Beautiful
By: spoiledsquish
Distribution: Ff.net, Slayer's Fanfic Archive (when they open
submissions again), B/A Lovers United Yahoo Group,
SempiternalBeloved, and anyone else who wants it. Just send me a
message and tell me where it's going. Cool?
Author's Note: The title is from the song of the same name by a band
called Joydrop. This fic just kinda popped into my head and has been
racking my brain. It's purely B/A, as per usual. This plot is
similar to the Gwen/Ethan/Theresa triangle on "Passions".
BTW, I am
a big Theresa/Ethan fan but I'd never write fanfic about them. Only
B/A is fanfic worthy!
Rating: PG13 to R. Might change later. I'll let you know as things
progress. If you watch the show regularly, you can read this.
Spoilers: None really. B/A still met in Sunnydale but everyone's
human. Demons, vampires, Slayers, and the like don't exist.
Angel
and Buffy still broke up, only he gave her the `gutwrenching sewer
talk' in the quad at Sunnydale High.
Couples: B/A, B/S, A/C, W/O, W/F, G/F, mentions of C/X, W/T, and G/J.
Summary: What if Angel had gotten Cordelia pregnant one night when
they were drunk? The two marry and Cordelia starts to fall in love
with him, but the feeling isn't mutual. What happens when Angel's
old girlfriend shows up to visit some of their old friends? Will
Angel finally follow his heart and confess his undying love and
devotion to the one woman who's ruled his heart since they were kids
or will he let duty and honor rule his life and make him stay with
his wife and unborn child? NOT for A/C and B/S fans!
Settings: Sunnydale and
Dedications: This one is for Meghan, whose fic the Penny Series got
me all weepy! Finish
I'm in serious pain here. Also, I wanna dedicate this fic to
James
Marsters, who--even though he kind of liked hooking up with SMG on
screen—is still a B/A fan. Kudos to you, JM! You made me turn my
bitter hatred that I had for you (cuz of the whole B/S thing) into
nothing but love for the character Spike once more!
I also wanna dedicate the fic to Soraya, who's sending me a copy of
Nickel's "Stupid Thing" song. I know I promised three
sequels to
some fics, but I just couldn't help it. I had to write this one!
Feedback: I'm a whore for it, so please contribute….
Chapter 1: Regret and Betrayal
Angel O'Connor studied the looks on his friends' faces as he
confessed to them his big news. No one, not even his own sister, had
uttered a word in over an hour.
"Uh…" Fred sighed. "This is so sudden, Angel. Um…but if
you're
happy, then that's all that really matters, I guess. So, in a
nutshell, I'm happy for you."
"So am I." Wesley nodded to his best friend.
"For the record, I'm not." Gunn frowned.
"Gunn!" Faith scolded her boyfriend of two years.
"Don't make a
scene, okay?"
"What then, Faith? You expect me to act all happy just `cuz he
got
Cordelia pregnant? Hell *fucking* no. You don't even love the girl
and now you want to marry her?" Gunn yelled, grabbing his jacket.
"Where're you going?" Fred asked.
"I got to go see my best friend." Gunn continued.
"Hopefully, she'll
have enough common sense to finally get over you, O'Connor. She
deserves to be happy."
"Gunn, wait!" Faith screamed and then hugged Angel.
"I'm sorry,
Angel. I have to go after him. Gunn, please, just wait a damn
second!"
Faith grabs her own jacket and finds her boyfriend starting up his
truck. She climbs in right next to him.
"Gunn, think about this!" Faith cried.
" `Think about this'?!" Gunn repeated, growling. "For
two years,
I've had to wtch my best friend upset and hurt because of him. I saw
her drink herself into a stupor when he took off. O watched her
flaunt herself to numerous guys to help her to tru and get rids of
the pain that he caused. And every time the heartache would come
back. Well, no more. I say good riddance. Buffy deserves better than
that--that bastard. He's brought her nothing but heartache and pain
and I don't want that for her."
"You're right." Faith agreed. "Buffy does deserve
better. I hope she
finds it. Just like I wish Angel to be happy, even though I know he
hates himself for getting into this situation. My brother is many
things, Charles, and responsible is one of them. He'll stand by
Cordelia and a part of me admires him for that."
"Did you still--" Gunn asked.
"Wanna go with you?" Faith nodded, completing his
question. " `Sides, I haven't seen the gang in like, forever."
"Okay." Gunn took her hand in his as they drove to
Sunnydale. "I
love you, Faith O'Connor."
"I love you, Charles Gunn." Faith kissed him. "No
matter how moronic
and stubborn you can be. I have to call Angel, though. Give him
the
heads up."
"Hello? Angel Investi--" Fred sighed when she heard the
voice on the
other end. "Oh, hi Faith. Yeah, he's right here."
Fred hands the phone to Angel and resumes her conversation with
Wesley.
"Faith." Angel sighed inwardly. "I was wondering what
happened to
you."
"Five by five bro. Like always." Faith chuckled. "Look,
I'm not
going to be in
Sunnydale with Gunn. So, you wanna give me the heads up before I
rush into the battlefield unarmed?"
"Like what?" Angel asked, wondering where the Hell she
learned to
word sentences that way.
"Like why you and B broke up, why you're so intent on marrying
Cordelia just because she's pregnant, for starters." Faith
explained. " `Cuz, quite frankly, I'm at a crossroad here."
"Faith, it's private." Angel sighed. "It's not your or
anybody
else's business."
"Okay." Faith took his word at face value.
"And, despite what you think, I do care for Cordelia." Angel
continued. "We've grown immensely closer the last few months.
Plus,
she's the mother of my child."
