Summary: The sequel to "Walking Home." It helps to read that first
Rating: G
Spoilers: Pretty mild, if you don't know what's happened by now you shouldn't
be reading the fic.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Wouldn't be this cruel if they did belong to me
Thanks: To Andrea (I think) for getting me involved in this addicting pastime.
And to Rebecca for pointing out all my grammar errors.
"So the Lend-Lease Act provided the Allied Forces with party favors for everyone. Okay?" With a sigh Willow Rosenberg closed her history book and faced her study partner.
"Party favors for everyone. Good idea. I like it. Wait, that doesn't sound right. Ugghh!" Buffy rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "I did it again, didn't I? I'm sorry, Will. I just can't concentrate. I keep thinking about him. Wondering if he's ok. Where he is. Do you think he hates me?"
Willow rolled over and joined Buffy in contemplating the ceiling. "Buffy, we've talked about this before. He can't hate you. He loves you. He probably just needs some time alone."
"I wish I could believe that, Will. I really do. I'm just so scared. What if he doesn't love me any more? What if he blames me?" Willow watched as Buffy rose from the bed and started to pace around the room. She stopped next to the dresser and picked up Mr. Gordo. From the faraway look in her eyes Willow could tell that she was once again lost in happy memories of the handsome vampire.
"He loves you! And I'm going to keep repeating it until you start to believe me." Willow stood up next to the bed and began to chant. "He loves you. He loves you. He loves you. He loves... Hey that hurt!" She yelled as Mr. Gordo hit her in the face. With an evil grin that belied her innocent face she smirked at Buffy. "You realize this means war?"
A spirited stuffed animal pillow fight followed. It finally ended with both girls once again sprawled on the bed. With a sigh Willow watched Buffy finger the ring on her hand.
"I believe you Will. I have to or I'm going to go nuts and I don't think mom can handle me wiggin right now. She's having a hard enough time washing vampire dust out of my clothes." Buffy laughed as she thought of her mother's reaction to her last few loads of laundry. Staking a demon while being pinned to the ground had led to a few stains that were worthy of any laundry commercial. Thoughts of her mother caused her to look at the clock and then out the window to the darkened sky with a sudden frown. "She's late, Will. Maybe we should go look for her?"
Buffy's worries were quickly put to rest with the sound of the front door opening. With a relieved sigh she called out, "Is that you Mom? What took you so long? I wish you would've called me. You know how I feel about you walking around after dark."
"Yes honey, I'm home safe and sound. Can you come down here please? I need to talk to you." Joyce Summers's voice had an edge of excitement that caused both girls to look at each other with raised eyebrows.
"What's up with her? She hasn't sounded this excited since she and dad surprised me with a kitten when I was five." Shrugging her shoulders Buffy led Willow out the door.
"A kitten, that would be cool. They're cute and cuddly and lovable. Hey! What's wrong?" Willow asked as she collided with Buffy's suddenly frozen form. She peered over Buffy's shoulder to see what had shocked her friend. "Oh! Well he's definitely better then a kitten."
Joyce Summers looked at her daughter's still face and wondered if she had done the right thing. She turned to the handsome man at her side and was amazed to see a single tear run down his cheek. She had to strain to hear the softly spoken "I'm sorry" he whispered before he hesitantly opened his arms.
Buffy stood silently for one second longer and then launched herself into the vampire's arms. They closed around her instantly as his hand reached up to cradle her head. Angel began to softly whisper words of comfort to try and calm the sobs that engulfed the small figure in his arms.
With smiles wreathing their faces, Joyce and Willow watched the reunion for several long seconds. Finally Joyce turned, took Willow's arm and led her into the kitchen, closing the door behind them.
"Wow!" was all the Willow could say.
"Yes, I think wow sums it up nicely. I just left my seventeen-year-old daughter, the Slayer, in the arms of her two hundred and forty some year old vampire boyfriend. I must be losing my mind. I don't know about you Willow, but I feel the need for a cup of tea." Joyce began to bustle about the kitchen preparing tea without waiting for a reply.
Shaking her head to clear the romantic fog that had descended as she watched the Slayer and vampire's reunion, Willow finally began to respond to Joyce's comments. "Yes, tea would be good."
