Forever, Always, and Then Some

Chapter 96

 

Las Vegas Street

Fred and Wesley are walking along.

Wes: I guess we better join the others.

Fred: I know, it is just kinda nice to be just us.

Wes: Same here.

Fred: Wait a second.

She stops.

Wes: Did you see something?

Fred: No just something in my shoe.

She lifts her foot and removes her shoe. As she starts the lose her balance she places her hand on the building beside her. She continues to fall until she lands inside the building.

Wes: You okay?

Fred: Yes but next time I should make sure my wall isn’t a door.

Wes: Let me help you up.

JP: Hello. Can I be of assistance?

Fred: Sorry, I didn’t mean to trespass.

JP: You are not trespassing. I just thought you were here to get married.

Fred/Wes: Married?!

JP: Yes, this is the “Lover’s Chapel”

Wes: No, no this was an accident.

Fred: Yes, what he said. You see I had this thing in my shoe. And well it hurt to walk and I stopped to get it out. Well then I started to fall and then well I tried to catch myself. And the wall I reached for was actually your door. Which meant I still fell and landed on your floor.

JP: Oh, so you just happen to fall in here. Looks like fate.

Fred: No fate, just an accident.

Wes: I think we should go.

JP: Okay, bye then, maybe another time.

Wes and Fred hurry out the door.

Fred: Whew that was scary.

Wes: Scary? The chapel was scary?

Fred: No not the chapel.

Wes: Oh, not the chapel, the thought of marriage.

Fred: Well yes.

Wes: I never knew you felt that way about marriage.

Fred: I don’t. I want to get married.

Wes: You do?

Fred: Well of course I do. Doesn’t everyone. Just look at Buffy and Angel. They are so happy when they are together. I want that someday.

Wes: Someday? When you meet the right man?

Fred: I thought I already did.

Wes: Oh.

Fred: We need to go.

Wes: Wait.

Fred: What?

Wes: You actually have thought we would get married someday.

Fred: Does that scare you?

Wes: Not at all. I like the idea.

Fred: Really. I thought it might make you run.

Wes: Only toward you. Never away. I love you. And can’t imagine my future without you in it.

Fred: You are going to make me blush.

Wes: I like when you blush. I love making you blush.

Fred: Stop talking like that. We are in public.

Wes: Then lets go somewhere private.

Fred: We need to get back to the apartment.

Wes: No privacy there.

Fred: It can wait until after we help save Anya.

Wes: I know but I want to do something right now.

 

At the apartment.

Buffy: Where are they?

Dawn: Willow will be here. Relax.

Buffy: She did not give any idea what she and Oz were up to.

Dawn: No.

Angel: Buffy just come over her and sit down.

Buffy: I don’t need to rest.

Angel: I didn’t say rest. I said come sit with me.

Buffy: Oh.

She sits down on the sofa.

Angel: They will be here soon. Hmph.

Buffy: Are your knees that sore?

Angel: They are fine. I heal fast.

Buffy: Let me see.

She eases his legs across her lap and he lies back. She gently massages his legs.

Angel: You have a nice touch.

Buffy: Just don’t go to sleep.

Angel: I won’t.

Dawn: Maybe next time you will call for help.

Angel: But then I would miss the massage.

Buffy: Not necessarily. You don‘t have to be hurt to get this kind of treatment

Dawn: Can I go for a walk?

Buffy: I guess, just stay close. And be careful, this is not Sunnydale.

Dawn: I know, no hellmouth.

Buffy: But there are still bad things out there.

Dawn: I will avoid the drunk gamblers and anorexic showgirls.

Buffy: You know what I mean.

Dawn: I know.

She leaves.

Buffy: Now where is Willow?

Angel: Relax.

Buffy: You are relaxed enough for both of us.

Angel: Not really. Because if you brush the back of your hand against me like that one more time I will be far from relaxed.

Buffy: Huh?

Angel: Don’t act dumb.

Buffy: Do you want me to stop rubbing your legs.

Angel: My legs are not all you are rubbing.

Buffy: I know. But I got to get my thrills where I can.

Angel: At the risk of my sanity.

Buffy: I would suggest an alternative but we are waiting on Will and Oz.

Angel: Stop it.

Buffy: Make me.

Angel: Fine.

He swings his legs down and grabs her forcing her onto her back. He grabs her arms pinning them over her head with his hand before forcing his mouth onto hers. She gives no resistance, until she feels his other hand sliding up her thigh. She tries to wiggle and finds her body is sufficiently pinned. He stops the kiss and looks into her eyes.

Angel: Want me to stop?

Buffy: No but we are not alone.

He looks over his shoulder to see Willow and Oz.

Willow: Hi guys.

Angel jumps up.

Oz: Sorry to interrupt.

Buffy: So what is the big plan.

Willow: A locator spell.

Buffy: Magic?

Willow: Yes.

Buffy: No, you are not doing any magic.

Willow: Not me, one of you. I am just going to show you how.

Buffy: Don’t look at me.

Willow: You and Angel are the only ones with any magic experience.

Buffy: I don’t know Will.

