Strange Place to Live:
Coming Home
by Cynamin

"You brought your Sunday morning sunshine
into my Monday morning rain
You showed me happiness just one time
it keeps on coming back again."
~Sunday Morning Sunshine
Harry Chapin

Sunnydale Hospital
Late Saturday afternoon

For a long while Buffy simply sat in silence, holding Angel's hand. As the sun moved across the sky, the small shaft of sunlight moved across his face. Buffy felt lost - she had no clue what to do. She could only sit, stare, and wait. The longest that she'd ever known Angel to be out for before was a few minutes, and that had been terrifying enough. This time he had already been down for hours. What had happened to him? What was happening now? Would he be okay? Would he . . . live?

Buffy stood for a moment to pace the small room. She stopped next to the window. It was still daylight outside, and would be for hours yet, but sooner or later Buffy was going to have to leave. Most likely sooner, when visiting hours ended. Buffy slowly opened the blinds until the room was bathed in sunlight.

She turned to face Angel again. Leaning against the window, she began to speak, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I opened the blinds," she began. "I thought . . . maybe . . . if you could feel the sunlight . . . that you'd wake up." She laughed slightly, sadly. "It was a silly notion, but I didn't know what else to do."

There was no response, but she hadn't really been expecting one. She continued, speaking softly to Angel even though she knew he couldn't hear her. "I don't know what to do," she said again. "I wish I knew what happened to you. That someone could tell me it will be all right. I wish that . . . Giles were here to tell me what is going on. I wish . . . wish that you could tell me what's wrong." Buffy's voice dropped to a whisper. "I'm scared, Angel."

Buffy smiled bitterly. "I'm the Slayer, I'm not supposed to be scared, right? But . . . you're my only friend I thought nothing could never harm. I never thought I'd see you like this. Here. I . . . I didn't even know you were back in town. I wasn't expecting my first time seeing you in months and it would be a priest and a doctor to tell me you're in town. I mean, you could have called. . . ." Buffy trailed off. "Oh god, I'm babbling," she muttered. She paused to think about what she was saying. "I missed you," she said.

"I missed you." A whisper.

Buffy moved quickly around the bedside, where Angel had just woken up. "Angel?" she asked softly. He looked back at her and smiled slightly. "Hey Buffy," he said.

She smiled. "How . . . how do you feel?"

Angel frowned at that. "Awful," he stated. "Why do I feel awful?" He paused for a moment and looked intently at Buffy. "Where am I? What happened?" he asked.

Buffy smiled at his confusion and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. She took a deep breath and thought on what to say. "What happened . . . I was hoping you could tell me," she began. "But the rest I can answer. You are in the Sunnydale hospital, and . . . you're alive."

For a long moment Angel simply stared at her in shocked silence. Then his eyes wandered the room, taking in the medical equipment, the heart monitor, and the sunlight streaming through the window, before returning to look at Buffy's face. "Alive?" he asked.

Buffy tried to reply, but felt herself getting all choked up with emotion so that she could only smile and nod. Angel's face lit up with surprised happiness, and Buffy felt a stray tear escape her eye to run down her cheek. Angel reached up to brush it away and Buffy closed her eyes and leaned into his hand. Neither of them said a word.

The moment was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Visiting hours-" the nurse began, then stopped. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Look who's back among the living."

Buffy couldn't help but giggle. *How right you are!*

Angel came back to consciousness slowly. It was like clawing his way out of a deep well, and everytime he thought he was making progress he slipped into darkness again. True wakefulness came gradually, teasing him with sounds and feelings before he realized he was awake.

It was Buffy's voice that greeted him as he returned to awareness. She was nearby and speaking softly. The tone of her voice - upset - broke through to him before he was awake enough to understand the words.

"I mean, you could have called," she was saying, then her voice broke off. She muttered something Angel could not hear under her breath, distressed.

Angel opened his eyes. The room was too bright he had to blink several times before his eyes adjusted and he could see clearly. When he could he saw Buffy standing next to him, her head down. It was wonderful to see her again. But why was she so upset?

Finally, she spoke again. "I missed you," she stated.

Angel couldn't help but smile as he replied, "I missed you." To his surprise, it came out as a whisper.

Buffy jumped slightly as if startled, then quickly moved towards him to sit on the side of the bed and hold his hand. "Angel?" she said tentatively, her voice begging for reassurance.

He did his best to reassure her. It had been so long since he'd seen her, and he hated to see her upset. Continuing to smile ever so slightly, he replied, "Hey, Buffy."

Buffy broke into a smile then, suddenly seeming incredibly less troubled. She was so beautiful when she smiled. "How . . . how do you feel?" she asked gently.

