PART VI
Je suis à toi. / I am yours.


A week later Angel showed up at the restaurant with a car and Buffy's suitcases. Fortunately, it was payday. Buffy didn't ask why everything they owned was shoved into a car; she didn't even ask where Angel had gotten a car. Instead, she briefly hugged Shirley, collected her pay, and left.

Buffy sat in the car's front bench seat and glanced at Angel's profile. He was staring out the windshield, his hands clenching the steering wheel, the muscle in his jaw pulsing rapidly. Buffy put her hand on his arm. "Hey," she said quietly.

Angel didn't say anything. They drove through the streets of LA for twenty minutes before he pulled into a side street and turned off the engine. Buffy unclipped her seat belt and slid along the front seat until her leg brushed Angel's thigh.

"You know I love you," he rasped.

"Yes." She had never questioned Angel's love.

"You know that I would never, never, knowingly hurt you." Angel still did not look at Buffy.

"Yes," she repeated. "Angel, you're scaring me. What happened?"

He stared at his hands. That's when Buffy noticed the burn mark on his palm. It was in the shape of a cross. She pulled his hand into her lap and gently traced the burn.

"Who did this to you?"

The dark-haired vampire raised his eyes to hers. "I would do anything for you, Buffy. If you want me to leave, I will. If you want me to stay, I'll do that too. No matter what, I will always love you. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, as a human and as a vampire. I want you to know that." Angel kissed her savagely, crushing her lips with his. The kiss literally sucked the breath from her.

Buffy pushed him away. "Angel, drop the cryptic. What's going on?" Her body responded to his closeness. It always did, but this kiss held the flavour of desperation. Something, or someone, had scared him. Buffy could only think of a few things, or people, that had that power. "Please, Angel. Tell me."

He honestly didn't know where to start. A month ago, after Acathla had closed its mouth and Angel had packed minimally. He had been frantic with worry for Buffy. She had left him bleeding on the mansion's floor after she had nearly bisected him with the sword. Angel understood that she had done that to save his life and stop Acathla. Still, it had taken all of his strength and willpower to get off the floor. He knew if he didn't find her, he would never see her again. He had forced his battered body to move through the sewers. He had pretended to be Angelus. He had finally found someone who told him that a girl matching Buffy's description had boarded a bus bound for L.A. Angel could remember only bits and pieces of the rest of that day until he found her at the bus terminal.

Today, before dawn, he had returned to Sunnydale. Going back had been a nightmare in every sense. The mansion was a mess. Acathla was gone, but the room where he tortured Giles… he could still smell the blood. Drusilla's dolls were scattered. Most of the weapons were missing. He assumed that Giles or the others had taken them. He had gone to his basement apartment for the rest of his non-Angelus clothes and other items. Angel had walked into his old home and was immediately hit with memories of making love to Buffy. He had gathered up the red coverlet and inhaled the faint remainder of her scent mixed with his semen. He had left Sunnydale at nightfall and returned to LA.

Giles had kicked in the motel room door an hour later and nearly killed him with a bolt from the crossbow. The two men had fought terribly. Giles' intent was to kill Angelus at all costs. Angel took as many blows as he could for all the hideous things he had done to the man. He had tried not to hurt the Watcher. But, when Giles threatened to forcibly return Buffy to Sunnydale, Angel stopped pulling his punches. The vampire was stronger. Eventually he knocked the British man into unconsciousness. Angel had surveyed the damage. Giles would need a doctor, but he would probably be fine. Angel guessed that he had enough time to pack up their belongings and get Buffy.

By the time he'd left, no trace of their presence remained at the motel. Angel had had time to think about Giles' accusations as he packed: "vicious monster," "devil incarnate", "evil creature." Giles fervently believed he was dealing with Angelus. He was convinced that Buffy was being kept against her will. His proof? Buffy's lone call to Willow the week before. Angel had tried to tell Giles that he had a soul again and Buffy was with him voluntarily. The Watcher had not been interested in the truth. He genuinely did not care. Amidst the brawling, Giles had informed him that the Council knew the Scourge of Europe had a Slayer. The Watcher had boasted that they would ruthlessly hunt and kill him. Angelus was a danger to the world and would be eliminated.

