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Part 3
“If I read one more word my head is going to explode,” Buffy said in a very serious tone. Angel looked up at her, laughing silently.
“Hmm?” Giles asked, turning to her from his stack of books. Buffy sighed.
“One more word, head explodes. Get the picture?” Buffy asked. Giles looked taken aback, but then he usually did around Buffy. Angel had noticed that the years hadn’t really improved their understanding of each other.
“Oh. Well I suppose we have been working for a while,” Giles said.
“Try almost twelve hours!” Buffy exclaimed. Despite what she had said, and what his own eyes told him, Buffy seemed the same age she had been when he met her. Angel supposed that Giles brought out the child in her. He always had before.
Before. Before he lost his soul and regained it too late. Before he had irreparably hurt the woman he loved. Before she had sent him away, which was better than he deserved. And now he had the nerve to come back, to hope that she might have forgiven him. There was no forgiveness for something like that. Even if it wasn’t really him. Because he remembered doing it, he remembered gloating about it. He remembered hurting her and loving it. He remembered being trapped watching, watching, unable to stop it. Unable to stop the pain he caused her. Unable to stop the tears and the rage and the hate in her eyes. Hate which he had earned.
And now she was sitting and looking at him with an expectant smile on her face. He realized she had asked him a question. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening,” he said. She sighed and rolled her eyes.
“Some people never change! Anyway, I was wondering if since our dear Watcher here has kindly given me a momentary leave of absence you would like to go get something to eat? That is . . . come with me while I get something to eat?” Buffy asked, realizing her original mistake.
“I’d love to,” he said, astounded at his good fortune. After what he’d done, she was asking him to dinner? It had been fifteen years ago, true, but it was not something one forgot, even in fifteen years. And the points she’d raised before were valid ones. She would get old and die someday . And he wouldn’t. Ever. What he would give to grow old and die, and be free finally.
“Good. Let’s go. I’m starving. You could probably get something on the way or something, right?” Buffy asked hesitantly. Angel nodded.
“I’m not that hungry though,” he said. He held the library door open for her and followed her out. Behind them Giles muttered,
“Some people never grow up!”
“I heard that!” Buffy called over her shoulder, then kept walking. It was dark out now, so he was in no danger of being burned. She turned and glanced back at him, her smile gone and her face unreadable. Slowly she extended her hand back to him. He took it and she waited for him to catch up, still unsmiling. Everything was not all right, but it was a start at least. He felt something cold against his hand and looked down at their entwined hands. She still wore his ring. He could not speak for a moment, then finally shook himself out of his reverie.
“Where do you go now?” he asked. “Still the Bronze?” Buffy shook her head, her hair falling forward in the way he loved. She’d let it grow out again. She tucked her hair back behind her ear.
“The Bronze is sort of a high school thing. Not that I would go if I didn’t think I’d be laughed out of the place. You’d still fit in though,” Buffy said, eyeing him. He shrugged.
“I was just asking. I certainly don’t want to go without you,” he said. “I don’t want to go anywhere without you.” There was a moment of silence before Buffy replied.
“To hell with being thirty one! Let’s go dancing Angel,” Buffy said, half laughing, half almost sad sounding. “I haven’t danced for so long.”
“Dancing it is. And dinner on the way.”
“They have a restaurant at the Bronze now. It’s like a separate section, but you can take your food into the dance area,” Buffy corrected. “I went a couple of times. Looking for people, you know.”
“Now that your Slayerettes are all moved out who helps you? Giles doesn’t do it all, does he? I mean, even with all the new technology, I still can’t see him researching stuff on the Internet,” Angel said doubtfully. Buffy smiled.
“No. A couple of my students help sometimes. They’re not exactly Slayerettes . . . I mean, they’re not my best friends like Willow and . . . and everyone was. But they help a lot.” Angel noticed that she avoided his name again. It was like she couldn’t say it. Or was afraid to say it in front of him. Angel wondered, He didn’t have an answer, and he doubted she did either.
They walked in silence for a while, out of the high school and onto the sidewalk. She didn’t take her hand away, even to brush her hair away from her face and open doors. Angel looked up at the stars briefly. He had stopped noticing their beauty a long time ago. After all, when they were all one ever saw . . . But they were beautiful, so small and bright.
“This will probably be my last big Slaying,” Buffy said softly, breaking the silence.
“What do you mean?” Angel asked, startled.
