Setting: In the middle of 'Quickening,' after the trip to the hospital
(without the big bad vampire cult there) but they come back to the hotel
where no one is there. I really don't want this to have anything to do with
W & H. Or the re-incarnated Holtz. Or any future Buffy or Angel eps. I'm
kinda lazy like that.
Angel sat at his desk with lost eyes. Cordelia had kept asking him what happened when he got back, but he couldn't tell her. He couldn't tell anyone. It hurt him so much to know that he can never make Buffy happy. If he was her true happiness, then Buffy could never be happy, could she? And that's why he left Sunnydale, to put her well being before his. He didn't know what to do. He most definitely couldn't leave now, not with a pregnant vampire sleeping upstairs, which Buffy could never find out about, not until it was born and was sure that it was safe. /Not that she would even want to look at me after she found out. /
Cordy, Gunn, Fred and Wesley knew not to tell anyone. Cordy especially knew what harm it would do to Buffy if she knew.
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sounds of his co-workers returning. He left his office and went out into the lobby to greet them.
"So where did you guys go?" Angel asked, even though he knew exactly where they went because he could see the remnants of down the front of Fred's shirt.
"We just grabbed some ice-cream, which Fred decided to wear home." Cordy responded, noticing the sad look in Angel's eyes.
/Buffy. I had ice cream with Buffy, when I was.human. /
"Well anyways, what have you been up to?" Cordelia tried to change the subject quickly. "Wait, no, let me guess.You were doing to brooding around here!"
"Maybe, but why do you always assume that's what I do?"
"Because that's what you always do, Angel. You brood and sulk. That pretty much sums up your personality."
"Does not." Angel got that hurt puppy look on his face.
"Whatever you say. But I'm right. I'm always right!" Cordelia replied triumphantly. She knew just as well as anyone that he sat around sulking because he couldn't be with Buffy.
"So how is Darla? Still asleep?" Gunn asked, really wondering if she had tried to do something brutal while they were gone.
"Yeah. The false labor really took a lot out of her."
"Are you sure she just didn't get enough of me to drink?" Cordy snapped.
But before Angel could reply, the sounds of the opening door and footsteps interrupted the conversation.
Buffy stood in front of them, carrying a small duffel bag in one hand and her purse in the other.
'Buffy' was all that Angel could manage. He was too surprised to see her here, in LA, at such an in- opportune time.
"Hey. Don't stop talking because of me."
"So you're the famous Buffy,"Gunn spoke, trying to break the awkward silence. "I'm Gunn. I've heard a lot about you, although not much of it came from Angel. But Wes and Crody do act it out pretty well."
"Yep. That's me. Famous Buffy." She said sarcastically, but was really still wondering what Wes and Cordy were acting out.
"Oh and this is Fred." Angel stated, bringing her back from her wandering thoughts.
Angel gave Fred a gentle nudge in the back.
"Hi. I would have introduced myself sooner, it's just that it's a bit overwhelming for me to be in the same room ass all you heroes." Fred finally lifted up her head to see Buffy eye to eye.
"Heroes?" Buffy knew she had stopped a few apocalypses, but she wasn't sure she had reached hero status yet.
"Yeah, I mean, Cordy has her visions, Gunn and Angel and Wes fight everything, and now.you're here. The Slayer."
"Oh."
Wesley decided that it was about time someone asked her.
"So Buffy, why ARE you here?"
"I came to talk to Angel."
"Well, we'll be leaving now. We've got some scrolls to read."
Wes turned to walk out of the room, silently telling the others to follow.
"But I want to stay and listen! This could get very interesting, you know." Cordy wasn't really catching on that quick.
Everyone turned and yelled at her. "CORDELIA!"
"Fine, fine. You don't have to get all hostile. But Buffy, if you're going to stake him, please do it outside because I just cleaned in here." She reluctantly headed downstairs with the others.
After the others had gone, Angel and Buffy just stood there, staring.talking into nothing.
/He looks so tired.distraught. I know that there is something wrong with him. Something he doesn't want to tell me./
/God. Why did she have to show up now? It's not that I don't want to see her. I don't think I've ever NOT wanted to see her. Even when I lost my soul my life still revolved around her. But still, she'll never want to see me when she finds out, which she will, because I can never keep this from her, lie to her, she'll find out./
The silence was deafening. Angel's guilt just kept building up by the second. He had to tell her.
"Um.Buffy, I have something to tell you. A few months ago, almost a year ago, I made a big mistake."
"Angel, what did you do?"
"Well, I was going through a really tough time in my life. Really tough. I was so lost.I.I." but before Angel could get the rest out, the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs interrupted them.
"Well well. If it isn't the Slayer. I haven't seen you in a long while."
