Title: Broken Pieces
Disclaimer: Don't own it, God-Joss does.
AN: Thanx to those that reviewed. I really hope y'all like the new chapter. ;)
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Buffy stared at her closet of clothes, trying to decide what to wear to the club tonight. Finally she decided on her black leather pants, and her baby pink halter with strings across her back. Checking her high ponytail in the mirror, Buffy put the finishing touches on her outfit, and satisfied, grabbed her purse and headed downstairs.
When Buffy got downstairs, she noticed that her Aunt Jenny was sitting in the living room obviously waiting for her. Buffy went in the living room and sat next to Jenny on the couch and said, "Don't worry. I'll be home before 11 and Willow is picking me up and bringing me home."
"Okay dear. Have fun." Jenny replied with a smile. Then a horn sounded outside, signaling that Willow and Oz had pulled up. Buffy jumped up from the couch and with a peck on the cheek, rushed out the door. Jenny just stared after her niece, shook her head and went upstairs to check that Dawn was doing her homework.
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"Hey." Said Buffy, as she climbed into the back of Oz's van.
"Hey Buffy. Wow! You look great!" Willow told her. Buffy smiled at Willow in response. They got to the Bronze in no time, and were walking in the door when the cover band started to play. "Hey there's the gang. It looks like they got a table." Willow said over the music. Willow, Oz, and Buffy made their way to the left of the club to a group of couches where Xander, Anya, Spike, Faith, Fred, and Gunn were sitting. Willow waved and said to the group, "Hey guys! The band sounds great. Where's Angel?" she asked Xander.
"Dunno. He said he'd be here. Oh wait. There he is. He just walked in the door." Xander replied. Buffy looked back at the door to see Angel walk in the door. He looked damn fine, or at least that was her opinion. He was wearing tight black leather pants, with a blood red silk shirt on. She couldn't help but drool a little, in her head of course, never literally. But then Angel looked at her, as if he knew she was in the room without even looking. She stared into his eyes as he approached, neither breaking eye contact.
"Hey Angel." Willow said, "What took you so long?" she asked.
"Mom and Kathy wouldn't let me out the door." He replied simply.
Wondering who Kathy was, Buffy got up and said, "I'm gonna get a drink. Anyone else want one?" Everyone shook their heads, so she headed towards the bar to get a coke. Little did she know that someone else was watching her, and waiting to get her alone. After ordering her drink, Buffy turned around to watch the band, and then her coke arrived. She was about to grab her coke and head back over to her friends when a hand came out of nowhere and took hold of her free arm. "Hey!" she said. Buffy tried to wrench her arm free, but the man had a very firm grip on her.
"Now now. Let's not make a scene. I just wanna dance with you." A voice said into her ear from behind. Buffy turned around and saw that is was Riley.
"Get lost and let go of me Riley!" she said. Riley seemed to enjoy her frustration and growing anxiety. He was smiling and pulling her towards the dance floor.
"Awwww, come on. Just one dance. You know, you should be careful wearing an outfit like that, ya know. It could attract some very unsavory men." Riley leered at her.
Buffy was becoming more and more frightened. She knew that she could have handled him, but for some reason she couldn't do anything. A voice in her head was screaming at her to fight back and hurt him for treating her like this, but her body didn't seem to pay attention. She couldn't do a thing. Then Riley began to dance with her, but before long he said, "You know, I think we should go outside and get some fresh air." That's when he began to pull her outside.
Angel noticed when Buffy didn't come back in 5 minutes, and turned around just to see Riley pull her out the door. She looked right in his eyes and he saw her fear. "Hey, um, I'll be right back." He said to his friends.
"Hey man, where're ya goin'?" Gunn called as Angel walked hurriedly towards the door.
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When they got outside, Riley maneuvered Buffy so her back was against the building. "No. Riley stop. Please don't." Buffy begged.
"Come on. How about a little kiss?" Riley said, completely ignoring her pleas.
Angel got outside just as Riley was about to kiss Buffy. "Hey. I believe the lady said no. Why don't you just walk away, before you can't." Angel threatened.
"This is no concern of yours Angel. Get lost." Riley said, turning to face him.
