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Distribution: Angry Puppy, Broken Dolls, Soulmates Eternal, LoD, pretty much anywhere, just send me the addy. My Site: Starla's Galaxy
Summary: Angel and Wesley talk after Sanctuary. possibly first in a series, who knows. Keep in mind I haven't actually seen Sanctuary, just read the transcript.
Feedback: Feedback is a vital part of my cognitive process.

About a Month later.

Angel pulled the heavy book down from his shelf, flipping through the pages, searching for any information on a Dallius demon. His fingers quickly turned the pages, eyes scanning the ancient text.

He was about to close the book, when he saw a photograph peeking out of the top of the book, towards the back. Reluctantly, he pulled it from it's hiding place.

It was a photo of Buffy, taken not long before they'd parted ways. She was smiling, a happy sheen of sweat covering her cheeks. Angel stood behind her, shirtless, his arms wrapped around her waist, his head cut off by Xander's amateur photography.They'd been sparring, he recalled, and the whole gang had been there, for once not fighting. Even he and Xander where refraining from exchanging snide comments.

Angel sighed, wearily sitting down in his chair, not for the first time regretting his decision to leave.

Just one of so many regrets....

"Buffy..." He whispered, wondering what she was doing at that moment.

His face clouded over. Who she was doing at that moment. He pushed the thoughts away. She had every right, he reminded herself. Every right to find a boyfriend and be happy.

Every right to forget all about him.

He pushed away the little voice inside his mind, telling him that she had *no* right. She was his, she would stay that way.

He pushed away the demon, howling deep inside him, roaring at the thought of his mate in someone else's arms. <*Someone else's pants....> Angelus hissed.

He pushed it away, because he knew it was futile.

He'd hurt Buffy deeply, siding with Faith.

She'd been so childish over the whole thing, he reminded himself.

But had he even tried to understand where she was coming from? He'd known exactly what Faith was going through, and had been able to completely disregard her victims.

The truth was, he had no clue what Faith had done to Buffy. Short of sleeping with her boyfriend, that was. He'd been so clouded by jealousy at that time, that he didn't even stop to think that maybe just needed some form of closure. He hadn't even tried to understnad what was happening to her.

But it hadn't excused her behaviour.

Nothing could do that. She'd been a self righteous bitch the entire time she'd been there.

This thought overtook his mind for a moment, until Wesley walked through the door. Angel looked up, but didn't bother trying to put away the photo of Buffy.

"You never told me." Angel said softly.

Wesley looked at him questioningly.

":Did I do the right thing? Yelling at Buffy?"

Wesley took a step back, adjusting his glasses. "My Honest Opinion?"

Angel just stared at him. He wasn't gonna like this, he could feel it.

"I think that you had good intentions." Wesley said, and then made to scamper out of the office.

"Halt!" Angel barked. Wesley turned slowly. "Wes, it's ok. Go on." Angel gestured for him to sit down, and Wesley did so, taking a few moments to get comfortable. Angel waited for him to go on.

"In the short time I worked with Buffy, I found her to be....difficult to get to know." Wesley said.

Angel cocked his head to the side. He'd never had that problem with her. Everything with Buffy had always been instinct.

"What I did learn, from observing her, and from the rare occasions when she would open up and talk to me, was that she feels things, very...very deeply."

Angel would go along with that.

"Blame, in particular." Wesley said.

"I didn't bla-" Angel started, but Wesley cut him off with a raised hand.

"You didn't, no. But she did. Another thing I saw in Buffy, is a tendency to blame herself for absolutely everything bad that happens around her, but not take any of the credit for the good." Wesley grimaced. "She makes things terribly difficult for herself."

Angel was silent. He couldn't deny those traits in Buffy.

"I think people tend to forget, that while she is the Slayer, she is also a largely fragile, insecure, teenage girl. A remarkable girl, but a girl none the less. When it came to Faith...she went on emotional overload. Guilt, Anger, Worry, Love...She had too many conflicting emotions, and she switched to autopilot."

"Buffy hates Faith." Angel said quietly, but he was already questioning the truth in those words.

Wesley shook his head. "Believe me." He said sadly. "You don't visit someone in a coma 3 times a week if you hate them."

Angel lifted his head. He hadn't known that. Doubted Faith knew, either.

"I believe when Buffy was here, you failed to read between the lines somewhat." Wesley said softly. "But it can't be helped. What's done is done."

"What's done is done." Angel repeated, still not quite ready to forgive her for...for what, exactly?

He wasn't quite sure what she had done to make him so bitter, so angry. All he knew was that he wasn't quite ready to let go of the little bullet of resentment that had lodged in his gut.

One day, maybe.

But not today.

Go to the next story Questionable Identity

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