Part 6
Angel had to take a drive before the party started to get his mind cleared.
In just moments, he'll be facing his old lover. The old lover that he, at
one time, cherished only her, worshipped the ground she walked on, would do
anything for her. It was also the same lover who took his heart and brutally
chopped it up like it was a piece of meat.
*Out of ALL her friends, she had to choose Buffy Summers to be her maid of
honor. I would've settled for that Harmony chick, even if she is a ditzy
bitch. Anything but...HER*
He thought that he wouldn't be able to face her when he saw...after what she
did. But really deep down he knew that if he saw her again, he'd fall back
into his old routine of caring about nothing but her. And it scared him
because if he did then he was afraid that she'll just hurt him again.
Besides, he had Cordelia. A beautiful, caring woman. But was she what he
really wanted? He shook that thought off. Of course he wanted Cordelia. He
lo-lov-...cared for her a whole bunch. Not wanting to be hurt or hurt
anybody else, he decided to go with the side that said "Buffy's a betraying
bitch."
He now stood in front of his office. Before he entered, he let out an
elongated breath, ran a hand through his hair, and then put on a fake smile.
As soon as he entered the building he felt what he called "The Buffy Vibe"
*Heh, didn't know I could still do that,* he thought. Yeah sure he could
feel her, but he couldn't pick her out, out of all these damn long haired
blondes. Trying to not concentrate on Buffy, he concentrated on finding his
fiancée. He found her with his back toward him, talking to that Harris kid.
Angel snuck up behind her and grabbed her by the waist, making her slightly
shriek, but not enough to attract attention. He whirled her around and
planted a lingering kiss on her lips.
Buffy watched on from where he was standing, only a few yards away. She also
felt the vibes she always got when he came close by. He still looked good.
Hell, he always looked good.
But what she saw made her heart drop. She remembered when he used to do that
to her. *What happened to us? We were so happy?* she thought. She felt the
tears start to form, but quickly blinked them away. She unconsciously
started to play with the ring dangling on the chain on her neck, with the
hand that wore her ring.
From where Xander was standing wasn't any better. He hated to watch Cordelia
and Angel be all lovey-dovey, especially when he was standing right there.
It tore him up. His face wore a mask of amusement, but on the inside, he was
burning with fury and sadness.
When the kiss ended, both Xander and Buffy inconspicuously let out a breath
of relief. Buffy turned the opposite way and started to talk to Giles,
knowing that Cordelia was going to call her over. She didn't want to be
caught gawking at them like a fish.
And just as she thought, moments later, Buffy heard Cordelia call her name.
*Okay, just act cool. Don't want anybody to find out about me and Angel.
Then Cordelia's not gonna let me anywhere near him.* Buffy swiftly turned
around with a megawatt smile that she knew he adored and greeted cooly,
"Hello Angel."
Angel felt numb. *You just HAD to make this harder. Didn't you?* Angel
thought to the man upstairs. *So beautiful. Geez, all I have to say is
Cordelia who?* he then thought confusedly *Cordelia? Who's-...FIANCEE!!* he
tightened the arm around Cordelia's waist. "Buffy," he greeted back.
"How've you been?" Buffy asked, as if nothing happened between them. Like if
they were just old friends getting reacquainted. But she could still feel
the tension between them.
"Good. You?" *Fiancé and ex-girlfriend, in the same room. Makes Angel
uncomfortable. Especially when ex-girlfriend is best friend of fiancé.
Makes Angel VERY uncomfortable,* Angel thought to himself.
"Great." *One touch wouldn't hurt,* Buffy thought, *Bad Buffy. Lookie, no
touchie.*
Cordelia filled in for their group of friends, who crowded around, curious
on how the groom and maid of honor already knew each other, "Buffy and Angel
went to NYU together."
The group went, "Ohhh..."
"Hey speaking of NYU, whatever happened to that guy you met there?"
inquired Willow.
"Yeah, the one that you were madly in love with. I was hoping to meet him."
Cordelia added.
*Alright Cordy. Meet Angel. Oh, wait, you already know him. You're marrying
him!* Buffy thought. "Uh, well see. Um. One night, on our anniversary, he
just assumed something happened between me and this other guy. So, when we
were having dinner at my house, he just blew out, accusing me of all these
things, walked out and threw his ring that symbolized our so-called 'love'
over his shoulder. And when I went to his apartment the next day to clear
things up, he already packed up and left." When she finished her story, she
looked at Angel. Unsaid things, flaring up between them. The tension rising.
Oblivious to her and the others, Cordelia said, "What a bastard." Not
knowing that the bastard was standing next to her. "What was his name?"
"An-Andy" She quickly saved herself.
"Well, there's plenty of other fish in the sea, right?" Giles tried to
comfort his oldest step-daughter.
"Right," Buffy answered. She looked back at Angel, "Well, Angel, you found a
great woman." After a moment of silence, Buffy suddenly exclaimed, "Drinks!
I need a drink. So...I'm gonna get one...Now. So, see ya." Buffy quickly
left and headed for the alcohol.
"I'll join you!" Xander was right behind her. He felt like he needed some,
too. After what he saw with Angel and Cordelia he decided a whole bottle
would do.
"God, that Andy must've really hurt her. She rarely drinks alcohol," Dawn
observed.
"Pfft...Not as much as she hurt Andy," Angel chimed in.
Cordelia looked up at her soon-to-be husband, "You knew Andy?"
"Yeah. Nice guy."
"Nice guy? He totally assumed something that I know Buffy wouldn't do He's a
jerk."
Angel inwardly winced. He weakly thought *Nah-uh* He just rubbed her back in
response.
