Okay. so this is chapter was sort of hard for me. It's not a lemon, but it comes close. Cause i don't know how to write one...I'm not ready for that..atleast i don't think i am...but i could be wrong. Let me know...PLEASE!
disclaimer: its depressing that i have to keep repeating myself about how i don't own any of these awesome television shows...if they were mine they wouldn't have gotten cancelled.
:)
Michael leaned against the wall, facing the alley. It was his break and he'd opted to come outside to get fresh air and to get away from Liz's condemning eyes.
"Hey!" Looking up from scrutinizing the dirty alley floor he saw his mystery girl standing at its opening, beside her stood a guy, the one who would be taking out Maria tonight.
"Meet you at the library okay," Kathryn gave Connor a look, willing him to just leave so that she'd be able to find out what the guys name was. Something about him called to her.
With a brisk nod, Kathryn walked into the alley, knowing that Connor had trusted her and wasn't waiting for her like his father would have done, "Hey," she stopped in front of him, a shy smile on her lips.
Michael was surprised that his mystery girl would be so brave to approach him alone, "hey."
"You look annoyed," Kathryn joked, keeping her tone light, "who ya mad at?"
"No one really," he met her eyes before looking away, "friends and the ex." Michael mumbled.
"Ah," Kat nodded understandingly, "friends not as accepting of your newly single status then? ah don't answer that, I'm just being nosy."
A small smile lit up his face, "it's fine, you're actually right," Michael grinned, "I work with my ex-girlfriends best friend who's my best friends girlfriend. Safe to say everyone's getting an earful about me."
"Oooh," Kathryn shook her head, "not good."
"I know," he smirked.
"Who broke it off? If you don't mind me asking?"
Michael leaned back, his arms crossing over his chest, "I did."
Kathryn nodded, "Cool, well not cool that your friends aren't being supportive cool. Ah …" rocking back on her heals, looking down at the dirty floor, "you on break or something?"
"15 minute break," he chuckled, Michael looked on as she blushed and took pity on her, "so what's your name?"
"Kathryn," she smiled prettily, looking up at him through her eyelashes, glad he'd stuck to the subject change, "yours?"
"Michael," the silence that followed would have been uncomfortable had it not been for the fact that they were both looking deeply into each other's eyes.
Clearing his throat and breaking the heated exchange Michael tried to restart the conversation, "so just Kathryn?"
She felt heat creep up her neck and bloom in her cheeks, "so just Michael?" Kathryn shot back.
He grinned, the blush on her face giving his ego a little boost, "Guerin, Michael Guerin."
She nodded, biting her bottom lip before responding in kind, "Kathryn Summers O'Roark," a smile lighting up her face.
"It's nice to meet you Kathryn Summers O'Roark," Michael held out his hand, smiling like he'd never done before.
Tingles ran up her spine, Kathryn couldn't help but love how he said her name, "why thank you Mr. Michael Guerin, it was a pleasure to meet you as well."
Pressing her hand into his, Kathryn swore she felt electricity run up her arm. Her fingertips tingled.
Drawing in a shaky breath Kathryn looked up into his darkening eyes, the look in his eyes taking her breath away.
How had she gotten so close to him?
Michael tightened his hold on her hand, goose bumps erupted all over his body as he looked down into dark green eyes rimmed by gold. She was closer now, he could feel the heat of her body.
Michael didn't know what the hell that was that had shot up his arm as soon as he'd touched her, he only knew that he didn't want to let go.
Kathryn gasped as her body leaned into his, shivering as her body melted against his hard tall body. The feeling that she belonged there, pressed up against him swept through her.
The thought filtered through her mind, 'so this is what's it's like,' she felt as she stood on her tiptoes, 'to want to drown in someone's eyes.'
Michael threaded a hand through her long, soft hair. He caressed her cheek.
Kathryn leaned into his hand, her eyes sliding closed. Her own hands had slid under his shirt to press against his chest, needing skin contact, though she didn't know why.
She let out a whimper as she felt his lips touch hers sliding her hands down his chest to his waist Kathryn leaned into the kiss. Bright lights erupted behind their closed eyes lids, for a moment they looked like stars brilliantly bright with swirls of color surrounding them. Michael groaned as he felt her press herself more firmly against him, her hot little hands leaving his waist to thread through his hair. Pulling her closer, he deepened the kiss. Not wanting to douse the fire they'd started from the moment they saw each other the night before.
