The Guardian
Author: Tygerlily
Email: Angelusblood@yahoo.com
Summary: The Powers decided after watching their warrior guard The City of Angels; he needed a guardian of his own. And so they send an unlikely ally to help guard their guardian. All of this was done to give him a new friend and comrade in arms and also… a new lover?
Spoilers: Everything up to about Parting Gifts; Angel S1
Rating: Hard R
Pairing: Angel/OC, Wesley/Fred, Cordy/Groo
Distribution: All the usual suspects! Anyone else just ask
Author Note: This is my very first time ever pairing the main character of a story with an original character of mine, so I ask that you be kind as well as patient while the story develops! Also this is just the FIRST chapter so there isn’t much in the ways of hot steamy sex but I promise there will be much of that in the very near future… say Chapter Three-ish…
Author Note II: Various mythical information taken from books, D&D theories and thoughts of my own creation, nothing is solid fact from any one source so don’t go by too much of anything as true information… its all just for the purpose of the story.
Author Note III: As I said before various mythical information has been taken from books, D&D theories and thoughts of my own creation, nothing is solid fact from any one source so don’t go by too much of anything as true information… its all just for the purpose of the story.
IMPORTANT: I know the spoilers say everything up to Parting Gifts but I will be taking bits and pieces from all different episodes all the way up to the whole Pylea shtick toward the end of Season Two. As you read you’ll see that whatever doesn’t work for me I’m either throwing it out or placing it somewhere else. So if the timeline seems kinda odd… well that’s because it is ^_^ I promise though it will all flow and make sense.
Chapter One – The Seraph
The sky was painted an array of pinks and purples as the sun slowly fell past the horizon. Its rays caused the buildings’ windows to glitter like stars that lit up the ever darkening sky. Warm hazel eyes drifted shut as a soft California breeze picked up and caressed her skin. Her long flowing raven colored locks danced softly in the warm breeze that had picked up around her. She was a beautiful sight, standing only about 5’4 tall with long dark locks that flowed just past her shoulders; her sun kissed colored skin glistened in the fading sunlight. She was dressed casually in a pair of low riding worn out blue jeans and a pale pink tank. The young woman that stood just across the way from AI investigations was truly a beautiful sight.
Sighing softly she easily jogged her way across the street and up to the building. Easily sensing only the presences of the vampire she sought she confidently made her way inside. The office was quiet, it was downstairs below where the vampire prowled back and forth, she momentarily wondered what had him so restlessly but she instantly pushed that thought aside and focused on the matter at hand. Inhaling deeply she steeped onto the elevator and slowly made her descent into the apartment below. After only but a few moments she reached the bottom and the elevator came to a halt with a loud clang. Slowly she slid up the gate and stepped out onto the hardwood floor. Initially her eyes had to adjust to the dim lighting though the blurriness soon faded and clarity returned.
It was then she heard a soft rumbling coming from somewhere within the shadows, she knew she had to think fast or she could easily be on the receiving end of this particular vampires’ wrath. Soul or not she was entering his home without his permission nor did he have any idea as to who she was. Deciding that she needed to diffuse the situation quickly she hesitantly stepped forward but was only met with a darker warning growl.
“I’m looking for the ensouled one; I believe his name to be Angel… formerly known as Angelus The Scour—“she was cut off by a harsh but somewhat gentler sounding voice.
“What is it exactly your after little girl? Hmmm?” he asked softly
Aeon could hear the soft rustling of movement and it was then she saw two brilliantly colored saffron eyes staring back at her. She’d never seen a more deathly thrilling yet so very lovely sight. Shaking her head slightly she went to move towards him only halting in her steps when the growls grew louder, knowing that she wasn’t going to get close to him anytime soon she figured she’d just fill him on the basics now and if he believed her and was even remotely interested she filled in all the blanks a little later.
“Angel; I have been sent to you… by The Powers That Be. They are proud of you and know you are doing your absolute best to achieve redemption but they felt that since you are the guardian of The City of Angels, that you should have a guardian of your own. I know this may sound ridiculous and that I’m probably lying to you… but I swear it! I am to be your protector…” she trailed of softly
Hazel eyes grew wide as a large form finally began to emerge and materialize from the shadows. When the vampire was finally standing before her, he practically towered over her and with his large form he was extremely intimidating not to mention that low rumble of a growl really hadn’t stopped yet. Pulling himself up to his full height, mahogany eyes stared down at the seemingly young little thing in front of him and they instantly softened.
“What is your name?” he asked softly
Suddenly startled by the sound of his voice her body jumped and a questioning sound emerged from her throat. Looking up she realized that he had actually spoken to her and was requesting her name.
“Oh forgive me, my name is Aeon” she replied just as softly
“Aeon… do you not have a last name?” he asked gently
Aeon looked up at him and then looked towards the small seating area in one corner of the room. Taking the hint he led her over to an overstuffed chair, in one fluid motion she was seated and already snuggling into the buttery soft leather.
“Well, of course I have a last name… I just don’t normally inform people of it. I mean you too have a last name if I recall correctly. In fact you have full Irish-Catholic name; Mr. Liam O’Roake.” She said with a smile
Huffing out a laugh his lips curled into a small smile and conceded to her reasoning. Though he soon interjected that since she knew his name it was only fair that he too knew hers. Smiling, she quietly told him:
“My name is Aeon Gryphon, I know… not the most common of names but it suits me just fine. And I suppose I rather like having what one would consider… a unique name.” she said
It was then they lapsed into what one could consider almost a comfortable silence. For some reason not being able to take the silence much longer he offered her some tea and she instantly accepted. Both moved into the kitchen, Angel went about making tea while Aeon just quietly sat at the small table within the room. Placing the warm liquid in front of her he silently made his way to the opposite end and took a seat. Neither was actually consuming the warm caffeinated drink in front of them but rather listless playing with it as their eyes aimlessly moved about the room. Sighing heavily Aeon decided enough was enough.
“This is ridiculous; I know this is beyond weird. I mean being told that I’ve been sent to guard you but it’s true and it’s also obvious that you believe me so I think we should—“
“We should what?”
