Part 8 - Nice to meet you all again - back to Buffy's P.O.V.
I look at Angel nervously and he places his hand on my back gently nudging me on.
I don't want to meet them again, see their disappointed faces....their angry faces...and I don't want to see her....the girl Angel cares for her....the girl who has been keeping him going...I hate her already.
Angel stops at the door and reaches into his pocket and produces a set of keys, I slowly and quietly step away from him and head towards his car. But before I actually get anywhere I hear his deep smooth voice.
"Buffy, where are you going?"
"I...I..can't do this...I can't see them..."
He sighs and takes my hands in his.
"You can do it Buffy, it's been hard for them.....harder for me...they need to see you, they've missed you..we..we..all have..."
He sighs again and brushes a stray strand of my hair out of my face and it's back to one of those moments again, the moment where the script says that Buffy and Angel embrace lovingly but just like last time he pulls away.
But I understand why he does this time and it doesn't hurt as much, because it's not over between us, there's still hope for us, but then there's the part that really hurts. The part where his soul his bound, where Angelus will no longer be a threat.....where him and this girl can make love....
I feel my heart ache but I push away the pain because I have to focus on the now, seeing them again....my friends....Angel looks at me again and hugs me reassuringly. I sigh contently into the hug and pull him tighter, I don't want to let him go, I'm too scared he'll choose her over me and I'll lose him forever.......
"Angel....what the hell??"
Angel pulls away from me quickly and he looks back and forth between me and the beautiful brunette standing in the doorway.
"Buffy, this is Jessica...Jess, Buffy."
She smiles hesitantly and I try and smile back nicely but it sort of comes out as a grimace...oh so she's the one...she's the one Angel holds at night...she's the one who he kisses in all the right places....she's the one that makes him laugh and make him forget about me...
"It's finally nice to meet you Buffy, Angel has told me a lot about you."
I suddenly feel panic rise in me and I snap my head to look at Angel, panicked. He smiles reassuringly at me and I realise he told her the truth about us....the whole heartbreaking story...every gory yet beautiful moment....every breath...every kiss...every I love you...okay maybe not that much detail but obviously enough because she steps towards Angel and wraps her arm around his waist possessively.
"You guys come in here!"
I follow Angel and Jess inside and I notice how beautiful and incredibly massive this place really is. My heart clenches when I see Angels coat on a couch and for some strange reason it reminds me of what I missed out on all these years.
"What is it An-......Buffy??"
I look up and find myself face to face with my ex best friend Willow, she looks so different, so grown up, her hair is so much shorter and she just has this sort of mature grace about her and I feel so jealous because she's glowing, she looks so happy, when I'm so sad....I know that sounds so selfish but that's how I feel.
"Buffy. Hey."
I want to laugh, because it's good old Oz, stating the obvious and not seeming at all surprised. We were never that close, I never realised how much I actually missed him.
"What's the deal.....oh..my..god.."
Xander....I want to cry because he doesn't look that happy to see me, resentment is written all over his face and he stands the furtherest away, keeping his distance, trying to hide his emotions.
"Hey Angel, hey Buffy....hey wait...Buffy?!"
Complete silence fills the room and in this silence I'm afraid, afraid of what is going to come out of their mouth, afraid of what they think of me....they haven't exactly welcomed me with open arms...I guess I wouldn't if I was them.
We all stand there awkwardly, shuffling our feet, fiddling with our hair, coughing and looking everywhere except at each other.
"Oh for god's sake! This is ridiculous!"
Cordelia throws her hands up in the air and steps towards me.
"I know this isn't going to solve anything, there are still things we all have to talk about but, I missed you Buffy. Sunnydale wasn't the same and it's glad to have you back. And you guys better not let anybody know I just said that!"
She pulls me into a hug and I almost die from the shock, Cordelia saying nice things to me and hugging me....is this the REAL Cordelia??? I guess time really does change some people after all.
"I missed you..."
I barely hear her, but I know it's Willow. I look over at her and tears run down her face, I step forward and she throws her arms around me and starts to sob, Oz pats me on the shoulder and smiles while he rubs Willow's back soothingly and suddenly I find myself crying into Willow's shoulder and I feel someone's hand on my back.
I look back expecting to see Angel but I see Xander's teary eyed face and it makes me cry even more...he doesn't hate me...
"Oh you guys!!! My mascara will run!"
We all laugh when Cordelia wipes at her eyes and then she joins us in the group hug and we're all standing there, together again...the old gang...not quite the same but close enough....
"Jess...we have to talk..."
I turn and see Angel and Jess leave the room....