…..
Buffy Anne Summers was not one to be rushed.
"You're supposed to be gone in 20 minutes and you're not even done packing," Faith Cavanaugh-Lehane, soon to be Faith Woods called from the doorway.
Buffy rushed around, grabbing clothes from her temporary closet to her duffel on the bed, "I need to be prepared. Angel's going to be there."
Letting herself in Faith sat on the bed, "you know, Angel doesn't care what you wear."
Buffy looked up to stare at her sister, "but I do."
"Do you love him still?" the question had been on her mind for some time now, Faith hadn't asked of course. She knew the answer, but she wondered if Buffy would admit it out loud.
Buffy stopped moving around, she looked down at her hands to gather her thoughts and form them into coherent sentences. The silver claddagh ring on her thumb shined brightly, Buffy wondered if the meaning changed if it wasn't on her ring finger anymore. She hoped not, "I know it's not possible for me to love anybody else. He still has my heart, I haven't figured out if that's a good thing yet. Maybe I will in Roswell, who knows."
Faith sighed, it wasn't the answer she thought she would get. It wasn't a clear cut yes or no, Faith was glad that Buffy was able to admit voice her hearts convoluted truth. It was better than lying, Faith smiled at Buffy putting the blonde woman at ease.
"This is just a thought but you should call Kat. You know how she is about packing. She's probably forgotten something," Faith switched topics, hoping to bring back the lightness that the room had been filled before she'd asked about her feelings.
Buffy sighed," damn, your right."
Dialing the familiar number Buffy waited only to hear, "Hey it's Kathryn, sorry I couldn't come to the phone I'm probably very busy so if you can leave a message I swear I'll call you back, bye!" BEEP.
Buffy snapped her phone shut, irritated by her little sister's voice mail, "she's not picking up."
…..
The high ring broke through the lusty haze that had clouded Kathryn's mind.
Pulling away slightly, her lips looking bee stung swollen and her cheeks flushed. Kathryn found her self level with Michael, who's eyes were still dark, hair mused and lips red and plump. Evidence that he'd been thoroughly kissed. Kathryn blinked as she realized that they'd some how switched positions, her back against the brick wall, her legs wrapped around his waist. His body deliciously pressed up against hers.
Kathryn shivered as the lusty haze threatened to descend again.
Michael came back to his senses, his arms around her body pressed intimately against hers. He wondered how the hell things had escalated so fast.
He looked into her eyes, finding them clouded with desire, her lips begging to be kissed again. Michael shivered, leaning in tracing her jaw with his lips. He pressed little open mouth kisses on her neck, with each one she moaned prettily just for him.
Kathryn whimpered as his lips pressed an open mouth kiss against her pulse point, wanting to do what he was doing to her to him she leaned in adding a little nip to each open mouth kiss she pressed to his neck. She found his pulse point and sucked on his, some primal urge to mark him to let others know he belonged to someone, to her.
He moaned, deep and low. 'Mine,' she thought.
Michael groaned, hands at her waist, his grip tight. He knew he'd leave bruises, and as he sucked on that one spot that made her moan just a little bit louder leaving his mark against her creamy skin. Michael briefly wondered when had he suddenly become okay with leaving such tokens behind.
The door beside them pushed open.
The sound knocked them out of their little world.
"Oh," old waitress Agnes, with a smoke in her hand smirked back at them, "sorry kids. Breaks over Guerin."
Kathryn stood on unstable legs, her insides quivering. She pressed herself firmly against the wall, trying to put distance between Michael and herself. She wanted to throw herself at him. Again, Kathryn gripped the wall forcing herself not to give in.
Michael stepped back his hands in his hair, dazed and reeling at his actions.
"Yeah," he managed to get out, a bit breathless.
His 15 minutes were up. Michael didn't want to look at her as he passed, knowing that if he did he wouldn't go back inside. And still as he passed Agnes he looked. Her eyes wide with shock, her parted lips a dark pink and swollen. Her appearance disheveled. Michael forced himself to keep walking, and as the door closed behind him he promised himself to go looking for her, after his shift.
Outside Kathryn was still in shock, 'Oh my goddess, what did I just do?!'
She'd wanted him to stay, to hold him close again.
