Part XIII- The Sacrifice

As soon as Darla had been banished, Wesley and the others quickly staggered back into the basement. Still blind, they did not see Buffy crying over a pile of dust. In between gasps of breath, Buffy tried to explain what had happened. Wesley was the first to get back his vision, and stared at Angel's remains.

"What's happening?" Cordelia asked, suddenly scared.

"He's dead," Gunn answered, his eyes reverting back to normal.

Cordelia got her vision back, as her eyes adjusted to the floor. She saw the pile and fell down on her knees to begin her own sobbing. Gunn tried to comfort her, but a dark sadness filled his own heart as well. Wesley looked on at Buffy, half-knowing the torment that raged within her. He slid next to Buffy and tried to put his hand on her shoulder.

"He can't be dead! He's Angel," Cordelia cried out.

"There's nothing we can do, Cordelia. We can't bring him back," Gunn tried to reason.

Suddenly Buffy's head shot up. She turned over to Wesley, who did not realize the fault of Gunn's statement. Buffy took the scroll from her belt and unraveled it. Some of it was in English, but rest was in Latin. There was still a chance he could come back… She whipped Wesley out of his mourning.

"Wesley, we need to resurrect him," Buffy said stubbornly.

The ex-Watcher shook his head sadly, "We need a sacrifice of greed for it Buffy. And one vampire for every century Angel's been alive… It's too late."

"No it's not," she asserted. "We have Spike and Riley now, and that's enough to cover the two centuries he's been alive. We can do this,"

Gunn looked over to Wesley and asked, "Can we bring the boy back?"

Wesley shook his head, "Buffy, you aren't properly schooled in the magiks. Lindsey was able to do it because he had the training-"

"Guys, I'm going to this," Buffy said, taking out the scroll.

Gunn looked Buffy over and said, "Hold up- This is Buffy right? As in The Slayer? That pretty thing Angel's been pining over since I met him? I wouldn't be telling her what she can and can't do, brother."

"Wesley- if she can bring Angel back, then maybe," Cordelia agreed.

"No! I'm afraid you all don't understand-"

"We need to do this now," Buffy said, getting into the circle.

"This is highly dangerous for you! And it is going to take a lot of energy… Even if you were fully rested, the ritual could kill you. Buffy, if you do this, you may not survive," Wesley warned.

Buffy quickly looked at her watch, "We don't have much time. Only ten minutes before the zenith, and we need to do both spells…"

Cordelia was shocked and said, "Wait! You won't survive? No way-"

"Don't argue with me! I'm doing this. I just have to be careful about the Latin."

"We still need the sacrifice of greed-"

"Darla must have it here somewhere! We don't have time to look for it! If she were going to complete the resurrection she'd have done it already! I love him," Buffy yelled.

Wesley began to protest again, but Buffy had already started. Buffy felt her eyes glaze over, and her body went numb. She felt that somehow, she was outside of herself. The only action that kept her conscious was the chanting. All she could do was chant…

Part XIV- I Will Lie With Thee Tonight

"I can't let Buffy die," Cordelia said, making her way to Buffy.

"No! Do not interrupt her! If you do, she will most certainly die. Cordelia we have to help her. NOW," Wesley said, holding the brunette back.

Gunn put his hand on her shoulder and said, "I may not know her all that well- but this is something the girl's just got to do."

"The best way to help her is to do this for her, Cordelia. Just follow my lead and say- `Yet they live.' After each line," Wesley urged.

Buffy continued on during this exchange- quickly coming to the parts where a response was needed. The three of them had to fight to keep up with Buffy's speed. As they neared the Latin part of the spell, the group felt the tremors beneath them. Undaunted, Buffy continued- fixed on her purpose to bring her lover back from the dust.

Abruptly, another whirlwind emerged and engulfed the still unconscious Spike and Riley. Their bodies turned into dust and bones. A mixture of wind and dust began to whirlwind around Angel's own ashes. The force of the wind was so powerful, the group had a hard time standing up straight. Buffy, almost outside of herself stood erect- chanting, steadfast, fighting to channel the energy… Feeling her own life, her energy- leaving her body.

"Sergei, Serga," Buffy chanted, feeling her breath drain out of her.

A hot blue light suddenly emanated from the whirlwind- and a sonic wave propelled Buffy to the wall. Her tiny frame crashed into the cold marble, and fell out of the blood circle. The moment her body fell to the floor, the light engulfed the ashes in a brilliant exposition. When the light faded away, Angel's wet, sweaty naked body appeared.

