A/N: I didn't like the way that last chapter was written, so I rewrote it
Angel woke up to the sound of his phone ringing "what" he barked into the phone. Buffy had tossed and turned all night, allowing neither of them to get any sleep until very late. "We're here" Dawn spoke chipperly into the phone. Angel groaned "sorry" he said "didn't get any sleep last night" he said in explanation.
"I'll get someone out to the airport, what gate are you at?" Angel asked. Dawn gave him their location. "Faith" Angel called hearing her light footsteps on the floor in the hall. The door opened and she peered in "yeah boss" she said "you bellowed". Angel grinned "I didn't really bellow" he protested.
"would you go to the airport and get Dawn and Harris, please?" Faith arched her eyebrows "Dawn is coming here" she said "to L.A." Angel sighed, "yes, she is at gate D, Southwest Airlines". Angel reached over to the bed stand and grabbed the keys to his car. "Drive carefully" he warned, tossing them to her. "Darn, and I was planning on going 85 all the way there" she shot back sarcastically.
"Angel" Buffy rolled over "Is Dawn here?" Angel reached to help her sit against the headboard "she's at the airport" he answered. "I need a bath" she said, groaning as the pain in her back began to ache. "Yeah, you do" Angel agreed pushing her away from him "Oh shut-up" she punched him in the arm. Angel laughed and pulled her closer. "Angel" she protested "I really need a bath".
"Okay, okay" Angel grudgingly let her go "I'll fill the tub and you can have a long soak". Buffy smiled "thank you" she said quietly. Buffy could hear the sounds of running water in the next room. "okay," Angel said reaching down and picking her up in to his arms "let's go get you clean" he said walking towards the bathroom.
"Angel" she looked at him "I can walk you know" she pointed out. "Uh-huh" he responded "but you are still really wobbily" he said "We can't have you breaking a bone or something". Angel gingerly set her on the side of the tub, "can you take it from here?" he asked.
Buffy nodded "Yeah, I think so" she said. Angel didn't look convinced "Ok, but I'll be right outside the door if you need help" he said stepping out of the bathroom and closing the door Buffy held sat on the edge of the tub, deftly trying to get her fingers to work. After much work, she managed to get her shirt unbuttoned and pulled it off.
The first thing she noticed were the bruises on her stomach and ribs. They were purple and ugly, in various stages of healing. When she tried reaching around to unhook her bra, she grunted in pain. After another attempt, it was clear that she wouldn't be able to do this after all. "Angel" she called out. The door opened and he stepped in "are you okay?" he asked. "I can't reach around my.." she trailed off as their eyes met.
At that moment, time seemed to stand still. "I ah..I can't unhook my.." she began blushing furiously. With an amused grin, Angel crossed the threshold of the bathroom. "What is so funny?" she asked. By this time, Angel had reached her and turned her so that her back was to him "You" he admitted.
"Me?" she arched her eyebrow "and what exactly is so funny?"
Angel quickly unhooked her bra, but continued to hold onto her "you're just so helpless" he said "I like that for once you're are the helpless one and not me." Buffy shook her head "Funny, Xander and Giles seem to like that, it must be a guy thing" she quipped. "What about Spike?" Angel couldn't help himself, he had to know. "What about Spike?" she asked.
"Does he like it when you are helpless?" Angel clarified. Buffy thought for a moment "Not really, he was always challenging me to reach my potential and not to give into my weaknesses". She said. "Funny, I thought that ole Spike liked to be in charge" Angel mused. "Well, he hasn't been lately" Buffy pointed out.
While they talked, Angel unconsciously caressed her silky skin "you should probably get undressed so you can be ready when Dawn gets here" Angel prompted her "are you going to be okay now?" Buffy nodded "I think so" she said turning around, clutching her shirt around her breasts. "Angel" she called softly to him. "Yeah" he turned around "I didn't love Spike" she told him "you don't have to keep comparing yourself to him or his actions".
