BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

'Wherever You May Be'

Written by Moonlight Snitch

Spoilers for Killed By Death and Becoming Part I (Flashbacks)

Chapter Two – Reservations

"Xander, cut it out," Willow said, exasperated as she watched Xander jump up and down.

"What? Can you really blame me for being a little happy? We took out three vamps last night all on our own, without Buffy. Maybe now she'll get the proper rest she needs."

Willow nodded. "Maybe. I'm not sure though, you know Buffy. I was surprised that we didn't see her out there last night. I guess she actually decided to listen to Giles for one."

Xander smirked. "Yup, and it'll probably never happen again."

Willow nodded in agreement as they pushed open the doors to the library, expecting everything to be quiet, but instead being greeted by the scene of a very flustered Giles on the phone.

"No, I haven't seen her at all, my understand was that she was at home last night?"

Willow frowned and glanced over at Xander to see that he was looking just as confused. What was going on?
"No, I'll phone if I she her?" Giles replied to who ever was on the other line and hung up, a frown marring his brow.

"Giles," Willow asked, gaining his attention. "Is everything alright?"

Giles sighed, pulling his glasses off and wiping them off in his shirt. "That's was…umm, Mrs. Summers. It seems Buffy's missing."

"Missing?" Willow asked.

"Wasn't she at home last night?" Xander asked, frowning.

"That's what everyone thought. Mrs. Summers said that Buffy had been in bed last night when she last checked on her, but she wasn't there this morning. She called to see if she'd decided to come to school, though with how sick she's been, I had advised her to stay home."

"You don't think she went out last night, do you? Cause, you know, she's sick and sick plus Slayage is bad," Willow stammered.

Giles placed his glasses back on and tucked his hands in his pockets. "I don't know. She might have and if that's the case we need to find her."

"Oh, man, you don't think she's…" Xander trailed off, looking decidedly green.

"No, I don't believe so," Giles replied. "If something had happened to her, another Slayer would have been called and the council would have contacted me to learn the details. Since they haven't, I'm going to assume that she's alright."

"What are we going to do?" Willow asked, wrapping her arms around herself. She couldn't bare the thought of something happening to Buffy.

"At the moment, you two are going to go to class. Act as though nothing is amiss. Meanwhile, I'm going to start trying to get some information. She if anyone knows where she might be. We can start an all out search after school hours."

Willow nodded though Xander didn't looked too please. "That's it. We just act as though nothings wrong," he yelled in frustration. "Buffy's missing. She could be hurt or dead for all we know and we're just going to 'go to class'."

"There isn't much to be done on the information that we have, Xander," Giles replied, trying to calm the teen.

"Giles is right, Xander. We just need to stay calm. We won't be any help to Buffy if we're not." Willow said.

Xander seemed to calm, but Willow could tell he was still upset. "I hate to mention this, be you don't think Angel-"

"We can't assume that," Giles answered. "Even ill, Buffy can take care of herself. I'm sure this is nothing serious."

"Okay," Xander answered. "Bt what if he does have her?"

Giles sighed, looking down at the ground. "We'll deal with that if we come to that," he replied.

"That's right, for two," Angelus answered, rubbing his head where a headache was forming. He'd been on the phone with these morons for over an hour now and he felt like he was just running around in circles. Decent help was so hard to find these days.

He shoved another sweater into his bag, bracing the phone between his ear and shoulder. He was almost done here and then he'd be able to leave. Well, once the sun was down anyways.

Angelus growled again into the phone. "Look, how hard can this be? I just need safe transportation for myself and one other to Galway, Ireland. How many times do I have to say it?"

Buffy's moan from the corner of the room where the bed was drew his attention. She was facing him, her forehead drenched in sweat and the sheets tangled around her. Angelus made his way towards her and gently wiped the hair away from her face. She moaned at his touch and turned into it.

"Look," Angelus said, being mindful to keep his voice low. "I want to talk to your superior. Tell them who I am and maybe I'll reconsider killing you."

There was a rustling noise on the other side and then the click of the phone going on hold.

