Title: Once
Author: Dolores
E-mail: Buffydementia@AOL.com

Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Rating: PG-13 (language)
Spoilers: Finales of both shows
Pairing: B/A

Summary:  Buffy is lured into a game of truth or dare

Feedback: Please 

AN: no beta so all mistakes are mine.  This one was written while slacking at work.  Also I didn’t see the finale of Angel so I don’t know what the deal is with the hotel. 

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The former offices of W&H were full of activity as the AI team frantically worked on building an army.  Calling in favors, hiring help.  Angel was to busy trying to convince the person on the opposite end to help to fully enjoy the sun streaming through the windows of his new office.  He had been going none stop since leaving Buffy alone to fight in Sunnydale.  He wasn’t very happy about it but he understood the necessity of a second front.  Angel wouldn’t let himself doubt for one minute that Buffy wouldn’t win, but there was still the fear in the back of his mind that he was going to lose her again to death.  He just lost his son; he didn’t think he could handle losing her too.

 

Hanging up he sat there and allowed himself to think of his love for a moment.  His love?  She still was his love, he might have repressed it for the last couple of years, but seeing her again brought it all back.  He wished he was there now fighting beside her, protecting her.  Angel replayed the meeting in his head over and over.  Did she love Spike, when she was done “baking” would she choose him? 

 

Angel tried to hold on to the small hope she had allowed.  *Angel… I do…sometimes…* Sometimes was something but was it enough.  She might not realize it but she had grown into quite the woman.  And Angel desperately longed to get to know her again.  The kiss they had shared had been full of a passion that never seemed to die.  After years away from her the gentle touch of her lips on his was enough to shake his control.  God he hoped she was okay.

 

Just as he was about to get back to organizing Plan B Gunn strolled into his office, with a big grin on his face.  “Hey Man, if the big group of people downstairs is anything to go by I think we can safely stop preparing for the worst.”

 

Angel felt his heart jump into his throat.  “Buffy!”

 

Before Gunn knew what was happening Angel rushed past him and down the stairs.  Too impatient to wait for the elevator.   Reaching the lobby Angel stopped and stared.  There in the middle of a group of war wary girls stood his beloved.  The relief flooding through his system nearly overwhelmed him.  The need to pick her up and hold her to him forever was almost impossible to resist.  But her little speech about cookies kept him from doing so.  For now he would just settle for basking in the fact that she was alive.

 

Buffy felt “the tingle” in the bottom of her stomach and looked around for him.  There he was standing at the foot of the stairs staring at her.  She smiled slightly.

 

“Angel.”  Greeting him the way she always had and probably always will.

 

“Buffy.” he answered in kind.  “ I knew you’d win.”  He continued as he made his way towards her, smiling.

 

Buffy could feel her heart melt at his smile.  “So do you think we could stay here for a couple of days?”  She asked biting her lip nervously.  “If you have room for all of us.”

 

At her mention of the other people Angel looked at the group.  Teenage girls all wounded of some kind, about 6 of them.  Then there was the Scoobies… he wondered what happened to Xander’s eye.  “Yeah, considering that I have a hotel I think we have enough room.  Let me make some introductions and then we can get everyone patched up and settled in.”

 

 

After everyone was introduced and injuries were seen to Angel had Gunn and Fred take everyone to the hotel to get them settled into rooms.  Seeing as how sunset wasn’t for another hour he was stuck at the office.  Hmmm speaking of sun allergies Angel wondered where Spike was.  He didn’t see him with the group.  A part of him, that he wasn’t proud of, hoped he was dust.

 

Settling back into his chair behind the desk he turned so he could watch the sunset, wishing Buffy was beside him or better yet on his lap watching it with him.

 

 

Buffy was stunned that this was where Angel lived.  As she looked around she realized how little she knew about his life.  It saddened her that they had drifted so far apart.  Seeing him in his life here in LA made her want to forget about being alone for a while and ask him to take her back.  But …the truth…she was afraid.  Afraid to let herself love him again, not that she had ever stopped.  She just didn’t think her heart could handle being broken by him one more time.

 

When she first saw him standing there at the office she wanted to throw herself into his arms and get lost in the comfort she knew they would provide.  Her heart ached at the lost of Spike.  She had loved him in a way, maybe not the way he wanted or needed but in the way she loved all of her friends and his lost hurt.

