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This Time Around by Reed
DISCLAIMER: All characters and plots recognizable from
BtVS and AtS are not mine. I'm just taking them out
to play and returning them unharmed.
TIMELINE: BtVS: After Bargaining Pts 1&2 except Giles
never left for England. AtS: After Heartthrob.
SPOILERS: Up to and including Season 6.
SYNOPSIS: BA Fluff re-write of Season 6.
FEEDBACK: Feedback is like air (and sex). It's not
important unless you're not getting any. (Hint hint:
Send some!)
RATING: This part: PG13. The whole story will be NC17
but I'm gonna try to keep the smutty parts seperated
and clearly marked so that if you don't want to read
them you can just skip them without missing any
important plot. However, who doesn't want yummy B/A
smut?
*
Buffy sat on the roof outside her bedroom window,
clutching her knees to her chest and staring up at the
stars. The large expanse of bright lights made her
feel so small, so inconsequential. Yet, she was the
Chosen One, the one girl to save the world from
vampires and other assorted demons. The girl so
important that she was brought back from the dead.
That thought reminded her of the ache in her raw
hands. She glanced down at her knuckles, which were
covered in gauze and tape having been carefully
bandaged by Spike earlier that evening. The terror of
having to dig herself out of her own grave was
something that was going to stay with her for awhile.
Apparently, the Powers That Be wouldn't let her escape
from death
unscathed. Even though they were the ones who wanted
her to come back in the first place.
"Buffy?" a soft, tentative voice asked. She turned
her head to see Dawn standing in the doorway, shifting
unsurely from foot to foot.
"Hey Dawn." Buffy smiled warmly. "Shouldn't you be
in bed?"
"I, uh, just wanted to see if you were okay."
"I'm fine. A little out of it but I just need some
time."
"Okay, if you need me, I'm right here."
"Thanks." Dawn padded into her own room and Buffy
turned back to the night sky. She knew that all the
others thought she was in some hell dimension and she
knew that she needed to tell them about where she was
and why she was back. But she still wasn't positive
on all of the details. Her memories from the past
three months were still unclear and the Powers That Be
were anything but forthcoming with information.
They had told her that she wasn't in hell and that she
wasn't in heaven, but all that told her was where she
wasn't and not where she was. They had told her that
her destiny was still ahead of her, but not what that
destiny entailed. And what they had told her about
Angel......With the current disorder in her mind, she
couldn't even begin to contemplate that could mean.
She knew she had to go see him, had to tell him what
she knew. But she was absolutely terrified that he
wouldn't care. That he would tell her that he no
longer loved her and walk away. So she sat there,
staring at the stars and wondering about the next step
in her recently renewed life.
*****
Miles away in Los Angeles, Angel was staring at the
same stars wondering about his next step. The love of
his life, the woman who had been his world, his reason
for living was gone. He was like a planet that had
revolved around the sun, but the sun had burnt out and
the planet was cast off into the wide universe.
When Willow had told him what had happened to Buffy,
he had gone numb. But he thought that when he
recovered from the shock, the grief would kill him.
That's why he immediately went to the monastery. He
knew that when his sleeping heart reawoke, he would
need to find his center and channel his grief.
However, the grief never came.
And the monks turned out to be demonic.
So he came home.
James had told him that if you truly loved someone
that losing her should kill you. And he thought that
losing Buffy would kill him, but it hadn't. So he
kept living his life, spending time with his friends,
fighting the good fight. Part of him realized that he
was still numb. That he had stopped feeling anything
at all. And now he wondered if he would ever feel
again. It sounded melodramatic, even in his head, but
he couldn't deny the truth of it.
He had never felt authentic emotions besides
resentment and regret in his entire 250 years until
she had come along. She had shown him love and such
true, deep emotions that they almost scared him. But
now she was gone and all his emotions had gone with
her.
"Angel?" Cordelia stepped into courtyard and
interrupted his thoughts.
"Yeah?" He turned and faced her.
"I'm gonna go home now. Are you gonna be okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine."
"If you need to talk, feel free to call me, okay?"
"That's not necessary, Cor." Cordelia sent him a
final, sympathetic looks and left. Angel gave a quick
thought to the fact that he was lucky to have friends
that cared about him, but the thought didn't bring any
joy so he went back to staring at the stars.
*****
The bell jangled as Buffy entered the magic shop after
having successfully gotten Dawn off to school. Her
friends turned to her immediately with concerned faces
all around.
"Did Dawn get to school okay?" Willow asked.
"Yeah, no problem," Buffy answered. She sat down and
shifted uncomfortably under the intense stares of her
friends. She knew they were worried about her. Last
night, she had been out of it and distant. Plus, they
thought she had been in Hell. But she just couldn't
stand being scrutinized right now.
"How are you?" Giles asked, his question loaded with
meaning.
"I'm fine guys, really."
"If you need to talk about anything, Buffy, we're here
for you," Xander offered tentatively. They all wanted
to help, but none of them wanted to broach the
subject.
"I wasn't in Hell," Buffy said abruptly, shocking
everyone. "I wasn't tortured, I wasn't in bad place."
Everyone was quiet for a moment, then Tara spoke up
in her soft unsure tones.
"Were you in h-h-heaven?"
"No, I wasn't. I was somewhere in between, waiting
for you guys to bring me back. I'm really fine, so
please stop treating me like I'm about to break. I
just need some time to readjust, to figure things
out." She sighed. "I have virtually no memory of the
last three months which is kind of wigging me out
because I feel like I've only been gone ten minutes
but everything here has changed. It's disorienting."
Giles walked over to where Buffy was sitting and
placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She patted
his hand in an appreciative response.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want
to," he told her.
"Thanks Giles. It's okay really. I was just trying
to make sense of things in my head before I brought it
to all of you. Everything I know is confusing and
cryptic."
"But figuring out stuff that is confusing and cryptic
is our specialty!" Willow chirped. "Tell us what you
know, we'll research, we'll overcome it, we'll party
at the Bronze, just like always." Buffy grinned at
her best friend and Willow enfolded her in a hug,
suddenly overcome with emotion. "We're just so glad
to have you back." Xander joined in on the hug,
echoing her
sentiments. Soon Buffy found herself crushed in an
embrace by all her friends.
*****
"Don't you think they should be back by now?" Cordelia
asked, leaning over the counter towards Wesley.
"Gunn and Angel can take care of themselves," the
British man assured her, not even looking up from his
musty old text.
"But Angel's been so off lately because of," she
lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "the
B-word." Wesley looked up at the concerned brunette.
"You can say her name. He's not here. Besides, I'm
not sure tiptoeing around the subject is the best way
to help him heal."
"I know you did all your good Watcher research and
everything, Wes, but you weren't there. You didn't
see them together before he lost his soul and before
things started to fall apart for them. You can't just
ask him to..." she couldn't finish her sentence
because a vision hit her and she collapsed against the
counter. Moving quickly, Wesley was immediately at
her side,
grabbing the aspirin and a water bottle as he went.
He handed her the aspirin and she took it gratefully,
but as the images from her vision began to sink in she
looked up at Wesley in alarm.
