Part 5<\/b><\/p>\n
If the day before at Wolfram and Hart had been strange, this was somewhere in a realm beyond strange.<\/p>\n
Xander didn\u2019t know what to do with himself. Buffy was sitting up front, in the passenger seat next to Angel, so at least, if she wanted to, she could busy herself by playing with the radio. He, however, had been relegated to the back seat. Like a child. Xander might not be able to see Angel\u2019s face in the rear-view mirror, but something told him the asshole was smiling.<\/p>\n
His own horrible mood surprised him. After the meeting yesterday, he had been almost cheerful\u2014in fact he hadn\u2019t been able to stop gloating. Xander knew it bothered Buffy, but he couldn\u2019t help it. After nearly ten years, he was finally getting a chance to say \u2018I told you so.\u2019 He had been right all along. Angel\u00a0was\u00a0<\/b>a jerk.<\/p>\n
It all just sort of slid into place, sitting there next to him in Lilah\u2019s office. The bad-guy checklist was complete. Vampire? Check. Vicious killer? Check. Obscenely and undeservingly good looking? Check. Bad-breaker-upper? Double-check.<\/p>\n
That was all the same as before, but now Xander could add divorcee and willing lackey of evil law firm to the list. Irrefutable evidence that the guy was no good.<\/p>\n
Not that Xander needed confirmation. His opinions had been formed by Angel\u2019s original sin. He simply wasn\u2019t good enough for Buffy.<\/p>\n
\u201cXander?\u201d she said right then.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah Buf?\u201d He imagined what she was going to say.\u00a0\u2018Thanks for being here Xander, I don\u2019t know how I would do this without you.\u2019\u00a0<\/i>Or perhaps\u00a0\u2018could you please grab a stake and get Angel out of our lives for good?\u2019\u00a0<\/i>Or maybe\u2014<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you please quit with the tapping?\u201d Buffy begged suddenly, both apologetic and annoyed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m tapping?\u201d<\/p>\n
Buffy sighed. \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t aware I was tapping.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHands\u00a0and\u00a0<\/b>feet,\u201d she informed him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, who wouldn\u2019t be tapping along to these kick-ass tunes that Angel picked out?\u201d Xander joked, reaching forward and playfully smacking Angel on the arm. It was a subtle dig at the classical music they were listening to.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou weren\u2019t even tapping to the music,\u201d Buffy told him.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you sure?\u201d Xander asked.<\/p>\n
Angel answered by simply turning off the radio. Conversation died back down again and now the car was a vortex of uncomfortable silence. Xander started fiddling with the door lock.<\/p>\n
He knew it wasn\u2019t completely rational, his violent aversion of all things Angel. It was immature, and petty and\u2026and who was Xander kidding? Angel hurt Buffy. Doing it once was bad. Doing it over and over, time and again, turning it into an art form? That was unforgivable.<\/p>\n
And yet somehow, Buffy seemed to be doing that. Forgiving him. Xander couldn\u2019t see her face but he was intuitive enough to know that the waves of apprehension radiating off her yesterday were gone. She was stuck in the car with her ex and yet Buffy seemed, oddly, comfortable. There was no anger, no fear, and, thank god, no more of the sexual tension that previously characterized her relationship with Angel.<\/p>\n
Xander had no idea what to make of this.<\/p>\n
There hadn\u2019t been anyone else. Not since Sunnydale. Buffy had effectively put that part of her life on hold since then. And, whether intentionally or not, so had Xander.<\/p>\n
It made sense at first, the waiting. They were grieving. And then later\u2026well, Xander wasn\u2019t sure what happened. Did they just get too busy? The weird part was that his utter lack of a love life didn\u2019t bother him as much as he thought it would.<\/p>\n
It should bother him. Not having someone to hold. Someone to make pancakes for. Someone\u2019s fingers to kiss. Someone to slow dance in the kitchen with while he hummed an off-key rendition of \u201cSomewhere Over the Rainbow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Xander knew he should miss all that, knew he should be tired of being alone. It had been three years. But it honestly wasn\u2019t that bad.<\/p>\n
Maybe cause he wasn\u2019t alone. He had Buffy. They had each other.<\/p>\n
