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Buffy and other characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, et. al and used without permission. No copyright infringement intended & no money earned.
Chas stopped the taxi in front of an old apartment building. Everyone exited the car in silence. They quietly made their way up to Constantine's apartment. Buffy looked around the large single room where large water bottles surrounded the walls. She walked over to the windows and raised the shades, letting light into the drab apartment. Constantine glared at her as he put back on his sunglasses.
She gave him a sweet smile. "You wanted to tell me something when we got here. Well, we're here, so talk."
Pulling out a cigarette, Constantine started to light it when he stopped. He remembered the black nicotine and cancer Lucifer pulled from his lungs. His head shook as if he had to tell himself no, before he returned the killer stick to its pack. The pack returned to its place in his overcoat as he cleared his throat. "You need to know what's happened while you've been gone. Time passes differently in Hell."
"How long?"
"Ten years," he answered quietly.
Buffy didn't say a word as she turned to stare out the window. "Sunnydale, the Hellmouth, what happened to it? Who guards it?"
"It closed when you died," Ether answered.
"Who's the current Slayer? Did another get called when I died? Have you ever heard of a Slayer called Faith?" She asked in a distant voice.
"I'd never heard of a Slayer before yesterday. You're the first one I've ever met. If there's a Hellmouth here, like you said, then shouldn't there be a Slayer here too?" Constantine wasn't sure whom to look at for answers, Ether, Beeman or Buffy.
Scenarios flashed through Buffy's mind, each more chilling than the last. She needed to get to Angel. He would have answers; the least of which being was her family still alive, and if so were they still in Sunnydale? The world seemed to spin too fast under her feet as she tried to comprehend that ten years had passed. Did they still think about her? What about Dawn? Is she happy? Is she alive? Is she…? Her head snapped up, jerking her away from her wandering thought when she heard Constantine yell her name.
"Thought we lost you there for a minute," he said in that deep gravelly voice.
She turned back to face him. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath before she started speaking. "I'd like to find my friends and family. I need to know what's happened to them. Thanks for telling, instead of letting me walk into Angel's and getting the shock of my life. It felt like only a few days had passed there, no more than a week." She shook her head, still in denial, or disbelief. "If ten years have passed here, I wonder how old that makes me." She shrugged after a long pause. "Guess it doesn't matter anymore if you're immortal."
"You're taking this awfully calm." Constantine's eyes narrowed as he watched every move she made. He knew that she wasn't a demon, but John had learned from experience not trust anyone was the best way to stay alive.
"Would you feel better if I threw a tantrum, pulled my hair and screamed? Ooh, I know, I can run tearing down the streets in my nifty little dress here," Buffy deadpanned.
"Uh, J-John, I don't think that B-Buffy's s-sure what to do. She probably just needs some time to take it all in and make some sense of it all," Beeman interjected, giving Buffy a soft smile.
She returned the smile, including Ether and Chas in it as well. Her eyes drifted back to Constantine and the smile melted away. The dark avenger rubbed her the wrong way on so many levels. It was hard to say exactly what it was about him that she didn't like. Whether it was his overall surliness, hard case attitude, or know it all expression, she couldn't decide. Buffy knew that if anyone left them in a room long enough, they would end up killing each other.
Buffy rolled her eyes at the little man's nervousness around his friend. John needed an attitude adjustment. She was afraid if they stayed around each other too much longer, that was exactly what he'd get.
"Listen, if someone could loan me a shirt to wear over my showgirl outfit, I'd be happy to get out of your hair." Her fingers played with the fringed edges of the golden 'dress', unwittingly drawing the male eyes in the room to the exposed expanse of golden legs.
Ether went to the kitchen to grab a large glass of water. Chas' smile grew larger as he openly enjoyed the view. Beeman blushed a red so bright that it was almost purple. Constantine eyed the woman/Power/Slayer before him. He took in her appearance, unsure what to make of her. More than that, he was unsure that he truly wanted an answer to his probing questions. He had a feeling that once a person knew this woman that there was no turning back. She would encompass your life, whether you wanted it or not.
