Title: All or Nothing
Summary: This is after "the body"...and before Buffy died and intervention never happened. It is 2-3 months after "chip off the old block"
Author: taterbug a.k.a. Staci
Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss and I am just borrowing.
Dedication: This is for all my B/S friends at Hysteria!
Rating: PG
The first thing we see the "Angel investigations" office. All the lights are out and the place looks empty. We hear the sound of someone unlocking a door, and then we hear it open. We watch was Angel walks through the door, and flicks on the light. He is wearing his normal black attire, and looks quite tired. He takes off his leather jacket and places it on the counter. He starts to walk into one of back rooms when he stops and looks around. He obviously senses something. He slowly and carefully walks into is office, there is someone sitting at his desk looking through folders. The man looks clean-cut and normal and he is overly dressed up. He looks up as he hears Angel come in. He calmly puts the folder down and stands up; he stretches his hand out in effort to shake Angel's hand.
Man: It's about time you got here, you're Angel right?
Angel makes to attempt to shake this guys hand. He just stands there and glazes at the man. He doesn't look happy.
Angel: Who are you? And more importantly what are you doing here?
The man gives up and puts his hand down. He seems to be in a super good mood. At least compared to Angel's. He sits back down in Angel's chair.
Man: (re: the chair beside Angel) Have a seat...then we will discuss who I am and more importantly what I am doing here.
Angel is resistant, but very curious so after a few moments of pondering he scoots the chair up and sits down.
Angel: so, who ar...
Man: (interrupting) I am a messenger for the powers that be. There fore I am here to give you message...
Angel: (still non-trusting) Why didn't they just send it through Cordelia...like they always do?
Man: (cool) It's not like I am best buds with them. They give me a message and I deliver it. I don't ask questions...but I'm guessing this is more important then the normal memos you get, though.
Angel: (very curious) well...what is it then?
The man sits up and reaches into his back pocket, he pulls out a piece of paper. He sits back down and starts to read it.
Man: (reading the paper) please tell the vampire with a soul that he has one more challenger to fight and defeat before his redemption is completed. If he defeats the challenger the vampire with a soul shall become nortal.
Angel: nortal?
Man: (looks hard at paper)...uh, sorry...mortal.
Angel looks surprising more up beat then before.
Angel: I thought I had an apocalypse...and all kinds of other stuff that would probably end up killing me to defeat, before I became human?
Man: (sarcastic, pointing to self) me: massager. I can't answer your questions...I don't know. Just go fight something and don't worry about it, jeesh.
The man starts to get up; he folds the paper up and puts it in his back pocket. He heads for the door, he walks out. Angel just sits there, thinking. Angel suddenly gets up and yells out to the man.
Angel: Who's the challenger!?
Right at that moment we hear the door shut...as we:
Cut to: Sunnydale. Nighttime. The Bronze.
Buffy, Xander, Anya, Willow, and Tara are sitting in like a semi-circle. Xander, Anya, Willow, and Tara on the couch. Buffy is sitting alone on the chair. Xander and Anya are cuddly and playful with each other; Buffy looks over at them with a slight tint of envy on her face.
Willow: (breaking Buffy gaze) so Buffy, how's patrolling this days?
Buffy: (to Willow) the same joyful experience it's always been. Well actually...this is kinda funny: the other night I was...
A slow song starts to play.
Tara: (interrupting Buffy...re: to willow) Would you like to dance?
Buffy: ... patrolling...(stops talking)
Willow: (blissful, to Tara) of course. (Realizes, to Buffy) oh, that is if you don't mind. You were in the middle a story...probably a really great one too.
Buffy: (obviously upset) no...go ahead, I'm fine.
Willow smiles and her and Tara get up and walk over to the dance floor. Buffy exhales loudly and plops back in her chair. She looks over at the dance floor and gazes off, after a few moments of gazing...her eyes start to follow someone. She gets up and hurriedly heads to the dance floor. Xander and Anya don't even notice that she left, they continue with the cuddling. Buffy starts pushing people out of her way, her eyes locked on someone...maybe a vampire. She starts to slow down as she approaches the person she has been watching. We can finally see what she had been seeing; we see what looks like Spike's back. He is talking to a group of people, some of them are laughing. Buffy walks up to him and timidly taps him on the shoulder. He turns around and Buffy looks at him, her face goes from nervous excited...to disappointed. The man looks nothing like Spike from the front and sure as hell isn't him. The guy looks Buffy up and down, and seems pleased.
