Chapter 7
Preparations and Revelations
'Cordelia' slowly began to stir and after a few tense moments, she arose from the floor.
She grabbed at her pounding forehead. Vaguely, she reconstructed the bits and pieces of what she remembered to transpire. Darla. The spell. The foiled attempt to kill the newly resurrected woman...and ending up spatula-ed against the wall, courtesy of a powerful counterspell.
"Ugh...man, I really hate those guys", she muttered angrily.
'Trouble?', a voice casually asked, before the swooshing of air sounded behind her. 'Cordelia' whirled around, drawing her meat-cleaver in a heartbeat. However, upon seeing who it was, she dropped it.
Standing there, arms folded, smiling sweetly, was what appeared in form to be Harmony Kendall. Cordelia Chase's old high school friend...and a vampire. But vampires were dead. And Harmony couldn't possibly have known about any of this. So that meant...
"M-Master?", 'Cordelia' uttered softly, her voice trembling.
"In the flesh", 'Harmony' replied. "Well, so to speak."
"Um...heh, what an honor that you come!", 'Cordelia' shamelessly began to lavish praise on her. "I-I wasn't expecting you so soon, uh...how are the Bringers? Still mute?"
"You seem a little jumpier than usual...is something wrong?", the figure appearing as Harmony asked, her question poignant.
"No! Nothing's wrong! Never better!", 'Cordelia' backpedalled. "I-i-in fact, the vessel is developing at a faster rate than we expected--"
"And yet, MY vessel still hasn't arrived...when it should have arrived some time ago", 'Harmony' said, still calm. "And I understand that you've lost the sacrifice AND the Destroyer, whom I had great plans for."
Her astonishment left 'Cordelia' nearly speechless. "How did you--"
"All-seeing and all-knowing, remember? Did you think me blind to what was happening with my most important weapon ever? I AM the First Evil, you know."
"And what a GREAT First Evil you are, might I add", 'Cordelia' laughed nervously. "By the way, have you lost weight? You look so good--"
"Enough boot-licking, please!", the First/Harmony said. "You have a very simple assignment. Find a virgin sacrifice, deliver my vessel, wham-bam-thank-you-m'aam, you're done. Simple. Now, because of your incompetance, not only is Angel, the Powers' Champion, and his gang up to snuff on your actions, but even worse, now they've alerted, and reunited with my worst enemy, Buffy Summers, the Slayer, and her accursed friends to derail MY plans!"
"The Slayer?", 'Cordelia' gasped. "She's here? In L.A??"
"As we speak", the First/Harmony snapped. "This is EXACTLY what I feared would happen most...that the two greatest warriors of good would convene here, NOW, to prevent me from gaining the ultimate weapon, which would enable me to bring the Powers That Be AND the entire universe to its knees, giving me dominion over ALL life...and now they're BOTH here, because YOU saw fit to make flesh a ghost image of the boy's mother!"
"I-i-it seemed like a good idea at the time", 'Cordelia' stammered. "He showed enough emotion for Darla that I thought that it'd be easier to control him...and well, the boy's so irrational--"
"And did I give you permission for an act like that?" the First glowered at her. "I don't think so...You've been more trouble than you've been worth lately. And yet, I must count on you because inside of you is a power unlike any other" At that, it bent down to take a closer look at 'Cordelia's' pregnant belly.
"...a power that would grant me my fondest wish, and the universe's greatest nightmare." After a beaming, yet chilling smile, the First faced 'Cordelia' at eye level. "You are not to use your powers for anything other than self-defense or for the sacrificial ritual until the vessel is delivered. ANY more foolishness like that Darla stunt, and I will be greatly...greatly...displeased."
'Cordelia' swallowed hard, fear dancing in her eyes. An angry First Evil was definitely not something she wanted to be placed in the crosshairs of. "Yes...of course, master...anything you ask. I won't fail you again."
The First/Harmony smiled sweetly. "Oh, my dear." Then her eyes flashed bright red.
'Cordelia' gasped as a tingling, burning sensation passed through her body, making her gasp and cough, shaking uncontrollably. With every precious breath becoming more and more impossible, she looked up at the First/Harmony, desperation and fear written all over her face.
"See that you don't", the First/Harmony smiled evilly. "Or the pain you feel right now won't even be an inkling...of what I have planned for you if you fail me again...I've waited thousands upon thousands of years for this very moment, and I will not be defeated now, NOT when the universe is within my reach...find a sacrifice. Quickly. Do what you must, and bring my vessel forth at ALL costs. Fail me...and there will be no way out...for you."
The pain suddenly disappeared and 'Cordelia' fell to her knees, on the floor, panting and wheezing. When she looked up, the First had vanished. As if it was never there, to begin with.
She winced. "I really...hate...that thing", she snarled to herself.
But she was already terrified. The most powerful evil in existence, a force with more power than even she possessed, had just given her an ultimatum: Deliver the baby or forfeit her life. And time was running out. She had to act quickly. She had become very used to walking the mortal realm...so she had to find another virgin.
Her entire well-being was depending on it. And if there was one thing she was good at, it was knowing how to survive. To save her own skin.
To stay alive.
Back at the Hyperion...
After a relatively long silence, Xander blurted out:
"Whoa,whoa, whoa, wait a second--son? What son?"
Fred sighed, knowing this would be a long explanation. "Well, things have been a little wacky here over the last two years and...long story short, Connor is Angel's son."
