[Reviews - 96]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2492 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
I was going to post this last night but could not gain access to the site so fogive me for the late update.
Confession

Wes looked over at the group. A green demon holding a baby. A Vampire hunter under the employment of a Vampire. And the most brilliant woman he had ever had the pleasure of knowing, even after 5 years of being trapped in a dimension where her humanity was her curse.

The ex-Watcher knew that this ragtag group of researchers would eventually find the answers they sought on Akoshta. The problem, he decided was that he knew more already, and could not, would not, give them any information. Anyone who knew had to know because of their own research. He himself found out completely by accident more than three years ago while familiarizing himself with the books and files Giles had kept at the Sunnydale High School Library.

At the time, he was resolved to tell the Council. Then an odd thing happened. The problem was not Slayer prophecies; it was a Mayor intent on destroying Sunnydale, and one rogue Slayer. His life changed in so many ways after that day that he had promised,
and had honored his promise to Giles: 'No one can know.'

So came the tentative relationship he now had with Giles. One where they called every few months to compare notes on their charges. Neither Buffy nor Angel knew that the two were confidantes. Notes were compared, and, after a time, both men decided on who the Second would be, and that Giles would have to leave.

His lazy eyes looked once again over his desk, this time with his glasses in place. "My legal pad?!" Wes squealed.

Fred, thinking it was a request, drew up the notebook that was sitting by her laptop into her hands and strode towards Wesley. He quickly snatched it from Fred. Looking through the obvious 'hints' as to what was happening. He asked fearfully, "So, what have you found so far?"

Gunn walked to Wesley, and recited..."Sisters, demons, test, prophecy, death..." Gunn looked Wes squarely in the eyes to make sure his point was not lost on the ex-Watcher.

"The Second?"

Wes had not been prepared for that. He had no doubt that the three remaining of the group would find 'Akoshta's' meanings, but to know who the Second was...

"Who is it?" Fred finally asked.

Wes turned his head to face all three and a cooing baby. "You..." relief washed over him as he took a breath. "You have to figure that out yourselves."

Wes took a step back from the entryway to his office, and did something he rarely, if ever, did. He shut the door.

Fred and Gunn took a moment to reflect on Wes' words. Lorne, who had helped to clarify details in the research, had a thought, "Didn't anyone ever keep records on Angel? I mean, hey, I love the guy as much as anyone, but he's a Vampire. Don't those Watchers keep Vamp chronicles you can hack into?" he asked, looking at Fred.

The young brunette shook her head. "They don't use computers, at least not for records like that."

"Could you call Su-" Lorne's words were cut off by Gunn who went swiftly to Cordy's file cabinets.

"Oh man, I shoulda remembered. Damn it!" Gunn cursed himself while opening the bottom drawer.

"Fred, you know how Angel went all evil from those happy pills that actress slipped him?"

Neither of the two were there at the time, but Cordy had told and retold that story enough times that Fred nodded. "She started a file on him...well more on Angelus, but she's been keeping it up to date."

Lorne walked over to the cabinet and watched the humans go through the files.

The one plucked out read "Angelus/Angel, History of." It was thick, containing a timeline, pictures, handwritten and typed 'moments in time.' Gunn smiled up at Fred. "Well, now maybe we can get a better idea of who the Second is with all this."

Connor chose that moment, after a feeding, to doze off. Lorne laid the baby gently into his bassinet. "We should probably go through this together. Don't forget, whoever it is isn't just connected to Angel, they have to have a connection with the Slayer."

Fred chimed in, "I'm guessing we can rule out any female Vampires." Gunn looked over to her. "You know, because of the...um, well...sex. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but I think Buffy is strictly a man's woman."

"Yeah, but we might not want to rule it out. I mean, you never can tell," Gunn answered.

Each of the three took paper and pencil in hand, and began their lesson on Angelus/Angel.
Sunnydale

~~`~~

Buffy truly could not help it. She wasn't the only Slayer that loved a Vampire. Her happiness made the shop glow.

Anya, in her 1200 years or less of life, recognized from the very first encounter after Buffy and Spike's first night together that they had had sex. Sex, she knew, was so different from love. The ex-Vengeance Demon had figured the lust was from honest need. Not love. She chastised herself for not realizing that the emotions in Buffy were tuned in more acutely when Spike was around. It was love.

Tara strode to Buffy. "Any new info?" Tara was hit with more information than she had wanted...and also confirmed some of her Slayer resurrecting checks she had made.

Anya spoke up in the emptiness of her store, "Buffy is madly in love with Spike, but..." Anya looked in Buffy's direction, "it's a secret."

Tara and the Slayer both stared at Anya. "What?" was the mutual response to Anya's words.

Anya looked from Buffy to Tara. "It's a secret, I get it. Don't worry, not even Xander will know...unless you say I can tell him? Should I tell him?"

