Chapter 4
Buffy woke up two days later to find not a soft pillow under her head, but a firm, comfortable chest. She looked up to find that she was, once again, tangled in Angel's arms and legs in his bed. His head was comfortably to the side and laid on top of her head. She couldn't help but smile at him. He had always been adorable when he slept. They had spent the past two days teaching class, investigating who could be behind the murders of the mages, and talking with each other. More like flirting. It was starting to get to Buffy and she knew that it was going to come to a head soon. Maybe sooner than she thought the way things were going between them.
The first night there, Buffy hadn't been able to sleep. She had stared at the intricate details painted on top of the bed that seemed to move the longer she stared at them. After a while, she had glanced over at Angel's sleeping form longingly. He had startled her by telling her it was ok if she wanted to come over. And she hadn't hesitated. She hadn't slept well in the longest time and when she was with Angel.... Everything was peaceful.
"Morning." Angel said without opening his eyes.
Buffy tried to hide the fact that she was startled. She hadn't expected him to be awake. "Hi."
"Didn't mean to scare you."
"It's ok. You didn't."
Angel let that one slide as he opened his eyes. No wonder he was comfortable. "So much for keeping the distance while we slept, huh?"
"Yeah." Buffy stretched, but stayed in his arms. "Two whole big beds and we still end up together two nights in a row."
"Maybe it's a sign." Buffy slid out of his grasp and grabbed one of the sheets, wrapping it around her. She had slept in Angel's old shirt while he had slept in.... well, nothing. "What?"
"It's nothing."
"No. I know you. It's something."
"Angel...."
"I'm not pushing, but every time I get a little flirtatious, you back off."
"We can't do this! Not now, not ever."
"Why can't we?"
"Because we just can't."
"Who says?"
"They say, Angel! They say! The Powers That Be don't want us together. That's why there's a loophole in your curse and that's why I'm the only one that sets it off. We can't be happy together and that's what I want. To be happy.... And to be safe. I can't be safe with you."
"Why?"
"Dawn deserves that much and with us together, there's too much of a risk."
"This isn't about Dawn. Why won't you let us be together?"
"You work for the bad guys Angel! The other side. The opposite of my side."
"It's not that either. That wouldn't stop you."
"Fine! Because I'm scared that Angelus will come back. Ok, there! I said it! Is that what you wanted to hear? The big bad Slayer is terrified that Angelus will come out and this time I won't be able to kill him. That's why Wesley didn't call me in when you were Angelus before. He knew I wouldn't be able to fight you."
"Kiss me."
"What?"
"Kiss me."
"No! I'm not going to kiss you."
"Why? It's just a kiss."
"Why are you pressing this?"
"Because I want you to know that it doesn't matter to me anymore. You can be happy and safe with me. Dawn can too."
"A kiss isn't just a kiss with us. It's what sets off the next apocalypse."
"Buffy...." Angel crawled across the bed to the other side and touched her back.
"Stop." He didn't and she made no move to stop him. He kept stroking her back and neck. Before she could stop herself, she was pressing her lips to his passionately, their tongues dueling for dominance. Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to him. She had missed this so much, but she couldn't have it. Not fully. This was too dangerous. He was naked and she had nothing on under his shirt. It was going to go too far. "We can't." Buffy pulled away. "Stop. This is crazy."
Angel opened his eyes and looked at her. "That was better than last time."
"Shut up! Ok, I can't do this with you."
"We can talk to Willow. I'm sure she...."
Buffy started to get dressed. "No, Angel. It's not Angelus. It's me. I'm scared of me."
"I knew there was more to it."
"Don't act so calm."
"I can't help it."
"Well, stop!"
"Why are you so scared of yourself?"
Buffy was crying now. "Every time I let go with someone.... I mean fully, passionately, crazily let go.... I always end up getting hurt. Three times with you."
"I'm here now."
"I want to do this with you, I really do, but I don't want to get hurt again."
