Echo's From the Past Echo's From the Past Chapter 6, a buffy: the vampire slayer fanfic

Echo Chapter 6

Author's notes: Anything in italics is taken directly from episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel.

Echo's From The Past

Chapter 6

Buffy curled into Liam's embrace, pillowing her head on his chest. It wasn't long until she was lulled into unconsciousness. It was no wonder when Liam was rhythmically stroking her back and whispering softly in that familiar nonsensical way of his while she felt the incredible vibration of his heartbeat beneath her. Truth be told just being in his arms was enough to relax her. It was one of the only times she ever felt like she could truly let herself go, to let herself dream.

*~*~*~*~*~*

(Dream sequence)

Buffy opened her eyes and looked around to find she was in a movie theater. It was completely empty but suddenly a movie began playing across the screen. Buffy sat in one of the chairs and watched in amazement as she saw the first time she met Angel play out before her.

Buffy walked towards the Bronze but couldn't help but feel she was being followed. She ducked down an alley and looked for someplace to hide. Angel walked around the corner into the alley. He seemed to be looking for her. Buffy swung down from a pipe above the alley knocking Angel to the ground. She stood above him with one foot placed on his chest. He looked up at her with those eyes.

"Is there a problem ma'am?"

"There's a problem. Why are you following me?"

"I know what you're thinking, but don't worry. I don't bite."

Buffy's defenses shot back up and she took a step back away from him ready to drop into a fighting stance if needed. He stood rubbing his neck.

"Truth is I thought you'd be taller or bigger: muscles and all that. You're pretty spry though."

"What do you want?" She demanded.

"Same thing you do."

"Okay, what do I want?"

"To kill them. To kill them all," He said seriously.

"Sorry! That's incorrect, but you do get this lovely watch and a years supply of turtle wax…what I want is to be left alone."

"Do you really think that's an option anymore? You're standing at the mouth of hell and it's about to open."

"Seems so long ago doesn't it?"

Buffy turned only to find Angel sitting one row behind her and leaning forward on the back of the chair beside her.

"We were so naïve then, both of us. We didn't know what we were getting ourselves into."

"I wouldn't change it." Buffy stated.

"You wouldn't? You would do it all the same?"

"Yes."

"If you could go back knowing what has happened you'd do it again?"

"Yes."

Angel pulled a remote control out and pointed it behind him. The images on the screen changed.

"Shhh I…"

"You what?"

"I love you. I try not to but I can't stop."

"Me too, I can't either."

Buffy watched the screen as she and Angel made love, the prelude to six months of hell with Angelus.

"You would do that again? " He didn't wait for a response before flicking to the next image.

"What's happening?"

"Shhh don't worry about it. I love you."

"I love you."

"Close your eyes."

"What about that Buffy?" The images changed again.

"I'm trying to do what's right here. I'm trying to think with my head instead of my heart."

"Heart? You have a heart? It isn't even beating."

"Don't."

"Don't what? Don't love you? I'm sorry. You know what? I didn't know I got a choice in that. I'm never going to change. I can't change. I want my life to be with you."

"I don't."

"How am I supposed to go on with my life knowing what we had? What we could've had?"

"You won't. No one will know but me."

"Everything we did?"

"It never happened."

"It did. It did. I know it did. I felt your heartbeat."

"And that?"

Buffy brushed the tears away from her eyes as she found her voice.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because it wasn't all bad."

She grabbed the remote away from him and she flicked it the way he had. To her surprise and satisfaction happier times for them appeared on the screen.

"You really don't care what happens a year from now? Five years from now?"

"Angel when I look in to the future all I see is you. All I want is you."

"I know the feeling."

"Stay with me?"

"Forever. That's the whole point. I'll never leave, not even if you kill me."

"You still my girl?"

"Always."

"There's no comparison. In 243 years I've loved exactly one person."

"Oh. It is me right?"

"Angel, you're going to live. You have to live."

"How?"

"Drink. Drink me."

The last image that played out was one from the day that wasn't. Buffy and Angel watched as a very human Angel and Buffy made love and shared junk food and loved each other for the first time without fear.

"I would do it all over again in a heartbeat if only because I would have you. Everything we did and said, it all made me who I am today. I'm better for have knowing you. I'm alive because of you. I fight for my future because you're in it."

"Yea, let's look at the future you got with me, shall we?"

"Angel."

"No Buffy, you said you fight for your future because I'm in it. In this future I am human but I don't know what we had. I don't know what made us love each other or leave each other. This future me isn't me at all. Hell even Angelus knew what we had even if he mocked it."

Buffy turned away from Angel, not wanting to cry in front of him.

"See Buffy I hurt you no matter what I am. As Angelus I tried to kill you, as Angel I broke your heart so why do you want to give that back to him? Why do you want to make him live with the guilt and self-hatred? Why do you want him to gain this knowledge when the price might be losing him all together."

Buffy took a minute to think about it.

"Someone once told me that the bottom line is even if you see 'em coming your not ready for the big moments. No one asks for their life to change, not really, but it does. So are we helpless? Puppets? No. The big moments are gonna come. You can't help that. It's what you do afterwards that counts. That's when you find out who you are. You'll see what I mean."

Buffy turned so she could look Angel in the eye.

"I believe this is one of those defining moments you know. I believe that you and Liam are one and the same because to say otherwise would state that you were nothing more than the demon and we both know that's not true."

Buffy stood and leaned over the seat to steal a kiss from Angel. The kiss said more than any words ever could about their feelings for one another. Buffy reluctantly pulled away and began walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To live my life. I have a bright future ahead of me with the man that I love."

"Angel?"

"Yes?"

"Had I known my heart would break, I would have loved you anyway."

With that said she slipped through the door knowing within moments she would be awake.

If I'd a known the way that this would end

If I'd a read the last page first

If I'd a had the strength to walk away

If I'd a known how this would hurt