They Did Not Fade Away
By Hephaestus
Page 6 of 6
Disclaimer: Joss owns all. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: Please read and review!
.
Chapter 25
Angel moved very slowly getting out of the cab. It was almost six in the morning, the bar owner had kicked him out a little while ago, right after a cab came for him. Angel was barely able to give the driver an address. His head was spinning and he saw close to three houses, maybe two and half, as he reached the front door. His keys seemed to jump away from his fingers and he shook them to make them behave.
Once inside, he dropped his coat on the floor. The hall closet was two feet away, much farther than Angel thought he get in one piece. Instead, he carefully walked towards the stairwell, vaguely aware he was walking in a zigzag pattern at times. His feet seemed to go one way while the rest of him went another, but he got up the steps. He stumbled down the hallway and fell through the doorway to his room. He almost got his shoes off.
Staring at the floor that was a lot closer than it had been a moment previously, he wondered at how he got on the floor in the first place. It took a lot of effort to get to his knees and then to crawl into bed. He fell into a drunken sleep before he remembered that he only had one shoe off.
Buffy sat up, startled. She had dozed on the bed in a guest room, but had never gotten below the covers. She listened as someone, who she surmised must be Angel, stumbled down the hall and made a big production of getting inside his room. She was on her feet before her brain had really comprehended the situation.
She stared at him. He was drunk. More than drunk, she thought. Her exhausted mind couldn't find a word for his condition. She took off the one shoe still on his foot and shoved him onto his back. He didn't stir. Sighing, she undid his belt and pulled his pants and socks off. The shirt was more difficult, because his arms didn't exactly cooperate with her.
When she finally had him undressed, she fought with the covers for a while until they were situated on top of him. With painstaking silence, she climbed in next to him. Trying her best not to disturb him, she fell asleep with her hand gently resting over his.
.
Chapter 26
Angel's brain wasn't working. He tried to make it work, but it just wouldn't respond. He rolled from the bed to the floor and crawled into the bathroom. It seemed three miles away, even though it was directly adjacent to his room. He used the sink to pull himself to a standing position and closed the door. Then he slapped the wall to try and tell the room to stop spinning. The wall paid him no heed.
He was on his knees quickly. His stomach was protesting what was in it. He vaguely remembered finishing the bottle of whiskey on his table, and he had an inkling that he tipped the waitress very, very well.
All that meant nothing when his stomach really started to scream. He hunched over the toilet, feeling like his insides were going to die. His head swimming, he managed to flush the toilet and lean his head back against the wall before he passed out.
When he came too again, he was already throwing up. That was odd, he thought. His brain contemplated that in between bouts of expelling all his major organs by way of his mouth. This was a lot less fun than the drinking had been, he realized. That was when he started to try and make deals with God. He promised he would never drink again. He promised to give more to charities, to be nicer to his friends. He must have been too drunk to pray properly though, because he just kept throwing up.
At some point he passed out again. And at some point he came to again. He was starting to notice a pattern. By the time he thought he might have gotten rid of everything he had put into his stomach in the past year, his body found a reserve that it had been storing for just such an occasion. That came up too.
Finally, he pulled himself from the floor and rinsed his mouth and face at the sink. Turning on the shower, he didn't bother with removing his boxers. He sat on the floor of the shower, letting the hot water rain down on him. Leaning his head against the cool tiles, his brain decided it was time to reboot yet again.
Buffy had been listening to Angel in the bathroom for almost two hours. She hadn't felt the need to check on him yet. He needed time to be sick in private. When she heard the shower, though, she got a little concerned. It probably wasn't a good idea for a guy who had crawled to the bathroom to be standing on slippery tiles.
She pulled herself out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. Her heart stopped when she saw him on the floor, unconscious. The water was off and she was pulling him to her in an instant.
"Angel." She slapped him lightly and repeated his name. She knew she couldn't carry him but wasn't willing to leave him on the floor, either. She shook him a little more until he roused a little. He was able to stand using Buffy as a crutch. She got him into the chair in the corner of the bedroom, toweled him off and took off his boxers. They got back to the bed without much incident, but Angel passed out again before she got him entirely under the covers.