Whatever it was that \u201cthey\u201d were, Xander was grateful they had it.<\/p>\n
\u201cXan,\u201d Buffy whined. \u201cYou\u2019re tapping again.\u201d He looked down and saw that, with the pointer and middle finger of his right hand, he was indeed tapping. Whoops.<\/p>\n
He cleared his throat. \u201cSo Angel, meet any senoritas while you were down south?\u201d No response. \u201cTough crowd,\u201d Xander murmured. He went back to twisting the door lock. Taking a deep breath, he tried again.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis, uh, this car\u2019s not too shabby.\u201d It was the truth, Xander conceded; Angel did have a very nice ride. Black Chevy Tahoe. All leather interior. Tinted windows\u2014no surprise there.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks,\u201d Angel said. It wasn\u2019t much, but Xander decided to find it encouraging.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, wearing my sunglasses and riding around town in this bad boy,\u201d he said, twisting the lock even harder, \u201ceveryone\u2019s gonna think I\u2019m Secret Service.\u201d<\/p>\n
Buffy\u2019s cough sounded suspiciously like a laugh, but Xander decided to let it slide.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think a lot of people will make that mistake,\u201d Angel said. That time Buffy definitely laughed. Looking down at his hand, Xander realized he had twisted the door lock right off. Oops.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, ah, didn\u2019t you used to have another car?\u201d Xander asked brightly, leaning forward so much that he was practically sitting between Buffy and Angel. \u201cA convertible? I thought you said he had a convertible?\u201d Buffy shrugged and, as nonchalantly as possible, Xander tossed the tiny piece of plastic behind him, into the very back of the car.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf by convertible you mean a classic 1957 Plymouth GTX 440 convertible, then yes,\u201d Angel answered, seemly unaware of the undercover backseat maneuverings. Xander grinned. He so could have been Secret Service.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what happened to it?\u201d Buffy asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened to what?\u201d Angel said, not following.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe convertible,\u201d Xander huffed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh.\u201d Angel nodded. \u201c I left the car here, with Cordelia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Xander was shocked. \u201cLet me get this straight. You just left it here?\u201d For a second he thought he saw Angel flinch. But then he decided it was probably just the car going over a pothole. \u201cYou gave up a beauty like that!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t give it up,\u201d the vampire said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, you sure about that pal?\u201d Xander chuckled.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t give anything up.\u201d It was impossible to miss the edge in Angel\u2019s voice. \u201cI left it here while I was gone. It\u2019s still mine. It will always be mine.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, Xander wasn\u2019t sure if they were still talking about the car. He decided to quit while he was ahead.<\/p>\n
Buffy couldn\u2019t help but notice how tightly Angel was clenching the steering wheel. For whatever reason, the conversation was really getting to him. She turned around to signal to Xander that it was time for a subject change, but apparently he\u2019d already figured that out and was back to quietly fidgeting.<\/p>\n
Xan was nervous, that much was obvious. Was it that he still felt uncomfortable doing this last job for Wolfram and Hart? Or was it sitting in the backseat while Angel chauffered them around town? Buffy was almost sure that was it. Almost sure. But a small, annoyed little part of her worried that Xander\u2019s unease had another cause. One that started with a C.<\/p>\n
He hadn\u2019t seen Cordelia since graduation, and Buffy could count on one hand the number of times her name had come up since then. She and Xander had a different life, together, that Cordelia wasn\u2019t even aware of, let alone a part of. And yet\u2026<\/p>\n
Those two and their crazy mixed-up relationship had always bothered Buffy. There was a tension between Cordelia and Xander, an energy that crackled and shifted and made everyone else in the room disappear. In high school they had played off of each other, pushed each other\u2019s buttons, danced around that thin line between love and hate.<\/p>\n