The bruises on her skin burned as if he was still touching her and she shook. Kathryn didn't have much experience with boys. Her one time last year had been a horrible experience, something she tried not to think about. But she remembered, kissing a boyfriend or two and feeling nothing but wanting something. Kathryn realized after the incident that she wanted someone strong, someone who'd be able to leave a mark on her slayer body. No one had been able to before. She supposed that that wasn't a good reason to consider someone as a love interest, but the feelings and the fire. Kathryn wanted so bad to burn.
The nasty smell of nicotine reached her nose, coughing and waving her hand in front of her face Kathryn figured it was time to leave.
"You sure you want a guy like that honey," the older woman that had shattered their little world asked from her spot on the other side of the door. "Broken and hard I mean."
Kathryn pondered her question, did she? Did she want a man who was tall, who carried himself with silent strength. Who was passionate and witty? If he was broken and hard, like this woman was accusing him of being she would find out on her own his reasons for being so. 'Yes,' her heart thumped, he was hers to figure out, "yeah, I do."
The older woman chuckled taking a drag, "good luck then sweetheart, your gonna need it."
Kathryn didn't let the woman's words intimidate her, standing up to her full height she walked away with her head held high. Mentally thanking God and the Goddess that she hadn't worn her boots, she was sure if she had she wouldn't look so dignified and strong if she was wobbling on heels after that encounter with Michael Guerin.
The high ringing of her phone broke her thoughts.
She'd managed to walk up the block before pulling out her cell phone to answer, "Hi Karen."
"Oh thank god, I thought I was going to have to call again," the gentle but frazzled voice of her assistant answered. Kathryn chuckled, seeing in her minds eye a woman with long dark hair and caring eyes, "what's wrong?"
"Nothing's happened, at least not yet. You need to come back home Kathryn, your boys aren't handling your absence very well. Especially Gage." Her heart ached for her boys, "How is he?"
"Quiet, moody. He's reminding me of you. John's already tried talking to him but so far the only people he's willing to talk to are his brothers, Liam and Kade."
Kathryn thought back to the circumstances surrounding Gage and how she'd come to have him as her son.
Flashback
The crying was grating on her last nerve, Kathryn tugged at her hair. Frustration making her shoulders tense. She stormed out of the building and into the dark cold night. Following the cries into a building farther down from her brother's Hyperion Hotel, she sneaked in and followed the sound down to its basement.
Standing at the top of the stairs she listened, hearing other things now besides the wail of a child.
Just above a whisper, chanting.
Careful with her footing she kneeled down to get a better look, instantly she found the child. Squirming on what looked like a little table made of black obsidian. 'Alter,' her memory supplied. Three hooded figures around him, in the shape of a triangle.
Straining to the exact words of the ritual, a bad feeling settled at the base of her spine as she caught the gleam of a silver dagger near one of the candles they were using for light.
Kathryn noticed the details, the silver blade with a gold hilt encrusted with nothing but a red jewel. She'd seen that dagger before, familiarity tugged at her mind. Instantly she thought back to the months she'd spent with her mother. A drawing of that exact dagger had been in a book specifically about enchanted weaponry and sacrificial blades.
She found herself looking at the baby. Its cries having been subdued and was now just whimpering. As if the baby knew it was pointless to cry any longer, feeling it's life would end before it had even had a chance to live.
Making a quick, rash decision Kathryn ran down the remaining stairs coming face to face with two out of the three hooded people. A man and a woman with determined steel in their eyes glared at her for intruding, "what are you doing here?"
She smirked glaring right back, her eyes straying to the last person on the other side of the alter, "I heard there was a party going on, thought I'd crash it of course."
The last person lowered his or her head and Kathryn found that he/she wasn't a person at all. A demon with vermilion eyes and skin the color of concrete stone growled at her, "leave."
Warning bells went off in her head, stubbornly crossing her arms she got into an improvised fighting stance, "I don't think so."
End
"Kathryn!"
"What?!" Kathryn yelped, a passing elderly couple shook their heads at her.
"Geez! I've been saying your name for the past 5 minutes!"
"Sorry," she shook her head, "what were you saying?"
"I said they're all having nightmares. Kade hasn't left his fort and Liam is quiet. You know he's never quiet."
"Do you know what they're dreaming about?" Kathryn sighed, she knew saying yes to Angel would come back to bite her in the ass.
"They've closed ranks," Karen was on the verge of tears, normally the boys were easy to take care of. Even when their mother was gone for a week or two, but this Karen thought was not one of those times.
