Disclaimer: Joss, evil mastermind that he is, owns all. I just borrow for clean up purposes.
Spoilers: If any of this turns out to be real, I'll be shocked.
Rating: N/A
Distribution: Take me, I'm yours.
Notes: Thanks Deb!
Dedication: For B/A fans, we'll never forget. And to Janice cause she's a sweetie. :-)

Perhaps it was the shape of the moon, or the particular alignment of stars set against the dark and endless night, but whatever the reason Buffy Summers couldn't find sleep. She lay in bed silently, wide awake, her eyes staring out the window to gaze up at the sky as if it alone held the secret to her insomnia, but no answers came, no secrets were delved and she was left alone with her increasingly restless spirit. Deciding that she might as well get up, she slowly rose, stretching languidly as she shoved her feet into her slippers. Quietly she padded her way to her younger sisters room, her own frustration over her inability to sleep softening as she saw Dawn curled up into a fetal position around the new kitten that Buffy had bought her. Her sister looked so peaceful in sleep, the stress of losing their mother six months earlier, finding out her true origins, and watching Buffy defeat the demi-god known as Glory not appearing in her slumber driven features. The two of them had come so far from the severe emotional turmoil that they had experienced, falling slowly and surely into a routine, the ghosts of their past ever present yet slowly receding into the shadows.

Shaking her head to ward of her recession into darker thoughts, she turned quietly from her sister's room, unnerved slightly by the utter quiet of the night around her. The quiet, however, was soon shattered as the piercing sound of the doorbell broke the silence. Buffy quickly walked to the door, noticing with alarm that the clock read that it was half past two. Buffy opened the door with extreme caution; weary of who or what would come to their apartment at that particular hour, though not even caution could prepare Buffy for the shock she received once she opened the door. Cordelia Chase and Wesley Wyndam Price greeted Buffy with anxious expressions, a myriad of emotions, not the least of which was trepidation and uncertainty, played across their features.

For a moment the dreadful silence returned, the two former Sunnydale residences sizing up the slayer while Buffy's mind sought to come up with explanations for their presence, a startling fear gripping her heart.

"Its Angel, isn't it? Is he okay," she asked, her anxiety creeping up in her voice. She didn't realize until the words were out of her mouth that her tone gave away feelings that she had spent two years practicing to hide. Though they always existed within her, coming to the forefront whenever she saw or touched anything that reminded her of him, the vampire with a soul she still loved so desperately, no matter how hard she had tried to move on.

Cordelia eyed Buffy carefully, her dark eyes not giving anything away, though Buffy felt like a bug being examined under a microscope. For his part, Wesley sent Cordelia a slight smile, one that implied "I told you so" and Cordelia finally tore her eyes away from Buffy, shaking her head at Wesley.

"Angel is fine, for now anyway. We came to talk to you. Can we come in?" She asked, keeping her tone light, as if she was hiding something.

Relief washed through Buffy and she opened the door wider to allow them access, surprised to find that she wasn't really all that mad that they were here so late. In fact, it felt good to see Wesley and Cordelia again, though she never had thought in the past that she'd associate goodness with being in the company of Cordelia Chase. It had been so long since she'd seen them last, enough time passing to allow old resentments and hostilities to disappear and certain kinships to surface. However, she knew full well that the two of them weren't here on a social call and her curiosity outweighed any other emotion she was experiencing.

Cordelia looked around the stylish apartment, taking in the simplistic yet stylish décor.

"Not bad, though why you chose to live in a small apartment like this I do not understand," Cordelia stated, putting forth an effort to make conversation while digging for information at the same time.

Buffy took in a shallow breath, squelching the sadness that always threatened to consume her whenever she had to speak of her mother's death. "We couldn't stay at the house. After mom died it was just too painful, too many memories. Dawn and I thought it might be better to have a fresh start."

Both Wesley and Cordelia were once again looking at her very closely, as if weighing her words and expressions.

