"Intuned"
Author:
A. Price
Email: andramichelle@yahoo.com
He slept with Faith, He slept with Faith. The words replayed over in Buffy's mind. Part of her mind told her it wasn't Riley's fault he couldn't have know about the body switch. In his eyes and his heart it was Buffy he slept with. But part of her heart was angry at him, angry that he didn't know the difference. A small voice kept telling her that Angel would have known, Angel would have never been fooled.
"I have to go now." She told Riley as she gathered her things and went for the door of his room.
He stood placing a gentle hand on her arm he looked into her eyes she could see the remorse there. "Buffy, I'm sorry, I should have, I'm so sorry. But you have to know I thought it was you."
She gave him a small smile, then she kissed him lightly on the cheek "I know, but I've just got to get away for a little while. Please tell the others not to worry, okay?"
He solemnly shook his head and with a heavy heart watched her leave his room. And he had the sinking feeling she was also leaving his life.
Buffy stopped by the dorm room briefly to pack a small bag, she then caught a bus to LA. By the time she arrived in LA she had convinced herself this had been a mistake, she shouldn't have come. Despite her misgivings her feet carried her straight back to the office that she had only visited once, right after Thanksgiving. Ten minutes of sheer heartache she would never forget, she had lied when she told Angel she was leaving to start forgetting. She would never forget, never.
It was shortly after dark when she pushed on the Angel Investigations door, she let herself in. Cordelia wasn't at her post, so she assumed she had left for the day. Good, she didn't need to deal with Cordelia right now. She noticed a dim light in the inner office, his office. Taking a deep breath she walked to the door, she peered in and saw him sitting in the semi dark room, his feet propped on the desk, he appeared to be reading. Her courage seemed to slip a little bit.
Angel felt her before he turned to find her peering through the glass on the door. He let out a breathless sigh and stood. "Come on in, Buffy." He said just loud enough for her to hear.
She hesitated for a moment before she pushed the door open and slowly walked into the room. There he was standing before her, a small cautious smile on his lips. "How did you know it was me?" She asked already knowing the answer.
"I feel you too, Buffy. I don't have to see you, just be near you." He answered softly. He could barely contain the impulse to reach out to her, to pull her close to him, to lie her on the desk top much like he had the kitchen table downstairs on her last visit. But since Buffy couldn't remember any of that bittersweet day he just gave her a small smile and asked why she was there.
Of course she took offense at that. "Am I not allowed to visit LA?" She snapped at him. Immediately sorry for the short words.
"Of course you can visit LA, but after last time I just thought it would be a long while before I saw you again." He offered a simple explanation trying not to wince at her obvious pain.
"I'm sorry, Angel. I came because I had to ask you something." She seemed to thinking out the proper way to ask the question.
"You can ask me anything, Buffy. You know that." He tried to reaasure her, smiling he asked,. "Why don't you sit down, can I get you something, some chocolate, some peanut butter maybe?" The words were out of his mouth before he realized what he had said.
She looked at him slightly confused as she sat down, "Um..No thanks, I'll just ask the question and leave you alone with your book."
His heart broke just a little more as he sat back down across from her, the desk between them.
"Okay, what is this mysterious question that brings you all the way from Sunnydale?"
She fidgeted a bit as she explained that Faith had returned and the whole body switching incident. She convienintly left out some important pieces about Mr. Riley Finn. She took a deep breath "So I guess my question is, if you had been there would you have known something was wrong, would you have known it was me?"
Angel thought for a moment and then nodded his head yes "I think I would have known right away Buffy, but our relationship is different then the one you have with your friends or Giles or even your Mom. So you shouldn't be upset with them for not knowing immediately. Our relationship was more intimate, we have deeper feelings for each other, so we are more intuned with each other." He finished with a faraway look in his eyes, as if he was enjoying a precious memory.
Buffy noticed the look and had to smile to herself. "So your saying if I was involved with someone and we were intuned with each other that he should have known?"
"Yes, that's what I'm saying." He agreed with her then the meaning of her words struck home, there was someone else, Buffy was involved with someone else. He let the information sink in, immense jealousy came over him before he calmed remembering that was why he left, so she could move on.
"I thought so." She said more to herself then to him.
"Who is he, Buffy?" Angel asked quietly when he found his voice.
She looked up at him, shock registering on her face. He knew, of course he knew, Angel would always know everything about her. "His name is Riley."