"Cordelia, what is it?"
"Buffy....she's alive."
Part 2
Angel and Gunn entered the hotel only to have Cordelia
and Wesley silence themselves abruptly and turn
guiltily to their friends. Gunn didn't seem to notice
the tension and went on to animatedly recap the story
of the vamp nest they had just decimated when Wesley
asked how things went.
"What's going on?" Angel asked suspiciously.
"Nothing!" Cordelia and Wesley blurted out in unison,
which just increased his suspicion. He asked again.
"You both have many skills, but neither of you can
count lying as one of them. What is going on?"
"Angel," the seer began.
"Cordelia," Wesley said warningly.
"Angel, I had a vision. Buffy's alive."
All of Angel's senses shut down. He didn't hear his
sword clang loudly to the ground as his grip went lax.
He didn't hear Wesley snap at Cordelia for spilling
the beans when they had agreed to wait until they
called Willow and confirmed it. The only thing he
could hear was the memory of Buffy's girlish giggle
resounding in his ears. The only thing he could see
was Buffy's perfect form dancing behind his eyelids.
And his only thought was that this couldn't be real.
She couldn't be....
"I need to go."
*****
"Okay ... so you're telling me I'm broke?" Buffy
tossed the financial papers onto the coffee table.
"Not yet, but ..." Willow started.
"Money's definitely becoming an issue," Tara finished.
"As in your being almost out of it," Xander clarified.
"But I haven't spent any money. I was all ... dead and
frugal." Buffy furrowed her brow, trying to figure
out how this had happened. After a short research
party at the Magic Box, they had taken a break for
lunch at the Summers' residence only to find a burst
pipe. Xander had called a plumber friend and
everything was fixed, but now she had financial woes
to add on to her stack of worries. Willow had started
to explain about her mom's hospital bills when the
doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Dawn offered, leaving Buffy to the
stacks of paper.
*****
Angel rang the doorbell. He knew if his heart worked
it would be pounding furiously. He was so terrified
that someone would open the door and tell him that
Cordy's vision was wrong, that his life was still
empty. His acute vampire hearing heard the doorknob
turning and the wood creaking as the door was pulled
open. He stared down at Dawn for a moment amazed at
how much the younger Summers had changed since he had
last seen her, how much she resembled her sister.
Dawn stared back up at Angel who was definitely the
last person she expected to see on her doorstep.
"Dawn, who is it?" a soft feminine voice came from
inside and Angel broke his freeze pushing his way past
his love's younger sister and into the house. Buffy
was standing in the archway between the foyer and the
living room and at the first sight of her jump-started
all the emotions that had been dead in the vampire for
so long. Her name past through his lips like a prayer
and in two long strides he was in front of her. He
dropped to his knees and pressed his face against her
stomach.
"Angel," Buffy gasped at the sight of him. She was
surprised to see him and even more surprised when he
knelt in front of her tears streaming down his cheeks.
He was grasping her to him so tightly that she could
barely breathe but she wasn't complaining. She just
clutched him to her just as tightly, smoothing her
hands through his hair and over his back.
"Oh God, Buffy, you're here. You're really here.
Cordelia said you were, but I couldn't believe, I
couldn't hope..." he told her, his words muffled by
his tears and her stomach.
"Shh, it's okay. I'm here," she whispered to him.
His tears were soaking through her thin tank top as
she rocked him gently and whispered more soothing
words as he softly repeated her name. After a few
moments of hugging her with his eyes closed shut just
relishing the familiar feel of her, he needed to see
her face. He lifted his head away from her and looked
up to meet her eyes. She could read the depth of
emotion in his chocolate orbs and it made it all the
more powerful when he said the words that made her
heart soar and her soul feel alive.
"I love you." Buffy slowly sank to her knees so that
she and Angel were practically face to face. She
reached up and cupped his face, gently wiping away his
tears even as salty drops appeared in her own eyes.
"I love you too," she told him through the lump
forming in her throat. Angel slipped his hands up to
her head and mashed his lips against her. Buffy
replied fervently to his desperate kisses, sliding her
tongue into his mouth to entwine with his. They
locked lips for long intense moments, the contact just
as intimate as if they were making love. Finally
Buffy had to pull away for air but she kept Angel
close. She swept her lips against his forehead and as
he buried his head in the spot where her neck met her
shoulder, he brushed his lips against her scar causing
a pleasurable shiver to run down her spine.
As Buffy opened her eyes after the kiss she caught
sight of Dawn over Angel's shoulder and suddenly
became aware of the other people in the room, all
witnesses to the emotional display she and Angel had
put on. She glanced back at Giles who read the
meaning in her eyes and quickly ushered everyone out
of the house. Buffy kept Angel in her embrace until
she heard the door firmly shut and then she sat back
on her heels, taking in the handsome face of her
vampire.
"You're here," he told her, his voice still laden with
an extreme mix of emotions.
"I'm here," she confirmed, caressing his cheek.
"How?"
"Long story short? Willow did a spell. Long story
long contains a lot of details which you probably
should hear." Angel looked at Buffy expectedly,
waiting for her to explain, but instead she stood up.
"Why don't we sit on the couch?" Angel sank into the
cushions and Buffy sat as close besides him as she
possibly could without being on his lap. He took her
small dainty yet dangerous hands into his and for the
first time noticed the redness of her knuckles and
fingertips. Buffy's Slayer healing had caused the
wounds to heal quickly but her hands were still
abraded. Angel ran his thumb tenderly over the rawness
and looked at her questioningly, only to have her yank
her hands away from his grasp.
"It's nothing," she said, looking away so he couldn't
see the lie in her face. She couldn't stand to have
him pity her like the others had.
"Buffy, talk to me," he pleaded, not being able to
stand her pulling away so soon after she had been
returned to him. She couldn't resist his beseeching
tone of voice and allowed him to retake her hands.
"When Willow did the spell, she wasn't able to finish.
She was able to do the living part but not the rising
part so I kind of had to take care of that myself."
"Oh Buffy," Angel sighed, his heart breaking for her
pain. She couldn't avoid his eyes but instead of
seeing pity, she saw understanding and compassion
shining there. It made her feel loved and whole
instead of broken like the others had. He lifted
her bruised hands and brushed her wounded fingertips
and knuckles against his lips. His gentle touch did
wonders to heal her wounds both physical and
emotional.
"I'm okay, just it's something I wish I didn't have to
go through. But that's my life, I guess." Buffy
allowed herself to rest her head on Angel's strong
shoulder. He wrapped one arm around her small
shoulders and entwined the other hand with her thin
fingers.
"I'm so sorry, love," he told her softly, pressing a
kiss to her forehead.
"It's okay. I'm okay," she said making an effort to
convince them both. "How about you? Are you okay? I
mean that was a pretty impressive public display for a
guy like you."
