The Forgotten Lovers

Chapter 22 for TFL

*Ten years later*

I took an unneeded breath as I walked up to the solitary figure that stood in front of an unwanted image. Elizabeth: Hi Aunt Danni. I stood beside the girl that I knew as my cousins little girl but this time she was no longer two she was a sixteen and looked so much like the late Buffy Giles that I grew up with. I took her hand in mine and just looked at the stone that read “Buffy Anne Giles Beloved Wife, Friend and Mother She saved the world a lot. 1981-2013.” Danielle: How are you doing? She turned and looked at me with a shaky smile as tears ran down her face. I gently wiped away her tears as she leaned into my touch just like she did when she was younger. Elizabeth: I miss them. I nodded as I glanced at Giles grave that sat beside the woman he loved and watched over…he passed away two years prior and much like this night I stood here with my cousin and her daughter as we grieved together. Giles had left us due to a vampire attack…his body was never found…and Buffy due to lung cancer but they found two small holes on her neck the night she passed. Danielle: What do you want to do Lizzie?
She looked at me and took a deep breath as Xander and Willow walked out of the shadows with Spike, Ashley, Dru and Yelsin standing with them. Lizzie: There is really nothing for me here and now that you’re my guardian I guess I get to come and live with you unless…Xander: We took care of the Watchers. I turned and looked at the newest member of our family with a small smile. Danielle: Where it counts? Willow nodded as she took Xander’s hand in hers. Danielle: Good so where do you want to go Lizzie?
Lizzie: I don’t know. Spike: Well Dru and I can show you London. Ashley: Yelsin and I can show you Russia and China. Danielle: And I can show you Ireland if you wish, we have few years on you so where do you want to go? Lizzie: What about school? Willow stepped forward with Yelsin and Spike. Danielle: Lizzie I would like to introduce your teachers. She smiled and threaded her arm through mine as she held on. Lizzie: I always wanted to see Ireland. I smiled at her as we followed the others into the shadows. Danielle: Ireland it is.
Through my connections and Buffy’s last will that stated that everything belong to Lizzie on her eighteen birthday and until that time I was to watch over her. I know it took a lot of Buffy’s strength to make it seem like I was still around so that Lizzie would not have to be taken into foster care…I was happy in a way that the people who gave her the most trouble would never come near her child. I sit with my family aboard a ship selling toward my homeland…a place I have not seen in at least 260 years. I glanced down at Lizzie to find her asleep with her head in my lap as I wrote in my journal. It has been ten years since I saw him last, five since Riley killed and was killed by a Slayer…two since the man I thought of as my father died protecting his loved ones, a year since we brought Willow and Xander into the family and three months since Buffy’s death. One would think after being around death and creating it I would have gotten use to it by now but there are sometimes that I wish I could walk into the sunlight and just let it consume me…that’s when I think about him.
Through the years I received letters from him telling me that he has returned to his old hunting grounds in Europe. I know that he paid for everything I would ever need before I even thought about getting it for myself…in those ten years Spike told me that Angel wasn’t the same man I left in Sunnydale. Dru would tell me stories of her time with him and Darla…before she could finish them I would get up and leave the room…Yelsin had to explain to her that I often see what she was talking about in my mind due to the memories of the lives I lived. To not be with someone but to think about them constantly is truly hell…but now I have something to move on with…Lizzie. She needs me and I will not let anything happen to her. She is my salvation until I decide that I am no longer needed.
Lizzie was on the deck watching the sun set as Ireland’s shore showed in the distance. Danielle: Beautiful isn’t it? She turned and smiled at me as I walked over to her wearing a simple pair of blue jeans a black turtle neck sweater, black boots and a leather jacket. Lizzie: Yes. I leaned on the edge of the deck as I looked out over the sea. Danielle: What are you thinking about? She raised her eyebrow at me as I gave her a gentle smile. Lizzie: Why did you leave him if you still love him? I watched her lean against the rail waiting for me to answer her simple question. Danielle: Too many things happened at once. His soul returning, finding out that he slept with another Slayer and the need to just get away over came me…but like you said I still love him. If it wasn’t for Angel then I wouldn’t be here with you returning to a place that killed me. Lizzie giggled a bit as I turned away from the sea to look over my family as they stood around the deck. Lizzie: Tell me about the first time you fell in love. I just shook my head as we sat down at a table as I thought about my first life. Danielle: Well the year was 1748 and the night of my sixteenth birthday when…