Buffy stood outside the Hyperion Hotel, wearing Constantine's shirt over her 'angel' garb. It swallowed her. The hem hit just above her knees and she had to roll the sleeves up, creating large cuffs that flared out around her slender arms. Despite the outfit, or perhaps because of it, she still appeared ethereal. The sun fed into the golden tresses, seeming to charge them with an inner light, causing a halo effect. Her golden skin drank in the warmth as well.
A soft smile graced her lips as she gazed at the large hotel. It fit Angel perfectly, reminding her of the mansion. He always had good taste. She hoped that he found happiness, well, not too much happiness.
The front doors slammed as a small body rocketed through them, catching everyone's attention. Chas started forward, before moving toward the back of the group. A little boy stopped and came back to stare at Buffy with wide-eyed wonder. His small hand inched closer to her shirt-dress, finally finding the courage to pull on the end. Buffy bent down to his level.
"Are you an angel? We live with an Angel, but he's not real. Well, I means he's real, 'ceptin he's not a real angel, that's just his name." The little boy gave a huge gap-toothed smile. He couldn't be more than five or six, with soft dark curls, and huge eyes that didn't seem to miss much.
She couldn't stop herself from touching those soft curls. The little boy's eyes closed and a euphoric smile shown on his face. "My name's Buffy. What's yours?" she asked softly. He reminded her of someone. She just couldn't place who, but she could swear that she had seen those eyes before.
"Not s'posed to, Mommy said. I can go ask her, be right back."
He ran back inside before Buffy could say a word. She could hear him calling for his mother at the top of his lungs. Stepping closer, she felt the tingle that told her Angel was nearby. She stopped short, causing Constantine to bump into her. Buffy didn't even notice. He stared at her, at first angry, then worried. She seemed lost in a trance. Closing her eyes, she used her heightened senses to draw in deep breath. The air filled with traces of Giles' aftershave, incense and spice that she'd always associated with Tara and Willow, combined with the deep musk that could only belong to Angel. It didn't make sense to Buffy.
"Buffy," Constantine said, shaking her gently. "Are you okay? You looked like you've seen a ghost and we haven't even gone inside, yet."
"Sorry, got lost in thought there for a minute. Let's do this." She gave the four men a bright smile that had them each smiling back without even realizing. Buffy linked her arm through Constantine's, ignoring his raised eyebrow and proceeded into the hotel.
Ether shared a look with Beeman and Chas, then all three quickly followed, not wanting to miss a minute of what promised to be an interesting afternoon.
Angel stopped dead, no pun intended. There, in his lobby, stood Buffy Summers. He shook his head to clear his head. Peering back at the front entry, the woman remained in the same place. He walked further into the lobby, yet couldn't bring himself to draw closer. Angel didn't know whether his reluctance came from a need to deny the woman's existence, or a hope that she would disappear. The woman resembled Buffy, only more so. This golden beauty that still haunted him even ten years after her death had far surpassed mere words for beauty. Radiant, golden, sunshine contained within human skin and hair, while the warmth exuded from her body in a visible aura. She raised her head and he took an unneeded breath, as he got lost in the emerald eyes that glowed with an inner light he had never seen before.
"Buffy." It was his prayer, his mantra, his very reason for living. Angel had accepted her death with the help of his friends and her's. He slowly began to make a life for himself, even met a woman. Now, after ten years, this, this angel in the form of Buffy Summers walked back into his life.
"Angel." She smiled happy to see him, but couldn't help the undeniable wave of jealousy that he didn't look more upset over her death. Buffy noticed the others coming up behind Angel. They had aged, while only she and Angel remained unchanged. She hadn't believed Constantine, not really, when he told her that so much time had passed. Here now before her stood the proof she couldn't deny. Giles' hair had turned completely grey and his face carried additional lines around his eyes and mouth. Tara, no longer the shy witch she remembered, instead an air of power surrounded her. Her eyes strayed to her Willow, except she wasn't hers anymore. Willow's hair was the deep auburn it was in high school, stylishly cut and shaped to accent a mature, beautiful face.
"Uh, hi guys what are you doing here? Where's Dawn?" At the surprise and shock on their face, Buffy thought the worst.