"It's okay," she figured her boys would pull something like this. For boys so young they didn't trust easy not like normal little kids should, "there should already be a pre-packed duffel on the floor of their closets. Get them ready, please."
"Where are they going?"
"I'll call Buffy, see if she could swing by and pick them up. They'll stay with Faith until I get back," Kathryn knew she'd have to promise Faith something for her help. She'd do it as long as her boys were kept safe.
"Okay," Karen grudgingly said, not pleased about the new developments but then she thought it was better they stayed with their slightly wild aunt. Better than having Kathryn demand the boys be taken to Roswell where she was.
"Get them ready," Kathryn chirped, hanging up and dialing her older sister.
….
Faith was helping Buffy pack a handful of versatile weapons, "just in case," she'd told the blonde.
Robin was in the kitchen, having gotten home early and was cooking lunch for them all so her sister wouldn't leave with an empty stomach.
"Faith!" Robin yelled, his voice echoing down the hall to the open weapon's room.
She stopped what she was doing, glaring out to the open doorway as if he was standing there and not in the kitchen, "What!"
"Kat's on the phone," her man informed her.
Surprised she gave Buffy a look, "told you she forgot something."
Faith hurried out the door and down the hall, "So what did you forget this time Kat?"
Robin chuckled as he strained the pasta he'd been cooking, his girlfriend slash baby mama's blunt manner was an aspect of her that he loved.
Faith mmhm'd into the phone, her eyes on the counter top before her. She traced the pattern with a finger as she listened to the girl on the other line.
"Of course," she murmured into the phone, reassuring.
"That's fine, Robin and I are fine with it, we need the practice you know."
A frown marred her pretty face. She stopped tracing the pattern. Something wasn't being said.
Faith could hear it in her little sister's voice. She was withholding something from her, suspicion wiggled in her mind.
"Yeah," her eyes narrowed, "what happened?"
Kathryn almost choked on her own saliva. She should have known Faith would hear something off and she wondered how it was that she could never keep something to herself even when she was so far away from home.
"Nothings happened," she bit her tongue hoping Faith would leave it at that. Though she doubted she would. Tanya hadn't been wrong when she told her Faith didn't have 'the gift' to carry on the Cavanaugh Legacy, though she hadn't been completely right either. She'd learned that the hard way during her first and second year in Sunnydale. Faith had a way of just knowing certain things about people or places. It was clear to Kathryn that that small intuitive trait in her sister was pure Cavanaugh. She wondered if their mother had known that before losing complete contact with her oldest daughter.
"You're lying to me," Faith accused, glaring at the phone in her hand.
Robin stopped in his stirring of the sauce, he wondered again if he should wait a big longer on calling Willow. There were signs that her gift was growing stronger. He figured it was only doing so because of the pregnancy. He told himself when she was showing he'd finally call Willow, just to be on the safe side.
"No I'm not," Kathryn denied, guilt settled in her stomach because she had stooped to lying now.
"Yes you are," Faith growled, she was sure more than ever now that something had happened in that po-dunk town, "if you don't tell me what the hell happened I'll send Robin over there with three of our best to drag you back home."
"I," Kathryn stammered, thinking over the pros and cons of telling her sister what had happened in the alley. With a boy she didn't know. Angry and mortified with herself she pressed her other hand to her red cheeks. Kathryn knew logically that Faith wouldn't judge her. She wasn't oblivious. She knew Faith wasn't exactly pure before Robin. She'd slept around and done her share of damage in her own youth. Buffy had been her opposite. She knew she was more like Buffy in that regard. But to think on it now she thought maybe she had a little bit of Faith in her after all. Shame swirled in her heart. She wasn't that type of girl. Wasn't one to spread her legs for some hot stud just because he'd showed any kind of interest in her.
Faith coughed a bit, to remind Kathryn she was still on the line, still waiting for her to say something.
"I may have done something out of the norm, for me," Kathryn muttered, sitting down at a bus stop so that she wouldn't trip over her own feet as she got what she needed to say out.
"Okay," Faith 's frown deepened, trying to understand what she was trying to get at. Usually Kathryn wasn't one to beat around the bush, unless, "ooohh. A guy huh."
"Yeah," she muttered, lowering her head so that her hair would fall as a curtain shielding her face from those walking on the sidewalk.
"A boy!" Buffy chirped innocently making her presence known, as soon as she'd heard Faith accusing their little sister of lying she marched into Faith's office to pick up the line and listen in.
