Fic: Never Enough Angel FRT (1/1)
Summary: There's never enough time
Spoilers: NFA
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be, no profit, no infringement.
Distribution: Want take have, just ask
Author's Notes: Angsty character study. Written for the
rat_jam promptathon based on the prompts of Angel and time.
Angel stared out the window at the skyline of his city one last time. Time. Such a funny concept.
Back when he’d been Liam he’d thought he had all the time in the world. He was young, plenty of time for wine, women and song. Father had wanted Liam to marry, settle down, have children and take over the family business. No time for that, there was a world to see.
Then Darla came and gave him time immeasurable. Days and nights spread out before him like a blanket. He was Angelus now and he took his time, savored every moment to its fullest, filling every second with screams and blood and sex. Time filtered past him slow and sensuous like a lover’s caress. Time enough to love Darla in his way, to torture and turn Drusilla, to love his childe and preen as she made her own, to teach young William and be with him, just that one time.
Time a plenty for a kill he would always regret and never forget. Angel was born and time had no meaning now. He left the shores of Europe behind for America. Day melted into day, night blended into night. Years came and went and when Whistler showed up, he wanted nothing more than to end his time on this Earth.
Buffy slowed time once more, bringing purpose to his existence. Time again for love, of a different sort. Time for shadows and secrets and longing. Time to reunite with family, to return to the beast he’d been. Angelus. Making sport of the Watcher and his Slayer. Until time again had no meaning in hell.
He had no memory of his stay there save for the loss of time again. This time days drew out forever, each second lasting a lifetime, endless minutes of drawn out pain. Suffering of a kind that Angelus would have envied giving to his victims. Until he returned and time sped up, torturing him again with a love he could never have.
Los Angeles ran on its own time. It sped up and slowed down on a whim. Not enough time to save Doyle. Too much time to sleep with Darla. Betrayal in an instant. Death prolonged over months. A year erased by magic. A year spent to close to evil. Spike saved. Fred and Cordelia lost. Illyria gained. His chance at redemption lost with the stroke of a pen. His legacy alive with his son.
Time had seen it all. And now, once last time, the Champion was called. He’d sent them all away to spend their time as they wished. He’d spent his wishing for more.