Even though that was a million years ago, and everyone had grown and changed, and Cordelia herself was engaged, Buffy couldn\u2019t help but worry that they would pick up the dance right where they left off. If they did, she just might have to do something crazy. Like throw Xander up against a wall and have her way with him.<\/p>\n
Or rip Cordelia\u2019s hair out. One or the other.<\/p>\n
Buffy shifted in her seat and glanced over at Angel again. He was focusing a little too intently on the road in front of him, and she knew not all of that rigidity could be attributed to this forced reunion. That was about Cordelia too.<\/p>\n
Buffy recognized that fact and was pleasantly surprised when all she felt was relief. It was kind of nice to NOT be the one making Angel miserable. Sure, she felt bad for the guy, felt his pain and all that; it was just rather refreshing to not be the cause of it.<\/p>\n
In fact, despite the niggling doubt that this whole scam would work, and the maddening undefined-ness of her relationship with Xander, Buffy felt pretty good.<\/p>\n
Sure the situation wasn\u2019t ideal. But it was a lot better than the last time she\u2019d driven around Los Angeles with Angel.<\/p>\n
Angel cleared his throat uncomfortably. \u201cThis, uh, this shouldn\u2019t take too long. The psychics at the firm said it was just a couple of vamps.\u201d When Buffy didn\u2019t say anything, he went on. \u201cYou, you don\u2019t have to come. I mean, if you don\u2019t want to\u2026\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
Buffy choked by a dry laugh. \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it Angel. It\u2019s not like I have other plans.\u201d Plans had gone out the window twenty minutes ago, up in Angel\u2019s office, listening to his stuttering explanations. Seeing that ridiculously nervous smile on Cordelia\u2019s face, on his WIFE\u2018S face, which was so obviously an act, because even a fool could tell she was gloating on the inside.<\/em><\/p>\n A fool. That\u2019s what Buffy was. She\u2019d been a stupid, na\u00efve little fool, to think, to think\u2026whatever she had thought.<\/em><\/p>\n Buffy had been an idiot to think she would ever get a chance to be happy.<\/em><\/p>\n Angel, not party to the inner-workings of Buffy\u2019s mind, was still rambling. \u201cSo, I mean, this stuff, the missions, it\u2019s not really my job. I mean, not officially. But I still like to get a little fieldwork in. So I\u2019m not, uh, office guy all the time. I mean, I need a little healthy aggression every now and then, you know me\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n She knew him? Riiight. Buffy leaned slightly to the left so that the wind whipping past the car hit her directly in the face, hoping it would bring some clarity to the situation. Because right now? She could use a little clarity. Everything inside her head was so jumbled and crazy and incredibly close to exploding.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cBut I guess you could say I run the place,\u201d Angel continued, unaware he was sitting next to a human land mine. \u201cI mean, there are the senior partners, and even I\u2019m sorta hazy on what they are, but, uh, basically, outside of the realms of hell, I\u2019m number one. The go-to guy.\u201d He darted a quick glance over at her and gave her what had to be the tiniest, fakest, smile Buffy had ever seen.<\/em><\/p>\n All she could offer him was an unblinking stare, and he quickly turned back to the road. \u201cYeah, so that\u2019s what I\u2019m doing. We. We\u2019re doing. I mean, Cordelia\u2019s not completely comfortable with the firm, but, I don\u2019t know, it\u2019s, right now, it\u2019s good.\u201d Deep down, under the awkward babbling, there was pride in his voice.<\/em><\/p>\n And right then her heart broke a little more. As the car slowed down and pulled into the deserted parking lot of a strip mall, it hit her. It wasn\u2019t that he was married. It wasn\u2019t that he was married to Cordelia.<\/em><\/p>\n Angel had a life. A real honest to goodness life. Not only did it not revolve around her, it didn\u2019t involve her.<\/em><\/p>\n And that chapter of\u00a0her\u00a0<\/b>life, the one of girlish dreams and fantasy love, the one she thought would never end, was over.<\/em><\/p>\n So Buffy did the only thing she could do. She threw open the door, hopped out of the car, and started running. Angel immediately slammed on the brakes and turned the car off, but by then she already had a substantial lead. \u201cBuffy!\u201d she heard him call out as she rounded the corner. \u201cBuffy I\u2019m sorry!