An Unexpected Proposal
By: Hollywood Phoenix
A/N: I'm having lots of fun with this! And I'm glad to see from the reviews that you guys are having as much fun with me! Thanks for the encouragement and feedback everyone!
So far: Cordy is upset with her dressing room episodes with Angel during 'Waiting in the Wings' and suddenly, Xander pops up with a serious question. She's just about to find out what it is.
~~*~~*~~ @ ~~*~~*~~
Chapter 2
(c) May 9, 2002
Behind me, Lorne is breaking it to Angel how Xander just showed up on the front doorstep, looking all miserable and professing that he needed to see me. Angel suddenly sticks his hands in his pockets, like a dejected puppy and mumbles something about checking on Connor. The perpetually grinning green demon immediately responds to him but I'm not listening to anyone else anymore. My mind is on the puppy heading up the stairs. My eyes travel with him. If I had sleeves, I'd say my heart was printed all over them.
Why's he going away?
And why's Lorne staring at me that way? Here I thought he didn't know how to frown.
Suddenly, I'm jerked back reality because Xander is staring into my eyes again, trying to get my attention. I squint my eyes in an effort to concentrate on what he's saying.
"Like I said, " he's mouthing, "I need an honest answer." He's reaching into his pocket, and I can see him going to the very bottom to produce something small. What can it be? Coins? Gum? Breathmint?
Nope, it's a sparkling diamond ring. Oh. It's really sparkly. *Gasp.*
Ever get the feeling that you're having an out-of-body experience but not? Like, you're seeing everything going on around you but you're the focus of everyone's attention?
That's exactly how I'm feeling right now.
I'm hearing all the gasps around me and am glad to find that I'm not the only stunned one in the audience. Oh, wait, I'm not part of the audience.
As the ring tilts my way, I see that it's a 24 carat gold diamond ring. It may be three years since I've seen one up close and personal, but once a material girl's seen one, she can spot it for life.
Oh. *Wow.*
Fred turns around and staring at the back of her head, can still hear her comment to Wesley, "I thought for sure she and Angel were meant to be together."
Huh? What's she babbling about? Me and Angel? What, wait, the ring's for me?
"Oh, uh, Xander." I'm stuttering like Angel was before. Who knew I was capable of this speech impediment? "I'm flattered..."
Suddenly, Xander's pulling his hand back and laughing in his Xander-like fashion. Only he could ever make snorting look adorable. Some things never change.
But now, I'm very confused.
"No, this ring's not for you." he explains. "It's Anya's."
"Oh." I say, vaguely disappointed that I'm no longer in its dazzling presence. "Well, that explains it." I let out a sigh of relief. I hear Fred let out a "whew" of relief too. Suddenly I feel irate as I realize what day it is.
"You had your wedding already." I accuse him. "I never got invited! What, did you forget to put me on the list?"
"I know, I'm sorry." he protests weakly, putting his hands up to protect himself.
I shake my head, thinking again that some things never change.
"I wanted to, but Anya was a little uncomfortable with having my ex at our wedding... even though she invited a few of her own herself. Okay, she did try to help you get back at me with that vengeance spell... I thought it might be... awkward."
"Yeah, excuses, excuses." I grumble. "If it wasn't for Willow spilling the beans, I'd never even know that you were getting married. So, did you come here to rub it in to us lower-class citizens who didn't make the wedding invite?" Ooh, I know, I hold a mean grudge sometimes. After all, he deserved it! I look around before needling it into him some more, "So, where's the happy honey?"
Xander hesitates. He looks ashamed. That can't be good. "She's not happy," he says sadly. "And she's not my honey anymore."
I resist the urge to whack him, "What did you do?" Knowing Xander, it had to be his fault, right?
"I kind of..." he trails off a bit. I lift my eyebrows at him, clearly signalling him to finish what he started. "... left Anya at the alter," he rushed.
My jaw drops now. Behind me, I sense Fred's jaw dropping with the same indignation. "You jilted her on her wedding day?" I shriek. "How could you? That's the worst thing you could do. Much worse than getting caught cheating by your girlfriend and causing said girlfriend to fall down some old wooden stairs and get stabbed in the back with an ugly huge spike." I turn around a little nervously at that last comment to Gunn's and Wesley's shell-shocked expressions. "Hypothetically speaking, of course."
Fred pipes in then, "That's really bad." Xander hangs his head and finds his shoes incredibly fascinating. Sisters uniting and all, if he didn't feel like a bug for doing that before, he's certainly feeling like one now.
"I know." Xander finally says. He looks up at me again, "I screwed up. I need to make it up to her. This time, I want to fix things right."
I stare at him, realizing why he came to me. Seeing the miserable look on his face, and hearing the sincerity in his words, I start to soften.
"How can I help you?" I ask.
"Can you let me crash at your place for tonight?" he pleads. "I need to talk to you... in private." he says, glancing at the crowd that's still hanging onto each word.
I fight back a sigh. "Okay, so that your whole sob story isn't front page for the Angel Investigations world, I'll let you stay at my apartment." I tell him. Sticking a warning finger in his delighted face, I caution him, "But only for one night."
-----
Disclaimers: Angel & co. aren't mine!
