Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon and co. I own nothing except my imagination and Athina.
Summary: Okay, suspend all disbelief; this is definitely an alternate reality. I know this has been done before, but I rather like the premise. Takes place sometime during the gang's senior year, but I can't really say Season 3 because, while some events have occurred as they did in the series, others didn't happen at all, or not in the same way, for reasons that will become quite obvious.
Distribution: Soulmates to the end of Time, and A Vampire's Love, anyone else just ask.
Note: Angel is not a vampire. He and Cordelia are Buffy's best friends, and have been best friends themselves since childhood. Xander is Cordy's boyfriend. Buffy and her fellow Slayer, Faith are friends (well, not enemies, anyway). Willow is a somewhat mysterious young woman, who arrives in Sunnydale at the behest of Athina, an old friend of Giles'. Willow is definitely not what she appears to be, but a vampire? That remains to be seen.
Note 2: My original plan had Amy as a rat, eventually becoming
human and hooking up with Oz, but I changed my mind, so Amy's human in
this
story, and she will not hook up with Oz (because, after re-watching
season 4, I decided I really do hate him after all).
Feedback: Yes, please
Dedication: To all those wonderful people who sent feedback – thank you. I'll try not to change my mind so often, in future.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Part: 1~
"Hello. You must be Mr Giles." The soft voice carried easily across the silent interior of the high school library, and caused the man seated at the large table to drop the book he had been reading, startled.
"Oh… um, yes… yes, I am Rupert Giles. How, er, how may I help you?" The flustered tone changed as he saw the speaker for the first time until, by the end of his short speech, he was using the tone he used to address all of the students at Sunnydale High. From her appearance he presumed her to be one such student, although he could not recall ever having seen her before. "Are you looking for a book?"
"If I were, I'd certainly be in the right place, but no, Mr Giles, I'm not looking for a book. Although I may have a few you'd be interested in."
Giles looked askance at the rather small girl. Her accent clearly proclaimed that she wasn't American. In fact, she almost sounded Irish… but not quite. "What can I do for you, then?" he asked, a little suspicious.
"It's more of a case of what I can do for you, Mr Giles. I'm here to help." The girl moved forward slowly.
"With what?" Giles retreated several paces.
"Research, demon-killing, that sort of thing. I needed a change of scenery, and Athina suggested I offer my services," she smiled slightly.
"Athina? Athina LaVelle?" Giles was stunned.
"Yes. She said you still kept in touch, even though you refused to have any dealings with the rest of the Council."
"How do you know Athina?"
"I've done a little free-lance work for the Council from time to time. Athina's my usual contact."
"Really," the tone was heavy with scepticism. "Do you mind if I verify that, Miss…?"
"Killane. Willow Killane."
"Take a seat Miss Killane. I have a call to make." Giles moved to his office and closed the door.
~~~*~~~
~10 minutes later~
Giles left his office. Willow looked up from her seat in front of the computer.
"Well?"
"Athina says that I can trust you, and I trust Athina. Any assistance you can offer would be greatly appreciated," Giles was still not completely certain of the woman, and it showed in his voice.
"Its perfectly alright not to trust me, Mr Giles. I wouldn't expect you to so soon, even with Athina's recommendation. Trust must be earned, and its twice as hard on a Hellmouth. Now, what are we researching?" Willow smiled gently.
Giles was now close enough to see that while she looked like a teenager in appearance, her eyes revealed to those who would look, that this woman had witnessed much more evil than any teenager. Her green eyes were shadowed, and there was a terrible sadness lurking in their depths. Then, as she noticed his scrutiny, her eyes became those of a young woman of her apparent age, clear and bright. He blinked, not entirely sure of what he had seen. <What were we discussing? Research that's right>
"Oh, yes, before you came I was doing some research on a prophecy……"
And he began to recite the prophecy, trying to shake off the feeling
that with Willow's arrival, the course of their lives had just been
altered.
~~~*~~~
"How's it going, G-man?" Xander made his usual noisy entrance. He was looking towards the office and didn't notice the young woman at the computer.
Angel, slipping in silently behind him, did. He froze at the sight that greeted him. She was truly breathtaking, a fragile looking girl, with skin like alabaster, hair the colour of autumn leaves that cascaded past her hips in enchanting curls, and eyes that looked straight into his soul. He was caught by those eyes, unable to look away. Angel felt a shock of connection, that was broken when Xander moved in front of him.
