SUMMARY: Response to the challenge G sent out on BAExtremists. See requirements at the bottom of the story.
RATING: TV-14
SPOILERS: SLIGHT Pangs/I Will Remember You - Hero
DISTRIBUTION: Knock yourselves out but send me the URL, k? I'm sick and tired of finding my work on pages I've never heard of before.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Angel and the rest of the Sunnydale gang belong to Joss. Doyle belongs to Joss and David Greenwalt. I want Doyle. Please let me have him. No? Well, then, I'm gonna snub you so there *g*. 'Hero' is absolutely beautiful and it belongs to Mariah Carey. It's on her Music Box CD, which is currently my fave out of her collection (I have them all, of course).
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I decided the Oracles needed names, so I've chosen Michael and Theresa.

Those who would decide the future looked down on two cities, miles apart. Both held broken hearts and fear, but also a shared love that could not be broken.

"We must do something," Theresa said.

"What's done is done, Sister." Michael replied. "We must let the world turn as it was intended."

"No!" she let her eyes turn to flame for a moment. "Do you realize you are in favor of destroying true love here?"

"I do, but--"

"There are no buts, Brother. These two belong together."

"There are those connected to us who think otherwise."

She raised a hand over the screen in which she watched them. A pale pink smoke covered it for a moment, and then subsided.

"Theresa!" Michael yelled. "How could you do that?"

She fingered the watch Angel had brought her. "I liked him. He was sweet."

The Oracle could only shake his head at his sister in wonder.

*******************************

There's a hero
If you look inside your heart
You don't have to be afraid
Of what you are\\

Buffy approached the cemetery gingerly. It had been only two weeks since her last visit to LA and even though Giles warned her against going to the funeral, she wasn't going to let Cordelia or Angel down. They needed her right now, and she would be there.

She just wasn't sure yet if she was going to let them know it. It would certainly serve Angel right to pull what he'd pulled over Thanksgiving, but at the same time, she didn't want to punish Cordelia at a time like this.

Sighing, she hid behind a tree, knowing Angel had to know she was close by. She watched in silence as the two of them laid flowers on a tall headstone.

Buffy drew closer, hearing Angel mumble and Cordelia sniffle. She took a very slow, deep breath and tapped his shoulder.

"Buffy."

"Buffy!" Cordelia ran to her and hugged her. Angel seemed visibly shocked by this but Buffy wasn't surprised at all. She knew Cordelia needed a friend and that was what she was there for.

"I thought maybe you guys could use a friend." she said as her explanation for visiting again.

Angel nodded. "Thank you. How did you...."

"Cordelia called Xander the other night in hysterics. It was a research night so the phone went through Willow and Giles before I finally got a hold of the receiver."

Cordelia sniffled and pulled back from her friend. "Buffy was so sweet to me, even if it was four in the morning."

"Buffy's amazing," Angel said quietly before walking away.

then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you'll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you\\

The drive back to Angel's apartment would be long, so Cordelia offered to ride with Buffy in her Jeep. The Slayer was grateful. Not only did she not know this part of the city that well, she knew that Angel needed some time for dealing. Maybe brooding. He always was really good at that.

"So," Cordy said after flipping through the radio stations, content to find one playing Matchbox20. "How's college?"

"Boring."

"And Giles?"

"Unemployed."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope. He sits on his ass all day. And he has a lady friend."

Cordelia opened the window and stuck her head out, embracing the cool air. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"It's not so bad. Olivia seems really nice."

"Olivia, huh? Olivia and Rupert, ugh, sounds like a soap opera supercouple."

Buffy didn't know how to reply to that so she just kept quiet.

"How's everything else?" Cordelia asked, her voice curious.

"You mean, how's Xander."

"Right. Don't get me wrong, Buffy, I'm not ready....I don't know if I even want......after what's just happened with Doyle, I'm trying not to let people that mean alot to me slip through my fingers."

"I completely understand."

"So.." she prodded.

"He's okay. Lives in his parents' basement, has a whole set up down there. It's kind of cool, actually. We use there or Giles' for our haunts now."

