Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: It's old, season five, Dear Boy-ish? I don't know! Basically Season five and the B/A canon.
Summary: Buffy tries to pull Angel out of the depression he's fallen into after Darla returns, and is sired once again.
Author's Notes: I don't think this is one of my best fics. It's really old. I think it's the second fic I ever wrote, but the first was so bad it was deleted a *long* time ago. I just posted this to give you guys something to read while I work on All Over Again!

Angel stood topless in the hotel basement. It was dank and cool but what did he care, he wasn't going to catch a cold. He took aim at the centre of the small dart board and let the arrow fly from the shaft of the antique crossbow. It landed dead centre but could he hit dead centre on a moving target? Maybe wasn't good enough. He'd have to be sure. Angel put down the crossbow and went to retrieve the arrow from the board. "You're not a warrior you know?" the familiar voice said from behind him. Angel turned around to look at Buffy sitting on the metal stairs by the door. "What do you mean?" Angel said wondering how the hell she would know if he was a warrior or not. "I mean you can't hide in a basement when people need you."Buffy said in an annoyingly calm fashion. "How do you know people need me? And so what if they do! I can't protect everyone all the time! You should know that!" Angel was starting to yell and he knew that but he didn't care. " You're right and I don't expect you to save everyone! No one is! But just because your girls Darla and Dru are back in town does not mean, you give up and blow off the rest of the world!" Buffy was letting her anger show now and in a weird sort of way that was comforting to Angel. " You think I'm not saving anyone? Because if you hadn't noticed they're vile killers and are quite happy that way!" Angel retaliated "So I think I'm helping the world just a little by trying to get them dead!" Buffy all of a sudden looked weary, "Look, I didn't come to argue with you but Wesley and Cordy are worried and just asked me to stop by to see if I could help..." Buffy slowly stood up and Angel noticed how gorgeous she looked in her tight black pants, sparkling silver shirt, and leather jacket. "Well the only way you could help is to go" Angel said as sure as ever. "Fine" Buffy whispered as she stepped out of the room and shut the heavy iron door. "I'm sorry Buffy. I just can't be attached to anyone right now" Angel whispered to himself. Meanwhile Buffy walked assertively out of the huge luxury hotel.

"He flipped out on you too!" Cordelia exclaimed when Buffy had finished. "I must agree, I thought you would be the one person he would listen to" Wesley said basically summing up what Cordy had said, in his stiff British fashion. "You know we could handle this we don't need him..." Gunn started. "Speak for yourself!" Cordy started to pace as she talked "I need him! I mean if you hadn't noticed we are not one of the big and bad, and we are not warriors!" "I am actually siding with Cordelia" Wesley stated. "We may not be warriors but we do know one." Gunn said, still firm in his resolution. "Yeah we know a warrior who won't speak to us!" Cordy shrilly interjected. "That wasn't the warrior I was talking about" Gunn said and raised an eyebrow. All eyes fell on Buffy "Whoa, I work on the Hellmouth remember. "Mystical convergences" yada yada yada..." Buffy rapidly tried to explain. "Yeah but do you get paid to fight Sunnydale evil?" Cordy said in her most coaxing voice. "No, but I can't stay here in LA! Sunnydale is crawling with demons and I have to do the slaying."Buffy maintained. "She's right." Wesley declared though rather dejectedly. "Well if you'll excuse me, I have to go play the part of Buffy Summers `daddy's little angel!'" With that Buffy left.

Angel was alone in the hotel room he used as his apartment. Angel was pacing and brooding like he always did. Buffy was right he needed help, he shouldn't let Darla and Drusilla get to him like they were. It was just that for at least a century they were his world. They were his life. He was their great protector and now he had to be their greatest enemy. He was Darla's weak spot, he always had been, and Angel could use that to his advantage. That still didn't justify the way he acted toward Buffy earlier today or maybe it was yesterday. He didn't even know anymore. God, he was losing it! "I can't do all this by myself" he said to himself. Angel grabbed his black duster and headed outside to try and find Buffy.

Everything was quiet inside the walls of "Coastal Haven." The private, beach front subdivision that Mr. Summers, and sometimes Buffy, lives in. Angel knew which house was Buffy's from the time long ago when she had spent her first night out slaying and he had watched her kill her first vampire, then followed her home. Angel crossed the street and caught sight of one family sitting in their dining room eating dinner. He watched a little girl with long blonde hair bounce into the room and she saw him and smiled and gave a little wave before turning her back to Angel and sitting down to dinner. Angel had to smile, she was so innocent and forgiving. She was the future of the world he was there to protect. Angel stood there, on the sidewalk, and watched her for a little longer before he walked on, toward Buffy Summers' home.

Angel walked up to the front door and stood on the steps. Does Mr. Summers know about me? Would I know what to say if he opens the door? Angel didn't have time answer either of those questions because the door flung open and Dawn stared at him. "Oh! Hey!" Dawn whispered "Are you here to talk to Buffy?" she asked in a whisper as she closed the door behind her. "Yeah" Angel said trying to keep his voice low "is she here?" "Well... sort of" Dawn said as she brushed past him and head down toward the curb. Angel followed "What do you mean sort of?" Angel said trying hard to keep the agitation out of his voice. He didn't need Dawn creating problems for him. Dawn threw a small bag into the trash can on the curb and turned to head back to the house "I mean that she's here but maybe you shouldn't see her. Cause you know I think she was better with Riley and ... yeah" Dawn whispered in a rushed sort of nervous manner. A Summers' trait Angel thought to himself. Angel let Dawn go back toward the house on her own, maybe she was right! Maybe I should butt out and let her go back to Sunnydale, maybe that would be best for all of us. Although, as all those doubts ran through his head, Angel looked around for the best way to get up to Buffy's bedroom window.

