Part 14
Willow and Xander looked at Cordelia in shock for a full minute.
Finally, Willow found her voice. "Sitting now would be a good thing,"
Willow said finally. Xander nodded, and joined her on the couch.
"Okay, I _am_ sorry for the bombshell. Like I said I'm going to fill
in all the details later, but it's true. He's a living, breathing
human now."
"And he's back in Sunnydale why?" Xander questioned.
"Because of Buffy," Willow replied, knowing the answer
immediately. "He wants her back."
"Exactly," Cordelia said with a relieved sigh that Willow
understood. "The only thing that ever kept him away from Buffy was
the fact that he was a vampire. And now that he's alive, he can't
help hoping they can be together again."
"Why are _you_ here, Cordy?" Xander asked.
"Because apparently their little meeting last night didn't go very
well," Cordelia said. "I'm not sure what happened, but I know it was
bad. If Angel were still a vamp, he'd be taking a walk outside about
now."
"I'm sorry, but remind me why that's a _bad_ thing?" Xander asked.
"XANDER!!!!" both females yelled at him.
"I'm sorry," he shrugged. "But then again, I'm not. Cordy, you're his
friend, I get that you want him to be happy and all that stuff. But I
don't see the good in those two getting back together again--"
"But--"
"Hear me out, Cordy, I really do have a point," Xander insisted. She
sighed and nodded, and he continued, "I remember what it was like
when he left her. Willow, Giles, and I had to pick up the pieces. I
remember what she went through and I can't blame her for not wanting
to let him have that opportunity to hurt her again."
"It's not like that anymore, Xander," Cordelia protested.
"Why? Because he's human now? I don't believe that and I bet she
doesn't either. I think what was wrong with them had a whole lot less
to do with Angel being a vampire, or with the happiness clause, than
he'd like to believe. He loved her, she loved him; and they could
have figured it out somehow. But I think he left because he thought
he deserved to be miserable. How does Buffy know he won't just
disappear on her again if things get tough, or he decides he's not
quite done with his need to be miserable after all?"
Cordelia opened her mouth to argue, then shut it again. She realized
that Xander's opinion of Angel wasn't going to change anytime
soon. "Fine," she said with a sigh. "I can't convince you that this
blow-up between them is another disaster waiting to happen. I'll have
to salvage this mess myself." She turned to go, when Willow stopped
her.
"Cordelia?"
"Yeah, Willow?" Cordelia turned back to them.
"They've got the kind of love that doesn't go away easily. They'll
find their way back together again, I know that," Willow replied with
a smile.
"I hope so," Cordelia shrugged. "I was so looking forward to a non-
brooding Angel." She turned away again, "Bye you two."
"Hey, Cordy," Xander called her back this time.
"Yes, Xander?"
"Come over tonight around seven, we'll go out to dinner. We'll drag
Buffy out with us too."
She smiled at him, she could tell he was trying to make peace with
her. "Sounds like fun. I'll see you guys then."
"It'll be just like old times," Willow said happily.
"Well, I hope not _just_ like old times," Cordelia said. "I can leave
the high school days very far behind, thanks."
"Oh. Yeah. Bad Willow," Willow said with an embarrassed look.
"It's okay. I'll see you guys tonight," Cordelia said, and let
herself out.
*************
"Go." Angel muttered as they pulled up to the front of Buffy's house.
Wesley didn't reply, simply got out of the car and walked up to the
door. He hoped that he would think of something to say to Buffy when
she answered his knock. She opened the door, and he felt a wave of
sympathy for her as he took in her pale, tear-stained face and
bloodshot eyes. She looked at him for a moment, frowning.
"Wesley?" she said, as recognition hit.
"Buffy," he smiled at her. "It's good to see you. I know this must be
a surprise. I'm actually looking for Cordelia, believe it or not."
"Why would she be...." she trailed off as she looked over his
shoulder. Her face spasmed in pain, just briefly, before she
recovered her emotions. She looked back at Wesley. "She's not here,"
she whispered and leaned up against the door for support.
"All right, I apologize for bothering you," Wesley said with a slight
shrug. He looked at her in confusion as she burst into a near-
hysterical giggling fit.
"Sorry, I just- have heard - that more - than once - today," Buffy
said, as she slowly pulled herself back under control, wiping the
tears from her eyes.
"Oh," Wesley replied, looking at her worriedly. He couldn't even
imagine painful her confrontation with Angel had been. "Buffy, I
have some news, but I don't want to burden you with it now. It is
important. Slayer-related. Could I meet with you and Giles later this
evening?"
"I'll call Giles, and ask him to join us for dinner," Buffy
said. "Come by around seven?"
"That's fine. Buffy, I'm--" he swallowed the apology that was
instinctive, figuring she didn't want anything but the opportunity to
forget. "I'll see you then," he settled with saying, before turning
to go.
Buffy watched Wesley turn to go, and stole another glance at the man
in the driver's seat of the car. He was staring ahead, refusing to
look at her. She knew, by the rigid way he was sitting, that he was
barely holding in his emotions. She wanted.... she sighed, and
stepped back to shut the door. She wanted so many things, so many
things that could never be. She turned to look at her dog and
said, "One more day, Jack. Then I start my life over, yet again. This
time is a little different though. I'm single now and that's the way
I want to stay.
