&&&&&&&
Sunnydale
1 pm
"Oh my God," Cordelia whispered, not believing her eyes. "Doyle? Is
that really you?" she asked, as the tears filled her eyes.
"Hey, now. Don't cry, Princess," Doyle said, alarmed. He stepped
toward her slowly, wanting to hold her but afraid of her reaction.
"If you don't hug me right now I think I'm going to scream," Cordelia
warned, silencing his fears. He chuckled and complied, pulling her
into his arms.
"I can't believe you're alive," Cordelia said wonderingly.
"I can't believe you're alive," she repeated and pulled away, hitting
him.
"Hey!" Doyle exclaimed, shocked at the change in mood.
"You're _alive_??? You let me, let _us_ grieve for you for months? You
let us think you were dead????" she continued, getting angrier by the
minute.
"Hold on just a minute, Cordelia, let me explain," Doyle protested.
Cordelia laughed, "He wants to explain. This should be good," she
said, sittingt down. She was shaking so hard she probably wouldn't be
able to stand for long. She noticed the red-headed girl standing off
to the side, then. "Who's that?" she asked Doyle curiously.
"That's Charlie, my sister," Doyle answered with a grin.
"Doyle!" the girl said, irritated.
"Sorry, I meant to say Charlotte. Old habits die hard, Kid," he said
to her, his eyes twinkling with laughter. She merely rolled her eyes
and sighed in reply.
"You have a sister," Cordelia said slowly.
"Well, half-sister really. No demon in her, she's 100% human, and also
100% Slayer."
"Oh." Cordelia stared at him, glad she'd reached the bench in time.
"How?...When Faith died," she answered her own question. She looked
over at the girl again. She had flaming red hair, down her back to
her waist, green eyes and fair skin. She was probably around sixteen,
which would make sense if she had just been called.
Cordelia looked back at Doyle, and said, "You have a _lot_ to
explain."
"And I will, if it's safe to sit down," Doyle replied with a smile.
"For now, but this better be good," Cordelia said skeptically.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Motel 6
1 pm
Angel couldn't stand seeing Buffy in so much pain. He dropped to his
knees next to her, and reached out to her, pulling her into his arms.
Buffy tried to push him away, but he wouldn't let go, he just held her
tighter. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I never wanted for you to be
hurt. I loved you so much...I still do."
Buffy sobbed and let him hold her, let him comfort her. She pulled
away eventually though, and Angel let go reluctantly. "What now?" she
asked. "Are you going to ask the Oracles to take it back, again?" she
said bitterly.
"Cordelia said I shouldn't give this up just because something bad
could happen," Angel said. "But you were starting to put your life
back together, before I came back to Sunnydale," he added.
"Riley?" she said incredulously.
"Well, yeah," Angel replied. "He was your new boyfriend, wasn't he?"
"Yeah, but he was far from true love, or anything like that," Buffy
said with a sigh.
Angel let out the breath he'd been holding, relieved to hear her say
the words.
Buffy smiled, noticing his reaction. "You were really worried?"
she wondered.
Angel nodded, "I know it's what I told you I always wanted you to
have, a normal life with someone who could give you that. But the
truth is, it was always my greatest fear, Buffy. That you
would be able to move on, and find someone else. Because I knew I
never would."
Buffy shook her head. "Riley, for many reasons, was not someone I
should have stayed with. His insistence in staying with the
Initiative, the subtle way he pulled me farther away from my
friends....But even if I _had_ found someone who was perfect, I still
wouldn't have been able to love him the way he deserved anyway,
Angel. Because I never stopped loving you. I know I said I was going
to try to forget you, but I couldn't. I can't."
She smiled then at another memory, and Angel looked at her
questioningly. "I told you I would never forget. You should have
believed me," she said with a smile.
Angel looked down at the floor, and Buffy could tell he was undergoing
an argument with himself at that moment. She smiled, knowing exactly
how he felt. They had the ability to make each other unbelievably
happy, but along with that came the ability to hurt each other beyond
all belief.
"Please don't walk away from this," she pleaded, "from us. You're
alive." She shook her head, barely believing the words, "We can be
together. All you have to do is let us be together."
"I want that so much," Angel answered, his voice raw with emotion.
"Then don't fight it," Buffy said, laying her hand on his
cheek. "Trust us enough to believe we can make this work."
Angel's eyes met hers, and he knew he'd lost the battle. As he pulled
her into a kiss, though, he realized that it wasn't one that he'd
wanted to win.