"Riley, nice name. Is he a nice guy? Stupid question, of course he's a nice guy or you wouldn't be involved with him. You are involved with him, aren't you?" Angel asked her, surprised that she didn't hear the loud crack of his heart splitting down the middle.
"Yes, he's a nice guy. Very all American, he's from Iowa. And he helps people and he goes to church and he cares a lot for me. But... " Buffy's voice trailed off.
"But he didn't realize that Faith was in your body, did he?"
She shook her head "No, he didn't know."
"Well, Buffy you haven't been together that long, I'm assuming, so maybe you shouldn't be too hard on him." Angel told her, all the while mentally slapping himself for defending this idiot who didn't realize the perfection of the girl that sat before him, how could he not sense that it wasn't Buffy.
"I guess maybe you are right." She answered him.
"It's not like he was intimate with her, right?" Angel asked, but the look on her face answered the question for him. His heart finished splitting into two jagged pieces, Buffy had been intimate with this Riley guy.
"Oh, Buffy. I didn't know, I mean it's none of my business. I mean I'm sorry." He fumbled for the right words but couldn't find them.
"No, um... you answered my question. I've got to go anyway." Buffy turned and ran from the office tears streaming down her face. Angel stood helplessly watching her as she ran into Cordelia who had forgotten her purse.
"Buffy, are you okay?" Cordelia asked when she saw her tearstained face.
"I'm fine, I need to find a hotel for the night. Do you know one?" Buffy asked between soft sobs.
"Hotel Cordelia, this is the address and the key. I'll be there shortly, go on ahead and get settled in." Cordy told her pressing a piece of paper with her address on it and her apartment key in Buffy's hand.
Buffy only nodded taking the paper and key she left quickly.
Angel stood at the office door watching the scene in the outer office, he wasn't sure if he should follow Buffy or leave her be, the look on Cordelia's face told him to leave her be.
Cordelia entered the office, anger on her face. "What did you do?"
"Me, I didn't do anything, she came to ask a question I answered it, she left upset. Who is Riley? do you know anything about him?" Angel asked abruptly.
"No, I don't but I can find out." Cordelia told him as she picked up the phone.
Angel listened to the one sided conversation.
"Yes, she's here Giles. No she's okay, she just needed a break from Sunnydale, I just wondered about this new guy Riley. Uh huh. That is traumatic, Faith is always trouble. Okay. Thanks. Bye now." Cordelia hung up the phone.
"Giles likes him. He seems to be a pretty good guy, he was tangled up in a group of people that fought demons. And evidently Faith came back and did some switchy thing with she and Buffy and that's partly why she's upset, I guess."
Angel nodded his head, Giles liked the guy, he probably was a good guy.
"So what did you say to Buffy to upset her like that?" Cordelia asked him point blank.
"She asked if I would have known that it wasn't her in her body, if I would have been able to tell something was wrong. I told her yes, and explained it was because of our closeness to each other." Angel explained to Cordelia.
"And her new honey didn't know, so she's doubting him and it reenforces the fact that you two are meant for each other even if you can't have each other. Great Angel, poor Buffy." Cordelia shook her head.
"How about me, Cordy? You know I love her too." Angel looked at her pain evident in his dark eyes. "Is she going to be okay?"
"I'm going to go talk to her and see if I can calm her down. I'll call you." Cordelia sighed as she left the office.
"Buffy." Cordelia called as she came in the front door of her apartment.
"In here." Buffy's voice came from the kitchen.
Cordelia found the slayer stqnding over a carton of ice cream with a spoon. She had stopped crying but her eyes were still puffy and redrimmed. Cordelia picked up a spoon and dug into the ice cream alongside her.
"So, who is Riley?" She asked smiling at Buffy.
"Did Angel tell you about him?" Buffy asked between bites.
"He mentioned him, you know Buffy this is hard for Angel too. I mean after you were here last time, he sulked for days. He broods on his best days but let me tell you this was a hundred times worse, I guess a taste of what you can't ever have will do that to you." Cordelia said absentmindedly.
"What do you mean a taste of what you can't have? We only saw each other for a few minutes. And trust me there was no tasting of anykind." Buffy said bitterly.
"Oh right, I meant that seeing you again was hard for him." Cordelia quickly covered. "Well what about Riley?"
