Chapter 8 – Revelations and Surprises

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"A book?" Angel asked. Was Giles serious? "I have no particular desire to relive my life by having to tell you every little detail of it. The nightly show I get of that is more than I can bear. Besides, after all I am not exactly your usual vampire."

Giles looked rather disappointed for a second, but he wasn't ready to give up so quickly. This was probably his once in a life time chance. "But you must know a great deal about other vampires. I would really appreciate it, if you would tell me about vampires in general. You don't have to talk about yourself."

Angel thought about it for a moment. He liked the British man and he certainly seemed determined and would do whatever it would take to pursue his research and Angel didn't want Giles to get himself killed. Who knew what old wives' tales his knowledge was based on. "Fine."

"Oh good. Thank you." Giles wished he had pen and paper with him. He would have to do without it. "So… um… you don't strike me as the average vampire."

"No, I am not. But I wasn't always like this."

"With 'this' you mean nice?" Giles asked curiously.

"Let's just say different."

"Sure, no problem. You are the expert."

"Well, not exactly." He looked at Buffy and Willow.

"I… I don't understand," Giles said.

Buffy exchanged looks with Willow, who just shrugged her shoulders. "What he means," Buffy said, "is that we are the experts, kinda at least."

"I am sorry, I still don't understand," Giles said, taking off his glasses to clean them. "Are you vampires too?"

Willow had to laugh at that. "No, we are not vampires, far from it. We are gypsies."

"Gypsies? But before, you said that you had never even met any gypsies."

"Well, that was a lie. We are gypsies," Willow said. "But the rest was the truth. Gypsies are not to be trifled with."

"As Angel had to find out," Buffy added. "Our clan is responsible that Angel is different. They gave him back his soul."

"His soul? A vampire with a soul?" Giles looked at Angel as if he had grown a second head. "But… how can that be?"

"That is my punishment."

"Punishment? But didn't they do you a favor? I mean, to get your soul back-"

"-means endless guilt and remorse," Angel said.

"Oh, I see." Giles looked at Angel and then at Buffy and Willow. He was waiting for one of them to go on, but nobody took the initiative. "So… um… I don't quite understand how you three… I mean… you are traveling together right?"

"Not exactly," Buffy said.

"Oh, for pities sake," Giles said frustrated, "if you don't want to tell me then say so, but this question and answer game is getting ridiculous."

Angel, Buffy and Willow exchanged looks, neither knowing how much the others were willing to reveal to Giles.

Buffy didn't want to make Angel feel any more uncomfortable or even guiltier. But Angel just shrugged his shoulders. He didn't feel like he had the right to withhold what he had done. But he was worried about Buffy. He didn't want her to feel pressured into talking about her dead sister.

Willow was concerned about the same thing as Angel. "Buffy, I think you are the one who should tell Giles what happened," she said.

Buffy went to sit down on the bed and took a deep breath. "Well, the short version goes something like this. Before Angel got his soul back, he was… ruthless. He killed one of our clan, my sister, to be exact. So in order to punish him, they gave him back his soul. Willow and I were ordered to follow him, secretly." Buffy noticed the confused look on Giles' face. "Yeah, that didn't quite work out the way it was supposed to be."

"Well, vampires are known to have superior senses, at least to my knowledge," Giles said. "I don't think you should blame yourself that he noticed he was followed."

"That's not what happened," Buffy went on. "We were very careful and had a spell that allowed us to stay at a safe distance. No, I approached him on purpose, more or less. I just didn't think that Angel deserved what he got. It's not fair. The vampire was meant to suffer, not the soul. But that's what happened. He is suffering for things he didn't do." Angel was about to say something, but Buffy was quicker. "Even though he doesn't agree with me on that. And that's pretty much all there is to it. This is all a rather new development."

"I see. My, this is really an extraordinary tale." Giles was very curious about the exact status of Buffy and Angel's relationship, since there was obviously a lot more between them than Buffy had just admitted. But he didn't dare ask.

"How about we continue this tomorrow night?" Angel asked. He had noticed how tired Buffy looked. It certainly had been an exhausting evening.

"Um… sure," Giles said, trying to hide his disappointment.

"I'll join you guys again for dinner, okay?" Angel asked, looking at Buffy.

Buffy just nodded. She didn't want to let him go. After what she had been through tonight, she was still afraid he would change his mind and simply leave.

"Well, good night. I'll see you tomorrow then," Giles said and left.

Angel saw Buffy's unhappy look and went over to her. "I won't change my mind. I'll be back here as soon as the sun sets."

"Okay."

"I mean it."

Buffy just nodded again.

"Buffy, I am too weak to leave you. I simply can't."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Buffy asked slightly offended.

"Yes, because it means you are simply too alluring for me to resist."

