Notes: (Disclaimer on Prologue page. Go see if you care.) Thanks a ton for the reviews! I got a request for longer chapters, so I hope this one fits your guys' expectations. The feedback keeps me writing and I truly adore all of you who've taken the time to drop a comment :) I'm not positive if you will all love the entire fic, but I'll do my best to keep it interesting. Comments, concerns... questions and criticism are all appreciated. Just don't flame pointlessly and we'll have a umm... happy me. I'm glad to have intrigued a few of you, hope you stick around throughout the whole story too :P

Special Thanks: I definitely need to thank my beta, Icy Quackers (Alice) for not only keeping me sane, but bestowing upon me her endless knowledge of what goes on in Buffy's brain. -snicker-
Dedication: This story is written for my bestest buddy Danielle- you'd better enjoy it!

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Chapter One: So Maybe We'll Just Talk.

See, our dear heroine, Buffy had been in such a wreck, she hadn't expected a slight curve ball, or another fork in the road that happened to make itself known not too long after she'd regained her bearings. Something deep down in the back of her mind still haunted her. Angel never knew. Well, that was what she'd thought anyway. That minor detail would be assessed, however, given a few moments of them cautiously avoiding each other's footsteps and perhaps a few cups of tea. What she wasn't expecting, however, was that the vampire would call her before she got to him. Willow must've contacted him somehow.

Dialogue from BtVS Season 6- Flooded

Everything was going rather well in the Summer home until Buffy was interrupted by the sounding of the telephone. It was awfully odd that anyone would be calling her house... especially since everybody was pretty much situated at the house- unless Xander was in trouble or- well, she didn't want to think about that. Rising, Buffy looked around slightly paranoid, "Who's calling me? Everybody I know lives here... I'll be back." With that, she rushed into the kitchen to pick up the call of treason. It wasn't long before Buffy rushed back into the living room, a changed air of priority in her brisk walk. It was as if she knew where she was about to go, and there was nobody on the earth or any otherworldly dimension that could stop her from doing what she'd set her mind to.

"Buffy, what is it?" Giles inquired, looking over to her with concern.

It took Buffy a few moments to actually get it off of her tongue. Taking a deep breath, she turned around to face her Watcher hesitantly. Should she tell him? Would he criticize her? No, she had a right to go and see him, especially after what she'd been through. Finally, she gave up the quarrel in her head and managed to spit it out, "Angel."

"Is he in trouble?"

"He knows that I'm ... He, he needs to see me. I have to see him," That was all there was to it. She /had/ to see him. What would he say when she explained her life for the past two years? Better yet, how would he react to her return? There was actually no telling in what Angel could do.

"Yes, of course. You'll leave for L.A. tomorrow," Giles replied certainly with a nod. Surely she wouldn't just leave now and abandon her troubles, bills and problems, right? Then again that damn vampire with a soul always did gain priority over anything remotely important.

"Not L.A. And not here. Somewhere in the middle. There's a, a place," She managed to finish hurriedly.

Perhaps if he was a bit more straightforward, she'd listen. It was doubtful, but worth trying, "I see. Well, we should get all these ... bills and things out of the way before-"

"I hafta go- now," Buffy finished with urgency and turned to leave the house. Pausing a moment, she looked back at Giles gratefully, "Um, thanks for taking care of this for me." Did she even know it was the middle of the day? On top of all that, how was she going to get there? Giles shook his head hopelessly. Had he been wearing his glasses at the time, he would have removed them for a habitual cleaning.

-End Recap: (Dialogue from BtVS Season 6 Life Serial)-

Dawn, being the nosy one, wanted simply to get down to the juicy business. Buffy had just came back from visiting Angel and there was no possible way she didn't have gossip to share! "So..."

Buffy shot her a curious glance and waited a moment, "What so?" She tilted her head pretending to have absolutely no idea as to what that 'so' was meant to imply. Dawn wasn't so forgiving on the 'just drop it and forget it all' cryptic.

