Disclaimer: The characters of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Angel' are the property of Twentieth Century Fox, and the creations of Joss Whedon et al. They ain't mine.
Rating: There's nothing worse than the show here.
Spoilers: Up to the end of 'Buffy' season four, and 'Angel' season one.
Summary: Buffy and Angel's path cross again in the future.
Notes: Consider this as following Buffy canon 'til the end of 'Wild at Heart' and 'Sanctuary'. After that much is the same as the real deal, with some small (?) changes. Angel never came to Sunnydale in 'The Yoko Factor' to apologise, Wolfram & Hart never resurrected Darla, and the Oracles weren't killed. Pretend that Angel's office and apartment weren't blown up either. For the purpose of this story, I have decided that Buffy's birthday is January 19 (the original air date of both 'Surprise' and 'Helpless'). I have some serious issues with Buffy to work through, so there will be considerable angst involved.
Feedback: Yes please.
Thanks to Starla, Kate, Kim, Shirl, Kathy, Emma and Monica.

January 7, 2006

Buffy trailed behind the waiter as he wove his way through the busy restaurant. Reaching a small table for two that looked out onto the street, she smiled her thanks as he held the chair out for her. Declining to order until her companion arrived, the waiter hurried off to fetch the glass of water she settled on to sip while waiting.

The early afternoon sun fell across the table, where Buffy rested one elbow propping up her chin. All manner of people hurried past the window - couriers, students, business men and women, mothers with prams and toddlers, elderly couples - all were intent on their own business, their own life. As she followed their movements Buffy felt strangely detached from it all, from this buzzing normality of everyday life.

Ever since she'd been called and come to know the darker side of the world Buffy had felt somewhat removed from those around her. Her awareness of the literal demons that stalked the streets, and her duty to stop them were huge obstacles between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the "normal" Buffy Summers who had once been blithely ignorant of such forms of evil. But still, through her close friends and her mostly positive attitude to her role, Buffy had felt herself still part of the everyday world. Part of the buzzing normality, part of the endlessly revolving wheel of existence.

Birth, life, decay, death. Perhaps she was more aware of this cycle than anyone, confronted with it each night, facing her own mortality in each battle, seeing friends and enemies rise and fall around her. Replaced by other enemies and allies who in turn would fall. And so on and on and on. Through it all in she revelled in her calling, despite the despair and pain that accompanied it. Being the Chosen One, the one girl in all the world ... even though she would roll her eyes as Giles reeled off the standard lines about her existence, Buffy could not help the thrill that touched her at this oft-repeated summary of her ... 'occupation', for want of a better word. She had a purpose, a responsibility, was special. What she had tried to abandon on her arrival in Sunnydale actually gave her a strong sense of self, and duty. And, no matter how clichéd it sounded, a reason for living. For though for the most part she took pride in being the Slayer, Buffy needed a reason to live.

In some twisted way, being the slayer was both her reason for living, and the reason she needed a reason to live. In some small part of her, Buffy longed for the normal life. Longed never to know of the vampires and witches and ghosts and werewolves and countless demons and monsters. Longed to remain in ignorance, and plan out a lifetime with someone. Plan tomorrows, holidays, parties, children, anniversaries. But her mind told her she couldn't, not when her finite existence would end much sooner than most. And so Buffy punched and fought and kicked and slayed, for she had no choice. No choice but to commit to it. No choice but to love it. No choice but to push her foolish dreams away and lock her wish for normality up inside. The normal that she had once longed for, that her mother blindly demanded for her, that others had demanded of her ...

And now for the final blow came the ultimate irony. Now Buffy had the chance to be normal. Or, much closer to it anyway. Now she had the chance to be a part of the bustle outside the window ... but she couldn't get excited about it. For some reason this opportunity no longer held the gleam that it once did. The sense of relief that she thought would accompany it. And she couldn't figure out why.

