The entire room was silenced with the words of a sixteen year old girl, who was currently tapping one foot angrily while glaring at a two-hundred and fifty plus year-old vampire and her twenty-two year old elder sister.
Buffy’s face formed a pained smile. “Dawn… What’s going on?”
“I think you should ask them,” her sister informed her, arms crossed. “Ask Cordelia and Angel, Buffy. Ask them about…them.”
“First of all,” Cordelia snapped, “I don’t see how this is any of Buffy’s business.”
“There’s no them, Dawnie,” Buffy told her lightly. “Please. I mean…” She began to laugh until she caught the look on Angel’s face. It wasn’t a good look. “Right…Angel?”
He didn’t answer her, instead his face shifted to one of slight guilty and complete reluctance to talk about this. “Angel?” she tried again, doubt creeping into her voice.
This was not possible. No. No way. Angel and Cordelia? A couple? Together and romantic? Buffy’s eyes widened. “And you’re probably not seeing anyone…” her words from earlier came back to haunt her.
“She’s… It’s her, isn’t it?” she whispered painfully.
Angel shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.
“It’s true,” she nodded, tears welling in her eyes. “It’s true. After all the things we just said to each other…it’s true. You and…” Her gazed moved down the stairs and over the lobby to where and an annoyed looking Cordelia stood.
“Dawn,” Cordelia grumbled. “You’ve got it wrong, but thanks very much for making it open for public debate.”
She’d better not have it wrong, Dawn chastised herself. ‘Cause with the way Buffy was looking right now she was going to be in some serious trouble if this whole proved to be nothing. Guiltily she glanced up at her sister and Angel.
“Um… So, yeah. What’s the deal, Angel? ‘Cause…uh… I hear things. And if you’re going to be with my sister, well… She deserves the truth,” she stammered, trying for confidence and falling short. Just keep playing on ‘Buffy deserves the best.’ Yeah…good. All about the sisterly love. Maybe that’ll work…
Angel sucked in an unnecessary breath and put a hand on Buffy’s shoulder. “Buffy…wait. Let me explain.”
Buffy’s eyes bulged. “Oh my God… This isn’t what a nervous breakdown feels like? It’s real? There’s something to explain?” she asked him quietly.
“Buffy,” Angel pleaded. “Let’s go outside. You and me. We’ll talk this over. I swear, it’s nothing.”
“Wait.” Buffy held up a hand and backed up a step or two from where he stood. “Talk it over? You’ll explain this? That makes it sound like something more than nothing.”
“Yeah, nothing you wanted her to find out about,” Dawn muttered, and Cordelia’s eyes snapped to hers angrily.
“Dawn, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Then we’ll come outside with you guys and just see about that,” Dawn insisted.
“Buffy?” Angel murmured, pleading. He was going to kill Dawn, and then himself for not clearing this up sooner. How could he be so stupid? How could he let something like this slip past him and cause Buffy to look so…stunned? And under that stunned was pain. Lots and lots of pain. “Please…just, let’s go outside.”
She stared at him, hurt and shock flooding her system, and allowed herself to be steered down the steps and toward the door.
Amid the wide-eyed and unsure stares of their friends, the foursome headed outside to the garden.
Once Buffy was through the door, Angel turned back to Cordelia and Dawn. “Give me just a minute with her,” he requested.
“No way in hell,” Cordy snapped. “This concerns me, too, Angel.” With that she pushed past him, a slightly more timid Dawn following her.
Angel fought the urge to crush things with his bare hands and stepped out into the night air. Buffy had taken a seat on one of the cement benches and was staring at the ground. “Buffy, I swear. Nothing has happened between Cordelia and myself. Nothing. We aren’t together.”
“Then what’s Dawn talking about?” Buffy asked softly, wrapping her arms around herself.
“Connor told me that you two were together,” Dawn said defensively. “He told me you two were in love and that’s why you’ve been so weird around each other lately, ever since you got your memories back.”
Buffy swallowed. They had been weird…she’d seen it. She’d even questioned Angel about it. “Is that true?”
Angel and Cordelia exchanged a glance.
“Not exactly,” Angel finally murmured.
“Only sort of,” Cordelia nodded.
Buffy blinked and faced Angel. “What does ‘not exactly’ mean?”
