The Way it Should Have Been

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: See the first chapter for disclaimer if you really have your heart set on seeing one, kay?

Author's Note: Well, upon all your requests, I'm back with another chapter! Sorry it's taken so long, I'm working on wrapping up a DJ fic, and starting a new one. Again, thanks so much for the reviews! Obviously Buffy and Angel have stuff to sort out; please bare with me since I have no experience with sleeping with my boyfriend, giving him a moment of happiness, thus turning him evil and almost sending a demon lover to hell. I'm just writing what a person would do in a situation like this; er.. What Buffy would do. And since this is season 2 Buffy…she's still kinda childish, so..

To Melanie: That's cool that you agree. And I'm working on the next chapter right now!! To CluelessS: Na, that kind of review will do, lol. To sandy-eco: I'm glad you love the story so far. It's still going, just keep an eye out for the updates! (I know it's taken a while, I've just been unable to motivate myself to write anything for any of my stories.) And to kat461, m(), IWRY-ALWAYS, thanks guys for the reviews. I really appreciate them! Makes me get my butt back to writing! Hehe!

Buffy stood there, frozen in her place. Out of all the surprises that were thrown her way in the span of a day, this was one she really wasn't expecting. Last time she had spoken to her mother was when her mother had thrown her out that night- and that conversation wasn't one of the most memorable ones. She had snuck in a few days later to grab some of her clothes, but since then she hadn't been back.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked finally, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Buffy, I want you to come home with me," Joyce said, wasting no time. Buffy took a few steps into the room.

"Are you serious?" she asked. "After you threw me out because you couldn't understand something about me, and now you just… want me to come back home?" she said in disbelief.

"I know I reacted badly; I was confused," Joyce said. "You can't throw something that big at me and expect me to understand right off."

Buffy shrugged. "I had to."

"A-alright now, I think we should just calm down, and take a seat," Giles suggested. Buffy just stood there, her eyes locked on her mother.

"I'm sorry, but I can't go back with you," Buffy said. She then turned around and walked off to the guest room.

The following morning, Buffy tossed and turned like crazy in the bed. She snuck a peek at the alarm clock beside the bed. It read 12:45 in large red letters. She groaned before finally tossing the blanket's off of her and getting up. After freshening herself up a little without getting dressed, Buffy made her way out into the living room where she knew Giles was already there, probably ready with a lecture from last night's events. She remembered laying in bed, hearing Giles and her mother whispering in the living room before drifting off to sleep.

"Morning," Giles said from the table, without looking up from one of his old books.

"Morning," Buffy repeated, making her way to the fridge for something to eat. Most mornings, she'd eat a bowl or cereal or make her way to Willow's house.

"I trust you've had time to think about what your mother had to say?" Giles asked finally.

"Somehow I knew this morning wouldn't pass without that being mentioned," she said, closing a cupboard.

"Buffy, I know your still upset with her for kicking you out-" he began.

"No, you don't," Buffy said. "I told her the truth, Giles and what did she do? She kicked me out!" she said, her hands on her hips.

"If you would let me finish," he said, looking up from his book. "Buffy, just how long do you think this sleeping arrangement will last for?" he asked. Buffy paused. "I am you watcher, and while I don't mind you staying here…your going to have to go back sometime."

"So your saying you want me out?" she asked.

"Now I didn't say that," Giles said.

"No, but you were thinking it," she said. The room went silent.

"Buffy, for what it's worth, she is truly sorry," he told her before she walked out of the living room, needing to get out of there.

After walking around for a while, Buffy decided to go to Willow's house for a while. She realized she didn't spend enough time with her friends since everything had happened. She had been busy either with patrolling, being mad at her mom, or secretly visiting Angel. She took a deep breath before knocking on the front door. Mrs. Rosenberg answered the door, as usual.