With a sigh Buffy turned away from the window, and turned to watch the other patrons. As her eyes flicked unseeing over the nearby tables, Buffy wondered why she was there. She didn't want to be there, didn't want to meet him and be reminded of those feelings that were long ago resolved. But she owed it to him, and here she was. Buffy's gaze wandered idly over the diners in the back of the restaurant, sitting in plush gloomy booths far away from the sunny window. Three men in navy suits, all discussing the contents of a manila folder with the utmost gravity, their conversation punctuated by occasional fork-waving and vehement head shaking. Two young women whispering conspiratorially, no doubt sharing the latest gossip. And in the farthest booth a beautiful brunette laughed at her male companion's conversation. For a moment Buffy's concentration lingered on the woman, envious of her happiness (and her gorgeous blue shirt) before she turned her attention to the male ... and stopped breathing.

Literally.

And her heart stopped beating.

Angel.

And started again, now pounding faster than ever before.

Angel.

Buffy's lungs started functioning again as some part of her brain was concerned about the lack of oxygen. The rest of her brain however had shut down, unable to comprehend what her eyes told her to be true. He was here, after all this time, after all these years. What was it, five, six years? Too many. Buffy drank in the sight - as always he was dressed in black, a fitted jumper emphasising his broad figure. Pale skin, dark brown hair styled casually, and deep brown eyes ...

...that now met her hazel.

"When he is around, it's like the lights dim everywhere else". Those words from long ago were all that Buffy was conscious of, besides the eyes that were locked on hers.

"Angel". No sound came out as Buffy lips formed the word, before curving upwards in a soft smile. He was here, he was really here after all this time. God his eyes - Buffy was mesmerised, gazing into the familiar face, unable to look away, unwilling to look away. So many repressed feelings filled her in a rush that her skin tingled with the force of them. Scenes from the past flashed across her mind - nothing specific, just an endless procession of Angel's face gazing at her own. Then, his expression had been filled with so much love, passion, and pain. And now? Buffy recovered her wits enough to look, really look at Angel to try and gauge his reaction. To try to see whether he still...

"Buffy!" The spell was broken. A male voice sounded beside her, bringing Buffy out of her trance. Suddenly the chattering and clinking and laughing in the restaurant hit her, forcing her painfully back to awareness of the surroundings. "I'm sorry I'm late, I hope you haven't been waiting long." Buffy looked up at the tall man that paused beside the table, and struggled for a moment to remember exactly who she was, where she was, and who he was.

"Riley. No, not long at all" Buffy answered distractedly, frowning slightly as he bent to kiss her on the cheek. As he moved to sit in the chair opposite her, Buffy's eyes shot back to study the dim booth that Angel was sitting in. She felt strangely guilty, as if she had been caught cheating on her husband with another man. That was silly - she and Angel weren't a couple, and hadn't been for a very long time. But still.

Buffy was put out to see that Angel seemed not to have noticed Riley. In fact, he seemed not at all concerned by her presence mere tables away. His attention was firmly directed at the lovely woman sitting across from him, and he reached across the table taking her hand in his. A sharp pain went through Buffy's heart as she watched him raise the brunette's hand to his mouth, where he pressed a gentle kiss to the back of it.

"So, have you ordered yet? Buffy?" Riley's question brought Buffy back to attention once more, and she tried desperately to concentrate on him, as he called the waiter across. Ordering the first thing on the menu, once again Buffy's eyes wandered while Riley took his time deciding what to eat. Shocked to see the booth now empty, she frantically scanned the room for Angel. He couldn't disappear again, not again ... there he was. Angel was at the back of the restaurant hovering near a dim hallway that led to the kitchen and bathrooms. Buffy's breath caught for a moment as she took in his magnificent figure - tall and broad, he carried himself so well. His obvious impatience as he glanced at his watch launched Buffy into action.

