Title: "Tommorrow"
Author: 4ever
Disclaimer: Buffy, Angel and all other characters are not mine they belong to the grrr arg guy and whatever
Timeline: During Buffy's whole thing with her mom, but before the surgery and after Dru vamps Darla
Summ: This is how I thought it should have gone...
Buffy sighed. She fingered the card that Giles had given her before she left for LA. Angel Investigators, it said. On the back there was the address of the hotel that Angel now owned. Buffy hadn't asked how Giles had got it. She didn't want to know. She just wanted Angel to help her.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Buffy's mom asked, once again.
"Don't worry, mom. Dawn and I will be fine. We'll go to the hospital and get you checked in and then we'll see you tommorrow after the operation," Buffy said. As they cruised down the freeway, Buffy pondered the thought of telling her mother that she was planning on asking Angel if they could stay at his place. She disregarded it. Her mom had enough things to worry about and so did Buffy. Angel was the only place that Dawn would be safe and Buffy didn't want to risk having Glory follow her to LA.
At about ten o'clock Buffy found herself standing inside of the lobby of Angel's hotel.
"Nice place," Dawn said, beginning to scope it out.
Cordelia came forward. "Buffy," she said, the usual trace of hostility in her voice.
"Is Angel here?" Buffy said, briskly.
"He's sleeping." Buffy hadn't thought of that.
"When do you think he'll be up?"
Before Cordelia could answer Wesley came out from some corner that he had been hiding in. "Buffy," he said," nice to see you."
Buffy nodded. She wasn't exactly in the right state to think of all the painful memories that Wesley's presence reminded her of. She had just said goodbye to her mom and she wanted to be back at the hospital as soon as possible. Even though the doctors had told her she couldn't do anything she still felt better sitting nearer. "I need to see Angel," Buffy said.
"He's sleeping," Cordelia's voice rose slightly in volume.
"Well wake him up. It's important," Buffy said through gritted teeth. An amused Gunn watched from his convenient seat on one of the couches.
"I'm not going to wake him up."
"Cordelia..." Buffy started.
"Where's the coffee?" Angel said, coming down the stairs.
"Angel," Cordy said, releasing all the tension in that one word. "Buffy is here to see you."
"What?" Angel looked up, startled. A shot of unexpectedness mingled with pain and pleasure ran through him. "Come into my office," he said.
Buffy turned to Dawn. "Don't touch anything," she said, and then followed Angel.
Angel sat down in his chair, with a slight sigh. "What brings you to LA?" he said. He was never very good at making small talk he noted to himself.
"Look I'm not going to dance around it," Buffy said. "My mom is in the LA Hospital because she has a brain tumor so my sister and I need a place to stay for a couple of days." She took a deep breath. "There's this phsyco blonde that's after my sister and I need a safe place for Dawn to stay, while I'm at the hospital. Please..." Buffy didn't finish her request. At the mention of a phsyco blonde Angel's eyes had glazed over.
He was thinking about Darla, the vampire Darla. Then he looked up at Buffy. "Child," he almost said out loud. She had been on this earth for less that twenty years while Darla had been there for four hundred. He looked up at hostily. "Why don't you get commando boy to do it?"
"Angel..." Buffy's voice had that warning quality to it.
"I thought you could handle yourself. Didn't need my help?"
"When did I say that?!"
"When haven't you said that? You never call, never ask how I'm doing."
"Angel what are you talking about?!" Buffy stopped. This wasn't worth it. She would find a motel and check in there. She didn't have the strength to spar with Angel. "You know what? Forget this," Buffy said. She walked out and took Dawn with her.
Cordelia watched half in confusion and sorrow and half in gladness. "What did she want?" Cordy asked.
"Nothing," Angel said. "I'm going to be in my office. Don't disturb me unless someone's head is about to come off."
Angel sat down in his chair to meditate. He began to think about Darla, but he couldn't keep his mind off Buffy. At first he thought about the angry slayer that had just been in his office. He told himself that she should appreciate him more and that she had no right coming into his office with an attitude like that. But eventually he couldn't keep out his other feelings for Buffy. He started to remember the girl that he had fallen in love with, the one that had been ready to give her life for him. With Buffy it was always a challenge to stop himself from loving her. He tried to conceal his feelings, but they always came out as hatred instead of love then, like before. He didn't want hatred. He didn't want love. He wanted friendship and he wanted Buffy. He started to think about what she had said. Her mom... her sister... Genuine pangs of guilt started to bother him. Finally he got up. He knew where she was. There was only one hotel with in the hospital area that she could be staying at.
