Are We Now or Ever Were Chapter 10
Chapter 10:
My Fault; Repercussions
The next morning, Angel didn’t check the journals. He didn’t have to. He believed Buffy’s dreams were always prophetic and accurate. Besides, those were starting to fade away.
When he walked out of the elevator into his office, everyone was debating on how to get rid of Eve.
Gunn told them that since she was liaison to the Senior Partners, it wasn’t like they could actually get rid of her.
Angel had heard enough. “Fine. I think I liked you better when you wanted to just hit people.”
“So we just sit around and let her play us?” Buffy huffed. “I’m so sick of that crap.”
‘Gunn’s right.” He sighed and then frowned at Buffy. She glared at him and looked away, shaking her head in disagreement.
“No, Buffy’s right. She is playing us.” Gunn agreed. “So we play her.”
“Oooh. I love it when I’m right.” Buffy perked up immediately and then jumped up off Angel’s desk when Harmony came in.
“Boss, we just got a tip that some loony hatched from the bin.”
“Not our department..”
“No Angel that sounds like we should..” Buffy cut him off only to be cut off by Wes.
” Call the authorities , I’m sure they’ll get someone on it.”
“She’s possessed, Boss!” Harmony sounded distressed..
‘Wow! Harmony sounds worried? Huh? Stranger things have happened I guess.’
Buffy thought. She cleared her throat then to grab Angel’s attention.
“I’m gonna make a couple phone calls.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “There might be some repercussions from the spell to combine the slayer powers…so um..let me call in reinforcements this time, huh?”
~~~~~~~~
Angel and Buffy were out of the elevator just was Spike was walking out of the one next to them.
“Bloody hell! Slayer, shouldn’t you be in bed?” Spike sounded worried.
‘Oh kay I know I’ve stepped into some bizzaro world for sure.’ “No, Spike I’m fine.” She told him and kept walking beside Angel.
“Why are you here Spike?” Angel asked as they rounded the corner and into the next corridor.
“Didn’t get the memo? Hero of the people now.” Spike told them as he glanced at Buffy.
“So go annoy them.” Buffy snapped out. (Damage:Angel)
“That hurts Buffy. I tho..”
“Save it, Spike. Shouldn’t you be out saving people from things like…” They examined the bent security wired fence. “..you?” He finished distractedly.
“Spike, not now, okay?” Her voice gentled a little bit. “If you are going to stay, just be quiet.” Buffy took note of the fence as well and wondered exactly what kind of slayer they really were going to find.
“Miss, gentlemen, can I help you?” A doctor came out of the small office.
Spike started out first.”Actually..”
“We can help you.” Angel butted in. “Angel, Buffy, We’re from Wolfram and Hart. We are here to help get your patient back.” Angel had handed the doctor their card during introductions. As the doctor took note of the card, Angel glanced at Buffy. She was taking in all the damage.
“I already spoke to the authorities.” The good doctor told them.
~~~~
So I stood up from where I was inspecting what I suspected was blood but didn’t want to arouse suspicion.
“Maybe anything you might have left out like, oh say, a special case like her that you didn’t want them to know about?” I knew what I was talking about. Of course I couldn’t say too much now could I?
He took us to the young girl’s room. The first thing I noticed were the drawings that had starred a guest spot in my dream.
“She is a special case.” The doctor went on about how she had been removed from her home, beaten and left in a catatonic state.
I realized these drawings were of other slayers, slayings and monsters. The doc’s next words froze my blood.
“Then a few months ago, she completely changed. Increasing amounts of agitation accompanied by short outbursts of inhuman strength.”
I whimpered slightly in fear but it was enough to catch vampire hearing. They glanced swiftly at me and then away.
As soon as the doctor left, I told Angel. “That poor girl. It.. this is all my fault.”
“Hey now ducks, you only did what you thought was best..” Spike stopped and they all turned to see the nurse in the doorway.
“What isn’t he telling us?” Angel asked the nurse quietly.
~~~~~
We briefly wondered where Spike went. But we were about to view tapes so Buffy and I didn’t keep whispering about it.
We watched the tapes. Buffy ignored the nurse and listened and rewound and listened again. ( Damage:Angel)
I immediately understood what was happening.
Buffy gasped and the nurse joked, “I know. Just a bunch of monkey gibberish.”
“It’s Romanian.” They both glanced at me as I said it.
“You understand her?” The nurse asked me.
“Yea, I do.” I was watching Buffy the entire time. As soon as we got in the car I told her I’d call Wes to get a tactical force team on it.