"I'm okay now that you're here. But when I lost
you..." he sighed heavily. Buffy didn't say a word;
she just crawled into his lap and waited for him to
continue. "You're everything to me. Even when we
weren't together, you were my drive, the reason I
fought. When Willow told me what happened, I went
numb but intellectually I knew that the grief could
very well kill me. So I locked it away with so many
other emotions that I hadn't let myself feel since I
left. Then seeing you again, God you're gorgeous," he
whispered, getting slightly off track. "When I saw
you again, I just couldn't keep it locked away
anymore. I'm sorry if I scared you."
"No, you didn't scare me. I thought it was
beautiful." She smoothed a hand over his cheek and
kissed him softly.
"Oh Buffy, I'm such an idiot. I never should have
left you."
"Well, I'm not going to argue with that." There was a
moment's pause. "Or actually I am. Maybe death gave
me some perspective or something, I don't really know.
But as much as I despised being away from you, maybe
we needed to be apart. Time heals all wounds, at
least, I feel that way. I feel like we can put our
past behind us. Plus, we've both grown into
independent people and can make our own decisions. We
know what it's like together and we know what it's
like apart and we can wisely choose where we want to
be."
"I just wish it were that simple."
"Hey," she said her tone playful. "It is that simple.
Weren't you listening?"
"Buf..." She placed a slim finger over his lips,
effectively silencing him.
"I think I've gotten ahead if myself. Let me start
from the beginning. I jumped off the tower and died.
I'm sure Willow filled you in on all the back story
but when I died, I didn't go to heaven and I didn't go
to a hell dimension. I was somewhere in between."
"Limbo," Angel said.
"Hmmm?"
"Limbo, it's part of the Catholic beliefs that I grew
up with. It's the place between Heaven and Hell for
souls who are not evil, but not ready for Heaven."
"You think that's where I was?"
"I don't know. I don't even know if it exists. So
much of the Catholic dogma I was fed as a child has
been blown away by everything I've seen and
experienced in the past 250 years, but it was the
first thing that popped into my head."
"Hmmm," Buffy replied intrigued by this new
information, but then continued her tale. "Anywho,
the Powers That Be sent people to tell me that I had
to come back because I still have a destiny to
fulfill. They weren't exactly spelling it out for me,
basically they just said that I would find my way when
Willow brought me back. Well, I kind of gave them
attitude, you know the whole "my destiny as the Slayer
was to die young but now you're loading even more crap
on me" so they told me that your soul is permanent,
kind of like a Congratulations On Being Brought Back
From The Dead present I guess."
"My soul?" Angel asked.
"Is permanent," she told him with finality. He stared
at her, trying to comprehend the enormity of what she
was saying. "Angel, sweetie, say something," she
prompted after a few minutes.
"I...I...I don't know what to say."
"You could....tell me that you love me, then take me
upstairs and show me."
Part 3
"You could....tell me that you love me, then take me
upstairs and show me."
"I do love you, Buffy. Always." Buffy dipped her
head and pressed her lips against his hard.
"I love you, Angel," she kissed him again, with
increased ardor. "Always." The passion of their
kisses grew exponentially until Buffy was wriggling on
top of his lap, trying to get closer that humanly
possible. She swung her leg over his so that she was
straddling him and trailed kisses down his neck ending
in a bite that drew a lusty growl from the vampire
beneath her. Angel grabbed her hips pulling her into
him so that his rock hard erection pressed into her
hot cleft through their clothes.
"Aaaangel," Buffy moaned, rocking her hips against
his. It was amazing how quickly their desire
escalated, but years of being denied each other were
coming to a head as they made out on the couch.
Angel's hands roamed her butt, her sides, and her
breasts. Buffy arched her back, pressing herself
further into his hands, moaning his name again.
"Angel, please I need you." Angel's famous control
allowed him to break away from her for a moment.
"Baby, we need to get upstairs." Buffy kissed him
again and slid off his lap without breaking the kiss.
Angel stood up, swept her up into his arms and carried
her up the stairs, bride-style. He carried her into
her bedroom and laid her on the bed, shedding his
shirt before joining her. They kissed feverishly for
a few minutes, hands touching and grasping at clothes
and skin. Buffy undid the fly on Angel's pants but
before she could get them off Angel's cool large hands
were sliding under the hem of her tank top, over her
muscular stomach and up to caress her full breasts
before pulling the shirt off and tossing it to the
side. His mouth reversed the path of his hands,
trailing over her collarbone and down the valley
between her breasts.
Buffy gasped as his lips closed around her nipple
through the soft white cotton of her bra. She arched
into his mouth allowing him to slip his hands behind
her and deftly unhook her bra. He grabbed her bra
with his teeth and pulled it off. His actions caused
Buffy to giggle that in turn caused her breasts to
bounce which in turn caused Angel's cock to grow even
harder. He pressed his lips against hers, letting the
full length of his body settle against hers. Buffy
let her legs fall open so that her thighs cradled his
hips and if it weren't for their pants, he would be
inside her. They both appreciated that fact and
groaned loudly, started to rock against each other.
"Oh Aaaaaaaaaaaaaangel," Buffy mewled, grinding her
hips up against his. "It's been so long."
"Too long." Angel's expert fingers undid the fly on
Buffy's jeans and raised his body so she could wiggle
out of them. He gazed down at her, sprawled
completely naked before him except for a pair of white
bikini panties. "You're so beautiful," he sighed in
awe. He kissed her again, his hands circling her
breasts slowly coming closer to her hard nipples and
finally caressing the coral peaks. Buffy whined her
pleasure, wrapping her legs around his waist and he
could feel her heat through the fabric of his pants.
He kissed his way down her petite body and slid her
panties down and off her legs.
Buffy clamped her legs tightly together trying to
alleviate the ache her intense arousal had brought.
Angel sank to his knees at the end of the bed and
eased her thighs wide apart. Buffy propped herself up
on her elbows and met Angel's gaze as he looked up
at her in askance. He had never gotten to do this
with her and he wanted to taste her more than
anything. She nodded her assent and Angel didn't
waste a second. She fell back against the bed wailed
as his tongue licked the length of her pussy then
circled around her clit.
"Please, Angel, please" Buffy cried out, pushing her
hips up towards the source of pleasure. Angel grinned
against her intimate lips, reveling in her heat. She
was so responsive and it was driving him out of his
mind. His cock strained against the fabric of his
pants, begging for attention, but he ignored his own
needs instead craving her smell, her taste, her
pleasure. He continued lapping at her as her juices
flowed freely. He grabbed her legs, slinging them
over his shoulders and feeling her thighs clench
around his head as he brought her closer to climax.
Angel thrust two fingers into Buffy's sopping cunt,
pushing her that much nearer to the edge. She writhed
and moaned beneath him, her actions spurring on her
vampiric lover. Still in human guise, he scraped his
blunt teeth over her sensitive clit, sending her
spiraling into ecstasy. She screamed his name as she
came, her body shaking.
As she slowly came back to awareness, she realized
that Angel was lying next to her, very close and very
naked. She was surprised at the surge of arousal she
felt so soon after orgasm, but she let the thought
slip away as she turned on her side and wrapped her
arms around his neck.
"I love you," she told him.
"I love you, too."
"That was amazing."
