Title: Afterglow 53/57

Author: T. Claybourne  (t.claybourne@yahoo.com)

Rating: Rated R most chapters for violence and Language, some are NC- 17 for sexual content

A/N I'd like to thank my Beta Reader Hawera And muses Michelle Branch, Robbie Williams and Evanescence

Wish they'd take you back
Cos you miss heaven
Too many bags to pack
So leave them where they are
Tonight you're flying on the golden dream.
Phoenix from the flames
We will rise together
They will know our names
Can you feel it
Shelter me from pain
I always wanna feel this way

Robbie Williams

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OK, thought Mia, first things first. Although she wasn't unduly modest, walking around completely naked in the lobby of the Hyperion without knowing what was happening wasn't something she wanted to do. She ran quietly up the stairs and went to the linen closet; she was relieved to find some towels in it. Pulling three out, she wrapped one around her: it was a large bath sheet and she felt well covered. She took the other two downstairs with her, looking around as she went. She felt rather overwhelmed. She had never expected to see this place again: it had a lot of memories for her.

She threw a towel at each of the men and yelled, "Wake Up!"

Angel roused himself and looked around. "What is this? We are in the …"

"Hyperion," finished Mia.

Angel started to get up but then noticed his state of undress. He turned away from Mia.

"I put a towel right there. Didn't really think of you as the shy type."

"I'm not, it's just…"

"Oh, cold tile?"

"Mia."

"Sorry. Just joking. It's only that I woke up naked too and well, what the fuck happened? Do you think I pissed them off by knocking you guys out?"

Angel turned around with his towel in place. He tilted his head slightly. "If *they* weren't pissed off, then I know *I*…"

"Well, that was the point, wasn't it? I'm not sure if I'm sorry about it, so...."

Angel grinned, "I've spent one day with you and I have seen you whack Spike in the head with a rock after he helped rescue you; I've done battle with super smelly mud monsters whose heads implode; I've seen you chop Shaquil O'Neil's long lost cousin in half after you fought with him so that you looked like some super military special operations agent from the movies; we've burnt from the inside out into ash and dust; we ended up in this weird white room where you broke a huge self-repairing wall of glass, with me, your hand and with the TV; and then you knocked both Spike and me out with a steel coffee table. Now we all wake up naked in the lobby of the Hyperion and you tell me you're not sure you're sorry about it."

"Welcome to my world," said Spike as he sat up. "Where are my clothes?"

Mia looked at him. "What part of the `we wake up naked in the Hyperion' did you not get?"

"The part where you just bloody stand there, looking at me."

Mia raised an eyebrow. Angel thought how similar that look was to one of Spike's.

"Seen it all before, I think I had that," She cocked her head towards him, " built up in my memory."

"Oooh- ooh-oooh-oooh," chuckled Angel as Spike stood and wrapped his towel around himself.

"Bloody hell, woman, s'not enough for you to knock me out, you have to make, what you know to be untrue, but nonetheless insulting, remarks about my manhood as well."

Mia grinned. "OK, you're right. That was too far, even for me. Sorry." She walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Oh shit, Spike. You're warm… warm." She put her ear to his chest, then she stepped back and stared at him. "I never thought I'd hear that. It seems so loud." Her eyes were wide with emotion.

After only a beat or two of staring deep into his eyes she moved over quickly and listened to Angel's chest. "You too, Angel. Your heart is beating."

Angel put his hand on her chest. He nodded then smiled broadly, "Mia your's feels strong, really strong."

"The whole thing was bullocks, just another game by The Powers That Be; see what we'd sodding do, sent us all back, flesh, and heart pumping blood."

>From the top of the stairs there came a squeal.

"Oh my, it can't be. I can't believe it! Wesley, hurry honey, It's Angel, they are here… right now! Get Gunn! Get Lorne! They are here! It's them ,really them!"

Fred was down the stairs and in Angel's arms a moment later. "Lorne had a vision, that early morning, before you went after Mia, that you'd be back." She pushed away from Angel and hugged Spike next. "He saw you sing, Spike. In his vision, he saw you all burn up: we came to save you, but we were too late." She switched to Mia, hugging her tightly. "Then he saw you coming here, to the Hyperion but…. "

"His vision was off date-wise." Wesley finished for her from the top of the stairs. He was grinning. "We expected you nine years ago. You have been gone ten years."

Gunn came behind him. "Damn!"

Lorne came out of the elevator. "At least I got part of it right, they are actually here. Are they human, Fredikins?"

Fred's eyes widened.

"All our hearts beat, and I woke up in a sunbeam with no smoke or flames, so…" Mia burst into a grin at the others' excitement, "… yes"

Gunn was down the stairs before Wes and lifted Mia into a hug. "Damn, girl. You go off, captured by some death god and you come back actually alive. How's that for irony?" He put her down and then looked a little embarrassed. He and Emma had never been that close, but they had been through several trials against death and evil together.

