Title: A Series of Fortunate Accidents

Rated: PG

Summary:  Sometimes it takes a series of accidents to bring about the most wonderful events.

 

A/N: Written for Rachel. She wanted Puppet Angel fluff and sent out a challenge. Requests/requirements at the end. Hope it’s what you wanted hon!

 

A/N 2: Italics indicate Angel’s thoughts. Some lines in the first part of this story are taken directly from the Smile Time transcript.

 

 

 

            Nina had just left the room. Angel crawled out from underneath the desk. He dropped his head into his hands with a groan. This was a nightmare. He was a puppet, a felt puppet. His nose even came off!

 

            He was in the middle of working himself up into a good grumbling rant when Spike walked in asking for a car.

 

            “Look at you,” Spike stared without shame.

 

            “Spike, just walk away,” Angel warned.

 

            “You’re a—“ Spike was still staring at him, mouth slightly agape. A smile played around his eyes.

 

            “Spike!” Angel roared.

 

            “You’re a bloody puppet!” Spike howled with laughter. “Oh, this is priceless. You’ll go down in vampire fame along with the Prince of Lies. Angelus, the scourge of felt!”

 

            Angel launched himself from his chair and caught Spike around the neck. Spike stumbled back against the couch, laughing too hard to fight back.

 

            “You’re a wee little puppet man! Ow!”  Spike yelled as Angel punched him in the face. For a puppet, he still packed quite a punch.

 

            “Ow! Hey! That’s enough!” Spike yelled and pushed Angel off of him, tossing the puppet high in the air.

 

            “Angel, what the hell happened to you? You look ridiculous,” Spike asked as he got to his feet.

 

            Angel grumbled. “Get out of here, Spike.” He turned and stalked toward his desk. “And shut the door behind you.”

 

            He sighed once Spike had left his office. He’d rather keep this puppet thing between him, Fred, Wes, Gunn and Lorne. Angel hopped up in his chair and curled up to take a nap. Becoming a puppet, the excitement involved and fighting with Spike had worn him out. He needed some rest if they were going to figure out what was going on.

 

*

 

            Harmony bopped in time to the music coming from her headphones. She just had to finish up a couple of thing and she could head to lunch. One of the things required was making sure a copy of this report on the crazy slayer, Dana, got mailed to Buffy.

 

            Harmony poked her head into Angel’s office. The Boss was no where to be seen. She walked over to his desk to lay a copy of the report there and spied the puppet lying in Angel’s desk chair. She rolled her eyes. It had started with the pig Angel had sent Buffy in Rome. Then it was a cow in a Santa Claus hat and draped with Christmas lights. After that it had been flowers and a huge basket from Bath and Bodyworks full of vanilla stuff for her birthday.

 

            “Little late for Valentines Day there, Boss,” Harmony grumbled, but she gathered up the puppet along with the report about Dana. Within moments she had the puppet secure in a box addressed to Buffy Summers in Rome, Italy. No doubt he’d want the package sent over night express so Buffy wouldn’t realize how late he was with Valentine’s Day.

 

            “One of these days, I’m going to find a guy who sends me stuffed animals and has puppets of himself specially made for me,” Harmony sighed as the Fed Ex man took the package away.

 

*

           

 

            “Dawnie! Can you get the door?” Buffy yelled from her bedroom.

 

            Dawn grumbled and got to her feet. She opened the door the Fed Ex delivery man.  She signed for the package and groused even further when she found out that the package was from LA.

 

            “Oh Gawd, it’s from Angel. Probably something else stuffed and smelling like whatever cologne he wears. You’d think almost a decade he’d get different cologne.”

 

            Buffy flounced into the room with a huge grin on her face. “I happen to like his cologne. It smells like…” she searched for the right word, “home.”

 

            “You’ve been reading Harlequin Romance Novels again, haven’t you?” Dawn accused.

