Blind, an angel fanfic

DISCALIMER: Not mine, never will be :0(
RATING: If you can handle the show, you can handle this
SUMMARY: It's the year 2010, and Angel and the LA gang are headed back to Sunnydale for Buffy's wedding.
SPOILERS: Minor for Reunion, and let's pretend that In the Woods never happened, and that Riley never left Buffy.
FEEDBACK: Please? I am nervous about posting this, and I would appreciate feedback of any kind, even flames.
DISTRIBUTION: Sure! Just please let me know where it's going!
AUTHORS NOTES: This is my first fic and as I am hesitant to poást it. I don't know where the idea came from, the mind is a scary place. Just let me know what you think, and I will be happy!

May 16, 2010:
Angel, Wesley, Gunn and Cordelia sat in the car, each in deep thought. Though it was silent, the silence was not unbearable, as it might have been many years ago. It's odd, thought Cordelia with a small smile, that if someone told me ten years ago that I would a tragedy would one day make my closest friends a vampire, a vampire hunter, and an ex-watcher my best friends, I would have called them crazy. Of course, ten years ago, I might have told them that I was already best friends with a vampire, a vampire hunter and an ex-watcher...

January 11, 2001
Cordelia, Gunn and Wesley sat in Cordelia's living room the night that Angel had fired them. It was well past two in the morning, yet they were too awake to even think about bed.
"He can't just fire me!" Cordelia yelled, outraged. "I'm vision girl! No me, no powers that be, no powers that be, no atonement!"
"Don't worry, Cordy," Wesley soothed. "He'll come to his senses." This statement far from consoled Cordelia.
"Senses! Are you kidding me? He left a room full of people to die at the hands of his insane childe and his sire who he killed and was brought back to life and then killed again? You want to talk about senses? Try me." She glared defiantly at the two men in her living room, as if challenging them to contradict her logic. Before they could reply, her expression of menace turned to one of pain as she gripped her head, and fell off the arm of the couch where she had been seated.
"AHHH!!" she cried, eyes tightly closed, rolling on the floor in sheer agony. Gunn and Wesley rushed over to her, and helped her sit up as her vision ended.
"Angel," she panted, out of breath. "He's in trouble."
"Angel?" Wesley said, perplexed. "I'm afraid that makes no sense. Why would they send us a vision of Angel in trouble?"
"I don't know! What does matter is that Angel is in trouble. He was fighting Darla and Drusilla. And from what I could see, he was getting the bad end. We have to hurry!" she said, standing up. The two behind her followed suit, and soon they were in Gunn's truck, headed towards the identified place of the fight, a few blocks from Holland's house. When they arrived, however, they discovered that they were not the first on the scene. There were two cruisers there, as well as an ambulance. Jumping out of the car, the trio headed over to where Detective Lockley was standing. Cordelia tapped her on the arm.
"What's going on?" she demanded. Kate looked her up and down.
"Fight," she replied brusquely. Cordelia sighed in exasperation.
"I know that. How stupid do you think I am?" she asked. "Was Angel here?"
"I don't know," Kate answered truthfully. "All I know was that Darla and Drusilla were here." Kate looked like she was going to continue, but stopped when she saw Cordelia had run over to where Gunn and Wesley were standing. Before she had time to voice her aggravation, another officer called to her.
"Lockley! I think you had better come here!" he beckoned her over. When she got there, she was met with an unconscious man dressed in all black, face covered with blood. She paled, and covered her open mouth with shaking hands. Turing away, she seemed to regain some of her composure.
"Shippley," she said, addressing one of the officers on duty. "Go and get a paramedic-"
"No use," the officer who had originally called her over was shaking his head. "There's no pulse, this guys dead as a doornail." Kate turned to him, eyes blazing.
"I SAID GET ME A PARAMEDIC," she ordered through clenched teeth. Shippley ran off to do her bidding. She turned to another officer, and ordered him to go and get Cordelia, Gunn and Wesley, describing them as best she could. He returned as short time later, as the paramedic was moving Angel from the floor to the stretcher. As soon as she saw Angel, she ran as fast as she could to him.
"ANGEL?!" she yelled, as she saw his motionless form strapped to the stretcher.
"Yeah," Kate said. "We're moving him to the hospital. I've talked to a guy who knows about the vampire thing, and is ok with it. Were going to see what we can do, don't worry."
"DON'T WORRY?" Cordelia shrieked, attracting the attention of the entire police squad on the crime scene. "That is my boos laying there, covered in blood! And some know it all cop lady who thinks she knows what she's doing! Wrong! I, however, have lived my whole life in Sunnydale, home of the Slayer, vampires, witches, and demons! I was a slayerette! And I do know that the best cure for a vampire is REST! Do I need to spell it? You know that by now! After you rammed Angel through with a piece of plywood, there was no need to call the medics? So why is there now? Just because he is unconscious, that doesn't mean anything!" She was close to hysterics.
"Bailey!" Kate called to another officer. "Get these people out of here. And the rest of you, get this man to the hospital: ask for doctor Harper." She turned to face Gunn, Wesley and Cordelia. "Sorry," she said, but not sounding as though she meant it. "If you want to see Angel, he'll be on floor 10. See you there!" she said as she walked away. Knowing that there was little that they could do, the three turned and ran to the car. They trailed the ambulance to the hospital, but had to wait until Angel was admitted to see him. When they finally did see him, he was strapped to the bed by the cuffs used on psychiatric patients.
"What is this?" Gunn demanded of the nurse, who was standing nearby.
"Chart says that he was fighting the medics...this and a sedative was the only way to get him to calm down. Should be awake soon though. When he is, you can take it up with the doctor on duty about getting the restraints removed." She then left the room.
"Dear God," Wesley said from behind them, indicating the wounds that the battle with Darla and Dru had left. There were cuts and bruises littering his arms, and what they could see of his torso. But these were nothing compared to the bandages on his eyes. They were completely soaked through with blood, and there appeared to be more. There was a pause.
"This could be bad," Gunn surmised.

Present
And it was bad, Cordelia reflected to herself. The injury had left Angel blind, with deep unsightly scars cutting across his eyes. As he had revealed to them when he was home from the hospital, he was fighting that night because after he ordered that his ex-employees leave, he was overcome with guilt, and had set out to find the two vampires that had been leading him closer to darkness. Finding them hadn't been the hard part, he later reflected. After the deaths that he could have prevented, Darla and Dru were convinced that he was on his way to darkness. It was only after he had staked Dru that Darla was convinced that he was not going to revert back to Angelus. So the two of them had engaged in a battle, Angel the victor, but Darla had taken a stake to his eyes. Just as she turned to dust, she whispered softly: "Always remember me."
"Cordelia?" Angel got her attention from the backseat. "You ok?"
She smiled at his concern. Thought his hearing had always been sharp, he had learned to hone it. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking, that's all." He nodded, and leaned back against the seat. He had become her best friend, he was so easy to talk to. It wasn't always like that, though. There had been rough times to contend with, and heartache before they had finally been able to come to where they were now. The first six months after the accident, Angel was hostile and cold, almost as if though he was unable to move on. She sighed again, and let her memories carry back to a time of heartache and sorrow.