"Buffy," he coughed, desperately looking for his love.

Angel immediately became scared. He couldn't feel her life force as he always had. There were times when he was separated from her- but he could always feel her existence in his soul. Now his soul heard nothing… Still a little groggy from the ordeal, his eyes had trouble adjusting to the dimly lit room. Angel moved on instinct, trying to feel even the most remote sensation that Buffy provoked in him.

"No! Angel you must stay in the circle," Wesley cried out.

Yet he paid no attention to the screams and shouts of his staff- straining to see in the darkness. And that's when he saw her. Buffy's lifeless body lay just outside of the circle, her neck twisted at a horrible angle. Angel stepped out of the circle and held onto his lover's corpse, still warm.

"I need you, Buffy. I need you, because I love you," he whispered, shaking her in a futile attempt to bring her back.

"Go back in the circle, there's not much time left," Cordelia cried.

Angel looked to the group in tears, "Let me die! Let me be with her…"

He pulled her into his own lap, rocking her back and forth. They had resurrected him, but he refused to spend eternity without her. Angel had lost everything. He had lost his only love. All of the control he had gained over the years failed him. His heart was now truly dead, freeing all of his tears to the surface.

Angel felt his body turning to dust once more. He was dying. He knew he had only a few moments left to live. He ran his hands through her blonde silky hair and kissed her cheek.

"I will lie with thee tonight," he whispered.

And with that, he embraced her and together the two warriors lay down on the ground-dead.

Part XV- Their Fate

Gunn looked down in horror at the bodies of Buffy and Angel. Cordelia had her head burrowed in Wesley's chest. All of three of them looked down in despair. After all of what the two lovers had sacrificed for each other, this was their fate. Death.

At that moment, Gunn saw a beam of light streaming from a crack in window. He turned his head to get a better look and saw the full moon shinning back at him. The beam of light lit up the circle of blood, causing it to glow with a white-blue hue. He watched as the light engulfed the bodies, making them radiate with electric energy.

"Wes- check it out," he said, pointing to the circle.

The two turned to follow Gunn's gaze at the circle. The light shone on the bodies- which were just barely inside its rim. All at once, the ground began to shake again. They all tried to see what was going on, but smoke and midst obstructed their view. It billowed and curled around the bodies, until another brilliant light blinded the three of them again.

Another sonic wave brought the trio to their knees. Just as quickly as it began- it was over. The smoke evaporated, revealing the two lovers embraced together.

Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn ran to the spot where Buffy and Angel lay. The two lovers returned to consciousness, only slightly disoriented. Cordelia bent down to help Buffy up, and Gunn did the same for Angel.

"Shanshu," Buffy whispered hoarsely.

Wesley looked at her in surprise and said, "What?"

"I don't know… That's… just what… I heard…Shanshu," she huffed.

Angel tightened his grip on her and said, "Oh, God… I love you Buffy."

They sat together like that, holding onto each other fiercely. Wesley quickly consulted the scroll, looking for an explanation. Gunn surveyed the area, making sure it was safe from anything else that would come. Cordelia covered Angel with Gunn's trenchcoat and he quietly thanked her.

"But it said Angel would be human… I suppose I could have been wrong about the translation... However, Buffy died," Wesley puzzled.

"Hey- Hate to break this up. But I found this," Gunn said, picking up Darla's box.

He walked over to the group and held it upside down for them to see. Buffy and Angel were surprised when they saw it was empty.

"There were heads in there… The lawyers, I mean… Darla cut them up," Buffy said.

A look of awareness dawned on Wesley's face, "The sacrifice of greed… Darla wasn't going to resurrect just herself- She wanted to resurrect Angel as well."

"What does that mean?" Angel said, trying to stand up with Buffy.

"That means- you and Buffy are… Resurrected. Both of you have come back from the dead with immortality," Wesley said stunned.

Buffy stared at Wesley, "Hold on. We're…immortal?"

"I thought you said Angel would just be human," Cordelia asked, turning to Wesley.

"Well it is possible. For the moment we first resurrected him, Angel was technically human. But now… If the translation holds, he should have the same strengths he had as a demon, possibly with other new powers…"

"Wait, hold up… The two of them are unkillable," Gunn asked, wanting answers.

"If this is true…In their new immortal state, Buffy and Angel can not die unless they are killed in a particular way… Angel is technically not a full vampire at this rate," Wesley confessed.

"It doesn't matter…. Angel you're with me! I just want get out of here," Buffy said softly.