"We only heard about your mother's death a few weeks ago. Giles mentioned it in a phone call when I called to seek his expertise in a demon we were fighting. I'm so sorry, Buffy. It must have been extremely painful for you and your sister," Wesley said, his voice filled with sincere compassion.

"It was," Buffy said softly, fully aware that her eyes were starting to tear over while she wished desperately for a change of subject. Cordelia's face seem to instantly soften as she regarded Buffy and she quickly moved to give Buffy a hug, surprising them both with her actions.

"I am sorry too. I remember the times when the gang would come and hang out at your house and Joyce would try to mother us all. I know you must really miss her," Cordelia said, giving Buffy a soft pat on the back.

Buffy was too stunned to fall further into sadness. The Cordelia she remembered was not this sincere, or concerned with other people's grief, though to be fair she had never really put forth the effort to get to know Cordelia that well, even when she was dating Xander. It was something, she realized with a pang; she probably should have done along time ago. An understanding passed through Buffy and for the first time she looked on the other woman with a realization that time had brought out many layers in Cordelia. Buffy pulled out of Cordelia's embrace and shot a genuine, friendly, and appreciative smile in her direction, her mood lightening exponentially.

"Thank you, it means a lot," she said softly, waving her hand to indicate the couch in the living room, remembering her manners. "Please sit down, can I get you anything to drink?"

"Actually, I would kill for a cup of tea, it's been a long drive. Do you have any?" he asked as a second thought, considering that tea might not really be the beverage of choice amongst twenty-one year old women and their fifteen year old sisters.

"Of course," Buffy said with a little laugh, "I'm not sure Giles would still come over otherwise," she stated wryly, her eyes sparkling with the mention of her watcher and friend whose unending love and support had helped her through the darkest of times. Cordelia and Wesley exchanged a quick smile, noticing Buffy's obvious affection for her father figure and making a mental note, as if cataloguing it.

"Nothing for me thanks," Cordelia put out, and watched as Buffy disappeared into the small kitchen to return with a steaming mug later on.

"Here you go, I remembered from when you lived here that you didn't like anything in it. Is that still the case? I have milk and sugar if you want some," Buffy asked, slightly surprised to see Wesley's puzzled expression.

She flashed him a small smile, "I know that I gave you a hard time when you where here. Probably more than I should have. It was not your fault that the council fired Giles, or that you were sent to replace him. How the gang and I treated you is one of the things I regret, but that doesn't mean I didn't notice how you took you tea," she finished with a chuckle, though secretly hoping he recognized and understood her apology.

Wesley smiled, his eyes slightly tearing. "You did nothing that I wouldn't have done given the circumstances. I was a different person back then, probably much more of a hindrance than a help. Its all water under the bridge, and yes, just straight tea is wonderful."

Buffy nodded, pleased that in their own way and without needing to go into detail, they understood each other and were able to get over passed differences. Though she didn't miss the quick look that Wesley shot Cordelia, like he was silently communicating that that Buffy had passed some sort of test and that they should tell her something. Buffy's curiosity over their presence in Sunnydale mounted.

"How have you two been," she asked quickly, hoping to get at least a hint as to why they were here.

"Great," Cordelia replied, her dark eyes still containing secrets. "A case here, a case there. Nothing to complain about. You?"

"The same," Buffy replied with a laugh, "an apocalypse here and apocalypse there, but we've all managed to come out unscathed."

In less then ten minutes of being in her presence, both Cordelia and Wesley had noticed a change between the Buffy now and the one they had known before. Despite her traumatic lifestyle, she seemed freer. She carried herself with less weight, even inserting a laugh here and there, something Cordelia rarely remembering Buffy doing in the early years. She seemed more comfortable, and Cordelia was almost convinced that Wesley and herself should go ahead and release their bombshell, but she decided to push for a little more information.

"So how are things on a personal level Buffy? You still dating that guy you were seeing before? Riley?" Cordelia asked, ignoring Wesley's expression of horror at her bluntness.