March 25, 2001
"I said LEAVE ME ALONE! I CAN HANDLE MYSELF!" Cordelia flinched at the harsh words coming form Angel's bedroom. It wasn't suprising, she thought. He had a hard day ahead. But still...Wesley and Gunn tried so hard.
There were muffled sounds coming from the bedroom now, as though Angel had calmed down. Soon the three emerged with Angel and a very ruffled Wesley and Gunn. She looked Angel up and down, and was satisfied with what she saw. He was wearing all black and looked decent, though his hair was a little flat. This was really his first time out of the hotel, and would be his first encounter with people, other than Dr. Denora, the demon doctor that had visited a week earlier. He had spent the last three or so months in the hotel, while Gunn and Wesley tried their hardest to fight the demons that Cordelia saw in her visions, but were met with little success. They had employed the services of the aforementioned demon specialist, but to no avail. As a last resort, they were trying an eye specialist, yet there was little hope of a success rate.
"I don't see why we have to do this," he grumbled. "Just give up. Go home. This is useless."
"It is NOT useless," Cordelia chided. "Dr. D said that this was our only other hope, to go and see a real doctor. He said that it couldn't be cured with magick, and that surgery was the only hope-"
"I know," Angel conceded with an air of defeat. "Let's just go."
The three of them made their way out to the car, where Gunn took the drivers seat, and Wesley the passenger's seat. Cordelia sat in the back with Angel.
"All right, here we go," said Gunn as he accelerated. "Lets hope lady luck's on our side." The car ride was 30 min. long, though it seemed eons longer. It was dark outside, and the traffic was terrible, and when they finally arrived at the doctor's office, and made their way inside, they were ten minutes late. They were the only people in the waiting room, as normal office hours were over. Cordelia and Wesley had to beg to get an appointment this late at night, and now that they were late, the doctor was not too happy.
"What took so long?" the nurse asked Wesley as he went up to sign in.
"Traffic." Wesley replied with a shrug. The nurse eyed him warily.
"Go right in. First door on the left. But please have only Mr. Chase and one other person go in. Otherwise it gets too crowded."
They had decided to use the name Chase as Angel's last name. It was the only one that made sense, as he couldn't assume Wesley's last name because of the culture difference, and the difference in color between him and Gunn would be too hard to explain.
Wesley walked over to where the others sat, and relayed the information on. Angel stood up, and Gunn walked to the door with him. When Wesley and Cordelia went to protest, Gunn silenced them with a look. Because he was the only one that could look at Angel's eyes and not flinch, Gunn found himself most suited to go with Angel. Resigned, the two of them sat back in their seats and waited as Angel and Gunn went through the door. Cordelia turned to Wesley.
"Do you think that he'll be ok?" she asked. Wesley sighed. This question had been on all their minds for the last three weeks, but until now was never brought to light.
"I do not think that he will ever be able to see again, no." Wesley sighed. "You saw what I saw. Those cuts are deep." Wesley took a deep, contemplative breath. "I don't think that he will ever see again, but I do think that he will be ok.'

Later that Same Day
What Wesley had said had turned out to be the truth. As Gunn had described: "After the doctor had realized that vampires ARE real, he was able to tell us that no modern science will ever make Angel see again." After the doctors, Angel and Cordelia made a trip to the Oracles, hoping to get their assistance. But they were sadly disappointed. Not only did they say that there was nothing they could do, they also said that a blind warrior was no good to them, and that Cordelia was to become another warrior's seer. She adamantly refused, and told them that she was Angel's seer, and no one else's. This had only resulted in having her seeing ability taken away. The two of them left there feeling an all time low, which was soon spread to Wesley and Gunn when they arrived back at the Hyperion.
"So..." ventured Wesley, "I surmise that there was nothing that they could do?"
"No," confirmed Cordelia, and she went on to tell them the rest of the story, about how Angel was no longer a warrior.
"So, now what?" Gunn wondered aloud, voicing the question on all their minds.
"Nothing." Said Angel flatly.
"Nothing?" Cordelia asked. Gunn and Wesley looked at each other.
"You all leave. There is nothing that can be done. Not to mention the fact that I fired you all. And I do appreciate all that you have done, I really do." Angel seemed set in what he was saying, and there was a tone to his voice that wasn't there in the past. It was almost mechanical, as though he had rehearsed what he was going to say. "But that's all that can be done. You can all go. Don't bother to come back."
"Wrong!" Cordelia said sharply. "That's where you're wrong. There is something that we can do. In fact, there are lots that we can do. And there is no way that you are going to get rid of us that fast, not after these past months!"
"Do you really want to waste your time here with a vampire that can't see? What good do you think that I'll ever be?"
"I don't think that you will be any good unless you can come to terms with what has happened. I know that this is difficult. But this can be looked at in the same light as when you first got your soul back. All you have to do is adjust. It will take time, granted. But it will take longer if you don't accept the help that we are offering." Wesley looked at Gunn for more support. Gunn cleared his throat.
"What good are you going to be without us? I mean, it's like what they said. We are gonna be your right arm for a while. You gotta let us help, though." Angel rose from the chair he was sitting, and as if though anticipating their help, held up a hand in protest.
"I don't know why you all want to stay. This is pointless. I am going to bed. If you are still here in the morning, then we'll talk then. Good night." With that, Angel turned and slowly felt his way to the staircase, and made his way upstairs to his room. When he was gone, the remaining three turned to each other, and wordlessly grabbed chairs and couches and went to sleep.

Present
Cordelia smiled at the memory. It hadn't been easy. Even though they were there when Angel woke, it had taken lots of work to convince him to let them stay. When he finally said yes, it was on the agreement that was on a temporary basis only. Ten years later and they were still together. It had been hard to get where they were today. As it had turned out, that night when Angel went upstairs, as soon as he was out of their line of vision, he had laid on the floor and gone to bed. He was unable to find his way to his room, and he was too tired to go any further. For many days after his agreeing to let them stay, he was unable to let them help with anything. It was only after he had almost gotten burnt one morning when he wandered outside to think, and was unable to find his way back in that he had finally agreed to let them help them. So it began. They worked out a schedule, so Angel was never alone. They helped him reorient himself with tasks such as showering, getting dressed, walking around the hotel, and eating. These were top on the list, and soon, he was able to complete all these on a daily basis.
"Anyone hungry?" Gunn's inquiry from the driver's seat brought her back from her reverie.
From next to Angel, Wesley replied with a yawn, "Yes, that would actually be quite nice." Cordelia voiced her agreement.
"Angel?" He shrugged his shoulders indifferently.
"It would be nice to stretch," he said. Gunn eased the car off the highway to the nearest rest station. The four of them got out of the car, and Cordelia reflected on what a picture the four of them must make. Wesley, in jeans and a sweater, had loosened up over the years, though he was still quite British. Gunn was almost the same as ten years ago, save for a kinder approach to the ensouled vampire and ex-watcher. Cordelia had given up acting, and worked at a shelter for battered and abused women and children, finding it more rewarding than auditions that didn't pan out. And though he could no longer see, Angel still dressed all in black, at his request. He looked the same as always, except where there were once pain filled eyes, there were now scarred eyes covered up with a pair of stylish sunglasses. He moved slower and more cautiously, as not to run into anything. He had a walking stick to help him, though when with the others, he preferred not to use it, relying on them instead. The four of them walked into the rest stop, and were greeted by the smell of fried food.
"Oh yum! Just what I like to include in my long car trips, grease!" Cordelia proclaimed to all that would listen.
"Hey! Over there!" Gunn said, pointing across the station to the Subway, tucked in a corner. Cordelia gave a thankful sigh.
"Now lets go eat!" she announced. As she began to walk across the station, Angel called out to her.
"Yeah?" she replied turning around, and then saw what he needed. Because they were in a new place, Angel was asking her without words to help him through the maze of people. Wordlessly, she went back, and linked her arm through his, and guided him across the way to the Subway. She remembered a time where he was too proud to accept her help.

