PART 4

Angel slipped swiftly through the door of the crypt, his large stealthy body moved as silently as a shadow as it sliced its way into the darkness. He didn't need the benefit of light; his vampiric eyes picked their way carefully across the room with little trouble.

The hunter would easily find its prey tonight. After sharing his body with the scourge of Europe for nearly 250 years, there was very little about trapping one's victim that Angel didn't remember. Stalking wasn't the only trait he had retained from his evil twin. The various arts of torture in which the demon had indulged over the decades were carefully stored in his sub-conscious, including the one about slowly cutting the testicles off of one treacherous grand childe.

** If Spike had laid one finger on *his*slayer the loss of his nuts would be the least of his problems**

Angel had known immediately that Spike was in the vicinity, he had felt the presence of his kin as soon as he'd entered the cemetery but that was the only presence he had picked up on. There was no indication that anybody else was there that night. The familiar tingling that told of Buffy's nearness hadn't sent alarm bells ringing in his heart, as was usually the case. As Angel moved deeper into the crypt he started to consider for the first time that Cordeila's vision might have been wrong.

**And if that one was misread what of the second?** Before he could finish the thought a low murmur broke through the eerie stillness

"You know I can't bite you." The murmured sound trembled with desire.

At the sound of Spike's voice Angel's body tensed slightly, realising that the younger vampire had company after all. Turning his attention to the right side of the crypt, his alert hearing tuned in on the hushed voices whispering lovingly in the dark

"Shh. No programs. Don't use that word. Just be Buffy."

**Buffy**

On the mention his beloved's name, Angel clenched his fists in rage and moved nearer.

**Blood was going to be spilt if that undead bastard had touched so much as one hair on her head. Blood, followed by screaming and finally a dust cloud.**

Barely keeping his anger under control, the elder vampire stalked closer

With his next two steps, his eyes caught sight of the two bodies entwined together on the floor of the crypt in a passionate embrace.

There, laying wrapped in a nothing more than a sheet was the peroxide head of his grand childe and a very naked, very excited...Buffy.

** Cordelia's vision had been right all along**

Although Angel had been expecting this picture, the actual reality was a million times worse than he'd been prepared for. His mouth dropped at the sight that greeted his already amber orbs and a deep flash of crimson rose up before his eyes as his voice roared its outrage and betrayal loud into the night air

"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HER"

"Bloody Hell, mate" the sound of Angel's horrified growl startled Spike into jumping off the naked body he was just about to enter. He silently cursed himself for not picking up the other vampire's presence, especially one as close to family as Angel.

**Angel!.. Oh shit! This is gonna be fun** Spike looked down at his appearance and then cast a quick glance at his naked companion

**Or maybe not**

A rush of adrenaline flooded his body at the prospect of some good, old fashioned violence. Kicking the old man's arse always gave him a buzz

Feeling suddenly abandoned, the robot looked up towards her boyfriend with a pout pressed firmly across her pink lips and confusion quickly registered in her eyes.

"Spike, what's going on, I don't understand? "

Angel, paralysed from the eyes down, then watched in horror as the girl proceeded to stand, hands on hips, in all her naked glory. Turning her head, her large hazel eyes seemed to analyse him before she finally spoke.

"I know you, you're Angel. You're the vampire with a soul." The information that had been carefully programmed, registered behind the robot's eyes as she smiled up into Angel's bewildered face with a large over-powering smile.

Completely thrown by Buffy's nakedness, Angel nervously licked his lips as he tried to make sense of the madness.

**Spike was going to get his head kicked in but, something wasn't quite adding up**

He took a closer look at the naked girl, running his hungry eyes over every contour of her body.

She was Buffy and yet, she wasn't.

There was just something about the way she was smiling, how much she was smiling. She was far too happy considering she had just buried her mother.

**Far too happy, far too naked and far too close to Spike.**

The jealousy Angel felt was already eating his soul alive, and the fact that Buffy didn't seem at all worried about him seeing her naked with Spike only added to his misery.

The small alarm bells that started ringing the moment Buffy had first looked at him, were now screamed a warning loud into his head. And then it hit him, he could no longer feel her. The electrical current that had always flowed between them was missing. He felt nothing, no tingling, no bond, nothing.

