Chapter 18: Surprise
January 19, 1998 – Monday
Summers Home
In her sleep, Buffy stirred. She opened her eyes, registering the stillness, and turned on the light, crowned with an upside-down lampshade, on her nightstand. She took a drink of water and slowly got out of bed.
Then she padded down the hall to the bathroom in her blue pajamas and black tank top. Sleepily, she opened the door to the bathroom, and inexplicably stepped into the Bronze.
Though there was no band, music echoed hauntingly off the walls as smiling couples glided together. Their smiles were dreamy; they moved slowly, passing around and beneath glows of golden light and into shadow.
Making her way through what seemed a maze of languid, otherworldly images, Buffy was dazed. She felt as though she were underwater, and yet, she was part of the otherworldly scene, so she didn't quite make sense, either.
Willow was perched at one of the Bronze's high, round tables. A large cup of coffee steamed on a saucer, and an organ grinder's monkey in a little red cap and jacket chittered beside her on the table. Very matter-of-factly, Willow told Buffy, in French, "The hippo stole his pants." Then she smiled perkily and waved at Buffy.
Buffy waved uncertainly back. Bewildered, she walked on, to come upon her mother, standing by a post and drinking coffee from a cup very much like Willow's. As she lifted the cup to her lips, she regarded Buffy eerily and asked her daughter, "Do you really think you're ready, Rutherford?"
Buffy frowned. "What?"
As Buffy waited for a response, the saucer slipped from Joyce's grasp, crashed to the floor, and shattered. As if she didn't even notice, Joyce blankly turned and walked dreamily away.
Again, Buffy moved on, finding herself on the dance floor. Couples danced, the whispery, sensuous music twining around them, as Buffy wandered, alone.
Then the crowd parted.
And like a candle in the darkness, Angel was there. Dressed all in black, he was the center of the room; there was light in his face—for her—and light in her heart, as their eyes met and held.
As if in a trance, they walked toward each other, hands outstretched.
Then like an attacking beast, Drusilla appeared behind Angel. As Buffy watched in horror, the vampire raised a large, gleaming knife and stabbed him viciously in the back.
Buffy screamed, "Angel!"
His shaking hand strained toward hers, crumbling to ashes before her eyes. He had time to look at her, with a soft moan, and agony in his eyes as he exploded into dust.
Drusilla stood fully revealed in her true vampire face, her golden eyes shining with glee. "Happy Birthday, Buffy," she said, relishing Buffy's despair.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy bolted upright, panting and sickened with terror. She spotted Dawn standing beside her bed one hand outstretched as if she was about to shake Buffy awake. "Are you okay?" she asked. "I heard you scream from down the hall."
"Oh, Dawnie," Buffy sobbed as she reached for her sister and pulled Dawn into bed with her.
Angel's Apartment
There was a soft knock at Angel's door. It was just past dawn, and he had been fast asleep. Muzzily, he got out of bed in his drawstring sweats and moved to answer the door.
"Angel?" Buffy called through the door.
The sound of her voice both delighted and puzzled him. He was unused to seeing her during the day.
"Hold on," he told her, opening the door. He noticed she wasn't alone and that Dawn had an arm wrapped around her. He stepped back to let the sisters in. "Hey, is everything okay?" he asked with protective concern for not only Buffy but Dawn. While Buffy was always his primary concern due to their relationship, he still held a spot for her sister in his unbeating heart, because he knew that if anything happened to Dawn it would hurt Buffy.
Buffy gazed at him, searching his face. Her face was clouded with worry. "That's what I was going to ask you. You're okay, right?"
He was thrown by the alarm in Buffy's voice. "Sure. I'm fine. What's up?"
The sisters walked in and they sat down their backpacks. "Buffy had a dream that Drusilla was alive," Dawn informed him.
Angel asked softly, "What happened?" In a gesture of good manners, and not from any desire on his part to do so, he moved to put on his shirt as he waited for either sister to answer.
Buffy spoke in a rush, looking up at him as if to reassure herself that he was still there. "She killed you. Right in front of me."
"It was just a dream," he soothed, longing to comfort her in his embrace. "It wasn't real."
"It felt so real." Buffy's voice was raspy and frightened. Her eyes were huge as she held on tightly to her sister.
Angel tried to satisfy his need to hold her by cupping her cheek. "It wasn't. I'm right here."
Buffy moved her face into his hand, then took a breath and rushed on.
"Angel, this happened before," Dawn informed him. "You remember when you found me in the Master's cave?" He nodded as he waited for her to continue the explanation. "Buffy told me she had dreams about that event months before it happened."
"Still," he said, trying to calm himself as well as the sisters, as he touched the lapel of her jacket, "not every dream you have comes true, Buffy. I mean, what else did you dream last night?" He kept his voice gentle. "Can you remember?"
Buffy thought a moment. Then she looked a little sheepish. "I dreamed that Dawn and I opened an office supply warehouse in Vegas."
He smiled. "You see my point."
"Yeah. I do." Buffy looked at Dawn who nodded sadly, then back up at him. "But what if Drusilla is alive? I mean, we never saw her body."
He embraced the sisters gently to stop the torrent of words, and of their fear. "She's not." His voice was firm and he looked at them steadily, though his own alarm was growing. "But even if she was, we'd deal."
Buffy was not placated. "But what if she—"
This time, he silenced Buffy with a kiss while he placed a comforting hand on Dawn's shoulder.
Dawn turned away as Buffy relaxed into the kiss. With extreme difficulty, he finished the kiss, pulling gently away. "What if what?"
Buffy's voice was a whisper, as she said, "I'm sorry. Were we talking?"
Dawn kept quiet to let Buffy forget about Drusilla and the dream. "Angel, do you mind if I use your bathroom?"
"Go ahead, Dawn," Angel said as he motioned toward the door that led to the room in question. He watched the younger Summers sister walk in and close the door behind her.
Who began the next kiss? They moved as one being; when their lips touched, they both gasped. Arms reached, caressed, embraced; rings glinted as fingers gripped arms and shoulders, caressed necks, and caught up handfuls of hair. The kiss grew; was it another kiss or the same one?
