The Forgotten Lovers

Chapter 20 for TFL

The car stopped outside Angel’s old apartment a few moments later. Yelsin got out followed by Ashley and me a few seconds later as a minion got out from behind the drivers seat to get my things from the trunk. Ashley: Are you sure you don’t want to stay with Buffy or let us set you up in a hotel for the night. I shook my head no as I watched the minion walk into the apartment with my things. Danielle: Yes I’m sure…before we left I asked Giles to keep the place up for me…Minion: My lady your things are inside. I nodded as I removed a stake from my jacket before slamming it into his heart. As he exploded into dust I looked at my dearest friends. Danielle: As I was saying, Angel even Angelus wouldn’t think to look for me here. I’ll call Buffy tomorrow and tell her everything that has happened…I just need to get away for a while. Ashley pulled me into a hug as she ran her fingers through my hair as some tears escaped my eyes. Ashley: Be safe. We’ll try to contact the Oracles to see if the PTB had anything to do with this…call you tomorrow. I returned her hug and did the same for Yelsin’s. I watched as they got into the car and drove away…I stood there for a few minutes before turning and walking inside unaware that someone was watching me.
I walked into the apartment and found a four poster bed against the far wall with a small kitchen area to the left as the rest of the room was decorated for a living room. With several pictures of art along the wall on the left side of the room with a small disk and chair as a Chinese screen partitioned off that part of the room. I closed the door behind me as I glanced to the right to see some bookcases, a chair and other pieces of art that were basically Angel. I picked up one of my suitcase and placed it on the black satin sheets with a simple red velvet comfort over them. I opened the case and removed my clothes before placing them in a bureau near the foot of the bed. I did that until all but one bag was placed under the bed. I picked up my final bag and walked toward the only other door in the whole place…the bathroom.
As soon as I walked inside the bathroom the front door opened and Penn walked into the room. He looked around for a few minutes before I walked out to see him standing in the middle of my living room. Danielle: What do you want Penn? I walked past him and bent to place my final bag with the others under the bed before standing up straight to look at him as a smirk crossed his face as he walked over to me with sneaky walk. Penn: Now is that the way you should be talking to your brother? I thought we were family. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him as he stopped in front of me. Danielle: Seeing that you are in my place and that I am Angelus’s mate I will say whatever I want. And what I want right now is you walking out that door and never coming back here or you will be in so much pain that hell looks nice…and trust me it won’t be the fun kind. I moved to get something out of the bureau when he blocked me forcing me up against the bed. Danielle: What are you doing? He smiled and leaned into kiss me.
Penn: Taking what should have been…I brought my fist forward and hit him square in the nose. I watched as he held his broken nose in his hands as he stumbled away from me. Danielle: Understand this Penn. I have and will only want Angelus so I suggest that you tell Wesley that you will no longer need his services in trying to return Angelus’s soul and if you don’t then I will send you to him in a gift box do you understand me…son! He gave me a sharp nod as I walked over to the door and opened it for him. Danielle: Good, the door is open for you. He walked out the door as I smiled at him. Danielle: Oh Penn. He turned and looked at me as I kissed his forehead. Danielle: Have a safe trip and I’ll be thinking about you. With that I closed the door on his face. Danielle: Asshole. I locked it and got ready for bed.
I opened the bureau and removed one of Angelus’s black silk shirts as tears welled in my eyes. I tossed it on the bed before removing my boots which I placed along side the single leather chair in the room. I removed my skirt, followed by my top and placed them in the bureau before pulling on the shirt to cover my slightly pale skin and black lace boy shorts. I buttoned the shirt and pulled back the covers…I walked around the small room and turned off what lights I had on before climbing into bed as tears pooled down my face as I hugged a pillow to myself wishing that I never returned to Sunnydale…it only causes pain.
At the mansion Angel stood in our room taking in the last two years of our life as something caught his eyes. He walked over to the large dresser to find a silver picture frame with both of us inside. We stood in front of the fireplace out in the living room…Danielle was dressed in strapless black full skirt dress with her hair curled around a silver Roman tiara and she was smiling at me as if I was the only man on Earth. I glanced over my black dress pants, white dress shirt with a blood red vest with silver and black design before settling on the black three-quarter-length suit jacket I wore as I brushed some hair out of her eyes with a smile. I moved to touch the glass when I heard Dru enter the room. Dru: Daddy?
I didn’t even turn to look at her as I answered. Angel: Yes Dru. I could feel my child looking over my shoulder at the simple photo of Danielle and myself. Dru: Mummy looks very happy…unlike tonight when that mean Slayer said those awful things about you. I just nodded as I listened to Angelus radial his cage. “How dare you let my mate leave us soul-boy…we were going to have so much fun with that Farm boy. I told her not to fear me when if I regained my soul and you just proved her right by letting her leave! I want my girl back in my arms!” “Shut up Angelus…I need to figure somethings out before I find her.” Dru: Ashley and Yelsin returned but they won’t tell us where mummy is. Angel: Go be with Yelsin Dru…I need to be alone for a while. Dru kissed his cheek and turned to leave as a tear fell from his right eye. Dru: She loves you Angel. With that she left just as he looked at her.
I set the photo back in its place to find a book resting on the dresser. I picked it up and opened it to see that it was Danielle’s journal. I remember telling her the best way to clear ones thoughts it to write it down. She said it helped her to think back through the many lives she lived prier to this one. I walked over to our bed and sat down as I flipped through the pages until I came to December 24, 1999 entry.

