Momma took in the changes these last few months had made in Buffy and Beck. She liked what she saw. They weren't hiding who they were anymore, which was a good thing. The light marked them to fight the darkness. She intended to prepare for the coming fight. They were already headed in the right direction - each other.
She couldn't keep the darkness from them much longer. Its messenger sat outside their door, but he'd just have to wait 'til Buffy was ready to deal with him.
"What brings you out this early, Momma?" Beck asked over his shoulder, as he whipped up eggs for crepes.
"Wanted to check up on my little girl here. She hasn't slept in her bed much lately. You wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you?"
Her tone had him turning around so fast he almost dropped his whisk. He searched her face, trying to decide if she was joking.
"Momma, leave him alone, you're scaring him," Buffy scolded the old woman she'd come to love like a grandmother. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she moved in front of Beck's large body. She put her arms out, spreading her hands wide, creating a tiny human shield. "Don't worry honey, I won't let the mean old lady hurt you," she cooed to him like, he was a toddler who had just seen the boogeyman.
Beck looked between the two women then popped Buffy on the butt with a kitchen towel, eliciting a loud shriek from the injured party. Momma clapped her hands and cackled happily, enjoying the show they put on especially for her.
"Very funny ladies, you'd better be careful, or I won't feed you." His eyebrow rose in challenge to the two women who had each claimed a piece of his heart.
Buffy turned to look at him with large hazel eyes filled with innocence. Her full pink lips quivered ever so slightly, before falling into a glorious pout that had Beck fighting back the urge to groan. Momma's eyes twinkled with delight as she watched the happy couple. She hated to put a damper on their love play, but she had to prepare them for what was coming.
"Come sit by Momma, child."
A gnarled hand waved for Buffy to come sit beside her on the couch. She didn't like the tone in the old woman's voice. It set her Slayer senses off. She moved toward the couch, reluctantly sitting down.
"Is there something the matter, Momma?"
"Not yet, child, but soon. You trust Momma, yes?" Buffy nodded, afraid to say a word. "You know, I'd never tell you wrong, honey." She turned to look at the door, before turning back to stare into Buffy's eyes. Understanding passed between the two women. "Darkness is coming for you. You can't run from it any longer child. You have to decide what you're gonna do about it. Are you gonna let it push you along, like it's done for so long, or you gonna push back? Remember Grandmama's words, take your destiny and shape it. Make it your own." Momma caught Beck's eye, and said in a stern voice that brooked no discussion, "And you, boy, you'll not leave her side, no matter where she goes. You understand me?"
"But, he has the restaurant to run! He can't go back to Sunnydale with me," Buffy protested. Her head swiveled from Momma to Beck not understanding the silent communication taking place between them.
Momma waved a hand at her. She kept her eyes focused on the large man, standing across the room watching her with an intensity few had seen in him. He wasn't about to let Buffy walk back into danger alone, where the people she trusted and cared for had abandoned her. Beck nodded his head toward the older woman, promising not only her, but himself, to protect the tiny woman who held his heart.
The door opened and a body stepped out into the quiet hall. A hand slipped down to jostle a shoulder, causing its owner to spring to his feet. Angel immediately went into a ready stance, searching for danger. His face paled, if that was possible, at what he saw. There stood Momma, looking ready to stake him. He wasn't certain he was wrong in that assumption.
"Get up and come inside." He just stood there, staring at her. "Well, come on. I don't have all day. Don't know how long my girl's willing to play nice with you."
Still, he looked at her as if he hadn't understood her. Momma reached over to tap his cheek with her hand, the way a person would attempt to revive someone that had fainted. Angel shook his head, unsure if he was still asleep, or if he had heard her correctly. Did she say she didn't know how long Buffy was willing to play nice with him? There was a time limit on her politeness level. This trip was turning out to be a real treat.
"You're not too quick, are you boy? Come on, before she changes her mind. Didn't you understand that part?"
She turned to step through the door, holding her head high like the royalty she was. Angel rushed after her, excited about finally getting to talk to Buffy. He knew if he could just get her to listen to him, she'd do the right thing and head back to Sunnydale. She always did the right thing; it was what made her Buffy. He stood at the doorway, waiting for the invitation he needed to enter.
