Welcome to Pearl Harbor
Additional Characters:
Owen-Joe
Wesley-Earl
Gooz-Gooz (keeping this character cause he's just funny as crap)
Buffy stared out over Battleship Row. Thousands of sailors were whistling and yelling at her and her friends. They were on a ferry going through the harbor. Cordelia was basking in the attention of the sailors and Fred was calculating the odds for the girls.
"This is so exciting." Buffy said.
"You know, there's about a hundred ships on Pearl." Fred said.
"But how many sailors per ship?" Cordelia asked.
"It depends. There's more on a battleship than a sub. But say, on average.. Two thousand?"
"Yeah, but then there's the flyers, the marines, base personnel.." Willow said.
"I'm still working on the sailors." Cordy said.
"Girls, I think the odds are in your favor." Buffy said, smiling.
"Yeah, like four thousand to one." Anya said with a smile as she waved at the sailors.
"It's paradise." Willow said, slipping on her sunglasses.
"See ya on the beach, boys!" Cordy yelled, waving. She turned to the girls. "We're in Hawaii!"
Buffy smiled and slipped on her sunglasses. "That we are."
Willow noticed the slight tinge of sadness in her friend's voice and she sat down next to her as the other girls paid more attention to the sailors. "Hey Buff, he'll come back."
"He better."
"He's got two people here in Hawaii that need him to come back. He promised you."
Buffy smiled slightly and looked up at the sailors who waved and whistled. She sighed and turned her face to the sun.
*Air Base, Hawaii.*
"Oh, check out these new recruits." Owen said.
"Hi." Doyle said.
"Alo-ha." Wesley said, saluting.
"Y'all pilots?"
"Uh, we're working on it. It's a lot of switches and stuff." Gooz said. He chuckled as Doyle looked at him strangely. "Pride of the Pacific."
"Who are you?" Wesley asked.
"Terrors of the Skies." Doyle said with a smile.
*The nurses' house.*
Buffy walked out to the beach and sat down to read Angel's letter.
Dear Buffy,
It's different than I thought I it would be here. It's cold, so cold it goes deep into your bones. There is one place I can go to find warmth. That is to think of you. I just wish I could be back there with you. It's not easy making friends. Two days ago, I had a beer with a couple of the RAF pilots. Yesterday, both of them got killed. I miss you so much. If you see Doyle, please tell him I miss him too. Hopefully this will end soon so I can come home to you and finally start our family together.
Always yours,
Angel
Buffy tried not to cry. Here she was in paradise, yet she was miserable because the man she loved was half a world away from her. Wiping away her invisible tears, she sat back and started to write back to Angel.
Dear Angel,
I miss you so much. It's so strange to be half a world away from you. Every night I look at the sunset and try to draw the last ounce of heat from its long day and send it from my heart to yours. I miss you so much. I was just thinking to myself that I'm in paradise, but I'm miserable because you're not here with me. It's so peaceful here. Everything is so bright and beautiful. I count the days until you come back to me. I will tell Doyle you miss him. He was stationed here at Pearl also. Come home to us.
Forever yours,
Buffy
*England Air Base*
The air raid siren blared. Everyone started to rush to their planes. Angel ran fast and jumped up on the ladder. Ian ran up to Angel before he could climb into his plane.
"I fixed the hydraulics and electrical system, sir, but the oil hoses still need attention!" Ian said.
"Just crank it, Ian!" Angel said, diving into his plane and preparing himself for take off. They got up in the air and headed towards the battle zone.
"Red section, take the bombers. Blue section, look out for the fighters." An officer said.
"Bombers dead ahead. Let's drop in and give em a reception. Red Two, follow my lead, high side. Go right at the lead bomber." Angel said.
"Following you, Red One." Red Two replied.
They started shooting. The enemy planes were caught by surprise as Angel and the others shot at them.
"Good hit! Good hit! Red One, coming around, reset for the kill. I have the middle bomber." Angel said. He shot at him the enemy plane. "Hammer down!" He hit the plane and it went down. "We got him. Nice shot, Red Two. I got two M.E.s dead ahead. I'm on him. I'm on his tail. Hammer down." He shot and another one went down. "I got one of 'em!" Another bomber came up behind Angel's plane, firing at him.
"Red One, you got fighters all over your tail!" Red Two yelled.
"I'm under fire! I'm taking fire!"
"Red One, get out of there! Pull up! Pull up!" The officer said.
An oil hose snapped and oil gushed into Angel's face. "Argh! I got an oil leak!" Suddenly, a fire emerged from the oil. Angel screamed. "Can't see a damn thing!" He tried to break through the canopy. "I can't bail! My canopy's stuck! I can't bail out!" Angel took out his gun and shot holes through the top of the canopy. He punched through the glass and allowed the smoke to trial out. "He's on my tail, Red Two." The bomber shot him and hit him. "I'm hit! I'm hit!" His plane started spiraling toward the ocean, the dial spinning out of control. "Mayday! Mayday!" He plummeted to the water. "Oh, my God." As Angel's plane crashed into the ocean in a huge crash and disappeared out of view, the lost thought that went through is mind was, "I love you Buffy."
