A Soulless Slayer

Ch. 3 A Very Happy Vampire

"Hello! This is the Magic Box. Anya speaking, please give me your money." Anya said in her cheery voice as she answered the shop phone. 

"Anya is... is Buffy there?" came the answer.

"Yes, one minute please," Anya said her cheeriness dissolving the further she got from the phone. "Here. It is for you. But don't take too long, a customer might call."

"Hello?" Buffy said while taking the phone and rolling her eyes.

"It's you. You are alive." came the voice on the other end.

"Yes. I am very much so. Who is this?" she said in her smartass tone.

"A very happy vampire." the other voice sounded like it would start crying soon.

"Hey, if you are just some punk who thinks you now have a chance to get a piece of me you have another thing coming like my fist in your face and my foot up your-"

"Buffy it's me. Angel." she was getting worked up and he wanted to calm her.

"Oh... well I have been back for quite some time. Thanks for the prompt call," she said with more than a hint of bitterness.

Everyone at the Magic Box was staring. Just like everyone was coming downstairs and staring at Angel. Angel didn't care or notice the starring, Buffy however did.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just found out today. I actually just got back from Sri Lanka.When I found out you died... well I needed some time alone."

"Oh... Did you see Oz there?" she was trying to change the uncomfortable topic. She just told everyone else where she was when she died. It was hard, Giles left that's how hard.

"I need to see you." Cordy's heart broke more than a little at that one.

"That may not be a good idea," Buffy said more aware than ever of the eyes on her. She had nowhere to look so she studied the ground.

"Why? You got another boyfriend already?" Angel said trying to make a joke, it didn't come out that way, though.

"No no... well... ye-uh kinda." She looked at Spike who was staring intently at her. "Its hard to explain but you don't need to come. I'm alive again and fine really." she looked back at her old friend the ground.

"I don't care. I'm still coming. I'll be there in a few days. Have to pack first."

"But no..." It was too late, he had hung up.

~~~

Everyone stared at Buffy while she slowly put the phone down in defeat.

"So... who was it?" Willow asked gently.

"Yeah was it long distance?" Anya asked.  "Because if so, you're paying for it."

"It was Angel." Buffy barely whispered while she memorized the ground's details.

"Oh, that poof? What does Captain Forehead want now?" Spike said with amused jealousy. He waited patiently for the day he would get to tell Angel that he screwed Buffy but to tell him they were in love was now the cherry on the ice cream sundae that was his true love.

"To see me." she said now looking at him.

"What?" Spike and Xander said in unison much to each others annoyance.

"He will be here in a few days," Buffy said as she walked to the door. She heard Spike start after her while she flung the door open letting in the light and walked out into another beautiful day in her own personal hell of Sunnydale.