"Buffy.... I won't leave you. Not this time."
"You can't guarantee that. No one can." With that, Buffy grabbed her robe and almost ran out of the room.
Angel laid back on the bed and winced as the door slammed shut. Apparently he had missed his shot years ago.
I always end up getting hurt. Three times with you.
What had she meant by that? Three times? The first was obviously Angelus, another time had been when he had left after her graduation, but the third.... She couldn't know about it. Could she? Angel shot up and got dressed.
"Hey there Angel." Spike said as Angel walked out of the room.
"Not now Spike." Angel brushed past him, but stopped and turned. "You called me Angel."
"Yeah. It's your name, isn't it?"
"You never call me by my name."
"I'm in a good mood today."
"As opposed to all the other supposedly 'good moods?' The last good mood you were in was when you were pounding my face in over Mountain Dew."
"Well.... that was a good day. Is Buffy in there?"
"No. She's.... Around."
"All right, well, thanks. I'll find her another time." Spike walked away with a wave.
Angel almost shuddered. His grand-pain-in-the-ass was being too nice to him. Not like him at all. Maybe Willow put a whammy on him to make him mellow. He'd find out later. Right now he had a Slayer to find.
Buffy sat out in the garden behind the castle under a patio canopy staring off at the beautiful landscape beyond. She was officially wigged about what had happened between her and Angel and it wasn't something that she could just forget about.
"Hey there, luv." Spike said behind her.
"Hi Spike." Buffy didn't even bother to look at him.
"Are you ok?"
"Been better."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not particularly."
After sitting there in silence for a moment, Spike touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't call you. I was a wanker."
Buffy smiled. "You always were."
"Yeah. Truth was, I didn't want to face the fact that you really don't love me."
"Spike...."
"You can say it all you want, but I know you don't mean it. A part of me thought I had a shot, but.... That night in the graveyard.... I knew it wasn't going to happen."
"What night?"
"The night Angel gave you that amulet. I was there. I saw you kiss him. If that's how you two say hello.... There's no chance in there for me."
"I do love you. It's just not the way you deserve."
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"Believing in me. You're the only who ever did. You have no idea how that makes me feel. You give me hope."
Buffy smiled. "You believed in me too. Without you.... I don't know how I would have made it through a lot of things."
"Can you tell me one thing?"
"Maybe."
"When we were.... together.... Were you thinking about me, or another vampire?"
"I'm sticking with the excuse that I wasn't thinking at all."
"I'll take that as a no."
"Spike.... There were times.... But.... I don't know. It never would have worked between us, would it?"
"No. You love Peaches."
"But Peac.... Angel and I can't be anything but friends."
"You remember what I told you about you two?"
"You said a lot of things about us."
"When I said you two will never be friends.... That still stands."
"I know. And it's hard. Harder now that...." Buffy sighed.
Spike took her hand. "I think you'll figure it out."
"You think?"
"I'm hoping no, but I know that you will. You always do."
Buffy leaned over and kissed Spike gently on the lips. She hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear, "Thanks for being there for me Spike."
"Would you just go talk to him?"
Angel turned and walked away. He had just witnessed the end of his hope with Buffy. He had lost to Spike. Spike, of all people, had won Buffy's heart. It was over. That's why Spike had been so nice to him. He felt sorry for Angel. With a growl, Angel headed to the classroom. It was time for class to begin. The teens were all out of their seats, except Elliot, and talking to one another. Two groups were throwing something back and forth. Angel caught it mid-throw and saw that it was a simple paper ball. He turned it to dust and threw it out the window.
"Time to take your seats." Angel said to them. They must've realized he wasn't in the mood for games. He noticed Elliot's hand up.
"Where's Buffy?" The boy asked.
"She's not here."
"Is she coming?" Toby asked. The kid had taken a liking to Buffy.
"I don't know."