July 23, 2001
"Angel? Are you almost ready? We're going to be late!"
Cordelia's voice reverberated off the stone walls of the Hyperion, into Angel's bedroom. He slowly finished buttoning his shirt, making sure that all the buttons were aligned properly. There was no use responding to her. No matter what he said, she would come up the stairs to make sure that he was ok. He bent down, and located one of his shoes, and then the other. He carefully put them on and then stood up. He did a mental checklist to make sure he was set, and then slowly walked towards the door, where Cordelia, as predicted, greeted him.
"I just wanted to make sure you were ok, that's all," she meekly explained. He would have rolled his eyes had it not hurt so much. Although it had been longer than six months, his eyes still hurt, and there was nothing that he could do about that. He didn't complain, although they all knew that they still gave him grief.
"I'm fine, Cordelia. Let's go, alright? I don't see why you're dragging me there, this is pointless."
"No, it's not!" she argued. "You have to see people more! You never get out anymore! And I know, you think that this is stupid, but how can you fit in if you can't interact! And what better place than David Nabbits! There are so many people that will be there!" He sighed. That's what worried him. The people. She was right, he never got out. Unless he counted the classes he took everynight at the YMCA, designed to help blind people defend themselves. It was helping, and everyday he worked out, hoping that soon he may be able to patrol again. He never told any of them that, figuring that they would cancel the classes, and keep him home. That's not what he wanted. Before he could ponder this any further, Cordelia interrupted his brooding.
"Here we go!" she said as she led the way to his car. It was slow going, as Angel avoided using walking stick as much as possible, and refused the outstretched arm offered by Cordelia. He walked into a parked car, setting off the alarm, and swore under his breath.
"Angel? Can you please just let me help you? I don't want to go to jail tonight!" For some reason, Cordelia's high pitched whine set something off in Angel that night.
"NO!" he exploded. "I am fine! Just go to your damn party, I'm staying here." She sighed in resignation.
"Angel..."
"Don't 'Angel' me damnit. I can't handle this. This is too much. I am trying to make you all happy, but I can't keep going!" Cordelia spied something out of the corner of her eye.
"Angel-"
"Please let me finish!" The thing began to move towards them.
"ANGEL!"
"WHAT? Can't you give me one minute?" He was angry, Cordelia could see that by the look on his face, he was near the breaking point.
"VAMPIRE! BEHIND YOU!" Angel turned around and was met with a punch to his jaw. His head whipped back with the force of it. Faintly he heard Cordelia say something about Gunn, and then she was gone. Angel mustered up every skill he had been taught in the last three weeks at his course. He brought his arm up with all the force he had - and missed. The other vampire responded with a kick to Angel's solar plexus. Angel went flying into a parked car. He grabbed the stake out of his coat pocket, and using his sense of hearing was able to locate his opponent. Pretending to be hurt, he fell to the ground, and waited for the vampire. Less than 10 seconds later, the vampire leaned down, prepared to finish off his victim. Instead he was met with a stake to the groin. Startled, the vampire grunted, and fell to the ground. Angel was up in a flash, and was soon on top of the other vampire. He brought down the stake three times until he was able to locate the other vampire's heart, and was met with a cloud of ash. Pleased, he stood up, and realized he had no idea where he was, in terms of the hotel. He stood up straight, and waited for a breeze. As he had learned long ago, the parking garage was downwind of the hotel, so that way he could at least find his way to the hotel. No breeze came, as it was a muggy LA night. So he waited, until he smelled Cordelia and Gunn's approach. After having spent so much time around each of these people, he had learned their smell, so he could always locate them.
"Angel! Oh my God! Are you ok?" Cordelia could be heard from the other side of the garage.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"But...I thought you said there was another vampire, Cordy." Angel could hear the puzzlement in Gunn's voice.
"There was. I staked him." Angel stated matter- of- factly. He was met with silence. Finally Cordelia spoke.
"Staked? Wow...those classes really must be paying off! But let's go home. I'm tired now."
"No party?" Angel asked her, confused. She replied, just as confused.
"I thought you didn't want to go." His response confused her more.
"I changed my mind. Let's go."
"Meet you all back at the office," Gunn said and then left. Cordelia and Angel walked the rest of the way to the car in silence. The ride to the party was not as silent though. Staring off into nowhere, Angel began talking.
"I was afraid. Afraid that I could not do anything for myself. I was scared that since I could not see, that I could not do anything. And then tonight, I could. I fought a vampire, and I won. Simple as that. I was able to stake him, and he had the advantage. It felt so good."
"You are gonna want to patrol again, huh?" Cordelia asked him, point blank. He saw no point in saying anything but the truth.
"Yes." He was met by a short silence.
"Good. That's going to take some work though. Gunn and Wesley have been preparing for this, you know. They have a plan and everything."
"A...plan?"
"Yeah, you know. To help you get in shape, and be prepared."
"Oh." He was speechless for a moment. "That's good."
The rest of the ride was in silence. When they got there, for the first time in over a year, Angel let Cordelia lead him by the arm into the party.

Present
After the quartet had gotten food, they continued on their way. This time, however, Cordelia's silence was not met by indifference by rest of the members in the car.
"Alright, Cordelia. Spill. What are you thinking about?" Gunn was bored, as a two-hour car ride had turned into a three hour one so far, due to heavy traffic.
"Well," she began slowly, "I was thinking about this, and about how my best friends are not what I would have expected ten years ago."
"Yeah," Wesley voiced his agreement. "If someone told me I would be closely associated with a vampire, I would have looked at them as if they were mad!"
"You're tellin' me!" Gunn added. There was a moment of silence.
"I think that I owe all of you a thank you." Angel said.
"For what?" Cordelia asked.
"For not leaving me ten years ago. Just think where I would be," he said. Wesley tried to lighten the mood.
"Certainly not on your way back to Sunnydale!" There was an awkward silence, and Angel remembered when he had received the invitation, almost a month ago. He hadn't received it directly, Cordelia had, but to him it made no difference.

April 20, 2010
He was walking down the stairs, one hand on the wall, the other was rubbing a sore spot on his neck. Last night's patrol went well, but one of the vamps had pulled out a wooden pole, and had gotten Angel in a few spots. Almost immediately, he sensed something was wrong. The air was different.
"Cordelia?" he called, alarmed. Though he knew she was here, she hadn't said anything yet.
"I'm here," she replied, distracted by something. He made his way over to her, expecting his normal cup of blood, but was greeted instead by a piece of paper thrust into his hand.
"Read this! I can't believe it!" He knew then how upset she was because she was always aware of his blindness.
"Cordelia," he said gently, "I can't read this." She looked at him, then took the invitation from his hand and began to read:
"You are cordially invited to the wedding of Buffy Anne Summers and
Riley Finn, to be held..."
Cordelia's voice droned on, but he paid no attention. Buffy was getting married. He moved towards the door, needing to get away. He paid no heed to the furniture that he ran into in his desperate attempt to leave. As he tried to make it up the stairs, his foot slipped on the slick plastic covering of the day's paper, and landed on the stairs. He sat there, in shock.
"Angel?" Cordelia made her way over to him, and sat next to him. Together, they sat, Angel leaned against Cordelia, her rubbing his back, as they both let the shock wear off.

