Title: Love's Simplicities and Complexities
Author: djchika
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made

Angel drove blindly, his hands clutching the steering wheel tightly. After taking care of the demon at Glendale he had dropped Wes and Gunn off at the hotel and had just driven off. He wasn't sure where he was headed but he did know that he couldn't go back to the hotel. Going to the hotel would mean facing Cordelia and having their talk and he couldn't, not yet, his emotions were too raw. The whole time Cordy was in a coma he couldn't allow himself to get mad at her for not telling him about the visions. He was too scared that she might never wake up again, but now that he knew she was going to be fine he could let himself feel the anger and frustration he had been bottling up all day.

How dare she scare him like that? Not since the first time Buffy died, did he feel so incredibly afraid for one person. It terrified him to think that he might lose her, that he came so close to losing her. He may act completely clueless sometimes but he knew exactly what it meant. He was in love with Cordelia Chase. The kind of love that petrified him and made his unbeating heart soar and ache at the same time. It was the sort of love he had felt for Buffy, and a lot more.

Angel took a look at his surrounding for the first time in hours. He wasn't sure but there was something familiar about the road he was on. "I'm going to Sunnydale." He realized. Sure enough a after a few more minutes of driving the bashed Welcome to Sunnydale sign came into view.

"I'm already in the neighborhood, might as well drop by." Expertly navigating the roads of Sunnydale Angel parked in front of Buffy's house and sat there not sure what to do next. The decision was taken from him when Buffy came out of the house and recognized the Plymouth.

"Angel?"

Angel gave her a slight nod. "Hey Buffy, wanna go for a drive?"

She took a quick glance at the house and shrugged. "Sure." A few minutes of silence passed between the two of them before Buffy broke it. "So where are we going?"

"I'm not sure." Angel replied never taking his eyes of the road.

"Oh." Buffy eyes darted to the road then back Angel. "What are you doing in Sunnydale?"

"Not sure either."

"So you just happened to drive by?"

Angel shrugged almost sheepishly. "Sorta."

"Angel..."

The vampire sighed. "I was driving to let off steam and just found myself here, wasn't really something I planned"

Buffy stayed silent for a few seconds. "Who are you mad at?"

"What?"

"You said you were driving to let off steam. Who're you mad at?"

Angel hesitated. "No one."

"It can't be no one if you're mad enough to drive all the way to Sunnydale." Buffy stated logically.

"I'm mad at Cordy."

"Cordy?" Buffy asked perplexed. "You were mad at Cordy so you let off steam all the way to Sunnydale? I know she can be annoying but I never thought she annoyed you that much"

"She didn't annoy me," Angel replied quickly coming to Cordy's defense. "I'm mad at her coz she kept some stuff from me, from us. Stuff that she should have let us know."

"Well, Cordelia never was the most selfless person in the world."

Buffy startled when Angel growled at her. "You don't know Cordy."

"Okay, so I never really got to know her," Buffy relented. "But I did spend three years of high school with her so I think that constitutes as knowing her."

Angel shook his head. "You knew Cordelia. You don't know Cordy."

"What's the difference?"

"Cordelia was Sunnydale, Cordy's LA"

"I see your point." Buffy said drolly.

"The Cordelia you knew and the Cordy I know are different people. Not completely different but different enough for you to not know her." When Buffy gave him a quizzical look Angel continued. "Cordy's changed. She helps the helpless, fight the good fight even when she doesn't have to. She endures excruciatingly painful visions that could help me in my redemption. She complains about it but she didn't say a thing when she found out the visions were killing her." Buffy noticed Angel's grip on the steering wheel tighten as he spoke. "She thought I needed the visions, more than I needed her." He glanced at Buffy. "That's the stuff she kept from us. Months of doctors telling her that her brain was dying part by part, she kept quiet because she knew that I'd worry. And she was right. It was her birthday today, we had planned to surprise her but there was a vision. It knocked her into a coma. It, I couldn't do anything to help her, even pleading with the powers accomplished nothing and I was so afraid. I couldn't bear to think that I might never see her smile, that I might never see her hold Connor again."