That finally brought a smile to Buffy's face.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Angel said and gave her a chaste kiss, aware that Willow was still in the room with them.

"As soon as the sun sets," Buffy added.

"Well, give me some time to get here," Angel said with a grin.

Buffy just nodded, not wanting to sound even too needy.

"Sleep well," Angel said. "Good night, Willow."

"See you tomorrow," Willow replied.

The next night, Giles was the first to sit in the pub. He had hardly been able to sleep after what he had learned the night before. He had simply been too excited. And that hadn't changed the next morning. He had gone to the library, but he hadn't been able to concentrate on the texts. He really hoped Angel would show up tonight and be willing to tell him more about vampires. This was a dream come true. This was what he had been working for all those years.

Buffy and Willow were the next ones to arrive. They decided to order dinner straight away, since Angel wouldn't eat anyway. But Buffy was only picking at her food.

"Buffy, it's not even fully dark yet," Willow said.

"I know, I know." Angel had promised to come back. But Buffy was well aware that he didn't have a very high self-esteem. Therefore she was worried what a whole day of brooding would do to his resolve.

Giles was not very interested in his dinner either.

"Not hungry, Giles?" Willow asked.

"Oh, well, not really. I really do hope he shows up tonight. But he didn't seem too keen on talking to me last night," Giles said.

"You better eat your dinner now, because once he does show up you'll be too busy asking him one question after the other."

"Oh, good point," Giles said and dug into his food.

When Angel arrived, Giles had finished his dinner, even before Willow. Buffy was still picking at her food though.

"You are not getting ill again, are you?" Angel asked concerned when he saw her full plate.

"Don't worry, just wasn't really hungry. Until now," Buffy said and smiled at him.

The group chatted about this and that for a while, until Giles couldn't contain himself any longer. "So… um… Angel, how old are you?" Giles asked.

Angel looked around. There were too many people in the pub for his liking. "I think we should take this somewhere else."

"Oh, okay, sure."

They waited for Buffy to finish her meal and then made their way upstairs to Buffy and Willow's room.

Buffy and Willow sat down on one bed and offered Giles the other one. Angel didn't feel like sitting down anyway.

Giles got out a notebook and pen. "So… um… do you want me to ask questions or would you rather just tell me whatever you feel comfortable with?"

"You can ask me questions."

"Okay, so how old are you?"

"Old."

"Could you be a bit more specific?"

"I was turned in 1753."

"That is definitely old. Who turned you?"

"Didn't you say you were interested in vampires in general?" Angel reminded him.

"Oh… sure… sorry," Giles said.

Buffy was actually disappointed that Angel wasn't willing to answer that question. She would have been very interested in that answer as well. Maybe he would be willing to tell her some other time. Maybe he just didn't want Giles to know such things and publish them in a book.

"So, vampires need blood to survive, right? How regularly do you… um… do vampires in general need to feed?"

"Well, that depends on the vampire. The older we get, the better we can control ourselves and our… hunger. We can survive for very long without blood, but it would weaken us tremendously over time."

"Ah, I see, how interesting." Giles jotted down everything as accurately as possible. "But drinking from a human won't automatically kill that person or turn him into a vampire, right?"

"No, but many vampires don't care about the not-killing part. Others are so skilled in bewitching their prey that the person being bitten hardly notices what happens."

"Have you ever… um…," Giles started, but caught himself quickly. "Never mind. So if someone is turned into a vampire, what happens then? I mean, what exactly is their relationship then?"

"You mean between the new vampire and the sire?"

"Yes."

"That depends a great deal on the sire and why the sire turned that person. If it is just the aftermath of a feed, most vampires are likely to simply abandon their former prey, unless they need followers, henchmen or slaves, usually for some kind of power play. Some vampires, of course, just like killing humans. Others might want a companion. But a newly turned vampire can also be quite a hassle."

"But they would never be equals, right?"

"No, usually not. The sire would always be the dominant one."

"Ah, that's what I thought. But from what I read vampire relationships can be very complex and complicated."

"Indeed."

"After a while it must be really confusing to keep track of who turned who."

"No, not really."

"Do sires give their new vampires new names, like we do with newborns? I noticed that – at least in books – vampires are rarely called by their human names, or at least never by their full names. It's almost impossible to find out who they were once. And some names are rather… dramatic."

"Many vampires choose their own new name once they are turned. Some might go by more than one name."

"Oh, so similar names wouldn't necessarily be an indicator that vampires are - well, for a lack of a better word - related?"

"No, most vampires have a love-hate relationship with their sires. Well, love is the wrong word, rather loyalty. They are already defined very strongly by who turned them. Picking a name that would make that connection even more obvious is rather unheard-of."

