Prophecies In Her Eyes

Name: Zenura

Parts: 11-20

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
 
 

It was two in the afternoon on a Saturday, and already Kat was ready to crawl back into her bed at the hotel and snooze for a solid eight hours straight. Cordelia and Willow had managed to drag the reluctant brunette out on her day off from waiting tables in order to shop. Not just any shopping: Presents for Angel shopping. Willow decided that, as a celebration of his first month out of Hell, Angel should have a small party and be given gifts. Cordelia had readily agreed, managing to drag Giles, Xander, and Kat herself into the scheme. And so here she was, collapsing in a chair in the middle of the noisy food court, watching the cheerleader toss her massive amount of purchases onto a chair nearby before pulling an item out of one of them.

"What do you think," Cordelia questioned her shopping buddies, holding up an emerald green clingy dress for the other two to see. Smirking, Kat raised an eyebrow at the very bold, very Cordy-like dress.

"Somehow I don’t think its Angel’s style," the petite young woman remarked dryly, earning her a glare of indignation from the cheerleader.

"Well of course not!" Cordelia snapped, throwing the garment back into its bag. Ever the peacemaker, Willow jumped into the conversation, her fingers twirling the straw of her Coke as she turned to the tall brunette.

"What did you get Angel?" A smile spread over the cheerleader’s face as she shifted bags, pulling one closer and dragging an item out for the others to inspect. Leaning forward, Kat peered intently at Cordy’s choice. She had to admit, it was a very nice gift: a long-sleeved poet style shirt made of velvet, the burgundy color was a sharp contrast to the black attire Angel was normally seen in. For a moment an image of the soulful vampire entered Kat’s mind, clad in the velvet shirt. She fought to keep a smile from touching her lips as she mused on how the shirt would lighten the color of his dark chocolate eyes to a more interesting shade. It took Willow a full minute to gain the brunette’s attention and when she did the redhead grinned, to Kat’s annoyance.

"What?" but Willow merely shook her head, the smile on her face disturbing the brunette. As Cordelia waved the garment in front of them, Kat returned her attention to the matter at hand. "It looks…nice. I’m sure he’ll like it." Her words were a little strained as she tried to regain her earlier composure, while Willow assured Cordelia that it was indeed a fine gift for the vampire.

As the cheerleader returned the shirt to its bag, Kat took in the sheer number of shopping bags that littered the chair beside Cordelia. Relaxing a little, she smirked once more before commenting rather flippantly, "Damn Cheerleader, I think you bought out half the store! Are you going for the world record here, or are you defending your title?"

"I like to shop." Shrugging off the comment, Cordelia glanced over at Willow, then back at the shorter brunette. A calculated smile stretched across her glossy lips as she leaned forward. "Soo Kat…what do you think of our local souled vamp?"

Kat tensed slightly, darting a look between the other two girls, who were suddenly a little too interested in her answer. Raising an eyebrow, the brunette offered before taking a sip of her own soda, "He’s a good fighter?"

Rolling her eyes, Cordelia let out an undignified snort. "Oh please! It’s obvious you are sprung on the guy."

The cheerleader’s accusation had the effect of sending Kat into choking sputters. Alarmed, Willow moved closer, pounding the brunette’s back as she struggled to breathe. Glaring now at the cheerleader, who looked rather smug about Kat’s reaction, the smaller brunette managed to gasp out a reply between breaths. "I. Am. NOT. Sprung. On. Him!"

"Well he certainly has an effect on you," Cordelia challenged, waving her hand in the air. "The other night when you two patrolled together you came back clearly flustered about something, and I know he kept staring at you. Admit it; you were all hot and bothered by him. You don’t have to feel too embarrassed. I mean, that is the normal female reaction to him."

"You’re nuts!" Shaking her head vehemently, Kat appealed to the redhead, who so far had sat in thoughtful silence. "Wills, tell this crazy pom-pom shaker that there is nothing going on between me and that vampire." The brunette’s jaw dropped as Willow seemed to hesitate. "Willow?!"

"Well," the petite redhead began, nibbling on her lower lip. "You do seem kind of edgy whenever he’s around. And he did join us for patrol after you went over to talk to him for me, and he never patrolled with us before." Emerald eyes sparkling, Willow grinned. "What’s wrong, I think it’s sweet Kat!"

"There is nothing sweet about this," the brunette hissed, staring at the other women like they had grown two heads. "I do not have the hots for Angel!"

"You don’t find him the least bit attractive?" Cordelia questioned almost ruthlessly, an eyebrow raised dubiously as she watched the other brunette squirm uncomfortably in her seat. Amused, the cheerleader continued. "That silky brown hair…"

"Those chocolate, puppy-dog brown eyes," Willow chipped in, fighting to keep from grinning at her friend’s discomfort, but without much success. Her words earned her a glare from Kat, but the redhead plunged on regardless. "That self-depreciating smile…"

"And that body?" Cordelia offered, sighing herself as she got into her mental image of Angel. "Like some marble statue of a greek god come to life…"

"And that ass!" Both brunettes stared at Willow in shock, but the elfin girl merely shrugged. "What? He does have a nice ass." Thoroughly horrified at this point, Kat shook her head violently, struggling not to picture the Angel their words had conjured. Her lips curled into a snarl as the vampire’s profile came all too easily to her mind.

"ARRGH!" she fairly shouted, drawing strange looks from several people nearby, but Kat didn’t care. Fixing each woman with a glare, she repeated her earlier protestations through clenched teeth. "I do not now, nor will I ever, have the hots for Angel!"

Mumbling something under her breath that sounded to Kat’s ears suspiciously like "methinks she protests too much," Willow resumed sipping her soda, her mind working overtime. She was pretty sure that Cordy had touched a nerve…it wasn’t hard to see that, for some reason, Kat and Angel were very much interested in each other. ‘Now how do I get them to see it?’ the redhead mused silently. Slowly an evil thought wormed its way to the forefront, causing her lips to twitch. ‘Bad Willow!’

Glancing down at her watch, Willow cried out in dismay. "Oh no!" When Kat and Cordelia looked at her in confusion, the redhead explained. "I promised Angel I would stop by the butchers and get him some blood, but I have to go tutor a guy in 10 minutes!" In truth, her tutoring session wasn’t for another hour, but she hoped Kat, and Angel, forgave her this one tiny white lie. "And he has no blood, so if I don’t go he’ll starve all night, and maybe he’ll lose control and snack on some innocent passerby and it will all be my fault…" She fell silent as Kat touched her shoulder, hoping to calm the flustered girl down before she collapsed from lack of oxygen.

"Easy Wills, breathe once in awhile." Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Kat asked the question to which she dreaded an answer. "What do you want us to do about it?" The knot of unease in her stomach grew as Willow looked at the brunette silently, eyes big as saucers. "No." The redhead’s eyes grew bigger, and her lower lip began to tremble. "NO! Don’t make that face Wills." Kat struggled to call forth all of her resolve as Willow continued to plead silently with the brunette. "I am not going to bring that vampire blood, and that’s final!"

* * * * * * * * *

‘I’m going to kill her,’ Kat growled silently, her arms laden down with the bags she had gotten from the meat market. She all but snarled at the man who had given her the blood bags, so foul a mood was she in thanks to a certain manipulative redhead. ‘She is so going to pay for this!’ The brunette continued to grumble to herself as she walked up the path to the mansion that afternoon, her face set in a dark look as she tried hard not to think of how odd her friends were.

"As if I have a thing for that brooding, pale-faced, guilt-ridden, gorgeous vampire," she mumbled, storming up to the mansion. As she raised her hand to knock on the door, Kat realized what she had said and swore. Viciously. ‘Damn them!’ Not waiting for a reply she grabbed the doorknob and twisted, not giving much thought to the fact that it was unlocked as she entered the darkened hallway, nearly slamming the door behind her in the process.

"Hello!" Kat ground out through her teeth, scowling as she entered the living room in search of the vampire that was at the heart of all her frustration. She didn’t see anyone in sight, but her sensitive ears picked up sounds coming from upstairs. Assuming he was there she turned, stalking into the kitchen to put the blood away, grumbling under her breath about vampires, cheerleaders, and redheads with super powers of the manipulative variety as she went.

Once she had put the blood away Kat glanced around the kitchen, noting the lack of appliances and utensils in the place. So simple these touches were to a home that the brunette felt a pang of sadness to note there was only a mug by the sink, obviously for drinking his cup of blood. Slowly she frowned again, shaking her head as she tried to remember she was mad at the vampire for making her friends think she liked him. Resuming her litany, Kat moved about the kitchen, fixing a mug of blood in the microwave for said vampire even as she cursed his sad puppy-brown eyes.

* * * * * * * * *

Angel sighed in pleasure as the heat of the shower beat down on his chilly neck. Leaning into the spray, he closed his eyes, trying for perhaps the hundredth time that day not to think about the mystery that was Kat. Ever since that night he had patrolled with the fiery hellcat he had wondered about her, and about her reaction to his touch. He kept telling himself it was only concern for a friend, a friend who seemed to harbor the same pain and anguish that he himself suffered. Certainly it had nothing to do with the way her eyes flickered, changing color with her shifting moods. And it had nothing to do with her dainty figure, which made her look delicately strong when she battled the various demons the hellmouth threw at her. Not to mention the way she twirled her silky hair in her fingers, sucking on her lower lip in a habit she had picked up from Willow…

Groaning, the vampire turned off the shower, shaking droplets out of his hair as he tried to shake loose his thoughts. ‘I am not interested in the kitten,’ he repeated over and over to himself as he stepped out of the shower. His eyes swept over the bathroom, searching for his towel before remembering that he had left it in the bedroom. Sighing, he reached for the doorknob, his preoccupation with his thoughts preventing him from realizing that someone else was in the house with him.

* * * * * * * * *

‘I am not interested in the vampire, I am not interested in the vampire,’ Kat thought as she carried the mug of blood towards the stairs, climbing them as she tried to locate said vampire. As she reached the top of the stairs she heard a door click open. Glancing up, she caught a glimpse of Angel as he stepped out of the bathroom, heading away from her in the direction of his bedroom. Her eyes grew wide, shifting in color as fast as a cyclone as she watched his beautifully formed backside move away from her. Blue, green, black, and red all flashed through her eyes as her mouth opened, an inarticulate squeak escaping her lush lips. So intently was she staring at his pale derriere and the large tattoo on his right shoulder blade she forgot all about the mug in her hands, which was currently hurtling towards the floor.

* * * * * * * * *

A soft sound behind Angel, followed by the sound of something breaking, caused the vampire to whirl around in surprise. At the end of the hallway stood the object of his thoughts, her mouth open as she stared at him strangely. She seemed close to hyperventilating, her chest heaving in the effort to breathe and her eyes nearly popping out of her pretty head. Angel idly noted the broken mug of spilled blood at her feet, his attention more firmly fixed on the brunette who was still trying to breathe normally, her eyes darting up to his face for a moment before trailing down his pale, dripping body. Only when her face flushed a lovely shade of scarlet did the vampire remember that he was nude, and currently giving the brunette a good view of his assets.

Thankful that he was unable to blush himself the vampire backed up as quickly as possible, nearly jarring himself on the bedroom door in the process. Quick as lightening his arm snaked out, shutting the door behind him with a loud thud! Taking in a deep, unneeded breath, Angel groaned and leaned against the door, closing his eyes and banging his head against the wood as mortification settled in. ‘This is not good.’

From the silence on the other side of the door, he assumed that Kat had not moved yet. Opening his eyes, Angel glanced around the room quickly, almost frantic to find something clean to throw on so he could go back out there and see if she was still hyperventilating…or if she had just passed right out on the floor. As he grabbed a pair of black sweats, the flustered vampire cursed the unholy timing of the Hellmouth.

* * * * * * * * *

‘Breathe Kat, breathe,’ the brunette had tried to signal her brain for more oxygen, but the tantalizing view of Angel in all his glory had managed to short circuit her mind for the moment. It wasn’t until he had slammed the bedroom door closed that she had snapped out of her stupor, just barely managing not to lick her lips and sigh as her mind replayed that juicy moment over and over for her viewing pleasure.

Taking a step back, Kat winced as she heard porcelain breaking under her boot. Glancing down in dismay, she noted the mug she had been carrying laid now in pieces at her feet. ‘So much for breakfast in bed…oh, I did NOT want to go there.’ Groaning in embarrassment, the petite brunette did the only thing she could do…she ran back down the stairs and out the front door before Angel could come back out of the bedroom.

* * * * * * * * *

Satisfied that he looked somewhat presentable in his black sweats and tee, Angel took a deep breath and, combing his spiky hair with one hand, opened the door to the hallway. "Kitten?" he called out softly, scanning the area in search of the brunette. Frowning, he headed downstairs, searching for her all over. As he entered the kitchen the vampire realized she must have run off.

Sighing heavily, the vampire put both arms on the kitchen counter, his head buried in them as his mortification over the scene that had just occurred returned full force. ‘Great, just great. First I can’t stop thinking about the little hellcat, and then she walks in on me like that!’

Moving back up the stairs, Angel hissed as he felt a sharp pain in his foot. Twisting it so he could get a better look, the vampire frowned as he saw a splinter of porcelain embedded in the sole of his foot. ‘And now I’m bleeding because she broke my mug.’ Sighing once more, the vampire set to digging the shard out of his foot.

‘What else can go wrong?’

* * * * * * * * *

Across town Kat leaned up against the wall of a building, trying to catch her breath as her mind ran a marathon of thoughts, all of them regarding Angel and his natural state. Her face continued to flush as she tried and failed to get those wonderful, inappropriate images out of her head.

"ARGH!" she shrieked, causing several passersby to glance her way in alarm. ‘I’m going insane, that must be it. I must be completely ‘round the bend to keep picturing Angel like that, naked, in his hallway.’ Her embarrassment increased as she remembered the broken mug on the floor. Burying her face in her hands, she moaned. ‘And not only do I have to practically, better make that blatantly, ogle the guy in his own home, but I break probably his only mug in the process! I am so screwed.’

As the brunette lowered her hands from her still flaming cheeks, her eyes caught on a sign across the street. First confusion, then interest, and finally delight crossed over her delicate features. Letting out a small cry of happiness, Kat darted across the street, weaving around the cars that zipped by, to the place that offered her some hope of salvation. As she entered the building, a sales boy nearby came over, pasting a smile on his face.

"Welcome to the House of Mugs, can I help you?"

Smiling her biggest smile, Kat sighed in relief. "Actually, I think you can…"

Heading down the tunnel that led to the library, Angel pondered the odd things that had occurred in the past couple of days. Willow was up to something, he was sure of it. The elfin redhead had been spending less and less time over at his place, darting off for some reason or another without much explanation. The others seemed just as bad: Xander was unusually quiet, and Cordelia seemed about as bubbly as said hacker, gushing with unexplained energy as they patrolled nightly. And the kitten…the kitten was avoiding him entirely.

Sighing, Angel stuck his hands in the pockets of his black jeans, his thoughts on the hazel-eyed brunette as he neared the library. So far she had managed not to be left alone with Angel, though she spoke to him as politely as possible when forced to. She rarely looked up into his eyes, though he certainly felt her curious gaze on his back when he was turned away from her. It was enough to make a vampire grind his fangs into a fine powder.

It took the dark-haired vampire a moment to become conscious of the eerie silence that emanated from the entrance into the library. Concern etched into his features, Angel hesitated, cocking his head to listen for any sounds. He knew the Scoobies were inside, but his senses couldn't pick up anything…including heartbeats. Alarmed, the vampire began to move cautiously in the shadows.

‘If anyone has hurt Willow or the kitten I’ll…’ he thought darkly as he moved around the bookcase, coming into view of the main room. His thought was never finished as he was surprised by explosion of noise and movement in front of him as the five people that knew him spied the vampire as he emerged from behind the bookcases.

"SURPRISE!" Willow and Cordelia shouted in delight, the redhead darting forward the hug Angel as the rest of them watched. The stunned vampire stood there, his mouth open in shock as he noted the banner that had been erected, the words HAPPY RETURN FROM HELL ANGEL in bright, bold red letters against a black background. He glanced down at Willow, who was giggling at his reaction and tugging on his hand.

"What’s all this?" His voice came out a little strangled as he questioned the redhead, who beamed and began dragging him towards the library table, which held a small collection of gifts.

"It’s a celebration silly! For you." Seeing the confusion etched into the vampire’s dark features, Willow plunged on. "We wanted to help you celebrate your return from hell, and to let you know that you're not alone, so Cordelia and I planned this party in your honor!" The redhead giggled, bouncing proudly on her toes as she added, "Giles helped me find a spell that would mask your senses just enough to surprise you…do you like?" Her comments made Angel glance at the other occupants of the room, who wore a range of expressions on their faces: Cordelia was nearly as excited as Willow, a true smile gracing the cheerleader’s lips for once. Xander and Giles were a little more aloof, though Giles seemed to have mellowed in his attitude toward Angel some. Lastly there was the kitten, Kat, who looked at him with something of a guarded look in her eyes. As they came into contact with his coffee-colored eyes, her own blue-green orbs glanced away, one hand reaching up to idly play with a silky strand of her hair as she stared at the table. He couldn’t dwell on it however, as Willow managed to wrangle the stunned vampire over to the table, seating him at the head. Plopping a party hat on his spiky head, the redhead smirked and, gesturing to the gifts, began to bounce. "Open them!"

Unable to refuse, Angel managed a small, but happy, smile before reaching for the first gift. A package wrapped in shiny gold wrapping, he noted the scrawling handwriting of Cordelia on the top before he carefully tugged the wrapping away from the box…

* * * * * * * * *

Angel stared at the odd assortment of presents that he had received from the group so far. Each of the presents reflected much about the person who had given it to him. Amusement twinkled in his chocolate eyes as he glanced down at the velvet shirt Cordelia had gifted him, a not so subtle hint that he needed a little color in his wardrobe. Xander’s present was typical of something he would give the vampire: a well-polished wooden stake with Angel’s name carved into the grain. He understood the threat implied by the stake, that Angel could either use it, or that Xander would use it on him someday should Angelus return. Any comment he could have made about it was lost however when Giles’ gift to the vampire was opened. At that point Angel had started to get a little emotional, his voice straining as he thanked the librarian for a leather-bound book, detailing the ancestry of his vampire clan.

Setting the book down, he glanced between the two gifts left on the table: Willow’s and Kat’s. Eyeing the two young women as he leaned forward, Angel reached for the gift wrapped in simple green paper. Seeing his redheaded friend’s eyes light up, a ghost of a smile flickered on Angel’s face as he guessed whom this present came from. As he peeled the wrapping away from the gift the vampire wondered what the tiny hacker could have found to give to him. As the last piece of paper fell away he found himself unable to find the words to express how wonderful her gift was. A framed photograph stared back at him, a picture from many years ago, of the Scourge of Europe. Angel chocked up as he gazed down at the familiar faces of his Sire Darla, the insane beauty that was Dru, and his impudent childe Spike. Touching the portrait, the vampire’s eyes saddened as he thought back to the days when they had all been happy together: before the curse, before Darla’s death, before the fighting over Dru, before Buffy. Xander chose that moment to open his mouth, glancing at the people in the picture as he asked:

"Nice picture Wills, where did you find it?" Looking at the images of Spike and Dru, the teenager shuddered. "Those two are so creepy though. I wonder how Junior and Looney Toons are these days?" As Xander straightened from the portrait, he almost missed the dark looks Cordelia and Willow shot his way. Not noticing the hurt look that flashed in Angel’s eyes, he blinked at the girls in confusion. "What?"

Silent until now, Kat shook her head, softly wishing Xander a nice funeral as Willow grabbed his ear, pulling him aside to berate the clueless brunette for his thoughtless words. Her gaze shifting back to the vampire seated at the table, the young woman felt sorry for him, seeing the look on his face as he gazed at the photograph. ‘He must miss them an awful lot,’ her curiosity in the group in the picture growing even more. She had no idea who the people were, but she could tell they meant a lot to the vampire as a bloody tear managed to fall unnoticed down his cheek.

As Willow and Xander rejoined the group the teenaged boy cleared his throat, his face sheepish as he looked down at the table. "Sorry Dea…I mean Angel," Willow’s foot digging into Xander’s caused the young man to wince, but keep his apology polite and somewhat sincere. "I didn’t mean to upset you there."

Straightening in his chair, Angel brushed his cheek quickly, his face an imperceptible mask as he nodded curtly to Xander. His eyes shifted to Willow and, noting the stricken look of guilt in her emerald orbs, offered her a small smile. "Thank you Little One. I…can’t tell you how much it means to me, you finding this." As the redhead smiled back softly he turned his attention to the last gift on the table: Kat’s. Lifting his eyes to gaze at the kitten, he watched with growing curiosity as she glanced over at the other presents, then down at her own. A small frown drew across her pouty lips, her arms folded over her chest as she hunched over defensively.

As Angel watched the kitten leaned forward, unfolding her arms as her dainty hand reached out to snatch the present back. Unable to resist the chance to needle a reaction out of the dark-haired woman, the vampire snatched the small gift up before she could, pulling it closer to inspect the box. "What’s this kitten, hmm?" His eyes were on her, not the present, so he noted with interest the slight flush that spread over her face and down her neck.

"It…It’s nothing," she said quickly, her eyes saying otherwise as she looked at the mysterious package like she wanted it to disappear. Angel’s interest grew with every passing minute.

"Nothing? I’m sure it can’t be that bad Kitten," he commented, beginning to take the wrapping off. Opening the plain white box underneath the paper, he lifted the object inside out for all to see.

A cough erupted in the dead silence of the library, echoing through the room like a gunshot. All eyes were fixated on the strange monstrosity that perched on Angel’s hand, not one person uttering so much as a word. Time ticked by slowly, and Kat began to fidget as the eyes shifted from the strange gift to her.