"She's not.... Nothing happened to her?" Miranda, a tall girl with shocks of bright green through her hair, asked.
"No. She's.... Fine."
The door opened and Buffy strode in. "Did I miss anything?"
"You're just in time. Angel's in a bad mood." Toby said.
"I can only imagine."
"I bet you can." Angel said.
Buffy looked a little taken aback, but she forged ahead. "Ok, who was next in line for base training?"
After class was over, Buffy followed Angel through the hallways. "Angel!" He didn't listen. "Angel, would you stop? I have something to tell you!"
He wheeled on her. "I already know."
"Don't you want to talk about it?"
"Why would I?"
"Because....." Before Buffy could finish speaking, a scream came from down the hall. Buffy and Angel took off running in the direction of the scream, but the hallway seemed to lengthen suddenly and then there were more doors than they knew what to do with. The scream had come from somewhere down here. "Are you doing this?"
"Why would I do this?"
"Because you're pissed about something."
"Well, not this!"
A door burst open and Buffy and Angel jumped and hit the hall. It was only Willow. "What's going on?"
"I don't know, but this hallway seems to be misleading us." Buffy said.
Willow looked down the hallway. "Well, that's not normal." There was another scream. "Where's it coming from?"
"This way. That way. I couldn't tell you."
Spike popped out of another door and looked around. "Hey.... How'd I get out here?"
"What do you mean?" Willow asked.
"I was walking into the training room, I thought."
"Something's going on. This isn't right."
"What do you mean?" Angel asked.
"The killings. They've all been late at night."
"It's the afternoon." Buffy said.
"That's why it's not right."
"Can't you fix this?" Spike asked.
"I'm trying." Willow made a few arcane symbols in the air with her fingers, but nothing happened. "I don't understand."
"This way!" Ork cried from a little down the hall. "Pretend it's not real."
Buffy took off down the hall, imagining that the hall was way shorter than it was at the moment. She reached Ork in no time and looked in the room. Miranda was sobbing over a tall, muscular man's bloody body. "What happened?"
"The killer. It got Miranda's father."
"Oh God...." Willow ran over to Miranda and pulled her away.
Buffy walked over and studied the body. Spike walked over. "Look. There's some sort of symbol carved on his chest."
Spike grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and made a quick sketch of the symbol. "I wonder if all the other bodies had this on them."
"Maybe." Buffy looked at Ork.
"They did." Ork said.
"Are the bodies still here?"
"We sent them to their home dimensions to be buried properly."
"What about the symbols?" Spike said. "Did you get a good look at them?"
"They're written down. I'll get the file for you."
When Buffy, Spike, and Angel were left in the room alone, Buffy looked at the vampires. "These killings aren't random. There's a pattern."
"How so?" Spike asked.
"The files that Willow gave us on the dead mages.... They were pretty damn powerful. One of the top five in this place."
"Let me guess.... He was number three."
"Most likely."
"Someone's going after the big dogs."
"I wonder who. We need to figure out who the top two are."
"Red's gotta be one."
"No. She's new. I don't think they'll go after her. All the dead mages have been to one of these things before."
"Hmm.... This is a puzzler."
"I'm guessing Ork's one of the top five."
"I'll tail him. Red's around him a lot and since I'm her personal assistant, that shouldn't be too hard."
"Good. Angel and I'll do some digging with the students. See if they know something more than they should."
"What about Miranda?"
"She'll probably go back with her father's body, but before she does, we'll need to question her."
"Want me to do it?"
"I got it. She probably needs someone who's been there." Buffy and Spike's eyes locked and he knew she was thinking of her mother.
Spike nodded. "Probably does."
"Good. Tonight, Angel and I can snoop around this place. It's never pulled that hall trick before and I'd like to find out who's got the power to alter reality.... Other than Angel." Buffy looked around. "Speaking of.... Where'd he go?"
"You got me. He pulls that sometimes. Always did hate that."