Guy: (to Buffy): well, hi there!
Buffy: (exhales) sorry I thought you were someone else.
Buffy turns to walk away.
Guy: I can be anyone you want me to be, baby
Buffy rolls her eyes and continues to walk.
Cut to: LA. Cordelia's apartment.
Angel and Cordy are in the middle of an argument. Angel is sitting on the couch and Cordy is pacing back and forth in front of him and talking in lecture mode.
Cordy: (slight yell) you can't just go there!
Angel: (calm) why not?
Cordy starts to pace more...
Cordy: I don't know, Angel. Maybe because you haven't been there in over 2 years!
Angel: (shrugs) so...
Cordy: (frustrated) okay fine. What are you going to say then...(imitating Angel) oh, Hi Buffy...in a couple of week's tops I am going to be human. (Does a stupid laugh) wanna be my girl friend again? (Does laugh again)
Angel gets a goofy look on his face and looks down...
Angel: well actually, yeah... I was going to say something like that; you don't think that's a good way to tell her? (Looks worried) I don't laugh like that do I?
Cordy: Do you think she is just going to take you back...just like that!?
Angel: (sad, worried) you don't think she will?
Cordy: (calmer...compassionate) Angel, people move on. Buffy's moved on... she has this whole life now that has nothing to do with you. All you are going to do is confuse her.
Angel: (conceders this) but...I want to be with her...I do. I think we could make things work...I mean yeah, it might be strange at first...but I know Buffy, and I think that she will want me back.
Cordy sits down beside Angel, she has given up.
Cordy: okay...go; don't say I didn't warn you.
-
Cut to: a couple nights later. Buffy's house.
We see Angel walking slowly up the steps onto the porch. He pauses and then turns to leave, he stops at the bottom of the stairs, turns back around and goes up them again. He walks up to the door and raises his hand to knock, but then lowers it. He was about to leave again when the door opened. Angel turned around expecting to see Buffy when Dawn was actually standing there.
Dawn: (not happy to see him) What are you doing here?
Angel scratches his head and he looks really nervous.
Angel: (smiles, polite) Hi Dawn, is ...uh, is Buffy home?
Dawn: actually I think she went out with her boyfriend tonight, I don't expect her back till morning.
Angel: (smile drops) w-what?
Dawn: (rolls eyes) She's out patrolling, idiot...
Angel: (very relieved...even slightly laughing) okay...okay, thank you. Talk to you later, Dawn.
Dawn: Ew...Do you have to? I'm sorry about the Buffy thing
Angel smiles at her and then turns to leave. He gets in his car and pulls out; he waves at Dawn as he drives away.
-
Cut to: minute's later, graveyard.
Buffy is walking around; she isn't really paying attention to anything...her thoughts are obviously elsewhere. She suddenly becomes alert and starts looking around. She walks toward a bunch of hedge plants. She looks at the trees curiously ...she ponders for a moment and then:
Buffy: (hopeful) Spike?
The bushes start to move as someone goes to walk out of them. Sure enough it is Spike. He looks just like he always had, maybe dressed a little more casual.
Spike: them slayer senses are remarkable...(looks down) I was hoping you would see me.
Buffy: (very excited, but hides it) w-what are you doing here? I thought that you were leaving forever? Two months is hardly forever.
Spike: (modest) It felt like it...
Buffy couldn't help it anymore, she was so happy to see him. She let out a small smile and that's all it took for Spike to realize that he was wanted there. He smiled back at her. The atmosphere between was a lot different then before...mainly because Buffy wanted him there, for once. Spike scratched his head and looked around...
Spike: patrolling, huh?
Buffy dug at the grass with her foot, and also looked around...
Buffy: yep.
