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Buffy’s POV

 

 

 

Shortly after NFA


 

 

"I'm happy for you, Angel," Buffy said into the telephone receiver.  "But, I'm still cookie dough."  She knew that her first boyfriend would understand the analogy.

 

 

 

"I'm human now!" Angel protested.  He thought he had signed the Shanshu prophecy away when he took on the Senior partners in the form of the Circle of the Black Thorn.  "We can have that normal life you've always wanted.  Please, Buffy.  You know I love you."

 

 

 

"I do know that, Angel," Buffy replied.  She shifted in her seat as she waved Dawn away.  "I'm still mourning for Spike.  I'm not ready for a new relationship."

 

 

 

"That didn't stop you from dating the Immortal," Angel said in a jealous voice.  "Besides, our relationship isn't new." 

 

 

 

"That wasn't me."  Buffy wrinkled her nose at Dawn who had plopped into the chair across the desk from the Slayer.  "That was a decoy.  I've been working undercover and I needed certain people to think that Buffy Summers was busy in Rome."

 

 

 

"There are other Slayers now."  Angel wondered why Buffy continued her Slayer duties.  It wasn't as if she was the only one anymore.  He thought that now he and Buffy could do all the normal things in life that they had talked about so many years before in Sunnydale.  "It's time to take time for yourself.  We could travel together.  You could get an education.  We can have some children."

 

 

 

"I'll always be the Slayer, Angel."  Buffy sighed at Angel's petulant tone.  "Spike sacrificed himself so that I could live.  I'm not going to betray his memory by trying to be anything but what I am, which is the Slayer."

 

 

 

"It's just Spike," Angel grumbled.  "Come on, Buffy.  This is what we've always wanted."  He pushed the memory of the day he took back out of his mind.  Remembering that particular incident served no purpose at this time.

 

 

 

"I'm not ready."  Buffy closed her eyes as pain flooded her heart.  "I haven't gotten over Spike yet. Oh, Giles is at the door.  I gotta go.  Bye."  She hung up the phone despite the protests coming from the other end.

 

 

 

"Oh that was naughty," Dawn crowed in delight.  She never cared that much for Angel, despite his attempts to win her over.  "We'll make a bad girl out of you yet.  Guess this means we're moving and changing the phone number, huh?"

 

 

 

 

 

Buffy smiled weakly and rolled her eyes at her little sister.

 

 

 

It had been twenty-six years since Buffy had that conversation with Angel.  She had talked many times on the phone with the ex-vampire.  It was usually just before Dawn and she made a cross-country move without leaving a forwarding address.  In all that time, Angel and she hadn't met face to face.  Rupert Giles' funeral was going to change that though.

 

 

 

Buffy stared at herself in the mirror.  She had gained a few needed pounds over the years.  She no longer looked like the anorexic waif of the last years in Sunnydale. Her hair was cut short and had been allowed to return to its natural color. Other than those small changes, she looked exactly the same as she had when she crawled out of her grave after Willow's resurrection spell.

 

 

 

"Cellular sunburn, my ass," Buffy muttered.  She smoothed down her black dress with nervous hands. Buffy thought about all the Slayer funerals she had attended since she had shared her powers with the others.  Many good and wonderful women had died in the fight against evil, and she treated each death as if it was one of her own relatives.

 

 

 

"Are you ready, Miss Summers?"  One of the younger Council employees peeked through the door of Buffy's office.

 

 

 

"Just a second, Alexis."  Buffy grabbed up the hat and veil she planned on wearing to the funeral.  She settled the hat on her head, pulled the veil down to conceal her face, and went to the door to greet Alexis.

 

 

 

"I'm really sorry about Mr. Giles," Alexis said politely.  "His leadership has always been an inspiration to me."

 

 

 

"Yes, he was."  Buffy smiled sadly at the younger woman.  "I don't know what I'm gonna do without him."

 

 

 

"Hey Buffster."  Xander entered the hallway from his own office.  He smoothed his graying hair down with one hand.  He smiled down at the little girl holding his hand.  "Issy and I are ready."

 

 

 

"Hey Xander," Buffy replied.  She smiled at her best friend and his daughter, Ismene.  There were days when she just couldn't get over the fact that he was a father.  Not to mention who he'd had Issy with.  "Is Faith gonna make it in time?"

 

 

 

Xander shrugged before his gaze darted down at Issy.  "She's really busy.  I'm sure she will be if she can."  He tried hard not to let the other Scoobies know about his failing marriage to the second most senior Slayer.  He thought he had moved on after Anya's death, but Faith had recently pointed out that she felt like she was competing with a ghost.

 

 

 

"Okay, no problem," Buffy replied after she saw the fleeting look of hurt on Xander's face.  There wasn't any point in pushing him about it in front of his daughter.  "This just means I have the best little girl in the world as my escort."