Buffy looked up at the voice, scared. She went from her cold eyes down to the big, round belly being held up by her hand underneath. Darla saw the startled look in Buffy, and immediately saw her opportunity to get back at Buffy and Angel.He was the one that had staked her in the first place.
Angel sat at his desk with lost eyes. Cordelia had kept asking him what happened when he got back, but he couldn't tell her. He couldn't tell anyone. It hurt him so much to know that he can never make Buffy happy. If he was her true happiness, then Buffy could never be happy, could she? And that's why he left Sunnydale, to put her well being before his. He didn't know what to do. He most definitely couldn't leave now, not with a pregnant vampire sleeping upstairs, which Buffy could never find out about, not until it was born and was sure that it was safe. /Not that she would even want to look at me after she found out. /
Cordy, Gunn, Fred and Wesley knew not to tell anyone. Cordy especially knew what harm it would do to Buffy if she knew.
His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sounds of his co-workers returning. He left his office and went out into the lobby to greet them.
"So where did you guys go?" Angel asked, even though he knew exactly where they went because he could see the remnants of down the front of Fred's shirt.
"We just grabbed some ice-cream, which Fred decided to wear home." Cordy responded, noticing the sad look in Angel's eyes.
/Buffy. I had ice cream with Buffy, when I was.human. /
"Well anyways, what have you been up to?" Cordelia tried to change the subject quickly. "Wait, no, let me guess.You were doing to brooding around here!"
"Maybe, but why do you always assume that's what I do?"
"Because that's what you always do, Angel. You brood and sulk. That pretty much sums up your personality."
"Does not." Angel got that hurt puppy look on his face.
"Whatever you say. But I'm right. I'm always right!" Cordelia replied triumphantly. She knew just as well as anyone that he sat around sulking because he couldn't be with Buffy.
"So how is Darla? Still asleep?" Gunn asked, really wondering if she had tried to do something brutal while they were gone.
"Yeah. The false labor really took a lot out of her."
"Are you sure she just didn't get enough of me to drink?" Cordy snapped.
But before Angel could reply, the sounds of the opening door and footsteps interrupted the conversation.
Buffy stood in front of them, carrying a small duffel bag in one hand and her purse in the other.
'Buffy' was all that Angel could manage. He was too surprised to see her here, in LA, at such an in- opportune time.
"Hey. Don't stop talking because of me."
"So you're the famous Buffy,"Gunn spoke, trying to break the awkward silence. "I'm Gunn. I've heard a lot about you, although not much of it came from Angel. But Wes and Crody do act it out pretty well."
"Yep. That's me. Famous Buffy." She said sarcastically, but was really still wondering what Wes and Cordy were acting out.
"Oh and this is Fred." Angel stated, bringing her back from her wandering thoughts.
Angel gave Fred a gentle nudge in the back.
"Hi. I would have introduced myself sooner, it's just that it's a bit overwhelming for me to be in the same room ass all you heroes." Fred finally lifted up her head to see Buffy eye to eye.
"Heroes?" Buffy knew she had stopped a few apocalypses, but she wasn't sure she had reached hero status yet.
"Yeah, I mean, Cordy has her visions, Gunn and Angel and Wes fight everything, and now.you're here. The Slayer."
"Oh."
Wesley decided that it was about time someone asked her.
"So Buffy, why ARE you here?"
"I came to talk to Angel."
"Well, we'll be leaving now. We've got some scrolls to read."
Wes turned to walk out of the room, silently telling the others to follow.
"But I want to stay and listen! This could get very interesting, you know." Cordy wasn't really catching on that quick.
Everyone turned and yelled at her. "CORDELIA!"
"Fine, fine. You don't have to get all hostile. But Buffy, if you're going to stake him, please do it outside because I just cleaned in here." She reluctantly headed downstairs with the others.
After the others had gone, Angel and Buffy just stood there, staring.talking into nothing.
/He looks so tired.distraught. I know that there is something wrong with him. Something he doesn't want to tell me./
/God. Why did she have to show up now? It's not that I don't want to see her. I don't think I've ever NOT wanted to see her. Even when I lost my soul my life still revolved around her. But still, she'll never want to see me when she finds out, which she will, because I can never keep this from her, lie to her, she'll find out./
The silence was deafening. Angel's guilt just kept building up by the second. He had to tell her.
"Um.Buffy, I have something to tell you. A few months ago, almost a year ago, I made a big mistake."
"Angel, what did you do?"
"Well, I was going through a really tough time in my life. Really tough. I was so lost.I.I." but before Angel could get the rest out, the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs interrupted them.
"Well well. If it isn't the Slayer. I haven't seen you in a long while."
Buffy looked up at the voice, scared. She went from her cold eyes down to the big, round belly being held up by her hand underneath. Darla saw the startled look in Buffy, and immediately saw her opportunity to get back at Buffy and Angel.He was the one that had staked her in the first place.