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n By the time he caught up with her, in the darkened alley behind the Chinese restaurant, the three vamps were dust, the young delivery boy sat sobbing on the ground, and Buffy was leaning over, hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath.<\/em><\/p>\n Angel came sprinting down the alley. \u201cBuffy please don\u2019t\u2014oh.\u201d He skidded to a halt when he took in the seen around him.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cPlease don\u2019t what?\u201d Buffy asked, not looking up.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI thought\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou thought what?\u201d she said, extending an arm and helping the kid off the ground. \u201cYou thought I was back here crying my eyes out?\u201d The delivery boy mumbled his thanks and ran off, but neither Buffy nor Angel was in the frame of mind to notice, let alone respond.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you think Angel?\u201d Buffy pressed. \u201cThat I was bawling like a child just because you\u2019re with her now?\u201d It hurt too much. To say her name. It hurt to know her name.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOf course not,\u201d Angel said, trying to sooth, stepping toward her with his arm outstretched. She quickly stepped out of his reach.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNo! Don\u2019t, for God\u2019s sake, don\u2019t touch me!\u201d Buffy briefly struggled for composure, fought to keep her tears in check, then realized just how futile it was.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI ran back here to do my job Angel,\u201d she sniffed. \u201cBecause that\u2019s what I always do. No matter what. It\u2019s what I do.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n He approached her again, cautiously. \u201c I get that. That\u2019s what I\u2014\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t,\u201d Buffy yelled. \u201cI mean, do you really think it would matter to me? Do you honestly believe I care?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re crying\u201d Angel stated quietly.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOf course I \u2018m crying!\u201d Buffy exploded, knowing she wasn\u2019t making any sense. Sense had long since left the building. \u201cYou went off and got married to Cordelia fucking Chase! Without telling me!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThat was wrong. I know that and I\u2019m sorry for not making sure you found out differently.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want you to be sorry about that,\u201d Buffy hissed, tears streaming down her face now. \u201cI want you to be sorry for lying. I was your girl. You were supposed to always be there.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m still here,\u201d was all Angel managed to say before Buffy pushed him hard into the wall.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cYou and me Angel. Always. No matter what else was going on in our lives, we knew that. And now, you\u2019re replacing me\u2014\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNo one could ever replace you\u2014\u201d Angel interjected.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWith her! You replaced me with some sociopathic beauty queen.\u201d Buffy was pummeling him now, throwing frantic punches and slaps. Everything inside of her was bleeding and she\u2019d be damned if she\u2019d do it alone. \u201cThe idea, of you two, together, it makes me sick. You couldn\u2019t hurt me more if you tried!\u201d She kept hitting him, and Angel just stood there, allowing it.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIs that it Angel? Were you trying to hurt me? Picking her, that stupid, trite, ridiculous b\u2014.\u201d Angel finally stopped her brutal attack, grabbing both of her wrists and holding them up, so they rested against his chest.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI love her.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Buffy\u2019s anger deflated, leaving only a tidal wave of sorrow that threatened to bring her to her knees.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d she asked brokenly. So many questions all wrapped up in that one little word. Why Cordelia? Why not her? Why couldn\u2019t he have waited, until she was ready? Why couldn\u2019t he have waited forever?<\/em><\/p>\n Angel somehow knew not to try to answer that. Instead, he did the only thing he could do, the only thing that in that moment Buffy needed him to do. He wrapped his arms around her, her hands still clasped tightly in between their bodies, and held her while she cried.