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AND THE SNOW FELL
Dedicated to Glenn Quinn whose tv death made me cry a
lot and whose real death made me cry even more.
Inspired by the first snowfall of the season that
resulted in my early dismissal from school.
Takes place in December of Season 4. "Hero" never
happened, Oz never left, and Riley and Buffy never
slept together.
Rated PG15. Spoilers for Amends. //Memories//. *
*Place clever way of saying the characters are not
mine here.*
*
"You've got to tell her." A thick Irish brogue floated
through Angel's brooding thoughts.
"I don't know if I can, Doyle."
"Why not, mate?" The lovable Irishman asked, settling
down in the seat on the other side of the vampire's
desk.
"What if she doesn't care? What if she doesn't want
to be with me anymore?"
"Ya know, for an old, really strong guy you're awfully
insecure. What you need is a drink."
"I don't need a drink, Doyle. I think I need a sign
or something."
"Come with me to the bar down on 7th, there are plenty
of signs on the way."
"Thanks, but no thanks Doyle."
"Alright man, it's your life. But don't overbrood,
Delia will be annoyed. I'll see you tomorrow."
*****
In the darkness of the movie theater, Buffy managed to
see the time from her watch. Only 10 minutes left
until the movie ended and Riley would walk her back to
her room and she would have to come up with yet
another excuse as to why he couldn't spend the night.
Her excuse for the last few weeks had been studying
for finals but now finals were over. She liked Riley
well
enough but after a few dates she had realized she
didn't like him LIKE THAT. But she couldn't break up
with him, not when he was her link to the Initiative.
So it had been weeks of avoiding alone time as much as
possible. But she hadn't been able to avoid this
triple date with Xander, Anya, Willow, and Oz.
The movie finally ended and Buffy reluctantly let the
overgrown farm boy help her into her long tan coat.
The three couples headed into the lobby of the
theater, pulling on coats and scarves to protect them
from the frosty December air. When they stepped
outside, the air wasn't the only thing that was
frosty. The ground was covered in a thick layer of
white powder that was
still falling from the clouds.
"It's snowing!" Willow squealed in delight. "It never
snows here!!"
"It did last year," Buffy said softly, extracting her
hand from Riley's.
"I love the snow don't you Buffy?" he asked her.
"Yeah," she said distractedly, her eyes echoing many
emotions as her hand reached out to feel the cold
flakes land on her skin. Xander tilted his head
backwards, catching little white drops on his tongue.
"Let's go to the Espresso Pump and get some coffee,"
Willow suggested and everyone agreed except Buffy.
"I'm tired. I think I'm just gonna go home," she said
dreamily.
"I'll walk you," Riley offered.
"No!" she said, breaking out of her daze. "It's okay.
Go get some coffee. I'll be fine." She gave him a
smile and a pat on the arm and walked away. Riley
stared after her for a second, but then Willow pulled
him away as they frolicked off in the snow.
Buffy walked in the center of the street, empty of
cars because they had not yet been plowed. In her
mind's eye, it was a year ago and Angel was walking
besides her, his long cool fingers entwined with hers.
Their minds eased by their simple contact after the
their heart wrenching ordeal.
//I want to take comfort in you, and I know it will
cost me my soul, and a part of me doesn't care.
Because I want you so badly! I want to take comfort in
you, and I know it'll cost me my soul, and a part of
me doesn't care.//
His words from so long ago echoed in her ears. She
knew the feeling he had described. She had felt it
then, she was feeling it now. The snow fell coldly on
her face, but she didn't care. The temperature
reminded her of Angel, the brush of his cool lips
against her skin. God, she missed him. She wondered
if he was in L.A. watching the same snowfall that she
was currently walking through, thinking about her like
she was thinking about him.
//What about me? I love you so much... And I tried to
make you go away... I killed you and it didn't help.
And I hate it! I hate that it's *so* hard... and that
you can hurt me *so* much. I know everything that you
did, because you did it to me. Oh, God! I wish that I
wished you dead. I don't. I can't.//
Her mind awash in memories, her feet moved under their
own volition bringing her back to her dorm. She
lingered outside, not wanting to leave the winter
wonderland and the memories it held for her, but her
nose and ears were freezing and she was starting to
lose feeling in her toes.
She walked absently through the dorm towards her room
stopping short as she entered her hallway. She
blinked, not believing the sight before her. Leaning
against the wall by her door was a gorgeous man
dressed all in black.
Angel.
She closed her eyes, thinking it was a hallucination.
There was no way he was here, not when she had been
thinking about him so intently, not during the magical
snowfall. It just couldn't be. She opened her eyes
again and he was still there. And he was staring at
her.
"Buffy," he said, getting to his feet, her name
rolling off his lips like a sacred hymn.
"Angel," she replied, too shocked to say more. They
stared at each other for a few moments before the
petite blonde regained her mental capacity. "What are
you doing here?"
"I needed to talk you. It's important."
"Is there something wrong? Some new evil I should
know about?"
"No, it's not that. Can we..?" he asked, gesturing
towards the door.
"Oh of course," she felt a warm tingle flow through
her as she stepped past him to slid her key into the
lock. She stepped into her room and invited him in as
well. Angel sat on her bed, smiling at Mr. Gordo
resting against her pillow, as Buffy tossed her snow
covered coat over her desk chair and took a seat on
Willow's bed. "So what's up?" she asked, trying to
force her voice to sound casual.
"Buffy, I love you with all my heart." Buffy was
surprised at his passionate declaration but her eyes
showed reciprocation of his feelings and in that he
found the courage to continue. "This time away from
you has been horrible for me. I miss you so much.
And I know that you have moved on with your life and
so maybe this doesn't matter to you. And I don't know
how to tell you this, or even if I should tell you at
all. But I asked for a sign and then it began to
snow. Do you remember the last time it snowed?"
"Of course," she answered immediately. She looked
into his eyes and they both burned with emotions. The
intensity scared her and she looked away. "So the
snow was your sign to come and tell me something.
What do you have to tell me?"
"My soul is permanent." Buffy's glossy pink lips fell
open in a soundless gasp and Angel fought back the
urge to kiss her. But the urge didn't stay repressed
for long because the next thing he knew Buffy had
launched herself into his arms, placing a flurry of
kisses all over his face.
"How?" she had the presence of mind to ask as he
pulled her onto his lap.
"Does it really matter?" he asked, not wanting to tell
her that when they turned back time the Oracles had
made him a vampire *with* a soul, not a vampire
*cursed* with a soul because that would require
explaining his time spent as a human - something
he wasn't quite ready to do.
"No," she answered, her lips a hairsbreadth away from
his, lingering there for a second before sinking into
his kiss. Her arms wound around his neck, tugging him
closer. "Does this mean you're coming back to me?"
"If you'll have me."
"Of course." She kissed him again, slowly, tenderly,
with all the love she held for him. And then again
with all the hot, raging desire she had for him.
Tongues danced, hands melted, and clothes swiftly
melted away. Then, he was coming home, inside her,
their bodies moving in perfect sync, the pleasure
surrounding them, exploding through them.
And outside, the snow softly fell.
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