Note: Italicized words are Buffy's personal/Slayer thoughts. Some dialogs are taken from the Dark Age, episode 8 of season 2.
(O.O)
Giles
I feel a headache growing.
My young charge had the most "brilliant" idea to listen to the most dastardly horrible music to grace the earth as she did her regular calisthenics in my library.
"Must we have this noise during your calisthenics?" I asked, looking pained as the beat grew faster and louder.
"It's not noise! It's music!" my Slayer reasoned.
I rolled my eyes at this.
"I know music. Music has notes. This is noise," I pointed out.
"I'm aerobicizing! I must have a beat!" Buffy said to me.
Knowing I lost the battle, I simply made an elegant retreat towards the shelves, further away from my energetic Slayer.
"Wonderful. You work on your muscle tone while my brain dribbles out of my ears," I informed her as I walked away.
I occupied myself in reading a few more ancient texts about vampire illnesses.
I know that Spike and his lot have been helping a great deal with Buffy and her duties as a Slayer, so as we agreed in the past, I help whenever I can to look for a cure for his ailing Sire.
My research had not really merited much success considering much time has passed since they arrived in Sunnydale. It was a bit frustrating that in all my collection of demonic books, not one contains information on how to heal a vampire.
"It shouldn't really surprise me considering the council focused more on collecting information on how to kill vampires and not on how to save them," I muttered out loud.
I continued my research until I finally hear Buffy turn off that infernal racket.
"Ahhh! Very good," I said to Buffy as I made my way out of my hiding spot, "And the rest is silence."
It wasn't long after that, that we called it a day, or should I say, a night, and left the school to make our way home.
I was exhausted and very eager to have a good hot cup of tea before retiring for the evening so as to be energized for another run-in with the very younger population of the school.
Unfortunately, my nightmares had another say on the matter.
It had been strange. I haven't had that kind of dream in a very long time. It was just a relief that nothing happened and it was all that, a dream.
I did my morning rituals, got dress, prepared a cup of tea, and toasted some bread.
After a good breakfast, looked at my clock and saw that it was time for me to leave. I took my suitcase, notice that I circled a date in my calendar.
"Bloody hell," I said. It was the last Friday of the month and the medical blood transport was happening in the hospital that evening.
I almost forgot about that.
I took a mental note and left my house.
I arrived at school and went straight to find Buffy and her friends. Knowing them, they would be near the vacant bench on a secluded part of the school where Willow liked to practice her magic as Buffy either watched or did homework that she often forgets to do.
I smiled a bit as I see the group where I knew they would be. Then I got distracted by the feeling of someone watching me. I tried to look around but found no one was there. I change my direction a bit to stare at one window from the school.
For a moment I thought I caught a glimpse of someone I knew.
"Giles!"
And just like that, I turned my attention to my Slayer and her friends, who waved at me.
I went over to them and the children smiled at my arrival. I still felt that nagging feeling at the back of my neck that someone was still watching me.
"Hey, morning. Say, is that tweed?" Buffy suddenly asked.
I was still troubled by the odd sensation that's telling me I was being watched, that I nearly missed her question.
"What? Oh, uh, yes. Um, now, uh, look, tonight is very important, um-" I started to tell her, before turning around and started making my way towards the school building.
It was rude of me to do so to my Slayer and her friends but I knew I wouldn't feel stop feeling restless until I figure out if what I saw earlier was real or not.
Luckily, Buffy hadn't caught on to my discomfort and followed me with ease.
"Now, that's a surprise," she said.
I speed walked towards the library and stopped in front of a room before I got there.
It was the room with the window where I saw that person earlier. However, it seems that the person I saw from the window was no longer there. It frustrated me.
"Was I imaging things?" I thought.
"So, what's on tap tonight that's so important? Uprising, prophesied ritual, preordained death fest?" Buffy cut my musings.
Right, they were still with me.
"Ah, the old standards!" Xander followed.
"Um, a medical transport is delivering the monthly supply of blood to the hospital," I informed her.
