*********
Part 13
9 pm
"I'm fine, Carly, really," Buffy smiled. She and Angel were at Sonny's
apartment, Sonny having insisted on making them dinner. It had been a
quiet, relaxing evening, exactly what Buffy had needed. "I'm not sure
if it's because it hasn't really hit me yet, or what. Mostly I think
I'm just relieved it's over."
Michael ran over from where he'd been playing on the floor, and dove
into Carly's lap then, cutting off any further conversation for the
moment. The two men walked into the living room, obviously done with
their private conversation in Sonny's study. Angel sat next to Buffy,
and asked, "Aren't you tired?"
"A little," she admitted. She was looking forward to a good night's
sleep, free of the nightmares she'd been having. "I guess I will say
goodnight," she said to Carly and Sonny. She stood, and said, "Sonny,
I don't know how to thank you--"
"You can thank me by not thanking me," Sonny said with a smile. "It
was the right thing to do, and contrary to popular belief, I _do_
like to do that when I can. Now, about the apartment," he added.
"Yeah, I was going to ask...uh, beg you for permission to rent it,"
Buffy replied with a grin. "I love it, it's so perfect."
"It's yours," Sonny said, "and we'll work the rent details out
later."
"Oh." Buffy looked at him a moment in surprise, before adding, "That
was easy."
"He's a sucker for a pretty girl," Carly said with a grin.
"Hey, that was my line!" Sonny yelled in mock-irritation.
Carly stuck her tongue out at Sonny, which caused Sonny to
reply, "Don't tempt me, Woman," as he tried to grab her. Carly squealed,
and ran up the stairs, Sonny close on her heels. Buffy looked at Angel,
saw his "oh brother" expression which most likely matched hers and
burst out laughing. Angel chuckled himself and said, "That's our
hint that the evening's _really_ over."
Buffy followed Angel out and across the hall. She unlocked her door,
and turned back to him. "I don't need a bodyguard anymore, I guess,"
she said with a frown. She brightened as she got an idea, "But would
you come in for a cup of coffee before going home?" She hoped he'd say yes,
she wasn't wanting to be apart from him just yet. She ignored the
voice in the back of her head that called her pathetic and hopeless,
feeling quite content in being pathetic and hopeless where Angel was
concerned.
"I would love to," Angel replied with a smile. After the events of
that day, he wasn't any too ready to let Buffy out of his sight yet. And
he ignored the voice in the back of his head which insisted he
analyze that last thought.
Angel followed Buffy inside, and she gestured him over to the
couch. "I'll just go get that coffee brewing," she said with a smile
before walking into the kitchen.
Angel sat there for all of ten seconds before he got too restless. He
walked to the kitchen, and stood in the doorway watching her
silently. She'd changed into a red long-sleeved button-down blouse
and a short black leather skirt before dinner. He'd had trouble
keeping her from noticing he was admiring her legs. Now, with her back
to him, he could admire her legs, and her many other lovely features, without
any danger of her noticing. He decided eventually he'd had enough of
just looking and up to her.
Buffy knew he was standing there, she'd smelled his cologne.
She smiled to herself, wondering how long he was going to stand there
pretending he wasn't there. She started as his arms slipped
around her waist, but relaxed against him after the initial
surprise. "Hey," he said in her ear.
"Hey, yourself," she replied. "Thought you were going to sit and wait
for the coffee?" she glanced up at him smiling.
"I got bored," Angel shrugged. "Besides the view's better in here."
He rolled his eyes, and groaned, adding "Oh my God, that sounded not
so corny in my head."
Buffy giggled, "That's okay. It wasn't all that corny, it was sweet.
Thanks."
"You're welcome, and it's true," Angel said.
"Hm?" Buffy moved and he released her slightly so she could turn to
face him, though still keeping his hands at her waist. "What's true?"
she asked.
"What I said about the view. You're beautiful," Angel explained. He
smiled as she blushed and looked away. "I mean it, Buffy," he
insisted, cupping her chin in one hand to make her meet his
eyes. "And I'll keep saying it until you believe me."
"Well...that might take some time," she shrugged.
"That's fine, because I'm not going anywhere...unless you want me
to," Angel said.
