"Angel, please calm down. You're sick. You should be in bed. Where have
you been? I've been so worried." Janna Calender turned to the new comers
in the room. "Thank you for helping him. He's been extremely sick
recently. When I returned earlier, he was gone. With his fever, he can't
think clearly. Thank you, Mr.?"
"Giles, Rupert Giles."
Janna extended her hand to the gentleman. "Janna Calender. Most people call me Jenny."
Buffy was too shocked to even begin to understand what was happening. Quietly she helped Angel back into bed, extremely concerned over his health and their current confusion. She talked to him, hoping to sooth his fears. "Hey, take it easy. You need to lie down and rest. Please!"
"Buffy, I don't understand what's going on?" See Jenny standing in front of him was too much of a shock. Images of her dead body flooded his mind. He couldn't fathom how she could be standing in front of him now.
Buffy tried to hide her own fears and comfort Angel. "Relax, we'll figure it out." She managed to place Angel under the covers and noticed that he was suddenly having a hard time staying awake.
"Are you going to leave?"
His voice sounded small and pulled at her heart. "No, I'll just be in the other room. I'm going to try and get some answers. Rest, I'll come back and check on you in a few minutes."
Angel started to drift off, slightly contented by Buffy's reasssurances. "Thank you. Buffy, I love you."
"I love you too Angel. Now close your eyes and sleep." She waited a moment for him to obey her orders before returning to the livingroom. While she was talking to Angel, everyone had retreated to the other room.
"How is he?" Giles asked.
Buffy stared at her watcher for a moment. Was this the same Giles that she always knew? What was going on? "Resting now. He's confused and he's not the only one."
Giles instantly switched into watcher mode. He had to admit it was somewhat comforting to have a mystery to solve again. It had been so long since he was really useful and fulfilling his role as a watcher. "Okay, let's try to understand what's going on here. Buffy, why don't you explain what appears to be different or out of place here."
"Okay, first in my 'reality' I guess, Angel is a vampire, but he has a soul and helps us fight all the demons and vamps here. I am still the slayer and there is still a huge need for it. Trust me. Umm, Angel and I are kind of involved." Buffy hesitated before continuing. She was curious to see the reactions to her statements. "Ms. Calander died a few months ago. Somethings happened and Angel lost his soul. While he was Angelus, he killed her. Later we found a curse that she had been working on and were able to restore his soul. There are a ton of other things that happened, but they're probably not that important right now."
The other remained silent. Giles was shocked. His slayer, involved with a vampire with a soul. 'Where did I go wrong?' "True, now I can understand your confusion. These are extreme differences to what we perceive as 'reality'. When did this start?"
"I guess this morning when I walked into school and spoke with you."
"Right, Ms. Calander, you seem to know Angel. Can you perhaps tell us what you know about him?" Giles hoped the attractive woman could assist in revealing Angel's secrets. She obviously cared about him and knew him to some extent.
She smiled softly and nodded. "Jenny, please. Well, it's not really my place, but since he's also confused, I'll tell you. She's right. Angel was a vampire. My clan cursed him with a soul about a hundred years ago. Since, my people have watched his suffering and genuine remorse. Last year, we had felt that Angel had suffered enough for his crimes. My people managed to make him human again. Since then, I've been helping him adjust to his new life. Unfortunately, his immunity to most diseases is very low. Right now, he is struggling against a strong flu-like virus."
The explanation helped to some extent, but Giles still did not understand how Angel still possessed some vampire traits. "Well, that does explain why Angel is indeed human. It's fascinating that your clan was able to make him human again. I had no knowledge that such a spell existed or was possible. I'd love to hear more about it."
Buffy watched in awe as it seemed that Giles was flirting with Ms. Calander. 'Some things will never change,' she thought to herself. "Giles, can we focus here?"
"Yes, sorry."
Buffy tried to focus the conversation again, determined to obtain more answers. "Okay, so Angel is human and sick with the flu?"
"Yes," Jenny answered.
"So there is no happiness clause anymore? Does Angel have a girlfriend or anyone that he should know about?" She tried to hide her possessive curiousity, but failed miserably. After all, some guy had resently presented himself as her boyfriend. What if Angel had a girlfriend here?
Jenny smiled again. She could see the apprehention in the young blond girl. She could also see that Buffy was truly concerened about Angel. She found herself trusting the people around her and openly telling them about the former vampire. "Oh, well you're right. There is no clause anymore. He is completely human now. As for a girlfriend or anything, he's never mentioned anyone to me. He has had a difficult time adjusting to modern society again for the most part." Jenny did not miss the signs of relief that fell over Buffy's face.
"Oh, that's good."
Xander couldn't remain silent anymore. "Wait a second, you knew Angel was a vampire and you were the slayer. Yet, you were involved. How?"
Buffy immediately felt threatened by Xander's statement. "Am, I am the slayer!"