"Mm. Vampire Meals-On-Wheels," Buffy said stopping right in front of what I knew was her locker.
"Hopefully not. Uh, we'll meet outside the hospital at 8:30 sharp. I'll bring the weaponry," I told her.
"I'll bring Spike and the party mix!"
I sighed at that. Knowing my Slayer, I was certain she and the vampire will probably take the long way to the hospital and patrol the cemetery before they went to our meet up.
"Just don't be late," I let her know.
Buffy smiled at me. "Have we ever let you down?"
"Do you want me to answer that, or shall I just glare?"
Her smile widened and I can see her friends joining her.
"Cheeky little brats," I thought with a hint of irritation.
"Morning, England," a melodic voice said from beside me.
"Oh, hello, Ms., uh, uh, tuh, Jenny," I said feeling slightly flustered at her unexpected but definitely welcomed arrival.
"Willow-" Ms. Calendar said as she turns to Willow, who, with Xander, was busy teasing me.
"Coughing, not speaking," the redhead said faking a couple of coughs.
"We still on for tomorrow?" Jenny asked.
I ignored the group as the same familiar sensation of being watched came back to me. I walked a bit further away from the group towards the same room I saw the figure earlier.
But I stopped as I felt Jenny Walk beside me.
"Walk me to class?" She asked me with a smile.
Suddenly all worries left my mind as I reciprocated her with a smile of my own.
"Pleasure," I said to her, offering my arm.
A few moments later, I had just parted from Jenny and I was quite in a good mood after our shared kiss, chaste as it was. There was a little spring in my steps as I made my way to my library. Little did I know that my morning was about to turn for the worse.
(O.O)
Buffy
"Don't be late.' Sheesh," I muttered angrily as I realized that my Watcher was still MIA.
"Don't be like that, Luv," I heard Spike say from his perch by the wall behind me.
I turned to face him with a glare. I see my vampire learning on the wall behind him, his 3rd cigarette on his hand giving me a look with one eyebrow raise.
He's perfect. Take him!
I shake my head to clear the stupid voice from my mind.
"Other self bothering you again, pet?" Spike asked with an alarmed expression.
"Yeah. But don't worry. I got her under control," I reassured him.
"Who says I'm worried?"
It was my turn to raise a brow at this.
He sighed.
"Okay, I admit I am a tad concerned about her. But not for the reasons you think," Spike said.
I tilted my head, a bit confused about what he meant, then urged him to continue.
"I don't like the fact that any moment you lose control of yourself and starts hunting down yours truly," he explained.
I opened my mouth to reassure him again but he continued.
"Buffy, I care about you a great deal and what happened last time. Let's just say it scared the shit out of me. And I don't scare easy."
He moved from the wall and slowly approaches.
"I want to protect you and this thing, if it loses control, I'm scared that I'll hurt you again."
"But Spike, you didn't hur-"
"You and I both know that we hurt each other that night," he cut me off again, "And what's worse, we didn't have control over what happened. And I hate that. I hate that I know my demon can take over and agree to what the bitch in your head wants without any of our consent."
I nodded, relating and agreeing to what he said.
"So, yeah, I am worried. But only because I know we both will get hurt again when she gets the chance to take over," he finished before taking another go with his cigarette.
I didn't know how to respond. I mean what can I say. I agree with him.
This thing in my head is dangerous, and if it gets out-
I didn't even need to think about what happened because I know that it will immediately go after the vampire in front of me.
"He's late."
Spike's voice took me out of my musings.
I looked up and I can see him looking down at the parking lot across the street.
He's talking about Giles.
"Yeah. And he had the gall to tell me not to be late," I said.
I did an exaggerated huff and cross my arms.
Spike laughs at my behavior.
"Well, you do tend to purposely take the long way when he asks you to meet with him," he teased.
"Hey! I like to take detours, okay!"
This only made him laugh harder because the last detour happened because Giles wanted me to help him arrange his monstrous collection of books in the library. He said that it was time that I try to broaden my repertoire of demons I needed to slay.
I laughed as well.
Mission accomplished.