"Riley." Buffy sighed as she put the ice cream back in the freezer. "Riley is wonderful, a great guy, he really cares for me I can tell. And he's the kind of guy I should love. But..."
"But he didn't know that it was Faith in your body, and you wonder how right you can be for each other, because of course Angel would have known>"
"Cordy when did you get so smart?" Buffy asked wistfully.
"Buffy, you and Angel have this perfect unattainable love, and I wish that you could be together. But you can't and if you have this nice, safe guy who won't turn evil on you after, well you know. Then maybe you should go for it. Angel will hurt, but he will understand. And he has his memories."
"Memories don't keep you warm at night when you are lying in the bed alone trying to make sense of your life. See Cordy - I know that Angel and I can't be together. I know I should just be happy with Riley. But part of me just can't let go of the past. I will always love Angel it will never be over. Tonight just proved it yet again." Buffy's bottom lip trembled slightly and a tear slid down her cheek. She absentmindely wiped at it with her hand, standing she told Cordy "I think I'll just hop a bus back to Sunnydale tonight."
"I don't think that's a good idea, Buffy." Cordelia told her patting her arm.
"Coming here at all wasn't a good idea, Cordy. I don't know what I thought it would accomplish. I'm going. I'll just walk to the bus station, it will give me time to think. Thanks for listening to me." Buffy gathered her purse and bag.
"Are you sure?" Cordelia asked.
"Yeah. I'll be okay." Buffy gave a half smile as she left out the door.
Cordelia went back to the kitchen to wash up the ice cream spoons, she got to the sink when the pain hit her, she sank to the kitchen floor, twenty minutes later when she could function again she stood and reached for the phone. "Please be home, be home Angel."
The ring of the phone interrupted Angel's heavy duty brooding session. He picked it up on the second ring "Hello."
"Good, you have to go to the bus station, Buffy's in trouble"
"What?"
"A vision, I had a headsplitting vision, Buffy's in trouble. She's going to be shot by some guy dressed in camouflage, I think."
"A demon that wears chammies?"
"Angel, thats the scary part, I think he's human. You have to go now. She's been gone from my apartment about an half hour walking to the bus station. Go now!" Cordelia ordered but all she heard on the other end was the distinct click of the phone being hung up.
Buffy was lost in her thoughts as she walked down the lonely street.
The camouflaged dressed man watched her, keeping a very safe distance. When she stopped on a deserted corner he took his aim.
Buffy felt the sting of the dart in the back of her neck immediately. She turned to see what had hit her as the world seemed to grow black and she slid to the pavement unconcious.
Within a few seconds the camouflaged man was at her side a dark car pulled up and another man helped load the unconcious Slayer into the car. "She's pretty isn't she?" The man from the car commented as the camoflagued man tied her hands and feet together.
"Pretty, but deadly." The camouflaged man answered.
He parked the car in front of the bus station, praying that she was safely inside. His black duster flowed behind him as he hurriedly entered the station. His eyes searched the room, no Buffy. He approached the ticket clerk, describing Buffy he asked the man if he had seen her. The clerk said no one of that description had been in.
Angel left the station heavy hearted and started walking down the street, two blocks later he found her purse and overngiht bag lying on the pavement. There was no sign of a struggle. He carried the items back to his car and picked up the cell phone Cordelia had given him. He quickly dialed Giles number, explained the situation and headed back to his place. Giles would be in LA in a matter of hours.
A pacing Cordelia met Angel at this door. "Did you find her?" She asked anxiously.
He shook his head no and sat down on the couch "Giles will be here in a few hours, can you tell me anything else, Cordelia?"
"A guy dressed in camouflage aiming a gun at Buffy, she sank to the ground as if she'd been shot. I'm sorry, Angel, but we'll find her and she will be okay." Cordelia tried to sound convincing.
Angel paced around the apartment until Cordelia finally physically pulled him back down on to the couch. "I have to do something, Cordelia. I can't just sit here."
It seemed like an eternity before Giles arrived. Angel quickly filled him in on the situation. "I think she's been taken somewhere, there was no sign of a struggle, no blood or anything just her purse and bag as if she had just dropped it."
"Cordelia, the man in your vision was dressed in soldier garb?" Giles asked concerned.
"Yes, that ugly camouflage stuff."
"Oh my." Giles said with a heavy sigh.
