The Next Morning at AI.
"Hey guys." Gunn said as he and Buffy walked into the lobby of the Hyperion.
"Morning." Buffy chimed.
"Good morning, Buffy, Gunn." Wesley said as he took a sip of his coffee.
"Yo, English. Where's Barbie?" Gunn asked as he went over to his desk.
"She hasn't arrived.." He started.
"My name's not Barbie!" Cordy said as she entered the lobby.
"Chill Cordy. You know I love you." He amended sweetly. He gave her a big smile and a wink.
"Oh please. Don't try to charm your way into my good graces. It's been a long morning and it's not even 10." She said as she moved to get some coffee.
"Hi, Cor." Buffy said as Gunn handed her a cup of coffee.
"Hey, Buff."
"Cordelia, are you ok?" Wesley asked. "You look a bit worse for wear."
"Oh thanks." She said sarcastically.
" I'm sorry. You just look, well not of the good, for lack of a better term."
" I know. I'm sorry Wes. I had a mind numbing vision this morning. Not what I'd call a welcomed wake-up call."
"Oh. Sorry. Well why don't you tell me about it?"
"Actually. I need to talk to Angel first. Is he up?"
"Not at the moment, he should be getting up soon. It's almost 10."
"I'll go wake up Batman." She started up the stairs and up to his room.
"Jeez, must be important if she doesn't want to talk to us." Gunn said.
"Well you know they have that weird, seer/ warrior bond." Wesley stated. " So, Buffy. You look better today." He added.
"Thanks. I haven't been getting enough sleep since, well in a while."
"Yeah, well I figured as much, when you started snoring like a baby." Gunn said. He gave her a shy smile.
"I do not snore." She said a bit upset. "Do I?" She asked weakly.
"Well sometimes. But I think it's cute." Angel said as he came down the stairs.
The three friends turned to see Angel coming down the stairs, Cordelia right behind him.
"Thanks." Buffy said.
"Morning all." Angel said as he went to the mini fridge and pulled out a packet of blood.
"Here you go." Cordy said as she handed him a mug.
"Thanks. So Buffy, how are you?"
"Right as rain, whatever that means."
Angel's head snapped up at the remark. * Didn't she say that, after I broke up with her? *
Buffy just smiled at him. "I'm doing better. I finally got some decent sleep last night."
"Well I'm glad to hear it." He said as he downed his blood.
"So Cordelia, do you wish to share your vision with us now?" Wesley asked from his desk.
Cordy glanced at Buffy then at Angel. "Not really."
"Buffy could I have a word with you?" Angel asked as he moved toward her.
"Have a sentence." She said with a smile.
"Come on, smart ass." He said as he moved toward his office.
Angel's Office
"So, what you want to talk about?" She asked as he shut the door to his office.
"Have a seat." He said as he moved to sit across from her.
"Ok, Angel. What's going on?" She asked as she took the offered seat.
"Well it's about you. And Cordy's vision."
"What do I have to do with Cordy's vision?"
"You were in it. And so was Dawn. I know about Dawn, Buffy."
"What? How?" She started. A tear began to form behind her eyes but she pushed it back.
"Giles called me last night. He wanted to know if I'd seen you. I asked him, and he reluctantly told me. Buffy why didn't you tell me?"
"Why? What could you have done. It wouldn't have changed anything. Telling you wouldn't have brought back my sister."
"I know Buffy. I just, thought you would have told me something like this. I could have been there for you. The way I was when your mom." He trailed off not wanting the memory of her mother to make this harder for her.
"Angel. I know you want to help, but I don't want nor do I need help." She said, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill over.
"Buffy, don't lie to me. I see it in your eyes. Your hurting and you know I hate to see you like this. Please talk to me."
"What do you want me to say Angel? Yes I am hurting. I don't know why though, she wasn't my real sister. All I know is that it hurts and there isn't anything you or I, can do to stop the hurt."
"Buffy just because she wasn't you real sister doesn't mean it shouldn't hurt. If it didn't then I'd be scared."
"Angel what do I do? I don't have anyone to protect. I have no reason to fight anymore."
"Yes you do. You fight for your friends, for the helpless people who can't fight for themselves."
"My friends don't need my protection. They've learned how to protect themselves. And everyone else has you. They don't need me."
"Stop that. Stop it. Your friends need you. You should have heard the sigh of relief when I told Giles I knew where you were. Besides I think there's enough evil in this world for the two of us."
"I just. God, Angel. It's just so hard."
"I know. I know it is. But you're a strong women. You can get through this. You WILL get through this. And I'll help you."
"Thank you Angel."
"No problem."
"Come on let's go and get you something to eat."
"Thank you."
Angel got up and moved toward her. He pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her forehead. "No matter what happens, or what you think, I will ALWAYS be here for you. You can always come to me."
"I know. Thank you."
They hugged a while longer and then went back outside.
