New York May 2008
William woke up with a silent scream.
He did that a lot; waking up after a restless night, covered in sweat and panting like a maniac.
No wonder that Ana had insisted in soundproofing the apartment.
He guessed that he had dreamt another nightmare. One of those that he could never remember when he finally woke up.
Grimacing at the sweat soaked sheets, William crawled out of bed and walked over to the window in all of his naked glory. He yawned and stretched his muscles like a graceful feline, all predatory and alert to the sounds around him.
A sound form the alley down bellow drew his attention and he smiled when he saw Ana kick the living crap out of a vampire. The girl just didn’t know how to relax.
When she had dusted the demon, she turned her head upwards and their gazed met through the night.
William raised a hand in a silent greeting and she acknowledged it with a nod – before melting into the shadows and disappearing from his view.
Although they did get along real nice, he knew that she ever could get over the fact that he could take her in a fight. He supposed that it hurt her feelings – with him not being demon or something like that. Something that could explain why he was so strong.
Shortly after discovering his amazing strength, Ana had insisted that he should do a complete check out and urged him to the nearest hospital. Only to be informed that there wasn’t anything unusual about William. In fact, the doctor had told them, the young man was in exceptional health. Maybe the healthiest person he’d ever examined.
After that setback, Ana had continued persisting that they should regularly spar. So that she could be an even better fighter, was her explanation.
He had reluctantly agreed.
Shaking his head at this stupidity, William turned his back against the window and headed for the bathroom, all with the intention of taking a hot shower to loosen up some of his tensed muscles.
As the water washed over him, William leaned his head against the cold marble and drew in a deep breath.
It was true that he couldn’t remember the most parts of his nightmares – but there was one thing he do remembered. Or rather someone.
A girl…
She’s wasn’t really a girl. More of a beautiful woman.
Her face could have been carved by angels, her hair spun by the purest gold. She was petite, this woman from his dreams, but yet she possessed the strength of a lioness.
She was… effulgent.
Who is she?
That question kept haunting him threw the days and the nights, every week… every month. At times she was all he could think about – a nameless face which taunted him by its beauty. Whatever meaning she could have to him, was an enigma as long as his memory kept eluding him.
Sometimes he couldn’t help to wonder that he must’ve done something really horrific in his past that made him deserve this kind of life. A life with a huge whole in it.
Emptiness.
It was a word he’d come to know very well. In fact, that was the only way to describe how he felt these days. There was a blank space inside of him urging to be filled – yet he did not have the means to fill it.
Even tough the elusive girl from his dreams was a mystery it wasn’t even close to how vexed he was about not knowing anything about himself.
Who am I?
Still reeling from that question, William turned off the water and reached for a towel.
After drying himself of with the soft towel, he left the bathroom and on the way towards the bed, took out a change of sheets from the closet.
After making the bed with the fresh sheets, William slid under the cover with a tiny sigh.
He knew that as soon as he fell asleep the nightmares would haunt him once again.
They always did.
~ ~ ~ ~
Ana silently opened the door and pressed herself through the thin opening, conscious to not make the slightest sound that could alert William about her presence in the apartment.
If there was a light sleeper that would be him.
Tripping over the marble floor, she headed towards the kitchen. With one eye on the ornamented stair leading up to the second floor, she carefully opened the refrigerator. Quickly she snatched the remaining piece of chocolate cake (both she and William was chocolate-holics) and the last milk.
Taking place behind the kitchen island, she dug into the chocolaty goodness with a hum of pleasure. This was enough to bring her back from the boredom of an evening of patrol. This and the cold milk that soothed her throat.
With an affective smile, she sent a thought to the man on the floor above her that always drank the last of the milk and then put the cartoon back in the fridge.
Pig.
Although she and William got along quite fine, there would always be the fact that he could easily take her out, hovering above their heads. A fact that had her on her toes almost every second in his company.
But even tough she found his amnesia to be a splinter between them; she couldn’t help being drawn to him as well. Not in a romantic way – ‘cause it had been absolutely clear from the first start that there was no spark between them.
There had been the night tough… When they’d been so drunk and wallowing in their own grief that they desperately had tried to soothe the pain in each other’s arms. But as soon as they had woken up in the same bed, they’d realized what a huge mistake that had been.
No, that was two ships who certainly wouldn’t be meeting in the night again.
Ana gulped down the last of the milk and put the glass in the sink, before she exited the kitchen and slowly made her way up the stair. She was in desperate need of a hot shower that could relax her aching muscles.
Tiptoeing pass William’s bedroom, she held her breath and prayed that she wouldn’t wake him. She knew how much he needed the little sleep he could get.