"Glad you liked it. But we're not done yet."
"I should hope not," Buffy giggled, eliciting a moan
from her lover by pressing her hip against his
erection. Her voice dropped to a husky tone. "Make
love to me, Angel." The dark-haired vampire locked
his lips to hers and rolled them so he was on top.
Without any further pretense, he slid into her tight
wet heat.
"Buffy," Angel near growled, trying to stay in
control, not wanting things to end too soon. But it
was difficult. He couldn't remember anything, or
anyone, ever feeling so incredibly wet, so incredibly
wet, so incredibly good around him. He pulled back so
only the head of his engorged cock and thrust into her
again. She crooned, pushing up towards him. He
plunged into her again and again and she moved against
him, matching his rhythm.
They reclaimed each other fast and furiously. The
heavy breathing, moans, and the squeaking of the bed
frame echoed through the room. She wrapped her legs
around his waist and he sank deeper into her moist
channel. Her groans and cries urged him on and he
rammed into her even harder. Angel couldn't resist
the pull of Buffy's amazing body as she undulated
beneath him and he knew he was close. He wormed his
hand between their bodies and found the center of her
pleasure, rubbing it vigorously. Buffy cried out as
the extra stimulation of his fingers on her clit sent
her flying into orgasm. The rhythmic clasping of her
sheath around his sex caused Angel to come with her
name on his lips. He thrust into her one final time,
spilling his cold dead seed inside her before
collapsing on top of her.
Buffy lay under Angel's comforting weight as she
recovering from the most intense orgasm she'd had in
her relatively short and vanilla sexual experience.
Sex with Riley had always been nice enough, but it had
never been anything like what she had just felt.
Maybe it was because Angel had centuries of
experience, or maybe it was because Angel was her soul
mate and could touch her, physically and emotionally,
in ways other men never could, but she had never felt
more sated in her life. Together they climbed under
the sheets and Angel held her tightly in his arms,
whispering words of love until they both fell into
blissful sleep.
Part 4
Angel awoke to find a small warm body wrapped up in
his arms. He looked down at his beloved's face as she
slept contentedly in his embrace. His hands roamed
over her skin, assuring him that she was really there,
that they had made love several times throughout the
night but he hadn't reverted back to Angelus. She
murmured his name in her sleep and he smiled, kissing
her forehead affectionately. Angel never wanted move
again. He had everything he had ever wanted lying
next to him.
But as was his life, he didn't get what he wanted.
Instead, the alarm clock started blaring, interrupting
the peaceful atmosphere in the bedroom. Buffy woke
with a start and flung her arm towards the alarm,
smacking Angel across the chest in the process. She
was momentarily surprised to find someone else in her
bed, but then the memories from the previous night
came rushing back bringing a smile to her face. Angel
reached out and hit the sleep button on the alarm with
one hand while the other lifted her hand so he could
brush his lips against her palm.
"Good morning."
"Morning." He pulled her naked body flush against his
and kissed her deeply. She moaned against his mouth,
feeling desire swell inside her and wondering how the
vampire in her arms could possibly stir such deep
emotions in her. However, the sleep setting on the
alarm ended and the beeping began, interrupting their
kiss. Buffy reluctantly climbed off Angel's lap,
turned off the alarm, and pulled on her fluffy pink
robe.
"I wish I could stay here all day but I have to get
Dawn to school. I'm gonna go get her up and make
breakfast. Do you want to shower or something?"
"I'd rather wait for you," he told her, giving her a
suggestive look. She grinned.
"Okay. Get dressed and meet me downstairs." Buffy
exited her room to find Giles leaning against the
hallway wall, sound asleep with his head lolling to
the side, his glasses askew, and a stake held loosely
in his right hand. Buffy smiled slightly and knelt
next to her surrogate father. "Giles," she said,
shaking him gently. "Giles, wake up."
"Buffy," he said, coming into consciousness and fixing
his gaze on his Slayer.
"Hey. What are you doing sleeping in the hallway or
in my house for that matter?"
"Willow called last night and said that," he cleared
his throat, searching for the right words, "that there
was a, um, situation that might require my assistance.
Is there, uh, a situation?"
"Nope," Buffy stood up, pulling Giles up with her.
She said breezily, "No situation. His soul is
permanent. I have to wake up Dawn then I'm making
waffles." She sauntered off towards Dawn's room,
leaving a flabbergasted Watcher in her wake. She
entered the room to find Dawn applying lip gloss.
"God, don't you knock?!?" she said, attitude in full
gear.
"Hey, don't be a brat so early in the morning."
"Well, maybe I wouldn't be bratty if I hadn't been
awake all night."
"You couldn't sleep?" Buffy asked concerned.
"'Oh Angel, Oh you feel so good. Don't stop,'" Dawn
mocked. "Sound familiar? Your room is right down the
hall, Buffy." She glared at her sister who had
blushed bright red.
"I, uh, I," the Slayer stammered.
"Whatever," Dawn said, flipping her hair over her
shoulder. "As long as he doesn't come back to kill us
all." She froze for a moment, locking eyes with her
sister in the mirror. "He's not coming back to kill
us all, right?"
"No, his soul is permanent. A little gift from the
Powers That Be."
"Great!" Dawn replied. "Angel's the best, except
when he's all evil and murderous. As long as I don't
have to hear you from now on, I'm very happy for you.
Maybe we could sound proof the walls." Buffy hugged
her sister.
"I love you, Dawnie." The sisters embraced for a
moment then the younger Summers wriggled away.
"Ok enough, you'll wrinkle my clothes." Buffy grinned
and went downstairs into the kitchen to find Angel
talking with Willow, Tara, and Giles. She rose up on
her toes to give him a kiss before helping herself to
a cup of coffee. "Morning," she addressed the two
girls.
"Good morning," they answered.
"So what are you guys talking about?" Buffy asked,
snaking an arm around Angel's waist and leaning
against him.
"Angel was filling us in on what you told him about
his soul. Buffy, this is so great!" Willow enthused.
"I can't say I disagree," Buffy answered, her smile
widening. Angel gave her a little squeeze.
"I should call the hotel, let everyone know I'm okay."
"The hotel?" Buffy questioned, slipping away to begin
making waffles.
"Yeah, I bought a hotel after my old place blew up."
"I knew you moved, but a hotel?"
"Well, I did. The Hyperion on the west side." Tara
giggled, drawing looks from everyone in the kitchen.
"What? A vampire lives in a hotel named after the
sun-god. It's funny." Buffy arched an eyebrow.
"What? Come on, you have to admit it's ironic," Tara
insisted. Angel shot her a warm smile. He had only
known Willow's girlfriend for a matter of minutes, but
he already liked her.
"Morning!" Dawn greeted cheerily, grabbing some
waffles and taking a seat at the island to eat.
"Hey, easy on the syrup or you're going to be sugar
high all day," Willow cautioned.
"That's kind of the point," Dawn replied, squeezing
the bottle over her waffles until Giles snatched it
away.
"Hello?" A voice came from the foyer preceding
Xander's entrance into the kitchen. "Angel," he
stated, stopping short when he saw the darkhaired
vampire standing in the kitchen. "You're still here."