"I know. I'm sorry, Angel. You take care, all right? I'll see you
when I get back. Love you." Faith said, ending their
conversation.
"Love you too, sis." Angel hung up. "Faith's with Gunn.
They're on
their way to Sunnydale to tell Buffy."
"You're not worried?" Wesley asked.
"Why would I be?" Angel shook his head.
"Angel, you're my best friend, you and Cordelia." Wesley
reminded
him. "…But I know Cordelia. I saw her relationship with Xander
Harris unfold, saw how she came onto one guy after another just to
make him jealous. If Cordelia thinks she can hold onto you with this
baby, she'll go to great lengths to keep it and you."
"Just stop." Angel snapped. "Cordelia's changed since
then; she's
different now. And whether any of you like it or not, Cordelia's
going to become my wife."
"Hi guys." Cordelia entered, smiling at everyone.
"What's with all
the tragedy masks? Did somebody die?"
"No." Fred shook her head vigorously. "Angel just told
us the big
news. Congratulations, Cordy. On both counts."
"Thanks." Cordelia hugged her friend. "Wes, aren't you
gonna hug me?"
"Yeah." Wesley hugged her and whispered, "IF I ever
find out that
you did this deliberately to keep Buffy and Angel apart, I will beat
you to death. I promise you that."
"Silly Wes." Cordelia whispered back, "So what? You'd
never be able
to prove it anyway. Trust me, I'm clean."
"You'd better be." Wesley forced a smile and then said
louder, "Congratulations, Cordelia."
"Thank you." Cordelia smiled sweetly. "See, Angel?
Everything worked
out fine. Nothing to worry about."
"I know." Angel nodded. *I'm not worried about you though.
I'm
worried about her. God, baby, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.*
T.B.C.
Aww, cliffhanger. I also have chapters 2 and 3 and half of 4 written
but not typed. Just be patient and I'll try to post them soon.
So,
like the fic so far? Want more? Then review. Here's a preview of
chapter 2:
~
"Gunn, Faith!" Buffy hugged her old friends. "I didn't
know you guys
were back. Is there something going on? Some party I should be aware
of?"
"You'd better sit down, Buffy." Faith advised her.
"Should I be worried?" Buffy said as she complied with
Faith's
request.
"Buffy, Angel's--" Gunn's voice trailed off and he looked
down at
the floor.
"Is he here?" Buffy's face lit up. "I knew it! I knew
he'd come back
to me."
"He's not." Faith grabbed her arm to stop her from moving
and
sighed. "B, Angel's getting married to Cordelia. They're
expecting.
I know this is a shock, but…."
"I'm sorry." Gunn apologized.
"Don't be. Angel made a choice." Buffy sniffled. "Now,
I'll make
mine."
~
A/N: Just to clear any confusion up, Angel and Faith are siblings
and it's Wes/Fred and Gunn/Faith pairings. I was gonna make Wes and
Cordelia cousins, but now I'm not sure if I want to. If you have an
opinion on such a matter, please email me or send me a review
stating your perspective. Also, for those of you who are just dying
to see Spike surface, he'll probably show up in the next couple
chappies or so. Enjoy…..
Chapter 2: Blur
"Here we are." Gunn shut the engine off. "It's smaller
than what she
used to live in, but after Hank left and Joyce died, she had to sell
the house.
"I like it." Faith admired it and smiled. "It's quaint,
good
neighborhood, right next to your old place."
"Whenever I come home to see Mom, I just visit Buff, too."
Gunn
explained. "We gonna go in or are we gonna stand here all
night."
"Let's go." Faith took his hand and rang the doorbell.
"I just hope
she's happy to see us."
"Oh my God! Gunn, Faith!" Buffy hugged her old friends when
she
answered the door. "I didn't know you guys were back in
town. Is
there something going on? Some party I should be aware of?"
"No. Umm….You'd better sit down, Buffy." Faith suggested.
"Should I be worried?" Buffy asked as she followed Faith's
suggestion. "Charles, you're freakin' me out here. What the Hell
is
going on?"
"Buffy, Angel's--" Gunn's voice died down.
"Is he here?" Buffy's face lit up. "Oh my God, he is. I
knew it, I
knew he'd come back to me!"
"Buffy, he's not." Faith interrupted and grabbed the
blonde's
arm. "B, Angel's getting married to Cordelia. They're expecting a
child together. I know that this is a shock, but…"
"No, no!" Buffy shook her head forcefully. "Angel
doesn't even like
Cordy like that. They're just old friends, ya know? You're wrong,
guys."
"I'm sorry." Gunn apologized. "I wish I had better
news. She went to
a doctor and everything's legit. Cordelia is pregnant, Buffy."
"No." Buffy sobbed. "Charles, is this really
happening?"
"I'm afraid so." Faith hugged her friend. "I am so
sorry, B."
"Don't, Faith." Buffy shook her head and stood up.
"That's all he
said when he broke my heart the first time. That's all he ever said
when he did something wrong. I hate those words. God, why am I still
beating myself up over this?! We've been over for four years!"
"Buffy, I don't know what else to say." Faith sighed.
"I'm just--"
"Don't be." Buffy cut her off and held up her finger.
"Angel made a
choice. Not a very good choice, but a choice nonetheless. Now I'll
make mine."
"Buffy…." Gunn said. "Listen to me…"
"No, Charles. Don't try to tell me `it's gonna be okay' or that
`I'm
better off without him.' It's never gonna be okay!" Buffy cried.
"I
feel like my heart's breaking into a million pieces right now and
all I can do is watch it shatter. I just want to die."
"You won't, though." Gunn spoke. "You'll go on, find
someone better.
Someone who loves you with all their heart."
