Play Holes for the whole chapter except at the bronze :)
This is what Laney will sound like singing but the song used for what the band, Dingoes Ate My Baby and Laney, at the Bronze is the regular upbeat fast version. Which is one above!! (1st one)
A/N: also just a little note... whenever Laney and Angelus or Spike are referring to him or he... usually they mean Angel. So just read it and figure out the context of the situation. Usually it's about Angel because he was good and now Angelus is here and it's sort of like a different person.
...
3rd Person's POV
Laney slowly walks down the stairs as she carefully looks around and behind her. She was now very cautious and paranoid after what happened last night.
After sobbing for almost an hour straight, Laney crawled over to her window and looked out it only to see Angel leaned on a tree at the house across the street. Eyes on her. She quickly moved from the window and locked it then sat on the ground by the window and fell asleep.
When she woke up she was relieved to not see Angelus but she was frightful that he would pop out of her closet or something and snap her neck. However it made her feel slightly better knowing that he wanted to toy with her. Gave her time to try and heal and get stronger mentally and physically. That way she could take him down once and for all. Well try to.
Who was she kidding, she couldn't... wouldn't be able to do that. It would all come down to Buffy.
Speaking of which, Laney had been talking to herself all morning going over different scenarios in her head of how it would go if she told Buffy and the others what happened. The first thought to come to her was that they would assume her and Angel had a thing together sexually in secret when he was himself. This scenario was the angry one. Then she thought of the jealous one. Buffy being upset that Angel was toying with them both. Wondering why her, why Laney... what could he possibly want with Laney? Well Laney didn't know either. And the third scenario was the neglected one. Where they wouldn't believe her, wouldn't listen to her, wouldn't even bat an eyelash because Buffy had things going on too and she was more important. Just like Angel had told her last night. Or maybe the scenario would be all of the above. Either way, Laney didn't sleep one bit. She was surprised she didn't have more bags under her eyes.
As her foot lightly drops on the last stair, Laney peeks into the living room and lets out a breath of relief as she walks forward. She turns the corner into the kitchen and begins to walk towards the cabinet. Pulling out a glass for orange juice, Laney then feels a hand touch her shoulder. She screams terrified and jumps away as she drops the glass. The shattered glass falls all across the hardwood floor as Laney looks up at a confused and worried Willow.
"Laney, are you okay?"
Laney laughs breathless and awkward, "Yeah. Sorry I didn't mean to scream like that."
"Sorry I didn't know that would scare you."
Laney nods pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "Nightmare... I-I had a nightmare. And couldn't sleep. So..."
Willow frowns and pats Laney's arm before stepping over the glass to get the broom, "Aw I'm sorry. Are you sure you're okay?"
Laney watches Willow sweep up the glass and thinks about if this was the perfect time to tell her or not.
"Y-yeah..."
Willow smiles and throws the glass away from the dustpan then puts the broom back.
Laney sighs watching her sister grab her bag then shakes her head, "Actually n-"
RING
Willow not hearing her runs over to the phone on the wall with a beaming smile. She says okay then hangs up and turns around to put her bag on her back.
"Gotta go. Oz is outside to pick me up? You want a ride?"
Laney smiles softly as she tries to keep the fake smile up, but she can feel her lips tremble as her eyes begin to water.
"N-no I'm okay. I j-just think I should talk to y-yo-"
Willow backs out the kitchen waving her arms, "We can talk after school okay? Don't wanna be late."
Laney shrugs with a nod, "Um okay y-yeah sure..."
Willow disappears out the kitchen making Laney sigh and mess with her trembling hands. A second later Willow's head pops back into the kitchen with a large grin.
"Oh! And just remember... it was just a dream. Don't fret over it."
"Right... just a dream."
Laney hears the door slam closed and Oz's van drive off. She takes in a deep shaky breath and runs her hands down her face.
"It's okay... you're okay... it'll be okay..."
...
~ A WEEK LATER ~
"So, what do you think?"
The two friends talk in the dark empty cemetery at night. Xander is dangling a heart shaped locket in the air. Buffy sitting on a gravestone.
She smiles and nods, "It's nice."
They are waiting near a fresh grave as Xander approaches Buffy, still dangling the locket.
"But do you think Cordelia will like it?"
"I don't know."
She pulls it toward herself with her hand to take a closer look.
