Title: Come To Play
Author: Starla
Email: starla@buffymail.com
Disclaimer: These Characters belong to Joss Whedon, except Gorlock, Alana, Adrian Townsend, and anyone else you don't recognize.
Distribution: Take it, but let me know. If you have any of my other fics, go ahead.
Author's Notes: It *will* be B/A I promise. I realise this part is a little depressing. Sorry. Season 4 did happen, Fish Boy did date Buffy, Angel went to LA, etc.
Spoilers: I dunno. Anything is possible, be warned.
Summary: 150 years after the Scooby Gang die, they return to Earth to help out the current Slayer and her Slayerettes.

Part 10


Buffy watched from the doorway as Angel practiced Tai-Chi, the muscles in his back rippling in time with his movements. He raised his hands, slowly moving them outward, his great concentration rendering him oblivious to her watchful gaze.

She closed her eyes, silently remembering him teaching her, not long after he returned from hell. He had covered her hands with his own, his arms around her smaller body, guiding her movements.

They had almost kissed that time.

Almost lost control.

Buffy had hated that they needed control.

She found it unfair that two people, so utterly in love, couldn't share a simple kiss, but someone could pick someone up in a bar and sleep with them so easily, with so little consequences.

They had been punished for feeling so deeply.

Where was the justice in that?

Buffy almost laughed at herself, then.

There was no real justice in their world.

Where was the justice when an Eight Year Old boy went hungry because his mother lost all their money gambling? Where was the justice when a beautiful young woman was hired for her looks, rather than her ability? Where was the justice when a innocent soul was punished for the wrongs of the demon which killed him?

In Buffy's eyes, justice no longer existed.

Adrian jumped as he heard Alana's voice ring out through the library, his movement sending papers flying onto the floor.

"You startled me." He said, raising a hand to his chest, feeling the rapid heartbeat.

She gave him an apologetic smile.

"I was going through Giles' Watcher's Diaries." He told her, placing it down. "Interesting reading."

"How so?" She asked lightly, perching on the admissions counter.

"Well, they've shed some light on the characters of our preternatural friends, for one thing."

"Angel and Spike?" Kressa asked, leaning her chin on her hand.

Adrian gave an absentminded nod. "It seems Spike was quite the villain until...1999. He was captured by a highly secretive operation called the Initiative after that, and can't hurt anyone anymore. They never found out exactly why."

"We know all that." Lee said, rolling his eyes. "We want some *real* dirt."

"Real Dirt???" Adrian asked, glancing down at the book. There were a fair few little fact in these books about Angel and Buffy that he was sure Alana *never* wanted to know.

Like the fact that Angel and Buffy had made a habit of sharing dreams...

Like the fact that Buffy had forced Angel to feed from her when Faith had attempted to poison him...

Like the fact that Angel had given up his humanity for her.

Alana had been stunned enough by the story that Angel had told them the night before....

Had it only been a night??? To Adrian it felt like much, much, more.

He had spent all his time since 'The Scooby Gang' had shown up researching them, and he had to admit, found what he read largely impressive.

Now, almost twenty four hours later, he was still on a slight 'watchers-high' from the rush of information he had absorbed. He was itching to speak to them about the afterlife, and the ghost roads that Buffy had briefly mentioned.

"Yeah. Come on, Dish." Kelly leaned forward.

He sighed and turned away from them, hiding his eyes from Alana. "The Watcher's Diaries are an important source of knowledge. They are not here for your amusement.

He felt Alana's hand on his arm, and slowly lifted his eyes to hers.

"It talks about them, doesn't it?" She asked quietly, referring to Buffy and Angel.

He bit his lip and nodded.

"That bad, huh?" Kressa winced.

Adrian dropped his eyes to the floor. "If she wants him back...."

Alana smiled sadly, accepting the truth she had known since the moment that Buffy spoke.

"I'm pretty much out of the picture."




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