Buffy woke up two days later to find not a soft pillow under her head, but a firm, comfortable chest. She looked up to find that she was, once again, tangled in Angel's arms and legs in his bed. His head was comfortably to the side and laid on top of her head. She couldn't help but smile at him. He had always been adorable when he slept. They had spent the past two days teaching class, investigating who could be behind the murders of the mages, and talking with each other. More like flirting. It was starting to get to Buffy and she knew that it was going to come to a head soon. Maybe sooner than she thought the way things were going between them.
The first night there, Buffy hadn't been able to sleep. She had stared at the intricate details painted on top of the bed that seemed to move the longer she stared at them. After a while, she had glanced over at Angel's sleeping form longingly. He had startled her by telling her it was ok if she wanted to come over. And she hadn't hesitated. She hadn't slept well in the longest time and when she was with Angel.... Everything was peaceful.
"Morning." Angel said without opening his eyes.
Buffy tried to hide the fact that she was startled. She hadn't expected him to be awake. "Hi."
"Didn't mean to scare you."
"It's ok. You didn't."
Angel let that one slide as he opened his eyes. No wonder he was comfortable. "So much for keeping the distance while we slept, huh?"
"Yeah." Buffy stretched, but stayed in his arms. "Two whole big beds and we still end up together two nights in a row."
"Maybe it's a sign." Buffy slid out of his grasp and grabbed one of the sheets, wrapping it around her. She had slept in Angel's old shirt while he had slept in.... well, nothing. "What?"
"It's nothing."
"No. I know you. It's something."
"Angel...."
"I'm not pushing, but every time I get a little flirtatious, you back off."
"We can't do this! Not now, not ever."
"Why can't we?"
"Because we just can't."
"Who says?"
"They say, Angel! They say! The Powers That Be don't want us together. That's why there's a loophole in your curse and that's why I'm the only one that sets it off. We can't be happy together and that's what I want. To be happy.... And to be safe. I can't be safe with you."
"Why?"
"Dawn deserves that much and with us together, there's too much of a risk."
"This isn't about Dawn. Why won't you let us be together?"
"You work for the bad guys Angel! The other side. The opposite of my side."
"It's not that either. That wouldn't stop you."
"Fine! Because I'm scared that Angelus will come back. Ok, there! I said it! Is that what you wanted to hear? The big bad Slayer is terrified that Angelus will come out and this time I won't be able to kill him. That's why Wesley didn't call me in when you were Angelus before. He knew I wouldn't be able to fight you."
"Kiss me."
"What?"
"Kiss me."
"No! I'm not going to kiss you."
"Why? It's just a kiss."
"Why are you pressing this?"
"Because I want you to know that it doesn't matter to me anymore. You can be happy and safe with me. Dawn can too."
"A kiss isn't just a kiss with us. It's what sets off the next apocalypse."
"Buffy...." Angel crawled across the bed to the other side and touched her back.
"Stop." He didn't and she made no move to stop him. He kept stroking her back and neck. Before she could stop herself, she was pressing her lips to his passionately, their tongues dueling for dominance. Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer to him. She had missed this so much, but she couldn't have it. Not fully. This was too dangerous. He was naked and she had nothing on under his shirt. It was going to go too far. "We can't." Buffy pulled away. "Stop. This is crazy."
Angel opened his eyes and looked at her. "That was better than last time."
"Shut up! Ok, I can't do this with you."
"We can talk to Willow. I'm sure she...."
Buffy started to get dressed. "No, Angel. It's not Angelus. It's me. I'm scared of me."
"I knew there was more to it."
"Don't act so calm."
"I can't help it."
"Well, stop!"
"Why are you so scared of yourself?"
Buffy was crying now. "Every time I let go with someone.... I mean fully, passionately, crazily let go.... I always end up getting hurt. Three times with you."
"I'm here now."
"I want to do this with you, I really do, but I don't want to get hurt again."