"Connor?" Buffy interrupted for the first time.

"My son." Angel gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry I never told you. It's a long story involving lawyers and Darla and a beige period."

Buffy recognized the name but made no comment. "I understand. I never really got around to telling you that the guys pulled me out of heaven." She gave Angel a small smile when she saw the shocked look on his face. "It was a shock to them too, but I'm fine, I'm dealing. The guys try to help but all they really do is smother me. At least Spike understands."

Angel gave her a strange look. "Spike?"

"Yeah," Buffy smiled at how absurd it must sound to Angel. "I guess he's changed too. Still cocky and annoying but I can always count on him to be there. He never left even though I did everything to make him go." Buffy took a quick glance at Angel to make sure he didn't take any offence to what she said, when it was apparent he didn't Buffy went back to the topic of Cordy. "So you and Cordelia, are you..."

"No." Was the terse reply.

"But you love her." Buffy stated uncharacteristically perceptive.

Angel sighed. "Yeah."

Buffy watched the Angel's face for a moment. "She doesn't know does she?"

"No, how can I tell her? You know what happened to us." Angel motioned between the two of them. "Besides she has this idea that we're the eternal couple. I know she loves me but-"

"You know."

"Yeah, I know she loves me." Angel replied completely sure. "But not the way I want her to, at least I don't think so."

"Only one way to find out."

Angel watched the road for a moment. "It's not that simple."

"Things are never simple when it comes to love." Buffy stated philosophically.

"I guess not." Angel smiled at her. He took a quick right to take them back to Buffy's house. "I know someone who always found love to be simple enough though."

"Who?"

"Spike. Even he was human and a complete dork he was always no nonsense when it comes to love. It never matters to him what the circumstances are all he know is that he's in love."

"Yeah, he never quits either. I guess that's one of the things I love about him" Buffy's eyes widened when she realized what she said.

"I guess I'm not the only one who's a fool when it comes to love." Angel replied smiling.

"I guess not. But my job's a little easier than what you're going to have to do." Angel stopped in front of Buffy's house and watched the slayer smile when she saw Spike on the porch. Spike flicked his cigarette away and stalked to the car. The expression on the vampires face was one anger but Angel could smell a small almost, indiscernible trace of fear.

"Buffy, where in the bloody hell have you-" He stopped mid sentence when he saw Angel. "Peaches, what are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too Spike," Angel said sarcastically.

Spike glanced at Angel then at Buffy. "Where have the two of you been?" He asked openly glaring at his grandsire.

"We were just driving around, talking." Buffy replied getting out of the car.

"Talking?" Spike asked watching the slayers face to make sure she wasn't lying.

Buffy smiled at the vampire's possessiveness. "Yup. I'll see you around Angel."

"Bye Buffy, and thanks."

"Good luck." She said her eyes twinkling.

Angel smiled, glancing at Spike then at her. "You too."

Buffy watched in silence as her former vampire, now Cordy's, drove away.

"So." Spike said almost nonchalantly.

Buffy smiled at her vampire then started for the house and sat down on the porch. She knew Spike was trying to act like he didn't care that she was just with Angel.

"What did the two of you talk about?" He asked sitting next to her.

"Nothing much. Angel has a son."

The blatant confusion on his face made Buffy smile. "How'd he manage that?"

"We didn't really get to talk about that."

Buffy leaned on Spike enjoying the way his arms automatically went around her.

"What else did you talk about?"

Buffy bit her lip thoughtfully. "The simplicities and complexities of love."

"Oh."

She heard the uncertainty in his voice but chose not to reassure him, yet. "Hey, Spike? How do you feel about a trip to LA. I think there are a couple of people we need to meet."

Buffy felt Spike tense then felt his body move as he sighed. "I'll follow you to hell and back, unfortunately you know that."

"I'll make sure you won't have to." Buffy replied playfully before turning to face him and placing a kiss on his cheek. "But before we go I think we need to talk."

"About?"

"Love's simplicities and complexities."