"Whatever, you were involved with each other?"
Buffy rolled her eyes. She was right earlier when she realized that some things weren't all that different. This was still the same Xander. "Xander, we have this fight all the time. Let it go for now."
Willow was next to object to her friend's sudden interest in the handsome stranger. "But Buffy, you're with Scott. You're really happy with him. What are you going to tell him? You guys have been together for months."
"Willow, I don't even know who he is! Besides, I've been with Angel for over 2 years and now there is no curse or anything to stand in our way." The consequences of her statement finally hit her. "No curse. Human, oh wow." Quickly she stood up and headed toward the bedroom. "Excuse me."
Giles watched as his slayer suddenly left the room. "Buffy, where are you going?" However, he never received an answer as she walked back into the bedroom. Giles wasn't sure if she even heard the question.
Buffy entered the bedroom and stood in the doorway for a moment. She watched him lying peacefully, eyes closed, sound asleep. She couldn't resist the urge to go to him. She had to touch him and make sure he was real. Sitting on the bed next to him, Buffy reached over and kissed his cheek.
"Buffy?"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. How are you feeling?"
He rolled over to face her. His face was groggy and his eyes only half opened. He felt weak, but managed a half smile. "Actually, I'm glad you did. Everything has felt like a dream so far. Seeing you, at least I know I'm not going insane. I've felt better before. What's going on? Does Giles have any answers?"
She continued to stare at him. Buffy understood Angel's doubts. A dream. Could this all be a dream? Would she wake up to find that all of this never happened, that Angel was no longer human and they couldn't be together? She prayed that it wasn't true. "No, he's not sure what has happened, but I've found out a few things. Some good things and some not so good."
"Buffy, please, tell me."
"Okay, well, according to Jenny, last year the gypsies took pity on you and turned you human. There is no clause left. She says she's been helping you adjust to life again. According to her, you've been sick a lot. Right now you have the flu.'
"Human?" Angel couldn't believe his ears, but it made sense. He had no reaction to a cross and holy water. Breathing was a necessity again and he could hear his heart pounding as he waited for Buffy to tell him the bad news. "That explains a lot, but there is more isn't there?"
She hesistated again before continuing, wondering whether her words had fully sunk in. "Well, according to them, we have never met. There hasn't been any need for a slayer either since the master was killed." 'And I'm an A student with a different boyfriend.' Buffy left the last part off. That was the last thing she wanted to point out to Angel at the moment.
"Is that it?" Angel prepared to hear more. From the look on her face, he was sure that something horrible had yet to be revealed.
With a nonchalant attitude, she shrugged her shoulders and reached out to grab his hands. They felt strange. He was so warm to touch now. "Pretty much. Angel, you're human." She still wondered if he realized how this little fact could change everything. "We can be together. No clauses, no excuses. You are 100% alive, except for having the flu."
"Oh, god!" The truth finally hit him. "That's, that's incredible. You realize that if I didn't feel so bad, you would be right here beside me in this bed." A genuine smile now covered his face. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. Human, it was amazing.
"I know, trust me." Buffy smiled and laughed softly. "Once you're feeling better, nothing is going to keep me out of your bed, except maybe my mother." Buffy joked. She couldn't believe that her dream had finally come true. She could finally be with Angel.
At the mention of her mother, Angel frowned. "Buffy, it's late. She's going to be worried about you."
Buffy placed a finger over his lips and stopped him from talking. "Let me worry about that. Right now, you need to focus on getting better. As I see it, there are a few things you owe me, like a date on the beach, or maybe one of the famous picnics in the park that you're always talking about." There was no way to contain her joy.
Angel's face mirrored her happiness. "Sounds good to me. God, I can't wait to see how wonderful and beautiful you look in the sunshine." He released her hand as he began coughing again. His throat was dry and scratchy and had a slight burn when he swallowed. He forgot how it felt to be sick. After all, it had been over 200 years since his last illness. Suddenly feeling very thirsty, he threw back the covers and attempted to rise from the bed.
Buffy immediately grabbed him and forced him back down. "Where do you think you are going?" She stared at him in shock and surpise.
"I just need to get something to drink. My throat's dry." Angel smiled sheepishly at Buffy. She was so beautiful when she was aggressive.
"I don't think so mister. If you want or need something, you ask. I don't want to see you out of that bed until you're better. No arguments. Jenny says she has been taking care of you. So if I'm not around, I want you to ask her for whatever you need. Okay?" She waited as Angel reluctantly nodded in agreement. "Rest, I'll get something for you to drink and be right back." Buffy left the bedroom and headed to the kitchen. She stopped as she heard Giles calling her name.
"Buffy, how is he doing?"
"Okay, he's resting. I just came to get him something to drink. His throat is bothering him. I told him a little of what you said Ms. Calander, but it doesn't sound familiar to either one of us. Should he be going to the doctor?" The realities of her surrounding were slowly sinking in.