I did a little Snoopy dance in my head as I knew I had some success got both of us out of the damp mood we were in.
"Anyway, Luv, don't you think we should call your watcher? I don't think the man is the type to be late in these things," he said, dawning a serious expression.
"You think something happened to him?" I asked.
He shrugged.
"Not really. But better safe than sorry, right?"
I agreed and we started making our over to a payphone to try calling my Watcher.
But we both stop when the blood van pulled up near the ER entrance.
The driver gets out with his clipboard as two ER doctors come out to meet him.
"Hey, fellas," the driver greeted the two.
"Hey," one of the doctors greet.
"All's well that ends with cute ER doctors, I always say," I stated out loud.
Spike then gives me a look.
"Cute?" he asked.
"Hey, just cause I have a boyfriend, doesn't mean I can't look and admire others," I told him.
He chuckled at my response.
I decided to ignore him and turned my attention to the doctors. One of the doctors made his way to the back of a black van and pulled out the insulated container.
It was then that I realized something's wrong.
"Hey, Spike," I called my companion.
He tilted his head in my direction.
"Since when do doctors take deliveries?"
I see Spike's eyes widen before focusing on the two doctors in front of us.
"Those ain't doctors, pet," he said, looking angry for almost missing our mark.
Guess Darla was right about Spike not really being good at sensing other vamps.
The van backs out of the ambulance slot and the doctors waved to the driver.
"See ya," the heard him say to the delivery guy.
The delivery man drives off, while the two vampires made their way to the black van.
"Time to move," I said to Spike as I made my way to the blood thieves.
I ran towards doc 1 and kicked him in the stomach. The first vampire was down. Spike took care of fake doctor number 2.
I gave a roundhouse kick on the face of the van's driver. Then I noticed that doc 1 had recovered, so I tried to kick him again, but he was able to grab my leg and before throwing me onto the hood of the car.
I scissor kicked him in the neck, and he staggered away and finally went down.
Suddenly, I felt the presence of a fourth vampire running up to me, as I got up. I pulled a stake and turned to attack him.
But stopped midway after recognizing who it was.
"Angel!" I cried, surprised to see him.
"Buffy! Look out!" he warned before pushing me aside and jumping up onto the car's hood to tackle the driver vampire coming from behind.
Angel punches him in the face, but he stays up.
The first vampire jumped up on the hood, too, and tries to attack me again. I easily blocked his attack and aimed a couple of punches at his face before finishing him off with a stake to his heart.
I turn just in time to see Angel kick the vampire away from him towards the van.
The van's driver quickly sat up in the driver's seat and before he races off, leaving Angel, who attempted to give chase to him, and the blood behind.
"Nice work, letting the bloke go, grampa," Spike said patting the second vampire's dust off his coat.
"How did you know about this?" I asked Angel, knowing that if I let him talk to Spike a fight will most likely break out.
"It's delivery day. Everybody knows about this," he answered giving Spike an accusing look before looking down at the cooler with blood, "They only ruined one bag."
We all look at the broken plastic bag of blood, while Angel closed the container.
"Do you think you could make sure the hospital gets the rest?" I asked him.
"Why me and not Spike?"
Okay, like that didn't sound like a 5-year-old at all.
"I need him to track down that van. I don't doubt that it will lead us to those vampires, who turned Ford a couple of weeks ago," I informed him.
"But why Spike?"
"Mate, if you don't trust yourself with a few bags of blood, you can look for those vamps and I'll make sure this gets to where it was supposed to go," Spike said, moving towards the container of blood.
"That's not what I-" Angel starts but Spike completely ignored him opting to pick the container instead.
Before leaving, he turned to face me.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Luv?" he asked me.
I nodded with a smile.
"I'll see you."
I see his eyes brighten and returned my smile with an almost shy one that morphed into a smirk before he finally made his way towards to hospital.
He is so cute! I thought. So many emotions from someone
"You know, I'm really starting to worry about how close you and Spike are getting," Angel said, cutting me off my daydreaming.
"Nothing is going on between Spike and me," I said to him.