 

            “Hush,” Buffy teased and tore open the Fed Ex box. Packing peanuts went flying and Buffy squealed with delight as she clutched the contents of the package to her chest. “Ohmigod! Have you ever seen anything so cute in your entire life?”

 

            Buffy snuggles and Buffy breasts…this might not be so bad.

 

            Dawn arched an eyebrow at her and crossed her arms over her chest. “What is it?”

 

            Buffy let go of the puppet long enough to thrust it toward Dawn so she could see it.

 

            “Ewww, that’s creepy.”

 

            Creepy? I am not creepy! I’m-okay I’m a puppet and I know puppets can be kind of creepy.

 

            Buffy gasped. “He’s so cute! How can you think that? He looks just like Angel.” She clutched him to her chest again and took a deep breath. A smile spread across her face. “He smells like him.” She wrinkled her nose. “Somehow, he even feels like him.” She had that tingly tangle feeling deep inside of her. The feeling only Angel gave her.

 

            Ha! Buffy thinks I’m cute. Mmm Buffy snuggles.

 

            “Who has a puppet made of themselves?” Dawn was still giving the puppet a disgusted look.

 

            “I think it’s sweet. I’m going to call him, say thanks and then me and Puppet Angel are going to have a chick flick marathon with ice cream,” Buffy said as she walked to her room, still clutching the puppet to her chest.

 

            Would that be Cookie dough-fudge-mint-chip ice cream?

 

*

 

            Buffy had gone to the market for the morning. Dawn was in her room on the phone.  Angel could hear her flirting with some boy she went to school with. He carefully got up from his spot on the bed and jumped down. He closed the door softly. He wanted to find out things about Buffy’s life, what she was doing, did she have a boyfriend, things he couldn’t ask her for obvious reasons. There was only one solution. He would snoop.

 

            He looked through her closet first. Angel chuckled softly as he noticed she still wore ridiculous shoes with high heels on them.  She had always worn heeled shoes.  He noticed with a frown that she didn’t wear as many colors as she used too. Gone were the reds, the pinks, even the soft blues. She was left with mostly creams, white and black.  He remembered with a pang how lovely she looked in pink.

 

            His next stop was her dresser. He climbed to the top. Her jewelry box was open. He was surprised to find the cross he’d given her all those years ago tucked deep inside. There were other things, things he was pretty sure belonged to Joyce. 

 

            Carefully, Angel slid open the top drawer on her dresser.  His mouth fell open. It was Buffy’s underwear drawer.  He gulped and lifted a skimpy piece of bright red silk. If Buffy lacked color in her clothing, she made up for it in her panties. He picked up a royal blue scrap of lace and held it up.

 

            Thongs? When did Buffy start wearing thongs? Wow, Buffy wears thongs…

 

            He started when he heard footsteps and fell off the edge of the dresser, right into the open panty drawer.

           

            Ohgodohgodohgodohgod

 

            He sat up just as Buffy threw her bedroom door open. He went limp, draping himself over the drawer.

 

            Buffy sat down her bottle of water. She glanced up and laughter bubbled from her lips.  The sight of puppet Angel sitting in her panty drawer, a blue thong caught on his spiky hair and a red one over one ear was just too funny. Buffy collapsed on the bed in peals of laughter.

 

            “Nice joke, Dawn!” Buffy yelled.

 

            After a moment the brunette teenager poked her head into Buffy’s room. “Huh?”

 

            Buffy smirked and pointed at Angel, still in her panty drawer and still covered in thongs.

 

            A frown creased Dawn’s forehead. “I didn’t do that.”

 

            Buffy snorted. “It’s okay. I’m not mad. In fact I think I’m gonna take a picture.  I’ll save it and send it to Will someday when she’s feeling down.”

 

            Oh God, please no pictures. This-I do not need this moment preserved forever.

 

            Buffy rummaged in her nightstand until she came up with a digital camera. She snapped a couple of pictures.