She was exhausted and near tears with frustration. Going downstairs to find help, she saw Will, bleary eyed, making coffee in the kitchen. He turned when he heard her come down and gave her a tired smile.
"Need help, yet?"
"How'd you know?" She took a seat at the kitchen table and accepted the toast he put in front of her.
"I heard the cab pull in. I put the munchkin to bed a little while ago. I didn't really sleep much but I probably got more than you."
"He's been sick for hours. I dragged him out of the shower a little while ago."
Nodding, Will took a seat across from her and picked at a bowl of cheerios. "I'll go up with you once the coffee's done. You need some."
"Since when did you get so motherly?"
He laughed. Gunn had asked him the same question what seemed like a long time ago. "I spent a lot of time with Angel, crying in my beer while he told me it would all work out. I figure I owe him one. I owe him a lot, actually. He owes me too, but we don't keep track. We've both had some really awful nights. Better to have the awful mornings with someone to take care of you."
"I never thought you two would be friends. Then again, I didn't think you were alive."
He rose and poured them both coffees, pouring a flavored creamer he thought Buffy would like into hers. Once they felt a little more ready to tackle a drunken Angel, they headed upstairs. The rest of the house was already starting to rise. Will left the coffee on for them.
Angel was still in bed, though he had tossed around quite a bit. He was trying to untangle himself from the sheets, and Will caught him before he could totally fall out of bed.
"You had a really good time last night," Will observed as helped Angel up and into the bathroom. He wrapped a blanket around the shaking man's shoulders as he threw up for the hundredth time that morning.
Will turned to Buffy and explained, "Alcohol poisoning makes you shake. He's not cold, but I thought I'd give him a little dignity."
"I didn't think to put underwear on him."
"He won't care." He motioned for Buffy to leave and closed the door behind her. She didn't need to see Angel like this and he probably wouldn't want her to. Will flushed the toilet for him as Angel leaned back and took a shaky breath.
"Talk to me, champ."
"This sucks."
"You earned it, buddy. How much did you drink?"
"The bottle."
Will winced. That was a lot even for hybrids. They had an increased tolerance to alcohol, but an entire bottle would probably have put Will in the hospital. "Well, that's disturbing. Want to go to the hospital?"
Angel shook his head, which lead to another round over the toilet bowl. Will was wondering if he should take him anyway, get his stomach pumped, but thought better of it. He was responding to questions and his color wasn't that bad under the circumstances. He also thought Angel would probably kill him if he woke up in a hospital room for the second time in four days.
He made sure Angel wasn't going to die or go anywhere any time soon and went to talk to Buffy. She was lying on the bed, her back to the bathroom, looking at the sun through the bay windows. Will sat next to her and rubbed her back for a minute.
"This isn't easy, is it? Not the way you imagined it. Well, I doubt this was his fantasy either. He's been hurting for so long, I don't know if he knows how to do anything else. He can learn though."
She nodded a little, to numb to speak. Her life was a roller coaster, she thought. She had been so high this afternoon, and then so low all night. She wondered if she would ever get on an even keel. She wondered if an even keel existed for her life.
"Go get some sleep; I'll take care of Precious. Go on, you look like hell."
Sighing, she lifted herself off the bed and silently left the room. She really did look like she had seen better days. Will knew he didn't look like much of a prince at the moment, either, but he had a feeling that he could cope with Angel better at the current moment. Buffy needed a break from life, even if it only lasted long enough for her to get some sleep.
The fog Angel was stuck in was starting to clear. He realized he might have gone a little overboard. Taking a deep breath he got himself off the floor and walked unaided, all be it haltingly, into the bedroom. Will steadied him as he sat on the edge of the bed.
"I think I left my spleen in the bathroom."
"Most of your brain, too. What were you thinking?" Will took a seat next to Angel, who looked like a truck had hit him and then circled around and hit him again. His hair was disheveled, his eyes were bloodshot and bleary and if had been any paler, he would have turned translucent.
"She hates me." Angel recognized the fact that he was still drunk. He'd be drunk for most of the day. Even super beings had to give their bodies' time to process booze.
