Part 3/?
Buffy curled her right leg under her other as she sat in one of the chairs. The room was quiet, and boring. The walls were white, with very few paintings. Angel sat in a chair directly across from her, and her mother and father sat to the left and right of her. Family counseling. Buffy was directed to express her deepest feelings, and to let go of all the people in her mind. She desperately wanted to, but a part of her knew she would miss Willow and Xander, and Giles, and Dawn. She didn't want to let go, but the tug on her soul, for her soul mate was too much. She couldn't just ignore it. In this reality, Angel was here, and human and she wanted that. Angel cleared his throat and began.
"Buffy, whatever it is that is holding you're thoughts in "Sunnydale," tell us."
"My friends." She answered.
"What about your friends?" Angel asked.
"Willow, she'd been having such a tough time with magick, but she's going to good now, I just want to make sure she's okay. And, Xander, he left Anya; I need to know that they get back together. They love each other."
"Honey, why can't you see, those people aren't real. We *love* you, they don't." Joyce voiced.
"I know they're real. They have to be. Can't you accept that maybe they're real, and this place is, too?" Buffy pleaded.
"Buffy, this is real. You've made up everything. It's all in your mind. It's your fantasy world, and you've made yourself a hero. You fought the things you couldn't in real life. You made up a monster to fight, so that you could feel better about Celia death." Hank said, slightly angered.
"No!" I know what happened, and I know that I was right. Can't you see? I'm only here for him!" Buffy burst out, and pointed at Angel.
"Dr. O'Connor?" Joyce asked confused.
"Angel." Buffy said quietly. "My Angel, we loved each other, and he left me. He left me because I was the Slayer, and because we couldn't be together!" Tears slipped down Buffy's face, and she wiped them away.
"Honey, whoever you think he is, it's not him!" Joyce cried. "You made Angel up, this is Doctor Liam O'Connor."
"Please, if I may. People do call me Angel; maybe she really did know me." Angel said, defending Buffy. She beamed at this; someone was finally listening.
"She did seem to know me; maybe that's why she came out of the coma. Maybe she could sense I was here."
"That's nonsense!" Joyce screamed. Hank nodded, and reached across Buffy for Joyce's hand. He squeezed it.
"I knew it was him when I first woke up. I was in Sunnydale, and I felt something. I felt a tug on my soul, from my soul mate. He was here, and I came to him." Buffy said.
"If you're so sure, tell us something about his past. Where was he born?" Joyce asked.
"Ireland." Buffy cried out without hesitation. "Galway."
Angel starred at her, how had she known? He was pure Irish, and had only moved to the United States after his father disowned him. He could barely make out an answer. "Yes, Ireland." He whispered.
Buffy smiled, she had known she was right. "And you lived on the streets, didn't you? In New York?"
Angel only nodded.
"The details are a little fuzzy, because in my reality, you were a vampire, with a soul. And you lived on the streets in New York until a good demon came to you, telling you that the newest Slayer might need your help. You told me, that you loved me when you first saw me." Tears returned to her eyes, and she gently brushed them away.
Angel sat in awe. Never in all his life had a stranger known such things about him. Apparently, she wasn't a stranger. They closed their counseling session, and Angel could barely respond to any of the other questions. He was utterly lost and confused. Things seems so real, maybe he really wasn't in the right place after all.
*
Buffy sat quietly in bed. Angel had looked so shocked to find out she knew such things about him. She thought back about when Willow's doppelganger had been brought to their reality. Maybe this was Angel's doppelganger. Maybe his doppelganger was human, and the real Angel was still in L.A. in her reality. Things seemed to be making more sense; she finally thought she had a handle on things. Buffy drifted off to sleep, where she dreamed of Sunnydale.
// "Willow!" Dawn called out, "She's waking up."
Willow rushed to Buffy's side. "Buffy? Are you okay? You've been out of it for a long time."
"Yeah," Buffy mumbled, looking at her surroundings. She was no longer in a hospital bed. She was in her own room.
Dawn gave her a big hug, startling her. "Where were you?" She asked.
Buffy didn't answer. "Willow, I don't know how much time I have here, but, get everyone together. Meet me at the Magick Box." Buffy didn't wait for a reply; she just went straight to her closet. She pulled off her old clothes, and put on some knew ones.