 

            “Hey, Dawnie, go stand next to him.”

 

            Dawn snorted. “You want me to stand next to creepy puppet Angel who somehow got in your underwear drawer so you can take my picture? No way.”

 

            “Oh quit pretending you didn’t put him there. If you’re not going to be in a picture than I want you to take a picture of me holding him,” she said as she fished the puppet out of the drawer. She removed the thong from his ear and the one from his head. Buffy slid the drawer shut. She snuggled Angel close and smiled brightly at Dawn took a couple of pictures.

 

            Great. This is wonderful. I’m a bloody puppet and Buffy has it captured on film. Not only that she has pictures of puppet me in her underwear drawer! She’ll think I’m a pervert. This is just great.

 

*

 

            Buffy unlocked the front door. She and Dawn walked in and collapsed on the couch. Buffy propped her feet up on the coffee table and sighed. “That was fun.”

 

            Dawn grinned. “Yeah it was. I still can’t believe you took the uber creepy puppet with us. I swear I should have asked for a discount at the attractions. They totally would have bought that you were mentally handicapped lugging that thing around.”

 

            Buffy stuck her tongue out at Dawn and fished the puppet out of the oversized bag she’d taken on their day trip.  “He’s cute. Everyone said so.”

 

            She’s got a point. Not that I particularly like having people pull my hair and pet me and tell me how cute I am. It’s different when it’s Buffy…

 

            “Yeah, except for that baby that cried every time she caught sight of him during the Vatican tour,” Dawn smirked.

 

            Hey! That’s not fair.

 

            Buffy pouted. “Obviously a demon child.” She held the puppet out from her and grinned. “How can you not think he’s adorable?” She rubbed her nose against his.

 

            Yeah…how can you not think she’s adorable and in the sunlight…

 

            Dawn arched an eyebrow at her. “Sorry, still going with weird.” She got up from the couch with a yawn. “I think I’m gonna take a nap. Are we doing anything tonight?”

 

            Buffy shook her head. “Nah, pizza maybe. I’m gonna run these digital pictures down to the copy place and see if I can fax them to Angel’s office.”

 

            “Have you heard from him yet?”

 

            “Angel? No, I mean I’m sure he’s busy with the fighting evil and all. You think I should call Wes and check up on him?” Buffy asked.

 

            No, no, no, do not call Wes.

 

            “Give him a couple more days, like you said big with the fighting evil.”

 

            Whew! Okay I can almost forgive you for calling me creepy, almost.

 

*

 

            Buffy was out patrolling. Dawn was asleep. Angel only had a couple of hours to do this.  He slipped down from his place on Buffy’s bed and padded across the room. He was happy Buffy hadn’t shut her door all the way. That could have been a problem.  He snuck down the hall, pausing to make sure that Dawn was still soundly asleep. He was thankful he hadn’t lost the vampire hearing when he’d been turned into a puppet. Vampire senses came in handy when snooping.

 

            Dawn’s cell phone was sitting on the kitchen table where she always tossed it when she walked in the house. He crawled up on the chair and then the table, snagging the phone. His felt fingers were clumsy. He jumped down from the table and went outside on the small balcony of the apartment. 

 

            It took him three times to dial Buffy’s number. Dawn answered on the fourth ring.

 

            “Hey, Dawn, its Angel. Is Buffy there?” Puppet Angel asked.

 

            Dawn’s voice sounded sleep fogged.  “Lemme check.”

 

            He cringed and peeked around the corner of the door as Dawn padded into the living room. She walked back down the hall and poked her head into Buffy’s room. “Nah, she’s gone patrolling,” Dawn finally decided.

 

            Angel breathed a sigh of relief as Dawn walked back into her own room and shut the door. “Tell her I called will you?”

 

            “Sure, oh by the way, she loves the puppet thing you sent.”