"Does she know what one of these is?"
He yanks it out of her hand and puts it and his hands into his jacket pockets.
Xander chuckles, "Okay, big yuks. When are you guys gonna stop making fun of me for dating Cordelia?"
"I'm sorry. But never."
Xander nods, smiles and looks down.
Buffy sighs starting to feel bad, "I just think you could find somebody more... better."
Xander looks up from the ground and raises an eyebrow, "Uh, parallel universe, maybe. Here I ruined my chances with Laney because I couldn't make up my mind. And the only other person I'm interested in is, um... unavailable. Besides, Cordy and I are really getting along. We're not fighting as much, and yesterday we just sat together, not even speakin'. You know, just, uh, enjoying comfortable silence.
He grins and laughs, then loses the grin and exhales, "Man, that was dull."
Buffy smiles, "I'm glad that you guys are getting along. Almost really." She gives him a reassuring look, "And don't stress over the gift."
Xander shrugs, "Well, this is new territory for me. I mean, my valentines are usually met with heartfelt restraining orders."
Buffy chuckles, "She'll love it."
"I wish dating was like slaying, Xander steps away from the grave, "you know, simple, direct, stake to the heart, no muss, no fuss."
He turns to face her again just as a vampire rises from the fresh grave. Xander reacts quickly and jerks back as the newly risen demon comes for him, but he trips and falls backward onto his butt. Buffy hops off of the gravestone and grabs the vampire from behind as he is about to grab Xander and throws him high and away. He hits the ground hard. His momentum carries him into a reverse somersault, and he rolls to his feet.
He starts to come at Buffy. She leaps at him, does a double kick to his chest with both feet in rapid succession and lands upright as the vampire staggers back into the corner column of a small mausoleum. Buffy comes at him, but he blocks her first two punches and ducks a third swing. Her fourth and fifth punches, however, land on his face, but he isn't fazed. He pushes her aside into the wall of the mausoleum, and after regaining his balance comes at her again. She slides down the wall and kicks out with her leg, making him trip and spin down to the ground.
As he gets up she leaps at him with a high kick and knocks him back down again. She reaches into her jacket for a stake, and when the vampire stands back up again and tries to make a grab for her she deftly plunges it into his chest. He immediately bursts into a cloud of ashes. Buffy yanks the stake back and watches with satisfaction as the ash rains to the ground. Then she heads over to Xander and gives him a hand back up to his feet.
"Sorry to say, Xand, slaying is a tad more perilous than dating."
They start out of the cemetery.
"Well, you're obviously not dating Cordelia."
...
Sunnydale High School the next morning is packed as everyone stands out in the courtyard and front of the school steps.
Cordelia walks up the steps from the street. She sees her friends sitting on a wall and heads over to them. When they see her coming they all stand up and make their way toward the main entrance, ignoring her.
Cordelia frowns as she jogs to catch up, "Wait up. Hey, wait up! Excuse me! Where's the fire sale?"
They all stop and turn around to face her.
Harmony smiles in a fake way, "Oh, sorry. Didn't see you."
Cordelia smiles, "Well, why didn't you call me back last night? We need to talk about our outfits for the dance. I'm gonna wear red and black," She points at Kate, "so you need to switch."
Kate scoffs, "Red and black? Is that what Xander likes?"
Cordelia stares at them utterly confused, "Xander? What does he have to do with this?"
Harmony shrugs, "Well, a girl wants to look good for her geek."
Cordelia raises an eyebrow, "Xander's just..."
Harmony interrupts, "When are you two gonna start wearing cute little matching outfits? 'Cause I'm planning to vomit."
Laney is walking nearby and hears the girls conversation. She decides to continue in and let Cordelia handle it. If the girl could keep secrets from her best friend and cheat and lie then so be it. However all those negative thoughts fly out her brain as she sees Cordelia's smile drop. It looked like someone kicked a puppy. And Laney loved puppies. And her best friend.
Cordelia shakes her head slowly opening and closing her mouth trying to thinking of something edgy and cutting that would tell these girls off, but she couldn't even get one word to come out. The girls all laugh at her and are about to turn around and walk away until a pair of combat boots appear in their view from behind Cordelia.
Laney clears her throat gaining the full attention of the group of girls as she takes a step forward and stands side by side with Cordelia. Cordelia looks over at her confused yet grateful. Harmony and the others look at her with a sudden wave of slight fear.
