"Angel"
Based on the Episode Written by David Greenwalt
The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.
At the Bronze, Buffy and Tara were sitting at a table.
"Horses, like big...tall...teeth that can take your arm off horses?" Buffy asked Tara, worried.
"Well, sure. I learned to ride when I was a kid. It's fun." Tara smiled at her. "And, by the way, most horses don't like arm very much."
Buffy was uncertain. "I had a bad birthday party pony thing when I was four. I-I look at horses, and I see really big ponies."
"You should ride with me sometime. I guarantee safety and fun."
Buffy smiled. "Well...if you promise you'll look after me." She put her hand on Tara's knee.
The two of them watched a cockroach being chased by a girl along the floor.
"Get it! Go get it, right there!" a boy cheered her on.
"I got it!" She held the roach up to the bartender and dropped it into his jar. "Free drink, please."
The bartender nodded and went to get the drink.
Tara smiled. "Ah, the fumigation party."
"Hmm?" Buffy asked, confused.
"It's an annual tradition. The closing of the Bronze for a few days to nuke the cockroaches?"
"Oh." Buffy saw Cordelia standing a distance away, smiled, and waved. "Hey, Cordy!"
Cordelia hesitated and then walked over to their table. "Hey. What's up?"
"Just sitting here, watching our barren lives pass us by." Tara saw a roach. "Oh, look, a cockroach." She stomped it.
"Whoa, well, let's stop this crazy whirligig of fun! I'm dizzy!" Cordelia mocked.
Buffy yawned. "I'm gonna call it a night." She got up.
Tara was disappointed. "Oh, don't go! It's early! We could, um, dance!"
"Rain check?" Buffy bent over and kissed Tara on the lips. "Good night."
"Good night."
Buffy bumped into Cordelia.
"Ouch! Please get your extreme oafishness off my two-hundred-dollar shoes!" Cordelia yelled at her.
"I'm sorry. Good night." Buffy walked away.
Tara sighed, took off her shoe, and held it up to Cordelia. "Want a free drink?"
Cordelia was disgusted. "I'll pass, thanks." She stood up. "Good night."
"Good night."
Cordelia walked away.
Tara stood up and walked over to the bar. She held up her shoe to the bartender. "Free drink, please."
Buffy made her way out of the Bronze. She passed the stairs, sensed something, and turned to look. Nothing. She continued out.
Cordelia caught up to her. "Hey, walk with me? Safety in numbers, y'know."
"Yeah, okay."
Buffy and Cordelia walked along a street. Buffy sensed something and stopped to look behind her. Nothing.
"What is it?" Cordelia asked.
"I'm not sure."
They walked past an alley.
Buffy heard a breath and stopped. "It's late, I'm tired, and I don't wanna play games. Show yourself."
A vampire roared and dropped down to the sidewalk behind the girls. Buffy reached into her coat, pulled out a stake, and quickly spun around to stake the vampire. Another one grabbed her arm as she swung.
"Wuh!" Buffy exclaimed.
A third vampire came up on her other side and grabbed her other arm.
"Ooh!" Buffy exclaimed. "Okay, okay, nice..."
They pulled her into the alley and up against a fence.
"Buffy!" Cordelia exclaimed.
"Cordy, run!" Buffy ordered.
Cordelia ran into the alley. "Let her go!"
The first vampire swatted Cordelia away and then approached Buffy.
Buffy put on a brave face. "Okay, okay, look, I really don't want to have to fight all three of you...unless I have to."
She snap-kicked him in the penis, elbowed the third, and tried to punch the second. He blocked her swing and thrust his knee into her gut, slamming her into the fence. The other two recovered and grabbed her again.
The second one slowly approached her with death in his eyes. Buffy was terrified and struggled to get away. He came up to Buffy, grabbed her head, and moved in to bite.
Suddenly, Angel came up behind him, grabbed him by the hair, and pulled him off her. He punched him. "Good dogs don't bite!"
Buffy was surprised but quickly regained her head. Using the support of the two vampires holding onto her arms, she kicked up with both feet and hit them both in the face with a straddle kick. One of them grabbed her again and held her against the fence. Angel continued to fight the other two, punching one and snap-kicking the second. One of them pulled a piece of iron bar off a window.
"Look out!" Buffy yelled.
Angel turned around, only to be sliced in the chest with the bar. Buffy shoved an open palm into her assailant's chin, pushing him off her, punched him once in the gut, and then slammed both fists into his head. Angel was bent over in pain and was about to be stabbed again. Buffy quickly side-kicked his attacker in the face, and he fell back away from Angel.
Buffy helped Angel and Cordelia up. "Run!"
They ran out of the alley. The vampires got up and gave chase.
Buffy, Cordelia, and Angel jumped over the bushes in front of Buffy's house and ran onto the porch. The vampires were hot on their trail.