"You mean he adopted a child?", Anya corrected, snorting at the idea of a vampire fathering a child. That wasn't possible, and she knew that...right?
"Ah...no", Faith corrected. "That's Connor. Angel's son. As in, offspring? Biological child? Fruit of his loins?"
"Angel has a son?", a confused Dawn asked Buffy.
Buffy said nothing, only continued to stare at the tall boy in front of her. She felt her heart constrict painfully as she observed him. He was exactly what she pictured Angel's son to be like. More or less, anyway. His eyes ,although a clear, piercing blue, much like Darla's, had a stare about them that was so characteristic of Angel. He was tall, like his father. And judging from the way that he fought, he was strong, just like his father.
"Wait...I-I-I don't seem to be following, are you telling me that...this...boy, is Angel's biological child?", Giles stammered, stunned.
"Yup", Willow said. "A perfect genetic match. Right down to the sneer."
"That's not possible", Giles said, clearly flustered. "Vampires can't have children. It's-it's-it's a biological impossibility!"
"Tell me about it", Fred rolled her eyes. "I mean, I was stumped, too, trying to figure it out...I guess it's one of those theories we'll never really know about, like the Big Bang, or Einstein's relativity...or how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop."
"The world may never know", Andrew sighed, wistfully.
"Yeah, but I think we all know that in this line of work, the impossible has a tendency to become very possible", Gunn shrugged.
A faint coughing could be heard from behind the wreckage, as Principal Wood threw back a sheet of metal over his head, wincing with the effort .
"Omigosh, Principal Wood!", Amanda exclaimed as she ran to the faintly staggering principal, sliding an arm under him for support. "Are you okay?"
"Um...yeah", he coughed. "As okay as one can be after surviving a four-car-pile-up."
Buffy snapped out of her haze for a moment to attend to her ally. "Robin, are you hurt?", she asked, her voice a bit distant.
"Oh, no, no", Robin smirked. "I'm good to go...as long as you point me in the right direction to go, that is."
"Who's that guy?", Connor asked, suspiciously.
"A friend", Willow answered as she went in to check on the condition of the principal.
Wesley took a moment in the distraction of Wood's emergence from the rubble to turn his attention to Darla. He walked over to where she was standing, many thoughts clouded in her beautiful blue eyes.
"Are you alright?", he asked, his tone soothing, as he placed a hand on her shoulder, as gentle as he could be.
Darla's eyes met his, a sort of relief in them as she beheld his gaze. "Yes, I'm fine...or as fine as one can be after having a stake thrown at them at about 80 miles an hour."
"You're not hurt, are you?", he asked, his eyes darkening with worry.
She smiled gently at him. "No, Wesley, I'm fine. Thank you for asking."
"How could I not?", he smirked back, but lightheartedly. "Can't have you off and dying again so soon."
She had to chuckle at that comment. Though she couldn't explain it, Darla was feeling somewhat more at ease, now that Wesley was at her side.
"Gosh", Skip chuckled sarcastically as he surveyed the scene in front of him. "Look at all this. A lover's triangle, old enemies forced on the same side, allegiances drawn in the sand...it's like a spooky episode of 'Survivor', only without the chicks who strip down to their undies for peanut butter."
"Need I remind you, Metal Face, that we can still open up a can of Infinite Agony whoop-ass on you if you keep talking out of turn?", Lorne testily retorted.
"Hey, just stating the obvious, Green Jeans", Skip shrugged. "I mean, c'mon! Do you actually expect all of these people to work together? They've got more baggage on them than American Airlines."
"You're awfully talkative for someone who can be subjected to horrible, blinding torment within a few minutes", Fred noted, suspiciously.
"Probably 'cause I just realized something", Skip smirked, a knowing gleam in his eye. "One, no matter what I could tell you, it'd be like holding the ocean back with a broom. No way it's going to make a difference, kiddies. The Big Bad you're so mad on to put a stop to...can't be stopped. It's too powerful, too all-knowing."
"Well, if it won't make a difference, how come you're not spilling?", Willow asked. "If it won't make a difference, then there's no harm in letting us in on the big surprise."
"And yet, I derive an odd sense of satisfaction from making all of you so frustrated", the metallic demon snorted. "You know, it's the simple things in life."
"I could beat the information out of you", Angel warned, eyes darkened.
"Suppose you could, but then, you'd have to consider, it took a while last time for our rumble to die down", Skip smirked arrogantly. "Sure, champ, you might get lucky twice. But, then again, people can get hurt in the crossfire. People can die. You willing to risk one of the lives of your crew? Or those little girls? Or your old friends?" He paused for dramatic effect. "If you let me out...are you willing to risk the third death of the woman who was once your whole world?"
Angel's jaw clenched, considering his options. He hated to admit it, but Skip was right. He couldn't risk a battle in the hotel. There were too many people to consider. Buffy, Darla, Connor, the AI team, the Scoobies, the gaggle of new girls, most of them barely looking 16...
"Ha...shoulda known you'd chicken out", Skip snorted. "Besides, as good as Miss. Science-Whiz over there is", he motioned to Fred. "...there's no way she'd get the spell done right, or in time. I mean, the 'Sphere of the Infinite Agonies'?...That's a whole lot of dark mojo. Can't be done by any boob with a book. Only a truly powerful master of the dark arts could wield the power and skill sufficient enough to--"
"'Sphere of the Infinite Agonies'?", Willow perked up. "What, you mean one of these?"