Buffy's face turned slightly sad, though there was something like relief mixed in there as well. "No, we're not seeing each other anymore."

Buffy drew a deep breath to continue, not sure why she wanted to spill all but deciding to do it anyway. These were Angel's friends, and perhaps, just perhaps, she wanted this to get back to Angel in some way. She wanted him to know what conclusions she had come to about herself and her relationships.

"Riley had a hard time dealing with me being the slayer. He didn't feel included, he felt separate. A part of that is my fault, I never really completely let him in. I didn't really want to. I thought that normal was what I needed and so I convinced myself that that meant Riley. But as time passed and I started to get more and more involved in slaying, Riley felt more and more neglected. I didn't need him for physical support and was surprised to find out that I didn't need him emotionally either. I pushed him away, but ultimately he left because he knew I didn't love him. And he was right, I didn't. I mean, I liked him, he was a great guy, but I didn't love him. Our break up was best for both of us, and I kinda decided that from then on it would be best to be honest with myself," she finished with a sad smile.

Wesley nodded his head in sympathetic understanding but Cordelia still eyed Buffy closely, still needing something more.

"And you're not dating anyone now?" she asked, giving up the pretense of even hiding the fact that she was there to pump Buffy for information.

"No," Buffy answered with alarm, wondering what Cordelia was getting at and for some unknown reason her heart lifted, sensing that there was something truly significant going on and it might not entirely be a bad thing.

Cordelia was ready to get down to the reason she and Wesley were there, but she wouldn't do it without knowing one more thing. The world hung in the balance, Angel's happiness hung in the balance, and so she abandoned all sense of tact met Buffy's eyes head on. "Do you still love Angel, Buffy?"

The room grew deathly silent. Both Wesley and Cordelia were looking at

Buffy closely, their eyes burning into her soul. For a moment Buffy felt dizzy, the weight of their question bringing forth emotions she had kept hidden for so long. Her eyes teared slightly as she met Cordelia's gaze unwaveringly.

"Yes, I still love Angel. I always have and I always will."

Again there was silence, only this time a huge smile brushed across Wesley's face and Cordelia looked smug, like a cat who had just been given a bowl of cream.

"Good," Cordelia responded, a response that put Buffy on edge.

"Good?! You come here out of the blue, ask me a very personal and very private question which I answer honestly and all you can say is 'good.' Why are you guys here? What purpose does all of this serve?" she asked, her voice rising as her indignation became apparent.

"We were going to get to that Buffy, we just had to get a feel to how you would respond to what it is we have to tell you," Wesley said, trying to smooth the ruffled feathers. "Believe it or not, your feelings for Angel play a big part in what we have to say."

*****

Buffy looked at Wesley and Cordelia in confusion; her eyes glassing over with unshed tears. It was all she could do to take one deep breath, then another, each one labored and uneven as she fought for the courage to hear out what her guests wanted to tell her. Finally she nodded her head in their direction, signaling them to continue with their news.

Cordelia looked straight at Buffy as she spoke, her dark eyes large and unreadable. "A year ago we found, or I should say Angel found, a scroll that contained a prophecy. The prophecy claimed that Angel would become human once he reached his redemption."

Buffy gasped without realizing she was doing it, her heart beating so rapidly that she could hear its quickened rhythm. For a minute she felt dizzy, a downpour of emotions circulating though her mind and her heart all at once. Two years ago this news would have been the answer to her dreams, and now she wasn't sure exactly what she was feeling. She was glad because she knew deep in her heart of hearts that Angel deserved it, but she also felt sorrow. Sorrow that no matter how irrational it was, she had wished that it was Angel bringing her this news. Sorrow that she had a pretty good guess that Angel probably had no idea that Cordelia and Wesley were here telling her this.

Her guests were watching her closely, measuring every emotion that played across her face. Finally she gave them a sad smile, all at once feeling tired and very old, as if she were a hundred instead of twenty-one.