Her emotions running on high intensified her natural glow, until her inner light burst forth along with her wings. Angel tears were one of the most precious, powerful and sacred items to ever fall on this Earth. Above their heads, held on opalescent and gold gossamer wings, floated the newest Power. Her head hung as her heart cried for the sister she died to give life to. Eyes grew wide in awe and mouths gaped.
Gunn grabbed Giles when his knees buckled. Lon ran forward to dance in the golden glow. A single tear fell on him, which caused him to laugh louder when he started floating. Cordy rushed forward to rescue her child. Gunn handed Giles to Wesley, then joined his wife.
Lorne stumbled down the stairs, holding his head as tears coursed down his cheeks. "Please, please, stop," he begged.
Cordy tried to jump up to reach her son, who wiggled away, thinking it was a game. He floated closer to Buffy. The golden glow completely encircled her body. Lon stopped laughing and closed his eyes with a contented smile when Buffy pulled him into her arms. Her wings came forward, hiding them from sight. Large trusting eyes opened to look into sad green ones. A small finger brushed a tear away while a sweet smile forced full pink lips to curve in response.
"I knewed that you was a angel," he told her proudly.
"You did. That must be because you're such a smart little boy. Is it okay to tell me your name now?"
"I forgotted to ask Mommy, but angels aren't strangers, so it's okay. I'm Lon and I'm five years old." He puffed his little chest out.
Buffy swallowed a giggle. "We better go talk to everyone. Guess I kinda forgot and let the cat out of the bag, huh?" He giggled when she tickled him with her wings, before opening them. They floated back down to the lobby floor where they faced Cordelia and a man that had to be Lon's father.
When her feet touched the floor, and she took a calming breath, her wondrous wings disappeared. She tried to put Lon down, but he had other plans. He wrapped his legs and arms around her as if he never intended on letting go.
"Buffy, give me my son, right now," Cordy growled.
"Hello, Cordelia, and how have you been?" A fine golden brow arched. "It doesn't look like this little monkey wants to go anywhere at the moment." She smoothed his curls when he laid his head on her shoulder and sighed happily.
Cordy tried to pull Lon away from Buffy, except the little boy wouldn't cooperate. He literally climbed around until he was clinging onto the former Slayer's back.
"No, mommy, I want to stay with the angel." Lon shook his head at Cordelia, mirroring her own stubborn look.
Gunn tried to step in before his wife went ballistic. "Lon, come here, little man. The nice angel needs to talk to your mom and Uncle Angel."
Lon giggled. "That sounds funny, daddy. He leaned over to whisper in Buffy's ear. "Do you really have to talk to them?"
She smiled at her new friend and protector. "Yes, sweety, I do. You go on back to you parents and I'll see you later. Lon, I want you to remember something for me, promise." He nodded seriously. "If you're ever scared, hurt, or in trouble, just call my name, or close your eyes and think of me, and I'll be there. No matter what, I'll always be watching over you, okay."
He hugged her tightly around the neck, kissing her loudly on the cheek. Buffy pulled him back around to her front, before gently handing him to Cordelia. Cordy snatched him from her only to storm away.
Gunn looked at the golden-haired ex-Slayer, then put his hand out. "I'm Gunn, guess you already met our boy, Lon. You must be Buffy Summers. Why don't you come on in now that the show is over?"
She shook his hand, returning the smile. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure Constantine and the others hadn't left, she sighed in relief to see them. "Is it okay if my friends come in too?"
Gunn noticed the three men for the first time. He grinned when he recognized one, but it quickly faded when he saw Constantine. "Are you sure 'all' of them are friends?"
A golden brow rose in a high arch as the green eyes lit with emerald flames. "Yes." The answer came out as a challenge.
Chas stepped forward to stand on her left while Constantine took the right side. His black eyes watched Gunn with no emotion. Gunn had never felt comfortable around this man. He didn't trust him and never thought that they fought on the same side. Constantine was too cold, too ruthless, to be a true Warrior of the Light.
"Hey, Gunn, how's it hanging man? You seen much action lately?" Chas asked nonchalantly. He gave the bald black man his best grin.
Buffy and Constantine turned to look at the young taxi driver with questioning eyes. Before he could explain, total chaos ensued.