Silently cursing the nightmares that still plagued him, she entered her room and carefully closed the door behind her.
Later, when she had showered and washed her hair free from vampire dust, she sat in front of the mirror and combed through her hair with a distant expression on her face as she pondered about the mystery that was William.
It was an enigma to her that she’d never reported his presence to the New Watcher’s Council. After all, he was way to strong for your average human. Yet nothing about him appeared demon either.
Maybe she kept him a secret because deep inside she longed for a friend to help her with her patrols. A cold comfort during the lonely life as a slayer.
Heaving a deep sigh, Ana remembered the words spoken by the famous slayer Buffy Summers; ‘The mission is all that matters.’
I’m beyond tired. If the mission is all that matters… screw the fucking mission.
Ana averted her gaze from the mirror, unwilling to meet the eyes of her weary reflection.
When she slowly got up to her feet she could suddenly hear the unmistaken – and very familiar sounds of William as he was struggling through yet another nightmare.
Yeah, they both were haunted by nightmares…
As she tiredly slipped under the covers she remembered a quote from William; ‘All we ever do is dance.’
He’d said it to her after one of their sparring sessions and it stuck with her ever since then.
All we ever do is dance…
~ ~ ~ ~
William sat behind the kitchen island and sipped on hot chocolate (with tiny marshmallows) when he heard the familiar sounds of Ana waking up.
He tilted his head as she tripped – did she really think he couldn’t hear her(?), over the floor above his head and turned on the water for her morning shower. The process took exactly half an hour (he’d counted it several times) and after that time she came walking down the stairs, yawning and stretching her muscles.
William followed her with his gaze as she walked over to the counter and pored herself a cup of coffee and gulped it down – no matter how hot it was, as her very life depended on it.
“Ah!!” she exhaled and turned her lips into a content smile. “That’s the stuff!”
William shook his head and took another sip of his chocolate, now aware that she had turned her attention to him. It was only natural, since he was the only other person than her present.
He noticed the curious expression in her facer and repressed a sigh.
“What?” He lifted his gaze and stared at her, willing her to back off and let him enjoy the morning in silence. Of course she would not let him…
“You had another nightmare last night,” she stated and put down the coffee cup in the sink before she walked over to the island. “In fact… You had several nightmares.” Pause. “Can you remember anything about them?”
“No.” He shrugged and abandoned his chocolaty goodness in order to focus solemnly on her. “Whatever they are about… I can’t seem to get a grasp on it.”
“Too bad,” she said and patted his shoulder. “Maybe it will come to you in given time.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
William slid of the chair and carried his mug over to the sink, with the intention of escaping this interrogation before he lost patience with her pitying him like a beaten puppy.
“See ya,” he murmured and quickly exited the kitchen.
Freedom!
William left the apartment and took the elevator down to the ground floor, where he was met by the friendly portiere Keith.
“Good day,” greeted Keith and held the door open for William to exit. “The weather is perfect for a walk through the park.”
William nodded to let the portiere know that he had heard him. Gazing up at the clear blue sky he came to the conclusion that it really was a perfect day to take a walk in the park.
He crossed the busy lane and entered Central Park, whistling on a tune from Sex Pistol’s song ‘God save the Queen’.
As he strolled along one of many paths, he let his eyes roam the surroundings – always on alert for something that could jog his memory. Never finding it tough…
Just like now.
With a headshake, William came to a halt in front of a stand with doughnuts. He order one with chocolate frosting (you could never get enough chocolate) and took place in the grass.
’Doughnuts?’
‘That goes without saying.’
Blinking at the sudden flash of memory – it had to be a memory, William almost choked on his pastry. Thankfully he managed to swallow it and not die in the process.
What the hell…?
He held back a triumphant cheer and repressed the urge to make a rah-rah motion with his fist. He had actually remembered something!!
But as glad he was over that little flash of something from his past, he couldn’t help to feel sad that it had been such a tiny memory. Nothing really concrete. No faces to put the words to.
Fuck…
“Oh my God…”
William quickly turned around to the sound of the voice that came directly behind him. What he saw was a young – and quite lovely woman, in her mid twenties. Long curly black hair, a taut body and lips that promised sweet pleasure to anyone she favoured. And with that tingle that told him that she was a slayer.
Great…
“What are you doing here?”
Out. For. A. Walk. Bitch.
He blinked again at the sudden flash of memory and stared up at the woman with a frown. She appeared to know him and that reason alone was enough to have him on an edge. ‘cause she didn’t seem to believe her eyes.
“Pardon?”