 

Sighing to herself she followed as Fred led her to her room. 

 

“Here you go, Buffy, this is your room.  Angel’s is next door if you need anything you can just ask him when he gets back.  I’m really glad you are okay and that you beat that First Evil thing.  Angel said you would do it and you did! Also I’m happy to finally meet you.”  Fred babbled as she opened the door to a medium sized room.  “You should be comfortable here.”

 

As Fred continued on with out breathing, Buffy smiled, thinking of how much she reminded her of Willow.  “Thanks Fred, I’m sure it will be fine and it is a pleasure to meet you as well.”

 

Hearing how tired the blond sounded Fred quickly said goodnight and headed off to settle more people into their rooms.  Alone in the room Buffy sat on the bed.  She was tired, she hadn’t slept since the other night when Spike held her and before that she hadn’t slept in who knows how long.  Right now she felt as if she could take Faith’s advice and sleep for a week.  Setting her head down on the pillow her last thought was of Angel and the fact that his room was next door.

 

Wasting no time after sunset Angel headed to his car.  He was anxious to see how the Sunnydale group had settled.  He also wondered what Buffy thought about his hotel, as silly as it was he hoped she was impressed.  It was hard to repress the hope that maybe now that the hellmouth was closed and Buffy was no longer the only active Slayer they would be able to incorporate there lives with one another.  He knew how she felt about being in a relationship but now that she was here he didn’t want to let go…ever.

 

As he walked into the hotel Angel came across a wary Giles.

 

“Hey, Giles, how is everyone settling in?”  He asked softly, still a little uncomfortable around the ex librarian.

 

“As well as can be expected with a bunch of teenaged girls, thank goodness for the bathroom space.  I can tell you, living with a house full of girls and only 2 bathrooms is an experience I can gladly go the rest of my life without experiencing again, thank you very much.” Giles answered as he pulled his glasses of to habitually clean the already immaculate lenses.

 

Smiling at his disgruntlement Angel patted him on the back, “It is good to have you guys here, and I look forward to getting the details of the battle.”

 

“Indeed, indeed however can it wait for a while, I’m afraid that I’m on the verge of collapsing from sheer exhaustion and I’m sure that Buffy would be able to give details of the battle better then I.  From what Fred has said Buffy is settled in her room and hopefully sleeping.”  Giles replied.

 

The tone in Giles voice alerted Angel,  “She hasn’t been sleeping?”

 

Giles answered that with a look and Angel nodded in understanding.  “Well, get some sleep and we’ll talk when you all wake up.”

 

“Very well, goodnight.”

 

As Giles made his way up the stairs Angel lost the battle with himself and called after him,  “Giles…” and waited for the Watcher to pause on the steps.  “Where’s Spike?”

 

Turning Giles meet eyes with the ensouled vampire, “He didn’t make it.”

 

Angel nodded in understanding once more as Giles turned and continued up to bed.

 

Angel stood there and watched him climb up the stairs.   He could feel the life forces of everyone in the hotel, and the power coming off of the girls, but one force, one essence stood out from the rest.  He had missed feeling it, feeling her the way she took over all of his senses and made him tingle, made him feel alive.  Following the call he found himself standing outside the door next to his own room.  Fred had put her next to him. 

 

Angel didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse to have her sleeping this close.  Standing this close to Buffy all of his senses were in tune with her and he could tell that on the other side of the door his love lay sleeping.  Giving in to the urge he silently opened the door; his enhanced vamp eye site taking over let him easily see her form resting curled up on the bed.

 

When he had seen her in Sunnydale he recalled saying something about missing watching her fight.  He missed this more; she looked so beautiful when she slept.  Not wanting to disturb her he crept out of the room as silently as he had entered.  Going into his own room he laid down on his bed and concentrated on the feeling of her, imagining that there wasn’t a wall separating them, instead he pictured her next to him.  He turned on his side as if cradling his love and drifted off to sleep himself.

 

Angel could feel her calling to him as he ran through the dark hall way, if he could only get to the door at the end he knew he would be able to help her.  But the faster he ran the further away the door got.  When he was finally reached the door Angel went to grasp the handle.  Pulling back in pain he looked down at his hand to see how badly burned it was, when he looked up at the door it was at the end of the hall again and he hear her scream.

 

BUFFY!

