Part Five

Darla giggled as she pulled the zipper up on her new white leather pants. Ripping off the expensive price tag, she strutted down the glass counter like a super model on a Paris catwalk. On reaching the end of the line, she spun around and grinned at the room full of over fed vampires. The shop floor was littered with the corpses of their poor unfortunate victims, death for these lost souls had at least come quickly. The killing spree had started three days earlier and the demon population felt as if all their birthdays had come at once.

In all the mass confusion that followed the meteorite's discovery, nobody seemed to notice or care as the vampire community dined on an *all you can eat buffet*. The end of the world really was their greatest dream come true.

The panic, the terror, the blood.

**Could things really get any better?** Darla thought as she triumphantly scanned the carnage, her smile grew even wider at the answer **YES, they could**

"Do it again, do it again" Drusilla clapped excitedly and pushed over a large rail of expensive leather jackets, smashing a glass display cabinet in the process. The beautiful dark haired vampire reached down and pulled out a blood red jacket from the tangled mess with a childish squeal of delight.

"Ohhh! I just love this colour, it's so me" she cooed as she slipped her slender arms through the long sleeves of the jacket and reveled in the feel of the soft hide against her skin.

Darla reached over and pulled a long leather coat from the nearest antique mannequin. Slipping it on, the blonde vampire seductively swung her hips and started her catwalk all over again, much to the joy of her appreciative minions who stood by eagerly awaiting the show to end and the fun to begin.

"What do you think?" Twirling in all her finery, Darla grinned again and looked back towards Drusilla

"I think it makes you look fat" it wasn't Drusilla who answered.

Both female vampires turned at the same time and watched Buffy enter the shop closely followed by Angel.

Two of Darla's followers were dusted before they knew what hit them; Buffy's lightning reflexes left two piles of dust in place of the henchmen guarding the door.

"Oh, look who we have here. It's the cheerleader and her slightly off white knight. Hello lover" Darla purred towards Angel but never took her eyes away from the Slayer. She slowly stepped down from the counter and prepared for the attack.

Buffy took a step forward, all her attention was focused on Darla and she silently prayed that Angel really was there to watch her back.

But there was never really any doubt in the matter. Angel was already weighing up the danger and moved quickly to intercept the remaining henchmen as they approached the Slayer, he was spoiling for a fight.

Darla slowly slipped off the long leather coat, knowing that it would hinder her movement. She playfully dropped it to the floor, her eyes never once leaving Buffy's expressionless face.

"Angel's little cheerleader, the bringer of perfect happiness, come on Buffy, give us a *B*" Darla sneered as her eyes narrowed in disgust.

"Actually, I'd rather give you this" Buffy somersaulted across the room, her legs kicked out knocking a stunned Darla off her feet and onto her ass. The vampire hissed and transformed into her demonic mask, her yellow eyes blazing with years of hatred for the pathetic human who had stolen her lover's heart.

**This scrawny little Bitch had been a thorn in her side for far too long.** Once she was dead, Darla knew that Angelus would return to his family.

"You really don't get any prettier, do you" Buffy quipped at the transformation and punched her fist into the demon's face. Darla lip split with the force of the punch but she quickly retaliated.

"Why can't you be a good little human and go find a hole to crawl into, just like the rest of your friends" Darla laughed knowing that she had hit a raw nerve, Buffy failed to keep the pain she felt from reflecting in her eyes.

Darla took full advantage of the pain, grabbing hold of Buffy's head; she smashed it straight into a large display counter. Glass and costume jewellery flew in all direction as Buffy quickly recovered, she felt a shard of jagged glass slice into the flesh just above her right eye, but made no attempt to wipe the blood that dripped from the wound.

"I'd offer to turn you into one of us but you're far too poisonous for our blood line" The vampire's hungry eyes took in the line of blood that ran slowly down the Slayer's face and licked her lips.

"You really think I'd want you for a Sire?" Buffy laughed. Springing forward, she plunged her stake towards Darla, the vampire twisted just in time for the stake to embed itself in the middle of her stomach.

"Sorry, still not the heart. You'd think your aim might have improved after all this time " Darla laughed shaking her head. She backhanded the Slayer across the face and sent her reeling backward into the central clothing display. Darla then pulled the wooden stake from her stomach and tossed it over her shoulder. Seeing that Buffy was now defenceless and slightly dazed she moved menacingly towards her enemy.

Buffy pulled herself to her feet and stood her ground, she patiently bided her time as the grinning vampire stalked even closer. When Darla was only a foot away, Buffy snapped the wooden arm off one of the shattered antique mannequins and speared Darla right through the heart. The startled vampire only had time to gasp in surprise before turning to dust.

