Fanfiction: A Tale of Slayers : Part 5-8
CHAPTER SEVEN
Despite his concern for Buffy, Angel could not help the feeling of great relief when Giles finally pulled into the parking lot of Sunnydale High. The glow of the sun just below the horizon had not yet peeked out, but the vampire could smell it was just minutes away. He was in the back, Buffy’s head resting on his lap while she was stretched out across the seat; her five foot three inch frame serving her well for a change in the cramped space. He tried to make her as comfortable as possible without letting her fall asleep. Giles was very adamant about that, treating his Slayer as you would anyone who had suffered a concussion. And Angel agreed with his judgment, even though he was sure Buffy would be fine if she were allowed to sleep a little, but he wasn’t about to take any unnecessary chances with her than Giles was prepared to.
With Giles’ small field first aid kit, he had cleaned and dressed the gash; that was already healing, in Buffy’s side as best he could on the go, but the temporary bandage would have to be changed as soon as they reached their center of operations. It was theirs, which no longer included him. Before he had lost his soul to Angelus the second time, the library had become a welcome setting for the vampire as he would often be there when Buffy, Giles, and the other Slayerettes would devise and plan their strategy against the forces of darkness that were threatening the world.
Angel knew better than most living beings that time was the greatest healing power, but then he’d gone through nearly a century of healing before he finally took back any semblance of life. And that was also with the help of an annoying fashion-challenged demon who had literally taken him off the dirty Manhattan streets. The humans in this tight circle of friends did not have the luxury to brood for several decades to heal the pain of the rift he had caused them during the last year. But in a way, despite being mortal; or perhaps because of it, they were stronger than he was, and he envied the strong will he never had even before he was turned into a vampire. If he had been half the person anyone of them were, he may very well not be a vampire even now.
In the end, only time would tell.
He had kept whispering to Buffy throughout the whole ride, keeping her eyes from closing all the way. At the same time, he cleaned the blood off her face and tried to keep the worry from his with each new bruise and cut he discovered. Because of her weakened condition, he knew she wasn’t healing as fast as she usually did. They had treated each others wounds often enough to be familiar with their own healing prowess, and she was still healing faster than any normal human. But that did little to ease his concern.
Faith, on the other hand, seemed to come through her whole ordeal without so much as a scratch. A little ragged and tired, and in need of a change in attire, she was almost perfect. At least visibly, he thought. Her flippant remark that she had “died,” to explain what had happened to her, held more meaning than she was willing to reveal. Angel had thought he had his barriers well guarded, but, in Faith, he found someone far superior in that department. Angel’s brooding skills had come from his dealing with his cursed soul and the consequences his demon had wrought on others for over a hundred years; but that had ended when he had met a small sixteen year old Slayer. Faith’s came from the pain she had suffered far too young, inflicted upon her by others; Angel recognized this in the younger Slayer. This didn’t exactly make them kindred spirits, but it did say they had much more in common than either one of them would ever admit to each other.
Giles seemed to realize this also and had only asked her a few questions before he lapsed into silence and Faith had laid her head back, eyes closed, and pretended to sleep. Angel knew she was pretending because her heart rhythm had not slowed.
Saturday morning found the school parking lot deserted and Giles pulled up to the front of the side entrance. Faith carried Giles’ weapon bag as she padded barefoot up the steps to the door and used the keys her Watcher had handed her to unlock it. Giles was helping Angel slide Buffy out of the car and he stayed near as the vampire carried her into the school, where Faith held the door open for them. Walking ahead of him; likewise, the school was deserted as well, she and Giles opened the double doors to the library for them. The Watcher directed him to his office and Angel gently set Buffy down on the leather sofa, her leather jacket being used as a small blanket.
He saw that her eyes were closed. “Buffy,” he said. “C’mon, now. Don’t go to sleep.” He put a hand to the side of her cheek less bruised and felt the warmth of her skin. True he wasn’t very qualified to gauge temperature, but she did feel hotter than she usually did. “Buffy?” A little worried, he called over his shoulder. “Giles. I think Buffy’s starting to burn up.”
Faith preceded Giles into the office. “Faith, please sit down.” She obviously didn’t need to be told twice and she slumped behind his desk. He pulled out another bag from a closet cabinet and Angel made room for him as he knelt beside Buffy.
“Is she going to be okay?” Angel asked.