Buffy got the front door open. "Get in! C'mon!"
She rushed inside. Cordelia was right behind her. Angel was right behind her. Buffy slammed the door on one of the vampire's hands. He struggled a moment but pulled his hand back out. She slammed the door shut and locked it. The vampire looked in through the glass. Another one looked in through the window.
Angel looked at Buffy. "It's all right. A vampire can't come in unless it's invited."
"I've heard that before, but I've never put it to the test." Buffy leaned on the door and then saw his wound. "Oh. I'll go get some bandages; just...take your jacket and your shirt off."
Buffy headed into the kitchen. Cordelia followed her. Angel looked out the window one last time and followed them. He took off his jacket and his T-shirt.
Buffy looked at him from behind and saw his tattoo. She brought over the first aid kit and sighed. "We were lucky you came along." She looked at him. "How did you happen to come along?" She began to bandage him.
"I live nearby. I was just out walking."
"So...you weren't following me?" Buffy asked him. "I just had this feeling you were."
Angel smiled. "Why would I do that?"
"You tell me. You're the mystery guy that appears out of nowhere. I'm not saying I'm not happy about it tonight, but...if you are hanging around, I'd like to know why." Buffy finished bandaging him.
"Maybe I like you."
"Oh." Buffy paused awkwardly.
Cordelia grinned. "Buffy's a great big lesbo."
Buffy forced a smile. "Angel, Cordelia. Cordelia, Angel."
Cordelia and Angel smiled at each other.
Buffy heard the door open and quickly went to intercept her mother. She was also worried about the vampires outside. She pulled her mother into the house and closed the door.
"Hi! What are you doing?" Joyce asked.
"There's a lot of weird people outside at night..."
Joyce started toward the kitchen.
Buffy went after her. "...I just feel better with you safe and sound inside. You must be beat."
"I am. We're a little gallery. You have no idea how much-"
"Well, then why don't you go upstairs and get into bed, and I can bring you some hot tea?"
"That's sweet!" Joyce was suddenly suspicious. "What'd you do?"
"Can't a daughter just be concerned about her mother?" Buffy asked her.
Cordelia and Angel came into the living room behind Buffy.
Joyce saw them. "Hi."
Angel smiled. "Hi."
Cordelia smiled. "Hi."
"Oh!" Buffy exclaimed. "Okay, um, Cordy, Angel, uh, this is my mom. Mom, these are Cordelia and Angel. Uh, we ran into each other on the way home."
Angel nodded. "Nice to meet you."
Cordelia nodded. "Yeah."
"What do you do, Angel?" Joyce asked.
"He's a student."
Joyce gave Buffy a disbelieving look.
"Uh, first year community college. Angel's been helping us with our history; you know I've been toiling there."
"It's a little late for tutoring." Joyce looked at Angel. "Besides, my daughter's girlfriend is smart enough to tutor her."
Buffy rolled her eyes.
"I'm gonna go to bed, and, uh, Buffy?" Joyce started up the stairs.
Buffy smiled. "I'll say good night and do the same!"
Joyce looked back down at her daughter and nodded. She looked at Cordelia and Angel. "It was nice to meet you." She headed upstairs.
Angel looked at Buffy. "Community college student?"
Buffy shrugged. "Well, I literally know nothing about you. I had to bullshit."
The three of them headed for the front door.
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Cordy, would it be possible for Angel to stay at your house tonight?"
"What?" Angel asked in surprise.
Cordelia grinned. "I suppose so."
"Wait, why?" Angel asked Buffy.
"Precautionary measure." Buffy unlocked the front door and held it open.
Angel looked at Cordelia. "Look, I don't wanna get you in any trouble-"
Cordelia gave Angel a look of concern, though that wasn't the first thing on her mind. "And I don't wanna get you dead. They could still be out there."
Angel hesitated and then nodded. "All right."
He and Cordelia walked outside.
"Good night! We'll hook up soon and do that study thing!" Buffy shouted for her mother's benefit. She closed and locked the door and headed upstairs.
Cordelia lived in a nice, upscale house - not significantly different than Buffy's but somewhat newer. Cordelia unlocked and opened the front door and went inside. Angel walked into the house and then closed and locked the door.
They went up the stairs and into her bedroom. She closed the door quietly.
Cordelia moved to the center of the room. "So, uh, oh...two of us, one bed." She faced him and grinned. "Works for me!"
Angel stared at her, embarrassed.
Cordelia relented, feeling sorry for him. "Um, why don't you take the bed? Y'know, you're wounded."
"I'll take the floor."
"Uh, no, that's not-"
"Oh, believe me, I've had worse."
"Okay. Um, then why don't you check and see if the Fang Gang has followed us and, um, keep your back turned while I change?"
Angel went over to the window to have a look. Cordelia went to her closet and changed.
"I don't see them."