Excusing herself from the table, Buffy left Riley discussing dishes with the waiter as she hurried towards Angel. Her speed slowed and resolve faltered the closer she got to her target, coming to a halt a few metres away. Maybe she shouldn't, maybe she should just go ... no. Buffy straightened her back, lifted her chin and took a deep breath. Covering the remaining distance she stopped in front of him, then spoke to get his attention.

"Angel". Turning his gaze on her, Angel's face broke into a pleasant smile.

"Buffy, how are you?"

"I'm good, a little hungry, but good. And you, how are you?" Something about his manner made Buffy feel uneasy.

"Never been better" Angel replied in a casual way, tucking his hands in his trouser pockets.

"I'm kind of surprised to see you here".

"Well, this is LA, I do live here." Buffy flinched a little at Angel's patronizing tone.

"Yeah, I know. It's just, you know, daytime and..." Buffy dropped her volume for a moment "vampires... well they don't really mix well." As Angel looked back at her in amusement, Buffy continued, nervousness compelling her to keep talking.

"But I guess you are sitting in the back here, with no direct light, and it's pretty gloomy and all. And I guess you came up through the sewers or something?" Buffy made her last statement a question, nodding her head down the shadowy hallway, where she assumed there was access to the tunnels running under the city.

"Or something". Buffy looked at Angel, studying his face. Something was off, he was being polite, even friendly, but there was an air about him that made Buffy uncomfortable. She had often imagined them meeting again - had foreseen pain, expected anger, secretly hoped for love. But never had she pictured him as he was now ... indifferent.

"So." Buffy was desperate to talk, there were so many things she wanted to say and to ask, but for the life of her she couldn't form a question in her mind.

"So..." she repeated, now suddenly unable to look at him, her eyes fixed on the carpet.

"Angel darling, I'm ready to go now". Buffy's head shot up, as she saw Angel's brunette companion appear from the hallway. Slipping her handbag over one shoulder, her other hand snaked through the crook of Angel's arm as she looked at Buffy inquiringly.

"Great" Angel replied, and the open smile he directed at the woman tightened like a band around Buffy's heart.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce us?" she continued, gesturing to Buffy.

"Oh, of course." It seemed as if Angel had completely forgot Buffy was standing there.

"Anna, this is Buffy Summers. Buffy, this is Anna Marcham."

"And where do you to know each other from?" Anna asked.

"Buffy used to go to the same school as Cordelia".

"Ahh" Anna nodded. "Well it's nice to meet you Buffy."

"You too" was the only reply Buffy could muster.

"Well we have to be going, it was good to see you again Buffy."

Buffy stood in astonishment as Angel casually dismissed her, turning briefly to Anna before moving away. Her astonishment grew however when he didn't head down the dark hallway as she expected him to. Buffy could only turn on the spot, and watch in disbelief as Angel strolled past her into the lobby of the restaurant. Pausing to hold the door open for Anna, he followed her out into the street.

What ... but ... alive! How can he ... he should be dust ... human? How? Buffy's wind was a whirl with a million thoughts all battling for her attention. But conscious thought stopped in a second as Angel appeared though the large window in the front of the restaurant, walking along the pavement.

There he was in the light. Buffy marveled at the picture he presented as the sun glanced off his handsome face. She slowly smiled taking in this vision, one that had haunted her dreams for years. When she first met Angel she had often dreamed of him as human, thousand of times, in so many different ways. Later however, the dreams had taken a particular form, always telling the same story, set in the same location.

But once again Buffy's heart failed her, as Angel turned to plant a long kiss on Anna's receptive mouth.

* * * * * *

"Did you find the bathrooms OK? Riley looked up at Buffy as she sat down opposite him. For a moment his words didn't register - she gazed out the window in a trance, as if hypnotized. Angel and Anna had disappeared from her view, but her eyes remained locked on the spot where they had been standing. "Buffy?" Riley reached across the table to touch her arm. "Buffy!"

"What? Oh yes, fine." Buffy seemed to come to her senses, as she shifted slightly in her seat, turning away from the streetscape.