"Unless I..." Buffy looked at him in confusion. "Okay, _now_ I get it.
I've been wondering all day about the looks you've been giving me,
like you're worried about something. Angel, you think I resent
you for Johnny's death?"
Angel sighed and nodded. "The thought did cross my mind, once or
twice."
"Okay. A: Johnny had been tormenting me for three weeks...and for
many months off and on before that. It was going to end with either
me or him dead, Angel. I knew that from the moment I left him. And B:
He lived his life as dangerously as he could. He loved tempting fate.
So he finally lost the game, which is no surprise to anyone who knew
him. Yes, I'm sad he's dead. He meant something to me at one point in
my life. But no, I don't blame you or resent you for it. There's only
one person responsible for Johnny Rivera's death, Angel, and that's Johnny
himself. So stop worrying, okay? I won't be pushing you away. You
can't get rid of me that easily," she finished with a smile.
Angel let out a sigh of relief, and before he could stop himself
said, "I love you." His eyes widened as he realized what he had just
said. "I mean--"
"Don't you dare," Buffy said softly, placing a finger against his
lips. "Don't take it back... unless you didn't mean it." She looked
up at him, her eyes questioning.
"I meant it," Angel replied earnestly. He took her face in his
hands and kissed her gently. "I just didn't want to say it before I
knew that you wouldn't freak out on me for saying it."
"Um..." Buffy considered for a moment, "No, relatively freak-out free
here," she smiled. "I'm not worried you're a mental case, because
strangely enough I think I've fallen in love with you too. And I
can't believe I was able to say that without one hint of
hyperventilating," she laughed.
Angel chuckled too, then wrapped his arms around her waist
again. "Well, I, for one, am glad we got that first awkward three-
little-words moment out of the way."
"Me too," Buffy replied. She wrapped her arms around his waist,
laying her head against his chest. "Now, there's just one more thing
we have to discuss, Angel."
"Really? What's that?" Angel asked.
"About your obsession with dark clothing...." the remainder of her
sentence was cut off as Angel pulled her head up to silence her with
another kiss.
*************
The End of "Save Me"
Part 13
9 pm
"I'm fine, Carly, really," Buffy smiled. She and Angel were at Sonny's
apartment, Sonny having insisted on making them dinner. It had been a
quiet, relaxing evening, exactly what Buffy had needed. "I'm not sure
if it's because it hasn't really hit me yet, or what. Mostly I think
I'm just relieved it's over."
Michael ran over from where he'd been playing on the floor, and dove
into Carly's lap then, cutting off any further conversation for the
moment. The two men walked into the living room, obviously done with
their private conversation in Sonny's study. Angel sat next to Buffy,
and asked, "Aren't you tired?"
"A little," she admitted. She was looking forward to a good night's
sleep, free of the nightmares she'd been having. "I guess I will say
goodnight," she said to Carly and Sonny. She stood, and said, "Sonny,
I don't know how to thank you--"
"You can thank me by not thanking me," Sonny said with a smile. "It
was the right thing to do, and contrary to popular belief, I _do_
like to do that when I can. Now, about the apartment," he added.
"Yeah, I was going to ask...uh, beg you for permission to rent it,"
Buffy replied with a grin. "I love it, it's so perfect."
"It's yours," Sonny said, "and we'll work the rent details out
later."
"Oh." Buffy looked at him a moment in surprise, before adding, "That
was easy."
"He's a sucker for a pretty girl," Carly said with a grin.
"Hey, that was my line!" Sonny yelled in mock-irritation.
Carly stuck her tongue out at Sonny, which caused Sonny to
reply, "Don't tempt me, Woman," as he tried to grab her. Carly squealed,
and ran up the stairs, Sonny close on her heels. Buffy looked at Angel,
saw his "oh brother" expression which most likely matched hers and
burst out laughing. Angel chuckled himself and said, "That's our
hint that the evening's _really_ over."
Buffy followed Angel out and across the hall. She unlocked her door,
and turned back to him. "I don't need a bodyguard anymore, I guess,"
she said with a frown. She brightened as she got an idea, "But would
you come in for a cup of coffee before going home?" She hoped he'd say yes,
she wasn't wanting to be apart from him just yet. She ignored the
voice in the back of her head that called her pathetic and hopeless,
feeling quite content in being pathetic and hopeless where Angel was
concerned.