"Y'know, Buffy's the Chosen One; it's her job to fight guys like that. What's your excuse?"
"Uh, somebody has to."
"Well, what does your family think of your career choice?"
"They're dead."
Cordelia finished changing and went over to him. "Was it vampires?"
Angel faced her. "I-It was."
"I'm sorry."
"It was a long while ago."
"So...this is a vengeance gig for you."
Angel paused. "Y-You even look pretty when you go to sleep."
"Well, when I wake up, it's an entirely different story." Cordelia smiled in amusement. "And look who's suddenly over Buffy."
"Not over. It's just...she's not really attainable, is she?"
Cordelia cast a downward glance. "Not with that plumbing."
They went over to her bed.
Cordelia handed him the comforter from it. "Here. Sleep tight."
He laid the comforter down on the floor next to her bed. She got into her bed, and he lay on the comforter.
"Angel?" Cordelia asked.
"Hmm?"
"Do you snore?"
"I don't know. It's been a long time since anybody's been in a position to let me know." He turned his head to look at her.
She smiled and settled in to sleep.
The next morning, before classes, Buffy, Cordelia, and Tara went to the school library. The three girls sat down at the table, and Buffy and Cordelia recounted the events of the previous night to Giles.
"You left the Bronze and were set upon by three unusually virile vampires." Giles put a book in front of them. "Did they look like this?"
"Yeah. What's with the uniforms?" Buffy asked him.
"It seems you encountered the Three. Warrior vampires, very proud and very strong. Uh, o-obviously you're hurting the Master very much. He - He wouldn't send the - the Three for just anyone. You must step up your training with weapons."
"Weapons?" Buffy asked in surprise.
Tara felt uncomfortable. "Do you think that's necessary?"
Giles looked at Tara and then back at Buffy. "You and Angel are - are not in any immediate jeopardy. Eventually, the Master will send someone else, but in the meantime the Three, having failed, will offer their own lives in penance."
"Do you have any weapons?" Buffy asked him.
"Yes, locked up in the cage. Wait a moment, please."
Giles went and picked up a sign that read "Library CLOSED for filing. Please come back tomorrow." He set it just outside the library. Then he went over to the cage, unlocked it, and unlocked the weapons case.
Buffy checked out the weapons case. "Cool! Crossbow!" She lifted it out and saw the bolts. "Huh. Check out these babies." She took out a bolt. "Hmm. Goodbye, stakes; hello, flying fatality. What can I shoot?"
"Um, nothing. The crossbow comes later." Giles took the crossbow from her and went to put it back.
Buffy was disappointed and pouted. She walked out of the cage.
"You must first become proficient with the basic tools of combat."
Buffy was already bored.
Giles came back with two poles and two sets of head pads. "And let's begin with the quarterstaff, which, incidentally, will, uh, require countless hours of vigorous training." He handed her one staff and one head pad set. "I speak from experience."
"Giles, twentieth century?" Buffy asked him. "I'm not gonna be fighting Friar Tuck."
"You never know with whom or what you'll be fighting." Giles put on his head pads. "And these traditions have been handed down through the ages."
Tara was concerned. "Mr. Giles, do you really think you're up to doing this at your age?"
Giles looked at her, offended.
"Well, that is..." Tara paused for a moment. "I took a few classes in bōjutsu. I might be a better instructor for her."
"I am perfectly capable of holding my own, Tara."
Tara folded her arms over her chest. "Fine, get your ass kicked."
Giles gave her a sharp look of reproach.
Tara felt a bit uncomfortable. "Um, sir."
Giles grabbed his staff and looked at Buffy. "Now, you show me good, steady progress with the quarterstaff, and in due course we'll discuss the crossbow. Put on your pads."
Buffy laughed. "I'm not gonna need pads to fight you."
"Well, we'll see about that. En garde!"
He made several thrusts, and she parried them all. She took the offensive, pushed his staff to the floor, and punched him in the face. She came around with the staff into his back - and again to knock his legs out from under him. He fell onto his back. She stood over him.
Giles was stunned. "Good."
Buffy reached out to him. He clasped her hand, and she pulled him to his feet. Tara smiled. Cordelia laughed in amusement.
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Wanna go a few rounds, Cordy?"
"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Cordelia asked her. "Get me on my back. Get on top of me. Have your way with me."
Buffy frowned. "I'm just trying to help you, just in case you need to defend yourself."
"Hey, fighting is your thing. I don't break a sweat, if I can help it."
Buffy smiled. "Right, that's why you're a cheerleader."
Cordelia had no retort but to stick out her tongue.
Giles cleared his throat. "Let's move on to the crossbow."
That night, after a cheerleading practice that ran late, Cordelia went home, ate a late dinner, and then headed upstairs and into her room.
She closed the door and looked around. "Angel?"
"Hey."