"I know" Angel said "It's just really weird knowing that you two were..uh.close" he finished. "I wanted to be there for you, not anybody else, especially Spike". Buffy didn't know how to respond to that "I'm sorry" she spoke softly "I guess things don't always work out like they're supposed to. I mean I tried normal, remember Riley?" she scoffed "I guess normal for me isn't normal like everyone else".
"Maybe they can be" Angel said looking into her eyes "if we want them to be bad enough". Buffy sat on the edge of the tub "I don't want normal" she said softly "I want what I've always wanted". Angel knew what she was thinking, because he was thinking it too, but he needed to hear her say it. "And what is that?" he asked closing the bathroom door and walking over to her.
Angel pulled her to her feet and into his embrace "tell me what you want Buffy" he whispered huskily. "I want the same thing you want" she responded looking into his eyes "for us to be together, always". Angel pulled her even closer "always" he agreed claiming her lips with his.
Fiery passion consumed them immediately, "Buffy" Angel whispered passionately against her silky skin "God, I love you so much" he said kissing her once again. Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck, dropping the shirt covering her chest in the process. "Oh God, Angel" she breathed "I want you so much".
Angel suddenly became aware of the fact that the tub was overflowing. He reached around her and turned off the water, then carefully removed her jeans and underwear. Without another word, he picked her up and placed her in the foamy water. "Angel" she spoke softly looking up at him. "I'm not going anywhere" he assured her returning to her side. Buffy closed her eyes and relaxed against the tub, as he sponged her shoulders and neck.
Angel quickly shed his own clothes and joined her in the tub. "Angel" she protested "are you sure about this?" she looked into his eyes. Angel nodded pulling her back so that she leaned against him. "I'm pretty sure of one thing" he said "What is that" she asked "this is a really bad Idea" he murmured.
She nodded "probably, so why did you do it" she asked. Angel wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him "because I want to be near you again" he whispered in her ear "even if I can't show you how much I love you." Buffy took his free hand and wrapped her fingers around his "There is more than one way to show somebody you love them" she said, laying her head back on his chest.
Angel woke up to the sound of his phone ringing "what" he barked into the phone. Buffy had tossed and turned all night, allowing neither of them to get any sleep until very late. "We're here" Dawn spoke chipperly into the phone. Angel groaned "sorry" he said "didn't get any sleep last night" he said in explanation.
"I'll get someone out to the airport, what gate are you at?" Angel asked. Dawn gave him their location. "Faith" Angel called hearing her light footsteps on the floor in the hall. The door opened and she peered in "yeah boss" she said "you bellowed". Angel grinned "I didn't really bellow" he protested.
"would you go to the airport and get Dawn and Harris, please?" Faith arched her eyebrows "Dawn is coming here" she said "to L.A." Angel sighed, "yes, she is at gate D, Southwest Airlines". Angel reached over to the bed stand and grabbed the keys to his car. "Drive carefully" he warned, tossing them to her. "Darn, and I was planning on going 85 all the way there" she shot back sarcastically.
"Angel" Buffy rolled over "Is Dawn here?" Angel reached to help her sit against the headboard "she's at the airport" he answered. "I need a bath" she said, groaning as the pain in her back began to ache. "Yeah, you do" Angel agreed pushing her away from him "Oh shut-up" she punched him in the arm. Angel laughed and pulled her closer. "Angel" she protested "I really need a bath".
"Okay, okay" Angel grudgingly let her go "I'll fill the tub and you can have a long soak". Buffy smiled "thank you" she said quietly. Buffy could hear the sounds of running water in the next room. "okay," Angel said reaching down and picking her up in to his arms "let's go get you clean" he said walking towards the bathroom.
"Angel" she looked at him "I can walk you know" she pointed out. "Uh-huh" he responded "but you are still really wobbily" he said "We can't have you breaking a bone or something". Angel gingerly set her on the side of the tub, "can you take it from here?" he asked.