“Giles is expecting the new Watcher anytime now, and the new Slayer a little after that. He thinks she’ll come here, because this is still the Hellmouth, though the way things have been going she could easily go somewhere else. It’s been pretty unremarkable around here for a while. Still . . . I’m getting older, and so is Giles. Most Slayer’s don’t live this long. He says it’s a tribute to me. He says I might be one of the few that gets to retire. I was thinking about moving up to Seattle to be near Willow and her kids. I’m their godmother,” Buffy said absently. It struck Angel that time really had passed. A new Slayer? Buffy seemed perfectly fit. But maybe it was time. They wanted a few years with the old Slayer around if possible for the new one to get accustomed. It didn’t usually happen, but it would be nice.
“What will you do? With your time, I mean,” Angel asked. Buffy sighed.
“I don’t know. I’ll keep teaching, I guess. Not that I really need to. I was just kidding about needing to eat. There’s some mysterious fund through which the Watcher and Slayer can easily be provided for, and provided for well. I saw the figures. But it just seemed to be the worst type of stupid to me. I mean, there’s someone with a really nice house, a really nice car and no job? Doesn’t that just scream Slayer? I mean, in a place like this. Not usually. But I don’t choose to be stupid when I can help it. And I sort of like my classes.
“Anyway, as I was saying . . . What was I saying? Oh yeah, I don’t really need to teach. I might travel. I haven’t seen much of the world. It’s not like I get a lot of vacations, you know? I went to Japan after high school for a few years, ‘cause things were getting pretty heated over there, but besides that I never get to go anywhere. I’ll have to keep on my guard, because a former Slayer’s a target anywhere, and I’ll still have my Power, I just won’t be the ‘Official Slayer.’ Listen to me, going on about something that might not even happen for years,” Buffy said, shaking her head at herself.
“It’s fine,” Angel assured her. He would have said more but they reached the Bronze and were nodded in by the large security guard.
“A security guard?” Angel asked. Buffy shrugged.
“It’s been fifteen years. Modern crime has finally touched Sunnydale. That is, we’ve had problems with something
un-supernatural. And I’d be careful of that security guard if I were you, he’s pretty good,” Buffy warned, a smile playing on her
lips.
“Well than I will watch out,” he said. He stopped and looked around. The Bronze hadn’t changed that much. There was new
decor, and the band was playing a different sort of music, but besides that it was pretty much the same. He saw a few girls
eyeing him and held up his and Buffy’s intertwined hands with a shrug. They made faces and turned away. Buffy was watching
with amusement.
“I see I’m not the only one to still recognize your charm,” she teased. She HAD changed. Years ago she might have been
jealous, but he supposed that she had grown up. “I’m going to get some food. Why don’t you stake us out a table?” Buffy
suggested. Angel nodded and watched her as she went into the other room. It almost seemed normal again, but he knew it
wouldn’t last. It couldn’t last. There was too much between them to start over just like that. Maybe in time they could, but it
was too soon.
Buffy returned in due time with a tray of food which she set down on the table. The band was playing a slow song.
“Come dance with me,” she said, taking Angel’s hand and pulling him out to the dance floor. He put his arms around her waist
and she put hers around his neck and rested her head against his chest, moving to the music. Angel pressed a kiss against her
hair. It felt so right, holding her in his arms again. So perfect, but he knew it could not last. How he wished it could go on
forever. In a few days she would have to face her most dangerous opponent yet, and after that they would see. If they were still
alive, because if Buffy died so did Angel. He wasn’t going to stand by and see her die. Annwyl would have to kill him first.
His arms tightened about her, thinking about this. He had just found her again, after so long, and he could not lose her. Not
again. Not unequivocally. If he lost her again it would be her choice, and not death taking her and leaving him behind. Not that.
She looked up at him, her eyes wide and serious, full of pain and sorrow, and—dare he hope?—love.
“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “We’ll defeat her. Together, we can do anything.” How she had known what he was thinking
about he never knew, but he believed her in that moment. This small, hotheaded woman (she wasn’t a girl anymore, he had to
admit that), was capable of anything. He truly believed that. She had loved him, hadn’t she? And that was perhaps the hardest
thing of all.
The dance was over and they broke apart reluctantly and began walking over to their table. They were stopped by a high
school boy of about seventeen, about medium height and build, but with strength beneath his seemingly normal facade. His
brown eyes were sharply intelligent and held a question.
“Buffy, I just wanted to ask if there was anything to Giles’ message? I mean, I heard you had Lyrik sub for Beginning today,”
the young man asked. A girl appeared beside him, greeting them all with a smile.