"He's still here. Permanent soul and all," Buffy
placed a plate of waffles in front Giles and then
walked past Xander on her way back to stove. "He's
staying awhile and I'm happy so be nice," she
whispered in his ear. Then she spoke louder. "Dawn,
you've gotta get going or you'll be late." Dawn
grabbed her backpack and headed towards the door.
"Wait, Xand, can you give us a ride to campus?" Willow
asked.
"Sure, come on." Willow and Tara grabbed their things
and left with Dawn and Xander. Giles finished his
waffles and put his plate in the dishwasher.
"I have to go open the magic shop," he told Buffy.
"But I think I could come here for lunch and we could
finish our conversation from last night."
"Alright," Buffy nodded. "See you then." Giles left
and Buffy and Angel were left alone.
"What were you and Giles talking about?" Angel
inquired. "It sounds serious."
"It's nothing. Completely unimportant," Buffy told
him, starting to stalk him across the kitchen until
she had him pressed against the wall. "What is
important is that your soul is firmly pinned to your
gorgeous body, we have the house all to ourselves, and
I think you mentioned something about a shower?"
*****
Buffy let Giles out the front door after they finished
their lunch/finicial chat and then slumped into the
kitchen to find Angel talking to Wesley on the phone.
She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and
pressed her cheek to his back. He patted her hand
that was tracing lazy circles on his abdomen as she
lounged against him.
"Alright, Wes I'll talk to you later." Angel hung up
his cell phone and turned around in Buffy's embrace so
that they were front to front. "Are you okay?"
"No," she muttered, her words muffled by his chest.
"I thought you said that what you and Giles had to
talk about wasn't important."
"Yeah well, that was a lie so that you'd have sex with
me." Buffy jumped up on the counter and pulled Angel
between her spread thighs, wrapping her arms and legs
around him and settling her head on his shoulder. He
rested his large hands on her outer thighs, trailing
his thumbs in small comforting circles.
"Tell me what's going on."
"It's money stuff, mostly," she sighed. "My mom's
hospital bills basically ate up all of the life
insurance. We have no source of income and the house
is eating up money just by existing plus the pipes
broke. My dad is no help. Yeah, he sends his child
support every month but it's only for Dawn since I'm
over 18 and he won't return any of my phone calls.
He's too busy cavorting in Europe with his secretary."
"I'm so sorry, baby. But I'm sure we'll figure
something out."
"I know, but it's not just that. I have to take care
of Dawn and for the first time, that's a reality for
me. After Mom's death, we went straight into the
whole Glory debacle and there was never the actuality
of having to take care of a teenager. Then there's
the fact that the only reason I'm alive right now is
because I have some huge destiny ahead of me and I
have no clue what that means for me. Then there's
us."
"What about us?"
"I don't know. That's the whole thing. I know I love
you and I don't regret anything that happened between
us but we kind of jumped right to the hot monkey love
part and skipped over the talking about our future
part. I mean we are back together, right?"
"If that's what you want."
"Of course, it's what I want. But you live in L.A.
and I live here."
"So, people have long distance relationships all the
time. L.A. isn't that far away. I can come down
anytime we're not busy with a case, you can come up
when you can and we can talk on the phone in between.
It'll be okay." Buffy brought her small hand up to
her lover's face and he turned his head into her
caress.
"Do you have any idea how amazing you are?" Angel's
lips quirked into the little half smile that made
Buffy's insides melt and she just had to kiss him. He
moved his hands from her thighs to her ass, sliding
her forward on the counter so that they were even
closer. They were so wrapped up in each other that
neither heard the back door open or the bleach blonde
vampire rush into the kitchen under the protection of
a heavy blanket.
"Oh bloody hell!" Spike exclaimed when he saw the two
clinging to each other by the counter. "The great
poof is back."
"Spike," Angel growled breaking away from Buffy.
"Grandsire," Spike replied with mock respect.
"What is he doing here?" Both men asked in unison,
fixing their eyes on the little blonde Slayer.
"Angel, give me a second and don't freak out, okay?"
she said, taking his hand. "Spike what are you doing
here?"
"I thought I'd check up and make sure you were okay."
He told her so quickly that it was nearly impossible
to understand. "Plus my telly's out and Passions is
on. I certainly didn't expect to find you two
snogging in the middle of the kitchen. Do you need
me to remind you what happens when the two of you get
it on?"
"You don't have to remind us Spike, but his soul is
permanent so it's not an issue."
"Oh joy," Spike snarked. "Nancy Boy's here to stay.
I'm going to watch my show." He sauntered into the
living room leaving Buffy with an angry and confused
Angel.
"You're just going to let him in here to watch
television?" he uttered incredulously. As almost an
afterthought, he added, "He has an invitation to your
house?"
"Um....yes?" Buffy answered, scrunching her face up.
"What are you thinking?" he exclaimed.
"Hey, you said you wouldn't freak out. Let me
explain. He's got a government issue chip implanted
in his head and he can't hurt anyone."
"But he's evil!" Angel protested.
"Well, technically I know. But he's helped us out a
lot. He's been here, fighting all the demons,
protecting me, protecting Dawn. I honestly think he
cares about Dawn. Willow said that he was here all
the time during the summer taking care of her. He's
proved himself to me. I trust him, okay?"
"I don't like it."
"I know," she said, stepping closer to him, "but just
go with me on this okay? And if I'm wrong, you can be
the second to say 'I told you so'." She kissed him,
trying to distract him from the subject at hand.
"Second?" he asked, after pulling away.
"Yeah, Xander's had dibs on first for the past two
years."
"I never thought I'd agree with Xander, but for the
record I object to the situation."
"Duly noted. Now forget about him and kiss me."
Part 5
"Are you sure that's all you can tell us?"
"I've told you everything that I know, Giles.
Pressuring me for more information isn't going to get
us anywhere," Buffy protested while sliding the last
of the sweet and sour chicken onto her plate. All the
Scoobies sat around the Summer's living room
surrounded by ancient texts and and mostly empty
Chinese food cartons.
"I'm sorry Buffy, but it's just not enough to go on.
There are so many volumes to go through and without
any clues it would be next to impossible to find out
what your destiny is supposed to be."
"What about the Codex?" Buffy asked, settling under
Angel's protective arm that was slung over her
shoulders. No one could overlook how comfortable and
how right they looked sitting there together.
"I'll check, but there are so many prophecies and they
are so vague, without looking for anything
particular..." Ignoring Giles, Xander leaned across
the table and grabbed a fortune cookie.
"'Alas! The onion you are eating is someone else's
water lily,'" he read from the small slip of paper
inside. "What the heck does that mean?"
"Who knows? Toss me one." Buffy caught the small
plastic package easily and ripped it open. She
cracked open her cookie and read the fortune.
"'Because of your melodic nature, the moonlight never
misses an appointment.' Hmm, interesting." She
popped the cookie into her mouth. Angel glanced at
the fortune over his love's shoulder, the words
'melodic nature' echoing in his head.