*Nurses house.*
"I love you Buffy."
Buffy sat up in bed, a scream escaping her lips. "Angel! NO!"
Willow ran over from the bathroom. "Buffy! Are you ok?"
Buffy started to cry. "Oh God!"
"Another dream?"
"It was so real."
"So were all the others." Willow hugged Buffy to her. "Shh, it's ok."
"It was so real. Much more real than the others."
"Shh. Come on, we need to get ready for church."
Buffy wiped away her tears and nodded. She got up and tried to get ready for church. In the bathroom, she started to cry again. Something felt wrong. Something WAS wrong, she just felt it.
Later that day, the girls were walking home from church. Willow was saying something behind Buffy. "I'm no good at church."
"What do you mean, sweetie?" Fred asked.
"Well, whenever I'm up there getting my slate wiped clean, I can't help but think of how I'm gonna dirty it up again."
"Wow, this from a virgin." Cordy said.
"I've got inventory supplies to do." Buffy said, breaking away from the others.
"Kill me now. Could you be anymore boring?" Anya called.
"Don't bother. Sunday she writes Angel. Ten pages instead of the usual five." Willow said.
"Gosh, I wish I was in love." Cordy said.
A car honked and drove up to them. Xander and Riley were inside. Riley looked up at Fred. "Hey, sweetheart." Fred gave him a halfhearted wave. "She hates me." He muttered to Xander who wasn't listening.
"Good to see you, Xander." Willow said, walking up to the car.
"Sure good to see you, too, Willow." Xander said. "What are you doing? You wanna come for a ride?" Willow nodded. "Come on." Willow nodded and Xander hopped into the backseat.
"Yeah, I'll be your chauffeur." Riley muttered as he drove off.
*Nurses' office.*
Buffy was patching up Dorie's split eyebrow. "How'd you get this?"
"Boxing." Dorie said.
"Did you win?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"What do you get for winning?"
"Respect."
Buffy finished stitching him up and cut the wire. Dorie stood up and she walked him to the door. "So why do you have to fight with your fists to get respect?"
"I left my momma in Texas and joined the Navy to see the world.. Become a man. They made me a cook. Not even that. I clean up after other sailors eat. Two years, they never even let me fire a weapon."
"Well, let's hope you never have to."
A car pulled up on the road as Dorie said, "Yes ma'am."
"You take care, Petty Officer Miller."
"You, too, ma'am." Dorie put his hat back on and walked away.
Buffy looked up just as Doyle climbed out of the back of the car. He was dressed in his formal uniform. He looked up at her, his face etched in sadness and grief. She stopped, hesitant at the expression on his face, then walked toward him as he walked up the path to her. They stopped a few feet apart. She now understood why he had come. Her face fell and he pulled her to him, she laid her head against his shoulder in shock. Buffy and Doyle stood there in shock, both trying not to cry for the other.
"Come on." Doyle said. He started to walk and she walked next to him, silent tears falling down her cheeks. They walked in silence for the longest time. After a while, they found themselves at a park and they walked over to the fountain and sat down. Doyle looked over at her as tears finally started to fall down his face. "You know, he taught me to fly. I always knew that no matter what trouble I got into I'd never be in it alone. He'd be there with me. Up there, he was always pushing me to be better and faster."
"He told me you were a great flier. It was the same night he told me.. He volunteered to go to England." Buffy said, tears flowing faster.
"Volunteered? He.. He told me he'd been assigned." Buffy offered a small smile. "He was always trying to protect me. But you know.. I look at myself in the mirror in this uniform and I still don't know who I am. I look like a hero.. But I don't feel like it. Angel.. He always looked the part, didn't he?"
"He couldn't wait to be one." Buffy finally gave in and she started to sob. Doyle pulled her into a hug and she cried into his shoulder.
The next day was so hard on Buffy. Doyle and the other pilots that had known Angel called a wake at the Hula-la Bar. It was raining outside, and the pilots and nurses were gathered in the bar, each with a shot glass in their hand. Doyle poured some liquor in a shot glass under Angel's picture, which hung on the wall under a small note reading "Killed in Action." Buffy stood between Cordy and Willow, trying to hold in her tears.
"To Angel McCawley. The best pilot and the best friend I ever knew.. Or ever will know. To Angel." Doyle said. Everyone downed their shots.
It was all too much for Buffy and she practically ran out of the bar. Willow followed her and Buffy made it to the house before she collapsed and started to sob. Willow sat on the floor next to her and Buffy collapsed into Willow's lap, sobbing. Her best friend cried with her. She hated to see Buffy so broken. Willow hadn't realized how deeply in love Buffy was with Angel. After an hour of crying, Buffy got up and went to her bed. She didn't get out of bed for the next couple of days. Willow slept in a bed close to Buffy's. She listened to her friend cry herself to sleep night after night.
A few days later, Buffy walked out onto the porch, her hair wet from the shower. Fred walked up to her with an envelope. "Buffy, I signed for these letters for you today. They're from England."
Buffy took the letters. "They're from Angel."
