Title: I Finally Remembered You. Part 5 – Questions Answered?

Author: Xanfan

Rating: R/NC-17 for future chapters

Pairing: Xander/Angel

Summary: AU futurefic. Slash. Xander, not Buffy, had gone to see Angel in "I Will Remember You" Years later, he finally keeps his promise.

Spoilers: All of BtVS & Ats

Warnings: M/M, mild language, more in future chapters

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: The next several chapters are going to be one long flashback. I pretty much took the transcript for the entire episode, "I Will Remember You" and changed the dialog to fit Xander. I got the transcript of this episode from in Italics indicate thoughts.

"Well," Angel began hesitantly, "I'm not quite sure where to start."

"Why not at the beginning?" Xander replied, with little patience.

"The world is far older than…"

"Not quite that far back," Xander snickers at Angel's attempt at humor.

"Well, it started like this…"

Flashback

Angel winded up an old clock and set it on the desk in his office. The clock said 8:53. He then checked the table's surface. He puts a pencil down at one end and watched it roll across his desk.

Cordy and Doyle were watching from the outer office.

"When did he get back?" Cordy asked

"Late last night."

"And?"

"Ah, he seemed fine."

"He saw Buffy. He was in Sunnydale for three days, tracking her and that thingymagiggy you saw in your vision. Where is the crabby scowl, the morbid gloom?

This just means that it cut deeper then usual. Batten down the hatches, here comes Hurricane Buffy."

"You think? Maybe he's over her."

Cordy patted Doyle on the shoulder condescendingly, "You have so much to learn little Irish man."

Cordy turned and saw Angel take a stake out of his desk drawer and test its tip with his finger.

"Oh, my God!"

Cordy ran into the office with Doyle right behind

"Don't do it, Angel!"

"Listen to me, man, it's not worth it."

"It's not?" Angel replied, confused.

"No! You can't let her get to you like this. You'll meet someone else. Just give it some time."

Doyle held out a hand for the stake. "Why don't you let me have that?"

"Because I need it to level my desk," Angel says, as he bent down to stick the tip of the stake under one of the table's legs. "The floor is uneven." Angel said, with a smirk. "You two thought.."

"Doyle did. You know how he jumps to conclusions, 'cause you saw Buffy."

"It wasn't a social call. I was there to protect her. I stayed out of sight. She didn't even know I was there."

"Really? So you avoided her."

"Look, Buffy is always going to be a part of me, and that's never going to change. But she's human and I'm… not. And that's also never going to change. We said our good-byes, no need to stir any of this up again."

"You don't want to 'stir', but if my ex came to town and was all stalking me in the shadows and then left and then didn't even say 'hello' I'd be.." Cordy trailed off.

"A little upset?" Xander said from door. "Yeah, she was."

"Speaking of exes coming to town with no notice." Cordy muttered.

"Xander! Xander's here … in town. What brings you to.." She said in a louder tone.

"I came to drop off Buffy to see her father. She thought I should stop by. Deliver a message."

"She couldn't do her own dirty work?" Cordy muttered, again.

"Cordelia, how are you?" Xander said, amused.

"Good. I'm good. You?"

"I've been better. I got syphilis from an avenging Chumash spirit… I got better."

"Uh-huh." Cordy didn't quite know what to say to that, so she ignored it. "Well, this is Doyle. And he gets visions of people in trouble."

"Nice to make your.." Doyle began.

Cordy grabbed his arm, tugging him out of the office. "And this is us leaving you two alone. Angel, try not to kill the messenger."

Xander watched them leave, then turned back to Angel.

"Well, umm, it's good to.. Can I get you anything?" Angel offered, awkwardly, trying not to stare at the young man. Wow, he looks good. Has he always looked this good?

"How about an explanation? " Who does he think he is coming to my town and following me around behind my back?" end quote Buffy." Xander made sarcastic quote marks with his fingers.

"I'm sorry you're stuck in the middle of all this." Angel looked pained.

"What is this? Some new torment you cooked up just for her?" Xander accused.

"No, I don't want to torment.."

"What is it? You can see her, but she can't see you? What are you playing at here?"

"I'm not. I'm not playing at anything. I wrestled with this decision.."

"Which you made without her." Xander interjected.

"I tried to do what I thought was right. It's complicated how this all happened, Xander, you know? It's kind of a long story."

"You're new sidekick had a vision, Buff was in it, you came to Sunnydale?"

"Okay, maybe not that long."

"You didn't feel that she was important enough to even tell her that you were there."

"I'm trying to explain. It's because I felt that she's important that I didn't tell her."

"She's a big girl now, Angel. None of us are in High School anymore. A lot has happened in her life since you left."

"I know. I respect that."

"And she doesn't need you skulking around, trying to protect her. Hello, Slayer."

Angel looked down and misses Xander's knowing smirk.

"Unless, of course, she's in some gigantic fight to the death, like she was last night. That was you, helping her, wasn't it?"

"I was in the neighborhood - skulking." Angel replied, with a slight smile.

"I figured as much. She didn't really listen to me when I tried to tell her that. Big surprise. So, here I am to deliver the message, and under strict instructions not to come back dead."

Doyle and Cordy were in the outer office.

"So that's Xander." Doyle said, trying not to be jealous of Cordelia's ex.

"That's my Xander."

"Your Xander?"

"Figure of speech."

"Well, he seemed a little.."

"Horrifically geeky in that shirt?"

"Actually, I kinda liked that shirt. No, I was going to say pale."

"Yeah, I guess contracting a potentially lethal disease will do that to you." Cordelia said, offhandedly, as she picked up her purse. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Oh, they'll be into this for a while. We still have time for a cappuccino and probably the director's cut of 'Titanic'."