Giles was speaking to them both. "…and where is Buffy? Faith should be along shortly, and we have a lot of work to do."
Angel answered quietly, " Buffy and Cordy had to see Mr Rankin about their history papers. They'll be here soon." He wanted to know who the strange girl was, but wasn't sure how to ask. "Giles, who…." He trailed off as he looked toward the computer.
The seat was empty.
The girl had vanished.
~Part: 2~
Angel walked cautiously through the park, alert for the slightest sound, mentally cursing himself for taking this route home. It wasn't that there was anything sinister about the park itself. Even the fact that it backed onto, not one but two, of Sunnydale's many cemeteries, didn't really bother him. The fact that it was nine o'clock at night was the reason he had a stake in his hand and a spell ready to be released. No, the reason for his disquiet was that he had passed Cordelia's home just before entering the park. Not a bad thing, except that Xander's car was parked out front… AGAIN.
< I just don't know what she sees in him, other than his popularity and captaincy of the football team. Cordy's just not THAT shallow. Granted, appearance is very important to her and she can be cruel and tactless at times, but she's been my best friend ever since I can remember and I KNOW there's more to her than she lets on. Gods, I sound like I'm in love with her. But I'm not, not really. I love her yes, and I've had a crush on her forever, not that she's ever noticed, but I'm not IN LOVE with her. I'm not in love with ANYONE. And that's the problem… I'm jealous. I want what Cordy's got, someone to love who loves me. But I want more… I want someone who knows everything about me and still wants to be with me… I want someone who sees ME, not their image of me… I want…> A soft scraping sound pulled him from his thoughts, and he realized that he'd let himself get distracted.
< If Buffy or Faith were here, they'd tease me about thinking too much… again.>
He looked around, but couldn't see what had made the noise. < It's probably just an animal… Who am I kidding, this is Sunnydale, it'll be a ten-foot demon with horns, scales and a taste for stupid humans out alone at night> As he silently rounded the decorative hedge blocking his view of the children's playground, he realized it was neither.
It was the girl from the library. She was on one of the swings, apparently absorbed in… stargazing. Her head was tilted back, revealing the smooth line of her throat. A stray shaft of moonlight gilded her skin, giving it a silvery sheen.
Angel stood frozen, not daring to breathe, half afraid that she would vanish again.
~~~*~~~
There had been no opportunity that afternoon to question Giles about her. Angel had barely had time to register that she was gone, when Buffy and Cordy had stormed in, ranting about history teachers and extra assignments. It took only a moment for him to understand what had happened, although Giles and Xander were both still confused. Angel had started to laugh and said "I told you to at least read that one chapter, before you wrote the paper."
Buffy turned on him "But you didn't SAY read ALL of it."
"What did you think I meant?"
Giles interrupted. "Yes, well, we can worry about your history papers later. There is a prophecy we need to research, and…" He turned back towards the main part of the library as he spoke, but trailed off when he saw the empty seat. Giles decided not to mention his visitor just yet. "… and we don't have a great deal of information to begin with."
Angel was the only one who noticed the slight hesitation in Giles' voice. Faith came bounding in just then, and they got down to researching the prophecy. It turned out to be something that THEY wouldn't have to worry about, unless they planned on living another two hundred years or so. The information hadn't been easy to find, but several bookmarked sites on Angel's (well, the library's) computer helped to point them to the right references. The only problem Angel had with that, was that the sites hadn't been there the previous day, and he'd never even heard of ANY of them before. He'd meant to ask Giles quietly about it, and the mystery girl, when the others weren't around, but he, Buffy and Faith had left to patrol while Angel was still engrossed in the new sites.
So Angel had said goodnight to Cordy and Xander, declined the ride Cordy offered, and headed home, his curiosity still unsatisfied.
~~~*~~~
"It's beautiful, isn't it? Not as clear as it could be, but still breath-taking. I remember one night in …. Jordan, it was… I wanted to see Petra, the rose-red city of the Nabateans in the middle of the desert. I rode down the siq, the canyon walls towering overhead, anticipating my first glimpse of this place I'd heard so much about. The horse walked through a bend in the canyon… and there it was… the Treasury… the entrance to Petra. The whole city had been carved out of the cliff faces, thousands of years ago. I climbed up to one of the high places… I think it was the place of sacrifices… I know it wasn't the monastery…, and I sat there for most of the night, watching the stars shining down on this long-deserted city. It was so clear that night, the stars seemed just out of reach. I've always loved the night sky, and that's one of my most treasured memories."