"Hey guys." Gunn said as he and Buffy walked into the lobby of the Hyperion.
"Morning." Buffy chimed.
"Good morning, Buffy, Gunn." Wesley said as he took a sip of his coffee.
"Yo, English. Where's Barbie?" Gunn asked as he went over to his desk.
"She hasn't arrived.." He started.
"My name's not Barbie!" Cordy said as she entered the lobby.
"Chill Cordy. You know I love you." He amended sweetly. He gave her a big smile and a wink.
"Oh please. Don't try to charm your way into my good graces. It's been a long morning and it's not even 10." She said as she moved to get some coffee.
"Hi, Cor." Buffy said as Gunn handed her a cup of coffee.
"Hey, Buff."
"Cordelia, are you ok?" Wesley asked. "You look a bit worse for wear."
"Oh thanks." She said sarcastically.
" I'm sorry. You just look, well not of the good, for lack of a better term."
" I know. I'm sorry Wes. I had a mind numbing vision this morning. Not what I'd call a welcomed wake-up call."
"Oh. Sorry. Well why don't you tell me about it?"
"Actually. I need to talk to Angel first. Is he up?"
"Not at the moment, he should be getting up soon. It's almost 10."
"I'll go wake up Batman." She started up the stairs and up to his room.
"Jeez, must be important if she doesn't want to talk to us." Gunn said.
"Well you know they have that weird, seer/ warrior bond." Wesley stated. " So, Buffy. You look better today." He added.
"Thanks. I haven't been getting enough sleep since, well in a while."
"Yeah, well I figured as much, when you started snoring like a baby." Gunn said. He gave her a shy smile.
"I do not snore." She said a bit upset. "Do I?" She asked weakly.
"Well sometimes. But I think it's cute." Angel said as he came down the stairs.
The three friends turned to see Angel coming down the stairs, Cordelia right behind him.
"Thanks." Buffy said.
"Morning all." Angel said as he went to the mini fridge and pulled out a packet of blood.
"Here you go." Cordy said as she handed him a mug.
"Thanks. So Buffy, how are you?"
"Right as rain, whatever that means."
Angel's head snapped up at the remark. * Didn't she say that, after I broke up with her? *
Buffy just smiled at him. "I'm doing better. I finally got some decent sleep last night."
"Well I'm glad to hear it." He said as he downed his blood.
"So Cordelia, do you wish to share your vision with us now?" Wesley asked from his desk.
Cordy glanced at Buffy then at Angel. "Not really."
"Buffy could I have a word with you?" Angel asked as he moved toward her.
"Have a sentence." She said with a smile.
"Come on, smart ass." He said as he moved toward his office.
Angel's Office
"So, what you want to talk about?" She asked as he shut the door to his office.
"Have a seat." He said as he moved to sit across from her.
"Ok, Angel. What's going on?" She asked as she took the offered seat.
"Well it's about you. And Cordy's vision."
"What do I have to do with Cordy's vision?"
"You were in it. And so was Dawn. I know about Dawn, Buffy."
"What? How?" She started. A tear began to form behind her eyes but she pushed it back.
"Giles called me last night. He wanted to know if I'd seen you. I asked him, and he reluctantly told me. Buffy why didn't you tell me?"
"Why? What could you have done. It wouldn't have changed anything. Telling you wouldn't have brought back my sister."
"I know Buffy. I just, thought you would have told me something like this. I could have been there for you. The way I was when your mom." He trailed off not wanting the memory of her mother to make this harder for her.
"Angel. I know you want to help, but I don't want nor do I need help." She said, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill over.
"Buffy, don't lie to me. I see it in your eyes. Your hurting and you know I hate to see you like this. Please talk to me."
"What do you want me to say Angel? Yes I am hurting. I don't know why though, she wasn't my real sister. All I know is that it hurts and there isn't anything you or I, can do to stop the hurt."
"Buffy just because she wasn't you real sister doesn't mean it shouldn't hurt. If it didn't then I'd be scared."
"Angel what do I do? I don't have anyone to protect. I have no reason to fight anymore."
"Yes you do. You fight for your friends, for the helpless people who can't fight for themselves."
"My friends don't need my protection. They've learned how to protect themselves. And everyone else has you. They don't need me."
"Stop that. Stop it. Your friends need you. You should have heard the sigh of relief when I told Giles I knew where you were. Besides I think there's enough evil in this world for the two of us."
"I just. God, Angel. It's just so hard."
"I know. I know it is. But you're a strong women. You can get through this. You WILL get through this. And I'll help you."
"Thank you Angel."
"No problem."
"Come on let's go and get you something to eat."
"Thank you."
Angel got up and moved toward her. He pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her forehead. "No matter what happens, or what you think, I will ALWAYS be here for you. You can always come to me."
"I know. Thank you."
They hugged a while longer and then went back outside.