Now it was her time to frown. Then she started to nibble on her lower lip – as if she wasn’t really sure how to take things from there.
“Do I know you?” He spurred and gracefully got up to his feet. He could see how she followed his every move.
“I…” She let her eyes roam over his body and he raised an eyebrow when he felt the confusion poring out of her entire being. It appeared as if she recognized him – but yet not.
“You…look like someone I once knew.” She said lamely. “I mean really look like him.” Pause. “But he’s dead.”
“Sorry, lady,” William drawled, “But I’m very much alive.”
“Yeah…” She didn’t seem convinced tough and she kept looking at him in a way that made him shiver of…lust, hate, passion, contempt? It was if her presence had him vexed to the limits and with sudden dread he realized that she indeed had to be someone from his mysterious past. His instincts told him that quite clearly.
“Look,” he sighed and stepped back. “This guy… that I look like…” Another sigh. “How did you know him?”
“He was…” She stopped speaking and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. You can’t be him.” A dismissive glare. “You’re human.” And with that she turned to leave.
William gaped at her back as she walked away from him.
Was that it?
Hell no!!
“Hey!” he yelled after her. “What’s your name?”
And over her shoulder came the silent reply:
“Faith.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Ana walked into the apartment, dragging her feet behind her and casually throwing her clothes in every direction. She didn’t even bother to look and see if William was around to see her striptease. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen it before.
Wearily she made it to the fridge and snatched out the bottle of vodka. She didn’t even bother to pore it into a glass – she simply lifted the bottle to her mouth and took a long drag of the liquid.
When she had satisfied her thirst for the strong stuff, she turned her back against the fridge and began walking towards the stairs. She didn’t get very long before she bumped into a figure that came out form the bathroom.
Startled she backed a few steps and stared at the strange woman. The rather underdressed woman.
“Who are you?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” chirped the woman in an animated tone. She obviously had no restrictions about showing off her body as she stood their wearing only a pair of thongs. “I didn’t know anyone more lived her besides Willy.”
Willy?
Ana raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. What the hell, she didn’t care if her roommate dragged home strange woman. He was free as a bird. However – he could have told said strange women to not walk around the apartment without clothes. In respect for his roommate.
“Well,” she sighed and gazed longingly up the stairs, “no harm done, right? I’ll just go to my room and you…” she gave the woman a ironic smile, “go back to Willy. I’m sure his waiting for ya.”
Without waiting for the other woman to follow her, Ana walked up the stairs and directly into her room. She closed the door behind her with an audible bang to let William know how she felt about finding a strange woman walking around almost naked in the apartment.
Yerk.
Ana conveniently forgot that she herself had been in a lightly dressed state when she had encountered the ‘intruder’.
Throwing herself flat on the bed, Ana yawned and stretched her sore muscles. She hissed when one of her scrape wounds glided against the sheet and silently cursed under her breath as something popped into place when it touched the madras.
“Never again,” she promised herself in the darkness of her chamber,” will I take on a bunch of Fyarl demons by myself.”
Hugging the pillow, she tried to block out the sounds from William’s chamber that revealed that he and miss ‘Intruder’ was doing the horizontal mambo.
This was after all not the first time her roommate had dragged home a woman. And it wouldn’t be the last either. One night stands all of them. No exceptions.
A audible moan was heard from the room across the hall, followed by the unmistaken sounds of kissing and joining of limbs.
Ana buried her head under the pillow and growled.
Argh!!
~ ~ ~ ~
William woke up with the sun shining directly down on him and with the weight of a slender arm tossed over his midsection.
He blinked, yawned and stretched his muscles like a big lazy cat.
Then he rolled out of reach from the sleeping woman and got up to his feet.
As he began dressing he threw a quick glance over the shoulder at his sex partner for the night. She was a tall, redheaded woman with porcelain skin and legs that you could kill for. She was nothing like the petite golden haired woman from his dreams.
That fit him right perfectly.
His bed partner frowned cutely in her sleep and rolled over on her back, throwing out an arm as if to fell for his presence besides her. When she didn’t found it, her emerald eyes flew open and she positioned herself on the elbows as she searched the room for him.
“Hey,” he greeted silently as she finally found him. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” she said and smiled sweetly at him.
William returned the smile while he tried to remember what her name was.
Candy?
No.
Andie?
No…
Sandy?
Nope.
Oh, for God’s sake…!
“Mandy?”
“Yeah?”
Bloody hell!
Just like the song.
Like Angel’s bleeding song!
Could this be any worse?
William froze in the middle of bottoming up his shirt.
Whoa!! Who the hell is Angel?!!
“Bloody hell…
Tbc…