"Hey guys, I think I have an idea."
*****
Angel stepped into Caritas with Buffy on his arm. Her
eyes went wide at the sight of a Ghajeralk demon
singing "I Think We're Alone Now" on a small stage.
Her gaze traveled around the club, over all the demon
sitting peacefully, sipping their drinks. Angel let
go of Buffy's hand, but Buffy trailed behind him as he
walked over to the bar. A green demon with red horns
spun around with a martini in his hand when Angel
addressed him.
"Angelcakes, I heard you were back from Sri Lanka.
How's it going?"
"It's going really well." He reached behind him and
pulled Buffy to his side. "Lorne, this Buffy. Buffy,
Lorne."
"Hi," she chirped, extending her hand. Lorne was
gaping at her, but shook her hand anyway.
"The Slayer. Aren't you supposed to be, um, dead?"
"Yes, but there was a spell to bring me back."
"Oh I see," he took a large gulp of his drink and
shook his head. "Crazy stuff. Well, pleased to meet
you. I've always wondered about the girl who's got a
hold of our big bad vampire's heart. So, what can I
do for the two of you today?"
"The spell used to bring Buffy back was allowed to
work by the Powers because they want her here to
fulfill a destiny. But we don't know what that
destiny is," Ange explained. "That's where you come
in."
"You want me to listen to your girl sing and tell you
what it's all about."
"Pretty much."
"Well, Buffy darling, here's the song catalog. Take
your pick and get on up there."
*****
"Your love is better than chocolate / Better than
anything else that I've tried / Oh love is better than
chocolate / Everyone here knows how to cry / It's a
long way down / It's a long way down / It's a long way
down to the place / Where we started from..." Buffy
sang, her warbly soprano sounding throughout the club
as she finished performing "Ice Cream" by Sarah
McLachlan. She nervously stepped from the stage and
made her way to the table where Angel and Lorne were
sitting. Angel pulled her onto his lap and they sat
waiting Lorne's analysis.
"Well, I'm sorry. I can't see much, however what I
can see isn't bad. Your future looks positive. And
although I can't tell you where this path is going to
lead, you're on the right one. Just stick together
and you'll be fine."
"Together?" Angel questioned.
"Yes together, Angelino. Your beautiful blonde isn't
the only one involved in this destiny. You're all
wrapped up in it too. The two of you have a huge
future ahead of you."
*****
After Caritas, Buffy and Angel went to the hotel and
explained the new situation to Angel's crew."So Lorne
says that you're back on Earth to be with Angel?"
Wesley confirmed.
"Yep, he's stuck with me," she grinned, nudging Angel
with her shoulder from next to him on the couch in the
lobby.
"Like I'd ever let you go again," he told her,
wrapping his arm around her waist and planting a kiss
on the top of her head.
"Intriguing," Wesley continued, overlooking their
little loving caresses. "We have to research this."
"We know, Wes," Angel told him. "Buffy told Giles
everything she knew before we went to Caritas and he
told us that it was too vague to research but maybe
now it will be easier."
"Are you sure you're the Slayer?" Gunn asked staring
at the girl sitting at his demon friend's side,
"You're so tiny."
"I could kick your ass anyday of the week," she told
him matter-of-factly. Angel laughed, a full out
chuckle that warmed Buffy's heart.
"It's not funny, man." Gunn glared. Both Buffy and
Angel ignored him and the Slayer threw her arms around
his neck.
"I love that sound," she told him, referring to his
laughter.
"I love you." She kissed him, unable to resist his
full lips and soulful brown eyes.
"Hey, sucky faces," Cordelia interrupted. "Can we
avoid the PDA, please?" The newly reunited couple
broke apart unashamed.
"I should start researching," Wesley said, heading for
his office.
"I should call Dawn, make sure everything's all
right." Angel pointed out the phone on the counter
and Buffy went over to it.
"I should get going, too. I told my crew that I'd
patrol with them tonight so I'll catch you all later.
Nice to meet you, Buffy." The Slayer waved from her
position by the phone, Gunn waved back and left the
hotel, leaving Angel and Cordelia alone in the center
of the large lobby.
"Angel, are you sure this is a good idea?" Cordelia
inquired, doubt shining in her eyes.
"What are you talking about?" he asked her, his brow
furrowing in confusion at her question.
"Getting back together with Buffy? Are you sure that
it's good idea? I mean she's hurt you so much in the
past."
"We've both hurt each other," he said, his focus not
on the brunette at his side, but instead on the blonde
leaning against the counter, chatting happily on the
phone. "But we've both grown, we both know what we
want, and with my soul no longer an issue, I have a
feeling that it work out this time. Call me an
optimist, but that's how I feel."
"Angel, you? An optimist?" Cordelia said, giving him
a skeptical look. "Are you sure we didn't fall into
some weird alternate universe?" Angel gave her a
look. "Fine, whatever," she sighed. "At least I
don't have to worry about my boss trying to kill me.
I'm going to go help Wesley and if this new destiny of
yours requires me to get more visions I'm expecting a
raise." Angel rolled his eyes as she walked into the
office. Then, he walked across the room to stand
behind Buffy who was still on the phone.
"It's weird ya know," she was saying to Willow. "A
few days ago, I was dead and now I'm the happiest I've
been in years." The vampire wrapped his arms around
her waist and she leaned back against him. "But, I'm
still kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop."
Buffy was quiet for a minute while Willow said
something and Angel took the oppurtunity to start
trailing kisses over her neck and shoulder. Buffy
continued, "Thanks Will. I'll be home sometime
tomorrow." The last word turned into a moan as Angel
began to suck on the bite scar on her neck. "No, that
was nothing," she said into the phone, pushing Angel
away. "Ok, talk to you later." She hung up the phone
and turned to her lover. "I can't believe you did
that! I was on the phone!"
"Well, I didn't know you were going to moan so
loudly," he teased.
"You're impossible," she told him, wiggling out of his
embrace. "So what was Cordelia saying?"
"Nothing. Why do you ask?"
"I don't know," Buffy shrugged. "She just didn't seem
too happy to see us together. I thought she might be
jealous or something."
"Jealous?" Angel questioned. He reached for the
Slayer's hand. "Buffy, do you think that something
happened between me and Cordelia?"
"Well you two do seem awfully close," she said,
avoiding eye contact.
"Buffy, I do love Cordelia." She looked up in shock
and horror. "I love her the same way that you love
Dawn. She's like family to me. But the idea that our
relationship is anything more than that is ludicrous."
He pulled her into his arms. "I love
you. I've always loved you."
"I love you, too."
*****
Later that night, Gunn entered the hotel to find
Cordelia and Wesley researching.
"Hey," Cordelia greeted. "How was patrol?"
"Okay. Where's Angel and his girl? I need to talk to
them."