"I said get gone Riley." Angel said stepping toward them, his anger rising. Then Angel lunged at Riley, grabbed him by the throat, and threw him off Buffy. Before Angel got the chance to do anything else, Riley got up and left very quickly. Instead of chasing after the coward, Angel turned back to Buffy and asked her, "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Buffy just shook her head; she was too rattled to do anything else. "Do you want me to walk you home?" Angel asked her.
Finally Buffy found her voice and shakily said, "No. No, I'm okay. I wanna go back inside."
"Are you sure? Cause its no problem." Angel said sincerely.
"Yeah I'm sure. Let's go." Buffy replied determinedly. As they walked back to the door, Angel wrapped his arm around Buffy's shoulders. Instead of pulling away like she normally would, Buffy felt like she wanted him to. It was if she had to be close to him, like he could make it better by just being there.
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When Buffy and Angel came back into the club, Spike and Faith, and Xander and Anya were dancing, while Willow and Oz, and Fred and Gunn were being couply on the couches. Willow looked up when Buffy and Angel approached them, "Hey. Where have you two been?" she asked with a mischievous smile on her face.
"Nowhere. Don't worry about it. Okay." Angel replied for them. They sat down on the nearest couch with Angel's arm now protectively around Buffy's petite waist. A new song was starting to play when Angel got up off the couch turned to Buffy and said softly, "You wanna dance?" Buffy nodded and accepted his outstretched hand as he helped her off the couch.
As she watched them walk to the dance floor Fred sighed and said, "They are so cute together."
They reached the center of the dance floor, and Buffy wrapped her arms around Angel's neck and laid her head on his chest, while Angel wrapped his arms around her waist. They slowly swayed back and forth to "My Immortal" by Evanescence.
// I'm so tired of being here,
Suppressed by all my childish fears.
And if you have to leave,
I wish that you would just leave.
Cause your presence still lingers here,
And it won't leave me alone. //
Buffy brought her head off of Angel's chest and looked into his eyes and said softly to him, "Thank you. For getting rid of Riley. I don't know what would've happened to me if you hadn't have been there."
// These wounds won't seem to heal.
This pain is just too real.
There's just too much that time cannot erase.
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears.
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears.
I held your hand through all of these years,
But you still have,
All of me. //
"He's a prick. And he deserves all he got, and will be sure to get in the future. Are you better now?" he asked gently. Buffy had laid her head back on his chest, and merely nodded.
// You used to captivate me,
By your resonating light.
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind,
Your face it haunts,
My once pleasant dreams.
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me. //
As they continued to dance, it was as if the rest of the room disappeared. It was only them. Buffy seemed to forget the all the years that haunted her memory, and all she knew was that Angel made her forget and feel safe, protected, and at home. She had forgotten what those things had felt like. Buffy didn't know what to think. It had been so long since she was treated like Angel was treating her; like a goddess.
// These wounds won't seem to heal.
This pain is just too real.
There's just too much that time cannot erase.
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears.
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears.
I held your hand through all of these years,
But you still have,
All of me.
I tried so hard to tell myself,
That you're gone.
But though you're still with me,
I've been alone all along.
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears.
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears.
I held your hand through all of these years,
But you still have,
All of me. //
The song ended, so they headed back to their friends, but what they felt didn't end. Buffy and Angel sat back down across from Xander and Anya and started talking to them. Buffy was laughing and talking and having fun like she hadn't had in years. Since Tyler, actually. But sooner than anyone wanted, it was 11, and that meant that everyone had to go back to their respective lives, whether they wanted to or not. Since Buffy had ridden with Willow and Oz, she thought it best if she rode home with them. "I'll see you tomorrow. Thanx for the dance, and everything." Buffy said to Angel before she got into Oz's van, still holding his hand.
"Your welcome. Goodbye, until tomorrow." Angel said as he planted a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. Angel helped Buffy into the van and closed the door. "Until tomorrow." Angel said softly to himself. With his right hand over his heart, he walked off to his car.
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AN: There's the next chappie. Review review review. I really hope y'all like it. I would've posted yesterday, but our basement flooded. But here it is. Thanx a noodle. ;) SlayerChic503
P.S.- "My Immortal" by Evanescence is a totally beautiful song off their album Fallen. I recommend anyone who reads this go pick up the CD.