After the roar of the dusting the room fell deadly silent. Buffy cast her eyes down towards the pool of dust now lying on the floor at her feet

" And this time, don't come back " she muttered as she kicked her foot through the dirt in disgust. "Loser" the slayer in her couldn't resist the last dig.

The sound of another dusting then caught her attention and Buffy spun to see Angel finishing off the last of Darla's minions. He then grabbed a terrified Drusilla and pinned her up against the wall. Raising his stake for the final strike, Angel seemed almost trance like in his need to destroy the last remaining vampire in the room. He fought desperately not to focus on the fact that this woman was also his childe and his greatest crime.

"Angel, Wait!" Buffy urgently called out and moving through the remains of Darla's ashes, crossed the shop floor.

Angel hesitated mid strike but continued to pin the struggling woman against the wall

"Let her go" Buffy's voice was surprisingly calm considering the battle she had just fought. Both vampires looked up on hearing her command, each in their own confusion

"Buffy?" Angel's tired eyes sought the Slayer for some kind of explanation. The last thing he needed was time to consider what he was doing. Angel just wanted it over.

Buffy looked into Drusilla's insane face and tried to hold her gaze. The vampire was whimpering in terror after seeing her grand sire slaughtered and, even in her crazy mind, she had enough sense to know a similar fate now awaited her.

" Have you see that big ball in the sky?" Buffy asked watching the vampire tremble in fear

Drusilla shook her mane of long dark hair not answering the question in one way or another.

"There's terrible confusion, all the stars are talking at once" she mumbled softly and turned her head towards Angel, still refusing to believe that her sire would really kill her

Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Well, let me translate for you. That big sparkly one up there is saying goodnight sweetheart. It's also saying that somewhere down the road there is a very lonely, extremely annoying" at this point Buffy actually smiled much to Angel's confusion.

She then took a deep breath and continued in a way even Drusilla couldn't fail to understand

"It's saying that Spike is all on his own, maybe you should go find him and say goodbye" Buffy offered the girl a lifeline and hoped that she would take it, maybe for Spike's sake more than Drusilla's.

Angel dropped his hands but continued to watch Drusilla's every movement.

"Are you sure about this, Buffy?" he still couldn't believe what the Slayer was suggesting. She had staked Darla so easily and yet when it came to Drusilla. ** And where the hell did Spike fit into all of this? ** He wondered in even more confusion

Buffy looked at the relief in Drusilla's eyes and nodded.

"Let her be with her honey, I know what you said about demons surviving but I'm sure some of them won't and this might be their last chance."

Drusilla looked at Angel making sure he wouldn't go against the Slayer's wishes, when she was confident it was safe to move, she slipped quietly away.

With the last of the vampires gone, Buffy and Angel found themselves totally alone in what was left of the shop. Another battle between good and evil had been fought and won, just like the good old days.

Angel found himself staring at Buffy, just when he thought he knew all there was to know about her, she went and threw him all over again. For a moment he was back in that dark alley in Sunnydale and flat on his back. Angel liked the feeling that in a world that had changed so much, some things remained the same. This small perfect woman could still surprise the hell out of him.

Seeing the blood on her face for the first time, he took a hesitant step towards her

"So. How do you feel, now?" It was Buffy that asked the question. She gazed deep into his clear brown eyes searching for signs of the darkness.

"I feel.. Better." Angel's lips almost turned into a smile. He felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted off his tired shoulders. He had expected to feel guilt over his Sire's death, but all he found was relief. With the demon now gone wherever Darla's soul was Angel hoped she could finally rest in peace.

He looked back at Buffy and acknowledged the fact that she had probably saved two souls that night, he then remembered she was hurt

"What about you?" Angel asked pointing to the injury above her eye which was already closing

Buffy smiled and touched the cut with her fingers

" I've had worse" her eyes twinkled in amusement.

Angel nodded in understanding. As fights go, this had been almost an anti climax. But as always the Slayer had been outstanding and the victory was hers.

"I'm just glad I could help" Buffy walked away and picked up Mr. Pointy from the floor where Darla had thrown it earlier. Slipping her stake safely back into the waistband of her jeans, she turned once more to face Angel

"Where are you. I mean, what next?" he asked quietly already knowing the answer.

"I gonna practice a little of what I preach, I'm gonna spend my last night on earth with my honey" Buffy turned back and headed for the exit.

Angel stood very still just watching her walk away. He'd always known she was leaving but the reality of watching her go was unbearable.

When Buffy reached the shattered glass counter she stopped and turned back, seeing that Angel hadn't moved she slowly held out her hand.

