"Immortal Beloved XIII..."
PG-13
Spoilers for Angel to "The Girl in Question..." However everything here except the reference to the episode's enemy is my own playin' round...
Disclaimer: Not mine, but thine O Joss!...And ME's...
Summary: Yet another view of the (aftermath) of the May 5th Rome rendezvous...
(Yes, I know what I promised with #12 being the last, but the Missus wants a 13th based on her idea and she gets what she wants...)
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LA...The Wolfram-Hart tower...CEO Angel's office...
An incredulous and rather pissed Buffy stands in front of the desk behind which a stern-faced Angel looks up at her...
"Whatadaya mean...You don't want me seeing William?...After I came all the way from..."
"I said...I don't think you should see him..."
Oh...I get it...She frowned... "Angel, you've gotta get over..." He waved...
"I'm past that, Buffy...I have a girlfriend...We're very...Well, within safe limits...Happy..."
This isn't jealousy...He eyed her firmly...
"Oh, really..." she crossed arms, glaring... "Angel, this is just so child..." Girlfriend?...she thought as he cut her off...
"How's the Immortal?..." She reddened...
"Fine...We called it a day...After Andy broke down and told me about William and you coming to Rome..."
Uh huh... "A little bird told me...The Immortal turned out to be a rather naughty boy...Tried to kidnap Dawn and use her energy to conquer the world..."
"To make himself human..." she corrected... "Not all that evil a goal, really...But naturally I couldn't let him have Dawn...Say, what 'little bird'?...Are you still having me followed?...Who's following me?...Better say 'cause otherwise he or she might wind up with a permanent case of death..."
"A little bird...One of our demon agents, actually...Loves to play pigeons when on surveillance...No one notices him, plus every now and then he gets to to get away with, you know...Target practice...For the sake of realism..."
She stared...Whatever...She waved a hand... "Now about William...Where is he?..."
On assignment...An important mission...Angel solemnly noted...
"And just when did you send him 'on assignment' and what's the 'important mission'..."
Last week...He's undercover...I can't reveal...
"Damnit Angel!!..." she banged his desk...Which split in two... "I called to say I was coming last week...You deliberately sent him away!!..."
"Someone had to look out for him..." Angel replied coldly... "God knows you sure didn't care...God, Buffy...The man cared for Dawn and carried you through your post-resurrection depression without even a cursed soul...Was there to patch your hands when you clawed your way out of your grave..."
All before he got a soul...
"Yeah...And God knows you weren't there...And you forgot to mention..."
Gave me fantastic sex...she smiled...On a regular basis...He frowned...
"And when he got to Rome...Coming to help you again...What do we...er does he...Find?..."
She gave a slightly sheepish look...
Well?...He frowned...
"I didn't know you guys were coming..." she dodged, looking at the floor... "If I had..." She suddenly blinked at him...
"What the hell are you doing?...You're acting like..."
"Well, I am his only human-souled relative of sorts...His grandsire..."
What?...she blinked... "Are you telling me...As his 'grandsire'..."
"I don't say you're not worthy of him, Buffy..." Angel leaned back in his chair...She stared at him in shock... "But Will has been through a lot lately...And he's at a critical time in the development of a human-souled vampire..."
"I just don't think this is the time to complicate his life..."
But...I...
He looked at her coolly...
"Angel...I love him...You gotta tell me where he is..."
"It has taken you some time to get here, Buf...And I know from Andy that you knew he was alive..."
And you never had Willow even try a seance when you thought he was dead...
"Mystically dead, I might add...And therefore, not all that hard to resurrect..."
I...Willow said it was too dangerous...And he didn't call me after he came back...Buffy tried...Not a call or a letter...
"He was trapped as a ghost for a good part of the year...And he thought you might have moved on...Didn't want to spoil what you told him..."
Told him?...
"In the cavern..."
Oh, yeah...she brightened... "And I meant it...I'm here now...Thought it all through and here I am..."
I love him...Oh, please Angel...
"You love him...Buffy...I don't wanna hurt you but you do bandy that word about a lot..."
Hey!...
"Are you offering him something he can build on?...A future?..."
Ummn...She blinked...
"Yeah, sure...I love him..."
"Do you want to marry him?...He's the sort who craves affection, you know...He needs stability in his life..."
Ummn...Marry?...Well...Ummn...
"Well..." he eyed her... "I'm not saying I'm going to tell you where he is...But...Why don't you have a seat?..."
She sat...Suddenly feeling nervous as he stared at her...An appraising look in his eyes...
"Well, Buffy...You want to marry my grandson of sorts...So...Tell me..."
Just what are you doing to earn a living these days?
***
