Confusion

by Kelly Rowe

DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Angel and the gang belong to the evil Joss and I only own the characters I make up. In a perfect world however I would own all of them, Buffy and Angel wouldn't have broken up and Riley would never have existed.
RATING: PG
SPOILERS: General (if any)
TIMELINE: Ten years after the wedding (part of long ago series).

When Dev awoke that evening he was surprised to find Hope gone, he'd hoped that she'd have stuck around because they had things they needed to discuss. He got up and noticed that all of her things were gone, she had gone home and not just popped out for a minute. There was a knock at the door and Dev rushed to answer it figuring that it was Hope, but it was only Chyna.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Chyna asked.

"You set us up" he stated. He was grateful to her, he just didn't want her to get any more ideas that may involve him and his relationship with Hope.

"It did it for your own good. Anyone who looks at you when you talk about her... well, they can tell you're in love with her. So now all you have to do is convince her" Chyna replied.

"That's not going to be easy" Dev said.

"Why not?" Chyna asked naively.

"Because she didn't even stay until I woke up... and she has trust issues about our former relationship" Dev replied.

Chyna didn't hear the last part of his sentence. "You and... she... you..." she sputtered in shock.

"Well, yeah. What did you think happened?" Dev asked.

"Talking, much talking... with words and not..." Chyna stammered, "I didn't think that you and she would..."

"Have sex" Dev finished.

Chyna blushed and silently wished the ground would open up and swallow her. "Uh... I have gotta go..." she said running away.

Dev stood in his doorway and watched her retreat, "She is just so strange sometimes." He went back inside and got ready to go out, so he could find Hope and they could discuss what has happened and what will happen now.

*

Meanwhile Spike had dragged Hope off to Willy's, in a good intentioned but disastrous attempt to cheer her up. Hope was having trouble just sitting there with Willy's demon patronage, they were all driving her slayer sense nuts, so after an hour she told Spike, "I'm gonna go."

Spike nodded and as he watched her leave he mentally noted that poor Hope had inherited Peaches party-pooper gene.

Hope walked away from Willy's and towards the nearest cemetery, she felt the need to pulverise all vampires she came across. Ten minutes later she'd dusted five vampires and was about to move on, when she felt him approach. "What do you want?" Hop asked too tired to play games.

Dev's answer was simple, "You."

"For how long? A week? A month?" Hope replied, "I can't live like that."

"Actually I was thinking about forever" Dev told her.

Hope looked at him and laughed bitterly, "I think I've heard that from you before."

"Look, I know I was a stupid jerk ten years ago and I made the biggest mistake of my un-life. Can't you at least try to forgive me?" he asked.

"Why should I?" Hope demanded defiantly.

Her stubbornness was getting on his nerves. "Because I love you" he growled as he vamped out in anger.

"Sometimes love ain't enough" Hope replied walking away.

Dev watched her go and couldn't believe that she was leaving him this time. Had he expected too much? Had too much time passed? Was there someone else? He walked back to his apartment to contemplate his next move because no matter what, he wasn't going to give up until she was back in his arms.

*

An hour later Spike was on his way back from Willy's , when he heard the sound of someone crying. He walked towards the sound and saw it was Hope, he put his hand on her shoulder and sat down on the ground next to her. She threw her arms around his neck and cried herself out, Spike stroked her hair and told her that everything would be fine.

"How can you even say that? My life is a disaster area" Hope cried.

"Cheer up, Kiddo. You've still got me" he told her as he held her close.

Hope just sat there in his arms for a minute and then said, "I'm glad... I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You don't have to worry about that, I'm not going anywhere" Spike replied.

"Good" Hope told him.

After a few more minutes, they got up and headed home. When they arrived, Spike did something he'd been wanting to do for the last ten years, he kissed Hope. Just as he did that the front door opened and there in the doorway stood one stunned Angel.

The End

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