“—try to be friends, Just from these first few minutes you seem generally like a really nice person and I guess I’d like to get to you know more. And since we will be fighting together… it’d probably be a good idea for us to eventually trust one another. If we for some reason don’t already” she said softly
A few tense moments passed before Angel answered her request with nothing more than a soft smile. And so that was the beginning of this somewhat tentative friendship. They didn’t really get into each other’s past but more of what their lives were like at the present. Angel informed Aeon of his mission and his desire to start over and begin anew. Her story was basically that she was starting out in life and in this world and that she was basically thrown into this whole Guardian situation much like he was.
“Its getting late, do you have a place to stay? Obviously you know what’s out there at night and I have to get out there, in fact I should’ve been out there an hour ago… as soon as the sunset” he explained gently
Giggling softly at his naïveté, she quietly explained that this was the exact reason as to why she was here. When he went out to hunt and patrol the streets she was going to accompany him. Though the vampire knew looks could be deceiving, one young Buffy Summers was an example of that he still had his doubts on how this delicate thing could handle herself in a fight… she sure as hell looked human enough, but there was something about the way she smelled…
“So where are we off to?” she asked
“Can you even fight in that?” he asked as he eyed her low riding jeans and tank top that barely covered her firm tummy. The only thing that gave him some semblance of calm about this little thing fighting was the sneakers that adorned her feet… and that wasn’t saying very much.
The vampire began to make his way through the large subterranean apartment towards some of the more darkened rooms, flipping on the lights as he went. Finally coming to two large dark mahogany wooden doors he easily slid them apart and enter his training space. On the opposite wall an extensive knife and blade collection adorned the wall. Several beautifully crafted and decorated swords adorned the walls and display cabinets. The lighting in the room was low, each display of beautiful weaponry was accented by a low light giving the metal somewhat of a glow.
As he made his way across the room his footfalls were the only sound that could be heard. Whispering a few words under his breath a small portion of the wall opened up to reveal a small space containing stakes and two leather miniature looking harnesses. Slipping a stake into each of the delicate leather straps he casually tossed one Aeon’s way; she caught it easily with her right hand. Not bothering to look up from his task he continued to strategically place a few stakes within the pockets of his duster. After securing the leather harness to his hand with a flick of his wrist he checked to see how easily the stake ejected itself… it was perfect.
Turning back to his new companion he was pleased to see the harness already strapped to her forearm and that she had already discovered how it worked. Walking up to her he silently handed her an extra stake, which of course she instantly pocketed… where she hid it; he really wasn’t sure if he wanted to know. Again he went about his tasks in silence, with a few more whispered words he walked back across the room and that particular portion of the wall closed back up while another opened. He quickly slipped his favorite dagger into the belt loops on his boots and then tossed a blade only slightly smaller in size to Aeon… she again easily caught it though instead of removing the blade from its casing she tied the raw hide ties to the belt loops on her jeans and with that he quickly strode out of the room and back into the main portion of the apartment. Taking her cue; Aeon quickly exited the room as well though she jumped slightly as the doors closed behind her.
“Come on, we’re headed over to the more industrial area of town. Not too many vampires like to hang out down there… the territory is too rough for most but a lot of the demons and demonic sects like to hang out down there. It’s also a good well of information on the underground and there’s word on the street that a bunch of fire demons have invaded the area… and no one really cares for fire demons so we won’t get much trouble from the locals for taking them out” he explained as they made their way up to the street level of AI investigations and out into the warm night air.
In a comfortable silence they made their way through the dimly lit and relatively quiet streets. Aeon couldn’t help but notice as the kept mostly to the shadows, only entering the small pools of the streetlights when absolutely necessary. Though he didn’t actually speak to her, a look or a glance in her direction was all she needed to understand what he was saying to her.
‘Stay close, watch your back, follow me… I’ll protect you’
She couldn’t help but think that he had the most expressive eyes one ever did see. Angel however had very different thoughts running through his mind. He’d already walked the earth for nearly two-hundred and fifty years, in that amount of time one saw a thing or two… soul or not. And one valuable piece of information he’d learned in that fairly short expanse of time was that The Powers loved to fuck around and that they could throw anything and apparently anyone at you at any given time. Though this slip of a girl said that The Powers had sent her there was no way he could be completely sure. Cordelia hadn’t had a vision of young woman coming to him to help him fight, so he couldn’t help the skepticism that still invaded him mind.
From what he could tell she seemed normal enough but her scent was slightly different from any mortal’s he’d ever smelt before and the way she caught the weapon with such ease made him wonder, where on earth did this girl really come from and who was she really? He was soon ripped from his musings by the sound of a low yet melodic sounding growl. Just down the alley way were two fire demons which seemed to be finishing up an early evening snack. With a quick glance in Aeon’s direction they both moved quickly toward the snarling demons.
In one fluid motion Aeon vaulted over the two demons and landed on the other side, without hesitation she attacked the one closest to her leaving the other for Angel, the vampire was momentarily stunned with such a skilled movement but soon jumped into the fray. Aeon quickly found that her fists alone weren’t doing much damage and soon came to rely on the blade that was given to her earlier in the evening. Not too long afterwards she made quick work of the demon; she was forced backwards and onto the gritty and cool ground when the blade pierced the demon’s upper bicep; piercing its heart in the process causing it to burst into a beautifully bright emerald colored flame before dissipating back into the night.
It didn’t take long for another emerald colored flame to appear and soon the sound of footsteps on the cemented ground was all that could be heard in contrast to her rather heavy breathing.