Buffy looked through bleary eyes at her surrounding she was chained to a chair in a small room. Her mouth was dry and she felt woozy, she had obviously been drugged.
A very large man in camouflage was staring at her from a chair in the corner. "Finally awake, I see."
"Who are you?" Buffy asked drowsily, it was still hard to focus.
"I am a friend or I was a friend of Maggie Walsh's, I am Major Warner, I helped her with a confidential project. A project that ended once you interfered and you got Maggie killed." He said bitterly his face a mere inch from hers.
"Maggie was crazy, and... " Buffy didn't get the rest of the sentence out before she was backhanded swift and hard across the mouth. She felt her lip split and the blood start trickling down her chin.
"You are not even good enough to say her name. Maggie was a genius, she had a plan to rid the world of demons by using one of their own to kill them." He yelled in Buffy's face. "You ruined years of research."
"Your genuis was killed by the monster she created. She wasn't going to help mankind, she only gave us one more monster to endanger it." Buffy spit out the words, which were greeted with another blow to her face, this time she felt the blood trickle down from a cut over her left eye.
"Maybe things got a little out of hand, but if you hadn't interfered Maggie would have been] able to to work out all of the kinks. You ruined her concentration with all of your stupid quiestions and digging around, and you turned her most impressive agent against her. He'll need to pay for that too." Warner gave her a malicious smile.
"Riley." Buffy whispered.
"Yes, Riley. I have plans for you and Agent Finn. You two will suffer for Maggie's death."
"What makes you think I'll help you?" Buffy asked harshly.
"Oh, I can think of several reasons, there names are Riley, your friend Cordelia Chase and the mysterious Angel. I've been following you Buffy, I don't know what the connectiion to this Angel is, he's a hard man to gather information about. But I know that you care for him, a woman doesn't cry the way you did earlier when you left his office if she doesn't care. You won't let any harm come to your friends, so you'll help me. By the way does Riley know about Angel?"
Buffy cast her eyes downward without answering.
"I didn't think so." He told her cruelly as he ran his thumb through the blood running down the side of her face. "This is going to be so much fun."
Taking a blank piece of paper from the small desk in the room, he left a bloodied trail running down the paper with his thumb. "That will get your friend Angel's attention, and he'll call Riley just like I instruct him too." He began writing on the bloodied paper when he was done he sealed it and got up to leave.
"I suggest that you don't fight those chains too much, you are going to need your energy." He told her coldly as he slammed the door behind him.
Buffy rattled the chains to no avail, the drug still had her slightly disoreintated and he had known about her Slayer strength and used extra heavy duty chains. She sighed to herself
"Oh my? Why oh my, Giles?" Angel asked worriedly.
"Buffy's um... friend Riley was with a military organization called the Iniative, things went very wrong and one of their leaders tried to have Buffy killed. The woman herself was killed shortly after the attempt." Giles explained.
"Buffy's new boyfriend works for people who tried to kill her?" Angel shouted not believing what he heard.
"Calm down, Angel. Let Giles explain." Cordelia interrupted his tirade.
Giles proceeded to explain the whole story to Angel and Cordelia.
"So the homemade demon is still running around loose?" Cordelia asked as she went to the kitchen to make tea.
"Yes, and he is a killing machine."
A sudden knock on the door startled them all. Angel answered it to find a envelope lying on the ground, he stepped outside but saw only a teenage boy on the street. "Did you leave this?" He asked him seriously.
"Yes sir." The boy stuttered "A man in camouflage paid me to knock and leave it."
"What did he look like?" Angel asked in a softer voice as to not scare the boy.
"He was a large guy, greyish hair cut military style. I'm sorry if I did something wrong."
"No, it's okay. Thanks for answering my questions, you can go." Angel told him and turned to go back in his building.
Giles and Cordelia met him in the hallway, he told them about the letter and the boy as they went back to the apartment.
"Well, are you going to open it?" Cordelia asked impatiently.
Angel stared long at the envelope before he carefully opened it, he pulled out the note and gasped slightly at the blood on the paper.
Giles took the paper from him, "Is it? Is it Buffy's blood?"
Angel answered "Yes." in a solemn whisper.
"The note says she's still alive though, Angel. And she will stay that way if we get Riley Finn here by tomorrow night. This is as I feared something to do with the Iniative. I'll call Riley now." Giles stood up.
