Fic - Collateral Damage chapter 4-6
Title - Collateral Damage
Author Cornerofmadness
Disclaimer - Joss Whedon owns all
Time line- This is set BtVS S2 Between Lie to Me and What's My Line
Rating- FRM for violence
Pairing - B/A
Summary- Children are being murdered in Sunnydale and Buffy thinks Angel knows who's behind it
Author's Note #1- This was written for the Buffy ficathon. Requests: Would love to see a pre-season 3 BtVS with Dawn involved. Restrictions: No Angelus. Written for evil_little_dog
Author's Note#2- This story contains dark subjects and graphic crime scene descriptions. Thanks to Leni_ba for editing this thing. I appreciate it!
Chapter Four
"Giles, is this necessary?" Buffy moaned.
"No, Buffy, I put off going to the traveling art exhibit at the Museum of Natural History in Los Angels with Jenny to spend a sweltering evening roaming Sunnydale just because it's not necessary." Giles glared at her as he cleaned his glasses.
She rolled her eyes. "No need to get snarky."
"There was no need the first twelve times you asked," he said.
"It's just that I feel bad you had to miss a date with Jenny for a training session." Buffy honestly felt badly about that. As much as she didn't want to think about adult smoochies, she liked that Giles had someone to care about. Being lonely was a terrible thing.
"Buffy, you still have this inability to sense vampires. That needs work. It would certainly benefit you to be able to do it."
"So I could find this Ilya guy faster," she said with a hint of self-flagellation.
"I didn't say that," Giles said, gently. Buffy knew he was thinking it though or else the training session could wait. "It would benefit you in general."
"I can sense, Angel." Angel was one of the reasons she was disappointed Giles was with her. It meant no Angel-alone time. Of course, she didn't exactly know where Angel was and that bothered her. He seemed somehow embarrassed to know Ilya the Ill, like he was somehow responsible for the vampire, only she had no idea why. Maybe there was something Angel held back or maybe he was just being Angel. Buffy knew how he liked to take responsibility even for things that weren't his fault. She just figured she didn't really understand men.
She certainly didn't understand why Angel did half of what he did. She didn't know why Xander was so jealous even though she have never given him any indication she considered him as anything other than a friend, barring that one sexy dance when she had come back to the dale. She didn't know what was wrong with Giles that he was dodging dates with a woman he was obviously attracted to. He should be in L.A. having fun, not here with her in the park, trying not to step on used condoms in the dark.
"It's a start," Giles conceded, smoothing out an imaginary wrinkle in his shirt. Giles was in his casual wear, at least as he seemed to interpret casual; beige Dockers and a short-sleeved shirt sans jacket, vest or tie. That shirt revealed what all his usual layers of tweed hid. There was a human body under them. Even the slightest hint of sexuality in Giles made Buffy shudder. It was like trying to think about her parents together. Buffy held up her hand, stopping him.
"Sense one?" he asked, hopefully.
"Hear that?" she said, knowing she was so disappointing him. She felt a slight tingle.
"Actually, yeah I think maybe I do sense one."
"Angel." That wasn't a question and it hurt a little that Giles thought she couldn't extend her abilities past sensing him. It hurt worse that he was right.
Buffy took off through the park but not so fast Giles couldn't keep up. She didn't want him to be alone. He might not be a twelve year old girl but that didn't mean he was safe from Ilya or any of the other uglies that might be out for a moon light stroll. She stopped behind a hedge row, hearing people talking clearly now. Giles tensed beside her, his breathing sounding a little ragged. She knew he could hear them too. Dru's wispy voice managed to carry as clear as a bell.
"But Daddy, I shouldn't let him see me."
"Where's Spike, Dru? He needs to know about Ilya."
Buffy could see Angel through the twists of the branches of the hedge row. There was a look of concern on his face. It made her furious. He should be staking Dru, not warning her.
"Spike doesn't know I've gone. He thinks I can't hunt for myself, all weak and pale like a baby." Dru leaned against him.
Buffy wanted to charge out there when Angel's big hands, the hands she loved feeling on her hair, stroked Dru's dark mane. He seemed so gentle and the flood of jealousy and confusion threatened to overwhelm Buffy. Giles' put a hand on her shoulder as if he sense her pain.
"Spike needs to know, Dru," Angel reiterated as if talking to a child.
"Is Angel trying to put them all together?" Buffy whispered to Giles whose face went harsher than she was used to seeing.
Dru pulled away from Angel and sat on the swings. She started swinging, looking like an overgrown living China doll in her pale blue gown. Buffy wondered about how formally Dru always dressed. She had noticed back when Merrick was still her Watcher that a lot of vampires' fashion sense never progressed beyond the day of their death. Dru was different. She was formal but not Victorian. Of course, Buffy had no idea where Dru could find Victorian clothes even if she still wanted them. Truth was, Buffy was used to dealing with young, newly made vampires. If she had to admit it, the older ones, the ones who were wily enough to survive, frightened her.
She shoved that thought out and another unwanted one flooded in. Dru looked so exceptionally feminine. She made it seem effortless, the same way Cordy did. Buffy remembered being like that once, before the whole Chosen bit. She missed it a little and she had to wonder, did Angel really not care that she showed up for dates all grass streaked and tousled? Did he secretly want her to look more like Cordelia, like Drusilla and just lied to her to protect her feelings? Did Dru still turn him on? Buffy knew Dru had been his lover. He had alluded to it and Buffy hadn't needed him to do so. She could tell.
"I should fly away, Daddy, like the doves." Dru swung higher. "Ilya makes my skin feel like ants are crawling all over it."
"You can't go, Dru," Angel said. "We need this to end here. Ilya will be looking for you. If you go, he'll follow. It'll be harder to find him."
"Daddy's worried about all the little ones Ilya will eat up," Dru accused.
"Yes, I am, Dru. But if you and Spike help track him down no one else has to die," Angel said.
"Spike won't help you."
"But you might. Remember what Ilya did to you, Dru. That terrible thing that made you and Darla castrated him."
Buffy shivered at the oily texture of Angel's voice. It's effect on Dru was immediate. The vampire leapt off the swing at the highest point of the arc. Buffy didn't know how Dru landed so gracefully in high heels. Dru caught the swing and hurled it at Angel. The chains snapped and he swatted the seat away.
"Bad Daddy!" Dru's nail sliced across his face and Buffy noticed Angel didn't defend himself. He just causally wiped away the blood. "No one is allowed to talk about that."
"Sorry, Dru but I need your help. You needed...focusing."
"Bad, bad, Daddy."
Buffy watched the insane vampire stalk off. She should go after Dru, finish her off. Buffy knew she could take the creature. Buffy saw how weak Dru was. Of course, that might take away Ilya's motive for being in Sunnydale and she shared Angel's fear that the pedophilic vampire might move off to who knew where, killing more children.
She thought for a moment about going to talk to Angel but at the moment she couldn't fight the unreasonable swell of emotions. She didn't like being reminded that Angel had an attachment to his childe. She didn't know why it bothered her so much, why she felt threatened when she knew the only thing that Angel felt for Dru was remorse and guilt. Knowing that didn't stop her feet and Buffy let them carry her away. She was barely aware of Giles behind her.
"Buffy, I think we should-"
She whirled, coming to an instant stop. "I don't want to talk about what we just saw, Giles."
"Buffy, you have little choice. Angel is putting Drusilla out as bait. If Spike doesn't come to her aid, Angel most likely will spare her to kill the Russian vampire. Ilya is clearly the greater of the evils," Giles said, his eyes showing concern for his young charge.
"So, do I throw in and help the vampire pack turn on their own?" Buffy snarled, starting back off. She forced Giles to almost trot along to keep up.
"I'm not saying that, Buffy but surely you and Angel working together would do better than either of you apart," Giles said as they turned onto the streets of Sunnydale's business section. The Bronze wasn't too far away. The coffee shop was closer.
"Did you miss the part where he's inviting Spike to play? Remember Spike? He of the two dead Slayers fame. We know he wants me dead. What makes you think he won't try for me while I'm busy with Ilya?" Buffy shot a hot look over her shoulder and Giles quieted. She didn't think it would be that easy. Angel would protect her from both Spike and Ilya but she realized Giles was truly afraid for her should Spike catch hold of her. He hadn't looked that worried since the Master and the prophecy and all that. Suddenly Spike seemed almost like a greater evil than Ilya.
"It is a concern, Buffy."
"Well, what I'm more concerned about, is stopping Ilya before he kills another kid."
Buffy sighed. "So I guess I will be talking to Angel about this, but I can't help thinking if he wanted me in on his plan he would have told me."
"Would he? Angel seems quite adept at shielding you from things he'd rather not have you know," Giles said and it stung.
Buffy shrugged. "At least I don't have to worry about Dawnie. Mom caught her trying to shoplift some lip gloss today at the mall and she's so grounded. No leaving the house, no Fall Ball next weekend."
"Fall Ball?" Giles wore the puzzled look he usually did when he didn't get a pop culture reference.
"Think of it as a homecoming dance for the elementary school. Okay, mostly they get together in the gym with too many parents watching and they pretend to dance and play games. Dawn and Ginny were supposed to go. I didn't want my sister out there if this sick perv isn't stopped by then, but how could I tell Mom that a pedophile vampire is stalking the night?" Buffy had given that a lot of thought. She had nightmares about staking Ashley and in place of that poor child's face she kept seeing Dawn's.
A scream tore the night air, diverting her from further thought. Slayer and Watcher raced toward the sound, leading them to the alley behind the coffee shop. The angry girl band was still playing inside. Buffy could hear the lyrics. She knew them. They were local. Dawn liked them. The screamer was gone by the time they got to the alley but Buffy saw what the screams were about. Another young girl, throat sliced, panties in a heap near her head, lay in the filth behind the store.
