Part 3

The Streets

Damn it! I shouldn't have gone back there! Of course someone else would have moved in! But then why was all of Angel's stuff still there? Buffy thought as she ran down the street towards home, Well it obviously wasn't him... I would've sensed him earlier, I know I would have. So who in the heck was it? Maybe Spike moved in without telling us. I'll have to ask him, he's really not to trustworthy, yet. As she ran slower to turn a corner, she shook her head, "No, it wasn't him." She really truly didn't believe it was him, which was a good thing for Angel.

Mansion

Damn it! I shouldn't have come back here! Of course, she probably comes here a lot! But then why was she with Riley? Angel thought, as he lay in bed, Well, she obviously must not be as over me and moved on as I thought she was... She wouldn't be coming here if she were. So why was she with him? Maybe, he makes her happy, but she just doesn't love him. I'll have Cordy ask her, she'll trust her. As he drifted off to sleep, "I'll find out all about it tomorrow." He really did believe that he would find out, which was a good thing for Buffy.

The next morning

Angel put on a light blue T-shirt, and khaki pants, and started out the door, to go get Cordelia. The night he had been changed, he went out shopping for new clothes, he figured wearing all the black stuff he had would be very hot in the sun.

As he stepped outside, he noticed how warm the sun made him feel. He looked up in the sky, saw the birds flying and all the clouds, and the blue sky. So much of this he hadn't see for more than 200 years, if you didn't include the other day. It wasn't really new to him, it was just such a wonder.

Then he realized he'd been standing there for a few minutes, and figured he didn't want to make Cordelia wait for him. He quickly hopped in the car, "Ouch!" he quickly hopped out of the car. "Note to self: Get a new car, preferably not black," he said pacing a little, hoping his butt would stop burning. When it did he found a towel and set it on the seat, then he sat down. "Phew," he breathed as he drove out onto the road.

On the way there he didn't come across anyone he knew, so he made it to the hotel with a few seconds to spare. "You are late," Cordy said as she sat down in the car, which lucky for her had a towel on it, too. Angel looked at his watch,

"No, I'm not."

"Oh, whatever," Cordy rolled her eyes, then smiled at him, "Buffy's Summer's house please."

Angel smiled a little, "Yes ma'am."

After a few minutes they got to her street, and Angel parked it. "Why are you so-" she started then after a second, "Oh yeah. Well then I'll be seeing you!"

"Wait!" Angel called after her as she started to walk away.

She turned and jogged back to the car, "Yeah?" He looked down, then back at her, "If the time arises... Ask her why or if she comes to the Mansion anymore. Don't ask why, I'll tell you why later." With that she walked the block to Buffy's and knocked on the door, as Angel made a U-turn and went back to the Mansion.

After the second knock, a very tired looking Buffy answered the door, "Yes... Cordelia! It's good to see you!"

Buffy flung her arms around her and Cordy was a little shocked, but she managed to hug her back. "It's good to see you, too!"

"Why are you back in town?"

"Oh, I just wanted to take a break and see you guys, I'm gonna probably stay a few days, but I'm not sure. Angel and Doyle might need me back up there tonight even, but I hope not," Cordelia noticed how she had looked down at the mention of his name. "Are you all right?" she asked the blonde.

Buffy looked as if she'd been stirred from a dream, "Oh nothing... Would you like to come in?"

"Of course!" Cordelia exclaimed, allowing her to drop the subject for now.

"Would you like something to eat, drink?" Buffy asked leading her into the kitchen.

"I'll have a glass of water, if that's okay."

"That's fine, I think I'll have one, too," Buffy replied getting to glasses out of the cupboard, and filling them with ice and water.

She handed Cordelia a glass, "So what's new?"

Cordy decided she needed to get directly to the point, "Can we go sit down?"

"Sure," Buffy said, suspiciously. They entered the living room and sat down across from each other.

Cordelia sighed, for some effect she hoped, "Well, I really want to know how you are doing here. Are you doing good? Bad?"

Buffy looked a little flustered, and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "Oh... Well, um..."

Cordy searched for her eyes, like she did with Angel, "You can tell me Buffy. I may not have been your best friend while I was here, but I will listen to you. If something's wrong, maybe I can help you..."