Xander was the first to speak. Clearing his throat, he tried for a tactful approach. "Wow Kat. It’s…It’s…"

"Ugly." Five pairs of eyes shifted to the ex-cheerleader as she offered a suitable word to describe Kat’s gift to Angel. The vampire shot a glance over to Kat, barely suppressing a wince as he watched the light go out of the petite brunette’s eyes at Cordelia’s less than tactful opinion. Crossing her arms over her chest once more, the dark-haired young woman directed her glare at Angel, who dropped his own gaze back to the object in his hands. It WAS pretty ugly: the otherwise fine black mug, with its smoky gray Celtic knots on both sides, would have been considered a fine gift…if not for the other ‘touches’ that had been added to the item. The rim of the mug was coated in bright red, dripping down the sides and looking for all appearances like blood. The handle itself was shaped like a fang, with its bloody point ending at the bottom of the mug. All in all, it made for a ghastly sight.

"Where did you find this," the vampire asked, trying to keep his voice as soft and neutral as possible. Glancing back up at Kat, he watched as she flicked a glance at the offending mug, then back to Angel. Reaching up to play with her hair, the kitten shrugged, muttering something under her breath so fast he could barely hear it. "What?"

"I um…I had it made at that ceramic mug store in town," Kat stammered, wishing for all the world that she had picked a more sensible gift for this occasion. ‘Why did I have to choose something I thought was humorous?’ her mind groaned. She was so wrapped up in berating herself that she didn’t see the look in Angel’s eyes as he studied the mug more intently…or the twitch of his lips either.

‘She had this made?’ The sheer absurdity of the idea forced Angel to reexamine the eyesore he held before him. It was then that he noted the Celtic knots on both sides of the mug were actually patterned after the Celtic symbol for eternity. Angel’s lips twitched as he thought about Kat requesting the mug at the ceramic store, and the odd looks she would have received as she insisted it be made this way. ‘Blood, fangs, Celtic knots, the sign for Eternity, the color black…’ Something bubbled up inside of Angel, something he hadn’t felt in years and certainly not since the gypsies had cursed him. He tried to contain the feeling, but it swelled up inside his chest, making him feel oddly giddy. Eyes bright with amusement, the vampire did something he had not done in a long time…he laughed.

Kat’s head shot up as she heard the sound coming from Angel’s mouth: a rich, deep laughter that filled the library and echoed off its walls. Surprised, and more than just a little disgruntled, Kat glanced at the other occupants of the room to see if they would join in, only to discover they were frozen in shock at the sight of Angel laughing. Xander stared, his jaw dropping as he contemplated the vampire, his party hat askew as he continued to chuckle hysterically. Giles took a step back, taking his glasses off, polishing them, and putting them back as if to check if he were seeing things correctly. Cordelia and Willow had odd looks on their faces, a soft smile touching the redhead’s lips as she watched her friend fully enjoy himself for once, while the ex-cheerleader gaped at Angel like he had lost his mind.

Growling under her breath, Kat returned her fiery gaze to the vampire, who was even now trying to regain his composure. Wiping the bloody tears away from his eyes, Angel glanced up at the kitten and, seeing her grouchy disposition, flashed her as charming a smile as he could manage. "Don’t be mad kitten. I wasn’t laughing at you. Actually, I’m rather fond of this gift." Kat snorted in disbelief, which caused Angel to rise. Setting the repulsively charming mug down carefully he moved closer to the brunette, who continued to glare at him angrily. The vampire continued to smile as he tried to soothe her ruffled feathers…err…fur. "It’s very amusing. Plus it comes at a very good time…I seem to have misplaced my other mug."

The twinkle in his eyes faded somewhat as Kat flushed, her eyes flashing with something other than hatred. Vulnerability? Slowly Angel’s eyes took in her defensive posturing, the nervous way she was playing with her hair, and the embarrassed flush that kissed her pale cheeks. ‘She looks afraid. Of being judged, or brushed aside for her odd idea?’ Slowly his serious demeanor returned, his eyes kind as he leaned against the table, facing Kat. "Hey," he whispered softly, causing the kitten to raise her head to look at him. Once he had her attention, her eyes fixed on his, he continued. "I’m not kidding kit...Katura," using her full first name quietly, "I like it. Thank you."

Her blue-green orbs searched his own chocolate brown ones for a moment, questioning. Slowly she smiled back, her lips tugging upwards in one of those secret smiles reserved for friends. "You’re welcome." Silently the two stared at each other for a moment, their heads moving slightly closer to close the distance between them, until…

"Hey Dead Boy!" A startled vampire and kitten turned, eyes wide as a flash went off in their eyes. Blinking rapidly, both brunettes rubbed their eyes grudgingly as Xander grinned from behind the camera he was using. Willow and Cordelia, slow to stop the teenaged boy from spoiling another ‘tender moment,’ latched onto his arms and managed to drag him away, the ex cheerleader muttering something about the Hellmouth and its rotten timing. An awkward silence descended on the area, which was broken when Giles cleared his throat.

"Well," he started, a little uncomfortable with the level of tension surrounding the table. "Perhaps, now that Angel has had a chance to unwrap his gifts, we can proceed with some research into that prophecy Willow unearthed." Five groans issued from the other occupants of the room, all eyes turning to glare balefully at the librarian. Straightening, Giles managed to look somewhat authoritative as he continued. "We still don’t know anything about it, or how it relates to Kat here, so I suggest we figure it out. Preferably before something else goes wrong in this town."

When no one made a move to argue with the librarian he retreated into his office, unearthing the books he thought would be the most help in researching the mysterious prophecy that seemed link to their new werecat friend. Rejoining the group he passed out books to everyone but Willow, who stubbornly insisted on continuing her research on the Internet. And so Angel’s party faded into the background as Giles, and practicality, forced the slaying group to turn to more serious matters.

Gnashing her teeth in frustration, Kat cursed herself mentally as the words on the page before her began to blur. Four hours, and so far no one had managed to find a damn thing. The tiny brunette was already getting a crick in her neck from pouring over the books for so long. Reaching up to her temple, the brunette massaged it gently, the beginnings of a dull headache making itself known. Giving her tired eyes a break, she closed her book softly, looking around the room from her cross-legged perch on the top of the library counter. The library was silent but for the typing Willow was doing, her dainty fingers flying over the keyboard as she continued to search various websites online. A small frown marred her elfin features, her bottom lip sucked into her teeth as the redhead sought the rest of the prophecy they had unearthed a couple of weeks ago.

Her lips quirking in a soft smile, Kat glanced over at Cordelia and Xander, who were pouring over a book together. Or rather, Xander was actually reading, while the beauty queen filed her nails, occasionally glancing over Xander’s shoulders before resuming her task.

‘Cordy is not what one would call an avid reader,’ Kat mused silently, her lips twitching in amusement. Giles was his usual serious self, his head bent over a musty old book as he researched with the same diligence Willow demonstrated at the computer. From time to time he would stop, pinching the bridge of his nose or rubbing his glasses before reading further. Evidently he was having no more luck than the rest of them.

Angel watched as Kat glanced around the room, her face wistful as she watched the other Scoobies doing what they did best: research. His own eyes remained on her as her gaze moved slowly in his direction, light green settling on dark brown. Ashamed at being caught staring he glanced down at the book he was supposed to be reading, aware that her eyes were burning holes into his skull. It was by sheer coincidence that he managed to actually read a passage from the book he was looking at, the blood he had drank earlier that day freezing in his veins as he stared at the words before him. His lips moved soundlessly as he read the section over again, making sure he saw correctly. ‘…and begins with the phrase Fang and talon, devil and daemon…shall meet under full moon’s light…’

‘Wait a minute…those words! Aren’t they…’ Choking down his surprise, Angel shot to his feet, clutching the book tightly in his hands. All heads turned in the vampire’s direction as he looked up at Giles, eyes unfathomable as he held the book out for the librarian to take. "I think I may have found something…"

"Let me see that Angel," Giles said, taking the dusty book from the vampire and, peering at the page, cleared his throat in surprise. "This is amazing!" The group moved closer to the librarian, Kat remaining on her counter perch as Giles read aloud from the passage Angel had glanced at. "This appears to be an accounting of…of the library of Alexandria!" A hint of wonder and awe filled the Watcher’s voice as he pondered just what they were getting themselves into.

"Uh…who’s Alexandria?" Xander piped up, wondering what some old hag’s library had to do with Kat and their present day problem.

"Alexandria was a great library in Egypt, perhaps the biggest library in all of history," Willow offered before Giles could explain. At the librarian’s nod of affirmation, the redhead’s eyes widened as the thought occurred to her: Egypt…Kat…prophecy. Sucking in her breath, eyes bright, the petite hacker bounced on her feet. "What does it say Giles?"

Bending his head back over the book, Giles read aloud as his eyes scanned the text. "Among the notable Greek literature and thoughts contained in the library at Alexandria where what many scholars believe to be the ‘Heavenly Scrolls,’ prophecies and ideologies passed from various deity sects throughout the land of Egypt. Many were lost or scattered during the sacking of Alexandria, and it becomes hard to find a full version that exists today."

His voice rising in barely contained excitement, Giles read on, coming closer to the passage Angel had found. "An example of what the scholars believe to be the Heavenly Scrolls is contained below. It is a section from a scroll believed to have come from the shrine of the Egyptian goddess Sakhmet, who was the embodiment of divine judgment," Giles continued, ignoring Kat’s soft gasp from behind him on the counter. "This section is considered to be authentic, and begins with the phrase Fang and talon, devil and daemon, summoned near by witch’s power, shall meet under full moon’s light. However, there is no evidence to suggest this is in fact one of the Heavenly Scrolls, as the rest of the scroll is missing and has yet to be discovered."

The air seemed heavy with disappointment as Giles paused. Sighing, he closed his eyes briefly, summoning his patience. A defeated look crossed his features as he read on, his voice losing most of its eagerness. "The only other line revealed from this scroll thus far is the ending, which reads ‘…And the cursed shall become the gifted.’ At this time, it is anyone’s guess just what this refers to, as no mentions of the cursings of Sakhmet have been found." With a heavy heart the librarian shut the book, finding himself unable to look in Kat’s direction, to see the disappointment he knew must be on her face. Staring at the cover of the tome in his hands, Giles sighed. "It appears that our search will be more…extensive…than usual." As no one dared to speak he reached up, pinching the bridge of his nose briefly. Opening his eyes, he looked around at the weary faces around him and, shoulders slumping slightly, waved a hand at the group. "Let’s call it a night. We’ll pick this up again some other time."

No one argued with the Watcher, everyone silently gathering their things and heading for the library doors. Sliding off the library counter, a silent Kat hovered near the doors, waiting for Willow in order to walk her home. As the dejected hacker moved in her direction the brunette heard a soft noise behind her and, turning, came face to face with a concerned looking Angel. The vampire gave her a soft smile, his hands laden with the gifts his friends had given him as he spoke. "Mind if I walk you two home?"

Kat hesitated, debating how to decline, when suddenly Willow’s head jerked up, her eyes regaining some of their inner light as she smiled at the vampire. "Sure Angel!" the slender hacker beamed, her mind working overtime as it cycled through one evil idea after another. ‘Get him to walk us home, drop me off first...’ Hiding her mischievous musings behind her most innocent smile, she turned to a bewildered and wary Kat, who looked as if she wanted nothing more than to run far, far away. "Can we stop by my house first though? Coming up with a big ole nothing on the computer has kind of left me tired…"

‘Willow is very, very evil.’ Kat grumbled inwardly as she half-glared at the naïve-looking hacker, who was even now grabbing Angel’s arm at the elbow and escorting him out the library door, leaving the shorter brunette to trail behind them reluctantly. Gruffly the dark-haired werecat followed, her arms wrapped around her chest as she lengthened her stride in order to catch up with the pair.

Kat’s mood didn’t improve as Willow continued to cling onto Angel’s arm, talking animatedly with the tall vampire as they headed towards the Rosenburg residence. Apparently the redhead’s earlier frustration with the lack of information on the prophecy had melted away as she asked Angel about whether or not he liked his surprise party. Kat managed not to grind her teeth as Angel responded, smiling down at the hacker with amusement as she commented on Xander’s idea of good present.

"…I still don’t think it was very nice of him to get you a stake, but then Xander was never one for giving much thought to his gifts. One year for Christmas he got me a stuffed frog, and I don’t even celebrate the holiday!" Willow shuddered as she recalled her reaction to Xander’s choice of cuddly, if not terrifying to the redhead, toys. Angel’s chuckling response to her reaction was worth it however…as was the pair of daggers she could feel in her back, courtesy of Kat’s eyes she was sure. The petite hacker did her best to hide her crafty smile from the two she was walking home with. It wouldn’t do for them to notice her attempts at pushing the couple together.

"Xander’s present was fine Willow," Angel couldn’t help but smile as Willow continued to babble alongside of him. As they rounded the corner onto Willow’s street, he continued. "I enjoyed each of my presents, and they mean a lot to me Little One." The vampire stiffened only slightly as he felt Kat’s eyes settle on his back. The delicate beauty had not said a single word since he had offered to walk them home, and he was beginning to regret making the suggestion in the first place. It was rather obvious that the dark-haired young woman would rather be left alone right now, but Willow either wasn’t paying attention or disagreed entirely.

Fortunately for the vampire, they were standing in front of Willow’s house just then, so he could safely say his goodbyes to the two young women and head for the mansion for some ‘brood time’ as Willow liked to call it. "Here you are Little One, safe and sound," he commented, smiling softly down at the hacker, and then flashing another smile back at Kat as he began to back away from them slowly. "Thank you both for a very enjoyable evening..."

"You’re not going to walk Kat home?" Willow inquired, her lower lip sticking out as she frowned at the vampire. Kat stiffened beside her, eyes darkening in suspicion as she regarded the seemingly innocent looking redhead. ‘What is that girl up to,’ the brunette pondered. She didn’t have to wait long as the redhead plunged on in a rush of words. "Because she lives in the direction of the mansion, so it wouldn’t be a problem to take her. And it’s not very gentlemanly to let a woman walk around all alone at night like this, since you never know what is out there. What if she was ambushed by like six vampires at once, or some creepy guy pulls a gun on her while she’s not looking, or…" the redhead yelped as Kat clamped a hand over the girl’s mouth, her lips set in a firm line as she glared at Willow.

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself Wills," the brunette ground out, her nervous energy flaring her temper even more. Sardonically she raised an eyebrow at the redhead. "Or have you forgotten I’m not exactly your average, everyday teenager?" Feeling Willow nod her acknowledgement of Kat’s strength, she removed her hand from the other’s girl’s mouth before returning her attention to the nearby vampire, who looked as if he was mulling over the redhead’s words. "There’s no need for you to walk me home." Her tone was firm, her expression fierce as she stood in front of Willow defensively, as if ready to fight over the issue.

Centuries of life had done nothing to bury Angel’s more chivalrous nature…if anything his time as a souled vampire had strengthened his desire to protect the fairer sex. Willow’s words had the effect of a cold bucket of water on the vampire: he could picture, in very vivid and graphic detail, all sorts of unpleasant things that could befall the fiery kitten, no matter her strength and speed. As each terrible scenario flashed before his eyes his hands tightened on his packages, the need to rend and tear bubbling under the surface. Growling low in his throat, his pride leaped to the forefront at Kat’s firm denial of assistance. "Willow’s right," he said slowly, earning a full-blown scowl from the kitten as he continued. "I can’t let you walk home alone kitten. Who knows what kind of trouble you’d get into."

Kat nearly choked on her outrage. The nerve of those two, ganging up on her as if she was some damsel that needed protecting! Wanting nothing more than to slap the arrogant smile that flickered across Angel’s face, Kat took a step forward, preparing to give him a good tongue lashing about women’s rights and where his sense of chivalry could go. Unfortunately, Willow had other ideas.

"Great, it’s settled…Angel will walk you home Kat. You two take care!" Unable to hide her grin, the redhead spun around and, before either brunette could reply, bolted inside her out and closed the door behind her.

As silence began to descend upon the two willful people standing outside on the Rosenburg lawn, Angel glanced at the closed door, then down at his reluctant companion. Raising an eyebrow, he gave the young woman a half bow and, with a smile of inevitability on his lips, tilted his head to one side. "Shall we Kitten?"

* * * * * * * * *

‘I’m going to kill Willow; I’m going to kill Willow…’ Kat chanted one of her favorite mantras in her mind as she walked next to the now silent vampire. So far they had been walking for the past five minutes, and neither one had managed to say much. Angel was having a tough time breaking the ice, and Kat was perfectly content not to start any conversation that would eventually lead toward mugs, showers, or conversations with two deranged teenagers in a mall. And so they plunged onward, both lost in their own circular thoughts, the tension between them almost unbearable.

Shifting the packages in his arms, Angel tried to think of a good way to start conversation with the brunette walking quietly beside him. From the dark look on her face, he was certain she was as uncomfortable in this silence as he was. He wondered what it was she was thinking about. Idly his eyes flicked over her features, coming to rest on the pale scar he could see when her hair moved away from her neck. Recalling her explanation on their first night of patrol together, he frowned. ‘So much pain, and in such a short time,’ he mused sadly, concern for the brunette reflected in his soulful eyes as he continued to watch her out of the corner of his eyes. ‘I wonder what else she had been through.’

Meanwhile Kat happened to glance in the vampire’s direction, her eyes coming to rest on the portrait that Willow had given him. Recalling the expression on Angel’s face as he had glanced at it, the young woman wondered who the people who…and why they meant so much to him.

Her questions must have been reflected on her face, because Angel spoke up softly, his tone inquiring, "What is it Kitten?"

Nervously Kat reached up with one hand to play with her hair, shooting a glance up at Angel as she debated whether or not to ask her question out loud. Taking a deep breath, she crossed her fingers mentally and plunged on in. "Who are the people in your picture?"

Of all the things to ask the vampire, that one question, asked in a breathless whisper, managed to freeze Angel in his tracks. Sadness overwhelmed him for a moment and, closing his eyes, the vampire took a very deep breath to steady himself. Opening his chocolate-brown eyes he collected himself as well as he could before beginning. "They are my family…my vampire family if you will. Adjusting the packages so that the portrait was visible, Angel named them off for the confused kitten. "Darla, the light-haired woman, was my Sire…she brought me across, made me what I am today. Or, rather, what Angelus was in his day. The dark beauty is my childe Drusilla, a very….talented….young woman. She’s a powerful psychic, and, thanks to Angelus, stark raving mad."

Kat listened to Angel as she glanced at the portrait, studying each woman’s face carefully. Darla looked like she owned the world, the type of person who was used to manipulating others. Dru looked beautiful, if a little on the spacey side. Pointing to the image of the other man, Kat looked back up at Angel, her eyes curious. "And that one?"

"That? That is William; though he goes by Spike these days, he’s my other childe." Angel’s voice dripped with sadness as he looked at his protégé, the childe he was the most proud of, and who he also hated the most. As Kat watched him carefully Angel began walking again, his voice far off as he went on about the golden haired vampire. "Spike was the youngest of the group, but also the most enthusiastic member of the Scourge of Europe; as the Watcher’s Council likes to refer to our days of carnage…." As Kat remained mute beside the vampire, urging him to continue, Angel related some of the tales of the ‘good ole days’ as Angelus would remember it. "We were pretty close, until Spike got it into his arrogant head to try and usurp my place in the group. He was very close to Dru, probably half-way in love with her, and he felt he should have her all to himself. That, and the curse of course, managed to drive a very big wedge between the four of us. We parted company, and hadn’t seen each other since."

"Until recently?" Kat asked, recalling the names Xander had used to describe Spike and Dru. Apparently the duo had managed to stop by Sunnydale in the past few years.

Angel nodded, a rueful smile touching his lips. "Aye. Spike came swaggering into town, headstrong and cocky as you please. He changed over the years…he’s even more rude and crude than he was when I first met him, and he seems to have developed a fascination with bleaching his hair…" A smile touched Kat’s lips as she heard Angel go on, ranting about Spike’s many new habits, all of them bad. Another minute went by before Angel realized she was still smiling. "What?"

"You miss them." Her words were a statement, not a question, as she regarded the vampire softly. Angel stared at the young brunette, unable to speak as she continued. "They are you’re family, so it’s perfectly natural to miss them. No matter what they do, or how they stray, they are your family."

Angel didn’t know what to say…certainly no one had ever pretended to understand why he could miss his two childer so much, no matter if they were evil or no. Eyes bright with some unreadable emotion, Angel whispered a ‘Thank you’ to the insightful kitten. Seeing her return smile, he didn’t bother to speak for a moment as they continued to walk, nearing the hotel where she was staying.

* * * * * * * * *

It wasn’t until they had reached Kat’s hotel room that Angel found his voice again. As she was turning the key in the lock, opening the door and preparing to go in, he cleared his throat. When she turned back around, he hesitated, and then asked the question he had been meaning to ask all night.

"Tell me about your mother?"

Kat winced inwardly as Angel’s simple question brought up a barrage of images and emotions. Ouch, but he certainly knew the one question she would rather not answer. Leaning against the doorway, she pondered whether or not to tell him anything this night.

‘But that is hardly fair, considering what you asked him,’ her mind chided her gently, forcing the brunette to agree reluctantly. Raising her eyes to meet his, Kat shrugged as calmly as possible. "What do you want to know?"

Fearing he had asked the wrong question, Angel took an unneeded breath to steady himself. "What was she like?"

A gentle smile graced Kat’s lush lips as she thought of her mother. "She was probably the kindest person I had ever known. Willow kind of reminds me of her, always trying to help the ones she cares about." Wrapping her arms around herself, the delicate young woman stared off into space as she continued. "She hated to be a werecat I think, my mother did. She was a pacifist by nature, and she didn’t like the bloodlust that comes with the curse. I think that’s why she devoted her life to studying Egyptian curses…to find a way to cure us."

Her eyes grew sad, then hardened, as she recalled the events of that fateful night she had learned of the curse. "I think that’s why she didn’t change, the night the vampires came. She couldn’t bring herself to hate enough to bring the change upon herself, so she died unable to defend herself. I changed, but I was too late to save her." Swallowing hard around the lump in her throat, Kat’s voice grew softer, more strained with the difficulty in maintaining her composure. "The last thing she told me was not to let hate cloud my destiny, whatever that means. Something about having hope."