Angelus sat himself down gently on the side of the bed, watching Buffy sleep. He had to get her out of here. They'd been here too long. He knew that her family and friends would know that she's missing by now and he also knew that by nightfall he'd have a lot more people on his tail then just them. Spike and Dru were sure to be after him as well, especially if they put Buffy and his disappearance together.

A light knock at the door drew his attention away from Buffy. He noticed a faint bluish light coming from under the door and knew that it was Liam finally getting back.

He rose and crossed the room to the door. Once it was opened, the bluish mist that was Liam flew past him, a bag floating along with him.

"Well, that was fun," Liam commented, dropping the bag onto the sofa, before heading back towards Buffy.

Still on hold, Angelus addressed Liam as he closed the door. "I take it there was trouble."

"Not really," Liam commented. "Just the slight problem of trying to get what Buffy would need without her mother seeing me and then trying to get here without being seen."

Angelus nodded just as the line picked up again. "Lilah Morgan, how can I help you, Angelus?"

Angelus smirked. Finally, someone who knew what they were doing. He could tell by the tone of this woman's voice that she was no push over.

"Like I was telling you lanky, I need transportation to Galway, Ireland for myself and one other passenger. Preferably something fast and that will guard against the sunlight."

"I believe that can be arranged, however there's one thing I need to know," she replied.

"And that would be?"

"Last we heard of you, you had a soul. Why contact us?"

Angelus growled. "Then I believe you need to keep up to date. Soul's gone, and I don't want to be answering many questions."

There was a pause for a moment, and then, "Alright then. Is there anything else you need?"

Angelus glanced over towards Buffy, seeing that she'd settled a little now that Liam was here, but she was still tossing slightly in here sleep. "Medical supplies. My companion is ill."

"Vampire?" Lilah questioned.

"No, human and no more questions."

There was a sigh. "Very well. Your transportation will be waiting for you at the airstrip outside LA. I'm going to guess that you won't be there until after nightfall."

"Correct," Angelus replied.

"Okay then, everything will be ready for you then."

Angelus clicked the phone off, tossing it back onto the sofa.

Liam chuckled from where he hovered above Buffy. "I guess I'm not the only one having trouble."

Angelus just glared at him as he moved back towards his bag to finish packing. "Wolfram and Hart isn't exactly running the way it use to," he replied.

Liam chuckled again. "You mean they don't fear you like they use too."

Angelus growled at him. "That's their mistake."

"Angelus," Liam's voice held a cautioning note. "You know you can't act that way anymore, not if you want to help Buffy."

Angelus growled as he zipped up his bag. He knew Liam was right. If he wanted to help Buffy, he'd have to change how he operated. He couldn't continue to kill people and he certain couldn't treat Buffy the way he had been treating her. He'd have to act like Angel. The problem was, he wasn't Angel. Sure, he was a part of Angel, but he was the darker part. To bad Liam couldn't be the one to help Buffy.

"I would if I could," Liam replied, and Angelus sighed again, wishing Liam would quit reading his mind.

"Again, would if I could, but I can't really not read your mind," Liam answered and Angelus could swear by the sound of his voice that Soul boy was smirking.

"I'm not Angel, Liam," Angelus said, ignoring Liam's last comment.

"Well, I think I would know that better then anyone," Liam replied, chuckling slightly.

Angelus growled again. "This isn't funny. You expect me to try and help Buffy, but how can I help her. I'm not who she needs. She needs Angel and I don't think I can be him for her."

"Are my ears deceiving me or did the great Angelus, Scourge of Europe, just admit that he couldn't do something?" Liam's voice held a trace of amusement.

"Dammit, Liam!" Angelus yelled angrily, making Buffy moan in her sleep. Seeing that, Angelus tried to calm himself. "I'm a fucking demon, alright," he continued. "I kill to live and sometimes just for fun. Angel never did either and I don't really think I can help Buffy."

There was a pause and then Liam answered. "If you don't help her, who will? I can't remember?"

