Feedback
Author: Skylar
Disclaimer: Joss and company own everything
Summary: A more comforting version of Gingerbread
AN: Second story in my Remedy series. For this series, I've just decided to
pick episodes at random to rewrite trying to fix Joss' mistakes. This one
was a suggestion by Jen and Heidi that I just had to to do. Angel wasn't in
this episode as much as he could've been, so I plan on fixing it. A lot of
the lines are still from the episode though.
Spoilers: Gingerbread (of course), plus the first story of this series.
AN: For this series, there's no happiness clause in Angel's curse, so there
was no Angelus, and no Angel being sent to hell. However, Angel has moved
into the mansion on Crawford street.
AN2: Angel was haunted by those Angelus killed in Amends, just without the
whole wanting to lose his soul in Buffy deal. So Angel's still dealing with
'sorting things out' and trying to comfort Buffy as best he can.
Rating: Maybe PG-13, if it's even that.
Distribution: Want it- take it. Just let me know where it's going.
Feedback: As always, greatly appreciated.
Dedication: For Heidi and Jen who gave me the idea.
Part 1
The clearing through the willows and sycamores formed a small path, a path beaten hard by creatures running down, trying to escape whatever fate had befallen them. Whether it was a rabbit hurrying noiselessly for cover, a frightened bird flying to safety, or a demon racing past the curling branches, the path had had its share of beatings. It was a path on which Buffy found herself yet again like so many nights before, in pursuit of any vampires who dared trying to outrun the unrelenting slayer.
For a few peaceful moments, the woods were lifeless. Until, from the slayer's right side, came the sound of footsteps on crisp sycamore leaves. Buffy readied her stake, trying to quickly think up what witty comment she was going to throw at the approaching vamp, until the creature finally emerged from the bushes, a lunch bag and thermos in her hands.
"Is it a vampire?"
"Mom?" Buffy lowered her stake as her surprised eyes fell on her mother. "What are you doing here?"
"I brought you a snack," Joyce proudly held up the packed food she carried.
"I thought it was about time for me to come out and watch, you know, the slaying."
"You know, the slaying is kind of an alone thing," Buffy's eyes narrowed as she tried convincing her mother to head home.
"But it's such a big part of your life, and I'd like to understand it a little better." Ever since learning of her daughter's sacred duty, moonlighting as a vampire slayer who just happened to also be in love with one, Joyce had reacted better than Buffy could've ever hoped in adjusting to the whole concept. But still, there were often times she caught her mother shaking her head at the idea of her daughter dueling it out with creatures she never believed existed.
"It's something we could share," Joyce pleaded. "Besides...you patrol with Angel a lot, don't you?" she coyly smiled, noticing the faint blush her daughter was unsuccessfully trying to hide. Buffy was also amazed at the ease with which her mother embraced the idea of her and Angel being together, let alone the thought of her daughter spending several nights out of the week at the mansion with him. While Joyce had a pretty good idea how most of their night's were spent, she trusted both her daughter and the souled-vampire with the angelic face who had so easily won her over. If her soon-to-be eighteen year old, vampire-slaying daughter was going to be so intimately involved with anyone, she was at least happy to know that it was with someone who had cared for her and loved her as completely as Angel did, vampire or not.
"Well...yeah...but Angel...Angel..." the slayer paused for a moment, trying to think how best to sum up her reasons for letting Angel patrol with her- at least the reasons she could offer her mother without turning a lovely shade of pink. "Angel is Angel...I don't have to really worry about him getting hurt. But I don't want to put you at that risk, mom. Besides, it's pretty dull, you know? It's bam, boom, stick...poof..." Buffy's senses picked up on the approaching vampire, as she stretched out an arm to hold her mother back.
As her mother looked on, Buffy and the snarling creature went head to head, with Joyce acting as the slayer's personal cheerleader.
"Good, honey! Kill him!" After exchanging a few quick blows, the slayer is hurled over the vamp's shoulder, left staring up at her overprotective mother. "Buffy- he's over here!" The frustrated blonde shoots an angry glare at Joyce, pulling herself back to her feet to lunge for the attacking vamp. "Oh, my god! It's Mr. Sanderson from the bank!" Joyce gasps, suddenly recognizing the contorted face. Her shout throws Buffy off-guard once again as the young slayer is knocked to the ground, her stake flailing off to the side.
Her eyes intently focused on the demon that was now strangling her, Buffy helplessly tried reaching for her stake. As she struggled to grab it, she could see over her attacker's shoulder that a second vamp was closing in on her mother. Gasping for air, Buffy desperately tried calling out to warn Joyce, but the vamp's grip was too tight.
"Joyce! Look out!!" Hearing the warning, Joyce turns only to find Angel plunging a stake through the nearing vampire from behind. As he rushes past her through the cloud of dust, he dives for the vampire that was ontop of her daughter. He spears the creature, rolling with him on the ground, and drives a right hand to his face. "Joyce, run!" he yells back, watching to make sure she took off in the opposite direction.
As soon as he saw she was out of harm's reach, Angel focused all of his attentions back on the vampire he held at bay, tightly pushing him into the ground as Buffy finds her stake, and plunges it straight through his heart, rendering him to dust. "Are you alright?" Angel gently traces his fingers along her neck, checking for any serious damage.
"A little winded, but I'll live...thanks," she smiles, taking the hand he offered her to pull her back to her feet. "Mom- where'd she run to?"
"Back along that path," he points. "She's okay though..."
"Thanks to you..." Buffy sighs, hoping this would be her mother's last attempt at mother-daughter bonding through slaying.