Present
His Buffy was getting married. He didn't know to cope with that. He could deal with the blindness, and the pain that his eyes brought him, even after ten years. He could deal with the fact the PTB no longer wanted him. He could deal with getting hurt on a nightly basis by vampires that were stronger. But he still could not believe that his Buffy was getting married.
"Do you know this character, Riley?" Wesley inquired. Angel thought for a moment.
"Yeah, I once kicked his ass. I didn't like him, as I recall."
"No surprise there." Cordelia said.
"We're now in Sunnydale!" Gunn informed the group. "Now where to?"
"Giles. We were invited to go there. Are you up to it Angel?" Cordelia asked.
"Yeah. Lets go." He thought about what their reaction would be to his blindness. In ten years, no one from Sunnydale had made contact with anyone in LA, save for the RSVP Cordelia had sent, informing them that she and three guests would be coming. They pulled up to Giles, and slowly made their way from the car. Angel leaned on Cordelia, and she was led to believe that it was more for emotional support than physical disability. But when they made it to the doorstep, he stood up straight, and prepared to face the old Scooby Gang. Having no trepidation, Gunn rang the bell, and they waited until Giles opened the door.
"Hello," he stammered. "Come in." He opened the door wide, and the four walked in, Cordelia first.
Angel knew immediately that Buffy was there. He could smell her. And although he could not see her, her picture was fresh in his mind. Willow broke the silence.
"Angel, Cordelia, Wesley..." she trailed off looking at Gunn.
"Charles Gunn. Call me Gunn. I'm a friend of them," he said, indicating in the direction of Wesley, Angel and Cordelia.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Willow. This is Tara," she said pointing to her. Tara? Angel wondered. Who's she?
The rest of the gang went around introducing themselves.
"I'm Xander, this is my girlfriend, Anya."
"Hey! I can talk for my self!" Anya whined.
"I'm Giles, as you already know."
"Hey mate. I'm William the Bloody. Call me Spike," The English vampire waved from across the room.
"Spike?" Angel said to Cordelia. She didn't look at him as she replied.
"Yeah. Who knows."
"I'm Buffy, and this is Riley," Buffy said, her melodious voice reaching Angel. He could hear Riley get up, and walk towards them.
"Nice to meet you all, again" he said politely, the last part directed at Angel, and extended his hand. Cordelia nudged Angel.
"Shake hands!" she whispered fiercely. Angel extended his hand, but it came an inch above Riley's. Puzzled, Riley gripped the other mans hand and shook firmly.
"Would you like to sit down?" Giles asked them. Cordelia nodded.
"Sure," she said, and Giles went into the other room, and returned with four chairs. He placed them next to the couch, and the four of them went to sit down. Cordelia led Angel to a chair, and before he sat down, she took his coat, as she had always done. His sunglasses, however, remained on.
"So, mate," Spike said, "what's with the glasses? New look?" Angel said nothing.
"Shut up, Spike!" Cordelia interjected.
"Yeah, Angel. I was wondering the same thing. Why does a vampire need SUNglasses?" Buffy asked.
"Since he wants to hide his eyes," Gunn replied.
"Why do you want to hide your eyes?" Willow asked.
"I know! Once, I made an unfaithful man blind, and then he always wore glasses, so no one would know." She looked at Angel. "Are you blind?"
There was an uncomfortable silence.
"Yes." He replied, and was met with speechlessness.
"What happened?" Buffy asked softly.
"It was from Darla, as a going away present," Angel replied.
"Darla?" Willow asked.
"Darla? As in your dead sire?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, she was brought back by a law firm. An evil one. She was human, turned vamp by Dru-" Cordelia was cut off by Spike.
"DRU?"
"Yeah," Gunn affirmed. "Dead by Angel's hand the same night as Darla, right before she got Angel."
"But why the glasses? Sunglasses on a vampire?" Angel hesitated.
"It left some...scarring," he finally answered. Gunn cut in.
"It don't matter! Scars or not, it's his business! Let the man be!" He said, somewhat angrily.
"Can I see the scars?" Buffy asked, ignoring Gunn, who rolled his eyes angrily. Angel, however, was unable to say no. Slowly, he removed his glasses. There were thick red raised lines that sealed his eyes shut. He was unable to open them without an immense amount of pain, for there cuts in his eyes never had and never would completely heal. Slowly, he replaced his glasses.
"Well," began Cordelia, "now that that's all said and done..."
"So," Gunn said, breaking the tension, "The only one I have any idea about here is Buffy, the Slayer. What do the rest of y'all do?" Willow went first.
"I work as coordinator of a demon fighting program. It's similar to the Initiative, but we don't do all the testing and stuff that they do. We just kill demons. Tara and I are the founders. We both run it. And Riley and Buffy are the head of the hands on fighting department. It works really well, we have killed a lot of demons so far," Willow finished, looking proud. Cordelia looked over at Xander, who was sitting on the couch and had his arm wrapped around Anya.
"What about you?" she asked, pretending not to care all that much. He cleared his throat.
"Anya and I also work at D.O.P." he said.
"D.O.P.?" Cordelia looked confused.
"Demon Obliteration Program," Willow supplied. "Cheesy name, I know."
"What about you guys?" Riley asked. "I mean, do you still have that Angel Investigations thing going on?"
"Nah, once the PTB refused to give any more visions, we were kinda at a loss. That's where the majority of the clients came from," Gunn answered.
"PTB? Visions?" Giles spoke up. "What are they?"
"PTB are the powers that be. The visions are what they would give to me to tell Angel where the next victim that he needed to save. The visions hurt like Hell, but this way we knew where to go," Cordelia answered, shrugging.
"And you said that these Powers took away the visions?" Giles persisted.
"Yeah, after the accident, they said that a blind warrior was of no use to them. They told Cordelia that she was to become someone else's seer, but she refused, and her gift was taken away," Wesley filled in.
"So then what did you do?" Anya asked. "I mean, with no visions, no warrior, I would think that you all would have died."
"Thanks for that vote of confidence," Gunn said sarcastically. "We'll have you know that while the name Angel Investigations ain't no more, the people who made it up are. We are out there kicking demon ass every night, and we will be until LA is demon free!"
"Yeah, right!" Spike snorted. "A blind warrior, an ex-watcher, and a...whatever you are. Plus a girl who never lifted a finger back in Sunnyhell. This I'll believe when I see it."
"I beg your pardon," Wesley said defensively.
"Yeah," Cordelia cut in, "How would you know anyway. Look at you. For whatever reason, you're sitting in an ex-watchers house with a Slayer and the people who run the D.O.P. Who are you to talk?"
"Yeah, well..." Spike trailed off. Giles cut in and broke the tension.
"If you don't mind, could you tell me more about these powers? This is very interesting," he said, taking off his glasses and wiping them with a handkerchief.
"The Powers That Be are not what you would expect," Angel began, talking slowly and deliberately. "You never actually meet the Powers, instead you see the Oracles, the messengers for the powers. It is to them that you bring whatever you need to be done. They communicate with the Powers, and let you know what the answer is."
"How many times have you seen these Powers?" Giles inquired. Angel silently counted.
"Around five," he answered.
"And when was the last time that you saw them?" he asked.
"Ten years ago. After the accident. After that, they would not allow either me or Cordelia to gain access."
"Gain...access?"
"Yes. When you go to see them, there is an incantation that needs to be said. If the Oracles deem you worthy of entrance, then you can enter. If not, then you don't," he said simply.
"So I see," the ex-watcher said.
"So this demon fighting thing, how does it work?" Gunn directed the question at Willow.
"It's kind of hard to explain," she said. Then she looked at Buffy, and Buffy nodded. "But if you would like, I can give you a tour."
"Sure," Gunn said, standing up. Cordelia, Wesley and Angel followed suit. Angel took Cordelia's arm, and the four of them followed the Slayerettes. Spike opted to stay upstairs, with Giles. Willow led them down Giles's hallway, headed to the guest bedroom, but she stopped before they came to it. She opened a closet, and was met by a steel door. She placed her palm against it, and said a few words. The door opened, and gave way to a staircase that led down. Wordlessly, everyone followed her. Cordelia helped Angel find his way down the stairs.
"How are you holding up?" she asked quietly.
"I'm fine," he answered, more concerned with finding his way down the stairs. When they reached the bottom, Willow turned left and then walked through another door. They all followed her through, until they reached what Cordelia assumed to be the main room. It was huge, but instead of the cages and worktables that the Initiative housed, it was full of weapons, soldiers, and different vehicles.
"Wow," Cordelia breathed, then looked over to Gunn and Wesley, who were as spell bound as she was.
"This is...amazing," Wesley said looking at Willow. She was beaming.
"I know," she acknowledged. Gunn was looking down at the weapons cage.
"Dang," he said. "Do you think that I could see those up close?" Willow laughed, and motioned for him to follow.
"Hey Angel," Gunn said, "You really should come and get a load of these things!" Angel let go of Cordelia, and followed the sound of Gunn's voice to where he was standing. Xander left Anya, and went with the group that was going to the weapons.
"So," Buffy looked at Cordelia, "You two seem pretty tight," she said, indicating Angel.
"Yeah, we are," she confirmed. "He's my best friend. I don't know what either of us would have done without each other or Wesley and Gunn for these past years." She looked at Buffy. "It hasn't been easy, you know. And coming here took a lot of guts. Just so you know that." Buffy met the brunettes gaze.
"Yeah, I do. And I appreciate it," she said.
"So tell him that," Cordelia said. They were interrupted by a wailing sound from over head.
"Damn it!" said Riley, walking towards the weapons cage. Willow met him halfway.
"Suit them up. A code one, nothing major. Vamp nest, over by the old high school. Just be careful." Gunn walked over to where they were standing.
"Vamp nest?" he looked back to Angel, who was walking over to them. "Do you mind if we come?" Riley looked hard at Angel.
"What good would that do? I mean, no offense, but we can't afford to have liabilities."
"Liabilities? What the hell are you talking about? You think that just because Angel can't see means that he can't fight? Or is this about me? You think that I can't fight? I have been fighting all my life, and I know how to stay alive and get the job done." Gunn was clearly angry.
"What he means is that you haven't worked with our team yet, you don't know the ropes. That's all, right Riley?" Willow, always the peacemaker stepped in.
"What I mean is that we can't afford to lose this nest because we have a blind vampire and a guy who says he can fight working with us. I think that I speak for me and the rest of the team when I say that your offer to help is generous, but it's not wanted. You came for a wedding, not to fight."
"That's where your wrong, brother," Gunn stated. "When there is evil around, we are never on vacation. Not for one minute. And of you think that we are going to back down now, you're crazy. So I suggest that you either let us help. Or you get out of the way." Riley looked hard at Gunn.
"I say let them help." Everyone turned and looked at Buffy.
"What are you talking about?" Riley asked Buffy, confused.
"I said, let them help. I know that Angel can hold his own, and if this other guy says that he can too, I see no reason not to believe him. They way I figure, if they want to help, they can, but they just have to know that they are on their own. We worry about ourselves, and that's all, and if they get hurt, or killed, then it's not our fault." She took a deep breath. "But if we are going to go. We have to move fast." Riley turned to glare at Gunn and Angel, and then walked over to the weapons cabinet. He pulled out crosses, holy water, and stakes, and offered them to Gunn and Angel. Gunn accepted a stake, and then offered one to Angel, which he accepted.
"Do you have any axes?" Angel spoke for the first time since it had begun. Axes were Angel's weapons of choice, as chopping off the vampire's head was easier to do than find the heart at times.
"Yeah. You think that you can handle one?" Riley asked Angel snidely. Angel pretended not to notice it.
"Yeah. Do you mind?" he asked Riley. The ex-soldier smirked.
"Not at all," he said and then picked up and axe and threw it at Angel. Gunn looked at it, and without taking his eyes off the weapon, spoke to Angel.
"Flying axe, 12:00. Coming in horizontally blade to the right." Then everyone watched as Angel reached out and grabbed the axe not a foot from his face.
"We ready to go?" he asked. Willow took charge.
"Alright. Gunn and Angel, you can ride with Xander. Riley and Buffy can lead the operation, I don't think that we are going to need any other help, it's a small nest caught before it had time to grow."
"I think that we should take team alpha just in case," Xander said, an authority in his voice Angel had never heard before.
"Approved," Willow said. "Wesley and Cordelia, I don't have a job for you, just watch and see how it's all done. Everyone else, lets go." The said teams made their way to the cars, and got in. Xander drove in one car, with Angel shotgun, and Gunn in the back. In the other car was Buffy and Riley, the latter driving. Following these two cars was one more jeep, with four men, presumably team alpha. As the jeeps took off, Wesley and Cordelia stood in the middle of the chaos, not knowing what to do.