"Oh, I see. I just thought… I was just curious… because your name… but of course, that would have been too much of a coincidence."

Angel avoided Giles' eyes and looked at the floor.

Giles noticed his unease. "You know who I am talking about, don't you? Do you know him?" he asked excitedly. "He didn't turn you, but you know Angelus? Have you met him? What is he like? I read about him. He seems to be feared even by his peers. Oh, this is great, terrific. I have always wondered if the accounts were really true. They seemed so exaggerated. What can you tell me about him?" Giles looked at Angel expectantly, but he didn't say anything.

Even though Angel had never told Buffy under what name he had gone before he had gotten his soul back, she knew instantly that they were one and the same. She felt for him. "Maybe that's not a good topic," she said, hoping Giles would let it go.

Giles looked at her confused and then back at Angel.

"No, it's okay," Angel said. "Giles should tell you what Angelus did, what I did. You should know. You should know what you are getting yourself into."

"Not again," Buffy groaned. "I thought we had covered that."

"Those exaggerated accounts are probably just a fraction of what really happened, in some instances probably even understatements. And for the really atrocious incidents… there wouldn't have been any survivors to tell the tale," Angel said bitterly.

Buffy stood up and went over to him. She laid a hand on his arm, but he jerked away. "Angel, we've been over this. That wasn't you. You have a soul now. You are completely different than him."

"It's just not something I can easily forget, Buffy."

"I don't expect you to forget it. I just want you to deal with it. And if you let me, I'd like to help you with that."

Angel looked at her apologetically and took her hand. "I am sorry, Buffy. I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay. I know this is a huge adjustment for you." Inwardly she sighed. She had prepared herself for another drawn-out argument. She really tried to be understanding, but this constant unease was starting to wear her down.

"Um, sorry, but did I get this right? You are Angelus?" Giles asked baffled.

"Was!" Buffy said vehemently.

"Oh my." Unconsciously, Giles took a step away from Angel. He was in a room with one of the most ruthless vampires he had ever read about.

"He's a completely different person since he got his soul back," Buffy reminded Giles.

"Yes, yes, I know. It's just hard to comprehend… no wonder you were unwilling to talk about… unbelievable… I don't know what to say."

"Maybe we should postpone this for another day, so you can get used to the idea," Buffy suggested. In truth, she was more worried about Angel's state of mind.

Angel saw right through her. "It's okay, Buffy. I am sure Giles has a lot more questions, now more than ever."

"No, it's okay," Giles said quickly. "I don't mind to stop for tonight." Giles wanted to go through his notes and read up on everything he had ever written down about Angelus. He wanted to be better prepared and avoid any more blunders if possible.

"Whatever you prefer," Angel said.

"Let's meet up again tomorrow night, if that is alright with you," Giles said.

"Sure, no problem."

Giles wished them all a good night and left.

"I guess that means we are gonna stay here for a while," Willow said pleased and stretched out on the bed. "One should think I wouldn't mind changing locations every once in a while, being a gypsy and all. But the last few weeks… whew… that was a bit too much for my taste."

"I know what you mean. But I am even more looking forward to getting some more sleep, when one is supposed to sleep." Buffy looked at Angel, who looked like he had been reprimanded. Quickly, she added, "I don't mean that I don't like spending time with you after dark, not at all, just that I don't have to stay up all night long in case you move on unexpectedly."

"I'll make sure we get you to bed early," Angel said. "Um… well… you know… I didn't mean…"

"As if that was an option for us," Buffy muttered under her breath. Not that she was ready for something like that. And this whole thing was crazy anyway. But she'd resolved not to think too much about it and to just see what would happen.

Over the next few days, Giles and Willow spent a lot of time in the library. Buffy usually spent her days wandering through the city and exploring it. But as soon as it started to get dark, Buffy was off to meet Angel, so that they would have at least some time alone together before they joined Willow and Giles at the guest house to satisfy Giles' curiosity about vampires.

One night, Buffy and Angel were making out in the stables where Angel spent his days. They had the whole night to themselves. Giles had felt like he was obtruding himself on his new acquaintances and had made up some excuse of having to go over his notes in order to give them some space. The three had seen right through him, as he was still overflowing with questions, but nobody was sad to have an evening to themselves.

"Do you want to go somewhere?" Angel asked when Buffy had to break their kiss to breathe.

"No."

"We could-"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

Buffy looked at him unsure. Maybe he found it boring to simply hang out in a barn. He must have been used to other things. He had seen so much and met so many interesting people. Buffy had tried asking him about those things, but he had been very reluctant to talk about his past. Buffy had let it go, concluding that he either didn't feel comfortable talking about his past because he was ashamed or because he didn't want Buffy to feel bad or inadequate. "Do you want to go somewhere else?" she asked finally.