"No, don't worry. When he was changed, he kept his strength and some of his healing abilities. It's just taking time for his body to build up an immunity to all the new viruses and bacteria that didn't exist when he was born. I've discussed this with my uncle. He believes that in another month or so, Angel's body will have finished adjusting and he'll be healthier than most people. Mind you, he may be sick from time to time, but he should recover quickly." Jenny didn't understand what was occuring, but she saw from the look in Buffy's eyes that she cared for Angel deeply. She smiled softly and prayed that Angel had finally found someone to love and care for him despite his past. She had known that Angel's past would always be lingering and knew that he would be unhappy if he had to hid that past from anyone he loved. From what she had heard, Jenny had a feeling that Buffy fully understood his past and had experienced Angelus first- hand.
"Well, it's getting late. I suggest that we discuss this further tomorrow after your classes are finished. Please stop by the library before you go home. I'd like to explore the events of your reality." Giles stood up and graciously said good night to Ms. Calander and the teenagers. "Good night. It was a pleasure to meet you Jenny. I look forward to speaking further with you. I'd love to hear more about your clan."
"It would be my pleasure. Good night Rupert."
Willow, Xander and Buffy stood within the apartment and watched Giles leave. "Well, we should go Buffy. We have a lot of homework to do and its really late. Do you want to work on it together?" Willow hesitatant asked. She could see Buffy's attachment to Angel.
"You guy's go ahead. I want to check on Angel once more and have a chat with Ms. Calander."
Willow was shocked, but not completely surprised. Buffy was a smart and outgoing person, but she always managed to get her homework done. "What about your homework?"
"Yeah, what are you going to tell your parents? And what would Scott say to you being here." Xander tried to be the voice of reason. While his friendship with Buffy came first, he still considered Scott to be a good friend and didn't want to see him hurt.
Buffy stared at Xander for a moment. Shock and bewilderment spread across her face. Hearing Xander refer to the cute guy who made his presence known with a kiss, she lost her euphoric feelings. She had almost forgotten about the slightly different circumstances in this new reality. "I know this must be hard for you to understand, but Angel and I are meant to be. We can finally be together now. I'll talk to Scott tomorrow. Right now, I want to check on Angel. We'll talk at school in the morning." Buffy turned from Xander to Willow. "Will, can you do me a favor and cover for me tonight? I don't want to leave Angel until we can talk about what's happened. Can you tell my mom I'm spending the night at your place and we're working on homework or something? Please?"
"Sure, just be careful." Willow reluctantly agreed to Buffy's request. If her best friend needed to speak to the handsome stranger again, who was also an ex-vampire, who was she to argue. Silently, Willow prayed that Buffy knew what she was doing.
After her friends left, only she and Ms. Calander remained in the basement apartment. Buffy took the opportunity to survey the main room. Nothing was different. It was the same sparcely decorated room. The same painting hung on the walls and familiar books lay on the tables and floor. It was exactly how she remembered it. Quietly she pondered how things had changed. She was no longer needed to be the slayer, she had a different boyfriend according to everyone, and most importantly, Angel was human. The love of her life was human and currently sick with the flu. The thought finally snapped Buffy out of her musings. Angel was sick. It was a new experience. She would now have to care for him for a change.
Jenny watched as the blonde was lost deep in thought. She seemed to sincerely love Angel. Maybe the tortured soul would finally have someone to love and care for him and help him find his way again. "Well, things seem to be okay here. I went food shopping earlier so the fridge is stocked. There is some medicine for Angel on his night stand. If you need anything, my number is by the phone. Tell Angel I'll call tomorrow. Have a good night Buffy. Treat him well." Without waiting for any reply, Jenny left her alone in the apartment. A smile spread across her face as she walked to her car. 'This girl may be exactly what Angel needs.'
Buffy heard the door close and realized that she was alone, except for Angel who lay sleeping in the next room. 'Alone, with Angel, who's human. Wow, down girl.' Buffy chided herself for having such thoughts. She smiled knowing there would be plenty of time for such activities once Angel was healthy. Technically, she had a boyfriend to dump too. She allowed her mind to wander, thinking of all the possibilities the future now held. She found herself standing in the bedroom doorway. A voice shattered the silence.
"Hey."
"Hey, yourself. How are you feeling?'
"A lot better. I thought everyone had left. Don't you need to go home?"
"Trying to get rid of me already?'
"No, of course not. I love that you're here, but won't you get in trouble?"
"Nay, Will's going to cover for me. Besides, I want to keep an eye on you. It's not everyday that you're human and sick. You need someone to care for you."
"Buffy, don't take this the wrong way. I do want you here, but you don't need to stay and take care of me. I'll be fine. You should go home, especially if you'll get in trouble. If I remember correctly, don't you have class tomorrow?"
"Angel, I'm not leaving!" The words came out stronger and extremely harsh. She didn't mean to be so short with him or to start a fight.