"Chas Clayburg, just what do you think you're doing with that man? How do you know Buffy? How did she get here?" The speaker turned to Buffy, speaking in the same rambling rush of words. "Buffy, is it really you? How do you know my son? How did you get here? Where have you been? Well, I guess, we, uh, know where you were with the, uh, glowing and the halo and the wings, and Buffy, you're beautiful…"
Buffy laughed, putting her fingers on Willow's lips to stop her ramblings. She gathered her best friend in her arms. Willow started to cry as she clung to the small blonde. Until that moment, her mind still didn't believe that her friend had returned.
"Let's sit down and I'll tell you what I know and you can tell me what's happened to you in the last ten years. Like why are you guys living with Angel and what happened to Dawn?" She pulled her best friend over the round couch at the lobby's center.
Angel, Giles and Tara stepped forward, not sure what to say or do. Buffy smiled at them over Willow's head. "Hi, guys. Why don't you take a seat? This could take a while and you might as well be comfortable." She glanced at Angel, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. "Let me introduce you to my friends. I guess you know one of them already," she teased Chas, who took his hat off, twisting it in his hands. "This is John Constantine, Father Hennessy, better known as Ether, Beeman, who I'm told is the smartest man on Earth, and of course, last, but not least, Chas Clayburg." His name clicked in her head. "Chas, who're your parents?"
"Willow and I are, Buffy." Tara stepped closer, sweeping a comforting hand down her wife's back. "We adopted Chas over eight years ago, not long after we married." She turned to open her arms to her son, who happily stepped into the blonde witch's loving embrace.
"You're married. Wow, that's just wow. Congratulations. You're a lucky guy, Chas, having these two for parents." She gulped to fight back the tears that threatened to start again.
"Don't I know it? If my moms hadn't found me and taken me in, I wouldn't be here today." The soft look that came over his face didn't hide the flare of pain that still hid deep in his eyes.
Tara saw it, and grabbed his face forcing him to look at her. "Chas, baby, I told you that you were sent to us. You are the greatest gift we have ever received. The Powers led us to you for a reason, don't you ever forget that. You're important to this world."
"She's right, Chas," Buffy agreed. "Even if Tara couldn't read your aura, it wouldn't matter. What matters is that you're a good man who wants to help. That's important."
He gave her a shy smile that reached his eyes. "Thanks."
"Now that we know who everyone is, I guess I should get on with my story. Unless someone else wants to go first?" she said with a hopeful note, but no one volunteered.
Angel growled when Constantine took a seat next to Buffy, lending his silent support. "You can leave now. I'll take care of Buffy." His flashed amber at the other man, taking a step forward to glare down at him.
Constantine wasn't sure why he didn't leave. He intended to bring Buffy here, ensure here friends accepted her and then leave. Something held him back; an inner voice told him that she needed him, them to stay. Now, the souled vampire felt the need to issue a challenge.
The troubled priest didn't know if he could stop the two men from fighting, but he had to try. Buffy took matters into her own hands before Ether had to worry about interfering. She saw what the two bull-headed men planned, and rather than being the bone that they scrapped over, she simply disappeared. Everyone froze in fear that Buffy's return was a spell that had broken.
She reappeared beside Lorne on the stairs. "Hi, are you okay?"
He jumped with a soft 'eep'. "You sure know how to make an entrance, Angelwings. I'm Lorne." He put out his hand, which Buffy took. "I'm fine, since you stopped with the melancholy. My poor noggin can handle lots, but a sad angel isn't one of 'em. Now, tell ole Lorne what brought on the waterworks."
"I…Dawn…" Buffy couldn't get past the large lump in her throat.
"Why are you sad about our famous little green girl? That little princess is taking New York by storm with her art."
She hugged him, and then kissed him full on the lips. Everyone turned to look up at the stairs at her whoop of joy followed by Lorne's 'oh my'.
"Buffy, what are you doing up there? Why did you disappear and what did you do to Lorne?" Angel's growl echoed through the lobby.
