Good Can Get Better (RE-VAMPED)

Later that night the group sat in a bar very much like Caritas but, thankfully, without the karaoke. They had all been asking questions trying to learn more about each other.

“So what’s your dream, Sarah. What do you want to do more than anything?” Wesley asked.

“That’s easy. I want to be a good mom.” Sarah said gazing lovingly at her daughter.

“You already are a good mom, what else?” Max said.

She grinned warmly at him then pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Angel noticed she always did that when she was thinking.

“Well, besides that I guess I just want to sing again.”

“Why don’t you?” Cordy asked. “I mean you’ve got plenty of people to watch Serena for you.”

“Being in a band takes a lot of time. It’s not just a couple hours every other night for gigs; it’s tons of practice time and a lot of stress. Serena is empathic like I am. We’re connected by our emotions. If I’m severely stressed about something she’ll feel it and be stressed too. Maybe someday, when she’s old enough and I can teach her to control her powers I’ll go back to singing again but not until then. What about you Cordy?”

“Well, if you would have asked me that a few months ago I would have said that I wanted to be an actress but now, I have everything I want. For the first time ever I’m truly happy. Perfect friends, perfect job, perfect guy.” The seer said squeezing Groo’s hand. Just then Connor started bellowing and a moment later Serena joined in.

“I hate that, Serena may have a gift but right now it’s a curse. Every time Connor cries, she does too.” Crystal said.

“That’s not empathy, that’s a normal baby reaction.” Sarah said trying to calm her daughter.

“I don’t think he’s planning on stopping anytime soon. I’m gonna head back home.” Angel said rising from the table as Connor’s sobs increased in intensity.

“Same here.” Sarah agreed getting up to follow. “I’ll see you guys later.”

“Now that’s just cruel.” Sarah murmured once they were outside, both children had promptly stopped crying.

“Tell me about it. I’ll meet you back at the hotel.” Angel said as they went to their cars.

When they arrived Angel placed both babies in the bassinets set up in the lobby.

“I told Cordy I’d help her with organizing your computer system while we were here.” Sarah said moving to the seer’s desk and sitting down.

“You’re good with computers?” Angel asked moving to a pile of unfinished paperwork on his own desk.

“I learned from the best. While I was in Sunnydale Willow taught me everything she knows. I couldn’t do much else while I was pregnant so it gave me something occupy my mind.”

“You’re right Willow is the best.”

They both worked silently for a while until Sarah spoke up.

“What’s all this about the Romany?” Sarah asked.

“Buffy told you about my curse, didn’t she?”

“Yep.”

“The Romany were the ones who cast it. Wesley has been trying to find away to make my soul permanent,” Angel told her.

“Oh, is this the original curse?” She asked pointing to the Romanian text on the screen then the English translation beside it.

“Yeah, he’s convinced that the answer is in the wording but he can’t figure it out.”

“No wonder, the translation is off.” She said.

“What do you mean? You speak Romanian?”

“Actually I do. My grandmother was Romanian, she taught me. I wasn’t allowed to speak in English growing up. This third section here is all wrong. The original text is an older more raw form of Romanian, but the translations are working off of more current translations.” She told him and went about fixing it.

Angel moved behind her and watched as she worked. After she finished she examined it for a moment and rearranged a few things.

“That’s it.” Sarah said. “This is what Wesley was trying to get at.”

“You mean that’s…” Angel asked tailing off.

“The way to restore your soul permanently.” Sarah said. “If you have the ingredients I could do it now.” She said but Angel only stared at her, his jaw hanging open. “Angel?”

“What? Oh. Yeah, I have everything. Sorry. I just need a minute you know? This is kind of huge for me. My soul, permanent. We’ve been looking for this for so long. I’ve wanted this so badly for so long.”

“So don’t just stand there go and get the stuff.” Sarah said but he just stared at her again. “This is about Cordelia, isn’t it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Just the fact that you’re nearly in love with Cordy and she’s with Groo.” Sarah stated.

“You noticed.” Angel said looking down sheepishly.

“Of course I did. I notice everything. Don’t worry, no one else has a clue. Well, except maybe Lorne. He’s empathic so he might have picked up some of the vibe.”

“We don’t need to do the spell now. You’re right, although I’m not in love with her, I have feelings for Cordelia and she’s with Groo.” He looked as if he was going to say more but he stopped.

Sarah chuckled lightly. “Don’t worry, Angelus. I understand. I read all about you’re little exploits when you were soul-less. If you got a permanent soul I bet you could easily seduce Cordy away from Groo and into your bed. But that’s not what you want is it?”

