Chapter 19
November…
While Giles was over at Ethan’s shop, Buffy had gone to Lillian’s apartment.
“Buffy! Good to see you up bright and early.”
“Do you know what happened in Sunnydale last night?” She entered the stylish living room. Well, stylish for an old lady’s house.
“Some. Why don’t you fill me in on what happened with you? Would you like something to drink?”
Buffy took off her coat and sat on the sofa. “No, thanks. The short version: I was dead for a couple hours.”
“Beg pardon?”
“I was wearing a ghost costume and Ethan’s magic turned me into one.”
“Oh, dear.”
“On the flip side, it let me talk to Spike without him being able to hurt me.”
“You saw him last night?” Lillian sat down across from her.
“Yep. He’s got some anger management issues, but we made a deal. His sire is sick or something and he wants to cure her. Can you guys do that?”
“Depends on the cause. Was she injured, or cursed?”
“No freakin’ clue.”
“I see.” The matter had to be delicately handled. “I will consult the others. What of Kendra?”
“She’s softening up in the right places. Has a crush on Xander.”
“The best friend you told me about?”
Buffy nodded. “Yup. Best sidekick a Slayer can have. He saved my life.”
“Are you alright sharing him with Kendra should he return her feelings?”
She shrugged. “Sure. He’s like my brother. Don’t know how Willow will take it, though. They’ve been close since they were five.”
“A long time.”
“Yep. She doesn’t think she can get a boyfriend, but I know it’ll happen. She just doesn’t see how amazing she is.”
“You love your friends very much.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Just an observation, dear. It has been a long time since I was around someone your age and confess to wondering if your generation would be incredibly different from the past.” She took on a sad, wistful quality. “Sometimes the world doesn’t appear to deserve saving. And then we meet someone like you, and your friends.”
“Huh. That’s never occurred to me.”
Lillian waved it off. “Just the musings of an old woman. Anything else you want to talk about today?”
“I want to be able to kick butt again. I haven’t tried to be, but I keep ending up in dangerous situations. Guess it’s part of the Sunnydale package. I can’t rely on other people to always be there to help.”
“Unfortunately not.”
“So? Can I do spells? Shoot lightning? Leap tall buildings in a single bound?”
“Buffy…power takes time. So does skill. Magic is not like the illusions you see in Vegas.”
“Then give me a cool weapon or something. I’m not as strong or fast anymore, but I still know how to use them! C’mon, Lillian…I’m not used to feeling weak and I hate it.”
“You are not weak. True strength does not come from muscle. You have succeeded this fall by your intelligence, ingenuity, and heart. You don’t need to be anything other than Buffy to use those.”
She warmed at the compliment. “Still…I’d rather be armed than lucky.”
Lillian shook her head. “Think on it. Off to school with you. I need to chat with the others.”
Buffy put on her coat and headed for the door. “Thanks. You know. For listening.”
“Any time.”
****
It was night at the park. The playground was deserted. The carousel slowly turned and the swings swayed in the light breeze. A boy sat on the jungle gym.
“C’mon, Mom. She’s always late.”
“Are you lost?” Drusilla asked.
The boy turned to her. “No. My mom’s just supposed to pick me up, is all.” He climbed out of the gym.
“My mummy used to sing me to sleep at night.
Run and catch
The lamb caught in the blackberry patch
She had the sweetest voice. What will your mummy sing when they find your body?”
“I’m not supposed to talk to people.”
“Oh. Well, I’m not a person, see, so that’s just--”
Angel stepped between her and the boy. “Run home.”
The boy only hesitated for a moment before running off. Drusilla watched him go in dismay. Angel sighed and turned around to face her.
“My Angel.”
“Hello, Drusilla.”
“Do you remember the song Mummy used to sing me? Pretty.”
“I remember.”
She looked at him in that way that said she saw too much. “Yes, you do.”
“Drusilla, leave here. I’m offering you that chance. Take Spike and get out.”
“Or you’ll hurt me?”
He looked away.
“No. No, you can’t. Not anymore.” This left her sadder than he’d wish to see.
“If you don’t leave, it’ll go badly. For all of us.”
“My dear boy’s gone all away, hasn’t he? To her.”
“Who?”
“The girl. The Slayer. Your heart stinks of her.” She put her hand on his chest. “Poor little thing. She has no idea what’s in store.”
“This can’t go on, Drusilla. It’s gotta end.”
She tilted her head and reached up for a kiss. “Oh, no, my pet. This is just the beginning.” She pulled away without the kiss and gave him a wicked smile, then slowly walked away.
Angel watched her go for a moment, then left in the opposite direction.
The scene over, Kendra turned away from the edge of the roof above and left. She knew Angelus wasn’t as good as Buffy wanted to think.
****
Jenny laughed. “Rupert, you’re gonna have to trust me.”
