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Title:Cloaked In Darkness
Author: Princess Destiny
Email: princessdestiny@hotmail.com <mailto:princessdestiny@hotmail.com>
Rating: M 15+
Pairings: Buffy/Angel and Gabriella/Darek
Summary: Things are not exactly what they seem when Giles finds an ancient diary, with news of the death of the Slayer. A new girl comes to Sunnydale and things start to go crazy, Angel is jealous because Buffy has a boyfriend and The Master gets a nasty surprise...
Chapters: 9
Status: Unfinished
Year Completed: N/A
Size: 104 KB

Archive URL: <http://destiny.hazelwinds.com/Destinys_Gateway_Archives.htm>

Permissions: Anyone how has my work already and anyone who wants to write to me and tell me where it's going! I won't say no!

Comments: This Fanfic is definitely B/A, though it won't seem it at first. It was written after the Episode 'Angel'. The Character Gabriella is mine, so no stealing! And she has a very important reason to be there in Sunnydale. :)

CLOAKED IN DARKNESS
By Princess Destiny
[ princessdestiny@hotmail.com <mailto:princessdestiny@hotmail.com> ]

Prologue

Thousands of years ago there were two races of vampires and sorcerers. And among the vampires there was a woman names Kendra who was in love with a sorcerer call Darek…

Chapter One

The Street lights went by in a blur, reflecting off of the glass windows as the bus crawled at a respectable speed through the town. Inside the bus was black, only a few snores and people muttering in their sleep, revealed that anyone was within except for the silent driver. His eyes swept the road for the stop sign and he spotted it a few meters from the end of the next street. He sighed and looked into the rear-view mirror at the girl sitting in the first row to the right. If he turned his head slightly he could look at her pale features from the corner of his eye.
She was beautiful and his mind had been on nothing but her since the bus had started its trip from New York. She had stepped up and given him a sweet smile before taking her seat, watching all the other passengers as they, too, entered the bus. Her long dark hair was gorgeous, glossy and silken and just waiting for someone to run their hands through it. And her eyes, like emeralds, were dark green with dark lashes surrounding them. Her skin was white, like fine porcelain and her lips a natural red. He doubted she had ever needed to use makeup in her life.
Her clothes were expensive, he could see at a glance, having seen many people getting onto his bus over the years. It occurred to him briefly to wonder why a lovely young girl, with obviously expensive taste, would be catching a bus to her destination when she could obviously afford to catch a plane…or a limo. He chuckled humorously, risking a slight glance over his shoulder at her sleeping face, so peaceful against the stained and worn red of the bus seat.
The stop sign came closer and he slowed the bus. After a quick look at all the other sleeping people he got out of his seat and walked slowly towards her. He had intended to wake her gently, perhaps with soft endearment, his wife would never know…but when he had taken but one step towards her, her eyes flashed open, wide awake and without the slightest trace of sleep in their green depths.
He paused, embarrassed, and saw a wariness in her eyes as she stared at him for a moment. Then her eyes softened and she smiled that sweet curving of the lips that he had not been able to forget since she entered his vehicle.
"We've arrived, I didn't want to startle you, or wake the others." He whispered almost nervously, wondering if those eyes had seen the flush enter his cheeks and the look of guilt in his eyes. A spark of laughter entered her face. She got fluidly to her feet and shrugged her shoulders lightly, trying to get the sleepiness out of her limbs.
"Thank you, I enjoyed the ride." she said. A shiver went down his spine at the sound of her voice, he felt as if he would melt into a puddle as she stepped past him and descended the steps to the sidewalk. He saw her look around curiously, and then she turned slightly to looked back at him as he slid into the driver's seat again.
"Will you be all right? It's a dangerous place here, I've heard stories…" he hesitated as she frowned slightly, stepping closer to the bus to peer in at him. A slender hand reached up to grasp the side of the door and he felt a sudden urge to take back his words and smooth the frown from her delicate face.
"What stories?" she asked. He repressed the shudder that went through his body at the musical sound of her voice and tried to control his wandering mind enough to answer her question.
"Ah…not much, just rumors you understand. They say this is the 'Murder Capital'. People end up dead, especially the tourists" he told her in a low conspiratorial voice as someone stirred in the bus and a child started to whine about food. The girl released the door and severed her last link to the bus driver and his life. He felt it almost physically. She was so beautiful and he wanted to keep her there longer, but knew he had a deadline to deliver all his passengers to their destinations.
"I can take care of myself, I lived in New York remember?" she said softly, a laugh in her tone. He smiled foolishly at her as he started the bus again. She stepped back so as not to get in the way of the bus and he stared at her as if seeing a vision, feeling that something was not right. The moon shone down giving her skin an unearthly glow and her long dark hair blew lightly around her slender frame like a cloak.
She raised her arms and hugged herself lightly, a farewell smile on her face and he closed the door on her, pulling away. She looked after the bus as it went slowly down the street and stopped at a light, then the light changed and the bus continued on faster until it was out of sight. She sighed a little, almost a whisper of breath and then looked around her, starting to walk the way the bus had gone.
The breeze was cool and she wondered if she should have worn more appropriate clothes. Her designer grey skirt just reached her knee's and her top was light blue silk. The soft grey leather half-boots she wore did little to cover her legs and only her long hair kept her top half warm as it swirled around her in the wind. The night was lonely, but the moon was absolutely beautiful and she could not help but stare longingly at it as she walked along. She was so intent on the sky that when a bunch of teenagers ran past her, she was almost knocked over.
"What a babe!" one guy said as he glanced over his shoulder to see who they had barreled past. The other guys looked back but then they grabbed the first guy and continued on.
"Yeah, she is! But we've gotta get to the 'Bronze' before the band starts!" their voices faded away as they ran and soon so did their hard footsteps. She sighed and ran a hand unconsciously through her hair, then smoothed her skirt down. She had to find a hotel or something and get some sleep before the sun came up.

The girl screamed again and Buffy gritted her teeth, silently willing the girl to shut up. Her eyes clashed with the vampire's yellow one's in a deadly struggle as each looked for an opening to attack. It would have helped, of course, if the vampire and Buffy weren't in a sort of stalemate. Each had a hand about the other's throat. She was seriously pissed off at the male vampire for ruining her night and her glaring green eyes told him so.
Her grip tightened and his did simultaneously. Buffy started to see stars and tried to get her other hand free from his. The long claws merely dug into her flesh harder and she gasped involuntarily. She kicked at him and he grunted with pain as it connected with his ribs. He snarled and bared his fangs as a wicked smile covered his face and he lifted her slightly from the ground. Buffy choked and saw the girl crawling rapidly away, only to run into the legs of another vampire, who was amused to see the slayer in such a weakened position and had forfeited dinner to watch the entertainment.
"Going somewhere my Dear?" the second vampire purred. Grabbing the girl by the hair and holding her up by it. She screamed in pain and struggled futilely, eventually fainting.
"I…really…wish…" Buffy panted as she kicked again at the vampire holding her up. Her neck muscles threatened to give way and she bit her lips as darkness entered the edges of her vision.
"…they would LEARN…" She gave an especially hard kick to his solar plexus and the vampire was the one to gasp with pain this time, his grip loosening enough for Buffy to struggle free. She fell back to the ground and her eyes narrowed dangerously as she rubbed at the skin of her bruised neck. Buffy leapt to her feet and grabbed the stake she had dropped when he grabbed her. She roundhouse kicked his face and he spun backwards.
"…Not to…" Another kick to his face and a few rapid punches, then she thrust the stake through his heart. He turned to dust in seconds and she spun at the ready. The second vampire looked a lot less amused as she raised the stake and leapt at him. He flew back and she staked him before he could get back on his feet. Buffy returned the stake to the back of her mini-skirt and leaned down to check the unconscious girl.
"…piss a Slayer off. Especially when she has a hot date!" Buffy finished triumphantly. The girl started to come around and Buffy helped her to her feet, explaining that they had been attacked by gang members. She seemed to accept it and took off without a word, too terrified to even thank Buffy for apparently 'running off' the 'gang members'.
"Geez, so much for gratitude, but that's two less blood suckers." Buffy muttered as she straightened her dress and walked back out of the alley she had been passing before she heard the girl's scream.
"You'd think girls these days would have more sense than to go into a dark alley with a strange guy!" Buffy threw up her hands in disgust and continued on to the 'Bronze' and her date with Dwayne. She didn't usually go for the football type, but he was nice and she was hoping to make Angel jealous, if nothing else. It was a month since she last talked to him. Though she constantly felt his eyes on her wherever she went, he never appeared and she had given up trying to speak to him.
It just wasn't meant to be, a vampire and a Slayer and he WAS 241 years old. Way to old for her, she convinced herself. She was only 16 after all. Dwayne was waiting upstairs and Buffy was pleasantly surprised to see a warmth enter his eyes when he saw her. He got to his feet and gave her a hug, not even mentioning the fact she was 20 minutes late for a date.
"What a guy" she muttered dryly, not so sure if she should take his disinterest in her lateness as a compliment.
"Well, well, so Buffy finally decided to turn up. Are you sure you want someone as…absent-minded as her as a girlfriend Dwayne? And that hair, you could have at least done your hair Buffy." Cordelia's sarcastic voice clearly heard even over the loud music and Buffy's hands flew to her hair in defense, finding that most of it had fallen from her ponytail in the struggle with the vampire.
"You fight the un-dead each night and see how YOUR hair looks." Buffy muttered darkly under her breath, glaring as she rapidly fixed her hair and Cordelia watched with a snobby expression on her face. Dwayne but an arm around Buffy's shoulders and smiled down at her softly, touching a blonde curl as it lay against her check.
"I love your hair, messy or not." Dwayne told her and she smiled back, her eyes sparkling as he leaned in to give her a kiss. Buffy heard Cordelia snort un-lady-like, but they both ignored her. She leaned back and her eyes caught a slight movement in the corner of the room.
"The world is coming to an end! Buffy is hanging with the same group as I am!" Cordelia glared accusingly upward for a moment as if waiting for some hint that it was all just a big mistake. Buffy didn't hear her and Cordelia left, unnoticed, a second later, muttering about losers.
A shiver went through Buffy and she knew only one guy could get that reaction out of her without her even seeing him. Angel. And even from the other side of the room she could feel his anger. He was jealous and a smile touched her lips before she could stop it.
He was watching her but even her sharp eyes could only pick up the faintest outline of his form as he stood in the shadows. Buffy lifted her chin and deliberately turned her back on him. She looked at her date instead and contemplated his cute features. He was as light as Angel was dark. Short hair as blonde as Buffy's own and light blue eyes. He was good-looking, but not as good-looking as Angel, Buffy thought dreamily.
She shook her head abruptly and focused on Dwayne as he asked her if she wanted a drink. She nodded and he got up from the table. Her eyes followed him and she looked at his muscled body absently, more muscle than she usually liked, but that was football players for you. It made her wonder if she was really serious about dating. She took her feelings out and examined them, ignoring the music and conversation of all Dwayne's friends as they talked and laughed around her.
Her feelings for Dwayne were…friendship only. Ss much as she wanted to feel more, there was only one person who could make her heart race. Buffy looked over her shoulder and towards the shadows but her senses told her that Angel was gone. She turned back with a sigh and gasped as she saw Angel sitting across the table from her and staring with burning eyes.