"Buffy, what's wrong?"
"Nothing.'
"Buffy, come here." He called her over to the bed and pulled her down next to him. "What's wrong? I know that face." Hearing only silence in return, Angel gave up. "Fine, if you want to stay tonight, let's get some sleep."
She kicked off her shoes and snuggled deep into Angel's chest. She suddenly dreaded the notion of sleep. "Angel, what if we wake up and this is all a dream?"
He sat up slightly and placed a hand under her chin. He forced her to look at his face. "Is that what you're worried about? I don't know, but no matter what, we'll figure all this out. I love you. Get some sleep."
"I love you too."
They slept peacefully all night, surrounded in each others arms, safe and protected. A bubble of tranquility surrounded them and blocked out all the problems and evils of the world. Angel rolled over as the sunlight fell on his face. A warm body and soft breath fell across his chest. Slowly opening his eyes, a petite blonde figure lay next to him. For a moment he held his breath. Was it true? Was he human? Was it just a dream? If it was just a dream, why was Buffy lying in his arms now? His mind began reeling with questions and possibilities. Should he wake her up? Seeing her sleeping so peacefully, he decided to let her sleep and quietly slipped from the bed. Grabbing a pair of sweats and shirt, he headed towards the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he was shocked to see real food and no blood present. A wave of joy passed over him. Quickly, he realized his heart was beating and he was breathing. It was true. Everything that happened was true. He was human and Jenny was still alive. As giddy as a child at Christmas, he ran back into the bedroom. Seeing the blonde beauty lying before him, he couldn't resist the tempation to wake her. Remembering how grumpy she could be in the morning, a smirk spread across his face as he made a decision.
Gently he laid down on the bed, careful not to disturb Buffy. He stared at her for a moment, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath. A small smile played on her lips as she remained in her dream world. Angel couldn't get over how beautiful she was and finally the major barriers preventing them from being together were gone. There were no more excuses or reasons. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek. Then he moved to her forhead. Next was her nose and the other cheek. He paused for a moment as she started to stir. After she quieted again, he began his slow seduction down her chin and neck. His smile disappeared momentarily as he noticed she no longer bore his mark. However, the feeling of her skin against his instantly chased the thoughts from his mind. Unconsiously he scraped his blunt teeth against her throat and nipped her slightly, careful not to break the skin.
Buffy was deep in slumber, having wonderful dreams. Angel was human and together they were extremely happy. In her dream, he was placing soft kisses all over her face and neck, almost treating her as if shse was to be worshipped. She sighed and allowed her body to relax as she revelled in the dream. The feeling of teeth against her neck woke her with a start. She sat up quickly in the bed nad looked for a weapon.
"Easy love, its only me." Angel whispered softly into her ear until she began to relax again with his murmurs and reassurances. Once she laid down, he began to resume his worshipping of her body. Knowing she was safe, Buffy allowed her guard to relax. The feeling of Angel's lips against her skin was heavenly. With a small sigh of contentment, she sunk deeper into the pillows. "Good morning." His lips descended on her for a demanding kiss. Buffy's eyes flew open again as she remembered the events from the last 24 hours.
"What, what's wrong?" Angel noticed the sudden change in her posture.
"You're human. It's true. It wasn't just some dream." She pressed her hand against his chest and felt his heart beating.
"It's true. We're not dreaming."
"This is wonderful. This is amazing. You're human!!!"
"Too much talking." Angel moved closer to her to continue their celebration.
"Wait!! You're sick. You should be resting." Before he could complain, she placed her hand to his forehead. "You're still warm. What have you been doing out of bed? Stay here. I'll be right back."
Angel sighed and tried to pull her back into his embrace. "Buffy, I'm fine. I feel a lot better than I did yesterday. Come back to bed."
"No way mister." She headed off to the kitchen to fix him some breakfast and juice. On the way back to his bedroom, she found the thermometer in the bathroom. A few minutes later, she crept into the bedroom, shocked and delighted that he had followed her orders. Placing the tray down on the bed next to him, she grabbed the thermometer. "Open up. Now, no talking while we're taking your temperature."
"Yes ma'am."
"Hey, I said no talking. I fixed us some breakfast. If you have the flu, I suggest just toast and juice. But if you're feeling hungry, we have cereal and." The beeper of the thermometer stopped her from listing the menu. She looked at it briefly, surprised by what it said.
"Come on, it can't be that bad. I feel better, I swear."
She chuckled softly. "No, you're right. It's 99. That's really just as slight fever. You look a lot better this morning too. It's just, you have a body temperature. You breathe, you're sitting in the sunlight. It's all kind of a shock to the system, you know."
"You should feel it from this side. Kind of ironic that I'm finally human and I'm sick." Angel couldn't suppress the laughter any longer.