And then she broke away, looking a little frightened, and stammered, "I'm sorry, I…I have to go to take Dawn to school and then head to school myself." She looked toward the bathroom door. "Dawn! Come on we got to go." Dawn came out. "I like seeing you first thing in the morning," she told him.
"It's bedtime for me," Angel reminded Buffy.
"Then I like seeing you at bedtime," Buffy countered. She blinked, as if she realized how that sounded. And then she was blushing and stammering, "I—you know what I mean…"
He took it upon himself to smooth over the situation. "I think so." Then he realized he was not that noble. "What do you mean?"
"That I like seeing you." Buffy lost all shyness. "And the part at the end of the night where we say goodbye, it's getting harder."
Angel looked deep into her eyes. "Yeah," he admitted. "It is."
"Buffy," Dawn said. "If we don't…"
"Right," Buffy agreed as she followed Dawn out the door reluctantly.
Sunnydale High School
Willow could not contain her amazement. She stared wide-eyed at her best friend. "'I like seeing you at bedtime?' You actually said that?"
Buffy shrugged, but she was embarrassed and excited and well, a little proud, too. Her cheeks were very warm. "I know. I know."
Willow wasn't finished. "Man. That's like…I don't know. That's moxie or something!"
"Totally unplanned," Buffy assured her with a wave of her hand. "It just came out."
"And he was into it?" Willow persisted. "He wants to see you at bedtime, too?"
"Yeah," Buffy said. "I think he does. I mean, he's cool about it."
"Well, of course he is," Willow said brightly. "Because he's cool. He would never, you know—"
"Push," Buffy finished for her.
Willow nodded. "Right. He's not the type."
Buffy was so glad she had someone she could really talk to. "Willow, what am I going to do?"
"What do you want to do?" Willow asked back.
"I don't know," Buffy answered, trying to be honest. The two sat down at the same time and faced each other. "I mean, want isn't always the right thing to do. To act on want can be wrong."
Willow considered. "True."
"But to not act on want." Buffy frowned at the thought of never being with Angel, really being with him. Her life was not the same as other girls'. Didn't that mean some of the rules were different, too? "What if I never feel this way again?"
Willow smiled. "Carpe diem…seize the day."
"Right." Buffy hesitated. Her heart was racing. Her entire being sang as she realized she had made her decision. "I think we're going to," she admitted finally. "To seize it. Once you get to a certain point, then seizing is sort of inevitable." She looked for Willow's reaction—shock? disapproval?—but as she had anticipated, Willow was clearly on her side.
"Wow," Willow said, a bit wistfully, obviously very impressed.
Buffy smiled, feeling a little shy, a little excited, and very relieved. "Yeah."
"Wow," Willow repeated, in the same awed tone.
The school bell rang. Buffy groaned and stood up. Willow did the same, trailing after her.
"Wow," she said again. She caught up with Buffy. "Wow."
Buffy said, more happily, "Yeah." Then she glanced over at the concrete picnic tables—more specifically, at a guy sitting on top of one of them, strumming an electric guitar. A large black amp sat beside him on the table. "Hey," she drawled coyly, "speaking of wow potential, there's Oz over there. What are we thinking? Any sparkage?"
Willow glowed. "He's nice. I like his hands."
Buffy was delighted. "Ooh, fixing on insignificant details is a definite crush sign."
"I don't know, though," Willow added humbly. "I mean, he is a senior."
Buffy was unimpressed, although, in theory, she understood Willow's hesitation. "You think he's too old because he's a senior? Please. My boyfriend had a bicentennial."
Willow's voice rose. "That's true." Then she began to lose her nerve again. "I guess…I just…"
Buffy sensed it was time to push. "You can't spend the rest of your life waiting for Xander to wake up and smell the hottie. Make a move," she prodded. "Do the talking thing."
Willow was not thoroughly convinced. "What if the talking thing becomes the awkward silence thing?"
"Well, you won't know unless you try," Buffy reminded her. Then she moved on ahead, leaving Willow to do just that.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Giles was walking through the school lounge with his briefcase and a few copies of some archeology magazines when he caught sight of Xander. "Good morning," he said pleasantly. "Everything in order for the party?"
"Absolutely," Xander replied, but he seemed a little downhearted. "Ready to get down, you funky party weasel?"
Just then, Giles spied Buffy and Ms. Calendar coming down the stairs. As they drew near, he leaned toward Xander and whispered. "Ah. Here comes Buffy. Remember—discretion is the better part of valor."
"You could have just gone, shh," Xander shot back. "God, are all you Brits such drama queens?"
Buffy and Ms. Calendar came up beside them. They sat at a round table. Giles and Xander joined them.
Giles frowned gently at Buffy. She looked pale and drawn. "Are you all right, Buffy? You seem a little fatigued."
"Rough night," Buffy admitted. "I had a dream that Drusilla was alive. And she killed Angel." She made a face, as if even saying the words upset her. "It just really freaked me out. So much so that it woke Dawn."
Giles moved into Watcher mode without even thinking about it. "So, you feel it was more of a portent," he observed, picking his words carefully.
She moved her shoulders as she sighed. "See, I don't know. I don't want to start a big freak-out over nothing—"
"Still. Best to be on the alert. If Drusilla is alive, it could be fairly cataclysmic."
"Again," Xander reproved, "so many words. Couldn't you just say we'd be in trouble?"
Giles had painfully learned the value of patience, through his dealings with Xander, and he mentally thanked him again for another small lesson as he said tiredly, "Go to class, Xander."
"Gone." Xander stood and turned to leave. Then he looked back at the group. "Notice the economy of phrasing. 'Gone.' Simple. Direct." And he made himself gone.
Buffy rose from of her chair. "Maybe I should get gone, too."
Giles also stood. Attempting to act unconcerned, he said, "Don't worry yourself unduly, Buffy. I'm sure it's nothing."
"I know." She tried to look less nervous. "I should keep my Slayer cool. But it's Angel, which automatically equals maxi-wig."
