(no subject)
Okay, so, I finally know where this is going, and I think it is going to be wild good :) Having said that, small note- in the last chapter it was mentioned that the people who are currently in charge didn't know how Giles was conected to Buffy. Forget that line :P It never happened ;)
Enjoy!
Three
Buffy looked at Angel nervously as surprise showed clearly on his face, bracing herself for the negative reaction that… didn’t come.
It took him a minute to realize she was waiting for him to say something, and as soon as he did he nodded calmly. “Okay.”
She blinked, jaw dropping. “Okay?”
He nodded again, shrugging. “Okay.” As she seemed to expect more he continued, awkwardly, “Um…It was a good choice?”
Her jaw dropped. “It- doesn’t bother you?"
He looked at her like she was a child. “Should it?”
At the slightly superior tone in his voice she lifted her chin defiantly, snapping “Of course not!” wondering how in three seconds he’d managed to reduce her to the equivalent of a bumbling idiot. “It’s just- most people-“
“Most people are stupid,” Angel snapped and she relaxed slightly and sighed, knowing instinctually that his ire was not directed at her.
“Agreed,” she replied sharply.
“What bothered your friends?” he asked gently and she started slightly, beginning to ask how he knew before shrugging.
“Never asked. I did what I had to; it was nothing to do with them,” she shook her head slowly. “None of them ever really got that it was nothing to do with them-“
“But you do know what bothered them,” he stated and she frowned slightly, causing him to continue to explain. “I’m just wondering if it was the father-figure thing or the age difference-“
She glared up at him, folding her arms defiantly. “Are you trying to be funny? Because-“
“No. It just that you expected me to be upset, and I’m wondering which thing you thought I’d be upset about.”
She snorted. “Well, the age difference was sort of a moot point, since he was still 200 years younger than my first boyfriend,” she snapped, then had the decency to look guilty, staring at her feet intently before starting again. “I don’t know. I guess it was the father figure thing, but it might have been the age thing too- or even instead- they never really mentioned age with you but I sort of think that’s because there were bigger issues,” and he marveled at how she could reduce something as complex as what had happened between them into one insignificant phrase-
“Well, then, that leaves the father issue,” Angel said softly, “which probably just bothered your friends because they were scared he might take advantage of you-“
Her chin shot out defiantly. “Rupert would never-“
“I know. That’s why I’m not upset.” He frowned slightly. “I’m- glad you two were able to turn to one another-“
She grimaced slightly. “It- wasn’t really like hat.”
He looked at her, seeming to contemplate before stating dully, “Oh. You loved him?” and she marveled at how he was really striking out in his guesses regarding her love life when he was so seldom wrong about anything else as she shook her head, eyes tortured as she managed to choke out, “Yes, very much, but not the way you- not the way you mean.”
“Then what-“
“There was a prophesy, what else is new,” she said dully, frowning.
He truly did do a double take then, enquiring incredulously, “A prophesy that specifically said-“
She sighed, tapping her foot impatiently, fighting to remember that it was not his fault he didn’t know. “Sort of. I mean, definite prophesy, sort of specifically said.” She flushed, realizing she wasn’t making and sense. “You know.”
“I- think so,” he replied slowly, sounding like he did not understand at ALL. “What did it say?”
She shrugged. “Most powerful slayer that ever lived blah blah blah joined in marriage blah blah blah eternal protection blah blah blah, together they will save the world blah blah blah, he will defy death blah blah blah-“
“Okay, could we maybe omit the snippy commentary?” he snapped and she flushed again, looking slightly ashamed.
“Sorry,” she muttered. “I’m- a little bitter about it.”
“Because- you had to marry Giles?” he ventured and she looked at him with surprise.
“No! I mean, once Willow finally managed to translate it and it seemed like I was going to have to get married in order to,” she flushed, looking almost embarrassed, “well, you know, save the world… there was no one else I even considered. I- I’m bitter because it was wrong.” To his chagrin she got even redder. “Or else- we were wrong. Pretty presumptuous to assume that when they said the greatest slayer to ever live they meant me-“
“Makes sense to me,” he offered and a ghost of a smile shot across her face.