"Are you feeling OK Buffy? You seem a little ... I don't know ... distracted or something"

"No, I'm fine" Buffy replied. "I just ... I thought I saw someone I know."

"And did you?" Riley prompted, when Buffy offered no further information.

"No ... I don't think I knew him at all."

"Oh". Riley dismissed the subject and took a sip of the drink the waiter had brought him. Buffy sat still, her calm exterior belying the emotions surging through her. Happiness at seeing Angel again, confusion as to his attitude towards her, rage at that tall brunette bitch Anna, astonishment at seeing him in the sunlight, and dreadful pain and jealousy when she saw him kiss another woman; all of these battled beneath the surface. "I want to thank you for meeting me - I know that we haven't really talked for a while, years in fact. We didn't really keep in contact after I left Sunnydale did we?" Riley laughed awkwardly.

"No I guess not." After the dramatic final battle with Adam, Riley had left for Washington for a debriefing on the Initiative's actions. Following a brief return to Sunnydale, he had departed to Iowa for the summer. The months spent apart, plus a renewed commitment to her slaying, confirmed for Buffy what she had secretly come to suspect. While Riley was good and sweet and solid, and she did care for him - she just didn't love him. It was only a few days into her sophomore year when she finally broke up with him. They had continued to run into each other on campus, with the usual awkward conversations, before Riley left at the end of the first semester. "So what have you been up to? When you left town, you didn't know where you were headed."

"Well, I went home for a while, did a little thinking about life and my purpose in it. Eventually I re-enlisted, and now I work in military intelligence, in the department specialising in the supernatural. Sort of like the X-Files, but without the little green men." Riley chuckled. "The occasional big green demon though". Buffy offered a small smile in reply, still having trouble focusing on Riley's words. "Anyway, it's about business that I contacted you. There's some big trouble on its way, and I was hoping you could help."

"Well, after all the help you gave me in the past, it's the least I can do. Plus, you know, there's the whole sacred duty thing as well." Privately Buffy knew that her motivations were less than sacred. She now looked on this as a way of distracting her from Angel, and all the difficult emotions he raised. "So what's the sitch?"

"There's a new demon making himself known in the higher circles. We've never come across anything like him before. He is amazingly strong - more powerful than anything we've gone up against. From what rumours we've heard, lesser demons are afraid of him - he's got them running scared. The problem is we can't identify him. He looks human, and hasn't made any moves that give us a clue to the human identity he uses. All we have is a name - Scelus."

"So what's the problem with this Scelus guy? What's he done to get you so worried?" Buffy smiled politely at the waiter as he approached the table with their meals. Riley was silent as the dishes were placed in front of them, but as the waiter walked away he continued.

"It's not what he's done, it's what he plans to do. The word is that he has some pretty big plans, not the least of which is to assassinate the President."

"The President?" Buffy squeaked, Riley now commanding her full attention.

"Yes" Riley replied, making hushing gestures with his hands while looking furtively at the nearby diners, "the President. Everybody knows that the government is unstable at the moment, what with the Vice President suffering from yet another sex scandal, and the increased terrorist activity directed at us. It's the President's powerful personality that's holding things together. Scelus is hoping that everything will fall apart if he dies, and in the following confusion he can wreak havoc - rapidly destabilise the stock markets and economy - and with America's dominant role in international affairs, this is likely to have a ripple effect though out the rest of the world. Apparently he revels in anarchy, and he intends to produce as much as possible."

"And you want me, to help you, to save the President?" Buffy asked incredulously.

"I know it sounds like a bad James Bond movie, but it's a very real threat. We've had the President under incredibly tight security recently, but there's a big event soon that he can't miss. With all the scandal surrounding the oval office, they need a big PR stunt to bring the approval ratings back up, so he's attending a fundraising ball. It's a gathering of the party faithful, all the powerful people who contribute big money to his campaigns. He needs to keep them happy, so they'll continue to support him. And this is where Scelus is going to make his move."