"Sure she does. So do I. In fact, the there's this online club called 'we hate Angel.' We all belong to it and have bimonthly meetings where we talk about the stuff you do that pisses us off. Like the fact that you think everyone hates you, you freak. How many complexes can one guy have?" The last was rhetorical, but Angel answered it anyway.
"A lot. I'm such a looser." He put his head in his hands, feeling a kind of defeat only a drunk can feel.
Putting his hand on Angel's shoulders, he smiled a little. Captain Forehead was still in the bag. "You want to go downstairs, chug Pepto-Bismol and take half a dozen ibuprofens? It'll make you feel better."
He shook his head. He reeked of booze and cigarettes and de wasn't sure he could walk straight. Angel didn't want anyone to see him way. Will didn't count, he rationalized, Will had seen him so drunk he couldn't speak. He had seen Will in some compromising positions as well. There wasn't much to hide from his younger companion.
"Yes, you're going downstairs. Put these on." Handing him clothes, he turned his back to give the other man a little privacy.
"I hate you." Angel dressed, though he thought his head was going to explode. He wanted to clime back into a bottle, but that would require Will leaving him alone and that wasn't going to happen. He accepted his fate; his head hurt too much to think of an escape plan.
.
Chapter 27
They made their way downstairs. Will spoke quietly to him about how late they all had stayed up, how worried everyone had been. Angel didn't look like he believed that, but he probably didn't want to believe it. Loneliness and the thought that everyone in his life was malevolent were strangely comforting to him.
He sat in the kitchen, contemplating the coke Will put in front of him. His stomach seized. A few minutes later, pills and Pepto-Bismol appeared in front of him. He took the pills without a word and chugged a quarter of the bottle of the pink chalk. Putting his head in his hands, he stared at the subtle stripe pattern of the table cloth. It made him dizzy.
It took him a while to realize he wasn't alone. Looking up, he saw Xander and Giles sitting there as well. Will smiled at him in a not unkind way, but there was more than a hint of mischief in the gesture.
"You look good." Xander looked amused, but that could have also been the permanent way his face was, Angel thought. He chose not to respond.
"Angel... I know this isn't the best time, but... pull it together, man. You have to snap out of this stupor your in. Buffy is not angry with you."
Angel thought of lunging across the table at Giles, but wondered if that would be the last straw for his body. It could be worth it though, he reasoned. Will interrupted his thoughts before he could decide if pummeling Giles would be worth certain death.
"She's not mad at you. What happened last night?"
He swallowed, hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't get sick again. "I saw her face. She read those letters. She... the things I said, she must have been mad. She looked mad."
Will slapped his own forehead and nearly fell out of his chair. This was what he was missing work for? The man needed electro shock therapy. "You are such a complete idiot. I say that in the best way. But, man, you're stupid. You're the dumbest smart person I know. She felt bad that you were so upset in those stupid letters. She wasn't mad, she was guilty."
No, his brain said, she's mad and Will's an idiot. "She can't feel guilty. She didn't do anything wrong."
"And you did? You thought she was ignoring you. Angel, you weren't in the wrong." Xander was getting mad at everyone, now. Giles was moping, Angel was stuck on the idea that he was the most unpopular person in this dimension, and Buffy had turned catatonic again instead of dealing. Why couldn't his friends be sane?
Angel considered this information for a moment and decided the best thing to do right now was go upstairs, spend time bonding with the toilet bowl and go back to sleep. He rose without a word and left to execute his well thought out plan for his day.
Will leaned back on two legs of the chair, his arms out to the side. He balanced for a few minutes until Giles slammed his fist on the table. That almost sent him crashing to the floor but Xander grabbed the back of the chair and pushed him forward.
"Bloody hell! Isn't anyone going to save those two from themselves! They're bloody perfect for each other, those two. I don't know why I didn't see it before. I'm a damned old fool." They were both acting ridiculously, Giles thought. His anger was mostly directed at himself, though.
"You're not that old." Xander rose and filled their coffee cups. He started to make another pot for the gaggle of women that would undoubtedly show up soon. "Look... we have to lock them together in a room and wait a few days. We'll slip water and crumbs of bread through a sot in the door and make them resolve this. It's the only way."