"I'm sorry, Buffy. You know how long it takes for mail to get here."
Buffy only nodded and stared at the letters as she walked away. She got dressed and walked out to the rocks on the beach that she used to write letters to Angel on. She read each letter carefully. Each one made her depression sink further. A glint caught her eye and she looked down at the ring that Angel had given her. It was the closest thing to a wedding they would ever get. Buffy twisted the ring around her finger, tears starting to fall again.
*3 Months Later.*
Buffy sat in the movie theatre, trying to watch the news. The announcer was talking about peace talks between the U.S. and Japan. Suddenly, the clips changed to footage of planes being shot down. Buffy watched with a fixed expression on her face.
"On the British front, Churchill declares 'Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.'" The announcer said.
It was too much for Buffy and she walked out of the theatre. She was almost to the street when someone called her name. She turned. "Doyle!"
"Hey!" Doyle said.
"Some comedy, huh?"
"Yeah."
"It's been a while."
"Yeah, I've been logging a lot of flight hours."
Buffy smiled sadly. "I've kind of been avoiding you, too."
They both looked out across the street. "Yeah. Do you.." Doyle said at the same time Buffy said, "Look.."
Doyle smiled. "You wanna..?"
"Sure. Yeah."
Doyle and Buffy walked across the street to a little café. They sat down and stared at the table in silence. After a few minutes, Doyle spoke up.
"I remember one time when I was, like, seven years old. I was always building gadgets and things. Angel told me he wanted me to build him some wings so he could fly like his daddy, dustin' crops. I told him you can't fly without some kind of engine, right? But he
wouldn't listen, you know. He told me 'Doyle, never mind all that, just build 'em anyway.' So I did. And I'm up there strappin' these big ol' wings on his back that we made from paper and glue and these massive silk bloomers that we stole. He looked so stupid, you know, and I told him, 'You can't jump off the barn in these.' And bam!" Doyle smacked his hand on the table. "He busted his leg on the backhoe."
Buffy gave a little laugh and then sighed. "God, I miss him."
"Yeah. But don't you think that Angel wasn't back up there the next day, cast and everything, telling me to make some adjustments on those wings."
Buffy smiled. "Yeah."
Doyle went into a couple of other stories and finally got a couple of good laughs out of Buffy. She was still really sad and uncomfortable though. Doyle could tell. "Am I talking too much? Sometimes I do that. I'm sorry."
"Hold up! Look at this. Hello." Anya said, waving at Buffy from the street outside the window. They all waved at each other. Willow was cuddling up to Xander and smiling like a fool. "Ok, let's get out of here."
"I guess I should go." Buffy said, standing up.
"Don't let it be three months before I see you again, all right?" Doyle said.
"I had a good time."
"Yeah, me too." Doyle stood. "Do you want me to walk you home, or.."
"No, I'll be fine."
"No, of course."
"Good night."
"Good night." Doyle waved at Buffy as she walked off.
Buffy walked into the night, thinking to herself. Doyle was sweet, but did she really like him like that. No. The answer to her question was a big no. He was Cordy's sweetheart and besides, Buffy wasn't over Angel at all. She didn't think she would ever be. Maybe one day she would find someone else, but not right now. Not when the wounds were so easily opened by just seeing her lover's best friend.
The next day at the hospital, Buffy was moving supplies and storing them. The other girls were lounging around on the empty hospital beds. Cordy was the first to see her.
"Did you have fun last night?" She asked a little scornfully.
"It wasn't how it looked." Buffy said.
"And if it was, it'd be all right. It's been months. It's time to move on." Fred said.
"Yeah, but not to my beau." Cordy protested.
"I'm not moving on to your beau. He's just a friend. A friend that I have a hard time looking at. I will move on." Buffy said.
Willow piped up. "Buff, don't lie. All I know is I hear you crying when you think I'm asleep. When my dad left, I was too much for my mom to handle so she sent me to live with my aunt. I thought my life was over, but.. You never know where it's all gonna lead. If I hadn't run away and lied about my age and enlisted in the Navy, I wouldn't have met Xander, and now he's my fiancé!" Buffy smiled in surprise. "Gosh, I can't get used to that word."
"It's only been twelve hours." Cordy said.
"Oh Willow!" Buffy said. She walked over and hugged her friend tightly.
"Little Willow beat us all to the post."
Anya appeared at the end of the ward with a group of new recruits. "And this is ward three. As you can see, no patients. Welcome to Hawaii. Come on, I'll show you the bar."
"Fred, new recruits.. To torture. Come on." They got up and headed for the other nurses. "Excuse me, ladies!"
"Hi!" Fred called.
"We're gonna wait two years until I'm nineteen and Xander can buy me a ring." Willow said. "Angel sent his best friend to tell you so you would be okay, so you can move on. You gotta go on living, Buffy." Buffy nodded and gave Willow another hug. Willow jumped when she saw Xander coming in at the end of the hall carrying a bouquet of flowers.
"Xander! Whoo! Sorry." Willow jumped up and ran over to him, jumping into his arms as Buffy watched.