 

            Puppet Angel smiled. “Good. I’m glad. I’ll call back some other time. Things are really crazy here, but she can leave me a voice mail.”

 

            “K,” Dawn yawned.

 

            “And Dawnie, tell her I love her.”

 

            “Huh? Okay…are you sure you’re not going into an apocalypse?” Dawn sounded a little more alert.           

 

            “No, things are fine here. Normal, more then normal since there are no apocalypses. I just wanted her to know,” Angel back tracked, trying to make sure Dawn wasn’t worried enough to mention it to Buffy.

 

            “Okay, sure then. I’m going back to sleep. It’s like one in the morning here. Bye, Angel.”

 

            She hung up before Angel could say bye to her. He sagged against the side of the building, glad that his deception seemed to have worked. He didn’t want to deceive Buffy, but he wasn’t ready to go back to life as a C.E.O at Wolfram and Hart.

 

*

 

 

            Angel sat on Buffy’s bed. She was out having a frappachino, or some kind of chino. It’d taken him exactly one night to decide that being cuddled by Buffy all night (and most of the waking hours she was there) was a much better option then being the C.E.O. of Hell.

 

            He watched as Dawn walked into Buffy’s room. She gave him a look that said ewww. She was still a little disgusted by the thought of him.  She shrugged and walked into Buffy’s bathroom.  He listened as Dawn brushed her teeth. There was clink of glass against porcelain and Dawn cursed.  Angel stood up and scuttered over to the foot of the bed where he could see Dawn. She’d dropped a glass. It had broken but she didn’t notice. She placed the glass back next to the sink. Angel collapsed limply on the foot of the bed as Dawn turned around.

 

            Dawn’s forehead wrinkled and she gave him an odd look. “Weren’t you….against the pillows?” She shook her head. “Okay, Dawn imagining things. The only puppets that move are the ones in horror movies, which my life resembles sometimes.” She considered walking into the kitchen, getting a butcher knife and stabbing Puppet Angel. Buffy would never forgive her if she ruined her favorite stuffed toy.

 

            Dawn shrugged, picked up Puppet Angel and set him back against the bed pillows. She’d keep an eye on him; make sure there was no creepy 360 degree head turning going on.

 

            Angel had been here six days. At first he’d felt guilty about it. He had a mission, a destiny, but that was working out –so- well for him.  He was better off here. If the Powers that Be wanted to get off their collective asses and redeem their champion, well they were going to have to get off their collective asses because he was staying right where he was, on Buffy’s bed, in Buffy’s arms.

 

            Speaking of which, the object of his affection was walking back in her room. He took a deep breath. She smelled like sunshine and vanilla. He could also smell the coffee she’d had, something sugary sweet. She smelled happy.  She looked happy too, much better then she had the last time he’d seen her.  She was eating better, sleeping better then she had in years. She always had slept better when he lay next to her. On a conscious level, she had no idea it was him, but subconsciously was a different story. He felt her and he knew she felt him. Lying next to Buffy, it didn’t matter if he was a puppet. He was pretty sure when she closed her eyes, she felt the same way.

 

            Buffy slid off her shoes and flopped down on the bed next to him. She took the puppet in her arms and snuggled him close. She proceeded to tell him about her morning.

 

            Buffy kissed the top of the puppet’s head and nuzzled him with her nose. “Blech, I need to get ready. Dawn wants to go to some Italian place tonight. Okay, so they’re all Italian here, but not the point. I never realized you can get tired of pasta. She rolled onto her back, tucking Angel closer to her and glanced at the clock. “Geez, really got to hurry.”

 

            She laid him in the middle of the bed and got up to go in the bathroom. Angel could just see her out of the corner of his eye. She was brushing her teeth.  She reached for the broken glass that Dawn had set up there earlier. She was going to get cut; he could almost see her bright red blood spilling over her perfect hands.

 

            “NO! Buffy, the glass is broken!” He shouted and then clamped a felt hand over his mouth.