By: Hollywood Phoenix
A/N: I'm having lots of fun with this! And I'm glad to see from the reviews that you guys are having as much fun with me! Thanks for the encouragement and feedback everyone!
So far: Cordy is upset with her dressing room episodes with Angel during 'Waiting in the Wings' and suddenly, Xander pops up with a serious question. She's just about to find out what it is.
~~*~~*~~ @ ~~*~~*~~
Chapter 2
(c) May 9, 2002
Behind me, Lorne is breaking it to Angel how Xander just showed up on the front doorstep, looking all miserable and professing that he needed to see me. Angel suddenly sticks his hands in his pockets, like a dejected puppy and mumbles something about checking on Connor. The perpetually grinning green demon immediately responds to him but I'm not listening to anyone else anymore. My mind is on the puppy heading up the stairs. My eyes travel with him. If I had sleeves, I'd say my heart was printed all over them.
Why's he going away?
And why's Lorne staring at me that way? Here I thought he didn't know how to frown.
Suddenly, I'm jerked back reality because Xander is staring into my eyes again, trying to get my attention. I squint my eyes in an effort to concentrate on what he's saying.
"Like I said, " he's mouthing, "I need an honest answer." He's reaching into his pocket, and I can see him going to the very bottom to produce something small. What can it be? Coins? Gum? Breathmint?
Nope, it's a sparkling diamond ring. Oh. It's really sparkly. *Gasp.*
Ever get the feeling that you're having an out-of-body experience but not? Like, you're seeing everything going on around you but you're the focus of everyone's attention?
That's exactly how I'm feeling right now.
I'm hearing all the gasps around me and am glad to find that I'm not the only stunned one in the audience. Oh, wait, I'm not part of the audience.
As the ring tilts my way, I see that it's a 24 carat gold diamond ring. It may be three years since I've seen one up close and personal, but once a material girl's seen one, she can spot it for life.
Oh. *Wow.*
Fred turns around and staring at the back of her head, can still hear her comment to Wesley, "I thought for sure she and Angel were meant to be together."
Huh? What's she babbling about? Me and Angel? What, wait, the ring's for me?
"Oh, uh, Xander." I'm stuttering like Angel was before. Who knew I was capable of this speech impediment? "I'm flattered..."
Suddenly, Xander's pulling his hand back and laughing in his Xander-like fashion. Only he could ever make snorting look adorable. Some things never change.
But now, I'm very confused.
"No, this ring's not for you." he explains. "It's Anya's."
"Oh." I say, vaguely disappointed that I'm no longer in its dazzling presence. "Well, that explains it." I let out a sigh of relief. I hear Fred let out a "whew" of relief too. Suddenly I feel irate as I realize what day it is.
"You had your wedding already." I accuse him. "I never got invited! What, did you forget to put me on the list?"
"I know, I'm sorry." he protests weakly, putting his hands up to protect himself.
I shake my head, thinking again that some things never change.
"I wanted to, but Anya was a little uncomfortable with having my ex at our wedding... even though she invited a few of her own herself. Okay, she did try to help you get back at me with that vengeance spell... I thought it might be... awkward."
"Yeah, excuses, excuses." I grumble. "If it wasn't for Willow spilling the beans, I'd never even know that you were getting married. So, did you come here to rub it in to us lower-class citizens who didn't make the wedding invite?" Ooh, I know, I hold a mean grudge sometimes. After all, he deserved it! I look around before needling it into him some more, "So, where's the happy honey?"
Xander hesitates. He looks ashamed. That can't be good. "She's not happy," he says sadly. "And she's not my honey anymore."
I resist the urge to whack him, "What did you do?" Knowing Xander, it had to be his fault, right?
"I kind of..." he trails off a bit. I lift my eyebrows at him, clearly signalling him to finish what he started. "... left Anya at the alter," he rushed.
My jaw drops now. Behind me, I sense Fred's jaw dropping with the same indignation. "You jilted her on her wedding day?" I shriek. "How could you? That's the worst thing you could do. Much worse than getting caught cheating by your girlfriend and causing said girlfriend to fall down some old wooden stairs and get stabbed in the back with an ugly huge spike." I turn around a little nervously at that last comment to Gunn's and Wesley's shell-shocked expressions. "Hypothetically speaking, of course."
Fred pipes in then, "That's really bad." Xander hangs his head and finds his shoes incredibly fascinating. Sisters uniting and all, if he didn't feel like a bug for doing that before, he's certainly feeling like one now.
"I know." Xander finally says. He looks up at me again, "I screwed up. I need to make it up to her. This time, I want to fix things right."
I stare at him, realizing why he came to me. Seeing the miserable look on his face, and hearing the sincerity in his words, I start to soften.
"How can I help you?" I ask.
"Can you let me crash at your place for tonight?" he pleads. "I need to talk to you... in private." he says, glancing at the crowd that's still hanging onto each word.
I fight back a sigh. "Okay, so that your whole sob story isn't front page for the Angel Investigations world, I'll let you stay at my apartment." I tell him. Sticking a warning finger in his delighted face, I caution him, "But only for one night."
-----
Disclaimers: Angel & co. aren't mine!