Ease up against my spine because there's still a million miles to climb
They kept the conversation light as they walked back to Buffy's apartment. They discussed Xander and Anya's wedding, Dawn and college, and Angel told Buffy about Gunn and Fred and the rest of the L.A. gang's lives. Buffy slid her key into the lock and smiled.
"This is nice, ya know, catching up. I never get to catch up with anyone."
"Yea, it's fun," Angel said smiling back at her. She caught his grin and her smile grew at the thought of him being happy. He never smiled that much before, but she found that she really enjoy the sight.
"Giles?" Buffy called as they entered the apartment.
"In the kitchen!" he called back. Buffy headed towards his voice, but stopped in the doorway.
"Um, hi," she said to the dark haired woman sipping tea across the table from Giles.
"Buffy, this is my, uh, friend Hannah. Hannah, this is my niece Buffy," he introduced, keeping with the story they put together. Angel stepped into view behind the Slayer and Giles' eyes widened in shock, but he recovered quickly. "This is her friend Angel. Um, would you excuse us for a second, Hannah?"
"Of course Rupert." Giles ushered Buffy and Angel into the foyer.
"Giles! You have a girlfriend!" Buffy accused softly. "When were you going to tell me about this?"
"Soon, I just...that's not the issue. Angel, it's good to see you again, but what are you doing here? Is there trouble?"
"No, actually, I'm human." Giles' eyes widen with shock for the second time in a few minutes.
"Oh my. I certainly did not expect to hear that." He took off his glasses, cleaned them, and settled them back on his nose. "How did this happen?"
"Long story short, the Powers That Be felt I earned it."
"Intriguing. So, you're only here to inform us of this?"
"Yeah. I didn't think it was the kind of thing you can tell over the phone."
"Yes of course. Well, I'm sure you two have a lot to talk about," Giles said in his understanding, British voice. "Hannah and I were heading out to a movie anyway so we won't be in your way."
"Thank Giles," Buffy stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Then, she gave him a devilish grin. "Have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Behave yourself," he told her, his smiling eyes belying his stern tone.
"Right back atcha," she said grinning again. Giles disappeared for a moment and returned with Hannah.
"Nice meeting you, Buffy and Angel." The pair returned the sentiments and the older couple left. Suddenly alone, a string of tension began to thread through the air as they realized they were alone. The talk on the way to the apartment had been kept light, but they couldn't keep it like that forever.
"Do you want something to eat or drink?" Buffy offered.
"Yeah, sure, thanks." They went in to the kitchen and Angel sat down at the table while Buffy opened the refrigerator.
"Iced tea ok?" Buffy asked perusing the contents.
"Yeah." Angel fought to keep his eyes off her back as she pulled out the iced tea and poured it. That wasn't what he was here for. He was simply here to tell her that he was human, maybe be her friend, but certainly no more. They led different lives. Besides after so long, she couldn't possibly still love him. Buffy placed the two glasses of iced tea on the table next to a plate of crackers and sat down across from him. Suddenly Angel was overwhelmed by deja vu. The scene was set exactly as it had been years ago, the first time his humanity had been returned to him, on a day that no one but him remembered. But this time is different he told himself. You are not going to end up making love to her no matter how much you want to because it's just too complicated.
"So..." she began, not sure where to take the conversation next. "Human. I gotta say this is very surprising."
"Yeah it is. I'm still getting used to it."
"How long has it been?" Buffy asked taking a sip of her tea.
"Three weeks." The conversation went on in that manner for awhile. Angel told Buffy about how in a bloody battle he and the A.I. gang finally took down Wolfram and Hart and how the Powers had finally granted him his redemption. They talked for hours about aspects of the battle and the fact that Angel still had some vampire qualities like strength. They also caught up more about Buffy's life, how she ended up in Nevada, and where the rest of the Scoobies were. As the conversation winded down, Buffy finally asked the question that had been on her mind.
"What's next for you?" For us? her subconscious added.
"I'm not sure. We had a lot of cleaning up to do after the battle so things are just getting settled and I haven't really figured things out."
"Well, how long are you staying in Vegas?"
"I got a room over at the Sheraton so I think I'm going to stay a few days. I've never been in Vegas before."
"I'll show you around. I'm working until one but if you come by the store we can go to lunch or something. There's an excellent diner down the street."
"That'd be great." Angel smiled at Buffy and as he looked at her, his eyes caught on the clock mounted on the wall behind her. "Oh wow, it's really late. I should get going." Buffy checked her watch. It was well past midnight.
"Alright," the pair stood up and walked to the front door. Angel opened the door, took a step into the hallway, then turned around to face Buffy.
"So I'll see you tomorrow right?"
"Right." They smiled at each other, but the moment quickly grew awkward as neither knew how to end the night. Angel desperately wanted to kiss her goodnight, to brush his lips against her own soft pink ones. Simple and sweet like he used to. But things stopped being simple years ago. Little did he know she was hoping for the exact same thing. Instead he smiled at her again and headed for the elevator.
Talk in sign, say something new
"Cordelia?"
"Oh! Hey, Angel!"
"Hi Angel!" he heard Fred's high voice call out on the other end of the phone.
"Tell Fred I say hi," Angel said, then heard Cordy relay his message. "So, what's going on?"
"Nothing much. Fred, Dennis and I are playing Scrabble."
"Where's Gunn?"
"Out on patrol."
"Where's Wes?"
"Surprisingly enough he's out on a date."
"That seems to be a trend with ex-Watchers these days," Angel said, smiling, thinking of Giles and the woman he had with him. Angel was so happy to see Giles with someone. He had always felt so guilty that the British man had never found anyone after Jenny Calendar.
"So, I'm assuming that you met up with Giles and Buffy, then."
"Yes."
"Well, come on! I thought we broke you of this cryptic act years ago. Tell me what happened!"
"So, who is Wesley dating?"
"That waitress that he saved from vamps last week, Nicole, but don't you try to change the subject, mister. What happened between you and Buffy?"
"I told her that I was human. We talked about how that happened. We talked about what was going on in our lives, then I went back to the hotel."
"That's it? She didn't totally jump you like I expected?"
"Cordelia," Angel said warningly. "I told you. I did not come here to get back together with her. I came to tell her the news because I thought she deserved to know. Besides I've never been to Las Vegas before. We're just going to be friends."
Talk in circles, nothing better to do
"So, Angel's human." Giles said, later that night. He sat down on the couch across from Buffy, who was curled up in an armchair, trying to read the latest Cosmo, except that she kept getting distracted by her thoughts.
"Yes, he is."
"Well?"
"Well, what?" she said, looking up from her magazine.
"Well, how'd that happen? What's happening between you two?"
"He's been fighting against an evil law firm that represents demons and stuff for a while now and when he finally defeated them the Powers That Be decided to grant him his humanity."
"And?"
"And then he was human. The end."
"But what about you?"
"So, Hannah seems nice." Buffy asked.
"Don't change the subject. What about you?"
"What about me?" she replied. "It has nothing to do with me. He wanted to come to Vegas, do some sightseeing, tell me about his humanity, then go back to L.A. That's it."
"So you two are not getting back together?"
"No. We're just friends."
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