"What the hell have you done to her?" Turning his head, Angel snarled dangerously in the other vampires retreating direction.

At the almost animalistic sound, Spike turned back. Caught between a rock and a hard place, he snatched for his discarded clothing and quickly pulled up his black pants to cover his own nakedness. If he and the old poof were indeed going to beat the crap out of each other, he certainly didn't want to do it butt naked.

** Don't want to give the poor old bastard an inferiority complex to add insult to injury** Spike inwardly sniggered

"What. have. you. done. to. her?" Angel slowly repeated the question as he prepared to attack. Each word that escaped his clenched teeth dripped in violence as his fingers curled around into iron fists.

Spike pulled himself up to his full height and when his eyes finally met Angel's, they sparkled over with mischief.

" Nothing that she didn't want me to, you tell him, luv" the younger vampire defended himself with a smirk of confidence. He loved seeing the pain on Angel's face. After so many years of watching Angelus and Drusilla cheat on him, this little scenario was pure heaven.

**Payback was such a bitch. **

As instructed, the robot turned her head towards the dark haired visitor and responded to her boyfriend's question

" Spike and I had sex, lots of sex, lots of ways, it was really neat" again the fake smile spilt painfully across the replica's beautiful face.

With a large grin, Spike winked at his robot; her reply had been just wonderful. The expression on the Nancy-boy's face was priceless.

"See, I told you. Now sod off and shut the door on your way out "

Ignoring Spike's smirking face Angel turned towards the slayer.

"Buffy?" he reached up and gently stroked her skin, his long dead heart aching with bitterness.

The Buffybot didn't move, her eyes just continued to smile as her memory program searched its data bank for more information.

" You really do have funny hair, not a bit like Spike's. Spike's hair goes all curly when he gets excited." Turning her cheek away from Angel's touch the robot threw a dreamy smile in the other vampires direction

"I've been saying that for years, pet" Spike knew he was playing with fire but couldn't resist the taunt It really was too easy to wind up the old wanker. After years of being on the receiving end he was going to fight dirty with everything he had inside him, right up to the dusty end. And from the look in Angel's eyes, there was no doubt that one of them was going out in a vacuum bag.

Angel leaped so fast he caught Spike before he had a chance to move

" Her soul. What the hell have you done, Spike, she hasn't got a soul"

As Angel's fingers tightened around the younger vampire's throat threatening to tear his head right off his shoulders, Spike suddenly erupted into laughter.

Incensed by the condition of the slayer, Angel smashed Spike's head hard against the stone column but the boy continued to laugh

" I always thought a soul was highly over rated " he quipped with a gleam of defiance in his sparkling eyes

It was a good job he didn't need to breathe because, by then Angel's fingers were gripping so tightly around his neck they almost crushed his windpipe in two

" I'm warning you, Spike. One last chance" Angel's voice left no doubt to its murderous intentions. One more second and his head was parting company with the rest of his useless carcass.

"Please put him down , you're making him go all wrinkled. If you hurt Spike I'll stake you" Buffy's familiar voice broke into the tense scene just as the elder vampire lost all patience. He turned his head and was greeted with that same sickly grin.

"I slay vampires, you should be very frightened"

**Son of a bitch**

Angel's dark eyes widened in horror as the realisation of what he was facing finally sank in

"It's a robot" the words were little more than a whispered gasp...

Part 5

"Well, Duh" Spike laughed repeating the popular Sunnydale expression.

**He really would have to thank Cordelia for that, one of these days**

"I'm not a robot I'm Buffy" the duplicate denied the accusation, shook her long blonde hair and looked around for her stake, still totally naked.

Angel's trembling fingers slowly fell open letting the younger vampire drop to the ground.

"You'd better get some clothes on, luv. This bloody pervert is getting his rocks off eyeing you up " Spike said throwing the robot her jacket.

As she slipped it over her silky golden shoulders, Angel cast his eyes away. He would never tell Spike but, the copy wasn't that perfect after all, Buffy had a tiny mole on the top of....

**Oh God this is so disgusting**

Angel felt a low growl rumble deep in his throat as Spike walked forward, slowly rubbing the fingerprints out of his neck.

"Why? Why go to all that trouble" Angel still couldn't understand why Spike, of all people would create such an obscene monstrosity. It might have her face but it wasn't Buffy, without her soul it couldn't ever be Buffy.