Angel smiled and held her tight, "I know, we'll go together..."

Part XVI- Returning Home

It had been a long night for the entire group. Gunn decided to head for home, while the rest of them piled up in Angel's car. Cordelia was about to protest to it, but Angel silenced her. He understood it was Gunn's way. Just before he left, Gunn patted Angel's shoulder. The look in his eyes said everything. Angel silently understood Gunn's approval of Buffy.

The ride back to the offices was relatively quiet, save for Wesley's musings. After looking at the scroll again, he was still unsure of what exactly happened. In the end, he stuck to his original conclusions about the resurrection. Angel would have at least the same abilities as did when he was a vampire. Yet it was mystery if he would develop new powers. Also, there was the matter of Buffy resurrecting with Angel. She could have easily gotten a few aspects of the demon as well.

Wesley admitted, he didn't have any clear cut answers on that. He only knew what the rest of them knew for sure- Angel was no longer a full vampire… And Buffy had escaped the destiny of all the Slayers before her- death.

It was around 8 p.m. once they arrived at the offices. Sensing that Buffy and Angel needed some time alone together, Wesley and Cordelia left on his motorcycle. Before Cordelia left though, she pulled Buffy aside.

"Wesley and I have been talking… And if Angel isn't a vampire anymore- then that means no curse," she whispered.

"Cordelia, I-"

"Buffy, even Gunn sees how much you two love each other. And you've known him for what? Half an hour?"

The Slayer turned to her old friend and said, "I don't know what to do-"

"Make him happy… Let him make you happy… Be happy together- just try to restrain yourselves while I'm around," she said as she climbed onto the bike.

"But what if he doesn't want-"

"He truly does love you, Buffy. Cordelia and I thought we should leave so the both of you could have some privacy," Wesley said as revved the engine.

"I've got cookie dough fudge and mint chip in the refrigerator. Tell Angel we're taking tomorrow off," Cordelia said as she put on Wesley's helmet.

Before Buffy had a chance to respond, the two sped off into the night. Buffy slowly walked back inside the building. She walked over to the refrigerator and opened the freezer. As Buffy took the two cartons of ice cream out, Angel walked behind her.

"Hi," Angel said shyly, unsure of anything else to say.

"Hey, um… Cordelia said this was all the food you guys had," she said, holding up the two flavors.

"Oh… Yeah. I guess Cordelia was cheating on her diet… What kind of ice cream is it," he asked, surprised that there was ice cream.

"We have two different kinds…Cookie dough fudge and mint chip," she said, feeling the awkwardness of the moment.

"Buffy, when we made… well, um, when we had our day together, wasn't there… I mean… Couldn't she have bought-"

"I know… They don't make all ready mixed cookie dough fudge mint chip anymore. The company split the two flavors apart."

"Oh I see," Angel said sadly, insecure with his feelings.

Buffy decided to cut through the tension and said, "Angel we've been through a lot tonight. And things were said-"

"You don't have to say anything, Buffy."

"No! I do. Angel- I meant every word I said tonight. God, tonight is the first time in a long time I can say that! I love you Angel. Maybe we can-"

Angel walked to her and held her tightly, "No, Buffy. Don't finish that sentence. I love you. I've always loved you. But feel," he took Buffy's hand in his and held it to his chest.

"Angel-"

"I don't have a heartbeat… I'm still cold. I can't offer you anything-"

"Angel you give me yourself! And that's all I ever wanted. You," Buffy said, letting her head fall on his chest.

He let himself get lost in her and said, "I want you so much… But you've had other men- and we still can't-"

"I've only loved you Angel. Just you. You're technically not a real vampire anymore! So the curse kinda doesn't count," she bellowed, her breath hot on his neck.

Angel leaned forward into her but he said, "I still might not be able to give you children or walk in th-"

"I don't come with any guarantees either, Angel. We're in the same boat now… We've both died and come back… forever. It's just hard feeling so ashamed- the two of us fighting and me with Riley," she said sadly.

He pulled Buffy his to his head, so tempted to kiss her back, "Don't you think that you're not special or amazing… YOU ARE. I haven't been the best in this relationship either… I've kept things from you, too."

"The whole thing with my mom? Oh I'm sooo going to kill her," Buffy confided.

"Not that. Something else…"

Buffy looked at him with total love and said, "Angel, I don't care. We've both done really horrible things in our lives…But we're here together now. And I want my life to be with you, forever."