Buffy stared in awe. Angel was human, laying in bed, the sunlight streaming in through the blinds and falling on his face as he laughed with a carefree attitude that she had never seen before. It would be a moment she would always remember.
"Giles, Rupert Giles."
Janna extended her hand to the gentleman. "Janna Calender. Most people call me Jenny."
Buffy was too shocked to even begin to understand what was happening. Quietly she helped Angel back into bed, extremely concerned over his health and their current confusion. She talked to him, hoping to sooth his fears. "Hey, take it easy. You need to lie down and rest. Please!"
"Buffy, I don't understand what's going on?" See Jenny standing in front of him was too much of a shock. Images of her dead body flooded his mind. He couldn't fathom how she could be standing in front of him now.
Buffy tried to hide her own fears and comfort Angel. "Relax, we'll figure it out." She managed to place Angel under the covers and noticed that he was suddenly having a hard time staying awake.
"Are you going to leave?"
His voice sounded small and pulled at her heart. "No, I'll just be in the other room. I'm going to try and get some answers. Rest, I'll come back and check on you in a few minutes."
Angel started to drift off, slightly contented by Buffy's reasssurances. "Thank you. Buffy, I love you."
"I love you too Angel. Now close your eyes and sleep." She waited a moment for him to obey her orders before returning to the livingroom. While she was talking to Angel, everyone had retreated to the other room.
"How is he?" Giles asked.
Buffy stared at her watcher for a moment. Was this the same Giles that she always knew? What was going on? "Resting now. He's confused and he's not the only one."
Giles instantly switched into watcher mode. He had to admit it was somewhat comforting to have a mystery to solve again. It had been so long since he was really useful and fulfilling his role as a watcher. "Okay, let's try to understand what's going on here. Buffy, why don't you explain what appears to be different or out of place here."
"Okay, first in my 'reality' I guess, Angel is a vampire, but he has a soul and helps us fight all the demons and vamps here. I am still the slayer and there is still a huge need for it. Trust me. Umm, Angel and I are kind of involved." Buffy hesitated before continuing. She was curious to see the reactions to her statements. "Ms. Calander died a few months ago. Somethings happened and Angel lost his soul. While he was Angelus, he killed her. Later we found a curse that she had been working on and were able to restore his soul. There are a ton of other things that happened, but they're probably not that important right now."
The other remained silent. Giles was shocked. His slayer, involved with a vampire with a soul. 'Where did I go wrong?' "True, now I can understand your confusion. These are extreme differences to what we perceive as 'reality'. When did this start?"
"I guess this morning when I walked into school and spoke with you."
"Right, Ms. Calander, you seem to know Angel. Can you perhaps tell us what you know about him?" Giles hoped the attractive woman could assist in revealing Angel's secrets. She obviously cared about him and knew him to some extent.
She smiled softly and nodded. "Jenny, please. Well, it's not really my place, but since he's also confused, I'll tell you. She's right. Angel was a vampire. My clan cursed him with a soul about a hundred years ago. Since, my people have watched his suffering and genuine remorse. Last year, we had felt that Angel had suffered enough for his crimes. My people managed to make him human again. Since then, I've been helping him adjust to his new life. Unfortunately, his immunity to most diseases is very low. Right now, he is struggling against a strong flu-like virus."
The explanation helped to some extent, but Giles still did not understand how Angel still possessed some vampire traits. "Well, that does explain why Angel is indeed human. It's fascinating that your clan was able to make him human again. I had no knowledge that such a spell existed or was possible. I'd love to hear more about it."
Buffy watched in awe as it seemed that Giles was flirting with Ms. Calander. 'Some things will never change,' she thought to herself. "Giles, can we focus here?"
"Yes, sorry."
Buffy tried to focus the conversation again, determined to obtain more answers. "Okay, so Angel is human and sick with the flu?"
"Yes," Jenny answered.
"So there is no happiness clause anymore? Does Angel have a girlfriend or anyone that he should know about?" She tried to hide her possessive curiousity, but failed miserably. After all, some guy had resently presented himself as her boyfriend. What if Angel had a girlfriend here?
Jenny smiled again. She could see the apprehention in the young blond girl. She could also see that Buffy was truly concerened about Angel. She found herself trusting the people around her and openly telling them about the former vampire. "Oh, well you're right. There is no clause anymore. He is completely human now. As for a girlfriend or anything, he's never mentioned anyone to me. He has had a difficult time adjusting to modern society again for the most part." Jenny did not miss the signs of relief that fell over Buffy's face.
"Oh, that's good."
Xander couldn't remain silent anymore. "Wait a second, you knew Angel was a vampire and you were the slayer. Yet, you were involved. How?"
Buffy immediately felt threatened by Xander's statement. "Am, I am the slayer!"
"Whatever, you were involved with each other?"
Buffy rolled her eyes. She was right earlier when she realized that some things weren't all that different. This was still the same Xander. "Xander, we have this fight all the time. Let it go for now."