 

 

 

"That's me, right?"  Issy suddenly spoke up.  She had been abnormally quiet since her mother had left on her latest mission.  The nine-year -ld girl knew that something was wrong between her mother and father, but instead of fighting they were being silent.

 

 

 

"That's right, sweetie."  Buffy held out her hand to the girl.  "Now let's go tell Grandpa Rupert how much we love him, and how much we're gonna miss him."

 

 

 

Buffy and Issy walked towards the stairs at the end of the hallway, trailed by Xander and Alexis.  Once the four of them were on the first floor, they turned to the right where they entered the Council auditorium.  Buffy saw Willow and Oz sitting near the front, and she led Issy and Xander over to the witch and werewolf.  By then, Alexis had moved off to make sure all of the arrangements were in order for the funeral.

 

 

 

Willow held a handkerchief to her wet eyes.  She somehow had thought that Giles would always be with the Scoobies.  For the most part they never thought about how much older he was then the rest of them, having a youthful air about him most of the time.  However, the stress of the Council leadership had caught up with him, and he had suddenly had a fatal heart attack the week before.

 

 

 

Oz took Willow's hand in his own, and he gently squeezed it in reassurance.  They had found each other again several years after Sunnydale had fallen.  Willow had come to the conclusion after several failed relationships that only two people were ever going to complete her; Tara, who was dead, and Oz.  The red-haired witch sought out the werewolf to let him know this little fact.

 

 

 

"Hey, guys," Buffy said quietly.  "Have you seen Dawn yet?"  She slipped into the chair next to Willow.  Issy and Xander sat down on the other side of Oz.

 

 

 

"No, but there's Angel," Willow whispered in return.  She nodded towards where the ex-vamp was standing at the edge of the room.  "I think he's been looking for you.  He keeps glancing in this direction."

 

 

 

Buffy sighed as a small coil of tension rose in the pit of her stomach.  She wasn't ready for this face to face meeting, but she figured she had better get it over with.

 

 

 

Willow must have noticed Buffy’s reluctance to leave their little group.  She reached over to squeeze Buffy’s arm in reassurance.

 

 

 

Buffy rose from her seat, and she muttered, “I’m not ready for this.  Please feel free to rescue me if I start looking like I’m about to commit murder.”

 

 

 

“He hasn’t aged well,” Xander hissed, making Buffy smile.

 

 

 

Looking at Angel, she had to agree with her friend.  It was funny, even though Xander had forgiven Spike for everything; the one thing she could count on was his unending dislike of Angel.

 

 

 

As she got closer, she could see that the original assessment that Angel hadn't aged well was true.  His hair was prematurely gray, his face was heavily lined, and he now carried an extra fifty pounds on his larger frame.    Truth be told, Angel looked like he was closer to having a heart attack than Giles had been.  "Hello, Angel," Buffy said.

 

 

 

"Buffy."  Angel smiled happily.  He had hoped that this meeting would help the Slayer realize that her cookies were finally baked, and that they could grow old together.  "How have you been?"

 

 

 

"Alright, I guess."  Buffy studied Angel from behind her veil.  "Been busy.  Giles wanted me to take over the Council after he was gone.  I've been training to do that."

 

 

 

"I thought for sure you would have retired by now," Angel replied softly.  He tried to grab Buffy's hand, but the petite woman swiftly stepped back.  "What's wrong?  Why are you being so distant?  I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get reacquainted."

 

 

 

Buffy stared at Angel in shock.  "This is a funeral, not a single's cruise.  If I wanted at any time to get 'reacquainted' as you call it, I would have phoned you or something.  I've been really busy lately."

 

 

 

"Aren't you done baking yet?" Angel whined.  "I'm ready for cookies."

 

 

 

"I'm sorry, Angel.  There's no way we can be cookies together, and what was I thinking using that analogy?"  Buffy raised her veil to show the ex-vamp her unaged face.   "I really did come back wrong."

 

 

 

"Buffy?"  Angel's jaw dropped, making him look like a gaping fish.

 

 

 

"Ms. Summers."  Alexis appeared at Buffy's elbow.  "The minister would like to speak to you for a few moments about the eulogy."

 

 

 

"That'd be fine, Alexis."  Buffy lowered the veil again.  "I'm sorry, Angel.  I've been trying to come up with a way to tell you about this ever since you were turned human, but I couldn't think of a way.   I still miss Spike, too.   You might have been my soul mate, but he was my everything.  He was a hell of a man.  He was the one."  She turned to walk away from her ex-boyfriend.

 

 

 

"You really did a number on them, didn't you?"