Certain that she was far enough away from the action, Joyce trudged her way over to the nearby playground, shivering a bit from the cold night air. After placing her things on a bench, a small gray object along the curb catches her attention. She eyes the toy truck for a moment, until a much graver sight draws her away. "Oh god..."
******
The police, for once, arrived at the scene rather quickly. The discovery of the two small children had brought out members of the town, anxiously circling the scene, hoping to learn anything they could about the heinous double murder. The two couldn't have been more than nine or ten, seemingly brother and sister. As the onlookers and detectives gasped in horror, Buffy and Angel returned to Joyce's side after talking with the chief of police.
"They said we can go home now..." Buffy whispered, still reeling from the event herself.
"They were little kids..." Joyce whimpered. "Did you see them? They're so tiny..."
"Yeah...we saw." Buffy's eyes unconsciously lowered to the ground as her hand gripped Angel's a little tighter, seeking more support from her center of comfort.
"Who could do something like this?" Joyce's voice was at the point of breaking as her eyes began to fill with unshed tears. "I just-"
"I'm so sorry that you had to see this," Buffy tries calming her. "But I promise, everything's going to be okay."
"How?" Joyce almost snapped back, unwilling to believe that anyone could fix this.
"Because I'm gonna find whatever did this," Buffy's voice turns stern, full of resolve.
"I guess," her mother weakly replies. "It's just- you can't...you can't make it right..." Joyce's reserve finally breaks as she falls into her daugher's embrace, tears loosely flowing onto Buffy's shoulder.
"I know. I'm sorry..." Her eyes close as she feels Angel's hand gently rub across her back, trying to soothe her. "Everything's going to be okay, I promise. Just try and calm down Please...."
"Buffy..." Angel's whisper finally brings Buffy back to awareness, as she pulls slightly out from her mother's arms to face him. "Why don't the two of you come back to the mansion for a little while- it's closer than your house, and maybe we can calm your mother down a little better. Fix you both some tea..." he rubs his hands up and down her arms, trying to keep her calm as well.
"That's a good idea..." she faintly smiles, lacing hands with him as she wraps her other arm around her mother's shoulder. "Come on, mom...we'll go to the mansion for a little bit, hmm? We can get warmed up a little, all have a nice quiet cup of tea together before we head home for the night? Okay?" Joyce wordlessly agrees, heading with them over to her car.
******
"How is she?" Angel asks his tired beloved, handing her the steaming mug of tea. His eyes shifted to her mother, appearing to have calmed down somewhat, gently sipping on her own mug from her warm chair beside the fireplace.
"A little better, but still pretty shaken up..." she sighs, grasping the drink with both hands as she slid closer to Angel on the couch. "She's right, you know. About fixing this...even if I do find whatever did this, that won't make it right."
"I know..." Angel sighs, trying his best to think of some way to further console both Summers women. "Nothing can ever make something like this right, Buffy." He casually slips an arm around her shoulders, and Buffy immediately pulls herself into his embrace, shuddering a bit as he gently rubs her back. "But fighting it...just wanting to make things right...it's a good start..."
"Mmmm..." she finally agrees, placing her drink onto the side table. "And right now, it's all I've got. Maybe Giles will be able to come up with something...something else to go on," she silently prays, eager to hunt down whatever creature was responsible for the deaths of such young and innocent lives. "I'd better get her home," she whispers, noticing her mother beginning to doze off in her chair. "Maybe she'll be too tired to notice me driving us home..." she manages to smile, tired and weary herself from the evening's unexpected events.
"Just be careful," Angel pleads, gently running his hand through her hair as he bends his head down to softly press his lips to hers in a soft, gentle kiss. "I love you."
"I love you," she pulls him into a strong hug, releasing him after a brief minute and leading her mother out to her car, headed home with yet another ruthless and cruel act she would never be able to eliminate from the world laying heavy on her heart.
******
Part 2
"Don't tell me to calm down, Giles!" Buffy stormed towards the library's stairway, glaring at her watcher.
"I- I only meant-"
"They were kids, Giles- little kids. You don't know what it was like seeing them there! My mom can't even talk."
"I'm sorry. I just- want to help..." Giles steps down towards her, removing his glasses as he tries convincing her of his intentions.
"I know..." Buffy finally concedes, following him over to the book-covered table to discuss the matter in more detail.
"Do we know how? I mean- it wasn't the vampires that attacked you?"
"No. There were no marks. Wait..." the slayer's mind finally clicks at the mention of a mark. As the police were investigating the playground, she had taken notice of the peculiar symbol that was sprawled across both children's hands. "There was a mark- a symbol. It was on their hands..." she began sketching the design from memory, hoping her book-savvy watcher would recognize it. "Here...find me the thing that uses this symbol and point me at it."
"Hmm..." the englishman replied in his usual, annoying way.
"Hmm what? Giles- speak."
"What? Oh, sorry- I just wonder if we're really looking for a *thing*. I mean, the use of a symbol on a victim like this suggests a ritual murder and a cult sacrifice by a group."
"A group...of human beings? Someone with a soul did this?" Buffy's eyes roll up, unwilling to believe that any human being could do such an atrocious act. "Okay- well, while you're looking for the meaning of that symbol, could you also find a loophole in that whole 'slayers don't kill people' rule?"
"Buffy?" Giles turns from his perusal along a shelf of books to face his angered slayer. "This is a dreadful crime, I know?and you have every right to be upset, but...I wonder if you're not letting yourself get a shade more personal because of your mother's involvement." As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew upon meeting Buffy's angry glare that they never should've been spoken.
"Oh, it's completely personal," she assures his suspicions, standing from her seat. Not waiting for his response, she turns on her heel, headed for the cafeteria to meet up with the rest of the Scoobies. "Giles, find me the people that did this. Please."
