Title: Untitled
Author: Sunscorched
Posted: 09-19-2003
Email: Sun_spritzer@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-16 for language
Category: Angst
Content: C/A(us)
Summary: My version of Sanctuary with a Scorchy twist.
Spoilers:
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution: AO, NF Cal’s place.
Notes:
Feedback: AO, NF Cal’s place.
Thanks/Dedication:Kate Lockley dragged Angel through the police station towards her desk, feeling satisfaction at being able to bring some justice to the kind of animal that killed her father. “Give you a cell with a nice view of the morning sun” she told him in a cold-hearted voice.
Buffy Summers walked briskly, directly behind Angel and the detective, pushing her way to stand in between them. “You know what he is?” she demanded, eyes shooting hot fiery accusations at the other blonde woman.
“Yeah” Kate replied, uncaring and ignoring the tiny part of her that still held a smidgen of feeling left.
“That’s murder” Buffy stated angrily, yanking on Angel’s arm to get him to stop walking willingly.
“You can’t kill something that’s already dead” Kate shot back.
“It’s alright…” Angel spoke up calmly, he could escape anytime he wanted but he had a feeling and he wanted to see if he was right about it.
“No it’s not Angel” Buffy yelled angrily at him, “I won’t let you take the fall for her”
Seeing who he thought he would see here, Angel sighed deeply and without looking at the blonde Slayer tugging on his arm, trying to get his attention. “And you won’t have to” he told her, his deep gaze on Faith as she rose and walked towards them.
Kate stood, looking at the face of the girl who had committed murder in shock, she hadn’t been expecting her to just turn up here of her own free will. Buffy was equally thrown for a loop, she looked at the other Slayer, trying to make words come out of her mouth but nothing would.
“I’d like to make a confession” Faith stated simply, though they were the hardest words she ever spoke.
***
“You should‘ve told me what was going on” Buffy stated in a quiet whisper to Angel, her hands in a relaxed grip on her upper arms, her wavy blonde hair wind swept and ruffled around her face.
“Actually, I didn‘t think it was any of your business” Angel retaliated. “Why did you come here Buffy?” he asked, keeping his tone free of knowing sarcasm, anger and boredom. How many times would he have to have a confrontation with her?
“Not my business?” she frowned angrily at him and held her upper arms tighter.
“I needed more time with Faith. I’m not sure...” Angel’s words got cut off by her.
“You needed...” Buffy swallowed, looked away for a split second before turning wide, accusing eyes back to Angel. “Do you have any idea what it was like for me to see you with her? That you went behind my back…” this time he cut her off, his voice showing the signs of his self control cracking.
“You think this whole thing with Faith was about you?” Angel snapped, pushing away from the wall he’d been leaning on and was now having another square-off with another Slayer. Was this going to be his destiny? Forever bound to dealing with angry Slayers? God, kill him now. “This whole thing was about saving someone’s soul, this is what I do here and as much as you obviously can’t stand it, you are not a part of my life here”
“Besides, wasn’t it your idea we stay away from each other?” he reminded her, watching as her eyes darkened and saw her flinch at her own words being thrown back into her face.
“I came here because you were in danger” Buffy spat out angry that he was being like this with her. There was a time when he wouldn’t even dream of arguing back at her, and now because of Faith he was throwing some stupid words back at her.
“Bullshit Buffy” Angel snapped right back, he wad done with the polite routine and he was bored with her crap. “You came here because you wanted vengeance on Faith, not because of me. I’m in danger every fucking day and you never even call, never mind popping to the neighbourhood to say hello”
“I have a right to vengeance”
“Not in my city you don’t”
He had hurt her, denying her right to fight back at Faith, now he was telling her she didn’t have any right in his city at all. If he could hurt her then she could hurt him. Stepping a little closer to Angel, Buffy stared up at him defiantly. “I have someone in my life now” she told him, watching him carefully “That I love” something flickered in the recesses of his eyes that she couldn’t place. “It‘s not what you and I had, it‘s very new. You what’s new? I trust him. I know him”
Angel repressed his need to go find some aspirin, it was the same damn story every time Buffy got a new boy. She would feed him the details and expect a reaction out of him, usually she would get encouragement with underlying subtext filled with jealousy. Only nothing about the last few weeks had been usual.
“You know what?” he sighed, rubbing his face a little not having slept much in the last two days with the whole Faith thing, he was feeling a little wiped. He was too tired to hide or be on the defensive with her or anyone else. “You’re really sounding like a broken record, you know that? Every time you get a new boy toy, you get all eager to play share-share with the details”
He stepped forwards and closer to Buffy, looking down at her face which was filled with wary, confusion and silent challenges. “I think it’s my turn to play share-share with the details of my great, new life”
“I have someone in my life too” Angel told her, his voice calm and even, no sign of anger at all in his throaty voice. Buffy’s lips parted in shock at his words, her eyes took in the way his had suddenly sparked with fire. “That I love” he used her own words against her. “It’s nothing like what you and I had, it’s very new. You know what makes it new?” he paused again, only continuing when he was sure he had her undivided attention.
“Every part of me loves her, that’s what’s new. I know and trust her with who and what I am; I live everyday for her and I'm not ashamed of who and what I am. That's what's really new. I never thought I could move on, I thought it would cut me up inside seeing you but it doesn't. That's new too ” Angel stepped away from her, the look of desperate shock on her face not really causing him to feel any pity. There was one final thing.
“The curse is gone Buffy” he leaned down to whisper in her ear, “No soul worries”
To much in shock, Buffy could barely breathe as she took unsteady steps away from the vampire. No, he had to be lying about this, he was only saying this because he thought it was what she needed, wanted to hear. He couldn’t be more wrong. This wasn’t what she wanted or needed to hear, Angel was hers and he was supposed to be hers, he wasn’t supposed to move on.
“Go home Buffy, you aren’t needed here” Angel told her simply, having had enough. There was somebody waiting for him at her house, probably out of her mind with worry and crazy thoughts.
Buffy walked numbly towards the steps that would take her outside, picking up her jacket in a limp grip, she turned to look at Angel who was watching her with obsidian, unreadable eyes. “See? Faith wins again”
“I’m not talking about Faith, Buffy”End.