 

Jerking up in bed Angel took a deep unneeded breath.  It was just a dream he repeated to himself.  Yet part of him felt like he would never get to her, like he had lost her forever, even though he could feel her close by.  Speaking of which, she wasn’t in her room any longer.  Angel wondered where she was and how long he had slept. Getting out of bed Angel quickly changed out of his sleep wrinkled clothes and went in search of Buffy.  He needed to see that she was indeed okay and hope that it would be enough to lift this feeling of despair.

 

Feeling revitalized by her nap Buffy made her way to where she hoped the kitchen was located.  As she passed what she would assume is some kind of living room she heard her name being called by Faith.

 

“B! Yo, B come in here for a sec will ya.” Faith called.  She was sitting on one of the couches with a couple of the new slayers as more girls littered the floor.  Dawn, Andrew and Kennedy where seated on one of the other couches.

 

“What’s up guys, I figured most of you would still be asleep.”  Buffy asked as she made her way into the room.  Looking at these girls and what they had been through she was proud that they had made it.

 

“We’re playing Truth or Dare,” Andrew piped in not wanting to be left out of the conversation.

 

When all Buffy did was raise her eyebrows Dawn grabbed her hand and forced her to sit,

“And you’re joining us,” she said firmly knowing she should be able to get Buffy to play because her sister was still feeling guilt about trying to send her away.

 

Seeing the stubborn look on Dawn’s face Buffy knew there was no way to get out of it but tried anyway, “but…but I’m hungry.” She whined and made a pouty face.

 

Dawn smiled triumphantly and handed her a bowl of popcorn, “Enjoy!” 

 

Sighing in defeat Buffy sat back as the game continued.  As much as she really didn’t want to be playing this game she was glad they felt well enough to have fun.  And now that there was no longer this huge threat hanging over them she could relax and maybe get to know this remarkable young women she now had so much in common with.

 

 

Buffy sat there enjoying the popcorn listening as questions were asked back and forth, dares were issued and laughed at when Kennedy called on her.  “Buffy, truth or dare?”

 

Having seen some of the dares these heathens were capable of she promptly answered, “Truth.” 

 

Disappointed Kennedy thought for a second then asked, “How many times have you made love, Buffy?”

 

Angel walked up to the doorway just in time to here that question, coming to an abrupt stop he fought and lost a quick war with himself on wither or not he wanted to know the answer to that question.  Remaining silent he waited for her answer.

 

The group watched as a far away look took over Buffy’s face and she smiled softly.  “That’s an easy one…” she paused closed her eyes and lost herself in the memory for a moment.  Angel was on pins and needles.

 

 

“Come on Twinkie, we ain’t got all day, “ Faith rushed anxious to know what kind of number Buffy would reveal.

 

“Once.”

 

Silence.

 

“Lair”  “Bullshit” Faith and Dawn called out at the same time.

 

“Please, Buffy, you and Riley where like bunnies, you guys were always having sex.”  Dawn pointed out.

 

“Yeah and from what I heard from Spike, you and him fucked all over Sunnydale.”  Faith said, not believing the blond Slayer for one second.

 

“You guys are both right, yes Riley and I had a lot of sex, and yes I did…fuck… Spike but that wasn’t what she asked now was it?”  She answered feeling her eyes tear a bit “She asked me how many times I’ve made LOVE and the answer is once.  One time.”

 

Angel didn’t know how to take that answer; part of him was elated; she could only be talking about him as far as she knew they had only made love once.  Another part of him was terrified what if it wasn’t him.

 

The room was filled with girls awww-ing as Dawn realized what her sister was talking about.  “The first time?”  Dawn asked.

 

“Of course, and let me say if any of you haven’t or even if you have take my advice and wait until it is love.  That one night 5 years ago means more to me then every other time I’ve ever had sex.  It was everything it is supposed to be.  When it is love it’s perfect and nothing ever comes close.”  Buffy said with a sad look gracing her beautiful face.

 

 Angel felt as if the world had been lifted off his shoulders.  She was talking about him.  He could feel the despair from early evaporate as hope, real hope the kind he hadn’t felt in years took its place.  He knew she still wasn’t ready for a relationship; damn he wasn’t sure he was either but he now knew that when the time came it would be them together and they would make it work this time.  He was sure of this because he had only made love to one woman and she remembered that they had made love, once.

 

 

The End