Forever, Always, and Then Some

Chapter 68

 

Downstairs at the hotel.

Buffy comes down the stairs. Angel comes running down behind her. As she reaches the bottom he gets in front of her. She is stopped in her tracks.

Buffy: What?

Angel: You forgot something.

Buffy looks down at her bare feet.

Buffy: I am at home, I do not need to wear shoes no matter who is here.

Everyone is watching them.

Angel: (mentally) I am not talking about your shoes.

Buffy: (mentally) I know, now move.

Angel: (m) Not till you go back upstairs.

Buffy: (m) No, now move.

She tries to walk around him and he steps to block her.

Angel: (m) Want me to carry you upstairs?

Buffy: (m) This skirt is so short you better not throw me over your shoulder again.

Nigel: Uh what are they doing?

Willow: Arguing.

Nigel: Huh?

Angel: (m) This is not funny.

Buffy: (m) Not meant to be. Now lets go see what Travers has to say.

Angel: (m) You get back upstairs first.

Buffy: (m) Not going to happen. Are you nervous?

Angel: (m) No, I just don’t like the idea of you…..

Dawn: Hey Angel.

Angel: What?

Dawn: Look at her face. Do you really think you are going to win whatever you are arguing about?

Angel looks at Buffy.

Angel: Fine. But I am not happy.

Buffy: Yes you are.

She joins the others.

Dawn: We all went out to eat but we brought you a plate back.

Buffy: Good, I am hungry.

Willow: (mentally to Buffy) Worked up an appetite?

Buffy: Yes I did Will.

Nigel: What is going on here?

Willow: What do you mean?

Nigel: I am not sure. Were they really arguing? I only saw them staring at each other.

Willow: Oh they were, they just didn’t want us to hear.

Nigel: What?

Nigel: Are you saying they can project their thoughts. That is amazing.

Fred: You should see when she spooks him all the way from Sunnydale. One time Cordy thought he had gone mad

Willow: Not so amazing. A few of us can do it.

Buffy: Yeah, Willow learned how first. Then me, then Angel. And Fred has mastered the basics.

Buffy pulls out a bottle of juice from the fridge. Then she warms up a cup of blood for Angel. She walks over to the desk. Angel is sitting there giving her a dirty look.

Buffy: Alright, who got into my hot wings.

She looks around. Then notices others looking at Angel. She looks him in the eye.

Buffy: Are you the thief?

Angel: They are spicy.

Buffy: Fine but hands off the rest. Here drink this.

Angel: Thanks.

She grabs the arm of his chair and rolls him toward the desk and sits in his lap to eat.

Angel: Buffy, there are other chairs.

Buffy: So.

Buffy starts eating.

Angel: Did we loose Giles & Quentin?

Willow: There in Wesley’s office. Want me to tell them you are back?

Buffy: Please. It is getting late.

Giles and Quentin join the rest.

Buffy: Well what have you decided?

Quentin: We are not completely comfortable with the plan but we have to admit we can not com up with another solution. But we do insist on sending a council member to Sunnydale.

Buffy: Giles?

Giles: No not me.

Buffy: (m to Giles) Better not be Nigel.

Giles: Uh we were thinking on the lines of Emily.

Buffy: Emily?

Nigel: Emily? I would have assumed you would send someone with a bit more experience.

Quentin: Whom would you recommend Nigel?

Nigel: Uh I would have thought the council would prefer myself to Emily.

Quentin: The council does not believe that you and Mrs. Summers would be able to work together. We need someone that will not bring further conflict.

Buffy: And Emily?

Quentin: You met her although rather briefly last year. She was amongst the group that came.

Buffy: Don’t really recall her.

Quentin: Well Giles does and he thinks you two should be able to work together. Also she is very familiar with the vampire called Spike and since he is now assisting you in Sunnydale, I think she would be most effective.

Buffy: Just be assured I will not be taking any orders and I promised Faith that she would only have to deal with me in the beginning.

Quentin: I am well aware of that. We just need someone to be our contact and to keep the records, since Giles informs me that is not something you excel at.

Buffy: True. So she keeps the diary and what helps the research. But I handle Faith.

Giles: Pretty much so.

Buffy: Cool. Now can I get back to dinner..

Quentin: Certainly. Uh Angel I was hoping to show you something. Nigel can you get that large tube out of the car?

Nigel: Fine. Now I am a errand boy.

Nigel leaves.

Angel: That is more than he deserves.