He went through the sewers and within minutes he was there. Checking his watch, he noted the time, almost twelve. He rapped on the door and Dawn came to open it.
"Hey Angel you can't come in," she said, sticking her tongue out.
Angel quickly stepped inside the room. "Public property," he said, as Dawn ducked to dodge his hand that threatened to tousle her hair. "Buffy," he said. She darted around the room, putting things in drawers and dodging his eyes. "Buffy," he finally said, grabbing hold of her shoulders. "I'm sorry about before. Please come back. I'll watch Dawn and you can stay at the hospital."
"I don't need watching!" Dawn yelled.
"Forget it," Buffy said, freeing herself from his grasp. "It's all taken care of."
"Then atleast drop Dawn of at the hotel and then you won't have to worry about her," Angel said. Something in his eyes must have showed Buffy that he meant it. Something in there must have echoed the long buried love for her that he still held in his heart.
"Okay," she said, with some trepidation.
"C'mon," Angel said. "I'll take you back to my place."
"Through the sewers!" Dawn objected.
"Dawn," Buffy said. It wasn't terse, though, and Angel had to look back and smile almost in pleasure at the sisterly look that Buffy gave Dawn.
At twelve thirty Angel found himself back in his office pacing. He didn't know what to do. Not only did he have his own problem with Darla, but now there was Buffy, too. He had to help her as Cordy so eagerly quipped. "Angel investigations, we help the helpless." Suddenly an idea came to him. It was place where he had gone for advice before and atleast it would provide some type of refuge for the two of them.
He stepped out of his office. "Buffy," he said. She was immersed in some college textbook, when she looked up. "I have some place to take you." He said a word to Gunn about keeping a close eye on Dawn and shortly afterwards found himself and Buffy standing in front of the entrance to the oracle.
"So what is this again?" Buffy asked.
"An oracle," Angel said," a connection to the powers that be."
"Wow, up there," Buffy said, sarcastically.
Angel looked sideways at her before a blast of light blinded him and he found himself standing inside the oracle's dome.
She was sitting on the steps making goldfish faces at a a fish in a bowl.
"Hey Angel," she said. "Would you believe? I told the powers that be that I was bored and lonely and they sent me a goldfish. A goldfish!" she repeated. Angel felt better already.
Buffy stood slightly behind Angel. The girl amused her, but she wasn't in the mood to be amused.
"Listen," Angel said. "We need your help."
"I know." There was a silence. "Well?..." Another silence. "Okay listen you know the drill here. You have to actually say your question or request before I can fufill it."
"Okay fine," Angel said. "I want an escape," he said. "I want to leave all my problems just for a while."
"Is that really what you want? If you leave your problems unsolved you'll just come back to the same exact world." The oracle looked at Buffy," Is that what you want?"
"No," Buffy said. Angel turned around to look at her. "I want some way to help my mother."
"That I can do. Hold on one second while I fix Angel's head. Now Angel what do you want again?"
"I want a way to solve my problems," Angel said in a grumpy mumble.
"Awww that's a good boy," the oracle said. "Now I can't solve your problems for you, but I can give you a little help." Angel saw a slight flash of light behind the oracle. She turned around. Doyle appeared.
"Hey Angel," he said. "Hi Buffy." He raised his hand. Angel stood there with a slight expression of shock on his face. He hadn't expected to ever see Doyle again.
"You have twelve hours," the oracle said. "Remember Doyle goes back at one o'clock in the morning."
"C'mon," Doyle said, propelling Angel towards the door. "Let's go find a tavern. The beer up there is horrible." Before he left Angel turned to Buffy.
"Good luck," he said, taking her hand.
"You too," she said.
Then he was gone. Buffy turned back to the oracle.
"Now for you, this is going to be painful," the oracle said. She proceded to tell Buffy about the three tests, that Angel had just gone through and how if she completed them than her mother would be saved. She also gave Buffy some hints and clues as to what to do. "The first test," she said," is fear. Whatever it will be it is something that can not hurt you , except if you fear it. You know the whole FDR,' the only thing we have to fear is fear itself," thing. The second test is pain. It will be something that you are afraid and it will probably hurt a whole lot too," the oracle said. "The third test I can't help you with. It depends on the person. When Angel went it was the test of death, because, you know, he's kind of dead and so his life basically revolves around the non-living. It will be something which is an incredibly difficult part of your life and it may be something which has already happened to you. For instance Angel has been dusted before."
