Make it Fly
by Starla
E-MAIL: fuzzylittlepackrat@hotmail.com  
RATING: PG
DISCLAIMER: Joss Whedon owns em.
AUTHOR’S NOTES: Distribution: Yeah, if you really want it. Spoilers: IWRY & Pangs Feedback: Yes Please!
SUMMARY: What if the Oracles hadn’t granted Angel’s vampirism in ‘I Will Remember You’?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"You are wrong. He is not a lower being." The female Oracle stated, eyeing Angel. "This one is willing to sacrifice every drop of human happiness and love he has ever known in order to save another. He is truly a warrior."

She blinked at Angel. "We cannot do what you ask of us."

Angel's eyes widened. "But you just said-"

"The Powers have intervened." The male cut in, obviously unhappy with the situation.

"You have a human soul, and the heart of a warrior." The female told Angel. "Your situation was brought to the attention of the Powers That Be, and they are pleased with what they see."

"What...So I stay as I am? I'm of no help to anyone!"

"True. What good is the heart of a Warrior without the strength to make it fly?" The female smiled almost warmly at Angel. She held up a hand, positioning it on his forehead. A faint glow began to surround her fingers, washing Angel's forehead with violet light.

"A gift from the Powers the Be." She explained. "Stay strong, Warrior. There is much in store for you and your love."

"Together, you are strong." The male said, studying Angel.

"Fight as one and all will be well." The female Oracle told him, and moments later he found himself again standing with Doyle in the Gateway for Lost Souls.

"Well? What happened?" Doyle asked. "You're still human."

Angel nodded. "I'm a Warrior again..." He rotated his arms, looking down at his hands. "I have my strength back...."

"So I guess this means I'm stuck with the visions, eh?"

*

"I'm going to kill him." Buffy muttered, pacing back and forth across Angel's apartment. When she had gotten out of the shower, he had been gone.

Vanished without a trace.

And in her expert opinion, he shouldn't have been out and about with the injuries he'd sustained the night before.

She frowned in worry, crossing and uncrossing her arms, picking up a magazine, flicking through it, only to put it down seconds later.

She was almost at the point of insanity when a hand tapped her on the shoulder.

She jumped, spinning around, arms in position for a fight.

"If you hit me, I'll hit back." Cordelia warned.

"You shouldn't sneak up on me when I'm pacing." Buffy shrugged.

Cordelia walked over to Angel's couch and sat down, smoothing out her skirt. "You and I are gonna have a little chat."

Buffy paused a moment before sitting across from Cordelia. "About?"

"What do you *think* about? Angel. God!"

"What about Angel?" Buffy replied, warily remembering Cordelia's outburst from the night before.

"Doyle brought it to my attention that I may have been less than fair in my assessment of this situation." Cordelia admitted, not meeting Buffy's eyes. "I know that you love Angel, Buffy."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "You've just worked this out now?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Of Course not, God! I'm not dense!"

Buffy grinned. "Well, Cordelia, let me remind you that when I first told you that Angel was a vampire , you thought-"

"Ok, Ok. Sometimes, I can be a little dense."

Buffy was surprised to see that Cordelia was blushing slightly.

"Anyway, my point is, that I love him too."

Buffy stared at her for a moment, not sure how to handle this little piece of information.

Cordelia stared back at her, and then realized what Buffy thought she meant.

"Oh, not like that! In a friend friend way. Like you love Xander, or Oz."

"Well, not Oz so much at the moment, but ok." Buffy replied after a moment.

"I don't want to see him get hurt, Buffy. I don't want to se him hole himself up in this dark apartment and brood for hours on end because you two have had another one of your frequent little drama's."

"You mean 'little dramas' like him losing his soul or me having to *kill him*." Buffy asked, a little amusement in her voice.

"Exactly." Cordelia replied. "He's my friend. He's helped me so much since I've been here, and...."

"And what, Cordy?" Buffy asked, sensing a new insecurity in the other girl.

Cordy raised her eyes and looked directly at Buffy, the brown globes shining with unshed tears. "I don't want you to turn him against me." She whispered.

So that was it.

Buffy bit her bottom lip. "Cordy, I know things haven't always been rosy between you and I..."

"Oh, you mean cos you hate me?"

"I don't hate you, Cor. We just...clash...a little sometimes."

"Clash?" Cordelia asked. "Is that *supposed* to be a complete understatement?"

Buffy snickered. "Cor, You're not gonna believe me, I guess, but I like you."

Cordelia glanced at her doubtfully. "I don't like be lied to, Buffy."

"God, Cordy, when did you get so insecure?"

Cordelia did a double-take. "Me? Insecure?"