Later in the day, Buffy went home and gathered the letters from Angel. She took off her ring and put it in the middle of her journal. She put everything in her drawer and shut it. "Bye, Angel."
*A few months later. It's now December 6, 1941.*
Buffy sat at one of the desks and went through some supplies. Outside, someone walked up to the building. Buffy stopped and looked up, but she didn't see Angel watching her through the window.
Over at Doyle's bunk, Doyle was reading a telegram from Angel. "I'm alive. This is the first I could get word out."
Back at the hospital, Buffy walked out, her head down and not seeing what was in front of her. She looked up and gasped when she saw Angel standing before her. Shakily, she reached out and touched him as if making sure he was really there.
"I told you I'd come back." Angel said. Buffy fell against him, crying. "Here, sit down. Sit down, come here." He led to her a nearby bench. "It's okay. It's all right."
Buffy reached out and touched his face. "You're real."
"Yeah."
"I wished for this everyday."
"I know. Me, too. Every second. So did I."
"I thought you were dead. They said you were shot down in the sea."
"Yeah, I was. I was in the ocean. It was so cold. I missed you. I got picked up by a French fishing boat and I was in occupied France, and I couldn't get word out. And I'm just.. I'll tell you all about it, I promise. But I'm fine. I'm ok. And I'm here now. Buffy, I just wanted to see you. You're so beautiful." They both leaned in to kiss. "I love you." They started to kiss. It grew so passionate that Buffy had to pull back. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay, Buffy. Buffy, I'm back. It's okay. I won't leave you again, I promise."
"Angel, you died. And so did I."
"I know, but I'm.. I'm.. It's fine now. I'm back. We're together.. I mean, we are together.. Right?"
Buffy nodded and fell into his arms sobbing. "Angel, I thought you were gone. All those months.."
"Shh, I know baby. I know. It's ok. I'm here now."
"I love you Angel. I thought you died without knowing how much I love you."
"I'll always know how much you love me. Buffy, I love you so much."
"Buffy!" Doyle cried as he came running around the corner. "Buffy!" For the first time, Doyle saw Angel. "Angel.."
"Doyle!" Angel stood and the two men embraced.
"I just got your telegram." Doyle looked at Buffy. "Cordy told me you were working late here and I came right over. Guess I didn't need to."
Buffy still sat on the bench, crying. Angel walked back over to her and pulled her up into his arms. She embraced him tightly. Doyle excused himself to the Hula-la Bar and slipped away. Angel took her hand and led her to the nurses' house. She allowed him to take her, still crying and half in shock. No one was there; they were all out having fun on the town with their sweethearts. Angel sat her down on the couch on the covered patio and hugged her tightly to him. They sat there in the dark, two lovers that had been hopelessly separated. She cried out all of her frustrations and tears of joy as he held her to him. After a while, she pulled away and looked down at his uniform.
"Oh, I got you all wet." Buffy said, wiping away her tears.
"It's ok. It'll dry." Angel said, wiping at the wet spot.
"Here." Buffy reached out and started to undo the buttons on his jacket. Her hands were shaking as she slowly worked her way down. Their eyes met and both of them knew that this was the night they were going to be together.
With that realization, their lips met in a slow and passionate kiss. Buffy's shaking hands finally got the buttons undone and she slid the jacket off, sliding closer to Angel in the process. He reached out to her and slid his hands over her breasts and started to undo her shirt's buttons. She brought her hands to his and helped him undo the buttons. He worked slowly, not wanting to spoil anything. Buffy untucked her shirt from her skirt and he slid the material down her arms and let it drop to the floor. She gasped as his warm hands slid over her ribs and fanned out over her back. She moved onto his lap and straddled him, pulling his white undershirt over his head.
Buffy had never seen Angel's bare chest before. He was just as muscular as she had imagined. She splayed her hands over his hard abs and rubbed her way up his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck as he leaned in to kiss her chest. With a soft flip, Buffy was laying below Angel, breathing just as heavy as he was. She watched as he moved down her legs and took her shoes and stockings off. Not wanting to miss a beat, Buffy arched up and unzipped her skirt. He gently slid it off of her and dropped it on top of her blouse before undoing his pants and stepping out of them. Now they were both in their skivvies. Angel perched between her legs and stared down into her eyes.
"Are you sure?" Angel asked.
"Yes. I've never been more sure in my life." Buffy said.
"I love you."
"I love you."
With one swift movement that Buffy had no idea how they pulled off, their skivvies were gone and Angel was gently pushing into her as he kissed her neck. She felt herself stretching to accommodate him and as he pushed in further, she felt a sharp pain and realized Angel had just pushed past her barrier, taking her virginity. Buffy gasped with the pain that came with every gentle push. Eventually, the pain started to subside and the pleasure took over her body. She started to respond to Angel's movements, arching up into him and kissing him. It was like nothing either of them had ever felt when they climaxed together. It was ecstasy, heaven, pure happiness, passion, fear, love, grief, and anger all rolled into one moment. After wards, they gazed into each other's eyes, both shaking uncontrollably, with nothing but love for the other. Everything was perfect. Nothing could ruin the moment. Nothing except the morning after, that is.