"That's great," she said sincerely, "I can't think of anyone more deserving of happiness than Angel." And she really, truly meant it, though a slight quiver was detected in her voice as she spoke.

"There is more to it than that Buffy," Wesley continued, looking at the slayer sympathetically. "Angel's had a rough year, he very nearly lost his focus on achieving his goal."

Buffy looked at Wesley alarmed, her face portraying her earnest concern for her ex-lover. "What happened?" she asked, her heart rate increasing once more.

"Here is the short version. Darla was brought back by this evil law firm Wolfram and Hart, in which she wasted no time in messing with Angel's mind. Only diff is that this time she was human. Of course Angel just had to save her soul, and was pretty successful right up to the point where Drusilla decided to make a cameo, breezing into town as if she owned the place and turning Darla into her old, bad ass self right in front of Angel. Obviously none of this sat to well with him," Cordelia interrupted, impatient to get to the specific details of why they were here and not really wanting to rehash unpleasant memories.

Once again Buffy was overwhelmed with a myriad of emotions, all at once feeling devastated for Angel, jealous of the significance the reappearance of his sire played in his life, disturbed by the knowledge that a vampire had been successfully brought back from the dead, and angry that all of this could have cost Angel his reward. She felt her tears start to spill over, her body lightly shaking as she took it all in.

"It must have been so hard for him," she stated softly, "it's a wonder it didn't push him over the edge. It was hard enough for him to stake Darla the first time, twice is just pushing the boundaries of tolerance, especially if he had been reaching her before she was turned again. And knowing Darla I'm sure she made it as difficult as possible. God, she was such a bitch."

Cordelia laughed, looking at Buffy with new appreciation. "You don't know the half of it, and unfortunately it would take all night to go into detail. Lets just say that Angel is better now, he did what needed to be done but still hasn't completely recovered, even with new developments in the prophecy."

This snapped Buffy back into attention, her hatred of Darla put temporarily on hold as she got the feeling that Cordelia and Wesley were about to tell her something extremely important. "You mean there is more?"

"Yes, there is more, which brings up the reason why we are here," Wesley stated, once again eyeing the slayer closely. "Through much suffering and soul searching Angel was finally able to find the strength to kill his sire for the second time. Apparently that action is what was needed to activate the prophecy. Shortly after slaying Darla, Angel's heart started to beat."

Buffy didn't think that anything after the initial news of the prophecy would shock her; she was dead wrong. For a frightening moment time seemed to cease and she forgot the basic skills it took to breathe. It was one of those surreal moments, one where the spirit seemingly exited the body and watched the scene unfold before it in detachment, as if it were a movie on extra large screen and not real life. The seconds ticked by as she fought to wrap her brain around the news Wesley had placed before her, her mind struggling to reach out to Angel in an insane attempt to hear his heart beat, as if he were right before her and not hundreds of miles away. She wrapped her arms around her to stop the shaking of her body, shining tears falling down her cheeks as if they were dewdrops falling from early morning leaves.

When she finally spoke her voice was both weak and scratchy, all at once filled with both wonder and despair. "Why didn't he tell me?" She asked softly, her hazel eyes wide and lost.

"Because you did too good a job convincing him you had moved on the last time you visited," Cordelia answered sternly. "He is convinced that you are happy with Riley, that any move on his part to contact you and share this information would be an infringement on your ever so joyous and normal relationship. Wesley and I know better. Angel is thinking with his heart, he is trying to be selfless by not interfering with your life but we have no such qualms. I saw you two together, I watched your relationship go through every freakin curve thrown your way and yet you still loved each other, no matter what you told him that last time you saw each other to make him believe otherwise. And so we decided that you should know, for Angel's sake, because above all else we want Angel to be happy and you're what makes him happy."

