Summery: After learning his beloved is among the
living again, Angel and Buffy meet up in an old
warehouse. Angel learns a lot about Buffy, just from
her silence.
AN: I wrote this on a spur of the moment type of
thing. I was writing a story that had this whole part
in it, but then decided this should be it's own story.
I'm not sure if I'll start a series out of this. I am
considering it, however I do need feedback/reviews!
This is a new fic of mine, and as for those of you who
want to see more of Together Again and my other
stories ( Yes this is Kati or AngelLuvsBuffy87) new
chapters will be out soon.
"So, I guess-" Buffy's cut short when the phone rang.
She walked away leaving Giles, Xander, Willow, Tara, and Dawn in the living room. When she returned it was obvious something happened.
"Buffy, are you alright?" Giles asked worriedly.
She nods. "It-it was Angel."
They all looked at her.
"I- he.. um, he wants to see me."
She turned around to grab her keys and purse. "Wants to meet me between here and there, uh..." she looked at her trashed house. "I'm sure you guys and clean up."
With that Buffy walked out the door with out a second thought.
"Oh God, here we go again." Xander complained.
"Xander!" Willow said sternly.
***************
Angel Investigations:
Angel grabbed his keys and headed for the doors.
"Angel, where are you going?" Cordelia asked.
He looked at her. "Where do you think?"
"Don't you think you should-"
He walked out the door before she could finish.
"Where was he going?" Fred asked looking around confused.
"I'll give you three guesses, but you'll only need one." Wesley piped in.
"Buffy?"
Cordelia nodded, saving Wesley the energy of having to speak.
"Shouldn't he have waited until it wasn't day. I mean how will he meet her?"
"This is Angel. There's no way anything could keep him from her right now."
***************************
As Angel walked through the tunnels leading to the subway, he began to think about how he'd found out she was among the living again.
Angel began remembering just a few moments ago:
Angel and co. walked into the hotel after just killing a demon that was going to sacrifice children. Everyone was pleased they had saved the day again, except Angel. Even after staying with the Monks for three months still didn't help him get over his beloved. Everyone thought he was over it, or getting close to being, but no one knew that he sat awake every night staring at her picture; different ones. One when she still had her long hair at 16, short hair at 17.. two pictures of what she looked like before his demon conterpart Angelus was released into the world, and wreaked havoc on her world; and there was a big difference in the way she looked, her eyes were old, and Buffy often seemed wary after that. Angel even began to draw pictures of her. Buffy being pregnant, and each of the stages, her holding Conor, her sleeping, slaying. Everything. But now that she was out of his life, well she had been for awhile, but now that she was buried in the ground he had nothing left to fight for, it was different, because even if they never spoke or saw each other, he fought for her to one day have a better life. Angel still clung to the hope that one day, their love could work.
"I'm going into your office Wesley."
Angel walked away. He sat had the desk fiddling with the phone. He had wanted to call. Talk to Dawn or Willow. Anyone to remind him of her... He made of his mind.. he'd call.
Angel picked up the phone and heard Cordelia on it, he was about to hang up, but curiosity got the better of him.
"Hey Tara."
'So this just started.'
"Hey. I was wondering if you had any extra health herbs."
"Maybe, why? Are things still rocky?"
"More than ever. She doesn't think she came back normal."
"Why?"
Angel shuffled the phone.
"Is someone else on this line?"
"I don't know, let me call you back on your cell."
"Alright, bye."
"Bye."
Angel walked out of the office to hear:
"Hey Wes, Tara needs more of those herbs thingies. Buffy thinks she came back wrong and Tara wants to do a spell I guess, they're all really worried about her."
"Bu-Buffy?" Angel asked. He hadn't spoken her name in months, it sounded foreign, but like he was supposed to say it, like it was his.
Cordelia turned around. "Angel..."
"Came back wrong?" His voice was rising. It was obvious there was extreme anger.
"Calm down."
"How long has she been back!" Angel yelled.
"I.. uh."
"Tell the truth." His voice was deadly.
"A couple months. Willow brought her back."
"Who else knew?!"
"We all did."
Angel nodded slowly. "And you didn't tell me, why?! None of you did." He shouted looking all his friends in the face.
"Be-because you were doing so much better I didn't want you to get hurt again. I knew you'd rush back to her."
Angel voice, now more quiet, low, and deadlier "We'll talk later."
He rushed back into Wesley's office to call Buffy.
***********************
As Buffy is dashing through traffic to get to her destination, she went over the conversation with Angel in her mind:
"Hello." She tried to sound perky.
Angel would know that voice anywhere.
"Beloved."
Tears formed in Buffy's eyes. She'd waited for his phone call. Cordelia said she'd tell him when it was right, and he'd call when he felt he could. But it had been months, and she wondered if he did know, she was too afraid to ask Cordelia if she'd told him. Out of pure fear that she had and he refused to call... she couldn’t handle that, not now, if ever.
"My.. *ahem* ..Angel."
Angel took a few moments to speak.
"I.. we need to see each other."
"We do Angel. We do."