Crouched low in the tree, Angel watched Buffy writing in her diary, sprawled across her bed. She was so pretty in lilac pyjama bottoms and a white T-shirt. He thought about the first night he and Buffy spent together. How she had thought he had read her diary and practically told him that she had a crush on him. Angel smiled at the memory. The snap of a small tree limb underneath him awoke him. Buffy must have heard it too because she looked around her room then, with a puzzled look on her face, came to the window. She must have spotted him in the tree because she gave a small smile then opened her window. She walked back to her bed, and seemed to become engrossed, once again, in writing something on the paper. Angel made a move toward her window. He climbed onto the overhang of the patio beneath him and squatted down to look into her room. "Can I come in?" he asked simply "No" Buffy said in an indignant way. She got off her bed and closed her diary, which she shoved onto the bedside table, and opened her closet. "I just came to talk" Angel justified "Talk?" Buffy threw back from behind the closet door. "...And apologize" Angel finished. Buffy closed the closet door. She was dressed in all black with a long coat and an oversized silver cross. She had a bag of what he assumed was slaying supplies. Buffy opened her door and looked around she disappeared into the hallway for a second, then reappeared in the room. She shut her door and locked it. "Let's go" Buffy said, as she tossed him the bag and slid out the window, herself. Buffy and Angel climbed off the overhang and down the trellis then the hopped the fence and walked down the quiet street into the night just like they always did. After walking for a while back toward the gates of the subdivision Buffy asked "Where's your car?" Angel replied "It's outside. I had to climb over the wall to get in." Together they left the subdivision through the front gates and hidden in the dark, close by, was Angel's black convertible. Buffy threw her bag into the backseat, and she and Angel drove off toward the hotel.

"Where are they?" Buffy asked as she and Angel filled up another bag full of weaponry, Buffy testing each one, to get used to it. "Last I saw them, they were trying to form an army." Angel said bitterly. "So they are into easy kills where there are a lot of demons to help them out" Buffy summed up. "There have also been some disappearances of children near the factory where they tried to start up." Angel interjected "So we start there then" Buffy said as she grabbed the bag. "Are you sure we just want to go after them like this?" Angel asked, more worried now that Buffy was involved. "I like the odds, two on two." Buffy said, already in "battle mode" as Xander would have put it. "Besides, aren't you the one who wants them dead?" Buffy commented. Angel said nothing and let Buffy lead them outside.

The alley was silent. Nothing moved. Buffy was surprised there weren't any homeless people back here, but then maybe there used to be homeless people back here. Buffy had a way of automatically assuming the worst these days. Buffy turned around to see Angel crouched down, rubbing something between his fingers, Buffy headed toward him and looked around a bit. She saw a trail of liquid leading from the metal door of the warehouse on their left. "Blood?" Buffy whispered. Angel nodded and got to his feet beside her. Buffy pulled open the black duffel bag and pulled out an axe and shoved a stake up her sleeve. Angel flung out his wrists and two stakes came down then retracted again. "Neat" Buffy whispered more to herself than Angel as he pulled aside the door. Buffy's nose was instantly hit with the most nauseating smell, so that she almost threw up. Angel pulled her against his side to support her and she covered her nose with her hand. Buffy's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, and her nose adjusted to the horrible smell, and Buffy found out where all the homeless had gone. Men, women, and children were scattered around the floor. Some were dead others on the brink. Most were horribly disfigured, some without eyes. Others had their mouths stitched closed. Deep in the dark crevices, somewhere in the warehouse someone laughed. A man or maybe a demon. Buffy and Angel knew that this was not Darla and Dru's doing, this was something stronger, and something that neither of them knew anything about. Buffy dropped the bag loudly and with what Angel knew to be false bravado she yelled "I'm tired and I really don't want to be here so let's not do the whole `I'm the bad guy act!' Okay?" Again the thing in the dark laughed "It is not an act..." he bellowed and stepped into the dim light. He was nearly eight feet tall and he was extremely muscular. He was tinged in green and had razor sharp spikes running down his head and back, and majestically sitting on the top of his head he had two huge horns that were tipped with what looked like metal. "Angel?" the demon seemed delighted to see him "My brother!" Angel smiled mischievously and said "Yeah! Down boy! Look, and I even brought you a Slayer!" Buffy was mesmerized, did he play her again? He couldn't be evil. It had to be an act. "A Slayer?" the demon interrupted her thoughts "this little one? You must be kidding me!" the demon scoffed. Angel had moved over behind the demon and was looking intently up his back. Buffy wasn't sure what Angel was doing but she was sure she didn't like that the demon seemed to be ever closing in on her. Angel was pulled from his study to look at Buffy. She was scared but she was safer if he played along. "I know she doesn't look like much but..." Angel gave a little shrug to the monstrous demon. Angel gave Buffy a little nod and went back to looking at the demon. Buffy relaxed a tiny bit. He wasn't evil, just letting a demon come close enough to gore her with huge horns. Great! Angel seemed to have found what he was looking for and drew out a long sword from under his duster. "Buh Bye Malicus" Angel mocked as he raised his sword high above his head and got set to bring it down. Malicus turned and caught the sword in his palm. He squeezed the sword with what looked to Buffy like little effort and when he opened his fist the sword was mangled to a useless form. Malicus gave a slight tug on his end of the sword and Angel was yanked forward and landed hard at Buffy's feet. Buffy grasped her axe hard and took a hack at Malicus. Malicus easily blocked her blow "Not bad little one" Malicus mocked Buffy. Angel got to his feet and went to Buffy's bag, he pulled out the sword they had packed and joined her in the fight. Angel lunged at Malicus while Buffy swung her axe around. Malicus seemed to have been taken off guard by the dual onslaught and faltered just long enough to let Buffy's axe rip across his arm. Malicus flung out his other mighty arm and knocked Angel to the ground. Then Malicus looked down at where his arm slowly dripped deep red blood. Malicus looked at the Slayer with deep hatred in his eyes and lunged for her. Buffy tried to back away but Malicus caught her by the arm. Like a whip she was pulled to her captor and her axe was ripped from her hand. Buffy felt the cool metal of her own axe pressed up against her throat. Buffy felt the metal begin to slowly move across her neck. This was it. Malicus was going to slice her throat and she'd be dead. Angel slowly hoisted himself up from the ground. He had a couple of broken ribs but he wouldn't die, but if he didn't move soon Buffy would. Angel grabbed the sword and ran forward plunging the sword deep into the demon's back. Malicus screamed, then wobbled and Buffy dropped to the ground. Buffy was lying still. Angel ran to her. Was she already dead? Blood was pooling around her head. Angel rolled her over to look. Buffy was breathing. She was still alive. The cut in her neck wasn't deep but she didn't look like she could fight any longer. Angel glared at Malicus who was trying to pull the sword from his back. Angel took the chance and scooped up Buffy. With her in his arms he ran to his convertible. Angel placed Buffy in the passenger seat and took of his coat. Angel wrapped the coat around her shoulders and covering her neck, then jumped into the drivers seat and sped back to the hotel.