The soft voice had caught Angel's complete attention from the first, barely audible, word. The voice mesmerized him, even as the words painted a vivid picture of the scene she described. Then, as the last words left her lips, she turned toward him.
He was caught again by those green, green eyes, but he knew he had to say SOMETHING. " I didn't mean to intrude, I was just…"
"You didn't intrude, it's a public park," she smiled, and rose from the swing.
Angel started to move toward her, feeling inexorably drawn, but slowly, not wanting to disturb the moment. "You were at the library this afternoon."
"Yes."
"Who are you?'
"Didn't Mr Giles tell you? My name is Willow Killane."
Angel moved another step closer, "It's a lovely name. I'm Angel. Actually Liam Angelus Rosenberg, and before you ask, Mom's Irish-American and Dad was Jewish. Most people just call me Angel."
"It suits you. I'm very pleased to meet you, Angel," Willow extended her hand toward him.
As Angel moved to take her hand in his, he saw Willow's gaze move past him, and then her eyes started to blaze. Suddenly, Angel felt power swirling around them, power that hadn't been there a moment earlier. He turned to see what had captured her attention.
~Part: 3~
Angel looked over his shoulder, but could see nothing. The power swirling around them continued to build, however. He wasn't certain where the power had come from. One moment there had been nothing, and the next there was a huge reservoir waiting to be tapped. If the power was Willow's, then she was definitely a great deal more than she appeared.
He started to ask what had caught her attention, when he caught a glimpse of movement in his peripheral vision.
A ball of fire was moving straight for him a top speed, but almost before he had registered what it was, it stopped abruptly about a metre from him. Or rather, it had been stopped, because it started to spread out to the sides, almost as though it were seeking a way past the shield. As the flames encircled them, Angel realised that Willow (it had to be her) had created a dome of energy to protect them from the flames.
The fire moved so swiftly that soon he could see nothing but the flames, held back by the nearly invisible barrier.
The fire was burning furiously, but he could feel no heat. There was no sound or smell. It was as though the shield simply held everything at bay.
Angel could now see the shield shimmering between himself and the flames. He could see it give slightly each time another fireball impacted against it. But it did not fail.
Angel wondered how long Willow could hold the shield against such a focused attack.
"Long enough." Willow's voice startled him, causing Angel to try to recall having spoken his thoughts aloud.
<I'm sure I didn't say that aloud… maybe I did without realising, but I don't think so> He was so deep in his thoughts that Willow's soft voice startled him yet again.
"You didn't speak, Angel. I heard your thoughts … you were projecting rather loudly."
He spun around, his mouth falling open in shock, to be greeted with Willow's impish grin.
"What do you mean … projecting? And … and … how can you hear thoughts?"
Willow's expression sobered, and her eyes took on a distant look. "Explanations can wait. This can't. Stand away from the shield, Angel."
Angel covered his eyes as the shield suddenly flared white. When he opened them again, the fire had vanished and he could see several demons moving from the trees to take up positions surrounding the shield. One of the demons, cloaked and hooded like his brethren, raised a clawed hand and began an incantation.
Turning to Willow, Angel asked, "What are they doing NOW? … What are they?"
"They're Lashanak demons, practitioners of magic… one of the demon races who use the arts to enhance their natural abilities." Willow spoke softly. "As for what they are doing… well, they've been hunting me for a while and they're obviously planning to finish what they started. But," and her voice rose in volume, as Angel realised that the demons could hear her words when one of their number turned to face her, "they aren't following the rules."
The leader broke off his incantation and stood silent for a moment. Then he spoke.
"You gave us no choice, Lady." The words were a sibilant hiss.
"Oh, so I'm to blame if an innocent is walking in the park, am I?" Willow shot back.
"You could have removed him, Lady, but you chose to shield instead. We have no quarrel with the boy, he is free to go."
"Okay, I'll agree to that. I'll drop the shield and send him away, then we'll deal with this, agreed?"
"Agreed, Lady."
Willow turned to Angel and spoke urgently, "I'm going to drop the shield and transport you… where? Name a safe place. The library? Your home?"
"I'm staying with you, Willow," Angel protested.
"No, you're not. I can handle this, but you can't be here. I can't guarantee your safety…. Home, it is."