Chapter Two

"Angel! What are you doing here?" Buffy demanded, looking for Dwayne with anxious eyes. If he came back and found Angel with her…
"I come here every night, you know that" Angel said, his voice low, almost accusing. Buffy snorted, much as Cordelia had earlier. Angel was in no mood for games however and his eyes told her that, they seemed to burn a hole into her with their angered intensity.
"Well you can go sit somewhere else, I'm with Dwayne" she told him and turned away with feigned disinterest, a low growl came from Angel and she pretended not to hear it.
"Who is he? Does he know about you?" Angel demanded and Buffy turned back with a sweet smile, leaning in slightly towards him over the table.
"Maybe" she taunted. Angel clenched his fists, visibly fighting for control and Buffy felt a thrill of fear and excitement at causing such a strong reaction. Angel pretended to be indifferent, but it was obvious to her that he was anything but…and the danger she sensed from Angel made her reckless.
"He's my boyfriend if you must know, so go away, he'll be back any moment!" Buffy said with a sugary tone. Angel leaned forward also, seeming about to deliver some scathing retort but then he got to his feet and towered over her.
"It won't last." he said with a slight smile. They both watched as Buffy's fingernails scraped strips of wood out of the surface of the table. She realized what she had done and turned away abruptly, furious that he had gotten to her so easily. Something thumped onto the table and she spun to face Angel angrily only to see that it was Dwayne back with the drinks. He saw her face and held up his hands mock-frightened. Buffy flushed and toyed with the straw in her coke.
"What's got you so angry, did I do something?" he joked and Buffy forced a smile to her face, though her eyes remained furious.
"No, not you. Just…" she was interrupted as Cordelia stormed over to their table, her eyes annoyed.
"Buffy, what did you say to Angel about me? I tried to talk to him and he just brushed right past me. ME!" she ranted at Buffy. The blonde sighed, Dwayne looking slightly confused until Cordelia left.
"Who's Angel?" he wanted to know. Buffy twisted the straw almost viciously, her thoughts again on the vampire who infuriated her as much as he made her heart leap with excitement at his presence.
"No one. Just someone we both know, just…an acquaintance." Buffy said with a bright smile and took a sip of her drink while Dwayne talked about his last football game.
Angel watched from the shadows again, baring his sharp teeth in fury. He was so angered that he had gone vampire. His eyes burned into Buffy's back, her words echoing tauntingly in his mind.
'No one'. His hands clenched, the nails biting sharply into his hands until blood was almost drawn. 'Just someone we both know, just…an acquaintance'. He felt like breaking things, and even worse he felt like hurting the blonde guy Buffy was with. Sinking his fangs in and…he shook his head abruptly and his human face came back as he forced himself to relax. Buffy had made him this angry and Angel admitted he WAS jealous, she had a boyfriend now and wanted Angel out of her life.
Well that was what she would get, he thought as he made his way unnoticed past her table and down the stairs to where he could see Xander and Willow talking and laughing together. They looked up and Willow smiled in welcome, though the look on Xanders face couldn't possibly have been less inviting.
"Hi Angel." She saw his face and the smile faded as he stood there and looked at them broodingly, something unreadable in his dark eyes.
"Oh, you saw Buffy huh?" Willow said sadly, knowingly. Xander's grin was tight, torn between relief that Buffy and Angel were no longer friends, and depression at the fact that she was now upstairs with another guy.
"Yes" Angel said shortly, forcing a smile to his face and holding out a hand to Willow.
"Care to dance?" he asked her, she smiled and put her hand in his. Willow ignored the daggered look her friend was giving her, sick of his comments about 'dead boy' as he called Angel regularly now.
"Sure, nothing's happening around here." she said innocently and was happily swept off by the gorgeous vampire, fervently hoping that Xander would be jealous. "In an alternate universe" she muttered as she put her arms around Angel and wondered if Buffy would be angry if she saw Willow dancing with the dark-haired vampire, especially to such a slow song.
"So Angel…" Willow trailed off as she leaned back to look at his face and saw he was staring up at where Buffy and Dwayne could be seen.
"You know, when you ask a girl to dance, it's traditional to pay attention to her…maybe some light conversation?" Willow suggested lightly. Angel looked down at her, taking his eyes from Buffy for a moment. A rueful expression crossed his face and Willow suddenly wondered if it had been such a good idea to have a hunk like Angel giving her his full attention. He was so gorgeous, Willow found herself gaping like a fool at his face and looked down quickly.
"You're right, Willow." Angel's voice came near her ear and she almost shivered, glancing up in shock, wondering vaguely if he could read minds.
"I should be paying you more attention." he continued with a slight smile and Willow breathed easier, it had freaked her to think he knew she thought he was good-looking. Oh, Buffy, I could steal him away from you Willow told herself and almost stumbled to a halt at the un-Willow-like thoughts.
"Willow?" Angel asked her and realized he had said something. She smiled brightly and met his dark eyes.
"Yes?" she almost squeaked but he didn't seem to notice, his eyes were again on Buffy and Dwayne, who were dancing slowly upstairs.
"Do you think she's serious about him?" Angel said almost under his breath and Willow felt suddenly protective of him, she smiled widely and flapped a hand nonchalantly.
"Nah, it's a faze" she assured him. Angel looked broodingly at the couple till the song ended, then he took her back to her seat and Xander. Willow was pleased to see that Xander was frowning like a thunderclap and her heart leapt. Angel sat down beside her and stared into space, his eyes dark and thoughtful.
"What's up vamp-man, can't take the competition?" Xander asked laughingly and Angel's eyes darkened even more as he swiftly glanced at Xander. Xander immediately realized his mistake and held up his hands as if to keep off the angry vampire.
"Okay! Sorry, sorry. Bad joke" Xander muttered, turning away. Willow looked at him disapprovingly and Xander met her eyes almost guiltily. Willow turned back to apologize for Xander but saw the seat next to her was empty. A quick look around the room revealed nothing and she wondered where he had gone to in such a hurry.
"Dead boy sure moves fast, I'll give him that" Xander said happily and Willow sighed.