Will was a little disturbed by the seriousness of Xander's expression as he said this. He hoped the younger man was kidding but he kind of doubted it. "As much as I agree with the sentiment, Xan, I think we should not do that. I think Angel should sleep it off, and be watched, so he doesn't pull the same trick tonight. Giles, you've got to talk to Buffy. Try to make amends somehow."
"I'm ready to crawl over broken glass at this point, if need be."
"That's a good start, I think."
Xander interjected, "Uhh, guys... what are we going to do after that? Angel and Buffy will be fine. She killed him and they still love each other. They'll get over this. But, after that, I mean, she's going to stay in LA. Giles and Willow are going back to Europe, right? Dawn has to go back to school. I have... no where to go. How are things going to change?"
"I do have to go back to the Council. I dread finding out what they've done in my absence. I imagine Buffy will stay here, yes. What you do is up to you. Dawn only has a semester to go, and I think she'll come here when she's done, if Buffy's here. What has you concerned?"
"I just don't want... we went through a lot of trouble with those Buffy doubles. For good reason. If she stays here, she could be in danger. And Angel isn't going to move around with her."
It was Will's turn to interject. "No one will have the guts to come after the girlfriend of the President of Wolfram and Hart. That would mean immediate death and probable genocide of whatever demon race the assassin belonged to. She's safer with us than she was with you lot."
Nodding, Giles had to agree. If Angel and Buffy became serious, which he knew they would, she would have the protection of Wolfram and Hart, a massively powerful entity. Wolfram and Hart still controlled most of the dimensional travel and demon migration through many of the dimensions surrounding Earths'. The company had ties to every major demon faction on the planet. It had not been uncommon for these factions to rebel a few years ago, but they had either been eliminated or satiated. Most everyone who profited from Wolfram and Hart was fiercely loyal to the company.
He stopped his train of thought. This kind of thinking had gotten him into trouble in the first place. Buffy could take care of herself. She was more than capable, and if she wanted to stay in LA, no one was going to argue for or against it. It was solely her decision. He decided with finality that it was time to talk to her.
He rose and with a curt nod to the other two men he made his way upstairs. Dawn and Willow were just coming down the stairs, and he nodded to them in greeting.
Dawn was feeling chipper. Despite her sister's pain and her worry for Angel, she was excited at her prospects with Will. She had kissed his cheek on her way to bed that morning, and he hadn't really reacted with enthusiasm, but he didn't reject her either. She was on the hunt, now. Buffy has vampires, she thought, and I have men.
Willow was worried over Buffy. Se had every confidence Buffy would be okay, but she hated seeing her in such pain. Willow was sure Giles was on his way to talk to her now. Willow immediately inquired after Angel when she and Dawn reached the kitchen.
Will was balancing on the back two legs of his chair again. Xander was telling Willow that Angel was fine. Drunk, but fine. Dawn was staring at Will in the way that made him nervous again.
Will was bored. He wasn't at the office, and he hadn't gone running. He felt like his energy was going to boil over soon. He had called Dorita's cell and told her to bring groceries, but other than that she could have the day off.
Standing, he left the three Scooby members in the kitchen and made his way to East wing of the house, which was where the gym was. He knew he should go into the office, but he couldn't leave Angel alone with this motley crew. Shedding his shirt, shoes and socks, he went to work on a punching bag in the corner of the room. It had been over a week since he and Angel had sparred. Angel was the only person who could give him a run for his money. Gunn and Wes ended up begging for mercy. In dignified ways, of course.
The stress of the past few weeks came pouring out of him. What started as simple one twos turned into combinations, which escalated into kick combos. Now he was ducking and dodging invisible opponents, all the while kicking and swinging. He was going to make that punching bag say 'uncle' if it was the last thing he did.
Dawn watched as a sheen of sweat formed on his body. She had been right, he was ripped. Not in a scary steroidal way, but he was certainly in peak condition. She watched as he changed attacks and flipped backwards. He somersaulted through the air and landed on his feet. He hadn't been on the ground two seconds when he was back in formation. His legs kicked out to the side as his body lifted in the air, twisting a little in mid air so he would come down in a crouch.