"Buffy!" Kathryn and Faith said in unison both surprised that they hadn't heard the click of the phone being picked up.
"What? I want to talk to her too," Buffy smiled wickedly as she twirled the phone cord with a finger like she used to when she was 14 years old and still going to Hemery High, "so you met a guy out there huh?"
Kathryn wanted to curse out loud, "yeah."
Faith bit her bottom lip fighting the giggles, it was rare when they had a sisterly moment together, "and? What happened?"
Kathryn fought the pout that wanted to form on her lips, ever since Buffy moved in with Faith they had a tendency to gang up on her. She didn't like it. Kathryn thought of how lucky Dawn was to be going to school in Northern Cali, away from their sneakiness.
"Well," she hemmed and hawed, not sure if she wanted to share anymore now that Buffy was on the line. Knowing that she'd get a lecture and maybe Faith would go through with her threat of sending Robin to get her.
"I may have, we may have," Kathryn sighed, "We made out. Like 'we're in public but we don't care,' making out. He's got these big hands and seems nice and he's tall too. Michael's got these caramel eyes that I sort of want to drown in and it's weird cause I hate caramel. I wouldn't want to drown in caramel but his eyes make me want to drown in them. Remember how you told me Angel's eyes were like chocolate and you wanted to drown in them Buffy? I didn't understand then but I do know and I don't really know him you know. But when he touches me, god, when he touches it me it's like electricity dancing over my skin and fire burning through my veins, tingles dancing up and down my spine. I've never felt that before, never. We were just talking and then I don't know what happened. I have no idea how we went from talking to kissing and I'm thinking, 'mine, mine, mine.' I don't know why I'm thinking he is, I don't know him. How can I think someone's mine WHEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW HIM you know? And I'm confused because damn it I want him touching me and holding me and just here with me but he's not cause he has to work and I can't breathe."
Kathryn inhaled deeply, stopping the hysteric rambling she'd been doing. She'd been on a roll, glad to get all of the confusion out of her system, because it didn't make sense. Not to her anyway, and though she sounded crazy she hoped her sisters knew what to make of it all. Maybe they could tell her something that would make sense.
Faith wanted to laugh. Wanted to laugh and cry and yell all at once. It felt like déjà vu, it took her back to the hell mouth when she'd asked Buffy to please explain why a vampire and not a human. Love, the kind that burned bright, hot and passionate. The kind that didn't last long and didn't end well. And it wasn't fair. Not for her little sister. Who had a big, soft heart. Who was far to optimistic despite everything she'd had to endure while on her own. Faith was tempted to call on the Powers That Be. To demand answers, to know what they were planning for her, why now. She wanted to throw it in they're face that they'd all sacrificed so much of themselves for the world. That they couldn't mess with they're lives as if they were just characters in some kind of game. Faith played with the idea of telling her she was needed at home, or just lying and saying something was wrong with the baby. But she didn't cause such a trick wouldn't work. Not on her baby sister atleast.
In the other room Buffy was frozen. She had kept up with her little sister's ramblings, years of practice with her best friend Willow. A growing sense of horror kept her frozen in place. Buffy wanted to drag Kathryn through the phone line and out of Roswell, away from that boy Michael. And just cry. Because she knew those feelings, she'd felt them herself. Buffy wanted to tell her to let it go, let him go before it got serious. She wanted to tell her that the love and pain she'd gone through with Angel only to lose him anyway, wasn't what she wanted for her. She wanted to remind her of how Angel's leaving had destroyed her, how he'd crushed her heart and shattered her soul. 'Because to love someone who made you burn oh so bright only to fizzle out so fast wasn't worth it. Wasn't worth the ashes they left of your heart, leaving nothing tangible for the person who would find you later. Because there would…will be someone who finds you and they would (couldwill) love you despite your brokenness. That person will want to fixlovecare for you, because that person will know that you are worth all of their effort.' Buffy wished she could say this, say it with all the emotion she felt in her heart. She'd been there, made the mistakes of not opening herself up enough, she'd held on to Angel with all the pieces of her crushed heart. Truth be told she was still holding on. But she knew her sister, knew her like the back of her own hands. She knew Kathryn wouldn't listen to what she'd have to say about him. Knew she would see that boy again. And again. Because it was love. Love at its brightest and highest point. Buffy wondered if it was only the slayer in the Summers woman that made it possible, more probable for them to find and fall for that kind of love.