"I should have stopped him before..." Buffy trailed off.
Giles put a hand on her shoulder. "You can't protect them all, Buffy. You will find him and this will end."
She wanted to believe him. The band had stopped playing and she heard people coming out of the store. The screamer must have gone inside to call 911. In the crowd pushing out of the coffee house Buffy saw something that made her blood crystalize. A pack of young girls stood there, looking guilty at getting caught out breaking curfew, looking scared knowing one of their number was missing. Dawn and Ginny stared at Buffy before breaking into a run. Their friends followed in their wake.
"Go, Buffy. Get them home safely. I'll stay here with this poor child," Giles said. "And I will call your mother, tell her that I saw Dawn here, if you don't want to be the one to tell her."
"Thanks, Giles," Buffy said, already in motion. She was ready to kill her sister. In the end she settled with rounding up as many of the barely pubescent brats as she could and taking them home.
Chapter Five
Buffy felt guiltier than maybe she should be. She deserved a life, didn't she? She didn't think taking a few hours off of patrol was being that selfish. They had gotten their grades back from the history test and she had done far better than she thought she had so why not take a little time for herself? She had to kill Emily as she sat up in her coffin last night. Buffy deserved a break from having to think about that. Right now the police were searching for the child's 'stolen' body. What much Emily's poor parents be feeling, first their daughter slain then her body 'taken'? Buffy knew, of course, that Ilya and any number of other baddies could be out there at this very moment doing evil but if she let herself think about it she might go nuts.
Of course her mother thought she was studying at Willow's. On the other hand, Willow's mom wouldn't guess that her daughter was sneaking out on a school night to go clubbing. Buffy looked around the Bronze, almost stunned at how many kids there were inside the place on a Wednesday night. Didn't anyone care where their kids were? How was she supposed to keep any of them safe when no one paid any attention to curfews?
Buffy glanced at her watch. Maybe she should be going out on patrol. Willow was wrapped up in watching Dingos playing on stage. Buffy was always shocked that the Bronze could book a band any night of the week. Of course, the Dingos had some room for improvement and probably didn't rate a weekend slot yet. It didn't seem to bother Willow. Xander had cut out on them under the guise of heading for the men's room. Buffy would have wondered if he had fallen in or needed to eat a bran muffin or something as long as he had been gone. Then again, on the tightly packed dance floor, it was next to impossible to miss having girls brush up against him, so Buffy decided she didn't want to know about what Xander was doing in the bathroom.
"What's wrong, Buffy?" Willow looked at her with sad puppy eyes.
Buffy stabbed at the ice in her vanilla coke with her straw. "Nothing. Just thinking, I shouldn't be here having fun. I have work to do." Buffy was content that at least it wasn't a lie. She was worried about that. She worried more about the fact that she missed Angel. She had been avoiding him ever since she saw him in the park with Drusilla. She had gone out of her way to make sure their paths remained uncrossed. She lied to Giles about Angel being next to impossible to find when he asked about if she had hooked up with Angel to do the planning thing. She had even hidden in the tub - telling herself she needed that extra long soak - when she had sensed Angel outside her window. She knew she was being childish. She hated herself for it. She just couldn't help it.
"All work and no play makes for a cranky Buffy," Willow said. "Besides you should be celebrating that B you got in history."
Buffy lifted her coke, wiggling it. "See me celebrate." She thumped the glass down and sighed. "I can't get Chrissy's face out of my mind, seeing her in that alleyway. It could have been Dawn, Willow. They were all together in that coffee house. My sister came this close to dying and she can't even see it."
"I'm sure she knows that now, Buffy," Willow said.
"You haven't been in my house in the last two days. She and Mom are about ready to kill each other. She's all mad because she's going to miss the Fall Ball. She wants me to talk Mom into letting her go and I won't because what if I don't dust Ilya by then? It's only two days away. It took me a lot longer than that to defeat the Master. I still haven't finished off Spike but at least he's not out there raping and killing girls...that I know of."
"Angel would have told you if Spike was like that, Buffy," Willow said, not sounding convinced.
"I wish I could believe that, Willow. But they're vampires. They don't have souls, not like Angel. They probably wouldn't think twice about it. Spike was more than happy to use those kids turned into demons at Halloween." She shoved her drink toward the center of the table. "I should probably go. I'm bringing things down."
"Buffy."
Instead of Willow admonishing her that she wasn't being a downer, her name was uttered softly by a far more masculine voice. Buffy turned, looking over her shoulder, thinking back a few nights. She hadn't sensed Angel approaching this time. Giles was right. She needed work. She mustered up a smile, trying to pretend everything was all right. "Hey, Angel."
"We need to talk," he said, as business like as the first time she kicked him to the ground in that alleyway.
She gestured at Willow. "It would be rude if I just cut out on my friends."
His brow lowered but Xander's reappearance cut off anything the vampire might have to say. They gave each other a brief hostile look like pack members circling each other. Xander quickly proved to be the omega and covered by turning to Willow, "Hey Will, I love this song. Wanna dance?"
"Oh sure." She gave Buffy a nervous look, obviously sensing the tension. "Buffy was about to go out on patrol anyhow."
Buffy scowled at Willow's lack of solidarity. She could have at least pretended Buffy wasn't actually a free agent. "Unfortunately true. You kids have fun."
Buffy didn't wait for Angel as she stomped out of the Bronze. She knew he was following and that he'd have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to sense her mood.
"Why have you been avoiding me, Buffy?" His strong fingers caught hold of her shoulder.
She squirmed away. "I'm not."
"Buffy, I'm not a fool. You've been avoiding me ever since I told you about Ilya." He dragged her to a halt as they left the back alley behind the Bronze and stepped out into the light of the street. "I had nothing to do with him coming here."
"No, but you could have told me you were trying to work with Spike and Dru."
His face fell. "I thought you might be in the park. I've been trying ever since to tell you about my plan but you have been...unavailable."
She dug her fingers into her hips, tossing her head back. "Did you think to tell me before hand?"
"Because I knew it was a long shot. Spike is never going to let me use Drusilla as bait but if I could get her so worried that Ilya might hurt her again that she might take the fight to him with Spike protecting her. Spike would do just about anything for her, even work with us."
"You still should have told me," Buffy huffed.
"You know now. You would have known three days ago if you'd been speaking to me."
His gaze knifed her. "I don't get why you're so angry about this."
"You had the perfect opportunity to kill Drusilla that night and you didn't take it."
"Neither did you," he countered as their path took them into a near by cemetery. "And you aren't mad at me because I didn't kill Drusilla."
"How would you know?" Buffy lifted her chin defiantly. It wasn't why she was mad but she could hardly admit she had been jealous.
"Because I've been around long enough to know jealousy when I see it," he replied.
Buffy held his gaze for a few long movement then sighed, looking away. "We're both sad, you know that? You get jealous over Xander because he gets to be with me when the sun's out, even though I keep telling you that is not the best light to view me in. And I'm jealous of someone from your past. I know Dru's the past. I know there's plenty more in your past, too. I mean you're how old?"
"Dru is most definitely my past, Buffy but we still have a connection." He caught hold of her, to insure he had her full attention. "She is my childe and I am responsible for her. It would be far easier to stake her or let you do it but..."
"She's family?" Buffy's eyebrows raised.
"Yes, actually she is. It's not an easy thing to turn on your vampiric family. Some vampires don't care about that sort of thing. They don't even bother to stick around long enough to see their children rise. Ilya is like that. Others bond. My family bonded. Darla, Spike, Dru, we were close like you are with Willow and Xander."
"Sort of a blood sucking Brady Bunch," Buffy said and his lips puckered at the pop culture reference. She wondered if he got the second reference to "The Lost Boys."
"I suppose." He leaned down and kissed her. "And I'm sorry Drusilla makes you so uncomfortable, Buffy. I don't love her. I never really did, not in any romantic sense. She was a tool, a doll to play with. What I did to her...it was far worse than the crime I'm being punished for. But she isn't a threat to you...well, she is in the usual vampire is a threat to the Slayer sense of things."
"That I can handle," Buffy assured him, catching hold of his neck to pull him in for another kiss. She stopped, cocking her head to the side. "Do you hear voices?"
"Sounds like a group of kids."
"In a graveyard?" Buffy rolled her eyes. "This is so not a make-out place."
"Oh, you'd be surprised," Angel said, heading off toward the voices.
Buffy groaned when they came across a pack of Goth wannabe's drinking and making out in the cemetery. She counted eight of them. She knew most of them from school including Amy, who wasn't really Goth and Ham, who was an okay kid from Buffy's science class who just didn't seem to get if he didn't dress like this, maybe people wouldn't pick on him so much. She was about to go talk to Amy, to shoo them out of the graveyard when a voice sounded behind her.
"Look tasty, don't they?"
Buffy whirled. Spike was leaning on a half-sunken headstone, poking at the cross on top just to hear his skin sizzle. He wore his finest as far as she could tell; the deep red shirt, the only splash of color relieving the black. His black nails and eyeshadow made him fit right in with Amy's crowd. "Oh, you are so the last thing I need."
"Don't worry, Slayer. I didn't come to fight with you and Peaches." Spike lit up so casually Buffy thought maybe he considered her no threat at all.
"Peaches?" Buffy asked, seeing the irritation pinching Angel's face.
"What do you want then, Spike?" Angel stepped just in front of her, enough to both protect and annoy her.
"Not nice, Angel, putting my Dru out there as bait." Spike blew smoke rings. "She told me what this wanker did to her last time. What? You wanted to give him another bite at the apple?"
"I want him gone. Dru is the fastest way of drawing him out. She probably told you what she did to Ilya," Angel said.
Spike snorted, smoke curling out of his nostrils. "Makes your nadgers want to crawl back up inside you, just thinking about it."