"You can use the phone in the bedroom." Angel said offhandedly as he picked up the note and reread it to himself, a shudder went through him, he ran a finger over the blood stains. With that realization Angel decided that he was going to find Buffy come hell or high water, nothing was going to happen to the girl who would always have his heart.
Riley hung up the phone with Giles words still echoing in his head. He quickly packed a bag and set out for LA. Not sure what to expect. All he knew was that Buffy was in trouble and she needed him. Giles had promised to explain more when he arrived.
He thought of his last conversation with Buffy as he drove. He was going to make up for the Faith debacle. He would prove himself to her, he had just found her and he wasn't going to give up on her.
He found the address Giles had given him easily and parked the car. The door read Angel Investigations. He entered cautiously and found Giles waiting for him in what appeared to be the reception area. A pretty dark haired girl sat at the desk, and a tall dark haired man sat on the edge of the desk concern all over his face.
"Riley, thank goodness, you are here." Giles said relief evident in his voice as he greeted him.
"I'm here now explain. What kind of trouble is Buffy in?" Riley asked in a rushed voice. Then looking around the room he added "I'm sorry, I'm Riley Finn," as he looked at Cordelia and Angel.
"I'm Cordelia Chase, a friend of Buffy's and this is Angel, also a friend of Buffy's." Cordelia offered her hand to him.
Riley took her offered hand in a firm handshake, then offered his hand to Angel who with only the slightest hesitation also shook the offered hand. "I didn't mean to be rude. But I'm worried about her."
Angel picked up the note from the desk and unfolded it, he wordlessly handed it to Riley. Riley accepted the note with a frown, the frown increased as he read the note. He glanced at Giles "The Iniative?" He asked angrily.
"I fear that it is. Someone is angry about Buffy's interference, I'm afaid you may be included in that anger. Whoever is holding her wants both of you here." Giles answered with a heavy sigh.
"We need a plan." Angel said matter of factly.
"We have a plan, I do what the note says." Riley answered. "Tell me where to go and I'm there."
"Right, so then you and Buffy are captive. What good is that going to do Buffy? We don't know how badly hurt she is, that is her blood on that note. *We* need a plan." Angel repeated forcefully.
Riley glared at him, "I wouldn't let anything happen to her."
"It seems you already have. She came to LA because of you. You didn't even realize that something was wrong when Faith was in her body." Angel spoke with soft but piercing words.
"Angel, I think... " Giles interjected.
"No, Giles." Riley interrupted him, "I'm a big boy I can fight my own battles. Buffy told you about Faith?" He looked guiltily at Angel.
"Yes, she did. She was very upset." Angel replied.
"Why would she come all the way to LA? Why would she tell you?" Riley asked him coldly.
"Because we were close once." Angel said softly avoiding looking at Riley.
"How close?"
"Close enough that I would have known that Faith wasn't Buffy, soldier boy." Angel said looking up directly into Riley's eyes.
"She never mentioned your name, but your him aren't you? You're the guy who done her wrong?" Riley asked realization dawning on him.
"I guess that would be me. But we don't have time to discuss any of that, Buffy is what is important now. Let's decide how we are going to handle this, shall we?"
'Angel is right about this, Riley. We need a plan, a good plan, Buffy is in more danger every moment that passes. I suggest we go downstairs and start planning our move." Giles told them as he started for the elevator.
"I'll make the coffee." Cordelia offered as the three men sat around the dining table.
"I think Riley should go, but I'll follow at a distance. If he can get in, I can do some recon and decide out best way to get her out of there." Angel spoke with a determination in his voice.
"I'll go wired. Here this is your half of the wire." He handed a small device to Angel and then another to Giles. "This way we are in contact, it's made to fit in the lapel of my jacket very discreetly, not even noticable if they frisk me." Riley explained to the two men how to use the reciever.
"And whoever has her, we need to take alive. Because he's evidently a rogue in the Iniative. We'll deal with him."
"Still can't face that your little group isn't what it's supposed to be?" Angel stared hard at Riley. "We'll try to take him alive, but if it's between him and Buffy, he's a dead man."
"I can't believe that every man in the Iniative was bad. I worked with these men, we thought we were fighting a good cause." Riley said defensively. "But of course, if it comes between Buffy or the kidnapper, I'll kill him myself."