“Are you alright?” he asked
“Yea, I’m okay… I think” she answered as she slowly got back on her feet
“You handled yourself real well, I was worried at first you wouldn’t be able to cut it but you did extremely well. At least I won’t worry so much about you if my back is turned for an instant in a fight… ah look those two were pretty big and it seems like they took a lot out of both of us… why don’t we cut the hunt short… just for tonight. I’m actually kind of hungry and well I thought maybe you might be too…” he trailed off
“Sounds good to me, I definitely could use something to eat. I actually haven’t eaten since this afternoon… but hum, where exactly could we get something that would satisfy both our… tastes” she asked curiously
“Well actually I don’t really like to—“
“—Because I know of this place that we could go to, I mean I’m sure you’ve heard of it already and I just—“
“Aeon!” his patients had just about run out
Curious eyes looked toward the vampire and what they saw there caused them to immediately dart toward the floor. Angel’s somewhat angered expression never changed though inside he couldn’t help notice her remorseful look and downcast eyes. Sighing softly he reached out and gently lifted up her chin and asked where was this place she was so excited about and for some reason seeing the smile that broke out on her face warmed the vampire’s heart.
“It’s this place called Le Jardin-“
“—The Garden? I know of it but it’s ridiculously expensive… and well were not exactly dressed for the occasion…” he explained
“I’ll tell you what, if you pick up the tab; I can handle our gear” she said with a hopeful expression
Mulling the idea over a few moments; Angel realized that he was actually quite hungry and if from the soft rumblings of his companions stomach was any indication then so was she and so far she seemed to be true to her word… what could it hurt… right?
“Okay, so what exactly are you going to do about…us?”
“This is the easy part… just hum stand there and try not to move too much, its not a complicated spell but if we don’t want to come out of this looking like circus folk I suggest you keep fairly still” she said with a smile
“Please by the gods tell me that your kidding” he pleaded all he received in response was a smile.
“Pas plus mauvais pour l'usage… Prenez ce vêtement usé… Et faites-s'évaporer le dans l'air… Est une nuit du charme ce que nous cherchons… Faites ainsi nous faire Armani et Prada le bonbon à regard”
And with that a gentle breeze picked up and within moments the vampire’s usual hunting attire was replaced with dark slacks with a coffee colored silk shirt which accented his alabaster skin topped with a buttery soft leather waist coat in a rich, deep chocolate color. He felt freshly showered and when he looked down at his dress he knew he looked good. Raising his eyes to Aeon he was more than pleasantly surprised to find her no longer in her jeans and tank top but in a Drape-neck seamed dress; it was in the same deep chocolate color as his coat which only seemed to cause her tanned skin to stand out all the more. It fell to about the middle of her calves though it did hang a bit lower in the back. Her hair was braided back to about the shell of her ear where the rest fell freely around her shoulders… she was absolutely stunning.
“You look very beautiful” he said softly
“Not so bad yourself, you clean up well…” she said smiling and it seemed to be contagious because he couldn’t help but smile as well. Offering her his arm which she gratefully took they made their way the short distance to where the car was parked. Once Aeon was seated comfortably on the passenger side Angel couldn’t help but ask.
“Aeon; that was a fairly simple spell, I mean you basically said: No worse for wear, Take this worn attire, and have it evaporate into air, A night of glamour is what we seek, So have Armani and Prada make us look… sweet? Soooo my question is… why in French?”
“Well French can be so much more beautiful sounding then English… almost melodic, don’t you agree? And besides, my family is from France so to speak… its also always nice to once in awhile use my native tongue even if only for a spell” she simply stated
His gaze only lingered on her for but a moment before he just shook his head in some form of acceptance and pulled out of the space and made his way down the streets of Los Angeles. The silence that settled within the car wasn’t an uncomfortable one and allowed time for the ensouled vampire to really think about this peculiar situation and once again it seemed to be The Powers doing.
‘Alright… I came to Los Angeles to start anew, with no human ties, my only concern was with eventually gaining my redemption but only after being in the city for barely three months Doyle shows up on my doorstep asking how am I suppose to save these people’s lives if I don’t get involved and then Cordelia ends up on my doorstep and everything just began to snowball after that… what with Doyle’s death and then Wesley almost in a sense taking his place as the third member of our misfit group. Things have been moving so fast since leaving Sunnydale almost 6 months ago… God, has it really been that long?
And now this!?!
This mysterious yet absolutely gorgeous looking girl shows up at my home saying that she was sent by The Powers, to protect me… to protect me!?! I mean I was skeptical at first but after seeing how she handled herself in the alley it’s clear that she isn’t a stranger to the fight but there is this innocence about her… almost like she’s never been truly touched in any way by the evils of this world but she still knows that there is no such thing as true perfection… or even pure goodness… everything is tainted somehow. And the way she smells… her scent is different somehow, almost like she isn’t mortal but that’s ridiculous her scent isn’t THAT different and I can hear heartbeat and the warmth that radiated off over her skin was another sign… and yet. I wonder if it has to do with the magicks that flow her. It’s more than obvious that she was born with a natural talent for the craft…’
He was suddenly pulled from his musings by the sound of his passenger’s voice. Glancing over to his right he shot Aeon an expectant look.
“Where were you just now? You looked a million miles away… not too mention the fact that you’re driving and your dazed expression was freaking me out” she said jokingly
“Oh sorry, I was just thinking… you know how your mind can wander sometimes… and this was just one of them I suppose…” he trailed off as they pulled up to the establishment
Angel gracefully exited the car and walked around to the other side to first offer his arm to his Aeon and then dropped the keys into the valet’s hand and without a backwards glace he warned the gangly boy that if he saw once scratch on it he’d have his job.
“Did you know that this place was originally built in 1870 and though it’s been more than 120 years or so they’ve basically kept the rural Victorian Gothic structure, its believed it gives the place more… atmosphere” he said with a small smile
“I’m impressed, not too many people know of this place let alone so much about its history” she said the surprise in her voice evident
“Well just before I headed back to England to meet up with Darla and Drusilla once again I attended the opening… it was truly a night to remember”
Walking up to the concierge they were seated almost immediately after a few soft spoken words and a few hundreds were interchanged. They were lead to a quiet corner where the lighting was low and the sound of the other dinners was even lower… they were alone and had their privacy but were still able to take in the rest of the restaurant and its other patrons.
To start Angel ordered a bottle of LaDame and with that the waiter quickly took his leave.
