Forever, Always, and Then SomeChapter 53
After getting Buffy to bed Angel heads out. He patrols the cemetery and heads toward the Bronze. He enters the Bronze and looks around. Gus signals him over to the counter. Gus: Hey, where is Buffy? I thought she would be in tonight. Angel: She is sick so I put her to bed. Gus: I am sorry to hear that. So she called you to help out. Where are you living now? Gus hands him a cappuccino. Angel: Uh LA. Actually she is too proud to call. I just happen to pop down for a little visit. Gus: I notice you have been visiting a lot more than before. You two getting back together? Angel: (lifts his left hand) Already are. Gus: You two? When? Uh congratulations. Angel: Thanks, just don’t spread the word. Gus: My mouth is shut. Angel: Anything we should know about. Gus: Not sure. I have been watching that group over in the corner, but I think they are just a couple of punk teenagers trying to act out. Angel: Hmm, probably right but I might as well check them out. Angel slips quietly over to the group of teens to see what they are up to. He places himself amongst the shadows. Boy 1: Come on, she doesn’t even know you are here. How will she know what else you do. Girl 1: Oh come on. It is only beer. Don’t tell me you are a fraidy cat. Dawn: No. I just don’t like the taste. Besides you don’t know my sister. She finds out everything. Boy 1: Oh yeah, like she knows you snuck out tonight or any other night. Dawn: She is just been under the weather, else she would be on to me. Then there is Willow. If I came home smelling of beer, one of them would know. Boy 2: You are such a baby. When are you going to grow up. Who cares what they think? Girl 1: So true. I bet she wasn’t an angel when she was your age either. Dawn: (laughs) An angel? She never was an angel, she was too busy… Angel: Dawn, I think you need to get home. Dawn: Uh Angel. Where did you come from? Is Buffy here? Angel: Dawn let’s go. Tell the juvenile delinquents good night. Boy 1: Dawn, don’t listen to this jerk. You don’t have to go anywhere. Girl 1: That’s right. Dawn: Uh, guys I do. He is my brother-in-law. And if he is here so is my sister. Angel: Dawn. Dawn: Coming. Night guys. See you later Angel: Don’t count on it. Angel escorts her to the counter. Angel: Gus, do you see this face? Gus: Yeah. Angel: Is she in here a lot? Gus: Yeah, almost every night. Angel: Thought so. Well don’t expect to see her anymore. Gus: Uh who is she? Angel: Buffy’s little sister. Angel walks Dawn outside. Dawn turns on him. Dawn: How could you? How could you embarrass me like that? I hate you Dawn runs off. Angel takes after her and quickly overtakes her. He stops her. Angel: The house is the other way. Dawn: Whatever. Dawn stalks home with Angel following close behind. When they reach the front yard, Dawn notices Spike and runs up to him, tears in her eyes. Dawn: Spike. Spike: Little Bit. What’s wrong? Dawn: Him. He just dragged me away from my friends. He thinks he is my father or something. Spike: Well, what do you want me to do? Stake him? Angel: Dawn. Dawn: I am going. Dawn walks into the house. Angel turns toward Spike. Spike: You are not going to get her to behave by bulling the girl. You need to find out why she is acting out. Angel: I do not need your advice. Angel follows Dawn inside. She has already headed to bed. Willow: What is going on? I thought she was in bed. Angel: I know. I found her at the Bronze with a group of less than stellar teens. Drinking and the like. Willow: Dawn drinking? Angel: Actually have to give her points, she refused the beer. Willow: Buffy is going to be upset. She is not up for anymore stress right now. Angel: She looked awful earlier. Willow: She must have looked bad for you to say she was anything but beautiful. Angel: Oh she still is beautiful, just extremely run down. Willow: And we can not get her to slow down. Maybe you can. Angel: I am only here for one day, but I will try to get her to rest if I can. Willow: If you can. Angel heads up to bed.