" I do too, love," he whispered, gently stroking her back. " You know… We've come a long way together. You and me."

Buffy hugged him back, transferring heat to warm Angel's cold body. At that moment, they both realized that only thing Angel had on was a trench coat Gunn had lent him. Buffy and Angel were already brimming with desire- and the realization broke the dam of their control. Without hesitation, their lips met in a rebirth of their love.

Angel felt himself melt into Buffy's gentle touch and wrapped his arms around her waist. As they continued to kiss, Angel began to pull away so Buffy could breathe- but she stopped him. With a glance, Angel knew- Buffy didn't need any air. Buffy shot him a hungry look and she pulled him back to her burning lips.

When their lips met, a flash of lightening lit the dim room. The couple heard raindrops on the roof as a clap of thunder sounded. Angel smiled against Buffy's mouth and teasingly pulled a little away.

"They're playing our song," he tantalized, stroking her cheek.

"Mmmm… The last time we were like this, we agreed to take things… slow," she said, seductively rubbing his chest through the coat.

"Slow," he echoed, as his mouth traveled downward to kiss her chest over her silk shirt. "I'll make sure we go very, very, very, slow."

"Well, we might want to take the varied approach on speed," she teased, as he pulled her back to his mouth.

Their kisses became even more intense than the couple thought possible. Buffy felt her body hum not only at his touch, but just at his mere presence. She began to feel weak in the knees. Wanting more of him as each second passed, she jumped up- wrapping her legs around his lean waist.

Angel became increasingly aware of his own body against Buffy's. They needed each other. Now. As he felt her legs wrap around him, Angel began maneuvering their intertwined frames to the staircase. Buffy held onto him tightly, as he tried to make his way to his apartment. Along way they were dangerously close to their passion erupting on the flight of steps. But they were able to reach Angel's apartment, letting nothing hold their love for each other back.

Angel stopped his ardent kisses for a moment and Buffy looked visibly disappointed. The disappointment didn't last for very long- before she knew it, he whisked her into the air. He cradled her in his arms, and Buffy tenderly gripped his neck. Like a groom and bride, Angel carried Buffy over the threshold of his hotel penthouse. With both arms he held onto Buffy lovingly, closing the door with his foot.

When they got inside, Buffy fervidly wanted to continue their kisses- but Angel stopped her again with his index finger. He laid Buffy down on his bed, but to her surprise- he sat on a wooden chair next to the bed. Angel tried to reassure her, looking at her with all the love in his heart.

"Buffy- there's something I need to tell you," he whispered as he kissed her hand.

Buffy slanted her body to Angel and said, "I told you already, I don't care. I just want you, always."

"No… I have to say this. You have to know."

"What is it," she asked, fear reflecting in her eyes.

"Nothing bad… I promise," he said, looking at her hazel eyes.

"Then what's going on?"

"The ring," he said as he gently rubbed her naked left ring finger. "The claddagh I gave you. For your birthday? I didn't… I didn't tell you everything."

"What do you mean," she asked, wrapping her arms around him, holding him close.

"That night… I married you. When I put the ring on your finger and I said those things I did… I married you. Over here it doesn't mean anything- but during my day in Ireland-"

"We would have been married," she finished quietly.

Angel looked at her, slightly surprised, "You're not angry with me?"

"No. Why would I? I think that night we had something- sacred… And how great of a present is that," she said, softly kissing him on the forehead. "I think I've always known. Sorta… On some level."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before…When Angelus came, every part of me fought him from telling you- I didn't want it to come out that way. And after that I just didn't want you to feel obligated to me," he confided.

Buffy ran her fingers through his dark brown hair and said, "Loving you is never an obligation. It's a privilege. Something I sometimes think I don't deserve-"

"But you do-"

"Exactly! This is what we need to remind ourselves, Angel. We deserve each other. Always. Forever, that's the whole point, remember?"

"When I'm with you, I don't need to be reminded as much… I feel it," he said, snuggling his head onto her shoulder.

"Well then… That settles it. We just won't leave each other alone," she said, drawing him in her a soulful, sensual kiss.

Angel pulled back again- but his left arm was still tightly wrapped around Buffy. He reached over to a nightstand on his bed. He opened up a drawer revealing inside a black satin jewelry box. He took out the box and got on his knees in front of Buffy. The Slayer beamed with joy and she felt the tears welling up inside of her. Angel smiled that sexy half-smile she loved, as he opened up the box.

"I found this after I came back. Buffy, I want to make that commitment to you… Again, and again, and again," he simply said, holding up the claddagh ring.