Angel’s heart went out to the dark beauty in front of him. An aura of strength rolled off her in waves, and yet he saw the other side of her that few managed to see: the side that was still vulnerable and held such sadness. He wasn’t surprised to find Kat wasn’t so much as shedding a tear, though he knew she probably felt that way inside. It was just like the kitten to bottle up her emotions, to put up a front for the rest of the world…

The silence that followed Kat’s words was not nearly as tense as it had been, but it was still thick with unspoken words. Angel opened his mouth to say something, anything, only to have Kat reach up, pressing her delicate fingers to his lips to silence him. They stared at each other, blue-green eyes to chocolate ones, neither one speaking of the other things they wanted to say just then. Finally, softly, Kat smiled that special ‘friend’ smile she had given him before and, stretching up on her tiptoes, brushed her soft lips across his cheek. "Goodnight Angel," she whispered, "Thanks for listening." Before the vampire could respond she took a step back, backing into her hotel room and closing the door slowly, sealing the barrier between them.

Staring at the door, Angel could barely comprehend what had just happened. His cheek near burned from soft caress Kat’s lips had given it and, had his hands been free, he would have touched that spot. Struggling to understand the mysterious brunette, as well as the feelings that were growing inside of him, the confused vampire backed away from the door in a daze, turning to begin the lonely walk back to his mansion. "Goodnight…Kitten." He whispered, his words hoarse as he disappeared into the night.

* * * * * * * * *

As she lay down in her bed, Kat stared up at the ceiling of her hotel room, replaying that scene outside her door over and over in her mind. A soft blush spread over her cheeks as she recalled the way his cheek felt against her lips: cool as marble, but good at the same time. Desperately she tried to think of something, anything other than her impulsive act.

Her mother’s face swam unbidden into the werecat’s mind, causing a stab of pain and guilt to overcome her. Curling up on her side, the young woman reached out to the desk beside her bed, her hand curling around a small, leather-bound journal of some kind. Drawing it closer she clutched it to her breast, as if the words within would give her some small sense of comfort. Drawing her knees up into a fetal position, Kat trembled as her mind replayed her mother’s death, the last words her mother had said as she lay dying in Kat’s arms fresh in her mind.

"Don’t…don’t fear, and don’t hate my little kit-kat," her mother had said. "Hate will cloud your mind, and you may lose your only chance. Remember…Remember. Hope…rests in…angel’s tear…" Kat was sure her mother was going to say more, but whatever she had been about to say was lost as death claimed the sweet woman before her time.

Her eyes burned with the need to cry, but no tears fell down Kat’s cheeks as she shivered in her bed, eyes staring blankly out into the darkness in her room. When sleep finally came to claim her, her last thought was of an odd note. ‘My mother studied a lot about the curses…I wonder if she has anything on them in her journal.’ Before she could explore that thought further, however, sleep hit with a vengeance, forcing the young brunette into the sweet oblivion of a dreamless sleep. Or so she hoped.

The days flowed swiftly, one into another, and two weeks passed as the Scoobies settled into something of a regular pattern.  Every night they patrolled for a couple of hours, their strength as a team growing as trust began to develop among the group, even somewhat between Xander and Angel.  Their mutual dislike was under an uneasy truce, one that seemed to become less fragile as the two men spent more time together.  Xander came to appreciate Angel’s contribution to the team, while Angel was highly impressed with the level of maturity that was developing in the young brunette as he patrolled nightly to keep his friends, and Sunnydale, safe from vampires.  He still had a knack for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, but when it came to fighting Xander could become as serious as said vampire.

Kat also changed over time, her attitude becoming less wary the more time she spent with Angel and the Scooby gang.  While she was still a little reserved and kept some things to herself, her friendship with the group, and Willow in particular, caused the tiny brunette to become more open with her feelings.  She smiled more, and her taunts with Angel were less biting than they had been when the two had first met.  Even her friendship with the beauty queen Cordelia improved, though it was largely due to the improvement of Cordy’s aim in battle.  Day by day the bonds of trust grew within each of them, strengthening their friendship on and off patrol.

On the weekends the group swung by the library for a round or two of research, pouring over the books for more references to the Heavenly Scrolls, Curses of Sakhmet, or anything that may shed some light on the prophecy they were trying to find.  After telling the group about her mother’s journal, Kat had turned it over to Giles for perusal.  She had been reluctant to part with it, but it had been worth it when the librarian had discovered a passage in the leather-bound book that mentioned something about a holy triumvirate also being linked to the prophecy.  With more information to go on, Willow continued her research on the Internet, while Giles poured through Ahmose Akensakhmet’s journal for more references to the prophecy.  Thus it was on a Saturday night that six people were sprawled out in the library, quietly trying to piece together yet another ancient prophecy.  The quiet was shortly interrupted by an exclamation from Xander, shooting to his feet with a rather dusty book in his hands.

“Guys, I think I found something!”  Fairly wiggling in place, the young man proceeded to read a passage from the book he held.  “…the holy triumvirate warned of a time when darkness would come to devour the light, a time of great choosing.  ‘If choice be wrong, Light’s hope grows dim.  Pain and suffering shall reign again.’”  Glancing up, Xander looked over at Giles.  “Yo G-Man…think that’s what we’re looking for?”

Before Giles could correct the clueless young man about his name, Willow stood up as well, her head bobbing up and down in agreement with her childhood friend.  “It might be.  It certainly seems to fit with the information I just discovered.”  Pointing to the computer screen, Willow moved aside as Giles came over to peer at the words printed there.

“Hmm, you could be right Willow,” Giles murmured as he glanced at the translation she had so far.  “Hate which beget love will again beget hate.  Be warned! The choosing is at hand.”  Straightening, the librarian pushed his glasses back up his nose.  “Well it certainly seems to fit with what we have so far. Cordelia, would you…” He didn’t need to finish his statement, as the tall brunette was already over at the whiteboard they had erected near the cage, writing the latest piece of the puzzle on its surface.  Kat watched with something akin to a heavy heart, her eyes roaming over the entire board as she took in the pieces they had so far.  Her lips moved silently as she read the words to herself:

“Fang and talon, devil and daemon
Summoned near by witch's power
Shall meet under full moon's light.
Hate and distrust shall abound.
While in the darkness the green-eyed
monster doth loom.
hate which beget love
will again beget hate.
Be warned! The choosing is at hand.
If choice be wrong
Light's hope grows dim
Pain and suffering shall reign again.
And the cursed shall become the gifted.”

Angel watched as Kat’s eyes grew stormy, a dark green that looked somewhat troubled.   Concerned for his friend the vampire came up to stand beside her.  When she turned in his direction, her gaze traveling up to his face, he asked her gently, “Are you ok Kitten?”

Sighing, Kat glanced back at the board before shaking her head slowly.  “No, I’m not.  This whole ‘prophecy’ thing is creeping the hell out of me Angel.”  Her lips twisting into a sort of mock smile, she looked back up at him.  “I don’t exactly feel comforted by something that mentions being devoured by darkness, or anything regarding pain and suffering.”

Seeing the vulnerability flash, however briefly, in the kitten’s eyes Angel moved closer. Putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, he smiled softly down at her.  “But it’s not all pain Kitten.”  Raising his arm, he pointed to the last line they had uncovered so far.  “It mentions the curse becoming a gift…doesn’t the thought of finding a way around your curse make you happy?”

Kat bit her lip, her thoughts awhirl as she stared at the last line jutting out at her.  Truth be told, she had mixed feelings about finding a cure for her curse.  She couldn’t tell the others, not even Willow who was quickly becoming her best friend, that there were times she loved being the panther.  It was part of her, and she couldn’t imagine a life where she wasn’t part of it either.  Sensing that Angel was waiting for an answer however, she shrugged noncommittally.  “I guess so.” she replied, her voice a soft, husky whisper.

Angel stared down at the trouble young woman for a moment, wondering what to say to her odd comment, when Xander’s voice rang out in the library.  “G-man it’s almost nine already.  How about we call it a night?”

Exasperated, Giles sighed, removing his glasses before glaring at the young man.  “Giles Xander, Giles…I wish you would desist with this appalling habit of calling me ‘G-man.’  However, I believe I see your point.”  he added as he glanced around at the room full of teenagers.  While they were holding up ok, they needed an outlet for their frustration over this difficult prophecy.  And if he didn’t let them escape soon, they would blow a collective fuse.  Replacing the glasses on his nose, he waved them off with a hand.  “Go.  We’ll pick this up again next week.”  Four groans were all the response he got, but he smiled as the group began to pack up for the night.

Warriors they might be, they still behaved like teenagers from time to time.  He was glad that the serious nature of their work didn’t take away from the last remaining years of their childhood.  As they left the library he watched with sad eyes, hoping that they would be able to hold onto it just a little bit longer.  He had a feeling bad things were ahead, for all of them.  With a heavy heart the Watcher, guardian of them all, sighed and began to pick up the books spread out all over the library by his resilient, if wayward, charges.

Outside the hallowed halls of Sunnydale High, Xander and Cordy seemed anxious to get on with another one of their favorite pastimes for a Saturday night.  Kat and her redheaded friend were also ready to release some of their pent-up energy, but first their night had to begin with the usual ritual:  Pesky Witch versus Stubborn Vampire!

“Please Angel?” Voice soft and pleading, lip thrust out in a cute pout.

“No,” in a firm tone of denial.

“Why not?”  Irritation creeping into pouty voice.

“I don’t want to.”

“But…” and the battle of wills continued, while Kat, Xander, and Cordy watched on in a mixture of boredom and thinly veiled interest.  It was the same thing every time:  Willow begged and pleaded, and for some unfathomable reason Angel was able to resist the hacker’s infamous ‘resolve face’ time and time again.  The vampire continued to defy her every attempt to get him to join them at the Bronze for unwinding, his reasons for not going more than just a deep aversion to dancing teenagers and loud music.  He couldn’t go there, not while a part of him still felt pain at the thought of Buffy.  And he knew that just being there, at the Bronze, would spark memories he wasn’t sure he was ready to face.

Her face red with barely suppressed anger, as it usually was when she fought with Angel over this issue; Willow turned and pointed at Kat.  “YOU!  Talk some sense into his... this... vampire!”

Kat raised her eyebrow slowly, her face neutral as she shook her head.  “I don’t think so Wills.  I’m not about to fight this battle for you.”  Seeing Angel’s shoulders sag in relief triggered something inside of Kat however.  A slow smile crept onto her lips as she continued. “If Tall, Dark, and Broody wants to scowl at the walls in his house, so be it.  Me, I’m going to…what was it you called it Xander?” she asked, turning her head briefly to glance at him, “shake loose those inner demons through live music and funky dancing?”

Kat wasn’t aware of the golden gleam that flickered in Angel’s eyes, but Willow saw it.  As Kat and Xander talked about dancing, the redhead sidled closer to the vampire and, pitching her voice low for his ears only, whispered, “All the guys stare at her whenever we’re there, she hates it so much.  Xander tries to help by being protector of us girls, but everyone knows he and Cordy are an item.” Willow trailed off, a secret smile touching her lips as a low growl issued from the vampire’s throat.  The idea of Kat being leered at like a piece of meat didn’t sit well him.  The redhead cheered inwardly at the display of emotions that flickered over her friend’s normally stoic face.  ‘Willow three, clueless couple zero.’  Speaking up for all members present, she repeated her question.  “So, you coming or not Angel?”

“All right Little One, you win,” his voice, rather than sounding defeated, seemed oddly tense.  A shocked silence fell over the group, and the other three stared at the vampire like he had grown a second head.  “I’ll go.”

Cordelia was the first one to speak this time, asking the first question that popped into her head.  “Does this mean you’re going to start dancing or something?”

Angel’s face pulled down into one of Kat’s favorite expressions of displeasure: a deep scowl.  His voice contained more than a hint of outrage as he ground out slowly between clenched teeth, “I. Do. Not. Dance.”

“Sure, Hot Stuff,” the ex cheerleader scoffed.  “That’s what Miss Kitty said, but you should see her now!”  Getting in the last word, the ex-cheerleader turned and, grabbing Xander’s hand; dragged him in the direction of the Bronze.  Kat and Willow followed, with a grumbling vampire trailing behind them.

He wasn’t sure he wanted to see Kat dancing, or her doing anything that remotely reminded him of the way Buffy had danced:  a seductive siren who enslaved any man with the wave of her hand.  He still had nightmares about the time he saw the Slayer dancing with Xander.

‘If Kitten dances like that with Xander, I don’t know if I could take it,” Angel growled to himself, his eyes flashing even more golden as he followed the group of teenagers to their favorite place to relax.  ‘She better not dance with him…’

* * * * * * * * * *

‘Well,’ Angel thought dryly to himself fifteen minutes later as he sat at a table in the Bronze, ‘I’ve got to hand it to her…whatever the kitten is doing with Xander, it certainly can NOT be called dancing.’  He fought the urge to smirk as he watched the pair do their own version of dancing, if it could be called that.  A mismatch of moshing, belly dancing, and contortions, Kat and Xander grooved to the beat of an altogether different drummer as the music in the Bronze throbbed and pulsed around them.

Abandoned by Cordy, who had managed to disappear not five seconds after they entered the room, and Willow, who seemed to be trying out her budding flirting skills on the bartender, the dark-haired vampire was left with nothing better to do than watch as Kat and Xander continued to gyrate on the dance floor.  His chocolate eyes sparkled in amusement as they ignored the rude stares of the club’s patrons.  The music, combined with his attempts not to laugh, managed to change the vampire’s opinion about coming out with the group tonight to unwind.  Inwardly he chuckled at the choice of song the two brunettes were bouncing to.

‘How many people want to kick some ass…how appropriate,’ he chuckled silently, his attention so focused on watching the kitten that he missed the presence of another sitting down beside him.   “It’s hard to imagine something that’s so graceful, dancing so,” he murmured to himself, searching for the right word.

“…Xander-like?”  Whirling around, Angel stiffened, only to relax as Cordy smirked back at him.  “Surprised?”  The ex-cheerleader smiled, watching the duo on the dance floor without a shred of jealousy marring her features.  “Don’t be.  They do this every time we come here; it’s like some kind of ritual with her I think.”  The song started to wind down, and as it drew to a close and the rhythm-impaired duo headed back to the table Cordelia continued.  “She says it helps, but personally I don’t think anything could help that poor girl.”

Raising his eyebrow, Angel was about to ask Cordy what she meant by that when he spied Kat and Xander out of the corner of his eye, nearing the table.  Willow was also fast approaching, the drinks she ordered balanced precariously on a tray as she made her way back.  Fighting to keep his smile friendly rather than obnoxious, the vampire greeted them as they approached, his voice betraying the amusement he fought to conceal.  “So, did you two have fun?”

Xander just grinned, nodding his head while Kat frowned, her eyes narrowing in defensive suspicion.  “What?” she retorted, her arms coming up in classic hellcat posture, folding over her chest as she glared down at the grinning vampire.  “Did I miss something?”

“Only a class on dancing tips,” Angel quipped, unable to resist taunting the kitten about her abilities on the dance floor.  He noticed her eyes darkening in warning, but plunged on ruthlessly, his fangs glinting slightly as he continued to make fun of her abilities.  “I can’t believe someone as graceful in battle as you could be so…incredibly bad when it comes to dancing.”  A snort issued from Cordelia, though whether or not it was an attempt to hold laughter back he couldn’t be sure.  Xander chuckled, apparently unfazed by Angel’s opinion of his or Kat’s dancing.  The petite young woman who had been his partner was not so forgiving, her lips pulling down into a frown as she glared at first Cordy, then the vampire who started all the trouble.

“For your information ‘Fangs’,” ignoring Angel’s own scowl at the nickname she threw at the vampire, “I can dance, very well in fact.  I just choose to do otherwise.”  He didn’t look convinced however.

“Sure ‘Kitten’,” stressing his own pet name for her," whatever you say.  Although I’ve never known a woman to dance badly on purpose before.”  His voice must have betrayed much of his doubt in her abilities, because the tiny woman bristled in indignation.  Beside her Willow wore a similar expression, her desire to see those two together temporarily overridden by her protective nature regarding her friends.  Setting the drinks down on the table with a thunk, Willow stepped closer to the surprised vampire.  Hands on her hips, she spoke up in her friend’s defense.

“Kat is too a good dancer!  She even taught Cordy and I a few things.  Just because she feels that…” the brunette she was advocating cut her off with a gesture, stepping around the redhead to stand in front of Angel.  Shooting a glance back at Willow, she shook her head.  “Don’t bother explaining Wills,” she whispered, turning back to face the curious vampire.  Her lips curved upwards as an idea began to form in her mind.  Her eyes glinted in malicious glee, an eerie green that caused Angel to grow a little uncomfortable in her prolonged silence.  As the brunette tilted her head to the side, she spoke softly.  “I guess I’ll just have to prove him wrong.”  And just like that she whirled about, walking away from the stunned group.  As she walked away she grabbed Willow’s arm, dragging the bewildered redhead through the press of bodies in the Bronze, toward the entrance.

Angel and Xander watched as the pair stalked off, similar expressions of confusion etched on the two men’s faces.  As they tried to puzzle out Kat’s logic, a chuckle jarred both vampire and teenager out of their musings.  Turning, they glanced over at Cordy, who couldn’t hold back her delight any longer.

“You two have NO idea what she’s up to, do you?”  Taking almost sadistic delight in their discomfort, Cordy stood, shaking her head at the poor fools.  “Oh this is going to be good.  I just hope I’m there to see it.”  Without shedding any light regarding Kat’s mysterious words, the beauty queen grabbed her purse, intending to follow the werecat and hacker.  Before she could go, however, a cold firm hand clamped down on her wrist.  Glancing down in irritation, Cordy’s dark eyes met Angel’s firm ones.  The vampire gritted his teeth as he held her fast, wanting answers.

“What did she mean, that she’ll have to prove me wrong?” the vampire ground out slowly, frustrated with women and their unholy secrets.  Cordelia struggled to get out of his grasp, glaring at Xander for support.  Before he could protest, however, Angel fired another question at the ex-cheerleader.  “And just what did you mean when you said that dancing like that helped the kitten hmm?”  His eyes glittering, Angel’s features pulled into something akin to Willow’s resolve face.  Cordelia swallowed, knowing she wouldn’t get free without offering him some sort of explanation.  So the cheerleader did the only thing she could do when faced with a possible threat:  she got bitchy.

“Well what do you think I meant,” she snapped, the force of her outburst enough to shock the vampire into freeing her wrist.  Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she glared down at him, continuing in her rant.  “My god, don’t tell me your so blind you didn’t notice how all the guys stare at her when she comes in here?  She keeps to herself, so she has that whole mystery thing going for her, and she refuses to dance with anyone, so she’s become something of a challenge around here.”

Only a hint of jealousy over sharing the spotlight with her friend was betrayed in Cordy’s voice as she spoke.  “Plus, if you haven’t noticed you obtuse bloodsucker, her clothing isn’t exactly concealing now is it?  Those tight tops, the hip hugging pants, they may not be all the rage, but they certainly have the male population panting like dogs in heat.  And you wonder why she prances about with Xander, purposely making herself look foolish?”  Cordy snorted, this time in anger and not amusement.  “I’m all for teasing, but at least I know what the truth is.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go help Ms. Claws in her little revenge scheme.”  With that, the tall beauty queen whirled about; stalking off in the same direction Kat and Willow had gone, leaving a speechless Angel in the not-so-capable hands of Xander.

Angel stared off into space, his mind awhirl as he heard Cordy’s voice echo in his mind.  Kitten, purposely trying to keep the pawing masses away by scary dance moves?  The rational, ruthless part of his mind piped up.  ‘She did say that she was a good dancer, but that she chose not to be.’  A tiny trickle of worry wormed its way inside of Angel, spreading to his eyes as he turned to look at Xander.  He tried to keep the worry out of his voice as he asked, “It’s not true is it?  Can she really dance?”

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Xander shrugged.  “I don’t know man,” he answered honestly, shaking his head.  “But I do know something.”

“What’s that?” Angel asked, confusion in his voice.

“We are screwed.”  Looking back to the entrance of the Bronze, Angel had a feeling that Xander might just be right.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Kat, let go of me!” Willow fairly shrieked, attempting to wrestle her arm away from the smaller, but far stronger, young woman.  As the brunette relinquished her arm Willow stood rock still on the sidewalk, trying to figure out what Kat was up to.  The green-eyed brunette was certainly up to something…the glint in her eyes and the near malicious grin proved that much.  Folding her dainty arms over her chest, the redhead glared at her friend.  “Alright, ‘fess up!  What are you up to?”

Her smile widening, Kat tried her best to pull one of Willow’s ‘innocent looks.’  “I don’t know what you mean,” she replied smugly, her rage moments before replaced by giddy scheming.  Finally noticing the flicker of uncertainty in her companion’s eyes, she lowered her enthusiasm.  Her smile slipping a notch, the brunette finally answered Willow’s question.  “He doesn’t think I can dance, then fine.  I’m going to prove it to him.  And you’re going to help me.”

“What do you mean, what are you…” the green-eyed hacker paused, trailing off as her mind clicked onto what Kat was trying to say.  Eyes widening, she looked to the brunette in wonderment.  “You don’t mean what I think you mean, do you?”

“Sure do!”

Instead of getting angry or looking worried, like Kat expected, Willow clapped her hands together, bouncing up and down in unconcealed delight.  “Excellent!”  Her eyes shined brightly as she grabbed the werecat’s hands, continuing to jump up and down with excitement.  “Oh please oh please, I’d love to help!  I can’t wait to see his face!”  A hysterical giggle escaped the hacker’s lips as she thought about how much they were going to shock the unsuspecting vampire.

“Neither can I.”  Both young women turned at the sound of another voice, coming face to face with a grinning Cordy as the taller woman strode up to them.  “Angel is so in need of a wake up call.  But I want in.”

