The Trial
by Jenn S.

Buffy awoke from the same dream that she had been having that whole week. At first when she had started having the dreams she hadn’t thought much of them. She had, had dreams about Angel before. More then once as a matter of fact, but there was something different about these dreams. Every night they became more vivid and real then the previous nights dream. They didn’t really feel like dreams. They felt more like memories that had some how been lost. Buffy shook her head convincing herself that it was nothing more then just a simple dream. She had a date with Riley tonight she hoped that would help her get her mind off Angel.

“We have to go to Sunnydale” Cordelia got up from her seat.

“Why, what did you see? Is Buffy ok?” Angel asked frightened.

“I’m not sure. We should leave tonight.”

“Ok well I’ll go pack and tell Wesley then” Angel got up and left the room. Once Angel was gone Cordy picked up the phone and dialed the number she had memorized. “Hello” Willow’s voice came from the other end after the second ring. “Hi Will, we’ll be there tonight. The plan worked.”

“Good, I’ll see you then” Willow said before hanging up the phone. Buffy had tried to hide how much she missed Angel, but Willow had noticed. Sure she had Riley, but she still didn’t seem happy. Willow knew that Angel was miserable without Buffy too, Cordelia had told her. Now she just wanted to help them realize how miserable they were without each other and get them back together.

The door bell rang at the Summer’s house. Buffy ran down the stairs from her bedroom where she had been getting ready for her date. She opened the door for Riley “ Hi Riley” she greeted him with a smile. “Well we better leave or we’ll be late for the movie” she added and followed him out of the door. He opened the passenger side door of his car for her to get in. Then climbed in himself.

The ride to the movie was silent. Buffy stared out the window and tried to stop thinking of Angel and what those dreams she had been having meant. Were they prophecies? Why couldn’t she stop thinking about them? She had Riley now. Who was a normal guy, not to mention pretty cute too.

“Buffy...”

“huh” she asked startled

“We’re here” Buffy looked around and saw swarms of teenagers on dates and with friends flooding into the theater.

“Oh..I’m sorry” she apologized getting out of the car. Riley walked over to Buffy’s side and opened the door for her. He wondered why Buffy had seemed so distant lately. He had thought that everything was going good between them, but recently Buffy had just seemed really out of it. After buying snacks they walked into the noisy theater and sat in the first pair of empty seats they found.

Riley nonchalantly put his arm around Buffy’s shoulder, and they waited for the movie to begin. Buffy tried to pay attention to the movie, but she still couldn’t get Angel off her mind. This had to stop she thought. She couldn’t keep doing this to Riley.

When the movie was over they got up from their seats and headed for the exit. “So that was good, huh?” Riley asked.

“Very good” Buffy lied. The movie probably was good, but she hadn’t seen much of it.

“Well,” Riley asked “Do you want me to take you home or we could go get something to eat?” He honestly hoped she didn’t want to go home yet.

“Um..I’m actually really tired, and I think I better just go home, but thanks.”

“Oh, Ok” Riley replied a little bit disappointed.

Buffy and Riley walked up to her door. “Well I guess I should be going” Riley said after softly kissing Buffy good night.

“Bye Riley” She called after him. After watching him get in his car and drive off she searched through her purse for her keys. Then unlocked the door and smiled when she saw Willow standing there. She had almost forgotten that Willow was spending the night at her house tonight, and had been waiting for her to get back from her date.

“Hey Will” Willow stopped Buffy as she began to walk into the living room.

“Wait...before you go in there, there’s something I need to tell you. Angel, Wesley and Cordelia are here”

“What?” Buffy asked in shock”What do you mean their here?”

“I mean their here. Cordelia had some vision or something and they came. I let them in, I hope your not mad”

“Oh no of course I’m not mad” Buffy said apologetically “Um I have to go do something I’ll be right down” Buffy walked up the stairs to her room. When she got to her room she fell back on her bed and stared up at her ceiling. What am I going to do she kept thinking. She hadn’t seen Angel in a year, and now all of a sudden his was right downstairs. This was all just so strange, and with the dreams that she had been having lately.

She got up, and fixed her hair before going back downstairs where they would be waiting for her. When she got in the living room they were all sitting on the couch talking.

“Hi” everyone turned to look at Buffy who was standing in the doorway.

