Part 17.



The two small golden rings danced as they hit the hard wooden desktop, each reverberating in a spiralling circle before coming to rest in the silent room.

Gripping the now empty envelope tightly in his hand, Angel stood quietly by his desk. He knew this was a pivotal moment and his dark enigmatic eyes swept eagerly over his wife's face, searching for any sign of recognition that the two rings had triggered a memory.

From the second he had taken Buffy's small hand and led her into the study, Angel knew that there was no turning back. This was the moment he had waited for, dreamed about for weeks and yet, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself that Buffy knowing was for the best, a tiny voice deep inside his head protested that this was possibly the biggest mistake of his life.

If the information Buffy was about to learn upset her and she ran away again, he would never forgive himself.

**But how could they continue to live in the dark**

Angel already knew the answer.

**They couldn't**

If he and Buffy were ever to have any kind of a future together, they had no choice but to confront the past. No matter how painful.

As uncomfortable seconds slipped into eternity, Angel's heartbeat thundered in his ears and a thin sheen of sweat coated his palms.

Taking a deep breath that did little to ease the tension knotting his insides, Angel nervously licked his lips.

The truth was so close now he could almost taste it.

Confronted with the sight before her, Buffy found she could no longer breath. When a surge of fear and anticipation swept over her shocked body and threatened to send her spinning towards a black, silent abyss, she reached out a trembling hand and gripped the edge of the desk to prevent herself from toppling in.

Struggling to stay in the land of reality, her horrified eyes froze, mesmerised by the two tiny bands of gold that now lay glistening on the dark wooden desk.

Next to the folded sheet of writing paper, the simple wedding band and a diamond solitaire engagement ring called out to her tormented mind to remember.

For a moment, flickers of something resembling pain danced behind Buffy's eyelids as her memory taunted and teased her. Emotions she didn't understand rose to the surface of her consciousness only to submerge and leave her feeling confused and bereft.

The rings called out to her, tiny whispers floated inside her head like a lost dream, but no matter how far Buffy reached, the memories slipped through her fingers like the early morning mist.

Looking for something to cling to, Buffy thought back to the day she had woken up in the hospital. She had questioned her lack of rings then but at the time there had been so much confusion following the accident that nobody could confirm ever seeing them. Not wanting to make a fuss about a little bit of jewellery when so many of the other passengers had died, Buffy accepted the loss without question. Once she had returned home the subject hadn't rose again.

Until now.

Almost too afraid to hope, Angel's heart leap as Buffy moved her right thumb over the naked third finger on her left hand.

As he stood watching the turmoil play across her features, he relived that last fateful day over and over in his own memory, The day when his once perfect world had cracked and splintered all around him.

~*~*~* Four months earlier~*~*~

6. 45am

Slinging out a long muscular arm, Angel cut off the annoying buzz of the alarm clock that had not only jolted him awake from his slumber, but had also ripped him from the most wonderfully erotic dream. Laying back against the soft fluffy pillows, a large satisfying grin crept across his handsome features as the last fragments of his night time fantasy lingered on the edge of his memory.

**He and Buffy would definitely have to put that little dream into practice sometime in the very near future**

As his thoughts turned to the sleeping woman by his side, Angel turned his head and the smug expression was quickly replaced with a tender smile. Softly reaching over, he swept a stray lock of silky blonde hair away from Buffy's cheek and thrilled at the smoothness beneath his fingertips.

Even after almost two years of marriage, Angel still marvelled at how fortunate his life had become. Meeting Buffy Summers and making her his wife was his greatest blessing.

Although he had an early breakfast meeting planned with Lindsey, before a full day in court, some things in life really were more important. For a few blissful minutes, Angel was content just to watch his wife sleep. Stirring slightly, Buffy looked so utterly adorable that he felt his heart constrict as he was swamped by a whole range of emotions.

Love, loyalty, passion and pride. She touched him in ways he couldn't even begin to explain. From the first moment the petite blonde girl had breezed into his life, she had changed it forever.