January 20, 1998 – Tuesday
Summers Home
In the kitchen Joyce was clearing the breakfast plates while Dawn looped on her stretchy wire bracelets. An open birthday card sat on the counter in front of Buffy.
It was the morning of Buffy's seventeenth birthday. She felt refreshed and up. No bad dreams and a good night's sleep. She was having a birthday just like any other high school kid with the misfortune to be born on a school day.
"Mall trip for your birthday on Saturday," Joyce reminded Buffy. It was a usual tradition for both of her children. "Don't forget."
Buffy gave her a look. "Space on a mom-sponsored shopping opportunity? Not likely."
"So," Joyce said, "does seventeen feel any different than sixteen?"
"It's funny you should ask that," Buffy replied cheerily with a brief glance at Dawn. "You know, I woke up feeling more mature, responsible, and level-headed."
Joyce knew she was up to something. "Really? It's uncanny."
Buffy nodded. "I now possess the qualities one looks for in a licensed driver." She was asking the big question, and her mom obviously got it.
Her mom frowned slightly. "Rutherford—"
"You said we could talk about it again when I was seventeen," Buffy pointed out.
Joyce turned from the sink with a plate in her hands. "Do you really think you're ready, Rutherford?" she asked, echoing the question she had asked in Buffy's nightmare.
Then the plate slipped from her hands and shattered on the floor.
Buffy stiffened in shock. She went numb from head to toe, as if she had been plunged in ice water.
Streets of Sunnydale
"Buffy?" Dawn said as she walked beside her sister down the street away from their house. "Is something wrong?"
"My dream," Buffy answered hesitantly, a touch of fear in her voice. "It's coming true. In my dream mom asked if I was ready, using the same words mom did just now. Then there was a plate she dropped it in my dream as well."
"Which means that Drusilla could be alive and Angel might die," Dawn said in understanding as she wrapped an arm around her big sister. "You'll save him, I know you will."
Sunnydale High School
Ms. Calendar balanced her books, her purse, and a nice hot cup of herbal tea and carried them into her computer science classroom. She put her things down on the desk and started organizing her papers for first period.
Behind her, someone said her name very slowly, in a thick Eastern European accent—"Jen-ny Calen-dar"—as if sounding it out for the first time.
She jumped and whirled around.
He had been reading her name off the blackboard. He was a tall man, wearing the clothes of the Old Country: a brown hat, a white shirt with a black lace tie, and a large silver pin on his vest.
He was no stranger to her, but she was uncomfortable in his presence nonetheless: he was her superior in their clan, both by blood and obligation. He was her Uncle Enyos.
And he looked extremely displeased with her.
"You startled me," she said, struggling to compose herself.
"You look well." There was an edge in his voice.
"Yes, I'm fine." She walked briskly behind her desk. "I know I haven't written as much lately. I've been busy."
His displeasure grew. "I cannot imagine what is so important to make you ignore your responsibility to your people."
She tried to excuse herself. "I've been working, and—"
"The elder woman has been reading signs," he cut in. "Something is different."
"Nothing has changed," Ms. Calendar said firmly. "The curse still holds."
"The elder woman is never wrong," he countered. "She says his pain is lessening. She can feel it."
"There is…" She trailed off.
Her uncle leaned forward. "There is…what?"
"A girl," she said, with difficulty. She felt like the worst of betrayers.
The old man's eyes filled with fire. "Oh, what?" he cried with disbelief. "How could you let this happen?"
"I promise you," she said, "Angel still suffers. And he makes amends for his evil. He even saved my life."
"So, you just forget?" His voice rose in anger. "That he destroyed the most beloved daughter of your tribe? That he killed every man, woman, and child that touched her life?"
She looked down.
His voice thundered. "Vengeance demands that his pain be eternal, as ours is. If this—this girl gives him one minute of happiness, it is one minute too much."
She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. I thought—"
"You thought what? You thought you are Jenny Calendar now? You are still Janna, of the Kalderash people. A Gypsy."
"I know," she said, her features hardening, no longer defensive. He had no idea what it had been like here, bonding with Buffy and her friends. He would be shocked at how torn she felt. "Uncle, I know."
"Then prove it," he returned. "Your time for watching is past. The girl and him—it ends now. Do what you must to take her from him."
She kept her chin raised, but her face softened with sympathy for Buffy, and for Angel as well. A great sadness washed over her at the unfairness of what she now saw as a misguided attempt to right an ancient wrong.
"I will see to it."
Not completely satisfied, but with nothing more to say, her uncle left.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy sat in the library with Giles, her stomach clenched with nerves. "And then my mom broke the plate," she continued, telling him about her morning. "It was just like my dream. Every gesture. Every word. It was so creepy."
Giles considered thoughtfully. "Yes. I'd imagine it would be fairly unnerving." He sat on the study table with his pastel-striped coffee mug in his left hand as Xander and Willow came bursting into the room.
"Hey," Xander called, "it's the woman of the hour."
Willow skipped over to Buffy to give her a big hug. "It's happy birthday Buffy!" She must have sensed Buffy's mood, because she backed off and raised her eyebrows. "Not happy birthday Buffy?"
Buffy glumly sat in her chair. Giles took over. "It's just that…a part of the nightmare Buffy had the other night actually transpired."
Even hearing him say it, just like when Dawn had mentioned it earlier, gave Buffy a wiggins. "Which means Drusilla might still be alive," Buffy added. She turned to Giles for support. "Giles, in my dream, I couldn't stop her. She blindsided me. Angel was gone before I knew what happened."
Giles looked at her dead on. "Even if she is alive, we can still protect Angel. Dreams aren't prophecies, Buffy. You dreamed the Master had risen, but you stopped it from happening."
Xander nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "You ground his bones to make your bread."
Somewhat comforted by Xander's firm, no-nonsense tone, Buffy relaxed a tiny bit. "That's true. Except for the bread part. Okay, so, fine. We're one step ahead." She gazed levelly at her Watcher. "I want to stay that way."