"Are you actually wearing that hideous outfit again?"
Harmony frowns and looks down at her dress. She opens her mouth to speak but instantly freezes as Laney holds up a hand telling her to zip it.
Laney's eyes look Harmony up and down in a judging kind of way as she lightly glares at the blonde, "Because I'm actually going vom- better yet dig my eyes out of my skull... maybe yours since you have the audacity to talk about any outfit while wearing those ugly shoes."
Cordelia smiles and crosses her arms over her chest feeling a small amount of her confidence come back as she stood next to her protective best friend.
Laney tilts her head to side while looking at Harmony nonchalant, "First of all heather... you don't even have a date to the dance. No one asked you and no one will. Second of all, at least Cordy has a geek. Unlike all of you who only have your hands." She makes a jerking off motion making the girls gasp at the vulgar motion, "So sad... to literally belittle a queen bee when you all are just the little ants. Not even fire ants who at least fight back but the little worker ones. Who get stomped on."
Harmony stands quiet almost pouting as Laney stands looking down at her with a confident smirk.
"You wanna get stomped on Heather?"
"My names Harmon-"
"Don't care. Bored already. No wonder you're such a guy magnet." Laney smiles as Harmony's mouth falls open in shock and her face reddens in embarrassment.
Laney looks at the remaining group of girls and sighs as they all look down scared.
"Anything to say?"
Silence.
"Good... I didn't even want to get started on y'all's hair. Now scoot."
The group of girls quickly hurry inside the school making Cordelia look at Laney in awe. Laney chuckles shaking her head while turning to Cordelia.
"What a bunch of sissies."
Laney laughs as she pulls Cordelia along side her into the school. Cordelia feels a huge weight lift off her chest as her best friend is once again by her side. Laney did say it would take time for her to even forgive Cordelia. But Cordelia missed her immensely. She would never lie or keep another secret from Laney again. Laney was too important to her.
"I-I just wanna say... t-thank you-"
"Please don't make it weird. It's whatever. You're my friend-" Laney starts out but is interrupted by Cordelia pulling her into the empty staircase corner.
"Laney you're my sister. I know you have a real one, but to me you're my family. You're important to me and I can't even begin to explain how tremendously sorry I am about sleeping with your ex. I don't know why I did it... I do know why I did it. I just wanted to be popular. I don't know why I can't function right if no one likes me."
"People do like you Cordelia. Me... and Xander. Giles and Ms Calendar. Colby. We all adore you. Even when you're being a big head."
Cordelia smiles and pulls Laney into a hug, "I'm so sorry. I was scared to say anything about Xander. I thought it would look awful since this was another guy you went out with."
"Girl I got over him. It hurt because you kept it a secret. Thinking about it, I could care less about if you asked my permission. We were together. But I was just hurt that you didn't come to me about it."
"I understand that now and I will never ever ever keep anything from you again. I promise. Besties through thick and thin." Cordelia holds out her pinky.
"Sisters by choice." Laney wraps her pinky around Cordelia's and smiles.
The two smile and hug once more before pulling away and beginning their walk up the stairs. They begin to talk as if nothing bag had happened between them. Like they never fault and started back from where they ended.
Cordelia laughs at something Laney says and peeks over at the girl. She freezes and a frown covers her face as she looks at her best friend's arm. Cordelia comes to a halt and lightly grabs Laney's wrist. Her fingers run over her bare arm where a large bruise shaped like a hand so happened to be. Then she grabs her other arm and sees an identical one.
"At a time like this I would usually joke about Colby being rough, but he's not here right now. And I feel like this is something serious... so you have ten seconds spill and explain to me or I go straight to Giles. Who will make you spit it out."
Laney sighs looking down the hall then at Cordelia with a sad smile, "Cordy..."
"Your eyes are puffy. You have bags under them. And why is your forehead a little red."
Laney thought back to in the shower when she scrubbed the skin off her arms where Angelus had grabbed her and then her forehead. She didn't want anything to do with him. She had to get rid of his smell, touch, even memory. Well wished she could.
Laney opens her mouth to speak but Cordelia stares at her with a serious look.
"Don't even think about lying to me. I can already tell you're making up a story in your head. You start biting your lips when you lie."
Laney sighs and nods, "He was in my room."
