BUFFY
Buffy stood at the steps of the Hyperion for the second time that day, but being in the hurry that she was before she never had the time to stop and notice the vast size of the Hotel, which seemed to go on forever.
She shuddered. 'I wonder why Angel bought this creepy place,' she thought, then paused. Angel. She hadn't let herself think about him since their meeting when she came back. She shuddered again.
Angel & Cordelia. He told her he loved Cordelia.
Loved Cordelia.
Loved.
She pushed the memory back, hastily wiped her eyes, and forcing herself to take deep breaths. No reason to remember that now. 'Dawn!' she chided herself 'focus on rescuing Dawn from Angelus, not on how Angelus came back..' she cut herself off thankful for the distraction of shouting.
'Wait shouting, always of the bad' she notioned running up the stairs.
She looked at the doors and hesitated, they seemed so much bigger than before. "Time to do some damage control, starting with that door" she thought wincing at the concave on the wood which had made contact with her foot only hours before.
She tentatively pushed what remained of the door aside and stepped in. Eight heads turned her way.
"Buffy where were you!" Xander yelled, not knowing which approach to take and choosing the easiest. Anger.
"I don't have time to deal with this," she sighed turning to the skinny southern looking girl behind the desk, "Where does-did," she quickly corrected herself, "Angel keep his weapons?"
"Oh, um behind the closet, he likes to keep it at a close distance just in case we get attacked or something else, because we rarely get attacked, I mean of course we get attacked attacked, but not like ambushes you know here in the hotel..."she stopped an flushed a deep red, when she realized that Buffy had already walked past her, to the weapons closet.
Buffy could feel every eye in the room watching her every move. She opened the closet door and grabbed the first weapon she saw, and closed it again quickly. She heard a little squeak and turned in the direction of the skinny brunette. When the girl still said nothing and continued to keep her hand over her mouth. Buffy raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Problem?" she asked finally.
"Oh um no, nothing, nothing. " the brunette replied hurriedly .
Buffy headed back to the door, she needed to get out away from everyone's questioning stares. "But.." She turned around once more to face the southern girl. " Its just, that was Angels Favorite weapon and it was the first one you reached for, as if,... as if you were drawn to it." she finished immediately ducking her head of embarrassment. or maybe it was because of the piercing glare that Buffy was sending her way.
Buffy gaze moved to the weapon that was still in her left hand. She slowly raised it to her eye level and her blood ran cold.
"It's an axe," Angel said looking appreciatingly at the metal in his hand.
" I saw on the shop window and couldn't resist!" Buffy squealed ignoring the look of bafflement from her mother " I put an engraving on the side" she pointed. Angel read it out loud.
" Forever, that' the...
"whole point" Buffy murmured the Christmas 3 years ago, clouding her memory, when it snowed...
"Thank you Buffy, its beautiful." his brown eyes met hers and she heard herself thank the Powers That Be for the hundredth time that they saved this beauty for her, he was hers. " Just like you" she heard him mummer.
She ignored Faith choking on her eggnog and leaned in closer. Their lips were so close, so close...
" Buffy I need your help !" Joyce screamed from the kitchen. Buffy groaned and heard Angles deep throat laugh and began to laugh herself...
Clang! Buffy snapped back from her trip back in time, to step away from the axe that she dropped. She covered her hand with her mouth and tried to keep the memory from resurfacing. Her cheeks were damp with something, she lifted her fingers and inspected them. Tears.
She was crying.
"Buffy are you ok?" she turned to look at Willows worried expression, and hastily wiped at the already dry tear. She looked down and realized she was shaking.
"Im fine!" she replied, trying to convince herself more than the others. " um, do you have a washroom?" she asked the black man who was looking at her in concern,.
"Plenty actually!" he replied with a light laugh, but seeing how Buffy's face remained impassive he continued "Upstairs 1st door to your left."
"Thank you" she mumbled and rushed upstairs. She found the washroom, slammed the door closed and slided down it. Trying to get control of her breathing.