“Her healing attributes are being taxed right now, due to her many injuries, which would explain the fever.” He gently lifted her eyelids to examine her eyes. “No abnormal dilation, so I don’t believe she’s suffered a concussion. I believe it’s safe to let her start resting. She’s going to need all her strength to heal herself, especially with so little time.”
“What do you mean?” the vampire asked, fearing he already knew the answer.
“He means she needs to be in top form for when we face the Slayer Vampire again, tonight.”
Angel turned to see the younger Slayer with her head propped up on the palm of her hand, her elbow on the desk. She looked tired but she had been paying attention. He wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw a bit of concern in her eyes.
Angel glanced at Giles. “You can’t be serious?”
“I’m afraid so.” Giles didn’t look at him as he searched for something in the bag.
“There’s no way Buffy will be ready to face that thing again. Nowhere near a hundred percent.”
This time Giles did look at him. “Well, we really don’t have a choice now, do we? Not only are we dealing with the Order of Taraka again, but with a new powerful demon; whose origins we haven’t a clue about, as well as a newly turned Slayer. I certainly have no plans of going after them when the sun sets tonight, but I fear they will be hunting us.” He had pulled out a small syringe wrapped in plastic and a small vial of liquid. “And you know as well as I do, Angel, that there are many day-walkers in the Taraka Order. They don’t need to wait for nightfall.”
Angel was forced to agree, even if he didn’t like it. He nodded at the syringe. “What’s that?”
“Something to ease the pain.”
He watched as Giles swathed a small spot on Buffy’s arm and gave her the injection. He put the syringe and vial away and turned his attention to the bandage on her side. Angel had ripped the shirt along the seam to tend to the wound. The gash itself was a few inches long, starting from the middle of her side to just under her breast. Taking care to keep as much of his Slayer’s lingerie covered as possible, the Watcher removed the blooded gauze and conducted the examination with a doctor’s manner.
“Hmm,” he commented. “It will need a few stitches. I’m going to need Willow here. Faith, can you give her a call?”
“What’s the number?” she asked.
“I’ll do it.” Angel stood up. But instead of using the phone on the desk next to the younger Slayer, he opted to use the one out on the check-out counter. Faith watched him leave until she could not see him without turning her head, then returned her gaze to the Slayer on the sofa. Giles wondered if there would ever be a stable atmosphere with her and Angel in the same room. Considering how seriously Faith took her Slayer duties, he truly doubted it.
Angel found it strange to be calling Willow. Not only because he would usually just stop by during the night rather than call someone, but this would also be the first time he would speak to her in depth since before his soul was taken away. True, one of the first things he did during their brief reunion, a couple of months ago, was save her life from a horrible death, he doubted that alone would alleviate the discomfort she and the others still felt towards him. Not that he could ever blame them. When he had first met Buffy, they had always been known to him as “Buffy’s friends,” but sometime during that first year, he realized they had become his friends as well. Even Xander … sort of. He had come to treasure that friendship and had kept it within him, along with Buffy’s love, even when his soul was banished, and later, when he was sucked into the demon dimension. Which was why he had acted on pure instinct, when he had regained consciousness to find Willow in danger, and had pulled her away just in time.
She answered on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Willow.”
“Yes? This is she—” There was a pause for a few seconds. “Angel?”
“Yeah.”
“What are you— I mean— That is— Yes?”
Angel smiled sadly into the phone. “I’m sorry to wake you so early.”
“Oh, no. That’s no problem. Just a little surprise— hey, it’s bedtime for you anyway, I mean the sun is up. Not that you have a curfew, but—” It sounded as if she covered the mouthpiece but he was able to hear her mumble something to herself, and when she came back her voice was steadier. “What can I do for you, Angel?”
“It’s Buffy. She’s been hurt.” He heard Willow gasp but she didn’t say anything, even though he knew she wanted to. “We’re here at the library. Giles is taking care of her, but he said he needs you’re help. Faith is here too.”
“I’ll be right there.” There was no hesitation in her voice anymore. “I’ll stop by to pick up Xander on the way, too.”
“Good. I’m sure we can use all the help we can get. There’s something big going down and we don’t have a lot of time. We’ll fill you in as soon as you get here.”
“Okay. She’s going to be all right, isn’t she?”
“Giles seems to think so. That’s usually good enough.”
“Yeah. But I won’t feel better until I see her myself. Well, I better get moving.”
“And be careful,” he told her, sincerely.
“We will. And Angel.” She paused for just a moment. “Thanks. And for calling.”
“Sure.” With that, they hung up.