Love On A Stormy Night
By Aly Walansky

A piece of fan fiction written by me, based on characters originated by the creators of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer".

Buffy sat in her living room, channel surfing.

"Friday night, and I'm at home alone. Bored AND alone." Click, click, click.

"Stupid TV. Those critics are right - you ARE a idiot box," she said as she turned it off and dropped the remote on the coffee table. She stood up and walked to the book shelf. She ran her finger along the spine of the books.

"Read it, read it, won't read it, read it, read it, AS IF I am going in the vincinity of this one", she thought as she couldn't find anything that interested her.

It was around 11:30 pm and her mom had gone to bed about an hour ago. She heard the sound of distant thunder. She looked around the room, sighed, and walked to the front door. She stepped out onto the porch. A warm September night greeted her - she hugged herself when she felt the mist in the air - a storm was coming. She hated storms.

A delicate breeze caught her hair and she closed her eyes with pleasure. Again, in the distance, she heard the sound of thunder. She walked to the porch railing, placed her hands on the top and closed her eyes, listening to the night.

Another breeze swirled around her, tossing her hair slightly, and she heard thunder again, this time closer than before. She thought to herself, 'What's the rhyme? Something wicked....'

"...this way comes."

Startled, she opened her eyes. It was Angel...HER Angel. She felt her heart beat quicken. Why didn't she hear or sense him?

"You were too enraptured by the night?" he offered.

"Damn it!" she thought and put a block on her thoughts. Angel sensed the block, but just gave her a small smile.

"So, what brings you to my small section of town?" she asked.

"I just started walking, enjoying the night. When I realized which direction I was going, it was too late to turn back."

She sat down on the porch swing and offered him a seat next to her.

He sat down, and as he did, she caught the scent of his cologne. It intoxicated her. "Was it his cologne though - or being so close to him", she wondered.

"Vampires wearing cologne," she thought. "What's next?"

Angel was wearing his usual ensemble, white t-shirt, black jeans, and his worn leather jacket. She herself was wearing a Sunnydale High sweatshirt and shorts. Feeling self-conscience, she now wished she had chosen a more attractive outfit. They sat in the swing for several minutes, lightly swinging, and listening to the storm as it slowly approached. She had her eyes closed again, listening to the wind, when she suddenly opened her eyes. Angel was looking at her. Studying her face.

"What's wrong, Angel?" she asked.

He paused for a moment before answering, unsure of how to put into words what he was thinking.

"Just now, as you sat there, eyes closed, lost in your thoughts, it felt nice that you could relax with me near. It felt almost as if you fully trusted me again."

His eyes clouded with infinite sadness as he spoke.

Likewise, Buffy took a moment to collect her thoughts before answering. After a few seconds she answered quietly, "I never stopped trusting you."

"But you thought I had attacked your mother."

Buffy winced at the memory. "You know, I don't think I ever truly believed you did it. If I had really believed that, you would be dead now. Deader, anyway." Embarrased at her tasteless joke, she looked up at him. She was afraid her thoughtless words would hurt him, but he just smiled, and then a small laugh escaped him.

"Am I that funny?" she asked. "Do you think I am here to amuse you?"

He laughed again.

Buffy couldn't believe her eyes or ears, he was gorgeous when he laughed. She continued, "Am I some jester here to entertain you? Is that it?" she said in her best Joe Pesci ala gangster impersonation.

He laughed again and Buffy smiled at him.

He looked at her and returned her smile. 'It's genuine,' she thought. "Oh, God, I love those eyes..."

A loud clap of thunder and a flash of lightening made her jump.

"Where is your mother tonight?" Angel asked conversationally.

Buffy knew their moment was gone. "It's almost midnight, she's been in bed for ages."

"Oh."

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes.

"Why haven't you asked me yet?" he asked.

"What?" she said, feeling puzzled.

"Why I'm here."

"You said you were just out walking..."

Angel interrupted her. "No, no, no..." he said. "I can't take this anymore."
He stood up and paced the porch.

Buffy stood also. "What's wrong, Angel. You can tell me, you know, you can tell me anything."

"Oh, God," he said. "God help me. I am a vampire in love with a mortal."
Buffy was shocked, but also thrilled at his revelation.

"What's wrong with me?" he looked at her now. She could see that he was shedding blood tears.

"I'm over 200 years old, I have done horrible, evil things that even God Himself could not forgive. And yet, I am worthy of feeling love.....of being loved?" the last was almost a plea to her. At that instant, she could feel his soul, his pain, his anguish.

The rain came down in waves. The storm had arrived.

"Why did I come?" He stepped off the porch and started walking down the sidewalk in the rain.

Buffy, sure of herself and of her feelings, cried,

"Angel, wait!"

He turned back to look at her, drenched.

She rain into the night, through the rain, to him.

"My Angel, my beautiful Angel."

She stroked his cheek with her hand. He closed his eyes and rested his hand on hers.

She placed her other hand on the back of his neck and pulled him to her. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. Looking into his eyes, she realized there was no turning back now.

They kissed, passionately, completely lost in the moment.

The rain kept falling. For what seemed like hours, they just stood there, holding each other. Afraid to let go.

"I'll talk to Giles," she said into his ear, aware that she too was crying. "We have to break your curse. There has to be a way to make you mortal again. You have a soul, a good soul. I can feel it." She placed her hand on his chest, above where his heart should be beating.

"Oh, if it could beat again," she thought.

"If only it could," he answered, reading her thoughts.

She didn't care, she loved him. "Oh, God, how I love him," she thought. He looked deep into her eyes, she knew he had read her thoughts.

"I love you," she said, this time out loud. He kissed her. "Talk to Giles. I'll do anything. ANYTHING." He pulled her close, kissed her lightly on the lips.

"I have to go," he said.

"I know" she answered, not releasing her hold on him.

"Really, I have to."

They started to separate, and he pulled her close for one last kiss before they parted.

"You're wet," he said, looking at her tenderly.

"And you're not?"

He laughed, gave her a parting embrace, and started to leave.

She watched him walk away. "Wait!" she yelled.

He turned around and she ran to him, removed her thumb ring, and placed it in his hand. Closing his hand around the ring and covering it with her own, she said, "I will talk to Giles. Remember tonight - remember me until we see each other again."

She turned and ran back into the house. She stopped with her back resting on the door. Her heart was beating so strong she thought it would burst! She knewhe could probably still read her thoughts. She closed her eyes and thought,

"I love you, Angel. Love won't let us down. We WILL find a way to be together. We have to."

Outside Angel smiled and slipped her ring on his ring finger. "If anyone can end my curse," he thought, "it will be my Buffy." He reflected on their earlier embrace, "my beautiful Buffy."

He walked off into the night, unbothered by the rain, warmed with the knowledge that Buffy loved him and that he loved her. Nothing else mattered.

The End