"So what did you come here for then, Spike, if you don't want to fight?" Buffy didn't trust the idea of a truce with Spike but for Angel's sake she'd play along.
"Feisty, this one is, better than that first Slayer I met...course, couldn't understand a word that bint was saying." Spike took a long drag. "Don't worry, love. I'm not here for your precious Nancy boy. Dru and I have plans for him, we do and it don't involve him getting dusted."
Buffy hated the slipperiness of Spike's tone. She didn't want to think of him and Dru planning anything for Angel. Before she could say anything though, Spike's expression turned to one of bemusement.
"Of course, things sometimes don't go as planned, like that." He pointed at the same time as someone screamed.
Buffy whipped back around and saw a vampire in the midst of Amy's friends. He looked very much like the portrait in Giles' book, only he was clean shaven now. Buffy didn't wait for Ilya to get his hands on one of the girls. They might be slightly older than the ones he had been raping and turning but from the looks of things, this perv didn't mind them just old enough to drive.
"Buffy, be careful," Angel hissed, as he broke off from her to come at Ilya from a slightly different angle.
Buffy hurtled a headstone and tossed a spin kick into the vampire. He was like hitting stone. She was shocked at how small he was, not much bigger than her. She was expecting some hulking giant, a fairy tale monster that loamed over the little girls before ripping them apart. He was short, built like a wrestler, and she found out fast he hit like a sledgehammer.
She hit ground as Angel and Spike simultaneously took on Ilya. Her breath slammed out of her. She heard Spike blustering about how no one goes after his Drusilla. She was shocked to see Spike go flying. He hit a crypt hard enough to crack the stone. He slid down the granite and puddled on the ground. Angel shoved Ilya back, bearing him to the ground. As he was trying to get the stake out of his coat pocket, Ilya tore up the bronze flower vase from the ground and clocked Angel with it.
Buffy forced herself up, wondering if she had broken ribs. It didn't matter. She had to get to Angel before Ilya could finish him, but the vampire was far more interested in snaring one of Amy's friends and running. Buffy didn't know the girl who had been paralyzed by fear and hadn't run when the rest of the kids scattered. Now, in the vampire's hands, she was very much animated, kicking and shrieking.
"Let her go," Buffy said, taking out two stakes, one for either hand.
Ilya grinned at her. "You must be the Slayer. How nice of you to come. I guess my little party will have to wait."
Buffy couldn't dodge the girl as Ilya threw her like a sack of flour. Both girls toppled to the ground and Buffy's head smashed into stone. Through the stars in her eyes, she saw Ilya dart off. He slipped into one of the crypts. "Angel, the tunnels, he can get there from that crypt."
Angel was back on his feet. "You get the kids home. I'll go after him."
Buffy didn't have a chance to argue as much as she wanted to. Her head felt like someone was trying to crack it and make scrambled eggs. She noticed Spike had gone, too. She had no idea if he had just beat feet or if he was down in the tunnels with Angel and Ilya. She wanted desperately to go after Angel.
"You're bleeding," the girl who had narrowly escaped being Ilya's next victim said, touching Buffy's head.
Buffy put a hand to her scalp, feeling the gash and the warm blood. "So I am."
"Do you need to go to the hospital?"
"Nah. Do you?" Buffy helped the girl up. She saw Amy and two others still in the fringes of the graveyard, unwilling to just abandon their friend and yet too afraid to help.
"I don't think so."
"Come on, I'll get you home," she said, knowing she had a duty to the innocent. Angel could handle himself. She'd get her classmates home then she'd try to find Angel. Giles' scolding rang in her head the whole while as she walked them home. She hadn't sensed any of the vampires. She had to be the worst Slayer ever.
Chapter Six
"This is ridiculous," Cordelia moaned, checking her lipstick for the thirtieth time in her gold compact.
Buffy wondered if it really was honest to god gold. Knowing Cordy, yes it was. "Look Cordy, if you think I wanted to be doing 'service learning' chaperoning the elementary school's Fall Ball you're nuts. Mom had to get a last minute babysitter for Dawnie. We didn't even tell Dawn this is where I'll be since she's still fuming about being grounded and missing the ball."
"I just don't see the point of service learning. Isn't service the reason we have servants in the first place?" Cordelia applied another layer of gloss to her full lips.
Buffy figured those lips could provided light should they need to go outside.
"Yes and how many of us can afford servants, Miss Fendi?" Xander's sarcasm was practically visible.
Cordelia gave him the hair eyeball. "Do you actually know what Fendi is or were you spanking your monkey to your Mommy's Cosmo's again?"
Willow clamped a hand over Xander's mouth. "Kids present! Buffy, it's not so bad. I mean wouldn't this be like a candy store to a vampire who likes kids?"
"The thought has crossed my mind," Buffy replied and it had, a bit belatedly but it had. When she first been assigned this service project in Sociology, she had been furious that she would miss out on a night of looking for Ilya then it dawned on her that Ilya would find the Fall Ball a smorgasbord. She was so glad that Dawn was under Mom-Enforced house arrest. Of course, it wasn't really Mom-Enforced.
It was a last minute arrangement with Dawnie stuck with Amanda and Ginny at Ginny's home. It had been uncomfortable when Joyce realized how much she relied on her daughter to help out with Dawn and worse, she really didn't have friends her own age in Sunnydale that she could ask to babysit.
Buffy felt guilty to no end about that. "Think of it this way, Cordelia, we could have got stuck with the other service learning project, helping at the nursing home."
Cordy shuddered. "I'd have taken the F. Oh hey, Harmony, wait up!" Cordelia darted after her friend.
"Yeah, I'm just as glad I didn't pull granny duty," Xander said and Willow elbowed him.
"Hey! Just saying. I would have missed out on seeing my two girls looking so fine." He draped an arm around Buffy and Willow.
Buffy smiled. Her pale lavender dress might be poorly designed for fighting but she looked good in it. Willow had accepted her help in fashion and was sporting a green micro dress that the red head was more than a little uncomfortable with its hemline. Xander had cleaned up pretty well, looking good in his blue suit. It was a shame he had such a blind spot when it came to Willow. Of course, Willow was looking at other men finally, much to Buffy's relief. She hated seeing her friend all hung up on Xander and miserable. She was thinking she was going to have to slap Xander to wake him up.
"Hey, you two, none of that," Willow said, sliding out from under Xander's arm, heading for a young couple kissing. That sort of thing was strictly forbidden at the dance, for that matter so were all slow songs. It was less a dance than a corral for kids with games in the auditorium, dance music in the gym and punch and cookies along the walls. Her scolding done, Willow bopped back over to her friends. "So, Buffy, do you think Ilya will show up?"
"I'm afraid so." Buffy knew that it was an ugly possibility. Ilya had eluded Angel in the tunnels. "But Angel should be here soon."
"Ooo, a gaggle of pre-pubes and Angel, it's my best night ever," Xander said, sarcastically.
"Xander, would you like a high heel in the butt?" Buffy shot him a warning look.
"I think I'm going to snag cookies," Xander said and hurried off.
Willow gave Buffy a quick smile then sobered. "Are you and Angel okay?" Willow brushed nervously at her hair which Buffy had spent a good deal of time curling and fluffing. She playfully slapped Willow's hand. "Things seem tense between you."
"A little, I guess. It's just me being stupid over Dru. I know she's not what Angel wants but I can't help feeling jealous."
"Buffy, you know Angel only has eyes for you. As old as he is, there's lots of baggage."
"I know, but I'm better off not thinking about it. You pointed out once there had to be dozens, if not hundreds of other women. I can't be jealous of them all." Buffy slumped.
"But the rest of them are long dead and Dru is here where I have to deal with her."
"No, you don't." Willow clamped her hands on Buffy's shoulders.
"How do you figure?"
"You could just her once Angel's done using her as bait." Willow's eyes were utterly sober and unapologetic.
"Willow, so blood thirsty," Buffy said, almost surprised. "But you're right, I guess."
Willow smiled suddenly and pointed toward the door. Angel stood there, looking a bit bemused.
Buffy bounced over to him. "Hey." She took a long look at his face. It was too smooth to have lines she could read like she did with Giles. Still, she could see worry in his eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"I saw Spike heading out of town with Dru."
Her face fell. "Oh. So much for bait. Are you sure?"
"Saw a De Soto with black painted windows. That's a sure sign of a vampire driving. I know Spike has a De Soto, heard about it at Willie's. Spike's taking Dru where Ilya can't get her," Angel replied.
Buffy blew at a strand of hair hanging in her face. "Even though he still wants something from you?"
"He probably isn't going far. If Dru wasn't so ill, Spike wouldn't miss this fight for the world," Angel assured her.
"So now what?" Buffy felt suddenly disheartened. She had been hoping that Dru would be the target. She had entertained Spike and Dru as dust as a result of the fight with Ilya, the good kind of collateral damage.
"I'm loathed to suggest it but..."
"This dance is one big playground for Ilya," Buffy finished for him and he nodded.
"Yeah, it crossed my mind, too."
"How many kids are here?" Angel asked.
"More than fifty." Her lips thinned. "No way of watching them all as much as we chaperones try."
"I don't like this." Angel's eyes swept over the gym. "We should coordinate with Willow, Xander and Cordelia. Between us, we should be able to watch the entrances."
"You go round up Willow and Xander off the dance floor and I'll see if I can find Cordelia," Buffy said.
She found Cordelia and Harmony outside the gym, decidedly doing nothing that resembled chaperoning. They had gotten some chairs, probably from the auditorium, and were conducting their service learning by sitting in the hallway calling out fashion tips to the kids going to and fro from the gym, auditorium and rest rooms. Buffy stabbed a fist into her hips. "Cordy, I could use your help inside."
Cordelia scowled. "Why?"
"Angel would like it, too," she added, hating to do it. Cordelia's eyes took on that eager and predatory look just as Buffy was counting on.
