CHAPTER 4
"I send my best
'Cause God knows
You've seen my worst"
-Ben Folds Five, "Fair"
"You changed back?" Buffy asked quietly, careful not to be taken in by his lonesome appearance. They had tried to trick her before, and she wasn't going to let that happen again.
"Yes."
His answer was short and simple. If only she could believe it.
"How am I supposed to believe that? Earlier today you were trying to kill me, now you want to help me live. It's a little much to handle in one day."
"Yes, it is," he agreed. "I can't prove it to you. You only have to try and trust me."
She looked at him as if he had just grown another head. "And you think that's really gonna happen anytime soon?"
Angel looked down at the floor. Things weren't going very well. He had to make her believe. Suddenly, an idea came to him and he got up and strode over to the door, opening it for her.
She looked at him quizzically and he said, "I'm not going to hold you here. If you want to go, go."
***
"You're seriously going to let me go?" she asked him in disbelief.
"If you want to, yes."
She gave him a look that said she thought he was joking and he moved over to the one window in his apartment, lifting the corner of the shade up carefully. The bright sunlight blinded him and he quickly dropped the cover back over it before blinking a few times and turning back to Buffy.
"It's still daylight out and all you have to do is make it up the stairs and out the door. Once you're there, I won't be able to go out after you."
"All right," Buffy said, deciding to play along. He seemed sincere enough, but you could never tell with demons. They were a pretty fickle bunch.
She slowly stood up and walked across the apartment to the door, pausing to look behind her. Angel still stood beside the window, watching her motionlessly. So far, so good.
'Only a little bit more,' she thought, cautiously stepping through the doorway, bounding up the stairs and out the main door.
When he was sure she was gone, Angel let out a loud sigh and lowered his head into his hands. Things were not going at all as he had planned. He only hoped she'd believed what he said...
***
Outside, Buffy leaned against the door in confusion. He hadn't tried to come after her. Did that mean he really was Angel or he was just playing games with her? She needed to talk to Giles...
***
Giles woke up with a start when he heard someone knocking at his front door. Looking around the room, he realized he must have fallen asleep at his desk. He was so tired the night before he didn't even make it to bed. 'Well, that's what a crisis can do to you,' he told himself.
The person at the door knocked again and he called out, "I'm coming!" adjusting his glasses before answering it. "Buffy, where have you been? You had all of us worried to death. Your mother called, but Willow told her you were sleeping at her house and she didn't want to wake you..."
"I'm fine, Giles," she assured him. "Can I come in?"
"Yes, of course." He stepped back to allow her inside.
"Thanks."
"What can I do for you?" he asked, closing the door behind her.
"I need your help, Giles. Angel took me back to his place and when I woke up, he told me he had changed back to himself. Is this true or just another one of his plans because if it is-"
"Buffy. Buffy!" He interrupted her tirade. "Angel was right. He did turn back."
"Wait a sec." She put up a hand to stop him. "You mean-You're saying the ritual... worked?"
"Yes, Buffy, it did."
"I send my best
'Cause God knows
You've seen my worst"
-Ben Folds Five, "Fair"
"You changed back?" Buffy asked quietly, careful not to be taken in by his lonesome appearance. They had tried to trick her before, and she wasn't going to let that happen again.
"Yes."
His answer was short and simple. If only she could believe it.
"How am I supposed to believe that? Earlier today you were trying to kill me, now you want to help me live. It's a little much to handle in one day."
"Yes, it is," he agreed. "I can't prove it to you. You only have to try and trust me."
She looked at him as if he had just grown another head. "And you think that's really gonna happen anytime soon?"
Angel looked down at the floor. Things weren't going very well. He had to make her believe. Suddenly, an idea came to him and he got up and strode over to the door, opening it for her.
She looked at him quizzically and he said, "I'm not going to hold you here. If you want to go, go."
***
"You're seriously going to let me go?" she asked him in disbelief.
"If you want to, yes."
She gave him a look that said she thought he was joking and he moved over to the one window in his apartment, lifting the corner of the shade up carefully. The bright sunlight blinded him and he quickly dropped the cover back over it before blinking a few times and turning back to Buffy.
"It's still daylight out and all you have to do is make it up the stairs and out the door. Once you're there, I won't be able to go out after you."
"All right," Buffy said, deciding to play along. He seemed sincere enough, but you could never tell with demons. They were a pretty fickle bunch.
She slowly stood up and walked across the apartment to the door, pausing to look behind her. Angel still stood beside the window, watching her motionlessly. So far, so good.
'Only a little bit more,' she thought, cautiously stepping through the doorway, bounding up the stairs and out the main door.
When he was sure she was gone, Angel let out a loud sigh and lowered his head into his hands. Things were not going at all as he had planned. He only hoped she'd believed what he said...
***
Outside, Buffy leaned against the door in confusion. He hadn't tried to come after her. Did that mean he really was Angel or he was just playing games with her? She needed to talk to Giles...
***
Giles woke up with a start when he heard someone knocking at his front door. Looking around the room, he realized he must have fallen asleep at his desk. He was so tired the night before he didn't even make it to bed. 'Well, that's what a crisis can do to you,' he told himself.
The person at the door knocked again and he called out, "I'm coming!" adjusting his glasses before answering it. "Buffy, where have you been? You had all of us worried to death. Your mother called, but Willow told her you were sleeping at her house and she didn't want to wake you..."
"I'm fine, Giles," she assured him. "Can I come in?"
"Yes, of course." He stepped back to allow her inside.
"Thanks."
"What can I do for you?" he asked, closing the door behind her.
"I need your help, Giles. Angel took me back to his place and when I woke up, he told me he had changed back to himself. Is this true or just another one of his plans because if it is-"
"Buffy. Buffy!" He interrupted her tirade. "Angel was right. He did turn back."
"Wait a sec." She put up a hand to stop him. "You mean-You're saying the ritual... worked?"
"Yes, Buffy, it did."