"Absolutely." Giles jumped into action. "Let me read up on Drusilla. See if she has any particular patterns. Why don't you meet me here at seven? We'll map out a strategy."
"What am I supposed to do until then?" she asked softly, feeling cast adrift.
He gestured with his mug as he walked into his office. "Go to classes, do you homework, have supper."
"Right," she murmured, standing and gathering up her white backpack and jacket. "Be that Buffy."
As she left the library, Xander said dispiritedly, "Well, that's not a perky birthday puppy."
Sounding just as bummed, Willow said, "So much for our surprise party. I bought little hats and everything."
"Mmm-hmm," Xander replied, sharing her disappointment.
"Oh, well. I'll tell Cordelia." Willow rolled her eyes in distaste.
"And I'll let Dawn know when she gets here after her school let's out," Xander added.
Standing in the doorway to his office, Giles said, "No, you won't. We're having a party tonight."
Xander raised his brows and stared at Giles. "Looks like Mr. Caution Man, but the sound he makes is funny," he riffed.
"Buffy's surprise party will go ahead as we've planned," Giles insisted. "Except I won't be wearing the little hat."
Willow scrunched up her face. "But Buffy and Angel—"
"May well be in danger," Giles cut in. "As they have been before, and I imagine, will be again. One thing I have learned in my tenure here on the Hellmouth is that there is never a good time to relax. But Buffy's turning seventeen just this once, and since she didn't have the traditional sweet sixteen birthday that girls normally have. She deserves a party."
Xander was impressed. "You're a great man of our time."
"And anyway, Angel's coming," Willow added, cheering up. "So, she'll be able to protect him and have cake."
"Precisely," Giles concurred.
Pleased, Xander and Willow went off to do the school thing.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
It had been a long day, especially for a birthday. The only special event on her birthday night was hers and Dawn's seven o'clock training session with Giles.
As the sisters walked down the empty corridor, Miss Calendar stepped from the shadows. "Buffy…Dawn," she said,
Buffy jumped, startled. "Oh, my God. I didn't see you there."
"Sorry," Miss Calendar apologized. "Giles wanted me to tell you both that there's been a change of plans. He wants to meet you both someplace near his house." She shrugged. "I guess he had to run home and get a book or something."
Buffy and Dawn looked at each other and blinked. "Because heaven knows there aren't enough books in the library," Buffy told the teacher.
Loyally, Miss Calendar replied, "He's very thorough. My car's here," she said. "Why don't I drive you two?"
"Okay," Buffy and Dawn agreed.
Streets of Sunnydale
They got in Miss Calendar's classic VW Beetle. The teacher started driving through narrow dark alleys and not really anywhere near Giles's place. Buffy and Dawn scanned their surroundings, fairly confused.
"We're going to the Bronze?" Buffy queried.
"I'm not sure." Miss Calendar kept her eyes on the road. "Giles gave me an address. I'm just following his directions."
"Buffy," Dawn said looking toward a loading dock just up ahead. A large white truck was parked there, and three suspicious-looking guys were loading a rectangular box.
"Your right Dawn," Buffy said knowing what her sister was thinking. "That looks funky." She glanced at Ms. Calendar. "Stop for a sec," she requested.
Miss Calendar slowed, but didn't immediately stop. "No, Buffy," she said tentatively. "Maybe you shouldn't."
Buffy unlatched the door. "Sorry." She shrugged. "Sacred duty, yada yada yada."
Buffy and Dawn opened their car doors and stepped out as Miss Calendar, left behind, murmured, "What is this?"
The sisters walked toward the truck. As they passed the driver's side door, one of the possibly bad guys on the loading dock moved beneath an overhanging light. Buffy recognized him as the vampire who had stolen the Du Lac cross, a timid little minion of Spike's.
Buffy glanced at her sister as they both withdrew their stakes. She looked back toward the vampire. "Every time I see you, you're stealing something," she told him.
Upon seeing the sisters, the vampire growled.
"You really should speak to somebody about this klepto issue," Dawn quipped.
The truck engine roared to life. The sisters turned to see what was going on. The vampire took advantage to finish carrying his burden into the truckbed, just as the driver's door opened and a vampire in a plaid shirt kicked at Buffy.
Buffy reached into the cab of the truck, grabbed the plaid shirt, and yanked him out. He fell to the ground; when he stood, she punched him so hard he did a backflip.
Dawn stood with her back toward the truck, close to the cab as Buffy readied herself for his next move. Then another attacker reached down from the truckbed and hoisted Dawn up by her shoulders, pinning back her arms as he flung her into the truck. This guy was dressed in forever plaid, too. She used his own momentum against him, pushing him backward against a pile of boxes against the wooden slats, then breaking his grip and headbutting him.
The driver came at Buffy, swinging. They exchanged blows; she got in a few good ones and he finally fell.
The one Dawn had headbutted got stood up and tried to attack Dawn. But she got to him first, and using his momentum she whirled him around toward his buddy and Buffy.
The Bronze
Angel and the others hid, waiting to spring out and surprise Buffy. Impatiently, Angel murmured, "Where is she?" as the others peered over the pool table, which was laden with Cordelia's chips and dips, some purple and lavender napkins and plates, and the pool balls nicely arranged in a star. "Shh," Willow said anxiously. "I think I hear her coming."
Streets of Sunnydale
Buffy punched one of the wooden boards that made up the truck's walls, broke off a section, and staked Dawn's vamp. The other vamp, the one she had knocked out previously, grabbed her up, carried her to the wall of the building, and flung her against it. It hurt a lot as she slammed into it and tumbled to the ground.
The Bronze
Angel had just begun to realize that the strange sounds they were hearing was a fight when Buffy and a vampire in a plaid shirt crashed through the window and landed on the stage. Glass flew everywhere. Buffy and the vampire battled savagely as everyone rushed from their hiding places. Then she grabbed a drumstick from the Bronze's house kit and staked the guy. Dustorama.
There was a long moment as everyone stared. Then Cordelia popped up from behind the cake and yelled, "Surprise!"