“Made sense to all of us. I- don’t really remember the exact translation anymore, but the gist was that by her 25th birthday this slayer who they were referring to would need to choose a… ‘mate and protector’ and ‘marry him with all due ceremony befitting their then sacred connection’… and that after this official ceremony thingy- well, basically I was going to be unstoppable and there was eventually going to be a final battle- which I guess should have tipped me off that the whole thing was bullshit, because, I mean, come on, not like I haven’t heard that one before- um, right,” she said at his strained look. “Final battle that he and I would fight in together and win, complimenting one another perfectly or something…and there was also that throwaway line about his defying death, which made it even harder when- when I watched him die, I really thought he just- wasn’t going to, isn’t that stupid?” Her voice grew hard again. “But whatdaya know, there’s been no death defying here-“ she shook her head in defeat. “It all seemed so simple. I mean, all I had to do was pick someone, the only conditions were that it had to be before my 25th birthday and he had to be male and mortal-“
“Had to?”
She nodded. “Oh, yeah, the prophesy was very specific about that one” she smirked. “Guess someone wanted to make sure I didn’t start staging resurrections of my own,” she teased lightly. “I mean, it’s not like Spike hadn’t risen before-“ and he looked at her in shock for a long moment before he realized she was actually joking, letting out a short laugh before she sighed, continuing again. “Giles had always been- I mean, I totally trusted him, and, I, uh,” she blushed. “You never missed very much, I guess you probably already know I sort of thought he was… um, hot, in an older kind of way… and he sort of thought I was hot in a younger way- I honestly didn’t see him as my father, certainly not after he left for England the first time… and he knew what I was and we were able to do some really GOOD things in the time we were married, help out- it was just…” she sighed, shaking her head. “SO simple and obvious only…”
“The prophesy wasn’t true,” he offered softly and she nodded, tears coming to her eyes again.
“I really wanted to be an old lady with her old husband,” she murmured so softly he almost wasn’t sure he heard it.
“I know you did.”
She shrugged. “Whatever. I just-“ Suddenly her eyes flashed and she stopped. “Did you hear-“
And then the small cry came again, louder, frantic. “MOMMY!”
For one terrible moment Buffy was frozen in place and as Angel watched the emotions flit across her face he realized sharply that no matter how many times she rolled her eyes and muttered ‘whatever’ she was still the same at heart- loving those around her far too much, feeling things far too deeply and repeatedly getting hurt because of that, somehow managing to stand back up again-
And then he was startled out of his reverie by her anguished cry of “WILLOW!” as she began to charge with speed he wouldn’t have though she still possessed toward the door leading from the roof. In the split second before he sprung into action himself Angel felt a sharp pang of relief that there was fight left in her after all, a thought that was confirmed an instant later as she suddenly whipped around, punching him in the jaw hard enough to send him sprawling to the ground. “I need you to trust me now!” she screamed as he blinked up at her in confusion, and as he tried to stand she hit him again, if it was possible harder. “Get as far away from here as you can and pretend you never knew me.” She hesitated for the barest sliver of a second before crouching beside him, adding softly “I’m sorry I didn’t have time to tell you more, but really that’s the only important stuff anyway,” something he couldn’t quite read in her eyes as she gently traced his jaw with her fingertips, as though trying to smooth away the hurt that she had so deliberately inflicted milliseconds earlier. “What the hell?” she muttered. “Not like I’ll ever see him again,” and his brow furrowed at the words before he realized she as talking to herself before she grabbed his jaw firmly, licking her lips-
And then he was not thinking at all she quickly bought her mouth toward him, lips brushing his with tenderness he’d almost forgotten existed. She sighed against his mouth, right hand continuing its gentle ministrations to his jaw even as her left fisted tightly into his hair and he had to fight with everything in him not to bend her backward and cover her body with his own. He recoiled slightly at the thought and both he and Buffy froze for a moment, seeming to realize at the same instant just what was happening before she leaned into him slowly, tantalizingly flicking her tongue out just enough that it caressed his lower lip, and without thinking he pulled her closer, allowing one hand to slowly run up her thigh as his tongue reached out for hers. She moaned against him, pulling her own tongue back, to his immense disappointment and relief… only to gently bite down on his lower lip milliseconds later, opening her eyes to peek at him, feeling herself grow hot at the realization that his own eyes had never closed.
And then, as abruptly as she had instigated the contact she jumped up, looking angry and something else he couldn’t quite place… regretful? Relieved? as she said, softly “Goodbye,” turning to barrel back downstairs.
---
In ten seconds flat Buffy was kicking in the door to her own apartment, hoping the five seconds was it really only five seconds? she’d wasted kissing Angel hadn’t been critical it was worth it, hadn’t hurt her children in some way I couldn’t help it- but as she found herself face to face with the one man who she hated more than anyone else in the world her internal monologue stopped and she willed herself to be strong or at least to fake it with every fiber of her being-
“Hello, Ethan,” she said shortly, calmly stepping into the room and swinging the door, which had miraculously not been knocked clear of nits hinges gently shut. ‘Do what do I owe this-“ she fought not to choke on the word. “Pleasure?”
