TITLE: Until the Day

AUTHOR: Kelly Rowe

RATING: NC-17

DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Angel and all other characters (except those I make up) are the absolute property of Joss Whedon, Fox, Mutant Enemy, UPN and Warner Bros (If I owned them, the events of Buffy season 4 or most of season 3 wouldn't have occurred) and Riley would never have been thought up.

SPOILERS: General

TIMELINE: AU season 2 BTVS and onwards.

DISTRIBUTION: You want you can have it, just tell me where you put it.

Challenge Requirements:

Angel left Sunnydale on Buffy's birthday (Surprise) to get rid of the Judges arm. A few months after Buffy's mom remarries and Buffy has to move back to LA with her new family. When Angel returns to Sunnydale, he finds Buffy is gone and decides to search for her.

MUSTS:

Angel moving to LA.

Wesley as Buffy's new watcher (Giles stayed on the Hellmouth).

Faith as the slayer in Sunnydale.

Pike.

No clause.

Buffy still wearing the claddagh Angel gave her.

The Scoobies not knowing where Buffy is.

Cordy working for Angel.

Cordy and Xander still together, but later break up.

Cordy and Doyle getting together.

B/A getting back together.

COUPLES:

B/A, C/X, C/D

AT LEAST 3 OF THE FOLLOWING:

The Scoobies walking in on Buffy and Angel.

Spike (with or without the chip in his head).

Doyle wearing a T-shirt that says 'Princess is with stupid'.

A bubble bath.

A fight between Doyle and Xander (over Cordy).

Cordy seeing Doyle in a towel.

Cordy insulting someone's outfit.

Spike messing with Xander's head, by confessing his secret love for him.

Spike messing with Angel's head, by calling him daddy.

Leather pants.

PART 1

January 1998

Buffy Summers slowly climbed out of Jenny's car and headed into the school and towards the library. Giles heard the library door open and saw Buffy and Jenny enter. "Angel?" he asked.

"He's gone," Jenny, told him, as Buffy ignored everyone and sat at the table.

"Is she okay?" Giles asked Jenny, concerned for his slayer who was like a daughter to him.

"She will be... eventually," Jenny told him, just as concerned. Even though it had been her job to keep them apart, she'd never though Buffy would take it this hard.

Buffy heard them talking about her and didn't care all she could think about was Angel and how she wished she could be there with him right now instead of here.

March 1998

Joyce Summers danced around the kitchen, she was in such a good mood and she couldn't wait to tell Buffy her good news. When she heard Buffy coming downstairs, she forced herself to remain calm, "Morning honey" she said.

"Morning" Buffy mumbled back.

Joyce didn't understand what was going on with Buffy, ever since her birthday she'd been walking around depressed, but she refused to talk about it. "I have some news," Joyce told her, excitedly.

"What?" Buffy asked, but only because it was expected of her.

"Rob asked me to marry him and I said yes" Joyce replied.

"That's great," Buffy said, managing a small smile that she didn't feel.

"There's more" Joyce told her, seriously.

"What?" Buffy repeated.

"Because of Rob's job, we have to move back to LA" Joyce said, waiting for the explosion that never came.

"Okay" Buffy, said, "I gotta get to school, bye". Buffy left, leaving behind an extremely confused Joyce.

When she arrived at school, Buffy heady straight for the library, heading through the door she walked in on Jenny and Giles kissing.

"Sorry" Buffy mumbled, getting ready to leave.

"Buffy, don't be silly" Giles said, moving away from Jenny. "What brings you here so early?"

"Just had some news for you" Buffy said, unenthusiastically.

"What is it?" Giles asked concerned. He was worried about her, when Angel left it seemed that he took not only her heart but also her spirit with him.

"Mom's marrying Rob..." Buffy started.

Giles cut her off, "That's good".

"... And we're moving to LA" Buffy finished.

"What? You can't. You're the slayer, this is the Hellmouth..." Giles said, in a panic.

"Like I have a choice about it," Buffy replied somewhat bitterly.

"You go to class," he told Buffy, "I must call the council".

Buffy walked out of the library to go tell Willow and Xander.

Jenny came up behind him and said, "It'll be alright".

"I hope so," Giles answered.