 

            Buffy spun around in time to see Puppet Angel fall to the floor, apparently limp. She glanced at the glass on the counter. It was broken and had she picked it up she would have sliced open her hand. She walked cautiously to the floor where the puppet lay limp. “Angel?”

 

            Don’t move, don’t move, don’t move. Maybe she’ll think she’s hearing things. Don’t. Move.

 

            Buffy covered her mouth with her hand. Tears glittered in her eyes. She swiped the back of her hand across her mouth and shook her head. “I thought I’d heard you, Angel, whoever. I thought he was here. I thought maybe he’d decided he was so tired of waiting for me to become cupcakes…”

 

            Cupcakes? I thought it was cookies…

 

            “And I thought maybe he’d decided he couldn’t stand to live without me anymore, curse or no, destiny or no. I guess…God, I’m so stupid to think a couple of presents could mean that Angel wants a life with me now.” Tears teetered on the edge of her lashes and then tumbled over, glossing her cheeks with their wetness.

           

            He couldn’t stand this. There were too many years he hadn’t been there when she’d cried. He knew it was going to blow his cover and every hope he had of staying with Buffy, and he couldn’t help it. Angel couldn’t stand to see Buffy cry, not when he could fix it.

 

            “Shhh, I’m here, Buffy. And I can’t live without you. I never could,” he reached up and wiped her tears away.

 

            She glanced up at him in total shock. “Angel?”

 

            He nodded and caught sight of his felt hand against her cheek.  He scuffed his foot sheepishly on the floor. “I’m sorry. I guess I’ve got some explaining to do.”

 

*

 

            “So, you’re stuck this way?” Buffy asked. She was sitting cross legged on her bed, Puppet Angel cuddled in her lap. “I mean, I have to admit, you’re soooo cute. And cuddling next to you at night... okay so now I’m creeping myself out a little.”

 

            “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to anyone at Wolfram and Hart since Harmony sent me here by mistake.  Obviously they haven’t found a way to change me back long distance though.”

 

            Buffy nodded. “Maybe you should call. I mean, not that I want you to leave. I like having you here.”

 

            Puppet Angel smiled as best he could. He snuggled up against Buffy one last time and sighed. “Alright, let’s figure out a way to get me not felt and then we’ll talk about that.”

 

            “Talk, really talk or you make decisions for me?”

 

            “You decided on the cookie thing,” he pointed out.

 

            She sighed. “True, okay so we’ll really talk and not make decisions for each other.” She hugged him tightly one last time before releasing him, tears glinting in her green gray eyes.

 

*

 

            They were snuggling in her bed. He was still a puppet but Wes had sent Wolfram and Hart’s private jet after them. He knew it was only a matter of time before they figured this out and returned him to normal. Angel treasured the feeling her body next to his (well sort of his). He wasn’t sure when he’d get to do this again and he was certain that it would never again come without the wanting and needing that lying in Buffy’s arms always brought, except as a puppet. As a puppet, Angel was content to be snuggled by Buffy. He didn’t want more, he didn’t need more. Suddenly the temptation to call Wes back and tell him to change it, take it back was almost overwhelming. Only Buffy’s strong arms kept him there.

 

            “So private jet on its way,” Buffy whispered.

           

            “Yeah,” Angel’s voice sounded more then a little regretful. It felt like those last few minutes of the Day that Wasn’t. Buffy was slipping through his fingers, tiny grains of sand he could never get back.

           

            “And then what?”

 

            Angel shrugged. “Wes figures out how to change me back.”

 

            Buffy took a deep breath. “And then what?”

 

            Angel swallowed hard. He knew she was asking what happened to them when things were back to normal, when he was no longer a puppet. “I don’t know. Let’s talk about it when I’m not felt, because right now I’m having a hard time finding reasons to leave this place.”

