Chapter 20

         Author's note: Sorry it has been so long. My computer is being so temperamental and the person who "fixed it" somehow deleted all of my files and Microsoft Word, go fig. Anyway, I am updating as often as I can. Please bear with me until my computer is all fixed and running perfectly again. Also, my school is really making graduation in May difficult at this moment so I have been fighting with them all week. Anyway, thank you to the X-identaty and Lex for your reviews. They are appreciated. Enjoy this chapter!

       

        "Do you have any idea what time it is young lady?" Joyce Summers scolded her daughter. Before Buffy could get a word out, Joyce spoke again. "It's nine-fifteen in the morning Buffy. What happened? Where were you?"

        "Mom," Buffy said trying to cut off her mother.

        "I got up around three, three in the morning and saw your bed still made. I figured maybe you fell asleep on the couch but-"

        "Mom-," Buffy tried again.

        "And you weren't there. I figured maybe you had a hard night patrolling and that maybe you'd be home soon. At sunrise you still weren't home. Buffy, what is going on?"

        "Mother!" Buffy managed to say again.

        "Buffy, you told me you were out patrolling and I believed you. I doubt you were fighting vampires in the morning when the sun was out. Now, please explain. '"

        "I was patrolling and lost track of time."
       

        Joyce sighed. Her youngest daughter was still fast asleep in her room upstairs. Joyce didn't want to disturb her. "Buffy, I may not understand a lot about your duties as a slayer but I called Xander, Willow and even Mr. Giles. None of them saw you."

        Buffy began to talk as she walked over to the couch. She slipped off her shoes and socks. She curled her body so it would fit on a full cushion. I did patrol for a little while last night. Then I did some talking and we talked for a while."

        "Who? Who were you talking to?"

        Very quietly Buffy sighed, "Angel."

        Joyce sat down near her daughter and shook her head. "Isn't Angel-"

        "Dead?" Buffy asked finishing her mother's sentence. "Willow did a spell and it worked. After Scott left last night, Angel knocked on the door. We left and he went patrolling with me. Well, we didn't really patrol, we talked for so long about so many different things."

        "So he's?" Joyce began to ask not knowing how to finish the sentence.

        "Alive. He's warm. His heart is beating. He is breathing. He can be in the sun." Tears formed behind Buffy's green eyes. Slowly, they began leaving her eyes and hit the seat cushion.

        Joyce walked over to her daughter and hugged her. She didn't' know what else to say or do. There was nothing in any of the parenting books that dealt with, 'Your Daughter's Vampire Boyfriend Dying and then Turning Human.' There was literally nothing more she could do than to hold her daughter.

        "What's going on?" Dawn asked as she got to the bottom of the staircase. "Buffy, you're wearing your clothes from yesterday."

        "Buffy is fine sweetheart. She is just really tired. She is going to go back to sleep and rest. Do you want to have some waffles?" Joyce asked as she changed the subject.

        "I'll be upstairs resting. Thanks mom."

        "No problem sweetheart, just get some rest," Joyce said as she walked towards the kitchen where her youngest daughter was waiting for her breakfast.

        Buffy closed the door to her room and walked towards her bed. Exhaustion took over her entire body. She fell asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

        "Buffy! Buffy!" Dawn yelled as she opened her door. "Buffy, I made lunch for you. I made chicken noodle soup, with extra noodles, the one you like. Buffy, it's almost four, are you ok?"

        Buffy sat up. She felt well-rested. "Thank you Dawnie."

        "No problem. Willow called and wants you to call her back. Scott called too but he said he'd call back later tonight since he isn't home. Mom left too. She went to the store."

        "Dawn, do you want to go with me to school? I have to meet Giles. I have to talk to him about something."

        Dawn nodded. She liked Giles, especially since he usually had candy for her. "Do you have to train today?"

        Buffy paused. Like most children, Dawn didn't know about vampires and demons. She thought Giles was her personal trainer. "Yeah, we have to train today."

        Dawn left Buffy's room to clean up the mess in the kitchen and let her older sister get ready to leave.


        "Hey Dawn, you can color in Giles' office. He has paper and you brought your markers. Why don't you make Giles another picture?" Buffy suggested. She just wanted Dawn out of the way so she and Giles could talk privately.

        "Yes, I would love another one of your pieces of art work to hang in my office," Giles added.

        Dawn smiled and skipped into Giles' office.

        Giles and Buffy sat at the table farthest in the back because they didn't want Dawn to hear what they were talking about.

        "What is going on?" Giles whispered.

        "Angel is alive," Buffy said very matter a factly. Before Giles had a chance to question anything, Buffy explained the previous night to him.