******
"So why was your mom there?" After listening to her explain last night's events, Xander was the first to ask one of the more obvious questions of her story.
"Wouldn't you know, she picked last night of all nights for a surprise bonding visit," Buffy answered, still upset that her mother had sprung up during patrol. "Your mom would actually take the time to do that with you?" Willow raises her eyes in shock, a bit jealous at the fact that Buffy's concerned and involved mother took more of an interest in vampires and demons than her own mother took in the more boring and ordinary aspects of the red-head's life. "That really wasn't the point of the whole story, was it?" she finally adds, noticing her best friend's awkward stare.
"No...the point is, she's completely wigging-"
"Who's completely wigging?" Buffy turns suddenly at the sound of her mother's voice, standing to greet her.
"Um...everyone, 'cause of what happened." "Oh- it's so awful. I had bad dreams about it all night." After exchanging a few hellos to the others, Joyce turns her attentions back to the reason she was paying her daughter a school-time visit. "Buffy- have you talked to Mr. Giles yet about who could've done this?"
"Yeah- he, uh...thinks it might be something ritual...a cult. But, he's still looking."
"A cult? Like, witches?" Willow's sudden fit of choking earned the whole table's attention, as Amy slumped back a little in her seat.
"Sorry. Phlegm...to much dairy," she meekly covers up, her eyes darting around.
"I know you kids think that stuff's cool," Joyce informs her. "Buffy told me you dabble."
"Right. Absolutely- that's me. I'm a- a dabbler." ‘A dabbler who's best friend has a big mouth...’ she inwardly sighs, passing the slayer a worried look.
"It's just that- anybody who could do something like this, isn't cool," Joyce states her case. "They're a monster- a..."
"Mom, ummm...could you all excuse us for a little bit?" Buffy escorts Joyce out into the hall, leaving the others to discuss matters amongst themselves.
"Man- what a burn," Xander is the first to speak up. "I mean- Buffy's mom had accepted the whole slayer-thing really well, not to mention the whole issue of Angel," he adds as an afterthought. "Now, she's gonna be all freaked."
"Makes me grateful that my mom's not interested in my extracurricular activities," Willow smiles, finding a weird sense of joy in the fact. "Or my curricular activities."
******
"This is great. Maybe we could all go patrolling together later," Buffy suggests, uneasy about the whole town meeting her mother had called at city hall. She and Willow made their way through the massive crowd, a little surprised at the town's enormous reaction to Joyce's plea to take action.
"At least your mom's making an effort. My mom's probably...standing right in front of me right this second," she notices, turning slightly to see her own mother approaching them. "Mom?"
"Willow...I didn't know you were going to be here," Sheila passes her daughter a small smile before taking notice of her friend. "Oh- hi, Bunny."
"Hi," Buffy politely answers to what she often dismissed as Sheila Rosenburg's pet name for her. ‘At least she's not calling me Barbie anymore...’
"Mom, what are you doing here?"
"Well, I read about it in the paper. And with your dad being out of town, I...Willow? You cut off your hair. Well, that's a new look," Mrs. Rosenburg observes.
"Yeah- it's just a sudden whim I had...in August," Willow unconsciously runs a hand through her six-month-old shortened style, actually surprised that her mother took any notice at all.
"Well, I like it," she smiles, oblivious to her daughter's uncomfortable stance. "Oh- hello Joyce," Sheila extends a hand to greet Buffy's mother.
"Sheila- good of you to come..."
"Oh- there you are. We've been looking all over for you," Giles explains as he and Angel approach the small group. "We were afraid we'd never find you through this crowd." As Giles, Sheila, and Joyce begin their own separate discussion of the possibility of witches being involved, Angel immediately crosses over to Buffy's side, gathering her into a small hug.
"What are you doing here?" Buffy gives him a quick kiss, happy to see another sane face among the group.
"I came by the library to see if you and Giles were able to come up with anything. I caught Giles just as he was headed here. How are you and your mother holding up?"
"Can't complain. Mom's gone into Steven Segal revenge-mode. Can't say I really blame her though...I just wish she wouldn't have rallied a town meeting."
"*You* wish?" Willow passes her best friend a nervous stare. "What about me? Now that your mom suspects witches were involved and knows that I'm 'a dabbler', I'll probably be the first one she comes chasing after with a pitchfork!"
"Witches?" Angel ponders aloud. "You think witches were involved?"
"Remember that mark on the two kids' hands? I drew it for Giles...he said it's most commonly used in ritual murders-"
"And cult sacrifices," he finishes for her. "Of course...so, what's our next move?" The three sit down together to discuss any ideas, as Mayor Wilkins steps up to the podium, calling the town meeting to order.
"Hello everybody..."
"He'll do something about this," Joyce leans over to whisper into her daugher's ear. "You'll see..."
"I want to thank you all for coming in the aftermath of such a tragic crime. Seeing you all here proves what a caring community Sunnydale is. Sure, we've had our share of misfortunes, but we're a good town with good people, and I know that none of us will rest easy until this horrible murder is solved. Now I ask you to give your attention to the woman who brought us all here tonight, Joyce Summers."
Buffy and the others looked on as her mother solemnly took to the podium, assuming she would being her presentation by leading the town in a moment of silence to honor the memory of the two children. However, upon reaching the microphone, Joyce headed off in a completely different tangent.
"Mr. Mayor...you're dead wrong. This is not a good town. How many of us have lost someone who just...disappeared? Or got skinned? Or suffered neck rupture? And how many of us have been too afraid to speak out?"
"Buffy...?" Willow looks to her best friend to make some sense of Joyce's surprise attack, but found the slayer just as confused as everyone else.