"We should start moving. Riley is due in the alley in 20 mins." Giles picked up a weapon bag and slung it over his shoulder.
Both of Buffy's eyes were swollen almost shut, Warner's favorite target was her face, and her slayer healing would barely kick in before he hit her again. She was getting used to the hitting and could brace herself for it now. But the feeling of her sweaty, bloody hair sticking to her face was bothering her.
She heard Warner come in to the room, "I'm going to pick up your little friend Riley,now."
"What if he doesn't show?" Buffy asked.
"He'll show, don't you know little girl, he loves you. He'll be there." Warner said in a threatening voice.
Buffy heard the door slam and started to grapple with the chains again. She almost had one hand free, just a little bit more. She had one hand almost free when she heard the door open again.
"Who are you?" She could barely see now, it didn't sound like Warner.
"A friend." The voice answered with a charming Irish accent. "I've come to help."
Buffy asked suspiciously "How do I know that?"
"Your gonna have to trust me darlin'." The voice said and Buffy's fear faded as a gentle hand pushed the matted hair from her eyes.
She tried to focus on the face in front of her, her vision clearing up some. "It can't be you... I thought you were ... "
"Dead?" The man finished the sentence for her. "Aye, I am, but it's a long story and we don't have time for it. now."
"Testing" Riley said into the hidden microphone as he drove to the meeting place.
"We hear you." Angel and Giles said simutaneously.
"Good." Riley replied as he parked the car.
Riley cautiously entered the dark alleyway. "I told her you would come." A gruff voice spoke in the darkness.
"Who's there?" Riley called into the darkness.
"Name's Warner" The man belonging to the gruff voice stepped out into the alley.
Riley looked at him with a hint of recognition. "Don't I know you? You are a friend of Maggie's?"
"I was a friend of Maggie's until you and your little friend interfered and got her killed and valuable research killed in the process."
"So why did you take Buffy?" Riley asked.
"Step over here and I'll explain" Warner said gruffly, Riley did as he was told. Warner patted him down for weapons, satisified that he was unarmed he explained. "Your little friend is going to pay for Maggie's death."
"Maggie was crazy, Warner." Riley spoke up.
"That's what Buffy said too."
"Is she okay?" Riley asked concern heavy in his voice.
"She heals fast." Warner said with a short laugh.
It took everything Riley had to not hit him right there, but he knew he had to play along if he was going to help Buffy.
"Let's go. Follow me." Warner started out of the alley way.
Angel's hands grasped the steering wheel tightly when he heard Warner's words. "He's a deadman." He said outloud.
"Angel, you must remain calm." Giles told him worriedly.
"Where are we going?" Riley asked Warner as they left the alley.
"Right down the street here. A nice little abandoned floral supply warehouse."
They came to a door with an intircate floral design on it. Warner unlocked the door, Riley followed him inside.
"Okay, where is she?" Riley demanded.
"She's right in here." Warner opened another door and let out a stream of curses.
"What?" Riley rushed into the room.
"She was here! Where is she?" Warner screamed and looked frantically around the room.
Angel tunred to Giles "I know that place lets go." He drove even faster when he heard Warners unintellgible screams coming through Riley's microphone.
Giles and Angel cautiously entered the building, then rushed to follow the sound of Warner's ranting. They entered the room to find Riley and Warner alone.
Angel grabbed Warner by the collar. With eyes desperate and dangerous and a low growl in his voice he asked "Where is she?"
"I don't know." Warner said fearfully.
Angel's fist took a microsecond to connect with Warner's face. "Where is she?" He screamed in Warner's face.
Riley interrupted, "He doesn't know, Angel. He was genuinely surprised that she wasn't here."
Angel threw Warner towards Riley. "Turn him in, before I change my mind and deal with him. myself."
Giles handed Riley handcuffs and he used them to secure Warner to the chair he had held Buffy in. Angel handed Riley his cellphone, Riley made a quick call. "They'll be here to get him soon."
"Good, Giles stay with Riley, make sure Warner is picked up." Angel told them as he turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" Giles asked anxiously.
"To find Buffy."
"Where are we and how are you here?" Buffy asked groggily through swollen, blood caked lips.
"Ah, you really don't remember, this is Angel's apartment. And I'm here because I begged one form the powers that be a good deed for some one of my choice." Doyle explained as he helped her to the bedroom.
"You chose me? You barely know me?" Buffy asked confused.