Buffy weighed Cordelia's words in her mind, the room around her once again falling into unnerving silence. Her heart broke silently as she confronted the demons of the past, recalling with uncanny clarity the events that surrounded her last meeting with Angel, but unfortunately the memories didn't stop there. She recalled him walking out of her life the night of her graduation, mist gently surrounding him as his black trench coat billowed in the breeze, forever creating an imprint in her memory. She recalled their break up in the sewer, days before her prom, recalled how her heart had been so ruthlessly torn from her body that night, forever damaging her psyche. He had claimed then that he would only bring darkness to her life, and yet Angel had found his sunlight. All the things he had claimed he could never give her he now could, but the problem lay in the fact that she couldn't give him those things in return. She fought things, she killed things, she had seen darkness and had even occasionally touched it. She led the lifestyle he now could escape.

Buffy eyed Wesley and Cordelia carefully, her resolve building as her heart squeezed in protest. "Do you guys remember the reasons that Angel left me? How he thought I could lead a normal life? Well he was wrong; I can't.....but he can. I'm still the slayer, it is still my duty to fight evil, and I will most likely die young doing it. But Angel is human now, he could have a house and a yard, he could go to school, get a degree, be anything he wants to be and I would only hold him back. I would serve as a reminder of a lifestyle he should now leave behind."

Wesley looked shocked, not believing that Buffy had actually rebuffed a chance to get back together with Angel, while Cordelia simply snorted her disgust.

"What a load of crap! I swear the two of you sometimes make me sick. Human or not Angel is still fighting evil; we have kept the agency open. He could no more stop fighting demons then you could. If you don't want to go to him now its because you're too scared, do not try to give me this 'I'll only hold him back' mumbo jumbo and expect me to buy it," Cordelia finished angrily, almost ready to get up and shake some sense into Buffy.

Somewhere, hidden in the recesses of Buffy's mind, she knew that Cordelia had a point, that the idea of opening her heart again was extremely frightening, but her will was stronger than her reason. The news of Angel's humanity was still new, still foreign, which is what gave her the false strength to stand behind the belief's she wasn't even sure she had.

"Angel shouldn't be fighting, he could get killed. He should be fulfilling a dream, and I can't be that dream for him. I can't. I won't be the cause of his death and I don't want him to have to mourn mine when it happens. I'm sorry you guys wasted your time. I appreciate that you came to me and I think its great that you guys care so much for Angel but its probably for the best that we remain apart," Buffy choked, not knowing how she was able to get those words out without breaking down and crying.

Cordelia just shook her head, knowing that arguing with the slayer would get her no where and too disgusted with the whole thing to reiterate the point. Wesley smiled sadly at Buffy, realizing that the pain and fear in the slayer ran deeply and that it was something that she would have to overcome.

"I'm sorry too, Buffy. I hope you'll think about what we've told you regardless. And if you do think it over, remember that there is a man in LA who loves you very much," Wesley claimed softly as both he and Cordelia headed for the door, neither one looking back.

It wasn't until they left that Buffy gave into the grief that threatened to consume her, and her body became wracked with sobs as the silence of the night closed in around her.

*****

The Bronze was full of energy, spiced with life as body after body danced, laughed or chatted. Buffy sat alone at a table, completely immune to the electrical current that passed swiftly through the air. All week she had been quite, brooding, her mood eternally dark and dismal. Her friends were concerned, none of them knowing what kind of catastrophic event had happened to put Buffy in her current funk. Out of concern they forced her to go out, turning a blind eye to how unreceptive she was to her surroundings, her company, and apparently, to fun. She watched the crowd mull around the dance floor detached, her mind elsewhere. So lost was she that she didn't notice a guy from one of her classes approaching her table tentatively.

"Hi Buffy, I was wondering if you would like to dance?" the young man asked, holding out his hand in an attempt to help her up. For a brief moment she had the urge to shove his hand away, and force him to leave her alone. She knew full well that this wasn't the man that she wanted, but her mind quickly squelched that urge, realizing that realistically she didn't have what she wanted and it would probably be best if she made an endeavor to move on. In an attempt at bravery she stood, offering her hand to a guy she couldn't remember the name of while heading out onto the dance floor.