Everyone turned and looked at her.
Buffy jumped off the stage as Angel and Giles moved toward her. Angel said anxiously, "Buffy, are you okay?"
Equally concerned, Giles spoke up. "Yes, what happened?"
Buffy gestured behind herself. "There were these vamps outside . . ." She looked around. "What's going on?"
A bit lamely, Giles said, "Surprise party." He blew his noisemaker.
"Happy birthday," Cordelia chirped sweetly.
Giles tossed his noisemaker over his shoulder.
Buffy lit up. "You guys did all this for me?" She looked at Giles, who smiled faintly, and then at Angel, adoringly. "That is so sweet!"
As if he couldn't let go of it, Angel said, "You're sure you're okay?"
"Yes. I'm fine," she assured him.
Dawn and Ms. Calendar came in the door, struggling under the weight of the box the vampire Buffy had recognized had been loading onto the truck. "Buffy!" Dawn called. "Could use some help. I'm not a Slayer yet."
Angel, Buffy, and Giles moved to help Dawn and Ms. Calendar, putting the box down on a tall white table.
"Those creeps left it behind," Ms. Calendar added.
Buffy cocked her head. "What is it?"
"I have no idea," Giles told her. "Can it be opened?"
Buffy moved her hands under the lid. "Yeah. It feels like there's a release right here." She clicked it. Together, she and Giles pulled up the lid.
Inside lay a powerful arm and hand encased in a thick gauntlet of some sort.
Buffy turned to the others and frowned in astonishment. Then, without warning, the arm shot from the box, grabbed Buffy by the neck, and squeezed the breath right out of her.
"Buffy!" Dawn cried as the living arm choked Buffy, who fought to pull its fingers from her neck.
Angel rushed to help, struggling with the macabre thing, finally managing to pry one finger loose. Then another, and another, until he wrestled it back into the box. As Buffy doubled over, coughing, he and Giles slammed the lid into place.
There was a moment of stunned silence. Sounding more freaked than witty, Xander said, "Clearly, the Hellmouth's answer to 'What do you get the Slayer who has everything?'"
"Good heavens," Giles said.
"Buffy, are you all right?" Dawn asked as she and Angel led Buffy away from the table.
Buffy rasped, "Man, that thing had major grip."
"What—what was that?" Willow asked anxiously.
Matter of factly, Dawn replied, "It looked like an arm."
Angel's face was grave as he stared at the box. "It can't be," he said quietly. "She wouldn't."
Xander gave him a sharp look. "What? The vamp's version of 'snakes in a can'? Or do you care to share?"
Dawn and Buffy could tell Angel was freaked in the extreme. "Angel?" they prodded.
Angel looked over at the box again. "It's a legend. Way before my time. Of a demon brought forth to rid the earth of the plague of humanity." He walked toward Giles and the box. "To separate the righteous from the wicked, and burn the righteous down. They called him the Judge."
The sisters registered that this registered with Giles. "The Judge," Giles said, a bit breathlessly. "This is he?"
"Well, not all of him," Angel replied.
Buffy waved her hand. "Uh, still needing backstory here?"
Giles looked over his shoulder at the sisters. "He couldn't be killed." He looked at Angel for confirmation. "Yes?" When Angel nodded, he continued. "An army was sent against him. Most of them died, but finally they were able to dismember him. But not kill him."
Angel took up the story. "The pieces were scattered. Buried in every corner of the earth."
Ms. Calendar said, "So all these parts are being brought here—"
"By Drusilla," Buffy said looking at her sister. "The vamps outside were Spike's men."
"She's just crazy enough to do it." Angel looked even more worried.
"Do what?" Willow's voice rose. "Reassemble the Judge?"
"And bring forth Armageddon," Angel finished.
There was a long silence. Then Cordelia piped up, "Is anyone else going to have cake?"
She had no takers.
Giles moved into strategy mode. "We need to get this out of town."
"Angel," Ms. Calendar said immediately.
Buffy blinked. "What?"
Ms. Calendar stepped up, slightly behind and between Angel and Buffy. She looked at Angel and said firmly, "You have to do it. You're the only one who can protect this thing."
"What about me?" Buffy asked.
"Buffy, mom will have a fit if you suddenly disappear even for just a few days to hide it," Dawn said. "I remember how much mom wigged when you and Pike went to Las Vegas to tackle that vampire."
"She's right, Buffy," Ms. Calendar agreed. "You would have to skip town for a few months."
"Months?" Buffy echoed, taken aback.
"I have to take this to the remotest region possible." Angel spoke in a low voice, as if he was thinking aloud.
"But that's not months," Buffy interrupted anxiously.
He continued, "I can catch a cargo ship to Asia, maybe trek to Nepal."
Buffy caught his attention. "You know, those newfangled flying machines are really much safer than they used to be."
"I can't fly," he said impatiently. "There's no sure way to guard against the daylight." Then he looked down and back up at her, his tone softening as he drew closer to her. "I don't like this any more than you do, Buffy. Anymore than Dawn does." Buffy glanced at her sister who nodded. "But there's no other choice."
Buffy took that in. It hurt to admit he was right. It hurt a lot. "When?"
He hesitated. "Tonight. As soon as possible."
It hurt even more.
"But…it's my birthday."
He looked down again, and she knew it was hurting him, too. She took absolutely no comfort in that.
Ms. Calendar came up between them. "I'll drive you to the docks."
Giles looked at Buffy very sadly.
Docks
Diesel oil filled the air as the cargo ship moored just ahead of them prepared to leave, its engine rattling. Waves hit the pylons beneath Buffy and Angel's feet as they walked slowly toward the ship, hand in hand. The box containing the Judge's arm was on Angel's shoulder.
Lost in misery, Buffy rested her head against his arm and tried to get even closer. Angel touched the crown of her hair with his lips, and she thought she would lose her balance, she was so unhappy.
They got to the gangplank. He put down the box and said, "I should go the rest of the way alone."
Though she was crying, she kept it together. "Okay—"
"I'll be back," he promised. "I will."
