Chapter Three: Revelations
"I'm so sorry Giles couldn't make it," Willow smiled sadly at the newly married
couple. "But he couldn't get away from London. He's in the final stage of his new book." She chuckled, "Who would've thought that Giles would end up writing
mystery thrillers."
Cordelia grinned, "Quite a change from the bookish watcher, I have to say." She
smiled lovingly at her husband whose hand was laying loosely around her waist.
"But I agree. I missed him. Without him, something isn't ... I dunno ... he
just belongs here."
"H-he'll be in A-america i-in t-two w-weeks," Tara said, coming to stand beside
Willow. "P-promotion t-tour."
"Really?," the former mayqueen laughed. "I bet he hates it."
"Yeah," Willow laughed with her. "He's always complaining about hysterical female fans. Can you imagine Giles with women throwing themselves at his feet?"
"Don't forget he was called Ripper once," Xander joined the group. They were
all assembled at the Hyperion Hotel. It still belonged to Angel and since he'd
moved back to L.A. he was living in it permanently. And of course he had offered
it to the couple knowing that Gunn couldn't afford some expensive hotel for the
reception.
"Yeah," Oz agreed. "Remember the cursed candy?."
Everyone laughed at the memory. "He wanted Buffy to hit everyone, especially
Ethan Rayne," Cordelia said and looked at Gunn. "Some cursed candy bar made all
the adults act like teenagers. Buffy's mother and Giles were all over each
other." She suddenly broke off and scanned the hotel lobby. When her eyes found
what they had been looking for she smiled and nodded into a certain direction.
"Talking about our little slayer," she looked back at her friends. "I think my
little plot already works."
*
They had been watching each other for a while, none of them eager to take the
first step, but then over the cold buffet they had almost bumped into each other. Startled Buffy looked up, "Oh," nervously she licked her lips, not sure what to say.
The plate Angel was holding almost slipped from his hands. "Buffy," his voice was suddenly breathless.
"Angel," she replied, not feeling very strong herself. God, she was 31 years old
but one look into his eyes and her knees turned to mush. "I ... it's nice to see
you."
"You too," he smiled and Buffy was urgently in need of a chair or she would
embarrass herself, she thought. Now not only her knees but her whole legs were
like jelly. This smile, so casual, so Angel, was a killer.
"How are you?," they asked simultaneously.
They both smiled and Angel motioned towards a sofa. Grateful Buffy nodded. As
soon as they were seated, he said, "You go first. So how are you?"
"I ...," she cleared her throat. God, he was so gorgeous. One could see he was
older now, but that hadn't lessened his attraction, no, it was quite the opposite. He was more mature now. Stop it, she scolded herself. Stop it now, Summers. He's married and he's left you and ..., God, but he was still gorgeous. "I'm fine," she finally managed to say.
"Good to hear," he smiled again, inwardly patting his own shoulder for acting so
casual around her. She was still so very beautiful. Her eyes were so deep he
wanted to drown in them. And her mouth ... no, he told himself. She just went
through a painful divorce. You cannot expect her to jump right into your arms.
But, God, her lips were the same he remembered, the same he dreamt about. "I'm
sorry," he said. When he saw her quizzical gaze, he explained, "About your
divorce, Cordelia told me."
"Oh," she nodded in understanding, then shrugged. "It's over and done with. It
was long overdue. We were both holding on to something that shouldn't have
started."
Angel's head snapped up, this didn't sound like a woman still longing for her
husband. Could it be ... "You have two children, I heard," he said.
"Yeah," now her face broke into a genuine smile. "Ashlynn, she is almost nine and David, he's just two. Both are wonderful children. They are with my mom this
weekend."
"You love them."
It was a statement, but she nodded anyway, "Oh yes. They are my whole world.
Funny to think I once thought demons would be all I'd care for. And you? We're
only talking about me. How are you?" Her eyes quickly scanned the lobby, then
were back on him, "Where's your wife? I was looking forward to meet her."
Summers, you should've become an actor, she thought. It almost sounded as if you
meant it.
"Anna? No, she isn't here," he replied and sipped from his champagne. "She isn't
even my wife anymore. We were divorced more than a year ago."
Buffy's eyes widened and she quickly took a bite from her sandwich to win a little time to think about these news. He was divorced! Not married! No wife! He was free! Stop that! You're acting ridiculously. You haven't seen him for years. "So you weren't married that long." Hearing him laugh without humour she realised she'd said it aloud and wanted to bite her tongue for it.