"Angel?"

Angel's eyes went from her hand to her face and this time his lips definitely turned into a smile as he realised the honey she wanted to be with was him.

Without another thought, Angel walked across the room, on reaching the Slayer he held out his own large hand and gently touched her fingers

"Despite what you said to Drusilla, I don't think I can get you back to Sunnydale in time, Buffy. We can try, but I can't promise to get you home." Angel looked at the large clock over Buffy's shoulder and knew that they were running out of time.

Buffy reached up and trailed her finger across his lips

"Shhh, I am home, Angel. I'm with you." She pulled Angel's head down and pressed her lips against his cool mouth.

Angel gasped, as feelings he had thought long forgotten flooded through him, warming his cold lonely heart. And, for the first time in a very long while he almost felt alive.

"Buffy" he moaned softly into her mouth as her kisses became more urgent. Angel wrapped his arms around her slender body and pulled her up against his hard chest, letting her heat burn right into his soul. As he relaxed in her arms, Angel felt the darkness he had been so lost in, slowly start to slip away.

"This is the only home I ever wanted" Buffy sighed as the vampire swept her up into his arms and moved towards the door, he never even noticed as his feet kicked through what remained of Darla's scattered ashes.

*****

Part six

"I guess I should really start with the Mohra demon, it's veins run with the blood of eternity" Angel's eyes flickered to Buffy's face as he started his explanation. Her body quickly became stiff and expressionless as she silently absorbed every detail of the day that never was. As Angel recalled all the painful memories, Buffy's beautiful hazel eyes stared straight ahead, unable to return his gaze.

" And then I discovered I was human" Angel continued with the story. As the memories of that day slipped quietly over his tongue, the pain that accompanied them grew stronger inside his chest.

As the words slowly started to sink in, Buffy felt every dream she had ever dared to believe in, curl up inside her heart and die. After everything that had passed between the two of them, the thought that their one chance of happiness had not only come, but had also gone, leaving her with no memory of it at all was unbearable.

" I held you in my arms and you said it was the perfect day, and you were right, it was" Angel didn't even attempt to hide any of the more personal details, Buffy had demanded the truth and that was exactly what he was giving her.

Although Buffy's expression didn't chance, Angel felt the pain bubbling up inside of her. It was part of the bond that they still shared, they still had the ability to understand what the other was feeling. Angel didn't know what he could possibly say that would comfort her. He had been given over a year to accept the loss of that day, and although the pain never really left him, over the last few months he had become accustomed to dealing with it in his own way. But for Buffy, it was all so new, her grief was only just beginning.

"So I asked them to change me back" Angel looked over and once again failed to capture her eyes.

Buffy stood almost frozen in time as a deep sadness spread through her soul. It was a grief like nothing she had ever experienced before. Her eyes burned, but she refused to let the tears spill as her heart pounded faster in her chest. She also refused to acknowledge that that very same heart was once again shattering into a million jagged pieces.

**We made love, we had it all. ...You gave it all away**

Buffy felt as if the meteorite had already smashed into the earth and all the oxygen had been sucked from the planet.

**You did it for me**

**But It was all for nothing** On that self-pitying thought, cold reality hit her right between the eyes.

**What the fuck did any of it matter now?**

Pulling herself and her shattered heart back together, Buffy took a deep breath and came to terms with the fact that fate had well and truly screwed her for the very last time.

"So these oracle things took back the whole day, just like that?" she spoke her first words with a calm clear voice

"That's pretty much it" Angel nodded and waited for the explosion he knew was bound to follow.

It never happened.

Buffy just sighed with regret and silently cursed the creatures that she felt had really cheated her.

"I can't remember a thing" she replied sadly. No matter how hard she searched her memory there were no pictures in her head of that day.

** To see Angel walk in the sunlight…Dear god, I want those memories back ** her heart whispered over the despair of knowing it would never happen.

"You weren't supposed to remember, Buffy. Only me"

**I'll never forget, I'll never forget, I'll…**...** I guess that's it then**

At the reminder of his sacrifice Angel voice trembled slightly. The Oracles had been as good as their word, on her own; Buffy would never have remembered a thing.

She lifted her face to his.

"I do understand, but it doesn't make it any easier" Buffy whispered, the thought of Angel carrying all that pain alone, was heartbreaking.

"I thought I was saving you" Angel closed his eyes as a wave of bitterness returned to his cold heart. In a few short hours Buffy and the rest of humanity would all be dead, his sacrifice had been in vain. He couldn't save Buffy or his friends or even himself. Somewhere, out there in the darkness, evil, fate or even the powers that be were having the last laugh on the tormented lovers. The end of days had crept up in disguise without them even realising it was coming. The warriors of Evil didn't need to fight this battle after all, they just had to sit back and wait. Humanity would be snuffed out like a candle in the wind and then the world would once again be theirs.