"When? Six months? A year? We don't know how long it's going to take. Or if we'll even—" Her voice cracked.
"If we'll even what?" he pushed, making her say it.
"Well, if you haven't noticed, someone pretty much always wants us dead."
"Don't say that. We'll be fine." She refused to pretend. "We don't know that."
"We can't know, Buffy. Nobody can. That's just the deal."
They looked at each other, two people whose lives had completely been altered by time and circumstance. Strong people. Passionate people. People who needed each other desperately.
Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out two small velvet boxes. He opened one. "I have something for you. For your birthday. I was going to give it to you earlier, but…"
It was an exquisite silver ring, dwarfed in his hand, shining in the dock lights. Two hands held a crowned heart. She had never seen anything more exquisite in her life.
"It's beautiful," she said sincerely.
His voice was husky. "My people…before I was changed, they exchanged this as a sign of devotion. It's a claddagh ring. The hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty. And the heart, well, you know…" He smiled hauntingly. "Wear it with the heart pointing toward you, it means you belong to someone. Like this."
He showed her his hand. He was wearing a ring identical to hers. And the heart was pointing toward him.
He belonged to somebody.
"Put it on," he urged and she did. "I have something for Dawn as well. I wasn't sure when her birthday was…so…"
"It's in October," Buffy answered. (A/N)
"Then a late birthday present for her," Angel said as he opened the other box and showed her what was inside, an exquisite pendant with complete loops with no beginning or end. "This is the Celtic Friendship Knot. My people use this symbol to show friendship."
"Wow," Buffy said in surprise. "It's pretty, Angel. I know she cherishes your friendship too."
"Give it to her when you get home," he instructed as Buffy nodded.
And then there was nothing more to be said, or done. It was time.
"I don't want to do this," Buffy confessed brokenly.
"Me, either."
"So…don't go." She was begging him, even though she knew he had to.
He kissed her. She kissed him back, long and bitter-sweet and needing him to stay, needing so badly for him to be with her, tonight and every night.
They held each other, clinging against time and tide, and then Angel whispered, "Buffy, I—"
Two vampires leaped down from a cargo net over their heads. One attacked Buffy, and the other went for Angel.
Buffy's opponent tossed her to the ground; she rolled backward and sprang to her feet as he threw a few punches; she got off three good ones to his midsection. Meanwhile, Angel flung his attacker into a wild flip, but the vamp quickly recovered and started swinging.
Using the dock rail as a support, Buffy pulled her legs to her chest and kicked her vampire.
While they were both occupied, the vampire at the Bronze who was loading the box on the truck dropped from the net and grabbed the box. At the same time, Angel hit his attacker so hard he slammed into a crate, but he came back for more.
"Angel!" Buffy shouted. "The box!"
Angel pummeled the vamp into submission, finally slamming him onto the wooden dock. He chased after the vampire with the box and threw him down.
Buffy thought she'd gotten control of her opponent, catching him around the neck with a string of lights attached to the gangplank. But she was distracted, trying to see if Angel got the box, and her vamp got free and flung her against a wooden barrier. Then he used her momentum to swing her around and fling her off the dock and into the chilly water.
In that moment, Angel had to make a decision: the box or the Slayer. He chose, and the vampire he had fought darted up beside him, grabbed the box, and ran.
Angel shouted, "Buffy!" and plunged in after her.
Sunnydale High School
Everybody was supposed to be reading their research books, but nobody really was. Dawn stared at her page anxiously as Willow, Giles and Xander stared at theirs. Everyone was anxious. The word for the day was anxious.
Or maybe, really, really worried.
Giles flipped over his page and stated the obvious. "They should be back by now."
"Maybe Buffy needed a few minutes to pull herself together," Willow hoped. "Poor Buffy. On her birthday and everything."
Xander nodded. "It's sad. Granted. But let's look at the up side for a moment." He stood. "I mean, what kind of a future could she have…" He stopped when he received a swift kick from under the table. He glanced at the offending culprit. "Dawn?"
"That's my sister and her boyfriend your talking about remember?" Dawn snapped as Buffy rushed into the library.
Giles and Dawn saw Buffy and got to their feet. "What happened?" Giles asked.
Buffy looked all business. "Dru's guys ambushed us. They got the box."
"Where's Jenny?" Giles asked.
Buffy gestured. "She took Angel to get clothing. I had some here."
Xander looked perturbed. "And we needed clothes because…"
"We got wet," Buffy said simply. "First thing. Dawn, you should call mom and tell her to come pick you up before she gets worried. Just tell her my birthday party ran over." Dawn nodded as she stood up and moved into Giles' office. Then Buffy looked at Giles. "Second, Giles, what do we do?"
Giles took off his glasses and paced. "The more I study the Judge, the less I like him. His touch can literally burn the humanity out of you. A true creature of evil can survive the process. No human ever has."
"What's the problem?" Xander piped up. "We send Cordy to fight this guy and we go for pizza."
Willow wished she could laugh. Buffy totally ignored Xander and walked over to Giles. "Can this guy be stopped? Without an army?"
Giles put his glasses back on, leaned forward, and showed her a couple of lines in one of the books. "'No weapon forged can kill him.' Not very encouraging. If we could only prevent them from assembling him…"
"We need to find his weak spots," Buffy said as Dawn returned. "And we need to figure out where they'd be keeping him." She then pulled out the velvet box Angel had given her for Dawn. She was lucky that she had held on to it. "Here this is for you, a late birthday present from Angel."
Giles sighed. "This could take time," he said in reference to the Judge.
Dawn opened the box and smiled. "It's pretty," she said. "I'll thank him later. Mom said she'll be here in ten minutes. I'll go wait for her out by the front doors. Be careful, okay."
"Promise," Buffy agreed.
"We better do a round robin," Willow suggested. "Xander, you go first."
"Good call," Buffy said, as Xander went to the phone.
"I'll let mom know," Dawn said as she left to go wait for Joyce.
"Round robin?" Giles echoed, puzzled.