End Of Part 8
Yeah I know, it was an incredibly cheesy part compared to the rest of the story but it was needed lol :)
I look at Angel nervously and he places his hand on my back gently nudging me on.
I don't want to meet them again, see their disappointed faces....their angry faces...and I don't want to see her....the girl Angel cares for her....the girl who has been keeping him going...I hate her already.
Angel stops at the door and reaches into his pocket and produces a set of keys, I slowly and quietly step away from him and head towards his car. But before I actually get anywhere I hear his deep smooth voice.
"Buffy, where are you going?"
"I...I..can't do this...I can't see them..."
He sighs and takes my hands in his.
"You can do it Buffy, it's been hard for them.....harder for me...they need to see you, they've missed you..we..we..all have..."
He sighs again and brushes a stray strand of my hair out of my face and it's back to one of those moments again, the moment where the script says that Buffy and Angel embrace lovingly but just like last time he pulls away.
But I understand why he does this time and it doesn't hurt as much, because it's not over between us, there's still hope for us, but then there's the part that really hurts. The part where his soul his bound, where Angelus will no longer be a threat.....where him and this girl can make love....
I feel my heart ache but I push away the pain because I have to focus on the now, seeing them again....my friends....Angel looks at me again and hugs me reassuringly. I sigh contently into the hug and pull him tighter, I don't want to let him go, I'm too scared he'll choose her over me and I'll lose him forever.......
"Angel....what the hell??"
Angel pulls away from me quickly and he looks back and forth between me and the beautiful brunette standing in the doorway.
"Buffy, this is Jessica...Jess, Buffy."
She smiles hesitantly and I try and smile back nicely but it sort of comes out as a grimace...oh so she's the one...she's the one Angel holds at night...she's the one who he kisses in all the right places....she's the one that makes him laugh and make him forget about me...
"It's finally nice to meet you Buffy, Angel has told me a lot about you."
I suddenly feel panic rise in me and I snap my head to look at Angel, panicked. He smiles reassuringly at me and I realise he told her the truth about us....the whole heartbreaking story...every gory yet beautiful moment....every breath...every kiss...every I love you...okay maybe not that much detail but obviously enough because she steps towards Angel and wraps her arm around his waist possessively.
"You guys come in here!"
I follow Angel and Jess inside and I notice how beautiful and incredibly massive this place really is. My heart clenches when I see Angels coat on a couch and for some strange reason it reminds me of what I missed out on all these years.
"What is it An-......Buffy??"
I look up and find myself face to face with my ex best friend Willow, she looks so different, so grown up, her hair is so much shorter and she just has this sort of mature grace about her and I feel so jealous because she's glowing, she looks so happy, when I'm so sad....I know that sounds so selfish but that's how I feel.
"Buffy. Hey."
I want to laugh, because it's good old Oz, stating the obvious and not seeming at all surprised. We were never that close, I never realised how much I actually missed him.
"What's the deal.....oh..my..god.."
Xander....I want to cry because he doesn't look that happy to see me, resentment is written all over his face and he stands the furtherest away, keeping his distance, trying to hide his emotions.
"Hey Angel, hey Buffy....hey wait...Buffy?!"
Complete silence fills the room and in this silence I'm afraid, afraid of what is going to come out of their mouth, afraid of what they think of me....they haven't exactly welcomed me with open arms...I guess I wouldn't if I was them.
We all stand there awkwardly, shuffling our feet, fiddling with our hair, coughing and looking everywhere except at each other.
"Oh for god's sake! This is ridiculous!"
Cordelia throws her hands up in the air and steps towards me.
"I know this isn't going to solve anything, there are still things we all have to talk about but, I missed you Buffy. Sunnydale wasn't the same and it's glad to have you back. And you guys better not let anybody know I just said that!"
She pulls me into a hug and I almost die from the shock, Cordelia saying nice things to me and hugging me....is this the REAL Cordelia??? I guess time really does change some people after all.
"I missed you..."
I barely hear her, but I know it's Willow. I look over at her and tears run down her face, I step forward and she throws her arms around me and starts to sob, Oz pats me on the shoulder and smiles while he rubs Willow's back soothingly and suddenly I find myself crying into Willow's shoulder and I feel someone's hand on my back.
I look back expecting to see Angel but I see Xander's teary eyed face and it makes me cry even more...he doesn't hate me...
"Oh you guys!!! My mascara will run!"
We all laugh when Cordelia wipes at her eyes and then she joins us in the group hug and we're all standing there, together again...the old gang...not quite the same but close enough....
"Jess...we have to talk..."
I turn and see Angel and Jess leave the room....
End Of Part 8
Yeah I know, it was an incredibly cheesy part compared to the rest of the story but it was needed lol :)
