Strange Place to Live:
Coming Home
by Cynamin

"I'd give up forever to touch you
'cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I've ever been
and I don't want to go home right now"
~Iris
Goo Goo Dolls

Sunnydale Hospital
Sunday morning

The sunrise greeted Angel when he awoke the next morning. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched as daylight came again, filling the world with color. Strange that something so beautiful could have been so dangerous for so many years. He could not pull away from the sight. Oddly enough, he could not remember ever watching a sunrise. If he'd ever seen one when he was first human the memory was lost in the centuries in between.

Angel was feeling much better this morning. He wasn't sore at all and felt awake and refreshed. If is wasn't for the fact that his stomach was complaining with a very human hunger, he would have said he was feeling back to normal. Okay, that and the fact that he was breathing. So maybe this wasn't normal at all, but physically he was just fine.

Emotionally, he was more than a bit overwhelmed. Overwhelmed, overjoyed, and a bit concerned. Since Angel had never dwelled for long on the hope to be human again, he had never put much thought into what it would mean for him. He didn't know what he would do, and he had a lot of questions no one could answer. In over 200 years he had come to rely on everything that being a vampire meant to him. What would he do now if those advantages were gone? Was his demon still there, silent and injured, but able to exert an influence again? Or was he truly free of it, fully human until he died a mortal death? And what might all this mean in regards to his curse? Though Angel was still not on good terms with Giles, he hoped Giles would be coming. Perhaps the Watcher would help him find some answers.

An orderly came by with breakfast only shortly before guests were allowed in the hospital, so it was that Angel was just finishing his meal as his awaited visitors arrived. Buffy entered the room with an enthusiastic greeting, followed shortly be Willow, Oz, Giles, and finally Xander.

"Wow," Willow muttered, focusing everyone's attention on her. "I mean, Buffy, you told me but . . . . You, Angel, sunlight . . . wow."

"Yeah," Oz agreed. "It's cool."

Buffy sat down on the edge of the bed next to Angel. "Thanks, guys," she said. She turned to Angel, glancing for a moment at the meal tray. "Did we interrupt your breakfast?' she asked with a smile.

"No," Angel replied calmly. "I'm done. Besides, the food was vile."

"Yeah," Xander piped up. "You always did strike me as more of a steak tartar kind of guy."

"Xander!" scolded Buffy, while Willow shot him a glare.

"Sorry, sorry," muttered Xander, not sounding like he really meant it. "So," he began again, "Angel . . . hospital gown, it's a new look for you."

Angel just glared at him.

Giles cleared his throat. "Perhaps, before Xander puts his foot further in his mouth, we should, uh, discuss the matter at hand?" he suggested. When no one replied, he continued. "Angel, if you could tell us what happened. Then, Buffy, you fill in any gaps and we'll try and get a full picture of the, uh, situation." Angel nodded, hoping that finally he would be finding out exactly what happened to him as well. So he began to relate his encounter in the alley when he first arrived. He told about the strange young man who attacked him, chanting at him. Then he told about waking in the hospital. He tried to keep emotion out of his voice, but he couldn't help sounding confused.

"And you have no idea who it was that attacked you?" Giles asked.

"No," said Angel. "He was a young man, maybe twenty, human, with brown hair. Nothing special about him except that he knew some sort of magic."

No one spoke for a long moment. Then Buffy said, "Okay, I think I can fill in some more details." Angel listened intently as she began to tell everything she'd learned from Father Riley, from his prayer to Dr. Baker's efforts. When she reached her conclusion, Angel could think of nothing to say.

"So," Willow said, "what you're saying is this was some sort of accidental exorcism."

"Accidental exorcism?" asked Xander.

"Well," Giles commented, "it is possible, I suppose, if unprecedented. If the demon was already weakened . . . which may have been what happened with the . . . the attacker." "But then shouldn't Angel be dust? I mean, no offense fella, but you are over 200 years old," Xander said.

Giles appeared flustered. "Well, uh, perhaps-"

"Perhaps the demon is still there," Angel said softly.

Buffy was quick to object. "Angel -- sunlight, crosses . . . breakfast?"

"Buffy's correct," Giles said. "It would appear that you are fully human. Unless there's something you're not telling us?"

"No, nothing," Angel replied.

"Alright then," said Giles. "I suppose we've found out all we can here. I'd best return home and consult my books. See if I can find out anything about this man that attacked you, and anything pertaining to this . . . unique situation."

Giles turned to leave. Angel was hesitant to speak up, but he had one more thing to ask. "Um, Giles?"

"Yes?"

"While you're . . . looking things up, could you look for one more thing?"

"What is it?"

"If . . . if I'm human again, what does this mean for the curse?"

Giles simply nodded and left the room. Angel found Buffy grinning at him again, and he smiled slightly in return. He only hoped that when Giles' research was done they would all still have reason to smile.

Epilogue

Feedback

Go here for more of Cynamin's stories.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page