Willow: We can’t just keep doing what we are doing. It is not working.

Buffy: But do you think we can really do this?

Willow: Does not hurt to try.

Buffy: But what if goes way wrong.

Willow: It won’t.

Angel: I am with Willow. We need to try something.

Buffy: Fine. What do we do?

Willow: Where is Xander? I need something of Anya’s.

Buffy: He went off to be alone for awhile. I don’t think he wanted us to see him.

Willow: Oh. I know that feeling.

Buffy: Let me call him. Whose phone does he have?

Angel: Not sure. I have mine. Willow has yours. Wes has his. Xander must have Fred’s.

Buffy: Okay call him.

He dials.

Fred: Hello.

Angel: I thought Xander had your phone.

Fred: No, I do.

Angel: So whose phone does he have?

Fred: I have mine and Wesley has his.

Angel: Thanks.

Hangs up

Angel: Xander has no phone.

Buffy: Great.

Dawn walks in.

Dawn: What’s up.

Buffy: Just trying to find Xander. He took off without taking a phone.

Dawn: He just needs a little time alone.

Buffy: But we need his help.

Dawn: With what? Hey are you doing a spell?

Willow: Yes, we are going to do a locator spell but we need a personal item of Anya’s.

Dawn: Oh, well I don’t have anything that is hers. I swear.

Buffy: We know you don’t. Not that it would be a bad thing right now. I am not even sure Xander will.

Dawn: How does it work?

Willow: Well it creates a tiny puff of smoke that seeks out the owner of the item.

Dawn: So it can find Anya.

Buffy: If we had something of Anya’s. Hey can we use her picture?

Willow: Is it hers?

Buffy: No.

Willow: Uh Buffy, you don’t happen to have something of Riley’s.

Buffy: No. Why would you think that?

Willow: I didn’t I was just hoping. We could use it to locate him instead of Anya.

Buffy: Oh. Sorry.

Dawn: Something of Riley’s? Does it have to been in his possession recently?

Buffy: Why?

Dawn: Because I kinda have something I took from him when you were dating.

Buffy: What?

Dawn goes and gets her backpack. She pulls a small rabbit’s foot out of the side pocket.

Buffy: That’s Riley’s. He thought he lost it on patrol.

Dawn: He didn’t.

Angel: It’s real rabbit.

Dawn: How you know?

Angel: I can smell it. There are still traces of blood on it.

Dawn: Eww

She drops it. Buffy picks it up.

Buffy: It should be real it came off the first rabbit he ever shot. It was more than a good luck charm.

Angel: A keepsake from a kill. I wonder if he still does that.

Buffy: Let’s not go there.

Angel: Sorry.

Buffy: Willow will this work?

Willow: Sure. It should.

 

 

Lover’s Chapel

JP: You came back.

Wes: Yes.

JP: So what can I do for you?

Wes: We decided to follow fate.

JP: Ah, I see. I thought you might.

Fred: What made you think that?

JP: After doing this for over 30 years I know when I see a couple who are really in love.

Fred: Really

JP: Really.

Fred: Can you read aura because we have a friend who can do that.

Wes: I don’t they he needs to hear about Lorne.

JP: That’s okay. I guess you could say I read aura, but I just get a gut feeling.

Fred: Oh.

JP: So you want to get married. Can I assume you don’t even have a ring?

Wes: Actually no.

JP: Well you don’t need one but if you want to look I have a few inexpensive ones for folks like you.

Wes: Fred?

Fred: It would be nice.

Wes: We can always replace it later.

Fred: Maybe.

The JP brings out a small tray of rings. Fred and Wes look at theme.

Wes: You like anything.

Fred: Actually I do. Isn’t that one of those Irish rings like Buffy wears.

Wes: Where?

Fred: The little gold one.

Wes: I thought Buffy only wears silver.

Fred: She does. But this one is gold. She explained it symbolism to me. She said the hands represent friendship, the crown is loyalty and the heart is love.

Wes: Sounds nice. So is that what you want?

Fred: Yes.

JP: It is rare to find someone who knows about a claddaugh. Is your friend Irish?

Wes: No her husband was born there.

JP: That explains it. Want to head to the back?

 

 

At the hotel.

Buffy: Okay. I guess this is it.

Angel: I still can’t get up with Fred or Wes.

Buffy: You left voice mail and a note at the apartment. They will show.

Angel: I want to wait.

Buffy: There are five of us.

Angel: That is counting you.

Buffy: The man can do math.

Willow: Angel, think before you speak

Angel: You don‘t want to know what I am thinking.

Buffy: (m) How you want to get naked and have wild sex?

Angel laughs: No.

Oz: Not asking.

Willow: Smart move. So we do the spell and track Riley. Then we hope he will either be with or can lead us to Anya.

Oz: Angel, you ready to try?

Angel: I guess.

He follows Willows instructions and soon a small puff of purple smoke swirls about. It starts for the stairwell.

Buffy: How did I know it would not use the elevator.

Angel: Magics are usually not into modern conveniences. We better not lose it.

They follow the smoke.

© 2005 Tara