&&&&&&&&&&
Sunnydale
Under the City
Spike wandered through the sewer tunnels, muttering to himself. "Why
did I ever come back to Sunnyhell. The stupid Slayer and her
Slayerettes are going to drive me insane. Not to mention that poof of
a Sire of mine. He's probably back to his brooding soul-self by now,
makes me sick! Either way he's upset that I bit his precious Blondie.
I shouldn't have stopped, should've just killed the bitch. Now I'm
stuck in the bloody sewers, skulking like a rat. Me! William the
Bloody! What the hell happened to me?!"
"I was wondering that myself," a soft female voice said in front of
him.
"Bloody Hell," Spike muttered. "It can't be."
"Aren't you happy to see me, Spike?" Drusilla said, stepping out from
the shadows and walking up to him.
"Happy? Last time I saw you, you were making out with another demon,"
Spike said angrily, stepping back from her.
"Spike," Drusilla whined, "I was just trying to make you jealous,
silly boy. I didn't know you'd leave. I came back, didn't I?"
"Why did you come back, Dru?" Spike asked suspiciously. "If I thought
it was because of me, that would be one thing. But I have the strange
feeling it's not me at all that brought you back to Sunnydale," he
said with a resigned sigh.
"What do you mean?" Drusilla replied innocently. "You're my Spike, why
wouldn't I come back to Sunnydale to find you?"
"Don't lie to me, Drusilla," Spike warned. "I've had a hell of a day,
I'm not in the mood. I know you know that Angel's was back. But you're
probably too late, Pet. He's most likely got his soul back now. So
you wasted a trip, Dru." He got a small amount of satisfaction from
the disappointment he saw in her eyes at the revelation that Angelus
was probably Angel again. But that was accompanied by sadness at
knowing that he had been right. He wasn't the real reason she came
back.
Spike sighed, and turned his back on her, to walk away. He stopped
when he heard, "Spike? Don't be mad. I hate it when you're mad at me.
I was happy to hear that my Angel was back here, but I missed my
William too," she said.
"Bloody hell," he muttered, more to himself than her. *She calls
me 'her William' and I, William the Bloody, turn into a pussy cat.*
He sighed, and said, "Come on then, Pet. We'll find somewhere that's
more fit for my Princess than this sewer."
He turned back to her, and she smiled happily, running to him. She
threw her arms around him, and he kissed her hungrily. He realized
that whatever the reasons for her coming back in the first place, he
really didn't give a damn. He had his Drusilla back, and that was all
that mattered.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Sunnydale
1 pm
"Oh my God," Cordelia whispered, not believing her eyes. "Doyle? Is
that really you?" she asked, as the tears filled her eyes.
"Hey, now. Don't cry, Princess," Doyle said, alarmed. He stepped
toward her slowly, wanting to hold her but afraid of her reaction.
"If you don't hug me right now I think I'm going to scream," Cordelia
warned, silencing his fears. He chuckled and complied, pulling her
into his arms.
"I can't believe you're alive," Cordelia said wonderingly.
"I can't believe you're alive," she repeated and pulled away, hitting
him.
"Hey!" Doyle exclaimed, shocked at the change in mood.
"You're _alive_??? You let me, let _us_ grieve for you for months? You
let us think you were dead????" she continued, getting angrier by the
minute.
"Hold on just a minute, Cordelia, let me explain," Doyle protested.
Cordelia laughed, "He wants to explain. This should be good," she
said, sittingt down. She was shaking so hard she probably wouldn't be
able to stand for long. She noticed the red-headed girl standing off
to the side, then. "Who's that?" she asked Doyle curiously.
"That's Charlie, my sister," Doyle answered with a grin.
"Doyle!" the girl said, irritated.
"Sorry, I meant to say Charlotte. Old habits die hard, Kid," he said
to her, his eyes twinkling with laughter. She merely rolled her eyes
and sighed in reply.
"You have a sister," Cordelia said slowly.
"Well, half-sister really. No demon in her, she's 100% human, and also
100% Slayer."
"Oh." Cordelia stared at him, glad she'd reached the bench in time.
"How?...When Faith died," she answered her own question. She looked
over at the girl again. She had flaming red hair, down her back to
her waist, green eyes and fair skin. She was probably around sixteen,
which would make sense if she had just been called.
Cordelia looked back at Doyle, and said, "You have a _lot_ to
explain."
"And I will, if it's safe to sit down," Doyle replied with a smile.
"For now, but this better be good," Cordelia said skeptically.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Motel 6
1 pm
Angel couldn't stand seeing Buffy in so much pain. He dropped to his
knees next to her, and reached out to her, pulling her into his arms.
Buffy tried to push him away, but he wouldn't let go, he just held her
tighter. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I never wanted for you to be
hurt. I loved you so much...I still do."