Mia smiled at him. "Good to see you too, Charles."

Gunn shook Spike's hand. " Kind of strange now with it being warm and you alive."

"Boss," he shook Angel's hand and then suddenly pulled him into a hug.

Gunn was talking with Spike and Angel when Wesley gathered Mia into a hug.

"We were so worried. But I knew if anyone would get out of it, you would. And now you are human. I can't tell you how happy this makes me, Mia," he said as he held her to him.

"Wes," Mia's voice cracked. "Let go before Fred gets jealous. I... am... only in a towel."

He chuckled and released her. When he pushed her back he had a sober, almost sad, look on his face.

"When you didn't return after a year we thought the vision must be wrong, we thought we had lost you. Xander, he…."

Mia could feel her heart beating fast and hard in her chest. Yes, she was definitely human.

"He mourned for several years but ……"

Mia swallowed the lump forming in her throat, and fought back the tears. "He kept his promise, he moved on," she finished for Wes.

"Yes."

Mia licked her lips, swallowed, took a breath, closed her eyes and reached for the locket that wasn't there. He had kept his promise: even if their separation had been only six days for her, it been ten years to him, and what counted now, was that he was happy.

"Is he happy?"

Wes tilted his head. "I believe so. He's been married for, I believe, five years now. They just had a baby a few months ago."

Spike, still smiling from something Gunn had said, joined them. "What are you two on about?" Mia smiled, "A baby."

She sighed. So there was solace in that. If they had been able to go back and change what had happened, he would never have had that. Vampires don't have babies. She held her smile as she faced Spike.

"Xander has been married five years, they just had a baby; which I think is wonderful. Wes, where are they living?"

"San Diego."

"Sunny San Diego. Did you know, it is the sunniest city in America?" Mia said as cheerfully as she could.

Spike looked at her with concern. "Pet, are you……."

Just then Buffy came through the front doors. " OK, Lorne called. What is the big emergency? I've told you that rearranging my regular patients is very difficult. We have to do the demon hunting at nigh…."

She stopped, swayed and sat down on the entrance steps, just staring at the three towel clad forms.

"Buffy?" Spike and Angel spoke at the same time.

They both stepped towards her, then stopped, Angel about two feet behind Spike.

Mia moved away and towards Fred who was just in front of the counter of the Hotel's original check-in desk.

"Fred, do you think I could borrow some of Wes's clothing? I don't think yours will fit. I'm feeling very exposed. And a room, right now, I really need a room."

Fred pulled herself away from the scene that was unfolding and went behind the desk. She gave Mia a key. "It has your clothes in it. We thought you would be coming back. Well, you know, we never got rid of them." Fred searched Mia's eyes. "Wes told you about Xander. Mia if you need…."

"I'll be fine. I made him promise that if anything ever happened to me he'd move on, Fred. He kept it."

"Has it been ten years for you?"

"What?"

"None of us asked. Where you were, was it ten years? I remember sometimes time moves different in other dimensions."

Mia swallowed, a tear dropping from her eye. Wiping it away, she replied. "No, Fred, not ten years, just one day."

Then she turned and walked up the stairs.

~ ~

Buffy had stared at the two men silently. Ten years they had been gone. A lot had gone on in her heart and mind. She loved them both and running into the arms of either one now would be the choice of her lifetime. Supposedly they were both human, if that part of Lorne's vision had been right.

"Human….are you…?"

It was Wes who supplied the answer. "Yes, all three of them."

"Oh."

That didn't make it any easier for her. Mia walked past and up the stairs. Buffy noticed that both of the men looked concerned, and watched her until she disappeared. Damn, thought Buffy, that woman definitely had a piece of each of their hearts now. Well that didn't make anything easier, or maybe it did. Buffy wondered how long they could all stare at each other. What would she do?

Spike could see the confusion in Buffy's eyes. Ten years was a long time for her. She'd mourned and moved on. Or maybe it was something else. It was different this time, not like that first time in L.A, the time he was with Emma. She hadn't jumped into his arms. And why, for sod sake, could he not get that smile of Mia's out of his mind, the one she'd worn when she'd said how wonderful it was Xander was married and had a baby. It had made him so sad to see it. Mia was happy that Xander was married and had a baby, and the way she had said it, boy, it was almost as if it was the Holy Grail. Frankly he didn't understand her reaction at all. He knew Mia and it hadn't been a lie: she was genuinely happy for Harris. So here he stood, staring at Buffy sitting on the steps, with Angel a few feet behind him probably hoping she'd run to him, and right now Spike wasn't sure if he'd be upset if she did. And now he wondered where that thought had come from.

Angel stared at Buffy and remembered the last time he was human. That one single day with her he'd had to give back to The Powers That Be. He remembered the picnic in the bed, and the …..But there was Spike. It had been obvious how she felt about Spike when they had been in England. It gave him hope that Buffy hadn't just run into Spike's arms. Angel wondered what was going through her mind: if she was involved with someone else; if she was happy now; and if he should just step away casually.