"Yes! I sometimes find your complete lack of tact amusing, but I don't not like you! Jeez. Sometimes I'm just a teeny, weenie little bit jealous of you, and sometimes I want to just curl up and die because of something you've said to me, but-"

"Wait, go back a few steps. Jealous? Of me?" Cordelia, for once in her life was at a loss for words.

"Yeah. Cordy, when we went to school, everyone knew who you were, and it wasn't because everyone thought you were a felon."

Cordelia let out a little laugh at the last part.

"And you always look perfect. Do you have any idea how irritating that is?"

Buffy never thought she'd be sitting there, pumping up the ego of Cordelia Chase of all people, but for some reason, this new version of Cordy left her unsettled.

She hadn't been lying earlier when she said that she was jealous of Cordelia. Or when she said she liked her.

To tell the truth, occasionally she wished she could harness Cordelia's attitude;

To just tell Xander that he was being selfish;

To just let Willow know that she wasn't the only one who was lonely;

To walk up to Parker and tell him exactly how lousy a lover he was.

But she couldn't. They were her friends (well, except for Parker...) and she loved them. She didn't want to hurt them.

Cordelia watched Buffy, her fears somewhat put to rest.

Lately, she had been feeling increasingly insecure, and just talking to Buffy had made her feel a little better.

Strange how much her opinion mattered to Cordelia.

Why was that?

Why did the opinion of a girl she always pretended not to like matter?

Because she respected Buffy.

Unlike her friends, the ones that she would be seen in public with, Cordelia thought rather highly of Buffy.

She had an inner power that many women went on about, yet it was as if it didn't really matter all that much to her.

She didn't strive to reach a level of charisma, she just acquired it naturally, carried it around like it had been part of her all her life.

Cordelia wished she was like that.

"Ok, so we gonna call a truce?" Buffy asked, half-smiling over at her.

Slowly, Cordelia nodded. "For Angel's sake." She added in a hurry.

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Right. Angel's sake."

They shared a secret smile.

*

The pair were still chatting away when Angel walked back into his apartment 45 minutes later.

Immediately, they both jumped form their positions on his couch, crossing their arms and glaring at him.

"Where the hell have you been?" They cried in unison.

Angel blinked when confronted by the angry pair.

"Uh...Out?"

"I was worried!" Buffy frowned.

"I went to see the Oracles." Angel admitted.

Buffy froze. "Why?" She whispered.

Cordelia narrowed her eyes. "Did you do something stupid, Angel?"

He averted his eyes from their worried gazes.

"I nearly did." He said.

"What?" Buffy asked, frantic. "What happened?"

"I'm still human." He promised.

Buffy let out a breath she'd been holding, and flung her arms around him.

"I'm also a Warrior." He elaborated.

She pulled back and looked into his eyes.

"Huh?" Cordelia asked, confused.

"They gave him his strength back..." Buffy said when realization set in. She smiled. "Cool."

"So I'm not out of a job?" Cordelia inquired hopefully.

Angel frowned. "Who said you were gonna be out of one?"

Cordelia shrugged. "I kinda assumed..."

Angel shook his head. "You're gonna get a holiday, probably."

Cordelia grinned. "Fully paid?"

Angel chuckled. "Yeah, ok."

"I'm not complaining." She smiled. "I'm just gonna go...find Doyle."

Buffy turned to Angel, running her hand down his chest. "You were gonna ask them to turn you back, weren't you?"

He bit his lip and nodded. "I-"

"I don't wanna know." Buffy said, holding up a hand.

Angel stood there, terrified, until Buffy's soft lips twitched into a smile.

She leaned her forehead against his. "I'm glad it didn't work out for you."

"Me too."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

Their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss.

A kiss that conveyed every single emotion they felt at that moment.

A kiss that lasted until Angel pulled away for breath.

He smiled at her. "It feels nice to be out of breath."

She grinned. "It's something you'll be feeling a lot." She promised. "Believe me."

"I'll hold you to that." He murmured, leaning in and kissing her again

*

Buffy crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently. She glanced around the darkened park.

Angel was bordering on late.

Ok, so he still had about 5 minutes til he was officially tardy, but she didn't care.

A twig snapped behind her, and she turned, hand resting on the stake tucked in her waistband.

She knew it wasn't a vampire, or Angel, cause she couldn't feel them, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

She almost groaned when she saw Riley.

She had seen him out here at night before, and had tried to wean him off the habit, but obviously to no avail.

"Hey Buffy, what are you doing out here?" Riley asked, shoving back his shaggy fringe.

Buffy smiled thinly. "Meeting a friend."

"It's dangerous out here. You shouldn't be out here alone."

