Title: Going My Way?
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, it all belongs to Joss (he is evil but he is a god nonetheless), the WB, Fox, and Mutant Enemy (Grrr Arrrg). Please don't sue, I have no money!
*~*~*
Angel took a left on Division, squinting as he found himself staring into the late afternoon sun. He fumbled on the passenger seat beside him and found his sunglasses. Slipping them on, he picked up speed. He wanted to get this done as quickly as possible.
Kate had called him again last night, and had complained for almost ten minutes about how she couldn't solve her new case. Finally Angel just asked her calmly, "Kate, why did the force hire you if you have no idea what you're doing?" Kate had completely dismissed the jab and had instead begun to invite Angel over for dinner. He quickly refused but told her that he would help her with the case.
He'd arrived at Kate's at noon the next day, found that her befuddling case was one he'd solved two weeks ago, and had turned to leave. But Kate rushed around him and closed the door, instantly trying to put moves on him. Angel had refused as politely as he could, but Kate had not taken it well. Crying and trying to hit Angel, she'd informed him that it wasn't over, she always got what she wanted, and so on. Angel had tired of that extremely quickly, and made his escape to the sounds of Kate howling; "I'll get youuuuuuu Angel!!!!! Just see if I don't!!!!!!!"
Angel decided he wanted no part in all of that, and Cordelia and Gunn agreed, advising him to skip town until Kate either calmed down or died. Reluctant, Angel only agreed when Faith offered to take over his position while he was away. So for ten minutes now he'd been in his car, and for the life of him he didn't know why he was headed straight for Sunnydale.
He knew she wouldn't be there. Willow or someone would've called him if she was. Angel sighed painfully and felt the sorrow in his chest grow. He felt as if there was a hole in his heart. He hadn't seen her for twenty years. It was unbelievable. He didn't want to even try and comprehend it. He had no idea where she was, nothing. The gang had told him she fled after sending him to Hell, and no one had hear a word from her since.
Occasionally over the years he had returned to Sunnydale, to see the gang and also give them updates on his constant search for Buffy. For fifteen years he'd searched and searched, travelling to the absolute boondocks of the world, going as far as Asia and Australia, but he couldn't find her anywhere. Willow had logically told him that she didn't want to be found, yet Angel couldn't accept that. It wasn't until five years ago that he'd given up his search, instead devoting himself to his agency and the people who needed him. Cordelia had been there with him for the past twenty years, never marrying, just devoting herself to the helpless as Angel did. Wesley had been with them for about five years before he met his death at the hands of a pack of vampires. Soon after that, Faith joined up, as did a young man named Gunn. Faith, however, was retired. Giles had called once informing them that when a slayer reaches the age of thirty, she is no longer fit for the job and another is called as effectively as if she were dead. Giles currently had the two new slayers in Sunnydale. They weren't as good as Buffy and Faith but they held down the fort. The fact that both were called in the same year gave Angel hope that Buffy had at least made it to thirty. Willow and Oz married two years after graduation, and the last time Angel had been in Sunnydale he'd met their eight year old son Lachie. Xander had moved away after Anya was killed in the Mayor's Ascension. The town would've been destroyed except Giles managed to blow up the giant snake. The school was ruined, however, so Giles bought a magic shop and used that to train his slayers. Though almost sixty, Giles was still a Watcher. The council had observed his shape and excellent fighting form and allowed him to work with the new ones, Georgia and Nancy, for as long as he needed.
Angel passed a Burger King, and his stomach rumbled. The sound caused him to grin. Real food. Not blood anymore. He'd been human for fifteen years. It was a gift to him from the Powers That Be, for rescuing so many people. Yet as an added bonus, they'd allowed him to keep his strength and agility so they wouldn't lose their best warrior.
Angel's attention was suddenly ton from thoughts of food and the Powers That Be when he noticed a long figure walking be the side of the road. Her blond hair was long, so long it almost completely draped her backpack. Her jeans were tattered, with a hole behind the knee, and her black Docs were scuffed. Angel felt sorry for her, and drawn to her in a way he couldn't explain. It must be hot out there. Southern California in July was not a pleasant place if you happen to be wandering in the middle of nowhere. As she heard the car approach, she held out her thumb without looking behind her. Angel sighed. What the hell. He pulled up level with her and stopped the car.
The blonde turned to him as if surprised anyone had stopped for her. Through the open passenger window all Angel could see was her torso, until she bent down with her forearms resting on the door. Her face, although hidden behind dark sunglasses and a cowboy hat, was beautiful. It was dark in the car and Angel knew she couldn't see him. She smiled, anyway.
"Nice car," she murmured. "Going my way?"