Three Weeks Later

Buffy stood in the middle of her empty bedroom and thought about how quickly things had happened. It was only a few weeks ago when it had just been her and her mom here in Sunnydale and now it was going to be her, her mom and Rob in LA. Even poor old Giles' situation was different, the council had told him to remain on the Hellmouth and become Kendra's watcher, and she was to get a new one when she reached LA. One good thing to come out of this move was no constant reminder of Angel, she missed him so much and yet she hadn't heard from him. It still seemed like yesterday that they'd stood on the dock where he'd given her the ring, kissed her goodbye and told her that he loved her, and then he sailed away from her. Joyce calling her broke out Buffy of her reverie.

"What?" she yelled back.

"It's time to go" was the reply.

Buffy took one last look around her room and headed downstairs and out the door. Where she found Willow, Xander and Cordy waiting for her, she'd already said goodbye to Giles and Jenny at the school before.

"Bye Wils" she said, hugging her best friend, "I'll miss you".

"You'd better call and write me all the time," Willow said, tearfully.

Buffy then turned to Xander. "I'll miss you Xandman" Buffy told him.

He hugged her and said, "Don't forget about us".

"Bye Cordy" Buffy said, majorly uncomfortable.

"Bye Buffy" Cordy replied, in the same manner.

They then watched her climb into the car and drive towards a new life and away from Sunnydale and them.

One Year Later

A lone figure disembarked a ship that had just docked. He looked around taking in the sight of the town, as if he was remembering something and then headed in the direction of the high school. As he walked along he kept looking around, like he was searching for someone. After a few minutes her arrived at the high school and went inside the library, as he walked through the door, he heard a collective gasp.

"Angel?" Willow asked, in disbelief.

Angel ignored her and looked around the library and asked, "Where's Buffy?"

At the same time Faith asked, "Who's the hottie?"

"Everyone calm down" Giles said, still in shock. "If you all sit down I'll explain".

Angel sat down next to Willow, the only friendly face in the room and awaited Giles' explanation.

"Faith is the slayer..." Giles began.

Angel cut him off, "Are you telling me that..."

"No" Giles said, quickly. "Last time we heard Buffy was fine. Faith is Kendra's replacement."

"What do you mean last time we heard?" Angel asked, determined to find out about Buffy.

"A few months after you left Joyce remarried and they moved to LA. That's where we kinda lost track of her," Giles answered.

"She's gone?" Angel couldn't believe it; he'd just expected her to be there when he got back.

"So Deadboy, what are you going to do now?" Xander asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the room.

"Find her" Angel, said, resolutely.

Six Months Later

Angel surveyed his new office; he and his new friend Doyle had decided to open a detective agency a couple of weeks ago. He'd only agreed really because Doyle said he had a greater destiny and although Buffy was a big part of that, so was helping others in need.

"Angel?" Cordy said.

"Yeah" he replied, although he didn't show it he was grateful she was around, a little piece of home in a strange new place.

"I'm going home".

"Okay, see you tomorrow" Angel told her retreating figure.

As Cordy was leaving Doyle was arriving. "Hi and bye princess" he said, as she passed him.

"Don't call me that" was her reply.

Doyle walked over to Angel and said, "She *so* wants me, man".

"Really? Then why is she dating Xander then?" Angel asked, laughing.

"Who's Xander?" Doyle said, confused. He didn't want to believe that the woman of his dreams, especially the dreams of late, was taken.

"Her boyfriend. They've been together almost two years" Angel told him.

"Then I guess it's too bad that he'll lose her to me then" Doyle said, with a confidence he didn't feel.

"Personally, I'm on your team. I am not a Xander fan," Angel told Doyle, trying to cheer him up.

"Good. Now let me tell you about the delightful vision I received" Doyle said, sarcastically, as the two men got to work.

Meanwhile nearby Buffy was training with her watcher. "Buffy, you need to concentrate" Wesley told her.

"I *am* concentrating" Buffy said, trying to control her anger and frustration. "I'm just exhausted, we've been at this for hours and I still have to patrol."

"Very well. We will continue this tomorrow" Wesley told her dismissively.

"Oh joy" Buffy replied sarcastically, but gathered up her stuff and escaped quickly in case he changed his mind. Wes wasn't a bad watcher he just wasn't Giles or Merrick.