"Actually I chose Angel, saving you saves him also. He needs you, you need each other. And I'm here to make sure you know that."
"Angel decided we couldn't be together, I know it hurts him as much as it hurts me." Buffy said sadly as she closed her eyes.
"Let me get a warm cloth and clean some of those cuts for you." Doyle stood and went to the bathroom.
"What do you mean I really don't remember?" Buffy asked as she settled under the cool sheets.
Angel cursed lightly under his breath, Where is she? Damn it, where is she? He picked up his cell phone and called Cordelia's apartment, she answered on the first ring and he filled her in on what had happened. He decided to go back to his place and try to figure out where Buffy might have gone if she had escaped, he didn't want to think about the other possibilites. She had been hurt and she was out there alone.
"Ah, Buffy my girl, I'm not sure your're ready to hear all of this yet." Doyle said softly as he turned to face her.
"Hear what, Doyle? Please just tell me, is Angel in trouble?" She pleaded with him.
"No, he's not in trouble," Doyle sighed and went to sit on the edge of the bed, "You remember I said you two were stronger together then apart?"
Buffy nodded.
"Well, I'm gonna tell you something, that you are going to find hard to believe. But your gonna have to trust me on this."
Buffy nodded again, "Okay," she muttered softly.
Doyle took a deep breath and relayed the events of Buffy's last visit to her. She was quiet for several minutes, then she spoke, a sob in her voice. "He was human? We... we were together for the whole day?" Tears glistened on her cheeks now.
"Yes, I don't know all of the details mind you, because Angel isn't the type to kiss and tell. But you did spend a night and day together, before he decided that he was more help to you a vampire then a human. He did it to help you he couldn't bear to see anything happen to you."
"He always does that, makes major decisions without asking me." She said bitterly. "Did we at least have a good day?" She asked with a small smile.
Angel let himself into the apartment quietly, he heard soft voices in the bedroom, both familiar to him he crept towards the door and peeked in. The first thing he saw was a battered Buffy lying propped in his bed, the second was the familiar man on the bed - Doyle. He blinked once, twice, no he was still there. He froze outside the door, he listened to Doyle telling Buffy about the one day they got to share.
He coughed loudly as he entered the room startling Doyle and Buffy. "First, yes we had a good day, the best day of my life. Are you okay?" Buffy nodded yes. " I want to talk to you about it, but first... " He gestured towards Doyle, "How?"
"Well, as I explained to Buffy here, I had a good deed to do for the person of my choice, I saved your girl for you. And now to repay me, you have to listen, you and Buffy here are far better together then apart, no matter what the obstacles are you are stronger together, I don't know what the future holds for you, but I know you can face it better if you are united not divided. And on that note, me times run out." Doyle gathered Angel in a hug. "Take care of her, man." He whispered into his ear and then he vanished.
Angel stared at the spot where his friend had stood a moment before, he then turned to the petite girl in his bed, she looked tinier then ever and he'd never seen her look so frail. He moved slowly towards her, she was crying softly now. He sat beside her hesitantly, afraid she would send him away, instead she moved closer to him. "It's really true?"
"Yes, it's true. We spent a glorious day and night together, we made love and we ate chocolate and peanut butter and ice cream in bed. And it's been so hard to be the only one with that memory. I love you, Buffy." He ran a gentle hand over her still swollen lips. "I wanted to kill Warner when we found him. It's a good thing you were rescued, if I had come crashing in and seen your beautiful face so bruised I would have killed him, no matter what Riley said."
"I'm still in shock Angel, we were together and you took it all back. You decided on your own what was best for me, it wasn't fair Angel." Tears streamed down her face, "It wasn't fair."
"I know Buffy, it wasn't fair to either of us." He tried to put his arm around her, but she pulled away. She looked at him an indescribable hurt in her eyes. "Buffy..."
"No, I don't think I can listen to you explain why we can't be together yet again. Angel, you told me to move on, I did. Riley is a good man, a human man Angel, he can do all those things you wanted for me, all those things you left me so I could have. And I've found him and then I find out that we spent an entire day together, you were human and you gave it all back, now what Angel? Because now someone else has been dragged into the saga of angst that is our life. Riley doesn't deserve to be hurt. And I don't know if I can stand to be hurt anymore either. Now, you decide, because I have to make a decision. Riley is good for me and I do care for him, but I don't love him the way I love you. If there is a chance that you want to try to work it out, I'll go break Riley's heart now, before it goes any farther, but if you don't decide right now, I'm going to leave with him and I won't come back ...ever. Because he's too good a man to hurt like that and if I leave with him it means I'm committing myself to him. Do you understand?" She took a much needed breath and pulled her knees up under her chin wrapping her arms around them, she looke 12 years old.
