Forever, Always, and Then Some

Chapter 132

 

Two days later

Buffy settles Caitlin into her crib. She stands looking down and smiling. Her eyes move to Angel as he walk in.

Angel: They asleep?

Buffy: Uh huh.

Angel: The sun has set. You want to take a walk?

Buffy: Sure. Let me get dressed.

She slips through the door into their room and slips on her snow pants and a thick sweater. She walks into the living room and gets her warm dry boots from the hearth. Angel helps her slip them on. He hands her down jacket to her. She slips it on and pulls her cap and gloves from the pocket.

Buffy: Will, the kids are asleep. Just call if they wake up.

Willow: Go enjoy.

Angel opens the door. Buffy stands on the porch and slips on her hat and gloves, before taking his hand. They walk across the yard and down along the tree line.

Buffy: With the fresh snow, it doesn’t even look like we have been here.

Angel: I know. It is beautiful out here.

They continue to walk in silence for awhile. Both remembering another walk in the snow many years ago.

Buffy: I love you.

Angel stops and pulls her into his arms. He lowers his lips to hers and kisses her softly. She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him closer. Their mouths merge as one well rehearsed unit. Buffy finally pulls back and gulps in the cold air.

Angle: I love you too.

He takes her hand again and they begin walking through the trees.

Buffy: Would you want to live here?

Angel: No. The twenty hours of sun in the summer would be suicide. Besides no sewer tunnels.

Buffy: I guess so. So we have a house here in the winter and another at the south pole the rest of the year.

Angel: No thanks. I like my Buffy less frozen.

Buffy: Would be a bit chilly, huh?

Angel: A bit.

They continue in silence.

Buffy: Besides you would hate the constant snowball fight defeats.

Angel: I have lost twice. Just two times.

Buffy: That’s right. But that was two out of two.

He calmly reaches up and grabs the snow laden branch above her head and yanks it. As the snow crashes onto her, he takes off through the trees. She screams his name and takes off after him. As she rounds a large Spruce, he tackles her from behind. His body pins her to the ground.

Buffy wriggles to get leverage. His hands capture her wrist and stretches them up and pins them above her head. He crosses them and allows her to roll onto her back.

Buffy: This is cold.

Angel: Complaining.

Buffy: No.

Angel lowers his mouth to hers and his tongue plunders her warm palette. He releases her hands and rolls them over. She lays across his chest as their lips and tongues tango relentlessly. He pulls her closer and his lips travel from her mouth to her jaw and nuzzles in the warmth of her neck and collar. She whimpers in need as she grips his neck tightly.

Buffy: Baby, stop. Please. I want you.

Angel pulls back and looks into her lust filled eyes and smiles.

Angel: Want me?

Buffy: I want you naked and buried deep inside me.

He groans and nods.

Angel: Me too.

Buffy: But we can’t.

He releases her and she raises to her knees.

Buffy: Oh shit.

Angel: What?

Buffy: Something big is coming this way.

Angel leaps up and spins around. His nocturnal sight stares at the approaching figure.

Angel: It’s Skip.

Buffy: Skip?

They move toward the advancing demon.

Buffy: What is he doing here?

Angel: I have no idea.

Buffy: I hope it is a present and he is not sending you on an extended mission.

Angel: Skip.

Skip: Angel. Buffy.

Buffy: I hope you don’t plan on sending Angel somewhere.

Skip: Right to the point I see.

Buffy: Well.

Skip: No. I am not here to send Angel anywhere.

Buffy: Thank heavens.

Skip: I came for you.

Buffy: Me?

Skip: We need your help.

Angel: She can’t. I’ll go.

Skip: Can’t work that way. You won’t be able to pass through the gateway.

Angel: She has a newborn baby.

Skip: Who has a father to take care of her. It shouldn’t take but a couple days.

Buffy: To do what?

Skip: Rescue someone who has been transported to a parallel dimension.

Buffy: A hell dimension?

Skip: Not really. Just not ours.

Angel: Why can’t I just do this.

Skip: You’re a demon. There are wards against demons there.

Buffy: So who is this person I am suppose to rescue.

Skip: I don’t know. All I was told was to find you and send you to Ming Smente'na.

Angel: You are going to have to give us more than that.

Skip: I don’t have much more. Just that this human is very important to our cause.

Buffy: So what do I do?

Skip: You go there find the guy and bring him back here. Basic rescue mission.

Buffy: And the dangers?

Skip: No demons but I am not sure about the animals there.

Buffy: No humans?

Skip: No.

Buffy: Well how do I get there?

Angel: More importantly, how does she get back once she finds this person.

Skip: I have the Kori crystals they will allow you access to Ming Smente'na. And will allow you back out.

Buffy: Great. Magic. Just not my forte.

Skip: I thought you liked when I bring you crystals.

Angel: Let’s go back to the house.

Skip: We need to do this soon.

Angel: We understand. We just have children to consider.

Skip follows them in.

Willow: Oh my goodness. What is he doing here?