Raising her eyebrow, Kat regarded the ex-cheerleader curiously. “Why?”

“Because that overbearing, demanding vampire needs to learn a few manners when it comes to ladies,” flipping her hair over her shoulder as she recalled how he had demanded she answer his questions.  A slow smile akin to Kat’s malicious one grew on the brunette’s lips as she added, “Plus Xander deserves a shock or two, and I want to be the one to give it to him.”

Not bothering to ask why Cordy wanted to put Xander through that kind of hell, Kat just grinned and nodded.  “Okay girls, what do you say?  Operation Dance of Torment underway?”  Two heads nodded in emphatic agreement, and Kat’s smile grew wider in anticipation.  As the girls went off into the night to plot their revenge, her last thought was on the vampire and what they had in store for him.

‘Angel it’s a good thing you’re dead,’ she thought evilly, ‘because if you weren’t, this might just kill you.’  She didn’t question the tremor of excitement that went through her as she thought about his reaction to her plans…to dance the cynicism right out of him.

Wednesday night rolled around, and as Angel walked toward the library after sunset he breathed a sigh of relief.  Four days, during which time he had expected some sort of revenge from the kitten and her two cohorts.  But so far they had acted as if nothing was wrong; even Willow, whose lack of skills in the art of lying were legendary among the Scoobies, acted as though the entire incident at the Bronze was entirely forgotten.  The vampire figured that, if they hadn’t done anything by now, then he was safe.  ‘After all, he chuckled silently, ‘it’s not like the kitten is known for her patience.’

Hearing footsteps just ahead, Angel put his thoughts about troublesome kittens out of his mind and glanced up to see who was nearby.  His lips twitched into a friendly smile as he recognized Xander’s lean frame.  Slowing his lengthy stride, Angel called out to the teenager.  “Hello Xander.”  As the teen turned around, Angel raised an eyebrow.  “Why aren’t you with Cordelia?”

Shifting from foot to foot nervously, Xander shrugged and grinned.  “She ditched me for ‘girl-time,’ whatever that means.”  His smile melted away as a look of worry flickered over the brunette’s features.  “Do you think they’re getting ready to ambush us?”

Angel chuckled at the idea, shaking his head.  “I don’t think they’re going to do anything Xander, it’s been what, three days now? Four? I’m sure they forgot about it already.”  But the teenaged boy couldn’t so easily dismiss the idea.

“I don’t know Angel man.  You may be older than dirt, but you’re just as in the dark about women as us living men.”  Xander tried to shake the ‘wiggy feeling’ he was getting, but he had a bad feeling about going into the high school.  He was so engrossed in his internal worries that he missed Angel’s scowl at the old man reference. The disgruntled vampire opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of someone clearing their throat lodged any complaints in the vampire’s mouth.  Turning, both young men regarded Giles as he stood there, watching them with a puzzled look on his British features.

“Is something amiss?”  As the two dark-haired young men looked at each other, they shook their heads slowly.  Unconvinced, Giles looked first at Angel, then at Xander, as if seeking some answers as to why they would be standing outside of the library, with Xander looking as if he was walking into Hell…literally.  When no answers were forthcoming he continued.  “Right.  Now then, how about we move this into the library?  Things that go bump in the night and all that.”  And with that Giles ushered the other two up the steps and into the school before Xander could think of a word of protest.  As the doors closed behind them the sound echoed through the silent halls, like the final rap of a hammer as it nails the lid on a coffin.

* * * * * * * * * *

Angel knew something was wrong the moment they reached the doors to the library.  He could smell the women inside the room, but for some reason not a sound issued beyond the solid wooden doors.  His senses on full alert, the vampire motioned silently for Giles and Xander to hold up.  From the look on the young teenager’s face, Angel knew Xander felt uneasy as well.  His face a cold mask of determination, Angel inched slowly forward, placing his hand on the door.  He pressed his ear to the door, frowning as he strained to hear within.  Someone shuffled their feet, but otherwise all was silent within.  Apprehensive, the vampire stepped back, staring at the door as if it was the Gates of Hell.

Meanwhile Giles, who had up to this point been patient with the bizarre behavior exhibited by Angel and the Twinkie-junkie Xander, was clearly reaching his limit.  “What the devil is going on here?”  Giving them both a severe look, the librarian pushed his way forward, moving toward the library doors.  Angel moved to stop him, but the watcher merely glared at him and, muttering something about bloody hellmouth and its idiotic effect on people, barged into the library.

For a moment the other two men just stood there, feet frozen in place, as they waited for some sound to issue from behind the solid wooden doors.  Suddenly a thud was heard from within, muffled by the doors, but identifiable as the librarian’s satchel hitting the floor.  Exchanging worried glances, Angel and Xander rushed into the library to see what had caused Giles to drop his briefcase…and froze at the sight they beheld.

On the other side of the room the women perched, having waited for the men to arrive.  The gods of makeup and tight clothing had transformed them from pretty into seductive; bewitching sirens with powers to ensnare the minds of wayward men...in this case, the three men who stood near the doors, paralyzed by shock and bewilderment.  Light filtered in from the back, caressing and enhancing the figures of the young women as they posed by the railing on the far end of the library.  One of the women, a petite brunette who crouched on the railing with feline grace, slowly began to rise.  No longer just the girl known as Kat, the dark-haired vixen eyed her prey, a sensual smile gracing her lush lips as she noted their unease.  Glancing first to her right, then her left, she gave her sisters of seduction, who were poised on each side of the stairs, an unspoken signal to begin.

With a hint of a smile on her own dainty lips, the sultry redhead poised on Kat's right began to move her arms, gesturing intricately in the air with her fingers. As she ended with a snap, Angel and the other two found themselves unable to move, caught in her web of paralysis.  This was the signal for the taller brunette to move, bending at the waist to press a button on the c.d. player at her feet.  Sweet strains of a sultry song filled the air, preceding the women as they came to life before the men's eyes.

Cordelia and Willow floated down the steps, each walking sensuously toward their intended prey.  Behind them Kat stretched, leaping from the railing to crouch on the wooden table in front of her.  Exuding all the grace and flexibility that was inherent in her panther form, the vixen crawled down the length of the table, sliding off to stand at the end, her swirling green eyes fixating on the handsome vampire a few feet in front of her.

Just cause I'm small, can't hurt you at all
I'm only a girl, what to do?
Let me sing my song for you
Not many can
resist my command
I know just how to get to you
Let me sing
my song for you

The luscious ladies reached the men as the words began to pour over them, pulsing and throbbing to a beat as old as time.  As they stood in front of each man, the women began to exact their revenge.  Slowly, sinuously, they began to dance, their bodies undulating with the music.  Kat stood directly in front of Angel, her eyes locked onto his as her luscious lips mouthed the words of the song.  One dainty finger trailed down his face, tracing his jaw line and continuing on down, dragging against the material of his t-shirt as she ran her finger down his chest.  Even without the paralysis spell, the ensouled vampire would have found it hard to move, as he was captivated by the spell this tiny woman was weaving before him with her body and her eyes.

When you lay down late at night
I'm the siren you can't fight
I know you don't stand a chance
There is nothing you can do
Once I put my spell on you
When I sing my lullaby
Lullaby
Lullaby
Lullaby
When I sing for you my lullaby

As her arms came over her head and her curvaceous body twisted and dipped, Angel got a good glimpse at the enticing outfit she wore, which propelled all her movements into the realm of eroticism.  Unlike the apparel Buffy had always worn, blatantly sexual and leaving nothing to the imagination; Kat was wearing the perfect combination of sexual and sensual clothing. A combination halter/corset top framed her beautifully shaped upper body. Her breasts were caught in burgundy velvet cups of material that ended as straps that tied at the nape of her graceful neck.

The soft look of the velvet pleaded for one to touch, an urge that was swiftly countered by the bottom half of the shirt: a black leather corset. The leather was smooth as the velvet, but pulled taut across the brunette's ribs. A sweet looking bow tie rested between Kat’s breasts.  The enticing top stopped abruptly just above the woman’s navel, and a wide swath of pale skin was laid bare between the edge of the top and the waistline of the jazz pants that completed the ensemble.

Settled low on her hips to begin with, the form fitting black pants had a waistline that dipped in a gentle vee, both front and back. The stretchy material hugged the brunette’s lush curves and displayed her assets to their best advantage while also allowing Kat to move with her usual lithe, predatory grace.  They also gave the engrossed vampire a very good view of her tattoo, as the werewoman twisted around in front of him; the hieroglyphs seemed to have a life of their own, hypnotizing Angel with the rise and fall of her hips as they rolled before his eyes.  Turning to face him once more, Kat's lips continued to hold the vampire in thrall as she sung silently along with Willa Ford.

Ohhhh
Now that you see
It wasn't a dream
Reality got the best of you
Told ya boy, I will come after you
Now it's too late
Can't hesitate,
To hide this fate with deja vu
Watch out, boy, I'm coming for you

The kitten continued to dance before Angel, holding his attention fast as she gazed into his eyes.  The vampire was only peripherally aware that Xander and Giles were being tormented as thoroughly as he was, for his warm chocolate eyes were focused solely on the dark-haired seductress who swayed before him.  She continued to lip-sync to the alluring strains of the song as she pressed up against his cool body.  The warmth of her body combined with her graceful movements to set his nerve endings ablaze.  The blood he had drunk earlier began to roar in his ears as the song reached its climax.

In your sleep
It's got you so deep,
My sweet melody
Has captured you
Forevermore…

Lullaby
Lullaby
Lullaby
When I sing for you my lullaby
Sing my lullaby...

As the song faded away into silence, Angel found the fetching kitten pressed tightly up against his well-muscled body, her hands resting lightly against his waist.  Her eyes stared intently into his for a moment, swirling pools of light the color of a stormy sea.  She stretched up suddenly, achingly slow as her body brushed against his, till her lips were positioned against his ear.  Her warm breath fanned the hairs around his earlobe, making the vampire shudder deliciously as she whispered is a husky voice, "Gotcha Fangs."  He felt her smile against his ear before her head moved, leaning back in order to gauge his reaction to her little scheme.  Unable to control himself he growled possessively, his eyes igniting in a golden blaze as he tried in vain to grab her with his own hands.

Her lips quirking into a smile more typical of the werecat, Kat turned her head to speak to Willow, only to find the devious hacker was still pressed up against their librarian, continuing to torment him with a view of her own attributes. Kat felt a tiny stab of pity for the British man, who looked ready to keel over from a heart attack.  "Hey Wills, think you can unfreeze them now?  They look about ready to faint!"  She tried to keep the amusement from creeping into her voice, but a trace of it came through nonetheless.

“Oh yea,” the usually eloquent hacker replied, giggling at the looks on the men’s faces as she waved her hands in the air, effectively releasing them from the spell she had labored for days to master, just for this prank.  She bit her lip to keep from busting out laughing as Giles stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over his satchel in the process.  Stammering like mad, the librarian took his glasses off, polished them feverishly, then put them back on to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating.  An inarticulate sound rose from the British man’s throat, his eyes widening as he got another glimpse of Willow’s own tight top and pants.

“I uh..that is...excuse me,” the watcher stammered further, fleeing into the safety of his office and sealing himself off from the rest of the gang with the slam of his door.  Cordelia chuckled, sharing an amused glance with the red-faced but delighted Willow before focusing on her boyfriend once more.

Xander blinked once, twice, three times as his brain tried to process what just happened here.  His dark eyes remained focused on his girlfriend’s body, recalling the way she had danced against him.  Certainly the usually prim and proper cheerleader had never danced like that before!  Admiration gleamed in the teen’s eyes as he regarded his high-maintenance girlfriend in a new light.  Fast as he could, Xander grabbed her wrist, delighting in the surprise that flickered in her features.  Tugging her closer, he whispered in Cordelia’s ear softly, then began to drag the cheerleader away from the group, heading for the doors.

Willow watched as Xander and Cordelia disappeared from sight, her lips twitching with laughter as she contemplated briefly where her childhood friend was taking his girlfriend.  ‘Closet here we come!’ she snickered mentally, her eyes moving away from the swinging doors of the library, coming to rest on the only pair remaining.  The laughter faded in the hacker’s emerald eyes, replaced by a tender look as she regarded the werecat and vampire who stood off to one side, Kat’s arms still encircled around Angel’s neck.

‘They look so cute together,’ the hacker sighed mentally, moving away to give them a little bit of privacy.  Her computer was calling, as the redhead settled down to see if she could find a few more lines of prophecy before they headed out for patrol.  ‘Guess it’s you and me tonight friend,’ she mused softly, booting up the computer and resting her head in her hands.  Her eyes flickered over to Kat and Angel, and she sighed once more.  ‘I need a life.’

* * * * * * * * * *

Kat watched Angel for any sign of a reaction to her little surprise.  Her lips twitched as she felt him breathe, despite the lack of necessity on his part.  His hands had come around to settle on her waist, with or without his knowledge she was uncertain, but a slight tendril of pleasure trickled through her at the feeling of his cool hands against the flesh exposed between her top and her pants.  The petite brunette fought to keep from shivering as she watched the golden swirl in his normally dark eyes as it flared and dimmed, flashing intently through emotions she couldn’t quite catch.  Still smiling, she raised an eyebrow at Angel. "Well?" she prompted softly, waiting for a response from the silent vampire.

Angel expelled all the air he had been inhaling, chuckling nervously to dispel the tension building up inside of the bewildered vampire.  His eyes dimmed in their intensity, though not in their warmth, as he watched her own bright orbs sparkle in merriment.  “Point taken Kitten.  Next time I’ll be careful to watch what I say about you.”

Smirking at her complete victory over the hapless vampire, Kat shrugged seemingly in innocence.  “What can I say…I’m just full of surprises.”  An uneasy silence descended on the pair, making them painfully aware of how close they were.  In an attempt to break the tension, Kat said the next thing that popped in her head.  “Think you’ll swing by the Bronze with us tonight after patrol?  Willow and Cordy are sure to go, if for no other reason than to show off their new outfits.”

Kat grinned as she imagined how the male populace of the club would react to their attire, not realizing that Angel was scowling as a similar image popped into his head.  Only he wasn’t thinking of a hacker or a cheerleader, but the effect a certain werecat was sure to have on the pups of the Bronze if she showed up in her too-revealing top.  That image, coupled with several of her dancing at the Bronze like she had here, clawed at his mind in jealous zeal. A low rumble began in his throat, causing the tiny brunette he was holding to look at him in confusion.

“Something wrong?” she murmured, but Angel just shook his head, releasing her waist and taking a quick step backward as he tried to banish the unwelcome thoughts from his mind.  His fierce scowl seemingly directed at Kat, he glared at her for a moment before muttering under his breath.

“We should get going.”  Whirling around, the vampire stalked out of the library like the hounds of Hell were on his heels, leaving a perplexed young woman standing in the middle of the room, eyebrows drawn together in confusion.  She stayed there as Willow, having witnessed that last little bit, came around the table to stand beside her friend, concern and thought etched on her elfin face.

“Uh…what was that all about Wills?”  Kat turned to the redhead for anything that would explain Angel’s bizarre mood swings.  One minute he looked ready to kiss her, the next he glared at the werecat and stalked off in a foul mood.  Her confusion only heightened when Willow giggled, shaking her head in amusement.

“He has some things to work out,” Willow tried to explain, unconsciously choosing words Kat herself had used when Willow had inquired about why the brooding vampire had been avoiding her.   She knew the real reason that Angel had bolted, but she wasn’t sure her friend was ready to deal with the implications.  Neither one seemed ready to admit they were developing feelings for the other.  ‘It’ll happen though, and soon from the looks of it,’ she pondered with a soft smile.  Shaking her fiery head to clear her thoughts, Willow slipped her arm through Kat’s, smiling brightly.  “Why don’t we go beat up on some poor, helpless vampires in order to clear our minds?”

Chuckling, Kat nodded as she allowed Willow to drag her to the wooden doors.  “Alright Wills, you win.  Therapy via vampire smashing...sounds good to me.”  Smiling, the two friends walked out of the library, but not before Willow glanced over at the door leading to Giles’ office.  Calling out a cheery goodbye, the mischievous hacker giggled hysterically as they heard an answering grumbled stammer, causing her dark-haired friend to cover her face with her hands.  The last words that echoed in the library came from Kat, who bemoaned ever teaching Willow to express herself more.

“Oh lord, I’ve created a monster.”

‘Maybe Wills and I should rethink our idea of therapy,’ Kat thought wryly, ducking and spinning under a vampire arm as it flung out at her face.  Her arms came up to block its next blow, but not fast enough to keep his left hand from getting close.  The werecat hissed in discomfort as the vampire’s claws came into contact with her cheek, scratching a faint line into her pale skin.  Thoroughly pissed, the tiny brunette brought her leg up, swinging it around into a roundhouse to kick the vampire to the ground in a fit of anger.  A quick stab later and dust was all that remained…of that vampire at least.

‘One down, several to go,’ her thoughts strayed as her eyes instantly sought out her companions.  The group had managed to locate a ‘small’ vampire nest, and it was almost more than they could handle.  Angel was holding off two at the moment, while Xander was going toe to toe with a big ugly brute. Back to back Willow and Cordelia stood, holding off as many vampires as they could with their deadly crossbows.

Kat barely had time to process this information before another cold body slammed into hers, causing her to fall backwards to the ground.  Reacting on instinct, the brunette grabbed the vampire by the front of its shirt, pulling her feet up to kick out, causing it to be catapulted back off of her.  Scrambling to her feet, Kat brought her arms up defensively as the vampire rose from the ground in one fluid motion.  It swung with its right hand, intending to feint while bringing its left hand around to catch her unawares.  Her arm coming up to block the right hand as it came at her, Kat caught the flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye.  Her panther instincts in full swing, she ducked under his punch, twisting her arm to her side and propelling the stake in her hand upward, driving it through the vampire’s rib cage before it could take a step back.

Just as it exploded, Kat heard Willow let out a curse of irritation.  Surprised that her normally polite hacker friend was resorting to foul language, the brunette whirled around…and cursed herself.  Willow’s crossbow had snagged somehow, leaving the redhead vulnerable to attack.  Cordelia was fending off the vampires as well as she could with her own crossbow, but it was obvious that she was too preoccupied with keeping some of them at bay to assist the redhead.  Already vampires were moving into place to take advantage of their misfortune; three or four of them were circling around to Willow’s blind spot, ready to pounce any second now.

The perilous situation her two friends were in spurred Kat into decisive action.  Without a moment’s thought the werecat ran in Cordy and Willow’s direction, borrowing speed from her panther side to propel her forward.  As she drew closer she saw Willow, struggling with the triggering mechanism, glance over her shoulder and spy the vampires closing in on her.  Kat watched as the redhead paled, releasing the crossbow with one hand and reaching for the vials of holy water she kept at her side.  The young woman didn’t stand a chance against that many vampires, but she was willing to take a few with her as she died.

Fear shot through the tiny brunette as she saw the look of determination flicker over Willow’s features, something equivalent to her ‘resolve face.’  Images of her mother flashing before her eyes, Kat growled and called out to her friend as she drew near the vampires and her two friends.

“Willow, DUCK!”  Wordlessly Willow obeyed the werecat’s sharp command, flattening herself to the ground as Kat leapt over the redhead.  Kicking out to each side, she caught two of the vampires off guard before landing in the midst of the pack.  Her fists went flying, catching another in the face before the forth slammed into her from behind, and forcing the tiny brunette to the ground in a tangle of arms, legs, and hisses.  She struggled to free herself, but a stray elbow caught her in the side of the head and her vision swam.  Her last thought before the darkness enveloped her was that she was in deep, deep trouble.

* * * * * * * * * *

Finally dusting the last vampire he had been fighting, Angel heard Kat call out to Willow and whirled around just in time to see the daring werecat plunge herself directly into the middle of the vampire group that had surrounded Cordy and Willow.  An inarticulate sound of dismay was ripped from his throat as he watched her go down, tackled from behind by one of the vampires and becoming entangled with the rest on the ground.  When she was struck in the head by an arm, the sound became a full-fledged cry.

“NOOO!”  The cry came out at the forefront of a deep-throated roar of fury, causing even the vampires to pause in their attack.  They watched in horror as the world-renowned Angel of Death ran toward them at full speed, fear for his friend driving him to the limit.  He crossed the yards that separated him from his foes in a matter of seconds.

Before the vampires could make a move to untangle themselves and run he was upon them, picking them up by whatever appendage he could grab and literally throwing them off of the tiny brunette.  Xander, Cordelia, and Willow sprang into action, staking or shooting each body as it hit the ground.  Finally, when he reached the bottom of the pile, Angel uncovered Kat, who was just starting to rouse.  Quickly he took stock of her injuries, a growl rumbling deep in his chest as he caught the faint scent of blood from the scratch on her pale face.

As he watched her begin to stir, the rage he felt at seeing her go down did not dissipate.  Rather, it burned with even greater intensity as he thought of all the things that could have happened to her had he not gotten there fast enough.  Angel’s eyes glowed in feral brightness as he thought about all the risks she took in battle, and the way she put herself in danger in order to protect others.  His fists clenched tightly at his sides, the vampire swore darkly to have a few words with the kitten about her fighting style.

‘I will not watch you die because of some reckless act of yours kitten,’ he vowed, seething in rage as he watched the tiny werecat begin to open her eyes.

* * * * * * * * * *

Kat moaned, feeling as if a runaway truck had just knocked the wind out of her.  Opening her eyes, she blinked a few times to clear away the blur that clouded her vision. As she attempted to sit up, her head throbbed painfully, causing the brunette to clutch it with both her hands.  Dimly she was aware of a growling noise directly above her.  Slowly, carefully, the brunette raised her head, bewildered green eyes meeting furious golden ones.  Angel stood above her, his fists clenching and unclenching as he glowered down at the tiny werecat.  His eyes burned with the intensity of a thousand suns, his face twisted in a vampiric visage of rage.