"Come in, Angel," Buffy called from her place on the couch. Momma entered immediately taking the empty place to her right since Beck flanked her on the left.
Her soft voice sounded like a touch of heaven to his bruised ego. She was still his reason for fighting the good fight, the Holy Grail he couldn't seem to let go.
Buffy watched her ex-lover enter her current lover's home. She considered the differences between the two, and realized that, without the one, she wouldn't know what she wanted in the other.
"Sit down, Angel."
He had hoped for a warmer welcome this morning, but luck wasn't on his side. If anything, she seemed even cooler toward him. He glanced over at the man sitting beside her. Beck's large frame created a barrier between him and the object of his obsession. Buffy, her new lover and the old woman sat staring at him as if they could read his every thought, right down to his soul. Angel fought the urge to squirm in his chair. It was rather disconcerting having their eyes bore into him that way. Sitting up straighter, he shook off the feelings he wasn't up to par. He placed his hands on his knees as he returned their stares with one of his own.
"Will you do me a favor?"
She looked at him with those large hazel eyes he couldn't seem to forget, no matter how hard he tried. He nodded, suddenly unable to find his voice.
"Tell my why you're here, all of it."
After explaining about Doyle's visit, the endless search for her, the nightmare, Willow's spell, although he left out the particulars, and ending with how bad things had gotten in Sunnydale with the First, Angel finally stopped talking. His audience remained quiet until he finished. They talked quietly amongst themselves. He heard them whispering, but couldn't understand anything. They spoke in single words only they understood.
Buffy calmly announced, "I'll think about what you've said, and consider returning." Angel gave her a relieved smile. "Only if you leave New Orleans." She raised a hand to stop his protests. "I mean it, Angel. If you stay, I won't put one toe in Sunnydale."
She watched his shoulders slump and felt a twinge of guilt at how defeated he seemed. She had to handle things this way for several reasons, none of which she could explain to him. She couldn't ignore Momma's cryptic warnings about keeping their plans from the souled vampire. She planned to have a long chat with the voodoo priestess, expecting a detailed explanation.
Angel felt battered. These past few weeks had taken their toll on him, and he didn't have any fight left. He'd go home, home to Cordelia. The seer had to forgive him. She forgave him for Darla, and she'd forgive him for this too. He loved her. Now, he just needed to convince her that he loved her more than he'd ever loved Buffy. His problem was that he had no idea of how to go about doing that. The love he felt toward each woman was completely different. One didn't take away from the other, or make it less than what it was. Love was love. But, if Cordelia wanted it, needed it, then he'd find the words to help her understand that she was his choice. The one he wanted in his life. He got up from the chair to move silently out the door.
"Does he always leave like that? No goodbye? Just disappears, all billowy coat?" Beck asked, looking at Buffy for an explanation.
She giggled, shaking her head. "You have no idea."
While Momma had decided to stay behind to find someone to take care of the restaurant, and other things she wouldn't tell Buffy, Beck had to decide what to tell Travis. He knew his friend wouldn't like it if he left him in the dark or behind for that matter. The younger man was resourceful and dependable in a fight. He was also tenacious as hell. Buffy solved his indecision for him, or rather Momma did. The Voodoo priestess told them Travis would prove important in the coming days.
They decided to take him to the nearest cemetery then back to the apartment for explanations.
"That was actually real," Travis gasped trying to catch his breath. He flopped down on the couch, hoping his heart would eventually stop racing.
"Yep, welcome to my life since I was fifteen." Buffy grinned at him, as she moved to the large side-chair and curled up on Beck’s lap. She thought he was taking the news a lot better than most.
"Damn, I thought I had it rough with a pop who’s a bookie." He raked a hand through his messy blonde hair. "Why'd you show me? Gotta tell you, could've lived fat, dumb and happy for the rest of my life not knowing."
Buffy moved from Beck's lap, to sit beside Travis on the couch. She took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "The place I lived before coming here made tonight look like child's play. I’ve got to go back and take care of some 'Day After Tomorrow' world-events. Wanted to know if you'll go with us when we leave in a few days."
Travis looked over at Beck. "Will we get to blow up shit like we did in the Amazon?" When Beck nodded, he could barely sit still as he eagerly asked, "Are you going to go all Rambo/Terminator on those things?"
