CHAPTER 6

Angel watched Lorne and the girl walk into the back room.

"She's pretty isn't she" Willow asked as she sat down in the seat Lorne had just vacated.

Angel shrugged his leather-clad shoulders. "I suppose you could call her pretty" he still hadn't taken his eyes off the door.

"Suppose?! Then why you are trying to go all Superman-y and use your x-ray vision to see through the door?" She laughed with a knowing smile as she gestured for another round of drinks for the table. "It doesn't look to me like you think she's just pretty".

Angel sighed with a smile "I never could hide anything from you, could I Wil? I don't know, there's just something about her. I really don't want to think it but she reminds me of someone." Angel purposely left out whom she reminded him off.

"You mean she reminds you of Buffy." Willow looked up at him, finishing his thoughts.

"Yeah," he ran a hand through his hair, "I saw her this morning at the hotel. I can't help it, she moves the same way Buffy did. I think I must be going insane, I even found myself following her scent through the hotel trying to see if it was the same as Buffy's."

Willow watched her friend's face as so many emotions flickered there. "And was it?" She was not really sure if wanted to know the answer.

Angel nodded as a brooding look came into his eyes.

Willow studied his face before saying the very thing she didn't want to tell him. "I think there is something not of the normal about her."

Angel looked at his friend who had grown up into such a beautiful woman. Her red hair had gone a dark auburn over the years, having gone into a depression after Buffy's death and turning to the dark magiks. 'She had looked so lost for such a long time. I still wish I could have been there sooner.'

Failing to find a way to bring back Buffy with white magic, Willow had delved into the dark side of Wicca. The power spoke to her like an old friend and was so intoxicating that she pushed her true friends away and had lost the love of the one woman whom they all thought could save her.

Out of pure desperation, Xander had called on the one person left. Angel. It had been over 10 years since he brought her to L.A, and like with any addiction Willow still took it one day at a time. During that time away from Sunnydale and the Hellmouth, she rebuilt her friendship with Xander, Anya, and Dawn and had even started talking to Tara again. Unfortunately there was still a look in her eye. It was one that all the scoobies still had, even Spike. It was the look of sadness.

After a long time of mourning and 'if only's', life continued. Xander and Anya finally got married 2 years after Buffy's death had stayed in Sunnydale with Dawn. Xander went to university to study engineering and now ran his own company while Anya had taken over the Magic Box. They had had a baby girl, Hallie, now 15 years old and looking more like Xander everyday. 'The poor girl.'

Dawn had gone to UCLA to study demonology. Her thesis was on the existence of portals and other dimensions. She toured with her book now, doing lectures at all the great universities of Europe. At the moment she was visiting Giles in England and was due home any day.

Angel had become the big brother Dawn had never had. She had lived at the hotel while studying because Angel had the largest collection of books on Demon lore in the world, at least that was what she had told everyone. Really it was because being with Angel felt like she was closer to Buffy some how. Not a day went by that they didn't talk and memories of Buffy were always shared with out past feelings of guilt and hurt.

Seeing Buffy's broken body had made Spike a little mad, to say the least. He had torn down the tower that Glory's minions had built with his bare hands. Once that was done he had paid a little visit to his Grandsire during his retreat in Nepal. Angel had taken Spikes taunts, angry words, and even his fists. But when Spike claimed that Angel had never really loved Buffy, Angel snapped. It had taken 4 monks and the threat of holy water from the higher monk to stop Angel from breaking Spike's neck. Spike couldn't go back to Sunnydale, too many memories. Instead, the gang had heard through demon gossip that Spike had taken upon himself the task of ridding the world of portals that led to hell dimensions. So far he had closed 28.

With Willow away in Los Angeles with Angel, Tara found herself at a loss. Although Tara had left her lover a few months piror she had still held out hope that they would somehow make amends. With Willow over come by her obsession with the dark arts Tara, unable to see her love fall so hard, moved to Hollywood. Alone in a crowd of posers she stood out without even trying. Her innocent yet troubled eyes captured the attention of a screenwriter for a production company and she started working as a personal assistant. Now sheis the head scriptwriter for a new supernatural TV series based on the tales of a Vampire Slayer. It's proving to be such a hit with its realistic storylines that Tara is in hot demand. Having recently broken up with her last girlfriend, the two old lovers were finding common ground again but reconciliation was still a long way away.

"Why do you think she's here?" Willow asked, unsure if knowing or even talking about this girl was going to be good for Angel.

"I don't know Wil. I only know this, I've always dreamt about Buffy, but recently the dreams have started to change. They start out with Buffy but then she changes into someone else. Someone I didn't know until I saw her this morning. Even last night I dreamt of the first time Buffy and I were together but she was Buffy. It was the clearest dream yet. I could smell the rain in her hair and feel her skin under my fingers."

Angel ran his hands over his face as the memories of last nights dream caused his body to hum. "I think she's here for a reason and damned if I am not going to find out what it is" Angel looked at Willow and saw the concern in her eyes. "It's alright Willow, I can just sense that there is something about her. Something important."

Willow nodded in silent agreement. Angel reached for her and took her into a tight hug "Thanks Willow".

She pulled back and looked into his eyes. "For what?" She asked.

"For not thinking I'm seeing ghosts." He slid off the stool and threw some money on the bar. "I'm going to head back to the hotel and do some research" With that he walked out of the bar.