*three months later*

We have been living in Ireland in the same village that I grew up in as Lizzie listens to Spike talk to her about English in the study as Dru, Willow and Ashley get ready for her magic lesson. You gotta love Tuesdays. I walked downstairs and stopped at the first landing to see someone sitting in the sitting room. The man was tall, brown hair and muscular but not overtly. I walked down the last stairs to hear him talking with Yelsin and Xander about something…must be business matters. It brought a smile to my face to see the two of them sitting in my father’s old study looking over books and talking. I just shrugged my shoulders as I moved toward the back of the mansion to take a walk through the gardens when Yelsin called out to me. I turned and waited as they walked over to me. If my heart could have stopped it would have at that moment…Danielle: Angel?
He stood there with a small smile on his face looking exactly like I remembered him as if I saw him yesterday instead of ten years ago. Angelus: Actually Angelus…lass. I stepped back a few steps as my mouth closed by it self knowing that someone removed his soul when I couldn’t. Danielle: What…are you doing here? Angelus: Well I…Lizzie: Mom tell him that I did not cheat! I turned around to see Lizzie walking toward me outraged as a bruised Spike followed her mumbling about something. Danielle: What is going on between you two? Every Tuesday you get into a fist fight over one of her assignments and you always lose Spike. Spike: Well this time I’m right!
I rolled my eyes at him as I took the piece of paper from him. I read it over and smiled at the way Lizzie compared things…apparently she got her love of reading from Giles….I spoke to him a few days ago…he and Buffy seem to be doing well in Chicago…they asked me to tell Lizzie what happened and why she could no longer live with them. She took it a little hard but understood that while some vampires retain a part of their mortal personality others do not…they have been writing letters to each other for almost a week now. I handed the paper back to Spike as she stood beside me.
Danielle: I don’t see anything wrong with it Spike and I have to say that she made very good comparisons between the literatures you asked her to read. Spike: That’s the problem I told her a simple paper and she give me five pages of this. I glared at him. Danielle: How about we reach a comprise? Lizzie: Why? He’s going to live forever and he can’t read five pages. Danielle: Lizzie when asked to write a simple paper keep it two to three pages please and Spike get over yourself its not like your going to die from a paper cut. Now I believe you young lady have magic right about now. She gave Spike a smirky smile before skipping off to see Will, Ashley and Dru. Spike: You do that just to annoy me don’t you? Danielle: It’s why I’m here go read a book or something. With that he walked back to the study as I turned to talk to Angel.
Danielle: So? Angelus: When did you become a mother? I motioned for him to follow me outside. I pulled the backdoors open and walked into the garden as the moon rose in the distance. Danielle: About five months ago Buffy passed away…she appointed me as Lizzie’s guardian. A few weeks ago she had a nightmare and asked if it was alright that she called me mom…she saw Buffy being turned by Giles in her dream…and no she is not the current Slayer some girl in Washington D.C is. He nodded that he understood as I stood there waiting for him to say something as I ran my hands up and down my arms…I should have put a sweater on. He stepped forward and ran his hands over mine.
Angelus: How are you? Danielle: Good…this weekend we’re going to Britain…Willow planned to give Lizzie a tour of the historical area prior to final exam also I think Dru and Spike are a bit homesick. Angelus: I missed you. I lowered my eyes not wanting to meet his eyes. Danielle: I miss you to but Lizzie is my top priority right now. I’m sorry. I turned around and walked back into the house leaving him there. Angelus: So am I. He turned and walked back to his home as the door closed behind me.
Meanwhile Lizzie sat in the dinning room with Ashley, Dru and Willow as they went over the standard use of protection spells. Lizzie: He’s taller then she said he was. Ashley: Who love? Lizzie: Angel. They stopped and looked at her as she glanced at the protection spell she was suppose to be working on. Dru: Angel was here? Lizzie: Yeah he was talking to Xander and Yelsin in the study. You think he came here to get her back because that is so romantic. Willow: I think you need to get back to work on that spell if you want to go to that party tonight. With a sigh Lizzie did what she was told.