Chapter Three

Gabriella looked around the place in interest. She had meant to book into a hotel and sleep, but the music had drawn her here. Plus, the fact that she was curious where the teenagers of this town hung out. The 'Bronze' was the perfect place to get away from it all and hang with your friends. She spotted the guys that had bumped past her earlier but walked past them without a second glance, heading for the stairs. It was crowded that she could barely see anything and the second floor looked like the perfect place to get a clear view.
Gabriella walked gracefully up the stairs, aware that she was being watched by everyone she passed, but used to it. She sat down at a table that was miraculously clear and looked over the balcony to the dance floor below. It was filled with dancing couples and she sighed, resting her cheek on her hand as her green eyes roved over the teenagers.
"Excuse me, that's our seat" a polite voice said. Gabriella looked up in surprise, to see a blonde girl in a black mini-skirt and red top, her hair in a pony-tail. Next to her was an equally blonde guy who could have been her brother but obviously was not from the way he had his arm around her waist.
"Oh, I am sorry, I did not realize" Gabriella apologized and got up quickly. The blonde girl looked her over curiously, but Gabriella felt no anger. There was something about the blonde that was strange, Gabriella could sense it. In fact, she had been sensing it since she entered the place but had been ignoring it.
"Hey, that's fine, you didn't know." the guy said with a slightly smitten smile. Gabriella saw that the blonde girl had also seen the smile and was not pleased by it. Gabriella inclined her head, avoiding the glare from the blonde's light green eyes and walked off slowly.
"You didn't have to be so rude Buffy, she only…" the guy's voice faded as Gabriella walked further away and stood to the side of the top of the stairs, leaning on the balcony rail. So the blonde was called Buffy, an unusual name, but Gabriella had heard many strange names in New York and she couldn't see how the rest of the world could be any different.
Something hit her senses hard and she looked down directly into the dark eyes of a guy sitting at one of the tables near the dance floor. Their eyes locked and hers were wide and startled, the pools of green darkening slightly. He was absolutely gorgeous, dark hair and eyes that you could drown in. Gabriella wrenched her eyes away, feeling as if an eternity had gone by but it had really been but a few seconds. She reluctantly looked back only to see that his seat was now empty.
Tiredness suddenly hit her and she slumped slightly, the music felt too loud and the laughing grated on her nerves. Gabriella straightened and started down the stairs quickly, feeling eyes on her again as she reached the bottom and headed back out the door. The night air hit her. The breeze cooled her face and she walked down the alley and back onto the street with a relieved sigh.
"Now, where is a hotel when you need it?" she asked herself out loud. Someone touched her arm, grabbing it tightly. She was spun around to meet the eyes of a guy in his early 20's. He was handsome but there was something about him she didn't trust. Gabriella said nothing as she was dragged away and into an alley further down the street.
"This was WAY too easy, aren't you even going to scream baby?" the guy purred and she saw his face change. It was hideous and she gasped as she saw his long sharp teeth in the moonlight.
"A Vampire? This can not be!" Gabriella yelled, almost to herself. The creature grinned in satisfaction at her apparent shock, though he was unsure about the other emotion he saw in her eyes.
"I love it when they scream, it makes it so much more satisfying. And you're so beautiful too, maybe I should bring you into the family." the creature growled and pulled her closer. Gabriella's mind had been blank with shock until then but she suddenly began to struggle violently at his words.
"Let me go!" she cried out, trying to keep his mouth away from her throat. She put a hand over his face and shoved it away with all her strength but he just laughed. She was becoming desperate but something held her back, she was still stunned by what was happening and didn't seem to be able to think coherently.
"But the party's just begun!" he roared with laughter and then something wrenched him roughly away from Gabriella and she turned away, closing her eyes and panting rapidly, trying to calm her heart. She didn't even want to see who had pulled the creature away and merely listened as a struggle ensued and then a painful grunt and then nothing. Another hand descended onto her arms and she tensed, whirling around, her wide eyes clashed with those of the gorgeous guy from the nightclub and she blinked in surprise.
"Ah, thank you" she whispered, knowing that he had taken care of the vampire. The guy smiled and he looked even more gorgeous than before, it lit up his eyes and she felt her heart beating madly.
"You're welcome, he didn't hurt you did he?" the guy was all concern as he looked her over and then reached out to touch a spot on her arm, she winced with pain and looked down to see the vampire's sharp claws had ripped through her top just above the elbow. It was bloody and she could clearly see the long cuts beneath the material, she pulled her arm up for a closer look and then noticed that the guy was turned away slightly, his eyes averted.
"Are YOU all right" she asked his softly, stepping closer and he jerked his head up to meet her eyes, startled at the question.
"Yes, I'm fine" his eyes went again to her bloody arm and then he moved towards the end of the alley, scanning it before motioning her forward. He walked with her down the street, standing next to her protectively and she smiled to herself.
"We need to get something to bind those cuts, where is your hotel?' the guy asked and she stopped abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk, hands on her hips.
"How do you know I have a hotel?" she demanded, he stopped too and faced her, dark shadows angling off of his face sharply.
"I've lived here a while and I've seen a lot of people, you're new" the guy said and Gabriella stared at him for a moment before continuing to walk.
"You are right, I AM new to Sunnydale…but I don't have a hotel yet" she admitted and felt his sidelong glance, he seemed to hesitate saying something and her eyes flicked curiously in his direction.
"What is it?" she asked softly and he appeared startled and troubled at the same time that she had sensed he wanted to say something.
"You Ah, don't seem to be freaked out about that vampire very much" he told her and she looked away, biting her bottom lip slightly.
"Maybe it is shock, I really did not expect to be attacked by a vampire" there was something in her voice that made him stare intently at her, but her face remained averted.
Angel drank in her features and thought how beautiful she was, her long dark hair swayed around her like a cloak and he knew if he offered his jacket to keep her warm, she would refuse. Her eyes were a stunning dark green and even in the 'Bronze' he had felt as if he were drowning in them, she was stunningly beautiful and he suddenly wondered if she had come alone.
"Did you come to Sunnydale by yourself?" Angel had to ask, but casually and her eyes were wary as she looked up at him.
"Yes, I did. My name is Gabriella by the way" she told him softly and he murmured the name under his breath, even her name was beautiful.
"I'm Angel" he said with no hesitation, he rarely liked to tell anyone his name and wondered that he had told Gabriella so readily. She opened her mouth to reply when two figures barreled past them, Gabriella saw that they were teens about 17 or 18 and they were running like a demon was after them. She looked around and realized Angel and she had walked to a park, as she watched the two youths run into the tree's.
A split-second later something came speeding after them and Gabriella had very little time to see it was the girl from the 'Bronze'.
"Buffy!" Angel yelled and Gabriella blinked as he sped after her without hesitation, he called something over his shoulder and Gabriella nodded to herself.
"Stay here. Right"

Chapter Four

"Come back here you…!" Buffy shouted, trying to keep up and someone was suddenly running beside her, she knew it was Angel without looking and was unreasonably annoyed.
"I don't need your help Angel" she panted, glaring at his form as he gracefully ran beside her, reminding her sharply of a panther on the hunt.
"Sure you don't, but there are two of them. Don't be stupid Buffy and let me help" Angel growled as he assumed his vampire face, Buffy had opened her mouth to retort but then thought better of it as they caught up to the vampires. They had stopped near a tree and Buffy flung a stake at the closest reflexively, it almost got him but the vampire ducked and she swore softly as she and Angel went into battle. Buffy could hear Angel fighting next to her as she repeatedly punched the young vampire, he couldn't have been more than a week old. Buffy didn't feel at all sorry for him though and knocked him backwards, straight onto the stake that was planted into the tree. The vampire exploded into dust and Buffy turned to see how Angel was faring, her eyes widened when she saw that he was fighting THREE vampires and they had gotten pretty far away from her as he had fought them.
"Where'd they come from, Arrgggggh!" she screamed as someone tackled her from behind and she hit the ground hard.
"Buffy!" Angel called, even as busy as he was, he was still worried about her and Buffy's heart melted. The vampire hit her while she was thinking and her face thumped hard into the dirt. He rubbed it in and she thrashed around, trying to get dirt and grass out of her mouth, she kicked backwards and connected. The vampire grunted with pain and fell off of her, Buffy rolled to her feet and pulled out another stake, thrusting it angrily into his chest and watching with satisfaction as he was dusted.
She brushed the dirt out of her face and spat the grass out, turning to help Angel. He had finished all but one and didn't see yet another sneaking up behind him, Buffy screamed as the vampire reached Angel's unprotected back and Buffy was too far away to help.
"Angel!" she called despairingly, he tossed the vampire before him towards Buffy but it clung to one of his arms, pulling Angel to his knee's. The other vampire had the stake that Buffy had used on the first vampire in his hands, raised over Angel's back and ready to thrust home. Buffy ran fast than she ever had and tried but she knew she wouldn't reach him in time. As she went to leap at the vampire the bright moonlight went out and Buffy heard thunder crash loudly in the suddenly stormy sky.
It was enough to stop all three vampires and Buffy and she gaped as a vicious wind howled through the park and beat at them, Buffy saw everything clearly as if through a dream. The first vampire was laying at Angel's feet, digging sharp claws into his arm so that Angel couldn't rise from his half crouch. The second was leaning over Angel's unprotected back with the stake raised but the sudden unpredictable weather had momentarily shocked them all.
A huge thunderclap shook the earth and Buffy stumbled, looking up in time to see twin bolts of lightning shoot down from the sky and land squarely on both vampires. Angel was still attached by the vampires grip and Buffy screamed in horror as the vampire's smoked, consumed by the lightning that raced through every part of their bodies. Her vision was obscured for a moment until their hideous wailing's of agony had finally stopped and they turned to dust.
Angel was lying on the ground and Buffy reached his side in record time, pulling him up and babbling hysterically. "Angel? Angel speak to me, are you hurt? Oh god!" Buffy shrieked over the wind, Angel moaned and put a hand to his head, standing with Buffy's help and they both looked up when the wind died away abruptly. The Thunder faded as did the clouds and they were staring at an again calm night, the moon shining brightly down upon their stunned faces.
"That was not a normal storm" Angel grunted and Buffy ran her hands over him, looking anxiously for wounds. She finally gave up and stared at his intent eyes, watching her as she worried over him and a slight smile was on his face.
"No, it wasn't. You should talk to Giles. See you around Buffy" Angel said almost absently, his eyes distant. He walked swiftly away and Buffy just stared after him, finally following at a distance to see where he went. Angel had been distant all of a sudden and she wanted to know why the sudden change, he had seemed so jealous that she had hoped…
Who the hell was that? She glared viciously as she peered around a tree and saw Angel approaching a girl who was sitting on a bench. Her back was to them both but she turned as she seemed to hear Angel, Buffy was mildly surprised at that seeing as she had very good hearing and Angel ALWAYS seemed to sneak up on HER.
She couldn't hear what was being said but Buffy's heart faltered as she saw the girl's face, it was the girl she had snubbed at the 'Bronze'. The one that Dwayne had been smitten with and Buffy admitted reluctantly that the girl was beautiful. Her eyes as they had met Buffy's had been a deep emerald and her long hair was incredible, her clothes were great too and Buffy could tell the girl was rich. But what was Angel doing with her?