"And how do you expect me to stop him exactly, when all the might of the military and the Secret Service haven't been able to get a photo of the guy?"

"Well, that's where I was hoping your supernatural slayer senses would come in. You go to this ball posing as a guest and mingle with the crowd. I was hoping that you would be able to sense him or something, get a lock on the target. Then we can move in and take him down."

"You're pinning all your hopes on me?" Buffy was concerned. "I mean, I can tell when there is a vampire around, but it doesn't always work with demons. Remember, I'm a vampire slayer, not exactly a demon specialist."

"Well, you've stopped the apocalypse before, and from what I remember could handle the demons pretty well too. Besides, you're the best." Riley threw Buffy a charming smile. She responded by stabbing at her salad with a fork before chomping on a piece of tomato, her face expressing the uncertain state of her mind. After a pregnant pause, Riley glanced across the table and spoke, his tone of voice soft and uncertain.

"You know, I missed you." Buffy looked up from the piece of lettuce she had been working onto her fork, and studied Riley's face. Smiling slightly at him for a moment, she brought the lettuce to her mouth, chewing intently as her gaze slipped out the window to focus on a now empty spot on the pavement.

* * * * * * *

January 9

Buffy paused in front of the steps, looking up at the imposing archway. The chilly evening air caused a shiver to run up her spine - or was it nerves as to what awaited her inside that provoked the physical reaction? Buffy certainly was nervous - it had taken her two days to clear her mind and work up the courage to come here. And now that she had made it, well ... maybe another couple of days thinking wouldn't be such a bad idea.

'No!' Buffy mentally chastised herself. 'Come on Buffy, you can do this - you're the Slayer! The Chosen One! It's not like there's a huge ugly demon inside, waiting to tear you limb from limb. There's no powerful sorcerer bent upon doing evil, or a megalomaniac vampire thinking he can succeed where everyone else has bitten the dust. Nope, there's just an apparently ex-vampire. Nothing you can't handle. One man - is he a man? Who knows - he's just your ex-lover who secretly you've never stopped loving and who you hoped had never stopped loving you but now it appears he has ...'

Buffy frowned at the direction her internal pep talk had taken. She'd never actually admitted to herself that she was still in love with Angel - to do so would have been too painful, knowing that he would never be hers again. But now confronting the truth left some part of her strangely at peace, secure in that knowledge. The rest of her however was turned upside down by it - and by the detached treatment that Angel had afforded her in the restaurant.

Why had he acted so ... Buffy couldn't explain it. There was only one person who could. And so she strode forward up the steps, into the lobby, and through the doorway into the darkened office. Slowly making her way past the unoccupied desk into the adjacent room, Buffy remembered the last time she was here - the pain, jealousy and all-consuming anger. She could not fault Angel for being angry with her after the way she behaved - if only he was angry! That at least she could understand. Opening the door to the stairwell, Buffy headed down to the apartment below, the rubber-soled boots she had recently bought at forty percent off muting her footfalls.

Moving off the last step into the living room, Buffy looked around herself and was surprised at how familiar it all felt. She had only spent a brief time there, but somehow it felt longer. Slowly wandering around the spacious apartment, she saw that the furniture and decorations were exactly as they were detailed in her dreams - dreams of Angel being human. Were they prophetic Slayer dreams? Buffy wasn't sure - they didn't have the same feel as her usually doom-laden visions. But then they felt too real to be classed as everyday REM-driven dreams.

Buffy's head whipped around at the sound of movement, and she watched as Angel came into view. He emerged from what she instinctively knew was his bedroom, and it was a moment before he seemed to notice her presence. His head rose, and his eyes locked onto her face. For a moment Buffy thought she saw a flicker of emotion in their brown depths, before Angel stopped in his tracks.

"Buffy. I didn't expect to see you here." Angel's tone was polite as he walked past her to retrieve some cuff links that were lying on a side table.

