Chapter Sixteen

The Other

Dawn and Angel were still sitting outside quietly consoling each other when they heard voices entering the mansion.

“You know I actually was never in here before, this place is huge!” Cordelia stated as she walked around admiring the furnishings.

“Yes it is quite imposing.” Wesley agreed. But he found no pleasure being back here; all this place did was remind him of his failures.

“Hey guys!” Angel said as he Dawn entered the room.

“Hi Cordy.”

Cordelia looked at Dawn and couldn’t believe what Giles had told them. She had so many memories of Dawn and they were all good. She held out her arms to her and smiled at her warmly. “Hey Dawnie, come here and give me a hug.”

Dawn smiled back at her and went into her arms. She knew that Cordy and Buffy were never the best of friends and that most of the time they really hated each other, but she also knew that they respected each other.

She fleetingly wondered what Buffy’s reaction would be to the cheerleader being here. She knew that Buffy held some resentment toward Cordy for being close to Angel when she couldn’t be. But Dawn figured everyone, even Angel, needed friends and she was happy that it was Cordy someone who was straightforward and honest, someone that would always set the vampire straight, if he needed it.

She suddenly realized that that was what had been missing. Ever since Angel, Cordy and Wesley left the chain of friendships and family had begun to break. All the resentments and angers over petty things grew larger, the space that separated them seemed more like a million miles away as opposed to a couple of hundred. Now having all of them back in Sunnydale it was like putting all the pieces of that broken chain back together again. They were a family again, or at least, they would be.

“Wow you’ve gotten big!” Cordelia said to her as she twirled her around. Dawn couldn’t contain her giggles from the effect of being spun and her happiness that her family was back together again. Which made every one in the room smile. It was a small happy reprieve from the gloom that had been hanging over their heads.

When she finally stopped and the dizziness faded Dawn turned and looked at the other man. “Wesley is that you?”

He almost blushed at her scrutiny.” Yes how are you Dawn?” He felt a little uncomfortable around Dawn and he feared that when he was finally faced with the Slayer that it was only going to get worse.

“Wow Wes, you sure have changed.” She looked over at Angel and winked. “He’s kind of cute.” Angel scowled at her comment and Wesley turned even redder.

“Dawn why don’t you go and check on Spike see if he’s up yet.” Angel steered her toward the bedroom.

“Okay.” She trotted along into the bedroom and closed the door.

“What, Spike’s taking a little cat nap?’ Cordelia said as she sat down on the couch.

“You could say that. I’m sorry guys for leaving you at Giles like that.”

“Don’t’ sweat it Angel, we caught up with all that’s been going on in Sunnyhell and let me tell you, we did not get here fast enough. Buffy has seriously flipped her lid.”

Angel scowled at Cordelia’s words. “She hasn’t flipped her lid Cordy; she’s just in a lot of pain and she’s confused.”

Wesley studied the vampire’s current state. He seemed very weary and tired and he hated to throw more uneasiness at him but Wes wanted to be honest with how he felt. So he had to do it tactfully. He cautiously approached him. “Angel, are you sure she can be trusted to do the right thing.”

In mere seconds Angel’s weary tired eyes turned hard and cold, as the former watcher now found himself talking to the demon. “Are you questioning her commitment to the cause Wes?”

Wesley fidgeted with unease under the angry vampire’s stare. But he stood his ground they needed to be sure, it was reasonable to believe that Angel would not be able to see things clearly where Buffy was concerned and somebody had to play devils advocate. “Well I don’t know Angel; she did try to kill her own sister.”

Angel took a step closer ready to rip his head off. “Wes I don’t think you are in any position to question Buffy. You don’t even know her; you never took the time to get to know her before you condemned her for loving me.” Wesley had the good graces to blush.

Cordy stood up and in between them, “Angel relax okay he doesn’t mean anything bad by it, he’s just concerned, as we all are.”

She turned and addressed Wesley. “Wes, I do know Buffy and I know that she has a tendency to let her emotions run her, but she’ll come around. Believe me if there is one thing on the face of this earth that she covets, it’s her family and friends. You don’t have to worry about her, she just needs some time.”