 

*

 

            Buffy walked into Wolfram and Hart carrying Puppet Angel. He would have been mortified to have anyone else carry him, with Buffy he didn’t mind. Buffy walked up to Harmony’s desk.

 

            “Hi, Harmony. First of all I suppose I should thank you for sending Angel to me, secondly I think Wes is expecting us.”

 

            Harmony looked up with a bright smile. “Buffy, you’re looking…well…you haven’t changed at all. And, Boss I had no idea it was you when I put you in that Fed Ex box. I mean I would have cut air holes or something if I’d known. Not that you need to breathe-“

 

            “Harmony, its fine,” Angel interrupted. “Please let Wes know we’re here.”

 

            “Wow, you sound just like Angel. That’s amazing. So can you do all the things Angel can do? I mean like fight not the gross stuff because ewww—you didn’t do the gross stuff? Did you?”

 

            Angel scowled. “Harmony, Wes. Now!”

 

            Harmony jumped. “Geez, good to know that becoming a puppet didn’t affect your cheerful demeanor any.”

 

            Angel grumbled and Buffy set him down on the ground.  He started toward Wes’ office, Buffy trailing after him.

 

            “Oh look, it’s the wee little puppet man-“

 

            Buffy turned. She knew that voice. She stared in shock at Spike standing in the lobby.

 

            “And the slayer…”

 

            “Spike?” Buffy gasped.

 

            “In the incredibly handsome flesh,” he tried to cover the pain at seeing Buffy again.

 

            “You-I-the last time I saw you-“

 

            “I was a pillar of flame, yeah. Turns out I had a destiny, well more of a destiny,” Spike said with a glare to Angel.

 

            Angel sighed. He had been afraid that Spike hadn’t told Buffy about being alive. He walked over and touched Buffy’s hand. Buffy looked down, shock still painting her features. “I’m going to talk to Wes. Spike can show you where his office is when you’re done talking.”

 

            Buffy nodded mutely. She looked back up at Spike. She reached out and brushed her fingers over his leather coat. She shook her head. “You-why didn’t you tell me you were alive?”

 

            “What was I gonna say, Pet? Hello, Luv, its Spike. Yeah, not a pillar of flame anymore. How are you? Look I was gonna call you, a hundred times, but I didn’t know what to say to you, how to tell you.”

           

            Buffy shook her head. “You should have told me. I-I would have liked to know.”

 

            “Why? So you could convince you and yours that my death didn’t matter? That good ol’ Spike hadn’t changed.” Spike taunted.

 

            She slapped him hard across the face. Spike recoiled and glanced up at her.

 

            “I would never insinuate that your sacrifice didn’t matter. You of all people should know I would –never- think that.  You saved us. Without you, we would have all died. That doesn’t get belittled just because you’re back. Which for the record, I’m glad. I missed you, Spike.”

 

            Spike gulped. He glanced at her warily. “Missed you too, Luv.”

 

            Buffy sighed. This made things infinitely harder for her. She loved Angel but she didn’t want to hurt Spike.

 

            “Look, Luv, we’ll talk later. You go help make the Big Pouf a real ponce again.” He turned and started to walk away. He stopped and glanced back. “I know you love him. I’m not gonna get in the way of that.”

 

            He was gone before Buffy could respond.

 

*

 

 

            “Okay, so tell me everything you know about this spell that changed Angel into the cutest puppet I’ve ever seen,” Willow said with a grin.

 

            Angel grumbled and Buffy leaned over to place a kiss on his head. “You are the cutest puppet ever, whether you want to admit it or not.”

 

            Fred stifled a giggle. She had been the one to suggest calling in Willow. None of them trusted Wolfram and Hart’s mystics to cast a spell on Angel. They had wanted Angelus out for too long.  They had known Willow was bringing Dawn with her; Buffy didn’t like the idea of the teenager in Rome all by herself for more then a couple of nights. They hadn’t known Willow was bringing Oz. The redhead had grinned at Buffy and said they had a lot of girl talk catching up to do.