She turned on her desk lamp. "Brought you some dinner. It's a little plateless, sorry." She handed him a plastic bag full of food that she pilfered from dinner.
He accepted it and looked at it.
"So! What'd you do all day?" Cordelia asked him.
"Uh, I read a little."
Cordelia looked over to her diary. It was out of place.
"And just thought about a lot of things. Cordelia, I-"
"My diary? You read my diary?" Cordelia went to put it in a drawer. "That is not okay! A diary is like a person's most private place!" She went back to him. "I...You don't even know what I was writing about! 'Blowjob Queen' is the name of a highly artistic erotic film. 'Pulsing Cock' is the name of a band that I like-"
"Cordy-"
"And 'Massive Load' is a programming command that Ms. Calendar recently taught us in computer class, and-"
"The maid moved your diary when she came in to straighten up. I watched from the closet. I didn't read it, I swear."
Cordelia just looked at him. "Oh!" She looked down, realizing what she'd just said. "Oh."
"It's all right. None of my business." Angel paused for a moment. "You've got a lot of clothes. When do you find time to wear them all?"
"I've got it all scheduled in my day planner."
"I did a lot of thinking today. I really can't be around you."
Cordelia looked up.
"Because when I am-"
Cordelia looked down, disappointed but trying to hide it. "Well, hey, whatever. Your loss."
"When I am, all I can think about is how badly I want to kiss you."
Cordelia looked up at him. "Kiss me?"
"I'm older than you, and this can't ever..." Angel paused. "I better go."
"H-How much older?" Cordelia asked him.
"I should-"
"-go." Cordelia approached him. "You said-"
They kissed. When their lips parted, Cordelia stared into Angel's eyes. They kissed again. They kissed passionately. She put her arm around him. The kiss went on for several moments. Angel suddenly pulled back and looked away.
"What? What is it? What's wrong?" Cordelia asked him.
He turned to face her and growled. She saw fangs in his mouth and screamed. He took a last look at her and jumped out the window. He slid down the roof and off onto the ground. Cordelia went to the window and watched him run away.
Her mother came running into the room. "Cordy, what happened?"
Cordelia backed away from the window. Her mother took her by the shoulders.
Cordelia looked at her mother and shook her head. "Uh, nothing. I saw a shadow."
They both looked out the window.
The next morning, at Sunnydale High, Cordelia, Buffy, Tara, and Giles were walking up the steps from the street toward the building. Cordelia had just told them what had happened.
"Angel's a vampire?" Tara asked in surprise.
"I can't believe this is happening. One minute, we were kissing, and the next minute..." Cordelia looked at Giles. "Can a vampire ever be a good person? Couldn't it happen?"
"A vampire isn't a person at all." Giles cleared his throat. "It may have the movements, the - the memories, even the personality of the person that it took over, but i-it's still a demon at the core; there is no halfway."
"Well, then what was he doing? Why was he good to me?" Cordelia asked.
"Was it all some part of the Master's plan?" Buffy asked. "It doesn't make sense."
They reached a bench. Cordelia, Tara, and Buffy sat down.
Giles crouched down in front of Buffy. "Uh, it is a Slayer's duty-"
Cordelia looked at Giles in anguish, and he shut up.
Tara looked at Cordelia. "I-I know you have feelings for this guy, but it's not like you're in love with him, right?"
Cordelia looked away.
"You're in love with a vampire?!" Buffy asked her. "What, are you outta your mind?!"
Cordelia looked at her. "Just shut up." She stood up and started walking away. "What?!"
Buffy, Tara, and Giles looked at Cordelia. She was looking at another girl wearing the same dress that she was.
"Where did you get that dress?" Cordelia pursued her. "This is a one-of-a-kind Todd Oldham. Do you know how much this dress cost? Is this a knockoff?" She checked the label. "This is a knockoff, isn't it?! Some cheesy knockoff! This is exactly what happens when you sign these free trade agreements!"
The two girls disappeared into the building.
Buffy, Tara, and Giles looked at each other.
"Um..." Tara stopped talking, realizing she had no words.
Later, in the library. Buffy, Tara, and Cordelia were sitting at the table and looking through books.
Giles came up behind Cordelia. "Here's something at last."
Cordelia started. "Can you please warn us before you do that?"
"There's nothing about Angel in the texts, but it suddenly occurred to me that it's been ages since I've read the diaries of any of the Watchers before me. There's mention some two-hundred years ago in Ireland of - of Angelus, the one with the angelic face."
Cordelia looked at him. "They got that right."
"Does this, uh, Angel have, um, a tattoo behind his right shoulder?" Giles asked.
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, it's a, it's a bird or something."
Tara looked at Giles. "So...Angel's been around for a while."
"Not long for a vampire. Uh, two-hundred-forty years or so."
