Beauty And Horror [2/?]

There was an air of expectancy in the air as Angel stood, as he waited for
the visitor to be shown in. Since Spike had taken up as Sunnydale's resident
master before leaving Angel in charge as he wandered off for months at a
time after a tip-off or just a need to search for Willow, Angel had been
sometimes uncomfortably or sometimes even comfortably fitting in to the
role.

Now it was like a second skin. One that if it went away would be missed
terribly.

"Master," the minion reappeared with someone by his side.

"You can go now, i'll call if you're needed." Angel replied.

"Yes, master."

The room went in to silence and Angel turning questioning eyes towards the
woman.

"Hi... i'm Rose." The girl began. "...The new Slayer."

++++++++++++++++++++

*I knew this was a bad idea.* The voice in Rose's head muttered as she
watched the vampires. *I mean, I thought it was bad enough when I agreed to
listen to that mental woman going on about me being the Slayer. Well, that
kinda was true but hey, there's then some big important thing going on in
which I have to travel to this little town when i'm abandoned and told I
have some sort of appointment with a council member that, for obvious
reasons, appears to be a vampire.* The voice in her mind paused and she
continued on. *And to top it all off no one seems to actually have the other
half of the appointment.What have I gotten in to?*

"The new Slayer?" Giles echoed. "What a surprise. We weren't expecting you
for another day... Please, take a seat."

Rose anxiously perched down on to the nearest sofa and turned her eyes on
Giles.

"I'm sorry, is it a bad time?" She asked, looking for all the world like she
was about to flee. "Because if it is I can go and... come back another day
or whatever's best."

"Stay, please," Angel said sitting opposite from the new Slayer.

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence before Giles decided to speak
up.

"We were under the impression that you would be, well... escorted by a
council member."

"Oh, my Watcher couldn't make it so I was brought down by another council
member. It's a mess up in LA with the Hellmouth in Liverpool. So they got
hold of the first person they could and threw us in to a car." Rose paused
as their expectant eyes burned in to her. "She. The council member, should
be here soon. She had some stuff to do and said you were expecting me, so I
should come straight to you."

"Well that's OK," Angel said.

"Gee you're all formality aren't you," Spike drawled. "What's the story?
Who's the bitch who brought you down here?"

Angel growled under his breath.

"What?" Spike asked innocently. "I was beginning to think we were playing
charades or some bloody awful game like that."

"I brought her down." A voice said, joining the fray.

"Willow." Giles said dumbfoundedly.

"We should get down to business," Willow informed them as she moved further
in to the room, shoulder-length red hair pulled clumsily away from her face,
revealing green eyes that swept over the group.

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