She stood in one, smooth, graceful move. Her feet barely touched the stairs as she descended towards her first love. "Don't speak to me like I'm five, Angel. You and Connie were acting like idiots, so the toy you were fighting over went bye-bye. I didn't do anything to Lorne, except thank him, not that it's any of your business. Now, if you can put away your fangs, I'll tell you and the others where I've been for the last ten years. Is that all right with you, your highness?
Gunn and Wesley burst out laughing, leaning on each other for support. Angel shot them angry look, but kept his mouth shut.
Giles stepped forward, his legs unsteady. Buffy rushed to his side with concern marring her beautiful features. "Are you hurt? What happened?" Her small hands searching for damage, ignoring his protests she scooped him up, laying him tenderly beside Willow.
"It was just the shock of seeing you after so long." He stretched out a withered hand to touch a soft cheek, still afraid that she was an illusion. Tears fell when he felt warm, satin, smooth skin. "My girl, my darling girl, you've come back."
"Yeah, well that's kinda a funny story. Do you want to hear it? You could put it in your diaries and become the most famous Watcher in history." She gave the father of her heart a soft smile. "Everybody might as well get comfortable, this could take some time."
"Wait, no one has eaten. Why don't we make dinner and you can't talk while we eat? Uh, I mean you do eat don't you?" Fred asked as she joined the discussion, wrapping an arm around Wesley's waist.
Wesley gave his brilliant, yet shy wife, a kiss. "Buffy, it's good to see you again. This is my wife Winifred, better known as Fred."
"You're looking well, Wes. It's nice to meet you, Fred. As far as the eating goes, I can't remember the last time that I felt hungry. I wouldn't want to stop you from eating. We might as well be comfortable while I talk. Do you have enough for my friends?" His response of 'yes' was drowned out by Angel's loud 'no'.
Constantine had turned to leave, when he felt a small hand slide into his much larger one. He looked down to see Buffy standing beside him. Her large green eyes pleaded with him to stay; his shoulders sagged as he turned back without a word.
"Come on, Ether, I bet you're hungry." Her other hand slipped into the troubled priest, who kept to the sidelines, ready to step in when needed.
"I should probably get back to the…" He stopped when he saw Buffy's lower lip fall into its signature pout. "Well, I guess I could eat," he answered bewildered.
Giles rose slowly from the sofa. "Don't worry, Father Hennesy, no one can say no to her pout. I have found that it is one of her most lethal weapons."
Buffy giggled, before jumping when she felt a tug on the torn shirt she wore. Turning around, she found a tiny little girl with long, chestnut hair, large blue eyes, and tiny glasses perched on a pert upturned nose. She bent down to get a closer look at the tiny creature. The little girl's delicate frame looked as if a strong wind could blow her away. Intelligence shown brightly from her eyes as questions seemed to lay ready to burst from the tiny rosebud mouth.
"What's heaven like? Is it hard to walk on clouds, and how come you don't fall straight through?" the fairy child asked in a surprisingly adult manner.
Buffy paled, taking in a deep breath. Constantine, Ether, Chas and Beeman surrounded her in a wall of understanding and support. Constantine laid a hand on her shoulder to steady the tremble that started.
Wesley tried to diffuse the situation as best he could. "Thomasina, dear, come here. Buffy doesn't want to answer question at the moment."
"But, father, how am I going to find out? It's not everyday I get to meet an angel." She scrunched her tiny nose, trying to understand the unreasonable demand from her otherwise reasonable father.
"Its okay, Wesley," Buffy said softly. "Thomasina, that's a really big name for such a little girl." She gave the inquisitive little girl a soft smile. "How about we have a nice long talk after I talk to the grown ups? I'll try to answer all your questions, deal?" They shook hands becoming instant friends.
The women bustled around the kitchen, getting dinner ready, while the men sat an extremely large table. It resembled something from Masterpiece Theatre. Giles sat next to Buffy on the catch, patting her hand soothingly.
She cleared her throat. "Lorne told me that Dawn's an artist in New York. That's pretty wow."
His pale eyes gleamed with fatherly pride. "Yes, we're all quite proud of her, although none more so than Spike. Buffy, I owe you an apology concerning Dawn's safety. Spike was the perfect choice. His devotion to her and Joyce-Anne is unshakeable."