Wesley realized that he out of all people should know that, he had been faced once before with an angry slayer trying to save her dying lover. Of course she would do the same for her sister, perhaps they were right and he was jumping to conclusions. Besides with Angel here now to fix things, it was really just a matter of time before she came back around. “Yes, yes of course I understand I apologize Angel; it’s not my place to say anything.”

Angel sighed deeply ashamed at how he had just treated his friend. “No it’s alright Wes, I’m sorry I’m just a little wound up.” He ran a hand threw his hair and turned around walking over to the fire. “I know you mean well I didn’t mean to jump on you like that.”

“As long as you’re handing out apologies, you can throw one my way.” Spike said as he walked out of the bedroom and sat down on the couch with Dawn next to him.

Angel turned to him and spoke coldly. “For what, I told you before that if you touched her I would kill you. Just be thankful that I didn’t.”

He turned and walked into his bedroom slamming the door shut. He needed to be alone to think about everything that happened and try to figure out what to do next.

***

Buffy was walking through the Shady Hills Cemetery. Her mind and her heart were having a long and debated argument. Her heart was saying go back to him, tell him you love him; this is your chance to finally have what you always wanted. But her head was saying no don’t let him in; he’ll only hurt you again.

She knew that he spoke the truth it was just as she had figured. But she was still mad. Mad that he had taken things upon himself without talking to her, and that he could do it so coldly. She would never be able to do that. She could never shut him out of her heart like that, hadn’t she been trying for several months? Seeing how easy it was for him to do that to someone that he supposedly loved made it very hard for her to believe him now.

She kicked at an acorn and it flew up in the air hitting a tombstone. She watched as it crumbled to the ground breaking off into tiny pieces. A squirrel ran down a tree and started to gather all the little pieces in his mouth. He tidied himself up then ran back up the tree and into his little hole.

She stood there staring at that hole as the argument in her head stopped and her mind became lucid. Six months ago she had been thrown and broken into tiny pieces. And now he came riding into town on his proverbial white horse to scoop her back up and put her back together.

It was absurd to compare herself to an acorn and him to a squirrel but it didn’t make it any less true. He was here because he knew that she had become nothing but a broken shell of what she once was and he knew it was his fault, and he wanted to save her.

But saving her and loving her were two different things. She saved people every day and half of them she didn’t even like. So wasn’t it logical to believe that he was just doing the same thing? He saved people everyday in order to redeem his soul. Maybe she was just another one of his lost causes or maybe it was just his guilt that was driving him on.

She was so confused she didn’t know what to believe. She very much wanted to believe in him but the question was, was she willing to take the risk of being hurt again? Was the reward greater than the risk?

Just the memory of his body pressed against hers made her hot so that question was really irrelevant. There was never any question about how much she wanted him. It was his commitment and his lack of trust in her abilities as a grown up that were in question.

She couldn’t have a relationship with someone who didn’t believe in her, someone who thought that he had to make every decision. It didn’t work that way. But the chance to be with him completely without hesitation or reservations was something she had never thought would happen. And now it was slapping her in the face. It could be a new beginning for them if she handled it correctly.

She was literally scared out of her mind, but she could do this. She faced demons every day. She had courage she was the Slayer for Christ’s sake. She was a strong confident woman of the 21^st century! All she had to do was make him understand that his seventeen-century male chauvinism wasn’t going to be a part of their relationship anymore.

She turned around a new purpose in her stride, and headed back toward the mansion. She had to set some ground rules. She was determined to let him know that things were going to be different. She decided that she wouldn’t admit her feelings right away; she wasn’t going to give in that easy. He had hurt her, he did make her suffer and she was going to do the same to him. Inwardly she scoffed, he knew already. She could never hide how she felt; her feelings for him were worn openly on her sleeve, everyone could see it. But that doesn’t mean she had to admit to it.

“So you’re Her? I have to tell you you’re a lot smaller then I thought you’d be.”

Her body immediately went into Slayer mode as she was stopped in her tracks. She turned around toward the sound of the softly spoken words and peered into the darkness. “I get that a lot.”

The voice snorted, “Yeah I bet you do.”

“Who are you? Do I know you?”

“No but I know you.”

Now she was starting to get annoyed she really hated playing these games, especially when she had more important things to take care of. “Gee I feel so special.” She sarcastically answered. “Why don’t you show yourself so we can get this party started?”

