Spoilers: Becoming and related issues
Content: silliness with mention of angst inducing issues.
Summary: Angel meets up with someone who has about as much angst as he does :)
Note: Both of them are too talkative, but what the heck -- it's my story and they can gab as much as they want to :)
Disclaimer: Angel and related characters belong to Joss Whedon. Remy his story belong to Marvel and appears in (Uncanny) X-Men.

Love and Pain

by: Northlight

Remy stepped out of the men's washroom, having just completed the difficult task of getting his zipper-less, one piece, Shi'ar, spandex suit back up. He casually wandered back into the waiting room and came to an abrupt stop.

There was someone in his seat.

That was something of a surprise. He'd been alone in the waiting room for the past few months and the sudden appearance of another person threw him slightly. Remy glanced around the room, looking at all the other chairs and sourly wondered why this stranger couldn't have taken any of *them*.

He briefly debated giving up on his chair before changing his mind. He'd been through a lot recently, and a man deserved to be able to take a bathroom break without loosing his seat.

"Excuse me," Remy said, getting the brooding man's attention. "I believe that's my seat." He stood before the man expectantly.

"You weren't here," Angel replied, letting his head drop back down. Couldn't that strangely dressed man see that he was *busy*? Brooding took concentration.

"Look here, homme," Remy answered calmly. "I've been freezing my ass off in Antarctica -- I think I deserve to be allowed whatever chair I want!"

Angel looked up slowly. The man did look rather frostbitten, he allowed grudgingly. But he still wasn't about to give up his chair. He was comfortable. "Well I've been in Hell the last little while." He resisted the urge to say 'so there!' with just a bit of difficulty.

Remy remained still a moment before grudgingly admitting the other man had it worse. He sighed and chose another chair to plop down in. The silence dragged out for a long moment before Remy turned back to the stranger. "My name's Remy. What's yours?"

He recognized the signs of an interrupted brooding session but didn't withdraw his question. He'd been alone since issue #350, and he was getting rather bored with nothing to keep him occupied other than guilt and angst.

"Well?" Remy urged when the new arrival remained sullenly silent.

"Angel."

"I know an Angel," Remy said conversationally. "'Cept he has wings... and wants me dead." He sighed and slunk further into his non discript waiting room chair.

Angel didn't reply. Remy regarded him, drumming his long fingers against the padded arm of his new chair. "So what brought you here?" he asked.

"I don't quite know where here is," Angel finally admitted. If he wasn't going to get in any self recrimination and angst time, he may as well talk to Remy.

Remy grinned, his red on black eyes glinting eerily. "This is where you go to wait while your fate is figured out. I'm not dead, but they have to figure out how to fix my problem."

"Your problem?" Angel asked, only slightly interested. He had enough problems of his own.

"That whole left to die in Antarctica thing," Remy replied. "I'm too popular to be left for dead, but my relationships are so mucked up that I can't just go waltzing back home. So I'm stuck here until they figure out how to work me back into the storyline."

"Oh. So I suppose I'm here because I got sent to Hell."

"How did that happen?" Remy asked. He took out a deck of cards and began to shuffle them absently.

"My girlfriend stabbed me with a special sword," Angel answered shortly.

"Problems with the femmes?" Remy grinned. Angel glared at him. "I can sympathize. My girlfriend was the one who left me to freeze. Rogue isn't someone you want to piss off."

"You're girlfriend's name is Rogue?" Angel asked, marvelling at the strange name.

"Not her real one. So what's yours?"

"Buffy."

Remy snorted. "You're one to be talking." The cards flashed between his fingers. "So what did you do to piss her off enough to have her send you to Hell?"

Angel gave an airless sigh. Maybe this was his punishment -- eternity with Remy. "I lost my soul, killed her teacher, tried to kill her friends, attempted to drive her insane, and threatened to suck the world into Hell."

Remy whistled. "And I though I had it bad."

"Why?" Angel asked. If he had to tell his story, so did the other man.

"Don't want to talk about it," Remy said. Since when did Angel get to ask the questions? He ignored Angel and flipped a card across the room.

"I told you my story!" Angel growled. "Now you talk!"

Remy briefly debated, and then decided to go for it. He'd never have to see this Angel character again, after all. "Let's see... I worked for my friend's big, bad enemy. And gathered a group of killers who wiped out a settlement of innocent men, women and children. My memories nearly drove my girlfriend insane." He shrugged slightly -- the whole thing was a terrible retcon anyhow.

"Oh." Angel was obscurely pleased that his story had beat Remy's. He was still the undefeated angst master. "So how long have you been here? Does it take long to fix things up?"

Remy looked thoughtful. "It's been a while. I've been here since #350, other than that Unlimited issue, and the limited series where I seduced that nun... Let's just say it's been a while. But my world is a mess -- it may take forever for my story to be fixed up."

"I've only been gone since 'Becoming'" Angel mused. "It'll probably be resolved once the new season starts. Although the 'soulless' thing dragged on forever..."

Remy abandoned his cards and went in search of a cigarette. He found one tucked into his boot and drew it out. A spark jumped from the tip of his finger to that of the cigarette, igniting it. "How'd you loose your soul?"

Angel rolled his eyes. "I made love to my girlfriend after nearly being killed by a monster... and then -- *bam!* -- my soul's gone!"

"My life fell apart after a kiss," Remy sighed. He shook his head sadly, 'my life sucks'.

He felt the familiar stirring of angst starting to claw it's was through him and quickly moved to cut it off. "Cards?" he offered a hopeful smile at Angel.

Angel shrugged. "Why not? It seems like I'll be here for a while."

"There's the spirit!" Remy smiled as he moved to pick up his scattered cards. "And after that, I'll tell you about my brooding sessions on the roof..."

~End~

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