"I was supposed to lead us in a moment of silence, but...silence is this town's disease," Joyce concludes in no uncertain terms. "For too long we've been plagued by unnatural evils. This isn't our town anymore. It belongs to the monsters, and the witches, and the slayers..." Buffy's eyes darted up at her mother's last remark, looking desperately between Angel and Giles in fear of her mother seeing fit to expose her and the others.
"I say it's time for the grownups to take Sunnydale back. I say we start by finding the people who did this, and making them pay." The townspeople supported their fearless leader in choruses of praise. As several neighbors approached Joyce as she made her way back through the crowd, the Scoobies turned to each other for answers.
"What was that all about?" Angel tosses out the first question. "I know your mother was upset, but..."
"Giles...?" Finding the same blank stare that she was sure her own face held from her watcher, Buffy could only watch as her mother began handing out pamphlets, fearing what was transpiring before her very eyes.
******
"Giles, please tell me you've found something in your endless hours of research," Buffy sighs. By the following morning, she was comletely wiped out. After patrol and listening to her mother's endless rants about the evils of witches, she was admittedly exhaustedly, and had only prayed that Giles had finally found something conclusive.
"All of my research keeps bringing me back to European wiccan covens," he replies with a heavy sigh.
"You found the meaning of the symbol?"
"Yes, I believe I have. There's a piece of information I need to translate though. It's in a book that Willow borrowed- can you get it for me?"
"Yeah...sure..." she responds, immediately not liking the feeling she was getting of Willow borrowing any wiccan books at a time like this.
******
"Buffy...hi," Xander happily greets his friend.
"Is Willow around?"
" 'Nice to see you too, Xander. How're you doing?' " he replies in his typical whiny attitude.
"Sorry..." she resists the urge to roll her eyes at his childish behavior before trying again. "Hi Xander. Is Willow around?"
"What am I, her keeper? Do I have a sign on my forehead that says, 'Willow's owner' or something? Maybe I have no idea where she is," he folds his arms across his chest, passing the slayer a smug, playful grin.
"How can you have no idea where she is?"
"Because the last time I checked, I wasn't a map."
"Are those her books," the small blonde points towards the couch.
"Yeah- she's in the bathroom..."
******
"I don't want you seeing that Willow anymore." Surrounded by stacks of paper and calenders, posterboards and buttons, Joyce was deadset on cutting any unneccessary links her daughter had with the occult. "I've spoken with her mother- I had no idea her forays into the occult had gone so far."
"You were the one who ordered the raid on the school today," Buffy surmised, trying to keep her anger in check.
"Honey- they opened a few lockers," she tired brushing it off.
"Lockers. First syllable- lock. They're supposed to be private, and they took all of Giles' books away."
"He'll get most of them back. MOO just wants to weed out the offensive material. Everything else will be returned to Mr. Giles soon."
"And what's up with all this 'MOO' junk? You guys are starting to sound like a cult yourselves?! Mom, if we're gonna solve this, we need those books now."
"Sweetie-" Joyce decides to try and use logic with her daughter, hoping she would listen to the voice of reason. "Those books have no place in a school library. Especially now. Any student can just waltz in there and get all sorts of ideas. Do you understand how that terrifies me?" she pleads, standing from her seat to approach her daughter for emphasis.
"Mom, I hate that these people scared you so much, and I know that you're just trying to help- but you have to let me handle this. It's what I do."
"But is it really? You patrol, you slay, evil pops up and you undo it, and that's great. But is Sunnydale getting any better? Are they running out of vampires? Look- it's not your fault. You don't have a plan, so you just react to things. It's bound to be a little fruitless." Taken aback by her mother's assessment of her sacred calling, Buffy turns her back, trying to think of how to react to Joyce's conclusion about the slayer's success.
"Okay, so maybe I don't have a plan. But then again, I don't have those lovely lapel buttons. And maybe one day, when the world is being sucked into hell, I won't be able to stop it because the anti-hell sucking book won't be on the approved reading list!"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put down-"
"Yeah, well you did. It doesn't matter...I have to go..." she spins around, heading for the door until her mother calls back out to her.
"Buffy, you wouldn't by any chance be meeting up with Angel, would you?"
"As a matter of fact," she lets out a heavy sigh, anxious to reach the park for patrol.
"I don't want you seeing Angel anymore." The brassed-off slayer stops dead inher tracks at her mother's latest order, having just about put up with as much as she was willing to put up with.
"Excuse me? What did you just say-"
"For christ's sake Buffy- open your eyes! He's one of them! A vampire- god knows how much he's corrupted you already! I mean it- you are not to see him anymore, is that clear?" Not wanting to say or do something she would regret later, Buffy mustered all of her willpower to keep her mouth shut, and stormed out the door.
******
Part 3
"...and then Snyder comes into school with his troop of rent-a-cops and starts stripping through everybody's lockers. They took away three kids away, plus Amy and Willow. And of course, all Xander was concerned about was the loss of his prized collection of Playboys."
"Sounds like Xander..."
"The police completely raided Giles' books..."
"Giles let someone take his books?"
"He claims that he tried telling the nice man with the big gun that he needs his books, but I doubt he had any influence." While sitting with Angel that evening was a much-welcomed change of pace from the day's lunacy, Buffy was still ill at ease after her confrontations at school, and with her mother.
"It's strange," Buffy breathed out, idly staring at the memorial that had been set up at the playground. "People die in Sunnydale all the time...and I've never seen anything like this," she leans further into Angel's embrace, taking in his comforting scent.
