Angel found himself following Gunn downstairs, and as he reached the bottom of the stairs it was daytime.
Cordelia was kneeling in front of the bushy little Christmas tree that Angel had despised. She was carefully wrapping a line of flashing lights around it. Angel could see in her face that she was really excited.
"Oooh, this is great, I can't wait till tomorrow. I hope Angel likes the tree. He'd better, it only took me about three hours to pick it out, it had to be perfect. You know what Angel's like, so god-damn fussy!" Cordelia giggled. Wesley gave her a sympathetic smile. Gunn's non-spirit self was standing next to Wesley attempting to unravel some tinsel.
"She spent hours on that tree, it was only a little gesture, but it meant a lot to her." Gunn informed Angel.
"I didn't realise…" Angel began, unsure how to end his sentence.
"You see, that's it, you never do. You care a lot Angel, but you've got to allow time for the little things that make life what it is! Saving lives is all good, but God knows what will happen if you continue not to appreciate little everyday acts of kindness."
Angel sighed, unsure what to think.
And with no warning, Angel found himself in a place he hoped that he would never see again. He was standing rigidly in the centre of an old, large room that he recognised as the front room in his old mansion, the place where he had resided throughout his last year in Sunnydale. He slowly spun round to find Gunn leaning against the fireplace. He gave Angel a knowing grin, glanced casually around the now derelict, cold and empty room.
"Nice…." He began, uncertain. "Lets go!"
Angel took a deep breath, and suddenly a sense of dread filled him. There could only be one reason as to why Gunn had brought him here...Buffy. They emerged up the stony steps into the cold winter night and Angel followed Gunn across into the graveyard, lagging behind by several paces. If his heart could beat, he was pretty sure that it would be thudding against his chest right now…he could only expect the worst. And he was right. As the pair of them descended further into the murky graveyard, Angel could make out two figures in the distance, a tall, muscular, twenty-something year old guy, with floppy, dirty-blonde hair sat on a tombstone with a pretty, small blonde girl perched on his knee. Angel felt rage build up inside him, like fire. Just as he felt as though his demonic features might surface, he sighed. Gunn was now leaning against a squint gravestone with his arms folded.
"Wow…now I see why you were so hell-bent over this girl man, she's…"
"Perfect." Angel finished.
"Well I was going to go for 'hot' personally but yeah…I guess. And who is the guy?"
Angel felt that fire rise up inside him again.
"Riley Finn." He said through clenched teeth. And on that, he glided forward, partly wondering exactly what Buffy's reaction would be if she could actually see him strolling towards her through the graveyard wearing a robe and slippers. He almost let himself smile at the thought, but quickly stopped when he moved close enough to hear their conversation.
"This is going to be the best Christmassy Christmas ever." Buffy giggled. Riley smiled at her warmly and then wrapped his arms around her.
"You betcha." Riley confirmed.
"Its gonna be great to have everyone round, Dawn is way too excited though" Buffy laughed. "Do you reckon its time for me to tell her the truth about Santa?" she joked.
"What, you mean that Santa Claus was originally a demon who rode around on the back of a stag one night a year feeding on overly excited souls?" Riley questioned with a raised eyebrow. Buffy simply smiled and leaned further back into Riley's embrace.
"We really should get slaying" she said, half convincingly "I am having a perfect Christmas tomorrow and no demon, apocalypse or vampire is going to stop me, even if I have to spend all of tonight killing every, last, one."
Buffy sprang to her feet as Angel slid down gravestone behind him. He sat, with
his head held in his hands; confused between feeling guilty that he was the vampire who had almost ruined her Christmas two years ago and feeling hurt that his death would have been included in her last statement. His rational mind told him that it was just a casual remark but the fact that she was sitting canoodling with Riley right in front of him was hurting him enough.
"Buffy wait!" Riley grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. They embraced in a passionate kiss. Buffy emerged with a bright smile on her face.
"You know Riley Finn...I think that you might just be perfect! A perfect Christmas with my perfect boyfriend. Surely nothing can go…"
"No!" Riley interrupted, "don't jinx it!" he laughed.
Riley slid off of the tombstone, reached for Buffy's hand and they both began making their way across the graveyard. They walked past Angel who was looking up at Buffy with watery, hopeless eyes. Buffy suddenly stopped right in front of Angel, causing Riley to jerk backwards and let go of her hand.
"What's up?" he enquired, confusedly.
Buffy remained silent, looking around her. She then crouched down so that she was face to face with Angel. Angel longed to reach out and touch her, and almost did until Buffy's hand shot straight through Angel as she touched the gravestone that he leant against.
"I don't know," she eventually answered. "There is just something about this stone…or this area…I don't know..." She now looked as confused as Riley.
"Is it a fresh grave?" Riley enquired.
"Nope, 1945." She said as she ran her fingers over the engraved date.
Angel stayed unnaturally still. Where Buffy's hand had penetrated his non-corporeal torso he felt warm. He didn't want her to take it away, but she did eventually and stood up to join Riley.
"Come on." He said as he placed his arm over her shoulder, seemingly deciding not to question the incident. As the walked away, Buffy continued to turn round and look at the spot she had found curious. The spot where Angel was sat, looking back at her longingly, and for a brief few seconds, their eyes met as Buffy walked out of vision.
Without thinking Angel stood up and half-heartedly jogged in the direction of Buffy. He stopped, able to see Gunn from the side of his eye and stared into the distance.
"Well, I gotta tell ya, I didn't see that one coming." He interrupted Angel's silence.
Angel was about to turn round and quiz Gunn on what had just happened but his appearance startled him. He was barely visible, as he had become extremely transparent.
"What's…what's wrong with you?" Angel sputtered hoarsely.
"Well I sorry to say that us living spirits don't get to wander for too long. My body is probably wondering where the hell I have got to!" Gunn said grinning.
"But you can't go, you have to help me! What just happened? Buffy and Riley…are they…? Buffy and I…? What? I don't understand…" Angel pleaded.
"Well I would love to hang around for longer...really. But me and the next guy…I don't thing we would get on…"
And with that he was gone, leaving Angel alone, extremely confused and a little scared.