"In the basement, sparring." Gunn opened the basement
door, heard the sounds of fighting, and walked down
the stairs. When he got to the bottom what he saw
mesmerized him. He had expected to Angel winning
against an opponent as small as the Slayer. But
instead his friend was fighting full force and the
tiny blonde matched him with equal if not greater
strength and skill. Their swords clashed loudly as
each thrust was parried and they moved across the
cement floor. It continued until Buffy finally
knocked the sword out of Angel's hand and in response,
the vampire kicked out and sent Buffy's sword skidding
across the floor. Without missing a beat, they began
hand to hand combat.
They moved in perfect synch. Each punch was blocked,
each kick avoided. Even after all their time apart,
the soulmates knew each other's moves so well. Buffy
shot out a left hook, but Angel caught her wrist and
twisted her arm behind her back. Buffy brought her
foot up and twisted it behind Angel's knee, sending
them both crashing to the ground. They rolled around
a bit, both grappling for the advantage. Eventually,
Buffy got Angel pinned by straddling his waist and
pressing down on his shoulders.
"Ha! Scourge of Europe my ass!" she teased. His
hands slid back and down on her body and squeezed.
"I always did like your ass." Buffy grinned,
wriggling so that her butt was pressed more fully into
his grasp and her pelvis was pressed down against him.
Angel started to pull her down for a kiss when Gunn
loudly cleared his throat. Quickly, Buffy rolled
off of Angel and they both stood up.
"Gunn, what's up?" Angel asked, wiping off his pants.
"I found a huge demon nest over by the pier. Are you
guys are for some action? Or should I say a different
kind of action from what I just interrupted?" Angel
glared, Buffy blushed, and Gunn just laughed and
headed up the stairs. "Come on. I call the
battleax."
Part 6
The A.I. crew plus Buffy entered the hotel shortly
before sun-up, tired and slimy but victorious.
Cordelia put her crossbow into the weapons closet as
the others cleaned their weapons.
"Wes, Gunn can one of you give me a ride home?"
Wesley nodded and the three not staying at the hotel
left to try to get some sleep after a long night.
"I'm going to go check on Fred," Angel told Buffy.
"Now? It's nearly dawn."
"She keeps odd hours."
"Okay, I'm going to go take a shower, try to get some
of this slime off me." They both headed up the stairs
and went seperate ways down the hallway.
*****
Buffy shampooed her hair watching as the water going
down the drain ran green from slime. She rinsed and
repeated, then reached for the conditioner. Her eyes
were closed so that the water wouldn't run into them
and she was so tired that her Slayer senses were
lacking so she jumped in surprise when an arm wrapped
around her waist and a large hand snatched the
conditioner from her.
She sighed in contentment as Angel began to work the
conditioner through her hair. He tilted her head back
under the shower head, guiding the water to rinse out
the suds. When he was finished, she turned and
instructed him to do the same. She stood behind him,
going on up on tiptoe to clean and condition his hair.
She massaged the soap into his scalp, eliciting a low
rumbly noise from her boyfriend.
"Are you purring?" she whispered in his ear.
"Maybe." She could hear the smile in his voice.
"Let's see what else I can make you do," she said,
tracing his tattoo with her fingertips then pressing a
kiss to the middle of it. Her exhaustion was gone,
replaced with an overwhelming desire for the wet,
naked vampire in front of her. She pressed on his
shoulders indicating for him to turn around. Then,
she slowly sank to her knees before him, pressing wet
kisses down his chest as she went. Angel watched
under hooded eyes as she languorously took his already
hard cock into her warm mouth.
"God, Buffy," he gasped, bracing his hand against the
wall. "Buffy," he whimpered again as her tongue
flicked out over the underside of his penis. She
smiled around his manhood, power surging through her
at being able to turn her stoic lover into a pile of
quivering delicious flesh. One of her hot little
hands closed around the part of him that wasn't
engulfed in her mouth while the other one fondled his
balls. She pulled back, releasing him to the steamy
air before swirling her tongue around the
super-sensitive head. Relaxing her throat muscles,
she took him in as far as she could, intent on
bringing Angel as much pleasure as humanly possible.
She repeated her motions for several minutes,
gradually working her mouth and hands faster and with
more pressure, drawing more delightful sounds from the
man at her mercy.
"Jesus, Buffy," he grunted. "I'm gonna come." His
strained words sent a rush of heat to her core and she
was surprised at the pleasure she was deriving from
giving him head. She had only performed this act with
Riley and she had always seen it as a chore, never
receiving any enjoyment from it. With Riley, she had
always pulled away before the culmination, but with
Angel, she found herself nearly unbearably aroused by
pleasuring him and she was overcome with the urge to
taste him. She sucked harder and he spurted his seed
into her mouth.
Recovering, Angel collapsed against the shower wall
letting the hot water wash over him. Buffy stood up
and he opened his eyes, catching her gaze, just in
time to see her lick her lips clean and his cock
sprang back to life.
"Yummy," she giggled and suddenly found herself
pressed against the wet tile.
"Do you have any idea what the giggle does to me?" he
groaned.
"I think I have an idea," she said, sliding her hand
down his wet chest and closing it around it his aching
hard-on causing him to thrust slightly into her hand.
"I've gotta love that vampire stamina." She giggled
again driving him wild. He mashed his lips to
hers, sensuously rubbing their water slick bodies
together. His hand drifted down her front and delved
between her thighs, finding that the moisture there
had nothing to do with the shower. He lifted one of
her legs, pushing it to hook around his hips, leaving
her open to his questing fingers.
"Oaaaouaoaaaa," Buffy moaned, as he flicked her clit
with his thumb and added another finger to the two
pumping inside her. She rode his fingers with her eyes
squeezed shut, her head falling back against the
shower wall as she writhed in ecstasy. "Please," she
gasped breathlessly when his fingers curled inside her
brush her g-spot before moving away. "Please, Angel,
please."
"Please what?" She groaned at his words, not
believing he wouldn't just give into her plea. "Say
it," he whispered huskily in her ear.
"Fuck me, Angel. Please fuck me." Sealing his lips
over hers, he lifted her other leg so that both were
wrapped around his waist and he slid effortlessly into
her tight dripping core. Buffy wrapped her strong
arms around his neck, holding on for leverage as she
pushed her hips forward to meet every thrust.
"Baby, you feel so good." His last word turned into a
half growl, half moan as she clenched his inner
muscles around him. He began to move faster and
harder, pounding her into the wall. Angel fought to
keep his game face in check as his lust overwhelmed
him. But it was so much more than lust because he
loved the woman wriggling against him with his whole
heart. He could easily understand how he found
perfect happiness in her embrace since theirs souls
mated as their bodies moved furiously together. Years
of control were useless as his senses were filled with
his lover, the scent of her arousal, the feel of her
wet skin, the erotic sounds of her moans. Knowing he
was close, he moved one hand from her hip towards the
juncture of her thighs, fingering her clit. She was
just as on edge as he was and went soaring into an
amazing orgasm, taking Angel along with her.
They leaned against each other as the water splashed
down around them but finally, when they both trusted
their legs to hold them, they stepped out of the
shower and dried off. With their desire temporarily
sated, they were both exhausted and they padded into
the bedroom ready to catch a few blissful hours of
sleep.
Part 7
"I don't wanna go," Buffy murmured into Angel's strong
chest as they stood in the lobby the next afternoon.