Quentin: I understand your feelings.

Buffy: You better.

She leans back against Angel’s chest.

Buffy: (m) You can forget what you are thinking. There is no way you would get away with it.

Angel: (m) What are you talking about?

Buffy: (m) There are too many people in here and someone is sure to notice.

Angel: (m) Notice what?

Buffy: (m) Your hand on my knee. Not in it usual place, so I know what you are wanting to do and you can forget it.

Angel: (m) I am not planning anything.

Buffy: (m) Sure your not.

Buffy licks the hot wing sauce off a finger then turns and offers Angel the other one. He taste it.

Angel: (m) The wings are not the only thing spicy around here.

Buffy: (m) I like things hot and spicy. How about you?

Angel: (m) Depends on what you have in mind.

Buffy: (m) Your call.

She stands up.

Buffy: I need to go wash my hands.

She heads toward the restroom.

Buffy: (m) Help?

Angel: (m) Too many people.

Buffy: (m) Think of something.

Angel: She got the sauce on my shirt

He follows Buffy.

Willow: Oh yeah I believe all of that.

Cordy: And I have a bridge for sale.

Dawn: Ewww.

Nigel comes in.

Nigel: Uh where is the vampire?

Giles: Uh Buffy and Angel went to the bathroom to uh clean off the chicken sauce (wipes his glasses)

Quentin: Are they always like this?

Cordy: Pretty much so, but sometimes they are worse.

Quentin: Well I really would like to show him something before we leave, can someone tell him please.

Dawn: I will.

She walks over and knocks on the door.

Dawn: Quentin wants to see Angel.

Buffy: Just a minute.

Dawn: He will leave after.

Angel: We are coming.

Dawn walks back.

Dawn: They’re coming.

Willow: Uh huh. (m to Tara) I bet she is.

Tara: (m) But they can’t.

Willow: (m) Not that, no but I can imagine they have found other things.

Tara: (m) I bet they have. I know I would have.

Willow smiles at Tara and she smiles back.

Dawn: You two look happy.

Willow: Don’t start Dawn. We are not back together,

Dawn: Yet.

Buffy and Angel walk back in holding hands.

Willow: I see you have stopped fighting.

Buffy: Were we fighting?

Quentin: Okay, uh Angel. I wanted to show you something. Uh, well since you have become such an integral part of the slayer’s life, some of the council members felt the necessity to well look into you past.

Angel: Oh really. So am I going to be drawn and quartered?

Quentin; Not at all. We just discovered something and we want you to confirm if it is what we think it is.

He slides a large rolled canvas from the cardboard tube. He rolls it out across the counter. Angel stares at it and then cautiously touches it.

Angel: Where did you find this?

Quentin: In Ireland. It was part of a collection of paintings from a little known artist from your home town. He had died in the mid 1700s but his records were in tact. Is this who we think it is?

Buffy walks up to look.

Buffy: My lord. It….

Angel: What?

Buffy: I think I know who it is. That is Kathleen, isn’t it?

Angel: How did you know?

Buffy: I just did.

Angel: It was painted for her 13^th birthday, just a year before I killed her.

Buffy: (m to Giles) Giles.

Giles looks up.

Buffy: (m) My dream, she looks just like Caitlin did in the dream.

Giles Just stares at her.

Quentin: So this is your sister?

Angel: Yes. She was pretty, wasn’t she?

Buffy: She was beautiful.

Quentin. Well that is all we wanted to know. Now we have taken a photo of it an put it in the file so the original is yours. If you want it.

Nigel: You can’t be serious.

Quentin: Very.

Angel: I do want it. Thanks.

He reaches out and touches it again.

Buffy: I guess we need to look for a suitable frame. Maybe this can replace the one that got destroyed earlier.

Angel: What? Replace? Oh, no. I will not have my kid sister hanging over my marital bed. I will find someplace for it.

Buffy: You okay?

Angel: I am….

Cordy: Ahhhhh.

Angel turns and catches her.

Cordy: Demons crashing a party, a celebration at the Prince Charles Hotel. There are children.

Angel, Gunn and Wesley start grabbing weapons.

Wesley: Giles? Quentin?

Quentin: I’m in.

Angel hands him a sword. Wesley hand one to Giles.

Buffy: Angel.

Angel: No you are not going.

Buffy: No, just be careful. (her eyes water)

Angel: I will, you know that. I will be fine.

He give her a quick kiss. And they head out.

© 2005 Tara