“Alright, alright, I p-put myself in your hands.”
“That sounds like fun. Okay, tomorrow night, 7:30, right?”
“Yes.”
Buffy walked up and Jenny left. “Hey.”
Giles continued to the library. “Hello. Uh, I’ve been researching our friend Spike. Uh, the profile is fairly unappetizing. But I-I still haven’t got a bead on why he’s here.”
She certainly wasn’t spilling the beans. “You’ll figure it out.”
“You alright?”
“I’m fine.”
“You could spend some time with Angel.”
“He’s not in the picture anymore, Giles.”
“Oh, my apologies. Did, did you have some sort of falling out?”
“Nah, nothin’ like that. I’m just not going to date him.”
“I see. Well, probably for the best, all considered.”
“Yup. I’m off to class.”
History was studying Louis XVI. “Uh, any other impressions?” the teacher asked.
“I just don't see why everyone's always picking on Marie Antoinette. I can so relate to her. She worked really hard to look that good, and people just don't appreciate that kind of effort,” Cordelia said. “And I know the peasants were all depressed--”
“I think you mean ‘oppressed’,” Xander said.
“Whatever. They were cranky. So they’re, like, ‘Let’s lose some heads.’ Uhhh! That’s fair. And, and Marie Antoinette cared about them. She was gonna let them have cake!”
“Yes, well, that's a very interesting perspective. Um, would anyone else like to comment?”
The bell rang. Buffy, Willow, and Xander left class. They headed to the lounge.
“Crazed dance party at The Bronze!” Xander suggested.
“I dunno,” Buffy said.
“Very calm dance party at The Bronze? Moping at The Bronze.” He sat on the couch next to Willow.
“I'd suggest a box of Oreos dunked in apple juice, but maybe she's over that phase,” a stranger said.
Buffy turned around. “Ford?”
“Hey, Summers.” She hugged him. “How ya been?”
“Oh, my God! What are you doing here?” Talk about a blast from the past!
“Uh, matriculating.”
“Huh?”
“I'm finishing out my senior year at Sunnydale High. Dad got transferred.”
“This is great!” As well as she’d gotten to know people in Sunnydale, she had little history here, and Ford was part of her good ol’ days.
“I’m glad you think so. I didn’t think you’d remember me.”
“Remember you? Duh! We only went to school together for seven years. You were my giant fifth grade crush.”
“So! You two know each other,” Xander cut in.
“Oh! I’m sorry. Um, this is Ford. Uh, Billy Fordham, this is Xander and Willow.” She and Ford sat on the opposite sofa.
“Hi.”
“Hey.”
“Nice to meet you!” Willow said.
“Uh, Ford and I went to Hemery together in L.A. And now you're here. For real?”
“Dad got the transfer, and boom, he just dragged me outta Hemery and put me down here.”
“This is great! Well, I mean, it's hard, sudden move, all your friends, delicate time, very emotional, but let's talk about me! This is great!” She really had to stop repeating the word ‘great’ and sounding like a dork.
“So, you two were sweeties in fifth grade?” Willow asked.
“Not even. Ford wouldn’t give me the time of day.”
“Well, I was a manly sixth-grader. I couldn't bother with someone that young.”
“It was terrible. I moped over you for months. Sitting in my room listening to that Divinyls song I Touch Myself.” Buffy caught what she said and looked at Xander and Willow with wide eyes. “Of course, I had no idea what it was about.”
Ford nervously scratched his temple with his finger. Xander just smiled and nodded.
“Hey, are you busy tonight? We're going to the Bronze, it's the local club, and you have to come,” she asked.
“I'd love to! But if you guys already had plans... Would I be imposing?”
“No, only in the literal sense,” Xander said.
“Okay, then! I, I gotta find the admissions office, uh, get my papers in order.”
“Well, you know what, I'll take you there, and I'll see you guys in French!” Buffy said.
“It was good to meet you.” They left.
Xander smiled at them until they were gone. Next to him Willow had a thoughtful look on her face.
“’This is Ford, my bestest friend of all my friends!’”
“Oh, that's what that song is about?”
****
Xander, Willow, and Ford were playing pool at The Bronze. Ford sunk his shot and set up for another as Buffy arrived at the table with Kendra. Xander went around the table to the Slayer.
“Ford! You made it!”
“Wasn’t hard to find.”
“Buffy, Ford was just telling us about the ninth grade beauty contest, and the, uh, swimsuit competition,” Willow said.
“Oh, my God, Ford, stop that! The more people you tell, the more people I have to kill.”
“You can't touch me, Summers. I know all your darkest secrets.”
“Care to make a small wager on that?” Xander said.
“I'm gonna go get a drink. Ford, try not to talk.” She went to the bar and found Angel there.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hey.”
