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Disclaimer: Not mine, never have been, never will be. Please don’t get mad at me and sue!!
Author’s Notes: This is the short sequel to Betrayal, Despair, and the Power of Friendship. Special thanks to Carolyn for telling me to do this and coming up with the idea and title!! You probably want to read that one first, this will make a lot more sense if you do. It begins at the end of Faith, Hope, and Trick and Buffy turned Scott down because she can’t date anyone. I thought I had lost this but found it while going through all my disks so that’s why it’s taken me forever to post. Let me know what you think!!!
Buffy walked slowly into the mansion, coming to a stop in the middle of the huge room. She stood in the exact place he had stood when she rammed the sword into him, saving the world and killing her true love all in the same motion. She looked down at the floor as the memories rushed back, him being so trusting, closing his eyes without a thought. Piercing his flesh with the sharp blade...his eyes popping open in hurt and betrayal...the love he still held for her there. It had taken all her strength not to reach out and grab his hand.
She wept silently as she stood, she wasn’t even sure why she had come here tonight. The mansion had been calling to her, beckoning. So she had come, hoping there might be a clue as to how she could get Angel back to her and save him from the hellish torture he was surely in.
This is stupid, she thought to herself, wiping the tears away. There’s no way to get him back, just give up now, Buff. She looked around the darkened room. The moonlight cast eerie shadows along the walls and the breeze that blew lightly through made the cobwebs above her dance.
“Oh God, Angel, I miss you so much,” she whispered into the darkness brokenheartedly, knowing he couldn’t hear her and not caring. “I just wish you were still here with me. It’s so hard...” she broke off, not being able to continue.
“I’m not gonna give up,” she said determinedly, raising her chin high in a false show of strength. “I’m gonna find a way to bring you back to me...where you should be. I’m so sorry and I love you so much it hurts.”
She turned and began to walk out of the room, her heels making sharp clicking sounds against the concrete. She put her hand on the doorframe to brace herself as more tears came and she twisted her head around to gaze at that spot for a long moment. As she was about to turn around and leave, a bright beam of light shone down from the ceiling, illuminating the whole room in a startling glow. She looked on, shocked and on guard, waiting for something to happen.
There was a deep rumble and the ground shook violently. Buffy
stumbled to the ground, her arms flailing. She eased her fall by sticking
her arms out and then she looked up to the light source. It momentarily
blinded her and she squeezed her eyes shut to block it. The light suddenly
grew dimmer and she looked up to see a body drop from the sky. She stared in
shock.
MO He lifted his head then, and all thoughts flew from her mind. She
kneeled, fresh tears cascading down her cheeks, and touched his face. He
whimpered and pulled away, hiding his eyes again. She frowned slightly and
coaxed him to look at her. Pain and suffering filled his dark eyes and she
felt more tears coming.
She had done this to him, she had sent him to be tortured. But how
was he back?
“He’s back because you need him,” a voice said from behind her.
Startled, she swung her head around to face the person. What she saw shocked
her.
Jenny Calendar stood, shimmering in light. She smiled gently at
Buffy, then fixed her gaze on Angel. “He’s been down there for centuries.
He’s lost all that made him himself, partly from the torture and partly from
the spell. Except the memory of you. Use that memory to help him recall
other things. In time, with care, he’ll remember everything. Be patient, be
loving, and you will be rewarded.”
Buffy somehow found her voice. “But...but how is he back? I thought
it was impossible...” she whispered, looking back at Angel, who had curled up
into a little ball on the cold floor. He was drenched in sweat.
“Buffy, nothing’s impossible,” Jenny said as she floated over to her. Buffy rose to meet her. “I had the spell all ready to get him out. But you
kept all your emotions locked away, you wouldn’t let yourself feel anything.
You see, you were the key to releasing him. His soul mate was the only thing
that could save him. And you did. As soon as you voiced your true feelings,
I put the spell into effect. And now he’s here.”
Buffy looked away, absorbing everything she had just learned. She
gazed at Angel’s shaking form and began to sob tears of pure joy. She looked
back to Jenny.
“Thank you. For everything. I’m sorry for all that I said to
you...and for making you two stay apart,” Buffy said softly. Jenny smiled
slightly.
“It’s all right. Tell Rupert I love him. And for God’s sake, Buffy,
put some clothes on the poor boy. He’s shaking like a leaf,” Jenny grinned
as she turned to go. She dissipated into light and began traveling up to the
stars. “Oh, and Buffy. There’s no clause. Be happy,” Jenny’s voice sang as
the light vanished.
