A/N: Again with the exporting. I hate this site sometimes. Read on!
Disclaimer: Don't own nothing!
Buffy felt her heart catch in her throat. Angel's deep chocolate eyes locked onto hers and they took each other in. Angel looked just as handsome as he always did to her, maybe a little more tired, as if he were trying to hold the world up by himself. Angel felt a mix of joy and sadness at seeing Buffy. She looked happy and healthy and he immediately wondered if it was because he wasn't in her life.
"Dad?" Connor said shocked. Angel turned his head away from Buffy to look at his son.
"Connor, I'm so sorry." Angel said sadly. "I thought you were dead."
"Same here old man" Connor smiled. He walked over and hugged his father tightly, surprising Angel. The vampire returned the gesture and then held him at arms length to look him over. Like Buffy, Connor looked happy and full of life. Angel pulled back and looked around at everyone else in the room.
"Hey Angel" Willow and Dawn said together softly. Angel smiled at both of them and waited for someone else to speak. Not surprisingly it was Xander who broke the silence.
"Why didn't you guys tell us you were brining dead boy home?" Xander said. Buffy, Connor, and Dawn immediately started hitting Spike and Faith, which ever one was closer to them. The pair ran from the hits and smiled.
"Didn't want to get everyone's hopes up" Spike explained. "My leads never pay off."
Buffy turned and smiled at Angel, warming his heart but isolating it at the same time. "It doesn't matter. Welcome home Angel."
"This isn't my home" he said. "I came here to see my son." Angel watched as everyone's smiled faded at the same time and he felt horrible.
"Don't be like that Dad." Connor said. "A lot has changed in a year." Angel looked over everyone and shifted uncomfortably.
"Girls" Buffy said loudly. They all jumped. Each was too busy wondering who the new hottie was to pay attention to anyone else. "We will meet tomorrow morning. Everyone get some rest."
The group took the hint and all filed out of the room, ready to exchange theories and ask Yuki what she knew. Buffy watched them leave and crossed her arms and studied Angel for a minute. He was holding onto some hostility and Buffy didn't like it at all.
"Well," Dawn said loudly, "I need to get these books put away, want to help Willow?"
"Come on Connor, I think our show is on!" Faith said.
"Hey wanker, let's go make sure all the, um, doors are locked." Spike said to Xander.
With in seconds, everyone had rushed out of the room, leaving slayer and vampire alone.
Angel took a breath and looked up at Buffy. She had changed, he could tell. He wondered what was going on in her mind. Her dark green eyes were looking into his curiously and he felt like she was trying to read his mind.
"So, what's new Angel?" Buffy asked, unsure how to begin the conversation. She felt awkward finally seeing him, but relieved that he was okay.
He just shrugged. "Where do I start?" he asked.
"I don't know" she answered. They both stood in silence for a minute longer, not knowing what they could possibly say to each other.
"Um, so Connor is great!" Buffy said.
"Yeah he is." Angel said. "I don't know how much I have to do with that." He wondered if she knew about his birth.
"He told me about his birth" she said, sensing his discomfort and guessing what it was about.
"Oh" Angel sighed. So much had happened in the past few years, it was hard to explain it to her, no matter how much he wanted to.
"Listen, why don't you go see him" Buffy suggested. "We can talk tomorrow okay?"
"That's a good plan" Angel agreed. It would give him time to figure everything out.
"Goodnight Angel"
"Goodnight Buffy"
Hours later, Buffy was stretched across Willow's bed. She was hiding her face in a pillow and Willow was contemplating what Buffy had just told her.
"So you guys just froze up?" Willow asked.
"Yup" came her friends muffled voice.
"Wow Buffy. I never thought that would happen if you saw him again." Willow said.
Buffy lifted her head up and blew a piece of hair out of her face. She sat up and folded her legs under her. "I have no idea why Willow. I just couln't say anything to him. So much has changed between us and I don't know how to fix it."
"Did you tell him that?" Willow asked.
"I didn't have to. I know he felt the same way." Buffy frowned. "I've been dreaming about him coming back to me for so long Wil. And now when I look at him, I'm not sure what I feel anymore."
Willow leaned forward and hugged her friend. "I know. But you guys have to talk. If you don't you are going to regret it forever."
At the same time, Angel was standing on the front porch still trying to get a hold of what was going on. He walked out into the yard and breathed in the cool night air.
"What do I do Spike?" he asked. The other vampire stepped out from behind the tree and tossed his cigarette on the ground.
"Don't know what to say to the girl Angel? How unlike you" Spike commented, lifting his duster slightly to sit on the steps.
"It's complicated" Angel defended.
"Not really mate" Spike shrugged. "You and the slayer have a lot to catch up on. If you want an icebreaker, why don't you bring up Giles?"
"What?" Angel snapped. His emotions toward Buffy's former watcher were not friendly and not appropriate to bring up with her in his opinion.
