Discovery II


by Melody

~*~*~*~*~*~
TORONTO

Angel walked into the Raven and looked around. The mood was dark, everyone around seemed to know what he was. He made his way to the bar and sat down. Janette was waiting for him. "You must be Angel."
He looked cautiously at the beautiful woman in front of him. "I'm here to see Nick."
"Yes, I know. My name is Janette. Can I offer you a drink?"
Angel nodded his head and Janette brought him a drink. "I think you'll like this."
He took a sip and looked at her in question.
"Don't worry Angel, we are all friends here. There's much you need to learn." She smiled at him and left the bottle. "You can finish this if you wish. Nick will be here shortly."
He continued to drink. "Do you know what he wants with me?"
"If you are scared, don't be. Nick is the sweetest vampire I know. We try to knock that out of him, but our efforts are useless. I'm sure he just wants to talk to you."
"Is everyone here . . . one of us?"
"Not all of them. Some of them are mortals. Whether they know we exist or not, I couldn't say. But their mood is the same as ours. Dark and deathly."
"How nice." Angel finished his drink and Janette poured more. "Nick doesn't drink, so don't wait for him."
"But I thought he was..."
"Nick is trying to become mortal. So he doesn't drink this. He prefers Cow blood," she said with a disgusted look on her face. "Another thing we are trying to talk him out of." Janette looked at the door. "Nicola is here."
Angel turned around and saw Nick. He didn't look like much of a threat, but then again neither did Angel. "Thank you for coming."
"How could I refuse your offer?"
"I see you've met Janette."
"Yes. Charming woman."
Nick led Angel into the backroom. "We'll have more privacy here. You definitely have my curiosity."
"I don't see why. I'm more curious than you are."
"Perhaps." Nick sat down on the couch and gestured for Angel to do the same. "So you don't fly?"
"No. I was wondering about that. Do you?"
"Yes. I sense that there are other differences between us. But what interests me most is your search for goodness."
"You have me at a disadvantage. How do you know so much about me? I didn't know other types of Vampires existed."
"I didn't either. And I've been around far longer than you. My maker, LaCroix, had a connection in California. He informed me of your existence because we seek the same thing."
"And what would that be?"
"Mortality? A reason for living?"
"Now there's a slight difference. The only reason I hate what I'm doing is because of a curse. I was cursed by gypsies to have a soul. And that's why it kills me to kill."
Nick looked somewhat disappointed. "But you still regret it. Would you become mortal again if you could?"
"You know how?"
"No, afraid not. I thought you had the answers."
"I bring more questions than answers I'm afraid."
"Well then ask away."
"I don't even know where to begin. We have differences, I know that already. Why do you want to be mortal? Were you forced into this life?"
"Not really. I actually enjoyed it once. But things happen. People change. You meet people, you fall in love. And then you realize it can't be. Forever for them is nothing to us."
"So it's a woman?"
"I wouldn't say one. There have been several. You?"
"There is someone. And I have thought about ways we could be together. But it's a little different where I'm from."
"How so?"
"Well, this woman, Buffy, she's actually the Chosen One."
"I don't understand."
"It is said that in every generation there is a Chosen One, a vampire slayer. That's Buffy."
"And this is the woman you're in love with?"
"Ironic, isn't it? I try to help her now. This whole soul thing."
Nick nodded. "We are alike in one way. I don't kill other vampires, unless I have to. But here I'm a cop. Homicide Detective. It's kind of my way of helping society."
"And your current woman?"
Nick smiled. "That's a hard one. She knows what I am. She had many ideas of making me mortal. She believes if I don't drink human blood it will help me. Some of her ideas worked for a short time, but that was all. I can tell you I enjoyed the sunlight for a short while again. But enough of that. I do want to thank you for coming out here."
"I was kind of on my way. I have someone to see in Massachusetts. Believe it or not, this girl wants to be a vampire."
"Really? And you're going to turn her?"
"No. Talk her out of it."
"Sounds interesting."
"Actually, you're more than welcome to come. We could talk some more on the way."
"I don't see how I could help."
"There are none of us where she's from. I'm the only one she's met. And that was a mistake."
"You couldn't make her forget?"
Angel laughed. "Another power of yours?"
"Sometimes it works. There are those who can resist. Janette is better at it then I am."
"Great. Bring her along."
"She would like that."