They both just stood there for a few moments, causing a strange awkward silence. Then almost suddenly Spike moved in and started kissing her. She was slightly hesitant at first but then moved in closer to him. Just as things were getting good, Spike pulled away from her...
Spike: (slightly breathing hard) sorry...
Buffy moved in close to him again.
Buffy: don't be...
She initiated the kiss this time, pushing him back and causing him to run into the bushes...
Spike: (still in kiss mode) ow, ow...ow!
Buffy: (kissing him) sorry...sorry.
Spike took a few steps forward in order to get away from the bushes. They continued to make out
-
Cut to: Graveyard, same time.
Angel pulls up in his car and parks it; he gets out and starts walking through the graveyard, looking around. He starts walking into the wooded area just off of the graveyard. It's almost like he knows where Buffy is, but he had always had a sense of her ...as she did with him. He is being stalker like, hiding sneakily behind trees and bushes, as he looks for her. We hear Buffy slightly giggle, Angel hears it too and walks over closer to were Buffy is. He can slightly see her back, but quickly turns away pumping himself up for what he is about to tell her. He smiles and then turns back around and walks closer to Buffy, just about to come out of the bush and talk to her. His face suddenly goes from a smile to completely shocked and devastated.
-Buffy's POV. (Point of view)
Buffy suddenly stops kissing Spike and quickly backs away from him. Hoping, praying that her instinct is wrong this time.
Spike: (surprised, worried) what?
Buffy looks around and then stops right on the spot where Angel is. Deep down she knows he is there, but tries really hard not to believe it.
-Angel's POV.
He notices Buffy looking in his direction so he, in a hurried why, starts walking backwards. He trips over a root and falls to the ground causing a thud. He scurries up and starts to quickly get out of there.
-Buffy's POV.
She takes a few steps toward the area, when she hears a loud thud. She looks back at Spike and he looks at her...they both look back at the spot. Buffy can tell that the person is running off. She starts to take off after him. Spike goes to follow her; she stops and turns to him.
Buffy: just...stay here, okay?
Spike: (thinking wtf?) what...why?
Buffy: (in a hurry) I'll explain later, just say here...please? I'll be back in a second, I promise.
Spike: (gives in) all right...(to Buffy as she leave, almost in a yell) be careful!
Buffy takes off. Spike stands there for a few moments before pulling out a cigarette. He puts it in his mouth and takes out his lighter, just as he is about to light it he stops and takes the cigarette out of his mouth. He smiles, just realizing what happened. He even lets out a small giggle before putting the cigarette back into his mouth and lighting it.
Cut to: Buffy/Angel POV.
Angel finally arrives at his car but knows Buffy is following him. He gives up and decides just to let her catch up to him. Buffy finally comes running out of the wooded area and stops dead cold in her tracks when she sees Angel standing there. He can't even look at her; he looks down at the ground. She takes a few steps closer to him.
Buffy: (shocked, worried) Angel? W-what are you doing here? ...
Angel: (really upset, still not looking at her) does it matter?
Buffy is breathing hard and actually seems ashamed, she wasn't ready for anyone to see her with Spike especially not Angel .She kept walking up to him. She was only a few yards away now. She looks down at the ground as well...
Buffy: It was a firs...well, second time thing. It's nothing...I mean, It's Spike. I was just...not thinking. I- I'm sorry. I never meant for you to see that.
Angel continued to look at the ground. He almost seemed a little angry now.
Buffy: (worried, pleading) Angel, say something! ... Anything!
Angel finally looked up and made eye contact with her.
Angel: (still upset, hint of anger) What do you want me to say? That was the very last thing I ever thought I would see...actually I never even thought I would see it.
There was an awkward silence.
Angel: so what? Are you going to make this thing with Spike into something serious because if you are...just kill me now. I can't take that...
Buffy: I think that maybe you over reacting a little...
Angel: (loses it) Am I!? Damn it, Buffy! If I would have known you were just going to be with Spike I could just st...
Buffy: (interrupting, also getting mad) stayed!? Yeah, because me wanting you to sure as hell wasn't enough!
Angel: That's not fair! I didn't have a choice... I wanted you to have someone who actually has a pulse. Not to go and find another vampire! (mumbles) Spike...
