's over him. He almost killed her before he left. Plus she knows how we all feel about him." Xander spat venomously. "Who?" Riley asked, stopping his pacing. All eyes turned to him and a huge ball of dread churned in his stomach. "Angel."
"Yes, Angel." Xander spat out. "Well it's our last shot and our only lead. Plus he could help find her." Oz piped in. "We don't need him." Xander denied acidly. "Actually Xander, I believe he could be of some use." Giles added.
"Are we forgetting what he is and the fact he tormented and killed people we cared about?" Xander asked eyeing everyone in the room. Willow looked away from his hot gaze.
"No, we haven't forgotten Xander." Giles's voice was clipped. "But be that as it may we need his help."
"We wouldn't need if Buffy would have killed him like she was supposed to." "That is enough Xander." Giles voice rose making Willow flinch back and Oz growl in warning.
Silence hung heavily in the room, tension radiated within the small space as Giles and Xander glared at one another. It was Willow who broke the deafening silence. "So we're going to L.A.?"
"Apparently." Xander replied flatly. "Good, we can take my van." Oz said getting to his feet with Willow in tow, and walked out to the van while the others fallowed.
L.A.
"How long do you plan on waiting?" Cordelia demanded. "It's been like what, a month, and yet your still here." she drawled.
"And you became my keeper when, Cordelia?" Angel growled setting down the worn leather-bound tome on his desk with an audible 'thump'.
"Oh, don't get snippy with me Angel. You're the one who locks himself in his office and broods, mooning over a picture of Buffy he hides in books people stopped reading like five hundred years ago."
To prove her point, she snatched up the tome off his desk before he could snatch in back and ran, with the picture, out of the office into the lobby.
Angel was up in a flash of movement after her. She ran in back of Gunn using him as a shield against Angel's wrath.
"Cordelia!" Angel shouted her name, his eyes flashing gold in warning. Gunn took a step back instinctively and threw his hands palms up in a show of peace. "Yo man innocent bystander, get a grip. Your eyes are doing that freaky changing shit." Gunn said stepping out from between them.
"You two I swear. Hey, Angel how'd you get this picture?" Cordelia asked looking down at the picture taken the last Halloween before they blow up the school.
It was the Halloween Faith dared Buffy to dress-up like a vampire. Buffy, unable to back down from a dare, let Faith dress her in skin tight blood red leather pants, a red corset top with black lace sown around the bust and an intricate Celtic knot choker, and spike-heeled boots. Complete with a set of snap-in fangs.
Buffy showed up in the library shocking all of them. The look on Giles's face was priceless, he stuttered and stammered for almost five minuets before he finally gave up and retreated to the safety of his office. They had all laughed until their sides hurt.
Cordelia laughed softly at the memory. Buffy had posed for exactly one picture, she was standing in the middle of the dance floor at the Bronze, her hair haloing pale gold around her face, eyes blazing, hip cocked, arms hanging loosely at her sides, and a smug, female half-smile gracing her lips.
Buffy had every male in the place drooling ,but she was looking only at Angel who was, at the time, standing in the shadows while Faith took the picture. After Angel refused to leave Buffy's side and snarled at any male stupid enough to get within a foot of her all night.
Cordelia smiled up at Angel "You growled practically the whole night. I can't believe," She trailed off as she was thrown back by a vision. Gunn caught her as she slammed into him and laid her on the couch. The vision hit her from all sides.
Blurry scenes of Buffy fighting, of her slaying, of her, dying. Cordelia covered her face with her hands and sobbed. Angel and Gunn exchanged worried looks. Angel signaled Gunn to go get Wesley.
"Cordy are you alright?" Angel asked crouching beside her, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "What did you see Cordy?" Angel asked as gently as possible, dread settling like lead in his stomach.
Cordy looked up at him with tears trailing down her face. Oh god, how can I tell him? How can I tell him Buffy's gone? She shook her head. "Nothing." Angel eyed her suspiciously. "Nothing?"