December 24, 1999
It’s odd to think that back on the last two years without thinking about Angelus. Today I went to the mall to get my mom’s Christmas gift when I saw a couple walking out of the movie theatre. The man looked so much like Angelus that I had to stop and take a second look just to make sure it wasn’t him seeing that he has taken a liking to showing up when I least expect it like when I’m ready to go to sleep or after I have a nightmare…he’s always standing outside my balcony with a rose waiting for me to invite him in and for some reason I always do. I know that I shouldn’t because he’s a vampire but when I look into his eyes I see a mix of Angel and Angelus looking back at me as if I still have my Liam. It’s the same way when I remember the way he holds me or the way he smiles…I find myself blushing when I think about how his lip curls upward when he’s trying to hide a smile…or my favorite is when he kisses me…it doesn’t matter where he kisses me but it always leaves an unnatural heat behind begging for him to kiss it again…that’s what I saw in that one moment when that couple walked out of the movies.
I wish he was here but that would bring to many questions and needs that I can’t really deal with right now. I picked up my moms gift and left the mall a few minutes later…but as I walked out to my car I found a single red rose on the windshield. I picked it up and smelled it as the snow tickled my nose. I knew he left it for me seeing that the last time we spoke he brought me a red rose to make up for being an idiot toward Wesley while we were in England with Kyle. I unlocked my car, got in and started it before driving home.

Continued Dec. 24, 1999

I was in my room finishing wrapping what was left of my gifts when someone knocked on my balcony doors. I got up and walked over to see who it was and hoping it would be Angelus. I pulled the curtain back to see his smiling face looking at me as he held an ice covered red rose in his hands. I gave him a smile as I opened the balcony door to let him inside.

