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Part 2
"So what do you do for fun around here?" Kathryn asked, lounging on Buffy’s bed.
"Did I mention how dull Sunnydale is?" Buffy asked. Her cousin smiled. "There's one club. It’s kind of almost cool. Besides that . . . I think there’s one Starbucks, one other cafe, and an ice cream parlor. Oh, and twelve graveyards."
"Twelve?" Sebastien repeated.
"We have a lot of crime around here. That’s the other thing . . . I would stay off the streets at night unless you’re with me or another of my friends. There’s all these gangs . . . these gangs on PCP . . . you have to be careful."
"I think Sunnydale’s a bit safer than New York," Kathryn said, amused condesencion in her voice.
"You have no idea. Just be careful," Buffy repeated. "So you guys up for the nightclub or is it jetlag city?"
"I could use some dark places," Kathryn said. "Brother dearest?"
"I’m in," Sebastien agreed. Buffy smiled.
"Great. If you’ll excuse us Sebastien, I have to change," she said. He rose from his chair and bowed gracefully.
"As you wish," he murmured. "Kathryn." His stepsister nodded to him as he left, closing the door behind him. Buffy walked over to her closet and opened it. Behind her she heard her cousin getting slowly off the bed.
"So what do you think of Sebastien?" Kathryn asked, walking over to one of her suitcases and popping it open.
"He seems nice," Buffy said. "And quite . . . what’s the word I’m looking for?" Kathryn laughed deeply.
"I know what you mean," she said.
"But he’s your brother!" Buffy exclaimed.
"Stepbrother. And I can look, can’t I?" Kathryn inquired. Buffy smiled.
"Of course. I was just saying . . . mmm . . . what to wear?" Kathryn came up beside her and peered over her shoulder.
"The blue dress with your hair up. I’ve always liked blond hair," she murmured.
"Well it’s a good that something’s different at least. Did we used to look this twin-like?" Buffy asked, taking the blue dress out of the closet.
"I don’t know. I never remarked on it," Kathryn murmured, pulling a different black dress from her suitcase. This one was strapless, with silver flowers hand-embroidered on.
"Is there anyone I should watch out for around here? Any men I should be careful of?" Kathryn asked in a bored tone as she shed her clothes. Buffy averted her eyes, but not before catching a climpse of black teddy. She blinked and turned away.
"There is one guy actually. If he even talks to you, come get me right away. His name’s Angel and he’s got the tall dark and handsome thing going," Buffy said, silently praying Kathryn would never meet her ex-beau. If anything happened to her cousin while out with Buffy, Joyce would never forgive her. And that was assuming she’d forgive herself . . .
"It’s quite . . . adorable. Really," Kathryn said, her eyes sweeping over the Bronze. "Is that your friend on stage? Oz, was it?"
"Yeah, he’s the lead guitar in ‘Dingoes Ate My Baby’," Buffy explained. "Oh, there’s Willow. And oh goody, Cordelia."
"You’re not fond of Cordelia?" Sebastien asked as they made their way through the crowd.
"It’s not that she doesn’t have her good points . . . I’m just not entirely sure what they are," Buffy said, frowning. Kathryn laughed and Sebastien smiled a little. Another thing that reminded her of Angel–those little half smiles. Time to stop thinking about Angel. Definitely time to stop thinking about Angel.
"Hey! It’s the twins!" Willow cried, spotting them approaching. Kathryn laid her jacket over one chair and slid into a seat. Buffy had been suprised when she covered her low cut tube dress demurely before leaving the house, but had since realized it was just for Joyce’s benefit. It had worked too . . . Joyce had asked Buffy why she didn’t dress as nicely as her cousin.
"We’re not twins Will," Buffy said, sitting down as well.
"Sorry, I was just kidding." Buffy shrugged. "It's fine."
"Did you see Oz?" Willow asked. "It’s my boyfriend. In the band."
