by Eliser

Xander caught Buffy before she hit the ground, but never took her eyes off Willow.

"Will?" he asked uncertainly.

Willow smiled at her friend and reached up to wipe a tear away from her eye. "Yeah, Xander. It's me."

"Will!" he said louder. He ran to embrace his lost buddy, nearly dropping the Slayer in his arms in the process. "Uhh, whoops," he said nervously. Gathering Buffy in his arms, he carried the shocked vampire into Giles's office, where he layed her on the couch.

When he returned, he nearly knocked Willow over with a huge hug.

He buried his head into her hair and kept murmering, "She's real, she's real." as if to convince himself of it.

Angel watched the reunion of the two childhood friends for a moment before walking into the small office where Buffy lay.

He stood at the doorway a moment, just admiring her. Buffy had changed since he'd last seen her. She seemed stronger, which she was, older, and if anything, more beautuful. Her golden hair fell a little past her sun-toned shoulders and he knew behind those closed eye lids were a pair of lovely hazel orbs. He was jarred out of his thoughts by Buffy's eyes shooting open and her standing up into her fighting stance. Angel took an invoulintary step backward when he saw her perpare to take on an enemy.

When she saw Angel standing in the door frame, she dropped her balled fists.

"Angel," she said, curiousity laced into her voice.

"Hi Buff," he said, suddenly feeling very shy.

Through the window, she saw Xander hugging some one with red hair. Rushing past Angel, she immediatly said, "Willow?"

The pair seperated and Willow smiled through tears. "Hello, Buffy."

Much contrary to Xander's reaction, Buffy quickly strode toward the middle library table and grabbed her black leather duster. As she walked for the door, she heard Xander say, "Wait Buff! Where are you gonig?"

Numbly she replied, "I. . I have to slay." With that, she ran through the library doors.

Three hours and a whole lot of tears later, both groups of people had explained their separate stories. Giles had came soon after Buffy ran off.

"What about Spike?" Angel asked, talking for the first time all evening. "Is he dead?"

Giles removed his glasses and wiped his forehead with a hankerchief from his pocket. "The week after Buffy was changed, she sought him out and. . ."

"And I tourtered him," an unknown voice said from in the stacks. Buffy appeared from behind a pile of books. "Then I tied him to my mom's grave and he watched his first sun shine in 200 years." Buffy hopped over the rail and landed with a gentle flop on the floor. Taking a seat next to Giles, she finished, "I burned down his hide out after that."

"Oh Buffy," Willow whispered.

"Yeah," Buffy said quietly.

The room was silent for a few minutes until Giles abruptly stood up and said, "Buffy, I think it's best if we go now. Willow, Angel, do you have a place to stay?"

Willow looked at Xander who replied to Giles, "Yeah, she's going to stay with me." The two twined their fingers together and smiled.

"And you Angel?" Giles asked the vampire again.

"I'm sure I can get a hotel some where."

"Nonsense," the Watcher said. "You can stay with

us."Buffy's eyes widened and she looked at the Watcher with shock.

"Uhh, okay." Angel said somewhat reluctantly. With that, the two groups walked off into the night, leaving Giles alone in the library.

"Come in Angel," Giles gave the customary greeting for a vampire to enter a home.

Once inside, Buffy offered to take the couch so Angel could have the bed. Buffy still didn't make eye contact, after having not even talking to him on the way to the home she and Giles now shared.

"That's okay. The couch seems fine."

"Alright," Buffy agreed. "Umm, Angel?"

"Yeah," he replied, turning to face her.

"Have you. . .uh. .eaten lately?" she asked timidly.

"Not really." he said truthfully. "Come on then," she said, beckoning him into the kitchen with her.

Going down the hall into a large kitchen area, Buffy led the other vampire to a small refidgerater.. Opening the door, it revealed holding over three dozen packages each filled with the crimson fluid. Buffy quickly grabbed one and turned around, away from Angel. Also taking a package, he grabbed Buffy's shoulder and swung her around.

"Let me watch," he said, releasing her shoulder.

Buffy's eyes widened. "You sure?"

He immediatly nodded, so Buffy took one last glance at the bag before her beautiful face transformed. Once in her guise, Buffy stuck her teeth into the package and drained it. She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering what it felt like to sink her fangs into the neck of a victim, to feel their warm blood fill her mouth. . . .

She realized that the bag was empty so she took her teeth out of the plastic, and through away the bag. Looking back at Angel, she told him, "Your turn."

Angel's face changed more quickly then hers had, probably from larger hunger. He drained the bags within seconds and swiftly disposed of the package.

To her astonished look he simply said, "Practice,"

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth the first one in a while.

"How do you control it?" she asked.

"What?"

"The bloodlust."

He let out a sigh, as if he were pondering it deeply. Running a hand through his spiky dark hair, he repeated, "Practice,"

Buffy lightly smiled again, but then she shrieked in pain as a ray of light came through window and showered her with sinshine. Frozen from the pain, her limbs refused to move. In an instant, Angel grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her into the hallway with him.

"Curtains?" he asked.

"I'm never in there during the day. We didn't bother."

Angel didn't answer. "Well, night. . .eerr. . .day." Buffy said, trying to pull out of his embrace.

Pulling her close, he gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. "Sleep well,"

Having said that, the went to their respective sleeping areas. And dreamt of eachother.

Next Part Coming Soon

Suggestions? Comments? Flames? I want them all!

Go here for more of Eliser's stories.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page