CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: INDIGO
After a twenty minute discussion with Stephen, trying to reason with him, Buffy had been able to convince him that going back to the hotel was actually a good idea and not the terrible one he had originally thought it to be.
Gunn and Fred had been reluctant to give them time to themselves in case they had run off once more, but when Buffy had not only given them her word that they would just be out of hearing distance, and had sealed that promise by giving Gunn Giles' journal, he had believed that the young woman would keep her word.
It had taken the entire twenty minutes for Stephen to ever consider speaking to Angel, rather than just attacking. He was convinced that Angel and Angelus were exactly the same thing, and, having heard Holtz's discussions about Angelus, she couldn't blame Stephen for being apprehensive.
It was when he accused her of just wanting to see Angel that things got ugly.
"You still love him don't you?" he accused angrily.
She just stared at him in wide-eyed shock, contemplating the idea of slapping him across the face. Her hand tightened into a fist, but she kept it at her side, not wanting to strike her husband when it was in anger. Her wide-eyed stared narrowed into a glare and Stephen immediately saw that he had said the wrong thing.
"How dare you?" she asked seethingly, her voice low, quiet and threatening. "I love you Stephen. You, not him. I've had over four hundred years to get over him, and it's long gone. When I got out of that portal, he was the first thing I saw. And you know what I felt? Nothing. I didn't feel a thing for him. But when you came through, it was all I could do to keep from touching you. I love you okay? With everything that I am, I love you."
Stephen swallowed hard and averted his eyes. Buffy stepped forward and touched her forehead to his, leaning in to kiss him gently, her arms wrapping around him. He returned the embrace gratefully, tears in his eyes.
"I know," he whispered. "I know you love me, I just…where Angelus is concerned, I get a bit…"
"Crazy, I know," Buffy replied. "And I understand that. But Angelus and Angel aren't the same things. Trust me, I had first hand experience there."
Stephen swallowed hard once more and sighed loudly, just enjoying the feeling of having Buffy in his arms.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, kissing her shoulder softly.
"It's alright," she whispered back.
He put a hand to her cheek, looking down at her lovingly. "Maybe you're right."
She smiled and leant into his touch.
"Maybe?"
He rolled his eyes and tried to keep from laughing. "I know, I know. You're always right." He breathed in deeply and held his shoulders high. "I'll talk to him."
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On the walk back to the hotel, Gunn had made an excited phone call to Angel, who had promised to meet them back at the hotel. Stephen had been fascinated by Gunn's cell phone and was studying it, turning it every which way, trying to understand how the small device could allow two people to communicate when they were no where near each other.
Fred had just smiled at Stephen as he had tried to figure out the phone. He had eventually given up and Gunn had pocketed the phone. The walk back had taken nearly half an hour, due to constant stops and questions from Stephen.
He had picked a small flower and given it to Buffy who took it from him gratefully and had placed it in her hair. Gunn and Fred had tried explaining the concept of cars and public transport, but Buffy had just whispered that she would explain it all later to him, and he had been grateful. Trying to take in twenty years worth of technology and life was beginning to be overwhelming to him, and he has stopped the questions, content to just walk beside his wife in this strange new world.
They had reached the exterior of the hotel when Stephen ahad stopped and squeezed Buffy's hand tightly. Buffy stopped and turned to her husband, a worried look on her face. Immediately she saw the nervous expression on Stephen's face and just squeezed his hand encouragingly.
"You can do this," she whispered.
Gunn and Fred looked on in fascination, these two people having completely forgotten about everything else in the world, content in their own little world.
"I…I don't think I can," he whispered.
"Stephen, you can do anything. You survived in Quortoth, a hell dimension. You can handle talking to Angel."
"He killed my father's family," he said.
Buffy reached up and traced the worry lines on his forehead until the eventually smoothened under her touch, Stephen's face softening under his wife's gentle ministrations.
"Angelus killed your father's family. Angel's a good man. A little broody from what I remember, but…he is good. He helps people. He's trying to make up for what he did," she explained.
"How can he? How many people died unnecessarily because of him?" Stephen asked.
"We went through this earlier," she said.
Stephen sighed and nodded, still feeling nervous. He had heard so many things about the man who was his real father, and none of them had been good until Buffy had explained Angel's curse and how it worked. He could understand that Angel and Angelus weren't the same people, or vampires rather. But seeing the vampire who had done what horrible things to his fathers family was almost too much.
"I know. I'm just…nervous," he admitted.
"I'll be right here," she whispered. "By your side, all the way. Just like always."
Stephen nodded and breathed out quickly. "Just like always."