“You drink! I mean, drinks. Non-blood things.”
“There’s a lot about me you don’t know.”
“I believe that. So, what’d you do last night?” Buffy asked.
“Nothin’,” Angel said.
“Nothing at all. You ceased to exist?” she teased.
“No, I mean I stayed in. Read.”
“Oh.”
She received her drink. “See ya.” She went back to the pool table. Angel followed.
“Hey, Angel,” Willow said.
“Hi,” said Ford.
“This is Ford. We went to school together in L.A.,” Buffy said.
“Nice to meet you,” Angel said. He shook Ford’s hand.
“Whoa! Cold hands!”
“You’re not wrong,” Xander quipped. Buffy gave him a look.
“So, you're here visiting Buffy?” Angel asked Ford.
“No, I'm actually here to stay. Just moved down.”
“Hey, Angel, do you wanna play?” Willow asked.
“Six people are too many for one game, Will,” Xander said.
When they looked in his direction, Angel had done his disappearing act again. Kendra muttered something unintelligible under her breath.
“You made him do that thing where he's gone,” Willow whispered to Xander. He shrugged and broke the pool balls.
****
Later that night, Ford walked down an alley. He knocked on a heavy metal door and the viewport opened.
It closed and the door opened to let him in. Inside, a welder was cutting the knob off the inside door. Ford went down the stairs to the main area.
Dark music set the mood and everyone was dressed in black and pale make-up. Never Land by The Sisters of Mercy was playing.
I had a face on the mirror
I had a hand on the gun
“Ford? Hi, Ford?” Marvin was anxious to get Ford’s attention.
“Hey!”
“Well, how’d it go?”
“It went good.”
“Good? That's, that's it? That's all we know? Well, when are we--?”
“Soon.”
“Oh, soon, okay. Y'know, you could gimme a little more information here. I'm trusting you. I'm out on a limb here. Not to mention the lease is almost up on this place. Who's gonna cover that?”
“Marvin…”
“Diego! C’mon, man, it’s Diego now.”
“Diego.” He took out a pill. “Ritalin. Everything’s gonna be fine.” He popped the pill as a blonde came over and handed him a drink. “Just make sure you’re ready when I say. True believers only.”
“I can’t wait!” she said.
“Right, whatever, I still think I should be in on the plan.”
“Diego, you gotta trust me.” He watched a scene from a Jack Palance vampire movie on the TV. “A couple more days and we'll get to do the two things every American teen should have the chance to do: die young, and stay pretty.”
****
Willow's room. Neat and clean and everything was in its place, except for some clothes on her bed. She was in her nightshirt, brushing her hair.
A knock on her door caught her off guard. She dropped her brush on the bed, went to the door, and pushed the blinds apart to see who it was. “Oh! Angel! What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“Oh, well...” She gestured for him to come in, but he stayed standing there. “Well?”
“I can't. Unless you invite me, I can't come in.”
“Oh! Well, okay, I invite you. To come in.”
She turned around as he came in, and a look of horror appeared on her face when she saw her bra on her bed out in the open. She quickly rushed over, grabbed it, and hid it.
“I-if this is a bad time, I...”
“No! I just... I'm not supposed to have boys in my room.”
“I promise to behave myself.”
“Okay. Good.”
“I guess I need help.”
“Help? You mean like on homework? No, 'cause you're old and you already know stuff.”
“I want you to track someone down. On the 'Net.”
“Oh! Great! I'm so the 'Net girl.”
“I just wanna find everything I can. Records, affiliates, I'm not even sure what I'm looking for yet.”
“Good. What's the name?”
“Billy Fordham.”
“Uh, Angel? If I say something you really don't wanna hear, do you promise not to bite me?”
“Are you gonna tell me that I'm jealous?”
“Well, you do sometimes get that way.”
“You know, I never used to. Things used to be pretty simple. A hundred years, just hanging out, feelin' guilty... I really honed my brooding skills. Then she comes along. Yeah, I get jealous. But I know people. And my gut tells me this is a wrong guy.”
“Okay. But if there isn't anything weird... Hey, that's weird.”
“What?”
“I just checked the school records, and he's not in them. I mean, usually they transfer your grades and stuff, but he's not even registered.”
“He said he was in school with you guys, right?”
“Let me just see if I can...”
“Willow? Are you still up?” her mother called from the other side of the door.
“Ack! Go!” She shooed him away. “Iiiiiii'm just going to bed now, Mom!”
Angel went back out. Willow held the door.
“Come by tomorrow at sunset. I'll keep looking,” she whispered.
“Don't tell Buffy what we're doing, alright?”
“You want me to lie to her? It's Buffy!”
“Just don't bring it up until we know what's what.”
“Okay. I-it's probably nothing.”
“That'd be nice.”
She closed the door, nervous about what she had to do.
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