<\/em><\/p>\n He squeezed her tighter when the sobbing petered out into silent tears. He stroked her hair and whispered comforting nothings in her ear while Buffy took deep calming breaths. And a lifetime later, when the crying was done and Buffy wiped her nose against his sweater, he made a joke.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cGo ahead,\u201d Angel said. \u201cAfter all, it\u2019s only cashmere.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n He did everything right and it felt so wonderful, being cared for, being comforted, being held in his arms. If felt so right and perfect that all rational thought skittered away and suddenly Buffy found herself going up on her toes, leaning in and pressing her lips to his.<\/em><\/p>\n It was like falling off a cliff and landing in your childhood bedroom. Thrilling. Familiar. She may not have known the man anymore, but she knew this. The startling coolness of him. The shape of his lips, the indefinable taste. Buffy slid her hands out from between them and clutched at his shoulders, bringing him closer, eager to capture his mouth as well as a piece of the past.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cNo\u201d Angel exclaimed, wrenching his mouth away and forcing her back a step. \u201cNo,\u201d he repeated when she reached for him again, raising his hands in a defensive pose. Warding her off.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAngel,\u201d she began but he stopped her.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t do this,\u201d he told her. When he saw the look in her eyes, Angel clarified. \u201cI don\u2019t want this.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The hurt sliced cleanly threw her, pain so hot it burned. All she could do was stare down at the ground.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe should head back,\u201d Angel said after a few minutes. She didn\u2019t answer.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cBuffy? I, uh, I need to get back.\u201d To Cordelia. It was unsaid, but implicitly conveyed and dear God, it stung.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cGo,\u201d she finally choked out.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t just leave you here.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cGo!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n She didn\u2019t look up, and finally, mercifully, Angel did as she asked. \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he whispered.<\/em><\/p>\n Buffy just stood there, listening to the sound of his footsteps on the pavement, the roar of his engine starting up. \u201cWhy?\u201d she asked again, long after he had left.<\/em><\/p>\n Why did everyone she loved always, always leave?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cBuf?\u201d Pulled out her reverie, Buffy glanced down at Xander\u2019s hand on her shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah Xan,\u201d she said, turning around to see how he was doing in the back seat.<\/p>\n \u201cAngel was just saying that we should be there in a few minutes,\u201d Xander said. Silently he mouthed \u2018are you okay\u2019 and it was so thoughtful and adorable and so very Xander that it was all Buffy could do to not crawl back there. But that was probably a bad idea. It might freak Angel out. Hell, it was more likely to freak Xander out.<\/p>\n Glancing sideways at Angel, Buffy found he was staring at her with an odd expression on his face. Like he knew\u2026no. He couldn\u2019t know. Xander didn\u2019t even know.<\/p>\n \u201cSo Cordelia lives in a hotel?\u201d Buffy asked brightly, before she could give Angel anymore cause to speculate.<\/p>\n \u201cPffft. Figures,\u201d Xander mumbled under his breath.<\/p>\n \u201cIt used to be a hotel,\u201d Angel said, checking his mirrors and merging into the right lane. \u201cBack in its heyday, it had 100 rooms and more than a few scandals. It had basically been abandoned by the time we bought it. Used it as an office first. Cordelia moved in after all the renovations, and now she runs the agency out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo like I said, she lives in a hotel,\u201d Buffy reiterated.<\/p>\n \u201cTrust Cordelia to need 100 closets,\u201d Xander kidded.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Hyperion is right up here on your right,\u201d Angel informed them gruffly. Buffy and Xander turned and made the requisite oohs and ahhs.