Cordelia stares at her with wide eyes, "He? Please don't tell me you mean him, he?"
Laney stares blankly making Cordelia gasp and grab her arm once more looking at the handprint.
"Laney what the hell? What did he do? Did he hurt you?"
"No..." Laney then whispers with a frown, "Not yet."
Laney proceeds to tell Cordelia about her private talk with Angelus who visited her a week ago. Laney was very surprised that the handprints were still there. But maybe scrubbing them and her forehead every morning and night wasn't helping them heal.
"Oh my gosh... so he just left?"
"Yeah... And no one was there for me. That's the worst part... I could've died. I didn't have anyone. Everyone was chasing after Oz. And I know he ran after Willow, but I really truly believe he wouldn't have hurt her. But everyone was just busy doing other things that they forgot about the big issue. Angelus. He turned Theresa as a warning... then he came into my house... And now I'm so scared that I don't know what to do..."
"Well we tell Giles of course!" Cordelia begins to walk to the library as Laney gasps and pulls her back.
"Cordy you can't!"
Cordelia scoffs and shakes her head, "Of course I can... watch me."
She tries to leave once more but Laney doesn't hold up. She slaps the back of Cordelia's hand making the girl hiss and pout.
"Ow..."
"Stop doing that.... You can't tell him. I can't tell him-"
"Why the hell not? You're being tormented. He's being a stalker. This is what he does remember? He breaks down his victims. Makes them go mad then kills them. Or worse... they become Drusilla."
Laney gulps lightly while peeking off to the side, "Give me another day or two. I'm trying to figure out how this is gonna go."
"I know how... you could die. And none of us want that. Especially your boyfriend. Speaking of... have you talked to him?"
Laney nods and sighs, "Yeah he sent me a letter."
Cordelia frowns, "Why do you sound so sad about it?"
Laney shrugs.
"Oh my god! Did you guys break up?"
Laney raises an eyebrow and stares at Cordelia as if she lost her head, "Are you crazy? No."
Cordelia smiles brightly, "Oh okay good. You two are total endgame. So if he didn't Dear John you... what happened?"
Laney rolls her eyes at the dear John comment then frowns as she gets serious once more.
"He's coming back... and I'm scared."
"But that's good? No?"
Laney shakes her head, "Not right now it's not. Theresa just died. Angelus got to her. He got to me and could've easily killed me. I wasn't ready to kill him. What if Colby gets here and we haven't stopped Angelus... what if I'm not ready still. But he is. Angelus is ready and he takes away one of things that bring me so much joy in my life." Laney's eyes tear up, "If that happened... then I'd be okay if he killed me. I'd want him to."
"Laney..." Cordelia whispers sadly as she rubs Laney's arm.
"We have two weeks until Colby comes back. And we haven't the slightest idea of how to stop Angelus."
...
In Spike's warehouse, Drusilla opens a jewelry case, and inside is a gold necklace with rubies set into an integrated pendant.
Spike smiles as Drusilla pulls out the necklace and admires it, "Fancy it, pet?"
"Ahhh. It's beautiful. Mm."
"Nothing but the best for my gir..."
Spike is interrupted by Angelus walking up to the table. He sets down a human heart, fresh and bloody. He smiles over at Spike, then down at Drusilla.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Dru."
"Oh..." Drusilla grins holding her hands over it, "Angel!"
Angelus raises his eyebrows at Spike.
"It's still warm."
Spike closes his eyes and lets out a deep breath, then looks back up at Angelus.
"I knew you'd like it." Angelus inhales the aroma, "I found it in a quaint little shopgirl."
He sees the necklace, picks it up and holds it out to have a look at it.
"Cute." He reaches around Drusilla's neck with it, "Here."
She pulls her hair back and away so he can close the clasp behind her neck. Spike wheels toward them, upset with Angelus' forwardness.
"I'll get it."
Angelus looks down at Spike, "Done. I know Dru gives you pity access, but you have to admit it's so much easier when I do things for her." He smiles.
Spike controlling his anger rubs his forehead, "You would do well to worry less about Dru," Angelus rolls his eyes, "and more about that Slayer and Slayertte you've been tramping around with."
Angelus paces behind the table, "Dear Buffy. I'm still trying to decide the best way to send my regards." He sits on the table pouting.
Spike shrugs, "Why don't you rip her lungs out? It might make an impression."