"Which is?" Angel asked, suddenly thinking that her voice sounded awfully familiar.
The woman started at the sound of his voice, and resisted the urge to fall backward. Reaching up, she snatched the sunglasses from her face. "Angel??"
Angel was speechless. He couldn't get a word out. He saw, now, what he'd known all along….Buffy. She was here.
"Angel…don't you know who I am?" she asked, her voice wavering.
Angel finally shook himself out of it. "Of course I know," he replied. "Oh God, Buffy…"
There was a long, awkward pause between the two.
"Where have you been?" Angel finally asked. "Wait, get in."
"Are you sure?" Buffy asked, fiddling with something on her hand.
Angel nodded. "Absolutely. Come on, you'll cook out there."
Buffy sighed, "You got that right." She pulled on the door handle and it swung towards her, stepping past it, she lowered herself onto the seat and pulled it shut.
Angel reached over and pulled off her hat. Dropping it to the floor, he studied her.
She hadn't changed. Well, her hair was longer, and there were tiny creases around her eyes, but what amazed him the most was that it was still his Buffy, still the girl he'd loved all those years ago. Yet her eyes were dull. Gone was the sparkled that made her so full of life, that made people look up when she entered a room. All there was now was dull green pools, yet he thought he could maybe see a flicker of hope in there too.
"You haven't changed…" he murmured.
Buffy gave a tiny smile. "I don't know about that." Her eyes met his, and she regarded him for a moment. Her brows creased. "But the funny thing is, you have."
Angel sighed. He knew he looked older, he'd been aging for fifteen years, which he supposed made him about 39. "Yes, I have. I got older."
Another small smile and again, that heartwarming flicker of hope. "You're…human?" Angel simply nodded. Buffy was astounded. "Oh my God, Angel."
"Fifteen years ago I was given it as a gift for saving so many lives," Angel explained. "They let me keep my strength so I could go on saving people. I moved to L.A when I got…out…and have an agency."
Buffy didn't know what to say. She just smiled again and shook her head. "I'm so happy for you," she murmured.
Angel sighed. "But what about you?? Where have you been?"
Buffy groaned. "It's such a long story, Angel."
"Well, believe me, we've got an hour and a half before we get to Sunnydale," Angel replied.
Buffy gasped. "You're going to Sunnydale?"
"Yeah. I'm, well, hiding out for a while until this crazy woman forgets about me. I figure Sunnydale is a good a place as any. Where were you headed?"
"Sunnydale," Buffy replied as Angel started the car. "I'm going back. I wanted….well I wanted to see the gang, and ask if you were out yet."
"It took you twenty years to do that??" Angel demanded, suddenly getting annoyed.
"You don't understand," Buffy said. "Just hear me out. I'll give you the short version." She took a deep breath. "After I sent you to Hell, I split. I couldn't take it, I couldn't spend another second in the town where I killed you. Plus my mum had kicked me out so I had no home. I took off, went to L.A first, then random other states and cities. I must've moved every two years. I went up to Canada for a while, then France, all just trying to escape. I would see you everywhere I went, though! Everybody looked like you, every time I looked in a shop window could see your reflection behind me! All I wanted was to leave it behind, but I knew I never could. I loved you, Angel. For twenty years, I never stopped loving you…" her voice broke. "Anyway, I knew it wasn't going to work. I saved up enough for a plane ticket home. I didn't have any friends, or anything, I'm never had anyone close to me since you. Except for one person, who I've left behind."
"Who-?"
"I'll tell you later," Buffy said. "Anyway, as you know, Sunnydale has no airport, and I spent every last penny on the plane ticket, so I couldn't afford a bus. I got in at LAX and decided to hitch. And guess who picked me up?"
Angel sighed. "Do you have any idea how much I looked for you?" he asked. "I searched the goddamn globe, Buffy!"
"I thought you would," Buffy murmured. "That is, if you got out. I didn't even know if you were."
"I was," he said simply. "Willow cast a spell to get me out. I was in Hell for a month, Buffy, but there, time is different. It felt like a thousand years, and I spent every spare moment thinking of you. When I finally got out and Willow told me you had gone, I couldn't believe it. I was totally deflated. All I wanted was to find you."
"And you did," Buffy said simply. "You did. I'm here now, see?" She gave a small smile.
Angel couldn't help but smile back, all his anger dissolving. "You're so beautiful," he whispered, stroking her cheek. "Buffy I never stopped loving you. I never thought I'd see you again. This is too good to be true."
"But it is true," Buffy replied. "I'm here, and we're together, and we're in love."
