This chapter is kind of short and a little lame. I am having a major case of writers block mixed with a case of, "it's the end of the semester and I just want to get out off school!!" I am hoping that whatever it is goes away soon and I will finish the story soon! Enjoy this chapter! Any feedback is greatly appreciated!!
"I'll be back to pick you up at midnight. That should give you and Angel enough time to talk." Joyce told her daughter as they left the hospital parking lot.
"That's all right mom, I can walk home, honest. I've walked farther and in more dangerous areas of town before."
Joyce stopped at a red light. "When do you walk by yourself at that time of night?"
"When I patrol almost every night. I promise sometime you can go with me just once so you can see what I do." Buffy said as they pulled up to the old mansion on Crawford Street.
Joyce shook her head as she drove through the green light. "I'd rather not. If you want to stay later than midnight I can pick you up. Just-"
"Mom, please, I-"
"Buffy either give me time to adjust to your role in life. It is a lot to handle." A smile found its way onto Joyce's face. "Humor your mother, please?"
"All right, I'll see you at midnight. Bye mom."
"Bye Buffy and be careful."
Buffy closed the car door and walked towards the back of the mansion. She walked through the small garden and pulled the heavy curtain as she welcomed herself into the house.
Once inside she saw a fire burning in the fireplace. The mansion was mostly dark.
"Angel?" She called out. There was no answer. She walked closer to the fireplace. She saw Angel sitting next to the fireplace. He was engrossed in a novel.
"Angel?" She said again standing in front of him with the bag from the butcher shop.
"Buffy, hi. I didn't hear you come in." He said as he put down the book.
"Here, this is for you," Buffy told Angel as she gave him the bag that contained the blood from the butcher shop. She picked up the book and examined it. There were no pictures on the cover or on the old paperback and it wasn't in English.
"Fun book. What were you reading?" Buffy asked.
Angel placed the brown bag on the floor "that's just an old novel I found in the basement today. It's in Greek. How are the others?"
"Remarkably well. Willow is being released tomorrow and Giles by Monday. He has really surprised me with his progress. This morning he looked so lifeless. He couldn't breath on his own, he had an oxygen mask on and he had a hard time finishing his sentences. When Willow and I visited him this evening he was sitting up in bed without the oxygen mask and was reading the newspaper. It was kind f weird."
Angel nodded. "Wow, that is amazing but Buffy, Giles has always been strong, he is a fighter. How about Xander, how is he?"
"He has a broken arm. I think his head is harder than his cast though."
Angel couldn't help but smile at her comment. "Why do you say that?"
"Because he is so arg! When I first got to the hospital I didn't tell anyone about you being good again. Willow and I began to talk. She told me that she used Ms. Calendar's restoration spell. She wanted to know if it worked."
"So Willow knows that I am back?"
"Yes but there's more. She told Xander to tell me that she was working on it the last night. I assume he didn't tell me because he didn't think it would work or because Angelus had Giles and had all ready killed Jenny. Anyways, Willow told Xander that you are alive and-"
"So Xander knows I'm good too?"
"Yes but we are both got kind of mad at each other so we aren't really talking to each other right now. He gets me so angry! Angel, he won't even listen to me. He doesn't understand."
"Buffy, I kidnapped, tortured and tried to kill Giles, who is like a father to him and is his mentor to him. I don't blame him for being a little angry.
"But Angel, you didn't do those things, it was Angelus."
"I know that but he doesn't understand. I fully understand and believe that he has the right to feel the way he does." Angel paused and studied Buffy. She looked shocked that he was siding with Xander on this one. "So just Xander and Willow know I'm good?"
"And Oz and Cordy, they helped Willow with the spell in the hospital. And my mom."
"Your mom helped with the spell?" Angel asked confused.
Buffy smiled. "No she knows about you. She is trying to be all pro slayer mom. She's actually picking me up later. I find the whole thing kind of humorous."
"Tomorrow do you go back to school?"
"Nope, it's a crime scene. School is closed until farther notice. Snyder must be going crazy because who can he insult by himself? At least I think he lives by himself. Oh god, what if he has multiplied?"
"Multiplied?"
"Yea and he has off spring? That could be bad. His children could be in danger of turning into their father when they get older."
"Buffy-"
"Nah, there is no way Snyder has a wife or girlfriend or significant other to multiply with. No on ever places an ad in the paper that says, "looking for a small snuddy troll like man."
"Buffy, what I meant was are going to research anything?"
Buffy thought about it earlier that day. She thought about looking through some of the books that Giles had in his office. She wanted to know if there was anything on vampires with souls who comes back from hell demotions. It was a far-fetched idea but she had to try something. She was curious to see if there were any other cases like Angel. While researching Angel, she, Giles and the others had never heard of another vampire with a soul.
"No, I hadn't planned on it. Why?" She lied.
"Because I want to know more about the spell Willow used. The curse, I want to learn more about it."
Buffy didn't understand. Angel had been cursed for a very long time and knew about the curse. Why did he want to research it more?
"I could swing by the school and see what I can find for you tomorrow. Is there anything else you need?"
"No, I think that I'm all set for now."
The two continued to talk right up until midnight. Joyce had to go into the mansion and get Buffy because she and Angel had lost track of time. Joyce had of course thought the worse had happened when Buffy wasn't outside waiting for her.
"I'll bring you a clock so this doesn't happen again." Buffy smiled as Angel walked her and her mother to their car.
"I'm sorry Joyce, we lost track of the time. We were talking." Angel explained.
Joyce just stared at him for a moment. The last time she saw Angel he had been obsessive over Buffy and had reviled that they made love. She tried not to associate the man from that night with the man in front of her at that moment.
"It's all right Angel, I understand. Good night."