"Thanks," Buffy said. "How do I get there?"
"You usually have to take a leap of faith, but I'll pave the way for you."
In seconds Buffy found herself in a well lit room with a table ready for a feast.
"Well are you ready to begin?" a jeeves like person asked.
"Yeah," Buffy said. "Let's get this over with."
She was quickly transported to a prison like room.
"The only thing you have to fear is fear itself," she murmured under her breath. A door opened and out came Spike. "Oh brother," Buffy said out loud. She knew it wasn't the real Spike, but something about having to deal with him ticked her off. Then she felt a tiny spark of fear enter her soul as the first blows were exchanged. She always got slightly afraid when she was battling Spike. He had been around for a long time and for some reason Buffy had never quite killed him. Then, she tried to steel herself. Spike was just a normal vampire. She could kill him easily. Buffy started to think about that normal vampire, who not so long ago had put a stake in her. "No that's fear," she told herself, as her fist connected with Spike's face. "You know I always wanted to dust you," she told him.
"Really doll," Spike said, in his British accent. "What makes you so sure that you will?"
"Well you see," Buffy said. "It's like this." She hit him in the stomach and he keeled over. "I." She pulled him up and hit him in the face. "Am not," she said, as she flipped him over. "Afraid," she said, triumphantly and she staked him. "Of you," she finished as he turned to dust. Buffy stood up. "I passed the first test!" she yelled out, to taunt the evil demons of fear that started gathering about the next test. Her voice echoed through the stone room.
"So you did," the jeeves guy appeared. "Well on to the next one," he said dissapearing. A door opened and Buffy walked into the next room. It was exactly the same as the last only hanging above one of the doorways was a battle axe. Buffy took it down quickly. She wished that her grip on it was firm, but it wasn't her fingers tingled with fear and Buffy tried to calm herself. She thought of Angel and her mother and her sister. Then her mind roamed to her friends in Sunnydale. Willow, Giles, Xander, Anya and Riley flashed in front of her eyes. Suddenly a door opened. Buffy tensed waiting for an evil fiend to step through.
"Hello Slayer," a deep voice boomed. "I've been waiting for you." It was Adam. Buffy's axe started to slip from her hands, but she quickly clenched it. "What was this?" she asked herself some type of show where all the demons of her past came to torment her. Buffy quickly remembered how last time, to defeat Adam, she had to draw on strength from all her friends. She couldn't do the spell now, but she could think of what her friends would say. "Remember Buffy," she could hear Giles say," concentrate." She ducked the first of Adam's blows, but the second hit her and sent her flying. "Ow," she thought as she exprienced the pain part of the test. "Go get em' Buffster. He can't let you down," she heard Xander saying. She quickly got up again. Adam prepared to ready his guns. Buffy went on the offensive. She was succesful in momentarily destracting him, but other than that she couldn't do anything. He shot one of those missile things at her. "Willow," she said in her mind," if ever needed you, now is definitely the time." Before her eyes a proctective magical shield went up in front of her. The missile turned into a dove, like before and the bullets were deflected.
"What's going on?" Adam said.
"The source of my power," Buffy said. She moved quickly towards Adam and grasped inside. She brought the green glowing prism, that she remembered from before. In her grasp, she crushed it will all her strength. Adam fell lifeless. Buffy stood there in the middle of the room. Her fist was still clenched. She was breathing heavily.
"Very well done," the butler said. "I think we may have to make these tests harder. So many people are passing them." Another door opened and Buffy didn't hesitate to walk through.
She found herself at a very familiar scene, the hellmouth. When she had first killed Angel.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the little slayer," a demonic voice laughed.
"Angelus," Buffy's throat clenched. No, not this again she thought. But she had to save her mother. Blow, by blow the scene was the same as before and when it was all over and Buffy had kissed Angel, for what felt like the last time and sent him, to what she thought, was an eternity in hell, Buffy knelt on the ground and cried. "I've passed the tests," she yelled out, in her sob-racked voice.
"No," said the butler," the last test is not physical. It is a realization and you have yet to make yours."