She raised her right hand and pointed right at Skip, her green eyes suddenly morphing to steely black orbs, her face a mask of focus.
"Sphere of the Infinite Agonies, I summon thee!", she called.
Skip gulped. "Uh...hey, hold on, wait a minute, now--"
A swirling of cold wind instantly followed, accompanied by tiny streaks of red lightning around the forcefield holding Skip. Just then, a bubble-like sphere appeared around the demon, encircling him. The startled demon's eyes widened, and his mouth opened as if to scream, but his cries were muted to all.
"What the--", a startled Xander managed as he stared at the scene in awe.
"Is that...?", Fred began to ask, as she stared wide-eyed at a screaming Skip.
"One Sphere of Infinite Agony, in 3 seconds or less or your money back", Willow smiled knowingly. However, the stares of awe, and some of fright, that she was receiving from both groups caused the little redhead to recede her otherwise winning smile (which would have been more winning if her eyes weren't as black as death itself). "Guess it's not quite as funny when you're bringing down unbearable torment on someone, huh?"
"Actually, it can be quite hysterical", Spike chimed in. " 'Specially in Metal Boy's case...I mean, look at the way his eyes are starting to show those funny little red veiny thingies--"
An elbow nudge from Anya cut him off. "Oww! What was that for?"
"Don't you think it'd be a little bit stupid to start acting like your vampire self in front of strange new people who hunt and kill demons on a daily basis?", Anya motioned to the Fang Gang with her head, her stare poignant.
"What, them? Please, it's just the Pouf and his band of merry men...and that little cutie over there", he said as he took a look at Fred.
Fred bashfully lowered her head, attempting to hide her blush. Gunn, however, took exception to that comment. "Who you callin' cute, Billy Idol?", he gruffly demanded.
"Take a breather, Big Guy", Spike waved him off. "I'm just sayin', is all."
Gunn scowled, squaring his shoulders. "Well, maybe you shouldn't 'just say'. Especially when her boyfriend is--"
At that slip, Fred looked up at Gunn, questioningly, with a dash of hope in her eyes.
Gunn gulped. "Uhhh...ex. Boyfriend. Yeah, ex-boyfriend, that is."
Fred's eyes lowered, disappointed. Gunn kicked himself mentally for chickening out, but the look in Fred's eyes made him doubt himself at the last second. There was still much between the once-loving couple that needed to be resolved before they could figure out where they stood.
The swirling died down as Willow lowered her hand, the sphere suddenly dissipating back into the thin air from where it came. Skip fell to his knees within the prism holding him, audibly gasping, muttering curses at Willow, wincing in pain.
Darla looked at her curiously ."How did you do that?"
Willow shrugged. "Well, I happen to be one of the most powerful witches in existence right now...I kinda absorbed a lot of dark mojo one time, totally wigged out. I guess the Sphere of Infinite Agonies was in there somewhere."
"From when you nearly destroyed the world", Darla nodded, in understanding.
Willow's greenish eyes widened ."How did you--"
"She just does", Angel answered her while striding over to Skip. "Now, you willing to play nice, or am I going to have to make Willow go all Infinite Agony on your metal ass one more time...Skippy?"
"Okay!...okay...you got me", Skip wheezed, clutching himself. "I'll talk, I'll tell you anything...just keep that red-headed nut the hell away from me, please."
Angel turned to Willow and smiled. "Sometimes I love you, you know that?"
Willow smiled triumphantly, proud of her skill.
"Nice job, Red", whistled Faith, approving.
"Did you see that?", Kennedy nudged Molly with her elbow. "That's MY girlfriend."
Buffy took a couple of steps towards the scene, patting her best friend on the back. "Good work, Will. We're going to need that information if we want to figure out what's going on with Cordy, not to mention the First's role in this whole thing."
"Or what it's connection is with whatever's growing inside Cordy", Angel mused. He suddenly took notice at the rather large group of teenage girls behind Buffy, turning his gaze back to the Slayer. As odd as it was, in all the commotion, he had barely noticed the swarm of girls that had accompanied the Scoobies to the Hyperion. Then he recalled something Darla said about the First going after other Slayers, or something to that effect. Could these girls be a part of that?
"What's with all the girls?", he asked.
"Them?", Buffy turned back to the Potentials, standing shyly behind them. "Well, these are all...potential vampire slayers."
"They're all Slayers?", Angel asked, surprised.
"Potential", she repeated. "Each one of them may eventually be called as the new Slayer one day, but for now, they're all girls with some heightened Slayer-like abilities and on a pretty big waiting list." She broke off, sadly. "Or, at least they were until a few months ago."
"So, what are they all doing here?", Fred asked, puzzled.
"The First", Wesley interjected. "Its forces have been eradicating the Slayer line little-by-little over the last several months."
Buffy looked at Wesley in surprise. "You knew?"
"We found out", Wesley said simply. "Just before your..." he trailed off as he stared at the gaping hole in what was once the Hyperion entrance. "...Arrival."
"Well, yeah", Buffy shrugged. "Anyway, I couldn't leave them behind, otherwise the Bringers would've made chop suey out of their inner organs. Hope it's not a problem." At that, she looked at Angel.
"No, of course not...I just...didn't expect you to bring so many people along", Angel said.