Buffy stared after her, feeling a strange tranquility settle over her
soul. She had made peace with one of the people she hadn’t been able to
save. She smiled slightly before whispering a final thank you to the gypsy’s
soul. She then looked down at her feet again, where Angel lay gazing up at
her. A thousand emotions played across his face. Finally he uttered a
single word, one that made Buffy’s heart leap.
“Buffy?”
She broke down completely then, sagging to the floor beside him. She
wrapped her arms around him and pulled his head to her chest, stroking his
hair softly and whispering sweet nothings in his ear. She kept repeating
that everything would be okay, everything would all right. He looked up into
her eyes and saw sadness and regret.
He tried to piece the thousands of images floating around in his mind
together. He focused on one thing, the girl who was with him now, Buffy.
Images slowly surfaced, Buffy with other people, fighting, asleep in his
arms. Her face, a total mask, as she rammed a sword into him. Tears began
to slowly leak from his eyes as more images bombarded him.
Buffy slowly calmed down and pulled his head closer to hers, brushing
his lips with her own. He pulled her closer and deepened the kiss, their
tears mingling. She broke it off slowly, opening her eyes and looking at
him. “I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you,” he replied as more things began to clear in his brain.
He wasn’t sure of anything, he didn’t even know who he was. All he did know
was that the person here with him now loved him with all her soul, as he did
her, and their fierce devotion to each other was what had kept him from going
insane in the dark depths of hell.
He slowly wiped the tears from her cheeks with the pad of his thumb.
Only then did she realize he was still shivering. She looked down and
blushed when she remembered he was naked. She disentangled herself from his
embrace and stood up slowly. He stood with her and she forced her eyes not
to look at his body.
“Do you remember anything?” she asked him as she began to search some
of the adjourning rooms, looking for some clothes for him. She rummaged
through closets and in dressers before finding a pair of sweat pants and a
white t-shirt.
“No, not really. All I remember is you. There are so many images
though...they’re driving me crazy,” he joked, trying to get her to crack a
smile. It succeeded and he grinned. She handed the clothes to him and
turned her back as her cheeks again grew rosy. When he was done she turned
back around and led him out into the main room.
“I’m gonna take you to my house, you can stay there until you get
your memory back. I’ll tell Giles and the others soon,” she said as she took
his hand and walked out into the night. They walked in silence, she trying
to figure out how to get his memory back and he trying to remember what
everything was.
They reached her house in a matter of minutes. She opened the door
quietly and invited Angel inside. She shut the door and took Angel’s hand
and was about to lead him upstairs when her mother called her from the
kitchen.
“Buffy? Is that you?”
Buffy sighed and led Angel into the kitchen, imaging what her mother
would say.
“B? Who’s that?” Faith asked as Buffy and Angel walked into the
kitchen. Buffy was surprised to see Giles and her friends there with her
mother. The others all stared in shock.
“Faith, this is Angel. Angel, Faith. I went to the mansion tonight
just to check up on things and then I said out loud how much I missed and
loved him and suddenly he dropped out the sky. I was really confused until
Ms. Calendar showed up and she explained to me that I was the key to getting
him back, since we’re soul mates or something. All she had to do was say
this spell and he came back. But he really doesn’t remember anything,” Buffy
finished. Angel just stood beside her, staring at the ground. The others
were too shocked to say anything.
“Oh, and Giles? Jenny says she loves you,” she said softly. He
looked up at her with tears in his eyes.
“Mom, Angel’s gonna stay here for a while until he feels better. I
just need you to make sure all the blinds are closed. Oh, and there’s no
loophole this time,” she added as her heart sang.
Giles finally found his voice and spoke. “Yes, well I think we
should all leave them. See you tomorrow, Buffy,” he said as he stood and put
his jacket on. He paused and looked at Angel. “Good to have you back.”
He turned and left and the others followed his lead, echoing his
goodbyes. Joyce just sat there stunned. “Mom?” Buffy asked.
Joyce suddenly shook her head and nodded. “Right, blinds. Gotcha.
He can stay in your room, honey, I trust you. I know you love each other.
I’m so glad to see you smile again,” Joyce rambled.
“Mom, stop. You’re babbling again.”
Joyce laughed. “Good night you two.”
Buffy led Angel up to her room and made him get into bed. She took
her pajamas and changed in the bathroom before returning to her room. She
slid under the covers next to him and turned out the light.
“Buffy?” Angel asked softly.
“Yeah?”
“I’m starting to remember stuff. I knew who those people were.
That’s a start, right?”
“Yeah. I’ll keep helping you until you get better,” she told him,
then leaned over and kissed him gently. “I love you,” she whispered as she
snuggled up next to him.
“I love you too,” he whispered back and wrapped his arms around her,
pulling her closer to him.