As if her words had triggered it, Angel was suddenly aware of his body's condition. He was sore all over, especially his chest, and felt incredibly tired. "Awful," he replied. "Why do I feel awful?" The question felt stupid, but he couldn't think of anything better to say. Finally coming fully awake, Angel realized he had no clue where he was. The last thing he remembered he'd been walking down an alley . . . . "Where am I? What happened?"

She smiled again comfortingly and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. There was a hint of mischief glinting in her eyes that baffled Angel. She took a deep breath and leaned in a bit closer to speak. "What happened . . . I was hoping you could tell me. But the rest I can answer. You are in the Sunnydale hospital, and . . ." she paused then, her smile growing. "You're alive," she finished.

Angel could not figure out for a moment what she meant. When he did, he could only stare at her in shock. He let his eyes wander the room, noting it for what Buffy said it was - a hospital room. There was a heart monitor by the bed that beeped softly in the background. Was that his heartbeat? And the light - the sunlight . . . It was daytime and he was unharmed. Could such a thing be possible? He hadn't dared hope that he could truly live again. Yet here he was, so suddenly . . . . It was a gift unasked for, undeserved, but miraculously given. He looked back as Buffy. "Alive?" he asked. *Really alive!?*

Looking down at him, grinning with eyes suspiciously wet, Buffy simply nodded. *Alive!* It was really true? Why, yes! Angel could feel himself breathing when he thought about it. He hadn't noticed before. Angel smiled in surprised wonder. Why, if he concentrated he could even feel his heartbeat!

Buffy smiled in response, sharing in Angel's joy. A tear slid down her cheek. It glinted in the sunlight from the window like a tiny jewel. Angel reached up to brush it away, cupping her cheek in his hand. Buffy closed her eyes and leaned her head into his palm. He could only smile. This moment was so perfect he wished it could go on forever. Maybe, if he was truly human again, in a way it could.

Suddenly a knock came at the door to the room. "Visiting hours -," a nurse said, but stopped when both Buffy and Angel glanced at her in surprise. "Oh," she exclaimed, looking at Angel. "Look who's back among the living." Buffy looked back at Angel, then began to giggle. He caught the joke as well and found himself grinning again. The nurse excused herself to get a doctor, looking confused. Buffy's giggles became full fledged laughter, and it was infectious. Soon Angel was joining in, and they both laughed until they didn't even know why they were laughing.

When their laughter died away, Buffy wiped tears from her eyes, then spoke. "You know," she said, "I don't think I've ever seen you really laugh before."

Angel thought about it for a moment. "I haven't had reason to laugh . . . in a long time."

They were both silent for a long moment. Finally, it was Buffy who spoke again. "You should have called," she mock admonished, "told me you were coming."

"I know. I guess . . . I wanted to surprise you."

"You surprised me," Buffy replied with a smile. "You definitely surprised me. Big points for surprise." She fell silent again, looking at Angel seriously. "You have no idea how much I missed you," she said softly.

"I bet I do," Angel assured her. *I missed you so much. I'm so glad to be . . . home.*

"Yeah," Buffy whispered, leaning close to him, and then they were suddenly kissing, reassuring each other and themselves that though time had gone by, they still cared. They'd spent time apart, but their feelings hadn't changed.

They were still kissing when Dr. Baker came into the room. "Well," he said, getting their attention, "I thought you two only *used* to be involved."

Buffy pulled away sheepishly to look at the doctor, and Angel felt a bit embarrassed himself. "We were just . . . catching up on old times."

"Uh huh," acknowledged the doctor.

"Angel," Buffy spoke up, "this is Dr. Baker. One of the men responsible for . . . saving your life."

Angel smiled at Buffy's choice of words. "Thank you, Doctor," he said sincerely.

Dr. Baker simply nodded and then turned to speak to Buffy. "Visiting hours are over, Ms. Summers," he said gently. "And I really need to speak to Angel alone."

Buffy nodded and Angel looked at her startled. She was leaving? Leaving him here with all these doctors who would be asking him questions he truly couldn't answer? And he didn't even know exactly what had happened to him yet.

Some of his concern must have shown on his face, because Buffy spoke quickly to comfort him. "I asked Mom to call Giles before coming over here. He has to be a bit panicked by now," she explained. "I'll be back as soon as they'll let me in tomorrow. I'll probably bring Giles and the gang. They'll . . . want to see you, too." She gave him a small kiss then released his hand and stood up. "I still love you," she said, and left.

*I love you, Buffy,* thought Angel, and then focused his attention on one of his miracle workers.

Part Six

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