"Huh!" Cordelia exclaimed. "Two-hundred-forty. Well, he said he was older."
Giles sat down at the table. "Angelus leaves Ireland, uh, wreaks havoc in - in Europe for, uh, several decades, and then, um, about eighty years ago, the most curious thing happens. He - He comes to, uh, to America, um, shuns other vampires, and - and lives alone. There's - There's no - no record of him hunting here."
"So he is a good vampire?" Tara asked him.
"I say that there's no record, but, uh, vampires hunt and kill. It's - It's what they do."
Cordelia looked at Giles. "He could've fed on me; he didn't."
"Question: a hundred years or so before he came to our shores, what was he like then?" Tara asked Giles.
"Uh, like all of them. Uh, a vicious, violent animal."
Later, at night, Tara was tutoring Buffy in the library.
"Okay, so let's review. Reconstruction began when?" Tara asked.
Buffy didn't reply. She was lost in thought.
Tara looked up from her history book. "Buffy?"
"Huh?" Buffy looked at her. "Oh! Um, Reconstruction..." She paused. "Uh, Reconstruction began after the...construction, which was...shoddy, so they had to reconstruct."
Tara stared at her. "After the destruction of the Civil War."
"Right. Civil War. During which Angel was already, like, a hundred and change..."
"You're thinking about Angel?" Tara smiled. "Should I be jealous?"
Buffy smiled. "Nah, sweetie. It's just...I'm the Slayer, and he's a vampire, but he's never done anything to hurt me...or Cordy."
"What are you gonna do?" Tara asked her.
"I dunno." Buffy sighed. "I need to stop thinking about this. Okay, let's give another half-hour, and maybe something will sink in."
"Okay. The era of the Congressional Reconstruction, usually called Radical..."
Buffy came home. She went through the living room and the dining room and entered the kitchen. "Hey! I'm home."
She froze with fear. Angel was holding onto her mother. There were bite marks on her neck. Angel bared his fangs and growled at Buffy. The image was seared into Buffy's memory; she would remember it forever.
After a moment, Buffy regained her composure - or at least enough to be able to lunge at Angel and beat him to the point that she threw him through the living room window.
Angel tumbled over the porch, through the bushes, and onto the lawn.
Buffy went over to the broken window and looked out at him as he got up. "You're not welcome here. You come near us, and I'll kill you."
Angel just looked at her.
"I will fucking kill you!" Buffy swore. "Now, get the fuck out of here!"
Angel turned and ran away.
Buffy ran over to the phone, grabbed it, dialed 911, and went over to kneel by her mother. "Mom! Mom, can you hear me?!"
"911. What's your emergency?"
"Yes, I need an ambulance, 1630 Revello Drive! My mother cut herself; she lost a lot of blood! Please, please hurry!" Buffy dropped the phone. "Mom!"
"Hey, Buffy!"
Buffy looked up to see Tara come in through the kitchen door.
"Oh, my Goddess! What happened?!" Tara asked.
"Angel!"
The ambulance arrived in time. Joyce was stabilized and taken to the hospital. Buffy and Tara rode with her in the ambulance. Then they had to wait until the okay was given to see her. Tara sat down.
Buffy went over to the pay phone, took out a small book, opened it, picked up the receiver, put in money, and called the number that Giles had given her.
"Hello, this is Rupert Giles."
"Giles, it's Buffy! I'm at the hospital!" Buffy started crying.
"Buffy?!" Giles asked in concern.
"It's my mom! It was Angel! Please hurry!" Buffy cried.
"I'll be right over!"
Buffy slammed the receiver down. She picked it up, put in more money, and called Cordelia.
"Hello?" Cordelia asked.
"Cordy, it's Buffy! Don't let Angel near you! He just attacked my mom! We're at the hospital!"
"What?!" Cordelia asked in disbelief.
"Please! For your own safety!" Buffy begged.
She slammed the receiver down and walked back over to Tara. Tara had gotten up, gone to the vending machine, and returned with two cans of regular Pepsi. She offered one to Buffy.
Buffy took the can. "Thanks."
They sat down and waited. Tara reached over and put her free hand on top of Buffy's.
"Ms. Summers?"
Buffy looked up at the doctor. "Yes?!"
"Your mother is awake."
Buffy stood up. "How is she?!"
"Her blood count was a little low. We gave her some iron. She should be fine, but we'd like to keep her overnight for observation."
"Can we see her?" Buffy asked.
"Yes."
Buffy looked at Tara. Tara stood up. The two of them walked into the room.
Buffy ran over to her mother, who was lying in bed. "Mom!"
"Buffy!" Joyce cried.
Buffy carefully hugged her mother and then let her go. "Do you remember anything, Mom?"
"Just, um, your friend came over. I was gonna make a snack."
"My friend?" Buffy asked in confusion, then remembered her mother had met Angel already.