"That's okay", Buffy said, her eyebrow raised poignantly. "Didn't expect you to bear a son, either."
Angel looked down at the floor and sighed, running a hand through his hair, clearly flustered. He knew that not telling Buffy about Connor would eventually come back to bite him. And he was hard-pressed to think of any other conversation he had ever looked more forward to avoiding as that looming blow-up.
Spike laughed out loud. "Oh, I knew I must've done something right in my day...seeing that look on your face right now..."
His annoying Grandchilde's voice painfully reminded Angel of Spike's very unwanted presence."Is someone going to explain to me why I'm not throwing his irritating ass out into the sunlight right about now?", Angel tersely asked the room.
"Aww, what's a matter, Peaches?", Spike tauntingly asked, his smirk growing into a smug smile. " Got your panties all up in a bunch now, do we? Well, I can see why, seeing as how your ex-tumble just found out you got all up-and-springy and squirted out another Mini-Pouf into the world."
"Grow up, Spike", Darla chastised him as she shook her head.
"Why the bloody hell should I?", he chuckled. "You can't tell me what to do, Mummy Dearest. Besides...besides, this is downright amusing."
"Actually, Angel does pose an interesting point", Wesley said, casting a suspicious eye on Spike. "Would anyone care to explain why William the Bloody, one of the deadliest vampires to have been recorded by man, is standing in our midsts and no one seems interested in the least?"
Willow looked at Spike for a moment before turning back to the LA crew. "Like Angel said...things are different now."
"Some things never change", Angel said as he cast a disdainful look towards his Grandchilde. "Like the fact that the vampire you brought into MY home is a murdering, vicious scumbag."
"Or the fact that your forehead could still show an amphitheatre on it, ya ponce", Spike snorted.
"Do NOT test my patience, Peroxide Boy", Angel practically growled.
"Ooh, Peroxide Boy", Spike mocked. "Yeah, I'm real hurt now, Pouf-y. That was a low blow."
"Well, in your case, Spike, that wouldn't hurt very much, now, would it?", Angel smirked.
Spike took a step up to Angel, scowling. "You trying to imply something, Peaches?"
Darla tried her hand at peacemaker. "Look, you two, this isn't the time for--"
"What, too many big words...William?", Angel smiled, a smile that made Spike grit his teeth and sent a powerful urge to knock Angel's head right off his shoulders.
"No, but I got a couple of small words for you, ya poncy, holier-than-thou, piss-brained--"
"STOP IT!", Buffy's sharp voice cut off their heated mini-argument. Both men turned to see Buffy ascending the stairs, her eyes hard and her face set in serious mode.
"Stop it, both of you!", she said, her voice assertive and demanding. "We've got more than enough to deal with without you two clubbing each other over the heads like the 'Flintstones'...or one of those stupid 'Beavis and Butt-head' cartoons."
Angel, ever so pop-culture savvy, scrunched his eyes at the analogy.
Buffy, aware of his expression, rolled her eyes. "MTV, famous cartoons, horrible animation...I'll explain later."
"Yeah, good luck wi' 'at", Spike snorted. "Angel's about as pop-culture savvy as...well, Giles, really."
Giles reddened. "Now you wait just a minute--"
"Spike!", Buffy snapped. "If you insist on making things difficult--"
"Alright, alright", Spike sighed. "I'll bloody well play nice."
Angel's chuckle, Buffy turned to him, arms folded across her chest. "Same goes for you, Angel."
"What? But he started it!", Angel complained. When Buffy's glare refused to wither, the Champion sighed. "Okay, I'll behave, too."
Fred walked over to Wesley, her eyes trained on both Spike and Angel. "What's with those two?"
"Ehm...Spike and Angel have a very...colorful history between them, so to speak", the ex-Watcher explained.
"By colorful, you mean a 'Ren & Stimpy-violent, hate-each-other's-guts' history or...?", Fred asked as she examined the two vampires, Angel glaring at Spike with his arms folded across his chest, and Spike burning a hole in the elder vampire with a look of pure contempt.
"They've tried to kill each other numerous times in the past, both with and without alliances to each other", Wesley elaborated. "At least, that's all I've gathered from Angel and some of my books."
Darla let out a sigh. "You two were always so damn childish when it came to each other."
Buffy took a glance at Darla. "You mean they've ALWAYS been like this?"
"Please", Darla chuckled. "They haven't even warmed up yet. You should hear them go on about the Ireland-England debate. I had to break up three fist-fights between them to avoid being staked by suspicious neighbors back in the old days."
A smile played on Spike's lips. "Ah, yeah, Manchester, 1893. The old barn behind Croxley and Caine Street...I had you beat, you know", he smirked as he glanced at Angel.
"YOU? Had ME beat?", Angel snorted. "Please. You're lucky Darla intervened when she did, or there'd still be pieces of you blowing around that barn right now.
"Oh, that is so typical of you--"
"You always twist the facts of what happ--"
"ENOUGH!", Buffy snapped, effectively ending the escalating argument between the two vampires. "The next one to start another argument, and both of you are going to need a doctor...badly."
Angel started to say something, but Buffy shot him a warning look and a dagger-like finger, causing him to immediately recede any comment he was about to make.
"Huh, how about that?", Xander mused. "Gee, you'd figure they'd get along easier now, what, with Spike having a soul now and then Angel--"
Instantly, the heads of every Fang Gang member shot around to look at Xander.