"How badly are you hurt?" Buffy asked as Angel cleaned around her gash with an already blood stained cloth. They were in the hotel foyer. Buffy lay on the couch and Angel sat on the coffee table in front of her. "I just have a couple of bruises" Angel said trying to pacify her. "Oh yeah right!"Buffy exclaimed "You got your ass kicked just as much as I did!" Buffy pulled herself up off the couch. She looked dizzy for a moment but she seemed to get control of it. "I'm fine!" Angel said, holding up the pretense. He stood up slowly, assuring Buffy even more, that she was right. Angel walked behind the main desk and Buffy followed him. Buffy gingerly tapped his shoulder and Angel winced. "See, I told you" Buffy said as she began to pull at his collar. This time Angel relented and slid off his deep burgundy shirt. Buffy looked at the dark purple bruise on Angel's shoulder. It covered his tattoo and was spreading farther down his back. Buffy slowly turned him around and noticed the scar from where Angel had been stabbed with a wrought iron fence post while trying to protect her from "the Three." It had been just like this the first time they spent the night in her room. Neither one knowing what to say or how far to go. She had wanted him then just like she did now, but this time she knew there couldn't be anything. Buffy looked up into his eyes and realized how close he was. How easy it would be to just let go of all of their control and just be in the moment. They couldn't do that, not now, not ever. Buffy stepped away. "I'll get you some ice for that..." Buffy said hoarsely. Angel seemed to snap out of the moment then too. "Yeah" he added. Angel didn't put his shirt back on, but turned his back to her. Buffy pulled out a handful of ice from the freezer and put it in a towel. Briskly folding it in her hands, she took it to Angel. "Here" Buffy just handed him the ice. Angel played with the ice in his hands and didn't look up at her. Buffy walked back into the giant foyer, "so where can I stay?" she asked as she pulled out her bag from behind the couch. Angel was putting on his shirt, and was caught off guard by her question. "What do you mean?" Angel asked. He wasn't sure what she was saying. "Aren't you going back to Sunnydale?" " What? And leave you alone to fight that big and bad on your own?" Buffy seemed a little unnerved, but then again so was he. "I'm a big boy. I can handle it Buffy!" Angel said. He didn't want her involved. It would only get her killed. "Well I'm not leaving! He kicked our asses and if you fought him alone, he'd kill you!" Buffy retorted, sticking her ground. He used to love how she always stuck by but now he found it incredibly annoying. Buffy grabbed her bag and headed for the grand staircase, she started up the stairs calling down to him "I'll find my own room."Angel followed her up the stairs. "What about your mom?" Angel countered. "I told Dawn to tell mom I'd be here if I wasn't home tomorrow" Buffy explained as she opened a door to a room on the second floor. Angel followed her in. "...and Giles?" Angel tried again. "I'll phone Giles and tell him to get the gang on it while I'm gone." Buffy shot him down again. "What about Glory?" Angel said knowing that would hit a sweet spot. "How do you know about Glory?" Buffy said whirling around to face him. "I talk to Giles" Angel stated with a shrug. "Well I can do some re-con while I'm here" Buffy said just to spite him. She did worry about sending Dawn back to Sunnydale, while Glory was there and she wasn't. "Fine stay!" Angel retaliated as he left the room. Buffy shut the door and went about taking down the boards covering the windows to let the light in.

Why does she get to me like that? Angel asked himself as he paced around the foyer. Why can't we get along? He knew why, deep inside himself but he didn't want to admit it. He still loved her. She was right about keeping himself all alone. She was right that he couldn't only focus on his own petty fight and call himself a warrior. All of that put together was eating him up inside. He wanted her so badly but couldn't have her. He wanted her close by, but he couldn't stand to see her and not be able to be with her. So many paradoxes are connected to his being and those are just the ones that involve Buffy. I can't be part of her world Angel finalized but I need her as part of mine...