Additional Characters:
Owen-Joe
Wesley-Earl
Gooz-Gooz (keeping this character cause he's just funny as crap)
Buffy stared out over Battleship Row. Thousands of sailors were whistling and yelling at her and her friends. They were on a ferry going through the harbor. Cordelia was basking in the attention of the sailors and Fred was calculating the odds for the girls.
"This is so exciting." Buffy said.
"You know, there's about a hundred ships on Pearl." Fred said.
"But how many sailors per ship?" Cordelia asked.
"It depends. There's more on a battleship than a sub. But say, on average.. Two thousand?"
"Yeah, but then there's the flyers, the marines, base personnel.." Willow said.
"I'm still working on the sailors." Cordy said.
"Girls, I think the odds are in your favor." Buffy said, smiling.
"Yeah, like four thousand to one." Anya said with a smile as she waved at the sailors.
"It's paradise." Willow said, slipping on her sunglasses.
"See ya on the beach, boys!" Cordy yelled, waving. She turned to the girls. "We're in Hawaii!"
Buffy smiled and slipped on her sunglasses. "That we are."
Willow noticed the slight tinge of sadness in her friend's voice and she sat down next to her as the other girls paid more attention to the sailors. "Hey Buff, he'll come back."
"He better."
"He's got two people here in Hawaii that need him to come back. He promised you."
Buffy smiled slightly and looked up at the sailors who waved and whistled. She sighed and turned her face to the sun.
*Air Base, Hawaii.*
"Oh, check out these new recruits." Owen said.
"Hi." Doyle said.
"Alo-ha." Wesley said, saluting.
"Y'all pilots?"
"Uh, we're working on it. It's a lot of switches and stuff." Gooz said. He chuckled as Doyle looked at him strangely. "Pride of the Pacific."
"Who are you?" Wesley asked.
"Terrors of the Skies." Doyle said with a smile.
*The nurses' house.*
Buffy walked out to the beach and sat down to read Angel's letter.
Dear Buffy,
It's different than I thought I it would be here. It's cold, so cold it goes deep into your bones. There is one place I can go to find warmth. That is to think of you. I just wish I could be back there with you. It's not easy making friends. Two days ago, I had a beer with a couple of the RAF pilots. Yesterday, both of them got killed. I miss you so much. If you see Doyle, please tell him I miss him too. Hopefully this will end soon so I can come home to you and finally start our family together.
Always yours,
Angel
Buffy tried not to cry. Here she was in paradise, yet she was miserable because the man she loved was half a world away from her. Wiping away her invisible tears, she sat back and started to write back to Angel.
Dear Angel,
I miss you so much. It's so strange to be half a world away from you. Every night I look at the sunset and try to draw the last ounce of heat from its long day and send it from my heart to yours. I miss you so much. I was just thinking to myself that I'm in paradise, but I'm miserable because you're not here with me. It's so peaceful here. Everything is so bright and beautiful. I count the days until you come back to me. I will tell Doyle you miss him. He was stationed here at Pearl also. Come home to us.
Forever yours,
Buffy
*England Air Base*
The air raid siren blared. Everyone started to rush to their planes. Angel ran fast and jumped up on the ladder. Ian ran up to Angel before he could climb into his plane.
"I fixed the hydraulics and electrical system, sir, but the oil hoses still need attention!" Ian said.
"Just crank it, Ian!" Angel said, diving into his plane and preparing himself for take off. They got up in the air and headed towards the battle zone.
"Red section, take the bombers. Blue section, look out for the fighters." An officer said.
"Bombers dead ahead. Let's drop in and give em a reception. Red Two, follow my lead, high side. Go right at the lead bomber." Angel said.
"Following you, Red One." Red Two replied.
They started shooting. The enemy planes were caught by surprise as Angel and the others shot at them.
"Good hit! Good hit! Red One, coming around, reset for the kill. I have the middle bomber." Angel said. He shot at him the enemy plane. "Hammer down!" He hit the plane and it went down. "We got him. Nice shot, Red Two. I got two M.E.s dead ahead. I'm on him. I'm on his tail. Hammer down." He shot and another one went down. "I got one of 'em!" Another bomber came up behind Angel's plane, firing at him.
"Red One, you got fighters all over your tail!" Red Two yelled.
"I'm under fire! I'm taking fire!"
"Red One, get out of there! Pull up! Pull up!" The officer said.
An oil hose snapped and oil gushed into Angel's face. "Argh! I got an oil leak!" Suddenly, a fire emerged from the oil. Angel screamed. "Can't see a damn thing!" He tried to break through the canopy. "I can't bail! My canopy's stuck! I can't bail out!" Angel took out his gun and shot holes through the top of the canopy. He punched through the glass and allowed the smoke to trial out. "He's on my tail, Red Two." The bomber shot him and hit him. "I'm hit! I'm hit!" His plane started spiraling toward the ocean, the dial spinning out of control. "Mayday! Mayday!" He plummeted to the water. "Oh, my God." As Angel's plane crashed into the ocean in a huge crash and disappeared out of view, the lost thought that went through is mind was, "I love you Buffy."