“Well me, Willow and Wesley were just about to go out somewhere, well bye!” Cordelia said grabbing Wesley out.

“but...” Wesley began to say confused. “Just come and I’ll explain to you later.” Cordelia said under her breath so just he could hear. Willow followed them out the door.

“Well that was just a bit strange” Buffy looked confused.

“Yeah it was” Angel agreed

“I’m getting the feeling that we’re being set up”

All of a sudden Buffy got a weird feeling. The room started to spin and her head started pounding. After a few seconds she started to see something, it was Angel and he was human, and they were together. This time though there was something new. She saw Angel go back to the oracles. He had given up humanity for her. Buffy opened her eyes and saw Angel’s worried face starring at her.

“Buffy...what's wrong?...are you ok?” it was evident in his voice that he was worried, but Buffy didn't answer she just sat there starring at her hands. Everything suddenly made a sort of sense. All of the pieces were coming together now. Everything clicked and she knew that these were much more then just dreams. Angel had been human, but he had given it all up for her.

The only words that Buffy could manage to say was “I remember”

“What..?”Angel looked at her more confused then before.

“I remember”She repeated. The look on his face changed. Suddenly it All hit him, and he understood what she meant.

“But... h-how? You weren’t supposed to remember. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. Oh Buffy I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean for you to find out”

Buffy sat there tears forming in her eyes “So it is true?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yeah” Angel replied barely above a whisper “Buffy I wish that I could of told you, but I thought that it would be easier if you didn’t know. You were never supposed to remember, and I’m so sorry that you had to find out this way. Buffy I want you to know that I love you , and if I thought that there had been any other way-”

“Angel I-I understand why you did it.” Buffy said with tears now running down her face.

“But there's more-”Angel began to say, but Buffy interrupted him.

“Angel- I really just want to be alone right now. I’m sorry, it’s just..”

“I understand, I’ll leave”

Angel went to the only place he could think of....the mansion. Some of his stuff was still there. He paced back in forth in the room deciding on what he should do next. Should I just leave I’ve caused enough pain already he thought. He had meant to tell Buffy the whole truth, but she was overwhelmed enough by everything else. He never expected this to happen this way. He knew that now that Buffy knew this much though that he had to tell her everything. He was going to tell her sometime anyway, he just wished it had to be this.

Buffy sat in her room horrified. How could this be happening? Everything that had happened in the last hour had just felt like a dream. In a way she was mad at Angel for not telling her all of this earlier, but she knew that she couldn’t really blame him. He was just trying to protect her. In a way this news would change everything, but in reality not really change a thing. Why was life so unfair? Why couldn’t her and Angel ever have a chance to be happy. They get one chance and then it’s taken away from them.

Buffy wondered how this information would effect her relationship with Riley. She really liked Riley he was a really good guy, but after knowing this she didn’t know how she could be with him.

Angel was exhausted from the ride to sunnydale. He decided that getting some sleep would help, he could really use it. He had made up his mind that the next day he would go straight to tell Buffy the whole truth. He knew that it would hurt her more, but it had to be done, and the longer he waited to tell her the worse it would be.

Angel woke up and looked at his watch it was noon. He knew that he had to go see Buffy as soon as possible. He got up and changed his clothes then hurried out the door.

When Angel pulled up to Buffy’s house he hesitated. What if she still didn’t want to see him? Well of course after this visit she’ll never want to see me again he thought to himself. He got out of the car and walked up to the door. A few minutes after knocking Buffy came to the door.

She was about to say ‘Hi’ when she processed what she was seeing. It was Angel and he was standing in the sunlight. What was going on? “Oh my god-”

“Buffy, there’s more to the story then I told you yesterday” He walked into the house not waiting for her to invite him in. He paused for a moment. Buffy was speechless. She looked up at him urging him to continue. “I-I’m still human” dreading it after he said it. He took a deep breath. Buffy opened her mouth to say something, but Angel continued “Wait, Buffy let me explain first. When I went to the oracles they said they would make me a vampire again. Somehow though when I got back I was still human, but I had my vampire strength. I don’t know how, but when I found out you were already gone. I tried calling you then, but you weren’t there. Willow was there and she told me you were out with Riley. I didn’t want to ruin whatever you had with him. I was still going to tell you though, Buffy.”

