Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (although I have a cool new buffy doll, complete with cross necklace and stake, does that count?). Joss owns 'em, and he does well with them, but he deserted us for the new year and left us to ouw own devices where they're concerned. And apparently they were bored.
Notes: This one's for MB. 'Cause she's so patient, and a great roomie!! not to mention one kickass friend!!

Angel flipped through the channels restlessly. It wasn't that he expected to find anything interesting to watch, but at least the TV was company. The kind of company that didn't talk back.

Every channel he hit was one of two things--a dumb movie, or some variation of a party. Fools standing around outside, waiting for a new year to come. It didn't matter that those fools were the people he was bound to protect. Tonight they just seemed like herds of sheep following along on some ancient tradition that made no sense.

So it was a new year. Nothing changed. The sun went down, it came back up, and in between people died, and more were born to replace them. In a hundred years, all these people celebrating would be gone, and he'd still be here. Nothing will have changed.

The phone rang. He thought about not answering it, but this was a night for psychos, especially with the turn of the century. Last time this had happened, it seemed like half the world went crazy. Who knew what would happen this time?

The answering machine picked up. He listened to his short message, then the beep. "Angel?" It was Cordelia. "Angel, I know you're there. I can hear you brooding at the machine." She waited. "Pick up the phone or I'm coming over there to redecorate your cave."

He grabbed the phone. "Cordelia?"

"Angel, great! There's this party going on at my neighbor's house, you should come by."

"I'm really not in the party kind of mood, Cordelia."

"No, really, it's lots of fun. They have a band and everything."

"Look, if someone is in danger, give me a call, otherwise, I'll see you tomorrow."

"It's not good for you to sit there and mope, you know."

He took a second to control his temper--something that was a habit with Cordelia around. "Cordelia, have fun at the party. You can tell me all about it tomorrow." Like he could stop her?

"But Angel--"

"I'm hanging up now." He put the phone back on the receiver, effectively cutting off her protests. As he headed back to the couch, he shook his head. He knew she meant well, and that this was her way of trying to be normal after Doyle's death and the changes it had brought to her own life. But he wasn't in the mood for a party, no matter what she thought he needed.

The clock on the wall hit midnight, and he tipped his beer bottle at it, then drank a silent toast to all the people he hadn't been able to help this year. And the ones he'd lost while trying, both to death, and to duty.

That ritual finished, he flipped through the channels again, stopping to laugh at what they'd done to the Hollywood sign. Leave it to these people to put on that kind of a show.

The phone rang again. He growled as he grabbed it. "Hello?" he said tightly. There was a long silence. "Hello?"

"Angel?"

He blinked. "Buffy?"

"Yeah...." He could hear the muted sounds of a party in the background. "Um...I just wanted to call and say I heard about your friend, and I'm sorry. He seemed like a nice guy."

That was the last thing he'd been expecting, or at least second to last, right after her calling in the first place. "You heard about Doyle? How?"

"Demon Killer's Hotline." She laughed, then realized he wasn't responding to the joke. "Giles heard about what happened, and we put two and two together and figured out who went along with the what."

"Oh." He was almost surprised Giles had told her. "Thanks."

"So...are you okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I'm good."

He played with the receiver for a moment. "How's everybody else?"

"Good."

"Even Captain Farmboy?"

Her hesitation was obvious, even over the phone. "Riley," she finally corrected him. "He's...peculiar." For some reason he thought she found that funny.

"Oh." He wasn't sure what else to say. Well, he knew he *should* say good-bye, but then she would hang up. Which was kind of the point.

"So...I guess I should get going. I just wanted to call and say...you know...."

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Sure. And Angel...Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year." He heard a click, then stared at the phone for a moment before hanging it up and returning to the couch. The people on the TV were still celebrating wildly. But somehow, their enthusiasm didn't seem quite as pointless.

Maybe things changed after all.

~*~*~

The End

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