"Buffy, maybe you ought to teach your little sister how to put on make up. She looks like a tramp," Harmony said as Cordelia got up.
"What are you talking about? My sister isn't here," Buffy said.
"Sure she is. She's in the auditorium with her little friends." Harmony primped her bottle-blonde hair, getting up to follow Cordy.
Buffy turned on heel and stalked into the gym. She grabbed Angel's hand and yanked him away from Willow and Xander. "Change of plans. Harmony just said Dawn is here."
"Oh, she wouldn't," Willow said.
"Of course, she would. I told Mom letting her and Ginny be together was a bad idea. Amanda is not a good babysitter. I know they were ticked off they couldn't come to the dance. How much you want to bet the minute Amanda's boyfriend showed up, Dawn and Ginny were out the door," Buffy stormed, heading for the auditorium.
"But surely she has to know the dangers," Willow protested.
"She's a child, Willow. They don't think of danger," Angel said.
"If she's here, Buffy, I'll take her home," Xander offered. "I'm not the first string when it comes to fighting and if someone even notices I cut out on the service learning, what's another failing grade to me?"
"Thanks, Xander. There she is." Buffy pointed to the auditorium's stage where Dawn was playing Twister with several of her classmates. Buffy never understood how that could be an acceptable game when slow dancing wasn't. She snatched Dawn off the stage before the girl even knew she was there.
"Hey!" Dawn slung her long hair back then lost all color when she saw it was Buffy. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm the chaperone. Better question is, what are you doing here? Mom is going to kill you, if I don't do it first," Buffy snapped.
"You're not going to tell her." Dawn said, jerking her head at Angel for emphasis.
"If I don't tell her, Willow or Xander will. You're coming home now, young lady, so march," Buffy said.
"What's the big deal? Are you always such a downer?" Ginny asked, jumping off stage.
"Yes, and you're coming along, too," Buffy said.
"You heard her. I'm taking you girls home," Xander said, putting a hand on Dawn's shoulder.
"Why? It's not like we're doing anything bad," Dawn said. "It's not like we're outside the building smoking like some of the other kids are."
"Yeah, there's a nice guy out there sharing his smokes with a bunch of girls," Ginny said.
"He's kinda cute?"
Buffy made a face. "Angel, would Ilya qualify as cute?"
"Why are you asking me?" The vampire gave her a look.
"Okay, change of plans. You two stay here until I'm sure it's safe to go to Xander's car. Willow and Xander will stay with you just to make sure you do," Buffy said.
Angel followed her out. Cordelia and Harmony had left their post in the hall and kids were streaming in and out of the front door more or less unchaperoned. Buffy went outside not needing Angel's sensitive nose to hone in on the smoking. The kids stared at her with horrified looks at getting busted.
"Who gave you the cigarettes?" she demanded to know.
"Some guy," one of the replied.
"Where did he go?" Angel asked and the kids quelled.
"Inside. He wanted to check out the dance."
Buffy raced back in and nearly plowed into Xander who was hobbling up the hall.
"Xander, what are you doing?"
"Dawn kicked me in the shins and took off. Willow chased her and Ginny into the gym," he replied.
Buffy made an exasperated sound and jogged into the gym. She spotted Ilya talking to some girls near the D.J's speakers. "We have to clear this room."
"Suggestion?" Angel said.
Buffy went to the table with the punch and cookies and grabbed a napkin. She used it to cover her hand as she pulled the fire alarm, which spewed blue powder onto the napkin. Most kids knew how to get around the powder they used to figure out who was prank pulling the alarms during school days.
As the kids started bolting out, she and Angel fought up stream against them. The other chaperones were trying to help the kids out. Buffy saw Dawn near the gym's exit to the practice fields, where Harmony was helping to herd the kids out but her sister would have to get passed Ilya to get to the door. Luckily, Ilya was more interested in Angel and her advancing on him than he was in the kids around him.
"See, Buffy, I told you your sister was here!" Harmony hollered as Dawn made for the door.
Buffy froze, horrified. She was going to kill Harmony when this was all said and done. Ilya's rugged face lit up and he lunged for Dawn. She shrieked as he pulled her to him. Ilya twisted with her, giving Buffy a good view of how he had her sister pinned to him.
"Angel...," Buffy whispered.
"We'll save her," he said tightly, putting space between him and her, trying to give her room to fight.
"So the Slayer has a sister," Ilya purred then ran his fat, pink tongue up Dawn's face. She squalled, struggling in his arms. "She's a tasty thing."
"Hurt her and you die slowly," Buffy said, knowing she couldn't be less imposing than she was in her heels and lavender dress. She had to keep reminding herself, this was just an ordinary vampire, not a Master. She killed vampires every day and twice on Saturdays. She could handle Ilya. He has my sister.
Ilya laughed, confirming that fear. "And you think you can stop me? I've never understood why the Powers That Be puts such power into cum dumpsters. It's an insult to the power."
Buffy's lips skinned back. "Did you just call me a cum dumpster?"
"Don't let him get to you, Buffy?" Angel said, trying to find a way to edge around behind Ilya but there wasn't anything to hide behind now that the gym had emptied out.
"Ah, another land heard from. What a pity I had to see the crawling pansy Angelus has become." Ilya gave Dawn's budding breast a squeeze and she whimpered. "What would that bitch of yours say?"
"Darla's dead. I killed her," Angel said, watching Buffy slip off her high heels.
Ilya grinned broadly. "Too bad I missed that. Did you enjoy it?"
"Not really."
Buffy hefted her shoe. "Dawn, duck!" Her sister did and Buffy winged the high heel. The heel embedded in Ilya's neck. He stumbled back, tearing at it. Dawn didn't need anyone to tell her to make a run for it. She bolted for the door. One of Ilya's hands tangled in her hair. Dawn yelped as she left that hunk of hair behind.
Angel was on Ilya as the vampire tore the high heel out of his neck. Buffy screamed Angel's name as Ilya buried the heel in Angel's cheek. Angel staggered for a moment and that was all Ilya needed to toss him into the D.J.'s set up. Metal cracked and the torn wiring hissed as Angel crashed through it.
Buffy, regretting not having the ability to bring much in the way of weaponry to a school dance, scythed the other heel at Ilya. He caught it and tore the shoe out of her hand. Buffy twisted and tried a high spin kick. Ilya moved faster than she thought a stocky little man could. He caught her ankle.
He grinned again, looking up her skirt. "Nice view. I think I'll have a taste before I kill you." He hurtled Buffy into the cinder block walls of the gym.
She heard Angel growling that strange vampire growl they all made in a fight. He tackled Ilya as she tried to make the stars stop dancing in her vision. She got up as the two vampires wrestled, nearly clocking herself on the peg board that hung on the wall for the sheer purpose of torturing grace school non-athletes. She reached up and pulled down two of the pegs from the board. She tossed one at Angel. "Catch."
Angel snagged it out of the air, nearly getting intercepted by Ilya. Their hands were moving so fast Buffy could barely see the trade of blows. Angel was doing his bit to keep Ilya distracted or kill him whichever came first. Buffy went for the Russian's back at the same time Angel stabbed him with the peg from the front. Buffy grunted as her hand stung. It was so much harder to do it through the spine and ribs but the peg went in just as Angel shattered breastbone from the other side. Ilya's scream was cut off as he powdered away. Buffy's hand found Angel's, their fingers touching amidst Ilya's dust.
She wanted to toss herself into his arms but there were kids to worry about. The vampire might be dead but if she let any of them wander off there'd be hell to pay. She reached up and gingerly touched the ragged bleeding hole in Angel's cheek, cut there by her shoe.
"This looks bad."
He captured her fingers, gently pulling them away. "It'll heal." He turned away from her, self-consciously. "You need to go take care of your sister...and the firemen. I hear the trucks coming."
She nodded regretfully. "I know. You'd better go."
She hated to see him go but she didn't want to have to explain a non-chaperone being at the school. Instead, she went out to find Dawn and make sure she was okay, or as okay as she could be given the circumstances.
EPILOGUE
"A coffee house?" Buffy looked at Angel in surprise as he led her to the near Sunnydale U campus building.
"The Bronze is always so noisy. We practically have to scream to hear each other." He stroked her hair as they went inside. "Here we can have a nice conversation."
"And the Irish band that'll be playing later has nothing to do with it?" She raised an eyebrow.
He smirked. "That's just icing on the cake."
Buffy laughed and let him buy her a cup of cappuccino big enough to swim in while she went and bogarted a couch along the back wall. It was soft and enveloping like a big bear hug and was even better when Angel joined her. They'd be able to hear the band perfectly once they took the coffee house 'stage.' She snuggled up against him, giving Angel a kiss. She might not be ale to do all the kissing she'd like with him at this point, being out in public, but just pressing up against him, having coffee was nice too. She sighed contentedly.
"You look happy." His big hand rubbed her shoulders.
"I am. Ilya's gone. The kids are safe...or as safe as they can be in Sunnydale. Dawnie's finally understanding how dangerous my life is and how she isn't making it any easier by breaking curfew and running off when she's been grounded."
"That's a good thing."
"Even seeing Spike driving back into town isn't going to bring me down," she assured him.
"That's good. You deserve an easy night." He rested his chin on the top of her head.
"No arguments."
Buffy nestled up against him, as one of the band members started tuning an instrument that sounded something like cats being tortured. She canted her eyes up at Angel.
"Uilleam pipes. Don't worry, they won't sound so bad with the rest of the band playing." He smiled.
"I sure hope not." Buffy took a drink of her caramel cappuccino enjoying the rush. Even if the band was bad, she wouldn't care. She was here with the man she loved. The latest monster had been destroyed and for one night, she could pretend all was right with the world.