In the morning. Buffy is in the kitchen when Dawn comes down for school. Buffy: Morning. Sleep well? Dawn: Uh yeah, uh where is Angel? Buffy: Asleep. I don’t even know when he got in from patrol, I was so tired I slept like the dead. Dawn: Uh dead sleeping with the undead. Angel: Dawn. Dawn: Uh hello Angel. I uh need to get to school. Buffy: Morning. Coffee? Angel: Sure, can I fix you something. Buffy: I had juice. Full of vitamin C. Angel: Give me Conner. And get back in bed. Buffy: I am fine. Angel gives her a look. Buffy: Fine but you have to come too. Angel: I will be there in a minute. Buffy passes Dawn on the stairs. Dawn reaches the front hall. Angel: Dawn, we will talk after school. Dawn: Are you going to tell Buffy? Angel: We will talk after school. Come straight here. Dawn: Sure, not like I have any more friends. Not after your little scene. Dawn walks out. Willow: She is just angry. She will eventually realize you did it for her Angel: I know. I guess this is good practice for Conner. Willow: But Conner is a boy. Makes a big difference. Angel: I guess. Willow: Are you going to tell Buffy? Angel: I don’t think so. Do you? Willow: No, but I will keep a better eye out now. If she pulls another stunt, I will have to inform Buffy though. Angel: Maybe we can straighten her out without Buffy getting involved. Willow: Okay daddy, well I need to get to class. Angel: By Will. Willow leaves and Angel set Conner in his swing and fixes Buffy breakfast. Angel: Son, we need to get mommy to eat right. So she can get better. She needs to be strong and safe. Angel and Conner take the breakfast to mommy. Buffy: Breakfast in bed? My men are going to take care of me? Angel: Someone has to. You don’t appear to be doing it. Buffy: Wrong. I just have a lot of responsibilities. Between, Conner, Slaying, and helping out at the Magic Box, I am spread a little thin. Angel: The Magic Box? Why? Buffy: You know money, it comes in handy. Dad has finally started sending some but it only goes so far. Angel: I thought your mom left you okay. Buffy: She did, but it got wiped out by hospital bills and such. Angel: I told you to use our account for what ever you need. Buffy: I do for anything for Conner but I am not going to use your money to pay the mortgage and utilities. Angel: It is it not my money it is ours. And I would rather you use it than run yourself down like this. Buffy: I need to be a grownup and not lean on you. Angel: If we are not suppose to lean on each other than why did we bother to get married? Buffy: You know what I meant. Angel: No I don’t. Just eat. Buffy: Angel. Angel: Conner is getting upset, I will come back and get the tray later. You get some sleep after you eat. Angel walks out. Buffy watches him leave and her eyes start watering
Later Angel goes to put Conner down. Buffy is sleeping. He pick up the try an finds a note. My dearest Angel, I love you more than I can ever say. You make my life complete. You and Conner. You two are the only reason I am glad to have come back from heaven. You are my heaven on earth. I am so glad you came. More than you know. I want to lean on you but I need to learn to depend on me too. I guess we need to talk, maybe you can help me find new solutions. Find them together. Yours forever and Always Love, Buffy
Angel looks at Buffy sleeping. Angel: (whispers) I love you Buffy: (eyes still closed) I know Angel: Go to sleep. Buffy: I am. Later. Angel: Later my love Angel leaves. Later in the afternoon, Buffy comes downstairs. Angel is sitting in the living room playing with Conner. Angel: Rested? Buffy: Yes. How is my boy? Angel: He is fine, I am more concerned about you. Buffy: I am better. A little food, a little sleep and I am ready to take on the big bads. Angel: Do the big bads include stinky diapers cause if they do, you can start now. Buffy: As if. Possession is nine tenths of the law. Angel: Knew you would say that. Angel changes Conner and Buffy sits down with them. Buffy: I think we need to talk. Really talk. Angel: I am here for you. Ready to tell me everything. How bad is it? Buffy: Better than it was, thanks to Giles, but I need to figure out how reduce the outgo. Angel: Do you have some figures? Buffy: Yeah, Anya worked it up for me. But no matter how long we look at, the outgo exceeds the income. I use your (uh our) account for all Conner’s expenses even though that is not just your responsibility either. I get a check from Dad that helps with some of our expenses but I still have the mortgage, utilities, and car expenses. Angel: Here take Conner and let me look at it. Angel sits down at the desk. Angel: This looks pitiful. But I have one idea. Angel pulls out his cell phone. Angel: Hello, this is Angel. Can I speak to David? David: Hello Angel. Angel: David, I could use a little advice. You got a minute. David: Sure. I have nothing on my calendar today except a boring board meeting and I would love a reason to skip it. Angel: Well this may be way below your experience but I well you know more ways of constructive financing than I do. David: You having trouble meeting the company budget. Angel: No my wife’s household budget has a major imbalance. I am hoping you can suggest some ways to refinance or consolidate some of the debt in order to reduce the outgo. David: I can try, but hey I never knew you were married. Angel: Oh it has only been a few months. I didn’t realize I hadn’t seen you. David: Well I can look at the figures. Are you at the hotel? Angel: No actually I am in Sunnydale. That is where she lives. David: Why don’t I drive down and meet the misses and look at the papers. I would love to have a reason to get out of the city. Angel: Are you sure? David: I can be there in about an hour. Just pick me up at the airport. Angel: Uh, I may have send someone else. The sun and all. David: Oh yeah. Who will I be looking for. Angel: A beautiful blonde, green eyes, 5’2". David: I think I can find that. See you soon. Angel: Bye. Hang up. Angel: Buffy, you don’t mind picking David up do you? Buffy: No but mind telling me who he is. Angel: My financial advisor of sorts. He helped us get the financing on the hotel. He is friend. We handled a blackmail case for him. He kinds got caught visiting a demon brothel and not to good for a corporate president’s image. Buffy: Oh, where do I get him? Angel: Airport in an hour. Buffy: Name? Angel: Oh David Nabbit. Buffy: David Nabbit, the David Nabbit, the software king. Angel: I guess. Buffy: You do get around.