Wordlessly Angel pulled over to the side of the road, unbuckling his seat belt and catching Buffy's lips in a fiery kiss.
*~*~*
"Which would make you…how old?" Buffy asked. They were back on the road after their passionate pull-over, about five miles from Sunnydale. She was sitting much closer to Angel now, nestled under his arm.
"39, I think."
"Well, you've still got a couple of years on me. I'm - "
"37," Angel broke in. "Believe me I never forgot." He smiled. "Every year when your birthday came around Cordy would actually make a cake, put the right amount of candles on it, and make me blow them out." He chuckled.
Buffy laughed. "So Cordy works with you?" she asked, trying not to sound jealous.
"She went to L.A to be an actress. But she didn't make it, so I gave her a job," Angel said simply. "She's not that bad."
Buffy sighed as they drove past the Welcome to Sunnydale sign. This was it.
"Buffy, you should know that I've never been with anyone…since you."
Buffy grinned. "Well that you should know I've never been with anyone but you." She grinned. "I've always loved you." She showed him her hand. Her claddaugh rested on her middle finger, heart towards her. Angel held up his hand and Buffy took it in hers, kissing his ring.
*~*~*
Two Months Later
Buffy and Angel stood near the 'Arrival' gate at LAX airport, Buffy shifted about nervously.
"Honey, what are you so worried about?" Angel asked. "It's just your friend."
Buffy turned to him, staring into his eyes. "It's more than that, Angel. If you don't like her…uh! There she is!"
Angel turned to see a pretty blonde girl towing a suitcase through the gate. He couldn't believe her resemblance to Buffy. They could have been sisters. But he knew Buffy was an only child. Buffy waved to the girl who smiled and waved back. She hurried over to them and Buffy engulfed her in a hug. "It's so good to see you!" Buffy murmured. "How was the trip? I'm so sorry for not coming back to France."
"No no, don't be!" the girl insisted. "It's ok, I was totally fine. I got to college and stuff ok, I got lifts with friends. And I closed up the apartment as well. I'm just glad to be back in America. It's so warm here! God, Paris got so cold after you left."
"I want you to meet someone," Buffy said, taking the girl's hand and leading her over to Angel. The girl dropped her case and stuck out her hand. "Angel, this is Phoebe." Angel took Phoebe's hand.
"Nice to meet you," he said.
Buffy took a deep breath. "And Phoebe, this is Angel." She felt her heart quicken. "Your father."
There was utter silence among them.
Finally Buffy coughed. "Did you hear me?"
Phoebe turned to her mother with watery eyes. "Wh-what?" she asked. "My…?"
Angel carefully let go of Phoebe's hand and turned to Buffy. "What are you talking about?"
Buffy sighed. "Angel, you're Phoebe's father. Phoebe was conceived on my seventeenth birthday. I found out a month later, but…you weren't really in a position to be told. After we … fought… I took off because I knew that no one in Sunnydale would understand. They would've wanted me to get rid of her, they all hated you and would've been scared that she would be a . . . y'know."
Angel nodded. He realised Phoebe mustn't know about her parent's supernatural tendencies. He turned to look at her again. She truly was beautiful. Yet her eyes were brimming with tears. Angel was getting nervous until he realised they were tears of joy.
"I've been waiting for so long to meet you!" Phoebe cried, engulfing Angel in a hug. "I know you didn't know about me. It's ok if you don't want a daughter, coz I'm old enough to not live at home. If you don't like me you can pretend this never even happened…"
"Hey!" Angel laughed. "That's not gonna happen." He freed one of his arms and drew Buffy closer. "Though I don't know how it could've happened, I wasn't able to father children back then. You're some kind of miracle."
Phoebe grinned. "I can live with that," she replied.
Buffy was absolutely beaming. "Pheebs, honey, grab your things. Let's get."
"I got it," Angel called, grabbing Phoebe's suitcase. The girl picked up her purse. "Mom, Dad, give me two minutes." She trotted towards the bathroom. Not really needing to go, she slipped inside and redid her hair and makeup. She knew her parents needed some time alone.
Back in the terminal, Buffy was watching Angel carefully. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you, Angel. I didn't know how to say it so I figured it would be better if you met her first."
Angel smiled. "Don't apologise, baby. She's perfect. It's incredible, she was conceived when I was a vampire. She really is a miracle."
Buffy smiled and moved a little closer to him. Snuggling into his chest, she raised her head and whispered, "She's not the only one."
Angel gaped at her. "You mean…?"
"I'm pregnant," Buffy murmured. Angel's features spread into a huge grin. "I love you so much."
He kissed her gently on the mouth, holding her close.
"I love you too, sweetheart."
*~*~*
The End