“Angel, Faith and some of the other girls are on their way. If we can subdue her, they can take her in and help her.” Buffy was getting angry at me, I could hear it in her voice, smell the anger in her blood.
“Haven’t you learned anything yet? Did you even really read the journals I brought you?” I could smell the tears before they started. “Tell Wes, she’s a slayer! Dammit, Angel, I don’t want anything to happen to this girl, please?!”
I warred with myself for a moment, I wasn’t sure why I wanted to hesitate. I agreed to do it her way and kissed her.
I got on the phone to Wes.”She’s not possessed, Wes. She was chanting about being Chosen. She’s not demonic. She’s a vampire Slayer.” I smiled gently at Buffy.
~~~~~~
‘So much damage control now.’ Buffy thought.’ Oh Willow, we thought we knew…’
~~~~
They pulled up to find Spike on the ground with glass around him.
~~~~
“God Spike you’re an idiot! How did you not know; that girl, Dana, she’s a Slayer!”
“Not a Chinese demon, moron!” Angel yelled at him “Stay out of this Spike!”
“She’s gone!” Buffy yelled as she came running out the building. “You let her get away, Spike.” She felt like punching him. ‘Will our relationship always be this way?’ She threw a right cross at his jaw.
“Damn, that never gets old.” She smirked as she watched him slump down again.
~~~~
“After these messages, we’ll be riiight back!”
Author’s Note: Buffy has been the non bitca Buffy for awhile. I hope the way she acted helped emphasize her agitation and anger at the situation. Also, I’m all for Bangel the whole way 100%. But watching the reruns over the years, I’ve gained some insight and understanding to Spuffy. ok then, that said. Thanks for reading. Back to the story.
~~~~
They got back to Wolfram and Hart and Buffy told Spike ,”Maybe when the girls get here, you should go back with them.” She laughed. One part was joking, one part was serious and the rest of her wasn’t sure if she’d miss Spike or not.
They entered the lobby and Spike arched his eyebrow at Angel and asked, “Girls?”
“Buffy contacted Giles. He’s sending his best in to retrieve Dana.” Angel told them. He sounded sarcastic, as if he didn’t actually believe it.
“Right then.” Spike sniffed sarcastically.
They entered Angel’s office and Andrew turned around.
“Andrew?” Buffy and Spike spat. “Where’s Faith?” asked Buffy.
Wide eyed with shock and wonder, he ran first to Buffy. “O’ fearless leader! Buffy our blond goddess, you’re really alive!” He shouted as he hugged her.
“Ugh, Andrew..” He turned away from her.
“You’re alive!” He hugged spike. “It’s really you!” He touched his face and hugged him again. “He’s alive Frodo.” He whispered.
Angel rolled his eyes. “You two know him?”
“Yea, we saved the world together! I mean, I helped save the world with them.” Andrew squirmed.
“Where’s Faith?” Buffy asked again.
‘Why did Giles send this young and immature boy?’ thought Angel.
“So what happened?” Andrew asked Buffy.
“Andrew, save it. Tell us, what’s the what here? Where is Faith?!” She crossed her arms over her chest and watched as Angel crossed the room to lean against a table.
Buffy just smirked at Andrew’s antics as she suddenly realized how young he still was. ‘So lucky! and yet, thank God I’m not that naive.’
“Look, Andrew, you can play your story time game later, get to it already.” Spike snapped. Buffy’s adrenaline pumping through her making her blood rush was really getting to a vampire. He didn’t understand how Angel could be so damn calm. He wanted to smoke. He needed something to keep him from fidgeting.
“OK geez.” Andrew mumbled as he looked around the table. He wanted to tell his story, he even memorized it but skipped it anyway.
Buffy started in first. “Six months ago wasn’t it Andrew?: He nodded glumly.”We did a spell to make all potentials into slayers.” (Damage:Andrew)
“Mr. Giles, along with all of us, have been collecting girls. Guiding them, training them…like X-men minus the crappy third act.” He tried to regale them and continued to pull out a bad a chips. “Dana though, she’s an anomaly we couldn’t have foreseen.” While he kept talking Buffy heard Spike and Angel bicker.
“Makes sense, she thought she was the slayer in China I took out..”
“You mean murdered Spike.”
“Well, yeah! I didn’t have a soul back then did I?”
Angel rolled his eyes at Spike’s words. He followed Spike down the hallway.
“Spike, this isn’t a joke! She’s a slayer. She was born to kill Vampyres..vampires. To her, we are the enemy.”
Buffy and Andrew watched from the doorway. Buffy heard Spike tell Angel that he should let go of his guilt. ” It’s making you look old.”