Buffy buried her head in her hands. "Angel," she thought. What she wouldn't give to have him come to her right now and take her in his arms and comfort her. That was impossible though. The word Angel kept repeating in her head, until it thundered so loud that Buffy put her hands over her ears to stop the noise, but it was coming from inside. Buffy wondered who was yelling. She listened closely. At first it sounded like herself. It was the frantic words that she had cried out in her nightmares. Then, she realized that it was the oracle. "Angel! Angel!," she was saying over and over again and slowly it dawned on Buffy that her realization was Angel. That she and Angel were forever inter-twined in love and eventhough they both tried to cover it up, it was true. It would always be true. A flash of light transported her to the lobby. Buffy was still in a kneeling position. Slowly she stood up.
"Well done," the butler said. "Your mother's mind will be healed."
"She'll live?"
"Yes, she will live."
Buffy ran out of the place and into the light of day. Her body was stiff from the fights, but the sun felt good. It warmed her blood and made her want to celebrate. She laughed out loud and disregarded the passer-byes, who thought she was nuts. She walked all the way to the hospital. When she got there she found that Cordelia had found out what was going on with Buffy's mom and brought Dawn, Gunn, and Wesley to the hospital waiting room.
"Thanks," Buffy told Cordy.
"No problem," Cordelia said. The two smiled at each other. They were opposites in many ways, but they were Sunnydale people too and Sunnydale people stuck together.
"Have you seen Angel?" Wesley asked.
"Not for awhile," Buffy answered. She didn't offer an explanation of what had happened and Wesley, wisely, didn't ask for one.
Meanwhile.....
Angel was enjoying his gift. Doyle and he had found a bar and promptly sat down. Doyle had told Angel a little bit about what it was like "up there" and his feelings about his death. "Don't worry Angel," Doyle had said. "I died for a good cause and that's nothing to be ashamed of." Angel nodded. Then he had told Doyle all about what had happened, since his death. Angel told Doyle about Wesley and Gunn and how Cordelia was doing. Finally he got to Darla. He related everything that had happened in full and Doyle listened in sympathetic silence.
"Actually the way I see it," Doyle said. "The oracle didn't bring me back to talk about Darla."
"What?" Angel said.
"Well think about that girl, absolutely hates Darla," Doyle said. "She brought me back to talk about Buffy."
"How will talking about Buffy help me with Darla? Darla is the problem, not Buffy."
"Exactly Darla is the problem. Buffy is the solution. All you have to do is hold on to that thought and everything will be okay," Doyle said.
"How?" Angel asked. "I can't even be near Buffy because of this curse."
"I know," Doyle said. "You've been having trouble because you're so used to loving Buffy that everything which is not love comes out as hate. You need friendship," Doyle said. "It's the perfect remedy, safe, but fufilling and it will make you want to live and fufill your destiny."
"How?"
"Well, with Buffy and you, all friendship will eventually, be unmasked as love."
Angel sighed and looked at his watch. It said 12:30. "We have to get the hospital," he said.
"Why?" Doyle asked.
"Don't you want to kiss Cordelia goodbye?"
Angel and Doyle hurried down the hospital corridors. They reached the waiting room, quickly. Cordelia immediately sprang up. She ran into Doyle's arms.
"Hey," Doyle said softly. Then, he kissed her. "I have to go now," he said. Cordelia nodded, understandingly and then he was gone. Angel put his arm around her and they walked to the waiting chairs. Cordelia went and sat down and Buffy stood up. Angel came and hugged her.
"Everything is going to be alright," he said, so that only she could hear. Then, they all sat down to wait. One by one they fell asleep, all except Angel. He sat in a chair next to Buffy and looked around him. There were empty seats. He could fill them all with his mind. One by one Doyle, Giles, Willow, Xander and Oz appeared. There wasn't any extra room. Angel smirked to himself at the thought that Riley didn't have a seat. Then, he looked at Buffy. She was so beautiful sleeping. He transferred her position so that she was leaning on him and he could hold her hand. A line from a familiar poem came to Angel's mind, "Tommorrow's what I'm waiting for, but I can wait a little more." Tommorrow, that was when he would be human. Angel was waiting for it, so that he could be with Buffy. But for right now, he could wait a little more and enjoy the whole friendship thing. He looked down at Buffy, again. He loved her. She woke up a little bit. "Everything is going to be okay?" she said, drowsily, looking up at him with love and trust in her eyes.
"Yeah," Angel said, kissing her forehead. Eventually he fell asleep and dreamt of the future and how it would be wonderful.
Then, at 2 am a messanger was sent, from the operating room, to tell them all that everything really was going to be okay.