"Well, why would you? It's not everyday you wander into your living room to find someone standing there is it?" Buffy's mind was running at a mile a minute, reflected in her nervous chatter. "I hope you don't ... it's alright, isn't it? Me being here?"

"Sure" Angel said, sitting down on the couch, indicating Buffy should also take a seat. "Is there some business you need help with? A book for Giles maybe, or a hand killing a particularly nasty demon? It's been so long since I've seen you, I've lost track of what's happening on the Hellmouth." Frowning slightly at an almost imperceptible edge in Angel's voice, Buffy shook her head.

"No, no, there's no big evil brewing. At least not in Sunnydale anyway. No it's just, well after we ran into each other the other day, I thought maybe we should ... you know ... talk." Buffy hoped that Angel would raise the issue of his apparent humanity of his own accord, but his continuing casual behavior had her frustrated.

"Talk? What would we have to talk about?" Angel was focused on attaching the cuff links to his white shirt, so Buffy could not see if the expression in his eyes matched the sudden hardening in his voice.

"Don't you have something to tell me?" At Angel's blank look, Buffy sighed and continued. "Well, the fact that I saw you in the sunlight yesterday - you're surprised that I want to talk about how you suddenly seem to be human?"

"Oh that." Angel got off the couch, and headed into the kitchen.

"Yes, that." Buffy followed him and watched as he opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of orange juice. Silently she stood as he poured himself a glass, nodding her head in assent as on an afterthought Angel offered her a drink. Sitting across from him at the table, Buffy sipped at the sweet liquid before prompting him again. "Do you mind telling me how it happened?"

"Well, it's no big deal really. Not long after the business with Faith ..." Buffy flinched at the memory "... we came across a scroll, and when Wesley translated it we discovered it prophesied me becoming human once more. It said there were a few things I'd have to endure first - the coming darkness, apocalyptic battles, a few plagues and fiends. We thought that these were all things I'd have to face in the future, but it turns out that the prophecy was already in action - had been for a couple of years in fact."

"So this prophecy was underway while you were still in Sunnydale?" Angel's glance fixed on Buffy briefly before returning to peruse his glass of juice.

"Apparently so. The fights with the Master and the Mayor - both of these were apocalyptic in the sense that they were prepared to bring hell to earth. And apart from the literal plagues I've seen in my two hundred plus years, there were also a couple of figurative ones I helped defeat. There was a demon army, 'The Scourge', which was bothering the half-demon population with its hatred of anything less than pure, and a large law firm plagued the city with its support and promotion of evil."

"And the coming darkness? What was that?" Angel drained his glass and stood, turning his back on the kitchen and returning to the living room.

"That was Hell". Buffy sat still for a moment, as the pain of her memories of Angelus and the aftermath of his attempt to raise Acathla consumed her. That Pyrrhic victory had cost her more than anything else before or after ever had. It had cost her the one person, the one relationship that had ever felt truly right to her. Rising slowly from her seat, she once again followed Angel to the next room, where he was busy returning piles of old books to their rightful place on his shelves.

"How did it happen eventually, your humanity I mean?"

"It was sort of an anti-climax. I had just killed a fairly ordinary vampire, one of those countless fiends the scroll mentioned, and the next thing I knew I was standing in front of the Oracles".

"The Oracles?" The name set a bell ringing in the back of Buffy's mind, but she couldn't quite place it. Angel paused in his tidying, Buffy noting that the muscles in his back tensed beneath their cotton covering. Resuming his actions, Angel continued to order his shelves with his back to Buffy.

"The Oracles - they're channels to the Powers That Be. They said I'd earned my redemption, and a moment later I was breathing." There was silence after Angel's explanation, as Buffy looked at him in wonder, noting that yes, he was actually breathing! A living, breathing human being!

"So what do you do now? I saw the sign above the office still says 'Angel Investigations'. Are you just a regular detective now?"

