Voice from the Tomb-

Voice from the Tomb- Sequel to "Fond Memory"

by: Isabelle

-Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, they are all Joss. Poem The Lady's First Song by W.B. Yeats.

-Summary: Sequel to Fond Memory, Angel comes back to Buffy after Spike tells him he'll be human. Buffy chooses who she stays with.

-Rating: PG-13 (Language)

-Author's Note: Feed me FEEDBACK!!!! :)

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I turn round

Like a dumb beast in a show,

Neither know what I am

Nor where I go,

My language beaten

Into one name;

I am in love

And that's my shame.

What hurts the soul

My soul adores,

No better than a beast

Upon all fours.

W.B. Yeats

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Four hours ago she had written in her journal pouring her heart onto its pages as her tranluscent tears bathed the palid paper. She prayed for sleep, but sleep was not so kind. When her boy shaped itself into him, into him that was no longer there, warming her with his coolness, comforting her with his strength. How was she supposed to live when he had left for sixteen hours and her body was screaming for his.

She couldn't eat, she couldn't talk, she felt lost and alone. But more alone than anything. At times she could smell him around her and she would turn around fully expecting him to be there, leaning against a tree with passion filled eyes and open arms. But all that followed her were shadows filled with pain and sorrow.

She would hear his voice, whispering in her ear softly and tenderly. Talking about everything, life, love, people, vampires.....just talking. Talking without restriction, talking without walls. Saying what was on her mind and not being ashamed.

She shivered.

It was a cold night. She could use his duster, all warm and worn in, smelling like him. She should have stayed with it. At least something to remember him by. But then she realized that no matter how much he left her, the only thing that would bring her comfort would be him, his eyes, his hands, his smile.

Damm him for making me feel this way.

Walking home after a late patrol she slumped, disappointed, he was not there, he was gone.......

She saw her house in the distance, back to her lonely bed, back to the kitchen where little mashmellows will live uneaten. Back to the back porch where she'll sit on the steps alone.

Then she felt it....she felt.....a vampire...a familiar vampire.

She stoped on her tracks and her heart rate sped up.

Did he come back? Did he change his mind? Is he waiting for me? Will he stay?

She broke into a run with a heart soaring above the clouds. He was back! He couldn't stay away! He loves me!

She stoped to take a better look, she wanted to surprise him. Then she saw him, in the darkness,.....black coat....her senses screamed out: vampire!

With a smile plastered on her once sad face she ran to him, her senses sung in harmony at her delight.

He sensed her coming and immedietly turned around to look at his love. She was smiling and running, she looked so happy, so glad to see him, and his heart soared.

She's all mine! At last! He thought.

She saw him turning around and her entire body froze and came to a terrifying halt. Her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach and she felt the bile threatening to spill.

He rushed to her side as her small body collapsed to the ground.

"Buffy?" he asked kneeling next to her, his eyes searching hers. "Are you alright?"

She met his dark gaze and she felt her whole world fall apart. "Angel? What are you doing here?"

He stammered, she did not seemed pleased to see him at all. She looked almost disappointed, lost, and hurt.

"We need to talk, Buffy."

She looked at the face of this man she would always love but was no longer in love with and her bottom lips trembled. "What's wrong? You know it's 3:30 AM?"

"Buffy, this is serious." he stoped and smiled. "This is about us."

"Us?" she asked in almost horror. Men and their timing!

She stood up and he led her to the porch steps and sat down. She stared at him as he sat looking at his hands, looking all nerveous.

Those steps.

There she had sat with Spike a couple of months ago. Sadness filled her again as she thought of her gone lover.

"OK, so what brought you out from hidding?" She asked crossing her arms and staring at him.

"Buffy, what wrong?" he asked sensing her uneasiness.

She froze. Was she that readable?

"What do you mean?" she asked frowning.

"I don't know.....it just feels like you don't want here." he said looking down.

"Angel it's not that....."she said feeling bad. "I just......I have a lot on my mind lately."

He nodded. "Well I am sorry Buffy, but I have news."

She nodded for him to go on.

Silence.

"I'm moving back." he said in a whisper.

She could have sword he said he was moving back. "What?"

"I am moving back,...." he said getting up and smiling at her.

She looked at him in horror. He was smiling! Did he think that she wanted him to move back, just when she was completely over him?

"Why?" was all that she could ask.

He kept smiling and took a deep uneeded breath. "I am turning human."

She froze. Thousands of thoughts flooded her mind, so fast, so rapid that she felt out of breath.