"Trust me Peaches" Spike assured. "Let me know what happens". With that, he set of into the night.
"Angel?"
He turned around to see Buffy walking out of the door and smiling at him. "Are you ready to talk yet?"
Buffy led Angel to the back of the house and onto a small patio. It was covered over with a cloth tarp and filled with plush chairs. Angel found it cozy and quiet. The perfect place to calm both of their nerves. She sat across from him and sighed, folding her arms around her chilled. Angel immediately surrendered his coat and wrapped it around her.
"Thanks" she smiled, surprised at the action. "So, um, do you want to begin?"
Angel sighed. "Spike suggested that we start a Giles". He couldn't believe he actually took Spike's advise.
"What about him?" Buffy said with surprising hostility. Angel lifted an eyebrow.
"Well, the last time I spoke with him, he was less than friendly to me" Angel said carefully, wondering what happened between slayer and watcher.
"That's the understatement of the century I'm sure Angel." Buffy spat. "We haven't spoken in a very long time. He keeps in contact with Dawn but never me."
"What happened?" Angel asked.
"Well a few things I guess" Buffy said, pulling the coat closer to her. "It started when Giles and Xander tried to kill Spike after I told them that he was to be left alone. Xander and I have come to terms with everything that happened, but Giles never thought he was wrong."
Angel nodded, remembering Spike telling him about what happened. They locked the vampire in a shed full of crosses and never told Buffy.
"Then before the battle against the First. He come back to Sunnydale long enough to tell the potential slayers that I was going to lead them to their deaths. They got so scared and everyone didn't want me to help anymore. Faith led them as best as she could, but so many girls died. God Angel, I haven't talked to him in almost two years now."
"Two years?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, why?" Buffy asked.
"So I guess he never told you that I called?" Angel asked, his head spinning.
"You called?" Buffy asked. "No he hasn't told me anything. Why Angel? What happened?"
Angel sighed and looked up into her eyes. "I called Buffy. Before the battle in LA. I called to ask for your help and the help of the slayers."
"What?" Buffy breathed out, her heart beating faster.
"Giles answered the phone and he told me that you didn't want anything to do with helping me. He said that the slayers were not interested and you were on vacation and not to be bothered." Angel answered. He watched Buffy's eyes fill with tears. "Buffy, I thought-"
"Oh God Angel" Buffy cried out, throwing her arms around her first love. "I didn't know! Giles never said anything! I would have been there by your side!"
Angel held her close, his heart a little lighter. He had truly thought Buffy had abandoned him. "I thought that you didn't want to help."
"No Angel!" she said, pulling back to look at him. "I was so mad when Faith told me what happened. I thought you were being stupid and you had a death wish! I didn't understand why you couldn't call and tell me. It was all because of Giles!"
"Its okay Buffy" Angel soothed, "we cant change the past. I'm just glad we know the truth now."
Buffy was still furious inside. "I can't believe him". She took a deep breath and looked up at Angel. "Well, Spike was right, that was a great icebreaker."
Angel smirked and nodded. Buffy sighed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "So tell me about Connor. He told me parts, but I'm sure you know more."
Angel nodded and told her everything that happened. Buffy listened without judging him and offered a few of her own secrets.
"You were being stalked by a group of nerds?" Angel asked.
"Yes. It was not fun let me tell you."
"You almost fell in love with who?!" she yelled.
"You heard me the first time Buffy" Angel said.
"Cordelia!? And she had Connor's baby?!"
Hours later, the two felt much better. Buffy contemplated all the things Angel had told her. "So who's life is more soap opera-like?" she asked.
"Mine" Angel answered.
"What? Why?" she challenged.
"Buffy. My son went away for a few months and returned as a teenager. Then he slept with my potential girlfriend and got her pregnant. I win." Angel said firmly.
"I can't believe all this." Buffy commented.
"I can't believe that you all are happy now" Angel said.
"I know." Buffy sighed. "Things between me and Willow and Xander were so stressed. It was easy move on together or forget each other. We all talked and it took sometime, but we got stronger. The potentials that didn't want to be here left. I said my goodbyes and started this school. It's small, but we only take the girls that want to be here."
"I'm proud Buffy" Angel smiled.
"Me too" Buffy answered.
"So how did you and Faith and Spike end up friends?" he asked.
"I'm not sure. They just showed up and we all breathed in relief that none of us were dead and moved on. We're one big dysfunctional family now. And it works" she smiled.
"I see that. My son is happy here?" he asked.
"Connor loves it here. Lots of girls drooling over him all day long, free food, what more could he want?" she laughed.
Angel smiled at her. So much had happened to them separately, but they were still Buffy and Angel.
"So where do we go from here Angel?" she asked quietly. He didn't know.
A/N: Ok buddies. So up next a little fluff starts. Hehehe. Hey I am only interested in the lovely Bangel, but what are your thoughts on the other characters? Spike and Faith? Connor and someone? Do you want to see Oz come back? Review and let me know!