Flashes of memories danced through Angel's head as he and Buffy walked
further into the dense woods. He saw himself running to the gypsies,
trying desperately to figure out what was wrong with him as they finished
they spell. He was himself feed on the gypsy girl Darla had brought him.
Darla kicking him out when she found out he had a soul. All the other
horrors of that year.
Angel looked down at Buffy by his side and the memories of what he had done to her and her friends as Angelus, after he had lost himself in her, hit him. The one thing that stuck out in his mind, the reason that they were here now, was his murder of Jenny Calendar.
"Angel?" Buffy asked. She had stopped and was now standing behind him, concern etched in her features. He turned to look at her and she walked up to him. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine." Angel replied, pulling away from the hand she placed on his cheek.
She jerked his head beck to look at her. "No, you're not. It's these woods, isn't it? It brings back all those bad memories of the thing you once were." Angel looked down. "Angel, please talk to me. If we want to make us work, you have to talk to me. You can tell me anything. Ask me anything."
"You're right. It is these woods."
"They make you crazy? Remembering all those things that Angelus did?"
"Yeah."
"Well, stop. You're not him. Hopefully, you'll never be him again. When we find these Romany people, we'll ask them what's the what with your soul, then we'll thank them and be on our merry little way back to Southern California."
"I hope it's that simple."
"Come on, it's not going to take more than a few minutes to answer the question." Buffy said, taking his hand and continuing on.
"Camping?" Buffy asked. "As in tents, fires, and marshmallows?"
"Well, they said it was going to take some time to figure out what's different about the spell. They haven't used these magicks in ages, Buffy." Angel said, trying to calm her down.
"What about you? I mean, the sun's almost up. Where are you going to stay that you won't turn into a crispy critter?"
"I can stay in a tent in the shadows all day."
"And do what?"
"Read."
"Read what, my magazines and mom's cheesy love novels?"
"Buffy, we don't have time to make it back to the car. It's too far."
"Not if we run. Angel, we have super human speed here!"
"Buffy, calm down! What's the matter with you?"
"I just hate camping, that's all! Come on. We have an hour till sunrise. We can make it to the car."
"Then what? It takes about an hour just to get to the hotel from the woods. You can't drive. You failed your tests. Besides, I can't hide from the daylight. The elders have offered us a big tent over there and it would be rude to turn it down."
"I.. I don't trust these people Angel. There's something off about them. Not just because they hated you for killing some bimbo back in the day, but I'm afraid of what they might do to you. Did you see the way that one guy was staring at you?"
"You're being paranoid sweetie." Angel wrapped his arms around her and she clung to him. "You're tired. You just need some rest. I'll sleep with you all day, ok? I won't leave your side."
"Can we please just go?"
"We don't have time." He looked down at her. Buffy's face was stained with tears. "Buffy, what's wrong?"
"I just.. I wanna go home. I miss my friends and my mom so much."
"I know."
Angel swept her up off her feet and carried her into the tent. There was a large feather mattress in one corner, a little desk with a mirror in the other corner, and one of their suitcases was lying next to the mattress. Angel took Buffy over to the mattress and laid her down. He bent down and took off her shoes after he took his off and put them next to his. Buffy grabbed his hand and pulled him down next to her. It was pitch dark except for the lantern on the desk. It provided a little illumination.
Buffy wrapped herself around Angel protectively and slowly drifted off to sleep. She dreamed of Angel's hands caressing her and his lips exploring her body. It was one of those with surround sound and the whole works. Throughout the dream, she kept getting these wafts of odd smells. She couldn't quite place what they were. Some were nice smells while others made her cringe in her sleep. Just as Angel's mouth reached hers, a black haze claimed her and she started to fight. The haze circled Angel's face until all she could see were his love-filled eyes. But there was something different about them, a certain gleam that she hadn't seen there before. As it started to grow and cover the light of his soul, she felt fangs enter her neck and Buffy screamed.
She bolted up on the mattress and knocked Angel away from her. He stared at her in astonishment. Buffy stared at him as she started to shake. That gleam, it was an evil spark. How could it have been there? Angel's soul was there. She had seen it too, but that gleam had been with it also. Angel came up and wrapped his arms around her to try to get her to stop shaking. She tried to squirm away, but he held her fast until she calmed down.
"Buffy, what's the matter?" Angel asked, rocking her.
"They're not what they seem Angel! They're going to hurt you! They're going to take you away from me!" Buffy cried.
"Who? Buffy, what are you talking about?"
"Those gypsies! They're not who we're looking for. They're evil! They're so bent on revenge. They know that Angelus killed Jenny and her uncle. They want to hurt you and they want to hurt me. They're going to take you away from me and hurt you so bad Angel. I can't let them. We have to get out of here! Now. Before they come for us."