Beck gave him a trademark smile flashing his dimples. A loud whoop echoed in the apartment. Travis sprang up from the sofa and proceeded to dance around the room. Hips swiveled, buttocks were thrust out, rotated around then slapped. Buffy laughed so hard tears ran down her cheeks. The spastic dance stopped abruptly.
"Can those things be killed with a gun?"
A haze clouded Buffy's eyes, as her tactical brain calculated the angles; she disregarded her distaste for guns after losing Tara and her own brush with death. Seeing the advantages, she wondered if the Council had forced Slayers to use old-fashioned weapons to ensure they wouldn't have to deal with mature women, just like they had used the Cruciamentum.
Older Slayers got stronger, harder to restrain, and the Watcher's Council wanted obedient Slayers. She was about to alter the face of Slaying forever. A predatory smile had the men in the room fighting an urge to back away. She prowled over to Beck, crawling onto his lap.
"Honey, how many guns can we get before we leave? We're going to need some high-powered bows too. If you don't know how to use one, I'll show you."
"Ooh, is she that bossy in the bedroom?" Travis' eyebrows waggled up and down. "I like it. Buffy, make me your bitch." Beck's eyebrow rose to a perfect peak. Travis' hands immediately went up in apology. "Okay, I'm in. When do we leave?"
"We've got a couple of more things to do then we're off. It should take use about a week to get there."
"I can do better than that, babe. Let me make a few calls, and everything will be waiting for us in LA when we get off the plane."
Buffy took his face in her hands before giving him a scorching kiss.
"Not in front of the kids, namely me. You're going to warp my sensitive mind." Travis covered his eyes as the couple ignored him altogether.
Angel returned to mayhem. The AI team were packing up the weapons chest, while Cordelia stood on the stairs, handing out orders like a general going to war.
"What's going on?"
Lorne raised a martini glass, and drained the blue concoction in one gulp before explaining. "Cordelia got a vision from the PTB. We're supposed to go to Sunnydale for the big showdown. I'm still not sure what good I'll do there. I'm a lover not a fighter, tell her Angel-Lips."
The green anagogic demon looked beyond the souled vampire. He expected someone else to walk into the Hyperion any moment. He waited, and waited, but no one else followed Angel into the hotel. "Uh, sugar snaps, where's the Slayer? You know, the powerful little Xena you were going to bring back with you?"
Everyone stopped what he or she was doing to turn to Angel, waiting to hear his answer. Cordelia gracefully moved down the stairs, stopping at the bottom, not going any closer to her lover. Dark brown eyes bore into him, forcing the answer from his lips.
"She said she'd only consider coming if I left. So I did."
A snort came from the stairs. Angel's eyes pleaded with her to forgive him. He thought he saw hers soften. Cordelia would forgive him, he knew she would, she loved him.
"Can I do anything to help?"
He smiled humbly at his friends and lover, hoping he wouldn't have to go through the same months of humiliation he did after the Darla incident.
"No, you've done enough. Since we didn't know when you’d be back, no one packed your clothes. We're ready to go."
She bent down to pick up a bag before starting toward the front doors. Angel stepped in her way to stop her. The look she gave him had him reluctantly withdrawing.
"Cordy, please, don't be this way. My things are still in the car. Ride with me. I love you, and want a chance to explain."
She wanted to say yes, pull him back up those stairs, and forget she'd ever heard the name Buffy Summers – then she remembered Willow's infernal spell. How proud and happy she'd felt when a ghostly arm led straight to her, showing the path of his emotions, proving to her and the world that he truly did love her. She had prepared to watch the other arms unfold. The paths to Buffy, Darla and possibly some other unnamed woman Angel hadn’t bothered to tell her about. The one leading to Buffy, the one that wasn't a ghostly color, showed her he hadn’t put the blonde Slayer and their relationship in the past the way she had believed, the way he had repeatedly told her he had. Her eyes narrowed as her anger and hurt flared anew, and, if it were possible, they would've shot sparks.
"If you want to get to Sunnydale in one piece you had better ask someone else. You lied, Angel. Every man I've ever cared about has wanted Buffy first, or more. I won't be the consolation prize, not anymore."