They told her that it was okay, that what she felt was normal. They explained that she was still a teenager, hormones were going crazy. The told her they'd take care of the boys. Buffy promised not to embarrass her when she got to Roswell and Faith promised not to tell Robin. His eyebrows shot up at that, Faith shook her head, he'd know everything by the end of the day.
They hung up, both drifting to the living room. Sinking in the sofa the girls cuddled together for comfort. They cried their eyes out knowing what was to come, because they both knew that whoever had said knowing was half the battle had been wrong.
Kathryn got up from where she'd been sitting and smiled. Her sisters hadn't reacted like she thought they would. That alone, she thought, was cause for celebration. She skipped down the sidewalk and up the stairs of the library, stopping only for a second to send Karen notice that everything was set and to tell her boys she missed them, that she'd see them soon.
Kathryn walked into the library passing the librarian behind her desk, oblivious and still on cloud nine. The librarian on the other hand, had taken one look at the smiling girl that had passed her and her old eyes widened in recognition.
Kathryn continued to float, deeper into the library until she found herself in front of Connor. Who was glaring at her, with his arms crossed.
….
Connor watched her for a second, as she got closer to one of the guys he'd remembered seeing in the café they had been at yesterday night. He wondered if he should be worried, Connor dismissed the notion with a shrug of his shoulders. As he walked away from the alley and to the library he told himself Kathryn was a big girl, one who knew how to break a man if he did anything wrong. She was a slayer after all.
Connor made himself comfortable at one of the tables, his eyes scanning the rows around him.
"Oh hello," a soft voice followed by a tap on his shoulder had Connor turning around to face one of the girls from the café. She was wearing the uniform, the ridiculous headband still on her head.
Connor smiled, unsure of why she came up to him in the first place, "Hi."
Liz took it upon herself to keep him company, it was obvious to her that he was waiting for somebody. She wondered if his sister was who he was waiting for, the petite golden brown haired girl with green sparkly eyes came to mind.
"So you're him then huh?"
"Him who?" Connor asked, confused.
"oh," she smiled, "You asked out my best friend Maria. She's pretty excited about tonight."
"Oh," Connor blushed, "yeah I am."
The awkward silence that followed would have been funny if it wasn't so painful.
"What's your name again?"Connor asked keeping his voice slightly above a whisper.
"Liz Parker," she held out her hand, embarrassed she'd forgotten her manners, "and you?"
"Connor," he smiled shaking her thin hand, "what brings you to the library still in your work blues?"
Liz chuckled settling back into the chair, "Mrs. Holden the librarian is a family friend, I had to pass on some news from my parents."
"Oh," Connor nodded, he looked up to find the librarian looking at them a polite smile on her face.
"You look like you're waiting for someone," Liz kept the conversation going.
"Yeah," Connor smiled at the brunette across from him, "my aunt was supposed to be here with me but she got distracted. Said she would meet me here though so."
Connor still felt weird calling Kathryn his aunt, he wondered if he could get away with calling her his sister instead.
"She looks like you're sister," she smiled politely, "I didn't really get a good look at your father but I'm sure he's just as pretty as your aunt."
Connor chuckled, "people used to say that he had the face of an angel. A fallen angel sure, but still an angel. I think some people in LA still say that. I'm not sure."
"Really," she tucked that little bit of information away, "what's your fathers name? if you don't mind me asking."
"No, not at all," Connor kept his face politely pleasant, "his name's Angel, he runs a private investigation service out in Los Angeles."
He kept the whole running Wolfram & Hart thing to himself, for a moment he considered fabricating something just for her. To see if Maria would asking him later about it, or maybe tell his father so he'd keep an ear out for anyone in the underground saying his name.
"Angel, with the angelic face," Liz grinned, he was open to sharing and she couldn't help but think that getting information had never been easier, "what about your aunt?"
Connor wanted to punch her as soon as she asked about Kathryn. He dropped the mask, his face going passive. Liz stopped grinning, the boy before her looked serious. Dangerous, her mind whispered.
She hurried to correct her mistake in thinking he was an open book that she could read, "I'm sorry. I thought…it doesn't matter what I thought. I'm sorry for taking liberties when you were just being friendly."