Happy to hear that Spike turned into the man she saw hidden behind those blue eyes. "Joyce-Anne?" Her nose scrunched up, wondering if she knew that name and had already forgotten it. She knew she wasn't good with names, but didn't think she would forget a name like that. "Who's Joyce-Anne?"
"She is Dawn's daughter. Joyce-Anne just turned two, and from what Dawn told me, looks exactly like you at that age." He smiled, remembering the last time he saw the precocious child that drew attention wherever she went.
"My Dawnie has a daughter? I've missed so much. Even though it only seemed like a short time, I still can't wrap my head around the fact that ten years have passed here." Her shoulders slumped as the reality started to set in. Perhaps, she shouldn't have come here, everyone had their own lives and she needed to do the same.
Giles watched the emotions play over his Slayer's beautiful face. He had an idea what she was thinking and wished that there was something that he would do to lighten her burden. Unfortunately, her predicament called for a choice, which only Buffy could make. Giles decided that he would merely bask in the knowledge that she was here now, and that everything else was just that, else.
Cordelia tried to keep her mind on putting together a nice dinner. She refused to think the she had already fallen back into the old habit of being jealous of Buffy Summers. It irked her that Lon was head over heels in love with her. Just yesterday, Lon told her that he when he grew up he wanted to marry her. A low growl escaped her lips as she chopped greens for a salad. The others turned to look at her. "What? I'm a little upset. I'm not ashamed to admit it."
"Cordy, it's natural for Lon to have a crush on Buffy. I mean, she is an angel after all." Fred didn't understand her best friend's reaction to the gorgeous blonde.
Tara poured carrots into a large bowl, while Willow put the finishing touches on the roasted chicken. "Cordelia, Buffy will tell us what happened, but I don't think you have anything to be jealous about." She leaned over to kiss Willow, before grabbing two bowls as she started towards the dining room.
Willow stared at Cordelia, her 'resolve face' in full effect. "I love you, Cor. I really do, but if you start in on Buffy we'll have to see if the PTB will protect you from me." She gave the seer a Willow-y smile as she picked up the next platter and followed her wife.
As the extended Fang Gang, along with Buffy and her merry men, sat down to dinner, each person made an effort to keep the conversation light, discussing children, marriages, any subject except Buffy's whereabouts the past ten years. Things went smoothly, which meant something had to occur to rock the proverbial boat.
"Hello," a female voice called out from the lobby, "sorry, I'm late. Got hung up at the station." An attractive brunette with dark blue eyes entered the room and walked straight over to Angel, kissing him on the cheek before taking the chair next to him.
Buffy couldn't stop the soft gasp of shock at seeing Angel with another woman. She knew it was stupid to think that he had mourned for her this entire time. Obviously, after ten years, he was bound to have found someone. She just couldn't get her mind and heart to line up with the calendar. A strong hand squeezed hers under the table. She turned to the right and found herself staring into Constantine's dark eyes. Compassion blazed there and another emotion that was indefinable. They exchanged small smiles that weren't lost on the others watching them.
"Who are these people, Angel?" The woman looked at her boyfriend expectantly, only to find him staring at the pretty blonde across from them. She elbowed him in the side. "Angel."
"Huh, what? Oh, Angela, this is Buffy Summers, John Constantine, Father Hennessy and Beeman. Buffy was going to tell us where she's been for the last ten years, and I'm not really sure why the others are still here."
Angela smiled at the dinner guest, wondering where she'd heard the woman's name before. She frowned at Angel's last comment, turning to him with a question in her eyes at his rudeness. "Angel," she hissed.
"Its okay, Angela was it?" Buffy asked. Angela nodded. "Angel is pouting because he didn't get his way. I'm sure you've seen it before. It's nice to meet you. I'm guessing that you're a police officer. That must be interesting work." She gave the other woman a friendly smile.
"It can be," Angela blushed, wondering what it was about Buffy that made her feel so comfortable; actually, it was more a feeling of safety.