"They were children...innocent. It makes a difference," he tries consoling her, not fully believing the explanation he offered. "
And Mr. Sanderson from the bank had it coming?" Pausing for a moment, she let out a heavy sigh, preparing to confide in the only person who had never let her down- who was always and would always be there just to listen to her, without judgement and without fear. "My mom...said some things to me tonight about being the slayer. That it's fruitless. No fruit for Buffy," she shakes her head, trying to rouse a laugh from either of them.
"She's wrong," Angel immediately responds, knowing where she was leading with their conversation.
"Is she? I mean, is Sunnydale any better than when I first came here? Okay- so I battle evil...but I don't really win. The bad keeps coming back and getting stronger. I'm like that kid in the story- the boy who stuck his finger in the duck-"
"Dike." Angel flashes her his trademark half-smile as he watches her eyes narrow at his remark. "It's another word for damn."
"Oh. Okay, that story makes a lot more sense now..."
"Buffy- you know that I'm still figuring things out myself. There's a lot I don't understand. Hey..." he gently lifts her fallen chin up to look into her sullen eyes. "But I do know that it's important to keep fighting. I learned that from you..." He turns slightly, reaching out to cup the side of her face. "Sunnydale *is* better than it was before you came...but even if it wasn't, *I'm* better than I was before meeting you- and so are so many other people. If a person can manage to change one person's heart...they've managed to change the world. We don't do what we do to make things right...we do what we can so that one day we won't have anything that needs to be made right."
"But we never-"
"We never win," he finishes her thought.
"Not completely."
"We never will...that's not why we fight. We do it because there's things worth fighting for in life. Those kids, their parents."
"Their parents," something clicks in the slayer's mind. Something that seemed to be overlooked by just about everyone who insisted on being involved in the attempt to make things right surrounding the children's murders.
"I know it's not much..."
"No- it's a lot. Angel, that's it- their parents."
"What do you mean?"
"Before Snyder and his goons took Willow away, I caught her doodling that symbol that was on both of the kids hands. She was telling me that the symbol didn't mean anything."
"So it wasn't witches who did this?"
"I don't think so..." she begins formulating all the details to her theory, hoping Giles would be able to back it up. "Where are these kids' parents? What are their names?"
"We don't really know anything about them," his eyes squint in concentration as he starts to pick up on just what they'd overlooked.
"Come on," she stands, pulling him to his feet as they head for the library.
******
"Session interrupted?! Who said you could interrupt, you stupid, useless fad! No, I said fad. And I'll say it again!"
"At that point I will become frightened," Xander remarks as he and Oz come trotting into the library to find the frustrated librarian trying to make sense of twentieth century technology.
"Take heart. We found your books." Watching Giles' face begin to beam, Xander chimes in to dash his hopes.
"You can put the heart back. We can't get 'em. They're locked up in city hall." Leaning over his shoulder, Xander begins reading off of the brightly lit computer screen. " 'Frisky Watchers' Chat Room'. Why Giles! Oh- hey Buffy...and Angel..." Xander trails off, noticing the slayer's boyfriend tagging along behind her as they approached the table.
"What do we know about these kids?" she demands, throwing their pictures down in front of them.
"What?" Giles sits up to get a closer look.
"Facts. Details," Angel adds, trying to clarify Buffy's request.
"Well...they were found in the park," Xander offers, really not knowing much else to say about the two tykes.
"No. Where did they go to school?" Buffy begins her series of questions. "Who are their parents? What are their names? We know everything about their deaths, but we don't even know their names."
"Buffy's right- that never came up," Oz supports her. "Ever."
"We need to get some more information," Buffy suggests.
"Well- somebody else can try," Giles gets up from the computer, having endured his first, and last, experience using the useless fad.
"Well, maybe if you wouldn't yell at it," Xander scolds him, making way for Oz to man the keyboard.
"I can look around, but Willow would really know the sites we need."
"Great- she can't even come to the phone thanks to the wrath of MOO," Buffy grumbles, overhearing Xander begin chuckling.
"Heh- Moo...who came up with that lame name? I mean, it would be more fitting if the group was made up of a bunch of *pregnant* Mothers Opposed to the Occult. Then they could start off each meeting with some *real* cow calls. Mooooooo..." His extremely bad imitation of a cow was met with three angry glares and a hard slap from Buffy across the back of his head.
"Xander, keep your mooing and any other animal sounds you make to yourself and Cordelia..."
******
"Wait- I remember this story from before...back in Galway, actually. Before I was even turned. I think I was about 13." After watching article after article being sent to the library by Willow, Angel suddenly recognized the similar chain of events occuring in the many different regions.
"Now he tells us," Xander says. "Nice of you to keep us up to speed, Deadboy."
"I never even realized it could've been the same case until now...and how many times do I have to ask you not to call me that?"
"Well, of course. It makes sense now," Giles puts all the pieces together, finally realizing what evil powers were truly at hand. "Some demons thrive by fostering hatred, and persecution amongst the mortal animals."
"Not by destroying men," Angel cuts in, "but by watching men destroy each other."
"They feed us our darkest fears and turn communities into vigilantes against one another."
"So what do we do?" asks Oz.
"Giles, we need to talk to mom," Buffy says, racing to grab her coat. You guys all stay here and see what else you can get from Willow. We'll try seeing if we can get through to mom- let her know what's really going on before she can do any real damage." Not giving Angel any chance to protest, she passes him one final glance before heading out the door with her watcher.
******
"Buffy? Mr. Giles? Did something happen?"
"Mom- we need to talk to you, now."
"Of course, honey." Joyce waves a hand at the small group of fellow MOOs gathered at the house before walking with Buffy over to the stairway to talk.
"Look- there's more to this than-" Buffy was stopped in midsentence as she felt her mother's cloth-filled grip across her mouth. Looking on helplessly, she watched through blurry eyes as Giles was being gagged as well by the rest of MOO.