Buffy was about to climb into her car, when she heard a voice say, "Buffy?"

She turned around and saw Cordelia Chase standing there and she said, "Cordy."

"Wow, it is you" Cordy said, giving her a hug, "It's good to see you."

Buffy stared at her as if she'd grown a second head. "It's good to see you too" Buffy replied, politely.

"I have to go, but here's my number. Call me" Cordy said, handing Buffy a piece of paper.

"Sure" Buffy told her. She watched Cordy walk away, she shook off the sense of confusion and got into her and drove off towards the cemetery.

The next afternoon when Cordy arrived at work, she saw Angel surfing the net. "What are you doing?" she asked, coming up behind him.

"Running a search on Buffy" Angel answered, distractedly.

"Shall I tell her that next time I see her" Cordy replied.

"Sure, whatever" Angel said, then he realised what she'd said, "You saw her?"

"Yep, last night. I gave her my number" Cordy told him.

"And you think that she'll call *you*?" Angel scoffed.

"Why wouldn't she?" Cordy asked.

Angel just sat there and laughed, he was still doing that when Doyle walked into the office. He was wearing a lime green t-shirt that said 'Princess is with stupid', of course seeing this made Angel laugh even harder.

Unfortunately it had the opposite effect on Cordy, who was cheesed off. "Xander isn't stupid," Cordy said, defending her boyfriend.

"That's not what I heard" Doyle replied.

"Sure, trust Angel's opinion. So Xander's made a few mistakes, but nobody's perfect," Cordy said, leaving the office quickly.

"What mistakes?" he asked Angel.

"Willow, Faith and Anya" Angel replied.

"Why does she put up with that?" Doyle asked, quietly going downstairs.

About ten blocks away Buffy sat around the garage where Pike worked. "Not that I mind having you here Buff, but don't you have someplace else to be?" Pike asked her.

"Nope" Buffy replied, plying with her claddagh that she always wore.

"Why don't you call that girl?" Pike suggested, trying to get rid of Buffy so he could actually do some work.

"*Cordy*" Buffy asked, in disbelief, "Why would I *want* to do that?"

"Because I would actually like to get some work done this afternoon" Pike told her.

"Fine, I'll call her and leave you to play with your equipment," Buffy said, leaving.

Pike watched Buffy leave; he couldn't imagine his life without her again. Ever since she'd come back into his life he had realised he was still in love with her, the one drawback he could see however was that she was in love with someone other than him. He realised he wouldn't win, so he settled for being her best friend.

After leaving Pike, Buffy pulled out her cell phone and the piece of paper Cordy had given her and dialled the number.

~Ring, Ring~ "Hi this is Cordelia. I am so sorry but I am not in right now. Please leave your name and number and I will get back to you. Unless your name is Doyle." BEEP

Buffy left her name and phone number on the machine and hung up. She decided to go back to the dorm for a while to rest before she had to go to training.

Angel, Cordy and Doyle had just finished work for the night, when the office door flew open and in walked Spike.

"Daddy, I'm home" he called out strolling over to Angel, "Aren't you gonna hug me daddy?"

"What in the *hell* is wrong with you?" Angel asked, looking at Spike strangely.

"They put a chip in my head, daddy" Spike said, sorrowfully.

"Who?" Cordy said, wondering what was up and if Spike was a skitso.

"The commando guys. Now I can't kill or hurt Humans, I'm now a bloody great sodding poof like you daddy" Spike told them.

"Stop calling me that" Angel demanded.

"Fine. But you gotta help me; those bloody white hats back in Sunnyhell just laughed at me. I also am *really* hungry and I miss my happy meals" Spike replied.

"Happy meals?" Doyle questioned.

"Yeah, you know Humans. Happy meals with legs" Spike answered.

"EEWWW" Cordy yelled.

"Oh, like you never ate at McDonalds" Spike replied, sarcastically.

"Calm down" Angel said. He turned to Cordy and Doyle and told them, "You two go home, I'll deal with the Billy Idol wanna-be".

As they were walking out Angel heard Cordy ask Doyle, "Billy who?" Angel pushed Spike downstairs, all the while trying to figure out what to do with him.