As fate would have it a slow song started, though luckily the guy she was with was satisfied with keeping her at arms length, his hands on her waist. But gradually the mood changed, the song was methodical, putting fellow dancers in trance and filling them with the longing to be closer to the partners they held. Buffy's partner slowly inched closer to her, his chin resting above her head, his chest mere inches from her own, and the bile started to rise in Buffy's throat as this happened, her body dizzy. She had made no move to contact Angel in this past week since finding out about his humanity but it still felt like she was cheating somehow, that it should be him she was dancing with no matter how irrational the thought felt to her own mind.

With a strangled sob, Buffy quickly turned and left the dance floor and the Bronze and ran as fast as she could, the cool night air welcomed against her hot face as she sunk to her hands and knees on the ground and let the dizziness pass.

*****

"And so, despite being desperately in love with Catherine, Heathcliff left not to return until three years later," the English teacher exclaimed in class the next day, catching Buffy's attention with that statement about the book the class was supposed to be reading, "Wuthering Heights".

"That is the lamest thing I've ever heard," a fellow student in the class yelled out, causing heads from all over the classroom to turn. "If he loved her so much he should have fought for her, no matter what the obstacle. Taking off to lick your wounds or to be all noble about letting the person you love get on with their life doesn't really solve anything, as was evident at the end of the book when they all died miserable deaths, alone."

"A lot of readers agree with you, and feel that Heathcliff should have never left in that juncture of his relationship with Catherine," the teacher stated, though her words becoming a blur to Buffy as her mind once again wondered off to thoughts of Angel.

It was ironic that lately she was surrounded by reminders of her dilemma, though whether her recognition of them was by fate or her own guilty conscience she couldn't say. Slowly but surely she was going insane. She hadn't been able to eat, hadn't slept, and hadn't even been able to think with out wondering what if. Angel's image was constantly wavering in her thoughts, and her body yearned with everything in her to go to him. And as the class discussion droned on, Buffy began to seriously contemplate Cordelia's words and she started to wonder if her own motives for staying away from him were really out of nobility and for Angel's best interest or if they stemmed from something far more instinctual; fear.

*****

As was her pattern of late, Buffy lay in bed completely and devastatingly awake. To her sleep was becoming a dream, an allusion, an unattainable accomplishment such as a slayer maintaining a successful relationship. It was weird to Buffy that she could be so unbelievably tired, yet so unable to drift away. Shadows danced merrily across her ceiling as she stared blankly at them, wondering wearily how much more of this her body could take before she would completely break down. Her train of thought was interrupted by the light sound of footsteps in the hall, and the small, tentative knock on her door.

"Come in," Buffy called in a whisper, giving her sister a small smile as her head peaked through the door.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Dawn asked, her voice sounding so young. It reminded Buffy of when they were children and she would tell Dawn scary stories and Dawn would always want to sleep in her room afterwards.

"Of course," Buffy said, scooting over to make room for her. Dawn quickly climbed in the bed beside Buffy, her head coming to rest on Buffy's shoulder as she settled down.

"I had a dream about mom tonight. She came to me with a message to you," Dawn said quietly, trying her best keep her voice from shaking as she talked to her sister. Obviously this dream had shaken her up.

Buffy felt tears burn her eyes, a sensation that seemed to be coming more and more as of late. She wrapped her arms tightly around Dawn and fought the anguish that welled up within her as she thought of her mother's death.

"What did she say?" Buffy asked, at once trying to soothe her sister as well as trying to calm herself.

"She said that you should do whatever it takes to make you happy," Dawn replied sleepily, comforted by the warmth and presence of her big sister.

"She said that, huh?" Buffy asked, her breath catching in her throat and her heart beating rapidly. She had seen a lot of things over the years, including ghosts, but nothing quite prepared her for Dawn's proclamation. She wondered if the force of a mother's love transcended the grave and if Joyce Summers really was trying to reach out to give her eldest some much-needed advice.