Confusion creased her brow, causing Kat to wince as her head protested the movement.  ‘What’s he all Grry for?’  Dimly she recalled Willow being in trouble, her reckless assault on the vampire group that was ready to ambush the redhead, then the blow to the head that had sent her into darkness.  Hoping to diffuse the situation, she offered Angel a small smile.  “Did we win?” She joked softly, believing he would lighten up.  Her hope was quickly shattered as he grabbed her by the arms, hauling the tiny woman up to her feet as he snarled viciously.

“What in the hell were you thinking, you little hellcat!  You could’ve been killed, drained dry in seconds!  If I hadn’t of been here, you would be dead now or worse.  God, how could you be so stupid?” Angel fumed, his fear for Kat’s life manifesting as a raging tantrum.  It took all the control he could muster not to shake the tiny woman so hard that her fragile neck would break.  As it was, he knew she would carry livid bruises in the shape of his fingers the next day.

Kat’s face burned with embarrassment as Angel lectured her, in front of the other Scoobies no less, who were struck dumb as they witnessed Angel lose his usual self-composure.  She had to admit it wasn’t the smartest idea she had, leaping into the midst of a group of vampires, but a part of her bristled at his high-handedness, not to mention the way he called her stupid.  Her own eyes blackening angrily, she wrested herself away from Angel’s hands, anger overriding her headache’s protest to her abrupt actions.

“Just a minute!  First of all, I did what I had to do in order to save Willow from being munched on by those bloodsucking fiends.  Secondly,” she continued, her own voice rising in frustration as she stepped back in front of Angel, her dainty finger jabbing him in the chest hard, “I have survived for the past five years without your so called help.  I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, so don’t you start assuming that, if it wasn’t for you, I would be dead by now.  I would have managed just fine!”  The more truthful part of her quietly acknowledged his help was needed, but it was overruled by the stubborn, prideful part of the little werecat, which wasn’t about to let him get away with berating her for her actions.

Angel forced himself not to take a step backward as the fiery hellcat bared her fangs and hissed out her rebuttal.  He snarled as her dainty finger poked him in the chest and growled out a reply, “If you’re so perfectly capable, then act like it!  If you’d taken a split second to actually think instead of just leaping in and damn near getting yourself killed, you would’ve realized there was a better, safer way to handle the situation.  I swear to any deity that will listen, you are just the most stubborn, idiotic, pain in the ass on this planet.  Hell, Spike seems like a cherub next to you!”

A snort of laughter erupted from the group who was watching to proceedings, only to be abruptly silenced as Cordelia elbowed her boyfriend in the ribs.  Her hissed reproach to him was missed, however, as Kat growled back at Angel.  “Listen, you pasty-faced throwback to the Dark Ages.  I didn’t have time to think of some fancy maneuver that would have saved Willow from those vampires:  it was act, or stand by and watch my best friend die before my eyes.”

Her delicate frame trembled with the effort it took not to slap the sneer from Angel’s face.  Her voice hoarsened as she choked on her anger, “I. Will. NOT stand by and watch someone I care about die…not when I could’ve done something to save them.”  Her words, while caused by her painful memories of her mother, gave dangerous promise to the future.  A chill seemed to loom over the group at her near prophetic words.

Angel was tempted to drop the subject, knowing how painful the memories of Kat’s past were.  His coffee brown eyes softened for a split second, but he steeled himself against the momentary weakness; knowing he had to teach her.

“I may be a ‘throwback to the Dark Ages’, but at least I know how to fight with my head instead of my heart.  Giles needs to start training you like he did Buffy.  I swear, I’ve never missed her clear-headed, quick thinking fighting style more than I do tonight.  If you could just force those volatile emotions down you might be as good as she was someday.”

Twin gasps of outrage escaped Cordy and Willow at Angel’s callous remarks, their faces contorted into masks of fury over his treatment of their tiny friend.  Xander just groaned, covering his face with his hands.  He did NOT want to see what Kat would do to Angel…he was pretty sure the vampire would need a blood bank when she was through with him.

The werecat surprised them all though, going still as Angel’s words echoed in her brain.  Her lips parted, but no sound escaped.  If possible, her porcelain face grew paler at his blatant comparison of her to the Slayer.  She tried to swallow, but it felt like her throat had closed off, her anger and shock effectively choking off any snappy comeback she may have had.  Taking a step back from the vampire, her hands dropped to her sides listlessly.

The old guarded look shuttered over her onyx-colored eyes, sealing off her emotions from the rest of the group.  Finally finding her voice, Kat whispered huskily, barely able to find the words to speak.  “Not everyone can control their dark side, as you well know, ‘Angelus.’”  Whirling about so she wouldn’t have to see the look in the vampire’s eyes, she hugged herself as she began walking away.  “You really are a heartless bastard, you know that?” she called over her shoulder as she stalked away from the group, fighting the impulse to run as fast as her legs could carry her.

Angel closed his eyes, his dark head bowing as he felt the backlash of his thoughtless words wash over him.  So quietly it almost didn’t reach the ears it was intended for, he replied, “I know, sweet kitten.  But sometimes you have to be heartless and cruel, or risk being hurt later when your kindness makes your loved ones weak.”  A pink tear rolled down the smooth plane of the vampire’s cheek as his large form blended with the shadows, and a moment later Angel was gone.

Kat turned at his words, watching the vampire slink away into the night.  Her eyes a myriad of colors and emotions, she took a deep, unsteady breath and resumed her troubled walk away from the graveyard.  Neither vampire nor werecat remembered their human friends, who stood staring at the spot the couple had vacated moments before.

Finally, when both could no longer be seen, the rest of the patrol group began to move.  Xander stood still, staring at the spot Kat and Angel had vacated.  Slowly he turned toward his girlfriend and Willow, who were both glancing in the direction Angel had taken, faint smiles etched on their faces.  “Ok, what just happened here?” he asked, his confusion evident in his voice.  “Have we just crossed into the Twilight Zone or something?”

“Are you blind?” Cordelia screeched, gesturing with both her hands in the directions Kat and Angel had gone.  “It’s so obvious!”  Huffily, the cheerleader waved her hands in the air as she tried to explain to her obtuse boyfriend, “Angel cares for Ms. Kitty, and is scared to death of it.  So, when she nearly gets herself killed, he goes all ballistic because he doesn’t want her dying on him.”

“Uh…right,” Xander replied, his voice laced with sarcastic doubt.  “And what’s with Kat then hmm.  Don’t tell me she’s falling for Dead Boy there.” He chuckled at the thought of Kat and Angel being an item; his laughter soon died away as he caught the looks on Willow and Cordelia’s faces.  “Oh come on guys!  It…that’s insane!”

“Is it?”  Willow spoke up, raising an eyebrow at her childhood friend.  “I don’t think so Xander.  Just look at how they act.  Kat takes whatever Angel says very seriously, even though we both know she can usually shrug off anything someone says to her because she has a very thick skin when it comes to insults.  And yet, every time he makes some comment, whether its her clothing or her fighting style, she takes it very much to heart.”

“And let’s not forget Angel’s mile-wide jealous streak,” Cordelia added as Willow nodded on.  “I have never seen that vampire growl so much!  I’m starting to think he’s a bear, or at least he’s becoming part cave man.  I mean did you see the way he stormed out of the library tonight?”  Cordelia shook her head at the vampire’s earlier actions while Xander looked at both girls like they had lost their marbles.

“Are you two nuts or something?”  He shook his head, trying not to think about what they were suggesting.  And yet a tiny part of him couldn’t help but admit that they might just be right.  “Look, even if what you are saying is true, and I think the jury is still out on that one, that still leaves two questions.”  When neither of the women offered to answer for him, or even asked, he continued.  “First, what about that pesky soul of his?  We don’t want them getting too close and then bam, Hello Angelus, now do we?”

Willow and Cordelia exchanged an uneasy look; that was one of the snags in their idea.  Crossing her arms over her chest, the redhead glared at Xander, determination flaring in her green eyes.  “We’ll just have to find a way to make his soul permanent.  And it’s not like before, with Buffy and Angel.  Angel didn’t know the consequences before.”

“Ok, that leads to my next question…what about Buffy?”  Silence greeted the teenager’s question, laced with tension and unspoken words.  Finally, when he could stand it no longer, he continued.  “Suppose she actually comes back, what then?  Is Dead Boy over her, or would he just cast Kat aside and pick up where they left off?”  A trace of disgust entered into Xander’s voice, his feelings on the subject apparent…he did not think the Slayer and the ensouled vampire belonged together.  Sighing, he rubbed his face with one hand, frustration and sadness flickering in his eyes.  “I just…I don’t want to see anyone get hurt, alright?”

“No one is going to get hurt Xander,” Willow tried to assure him, coming up to pat her childhood friend on the back.  “We’re just trying to get two people to admit they care for each other, not throw two unwilling people into a relationship neither one wants.  What could be the harm in that?”

Xander hesitated, and then shrugged.  “I don’t know Wills.  I just have a very bad feeling about this.”  He glanced in the direction Kat had gone, wondering why he was so worried about a relationship between the vampire and the werecat.  They would make a cute couple, and honestly he didn’t begrudge Angel any comfort he could find with Kat, just so long as Angelus didn’t make another appearance as a result.  Still, as the two girls led him out of the cemetery, a slight shiver rippled through the teen’s body like the cold hand of Death.  He had no idea why, but he felt like they were at the beginning of a path that could end up hurting one of his friends…maybe even killed.

As Cordy and Willow began to chat about getting Angel and Kat together, Xander tuned them out, his thoughts straying to the blonde who had abandoned them all when she sent the souled vampire to Hell.  Over the past months he had come to accept the fact that she would never return, and it became harder to care about what she was doing, or how she was for that matter.  His last thought was a prayer, offered up to any god he could think of with some compassion for all the group had been through.

‘Please…please don’t let Buffy come back.’

* * * * * * * * * *

That night, in a dark motel room, a young woman dreamed of fire.  It was everywhere, consuming her and enveloping her, scorching her fair skin with its infernal heat.  Taking a step back, the young woman tried to escape the flames, to escape into the cool darkness of oblivion that existed beyond the fire.  The flames responded, rising angrily to box her in, imprisoning her with her fate.

Something flickered in the smoldering depths of the flames, drawing her eyes even as she knew she wouldn’t like what was in there, that she should look away.  Compelled, she watched as a figure came into focus, kneeling on the ground.  Green eyes widened in surprise as she recognized the tortured body of Angel kneeling on the ground, his arms flung out to the sides, held in place by invisible bonds.  A small whimper lodged itself in the back of her throat as she saw the damage inflicted on his marble body.  Bare to the waist, the vampire’s back was a mass of scars, long lashes of blood that cut deep, nearly to the bone.  Even as she watched, he cried out in pain, more lash marks appearing on his back, drawn there by some invisible foe.

Hesitantly she took a step forward, her hand extended toward the tortured vampire.  Instantly the flames responded, leaping to obscure her vision of Angel and scalding her hand in the process.  A hiss of pain escaping her lips, she took a step back quickly, her arms coming up in front of her face to protect its fair skin from the blistering heat of the fire.  As the blaze died down she peered through her arms cautiously, bringing them down slowly.  The scene beyond the fire had changed, but she was still compelled to watch helplessly.  It was Angel, no longer tortured, but fighting a force she could not see.  A hideous black monstrosity, it hissed and spat at him, slashing at the handsome vampire with its vicious claws.  Angel winced as one or two of them scored, ripping the fabric of his black tank top and connecting with the pale flesh underneath.  Then, slowly, the creature shimmered and began to change.  Now a young woman stood where the dark creature had been.  Hazel eyes, dark like cold emeralds, glittered dangerously as the slight woman launched another assault at Angel, while beyond the flames the other woman continued to watch, powerless to help the vampire.

Vampire and woman clashed in a flurry of arms and hisses, slashing and ripping into each other with feral intensity.  A lump lodged in the onlooker's throat; she tried once more to move beyond the flames, but they held her prisoner, barring her from helping Angel fight the demonic woman, who seemed to possess supernatural strength.  They continued to fight, blood dripping down both bodies and painting the floor in grisly detail, until both opponents were locked in a deadly embrace.  And then, without warning, Angel snarled and his head swooped down, taking the other woman's lips into a fiery kiss.

Choking back a sob of bitterness, shock, and betrayal, the onlooker shook her head in rapid denial of the scene unfolding before her eyes.  The flames surrounding her responded to her anguish, crackling and leaping high into the air, obscuring the couple from her view.  And yet the image was firmly imprinted on her mind, along with others:  Angel and the woman, staring at each other with tender looks.  Angel, touching her neck gently, a pale scar made by a vampire bite barely visible against her pale skin.  Angel and the woman dancing sweetly together at the Bronze.  The images melted into each other, until she was unable to tell where one began and the previous ended.  Over and over the images of the vampire and this woman fighting, kissing, and fighting assaulted her mind, causing her to stumble backwards, shaking her head in vehement denial.

So intent was she in escaping the horrible images that the young woman felt something collide into her back suddenly.  Whirling about, her eyes widened as she saw Xander and Willow standing before her, their silent eyes accusing.  A cold mask of anger twisted Xander’s features into a gruesome mask, twin to the expression on Willow’s face.  Slowly the young man’s arm rose, his finger pointing straight at her in accusation before moving on to point at the scene beyond her vision, the one she had just witnessed.  His voice was implacable as he intoned, “The two shall become as one.  And the hate which beget love will again beget hate.”

Her heart wrenched painfully as Willow repeated Xander’s actions, pointing past the young woman and sharing her own words of import in a voice devoid of emotion.  “Be Warned!  The choosing is at hand!”  Her words rang out in the air, drowning out the roar of the eternal flames surrounding the tiny woman and piercing her to the core.  Their words reverberated in the room, echoing in her ears and mingling with the images that were imprinted in her mind, until the young woman was forced to her knees, her hands pressed to her temples as she trembled violently.  The lump in her throat disappeared, and she leaned back, her hands tightly fisted at her sides as she howled her denial into the night....

"NOOOOOOO!" With a cry of outrage, Buffy bolted upright in her hotel bed.  Shaking like a leaf, the ex-Slayer glanced around the dark room, taking in giant gulps of air in order to quell the raging inferno inside of her.  Green eyes blinked in confusion before realization finally dawned on her.  Trembling hands reached up to hug herself tightly as the blonde fought to shake the last visages of her nightmare away.

'It was just a dream,' she told herself over and over again, unconsciously starting to rock back and forth in an effort to calm the storm of emotions inside of her.  But she knew it wasn't just a dream...Slayers never 'just' had dreams, they had visions.  Someone or something wanted her to know that Angel was alive...or might be alive.

'But I killed him!' she told herself, her eyes wide and child-like as she stared into the darkness.  'Or did I?'  The question burned inside of her, awakening all the feelings she had thought she had buried over the past few months.  Suddenly the desire to see her friends, her home, overwhelmed the tiny ex-Slayer...not to mention the need to find out the answer to the doubts and questions she had regarding her vampire lover.

Uncoiling herself from the tight ball she had been in, the blonde reached for the bedside phone.  Grabbing a phonebook, she flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for, and then began dialing the number.  As she waited for the other end to pick up, the lingering images from her nightmare flashed behind her eyes.  Her mind shied away from thinking about the young woman who had been with Angel in her nightmares...the dark-haired one with the feral eyes.

Soon a bored female voice issued from the receiver, "Greyhound Bus lines.  Destination city and state please?"  Buffy took a deep breath, then told the woman in a voice as calm as a winter breeze.

"Sunnydale, California."

It was a typical Saturday research party, and Xander was bored; the kind of bored that creeps into the mind, making words blur together on a page and form interesting blotches that, if one looked long enough, began to resemble shapes. Glancing up, Xander watched in mild surprise as Willow shifted in her chair, a frown marring her elfin features as she studied the book in her hands.  He noted her repeated glances toward two chairs that, until a few days ago, had been occupied by everyone’s favorite souled vampire and quiet werecat.  It was obvious that her mind was not on the prophecy they were still working on, but rather on the two missing members of their little group.

Grimly Xander thought back to the incident four days ago that had started all of this.  Ever since the fight in the graveyard, Angel had distanced himself from the group, forsaking the research parties to remain sequestered in his mansion. Willow, being the only person who saw him anymore, said he was doing fine, but Xander knew she was worried about his relapse into broodland.

‘Not that Kat is any better,’ Xander admitted to himself as he thought about the werecat.    Angel’s words seemed to have caused the tiny brunette to withdraw into herself, spending more time patrolling the graveyard than at the library with the rest of the group.  She seemed more driven than before, like she wouldn’t stop until every vampire in Sunnydale had been vanquished…including the idiot vampire who hurt her.

If he was looking for concrete evidence that the two had feelings for each other, or at least that Kat felt something for Angel, this certainly clinched it in Xander’s mind.  But with the two parties currently not talking to each other, he didn’t see how the Scoobies could get them to admit to anything.

‘Something’s got to be done,’ Xander thought before glancing back to the empty chairs somberly.  ‘Before someone explodes…’

‘…I’m going to explode!’ Willow fumed silently, her scowl deepening as she glanced over to the empty chairs for the hundredth time in the past hour.  ‘Stupid, idiotic, childish…’ Cutting off the tirade before it could get out of control, the petite redhead sighed in frustration.  Kat and Angel were slowing driving her insane.  She had tried letting them think things over, but it seemed as if neither one was going to make the first move.

.  ‘If they would just TALK to each other, instead of hiding…’ But Angel refused to come to the library or out on patrol, immune to Willow’s powers of persuasion.  Even her ‘resolve face’ didn’t move the distant vampire.  She was sure that she could talk Kat into doing whatever she said, but to ask the brunette to go the mansion to talk to Angel was probably pushing it.

Suddenly, without warning, the hacker stood up, slamming her book closed with enough force to reverberate in heavy silence that hung in the library.  Two pairs of eyes looked up at the tiny young woman in shock, another set peeking out cautiously from the doors to Giles’ office as the redhead flung the book down on the table, scowling in irritation.  Working him mouth soundlessly, Xander stared at his usually mild-mannered friend, taken back by the fierce look on her petite features.  “Uhhh, Wills?” he asked cautiously.  “What’s wrong?”

Angry green eyes fixed on confused brown ones.  “What’s wrong?” Willow ground out, hands fisted at her sides.  “What’s wrong is two of my friends are out there, refusing to act like grownups, while we are stuck here pouring over old books trying to pretend nothing is wrong!”  Raising one hand to rub her temple, Willow snorted.  “Something has to be done.”

“Well it’s about time!” Cordelia stated, slamming her book down on the table and standing up.  “I was wondering when you two would get sick of this.  So what’s the plan?”

“Plan?” Xander echoed, blinking in confusion.  “What plan? What can we do?  It’s not like we can force them to talk to each other. Someone might get hurt, and while I’m all for staking Angel, Kat might be upset if we let her kill him.”

“She won’t kill him, I’ll make sure of it.” Willow vowed, an idea forming in her mind.  “I think we can get them to meet, and manage to avoid any bloodshed in the process.”  At Xander’s questioning look, Willow suddenly smiled.  Her smile widened as she leaned across the table toward her childhood friend, causing him to squirm uneasily.  “I have a plan…but I’ll need your help…”

* * * * * * * * *

Stalking through the graveyard, a lithe young woman paused, cocking her head to the side. A faint rustling to her right was all the indication the tiny woman got before a blur of motion exploded out of the bushes to her right. Acting on instincts born from within, she whirled out of the way, her leg coming up in a roundhouse to catch the fledgling in the side of the face.  As the fairly inept vampire fell to the ground, the dark-haired young woman twirled the stake in her hands, crouching to drive her wooden weapon into the corpse’s chest before it could regain its sense of balance.

As the vampire exploded into dust, Kat remained crouched a few minutes more.  Glancing up at the night sky, she idly calculated the phase of the moon, leaving the rest of her mind stuck in the dark thoughts it had been processing for the past few days.  She knew that the rest of the Scooby gang was worried for her; Willow had tried repeatedly to get the tiny brunette to come back out of her protective barrier, but to no avail.  Kat had shut down her emotions, or at least it seemed that way to everyone.

Inside, however, she was anything but in control.  Try as she might, her mind was stuck in a whirlpool of images and sounds, echoing from that night in the graveyard three days ago.  Closing her stormy blue-green eyes, the tiny werecat recalled Angel’s angry words all to clearly in her mind:

“What in the hell were you thinking, you little hellcat…Giles needs to start training you like he did Buffy…If I hadn’t of been here, you would be dead now or worse…If you’re so perfectly capable, then act like it…I swear, I’ve never missed her clear-headed, quick thinking fighting style more than I do tonight…God, how could you be so stupid…If you could just force those volatile emotions down you might be as good as she was someday…”

A sound issued from the back of Kat’s throat, a combination of a snarl and a whimper.  ‘I am NOT the Slayer,’ her mind argued rebelliously, anger mixing with the confusion and hurt she had been feeling lately, causing her eyes to fly open suddenly.  Her eyes had darkened once more, cold emeralds replacing the liquid blue that had flickered there a moment ago.

“I am not the Slayer,” she whispered in a deadly tone, her hands balled into fists on her knees, clenching the material of her pants as she swore silently at the accursed vampire who kept haunting her thoughts.  ‘Shows how much brains he has, comparing me to that anemic little blonde Willow showed me in those photos of hers.  I’m no Chosen One; I don’t have a calling for this line of work.  I do this because I want to, shouldn’t that count for something?’

Rising to her feet, the werecat continued her patrol of the cemetery, her mind continuing its fierce rant. ‘And I don’t see how clear-headed that Slayer can be, running out on her sacred duty, not to mention all her friends, and leaving them to the dangers of the fucking Hellmouth.’  Kat continued to malign the Slayer, focusing her anger onto the object of comparison rather than the one she was really mad at.  ‘Christ, you’re not supposed to just give up because things get hard.  You’re supposed to fight these things to the bitter end, because if you don’t,’ she halted in her movements, swallowing hard as her throat closed painfully, ‘if you don’t, the people you care about are the ones who end up getting hurt.’