        "Dear lord, I have never heard of such a thing occurring. I have heard of raising demons but never anything like this situation. Bringing a vampire back, in human form, heavens, that has never been done before. Is he-," Giles paused. He didn't know how to finish that sentence. "Okay?"

        "He's warm. He breaths. He can go into sunlight. Giles, Angel is human."

        Giles didn't know what to say or do. He was in actual shock. "We have to call Willow and check out her spell. We have to know if anything could-"

        Buffy interjected. "You mean, if there are any side effects or anything?"

        Giles just nodded his head.

        Without saying another word, Buffy stood up and walked towards the circulation desk. She picked up the phone. "Willow, come to the library now. We have to talk."


        "Hey guys, what's up?" Willow said cheerfully as she entered the library.

        "What spell did you use on Angel?" Buffy said cutting to the chase.

        Willow was a little off guard. "Spell? W-what spell?"

        "The spell that made him human," Giles added

        "I-I did that spell months ago. I-" Buffy cut Willow off. "Willow, Angel is alive."

        "WHAT?" Willow asked dumbfounded.

        "Yes, he's been alive for six months. It's a long story, I'll fill you in later but yes, he's alive."

        "What we have to do is research the spell to make sure it's the real thing," Giles added.

        Willow smiled to herself. "The spell worked? I'm getting good."

        "Do you remember the spell?" Buffy asked.

        "Oh yea, I have a copy of it in my bag. Let me get it."

        "You've carried it around for six months in your bag?" Buffy asked surprised.

        "Well, it's been in my bag since I did the spell. I just never took it out. Here you go," the red head explained as she handed the worn piece of paper to Giles.

        For the next several hours, Giles, Willow and Buffy all consulted books and cross referenced different things.

        "Dawn, would you like anything from the vending-," he walked into his office and saw Dawn fast asleep. Her head rested on Giles' desk. He quietly retrieved the books he had gone into his office for. On his way out he grabbed his coat and placed it on Dawn's shoulders.

        After another hour of consulting books, Giles came up with his won conclusion. "I think the spell is legit. I think Angel is fully human."

        Everyone was speechless. No one knew what to say. After all, it wasn't everyday a two-hundred and some odd old vampire dies and is resurrected as a human.

        Buffy swallowed hard. "Willow you are an amazing witch. You are on your way on becoming a powerful witch. You have done two major spells that have worked on Angel. Thank you."

        Willow walked closer to her best friend and hugged her. "Are you all right?"

        "Yeah, I'm just a little shocked right now. I never thought we could be together, especially after that night and, well, now it may be possible. It's so strange. We could have a real life together. I can't believe it."

        "Buffy, I don't mean to burst you bubble but aren't you forgetting something?" Willow asked.

        "What?"

        "Scott."

        "I don't really want to think abut that right now. Giles, you believe this is for real, right? I mean, its loophole free?"

        Giles took his glasses of his face and wiped them. As he placed them back on his nose, he began to explain his reasoning for why he thought the spell was the real thing. "Honestly, I don't know Buffy. From all the research we have done, I don't see a reason for the spell not to work."

        Buffy nodded. "Good. I think I'm going to wake up Dawn and leave before it gets dark outside. I'll see you guys later."

        "Hi Buffy, it's Scott, again. I'm sorry I have missed you again. I just wanted to say hi and hope that you are having a good weekend. I'll try calling you again tomorrow. I miss you. Have a good night, bye."

        Buffy listened to the message for the fifth time. She couldn't stop thinking about Scot, and Angel. She liked Scott, a lot. He was very nice to her and he truly cared about her.

        But Angel, she thought, I love him.

        It was getting late and Buffy's head was spinning. She grabbed her journal and began to write in it:

        Okay, talk about a change of events. Last night Scott came over. He left and everything was fine for a few minutes. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. I answered it, thinking it was Scott. I opened the door and who was standing out there? Angel. Angel was standing on my porch. ANGEL! Angel, as in my ex vampire formerly evil, dead boyfriend who died. Yeah, him. Well, it turns out that he is alive and when I alive I mean breathing, heart beating, can go into the sun alive. I think I am in shock, just a little.
Giles said he has never heard of anything like this before.
I feel like I can't breath, I mean, Angel is alive! My heart is beating faster and faster. I have butterflies in my belly. I love Angel. Eh can be happy now and go into the sun. There is no curse, he is alive!
Then, I feel guilty because there is Scott. I like Scott; he is a good, nice boy. I like him. I like Scott, I don't' love him.
I love Angel and now it is possible for us to be together.

        Buffy yawned as she put her pen inside her journal and placed her journal on her nightstand. She turned off her lamp and quickly fell asleep.