"Yes, she did," Dawn stated matter-of-factly, but then continued to speak with less certainty. "Buffy?"

"Yeah," Buffy responded, her mind mulling over her sister's message.

"You've been thinking about Angel again lately, haven't you?" Dawn asked.

Buffy sat up, startled. She looked at Dawn closely, wondering how she could have possibly known when Buffy hadn't voiced the train of her thoughts to anybody all week.

"How did you know that?" She asked.

"It's your face, you have your Angel face on. You've been wearing it all week. The only other times I've seen you use it is when he lost his soul and then again when he moved to LA," Dawn remarked with the uncanny clarity of someone truly observant to their surroundings.

Buffy sighed, the weight of the past week taking its toll on her soul. "I found out recently that Angel has become human, he earned his redemption, but unfortunately I'm entirely confused as to what it all means," Buffy answered honestly, feeling the weird urge to confide in her sister, almost desperate for an unbiased ear to hear her out.

"When I was little I used to watch Angel with you and wish that someone would love me like that when I got old enough," Dawn admitted almost embarrassingly.

"You never told me that," Buffy said softly, her voice soft and filled with wonder.

"I didn't want you to think I was being stupid. Angel was good for you, you know. I've never seen you happier then when you were with him. Maybe that's what mom meant with her message," Dawn finished, stifling a yawn.

"Possibly," Buffy replied, her heart lifting as she put it all together. For some reason the past week of pain and misery all of the sudden seemed like it was very far away, as if it had happened a long time ago instead of just recently. Her sister was right, she had never been happier then she had been when she was with Angel. Yes, they had had their problems, and yes they had their share of angst, but even despite all of that the good moments between them were some of the best in her life and the bad moments didn't seem so bad when he was around to share the burden with her. She remembered his smile and the way his dark eyes shone when she was near. He had always made her feel sacred and precious, as if she meant the entire world to him. She had never felt safer then she had when he was around, he was her confident, the one she could tell anything to and have the knowledge that he wouldn't judge her for it. A warm feeling started in her chest and spread through out her body as Buffy came to a conclusion. The morning couldn't get there fast enough.

*****

Epilogue:

The sun shone brightly overhead and sea gulls called out from above as the waves lapped merrily on the shore. Buffy took a deep breath, letting the salty sea air fill her lungs and spread through her body, the wind that surrounded her caressing her flesh while causing her to feel awake and alive. It was then she spotted him, the tall, masculine figure standing by the pier with his back towards her. He wore jeans and a plain white t-shirt, reminiscent of the old days back when they first got together. The clothing hugged his body, accentuating all the hard muscle and masculine curves as the sun beat down and shone over him. Buffy's pulse dizzily increased and her heart caught in her throat. The moment was so perfect and he was so beautiful that it brought happy tears to her eyes.

He turned then, as if sensing her presence, and a huge smile grew on his face as he spotted her, his face lighting up and in such awe, it was as if he were looking at a golden treasure. He took quickened steps over to her, his eyes so full of love. The sundress she wore billowed in the breeze, its floral gauze dancing as he reached out and pulled her into his strong arms, lifting her up and crashing her to him.

"Buffy," he said reverently, as if reciting poetry or as if her name was the lyric to a song. No one else had ever said her the name the way he did, so full of meaning, so filled with love, she wished he would say it over and over again.

"Angel," she breathed huskily, running her hands through his silky brown hair, her eyes catching his as she kissed his forehead, his cheeks, his nose, and then finally, his mouth. Happiness, and utter, complete love consumed Buffy as she kissed him. Her body was on fire, tingling sensations spreading from her heart throughout her limbs as her blood quickened it flow. Her heart felt so full, as if she could spend a lifetime worshipping this man while she knew he would do the same for her. Finally, after two years of heartache, of being lost, of discovering who she was, Buffy Summers was home.

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