“Stupid vampire,” she whispered hoarsely, her thoughts returning bitterly to the vampire who had snapped at her regarding her fighting style.  ‘I may not be Little Miss Perfect, but I am a fighter in my own right.  I’ll be damned if he’s going to make me feel guilty because I’m not perfect like his precious Slayer’

A vampire materialized out of nowhere, thinking to make a tasty snack out of the brooding werecat.  Without even thinking, Kat let her body take over, whirling around to catch the vampire’s arm before it could grab her.  Her other hand coming up, she staked the surprised demon before it could even utter a protest.  Watching the dust swirl around her, Kat blinked once, twice, before cursing her lack of attention, in the cemetery no less. ‘Christ, I’m just proving that vampire right by acting like a zombie.  Gripping the stake in her hand tightly, her eyes darkened in anger, at herself and at the vampire who put these thoughts into her head in the first place.

“I won’t feel guilty,” she whispered fiercely, turning to head out of the cemetery.  All this thinking wasn’t doing her any good, and Willow would probably come looking for her if she didn’t turn up at the library for a few minutes.  Just as she was about to leave, however, a sound from behind the werecat caused her to pause.  Frowning, Kat glanced over her shoulder, her eyes peering into the darkness beyond.  Raising her stake, Kat stalked silently in that direction, her eyes on the lookout for danger.

‘One more vampire,’ she thought to herself, ‘then I’ll head to the library…’

* * * * * * *

“Are you sure you know what you are doing?” Willow asked Cordelia as she clutched her seatbelt with one hand, the other firmly gripping the door handle as the dark-haired cheerleader took another corner way too fast.  Her life flashing before her eyes, Willow silently vowed never to get in another car if Cordelia was behind the wheel.

“Do you want to drive?” The cheerleader snapped without so much as looking at Willow, her attention firmly fixed on keeping from killing the both of them.  After a heavy silence, Cordelia snuck a glance over to the tiny redhead to see her seriously considering the question.  “Don’t even think about it!  Do you see any sign of her?”

“No…wait!” Willow gasped for breath and Cordelia suddenly slammed on her brakes, forcing the tiny passenger to hurtle forward, only to be saved by the seatbelt as it jerked her back into place.  Twisting in her seat, Willow managed to gasp through ragged breaths,  “I’m…wheez…going… to make you…cough…eat this seatbelt… if you…pant…do that…”

“See her?” Cordelia interrupted, leaning forward to peer through her windshield and ignoring the fuming redhead beside her.  Squinting her dark eyes, the tall brunette shook her head.  “I don’t see her. You sure she would be near the cemetery? She might be back at her hotel room.”

Finally managing to catch her breath, Willow pointed out the window to her right.  “Nope. That’s her.”

Cordelia turned her head to look doubtfully past Willow.  “What, you mean behind that slimy, gooey thing?” After a brief pause, the cheerleader started and leaned closer, squinting her eyes once more. “Oh no…it can’t be…”

“Yep.” Willow grinned at the look of horror on Cordelia’s face.  “That’s her.”  Without waiting for the cheerleader to respond, Willow rolled down her window and leaned out to yell at the slime-covered person heading in their direction.  “Kat!”

Hearing her name, the werecat raised her head, wiping some of the ooze of her brow as she glanced at the two occupants in the car before her.  “Oh. Hey guys. I was just on my way to the library…”

“What the hell happened to you?” Cordelia blurted out before Kat could finish her sentence.

Glancing down at her slime-covered hand, Kat shrugged.  “Ran into a demon of sorts in the cemetery.” A half-smile flickered on her face as she continued, “ Apparently it explodes into a gooey mess when you kill it.  What are you two doing here?”

“We came to pick you up,” Willow replied, gesturing to the back seats of Cordelia’s car.  “Hop in.”

“Oh no!” Cordelia shook her head violently.  “I will NOT have Miss Kitty getting my seats dirty. How would I explain that stuff when I go to get it cleaned?”  Willow turned to give Cordelia a look, making the cheerleader grimace.  “I guess I have a blanket in the back seat we can use…but I’m sending you the cleaning bill!”

Raising her eyebrow, Kat watched the brief exchange between the other two teenagers, confusing and amusement warring on her face. “Where are we going,” she asked as she opened the door to get in, spreading the blanket out so Cordelia’s precious upholstery wouldn’t suffer, “back to the library?”  She tried to keep her voice light and her tiny smile fixed as she continued. “Even with Wills’ great brain and Giles’ extensive library, you need one werecat to translate a prophecy?”

“Oh, we’re not going back to the library,” the cheerleader offered, her horror over the slime-covered werecat replaced with an almost malicious delight in things to come.

Unsure what Cordelia meant, Kat’s smile slipped a notch in confusion.  “Then where are you guys taking me?”

“Oh, you know,” Willow replied, turning to glance at Kat before answering, “We’re going to take you to see Angel…after we make a stop at Cordelia’s house first…”

As Cordelia sped off into the night, a very loud “WHAT???” trailed behind them into the night.

* * * * * * * *

Standing outside the door to the mansion, Xander felt a similar sense of dread creep over his skin.  Shifting from one foot to the other, the dark-haired teenager wondered not for the first time how he had let Willow talk him into being errand boy and fetching the brooding vampire from the mansion.  Certainly the hacker would have been a better choice, as she was currently the only Scoobie Angel was talking to.  Yet Willow had just shaken her head and said that dealing with Kat would take both women put together, and that left Angel to Xander.

‘Riight,’ the teenager thought dryly, scratching his head with his hand as he stared at the door, wondering what he could possibly say to the soulful vampire.  “Especially since Wills forbid me to use the ‘She likes you, you like her, why don’t you two go like each other together?’ speech on him.”  Actually, Willow’s specific words had been that if Xander mentioned Kat’s feelings to Angel, she would turn him into a toad and step on him herself, despite her deadly fear of the slimy green things.  While he wasn’t sure why it would be a bad thing if Angel knew how Kat felt, he was sure Willow would carry out her threat if she found out.

“Well, here goes everything,” the teen muttered under his breath, raising his arm and knocking very lightly on the massive door.

* * * * * * * * * *

“No.” Arms folded defensively across her chest, Kat glared at the tiny redhead who, much to her annoyance, didn’t even seem fazed by the cursing the dark-haired werecat had done all the way to the Chase residence.  As Willow frowned, shaking a piece of red material at Kat, the brunette shook her head fiercely.  “I said NO!”

“You can’t very well go to the Bronze looking like that!” Willow argued, gesturing to Kat’s slime-streaked attire.

“I don’t even see why I have go to the Bronze. Period.” Kat glowered at her friend, then over at Cordelia as a snort of laughter issued from the cheerleader, who was leaning against her locked bedroom door, filing one of her nails and pretending not to enjoy this.

Sighing, Willow flailed her arms at her stubborn friend.  “I’ve already told you! Best way to avoid any bloodshed is if you and Angel talk in some place where there are a lot of people…”

“Fine, I don’t see why I should go talk to Angel.” Kat’s rigid refusal to budge rubbed Willow the wrong way.  Her head already throbbing from the ear-blasting Kat gave her on the way to Cordelia’s, her temper finally snapped.  Tossing the red outfit down at Kat’s feet, the petite hacker exploded.

“Why?! How about because you two are driving me crazy!” As Kat’s jaw dropped in surprise, Willow continued her tirade. “You two! Goddess above, I’ve had better luck managing two year olds! You’re both stubborn, mule-headed, idiotic…and neither one of you wants to make the first move.  Well fine, so I’m making you two talk to each other. It’s a hell of a lot better than going back and forth, seeing how miserable both my friends are, being unable to do anything about it…” Emotionally exhausted from the past few days, Willow sighed sadly.  “I just want things to go back to the way they were before…”

Kat kicked herself mentally, seeing the anguish her and the vampire were causing her closest friend.  Squirming uncomfortably, Kat looked around for something to say.  Greenish-blue eyes took in the red material pooled at her feet.  Feebly Kat cleared her throat, causing the redhead and cheerleader to look at her curiously.  Desperately, even though a tiny part of her mind already braced itself for what Willow had in store for her, Kat offered one final argument.

“But, Willow…why does it have to be a dress?”

* * * * * * * * * *

“Well, here goes everything,” Xander muttered under his breath, raising his arm and knocking very lightly on the massive door.  He waited for what seemed like eternity, but was actually only a minute or so.  Finally, when he heard no reply, the dark-haired young man shrugged, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and turned away from the door.  “Well, no one home, guess I’ll be leaving!”

One foot in the air, ready to move down the steps, Xander froze as suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck started to rise in warning.  Behind Xander the entrance to the mansion slowly began to creak open.  The teenager winced as he heard a foot shuffle behind him.  Sighing, he turned back to the open door, coming face to face with a confused and silent vampire.  Grinning sheepishly, he raised one hand in greeting.  “Hiya Dead Boy! Mind if I come in?”

Upstairs at the Bronze Angel leaned over the railing, watching the teenagers sway and brush up against each other as the music pulsed and throbbed throughout the room.  His brown eyes were thoughtful as they roamed the crowd, idly searching for something or someone.  Not for the first time, the vampire brooded on just how Xander had managed to convince him to come out in the first place.

His lips quirked in a slight smile as he recalled how nervous the teenager had been as he had entered the vampire’s home.  Fidgeting from one foot to the other, it had taken the dark-haired youth at least ten minutes before he spoke up about why he was there…specifically, to talk about Kat.  The woman who had haunted Angel’s thoughts, day and night, ever since the terrible fight in the graveyard.  The smile that touched the pale man’s lips faded as Xander’s words echoed in his head, solemn as that sugar-driven teenager could ever be….

‘Look Dea…Angel.  I know what Kat did the other night rivaled me for pure dumb luck, and something bad would’ve happened if you weren’t there to pull her butt out of the fire, but you were way out of line with some of the stuff you said.  You compared her to Buffy for crying out loud!  The things you said were complete bullshit you know; Buffy never fought with a clear head, she was always emotional and took it out on the vamps. Somehow I think that, if Kat had been in Buffy’s place when you had turned up, you wouldn’t have had a chance to explain about your soul before you turned into a pile of ash..’

Xander’s words still bothered Angel, partly because he was right…Buffy had been no saint when it came to fighting.  There had been times when the vampire himself had believed that, had it not been for the Scoobies, she would not have survived as long as she had.  But Xander had not been satisfied by pointing out the flaw in the vampire’s way of thinking.  Oh no, that moronic teenager had to up the stakes by making Angel feel guilty as well.

Kat’s no Slayer man.  She doesn’t have a destiny to slay vamps, she wasn’t chosen for this.  She does it because she thinks it needs doing, just like Wills and Cordy and me.  You really hurt her that night Dead boy.  She doesn’t have a lot of friends, I can tell that from the way she lets Wills push her around.  But we’re more than friends to her, we’re family, and I can tell you this from experience.  Nothing hurts more than when your family puts you down.  Kat’s been brooding as bad as you since that night, she walks around like a kicked puppy and none of us can bring her out of it.  Think about that Angel, and talk to her, instead of sitting around feeling guilty about it.’

Being berated by Xander, of all people, didn’t sit well with the dark-haired vampire.  Especially when the goofy kid had a point.  And so here he was, stuck at the Bronze, waiting for Willow and Kat to show up so he could talk to the tiny brunette.  Why he had to come to the Bronze was beyond the already perplexed vampire, but Xander had no easy answer for him.  The teenager had just shrugged and said it wasn’t his decision, but Cordy and Willow’s.  Angel didn’t even want to think about what was going on inside their devious female minds…he had never been able to understand woman either, and he had two hundred years to study them.

The vampire continued to muse silently to himself, his eyes roaming over the crowd below, until he felt a slight hand touch his shoulder.  Startled, the vampire swung around, barely able to hide the disappoint that flicked across his features as he looked down at the grinning face of Willow, and not the petite kitten he had been hoping for.

“Willow,” Angel said, his lips twitching sadly as he looked down at his friend, “how have you been?  Where’s the rest of the group?”  His head rose as he spoke, eyes scanning behind the redhead, flicking from face to face as they sought the familiar features of a certain dark-haired, pouty-lipped beauty.  So intent was he in his search that he almost missed the chuckle that escaped from the pixie in front of him.  “Something amusing Little One?” he asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

“Nothing,” Willow replied, shaking her head as she watched the tall vampire, her eyes twinkling in bemusement.  “Cordy went looking for Xander, leaving me and Kat stranded near the dance floor. I told her I would go find you, so I think she’s still there.”  Moving up beside the vampire, Willow peered down at the dancing body of the Bronze, seeking her friend.  A minute later she gestured with one dainty arm, smiling.  “There she is!”  Curious green eyes slid sideways, gauging the vampire’s reaction to her friend as he looked where she was pointing.  She was not disappointed.

Completely forgetting the fact that he didn’t need to breathe, Angel sucked in air slowly, his eyes widening at the angelic sight before his eyes.  Kat floated through the crowd below, a vision clad entirely in red.  Her dress ended at the knees, and was made of such a silky material that it seemed to caress her curvaceous body.  The spaghetti-strapped number flared out at the skirt, enhancing her already graceful movements to a point that had the souled vampire sighing, his undead heart nearly beating once or twice.

The kitten paused at the edge of the dance floor and glanced around, in search of her wayward friends no doubt.  Her mane of auburn hair was teased into waves, swept back at the sides and giving her a hint of elegance.  Angel’s dark, brooding eyes watched her as the delectable young woman nibbled on her lower lip, a vulnerable gesture that seemed so like, and yet un-like the usually self-assured woman that it nearly floored him.  Tonight Kat seemed more feminine, more desirable…and more open than the vampire had ever seen before.  Emotions he had been fighting ever since he first spied the fiery kitten surged to the surface, etching the brooding vampire’s face in a mixture of longing and tenderness.

So intent was the vampire in watching the werecat below that he completely missed hearing an annoying voice call out, signaling the arrival of Xander and his girlfriend Cordy.  “Yo Dead Boy, Wills! Finally found you two!”  Slowly the brunette couple made their way over to Angel and Willow, Xander grinning at his childhood friend.  “Do I deliver or what?” the young man quipped, jerking his thumb in Angel’s direction, making good use of the vampire’s distracted air.  “Just call me the Dominoes of Vamp Delivery…I’ll get the undead there in 30 minutes, or your money back.”

Groaning, Willow shook her head at her friend, her wild hair hiding the smile that graced her dainty lips.  Fighting back the urge to laugh, the redhead admitted to herself that, despite all her worries, Xander really had come through for them.  Her initial fear and anxiety over getting Kat and Angel to agree to come to the Bronze was melting away, replaced with an almost giddy sensation.  Glancing back over to Angel, whose eyes were still locked on their friend, she wondered not for the first time just what Xander had to say in order to get the reluctant vampire to agree to come out, let alone show up at the Bronze.

A detail that had previously escaped the pixie-like woman before now suddenly stood out clearly.  Raising an eyebrow, Willow turned back to Xander, her eyes questioning.  “I’m impressed Xan,” she said, her lips twitching in amusement, “not only did you manage to bring Angel here, but you also talked him into wearing the shirt Cordy gave him.”

“Yea well,” the young man replied, puffing his chest out in an exaggerated show of manliness, “my powers of persuasion astound even me.”  He broke into a fit of coughing as Cordy pounded his back none to softly.  “Ok ok,” he added between gasps for breath, “I told him Cordy would make him go shopping with her next time if he didn’t wear the shirt at least once.  I think the idea of spending hours watching her try on the same outfit in more colors than God even thought of finally did it.”  A chuckle escaped the brunette’s lips, turning into another bout of coughing as his girlfriend hit him once again, this time with more force behind her swing.

Willow bit the inside of her cheek as the couple began to argue, their eyes lighting up even as they traded insults.  Her cheery mood faded as her dainty ears picked up on a faint rumbling sound to her right.  Turning her head, the redhead noted with surprise the change that had come over Angel.  Whereas before he had been almost serene in his perusal of Kat, now his body radiated tension.  His hands gripped the railing tightly, his knuckles turning white and his arms trembling as he struggled with his emotions.  Concerned, Willow took a step closer, touching the vampire’s shoulder lightly as she spoke.  “Angel? What is it?”

Gritting his teeth, eyes blazing with a hint of gold, Angel barely managed to ground out a question to the redhead, “Who is that Little One?”  His voice, though calm, had an odd emotional note to it, one that had Willow a little worried.  Moving closer, the redhead peered over the railing, to where Angel had been watching Kat… and saw just what had made the vampire so angry.

Biting her lip in an effort to quell the urge to smile, Willow snuck a peek at Angel’s face to verify her guess.  Inwardly she jumped and wiggled with excitement as she noted the look of jealousy that flitted over the normally stoic vampire’s features.  ‘Oooh, this is perfect!’ she thought to herself gleefully, not even questioning her enjoyment over her friend’s discomfort.  “Who, Percy?  He’s a football player from our high school, I tutor him every now and then in history.”  She didn’t have to hide the look of distaste that came at the thought of tutoring the jock, a privilege bestowed upon her by Principal Snyder.

“Kat’s talking to Percy?” Xander moved closer, looking down at the situation for himself.  Grinning like a fool, the young man brought his hands up, rubbing them together in vicious glee.  “Excellent!  Poetic justice and I’m here to see it!”  Noting the odd looks thrown at him by his childhood friend and his girlfriend, Xander shrugged, then added, “It’s one of those male grunting thing…you female types wouldn’t understand the desperate need every guy who has ever been shot down by a girl has.  To one day see the stud, the football star, the dream guy, get the same treatment.  And now, my life’s ambition will be fulfilled…just as soon as Kat tells him to take a hike!”

“It’s not Kat telling him off I’m worried about,” Cordelia responded, causing Xander to look at his friend in confusion. “Percy…well, let’s just say that he’s not the type to keep his hands to himself while dancing, if you know what I mean.”

Willow groaned, imagining the look on Percy and the entire Bronze’s face when Kat broke his arm for grabbing part of her body.  “Maybe I should go down there.  I don’t think it would look good if she hospitalized our quarterback…”

Opening his mouth to ask Willow why not, Xander’s eyes suddenly slid out of focus, staring at a point just behind the redhead.  Confusion knitting his dark brows together, Xander turned his head, glancing around at the people near them.  Clearing his throat, the teenager asked, “Uhh, guys….where’s Angel?”

* * * * * * * * * *

Gnashing her teeth silently, Kat glared at the guy standing next to her, who seemed oblivious to her desire to break his arms as he grinned, giving her some awful line about not seeing her here before.  For the millionth time in the past ten minutes, the tiny werecat wished she were anywhere but here, at the Bronze, in a dress.  Already her skin crawled as she felt the eyes of the male patrons glued to her body.

A small part of her mind tried to point out that it wasn’t a stupid dress that made her want to leave so badly, but a certain pig-headed soulful vampire.  While uncertain about her red-headed friend’s intentions, the tiny brunette was sure of one thing: Willow would do any she could to make peace between her two friends.  Kat had felt Angel nearby the moment she stepped into the Bronze, the back of her neck prickling in warning.  She was not about to confront him just yet, not with all his callous words still fresh in her mind.

As Kat’s skin began to tingle strangely, the dark-haired werecat glanced around, seeking the source of her discomfort.  She almost missed Percy’s attempt to ask her to dance, so caught up was she in her own musings.  Stirring out of her thoughts, Kat heard Percy conclude his long-winded speech with a “would you like to dance?”  Her frown didn’t seem to deter him, as the jock reached out, one hand brushing up her arm a little too familiarly, causing a low rumble to issue in the back of Kat’s throat.  Before she could give him a scathing turndown, however, her instincts flared up, barely giving her enough warning before a voice as cold as the artic wind spoke up.

 “The lady is busy.”  Eyes widening, Kat turned slowly, pleading silently that her worst fears wouldn’t be confirmed.  Wide blue-green eyes locked onto cold brown ones, and the young woman sucked in her breath quickly.  Angel stood directly behind her, terrible in all his dark glory.  His entire body was rigid, his fists clenched at his sides.   Gold flickered in his chocolaty orbs, swirling with some dark emotion that made her quiver in front of him.  Percy and the rest of the Bronze faded from into the background, Kat’s mind latching onto one thought:  I’m in trouble.

Angel tried to keep his mind on the task at hand: that being to get Kat away from this lecherous young pup before she went off with him.  His demon fought and clawed under the surface, wanting nothing more than the rip the face off this whelp that dared talk to his angelic beauty.  It didn’t help that the stubborn jock still had his hand wrapped around Kat’s upper arm, or that Kat seemed frozen to the spot, making no effort to disengage him.

Percy, briefly glancing back and forth between the other two, noting Kat’s look of barely disguised astonishment at Angel’s appearance, decided to plunge on.  Drawing himself up straight, the quarterback narrowed his eyes at the man in front of him, all the while tightening his hold on Kat’s arm and drawing her back a step.  “Who asked you, huh?”

A malicious smile spread over the vampire’s lips at the foolish young man’s attempt to sound brave.  Something of his dark demeanor must have translated into his face, for as he leaned forward the jock paled suddenly.  His arm flashing out before the young man could recover from his shock, Angel grabbed Percy’s arm and tightened his hold…painfully.  Stepping closer, he brought his face up near the jock’s and, while managing to keep his face from vamping out, laced his voice with as much of Angelus as he could muster.  “Maybe you didn’t hear me before…Get. Lost.”

As Angel released the jock’s arm he watched with no little amusement as Percy stumbled backwards in his haste to depart, dropping Kat’s arm as if he were scalded.  Mumbling something about having to be somewhere else, he turned and disappeared into the crowd of the Bronze, not pausing to glance over his shoulder in his hasty retreat.  Pleased with his efforts, Angel turned back to Kat, only to find the tiny werecat glaring at him in barely repressed outrage.

The abrupt manner of Percy’s departure, coupled with Angel’s rather heavy-handed manner, had the effect of a cold bucket of water on the tiny brunette.  Snapping out of the previous stupor she had been in since he had appeared, she crossed her arms over her chest as she scowled up at the vampire.  “What in the hell do you think you are doing?”