Buffy rolls her eyes at him and turns away; this is something she really doesn't want to talk about.
Buffy: (calmer) but if you knew that this would happen with Spike you wouldn't have left?
Angel: (sighs) It doesn't matter...anyway
Buffy turned back to him.
Buffy: would you stay now? Knowing if you didn't I would start something with Spike.
Angel: you're starting something with Spike?!
Buffy: I didn't stay that...
Angel turns and looks her straight in the eyes.
Angel: (calm) Why do you think I came here tonight? I wanted to talk to you about us...and about our future.
Buffy: (shocked) What?! S-since when were you thinking about an us?
There was pain in his eyes as he looks away from her
Angel: It was a mistake coming here. If you even have feelings for Spike, it means you don't care about me anymore...let alone enough restart a relationship.
Buffy: that's not true... you know that's not true. Angel, you have always known how I felt about you.
Angel: that's my point. There's no way you would ever even think about a relationship with Spike if you still loved me. You know just thinking about you two would kill me.
Buffy: This really has nothing to do with you, Angel. You suddenly come here and tell me you want to be with me again and just expect me to drop everything! I really don't understand why you are telling me this anyway... I thought that you didn't want to be with me. What happened to that theory?
Angel:...well, I-... I love you, Buffy... even when I find you kissing Spike in the middle of a graveyard...I still love you. I will always love you.
Buffy looked away from him, on the verge of crying.
Buffy: I think you should go home. This isn't your business, anymore. I'm not ready for this.
Angel looked extremely hurt by that.
Angel: (plea) Buffy...I have to tell you som...
Buffy: I don't care! ... Just go.
She looks up at him with tears in her eyes. He looks at her for a long time just trying to understand all this. He looks honestly confused and deeply upset.
Angel: (hurt) okay...fine, it that's what you want. Then I'll go.
He walks around and gets into his car and shuts the door.
Angel: (bitter) I hope you have one hell of a time with Spike!
He starts the car up and backs out into the road, and drives away. Leaving Buffy standing there, unsure what to do. She is stunned by everything that just happened. She walks over to a tree and sits down leaning her head up against it and slowly starts to cry.
Cut to: a few hours later.
Spike is sitting on the ground in the same place where Buffy left him and few hours ago. There are cigarette buds all around him. He is slightly playing with the grass and looks bored. He hears ruffling in the bushes and starts to stand up, excited. Buffy walks into view, she lets out a small smile surprised he waited that long for her.
Spike: (sweetly) What happened? Are you all right?
Buffy: (tired) I think we need to talk.
Spike shook his head and they started walking together, toward his crypt. There was some distance between them...but it was closer then they used to walk together. Spike looks at her, waiting for her to say something.
Buffy: (no emotion) When I took off a few hours ago...it was Angel I went after. He came here to talk to me and just happened to come at the moment we were...when we were kissing.
Spike: (worried) well...what happened?
Buffy: (no emotion) I told him to go home and that my life was none of his business.
Spike: (excited) You did! (Lets out a little laugh) I can't believe this...you actually want to be with me!
Spike is super happy and almost looks like he is going to hug her or something. Buffy looks up at him almost like she is going to cry, Spike notices this and calms down...suddenly worried about her. He caringly puts his hand on her lower shoulder/arm area.
Spike: What's wrong? ...(Suddenly angry) He didn't bloody hurt you, did he?
Buffy didn't look up and him. She just kept gazing forward; she still didn't have hardly any emotion her face or voice.
Buffy: of course not.
Spike: (getting slightly fed up) well...what's wrong then?
They arrive at Spike's crypt and Buffy stops and turns to him, still not making eye contact, though.
Buffy: I-I don't think that I should see you like this anymore.
Spike: (shocked) What!? But you told him to go away... I thought that meant that...I thought, I...
Buffy: I'm sorry...I just don't know what else to do. I just don't want to hurt Angel like that.
Spike turns away from her and walks a few steps trying to hold in his anger...he turns back toward her. She finally looks up at him making eye contact; there were tears in her eyes. She sniffs and quickly wipes the tear away. Seeing her crying was all Spike needed to get compassionate again.