"Since you didn't say he doesn't, I'm gonna assume he's got a girlfriend."

"You remember Demon Anya?"

"Oh, God, her?!"

"He's got flaws."

"I guess so!"

They road around in silence awhile longer 'till the song changed and Cordy freaked, massively pushing buttons.

"Oh, no, no, no no!"

"What?" Buffy nearly hit a car, swerving to avoid another.

"Damn Britney Spears!! She's everywhere."

"Cordelia."

"What? No one could be more annoying!!"

That argument wasn't one Buffy could argue with.

It's a long road
When you face the world alone
No one reaches out a hand
For you to hold\\

Angel was sitting at his desk in the dark when the girls arrived at the agency. Cordelia excused herself to go across the street to Mike's for a lemonade and didn't bother asking if anyone else wanted one.

"Why are you really here?" Angel asked.

"Cordy needed me. I'm pretty stupid, I thought you might need me too."

"I do need you."

"Then what's with the ice house? Why can't you just tell me how you feel?"

"Are we still talking about grieving?" he asked.

"Yes. Only now I mean grieving about us and not Doyle."

You can find love
If you search within yourself
And the emptiness you felt
Will disappear\\

Buffy wasn't sure how it happened, but they wound up in Angel's apartment. He made them tea and she sat across from him, playing with the tea bag, not really thinking about anything.

"Buffy?" he finally asked.

"What?"

"You seem distracted."

"Oh, yeah. I just forgot I wanted to tape Roswell and now it's half over."

"This has nothing to do with TV, Buffy."

"What does it have to do with? You can barely look me in the eye!"

"I--"

"No, you know something Angel? I need to tell you this, because if I don't do it now, I never will."

"Okay."

"I love you! And no matter what we try to do, how much distance we try to put...it's not enough. It'll never be enough. Nothing's ever going to work because we both know that deep down, we're in love and that's more powerful than any demon or curse or God damn prophecy in Giles' Codex."

"Buffy, stop acting like a child." he got up to leave the room.

"I'm acting like a child?" she followed him. "You're the one who runs away everytime the feelings get too intense"

"I don't run away."

"Yes, you do. I'll bet you spend every night that you're not out helping someone the same way. You sit in that dark office of yours upstairs and read some old book. What is it this time? Of Mice And Men? Moby Dick?"

"Great Expectations," he muttered.

"Oh! Really? Have you read it before?"

"Yes."

"Well, I saw the movie with Ethan Hawke and I know they're basically the same and let me just remind you that Finn and Estella--"

"His name is Pip in the book."

"Whatever!! Let me just remind you that they get back together after ten years."

"Then maybe you should try whining at me in ten years."

"God, when did you become such a guy?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" now he was offended.

"You know what it means. You're doing exactly what a guy does. You're running away from your feelings, trying to hide what you really want. You know I'm right."

"No," he turned around. "You're not right."

She neared him, purposely walking with a slight wiggle. It was difficult not to wobble in her six inch heels, but she pulled it off. "Prove it."

The closer she got, the more he could smell his perfume, there was no resistance left in him.

Their lips met fast and furious and the next thing Buffy knew, Angel was carrying her to bed.

Lord knows
Dreams are hard to follow
But don't let anyone
Tear them away
Hold on
There will be tomorrow
In time
You'll find the way\\

When Buffy woke up, she looked to Angel and could tell from the look on his face he was still her Angel. She laid a hand on his chest and felt the unbeating of his heart.

"See?" she whispered. "Love is the most powerful thing in this world."

Instead of arguing with her the way she expected, he pulled her into his lap and held her for hours. In his arms she felt safe, felt like no one could harm her. She knew all of this was because he was her hero, plain and simple.

Here's the challenge.....

-Some way Buffy and Angel MUST stay together
-No other couple other than B/A
-Mention of the show Roswell
-A Mariah Carey song
-Mike's hard lemonade
-A famous book
-6 inch heels
-Preferably some Britney Spears bashing

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