Awakening Of The Heart
By Maddy
Summary: Angel becomes human, there's a B/A reunion. Yeah!! Angst.
Rating: PG13, could be more. Implied stuff, some swearing.
Spoilers: The whole series of Buffy, seasons 1-7 and Angel seasons 1 through to the beginning of season 5. Bits and pieces are mentioned or play a part, others don't, and you'll figure it out as you go.
Timeline: Begins February 21st 2010, then it goes back to the time between seasons 4+5 and 1+2.
Distribution: you are very welcome to have it angelz_fly_low@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: Own no one from Buffy/Angel verse. Joss and Co. does.
Dedication: None
Feedback: Give it to me.
Author's Notes: Couples: Year 2000 timeline = Buffy/Riley, Buffy/Angel, Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya, plus a few more. Year 2010 timeline = Willow/Oz, Xander/Cordelia, Wesley/Virginia, Gunn/Fred, Giles/Olivia.
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Prologue. February 21st 2010
She watched the laughing face of her son. Glad he was having a good time, as he should be, she thought mournfully. The back yard was full of happy, smiley faces. All here to celebrate her son's birthday. Or to eat free food. A gust of wind blew hair into her face, pushing away the golden brown hair; she nearly got hit in the face with a tennis ball. Her lightning quick reflexes caught the ball mere inches from her face.
"Wow, good catch," said one of her son's friends, as he came to retrieve his ball.
"Here you go, Shane," she said passing the ball to the blonde 8 year old.
"Thanks, Mrs O'Connor," he said before running back to the handball game on the patio. She smiled at the innocence of all this, friends and family getting together to celebrate ones day of birth. We're all born innocent…but it doesn't last for long. The innocence is taken away, not by choice, but by luck, chance, fate…or misfortune. Her son still retained much of his innocence, but his ignorance of the darker side of the world, had never existed. Lucky them, she said once about most people's unknowing for the world she was violently shoved into. To have a choice of how my life would run…for so many years she believed a future was off limits but then all these windows of opportunity opened up…and I had no idea which way to go.
"Buffy…" said a voice pulling her from her reverie. "It's time for the cake."
"Sure," she complied getting out of the seat. "It's in the house isn't it?"
"The kitchen. But not for long," joked her friend of 13 long, hard years. "Soon it'll be in my stomach." He patted his mid-section.
"Soon enough, Xander, soon enough," she said as he opened the back door for her. "And you're only having the max. of 2 pieces."
"Yeah, yeah…whatever," he said letting the door close behind them.
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He blew out the candles, 9 of them, in one go. My wish will come true. He looked up at his mother standing beside him, smiling as Uncle Xander took photos. Will the photos create the illusion that the smile reaches her eyes? Or will they still look empty? Her young smooth face betrayed the years of suffering, of tears and fighting. Her eyes hazel and wide.
Are they only ever empty when I look at them? Or can everyone see?