Cordelia pushed Angel out of the way and proceeded out of the Hyperion. Fred stepped up to the man she had always admired. His larger than life persona had dimmed in her eyes.
"You hurt her, Angel. She's barely said a word to us while you were gone. She believed in you, and I'm not sure what it'll take for her to do that again."
Lorne slung an arm around the dejected vampire's shoulders. "Come on my little snicker doodle, ol’ Lorne will ride with you and help you figure out this mess."
Things in Sunnydale weren't much better. Willow returned to chaos. She could barely get back to the house on Revello Drive. The Sunnydale residents were evacuating the town, and utilizing both lanes to do it. The last time, it took a few weeks for them to read the signs. They had wised up since then – within two days, the entire town, with the exception of the Scoobies and the Potentials, had emptied out.
Willow walked into the house to find Kennedy and Dawn in a heated argument. "What’s going on?"
Kennedy's face lit up at her lover's return. Happy to get a chance to explain what had happened at the Bronze. She was actually starting to get how freaky Willow’s life had been living on the Hellmouth. Though, she should’ve got a clue when her soon to be lover turned into a man when they first met. Kennedy turned on her crutches and started to limp over to Willow, but her heart sank when Willow raised a hand to stop her. The look on Willow’s face, telling her making up wasn’t going to be quite so easy.
Willow wasn't certain what had gone on between Kennedy and Faith. Spike’s snarky remarks always held a note of truth in them, and she knew Kennedy found the older Slayer attractive. She couldn’t deny Faith’s sensual appeal.
"Dawn thinks we should leave town because we’re just giving the First ammo to use against Buffy. I told her Buffy jumped ship and isn't returning. You told me this wasn’t the first time she’d run away when she couldn’t handle a situation she’d created.”
Dawn turned to glare at Willow. "You told this stuck-up bitch about Buffy's secrets?"
Willow blushed, remembering the confidences she had shared with her lover. She told Kennedy about the past seven years on the Hellmouth, only excluding intimate details about her and Tara.
"Dawnie, you don't understand."
Willow had tried to explain why Buffy acted the way she did, and why Kennedy owed her, if not friendship, at the very least, her respect. She saw now Kennedy couldn’t, or wouldn’t, understand the situations. Her opinion about Buffy was too deeply ingrained, whether right or wrong. She also realized it wasn’t her story to tell. If Buffy had wanted to share her past with the SiTs, she would’ve have done so. Willow tried to find the words to explain her actions to Dawn, although looking back she wasn't certain she could.
"Save it. Tell your reasons to Buffy. I'm sure she'll love to hear how you told a perfect stranger, someone you've only known a few months, her life story." Dawn pushed by Willow to walk out the front door.
The room fell into complete silence. No one knew where to look or what to say. Faith walked down the steps, still sore from the injuries sustained only a few days before.
"What's the 411? Hey Red, how's Fang?"
Willow's eyes darkened around the edges before she reeled in her temper. "He went to see Buffy, to persuade her to come home."
Faith had hoped the weird dance she shared with Red’s woman wasn’t about to come back and bite her on the ass. Although, from the dirty looks being sent her way, she might have to do some fast talking or walking.
"If I was her, I wouldn't," one of the Potentials whispered, while several others quietly agreed.
"You don't know Buffy; she always ends up doing the right thing. You'll see." Willow gave them a reassuring smile.
"Then, why did everyone want her to leave?"
The question hung heavy in the air.
The AI team arrived in Sunnydale to find a deserted town. Driving directly to Buffy's house, they found the front windows boarded up, leading them to believe the house deserted. They watched in horror as Faith walked out with a group of young girls armed for patrol.
"They're just children. What’s going on here?" Fred asked. Her eyes followed the young girls as the wandered down the street.
Cordelia remembered fighting along side the other Scoobies when she wasn’t much older than the ‘children’ who had just gone off on patrol. She hated returning to this town. The place where she had lost everything – her innocence, social standing, even the people she had considered friends.
Parking their cars in the driveway, everyone got and headed for the front door. Angel hung back, unsure of his welcome after his last visit.
"Would you quit skulking? We're here because the Powers sent us. Now, get your butt up here, buddy," Cordy snapped, rolling her eyes as she stomped past him.