Buffy sobbed and let him hold her, let him comfort her. She pulled
away eventually though, and Angel let go reluctantly. "What now?" she
asked. "Are you going to ask the Oracles to take it back, again?" she
said bitterly.
"Cordelia said I shouldn't give this up just because something bad
could happen," Angel said. "But you were starting to put your life
back together, before I came back to Sunnydale," he added.
"Riley?" she said incredulously.
"Well, yeah," Angel replied. "He was your new boyfriend, wasn't he?"
"Yeah, but he was far from true love, or anything like that," Buffy
said with a sigh.
Angel let out the breath he'd been holding, relieved to hear her say
the words.
Buffy smiled, noticing his reaction. "You were really worried?"
she wondered.
Angel nodded, "I know it's what I told you I always wanted you to
have, a normal life with someone who could give you that. But the
truth is, it was always my greatest fear, Buffy. That you
would be able to move on, and find someone else. Because I knew I
never would."
Buffy shook her head. "Riley, for many reasons, was not someone I
should have stayed with. His insistence in staying with the
Initiative, the subtle way he pulled me farther away from my
friends....But even if I _had_ found someone who was perfect, I still
wouldn't have been able to love him the way he deserved anyway,
Angel. Because I never stopped loving you. I know I said I was going
to try to forget you, but I couldn't. I can't."
She smiled then at another memory, and Angel looked at her
questioningly. "I told you I would never forget. You should have
believed me," she said with a smile.
Angel looked down at the floor, and Buffy could tell he was undergoing
an argument with himself at that moment. She smiled, knowing exactly
how he felt. They had the ability to make each other unbelievably
happy, but along with that came the ability to hurt each other beyond
all belief.
"Please don't walk away from this," she pleaded, "from us. You're
alive." She shook her head, barely believing the words, "We can be
together. All you have to do is let us be together."
"I want that so much," Angel answered, his voice raw with emotion.
"Then don't fight it," Buffy said, laying her hand on his
cheek. "Trust us enough to believe we can make this work."
Angel's eyes met hers, and he knew he'd lost the battle. As he pulled
her into a kiss, though, he realized that it wasn't one that he'd
wanted to win.
&&&&&&&&&&
Sunnydale
Under the City
Spike wandered through the sewer tunnels, muttering to himself. "Why
did I ever come back to Sunnyhell. The stupid Slayer and her
Slayerettes are going to drive me insane. Not to mention that poof of
a Sire of mine. He's probably back to his brooding soul-self by now,
makes me sick! Either way he's upset that I bit his precious Blondie.
I shouldn't have stopped, should've just killed the bitch. Now I'm
stuck in the bloody sewers, skulking like a rat. Me! William the
Bloody! What the hell happened to me?!"
"I was wondering that myself," a soft female voice said in front of
him.
"Bloody Hell," Spike muttered. "It can't be."
"Aren't you happy to see me, Spike?" Drusilla said, stepping out from
the shadows and walking up to him.
"Happy? Last time I saw you, you were making out with another demon,"
Spike said angrily, stepping back from her.
"Spike," Drusilla whined, "I was just trying to make you jealous,
silly boy. I didn't know you'd leave. I came back, didn't I?"
"Why did you come back, Dru?" Spike asked suspiciously. "If I thought
it was because of me, that would be one thing. But I have the strange
feeling it's not me at all that brought you back to Sunnydale," he
said with a resigned sigh.
"What do you mean?" Drusilla replied innocently. "You're my Spike, why
wouldn't I come back to Sunnydale to find you?"
"Don't lie to me, Drusilla," Spike warned. "I've had a hell of a day,
I'm not in the mood. I know you know that Angel's was back. But you're
probably too late, Pet. He's most likely got his soul back now. So
you wasted a trip, Dru." He got a small amount of satisfaction from
the disappointment he saw in her eyes at the revelation that Angelus
was probably Angel again. But that was accompanied by sadness at
knowing that he had been right. He wasn't the real reason she came
back.
Spike sighed, and turned his back on her, to walk away. He stopped
when he heard, "Spike? Don't be mad. I hate it when you're mad at me.
I was happy to hear that my Angel was back here, but I missed my
William too," she said.
"Bloody hell," he muttered, more to himself than her. *She calls
me 'her William' and I, William the Bloody, turn into a pussy cat.*
He sighed, and said, "Come on then, Pet. We'll find somewhere that's
more fit for my Princess than this sewer."
He turned back to her, and she smiled happily, running to him. She
threw her arms around him, and he kissed her hungrily. He realized
that whatever the reasons for her coming back in the first place, he
really didn't give a damn. He had his Drusilla back, and that was all
that mattered.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&