He clucked his tongue, raising an eyebrow and deliberately ignoring the question. “Did no one ever tell you not to leave children unattended? I find it hard to believe that if your dearly departed husband were here he would have been so careless-“
“You do NOT mention him to me,” she said dangerously, eyes flashing as he merely smirked, holding up his hands in a gesture of mock surrender.
“I assure you, love, it was merely an observation-”
“WHERE. IS. MY. DAUGHTER?” Buff bit out through clenched teeth.
He continued blandly, as though he hadn’t heard her, “Our radars really went crazy tonight. Imagine our… GREAT surprise when we found the center of the disturbance was here.”
“I swear-“
“Yes, I’m aware you were not the SOURCE,” he interrupted her “But Buffy- so many years and you’ve still not taken the old saying to heart- if you’re not part of the problem you’re part of the solution.
“I think you mean that if you’re not part of the solution you’re part of the problem,” she smiled sweetly, then hit herself lightly upside the head. “But I forgot!” she said, dropping her voice. “I’m dealing with the stupid kids.”
He glared at her dangerously but she just rolled her eyes, trying to channel the girl she’d been when they first dealt with her, cocky and carefree as hell. “Have you forgotten that we have your children,” he demanded coldly.
She stared him down for a moment, wondering how far she dared go before saying blithely, “You know what your problem is really, Ethan? You don’t understand people at all. You think that just because you were able to seize power with the help of demons and witches who you later killed to repay them for their loyalty, and then play off the people’s fear of the very same people who got you where you are today you’re somehow better that everyone else when really-“
He slapped her hard and she flinched as though it had hurt, deciding to give him that much, afraid of going too far.
“I assume you have a point?” he asked coldly and she nodded, turning her back to him to pick a shirt up off the floor and throw it onto the couch, determined to not even give him the satisfaction of thinking he had any influence on her at all before she turned back to him.
“My point was,” she said, letting the attitude drop somewhat, staring at him levelly. “That of course I realize you have my children. What else is new? This is what, the seventh or eighth time that the government- no, excuse me, YOUR government- has taken the people closest to me? Why do you think I’m standing here all cooperative-like? But why don’t we stop the games and be honest with one another. You want something from me. I want my children. Unlike some people I have a sense of what's reasonable. I’m perfectly happy to trade.”
“All we want to know is what happened tonight,” he said levelly and she arched an eyebrow, staring him down.
“Must be important if you came yourself,” she quipped, hoping to bait him into telling her more, disappointed when that plan was a totally failure before sighing. “Oh. Well, let’s see. At around 8 pm I put my kids to bed and curled up with a good book- oh! Wait! You took all my books!
“DROP the attitude.” And his voice was cold as ice.
She sighed, shrugging. “I’ve been here all night,” she replied honestly. “Haven’t left the building, scout’s honor. Whatever… disturbance you felt had nothing to do with me. I don’t persay have an alibi but I honestly don’t know what’s going on.”
His eyes narrowed. “We’ll see.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh come on. You know as well as I do that nobody but me was in this apartment tonight.” She arched an eyebrow. “Unless you’re scared your little spells aren’t as effective as you keep telling everyone they are?”
“I didn’t accuse you of letting anyone into the apartment. You’re far too clever for that,” and she lowered her eyes, afraid of what he might see there.
“I was on the roof getting some air, is that not allowed?” she demanded, rolling her eyes again. At his disbelieving look she shot back an equally incredulous glance, saying “Oh PLEASE. You can’t really think that I heard my daughter scream from blocks away and managed to get here from there in thirty seconds flat?”
“No.” he admitted. “But as I stated before, the disturbance was here.”
She shook her head in the negative. “Wish I could help you,” she said with no sincerity whatsoever, then added in a more convincing voice, “I really haven’t seen anything unusual.”
“I don’t believe you.”
She lifted her chin defiantly. “Yeah, well, I wouldn’t either. Doesn’t change anything.”
He let out a small ‘tsk’ before shaking his head. “And I was so hoping that you wouldn’t make this difficult. I truly did respect Rupert, never more than at the end- it pains me-“
And at his saying the name she lunged forward, no longer able to contain herself as she screamed, “You killed my husband how DARE you!” realizing a second too late that she had done exactly what he wanted as she felt the needle sink into her arm.
“Won’t hurt a bit” he smiled eerily and Buffy felt the floor shift in the half a second before the room blurred and she fell, unconscious to the floor.
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