Author: 4ever
Disclaimer: Buffy, Angel and all other characters are not mine they belong to the grrr arg guy and whatever
Timeline: During Buffy's whole thing with her mom, but before the surgery and after Dru vamps Darla
Summ: This is how I thought it should have gone...
Buffy sighed. She fingered the card that Giles had given her before she left for LA. Angel Investigators, it said. On the back there was the address of the hotel that Angel now owned. Buffy hadn't asked how Giles had got it. She didn't want to know. She just wanted Angel to help her.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Buffy's mom asked, once again.
"Don't worry, mom. Dawn and I will be fine. We'll go to the hospital and get you checked in and then we'll see you tommorrow after the operation," Buffy said. As they cruised down the freeway, Buffy pondered the thought of telling her mother that she was planning on asking Angel if they could stay at his place. She disregarded it. Her mom had enough things to worry about and so did Buffy. Angel was the only place that Dawn would be safe and Buffy didn't want to risk having Glory follow her to LA.
At about ten o'clock Buffy found herself standing inside of the lobby of Angel's hotel.
"Nice place," Dawn said, beginning to scope it out.
Cordelia came forward. "Buffy," she said, the usual trace of hostility in her voice.
"Is Angel here?" Buffy said, briskly.
"He's sleeping." Buffy hadn't thought of that.
"When do you think he'll be up?"
Before Cordelia could answer Wesley came out from some corner that he had been hiding in. "Buffy," he said," nice to see you."
Buffy nodded. She wasn't exactly in the right state to think of all the painful memories that Wesley's presence reminded her of. She had just said goodbye to her mom and she wanted to be back at the hospital as soon as possible. Even though the doctors had told her she couldn't do anything she still felt better sitting nearer. "I need to see Angel," Buffy said.
"He's sleeping," Cordelia's voice rose slightly in volume.
"Well wake him up. It's important," Buffy said through gritted teeth. An amused Gunn watched from his convenient seat on one of the couches.
"I'm not going to wake him up."
"Cordelia..." Buffy started.
"Where's the coffee?" Angel said, coming down the stairs.
"Angel," Cordy said, releasing all the tension in that one word. "Buffy is here to see you."
"What?" Angel looked up, startled. A shot of unexpectedness mingled with pain and pleasure ran through him. "Come into my office," he said.
Buffy turned to Dawn. "Don't touch anything," she said, and then followed Angel.
Angel sat down in his chair, with a slight sigh. "What brings you to LA?" he said. He was never very good at making small talk he noted to himself.
"Look I'm not going to dance around it," Buffy said. "My mom is in the LA Hospital because she has a brain tumor so my sister and I need a place to stay for a couple of days." She took a deep breath. "There's this phsyco blonde that's after my sister and I need a safe place for Dawn to stay, while I'm at the hospital. Please..." Buffy didn't finish her request. At the mention of a phsyco blonde Angel's eyes had glazed over.
He was thinking about Darla, the vampire Darla. Then he looked up at Buffy. "Child," he almost said out loud. She had been on this earth for less that twenty years while Darla had been there for four hundred. He looked up at hostily. "Why don't you get commando boy to do it?"
"Angel..." Buffy's voice had that warning quality to it.
"I thought you could handle yourself. Didn't need my help?"
"When did I say that?!"
"When haven't you said that? You never call, never ask how I'm doing."
"Angel what are you talking about?!" Buffy stopped. This wasn't worth it. She would find a motel and check in there. She didn't have the strength to spar with Angel. "You know what? Forget this," Buffy said. She walked out and took Dawn with her.
Cordelia watched half in confusion and sorrow and half in gladness. "What did she want?" Cordy asked.
"Nothing," Angel said. "I'm going to be in my office. Don't disturb me unless someone's head is about to come off."
Angel sat down in his chair to meditate. He began to think about Darla, but he couldn't keep his mind off Buffy. At first he thought about the angry slayer that had just been in his office. He told himself that she should appreciate him more and that she had no right coming into his office with an attitude like that. But eventually he couldn't keep out his other feelings for Buffy. He started to remember the girl that he had fallen in love with, the one that had been ready to give her life for him. With Buffy it was always a challenge to stop himself from loving her. He tried to conceal his feelings, but they always came out as hatred instead of love then, like before. He didn't want hatred. He didn't want love. He wanted friendship and he wanted Buffy. He started to think about what she had said. Her mom... her sister... Genuine pangs of guilt started to bother him. Finally he got up. He knew where she was. There was only one hotel with in the hospital area that she could be staying at.
