Part 20:
"How did you do it Leigh?" Xander asked in amazement.
"You all saw how I did it." Leigh Anne replied, looking at her father. The gang had believed that it was she who had destroyed Lithos and she had not told them otherwise. It was a secret between her and her father, one she would never reveal.
"Okay," Giles broke in. "It's time to let her get some rest don't you think?"
It had been several days since the battle in the graveyard and Leigh Anne was still weak. Buffy and Co. had visited her everyday and Leigh Anne and Giles had used the time together to catch up on everything they had missed. They were quite close now and Buffy couldn't believe the change in Giles.
"Anyway," Giles continued. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"
Groans met this answer and Xander and Buffy smirked.
"No classes today!" Buffy cried in delight.
"Well I don't have any classes at all!" Xander answered.
Buffy's answer was to stick out her tongue and Giles grinned. Will they ever grow up?
"Well it's time for you all to leave anyway." Giles looked towards the young man who had been by Leigh Anne's side as often as he could. "Except you of course Brian."
"Hey! Why does he get special privileges?" Xander asked in mock annoyance. The answer was a swat across his head by Willow and a push out the door by Anya.
"Okay! Okay! I can take a hint!"
Leigh Anne, Giles and Brian heard their voices echoing from down the hall and a grin appeared on all their faces. Giles began to leave and as he closed the door he took on last look at his daughter.
"I'll bring you lunch up later ok Leigh?" At his daughter's nod he left the room, leaving the pair alone.
Silence reigned for a few moments until Brian walked over and sat on Leigh Anne's bed.
"So…how ya feeling?"
"Great! I don't have to start school until next term now." Was Leigh Anne cheeky answer and then grin that accompanied it was just as cheeky.
"Good on ya!" Brian said sarcastically as he hit her lightly on the arm. "Do you know what happens to people who are cheeky to the one person who knows that they are ticklish?"
Leigh Anne's blue eyes widened as she saw Brian's fingers start to wiggle.
"No, Brian, NO! You know I hate being…" Her sentence was cut off as Brian's finger connected with her stomached but him managed to finish it for her.
"Tickled??"
Leigh Anne squealed with laughter as Brian continued to tickle her relentlessly.
"STOP IT!! Brian! STOP!"
They landed in a heap on the floor, Brian on top of Leigh Anne, pinning her down.
"Not until you say…" His sentence cut off as he looked into her laughing blue eyes.
"Until I say what Brian?"
Slowly he leaned forward, still staring deep into her eyes.
"Not until you admit you love me."
His lips connected with hers and he was shocked to find she kissed him back with more passion then he ever hoped to dream she could have for him. They pulled away from each other and he grinned at the cheeky look in Leigh Anne's eyes.
"I don't love you Brian."
"Oh yeah?" Brian asked, grinning.
"Yeah, in fact I don't even like you!"
"Bad answer!" Brian said as Leigh Anne's squeals filled the air again. "Next time you know to tell the truth!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy leaned her head against the bricks, her stake twirling in her hand.
"I thought I'd find you here."
Buffy spun around, stake ready but dropped it when she saw who it was.
"A…Angel." She stuttered.
"Glad you still remember my name."
"Yeah well how could I forget? You're the one who left me when I need you right?"
"Don't Buffy."
"Don't what? Don't love you? Don't be mad at you?"
"Don't do this. I just came to say good bye."
Her piercing eyes stared into his and he stretched out his hand.
"Just one dance?"
In spite of herself Buffy felt her hand slip into his as he led her into the Bronze and onto the dance floor. He pulled her into his arms and she almost let herself go, almost let all her emotions out.
As they danced together in the dim light of the Bronze, she focused on the words of the song playing and almost cried when she realised how fitting they were for Angel's good bye…
**If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry
And if I'm gone when you wake up, it's not good bye
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…**
Her eyes met those of her Angel's and she could tell he was thinking the same thing. If only this wasn't goodbye…
** If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry
And if I'm gone when you wake up, don't ask why
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…
If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry
And if I'm gone when you wake up, don't ask why
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…
And though my flesh is gone
I'll still be with you at all times
And though my body's gone
I'll be there to comfort you at all times
If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry
And if I'm gone when you wake up, don't ask why
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…
I don't want you to cry and weep
I want you to go on living your life
Cause in your heart you have all of our good times
If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry
And if I'm gone when you wake up, don't ask why
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…**
**********************
"How did you do it Leigh?" Xander asked in amazement.