"I thought I had." Buffy wiped her tears. "Gunn, don't
make me out
to be the innocent one, okay? I'm just Buffy Summers, graduate of
U.C. Sunnydale. I hope you're right. I want to find someone who's
deserving of me because Angel sure as Hell wasn't. I deserve someone
better… I'm sorry, Faith. I know he's your brother. I just--I want
to be alone right now."
"Are you sure?" Gunn asked.
"Yeah." Buffy nodded quietly. "Just leave me to do my
brooding
alone."
"I'll call you." Faith hugged her again. "If you need
anything…"
"I know." Buffy nodded. "Just give me a little while to
be by
myself."
Buffy walks them to the door. The couple hugs her one last time and
drive off. Buffy shuts the door and falls to the floor, sobbing her
heart out.
"Oh God, Angel!" she chokes out. "Angel!"
T.B.C.
I know. What possesses me to leave my chappies in a J.W. cliffhanger-
esque fashion? Hell if I know. No preview for chappie 3 but I'll
give you some hints for what's going to be happening soon. Spike
enters the picture--note: Spike won't be Buffy's bf for long `cuz
he's just the ticket for her to go to L.A.--Angel and Cordelia
continue to prepare for their wedding, Gunn and Faith comfort each
other after Gunn hashes it out with Angel. Also, as we get farther
into the fic, you'll learn about the group's past and what tore
Buffy and Angel apart. Stay tuned for chappies 3 and 4. I also
wanna thank everyone who's sent me feedback. Please continue.
A/N: If you're a B/S'er and for some Godforsaken reason you are
reading this fic, then this is your chappie….Don't get too comfy
though `cuz their romance is short lived due to the fact that Buffy
and Angel are always and forever gonna be soulmates. Remember,
this
is a B/A fic, so for the kiddies who can't stand the ship I write
for, please turn back now.
Chapter 3: The Comeback
~Two Weeks Later~
Buffy Summers stood in front of her bedroom mirror, admiring her
choice of a `clubbing' outfit. Her outfit consisted of tight
blue
jeans with a lime green halter. Sexy, yet conservative as
Harmony
had told her when she bought it. She was supposed to go
dancing
with Faith, Harmony and
gasket, had he been there instead of living it up in
*Stop thinking about him* Buffy mentally scolded herself. *He's
marrying Whore-delia Chase. You're free to fuck, date or marry
whomever you fuckin' please.*
Buffy snapped out of her daze and applied black mascara. She almost
didn't hear her phone ring.
"Hello?" Buffy answered sweetly. "Oh, hey Harm. What?
canceled? Okay. You and Faith are outside? Well, duh! Come on
inside. You guys are practically family. Bye."
Buffy beamed down the stairs and hugged her two friends as they
entered.
"Hi." Buffy greeted her two friends. "Are you
guys ready?"
"Let's roll." Faith nodded. "I'm driving."
"Cool." Buffy said, as she locked the door.
***
~The Bronze- 9:43 pm~
"Oh My God." Faith cursed as she walked into the club.
"This place
is…"
"Yeah, they did a remodel of it." Harmony told her.
"Shut down the
place for four months, Total withdrawl. When they finally opened
up, the line was for blocks around the corner. Major happening
spot
since."
"It looks so different." Faith said.
"Is that bad?" Buffy asked.
"Not at all." Faith shook her head and noticed Buffy
searching the
crowd. "Expecting someone, B?"
"I have a date." Buffy smiled sheepishly.
"But…Girls Night…" Harmony and Faith whined.
"I know…I'm sorry to cut out on you guys like this, but I haven't
had a date in months. Hell, I haven't had even had sex in really
long, long time. So, please, let me cut out on you guys just
this
once?"
"Okay…but you owe me…big time." Faith told her.
"Go. Have your
fun. Just don't forget to call me so I can get all those
incriminating details."
"Hussy." Buffy laughed and left in search of her date.
"God, she needs to get laid." Faith turned back to
Harmony. "Drink?"
***
"Spike." Buffy smiled when she ran straight into her
date. "I
thought you were flaking on our date."
"Flake on a beautiful lady such as yourself? Never." Spike
saw her
blush. "It's packed in here tonight, eh love?"
"Yeah, but it always is." Buffy nodded.
"Want a drink?" Spike asked, after breaking the awkward
silence
moments later.
"Yeah. Sure. That'd be great." Buffy smiled. "A beer
would be great,
please."
"I'll be back." Spike told her and left her alone.
Minutes later, Spike returned with both of their drinks. She
took
her beer from him and gulped it down.
"Slow down there, love. It's not a race, you know."
Spike suggested.
"I shouldn't be here." Buffy told him. "Look,
Spike. You're a
really nice guy and everything, but…"
"But you don't want to date me." Spike finished her
sentence.
"It's not you, trust me." Buffy assured him.
"It's me. I'm…I'm no
good for you, Spike. I'm still in love with a guy I used to
date,
and I'm so not over him. I thought I was ready to get back on
the
horse again, but I'm obviously not. You can call me pathetic
now,
okay? Here's your chance."
"You're not pathetic." he shook his head.
"Whoever this guy was…he
was a fool to let someone as beautiful and smart as you go. I
envy
him."
"Spike, you don't even really know me." Buffy sighed.
"How can you
that you envy him?"
"Buffy, you wear your heart on your sleeve. Anyone can see
that.
You let your emotions take over and that's not a quality you find in
most women these days. It sets you apart. So, whoever the
idiot
was who let you go made the biggest mistake. You're the one,
Buffy." Spike stood up and kissed her on the
forehead. "I'll see
you at the office on Monday?"