“Angel… you do realize that you just order a bottle of wine that cost nearly three hundred dollars!?!” she asked incredulously
Quietly laughing at her expression, he often forgot that no one really knew how much money he truly had. After living for nearly three hundred years and being the son of Lord as a mortal had its advantages. He’d always had money and over time it’s only grown to astronomical amounts. His accountants were the only demons he kept on his payroll after gaining control again after Angelus’s reign. He already knew he could trust them and they were good at what they did. All this time it was his choice to live modestly and not to really touch it knowing that most of it was Angelus’s blood money but at times like these he didn’t mind so much if it made someone he cared about smile and he was soon coming to realize that Aeon was someone he wanted to care about and see happy… often.
“Don’t worry about it Aeon, its part of the deal remember? You were going to take care of our gear as you called it and it was my job to pick up the tab… and I rarely indulge like this… so let me have my fun, okay?” he said
Aeon looked at him doubtfully at first but she couldn’t help but soon cave at the adorable almost hopeful boyish expression on his face. Smiling softly she slightly nodded her head before looking back down at her menu. All too soon the waiter returned with their wine and after serving them both he asked if they were ready to order. Angel nodded slightly and took the liberty of ordering for both of them.
‘The lady to start will have the stuffed mushrooms in the light cream sauce and I myself will start with a pint of the O-Negative with a sprinkling of cinnamon and the Tabasco mix”
With a quick accepting nod the waiter once again made his way a way from the table leaving the couple alone again. Angel sipped slowly at his wine savoring the slight burn as it made its way down his throat, only after feeling someone’s eyes on him did he notice Aeon’s question look.
“What?” he asked curiously
“Cinnamon and Tabasco mix?” she asked
“Though the blood here is human, it’s not as fresh as it could be since they get it from the blood banks so they heat it to perfect body temperature but it looses something… especially if you’ve tasted human blood before so it can have flavor added to it… I myself like cinnamon and Tabasco it makes the blood sweet… something akin to the taste of innocence yet the Tabasco makes it hot… like passion, it’s a heady mix” he explained
Aeon couldn’t but notice how his voice got softer and bit more rougher toward the end, it was when she looked up into his eyes that she finally understood the expression ‘bedroom eyes’. Mahogany colored eyes had already slightly glazed over with lust and remembrance of times past though their ‘food’ finally arrived so it broke the small spell that had been cast upon the vampire.
“So Aeon, where exactly are you staying?”
“Oh well… I have an apartment in downtown Los Angeles, very close to the business district. I figured it was the closets and well it seemed kinda like the center of almost everything, soooo….”
“That makes sense… after dinner, should I drop you off at home or did you want to go back to my place? And I don’t mean to… what I’m trying to say is that—“
“Angel its cool, I didn’t leave anything at your place and I’d love to get some rest, it’s been somewhat of a long day and though it wasn’t nearly as… trying as I thought it’d be it would be wonderful to go home and crash in my own bed”
And with that dinner progressed all too quickly but quite easily. They found they had a lot in common but also a lot to debate about, the evening was filled with laughter and great conversation and both were somewhat sorry to see it end, the conversation and the good mood continued back to the car and all the way to Aeon’s place. Putting the car in park Angel turned to Aeon grasping at straws trying to figure a way for this young woman to stay with him even only for a moment longer.
“I had fun tonight; we should do it again some time… perhaps plan it out and not just go spur of the moment after demon hunting though I must say it did work out fairly well” she said with a smile
“Uh yea, it actually did… hum look do you need me to walk you—“
“Oh no, I’ll be fine”
On impulse just before hoping out of the car Aeon leaned over and left a soft kiss on the vampire’s cheek and with that she bounded out of the car and into the building. It was only after staring at her door for a few moments did he feel a slight tingle flow throughout his body before it was gone. And when he looked down his hunting attire was back as well as his weapons. Sighing heavily he put the car into drive and pulled away and into the ever on coming twilight all the while thinking.
‘What the hell have I gotten myself into?’
End of Chapter One
Chapter Two – The Morning… err Dusk After…
Groaning softly soft hazel eyes fluttered against the sunlight that was able to slip past the blinds and danced merrily about the room. Turning her head into the pillow and she sighed heavily before struggling to glance at the clock that was perched atop the bedside table. Aeon’s eyes widened as she finally focused on the glowing red numbers as they glared back at her. It was well past two in the afternoon and quickly approaching three. Sighing heavily she knew that it was definitely time to get out of bed.
Sitting up Aeon easily stretched out her limbs before rising and heading off to the bath. Humming softly to herself an old hymn from her childhood as she turned on the water and the tub began to slowly fill with the steaming liquid. Reaching over to a side cabinet she pulled out some bath beads and dropped a few into the water with a soft splash. Stripping off her clothes she then grabbed two hair sticks and easily pulled her hair into a twist securing them with the pieces. Sighing heavily as she sunk deep into the bath water she let the warmth of the water envelop her before reaching for the soap to scrub her body clean.
Settling back against the tub she let her eyes flutter closed before the loud shrill of the telephone. Growling under her breath she hopped out of the tub and grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her as she padded back out into the main room dripping water and small suds along the way. Ripping the phone of the hook she greeted whoever was at the other end as sweetly as possible though the hard edge to her tone was clear.
“Uh did I catch you at a bad time?” the voice asked an Irish brogue coloring the voice
“No… who is this? And how did you get this number” she asks already figuring on who it was but still wasn’t sure as how to they got her number
“As of now… most just call me Doyle and well… your number is listed in the phone book” the smile that graced his lips evident in his voice
Laughing softly Aeon just shook her head and asked what it was he was calling for. His answer wasn’t distressing it was just urgent. Cordelia just had a vision about some demonic sect that was coming into play and they’d been up in coming in the demonic hierarchies. Earlier in the day he was able to retrieve an old text from a friend of his that owed him a favor but it was in some language that Angel couldn’t decipher.
“And what makes you think that I can?” Aeon asks
“Angel said that you mentioned something about knowing a few languages last night… he was hoping you could help us now”
“Does he even know what language it is?”