"Not exactly - Cordelia still kept getting visions, so I kept fighting. After I almost died in a fight with a few fioral demons, I went back to the Oracles and pointed out the problem with the situation. So they restored the demon strengths to me - powerful hearing and night vision, rapid healing, general strength and so on. So I've been doing the same thing I've always done".

"Battle evil". Buffy concluded.

"I guess you could say that ..." Angel turned around to find Buffy standing right in front of him, an expression of wonder in her eyes. "You're alive." A smile spread across her face, as if she was learning this for the first time. "Human" she continued, almost in a trance. Angel was motionless as Buffy reached a tentative hand up, and placed it above his heart.

'Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.' The beating of his heart reverberated through Buffy's hand, and seemed to echo throughout her whole body. Pressing her hand gently against his warm (warm!) chest, a tear came to Buffy's eye. Looking up into Angel's face, Buffy gave her emotions free reign.

"Angel, you're alive!" she breathed, her voice displaying the joy that suffused her being. Stepping closer to him, so that their bodies were almost touching, Buffy was aware of nothing but Angel, and the heat that radiated off him. His now almost black eyes were locked on hers, seemingly unable to look away, and there was an emotion in them that Buffy struggled to read. Her hand continued to caress the smooth muscle beneath his shirt, and her breathing became slightly ragged as she fell his heart-rate quicken. "Angel" Buffy repeated, tilting her head and stretching up onto her toes, unconsciously reaching upwards for a kiss. As Angel's lips moved almost imperceptibly downwards, Buffy heard herself ask "and the curse?"

Angel instantly flinched away from her touch, and brushed past her to stand in the middle of the room. Running his hand though his hair, he took a deep breath before picking up a jacket that lay across the back of a chair. Shrugging it onto his shoulders, he replied in a voice devoid of feeling.

"There is no curse". Buffy felt like she was about to explode. Angel was human, and there was no curse. No curse! Only in her wildest fantasies had she been able to imagine this moment, and the happiness she would feel. But her imagination fell far short of reality, for 'happy' was a poor description of the way she was feeling. 'Joyous', 'amazed', 'exultant', 'blissful', 'ecstatic' - even combined these words couldn't begin to explain the level of emotion that threatened to pour out of her body at any moment.

Yet Angel's cold behavior sobered Buffy up quickly. Why hadn't he told her? What reason could he have had for keeping this momentous news from her? Sure they had parted on a bad note, but still Buffy thought he cared for her enough to at least send a note, even if he didn't immediately rushed back to Sunnydale to claim her as his, as she wished he had. Why didn't he tell her?

"Why didn't you tell me?" Angel lifted his shirt collar over the jacket, and straightened his clothes. "I don't understand why you would keep this a secret? I know that you were mad at me, and deservedly so, but why?" Angel pivoted suddenly and stared at her. Anger and bitterness were evident in his rigid posture, and the coldness in his eyes made Buffy wrap her arms around herself defensively. She had wanted some sort of reaction from him, anything but the painful casualness he had treated her with up 'til now. But she wasn't prepared for the hatred that surged towards her.

The click of heels on the steps intruded into the hostile scene, and both Buffy and Angel looked up to see Anna descend into the apartment. Taking in her immaculate, glamorous attire, Buffy realised with a start that Angel was dressed up for a formal occasion. As he turned to Anna he visibly relaxed, and in the blink of an eye a smile replaced the angry mask on his features.

"Anna darling, you look magnificent." Buffy's eyes narrowed as his hands rested on Anna's upper arms, and he placed a lingering kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you, as do you Angel." Anna's tone switched from appreciative to condescending. "It's nice to see you again ... Buddy, was it?"

"Buffy".

"Right." Anna seemed oblivious to the dislike underlying Buffy's voice. "Angel, are you ready? You must excuse us Buffy, we've dinner reservations and opera tickets, and we can't be late".

Gathering his wallet from a table, Angel offered Anna his arm. "You can show yourself out, can't you Buffy?" he tossed over his shoulder, as he escorted Anna up the stairs and out of sight.

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