Part Three

Buffy felt a bolt of electricity pass through her from where she touched the woman's hand.

<Whoa.  Interesting. >  Buffy thought.

She could hear a chuckle coming from the woman.

<Can you talk? >  Buffy asked.

<Yes, but it's more fun to talk like this. >  The woman said.

<What's your name?>  Buffy wanted to know who this woman was.

<Why would you want to know my name? >  The woman asked, warmly.

<No reason really. >  She said.

<Great.  What's your name? >  Buffy asked again.

Chuckling at the girl's stubbornness, the woman answered.

<My name is Jaide.  And I believe your name is Buffy, am I not correct? > Jaide asked.

<Hey!  No fair!  You knew my name. >

<Shush, Buffy.  I have to show you something.  Now if you will,  turn so you're facing me and so that I can see your eyes. >  Jaide told Buffy.

Reluctantly, Buffy stepped forward and turned so that she could see Jaide's eyes.  They were a bright blue, so bright that it seemed to have a light of it's own.

Jaide stared into Buffy's eyes, staring into her soul all the while.

<You miss him, don't you?>  Jaide asked.

<Miss who? >  Buffy asked back, although she knew who Jaide was talking about.  Him being Angel.

<You do not have to lie to me.  I know what your thoughts are before you think them  There is no use for lying to me. >  Jaide told Buffy gently.

Buffy sighed and looked away before answering.

<Yes, yes I do.  I miss them all so much.>

<You have yet answered my question.  Do you miss him?>  Jaide asked again.

Buffy looked back and stared into Jaide's eyes.  She knew there was no point in lying to her.

<Yes, I do.  I miss him very much. >  Buffy replied truthfully.

<Do you want to be with him? > She asked again.

<Forever.  Only he doesn't want me. >  Buffy replied sadly.

< What makes you think that? >  Jaide asked.

Buffy accused her.

She asked.

<He doesn't want me. >  Buffy said again, tears shining brightly in her eyes. She refused to let them fall.

<Of course he does.  Tell me why you think he doesn't. >  Jaide asked, speaking to Buffy as if she was talking patiently to a child.

<Because... >  Buffy began, she didn't want to tell anyone about her pain.  She didn't want to share her pain.   Right now, her pain was all she got.

<Child, you must tell me.  Talking about your problem is the first step in the healing process. >  Jaide told her.

<But I don't want to heal. >  Buffy replied stubbornly.

Buffy could hear Jaide as she sighed.

<Child, do not worry about what I might think.  If you are fearing me, then you are wasting your energy.  Tell me or you won't be able to leave this realm. >  Jaide told her matter of factly.

<Angel said...Cordelia said... >

<Take a deep breath. >  Jaide advised her.

<After the End of Days fight, I heard the news of Angel getting his Shanshu.  I thought that he wanted to be with me.  But I was wrong. >  Buffy told Jaide, taking a seat on a chair that magically appeared behind her.

Jaide sat across from her.

<How were you wrong? >  Jaide asked.

Buffy looked up and looked Jaide in the eyes, Jaide could see the unshed tears that were the cause of her memories.

<He didn't want me.  I left Sunnydale in hopes of finding Angel and getting back together, but I found out that Angel had moved on without me.>  Buffy told Jaide, fighting  a losing battle between her tears.

<How did you find this out?>  Jaide asked gently.

<Cordelia.  When I went to the Hyperion Hotel, that was where Angel was, she told me not to see Angel anymore because he already found someone else. >  Buffy couldn't hold onto her tears any longer so she let go, letting out sob after sob as well. 

Jaide stood up and comforted the young girl.  Holding her until her sobs subsided.

<Soon, you shall find happiness once more.  I promise you that, Buffy.>  Jaide thought silently, making sure Buffy couldn't hear her.

Part Four

Buffy stretched languidly on the small bed.  It wasn't a very comfortable bed, but it was better than nothing.  As she opened her eyes, Buffy realized that there were tears on her eyelashes.  Reaching her hand up, she touched her face and found that it, too, was suprisingly wet.

Confused, Buffy sat up only to be struck by a headache so intense she had to lay back down.  As she lay on her bed, Buffy remembered the weird dream that she had had.  Something about a jade and some crying.

But she couldn't remember the dream.  Realizing that the harder she tried to remember her dream, the more painful her headache became.

"Oh, great."  She groaned.  At least it was a saturday and she didn't have to go to work.

But she did have to do some grocery shopping.

That meant she had to get up from the bed, put on some clothes, and face the world again.  The only thing she wanted to do right now was curl into a tight ball and never leave the bed.  That way nothing could ever hurt her again.  Of course, starvation would be a major problem.  But at this point, anything seemed better than the pounding headache that was happening to her brain.

Groaning in pain, Buffy rolled onto her side and covered her head with a pillow.  Fortunately, her body cried mercy and allowed Buffy to sleep again.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Friday, December 18, 2007
Los Angeles, California

Angel sat at his desk, rubbing at his aching head.  His head was bent but Cordelia knew that his eyes were bloodshot and that bags had permanently moved under his eyes.  He was a diasaster.

And it was all her fault.

Part Five

Friday, December 18, 2007
Los Angeles, California

Angel sat at  his office desk, head bent.  His head felt like it was going to exploaded.  After the many hours during the day spent looking for any clues as to where Buffy was.  So far, no clues whatsoever that could lead him to his love once again.

He remembered a few months ago that he had at last found the location of where Buffy was.  At least, he thought he did.  It had turned out to be a wild goose chase.  Instead of finding Buffy, he had found a petite blond girl, barely the age of 15.  It was a major disappointment, but Angel didn't let that stop him.

Ever since he got news that Buffy was missing, he had practically drove himself insane trying to find the whereabouts and the reason behind her sudden disappearance.  He looked throughout the town and any places he knew that Buffy liked to hang out, he was there.  He even checked out his own town, but there was no evidence of Buffy at all.  Even then, which was by then several weeks, he had not given up.  But as days dragged on and became months, he had barely held onto the hope that Buffy was out there somewhere.

Now it was nearly a year.  Right after the End of Days, not even a day after Christmas, Buffy had disappeared.

He could remember the day that he had gotten the call from Willow.  He had been shocked, to say the least.  He had just finished fighting the major battle and gotten his Shanshu and Buffy was gone.

He had thought that, maybe, she would want to see him.  But the phone call that changed his human life was real and painful to remember.

He spent the better half of the year looking for her, the other half pretending not to, but always keeping a searching eye through every crowd.

The search had came up fruitless.

The Scooby Gang were always helpful, of course, and so was Cordy, Wesley, and Gunn.  Everyone seemed very concerned about him, although Xander didn't like to admit it.  But the most suprising thing of all is the way Cordelia acted.  Everytime he looked at her, she would have a guilty look in her eye.  Like she had done something wrong.

But what could she have done wrong?

Maybe she spent all of his money during one of her many shopping expeditions.

He thought that was it.  It wasn't possible for him to think of Cordelia resorting to treachery.

Angel got up to get himself more coffee.  He didn't taste anything, even with his new taste buds.  None of any food that he ate, if he ate any that is, ever had a taste.  All Angel was concerned with was finding Buffy.

And Christmas was but a week away.

TBC.....