And that was the blessing Angel thanked God for every morning he woke up.

As the digital seconds on the bedside clock, flashed by far too quickly, and unable to put off their inevitable parting any longer, Angel leant forward and brushed his lips softly across Buffy's rosebud mouth.

Still happily in the land of dreams, Buffy sighed softly in recognition of her mate and parted her lips, inviting his tongue deeper into her mouth. For Buffy, this really was the greatest way to wake up.

Smiling at her response, Angel dropped a feather light kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Wake up sleepy head, its time to get up"

Keeping her eyes firmly closed, Buffy snuggled in to his side and pretended not to have heard the wakeup call. She adored the warmth of his hard body pressing against her skin and always made waking up last as long as possible.

"I know you're awake" Angel's soft voice teased. It was the same game every morning. Both were putting off the separation for as long as they could.

Buffy snuggled closer.

"Just a few more minutes" Her warm breath brushed against his shoulder.

With a groan of disappointment, Angel started to sit up.

"As much as I'd love to spend the whole day in bed with you, It's almost 7am "

When Buffy felt his warm body moving away from her, she finally opened her sleepy hazel eyes.

"You could always ring in sick" She smiled seductively.

Angel quirked an eyebrow

"Then we could stay in bed all day" Buffy was teasing him and her eyes sparkled, because she knew for a split second that he was actually considering the idea.

**Maybe they could try that dream?... No.. ** Angel silently groaned again.

As work commitments returned to his mind, he knew as tempting as a day in bed with Buffy sounded, this time he would have to regretfully pass up the offer.

"I'm sure you have a hundred things to do today. You haven't forget that Cordy is flying in this weekend?"

Buffy rolled her eyes.

"How could I possibly forget a visit from your dear sister" She sighed but her voice was full of mischief.

Buffy didn't really resent Angel's sister paying a visit; she just hated having to share him with anybody. With Dawnie away at school now, their weekends together had become a time they both cherished. They would lock the door to the outside world and just focus on making each other as perfectly happy as was humanly possible.

"She's only in town for a few days"

Angel smiled; he then slipped his hand beneath the sheets and ran his fingertips across the naked flesh of his wife's tight stomach.

"I guess we could pretend to be out when she calls" Buffy grinned this time and Angel started to chuckle.

"You are so evil " His fingers continued to caress her skin with feather-light circles.

Buffy gave a little moan as her blood started to flow faster along her veins.

She loved it when he flirted with her.

"I know, but that's why you love me" Buffy flirted right back.

"Oh, really. And there I was thinking I loved you because you were smart and sexy and funny and beautiful and ..." Angel's fingertips moved slowly up her ribcage, brushing against the skin in away he knew would drive her crazy.

When he purposely missed touching her breasts, Buffy gasped.

"Okay. Stop crawling. Your sister can stay "

With a chuckle, Angel levered up on one elbow, leaning forward; he used a slow, deliberately sensual smile that he knew always melted Buffy's heart

"Well.. " His soft velvety voice started with a purr that sent shivers through his wife's blood. She knew immediately that he wasn't playing fair.

" Because Cordelia's going to be here all weekend, how about I spoil you tonight instead. A romantic dinner for two, followed by a night at the bronze. What do you think?" Bringing his hand from beneath the sheets, he reached up and softly stroked her cheek

Buffy lifted her eyelashes and her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Throw in a night of red hot sex and you have a deal"

"You're insatiable "

"What can I say, I love your body." Buffy snaked out a slender arm and running it over the firm abs of Angel's muscular chest, she felt her lover shiver in anticipation. " Especially when it's inside of mine" The smoky passion reflected in her eyes was too much for her husband's restraint.

Angel groaned and rolled her over on to her back.

"God, you're going to make me *so* late this morning"

As their lips met in a deep searing kiss all thoughts of court cases, sisters and the outside world were temporally forgotten.

For the young lovers, their time together was far too short and making love far too much fun.