"Willow gets a little excited about these things," Buffy said, laughing. Kathryn smiled graciously.
"Well, it’s an exciting thing," she said. Willow grinned and turned her attention back to the stage.
"So Buffy, I hear you used to live in L.A." She glanced sharply at Sebastien, wondering why he asked.
"Yeah, we moved here during sophomore year," she said.
"Why’d you leave L.A.?" he inquired. Buffy stiffened and Kathryn gave him a quelling look. "What?" he asked her innocently.
"Sebastien!" she hissed, then smiled at Buffy. "You must forgive him. He sometimes lacks . . . tact."
"It’s all right. My parents divorced and I . . . I was expelled from my old high school. It was a big mess up though. I didn’t really do anything! It was rats."
"Rats?" Kathryn echoed. Buffy nodded nervously.
"They, um, made the gym susceptible to fire . . . it burned down . . . but I had nothing to do with it and I don’t know why they thought I did so–"
"It’s all right," Sebastien assured her, putting his hand over her nervously tapping one. "We’ve all done things we’re not proud of." You have no idea, Buffy thought, her mind going to the equally dark eyes of the man that she had loved and destroyed. The man she was supposed to kill. The band started a new song. "Would you like to dance?" he asked. Buffy blinked and nodded automatically, then cursed herself for stupidity. What was done was done though and she couldn’t go back.
"Sure," she said, standing up. He took her hand and shot an oblique look at his stepsister before leading Buffy out onto the dance floor.
Sebastien Valmont could not figure Buffy Summers out. Most people were easy; he’d been suprised in the past, but he usually at least had some idea of a person’s true character. And Buffy he could not pin down.
It was mostly her astounding resemblance to Kathryn, he admitted that. Part of him suspected that beneath the innocent facade, she was like her cousin in other ways. But the clues weren’t there. She wasn’t perfect, as Kathryn seemed to be, she admitted her flaws, even if they were few, which pointed to her not hiding larger ones. But there was something hidden in her hazel eyes. Something he could not pinpoint . . . every once in a while she would get the oddest look, like when he’d said everyone did things they weren’t proud of. She was hiding something, that was certain. What, he couldn’t figure out, and it was infuriating.
They really were too alike for comfort. Except for hair color, and some difference in clothing styles, they could have been . . . each other. Were their personalities as alike?
Buffy even wore a silver cross, though it was very different from Kathryn’s ornate coke holder. Her cousin’s was much simpler, and flat, unable to hold anything.
"Are you religious?" he asked. She looked startled and opened her mouth to answer, then stopped, her hand going to the cross.
"Yes," she said. "Well, I raised Catholic, but I don’t go to church that much. Sometimes I still go to confession. A friend gave me this."
"Ah," Sebsatien murmured. "Anyone I’ve met?"
"No, we’re not really friends anymore," Buffy replied, her eyes getting that dark, hidden look again. She sighed and her eyes returned to him. "I wear it for memories sake, y’ know?" Sebastien nodded, though he didn’t especially.
"The song’s over," Buffy said, stopping. A slow song began to play.
"Come on, just one more," Sebastien asked. She bit her lip, but shrugged and they began to dance once more.
Kathryn sighed, bored and glanced around the crowded club. Pathetic. A gust of cold air blew into the room and she shivered, looking up at the door. And stopped. Because the most gorgeous man she’d seen in ages was walking in. And he perfectly fit Buffy’s description of the man she should stay away from.
She made an excuse of getting fresh air and left the table, walking quickly over to the man before he could find whoever he was looking for. Kathryn pulled her silver cross off and dropped it on the floor, right beside his foot. He looked down, but didn’t bend to pick it up. Kathryn sighed and did it herself, coming up to look him straight in the face. He looked startled.
"You know, it’s very rude not to help a lady by picking something up," Kathryn murmured. He smiled, sending a shiver through her. There was something cruel about his smile . . . recklessly, she decided she didn’t care and stayed right where she was.