"Really? Then how come I keep smelling him on you," he questioned.
"Because I'm always spending time with him," I answered as I started making my way towards Giles' place.
"And nothing's still going on between you?" he asked giving me an accusing look.
"None. And even if there is I don't think it's any of your business," I told him.
"Uh, yes, it is. I mean, I'm your boyfriend, Buffy," he pointed.
I flinched at this. Oh, right! He's still my boyfriend. Of course, it's still his business.
"I don't think you're being fair to me with how you're always spending time with Spike," he said to me.
This irked me though.
"Hey! Like you're one to talk!" I exclaimed, before stopping to face him.
"You're spending more time with Darla than you do with me too!"
"How did you-" he then growled, "Spike."
"Oh, don't you dare blame this on Spike. He said nothing. If you've forgotten, Xander also hangs out at Spike's place and he told me that you've been sleeping there and spending time with Darla."
"Buffy, it's not like that. I'm only there to help look for a cure for Dru," he explained.
"Really? And you can look me in the eye and say to me that you are not flirting with your former Sire?"
"She still my Sire, Buffy," he muttered.
"Not the point, Angel!"
"Okay. I will come clean, I am getting close with Darla. But nothing is happening between us," he said.
"Okay," was my only reply.
It wasn't like I can throw stones at him since he was right. I am spending more time with Spike since we made up after what happened last Halloween.
"Well?" he asked.
I turned to face him again at this.
What the heck does he want now?
"Aren't you going to come clean as well?" he questioned.
"What?!"
"Aren't you going to come clean about your relationship with Spike?"
Oh, my god! He's not serious, is he?
"Angel, what the heck are you talking about? There's no relationship between me and Spike. I already told you that."
"Buffy, you don't have to lie. You're spending so much time with him. Hell, you call him first when you have a Scooby meeting than me. I won't be surprised if he has lured you in some way to be attracted to him," he said giving me a serious look. "I know how appealing men like him can be. But you can tell if he's done something to make you feel this way towards him. Trust me, I can help you stop him before he can get further with you. He's always wanted to steal things that are mine. But I will help you"
Oh god! He is serious! Not only does he think I am cheating on him, but he really believes that Spike is forcing me into such a relationship!
"I don't believe this!" I said out loud.
"I know but like I said. You can trust me. I will prote-"
"Shut up!" I cut him off.
"Buffy?"
"Angel?" I looked him in the eyes. "How stupid do you think I am?" I asked angrily.
"What?"
"No, I mean I know I am young but you really think I won't notice if someone is trying to get inside my pants?"
"Uh-"
"No, don't answer that! I know quite well what you think of me, but I still can't believe you!"
"Buffy, I don't understand."
"Of course you don't. You can never understand how I feel because all you ever think that makes sense is what happens in that ginormous head of yours!"
"Buff-"
"Angel, let me get one thing clear. Spike is my friend. Just like Xander and Willow. He is a really good friend who I laugh with, train with, and spend a lot of time with. So get this in your head. I am not cheating on you with Spike. He is not forcing me to do anything that I don't want. So stop standing there, all high and mighty while asking me to come clean because we are not doing anything wrong," I finished.
"But I thought-"
"What? That he is trying to get me to fall for him so I'd sleep with him and cheat on you?"
"He has wanted to steal the things I own, Buffy," he tried to explain. But I was having none of it.
"Maybe he was like that when he was soulless but he's not like that now," I told him.
"The soul doesn't make someone an entirely different person, Buffy!" he yelled.
"Oh? So you're saying that you are still Angelus despite the soul? You're still the same evil vampire, who made Drusilla crazy?" I questioned him.
"No-"
"Then how dare you pass judgment on Spike and say that he's the same vampire when he was when you admit that you're different because of the soul?"
"Well, I mean, I-um,"
"You're such a hypocrite, Angel," I said to him before turning away and continue my walk towards Giles'.
I then stopped, remembering that there was something else I forgot to tell him.
"And Angel? For the record, I am not a thing that you own," I stated before leaving to ponder on my words.
TBC
(O.O)
