Part Nine July 15th (evening)

"Buffy, Wesley's here!" came Cordelia's voice from the dining room.

"Coming!" yelled back the slayer. She got up off the bed, gave Angel a quick kiss on the lips and walked out to the dining room.

"Hello, Buffy. How are you feeling?" asked her former Watcher.

"Okay." She sat down in one of the chairs and rested her elbows on the table top. "I know that you're dying to ask my questions, the both of you," she said looking at them in turn. "So, why don't you just ask away."

"Are you sure, we don't want to intrude?" asked Wesley.

"No, it's fine." Said Buffy, with a wave of her hand. "Ask."

"Okay," Cordelia sat in the chair opposite Buffy. "What was it like?"

"It was a beautiful place, magickal, if you wanted something, it would just appear. You never got hungry or tired or thirsty. The scenery would change all the time, if you wanted to go to the beach, a beach would appear...anything."

"It sounds nice." Said Cordy.

"It was, until I realised what it was doing."

"What do you mean?" inquired Wesley.

"It was a prison. I could remember here, Sunnydale, my friends, me being the slayer, all of it at first. But as soon as Angel first kissed me, I would begin to forget. And every time after that, I would forget more and more, all I could remember was that I loved him and he loved me back, that's all that mattered." She felt the tears begin to form in her eyes, she blinked a few times and went on. "but I went swimming and Angel didn't want to, so he sat up on the beach, and in the water, I remembered, everything. After that I asked Angel if he remember, he said that he did, but that he didn't want to. That hurt. I tried talking to him about it, but he kissed me again. I forgot, it wasn't for hours later that I remember again. I told him that some evil was keeping us here to keep us out of the way. He didn't believe me."

"How did you get out?" asked Cordy.

"I realised that the place had a kind of loop hole. I said before that anything you wanted would happen, so all I did-"

"Was want to get out." Finished Wesley.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it."

"But you left him there!" said Cordelia.

"Now, Cordelia-"

"No, she says she loves him, but then she leaves him there. What if he never comes out now?"

"He will." Said Buffy firmly.

"How do you know that?"

"Because, Cordelia, what Angel wants more than anything, is to be with me, he doesn't care where." She lent forward slightly, "he didn't want to leave because he believes it's perfect, but for Angel, being with me is perfect, too perfect. But, it doesn't matter to him where I am, just as long as he's with me too. That's why I know he'll come back to us, it's because I'm here, and he wants to be with me."

"Okay, say that you're right. How come he's not back yet? You've been here for a while now." Cordelia was getting annoyed.

"Time moves differently there, slower, sometimes faster. Again, it's what you want. If we wanted it to be day, it would be day, but if we wanted it to be night, then it would be night. I don't know what's going on there anymore, since I'm here and not there." Buffy sighed, "I don't know when he'll come back."

"Great, just great." Cordelia huffed and folded her arms across her chest.

"This is all very intriguing." Said Wesley, thoughtfully. Both girls gave her a withering glare. "Yes, well...Buffy, you said that you believe evil trapped you both in there."

"Yeah, a spell maybe."

"Hmmm..." he said to himself, and got up and walked to a pile of books on a small table at the other side of the room.

"Riley's not here."

"Oh, why not?"

"He got fed up and walked out this morning, not long after we found you had gone catatonic-"

"I was not catatonic."

"Whatever, well he left and said he'd be back tomorrow to find out if you were awake. I don't know where he went, he didn't say. He didn't even leave a number for us to contact him on, you don't have a great choice in boyfriends, you know."

"Cordelia. Shut up." She didn't really want to deal with the ex cheer leader right now, there was enough on her mind.

"Sure, fine, whatever. People are always telling me to shut up." She rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen. Buffy could hear the cupboards opening and closing. She felt bad for Cordelia, she hadn't meant to be so frank with her, but she doesn't need this extra aggravation. Wesley continued to look through books, flicking the pages, pausing, saying something to himself and then he would keep looking through the pages. Buffy felt more distant from these people as every second passed.

Her gaze wondered back to the hallway that led to Cordelia's bedroom. Being so near Angel, and not being able to talk to him is driving me nuts, she thought. I need to get out of here. I want to get out of here. Buffy sat there for a moment, should I leave them a letter, just tell them that I need some air, or just get up and walk out? Okay, the last option is probably the worst. I'll just tell them, well Cordy, Wesley looks busy.

Buffy got out of her chair and walked into the kitchen, Cordelia was resting against the bench top holding a cup of coffee in her hands, on second thoughts, it might be tea.

"Umm, Cordy?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry about before, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

"Thanks."

"I'm just gonna go out for a while, okay?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Buffy took a closer look at the former-cheerleader. She didn't look good, like she hadn't gotten sleep for days, which is a possibility¸ Buffy's heart went out to her, I guess her and Angel are closer than I realised. Buffy felt the sting of jealousy, don't be stupid, Angel loves you more than anything. You've got nothing to worry about. She managed to convince herself, smiled at Cordelia and walked back into the living room where her handbag was. Once she slung it over her shoulder, Buffy walked out of the apartment.