"Buffy.... I won't leave you. Not this time."
"You can't guarantee that. No one can." With that, Buffy grabbed her robe and almost ran out of the room.
Angel laid back on the bed and winced as the door slammed shut. Apparently he had missed his shot years ago.
I always end up getting hurt. Three times with you.
What had she meant by that? Three times? The first was obviously Angelus, another time had been when he had left after her graduation, but the third.... She couldn't know about it. Could she? Angel shot up and got dressed.
"Hey there Angel." Spike said as Angel walked out of the room.
"Not now Spike." Angel brushed past him, but stopped and turned. "You called me Angel."
"Yeah. It's your name, isn't it?"
"You never call me by my name."
"I'm in a good mood today."
"As opposed to all the other supposedly 'good moods?' The last good mood you were in was when you were pounding my face in over Mountain Dew."
"Well.... that was a good day. Is Buffy in there?"
"No. She's.... Around."
"All right, well, thanks. I'll find her another time." Spike walked away with a wave.
Angel almost shuddered. His grand-pain-in-the-ass was being too nice to him. Not like him at all. Maybe Willow put a whammy on him to make him mellow. He'd find out later. Right now he had a Slayer to find.
Buffy sat out in the garden behind the castle under a patio canopy staring off at the beautiful landscape beyond. She was officially wigged about what had happened between her and Angel and it wasn't something that she could just forget about.
"Hey there, luv." Spike said behind her.
"Hi Spike." Buffy didn't even bother to look at him.
"Are you ok?"
"Been better."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not particularly."
After sitting there in silence for a moment, Spike touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't call you. I was a wanker."
Buffy smiled. "You always were."
"Yeah. Truth was, I didn't want to face the fact that you really don't love me."
"Spike...."
"You can say it all you want, but I know you don't mean it. A part of me thought I had a shot, but.... That night in the graveyard.... I knew it wasn't going to happen."
"What night?"
"The night Angel gave you that amulet. I was there. I saw you kiss him. If that's how you two say hello.... There's no chance in there for me."
"I do love you. It's just not the way you deserve."
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"Believing in me. You're the only who ever did. You have no idea how that makes me feel. You give me hope."
Buffy smiled. "You believed in me too. Without you.... I don't know how I would have made it through a lot of things."
"Can you tell me one thing?"
"Maybe."
"When we were.... together.... Were you thinking about me, or another vampire?"
"I'm sticking with the excuse that I wasn't thinking at all."
"I'll take that as a no."
"Spike.... There were times.... But.... I don't know. It never would have worked between us, would it?"
"No. You love Peaches."
"But Peac.... Angel and I can't be anything but friends."
"You remember what I told you about you two?"
"You said a lot of things about us."
"When I said you two will never be friends.... That still stands."
"I know. And it's hard. Harder now that...." Buffy sighed.
Spike took her hand. "I think you'll figure it out."
"You think?"
"I'm hoping no, but I know that you will. You always do."
Buffy leaned over and kissed Spike gently on the lips. She hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear, "Thanks for being there for me Spike."
"Would you just go talk to him?"
Angel turned and walked away. He had just witnessed the end of his hope with Buffy. He had lost to Spike. Spike, of all people, had won Buffy's heart. It was over. That's why Spike had been so nice to him. He felt sorry for Angel. With a growl, Angel headed to the classroom. It was time for class to begin. The teens were all out of their seats, except Elliot, and talking to one another. Two groups were throwing something back and forth. Angel caught it mid-throw and saw that it was a simple paper ball. He turned it to dust and threw it out the window.
"Time to take your seats." Angel said to them. They must've realized he wasn't in the mood for games. He noticed Elliot's hand up.
"Where's Buffy?" The boy asked.
"She's not here."
"Is she coming?" Toby asked. The kid had taken a liking to Buffy.
"I don't know."