 

 

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

 

 

 

Angel’s POV

 

 

 

Angel turned to find Andrew Wells standing behind him.  The once geeky boy was now a nicely dressed gentleman.  The years had been better to Andrew than they had been to Angel.  "I don't know what you mean," the taller man said haughtily.  Like Buffy had said, they were soul mates, and that was the only thing that mattered.

 

 

 

"I've spent the last twenty-five years searching for Spike.  Just so I could make her happy."  Andrew jutted his chin out towards the retreating Buffy.  "I know he's alive."

 

 

 

"Spike's alive?"  Willow and Xander had come up behind Angel.  "You knew this, Angel, and you never said anything?"

 

 

 

"It's just Spike," Angel defended himself.  Who were they to question his decisions.  "It's not like he's anything important."

 

 

 

"And you profess to love her?" Xander hissed in disgust.  "I always knew there was a reason I liked Spike better than you.  I don't know what you've been doing the last two and half decades, Angel, but it hasn't been doing anything to help Buffy."

 

 

 

"I couldn't find Buffy."  Angel shrugged helplessly while he seethed inside.  "You thwarted my every attempt, Harris.  I sure as hell wasn’t going to let you find Spike."

 

 

 

Xander spluttered with indignation.  His lone remaining eye filled with hatred, but Angel didn’t care.  His only goal was to get back into Buffy’s pants… no, her good graces.

 

 

 

"Wasn't that a clue?"  Willow shook her head.  "Good Goddess, Angel, I didn't think you were so darned dense.  If you have any idea where Spike is, you better tell us now before I get really upset with you."

 

 

 

"I don't know where that stupid little upstart is," Angel growled, not as menacingly as he could when he was a vampire of course.  "I haven't seen the idiot since we defeated the Senior Partners.  He realized I was human and slipped away.  He knew he didn't have a chance with Buffy."

 

 

 

"Poor deluded Daddy," a new voice scoffed in a singsong voice.  "You really are stupid, Father."

 

 

 

"Connor? What are you doing here?"  Angel peered at his youthful looking son.  He was jealous of how well his son had aged.  Clearly the boy had gotten those genes from Darla.

 

 

 

“I've been a Council consultant for years, Father.  You'd know that if you hadn't cut yourself off from me."  Connor nodded his greeting to Andrew, Willow, and Xander.   "Andrew recruited me just after your big fight with Wolfram and Hart."

 

 

 

"Best consultant we have," Andrew said with pride. 

 

 

 

Connor nodded in agreement.  “Damned straight.”  He turned his head towards where Buffy was standing next to the minister and the young woman, Alexis.  “I need to go give my condolences.”

 

 

 

Angel watched his son abandon him and cross the room to where Buffy was standing.  Connor took Buffy’s hand, spoke a few words, and then kissed her on the cheek.  Angel fumed with jealousy.  Was Buffy dating Connor?  Had she traded in on a younger model?

 

 

 

Angel didn’t notice that Dawn had entered until Connor left Buffy’s side to greet the young woman where she’d just entered the auditorium.

 

 

 

Angel was so busy with his own thoughts he didn’t notice Andrew and the Scoobies also abandoning him for Connor and Dawn.  His curiosity was almost peaked when Connor put his arm around Dawn’s waist before he leaned down to kiss her on the lips.  However, Angel’s attention reverted to Buffy.

 

 

 

Plans of getting Buffy alone and convincing her that he was still her true love swirled in Angel’s brain.  He continued to watch Buffy, and ignoring his son, while he stumbled to a chair.

 

 

 

“When you turned human again, she remembered.”

 

 

 

Angel realized that he had sat down next to a little girl who he recognized as Faith and Xander’s daughter with the odd name; Issy or whatever. “She remembered what?” he asked.

 

 

 

“The day you took back,” Issy said.

 

 

 

Angel turned his head so fast that his bones creaked.  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said in a haughty voice.

 

 

 

“You’re such a silly, naughty boy,” Issy replied.  She folded her hands in her lap while she looked at the ceiling.  “I’m naming all the stars.  I can see them, but I’ve named them all the same name.”

 

 

 

“You can’t see the stars,” Angel scoffed.  “That’s the ceiling, you idiot child.”

 

 

 

Issy looked at Angel.  “Spike told me the same thing.  Poor deluded Daddy.”

 

 

 

Angel reared back when the little girl repeated his son’s earlier words.  “Who the hell are you?” he hissed.

 

 

 

“Miss Edith wants to talk to you.  You might hurry along before she gets mad.”  Issy jumped up from her seat, and she rushed over to Harris.

 

 

 

Angel was left wondering when the girl could have ever had the chance to talk to Drusilla.  He knew that she had been dusted years before by several of the younger Slayers, long before Issy was even born. 