Willow and Dawn had disappeared, not asking questions. They were already in Slayer mode.
Buffy quickly walked to the Magick Box, knowing time was short. She knew she hadn't been dreaming, because she could still feel the tug on her soul. The bell gave a slight tinkle as she entered the shop. It seemed like ages since she had been there.
"What's this about?" Xander asked. He still hadn't seen Anya, and was in brood mode, and he hadn't liked being asked to come here.
"Time's short, so just listen. You know when I kept going back to the alternate reality, well, I went back again. But this time, there was no demon, no needle, just a tug on my soul. I know I sound crazy, but I could feel Angel. He was there. And he's there now. He's human, and I can't live without him." Buffy explained.
"So you drug us here to complain about Angel?" Xander asked. Angel definitely wasn't his favorite subject.
"Damn in Xander, won't you let her finish talking?" Anya asked. "She loves him, and it's more than I can say for you!"
"I'm leaving. I have to. I can't stay here. I'm too different here. I'm not the same Buffy I used to be. I used to love; I used to be loved in return."
"We love you Buffy," Dawn said, tears forming in her eyes. "Don't go."
"I have to Dawnie, I haven't been the same since he left me, and maybe, if I can be there, we can be together."
"Buffy, this is major. You're just going to leave?" How are we supposed to live without you? How is the world supposed to live without a Slayer?" Willow asked.
"I don't know. I just know that if I stay here, I'll die. I can't take it anymore. I can't take the pain. Everyone lets off their own pain in huge waves, and they crash into me, and I can't take it."
"What about me?" Dawn asked. "I have no mother, I don't want to have dad for a father, and now you're leaving!"
"You can stay with Willow and Tara, can't you? Don't you want me to be happy?"
"Of course we do Buffy, but we love you. We don't want you to go." Willow said, also crying.
"I'm sorry, will, I have to." Buffy said, as she felt the familiar dizziness. She dropped to the floor with a thud. //
Buffy woke with a start. She was back in the hospital bed. It pained her to let go like that, but she had to. She had to be with her soul mate.
TBC…If you like!
Buffy curled her right leg under her other as she sat in one of the chairs. The room was quiet, and boring. The walls were white, with very few paintings. Angel sat in a chair directly across from her, and her mother and father sat to the left and right of her. Family counseling. Buffy was directed to express her deepest feelings, and to let go of all the people in her mind. She desperately wanted to, but a part of her knew she would miss Willow and Xander, and Giles, and Dawn. She didn't want to let go, but the tug on her soul, for her soul mate was too much. She couldn't just ignore it. In this reality, Angel was here, and human and she wanted that. Angel cleared his throat and began.
"Buffy, whatever it is that is holding you're thoughts in "Sunnydale," tell us."
"My friends." She answered.
"What about your friends?" Angel asked.
"Willow, she'd been having such a tough time with magick, but she's going to good now, I just want to make sure she's okay. And, Xander, he left Anya; I need to know that they get back together. They love each other."
"Honey, why can't you see, those people aren't real. We *love* you, they don't." Joyce voiced.
"I know they're real. They have to be. Can't you accept that maybe they're real, and this place is, too?" Buffy pleaded.
"Buffy, this is real. You've made up everything. It's all in your mind. It's your fantasy world, and you've made yourself a hero. You fought the things you couldn't in real life. You made up a monster to fight, so that you could feel better about Celia death." Hank said, slightly angered.
"No!" I know what happened, and I know that I was right. Can't you see? I'm only here for him!" Buffy burst out, and pointed at Angel.
"Dr. O'Connor?" Joyce asked confused.
"Angel." Buffy said quietly. "My Angel, we loved each other, and he left me. He left me because I was the Slayer, and because we couldn't be together!" Tears slipped down Buffy's face, and she wiped them away.
"Honey, whoever you think he is, it's not him!" Joyce cried. "You made Angel up, this is Doctor Liam O'Connor."
"Please, if I may. People do call me Angel; maybe she really did know me." Angel said, defending Buffy. She beamed at this; someone was finally listening.
"She did seem to know me; maybe that's why she came out of the coma. Maybe she could sense I was here."