Buffy watched the anger of defeat cover Angel's troubled features and wanted nothing more than to hold him in her arms and comfort him with promises that everything would work out for the best. But life didn't work that way, there was no pot of gold at the end of their rainbow, there really were no happy endings.

**Not unless she made one**

"Angel, I don't want to spend my last few hours going over things that we have no way of changing." Buffy slowly walked forward and slipped her small hands beneath the silk of his shirt. Her fingers boldly trailed over his smooth skin and taut muscles, happily reacquainting themselves with the newness of his body. She pressed her head slightly forward and brought her lips to his chest, softly kissing his dead heart through the material of his shirt.

" It doesn't need to beat for me to know that you're alive, in my heart you've always been alive." This time she couldn't stop the tears as they slipped over her lashes and trickled down her cheeks.

Angel couldn't speak; he just stood gently caressing her hair while she cried in his arms. After a few minutes, Buffy raised her head and nuzzled her face against his cool neck. Angel wrapped his fingers in the silky strands of her long blonde hair; he lowered his mouth and softly kissed her brow. Tilting her chin up with his finger, their eyes met and a new understanding passed between them. It didn't matter where they were, or where their souls went; the love that they now shared would last forever. Nothing would change that, not even death.

"I love you" Angel softly ran his thumb across her tear stained cheek reveling in the warmth he found. Where most of the women in his life had brought darkness, Buffy had always been his sunlight. She was the soft warm glow in a cold dark world.

"Then make love to me" Buffy asked simply, her eyes pleading with him to say yes.

Angel dropped his hand as if he'd been burnt and slowly shook his head

"Buffy, the curse" he tried to explain but Buffy brought her finger to his lips cutting off his protest.

"To hell with the curse, Angel. We're both going to be dead in a few hours and nothing on earth can stop that. So, to hell with the curse. To hell with TPTB, and to hell with that meteorite. You know what? Fuck them all" the Slayer in her heart kicked in with attitude.

Angel's eyes widened at her choice of language, then after looking into her resolved face his lips turned into a soft smile.

**She was right, what the hell did it matter now?**

"Okay"

He didn't get a chance to say anything else as hungry mouths devoured each other with long denied passion

*****

Buffy was so sated she could hardly bare to move. Every limb ached with the most delicious pain she had ever experienced. She was hot, sticky, sore and completely exhausted as a result of their lovemaking. Buffy felt wonderful, she had finally experienced the perfect day.

Angel pulled her limp body further into his arms and kissed her damp hair. Feeling happier than she had had ever felt in her whole life, the small girl snuggled closer into the cool embrace of his arms, all thoughts of what was about to happen in the out side world conveniently forgotten. Whatever time was left for the ill-fated lovers, it was just for them. Their obligations to the world fulfilled, they were owed this time.

"Angel?" Buffy trailed small butterfly kisses across his strong jaw line and let her tongue slide down the side of his throat. Her warm lips sucked tenderly at the cool sweet flesh and gently teased his Adams apple

"Mmmmmmm?" Angel could hardly open his eyes; his whole being was now exhausted beyond the point of rational thinking.

**There was definitely something to be said for slayer's stamina** the vampire inwardly smiled

The lovers might not have had peanut putter and ice cream this time, but they had certainly made up for it in other ways.

"Thank you." Buffy whispered the words so quietly that only the vampire's advanced hearing picked up on it.

After a few moments curiosity got the better of his tiredness. Angel tilted her chin with his finger so that he could see all of her perfect face.

Buffy smiled back at her lover, her fingers gently caressing the light hair on his arm.

Angel waited for a few seconds but then lifted an eyebrow, questioning her words.

Buffy lifted his large hand to her lips and pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles. Lifting her gaze back to his face, her large hazel eyes looked straight into his soul

"Thank you…. For loving me, for always loving me." Buffy spoke the words straight from her heart. She could see now that even in the darkest days of their relationship the love that they shared had always been there, maybe she had lost sight of that for a while, but Angel never had. He had always tried to put her happiness first, even when it meant breaking his own heart.

She realised then that he had been wrong about not being able to save her; he had saved her more than he would ever know.

Angel's lips turned into a large smile, tiny laughter lines crinkled at his eyes as his whole face came alive.

"Beloved, I had no say in the matter. I gave you my heart that very first day; there was never any going back after that. Maybe this really was our destiny" he continued to smile.