“Andrew, don’t say anything. Keep quiet about this alright?” Buffy didn’t wait for his answer. Instead she walked out to Angel’s side. “Come on, we have an unstable slayer to find.” She was about to walk away but Angel stopped her.
His worried expression only worried her more. “Buffy you just said the words yourself. She’s unstable, maybe.. ya know you shouldn’t do alot of hand to hand with..” He kissed her gently, hopefully to ease his next words. “Think of the baby.” He whispered in her ear and hugged her close. “I don’t want you to lose this baby, our baby, please?” Her stared deeply in her eyes.
She took a calming breath and exhaled slowly. “O’kay, but I want to go. Help, however I can.”
He agreed that she could with him. He never said she could help with Dana though. Then they decided to follow Spike when Buffy noticed Andrew missing too.
“Let’s follow them, you get someone else to check out the house. They have your number. They can call.” Buffy looked him in the eyes. “Angel, we don’t have time for Spike and Andrew to mess this up!”
She felt like stomping her foot.
Angel thought she might actually stomp her foot for emphasis.
“Buffy, think..If you could go home when things get bad, wouldn’t you, don’t you want to?” He caught her off guard and he knew it.
She hated when he did that. “We still might waste time.
~~~~~
“So Spike, how’s Buffy?” Andrew dragged out his words. Spike felt like ringing his neck.
“Oh, I just found a few weeks ago that she was here.” Spike sniffed. “Not like I’ve been here that long either, mate.”
“It must suck huh?” Spike looked at him, confused. “To have the one you love not love you?”
Spike only shook him off. Andrew shouldn’t talk about things he didn’t know about or understand.
~~~~~
They got back to the office and Buffy was extremely ticked off.
“Buffy, we’ll find who killed her family.” Angel tried to appease her, tried to calm her down, but nothing was working this time. Her blood was practically boiling and it was really starting to make him edgy. He hoped Spike stayed away for awhile.
They stepped out of the elevator and Gunn seemingly appeared out of nowhere. He asked how it went and wondered if any of it went well.
“I want to find the killer. His name, past where abouts, everything.” He made a grab for Buffy’s hand but came up empty. ‘Damn it! Where the hell did she go?’
“Lorne, I want to know about that basement. All we know is that it smells like molasses. Let’s start cracking the whip. We can do better!”
“You got it, Chief.” Lorne walked away. “Gonna need a whip!” He yelled sarcastically. The tension in the space between Angel and Buffy was getting to him. He wanted this thing done.
Wes was waiting next. “Wes, did you happen to see where…”
“Whiskey! When you make whiskey, it smells like molasses.” Everyone gawked at Fred. She blushed so slightly that only Angel had noticed.
Andrew ran in breathing hard. “Buffy told me to come get help. She’s gone to follow Spike. I think Dana got him.”
~~~~~~
Angel was going to kill her. Buffy got there and was about to quietly sneak in when Angel flew past her and stormed in. ‘Vampire, of course!’
Angel didn’t even waste a second. He pulled her off Spike and grabbed her shoulders. “Dana, I’m here to help. The man who hurt you died five years ago.”
Dana was thinking in one mode. ‘strong. Slayer. Vampire. head, heart, dust. simple. Fight, kill.’
Buffy watched as Dana and Angel fought. She really wanted to get in there and help but she waited until Wes showed up to go in.
Then she was almost sick to her stomach when she saw Spike. But she held it together and sat with him until the medical team came in.
–
They were standing outside. The wind had picked up and the air around them was cool. Buffy pulled her jacket in tighter and looked around. They made it.
She saw groups of girls coming out of the shadows and Andrew pulling the lead.
“Angel.” Buffy touched his arm to get his attention and then took a few steps away from him.
“Angel, the Slayers and Andrew are going to take Dana. You said you’d let me handle this.” Her eyes pleaded with him not to change his mind. She looked away first. If he decided to go against her, she really didn’t know how she was going to handle it. “Please Angel, mo gra?”
Angel watched as young girls crowded around Andrew and Buffy.
“Let them take her, please, please?” She whispered only for his vampiric hearing to pick up.
Andrew cleared his throat. This speech, he had prepared mentally. Mr.Giles and Mr. Wood and Faith had told him what to say but he put it together himself.
“Buffy, Mr.Giles wants us to take Dana. He said to use whatever means necessary if Angel refuses. He doesn’t want her going to the law firm.” Andrew stood straighter.
“He said if Angel refuses then we are to take you with us as well, by force if need be.” He informed them.
This time, Buffy stood in front of Angel so they could speak more privately. “Think of the chance to change your future. Let them take her. I beg you, Ionuin.”
