"Second Chance"
Author: Michelle
Email: michellabella52478@yahoo.com
Dedication: To Molly, who gave me the idea for the song, and to everyone
who sent me song ideas. Thanks a lot, I appreciate it, and I dedicate this
fic to you!
Cordelia burst into the office, slamming the door behind her. "You'll never guess what I got in the mail today!" she exclaimed excitedly.
Angel, sitting at his desk going over paperwork, looked up upon seeing the tall, brown-haired actress enter the room. Sunlight poured in, making him squint. "Cordelia, why are you here? I thought rehearsals for your new movie started today."
"They do, but not for another hour. I had to come and show you this letter." She thrust it at him.
He opened the envelope and read the letter over. "It's an invitation," Angel said simply.
"To my ten-year high school reunion. Do you know how important this is?"
"Probably not."
Cordelia stood in front of his desk with her hands on her hips. "It's my chance to show Sunnydale High just how famous I have become."
Angel shrugged his broad shoulders. "Have fun. Let me know how it goes."
"What are you talking about? Angel, you're going with me."
"Me? Why?" He was confused. "What about Paolo?" Paolo was Cordelia's boyfriend.
"Paolo can miss it. This is your big chance."
He raised his eyebrows. "Okay, now I'm really confused. My big chance?"
The brunette actress sighed. "With Buffy. She'll be there too, you know."
"I'm sure she will be. But it's over between me and her. And I'm over her."
"Sure you are. There's still a picture of her next to your bed and there's one in your wallet. Deny it all you want, Angel, but you are still in love with her."
He had tried to move on, but his heart wouldn't let him. In every woman he had met, all he could do was compare her to Buffy. And none of them matched up. "I love her. I'll always love her. But ten years have passed. Buffy's moved forward with her life. She's got a career now. She's gotten married."
"And divorced," Cordelia added.
Angel nodded. "And divorced. I don't want to make her re-live the past."
"How can she be re-living the past when she doesn't even know about you? I swear, if you were still a vampire I'd think you drank some bad blood. But you're not a vampire anymore, Angel. You've been human for three years and you still haven't told Buffy about it yet."
"Because I don't want to hurt her." It was the only explanation Angel could come up with.
"Hurt her? How are you going to do that?" She stared at him. "Forget it, I give up. The reunion is in two weeks. You have until then to find something nice to wear that isn't all black. You will be going with me, and you will leave with Buffy. Is that understood, Broody Guy?" Bewildered, Angel nodded his head. "Good, I'm going to rehearsals now. Bye!" She turned around and walked out the door.
The phone was ringing when Buffy walked in the front door of her house. She threw her briefcase on the couch and ran to answer it. "Hello?"
"Buffy, it's Willow. Did you get your invitation?" she asked.
"What invitation?"
"You didn't get one?"
"Will, I just walked in the door. I haven't had a chance to check my mail yet. But fill me in. What invitation? Is Cordy getting married to that bull fighter? Tell, tell!" Buffy pulled the bun from her hair, letting the blonde locks fall past her shoulders.
Willow giggled. "No, Cordy's not getting married again. It's the Sunnydale High Class of '99 reunion. In two weeks at the gym of the high school. Are you gonna go?"
"High school wasn't exactly the greatest experience of my life. Or college, or law school, or my marriage to Riley, or our divorce last year. I don't want to rehash my glorious teenage years," Buffy explained.
"But you have to go. Everyone's going to be there. Xander, Anya, Cordy, Oz...everyone!"
Buffy sat down at the kitchen table, putting her feet up on the chair across from her. "Willow, I don't think I'll be going. I'd rather live in the now than in the past."
"Come on!" Willow pleaded. "One night won't kill you. Or the weekend-long festivities. Free party!"
The blonde lawyer laughed. "Okay, I'll go. But I'm not guaranteeing that I'll have a good time."
"Buffy, I guarantee it'll be a night you'll never forget."
When they hung up, Willow immediately dialed Cordelia in Los Angeles. "Cordy? It's Willow. Buffy'll be there."
Cordelia walked into Angel's apartment without bothering to knock. "It's me, Angel!" she announced.
His bedroom door was closed, so she assumed he must still be getting dressed. MAKING SURE HE LOOKS EXTRA-NICE FOR BUFFY. She couldn't wait for them to get back together. Angel deserved some happiness, especially with Buffy.
"I'll be out in a minute," Angel called from behind his closed door.
"You're not wearing all black, are you?" demanded the anxious actress.
He opened the door and stepped into the living room area where Cordelia stood waiting for him. "Is this sufficient? Does it meet your requirements?"
Cordelia's breath caught in her throat. She had never seen Angel look so handsome in the twelve years she'd known him. He'd gone easy on the black, wearing black dress pants, a white button-down shirt and a navy blue tie. His hair was perfectly coifed in his trademark spikes. She couldn't help but stare at him.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Buffy is going to faint when she sees you. You look great, really. Like my dress?" She spun around in her floor-length black dress with matching black heels. Cordelia had left her long brown hair flowing down her back.
Angel smiled. "Beautiful as always."