An hour later I waved goodbye to Lizzie as she drove off with a friend to a party that another friend was having because it was his birthday. I closed the door to see Spike, Ashley, Xander, Willow, Yelsin and Dru pulling jackets on. Danielle: Going out to leave me with the clean up again hun. Spike: Just getting hungry mum. I nodded and opened the door again. Danielle: Be careful and don’t leave them out. They nodded and one by one walked out the door. Spike: You can always come with us pet. I gave him a smile as I shook my head. Danielle: I’m good you guys have fun tonight. Ashley: At least call Angelus to talk get somethings out in the open. Danielle: Lizzie told you. They nodded as I leaned against the doorframe just looking at them. Danielle: Its not that I don’t want to but he has someone in his life. Yelsin: How do you know that? Danielle: Well he found someone that could remove the soul when I couldn’t…I’m fine now go and have fun. With that I closed the door before they could say anything else on the matter. Spike: The poncy didn’t tell her that she was the one that removed his soul. With a sigh they walked toward town.
I finished cleaning up a few minutes later. I grabbed a blanket from the couch and a book from the study as I walked out toward my oak tree. It took me about five minutes to reach the old tree that over looked the river. I sat down beneath the tree and covered myself with the blanket as I opened my book to where I left my book mark. I wasn’t reading for more then five minutes when I heard someone walk over to me. Danielle: Hello? The person walked out of the shadows and I was shocked for the second time today…it was Buffy.
She was no longer crippled by her cancer…she was just like I remembered her. Danielle: Am I dreaming? Buffy: No silly how can you be dreaming if you’re awake. I rolled my eyes at her as I placed my book to my right as she sat down beside me. Danielle: Then what is going on. You should be dead. Buffy: So are you but do you hear me passing judgment. Danielle: This is not funny I will not have whatever you are destroying the image of my cousin for your own amusement do you hear me! Buffy: Relax will you I’m just visiting…well checking up on my daughter and I only have a few minutes to say what I have to say before I have to go. Now will you shut up and listen to me. I sat there and crossed my arms over my chest. Buffy: Thank you.
Buffy: Yes I am Buffy…and thank you for looking after Lizzie but you have to move on with your life. Danielle: I am now that you have that out of the way can I go back to my book. Buffy: You’re cranky when you don’t get any for ten years. I turned and glared at her as I growled. Buffy: Oh I hit a nerve. What to know a secret he’s not with anyone hasn’t been for a while. Also you might want to know before you left Sunnydale he was Angelus…you forced the soul out. Well I have to be going. I watched as she stood before giving me a smile. Buffy: Get back to living your unlife cousin…she wants to join…wait two years and let her come over. With that my cousin disappeared as the winds picked up off the river blowing the leaves around me. Danielle: Buffy…Buffy! I sat there as everything returned to normal. I laid my head against the tree trunk as the knowledge of what Angelus and I did remove his soul. I got up, picked up my things and walked back toward the house.
I walked out of my study and over to the front door as someone banged on it. Angelus: I’m coming! I threw the door open and was hit in the face. Angelus: What the hell? I stumbled back at bit and when I did look up I saw a pissed off Danielle standing on my front step. Danielle: You bastard you made me believe that I wasn’t good enough for you because I couldn’t remove your soul and you didn’t have the nerve to tell me that I did! I should stake your ass right now! I just looked at her as she moved to hit me again. I grabbed her arm and pulled her close forcing her to stumble into the house. Angelus: How did you…Danielle: Buffy told me you fucking idiot! Now let go of me so I can kick your ass like I should have down ten years ago when you made me cry for two days. I reached up and moved some hair out of her eyes as she stopped struggling. Angelus: I’m sorry. She looked up at me with her big beautiful green eyes. Danielle: Why didn’t you tell me…I had to find out from my cousin who should be in Chicago enjoying her unlife by the fucking way! You do you know how odd that is? I swear she is enjoying this way to much…I’m older then her she should not be able to sneak up on me! I chuckled a bit as I moved to kiss her. Danielle: What are you doing? Angelus: Kissing you. Danielle: Oh…alright. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I pulled her close…I leaned down and gently at first kissed her until I couldn’t take it any longer I deepened the kiss as she threaded her fingers into the hair at the nape of my neck.
We pulled away a few minutes later. I looked at her and smiled when I found that I had bruised her lips with my kiss. Danielle: I’m sorry…do you still love me? I smiled at her innocent eyes and before she could stop me I picked her up into my arms. Angelus: Never stopped…why don’t I show you. Danielle: Will there be…I smirked at her as she pulled away from my ear after whispering her request. Angelus: I don’t know you have been a very bad little girl. I may have to punish you. She laid her head against my chest as she took in her surroundings. Danielle: You bought your parents old home didn’t you. I just smiled as I walked upstairs toward my room. Angelus: Yes and we are going to make use for every room in this house until both of us can no longer walk. Danielle: I like that plan. I growled against her kiss as I shut my bedroom door behind me.

THE END…or is it?