"No," he shook his head. "We wanted different things from life. Our wedding was
... a bit in a rush. We ... I wasn't thinking clearly at that time," he admitted
averting his eyes. How could he tell her that he'd married Anna because he
couldn't have the woman he really wanted. Because she was already taken and
expecting her second child. Because he had wanted to prove himself he was able to live without her. And had failed miserably. The reason Anna finally had used to file the divorce had only been an excuse.
"I'm sorry," she said and touched his hand with hers. It went through her like a
bolt. Touching him was like coming in contact with electricity and quickly she
pulled her hand back. Their eyes met for a moment, but his were unreadable. Damn
that centuries of self-control. Even if he boils inside he appears cool. Buffy
was sure *her* eyes were giving everything away and so she averted them quickly.
"Don't be," he said and leaned back. "Anna and I," he shrugged. "We were never
meant for each other. She's still a good friend though."
"Xander told me you came back a year ago. What are you doing in L.A.?"
"We've reopened the agency," he replied with a smile. "Gunn, Wesley and I. There
aren't demons anymore since the Hellmouth is closed but that doesn't mean the bad boys are gone as well."
"So you're a real PI now?," she asked and smiled back.
"Yeah," he chuckled. "But Gunn's doing most of the work. I'm not really very fond of the job."
A warm expression entered his eyes, "So you're mostly doing it for Gunn, right?"
He shrugged, "He's good at what he's doing. I can't understand why nobody wanted
to employ him."
A warm feeling began to grow inside her chest. This was so Angel. He was doing
this because his friend needed a job and of course he didn't want anybody to
know. "They can be glad to call you their friend."
"It's the same the other way around, they are the best friends I ever had," his
voice was full of emotion. "They're almost ... like family." He took a deep
breath to steady himself. Talking about family was something that still bore
painful memories for him. More than once he had imagined how it would've felt to
lead his real sister to her future husband. Turning back to Buffy he changed the
subject and managed to smile, "Xander has changed a lot."
"He has," she agreed. "He never told me you were back," she blurted out.
"I asked him not to."
"Oh," there was more than a little hurt in her eyes. He hadn't wanted her to
know. Quickly she suppressed tears that were forming and the warm feeling inside
of her instantly grew cold. But then what had she expected. They were like
strangers now. Living separate lives.
"Buffy," his voice was warm. "It isn't that I didn't want you to know. But Xander told me you were right in the middle of a separation, probably a divorce and I thought you didn't need any more problems in your life then."
"Still making decisions for me?," she asked angrily, narrowing her eyes.
"I ...," he sighed, then shook his head, "Think whatever you want. I just thought it wasn't the right moment."
"Sure," she was so angry now, she couldn't stop herself anymore. "You always know what's best, right? You didn't even tell me you were going to get married. Xander had to give me the good news."
"Buffy you were married yourself. You were expecting your second child. There was no need ..."
"No, of course not," she jumped up, her voice rising, she didn't care that all
the others were turning into their direction. "*You* decided to leave me, *you*
decided you weren't good enough for me and *you* also decided that even a human
Angel wasn't going to be enough!" Her accusing eyes were piercing into his gaze.
"What ...," he swallowed hard, "...are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," she shouted, not able to prevent the
tears from falling anymore. "I'm talking about 24 hours you preferred to turn
back and steal from me. *Without* asking me first." She knew she was terribly
unfair, but she hurt inside, all the pent up emotions were spilling over and she
wasn't able to stop it. In this moment she didn't care if she was hurting him.
Still, her heart clenched when she saw all colour drain from his face and he came to stand in front of her.
"You...," his mouth was suddenly dry, "...you weren't supposed to remember."
"Oh, and that's all you can say," she angrily wiped her tears away. "But I do. I
do remember. When the hellmouth was closed the PTB gave the memories back to me.
They came in a dream, but when I woke up I knew it was real."
"Buffy I...," he tried to say, but she interrupted him.
"You know, Angel. I really don't want to hear your explanations. Or your excuses. You were right not to tell me that you're in L.A. I wouldn't have cared anyway. You stay away from me. Do you hear. I don't care if your dead or alive. Just stay out of my life." With this she turned and stormed out of the hotel, while Gunn took his new wife's hand and whispered into her ear.
"I think you just burnt yourself big time, darling."