"You were right..." Joyce turns back to gaze at the two small children who held control over her, as well as the rest of the town. "That was easy..."
"I told you..." the small girl smiles from the stairs.
"It gets even easier," her brother adds.
"But I'm still scared of the bad girl..."
"You have to stop them. You have to make them go away. Forever..."
******
Part 4
"Just hold still and be a good girl." Sunnydale's City Hall was quickly shifting from a peace-keeping ordinance to a crazed circus. The wrath of MOO was running wild, as they held their three prominent targets captive, preparing for the ultimate sacrifice. Torches were readied, as the citizens were anxiously awaiting to rid their town of the evils the two witches and slayer had brought upon them.
"No! Mom- why are you doing this to me?!" Willow's cries, unheard by the still-unconscious Buffy, were met with her mother's own harsh accusations.
"There's no cure but the fire!"
"Buffy!" Amy desperately screamed from her own post. "Wake up!"
"This is crazy, mom!"
"Buffy! Buffy!! Wake up!"
******
"Wake up! Oh come on, wake up will ya?!" Cordelia's orders were interspersed with slaps to Giles' face, trying to rouse the watcher back to consciousness.
"Cordelia!" Angel grabbed her hand to stop its assault on the poor englishman. "Stop..."
"Cordelia? Angel?" Giles finally awoke, rubbing his throbbing head.
"Took you long enough to wake up. My hand hurts," Cordy whines, shaking her ailing wrist for emphasis.
"Pity...what are you doing here?"
"Things have gotten way out of control, Giles. First the thing at school, and then my mom takes away all my black clothes and my scented candles. I came over here to tell Buffy to stop all this craziness and found you all unconscious- again. How many times have you been knocked out anyway?"
"Come on-" Giles stands, still holding his head as he races for the door. "We need figure out where they took Buffy and save her from Hansel and Gretel."
"Now, let's be clear. The brain damage happened before I hit you, right?"
"Cordelia-" Angel steps aside, a gentleman as always, letting her pass out the front door before him. "Just shut up, and let's go."
******
"Don't you think we should've called Angel and Cordelia at Buffy's house before we headed here?" Oz asks Xander as the two come charging through City Hall.
"Ya know, I would think with your girlfriend missing, you would be more concerned about what could be happening to her, instead of checking in with Deadboy," Xander snaps back. The two make their way down the corridor until coming face to face with the few MOOers who were guarding the assembly hall's front doors. "What's with the grim? We're here to join you guys. Really- why should you guys have all the fun. We want to be part of the hate"
Oz, knowing full well that Xander's lame incognito approach wasn't working, took the opportunity to get in a quick remark before the chase ensued. "Just so we're clear, you guys know you're nuts, right?"
******
With a sudden bolt of energy, Buffy finally awakes with a start. Finding that she was completely bound to some sort of post, she immediately began struggling to free herself, but found that her slayer strength wasn't being of much assistance.
"Good morning sleepyhead," Joyce's sing-songy voice greeted her waking daughter.
"Mom, you don't want this," Buffy whimpers. ‘*I* don't want this!’
"Since when does it matter what I want?" Joyce retorts. "I wanted a normal, happy daughter. Instead, I got a slayer." Finding it impossible to free herself from the ropes, Buffy frantically looked towards the two wiccans for any kind of support. The desperation and fear in her eyes were enough to send a fierce chill throughout Willow, having never seen the slayer with a look of sheer terror plastered across her features.
"Torch..." Sheila's voice was devoid of any emotion, cold and empty, as she handed to raging flame to Joyce.
"This has been so trying," Joyce sighs, thowing Sheila an almost apologetic glance. "You've been such a champ..."
"Oh- you too, Joyce."
"We should stay close. Have lunch..."
"Oh, I'd like that. How nice," Sheila smiled, her first solid form of meaningful expression for the past few days.
Oh, you can't be serious!" Willow didn't know whether Amy's sudden plea was in reference to her mother's pathetic promise to stay close with anyone, or their impending fate. Once she felt the surge of heat from the surrounding flames, her question was soon put to rest.
"Alright! You want to fry a witch!" Amy took it upon herself to finally take some sort of action in hopes to save the three. "I'll give you a witch!" Calling out to the heavens above, the wiccan began her chant. "Goddess Hecate, work thy will!"
"Uh-oh..." came Buffy's whimper, knowing Amy's track record at spells.
"Before thee let the unclean thing crawl..." Shivering as the magic embers began circling her, Amy's form instantly shifted, transforming her into the crawling, unclean thing...
‘A rat? A rat?! Right now, I wouldn't mind being a rat again!’ "She couldn't do us first?!" Buffy's cry prompted Willow to begin her own nervous rant.
"You've seen what we can do- another step and you will all feel my power!"
"What are you gonna do?" Buffy turned to her bold best-friend, now even more nervous. "Float a pencil at 'em??"
"It's a really big power..." Willow ignored her friend's admission of doubt, hoping Buffy would help her in trying to scare of the rest of MOO.
"Yes! You will all be turned into vermin! And some of you will be fish! Yeah- you in the back, you'll be fish!"
"Maybe, we should go," one of the MOOers began heading their warnings.
"But you promised..." Hansel suddenly appeared, unwilling to let the two girls escape.
"You have to kill the bad girls..." his sister added.
******
"Okay- so what exactly are we looking for again?" Angel shook his head at Cordelia's short-attention span as he and Giles kept rummaging through the watcher's apartment, looking for the ingredients for the necessary incantation. But as he was lifting some of the Satyrion root from off the shelf, he was suddenly overcome with an intense sense of fear. He'd had this happen before- usually prompting him to get in contact with Buffy as soon as possible to make sure she was alright. But this time- he'd never felt the fear as being so terrifying, almost painful.