*Nurses house.*
"I love you Buffy."
Buffy sat up in bed, a scream escaping her lips. "Angel! NO!"
Willow ran over from the bathroom. "Buffy! Are you ok?"
Buffy started to cry. "Oh God!"
"Another dream?"
"It was so real."
"So were all the others." Willow hugged Buffy to her. "Shh, it's ok."
"It was so real. Much more real than the others."
"Shh. Come on, we need to get ready for church."
Buffy wiped away her tears and nodded. She got up and tried to get ready for church. In the bathroom, she started to cry again. Something felt wrong. Something WAS wrong, she just felt it.
Later that day, the girls were walking home from church. Willow was saying something behind Buffy. "I'm no good at church."
"What do you mean, sweetie?" Fred asked.
"Well, whenever I'm up there getting my slate wiped clean, I can't help but think of how I'm gonna dirty it up again."
"Wow, this from a virgin." Cordy said.
"I've got inventory supplies to do." Buffy said, breaking away from the others.
"Kill me now. Could you be anymore boring?" Anya called.
"Don't bother. Sunday she writes Angel. Ten pages instead of the usual five." Willow said.
"Gosh, I wish I was in love." Cordy said.
A car honked and drove up to them. Xander and Riley were inside. Riley looked up at Fred. "Hey, sweetheart." Fred gave him a halfhearted wave. "She hates me." He muttered to Xander who wasn't listening.
"Good to see you, Xander." Willow said, walking up to the car.
"Sure good to see you, too, Willow." Xander said. "What are you doing? You wanna come for a ride?" Willow nodded. "Come on." Willow nodded and Xander hopped into the backseat.
"Yeah, I'll be your chauffeur." Riley muttered as he drove off.
*Nurses' office.*
Buffy was patching up Dorie's split eyebrow. "How'd you get this?"
"Boxing." Dorie said.
"Did you win?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"What do you get for winning?"
"Respect."
Buffy finished stitching him up and cut the wire. Dorie stood up and she walked him to the door. "So why do you have to fight with your fists to get respect?"
"I left my momma in Texas and joined the Navy to see the world.. Become a man. They made me a cook. Not even that. I clean up after other sailors eat. Two years, they never even let me fire a weapon."
"Well, let's hope you never have to."
A car pulled up on the road as Dorie said, "Yes ma'am."
"You take care, Petty Officer Miller."
"You, too, ma'am." Dorie put his hat back on and walked away.
Buffy looked up just as Doyle climbed out of the back of the car. He was dressed in his formal uniform. He looked up at her, his face etched in sadness and grief. She stopped, hesitant at the expression on his face, then walked toward him as he walked up the path to her. They stopped a few feet apart. She now understood why he had come. Her face fell and he pulled her to him, she laid her head against his shoulder in shock. Buffy and Doyle stood there in shock, both trying not to cry for the other.
"Come on." Doyle said. He started to walk and she walked next to him, silent tears falling down her cheeks. They walked in silence for the longest time. After a while, they found themselves at a park and they walked over to the fountain and sat down. Doyle looked over at her as tears finally started to fall down his face. "You know, he taught me to fly. I always knew that no matter what trouble I got into I'd never be in it alone. He'd be there with me. Up there, he was always pushing me to be better and faster."
"He told me you were a great flier. It was the same night he told me.. He volunteered to go to England." Buffy said, tears flowing faster.
"Volunteered? He.. He told me he'd been assigned." Buffy offered a small smile. "He was always trying to protect me. But you know.. I look at myself in the mirror in this uniform and I still don't know who I am. I look like a hero.. But I don't feel like it. Angel.. He always looked the part, didn't he?"
"He couldn't wait to be one." Buffy finally gave in and she started to sob. Doyle pulled her into a hug and she cried into his shoulder.
The next day was so hard on Buffy. Doyle and the other pilots that had known Angel called a wake at the Hula-la Bar. It was raining outside, and the pilots and nurses were gathered in the bar, each with a shot glass in their hand. Doyle poured some liquor in a shot glass under Angel's picture, which hung on the wall under a small note reading "Killed in Action." Buffy stood between Cordy and Willow, trying to hold in her tears.
"To Angel McCawley. The best pilot and the best friend I ever knew.. Or ever will know. To Angel." Doyle said. Everyone downed their shots.
It was all too much for Buffy and she practically ran out of the bar. Willow followed her and Buffy made it to the house before she collapsed and started to sob. Willow sat on the floor next to her and Buffy collapsed into Willow's lap, sobbing. Her best friend cried with her. She hated to see Buffy so broken. Willow hadn't realized how deeply in love Buffy was with Angel. After an hour of crying, Buffy got up and went to her bed. She didn't get out of bed for the next couple of days. Willow slept in a bed close to Buffy's. She listened to her friend cry herself to sleep night after night.
A few days later, Buffy walked out onto the porch, her hair wet from the shower. Fred walked up to her with an envelope. "Buffy, I signed for these letters for you today. They're from England."
Buffy took the letters. "They're from Angel."
"I'm sorry, Buffy. You know how long it takes for mail to get here."