"Excuse me?", a stunned Fred gasped.
"Did you just say...Spike has a soul?", Wesley asked, eyes wide in surprise.
Xander nodded. "Uhhh...guess it's news to you guys, huh?"
Angel stared at Spike in absolute disbelief. His jaw dropped and his eyes had practically popped out of his head. Spike, delighted at Angel's expression, shook his head and smiled smugly. "What's a matter, Captain Forehead? Cat got your tongue?...No, no need...that look on your face says it all."
Angel turned to Buffy, a thousand questions in his eyes. "Buffy...?"
Buffy sighed and nodded. "Uh...yeah. I...was going to tell you, but..."
"What? Slipped your mind?", Angel said, his voice clearly sarcastic.
Buffy started to say something, but then, opted to sigh again. "Things came up...they usually do whenever we're involved."
"Another one?", Connor exclaimed in disbelief.
"Geez, how many of you are out there?", Gunn said incredulously.
"Just two", Angel replied, before realizing what he was saying. "One! Uh, I mean..." He sighed wearily as he realized he had no explanation to offer. "I don't know."
After a brief, uneasy silence, Angel finally asked the question on everyone's mind. "How? Gypsy curse?"
Buffy shook her head. "No...no curse. Spike...he...went off and...asked to get his soul back."
Now Angel was thrown. Surely he couldn't have heard that right. Spike, his arrogant, pompous GrandChilde, William the Bloody, the legendary saint of destruction himself...had asked for his soul back?
"Asked?" he gave voice to his confusion. "He...asked? And it was just...given to him?
"That's right, Peaches", Spike chimed in. "I have a few connections myself. Endured a few bone-wrenching trials, and it took weeks to get the taste of scarabs outta my mouth, but one shiny new soul later, I guess it was all worth it to see your eyes pop outta your block like 'at."
"You sure don't act like someone who has a soul", Angel growled his reply.
"Why? Because I don't walk around in pouf-y clothes with Nancy-boy hair gel drippin' outta my scalp and skulk in a corner going 'Boo-hoo! Whoa-is-Me! I did so many horrible things so I'll just sit in a corner trying to recede my already all-encompassing forehead by running my hands through it!'..?", the blonde vampire scoffed. "Please. That's your bag, Broody. There's no happiness clause in my soul...I can do whatever I want...get OFF whenever I want...on whomever..." His eyes bore into Angel's, almost poignantly.
Angel's eyes darkened with anger, his jaw clenched. He had no idea what Spike was trying to say, but he knew his smart-ass GrandChilde could only mean something to piss him off.
Buffy shot Spike a look mixed with warning and pleading, a hard, yet soft look which begged him not to elaborate any further. Spike caught her look, and his eyes softened briefly, before closing them and nodding subtly, concurring with Buffy's unspoken request.
"So, he's like a good-guy vampire...like Angel?", Gunn asked.
"NO!", both vampires shouted at once, each one with an appalled look on their faces.
"Yeah, sort of", Faith shrugged.
"He's...NOTHING...like...me!", Angel slowly answered, his voice hard.
"Got that right!", Spike retorted. "I'd sooner bury a stake in my own chest than piss in the same toilet as you."
"Believe me, there's nothing I'd like to see more", Angel shot back. "In fact, I have a stake right here--"
"ANGEL!", Buffy snapped. "The only one who's going to be doing any staking around here is me! And the both of you are starting to make me VERY dust-happy! Look, bottom line, Spike has a soul, he's on my side, which means he's on OUR side. Spike stays, and if ANYONE tries to hurt him, they'll have to answer to me! Understood?"
Hurt and shock flickered through Angel's eyes, before he shut them and nodded. Buffy saw the look in his eyes and regretted her choice of words. She wanted to apologize, but then she remembered...Angel never told her about Connor. She found that out on her own. And, boy, was she ever mad about that.
Spike nodded to himself with some...okay, a LOT of satisfaction. To see Buffy tell off Angel like that, and the look on his GrandSire's face as the cherry on top, made him want to dance a little happy jig. He would have, too, if he wasn't around so many people. And if he didn't think that jigs were for ponces.
"Um, excuse me?", Molly raised her hand tentatively. "I hate to intrude...but what are we going to do about the giant gaping hole in the center of the hotel?"
"Yeah, and besides", Kennedy said. "I'm getting stiff over here. Where are our rooms? Where are we going to sleep?"
"Oh, I can take care of the hole", Willow perked up. "I got a spell that can seal that up just like new."
Giles looked at her curiously. "It looks like you're starting to get some of your confidence back as far as casting spells go."
Willow shifted her feet. "W-w-well, i-it's nothing major. Just a little construction spell. Shouldn't even feel it. It's nothing big like...shifting about 100 people and four cars from one place to another."
"Well, that's a relief", Lorne sighed. "I was about to get a nightmare from imagining the costs of renovation."
"Judging by the mess we left?", Xander mused as he surveyed the wreckage. "We're talking at least 50 G's, for starters. I should know, I'm in the construction business."
"Fifty thousand dollars!", Lorne yelped. "That's outrageous!"
"So's that outfit", Xander smirked. Anya chuckled at his comment.