A figure stepped from behind a tree and moved forward into the light of the moon, revealing a beautiful face, blonde hair and blue eyes.

Buffy looked at her trying to figure out if she knew the woman. “Who are you?”

The woman laughed and looked directly into Buffy’s confused green eyes. “I’m Kate…Angel’s girlfriend.”

Every bone in her body tensed tenfold. His what? “Excuse me?” She took a step closer to the woman.

Kate looked at the young blonde standing in front of her and honestly didn’t know what the big deal was. She was a little hesitant about first coming here. Although she wanted to keep a hold on Angel she didn’t know what to expect from the blonde.

But after seeing Buffy for herself she felt totally confident in coming forward and showing herself. She was a woman, and obviously this slight framed young girl standing in front of her was just that, a girl. She certainly couldn’t keep a man like Angel satisfied. “You heard me.”

Buffy’s eyes narrowed. “No I don’t think I did. You see sometimes I have trouble hearing things.” She took another step closer until she was just an arms length away. “Why don’t you tell me again?”

Kate smiled ruthlessly; this was going to be easy. A little manipulation, a little intimidation and the girl would go running home crying.

“I said I was Angel’s girlfriend, you do know what that is don’t you?” She slowly circled Buffy looking at her up and down. “I’m the woman that talks to him every day. I’m the woman that he tells all his secrets too.”

She circled her completely coming to stand in front of her once again. “I’m the woman who shares his bed every night. I’m the woman he makes love to every night. I’m the woman he loves.”

The hope and confidence that had just started to fill her once again slowly started to seep out of her and she felt betrayed. Had he lied to her again? Was he just spouting out more bullshit! Stringing her along for some twisted sense of revenge?

She didn’t know what to think except she knew anger…red-hot blinding rage, at the thought that her Angel had shared his bed with someone else. Held someone else lovingly, made love to someone that wasn’t her, LOVED SOMEONE THAT WASN”T HER!

She quickly snapped her arm out and latched on to Kate’s throat. All her logical and rational lucidity disappeared in a matter of seconds. Her mind was filled with death and blackness, torture and painful suffering, and she wanted to inflict all of those things on his lover.

Kate wasn’t ready for the quick and powerful attack and she was left choking for air as an angry and almost deranged slayer slowly applied more pressure around her throat.

Buffy tilted her head and her crazed black eyes settled on Kate’s ever more purple face. “Is that a fact? You know I just saw Angel and he didn’t mention any girlfriend. In fact he distinctly told me that there was no girlfriend.”

Buffy held on tightly squeezing harder, when Kate didn’t answer her right away, she realized that she couldn’t talk. Annoyed and irritated that she couldn’t do what she really wanted to do, she released her.

The second Buffy let go Kate fell back gasping for air. She looked up into the crazed eyes of the girl and was scared. She was strong, stronger then any human Kate had ever known. And now she started to question her safety. Was this girl a demon?

“What are you?” she coughed out as she held her throat rubbing the circulation back in.

Buffy scoffed and looked innocently at Kate. “Me? Well I’m just a little immature selfish girl.”

Kate shook her head. “No…you’re no girl. No girl is that strong.”

Buffy laughed and it sounded to Kate like the laughter of a madwoman. “Strong…” she took a menacing step closer, “that wasn’t strong. I can show you strong if you like.”

Kate backed away slowly as a look of pure unadulterated madness settled over Buffy’s face. “Look I’m just here to see Angel…I don’t want any trouble.”

“Oh sure now you just want to talk to Angel but before you were ready to pounce on me. What did you think that I would cry and run home?”

Hearing the whiney adolescent tone in Buffy’s voice, reminded Kate that she was the older woman here, she was the one in charge, not this…thing. She stomped down her fear as her anger and bravado returned. She straightened her shoulders and stepped closer. “Why don’t you leave him alone he’s mine now and I don’t give up what I consider mine!”

“You have your information wrong sweetie I haven’t been bothering Angel he’s here bothering me!” Buffy yelled back.

“Yeah right, that’s why he’s always brooding over your picture! What kind of magic have you cursed him with!”

She opened her mouth to retort but Kate’s words sunk in. Brooding over my picture? He thinks about me? Maybe he was telling the truth? Her eyes narrowed once again, then why was he sleeping with Kate? Why did he lie and say that there was no one? A lot of questions that only one person could answer.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Buffy turned away needing to talk to Angel, but Kate grabbed her by the arm and spun her around.