"She's not.... Nothing happened to her?" Miranda, a tall girl with shocks of bright green through her hair, asked.
"No. She's.... Fine."
The door opened and Buffy strode in. "Did I miss anything?"
"You're just in time. Angel's in a bad mood." Toby said.
"I can only imagine."
"I bet you can." Angel said.
Buffy looked a little taken aback, but she forged ahead. "Ok, who was next in line for base training?"
After class was over, Buffy followed Angel through the hallways. "Angel!" He didn't listen. "Angel, would you stop? I have something to tell you!"
He wheeled on her. "I already know."
"Don't you want to talk about it?"
"Why would I?"
"Because....." Before Buffy could finish speaking, a scream came from down the hall. Buffy and Angel took off running in the direction of the scream, but the hallway seemed to lengthen suddenly and then there were more doors than they knew what to do with. The scream had come from somewhere down here. "Are you doing this?"
"Why would I do this?"
"Because you're pissed about something."
"Well, not this!"
A door burst open and Buffy and Angel jumped and hit the hall. It was only Willow. "What's going on?"
"I don't know, but this hallway seems to be misleading us." Buffy said.
Willow looked down the hallway. "Well, that's not normal." There was another scream. "Where's it coming from?"
"This way. That way. I couldn't tell you."
Spike popped out of another door and looked around. "Hey.... How'd I get out here?"
"What do you mean?" Willow asked.
"I was walking into the training room, I thought."
"Something's going on. This isn't right."
"What do you mean?" Angel asked.
"The killings. They've all been late at night."
"It's the afternoon." Buffy said.
"That's why it's not right."
"Can't you fix this?" Spike asked.
"I'm trying." Willow made a few arcane symbols in the air with her fingers, but nothing happened. "I don't understand."
"This way!" Ork cried from a little down the hall. "Pretend it's not real."
Buffy took off down the hall, imagining that the hall was way shorter than it was at the moment. She reached Ork in no time and looked in the room. Miranda was sobbing over a tall, muscular man's bloody body. "What happened?"
"The killer. It got Miranda's father."
"Oh God...." Willow ran over to Miranda and pulled her away.
Buffy walked over and studied the body. Spike walked over. "Look. There's some sort of symbol carved on his chest."
Spike grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and made a quick sketch of the symbol. "I wonder if all the other bodies had this on them."
"Maybe." Buffy looked at Ork.
"They did." Ork said.
"Are the bodies still here?"
"We sent them to their home dimensions to be buried properly."
"What about the symbols?" Spike said. "Did you get a good look at them?"
"They're written down. I'll get the file for you."
When Buffy, Spike, and Angel were left in the room alone, Buffy looked at the vampires. "These killings aren't random. There's a pattern."
"How so?" Spike asked.
"The files that Willow gave us on the dead mages.... They were pretty damn powerful. One of the top five in this place."
"Let me guess.... He was number three."
"Most likely."
"Someone's going after the big dogs."
"I wonder who. We need to figure out who the top two are."
"Red's gotta be one."
"No. She's new. I don't think they'll go after her. All the dead mages have been to one of these things before."
"Hmm.... This is a puzzler."
"I'm guessing Ork's one of the top five."
"I'll tail him. Red's around him a lot and since I'm her personal assistant, that shouldn't be too hard."
"Good. Angel and I'll do some digging with the students. See if they know something more than they should."
"What about Miranda?"
"She'll probably go back with her father's body, but before she does, we'll need to question her."
"Want me to do it?"
"I got it. She probably needs someone who's been there." Buffy and Spike's eyes locked and he knew she was thinking of her mother.
Spike nodded. "Probably does."
"Good. Tonight, Angel and I can snoop around this place. It's never pulled that hall trick before and I'd like to find out who's got the power to alter reality.... Other than Angel." Buffy looked around. "Speaking of.... Where'd he go?"
"You got me. He pulls that sometimes. Always did hate that."