Blinking, Angel stared down at the irate werecat, surprise taking the edge off of his jealousy-induced rage.  “Excuse me kitten?”  One eyebrow arched up as he cocked his head to the side, waiting for her to tell him what had the petite young woman so riled.

“Do I have ‘Helpless Damsel in Distress’ written somewhere on my forehead?” Kat exploded, her arms flailing out to her sides. “What part of me just screams out that I have to be saved from every unpleasant situation just because I’m female?  Feminist movement, look it up sometime Angel!”

“Oh?” Angel’s eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned forward, his own arms coming up to cross over his chest.  “I wasn’t aware that the women of this century actually liked being pawed over by under-sexed, hormone-driven teenage boys,” he replied, stressing the word boy to describe the quarterback who had just vacated the area.

“I could have handled it,” Kat snapped, waving her hands in the air wildly at the vampire’s pompous attitude.  “What are you going to do next, hmm Angel?  Would you like me to run any guy I happen to meet by you, just so he meets your archaic standard of approval before I even TALK to him?”  Ignoring the way his expression darkened with every word she uttered, Kat continued, stepping forward to jab her dainty finger into his cold chest.  “Listen up buddy, cause I’m only going to say this once!  I will NOT let you act like some protective father figure.  If I want to talk to a guy, I will. Hell, I’ll DANCE with whomever I want, and don’t you dare try to tell me otherwise, or so help me I’ll stake you with a dull pencil.”

Satisfied she had at least partly gotten through to the stubborn vampire, Kat took a step back.  Suddenly Angel’s hand snaked out, clamping down on her wrist and holding the tiny brunette prisoner.  Raising her head, the werecat’s eyes widened in surprise as Angel’s eyes glinted with malicious intent.  Leaning forward so his head was closer to hers, a trace of his Irish accent lacing his already tense and rage-filled voice as he spoke.  “So kitten, you want to dance hmm?” His smile grew colder as he continued, his voice soft, yet menacing.  “If you be wanting someone to brush up against you on the dance floor, I’d be happy to oblige kitten.” His smile widened smugly as he watched her pale slightly, feeling her wrist tremble slightly in his grasp

Frozen in place, Kat stared up at Angel with wide blue eyes, her mouth parted slightly in surprise.  His accent teased her ears, making her tingle from head to toe.  Her mind was a whirlwind of images and emotions evoked by the idea of being that close to the cryptic and now murderous-looking vampire. Only the predatory nature of his smile, and the cold way he looked at her, saved the dark-haired young woman from saying yes.  Taking a deep breath, she drew herself up as much as she could, fixing a cool look of dispassion on her face.

“I don’t think so,” she replied softly, looking Angel in the eye with as much dignity as she could muster.  “I’d rather not dance with someone I can’t trust not to hurt me.”  With as much grace as she could muster, she pulled her wrist out of his hand, only mildly surprised at how easily he let her go.  Turning away, she took a step away, determined not to look at his face, for fear that she would cave and accept his invitation, no matter how cold and empty it had sounded to her ears. Only the reminder of his actions back in the cemetery a few nights ago kept her moving away from him, her lips pressed firmly together in order not to say anything she feared she would regret later.

Angel stared dejectedly after the tiny brunette as she distanced herself from him, his hand still suspended in the air in shock.  Feeling the effects of a mental slap from Kat, the vampire reeled at her chosen words for refusal.  In his mind’s eye, he could see a hint of the fear and vulnerability he had caused the werecat reflected back to him in her green-blue orbs, and it make his undead heart ache with misery.

“I never meant to hurt you kitten,” he whispered sadly, his rage spent in the face of her rejection. Turning his back on the way she had gone, Angel was intent upon giving up for the night, when he made the mistake of glancing over his shoulder at her.  Leaning up against a beam, her eyes closed as she listened to the swell of the music in the Bronze, Kat seemed innocent and vulnerable as she stood a few feet away from him.  A soft, sad smile graced the young woman’s pouty lips, causing the vampire to swallow involuntarily.

Something welled up inside the vampire, compelling him to move in her direction like a moth drawn to a flame.  He was only dimly aware of the music changing, shifting from the throbbing tempo of the Bronze to something softer, more soothing.  The beauty clad in crimson robbed him of any thought but reaching her side.

* * * * * * * * * *

Trying to get her emotions under control, Kat listened to the music change as she leaned up against a beam in the dimly lit club.  Her eyes shutting out the rest of the world, she took a deep breath as the strains of a guitar filled the air, soothing some of the ache she felt in her heart.  Her breath hitched a little as her mind stumbled in its attempts to forget a certain vampire, or his rather confusing effect on her.

Her mind and senses preoccupied, Kat started when she felt her hand being lifted gently, long cool fingers caressing the back as it was pulled away from her body. Her eyes flew open as cool lips brushed against her warm skin, causing her to tremble slightly.  Chocolate eyes, now warm and tender, smiled up at her over the back of her hand.  For a moment she could hardly breathe, as she watched Angel bow over her hand in an old-fashioned manner that left her speechless.  She watched, helpless to act, as the gentle vampire leaned closer, whispering with a trace of his earlier accent in his voice, “Forgive my harsh words lady.”  Straightening, he continued to hold her hand as he tilted his head in the direction of the dance floor.  “Permit me the honor of this dance?”

‘Ohhh, that is not fair,’ Kat’s mind moaned silently.  ‘Handsome men should never be allowed to have such delicious accents.’  Her mind bid a tearful farewell to logic, her heart cautioning the werecat to tread softly, but it was her body that responded, her skin tingling in acceptance.  Not trusting herself to speak, the werecat simply nodded once, fearing the consequences of her decision, but wanting it too much to say no a second time.

Silently Angel moved a step backwards, onto the dance floor.  Her eyes never leaving his, Kat followed, letting the vampire guide her.  Starting slightly as his cool hands trailed up her warm arms, she let him pull her closer as his hands moved over her shoulders, gliding gently down the curvature of her sides and coming to rest lightly on her hips.  Slowly he guided her into the rhythm of the song caressing them both, dimly aware of a woman’s sultry voice as it ebbed out over the dance floor.

I'm telling you it's over
Now there's an angel
Holding me
My way's easy
Even if you're fallen
Oh you're struggling
There's still beauty
In what we do

Closing her eyes, Kat warred internally with her emotions.  She longed to surrender into him, to the security and warm that Angel radiated, but the recent hurt he had caused her, both now and a few days ago, made her tense and uncertain.  Her movements in his arms were bereft their normal grace, her posture somewhat stiff as she danced with the handsome vampire. By the way his hands tightened slightly on her hips, Kat was certain that Angel knew she was a little uncomfortable.

Watching the tense little brunette in his arms, Angel missed the fiery, passionate brunette he had known a few days ago.  He missed the light in her eyes as she kept him on his toes, either with a snappy word or a secretive smile.  The quiet little woman in his arms was not his kitten.  As he pondered how to bring her back out of hiding, the song picked up in tempo, an almost light-heartedness quality that soothed the spirits.  An idea began to form in the vampire’s head.  Lips quirking softly, he raised one hand off Kat’s hips, gliding up to take one of her delicate hands.  As her eyes flew open questioningly, he winked briefly at the confused look on her face.

“Hold on,” he whispered before suddenly, without warning, spinning her away from his body.

‘Oh. My….’ Even Kat’s mind couldn’t force out the words as she suddenly felt herself propelled out into space.  Just when she felt like she would fall on her face, a tug on her arm sent her spinning back into Angel’s arms.  Trying to catch her breath, Kat only had a brief pause before Angel twirled her again, keeping the tiny werecat from thinking too hard as he kept her dancing in and out of his arms to the beat of the song.

I say come back
Come in from the cold
Into the warm
I feel like fire
Guiding you back home
As darkness falls

Finally, out of mercy she thought, Angel finally brought her back into his arms to stay, ending his little demonstration with a tiny dip of the werecat.  For a moment she sputtered, at a loss for words.  However, the twinkle in his chocolate brown eyes, and the warm smile on his face, swept over the helpless brunette.  An almost giddy sensation overcame Kat, and she burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking as she let all the tension ebb out of her body.

Satisfied at hearing the sultry tones of the tiny woman’s laughter, Angel drew her back up slowly, once again guiding her against him in the gentle dance.  This time he felt the change in her demeanor, his undead heart almost leaping for joy at the spark of life he saw returning to her eyes. His smile turned somewhat rueful as his hand reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her eyes. “I’ve missed that laugh kitten,” he spoke softly.  “It’s been rather…empty…being at the mansion all day long.”

Inwardly the vampire cursed his impulsive words, as the light he worked so hard to return to Kat’s eyes dimmed sadly.  Lowering her eyes, Kat didn’t look at Angel as she replied, “You left m..us Angel, not the other way around.” Barely covering up her near mistake, Kat sighed as she felt the hurt she had almost forgotten returning full force.  “Maybe this isn’t such a good ide…” she began, moving to step out of the vampire’s arms. Her heart thundered in her chest, nearly drowning out the words of the song hanging over her head.

And then you find it's over
Still it tears your heart
To slip away
From the crowd

Hand firmly grasping her wrist, Angel tugged the werecat back into his arms, bringing a finger up to her lips to silence any protests.  Still dancing with her slowly to the beat of the song, he remained silent for a few minutes, the expression on his face grave as he struggled to speak.  Unable to break away, Kat swayed in his arms helplessly, waiting for the vampire to say something…anything…that could erase the hurt of the past few days.

“I’m sorry, kitten, for abandoning all of you,” Angel finally whispered, his voice soft but strong as it carried to Kat’s delicate ears.  “I just…I guess I felt you wouldn’t want me around…after…” He hesitated, unable to speak directly of the incident that had led them to this.

For her part, Kat didn’t speak of the horrible night either, her head bowing as she struggled with the painful emotions she was feeling.  Dimly aware they were still dancing, she raised her head finally, her eyes betraying some of her hurt as she looked up at the dark-haired vampire in front of her.  “Why did you come back?” Her voice, soft as Angel’s, was laden with guarded suspicion.

Lips quirking self-mockingly, Angel chuckled sadly.  “Someone came by, beat some sense into me, made me realize just how stupid I was being.”  Seeing the questioning look on Kat’s face, he continued.  “Xander stopped by and gave me a little wake up call.  It wasn’t quite as… demonstrative… as yours was,” that remark earning him a small ghost of a smile, “but it was nevertheless effective.”

So everyone stands in line
Cos they wanna stay alive
To wait alone
No dog no bone

Moving his hands to take her delicate ones, Angel brushed his thumbs over the satiny backs, taking a deep, unneeded breath.  His eyes on her hands instead of her face, Angel whispered just loud enough for her ears alone.  “I wanted to apologize.  For that night.  The things I said…I had no right to say them, or to judge you like that.”  Cautiously his eyes strayed up to her face, gauging her reaction to his words.

Aware that they had sometime, in the middle of their talk, stopped dancing, Kat pondered Angel’s apology silently.  Her heart twisted painfully as it remembered all the hurtful things he had thrown at her that night, the accusations and taunts that had haunted her for the past few days.  Fighting to keep her voice even, the tiny werecat responded huskily, “I’m not the Slayer Angel.”

Angel nodded his understanding.  “No, you’re not, and I realize that.  I can’t defend my choice of words, except to say that I was afraid.  I don’t have many friends, and the last thing I want to do is see them die before my eyes.”  Even as he tried to say these words calmly, the vampire’s undead heart nearly jumped with the mere thought that his kitten, the fiery hellcat, might run out of luck one day and end up at the wrong end of the stake.

But if you have
What it takes
To return to where
All the world
Knows your name

Kat understood what drove the vampire to say this; every time the Scoobies went out on patrol Kat was afraid that one of her new friends would not make it back that night.  It was why she fought, and she suspected why Angel fought as well…to protect their friends at all costs. “I know,” she answered softly, “But Angel, I have to keep fighting.  I can’t just sit on the sidelines, not when I know the dangers out there.”

“I know,” the vampire echoed Kat’s words, sighing softly.  How well he knew her fighting spirit.  His lips curved into another smile, soft though teasing.  “I guess I’ll just have to make sure I’m always around, to make sure you don’t get into too much trouble.”

Smiling in spite of herself, Kat shook her head softly, cocking her head to the side.  “Angel, Angel…are you trying to become my personal knight or something?”

“Or something,” Angel replied before the silence stretched out between them once more.  He continued to rub her hands with his thumbs, more for the feel of her silky, soothing skin than from any conscious effort.  Glancing down at her hands, he took an unneeded breath, asking the question of which he most feared her response.  “Forgive me?” His eyes rose as the words left his lips, fixing on the tiny brunette before him as he waited for her to answer.

“Angel, I don’t think…,” Kat began, only to be interrupted as Angel repeated his solemn request.  Squirming under the intensity of the vampire’s beautiful gaze, Kat pondered his words seriously.  He really means it, she thought.  Forgiveness is everything to him.  But, I guess I can’t be surprised, given his background and all.  Stretching to her toes, Kat reached up with one hand, brushing the strand away.  Trailing down his face, her hand touched his nose in a small tap, her lips curving into a smile as she answered, “Forgiven.”

Angel closed his eyes briefly, relief washing over him in a wave as her forgiveness rang in his ears.  Leaning his head down to touch hers, he opened his eyes to stare into her liquid blue orbs.  “Thank you,” he whispered, his breath warm and ticklish against her lush lips.  They stood still for a moment, neither moving an inch, sharing a moment of warmth and contentment.

So que sera
Let's go sailing on
There's a wise man
In every fool

I say come back
Come in from the cold
Into the warm
I feel like fire
Guiding you back home
As darkness falls

Slowly the knowledge of their proximity stole over both Kat and Angel, igniting the air with confused tension.  Angel’s smile slipped a notch, his eyes clouding over with a serious emotion Kat couldn’t place.  Her heart began to pound as his head began to tilt slightly, his lips dangerously close to her own.

Oh God oh God oh God, Kat’s mind babbled in Willow-like behavior, her eyes widening as she realized what he was about to do.  Her pulse began to race, the blood roaring in her ears drowning out all other sounds in the Bronze.  Fear and uncertainty welling up inside of her, she backed up suddenly, pulling her hands away from Angel before he could tighten his grip on them.  “I’m so..I’m sorry,” she stammered, her knees wobbling and making it difficult for the werecat to make an elegant exit as she continued to back away from the confused vampire.  “I’ve got to go.  Thanks for the dance.”  Whirling around, Kat rushed off into the throng of people, eager to put as much distance between herself and the vampire who confused all of her senses.

“Kat!” Angel called out, but it was too late as he watched, bewildered, as the kitten made a hasty retreat.  His arm, which had been raised to call her back, fell listlessly to his side as he watched her dainty backside run away from him.  Stuffing both hands into his pockets, he contemplated what he had been about to do before she had spooked.  He wasn’t sure what has possessed him to try and kiss her…all he had been able to think about was how soft and velvety her lips looked, and he had wondered how they might taste.

Raising his head, Angel once again looked in the direction Kat had run, but the kitten had already left the Bronze.  His undead heart heavy with emotion, the vampire turned on his heel, exiting in the opposite direction.  So lost in his own thoughts and feelings was the dark-haired undead man that he didn’t hear the last strain of the song as he melded into the darkness surrounding him.

I say come home
Leave it all behind
And settle down
I feel my love
Can give me what I want
For all time

For all time

I feel like fire.

Sunday afternoon rolled around, the veneer of peace and tranquility that draped over Sunnydale doing little to conceal the tension that filled the air at the high school.  From within the usually somber halls came a fierce battle cry, punctuated by muffled sounds of scuffling that issued from behind the closed doors of the library. Anger and frustration infusing her voice with power, Kat drove her arm forward, attacking the punching bag before her as if it were the Devil himself.  Gritting her teeth, the tiny woman spun on her feet, bringing her right leg up into a crisp roundhouse.  The chain attached to the punching bag groaned and swayed under the impact, threatening to send the battered canvas flying and alerting Kat to her excessive use of force.

Standing next to the lumpy punching bag, Kat clenched her fists tightly to her sides, inwardly struggling to get her volatile emotions under control.  A wealth of emotions warred in the depths of her red tinged eyes, of late a more bluish hue than normal for the hazel-eyed werecat.  Breathing deeply, the tiny woman trembled as frustration, confusion…and some other emotion she couldn’t identify washed over her in volatile waves.  All thanks to a certain vampire with soulful brown eyes, that seemed to strip the guarded young woman of her defenses and leave her reeling.

Snorting with disdain, the tiny brunette cursed her wayward thoughts.  ‘Get a grip Kat,’ she admonished herself mentally, rolling her shoulders to relieve some of the tension that had become permanently lodged there lately.  ‘You’ve worked hard to keep in control…to keep your emotions from running wild so you could stay in control of the panther.’  Her eyes narrowed darkly. ‘You can’t let some vampire ruin it all…even if he does have such sad, handsome eyes.  Or a delicious accent.  Or a handsome…’

Snarling at the sensuous turn of her thoughts, Kat turned and stalked away from the punching bag, her face burning in indignation and embarrassment.  “Music,” the dark-haired werecat muttered, hunting down the C.D. player the girls had left behind during their little ‘dance’ for the other Scoobies, “Loud music. That’s what I need.”  She tried hard not to think about Angel, or the way he looked at her…like he was asking something of her that she didn’t think even Angel knew he was asking.  Certainly she didn’t.  Nothing seem real to the tiny brunette anymore, nothing made sense.

Willow seemed to know all the answers, though Kat doubted she would get any answers out of her best friend in that department.  After following her friend home after that…dance…with Angel, the delicate hacker had lain on Kat’s bed, head propped up on her hands as she watched her best friend pace the confines of the tiny bedroom, all the while ranting about stupid vampires and their powers of manipulation.  After watching the fiery brunette wear a hole in the carpet for nearly an hour, Willow had grinned suddenly, causing Kat to peer at her suspiciously.

“You know something I don’t?” the werecat had inquired, her eyes narrowing harshly at the tiny hacker, who dismissed her friend’s grumpiness with a wave of her hand.  Continuing to grin, the petite redhead had risen off the bed, trying not to laugh at the frustrated look of wariness in Kat’s eyes.  Moving closer to her friend, Willow patted the other woman’s shoulder, her green eyes sparkling with merriment as she replied.

“Of course I know,” Willow piped up, grinning wider at the low rumble issuing from Kat’s throat.  Not phased by the implied threat to her being if she didn’t elaborate, the redhead continued, “And if you would just listen to yourself for a moment, you would realize it as well…”

‘What the hell did she mean, listen to myself?’  Kat continued to run her confused feelings regarding Angel through her mind, searching for the answer she couldn’t quite put her finger on.  Images of the vampire flashed behind her eyes: Touching her scar in a gentle caress, the look of concern that she had seen in his eyes as he was yelling at her for her foolish attempt to protect Willow, the way he had held her close during their dance last night, the flash of something in his eyes as his lips descended towards hers.  The answer was just beyond her reach, taunting her as she struggled to understand her burgeoning feelings.

Hell with this, Kat snarled mentally, shaking her head to clear the cobwebs inside her mind.  Thoroughly disgusted with her inability to focus for more than a few seconds on something other than that annoying vampire, Kat reached for the CD case beside the player near the base of the stairs.  Flipping through the C.D.s, the werewoman’s stormy eyes scanned the titles of numerous artists, shaking her head as each was dismissed.

There has to be SOMETHING…where is that one that Willow…AHA!  Kat’s eyes gleamed as she reached the last CD in the case.  Carefully, almost reverently, she took the CD out, replacing the Willa Ford with another, more recent purchase by the eclectic redhead that was her best friend.  Almost eagerly the brunette turned the CD player on and hit play, a grin on her face as she bounded back over to the punching bag.  As the strains of a haunting piano ballad began to filter through the still library air, a shiver of delight crept up Kat’s spine.

Willow’s right…this Evanescence group is really good…Those were the last thoughts in Kat’s mind as she launched into a flurry of kicks, punches, and blocks, unaware that her music filtered out of the library and into the ears of someone who was heading in that direction.

* * * * * * * * * *

Walking towards the library, Angel was lost in thought, his mind still processing the events of the previous night.  He hadn’t been able to relax since that dance with a certain spellbinding werecat, since he had almost tasted her sweet lips.  All morning he had been plagued by visions of her, finally compelling the edgy vampire into abandoning the cause of sleep and make his way to the library, hoping somebody would be there to take his mind off of things.

‘Hell, at this point Xander’s company would be welcome,’ Angel thought wryly, refusing to acknowledge that the real reason he was heading to the library was because a small part of him hoped that SHE would be there.  He didn’t want to think about the effect such a tiny woman was having on him…every time he was around her, he felt all his control, all his defenses, strip away.  Not even Willow could manipulate him so easily; one look from those confused, colorful eyes made Angel’s undead heart swell with an intense, almost unidentifiable emotion.

‘How can one tiny woman make me feel so…alive?’ Angel shook himself out of his stupor, trying to turn his thoughts down a less confusing track.  Suddenly he raised his head, his vampiric hearing picking up something soft filtering out from the library.  As he approached the haunting strains of a piano jarred him out of his musings.  Curious, the vampire approached the entrance to the library, seeking the source of that chilling music.

How can you see into my eyes like open doors
leading you down into my core
where I’ve become so numb
without a soul my spirit’s sleeping somewhere cold
until you find it there and lead it back home

As he rounded a bookcase, Angel froze in surprise at the scene before him.   Brown eyes widened in surprise, watching as Kat exploded into a whirlwind of motions, attacking the punching bag before her as if to drive the devil from its battered carcass.  Her delicate face was set, her brow furrowed in concentration as she spun on her heel, bringing her leg around in a hard roundhouse and sending the punching bag swinging on its chain.

