Chapter 2: Up in the Air

Airplane

Somewhere between Rome and L.A

Buffy looked out the airplane window and saw the clouds for miles and miles below her. She knew she was over America because she no longer saw the Atlantic Ocean between the spaces of the clouds.

"Miss…" a voice said, but Buffy didn't take her eyes off the scenery outside her window.

"Miss…" the voice said again, and this time Buffy broke out of her trance.

"Huh?" Buffy looked up and saw the person next to her seat and a flight attendant staring at her.

"Were serving lunch now…I was wondering if you would like lasagna or chicken?" the flight attendant asked nicely.

"Oh…umm…lasagna." Buffy said with a small smile and then looked back out the window.

"I'll have the chicken." The woman sitting next to Buffy who was around the age of sixty said to the attendant and then turned to look at Buffy, "First time on a plane?" the lady asked.

"What?" Buffy looked at the woman, "Oh…no…um…no it's not."

"Oh, well I was asking since you seem a bit nervous." The lady stated.

"A little." Buffy said and looked down at her lap, "I'm going to see my ex-boyfriends…at the same time…" Buffy said and then started to examine what she was saying and realized how odd it seemed, "…together…"

"They get along?" the lady asked.

Buffy laughed instantly, "A big no…however they are working together." Buffy said with a confused look, "…it's a whole big mess."

"I see…" the lady said, "Then may I ask, why are you seeing them?"

"Good question." Buffy said, "Guess…I just…I think I need to do this." Buffy looked at the lady, "My last boyfriend…he…we left things sort of up in the air…and Angel…well…I think we need to talk some more about closure or something."

"Angel?" the lady asked, "Your one boyfriend is named 'Angel'?"

Buffy nodded with an 'I know, weird huh?' look.

"Well I hope everything works out." The lady said with a sympathetic smile.

"Me too." Buffy said with a nod and looked back out at the clouds drift by.

L.A

Wolfram Hart

(A/N: If you notice this is a scene I added in the beginning of "Hole in the World")

The elevator dinged. The doors opened and Fred, Wesley, Spike, and Angel stepped into the main lobby. Fred and Wesley are carrying a creepy demon while Spike and Angel were carrying swords.

"We'll meet up later after we take care of Mister Creepy Bug…thing here." Fred said to Angel as she and Wesley carried the bug off towards the lab. However Knox stopped both of them, "Knox…hey."

"Hey…let me take that." Knox said and took Fred's end of the demon.

"Oh thanks." She said with a smile; however Wesley didn't seem too pleased that he was still carrying the demon other end of the demon.

"There's a box…sarcophagus in the lab with your name on it." Knox said to Fred.

"Oh…okay…I'm going to get cleaned up and then take a look at this bug here." Fred glanced down at the bug Wesley and Knox are holding, "Then I'll start on the sarcophagus."

"Then dinner?" Wesley asked with a smile.

Fred blushed and smiled back, "Wouldn't miss it."

Both Spike and Angel started walking towards Angel's office, leaving Fred and Wesley.

Harmony came up to Angel with his '#1 Boss' mug full of blood.

"Here you go." Harmony gave Angel his cup and then noticed blood on Angel's shirt, "You get hurt boss?"

"Spike stabbed me." Angel said without looking back and went into his office and left Spike with Harmony.

"Heat of the battle Peaches!" Spike yelled out and started walking into Angel's office.

Harmony shrugged and went back to her desk.

The elevator dinged again and there was a pause before anyone came out. Buffy's head poked out of the elevator and looked around the lobby to see if she was in the right place. She stepped out with hesitation and began to too look around at the huge lobby. 'Angel works here!' Buffy thought to herself.

She mumbled out loud as she got a good look at the nicely decorated office, "Merciful Zeus."

Harmony sighed and raised her eyes up and saw Buffy looking around the lobby. Harmony's eyes widened.

Buffy eyes traveled from the second floor terrace to the main desk and saw Harmony staring at Buffy with wide eyes. Then Buffy's eyes too grew to the size of Harmony's.

"Harmony?" Buffy asked.

"Oh god…" Harmony said with panic.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked with a bit of an excusing tone in her voice as she started to walk towards Harmony.

"Uh…uh…umm…" Harmony stumbled with words and started to back up against the wall behind her desk in fear, "I…I work here."

Buffy raised an eyebrow, "You what?"

"I work here…see…" Harmony moved from the wall closer to the desk and picked up one of her unicorns, "This is my stuff."