Angelus didn't reply. He just continued to look down at the ground. He could almost picture what was going through his soul's mind. Who'd of thought that Angelus had to be comforted by his soul? The thought wasn't a pleasant one, but Angelus wasn't sure what else to do. He'd never been in this type of situation before.

Buffy was his mate, he knew this and now that he knew, he could feel it, but he couldn't do what a vampire would normally do with their mate, regardless of the fact that ever cell in his body was screaming for it. He wanted to mark her, to make her his own, but he couldn't trust himself to do so. Normally a vampire who'd found its mate would sire their mate, but he couldn't do that in this case and he wouldn't. He knew that Buffy's worst nightmare was to become like him, a vampire, and he wasn't going to put her in that position. No matter how much his nature commanded him to do so.

Liam sighed deeply, drawing Angelus's attention. "You're right when you say that she needs Angel," he said. "But Angel's gone. You know it and I know it. We'll just have to do the best we can being separated."

Angelus crocked an eyebrow. "And what exactly can you do about it? Your just a big bluish mist."

Liam seemed to balk at the question. "I may be a bluish mist but I've done more for Buffy then you have lately."

Angelus sighed. "Don't remind me."

Liam chuckled. "It's not my fault that you act before you think."

Angelus growled softly, trying to think of someway to reply when Buffy shifted again in her sleep, moaning slightly.

Liam vanished suddenly and Angelus made his way closer to the bed. Buffy's eyes had opened a crack and see looked up at him, but Angelus could see that her eyes were glassed over due to her fever.

"Angel?" She questioned, and Angelus realized that she was slightly delirious and didn't know what was going on around her.

He sat himself down beside her and stroked her cheek, deciding that pretending to be Angel was the safest thing to do at the moment. "I'm here, love."

She sighed softly at his caress and tried to move closer to him. "I thought that you'd left."

Angelus shook his head. "I'd never leave you. I'm right here."

Her face scrunched up suddenly and tears formed in her eyes. "Angel?" she whispered brokenly and Angelus didn't pause to think about what could be going through her head. He just gently lifted Buffy up into his arms and settled himself back against the headboard.

Buffy began to sob brokenly into his chest and Angelus just held her, rubbing her back soothingly and kissing her forehead. "Ssh," he whispered. "I'm right here, Buffy. I'm right here."

Buffy wrapped a hand in his shirt, burying herself further into his embrace. "You were gone," she sobbed. "I woke up and you were gone."

"I know," Angelus answered, not sure if she was talking about her birthday or just the last few months in general. He didn't even know if she thought she was dreaming or not. Surely if she was in her right mind she'd realize that he wasn't Angel.

"But I'm not going anywhere again, okay," he whispered into her hair and he felt her nod. "I'm staying right here. I'm not going to leave you."

Buffy continued to sob and Angelus didn't know what to do to sooth her. He continued to hold her close and rock her, but she didn't calm. Finally he thought of something that might help and began to sing softly,

"Tha mi sgìth 's mi leam fhìn, buain na rainich, buain na rainich. Tha mi sgìth 's mi leam fhìn, buain na rainich daonnan."

Buffy's sobs seemed to subside a little and Angelus smiled. The song he was singing was an old Gaelic lullaby, one Abby had loved. Liam always used to sing it for her when she had been upset so Angelus wasn't surprised that Buffy was responding to it.

"Cùl an tomain, braigh an tomain, Cùl an tomain bhòidhich. Cùl an tomain, braigh an tomain, 'H-uile là a'm' onar."

Buffy's sobs subsided all together and she settled more peacefully on his chest. Angelus knew she wasn't asleep yet, though. So he continued with the lullaby.

"'S tric a bha mi fhìn 's mo leannan anns a' ghleannan cheòthar, 'g éisdeachd còisir bhinn an doire seinn 's a' choille chòmhail."

Buffy finally dozed off after a while, but Angelus just continued to sing softly. It reminding him of a life that he never personally live, but it helped him to come to terms with what he would soon have to face. He was Angel, but maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to help Buffy all the same.

AN: Well that's all for now. Sorry it took long to get this out, but I've been busy. Remember to review and let me know what you guys thought!