~*~*~*~*~*~
SUNNYDALE

"He asked him if he could fly, Giles," Buffy said in frustration as she paced back and forth in the library. "It doesn't make any sense. What vampire would wonder if another vampire can fly? Duh, they can't."
"It is . . . it's possible that it's a different type of vampire, Buffy," Giles explained patiently.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Thought you said the only vamp with a soul was Angel. Giles, this whole thing just has the word 'TRAP' all over it. I can't think of one vamp that wouldn't jump at the chance to drive a stake through Angel's heart. And he's just going cause he's CURIOUS. It's ridiculous. It's dangerous. And I really should have gone with him."
"If you would let me explain," Giles interrupted.
"Fine, explain," Buffy said, waving a hand at him in exasperation as she sat down in one of the chairs at the table.
"There are more than one type of vampire, Buffy. Angel is the only vampire of his type with a soul, not the only vampire in the world with a soul."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Oh, so it's like a white black thing. You know, there are black people and white people, there are vampires with souls and vampires without souls. And Angel's like the Michael Jackson of the vampire world, black and white," Buffy summarized sarcastically. "Why is it I'm feeling some doubt?"
"I don't know," Giles answered. "Because it's the truth. Not everything is as simple as you'd like to believe it to be."
"Nothing's simple, Giles," Buffy retorted. "I'm not stupid, I'm just worried." She stood and continued her pacing once again. "Okay, so maybe this whole thing isn't a trap. What about that little Sunnydale bitch. That could very well be a trap. Maybe she's already been made a vampire by someone else, and that someone else is taking advantage of the fact that she and Angel have a connection. So she writes him a letter about how she's wants to become a vampire oh so desperately, meanwhile she already is one and she just wants to kill him."
"I think you're being a little bit paranoid, Buffy," Giles said gently.
"Paranoid?" Buffy repeated. "I'm not being paranoid! It's just . . . " Buffy sighed heavily. "He's just to damn trusting of the female population," she said finally.
Giles shook his head, exasperated with trying to calm the Slayer down. "If this is the only thing you're going to talk about for the next few months . . . "
"Months?" Buffy shrieked. "He is NOT going to be gone for months! He'd better not be gone for months. He'd better have his little soul-cursed butt back in the city of Sunnydale by next week or I'm going to personally turn him over to Spike and Dru for more torture sessions."
"As I was saying," Giles retorted, the tone of his voice moving past exasperated and onto anger and annoyance, "if all you're going to talk about is Angel why don't you just go to Capeside yourself? Because I really don't want to hear it."
Buffy blinked, surprised by the rudeness in Giles' voice. "But . . . " she started weakly.
"No buts," he said firmly. "You are forgetting the fact that you are the Slayer. It is your duty to protect Sunnydale and guard against the forces of darkness. It is NOT your duty to run off after your boyfriend every time he decides to leave town. And I won't even mention the fact that you're dating a vampire, although believe me I am tempted. Angel can take care of himself, Buffy. The residents of Sunnydale cannot."
Buffy sighed heavily and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "You're kinda over-estimating Angel's abilities," she replied. "He hasn't been himself since that whole soul loss thing. He takes too many chances as it is trying to protect me, I don't see why he should leave the state and go protect this Joey girl who he barely even knows. And I don't see why he should just go blindly trust some vampire for no reason. It's ridiculous! It's suicidal, and I will NOT just shrug it off and say he can take care of himself. He's saved my life more times than I can count, he's protected me more times than I can count, and if I can return the favor that's what I have to do. Sunnydale can just go to Hell for all I care. Angel's more important." With that the Slayer stood and stormed angrily out of the library.