"Yeah." she nodded, stunned.
"Later, love." Spike winked and started to leave.
"Spike?" Buffy called out.
"Yeah?" Spike turned around.
"Thank you." Buffy smiled and watched him walk out of the
Bronze.
***
~Later That Night~
"So, let me get this straight. He didn't even try to make a pass
at
you tonight? You guys talked and that was it?" Faith asked.
"Perfect gentleman." Buffy nodded.
"That's the most fucked up thing I ever heard!" Faith burst
out
laughing. "Even Gunn made a pass at me before I started
dating
him. So, when are you guys going out again?"
"We're not." Buffy shook her head.
"What? Why not?" Faith inquired.
"Spike could tell my heart wasn't in it. He told me that he
envied
the man who held my heart and that I was the one that got away.
It
was so sweet, Faith." Buffy smiled.
"Awww, tear." Faith sniffled sarcastically. "So,
what are you gonna
do now?"
"I think…I need to take some time off…Find myself. Figure out
what I
want." Buffy explained. "I don't think I ever really knew."
"Does what you want include my brother?" Faith wondered.
"Faith!" Buffy yelled.
"Sorry." Faith shook her head. "I know he's
marrying Whore-delia
but B….I think this is just some ploy she's devised. She's sick,
you know? And with you and Angel having been broken up for so
long,
she thinks she's deserving of him now."
"Faith, stop." Buffy said. "Do me a favor and
let's put all Angel-y
subjects to an end, okay?"
"All right." Faith nodded.
"Cool." Buffy agreed. "God, I really need to get
laid. Know of a
good fuck?"
Faith looked at her wide eyed. Buffy just burst out laughing.
T.B.C.
See, happy note! I ended non-cliffhanger-y. Hope ya'll
enjoyed the
new chappies!
Chapter 4: Fighting Back
"Hey everyone." Faith grinned as she walked into work the
next
morning with two trays of coffee. "Cappuccino,
anyone?"
"You're awfully chipper this morning." Wesley smiled.
"Faith, you didn't--" Angel told her.
"I got yours with that touch of cinnamon." Faith winked
evilly at
her brother. "speaking of, I'm going out to San Fran next
week with
some friends, so I'll have to have the week off. You don't mind,
do
you?"
"Friends we know?" Cordelia asked sweetly as she hugged her
fiancée.
"Actually, yeah, Some." Faith shrugged at the
brunette. "Harmony
decided to come last minute, B already took the week off, `cuz we
planned this, like, two months ago. It's a girl thing. I
would
invite you, Cor, but you probably have a ton of things to do,
impending wedding and all."
"Actually, no." Cordelia shook her head. "I
already took care of
all the wedding plans. I'd love to come with."
"Peachy." Faith forced a smile when she realized she was
backed into
a corner.
"Great!" Cordelia giggled happily.
"Hi." Gunn mumbled as he entered.
"Hi, baby." Faith hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.
"Didn't hear you come in last night." Gunn replied, hanging
his
jacket on the coat rack.
"I got in late." Faith admitted. "I was talking
to Buffy for a
while. She wanted me to stay in town til morning, but I was
insistent that I come back."
"What about?" Gunn asked.
"Girly stuff." Faith lied. "She's fine,
Charles. A real trooper.
I mean, she's trying to move on."
"Good." Gunn nodded. "How is Harmony?"
"Um, she's fine." Faith told him. "They're both
fine. Angel, can I
talk to you in private for a second?"
"Sure." Angel nodded as they walked into his office.
"What is it,
Faith?"
"I ran into Xander when I was in the `Dale, Angel…" Faith
remarked. "He told me some stuff…about Cordelia."
"Okay?" Angel scoffed at his sister's attitude. "Like
what?"
"Cordelia's been harboring feelings for you since she had been
dating Xander." Faith told him reluctantly. "I mean,
technically….It makes sense now, doesn't it? She gets `pregnant'
and convinces you to marry her. Thereby, keeping you bound to
her
and apart from Buffy. I know how seriously you take the concept
of
marriage, brother. God, I don't know why I didn't realize it
earlier."
"That's enough, Faith!" Angel bellowed. "For one
thing, Xander
hates Cordy, you know that. Why would you believe his
lies?"
"Angel, we've both known Xander all our lives. You never
once hated
him until he started crushing on Buffy. How can you say that
about
him? You guys used to be best friends?" Faith snapped back.
"The
point is, I know him and I trust him. I don't trust Cordelia.
Hell,
I never even trusted her, not even when we were little kids. You
want to know why? She hurt my best friends. That's
something I can
never forgive."
"You're out of line, Faith." Angel told her.
"Cordy and I don't
need this."
"God, are you actually giving me this `self righteous'
speech?!"
Faith demanded. "Don't you see what she's done to you?
She's
turning you against everyone, including me, your own sister….Fine,
if you wanna shack up with that two faced bitch in the other room,
you can. I'll be damned if I'm going to be a part of this
farce. I
quit."
"Faith!" Angel yelled as she walked out of the hotel.
"Dammit!"
"What happened?" Cordelia asked Angel as he came out of his
office. "Is everything all right, honey?"
"No. It was Faith. She said some stuff, and I got
angry. Sibling
disagreement." Angel lied, not wanting to reveal the details of
their conversation.
"What kind of stuff?" Fred inquired. "She looked
pretty mad."
"Doesn't matter." Angel mumbled.
"Of course it matters." Gunn argued. "What the
Hell did you say to
her, O'Connor? I know my girlfriend. She doesn't get upset
easily. What did you say to her?"
"You wanna know, Gunn?" Angel fumed. "She ran her
mouth off about
Cordelia and I told her to back off. That's it. Faith will
get
over it."