"I looked everywhere in the mansion for it," Buffy said in wonder.

"The crown represents, loyalty. The hands for friendship and the heart- for love," Angel said, now finding a confidence he did not have three years ago.

"With the heart facing toward you… That means you belong to someone," Buffy said.

"So, will you-"

"Yes," Buffy cried before he had a chance to finish. "You don't even have to ask- I'm already yours, you know."

With each moment that passed, Angel kept amending his definition of happiness. Being with his Buffy- made each passing second more special than he thought possible. The truth and freedom was here- in his arms, and he knew that he would never have to let go of it again. Feeling like a giddy teenager, he kissed the ring and held up Buffy's hand.

Angel excitedly slipped the sliver ring on her tiny finger. He looked at her hands in awe, and Buffy looked down with him. The ring felt snug against her skin and she wondered how she had lived for so long with its touch- without Angel's touch. With a slightly mischievous grin, Buffy arched herself back onto the blue satin sheets of the bed. She pulled Angel on top of her and gave him an enticing kiss. He eagerly returned it, but looked shocked when she pulled away.

"What's wrong," he asked, worry apparent in his voice.

Buffy said nothing as she guided his hands to her short silk blouse, letting him feel the flesh sticking out of it. She motioned to him and he undid the buttons, quickly sliding it off. Her red silk bra was the only thing that covered the rest of her chest, and Angel reveled in the sensation of touching her flesh against that fabric. He marveled at how Buffy's skin felt so much softer that the material. With his eyes fixed onto hers- his thumbs gently massaged her.

She moaned softly as he proceeded with his orchestrations. But she giggled when he felt something hard between his fingers. Buffy smiled again as he stopped to look at that spot in confusion. She guided his hands again to the front clasp of her bra, and he gently removed it. Angel peaked inside of the bra's cup at saw a glimmer of metal shine in the nightlight. Buffy pulled the ring out of its place and tossed the bra onto the floor.

"I found this when you came back too… But this was too big for me," she said holding up Angel's claddagh ring for him to see.

"You've had it all this time," he smiled back, staring at it in Buffy's tiny fingers.

"They're the symbol of our connection. The rings, I mean. And that's why I kept it close to my heart," Buffy explained.

"So where does it go," he asked with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

"Right here," she said, slipping it onto his left ring finger- with the heart facing inward. "There. Now we match, like we always do, husband."

"Wife," he whispered kissing her again, removing the last obstacles to their joining.

Angel looked into Buffy's eyes and saw fire shone brightly in them. His own eyes reflected that same burning. In each other's eyes, the couple discovered happiness, love, and a sense of hope that they both thought could never be found again. He felt slightly nervous as he continued his kisses, his hands roaming around her bare being. Buffy shared the anxiety, but as their bodies moved closer- the worries left the couple's thoughts.

They exulted in their union, finally feeling from their profound love the total freedom it engendered. While it may have taken a while for them to get this bounty, the journey made its destination all the more worthwhile. During this renaissance of souls, they rediscovered the true meaning of being complete. Both of them realized they were two different people, contrasting each other perfectly- Angel's large, masculine frame emptying into Buffy's tiny feminine body. Yet they were two different parts of the one whole. Delighting in these differences- coupled with the knowledge that they shared the same essence.

Their love finally knew no bounds. Together they could be gentle, slow and tender. Together they could be brisk, ravishing and voracious. What never wavered throughout the night was their passion and love for each other. Acutely aware of the other's spirit as well as their body- and the merging of those parts into a single entity. Although they could have easily continued on like this, the couple finally decided to proceed with their expression at dawn.

Curling inside of each other, they allowed sleep pass over them. Buffy cooed into Angel's chest and he tightened his already firm embrace. His mind drowned in the happiness Buffy had given him. He returned her reflection with a husky, arousingly satisfied moan. And as Buffy lay ontop of Angel, she slowly closed her eyes. Just before she let them close, her eyes wandered over to the night table. She smiled at the empty containers of ice cream they had devoured.

"What are you thinking," he asked, stroking her arms with his index finger.

"Oh Angel…You know- most people don't think that mint chip and cookie dough fudge could taste so good together," she said, beginning to doze off in his comfortable grasp.

"Mmmm, I can see that," he yawned, letting himself drift with Buffy into subconscious.

"But Angel… I can't imagine my life without them together," she said thoughtfully.

"I can't either," he added, knowing Buffy meant something more than just the ice cream.

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