Buffy took a deep breath trying to keep from getting angry. “Angel how could you have kept this from me all this time!” Buffy said her voice shaking.

“Buffy I am so sorry. I know I should have told you, and I was going to tell you. Buffy I love you more then anything, and I just didn’t want to mess up your life again.”

“Why don’t you just leave ok” Buffy yelled getting angrier. Angel figured that he should leave and let her calm down about it all. He got up from his spot and got to the front door. He stood on the porch for a moment deciding how he was going to fix this one.

“Oh, well if it isn’t Angelus” came the familiar voice as the front door closed again. Angel didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.

“What are you doing here Spike?” he asked frustrated.

“I think the question really should be what are you doing here. Did you just come to make the slayer more upset then before? she’s in there crying as we speak” Spike asked with obvious anger towards Angel.

“Of course I didn’t come to hurt Buffy, it’s really none of your business why I’m here, but why the hell are you here?!”

“As your be surprised to know I’m actually helping the little slayer and her friends. It all started when I got that bloody chip in my head. I finally got it removed, but the girl kind of grows on you if ya know what I mean.”

“Yeah well that's great for you.” Angel replied sarcastically and walked to his car.

Spike stood there watching Angel leave. He had really grown to like Buffy, and wanted her to be happy. He knew that she wouldn’t be happy unless she had Angel. As much as he despised Angel he hoped they would get back together.

Angel drove down the street not knowing where he was going he needed time to think. He was so upset about the previous events that had just happened with him and Buffy. How could he have let this happen? Why didn’t he just tell her before now? The only thing he wanted was for Buffy to forgive him, but why should she he thought. The only thing in the world that he had wanted was for Buffy to be happy, and now he had made her miserable again. Why did he keep doing this to her? Angel was so upset about his fight with Buffy that he didn’t even notice the red light that flashed before the train tracks in front of him.

“So what exactly is going on here...” Wesley asked when they were seated at a table. They had decided to get some lunch.

“What do you mean?”Cordelia asked innocently

“You know what I mean. What was yesterday about? You’ve been acting really odd lately.”

“Were trying to fix Buffy and Angel up” Willow said happily with a smile on her face.

“Yeah and how do you expect that to happen?”Wesley said with an amused look on his face.

“All I know is that I’m really getting sick of Angel’s Brooding, and if this doesn’t work I don’t know what will.” After saying the last words her voice became shaky and her head started pounding.

“Is she going to be ok?” A worried man who was sitting behind them asked.

“Yeah she’ll be fine” Wesley reassured the man as he pulled Cordelia out of the restaurant. “What is it?” Wesley asked after they had made it out of the restaurant.

“It’s Angel! He’s in trouble!”

The phone rang again. This time Buffy decided to answer it, even though she really wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone. “Hello” she picked up the phone a little irritated.

“Buffy, it’s Willow. I’m at the hospital right now and...”

“Oh my god, are you ok? What happened” Buffy began to panic

“I’m fine....it’s Angel. He’s been in an accident. Cordy had a vision that he was in trouble, so the first thing we did was call the hospital. He’s unconscious still. Somehow he was driving and and his car got hit by a train...” Before Willow could finish Buffy was out the door.

The ride to the hospital seemed to last forever. All she kept thinking about on the way was how the accident was all her fault, and the last thing she had said to him was leave. She couldn’t imagine living if something had happened to Angel. ~~~ “Why do you think he deserves to live?” The judge asked again “All he has done is cause pain in the girls life.” Doyle stood in front of the judge and paused a moment.

“Angel never meant to hurt her, and if he doesn’t deserve to live I don’t know who does.” Doyle said beginning to get annoyed.

“Do you need me to remind you of everything you have done, Angel?” he asked turning his eyes to stare at Angel.

Buffy was sitting in the chair that was beside Angels bed. A dozen white roses sat on the table next to his bed, but Buffy didn’t notice them. Her eyes were locked on Angel, and nothing mattered except him getting better. When she had arrived the rest of them left to give her some time with Angel. He still was unconscious. The events earlier flashing through her mind. She couldn’t seem to stop thinking about them. About how she had been so harsh to Angel. She felt terrible for the way she had acted.