"Right." Wesley rolled his eyes.
"Stay out of it, Pryce." Angel warned his friend, defending
himself.
"Don't tell Wesley what to do!" Fred screamed.
"God, you're so
wrapped up in Cordelia that you could give a shit less what happens
to the rest of us. I can't believe this!"
"Hey. I'm in the room here." Cordelia yelled and turned to
Angel. "I'm going to go, Angel. I'll talk to you
later."
Cordelia grabbed her purse and exits the hotel. Angel turns back
to
the rest of the group, anger etched on his face.
"Look, I'm sick of arguing with you guys about this." Angel
told
them. "If you can't all learn to accept Cordelia as my
wife, which
she is going to be, may I remind you….then I think you should all
leave."
"I'm out." Gunn raised him arms up immediately in
defeat. "You
know, the day you see Cordelia for the evil bitch that she really
is, I hope it'll eat you up. You sure deserve it for picking
that
wench over my best friend. I hope she kicks your ass to the
curb."
"Goodbye, Angel." Fred hugged him. "I really hope
you find what
you're looking for. I'm sorry, but I can't stay either."
"Wes? Got something to say?" Angel turned to his best
friend.
"Good luck." he muttered and left.
The three walked out of the hotel together. They found Faith
crying
on the curb across the street.
"What are you guys doing?" she asked them.
"We quit today." Wesley commented. "We
trust you, Faith. I hope
you know that."
"Thanks." Faith nodded and sighed. "Now that
we're all out of jobs,
I suppose we can all hit the unemployment line together."
"Perhaps…" Gunn nodded. "Or, we could start up
our own business. We
got the resources, the experience. I think we'd manage
okay."
"What are you saying?" Fred asked.
"'Summers Detective Agency'." Gunn replied. "It
has a nice ring to
it. How bout it?"
"I suppose you're right." Faith chuckled. "All right,
I'm in. I
mean, what have we got to lose, right?"
"Us too." Wes motioned for him and Fred. "We have
nothing to lose."
"Good…We'll be okay." Gunn assured Faith.
"We will." Faith agreed. "I like the name."
"Me too." Wesley smiled. "We have a lot of work
cut out for us,
now."
"We'll manage, though." Fred spoke. "We should
all get some rest.
Got big days ahead of us now."
"Night, then." Gunn said, hugging the other couple.
"Take care,
guys."
"Night." Wes hugged Faith. "You call me if you
need anything at
all, all right, Faith?"
"I promise I will." Faith nodded.
The two couples took off in two separate directions, all eagerly
awaiting to show their potential and see what was going to be in
store for them,
T.B.C.
Seem no cliffhanger. Ash begged me (when I first wrote this) not
to
make a cliffhanger, so alas, I complied. Hope you're all liking
the
story. I meant to play the B/S romance differently in chapter 3,
but I felt the chemistry just wasn't there in this fic. Also, I
want to thank everyone who's sent me feedback. I know this fic was
shelved because I couldn't find these chapters. I'm back now and
this fic is going to continue. Chapter 5 is going to be about
the
new office, and an old friend makes a visit. *G*.
Chapter 5: Let Me Believe
Recap: For those of you just joining the fic, here's what's been
happening over the course of it. Angel found out Cordy was
pregnant
and decided to marry her. Buffy found out about it and is trying
to
move on with her life…supposedly. Faith believes Cordelia is
manipulating Angel and confronted him about it, resulting in her
quitting Angel Investigations. Gunn, Wes, and Fred quit also
because Angel gave them an ultimatum. The four have decided to
start up their own agency called `Summers Detective Agency'….
~Three Months Later~
"Anybody home?" Buffy Summers asked as she walked into the
detective
agency of her namesake.
"B!" Faith hugged her best friend. "Oh my God! I
didn't know you
were in town. What are you doing here?"
"Came to see the office." Buffy told her and glanced
around. "It's
nice. Very small and cozy. I like it…a lot,
actually."
"It's good to see you." Wesley smiled and hugged her as
well. "How
are you doing?"
"Ironically good." Buffy shrugged. "Got the
invitation yesterday
and didn't cry for an hour. Not too brave."
"I'm sorry." Faith apologized. "I know it doesn't
mean much, but…"
"It means a lot that you care." Buffy admitted.
"It still hurts,
even after all this time. I mean, I cried, and then I just…
stopped. He's really going to go through with it, Faith. I
want
Angel to be happy, and it seems he's happiest with Cordelia
Chase.
Who would have thought?"
"So, that's it?" Gunn asked her. "You're giving
up. Just like that?"
"I guess so, Charles." Buffy sighed. "I love
Angel, always will.
He showed me how to feel something inside me that I never thought I
could feel. He taught me so many things, and his happiness means
everything to me. What's that line? If you truly love
someone,
you'll let them go."
"My god." Gunn cursed silently. "I can't believe
this."
"What can I say, I had an epiphany of sorts." Buffy
chuckled. "Enough with the gloomy faces, already.
`Sides, I'm
going to need a job now that I sold the house in Sunnydale. I
was
thinking of moving here."
"What about the gallery?" Faith questioned.
"I still own it, but Willow's running it now." Buffy
explained. "She jumped at the chance, anyway. Always
the artistic
one."
"So, you need a job…" Fred repeated, smiling ecstatically
and held
out her hand. "Welcome aboard, Miss Summers."
"We've got major shopping to do." Faith interrupted.
"And then,
we've got to mind you an apartment, accessories, furniture, a
boyfriend."
"Slow down, girl." Buffy shook Faith by the shoulders.