"You're so beautiful" Angel murmured softly as his large hands gently cupped his wife's warm breasts. Buffy giggled, but within one beat of her heart, a cool shiver of need flooded her body as Angel's expert thumbs teased her sensitive nipples. Sliding closer, he kissed her eyelids, her nose, her cheeks, before moving to claim her warm willing lips again.

Letting out a low breathy moan, Buffy dug her fingers deep into Angel's shoulders as a tide of pleasure flooded her whole body.

After ravishing her mouth with long cool strokes of his tongue, Angel broke away from Buffy's lips and moved swiftly to her breast.

His tongue tickled and swirled around her sensitive nipple, causing Buffy to arch up and thread her fingers though his hair, pressing him closer. Sliding her hands down over his broad shoulders, she reached the tight muscles of his butt and set up a gentle kneading motion. As his body surged against her, she felt the strength of his desire and insistently twined her legs about his body.

The small bedroom was then filled with gentle moans and soft sighs as the lovers satisfied their need for each other to the full.

Thirty minutes later Angel laid back against his pillow and letting out a deep sigh of contentment, closed his eyes

"I love you" Buffy softly kissed his shoulder.

"I love you too"

For a moment the two lovers lay silent, content just to hold each other as the world passed them by.

When Angel finally turned his head towards the alarm clock, reality kicked back in, and he laughed.

"I'm going to be so late"

***

Later that night

Closing the door of his car, Angel muttered a silent curse as his eyes caught sight of the time. He had promised Buffy a night out and he was already two hours late.

**Bloody Darla Penn** Angel cursed again as he struggled with the most enormous bunch of yellow roses.

The damn woman always called at the most inconvenient times. Instead of having a romantic meal with his wife, Angel had spent the last two hours calming a nearly hysterical client, who swore her ex-lover, was trying to break into her house. If it had been any other client, he would have handed the whole matter over to the police and let them deal with it, But Darla Penn was an old school friend of Buffy's and she and her brother William, were both valued clients. The small Law practice he and Lindsey ran was just beginning to make a profit and, as much as Angel hated spending the best part of the evening with Darla, he knew they couldn't afford to lose her as a client.

"Buffy! I'm home" Angel called out as he walked through the front door but much to his surprise and disappointment, there was no reply.

After searching the kitchen and lounge, he walked into his study. That was where Buffy would have left a message if she needed to go out in a hurry. Angel noticed the envelope immediately but as he approached the desk, his concerned eyes focused on two small gold bands, shining in the fading evening light. Reaching out, he ripped open the envelope and five seconds later, Liam Angelus' whole world fell apart.

~*~*~* End of flash back *~*~*~

While Angel relived the last day of their marriage, Buffy's eyes were still mesmerised by the folded sheet of paper and two golden rings. As she took in the painful evidence, fear - as cold as winter - wrapped its icy claws around her heart, and squeezed with all its might.

The first time she tried to respond she couldn't, her voice was paralysed by the nightmares her brain was trying to deny.

**She really had left him** It was no longer just a possibility, it was a fact.

Everything William and Darla had told her was true. In the space of a heartbeat she had become the woman she despised.

**A cheat and a liar**

"So, it's really true. I did leave you" Buffy's hand reached out towards the contents of the envelope. Her small fingers trembling in both anticipation and fear.

Angel stared down at her, his chocolate eyes almost changing to black. For a second Buffy saw a flicker of despair in his gaze, but it was quickly hidden.

"You remember?"

The air seemed to crackle between them.

After what felt like a small lifetime, Buffy finally shook her head sadly as her fingers slipped over the first gold band, a beautiful solitaire engagement ring. Although she felt a flutter deep inside her head she failed to place ever wearing the ring, let alone removing it and leaving it behind.

As Angel watched the confusion build in his wife's eyes he shuddered as his own memories kicked in and his tormented mind flashed back to the night he proposed. Buffy had been so happy when he slipped the ring on her finger that she cried.