Buffy stood up. "This is a lot to take in. They must have told you it has been ten years. I never expected to see you again, either of you: much less alive and human. I'm going to put some of my training as a psychologist to use and be up front. I don't know what to do here. I feel like whoever I rush to will think I have chosen them as in my one true lifetime love. I mourned you both and I don't know who I… My feelings from the past are all intermingled and confused. I need some time."

"That's fair, love."

Spike wondered if the kiss test he'd used on Mia a few months ago might work, but he was pretty sure Buffy would turn him down. Team Angel all looking on didn't increase the odds. Besides, with all the things running through his head, perhaps he needed to wait too.

"I hate doing this, but I agree with Spike," added Angel.

The word hope reverberated in Angel's head. Something was up with Spike because he was more the, want it, take it, type of guy, and he would have normally demonstrated to Buffy that he wanted her by now. Of course, a lot had happened to Spike ,Mia and himself: and something had definitely just happened with Mia, he could tell the way she'd carried herself as she'd climbed the stairs earlier.

Mia came down the stairs. She was dressed, and her hair was unbraided and wet. She wore her leather coat and locket, the coat flying out behind her as she made her way. "Hey, check you out," said Gunn, "looking all like yourself again."

"Is it August?" asked Mia.

"Yep."

"Well, guess I'll be leaving the coat behind." She grinned, " Have to worry about the heat now."

"Yes, one of the things you will have to get used to again," smiled Wes.

Angel turned, "Where are you going?"

"Out: out in the sun!"

He stared at her a moment, glanced at Buffy and then back at Mia. His eyes sparkled.

"Fred?" asked Mia.

Fred handed her a key. "This has all Angel's clothes." Then she handed Mia another key. " Spike's."

Mia threw Angel the key. "Take a long look in the bathroom mirror, Angel. I bet you don't remember what you really look like. It's only been a few months for me but I'd forgotten my eyes were so blue, even with my digital camera."

Angel turned and went up the stairs.

Spike didn't turn. He wanted to go with the other two, and how completely off was that, him wanting to spend time with Angel. But he wasn't sure what he should do about this Buffy thing.

Buffy could see that Spike wanted to go. It had actually been cute how excited Angel had gotten. And now she watched Spike wrestle with himself about leaving and joining the others.

"Go," said Buffy with a small smile.

Mia threw Spike his key, and he ran up the stairs. Buffy walked over to Mia.

"You look good. I'm jealous."

"It's only been one day for us," Mia stated flatly.

"Oh." Buffy was clearly shocked. "I don't know why, I thought…this is worse."

"So you're not with anyone? No marriage and children?"

"They told you about Xander? He had trouble giving up hope that you would return. We made him. You made him very happy, Mia. It was hard on him when … This will be so hard for him, knowing that for you it was only a day. He is happy now. Please don't go and mess up his new life, he …"

Clothed, Spike and Angel headed down the stairs at the same time.

Mia raised her voice. " MESS UP HIS NEW LIFE!! I NEVER WANTED ANYTHING BUT FOR HIM TO BE SAFE and HAPPY. Do you think I'm going to do something to change that?! I love Xander. I would never do anything to damage the happiness he's found. Buffy, have you forgotten what I am like ? I know ten of your years have passed and that the last time you saw me I had a demon in me, but even then, never did I do anything to hurt those you loved. In fact I remember that you practically used extortion on me to get me to stay in London because you knew I wouldn't hurt them."

Mia threw her hands up quickly, then put them on her hips and sighed. "I am through apologizing for this but when I became a vampire I lost myself and who I was, so I had to leave here and that meant I had to leave Spike too. I know I hurt him but he seemed to get over it and accept me, why can't you? I am no one special now: I carry no special dark power, I carry no burden, I am not the one and only, so you should not feel threatened, or any resentment when you look at me. I'm sorry I've managed to die and come back three times, once more than you. I realize it may upset you that both Spike and Angel care about me. You'd better just get over it, because this time I'm not giving up them or their friendship just to make you happy. I realize that Xander is one of your best friends and that you feel you have to protect him, but to suggest that I would do something to change his life and happiness is worse than any punch in the nose you have given me. It's …it's…" Mia's voice cracked, "….cruel."

Mia turned away from Buffy and walked out of the front door.

No one said anything. Buffy looked around her. Everyone looked angry, and she knew what she had done. She had taken her own confusion with the Angel and Spike situation along with her surprise at their obvious care for Mia and projected all her worries onto the woman. She held up her hand. "Before anyone says anything, I know I just screwed up. I think that today has been a little overwhelming for me and I accidentally took it out on Mia. Angel or Spike, one of you should go after her."

Buffy was surprised when they both went. The fact that neither of them said a word to her and that she saw a slight narrowing of both men's eyes was not lost on Buffy. One day had made a lot of difference to those three, thought Buffy. Just what had happened to them, she wondered. What would they all do now?