(scene break)

It was late, and when her stomach rumbled, Buffy realised that she never ate any of that pizza. And now I'm hungry. The downfall of being in a hell dimension, no food for the body. Buffy mumbled to herself looking around the bust street. Annoyed, hungry and fearful, what am I going to do about Angel? Stop it! She told herself, you need to eat, not think about Angel, oh yeah, that'd work. I don't think I've not thought about Angel for as long as I've known him.

Across the street was a small café, she remembered that her mother used to take her there when she was younger. Joyce had always made her sit really still, and not to talk too loud, 'cause that's what people do in cafés: speak softly and drink their coffees and slices. It always amazed her how her mother could go there nearly everyday and not get sick of it. Ah, well. I might as well go and eat something there, it's a good thing I have money.

While in the cafe eating her caramel slice and drinking her cappuccino, Buffy felt a pang in her heart at the sight of a young couple walking into the store. Angel and I can never do that, have never done that and never will. Is this type of pain worth having our relationship? Not having a life away from demons and Hellmouths, being just a girl and a boy. But it will never happen. He'll always be a vampire, unless of course he turns human 'cause of that prophecy. But who knows when that will happen. I'm trying to be an optimist about it, but things have never came easy when it comes to Angel and I, sometimes there is a price and sometimes things never happen at all.

(scene break)

"Who is it?"

"Buffy, open the door Wes."

She heard him say something to himself, that the Slayer didn't quite catch. The door opened and there stood Wesley, dishevelled looking and tired. She cringed, "you should get some sleep, you know."

"I will," he said with a soft smile. "When this is all over." He added.

"I know the feeling."

"Um, Buffy...there's something that you need to know."

She put down her bag, and looked into his eyes. "What is it?"

"Well, you see-"

"Buffy."

"Riley." Before she could react, the army commando rushed at her and pulled Buffy into a tight embrace. She didn't want to be in his arms, not anyone's arms. Only Angel's. but, sadly, she couldn't say or do anything. "It's you."

"It's me, and you're you. You're okay, they told me you were, but I couldn't believe them till I saw for myself." He pulled back, and tried to kiss her on the lips. The slayer dodged him and went around him to stand far away from her 'boyfriend.' "Buffy, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just a bit tired...and I don't-"

"It's okay. Later."

"Yeah, later." She said, hoping on the inside that later would never come. "Umm...where's Cordy?"

"Here." said the ex-May Queen stepping into the lounge room. "you okay, Buff?"

"Yeah. Is Angel-"

"No awake, yeah." She looked sadly at her hands, "he's still unconscious."

"Damn it." Buffy collapsed into the soft couch, and held her head in her hands. "Why won't he wake up?"

"As you said, time moves differently there." Said Wesley is some hope of trying to make the poor girl feel better.

Buffy just nodded slightly, and continued to look at the ground.

"Yo, Soldier Boy, I thought you weren't coming till tomorrow." Said Cordy sitting next to Buffy.

"I, well, I wanted to see how Buffy was doing. I got scared and had to come over. You weren't gone for long."

"It was four days there." Replied Buffy

"Really. Four days with your ex. So what did you do? Or should I say-"

"Don't." Buffy lifted her head to look at Riley. "I don't want to do this now. I have to find a way to get Angel back, and not for myself. There is no Angel and I, do you understand?"

"No, not entirely. I don't get what you see in him?"

"Riley, I said that we weren't going to do this."

"Well when are we, you never talk about him. How is that supposed to make me feel? I don't know what you felt or feel for this demon, if you had the choice you would have never told me about him."

"God, Riley. Can you get over yourself for one second?!" yelled the Slayer jumping to her feet. "I have told you all I can about my past with Angel. I haven't told Will or Xander everything about my past with him. It's my past, and it's the past, you know the type that's over." Please let him believe me, please let him not see how badly I want to be with Angel.

"Then how come I don't feel that safe in our relationship anymore?"

"Just stop it, we're in my friend's home and we are not going to have a fight about us now."

"Well, when are we? When it's convenient for you? When you feel like it? Buffy, we need to talk about this, it's not just going to go away."

"I know this, Riley. But we are not doing this here. when we get back to Sunnydale, then we'll talk about us."

"Buffy..." there stood Angel. Standing just a few feet behind Wesley, who was now starring at the vampire in shock, as was everyone else in the room. "Buffy..."

"Angel, how...?" asked the bewildered Slayer.

"I had to want it, remember."

Her eyes welled with tears, "I remember." Before anyone or thing could stop her, she ran at Angel and leapt into his open arms. "I remember, I remember, I remember."

"I thought I lost you."

"You can never lose me, you've got me for life." She grinned, "I mean your existence...whatever."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." Buffy pulled back just a bit. "So much."

Angel half-smiled and lent forward to kiss her on the lips, his lips were only inches from hers when Riley yelled: "what the hell is going on here?!"

(THE END)

Sorry it took so long to update, hope you liked, please tell me if you did, Maddy