Buffy only nodded and stared at the letters as she walked away. She got dressed and walked out to the rocks on the beach that she used to write letters to Angel on. She read each letter carefully. Each one made her depression sink further. A glint caught her eye and she looked down at the ring that Angel had given her. It was the closest thing to a wedding they would ever get. Buffy twisted the ring around her finger, tears starting to fall again.
*3 Months Later.*
Buffy sat in the movie theatre, trying to watch the news. The announcer was talking about peace talks between the U.S. and Japan. Suddenly, the clips changed to footage of planes being shot down. Buffy watched with a fixed expression on her face.
"On the British front, Churchill declares 'Give us the tools, and we will finish the job.'" The announcer said.
It was too much for Buffy and she walked out of the theatre. She was almost to the street when someone called her name. She turned. "Doyle!"
"Hey!" Doyle said.
"Some comedy, huh?"
"Yeah."
"It's been a while."
"Yeah, I've been logging a lot of flight hours."
Buffy smiled sadly. "I've kind of been avoiding you, too."
They both looked out across the street. "Yeah. Do you.." Doyle said at the same time Buffy said, "Look.."
Doyle smiled. "You wanna..?"
"Sure. Yeah."
Doyle and Buffy walked across the street to a little café. They sat down and stared at the table in silence. After a few minutes, Doyle spoke up.
"I remember one time when I was, like, seven years old. I was always building gadgets and things. Angel told me he wanted me to build him some wings so he could fly like his daddy, dustin' crops. I told him you can't fly without some kind of engine, right? But he
wouldn't listen, you know. He told me 'Doyle, never mind all that, just build 'em anyway.' So I did. And I'm up there strappin' these big ol' wings on his back that we made from paper and glue and these massive silk bloomers that we stole. He looked so stupid, you know, and I told him, 'You can't jump off the barn in these.' And bam!" Doyle smacked his hand on the table. "He busted his leg on the backhoe."
Buffy gave a little laugh and then sighed. "God, I miss him."
"Yeah. But don't you think that Angel wasn't back up there the next day, cast and everything, telling me to make some adjustments on those wings."
Buffy smiled. "Yeah."
Doyle went into a couple of other stories and finally got a couple of good laughs out of Buffy. She was still really sad and uncomfortable though. Doyle could tell. "Am I talking too much? Sometimes I do that. I'm sorry."
"Hold up! Look at this. Hello." Anya said, waving at Buffy from the street outside the window. They all waved at each other. Willow was cuddling up to Xander and smiling like a fool. "Ok, let's get out of here."
"I guess I should go." Buffy said, standing up.
"Don't let it be three months before I see you again, all right?" Doyle said.
"I had a good time."
"Yeah, me too." Doyle stood. "Do you want me to walk you home, or.."
"No, I'll be fine."
"No, of course."
"Good night."
"Good night." Doyle waved at Buffy as she walked off.
Buffy walked into the night, thinking to herself. Doyle was sweet, but did she really like him like that. No. The answer to her question was a big no. He was Cordy's sweetheart and besides, Buffy wasn't over Angel at all. She didn't think she would ever be. Maybe one day she would find someone else, but not right now. Not when the wounds were so easily opened by just seeing her lover's best friend.
The next day at the hospital, Buffy was moving supplies and storing them. The other girls were lounging around on the empty hospital beds. Cordy was the first to see her.
"Did you have fun last night?" She asked a little scornfully.
"It wasn't how it looked." Buffy said.
"And if it was, it'd be all right. It's been months. It's time to move on." Fred said.
"Yeah, but not to my beau." Cordy protested.
"I'm not moving on to your beau. He's just a friend. A friend that I have a hard time looking at. I will move on." Buffy said.
Willow piped up. "Buff, don't lie. All I know is I hear you crying when you think I'm asleep. When my dad left, I was too much for my mom to handle so she sent me to live with my aunt. I thought my life was over, but.. You never know where it's all gonna lead. If I hadn't run away and lied about my age and enlisted in the Navy, I wouldn't have met Xander, and now he's my fiancé!" Buffy smiled in surprise. "Gosh, I can't get used to that word."
"It's only been twelve hours." Cordy said.
"Oh Willow!" Buffy said. She walked over and hugged her friend tightly.
"Little Willow beat us all to the post."
Anya appeared at the end of the ward with a group of new recruits. "And this is ward three. As you can see, no patients. Welcome to Hawaii. Come on, I'll show you the bar."
"Fred, new recruits.. To torture. Come on." They got up and headed for the other nurses. "Excuse me, ladies!"
"Hi!" Fred called.
"We're gonna wait two years until I'm nineteen and Xander can buy me a ring." Willow said. "Angel sent his best friend to tell you so you would be okay, so you can move on. You gotta go on living, Buffy." Buffy nodded and gave Willow another hug. Willow jumped when she saw Xander coming in at the end of the hall carrying a bouquet of flowers.
"Xander! Whoo! Sorry." Willow jumped up and ran over to him, jumping into his arms as Buffy watched.