Willow was next to object to her friend's sudden interest in the handsome stranger. "But Buffy, you're with Scott. You're really happy with him. What are you going to tell him? You guys have been together for months."
"Willow, I don't even know who he is! Besides, I've been with Angel for over 2 years and now there is no curse or anything to stand in our way." The consequences of her statement finally hit her. "No curse. Human, oh wow." Quickly she stood up and headed toward the bedroom. "Excuse me."
Giles watched as his slayer suddenly left the room. "Buffy, where are you going?" However, he never received an answer as she walked back into the bedroom. Giles wasn't sure if she even heard the question.
Buffy entered the bedroom and stood in the doorway for a moment. She watched him lying peacefully, eyes closed, sound asleep. She couldn't resist the urge to go to him. She had to touch him and make sure he was real. Sitting on the bed next to him, Buffy reached over and kissed his cheek.
"Buffy?"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you. How are you feeling?"
He rolled over to face her. His face was groggy and his eyes only half opened. He felt weak, but managed a half smile. "Actually, I'm glad you did. Everything has felt like a dream so far. Seeing you, at least I know I'm not going insane. I've felt better before. What's going on? Does Giles have any answers?"
She continued to stare at him. Buffy understood Angel's doubts. A dream. Could this all be a dream? Would she wake up to find that all of this never happened, that Angel was no longer human and they couldn't be together? She prayed that it wasn't true. "No, he's not sure what has happened, but I've found out a few things. Some good things and some not so good."
"Buffy, please, tell me."
"Okay, well, according to Jenny, last year the gypsies took pity on you and turned you human. There is no clause left. She says she's been helping you adjust to life again. According to her, you've been sick a lot. Right now you have the flu.'
"Human?" Angel couldn't believe his ears, but it made sense. He had no reaction to a cross and holy water. Breathing was a necessity again and he could hear his heart pounding as he waited for Buffy to tell him the bad news. "That explains a lot, but there is more isn't there?"
She hesistated again before continuing, wondering whether her words had fully sunk in. "Well, according to them, we have never met. There hasn't been any need for a slayer either since the master was killed." 'And I'm an A student with a different boyfriend.' Buffy left the last part off. That was the last thing she wanted to point out to Angel at the moment.
"Is that it?" Angel prepared to hear more. From the look on her face, he was sure that something horrible had yet to be revealed.
With a nonchalant attitude, she shrugged her shoulders and reached out to grab his hands. They felt strange. He was so warm to touch now. "Pretty much. Angel, you're human." She still wondered if he realized how this little fact could change everything. "We can be together. No clauses, no excuses. You are 100% alive, except for having the flu."
"Oh, god!" The truth finally hit him. "That's, that's incredible. You realize that if I didn't feel so bad, you would be right here beside me in this bed." A genuine smile now covered his face. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. Human, it was amazing.
"I know, trust me." Buffy smiled and laughed softly. "Once you're feeling better, nothing is going to keep me out of your bed, except maybe my mother." Buffy joked. She couldn't believe that her dream had finally come true. She could finally be with Angel.
At the mention of her mother, Angel frowned. "Buffy, it's late. She's going to be worried about you."
Buffy placed a finger over his lips and stopped him from talking. "Let me worry about that. Right now, you need to focus on getting better. As I see it, there are a few things you owe me, like a date on the beach, or maybe one of the famous picnics in the park that you're always talking about." There was no way to contain her joy.
Angel's face mirrored her happiness. "Sounds good to me. God, I can't wait to see how wonderful and beautiful you look in the sunshine." He released her hand as he began coughing again. His throat was dry and scratchy and had a slight burn when he swallowed. He forgot how it felt to be sick. After all, it had been over 200 years since his last illness. Suddenly feeling very thirsty, he threw back the covers and attempted to rise from the bed.
Buffy immediately grabbed him and forced him back down. "Where do you think you are going?" She stared at him in shock and surpise.
"I just need to get something to drink. My throat's dry." Angel smiled sheepishly at Buffy. She was so beautiful when she was aggressive.
"I don't think so mister. If you want or need something, you ask. I don't want to see you out of that bed until you're better. No arguments. Jenny says she has been taking care of you. So if I'm not around, I want you to ask her for whatever you need. Okay?" She waited as Angel reluctantly nodded in agreement. "Rest, I'll get something for you to drink and be right back." Buffy left the bedroom and headed to the kitchen. She stopped as she heard Giles calling her name.
"Buffy, how is he doing?"
"Okay, he's resting. I just came to get him something to drink. His throat is bothering him. I told him a little of what you said Ms. Calander, but it doesn't sound familiar to either one of us. Should he be going to the doctor?" The realities of her surrounding were slowly sinking in.