Buffy tore at the boards covering the last window. The work was supposed to keep her mind off Angel, but she couldn't stop thinking about him. "God!" She said aloud as she pulled the last board off the window frame. Why did she have to love him? Why did he have to be a vampire? Why did she have to be a Slayer? Why did she have to love him? So many questions filled her head but that one always came back to her. Why couldn't she have loved Riley enough to make him stay? Why was she here now? He didn't want her here but she insisted on staying. Buffy thought to pack up her things and go like he wanted, but... no, she didn't want him to die. She needed him. She loved him. Whether he loved her or not. Buffy pulled her pyjamas out of her bag and looked around the room for clean sheets. She heard a soft rap at the door. Buffy opened the door. Angel stood there with sheets and towels for Buffy. Angel looked like he had something to say but he just handed her the sheets and nodded. Buffy took them from him and closed the door. As Buffy made the bed, she noticed a sliver of light coming through her wall from the room beside it. Buffy walked to the wall and pressed lightly. The wall shifted aside and Buffy was standing in what looked like a kitchenette. Buffy stepped around the screen and saw Angel reading a book in an oversized lounge chair. "Angel?" she asked. "Sorry didn't see you come in" Angel put down his book. He glanced at the door and noticed it was still locked. "How did you get in?" he asked getting a little alarmed. "I-I don't know..." Buffy said a little confused. Buffy turned back to go through the wall and Angel followed her. "There wasn't a door here before..."Angel declared rather puzzled. Buffy stepped through the wall and asked "Why would someone want to cut a hole in the wall to your bedroom?" "Darla" Angel said softly. "Darla?" Buffy echoed. "She used to sneak into my room to make me dream of all the evil things I did ...""So she tortured you with dreams." Buffy clarified. "Basically" Angel concluded. "Does she still bother you?" Buffy asked hoping to catch Darla in her own trap. "Not since Dru changed her" Angel answered. "Then why worry?" Buffy seemed relieved and a little upset all at once. "Right"Angel said "Goodnight" "`night" Buffy replied softly and she slid the wall softly back into place. Buffy closed the heavy curtains and snuggled into her bed. She watched until the light in the sky began to rise and the light in the other room turned off, then she closed her eyes too.

Buffy awoke in a room that was not the one she fell asleep in. Buffy looked around the brilliant room. Everything seemed to glow bright white. All the walls were white marble that flowed right into the floor. The bed she was on had white blankets and hanging over the bed there was a black canopy. Buffy sat up and looked over, beside her Angel rested on the bed. Buffy gently shook him awake. "Buffy?"he seemed as confused as she was. "What are you wearing?" he asked groggily. Buffy looked down and noticed she was dressed in her white neglige. She hastily pulled up the covers to cover her lack of clothing. Angel looked around the room and at Buffy. "The `Powers- That-Be'.." Angel whispered. "You think they did this?" Buffy seemed relieved to know they were with the good guys. The heavy, dark wood door opened at their side. Both the warriors turned their heads to see Kendra standing in the door frame. "You can change there, then meet our master" Kendra said in a monotone way. Buffy spoke up first "Kendra? Are we dead?"Kendra smiled "No Warrior." Kendra closed the door. Buffy and Angel noticed on the black couch behind where the open door had been, there were now two piles of clothes. Buffy pulled the blanket with her while she headed for the clothes. Angel stared at her, watching her sort through the clothes. Buffy pulled the white dress to her figure. It was just the right size for her. Buffy looked up and noticed Angel staring at her. She cleared her throat and Angel got the picture. Buffy slipped on the dress and threw on the black leather jacket that was sitting on the couch with it. She slid on the boots sitting there beside the couch. Buffy picked up the comforter at her feet and headed back to the bed. "Your turn" Buffy said softly. Angel slid out of the bed. He was topless but had on black sweat pants. Buffy set to work making up the bed, keeping her back turned as Angel dressed in black pants, a white T-shirt and a black jacket. Once Angel was dressed, he turned to look at Buffy, who was bent over the bed fixing the pillow. "Let's go" Angel said. Buffy and Angel headed into the hallway. It was the same as their room. It was the same glowing white marble and all the dressings on the walls were black. A light erupted at the end of the hallway, and Angel headed toward it with Buffy close on his heels. They entered into the light and found that they were standing in the centre of what looked like a wheel. In the middle of the circular room there was a massive marble throne that was cloaked in black velvet. From behind, Buffy and Angel could see a form in the chair but they could not see it's face. "You are to be the final warriors..." a voice bellowed. "What... who are you?" Buffy asked. "You are the only ones left" the voice continued. "What?" Angel asked. "You will fight the last battle for the good of the earth" the voice pressed on. The body in the great throne glowed brightly for a moment then turned to grey stone. The voice continued "You are the only ones left..." meanwhile, a body stepped from behind the monumental throne. "...you will save this earth from the evil spawn that have taken it as their home." "I don't mean to be annoying but I still don't get it!"Buffy was beginning to snap, and Angel had to admit that this guy only said the same thing over and over again. "As our only warriors left, you will be granted a wish" the man said in the same flat tone as he had the rest of his speech. Before anyone else could speak Angel interjected "What's the catch?" "We will only grant wishes that are not your final reward" the voice explained. "That means no humanity for Angel" Buffy concluded for them. "Yes, that is true" the voice answered. "You have one day to make your choice." Buffy and Angel felt themselves being pulled away from the room and reality they were in.

Buffy woke on her bed in Angel's hotel. She was dressed in the same outfit as in her dream and she lay on top of the neatly made bed. Buffy got up suddenly and ran to the wall and pushed it aside. She entered into Angel's room and found him in just a confused haze as she was. "Did you–?" Buffy started. "Yeah I think so"Angel answered before she even finished the question. Buffy stepped into the room and flopped down in Angel's chair. "So do you have any idea what to wish for?" Angel asked trying to break the silence. "No" Buffy said almost gloomily "You?" " I don't know yet" Angel responded. "Hey at least we got free clothes out of the deal!" Buffy joked but no one laughed. "Um... I'm going to call my mom" Buffy said, finishing their conversation "where's the phone?"