He wanted to laugh in her face and smirk like Spike did with his father, instead he gave her a smile and a nod, "it's alright. We're technically new in town and you're just curious, right?"Liz smiled sheepishly under his hawk like gaze, "yeah."
Connor grinned, "I understand."
They lapsed into silence. Connor didn't make to restart the conversation and Liz knew she shouldn't try too. A few minutes passed and Liz couldn't stand it any longer, she stood and smiled one last time before leaving him. She felt his eyes on her person as she talked to Mrs. Holden again, she felt his eyes on her until she walked out the door. Once outside she let herself breath, Liz immediately knew that he'd wanted to be sure she did in fact leave.
Back inside Connor smirked. He didn't like the girl, something about her rubbing him the wrong way. He hoped her best friend Maria wasn't like her. He wondered why he was even going out with a high school girl, she was hot, he was reminded. That, Connor thought was good enough for him.
He leaned back, staring at the ceiling waiting to hear the doors open. He'd look up only to find that again, it was not Kathryn.
Connor was starting to get impatient.
They had a lot to do and he didn't really like wasting time.
He crossed his arms and glared at the door, willing for Kathryn to walk through it so that they could get on the road already.
Seconds later she appeared, looking like she'd been ravished, Connor resisted the urge to groan and cover his eyes with his palms. Maybe he shouldn't have left her with that guy after all.
….
As the sun began its descent the sky lit up with the most beautiful colors. As Kathryn and Connor made there way back to the hotel bearing food for Gunn, she nudged Connor and nodded to the sky. They stood in the parking lot just looking up, the day had been a long and emotional one for them. They'd interviewed families and talked to police officials, by the end of the day she was sure even Connor had cried a small pond.
"Come on," he muttered, the night air was starting to get chilly.
Kathryn walked beside him, up the stairs and into the warmth of their shared room.
Connor glanced at the digital clock, the time flashing red 6:15 pm, he was cutting it close, "do you think it's a good idea to be going on this date?"
Kathryn handed Gunn his food, smiling at him because the man looked well rested now and when he came back she doubted he'd look like that again. She rolled her eyes at Connor, "I think you need to loosen up, and if this date does that then yes I think it's a good idea."
He sighed, the clothes he was set to wear spread out on his bed, "you think she'll like me?"
Gunn looked up from his burger and fries, a milkshake at his elbow, "someone's nervous."
Kathryn giggled, "she'd have to be pretty stupid not too."
Connor looked from Kathryn to Gunn and back again, both nodding that Maria would like him.
He sighed, grabbing the clothes and heading for the bathroom to change, "we'll talk when I come back out."
Gunn shook his head as the door closed, "that boy."
"I know," Kathryn agreed, a smirk on his face, "he's such a girl."
"I heard that!" Connor yelled out to them.
'You were meant too!" she yelled back.
Gunn slurped his milkshake happily, "So how'd it go?"
Kathryn fell back on her bed with a groan, "it was horrible Gunn."
"Tell me," he nudged her foot with his.
Kathryn shrugged looking at the ceiling, "I don't really want to talk about it."
"You'll have too, when Angel and Spike decide to join us anyway," he said, his mouth full of fries.
"I know," Kathryn muttered, rolling over onto her stomach and covering her face, "how about I share when you and Spike come back?"
"Deal," he shook his head and smiled at her antics.
"So," Connor stepped out and did a turn.
"Aww," Kathryn pulled a face, "don't you look pretty."
"Ha," he rolled his eyes, "ha, your so funny."
She smiled sweetly, "you'll be fine."
"Don't do anything I wouldn't kid," Gunn spoke up, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Connor scoffed, "I highly doubt she's that type of girl."
"Yeah Charles," Kathryn winked, "not all girls are as dirty as the one's you know."
Gunn laughed.
"Alright, alright," Connor shook his head, "what I would like to talk about is your kids Kathryn?"He shifted the attention away form him.
Kathryn shrugged, blushing, "they're good kids. Smart and charming little boys."
"They still playing with the toys I sent last Christmas?"Gunn asked as pulled on his boots.
"They play with everything," she grumbled remembering the mess that she'd left behind for Karen.
"So he knows," Connor pointed at Gunn, "But dad doesn't know."
Kathryn frowned, "I found Gage when I was staying at the Hyperion over the summer. I want to say maybe two-three years ago. I took care of him in that hotel with help from Wes. Gunn only found out the day I was leaving, they've sent the boys gifts and cards over the years. Your father though, was blind to it all. He didn't know what was going on under his roof. Hell I didn't even see much of him that summer, I saw everyone else but Angel."