"I can take care of myself." She replied, an amused note reaching her voice.

Riley stared at her for a moment. "Mind if I keep you company?"

Buffy felt slightly uneasy at this point. You didn't have to be an Einstein to work out that Riley had a crush on her, and she didn't quite know how to bring up the subject of Angel with him.

Maybe it would be easier if he saw him for himself.

"Ok." She said after a moments careful contemplation. "How was your Thanksgiving?"

"Short." He laughed, shaking his head. "It was good to see my family again. How was yours?"

Buffy's face lit up in grin as she remembered the lazy days spent in Angel's apartment.

"The best." She said dreamily.

"Your dinner went well?"

"Not really." She replied.

He looked at her quizzically.

"I went to LA and spent a few days with friends." She explained. "I'd missed them, it was good to catch up."

"You just left Willow alone here?" Riley asked, slightly surprised.

Buffy glanced at him. "Actually, I left her in the rather capable hands of Xander and Giles."

"Who?"

"Xander- I've mentioned him, he's our best buddy."

"And Giles?"

"The librarian from our old high school. He's our group father- figure." Buffy glanced at him. "We're all sorta lacking in that department."

They were both silent for a few seconds, until Buffy felt hands slide around her waist.

"Angel!" She squealed, covering his hands with her own. "You're late."

He kissed her on the cheek, giving her a small smile. "Sorry. I was playing my part in counseling Willow."

She nodded, confirming her forgiveness, before her eyes went wide. "Counseling? Willow? Why?"

"You haven't seen her yet, huh?" Angel asked. Buffy shook her head. "She got a letter from Oz."

Buffy closed her eyes. "Uh-oh."

Angel nodded. "Pretty much. She's gone non-verbal. Showed up at the mansion in tears."

"And you just left her there?" Buffy asked. It wasn't a very Angel thing to do.

He snorted. "My home has been infested." He replied. "Xander, Anya, Cordelia, Giles, Doyle and *Spike* are all there trying to comfort her."

Buffy's head shot up and a small smile played across her lips.

"Spike?"

"It was a unique experience." Angel grinned.

Riley cleared his throat, seeing that the two people had clearly forgotten about him.

Frankly, he'd only just gotten the power of speech back.

Willow obviously knew about this guy.

Why didn't she tell him?

"Oh, right. Riley, this is Angel my boyfriend, and Angel this is Riley. He's the TA in my Psyche class."

"Riley. Right. Willow mentioned you." Angel said, smiling and nodding. "Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine." Riley replied, plastering a fake smile to his lips. "So Buffy...How did you meet Angel?"

"I kicked him in the head." She replied, and the couple shared a small smile.

Riley wanted to be sick. This was one of the most awkward conversations he'd ever been in. Still, if they weren't serious...

"You really like giving people concussions, huh?" Riley asked.

Buffy stared at him blankly for a moment. "Oh! Right!" She grinned at Angel. "I dropped a big ol' Psyche book on his head."

Riley nodded and laughed.

Angel smirked, picturing the stupid kid with a big bump on his head.

"And you know Willow, too?" Riley asked.

"I know everyone. Anya's a strange one though...." Angel scrunched his forehead up. "She introduced some mental pictures that I never want repeated."

"Anya?" Riley asked. Damn. This guy was in with Buffy's friends. Damn. Damn. Damn.

"Don't ask." Buffy said wisely.

"Cordelia is insisting that we not discuss high school." Angel grinned. "She knows we'll all bring up the times she was a bitch."

"There was a time when she wasn't a bitch?"

Riley's eyes widened. "You went to high school together?" Oh noo, no, no, no!

To his surprise, both Buffy and Angel burst out laughing.

Angel was the first to regain his composure. "I'm just a tad older than Buffy." He told Riley.

Riley felt like a complete tool. (maybe cos he was one) Of Course the guy was older. He was in his late twenties at least.

This sent Buffy into giggles again, though Riley had no idea why.

After a moment, she caught her breath, and looked around as if she hadn't just had a laughing fit.

"Angel was around when I was in High School." Buffy informed him. "He lurked."

Riley's mind filled with visions of stalkerly behavior. He frowned, about to comment, when he realized that Buffy was talking.

"Anyway, we'd better get back to the mansion if Willow's having a mental breakdown." She said. "C'mon, honey. I'll see you in

class Riley."

With that, they walked away, Arm in arm, completely oblivious to Riley staring after them in shock and despair.

Graham and Forrest appeared behind him

Forrest was unsuccessfully hiding a smirk. "I think you're out of the running, man."

Graham gave a small nod, showing his agreement.

Riley glared at them. "I don't know what you're talking about. He's just a good friend. Her cousin in fact."