Angelus scoffs, "Lacks... poetry."
"It doesn't have to." Spike inhales and thinks, "What rhymes with lungs?"
Drusilla chuckles as she looks between the two, "Don't worry, Spike." She looks back at Angelus, "Angel always knows..." She looks at the heart, "what speaks to a girl's heart."
Angelus waves a hand nonchalantly, "Never mind it. I might have something. But the other one... I'm gonna have fun messing with her brain."
"Back on this again? Slayerette must've tickled your pickle or something mate."
Angelus shakes his head, "Worse. He gave her a necklace. Made her believe they... we were friends." He chuckles, "I've got to break her... she is a little too much of a weakness for him."
Spike smiles teasingly, "Aw good little Angel fell for the Slayer and Slayerette... how cute."
Angelus glares at Spike, "Says you."
Spike frowns consumed, "Excuse me."
Angelus laughs shaking his head, "You don't think I've seen the way you look at her. How you speak of her. You have a nickname for her for Christ sake. You're probably worse than he is."
Spike looks over at Drusilla who is frowning while playing her own necklace.
"You're wrong mate. I could care less about the little brat. Why would I when I have all the woman I need right here?" He rolls over to Dru who immediately gleams and sits on his lap kissing down his neck.
Angelus smirks, "Well I guess you wouldn't mind helping me find a little gift for her?"
...
It's finally Valentine's Day and at the Bronze it was decorated to the nines for the dance.
Oz, Devon, and Laney's band were all connecting their instruments to the speakers as they got ready for their night gig.
Xander is at a table with Willow, turning a jewelry box around in his hands. Willow sits quietly watching the band as Xander stares off in another direction, oblivious.
Oz smiles over at Willow and then looks down at his guitar. Willow looks up at Oz and smiles. Oz smiles back then looks down as he begins to tune his semi acoustic guitar.
Laney walks over and smiles at him making him shrug.
"What?"
"You two are cute. I approve."
Oz chuckles grabbing the electric guitar out her hand, "Well thank you very much. Now onto you. How are you doing? Are you sleeping? Because of you aren't then Colby is definitely gonna beat my ass when he gets back."
Laney smiles shaking her head, "Oh so you only care for my well-being because you don't wanna get beat to a pulp."
"Oh no I think I'd kinda enjoy getting beat to a pulp. I would love to write about the science of it all after."
"You nerd." Laney shoves him laughing.
"On serious not though. I do care and I do watch you. Not in a creepy way. Just a friend making sure his friend is okay. Even though she's trying to hide it." Oz smiles sadly at Laney as she looks away.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Only to the ones with open eyes."
Willow looks away from her sister and Oz wondering what they were talking about. She turns to Xander, smiling.
"Oz has his cool hair today. I think I'm a groupie!" She smiles excitingly as she looks back at the band who get into position.
Xander doesn't say anything but smile as he continues to look for Cordelia. On the other side of the club, Cordelia steps out of the restroom. She looks around and sees her friends.
Cordelia smiles as she walks up to them, "Oh, hey!"
They all give her looks of disgust.
"Let's get outta here." Harmony frowns as she leads the group away.
She did not want another debacle with Laney.
Cordelia just stands there and watches them go.
The mic lowly screeches as Laney taps it and smiles at the packed club. She lets out a deep breath and gets into her rockstar facade.
"Hey y'all how are we doing tonight?"
The crowd cheers and whistles. Laney grins and nods to the band.
"Our bass player, Colby, isn't in town. So we got Devon on the bass, Oz on semi acoustic, Ken on the drums, and me electric guitar. Is that alright with y'all?"
Again the club cheers making the tables shake.
"I'm still learning and rusty so be patient. Here's a new song written by Devon..."
The music begins to play as Laney pulls the guitar from behind her. Her fingers go in place how Oz had taught her and she looks up ready to rock and roll.
"We're the Dingoes Ate My Baby and this is What You Know... 1, 2, 3, 4..."
(Laney is the higher sounding guitar.)
Laney:
In a few weeks I will get time
To realize it's right before my eyes
And I can take it if it's what I want to do
And I am leaving and this is
starting to feel like
It's right before my eyes
And I can taste it
It's my sweet beginning
And I can tell just what you want
You don't want to be alone
You don't want to be alone
And I can't say it's what you know
But you've known it the whole time
Yeah, you've known it the whole time
Laney backs away a little as Devon comes in and sings for the second verse. She plays the guitar before the chorus and then Devon and her sing together.
