Author: Michelle
Email: michellabella52478@yahoo.com
Notes: Angel and Faith and brother and sister. Vampires exist and Faith
is the Slayer.
"How did patrol go last night, Faith?" her Watcher Rupert Giles asked her the following morning when she entered the library.
She shrugged her shoulders as she sat down at the library table. "Nothing overly demonic. A couple vamps but I staked them, so they won't be bothering anyone anytime soon. I dusted and moved on. Ended up calling it a night at twelve-thirty."
"What about the vampires? How old would you say they were?"
"Two of them were definitely fledglings, not more than a couple days old. They didn't seem to know who I was when I told them I was the Slayer. You know, now that I think about it, I think one of them was Mayor Wilkins' lackey. The one who's been missing for the past week." Faith snorted. "Well, now we know what happened to him."
Giles grimaced and shook his head at the Slayer's comment. Only Faith could be so non-chalant about a missing man's reappearance as a member of the undead community. "Anything else I should know about?"
"Nothing I can think of. Well, this one vamp mentioned something about the 'Dear One' returning, or something to that effect. He was talking to one of his buddies about it before I staked him. Does that mean anything to you? 'Cause I'm drawing a blank."
Giles thought for a moment. "Nothing that I am able to think of off the top of my head. I've heard of the 'Dear One' in one of the previous Watcher's Diaries but nothing specific sticks out in my mind. I'll have to consult my books."
Faith rolled her eyes. "That should be exciting," she replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Happy hunting, G-Man."
"I don't suppose you'll be helping me with the research," he assumed, his thick British accent taking on a condescending tone. But he knew the answer before Faith even replied.
"I slayed. Been there, done that. Research is your department."
"You know, it wouldn't hurt for you to help me with it just this once."
She tried her hardest not to laugh at her Watcher. He was forever trying to get her to take a more active interest in the research aspect of being the Slayer. Faith preferred to get her hands dirty. "Um…no thanks. That's why you've got Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy to solve the mystery."
Giles looked at her with a blank expression on his face. "Pardon me? Who?"
"Did they have television in England when you were growing up? Scooby-Doo – Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy – the teenage crime-solvers. Also known as my Scooby Gang: Angel, Cordy, Willow and Xander. Although I suppose you could classify Oz as Scooby, given the fact that he does resemble a dog three nights out of the month. Or maybe Scrappy."
"Oh." 'More pop-culture references. Thrilling.'
"But I wouldn't count on Angel. Seems he's got a new obsession. Met her at the Bronze last night."
"Angel has a new lady friend? Can I expect another section in the Watcher's Diaries with this one?" Giles asked.
"Don't know. Knowing him, probably." The bell rang, signaling the two-minute warning before homeroom. "For whom the bell tolls. Later, Giles. I'll send the gang to help you after school."
After she left the room, Giles sat down and shook his head. "That girl is going to be the death of me. I can feel it."
"Are you getting excited about your date tonight, Angel?" Willow wanted to know at lunch later that day.
Daniel 'Oz' Osborne lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "A date?" he asked.
"Oh no, I forgot to tell you. Angel has a date tonight," she informed her boyfriend. "They met at the Bronze last night. She was checking him out. You were busy onstage."
Angel didn't even look up from the homework he was busy working on. "It's not a date, Willow. Not technically, anyway."
"What do you call it?" Oz questioned.
"A meeting. She asked me if I'd be at the Bronze around eight tonight and I said yes. See, it's not a date."
From the seat to Angel's right, Cordelia chuckled. "Oz, you will never guess what this girl's name is. Buffy. She sounds like a stripper."
"Shut up, Cordy," Angel warned.
Oz seemed un-phased by the tense words around him. "So what? It's not like any of us have normal names. So, what's the deal with her, Angel?"
"Nothing exciting. Blonde hair, green eyes, gorgeous smile. Probably about a year older than the two of us. New in town," Angel described.
"Hmm…" Oz said before a brief pause. "She sounds great. What's wrong with her?"
Angel groaned. "You've got to be kidding. Not you, too, Oz."
"Huh?"
"Faith asked me the same thing last night."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Probably because we know you. You can't go out with normal girls. It's not in your wiring."
"'Not in my wiring'? What am I, a robot?"
"No. Just a freak magnet," she told him. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Angel, but you are. Yours truly excluded from the long list of freaky girlfriends. But we love you anyway."
"I am not a freak magnet!" Angel argued. "Just because I've had some bad experiences in the dating department doesn't make me a loser at love."
Willow felt sorry for Angel. He always got picked on because of his choice in women. "No one's calling you a loser at love."
"Thank you, Willow."
"You've made a few mistakes with girls in the past. That's no reason for you to stop looking for someone to love. I'm sure she's out there waiting for you."
He smiled at her; Willow's words gave him a sense of hope. "It means a lot to hear you say that. It's nice to have someone on my side."
"That's my Will." Oz beamed with pride and put his arms around his girlfriend.
"Hey," Cordelia started. "Stop making me seem like the bad guy here. Angel, your history with girls *and* women pretty much speaks for itself. I want you to find someone just as much as everyone else does. But I don't think this Buffy chick is the one for you."
"What makes you think that?" Willow asked her. "You don't even know her. None of us do."
Cordelia shrugged her shoulders. "It's a sixth sense I have. *Angel* hardly knows the girl."
"So?" he countered. "That's the fun part, getting to know her. Look, Cordy, we already had this conversation last night at the Bronze, and I don't feel like going through this all over again. You're going to have to come up with something a little more convincing than that to keep me away from Buffy."
She scowled. 'Oh, I will. You'll be mine again, Angel. You and me, we're destined for one another but you just don't see it yet. Don't worry, you will. Nothing will get in my way. Especially not your precious little Buffy.'
To be continued...