He went through the sewers and within minutes he was there. Checking his watch, he noted the time, almost twelve. He rapped on the door and Dawn came to open it.
"Hey Angel you can't come in," she said, sticking her tongue out.
Angel quickly stepped inside the room. "Public property," he said, as Dawn ducked to dodge his hand that threatened to tousle her hair. "Buffy," he said. She darted around the room, putting things in drawers and dodging his eyes. "Buffy," he finally said, grabbing hold of her shoulders. "I'm sorry about before. Please come back. I'll watch Dawn and you can stay at the hospital."
"I don't need watching!" Dawn yelled.
"Forget it," Buffy said, freeing herself from his grasp. "It's all taken care of."
"Then atleast drop Dawn of at the hotel and then you won't have to worry about her," Angel said. Something in his eyes must have showed Buffy that he meant it. Something in there must have echoed the long buried love for her that he still held in his heart.
"Okay," she said, with some trepidation.
"C'mon," Angel said. "I'll take you back to my place."
"Through the sewers!" Dawn objected.
"Dawn," Buffy said. It wasn't terse, though, and Angel had to look back and smile almost in pleasure at the sisterly look that Buffy gave Dawn.
At twelve thirty Angel found himself back in his office pacing. He didn't know what to do. Not only did he have his own problem with Darla, but now there was Buffy, too. He had to help her as Cordy so eagerly quipped. "Angel investigations, we help the helpless." Suddenly an idea came to him. It was place where he had gone for advice before and atleast it would provide some type of refuge for the two of them.
He stepped out of his office. "Buffy," he said. She was immersed in some college textbook, when she looked up. "I have some place to take you." He said a word to Gunn about keeping a close eye on Dawn and shortly afterwards found himself and Buffy standing in front of the entrance to the oracle.
"So what is this again?" Buffy asked.
"An oracle," Angel said," a connection to the powers that be."
"Wow, up there," Buffy said, sarcastically.
Angel looked sideways at her before a blast of light blinded him and he found himself standing inside the oracle's dome.
She was sitting on the steps making goldfish faces at a a fish in a bowl.
"Hey Angel," she said. "Would you believe? I told the powers that be that I was bored and lonely and they sent me a goldfish. A goldfish!" she repeated. Angel felt better already.
Buffy stood slightly behind Angel. The girl amused her, but she wasn't in the mood to be amused.
"Listen," Angel said. "We need your help."
"I know." There was a silence. "Well?..." Another silence. "Okay listen you know the drill here. You have to actually say your question or request before I can fufill it."
"Okay fine," Angel said. "I want an escape," he said. "I want to leave all my problems just for a while."
"Is that really what you want? If you leave your problems unsolved you'll just come back to the same exact world." The oracle looked at Buffy," Is that what you want?"
"No," Buffy said. Angel turned around to look at her. "I want some way to help my mother."
"That I can do. Hold on one second while I fix Angel's head. Now Angel what do you want again?"
"I want a way to solve my problems," Angel said in a grumpy mumble.
"Awww that's a good boy," the oracle said. "Now I can't solve your problems for you, but I can give you a little help." Angel saw a slight flash of light behind the oracle. She turned around. Doyle appeared.
"Hey Angel," he said. "Hi Buffy." He raised his hand. Angel stood there with a slight expression of shock on his face. He hadn't expected to ever see Doyle again.
"You have twelve hours," the oracle said. "Remember Doyle goes back at one o'clock in the morning."
"C'mon," Doyle said, propelling Angel towards the door. "Let's go find a tavern. The beer up there is horrible." Before he left Angel turned to Buffy.
"Good luck," he said, taking her hand.
"You too," she said.
Then he was gone. Buffy turned back to the oracle.
"Now for you, this is going to be painful," the oracle said. She proceded to tell Buffy about the three tests, that Angel had just gone through and how if she completed them than her mother would be saved. She also gave Buffy some hints and clues as to what to do. "The first test," she said," is fear. Whatever it will be it is something that can not hurt you , except if you fear it. You know the whole FDR,' the only thing we have to fear is fear itself," thing. The second test is pain. It will be something that you are afraid and it will probably hurt a whole lot too," the oracle said. "The third test I can't help you with. It depends on the person. When Angel went it was the test of death, because, you know, he's kind of dead and so his life basically revolves around the non-living. It will be something which is an incredibly difficult part of your life and it may be something which has already happened to you. For instance Angel has been dusted before."