"I guess I slipped and cut my neck on..." Joyce paused. "The doctor said it looked like a barbecue fork." She looked at Buffy. "We don't have a barbecue fork." She looked past Buffy. "Are you another doctor?"
Buffy looked and saw Giles. "Oh! Um..." She paused. "No, Mom, this is Mr. Giles."
"Oh, the librarian from your school!" Joyce was confused. "What's he doing here?"
"Uh, I-I just came to pay my respects, wish you a speedy recovery."
"He's my Watcher. In charge of my Slayer training."
Giles rolled his eyes, angry. "Buffy!"
Joyce stared at them awkwardly. "Oh. Okay. So...it wasn't a barbecue fork, was it?"
Buffy shook her head. "It was a vampire."
Joyce looked distressed.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it. Get some rest now." Buffy gave her mother a kiss.
Tara walked over to Joyce and smiled. "Get better, Mrs. Summers."
Joyce smiled at her. "I will, Tara, thank you."
Buffy, Giles, and Tara went out into the hall.
Buffy looked at Giles. "She's gonna be okay. They - They gave her some iron. Her, uh, blood count was a-a little-"
"-a little low. It presents itself like mild anemia. Uh, you - you were, uh, lucky you got to her as soon as you did."
"Lucky?" Buffy asked. "Stupid."
Tara looked at her girlfriend. "Buff, it's not your fault."
Buffy looked at her. "No? I invited him into my home."
Tara put her hands on Buffy's shoulders. "You didn't know what he was. You can't blame yourself, sweetie."
Buffy stared at her girlfriend and slowly nodded. Tara kissed Buffy on the lips.
Cordelia ran over to them. "Hey."
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Thanks for coming."
"Of course." Cordelia hugged Buffy.
Buffy hugged Cordelia.
"How is she?" Cordelia asked.
"She'll be fine."
"I'm so sorry! I can't believe Angel did this!" Cordelia cried.
"I saw it with my own eyes."
"I had feelings for him! I cared about him!"
Tara looked at Cordelia. "If you care about somebody, you care about them. You can't change that."
Cordelia and Buffy released each other.
"I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch." Buffy started to leave.
Tara watched her go. "Uh, we'll keep an eye on your mom."
Giles chased after Buffy. "Buffy!" He blocked her way.
"You can't stop me. The Three found us near the Bronze, and so did he. He lives nearby."
"This is no ordinary vampire. If there is such a thing. Now, he knows you; he-he's faced the Three! I think this is gonna take more than a simple stake."
"What do you suggest?" Buffy asked.
Giles got his keys out of his pocket, took one key off the key ring, and offered it to her. "This is the key to my office. The keys for the cage and the weapons case are in my desk."
Cordelia walked over to Buffy. "I'll drive you."
A bit later, Giles and Tara were sitting in chairs by Joyce's bed.
"She talks about you all the time. It's important to have teachers who make an impression."
"She makes quite an impression herself."
Tara mentally noted how Joyce was avoiding talking about vampire slaying. She found that interesting.
"I-I know she's having trouble with history. I-Is it too difficult for her, or is she not applying herself?" Joyce asked Giles.
"She lives very much in the now, um, and, uh, history, of course, is - is very much about the, uh, the then. B-B-But there's no reason-"
"She's studying with Tara; she's studying with Darla."
Tara looked up in confusion.
"I-I mean...she is trying."
"Darla?" Giles asked her. "I-I-I don't believe I know, uh-"
"Her friend, the one who came over tonight."
"Darla came to your house tonight? Sh-She's the friend that you mentioned earlier?"
"Yes, she's the..." Joyce couldn't bring herself to say it and fell silent.
Giles and Tara looked at each other.
Giles got up and looked at Joyce. "Excuse us." He grabbed his coat.
He and Tara walked out into the hall.
"So it wasn't Angel after all!" Tara exclaimed.
"Buffy's going after the wrong vampire."
Cordelia and Buffy arrived at the Bronze. Cordelia parked her car, and she and Buffy got out of it. Buffy had the crossbow held ready.
"Wow, it's a lot easier to find parking here when the place is closed."
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Wait here, Cordy. If I'm not out in ten minutes, go and tell Giles."
"But-"
"I mean it. I don't want you to get hurt...or worse."
Cordelia thought about that and nodded.
Buffy went through a hole in a fence and went toward the entrance. She heard glass breaking above her and turned to the noise. She looked around as she went to the wall, where there was a ladder. She started to climb.
Once she got inside, Buffy went down the stairs. When she got to the bottom, she quickly turned to have a look around.
Buffy heard a noise and pivoted toward it. "I know you're there. And I know what you are."
"Do you?" Angel asked.
She faced his voice.
"I'm just an animal, right?"
"You're not an animal. Animals, I like."
She kept looking around herself. He growled and came out of the shadows to face her. She trained the crossbow on him.