“He’s not too sure what language it’s written in, he’s hoping you will”
Sighing heavily she agreed to be over as soon as possible and with that she hung up the phone but then stopped short when she realized one crucial detail about that phone call… Doyle was dead…shaking her head at ‘The Powers’ antics she then headed back to the bathroom to empty out the tub with the now cool water. Realizing she wouldn’t have time to dry her hair she easily parted it down the middle and pulled each half into a low pigtail. Padding softly into the bedroom she pulled on long sleeve shirt that was cut at the waist and show quite a bit of her toned tummy followed by a pair of old denim overalls. Instead of wearing them normally she still hooked them up to the buttons normally but wore the down around her waist causing the jeans to ride low around her waist.
Slipping a stake into one of the large back pockets she slipped on some sneakers and grabbed her keys as she made her way out of the apartment. Bouncing down the steps she pulled back the heavy metal door and made her way out into the late California afternoon.
Giggling softly to herself at the memory of the night before, she couldn’t believe how laid back the ensouled vampire could be. He was nothing like what she’d read about in the numerous books she had found. The man she had encountered the night before though serious could be so full of joy and at times even playful. That was a side of him that she was sure that most if not all rarely if at all ever saw… and that was something she was out to change.
Looking up she realized that while musing she’d made it all the way to the AI building in under an hour. Confidently she strode into the building and down the entryway stairs and into the offices. As her eyes darted around she quickly deduced that no one was upstairs meaning that everyone was already probably downstairs in the apartment.
“Hello, anyone here?” she called out
Gasping in surprise Aeon couldn’t help but jump back as she abruptly came face to face with a kind looking British-man. Then grinning she realized that his must be Wesley.
“Hello, Wesley right? I’m look for Angel”
“Oh quite right…” still unsure as to whom this woman was but wasn’t about to tell her no when he notice how familiar she seemed when asking for the vampire. Silently leading her into the kitchen where Cordelia was seated blindly staring at a text and Angel paced the floor restlessly.
Dark mahogany eyes looked up and when they found her they brightened considerably.
“Aeon… what are you doing here?” confused by her presence but genuinely pleased to see her
“Oh… lets just say I got a call, it let me know you were having some trouble with that text you got over there… thought I might be able to help you out” she said with a smile
“Any help would be great… we’re totally lost” he said as he grabbed on of the text from the table and walked over to her.
Wesley and Cordelia were silent throughout the entire exchange.
“Sure, let me see it”
Looking down at the book she could clearly see that the crest engraved on the front cover had derived from a language called Urdan and sure enough when she opened the book she discovered that the language inside was Urdan as well.
“Okay, the crest and the book are both in Urdan” she said calmly
“Urdan… and do you care to share with the rest of the class as to what that is?” Queen C asking in true form as usual
Sighing heavily Aeon began her explanation…
“Urdan is the language used amongst the orcs of the East in the land of what mortals call the ‘In-Between’. Orcs in the North West as well as those in South speak Urdan as a vernacular. It is still written in a runic alphabet derived from that of the dwarves” she said as a matter of fact
“… What is this in-between?” Wesley asked, slipping into what one might consider ‘Watcher-Mode’ though he was one no longer
“Hum, so what did you need me to translate anyway, just a passage or the entire book?” Aeon asked completely avoiding the question which didn’t go unnoticed by anyone but figured that a frivolously matter as such could wait.
“Well, maybe you could, I dunno skim the book look for passages that look important” Angel suggested
“Okay… what’s an Orc?” asked the cultured voice of Cordelia
“Well… it’s big and it’s gross and that’s all one really need know. Alright so I can see I’m going to have a bit of reading to do. Wes why don’t you go through ‘The Rights and Rituals of The Demi-Fae’ and Cordelia why don’t you try to see what you can find on the net. And Angel, I think its time you learned a new language. After being around so long I hope you pick them up quickly… we don’t have a lot of time”
And with that each set off to their assigned task though Cordelia with a bit more grumbling then most head off to the elevator and upstairs to the computer; Wesley trailing closely behind whereas Angel and Aeon headed of to the small sitting area to work on the book they’d found. Her curiosity getting the better of her she couldn’t help but ask how he acquired the book, obtaining a book in this world that originated from the ‘In-Between’ is a rarity.
“Oh well… I was kinda restless after we went to eat so I…” he trailed off looking mighty sheepish
“You went back out hunting… and without me I might add. I told you yesterday that I was to be with you went out and did that sorta stuff” she said with the sternest tone she could muster
“I just couldn’t help it… besides you can’t be with me all the time” he reasoned
“Fine, whatever… just try not to make a habit of it, I’d hate to have ‘The Powers’ kick my ass cuz you get dusted in some fluke accident that I was suppose to be there to prevent” she said while sighing heavily
“I promise” he said while chuckling softly
“Okay then… let’s get back to work”
A few hours later they were half way through the book, Angel was steadily grasping the Orc language and both Cordelia and Wesley had found what seemed like vital information. Blowing out a puff of air Aeon slammed the book closed causing everyone around her to jump up.
“Well we’ve spent the past 4 almost 5 hours reading and researching and it looks like we’re not going to get any further tonight. I’m itching for a good fight… so what do you say Angel? Up for a bit of a hunt, got hot a tip about some Kayo Demons wandering down on the beach” she said hoping to entice him
“Kayo Demons…” his interest peeked, the last time he ever encountered any of their kind was back when he was in Italy roaming around with Darla and his lovely childer Drusilla long before that tiresome William ever came into play
“C’mon, you know you want to” she sang
Smiling he grabbed his gear and they were both already boarding the elevator and were nearly out the door leaving a stunned Cordelia and a confused Wesley.