"But…"
~Part: 4~
“… I want to …” Abruptly, Angel realised that he was not where he had been only moments earlier. Instead of a beautiful red-head and several demons, he was looking at the walls of his own room. Stunned by the instantaneous change in location, it was a moment before Angel could think.
<Buffy…. I need to call Buffy…. No, she won’t be back from patrol yet. … Giles… I’ll call Giles, he should know where she’s patrolling … or even Faith.> Turning thought into action, Angel picked up the phone and hit the speed-dial. The phone started to ring. <C’mon, c’mon, be there Giles.>
“Hello.”
“Giles, its Angel, you need to get Buffy or Faith to the park near Cordy’s place, now. There’re demons there and they were attacking us, but she sent me away, and she’s still there…”
Giles cut him off. “Angel, calm down. Now… there were demons in the park near Cordelia’s home and she’s under attack?”
“No … not Cordy … Willow.” Angel burst out.
“Willow?” Giles’ tone was very cautious.
“Yes, Willow. You know, the girl who was at the library this afternoon.”
“I know who Willow is, Angel. I was not, however, aware that you knew.”
“I saw her in the library this afternoon, and then I was walking home and she was in the park and we introduced ourselves and then we were attacked by the demons…”
“And Willow sent you away? How?”
“I don’t know. She must have used a transportation spell, because one minute I was arguing with her about staying, and the next I was here in my room. Giles, she needs help! There were about ten demons there and she was surrounded.”
“I see.” Giles’ tone was thoughtful. Then he became brisk again. “Did you happen to get a description of the demons?”
“They’re Lashanak demons … that’s what Willow called them.”
There was silence on the other end of the line.
“Giles?”
“I’m sorry, Angel. I can’t send Buffy or Faith after the demons. Willow can take care of herself.”
“What? … Giles, why?”
“Lashanak demons are practitioners of magic…”
“Yes, that’s what Willow said.”
“Allow me to finish please, Angel. They are practitioners of magic. They do not fight as do other demons. They fight with magic and they are almost impossible to defeat, and certainly not physically. Buffy and Faith are Slayers, they do not practice magic. To go up against the Lashanak would be certain death for both of them.”
“But Giles, she needs help.”
“No, Angel, I have it on good authority that Miss Killane can take care of herself.” Giles was firm.
“What authority? Who is she, Giles? … Not a Watcher?”
“No, Miss Killane is not a Watcher, although she does work for them on occasion. So please remember that she is not to be trusted, at least not yet.”
“Why did you let her help with research, then Giles? That’s what she was doing in the library, wasn’t it?”
“How did you know she was there?”
“I saw her, just for a second. Plus, when I logged on, there were some sites bookmarked that I’d never even heard of.”
“There were? Well yes, she was helping with some research. A friend of mine on the Council suggested that she come out here for a change of scenery.”
“A change of scenery, Giles? Who’d come to the Hellmouth for that?”
“I can only tell you what Miss Killane told me, and what my friend said. I agree that its an odd choice for someone who knows that it is a Hellmouth, and yet another reason why we cannot let down our guard…”
Giles continued speaking, but Angel tuned him out as he paced the floor, his mind racing, torn between wanting to help the redhead and knowing that there was nothing he could do. He felt a sudden surge of power, almost as if someone had taken the raw energy of the Hellmouth and shaped it to their will. It wasn’t something Angel had ever felt before, and the thought of the sheer strength of will required to accomplish it (if that was what had happened), froze both mind and body.
When he came back to awareness, Angel realised that mere seconds had passed, and Giles was still talking. His own anxiety was gone, replaced with the certainty that Willow was okay. Angel didn’t know where this knowledge came from, but for once, his analytical brain chose not to question. He also felt disinclined to discuss the matter tonight with Giles, so he broke into Giles’ monologue. “Giles, GILES, thanks for the warning. Everything is fine now, and Willow’s okay… I can feel it.”
“What? What do you mean… you can feel it?”
“It’s all over, Giles, whatever happened, and I’m going to sleep, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“We need to talk about this, Angel.”
Angel sighed wearily, “I know, Giles, tomorrow, please.”
“Very well. Good night, Angel.”
Angel hung up the phone and turned to the window, lost in thought. <What just happened? And why do I get the feeling that nothing will ever be the same again?> He turned away from the window and readied himself for bed.