She watched as he fought invisible opponents. He was good, she thought. He had definitely been practicing. Slipping off her own shoes and socks, she realized she wasn't in the proper attire for sparring. Throwing to the caution to the wind, she snuck around the room until she was to his left, just out of his line of sight. Jumping high, she released a kick in mid air that missed his head by inches. She had only wanted to get his attention.
He stopped, breathing hard, and looked at his attacker. She was wrapping her long hair into a high ponytail, grinning like the cat that ate the canary.
"What do you want, little bit?"
"I'm not so little any more." She put her hands into a fighting position and moved her legs shoulder width apart, leading slightly with her left and bending both knees. She knew her posture was impeccable. She hadn't only studied books in England. The Watcher's training school had not been so far away from her campus.
He raised his eyebrows at her stance. She might just have a good technique, he thought, but technique was nothing compared to experience. He lashed out her head, making sure he wouldn't connect hard. She caught his wrist and made a slicing motion to the inside of his elbow with the side of her hand. A satisfied smile came to her lips as he flinched. She shoved hard against his wrist, putting some distance in between them.
He was impressed. The girl had style. He jumped, flipping over her head and landing behind her before she could turn. Grabbing her shoulders from behind, he swept his legs under feet. He controlled her fall by her shoulders, but he wasn't counting on her flipping her legs back as she hit the mat. Her feet hit him squarely on the top of his head with her feet and he felt a distinctly painful crunching of his neck and shoulder muscles.
He released her, too surprised to react for a moment. This gave her the opportunity to spin into a crouching position and lash her leg out, catching him in the side of the face. Standing, she bounced on the balls of her feet, feeling a rush go through her. She had connected well three times in a row and he looked very impressed.
"Not so little any more," he repeated as he faked a right. She immediately moved to block and he threw a left into her side. He was controlling himself. A shot like that with his full strength would leave her kidney permanently damaged.
She still felt the hit though, and winced. Her hand reached out and grabbed his right arm. Turning her body so that her hip was in his pelvic bone, she threw him with all her might. A surprised sound escaped his lips as he went flying towards the wall. It took all of his might to twist himself so his feet hit the wall instead of his whole body. In an instant, his body bounced off the surface like a spring.
The heel of his hand caught her across the edge of her jaw before she could completely dodge him. She rolled, coming up to too slow to dodge the light head but that came her way. It stung, but she knew he had barely tapped her compared to what he could do. Before he attacked again, she countered with lightning quick combination to his abdomen. She knew her strengths, though, and immediately positioned herself to use her legs again.
When she faked another combination, his arms lashed out to block her fists while she brought her right leg into his side. She jumped back a little, and her right leg, which was still airborne, coiled back and lashed out again, this time hitting him dead center in his solar plexus. The air rushed from his body and she spun hard, releasing all the power she had to hit him on the side of his head with her foot.
She bounced on her feet again as he lost balance and went to the mat. Looking at her, he started laughing. He was out of breath and pretty sure his head was going to be purple in the morning, but the look on her face was hilarious. She was loving this.
He gave her a sweet smile that she had seen before. She knew it always preceded something awful. He pushed off the ground with his legs, both his hands hitting her, palm forward, in her shoulders. She tried to counter, put she was already off balance. He used the opportunity to turn around and elbow her in the stomach, doubling her over. He quickly moved forward again and kicked her feet out from under her.
She fell hard. He looked at her crumpled form on the ground and panicked. Rushing to her side, he knelt and went to lift her but was caught in the face with her fist instead. Falling back, she hit him again, not holding back. Before he could catch her, she was straddling him, her elbows digging into the inside of his elbows. His arms were pinned and he was starting to loose circulation in his fingers.
"Got you." She had a sweet smile and her face was inches from his.
"You would have been unconscious a dozen times if I really hit you."
"Your fault for holding back."
A roguish smile came to his lips. "Not a mistake I'll make again."
.
Chapter 28
Giles knocked on the door of Buffy's room. Getting no response, he called her name softly. Opening the door to the room, he saw her lying on the bed, facing the door. Her eyes were open and she seemed to be staring into space. He sat on the edge of the bed and rested his hand on her shoulders.