"Hi, is…Willow here?" she asked. She knew Mrs. Rosenberg didn't care for her. She thought Buffy was a bad influence for Willow, and probably thought it more since she had been accused of killing Kendra. Luckily, the charges had been dropped a few days ago.

Mrs. Rosenberg nodded, and motioned Buffy inside. "Let me get her," she said before disappearing out of the room. Buffy looked around the living room, pictures of Willow and her family on the walls, along with paintings.

"Hey Buffy!" Willow said happily.

Buffy turned towards her and smiled. "Hey Will. How ya been?" she asked as the two girls headed to Willow's room.

"Pretty good. Oz had another gig at the Bronze last night," she informed Buffy.

"Oh, he did?" she asked.

Willow nodded. "So how are things at your end?" she asked after a few minutes. Buffy paused.

"A mess," she said simply, sitting down in Willow's bed.

"That bad?" Willow asked. Sitting down beside her.

"Oh you don't know the half of it. Mom was waiting for me when I got home last night," she began.

"Oh. What did she say?"

"Well, now she wants me to come back home and just forgive her," Buffy explained. "But…" she paused. "I don't know what to do."

"What do you want to do?" Willow answered.

"I don't know. I mean, yeah, it's weird shaking up with Giles, but I'm just not sure if Ik want to go back home," she said. "Plus… there are other things."

"What do you mean?" Willow asked, unsure of what Buffy was talking about. Buffy paused, wondering if it was a good idea to tell Willow about Angel. She looked at her best friend, deciding she could trust her.

"What if… what if I told you Angel wasn't dead?" she began.

"What do you mean, not dead?" she said, wondering where Buffy was going with this. She knew Buffy was still upset about whatever happened in the mansion with Angel; which was the main reason why she nor Xander had seen much of her lately.

"I mean, what if I didn't have to kill Angel in order to stop Acathla," she began. "If I found another way to stop him."

"Buffy, these 'ifs' are all true, aren't they?" Willow asked finally. Buffy looked up and nodded.

"Wow," Willow said finally, unable to believe Angel was still alive. So that's what was going on with Buffy lately. "Is-Is he still ya know, bad?" she asked.

Buffy shook her head quickly. "No, he's Angel again. I don't know how, but…" she paused. "While we were fighting, his eyes lit up and it was suddenly him. It was Angel."

"It worked," Willow muttered, smiling.

"What worked?" Buffy asked.

"The spell. To restore Angel's soul. It worked!" she said happily.

"The spell Miss Calender had?" Buffy asked. Willow nodded quickly.

"Wait, didn't Xander tell you?" she asked. "He was supposed to tell you what we were up to; with the spell."

Buffy felt betrayal and anger towards Xander. "No. He didn't," she said. The room fell silent.

"Buffy I'm sorry, I thought he-"

"It's okay. It's not you," she assured her, wondering why and how Xander could do that to her. She knew Xander hated Angel, but to lie to her about something..

"So are you and Angel, you know…" Willow trailed off.

"No, well yes. No!" Buffy sighed. "I don't know what we are," she admitted.

"Have the two of you sat down and talked about it?" she asked.

"No," she said softly, looking down at the ground. "I mean, that's all I've thought about, but.. We haven't…talked about it."

"Maybe that's something the two of you should do?" she suggested.

"Maybe," she said simply. "I'm just worried that with all that's happened with Angelus…" she trailed off, squeezing her eyes shut, thinking of the memories of him. What he did to everyone.

"Buffy, don't let that affect whether or not you and Angel work things out. If you do that, your letting Angelus win," Willow said, putting her arm around her friend.

"It's not just that," she said. "What about Giles? What if he finds out that I've kept Angel hidden and lied about it?" she asked.

"Well if he kicks ya out, you know you can always stay here," Willow said, smiling. Buffy smiled.

"Thanks Will. And your right; Angel and I need to discuss what's going on with him and I," she said, thinking in her mind what she'd say to him, and what she was going to do about everyone else knowing about Angel being alive. If it was even a good idea.