Buffy smiled and kissed him quickly, breaking away and pulling him up the path towards the hotel before he could change his mind.
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Angel was pacing the lobby of the hotel, Cordy looking on nervously. Groo could only lean against the counter and watch as his princess watched another man, instead of watching him. He turned his face away when he could no longer take it. Cordelia had never once looked at him like that, and it was slowly killing him. He knew he would have to give her up before his heart completely shattered in his chest. It was just a matter of being able to let her go.
Lorne was standing behind the counter, a weapon on top of it in case the kid decided to go nuts again.
The door opened and Angel turned towards it, his body stilling as he saw his son and his ex-lover standing on the top landing, their hands tightly clasped together. Gunn and Fred stood in front of the door, blocking the exit.
Angel noticed that it was Buffy who led them to the bottom step, stopping just in front of Angel. Stephen's grip was becoming almost painful, but Buffy endured it, allowing her husband to have an outlet for his hesitation and his nerves.
"Connor," Angel breathed out.
Stephen went to step forward to begin a fight, but Buffy held onto him tightly, her free hand coming to his arm, rubbing it soothingly. Stephen calmed himself down and remained at Buffy's side. The gesture didn't go un-noticed by Angel and he could only wonder how Buffy and Connor had ended up coming here, not only together, but romantically together.
"My name's Stephen," he said quietly.
Angel faltered, not having expected those words to come from his son.
"Okay," Angel finally said. "Stephen…it's a good name. Not Irish, but…look, I know we haven't got off to a good start, but…if we could just take a minute. Just to talk."
Stephen swallowed and bit his lower lip, a habit he had picked up from Buffy. Angel didn't miss that either and he almost turned away, but he couldn't bring himself to stop looking at his son.
"Alright," Stephen agreed. Buffy smiled and kept rubbing his arm, keeping him calm.
"Uh…maybe we could uh…go into my office. Talk alone?" Angel said nervously.
Stephen tightened his grip and Buffy almost cried out at it. He looked towards Buffy, panic-stricken.
"You don't have to go alone if you don't want to," she said.
Stephen looked between his father and his wife, trying to weigh up what could happen. Finally he loosened his grip on Buffy's hand and stepped towards his father.
"Lead the way," he said, his voice not betraying the nervousness he felt.
Buffy bit back a smile and watched as Angel's face lit up. Father and son walked away and Buffy was left standing in the lobby of the hotel with Cordy, Groo and Lorne.
She watched them walk off until she could no longer see them. She glanced around the hotel nervously, suddenly very much aware of being alone with people she had been fighting only an hour ago.
She gave a short, nervous smile to Cordy who just stared back at her. Cordy finally stepped forward until the were only inches apart. Buffy braced herself for a fight, but was somewhat surprised when Cordy threw her arms around her. Hesitating for only a second, Buffy returned the hug.
Cordy suddenly gasped and began glowing brightly. Groo and Lorne rushed over to her, but found they couldn't touch her while she was like that. Buffy struggled, becoming incredibly worried when she felt her skin begin to get warm. She couldn't pull away, Cordy suddenly having some kind of magical hold on her.
Buffy inhaled sharply as she felt something pull itself away from her insides. Cordy took a step back and Buffy collapsed to her knees, her body shaking with violent sobs. Cordy fell to her knees and pulled the girl into her arms, rocking her gently. She looked up at Groo who was looking on in confusion.
Fred had raced into the office to grab a glass of water, coming back out and handing it to Cordy along with a box of tissues. Cordy smiled at the girl gratefully and tried to get Buffy to sit up, but the Slayer was still sobbing violently.
Gunn, Fred, Groo and Lorne just looked on, still unsure as to what had happened. Cordy had no idea what she had done, but there were tears on her face as she realised exactly what Buffy had endured.
Cordy managed to coax Buffy into sipping some of the water, a small smile coming to her face as she drank it. Her sobbing subsided and she managed to calm herself down, surprised by the outburst. She felt clean though, as though whatever Cordy had done had cleansed her completely. She closed her eyes, feeling content for a moment, before realising that the only thing she needed to feel completely whole was her husband.
She looked up at Cordy, both of their eyes red from crying. "Thanks," she whispered quietly.
Cordy just smiled and rubbing her shoulder comfortingly.
Groo helped Cordy get Buffy onto the circular couch and Cordy shot a look towards Fred who stepped forward and took over Cordy's position on the couch, Buffy not even realising who it was that was beside her.
Cordy looked hesitantly towards where Angel had taken Connor…Stephen rather. If Stephen was anything like Buffy was, there was a chance that Angel wouldn't be leaving the room as more than a large pile of dust.