He hugged her a little tighter to him.
"Do you want to wait until sundown and I'll drive
you?" he asked, also wanting more time with her.
"No, it's okay. I told Dawn I'd be home by dinnertime
and the train is fine. It's just that we haven't had
anytime together. I mean we were apart for two years
and now I only get two days with you before we have to
be apart again." Angel gently tilted her chin and
kissed her with an aching tenderness. Across the
lobby, Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn pretended to be
researching but were actually watching the exchange
between the couple.
"Why are they being so melodramatic about it?" Gunn
questioned.
"Because they're Buffy and Angel," Cordelia answered.
"It's their job to be melodramatic. Part of the whole
"forbidden love" deal they've got going on."
"Doesn't look so forbidden to me," Gunn observed as
the pair kissed passionately. Finally, Buffy broke
away for air.
"I really need to go."
"I know," she started to walked away, but he pulled
her back. "Wait, I almost forgot. I have something
for you." He walked over to the counter, shooting
looks at his coworkers who were watching him with
interest. He pulled out a slip of paper from behind
the counter and then handed it to Buffy.
"What's this?"
"A check," Angel told her, a teasing glint in his eye.
"Well duh. But what's it for?"
"Whatever you need it for."
"Angel, thank you," she said softly, but then held
the check out. "But I can't accept this."
"Why not? You need it, I don't."
"Angel, it's too much. I can't." Angel took the
check from her outstretched fingers, folded it in half
and then pulled Buffy into his embrace, slipping the
check into her front pocket as he held her.
"Take it. Let me do this for you."
"I love you," she told him, not refusing the check.
"I love you too." He lowered his mouth to hers and
she wrapped her arms around his neck and rose up on
her tiptoes to meet his lips. "Call me when you get
home, okay?"
"Of course." She kissed him one last time and left
the hotel.
*****
Buffy took the cordless phone and settled herself in
bed. She fluffed the pillows, pulled the covers up to
her chest, lay down and then dialed the familiar
number. It had only been a ritual for a week, but it
was quickly becoming her favorite part of her night.
"Hello?" a deep smooth voice traveled over the phone
and Buffy immediately relaxed even further.
"Hi."
"Hey," Angel said, happiness creeping into his voice
at the sound of hers. She could picture him in her
mind, the little half smile gracing his exquisite
features as he began to get ready to go to sleep. His
shirt was half unbuttoned revealing his smooth, well
muscled chest. She could hear rustling sounds on the
other end of the line and knew that he was stripping
down to his boxers and climbing into bed as they
spoke. "How was your day?"
"Good. Got 6 vamps on patrol and picked up a few job
applications."
"I thought you were going to go back to school."
"Well, I might still do that but I need a job anyway.
Ya know, get a steady source of income, impress the
social workers that want to keep checking in on Dawn.
How was your day?"
"Not good. Wolfram and Hart had some demons sending
Cordy false visions in order to get me to do their
bidding plus the visions had physical manifestations."
"What do you mean?"
"She got a vision of fire and ended up with burns all
over her body, that sort of thing."
"Oh no, is she okay?" Buffy and Cordelia had never
been the best of friends, but she knew how important
the brunette was to Angel and therefore she became
important to Buffy herself.
"She's fine. Tired but fine."
"And how are you?"
"The same. And a little worried. In order to get
Wolfram & Hart to heal Cordy I had to release this guy
who was imprisoned in demon dimension. But since
Wolfram and Hart are the ones that wanted him free..."
He sighed heavily. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Plus
Fred is venturing out of her room more, so it's not
all bad."
"That's good. You're still coming tomorrow right?"
"Of course," he told her. "I can't wait to see you."
"I feel the same way. Xander has decided that since
this is the first full weekend that I've been back, we
have to have a wild dance party. I'm looking forward
to it because I haven't Bronze-d it in a really long
time. Does that sound okay with you?"
"That sounds fine." Angel smiled when he heard a yawn
coming from the other end of the phone. "Get some
sleep, love."
"Okay," she yawned again.
"Good night mo chroí," he whispered.
"Hmmm? What'd you say?" She asked, her voice already
sleepy.
"Mo chroí. It means "my heart" in Gaelic," he
explained.
"It's beautiful," she gushed. "Say something else."
"Ta gra agam ort," he told her.
"What's it mean?" she asked.
"I love you."
"Ta gra agam ort, Angel," she repeated, attempting to
copy his pronunciation. "Good night."
*****
Buffy was giggling as Xander twirled her around the
dance floor. He spun her out and she grabbed Tara's
hand, dancing with the blonde witch as Xander danced
with her redheaded girlfriend. Anya and Dawn were
also dancing in the circle of friends as Giles sat at
a table, sipping a beer and trying not to feel out of
place. Buffy was so caught up in the music, dancing,
and basic celebration that her Slayer senses were
pushed away and she jumped when a strong arm snaked
around her waist.
"Angel," she smiled, a quick glance over her shoulder
confirming her suspicions as to who the arm belonged
to.
"Were you expecting someone else?" he teased.
"Well, you could have been my other tall, dark, and
handsome vampiric lover," she retorted. Angel let out
a soft growl in response, letting her know exactly
what he felt about the thought of her being with
someone else. She just kissed him.
"Hi Angel!" Willow and Dawn called over the loud
music. He waved at them and acknowledged Xander,
Anya, and Tara.
"I'm not much for the dancing so I'm going to sit with
Giles," Angel told Buffy.
"Wait, come and talk to me for a few minutes." She
grabbed his hand, leading him into a darker and
quieter corner of the Bronze, then threw her arms
around his neck pressing her lips to his. Their
mouths parted, then joined again and again.
"I thought you wanted to talk." Angel said between
kisses.
"I had to greet you properly first," she told him,
leaning back against the wall but leaving her hands
draped around his neck. "How was the ride down?"
"Good. How was your day?"
"Great actually. Dawn and I went shopping and the
Expresso Pump called, so I'm going to be working there
from now on."
"Waitressing?" Angel questioned, slightly skeptical.
"Yeah, it's minimum wage but it has flexible hours and
I get free mochas, so it's all good. Willow has
guilted her parents into sending money for utilities
and stuff. So with that, child support from my dad,
the money I'll be earning, and the money you gave me,
we're pretty much finacially set which is nice."
"You know if you ever need anything..."
"I know." She kissed him softly. The music blasting
from the speakers changed from a fast tempo dance song
to a slow number. Those without partners starting
abandoning the dance floor while couples were flocking
to it. "I know you said you're not much for dancing,
but come on, you can do a slow one."
"Anything for you," he told her, leading her out to
the dance floor.
"Don't give me free reign," she told him. "You never
what I might do." Angel just smiled and wrapped his
arms around her, holding her tight as they swayed
together. She snuggled into him, sighing softly. "Do
you think it will always be like this?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, tenderly brushing hair
away from her face.
"Do you think it will always be this easy? That we
can just be together with no drama and no angst?"
"I hope so," he told her, pressing a kiss against her
hairline and holding her a little tighter.
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