“Why on earth would they want to hunt Kayo Demons?” the Englishman murmured
“Well why not?” asked Cordelia
“They’re peaceful creatures… in fact they’re known for the fabulous parties they throw in the underworld. Most demonic and or mythical creatures look to them to throw celebrations of great importance” he explained
“Then why… Oh. My. God” Cordelia sat there astonished
“What? What is it?” he asked urgently
“I think Angel has a bit of a crush” she said with a smirk
“A crush” Wesley squeaked out
Snickering softly to herself with her new found information she gathered up her things and called for Wesley to follow as the both made their way out of AI Investigations and to their respective homes.
The gentle sound of waves crashing against the shore and Aeon’s soft breathing were the only sounds to fill Angel’s ears and he couldn’t been more pleased with the tranquility of it all. For the first time in a long while he almost felt completely content and that was okay with him.
“You’re wool gathering…. Whatcha thinking about?” a soft voice asks
Chuckling he just shook his head to indicate nothing.
“If you say so” she said not at all convinced
As the gentle evening sky slowly evaporated into night the two new friends thrown together by chance lazily made their way down the deserted shore line with just the gentle crashing of the waves hitting the shore filling the silence.
“Soooo you still wanna go find that party?” Aeon asked softly
Chuckling softly Angel stopped and bit his lip while cocking his head to the side thoughtfully. Pausing to think a minute he nodded his head and grabbed her hand and hurriedly pulled her down the beach.
“I already know where it is” he said with a wicked grin
End of Chapter Two
Chapter Three – Visitors…
Sighing softly Aeon blew out a puff of air trying to brush the hair away from her face. It was now seven in the morning and she was just arriving home from the Kayo celebration down by the beach. As soon as she and Angel had gotten there they partied non-stopped, well she partied and Angel was really more than content to watch and have a drink or two. All in all though both had a fabulous time, groaning softly she turned and pulled the heavy door shut behind her.
As she worked an ache out in her neck her eyes fluttered shut while she kicked off her shoes and padded softly over to the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of water. Wrenching the refrigerator door open she quickly extracted a bottle. When she turned around to head toward the bedroom her eyes widen and she let out a shrieking screaming at the sight before her. Later she would regret not being able to contain herself. For there standing in her room was a seven foot brawny snarling beast and it did NOT look happy.
Bloodshot red eyes turned and locked on her frightened form. Something akin to a smile formed around the creatures jagged and broken teeth. Black slime dripped from his upper lip and teeth before splashing onto the floor. Snorting out a breath through its nostrils it began to growl low in its throat before it let out a beastly roar and heaved its body forward and broke out into a slow jog. Its heavy steps caused the space to shake and some of the plaster to loosen and crumble. Aeon’s eyes widen as it raised something that looked a lot like a club in the air before bring it down harshly against one of the steel support beams.
Aeon’s eyes darted to the ceiling and she knew that when that beam went so would that portion of the ceiling. Thinking fast she tucked into herself and propelled her body toward the opposite side of the room and not a moment too soon. When the beast hit the beam again it snapped like a tooth pick and took a good portion of the roof with it. As the plaster and dust settled her dark eyes widened when she saw that the beast looked untouched and unconcerned with the small cave in.
Panting softy her eyes quickly darted around the room and it was then she knew that she was basically weaponless and there was no way just her fists were going to get her out of this one. Slowly and a bit clumsily the beast began to move towards her knocking varying pieces of furniture and other items out of the way. Thinking fast she stood up on shaky legs and did the only thing she could do.
She ran.
Moving quickly she moved as far away from the irate beast as possible and then vaulted over the couch. She then quickly ran back to the opposite of the room and with one last look over her shoulder. Aeon crossed her arms out in front of her and then propelled herself out of the wall of glass windows that once lined her living room. With no control over her body or the fall she flailed helpless through the hair before her body hit a lower rooftop and hard. Grunting loudly her body rolled across the tarred roof top before coming to an abrupt halt just as her shoulder brushed the edge.
Wild and frightened eyes glanced over the edge before they darted back up to the window two stories above her. Aeon was still panting heavily as her eyes scanned the now broken series of windows above her. The jagged edges of the necrotempered glass gleamed and shimmered in the mid-morning light. Painfully she climbed to her feet she knew that the thing in her apartment would be confused as to where she disappeared to but not for long. She had to move and move fast her eyes looked around the dark roof top and the glass shards that surrounded her.
Looking down her arms and hands they were covered in scratches and cuts. The worst seemed to be the large gash down the side of her left arm. It was bleeding profusely but she didn’t have time to worry about that at the moment. She was still eight stories up and it was a long way down to the ground. It also didn’t help that she didn’t have any shoes. Dark eyes quickly scanned the lower roof top and she nearly shrieked with joy at the sight of what looked to be a ladder. It may not take her all the way down to the ground it sure as hell would get her closer to it.
Hobbling quickly over to the ladder she hissed and bit her lower lip harshly to keep from crying out as stray shards of glass nicked and cut the soles of her feet. Shakily she climbed over the side and slowly began to make her descent downward. As her bare feet brushed the last bar of the ladder she looked down and to her dismay she was still a little over five feet in the air. Her eyes fluttered shut as she inhaled deeply and jumped down. It was then she couldn’t hold back the agonizing cry as her bare feet brushed against the cool and rough cement. Above her she could hear the enraged cries of the beast and its heavy footsteps as it too probably just jumped from the windows and landed on the roof top eight stories above her.
Getting a head start Aeon slowly began limp down the quiet streets and unevenly paved alley ways of Los Angeles’s “Industrial District”. Tears glittered in her dark eyes as her bare feet continued to carry her over jagged pebbles and rocks mixed with glass shards and god knows what else littered the concrete jungle. Aeon’s breath caught in her throat as the ground beneath her feet trembled slight though there was no need to look back for what followed was a beastly roar. A roar that filled her ears and shook her to the very marrow of her bones.
Quickening her already slow and lethargic steps she stumbled out of an alley way and looked left before looking right and then left again. Spotting a door way, its door ajar she quickly made her way toward the opening. Once inside it was clear this factory was abandoned and hadn’t been developed into anything yet unlike some of the other buildings surrounding it.