Buffy nodded "Yeah, I think so" she said. Angel didn't look convinced "Ok, but I'll be right outside the door if you need help" he said stepping out of the bathroom and closing the door Buffy held sat on the edge of the tub, deftly trying to get her fingers to work. After much work, she managed to get her shirt unbuttoned and pulled it off.
The first thing she noticed were the bruises on her stomach and ribs. They were purple and ugly, in various stages of healing. When she tried reaching around to unhook her bra, she grunted in pain. After another attempt, it was clear that she wouldn't be able to do this after all. "Angel" she called out. The door opened and he stepped in "are you okay?" he asked. "I can't reach around my.." she trailed off as their eyes met.
At that moment, time seemed to stand still. "I ah..I can't unhook my.." she began blushing furiously. With an amused grin, Angel crossed the threshold of the bathroom. "What is so funny?" she asked. By this time, Angel had reached her and turned her so that her back was to him "You" he admitted.
"Me?" she arched her eyebrow "and what exactly is so funny?"
Angel quickly unhooked her bra, but continued to hold onto her "you're just so helpless" he said "I like that for once you're are the helpless one and not me." Buffy shook her head "Funny, Xander and Giles seem to like that, it must be a guy thing" she quipped. "What about Spike?" Angel couldn't help himself, he had to know. "What about Spike?" she asked.
"Does he like it when you are helpless?" Angel clarified. Buffy thought for a moment "Not really, he was always challenging me to reach my potential and not to give into my weaknesses". She said. "Funny, I thought that ole Spike liked to be in charge" Angel mused. "Well, he hasn't been lately" Buffy pointed out.
While they talked, Angel unconsciously caressed her silky skin "you should probably get undressed so you can be ready when Dawn gets here" Angel prompted her "are you going to be okay now?" Buffy nodded "I think so" she said turning around, clutching her shirt around her breasts. "Angel" she called softly to him. "Yeah" he turned around "I didn't love Spike" she told him "you don't have to keep comparing yourself to him or his actions".
"I know" Angel said "It's just really weird knowing that you two were..uh.close" he finished. "I wanted to be there for you, not anybody else, especially Spike". Buffy didn't know how to respond to that "I'm sorry" she spoke softly "I guess things don't always work out like they're supposed to. I mean I tried normal, remember Riley?" she scoffed "I guess normal for me isn't normal like everyone else".
"Maybe they can be" Angel said looking into her eyes "if we want them to be bad enough". Buffy sat on the edge of the tub "I don't want normal" she said softly "I want what I've always wanted". Angel knew what she was thinking, because he was thinking it too, but he needed to hear her say it. "And what is that?" he asked closing the bathroom door and walking over to her.
Angel pulled her to her feet and into his embrace "tell me what you want Buffy" he whispered huskily. "I want the same thing you want" she responded looking into his eyes "for us to be together, always". Angel pulled her even closer "always" he agreed claiming her lips with his.
Fiery passion consumed them immediately, "Buffy" Angel whispered passionately against her silky skin "God, I love you so much" he said kissing her once again. Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck, dropping the shirt covering her chest in the process. "Oh God, Angel" she breathed "I want you so much".
Angel suddenly became aware of the fact that the tub was overflowing. He reached around her and turned off the water, then carefully removed her jeans and underwear. Without another word, he picked her up and placed her in the foamy water. "Angel" she spoke softly looking up at him. "I'm not going anywhere" he assured her returning to her side. Buffy closed her eyes and relaxed against the tub, as he sponged her shoulders and neck.
Angel quickly shed his own clothes and joined her in the tub. "Angel" she protested "are you sure about this?" she looked into his eyes. Angel nodded pulling her back so that she leaned against him. "I'm pretty sure of one thing" he said "What is that" she asked "this is a really bad Idea" he murmured.
She nodded "probably, so why did you do it" she asked. Angel wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him "because I want to be near you again" he whispered in her ear "even if I can't show you how much I love you." Buffy took his free hand and wrapped her fingers around his "There is more than one way to show somebody you love them" she said, laying her head back on his chest.