"Buffy, my love, did you hear me? In a couple of hours I'll be human!" She said grabbing her by the shoulders and hugging her in a ferocious manner than made her want Spike's lean compatible body instead of Angel's.

She pulled away from his embrace and stared at him blankly. "What?.....How?" she stammered.

He kept the huge grin on his face and he begun explaining about the Shanshu and his prize and redeption and all these things that he had known for months yet never told her. She didn't know whether to be mad at him or be happy for him. Funny how she thought of his hapiness not theirs.

"Angel that's great....I mean it's a miracle." she said looking at him in wonder. "But why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged. "The prophesy said it wasn't going to be until years from now, so I though it best not to tell you." he said and she understood. "That's until a couple of hours ago when Spike came by.."

"Spike?" She cried jumping up and looking at him in expectancy.

"Yeah Spike, you know the pain in the...."

"When did you see him?" she interupted him.

"Don't worry, he wasn't trouble...."

"When did you see him?" she cried, grabbing his arm in desperation.

"Buffy, what is the matter with you?" Angel said holding her back. "What did he do this time that has you this rattled up?"

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently realizing the fool she had just made out of herself.

"Buffy, you can't tell me nothings wrong, what's up with Spike? What has he done?" Angel said looking at her turned face.

"Can you just tell me when you saw him?" she asked in a low controlled voice.

"I told you, a couple of hours ago. He came to tell me that Drusilla had sent him a message declaring that her "daddy" was lost forever since his heart will beat like a pesky human." Angel said letting go of her.

"He went to L.A. to tell you, that you were turning human?" she asked in a ragedy voice.

"Yes....Buffy what's wrong?" he said. "Why is this bothering you so much?"

She stepped away and turned her back on him. "Because.....he knew." she said in a whisper.

Angel steped in front of her and saw a single tear running down her cheek, and for the first time in that night he noticed the bags under her eyes.

"Buffy...."

"He knew you were turning human so he left.....he left just like you did and for the same reason you did." She said and looked at him. "For me to have a normal life."

Angel stood there in shock. Was it possible, had Spike fallen in love with Buffy, or more importantly had Buffy.....

Anger rose in him and he grabbed her arm. "Did he touch you?" he roared his face vamping out.

Buffy stood there paralyzed, first at Angel's ourburst, second at his rough manner.

"Did he?" he yelled at her face. Then he sniffed her and he knew. He let her go and his human mask melted back in to place.

He stared at her with hurt in his eyes.

"Angel...." she begun as all the guilt washed over her. "I am sorry...."

"You're sorry? That's all you can say?" He screamed. "I let go of you so you can have a normal life, and you go on and fuck another vampire?"

Before he knew what happened, Buffy's knuckle met his chin and sent him flying across the lawn.

She walked up to the vampire that was lying on her front lawn. "Get out." she hissed at him.

He jumped up and she saw the rage flashing yellow sparks in his eyes.

"Buffy, he's a monster!!" he cried. "He's a souless creature who will hurt you....and look he already has!"

Buffy's eyes narrowed dangerously. "He has more feeling and more humanity than what you had in two hundred years of plaguing this earth!"

"I had no soul!" he defended.

"My point exactly!" she cried. "Without a soul, you're nothing. You are the monster.......a sick demented moster who cared nothing for no one but himself. I should know, your action almost destroyed me."

He stared at her blankly. "And you're saying he isn't."

That was the cherry on top. She shoved him to the ground and glared at him. "I not only trust this "souless creature" with my life, but with the life of my mother, my sister, and my friends. I trust him because without a soul he has more heart than any creature I've know! Including you. I loved you once, Angel but YOU left ME. You left me. Don't come back all noble and self righteous thinking that I'll acept you with open arms. Because these arms haven't been opened for a very long time. You shut me out." she paused and he stood up with only pain in his small brown eyes. "You shut me out, and I should thank you."

He looked at her with confussion.

"You leaving meant me growing up. Me growing up meant me finding myself and you know who showed me?" She looked at him for some time. "Spike. Spike showed me who I was. Beacause......" she sighted. "There are so many becauses, from the rough talk of my dark nature to his gentle touch. He showed me. He's who I love." she looked down at her hands. "I am glad for you Angel, I really am." she turned around and started walking back to her house. The paused and looked at the stunned vampire. "You're going to make some woman very happy......but it won't be me......." She walked back to her house, back to her porch, back through her kitchen, and to her room that still smelled of old cigarrettes and him.

Soul must learn a love that is

Proper to my breast,

Limbs a love in common

With every noble beast.

If soul may look and body touch

Which is the more blest?

W. B. Yeats

TBC.................................

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