Forrest was staring at the couple not far from where they stood. "I don't know about in Iowa, but here in California, we don't do that with our cousins."

Riley swiveled his head to see Buffy and Angel locked in a passionate kiss, Angel's hands running through Buffy's blonde hair.

"Oh just kill me now." Riley muttered, ignoring the laughter erupting from his men.

*

Buffy stretched up, kissing Angel softly behind the ear, nuzzling the soft skin.

Angel moaned in his sleep, his hands searching out for her warm body.

She ducked away, stifling a laugh.

A look of utter irritation settled onto his face, making him resemble a spoilt child who hasn't gotten his way.

It was adorable.

He grumbled slightly, reaching out for her again, though she was quite sure that he was asleep.

She let him slip his arms around her waist and pull her close, let him bury his head in her shoulder, felt him whisper her name against her neck....

She sighed happily, bringing a hand to the back of his neck and kissing his head softly.

It was so nice to lie here with him, in a warm bed, the house safe and secure around her.

To not have to worry what the others would think, as they were so glad to have the old Buffy back that they didn't care that Angel had to come along for the ride.

To not have to worry that she was going to wake up to a crispy critter because she had forgotten to shut the blinds.

To not have to worry about his soul....

Her mind drifted back to the night of her 17th birthday, remembered his cool touch against her warm flesh, his soft kisses along her collar bone...

They had been so innocent then. They had no idea of the tragedy which would follow their every move from that point on.

What was that saying? It's always darkest before the dawn.

Buffy smiled, knowing that in this case, it was true.

They had been through so much.

Their hesitancy when he first returned from hell;

The fear of simple contact, as contact led to touching, and touching led to kissing, and when they kissed, it was like the world melted away and all thoughts of self control were forgotten.

The tension that surrounded them all wherever Angel was concerned, the tension that sometimes made Buffy want to go insane and scream at her friends for not being able to distinguish Angel from Angelus.

The whole Faith debacle, and the small amount of trust that had leaked away for a moment. The mistrust flowed from Buffy's own insecurities, stemming from the fact that she could no longer really claim Angel as her own;

Could no longer be sure that he *wanted* to be claimed.

By her, anyway.

It was all better now.

She was no longer unsure that he wanted her; She could feel his love in the formerly forbidden touch, could see it in his eyes.

The tension had, while not completely dissipated, had cleared some with that termination of his demon; Her friends found it easier to accept that Angel was not at all responsible for his actions now that it was sure not to happen again.

And well...the fear of contact, really wasn't an issue.

She smiled happily, secure in the knowledge that she could touch him all she wanted, without having to worry that she was going to cross that hazy line.

She tightened her arm around his waist, leaning down and kissing his shoulder, placing several feather light kisses along his collar bone.

His eyes fluttered open, and he smiled lazily.

"I love you." She murmured as she saw that smile, the one that made her heart skip a beat...or two.

He smiled. "That's a very good thing to hear when I first wake up." He told her, lifting his hand and tracing the outline of her lip.

She bit the tip of his finger softly.

"I love you too." He said after a moment.

She grinned. "You're right. It's a good thing to hear."

She crawled out of bed. "C'mon."

"Where are we going?" He asked suspiciously, slowly sitting up.

She grinned. "It's a surprise."

His eyes sparkled. "A surprise huh?" He stood from the bed, dressed only in his boxers. She smiled at the sight.

"Yep. You'll like it."

He shrugged, letting her take his hand and pull him into the Great Hall of the mansion.

The blinds were up, and sunlight flooded the room as they walked through it.

She pushed him into the dining hall, indicating for him to sit down.

"I wanted to have a perfect Thanksgiving Dinner." She told him. "But you weren't there, so it was a little off." She rolled her eyes. "Plus it was crashed by Native American Warrior Spirits, so the festivities were a little ruined."

"So I thought you and I could have our own little celebration." She lifted the lid from a silver tray in the centre of the table, revealing an assortment of fresh fruits- strawberries, mango, banana, apple, orange, some chocolate- which they had almost been living off, whipped cream, honey on toast, and freshly brewed coffee.

He smiled, taking her hand and kissing it, pulling her onto his lap. "I like the sound of that."

She pulled the tray over, and they ate in almost silence for several minutes before Buffy spoke, twirling a strawberry covered in whipped cream between her fingers thoughtfully.

"Do you remember that movie we saw?" She asked, referring to the Foreign film they had seen together not long before his departure form Sunnydale.

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. We were the only couple in the cinema who *weren't* making out."

"Do you remember the food scene?" She asked wickedly.

A smile spread across his face as she fed him the strawberry. "We have to get you a kimono."

END

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