"So ... how was it?" Shifting uncomfortably, she decided she may as well get it all out in the open, "Seeing Angel ... him seeing you. Was it weird?" Curiosity killed the cat. Dawn realized, however, that she had made Buffy quite uncomfortable. Either way, Willow, Dawn, and Tara eagerly await her explanation, though Giles acts apathetic.

Not knowing what exactly to say, and not having proper words to explain it all, Buffy swallowed, "Um ... it was ... intense." Yeah, that was it... intense. She barely even noticed Giles off in the corner fidgeting around with something to keep from becoming a part of the conversation. Good thing too, because if he chose to put his two-cents into badgering her now, she'd clock him across his jaw. He had no idea what she'd just been through and how much he'd unintentionally hurt her.

"Well, i-if you wanna talk about it..." Willow's spoke up quietly, indicating that she would be there for her friend if Buffy were to need her.

"I don't. I-it's ... not important. Past. I'd just ... rather keep this one to myself, if that's okay," Buffy replied all too quickly, almost as if she'd planned this response which wasn't surprising since nobody knew how she got wherever she went... and who knows how long her absence was spent traveling or talking to Angel.

Closing the uncomfortable conversation, Dawn leaned back with the knowledge that Buffy wasn't going to give any useful response, "Sure, whatever."

Case closed. Until now, of course.

-End Recaps-

You may be asking yourself why I have chosen to recap and reveal these to you, and I assure you, my friends- it is the essential backbone of a beginning. It's not necessarily the beginning that hits us the strongest, but without it we can never make it to the end- that light at the end of the tunnel. Hey, I'm not one of those zany scrooge ghosts of past, present or future, I'm just me. Simply Doyle. Just because what I've shown you here is all that was visible to the naked eye doesn't mean a stronger truth lies beneath this troubled tale. It's really times like this I wish I were corporeal and not of the mostly-dead sense so I could join in the healing process. You know me, doomed to continue watching- and powerless to save them from the mistakes that were made. What can I say, was never a people person myself... but Angel- he needed me. I suppose being a hero ain't all it's beefed up to be in the end. I do get free cable, though. Just wish there was more beer.

Enough about me. Back to the story we return.

Angel taken his un-mysterious sudden leave from the Hyperion Hotel with little regret or remorse. Truthfully, deep down, he wasn't quite sure if he'd be returning to the offices in Los Angeles or not, yet he hadn't really the time or the desire to explain that to his fellow co-workers. There was a reason he kept lying to himself, and that was precisely why he was headed toward Sunnydale this very instant. Buffy Summers. She had not only died a death that should have confirmed her acceptance into Heaven, dying a hero- as Doyle did- but she had also been resurrected. Sadly, however, Angel had a feeling that if it was anything compared to his return... she would definitely need some help getting back into the swing of things. Being brought back isn't something you just recover from... it takes time, patience, and a hell of alot of help. Buffy was there for him to help him recover and now it was only his duty to return the favor. After all was said and done, however, once they discovered where they stood- then he assumed that fate could decide the rest.

He couldn't help but clench a fist in apparent anger at the entire situation. When Willow had returned to tell Angel everything that had happened the last year in Sunnydale, she'd still left a few key factors of Buffy's life out and open for interpretation. There was something deeper that the witch had conveniently failed to mention, and Angel was sure of that due to a gut feeling deep down inside that he couldn't quite explain. That wasn't what was getting to him, though. What was getting to him was the fact that Willow had made no mention of her intention to bring Buffy back to life. She may have briefly let something slip about perhaps having Buffy return to them (in the most casual and nonchalant sort of way)... really just shrugging it off. Angel knew better than that to tell her that there wasn't a single resurrection that he'd witnessed in his entire two-hundred plus years as a vampire that actually worked properly. Okay, so there was /that one time/ but still... Besides, he hadn't taken the witch seriously- or literally for that matter. Nobody was foolish enough to play with dark forces like that... or were they? Angel heaved a heavy sigh in disbelief and shook his head. Poor Buffy.