Later in the day, Buffy went home and gathered the letters from Angel. She took off her ring and put it in the middle of her journal. She put everything in her drawer and shut it. "Bye, Angel."
*A few months later. It's now December 6, 1941.*
Buffy sat at one of the desks and went through some supplies. Outside, someone walked up to the building. Buffy stopped and looked up, but she didn't see Angel watching her through the window.
Over at Doyle's bunk, Doyle was reading a telegram from Angel. "I'm alive. This is the first I could get word out."
Back at the hospital, Buffy walked out, her head down and not seeing what was in front of her. She looked up and gasped when she saw Angel standing before her. Shakily, she reached out and touched him as if making sure he was really there.
"I told you I'd come back." Angel said. Buffy fell against him, crying. "Here, sit down. Sit down, come here." He led to her a nearby bench. "It's okay. It's all right."
Buffy reached out and touched his face. "You're real."
"Yeah."
"I wished for this everyday."
"I know. Me, too. Every second. So did I."
"I thought you were dead. They said you were shot down in the sea."
"Yeah, I was. I was in the ocean. It was so cold. I missed you. I got picked up by a French fishing boat and I was in occupied France, and I couldn't get word out. And I'm just.. I'll tell you all about it, I promise. But I'm fine. I'm ok. And I'm here now. Buffy, I just wanted to see you. You're so beautiful." They both leaned in to kiss. "I love you." They started to kiss. It grew so passionate that Buffy had to pull back. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay, Buffy. Buffy, I'm back. It's okay. I won't leave you again, I promise."
"Angel, you died. And so did I."
"I know, but I'm.. I'm.. It's fine now. I'm back. We're together.. I mean, we are together.. Right?"
Buffy nodded and fell into his arms sobbing. "Angel, I thought you were gone. All those months.."
"Shh, I know baby. I know. It's ok. I'm here now."
"I love you Angel. I thought you died without knowing how much I love you."
"I'll always know how much you love me. Buffy, I love you so much."
"Buffy!" Doyle cried as he came running around the corner. "Buffy!" For the first time, Doyle saw Angel. "Angel.."
"Doyle!" Angel stood and the two men embraced.
"I just got your telegram." Doyle looked at Buffy. "Cordy told me you were working late here and I came right over. Guess I didn't need to."
Buffy still sat on the bench, crying. Angel walked back over to her and pulled her up into his arms. She embraced him tightly. Doyle excused himself to the Hula-la Bar and slipped away. Angel took her hand and led her to the nurses' house. She allowed him to take her, still crying and half in shock. No one was there; they were all out having fun on the town with their sweethearts. Angel sat her down on the couch on the covered patio and hugged her tightly to him. They sat there in the dark, two lovers that had been hopelessly separated. She cried out all of her frustrations and tears of joy as he held her to him. After a while, she pulled away and looked down at his uniform.
"Oh, I got you all wet." Buffy said, wiping away her tears.
"It's ok. It'll dry." Angel said, wiping at the wet spot.
"Here." Buffy reached out and started to undo the buttons on his jacket. Her hands were shaking as she slowly worked her way down. Their eyes met and both of them knew that this was the night they were going to be together.
With that realization, their lips met in a slow and passionate kiss. Buffy's shaking hands finally got the buttons undone and she slid the jacket off, sliding closer to Angel in the process. He reached out to her and slid his hands over her breasts and started to undo her shirt's buttons. She brought her hands to his and helped him undo the buttons. He worked slowly, not wanting to spoil anything. Buffy untucked her shirt from her skirt and he slid the material down her arms and let it drop to the floor. She gasped as his warm hands slid over her ribs and fanned out over her back. She moved onto his lap and straddled him, pulling his white undershirt over his head.
Buffy had never seen Angel's bare chest before. He was just as muscular as she had imagined. She splayed her hands over his hard abs and rubbed her way up his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck as he leaned in to kiss her chest. With a soft flip, Buffy was laying below Angel, breathing just as heavy as he was. She watched as he moved down her legs and took her shoes and stockings off. Not wanting to miss a beat, Buffy arched up and unzipped her skirt. He gently slid it off of her and dropped it on top of her blouse before undoing his pants and stepping out of them. Now they were both in their skivvies. Angel perched between her legs and stared down into her eyes.
"Are you sure?" Angel asked.
"Yes. I've never been more sure in my life." Buffy said.
"I love you."
"I love you."
With one swift movement that Buffy had no idea how they pulled off, their skivvies were gone and Angel was gently pushing into her as he kissed her neck. She felt herself stretching to accommodate him and as he pushed in further, she felt a sharp pain and realized Angel had just pushed past her barrier, taking her virginity. Buffy gasped with the pain that came with every gentle push. Eventually, the pain started to subside and the pleasure took over her body. She started to respond to Angel's movements, arching up into him and kissing him. It was like nothing either of them had ever felt when they climaxed together. It was ecstasy, heaven, pure happiness, passion, fear, love, grief, and anger all rolled into one moment. After wards, they gazed into each other's eyes, both shaking uncontrollably, with nothing but love for the other. Everything was perfect. Nothing could ruin the moment. Nothing except the morning after, that is.
