********
Twelve
Angel walked into the bedroom, and stopped at the doorway, smiling at
the sight before him. Buffy was curled up under a blanket, sleeping
peacefully. He was glad she was able to sleep, it meant she wasn't
too psychologically scarred by what had happened earlier.
She was tough, he'd figured that much out already. He hoped she'd be
okay with the fact that Johnny Rivera was now dead. Yes he'd
tormented her for a while now, but he'd also been her lover and
fiance. Angel was worried that she'd resent him for what he'd done.
He was so relieved she was alive, and unhurt, he felt like he could
handle it if she never wanted to see him again, though. He hoped she
wouldn't feel that way. His heart had stopped when he'd seen Johnny
holding that gun to her head. He'd realized then that she meant much
more to him than was safe for either of them.
Buffy knew he was looking at her, how could she not? His eyes bored
into her like he was trying to see into her soul. It would freak her
out if she didn't like him as much as she did.
She opened her eyes, and looked up at him. He was worried about her,
she could tell. "Hey, how long was I out?" she asked, sitting up.
"About an hour, I guess," Angel said. "I've been busy with phone
calls. How do you feel?" he studied her face for any signs she was
upset with him.
"I'm ..." Buffy frowned, trying to figure out how to explain how she
felt. "I'm dazed, I guess," she shrugged.
"That's understandable," Angel replied, reaching out to push a stray
lock of hair out of her eyes, and leaving his palm resting against
her cheek. He smiled as she unconsciously leaned into his
touch. "You've been through a lot today, not to mention the past
three weeks."
"Yeah," Buffy nodded. "Angel, nobody's going to find out and come
after you, are they? I don't want--" Buffy broke off, as she had been
about to say, "I don't want to lose you." *And that wouldn't have
scared him away instantly.*
"You don't want what?" Angel asked, curious what she was going to
say. More curious because of the blush that spread over her cheeks
when he pressed her to finish her sentence. *What I wouldn't give to
be able to read her mind sometimes.*
"Nothing," Buffy tried to shrug it off. That was for another time,
far in the future, assuming there _was_ that much of a future for
them. She hoped there was. "So are they?" she asked again.
"We've got everything under control," Angel assured her. "The police
might suspect, but they won't have any evidence. Johnny's men are
lost for a while, until someone asserts himself as their new leader.
But you are completely safe now. This mess was Johnny's vendetta, the
rest of them won't even think about you."
"Just like that? It's over?" Buffy looked at him in shock. She
couldn't believe she was finally safe, after all this torture.
"Just like that??" Angel questioned in disbelief. "Buffy, I almost--"
It was Angel's turn to stop short. *I almost lost you* his mind
finished for him. *Shut up, she's spooked enough, that would just
scare her away.*
"You almost what?" Buffy asked.
"Nothing," Angel shook his head. "Let's get you home."
"Home sounds good," Buffy said with a smile.
"Come on then," Angel stood and held out his hand to her with an
answering smile. Buffy took it willingly, and he led her outside
where a car was waiting for them.
*********
Twelve
Angel walked into the bedroom, and stopped at the doorway, smiling at
the sight before him. Buffy was curled up under a blanket, sleeping
peacefully. He was glad she was able to sleep, it meant she wasn't
too psychologically scarred by what had happened earlier.
She was tough, he'd figured that much out already. He hoped she'd be
okay with the fact that Johnny Rivera was now dead. Yes he'd
tormented her for a while now, but he'd also been her lover and
fiance. Angel was worried that she'd resent him for what he'd done.
He was so relieved she was alive, and unhurt, he felt like he could
handle it if she never wanted to see him again, though. He hoped she
wouldn't feel that way. His heart had stopped when he'd seen Johnny
holding that gun to her head. He'd realized then that she meant much
more to him than was safe for either of them.
Buffy knew he was looking at her, how could she not? His eyes bored
into her like he was trying to see into her soul. It would freak her
out if she didn't like him as much as she did.
She opened her eyes, and looked up at him. He was worried about her,
she could tell. "Hey, how long was I out?" she asked, sitting up.
"About an hour, I guess," Angel said. "I've been busy with phone
calls. How do you feel?" he studied her face for any signs she was
upset with him.
"I'm ..." Buffy frowned, trying to figure out how to explain how she
felt. "I'm dazed, I guess," she shrugged.
"That's understandable," Angel replied, reaching out to push a stray
lock of hair out of her eyes, and leaving his palm resting against
her cheek. He smiled as she unconsciously leaned into his
touch. "You've been through a lot today, not to mention the past
three weeks."
"Yeah," Buffy nodded. "Angel, nobody's going to find out and come
after you, are they? I don't want--" Buffy broke off, as she had been
about to say, "I don't want to lose you." *And that wouldn't have
scared him away instantly.*
"You don't want what?" Angel asked, curious what she was going to
say. More curious because of the blush that spread over her cheeks
when he pressed her to finish her sentence. *What I wouldn't give to
be able to read her mind sometimes.*
"Nothing," Buffy tried to shrug it off. That was for another time,
far in the future, assuming there _was_ that much of a future for
them. She hoped there was. "So are they?" she asked again.
"We've got everything under control," Angel assured her. "The police
might suspect, but they won't have any evidence. Johnny's men are
lost for a while, until someone asserts himself as their new leader.
But you are completely safe now. This mess was Johnny's vendetta, the
rest of them won't even think about you."
"Just like that? It's over?" Buffy looked at him in shock. She
couldn't believe she was finally safe, after all this torture.
"Just like that??" Angel questioned in disbelief. "Buffy, I almost--"
It was Angel's turn to stop short. *I almost lost you* his mind
finished for him. *Shut up, she's spooked enough, that would just
scare her away.*
"You almost what?" Buffy asked.
"Nothing," Angel shook his head. "Let's get you home."
"Home sounds good," Buffy said with a smile.
"Come on then," Angel stood and held out his hand to her with an
answering smile. Buffy took it willingly, and he led her outside
where a car was waiting for them.
*********