"Angel?" Willow's tiny voice asked nervously into the darkness across the street from the Summers' home.
"Willow?" He asked, just as nervously. "What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here? I was just – hey, I'm the best friend I get to ask the questions here." She puffed up her chest in what she hoped was an intimidating manner. "What are you doing here?"
He chuckled, smiling warmly at the girl he'd grown attached to – whether or not she had felt the same friendly-ish-ness towards him. "I was just coming to check on Mrs. Summers, see how she's doing." He shrugged. "It's been hard on all of us."
"Hard on – oh, yes. Yes it has been very hard." Wow, I'm a terrible liar. "Actually, Buffy's been doing pretty great. Minus the whole oh dear lord I'm a vampire thing, she's still the same old Buffy. Except, with a much annoying bleach blond boyfriend – who isn't really that bad once he isn't trying to kill you"
"Willow," Angel cut off her crazed babbling with a raise of his hand. "You don't have to remind me about Buffy and Spike. I already got the hint."
"Oh. Sorry." The redhead blushed and looked down. "But, I don't think seeing Joyce is the best thing right now. I mean, she's finally starting to not cry all the time and if you go in there and start reminding her about all the things she was crying about in the first place won't that just start her crying again?" Or is crying supposed to be... Good? As in closure?
"Don't worry Willow, I was just checking in. Being the nice boyfriend – or ex-boyfriend... Oh her late daughter."
"You know, it's really weird talking about Buffy like she's dead." Willow complained. "Half the time I feel like I'm insulting her memory, but then I remember that she isn't even actually dead!"
Angel chuckled again, amused by the small girls flustered behaviour. "But unlike you and I, Joyce is mourning." He looked towards the house, giving a clear message that he intended to say goodbye to his collaborator.
"Well, I still don't think it's a good idea." Her face twisted into her adorable this is a bad idea face, and she looked nervously between the house and the vampire in indecision.
"Don't worry about it; I'll go in, say hello, and leave. You have nothing to worry about."
"If Buffy finds out..." Willow warned.
"Why would Buffy have a problem with it?" His expression suddenly contorted into one of regret. "She knows I'd never hurt Joyce."
"Oh, I know that! Really, I do. I was just saying, I don't know if – see Buffy really misses her mom, and if you can see her and she can't –"
"I know Will, don't worry." He gave a small smile to the girl and turned towards the house.
"Wait! Maybe I should come with you – I am the best friend after all."
"There have been over 8 bodies found on the borders of East Sunnydale, in just the past 3 days." The television reported fixed his cue cards. "Police are looking for an animal, possibly a pack, with large teeth. We recommend that you stay in the house after dark, with your doors and windows locked, and that parents keep close eyes on their children." The reporter put his hand to his ear, listening intently to the voice speaking through the headpiece. "Make that 9 bodies. All of which were found in the morning, and only hours dead."
Giles put his tea cup down on the coffee table with a clatter, and worried through the channels on his television set, clicking the button on the remote until he reached yet another news broadcast.
"4 missing along with the 8 dead, police are still searching for the killer-"
He clicked the TV off, and took his glasses from his nose. "Oh dear lord." The last time we had numbers like that was when... He stood and went to the phone quickly, dialling the number of Xander Harris. The phone rang twice before a sleep muffled voice came on the other end. "Xander? Hello? It's Giles, have you seen the news?" A pause. "N-no, I did not bother to check the time before-" A frustrated annoyance floated through his bright blue eyes. "Xander I think this is rather serious. Drusilla is back, and she's been killing and probably turning many people and all you can think about is-" Rolling his eyes to the ceiling he made a very non-Giles cuss. "This is important! Drusilla is back for her childe and she will not be happy to find said childe with Buffy!" He returned his glasses to their rightful spot. "Yes, get Willow and meet me here. We'll have to go find her." He pressed the phone between his shoulder and ear while he went in search for various weapons. "No we cannot get Buffy!" He scoffed, not understanding the source of the boy's stupidity. "Because Xander," he spoke as if to a challenged child. "Buffy will bring Spike, who I gather would not be at all pleased about us killing his sire and past love." Rolling his eyes yet again he hung up the phone with as much emphasis as the greatest italics would have.
"How's my girl?" Spike purred, wrapping his arms around Buffy from behind and nibbling at her jaw line.
Without answering, she absently tickled her fingers along his forearm, staring out at the many grave stones in the cemetery. Mind only on one of them.
"What's wrong, love?" Her death is what's wrong you ponce.
"Just thinking." She whispered, still staring.
Feeling suddenly uncomfortable, he shifted slightly on his feet, loosening his arm around her waist.
"Don't go." She said just as quietly, grabbing his hands back to where he'd taken them away from. "Spike?"
"Hmm?"
"I don't know if I like being a vampire." She grimaced out over the plane of stone and shrubbery.
Nervously, he moved the heel of his boot into the ground. "That so?"
"Yeah."
Odd girl, not very chatty tonight. "Well maybe I can make it better." He smirked behind her suggestively, but his expression turned sombre when she pulled away from him and walk towards her own fresh grave. "Buffy?" She didn't answer, only stood and stared at the engraved stone for what seemed like eternity. When she turned back though she was smiling broadly.
"But I am glad about one thing." She bounced over to him and into his arms and pressed her lips to his.
When she finally pulled away he smiled without opening his eyes. "Sure glad of that I am, pet." He chuckled when she stood on tip toe to kiss him again.