"Buffy. You changed your hair. It’s not very nice to try and burn an old friend either," he said. Kathryn’s mouth curved in her own rather cruel smile. He thought she was Buffy. This should be fun.
"I didn’t try and burn you Angel," she purred. "I was just saying hello."
"I was under the impression we weren’t on friendly terms anymore. I mean, I didn’t get you a Valentine. I know you were devastated."
"Heartbroken. And why didn’t you get me a Valentine?"
"Oh I tried. I almost got you that friend of yours, but Dru . . . I really did a good job, you know? She’s very insane." Kathryn laughed softly, wondering who this "Dru" was. Kathryn glanced up and saw Buffy and Sebastien separating as the song ended. She put her hand on Angel’s arm.
"You want to go somewhere more . . . private?" she asked, arching her brows suggestively. He laughed.
"I knew you’d come around Buff. And don’t worry, you’ll improve with practice," he mocked. Kathryn looked up and saw Buffy, who had apparently just spotted Angel. She gasped and pretended to cower from the stranger, just as Buffy grabbed his arm and spun him around.
"Angel. So nice to see you. Do you have some kind of death wish?" Buffy asked sweetly. Kathryn blinked, then reverted to her frightened act. She looked up and met Sebastien’s eyes–he was laughing silently, knowing exactly what was really going on. This Angel, apparently did not.
"Oh, this is what I really need," he muttered. "Two of you. Don’t tell me you have a long lost twin sister. I’d have to die of the corniness."
"And how sad that would be. She’s my cousin, and if you come near her again–" Angel cut off the young woman with a mocking smile.
"I know, I know. No need to go into detail. That can wait for when we’re alone . . . and you can’t kill me. Again."
"It’ll come," Buffy promised, her eyes hard. "Watch your back, because it’ll come." He laughed.
"Right. I’m scared. Well, it’s getting late, Dru will be worried," Angel said.
"Wouldn’t want to keep little miss insane asylum waiting," Buffy agreed. "Or even Peroxide Boy." Angel grabbed her hand and kissed it, then inclined his head to Kathryn, his dark eyes glinting dangerously.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow . . ."
"That you better get the hell out of here before I get angry," Buffy interupted. He bowed mockingly and was suddenly . . . gone. Just like that. Gone. Buffy sighed, losing the fire that had possessed her a moment before and walked over to her cousin.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "I told you to come get me if you ran into him."
"I tried!" Kathryn exclaimed. "I was going to the bathroom, and I ran into him and he thought you were me. It was horrible! He kept saying the worst things!" She clutched her silver cross, secretly wondering how soon she could get away to the bathroom and use its secret hoard.
"What was that man like, the one Buffy didn’t like?" Sebastien inquired. Kathryn was lounging on the bed he was sleeping on while he changed into pajamas.
"He talked as if they were dating. Apologized for not getting her a Valentine. I think they were and little miss goody-two-shoes decided she wasn’t fond of him anymore," Kathryn mused, letting the slit of her dress fall open up to her thighs and running a hand over one.
"She seemed a bit angry," Sebastien pointed out. Just a little bit of an understatement. She had seemed livid.
"They had a spat. Maybe he wanted to go all the way and she didn’t . . . or maybe they did and she turned into a prude," Kathryn murmured, her attention focused on Sebastien’s eyes on her creamy thighs.
"Could be," he agreed, settling on the bed beside her. "You liked him." "
He was . . . different," Kathryn admitted.
"And you wouldn’t mind seeing Buffy’s reaction when you show up on the arm and the tongue of her sweet ex whom she loves so dearly." Kathryn nearly purred, leaning forward until she was centimeters from him.
"You know she too well," she whispered, then was off the bed suddenly, straightening out her dress. "Good night," she said. "Sleep well. Don’t let the bedbugs bite."
"I wouldn’t dream of it," Sebastien murmured as she stole out the door,
casting an oblique glance at him as she left.