"Angel?" Giles hurries over to him, noticing his sudden state of panic. "What's wrong?"
The vampire winces, almost feeling the sensation of the rope that he somehow knew Buffy was struggling against. Without warning, a sharp pain surges throughout him, bringing him back into focus. "It's Buffy...they've got her tied up...at City Hall..."
"Are you sure?" Cordelia asks, grabbing the last bottle of elixer they needed for the spell. One look at Angel's stern face was enough of an answer. "Right, right...dumb question..." she sighs, heading out the door after them.
******
With the searing flames getting closer, Buffy was at a loss for what she could possibly do to save herself and Willow. As the heat began radiating through her body, her rapid thoughts began circling around just one thing. ‘Angel...why didn't I give you a chance to argue to come with us...at least we would've been together for...’
"They hurt us..." young Gretel's voice broke her from her thoughts, as the small child continued urging the crowd on.
"Burn them..." Hansel added.
"Mom- dead people are talking to you," the slayer tried her hand at reason. "Do the math!"
"I'm sorry Buffy..." Joyce shook her head.
"Mom, look at me! You love me- you're not gonna be able to live with yourself if you do this!"
"You earned this! You toyed with unnatural forces. What kind of a mother would I be if I didn't punish you?
As Buffy and Willow continued their efforts to escape in vain, Angel, Giles, and Cordelia were trying to find a way in through the locked door.
"Ouch! Hey-" the brunette snapped at the nervous watcher who had just plunked one of her bobbypins out of her hair. "You got hair with that! God?" she sighs, watching as he and Angel begin picking the lock. "You really were the little youthful offender, weren't you? You must just look back on that and cringe..." Angel quickly hushes her to be quiet as Giles finally succeeds in opening the doors.
"Buffy..." Willow finally whimpers, the flames drawing nearer being too much. "I can't take it. It's too hot..."
"I'm sorry, Will. If it wasn't for me, none of this would've happened. It wouldn't be-" As she lifts her head, a wave of relief washes over her. "Angel!!" she cries out, her eyes falling upon her three saviors.
"Angel- wait!" Cordelia grabs him by the arm, preventing him from rushing straight into the flames to save Buffy and become burnt to a crisp in the process. Her arm shoots out to break the emergency glass and grab the hose inside. Buffy's eyes widened with hope as she watched Cordelia take control of the nearby firehose, with clumsy aim.
"Cordelia- put out the fire!!" the helpless blonde cries, noticing her best friend now beginning to singe as the flames approached her body.
"Oh...right." The brunette drenches them both with the relieving water, as Giles continues reciting the incantation in German, praying that the spell would take hold before the charging citizens could reach the three.
Once the flames had subsided, Angel sped his way through the angry citizens over to Buffy, quickly freeing her from her restraints. "Are you- umph!!" Angel's concerns are quickly silenced as Buffy leaps into his arms, taking an overjoying comfort in the fact that she still would be able to. She pulls out of his embrace just in time to see her watcher finish the incantation, tossing a small bottle at the feet of the two children, slowly transforming them into their true demonic form.
As the members of MOO disbanded, clammering amongst one another for the doors, the snarling demon continued its plea for them to destroy the two young girls. "Protect us! Kill the bad girls!!"
"You know what?" Buffy snapped, grabbing the post she was just seconds ago bound to, "not as convincing in that outfit." The charging creature was met with the pointed wood penetrating straight through it's neck. Watching her friends' and mother's faces turn sour, Buffy turned towards them with an apologetic glance. "Well...at least I got it..."
“Thank go-" Angel's words were soon masked as the final two Scoobies came crashing through the ceiling in their attempt to be heroes...right on top of the shocked vampire.
"We, uh...came to rescue you..." Oz tried cracking a smile, much to the dismay of all in the room- except for Xander.
"Yeah- what happened?"
"While you two clods were busy playing James Bond, the three of us saved the day," Cordelia boasted, trying to dry herself off a bit from the hose's backspray.
"Well then wait-" Xander yells, feeling beneath himself and the crumbled pieces of ceiling that had fallen along with them. "If the demon's gone...what did we land on?"
"Xander!" Angel's voice is muffled as he yells from beneath the pile of debris. "Get your hands off of me!!"
******
Part 5
"Hold it! We've got to find Amy!" Willow cries, bringing the friends' celebration to a halt. Xander's eyes cautiously observed his best friend as she and Buffy began searching around on the floor for the unfortunate wiccan.
"Uh...guys? What're you doing? The last time I checked, Amy isn't much of a floor-dweller...that's Deadboy's home."
"Xander..." Angel tried restraining his growl, instead grabbing Buffy into another hug.
"Not that I'm complaining," says Buffy, "but between you and my mother, I'm gonna be crushed by all the hugs within a few minutes."
"I just want to make sure you're alright," Angel whispered, pulling her in even closer.
"Guys- I found her..." Willow cheered, lifting the small rat from behind one of the tables. "Now all we have to do is...change her back..." the redhead pouted, gently petting her friend.
"I'm guessin' that's easier said than done," Oz says, reaching a hand over to pet Amy on the head.
"Well, look at it this way..." Xander chimes in, immediately receiving a round of sighs from his friends, "...at least she didn't turn herself into a cow..."
******
Later that evening, Buffy had somehow managed to pry herself out of Angel's overconcerned grasp to welcome her mother into the mansion. It had been raining off and on, and Joyce's hair was tousled as she strode straight through the front doors, making an immediate dive for her daughter. "Honey!" she cried, pulling Buffy into her arms as she began her fifth apology of the night.