"You always were a slow prat, Angelus. I love her, it's as simple as that" Spike calmly stated the fact. Without any trace of fear he walked closer, slowly buttoning his shirt

Angel narrowed his eyes in disgust.

"Don't. Don't you dare…" He started but didn't get a chance to finish.

"Don't what?" Spike interrupted angrily. He was sick of Angel's bullshit, sick of hearing the sanctimonious arsehole preach about how much better he was. As if he didn't get enough of that crap from the real Buffy.

**Angel's so good. Angel has a soul. Saint Angel, the first vampire with a bleedin' halo**

"You think that just because you've got that sodding soul that you're the only one capable of love. You're not you know." Spike rolled his eyes

" I'm well aware of that, I had to watch you and Drusilla for over a century, remember?" Angel didn't give Spike time to reply before asking the question that was seriously pissing him off.

" If you had to be so damn pathetic why not copy Drusilla? I'm sure the two of you could have had a lot more fun" Angel ran his hands through his hair still feeling nauseous. He was still planning on kicking the boy's ass all the way back to hell but first he needed to understand.

With a sigh Spike shook his head and wondered how a vamp of Angel's years could still be so dense.

"Because I don't love Drusilla… I love Buffy."

Before he could even blink, Angel's fist hit him square in the face, the force was so powerful it sent Spike crushing into the far wall with a bone-shattering thud.

"I warned you not to say it" Angel growled violently as his soft brown eyes once again changed to amber. Now even the demon inside was spoiling for a fight.

Spike shrugged his shoulders and wiped the crimson trickle away from his cut lip. Running a hand down his side, he continued to count at least three broken rips as he staggered back to his feet.

" You can hit me as much as you like, you daft sod. It changes nothing." A look of sheer defiance crossed his handsome human features before he continued

" I love Buffy and you can go back to Hell or LA or whatever the fuck you want" Spike finished and spat a mouthful of blood at the floor but his eyes never once left Angel's face

"If she finds out about this she'll kill you " Angel couldn't help thinking that the slayer would be sickened by this information. Buffy couldn't know about any of this, if she did she would have staked him by now… Unless….

"Oh she knows all right, she just doesn't want to admit she feels the same, well not yet anyway. I'm in no hurry, its not like I'm getting any older. That's why I've got the mark II here. She'll do just nicely until the real thing comes around, and she will *come* around, peaches." Spike leered and ran his tongue slowly over his lips as a evil thought crossed his mind.

**I wonder if I can get the two Buffy's both together? **

He didn't get much time to fantasise about the threesome, Angel's annoying voice quickly shattered that little daydream.

"You're deluding yourself, Buffy would never…"

" What? Screw the undead? Sorry Angel old mate but we both know that's not true. Buffy likes to feel the cold " Spike laughed and quickly raised his fists to defend against the blow he assumed would follow. When the pain didn't appear he continued

" Captain Cardboard , you know that nice normal guy that everyone said she needed, well he kind of proved once and for all that the slayer really doesn't want normal. She doesn't want the feel of hot sweaty flesh." Spike cast his eyes towards his robot and was rewarded with a large grin.

" Riley was a retard, he let undead whores suck on his blood" the robot offered up happily.

Angel could hardly believe what he was hearing. It was no secret that he had never liked the boy but, if what Spike was saying was true, Riley Finn was already a dead man.

Spike started again

"And then after putting all the blame on Buffy, the daft sod just up and left her, just like you left her. But not me, I've got my head screwed on the right way around. I'm not going anywhere, which I guess is the difference between you, me and Captain Steroid. You and the boy normal only ever caused the slayer grief, and in the end it was all for nothing." Spike was on a roll; he'd waited a lifetime to take this jumped up soul boy apart.

"Tell me Angelus, how could you have lived so long and stayed so stupid? Buffy doesn't want a normal life; a normal life is the one thing that's guaranteed to get her killed. Buffy wants passion, danger, heat, *FIRE*" Lust exploded in Spike's eyes at the thought. The slayer in heat was a great mental picture

"Haven't you got it yet, she's more like us then you give her credit for? What the slayer needs a slightly dark knight to watch her back, to keep her warm on patrol, to kiss her breath away." He looked once again at the Buffybot, who was still nodding along with every word

"So, if you don't want the bloody job, I certainly do. Why don't you do her a big favour and piss off back to LA, Angel. We were all doing just great without you"

"Yeah, Piss off Angel. " The robot added eager to please her boyfriend.