Several minutes later, teacups in hand, the two women sat silently at the table and tried without much success to not listen to the conversation taking place on the other side of the door.
*******
They stood silently together for the several long moments. Buffy's sobs subsided and she began to relish the feeling of being enclosed in his arms again. Angel gently nuzzled her hair with his lips, delighting in the clean, fresh smell of her hair. Finally Buffy pulled away from his arms. Taking him by the hand she led him to couch.
"Where have you been? I've been so worried."
Angel bit his lip as he thought over his answer. He knew Buffy wasn't going to like what he had to say anymore then her mother had. "I've been around, watching you, making sure you didn't get hurt. I thought that if I stayed in the shadows you'd have a better chance of a normal life. I didn't want to hurt you any longer."
"You've been watching me? You've been around and you didn't let me know?" Buffy's voice was soft but the tone hidden in the words was deadly.
"I'm sorry. I thought it would be better for you. God, Buffy, I almost killed you! I killed your teacher, terrorized your friends. How can you want me in your life?" His dark eyes clouded with anguish as the guilt he carried threatened to overwhelm him.
"Because you didn't do it! It was the demon! Do you think Angelus would have walked my mother home from work? Well he probably would have but she wouldn't have been grinning like a hyena when I walked down the stairs. She would have been dead!" Buffy jumped up from the couch and began to pace around the room, wildly waving her hands as she continued to speak, her voice getting louder with each sentence. "When will you accept that it wasn't you? My God, even Giles accepts that and out of all of us he's the one that lost the most. Don't you understand that we all want you back in our lives? We need you. I need you."
"Buffy..." Angel stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "I need you too. I was afraid to come back. I was afraid that if I came back it would all start up again. But I can't survive without you and I know you need me. I've realized that now. Or I should say your mom made me realize it. I'm back, if you'll have me, and I won't leave you again."
Buffy turned so that she faced Angel's chest. Lifting her head, she looked with tear filled eyes deep into his gaze. "I don't think I could handle it if I lost you again. I was so scared."
"I know, I don't think I could stand to be apart from you any longer either. There's a lot we need to talk about though. But for right now just know I love you. I won't leave you again." He gently kissed her forehead as he made the pledge.
Pulling her arms from around his neck, she took his hands. "So what did my mom say to you that made you change you mind about being with me? It has to be pretty interesting."
Angel laughed as he kissed the corner of Buffy's smile. "Let's not get into that. Let's just say that I know where you get your attitude from."
"Attitude? Mom and I have attitudes? I think we need to discuss this with her." Laughing, Buffy pulled Angel towards the kitchen door.
******
Willow and Joyce had listened to the emotional reunion, argument and subsequent apologies with rapt attention. The laughing voices approaching the kitchen shocked them into action in a desperate attempt to hide their apparent eavesdropping.
"So Xander dropped his soda all over Cordelia's new wool sweater... Oh, hi Buffy! Hi Angel!" Willow casually responded to their appearance in the kitchen.
"Chill Will! I know you heard every word we said out there. "You don't need to pretend you weren't listening." Buffy laughed as Willow quickly shook her head in denial.
"Hi Willow!" Angel spoke quietly as he approached her chair. "I'm so sorr..."
"Don't! It wasn't you. I know that. And I know Buffy's already argued with you about it so I'm not going to repeat the argument again." She waggled a finger at him as she spoke. "I'm just glad the spell finally worked. Welcome back, Angel!" She wrapped her arms around the embarrassed vampire and shyly gave him a hug.
Buffy watched the reunion with shining eyes. She heard her mother stand next to her, and then felt her hand on her shoulder. "Thanks mom," she whispered.
"I just want you to be safe and happy sweetheart. That's all that's important. Now would you and Angel like to join us for a cup of tea?" Joyce smiled as she looked at her daughter.
Angel and Willow came to stand next to Buffy and any of Joyce's lingering fears were swept aside when she saw the protective way the handsome man stood next to her daughter. She could see the love he felt for her as she watched him gently take Buffy's hand.
"I... We'd like that." Buffy replied.
The End