Title: Silver Lining

Author: Ricki

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Note: Sequel to Red. Angel's POV back in Sunnydale, he never left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I smiled as I heard Cord and Buffy chattering away, making up for lost time. We've just defeated the Gentlemen, demons that took everyone's voice away. I personally didn't the mind the silence that much, it allowed more time for uninterrupted thinking. I know, I know, just what I need more thinking but in silence you find yourself thinking about what you wouldn't when there's noise around. My thoughts turned to those around me when our voices were first stolen away and how they have all changed so much since we first met.

First there is Giles. There was one man who had his picture in the dictionary next to the word RUT when we first met. He never met a tradition he didn't like, unless it had to do with some sort of violent sacrifice. You would never think the changes in him couldn't have happened let alone in two years.

Two years, has it only been that long, it like a lot longer. Two years since the catalytic action had taken place. Two years since we had nearly crushed a delicate flower of a girl only to realize that the flower had thorns that cut our flesh with a vengeance. Two years since Willow had left.

Anyway, back to Giles. After Willow was gone his guilt led him to step up his research by himself not wanting to burden anyone else with it. For a time we would assemble ready for an all night session to find he had done everything already. That ended rather quickly though when he was nearly hospitalized for exhaustion. After a brief stint off from the library and watching and a good talking to by Jenny he agreed to let the others help. He even learned how to use a computer.

Jenny came clean after we learned of our friend running away. She told us that she was a member of the gypsy clan that cursed me, sent to watch me. There were some hurt feelings but everyone got over it especially since she didn't harbour any of the feelings that were supposedly prevalent among her people about me. She, unlike them, knew me as a person.

Buffy was another story altogether. At first she refused that Willow had even left, she insisted that the redhead was simply staying with someone that they wee aware of, even after the workers were finished with the Rosenberg residence and the girl didn't return. It had been two months after Willow's leaving that Buffy finally admitted that her friend wasn't returning, however she refused to acknowledged anyone's involvement in the events leading to why the girl would leave. According to Buffy Willow was selfish and had abandoned her because the redhead was jealous of the blonde.

I was smart enough not bring up the subject when we were alone. I still loved Buffy and didn't want to fight with her over something we really couldn't change. Especially when she's got a head as hard as concrete when it comes to things like this. I remember would do anything then because I loved her. I ignored my own feelings of dread because I loved her.

Those feelings had come on her seventeenth birthday and I had ignored them because I loved her too much. That was the night that I lost my soul. That was the worst night of my life. What followed was months of psychological torture and mayhem. I killed Jenny as retribution for her people cursing me, that and she was trying to curse me again. I believe that I would have eventually killed them all if it hadn't been for Amy.

Amy, the girl whose mother had stolen her body to relive her glory days as a cheerleader. She had grown into a rather powerful young witch and had been working with Willow as it turned out teaching the hacker the craft. She helped out a few times with spells to fight evil with her new friend gone and wanted to do something to make the world a better place. She found Jenny's work on the curse and had finished it, she had even removed the happiness clause. Unfortunately if was a little too late, Buffy had to send me hell to seal the vortex I had opened. It was also Amy who had returned to this plane once she learned that I had been condemned with my soul in tact.

It was when I returned from hell that I met Faith. She is Kendra's replacement and nothing like either her or Buffy. Faith was tough and she knew it, she never whined about being the slayer. That I learned was because the reality of dying young for a world that doesn't really know you exist was still better than the reality that she had before being called.

Faith had come because Buffy had run away after sending me to hell. I was glad for her when I saw how the Scooby gang had accepted her and helped her like they had Buffy. It was even better that they didn't try to force her into Buffy's shoes. Personally I think it was because they hadn't been all that impressed with the blonde's attitude since Willow's departure. Their acceptance was I think what kept Faith with us when the accident occurred.

While fighting the mayor who wanted to ascend to a very, very, horrible demon Faith had mistakenly staked a human being creeping around in the shadows. The gang had quickly learned what had happened and had helped her through it. They covered for the police, ensured her that neither Giles nor Wesley, her new watcher, would turn on her, and gave her all the support she needed.