"Meet me in an hold warehouse, off of I-58, you can't miss it. It's past the rest stop, near some tunnels."
"I'm on my way."
Silence for a moment.
"I love you, Buffy."
"I love you, too."
They both hung up.
***************************
Buffy pulled up and entered the warehouse. She looked Angel, Buffy felt uneasy, scared. They walked to Each other.
"An-Angel." Buffy said.
Angel looked at her. She was beautiful, breath taking. But, obviously older; and not by age but she looked tired and worn. She was sad. Her front, though, was good. *I bet no one else notices.*
"Buffy.. hi." Angel said uneasily. *Calm down....*
*God he's handsome... *
"You seem.... better? Is that a good way to say it? Maybe more confident." Buffy said fidgeting.
Angel nodded noticing her uneasiness, with any luck she wouldn't notice his. He was terrified. What if all this was a dream and when he awoke she would still be dead, buried in the ground while he was still walking on this earth... she deserved to life a happy life not.... *Stop it* he scolded himself. He couldn't feel guilty because he couldn't save her.
"Yeah, the business is great. I- Well I am a little better I guess you could say."
Angel now regretted meeting Buffy is this old warehouse, it should have been a nicer place, but he had to see her once he found out. He looked at the torn sofa and moved to sit down, motioning for Buffy to do the same. And she did.
"So, I.. who told you I was back?" Buffy asked, in a questionable tone.
She didn't seem that confident, all her confidence was lost, lost somewhere with the young woman he had once known, the child that grew into womanhood. Her spark was missing and she did seem more cut off from the world- hiding, running.
"Cordelia did. She kinda, I.. she let it slip."
"Oh.. slipped? I wanted to call you, but then I wasn't sure if you knew. And things got hectic, then I thought you might know something happened if you had gotten my message before I..."
"Message?"
"Yeah. Before we went to fight Glory for the finale time, I called you, but you weren't there. So I left a message explaining as fast as I could..."
"No I uh I didn't get it. As soon as Willow told me I left...."
Buffy nodded. "So how have you been?"
"Alright. After I was told I freaked out, didn't do so well."
"I meant all around..."
Angel looked shy for a moment. Had he been human he would have blushed.
"Well, what about you. How are you and Dawn?"
"We're..." Buffy looked away. "Alright. Willow is living with us, and so is Tara. I'm sure she explained the whole Dawn thing... didn't she?"
Angel nodded. "I would have come to help if I could have. You should have called sooner..."
Buffy stood up quickly as did Angel. "I did call, then told Cordy not to say I called. I called a dozen times. Just to check up on you," She began to pace, "She told me everything was great. Cordelia always kept me posted. She's told me about Kate, and that woman from that other reality..."
"How long have you been calling?" Angel inquired. He wanted to know... no he needed to know.
"How long has Cordelia been with you? When-when I died, before I jumped... I wondered what you would do. This... I can't go into it."
"It's alright." Angel walked closer and pulled Buffy into his arms. He so desperately wanted to tell her about Connor, but he hoped somehow she knew and yet she would never be burdened with the fact that he has a child, a child that wasn't hers, when even though he had never thought she meant it, they both had vowed never did they want children with another soul.
He looked into her eyes and they were so lost. So alone. She was protecting everyone, and spending time with everyone. She looked like she had all the answers but like she didn't have any. She wanted answers to questions she had yet to think about, and wanted her answers to be wrong. She desperately wanted things to be right for once, at least for one of them, because she knew it would never be her. She was weak and yet so strong. Strong for the world, her friends. Strong for her sister. Even for Angel and if she didn't know about the child, still yet strong for him, and for her she was weak.
Angel's eyes filled with tears, just by looking into his soulmate’s eyes he had learned everything in the universe and yet he had learned nothing. She had all the answers and many questions, but she too had nothing but questions with all the wrong answers. In her eyes he saw what he was once like, but not that bad. He had been alone, but Buffy had pulled him out of his despair when she was still yet a child growing up too fast. At least when he was like this he had her, now she had no one.
Buffy's eyes too filled with tears. She had stupidly let her guard and, let someone in. Let him in. He had seen what she couldn't see, and what she hid so well.
"I'm sorry Buffy." Angel said. "I should have-"
He was cut off by Buffy hushing him with her finger over his lips.
"Shh... " she whispered. "Don't say something you'll regret later. And don't say something that might make me stay longer, and us start something painful that we can't finish because of who we are and our destinies. I know what you are going to say, so there's no need. We still have our past together, but don't drone on that after this, after I leave. We had our time. I love you Angel."
They kissed passionately. Lovingly. Rough. With all of who there were, what the once were, and what they would become. When they parted Buffy looked into his eyes, silently telling him everything she ever wanted to say about their relationship and what he had meant to her. Telling him she was still his girl, and that had never changed, and never would. He would still claim her heart as his. She forever more belonged to him.
She lightly kissed his sweet lips one more time, just for the memory. Buffy turned around and walked into the day light. Walked away from Angel. Away from the pain. Leaving him, with hopefully a better life.
"I love you, Buffy." Angel said as she turned her back.
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