As he was drifting off to sleep, one last thought crossed his mind. <I wonder if I’ll see Willow tomorrow.>
Angel slept; while in an apartment not so very far away, a woman with hair the colour of autumn leaves lay awake, her green eyes unfocused, her gaze turned inward, contemplating an impossible future. She finally surrendered to exhaustion, two questions pursuing her into the darkness. <What would have happened if we hadn’t been interrupted, if I had touched him?> and <Why now?>
~Part: 5~
“… and then there was another vamp in…”
Giles looked up as Faith’s report of the previous night’s patrol trailed off. He followed her gaze to see Angel almost bouncing into the library.
Faith eyed Angel suspiciously, “You haven’t been drinking coffee again, have you, Angel Eyes?” She used the nickname that never failed to embarrass him.
Angel didn’t even blink. “No coffee, Faith. Just enjoying the beautiful morning. Good morning, Giles.” He crossed to the computer, humming under his breath, and quickly hacked into the coroner’s office to check for any suspicious – read ‘vampire’ – deaths.
Faith and Giles exchanged a glance and looked out the window. The day was overcast and threatening rain. Faith shrugged and returned to her interrupted report. Giles noted the details automatically, all the while experiencing a strange sense that all their lives had just undergone a subtle shift and nothing would ever be the same.
~~~*~~~
After school, Angel slipped quietly into the library. He had managed to avoid seeing Giles alone during the day, knowing that he would want to discuss the events of the previous night, but also knowing that he would not do so in front of the rest of the Scoobies.
Giles would be tied up with the weekly faculty meeting until 5pm, by which time the rest of the group would have arrived, and there would be no opportunity to speak privately.
Angel quickly logged onto the Internet and started searching for any information about Willow. He wanted to know who she was, and perhaps more importantly, if she was dangerous. Angel knew that the pull he felt for the redhead could be perfectly natural, but you didn’t survive on a Hellmouth without at least checking all the possibilities.
An hour later, he finally admitted defeat. If Willow was evil, there was no information about her anywhere that Angel could find. Of course, it was conceivable that he wasn’t looking in the right place, although given Angel’s research skills, that was unlikely. The fact that he had found absolutely no mention of the redhead was curious, because he was quite certain that she was extremely powerful, and that usually rated a mention somewhere, but he wasn’t really concerned. Angel was quietly certain that Willow was on the side of good, which meant that getting to know her wouldn’t put he and his friends in any danger – any more than usual, that is – and he really wanted to get to know her.
The library door swung open, and Cordelia, Xander, Buffy and Faith entered. Angel greeted his friends, and got to work on the list of research topics Giles had left.
~~~*~~~
The night’s research session had been underway for some time, and Giles’ sense of foreboding had not disappeared. None of the others had even seemed to notice Angel’s buoyant mood, only reinforcing the Watcher’s belief that teenagers were the most self-centred beings alive.
Faith continued to observe Angel surreptitiously, as she had all evening. His mood had not deteriorated with the weather, and it just wasn’t like him to be so… she wasn’t sure what he was, but it was definitely not normal. Something was going on and, from Giles’ behaviour, he knew what it was, and he was worried. Under the pretence of showing the Watcher some information, she headed to his office, where he had retreated after handing out the research assignments.
Giles looked up as she entered.
“What’s up with Angel, G?”
“Faith, I wish you …”
“Wouldn’t call you that. Yeah, I know.” She interrupted. “What’s up with research boy?”
The librarian stiffened slightly, “He’s in a good mood.”
Faith sighed; it was never easy getting information out of the Englishman. “I can see that Giles, but it’s not his usual state. He’s Mr. Tall, Dark and Brooding, remember.”
“I …” Giles began, but was interrupted by the shrill ring of the telephone. “Excuse me, please Faith.” He picked up the phone, “Hello… ah, yes… Just a moment please…” He turned to Faith. “You and Buffy can get ready to patrol. I’ll be out shortly.”
“Okay, G,” and Faith left, but did not go far. She stood near the door, which she had pulled almost shut, and listened to the Watcher’s side of the conversation, which was quite maddening because of what it didn’t say.
“I understand there was some trouble… I can’t allow you to involve one of my charges in your disputes… The Slayers may be my official charges, but I’m also responsible for the wellbeing of the other children… At least you got him out… Will the Lashanak return? … No… Oh, really, I hadn’t heard that… It isn’t? … Oh, I see… What prophecy? … That’s a very rare text, there are no more than three copies known to exist… You do? … Very well, bring it over to the library. The children should be gone by eleven… Please try to avoid them for the time being.” Giles hung up the phone.
