Title: Awake

Chapter: 6

Story: Better Than Heaven

A/N: Sorry it took so long to write this chapter. I've been working on my other fic, plus I'm back in school (I miss Winter Break!). This week I had a HUGE Honors English test on Romeo and Juliet, plus I was sick on Tuesday Plus a Snowday Monday ( Actually, I have already written the last chapter of this story- I just have to write the ones in between now. Not sure if I'm going to write a sequel to it, though. If I do, I guess it makes this a Series.

Feedback: PLEASE? You can't ask for a new chapter, and then not review! That would just be rude, you know.

Email: angel_chic101@hotmail.com

My Fanfic Website: http://expage.com/page/baff

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/Oh God. My head. Hurts. I can almost feel the throbbing up against my skull. My eyelids are so heavy, it seems like I can only get them half open. /

Angel remained still, wincing ever so often as the hospital bed lifted his head and shoulders upwards. Footsteps outside caused him to slowly roll his head towards the door. A short, rather plump nurse made her way over to the foot of the bed, filling in the charts attached.

"Err---whe---whe---." Angel let out an exasperated breath, but he couldn't seem to make any words.

"So, you're awake now." She said with a polite smile. "You've been asleep for a long while now, almost three weeks." She talked about it like it was no big deal.

"A---C---c--- coma?" Angel managed.

"Nope." She said, shaking her head, "Just asleep. That was what was so unusual. You weren't in a coma or anything, just asleep. Every time someone tried to wake you up, you'd mumble something about a bunny and go back to sleep." She added with a little laugh.

/ Not a bunny, Buffy. And our baby. /

The nurse continued to scurry around him, checking numbers on all the machines he was attached to. She finally returned the charts to their place at the end of the bed.

"Whe---where--- Where am I?" That was the most Angel had gotten out.

"Well, you're in the hospital, which you've probably realized, in LA. Someone found you in an alley unconscious and brought you here. I should go tell the doctor that you're awake now." As she hurried off, Angel was thinking of ways to get out. If he stayed, there would most definitely be questions, like your name, social security number, and insurance, none of which he had. He wanted to be all manly, like in the movies, where they just ripped the IV out of the arm and marched out, but thought the better of it. He'd be happy if he could make it to the bathroom.

/But where I would I go? I don't know where Buffy is. /

He thought that she might still be at her house, but with a bay and all, she might've moved. But that was the only place he could think of. He reached over to the table to grab the phone, which hurt a lot less than he had expected. He slowly dialed the numbers, hoping to hear that all to familiar voice pick up at the other end of the line.

Ring.

Ring.

"Hello?" It was a familiar voice, just not the right one.

"Willow?" he said he said, only slightly surprised.

"A—A—Angel? Is that you? I thought you had.. you know.."

"I did. But I'm not anymore." He said, not completely knowing why he was here, and alive.

"So you're.. human?" she said. She was too surprised to complete sentences together.

"Yeah. Where's Buffy?" His voice was urgent. He needed to see her again, and to see his baby.

"Oh, she moved out a few weeks ago. She and Manning.." her voice trailed off, realizing what she has said.

/Manning? Who is Manning? Maybe it's her boyfriend. I mean, did I expect her to stick around and remain celibate in memory of me? Be real, Angel. Look how long it took her to start sleeping with the farm boy. /

Angel cringed at the thought of Riley. He hadn't like him from the beginning, but then he would probably never like anyone who was with Buffy. He had been jealous of Xander, for God's Sake.

"Manning's Buffy's son," Willow said, thinking what he might be thinking, " Your son, you and Buffy's son."

Relief spread through Angel. He couldn't help but to be jealous and possessive. /It's not like we were actually 'together,' though. / But Manning was his son, his baby.

"Where is she?" Angel needed to find her, to see his son and his love again.

"She's in LA. Where are you?"

/LA. She's here. Right here. /

"LA."

"Oh." Willow had a feeling of what was probably in the future. There would be some major catching-up smoochies after she got over the human factor. And then there would be the human factor. A lot of it.

Willow gave Angel Buffy's new address and phone number without asking any further questions. Angel was never much of a talker, so she doubted that he would say that much. And that was even if he knew anything. Which was probably a negative, since he didn't the last time he came back. But when he did, it was a rather rude awakening.. .

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Four Days Later

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Angel slipped out of his room, still fully clad in hospital garb. In less than a week, Angel had become almost a fully functioning person. The walking and talking bit he had gotten down. The hospital food wasn't exactly his idea of a first meal back, but it had helped him get better. It had to have been a lot better than whatever they had fed him through an IV or tube or something.

Clutching the address Willow had given him in one hand, Angel slowly opened the door to the male doctor's locker room. After dressing himself in some clothes he had found (not stole, exactly), he headed out onto the streets of LA. He was forced to walk around, looking for the address, since he had no money for a cab. /Should've grabbed some cash out of there, too. / LA hadn't really changed that much in three years. Some stores had changed, but nothing really substantial.

Angel finally found the small, white, house. There was a picture window in the front, and the light was on inside. Angel slowly walked up and peered inside. The TV was on, but it wasn't being watched. Buffy was lying on the couch, asleep. She had a small smile spread across her lips.

/She must be having a good dream. /

Lying on top of her was a little boy who was also asleep. He had dark brown hair, which was sticking up at every odd angle imaginable. It was Angel's first glimpse of his son.

/He can't be my son. My hair is way better than that. /

TBC.. .. ..