[b]IC: Buffy Summers[/b]

The Slayer walked quietly along the busy LA streets as people passed by, not even giving her a second look. She had died her striking blond hair a mousy brown since her "death" in hopes it would help her to be more inconspicuous. It seemed to work so far. She hadn't gotten the normal, creepy looks from the jerks in LA that she usually did. Still, it felt odd being here. The outside world, including the literal and proverbial Underworld, thought she was dead. She would never admit this to those that she cared for, but it was exciting. Buffy had never done this kind of clandestine mission before, and the new mission thrilled her, even if it meant making tough choices.

She was about to make possibly the toughest one, as well. Or, she had made it already. Giles was flying into LA tonight, and there was only one place in the city where the two of them could meet without drawing the attention of their enemies. Unfortunately, that place also happened to be the home and base of operations of her ex-boyfriend Angel.

The walk leading up to the old hotel was grown over with weeds, and a sign hung on the fence proclaiming the building to be condemned, but Buffy knew better. She had been here before, of course, on other occassions when she required Angel's assistance. Once she crossed the fence line, the grounds appeared to be maintained beautifully, and the building was lit with a warm, inviting glow. Buffy took a deep breath and pushed forward to the door.

Before she could knock, the door swung open, revealing the smiling face of Angel's friend, Charles Gunn, "Sup, Slayer?"

"Gunn," Buffy wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. He had gotten Angel and their friends out of so many jams, he was basically like family at this point. "How are you?"

"Oh, you know," he shrugged, a wry smile painted across his face, "slayin' demons. And the ladies."

"Smooth, you should open with that line," the Slayer chuckled weakly.

"I don't need a line," he walked her back into the old hotel's atrium. "Angel'll be right there."

Taking a seat, Buffy thought about all that had happened in this place. Gunn was the only one left of the Angel Investigations team. Wesley, Faith's old watcher and Giles's friend, fell in battle, and Gunn nearly did as well. Fred, the genius the team saved from a parallel dimension, had her body taken over by a living god named Illyara, who now roams the world doing who knows what. Lorn, and demon who helped Angel, had moved on to find his own path. And Cordellia...Cordellia was lost too. That one hurt Buffy the most, of course. The two hadn't always seen eye to eye, but she was still a friend. All of their losses had weighed on Angel, and Buffy cursed ehr pride for not checking in on him more. But she couldn't worry about that now.

She felt the familiar presence enter the room, and she stood instinctively as Angel came into view. He was garbed in black, as always, and his dark eyes peered into hers as they always did. She attempted to keep herself together, but no one threw her off like Angel did.

"Buffy," he said as he always had in a half-whispered tone. "You look good for a dead woman."

"I could say the same to you," she smiled weakly. "Or, uh, a dead man. Of course."

"I know what you meant," he smiled. "Giles is on his way. But in the mean time...you wanna talk?"

"Sure," she nodded without realizing she even said anything.