End of Chapter Three
"I'm so sorry Giles couldn't make it," Willow smiled sadly at the newly married
couple. "But he couldn't get away from London. He's in the final stage of his new book." She chuckled, "Who would've thought that Giles would end up writing
mystery thrillers."
Cordelia grinned, "Quite a change from the bookish watcher, I have to say." She
smiled lovingly at her husband whose hand was laying loosely around her waist.
"But I agree. I missed him. Without him, something isn't ... I dunno ... he
just belongs here."
"H-he'll be in A-america i-in t-two w-weeks," Tara said, coming to stand beside
Willow. "P-promotion t-tour."
"Really?," the former mayqueen laughed. "I bet he hates it."
"Yeah," Willow laughed with her. "He's always complaining about hysterical female fans. Can you imagine Giles with women throwing themselves at his feet?"
"Don't forget he was called Ripper once," Xander joined the group. They were
all assembled at the Hyperion Hotel. It still belonged to Angel and since he'd
moved back to L.A. he was living in it permanently. And of course he had offered
it to the couple knowing that Gunn couldn't afford some expensive hotel for the
reception.
"Yeah," Oz agreed. "Remember the cursed candy?."
Everyone laughed at the memory. "He wanted Buffy to hit everyone, especially
Ethan Rayne," Cordelia said and looked at Gunn. "Some cursed candy bar made all
the adults act like teenagers. Buffy's mother and Giles were all over each
other." She suddenly broke off and scanned the hotel lobby. When her eyes found
what they had been looking for she smiled and nodded into a certain direction.
"Talking about our little slayer," she looked back at her friends. "I think my
little plot already works."
*
They had been watching each other for a while, none of them eager to take the
first step, but then over the cold buffet they had almost bumped into each other. Startled Buffy looked up, "Oh," nervously she licked her lips, not sure what to say.
The plate Angel was holding almost slipped from his hands. "Buffy," his voice was suddenly breathless.
"Angel," she replied, not feeling very strong herself. God, she was 31 years old
but one look into his eyes and her knees turned to mush. "I ... it's nice to see
you."
"You too," he smiled and Buffy was urgently in need of a chair or she would
embarrass herself, she thought. Now not only her knees but her whole legs were
like jelly. This smile, so casual, so Angel, was a killer.
"How are you?," they asked simultaneously.
They both smiled and Angel motioned towards a sofa. Grateful Buffy nodded. As
soon as they were seated, he said, "You go first. So how are you?"
"I ...," she cleared her throat. God, he was so gorgeous. One could see he was
older now, but that hadn't lessened his attraction, no, it was quite the opposite. He was more mature now. Stop it, she scolded herself. Stop it now, Summers. He's married and he's left you and ..., God, but he was still gorgeous. "I'm fine," she finally managed to say.
"Good to hear," he smiled again, inwardly patting his own shoulder for acting so
casual around her. She was still so very beautiful. Her eyes were so deep he
wanted to drown in them. And her mouth ... no, he told himself. She just went
through a painful divorce. You cannot expect her to jump right into your arms.
But, God, her lips were the same he remembered, the same he dreamt about. "I'm
sorry," he said. When he saw her quizzical gaze, he explained, "About your
divorce, Cordelia told me."
"Oh," she nodded in understanding, then shrugged. "It's over and done with. It
was long overdue. We were both holding on to something that shouldn't have
started."
Angel's head snapped up, this didn't sound like a woman still longing for her
husband. Could it be ... "You have two children, I heard," he said.
"Yeah," now her face broke into a genuine smile. "Ashlynn, she is almost nine and David, he's just two. Both are wonderful children. They are with my mom this
weekend."
"You love them."
It was a statement, but she nodded anyway, "Oh yes. They are my whole world.
Funny to think I once thought demons would be all I'd care for. And you? We're
only talking about me. How are you?" Her eyes quickly scanned the lobby, then
were back on him, "Where's your wife? I was looking forward to meet her."
Summers, you should've become an actor, she thought. It almost sounded as if you
meant it.
"Anna? No, she isn't here," he replied and sipped from his champagne. "She isn't
even my wife anymore. We were divorced more than a year ago."
Buffy's eyes widened and she quickly took a bite from her sandwich to win a little time to think about these news. He was divorced! Not married! No wife! He was free! Stop that! You're acting ridiculously. You haven't seen him for years. "So you weren't married that long." Hearing him laugh without humour she realised she'd said it aloud and wanted to bite her tongue for it.