It took him a moment to find his voice, but he decided to lay everything out for her. He was willing to risk being heartbroken to have her forgive him. "I love you, Buffy. More than I can ever convey. I am truly sorry for what I did. I was acting in your best interests, or so I thought. I should have never interfered."
She looked at him then. She sat up and gently touched the bruise on the side of his face where she hit him. She was sure there were other bruises she couldn't see. "I'm sorry I hit you."
"I deserved it. I deserve a lot more than that. The only comfort I have is in knowing that you two will be fine despite my meddling. Angel needs healing, many kinds of healing, but he'll be alright."
"I wish I knew that. I mean, last night was a disaster. And I thought everything was going so well yesterday. He freaked out so easily and I had no chance to explain." Her hands were flying through the air as she spoke, punctuating her words with emphasis.
"He's sensitive to your criticism right now. Even imagined criticism. Go to him. Assuage his fears and forgive his stupidity. He hurts because of how much he loves you. I can relate to that, actually." He smiled at that. Perhaps he and Angel were not so different after all.
"I love you too, Giles." She wrapped her arms around him. He was stupid and arrogant and meddlesome. And he was the closest thing she had to a dad. She did love him; she didn't think she could ever not love him. It would take a while to trust him, but she was sure they would mend things again.
Pulling away, she looked at him and took a deep breath. "Christmas is in four days. I want a Christmas. A real one. I haven't been with you guys in so long, and we're all together this year. I don't want to waste that."
He nodded slowly. He doubted he was ever very good at celebrating Christmas. "We'll have to go get a tree. A big one. And I should go shopping. I am... poorly prepared."
"You know I still think you're an idiot, right? And you had no right to do that, and I'm still mad. Really mad. You can't bribe me with Christmas trees."
"I realize. I would be frightened for your sanity if you weren't still angry. I can't make it up to you, but I can assure you nothing of the sort will happen again."
"Good." She jumped up from the bed and took a few calming breaths. "I have to go see Angel and then you and I are going to get a Christmas tree. Ask Dawn if she wants to come."
He smiled as they separated. She was going to forgive him. Turning the corner in search of Dawn, he hoped Angel was sober enough to apologize.
Angel was still drunk. Well, he conceded, maybe buzzed. The alcohol was mostly out of his system and he felt better than he had a few hours ago, but he figured it wouldn't be until morning that he felt up to par again. When he heard the knock at his door, he knew who it was. Her smell was unmistakable. Not that he would tell her that.
She came in at his beckon and sat next to him. He was sitting on the edge of the bed trying to convince himself to get up and get in the shower.
"You smell like a bar."
"I wonder why."
She stood again and made her way towards the door. "I'll talk to you when you're not being an ass."
He jumped up after her, which he immediately regretted and grabbed her arm. His head swam with the sudden movement. "Buffy, wait. I'm sorry. Really. Sit, please."
She contemplated him for a moment. He looked pitiful. She couldn't turn her back on him when he looked that bad. Sitting back down she waited for him to continue.
"Everyone tells me I overreacted a little."
She exploded. "A little!" Standing, she paced the room, her arms waving widely as she spoke. "You were drunker than I have ever seen anybody! You were a mess. You ran out of here, turned your phone off. No one could find you! I was so worried. And I wasn't mad at you until you stumbled in here drunk and surly!"
He didn't think he had been surly, but he wasn't going to press that point. "You're not mad at me? Everything I said, Buffy, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. Well, I did, but I wouldn't have meant it if I had known the real reason..." He couldn't speak any more. Her hand was over his mouth. She stared into his eyes and shook her head a little.
"Stop talking. You either have nothing to say or you ramble. Do have a normal speed? I love you. I'm not mad. I would have been harsher than you were if I had been in your shoes. Let's get over that and move on because I don't think I take any more agitation." She took her hand from his mouth and sat down next to him again.
"I love you too. I never stopped loving you. And... I'm sorry about last night. I just... couldn't deal."
"Well, now we've dealt. Let's go get a Christmas tree." She stood and looked at him expectantly.