Angel was shocked at how well she had picked up on his thoughts. “Yeah. To tell you the truth I’m not really sure what I want right now. So what exactly did you read?”

“That you were one of the most deadly and vicious killers to ever walk the earth but also that you were one of the most charming, intelligent, and sensual creatures too. You certainly made an impression on the few slayers that walked away from you alive.”
“I know that I should be ashamed about that.” Angel said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Not around me you don’t.” Sarah said firmly.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” She said saving the new information and shutting down the program. “But there is one thing I have to know.”

“What?”

“Buffy. If your soul becomes permanent are you going to go to her?”

“No, I wouldn’t.” He said slowly. “I love her. I will for the rest of my days. But I’ve moved on, and so has she. Why Spike? I’ll never know but she’s happy.”

“She is. Very happy. Just remember whenever you figure out what you want, the spell is right here.”

Angel nodded but wasn’t really sure what to say. As far as things went with Cordy, even if Groo was out of the picture there was a lot of baggage there, a lot of history and a lot of it wasn’t pleasant.

“That’s my cell phone.” She said, as her purse began to play Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Bark at the Moon’ in the high electronic notes. She smiled at the inside joke between her and Oz then got up and grabbed the leather bag pulling out the small phone.

“Hello?”

“Sarah, what the hell is going on up there?”

“Isabel? What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the fact that Crystal just called me in tears. I could barely understand her. She’s not with you?” Isabel asked.

“No, I’m at the hotel she’s out with Max, Jess, and our friends from LA.”

“Well I think you need to find her and find out what happened.”

“I will. I just don’t understand. When I left the restaurant everything was fine and that was under an hour ago. I’ll find her and call you later. Will you be awake?”

“Yeah, I’ll wait for your call.”

“Ok, bye.” She hung up and turned to Angel. “Something’s wrong with Crys.”

“I heard.” He said.

“We need to find her. I’m gonna go back to the restaurant and go from there. Can you stay here with the kids?”

“Sure.”

She grabbed her purse then headed for the door but stopped as the other members of Angel Investigations and Jess walked in.

“Where are Crystal and Max?” Sarah asked.

“They left right after you and Angel.” Jess said.

“Did they say where?” The young singer asked.

“No they didn’t. What’s the matter?” Wesley asked.

“I don’t know. I have to go find them, Angel will fill you in.” Sarah said rushing out the door.

First she went to their hotel. The room Max and Crystal shared was unlocked so she let herself in. She found Max sitting on the balcony staring at the busy city below.

“Max, what happened, I got this frantic call from Isabel. Crys called her. What’s going on?” She asked gently sitting down beside him.

“I broke it off with her. These past few months that you’ve been away, Liz and I have gotten close. Nothing has happened, I never cheated on Crystal, I swear. But I realized that I still have feelings for Liz. She was my first love. I know this must kill you because of what happened with Michael and Maria but at least I tried to be honest with her. Please don’t hate me, Sarah.”

Sarah sighed and took his face in her hands.

“Maxwell. My friend, my brother, my king. I could never hate you. What happened between Michael and I is in the past and completely different than this. You were honest with yourself, Crystal, and with me. There is nothing more I can ask of you.” Sarah told him, pulling him forward and kissing his forehead.

“Thank you.” Max whispered hugging her fiercely.

“Now I have to find Crys. It’s dangerous for her to be out side at night alone.”

“She’s safe. She’s in Jess’ room. She took off after I told her but I followed her to make sure she was safe.”

“Should I talk to her?”

“No, give her some space. She’ll come to you or Jess if she needs to talk.” Max said.

Sarah nodded. “What about you? Y’ok?”

“Yeah. I cared about her. I still do but I couldn’t continue the relationship without giving myself to her totally, you know?”

“Yes. And I love you for that.” Sarah told him. “I better get back to the Hyperion and call Isabel. She was practically having a fit when she called.”

“It’s ok. I’ll do it. I wanna tell her everything.”

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye.”


~~~


Sarah walked back to the hotel slowly thinking about everything that Max had said. She couldn’t be angry with him for following his heart. But one thing he’d said nagged in her brain.

“. . . I couldn’t continue the relationship without giving myself to her totally. . .”

He was right. If you made a commitment to someone, someone you cared about deeply. It should be all or nothing. She’d been with Oz for over half a year but never truly gave herself to him the way she had with Michael.

A question plagued her for the next few days.

Could she do it again? Give herself over and trust someone completely.

She wanted to, she didn’t want to be alone forever. But that tiny voice in her head whispered insistently. No, no, no. Don’t do it. You’ll only get hurt. You’ll only get Serena hurt.

Could she really take the risk and try to love again?