Author’s Note - This story won a couple of awards (no longer hyperlinked since those sites are long gone sadly)
Author Cornerofmadness
Disclaimer - Joss Whedon owns all
Time line- This is set BtVS S2 Between Lie to Me and What's My Line
Rating- FRM for violence
Pairing - B/A
Summary- Children are being murdered in Sunnydale and Buffy thinks Angel knows who's behind it
Author's Note #1- This was written for the Buffy ficathon. Requests: Would love to see a pre-season 3 BtVS with Dawn involved. Restrictions: No Angelus. Written for evil_little_dog
Author's Note#2- This story contains dark subjects and graphic crime scene descriptions. Thanks to Leni_ba for editing this thing. I appreciate it!
Chapter Four
"Giles, is this necessary?" Buffy moaned.
"No, Buffy, I put off going to the traveling art exhibit at the Museum of Natural History in Los Angels with Jenny to spend a sweltering evening roaming Sunnydale just because it's not necessary." Giles glared at her as he cleaned his glasses.
She rolled her eyes. "No need to get snarky."
"There was no need the first twelve times you asked," he said.
"It's just that I feel bad you had to miss a date with Jenny for a training session." Buffy honestly felt badly about that. As much as she didn't want to think about adult smoochies, she liked that Giles had someone to care about. Being lonely was a terrible thing.
"Buffy, you still have this inability to sense vampires. That needs work. It would certainly benefit you to be able to do it."
"So I could find this Ilya guy faster," she said with a hint of self-flagellation.
"I didn't say that," Giles said, gently. Buffy knew he was thinking it though or else the training session could wait. "It would benefit you in general."
"I can sense, Angel." Angel was one of the reasons she was disappointed Giles was with her. It meant no Angel-alone time. Of course, she didn't exactly know where Angel was and that bothered her. He seemed somehow embarrassed to know Ilya the Ill, like he was somehow responsible for the vampire, only she had no idea why. Maybe there was something Angel held back or maybe he was just being Angel. Buffy knew how he liked to take responsibility even for things that weren't his fault. She just figured she didn't really understand men.
She certainly didn't understand why Angel did half of what he did. She didn't know why Xander was so jealous even though she have never given him any indication she considered him as anything other than a friend, barring that one sexy dance when she had come back to the dale. She didn't know what was wrong with Giles that he was dodging dates with a woman he was obviously attracted to. He should be in L.A. having fun, not here with her in the park, trying not to step on used condoms in the dark.
"It's a start," Giles conceded, smoothing out an imaginary wrinkle in his shirt. Giles was in his casual wear, at least as he seemed to interpret casual; beige Dockers and a short-sleeved shirt sans jacket, vest or tie. That shirt revealed what all his usual layers of tweed hid. There was a human body under them. Even the slightest hint of sexuality in Giles made Buffy shudder. It was like trying to think about her parents together. Buffy held up her hand, stopping him.
"Sense one?" he asked, hopefully.
"Hear that?" she said, knowing she was so disappointing him. She felt a slight tingle.
"Actually, yeah I think maybe I do sense one."
"Angel." That wasn't a question and it hurt a little that Giles thought she couldn't extend her abilities past sensing him. It hurt worse that he was right.
Buffy took off through the park but not so fast Giles couldn't keep up. She didn't want him to be alone. He might not be a twelve year old girl but that didn't mean he was safe from Ilya or any of the other uglies that might be out for a moon light stroll. She stopped behind a hedge row, hearing people talking clearly now. Giles tensed beside her, his breathing sounding a little ragged. She knew he could hear them too. Dru's wispy voice managed to carry as clear as a bell.
"But Daddy, I shouldn't let him see me."
"Where's Spike, Dru? He needs to know about Ilya."
Buffy could see Angel through the twists of the branches of the hedge row. There was a look of concern on his face. It made her furious. He should be staking Dru, not warning her.
"Spike doesn't know I've gone. He thinks I can't hunt for myself, all weak and pale like a baby." Dru leaned against him.
Buffy wanted to charge out there when Angel's big hands, the hands she loved feeling on her hair, stroked Dru's dark mane. He seemed so gentle and the flood of jealousy and confusion threatened to overwhelm Buffy. Giles' put a hand on her shoulder as if he sense her pain.
"Spike needs to know, Dru," Angel reiterated as if talking to a child.
"Is Angel trying to put them all together?" Buffy whispered to Giles whose face went harsher than she was used to seeing.
Dru pulled away from Angel and sat on the swings. She started swinging, looking like an overgrown living China doll in her pale blue gown. Buffy wondered about how formally Dru always dressed. She had noticed back when Merrick was still her Watcher that a lot of vampires' fashion sense never progressed beyond the day of their death. Dru was different. She was formal but not Victorian. Of course, Buffy had no idea where Dru could find Victorian clothes even if she still wanted them. Truth was, Buffy was used to dealing with young, newly made vampires. If she had to admit it, the older ones, the ones who were wily enough to survive, frightened her.
She shoved that thought out and another unwanted one flooded in. Dru looked so exceptionally feminine. She made it seem effortless, the same way Cordy did. Buffy remembered being like that once, before the whole Chosen bit. She missed it a little and she had to wonder, did Angel really not care that she showed up for dates all grass streaked and tousled? Did he secretly want her to look more like Cordelia, like Drusilla and just lied to her to protect her feelings? Did Dru still turn him on? Buffy knew Dru had been his lover. He had alluded to it and Buffy hadn't needed him to do so. She could tell.
"I should fly away, Daddy, like the doves." Dru swung higher. "Ilya makes my skin feel like ants are crawling all over it."
"You can't go, Dru," Angel said. "We need this to end here. Ilya will be looking for you. If you go, he'll follow. It'll be harder to find him."
"Daddy's worried about all the little ones Ilya will eat up," Dru accused.
"Yes, I am, Dru. But if you and Spike help track him down no one else has to die," Angel said.
"Spike won't help you."
"But you might. Remember what Ilya did to you, Dru. That terrible thing that made you and Darla castrated him."
Buffy shivered at the oily texture of Angel's voice. It's effect on Dru was immediate. The vampire leapt off the swing at the highest point of the arc. Buffy didn't know how Dru landed so gracefully in high heels. Dru caught the swing and hurled it at Angel. The chains snapped and he swatted the seat away.
"Bad Daddy!" Dru's nail sliced across his face and Buffy noticed Angel didn't defend himself. He just causally wiped away the blood. "No one is allowed to talk about that."
"Sorry, Dru but I need your help. You needed...focusing."
"Bad, bad, Daddy."
Buffy watched the insane vampire stalk off. She should go after Dru, finish her off. Buffy knew she could take the creature. Buffy saw how weak Dru was. Of course, that might take away Ilya's motive for being in Sunnydale and she shared Angel's fear that the pedophilic vampire might move off to who knew where, killing more children.
She thought for a moment about going to talk to Angel but at the moment she couldn't fight the unreasonable swell of emotions. She didn't like being reminded that Angel had an attachment to his childe. She didn't know why it bothered her so much, why she felt threatened when she knew the only thing that Angel felt for Dru was remorse and guilt. Knowing that didn't stop her feet and Buffy let them carry her away. She was barely aware of Giles behind her.
"Buffy, I think we should-"
She whirled, coming to an instant stop. "I don't want to talk about what we just saw, Giles."
"Buffy, you have little choice. Angel is putting Drusilla out as bait. If Spike doesn't come to her aid, Angel most likely will spare her to kill the Russian vampire. Ilya is clearly the greater of the evils," Giles said, his eyes showing concern for his young charge.
"So, do I throw in and help the vampire pack turn on their own?" Buffy snarled, starting back off. She forced Giles to almost trot along to keep up.
"I'm not saying that, Buffy but surely you and Angel working together would do better than either of you apart," Giles said as they turned onto the streets of Sunnydale's business section. The Bronze wasn't too far away. The coffee shop was closer.
"Did you miss the part where he's inviting Spike to play? Remember Spike? He of the two dead Slayers fame. We know he wants me dead. What makes you think he won't try for me while I'm busy with Ilya?" Buffy shot a hot look over her shoulder and Giles quieted. She didn't think it would be that easy. Angel would protect her from both Spike and Ilya but she realized Giles was truly afraid for her should Spike catch hold of her. He hadn't looked that worried since the Master and the prophecy and all that. Suddenly Spike seemed almost like a greater evil than Ilya.
"It is a concern, Buffy."
"Well, what I'm more concerned about, is stopping Ilya before he kills another kid."
Buffy sighed. "So I guess I will be talking to Angel about this, but I can't help thinking if he wanted me in on his plan he would have told me."
"Would he? Angel seems quite adept at shielding you from things he'd rather not have you know," Giles said and it stung.
Buffy shrugged. "At least I don't have to worry about Dawnie. Mom caught her trying to shoplift some lip gloss today at the mall and she's so grounded. No leaving the house, no Fall Ball next weekend."
"Fall Ball?" Giles wore the puzzled look he usually did when he didn't get a pop culture reference.
"Think of it as a homecoming dance for the elementary school. Okay, mostly they get together in the gym with too many parents watching and they pretend to dance and play games. Dawn and Ginny were supposed to go. I didn't want my sister out there if this sick perv isn't stopped by then, but how could I tell Mom that a pedophile vampire is stalking the night?" Buffy had given that a lot of thought. She had nightmares about staking Ashley and in place of that poor child's face she kept seeing Dawn's.
A scream tore the night air, diverting her from further thought. Slayer and Watcher raced toward the sound, leading them to the alley behind the coffee shop. The angry girl band was still playing inside. Buffy could hear the lyrics. She knew them. They were local. Dawn liked them. The screamer was gone by the time they got to the alley but Buffy saw what the screams were about. Another young girl, throat sliced, panties in a heap near her head, lay in the filth behind the store.
"I should have stopped him before..." Buffy trailed off.