“I’m not through talking to you yet! I want to make sure that you leave him alone! He’s mine!!!” She said angrily.

Buffy’s vision suddenly blurred and all she saw was Angel making love to this woman. Her eyes narrowed and like lightening she threw a left cross, sending Kate flying back through the air and landing on the ground.

She stormed over to her as Kate dazedly rose shaking her head. “He is not yours!” She threw an uppercut landing it squarely on Kate’s jaw sending her down again. She picked her up and brought her face level. “If Angel belongs to anyone it’s ME!”

She threw a right cross, nailing Kate in the eye and stunning the older woman. She would have fallen to the ground if not for Buffy holding on to her with a death grip.

“BUFFY STOP!” Willow called out as she came running through the graveyard with Tara behind her.

Buffy either ignored her or didn’t hear her instead she threw a bruising right hand into Kate’s stomach, making her body violently jump off the ground.

“BUFFY STOP!” Tara called out.

Kate was pretty much out of it at this point. Buffy not caring punched her again in the face jarring Kate’s head back. Blood spurted out of her nose and landed on Buffy’s shirt, but she didn’t stop. She punched her again in the stomach and she smiled evilly as she heard the crack of a rib.

“Oh my God she’s going to kill her Willow!” Tara said as her and Willow continued to run toward the crazed Slayer.

“BUFFY STOP IT!”

But the Slayer didn’t hear her. She turned Kate around and held her with her forearm under her throat. She put her hand on her head and was just about ready to snap it.

“RELEASE!!”” Willow shouted just as she reached them. Kate was dropped like a rag doll as Buffy went flying backwards into a tombstone, shattering it into tiny pieces.

Tara and Willow watched stunned, as she got right back up and headed toward the unconscious woman on the ground, her face looking nothing like their friend and more like a crazed lunatic.

Willow ran toward her. “Buffy stop it! You don’t want to do this!” she pleaded with her.

“Oh yes I do.” She kept coming, determined, cold…distant.

“Please Buffy stop for a just a second and listen to me.”

“There’s nothing to say Willow, she claims to be Angel’s girlfriend and I’m only trying to help her see the error of her ways.”

Tara watched with growing apprehension as Willow tried once again to get her friend back to her. While she understood why Buffy was upset, killing this woman was definitely not the answer.

Willow took a hold of Buffy’s arm and squeezed it gently. She tried to sound as calm and sensible as she could. “Buffy, please stop. Talk to Angel first you don’t know this woman, she could be lying, she could be trying to get you to do something that you would regret. Oh…oh maybe she works for Glory.”

Buffy thought about that for only one millisecond, she would definitely not regret killing Kate, but Willow did bring up a good point.

She stopped a foot away from Kate.

Angel.

Her head tilted down and she looked at the blonde. Her face was horribly bruised and blood was pouring out of her split lip. Her eyes were already swollen shut and she would bet that she had at least four broken ribs.

Angel. Had he lied to her again?

She was suddenly at an impasse. Looking down at Kate she felt extreme satisfaction to see her so hurt. Her fists clenched at her sides, she really wanted to kill this woman and it took all her self-control to hold back.

Angel.

And yet a part of her told her it was wrong, that she should seek answers before punishing. She should talk to Angel first and let him tell her his side of the story. Maybe she was lying, then again; maybe he was.

She shook her head confusion evident on her face.

Willow and Tara watched as the Slayer went on an emotional roller coaster. Willow carefully stepped closer. She sensed that Buffy was at crossroads and she wanted to give her that extra gentle push toward the right road.

“Buffy you know this is wrong. Don’t rush to conclusions. Talk to Angel first…please.”

After a few tense moments, Buffy leaned down and picked Kate up by her feet and started to drag her along the ground toward the mansion.

“Fine. Talk first. Kill later.”

The dead stale tone of her voice reminded Willow of last year when Buffy reverted back to caveman days. She looked at Tara and shrugged a delicate shoulder.

“Um, okay good…good plan.” Then they both quietly followed behind Buffy, flinching every time the woman’s head hit a rock on the ground.

Buffy was in her own little world, her only thought was to get to Angel and demand answers.

Chapter Seventeen