Buffy shook her head left to right once. "NO."

Anya nodded. "Secret," Xander's love spoke. Buffy trusted those words...and let everything spill from her lips.

In the early afternoon, Buffy, Tara, and Anya concluded that Spike had been called for Akoshta. Unfortunately, not all of Tara's news was good. She spent most of last night researching...to little avail. The truth was, she didn't have the internet connections Willow had.

Simply put, she knew:

Akoshta was not always getting, but earning a gift.

Two were, as Anya said, always tested.

Death was foretold for those who could not pass the test.

Anya eyed the two younger women, not sure how much to say, so instead, she asked questions. "So, Spike is being tested to earn a gift he is supposed to get anyway? That doesn't make much sense. And who would the other Vampire be?"

Tara answered Anya's question. "A-Angel?"

Buffy's eyes widened with a realization that had not hit her earlier. "Oh, God." The
Slayer's mind suddenly flashed pictures in her head. Angel and Spike...together again. "Angel's gonna kill him."

Willow headed down the sunny street, and turned to the back ally of the shop. She wanted to talk to Buffy and assumed she would be in the training room. Besides, the less she was in the shop, the less she had to worry about making a stupid mistake and slip up somehow.

Using her key to open the back entrance, she sighed and noted the stacks of boxes but lack of Buffy. Then she cocked an ear in the direction of voices. Noting one was Buffy's, she began to enter The Magic Box through the archway.

She froze in place, just out of sight.

Buffy began her rant. "Oh, my god. Seriously, Angel is going to kill Spike. Vampire senses...he'll smell me...oh, God!"

Anya and Tara didn't catch what the problem was. "Doesn't Spike bathe?" Anya finally asked.

Buffy stared at the woman. "Of course he does, Anya. Eew!"

"I don't think Anya's trying to insult him. It's just, even with pumped up senses, how could Angel...?" Tara wasn't sure how to ask, mostly because she really wasn't sure what Buffy was worried about.

Buffy hung her head and began to sit on one of the stools set in front of the counter. "It's his jacket...the duster." She paused and tried to explain without too many graphic details.

"The first time Spike and I...we, we hadn't exactly planned on it. It started as a fight...when I found out he could hit me."

"He can hit you, without the head bumps?" Anya asked.

Buffy had left that out unintentionally, but it was an important detail. "Yeah...he can."

Anya was surprised, but nodded her understanding, so Buffy continued. "Well, we ended up in an abandoned house. No strike that, we ended up in the basement of the house...no bed...no blankets...so we used the duster to..."

A tiny squeak came from behind the ladies, and there they saw Willow. Her renewed whiteness set off her red hair and scared Buffy.

Buffy in turn knew immediately that Willow was hurt. She had once again been left out of the loop.

Tara took in her ex-girlfriend. "Willow?"

The redhead walked into the shop and over to the group, setting her bag on the counter.

She looked into Tara's eyes, then into Buffy's. "You...slept with Spike?" Buffy nodded in confirmation. "Spike can hit you?" Buffy nodded again. Willow was hurt, but thought she had put it together. "You asked Tara for help, magic help, to find out why he can hit you?"

Buffy began to nod, then stopped. "Wills, I...I was, am worried he can hit me, but that's not the whole reason I asked Tara to check the magical side of things." Buffy's eyes began to well up with tears, the happy news that she was not the only Slayer to love a Vampire.

She fell into her best friend's waiting arms. "I think…I might…I love him."

Willow's arms held the Slayer, and she tried to soothe her. "It's ok, Buff. I mean, it's...and Spike's been really good around here. He went all out last summer for us." Willow looked into Buffy's swollen eyes. "You can't control who you love. Don't you remember when I told you about...Tara?"

Buffy wiped her tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. "Will, I know you want to make it ok, but Tara and you...well, it's so not the same as Spike and me." She paused at her own words.

'Spike and me.' She'd never even really said that phrase out loud before.

The three ladies watched their friend's facial expressions morph before their eyes. First, a look of distaste, followed by one of confusion, then a small smile twitched at the corner of her mouth.

Without realizing what the effect of her words would have on the group, Buffy began.

"Wills, you remember after we got rid of your cyber boyfriend, you were all sad?" Willow nodded. "Let's face it. None of us are ever going to have a normal relationship. I think the Slayer over a Hellmouth is included."

Anya decided now it would be safe to ask the one question she had been holding back for weeks now. "So, is he as well endowed as he looks like he is?"

"ANYA!" the duet of Willow and Tara yelped. Buffy became an extremely deep shade of crimson.

"Well, look at her. It wasn't such a terrible thing to ask. Obviously he is," Anya shot back.

Willow and Tara scanned Buffy's now red complexion.


Chapter End Notes:
I once again have to tell everyone how happy it makes me to get your reviews. Just knowing my story is being read makes every chapter worthwhile.



You must login (register) to review.