"No, don't worry. When he was changed, he kept his strength and some of his healing abilities. It's just taking time for his body to build up an immunity to all the new viruses and bacteria that didn't exist when he was born. I've discussed this with my uncle. He believes that in another month or so, Angel's body will have finished adjusting and he'll be healthier than most people. Mind you, he may be sick from time to time, but he should recover quickly." Jenny didn't understand what was occuring, but she saw from the look in Buffy's eyes that she cared for Angel deeply. She smiled softly and prayed that Angel had finally found someone to love and care for him despite his past. She had known that Angel's past would always be lingering and knew that he would be unhappy if he had to hid that past from anyone he loved. From what she had heard, Jenny had a feeling that Buffy fully understood his past and had experienced Angelus first- hand.
"Well, it's getting late. I suggest that we discuss this further tomorrow after your classes are finished. Please stop by the library before you go home. I'd like to explore the events of your reality." Giles stood up and graciously said good night to Ms. Calander and the teenagers. "Good night. It was a pleasure to meet you Jenny. I look forward to speaking further with you. I'd love to hear more about your clan."
"It would be my pleasure. Good night Rupert."
Willow, Xander and Buffy stood within the apartment and watched Giles leave. "Well, we should go Buffy. We have a lot of homework to do and its really late. Do you want to work on it together?" Willow hesitatant asked. She could see Buffy's attachment to Angel.
"You guy's go ahead. I want to check on Angel once more and have a chat with Ms. Calander."
Willow was shocked, but not completely surprised. Buffy was a smart and outgoing person, but she always managed to get her homework done. "What about your homework?"
"Yeah, what are you going to tell your parents? And what would Scott say to you being here." Xander tried to be the voice of reason. While his friendship with Buffy came first, he still considered Scott to be a good friend and didn't want to see him hurt.
Buffy stared at Xander for a moment. Shock and bewilderment spread across her face. Hearing Xander refer to the cute guy who made his presence known with a kiss, she lost her euphoric feelings. She had almost forgotten about the slightly different circumstances in this new reality. "I know this must be hard for you to understand, but Angel and I are meant to be. We can finally be together now. I'll talk to Scott tomorrow. Right now, I want to check on Angel. We'll talk at school in the morning." Buffy turned from Xander to Willow. "Will, can you do me a favor and cover for me tonight? I don't want to leave Angel until we can talk about what's happened. Can you tell my mom I'm spending the night at your place and we're working on homework or something? Please?"
"Sure, just be careful." Willow reluctantly agreed to Buffy's request. If her best friend needed to speak to the handsome stranger again, who was also an ex-vampire, who was she to argue. Silently, Willow prayed that Buffy knew what she was doing.
After her friends left, only she and Ms. Calander remained in the basement apartment. Buffy took the opportunity to survey the main room. Nothing was different. It was the same sparcely decorated room. The same painting hung on the walls and familiar books lay on the tables and floor. It was exactly how she remembered it. Quietly she pondered how things had changed. She was no longer needed to be the slayer, she had a different boyfriend according to everyone, and most importantly, Angel was human. The love of her life was human and currently sick with the flu. The thought finally snapped Buffy out of her musings. Angel was sick. It was a new experience. She would now have to care for him for a change.
Jenny watched as the blonde was lost deep in thought. She seemed to sincerely love Angel. Maybe the tortured soul would finally have someone to love and care for him and help him find his way again. "Well, things seem to be okay here. I went food shopping earlier so the fridge is stocked. There is some medicine for Angel on his night stand. If you need anything, my number is by the phone. Tell Angel I'll call tomorrow. Have a good night Buffy. Treat him well." Without waiting for any reply, Jenny left her alone in the apartment. A smile spread across her face as she walked to her car. 'This girl may be exactly what Angel needs.'
Buffy heard the door close and realized that she was alone, except for Angel who lay sleeping in the next room. 'Alone, with Angel, who's human. Wow, down girl.' Buffy chided herself for having such thoughts. She smiled knowing there would be plenty of time for such activities once Angel was healthy. Technically, she had a boyfriend to dump too. She allowed her mind to wander, thinking of all the possibilities the future now held. She found herself standing in the bedroom doorway. A voice shattered the silence.
"Hey."
"Hey, yourself. How are you feeling?'
"A lot better. I thought everyone had left. Don't you need to go home?"
"Trying to get rid of me already?'
"No, of course not. I love that you're here, but won't you get in trouble?"
"Nay, Will's going to cover for me. Besides, I want to keep an eye on you. It's not everyday that you're human and sick. You need someone to care for you."
"Buffy, don't take this the wrong way. I do want you here, but you don't need to stay and take care of me. I'll be fine. You should go home, especially if you'll get in trouble. If I remember correctly, don't you have class tomorrow?"
"Angel, I'm not leaving!" The words came out stronger and extremely harsh. She didn't mean to be so short with him or to start a fight.
"Buffy, what's wrong?"
"Nothing.'