“News flash guys! Nobody in our camp trusts you anymore.” Andrew felt bad for this lie but he hoped this would get them to relent. “Nobody.”
Angel glared at Buffy. “It’s not true. It’s our plan. I talked to them. Trust me, Angel. LET.HER.GO.”
He heard her murmured word, he heard the hurt in them too.
Andrew spoke louder and gave his final speech. Angel was looking at Andrew the whole time. He saw his eyes flicker and then he knew that it was lie. So they relented and Andrew thanked them and the girls moved around Dana to take her away.
Wes cleared his throat. “So we just let them take the girl?”
Buffy spoke hoarsely, her throat feeling raw.”She’s one of theirs. They’ll take good care of her.”
“Besides, you heard the man, we have problems of our own.” He wrapped his arm around Buffy’s waist and pulled her to him. “Let’s go.”
The team cleared out quickly as Angel and Buffy walked to his car.
~~~~~
Angel spoke sincerely. “I know how hard it was for you, Buffy, not to fight back there. But I’m so grateful that you didn’t. if anything happened to you or the baby, I don’t…” He took a breath to steady his emotions. then changed the subject a little. “Andrew played his part well. I’m sure I could practically hear your heart break. Something happen you want to talk about?”
Her sniffles were breaking his dead heart. She started out softly telling him about how she made a mistake and the girls along with Giles, Willow, Xander and especially Dawn had kicked her out of her house. Her words picked up tempo as she kept talking. She explained how they wanted to make Faith team captain. She stopped and laughed ruefully. “It’s done with. I understand now, I think. Anywho, we have bigger fish to fry or something. We’re gonna have to figure out how to get to Pylea safely. You do know how you guys got there right? After this is done with, I’m going to sleep for a week.” They laughed softly and Angel agreed that she definitely deserved it.
~~~~~
“You sure you want to go see Spike?” He led her down the corridor to WRH’s “Hosptial”.
“I am.” She wanted to apologize and explain what was what.
Angel let her go in to Spike’s room alone. “I’ll wait out here.”
“Come to see the patient, Luv?”
“In a lot of pain, Spike?” (Angel really asks in the episode)
“More than I’d like.”
“You did real good, Spike…. Look, I’m sorry, for earlier. I also think you should know, you still have a place in my heart. I know, it’s cheesy but there it is.” She smiled kindly at him , her eyes gentling and Spike could hear her blood cooling from the boil it seemed to be in the last few days.
She kissed him on the forehead and then the cheek. “Thank you.”
Buffy kissed Angel’s lips as he walked in to see Spike too. “I’ll see you back upstairs. G’night Spike.”
They both watched her walk out the doors. They both had similar thoughts.
Spike told Angel how he never thought about evil much, they took a few minutes to speak on their evil deeds and then Spike asked about Dana.
(End episode Damage)
~~~~~~~~~
Angel was down in his office this morning. I’m in our apartment. Today I’m looking through photo albums, scrapbooks and boxes. I sorta feel like I’ve been an amnesia patient. I see blank photo paper in the albums, I see pretty scrapbook pages with no pictures and wonderful stationary paper folded as if they had been letters.. all blank. I’m trying to remember but everything seems fuzzy on the out skirts of my mind.
I have one scrapbook full of photos of me, a box with photos that have been taken since I have been here, and a photo album with some pictures I’ve put in it.
I can’t remember how I came to be in Los Angeles. Why can’t I remember?
I know I’m pregnant, I can’t remember when or who the father is. EH GADS! Poor Angel. What must he think of me…
I remember the holidays and the events with Dana.
It’s February first two thousand and four, why can’t I remember?
~~~~~~~~
There was a knock at the door pulling Buffy out of her reverie.
“Vampire. Most likely, Spike.’
“Come in, Spike.”
“Bullocks! Can’t even surprise you eh luv?” Spike shook his head and before he said anything else he noticed Buffy seemed distracted more than usual.
“Hey now pet, what’s wrong?”
She sat next to him on the side of the bed. He had removed his leather duster and laid it on the bed.
She showed him everything she looked at. “Clearly this is all mine.” She pointed to the other section of the closet. “Angel moved all his stuff over to one side, that’s his side.”
Buffy sounded wistful and sad.
“Uh huh. Right then. Well, tell you what pigeon, we’ll just go get Angel, I bet he knows…”
“NO! No Spike. I.. think that.. I think I’ll just go out for awhile. Clear my head, make some phone calls while I’m out. We can talk later.” She gathered up her purse and her phone. “By the way, how’s your arms?”
“Good as new pet. Thanks for asking. Now go on then.” Spike shooed her out.