"That's nonsense!" Joyce screamed. Hank nodded, and reached across Buffy for Joyce's hand. He squeezed it.
"I knew it was him when I first woke up. I was in Sunnydale, and I felt something. I felt a tug on my soul, from my soul mate. He was here, and I came to him." Buffy said.
"If you're so sure, tell us something about his past. Where was he born?" Joyce asked.
"Ireland." Buffy cried out without hesitation. "Galway."
Angel starred at her, how had she known? He was pure Irish, and had only moved to the United States after his father disowned him. He could barely make out an answer. "Yes, Ireland." He whispered.
Buffy smiled, she had known she was right. "And you lived on the streets, didn't you? In New York?"
Angel only nodded.
"The details are a little fuzzy, because in my reality, you were a vampire, with a soul. And you lived on the streets in New York until a good demon came to you, telling you that the newest Slayer might need your help. You told me, that you loved me when you first saw me." Tears returned to her eyes, and she gently brushed them away.
Angel sat in awe. Never in all his life had a stranger known such things about him. Apparently, she wasn't a stranger. They closed their counseling session, and Angel could barely respond to any of the other questions. He was utterly lost and confused. Things seems so real, maybe he really wasn't in the right place after all.
*
Buffy sat quietly in bed. Angel had looked so shocked to find out she knew such things about him. She thought back about when Willow's doppelganger had been brought to their reality. Maybe this was Angel's doppelganger. Maybe his doppelganger was human, and the real Angel was still in L.A. in her reality. Things seemed to be making more sense; she finally thought she had a handle on things. Buffy drifted off to sleep, where she dreamed of Sunnydale.
// "Willow!" Dawn called out, "She's waking up."
Willow rushed to Buffy's side. "Buffy? Are you okay? You've been out of it for a long time."
"Yeah," Buffy mumbled, looking at her surroundings. She was no longer in a hospital bed. She was in her own room.
Dawn gave her a big hug, startling her. "Where were you?" She asked.
Buffy didn't answer. "Willow, I don't know how much time I have here, but, get everyone together. Meet me at the Magick Box." Buffy didn't wait for a reply; she just went straight to her closet. She pulled off her old clothes, and put on some knew ones.
Willow and Dawn had disappeared, not asking questions. They were already in Slayer mode.
Buffy quickly walked to the Magick Box, knowing time was short. She knew she hadn't been dreaming, because she could still feel the tug on her soul. The bell gave a slight tinkle as she entered the shop. It seemed like ages since she had been there.
"What's this about?" Xander asked. He still hadn't seen Anya, and was in brood mode, and he hadn't liked being asked to come here.
"Time's short, so just listen. You know when I kept going back to the alternate reality, well, I went back again. But this time, there was no demon, no needle, just a tug on my soul. I know I sound crazy, but I could feel Angel. He was there. And he's there now. He's human, and I can't live without him." Buffy explained.
"So you drug us here to complain about Angel?" Xander asked. Angel definitely wasn't his favorite subject.
"Damn in Xander, won't you let her finish talking?" Anya asked. "She loves him, and it's more than I can say for you!"
"I'm leaving. I have to. I can't stay here. I'm too different here. I'm not the same Buffy I used to be. I used to love; I used to be loved in return."
"We love you Buffy," Dawn said, tears forming in her eyes. "Don't go."
"I have to Dawnie, I haven't been the same since he left me, and maybe, if I can be there, we can be together."
"Buffy, this is major. You're just going to leave?" How are we supposed to live without you? How is the world supposed to live without a Slayer?" Willow asked.
"I don't know. I just know that if I stay here, I'll die. I can't take it anymore. I can't take the pain. Everyone lets off their own pain in huge waves, and they crash into me, and I can't take it."
"What about me?" Dawn asked. "I have no mother, I don't want to have dad for a father, and now you're leaving!"
"You can stay with Willow and Tara, can't you? Don't you want me to be happy?"
"Of course we do Buffy, but we love you. We don't want you to go." Willow said, also crying.
"I'm sorry, will, I have to." Buffy said, as she felt the familiar dizziness. She dropped to the floor with a thud. //
Buffy woke with a start. She was back in the hospital bed. It pained her to let go like that, but she had to. She had to be with her soul mate.
TBC…If you like!