"Did you dream something Buffy?"
"YES! What the hell do you think I've been saying? We have to leave. NOW!" Buffy started to put on her shoes. "The sun is almost down. We can make it to the car before they realize we're gone. By the time they come after us, we'll be on a plane back to Vienna. We can take a train from there to Marseille and then get on a ship home!"
"Are you sure it was prophetic?" Angel asked, putting on his shoes now.
"I wouldn't lie about this Angel! We have to go now." Buffy picked up the suitcase and opened the tent flap. A tall man they had met the night before stood before her, blocking her path. Angel came up behind her and put his hand on her hip.
"Where are you going in such a rush?" the man asked.
"We uh.. Forgot something in the car. We need it. We're going to take our suitcase and get some different clothes. The ones we have are too hot for this weather." Angel said.
"We can't allow you to do that. Not until after supper."
"We really need this thing now." Buffy said. "Give us a few and we'll be back."
Suddenly, men and women flanked them from all sides and grabbed Buffy and Angel's arms, holding them in place.
"I told you that we cannot allow you to leave. Not until both of you have paid dearly for your crimes against us."
Buffy and Angel stared hard at the man that was obviously the leader. He waved his hand and suddenly Buffy's wrists were bound with think rope. She looked over to find that Angel's had been bound too. The sun was dangerously close to where he was standing and Buffy's eyes widened as she realized what they were about to do.
She watched helplessly as they shoved Angel out into the sun. He screamed from the blistering pain and tried to run back to the shade, but the ropes around his wrists stopped him from getting up too fast.
"ANGEL!" Buffy screamed. They pulled him back in as he started to smoke. "I swear to God, if you hurt him I'll kill you. You think that these people can hold me?"
"You are but a little girl. There is nothing to stop us from hurting you and this monster for hurting our tribe. You who released the demon back onto this world and you who shunned Jhana from your ranks." The man spat.
"You're stupid, you know that? Jenny wasn't on your side when she died. She was too in love with someone else to care about you people."
The man backhanded her across the face. He smiled at her cruelly as she looked back up, revealing a split lip. Then his smile melted as he saw Buffy smile back coldly.
"I was so hoping you would give me a reason to beat the hell out of you!" Buffy jumped up and kicked the two nearest her away. They flew backwards as Buffy turned her momentum into a flying back tuck and knocked the guy that was holding her arm away. Using all her strength, Buffy broke the thick rope and attacked the people holding Angel. He was on his knees, groaning in pain from the burns. As soon as she had dispatched the people holding him, Buffy gently untied his wrists.
The leader stared at her. She coolly stood up straight and walked up to him. He started to back up, but a tree stopped his movements. Buffy brought her fingers to her split lip and gingerly wiped away the blood.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." Buffy said callously.
"H-H-How? You are a-a-a girl." The man stuttered.
"Yeah, well I suggest you do your homework. I'm a slayer." She started to turn around and head back to Angel, but at the last second, Buffy turned around and knocked the guy out with a powerful fist to his face. She went to Angel and helped him to stand. The others that had been too afraid to come any closer to Angel or her stood watching as she picked up her suitcase and walked away.
When they arrived at the car, the sun was fully down and Angel's burn was starting to heal. Buffy helped him into the driver's seat before she tossed the bag in the back and climbed into the passenger's seat. As soon as she was in, Angel stomped on the gas and headed towards the airport.
When they were on a plane headed towards Vienna, Angel turned to look at Buffy. "How did you know that they were off? If I couldn't sense it, then how did you?"
"I had that dream." Buffy replied.
"No..no, you knew before that. You were eager to get out of there the minute they told us to stay."
"I don't know, Angel. Intuition I guess. I'm the slayer; it's my job to fight guys like that. When it comes to you and danger, I have this feeling about it. Call it love, call it passion, call it whatever the hell you like, but it's just something that happens."
Angel sighed and decided to change the subject. "How do you want to go home?"
"Huh?"
"Well, we took a freighter here, how do you want to go home to Sunnydale?"
"You wouldn't agree to it. It's too much money."
"You don't have to worry about money, Buffy. I've got plenty."
"I wanna go on a cruise ship or charter a yacht. I want it to be just the two of us. I want us to test the curse. If it's a lie, then I'll live with the consequences. But I'm tired of sitting back and letting everyone else make my decisions for me."
"Then a cruise it is. Besides, I've always wanted to take one anyway. They seemed interesting. But you do realize that we're going to have to get you some nice dresses to wear. They have fancy parties on these boats."
"Whatever. I didn't really plan on wearing anything."
"Oh."
"I'm just going to sleep now. Wake me when we get to Vienna."