"It's when everybody calls everybody else's mom and tells them they're staying at everybody's house," Willow explained.
"Thus, freeing us up for world save-age," Buffy added. "The only reason Dawn isn't doing that is because mom will be suspicious. I have a little more leeway since I'm seventeen."
"Mom, hi. Xander," Xander said into the phone. "Yeah. Willow and I are going to be studying all night long. So, I'm not coming home."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
It was 2 A.M., and they were no closer to a solution than they had been at midnight. Or at 1 A.M.
Xander was exasperated. "I think I read this already."
Giles moved from the checkout desk as Angel came down the stairs from the landing.
"Angel? Any luck?" Before Angel could reply, Giles spotted Buffy, her head on his desk in his office, fast asleep. He whispered, "It seems Buffy needed some rest."
The two looked on, Giles with fondness, Angel with love. They moved away.
"Yes," Angel said. "She hasn't been sleeping well. Tossing and turning." The others stared at him. He huffed, "She and Dawn told me. Because of her dreams."
That seemed to satisfy them.
Everyone got back to work.
Buffy's Dreamscape
In a white gown, Buffy wandered through a candlelit room. The tapers were almost completely burned, wax dripping off ornate candelabra. She passed chairs decorated with dark leaves.
She knew this place. It was an abandoned factory, the lair of Spike and Drusilla. She moved on. In the distance, a shadowy female figure passed by, perhaps leading her, perhaps eluding her. Buffy followed her as best she could…
And found herself crouching over a box like the one the arm had come in.
Then she saw that there were several boxes in a circle.
"Now, now," said a voice.
Buffy whirled around.
"Hands off my presents," Drusilla chastised.
At the top of the stairs, on the catwalk, Drusilla looked triumphantly down on Buffy. Her thin body was draped in a white gown much like Buffy's, and in her hand, she held a sharp, sacrificial knife…leveled across Angel's throat. As she clasped his back against her chest, the knife gleaming wicked sharp against his flesh, Angel stared at Buffy with the look of someone who knew he was going to die.
"No!" Buffy shouted. "Angel!"
Sunnydale High School
Suddenly Buffy was awake, in the library, and Angel flew into her arms. "Buffy, it's okay. I'm here. I'm right here," he comforted her. She shut her eyes tightly, but in her mind's eye, she could only stare with helplessness and horror.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Full of purpose, Buffy crossed the library and picked up her Slayer's bag.
From the landing, Giles called, "Buffy? What's happening?"
Angel followed her. "She had another dream."
She said, "I think I know where Drusilla and Spike are."
"That's very good." Giles came down the stairs while Angel put on his duster. "However, you do need a plan. I know you're concerned, Buffy, but you can't just go off half-cocked."
"I have a plan. Angel and I go to the factory and do recon. Figure out how far they've gotten assembling the Judge. You guys check any places the boxes could be coming into town. Shipping yards, airports, anything. We need to stop them from getting all the boxes in one place."
Giles looked abashed, as if he had underestimated her. "Yes, well…actually, that's quite a good plan."
She was very focused on her purpose. "This thing is nasty and it's real, Giles. We can't wait for it to come get us." She grabbed her bag, and she and Angel left.
The Factory
Angel and Buffy moved together through the night. They moved well, coordinating their movements without speaking. They reached the factory from the skylight overhead, and they crept along the second-level catwalk. The candles around them were nearly melted down, which was good. They were able to keep pretty well to the shadows.
Below, the monster mash was in full swing. It was like some kind of strange old horror film: vamps in their true, demonic faces, drinking punch, chatting, milling just like the kind of ordinary people who went to the exhibitions Buffy's mother arranged for the art gallery.
"I saw this," Buffy told Angel, as images from the terrible nightmare she'd had in the library took form in the stark reality before her. "The party…"
She stopped speaking.
Below them, a towering, ugly blue demon walked into their range of vision, flanked by Spike, in a wheelchair, and Drusilla, who walked behind the creature.
Buffy's blood ran cold as she gazed down at the trio. Riveted, she watched in horrible fascination as they moved through the room.
The demon began looking around, as if searching for something.
"What?" Spike asked it. "What is it?"
It looked straight up at Buffy and Angel and growled.
Angel pulled at Buffy. "We've got to get out of here."
But as they began to run, they were surrounded on either side by vampires. It was no use even trying to fight. They were outnumbered.
Spike's men dragged them down the stairs, to stand before the Judge, and Spike and Dru.
"Well, well," Spike said jovially. "Look what we have here. Crashers."
Buffy gave him a sarcastic smile, but inside she was very scared. She wasn't giving up hope, but things were not looking good for birthday number eighteen. "I'm sure our invitations just got lost in the mail."
"It's delicious," Dru said, licking her long, pale fingers. "I only dreamed you'd come." She growled prettily at Buffy.
Angel struggled and shouted, "Leave her alone!"
"Yeah, that'll work," Spike drawled, taking a drink from a large brown bottle. "Now say pretty please."
The Judge appraised Buffy. "The girl."
Buffy held her breath and worked to keep her cool.
"Chilling, isn't it?" Drusilla chirruped, her eyes filled with hatred even though she was smiling. "She's so full of good intention."
"Take me," Angel demanded, jumping in front of Buffy.
"No!" Buffy shouted.
"Take me instead of her," Angel demanded, as his captors yanked at him.
In his wheelchair, Spike raised his arm. "You're not clear on the concept, pal." His voice was deadly and cruel. "There is no 'instead.' Just 'first' and 'second.'"
"And if you go first," Drusilla pointed out, "you won't get to watch the Slayer die."
Angel renewed his struggle, fighting to work himself free. But he was held fast. Furious, he watched as the Judge slowly extended his hand and walked toward Buffy. As frightened as she was, she was keeping her cool, and for that Angel was grateful. Then he spied a cluster of TVs chained overhead, like some kind of avant-garde video hookup in a dance club. The whole thing was held in place by a couple of cogs attached to chains.