Giles put a hand on her shoulder. "You can't protect them all, Buffy. You will find him and this will end."
She wanted to believe him. The band had stopped playing and she heard people coming out of the store. The screamer must have gone inside to call 911. In the crowd pushing out of the coffee house Buffy saw something that made her blood crystalize. A pack of young girls stood there, looking guilty at getting caught out breaking curfew, looking scared knowing one of their number was missing. Dawn and Ginny stared at Buffy before breaking into a run. Their friends followed in their wake.
"Go, Buffy. Get them home safely. I'll stay here with this poor child," Giles said. "And I will call your mother, tell her that I saw Dawn here, if you don't want to be the one to tell her."
"Thanks, Giles," Buffy said, already in motion. She was ready to kill her sister. In the end she settled with rounding up as many of the barely pubescent brats as she could and taking them home.
Chapter Five
Buffy felt guiltier than maybe she should be. She deserved a life, didn't she? She didn't think taking a few hours off of patrol was being that selfish. They had gotten their grades back from the history test and she had done far better than she thought she had so why not take a little time for herself? She had to kill Emily as she sat up in her coffin last night. Buffy deserved a break from having to think about that. Right now the police were searching for the child's 'stolen' body. What much Emily's poor parents be feeling, first their daughter slain then her body 'taken'? Buffy knew, of course, that Ilya and any number of other baddies could be out there at this very moment doing evil but if she let herself think about it she might go nuts.
Of course her mother thought she was studying at Willow's. On the other hand, Willow's mom wouldn't guess that her daughter was sneaking out on a school night to go clubbing. Buffy looked around the Bronze, almost stunned at how many kids there were inside the place on a Wednesday night. Didn't anyone care where their kids were? How was she supposed to keep any of them safe when no one paid any attention to curfews?
Buffy glanced at her watch. Maybe she should be going out on patrol. Willow was wrapped up in watching Dingos playing on stage. Buffy was always shocked that the Bronze could book a band any night of the week. Of course, the Dingos had some room for improvement and probably didn't rate a weekend slot yet. It didn't seem to bother Willow. Xander had cut out on them under the guise of heading for the men's room. Buffy would have wondered if he had fallen in or needed to eat a bran muffin or something as long as he had been gone. Then again, on the tightly packed dance floor, it was next to impossible to miss having girls brush up against him, so Buffy decided she didn't want to know about what Xander was doing in the bathroom.
"What's wrong, Buffy?" Willow looked at her with sad puppy eyes.
Buffy stabbed at the ice in her vanilla coke with her straw. "Nothing. Just thinking, I shouldn't be here having fun. I have work to do." Buffy was content that at least it wasn't a lie. She was worried about that. She worried more about the fact that she missed Angel. She had been avoiding him ever since she saw him in the park with Drusilla. She had gone out of her way to make sure their paths remained uncrossed. She lied to Giles about Angel being next to impossible to find when he asked about if she had hooked up with Angel to do the planning thing. She had even hidden in the tub - telling herself she needed that extra long soak - when she had sensed Angel outside her window. She knew she was being childish. She hated herself for it. She just couldn't help it.
"All work and no play makes for a cranky Buffy," Willow said. "Besides you should be celebrating that B you got in history."
Buffy lifted her coke, wiggling it. "See me celebrate." She thumped the glass down and sighed. "I can't get Chrissy's face out of my mind, seeing her in that alleyway. It could have been Dawn, Willow. They were all together in that coffee house. My sister came this close to dying and she can't even see it."
"I'm sure she knows that now, Buffy," Willow said.
"You haven't been in my house in the last two days. She and Mom are about ready to kill each other. She's all mad because she's going to miss the Fall Ball. She wants me to talk Mom into letting her go and I won't because what if I don't dust Ilya by then? It's only two days away. It took me a lot longer than that to defeat the Master. I still haven't finished off Spike but at least he's not out there raping and killing girls...that I know of."
"Angel would have told you if Spike was like that, Buffy," Willow said, not sounding convinced.
"I wish I could believe that, Willow. But they're vampires. They don't have souls, not like Angel. They probably wouldn't think twice about it. Spike was more than happy to use those kids turned into demons at Halloween." She shoved her drink toward the center of the table. "I should probably go. I'm bringing things down."
"Buffy."
Instead of Willow admonishing her that she wasn't being a downer, her name was uttered softly by a far more masculine voice. Buffy turned, looking over her shoulder, thinking back a few nights. She hadn't sensed Angel approaching this time. Giles was right. She needed work. She mustered up a smile, trying to pretend everything was all right. "Hey, Angel."
"We need to talk," he said, as business like as the first time she kicked him to the ground in that alleyway.
She gestured at Willow. "It would be rude if I just cut out on my friends."
His brow lowered but Xander's reappearance cut off anything the vampire might have to say. They gave each other a brief hostile look like pack members circling each other. Xander quickly proved to be the omega and covered by turning to Willow, "Hey Will, I love this song. Wanna dance?"
"Oh sure." She gave Buffy a nervous look, obviously sensing the tension. "Buffy was about to go out on patrol anyhow."
Buffy scowled at Willow's lack of solidarity. She could have at least pretended Buffy wasn't actually a free agent. "Unfortunately true. You kids have fun."
Buffy didn't wait for Angel as she stomped out of the Bronze. She knew he was following and that he'd have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to sense her mood.
"Why have you been avoiding me, Buffy?" His strong fingers caught hold of her shoulder.
She squirmed away. "I'm not."
"Buffy, I'm not a fool. You've been avoiding me ever since I told you about Ilya." He dragged her to a halt as they left the back alley behind the Bronze and stepped out into the light of the street. "I had nothing to do with him coming here."
"No, but you could have told me you were trying to work with Spike and Dru."
His face fell. "I thought you might be in the park. I've been trying ever since to tell you about my plan but you have been...unavailable."
She dug her fingers into her hips, tossing her head back. "Did you think to tell me before hand?"
"Because I knew it was a long shot. Spike is never going to let me use Drusilla as bait but if I could get her so worried that Ilya might hurt her again that she might take the fight to him with Spike protecting her. Spike would do just about anything for her, even work with us."
"You still should have told me," Buffy huffed.
"You know now. You would have known three days ago if you'd been speaking to me."
His gaze knifed her. "I don't get why you're so angry about this."
"You had the perfect opportunity to kill Drusilla that night and you didn't take it."
"Neither did you," he countered as their path took them into a near by cemetery. "And you aren't mad at me because I didn't kill Drusilla."
"How would you know?" Buffy lifted her chin defiantly. It wasn't why she was mad but she could hardly admit she had been jealous.
"Because I've been around long enough to know jealousy when I see it," he replied.
Buffy held his gaze for a few long movement then sighed, looking away. "We're both sad, you know that? You get jealous over Xander because he gets to be with me when the sun's out, even though I keep telling you that is not the best light to view me in. And I'm jealous of someone from your past. I know Dru's the past. I know there's plenty more in your past, too. I mean you're how old?"
"Dru is most definitely my past, Buffy but we still have a connection." He caught hold of her, to insure he had her full attention. "She is my childe and I am responsible for her. It would be far easier to stake her or let you do it but..."
"She's family?" Buffy's eyebrows raised.
"Yes, actually she is. It's not an easy thing to turn on your vampiric family. Some vampires don't care about that sort of thing. They don't even bother to stick around long enough to see their children rise. Ilya is like that. Others bond. My family bonded. Darla, Spike, Dru, we were close like you are with Willow and Xander."
"Sort of a blood sucking Brady Bunch," Buffy said and his lips puckered at the pop culture reference. She wondered if he got the second reference to "The Lost Boys."
"I suppose." He leaned down and kissed her. "And I'm sorry Drusilla makes you so uncomfortable, Buffy. I don't love her. I never really did, not in any romantic sense. She was a tool, a doll to play with. What I did to her...it was far worse than the crime I'm being punished for. But she isn't a threat to you...well, she is in the usual vampire is a threat to the Slayer sense of things."
"That I can handle," Buffy assured him, catching hold of his neck to pull him in for another kiss. She stopped, cocking her head to the side. "Do you hear voices?"
"Sounds like a group of kids."
"In a graveyard?" Buffy rolled her eyes. "This is so not a make-out place."
"Oh, you'd be surprised," Angel said, heading off toward the voices.
Buffy groaned when they came across a pack of Goth wannabe's drinking and making out in the cemetery. She counted eight of them. She knew most of them from school including Amy, who wasn't really Goth and Ham, who was an okay kid from Buffy's science class who just didn't seem to get if he didn't dress like this, maybe people wouldn't pick on him so much. She was about to go talk to Amy, to shoo them out of the graveyard when a voice sounded behind her.
"Look tasty, don't they?"
Buffy whirled. Spike was leaning on a half-sunken headstone, poking at the cross on top just to hear his skin sizzle. He wore his finest as far as she could tell; the deep red shirt, the only splash of color relieving the black. His black nails and eyeshadow made him fit right in with Amy's crowd. "Oh, you are so the last thing I need."
"Don't worry, Slayer. I didn't come to fight with you and Peaches." Spike lit up so casually Buffy thought maybe he considered her no threat at all.
"Peaches?" Buffy asked, seeing the irritation pinching Angel's face.
"What do you want then, Spike?" Angel stepped just in front of her, enough to both protect and annoy her.
"Not nice, Angel, putting my Dru out there as bait." Spike blew smoke rings. "She told me what this wanker did to her last time. What? You wanted to give him another bite at the apple?"
"I want him gone. Dru is the fastest way of drawing him out. She probably told you what she did to Ilya," Angel said.
Spike snorted, smoke curling out of his nostrils. "Makes your nadgers want to crawl back up inside you, just thinking about it."