"Giles? What are you doing at my house?"Buffy spoke into the receiver. "Your mother phoned when you didn't come home with Dawn" Giles explained. "I told her to tell mom I'd phone home"Buffy said exasperated. "...And she did. But your mother worried and called me" Giles stood up for Dawn which Buffy thought to be admirable since she knew Dawn drove Giles insane, just as much as she did Buffy. "Well I'm fine, except that we met up with an unusually strong friend of Angel's" Buffy changed the subject. "Oh?" Giles answered as usual. "Yeah, his name was Malicus" Buffy needed Giles input. "I don't know of him, off hand but I'll look..." Giles said going into full research mode and loving every minute of it, Buffy knew. "Okay, You can reach me here all day for sure." Buffy hung up the phone. She didn't know why but she chose not to tell Giles about their meeting with the "powers-that-be." She didn't know what would happen yet. It's best not to get anyone's hopes up `til we know more, Buffy told herself.

Buffy sat alone in the foyer after her conversation with Giles. What should I do? What do I want? Buffy asked herself over and over again. Everything she did always came back to the question; What do I want to wish for? I can't wish to be normal. The wish is to reward their final warriors not to lose one. What's my final prize? What can't I have? What will Angel wish for? Every question lead to another. Buffy wondered; How do we see the "powers-that-be" anyway? Why did she have to decide why couldn't they just give her something? Buffy squished into a ball on the couch and thought hard. Slowly, as her brain went through question after question once again, Buffy drifted to sleep.

Why are the "powers-that-be" so fickle? Why make us choose? Why turn our reward to frustration? Angel thought as he tried to read his book. Everything was quiet and he didn't hear Buffy in the next room. Angel got up and closed his book. He slid aside the wall that was cut away and looked in her room. Sunlight spilled into the room from the un boarded windows, so he dared not enter any farther but he couldn't see Buffy. He pushed the wall back into place and opened his door and didn't see her in the hallway. Angel walked down the hall until he reached the banister that over looked the foyer. "Buffy?" he called gently. He scanned the foyer and saw her curled up quietly on the couch, sound asleep. Angel walked down to her and carefully lifted the blanket off the near by chair and placed it over her. Angel crouched down beside the couch and pulled the strands of hair from her face. He tenderly kissed her forehead, and stood up. Cordelia burst in then, with Wesley and Gunn close behind her. "I can't take this anymore!" Cordelia loudly exclaimed. Angel glanced at Buffy who only minimally responded to Cordelia's outburst. Angel held his finger to his lips and motioned for them to follow him. Cordelia looked confused but she and the others followed. Each giving Angel a hesitant gaze as they noticed Buffy sleeping on the couch. Angel led them to his room upstairs, where they wouldn't disturb Buffy. "Why is Buffy sleeping on your couch?!" Cordelia practically yelled when they were upstairs. "We didn't get much sleep last night" Angel said defensively. Wesley and Cordelia immediately took a step back. Gunn looked confused with their reaction. "No!" Angel scoffed "We fought a demon and then we came back here and we both had this really strange dream" "You both had it?" Wesley asked like the watcher he was trained to be. "Do you think it was a portent?" Wesley continued. "Hey! I'm portent girl! Remember?" Cordelia exclaimed. "No. Not a portent but a gift from the powers-that-be" Angel explained. "Well you tell them I'm through being their messenger if they can do it themselves!" Cordelia blurted. "Cordelia!" Wesley and Angel shouted simultaneously at the interruption. "We need some files... don't we Cordy?" Gunn practically pulled Cordelia out of the room. "What do you mean a gift?" Wesley continued, once the door was closed. "We met "our Master" and he said we each got one wish... as long as it wasn't our final reward" Angel explained. "Well this isn't so bad!" Wesley brightened "You can just ask for humanity and it will all be fine!" "No, I can't..." Angel blurted "that's my final reward." "So what will you wish for then?" Wesley asked like a true friend. "I don't know..." Angel said letting the frustration sink in again.

"Why do we call Buffy to get her to help us and now she's with him?" Cordelia hissed at Gunn. Gunn ignored her and glanced at Buffy on the couch. "How did I know this would happen?" Cordelia pressed on. "Maybe they deserve each other! Did you ever think that?" Gunn whispered back at her as he passed with a box of files. "They can't even be together!" Cordelia yelled softly at Gunn. "You sound jealous." Gunn teased. "I am not jealous!" Cordelia snapped back "I just think that everyone is better off without them together!" Cordelia tried to explain herself to Gunn. "We're leaving..." Wesley announced softly from the top of the stairs. Gunn grabbed one of the boxes and Wesley took the other. Cordelia brought up the rear and eyed Buffy as she left. She was not jealous! She kept telling herself.

The sunset seemed to come early for Angel. Buffy had slept away most of the day and was now waking. "We can reach the `powers- that-be' through the Oracles chamber" Angel yelled from his room to Buffy's. "All right," Buffy yelled back "do I need anything?" "No" Angel yelled but realized after he didn't need to, she was standing in his room. "You ready?" Angel asked, using that as an excuse to check her out. "Yeah" Buffy said. She didn't know why but watching his eyes move up and down her body didn't bother her in the slightest. Angel lead the way out of his room and out of the building.

