Previously: Angelina ran faster still. Her apartment was on the outskirts of town and if she wanted to get there ASAP, she was going to have to keep running.

Chapter 24

I bolted down the street with a blanket draped over my head. It wasn't as hard to get to meeting as I had thought. The afternoon sun had provided enough shadows for me to get a fair way without the blanket. Now I had to run towards the sun and here there were no shadows.

I couldn't help but let my mind wander to Willow. How she had been so upset about Kennedy. How she had looked at me when I covered for her. The newfound level of friendship. It was something neither one of us thought could happen. We had just accepted that we were in each other's lives. But now we were 'friends'. It was strange but nice to know that she had taken comfort from me and not anyone else.

I had entered the shade of the Hocus Pocus shop front and could remove the blanket. I pushed the door open and strode inside. Everyone minus Red was there. Each one doing something. Anya was counting money and didn't even look up when she greeted me. Giles and Buffy were on their way to the training room and the whelp; well he was doing what he did best; nothing.

I explained to everyone that Willow had been feeling off and during my stop by had gone to the bathroom to 'spew'. Nobody wanted to stop by then, no matter how much of a friend Willow was. She had told me that she planned to go to the funeral in a few days time and so I took it upon myself to make sure that no one found out she had gone. Her being sick was probably the best bet.

Buffy told me they were just about to train, and I walked into the room with them immediately. The room had been transformed from another storage room, to a training room in a matter of days. Equipment had been piled up on the ground and against the walls and no it was all set out accordingly. It looked just like the one in Sunnydale. Dummy and all.

Giles figured that since I was here, he could sit out and observe instead of actually doing anything. Which was fine by me. I got time to 'play' with my girl; something I didn't get to do much. most of the time I was stuck in a apartment, unable to get anywhere. This time however, Buffy had said she had something special planned; a 'show' for Giles. It either meant that she was going to do something she should have already mastered, or she was going to do something completely new that she'd picked up on her own.

Buffy stretched while I waited patiently. Patience was something I had never had. But then I met Dru and I had to learn it. Now I was pretty good. I could be patient with almost anyone, though I didn't always like that idea. Much prefer annoying someone.

Buffy was ready to go and she adopted a defensive stance. I was to attack first.

I threw myself at her, swinging in a punch here and there. Most of them she blocked, and managed to get in a good right jab. At one point she swung her leg up and swept my legs out from under me. It was a move Buffy didn't normally do and I wasn't ready for it, as we both found out. Rupert was impressed.

We sparred like this for another thirty minutes. Then we switched. Buffy attacking, me defending.

Buffy was slowly growing tired and Giles, upon seeing this, decided it best to stop in order to have strength for later that night. Buffy quickly explained to me that we were going to patrol in pairs now. Cleveland was a big place.

Dawn and Carly reached Candice's house just after lunch. Carly had explained to Dawn it was safer to arrive after lunch when Candice wouldn't be as hungry. Dawn had seen this as a good idea and so they had taken their time to get there. Stopping along the way to get lunch themselves at a small café.

Carly knocked on the door. No one came at first, but after a minute, footsteps could be heard. A man answered the door. He was a tall, dark man; strong build and had the most amazing eyes she'd ever seen. They were the brightest green; they were an unnatural green.

'Hey Stone!' Carly greeted. 'How's Candice?'

'Hello Carly, she's eaten if that's what you mean' he laughed. He looked at Dawn 'Who's this?'

'This Stone, is Dawn. Dawn this is Stone'

Dawn and Stone exchanged hands and said hello. Then there was the polite conversation like 'where are you from?' 'how did you meet these two girls?' etc. When Stone heard Dawn was from Sunnydale he realised he was talking to the slayer's sister. Dawn admitted she was and that they had moved here because Sunnydale had collapsed. Stone had heard of this and was sympathetic towards Dawn losing her home and friends. 'It must be different for you here' he had said.