Faith moved quickly from the door, only now noticing two things – Buffy, Cordelia and Xander were gone, and Amy, who had been at a family dinner earlier, had arrived and was watching the oblivious Angel somewhat curiously. Faith walked over to the blond witch, and joined her in watching the hacker, who was staring into space with a slight smile playing on his lips.
“He hasn’t moved since I arrived. What’s up?” Amy whispered.
“I don’t know, but I’m betting Giles does.”
“Faith, I thought I told you to prepare for patrol.” The Watcher’s voice startled both girls, and jolted Angel from his reverie. “And where’s Buffy?”
Amy spoke up. “I saw her leaving with Oz as I came in, she said they were going to patrol, but I think they had other plans. Cordy and Xander headed out just behind them.”
‘I see,” Giles was annoyed at his Slayer’s lack of commitment, “well then, why don’t you patrol, Faith, and take Angel and Amy with you. You can give me your report in the morning, so just go straight home when you’re finished.”
All three teens looked surprised by that, Angel and Amy because there was still a lot of research to be done, and Faith because she hadn’t thought Giles would be so blatant about getting rid of them. Something was definitely going on, and she intended to find out what it was.
“Sure, G. C’mon, Amy, Angel Eyes. Let’s go kill some bad guys.”
Angel shut down the computer and followed the girls from the library. Giles let out a sigh of relief, and started to tidy the room, his mind on the earlier phone call.
~Part: 6~
Angel was walking slightly ahead of the two girls, obviously immersed in his own thoughts. Faith wasn't worried about his apparent lack of attention; Angel had an uncanny knack of knowing when he was in immediate danger, and could react instantly. She had noticed it almost as soon as she arrived in Sunnydale, but everyone else, including Angel himself, seemed completely unaware of his ability. Faith had at first thought Angel's `knowing' was a side-effect of being a witch, but it didn't work for Amy, so maybe not. Whatever the reason, Faith was content to let him move ahead of herself and Amy, particularly because she wanted to talk to the other girl.
Amy spoke first. "Have you figured out why Angel's so… happy? Not that he's not happy usually, but he's not normally so… well, I can't think of the right word. He's been in his own world all day. He didn't notice Xander's football friends making fun of him at lunch, and I don't think he even heard Aura's insults just before English…"
Faith cut in. "There's someone in town Giles doesn't want us to know about. What's the bet she's the reason Angel Eyes is so happy today?"
"Someone new? And Giles doesn't want us to know?" Amy was still processing that when the rest of Faith's words registered. "She? … How do you know it's a she? And Angel…"
Faith laughed. "Come on, Amy. Do you think Angel would be like this over a guy?"
"Well, no… But how do you know the two are related?"
"I don't, for sure, but Giles got a call before he sent us on patrol. He was very annoyed at the caller; something about putting one of his charges in danger last night. Then the other person told him about some prophecy, because he told them to bring it to the library after we were gone for the night." Faith spoke quietly; she didn't want Angel to overhear.
"After we were gone?"
"Yeah, he was very Watchery about it. You know how he gets. Then there was the whole thing about avoiding the children – meaning us." Faith grimaced at being called a child.
Amy was going back over the conversation. "One of his charges. Who was out alone last night?"
Faith started ticking people off. " It wasn't you and I. Buffy finished patrol early so she could see Oz, and if it had been her, we would have heard all about it this morning. Cordelia and Xander were at her place, so Angel's the only one unaccounted for. I'll bet he walked home."
Amy gave up, accepting Faith's logic. "Okay, so it *was* Angel, but what's with him then? Do you think it's a spell? Because that is *not* normal Angel."
"Maybe not normal… but better? And no, I don't think it's a spell." Faith chuckled wickedly. "I think our Angel is finally noticing girls."
Amy looked confused, "But…"
Faith cut her off. "Yeah, I know. You were about to mention the Cordelia crush, which died a natural death months ago." She brushed that aside as completely irrelevant, considering that everyone (except she and Amy) had been totally oblivious to Angel's feelings for his best friend – including said best friend herself. "That was just a kid's crush. No, I think it's finally hit our boy that girls are different." At the look on Amy's face, she hastened to clarify. "I mean, he's know intellectually for years, probably longer than we have – he *is* a genius, after all. I'm talking about in connection to himself. He never did anything about the crush on Cordy because he didn't see himself as potential boyfriend material, - and neither did any of the girls in Sunnydale. But now he's met someone who has made him see himself differently. God, if he only met her last night, it must have hit hard and fast – I'm talking instant attraction here, and it must have been strong, for him to be like this already."