He hesitated momentarily. “For a while… we thought that maybe…”
“That there might be something between us, Buffy,” Cordelia told her gently, trying to remind herself that this girl had once loved Angel and it was probably going to hurt her feelings to know that he’d moved on to someone she’d once considered a friend. A friend in a roundabout way, anyhow. More like a forced acquaintance. “I’m sorry you have to find out like this. Naturally, someone didn’t tell you. But we’ve been headed toward… I was sure of it,” Cordy continued. “That it was love. And then we lost our memories. And when we got them back… It just didn’t seem quite as right anymore.”
Buffy’s eyes closed and when they reopened there was some spark to them. “Really,” she said flatly. “Well…isn’t that nice.”
Angel knelt before her, fighting panic, and took her hands in his. They were almost as cold as his, though the night air was warm. “Buffy, everything I said to you before was true. I want this, for us.”
“Wait…what?” Cordelia asked, looking from Buffy to Angel. She noted the pained expression on his face, the anguish and the pleading.
“I wasn’t lying to you Buffy,” he pressed ahead, ignoring his audience. “You have to believe me.”
Cordelia took a step toward the couple. “Believe you about…” And then it dawned on her. “I see.” Swallowing, she blew out an angry breath. “Amazing,” Cordy said disdainfully. “Not a day later and you’re already moving on.”
Angel’s brow furrowed and he and Buffy looked up at her. “What?”
Slowly her head shook as she worked it out. “I guess you decided that since I wasn’t ready right this second, I wasn’t ever going to be ready.”
“Cordelia, what are you talking about?”
“Downstairs, not that many hours ago,” she snapped. “Angel, I realize that a lot’s happened in the past few days, but I’m sure you can keep up, so try. I told you I wasn’t sure about this, this thing between us, that I felt like people were forcing it on us. What I don’t understand is why you made such a big deal about protesting it. Was that all for show?”
“Cordelia, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he growled at her, rising to his feet.
“It’s always about Buffy. I should have known. I should never have even contemplated it with you. You’ll never be over her. You’ll never move on. You’re incapable,” she ranted.
“Watch the tone, Cordelia,” Angel muttered as they stood, inches from each other in a standoff.
“Or what?” she taunted. “I was right, Angel, to tell you no. I wouldn’t want to pursue this, even if I had the choice.”
“So if you’ve decided you don’t want to be with me, what’s the problem?” he snapped.
“The problem is, Angel, that not six hours after I tell you that you’re already sniffing at Buffy’s door. If you ask me, Buffy, that’s why you should really have your feelings hurt…” She trailed off as she looked around and realized that she and Angel were alone on the patio.
*~*~*
“Buffy, are you okay?” Dawn asked quietly as Buffy changed her clothing. In the middle of Cordelia and Angel’s argument she had had enough and walked to the door, never looking back. Dawn had followed her loyally as the Slayer walked inside, barked out the order that they were leaving in ten minutes, and headed upstairs. Now, in Buffy’s bedroom as the Slayer changed her clothing to be more combat-ready, Dawn sat on the bed and eyed her sister uneasily.
“I’m fine,” Buffy told her gruffly.
“I’m sorry, Buffy. Really. I—I opened my mouth and stuff just started coming out. I never meant for you to get hurt. Really. You have to believe me.”
Buffy pulled a shirt over her head and smoothed her hair. “I believe you, Dawn.”
Dawn had been all ready to defend herself further and her sister’s answer threw her off. “You do?”
“Yes, I do.”
Surprised, Dawn nodded. “Oh. Well, good then.”
“I don’t think you were trying to hurt my feelings. I know you were only looking out for me. I’m lucky to have you.”
And the surprises kept coming. “Um, okay. Buffy, are you sure you’re okay? I mean, what happened… Angel, and Cordelia…”
“I’d really rather not discuss it right now, Dawn,” she was told as the Slayer searched for a pair of shoes.
“Are you sure? It might help to talk about it. I mean…what a shocker, huh? That he could ever possibly think of her like that?”
Pain sliced through Buffy’s heart and she closed her eyes, ducking her head until tears were no longer a threat.
“Yeah… Hard to believe.”
“But you guys… He wants to get back together with you? After all this time?” The romantic in her couldn’t help but smile hopefully. “You’re both still in love? That’s what it sounded like, from what Angel said.”
That’s what he’d said, Buffy acknowledged. He’d love me forever, as long as that was for them. And yet…
Shoving boots onto her feet she headed for the door. “It’s time,” Buffy told Dawn when the door opened for her.