Wesley took the initiative to knock. Giles responded, and the two Watchers sized each other up. The elder saw the others gathered on the porch, and his manners took over.
"Please, come in and tell us what you're doing here." Stepping back, he opened the door for them to enter.
The First Evil smiled. Most of the players were on the board, with only the white queen missing. Time to move the black pawns forward for the first tactical maneuvers.
Bringers swept out in a blindless wave toward the Potentials. Faith felt them before they attacked. Spike and Dawn showed up in time to help. The Potentials responded to Faith’s commands, pairing off to stand back-to-back, giving them a better chance at survival. The dark Slayer, though still weakened from her injuries, fought with a renewed strength, determined not to lose another girl.
The group headed back home barely an hour after they’d left. They drug themselves along the road, leaning on one-another, bruised and bloody, but, more than anything, faced with the reality that the First was back in totally big way – and it was through playing nice. Every time they had defeated a Bringer, two appeared to take its place.
Angel convinced Giles to relocate everyone to the Crawford Street mansion. It didn’t sit well with Cordelia to learn he kept it maintained all these years. It was just one more thing he’d have to get her to understand, and forgive him for; the list just seemed to keep growing.
Buffy saw the same Sunnydale she had left months previously, but it didn't feel the same. Her hand automatically went to the necklace around her neck. The cool stones beneath her finger soothed her, as did the man beside her. Beck reached over to draw her closer to his side, dropping a kiss on the crown of her head.
"It’ll be okay. You don't have to see them if you don't want to."
"Let's just see how I feel when we get to the house." She snuggled closer to his side, feeling safe and cherished. "I'd like to get to wherever we decide to stay before dark. Your first exposure to the Hellmouth shouldn't be at night."
When they had almost reached the house, a blanket covered figure raced across the street and up the front steps.
"What was that? Was that smoke coming from under the blanket?" Travis asked from the backseat of the Range Rover.
"Has to be Spike. Wonder what he's doing out and about?"
She jumped from the car, before the wheels stopped rolling. Buffy burst through the door to find Spike frantically calling Dawn's name.
"SPIKE!"
The bleached blonde vampire stopped in his tracks. "Slayer, that you?" Walking over, he poked her with a black painted fingernail. Buffy crossed her arms waiting for an explanation. "It's the Niblet. She returned to get your Mom's things. Girl's gotten right good at sneaking out."
"Where is everyone? Why'd she have to sneak out?"
Beck and Travis caught up to Buffy, and waited to hear the answers.
"Peaches turned up. Cheerleader got a vision. Seems the muckity-mucks sent the L.A. crew here to help with the fighting. The overgrown forehead convinced Rupes that everyone would be safer at the mansion. Whole lot of 'em been holed up over there for a week, talking. Useless lot, the pack of 'em – can't agree on which way’s up. Spend more time making plans and pissing circles round the place, don't do squat. Wankers, the lot of 'em."
Buffy laughed at the mental picture he painted. "Is the town empty?"
"Lock, stock and barrel. Sunnydale's finest finally grew some and evacuated. Some gob about an underground instability causing dangerous gas leaks, and how the town could blow any minute." He shrugged, lighting a cigarette, blowing out a long stream of smoke. "Guess no one’s going for the PCP gangs anymore."
Buffy mulled over what Spike told her. A soft squeak had everyone turning toward the basement steps. Dawn walked out with a box of pictures clutched to her chest. She dropped it at her feet when she saw Buffy.
"Buffy, is it actually you?"
"Yes, don't poke me like Spike did. I'm not in the mood."
Dawn ran to her older sister and flung herself into her arms. She sobbed out an apology. Sighing, Buffy patted her little sister's back before gently pushing her away.
"If you want to stay here you can, but on my terms. No questions asked."
The youngest Summers gave a teary-eyed smile and nodded her agreement. Buffy walked over to Beck, taking his hand, she made the introduction of her new life to her old. She took the time to explain Spike's special no-stake status.
They unloaded the Range Rover then set about putting the house in order – the former inhabitants had left in a hurry. Buffy shrugged a shoulder as she swept the kitchen floor. She admitted she had missed her home, mostly her sister. It had hurt when Dawn had sided with the others, but now wasn’t the time for that.