“You won’t say anything to Angel?”
Spike shook his head. “Nope.”
Buffy nodded and walked out the door.
He never promised. He took Angel’s private elevator and decided to tell Angel. He might actually know what was going on.
~~~~~~~
“Spike what the hell…” Angel hadn’t actually been doing anything.. ‘Much’, he thought morosely.
“We got to talk, now, peaches.” Spike demanded.
Angel pushed the intercom button.
“Yea boss?” Harmony’s voice tentatively asked.
“I’m not to be bothered for awhile and uh, Harmony, take a break.”
Habit had made him push the button. Harmony could hear as well as he or Spike. It’s also why he wanted her gone from the desk.
“Uh, sure. Thanks, boss.’ Harmony didn’t waste a sec. She turned the phone off, turned the computer off and headed out.
“You mind telling me why you came out of my private elevator and not wearing your usual get up?”
“Huh? Oh. It’s lying on your bed.” Spike quipped. “Whoah wait. That is, I came by to see Buffy, ya know, hadn’t saw her in a few days and anyway she’s not doing so well.”
“Cad é atá cearr?” (What’s wrong?)
Spike replayed his conversation with Buffy. He watched Angel’s face for any surprise but Angel sighed deeply.
“You remember when I brought Buffy here. She had my scent all over her. You told me it smelled human. Then you realized she was pregnant. You remember Buffy showing Fred those pictures at our New Year’s Eve party?” He smirked cruelly and laughed softly. “I’ll bet Fred won’t remember them. Buffy isn’t allowed to have those memories I guess. I told her a week ago, too many “Angel” memories.” Angel shook his head sadly. “She married him. I mean, the future me. I sent you to kill that Albi-venious demon because in the future that demon attacks me not long after I turn human.”
“You get that bloody Shanshu thing after all? Huh, whad’ya know. Some guys get all the luck. So our Slayer marries the future Angel, gets knocked up, then what? Why or how is she here then? And by the way, how the hell are you two sexing it up? I thought you getting a happy meant Angelus comes out to play…what’s that all about Mate?” Spike couldn’t believe this. However he knew the poof was being honest. To Spike, it truly was a sad tale.
Angel laughed sarcastically.”Luck, yea. The venom started eating up his organs and breaking down his muscle tissue. I guess he was dosing himself pretty heavily on pain medication. Somehow Drusilla found him and turned him. Willow was able to find where Buffy was through her emotions. I found her facing off Angelus. He must have still been in pain because his usual taunting seemed off and he didn’t fight back. I took his head. Thus allowing me to keep my soul now. Buffy is carrying my child. I don’t know what I’m going to tell her if she asks how she conceived. Hell, Spike, Buffy’s probably wondering who the father is.”
“Dru turned him? Hey, good for Dru! Right. Sorry. You have me and Lorne to back you up if she questions your honesty.” Spike snorted.
“I’m going to ask her to marry me, Spike. I think I’m going to do it on Valentine’s day. I know it may seem cheesy and probably a lot of other people do it every year but Buffy, she needs a good memorable Valentine’s Day with me.” He wasn’t looking for anyone’s permission. He just wanted Spike to know.
They looked up just in time to see Buffy walk in.
~~~~~
“Hi Honey, I’m home.” She winked at them. “Good news. I went to the doctor and we have scheduled an ultrasound for Valentine’s Day. It would be while you’re working soo..” She wasn’t sure if he had wanted to go but since it wasn’t likely that the sun would be down then…
“That is good news. If you wouldn’t mind getting one done here, ya know, so that I can see our baby too.” ‘Thank you Buffy.’ He glanced at Spike. ‘That took care of that.’
“Right. Sure. Not a problem. I mean it would only be fair for..you.. to see uh, our baby.” Buffy smelled a rat. “You told him didn’t you, Spike?”
“Buffy, I already knew. Remember? A week ago we noticed the pictures fading and I told you not to worry about it. That maybe you weren’t.”
“That I wasn’t allowed to have so many “Angel memories”. I remember. It’s just weird.” “I’m not the Slayer. I’m not a co-worker at Wolfram and Hart. I’m not your wife. What am I?” Buffy wondered.
She walked out, leaving the two of them slightly flabbergasted. She hadn’t realized she spoke out loud.
“Well, Mate, looks like your hands are full. She misses being the Slayer. She doesn’t have any other job. She wants to be your wife. So yea, good luck with that.” Spike got up and walked out too.
Angel shrugged his shoulders, “What the hell just happened?”
Then Eve came in and Angel back business and tight lipped with her.
~~~~~~