“I heard my name,” she informed them. “What are you telling them about me Jon?” The African-American girl was very tall and
lanky. Angel guessed that she played basketball, or could have at least.
“We were discussing business. There was something to the message. Definitely. But before we go into it, I want you both to
meet Angel. He’s an old friend. Angel, this is Jon Richards and Lyrik Washington, my new generation Slayerettes,” Buffy
introduced them. Angel shook hands with the two teenagers, silently measuring them up. They might not be of the caliber of
Willow, Xander, Oz and even Cordelia, but they looked pretty good.
“You know him pretty well, right?” Jon asked, eyeing Angel cautiously. Well, he was right to. He should be getting a lot of bad
feelings about his teacher’s friend.
“VERY well,” Buffy reassured him. “He’s the one that brought the bad news we’re facing today. Come over and sit down and
I’ll tell you about it.” Lyrik followed Buffy to the table and Jon—with one last suspicious glance at Angel—followed. Angel
came last, taking a seat beside the Slayer.
“So what’s up?” Lyrik asked, settling herself and eyeing Buffy’s dinner. The Slayer took a bite of her chicken salad before
answering.
“New vamp in town,” Buffy answered shortly, then elaborated after another bite. “Her name’s Annwyl—her original name, that
is. She’s sort of wacko. She was some kind of Seer before she was made into a vampire, so she had some extra power, and
also a tiny bit of humanity left. That is, she was still in love with her boyfriend. The current Slayer accidentally killed him, trying
to get to Annwyl and the vampire went a little berserk. She killed the Slayer and drank her blood, thereby getting some of the
Slayer’s power. She’s really into the killing Slayer’s thing, as some sort of twisted revenge. She’s killed six already.” There was
a silence as the two teenagers took in the seriousness of the situation. Angel thought, watching their faces.
“Now she’s after you,” Lyrik stated finally. Buffy nodded.
“So what can we do?” Jon asked. Angel decided to step in. Buffy wasn’t the best at delegating responsibility.
“Help research,” Angel said. “We need to find out how to stop her. Even Buffy can’t face her in a straight fight.” Buffy made a
face at him, then smiled slightly and nodded. Jon was still eyeing Angel suspiciously, as if to say *who do you think you are
telling us what to do?* Angel wasn’t about to enlighten him. Buffy saw the look though, and broke in.
“Angel’s absolutely right,” she put in. “I CAN’T face her myself.”
“Also, I assume you are both in Buffy’s advanced combat class?” Angel hazarded. Lyrik nodded. “Good. Then you can take
over her other classes. The fight will be Friday night, and Buffy needs the time to get ready.”
“Why don’t you just go into the library tomorrow morning when you get to school?” Buffy suggested to Jon. “Giles always gets
there early.”
He nodded and she turned to Lyrik.
“You have intermediate tomorrow right?” the girl asked. Buffy nodded.
“Just have them go through what I taught them last week and try to correct any problems. You should try and come in to the
library when you can too. I’ll see you both there at lunch tomorrow,” Buffy said, and it was NOT a question. They nodded in
agreement.
“I’m going back to help Giles,” Angel said, standing up. Buffy caught his arm, protesting.
“We just got here!” she exclaimed. “We only danced once.”
“I know, but we can dance another time. I’ll probably be at the library tomorrow, or at Giles’,” Angel said. Buffy shook her
head.
“No way. You’re staying with me,” she said in a tone that brooked no argument. Angel was suprised. She wanted him to stay
with her? Did this mean she had forgiven him? But he couldn’t assume anything. Though some people obviously did; the
students were laughing quietly.
“Old friends?” Lyrik murmured. Angel ignored them, his attention focused on Buffy.
“On my couch,” she said softly, for his benefit, Angel knew, not for the students’, though they heard too and exchanged
interested looks.
“Where is it?” Angel asked, accepting what she said. There was something like relief on her face, but it was gone in an instant.
“Where your old building was, though those were knocked down a while ago. Number thirteen. Seemed significant in some
way,” Buffy said, her mouth twisting a little. She lived in his old apartments? Or as near to them as she could get. Did that mean
something? Or was it just that they were near the Bronze, and therefore the center of town? Time to worry about that later.
“I’ll be there,” he said, his eyes steady on hers.
“Don’t be too late,” she told him, her eyes just as steady. He nodded silently and brought her hand to his mouth before he
turned and walked away, not daring to look back to see if she was watching him go. He was afraid she wasn’t. He was afraid
she was.