Spike: (sweetly)...Don't cry.
Buffy looks at him for a few moments before saying anything.
Buffy: He basically told me that the reason he came back here was to be with me again...and *I told him to go home. (Suddenly almost in a yell, crying more) I just don't understand why he would do this to me! (she puts her hands up to her head) I'm just so confused...He has to do this just when I am starting to...
Spike: (interrupting, taking a few steps towards her) Starting to...what?
Buffy gives him a "duh" look, and Spike smiles at her. He leans in to kiss her but pauses a couple inches away from her face waiting for her to push him away...but she moves in and kisses him instead. After a few moments Spike starts to advance towards his crypt, surprisingly Buffy walks with him. They continue to kiss as Spike tugs his door open with one hand. They stumble in and Buffy pushes him up against the wall, continuing to kiss him. A few moments pass and then Spike suddenly cuts off the kiss. He looks at Buffy with confusion in his eyes.
Spike: Where's all my stuff?
She turns around and looks at the place, it's almost bare except for a refrigerator and his bed. She turns back to him.
Buffy: ohhh... Xander called your stuff.
Spike: (slightly angry) what!?...(He starts to mumble)
Buffy: (playfully) does it really matter, right now?
Buffy smiled at him and quieted his mumbles by kissing him again. It was even hotter then last time. They stay against the wall for a few moments before Spike takes a few steps forward, Buffy stumbles backwards a bit staying with him. She continues to kiss him and she even grabs hold of his shirt and starts to pull it off. They stop kissing just long enough for her to pull his shirt over his head, and then they start again. They slowly stumble over to his bed, Buffy sort of climbs on it backwards. This causes Spike to be on top of her, they continue to kiss as we...
Cut to: The next morning. Angel's House/Hotel thing.
Angel comes stumbling in the back door. He walks into the main room and looks tiredly at the same messenger that we saw before, just this time he was sitting in the counter eating a bowl of cereal.
Angel: (not to polite) What do you want?!
The messenger jumps and spills some of the cereal on his pants. He quickly gets up and looks at Angel, setting the bowl down on the counter. The front of his pants are soaking wet.
Messenger: Hey man...
Angel: (fed up) What is it?
Messenger: uh...(tries to think) oh yeah! You lost the challenge or whatever... You gotta towel?
Angel: (huh?) but...how? I haven't fought anything.
Messenger: (shrugs) I don't know...they said you lost. That's all I know.
Angel: They had to tell you more then that! I really didn't fight anything.
Messenger: maybe it was like...a mental opponent or something, I don't know...I could really use a towel.
Angel: I just don't know...
Angel suddenly realizes. He looks literally stunned as he sits down in his chair.
Messenger: Towel!?
Angel: (still stunned, looking straight ahead) b-bathroom cabinet.
Messenger: thanks man.
The messenger takes off up the stairs to find a bathroom. Angel just sits there, he doesn't move. The messenger comes back a few minutes later trying to clean his pants with the towel. It's not working to well. He looks over at Angel...
Messenger: so...what did you lose to?
Angel continues to stare forward.
Angel: I went to tell my ex-girlfriend that I wanted her back and she told me to leave her alone, and to go home...this was all after I found her and Spike making-out.
Messenger: (slightly laughing) She picked a guy named Spike over you...
Angel gave him a stern look and the messenger shut up.
Messenger: It'll be alright, man...there's more fish in the sea, and the human thing will happen someday. Ummm, you wanna go out to lunch or something, help you cheer up. I'll pay...
Angel: (duh) vampire...
Messenger: oh yeah...(nervous laugh) guess I'm not really helping...I'll just go.
The Messenger starts to heading toward the door, Angel just sits there...
Cut to: Spike's lair. Morning.
Buffy and Spike are curled up under the blankets. Buffy has her head rested on his chest just below his shoulder blade. Spike starts to shift.
Spike: (tiredly) good morning.
Buffy's eyes suddenly come open; she looks shocked...but then relaxes and takes a deep breath.
Buffy: morning.
Fade out.
End Show.