<\/p>\n \u201cUh, but isn\u2019t that the front door right there?\u201d Xander asked. \u201cWhy are we driving right past it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a space right there, behind the Lexus,\u201d Buffy helpfully pointed out.<\/p>\n Angel kept on driving, making a right turn at the corner. \u201cWe\u2019re going around back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, we\u2019re going in the servants entrance?\u201d Xander whined. \u201cAre we not cool enough to go through Cordelia\u2019s front door?\u201d<\/p>\n Angel fought for patience. This weekend would be long enough. Choking Xander would only complicate matters. \u201cWe\u2019re going into the garage,\u201d Angel said brusquely as he turned into the underground facility\u2014Connor\u2019s idea, and a pretty good one at that. \u201cSeeing how it\u2019s the middle of the day, it\u2019s pretty much the only option. Unless you prefer me extra crispy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t aware I had a choice,\u201d Xander grumbled.<\/p>\n \u201cHmmm?\u201d Angel asked, pulling into a space and turning off the car. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I didn\u2019t catch that.\u201d Buffy glared at Xander.<\/p>\n \u201cWho me? I was, uh, just saying how I\u2026like James Joyce.\u201d Even Xander had to grimace at the randomness.<\/p>\n Stepping out of the car, Angel raised his eyebrows doubtfully. \u201cRight then. Follow me.\u201d He started walking to the elevator at the far end of the garage. Buffy and Xander wordlessly hurried after him. He pushed the \u201cup\u201d button and the doors immediately opened.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is all new,\u201d Angel explained as they stepped into the elevator. \u201cWhen we first got the place, I used to have to come and go through the sewers and enter the lobby through the basement.\u201d He pushed the \u201cL\u201d button and continued as they started heading up. \u201cNow Cordy has underground parking for her more, ah, nocturnal clientele and they get door to door transportation.\u201d<\/p>\n As the doors opened, Angel added \u201cThere\u2019s usually someone here to greet new arrivals,\u201d just as one such employee came running up. Buffy and Xander\u2019s jaws nearly came unhinged.<\/p>\n \u201cMr. Angel!\u201d the demon gushed as Angel walked out of the elevator. \u201cIt\u2019s wonderful to see you again sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood to see you too Clem,\u201d Angel said, shaking his hand. He glanced behind him, where Xander and Buffy stood frozen in place. Angel gestured for them to follow before turning back to Clem. \u201cDo you have any idea where I might find my wi\u2014I mean, Cordelia? Or maybe Fred? Or Connor?\u201d<\/p>\n Clem tapped his finger against his chin in thought. \u201cI\u2019m not totally sure sir. This place is pretty crazy right now. They could be in the back office! Want me to call there and tell them you\u2019re coming?\u201d The hotel\u2019s original switchboard system had been repaired and now one could call any room in the place from the front desk.<\/p>\n Angel hesitated before saying \u201cNo, don\u2019t bother, I\u2019ll just head back myself and surprise them.\u201d<\/p>\n Clem eyed him speculatively. \u201cWell, they\u2019ll definitely be surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n Angel smiled in agreement. \u201cOh, I forgot, Clem, this is Bu\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBuffy and Xander,\u201d Clem exclaimed, finally appearing to notice them and clapping his hands together excitedly. \u201cHow are you two?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve met?\u201d Angel asked, unaware of their history.<\/p>\n Clem smiled at Angel. \u201cI haven\u2019t seen these guys since, gosh, when was it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe day you fled, right before Sunnydale fell into Hell,\u201d Xander said, with more than a little animosity.<\/p>\n \u201cRight, right,\u201d Clem agreed. \u201cGood times.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Angel said, handing his car keys to Clem. \u201cI\u2019ll let you three catch up. Clem, please see that someone gets the luggage out of my car.\u201d Then he turned on his heel and started walking back to the large first floor office space. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you show Buffy and Xander to the third floor sitting room,\u201d he added in lieu of goodbye.<\/p>\n \u201cSo,\u201d Clem said, ushering them towards the stairs. \u201cShould be one hell of a weekend, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n