"I would love to," Angel replied with a smile. After the events of
that day, he wasn't any too ready to let Buffy out of his sight yet. And
he ignored the voice in the back of his head which insisted he
analyze that last thought.
Angel followed Buffy inside, and she gestured him over to the
couch. "I'll just go get that coffee brewing," she said with a smile
before walking into the kitchen.
Angel sat there for all of ten seconds before he got too restless. He
walked to the kitchen, and stood in the doorway watching her
silently. She'd changed into a red long-sleeved button-down blouse
and a short black leather skirt before dinner. He'd had trouble
keeping her from noticing he was admiring her legs. Now, with her back
to him, he could admire her legs, and her many other lovely features, without
any danger of her noticing. He decided eventually he'd had enough of
just looking and up to her.
Buffy knew he was standing there, she'd smelled his cologne.
She smiled to herself, wondering how long he was going to stand there
pretending he wasn't there. She started as his arms slipped
around her waist, but relaxed against him after the initial
surprise. "Hey," he said in her ear.
"Hey, yourself," she replied. "Thought you were going to sit and wait
for the coffee?" she glanced up at him smiling.
"I got bored," Angel shrugged. "Besides the view's better in here."
He rolled his eyes, and groaned, adding "Oh my God, that sounded not
so corny in my head."
Buffy giggled, "That's okay. It wasn't all that corny, it was sweet.
Thanks."
"You're welcome, and it's true," Angel said.
"Hm?" Buffy moved and he released her slightly so she could turn to
face him, though still keeping his hands at her waist. "What's true?"
she asked.
"What I said about the view. You're beautiful," Angel explained. He
smiled as she blushed and looked away. "I mean it, Buffy," he
insisted, cupping her chin in one hand to make her meet his
eyes. "And I'll keep saying it until you believe me."
"Well...that might take some time," she shrugged.
"That's fine, because I'm not going anywhere...unless you want me
to," Angel said.
"Unless I..." Buffy looked at him in confusion. "Okay, _now_ I get it.
I've been wondering all day about the looks you've been giving me,
like you're worried about something. Angel, you think I resent
you for Johnny's death?"
Angel sighed and nodded. "The thought did cross my mind, once or
twice."
"Okay. A: Johnny had been tormenting me for three weeks...and for
many months off and on before that. It was going to end with either
me or him dead, Angel. I knew that from the moment I left him. And B:
He lived his life as dangerously as he could. He loved tempting fate.
So he finally lost the game, which is no surprise to anyone who knew
him. Yes, I'm sad he's dead. He meant something to me at one point in
my life. But no, I don't blame you or resent you for it. There's only
one person responsible for Johnny Rivera's death, Angel, and that's Johnny
himself. So stop worrying, okay? I won't be pushing you away. You
can't get rid of me that easily," she finished with a smile.
Angel let out a sigh of relief, and before he could stop himself
said, "I love you." His eyes widened as he realized what he had just
said. "I mean--"
"Don't you dare," Buffy said softly, placing a finger against his
lips. "Don't take it back... unless you didn't mean it." She looked
up at him, her eyes questioning.
"I meant it," Angel replied earnestly. He took her face in his
hands and kissed her gently. "I just didn't want to say it before I
knew that you wouldn't freak out on me for saying it."
"Um..." Buffy considered for a moment, "No, relatively freak-out free
here," she smiled. "I'm not worried you're a mental case, because
strangely enough I think I've fallen in love with you too. And I
can't believe I was able to say that without one hint of
hyperventilating," she laughed.
Angel chuckled too, then wrapped his arms around her waist
again. "Well, I, for one, am glad we got that first awkward three-
little-words moment out of the way."
"Me too," Buffy replied. She wrapped her arms around his waist,
laying her head against his chest. "Now, there's just one more thing
we have to discuss, Angel."
"Really? What's that?" Angel asked.
"About your obsession with dark clothing...." the remainder of her
sentence was cut off as Angel pulled her head up to silence her with
another kiss.
*************
The End of "Save Me"