"You all saw how I did it." Leigh Anne replied, looking at her father. The gang had believed that it was she who had destroyed Lithos and she had not told them otherwise. It was a secret between her and her father, one she would never reveal.
"Okay," Giles broke in. "It's time to let her get some rest don't you think?"
It had been several days since the battle in the graveyard and Leigh Anne was still weak. Buffy and Co. had visited her everyday and Leigh Anne and Giles had used the time together to catch up on everything they had missed. They were quite close now and Buffy couldn't believe the change in Giles.
"Anyway," Giles continued. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"
Groans met this answer and Xander and Buffy smirked.
"No classes today!" Buffy cried in delight.
"Well I don't have any classes at all!" Xander answered.
Buffy's answer was to stick out her tongue and Giles grinned. Will they ever grow up?
"Well it's time for you all to leave anyway." Giles looked towards the young man who had been by Leigh Anne's side as often as he could. "Except you of course Brian."
"Hey! Why does he get special privileges?" Xander asked in mock annoyance. The answer was a swat across his head by Willow and a push out the door by Anya.
"Okay! Okay! I can take a hint!"
Leigh Anne, Giles and Brian heard their voices echoing from down the hall and a grin appeared on all their faces. Giles began to leave and as he closed the door he took on last look at his daughter.
"I'll bring you lunch up later ok Leigh?" At his daughter's nod he left the room, leaving the pair alone.
Silence reigned for a few moments until Brian walked over and sat on Leigh Anne's bed.
"So…how ya feeling?"
"Great! I don't have to start school until next term now." Was Leigh Anne cheeky answer and then grin that accompanied it was just as cheeky.
"Good on ya!" Brian said sarcastically as he hit her lightly on the arm. "Do you know what happens to people who are cheeky to the one person who knows that they are ticklish?"
Leigh Anne's blue eyes widened as she saw Brian's fingers start to wiggle.
"No, Brian, NO! You know I hate being…" Her sentence was cut off as Brian's finger connected with her stomached but him managed to finish it for her.
"Tickled??"
Leigh Anne squealed with laughter as Brian continued to tickle her relentlessly.
"STOP IT!! Brian! STOP!"
They landed in a heap on the floor, Brian on top of Leigh Anne, pinning her down.
"Not until you say…" His sentence cut off as he looked into her laughing blue eyes.
"Until I say what Brian?"
Slowly he leaned forward, still staring deep into her eyes.
"Not until you admit you love me."
His lips connected with hers and he was shocked to find she kissed him back with more passion then he ever hoped to dream she could have for him. They pulled away from each other and he grinned at the cheeky look in Leigh Anne's eyes.
"I don't love you Brian."
"Oh yeah?" Brian asked, grinning.
"Yeah, in fact I don't even like you!"
"Bad answer!" Brian said as Leigh Anne's squeals filled the air again. "Next time you know to tell the truth!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy leaned her head against the bricks, her stake twirling in her hand.
"I thought I'd find you here."
Buffy spun around, stake ready but dropped it when she saw who it was.
"A…Angel." She stuttered.
"Glad you still remember my name."
"Yeah well how could I forget? You're the one who left me when I need you right?"
"Don't Buffy."
"Don't what? Don't love you? Don't be mad at you?"
"Don't do this. I just came to say good bye."
Her piercing eyes stared into his and he stretched out his hand.
"Just one dance?"
In spite of herself Buffy felt her hand slip into his as he led her into the Bronze and onto the dance floor. He pulled her into his arms and she almost let herself go, almost let all her emotions out.
As they danced together in the dim light of the Bronze, she focused on the words of the song playing and almost cried when she realised how fitting they were for Angel's good bye…
**If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry
And if I'm gone when you wake up, it's not good bye
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…**
Her eyes met those of her Angel's and she could tell he was thinking the same thing. If only this wasn't goodbye…
** If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry
And if I'm gone when you wake up, don't ask why
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…
If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry
And if I'm gone when you wake up, don't ask why
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…
And though my flesh is gone
I'll still be with you at all times
And though my body's gone
I'll be there to comfort you at all times
If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry
And if I'm gone when you wake up, don't ask why
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…
I don't want you to cry and weep
I want you to go on living your life
Cause in your heart you have all of our good times
If I'm gone when you wake up, please don't cry
And if I'm gone when you wake up, don't ask why
Don't look back at this time as a time of heartbreak and distress
Remember me, remember me, 'cause I'll be with you in your dreams…**
**********************