Angel had to take a drive before the party started to get his mind cleared.
In just moments, he'll be facing his old lover. The old lover that he, at
one time, cherished only her, worshipped the ground she walked on, would do
anything for her. It was also the same lover who took his heart and brutally
chopped it up like it was a piece of meat.
*Out of ALL her friends, she had to choose Buffy Summers to be her maid of
honor. I would've settled for that Harmony chick, even if she is a ditzy
bitch. Anything but...HER*
He thought that he wouldn't be able to face her when he saw...after what she
did. But really deep down he knew that if he saw her again, he'd fall back
into his old routine of caring about nothing but her. And it scared him
because if he did then he was afraid that she'll just hurt him again.
Besides, he had Cordelia. A beautiful, caring woman. But was she what he
really wanted? He shook that thought off. Of course he wanted Cordelia. He
lo-lov-...cared for her a whole bunch. Not wanting to be hurt or hurt
anybody else, he decided to go with the side that said "Buffy's a betraying
bitch."
He now stood in front of his office. Before he entered, he let out an
elongated breath, ran a hand through his hair, and then put on a fake smile.
As soon as he entered the building he felt what he called "The Buffy Vibe"
*Heh, didn't know I could still do that,* he thought. Yeah sure he could
feel her, but he couldn't pick her out, out of all these damn long haired
blondes. Trying to not concentrate on Buffy, he concentrated on finding his
fiancée. He found her with his back toward him, talking to that Harris kid.
Angel snuck up behind her and grabbed her by the waist, making her slightly
shriek, but not enough to attract attention. He whirled her around and
planted a lingering kiss on her lips.
Buffy watched on from where he was standing, only a few yards away. She also
felt the vibes she always got when he came close by. He still looked good.
Hell, he always looked good.
But what she saw made her heart drop. She remembered when he used to do that
to her. *What happened to us? We were so happy?* she thought. She felt the
tears start to form, but quickly blinked them away. She unconsciously
started to play with the ring dangling on the chain on her neck, with the
hand that wore her ring.
From where Xander was standing wasn't any better. He hated to watch Cordelia
and Angel be all lovey-dovey, especially when he was standing right there.
It tore him up. His face wore a mask of amusement, but on the inside, he was
burning with fury and sadness.
When the kiss ended, both Xander and Buffy inconspicuously let out a breath
of relief. Buffy turned the opposite way and started to talk to Giles,
knowing that Cordelia was going to call her over. She didn't want to be
caught gawking at them like a fish.
And just as she thought, moments later, Buffy heard Cordelia call her name.
*Okay, just act cool. Don't want anybody to find out about me and Angel.
Then Cordelia's not gonna let me anywhere near him.* Buffy swiftly turned
around with a megawatt smile that she knew he adored and greeted cooly,
"Hello Angel."
Angel felt numb. *You just HAD to make this harder. Didn't you?* Angel
thought to the man upstairs. *So beautiful. Geez, all I have to say is
Cordelia who?* he then thought confusedly *Cordelia? Who's-...FIANCEE!!* he
tightened the arm around Cordelia's waist. "Buffy," he greeted back.
"How've you been?" Buffy asked, as if nothing happened between them. Like if
they were just old friends getting reacquainted. But she could still feel
the tension between them.
"Good. You?" *Fiancé and ex-girlfriend, in the same room. Makes Angel
uncomfortable. Especially when ex-girlfriend is best friend of fiancé.
Makes Angel VERY uncomfortable,* Angel thought to himself.
"Great." *One touch wouldn't hurt,* Buffy thought, *Bad Buffy. Lookie, no
touchie.*
Cordelia filled in for their group of friends, who crowded around, curious
on how the groom and maid of honor already knew each other, "Buffy and Angel
went to NYU together."
The group went, "Ohhh..."
"Hey speaking of NYU, whatever happened to that guy you met there?"
inquired Willow.
"Yeah, the one that you were madly in love with. I was hoping to meet him."
Cordelia added.
*Alright Cordy. Meet Angel. Oh, wait, you already know him. You're marrying
him!* Buffy thought. "Uh, well see. Um. One night, on our anniversary, he
just assumed something happened between me and this other guy. So, when we
were having dinner at my house, he just blew out, accusing me of all these
things, walked out and threw his ring that symbolized our so-called 'love'
over his shoulder. And when I went to his apartment the next day to clear
things up, he already packed up and left." When she finished her story, she
looked at Angel. Unsaid things, flaring up between them. The tension rising.
Oblivious to her and the others, Cordelia said, "What a bastard." Not
knowing that the bastard was standing next to her. "What was his name?"
"An-Andy" She quickly saved herself.
"Well, there's plenty of other fish in the sea, right?" Giles tried to
comfort his oldest step-daughter.
"Right," Buffy answered. She looked back at Angel, "Well, Angel, you found a
great woman." After a moment of silence, Buffy suddenly exclaimed, "Drinks!
I need a drink. So...I'm gonna get one...Now. So, see ya." Buffy quickly
left and headed for the alcohol.
"I'll join you!" Xander was right behind her. He felt like he needed some,
too. After what he saw with Angel and Cordelia he decided a whole bottle
would do.
"God, that Andy must've really hurt her. She rarely drinks alcohol," Dawn
observed.
"Pfft...Not as much as she hurt Andy," Angel chimed in.
Cordelia looked up at her soon-to-be husband, "You knew Andy?"
"Yeah. Nice guy."
"Nice guy? He totally assumed something that I know Buffy wouldn't do He's a
jerk."
Angel inwardly winced. He weakly thought *Nah-uh* He just rubbed her back in
response.