Lorne looked down at his bright baby-blue suit and yellow shirt with the red silk-tie. "Gee, ya think?", he said, looking himself over. "I was going for like a modern Rat-Pack type look, something a little less Frank Sinatra, a little more Sammy Davis, Jr. Now THAT was a guy with style!"
"Really?", Xander added. "I was more of a Dean Martin guy, myself. Girls would just hang off of him."
"You're both wrong", Andrew chimed in. "Nobody had anything on the Chairman of the Board. Frank Sinatra's an American classic!"
Both Lorne and Xander shot the boy a questioning look. "What? Comic books and sci-fi series aren't my ONLY interests, you know", Andrew said defensively. "I have SOME depth."
"Excuse me? Moe? Larry? Curly? We have pressing issues to attend to, world to save and all that", Kennedy snapped.
All three of them shook their heads and sighed. "Women."
"I can have the rest of the girls set up in rooms", Angel said. "Any order or format you were thinking about setting them up?"
"Four in each room would do, I guess", Buffy shrugged. "How many rooms does this place have?"
"Only about 150", Angel smirked. "More than enough to hold all of them...Lorne, Fred, why don't you start showing some of the girls to their rooms?...Gunn, you can do the same."
Buffy turned to the her group. "Okay, the rest of you, pair off. You'll be divided into groups of four. Pick your roommates wisely, as you'll be bunking with them until further notice. Everyone except Dawn, Spike, Willow, Faith, Giles, Anya, Xander, and Principal Wood that is. You guys can choose your own accommodations."
"Hey,cool!", Robin smiled. " I call the President Suite."
"Actually, that's my room", Angel said .
"Oh...bummer", the Principal sighed. "I was hoping I could finally stay in one where I could afford it."
"But you're staying for free", Buffy frowned.
"Exactly. I can afford that", Robin smiled. Buffy chuckled. It was good to see that the Principal had maintained his composure after the crash. IF he could keep up that cool in the upcoming fight, she liked his chances of survival.
"Hey, how come I don't get to choose my own room?", Andrew whined.
"You keep with the flapping of the gums and I'll have Angel choose out the nearest holding cell for you", Buffy said with a sweet smile.
Andrew shrunk. "Uh...n-no, that-that-that's...fine, really. I can go bunk, really."
"Good. You're staying with Spike."
Spike freaked out. "WHAT! How come I have to baby-sit the little--"
Buffy gave him a look with little room for argument. Spike grimaced. "Oh, bugger, the things I do for love", he muttered. "Come on, Spanky, it's off to change your nappies, now." He grabbed Andrew roughly by the arm and began to drag the whimpering boy up the stairs.
"Hey, hold up", Faith called. Spike stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Faith.
"I don't suppose it'd be fair to just leave the babysitting of Dorkus Maximus over there to you", she shrugged. "Besides, I need a place to get a good drag in. Mind if I come with?"
Spike's eyes lit up with interest at the proposition. He eyed Faith's curvaceous body from head-to-toe. Well, if SHE was going to bunk with him, it'd certainly take his mind off of inevitably strangling Andrew. Besides, she was a hell of a lot easier on the eyes.
Buffy eyed Faith warily. "Uh...I don't think that's such a good--"
"No, it's alright, Pet", Spike casually said, his eyes still on Faith. "Could use another smoker in 'ere, anyways. Besides, she might be the only one able to hold me back from smothering the little twerp in his sleep."
Angel looked at Faith with a concerned gaze. "Just be careful around him. He's dangerous."
"Hey, no worries", Faith drawled lazily. "Besides", she looked back at Spike and smiled, almost seductively. "It's not like I don't know how to handle bad boys."
Spike smiled amusedly, Angel scowled and Buffy had a look in her eyes that could have killed three times over.
"We'll show ourselves up", Faith said as she walked up the stairs past Spike, looking at him over her shoulder. "You coming?"
"I don't know whether or not to make a sexy little innuendo or just say yes", Spike said, smiling slyly at her.
"Flattery...will get you everywhere", Faith grinned back as she walked up the stairs, her hips provocatively wiggling. Oh, this should be...interesting, Spike smiled to himself as he dragged Andrew up with him.
"Well, I guess Dawn can be where I'm staying", Buffy sighed.
"Actually...I'd rather bunk with some of the girls, if that's okay", Dawn said, almost hesitantly.
"Uh...oh. Okay", Buffy replied, a bit surprised. "Sure, if that's what you want."
"Great! You can stay with us", Amanda offered as she, Molly and Vi walked over to her.
"Yeah...It'd be like a big slumber party or something", Vi smiled brightly.
"We were going to offer Chao-Ahn your slot, but...I don't think the poor thing would've understood us anyway", Molly shrugged as she looked at Chao-Ahn, who said in Cantonese, "There is a strange green demon in a multi-colored suit across from me." (She was referring to Lorne).
"Okay...Connor, could you show Dawn and her friends to one of the rooms?", Angel asked.
Connor looked hesitant, and turned to Darla for some sort of approval. Darla smiled and nodded.
"Uh...sure. Okay", he said at last as he walked over to the group. His eyes caught Dawn's again and he found himself staring at her, amazed by how beautiful she was. He felt his breath catch in his throat. How did you talk to someone like this? How did you talk to an angel?
"Um...I could...show you upstairs", Connor offered softly, almost hesitantly.
"Sure..uh...yeah, that'd be...great", Dawn nodded. After a beat, she offered her hand. "I'm Dawn."