“Your be ok, Angel. You have to!” She whispered trying to convince herself he would be fine. Just then Spike walked into the room. After a few seconds of starring at Angel as if he would disappear if she took her eyes off of him, she looked up with tear streaked eyes to see Spike. Spike walked slowly over to her to give her a hug.

Spike hated seeing Buffy hurt. It was strange how he felt for Buffy. At one time he had wanted her dead, but that had all changed. After having a chip in his head he had been forced to help her. He just sort of got attached to her.

“...Do you want to remind you of everything you have done?” These words sank in to Angel’s head and he shook is head now scared of what the judge had to say. The judge kept speaking anyway.

“You have caused the slayer so much pain. You killed her friends, you’ve tried to kill her, you left her after she had risked her life to save you, and then you don’t tell her that your human. Why should someone who has done so much to hurt someone deserve to live?” The judge asked with anger

Angel winced remembering all the things that he had done to Buffy. He wished that he could stop all her pain. “He’s right Doyle, I don’t deserve to live.”

“”That’s not true” Doyle stated. Doyle knew Angel, and he knew that Angel would never intently hurt anyone. “Sure Angel has done some things that he’s not proud of, but he didn’t have a choice in the matter of most of those things. Him turning evil was not his fault, and all the pain he caused people when he was evil was not his fault either.”

“visiting hours are over” the nurse said as she entered the room. Buffy got up not wanting to leave Angel like this. She would be back the next morning though. She picked up her jacket from the floor and headed out the door.

She couldn’t remember much of the drive home. Everything was a blur. She kept expecting that this was just a horrible nightmare and any minute now she would wake up, but she didn’t.

When she got home Buffy laid quietly in her bed listening to the rain come down softly outside. She laid on her back staring up at her ceiling. Just that morning everything had been normal, well as normal as they would ever be for her. It was strange how everything had changed so quickly one minute she was out on a date with Riley, and the next she was standing in her house with Angel in front of her telling her he was human, and if that wasn’t enough later she gets a call telling her that Angel was in the hospital.

She felt like none of this was really happening....Like she was sort of floating somewhere out of her body watching her life crumble apart. She felt helpless. there was nothing she could do to help Angel.

When Buffy woke up she had hoped that the previous day had all just been a dream, but she knew that it hadn’t. She got dressed and went straight to the hospital.

She entered Angels room and looked down at his motionless form. Somewhere in her mind she knew that he was going to be ok.

“I’m sorry for everything that has happened, I really am. I love Buffy more than anything and if I could help it she would never be hurt. Please believe me. I never meant to hurt anyone!”

“That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear” The judge said pleased.

“Huh?” Angel asked confused

“I needed to hear it from you” the judge replied “I needed you to forgive yourself.”

When Angel opened his eyes he was in the hospital room. He turned his head slightly to the left and sitting there was Buffy.

“Angel...your awake!” She ran over and hugged him.

“I-I’m so sorry” Angel whispered.

“What, oh Angel don’t be sorry. It was my fault. I should be the one who’s sorry.” She began to cry on his shoulder “I never meant for this to happen. I’m so sorry, and I really want to make it work between us.”

“We will” Angel reassured her. How could she still like me after everything Angel thought.

“I mean if you want to..” Buffy asked fearful.

“Oh Buffy of course I want to. I love you, and I wouldn’t want my life to be with anyone else.”

Epilogue-One week later-

“Hi” Buffy jumped down on the couch next Angel “popcorns done” It was there first date since Angel got back. They were just having a quiet relaxed night watching movies.

“We should really discuss moving in together again, Angel” Buffy said after popping a few pieces of popcorn in her mouth.

“I’m sure your mom would agree with that.” Angel said laughing, and putting his arm around Buffy. Buffy leaned her head on Angels shoulder. She loved having him here.

“Oh, that reminds me I still have to tell my mom about you.” Buffy realized looking worried.

“Don’t worry about it, honey. If you want I’ll go with you when you tell her”

“Thanks, but that's ok. I can do it.”Buffy said and yawned.

Angel looked over at Buffy ten minutes later to see that she had fallen asleep. As he kissed the top of her head he realized how lucky he was to have Buffy again. He knew that now that they were back together again that nothing could ever tear them apart.

THE END

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