Between Here, There and Always

Author: Keanoite

Summary: A brief meeting between two old lovers in times of war. Buffy make a pit-stop in L.A. on her way to that castle in Scotland.

Rating: G

Genre: Love/Romance

Pairing: Angel/Buffy. Who else?

Disclaimer: Unfortunately they belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy & Co. I just play with them.

Feedback: Yes Please! Any and all comments to Keanoite@live.ie

A/N: Huge thanks to my beta Blondie Bear from Buffy-Boards.com. We Merrick girls have to stick together!

**

The sun was just falling behind the glistening horizon when Buffy and the remains of the Sunnydale forces chugged into L.A. on their yellow school bus. Faith had taken Robin and any others who were injured to the hospital. Although she had tried to cover up what she was doing by saying she would stay in the hospital all night to look after the girls, Buffy knew that the majority of Faith’s night would be spent watching over Wood. Giles had taken the rest to a motel. Everyone was weary from the day’s events but Buffy herself found that she was restless. She tried to get her head around what had happened. So much had changed in a day that she found herself only able to repeat her old mantra in her head,

Fire bad, tree pretty.

She couldn’t really think about the rest right now. Not the Sunnydale sized hole in Southern California, nor all the Slayers she had to find and train and protect. Does it ever end? And she definitely could not dwell on thoughts of Anya or Spike. So instead, Buffy headed for Santa Monica Pier. For a reason she could not explain she felt the place calling to her. It had never been a haunt of hers when she lived in The City of Angels but she knew that there she would find some reprieve from the gnawing feelings of guilt, loss and responsibility. Buffy had been leaning against the railing, looking out as the water sparkled under the night sky for some time when she felt him approach. She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face.

Some things never change and that was definitely of the good.

Buffy pushed herself up from the railings and turned to see Angel standing in front of her with his hands stuffed into his pockets and the scowl of the century etched on his face.

“Let me guess, you were skulking?”

Angel ignored her question and walked up to her, trying to restrain himself and resist the unbelievable urge he had to touch her, just to be sure she was ok.

“So you’re alive. I-I mean you’re ok? Not hurt or injured or…”

“I’m fine, see?”

She cut him off before the scowl became permanently engraved. She held her hands out wide to demonstrate her fineness.

“Don’t be such a worry wart!”

If it was at all possible, Angel’s scowl deepened.

“I am not a worry wart! I just…I felt something, a change, magic, something big, and then when I saw the news and what happened to Sunnydale…”

His head dropped down as he ran his fingers through his hair. When he looked up she saw a fear and a worry in his eyes that she hadn’t seen in years. Granted she actually hadn’t seen him in years but…shut up Brain! You’re not helping!

He looked at her again and she could see a hint of a grin trying to break free from the scowl that was holding his face hostage.

“I just didn’t know what to think, and yo-…ok so fine I’m a worry wart!”

Buffy smiled up at him, she took a step closer and placed her hand over his cheek tenderly. Buffy was so touched at his concern for her she didn’t even realize what she was doing.

“Hey, I’m a big girl remember? No need to worry about little ol’ me.”

Angel was suddenly frozen to the spot. He was so concerned about finding her and seeing if she was ok that he hadn't realized where he had found her. Of all the places in this damn city she could have chosen, she picks here. And with her soft hand on his cheek, he couldn’t help but turn his face into her palm. For a moment he was lost in her touch. He stepped back, suddenly aware of where they were heading, he cleared his throat and decided it was best to change the subject.

“So what happened? Clearly the second front wasn’t needed. How did you defeat the First?”

Now it was Buffy’s turn to drop her head. Damn it! She thought she was going to avoid this tonight. She decided to just plough ahead and hope that if she said it fast enough he wouldn’t question her.

“ Oh you know the usual, used some major witchy mojo to make every potential slayer an actual slayer. Led them into the Hellmouth kicked Chaka Khan’s ass. Thanks for that amulet by the way; really helpful! And then, you know the place kinda imploded so we hightailed it outta town on the school bus and now here I am. Really just the usual, run of the mill apocalypse stuff.”

Angel was fairly sure he had misheard pretty much everything she had said.

An army of slayers?

School bus?

And what did Chaka Khan have to do with the Hellmouth?