"Let's get it done!" Angel growled and began to run. He jumped onto a pool table.
Buffy followed him with her aim and shot - but missed. Angel jumped up onto the catwalk above. Buffy couldn't see him in the shadows. He swung down and kicked her in the back, knocking her onto a pool table. She did a standing back kick at him behind her and sent him into the wall. She ran around the table and dove for the crossbow. She rolled onto her back and took aim at him. He slowly got up and growled.
"C'mon! Don't go soft on me now!" Angel told her.
"Buffy!" Cordelia called.
Startled, Buffy launched the bolt. It hit the wall next to Angel.
Angel smiled. "Little wide."
Buffy got up. "Cordy, I told you to wait by the car."
Cordelia walked down the stairs. "Sorry, Buffy, I had to be here." She looked at Angel. "Why? Why didn't you just attack me when you had the chance? Was it a joke? To make me feel for you and then...?" She choked up.
When Angel didn't answer, Buffy stared him in the eyes. "I've killed vampires. I've never hated one before."
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Angel asked her.
"I invited you into my home, and then you attacked my family!" Buffy yelled.
"Why not?" Angel asked her. "I killed mine. I killed their friends...and their friends' children. For a hundred years, I offered ugly death to everyone I met, and I did it with a song in my heart."
"What changed?" Cordelia asked him.
Angel looked at her. "Fed on a girl about your age. Beautiful. Dumb as a post...but a favorite among her clan."
"Her clan?" Cordelia asked.
"Romany. Gypsies. The elders conjured the perfect punishment for me. They restored my soul."
"What, they were all out of boils and blinding torment?" Cordelia asked him.
"When you become a vampire, the demon takes your body, but it doesn't get your soul. That's gone! No conscience, no remorse. It's an easy way to live. You have no idea what it's like to have done the things I've done...and to care."
"They dragged you out of the afterlife and punished you for something that a demon did?" Cordelia asked him in shock. "That is so fucked up."
Angel shrugged. "Maybe, but it worked. I haven't fed on a living human being since that day."
"So you started with my mom?" Buffy asked him.
Angel looked at her. "I didn't bite her."
"Then why didn't you say something?" Buffy asked him.
"But I wanted to. I can walk like a man, but I'm not one. I wanted to kill you tonight."
Buffy stared daggers at him. "Try it, asshole."
He just looked at her in silence.
"What's the matter?" Buffy teased. "Not as easy as it looks?"
"Sure it is!"
The three of them turned toward the voice and saw Darla coming out of the shadows.
Tara and Giles were walking down a street.
"We're near the Bronze. What now?" Tara asked.
"Keep looking for her."
"What if we find her, and she's fighting Angel and some of his friends? What the fuck are we gonna do about it?" Tara asked.
Giles had no answer.
"Do you know what the saddest thing in the world is?" Darla asked.
"Bad hair on top of that outfit?" Buffy guessed.
"To love someone who used to love you."
Cordelia looked at Angel. "You guys were involved?"
"For several generations." Darla smiled at Cordelia. "I made him." She looked at Angel. "There was a time when we shared everything, wasn't there, Angelus? You had a chance to come home, to rule with me in the Master's court for a thousand years, but you threw that away because of her. You love someone who hates us. You're sick. And you'll always be sick. And you'll always remember what it was like to watch her die." She looked at Buffy and smiled. "You don't think I came alone, do you?"
"I know I didn't." Buffy raised the crossbow and aimed it at Darla.
"Hmm, scary." Darla revealed two pistols from behind her back, one in each hand. "Scarier!"
Buffy couldn't argue with that; she froze. Darla shot Angel. He staggered back onto a post. Cordelia let out a scream.
"Oh, don't worry. Bullets can't kill vampires. Can hurt them like hell, but..." Darla giggled.
Buffy retreated. Darla started shooting at her. Buffy did a diving shoulder roll over a pool table and took cover behind it. Cordelia joined her.
Outside, Tara and Giles heard the shots from inside the Bronze.
"Did you just hear...?" Tara asked Giles.
They ran to find a way in.
Buffy reloaded the crossbow.
"So many body parts, so few bullets. Let's begin with the kneecaps. No fun dancing without them."
Darla capped off a few more rounds, and the pool table took a few hits. Buffy stood up with the crossbow and took a shot at Darla. Darla doubled over when it hit her in the abdomen. Buffy watched as she straightened back up again.
"Close, but no heart." Darla grabbed the bolt, pulled it out, and tossed it aside.
Tara and Giles were crawling along the floor.
"Buffy, it wasn't Angel who attacked your mom; it was Darla!" Tara called out.
Darla turned toward the voice and let loose a hail of bullets as Tara and Giles hugged the floor for cover. Angel pulled the bolt from the wall. Darla turned her attention back on Buffy and hopped up onto the pool table.