Xander was a good driver, and Angel was thankful for it. They rode most of the way in silence, until Xander broke it.
"Is it hard coming back here to watch the love of your life get married?" he asked, but it wasn't in the rude way that Angel would have expected, instead, Xander seemed to have grown. He was asking as though he really cared. Angel paused for a moment before he answered.
"Yeah, it is. But I suppose in some ways, this is easier, the not being able to see her, I mean. Not being able to see her and Riley together."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I loved her too, you know. And this, well, I guess I just don't know. I feel like I'm losing her," Xander said, and Gunn noticed his knuckles were white on the wheel.
"At least you had her for the past years," Angel said. "And I know that I could have called, but..."
"She wouldn't have wanted you to," Xander finished. "After you came down here and beat up Riley, I heard her and Willow talking. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help it. Buffy was talking about how much she still loved you, and how when she saw you, it hurt her deep inside. And that how she was afraid that the next time that she saw you, she wouldn't let you walk away. I know this probably hurts, but at least she never forgot you, ya know?"
"Yeah, I know," Angel was staring in the distance. "I never forgot her, either." The remainder of the ride was in silence. When they got there, Gunn helped Angel out of the car, and began to describe the building to him. Buffy turned to Riley.
"I'm going to take the top floor. You take the bottom. I'm taking Xander, Gunn and Angel. You take team Alpha. Leave no vampires alive. I want them all dead," Buffy instructed Riley, who looked none too pleased with the arrangements. But he knew better than to argue, and so he grudgingly gathered up his team, and gave them orders. Buffy called her team over.
"Alright. Listen up. We're taking the top floor, I think that's where the majority of the vampires are. Take them down fast. I don't know who they are, be it an order or just random vamps. Don't take the time to find out. Let's move." She led the way into the building, followed by Xander, Angel and Gunn. With one hand on the wall, Angel was able to make it up the stairs with no incident. Just as Gunn was approaching the top, he let out a shout and was pulled backwards. Before Angel could come to his aid, he was kicked from behind. Angel spun around, and circled the vampire, until his opponent threw the first punch, which, sensing it coming, Angel ducked. He then threw out his fist into what he assumed to be the other's stomach, and was rewarded with a groan of pain. He then kneed the vamp in the solar plexus, and felt him double over. Angel took his axe, and swiped at the vampire, hitting him right on the nape of his neck, effectively taking his head off. Before the dust had hit the ground, Angel spun on his heel in what he assumed was the direction of the stairs.
"GUNN!" he bellowed, waiting for a response. There was none. He tried again, yelling louder, and there was still nothing, until he was able to pick up a faint groan, coming from the opposite direction. Turning, he went in that direction, but because he was not paying attention, missed the first stair, and tumbled down, almost landing on his axe.
"GUNN!" he called again, once he had stood up. He followed the sound of the moaning, and came to Gunn, lying on the floor. The smell of blood was overpowering as he kneeled down next to the injured man.
"Where does it hurt?" he asked. Gunn tried to sit up, but a pain in his leg forced him back down.
"My leg. The sucker had a sword, got me in the leg. Damn him," Gunn said, clenching his teeth in pain.
"Where is he now?" Angel asked worriedly.
"Dust," Gunn offered with a tight smile. Then his expression changed, his eyes getting wider. "BEHIND YOU!"
Angel dropped his axe and ducked and rolled, but it wasn't in time to avoid a sword that cut the back of his coat and got his skin. Hissing in pain, he turned to vamp face, and jumped up to get his attacker, but was knocked back down by a kick from behind.
"Angel!" Gunn called, "Vamp with sword, 7:00!" Angel spun to the left, and grabbed the sword by the blade, ignoring the pain in his hand as he did so. He yanked the sword from the other vampire's hand, and used it against him, first slashing his torso, and then cutting off the head.
"Good work," Buffy said as she came down the stairs, followed by Xander. Angel spun in the direction of their voices.
"Are they all gone?" he asked her.
"Yeah I think so," she replied. Angel turned to Gunn, and offered the other man his hand. Gunn accepted, and pulled himself up. He tested his leg, and when it gave out, relied on Angel's offered shoulder. In doing so, Angel had turned his back to Xander and Buffy, who now saw the blood oozing from the wound in his back.
"Holy crap," Xander said. "Are you ok?" Angel felt his back, and the blood.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "Are we ready to go?" Buffy looked at Xander.
"Yeah, let's go," she said, and the two of them led the way out of the building. Gunn and Angel followed. When they went outside, Riley and his team met them.
"Everything went ok?" he asked Buffy.
"Yup," she affirmed. Riley then looked at Gunn and Angel, both of whom were bleeding.
"I thought that you said that you could handle yourself," he said snidely.
"Are we alive? Are the vamps dead?" Gunn shot back. "We handled ourselves just fine." Riley rolled his eyes, and then turned to Buffy.
"Lets go back to the base, Willow wants to know how we made out," he informed her. The gang went back to the cars in which they came, and headed back to the base.
"How's the leg?" Angel asked Gunn, concerned.
"It'll be fine," he said, gritting through the pain.
"You sure?" Angel prodded, "seems like an awful lot of blood."
"Yeah, there is. What about you? Your back looks pretty bad, and your hand looks like it could use some time to heal," Gunn tried to divert the attention from himself. Angel frowned.
"I've been hurt worse," he said to Gunn. "Sorry about the car," he directed at Xander. The young man shrugged.
"That's ok. No one cares about these things. Old pieces of junk, really. Besides, the important thing is that we all made it out in one piece. When we get back, Tara and Willow will heal you up," he told both Angel and Gunn.
"Whose Tara?" Angel asked. He still wasn't clear on her affiliation with the group.
"She and Willow, they go together. Began back in college, never ended. Also a Wicca with an immense amount of power. Helped Willow found D.O.P, actually," Xander said, pausing thoughtfully. "She and Willow are really happy together. And that, in turn, makes the rest of us happy."
"That's good. And what about you and Anya?" Xander laughed.
"I don't know how that one came to be, really. All I know is that we are happy, and that all is well, and I leave it at that," he said, a smile on his face.
"That's good," Angel repeated. Xander momentarily took his eyes off the road, and turned to look at Angel.
"What about you? What do you guys do in LA?" Xander asked.
"Cordelia donates most of her time to a shelter to battered and abused women, and Wesley works in an occult bookstore, comes in handy when we need to do research," he began. He motioned over his shoulder at Gunn. "Gunn teaches self defense classes at the YMCA during the day, and we patrol at night."
"What about YOU?" Xander questioned. "I mean, do you just sit around and brood? Or is there something else that you do?" Angel offered a smile.
"No, no full time brooding. I teach a self-defense class for the blind, also at the YMCA. Same as Gunn, we patrol at night," he smiled. "It's really rewarding."
"I imagine," Xander said as they pulled into the driveway that would lead them to the headquarters of D.O.P. They unloaded, and Angel once again helped Gunn walk into the building. When they got in, Willow and Tara were waiting for them, and anxious to get report. Buffy and Riley were already there, and soon team alpha arrived. Willow took charge.
"Team alpha, shower, and then write report. We don't have time for an oral report," Willow ordered, and the team went down a corridor and disappeared. Willow turned to face the remaining.
"I take it all went well," she surmised. She glanced at Gunn and Angel, the former still leaning on the vampire for support. "Injuries? Well, I guess that was bound to happen. Can you wait until after you give report to get them fixed up?"
"Sure, we're good," Gunn answered for the both of them.
"Alright then. We'll start with the two of you. Gunn you first. How many vampires did you take out?" she asked, hands poised on the keys of her computer.
"Uh...one, and then Angel-"
"We'll get to Angel later," she informed him. "What injuries did you get?"
"One of the vamps had a sword, got me in the leg. I'll be ok though."
"Did you notice anything about them? Armor? Swords? You mentioned swords. Did you recognize them?" Willow looked at Gunn.
"No armor that I saw, and the swords were like any other, I guess. I don't know. That's all," Gunn said, wincing now with the pain of his leg. Willow noticed his pain.
"Tara, take Gunn to room nine. I'll send Angel along in a minute." Tara nodded at Willow's words, and then took Gunn from Angel, and led him down the hallway. Willow turned to Angel.
"How many?" she asked.
"Two."
"Anything that you noticed?"
" I wouldn't know, can't see, sorry," he answered without any trace of embarrassment.
"Right. That's all I need right now," Willow said. "I suppose that we should get you fixed up?" Willow turned to Riley. "Since you're with team alpha, you have to write a report, so you don't have to be here right now. Would you mind showing Angel to exam room 5, please?" Willow asked Riley, the tone in her voice indicating that there was only one way to answer.
"Yeah, room 5? Let's go Angel," Riley said, turning to the hallway. Angel turned in that direction, and followed the sound of his footsteps. Riley turned a corner, Angel followed, and soon they were in a room. Angel walked over to an exam table, and sat down. Riley stayed in the room.
"What do you want?" Angel asked curtly. Riley didn't answer. "Quit playing games. I know you're here." Again there was silence. "Fine. Act like you're two years old. I can handle that."
"You know what I want?" Riley said softly. "I want you to leave. I know that every time that Buffy looks at you, she sees the relationship that you had all those years ago. And I know that she wants it back. And I know that there is no way that I can compete with any of that. And if this is supposed to be the happiest time of my life, and I want it to be that way for Buffy too, and I can't see that happening with you here." Angel was thoughtful for a minute.
"Then maybe you need to see it happening with me here, because I am not leaving. I am here to watch the only woman I have ever loved in 250 years get married. I have not seen her in ten years because I knew that she was seeing you. And I didn't want to jeopardize any happiness that she could have with you. It has killed me not to be able to talk to her, or be with her. So I am here today for the first time in ten years to see her give her love to another man. And I am sorry if you can't handle that. Because I suggest you learn to, as I am not leaving." Angel leaned against the wall behind the exam table. He heard Riley leave, and waited for a little while before Tara came in. She silently dressed his wounds, bandaging the one in the back, and then stitching and dressing the one on his hand. Just as she was finishing, Cordelia burst in the room.
"Angel! You have to stop getting hurt! One of these days..." she said, trailing off. Tara moved away from Angel, displaying his freshly bandaged torso and hand. Angel stood up, and took his shirt off the floor, and put it on, buttoning it carefully. When he was done, he and Cordelia walked out of the room together.
"Are you ok?" she asked him, "and I don't mean just your cuts. I mean Buffy." She could feel him tense up.
"It's just hard, that's all," he said, sighing.
"Yeah, I know," she said, sighing along with him. They slowly made their way back to the room, where Buffy was just finishing up giving report.
"Angel, Cordelia," Willow greeted him. "I have dinner waiting upstairs, if anyone is interested. I'm tired of being down here. This is a day to celebrate! Well, ok, the day after tomorrow is when we celebrate. But you know what I mean. Let's go," she proclaimed, and led the way upstairs.
When they got upstairs, the aroma of freshly cooked food met their awaiting noses. Gunn was sitting at the table, already eating.
"Hey man! This chow is awesome!" he said as he bit into another piece of grilled chicken. His leg was bandaged, and there was a little bit of blood seeping through the dressing. However, the food had his attention, and he played the blood no heed. Cordelia left Angel and made her way to the table, where she began to eat. For a moment, Angel was alarmed. He and Cordelia had an unspoken agreement: he never left him in a new place without his permission. But to her, this may not qualify as a new place. He slowly made his way over to Wesley and the couch where he presumed he was sitting. The two watchers were involved in a deep conversation about the council and what had become of it over the years.
"How's it going?" he greeted them. Wesley and Giles looked up.