Angel laid a kiss on her head and pulled the armrest up so she could curl up with her head in his lap. She slept the whole way, lightly snoring and dreaming of the fun things that she and Angel could do.
Angel looked down at Buffy by his side and the memories of what he had done to her and her friends as Angelus, after he had lost himself in her, hit him. The one thing that stuck out in his mind, the reason that they were here now, was his murder of Jenny Calendar.
"Angel?" Buffy asked. She had stopped and was now standing behind him, concern etched in her features. He turned to look at her and she walked up to him. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine." Angel replied, pulling away from the hand she placed on his cheek.
She jerked his head beck to look at her. "No, you're not. It's these woods, isn't it? It brings back all those bad memories of the thing you once were." Angel looked down. "Angel, please talk to me. If we want to make us work, you have to talk to me. You can tell me anything. Ask me anything."
"You're right. It is these woods."
"They make you crazy? Remembering all those things that Angelus did?"
"Yeah."
"Well, stop. You're not him. Hopefully, you'll never be him again. When we find these Romany people, we'll ask them what's the what with your soul, then we'll thank them and be on our merry little way back to Southern California."
"I hope it's that simple."
"Come on, it's not going to take more than a few minutes to answer the question." Buffy said, taking his hand and continuing on.
"Camping?" Buffy asked. "As in tents, fires, and marshmallows?"
"Well, they said it was going to take some time to figure out what's different about the spell. They haven't used these magicks in ages, Buffy." Angel said, trying to calm her down.
"What about you? I mean, the sun's almost up. Where are you going to stay that you won't turn into a crispy critter?"
"I can stay in a tent in the shadows all day."
"And do what?"
"Read."
"Read what, my magazines and mom's cheesy love novels?"
"Buffy, we don't have time to make it back to the car. It's too far."
"Not if we run. Angel, we have super human speed here!"
"Buffy, calm down! What's the matter with you?"
"I just hate camping, that's all! Come on. We have an hour till sunrise. We can make it to the car."
"Then what? It takes about an hour just to get to the hotel from the woods. You can't drive. You failed your tests. Besides, I can't hide from the daylight. The elders have offered us a big tent over there and it would be rude to turn it down."
"I.. I don't trust these people Angel. There's something off about them. Not just because they hated you for killing some bimbo back in the day, but I'm afraid of what they might do to you. Did you see the way that one guy was staring at you?"
"You're being paranoid sweetie." Angel wrapped his arms around her and she clung to him. "You're tired. You just need some rest. I'll sleep with you all day, ok? I won't leave your side."
"Can we please just go?"
"We don't have time." He looked down at her. Buffy's face was stained with tears. "Buffy, what's wrong?"
"I just.. I wanna go home. I miss my friends and my mom so much."
"I know."
Angel swept her up off her feet and carried her into the tent. There was a large feather mattress in one corner, a little desk with a mirror in the other corner, and one of their suitcases was lying next to the mattress. Angel took Buffy over to the mattress and laid her down. He bent down and took off her shoes after he took his off and put them next to his. Buffy grabbed his hand and pulled him down next to her. It was pitch dark except for the lantern on the desk. It provided a little illumination.
Buffy wrapped herself around Angel protectively and slowly drifted off to sleep. She dreamed of Angel's hands caressing her and his lips exploring her body. It was one of those with surround sound and the whole works. Throughout the dream, she kept getting these wafts of odd smells. She couldn't quite place what they were. Some were nice smells while others made her cringe in her sleep. Just as Angel's mouth reached hers, a black haze claimed her and she started to fight. The haze circled Angel's face until all she could see were his love-filled eyes. But there was something different about them, a certain gleam that she hadn't seen there before. As it started to grow and cover the light of his soul, she felt fangs enter her neck and Buffy screamed.
She bolted up on the mattress and knocked Angel away from her. He stared at her in astonishment. Buffy stared at him as she started to shake. That gleam, it was an evil spark. How could it have been there? Angel's soul was there. She had seen it too, but that gleam had been with it also. Angel came up and wrapped his arms around her to try to get her to stop shaking. She tried to squirm away, but he held her fast until she calmed down.
"Buffy, what's the matter?" Angel asked, rocking her.
"They're not what they seem Angel! They're going to hurt you! They're going to take you away from me!" Buffy cried.
"Who? Buffy, what are you talking about?"
"Those gypsies! They're not who we're looking for. They're evil! They're so bent on revenge. They know that Angelus killed Jenny and her uncle. They want to hurt you and they want to hurt me. They're going to take you away from me and hurt you so bad Angel. I can't let them. We have to get out of here! Now. Before they come for us."
"Did you dream something Buffy?"