"No," he shook his head. "We wanted different things from life. Our wedding was
... a bit in a rush. We ... I wasn't thinking clearly at that time," he admitted
averting his eyes. How could he tell her that he'd married Anna because he
couldn't have the woman he really wanted. Because she was already taken and
expecting her second child. Because he had wanted to prove himself he was able to live without her. And had failed miserably. The reason Anna finally had used to file the divorce had only been an excuse.
"I'm sorry," she said and touched his hand with hers. It went through her like a
bolt. Touching him was like coming in contact with electricity and quickly she
pulled her hand back. Their eyes met for a moment, but his were unreadable. Damn
that centuries of self-control. Even if he boils inside he appears cool. Buffy
was sure *her* eyes were giving everything away and so she averted them quickly.
"Don't be," he said and leaned back. "Anna and I," he shrugged. "We were never
meant for each other. She's still a good friend though."
"Xander told me you came back a year ago. What are you doing in L.A.?"
"We've reopened the agency," he replied with a smile. "Gunn, Wesley and I. There
aren't demons anymore since the Hellmouth is closed but that doesn't mean the bad boys are gone as well."
"So you're a real PI now?," she asked and smiled back.
"Yeah," he chuckled. "But Gunn's doing most of the work. I'm not really very fond of the job."
A warm expression entered his eyes, "So you're mostly doing it for Gunn, right?"
He shrugged, "He's good at what he's doing. I can't understand why nobody wanted
to employ him."
A warm feeling began to grow inside her chest. This was so Angel. He was doing
this because his friend needed a job and of course he didn't want anybody to
know. "They can be glad to call you their friend."
"It's the same the other way around, they are the best friends I ever had," his
voice was full of emotion. "They're almost ... like family." He took a deep
breath to steady himself. Talking about family was something that still bore
painful memories for him. More than once he had imagined how it would've felt to
lead his real sister to her future husband. Turning back to Buffy he changed the
subject and managed to smile, "Xander has changed a lot."
"He has," she agreed. "He never told me you were back," she blurted out.
"I asked him not to."
"Oh," there was more than a little hurt in her eyes. He hadn't wanted her to
know. Quickly she suppressed tears that were forming and the warm feeling inside
of her instantly grew cold. But then what had she expected. They were like
strangers now. Living separate lives.
"Buffy," his voice was warm. "It isn't that I didn't want you to know. But Xander told me you were right in the middle of a separation, probably a divorce and I thought you didn't need any more problems in your life then."
"Still making decisions for me?," she asked angrily, narrowing her eyes.
"I ...," he sighed, then shook his head, "Think whatever you want. I just thought it wasn't the right moment."
"Sure," she was so angry now, she couldn't stop herself anymore. "You always know what's best, right? You didn't even tell me you were going to get married. Xander had to give me the good news."
"Buffy you were married yourself. You were expecting your second child. There was no need ..."
"No, of course not," she jumped up, her voice rising, she didn't care that all
the others were turning into their direction. "*You* decided to leave me, *you*
decided you weren't good enough for me and *you* also decided that even a human
Angel wasn't going to be enough!" Her accusing eyes were piercing into his gaze.
"What ...," he swallowed hard, "...are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," she shouted, not able to prevent the
tears from falling anymore. "I'm talking about 24 hours you preferred to turn
back and steal from me. *Without* asking me first." She knew she was terribly
unfair, but she hurt inside, all the pent up emotions were spilling over and she
wasn't able to stop it. In this moment she didn't care if she was hurting him.
Still, her heart clenched when she saw all colour drain from his face and he came to stand in front of her.
"You...," his mouth was suddenly dry, "...you weren't supposed to remember."
"Oh, and that's all you can say," she angrily wiped her tears away. "But I do. I
do remember. When the hellmouth was closed the PTB gave the memories back to me.
They came in a dream, but when I woke up I knew it was real."
"Buffy I...," he tried to say, but she interrupted him.
"You know, Angel. I really don't want to hear your explanations. Or your excuses. You were right not to tell me that you're in L.A. I wouldn't have cared anyway. You stay away from me. Do you hear. I don't care if your dead or alive. Just stay out of my life." With this she turned and stormed out of the hotel, while Gunn took his new wife's hand and whispered into her ear.
"I think you just burnt yourself big time, darling."
End of Chapter Three