*Present*

I stopped reading it for a minute to remember what happened after she let me into her room for our first Christmas together. She wore a simple pair of blue jeans with white socks with a white turtle neck sweater as her hair traveled down her back in soft curls. I just stood there as I looked at her among her things…her full size bed sat in the middle of the room with a dark purple comforter and what appeared to be dark blue sheets but instead of her room looking dark it was airy with a cream color paint, bookcases lined with books, a desk near the door, dressers toward the wall near to the balcony and some end tables on both sides of her bed in a rich oak wood. Her closet was open and a brown boot was sticking out where she threw them after returning home from her trip to the mall where I left the first rose. I watched her face as she moved to get a blanket for me to wrap myself in. That’s when I noticed the care in her voice for the first time since the first time I met her in Ireland almost two centuries ago.
Danielle: Angelus, what are you doing here? It’s freezing out there. Here take off your jacket and wrap yourself up in this while I go get us something to drink. I took the blanket and watched her walk to the door to…when I pulled her into my arms forgetting all about the cold outside. Angelus: I just need you to warm me up. She smiled at the lameness as I pulled her farther into my arms for a few minutes just enjoying her being close to me as she laid her head on my chest before wrapping her arms around me causing me to shrive slightly as her warmth seeped through my clothes.
Danielle: What are you doing here…Kyle is downstairs. If he finds you…Angelus: I’ll be fine besides I wanted to give you your Christmas gift. She looked up at me with her beautiful green eyes with happiness laced through them. Danielle: You didn’t have to get me anything…after the rose this afternoon. Angelus: Well that was part of the gift now sit down so I can get the other part out. She reached up on her toes and gently kissed me on the lips as she smiled. Danielle: Alright…but I’m not closing my eyes. With another smile she walked out of my arms and sat on the edge of her bed waiting for me to give her gift.
I took a deep unneeded breath and heard her giggling at me. I raised an eyebrow at her as she covered her mouth. Danielle: Sorry…why do you breath when you don’t need to…you do it a lot when I see you…its kind of cute. I watched her raise her head to smile at me as I stood there dumbfounded by what she said. I shook myself awake as I tried to glare at her a few minutes later but failed. Angelus: I do not look cute. She gave a sharp nod before smiling at me. Danielle: Not cute got it…manly and very handsome is better way to describe you. I gave her a half smirk as I pulled a jewelry box from my coat pocket. Angelus: Good…then I guess I can give this to you. I placed the black velvet box in her hand and watched as her eyes clouded over before she slowly opened the box. She pulled out a single diamond necklace. Danielle: Oh god Angelus…it’s beautiful but I don’t deserver this.
I walked over to her and took both the box and necklace from her as sat on the bed behind her. I moved her hair to the left side of her neck before gently kissing right behind her right ear as I fastened the necklace around her neck. I watched as she touched the jewel gently before smiling at me. Danielle: Thank you…I’ll treasure it like your love. She gave me a gently kiss again and I had to fight my control to take her right there.
I felt her pull away from me as I opened her eyes I saw a smile speared across her face. Danielle: I have something for you too…I didn’t know when I would see you again so I thought I keep it around incase you stopped by unexpectedly. I watched as she got up and walked over to her desk as a larger smile crossed my face. She opened the top drawer and removed something before walking over to the bed where she sat down beside me. Danielle: Here you go…I hope you like it. I took the square package and ripped the dark blue paper away to find a square velvet box. I opened it and found a new silver watch resting on the black fabric. Danielle: In Sunnydale I noticed that you didn’t have one so I bought it for you a few months after we returned from England…do you like it because I can return it or buy you another one. I pulled her into my arms and kissed the top of her head as she laid her head on my chest before snuggling into my embrace. Angelus: I love it. I heard her sigh before catching her looking up at me. Danielle: You sir are the hardest person to shop for you know that. I just smiled at her as I held for the rest of the night. Angelus: I know mo siog.
I opened her journal to that Christmas Eve to find that she finished the entry the following morning.

December 25, 1999

Angelus and I must have fallen asleep after we exchanged each others gift because when I woke it up it was Christmas morning and I could smell my mom making breakfast for us. I figure I finish my thoughts from last night before she comes up here to see if I’m awake. After I woke up I found not one but eleven roses on my desk to go with the one he gave me yesterday afternoon. I placed them with the other one and smiled at them as I gently touch my new necklace. I already decided to tell mom that a good friend from school gave it to me and I didn’t have a chance to wear it until know…I have to go seeing that mom is calling me for breakfast…no doubt well do gifts after…ohmygod I didn’t finish…Angelus? I love you more and more each day for taking them time to finish my gift wrapping for me…he is really the greatest man with or without a soul that I have other then Kyle, Giles and Yelsin. Merry Christmas my Angel until we meet again.

*Present*

I closed her journal and placed it on the night table beside me as I the images of the last few years passed through my mind. I took a deep breath as I changed for bed…I pulled back the covers and laid down after turning out the lights. I clicked the light beside me off and rolled over to get some sleep as I thought about the best way to get my girl back where she belongs…in my arms. Angel: Goodnight mo siog. I will find you soon. With that I let the image of her sleeping in my arms pull me into the land of dreams.