"Gabriella, I'm sorry. That was a friend and those guys…" she interrupted him with a faint smile and he laughed ruefully at her words.
"Vampires" she suggested with a straight face and he almost laughed till she asked the next question.
"Why was your friend chasing the vampires, don't people usually run away?" she said coolly and Angel was taken aback, now realizing she was right and not sure what to say.
"Umm, they took her purse and she, Uh" Angel stumbled to a halt, unable to go on with the lame story he had been telling this girl. Gabriella nodded however and Angel was surprised when she accepted the lie easily, they got to their feet and began walking again. She said nothing more though and they walked in silence, though for Angel it was uncomfortable as he thought of how to explain the night's events to her.
"Angel is there a hotel around here? I really have to get a room before sun up" she asked and Angel looked around thinking, then remembered there was one close by the 'Bronze'.
"Uh, yeah, it's back a few streets from the nightclub" he told her faintly embarrassed that they had walked all that way and he had not thought about finding her a hotel, even when she had said she didn't have one. He dropped her off at the hotel and walked home in a pensive mood, he really liked Gabriella but the fight tonight had told him that Buffy really DID care more than she was letting on.
Angel reached home an hour before sunrise and sat on his bed, pulling off his shirt before going to the fridge for a blood pack. Someone thumped insistently on his door and he opened it, the blood pack still in his hands. Buffy stood there and he was surprised when she pushed past him and into the room angrily.
"Okay, I told Giles about tonight and he wants to see you at the Library when the sun goes down. There really were too many vampires to be a normal staking" Buffy told him in a muffled voice, still not facing him, Angel left the door open and walked over to her.
"Tell him I'll be there. Buffy…" she spun around and he could see she was very angry, yet tears were in her eyes.
"Did you do it to make me jealous, is that it? Well it didn't work Angel, not at all, I have Dwayne now!" she yelled furiously and Angel was taken aback and then furious also.
"In case you didn't notice, I had already left the 'Bronze' when you went chasing the vampires. I didn't follow you and I had no idea that you would come along, so how could I have used Gabriella to make you jealous!" Angel shouted and Buffy went pale, he regretted his words almost immediately but she had slipped past him to the door and her face was cold as she faced him again.
"Fine, just stay away from me Angel…just stay away" she almost whispered and then turned and ran, Angel followed involuntarily, but closed the door and leaned against it when he felt the sun was near. She had run into the sunlight, where he could not go and he smashed a priceless vase in rage.
"Damn her!" he roared going vamp. He bit viciously into the blood bag he still held, reveling in the taste of the blood.

Chapter Five

Angel watched Giles staring down at an open book, some others under his arm and mumbling and stuttering his way through a strange language that sounded vaguely familiar to the vampire. "What language is that?" he asked curiously, Giles jumped violently, the books in his hands tumbling to the floor with a clatter.
"Ah, an an-ancient language…not used anymore, anywhere. Not for centuries, I can't even recognize it" Giles stammered, he pushed the glasses back onto his nose nervously and bent to pick the dusty books up. Angel came fully out of the shadows, where he had been hiding and handed a book that Giles had missed to him.
"Why would you want an ancient language Giles, has something come up about…Buffy?" Angel clenched his hands when he said her name but Giles never noticed, too busy with his own thoughts.
"No, no. Just a dream I had, someone said something and it sounded somehow familiar to me so I looked it up. It's very complex and I was just trying to learn the basics when you came in" Giles explained and Angel felt a frown cross his face, Giles having dreams where people spoke strange, long unused languages was not a good thing. Giles handed Angel a book and the vampire looked at it with raised brows, it was very old and that much was clear, yet it seemed in perfect condition.
"What does this say?" he asked the Watcher and Giles took his glasses off to wipe them with a hanky, he looked off into space and Angel felt as if he were alone for a moment. The words on the cover were in silver and the symbol of three stars surrounding a crescent moon were in the very center, also silver. The book's cover was made of soft red leather and Angel stroked the symbols lightly, feeling something like electricity jolting down his fingers and into his body.
"It says, well I'm not exactly sure WHAT it says Angel, I haven't been able to translate any of it yet" The Watcher said with extreme irritability, he took the book back off of Angel and began muttering again.
"You see it's a small bit like modern Romanian, but a lot of it is some other, or several other languages as well" Giles sat back down and opened the book, Angel leaned over him and stared at the strange script, it was like nothing he had ever seen before and it was strangely compelling. The pages were only ever-so-slightly yellow, as if written only a year or two before, but they both knew better.
"It's remarkably well preserved, even the writing. No sign of decay at all" Giles said almost to himself and Angel nodded with agreement, it was astonishing to say the least. An impossibility almost.
"And someone in your dream told you something in this ancient language? How did you recognize it?" Angel wondered, his eyes were already hurting trying to follow the complex wording and he stood back.
"Ah, well not in THIS language that is written in the book here. Another, in the back of it. I-I'll explain in a moment" Giles said, he patted the pages almost lovingly.
"Uh, umm, well that is the strange part naturally. I found this book 20 years ago in a far eastern continent and bought it for quite a lot of money. The owner was quite loath to part with it for some reason but his wife convinced him they needed the money. All he could tell me was that it was partly Ro-Romanian, the interesting thing is that there are not other books like this in the world that I could find" Giles stopped and ran a hand through his hair distractedly and Angel sat down across from him, waiting for the man to continue.
"I saw straight away that it was not modern Romanian, nor anything I could remotely comprehend. In the back of the book though were words in modern Romanian, the only part in the whole book that I could translate…" he held out a piece of paper to Angel and the vampire scanned it swiftly, he had traveled a lot and understood Romanian probably as well as the Watcher. It took only a moment to read it and then he looked up quickly, shocked and horrified.
"Are you sure this wasn't added after the book was originally written, the languages have changed so much that it seems impossible someone could have understood them back then" Angel said darkly, looking for some way that it could somehow be wrong, that the book had been tampered with. Giles gave the vampire serious look, his voice worried when he finally spoke.
"I'm sure. From the tests I had done on this book-and I must say that my colleague and I were both most impressed with how well preserved the ink was-we found that this message WAS indeed written at the exact same time as the rest of the book" Giles admitted, Angel didn't know why he wasn't more surprised, but with all he had seen and heard in the last 241 years, nothing really got to him anymore. Much.
"Oh Buffy" Angel murmured, his eyes terrible for Giles to see, they burned with a fierce protectiveness, but also a deep hatred for what Buffy's normal life had become. All that she was made to do to save the world from vampires and all at the age of 16. "And the dream?" Angel prompted and Giles tried to say something but it came out in a stuttered sentence, clearly it had unnerved the Watcher very much.
"Yes, Uh, the dream. Well the woman said something and it came to me that it was the exact same words written at the back of this book, I dug it out immediately and I'm quite sure that I was meant to remember about this diary…" Angel got to his feet and snatched the book back, Giles was mildly surprised as the vampire opened the covers and touched a page gently.
"You're right, these ARE dates, but they too are strange. I don't think I could understand them…" Angel murmured and Giles gave a short laugh, rising to peer at the page that Angel was staring at.
"Not too strange, Uh, that is another strange thing too though" Angel gave him an annoyed look and wondered how many other strange things Giles would tell him of about the book.
"Umm, the d-dates are similar to…correspond to, Ah let me see" the Watcher moved some papers around on his desk frantically, searching and came up a moment later with a very crumpled piece that had scribbles all over it.
"Ah, here it is. The dates you see are even older than the book, umm, that is, they seemed to have used a completely different and older numerical system than their own language"
"What system?" Angel demanded, feeling as if he were being used as a pawn somehow and something nagged at the back of his mind though he could not quite place it.
"Mmm? Oh, Persian, very ancient also. A-about 500 B.C I believe, when the Civilization was at it's height" Angel stared at the man, but said nothing. Persian? Giles and he exchanged a look a moment before Buffy, Xander and Willow burst into the Library. They skidded to a stop breathlessly and Buffy panted for a moment, completely ignoring Angel.
"Oh Buffy, good I want to talk to…" Giles began hesitantly, Angel gave him a quick glance however and the Watcher began to think that maybe Buffy shouldn't know about the book. She and the other's didn't seem to notice Giles soft words and Xander quickly blurted out the reason for their untimely visit.
"Giles! There are vampires heading towards the 'Bronze' and I mean a lot! We need backup and heaps of ammo" Xander gasped out and Buffy gave him a quick look, Willow came forward and her eyes were on the book still held in Angel's hands.
"What's that?" she started to say but Buffy shot her an angry look, so Willow shut her mouth. Angel put behind his back unobtrusively and leaned back against the edge of the table, making sure Willow and Xander stayed in front of him.
"Later Will, can't you keep your mind from books for a moment?" Buffy demanded angrily, Xander and Willow looked startled but Buffy never noticed as she grabbed the key to the weapon's cage from Giles startled hands. She raced in and started piling stakes and bolts for the cross-bow into her bag, while Xander grabbed some holy water from his bag and tossed it from hand to hand.
"How many vampires are heading there?" Angel asked urgently and Xander gave the holy water to willow to hold up all his fingers, flashing them to indicate 10 and then he threw up his hands annoyed.
"Uh, more than I can conveniently count!" he shouted as he went to help Buffy and left Willow to recount what had happened.
"We were headed out with Buffy for Graveyard duty when she got major cram…Uh vibes that there was something up. We followed her and saw about, I'd say, 15 vampires heading for a buffet at the 'Bronze'" Willow estimated the amount and Angel looked slightly skeptical, then flashed a strange look at Giles, throwing the old book back at the watcher who caught it carefully.
"That's right Giles. If we don't leave now it's going to be a total stain. Coming Angel?" Buffy shouted over her shoulder as she left the Library, not even waiting to see if he followed and Angel winced at the coldness he heard when she said his name.
"Business as usual" he muttered to himself and quickly followed. Giles listened till they left and then sat down again to try and decipher the book, the book fluttered open as a strange gentle wind went through the room, spinning through the pages till it came to the inscription at the back. Giles seemed to hear whisperings in the wind and listened harder, but it suddenly died down as quickly as it had come. He looked up slowly, pushing his glasses back further onto the bridge of his noise with extreme nervousness. The book had opened by itself on the page with the message that was the only Romanian script he could read and it lay there, almost seeming to mock him.
'And it shall come to pass that the book shall fall into the hands of a human called 'The watcher', when day and night are one and the Slayer of the blood-drinkers shall fall under a cloak of darkness'