For my part, I had her move into the mansion with me to get her out of that horrid little motel she was staying in, it was a small gesture but one that helped her a lot. We quickly got to be good friends, exchanging stories of wild times and travels, something we both enjoy. She always said that one of her only regrets since coming to Sunnydale was not getting a chance to meet the redhead that some of her closest friends miss so much. I can only hope that one day she can.

The biggest changes have undoubtedly been in Xander and Cordelia. They were Willow's best friend and worst enemy. When the Scooby gang was first started I could barely stand them and because of her leaving they are now some of my closest friends who I am honoured to know.

They always felt the most guilt for what happened, Xander for not seeing it and breaking a promise and Cordelia being so mean she thought she drove Willow to leave. The night they both broke down in the hallway after learning that she had run away they vowed to become better people and they've kept it. They are both kind, generous, loving people who I would give my life for without blinking.

They started doing their work in school. Cordy had always decent grades but had found herself near the top of the class when she put effort into her studies. Xander surprised us all by graduating with a B average. It seems underneath all those hormones he did had some intelligence, he was just lax because he had always had Willow there to help him. It was those two that helped Faith earn her GED and helped Buffy with her work that she still slack off on.

They also helped a lot more with research, becoming more fluent with a few dead languages from the books to give Giles a hand. They were so efficient by the time that Buffy ran off they dusted six out of ten vamps when they went patrolling. They had found the strength together to get through the absence of one of their best friends, the demons of the hellmouth, and their personal demons.

Mid way through their senior year Mr. Chase had been caught for tax fraud they had lost everything. I know that if it hadn't been for Xander being at her side at all times she would had never made it, but he was and she did. She thought her life was over, she didn't really know what to do with herself. She had been raised to be pretty and she had worked to save the world but we all helped out and she survived. It was surveying the carnage at graduation that she finally decided what she wanted to do with her life. She was deeply bothered by all the blood and damage that had happened to her classmates and wanted to help people but all people not just those with demon related problems.

Xander himself had problems. His father's abuse had gotten steadily worse and he had finally had enough and hit the older man, much to the surprise to his father. We were planning our attack on the mayor at the mansion when Cordelia burst through the door with a practically catatonic Xander soaked to the bone from the rain that was outside. It was that night that he told her that he didn't want any other child to go through what he had to when he was growing up.

So, Cordelia, Xander, Amy, and Buffy are all currently still in school. Amy is in L.A. studying history before she starts her training as a watcher. She also keeps us up on the big evil there if she needs help. Xander, Cordy, and I are always ready to go to her aid. Xander is majoring in child psychology aiming to be a social worker working with abused children. Cordelia is taking pre-med courses training to be an EMT. Its perfect for her, seeing as how she can keep her head in some of the most stressful situations I've ever seen. Buffy's sort of floating, taking general courses with the attitude that she'll never use them slaying but she wants a normal life. She goes to frat parties, barely makes deadlines, and is even dating a college guy.

Giles got a new job when the library was blown up at graduation. Gone is the stuttering, stuffy British watcher/librarian. In his place stands a clam, collected college mythology prof who gets goosed through his fitted jeans by his braver female students.

Faith and Wesley are in India taking care of an infestation of Lopopos demons. Her last letter told of her new experiences and all the things she's seen. She also looks pretty good in a sari too.

I myself have opened up quite a bit. I had to, I was so afraid of losing all my friends the way I had Willow. I'm not dating Buffy now, haven't since my return from hell. I help her but we're only friends. Faith and I write all the time and Amy taught me all about ICQ. Cordelia and Xander are living with me at the mansion. It's the least I can do considering that they are completely responsible for all of their expenses. They have enough to worry about with tuition and food, free rent is something I'm happy to provide.

All in all the changes around the hell mouth have been for the better, its just too bad that we had to hurt someone we cared about and lose them for these changes to happen.