~*~*~*~*~*~
CAPESIDE

Joey was sitting in her living room when there was a knock on her door. "Come in!"
Dawson entered Joey's small domain and met her in the living room. "So, forget to come over last night?"
"Sorry Dawson. I was up late working on a report for school. Why didn't you call?"
"You seemed a little out of it lately, so I didn't want to bother you."
"What do you mean out of it? I'm fine Dawson."
"I don't know. All this vampire and death and killing talk, I figured I wanted to stay on your good side."
"Come on Dawson, have I been that bad?"
"You did have me a little scared. Ever since that Angel guy left you've been acting weird."
"What does Angel have to do with anything? He left as quickly as he came. No big deal."
"Okay, if you say so. So what are you working on?"
Joey covered her report. "Just English Dawson. Nothing too important. What's wrong? Parents kick you out again?"
"They took off on some marriage counseling retreat. The house was too quiet."
"It's quiet here too. They took the baby to work with them."
"So have you talked to him?"
"Who?"
"Angel."
"Dawson, why are you back at the Angel thing? No, I haven't talked to him. Well, he did call the other day. But that was it."
"What did he want?"
"What's it to you?"
"I don't know Joey. I thought we were going to try and work on this relationship thing. I think I have a right to know that some other guy is calling you."
"No Dawson, you don't have a right to know. Angel is just a friend, okay? And I hope you can understand that. Besides, you haven't really been trying too hard with this relationship. Should I get mad every time I see you talking to Jen?"
"Well, no."
"It's the same thing Dawson. Whether I talk to Angel or not is my business. If you can't handle that, then you'll have to deal with it. I don't say anything about you talking to Jen. So let me do what I want."
"Joey, I didn't say you couldn't talk to him. It just would have been nice to know he called."
"Dawson, this discussion is pointless. I'm not going to argue with you. I'm sorry if I didn't tell you he called. I didn't think it was a big deal."
Dawson sighed. "I'm just so frustrated. I don't know how to act in front of you anymore."
"Why should you act? Since when do you feel you need to act in front of me?"
"I don't know. Everything just seems to be getting weirder. We never used to argue about stupid things. And now we are."
"You brought it up Dawson. Maybe you're just realizing you don't want a relationship with me. Maybe you realize you want Jen. I don't know Dawson. You need to decide."
"Joey, why can't we just stay the way we were?"
"So you're saying you don't want a relationship."
"I don't see why we can't do both?"
"For the obvious reasons that just happened. You just said you need to act with me. I don't want that Dawson. Don't pretend this is what you want. Obviously you thought about it. And this isn't what you wanted, is it."
"I don't know what to say Jo."
"You don't have to say anything. Just go, okay?"
"Jo, wait."
"Wait for what Dawson? I don't want to talk anymore. Please, just go."
Dawson stood up and walked towards the door. "Can we talk later?"
Joey sighed. "I'll call you."
Dawson left without a word. Joey thought about running after him, and decided against it. Instead she opened her diary and began writing a poem based on her thoughts:

I'm waiting for the night to fall
I know that it will save us all
When everything's dark
Keeps us from the stark reality

I'm waiting for the night to fall
When everything is bearable
And there in the still
All that you feel
Is tranquillity

There is a star in the sky
Guiding my way with its light
And in the glow of the moon
Know my deliverance will come soon

There is a sound in the calm
Someone is coming to harm
I press my hands to my ears
It's easier here just to forget fear

And when I squinted
The world seemed rose-tinted
Angels appeared to descend
To my surprise
With half-closed eyes
Things looked even better
Than when they were opened

Been waiting for the night to fall
I knew that it would save us all
Now everything's dark
Keeps us from the stark reality

Later that night, Joey received a phone call from Angel. "You're here already?"
"Long story. Can you get out?"
"I guess. Where should I go?"
"Meet me at the hotel. Same as last time."
"In the lobby?"
"Yes."
Joey hung up the phone and headed out. She was nervous and excited all at once. Thoughts ran wild in her mind about Angel and her decisions to become a vampire. She practically ran to the hotel. Once in the lobby, she saw Angel. She threw her arms around him and gave him a hug. "It is so good to see you."
"Same here. Joey, I want you to meet some friends of mine." Joey looked at the couple behind Angel. "This is Nick and Janette."
"Nice to meet you. You're friends of Angels?"
Nick smiled at Joey. "We're vampires."
To Be Continued...

Authors Note: Joey's Poem is called Waiting For The Night from Depeche Mode's album VIOLATOR.

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