"Good, and you?" the elder asked.
"I'm good," he said. "You really should go and get some food. Smells great."
"Good idea," Wesley said and stood up. He paused before he followed Giles. "You'll be ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Go eat," he instructed, and then stood there as the two men walked away from him. Suddenly, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. "Buffy?" he asked.
"Yeah, it's me. How did you know?" she asked him.
"I just did."
"Oh." She paused. "Angel, can I talk to you?"
"Sure."
"Not here. I need privacy. How about the guestroom," she asked him. He shrugged, and allowed her to lead him away, down the hall and into what he presumed was the guestroom. He leaned against the wall, his back and hand injuries from earlier that night catching up to him.
"What do you want to talk about?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Us," she said simply. He sighed, and turned his head towards the floor, waiting for her to continue. "Angel, I love you. I always have loved you. And I want you to know how much I have wanted to pick up the phone and call you these past years. But I didn't, and I regret that. Angel, I don't want you to be out of my life forever. I want to be friends, and I know that sounds corny, but it's what I want! Please, can we be that?" He didn't say anything for a minute.
"I would like that, Buffy. I really would." He looked up to where he presumed her eyes to be with a startling accuracy. And for the first time that night, he offered her a real smile. The one she gave in return was just as genuine.
"Angel, I just want to thank you for coming. It means a lot," Buffy whispered. "I'm going to go back to the rest of the gang..."
"I'll be along shortly. I just need to think," Angel replied to her unanswered question. She nodded, and went out of the room. Angel followed after a few minutes, and sat at the table next to Cordelia and listened to the conversation that was flying around him, as people who had not seen each other for ten years caught up.