He knew she was purposefully skimming over her feelings, but he understood her need to get over all the bad things and move onto the good things. "How about I shower and you go get a tree?" He looked hopeful; he really didn't want to deal with going out at the moment.
"Be here and be sober when I get back. I'm serious, mister, you're on Buffy probation." She turned on her heel and walked out before he could respond. Then he smiled ruefully. She was an interesting woman, his Buffy.
He got into the shower and couldn't stop smiling. She loved him. With all his faults, she loved him. That was all he really needed to live, he thought. Buffy and her love. Everything else could fade away.
.
Conclusion
Ten people stood underneath a huge Christmas tree. The top bent over a little, so the star on top was crooked. Fred was drinking sparkling cider, but the majority of the group had champagne in their hands. Dinner had been a peaceful, enjoyable event. There had been a lot of laughter.
Buffy was sitting on the couch, leaning against Angel, his arm around her shoulders. Angel was watching Will, who kept sneaking glances at Dawn and her barely there little black dress. She was giving him wicked grins now and again. He mentally cringed. This will be fun, he thought. Just the way to start the New Year.
Giles was going back to England in a few days. It hadn't taken much to convince him to stay for Christmas. Willow was leaving the same day, citing her responsibilities in France. She was thrilled for Angel and Buffy though. Willow was excited about the future for the first time in a long time. The future looked bright for once.
Xander was toying with the idea of staying in LA. He liked it here. Being in the city was a big change, but he found, with surprise, that it was a good change. He liked the excitement of the city, the possibilities. And Africa held no pull for him anymore. He didn't want to hide there any longer. The past few days had led to an interesting friendship with Fred, and he had developed a fondness for Angel that surprised him. these were good people, he decided.
Fred's pregnancy was progressing smoothly. Wesley stroked the small bump of a belly she was sporting, praying to whoever would listen to take care of his wife and unborn child. He had never wanted to be a father, but since Fred had expressed interest in children he had dove into parenthood without reservations. He would do anything to make her happy. And he was surprised to find that the thought of being a father made him happy as well. He loved his child already.
He hadn't given up on finding the Connor file, but he had decided to wait until after the holiday. Wesley was nothing if not patient.
Gunn sighed contentedly. His adopted family was happy. Buffy wasn't so bad, he thought. He could get used to her. And he was excited about being an uncle. They hadn't made the announcement yet, but Gunn understood that. They wanted to be sure this one would take before they said anything. He was excited to see what the coming year would bring.
Angel could not find fault with his life. The woman he loved was at his side. His friends were happy. Fred's pregnancy was going to go smoothly. There was a different smell to her this time. The heart beat of the baby inside her was getting stronger by the day. Her pheromones were different in ways he couldn't describe and he was sure this baby would be born healthy; he had known the other two wouldn't make it before Fred had.
Xander had quietly pulled him aside, told Angel he was thinking about staying in LA. Angel had been quick to offer him all the help he needed in getting settled. Xander hadn't asked yet, but Angel had a feeling he would soon be putting an application into Wolfram and Hart. He didn't think Xander would like flipping burgers. Besides that, Angel didn't think the man should squander his talents.
He was coming to a point in his life where he could forgive Giles. Wes had said that if placed in the older man's shoes, he might have done the some thing. Angel had almost dropped him to the floor at that, but had understood the point. It was time to get over it, he realized. It was time to move on with his life.
Angel was back. He was feeling stronger, quicker, than he had in a long time. He was ready to take the demons on again with the full force of his company. He was ready to focus on expanded Wolfram and Hart into other dimensions. He had plans to expand his holdings of businesses around LA. He was going to start slowly, but he was ready to start now.
This was the first day of his new life. His complete and happy new life. And, he thought, the world better get ready for me. I'm going to turn it upside down.
The End
» Read the sequel! »
This fanfiction collection is part of Angel's Secrets, a rusted-crush.com production. No infringement of any kind is intended. This not-for-profit fan website is a display of admiration and expression, and we gratefully acknowledge the sources that have helped make this site possible, as well as the writers who have allowed us to post their work here. The Frequently Asked Questions page contains more site information. Thanks for reading; enjoy these creative works!