"YES! What the hell do you think I've been saying? We have to leave. NOW!" Buffy started to put on her shoes. "The sun is almost down. We can make it to the car before they realize we're gone. By the time they come after us, we'll be on a plane back to Vienna. We can take a train from there to Marseille and then get on a ship home!"
"Are you sure it was prophetic?" Angel asked, putting on his shoes now.
"I wouldn't lie about this Angel! We have to go now." Buffy picked up the suitcase and opened the tent flap. A tall man they had met the night before stood before her, blocking her path. Angel came up behind her and put his hand on her hip.
"Where are you going in such a rush?" the man asked.
"We uh.. Forgot something in the car. We need it. We're going to take our suitcase and get some different clothes. The ones we have are too hot for this weather." Angel said.
"We can't allow you to do that. Not until after supper."
"We really need this thing now." Buffy said. "Give us a few and we'll be back."
Suddenly, men and women flanked them from all sides and grabbed Buffy and Angel's arms, holding them in place.
"I told you that we cannot allow you to leave. Not until both of you have paid dearly for your crimes against us."
Buffy and Angel stared hard at the man that was obviously the leader. He waved his hand and suddenly Buffy's wrists were bound with think rope. She looked over to find that Angel's had been bound too. The sun was dangerously close to where he was standing and Buffy's eyes widened as she realized what they were about to do.
She watched helplessly as they shoved Angel out into the sun. He screamed from the blistering pain and tried to run back to the shade, but the ropes around his wrists stopped him from getting up too fast.
"ANGEL!" Buffy screamed. They pulled him back in as he started to smoke. "I swear to God, if you hurt him I'll kill you. You think that these people can hold me?"
"You are but a little girl. There is nothing to stop us from hurting you and this monster for hurting our tribe. You who released the demon back onto this world and you who shunned Jhana from your ranks." The man spat.
"You're stupid, you know that? Jenny wasn't on your side when she died. She was too in love with someone else to care about you people."
The man backhanded her across the face. He smiled at her cruelly as she looked back up, revealing a split lip. Then his smile melted as he saw Buffy smile back coldly.
"I was so hoping you would give me a reason to beat the hell out of you!" Buffy jumped up and kicked the two nearest her away. They flew backwards as Buffy turned her momentum into a flying back tuck and knocked the guy that was holding her arm away. Using all her strength, Buffy broke the thick rope and attacked the people holding Angel. He was on his knees, groaning in pain from the burns. As soon as she had dispatched the people holding him, Buffy gently untied his wrists.
The leader stared at her. She coolly stood up straight and walked up to him. He started to back up, but a tree stopped his movements. Buffy brought her fingers to her split lip and gingerly wiped away the blood.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." Buffy said callously.
"H-H-How? You are a-a-a girl." The man stuttered.
"Yeah, well I suggest you do your homework. I'm a slayer." She started to turn around and head back to Angel, but at the last second, Buffy turned around and knocked the guy out with a powerful fist to his face. She went to Angel and helped him to stand. The others that had been too afraid to come any closer to Angel or her stood watching as she picked up her suitcase and walked away.
When they arrived at the car, the sun was fully down and Angel's burn was starting to heal. Buffy helped him into the driver's seat before she tossed the bag in the back and climbed into the passenger's seat. As soon as she was in, Angel stomped on the gas and headed towards the airport.
When they were on a plane headed towards Vienna, Angel turned to look at Buffy. "How did you know that they were off? If I couldn't sense it, then how did you?"
"I had that dream." Buffy replied.
"No..no, you knew before that. You were eager to get out of there the minute they told us to stay."
"I don't know, Angel. Intuition I guess. I'm the slayer; it's my job to fight guys like that. When it comes to you and danger, I have this feeling about it. Call it love, call it passion, call it whatever the hell you like, but it's just something that happens."
Angel sighed and decided to change the subject. "How do you want to go home?"
"Huh?"
"Well, we took a freighter here, how do you want to go home to Sunnydale?"
"You wouldn't agree to it. It's too much money."
"You don't have to worry about money, Buffy. I've got plenty."
"I wanna go on a cruise ship or charter a yacht. I want it to be just the two of us. I want us to test the curse. If it's a lie, then I'll live with the consequences. But I'm tired of sitting back and letting everyone else make my decisions for me."
"Then a cruise it is. Besides, I've always wanted to take one anyway. They seemed interesting. But you do realize that we're going to have to get you some nice dresses to wear. They have fancy parties on these boats."
"Whatever. I didn't really plan on wearing anything."
"Oh."
"I'm just going to sleep now. Wake me when we get to Vienna."
Angel laid a kiss on her head and pulled the armrest up so she could curl up with her head in his lap. She slept the whole way, lightly snoring and dreaming of the fun things that she and Angel could do.