 

            “Spike, Gunn, Fred and I shut down the Smile Time show. Fred and I used this spell,” Wes slid a copy of the spell across the table to Willow, “to break up the power center. I had thought that the breaking of the power center would be enough to reverse the spell on Angel, however I’m afraid that the distance from the power center prevented that from holding true.”

 

            Willow pursed her lips and nodded. “You’re probably right.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and glanced over the spell. “I’ve been researching on the plane and I think I’ve got jet lag. Is there a place to get a mocha here?”

 

            Buffy stood up and held out her hand. “Come on, I’ll take you up to the restaurant. We can have our mochas, dish some girl talk and come back down here to research. “

 

            Willow took Buffy’s hand and they started out of the office. They heard Angel grumble as they left.

 

            “You realize they’re going to talk about us.”

 

            Oz shrugged in response.  It was one of those Oz shrugs that said more then most people say in a paragraph. Willow blushed pink and grinned. She’d forgotten about that shrug somehow.

 

            Buffy showed remarkable restraint in waiting to ask about Oz until they had their mochas and were cozily ensconced in a booth near the back of the restaurant inside Wolfram and Hart.

 

            “Okay, I’m dying! Where did you pick up Oz?”

 

            Willow giggled. She stirred her mocha as she spoke. “Remember the slayer Giles located in Turkey? Well it turns out she didn’t live far from Istanbul, so one weekend we went there to do some shopping for her family. Believe it or not, I literally ran into Oz in the open air market.  He didn’t act surprised at all, almost like he’d just been waiting for me there.”

 

            “Wow, so instant sparkage again?”

 

            Willow smiled and shrugged a little. “He was Oz. I mean it’s the way it’s always been with Oz. There-I don’t know how to explain it. It was like he’d never left, you know?”

 

            Buffy beamed at her friend and smiled. “Yeah, I know exactly what you’re talking about. Angel and I always seem to pick up right where we left off, no matter how many years go by.”

 

            “So what about Angel? Were you wigged out?”

 

            It was Buffy’s turn to find her mocha fascinating. “At first, sort of-I mean once I found out it was Angel. I think-I don’t know because this sounds even weirder, but he always felt like Angel to me. He-it’s like you said, it was Angel, even before I knew. It’s hard to explain.”

 

            “So it’s not weird that he’s a puppet now?” Willow asked.

 

            “Yes, when I think about it, but if I don’t think about it-it’s almost like I don’t notice. I mean I’m not turned on by him or anything because puppet. It’s just-like his game face. It’s not that I’m attracted to it; it’s that I don’t notice it. It doesn’t matter because all I see when I look at him is Angel. Human face, game face, felt face, it’s all just packaging. When I look at Angel, I see his soul and I love him.” Buffy blushed. “Sorry, that sounds really—harlequin romance as Dawn would say.”

 

            Willow shook her head. “No, I totally get it. It’s like Oz and Tara and the difference I mean other then the obvious, hello one’s a man. It’s packaging, like you said. What I love about Oz is his soul. What I love about Tara was her soul. The rest just doesn’t matter, labels.”

 

*

 

           

            Puppet Angel stood in the center of Willow’s ritual circle.

 

            “How does this work again?” Buffy asked. She had complete faith in Willow, but this was Angel which meant extra assurance was needed.

 

            “It’s pretty simple. Wes and Fred got rid of the power. If Angel had been closer to it, that alone would have broken the spell. There’s not really any power keeping the spell around, so I’ve just got to set things right,” Willow explained.

 

            “And you’re sure it will work?” Buffy asked again.

 

            “Absolutely, remember the spell with Xander and his double? Same concept, I’m not doing a spell, so much as just helping things along toward their natural state. Angel’s natural state is a vampire, not a puppet.”

 

            Willow tossed some ground crystal and salt at Angel. She closed her eyes and whispered “Make it so.” There was a moment of heavy silence while everyone waited for something to happen. Angel finally broke it.

