TITLE: The Key of the Soul
AUTHOR: Kayla
DISCLAIMER: Not my character, I just borrowed them
TIMELINE: AU so not anywhere I guess
SPOILERS: Only about Joyces current status
SUMMERY: A special key brings b/a together
AN1: This was a creative writing assignment that I stuck Buffy and Angel's name in after it was written. I did have them in mind while writing this though.
AN2: I'd like to thank Dan for helping me with the title
AN3: I am planning on writing a sequel and/or a companion piece, so I would really appreciate if you can tell me what you think...FEEDBACK!!!!


A young woman of about 21 sped down the abandoned highway in her mothers
black jeep, all the while music blasting from the speakers as loud as it would get. She needed the music to keep her mind off the all the mishaps in her life. She also needed to get to L.A. as quickly as possible. Her long blond hair flew with the breeze from the open windows while she sang with the music playing from the radio.
Somewhere on her journey she got lost and ended up on a road with no other cars. It should have only taken her two hours, at most to get where she needed to be; she had already been on the road three hours. And if that wasnt enough to make a girl nervous, her gas was also running low. Why hadnt she charged her cell phone last night? The car was soon making weird noises and slowing down. She pulled over onto the shoulder of the road, shut off her ignition, which also shut the blaring music off. Immediately she broke into fits of sobs, not only because she was frustrated at the notion of being stranded on a road but more because she couldnt outrun her problems.
Calming down a bit, she decided to take a walk and stretch her legs. She hadn't
seen a gas station or even an exit off the road for more than and hour, so she figured the only way to go was forward. There was a thin layer of dirt covering the 4-foot road
shoulder. Past the road was a light forest. She walked for a few minutes, past a bend in the road and saw a parked black convertible. Beyond the car there was a clearly marked path leading into the forest. She decided to follow the path. Maybe she could find a person to help her? She doubted she had the nerve to walk up to a complete stranger with no one else around, but she decided to take the risk.
She didn't even take two steps into the forest when she spotted something
sticking out from the ground. It was shimmering in the bright golden sunlight. She could tell that it was a golden color and had tiny gems of different colors melded into it. She picked it up and was surprised to find that it was a small key about the size of her pinkie. Its grooves were perfectly symmetrical shapes such as triangles, squares, and rectangles. She looked at it closer and was saw that there was an engraving that she couldnt make out. She stuck the key into her jacket pocket, and continued on the path that lead deeper into the forest.
She took a few tentative steps into the forest until she heard a rustling of leaves.
She followed the sound and made sure not to add any of her own. She soon came to a clearing, a wonderful open field that surrounded a medium sized lake. The lake was
crystal blue and had random lily pads spread about. Flowers and exotic plants surrounded the lake closing it off from the dark forest. The sun was shining brightly on the glistening lake, making the area around it look tranquil and peaceful l. It was truly the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. In front of the lake was a man on his hands and knees with his head searching the floor. He was apparently looking for something.
She crouched behind a tree contemplating what to do next. He didnt look very
dangerous...and she needed help desperately. She tried to force her doubts to the back of her mind but they were beginning to surface. What if he was some maniac killer? There wasnt anyone around to hear her screams. Although, somehow she knew that this man wasnt going to hurt her. She cleared her throat trying to get the mans attention.
The man turned around, looked up for a moment, and then finally stood up. She got a clear view of what he looked like. He was gorgeous. He had dark brown hair as well as intense chocolate orbs. He was wearing a dark green shirt with the top two buttons undone and a pair of neat kakis with grass stains that covered his knees. He easily
towered over her small frame by a good 8 inches.
She didn't remember how long she stood there staring at him, but she suddenly
remembered that she was supposed to speak. "H-h-hello," She stumbled.
"Hi," he smiled back at her.
There was a long pause, neither said anything. It wasn't an awkward silence, but a peaceful one.
"My car ran out of gas a mile back, and I saw your car and the path and I decided to try and see if I could find anyone because I really need the help and since I found you-do you think there is any chance that you could help me?" She rambled.
Again, he smiled back at her and her knees turned to jello. Why was he making
her feel that way? He'd only said one word to her!
"Sure, I'd be glad to help you. What were you doing on this road anyway?" He asked politely.
"I got lost. I was on my way to L.A. and I guess I took a wrong turn somewhere."
"Oh," He replied simply. "This is an old air base runway, it goes on for miles. There are two ways out of here. The front and the back. Its about an hour and a half drive from front to back," he explained.
"Well that explains why there were no road signs," she joked. "What are you doing here? "
He looked down for a moment. "My family comes to this very spot a few times a year. We come here to get away from the everyday distractions of life and because we dont get to see each other that often, now that were all grown up. Two weeks ago we were here and my-my mother lost her necklace. She never took it off. She says it brought her and my father together. It was very special to her. She lost it the day we came here."
"Oh? So you want to find it for her?" She asked, piecing his puzzle together as to why is was crawling around on the floor.
"No, for me", he said, staring into her enchanting hazel eyes. "She died two days later in a car accident."
"I'm sorry," she whispered, really meaning what she said. She knew how it felt.
"My mother died recently too, of cancer." She really felt for this man.
"I'm sorry," he also apologized for her loss.
"It's okay, I just take it day by day. You should too." Now came the awkward silence, neither really knowing what to say after that. "Would you like me to help you
find it?"
"That would be nice," he said sincerely.
"I'm Buffy," She blurted out suddenly, not sure why.
"Angel," he said looking into her bright green eyes.
She got down on her hands and knees and started searching the floor when she realized she didnt know what the necklace looked like. "What am I searching for?" She asked.
"A gold key with gems melded into the top. It was given to my mother by her mother a few minutes before she met my father. It was passed down from generation to generation. My grandmother met my grandfather the day it was given to her too. Theres a legend that it brings soul-mates together."
"I've got it," she said as she pulled the key she found earlier from her pocket. He looked up, not believing she had found it so quickly. I found it at the base of the path.Here. She held it out to him.
"Keep it," he smiled at her, and started walking to his car. She followed, knowing that L.A. could wait and that she was where she was supposed to be.