"It wasn't clear, there's nothing we can do, what ever it was it's done. Why would they do that? Show me something I can't prevent? Yet not show me, I felt it-it was like...like I was being ripped apart from the inside out. It hurt Angel,"
Xander burst through the lobby doors fallowed by Willow, Giles and a tall blonde guy, interrupting Cordelia. "Where is she?" Xander demanded grabbing Angel by the shirt front. "Xander!" Willow exclaimed in shock from a few feet way.
Angel would have been amused, had it been anyone else, but since it was Xander, it only pissed him off. "Before you clarify that question, boy, I'd advise you to get your hands the hell off me. Before I do something you'd regret. Dearly." Angel calmly, barley hiding the promise of violence.
Xander jumped back. "H-he's Angelus. He's turned evil..." "That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard Xander. Of corse Angel hasn't turned evil." Wesley said annoyed.
"Yes he is you can see it in his eyes and look at the smirk, an Angelus trademark." Gunn and Wesley came and stood on either side of Angel.
"Your being a moron as usual Xander, so listen closely, Angel is not evil. He hasn't turned, He can't," "What do you mean he can't." Xander spat. "I was just getting to that brain trust, his soul is bound. This blue haired lady-ok look it's a long story so just trust me ok."
"That doesn't explain him trying to kill me." Xander pointed out. "I wouldn't have to try to kill you, boy." Angel growled. Xander held his ground. "Bring it on dead boy." Xander taunted.
When Angel to a step forward, both him and Xander, flew into opposite walls. "Oh would you two knock it off!" Willow yelled, lowering her outstretched arms, power exuding from her. Every one in the room stared at her.
"Xander you should know better than to just attack people now stand up, both of you, and focus." Willow said. The look she sent him killed any retort he had. Both Angel and Xander stood."We're here looking for Buffy," Giles informed the L.A. team.
"She's not here and if she was here what makes you think I'd tell you?" Angel said leaning on the walk feet crossed at the ankle. "From the looks of it you guys haven't changed a bit from the selfish, dependent people I left Buffy with." "Now wait a minuet," Riley spoke up.
"Who the hell are you?" Angel demanded. "I'm Riley, Buffy's fiancee." There was a collective gasp from everyone in the room everyone in the room, except Gunn and Angel.
Angel laughed out loud making Riley shift nervously from one foot to the other. "Your Buffy's what?" He asked when he sobered enough to speak. Riley puffed his chest out. "I'm her fiancee."
"Yeah and I'm taking up the priesthood." Angel taunted. "Ok, before we get to the where's Buffy question, how 'bout your name?" Cordelia chimed in. Riley stopped the glaring match long enough to answer.
"I'm Finn. Riley Finn, ma'am. Cordelia raised a questioning eyebrow and looked at Angel who smirked. "So Finn, how long have you known Buffy?" Before Riley could tell Angel where to go, Giles interrupted. "As lovely as all these pleasantries are, could we please focus."
"Like I said before Finn interrupted. I don't know where Buffy is, and if I did know what makes you think I'd tell any of you?" Giles looked outraged, but it was Riley who stepped up. Riley took the stake out of the back of his pants, taking a threatening step towards Angel who looked more amused then worried.
"You think you've got the balls to do it Finn?" Angel taunted as Riley stepped within swinging distance. "I don't think, vampire, I know." Riley spat, but before either could make a move they were thrown to opposite walls, once again, by Willow.
"When I say stop. I mean stop. The next person to try a testosterone pissing contest will be. Very. Very. Sorry." She said punching out the last words.
Before anyone could utter a word the lobby doors were thrown open, icy, blue tented mist creeping across the floor wrapping around everyone's legs.
"Ok Will, we get in no more fighting. You can stop freaking us out now." Xander said backing up away from the crawling mist. Everyone mumbled in agreement, backing away.
"U-uh, guys," Willow stuttered. "I'm not doing it." Everyone's head snapped up. A feminine laugh had everyone looking at the open double doors, fallowed by a hauntingly beautiful voice.
"I knew you'd all go running to Angel."
TBC
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