Buffy: Needs me to rescue a guy. Hey how did he get to maggie smuty anyway?

Skip: Ming Smente'na. I am not sure.

Buffy: Well I better pack a few things.

Dawn: What about Christmas?

Buffy: I will be back. It shouldn’t take me that long.

Angel: What about Caitlin?

Buffy: She will have to drink what ever I have stocked in the fridge and if I am not back, use the formula.

Willow: And what about you?

Buffy: I will just express until I get back.

Skip: Not necessary. The effects on the body are greatly reduced there.

Buffy: Meaning?

Skip: You body functions will be one hundred times slower.

Buffy: What?

Angel: He is saying that when it takes two hours for you to need to nurse, will take 200 hours there. Right?

Skip: Exactly. And if you are there one hundred days, you will have only aged one.

Anya: I like that kind of place.

Cordy: Imagine slowing the aging process by a hundred times.

Anya: Could make a fortune.

Cordy: Would require moving there.

Anya: Might not be so bad. Buffy can tell us what it is like when she gets back. Right Buffy?

Everyone looks at the two women in disbelief.

Cordy: What?

Buffy: So I guess I can go days without eating?

Skip: Yes.

Buffy: Well how should I dress?

Skip: Temperatures run 60-80.

Buffy: Fine.

She turns and heads to change. Angel follows on her heels.

Angel: Buffy?

Buffy: Don’t. I have to do this. It is what I do. You know that?

Angel: I know. I just want you not to worry about the children. We will be okay.

Buffy turns toward him as she enters their room.

Buffy: Please don’t.

Angel: What?

Buffy: Don’t be okay.

Angel: Huh?

Buffy: I don’t need you to be okay. I need you to fail miserably.

Angel smirks.

Buffy: I mean it.

She begins stripping off her warm clothes. She stands in her under wear digging through a drawer.

Angel: Buffy, I just meant don’t worry about us and take care of yourself.

She tugs on her jeans.

Buffy: I know. I just hate the idea I can be replaced.

Angel pulls her into his arms.

Angel: Baby, no one could ever replace you.

Buffy kisses him and turns to grab a t-shirt from another drawer. She tugs it over her head.

Buffy: But if you can handle everything without me then I am replaceable.

She runs a brush through her hair and secures it with a scrunchie.

Angel: Buffy.

Buffy: I know. I am being ridiculous.

She shoves her feet in her tennis shoes.

Buffy: Ready.

Angel: You sure.

Buffy: Let me get this done and get back for Christmas. I will not miss Christmas.

She grabs a light jacket from the closet and heads out the door and into the living room. He reaches out and grabs her arm twirling her to face him. Before she can speak he captures her mouth with his. His sensual assault leaves her mildly shaken as he releases her.

Buffy: Uh.

Angel: More when you get home.

He wraps his arm around her waist and walks back to Skip.

Skip: Ready?

Buffy: Yes. Tell me what to do.

Skip: We need to go outside.

The group follows Skip out the door. They stand on the porch and Skip, Buffy and Angel walk into the yard. Angel holds her close under his coat as Skip explains how to use the Kori crystals.

Skip: What ever you do don’t lose them.

Buffy: I won’t.

Angel kisses her softly and backs away. He and Skip join the others as Buffy touches the two crystals above her head then slowly brings her arms down to her sides. She turns slowly and a large bubble encloses her. It shimmers and disappears with Buffy.

Dawn: Oh my God.

Angel turns and enters the house. He silently moves down the hall. After checking the babies he lies on his bed staring at the ceiling. Cordy walks in and looks at him.

Angel: What?

Cordy: She’ll be okay.

Angel: I know.

Cordy: She will be back before you know it.

He rolls on his side putting his back to her.

Cordy: Are you going to be like this until she gets back?

Angel: Cor, I have two babies in the next room that I have to take care of. And I was thinking that sleeping when they do might be a wise idea.

Cordy: Oh. But we can all help.

Angel: I know, but I want to do this. I want to be their father. I want to do it. Me.

Cordy: No help?

When he does not answer, she quietly leaves.

 

 

Ming Smente'na

The silver bubble pops and Buffy stands looking around. She glances up at the pink sky and down to the purple grass.

Buffy: Looks like someone got their crayons mixed up.

She moves forward to a cluster of trees. She reaches out and touches the odd blue bark before moving into their protective coverage. Hearing a noise, she crouches down low. She peers over a low bush as a small troop of short furry creatures venture past. A small animal resembling a pig is hung from poles perched on their shoulders. They move past her and she cautiously stands.

Buffy: I am suddenly thinking I have landed in the land of the Ewoks.

Hearing another noise approaching she drops back down. She watches intently for the source of the approaching foot steps. The noise stops and she turns to move. A sharp pole comes careening through the bush at her. She dodges it and grabs the end. Twisting it up and away, she dislodges it from the attackers grip. Buffy spins and lands a foot to the offenders jaw. She leaps onto the path and shoves her foot down on the chest. Her eyes look down into petrified blue orbs.

 

 

© 2005 Tara