Buffy sighed in contentment as sleep started to drag her into its clutches. No matter how hard she fought its pull, she knew it would win. And in all honesty, that was how she wanted it, the end would come and all she would remember was Angel's strong-arms holding her tight. He would never let her fall, not her Angel. He was friend; her lover and her guardian all rolled into one.

"Angel?" Buffy fought desperately to stay awake for a few more seconds. There was one last thing that she had to tell him.

"Yes?"

"I came here to say goodbye" she whispered truthfully.

Angel didn't move as he contemplated the statement

"I know," he finally admitted. **He had known from the moment she had walked throw his bedroom door. **

Buffy turned and her insides flipped at the sight of his beautiful face looking back at her.

" I can't say it " she moved her face closer, needing to memorise every single detail of perfection.

"I know that too" Angel replied knowing that they could never willingly leave each other again. He leant forward and brushed her lips with his one last time.

Content with the answer Buffy snuggled back into the comfort of her lover's hard chest, her eyes closed over and her breathing slowed as the warmth of oblivion almost claimed her.

"Angel…It's only this world that's ending, I'll love you until all the stars go out" she murmured as sleep took her voice away for the last time.

"And I'll love you even longer " Angel held Buffy in his arms as close as he could and let all his senses fill with her essence. He knew that he might never see heaven but at that moment in time he no longer cared. Heaven was already with him, wrapped tightly in his arms. That was all the heaven he would ever need.

On that last thought the vampire known as Angel closed his own eyes and allowed his tired body to join his love in a sleep that would last until the end of time.

Epilogue….

Murphy's Law...
If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong.

Buffy's eyes flickered, but the first of her senses to kick in was her hearing, as the sound of a thousand church bells clanged in the distance. Disorientated by her surroundings and by the bright sunlight streaming through the window, the Slayer quickly sat up and grabbed for her watch.

**8.37am… She was still alive**

"Angel! Angel!" Buffy called out frantically, looking for her lover. Although the room was now filled with sunlight, the bed they had fallen asleep in was safely shaded from the harmful rays.

In a desperate need for answers, Buffy jumped from her bed and wrapping a long sheet around her naked body, she sprinted out of the room.

The hotel was empty, Buffy continued calling her lover's name as she searched room after room becoming more fearful by the second. Eventually she made her way outside, the warm morning sun shone down from a perfect clear blue sky.

In the distance, the noise was becoming deafening as every church bell in the city celebrated the arrival of a new day.

Buffy's bare feet started to lead her further away from the hotel in her search for answers. At the bottom of the street she stopped a stray passer by, celebrating in his own way with a large bottle of whiskey.

"It missed, at the very last second it altered course and bounced off the atmosphere" The drunk slurred his explanation with a face splitting grin.

"It's a miracle, a bloody miracle I tell you" he pulled away from Buffy and taking a large swig from his bottle, he carried on down the street in his blissful state of drunkenness.

**We need more than a wish, we need a miracle** Buffy remembered her conversation with Willow.

She raised her eyes back to the flawless blue sky and said a silent pray of thanks to whoever it was that had sent the miracle.

Now that the world was out of immediate danger she turned her thoughts back to the whereabouts of her lover. Buffy's tiny feet made their way back to the hotel, it was the only place he could be.

Standing in the foyer of the hotel, Angel suddenly appeared from behind her. Laying his cool hands on her bare shoulders he gently turned her around to face him

Buffy's large excited eyes shone up in to Angel's face with pure relief. Satisfied that her lover was safe from harm, Buffy sparked with renewed hope for the future.

"It missed, it changed direction and... Missed" she smiled and gently caressed his cheek. Her heart then filled with jubilation

** They had a future after all**

Wrapping her arms tightly around Angel's large frame, Buffy lay her head against his hard chest and relaxed for the first time in what felt like years.

Angel raised his hand to her back and softly caressed her bare skin. His long fingers tangled in her hair and his lips moved to her neck. Buffy felt his cool tongue slide against her skin and she shivered in delight.

" We're safe...We're really safe" she whispered closing her eyes as her lover's mouth moved further down her body.

The sound of a deep chuckle caused her to look back up

"We are?.... Think again Buff, think again" Angelus smiled back with a gleam in his cold evil eyes.

Buffy stood paralysed with fear as the awful truth hit her.

"Oh, god. What have I done?" her small voice whispered in absolute horror.

Angelus just continued to smile with a devilish grin.

" Fun fact, Lover. I guess it really is the end of the world....After all".

Sods Law.
Miracles might happen, but they come with a price.

Or the beginning of something new.

Who knows?

Thanks for reading.

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