Chapter Six

Buffy and the other's raced towards "The 'Bronze'' as fast as they could and though Angel ran right next to Buffy, neither of them said a word nor even looked the other's way. Willow and Xander had noticed and exchanged looks constantly on the way, Xander again juggling his bottle of holy water. They had almost reached the nightclub's car park when Buffy skidded on something and almost fell, she grabbed out and latched onto Angel's arm automatically and then flushed and pulled away.
"Buff, what's wrong…what the…hell" Xander stumbled to a halt as the street light's and those from the 'Bronze' lit up the car park and they could see what Buffy had slid on. Half the area was covered in dust a few centimeters thick and Buffy and the other's gaped in shock, no doubt in their minds that this had been all the vampires that they had run there to fight.
"Think they're all here?" Willow asked professionally and Buffy brushed the hair back from her face in confusion and also fear.
"What could have killed them all in less than 20 minutes, there were 15 of them!" she yelled and Angel put a calming hand on her shoulder, she was so in shock that she didn't shrug it off and instead leaned slightly into the warmth. Angel scanned the area and spotted footprints almost immediately, they were in the center of the dust and he walked over curiously.
They were quite clear, the prints, boots by the look of it too, but that could be anyone at all in Sunnydale. Boots were 'in' as he had heard Buffy say once, when he was listening unnoticed as they had talked in the Library one afternoon, she had several pairs herself. The strange thing was, the prints were just there, there were no tracks leading to or from that spot in the center of the car park.
"Weird" Buffy murmured and he realized she had come up behind him, he had been so distracted that he had not even heard her, vampire hearing and all. Angel suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to take her into his arms but he fought it, she had told him to stay away from her and he would, worse still, she had a boyfriend.
"You should go back and tell Giles, it looks as if you won't be slaying tonight" Angel told her quietly and walked away without another word, practically feeling her shock as she stared at his retreating back. He melted into the shadows and watched as they left, going back the way they had come. There was no sense in worrying her, but the only creature who could leave no tracks to or from somewhere had to be a vampire.
He could have leapt down from the roof to kill them and then leapt back the same way, but why would a vampire kill his own kind? And there were some of them that could fly, very rare but Angel had seen some. Was there another vampire around with a soul, a rogue like Angel bent on stamping out the evil one's. But it still didn't explain how ONE vampire could kill 15 of them in only 20 minutes…

A cloaked figure watched Angel as he examined the dust from the shadows and cursed itself for a fool for leaving tracks. A wind suddenly sprang up and swept over the car park, erasing the foot prints and the dust that had been the vampires swirled away in a whirl wind, scattering it. The figure saw Angel curse and then the vampire went into the club and the figure sighed.
It had not been easy to kill them all, it had been totally against the figure's nature to do it…but all those human's would have suffered and that was something the figure was not willing to risk.

"Hello Angel" a soft voice whispered into his ear and Angel started, turning swiftly to meet deep green eyes. Gabriella. She was wearing a long black dress and practically melted into the shadows with him and Angel was surprised, not many could have seen him so hidden under the stairs in the 'Bronze' as he had been.
"Gabriella, you startled me. I didn't hear you" he said with a smile that was a slightly strained, he had been so intent on Buffy and Dwayne dancing that she had managed to come upon him quite easily. A smile crossed her beautiful face and then Gabriella leaned past him to see what he had been so intent on.
"Do you love her?" she asked gently and Angel turned to her completely shocked that she had seen what was buried deep in his heart. He was about to lie when he saw that there was a terrible sadness in her eyes, something she turned away quickly to hide, but he had seen it.
"I…I guess I do" Angel said slowly, wondering what could have caused such a sadness in one so young as she was.
"Then you should fight for her, Angel" Gabriella murmured, turning back to watch Buffy and Dwayne end the dance and turn towards the stairs. They didn't see Gabriella or Angel in the shadows beneath and continued up to the second floor where their table was. Angel sighed and turned to ask Gabriella if she wanted to take a walk, but she was already gone. He scanned the room swiftly, but there was no sign of her and he felt something nagging at his mind.
"How did she leave so quickly?" he wondered out loud as he walked out from under the stairs and headed for the exit, hoping to see her outside. There was no sign of her in the car park and he found himself wandering along the same road they had walked a 3 night ago, when he had first met her.

Gabriella walked along the sidewalk slowly, staring again at the moon, contemplating. Her mind was on Angel and Buffy, wondering how she could help them both. She had seen how jealous Angel was when he saw Buffy with Dwayne and she was sure that Buffy felt the same way. The blonde couldn't hide the way she sometimes looked around as if seeking someone and a disappointment would enter her clear gaze as she saw that was she wanted never came.
Gabriella knew what it was like to long for what you could not have, but those two could have it if they just got past this fight of theirs. She walked to the park that she had discovered when walking with Angel the night she met him and she sat on a bench to stare at the sky. A slight noise alerted her and she spun around to see a guy standing not far away, smoking.
He eyed her thoughtfully for a moment and a smile crossed his face, a sly smile that made her skin crawl. "Don't be alarmed my dear, I assure you I don't bite" the guy practically purred and Gabriella watched him a moment longer before nodding and sitting down again with her back to him.
"I am curious however to see that you are all alone, don't you have a boyfriend?" he asked smoothly as he came to sit beside her, she studied him as he too looked up at the moon and saw that he appeared to be in his early 20's. His hair was down to his shoulders and it was a red-brown color, his eyes a deep brown. He was also very handsome and from the tilt of his head when he caught her staring at him, he was very aware of his looks.
"No. No boyfriend currently" she told him quietly, her chin lifted slightly, challenging him to ask any more about her single status and he closed his mouth with a twinkling in his eyes.
"The moon is beautiful tonight, isn't it?" he said after a moment's paused and Gabriella sighed, her eyes on the moon as she nodded her head in agreement.
"Yes, she is" Gabriella murmured and the guy clapped his hands once in delight.
"Ah! You believe in the goddess Seline then?" he inquired and was rewarded with a gentle smile, but something in her eyes disturbed him greatly.
"Yes, I leant about her from…my sister. She loved the moon also" Gabriella said almost under her breath, but the guy caught it and he was again curious.
"You have a sister? And is she as lovely as you in the moonlight?" he teased her and Gabriella gave him a wry smile, telling him that she was flattered but that it really meant nothing to her that he was trying to get under her skin.
"What brings you out tonight?" she asked and he drew in a breath, turning to face her and in his eyes she saw a look of playfulness…and a deep hunger.
"Food. I was hungry" he said flatly, his eyes went deadly intent and she stared at him with confusion in her face.
"Oh, did I deter you from your dinner, I am sorry" she apologized and an evil smile spread over his face, but no fear entered her eyes as he moved closer to her.
"On the contrary, I was just looking when I stumbled upon you. I have not yet eaten" he said silkily, his eyes flashed yellow and then his face changed hideously. He expected her to run but she smiled sadly, her hand coming up to touch one of the ridges on his face almost like a child.
"I…I thought you were one of them" she admitted hesitantly and the vampire was confused, his hunger was great but something held him back , almost like an invisible force in his mind.
"Then why didn't you run?" he demanded, grabbing her arms roughly and she winced.
"I wanted to see…" she began when she saw a blonde blur and realized it was Buffy, sneaking up upon them from the side.

