Chapter 13

 Sunnydale 2009

"Angel."

"Buffy," Angel replied. "What are you doing here?"

 "I was hungry, so I figured I would go to a restaurant," she replied. Angel knew that there had to be another reason that she just happened to walk into the restaurant that he owned.

 "And it had nothing to do with the fact that I work here, did it?"

 "Well, okay, it had something to do with it," Buffy admitted. (Damn it, why isn't he happier to see me then this. Willow's not around, so it can't be he's trying to protect her feelings.) That's when she noticed Cordelia by the hostess station. (It must be because of Cordelia. He's afraid of her telling Willow that we're talking.)

 "I just figured that we could talk or something," Buffy said. "Since we didn't really get a chance to last night."

 Angel couldn't believe Buffy's attitude. (Chance to talk last night? She has to be kidding right?) "Buffy, we had a chance to talk last night but you didn't want to," he reminded her. "Instead, you wanted to attack Willow." Buffy nodded her head.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I really am. I didn't mean to hit Willow, but I was just so surprised when I found out that you and she were married." (That's the truth Angel. But I'm calm now. Just having you here with me makes me feel better.)

 "I understand that," Angel said as he took a seat in the booth. Buffy had to make a conscious effort not to move closer to him. (Don't want to make him upset with me again. Don't want to push him any closer to Willow than necessary.) "But, Buffy, you have to understand that I love Willow and I won't allow her to be hurt."

"And you think I'm going to hurt her, don't you?"

"You've already hurt her twice in this lifetime," Buffy looked over at Angel when he said that.

"Twice?"

"Yes, twice. The first time when you ran away and didn't bother telling anyone if you were alive or dead." Angel noticed that Buffy had the decency to look guilty for that. "And then the second time last night when you attacked her."

"I said I was sorry," Buffy defended, "what more do you want? What do I have to do to make it up to you?"

"I'm not the one that you have to apologize to," he explained, "Willow is. She's the one you attacked." Buffy nodded her agreement, realizing that Angel would defend Willow with everything that he was. (He's so loyal to her. He'll protect her with everything that he is. He's always been like that.)

 "So what exactly happened between the two of you?"

Angel looked at Buffy quizzically, trying to decide if she was truly interested in hearing how he and Willow had fallen in love. Deciding that she was, he began to tell her about his life with Willow. He described all the emotions that he had discovered with her help. He told her about the wedding and the birth of the two girls. Buffy couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy each time she saw Angel's smile as he remembered his life with Willow. (It should have been me. It should have been that had his children. That was in his bed each night.)

 "What about Spike and Drusilla? How did they come about being a part of your family?"

"Well, about a month after the wedding, Spike and Dru decided to come back to Sunnydale. They had heard about you're leaving and my becoming human, so the wanted to have some fun. Well, at least Spike did. He wanted revenge for the things that I did when I had lost my soul again. They didn't realize that just because I was no longer a vampire, I didn't lose my strength. Another one of the side effects of Willow's spell. Still had the reflexes and strengths of a vampire, without actually being one. "Well, Willow and I talked a lot those first couple of weeks after Spike's return. We weren't sure what was going to happen. Spike and Dru knew about the marriage and I was scared that they would come after Willow when I couldn't protect her. And Willow was worried about me. She knew, that no matter what had happened, I still had feelings for my childre. Willow understood how difficult it was for me to have to fight them so, without my knowledge, she started working on the curse to give them both back their souls, without the happiness clause."

"Willow did it so you wouldn't have to kill them, didn't she?" Buffy asked. "She hoped that they would change if they had their souls."

"Exactly. And it did, completely," Angel continued, "Spike wasn't exactly the nicest of people before he changed, but then again neither was I. When he got his soul back though, the horrors that he committed almost drove him insane. He could barely comprehend that he had actually done the things that he had. If it wasn't for Dru, I don't think he would have seen another night."

"What do you mean, if it wasn't for Dru?" Buffy inquired.

 "Dru tried to kill herself as soon as her memories had come back," Angel's voice quieted as he remembered back to that day when Drusilla had regained her soul.

Sunnydale 1999

Screams ripped through the apartment where the two newly resouled vampires were living. Angel had already been there for the two hours since the change and he knew exactly who was screaming and why. Willow and Faith had gone to Willy's to pick up some blood for Spike and Drusilla, leaving Angel alone with his two childre and the past that he would have rather forget. (It’s going to be so tough for both of them. I remember what it was like for me and I wonder if it wouldn’t have been better to have just killed them, than to make them do through this. Especially Drusilla.)