That made Buffy smile, "Thanks Cordy. Actually, I'm doing pretty good. Me and Riley are getting along pretty well. We have our problems, but we work them out, most of the time. I'm thinking that's normal, but I don't really know." They both chuckled at this, both knowing what she meant by that. Well, she doesn't sound any where near as miserable as I thought she would, which is bad for Angel... Cordelia thought.

Buffy grew serious once again, "How is he?"

Uh oh, I have to in some way tell her he's not doing well, without being extremely obvious. "Well, you know Angel. He can't be happy, so he does the opposite," she informed her.

"That's m-Angel for ya," she said recovering quickly from almost calling him, 'my Angel'.

"Yeah it is, we're really trying to get him to stop brooding 24/7, but not much luck so far. You'd think you two could at least call each other every once in a while or something. Sorry it's just I don't like seeing him like that," she told her and then took a sip of her water.

Buffy sighed, "I don't either. Hey, me, Riley, Willow, Xander, and Anya are gonna go to the Bronze tonight for fun... Do you want to come?" She visibly brightened,

"Sure, I'd love to! How are they all by the way?"

Buffy smiled, "Will and Oz are doing pretty good, they had a little trouble for a while, some other werewolf, but they're good now. Xander and Anya are all over each other constantly it's pretty amusing. How's Doyle?"

This time she smiled, "He's good, the visions still come, and he was upset he didn't get to come and meet you guys. Really good guy."

The blonde grinned, "Do I sense romance in the air?"

Cordy rolled her eyes, smiling, "I don't know, really! Sometimes I wish there was, and then sometimes I don't. Wacky."

The girls laughed, "Oh geeze, I'm sorry Cor, I have a class in less than an hour, I've got to go get ready, but I'll see you tonight right?"

"Of course, should I meet you there?"

"Um.. no just come over to my dorm," Buffy gave her directions and the room number, then took her to the door.

"Bye!"

"Bye!" Buffy yelled back as she shut the door.

Cordy thought she'd walk to the Mansion, but when she turned the corner off of Revel Drive, Angel was waiting for her. She hopped into the car, and said nothing as Angel started at her expectantly. I have nothing good to tell him except, 'Buffy was really nice, and I'm going to the Bronze with her tonight... and oh yeah she's doing really good with the new guy!' That'll lift his spirits, as in his spirit will lift from his body and fly off to some unknown place, either from heartbreak or cus he'll kill himself...

"What happened?" Angel finally asked.

Cordy shied away a little, "Oh not much..."

Angel rubbed his forehead, "Don't give me that Cordelia."

"Do you want the truth?" she asked, only thing she could hope for was that he'd say, 'No'.

"Yes."

"All right... She's doing good. Said she was happy with Riley, that they were doing good, that they were normal. And I could be wrong, but she sounded like she was telling the truth... I'm so sorry Angel," Cordy put a hand on his shoulder, and he almost jerked away, but he relaxed into it.

"I knew this was a bad idea, I never should have come. Never should have had you go talk to her... Can we go home now?" he said extremely calm for the news he had received.

"Oh, yeah. She invited me to go to the Bronze with her, him, Xander, Anya, Willow, and Oz, tonight. Can we stay till tonight, please, I promise then if I haven't got to her, and she hasn't told me anything different, that we'll go home."

Angel sighed, then nodded his head, "Do you mind if I just go back the Mansion, and you come with? After I get home you can take the car and got do what ever, all right?"

She nodded, and Angel tried to start the car. "Damn it!" he cursed under his breath, when the car wouldn't start. He tried for almost ten minutes to get it to start. Then with urging from Cordelia he got out of the car and looked under the hood. As they were having all this car trouble, Buffy had gotten her stuff together and was heading back to her dorm... in the way of the street that Angel was parked on. Just as she turned the corner, Angel walked back towards the front of the car. After he had went to go and find something that might help him fix the car.

Buffy was on the other side of the street, but she clearly saw who it was wondering around his car, in the middle of the day. "Angel..." she whispered under her breath, then turned and ran away towards the school.