“Wait a minute? You made an army of slayers?”

“Yep that’s pretty much the gist of it.”

“You changed the world.”

“That’s what everyone keeps telling me.”

Buffy had a distant look on her face that worried Angel more than he would like.

“Buffy? What else happened? You're hiding something…I can feel it.”

Buffy let out a weary sigh and looked up at him; she was suddenly so very tired. She searched his face trying to tell if he had any idea what she was about to tell him? He just looked worried. She thought maybe he would have felt it or something? Spike was his Grandchilde after all.

“W-we lost some people, poten...I mean Slayers, Anya and…Spike”.

She said his name in a hushed whisper, almost as if she was afraid to say it out loud because then it would be real. He would really be dead.

She didn’t think she would ever get used to that.

Angel physically flinched at this. He didn’t know if it was because the platinum annoyance was dead or because of the visible effect it was having on Buffy.

“Buffy, I’m sor-.”

Buffy cut him off before he could finish.

“Don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t lie to me; don’t tell me you're sorry when you're not. You hated him, Angel, and he hated you. Don’t pretend that the two of you were something you weren’t.”

Angel wanted to deny what she was saying, but in reality, it was true. Spike’s death meant very little to him. He was just one less of his line that he would have to end. This thought led him to Drusilla and he couldn’t help wondering if she knew?

It was a few moments before either of them spoke again, their silence a small tribute to the dead. It was Angel who finally broke the peace.

“What now?”

Still lost in her thoughts, Buffy looked up at him, confused.

“I’m sorry?”

“What are you going to do? Where are you going to go?”

“Oh! That now. Honestly? I really don’t know. Giles wants to go back to England. The Council was destroyed; he wants to see what he can salvage. After that it’s blanksville. I mean I have to find all the new Slayers and train them and I’ll have to find a school for Dawn and a million other things I’m sure, but I just don’t know how I am going to do all these things. I haven’t really had time to deal yet, you know.”

“You’re welcome to stay here if you want, I mean I have a pretty huge pool of resources now and an empty hotel and well, I mean…it would be nice to have you around again.”

Buffy couldn’t help but wonder how a 247 year old vampire with a soul could manage to look so bashful; his man of mystery act seemed to have lost some of its sheen since he had left. Once again she smiled up at him, hoping he could see how much she appreciated what he was offering, but she couldn’t accept it.

“Thank you for the offer, really, it means a lot but I think I need a break from California for awhile. I’m fairly certain someone’s going to be looking to stick Sunnydale going poof on me, and I think it’s best we get out of Dodge, and plus, I kinda want to see all those green fields you told me about.”

“I’m Irish, Buffy.”

“Yeah I know! Didn’t you just hear what I said?”

“You said you were going to England.”

“Ireland, England…same diff…they both got green fields right?”

“Yes, but they are very different and…”

Buffy cut him off before he got worked up.

“Duly noted…Ireland’s green fields are much better than England’s.”

Note to self: never speak of green fields in front of Angel again.

“No, it’s not that, although they are bet-…you’re making fun of me?”

“ Just a little.”

She had a twinkle in her eyes again.

God, did he miss seeing that.

“How long before you leave?”

“I’m thinking tomorrow, we really need to get our travelling show on the road.”

“No rest for the wicked.”

“Doesn’t look like.”

“Do you want… I mean, can I walk you back to your hotel?”

“Actually I was kinda hoping you would stay here with me for awhile? I don’t really feel up to going back yet.”

“Of course, I’d like that.”

And then Angel did what he had been resisting all night, he pulled her to him. The feel of her tiny arms wrapped around him again gave him more comfort than he had felt in years. He found that familiar place on top of her head where he rested his chin like it was the most natural thing in the world, like he was supposed to hold her like this.

Always

For Buffy, it was just as comforting, his embrace was the safest place she knew, and she needed to feel safe tonight. Even if it was just for a while, it would do. Moments like this were so rare she would take any small scraps the Powers threw her way. It would get her through tomorrow when he couldn’t be there.

Angel idly began to stroke Buffy’s golden hair, thinking about what she had told him and then he asked the question that had been bothering him for most of the evening.

“Did you really kill Chaka Khan?”

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