Buffy knocked Cordelia flat on the floor, jumped up, grabbed the edge of the table, and pulled, knocking Darla onto her back. She pushed the table away, took hold of Cordelia's hand, and lifted her to her feet. The two of them started to run for cover. Buffy pushed Cordelia to run in another direction. Darla fired off a few rounds as she rode the table across the floor. Cordelia hid under the staircase and watched. Buffy leaped for cover over a glass case in a dive roll as bullets broke it all around her. The pool table stopped sliding, and Darla got up to look for Buffy. She hopped off it and advanced on the counter while shooting.
Tara got up and messed with the lighting system controls. The strobes came on. Darla looked up at her and stopped shooting. Buffy took the opportunity to change position. Darla saw her move and let loose another volley.
"C'mon, Buffy. Take it like a man!" Darla yelled.
Angel came up behind her, roared, and plunged the bolt into her back.
Darla was surprised and cried out in pain. She turned to look at her attacker. "Angelus?"
She fell to the floor. Buffy rose up to watch her die.
Angel looked up from Darla's body to Buffy. She came out from behind the counter. He looked at her a moment longer and then turned and left.
"Angel!" Cordelia yelled, running toward him.
Buffy looked at her. "Let him go."
Tara and Giles ran over to them. Tara hugged Buffy, and Buffy hugged her back.
Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "I was so worried, sweetie."
Buffy reached up and lovingly stroked Tara's hair. "I was downright frightened. The guns. I just..." Buffy started crying. "One of my worst fears is being shot."
Tara nodded. "I can so relate, but you were amazingly brave."
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips, and they released each other.
Buffy looked at Cordelia and walked over to her. "Do you wanna talk?"
Cordelia started crying and shook her head. "No." She wiped away her tears. "C'mon, I'll drive you guys home."
"Actually, Giles left his car at the hospital, and I need to get some information on my mom's discharge tomorrow."
Cordelia nodded.
Joyce was asleep by the time that they arrived back at the hospital, but Buffy received the relevant information, and Cordelia drove her and Tara home.
Buffy woke up early the next morning and drove to the hospital. Joyce was discharged and wheeled outside. She stood up, and she and Buffy walked over to the Jeep. Buffy headed toward the driver side.
"Oh, I can drive, sweetheart."
Buffy unlocked the door. "It's okay, Mom, I've got it."
Soon, they were on the road, spending most of the trip in silence.
Buffy briefly looked at her mother. "You don't have to worry about Darla anymore."
Her mother didn't reply.
That evening, Buffy, Tara, and Cordelia were hanging out at the Bronze. They were sitting at a table and eating pizza for dinner.
Tara smiled. "Ah, the post-fumigation party."
"Okay, so what's the difference between this and the pre-fumigation party?" Buffy asked her.
"Much hardier cockroaches."
Buffy laughed.
Tara looked at Cordelia. "So...no word from Angel?"
"Nah. It's weird, though. In his way, I feel like he's still watching me."
"Well, in a way, he sort of is." Buffy pointed. "In the way of that he's right over there."
Cordelia looked over where Buffy was pointing and saw Angel. She looked back at Buffy and then started to stand up.
Buffy gently touched Cordelia's hand. "Cordy, I realize you like him, but...it's a bad idea."
Cordelia stared at her.
Buffy shrugged. "What kind of a relationship can you two have together? Him worrying about you? You growing old, wrinkly, and toothless and eventually dying and leaving him in even more pain?"
Cordelia frowned at Buffy. "We'll figure it out."
Buffy sighed. "Cordy, there's one other thing. He might have a soul, but that doesn't stop the bloodlust. I came across him looking at my mom with..." She paused and swallowed. "I will never forget that moment as long as I live. If I had arrived a minute later, he might have killed her."
Cordelia stared at her.
"That's all."
Cordelia stood up. Buffy and Tara watched as Cordelia made her way through the slow-dancing crowd over to Angel.
Cordelia and Angel reached each other.
"I just wanted to see if you were okay. And Buffy's mother."
"We're both good. You?" Cordelia asked.
"If I can go a little while without getting shot or stabbed, I'll be all right. Look, this can't-"
"-ever be anything. I know. For one thing, you're, like, two-hundred-twenty-four years older than I am."
"I just gotta...I gotta walk away from this."
Cordelia nodded. "I know. Me, too."
Neither of them moved.
Cordelia stared at Angel. "One of us has to go here." Her voice was barely a whisper.
"I know."
They looked at each other a moment longer and then closed in to kiss. Their kiss became passionate. Cordelia reached her hands up to Angel's neck. Eventually, they finished kissing and separated.
"You okay?" Cordelia asked him.
"It's just-"
"-painful. I know. See you around?" Cordelia asked.
He didn't reply. Cordelia turned and walked away.