Devon
Maybe next year I'll have no time
To think about the questions to address
Am I the one to try to stop the fire?
I wouldn't test you
I'm not the best you could have attained
Why try anything?
I will get there
Just remember I know
Together:
And I can tell just what you want
You don't want to be alone
You don't want to be alone
And I can't say it's what you know
But you've known it the whole time
Yeah, you've known it the whole time
Laney looks across the crowd and frowns as she thinks about Colby. She missed him and wanted to talk to him. Maybe tonight she would go home and write another letter.
The crowd cheering brings her back to. She grins and waves to the crowd as Laney and Devon switch places.
"Alright let's slow things down now..." Devon winks at a girl in the crowd making Laney smile and shake her head.
She meets eyes with Oz who holds up a gun with his fingers and pretends to shoot himself.
Laney laughs and nods.
Maybe she could be okay...
Just for another two weeks until Colby was here.
...
At Buffy's house, she and her mother are lounging back on the couch watching TV. The coffee table in front of them is full of plates of cookies, cheese puffs and other snacks. Buffy has a bowl of popcorn in her lap. They hear a knock at the door and look over in that direction.
Buffy looks back at her mom, exhales and hands her the popcorn.
"Here."
Joyce starts to munch on it. Buffy gets up to answer the door. Buffy looks out the door puzzled when there's no one there. She looks further out and in both directions. She shrugs with her eyes, goes back inside and closes the door. When she steps back into the living room her mother is gone. She looks back behind her, through the foyer and into the dining room beyond. Joyce is nowhere to be seen.
Buffy frowns now concerned, "Mom?"
She walks through the dining room and into the kitchen.
"Mom?"
She walks around the island, looking around all the while, then quickly out the window when she hears a noise, but sees nothing and continues toward the kitchen door. She looks back into the dining room. When she reaches the kitchen door she is startled by her mother coming back in from outside and gasps.
"Buffy, it's me."
Buffy let's out a relieved sigh, "Yeah. You just startled me a little."
Joyce closes the door and smiles, "I was just checking the back door. Somebody, um, left these for you."
She sets a long black box with a black bow on the island for Buffy to see. She looks up at her mother and raises her eyebrows for an instant before lifting the lid off the box. Joyce looks down, curious to see what's in it.
Buffy stares down at it and sees a dozen red roses along with a single black rose. The black rose had a card attached bearing a single word: Soon.
Her mother looks up at her with a little smile, but it fades when she sees how Buffy is just staring down at the card without saying a word or reacting in any way.
...
Laney pulls her jacket closer to her as the wind blows harshly in the late night. She sighs hearing footsteps behind her. Quickly turning around she stands still as the person behind her tries not to run into her.
"You're still following me?"
Devon chuckles shrugging while pushing his hands into his pockets, "You're my brothers girlfriend. I need to make sure you get home safe when you're not riding with Oz. Otherwise he would kick my ass."
Laney smiles, "So I keep hearing... but really I'm okay. My house is two houses away. I'll be fine. Swear."
Devon frowns biting his lip then sighs and nods, "Text me when you get in and lock your door. Got it?"
Laney nods, "Okay dad! Now hurry up and go back to the bronze and get that cute red heads number."
Devon smirks backing away slowly, "She was cute wasn't she?"
"Smoking hot!"
Devon chuckles and nods, "Alright. See you at practice."
"Bye."
Laney watches as Devon's turns around and walks back the way to the Bronze. Sighing, she looks around cautiously then speed walks two houses down to her own. She sees a large cardboard box on her porch and frowns looking around. Gulping in slight discomfort, she unlocks the door then pushes the box inside with her foot. Quickly locking the door and texting Devon, Laney then pulls off her jacket and grabs the box. Taking it to the kitchen she quickly grabs a pair of scissors out the drawer and slices the box open. Looking down inside, Laney sees another box. However this one was red almost glass like.
Laney picks up the hefty glass case and frowns seeing it filled with roses. All the petals were red but it seemed like there was some kind of liquid in the box that made them look wet and welted.
"Uh I really don't wanna do this..." She whispers to herself before shaking her head knocking sense into herself.