"Thanks," Buffy said. "How do I get there?"
"You usually have to take a leap of faith, but I'll pave the way for you."
In seconds Buffy found herself in a well lit room with a table ready for a feast.
"Well are you ready to begin?" a jeeves like person asked.
"Yeah," Buffy said. "Let's get this over with."
She was quickly transported to a prison like room.
"The only thing you have to fear is fear itself," she murmured under her breath. A door opened and out came Spike. "Oh brother," Buffy said out loud. She knew it wasn't the real Spike, but something about having to deal with him ticked her off. Then she felt a tiny spark of fear enter her soul as the first blows were exchanged. She always got slightly afraid when she was battling Spike. He had been around for a long time and for some reason Buffy had never quite killed him. Then, she tried to steel herself. Spike was just a normal vampire. She could kill him easily. Buffy started to think about that normal vampire, who not so long ago had put a stake in her. "No that's fear," she told herself, as her fist connected with Spike's face. "You know I always wanted to dust you," she told him.
"Really doll," Spike said, in his British accent. "What makes you so sure that you will?"
"Well you see," Buffy said. "It's like this." She hit him in the stomach and he keeled over. "I." She pulled him up and hit him in the face. "Am not," she said, as she flipped him over. "Afraid," she said, triumphantly and she staked him. "Of you," she finished as he turned to dust. Buffy stood up. "I passed the first test!" she yelled out, to taunt the evil demons of fear that started gathering about the next test. Her voice echoed through the stone room.
"So you did," the jeeves guy appeared. "Well on to the next one," he said dissapearing. A door opened and Buffy walked into the next room. It was exactly the same as the last only hanging above one of the doorways was a battle axe. Buffy took it down quickly. She wished that her grip on it was firm, but it wasn't her fingers tingled with fear and Buffy tried to calm herself. She thought of Angel and her mother and her sister. Then her mind roamed to her friends in Sunnydale. Willow, Giles, Xander, Anya and Riley flashed in front of her eyes. Suddenly a door opened. Buffy tensed waiting for an evil fiend to step through.
"Hello Slayer," a deep voice boomed. "I've been waiting for you." It was Adam. Buffy's axe started to slip from her hands, but she quickly clenched it. "What was this?" she asked herself some type of show where all the demons of her past came to torment her. Buffy quickly remembered how last time, to defeat Adam, she had to draw on strength from all her friends. She couldn't do the spell now, but she could think of what her friends would say. "Remember Buffy," she could hear Giles say," concentrate." She ducked the first of Adam's blows, but the second hit her and sent her flying. "Ow," she thought as she exprienced the pain part of the test. "Go get em' Buffster. He can't let you down," she heard Xander saying. She quickly got up again. Adam prepared to ready his guns. Buffy went on the offensive. She was succesful in momentarily destracting him, but other than that she couldn't do anything. He shot one of those missile things at her. "Willow," she said in her mind," if ever needed you, now is definitely the time." Before her eyes a proctective magical shield went up in front of her. The missile turned into a dove, like before and the bullets were deflected.
"What's going on?" Adam said.
"The source of my power," Buffy said. She moved quickly towards Adam and grasped inside. She brought the green glowing prism, that she remembered from before. In her grasp, she crushed it will all her strength. Adam fell lifeless. Buffy stood there in the middle of the room. Her fist was still clenched. She was breathing heavily.
"Very well done," the butler said. "I think we may have to make these tests harder. So many people are passing them." Another door opened and Buffy didn't hesitate to walk through.
She found herself at a very familiar scene, the hellmouth. When she had first killed Angel.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the little slayer," a demonic voice laughed.
"Angelus," Buffy's throat clenched. No, not this again she thought. But she had to save her mother. Blow, by blow the scene was the same as before and when it was all over and Buffy had kissed Angel, for what felt like the last time and sent him, to what she thought, was an eternity in hell, Buffy knelt on the ground and cried. "I've passed the tests," she yelled out, in her sob-racked voice.
"No," said the butler," the last test is not physical. It is a realization and you have yet to make yours."