Chapter Seven

The vampire saw her also and threw Gabriella to the ground, she hit hard and blackness covered her vision as the sounds of fighting reached her ears. Buffy shouted angrily and then someone was pulling Gabriella roughly from off the ground.
"Okay, what were you doing with him?" the blonde demanded as she ran her eyes over the dark-haired girl and her eyes were full of suspicion. Buffy suddenly grabbed a cross and thrust it into Gabriella's face, the dark-haired girl was startled but didn't flinch as the cold metal touch her face.
"I Uh, I'm sorry, I thought you might be one of them" the blonde admitted sheepishly and Gabriella stared at her for a moment then laughed. Buffy looked surprised and then began to laugh also, it lasted only a minute and then a look of jealousy crossed Buffy's face and she turned away to get a hand on her emotion's.
"You're Angel's friend, aren't you?" Buffy asked as she turned back to Gabriella and there was nothing but polite interest in the blonde's gaze. She flinched away slightly as Gabriella reached out to pull a twig from her hair but the dark-haired girl didn't seem offended.
"Yes, I met him the same night I Ah, took your table" Gabriella said delicately as she began to walk back in the direction of the 'Bronze'. Buffy followed after a moment, scanning the area for any more vampires, she didn't tell the girl but that vampire had gotten away unscathed. Buffy had had strange feelings al night, as if being watched and then she had left with a sudden urge to hunt vampires. She had come upon the girl sitting next to a vampire and then he had grabbed her arms and Buffy had sprung into action.
"I am Gabriella" the girl said and Buffy looked at the girl who was taller by a few inches, but god she walked so gracefully. She was beautiful too and Buffy felt envious of the long silky hair for a split second, then it faded as she looked more closely at her companion. Gabriella looked down at Buffy as they walked as if sensing the blonde's curiosity and Buffy saw something flicker at the back of the deep green eyes a moment before someone moved in the shadows ahead of them.
"Angel" Gabriella said calmly and Buffy recognized him a moment later, startled that Gabriella had instantly recognized the vampire even though he still stood mostly in the darkness of the wall.
"Gabriella, I didn't think you had met Buffy" Angel said in a questioning tone and Buffy gritted her teeth, angered that Angel had not even addressed her yet or even looked in her direction for that matter.
"Oh, I hadn't. We…came across each other in the park" Gabriella told him and Buffy sensed that the girl was trying to cover up that Buffy had fought a vampire.
"A vampire attacked her in the park, I tried to stake him but he got away" Buffy muttered, forgetting that she didn't want Gabriella to know that her would-be-killer had escaped. A soft gasp from the dark-haired girl made Buffy regret her words and she twisted a stake in her hands anxiously as Angel stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight.
"He got away?" he said almost incredulously and Buffy was suddenly very angry, thrusting her face close to his so that he could see the fury in her eyes.
"Yeah, he got away, what of it. If you're going to accuse someone, why don't you ask your girlfriend here why she was all cozy with the vamp!" Buffy yelled at him, his eyes widened in surprise and then anger as he pushed her away and turned to Gabriella, who was watching with an unreadable expression.
"Did he hurt you?' Angel demanded roughly, all concern for the girl and Buffy drew in a gasp incredulously. Angel had not even questioned the girl about her talking to the vampire and worse, he hadn't denied that Gabriella was his girlfriend.
"I am…fine Angel. We were talking, he seemed so nice…so human and then he suddenly went to attack me" Gabriella said in a soft voice, her long dark lashes lowered over her eyes so that neither Buffy nor Angel could see what she was feeling. Angel put a comforting arm around her shoulders and she leaned into the warmth for a moment, then an indefinable expression crossed her face and she stared at Angel strangely.
"I…I have to go back to my hotel now, the sun will be up in a few hours and I have things to plan" she told them both hurriedly, glancing around as if expecting to see something and Buffy looked around also. Gabriella pulled away from Angel abruptly and walked away gracefully, but noticeably fast. Buffy and Angel watched her go and he had a slightly bemused expression on his face when he turned to Buffy, hers however was slightly malicious.
"That was rather abrupt of her Angel, think she realized out you were a vampire, like the one that just attacked her?" Buffy taunted, tossing a stake from hand to hand, her eyes glittering mocking and Angel gave her a look of disgust.
"I doubt it, she couldn't even tell the guy she was with was one, besides she's been around me a few times and would have known by now…and you didn't know I was one until I kissed you" he reminded her, walking off and they were both surprised when she followed him, walking quietly by his side as they headed in the direction Gabriella had gone minutes before.
"Is she your…girlfriend?" Buffy asked hesitantly and Angel met her eyes, something indefinable in them, his mouth curled softly and for a moment she thought she sensed love from him. But then it was gone and she was staring into eyes that met hers coolly, his hands thrust into his leather jacket casually and he walked off without a word.

"Master" the shadows moved slightly and a vampire came into the chamber, head bowed slightly. The master watched as the vampire came closer and then looked up, meeting yellow eyes.
"Gareth, we have not seen you for a month now, I was disappointed when my followers could not find you" the Master told Gareth almost gently but Gareth had known the Master for a long time now and saw that the ancient vampire was not at all pleased to have to look for him.
"I've had work to do Master, but I did not come here for…" the master interrupted, laying a hand on the head of a child that Gareth had noticed sitting my the Master. The child raised totally evil eyes and Gareth found himself grinning back at the wicked smile that played around the child's mouth.
"Of course you didn't Gareth…you're a busy vampire. What brings you back to my humble abode?" the Master almost purred and Gareth felt danger enter the room almost perceptively, the Master was toying with him and probably had already alerted hidden vampires. With a mere twitch of a face-ridge, the master could have him executed and Gareth swallowed convulsively.
"A girl, I want to bring her over" he blurted and the master raised an eyebrow almost incredulously.
"And you are telling me this…why? It had better not be The Slayer…" the Master inquired calmly and Gareth knew he would have been sweating like a mortal if he had been one.
"No! I have found a way to get to both The Slayer and Angelus. I was out hunting when I came across this girl in the park, the Slayer rescued her and I stayed around to watch" Gareth looked around at the vampires that had now moved into the room and he swallowed again nervously as they grinned at him, but the Master waved them back.
"And? What has this to do with Angelus?" the Master demanded softly and Gareth moved slightly closer, almost conspiritally. The Master's face became delighted as Gareth talked, something unreadable in his eyes.
"As I was saying, I followed them, it seems that the Slayer really doesn't like this girl and she is also…Angelus' new girlfriend. I witnessed the Slayer and Angelus have a fight over the girl, I believe if we bring her over we can use her against them both!" Gareth said excitedly, becoming vampire without realizing it and the Master gave him a slightly fond expression.
"You always were a schemer Gareth, the best of my soldiers…Very well, bring her to me. If she is an enemy of the Slayer, it will be amusing to face her off against this girl and as for Angelus…I can use her to bring him back to us!" the master waved Gareth off negligently and the vampire left hurriedly, hoping there was enough time to plan a kidnapping before sunup.

Chapter Eight

"Hey Buffster! What's happening?" Xander's cheerful voice penetrated Buffy's daze and made her wince. She turned to face her two best friends and their expectant expressions with slight apprehension. Buffy had seen Willow dancing with Angel the night before and it had made her jealous…of WILLOW! She never would have figured herself for the jealous type, but here she was jealous of Willow AND that girl Gabriella that Angel liked so much. AND Gabriella might be Angel's girlfriend too, he had not denied it.
"Hi guys, everything's cool. Have you seen Giles around today? He wasn't in the Library when I wen there earlier." Buffy asked with a smile, while taking her Math book from her locker and then locking it again. Willow and Xander exchanged a look, Buffy knew when someone was keeping something from her…and they were.
"Okay, spit it out, what do you know?" Buffy demanded and Xander choked on his chocolate bar. Willow pounded him frantically on the back, clearly trying to stall.
"Uh, know? We know nothing, nothing at all" Xander gasped and Willow nodded quickly, giving her friend a sidelong look that said to keep talking.
"Yep. Nothing." The red-haired girl confirmed, her eyes swinging around the locker area as if for inspiration.
"So, Uh, Buffy. What're you doing tonight?" Xander asked conversationally, he put an arm around Buffy and led her away from the lockers. Buffy let him only because Willow had stayed behind. As soon as they were around the corner Buffy slipped closer to Xander and fluttered her lashes, smiling sweetly.
"Oh Xander, do me a favor?" Buffy said on a sugary tone and Xander flushed, gasping like a fish for the moment at her unusual behavior. Buffy knew he had a crush on her and usually avoided close contact.
"Sure Buff" he stammered and her expression hardened, she grabbed his arm and pinned it behind his back while still smiling sweetly.
"tell me what's going on. I KNOW there's something going on…Slayer sense and all" she said with a shrug but just then Willow came back and Xander shook himself free with relief. He rushed behind Willow and mock-cowered, using her as a shield.
"Willow! Buffy's trying to make me tell, stop her!" Xander pointed to the Slayer dramatically and Buffy grinned despite herself. The day might not turn out to be so bad, she thought with relief. Just then she spotted a tall graceful figure with incredibly long black hair and Buffy bit her lip angrily.
"Hey Buff, you're simmering" Xander noted and Buffy ignored him, her eyes glued to the girl making her way through the halls at Cordelia's side. They were heading for the front entrance and Buffy started after them without a word of goodbye to her friends.
"She's spacier than usual" Willow noted back and Xander nodded. They had no idea what Buffy was up to, but they were going to find out. Each simultaneously started after their blonde friend and then laughed as they saw they both had the same idea.