She held out her arm. "Shall we go?"
He linked his arm in hers. "Certainly."
The gym of Sunnydale High had been decorated with balloons and streamers. Above the bleachers hung a sign that read: WELCOME, CLASS OF 1999. It wasn't the same building, but it felt like it to those members of the graduating class.
Cordelia walked through the double doors with Angel at her side and a grin on her face. She had made the grand entrance she planned on, as her fellow graduates stared in awe of her. The beautiful movie star they had gone to high school with on the arm of a movie star-handsome man. She was the envy of everyone there, and she knew it.
Scanning the gym, Cordelia found Willow and Oz standing near the refreshment table. She waved.
"There's Willow and Oz. Let's go say hi," she said to Angel.
"All right."
They made their way over. Upon reaching them, the four exchanged hugs. "It has been way too long," expressed Willow. "You two look terrific."
"So do you," replied Angel.
"Is Buffy here yet?" Cordelia wanted to know.
At the mention of her name, Angel's stomach muscles clenched, his heart raced and he felt the blood rush to his face. He planned to tell her everything, and hoped she would show up. It had been too long since he'd seen her.
Oz noticed Angel's reaction. "She'll be here any minute." He put a hand on the former vampire's shoulder. "Hey, man, how does it feel? To be human."
"Good, except--"
"Except for that special someone?" guessed Oz.
Angel sighed. "Exactly. Cordelia dragged me along so I could tell her tonight. And I've never been more nervous in my life."
Oz's eyes drifted to the doorway. "You'd better get over it. Buffy just walked in the door."
Angel turned slowly to see her. It had been ten years since they'd last laid eyes on one another. Seeing Buffy again transferred Angel back to that Thanksgiving ten years earlier. She may have aged ten years, but she still looked young and beautiful. Her blonde hair had been swept up in a french twist with a few curled tendrils framing her face. She remained as thin and slight as he'd remembered her, and wore a knee-length red dress with spaghetti straps and red heels. She took his breath away.
"She's here," Willow whispered to Cordelia.
"Time to put our plan in motion."
Willow headed over to her best friend. "Buffy, you look amazing."
Buffy smiled. "So do you. Where is everyone?"
"Oz is talking to Cordy, and Xander and Anya are saying hi to Amy. Come on."
The two walked toward Oz and Cordelia. Willow tried to suppress the giddy smile. The two greeted Buffy with sly grins. "Hi, Oz. Hi, Cordy. You look great."
"You, too. Did you come alone?"
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. What about you? Where's Paolo? Off charming some unsuspecting girl?" she joked.
Cordelia shook her head. "No. I decided to bring someone else along tonight."
"Who?"
Angel stepped through a crowd of people. He was ready to face her. "Hi, Buffy," he greeted nervously.
She looked up in shock. ANGEL. "Angel. What are you doing here?"
"He came with me," answered Cordelia. "Hope you don't mind."
Buffy blinked and composed herself. Seeing Angel again forced all of her old feelings to the surface. Excitement, anger, hatred, friendship, love -- they all resurfaced. But she didn't want him to see that. "No. Why would I?"
Thoughts rushed through Angel's mind when she said that. SHE DOESN'T CARE ANYMORE. BUFFY'S MOVED ON. He looked at Cordelia, who shook her head in response. "I don't know."
Buffy smiled. "Don't worry, Cordy. It's fine with me. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to say hi to Scott and his wife." She left the group quickly. Being that close to Angel stirred up too many memories. It hurt to look at him, knowing how much she still loved him after all that time.
Angel slumped his shoulders in defeat. "I can't do this, Cordelia. Buffy doesn't care, doesn't have any feelings for me anymore. I'm going back to L.A."
"No! Trust me on this, Angel. She still loves you."
He looked over at Willow and Oz, who nodded in agreement. "It doesn't seem like it to me. She barely looked at me."
"Buffy has her defenses on high right now. You have nothing to worry about," reassured Willow.
"I hope so."
Willow put a hand on his shoulder. "Angel, she's going to be thrilled when you tell her. Trust me on this. Just give her a little time. Wait a bit before telling her."
"What am I supposed to do until then? I only know you guys."
"Sit, talk, eat--" Oz started.
"Brood," added Cordelia.
He shot her an icy glare and sat down in a nearby chair.
An hour later, Angel still sat in the same chair. Cordelia was off talking to some of her friends, Oz and Willow were dancing, and Xander and Anya were on the other side of the gym with Buffy. He'd been sitting there alone for fifteen minutes and finally decided that the time was right to talk to Buffy. He stood up and walked over toward her. Buffy must have seen him making his way over and excused herself.
"Buffy, hi," he said when they reached each other.
"Hi," she replied.
An uncomfortable silence fell upon them. A slow song began playing, and Angel took advantage of the opportunity. "Would you like to dance?"
"What about Cordelia?"
"She's busy socializing. I'm not good at that kind of stuff," Angel told her.
She smiled. "So I remember." She held out her hand and he led her to the dance floor. Angel held her in his arms as Buffy rested her head in the crook of his shoulder.