When all the food was gone, two hours later, it was nearly sunrise. The four of them headed out, with promises to return late next afternoon. In the car, Cordelia drove, as she better knew her way around Sunnydale than any of the others. When they made it to the hotel, they were shown to their rooms, guys in one, Cordelia in another. Cordelia retired right away, and sleep claimed her within a half-hour. In the guys' room, Angel was in the shower, and Gunn and Wesley set up the cot. As soon as Angel was out of the shower, clad in pj's and sunglasses, there was a mad dash by Wesley and Gunn to the shower, with Wesley the victor, thanks to Gunn's limp leg.
"Damn leg!" Gunn said as he watched Wesley take the shower. Angel laughed, and Gunn looked at him. "You think this is funny! Mr. English in there is gonna STEAL ALL THE HOT WATER!" Gunn said, loud enough for Wesley and their entire floor to hear. The sound of the shower starting took the place of a response from Wesley. Gunn hobbled back to a bed and sat down. Angel slowly walked over to the bed, stumbling over the cot in the middle of the room.
"Serves ya right!" Gunn shot at him, and then ducked as Angel sent a towel in his direction. "Hey!" Gunn called in protest. Angel lay down on the cot, stretching out, and winced as his back hit the hard mattress.
"You ok, man?" Gunn asked, all kidding out of his voice.
"Yeah, I'll be fine in the morning," Angel said, and then removed his sunglasses, and placed them on the floor next to him. "Good night," he said to Gunn, and then pulled up the blanket at the end of the bed, and went to sleep. As soon as Wesley was out of the shower, he was asleep, and soon Gunn followed suit.

The sound of the alarm woke up Angel first, and for a moment, he was confused. He didn't know where he was, or what was going on, other than the fact that his back hurt like hell. He winced as he moved around and slowly remembered where he was. He tried to make his way to the alarm so that no one else would wake up, but only succeeded in tripping over a suitcase and landing on his bad hand. He swore, and was able to locate the alarm, but there were too many buttons to contend with, so he pulled the plug from the wall. Then, using the beds as a guide, made his way back to the cot, and located his suitcase. He put on clean clothes, sunglasses, and then combed his hair to the best of his ability. With nothing to do, he opened his suitcase, and pulled out one of the books in Braille he had brought with him. One of the first things he had done was to learn Braille, so that he could continue to read. He leaned against the wall, and rested as he read. But soon his thoughts began to drift. He was to attend Buffy's wedding sometime tomorrow, and the thought was almost more than he could handle. Buffy, to be married, and of all people, to Riley. He really didn't like Riley, and couldn't see Buffy's attraction to him. The wedding would be at dusk, right when the sunlight was dipping below the horizon, and was going to be held at one of the halls in Sunnydale. There were no religious symbols, as if though Buffy was expecting Angel to be in attendance even though she never formally invited him. Figured I'd still be with Cordelia, I suppose, he mused. And she was right.
The sound of someone knocking on the door interrupted his thoughts. Slowly, he rose and found his way to the source of noise, and when he opened it, was greeted by Cordelia's cheery voice.
"Morning, Angel!" she greeted, "are the other two asleep?"
"Like babies," he affirmed, "didn't even wake up to the alarm."
"Want to get breakfast with me?" she asked him. "I brought you some blood, in a thermos. That way we can eat in the café and no one will know." Though he was quite content in his room, he allowed her to lead him downstairs to the café.
"What time is it?" Angel asked Cordelia. She checked her watch.
"1:30," she informed him. "We aren't expected at Giles until after sunset, so we have the entire day." He nodded, and was overwhelmed by the number of people in the hotel café area as they entered the general eating area. Cordelia found a table in the shade, and left Angel and his thermos as she went to get food. When she came back, with two pancakes and a skim milk, the contents of the thermos were long gone.
"Ahhh," she said as she sat down, "there's nothing like an ice cold skim milk. Yum, yum, yum!" She took a big gulp of milk, followed by a big bite of pancakes.
"I don't like Riley," she declared, out of the blue.
"Me either."
"You see," she began, "the way I figure is that anyone who is mean to you isn't worth getting to know. I know that he is marrying Buffy and all, and I know that she must have had some shred of sanity when she said yes, but I'm having a hard time feeling that sanity." She took another bite of pancake. "Other than the obvious, why don't you like him?"
"No reason," he lied.
"Don't lie to me, Angel. I can read you like a book. Now tell me," Cordelia ordered. He knew that there was no use in lying to her.
"He essentially told me to leave Sunnydale, claiming that Buffy could never love him if I was around. I told him no, and then he stormed out. Hasn't really said anything to me since then," Angel said. "And all this was before Buffy walked in and asked me if we could maintain a friendship. I told her yes, of course." Cordelia looked hard at Angel. As if sensing her stare, he reprimanded her. "Don't look at me like that Cordelia. I know what I want I can never have, and I am dealing with that. But if she wants to be disillusioned and pretend that it's all ok, and that we are good friends, that's fine by me. I want to leave tomorrow on good terms with Buffy." She sighed.
"Fine, but if this leads to more brooding, I'll be forced to stake you, ok?" she joked as she finished up her breakfast. When she was done, she threw out her tray, and then came back to the table, where Angel was standing up, preparing to go.
"Hey, Angel," she began, "they have this GREAT gym, and I wanted to check it out. Do you think that you can find your way back to the room? 205B, ok?"
"Sure, Cordelia, go ahead," he said, as he pulled out his stick from his pants pocket. When he wasn't using it, it was able to fold into itself, and be unnoticeable. He unfolded it, and waved goodbye to Cordelia and headed to the elevator. When he got there, the attendant opened the door for Angel, and asked him what floor he needed to go to.
"Room 205B," he informed the attendant, and the elevator rose. When they got to his floor, Angel got out, and following the directions provided by the attendant, made his way to his room. When he got there, however, he realized that he didn't have a key. So instead, he listened for a sign that Wesley and Gunn were up. Hearing none, he began to bang on the door, until finally a bleary eyed Wesley opened the door.
"Hello Angel," he greeted, and then stepped aside as the vampire made his way inside.
"Gunn up?" Angel asked in place of a greeting.
"Not yet, asleep like I was until a few minutes ago. I trust you slept well?" Wesley said as he pulled on a bathrobe.
"As well as can be expected on a cot on a hotel floor", he answered.
"What time are we supposed to arrive at Giles?" Wesley asked as he walked over to the sink to brush his teeth.
"Sometime after sunset, I think," the vampire said, speaking loudly so that the other man could hear him over the sound of the running water. A groan from the bed attracted Angel's attention, and he turned in that direction, where Gunn was just waking up.
"Can't a man get any rest without a member of the undead waking him up?" he groaned as he rolled over to face the offending member of their party.
"Apparently not," Angel answered. "How's the leg?" This was met by another groan.
"You had to ask? I was trying to forget about it," Gunn said as he sat up in bed, and placed both feet on the floor.
"Not bleeding anymore, at least," Angel observed.
"Small reward," Gunn said, finding that he was able to stand, but not without traces of pain. "What's for breakfast?" he asked, stomach growling. "I'm starved!"
"A buffet, downstairs in the café. I know that there are pancakes and milk," Angel offered.
"Count me there!" Gunn called, and hopped out of bed, to the suitcase, where he grabbed some clean clothes. He then went to the bathroom, where Wesley was just coming out. Gunn went in, and put on some clothes, and then came out.
"Wesley, you coming with me for some chow?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm on my way," Wesley said, and then turned to Angel. "You coming?"
"No, I'm good," he said. "I'll be up here. See of you can't round up Cordelia, I think that she went to the gym."
"Will do," Gunn called as they made their way out the door. Angel smiled at their departing backs, and then went to get a book and read.

