Title: Runaway

Chapter 8: To Hell and Back

Disclaimer: I don't own them

Dedication: okay, this chapter is dedicated to everybody who's reviewed, but especially to the people who answered my question about xander/cordy and willow/oz, the people who told me to hurry up and put Angel in, and definitely the people who reviewed after chapter 7. thanks everyone.

Feedback: good, bad, everything welcome

All day Angel had had a strange feeling in the very pit of his stomach, and it had kept getting stronger and stronger. It was familiar, and yet he couldn't quite work out when he had felt it before. Or maybe it was just his imagination getting the better of him. Finally, just after lunch, the feeling had been so strong that he couldn't try and ignore it anymore.

That was how he had ended up walking through the streets of Sunnydale, looking for any sign of demon activity. He knew that no vampires or demons would be out, but he might be able to find a lair, or an injured person that the salvage teams hadn't discovered yet.

Angel was walking round a corner when he smashed into someone coming the other way. As the smaller person stumbled he automatically put out his hands to steady them. They looked up and he found himself staring into shocked, green eyes.

"Angel."

The stunned whisper was enough to bring vague memories slamming down on him. Ever since he had returned from hell Angel's dreams had been plagued by a blond, green eyed beauty. Everywhere he turned she seemed to be there, during night and day. She was there as he ate his meals with the others, she was there as he went on patrol every night and she was there as he closed his eyes, only for him to start dreaming of her as well.

Slowly Angel let his arms fall to his sides, as he kept staring at her. Even though her hair was light brown, and her clothes were totally unlike anything she's worn in his dreams, he knew instinctively that it was her. And when he looked closer he could see blond starting to show at her roots.

"Do I . . . did I, know you?" The second the words were out of his mouth he wanted to pull them back, and when she looked at the ground, her green eyes welling with tears he wanted to kill himself. Anything to stop her hurting. Now more than ever his memory loss infuriated him.

"You don't remember me?"

"No. I'm, I'm sorry."

As he said those words Buffy felt her heart break again, even though she hadn't thought that were possible. For all of a minute, seeing him standing here in the sun, she had started to hope that there was a chance for them. But now, he didn't even remember her.

"I don't remember anyone."

Buffy's head jerked up as she heard that. If he doesn't remember anyone, then it's not just me. But shouldn't our love have been strong enough? She shoved away the niggling, doubtful voice that was always there in her head, telling her that she was a coward, a terrible Slayer, or that Angel didn't love her.

With a conscious effort she managed to smile and put out her hand. "I'm Buffy."

He shook her hand, with a genuine smile of his own. "It's a pretty name," he told her shyly.

For the barest of moments Buffy froze remembering, another time, another place, when it had been her saying almost those same words. But then she laughed. "That's one of the nicest things anyone's ever said about it."

When the girl, Buffy, froze Angel was desperate for the earth to open up and swallow him. Apparently he couldn't do anything right today. But when she laughed at the compliment, he couldn't have stopped the wide smile that broke out onto his face even if he'd tried.

"I'm still sorry that I can't remember you."

Buffy shook her had. "It's okay. A new start and everything. Maybe it's better this way."

"So we were friends then?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah. We were friends. Close friends."

As the sad look came back into her eyes Angel felt like he would do anything to make her laugh again, or at least to put a smile back on her face.

"How did you get into Sunnydale? I'm pretty sure I would have remembered if you'd been here for a few days."

Buffy smiled slightly at the compliment. "Actually I kind of snuck (a/n: sneaked, snuck? I can never remember) past the guards. Well, actually maybe that's not exactly the right word to describe it."

"Really?"

"Really," she confirmed. "When the police wouldn't let me through I kinda knocked one of them out and ran past."

The sheepish look on Buffy's face was so adorable that Angel just wanted to kiss her. Then again he was quickly starting to think that anything she did would be adorable to him. He was also starting to think that if she had really been his friend before he lost his memory then he must have been totally blind for not asking her out.

Instead of kissing her Angel settled for chuckling instead. "Do you have anywhere to stay now that you've managed to get in here?"

Buffy started as he brought up the very real issue of somewhere to stay. I seriously doubt my house is still standing. And even if it is how likely is it that mom will let me stay? The 'if you leave now don't think about coming back' or whatever the exact words were, had definitely not been an idle threat.

"Um, no," she admitted. "I don't have anywhere to go."

"No problem. Nobody that we've found is living at home anyway. Everyone is staying at the school. It's the only building that's totally undamaged."

"The entire town's staying in the school?" Buffy hadn't realised that the damage was quite that bad.

"Yeah. It's cramped, but we're doing pretty well." She couldn't help but think that it was a good thing that Angel had lost his memories. Even though it tore her up inside, seeing how happy and relaxed he was, more than made up for it.

"Well, lead on then. I'd rather not spend another night outside. 'Sleeping under the stars' isn't nearly as fun as people claim."

~

just a quick note here: faith is not going to be in this story. i like her but she doesn't exactly fit in with what i have in mind for the new slayer (you know 'cause kendra died). plus you're gonna have to wait a little bit longer to find out why angel's in the sun. 2 chapters at most though.