"Can we stop with the chit chat already and get to the story? Lon and Tom are upstairs playing and there's no telling how long that will last," Cordelia said, irritated that another person had joined the Buffy fan club. Willow cleared her throat, waving her fingers at Cordy. The seer paled slightly before she sat up straight in her chair. "All I'm trying to say is that I don't think the children need to hear this story, and I'm not sure how long we can keep them up stairs." She gave everyone a stilted smile.
Willow leaned forward to glance down the table at Buffy. "Cordy's right, Buffy. You have the kids fascinated with you and they will want to be down here with us. If you don't mind, can we hear about where you've been all this time?"
Buffy cleared her throat unsure where to start. "I landed somewhere with only the knife Doc used on Dawn." Her voice droned on with no inflection. She could have been talking about the weather or the latest sale at Macy's. "Luci offered me the moon, or Hell's equivalent, then Connie showed up to tell me I was on the clock. I told Luci that I would only leave if he left the Sanctuary alone and he agreed."
"Yeah, he agreed after you bartered away your place in Heaven," Constantine muttered.
Angel heard him and shot up from his chair. "What do you mean that she gave away her place in heaven?"
"Sit down, Angel," Buffy said softly.
It was a command that the souled vampire obeyed without question. He didn't even realize he had done it, until he felt the chair underneath him. His eyes flashed amber for a moment, before returning to normal.
"This isn't about you and you no longer have a right to go all Vamp Vader over me. It was my choice and I did what I had to do, what I felt was the right thing to do. You weren't there and have no right to judge."
"No right, no right," Angel screamed. "Maybe you've forgotten shoving a sword in me and sending me to Hell, but I haven't."
She flinched as if he had slapped her. Father Hennessy grabbed her other hand since Constantine hadn't release the one he held upon Angela's entrance. "That is your problem, not mine," she said, gathering strength from her new friends. "I wasn't held in the inner circle along with the demons. I landed in the outer limits where the Soldier Demons hunt down anything that moves. You were gone for three months and I was there for ten years. I don't think you have anything to tell me about Hell." Buffy stood up from the table, pulling her hands away from her self-appointed bodyguards. "I promised Thomasina that I would answer some questions." She left the table, before anyone could stop her.
Beeman, who hadn't spoken a single word since arriving at the Hyperion, leveled his magnified eyes at Angel. "Y-you aren't m-much of a friend, are you? D-didn't you listen to what she just told us? B-Buffy is a remarkable person that put others b-before her without a thought for herself. All s-she could think about was seeing her friends again, but if you are an example of a friend, then I think she's better off making new ones." He sat down, crossing his small arms over his chest with a huff.
"Oh, and I suppose that Constantine's little team plans to fill that vacancy," Angel snarled. The Angelus-like tone in his voice had his friends and family staring at him with worry marring their faces. "Buffy's back now and we'll take care of her. You can leave anytime you need to. I know how busy you are, you know fighting, what is it that you fight, Constantine? Oh, yes, real demons, isn't that what you told me?"
"Vampire," Constantine warned, "throw your stones at me all you want. Hands off my friends. I don't care if you don't like me; frankly, you're not my favorite person either. But, and here's the big kicker, it isn't about us. Kick in the pants, huh? Buffy wanted to come and see her friends, which for some strange reason includes you."
Angel started to jump across the table when Constantine slipped his hands into his overcoat. With a lop-sided smirk, two large guns lay on the table with a loud thud, crosses decorated their exterior.
"Might want to rethink that, Vampire."
"Bullets won't kill me, Constantine."
"Not ever if they're blessed by a bishop and filled with holy water?" A dark brow rose in challenge. The large vampire sulked as he took his seat once more. "That's better. Now, this is how it's going to go. We will leave when and if Buffy tells us to, and not a moment before. We promised her that we would be here for her, and that's what we plan to do. If you'll excuse us, we'll wait in the lobby until she's ready." He nodded at Willow and Tara. "Maam, the dinner was great." Constantine quietly stood up and exited the room.
Ether and Beeman followed him without a word. Chas went to join his friends, but Willow grabbed his arm. He gave her a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Mom. You don't understand everything that's happened, and it's not my place to tell you. You always taught me to stand up for what I believe and keep my word. Well, I gave Buffy my word, along with everyone else, and I have to stand by it."
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