Stone told Carly that Candice was upstairs and she had eaten about ten minutes ago; that it was safe for them to venture up there and say hello. And when they were going to leave, could they pick up the plates.

Carly and Dawn tiptoed up the stairs.

'Now just don't get too close ok?' that's pretty much the only rule' Carly said.

Dawn nodded. Carly opened the door.

'Hey C.C how're you doing?'

'Better than yesterday'

Dawn followed Carly inside. Candice's room was pale blue, with white furniture and the occasional painting on the wall. She was a minimalist by the looks of things. It was very clean.

Candice however looked like she had seen better days. She was covered in sweat, her face paler than usual and her hair stuck to her face. It was ratty and dull, instead of lifelike and silky. Candice's eyes seemed to be the brightest thing on her. She was wearing pyjamas of some sort and was chained to the bed. It would have been horrifying if Dawn hadn't known the reasons for this.

'Hey Dawn' Candice smiled weakly. 'Like the look?'

'Its, er… different' Dawn admitted.

'She wasn't quite sure about coming over' Carly said.

Candice laughed. 'How could I blame her? If either one of you looked like me right now, I'd steer clear for sure'

At least Candice had a sense of humour still. Being chained to the bed had to be uncomfortable and boring, not to mention extremely annoying.

There were two chairs in the room, next to the bed where Candice lay. Carly and Dawn sat down and they began to inform Candice of what she had missed.

Carly spoke of all of her recent vengeance adventures and Dawn told her about upcoming homework tasks that were due. Candice listened eagerly, as though not drinking in the information would kill her. Candice then spoke of her time strapped to the bed and how she had been passing the time.

She had recently been blowing spit bubbles.

The three teens sat there and spoke if things ranging from boys to the pants Dawn was going to buy when she had the money. And all this time Dawn was surprisingly comfortable with being with a vengeance demon and a quiet killer.

We had all sat down at the table discussing the different routes we would take for patrolling that night when a girl bolted into the store. She looked familiar. Brown hair, red top and black jeans. She looked like she had just run a thousand blocks.

'Angelina?' Buffy asked.

The girl looked up and that's when I recognised her. She was the girl in the alley who had dusted those vamps. Who had disappeared into the night. She was pretty.

'Buffy…' she breathed. 'Where's Willow? She asked me to meet her here. Mainly to meet the rest of the gang; I overslept… I was… distracted' she spat out as she stood there gasping.

Xander got out of his chair and offered it to her. Angelina took it with a grateful smile 'Thanks…' Angelina was at a loss for a name.

'Xander' Xander said. He offered his hand and they shook. Just like the Whelp to try to get into the good books of a girl straight away.

Angelina looked around the rest of the table, greeting people as Buffy introduced them. When she introduced me however, Angelina already seemed to know me.

'Hey you were the guy walking past the alley! I though you were familiar' she uttered.

So she had seen me? Why did she disappear then?

'Would have given you a hand too if you had waited a few seconds for me'

'Well I was having fun. I didn't want to share' she teased.

'Still, I enjoyed the show. You fighting the vamps and all'

'Glad I entertained you'

Everyone sat there and talked to the 'new slayer' who seemed a little uncomfortable with all the attention. I thought a slayer could handle all things? Apparently not.

Buffy introduced her to the patrolling routes and said she could pick a group to go with, seeing how we had already arranged it.

Buffy and I, Xander and Anya and Giles and Willow. Angelina decided it best to go with Giles and Willow. She knew someone there and thought it would then be easier to adjust. Little did she know, Willow wouldn't be patrolling for a while.

After the meeting and Angelina's questions it was time for the first wave to patrol. Xander and Anya thought it best to patrol at dusk, so that they could get any vampires or demons that had just arose. Angelina was to be with Willow and Giles but she wanted to get into the rhythm of things and so said she would go on every patrol that evening. No body seemed to mind.

Xander, Anya and Angelina left. Everyone surprised that Angelina's favourite weapon of choice was a broad sword as well as a stake. Xander and Anya picked up their weapons and then they were gone.