Maybe I didn't treat you
quite as good as I should
have
Maybe I didn't love you
quite as often as I could have
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
"How have you been?" Buffy asked.
"Hanging in there. You?"
She shrugged. "Okay. It hasn't been the greatest year for me."
"I heard about the divorce. I'm really sorry."
"Thanks. But Riley and I wanted different things.
He wanted a stay-at-home wife. And I've never exactly been the domestic type. He wasn't the one."
"The one?"
"The one man I'm meant to be with. Someone who makes my heart flutter just by being in the same room." LIKE YOU DO.
"And Riley didn't do that for you?"
"Nope. I really wonder if he's out there." HE IS, BUFFY, her
mind told her. YOU'RE IN HIS ARMS RIGHT NOW.
Maybe I didn't hold you
all those lonely, lonely times
And I guess I never told you
I'm so happy that you're mine
If I made you feel second best
Girl, I'm so sorry I was blind
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
Buffy wanted to change the subject. "So, how are things in L.A.?"
"Demon-free, actually. It's been kind of quiet lately. Are you still slaying?"
"No. The Council retired me about four years ago. Sometimes, if I can't sleep, I'll go and patrol, but my work keeps me pretty busy."
"Must be tough work, being a lawyer," Angel commented.
"No harder than slaying. But a lot safer."
He laughed. "I bet."
Tell me,
tell me that your sweet love hasn't died
Give me,
give me one more chance to keep you satisfied...
"Angel, I've missed you. Missed seeing you, talking to you," Buffy admitted.
Angel rested his chin on top of her head. "I have, too. Everyday, I miss you more and more."
"How did we lose touch?" she wanted to know. "When did it happen?"
He looked to the ground. "After Thanksgiving '99," he said softly.
Little things I should have said and done
I just never took the time
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind
"I'm sorry," Buffy apologized.
"For what?"
"I didn't do anything you wanted me to."
Angel sighed. "Buffy, yes you did. You moved on. That's what I wanted for you. To have a taste of a normal life."
"It's not for me. I'm not normal."
"You are now. You can have a normal life."
Maybe I didn't treat you
quite as good as I should have
Maybe I didn't love you
quite as often as I could have
Maybe I didn't hold you
all those lonely, lonely times
And I guess I never told you
I'm so happy that you're mine...
"I know. Sometimes I wonder if I want to be normal. I look at you, and I'm willing to give up any normalcy to be with you again."
I HAVE TO TELL HER NOW. SHE DOES WANT TO BE WITH ME. "Buffy, there's something I have to tell you."
The song ended and Buffy looked Angel in the eye. "What is it?"
Angel shook his head. "Not here. Not now."
Buffy could tell he had something important to tell her. "Where?"
"I don't know. Someplace private."
"I think I know just the place."
Cordelia watched as Buffy and Angel left together. "Looks like our plan worked," she said to Willow.
"And it only took ten years. A new record."
"Come on, let's tell the rest of the gang."
"What is it, Angel?" Buffy asked when they stepped out of their respective cars. She had chosen a beach five miles away.
He motioned for her to sit on a large rock. Waves crashed loudly onto the shore. "I really don't know how to begin. I hope you don't hate me for what I'm about to tell you."
"I couldn't hate you."
"You might."
"Well, why don't you let me decide?" The suspense was killing her.
Angel sat down on the rock next to her. "It happened three years ago. A group of demons came to L.A. to rid the world of human life."
"Like Acathla or the Judge?"
"Kind of. Cordelia, Wesley and I stopped them barely in time. The Oracles summoned me the next day."
Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Oracles?" She didn't know who they were.
"They speak for The Powers That Be. The Oracles told me that I had earned my redemption by stopping these demons. I'd atoned for my sins." Seeing the look of bewilderment on Buffy's face, Angel explained. "I--I was told once that if I saved humanity or averted the apocalypse, I could be given my humanity back. And that's what happened. Buffy, I'm human."
She only stared in shock. "What?"
"Human. Normal like you."
Buffy took a deep breath. "And you've been human for three years? Why didn't you tell me when you first found out?"
"You were married at the time. I thought if I told you, you'd think I was trying to reclaim you. And I didn't want you to think that, Buffy."
"What made you wait until now?"
Angel shook his head. "I wasn't sure if you would even care or if you would want to relive the past."
Buffy stood up and walked over to him. She kissed him with a passion she could never muster throughout her failed marriage to Riley. It stemmed from love, trust and happiness. "I love you, Angel. I've never loved anyone but you."
"I love you, too."
"This is our second chance at happiness. And I refuse to let anything ruin it. I want to be with you forever," swore Buffy.
"So do I."
They walked down the beach hand-in-hand, remaining there until sunrise. It was the first they'd shared together. The first of many. Buffy smiled and laid her head on his shoulder as the sun rose above the horizon. The sun would always rise. It was something she could count on. AND NOW, I HAVE FOREVER WITH ANGEL. MY LIFE IS PERFECT.
"Never leave me?" she asked of Angel.
Angel grinned down at her. "Never. That's the whole point."
The End