"One major
crisis at a time. God, I haven't witnessed you being this
excited
since Senior Year."
"Well, we had many events going on then." Faith reminded
her.
"You know what? I think we should take the rest of the day
off."
Gunn suggested. "You girls go do whatever it is you usually
do, and
then later, we all go out and party."
"That's a great idea." Wes agreed. "Gunn and I
will meet you girls
later at the Bronze."
"The Bronze?" Buffy remarked.
"Yeah, they expanded." Faith explained.
"Cool, we'll go in my car." Buffy offered.
"Faith, Fred, we have
some serious shopping to do. Let's go."
"'Kay." Faith grabbed her jacket and kissed Gunn lightly on
the
lips. "Later, boys."
The three girls exited the Summers Detective Agency. Unbeknownst
to
them, a figure was watching them, waiting for the right time to make
their move.
T.B.C.
It's a crappy way to end a chappie, but I was about to get a severe
case of writer's block, ya know? So now, I must stop. Here's the
deal-o with chapter 6. The girls go shopping, and run into a
former
high school pal. The pal is not *cough* Whore-delia *cough*.
A/N: I'll try to make this chappie a little long, but I don't know
how long. Hope you guys enjoy….
Chapter 6: Confessions
~Los Angeles City Mall-1:22 pm~
"This mall is huge! So much bigger than what's in the Dale!"
Buffy
exclaimed. "I'm so glad I moved here."
"You haven't even seen the inside yet." Faith laughed.
"Come on."
She drags Buffy and Fred into numerous stores where the three try on
different outfits. The trio are on their way to Neiman Marcus
when
Faith bumps into somebody accidentally.
"Oh my god, Amy?!" Faith screamed when she saw the person
that she
bumped into. "What are you doing here?"
"Umm, shopping. I was supposed to meet Cordelia here over
an hour
ago." Amy smiled sadly at Buffy. "Hi, Buffy. How
are you doing?"
"I'm just peachy." Buffy shrugged. "I didn't know
you and Whor--
Cordelia--were friends."
"We're not really." Amy explained. "She asked me
and Anya Jenkins
to be in her wedding party. Kind of forced us into it,
actually.
I'm so sorry to hear about you and Angel…"
"Don't be." Buffy told her. "Angel and I had
broken up long before
that."
"Yeah, but he still loves you. Any normal Joe can see
that." Amy
said, recalling past memories of the two ex lovers. "I
just--He
doesn't need to marry her just `cuz she got pregnant. I mean, if
that was the issue, why didn't he just marry you Senior Year?"
Buffy chose that moment to give her the You-Better-Get-The-Hell-Out-
Of-Here-Before-I-Fucking-Kill-You look. Amy quickly said her
goodbyes and walked off in search of Cordelia once more.
"You were…my brother….Senior Year?!" Faith
hyperventilated. "Oh…my…
fucking…God…."
"Faith, calm down." Buffy advised her.
"Calm down?!" Faith growled at her. "Buffy, I'm
your best friend
and you didn't even tell me. So, what the Hell happened
then?"
"I lost it." Buffy sighed. "I lost the
baby. During the car
accident I had the following July after Graduation…Angel came to see
me then. We'd broken up already. He'd wanted to get married, I
didn't. So, when I lost the baby, he was heartbroken.
Couldn't
even stand to look at me. I haven't seen him since that
day."
"I had no idea." Faith cried as she hugged her best
friend. "No
wonder why Angel wants to marry Cordelia now. It's so
obvious."
"Hey, look." Buffy wiped her eyes. "It doesn't
matter anymore, all
right? I will never forget my little boy, but I have to move
forward."
"A little boy." Faith took a minute to process the
information. "What would you have named him?"
"Michael O'Connor." Buffy sobbed. "Now look, we
have to quit
talking now. You're ruining my whole tough chick
faēade. The three
of us have shopping to do. We shouldn't be getting all weepy."
"I know. You're right." Faith nodded.
"Fred, why are you just
standing there? Come on."
"Sorry." Fred apologized. "Didn't want to
interrupt your girl
bonding moment."
"Please do." Buffy encouraged her. "You're our
friend too. I know
we didn't meet until college but there's no reason why you should
feel left out."
"Okay." Fred agreed and nodded.
"Now…" Buffy smiled. "Let's go get those shoes,
okay?"
The trio laughed. They walked off to Neiman Marcus in search of
their final purchases. No one had any idea that nothing would be
the same after the night was over. No idea whatsoever.
T.B.C.
I must be getting writer's block really easily block `cuz I feel
like my chappies are getting pretty crappy right now. Okay, for
those of you who are anxiously awaiting the B/A meeting, never fear!
Next chapter, the two meet at the Bronze. I hope that fact alone
holds all you B/A'ers over until I post chapter 7.
A/N: Since this is the major B/A cry fest chapter, I am going to try
and make it longer than all the other chapters. I may even try
to
add in some smut, but NO PROMISES!! Hope you all enjoy it and I'm
sorry in advance for the GWA (Gut-Wrenching Angst) you are about to
go through…..
A/N 2: The song is called "Beautiful" by
Joydrop. Not all of the
song lyrics are listed in the chapter. If you want
the song, I
can messenger it to you from MSN. Email me for more details.
Thanks to Angie, Sobad, Calista, Nicole, Marchelle, Lea, Torey, and
Kristian for their feedback. Sorry if I missed anyone.
Thanks to
everyone!
Chapter 7: Destructive Release
~The Bronze- 11:28 pm~
"It looks just like the one back in the `Dale." Faith
noted. "It's
almost like being home. Kind of cozy."
"I like it." Fred gleamed.
