The White Flag
Part 2
Retreat and Regroup
They decided if Lorne were to go, they’d probably try to send him to the children ward.
Every time, Buffy heard Angel talk to her. She would see him by her side and he would walk with her through journeys of his memories.
She took his hand. “What are we doing here?”
“This was me after you died.”
“Then what?”
“I went home and soon atfer, found out that you were alive.”
“I remember.”
“You won’t remember once its time to wake up.”
“Won’t remember?”
~~~~~~
Angel sat at her side. Today he sat facing neither the door nor her. He wanted to be able to protect her if need be.
He sat today and didn’t talk much. He would whisper things to her or their baby but mostly he thought.
How do you go about killing an invisible demon?
You find the glamor and remove it.
But what if said demon once visible is only the puppet?
Beat him to submission to find the puppeteer.
And if the puppet doesn’t talk?
Kill him, move on and keep a close eye on everyone.
~~~~~~~~~
“You have to fight this Buffy, fight back!
You have to wake up soon!”
She saw her on the couch, and she saw him on the couch… the images didn’t quite meet. Something was wrong, she wasn’t sure what.
“Angel? What’s different?”
“It’s Angelus.”
“Angelus? You mean, you are.. how?”
“No, whoever took you, found a way to bring Angelus through another time. We still don’t know who took you.”
“So question begs, is it Angel or Angelus by my side?”
“Angelus then?”
~~~~~~~~~
Everyone felt something new was going to happen.
Wes, Fred and Gunn had all taken their rounds with Buffy.
Something was different with her today.
Angel and Angelus seemed different today as well.
If the calculations were correct, it was going on her 6th week of being out.
Buffy was just about if not already 6 months along.
She had to wake up soon.
~~~
Buffy did feel different today.
She dreamed of the thing in her nightmares, she dreamed of Angel and Angelus, caught between the two.
She dreamed of so many things.
She realized it was because two different people were talking to her with the same voice.
~~~~~~~
Buffy struggled to wake up. She fought it but couldn’t quite wake up.
Angel was out talking to the doctors. Angelus had come along and sat by her side.
They had called as soon as Gunn had finished his rotation.
“Buffy is on a regular sleep pattern now. She should wake up any day, at any time.
Her brain wave activity is amazing. Buffy should be just fine when she wakes up.
However, these things need to be handled very delicately. You
need to understand, she could relapse. We are hoping for the best.”
Ange shook the doctor’s hand and turned back down the hallway.
No matter what the doc said, Buffy was going to wake up.
~~~~~~~
He let business slide.
Angelus let it slide, Fred, Wes, and Gunn let it slide.
Lorne kept appearances of keeping business going but even he was letting things slide.
Since Lorne was keeping all appearances up, him, Spike and Harmony had gotten drift of who was involved.
Knox… apparently Knox was trying to take out Fred by letting a hell god take over her body,
Gunn didn’t get his upgrade therefore the papers didn’t get pushed through and Knox was pissed.
Spike and Harmony would take turns beating Knox or drinking his blood to get him to talk. They didn’t kill him though.
They knew Angel would want to “talk” to him.
Everyone went back to work.
Everyone that is, except Angel.
Fred, Gunn and Wes stayed out of Angelus’ way as much as possible.
Spike and Harmony let Angelus have some “fun” with Knox but wouldn’t let him kill him.
Knox looked like hell. But no one cared.
Angelus wanted more than anything else at that moment to kill Knox.
He took him to the brink of death and let him beg Angelus to kill him.
In the end, Angelus figured he would get to kill Knox.
Angel wouldn’t.
He’d be busy playing daddy.
~~~~~~~
She was fairly certain she was awake this time.
She looked over and there he sat, Buffy immediately thought of something.
I dreamt that; in my daydream you live on…
Who said that? When? She couldn’t remember right away.
She tried saying his name but started coughing instead.
Angel swiveled around and hurriedly got her some water.
“Sh. Buffy. Don’t try to talk just yet. I’ll get a nurse.”
~~~~
He sat out of the way as the doctors and nurses worked and asked questions for Buffy to answer.
He thought it was ludicrous since she just woke up.
However may be it was best to ask now than later.
They took their leave and he still sat there, staring at her.
“Well?”
The he got up and rushed to her side. He put his arms around and help her sit up.
But she held him and she cried and he held her even tighter.
Angel rubbed her stomach where their unborn daughter lay
and he kissed her forehead, then her lips.
“I love you Buffy.”
He had decided weeks ago that he would ditch the Gaelic language.
Unless Buffy stilled used certain phrases around him, he wouldn’t use it anymore.
“You’ve always been there Angel…”
He quirked his eyebrow “What do you mean Buffy?” He kept stroking her stomach.
Her heart rate was calm and their daughters heart rate was even.
” I mean, our lives have been parallel to one anothers.. I heard you talking about things that happened when we were apart,
saw them in my mind, for years, we have shared alot of things…..” She paused and changed the subject quickly, her mind darting to and fro.
“Angelus told me they’ve found my kidnapper.”
No one had mentioned that to him. Angelus probably thought Buffy couldn’t hear him.
“Is that true?”
“I suppose so. I’ve been with you a lot of the time, they haven’t told me if someone was found or not.
Did he tell you who?”
“Mm, I can’t remember…Angel? When do you think I can leave?”
“Soon Love, soon.”
“Yea baby, it’s me.”
Angelus stayed in the door way, content to see the Slayer awake.
“Angelus.”
“Angel.”
“Guys. I think I want to sleep, but don’t go to far oh kay?”
Angelus stepped forward then and kissed her on top of her head.
“Sure thing Buff.”
Angel kissed her lips. “I’ll be near.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
END Ch 12 part 2.