"…And this is the front office, you'll need to sign up here…" Cordelia was saying as Buffy strode up behind them, Cordelia noticed her first and both girls turned to look at Buffy.
"Buffy, aren't you supposed to be with the loser squad about now?" Cordelia said smoothly and Buffy glared, not in the mood. Instead she turned to Cordelia's new friend and the glare intensified.
"What are you doing here may I ask?" Buffy almost purred, Gabriella looked startled and Cordelia patiently incredulous.
"Buffy, surely it's obvious what we're doing, Duh" Cordelia snapped, taking the other girl's arm and they both entered the front office with a steaming Buffy behind. She watched through the glass as Gabriella talked to the woman behind the counter and saw that Gabriella had been told the school was full. She would have had very little chance getting into Sunnydale High this far into the year and Buffy felt an irrational satisfaction. She didn't even see her two friend's sneak down the hall and dash behind a wall.
"This is not a good thing, Buffy's glued to the front office" Xander whispered as he and Willow peered around the corner. The blonde leader of the Slayerettes was acting far more weird than usual, and that was saying a lot about Buffy.
Buffy expected Gabriella to leave once she found out she couldn't get in, but then something strange seemed to happen. The woman got a blank look in her eyes after meeting Gabriella's gaze and then she handed over a few forms for the dark-haired beauty to fill out. Buffy felt a jolt like electricity go through her body and she shivered as if someone had walked over her grave. Minutes later Gabriella was a student at Sunnydale High and Buffy was flabbergasted.
"No. Way." She said slowly, each word spitting from her mouth like a bullet. Gabriella had somehow gotten into the School with just a few word and now Buffy had to contend with being near her rival every day…she didn't even see as Cordelia and Gabriella left the front office and the woman was staring out at Buffy as if she were mad. Buffy was staring at nothing however, her Slayer senses having gone off the scale the moment Gabriella met the woman's eyes…

Buffy couldn't wait till lunch to see where Giles had been and she raced to the Library. Giles looked up startled as Buffy stormed in and dumped her bag on the desk before the Watcher.
"Buffy. I'm glad you're here…" Giles began and Buffy glared.
"Really? Let me guess, someone wants to take over the world…Brain perhaps?" she shouted and the Watcher frowned in confusion as Buffy raved on incoherently and stomped away.
"Is there something bothering you?" Giles asked gently and Buffy stopped her tirade, calming at a remarkable speed. She came back to the desk and flung herself into a chair, leaning her chin against her hand pensively.
"You could say that, Giles. What if I said that there was a new girl and she gave me REAL weird vibes?" Buffy asked and Giles took his glasses off to wipe them, something she noticed he did a lot when worried.
"R-really, she makes you worried?" Giles said and Buffy rolled her eyes.
"That's an understatement, as usual. I'd say it's definitely a problem, as in my Slay-O-Meter going off the scale?" Buffy hinted and Giles reached immediately for his books. He was silent for a while, then with a nervous expression aimed in Buffy's direction, he pulled out a book from under a pile of papers. Buffy immediately felt something and Sat up straighter, staring intently at the red leather cover.
"What's that Giles, a new Codex?" Buffy asked, mystified as she reached for it and Giles pulled it back out of her reach almost protectively. Buffy frowned in confusion and then pouted.
"Giles! Come on, you never let me handle any of the books!" Buffy almost wailed. It took another five minutes of pouting and wailing but Giles eventually handed over the book just as Willow and Xander entered the Library.
"So any new disasters abroad G-man?" Xander said good-naturedly. Giles frowned, replying automatically as he kept an eye on Buffy. The blonde seemed fascinated by the book, though he knew she couldn't read it, she was looking at the back page as if she could and Giles panicked.
"Buffy! Be careful, it is very old!" he shouted, snatching it out of her hands and they all stared at him in surprise.
"I was careful!" Buffy protested. She got to her feet and walked towards the weapon's cupboard.
"Buffy, I haven't put the 'closed for filing' sign up yet. Anyone could just walk…in" he finished weakly as the doors pushed inward and someone he had never seen in the school walked in. She was amazingly beautiful and Giles found himself gaping for a moment before remembering he was supposed to be the Librarian.
"Can, can I help you?" he stammered and she turned from a shelf to give him a sweet smile that melted his limbs, she was wearing a white dress that fell to her knee's and white knee boots. Her hair was incredibly long and dark and fell past her waist like a silken waterfall.
"I was just interested, I joined Sunnydale today and I always love to read" she told him quietly, her gaze was steady and there seemed to be an infinite wisdom in her dark green eyes. Giles felt drawn to her immediately and barely heard the clatter of the quarter-staves as Buffy brought them out of the weapon's cage.
"Ready for a thrashing Giles?" she asked cheerfully. Giles turned to look at the Slayer in slight horror at the same time Buffy realized they weren't alone. Giles expected Buffy to say some story about what she was doing with the staves but instead she was glaring with almost hatred at the girl behind the Watcher's shoulder.
"I am sorry, I didn't know you were doing something private" the girl said quietly and Buffy leaned the staffs against the table, walking closer.
"Oh, no. We were just practicing…vampires you know" Buffy said and Giles gasped in horror, Willow almost fell over and Xander just gaped.
"Giles, guys, this is Gabriella. She's Angel's new girlfriend" Buffy introduced the girl and Giles felt rather than saw Gabriella flinch at Buffy's bitter words.

Gabriella blinked a tear from her eye before the other's could see it, her heart truly felt for Buffy and her anguish. But she didn't know if it was Angel's intention to pretend that she was his girlfriend or not. If he wanted she was fully intending to help him out, he had to have SOMETHING to use, Buffy had Dwayne and now Angel had Gabriella to help him.
"Gabriella has been around a few times when I've been fighting" Buffy murmured. Gabriella moved towards the table and past the girl, almost reaching out to give the blonde comfort. But not. Buffy would in no way take help from a rival.
"I didn't mean to intrude…who are your friends Buffy?" Gabriella asked gently and the blonde seemed to shake herself out of a kind of trace. She introduced the two students as her best friends and Giles as the Librarian. If Gabriella found this odd she said nothing and Buffy glared at her back as Angel's girl sat down at the table like she owned the place.
"It IS the Library Buffy" Giles muttered in Buffy's ear, clearly recognizing the outraged look on the Slayer's face. Gabriella saw the look also and almost laughed, she talked with them for a while more and then left.

"…To see this Miss Calendar…it's amazing…can't translate…" Giles voice echoed back from the halls as he and the computer teacher walked towards the Library. Miss calendar had seemed most interested at the prospect of translating an unknown book. They pushed open the doors and walked in silently, Giles heard a slight noise and he and Miss Calendar crept forward. Buffy wasn't due today and neither were the other two, school was also out so there should have been no one in the Library at all.
"Be as quiet as you can, I will see who is there" Giles murmured and Miss Calendar nodded, watching as the Watcher inched around the counter till he could see who was in the room. He recognized the new girl Gabriella immediately and almost straightened in relief, but something made his paused and he looked closer. He almost gasped when he saw she was holding the precious book, the red leather covers were open and Gabriella stroked the pages lightly.
After a moment he saw her lips move and then she began to read a loud. But not in any language he could understand and he almost had a heart attack when he realized she could understand and read what was written in the pages.
"Impossible!" Giles said more loudly than he had intended and Gabriella's head shot up, he saw with shock that there were tears in her green eyes and they shimmered like emeralds in the light.
"Oh" she sniffed delicately and put the book down, still open. Giles moved around the counter until he was standing opposite Gabriella, the table between them and he glanced down at the book curiously. The pages were open about half way through the book and he stared at the script for a moment before glancing timidly up at her. If she could truly read it he wanted to know how and she could very well be the key to his saving Buffy.
"Can you…?" Giles started to say but Gabriella leapt to her feet with a wary expression. She ran swiftly and was out the door before Giles could finish his sentence and he ran after her without thinking.
"Stop her!" Giles yelled to Miss Calendar as Gabriella passed where she was hiding but the teacher stood up with a confused expression.
"What? Giles?" she said, turning her head to watch the girl running swiftly out the Library doors.
Giles felt an irrational anger and pushed past her, his eyes darting around the school halls. He looked left and then right, all the classrooms were locked at night so she couldn't have gone into any of them and the halls were long. Gabriella had just disappeared into thin air…