"...Domanayum Est" Angel finished from the book and the marble alcove shone bright white. Buffy followed Angel in and turned to see only another marble alcove. Angel walked down the hallway toward the middle where another bright light shone. Buffy picked up her pace to match his step. "Welcome again," the voice boomed "are you ready to make your wishes?" Angel and Buffy exchanged glances. "As ready as we'll ever be" Buffy replied. "Angel goes first" the voice boomed. Buffy felt a hand close on her shoulder. She turned to see Kendra. "This way..." Kendra lead Buffy off down the hallway to the room she and Angel had woken up in. "Why can't she stay?" Angel asked the figure in the chair. The form glowed again and again the man stepped out from behind the figure. "Neither are to know each other's wish until they are fulfilled" the man explained. "How do you know we haven't already told each other our wishes?" Angel asked tauntingly. "We know..." The man boomed "What is your wish?" Angel fell silent for a moment. He knew what he was going to wish for, but was it the right wish? "I wish for Buffy to know what she is." Angel said finally "What she is?" the man questioned "She is the Slayer." "Yes, but I want her to know what she can do with her powers, her potential, how to defeat her final enemy" Angel clarified. The man nodded. "It is done." The man assured Angel. "Go back to your room and tell the Slayer to come." The man said firmly.

"What's it like being dead?" Buffy asked Kendra. "It's just like life...except you can have no contact with humanity" Kendra said flatly. "Except us warriors." Buffy clarified. "You are not truly of the living" Kendra flatly remarked. "Huh?" Buffy was confused. "You are our connection to the world. You aren't truly human" Kendra explained in her now monotone way. Buffy didn't get to ask any other questions because Angel stepped into the room "It's your turn." Angel declared softly. "What did you wish for?" Buffy asked him "He can't tell you" Kendra interrupted. Kendra ushered Buffy out of the room and shut the door. Buffy headed down the hall. She had no idea what she was going to wish for. Then it dawned on her. I don't need to wish for myself. Buffy stepped into the centre of the wheel. "What is your wish?" the voice, now in human form asked. "I can wish for anything as long as it is not a final reward, right?" Buffy looked for clarification. "That is true" the voice echoed through the walls. "Then I wish for Angel's greatest desire," Buffy spouted "to the closest form you can grant" "Then you would also use your wish to help another?" the man said as he turned to face her. "Yes" Buffy replied, confident in her wish. "That is what makes you true warriors" the voice boomed and grinned at Buffy and Angel who had instantly appeared beside her. "Both your wishes have been granted" the stone figure glowed again and then returned to marble. "Enjoy"was the last they heard as they were both sucked back into their reality.

Angel awoke on his bed in his room in the hotel. Buffy lay beside him still resting. Angel felt a ripple of pain pass through his body. What is happening? Angel felt another bigger wash of pain go through him. Was he losing his soul? No, it felt like it was adjusting inside him. His soul felt like it was gripping onto him. It felt like his soul was erasing any traces of the demon left in him. Angel staggered off the bed and fell to his knees on the floor. This stirred Buffy, and she woke up and looked at him. "What's wrong?" Buffy asked in alarm. Angel couldn't answer the pain was intense. "Oh God!" Buffy cried out. She watched a bright white light arise in Angel's eyes then washed away. Then, as quickly as the pain had come, it subsided. Angel breathed heavily. Buffy looked skeptically at him. "I'm fine" Angel said. Buffy looked deep in his eyes. They were Angel's eyes. Not those of Angelus. Angel looked at her and announced "I have my soul." "What?" Buffy said "I have my soul forever. This is what you gave me!" Angel smiled at Buffy. Buffy cast a grin back at Angel, and pulled him into her embrace. "What did you wish for?" He asked from over her shoulder. She whispered in his ear "Your greatest desire aside from humanity" "How do you feel?" Angel asked as they separated from their hug. "How should I feel?" Buffy retorted suspiciously. "You should feel more comfortable in your powers. Knowledge in what they are and how to use them." Angel stated. "I don't know" Buffy said a little discouraged. "Try something" Angel said. Buffy grabbed a letter opener off the night stand beside her. She opened her ears to the sounds around her. A soft pattering noise came into her range. Buffy let the improvised dagger fly. It slammed into the wall on the opposite side of the room. Angel went over to retrieve it. He came back with the point upwards and showed Buffy how she had skewered a tiny spider onto the end of the blade. "Well I guess it worked..." Buffy uttered in awe of her own newly acquired abilities. "What do you want to do now?" Angel asked. Buffy looked at the spider on the end of the dagger. "I want to phone Giles" Buffy said in a state of shock.

"I know this unconventional Giles, but it's true" Buffy spoke into the phone. Angel stood at his filing cabinet sorting through what was left of his files. "I can't explain it!" Buffy blurted "I just know that Angel's got a soul that sticks, and I can throw daggers with wicked accuracy" Buffy fell silent while she listened to Giles on the other end. Buffy's face began to colour and she glanced up at Angel. "No, we haven't tested his soul!" Buffy smiled like a nervous high school student. Reminding Angel of when they had first met, and all the times she used to blurt things out then blush and try and take them back. Angel grinned back at her and it sent chills through Buffy's spine. Giles was right, that was an option now. Buffy realized Giles was talking on the other end and she snapped out of her daydream. "I found something out about Malicus" Giles said grimly. "He and Angelus, along with Darla, terrorized Greece for a decade in the early 1800's" Giles continued. "He has increased his strength since then." Giles paused for a moment, probably to flip through a book. "Ah... In 1925 he was spotted on the island of Crete."Giles paused again "One slayer and a slayer in training along with both their watcher's headed to Crete to try to stop him." Giles pressed on "He killed all four before they stepped onto the island... His only weak spot is where one of his spikes has already been removed. If you can hit him there, it will injure him severely and you'll stand a fighting chance." "Thanks Giles" Buffy said into the receiver. She turned to Angel, " we need to train."