"You think this is cool, Fred?" Buffy asked. "You
should have seen
the Bronze in the `Dale right after a win on game night. Packed
house, the Dingoes playing, no cover charge. It was…Well, it was
something to be seen."
"So, I've heard." Fred admitted. "I'm going to
get a drink. Anyone
want?"
"Nah." Buffy shook her head in disagreement.
"Maybe later."
"Faith and I'll just have a couple of beers." Gunn answered,
putting
his arm around Faith.
"You wish." Faith scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"Shot of vodka for
me, thanks."
"I'll go with you." Wes told Fred.
Faith, Gunn, and Buffy sat down in the lounge area. The three
converse about work, trends, etc. Meanwhile, Fred is chatting to
Wesley up at the bar.
"We should find Buffy a guy." Fred blurted out.
"Fred, no." Wesley said as he paid the bartender.
"We're not going
to set Buffy up. Just let her find a guy on her own, okay? Blind
dates always go badly and somehow the matchmaker is always blamed
for the mishap."
"But--" Fred objected.
"Just trust me." Wesley glanced at the entrance of the
club. "Oh
fuck. What the Hell are they doing here?"
"What?" Fred looked in the same direction as Wesley.
"Angel. Why
is he here with Cordelia? We've got to tell Buffy."
"Or get her out of here, preferably without being seen." Wes
whispered. "Here. Take the drinks over to the
gang. I'll distract
Angel and Cordelia while you get Buffy out of here."
"All right." Fred walked over to the trio waiting in the
lounge. "Hey guys."
"Thanks." Faith eyed Angel as Fred handed her the shot she
ordered. "Buffy, let's h8it the dance floor. It's
been a while and
I want to check out the new digs. What do ya say?"
"Okay, sure." Buffy agreed reluctantly.
Faith grabbed Buffy's wrist and dragged her out to the dance
floor.
Fred lets out a long sigh as she sunk into the armchair.
"What's that all about?" Gunn inquired.
"Angel and Cordelia are here." Fred explained to him.
"Now, we just
have to keep Buffy from seeing Angel, or vice versa."
"I agree." Gunn shrugged. "But you know Faith and
Buffy. They
always tend to attract attention whenever they're dancing. In
fact,
that's how Buffy and Angel got together. Did Angel ever tell you
that?"
"No." Fred shook her head and glanced back at Wesley.
"Oh no."
"What?" Gunn asked.
"Angel's gone." Fred assessed the situation. "And
it looks like
Wesley and Cordelia are arguing once more."
"We'd better…" Gunn pointed in their direction.
"Yeah." Fred nodded as they walked over to Wesley and
Cordelia.
//If I was beautiful like you
Oh, the things I would do//
"Where's Angel?" Gunn demanded.
"I don't know!" Cordelia spat, turning away from
Wesley. "He said
he was going to go and get a drink but that was eons ago."
//Those not so blessed would be crying out murder
And I'd just laugh and get away with it too
Like you do//
"Oh my God." Fred smiled. *He's still in love with
her.*
*That bitch.* Cordelia thought. *I'll never let her win.*
//If I was beautiful like you
I would never be at fault//
Angel watched intently from the balcony. His Buffy was dancing
seductively next to Faith.
//I'd walk in rain between the raindrops
Bringing traffic to a hault//
"Here we go again." Gunn mumbled to Wesley.
//But that would never be
That would never never be//
When the trio turned back to look at Cordelia, she had vanished.
"Oh no." Wesley exclaimed.
//'Cause I'm not beautiful like you
I'm beautiful like me
I'm beautiful like me//
"I think we should get Buffy and get out of here." Fred
interrupted
the silence. "Because if Buffy and Cordelia see each other…"
"Disaster waiting to happen. You're right." Gunn
agreed. "Look,
he's gone."
"Please tell me he didn't--" Gunn sighed.
//If I was beautiful like you
I'd be quick to assume//
The trio pushed their way through the crowded dance floor to find
Faith dancing alone, not even noticing that Buffy wasn't there.
Gunn grabbed Faith by the wrist and led her away.
//They'd do anything to please me
Why not?
I see their reaction when you walk into the room//
"Where's Buffy?" Wesley asked.
"Bathroom, I think..." Faith said, out of breath.
"Why?"
"Angel's missing." Fred added. "Do the
math."
//But that would never be
That would never never be//
"Crap." Faith muttered.
"No argument here." Gunn replied.
//'Cause I'm not beautiful like you
I'm beautiful like me
I'm beautiful like me//
"Fred and I will check the bathroom." Faith suggested.
"Gunn and I will check the alley and the top floor." Wes
remarked.
The four split up, going in their preferred destinations.
Cordelia
watched the four leave and smirked.
//If I was beautiful like you
I'd have so many friends//
"Buffy?" Faith yelled as she checked all the bathroom
stalls. "She's not here, Fred."
"Look." Fred noticed a photograph of Buffy, Angel, Gunn and
Faith
when they were in high school and bent down to pick it up.
"This is-
-was--Buffy's. Why would she leave it here?"
"She wouldn't." Faith shook her head. "Buffy has
always been very
thorough, no matter what we doing or where we were at. Let's go
find Wesley and Gunn, see if they had any luck."
//All fighting for my time to be next in line
So if I hurt one I wouldn't have to make amends//
Fred and Faith found their boyfriends out in the alley, looking for
clues.
"Find anything?" Faith asked.
"Not a trace." Gunn shook his head. "You
guys?"
"Found this." Faith handed the pic to Wesley.
"Buffy always kept
that picture in her wallet. Someone took her."
"And maybe Angel as well." Wesley suggested.
"He's still missing."
"What about Cordelia?" Fred asked. "Could she
have done this?"