**Yes! Yes! I love you, Angel. I want to spend the rest of my life with you..**

As the words echoed around his mind, Angel felt as if somebody had pushed a stake through his heart. Within two years, his wife had thrown the ring back and walked out on their marriage without a word of explanation.

Bringing his mind back to the present Angel repeated his question.

"Buffy... Do you remember? "

Buffy nervously moistened her lips.

"No, I wish I could tell you that I did, but I just can't.. I don't "

As the disappointing words slowly sank into Angel's head, the glimmer of hope in his chocolate eyes died.

**It was too soon.** Angel silently cursed and knew matters would now go seriously downhill.

Buffy's fingers moved away from the rings and lifting the folded sheet of paper, she opened it. She immediately recognised her handwriting.

**It's over. Don't even think of looking for me because I'm never coming back. I never want to see you again, not as long as I live. I'll never forgive you for this... Buffy**

As the contents finally sunk in, her bewildered eyes shot open in amazement.

"What the..." Buffy swallowed. This was the last thing in the world she had expected to read. As she struggled to control her trembling fingers her mind surged with confusion. The letter almost burned with anger, each tiny word was written with such bitterness. It simply didn't make sense.

From the gist of her words Buffy realised that she certainly hadn't left Liam because of William. The bitterness screaming from the letter was completely out of context.

"I don't understand what this means. I thought.. I thought I was... " She stuttered slightly

Without warning, Angel laughed and the sound sent a sliver of fear down her spine. " You don't understand? "He snorted, his voice tinged with months of suppressed anger

There was no justification for Buffy's actions that night. All he had ever done was love her.

"You just left, Buffy.. You didn't give me a chance to understand"

But William said.."

"Pennington" Angel's dark eyes flashed dangerously and Buffy stepped back.

Consumed by a wave of guilt, and afraid of what Liam might see in her eyes, she lowered her lashes.

Angel was too incensed to notice

"You've seen Pennington?"

At the high level of anger in his voice, a peal of warning bells rang loudly inside Buffy's head. This was certainly not the time for a confession

"William called in at the gallery when I was waiting for Darla" She took a deep breath before continuing with her explanation, but she never got the chance.

"So he came back here after all?" Angel demanded. His voice was so cold it sent a chill through the whole room.

Buffy blinked.

"Back?.. I don't understand "

**William hadn't been with her, he hadn't said anything about being away.**

When she looked up at her husband again she hardly recognised the man in front of her.

"Don't worry about it, Buffy.. This time I'll kill him"

"Liam" Buffy gasped.

She looked horrified. Shock had stolen every vestige of colour from her skin, making her eyes even more brilliant.

"I promised that bastard if he ever went near you again it would be the sorriest day of his life"

**So much for him not knowing ** Buffy started to realised her greatest fear but Liam's next words contradicted everything she had started to believe.

"Did he hurt you?"

"Hurt me?" Buffy gasped in confusion. This conversation wasn't going anywhere near the direction she had expected.

She could no longer read the emotions blazing from Liam's face.

"No! He was just worried about me, that's all. He said we were close friends"

Buffy hated lying, but from the hatred she felt emanating from her husband, she truly feared for William's safely if Liam knew the truth.

" *Friends* That's a laugh." Angel spat the words in disgust. " Buffy, William Pennington is nothing but a stalker. He made your life hell for weeks and I promised him that the next time I saw him, I'd send him all the way back to the Mother country in a wooden box"

Without another word Angel snatched up his jacket and marched from the room.

As the front door slammed, Buffy stood motionless in the middle of the study. All around her, the walls of the small room started to close in. Everywhere she looked there were contradictions. So many lies. One minute she was led to believe she was the one having an affair and the next..... Blinking back a sudden rush of tears, Buffy picked up the sheet of writing paper once more and carefully re-read every word.

As a single tear escaped and slipped down her cheek, she curled her fingers around the note and crushed it into a ball

TBC...