 

            “That’s it?”

 

            Willow opened her eyes and grinned. “See for yourself.”

 

            He glanced down at his hands, -his hands- not felt, not clumsy. He touched his face, his hair. Everything seemed right. He glanced at Buffy for confirmation. Her smile told him everything he needed to know.

 

*

 

            There was a soft knock on the door. Angel wiggled out from underneath Buffy’s sleeping form. She had dozed off watching Roman Holiday. He hadn’t had the heart to move her. She looked so peaceful asleep, snuggled next to him on the couch.

 

            He opened the door, surprised to see the person standing there in the hall. “Oz.”

 

            Oz nodded his customary greeting. “Hope I didn’t disturb you.”

 

            Angel shook his head. “Buffy and I were watching a movie. She fell asleep.” He glanced back at Buffy’s sleeping form before he stepped out into the hall way and pulled the door almost closed. “What’s wrong?”

 

            Oz shook his head. “When I was in Tibet with the monks, I learned a lot of things about controlling the beast inside. I had a lot of conversations with their mystic about different kinds of beasts. Your name came up and he gave me this.” Oz handed him a small leather pouch.

 

            Angel looked at him curiously. He took the pouch from Oz and opened the drawstring carefully. He glanced at Oz again. Oz nodded. Angel spilled the contents out into his hand. There was a crudely made amulet and a piece of paper.

 

            “I thought maybe you could use a permanent lock for Angelus’ cage,” Oz said.

 

            Angel’s eyebrows shot up. “Is this what I think it is?”

 

            “Amulet holds the power. Put it on, say the words. When it works the amulet will burn itself up. Could singe a bit.”

 

            Angel swallowed hard. He didn’t even know how to begin to thank someone for this. “My soul?” He asked, afraid to finish the question.

 

            “Yeah. Figured you and Buffy deserve it.” Oz gave Angel a grin and sauntered down the hall toward the room he and Willow were staying in.

 

*

 

            Buffy sat across the table from him.  She fiddled with her tea cup.

 

            “More?” Angel asked and raised the tea pot.

 

            “No, I’m fine. Thanks.”

 

            Angel nodded. “I-uh-“

 

            “Look I can go back to Rome. Just because your soul is bound now-- I mean I only came here to help you and it’s not like you came to Rome to see me. I mean Harmony sent you accidentally, so you’re not obligated…or anything.” Buffy took a long gulp of her tea, trying to drown her nerves.

 

            “No! I mean…is that what you want?” Angel asked, afraid she was going to come up with another food speech.

 

            “It-God, I suck at this. No, what I want is to be in your arms-“

 

            She didn’t have time to finish because suddenly she was in his arms, snuggled up against Angel’s chest. She giggled. “Preternatural speed, really liking it.”

 

            “Buffy, I want my life to be with you.”

 

~ fin

 

Puppet Angel accidentally gets mailed to Italy (and to Buffy) by
Harmony, by the time he realizes what happen, he's in Buffy's arms.
Deciding that life as a puppet isn't as bad as he thought, he
continues to live happily on Buffy's bed.....for a while. (at least a
week)

Puppet Angel saving Buffy from something of a non-demon variety and
revealing himself.

Buffy going with Angel to LA to get help from the Fang Gang.

Buffy not knowing know Spike is alive.

Spike's "You're A Bloody Puppet" dialogue from the show. (that's too
funny to leave out).

A comment about The Prince of Lies. (don't ask me why, but every time
I hear and/or see his name, I bust out laughing.)

No Illyria.

Willow, in one form or another (preferably bisexual Willow and not
lesbian Willow. Is that an odd request?)

Some Oz would be nice, but not necessary.

You can make Nina a bitch. *grins*

Lots of cute Puppet Angel moments.

A Happy B/A ending. All other pairings are up to the author