(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(I can’t wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
call my name and save me from the dark

Resuming her unrelenting assault, the werecat seemed oblivious to the vampire’s presence…for which Angel was immensely grateful.  Not quite ready for a confrontation with the guarded young woman about last night’s dance, the tall vampire was content to lean back against a bookcase, folding his arms and watching in admiration as the dark-haired beauty before him moved with the grace of her were self.  Her wavy brown hair, caught up in a ponytail, flew behind the tiny woman like a banner as she attacked the punching bag with a vicious intensity.  The vampire’s eyes drifted down her body, taking in the tight black tee and shorts that made up Kat’s exercise outfit.  While giving the tiny young woman enough room to maneuver, the outfit did little to hide her body from Angel, who watched spellbound as Kat’s stomach muscles arched and stretched with each movement she made.  Swallowing with some difficulty, the vampire shifted uncomfortably as he continued to spy on the kitten’s practice, thankful that she was oblivious to his presence.

(Wake me up)
bid my blood to run
(I can’t wake up)
before I come undone
(Save me)
save me from the nothing I’ve become

His reprieve was short-lived, however, as Kat became increasingly aware that she wasn’t alone.  Flustered, she twisted awkwardly, missing the punching bag and getting hit in the shoulder as a result. Hissing in annoyance, the tiny young woman rubbed her shoulder a couple of times, a grimace spreading over her delicate features.  Suddenly her music cut out, forcing Kat’s head to snap in the direction of the bookcases.  Already pale skin hid the blood that drained from her face as her eyes locked onto Angel’s.

* * * * * * * * * *

For moments neither of them spoke, both werecat and vampire staring at each other uncomfortably.  Finally, unable to stand the uneasy silence, Kat averted her eyes, glancing around the library as her mind fought for something to say.  Still rubbing her shoulder, she took a deep breath before glancing back in Angel’s direction briefly.  “What are you doing here?”

Rising up from the crouching position he had been in, his hand leaving the C.D. player he had paused, Angel pondered her question briefly. Unable to tell her the real reason he was there…that he was half hoping to run into her, or someone who would take his mind off the werecat, the vampire shrugged noncommittally.  A sly grin spread over his lips, the words coming out before he could stop them.  “Came for a good workout.”  His eyes lighting on her hand, which was still over her sore shoulder, his grin widened innocently.  “You here to work on your dodging?”

Kat’s eyes narrowed, her lips pursing into a disapproving scowl.  “You distracted me.”  Her excuse sounded lame, even to her ears, but the petite brunette was still disconcerted that she had been so preoccupied she hadn’t felt him come into the library.

His earlier unease over this feisty woman somewhat abated, Angel silently thanks whatever higher powers might be listening that the topic of the Bronze, and their near kiss, was buried underneath a banter that was more typical for the vampire and werecat. Regretfully keeping his eyes from roving over her body once more, Angel continued to grin at Kat’s obvious discomfort.  His eyes flicked over to the lumpy punching bag, which had come to a shuddering halt beside her.  Fighting the urge to laugh at its pathetic state, Angel amused gaze returned to its earlier target.  “Why don’t you leave that poor thing alone for awhile?” His lips twitched in humor, a fact that caused Kat’s scowl to deepen slightly.  That didn’t stop Angel from continuing to needle the werecat however.  “I think I just heard it whimper.”

‘Arrogant vampire,’ Kat’s mind snarled, her blue-green eyes ablaze as Angel continued to mock the tiny young woman.  ‘If he thinks he can just insult me and get away with it…’ Already thinking of ‘payback,’ Kat glanced over at the punching bag, her mind searching for the perfect comeback.  As an evil thought occurred to the tiny woman, she snuck a quick peek at Angel’s attire from beneath silky bangs.  Spying the strap of a black tee under the collar of the vampire’s shirt…and noting that his pants provided some degree of mobility, her lips curled into a sly little smile. Dropping her hand from her shoulder, she folded her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow at the now silent vampire.  “Care to take its place?”

Nearly choking on his surprise, Angel regarded the petite brunette before him, the change from vulnerable to confident catching the 200-year-old vampire off guard.  Still, the thought of being closer to the werecat was appealing…even if it would be at the end of her lightning-fast punches and kicks.

“Oh, I don’t know,” he drawled out slowly, “I was sort of thinking of avenging the poor thing for your vicious assault.”

Kat snorted indelicately, her lips still twisted into a vicious smile.  “Oooh…a two hundred year old man is going to teach me to behave myself.”  Her smile slipping a notch as the vampire began to pull his shirt off, revealing his muscular chest as it flexed under one of his favorite tanks.  Swallowing past the lump that now caught in her throat, she continued to taunt the handsome, dark-haired man.  “Think you could keep up?”

“I’ll do my best,” Her cocky attitude making Angel grin in anticipation, he leaned down and hit the Play button on the C.D. Player. Without giving her time to react, Angel vaulted over the staircase to land in front of the surprised young woman.  As the song began to blast once more from the speakers, he quickly launched into an assault on the tiny brunette standing before him.

* * * * * * * * * *

‘Oh shit!’ Kat’s last coherent thought cursed her wayward tongue as Angel’s fist came flying at her from the side.  Relying on her instincts, the young woman ducked and twisted, spinning out of reach just as his hand flew over her head.  He didn’t let her catch her breath, instead immediately hounding her with a roundhouse kick and another sweep of the arm.  For the moment all Kat could do was keep on the defensive, twisting away when she got the chance and blocking with her arms when she couldn’t.

now that I know what I’m without
you can't just leave me
breathe into me and make me real
bring me to life

‘He’s good, I’ll have to give him that,’ Kat’s mind briefly acknowledged as she tried to come up with a way of turning the tables on the vampire, who was currently keeping the young woman from launching an offense of her own.  Spying a lump of red out of the corner of her eye, Kat suddenly got an idea.  Spinning to the right, she moved Angel closer to her target… ‘Closer…just a little more…gotcha!’

Dodging behind the punching bag, Kat suddenly kicked out, sending the poor abused canvas hurtling into Angel and catching him momentarily by surprise.  Grinning victoriously, the tiny brunette then blurred into motion, rotating down to the ground, her leg darting out from underneath the punching bag and sweeping Angel off his feet.  As the vampire fell on his back she darted around the beaten-up bag, her foot raising into the air and then crashing down towards his abdomen.  At the last moment Angel rolled into Kat, causing her to fall forward.  Curling into herself, the brunette turned her fall into a somersault, coming up on her feet as Angel got to his.

(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(I can’t wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
call my name and save me from the dark

Grinning, Angel shook his head.  “Nice move kitten,” referring to her tactic with the punching bag.  Kat’s lips quirked upward briefly as she bent her legs, crouching into a fighting stance.

“Thanks,” she replied, her fists coming up in front of her.  One eyebrow arched questioningly, a challenge in her stormy eyes.  “Ready?”

His own lips twitching at her cocky attitude, the vampire began to move again, stepping forward to launch another roundhouse at the kitten’s head.  As the music swelled in intensity she blocked it with her arms crossed, kicking forward to drive him back before twisting forward, her arm snaking out from her body to come at him from the side.

frozen inside without your touch
without your love darling
only you are the life
among the dead

A grunt of pain escaped Angel’s lips as her foot connected with his stomach, forcing him back a step.  His eyes catching her arm movement, he managed to halt her progress by grabbing her wrist firmly, pushing it and her away and giving him enough time to regroup.  Swiftly he darted in, throwing a flurry of punches at the kitten designed to keep her off balance, but not to seriously injure the delicate beauty.

Back and forth the two fought, blocking and dodging punches and kicks when they could, a grunt or hiss escaping their lips when one or two managed to connect.  With his larger frame, Angel had the advantage of reach, using his arms to keep the tiny woman’s attacks away from the main of his body, while his legs swung out at the werepanther, grazing her side or keeping her at bay.

Kat, borrowing from her feline nature however, was faster and more lithe than the hulking vampire, able to spin out of reach and dart back in for a punch or two before darting back to safety.  More than once she would use her favorite one-two combo, her fist or arm coming out from the side to keep her opponent off-guard, then switching to the other arm, or in some cases her leg, in order to connect when they tried to dodge.

all this time I can't believe I couldn't see
kept in the dark but you were there in front of me
I’ve been sleeping a thousand years it seems
got to open my eyes to everything

But for all her fancy moves or his forceful assaults, the two were somewhat evenly matched.  As the intensity and speed of their attacks picked up, an undercurrent of competitive tension began to rise as well.  Below the surface of their friendly sparring session, their inner demons stirred at the electrifying taste of battle.  Vampiric demon and panther began to lurk just in the back of Angel and Kat’s minds, each thirsty for the blood of their enemy.

without a thought without a voice without a soul
don't let me die here
there must be something more
bring me to life

As each battled for control over their other selves, both Kat and Angel’s ability to control their little match because to slip.  Imperceptible at first, gradually the tenuous hold they had over their assaults began to wane, causing well-placed punches and kicks to become a little more erratic.  Thus it was that Kat found herself unable to dodge as Angel’s foot came at her from the side, catching her on her mouth and causing her lip to split.  A few drops of blood fell to the ground as she spun wildly away, her mind exploding with pain and releasing her hold on the panther inside of her.  Reacting on feline instinct, the tiny brunette continued her wild spin, coming back around with a snarl.  Her eyes a violent mix of blue and red, the werepanther moved with borrowed speed from her darker side, her fist swinging a deadly arc toward Angel’s unprotected face.

At the realization he had connecting unintentionally with his kick, Angel had paused in his assault.  Just as his nose picked up the scent of blood, Angel’s eyes barely caught Kat as she swung around aggressively, her fist catching with his face before he could react.  Pain enveloped his mind, the scent of her blood mixing with his own as it trickled down his nose.  Howling with rage the demon surged to the forefront of his personality, taking over Angel’s actions before he could regain control.

His face contorting into a vampiric mask, Angel snarled and snaked forward, grabbing Kat by her arms and hauling the tiny woman off her feet.  Viciously he threw her against the nearest wall, his eyes an amber glow as she crumbled into a crouch at his feet.  As she hissed back at him the vampire growled, picking her up again just as she reached up to punch his face again.  As more blood trickled into his mouth the vampire reacted, the smell of his blood and hers sending him over the edge.  Slamming her back up against the wall, the vampire swooped down toward his prey with sadistic glee, capturing her bleeding lower lip between his own and sucking on it hungrily.

Fire. It burned in the borrowed blood that entered Angel's mouth, searing through his veins and consuming the vampire in its flames.  And still he continued to ravage the lower lip of his companion, to sample the full-bodied flavor of her blood.  Finally the dark-haired vampire managed to tear himself away from her bleeding lip with a rumbling in his chest, nuzzling his way down to the crook of her neck, to the pale scar that marred her delicate flesh.

His demon howled for her blood.for more of a taste of that liquid fire that this delicate creature possessed in her veins.  It urged him to sink his fangs into that pale, delectable skin and savor the taste of blood as it pumped directly into his eager lips.  Only the distant knowledge of Kat's fear, of the slight tremor that echoed through her stiff posture, pulled Angel back from the brink of darkness.  Reeling in his demon as much as possible, Angel pulled away slightly, dragging his fangs away from the pale crook of the werecat's neck and the temptation that lay within.

Despite not having to breathe, Angel sucked in quick, ragged breaths, his eyes shut tight as he fought to gain control over his rampaging emotions.as well as his demon, which raged at being held back.    Feeling Kat's continued rigid behavior in his arms, Angel dared to open his eyes.and froze as twin pools of liquid blue stared back at him.  For a moment time stood still as he gazed into the depths of her eyes, as if he could see into the core of her being for one brief instant.and she into him.  Then Kat sucked her lower lip into her mouth, and all of his hard earned control was undone.  Growling low in his throat, Angel moved forward, once more fusing his lips to her pouty ones.

The dark-haired vampire could sense her hesitation, her fear as she refused to yield to him.  His fangs brushing against the velvety texture of her lips, Angel ground out something in Irish, his accent heavy as he sought to taste the depths of this tiny creature's mouth.  Suddenly Kat seemed to melt in his embrace, her lips parting and granting the vampire what he sought.  Throwing caution to the wind, he plunged on, possessing the diminutive werecat as he surrendered himself over to the flames.

* * * * * * * * * *

Drowning.  That's how Kat felt as Angel's lips captured hers once more.like she was drowning and she needed him to breathe.  At first when he had attacked her lower lip she had froze, unsure how to respond.  One moment they were throwing punches, the next Angel had her up against the wall and was sucking the blood from her cut lip.  Then he had nuzzled her scar, and the tiny woman had bitten back a scream as memories of the night she had received it flooded her senses.  Fear and desire made her body tremble; fear of the past, desire of the present.  Only the removal of his fangs from her neck had helped Kat to retain any shred of sanity.for she feared another moment and she would have either killed him for being a vampire, or welcomed his deadly embrace because he was Angel.

Hearing Angel's ragged breathing, and feeling the tension radiating from his body, Kat had opened her eyes, and what she saw had made her freeze anew.  Twins orbs of golden fire stared back at her, the predatorial look of desire blazing into her soul and searing her from within.  Hunger also lurked in the depths, igniting into an inferno as it locked onto her bleeding lower lip, which she had sucked into her mouth without thinking.  Then his lips were once more fused with hers, all before she could even blink or utter a protest.

Kat longed to give him, to melt into the liquid abyss he offered, but a part of her still held back.the part that was terrified of what he made her feel, the scar, everything.  Fear kept her still, unsure what to do as the handsome vampire who had her pinned continued to molest her lips under his.  Her ears picked up Angel's growl, his Irish accent thick as he managed to ground out through clenched teeth: "Open for me, A Ghrá mo Chroí." In that instant, something inside of Kat became to unwind. Head swimming in confusion and desire, the tiny woman closed her eyes and returned the dark-haired vampire's bruising kiss.  Passion for passion she matched him, her fear drowning under the weight of the emotions she was releasing into their fused lips.

Neither one noticed the presence of another until it was too late.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Angel was the first one to sense they were no longer alone, as his vampiric nature stirred uneasily with the knowledge of danger lurking nearby.  Fighting the desire to lose himself in the siren he held in his arms, Angel clawed his way back to the brink of sanity at the behest of his inner demon's agitations.  Before he could puzzle out the familiar sensation of unease, however, a small thud and a soft gasp had his complete attention.  Snarling, the vampire swiveled his head about, fangs glistening as his lip curled in warning.only to still in shock upon seeing someone standing beside the doors to the library.  Dread began to mingle with horror as features that were once familiar came into focus in his mind's eye: Sun-kissed hair framing a heart-shaped, angelic face, eyes the color of a cloudless sky.  Eyes that at the moment were filling with unshed tears, causing a knife to twist in his undead heart.

"Oh god," Angel thought, "Please let this be a hallucination. A dream."  But deep down the dark-haired man knew this was no dream, it was a nightmare.  His mouth opened, but no sound came out, his throat refusing to give voice to his thoughts and make them a reality.  Finally, choking as if it gave him great pain to speak, the vampire managed to croak out a single word.  "Buffy."

Still pinned to the wall by Angel's vise-like grasp, Kat flinched visibly as Angel spoke, her eyes darting to the young woman near the doors.  Watching as the other girl paled, then started to shake, Kat tried to swallow past the lump in her throat, her heart skipping a beat.  Before she had time to react, the other woman turned and fled through the library doors.causing Angel to drop the werecat as though he were scalded.  She dropped to her hands and knees, only dimly aware of Angel calling after the Slayer before abandoning her in pursuit of the blonde.leaving Kat alone with her rapidly bleak thoughts.

* * * * * * * * * * *

For what seemed like an eternity the dark-haired young woman continued to kneel on the floor, her heartbeat pounding in her ears, drowning out all other coherent thought.  Her eyes clenched shut, Kat sucked her lower lip into her mouth, trembling with the effort to compose her raging emotions.  The taste of blood.her blood.caused her eyes to fly open, her sanity to return with crashing force.

"This is it," Kat thought with a sudden clarity, "This is what Willow meant. This feeling, these emotions.I finally understand."  A bitter laugh spilled from her swollen lips before she choked it back, her already shaken body racked with tremors as she struggled to rise.   Wrapping her arms protectively around her slender frame, the werecat leaned back against the wall, bowing her head and shaking with silent, hysterical laughter. It was only when she tasted the salty wetness of tears.actual tears trickling down her cheeks, that the tiny brunette was forced to admit the truth to herself.

"I'm in love," Kat whispered, fearing to hear the words echo through the tomb-like silence of the library.  "I'm in love with a vampire.and he's in love with the Slayer."  Recalling the abrupt way Angel had exited, the werecat's eyes held a trace of fear..fear that he would return once he couldn't find the Slayer.  It was still daylight outside, and if she had run straight out of the school.

Suddenly wanting to be anywhere but there, Kat pushed herself away from the wall.  Her mind searched frantically for a way out, before a certain vampire could return to discuss their.situation. "I can't go through those doors," she noted without really thinking about it. "He's bound to come back that way. But that only leaves a window or." Her desire to escape twin pools of brown fire, as well as the feelings those orbs invoked in her, Kat raced to the other side of the library, heading for Angel's little entrance/exit into the school.  Better to lose herself in the underground passageways than to lose herself to another touch, another kiss, from the dark-haired vampire who managed to completely shatter her walls of self-control.

As she exited the library via Angel's tunnel, Kat forced thoughts of him from her mind, instead trying to focus on the sudden appearance of the Slayer, Buffy.  She had a feeling that whatever reason the blonde decided to come back, it would mean bad news for the Scooby Gang. At that last thought Kat cursed darkly under her breath.

"Damn! Wills is so going to kill me."

* * * * * * * * * * *

Angel snarled and slammed his fist into the wall, staring at the spot where Kat had been when he raced after Buffy.  Inwardly he seethed, rage and guilt churning in his blood as he glared down at the floor, as if he could will her back.  His demonic features had not smoothed away, frustration at losing not only the werecat, but Buffy as well causing his inner demon to darken the vampire's already foul mood.

"Dammit, I knew I should have stayed."  But even as Angel thought the words he knew he couldn't have done so.  Not only was the shock of seeing Buffy, alive and whole, enough to knock him off balance, but the hunger the vampire had felt for Kat.for her blood.had frightened him.  Even now he could recall the way her blood tasted, like fire and red-wine, aged to perfection.  It made his demon ache for more, to sink his fangs into her soft, delicate skin and draw deeply into his mouth until she had given everything to him.  He had run, not only to stop Buffy from leaving, but also to get as far away from Kat as he could.before he did something dangerous.

And now both of them were gone, out in the sunlight were he couldn't follow.  His senses told him the werecat had fled through the tunnels, but Angel knew the first chance she got Kat would be in direct sunlight, escaping him even as he had fled from her.  Fists clenched at his sides, Angel fought to control the desire to seek her out. To apologize.and perhaps taste some more of her lips, her blood.

Growling deep in his throat, Angel stormed over to the C.D. player, which had stopped some time during his fight with Kat.  Picking up his shirt, the vampire headed out the same tunnels Kat had fled down earlier, his thoughts turning from the puzzle that was the brunette and focusing instead on the other source of his agitation.  Buffy.  Seeing her at the library doors, all pale and vulnerable-looking, had caused old feelings and old wounds to reopen.  He wasn't sure what this meant, her arrival back into Sunnydale, but one thing was for certain.  Hell suddenly seemed so much more pleasant.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Pain, betrayal.the feelings coursed through her as she stumbled down the streets of Sunnydale.  Over and over the horrible scene she had witnessed play across her mind's eye, refusing to grant her a moment's peace.  It was just like in her dream, only more terrible because she had seen it firsthand.

Bumping into someone without looking, the young woman muttered a hasty apology under her breath.  Raising her head, her arms wrapped around her body as if to drive away the cold, she looked around desperately.  She needed to think, to go somewhere safe; a place he couldn't go.  The answer came to her almost instantly, causing her thin lips to curve upward in a slight smile.  Of course! Her best friend.she would listen, would know what to do.

"After all," the tiny blond though to herself as she turned and headed down another street, her stride purposeful, "Willow would want to know.need to know.that Angelus is back."  Brushing away the images she had just witnessed, and the betrayal she had felt, Buffy headed for the one place she thought she would be safe.  However, one detail continued to tease the edges of her awareness, causing her smile to slip into a frown. "I wonder who that other woman was."

* * * * * * * * * * *

Humming to herself, Willow leaned against the counter, foot tapping lightly as she bit into her sandwich.  As she chewed, the redhead thought back to the previous night's antics and smiled wickedly.  Kat definitely had a thing for Angel.it was obvious by the way the werecat had become agitated over such a simple thing as a dance with the handsome vampire.

"Although that wasn't just any dance," Willow admitted to herself, sighing at the romantic picture the two had made.  Angel, dressed to make a girl swoon in that yummy top Cordy had bought him, his arms wrapped around her tiny friend, who looked gorgeous in the cheerleader's snappy red dress.  Even Xander had to admit there was something between the two, something neither of them was aware of.

As she finished her sandwich, Willow pondered her words to her troubled friend in her room last night.  Kat would not admit to herself that she had feelings for Angel.and Willow was pretty sure Angel was the same way.  Now, the question was, how was she going to make them both see reason?  After their dance, they were going to be more uncomfortable than ever around each other.  She'd have to come up with some kind of scheme to get them to loosen up a little.

Smiling at the changes that had come over her since Kat had entered their lives, Willow bounced out of the kitchen, her head filled with all sorts of crazy ideas.  Only the sound of her doorbell managed to jerk the redhead out of her mischievous mind and back into reality.  Thinking it might be her friend, the petite hacker ran over to the door, throwing it open with a big smile. "You're early, the meeting isn't.." Eyes widening, Willow froze, her words trailing off as the cold hand of dread clutched her throat.  Blinking, she just stared at the figure standing on her doorstep. Finally, when she managed to find her voice, the redhead managed to croak out, "B.Bbuffy?"

"Hey Wills," the Slayer smiled a little at seeing her best friend alive and well.  Her smile faltering, the tiny blonde stepped into the house, her arms going around her shocked friend, oblivious to the frozen nature of the hacker.  "Oh Wills, it's so good to see you! I need your help."

next | back