When Angel came back down the stairs, Mrs. Summers was waiting for him. She was leaning against the kitchen counter, a mug in her hand. “Do you want some coffee?” she offered politely when she saw him in the doorway. She was watching him closely, evaluating.
“No, thank you,” Angel declined hesitantly. “I don’t…”
“Drink coffee. I remember,” Joyce finished. She sighed, standing away from the counter. She crossed the kitchen easily and placed her mug on the table. “Well, I need one,” she said. She glanced at Angel, still standing in the kitchen doorway. “Sit down Angel. I won’t bite.”
She got an odd look on her face when she realized what she’d said. Angel couldn’t help but smile at that. “I promise I won’t either,” he replied as he took another seat at the table.
Despite the light words, the air was thick with tension. Angel was exhausted, nervous, and still a bit overwhelmed by everything that had happened. This was not the time he would have chosen to talk to Buffy’s mother. It couldn’t be put off, though. If this was going to continue happily in the future, there was a lot between him and Joyce that needed to be said. The air needed to be cleared now.
“We need to talk,” Angel said finally.
“We do,” Joyce agreed. She sat back in her chair. “You know I never expected to be having this conversation with you. Let alone at noon in a sunny room.”
Angel smiled very slightly. “I wasn’t expecting it either,” he said. “You know I wasn’t planning this.”
“Buffy said she went to see you rather spur of the moment,” she said, sounding somewhat doubtful.
“Yes.”
“And Willow cast this spell without telling either of you she was doing it.”
Angel nodded, unable to help his grin. “It was quite a surprise,” he agreed.
Joyce was quiet once again and Angel let her think. She returned his gaze seriously. “The part I don’t understand,” she said seriously, “is why you’re here.”
“Because Buffy wants me here,” Angel replied. He knew, suddenly, that it was as simple as that. As much as he tried to deny it, it always had been. No more doubts, he promised himself, and smiled.
Joyce caught his cheerful expression and frowned suspiciously. Fearing she thought he had other motives, Angel tried to explain himself. “Buffy and I are connected,” he said. “Heart and soul. We understand each other. We belong together.” He reached into his coat pocket and removed the glowing spell crystal. He placed it on the table between them. “We’re connected magically too, now. It was the strength of her life that allowed me to breathe again. I can’t turn my back on this. On her.”
“Is that why you asked her to marry you?” Joyce asked, clearly not liking the idea.
“I didn’t ask her. She asked me.”
Joyce sputtered into her coffee in surprise. “What?”
Angel smiled slightly. “You were wrong, Joyce. Buffy is capable of making the hard decisions all on her own. More than capable; she does it every day. I won’t make the decisions for her any more like you wanted me to. This is what we both want.”
Joyce sighed wearily. “It’s just that she’s so young. And she may not live to get that much older. I know that her being the Slayer is more dangerous than you’d like me to think. How is she supposed to have a life outside of vampires and demons if she marries one?” There it was: Angel standing as a symbol of all that was ‘wrong’ in her daughter’s life.
“She’ll never have a normal life,” Angel agreed. “Being the Slayer is part of who she is. But it’s not all of who she is. She is an incredible young woman full of vibrant energy and overwhelming love.” He picked up the crystal and cradled it in his hand. “The power of her life gave me mine back. Maybe I can give her some years – happy years – in return.” He stood then and put the crystal back in his pocket. “Now, if you don’t mind, I haven’t slept in far too long.”
“Of course,” Joyce said, not standing. She took another long sip of her coffee. When Angel reached the kitchen doorway she spoke again. “Angel?”
“Yes?” Angel said, turning.
“I can’t pretend that I’m…pleased with this,” she said hesitantly.
“I know.” He’d expected as much.
“Not that I’m…upset or anything,” she was quick to explain. “But…”
“Yes?”
Joyce took a deep breath. “Make her happy. I…like seeing her happy.”
“So do I.”
At the top of the stairs once again, Angel hesitated for a moment, deciding between the endless desire to see Buffy and the more immediate desire to let his exhausted body rest. The desire to see Buffy won…not much of a contest, really. He leaned in her doorway and smiled. Buffy lay on her side, facing the door, her eyes closed and a slight smile on her lips. Her injured leg stuck somewhat awkwardly out from under the covers.
Almost without thinking about it, Angel found himself kneeling at the side of her bed. Gently he moved a strand of hair from her face. His hand hovering about a centimeter from her cheek he whispered, “I love you.”
Buffy’s lips twitched into a genuine smile, though her eyes did not open. “I love you, too,” she whispered back.
Angel smiled. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t. I was listening to you and Mom – making sure I wasn’t going to have to rescue you.” She opened her eyes and grinned at him.
Angel gave her an odd look. “Listened?” he asked, confused.
“The air vent,” Buffy explained, pointing at the one next to her bed. “Sound carries quite clearly from the kitchen.” She looked at him seriously. “Did you mean what you said? About me making my own decisions?”
“Of course,” Angel replied simply.
“Does this mean you’re actually going to talk with me before making decisions now? No more crazy, noble heroics or ‘for my own good’ crap? ‘Cause you now trying to protect the Slayer from everything is pretty ridiculous. Not to mention counter productive.”
“Counter productive, huh?” Angel asked with a grin.
“Yup!”
“No more, I promise,” Angel said seriously. “Not that I’m going to stop trying to protect you. I couldn’t bare it if anything happened to you. But I want to make decisions with you. I want to fight by your side. As much as I always want to be here for you, I think I realize now that I also need you to be here for me.”
Buffy smiled back at him. “Good.”
Placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, Angel stood to leave.
“Where are you going?” Buffy asked suddenly.
Angel stopped to smile at her affectionately, then yawned. “I need to go to sleep,” he explained.
“Then stay with me,” Buffy said. “There’s room enough for two.”
“But your mother…”
“You seemed to be getting along well enough,” Buffy said. “Besides, she needs to get used to us together sooner or later. Might as well be now.”
Angel hesitated, even though he really didn’t have the energy to argue.
Buffy smiled at him. “Get over here before you fall asleep on your feet.”
Angel did not need any more urging, and he stopped trying to leave the room. Instead he took off his shoes and slipped into the bed next to Buffy. She smiled happily and moved her head from the pillow to his shoulder. Angel kissed her on the cheek and she tightened her arms around his chest.
“I missed this,” she whispered.
Angel held her tighter. “So did I,” he said.
“We just have to make sure we never do again,” Buffy said firmly. “I am keeping you right here.”
Angel couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m not going anywhere.”
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