"So what did you come here for then, Spike, if you don't want to fight?" Buffy didn't trust the idea of a truce with Spike but for Angel's sake she'd play along.
"Feisty, this one is, better than that first Slayer I met...course, couldn't understand a word that bint was saying." Spike took a long drag. "Don't worry, love. I'm not here for your precious Nancy boy. Dru and I have plans for him, we do and it don't involve him getting dusted."
Buffy hated the slipperiness of Spike's tone. She didn't want to think of him and Dru planning anything for Angel. Before she could say anything though, Spike's expression turned to one of bemusement.
"Of course, things sometimes don't go as planned, like that." He pointed at the same time as someone screamed.
Buffy whipped back around and saw a vampire in the midst of Amy's friends. He looked very much like the portrait in Giles' book, only he was clean shaven now. Buffy didn't wait for Ilya to get his hands on one of the girls. They might be slightly older than the ones he had been raping and turning but from the looks of things, this perv didn't mind them just old enough to drive.
"Buffy, be careful," Angel hissed, as he broke off from her to come at Ilya from a slightly different angle.
Buffy hurtled a headstone and tossed a spin kick into the vampire. He was like hitting stone. She was shocked at how small he was, not much bigger than her. She was expecting some hulking giant, a fairy tale monster that loamed over the little girls before ripping them apart. He was short, built like a wrestler, and she found out fast he hit like a sledgehammer.
She hit ground as Angel and Spike simultaneously took on Ilya. Her breath slammed out of her. She heard Spike blustering about how no one goes after his Drusilla. She was shocked to see Spike go flying. He hit a crypt hard enough to crack the stone. He slid down the granite and puddled on the ground. Angel shoved Ilya back, bearing him to the ground. As he was trying to get the stake out of his coat pocket, Ilya tore up the bronze flower vase from the ground and clocked Angel with it.
Buffy forced herself up, wondering if she had broken ribs. It didn't matter. She had to get to Angel before Ilya could finish him, but the vampire was far more interested in snaring one of Amy's friends and running. Buffy didn't know the girl who had been paralyzed by fear and hadn't run when the rest of the kids scattered. Now, in the vampire's hands, she was very much animated, kicking and shrieking.
"Let her go," Buffy said, taking out two stakes, one for either hand.
Ilya grinned at her. "You must be the Slayer. How nice of you to come. I guess my little party will have to wait."
Buffy couldn't dodge the girl as Ilya threw her like a sack of flour. Both girls toppled to the ground and Buffy's head smashed into stone. Through the stars in her eyes, she saw Ilya dart off. He slipped into one of the crypts. "Angel, the tunnels, he can get there from that crypt."
Angel was back on his feet. "You get the kids home. I'll go after him."
Buffy didn't have a chance to argue as much as she wanted to. Her head felt like someone was trying to crack it and make scrambled eggs. She noticed Spike had gone, too. She had no idea if he had just beat feet or if he was down in the tunnels with Angel and Ilya. She wanted desperately to go after Angel.
"You're bleeding," the girl who had narrowly escaped being Ilya's next victim said, touching Buffy's head.
Buffy put a hand to her scalp, feeling the gash and the warm blood. "So I am."
"Do you need to go to the hospital?"
"Nah. Do you?" Buffy helped the girl up. She saw Amy and two others still in the fringes of the graveyard, unwilling to just abandon their friend and yet too afraid to help.
"I don't think so."
"Come on, I'll get you home," she said, knowing she had a duty to the innocent. Angel could handle himself. She'd get her classmates home then she'd try to find Angel. Giles' scolding rang in her head the whole while as she walked them home. She hadn't sensed any of the vampires. She had to be the worst Slayer ever.
Chapter Six
"This is ridiculous," Cordelia moaned, checking her lipstick for the thirtieth time in her gold compact.
Buffy wondered if it really was honest to god gold. Knowing Cordy, yes it was. "Look Cordy, if you think I wanted to be doing 'service learning' chaperoning the elementary school's Fall Ball you're nuts. Mom had to get a last minute babysitter for Dawnie. We didn't even tell Dawn this is where I'll be since she's still fuming about being grounded and missing the ball."
"I just don't see the point of service learning. Isn't service the reason we have servants in the first place?" Cordelia applied another layer of gloss to her full lips.
Buffy figured those lips could provided light should they need to go outside.
"Yes and how many of us can afford servants, Miss Fendi?" Xander's sarcasm was practically visible.
Cordelia gave him the hair eyeball. "Do you actually know what Fendi is or were you spanking your monkey to your Mommy's Cosmo's again?"
Willow clamped a hand over Xander's mouth. "Kids present! Buffy, it's not so bad. I mean wouldn't this be like a candy store to a vampire who likes kids?"
"The thought has crossed my mind," Buffy replied and it had, a bit belatedly but it had. When she first been assigned this service project in Sociology, she had been furious that she would miss out on a night of looking for Ilya then it dawned on her that Ilya would find the Fall Ball a smorgasbord. She was so glad that Dawn was under Mom-Enforced house arrest. Of course, it wasn't really Mom-Enforced.
It was a last minute arrangement with Dawnie stuck with Amanda and Ginny at Ginny's home. It had been uncomfortable when Joyce realized how much she relied on her daughter to help out with Dawn and worse, she really didn't have friends her own age in Sunnydale that she could ask to babysit.
Buffy felt guilty to no end about that. "Think of it this way, Cordelia, we could have got stuck with the other service learning project, helping at the nursing home."
Cordy shuddered. "I'd have taken the F. Oh hey, Harmony, wait up!" Cordelia darted after her friend.
"Yeah, I'm just as glad I didn't pull granny duty," Xander said and Willow elbowed him.
"Hey! Just saying. I would have missed out on seeing my two girls looking so fine." He draped an arm around Buffy and Willow.
Buffy smiled. Her pale lavender dress might be poorly designed for fighting but she looked good in it. Willow had accepted her help in fashion and was sporting a green micro dress that the red head was more than a little uncomfortable with its hemline. Xander had cleaned up pretty well, looking good in his blue suit. It was a shame he had such a blind spot when it came to Willow. Of course, Willow was looking at other men finally, much to Buffy's relief. She hated seeing her friend all hung up on Xander and miserable. She was thinking she was going to have to slap Xander to wake him up.
"Hey, you two, none of that," Willow said, sliding out from under Xander's arm, heading for a young couple kissing. That sort of thing was strictly forbidden at the dance, for that matter so were all slow songs. It was less a dance than a corral for kids with games in the auditorium, dance music in the gym and punch and cookies along the walls. Her scolding done, Willow bopped back over to her friends. "So, Buffy, do you think Ilya will show up?"
"I'm afraid so." Buffy knew that it was an ugly possibility. Ilya had eluded Angel in the tunnels. "But Angel should be here soon."
"Ooo, a gaggle of pre-pubes and Angel, it's my best night ever," Xander said, sarcastically.
"Xander, would you like a high heel in the butt?" Buffy shot him a warning look.
"I think I'm going to snag cookies," Xander said and hurried off.
Willow gave Buffy a quick smile then sobered. "Are you and Angel okay?" Willow brushed nervously at her hair which Buffy had spent a good deal of time curling and fluffing. She playfully slapped Willow's hand. "Things seem tense between you."
"A little, I guess. It's just me being stupid over Dru. I know she's not what Angel wants but I can't help feeling jealous."
"Buffy, you know Angel only has eyes for you. As old as he is, there's lots of baggage."
"I know, but I'm better off not thinking about it. You pointed out once there had to be dozens, if not hundreds of other women. I can't be jealous of them all." Buffy slumped.
"But the rest of them are long dead and Dru is here where I have to deal with her."
"No, you don't." Willow clamped her hands on Buffy's shoulders.
"How do you figure?"
"You could just her once Angel's done using her as bait." Willow's eyes were utterly sober and unapologetic.
"Willow, so blood thirsty," Buffy said, almost surprised. "But you're right, I guess."
Willow smiled suddenly and pointed toward the door. Angel stood there, looking a bit bemused.
Buffy bounced over to him. "Hey." She took a long look at his face. It was too smooth to have lines she could read like she did with Giles. Still, she could see worry in his eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"I saw Spike heading out of town with Dru."
Her face fell. "Oh. So much for bait. Are you sure?"
"Saw a De Soto with black painted windows. That's a sure sign of a vampire driving. I know Spike has a De Soto, heard about it at Willie's. Spike's taking Dru where Ilya can't get her," Angel replied.
Buffy blew at a strand of hair hanging in her face. "Even though he still wants something from you?"
"He probably isn't going far. If Dru wasn't so ill, Spike wouldn't miss this fight for the world," Angel assured her.
"So now what?" Buffy felt suddenly disheartened. She had been hoping that Dru would be the target. She had entertained Spike and Dru as dust as a result of the fight with Ilya, the good kind of collateral damage.
"I'm loathed to suggest it but..."
"This dance is one big playground for Ilya," Buffy finished for him and he nodded.
"Yeah, it crossed my mind, too."
"How many kids are here?" Angel asked.
"More than fifty." Her lips thinned. "No way of watching them all as much as we chaperones try."
"I don't like this." Angel's eyes swept over the gym. "We should coordinate with Willow, Xander and Cordelia. Between us, we should be able to watch the entrances."
"You go round up Willow and Xander off the dance floor and I'll see if I can find Cordelia," Buffy said.
She found Cordelia and Harmony outside the gym, decidedly doing nothing that resembled chaperoning. They had gotten some chairs, probably from the auditorium, and were conducting their service learning by sitting in the hallway calling out fashion tips to the kids going to and fro from the gym, auditorium and rest rooms. Buffy stabbed a fist into her hips. "Cordy, I could use your help inside."
Cordelia scowled. "Why?"
"Angel would like it, too," she added, hating to do it. Cordelia's eyes took on that eager and predatory look just as Buffy was counting on.