He looked at her she was visibly shaking as if her monologue had taken every ounce of energy she had left inside of her small body. He sighed deeply, he didn't want to hurt her again, yet Doyle spoke the truth it didn't matter how much they tried to forget, it wasn't going to happen. They were stronger together. He pulled her close to him this time she didn't pull back. He gently kissed the top of her head, "I'm not walking away again." He whispered into he hair. "Never again."
She looked into his eyes, fresh tears flowed from hers as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, "Are you sure?" She choked out.
"I've never been more sure in my life." He answered. "Now you have to talk to Riley, and I have to admit even I feel bad for him."
Giles and Riley entered Angels apartment cautiously. They heard the soft sobs coming from the bedroom and started towards the door, both men's mouths dropped open when they saw Buffy firmly wrapped in Angel's arms.
"Buffy." Riley called to her. Giles followed him into the room.
"Riley." She said softly.
"You're okay. Thank God." He walked towards her.
"I'm going to be okay, Riley. We need to talk." She looked at Angel then at Giles. Angel let go of her and stood up, he nodded his head and he and Giles left the room.
Riley looked at her with a sad smile, he sat down beside her on the bed. "It's true isn't it?"
Buffy looked at him confusion in her eyes, "What's true?"
"He would have known, he would have known that it wasn't you when Faith did the switch."
Buffy shook her head yes.
"You still love him?"
She shook her head again.
"I may be from a small town in Iowa, but I'm not that dumb, Buffy. I could have made you happy, but I would have never been him. Believe it or not, I understand." He sighed as he leaned over and softly kissed her forehead.
"Goodbye, Buffy Anne Summers, Angel is one lucky guy." With that said Riley turned and walked out of the room quickly.
Buffy murmured a soft "Thank you." behind him as she watched him leave.
"I'm leaving now, Giles." Riley said quietly.
He turned when he reached the door, "Angel, don't ever hurt her again. Next time I won't be so understanding."
Angel watched Riley leave, Giles was looking at him. "I tend to agree Angel, don't hurt her again. Now I'm going to check on Buffy and leave you two alone."
She looks like a child all covered up Giles thought as he walked into the bedroom. She looked up at him with tired eyes, "Giles." She said with a small smile.
"Buffy, you scared us. Please don't make a habit of that." He leaned and hugged her lightly.
"Promise it won't happen again." She sighed. "Did Riley leave?"
"Yes, he's a good man that Riley Finn." Giles told her seriously.
"I know he is Giles. You don't have to tell me that." She agreed.
"But you don't love him."
She shook her head sadly, "No, I don't love him."
"You love Angel, still."
"Yes, I do and I always will." She started playing with the edge of the comforter.
"Well, then I guess it's decided. Be careful, I trust your judgement." He patted her shoulder. "I'm going back to Sunnydale, I 'll see you soon." He smiled at her as he left.
Giles found Angel sitting in living room. "I'm leaving now, take care of her. She can't take being hurt again."
Angel stood "I will take care of her. It's going to be okay from now on."
Giles went to the door, he turned and smiled "Well, go to her, she's waiting."
Angel watched the door shut behind Giles, he looked towards the bedroom and smiled.
Buffy looked anxious when he entered the room, as if she was afraid everything was going to come crashing down around her. "Hi," she said in a soft voice.
"Hi yourself." He said with a smile as he slid into the bed next to her.
She lie her head on his chest and whispered tiredly "This is real, right?"
He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, "It's real. I don't know why I ever fought it, I was right when I told you we were intuned, in fact when we aren't with each other it's like our world is out of tune. And that's never gonna happen again."
"Good, I love you." She whispered sleepily snuggling even closer to him.
"I love you, too." He answered softly, smiling as pushed a stray hair from her face, she was already fast asleep, she didn't appear to be worried about the obstacles that faced them, in fact she seemed safe and secure lying beside him and when he thought about it, that was just the way it should be.
The End