"He was going through some stuff man," Gunn defended his boss, "he's never really been the same ever since all that stuff with Darla."
"Darla," she huffed, angry at the thought of his blonde sire.
Staying quiet Connor waited for someone to continue the conversation. No one did, he shrugged, it didn't bother him much to know that he had more family out in the world.
...
Liz watched from her seat on the bed as Maria rushed back and forth frantically trying to come up with a cute outfit.
"I don't know what to wear!" Maria declared, collapsing on the bed next to Liz.
"You'll find something, look," Liz pulled out a black mini dress from under the pile of clothes, "what about this?"
Maria let out a high whine, "not casual enough."
The brunette sighed before getting up from her spot and looking through the clothes on the floor.
"So how are things with you and Max?"Maria looked on as Liz just kept on looking through the piles of clothes she'd created on her bedroom floor, "Cause I mean, you're here with me. Instead of out with him so something has to be wrong."
"You know Monica's birthday and ceremony are in two weeks. And Max…he doesn't understand that I don't want to explain who she was. I have to help my parents get everything ready and it's taking an emotional toll on me as it is. I told him I'd explain, after this months over," Liz sighed, "lets just say he wasn't smiling when he left."
Maria shook her head, "you know you're pushing him away right? You're in a relationship Liz, you're supposed to be able to confide in him about anything. Why doesn't he know about Monica?"
She shrugged, pulling out a shirt and a denim skirt, "I thought he'd see her in a flash, but I don't think he has."
Maria shook her head at the clothes combo, "maybe you should let him in. Tell him about her."
Liz sighed again, "I'll think about it."
The bubbly blonde sighed, moving to the floor as Liz had done, "you've been doing that a lot."
"What?"
"Sighing. You're not fooling me Liz Parker. I'm your best friend, you better tell me what's going on in that head of yours."
Leaning against the bed Liz gave up on finding something for Maria, "I love him Ria. I really do. But sometimes, especially now, I need to be alone for a day or two. So I can pull myself together."
"I know this isn't what you want to hear but maybe we should ask Isabel to dream walk her, try to find out if she's still alive and where she's at."
Liz's eyes had gone wide while thoughts flew like crazy through her mind, "and then what?"
"Maybe we'll visit her or something," Maria shrugged, "I don't know."
Liz mulled over the idea, liking the idea more and more as the seconds passed, "okay."
"Okay?" the blonde looked at her in surprise, "serious? You really want to do this?"
"Yeah," Liz nodded, "we'll tell Isabel tomorrow morning before school starts. We can get together on Wednesday night or something. I have a picture at home she can use," anticipation raced through her veins. Finally she'd know if Monica was alive out there in the world.
….
Something shoved her, ignoring it she turned over.
Harder than before she felt something hit her again.
Tuule groaned, curling up on her side. Bringing her knees up to her chest, willing herself to wake up and confront whoever was hurting her.
"Get up Tuule!"
Kalev grumbled as he shaved her again.
Growling Tuule looked up into her mate's angry brown eyes, "what!"
"I must leave you now, "Kalev shouldered his pack, handing her a little thin booklet, "the master wishes for you to have this."
"What is it?" Tuule asked leafing through it, the words tiny accompanied by some drawings and symbols.
"It's a book," Kalev smacked her upside the head, he wished for a moment that he was back home and not being ordered around like a puppet on strings.
"Ow! Kalev that hurt!" Tuule glared, her eyes watering. Her mate had never raised a hand to her before.
Kalev ignored the instinct to take her in his arms and hold her close, there was no time for that now, "that has everything written down. The deadline is fast approaching."
Tuule nodded mutely, words would not come to her as he made to leave.
He ignored her as he pushed the slab of wood that covered the shack they were staying in, "stay safe Tuule."
"Good luck Kalev," she whispered.
"Same to you, my heart," Kalev stormed out into the desert, the stars twinkling at his back.
Tuule settled into her cot, willing sleep to return. She knew the sooner everything was done here in this world, the faster they'd be able to go home and live their lives in peace.
Tucking her hands under her head, Tuule drifted, 'by the light of the moon, so shall it come to pass.'
i bet that wasn't something you guys were expecting! :)
drop a line and let me know what you think!
~Luna-Rose