After lunch, Buffy managed to lure the entire duck population of the
park to her with free food. As she fed them the leftovers of their meal, Angel sat watching her contentedly. He never would have imagined in his almost three hundred years of existence that he'd ever be doing
something as "normal" as having a picnic lunch with his girlfriend.
No demons to slay, no curse to worry about. Just two mortals spending
a normal day together in the warmth of the sun. He still wasn't sure
what he'd done to finally deserve it, but he was determined never to
tempt The Powers that Be to change their minds about the gift they'd
given him.
"Okay, that's all," Buffy said to the ducks. Angel just laughed when
the ducks just stood there, looking at her expectantly. "Get! Shoo!"
she yelled and waved her hands at them. They eventually waddled off
in search of other people to beg from.
She turned to look at Angel who was still looking at her in
amusement. "What's so funny?" she demanded with a frown.
"Nothing's really _funny_," Angel replied with a shrug. "I'm just
enjoying seeing you so carefree."
"Oh," Buffy replied. "Yeah, I guess it has been a good day. Getting
away from the hellmouth does wonders for my mood." She paused before
adding, "I suppose the company might have had something to do with it
to." She smiled when his entire face lit up at that.
She looked away for a moment. "Angel, isn't that Cordelia?"
He looked to where she was looking. There was a man and woman sitting
about fifty feet away from them, eating lunch. The man's back was to
them, but the woman was facing them. And it was Cordelia
Chase. "Yeah, that's Cordy," he replied. He frowned as he saw her
kiss the man with her. "I didn't know she was dating anyone."
Buffy smiled. "Well, somehow I can see how she wouldn't want to let
you scare away prospective boyfriends."
"I wouldn't--" Angel stopped as he saw Buffy's skeptical look. "Not
intentionally anyway," he shrugged. "Maybe I'm a little over-
protective of her and Wes. But they were my only friends for the past
twenty years."
"I'm glad you had them to take care of you," Buffy replied. "I
suppose I envy them for having you take care of them too," she added.
Angel sighed as he saw the cloud fall over her face before she looked
away. He knew the wounds he'd inflicted on her when he left ran deep.
He wished there was a secret to taking away the pain, but knew it
would just take time. He was glad she wasn't avoiding the topic
though. They couldn't work through it if they didn't face it head-on.
He put his hand over hers hesitantly, relieved when she didn't pull
away from him. "Buffy," he waited until she looked at him. "I wish
the past twenty years had been different," he said. "There wasn't a
day that went by, not a second, that I didn't miss you."
"I missed you too," she replied. "But we can't change the past,
Angel. So no brooding," she added with a smile. "All we can do now is
try to make this work... and hope that we can."
"I know we can," Angel said with a smile. "Our love has survived
everyone and everything that have tried to destroy it. Just have a
little faith, Buffy."
"I'm trying," she said and smiled up at him. "You want to go - Oh MY
GOD!!!!" She yelled in surprise then when she looked behind him.
Angel turned immediately and his mouth dropped in shock as he saw
what had surprised Buffy so badly. Cordelia was standing there. And
the mystery of who her date was, was solved in that instant. He was
standing next to her.
It was Wesley.
***********************
park to her with free food. As she fed them the leftovers of their meal, Angel sat watching her contentedly. He never would have imagined in his almost three hundred years of existence that he'd ever be doing
something as "normal" as having a picnic lunch with his girlfriend.
No demons to slay, no curse to worry about. Just two mortals spending
a normal day together in the warmth of the sun. He still wasn't sure
what he'd done to finally deserve it, but he was determined never to
tempt The Powers that Be to change their minds about the gift they'd
given him.
"Okay, that's all," Buffy said to the ducks. Angel just laughed when
the ducks just stood there, looking at her expectantly. "Get! Shoo!"
she yelled and waved her hands at them. They eventually waddled off
in search of other people to beg from.
She turned to look at Angel who was still looking at her in
amusement. "What's so funny?" she demanded with a frown.
"Nothing's really _funny_," Angel replied with a shrug. "I'm just
enjoying seeing you so carefree."
"Oh," Buffy replied. "Yeah, I guess it has been a good day. Getting
away from the hellmouth does wonders for my mood." She paused before
adding, "I suppose the company might have had something to do with it
to." She smiled when his entire face lit up at that.
She looked away for a moment. "Angel, isn't that Cordelia?"
He looked to where she was looking. There was a man and woman sitting
about fifty feet away from them, eating lunch. The man's back was to
them, but the woman was facing them. And it was Cordelia
Chase. "Yeah, that's Cordy," he replied. He frowned as he saw her
kiss the man with her. "I didn't know she was dating anyone."
Buffy smiled. "Well, somehow I can see how she wouldn't want to let
you scare away prospective boyfriends."
"I wouldn't--" Angel stopped as he saw Buffy's skeptical look. "Not
intentionally anyway," he shrugged. "Maybe I'm a little over-
protective of her and Wes. But they were my only friends for the past
twenty years."
"I'm glad you had them to take care of you," Buffy replied. "I
suppose I envy them for having you take care of them too," she added.
Angel sighed as he saw the cloud fall over her face before she looked
away. He knew the wounds he'd inflicted on her when he left ran deep.
He wished there was a secret to taking away the pain, but knew it
would just take time. He was glad she wasn't avoiding the topic
though. They couldn't work through it if they didn't face it head-on.
He put his hand over hers hesitantly, relieved when she didn't pull
away from him. "Buffy," he waited until she looked at him. "I wish
the past twenty years had been different," he said. "There wasn't a
day that went by, not a second, that I didn't miss you."
"I missed you too," she replied. "But we can't change the past,
Angel. So no brooding," she added with a smile. "All we can do now is
try to make this work... and hope that we can."
"I know we can," Angel said with a smile. "Our love has survived
everyone and everything that have tried to destroy it. Just have a
little faith, Buffy."
"I'm trying," she said and smiled up at him. "You want to go - Oh MY
GOD!!!!" She yelled in surprise then when she looked behind him.
Angel turned immediately and his mouth dropped in shock as he saw
what had surprised Buffy so badly. Cordelia was standing there. And
the mystery of who her date was, was solved in that instant. He was
standing next to her.
It was Wesley.
***********************