The Judge reached Buffy and held out his hand. Angel knew what he could do to her. He had never seen any of the Judge's handiwork, but it was still whispered of in the darkness, by creatures who feared nothing else on earth or in hell.
Buffy reared back and kicked the demon's armored chest. She would no more willingly submit to a death sentence than she would allow anyone else to die in her place.
"Don't touch him!" Angel bellowed, but she already had. For one terrifying second he assumed she would burn into nothing. But she was still alive, and apparently uninjured.
In the confusion that followed as the vampires also waited for her annihilation, Angel broke free. Before any of them had a chance to react, he raced to the wall where the chain that suspended the TVs from the ceiling was attached. He unfastened it; as the counterweight was thrown off, the TVs came sailing down like a cascade of granite boulders.
Sparking and sizzling, they crashed down in front of the Judge with such force that they broke through the trapdoor in the concrete floor.
Chaos reigned, and Buffy seized the advantage. She flung her guards away from herself. She ran into Angel's arms, indicated the escape route, and cried, "This way!"
Without a moment's hesitation, they both leaped into the hole while Drusilla, livid, yelled to her minions, "Go!"
Buffy and Angel landed in a sewer. They slogged through the muck until they found an opened utility door. Moving fast, not needing to speak, they darted inside and shut the door behind them. Two of Spike and Drusilla's lackeys splashed into the wastewater soon after. The two were hot on their trail, but as they raced past, they didn't see the closed door, and moved on.
As soon as it was safe, Buffy and Angel reemerged into the tunnel. There was a ladder nearby, leading to the street overhead.
A driving rain soaked Buffy to the skin as she pushed the manhole cover out of the way. By the time Angel got out behind her, she was shivering. "Come on," he said over the thunder. "We need to get inside."
They ran to his apartment. She waited while he let her in. The muted light made her feel colder as she stood trembling in the center of the room. He pulled off his duster and turned to her, stroking her shoulders. "You're shaking like a leaf," he said.
She nodded. "C—cold."
"Let me get you something." He went to his dresser and got out a bulky white sweater and a pair of sweats. Handing them to her, he told her. "Put these on and get under the covers. Just to warm up."
A little hesitantly, she walked toward his neatly made bed. Stood in front of it for just a second before she sat down on the mattress with the bundle of fresh clothes. The coverlet and pillow cases were scarlet.
The rain made a drizzling pattern on the wall. Distant thunder rumbled.
Angel faced her. When she looked up and him, he must have realized he was staring at her. He said, "Sorry," and turned away. "I forget you know."
"I know," Buffy said. She was self-conscious as she unbuttoned her shirt. As she drew out her left arm, she winced as something burned across her shoulder.
"What?"
"Oh, um. I—I just have a cut or something," she said, as she finished taking off her shirt.
"Can I . . . let me see."
"Okay." She arranged the sweater across her front so that she was covered.
Angel understood as he moved to sit behind her on the bed why she covered herself. It had nothing to do with modesty, it had to do with her dysphoria. It was the same reason she still changed in Giles' office for gym class.
Buffy turned to show him her back. His fingers touched her shoulder. His touch was gentle. Both hands moved over her upper back. "It's already closed," he said hoarsely. "You're fine."
Neither moved.
Buffy felt herself trembling harder. She heard Angel swallow hard. She was certain she could hear his heartbeat, or was that her own pulse racing, as his arms cradled her? She turned, leaned into him. Breathed him in. Tears welled. She was overcome by his nearness, by the fact that she had almost lost him. That tonight, she had thought she might never see him again.
"You almost went away today," she said.
His fingertips stroked her arm as he held her, tension in his body. She knew he was being careful of her; he was struggling against what was taking them both over: the fear and the need. He said, "We both did."
She started to cry. "Angel, I feel like…if I lost you…" She caught her breath. "You're right, though. We can't be sure of anything." She moved her lips to the side of his face and wept.
"Shh. I…"
She opened her eyes, waited. Moved to face him. "You what?"
"I love you."
And when he said it, her eyes brightened in wonder, though the tears were still there. Angel loved her. It was what she had longed to hear, for such a very long time; and yet, there was tremendous sorrow in his words, and in knowing what she had barely dared to dream. Angel loved her, and now, knowing that, she had so much more to lose.
"I try not to, but I can't stop," he said brokenly.
"Me, too." Her voice cracked as she was overcome with emotion. "I can't, either." She pressed her nose against his.
They kissed. The kiss grew. They were crossing a bridge; they were going somewhere together they had never been before. Buffy's heart pounded with the knowledge that this kiss was the beginning of something much bigger; this was a seal and a promise, and a first step.
Their passion grew. Buffy was starving for the taste of him; she shook with the need of him. Panting, he pulled away. "Buffy, maybe we shouldn't."
"Don't." She touched his face, held it. "Just kiss me."
Their lips met again, and again.
Angel drew Buffy down into his bed. He breathed her in. The scent of her. Her hands, caressing him. As they melted into each other, Angel soared with joy. For the first time in 242 years, he had hope of heaven.
The thunder rumbled, and crashed.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Angel bolted awake, unbelievable pain ripping through him. White-hot agony seared him, body and soul. He panted, fighting it. It was an ancient pain, and he knew what it meant. He knew what was coming, and he was desperate to stop it. He clutched the sheets, heaving, as Buffy slumbered beside him.
Everything was shattering. As he convulsed, he clung to one thought: he had to put as much distance between her and himself as possible. He dressed and stumbled out into the storm, into the wildness of the night. He clung to the hope that it would stop, that it would not happen. But as he fell to his knees, he knew: his soul was being torn from him once more.
"Buffy!" he shouted.
She was the last thought of the man who loved her.
Author's Note: Other than Dawn being born in 1987 (based on the fact Buffy was six years old in the flashback during Weight of the World and that Dawn is 14 in season 5) we don't know her actual month and day. Depending on the needs of the story I sometimes go with the birthday of the actor who portrayed that character. So, in the case of Dawn, Michelle Trachtenberg was born on October 11th, 1985. So that is the date for Dawn I am giving in this story.
