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In the past few months so much has happened. For once we have had some joyous occasions. They have diverted a few minor apocalypses around the world, but nothing that they had not handled easily.

I’ll never forget the night Angel asked me to be best man at his upcoming wedding to Cordelia. I was in the kitchen grabbing a snack when he stepped out of the shadows. I had known he was there, could feel him the minute I stepped in the room. As long as I am alive or undead I will never forget the conversation we had. It was the first actual conversation that I’d ever had with my sire in any form. I have learned to let go of the animosity that I have felt for Angel for a century and a half and I think he did the same with me.

“Tell me something William.” The Irish lilt in Angels voice making a rare appearance. Which made me pay attention? When the Liam side of Angel came out I knew I had to pay attention, it meant that Angel was feeling vulnerable in some way.

“Yeah” I backed up against the counter a glass of blood and scotch in my hand and waited. Looking at him as he looked out the window over the darkened grounds of the backyard.

“Everything you’ve done you’ve done for them right. For Dawn and Buffy, the soul, the Hellmouth, fighting Hell itself, you did it for them.”

“For the most part, I also did it for me. Tired of being a monster I guess. Never really got to be a man so I thought I’d give it a go.”

“What were the trials like?”

“I’d probably be dust if I hadn’t wanted the award so much. Between the giant with flaming fists, the Golgasmeck demons, and having my insides eaten by scarab beetles, it wasn’t too bad. Could have been worse I suppose?” I saw Angel’s head nod in agreement.

“Did you know that your soul was going to be restored? ”

“At first I just wanted to get rid of the government chip in my head. However, once I got there all I wanted was to be what she needed. To be what she deserves.” Looking down at my glass I twirled its contents and took a sip the alcohol burning its way down my throat.

“She deserved to live a normal life.”

“Yeah, both of them do, that’s what I want to give them now. A life as normal as what I can make it at least. Bloody hell I know I’m not perfect and that’s not even taking in the demon part. You know as well as I that even if we weren’t in the picture her life was never going to be normal. Slayers’s burn fast and die young. We were just kind of thrown into her life because we both fell in love with her. So did her whole Scoobie gang. I stayed because I didn’t want her to fight alone, she needed to have someone around who could understand the Slayer part of her. You left her so that she could have the life you wanted for her, but it wasn’t the life she would have chosen. She was willing to give up everything for you, while I was willing to give up everything for her. If she wakes up tomorrow and stakes my ass I’ll die happy knowing that she’s alive and not stuck in a coma.”

“Did you ever think we’d turn out this way, William? That we would become more human than we were when we were alive?”

“I don’t know, Angelus would say that we’re not even worth life seeing as how we have both let the human side of us rule.” I saw Angel flinch when I said Angelus and I was sorry for him. My soul was whole and complete while he warred every day with his. I could finally see for once why he brooded and was quiet so much.

“I also know that is the reason why we are still alive, why you and I are the only ones in history to have our souls restored. Their love is what keeps us here, made us what we are. The whole bloody lot of them. They gave us something that we could never in a hundred lifetimes deserve. I’m grateful for them, even the whelp when I want to ring his sorry neck. Sunnydale and its bunch of do gooders was the end and the beginning for both of us.”

“Would you do it differently, if you had the chance? Could you have walked away if you had to? If you felt you had no other choice, if you felt what you were doing was right. Would you have walked away from her love because you could never give her what you felt she needed?” Angel turned and faced me his face full of question and doubt.

“No, I wouldn’t do anything different even the chip in my head. Buffy would have killed me if it wasn’t for the chip. I don’t think I could ever leave them not for any reason. Course, you know me not much of a thinking things through bloke anyway. You did what you had to at the time Angel. Dawn told me something awhile ago that has really made me think. She said that things were the way they are for a reason. You were supposed to come to L.A. just as I was supposed to go back to Sunnyhell. You were needed here, I was needed there. You seem to forget that I did leave for a while and I won’t tell you the reason why. Still, I could never stay away. They became my family and friends, even if they didn’t want me, they were still home.”

When Angel didn’t say anything, I continued. I was beginning to see the meaning behind his questions. He was wondering if he was doing the right thing with Cordelia. I understood that, it was the reason why after I came back I never sought out Buffy. The feeling that maybe she was, that they all were better off without me. I was wrong and so was Angel.

Taking a bottle of Jack Daniels out of the cupboard I grabbed two shot glasses and set them on the table in front of Angel. Pulling out a chair I sat and pushed one out for Angel, who sat to my surprise. Pouring two shots I pushed one toward him and slung mine back relishing in the rush of the liquor.

“She loves you, she became part demon for you. Cordelia knows the score, always has. She came back for you. If you walk away now Peaches, you will regret it for the rest of your life. Though I doubt you’d get far before she’d find you. It’s her life to decide how she wants to live it. You can’t make the decisions for her Angel, all you will do is piss her off, and you know what she’s like when that happens.”

With the grimace that had shown on Angel’s face I could tell he had faced Cordelia’s wrath on more than one occasion. Kind of funny actually. In the old days no one would have dared go up against Angelus. I had a feeling that the cheerleader had more spine and guts than sense. But there was also love, love that grew from friendship. Cordelia would never give up Angel without a fight and heaven help anyone that tried.

“So I should go through with it?” Angel was already working on his fourth shot and was getting ready to pour another.

“Yes I do.”

“Then you have to do me a favor William. I’ll need you if at the last minute to talk some sense, or to beat it into me.” Angel set his glass down.

“Yeah sure. Whatever it takes. Guess I owe you that much.” I poured my third shot and was just downing it when I heard Angel’s request.

“I need actually want you to be my best man William.”

Shock coursed through my body and I coughed, spraying the table and Angel in whiskey. He had to be joking. It was all some sort of a trick. Once my coughing fit subsided I looked at him as if he was insane.

“You want me to what?”

“Be my best man.”

“May I ask for God’s sake why?” I was in shock.

“Because you’re the only part of my family, I claim anymore. Not only are you my childe, but you’ve been the only brother I’ve ever had. I have a history with you that I don’t have with Wes and Gunn. That and you have the muscle to keep me from doing something stupid and wrecking any chance of a future with Cordy.”

“Are you completely daft?”

“Probably, but will you still do it.”

“All right, but don’t blame me if something bad happens that I can’t control.”

“I won’t, thanks William.”

He left as quietly as he had come, but he seemed a bit lighter with his steps. I was right I did owe him, especially for all the times I tried to kill him over the years. What overwhelmed me so much that I just sat there and pondered until almost dawn was that he claimed me as his childe. That claim meant a lot to me considering he had never even spoke of such things in over a hundred years.
That didn’t shock me as much as his statement about being his brother and friend. Something that touched me to the core. Angelus and I had been close at one time, he had been my mentor after I was first turned. It was he that showed me what being a vampire was all about, Dru was always too busy with her dolls or some such nonsense. I looked up to Angelus wanting to be just as bad and ruthless as he was. Still, after all this time I really think I like Angel more. I was proud that he had chosen me and I would stand beside him when that day comes as his brother, friend and childe.





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