"I am so, so, sooo sorry. Are you sure you're alright? You know, maybe a visit to Dr. Andrew would be best...better safe than sorry. You could've been singed and just not know it..."
"Mom- it's okay. I'm fine. See- me...here...fine." she makes a wave of her hands, illuminating her safe presence. "It wasn't your fault-"
"Oh- the things I said to you!" Joyce told her. "The things I did! How could I have..I am...I can't apologize enough-"
"Then stop..." Buffy manages a weak smile. "God- you'd think after you crushed me with your series of sobbing-hugs at City Hall you'd have apologized enough..."
"Right. Of course, you're right. It- it's just that, oh- I'm so sorry!" she pulls Buffy to her once more. "Okay- I'm going. I swear it, I'm going. Oh- I just wanted to bring you by your bag," she smiles, holding out the small duffel bag to her daughter. "Okay- I'm going..." She turns, walking back towards the front doors, until remembering the other reason she had come by. "Angel...?"
The vampire smiled, stepping towards her. "Joy-" If he'd actually needed the oxygen, he would've been more inclined to comment on the strength of Joyce's grip as she hugged him close to her. Finally releasing him, she began patting him on the shoulder, all the while singing his praises. "Thank you...so much. I- I owe you a bit of an apology too. You're not one of them, Angel. And I'm so glad that my daughter has you in her life...I truly mean that."
"Thank you, Joyce," he replied, a little confused by her confession. "I'm glad too." Giving him a final motherly pat across his chest, she gave Buffy one last kiss on the forehead and paced out of the mansion.
"What was that all about?" Angel asks his beloved once Joyce had left.
"While she was caught up in all the Hansel and Gretel tale," she smiles, "mom had this crazy idea about you corrupting me because you were 'one of them'."
"I may have been a lot of things...but I think it's pretty safe to say I was never a witch."
As he turned from closing the doors behind Mrs. Summers, Angel found Buffy grabbing the few blankets that were strewn about in front of the fireplace, heading for the stairs. Following her lead, he walked out into the kitchen, grabbing the tray of food he had prepared for her, and headed up behind her to the bedroom.
"Come on, Buffy..."
"But I hate that stuff!"
"Buffy..." he let out a frustrated sigh, putting the spoon he offered her back into its bowl. "It was hard enough convincing your mother to let you spend the night here- considering the fact that she was deadset on spending the night handcuffed to you," he flashes her a warm smile. "I think she'd seriously reconsider letting you stay over here ever again if she found out you didn't eat anything..."
"But I hate oatmeal!" she playfully whined. "It's so disgusting, and it doesn't have any taste!"
"Fine..." he sighs, pushing the tray off to the side. "Right now I'm so overwhelmed with everything that I'm not willing to argue..."
"Well, it's about time you realized there's no point in arguing with me," she smiles, crawling over into his welcoming arms.
From the moment he had lifted Xander and Oz off of him back at City Hall, Angel's arms had not spent more than a minute off of Buffy. He'd not even taken the time to feed once they'd arrived back at the mansion. He was sure that he wouldn't have been able to anyway, because he was already full with her. He'd taken her in all evening, consumed her. Every one of her movements- movements that further proved she was alright- nourished him. It came to him like a gift, while his hands were studying her narrow back, finding such relief in her warmth.
Buffy was thoroughly enjoying Angel's loving caresses, gentle and comforting. She would smile, eyes filming over with unshed tears, as she felt his lips graze the side of her face and neck, his fingers tracing random patterns across her features. However, as she glanced up, she noticed that his face had suddenly shifted into brood-mode. She could already feel him begin to tense as she pulled away from him slightly to face him. "Angel-"
"Are you sure you don't want anything else to eat?"
"Angel-"
"I can make you something else-" Now that it was apparent he had something on his mind, Buffy sat waiting for him to come out with it. She knew that he could be maddeningly slow, and all the slower if she pushed.
"I feel you..." he said finally. There was a blank, flat pause before Buffy responded.
"And I can assure you, I always enjoy it," she giggles, moving over to straddle her lover's lap.
"No, that's not what I mean. I- when we were trying to figure out what had happened...I could feel your pain...your fear. It was...so intense, and I just knew where you were and what was happening. I could just feel it." As he saw her head slant off to the side, taking in all that he had just said, he began to elaborate, delving further into the connection that he felt had developed between the two.
"It's happened before. Sometimes, during the day, I'll suddenly have this feeling of panic and dread." Buffy laughed, looking at him innocently, but Angel noticed the sly, proud twist at the corners of her mouth.
"Probably when I'm getting ready to take one of Mr. Kalvert's chemistry tests." Giving his nose a small, playful swipe with her finger, she made her own confession. "I'm guessing you spend most of your time during the day brooding...thinking back on things?" He made no reply- he didn't have to. His solemn expression was all the answer she needed. "A lot of times during the day...there'll just be this sadness, and...regret. Sometimes, I'll even catch myself talking out loud. Usually during lunch- you should see me. 'Angel, stop it,' I say. 'It's not your fault...' And then Willow usually says something about how talking to my pasta isn't a good sign."
"Buffy..." his voice turns serious again, lacing his fingers through her hair. "This...bond that we have- this, connection. It's..." he paused, at a loss for words, wishing he could truly express just how strong their relationship was.
"I know..." her arms come up to encircle his neck, pulling him to her as she softly kisses his forehead, and then his lips. "I love you," she whispers, pulling him into another passion-filled kiss. "I told you before, this would get out of control," Angel manages to get out between kisses.
"And I told *you* before, that's the way it should be. You and I together..." she grins, running a hand through his soft hair, "...I can't think of anything more right."
******
THE END!!!
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