A/N: A new update! Thanks to Colleen for my first review! Get other people to read please!
Summary: Two months have passed since "Not Fade Away". Angel has found Buffy after months of searching. He comes bearing the news that he was given back his humanity by the PTB in exchange for averting the apolycapse. Starting their relationship again, Buffy is estatic to finally have what she has always wanted with the one person she has ever loved. In this chapter, Buffy gets the surprise of her life when she remembers something that she was supposed to forget. B/A...with slight fluff.
Fellow BtVS fans...please review! Your comments help me to know if I should continue writing my story! Please submit any form of review. I am always looking for ways to improve my story. Creative criticism is welcome! PLEASE REVIEW!
Chapter Five: Once Forgotten But Never Gone
Buffy sat at the kitchen's small table as she watched Angel cook breakfast. A powerful – and yummy – odor permeated throughout the household. It wasn't long before a sleepy-eyed Xander appeared in the kitchen, followed shortly afterwards by a dressed Willow. Dawn sat beside Buffy in silent rapture.
Buffy waited until Xander had had his first cup of coffee and mumbled good morning to her as he sat next to her on her other side before returning her full attention to Angel. He simply amazed her. Not only was he gorgeous, but he could also cook, something she had been struggling with ever since they had settled down here. Willow was the first to break the silence.
"So, Angel, what have you been up to since returning to the living?" she asked as Angel placed the food he'd prepared on the table.
Over breakfast, they talked about mindless things, such as Angel's trip through the Caribbean; Buffy, Willow, and Dawn's time in Italy, as Xander grunted his part; the Scoobies' search for Potentials; Rupert Giles' School for Potentials in England with other surviving Watchers and Andrew; Angel's personal fight against Wolfram and Hart when he worked for them; Dawn's latest high school experiences; Xander's new carpentry position; Willow's increasing control over her powers. Overall, it was a very pleasant breakfast and no one left the table hungry.
Willow headed out the door immediately, following up on a lead she had received earlier that morning about a Potential in the area. Xander drifted away and Buffy heard the shower start to run. Dawn helped clear the table before running to her room to get dressed to go shopping with a friend and her mother. That left Buffy and Angel alone in the kitchen. She wasted no time wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning against his chest to hear his heartbeat.
Angel gingerly touched Buffy's face. How badly he wanted to kiss those lips again. Buffy's emerald eyes bore into his with the same desire he knew could be seen in his own eyes. Pulling Angel's face down, Buffy kissed him slowly and deliberately. When they parted for air, Buffy stood on her tiptoes to whisper in Angel's ear. "Everyone will soon be gone for the rest of the afternoon. Wanna continue this upstairs?" While she gave him her best seduction look, right down to the half-opened eyes, Buffy's heart pounded in her chest. Was she really ready to open that can of worms already, or should she wait? But again the answer came before the thought was in her head. I am totally ready to start a new phase of my life, and it seems that Angel is along for the ride.
While Angel was extremely startled by Buffy's boldness, he couldn't help but admit that it was something he had wished for since their first night shared together. Something he had wanted but had been unable to provide for Buffy. He wanted her just as much as he knew from her burning eyes that she wanted him.
The silence was slowly, ever-so-slightly killing Buffy. Does he not want me? Am I being too forward? Buffy began playing with the hem of her tank top. "I mean, we could go upstairs and be alone for a little while in my room…but only if you want to. We don't even have to do anything. We could just – you know – sit and talk."
Angel couldn't help but laugh. Standing in front of him is the most powerful vampire slayer in the history of vampire slayers, and she's getting nervous about being alone with him in her house. He turned his attention to Buffy's lovely face. "I would love to talk everything out and start all over with you." He paused. "But I really should return to my hotel first to get cleaned up and change. I've been wearing these for two days now. I'll come back as soon as I'm done."
Buffy's eyes turned downcast for a split second before widening with excitement. "Hey! Why don't you just check out of the hotel and stay here with us? I mean, it won't cost you anything, it will be easier for you not to go between here and the hotel, and you can make us breakfast." She hesitated. "I would love if you stayed here with me."
Watching the way Buffy's eyes lit up, Angel said the first thought that popped into his head: "That would be wonderful."
Less than an hour later, Angel returned smelling fresh and clean with new clothes and a travel bag clutched in his hand. He found Buffy fussing over Dawn in the kitchen. "Just be careful and on the lookout if you end up staying out past sunset." Her back was to Angel.
"Don't worry Buffy. I have a small bottle of holy water and a stake in my purse like always," Dawn said, rolling her eyes at her sister. She hugged Buffy, looking over her shoulder at Angel. Dawn smiled. Leaning closer to Buffy, Dawn whispered in her ear, "Don't have too much fun."
Buffy glanced over her shoulder and saw her one true love watching the loving embrace between the sisters. She smiled at Dawn. "I'll see you later. Have fun."
Dawn walked past Angel, giving him a huge grin, before leaving the kitchen. A car horn was heard and then the front door closing.
Buffy closed the gap between her and Angel, kissing him deeply once she reached him. "Hey you. I missed you the forty-five minutes you were gone. Xander left about ten minutes ago so we have our privacy. I made some tea. Would you like to take it somewhere comfy?"
Angel nodded. "Wherever you feel the most comfort, is good for me." He dropped his bag in the hall and picked up the tray Buffy had put together and followed his love up the stairs. They walked down a long hallway, with Buffy giving Angel a quick tour. "This is Willow's room. Xander's is at the beginning of the hall. Dawn is across from Willow. And here's me."
Buffy opened the last door in the hallway and led Angel in. Angel took in the elegant simplicity that was Buffy's bedroom. The queen sized four poster bed sat under the double windows directly in front of them. A dresser sat against the wall to the left. On top sat recent pictures of the Scoobie Gang, being that all of Buffy's previous possessions were lost in the Hellmouth. A huge closet took up much of the right wall, open showing Buffy's newly acquired wardrobe. Buffy's weapon chest could be seen on the bottom of the closet. A door lay closed next to the closet, which Angel assumed it was the master bedroom's bathroom. He lay the tray down on top of Buffy's dresser. He found the silver cross he had given her eight years ago laid out next to the picture frames. He gently caressed the cross, thrilling at not feeling any pain.
Buffy watched as Angel touched her necklace. She came up behind him and hugged him. "I wore that during the battle over the Hellmouth. It gave me strength knowing that you were with me in spirit. It's the only think I have left from Sunnydale."
"It means a lot to me that you still have it."
They sipped their tea and continued their conversations from this morning. Buffy retold the tale of the battle with the Ubervamps and Angel shared more about his time at Wolfram and Hart and the friends he lost in their battle against the law firm.
A sudden thought came to Buffy's mind. "I just remembered that I have been having these dreams the past two months about us. The Powers must have been trying to tell me that you and I would get back together."
This roused Angel's curiosity. "The Powers never usually let you know what is going on until something happens. What did you dream about?" He took a swig of his drink.
"Hmm. Let's see. It's always the same. We are – umm – being physical with one another in your LA apartment." Buffy paused. "But what is weird is that you don't live there anymore and I was only in your apartment when Faith was there and never saw your bedroom. We were eating peanut butter and ice cream, enjoying ourselves. It felt so real, like a memory that I had forgotten."
Once Buffy's words settled into Angel's mind, he choked on the tea he had been drinking. Coughing uncontrollably, Angel almost dropped his cup before Buffy caught it and him. "Angel! Are you alright?" Buffy exclaimed. What was it about her dreams that had startled him? She noticed the look on his face. "Angel? You're scaring me. What do the dreams mean?"
"'I'll never forget'," was Angel's only response.