A/N: I know it's been a while but real life intruded and my muse decided it was a good time for a vacation. Muses don't understand that we poor humans need them all the time. Anyway, enjoy.
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"Oz, I didn't drink much. I swear. She forced me to drink but I only drank a little. Not like last time." He looked down at Buffy. "Wake up, Buffy. Please wake up."
Oz ran over and checked Buffy's pulse. "Her pulse is strong, Angel. I think she's just tired and she fell asleep." He put a hand on the vampire's shoulder. "She'll be fine. She hasn't slept much lately. She's been so worried about Willow and Dawn and everything else."
"What's been going on here?" Angel was lost. He had been underwater for three months and before that he hadn't really tried to stay in touch with anyone.
Oz, Anya and Angel sat down and explained the entire past three years. They didn't gloss over Willow's dark magic episode. They told him everything. Including where Willow, Dawn and Xander were now.
"So, you and Anya have started dating." It wasn't a question. Just a statement of fact. Angel was still trying to comprehend the fact that Willow had tried to kill Buffy. She had almost killed Giles. In fact, he was still in the hospital. He had suffered many broken bones and a punctured lungs.
"Yeah. We got together because both of us needed someone else to talk to."
"What happens when Willow comes back?"
"We'll find out when they get here." Oz shrugged. He hadn't thought about what would happen when Willow got back and found him with Anya. He wasn't even sure that Willow would want him back. After all, he had left her twice. And now she was dealing with Tara's death and the black magic and having killed someone. Nearly having killed someone she really cared about.
"What about you Anya? What happens when Xander gets back?"
"I don't know. I mean, he left me at the altar and then I betrayed him with Spike. I doubt he even wants to talk to me anymore. He can't possibly still love me. Not after that."
"You can't say that. Even after everything that's happened between Buffy and I, I would still drop everything for her. I would give up everything to make sure that she was safe. Dawn too. She's so important to Buffy and I couldn't stand it if anything happened to her."
"You would still run to her? Even after Parker and Riley? Even after she had sex with Spike?"
"That last part bothers me. I won't lie about it. But yes. I would still run to her. Any and every time she needs or wants me. I will be there. I'm not leaving her again. I need her. She is my salvation and my redemption." Just then, Buffy groaned and stirred.
Angel was sitting beside her on the couch when her eyes fluttered open. "Angel?"
"I'm here, sweetheart. I'm here to stay. As long as you want me."
"How's forever? Does that work for you?"
"It sure sounds good." He smiled. It was one of those rare and precious smiles that went all the way to his eyes.
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A/N: This one is really short but I wanted to get something posted on this one. It's been a while. I haven't been able to work on this one or my others because the Muses have been throwing another story line at me and forcing me to work on it.
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"Oz, I didn't drink much. I swear. She forced me to drink but I only drank a little. Not like last time." He looked down at Buffy. "Wake up, Buffy. Please wake up."
Oz ran over and checked Buffy's pulse. "Her pulse is strong, Angel. I think she's just tired and she fell asleep." He put a hand on the vampire's shoulder. "She'll be fine. She hasn't slept much lately. She's been so worried about Willow and Dawn and everything else."
"What's been going on here?" Angel was lost. He had been underwater for three months and before that he hadn't really tried to stay in touch with anyone.
Oz, Anya and Angel sat down and explained the entire past three years. They didn't gloss over Willow's dark magic episode. They told him everything. Including where Willow, Dawn and Xander were now.
"So, you and Anya have started dating." It wasn't a question. Just a statement of fact. Angel was still trying to comprehend the fact that Willow had tried to kill Buffy. She had almost killed Giles. In fact, he was still in the hospital. He had suffered many broken bones and a punctured lungs.
"Yeah. We got together because both of us needed someone else to talk to."
"What happens when Willow comes back?"
"We'll find out when they get here." Oz shrugged. He hadn't thought about what would happen when Willow got back and found him with Anya. He wasn't even sure that Willow would want him back. After all, he had left her twice. And now she was dealing with Tara's death and the black magic and having killed someone. Nearly having killed someone she really cared about.
"What about you Anya? What happens when Xander gets back?"
"I don't know. I mean, he left me at the altar and then I betrayed him with Spike. I doubt he even wants to talk to me anymore. He can't possibly still love me. Not after that."
"You can't say that. Even after everything that's happened between Buffy and I, I would still drop everything for her. I would give up everything to make sure that she was safe. Dawn too. She's so important to Buffy and I couldn't stand it if anything happened to her."
"You would still run to her? Even after Parker and Riley? Even after she had sex with Spike?"
"That last part bothers me. I won't lie about it. But yes. I would still run to her. Any and every time she needs or wants me. I will be there. I'm not leaving her again. I need her. She is my salvation and my redemption." Just then, Buffy groaned and stirred.
Angel was sitting beside her on the couch when her eyes fluttered open. "Angel?"
"I'm here, sweetheart. I'm here to stay. As long as you want me."
"How's forever? Does that work for you?"
"It sure sounds good." He smiled. It was one of those rare and precious smiles that went all the way to his eyes.
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A/N: This one is really short but I wanted to get something posted on this one. It's been a while. I haven't been able to work on this one or my others because the Muses have been throwing another story line at me and forcing me to work on it.