"Buffy, maybe you ought to teach your little sister how to put on make up. She looks like a tramp," Harmony said as Cordelia got up.
"What are you talking about? My sister isn't here," Buffy said.
"Sure she is. She's in the auditorium with her little friends." Harmony primped her bottle-blonde hair, getting up to follow Cordy.
Buffy turned on heel and stalked into the gym. She grabbed Angel's hand and yanked him away from Willow and Xander. "Change of plans. Harmony just said Dawn is here."
"Oh, she wouldn't," Willow said.
"Of course, she would. I told Mom letting her and Ginny be together was a bad idea. Amanda is not a good babysitter. I know they were ticked off they couldn't come to the dance. How much you want to bet the minute Amanda's boyfriend showed up, Dawn and Ginny were out the door," Buffy stormed, heading for the auditorium.
"But surely she has to know the dangers," Willow protested.
"She's a child, Willow. They don't think of danger," Angel said.
"If she's here, Buffy, I'll take her home," Xander offered. "I'm not the first string when it comes to fighting and if someone even notices I cut out on the service learning, what's another failing grade to me?"
"Thanks, Xander. There she is." Buffy pointed to the auditorium's stage where Dawn was playing Twister with several of her classmates. Buffy never understood how that could be an acceptable game when slow dancing wasn't. She snatched Dawn off the stage before the girl even knew she was there.
"Hey!" Dawn slung her long hair back then lost all color when she saw it was Buffy. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm the chaperone. Better question is, what are you doing here? Mom is going to kill you, if I don't do it first," Buffy snapped.
"You're not going to tell her." Dawn said, jerking her head at Angel for emphasis.
"If I don't tell her, Willow or Xander will. You're coming home now, young lady, so march," Buffy said.
"What's the big deal? Are you always such a downer?" Ginny asked, jumping off stage.
"Yes, and you're coming along, too," Buffy said.
"You heard her. I'm taking you girls home," Xander said, putting a hand on Dawn's shoulder.
"Why? It's not like we're doing anything bad," Dawn said. "It's not like we're outside the building smoking like some of the other kids are."
"Yeah, there's a nice guy out there sharing his smokes with a bunch of girls," Ginny said.
"He's kinda cute?"
Buffy made a face. "Angel, would Ilya qualify as cute?"
"Why are you asking me?" The vampire gave her a look.
"Okay, change of plans. You two stay here until I'm sure it's safe to go to Xander's car. Willow and Xander will stay with you just to make sure you do," Buffy said.
Angel followed her out. Cordelia and Harmony had left their post in the hall and kids were streaming in and out of the front door more or less unchaperoned. Buffy went outside not needing Angel's sensitive nose to hone in on the smoking. The kids stared at her with horrified looks at getting busted.
"Who gave you the cigarettes?" she demanded to know.
"Some guy," one of the replied.
"Where did he go?" Angel asked and the kids quelled.
"Inside. He wanted to check out the dance."
Buffy raced back in and nearly plowed into Xander who was hobbling up the hall.
"Xander, what are you doing?"
"Dawn kicked me in the shins and took off. Willow chased her and Ginny into the gym," he replied.
Buffy made an exasperated sound and jogged into the gym. She spotted Ilya talking to some girls near the D.J's speakers. "We have to clear this room."
"Suggestion?" Angel said.
Buffy went to the table with the punch and cookies and grabbed a napkin. She used it to cover her hand as she pulled the fire alarm, which spewed blue powder onto the napkin. Most kids knew how to get around the powder they used to figure out who was prank pulling the alarms during school days.
As the kids started bolting out, she and Angel fought up stream against them. The other chaperones were trying to help the kids out. Buffy saw Dawn near the gym's exit to the practice fields, where Harmony was helping to herd the kids out but her sister would have to get passed Ilya to get to the door. Luckily, Ilya was more interested in Angel and her advancing on him than he was in the kids around him.
"See, Buffy, I told you your sister was here!" Harmony hollered as Dawn made for the door.
Buffy froze, horrified. She was going to kill Harmony when this was all said and done. Ilya's rugged face lit up and he lunged for Dawn. She shrieked as he pulled her to him. Ilya twisted with her, giving Buffy a good view of how he had her sister pinned to him.
"Angel...," Buffy whispered.
"We'll save her," he said tightly, putting space between him and her, trying to give her room to fight.
"So the Slayer has a sister," Ilya purred then ran his fat, pink tongue up Dawn's face. She squalled, struggling in his arms. "She's a tasty thing."
"Hurt her and you die slowly," Buffy said, knowing she couldn't be less imposing than she was in her heels and lavender dress. She had to keep reminding herself, this was just an ordinary vampire, not a Master. She killed vampires every day and twice on Saturdays. She could handle Ilya. He has my sister.
Ilya laughed, confirming that fear. "And you think you can stop me? I've never understood why the Powers That Be puts such power into cum dumpsters. It's an insult to the power."
Buffy's lips skinned back. "Did you just call me a cum dumpster?"
"Don't let him get to you, Buffy?" Angel said, trying to find a way to edge around behind Ilya but there wasn't anything to hide behind now that the gym had emptied out.
"Ah, another land heard from. What a pity I had to see the crawling pansy Angelus has become." Ilya gave Dawn's budding breast a squeeze and she whimpered. "What would that bitch of yours say?"
"Darla's dead. I killed her," Angel said, watching Buffy slip off her high heels.
Ilya grinned broadly. "Too bad I missed that. Did you enjoy it?"
"Not really."
Buffy hefted her shoe. "Dawn, duck!" Her sister did and Buffy winged the high heel. The heel embedded in Ilya's neck. He stumbled back, tearing at it. Dawn didn't need anyone to tell her to make a run for it. She bolted for the door. One of Ilya's hands tangled in her hair. Dawn yelped as she left that hunk of hair behind.
Angel was on Ilya as the vampire tore the high heel out of his neck. Buffy screamed Angel's name as Ilya buried the heel in Angel's cheek. Angel staggered for a moment and that was all Ilya needed to toss him into the D.J.'s set up. Metal cracked and the torn wiring hissed as Angel crashed through it.
Buffy, regretting not having the ability to bring much in the way of weaponry to a school dance, scythed the other heel at Ilya. He caught it and tore the shoe out of her hand. Buffy twisted and tried a high spin kick. Ilya moved faster than she thought a stocky little man could. He caught her ankle.
He grinned again, looking up her skirt. "Nice view. I think I'll have a taste before I kill you." He hurtled Buffy into the cinder block walls of the gym.
She heard Angel growling that strange vampire growl they all made in a fight. He tackled Ilya as she tried to make the stars stop dancing in her vision. She got up as the two vampires wrestled, nearly clocking herself on the peg board that hung on the wall for the sheer purpose of torturing grace school non-athletes. She reached up and pulled down two of the pegs from the board. She tossed one at Angel. "Catch."
Angel snagged it out of the air, nearly getting intercepted by Ilya. Their hands were moving so fast Buffy could barely see the trade of blows. Angel was doing his bit to keep Ilya distracted or kill him whichever came first. Buffy went for the Russian's back at the same time Angel stabbed him with the peg from the front. Buffy grunted as her hand stung. It was so much harder to do it through the spine and ribs but the peg went in just as Angel shattered breastbone from the other side. Ilya's scream was cut off as he powdered away. Buffy's hand found Angel's, their fingers touching amidst Ilya's dust.
She wanted to toss herself into his arms but there were kids to worry about. The vampire might be dead but if she let any of them wander off there'd be hell to pay. She reached up and gingerly touched the ragged bleeding hole in Angel's cheek, cut there by her shoe.
"This looks bad."
He captured her fingers, gently pulling them away. "It'll heal." He turned away from her, self-consciously. "You need to go take care of your sister...and the firemen. I hear the trucks coming."
She nodded regretfully. "I know. You'd better go."
She hated to see him go but she didn't want to have to explain a non-chaperone being at the school. Instead, she went out to find Dawn and make sure she was okay, or as okay as she could be given the circumstances.
EPILOGUE
"A coffee house?" Buffy looked at Angel in surprise as he led her to the near Sunnydale U campus building.
"The Bronze is always so noisy. We practically have to scream to hear each other." He stroked her hair as they went inside. "Here we can have a nice conversation."
"And the Irish band that'll be playing later has nothing to do with it?" She raised an eyebrow.
He smirked. "That's just icing on the cake."
Buffy laughed and let him buy her a cup of cappuccino big enough to swim in while she went and bogarted a couch along the back wall. It was soft and enveloping like a big bear hug and was even better when Angel joined her. They'd be able to hear the band perfectly once they took the coffee house 'stage.' She snuggled up against him, giving Angel a kiss. She might not be ale to do all the kissing she'd like with him at this point, being out in public, but just pressing up against him, having coffee was nice too. She sighed contentedly.
"You look happy." His big hand rubbed her shoulders.
"I am. Ilya's gone. The kids are safe...or as safe as they can be in Sunnydale. Dawnie's finally understanding how dangerous my life is and how she isn't making it any easier by breaking curfew and running off when she's been grounded."
"That's a good thing."
"Even seeing Spike driving back into town isn't going to bring me down," she assured him.
"That's good. You deserve an easy night." He rested his chin on the top of her head.
"No arguments."
Buffy nestled up against him, as one of the band members started tuning an instrument that sounded something like cats being tortured. She canted her eyes up at Angel.
"Uilleam pipes. Don't worry, they won't sound so bad with the rest of the band playing." He smiled.
"I sure hope not." Buffy took a drink of her caramel cappuccino enjoying the rush. Even if the band was bad, she wouldn't care. She was here with the man she loved. The latest monster had been destroyed and for one night, she could pretend all was right with the world.
Author’s Note - This story won a couple of awards (no longer hyperlinked since those sites are long gone sadly)