Angel considered again what to tell Buffy. This last week had been the closest to "normal" that either of them had known in months. The days had passed in a blur of kisses and caresses, soft conversations and wondrous smiles, a warm body sleepily pressed to his cooler one late in the night. It had been almost perfect. Buffy's life was about to get seriously complicated and dangerous because she was with him. Until now, she thought of the Watchers' Council as a distant benevolent organization. Angel, on the other hand, knew the Council's capabilities and history. A Slayer allied with a vampire was a complicit betrayal of centuries-old tradition and practice. Buffy's role would not be diminished or dismissed. A price would be exacted for her decision to stay with him. He silently cursed Giles for his shortsightedness and vengeful actions.

Buffy rested her head on Angel's shoulder and snaked an arm around his waist. She could feel the turmoil within him. "Some time before the sun comes up would be nice." His body did not relax. "Whatever it is, we'll deal."

Angel kissed her forehead. "Do you want to go home?"

Buffy shrugged. "Of course."

"There's a bus leaving for Sunnydale at midnight," Angel said tonelessly. "Or I can drive you. Whichever you want."

"Sunnydale?" Buffy was confused. "I don't want to go to Sunnydale. Angel, home is wherever you are. Unless you happen to be in Sunnydale. And then home is Sunnydale." She laced her fingers through his. "Why do you think I want to go back to Sunnydale?"

"Giles thinks I'm keeping you here against your will. Am I? Are you staying in LA because of me?" Angel's heart told him "no"; his head was busy cycling through Buffy's possible answers.

"Giles? 'Giles thinks'? When were you talking to—" She stopped. "He found us, didn't he?" She sagged beside him. Buffy had believed that she could hide forever. Apparently, she could only hide for about a month.

"I'll do whatever you want. You don't have to go back to Sunnydale alone. I'll go with you," Angel offered.

"Sure, and while you're at it, why don't we take bets on how long you'll get to live? Between Giles and Xander—"

"And the Council," Angel added heavily.

"The Council?" She considered this. "Of course. The Council wants you dead. Nothing new there." Buffy chewed her lower lip in frustration. She had been suffocating in the "Let's hate Angel/Angelus" atmosphere of Sunnydale. If she went back without Angel, that would still be there. Xander would be sure to rub it in her face at every turn. Giles would be a daily reminder of the whims of Angelus. Her mother… she didn't want to think about how her mother would behave. Probably lots of histrionics and recriminations there too. At the end of it all, she would be there alone. If she went back with Angel, it really would be open season on her lover. My lover. When did I upgrade Angel from boyfriend to lover?

"There's an alternative. I could leave," suggested Angel. He really didn't like that idea, but without him, there was a good chance the Council would lessen their punishment of Buffy.

"Not liking door number one or two. What's behind door number three?"

"We stay together. Here or someplace else."

Buffy squeezed his hand. "Kiss me." This kiss was gentle and loving and completely different from the last one. "I still want to die when you kiss me," she murmured against his lips. Angel started to pull away. She stopped him. "Trust me, that's a good thing." They kissed again. "I love you. I'll never stop. Nothing can change that."

She glanced around the car. "So…"

"So?" Angel repeated before he kissed her again.

"So, you have a car now, and soon you're going to tell me why you have a car now and not a week ago when we were trudging through the rain." Angel smiled into her hair. "The question is, where do go from here? Because I'm thinking, if Giles found us once, he could probably do it again. The Council definitely could. There can't be that many stunningly beautiful girls shacked up with older handsome vampires in LA."

"I wouldn't know. I don't think I know any stunningly beautiful girls." Angel grunted as a fist landed in his solar plexus. "My mistake," he croaked. "I know one stunningly beautiful girl."