13: A Summer interlude

She paused in front of the building, a piece of paper clutched in her hand, and the sun streaming down all around her. This was harder than she'd thought it would be. They were both alive. A vampire she had loved and killed, and a vampire that had loved and died for her. And they were both more than Undead now.

"You came to see Angel?" Spike interrupted Buffy from her thoughts. She hadn't even known he was there. She looked at him, and unconsciously thought of another vampire standing in the sunlight with her. She now had proof that he could. She harshly snapped her mind back to confront Spike. She had been under the impression that he was dead, and she realised that she should be trying to deal with that fact first, and fantasize about sunlit strolls with Angel later.

"Well, yeah, I … Spike we…" she was trying so hard to be coherent, but Spike understood her anyway. It had been a year since she'd last seen him, and she'd since moved on and had a relationship with a different supernatural being. That done, she wanted another chance at something she'd constantly been denied. Angel.

"No," Spike said, understanding everything she hadn't said. "You don't have to say anything. You didn't come here for me." He spoke without self-pity or bitterness. "We had something close to love, but it never had time to make the cut." Buffy was silent. Was this a dismissal? His blessing? "I accept what we are, and what we had. If you want to live your life, Slayer, I'll be happy that I shared a piece of it with you."

This was from someone who had been obsessed with her? "Have you found someone else?" Funny, the question hadn't hurt as much as she'd thought it would. But after all, she'd been seeing other people lately too.

Spike looked thoughtful for a moment, an expression she didn't normally associate with him. "Maybe," was all that he would say. He changed the subject. "Angel would love to see you. He's all broody again at the moment."

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"Not my place to tell." Spike said.

Buffy was surprised. She thought that Spike hated Angel, but he was actually showing some respect for him. Maybe Life had changed him.

"Okay," she said, and walked toward the front doors. "Thanks," she added as he turned to leave. Spike gave her a nod but kept going, putting his hands in his pockets and walking away.

888

Angel had always been able to tell when Buffy was around, and he knew it now too. He looked up as she walked toward his office. He was standing up as she made it to his door and knocked on the frame.

"Come in," he said, walking to the front of his desk and leaning against it. "What brings you here?"

"Giles, actually." Buffy answered. "He said he had information for you." She handed him the folded piece of paper. "You're not just supposed to protect the new girl. You have to help her become a fighter. She will be tested by the higher powers in a few years, and if she's not ready then she won't survive."

Angel silently took the paper and left it on his desk. "Giles had my number. He could have told me over the phone," he pointed out.

Buffy looked a little embarrassed. "Well, I wanted to see you, see if it was true."

"That I'm human?"

Buffy nodded.

"I'm not fully human." Angel admitted. "More like a vampire without any of his weaknesses, or a human with all the strengths of a vampire."

"Oh," Buffy said. "But that's still good."

"Yeah," Angel agreed, "I don't have a curse anymore. I'm fully souled forever."

Buffy's eyes widened. The curse had been the only thing that had kept him from her. "So … what are you going to do now?" she asked.

"Right now? I'm going to go for a walk. It's a nice day outside. Come with me, and show me what it's like in summer." He stood up straight, and took Buffy's hand when it was offered to him.

888

Buffy had to go back to Cleveland, but not before she'd shown Angel what it was like to make out under the shade of a tree in the park. They were finally back together, but they had work to do in different states. Life wasn't completely fair, but it seemed to be as good as it got right then. They may have had to be apart for the time being, but emotionally they were together.

Buffy took the latest bus back to Ohio that she could, and Angel walked back to his office. Erica had been waiting outside, apparently for him. The werewolves were long gone - Spike had set them free that morning with some advice about what they were.

"Angel, wait." Erica said as he led her inside. "Look, just because last night didn't go exactly to plan and I got into trouble, does that mean you're going to object to me coming on the hunt with you again?"

"You almost died," Angel said as they walked toward his office, "doesn't that frighten you?"

"Well, yeah," Erica admitted, "I'd have to be brainless not to be afraid, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let it stop me. My alternative is to hide under my bed for the rest of my life and hope that the world will get better on its own, but it won't, so that can't be an option for me."

"Why are you so sure of that?" Angel asked, sitting down behind his desk and inconspicuously removing the piece of paper that Giles had sent.

"The night before last I had a dream," Erica explained, sitting in a cushioned chair opposite him, "and it showed me what has been done to me, and a little bit about why it was done. The world isn't going to get better without people like us, who were chosen to help it. I never had a choice in the matter but whether I like it or not I am in this now and I have to learn how to look after myself. It's why I volunteered for the hunt."

"In answer to your question," Angel said slowly, "No, I'm not going to stop you. I know you'll be as careful as you can; you're not stupid or reckless, and you're not a child. I know that Spike, Lawson and I aren't here to keep you away from danger, but to help you survive it until you can do it on your own. And I will help you learn what you need."

"Good," Erica said with relief. "Because ever since I met you I've felt like it's me against you whenever 'what's best for me' is concerned. You're not my keeper, and I don't want to be your burden."

Angel gave slight nod. "How about partners then? I won't give you orders as long as we listen to each other."

Erica smiled. "Sure. Partners." She thought for a moment. "I guess I'll have to turn down that waitressing job."

"I can pay you for working for… with me." Angel offered.

"Nah," Erica smiled, "this is already a paid job. My editor went nuts when I sent her the story about the haunted school and the vampires. She wants me to start up a series of supernatural stories. And it will be easy getting the material for it if I work with you."

"Oh," Angel said. "How closely are you basing this on what we do?"

"Names changed, occasional embellishments and a few things I make up to fill in the plot holes."

"How'd you explain the help of the vampires?" Angel was interested.

"They were all terrible killers in their past and were punished for it. They were cursed to protect a mortal who was herself cursed: to always be in danger. I'm still working out the specifics." Erica explained. "One day you or Cordy will have to tell me why you're really doing all this for me, but I'm happy to leave it for now."

888

AN: Okay, here are the rules.

This is not going to become an Angel/Buffy epic. I will keep them together, but at best she will only 'guest star' in this fic.

Neither will this become a Spike/Erica epic, or a Cordelia/Lawson epic (I think I already explained that).

Though it will include some romance (to the best of my writing ability), this story is primarily about Erica's journey to become the Guardian of the Midrealm. Got it?

You want to be saturated with soppiness? Try Mills and Boon. I'm partial to romances myself, but I just don't feel comfortable writing them. Well, not at the moment anyway.