Chapter Seventeen
Giles and Anya poured over the magick books in the kitchen, while Wesley searched from book to book in the living room. Willow sat poised over her computer as pages upon pages of text went by. Dawn sat on the floor in the living room surrounded by books. Connor, Oz, Gunn and Rondell surrounded the house, while Gunn's gang filled in the gaps and patrolled the neighborhood. Xander sat in the middle of the staircase with a large tome on his leg reading every page from top to bottom. Fred sat in the kitchen pouring over the books Giles had given her. Lorne sat upstairs singing the little girl to sleep. The potentials split between training, guarding the door to the little girl's room and patrolling the streets. Buffy sat on her bed with book scattered around her. Faith rested in Willow's bed, books propped up around her, trying to make heads or tales out of the prophecies translated in the book. Angel walked silently up the stairs with an unrolled scroll in his hand. Spike paced like a caged animal as he tried to remember anything that he could from his time with The First Evil.
"How are you doing?" Angel asked Buffy as he entered her room.
"Tired." Buffy replied, her mind on something else. "Where is everyone?"
"Working." Angel said; he sat next to Buffy on her bed. "About what you said."
"About loving you?" Buffy asked.
"Yea." Angel said softly. "We haven't really discussed anything that happened since I've been back."
"So much happened." Buffy said. "Three years is a long time."
"Four." Angel corrected. "Almost."
"Four." Buffy echoed. "And in those four years, we both changed."
"Everything changed." Angel said.
"You fell in love with Cordy." Buffy said.
"You slept with Spike." Angel countered. "More than once, from what he says."
"You slept with Darla." Buffy added. "You had a son."
"You died." Angel said, taking her hand in his.
"You became human." Buffy said, moving toward Angel.
"I lost my soul." Angel said.
"I was restored." Buffy countered.
"I killed Cordelia." Angel frowned.
"It was only her body." Buffy reminded him.
"Everything that I did. Everything I became." Angel said.
"You still risk your life nightly to help fight evil." Buffy offered.
"I love you." Angel said.
"I love you." Buffy replied, tears running down her cheeks.
Angel reached over the wiped the tears from Buffy's face. "You've given so much."
Buffy smiled. "We both have."
Angel leaned in and swept Buffy into his arms. She melted into his arms and leaned her head against his chest. Angel gently kissed the top of her head.
Buffy looked up into his eyes and pulled him into a gentle kiss. Years of passion and heartache attacked at once as their kiss became more and more passionate. Angel caressed the back of her neck. Buffy's arms slid up underneath his shirt and stroked his warm flesh. His body heat warmed his cold hands. Angel slipped his hands under Buffy's shirt and grasped her sides. Buffy's hands moved to Angel's chest as she slid her hands up toward his face. She gathered his shirt in her hands and pulled out of his kiss only long enough to slip his shirt over his head. Angel smiled and gathered Buffy back into his embrace. He nuzzled at her neck as gently unbuttoned her skirt, moving his kisses lower and lower, as the buttons were unfastened. Buffy arched backwards as she led Angel down upon her. Hands moved around as clothes were shed, both enjoying the undressing process as kisses were exchanged. Angel gently massaged Buffy's skin as their passion mounted.
"Hey Buffy?" Dawn called, entering the room without knocking. "Oh, ah, oh ew." Dawn muttered as she backed out of the room. "It's okay, I'll come back later. I mean, I'll be back later, I mean. Never mind." Dawn rushed down the stairs, her face red with embarrassment.
"What's a matter?" Spike said, stepping out in front of Dawn.
"Oh, ah, nothing." Dawn said as casual as possible. "Buffy just," Dawn paused, trying to find something to say. "Needs to be alone for a while." She concluded, taking Spike by the arm and escorting him downstairs.
"Where's Buffy?" Giles asked, as Dawn returned.
"She's, uh, kind of busy right now." Dawn said, her face flustered.
"I see." Giles said.
"I saw." Dawn added, without thinking. She quickly turned and walked off.
Buffy rested in the arms of her lover, smiles on both of their faces. Angel looked lovingly into her eyes and kissed her.
"Wow." Buffy said.
"Wow." Angel smiled.
"Can we stay here forever?" Buffy asked, moving closer to Angel.
Angel tightened his hold on Buffy, "As long as you want." He replied.
"Ugh." Buffy moaned as she moved. "World in peril. Big evil to fight."
Angel's smile turned. "Looming above us at every turn." He said.
"I don't want to get up." Buffy said.
"Then we won't." Angel replied, moving to kiss Buffy.
"Buffy, are you awake?" Willow called, entering the room. "I, oh, hi. Hey."
"Hey Will." Buffy smiled, moving to wrap herself in the rumbled sheet.
"Uh, we're just waiting on you guys." Willow said, slightly embarrassed. "Whenever you're, you know, ready."
