By Goddess Isa
SUMMARY: Now that Angel's human, is he too weak to help?
SPOILER: IWRY, naturally, and my story Blissful Existence
FEEDBACK: Please, I'd hate to have to Slay for it. =P
RATING: TV-PG
DISCLAIMER: Joss is an idiot, but he did give us Buffy and Angel so I suppose I can't hate EVERYTHING about him. Wait, wait, he gave us Riley, Parker, Kate and Jheira. Yeah, I can hate everything about him. Ignore everything. He does own them though, and I don't. Damn.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Blissful Existence was set in late February, and this story takes place in the middle of March.
"Try punching the bag, Angel." Giles said calmly. "Don't just shrug it."
The former vampire took another swing at the bag and then knelt down, holding his right hand with his left and wincing in pain.
"Perhaps we should take a break." Giles tossed him an ice pack. "I think it would be best if we had a chat anyway."
Angel sat down with the Watcher on his black leather couch and sighed. "I just can't do it anymore, Giles. I've got nothing."
He nodded patiently.
"Xander's fighting better than I am."
Giles hated to admit it but it was true. "You just need--"
"Steroids." he joked. "I'm no help to her whatsoever anymore. I'm so afraid that--"
"Angel, you mustn't worry about her. Think of everything she's been through over the past years. I truly believe there is nothing she can't conquer by this point. If it weren't for their old-country ways I'm sure she'd apply to join the Council."
"Buffy and organization don't get along," Angel said with a laugh.
"How true," Giles agreed. "Did she tell you she wishes to drop out of school after the wedding?"
He nodded. "I told her not to, but she says she has her reasons."
"I don't know what could be more important than her education." Giles said. "I don't blame you for her immaturity, just so you know."
"Thanks, I think."
"Willow and Xander may be partially to blame though. Xander shows no plans to ever have a future beyond delivering for Pizza Hut and Willow has let her studies fall by the wayside as of late."
"Still no word from Oz?" he asked.
"It isn't just that. The loss of Xander to Anya has hit her quite hard, and I think she was just starting to like that Graham fellow when the whole thing went down."
"Buffy still hasn't told me much about that," Angel said, wanting Giles to tell him every detail.
"She will, I imagine, in time." Giles sipped his water. "Have you decided where you will live?"
"She wants to stay in LA. With Faith deprogrammed, I don't see any reason for Buffy to be in Sunnydale besides you and her mother. I've left it up to her, so I guess it's Los Angeles."
"You'll still run the agency?" Giles asked.
Angel nodded. "I hope we can keep it running. I know Buffy will do a lot for the vampire population of LA, it's really been on the rise lately."
"I'll miss her terribly, but I'm glad." Giles said. "She needs to move on from here."
"Why do you say that?" Angel knew but he just had to hear the words come from Giles' mouth.
The Watcher snorted, knowing Angel would enjoy every minute of this. "For almost a year, I've watched her tread miserably through life as though everything were fine when it was quite obvious that nothing was. You make her happy, create a safe place for her. I think new scenery will do her even more good. Staying in Sunnydale....she's served her time here and I'm happy to see her get out of it."
"Thank you," Angel said sincerely.
"Thank you," Giles countered.
Angel followed Buffy and Anya on patrol, not doing much besides watching. He was still rusty on all the minor things Giles and he had been practicing, and it wasn't like there was much activity. In three hours, they'd killed only one vamp, and Anya had done it on accident with an eye pencil she was drawing on her arm with.
When the night ended and Xander had swung by to pick up Anya, Buffy turned to Angel and said, "Are you holding back? 'Cause I--"
"I have to tell you something." he led her to a park bench and they sat down and talked the way they had so many nights when they were first dating.
"I haven't been able to do anything," he admitted. "I'm weak and I'm--"
Buffy's eyes widened. "Angel, lookout!"
Angel turned around in time to see a vampire punch him. He went down and Buffy stood, kicking the male vamp where it counted just to throw him back for a few seconds.
Angel flipped back up and took a stake from his pocket, driving it into the vampire's heart. He jumped back as he turned to dust and smiled at Buffy. "I did it!"
"I knew you weren't burned out." she kissed him happily. "See? All you needed was some faith in yourself."
"Or to be scared shitless," he admitted. "So, let's talk about this wedding."
"What do you wanna know?" she asked innocently.
"How much is it gonna cost me?"
The End
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