He wondered, how long had Buffy actually been alive before they decided to actually give him a call? Also, how come they actually decided to call him anyway- who's idea was it? Were they perhaps afraid of what she was or had turned into? There's no way a being could come back like she did and still be the same person. Angel never really talked about what he'd went through after Buffy cast him into Hell via Acathla's merciless hunger but somehow, Angel didn't think that where she'd been in any way would compare to his little vacation to Hell. She had to have been in a much better place and returning to the disgusting hellish wasteland of Earth was definitely not in the normal travel plan. He didn't know what to expect upon arrival. Would Buffy be... well, Buffy? Or something completely different and unexpected?

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Silly one, Buffy was. She'd ended up taking a bus for a few miles before disembarking and finishing up the rest of her distance to cover on foot. That was simply the reason she'd left during the daylight- Angel wouldn't be able to leave until sunset anyway- she'd assumed that much. Besides, without a car the trip was a much bigger hassle- precisely why she had to leave exactly when she did. Had she an ounce of brain cells together at the time, she definitely would have questioned Angel's choice place of meeting, though she'd been too flustered to inquire about that the whole few seconds they'd spoken on the phone.

The outside of the building reminded her of an abandoned factory, and the road leading to it had been long since overgrown. Something about that fact made her feel slightly uncomfortable and ask inwardly what the world was coming to? She'd felt a rather strange bond with this place, and hated to see the abandonment and obvious inactivity around her. Sure, she was used to the dead people and cemeteries, but this was different- this wasn't /supposed/ to be empty. She hadn't gotten much of a chance to stare at the building before she was interrupted.

Some dark figure was advancing toward her now and truthfully, she almost hoped it would be something that could bring about her impending doom. What she needed right now was probably a miracle to pull her out of her current cocoon of thought. That or- but then, the figure gripped her shoulders firmly yet comfortably and her reflexes handled the rest. It was good to know she still had those, even after being resurrected. She instinctively brought her lips against his without hesitation and milked his tongue hungrily as she allowed herself to fall victim to his unfaltering embrace. She closed her eyes, deepening the kiss and clinging to him passionately without any sign of concern or hint of backing down. It wasn't until she needed a decent breath that her mouth left his lips.

Pulling back finally to study his expression humorlessly, she blinked, "Angel?" The puzzled state on Buffy's state and the fact that she was squinting in an attempt to reassure her senses that she was actually staring at the ensouled vampire before her indicated that she was, at the very least, surprised to see him there. Funny thing, seeming as they had both agreed upon meeting here, "W-why'd you come back?" She asked stupidly- though the question itself had multiple meanings.

"I could ask you the same question," Angel retorted, "Only I already know the answer." Waiting a few moments, he spoke softly, his eyes focused on her own, "You know I had to see you again."

Backing out of his embrace, Buffy sighed hesitantly. She stared at the ground a moment, rubbing one of her arms with her hand, clearing her throat and shuddering after a brief pause. How could he do that? Make her feel guilty for the words that escaped her mouth? "N-not that I'm not... It's just that..." She closed her eyes and then, upon opening them, slowly looked up to meet his, "I couldn't tell everyone what- where I was... what I've been through... Angel- I was... I can't even explain where I- they ripped me out. They pulled me out of-"

"-Heaven?" He finished with certainty and assurance, slightly lifting a brow more out of knowledge than in question.

"Yeah. Heaven," Buffy swallowed. She bit her lip and began to hug herself habitually, "B-but before that... you know, the whole... having your life flash before your eyes saying? I-It's true... aaaand I think we need to-"

"Talk?" Angel finished, almost knowingly. His eyes lowered to the ground and he shoved his hands in his pockets silently. Buffy responded with a simple nod, and then the long silence ensued- the calm before the storm.