Giles and Anya poured over the magick books in the kitchen, while Wesley searched from book to book in the living room. Willow sat poised over her computer as pages upon pages of text went by. Dawn sat on the floor in the living room surrounded by books. Connor, Oz, Gunn and Rondell surrounded the house, while Gunn's gang filled in the gaps and patrolled the neighborhood. Xander sat in the middle of the staircase with a large tome on his leg reading every page from top to bottom. Fred sat in the kitchen pouring over the books Giles had given her. Lorne sat upstairs singing the little girl to sleep. The potentials split between training, guarding the door to the little girl's room and patrolling the streets. Buffy sat on her bed with book scattered around her. Faith rested in Willow's bed, books propped up around her, trying to make heads or tales out of the prophecies translated in the book. Angel walked silently up the stairs with an unrolled scroll in his hand. Spike paced like a caged animal as he tried to remember anything that he could from his time with The First Evil.
"How are you doing?" Angel asked Buffy as he entered her room.
"Tired." Buffy replied, her mind on something else. "Where is everyone?"
"Working." Angel said; he sat next to Buffy on her bed. "About what you said."
"About loving you?" Buffy asked.
"Yea." Angel said softly. "We haven't really discussed anything that happened since I've been back."
"So much happened." Buffy said. "Three years is a long time."
"Four." Angel corrected. "Almost."
"Four." Buffy echoed. "And in those four years, we both changed."
"Everything changed." Angel said.
"You fell in love with Cordy." Buffy said.
"You slept with Spike." Angel countered. "More than once, from what he says."
"You slept with Darla." Buffy added. "You had a son."
"You died." Angel said, taking her hand in his.
"You became human." Buffy said, moving toward Angel.
"I lost my soul." Angel said.
"I was restored." Buffy countered.
"I killed Cordelia." Angel frowned.
"It was only her body." Buffy reminded him.
"Everything that I did. Everything I became." Angel said.
"You still risk your life nightly to help fight evil." Buffy offered.
"I love you." Angel said.
"I love you." Buffy replied, tears running down her cheeks.
Angel reached over the wiped the tears from Buffy's face. "You've given so much."
Buffy smiled. "We both have."
Angel leaned in and swept Buffy into his arms. She melted into his arms and leaned her head against his chest. Angel gently kissed the top of her head.
Buffy looked up into his eyes and pulled him into a gentle kiss. Years of passion and heartache attacked at once as their kiss became more and more passionate. Angel caressed the back of her neck. Buffy's arms slid up underneath his shirt and stroked his warm flesh. His body heat warmed his cold hands. Angel slipped his hands under Buffy's shirt and grasped her sides. Buffy's hands moved to Angel's chest as she slid her hands up toward his face. She gathered his shirt in her hands and pulled out of his kiss only long enough to slip his shirt over his head. Angel smiled and gathered Buffy back into his embrace. He nuzzled at her neck as gently unbuttoned her skirt, moving his kisses lower and lower, as the buttons were unfastened. Buffy arched backwards as she led Angel down upon her. Hands moved around as clothes were shed, both enjoying the undressing process as kisses were exchanged. Angel gently massaged Buffy's skin as their passion mounted.
"Hey Buffy?" Dawn called, entering the room without knocking. "Oh, ah, oh ew." Dawn muttered as she backed out of the room. "It's okay, I'll come back later. I mean, I'll be back later, I mean. Never mind." Dawn rushed down the stairs, her face red with embarrassment.
"What's a matter?" Spike said, stepping out in front of Dawn.
"Oh, ah, nothing." Dawn said as casual as possible. "Buffy just," Dawn paused, trying to find something to say. "Needs to be alone for a while." She concluded, taking Spike by the arm and escorting him downstairs.
"Where's Buffy?" Giles asked, as Dawn returned.
"She's, uh, kind of busy right now." Dawn said, her face flustered.
"I see." Giles said.
"I saw." Dawn added, without thinking. She quickly turned and walked off.
Buffy rested in the arms of her lover, smiles on both of their faces. Angel looked lovingly into her eyes and kissed her.
"Wow." Buffy said.
"Wow." Angel smiled.
"Can we stay here forever?" Buffy asked, moving closer to Angel.
Angel tightened his hold on Buffy, "As long as you want." He replied.
"Ugh." Buffy moaned as she moved. "World in peril. Big evil to fight."
Angel's smile turned. "Looming above us at every turn." He said.
"I don't want to get up." Buffy said.
"Then we won't." Angel replied, moving to kiss Buffy.
"Buffy, are you awake?" Willow called, entering the room. "I, oh, hi. Hey."
"Hey Will." Buffy smiled, moving to wrap herself in the rumbled sheet.
"Uh, we're just waiting on you guys." Willow said, slightly embarrassed. "Whenever you're, you know, ready."