Amy was staring a Faith open-mouthed, mostly because she'd never even considered what Faith had just mentioned, and she hadn't realised Faith was that perceptive. Faith didn't notice her expression, as she was contemplating Angel's back as he walked ahead.
She continued. "Besides, its about time some girl noticed him as more than a friend or a tutor. It would serve the girls of Sunnydale right, if this newcomer snaps him up, and gives him the confidence to be who he is, rather than who everyone expects him to be."
"What are you talking about, Faith?"
Faith looked at her friend in puzzlement. "Can't you see it?" She looked back at Angel.
"See what?" Amy followed her gaze, only to see Angel's head whip around, looking past the mausoleum to his right. Beside her, Faith tensed, her Slayer instincts alerting her to the presence of the vampires moving through the cemetery.
Angel turned back to join the girls, and Faith cocked an eyebrow, asking a silent question.
"Eight. All vamps." Angel spoke softly. For reasons no one had ever bothered to explain to Faith, Angel could not only sense danger, but also what form the danger took – if it was supernatural. He could break down groups of demons into types better than either Slayer. It was just another of those unexplained abilities.
Faith grinned, pulling out a stake as the others readied themselves. "Let's not keep them waiting." And the trio took off towards the vampires.
As they came into view, Angel hurled a fireball at the nearest vamp, which promptly burst into flames. His fellows froze in shock for only a moment, but by then Faith was already amongst them, creating her own special brand of mayhem. Amy provided cover with her crossbow, and Angel joined the fight after unleashing a second well-placed fireball.
The fight was quickly over, leaving eight piles of dust, a black eye (Faith) and a couple of scratches (Angel).
~~~*~~~
The rest of the patrol was without incident, and the girls said goodbye to Angel at the corner of his street. He headed home whistling cheerfully, with both girls watching – Amy in bemusement (because Angel *didn't* whistle) and Faith… well, Faith was just enjoying the view.
Amy turned to her friend when Angel was out of hearing. "See what?"
Faith was still focussed on Angel's butt. "Huh?"
"Before the vamps, you were talking about Angel, and said `Can't you see it?' but you didn't get to explain what *it* was."
"Oh, that," Faith shrugged, and turned as Angel disappeared into his house. "I meant that he's hot."
Amy's mouth fell open. "Who? Angel? We are still talking about Angel, aren't we?"
Faith glared at her in irritation. "Of course, we're talking about Angel. I can't believe *I'm* the only one who sees it. If he weren't my best friend, the only *male* friend I've ever had, I'd have… If he'd shown the slightest bit of interest in me, other than friendship, he'd have been in my bed *months* ago."
Amy's eyes were wide with shock, and her mouth opened and closed several times before she managed to stutter. "A… an… gel?"
Faith had had enough. Amy might be her best female friend, but she was as oblivious as every other girl in Sunnydale when it came to Angel. Amy and Cordelia, and later Buffy, had put Angel in the `best friend' category years ago, and hadn't noticed that he was no longer the skinny computer geek, who Faith had only seen in photographs.
"Yes. Angel." She snapped. "Granted, the clothes need work – that boy would do great things for leather pants – but the clothes can be fixed. Does the phrase `all, dark and handsome' mean anything to you? It could have been coined with him in mind. I've only been here for eight months, but I've known he's a hottie for at least six. Granted, it took seeing him doing Tai Chi exercises one morning – shirtless – to realize that he was probably *the* hottest guy in Sunnydale, but I always knew he was a studly. If it weren't for the fact that he's treated me like a friend from the very beginning, something no other guy has ever done, I would've jumped his bones way back then. By the time I found out how hot he really is, I loved him as my best friend, not romantically, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the finest piece of salty goodness in this town." She checked her watch, noting that it was just after eleven.
"Now I'm going to the library to check out Giles' guest, and see if she's good enough for Angel. You coming?"
Amy just nodded dumbly, still in shock from everything Faith had said.
As the girls walked away, they missed the sight of a large snowy owl ghosting silently to Angel's house, and perching on the balcony outside his bedroom. The owl sat watching for a few minutes, until Angel walked in from the bathroom, turned out the light, and threw himself on the bed. The owl then flew off into the night.
next