"I can clearly see that." Buffy said seeing Harmony's tacky unicorns and nail polish spread out on the desk.

"I'm the secretary here and I'm not killing people, I'm drinking pig's blood so please don't stake me. Angel hired me…well actually it was firm that interviewed me but still…" Harmony said quickly, trying hard to convince Buffy she shouldn't be killed.

"I see…where is Angel?" Buffy asked.

"Umm…he went into his office with Spike." Harmony said.

"Spi...Spike's here? So…he is alive?" Buffy asked and looked down at the desk top.

"Well not technically "alive" but…you know he's vampire with a soul." Harmony said, "He's no longer a ghost."

"Ghost?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, you see—" Harmony was about to explain when Wesley voice interrupted her.

"Harmony can you---Uh… hello may I help you?" Wesley stopped when he noticed the girl.

Buffy turned and saw Wesley for the first time in years, "Wesley…?"

"Buffy…you're…you're here." Wesley said with astonishment.

"Yeah…" she laughed, "I'm here in this Buckingham Palace." Buffy said and looked up at the high ceilings.

"Yes…it's quit a big place…Wolfram and Hart has remodeled." Wesley explained, "But…why…are you here for Angel or…"

"Spike?" Buffy finished his question, "Yes, I know he's back…that's sort of why I'm here…"

"I understand." Wesley said, "Umm…they're going to be shocked you're here."

"Well they deserve a shock and a good but kicking." Buffy said.

Wesley raised an eyebrow at her comment as he led her toward Angel's office.

Angel's Office…

"It's bollocks, Angel! It's your brand of bollocks from the first to last." Spike yelled at Angel.

" No, you can't ever see the big picture. You can't see any picture!" Angel shouted back.

There passionate arguments were about mostly anything, a song, a movie, or a girl. However, they could go off onto any subjects that may or may not have significant meaning, such as 'If astronauts and cavemen got into a fight, who would win?'

In Spike and Angel's arguments if Spike chose white, Angel would choose black. If Spike picked an apple, Angel would pick an orange. If Spike said cavemen would win a fight against astronauts, it would be Angel to say astronauts would win.

"And that wins out every time with you." Angel said and walked up to Spike to get into his face, "You know, the human race has evolved, Spike!" and then Angel walked away.

"Oh, into a bunch of namby-pamby, self-analyzing wankers who could never hope to—" Spike said and made gestures with his hands as he talked and followed Angel around, mocking him.

"We're bigger. We're smarter. Plus, there's a thing called teamwork, not to mention the superstitious terror of your pure aggressors!" Angel said then turned to face Spike.

"You just want it to be the way you want it to be." Spike said.

"It's not about what I want!" Angel yelled, getting nose to nose with Spike.

Angel's door creaked open and revealed Wesley looked a little concerned and taken back at all the yelling, "Umm…is there something important we should all be informed about?"

"Uh…no…no." Angel said and moved away from Spike.

"It just seems important." Wesley said.

"Bloody right it is." Spike muttered under his breath as he back away from his grandsire.

"Shut up Spike." Angel said, "Is there something you need Wes?"

"You're just avoiding the fact that I'm right." Spike said.

"You're never right Spike." Angel said to Spike.

"Can't see what Buffy sees in you two…" Wesley mumbled.

Both Spike and Angel's ears perked up at the mention of Buffy's name and turned to Wesley.

"What?" Spike asked.

"What?" Angel asked.

"That's why I came in here…it seems we have a visitor." Wesley said and stepped aside to let the two souled vampires see Buffy standing outside the door of Angel's office.

Both Angel and Spike couldn't believe she was there, and they also couldn't believe two seconds ago they were just arguing about astronauts and cavemen while Buffy was only in the next room.

Buffy, Wesley, Angel, and Spike were silent for a moment. Buffy stared at Spike and he stared back at her. Angel stared at Buffy and then looked at Spike, and Wesley looked at all the members of the weird love triangle. Wesley started to back away from the door, trying to exit before he got caught in all the arguing that he knew was bound to happen in mere seconds.

"You…" Buffy said quietly to Spike, "You…you're…here."

"Buffy…" Angel started and began to walk towards her. Buffy's eyes turned to Angel, "Look, I know you're probably upset and everything but—" Angel didn't get to finish his sentence since he got a hard right hook delivered to his nose by Buffy.

Angel cringed and held his nose in pain. He checked to see if there was any bleeding before he raised look back up at Buffy.

"Upset?" Buffy asked, "I think I'm a little beyond that." She said.

TBC…