"No. I watched her get into a cab and heard her saying to
drive her
home. It's not her." Gunn shook his head.
"Who else could it be?" Fred asked.
It suddenly hit Faith. There was only one person who had ever
wanted to be Buffy…and she knew just where to look.
"I got it!" Faith's eyes went wide. "I know
exactly who took Buffy."
***
Buffy felt like her whole head was pounding. Last thing she
remembered, she was fixing her hair in the bathroom when someone
knocked her out from behind.
"Where am I?" she asked aloud and tried to move.
"Oh."
"Does it hurt yet?" a voice called to her.
"Who's there?" Buffy asked, not recognizing said voice.
"Don't you recognize me, Buffy? I'm so shocked you wouldn't
remember
me, but then again, how could you? Always off in your own little
land of Buffonia to give a single thought to the people that
matter. It doesn't matter now, though. I'm already
getting my
revenge." the voice yelled.
"O-kay. Who is this?" Buffy asked. "I don't
know why you think I
did something to you, but whatever it was, I'm truly sorry for
it."
"You can't be sorry if you don't know what it's for." the
voice
raged on. "You lose, Buffy."
"Who the fuck are you?" Buffy yelled.
"Can't believe you don't recognize me." the voice said,
stepping out
of the shadows. "After all, I am your best friend."
"Willow." Buffy gasped and then slipped back into
unconsciousness.
T.B.C.
Cliffhanger, yay! Are ya mad because I made Willow a crazy
mental
case?! Deal with it! Even the innocent can turn schitzo….And
this
fic isn't even close to being over…In fact, I think it is just
beginning….
Also, if you want more of this fic, please review…I plan on starting
my challenge fic, courtesy of Kris and Marchelle, and work on this
at the same time….That way, double the fic! Yay!
Dedication: This chappie is for Jemma, because I promised her that if she posted the last chappie of Baby, I would post this soon after. And thanks to everyone who's sent feedback for this! Chapter 8: Truth Hurts "Wake up!" Willow slapped Buffy across the face. "Don't poop out on me now dammit. The fun hasn't even started yet." "Why?" Buffy muttered. "Willow, we've been friends forever." "Why?" Willow scoffed. "No, we haven't, Buffy. Up until the time Angel O'Connor came into the big picture, we haven't been friends at all. You've been too caught up in your former boy toy to give a single thought to the people that matter. Did you ever think about how I would feel? No, of course you didn't. You're so self absorbed, Buffy. It's pathetic." "You're one to talk, Willow." Buffy spit out. "You had to tie me up to beat me. What does that constitute? You're a thundering loony. Angel's going to find me, you know. He always does. And just wait until the authorities get a hold of you. It's the perfect crime. An honor student goes schitzo because she's jealous of her best friend. They're going to put you away for life." "Angel won't save you." Willow gleamed. "Let's just say….that he's out of the picture." "What the fuck did you do to him?" Buffy snapped. "It's not what I did." Willow told her. "See, if he and you hadn't been so hot and heavy all those years, this never would have happened. The truth is that Angel is preoccupied when it comes to you. If he had spent less time with you, and more time with Cordelia who is totally hung up on him, it wouldn't have come to this." "So, you are working with Cordelia?" Buffy asked. "I knew she was up to no good." "What, you think I drummed this up all on my own?" Willow laughed. "No. Not even I could. Cordelia came to me with the perfect proposition. She gets pregnant, Angel marries her, thereby getting you out of the picture." "And what? You swoop in like the brave knight and rescue me?" Buffy laughed. "You actually believe that I would choose you over Angel?" "You did before." Willow explained. "Then those little fucking friends of yours had to fuck up the plan." "By what? Letting me know that the love of my life was having a kid that wasn't mine?" Buffy asked. "You're sick, Willow. You need help." "I'm perfectly sane, I assure you." Willow shook her head. "You're so confused right now. It's understandable. I'll make it better, Buffy. I'll make you understand. I can make you love me." "I don't swing that way, Willow." Buffy told her. "You know that. I won't ever love you the way you want me to. I'm sorry." "Then you'll die." Willow produced a gun and pointed it at her head. "Let's go over it one more time. Think you can love me?" *** "Wake up, sweetie." A voice called to Angel. "Cordelia?" Angel groaned. "What happened?" "Silly Angel. I kidnapped you." Cordelia cackled. "Where's Buffy?" he asked. "She's occupied at the moment." Cordelia shrugged. "Don't worry about it." "What the hell did you do to her?" he growled. "I left her in trusting hands." Cordelia nodded. "What are you doing, Cordy?" Angel asked her. "I thought things were good between us now. I'm committed to you and our child. So, what's with the bondage?" "You are just so dense, you know that?" Cordelia scoffed. "I mean, always worrying about your precious Buffy. God, and I tried my hardest to make you forget her, but nothing *fucking* works. All you had to do was love me, Angel." "I don't." Angel admitted. "I can never love you, Cordelia. I thought I've made that perfectly clear from the beginning. I don't love you, not the way you'd like." "Why? Because I'm not your precious Buffy?!" Cordelia shrieked. "I'm better for you than her, Angel. I know that you can love me more than you ever loved her, if you'd just give me the chance. I can make you love me." "That's not possible." Angel grunted. "I will never love you, Cordelia Chase." "Is that your final answer?" Cordelia asked, as she pointed the gun to Angel's forehead. "Yes." Angel gulped. One final shot rang out. T.B.C. Ooh, got your attention now, don't I? Ha ha. I'm SO evil. Please send feedback if you want more. Go
Back to Sarah’s Page: www.geocities.com/colixxcakes58/SarahFanfiction