Connor took her soft hand into his and gently squeezed. "Connor."
Dawn felt her breath hitch slightly. God, but he was cute. Like those guys on the covers of YM, or People for Teens. She'd seen and kissed some cute guys in her day, but nobody even came close to this boy, this tall, handsome, mysterious...oh, boy, was she ever in for it.
After being nudged towards him, by the others, Molly hesitantly offered her own greeting. "Um...hello! I-I-I'm Molly. And these my friends Amanda and Vi."
"Hi", Amanda waved bashfully.
"Hey!", Vi smiled amicably at him.
Connor nodded. "Hi", he smiled hesitantly. "Follow me." He led them up the stairs.
"He's gorgeous!", Vi whispered to Amanda and Molly, who giggled in response.
"Don't I know it", Dawn smirked to herself. Connor overheard her...and smiled to himself. Perhaps this wasn't going to be so bad, after all...
"Well...I guess I'll just find a place to get cozy in", Xander said .
"Me, too", Anya said. "Though not with Xander. Because we're no longer together, and I still have a grudge against him for leaving me at the altar."
"You...you two were engaged?", Fred asked, surprised.
"Emphasis on 'were'", Xander said.
"Right", Anya said, peeved. "Which is why I'm staying as far away from you as possible."
"Hey, newsflash, Little Miss ex-Vengeance Demon", Xander snapped. "Dead Boy said there are 150 rooms here. More than enough space to keep you and me WELL-distanced!"
"There isn't a DIMENSION with enough space to keep you away from me!", Anya countered, her eyes narrowed in anger.
"Well, you're going to have to try, otherwise, it's going to be a LONG...however long it takes for this whole apocalypse-thing to blow over", Xander lamely finished.
"Well, FINE!", Anya snapped.
"Fine!", Xander snapped back.
"GOOD!"
"GOOD!"
After a couple of intense seconds, Anya brushed past him and stormed up the stairs, muttering something about the consequences of sleeping with mortal men.
"Huh...ex-es", Xander chuckled. "Can't live with 'em..."
"Can't tell a good story without 'em", Gunn finished.
Xander and Gunn shared a hearty laugh, before Gunn caught Fred's icy stare directed right at him. "Uh...that's just how the joke...", Gunn tried to explain.
"Whatever", Fred rolled her eyes before grabbing a bunch of girls. "Come on, y'all. I'll show each of you where your rooms are, and y'all can figure out the rest."
The contingent of 20 girls followed her up the stairs. Gunn sighed.
"Hello, Mr Foot, meet Mr. Mouth", Gunn muttered to himself. "C'mon, girls. If you'll follow me, I'll be more than happy to show you where your new diggs will be situated."
As the girls, Xander and Robin Wood followed him up the stairs, Rona whispered to one of the girls, "Hmm, break me off a piece of that!", eyeing the tall, muscular Gunn appreciatively.
"There! All set!", Willow announced cheerfully, after a bright flash of orange light dissipated...along with a hole in the hotel entrance. And the car wreckage. And the debris.
"Way to go, Will", Buffy beamed at her.
"Good to see some things never change", Angel smiled at her.
"Aww, shucks, guys, it was nothing", Willow waved it off. "I have a harder time doing a precise glamour spell on a zit than I do of fixing a little crater-sized hole in the wall."
"Great", Kennedy said as she walked over to Willow. "Now that the heavy hocus-pocus is done, I guess we could go up to our room...get...comfortable?" Her eyes screamed desire...and sexual hunger.
Willow fidgeted a little. "Um, actually, I was thinking about crashing with Buffy for the night. You know, discuss some strategy--"
"Are you saying you'd rather bunk with her, than be with me?", Kennedy asked, offended. "I'm your girlfriend, for Christ's sake!"
"I know, I know, baby", Willow tried to pacify her. "It's just...well, Buffy and I--"
"Buffy, Buffy, Buffy! That's all I ever get from you!", Kennedy snapped. "Always taking her side, always picking her over me, what is it between you two? Or is there more to it than you're letting me know?"
"Kennedy!", Willow gasped, appalled. "Buffy's my best friend!"
"Yeah, and I'm your girlfriend!", Kennedy shot back. "Now, which is it going to be?"
Willow looked from Buffy to Kennedy, mulling it over for a moment, and sighed. "Alright...okay, Kennedy. Just give me a minute, and we'll go...upstairs."
Kennedy smiled triumphantly. "Great. Let's head up", she said as she grabbed Willow's wrist and dragged her along.
"Willow", Buffy called to the redhead, making both women stop.
"Yeah, Buffy?" Willow asked.
Buffy gave her a gentle smile. "If anything, my room is always open to you. Anytime you want", she said. However, her gaze shifted to Kennedy, and the smile disappeared, her green eyes narrowed.
Kennedy stiffened up. "She won't need it...but thanks for the offer...Buffy."
"It's still standing...Kennedy", Buffy retorted back, a sarcastic smile on her face.
Willow nodded. 'Thanks...I might be needing it', the witch telepathically told her best friend.
'Don't I know it', Buffy smirked back mentally. 'Feel free to come in anytime, Will.'
Willow mouthed "thanks" before Kennedy dragged her back up the stairs to their rooms.
"Fiesty little thing, isn't she?", Lorne noted.
"You should try training her", Buffy sighed, dismissively.