Slim ribbons of daylight penetrated many of the painted over and blackened windows casting shadows that seemed to dance about the darkened space. The space was enormous and seemed to not only have been a factory at one time but it also seemed to be a warehouse as well. Whatever had been produced here before also had been stored here. Silently making her way though the shadows she stumbled and tripped over some exposed wiring and hit the smooth concrete hard. Tears began to sting the backs of her eyes as she dragged herself up into a sitting position. Leaning heavily against the cool wall behind her she waited silently the dull roar of her breathing and the gentle pounding of her heart filled her ears.
Her sharp hearing knew the moment the beast entered the building. This one was smarter than the rest. This one had been sent after her specifically and the only way to get rid of it was to kill it before it killed her. Struggling to her feet she pushed off the wall and aimlessly made her way though the old and aging building. Spotting some stairs she knew that it was a risk taking them but with no where else to go except up she slowly began making her ascent.
Taking slow and measure steps so as to make sure she wouldn’t be heard as her bare feet hit the metal steps. Finally reaching the top she could found that she was now on what would consider an elaborate catwalk that stretched from one end of the factory to the other. Looking down she could see the beast weaving its way in out of the shadows and rows of what was left of the factories inventory. It was also apparent the second the beast looked up her location would be exposed. Aeon also knew from previous experiences that this thing did NOT need stairs to get to her.
She was weak and her vision was beginning to blur. The numerous cuts and scrapes that now adorned her body along with the nasty gash down her left arm she had lost quite a bit of blood. With only one thought and destination in mind she quickly began to make her away across the catwalk. Now more than half way across the catwalk and almost back to where she came in though about one story up, she picked up her pace. Though now her footsteps caused the catwalk to vibrate and ping slightly.
Snarling softly the beast looked up and after a moment its bloodshot dark and murky eyes spotted her form limping along. It knew that its prey was tiring and it was only a matter of time now. Baring its teeth and inhaling sharply it launched itself into the air and grasped the edge of the catwalk with one meaty and clawed hand. Startled and frightened eyes turned to see the beast pulling itself up onto the walk way. Breaking out into a run she continued to pull herself along her hands desperately grasping and pulling on the railing.
Heavy footsteps soon came bounding up behind her it was then she spotted what looked to be an old chain hanging from the ceiling. It looked old and rusted but her hands reached out frantically as she propelled her body forward and pushed back off the nearest wall sending her body backwards and into the beast. It let out a roar as it fell backward and over the railing and into something that looked like an industrial size mixer. The heavy body clad in such armor created a loud bang as it hit the metal full force. A low groan vibrated through the space before all was silent.
Weak and shaking fingers clutched the chain desperately, dark eyes looked up and widen in fear as the chain began to tremble; Aeon let out a silent scream as the chain finally snapped under her weight. Her small body went crashing into a pile of old crates below. The force of the fall caused her body to smash through the weak wood and go tumbling down until her unconscious form rolled limply on the cool floor.
Dark eyes fluttered weakly and her vision was shrouded in shadow. It was then she remembered where she was and what was chasing her. Miraculously Aeon slowly and painfully pulled herself into a sitting position. She eyed the industrial sized mixer where the demon had fallen wearily. She was weak and in no shape to fight. She had to get out of there now because if she didn’t, she probably never would.
Her teeth bit harshly into her lower lip as she weakly climbed to her feet. Swallowing visibly her eyes fluttered shut before they opened once more as she made her way out of the factory and back into the sunlight. Aeon now had two options; stick to the alley ways and side streets and hope to whatever god was listening that there were no crowds and the beast wasn’t following her. Or go with what she could remember of that particular breed and go directly on the main streets and into the crowds hoping that would keep it at bay.
Normally she would’ve gone with the latter that being that it was that particular demons nature. To not draw attention to itself and stick to its intended prey, however this one was different. Not only did it have its sights set on her and was doing what came natural it seemed as though it had a higher intelligence as well. It wasn’t just blindly hunting her. There was something about the way it moved and fought with her. It was thinking, plotting about how to best her. That just wasn’t something she had ever seen occur before with that particular breed… until now.
Deciding to chance it she kept to the back streets and alley ways. There was no way to know how this demon was going to react and regroup if it did seeing as how she didn’t know if it was dead or not though she doubted it. There was also the fact that her clothes were torn and dirty. She was covered in blood and had no shoes. That was sure as hell going to draw some kind of attention and more than likely not of the good kind.
It also didn’t help that she was moving as slow as she was. She was faster than this much faster. The thought flitted through her mind that she might’ve lost a lot more blood than she thought but as soon as it was there it was gone. The industrial district in reality wasn’t all that far from the AI building only about a mile or so into the downtown area of Los Angeles. She nearly cried out in relief at the sight of the familiar building just across the street.
Uncaring of the traffic she was walking into she headed straight across the street and hobbled up the steps of the AI building. Wrenching the door open she stumbled into the small lobby she clumsily made her way down the small set of stairs.
Three pairs of eyes on the other side of the double doors darted up and the darkest of the three narrowed warily. It was then the doors burst open and Aeon stumbled through them bloodied and broken. Looking at the three companions staring on in shock she whispered two words softly before promptly passing out.
“Help me”
Angel recovered first and before her small body could even hit the floor Aeon was wrapped up in his strong arms. Looking down at her bloodied form he began barking out orders for Cordelia and Wesley to help him with Aeon down into the apartment where he could tend to her wounds properly. The four boarded the elevator just before it made its descent into the subterranean apartment. After what seemed like an eternity the elevator settled with a loud clang.
Angel roughly pulled back the gate and quickly strode over to his bedroom and silently settled Aeon on the soft bed sheets. He called for Cordelia to get the first aid kit he kept in his bathroom and for Wesley to get some towels and to boil some water. He’d normally head for the nearest hospital but it was daylight and he had no idea what had happened to the poor girl. There was a very good possibility whatever it was, was supernatural in nature and any mortal hospital would be of no use to them anyway.