 

 

 

Angel had never believed in reincarnation.  He still didn’t.  Someone, Harris or Connor, must have coached the girl on what to say.

 

 

 

It was time for some drastic measures.

 

 

 

Angel made and discarded plans on ways to make Buffy pay attention to him.  He figured that if she was focused on him that she’d forget about everyone else, making her remember that Angel was her one true love.

 

 

 

Post NFA

 

 

 

Angel smirked at Spike.  “I’m human now, William.  You don’t stand a chance with Buffy now.  She doesn’t want to be with a pathetic lovesick vampire.  Not when she can have me, her one true love, as a human again.”

 

 

 

Spike gave Angel a belligerent glare, but he didn’t say anything. 

 

 

 

“You are not the stalwart Champion that you used to be,” Groo commented.  The half-demon had shown up half way through the fight with Wolfram and Hart.  He had proved to still be handy in a battle.

 

 

 

Angel couldn’t understand how Groo and Spike could have become such bosom buddies since they had never met before.

 

 

 

“Don’t worry about it, mate,” Spike said over his shoulder.  “Angelus has always been a self-absorbed ponce.”

 

 

 

Angel sneered at the duo.  He leaned in close and he whispered, “If you show up anywhere near Buffy, I’ll tell her all about your little slip with Harmony.  Try talking you way out of that one.

 

 

 

“She forgave me for Anya,” Spike replied with a snort.  “I didn’t even make it to first base with Harm.  You have nothing.”  He turned and walked away, followed by Groo.

 

 

 

Angel narrowed his eyes.  Strangely, it appeared as though Spike was surrounded by black wings.  That was weird.  However, Angel dismissed it as a trick of the light.

 

 

 

Defeat wasn’t in Angel’s plans to get Buffy back.  It was time to hunt down a witch or two to do a spell on Spike.  If the little upstart wouldn’t keep away from Buffy, then Angel was just going to have to do something drastic.

 

 

 

It hadn’t even occurred to Angel to do a spell on Buffy too.  He was so sure of her love for him that he didn’t even think that he would fail in his goal.  It was always about keeping Spike away from Buffy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angel finally settled on cornering Buffy and whisking her away on a whirlwind vacation to as many exotic locations as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a brilliant idea!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone took their seats as the ceremony started.  The minister started his eulogy about the rich life of Rupert Giles.  Angel snorted.  What a joke!  The man never married, never had children.  There was no legacy left by Rupert Giles.

 

 

 

When the minister finished his speech, Buffy stood at the podium.

 

 

 

She is so beautiful and sweet, Angel thought, just a bit dreamily.  She will be mine.  All mine.

 

 

 

“Reality never was your strong suit, Peaches.”

 

 

 

Angel turned to see Spike sitting in the chair next to him.

 

 

 

“Getting a bit delusional in your old age there?” Spike asked.

 

 

 

Angel narrowed his eyes at Spike.  “What are you doing here?” he hissed.

 

 

 

A nearby mourner, a young Slayer that Angel didn’t recognize, turned towards him.  “I’m here for the funeral.  Now, shut up.”

 

 

 

Angel let out an angry huff.  What right did that little girl have to tell him to shut up?  He’d been saving the world long before she was even a twinkling in her grandfather’s eye.

 

 

 

“Still charming the ladies, I see, Gramps,” Spike said in a loud voice.

 

 

 

Angel should have been suspicious when the young Slayer didn’t turn around at Spike’s comment, but the blond vampire always had a way of making him irked beyond reason.  He grumbled under his breath before ignoring Spike and turning his attention back to Buffy.

 

 

 

“You are blind.  You’ve grown old and decrepit.  Buffy’s still as young and beautiful as she was when you last saw her.” 

 

 

 

Angel’s attention was startled away from the golden beauty standing at the pulpit.  “Darla?”  He shook his head.  “No.  No.  No.  You’re dead.  I know you’re dead.  You’re dust.  Just dust in the wind.”

 

 

 

The blond woman smiled.  “Why, yes, I am.”

 

 

 

Angel pointed a finger at Darla.  “I know who you are.  You’re the First Evil.”

 

 

 

“No, I’m not.  I’m the Inevitable.  For everyone.”  Darla looked towards the pulpit where Buffy was finishing up her speech.  “Well, maybe not for her, but definitely for you.”

 

 

 

Pain shot through Angel’s chest, and his hand clutched at his heart.  He took a gasping breath, squeaked, and slumped over onto the chair in front of him.  “Help,” he whispered in a strangled voice.  “Help me.”

 

 

 

As Angel’s eyes drifted shut, he struggled to gaze at Buffy.  She stood at the podium, staring at him in horror.  Maybe this is what it would take for her to realize that she still loved him.  Much to Angel’s surprise, he could see giant white wings surrounding Buffy.

 

 

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