Disclaimer: I own nothing except what I make Joss' characters do.
Disclaimer 2: There is a line that is taken from the movie, "The Princess Bride." It's not exactly the same, but rather similar. I don't own or have anything to do with that movie. I disclaim.
Spoilers: For the whole "Happy Endings" series and the B/A cannon in general. The episode "Amends" in particular.
Rating: PG13 (?)
Summery: Angel has a gift that could, once again, change his and Buffy's lives.
Author's Notes: This takes place directly after "Bridging the Gaps of Life."
Dedication: This story is dedicated to Steph and her new fiancé. I was having the worst case of writer's block when Steph IM'd me. She told me that her boyfriend had proposed the past week and she, of course, had said "yes." Now, talk about inspiration. If love can work out in real life, I say it can work out in fiction, too. So, congratulations to Steph and her soon-to-be husband. I wish you all of the happiness in the world. Thanks for being such great inspiration.
Feedback: Please send me some. I really would like to know what you think. :)

Angel lay in bed with Buffy. Now that he had the little box and, more importantly, the contents of the little box, all he had to do was figure out how to give it to Buffy. As he lay in bed, a million different ideas ran through his head. But, all of them would take a while to plan, not to mention, execute. That's the way he'd always imagined that he'd give her this gift. A long and wonderfully romantic gesture that would sweep her off of her feet. He thought that she deserved no less. But, with the recent changes in both of their lives, time was of the essence. With a baby on the way, they couldn't mess around anymore. They had to figure out what they wanted with their lives, and fast!

Just then, as the millionth and one idea ran through his head, Angel gave up. ‘I want to do this now, tonight. I can't wait anymore,' he thought. Angel climbed out of the bed and got dressed. He reached for the little box that resided just inside of his duffle bag. He stood there for a moment, grasping the box in his hand before pocketing the little treasure. He made his way over to Buffy and gently shook her awake.

"What?" a groggy and grumpy Buffy asked.

"You need to get up," Angel told her.

"What? Why?" Buffy's sleep-laden voice asked.

"I need you to come with me."

"What? Angel, it's the middle of the night," the blonde protested.

"No, it's not. The sun will be up in a little while. Now, come on." Angel finally tugged her from her slumber and helped her put on her shoes. He took her hand and began dragging her to the door.

"Wait, where are we going? I'm not dressed," Buffy said.

"It's fine. Just come on."

"Angel."

"Just come on."

When they reached the front door, Angel helped Buffy with her coat and then slipped on his own. They walked across town and up the big hill to Lookout Point. "We're here," Angel finally announced, once they'd reached the top of the hill.

"Lookout Point? Angel, if you wanted to make out, we could have done that in bed. You know, the place where you sleep. Or at least the place where I was trying to sleep."

"Do you know what today is?" Angel asked.

"It's Christmas," Buffy answered, having no real clue as to where this was heading.

"Do you remember what happened last year, on Christmas?" Angel asked, looking out over the city, just as he had done only a short year before.

"Of course I remember. I almost lost you that day. But what does that have to do with you dragging me up here?" She asked, quietly.

"Last year, I came up here to end my life. Now, I thought that it was best to come up here to start one."

"I'm afraid we already did that," Buffy said, lying her hands on her stomach.

"I know. It's almost like, this is Fate's way of giving us our Christmas gift. Last year, it snowed. This year, it's the baby. I think that this is kinda Fate's way of saying, "You did a good job. Here's a reward for all of your pain." We give the world a chance to live, to exist, and then we're given these little gifts. Buffy, you give me, so much, and I think that it's time that I gave something back. So," Angel got down on one knee in front of Buffy. He held her hand as a dawning expression came to her face. "Buffy Anne Summers, I love you more than life, itself. Will you do me the incredible honor, of letting me become your husband?"

Buffy was speechless. "I . . . I . . .I don't know."

"Buffy, I know that this is unexpected, but I love you, with all my heart and all of my soul. Please, say that you'll marry me."

"I don't know if I can, Angel," she said, taking a few steps away from him.

Angel rose and followed her. "Why not?"

"Angel I would love to marry you. I think that I've wanted that forever. But I don't want it, if the only reason that you're proposing is because I'm pregnant. I don't want you to do this because you think that it's the "right" thing to do. I want us to get married because we can't help but do anything else. Not because you feel guilty."

"Buffy, listen to me. It's not like that," Angel took her hands in his. "I love you. And I already love our baby, too. And yes, if you weren't pregnant, I would have waited to ask. I was planning to ask you after you graduated from college. I wanted to make sure that this, a life with me, was what you really wanted. But, I think that was more my insecurity, than your lack of wanting me. Buffy, I've never thought that I was good enough for you. I've always thought that you should have better than me. I've always been a disappointment to everyone else, but you're the one person that I couldn't bear to disappoint. So, I thought that if I left before I could disappoint you, that would be better. But I realize how incredibly wrong I was. Or maybe I wasn't. I don't know. All I know is, I'm done with it. I'm done making your decisions for you. Not to say that I'm never gonna help you make a decision, but I'm done doing stupid things like "leaving you for your own good." I know that I couldn't do that again.

"I want to spend the rest of my life, however long that may be, with you and our children, the one that you're carrying, as well as all of the future children we might have. I want the dream, Buffy - you and me, always. I promised you always once; I want to keep that promise."

"I don't know what to say," Buffy said, tears forming in her eyes from the heartfelt speech that Angel had just delivered.

"Well, I'm gonna ask you to marry me again and I'm a little nervous about it because you didn't really give me an answer the last time that I asked. But here goes." Angel got back down on one knee, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the little box. He held the box out, opened, in one of his hands as the other held Buffy's hand. "Buffy, I love you, always, forever. Will you please, please do me the incredible honor of letting me become your husband? Buffy Anne Summers, will you marry me?"

Buffy looked into the eyes of her love. As his image blurred through her tears she dropped to her knees in front of him and said, "Only if you'll do me the incredible honor of becoming your wife."

"Is that a yes?" Angel asked.

"That's a yes," she said.

And they leaned in and . . . well, throughout history, there have been five kisses that have been considered the most passionate, the most powerful, this kiss outshone them all. And as they pulled back, Angel took the ring out of the box and slid it on Buffy's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed," he whispered.

"I don't think that you say that until the wedding," Buffy whispered, in just as quiet of a voice.

"I do it then, too," he whispered back.

Buffy looked down at the ring. It was a beautiful diamond, sitting on a thin band of white gold.

"Oh, Angel, it's beautiful."

"Yeah, it is." But to the ring was not where Angel was looking. His eyes were on his beautiful fiancé as he said those words.

Buffy looked up and blushed when she realized what he was saying.

"Why don't we head back. It's cold out here," Angel said.

"Can't we just wait until the sun rises?" Buffy asked.

"What if the same thing happens this year, as it did last?" Angel asked, sitting down and pulling Buffy into his arms. "What if it snows and there is no sun, today?"

"Then, I guess, we'll just have to spend the day here," she said, snuggling into his embrace.

"I can think of worse things than that."

And he could. But why think about such things at a time like that. They were both so happy, so in love. Just wait to see what kind of things the new year brings. And don't forget, they still have their family to tell.

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