The Next Day
The wedding was beautiful. Buffy's dress was ankle long, and was creamy beige. She had declined white, saying that white was for traditional wedding, and that her life would never be traditional. She had a veil of white rosettes, and wore her hair down. Even though the ceremony was at dusk, she seemed to glow as she walked in the hall, and although Angel could not see her, he could sense her as she arrived, before the chorus oohhh's and ahhhh's that signified her arrival began. Cordelia cried silent tears, and Wesley was overwhelmed by the fact that the longest living slayer was getting married. Her radiating beauty dazzled even Gunn, who had no association to the Sunnydale gang heretofore. The hall was in utter silence as she took her vows, and as she and her husband kissed, the tears of joy from the people in the hall could be heard. When they left, Angel and his friends were among the last out. Gunn was the first to wish the newlyweds good luck, followed by Wesley and Cordelia. When Angel came up, he could stand it no longer, and embraced Buffy. Startled at first, she soon returned his hug in kind. When they parted, her eyes had tears in them, and Angel's voice was gravelly.
"Congratulations and good luck to the both of you," he said, and then turned and walked away.
When they got to the reception, Wesley, Gunn and Cordy headed to the buffet. Spike came up behind Angel with two cold beers.
"Care to join me?" he asked, and when Angel shrugged, Spike led the way to the back porch, where he sat down on the steps, soon followed by Angel.
"I'm in love with the Slayer," Spike said shortly after they had sat down. This was followed by a short, bitter laugh from Angel. "No, really mate. I don't know how to explain it. She has something to her, I don't know what. She radiates power, or evil, or something. And I find that I can't resist her."
"An aura. That's what she has. When Whistler first told me I was to guide her, I had no intention of doing so. But when I found her, I knew that I couldn't let go. After I came back from Hell, I knew that there was no way I would ever be able to be near her again. And so I left. Most people think that there is just black when you're blind, but that isn't true. All I can see if Buffy, and I miss her," Angel finished, and then looked away from Spike, staring up at the sky.
"Yeah, mate, I know what you mean," Spike said softly. Both vampires took a drink of beer. They sat in a contemplative silence for a bit.
"I remember one fight that Buffy and Finn had. He was mad, because he thought that she was in love with you. Was about five years back, and she wanted to call LA and find out what was going on. Didn't, because she was afraid that she would hurt him. That's bullshit. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to say good-bye to you." Spike had another drink of beer. "Still loves you, ya know."
"What difference does that make?" Angel asked bitterly. "Nothing that can be done about it now, that's for sure." There was silence, until they heard the wedding party arrive. They stood up, and went back inside, where Buffy was walking in.
"She's beautiful," Spike told Angel as the bride made her way into the house. Angel nodded.
"I know." Cordelia walked up beside the pair of vampires and put her hand on Angel's shoulder. Angel heard Gunn and Wesley walk up behind him. Someone began to clap, and the rest followed suit, until Buffy could be heard over the din, laughing, and saying thank-you. Soon, the clapping died away.
"I want to thank you all for coming," she said, her voice still holding traces of laughter. "I know that there are those of you that had to sacrifice a lot to come, and that means a lot to me." Somehow, Angel knew that she was not talking about people who had to fly cross-country. "These past ten years haven't been easy: we've all had to get up at all hours of the night to divert some unknown force of evil, and then pretend to the outside world that nothing happened. I also know that unlike me, you all had the chance to leave, and you didn't. And for this, I want to say thank you." The mood in the room had turned somber. "Come on guys, lighten up! That was a thank you! Not a eulogy! Lighten up! This is my wedding!" This was met by laughter, to which Buffy smiled triumphantly. "That's better! Now let's PARTY!" she said, and walked into her living room. Riley followed her to the refreshment table, where she admired the cake. Riley wrapped his hands around her waist, and whispered into her ear, making her laugh. Still laughing, she pulled away from him, and moved to where Angel was standing.
"Hi," she said softly. He returned her greeting just as softly.
"Hi."
"Just wanted to say thanks for what you told me at the hall. Moved away to fast to reply," she laughed uneasily. He just nodded, and attempted to smile.
"There were a lot of other people that needed to talk to you," he offered in way of explanation. She smiled faintly.
"You were last, Angel." He looked away from her.
"It was hard for me to come here, Buffy." Wesley, Gunn and Cordelia moved away from where the Slayer and vampire stood, suddenly finding elsewhere they needed to be.
"I know. And I appreciate that you came," she said, sounding uncomfortable.
"I know that, I really do. And I am so happy that you found someone to be happy with. I hope that your lives together are...." He trailed off, grappling for words. "Filled with perfect happiness," he concluded. He heard her choke back a sob. "Buffy," he soothed, "don't cry. I didn't mean to make you cry, this is your day, be happy."
"I know," she said, regaining her composure. "I hope I'm happy too." There was a moment of terse silence. "Did you ever find anyone, Angel? Someone to be with? To pass the long nights?"
"Yes," he answered truthfully.
"Oh?" she asked, sounding surprised.
"Yeah. She was really beautiful, and smart. One of a kind. I have never met anyone before or after her, and I never forgot her."
"What happened to her?" Buffy asked, curious.
"We lost touch. Last I heard, she was getting married, and helping to run a demon fighting program, and the longest living slayer ever." Buffy smiled.
"I hear that this girl still wants to keep in touch," she said, taking his hand. "So please, don't be a stranger." She pressed a piece of paper in his hand, and he took it, knowing that it contained her phone number. She walked away, leaving Angel in the middle of the room.
The rest of the night passed swiftly. Angel found Giles and Wesley, and was able to carry a conversation with them for the better part of the night. Close to 2:00 in the morning, Angel decided it was time to go, and taking his associates with him, they headed back to the hotel. The ride was silent, each caught up in their own thoughts. When they got there, they retired to their respective rooms. Gunn took the shower first, then Wesley, and finally Angel. When he emerged from the shower, Angel found the other two sound asleep, and soon he was too. They awoke the next evening around dusk, and were headed back to LA by 8:00 p.m. For the first hour or so of the trip, the conversation was about the wedding, the old Sunnydale gang, and other little chitchat.
"Willow really has turned into quite a Wicca," Wesley commented. "We were talking at the reception. Almost everything in the D.O.P. is controlled by magick, and can only be accessed by either her or Tara. It's really quite advanced, actually."
"Seems that Tara is one of the gang," Gunn commented.
"Yes," Wesley agreed. "Giles said that there was a reluctance at first, something that had to do with her casting a spell on them, due to something with her family. However, it was apparent that it was buried history, so I didn't dig much further."
"And Xander!" Cordelia exclaimed. "He's grown over the years."
"So have you," Angel reminded her.
"I know. But Xander?" She laughed. "I remember when I was embarrassed to be seen with him. Remember telling him that he should get some ambition in life. Looks like he did."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Angel said. "They've all grown though. Same way we have, I guess. Look back ten years ago. Cordelia, you were trying to be an actress, didn't care about anyone but yourself. Now you're working at a shelter, and donate most of your time there. Hell, I can't even remember that last time you asked for a raise!" They all laughed. "Wesley - you came to us under the guise of a rouge demon hunter, and look at you now?"
"I know!" Cordy laughed. "I don't think you even own leather anymore!"
"And I don't think that I will ever forget meeting Gunn. As I recall, it was an old warehouse, I had a stake protruding from my back, and a metal crossbow from my hand. That was quite the introduction!"
"I must say, I wouldn't want my life any other way," Wesley commented. There was a pause.
"I don't think that I would either," Cordelia commented. "Sure, I gave up Hollywood, but this is so much better."
"Those kids I had working for me sure benefited from me making them go to school, to return home. There was a time I thought that fighting vampires was what they wanted to do. I think that being alive is what they wanted. And this is how I want my life to be," Gunn finished, looking into the distance.
Angel thought for a moment. He over 250 years old, cursed with a soul, and condemned never to achieve perfect happiness. He had been to Hell by his lover's hand, and returned only to have to leave her. He had lost his vision moments before he staked his resurrected sire a second time, and had just been to his soulmates wedding. On the other hand, his soul kept Angelus in check, preventing hundreds of deaths, and by not having a romance on his hand to deal with, it kept him focused on his goal, to atone for all his sins. And his blindness was dealt with. He had attended Buffy's wedding to a normal man, which he begrudgingly admitted to himself, was what he wanted for her. His best friends were three people as committed to ridding the world of evil as he was, and they reminded him that among all the evil in the world, there was also good.
"Yeah," he quietly agreed, "I wouldn't want my life to be any other way."

***The End***

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