"Apparently, he's gotten worse since you knew him.." Buffy panted through punches at the punching bag. "He was pretty bad when I knew him." Angel remarked as he held the bag strong after a hard kick.

"Malicus?" Darla called into the darkness. "I can smell his blood..." Drusilla swayed to the music only she could hear. "I'm here" Malicus called irritably from the shadows. "Sweetheart! What happened?" Darla asked in sincerity as Malicus stepped into the ring of moonlight coming through the gaping hole in the roof of the abandoned warehouse. "It was daddy and his mistress, ..." Dru declared as she straightened "they are coming back for him." "Yeah," Malicus said as he stared at Darla "they are strong." Darla smiled mischievously, and replied "you're stronger." Darla rested her hand on Malicus' chest and made a grand show of acting seductive. Dru smiled and growled at the demon and her "grandmother." "What do you want from me?" Malicus asked ignoring Darla's lurid intent. "We want to kill daddy..." Drusilla interjected with a grin. "Want to help?" "Sounds like fun" Malicus grinned back at the mad vampire. He looked at Darla who stood by his side "It'll be just like old times."

"Angel? What if we're not strong enough?" Buffy asked as she packed up weapons again. "Then we'll die..." Angel let his sentence hang. "We could use help" Buffy mentioned. "I don't want to pull Wesley and Gunn into this" Angel asserted, as if reading her mind. Spending too many fights together results in that, Buffy thought. "If we lose, they're LA's only hope!" Buffy reminded him. Angel smiled and returned "That's a scary thought isn't it!" Buffy smiled too. "You know we need them" Buffy became serious. "Yeah" Angel said sighing. She plays me so well, Angel thought. Angel picked up the receiver and pressed in the numbers for Cordelia's cell phone. It rang, and eventually Gunn answered "Hello?" "Gunn? It's Angel" Buffy watched Angel stand silently while Gunn talked on the other end of the line. "Look this is not personal, but put on Wesley" Angel said finally giving an exasperated look to Buffy. "Wesley? We need back up by the warehouse on Port Ave. near the pier." Another silence pursued then Angel stated "Bring weapons. Bye" "They're coming?" Buffy asked, knowing the answer was obvious. "Yeah. Let's move." Angel grabbed the bag off the desk and headed for the front doors flanked by Buffy.

Dru moaned to herself, and fell to the floor. "What is it baby?" Darla questioned, kneeling beside the seer. "Daddy and the Slayer are coming soon" Dru smiled devilishly, "they want to come to our party." "Well everyone's invited..." Darla swept past Drusilla and walked to her green-tinged companion. "Are you ready?" She asked Malicus. "It'll be one hell of a party!" Malicus beamed back. "Yes," Darla sighed. "Debauchery and revelry for everyone" Drusilla murmured from her spot on the floor. She began to giggle. "For us anyway..." Darla concluded.

In Gunn's black truck Wesley, Cordelia, and Gunn waited to see Angel. Cordelia was thinking of protesting when she saw a couple come out from around another dilapidated building."Any chance that could be a normal couple?" Cordelia remarked sarcastically. "I doubt it," Wesley grunted as he left the truck Cordelia hopped down beside Wesley and together the three of them armed with what weapons they had, walked to, the now evidently clear, Buffy and Angel. "What you got?" Gunn asked. "One big ass, green demon" Buffy summed up. "Any weak spots?" Wesley requested hopefully. "Don't worry about that," Angel declared " we'll handle the killing, you just keep him occupied." Cordelia nodded "Sounds like a plan to me!" "Can we expected any fanged friends?" Gunn asked holding out a stake. "Don't know" Angel replied grimly and headed his partners into the darkened alley. Whether they come out is another question, Angel thought morbidly, glancing over his shoulder at Buffy, who seemed as determined as he was.