Wesley was surprisingly the first to arrive in the room he set a basin of hot water and few towels along with a wash cloth on the night stand. He hurriedly left the room muttering something about going to boil more water but that should be enough to start with. Angel moved closer to Aeon’s still unconscious form and silently listened to her breathing and heartbeat. Though she was hurt and hurt badly her breathing sounded steady as did her heart though it was a low beat which made the vampire nervous. Reaching it gently brushed a stray strand from her brow just before reaching over and dipping the cloth into the hot water.
Wringing out the cloth he then began to gently clean away the dirt and grime that was now a thin blanket on the girl’s face. Satisfied that was now finished and the cuts there didn’t look so bad his eyes instantly went to her arms and legs. Without hesitation he ripped her shirt apart though it didn’t really matter since it was beyond repair anyway. As his eyes took in her form he wasn’t surprised to find that her torso was badly bruised. He gently ran his fingers along her abdomen and just as he suspected she had at least two broken ribs. Sighing softly to himself he shakily reached out and began to undo her jeans. He knew he’d probably get heat for it later but he had to see how bad the damage truly was.
Once he had the button undone and the zipper pulled down he realized that there was no way he was going to be able to pull them over her hips. And once again he knew he was probably never going to hear the end of what it was he was about to do. Leaning down he pulled the small knife from his boot and with a few quick strokes the jeans were nothing more than scrap pieces of cloth.
Dark eyes widen at the sight before them and a low growl vibrated through the room. Numerous cuts and scrapes littered her arms and legs along with varying bruises but what really caught his attention was the nasty gash down her left arm. He then reached for another of the clean cloths left on the night stand and dipped it in the now cooling water. He silently went about his task of cleaning the blood and dirt that covered her body.
Wesley came and went three more times each time bring fresh hot water and disposing of the cool and soiled water. Cordelia had brought in the kit in between one of Wesley’s trips and was now getting rid of Aeon’s ruined clothing. All the while former Watcher and May Queen kept silent just going about their assigned jobs. And though Angel barely spoke to either of them his entire focus on Aeon there was constant growl emanating from his throat.
Once Aeon was cleaned though she was covered in varying cuts and bruises the girl didn’t need stitches of any kind. Even the gash on her arm wasn’t deep enough to need stitches though he intended to keep a close on it in case of infection. Now bandaged and seeming to be sleeping peacefully he pulled the duvet up over her small body and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead before gathering up the remaining bandages and such before heading back out into the main area of the apartment.
He silently emptied the soiled water into the sink and he watched with a sick fascination as the water now tinged a sickly pink swirled down the drain. He then put the first aid kit back in the bathroom and went about placing the unused towels and cloths back in the closet all the while ignoring Wesley and Cordelia who were silently waiting for him in the living room. When he shut the door to what one would consider the linen closet he leaned against it heavily for a moment letting out an unneeded breathe. He then silently headed back into the living room and sunk heavily into one of the over stuffed chairs.
Cordelia eyed Wesley curiously and a bit encouragingly when the silence seemed to linger for too long. Looking distressed Wesley tried to shake his head no but in the end sighed softly to himself and leaned forward in his seat though before he could say anything Angel finally spoke.
“Something attacked her… I don’t know what but it had to be pretty damn big and it was probably fast but even if it wasn’t… Aeon can more than handle herself in a fight.” He murmured softly
“What could possibly do so much damage in such a short amount of time? I mean Angel you barely left the girl a few hours ago. And from what you told us of where her home is… well by foot it’s about an hours walk. And that’s for… well a human—“
Dark eyes pinned Wesley and for a moment he was startled, what he saw in the vampires’ eyes caused him to… word his explanation/reasoning differently.
“I know you trust her Angel… and well because you do, I fear I must say I do as well but in all honesty, what do we really know about the girl?”
Angel looked as though he was about to say something when Cordelia chimed in.
“Wesley’s right. I mean don’t get me wrong I’m totally behind you Angel like one hundred-thousand percent but … what do we really know about her? I mean like not two weeks or so after Doyle… is gone she just shows up on your doorstep and tells you that she’s your guardian. Then just as pure coincidence a new baddie is coming to our little corner of the world.” She said somewhat reasonably
Angel’s dark eyes eyed both of them silently his face expressionless. He then smiled slightly at both of them and nodded his head.
“Look I know that her showing up out of the blue is… suspicious at best but one thing I learned after being on this earth for so long is that just about everything happens for a reason. The Powers like fucking around with people… demon or not. I honestly believe what Aeon has said, I believe that she was sent to me to be my guardian… and even if she wasn’t then she’s an innocent and she needs my help. Either way I’m not going to turn my back on her right now.” He said firmly and with that he pulled himself up out of the chair and headed back into the bedroom leaving a stunned Cordelia and a contemplative Wesley
Sighing softly to himself he stepped up to the bed and ran a gentle hand down the side of her face brushing back hair softly. He knew that he should be more concerned about Aeon’s background where she came from but on the other hand why should he have the right to interrogate her about a past that he had no part of. It would be like her trying to find out about his past involving Angelus it just wasn’t fair.
Settling down in a chair in the adjacent corner Angel was content to watch over his guardian until she awoke. Picking up one of his favorite books that he always kept close he began to make his way though the many poems that brought him the few moments of solace while the rest of the world around him was chaotic.
It was awhile before Aeon began to stir. Quietly he closed his book and headed back over to the bed. He sat down gently so as not to jostle the young thing that seemed to be slowly waking up. Dark eyes fluttered open weakly and a weak smile settled on Aeon’s lips at the sight before her.
“Angel…” she whispered softly
“Do you remember what happened?” he asked softly
Inhaling deeply she licked her dry and chapped lips before responding.
“Had a visitor” she said simply
Just as Angel was about to respond Cordelia and Wesley cam bounding back in the room, both babbling something about a monster ripping apart the downtown area. Cursing silently he knew he was going to have to leave Aeon to take care of the beast. Turning back around to tell Aeon that he’d have to leave for a little bit he was greeted with the sight of Aeon’s usually dark eyes glowing a soft amber hue and the whispered words of warning clinging to her lips.
“She is your destiny…”
End of Chapter Three