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"So, Buff, what happened last night?" Xander asked
"Yeah, you kinda just ran out of the Bronze, without even saying goodbye" Willow said, before lowering her voice slightly, "Was it because of Angel?"
"No…maybe…I don't know…besides, me leaving last night was good for the community," Buffy said, "I joined Faith on patrol and slayed some evil"
"Because we did see Angel at the Bronze last night. Surprisingly," Xander said
"Really? You saw him there?" Buffy asked, feigning ignorance "What was he doing there?"
"I don't know. You're the one who's knowledgeable on all things Angel"
"Shouldn't you three have somewhere to be?" Principal Snyder asked, arriving behind the trio with the usual look of contempt on his face
"We're on our way there," Xander said, "Don't worry, Principal Snyder, we're all ready to get in and learn extra hard today"
"Let's hope so, Harris. Any more failures from you and I'll be looking forward to expelling you. Oh, happy day that shall be"
"You sure do know how to inspire us students"
"Off to class now"
Principal Snyder walked off, as the trio headed to class
"Buffy, you can't say you didn't see Angel there," Xander said, "Will and I both know you left last night because of him being there"
"Did you guys break up again?" Willow asked softly
"Look, it's…complicated," Buffy said, "Let's just…go to class"
The trio arrived in class, as Buffy took a seat near the window. Opening up her notebook, she came across a few words she had scribbled in a few months ago:
Buffy and Angel forever
She thought back to that moment when she had written that note. Back when she believed that she and Angel had a future together. Before Angelus came along and ruined things. Before she had to send Angel to hell to save the world. That memory continuously played over in her mind. The battle with Angelus and his re-ensoulment. Angel's shocked look as he was sucked into Acathla
Now, she wasn't sure if she and Angel had a future together. Well, not for a while anyway, considering she had left him. Buffy shook her head, trying to clear her mind and focus on the schoolwork, but found it hard as she kept thinking about Angel. Thinking when she had seen him at the Bronze. When she had seen him lurking outside her home, watching her window. Her feelings about Angel right now
"Buffy, you're distracted," Willow said, "Look"
Buffy looked down at her notebook, seeing the words 'Angel', 'Angelus', 'Acathla' and 'Forever?' etched all over the page. She sighed and tore the page out, scrunching it up and throwing it towards the rubbish bin…missing as it bounced off the edge
"So you two did break up," Willow said
It wasn't a question. Buffy sighed and looked at her friend with sad eyes
"Yeah, we did. I dumped him the other night"
"Oh, Buffy, why?"
"I just felt like…we couldn't be together…anymore. It's a big complicated thing. It happened not long after Spike left. For an evil thing, he's quite insightful"
"Miss Summers, Miss Rosenberg," called the teacher, "Stop talking"
"Tell me about it at lunch," Willow whispered
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"Well, that looks constructive"
Angel jumped at the sound of Cordelia's voice. He looked over his shoulder, seeing her in the doorway with a grin on her face and schoolbag in her hand. He hadn't even heard her come in. Then he looked at the clock and frowned
"Shouldn't you be in school?"
"Uh, it's so overrated. Like I'm gonna need science in my life. Beside, it's nice to get away from there. Away from Harmony and her moronic friends"
"You need to be in school," Angel said
"Sorry, Dad," Cordelia said sarcastically
She dropped her schoolbag aside and sat on the couch, as Angel got up and headed to the fireplace, his back to the young cheerleader
"What are you doing here?" he asked
"Like I said, school is overrated and I thought I'd come here. Be a whole lot better than say at my place. Also thought you might want some company"
"Not really"
"So, you rather sit here and brood about Buffy all day and all night?" Cordelia asked
"Look, you wouldn't understand," Angel said, facing her, "You wouldn't understand what we have or rather, what we had or what we're going through"
"Okay, so I might not completely know what exactly you guys had," Cordelia said, "But I have an idea of what you're going through, Angel, and you can't spend the rest of your unlife moping around your mansion"
"What else am I suppose to do?" Angel asked, sitting down by the fireplace
"Definitely not mope around. Look, maybe you should get your mind off Buffy, even if it's for a small moment and think about something else"
"Like what?"
"I don't know. Oh, tell me a story. One from the ye ole days"
Angel cocked an eyebrow at her
"You don't want to know what I did in the 'ye ole days'"
"Oh come on. For someone who is as old as you, surely there'd be something"
Cordelia gave Angel her 100-watt smile. Angel couldn't help himself but give a small smile in return. Her smile sure was infectious
"Okay then, let's see then," he said, thinking back to the old days as Cordelia waited patiently, "I'll tell you one about me and Darla in Rome in 1818"
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Buffy patrolled through the cemetery, lost in her thoughts. She had told Willow all about the break-up with Angel earlier and her friend sympathised with her. After all, Willow and Oz were still working out the creases in their relationship. After returning home, Buffy did some homework, then decided to go out on patrol, knowing that Giles would be on her case tomorrow if she didn't patrol. And he'd remind her about her destiny, vampires, forces of evil, blah blah blahdie blah blah
"You look good enough to eat," the vampire leered
He growled and lunged at Buffy, not expecting her fist to crash into his face. The vampire reeled back from the blow, as Buffy followed through with an inner crescent kick. The vampire stumbled against a tombstone and snarled, before snapping the top off and swinging it at Buffy. She dodged the first swing, blocking his arms on the second swing and punching him in the face, followed by a kick. Suddenly she found herself kissing dirt following a surprise attack from the vampire's partner
"I never tasted a Slayer before," the new vampire grinned
"Trust me, you'll never find out," Buffy said, getting up
She faced the vampires, working out her plan of attack. The first vampire moved in, but Buffy kicked him in the stomach, backhanding the second vampire, then slamming her elbow onto the first vampire's back. Quickly staking him, Buffy whirled around to face the second vampire, her arm getting blocked as he kicked her in the stomach. Stumbling back, Buffy ducked the vampire's roundhouse kick and delivered two swift blows to his jaw, finishing the combo off with a staking. As the vampire burst into dust, Buffy took a moment to gather her breath, before realizing she was near Angel's mansion. Deciding to check in on him, she set off for the mansion, reaching there and creeping up to the window. However, she was not expecting the sight she saw
Cordelia was sitting on the couch with Angel, a fire roaring in the fireplace and both of them were smiling and laughing, mainly the cheerleader, as if Angel had told her the best joke in the world. Buffy couldn't believe what she was seeing. Angel didn't seem to be in any pain. He looked completely relaxed with Cordelia
Hurt by the scene before her, Buffy whirled around and hurried off home
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"Oh my God, you have got to be kidding me!" Cordelia cried
"No, I'm not," Angel said, "The Immortal had Spike and me running through the streets of London in nothing more than our undergarments. Embarrassing"
"Hilarious is more like it," Cordelia giggled, before looking at the clock, "Holy crap, it's late. I've been having too much fun. I've got to go, Angel"
"I can take you home if you want," Angel offered, "It's late and there will be all sorts of nasty creatures out there"
"I'll be fine, Angel," Cordelia said, "Got my stake and pepper spray here. Thanks for today. I had a good time listening to your stories"
"You're welcome," Angel said, "Thanks for keeping me company"
Cordelia gave him a pleased smile, as he watched her leave the mansion
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