"Buffy, come here." He called her over to the bed and pulled her down next to him. "What's wrong? I know that face." Hearing only silence in return, Angel gave up. "Fine, if you want to stay tonight, let's get some sleep."
She kicked off her shoes and snuggled deep into Angel's chest. She suddenly dreaded the notion of sleep. "Angel, what if we wake up and this is all a dream?"
He sat up slightly and placed a hand under her chin. He forced her to look at his face. "Is that what you're worried about? I don't know, but no matter what, we'll figure all this out. I love you. Get some sleep."
"I love you too."
They slept peacefully all night, surrounded in each others arms, safe and protected. A bubble of tranquility surrounded them and blocked out all the problems and evils of the world. Angel rolled over as the sunlight fell on his face. A warm body and soft breath fell across his chest. Slowly opening his eyes, a petite blonde figure lay next to him. For a moment he held his breath. Was it true? Was he human? Was it just a dream? If it was just a dream, why was Buffy lying in his arms now? His mind began reeling with questions and possibilities. Should he wake her up? Seeing her sleeping so peacefully, he decided to let her sleep and quietly slipped from the bed. Grabbing a pair of sweats and shirt, he headed towards the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he was shocked to see real food and no blood present. A wave of joy passed over him. Quickly, he realized his heart was beating and he was breathing. It was true. Everything that happened was true. He was human and Jenny was still alive. As giddy as a child at Christmas, he ran back into the bedroom. Seeing the blonde beauty lying before him, he couldn't resist the tempation to wake her. Remembering how grumpy she could be in the morning, a smirk spread across his face as he made a decision.
Gently he laid down on the bed, careful not to disturb Buffy. He stared at her for a moment, watching her chest rise and fall with each breath. A small smile played on her lips as she remained in her dream world. Angel couldn't get over how beautiful she was and finally the major barriers preventing them from being together were gone. There were no more excuses or reasons. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek. Then he moved to her forhead. Next was her nose and the other cheek. He paused for a moment as she started to stir. After she quieted again, he began his slow seduction down her chin and neck. His smile disappeared momentarily as he noticed she no longer bore his mark. However, the feeling of her skin against his instantly chased the thoughts from his mind. Unconsiously he scraped his blunt teeth against her throat and nipped her slightly, careful not to break the skin.
Buffy was deep in slumber, having wonderful dreams. Angel was human and together they were extremely happy. In her dream, he was placing soft kisses all over her face and neck, almost treating her as if shse was to be worshipped. She sighed and allowed her body to relax as she revelled in the dream. The feeling of teeth against her neck woke her with a start. She sat up quickly in the bed nad looked for a weapon.
"Easy love, its only me." Angel whispered softly into her ear until she began to relax again with his murmurs and reassurances. Once she laid down, he began to resume his worshipping of her body. Knowing she was safe, Buffy allowed her guard to relax. The feeling of Angel's lips against her skin was heavenly. With a small sigh of contentment, she sunk deeper into the pillows. "Good morning." His lips descended on her for a demanding kiss. Buffy's eyes flew open again as she remembered the events from the last 24 hours.
"What, what's wrong?" Angel noticed the sudden change in her posture.
"You're human. It's true. It wasn't just some dream." She pressed her hand against his chest and felt his heart beating.
"It's true. We're not dreaming."
"This is wonderful. This is amazing. You're human!!!"
"Too much talking." Angel moved closer to her to continue their celebration.
"Wait!! You're sick. You should be resting." Before he could complain, she placed her hand to his forehead. "You're still warm. What have you been doing out of bed? Stay here. I'll be right back."
Angel sighed and tried to pull her back into his embrace. "Buffy, I'm fine. I feel a lot better than I did yesterday. Come back to bed."
"No way mister." She headed off to the kitchen to fix him some breakfast and juice. On the way back to his bedroom, she found the thermometer in the bathroom. A few minutes later, she crept into the bedroom, shocked and delighted that he had followed her orders. Placing the tray down on the bed next to him, she grabbed the thermometer. "Open up. Now, no talking while we're taking your temperature."
"Yes ma'am."
"Hey, I said no talking. I fixed us some breakfast. If you have the flu, I suggest just toast and juice. But if you're feeling hungry, we have cereal and." The beeper of the thermometer stopped her from listing the menu. She looked at it briefly, surprised by what it said.
"Come on, it can't be that bad. I feel better, I swear."
She chuckled softly. "No, you're right. It's 99. That's really just as slight fever. You look a lot better this morning too. It's just, you have a body temperature. You breathe, you're sitting in the sunlight. It's all kind of a shock to the system, you know."
"You should feel it from this side. Kind of ironic that I'm finally human and I'm sick." Angel couldn't suppress the laughter any longer.
Buffy stared in awe. Angel was human, laying in bed, the sunlight streaming in through the blinds and falling on his face as he laughed with a carefree attitude that she had never seen before. It would be a moment she would always remember.