Buffy arrives home with David. They walk in. Angel is in the kitchen and Conner is in his swing smiling away. Buffy: Come on in David. Angel is around here somewhere. David: Nice house. Reminds me of where I grew up. Buffy: Thanks. David: Uh is that a baby. Buffy: Uh, that is or son Conner. Angel: Hello David. I am so glad you could come. I need to get back to LA, but I solve this first. Buffy does not need anymore stress. David: I am glad to help. Do you have the records? Angel: On the desk. Here is the income and here is the outgo. Pretty dismal. Right now, I am handling all the expenses for Conner but Buffy refuses anymore help and I am not sure if I could do much more anyway. David: Okay. Who is Hank Summers? Buffy: My father, he is sending a child support check for my sister Dawn. I have custody. David: Okay. And Ira Rosenburg. Buffy: My best friend’s father. She lives here and that is for her room and board. She attends UC Sunnydale. David: And then you have income from a part time job at the Magic Box. Angel: Not anymore. That is the part I am trying to eliminate. She has too many other responsibilities. David: Angel, I know you don’t like the idea of your wife working but women do now all the time. Women do work outside the home. Angel: She already has a job outside the home. I forgot to tell you, she is the slayer too. David: The slayer? Do you mean the vampire slayer? Buffy: Why is everyone talking about me like I am not even here? David: Sorry Buffy. Angel: Sorry honey. David you see she has a pretty full plate, so I really don’t want her to have to take on a job too. David: And she can not get paid for slaying I guess. I am looking at the mortgage on the house, we could try and refinance it, get enough to pay off the some of the smaller debts. That would eliminate those payments and if we can get a lower interest rate we may even be able to lower the monthly mortgage payment itself. But there would be no room for any emergency or incidentals. Angel: Well if we have an emergency, we will just have to face it then. David: I still see a need to more income. The two checks still not enough. Angel: Buffy, I have an idea that is not going to go over well, especially with the council. Buffy: What? Angel: Sell the house and you, Conner and Dawn move to LA and in with me. Buffy: And leave the hellmouth as free game. Angel: Actually, we can just tell Quentin our plan and see how fast he finds some funds. Buffy: What? Blackmail the council? Angel: Yes. Buffy: I actually like the idea. Angel: If they can pay the watchers, why not the slayer too. Buffy: I don’t think it will work though. Willow walks in from school. Willow: Hello. Buffy: Hi Will, come in and meet Mr. Nabbit. David: Call me David. Willow: Hello, nice to meet you. Did you say David Nabbit, as in the David Nabbit. David: I guess. Willow: Oh. I thought you guys gave up on getting me to come to work for you. David: Huh. What? Oh wait a minute, Rosenburg, you are Willow Rosenburg. I remember now. You and the Osbourne fellow were the only ones who ever turned us down flat. Willow: Oh, that is not why you are here. My bad. Angel: Actually David is a friend of mine and he is trying to make sense of this budget you girls have. Willow: Good luck. David: I think your answer just walked in the door. Buffy: What? David: Willow. Willow: Me? David: You. I know you are in school and have no interest in coming to work for us, but we are always looking for people to test our new prototypes. Would you be interested? It would more than cover the deficit and only take 10-15 hours a week. Plus you get to keep any thing you test. Willow: Are you serious? David: Sure, we do it all the time. Willow looks at Buffy. Willow: I am so interested. Angel: I still think we need to get the council to help. Buffy: Me too. I am calling Quentin now. |
© 2005 Tara