She opens the case and reaches her hand down into it. Frowning in disgust she feels something slimy. Quickly yanking out her hand, Laney then grabs the box and dumps out its' contents.
She screams bloody murder as she stares ahead at the object in front of her. Wiping her hand on her shirt she then starts to cry and convulse in fight. She rips the bloody shirt off and back away looking all around paranoid.
Her eyes catch an envelope on the counter making her frown. She hurries around the stuff on the floor and yanks the envelope up then goes back to her spot with her back in the wall.
She sees it was addressed from the bootcamp Colby was at. Laney shakes her head slowly covering her mouth as she begins to sob with tears running down her face.
She rips it open and reads it. It says that Colby had been severely injured during boot camp. He had gone into shock as the doctors tried to figure out what to do on him. He then coded and they couldn't restart his heart. He had died yesterday afternoon.
She screams out no and rips up the letter. Laney quickly pulls out her phone and dials the number she saved from Colby's first letter.
"Rahway Bootcamp this is Brooks speaking. How may I help you?"
Laney cries into the phone while trying to slightly compose herself but it felt like her heart had shattered into a million pieces.
"I-I got a letter in the mail. Please tell me he isn't gone. Please tell me my boyfriend is still alive."
The man on the line pauses then gets serious, "Ma'am what is your boyfriends name?"
"Colby MacLeish. Please, please don't tell me he's gone. He can't be."
"Mr MacLeish? No ma'am I saw him earlier today. It's probably just some stupid sick prank letter from someone. People are bitter on Valentine's Day so maybe someone thought it would be funny to do this-"
"He's okay? You promise he's okay?"
The man felt horrible as he spoke to the girl through the phone. Whoever had done this was a sick person.
"Yes ma'am I assure you he's fine."
"C-can I talk to him? Please? I know you're not suppos-"
"It's okay ma'am. Under these circumstances, I understand. Give me one minute alright?"
"O-okay..." Laney continues to cry over the phone. She wouldn't believe it until she heard his voice.
"Ma'am just try to breathe okay? I'll be one minute."
Laney hears the man drop the phone. She sits in a corner of the kitchen staring down at the heart at her converse covered feet and the cut up red roses that were in the box as well.
"Laney?"
Laney freezes as she hears the voice of what she believed to be an Angel. And right then and there she completely broke down. She felt her chest begin to constrict as she sobbed painfully while hugging herself in the fertile position.
"Hey Laney... can you breathe for me? Take deep breaths baby. I need you to calm down or you're going to pass out."
"I-I c-can't. I-it h-hurts..." Laney begins to tremble as her panic attack gets stronger.
"Hey baby you wanna sing with me... I know you love to sing. Let's sing together okay?"
Laney shakes her head knowing he couldn't see her but she couldn't talk anymore. Her chest began to hurt. She gasps holding her chest as she feels her heart skip a beat.
"Laney! Listen to me... Put your head on my shoulder, Hold me in your arms, baby. Squeeze me oh-so-tight, Show me that you love me too..."
Laney begins to feel her chest untighten. She sniffles holding the phone close to her as she rocked side to side.
"You wanna sing with me baby?"
Laney gulps and whispers, "P-put..."
"Good job you're doing great. Breathe okay. What's next?"
"Put y-your lips n-next to m-mine, dear..."
Colby nods on the other line then continues to sing the rest, "Won't you kiss me once, baby? Just a kiss goodnight, maybe. You and I will fall in..."
"L-love..." Laney mumbles looking ahead blankly at the heart.
"I'm really proud of you, Lane. I'm sorry I can't be there to hold you. But I'm gonna stay on the phone with you until you fall asleep okay?"
"O-okay..."
"Baby, what's going on over there?"
Laney's eyes water once more as she pouts.
"I want you to come back."
What did we think about this hefty lil chapter?
Did we enjoy?
Do we wanna kill anyone?
Don't you just wanna hug Laney?
Poor thing
How do you think Giles will react when Laney tells him everything that has been going on?
What do you think is running through Colby's head? And you think Laney gave him the full tea?
Is Spike actually nice and crushing on Laney? Did he help her out? Or is. He just going with the flow and out for blood and revenge like Angelus? Or did Spike just tell Buffy because he was getting beat to a pulp?
Fav character so far?
Fav duo?
Future predictions?
Any special requests...