"No."

"You don't have to pretend for my sake."

"I am not. I just thought…"

"Thought what?"

"Buffy, we are making out in a dirty, stinking stable."

Buffy just looked at him, not seeing his point.

Angel went on, "A girl like you deserves better."

Buffy started laughing. "A girl like me? Angel, I grew up with horses. We move around constantly, live in the woods, run around barefoot in the summer. You should have seen me a few weeks ago. This dress I am wearing right now is probably the nicest thing I have ever worn in my entire life. Sitting in a stable is kind of normal for me. Well, except that we never had a real stable, only the horses and the smell and the dirt."

"Oh, I never really thought about that."

"You are the one who is used to greater things. You have seen so much. You know so much. You have obviously read so many books. I do can read, but… I see it more as a hassle than something one would do for fun."

"Maybe you just haven't read the right books yet," Angel pointed out. His comment was meant to make her feel better, but it missed its mark as Buffy looked rather disheartened.

"You must find this so totally boring compared to the life you led before," Buffy said.

"A life full of bloodshed."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know, but that's what it was. And, Buffy, this… us… is completely different from anything I have ever done or… felt. And I wouldn't change it for the world. Or do you think this," Angel put his hand behind her neck and pulled her into a passionate kiss that lasted several seconds, "is boring?"

The kiss left Buffy speechless for a moment. "No, definitely not boring," she said finally with a sheepish grin.

"Good. So we stay here?" Angel asked, stroking her cheek.

Buffy just nodded, lost in his eyes.

"Good," Angel said and lowered his lips to hers again.

The next morning at breakfast, Buffy was unusually quiet.

"You had nightmares again last night, didn't you?" Willow asked. She had been woken up by Buffy's restless sleep.

Buffy nodded. "But it wasn't like the other dreams. I can hardly remember, but when I woke up I had the strong urge to run, to run far, far away from here."

"Away from Angel?" Willow asked carefully.

"No, I don't think so. Angel wasn't in my dream. But like I said, I don't really remember anything specific, just feelings."

"What do you think it means?"

"I don't know. It probably doesn't mean a thing. I am most likely just paranoid after everything that happened."

"Buffy, don't discount your dreams so quickly. Janna always said there is probably a lot more to your dreams than you give them credit for."

"Yes, but what good are they if I can't interpret them properly? Even Janna wasn't able to help me with that. I'll never be able to control that on my own."

"Do you think that something bad might happen, if we stay here?"

"I don't know," Buffy said frustrated. "For all I know it could mean the exact opposite."

"That doesn't make sense, Buffy."

"These things don't make sense, Willow!" Buffy almost yelled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No, I am sorry, Will. It's just so frustrating. I know it could mean something. But I can't do anything about it."

A few nights later, when Buffy came back late from Angel, Willow was anxiously waiting for her.

"Buffy, are you okay? Did he find you?" she asked frantically when Buffy came through the door.

"Yes, I am alright. Calm down. And did who find me?"

"Riley."

"Riley? He is here?"

"Yeah, he arrived shortly after you left. He asked me where he could find you. I told him you were observing Angel – I used the expression 'the vicious vampire' by the way," Willow added proudly at recounting her stroke of genius, "and he wanted to go find you. He asked me where he should look for you. I told him I had no idea, but he was persistent. He kept asking me where Angel usually went, if he had developed a routine. I feigned ignorance and told him you didn't talk about where he went exactly. I am not sure Riley believed me though. I know I am not the best liar in the world. Sorry."

"That's okay. Don't worry about it, Will. So where did he go?"

"I don't know. He said he was going to look for you anyway, saying maybe he would get lucky."

"Well, he didn't get lucky. Damn, I hope he doesn't look for Angel all night."

"The city is too big. He would never find him."

"Not simply with luck, but with magic…"

"Buffy, we are the only ones who have the hair to perform the location spell."

"If the elders told us the truth about that. And I wouldn't bet on that. Maybe they kept some."

"Riley is not really good with spells, he usually let's other people do them."

"I know, he says it's just not his thing," Buffy said contemptuously.

"Personally, I think he just gave up because he doesn't have any skill whatsoever when it comes to spells. He'd just never admit to being not good at something."

Buffy chuckled. "Which is a lot." Then she turned serious again. "But that spell is really basic stuff, even Riley might be able to pull it off."

"Buffy, Angel will be fine. He can take care of himself."

"Hopefully it won't come to that." Buffy wanted to avoid any conflict, anything that could lead to further bloodshed or death. "What if Riley wants to accompany me tomorrow night?"

"Tell him two people would be too conspicuous."

"You know how he is once he sets his mind on something."

"Let's just see what tomorrow brings."

TBC