No time for pleasantries, Buffy thought as she kicked the door in. It was thin steel and gave in easily to her force. Buffy pulled the gleaming saber from it's sheath that was slung over her shoulder. "Honey! I'm home" Buffy called, taunting the centuries old demon. "We were waiting for you..." Drusilla murmured as she sauntered in. "Hi there darling" Angel filled in for Buffy. "Daddy's come to play..." Dru seemed only half in this realm. "You bet I have" Angel must have pleased Dru when he said that, because her face split into a huge smile. A malicious smile. "He used to play by the rules, but ..." Darla stepped out of the shadows now. "Did you evict our green friend?" Buffy remarked sarcastically to her ex's sire. "Well I wanted it to be fair" Darla scoffed. Buffy and Angel moved into the warehouse. Malicus' huge form dropped from the ruins of the floor above them. He landed heavily, only a few feet from Buffy and Angel. "Oh wait, I lied!" Darla said as she tilted her head and leered at Angel. She and Drusilla broke into vindictive laughter. Buffy and Angel prepared themselves for the fight by tightening their grip on their weapons. Darla and Dru didn't seem to notice Gunn and Wesley advancing on them from behind. Once they were close enough to attack Buffy yelled back "You didn't think we'd come alone, did you?" Gunn and Wesley took that as their cue and they each grabbed a vampire. Cordelia held a cross between them to help restrain them. This didn't seem to concern Malicus in the slightest. "Are we going to fight or not?"he asked irritably. "Well, you really don't know me. I just came for tea and biscuits" Angel retaliated sarcastically. Malicus made the first move, he swung his arm out to knock aside Angel, but Angel ducked the swipe and got a kick into Malicus' chest. Buffy took a swing with her saber. Malicus swung out again and knocked the blade from her hands. It skidded across the floor, far out of Buffy's reach. Angel launched another kick into Malicus' chest as Buffy pulled the mace out of the bag they carried. Buffy swung the heavy iron ball and chain around her head. As Angel took a hit from Malicus, Buffy let the mace fly at the monster in front of her. Angel slid across the floor a few feet and sat up, his face had changed. Angel's face looked like the ferocious animal he was supposed to be. As Angel got to his feet, Malicus was hit in the face by the flying orb. He staggered back. Darla pulled herself from Gunn's grip and raced forward. Buffy reacted without even thinking and pulled the dagger from her boot. Buffy let the dagger fly like she had in the hotel. It hit Darla in the chest. Combined with the pain, the force of the dagger threw Darla to the ground. Dru moaned and whimpered like a child as she watched Darla fall to the floor. Angel ran at Malicus, and since the huge demon was already unsteady, he fell onto the cement floor of the warehouse. The entire building shook for a second and then all you could hear was Drusilla's fierce cry. Drusilla lashed out, knocking Wesley down. Dru ran for Buffy. The mad vampire was nothing but pure rage, she was worse than any animal. Her face contorted back to it's natural demonic state. Drusilla ran into the stake Buffy held in front of her. The vampiress' face changed back to it's human form, a look of shock on her face. She crumbled to dust in front of Buffy. Malicus looked around him. Darla still lay on the floor in agonizing pain from the dagger lodged deep in her chest, her own blood pooling around her. Drusilla's ashes were all that were left of the once lovely vampire. He felt his fate setting in but he refused to die without a fight. Malicus pulled himself to his feet in front of Angel who stood prepared to fight him. The Slayer grabbed her saber off the floor, and focussed her attention on Malicus as well. Angel pulled a medieval axe from the bag at his feet. "Can you take both of us?" Angel viciously taunted. Malicus looked from Angel to the Slayer and back again. Neither looked forgiving. Neither looked as unprepared as they had when he first met them. "We'll see..." Malicus said with strength that he knew he didn't have. In synchronized motions, the warriors fought Malicus. Malicus learned early on to always keep his front to his enemies. They must have known that was his battle strategy, because they began to break from each other. They began to circle the demon. Each delivering blows that would have devastatingly injured any other being. Malicus tried to keep his front or side to them at all times but that was impossible. If he moved to a corner to cover his back they would merely slash him to pieces. Malicus felt a surge of rage pass through him. He was beaten. Just like Drusilla had done he let his rage control him. He let his guard down and he faltered. Angel swung his axe across Malicus' throat. A clean line of thick red appeared contrasting his green skin. "You...fool..." Malicus choked out through the blood "This won't... kill me." "This will" Buffy said as she plunged her sword cleanly through the scaly ridge where there should have been a spike. Malicus crouched low for a second, silent. Then he flung his arms upward, howling, and fell again. Angel's face changed back to his own. He walked over to where Darla lay. "Damn you..." she spit at him. "Stake me!" Darla screamed at him. She rolled herself over into the pool of blood. "I can't do that" Angel said. "Why?" Darla screamed at him again "You've done it before!" Angel stood over her. He stepped away, to Buffy. "You're soft Angelus!" Darla taunted "Even when you were my lover you'd have killed me in a second if it meant benefiting you!" Angel looked at Buffy, her eyes though they had seen so much evil, were still youthful and even childlike. Angel grasped the sword in her hand. He whirled around and brought it down hard. It clanged on the cement on the other side of Darla's neck. She turned to a form of ash then evaporated. Angel threw the sword into the puddle of blood on the ground. He walked over and stared at Gunn and Wesley. "You guys okay?" Angel asked sincerely "Nothing other than a concussion" Wesley said as if it were normal. Cordelia stepped from the shadows. Her cross still in hand. "We'll see he gets home okay" Cordelia said. She cared for the injured, but fighting was definitely not her gig. Angel turned around and walked to Buffy. He draped his arm over her shoulder and picked up their bag. Together they headed back to the hotel, both were thankful to be alive.

"So I'm going to go..." Buffy said leaning over the front desk. Her duffel bag, with all her things, sitting right behind her. "Yeah, you need to get back to Sunnydale" Angel said confidently. He was proud of himself. He hadn't caved into the tension between them. They'd fought and they'd cared but they both held strong. Buffy picked her bag up off the desk. "...tell Riley hey" Angel teased. A little look of sadness crossed Buffy's face. "Um...Riley and I broke up actually" Buffy stated in all it's finality. "Oh" Angel looked a little embarrassed "I'm sorry." "It's okay,..." Buffy said, she paused and pursed her lips "...I'm... Goodbye" Buffy gave a little nod. She pulled Angel into a hug. She didn't know why, it just seemed like the thing to do. "I'm sorry" Buffy said even though she had felt Angel hug her back. She backed away just slightly. He stared down at her, just inches from her face. "You were going..." He said. Buffy didn't answer, instead she pulled him into a passionate kiss. Buffy's bag slid off her shoulder and landed softly on the floor. She draped her arms around his neck. They felt so good to be there again after all this time apart. "God, I missed you" Angel said in the short time they had to breathe before kissing again. Buffy only moaned her answer. He lifted her into his arms and carried her up the stairs.

Buffy woke up in Angel's bed. "Angel?"she asked into the dimly lit room. She rolled over, where Angel comfortably slept beside her. Buffy kissed his shoulder and snuggled beside him and fell back to sleep.

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