"Pryce", Giles spoke to Wesley. "I was wondering if we could have some words. I'd like to be able to compare notes on our respective plights. Perhaps we could find a connection to all of this...Watcher-to-Watcher, I suppose."
"Good idea", Wesley nodded. "Your supplies?"
"Ehm...right here, yes", Giles said as picked up a large brown leather duffel bag. "That's all I could manage to smuggle from the Council."
"I have some things I...relieved the Council of, myself", Wesley said. "But, you wouldn't mind if you waited for a moment, would you? I...would like to make sure that Darla is alright."
Giles looked curiously at Wesley, then to Darla and then back to Wesley again. "Uhm...yes, of course. I imagine...being resurrected must be a...disorienting process, from what I've heard."
Wesley snorted to himself. Giles had no idea that this had nothing to do with resurrections at all. He simply wanted to see if Darla was alright. The poor thing must've been frightened terribly after Buffy's attack. And the thought of that...bothered him.
"You're welcome to wait in my study, if you wish", Wesley offered. "Make yourself comfortable."
"Y-yes, thank you, that is most gracious of you", Giles faintly smiled.
"Actually...if you don't mind", Darla's voice chimed in from behind them. "I'd actually like to sit in on this researching...who knows? Maybe something I got from the Powers That Be will be jogged if I listen to some of your texts."
Wesley gave her a concerned look. "Are you sure you're not tired , or--"
"Wesley", Darla smiled. "If I wasn't up to it, I wouldn't have asked to be included."
Giles looked at them both, and nodded. "Very well. I suppose three heads may be better than two. Uh, Buffy, Angel, if you need--"
"We'll give you guys a holler", Buffy nodded. "Go. Read. Do your...Watcher-thing."
Wesley turned to Darla and extended his arm. "After you. Ladies first."
Darla chuckled. "How very gentlemanly of you."
Wesley couldn't help but to smile as she curtseid graciously and walked past both Watchers en route to Wesley's study. Was it his imagination, or did she just flirt with him?
Giles shook his head at Wesley and chuckled. "This city really has changed you, hasn't it, Pryce?"
The smile vanished, leaving a sobered and weary expression on the younger man's face. "More than you realize, Rupert", Wesley sighed as he headed for his study, Giles not far behind. "More than you realize."
That left Buffy, Angel and Lorne standing in the center of the lobby.
"Well, now that's all settled in", Lorne chuckled happily. "Man, the tension, the drama, all the blossoming love stories..."
As Lorne spoke, he hadn't noticed that now Buffy's green eyes hesitantly locked with Angel's brown ones, a thousand emotions, a thousand memories flickering within their eyes, within their minds...
"...wow, this place alone makes James Cameron's 'Titanic' look like an underwritten episode of 'Love Boat', let me tell you, with all the..."
As Lorne turned around, he found both Buffy and Angel completely oblivious to what he was saying, staring into each other's eyes as if the rest of the world had faded out, leaving only the two of them.
Lorne instantly picked up on the angsty, romantic Romeo-and-Juliet vibes coming off both warriors in waves. Not to mention a little reading on what was about to happen...
"Oh...OH!", Lorne caught on. "Yeah, well, I can see you guys have a lot of catching up to do, soooo...I'll, uh, just go see what Fred and Gunn are up to, help the girls get all settled...Buh-bye." No sooner had he uttered his farewell than he quickly darted up the stairs as fast as his green legs could carry him.
Buffy shifted from foot-to-foot, taken aback somewhat by the intensity of his gaze, and at the same time, not intimidated at all. After all, he was still the same. Even after all the obvious changes, the hotel, the new friends, even some of his clothes, one look into those deep, sad brown eyes and she could still see him, could still see her Angel. The same man she had given her heart to long before she even knew she gave it away. She could still feel him, her heart, her soul tingling with recognition. And warmth. And love.
Angel felt himself drowning in her sparkling green eyes. Darla was right. No matter how long he had lived, no matter how many women he had known, in every sense, not Darla, not even Cordelia...none of them could hold a candle to Buffy. How could they? For so long, she was his world, his sun, his beacon...his goddess. The years apart from his beloved had been long and hard, and unbearably painful, for both. It reflected in his lover's eyes, all the hardships, the deaths, the suffering endured...a mirror image of his own eyes. His own quest. But she still sparkled. He could still feel her spirit, light and kind and still pure. Still so beautiful...
"So", he finally said, after seemingly an eternity.
"So", she echoed, smiling tentatively.
"Here we are", he chuckled, a bit nervous.
"Right", she nodded. "We are...here. You...and me."
"We."
"Us."
At that, another uneasy silence fell between them. SO much to say, so complex to know where to begin...
'Oh, boy', Buffy thought uneasily.
'Oh, man', Angel winced mentally.
Both ex-lovers came to one conclusion.
'This could get ugly.'
To Be Continued...
PS...Next chapter...we'll take a peak at Whistler and Lindsey's road to L.A...and you won't BELIEVE who their mystery pick-up is! Plus, the tension at the hotel between Buffy, Angel and the gang rises up, and evil will turn up the heat on our heroes. Who will survive?
Normally, I don't do previews like that one, but I'm writing this in the middle of the night, so...bear with me.
Update expected within 1 week's time...who knows? Maybe sooner:)
See ya! And thanks for reading! (And waiting)
Yours Always, ;)
Jean-theGuardian
