Nominated At:
TIMELINE: 7 years after Not Fade Away
CHALLENGE: Buffy Survivor Week One: cheese, bicycles and fireworks.
RATING: K (G)
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He swore he never saw her smile so big before. Looking across their yard he half smiled at the gorgeous way she looked. She of course would say she looked �fat and ugly,� and �Angel, I can�t even see how you can touch me�. He of course thought she was the most stunning thing alive. He always did though. Since the first moment he saw her on the sidewalk chatting away to her friends. He was taken, stunned at the momentum that hit him, instantly in love with the girl that he never had spoken to.
Sometimes he wished that it didn�t take so long for them to come together. It had been years since he had last seen her, as he walked once again deeply into the shadows after her �cookie dough� speech, but instead of him leaving her, it was her leaving him. He thought he would never see her again. Ever. Hell when he didn�t see her, he thought about her all the time. The little leather book on his desk, the blue and pink pen Harmony always used and how could he forget the pink balloon pigs that Lorne had brought once into the office for a party he was throwing. He almost fainted on the spot.
But as he flipped the buggers on the grill and smiled into the sunshine he couldn�t help but think that it was all worth it. Turing evil, her killing him, drinking her, leaving her, the day that wasn�t, fighting with her over faith, staying with her when she needed it the most and having a that one conversation with her that could have been their last. And alias, it wasn�t, thank the heavens. Though when he looks at her smiling face and she turns to face him he knows everything that had happened between them was meant to occur, so he could stand here and watch as she laughed happily with Willow and Xander.
He hears a little wall and he turns and sees Giles holding onto the one and half year old infant. He smiled at the picture, he remembered when Giles held Alex for the first time and there were tears in his eyes, it was on of the most Awwing moments of Angel�s life. Of course he would never admit it.
It�s funny now, when he looks into the sun and sees the rays blinding him. He has never felt so happy before and yet he can�t seem to think that all those other times with Buffy weren�t as happy to. Yes, they differently had there horrible moments but they had there good moments too. Like when they would make out in the cemetery, or just hold hands under the table at the Bronze or�
�ANGEL!� Buffy wailed as she came over, wobbling slightly.
�Yeah?� he asked reaching out to her, but she swatted his hand as she looked at the rusted brown grill with ripe burgers on it.
�Where are the cheeseburgers?� She said turning to place here glare now on her husband.
�You can�t have cheese, sweetheart,� Angel said smiling at her.
�Why the hell not?� She said narrowing her eyes at him and all he could do was smile.
��Cause it�s bad for the baby,� he said as he pulled her closer and rubbed his hand against her stomach.
�Since when?� she said trying to get away from his grip but he just held her closer and rested his forehead on hers.
�Since last time you would throw up non stop,� he said looking down at her green furious eyes.
�Well this time is different,� she said as she took the roll of the cheese on the side of the grill and moving out of his embrace.
He just laughed happily as she put the American cheese on top of some of the burgers. �And what right do you have about talking to me about what�s safe for the baby?�
�Because I�m the father?� he said as he came up behind her.
She turned around in his embrace, �Good fathers don�t buy there unborn child bicycles.�
He smirked down at her, �He�ll have to learn one day.�
�He won�t be able to walk for at least 8 months, let alone ride a bike,� she said with her eyebrows raised, showing her defeat.
�It was too cute to pass up,� Angel said as he shrugged his shoulders and smiled down at her. She rolled her eyes at him and took the spatula and flipped the burgers expertly and smiled up at Angel.
�So when do the fireworks start?� Xander said as he came next to Buffy and Angel, standing near the grill.
Angel glared at him, �What are you ten?�
�Is it so bad to want to know when they start? The fourth of July is known for fireworks, can�t be late for it,� he said, almost sounding smart but Angel knew that Xander had no idea what he was talking about.
�In the night,� Angel said turning around from the brown haired �man�.
�I can�t wait until the fireworks, Angel,� Buffy whispered as she took hold of his hand.
Angel smiled at his wife of five years and replied, �Me neither sweetheart.�
***
As Angel sat in his backyard with Buffy sitting in between his legs, watching all the fireworks popping around the sky he looked down and saw how immersed his wife was in them and he knew, like he didn�t know before, that it was all worth it.
He kissed her forehead and watched as the white, blue and red fireworks flew in the black starry sky.
THE END!!
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©Holding My Hand 2004-2005