***********
Willow and Xander looked at Cordelia in shock for a full minute.
Finally, Willow found her voice. "Sitting now would be a good thing,"
Willow said finally. Xander nodded, and joined her on the couch.
"Okay, I _am_ sorry for the bombshell. Like I said I'm going to fill
in all the details later, but it's true. He's a living, breathing
human now."
"And he's back in Sunnydale why?" Xander questioned.
"Because of Buffy," Willow replied, knowing the answer
immediately. "He wants her back."
"Exactly," Cordelia said with a relieved sigh that Willow
understood. "The only thing that ever kept him away from Buffy was
the fact that he was a vampire. And now that he's alive, he can't
help hoping they can be together again."
"Why are _you_ here, Cordy?" Xander asked.
"Because apparently their little meeting last night didn't go very
well," Cordelia said. "I'm not sure what happened, but I know it was
bad. If Angel were still a vamp, he'd be taking a walk outside about
now."
"I'm sorry, but remind me why that's a _bad_ thing?" Xander asked.
"XANDER!!!!" both females yelled at him.
"I'm sorry," he shrugged. "But then again, I'm not. Cordy, you're his
friend, I get that you want him to be happy and all that stuff. But I
don't see the good in those two getting back together again--"
"But--"
"Hear me out, Cordy, I really do have a point," Xander insisted. She
sighed and nodded, and he continued, "I remember what it was like
when he left her. Willow, Giles, and I had to pick up the pieces. I
remember what she went through and I can't blame her for not wanting
to let him have that opportunity to hurt her again."
"It's not like that anymore, Xander," Cordelia protested.
"Why? Because he's human now? I don't believe that and I bet she
doesn't either. I think what was wrong with them had a whole lot less
to do with Angel being a vampire, or with the happiness clause, than
he'd like to believe. He loved her, she loved him; and they could
have figured it out somehow. But I think he left because he thought
he deserved to be miserable. How does Buffy know he won't just
disappear on her again if things get tough, or he decides he's not
quite done with his need to be miserable after all?"
Cordelia opened her mouth to argue, then shut it again. She realized
that Xander's opinion of Angel wasn't going to change anytime
soon. "Fine," she said with a sigh. "I can't convince you that this
blow-up between them is another disaster waiting to happen. I'll have
to salvage this mess myself." She turned to go, when Willow stopped
her.
"Cordelia?"
"Yeah, Willow?" Cordelia turned back to them.
"They've got the kind of love that doesn't go away easily. They'll
find their way back together again, I know that," Willow replied with
a smile.
"I hope so," Cordelia shrugged. "I was so looking forward to a non-
brooding Angel." She turned away again, "Bye you two."
"Hey, Cordy," Xander called her back this time.
"Yes, Xander?"
"Come over tonight around seven, we'll go out to dinner. We'll drag
Buffy out with us too."
She smiled at him, she could tell he was trying to make peace with
her. "Sounds like fun. I'll see you guys then."
"It'll be just like old times," Willow said happily.
"Well, I hope not _just_ like old times," Cordelia said. "I can leave
the high school days very far behind, thanks."
"Oh. Yeah. Bad Willow," Willow said with an embarrassed look.
"It's okay. I'll see you guys tonight," Cordelia said, and let
herself out.
*************
"Go." Angel muttered as they pulled up to the front of Buffy's house.
Wesley didn't reply, simply got out of the car and walked up to the
door. He hoped that he would think of something to say to Buffy when
she answered his knock. She opened the door, and he felt a wave of
sympathy for her as he took in her pale, tear-stained face and
bloodshot eyes. She looked at him for a moment, frowning.
"Wesley?" she said, as recognition hit.
"Buffy," he smiled at her. "It's good to see you. I know this must be
a surprise. I'm actually looking for Cordelia, believe it or not."
"Why would she be...." she trailed off as she looked over his
shoulder. Her face spasmed in pain, just briefly, before she
recovered her emotions. She looked back at Wesley. "She's not here,"
she whispered and leaned up against the door for support.
"All right, I apologize for bothering you," Wesley said with a slight
shrug. He looked at her in confusion as she burst into a near-
hysterical giggling fit.
"Sorry, I just- have heard - that more - than once - today," Buffy
said, as she slowly pulled herself back under control, wiping the
tears from her eyes.
"Oh," Wesley replied, looking at her worriedly. He couldn't even
imagine painful her confrontation with Angel had been. "Buffy, I
have some news, but I don't want to burden you with it now. It is
important. Slayer-related. Could I meet with you and Giles later this
evening?"
"I'll call Giles, and ask him to join us for dinner," Buffy
said. "Come by around seven?"
"That's fine. Buffy, I'm--" he swallowed the apology that was
instinctive, figuring she didn't want anything but the opportunity to
forget. "I'll see you then," he settled with saying, before turning
to go.
Buffy watched Wesley turn to go, and stole another glance at the man
in the driver's seat of the car. He was staring ahead, refusing to
look at her. She knew, by the rigid way he was sitting, that he was
barely holding in his emotions. She wanted.... she sighed, and
stepped back to shut the door. She wanted so many things, so many
things that could never be. She turned to look at her dog and
said, "One more day, Jack. Then I start my life over, yet again. This
time is a little different though. I'm single now and that's the way
I want to stay.
***********