Buffy buried her head in her hands. "Angel," she thought. What she wouldn't give to have him come to her right now and take her in his arms and comfort her. That was impossible though. The word Angel kept repeating in her head, until it thundered so loud that Buffy put her hands over her ears to stop the noise, but it was coming from inside. Buffy wondered who was yelling. She listened closely. At first it sounded like herself. It was the frantic words that she had cried out in her nightmares. Then, she realized that it was the oracle. "Angel! Angel!," she was saying over and over again and slowly it dawned on Buffy that her realization was Angel. That she and Angel were forever inter-twined in love and eventhough they both tried to cover it up, it was true. It would always be true. A flash of light transported her to the lobby. Buffy was still in a kneeling position. Slowly she stood up.
"Well done," the butler said. "Your mother's mind will be healed."
"She'll live?"
"Yes, she will live."
Buffy ran out of the place and into the light of day. Her body was stiff from the fights, but the sun felt good. It warmed her blood and made her want to celebrate. She laughed out loud and disregarded the passer-byes, who thought she was nuts. She walked all the way to the hospital. When she got there she found that Cordelia had found out what was going on with Buffy's mom and brought Dawn, Gunn, and Wesley to the hospital waiting room.
"Thanks," Buffy told Cordy.
"No problem," Cordelia said. The two smiled at each other. They were opposites in many ways, but they were Sunnydale people too and Sunnydale people stuck together.
"Have you seen Angel?" Wesley asked.
"Not for awhile," Buffy answered. She didn't offer an explanation of what had happened and Wesley, wisely, didn't ask for one.
Meanwhile.....
Angel was enjoying his gift. Doyle and he had found a bar and promptly sat down. Doyle had told Angel a little bit about what it was like "up there" and his feelings about his death. "Don't worry Angel," Doyle had said. "I died for a good cause and that's nothing to be ashamed of." Angel nodded. Then he had told Doyle all about what had happened, since his death. Angel told Doyle about Wesley and Gunn and how Cordelia was doing. Finally he got to Darla. He related everything that had happened in full and Doyle listened in sympathetic silence.
"Actually the way I see it," Doyle said. "The oracle didn't bring me back to talk about Darla."
"What?" Angel said.
"Well think about that girl, absolutely hates Darla," Doyle said. "She brought me back to talk about Buffy."
"How will talking about Buffy help me with Darla? Darla is the problem, not Buffy."
"Exactly Darla is the problem. Buffy is the solution. All you have to do is hold on to that thought and everything will be okay," Doyle said.
"How?" Angel asked. "I can't even be near Buffy because of this curse."
"I know," Doyle said. "You've been having trouble because you're so used to loving Buffy that everything which is not love comes out as hate. You need friendship," Doyle said. "It's the perfect remedy, safe, but fufilling and it will make you want to live and fufill your destiny."
"How?"
"Well, with Buffy and you, all friendship will eventually, be unmasked as love."
Angel sighed and looked at his watch. It said 12:30. "We have to get the hospital," he said.
"Why?" Doyle asked.
"Don't you want to kiss Cordelia goodbye?"
Angel and Doyle hurried down the hospital corridors. They reached the waiting room, quickly. Cordelia immediately sprang up. She ran into Doyle's arms.
"Hey," Doyle said softly. Then, he kissed her. "I have to go now," he said. Cordelia nodded, understandingly and then he was gone. Angel put his arm around her and they walked to the waiting chairs. Cordelia went and sat down and Buffy stood up. Angel came and hugged her.
"Everything is going to be alright," he said, so that only she could hear. Then, they all sat down to wait. One by one they fell asleep, all except Angel. He sat in a chair next to Buffy and looked around him. There were empty seats. He could fill them all with his mind. One by one Doyle, Giles, Willow, Xander and Oz appeared. There wasn't any extra room. Angel smirked to himself at the thought that Riley didn't have a seat. Then, he looked at Buffy. She was so beautiful sleeping. He transferred her position so that she was leaning on him and he could hold her hand. A line from a familiar poem came to Angel's mind, "Tommorrow's what I'm waiting for, but I can wait a little more." Tommorrow, that was when he would be human. Angel was waiting for it, so that he could be with Buffy. But for right now, he could wait a little more and enjoy the whole friendship thing. He looked down at Buffy, again. He loved her. She woke up a little bit. "Everything is going to be okay?" she said, drowsily, looking up at him with love and trust in her eyes.
"Yeah," Angel said, kissing her forehead. Eventually he fell asleep and dreamt of the future and how it would be wonderful.
Then, at 2 am a messanger was sent, from the operating room, to tell them all that everything really was going to be okay.