Chapter Nine

Gabriella's eyes opened as she sensed the sun go down. She'd laid down for a short while after School, it having exhausted her. To her dismay, she found that she had several classes with Buffy, who seemed to always be glaring at Gabriella's back. Gabriella threw off the covers and got out of bed slowly, yawning. She walked towards the window and opened the curtains, seeing the very last orange-gold of the sun as it slipped below the horizon.
"Something is coming" she murmured, staring down at the street below. Already people, teenagers mostly began walking down the street towards the 'Bronze'. It WAS the most popular place around, but it still amazed her how totally people were drawn to it. There had hardly been a night since Gabriella arrived 2 weeks ago, that the nightclub was not full. She dropped the curtain and walked into the bathroom, taking a long red dress from the closet as she passed it.
Twenty minutes later, she was walking out of the Hotel's front entrance and into the night. It was tempting to go for a walk, but the moon had not risen yet and it seemed darker than usual. Gabriella passed some couples, her eyes wistful as she entered the 'Bronze'. Immediately, she felt him there, Angel. It was like…a presence. It reached out to her. She was so caught up in the emotions that she flinched when someone put their hands on her shoulders from behind.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you, Gabriella" Angel said softly in her ear. He let go and put a comforting hand around her waist as he led her towards a table near the dance floor. She let him lead her, looking around with curious green eyes. She wondered if Buffy would be there tonight and hoped she wouldn't see Gabriella with Angel.
"Can I get you a drink?" Angel asked her as Gabriella sat down. She looked up at him thoughtfully. She rarely drank alcohol, not that it really had any effect on her…
"A coke?"
"Sure, I'll be right back" he murmured, giving her a slight smile. Gabriella sighed, then her skin crawled. She turned her head to see Buffy, standing at the entrance to the 'Bronze' with her boyfriend at her side. She was completely ignoring him however, her furious eyes on Gabriella. Then they swung to Angel as he came back to their table with his and Gabriella's drinks. His head shot up as he got there, sensing Buffy perhaps.
"Buffy" Angel said almost under his breath. Gabriella's heart clenched momentarily at the pain she saw in his dark eyes. She reached over the table and lay a hand on Angel's comfortingly. He looked back at her, startled and Gabriella felt Buffy's fury. The blonde and her boyfriend walked swiftly past their table and to the next one, Dwayne looking particularly perplexed.
"Angel" Buffy said politely, eyes burning. Then she looked at Gabriella. "And Gabriella too, how are you tonight?"
Gabriella and Angel watched as Buffy reached out for Dwayne's hand, mimicking Gabriella's move from earlier. The boyfriend looked pleased, but Buffy never noticed.
"Buffy" Gabriella said finally, when it seemed that Angel would be silent forever. His hand tightened on her painfully, but she never let it show as they continued to smile at Buffy and Dwayne.
"Want a drink, Buff?" Dwayne asked. Buffy's mouth twisted slightly at the pet name, but she said nothing. Abruptly she whirled on Dwayne, as a fast beat started.
"No" she said, getting to her feet and dragging him up with her. "I want to dance"
Gabriella watched as Buffy and Dwayne stepped out onto the nearly deserted dance floor…well, apart from Cordelia and her 'newest conquest'. Angel's other hand tightened on the table, then he realized suddenly, as he felt her eyes on him.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly. He started to shake his head, the paused and gave her a burning look from his dark eyes.
"I might be" he was silent for a long moment, then his other hand came up to cover Gabriella's so that he was holding it in both of his tightly. "Gabriella, will you be my girlfriend?"
Gabriella was taken aback. She thought that was the LAST question Angel would ever ask her, being so in love with Buffy. But two things gave her paused. One, Angel did have an affection for her and two…her was trying desperately to get over Buffy. He might not have known it, but his eyes glimmered with an eternal sadness.
"Yes" she said simply. Angel eyes lit up, for the first time in a while he seemed happy.
"I didn't think you'd go for it" he said almost wonderingly. His hands tightened on her and then he let it go and downed his drink. Gabriella saw how on edge he was, an almost tangible sense of danger about him. He was feeling reckless and so was Gabriella.
"Lets dance" she said. He was startled, then grinned wickedly as he followed her onto the dance floor. He his hands on her waist and drew her close till their body's melded together. She felt a burning as she touched him, almost as if this were meant to be from the start. And his eyes as they looked down into her were filled with a…hunger. They moved together to the beat as if one person, limbs entwined as closely as possible and thought she felt Buffy's rage, Gabriella never looked away from Angel.
She owed him this much and she really DID feel something for him. His eyes seemed to burn into her, devouring her and then suddenly the song ended. Gabriella blinked and realized that Buffy and the other dangers had left the floor, leaving only Angel and she there.
"Let's go" angel suggested, taking her hand in his. He led her out the door, Gabriella sparing a moment to look toward Buffy. The blonde's eyes were luminous with fury and tears and once again, Gabriella felt a pang of sadness. Angel led her down the ally, in the opposite direction from where they would exit into the street. When they had gone far from the music and sight of anyone, he released her and turned her way.
"Thank you" he murmured, leaning into her. She was pressed against the wall, feeling his warmth. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her hair. Gabriella was surprised.
"For what?" she asked softly, lifting a hand to stroke his hair.
"You know I love Buffy and that…well, I care for you Gabriella, I really do…" he hesitated, not seeming able to express his thanks for her agreeing to be his girlfriend. They both knew it was to make Buffy jealous…and maybe to comfort two lonely souls. Gabriella sighed, kissing his forehead gently and then disentangling herself from his arms.
"You're welcome Angel" she stared up at the stars, trying to see past the rooftops on either side of the alley. "Let's walk"
"Well" a voice drawled, a figure walking towards them from the right. "Just who I was looking for!"
The figure came into the light and Gabriella recognized the vampire from several nights ago, when Buffy had rescued her. His eyes were malicious as they settled on her and she knew that he had come for HER, not Angel.
"Looking for a fight?" Angel snarled, then paused, looking back at Gabriella.

She looked back at him, green eyes slightly bewildered and yet there was an anger there also. "A fight is exactly what I want Angelus" the vampire snarled. Angel paused.
"You know me"
"Yes, I know you. I was part of the old coven, I am the master's 'hunter" the vampire spat. "Gareth"
Angel's eyes narrowed in acknowledgment of the name. He had heard it before, the 'hunter' was one of the most cunning and ruthless of the Master's vampires. Blood thirsty…just as the Master liked them. Just as Angel had once been.
"Very well, a fight. Gabriella, get out of here" Angel ordered. Gareth held up a hand and several vampires dropped from the roofs above to surround Angel, Gabriella and Gareth.
"Uh, uh Angel. This girl is the prize" Gareth laughed, eyes caressing Gabriella's form with hungry eyes. "Winner gets the girl"
"No" Angel snarled furiously, changing into his vampire face without thinking. He heard a slight noise from Gabriella and saw her green eyes on his face with an indecipherable expression in them. "I'm sorry, I-"
"Oh!" Gareth laughed in amusement. "Don't tell me your girlfriend didn't KNOW you were one of us!"
The vampires around them all laughed and Angel's eyes burnt blood red. He snarled and leapt at Gareth, thinking only of ripping his throat out. Thanks to this ambush, Gabriella would never speak to him again, would be afraid of him!
"You die!" Angel roared, slashing. His claws ripped into Gareth's shoulder, but the other vampire was quick and dodged out of the way. Angel spare a swift glance at Gabriella to see her with her back against the alley wall, watching the other vampires warily.
"Is this a private party?" Buffy's voice inquired sweetly. A moment before a blonde bundle of fury flipped over the vampires head's and landed near Angel. "I'm really pissed at the moment, so come get some!"
"Get her!" a vampire yelled. Several vampires charged Buffy at the same time and she stacked and fought her way furiously. Angel saw that her light green eyes were almost blazing. She was working out her rage at Angel and Gabriella on the vampires.
A searing pain in his side made Angel spin around, clutching his side. He looked don and saw a ragged wound, bleeding profusely in the side of his chest. Gareth laughed and Angel saw that the vampire's claws were coated with red blood.
"Getting careless in your old age?" Gareth inquired, sneering.
"Are you?" Gabriella shouted, bashing an iron bar over Gareth's head from behind. Angel watched in amazement as the vampire crumpled to the ground, unconscious. It must have been quiet a blow Gabriella gave him…Angel stared at her, eyes wide and saw how furious her green eyes were.
"He hurt you" she said simply, rushing to his side. The remaining three vampires looked at Buffy and Angel, then at their fallen leader. As one, they rushed forward and grabbed Gareth's body, disappearing swiftly down the alley away from the 'Bronze'.
"Are you okay, Angel?" Buffy asked, sounding sarcastic and yet concerned at the same time. She was staring at Angel and the way Gabriella was supporting him under his arm.
"I'm fine, nothing that won't heal" Angel gasped. They started back towards the 'Bronze', Buffy in the lead.
"I'll leave you to it them" the said with seeming indifference and then went back into the nightclub, leaving Gabriella and Angel there. She lead him out into the street and he stared down at her bent head.
"Why…did you stay?" he asked her, needing to know. "Once you found out what I was?"
"A vampire with a heart…I already knew Angel" she said gently. He gasped.
"How long have you know?" he demanded. She smiled.
"For a while, since that night Buffy rescued me and we came upon you" her voice was distant and he was more confused than ever.
"Then why did you stay…why did you agree to be my girlfriend!" he almost shouted, frustration in his voice. She slipped out from under his arm, green eyes gentle as the moonlight caught them.
"I…believe in you Angel. I've felt your lonely heart, seen the sadness in your eyes" then she walked away. Angel watched until she disappeared around the corner and then turned towards home. He had a lot to think about…and some healing to do.
To Be Continued...