“Buffy, we’re not finished here,” Angel told her angrily.
“Oh, I think we are,” she countered. “Dawn, let’s go.”
“Uh…” Dawn hesitated. She’d never seen Angel looking so furious. Not even when he’d been Angelus and trying to kill them. “Maybe I should…” What, stay? And do what to help here? “I’m gone,” she called as she sailed out the door.
Buffy moved to follow her and Angel blocked the door with his arm. “I said we’re not finished.”
She glared at him and shoved his arm away. “I find myself not really caring what you say right now.”
“Too bad, you’re gonna listen.”
“We have to go now, Angel,” she shouted. “We have a mission, remember that? That pesky thing about saving the world from demon apocalypse?”
His eyes flashed. “Oh, I remember. To save your boyfriend, too, don’t forget that part of it.”
She glared. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
“Funny how you had plenty of opportunity to explain that to me, but I don’t get the same courtesy when the tables are turned.”
“You!” Buffy stalked toward him and shoved him backward. “You’ve have every opportunity to tell me about what may or may not be going on between you and…you and… God! I can’t even say it!” She whirled around and he thought she’d finished until suddenly she turned on him again. “What were you thinking, Angel? What were you honestly thinking about?”
“You have some nerve, questioning my thoughts on Cordelia. I wasn’t sleeping with her, Buffy. I wasn’t letting her violate me!”
“No! You were too busy falling in love with her, then promising me a lifetime together at the same time! How are you going to manage that one Angel? ‘Cause I’m not real keen on sharing and this isn’t Utah.”
He couldn’t deny that he’s screwed it up. He should have told her, and he said as much now. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I love you,” he snarled. “Believe me, don’t believe me. I don’t care. But that’s the truth.”
They were staring at each other, breathing hard through their nostrils. A thousand thoughts passed between them, a million hurts, and no solution.
“We have to go,” she told him finally, and threw open the door, taking the stairs two at a time.
The mood in the lobby was one of complete strain and unease.
“It’s time,” Buffy told them as she headed into the lobby. Angel trailed after her a few moments later and the tension in the room increased twofold. “We’re leaving.”
Willow hesitated only a moment before calling out timidly. “Um…Buffy?” The Slayer turned sharp eyes toward her best friend. “We still can’t find Faith.”
Accusing eyes turned to Angel. So much for putting all your stock in her, her expression read clearly. “Fine. We’ll do this without her.”
“You’re not worried?” Willow asked. “I mean…that maybe something happened to her? Like the Bringers got her?”
Buffy loaded a crossbow, eyes steely. “I’m really not.”
*~*~*
Across town Faith had her hands full as it was and Buffy and the others were the furthest thing from her mind.
Ducking down an alley she cursed herself for running but had no other choice. She needed higher ground, or at least ground not so enclosed, and she wasn’t about to fight these guys until she found it. Darting left, then right, she spotted exactly what she needed—an open field where nothing could surprise her. Increasing her speed she leapt over a chain-link fence and bolted for the middle. When she reached it she pulled out the only weapon she’d thought to bring with her. The blade of the knife was sharp and gleamed in the moonlight as she wielded in, shifting her stance every few seconds to keep watch the perimeter.
They were coming. Now it was just a matter of how soon.
“Ask a stupid question,” she muttered to herself as the demons in black robes made their way across the field. Four…no, five of them.
This was going to be interesting, she thought as sweat beaded on her forehead. Come on! You’ve battled worse. Stronger enemies and more of ‘em. What’s five guys in black robes to you?
Maybe if she hadn’t already seen them deliver gruesome deaths to girl after girl in her dreams she’d be feeling a little more confident right about now.
They’d found her. They’d found her even though she’d been running for hours, never stopping in the same place for too long. How had they found her?
If they’d found her, had they already gotten to Buffy? What was the pecking order? Did it matter which of them got it first? Oh God…was Buffy dead?
No, that was impossible. She had the Super Friends surrounding her in their own Hall of Justice. No way would Angel, much less any of the others, let her get a scratch on her, much less die. Which made her wonder what her fate might have been like if she’d stayed instead of letting everyone get to her like she had.
No time to think of that now, though, no time to wonder why Angel had suddenly decided she wasn’t so great to have around. No time to contemplate why the Mayor and Allan Finch had been able to contact her. No time to remember that she’d turned her back on apocalypse in favor of saving her pride.
The Bringers closed in.