 Angel looked over at Spike, who was sitting by the fireplace staring at the wall, to see if he would even acknowledge the screaming. (It’s like he’s in a trance.) Angel knew exactly what Spike was going through. He had gone through the same thing when the Rom had cursed him long ago. Spike hadn’t been all that different from Angel as a mortal. (And look at what I did after I regained my soul. I’m still sure how I survived all those years before Willow had come into my life.)When it became apparent that the vampire was not going to go to his mate and help her, Angel carefully made his way to the bedroom.

When he entered he saw Drusilla lying on the bed, the chains around her wrist forcing her arms to her sides. The chains prevented Drusilla from trying to harm herself again. (It was a good thing that Willow had thought of those chains. I don't think I could have handled Dru without them.) Drusilla was thrashing around on the bed in her sleep. He could see the horror on her face as she relived the past one hundred plus years. (All because of what I did. What I made her into.) He went over and pulled her head into his lap. She awoke with a start.

 "Angel?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, Dru, I'm here," he replied, stroking her hair.

"I didn't mean to be a bad girl," Dru started crying. "Mother always said I was, but I didn't want to believe her."

"I know you didn't Dru. It wasn't you," Angel said, trying to soothe the insane creature in his arms. (I just made you think you were.)

 "I see them. The people I killed. That slayer. They're all in my head, blaming me for their deaths," she raised her head, looking at Angel. "Why did you do this to me?" Angel couldn’t answer her for a minute, his guilt over Angelus’ torment of the girl overtaking him. Finally he found his voice once again.

 "I'm so, so sorry for everything that I ever did to you Dru." There were tears in Angel's eyes as he gazed at the brunette in his arms. (I would do anything to make it better for you if I had that kind of power.) He felt horrible knowing that he had driven her to insanity and was afraid of what the knowledge of her past would make her do. "I know you don't understand everything, Dru, but it will be okay. I promise. If I’ve never given you anything, I will give you that."

"Are you and the witch going to hurt me and Spike now?," she asked in a childlike voice. "Is that why she did this to us?" Angel was taken aback by the question. He hugged her tightly to him. While she was a women, she still reminded him of a child.

"No Drusilla, we aren't going to hurt you. That's why Willow did this. She didn't want you hurt anymore. We only want to help you." Angel heard a noise and turned to see Spike standing at the bedroom door, watching him. Angel could see the pain in Spike’s eyes and realized that was what Willow must have seen every time she looked at him. (And yet, she still loves me.)

 Behind Spike, stood Willow and Faith. Spike looked at the woman in Angel's lap and walked over to the bed, bringing her to him. He looked over at Angel, silently letting him know that he would take care of Drusilla. Angel understood and got up to leave the room.

 "Spike, if there is anything that I can do, I'll be in the living room," Angel offered. "The keys to the chains are on the dresser." Spike didn't bother answering. Angel shut the bedroom door as the three humans made their way to the living room.

"Do you think they're going to be okay," Willow asked. She had heard Dru's cries and was worried for the frail vampiress.

 "I don't know. Dru has already tried killing herself," Willow looked up at that, "but I stopped her. And I don’t know if Spike has the strength to pull them both through this. I'm afraid that they both might end up killing themselves. I’m scared for both of them. I mean, it was so difficult when I first regained my soul and I was alone. I didn’t have someone depending on me. I don’t know how well Spike will handle the pressure of taking care of Dru and himself." Angel finally allowed himself to break down as Willow's arms circled him.

 Faith sat behind him on the couch, giving him some additional support. Both women knew that Angel blamed himself for what was happening to the couple in the other room and wished that they could help him with his guilt. The only thing they could do, though, was offer him love and support.

"But they’re alone Angel, " Willow said as she held her husband. It hurt her seeing him in pain over the thought of what was happening to his two childre. "They’ve got each other, and whether they like or not, they have us. We’ll help them get through this. They're your childre and they have your strength. Besides," Willow smiled, "do you really think that I would let them off themselves after going through that ritual. Not in my lifetime."

Angel pulled back a bit and smiled at his wife. Faith could tell that the two of them needed to be alone, so she excused herself and left the apartment. Besides, Faith knew that she had to go tell Giles what had happened. (Oh man, the Watcher's Council will not be happy about me helping two of the most feared vampires get their souls back instead of killing them.) Inside the mansion, two couples cried and held onto each other, mourning the lose of innocence.
 
 
 

Next