** Buffy doesn't want a normal life; a normal life is the one thing that's guaranteed to get her killed. She wants a slightly dark knight to watch her back, to keep her warm on patrol, to kiss her breath away**

Spike took a step forward as his face changed into its demonic features

"Well mate, are we gonna do this final dance or what" his fangs gleamed in anticipation. He always knew deep in his dead heart that one day it would end like this

Angel's foot started to move forward but suddenly stopped.

**They are cutting you some slack and have anchored your soul**

**Think about it, dumb ass. Why would little Buffy choose Spike when she's allowed to boink you**

**How's forever? Does forever work for you? **

Angel lowered his fists

"Play with your toy while you can, boy. I've got better places to be and far better things to play with. You should know by now that there really is no substitute for the real thing"

With one last glance at the robot, Angel turned away in disgust and marched out of the crypt into the cool night air.

He was tired of playing games, tired of playing fair, life was too fucking short. No more leaving. No more normal. No more pretending.

**Buffy Summers was his mate and the rest of the world better get used to the idea because as soon as he found her….**Angel smiled as a warm glow passed through his cold body

**He and *HIS* Buffy had some serious catching up to do**

Part 6

Buffy walked slowly into the cemetery; she was exhausted from her trip to the desert but needed to make one final sweep before heading for home. The earlier meeting with the first slayer had left her head swimming in confusion. The whole *death is your gift* thing was still playing heavily on her mind as she searched for something evil to kill.

"A decent fight and I might even sleep tonight" Buffy sighed. Slipping her hand into her coat pocket, she removed her stake and continued to hunt.

****

"Buffy" Angel turned his head

He knew in an instant that she was close by, he could hear the soft rhythm of her heartbeat long before his eyes picked out her beauty in the soft moonlight.

This time he didn't need to see her face to know that the real Buffy was nearby. That was the difference between his beloved slayer and Spike's sick toy.

Angel could feel the real Buffy Summers deep down in his soul. She flowed through his veins like blood, pumping her essence around every molecule in body and never failed to return to his heart. At times that feeling had been both a blessing and a curse but, to this very day it never failed to thrill him.

In the past, going right back to that first day outside her school, Angel had felt the strength of their bond. It was a tangible current that connected their souls and not even separation, time or distance could weaken it.

Since that first day, when The Powers that Be had entwined their destinies forever, he had always been able to feel her presence. Even when she was out of his sight, she was never far from his heart.

What's more, he knew she felt the same.

Taking an unneeded breath he closed his eyes as he picked up her scent, the unmistakable fragrance that was uniquely Buffy.

To Angel it wasn't just a female aroma, a mixture of vanilla, honeysuckle and sunlight. It was so much more than that. To the lonely ensouled vampire it was heaven, redemption, salvation and home.

Everything he ever wanted and in his mind, all the things he had yet to deserve.

*Snap*

Buffy heard the slight sound of a twig breaking underfoot and instantly twirled the stake in her hand. Before she had a chance to move, the familiar butterflies in her stomach sent her slayer's senses tingling.

"Angel?"

Angel silently swept forward; all "Mr Billowy Coat King of Pain", as Riley had once described him. Without a word, he stopped in front of the slayer and gently removed the weapon from her hand.

Buffy looked up into his dark eyes and flickers of confusion crossed her features at what she saw staring back at her.

Hunger. Longing, need, passion and finally.... Love.

With no explanation at all, Angel's arms reached out and pulled the petite blonde woman into his body.

Almost too startled to think, Buffy allowed herself the luxury of his nearness.

**I'm either dreaming or I'm dead** Buffy sighed. It was the only rational explanation she could think of, not that she cared.

It was Angel.

Without a word passing between them, Angel wrapped his long arms around her waist, pulling her almost off her feet he as pressed cold, bruising kisses against her mouth. When Buffy gasped out in surprise, his hungry tongue slipped easily between her parted lips and plundered the inside of her mouth.

For one split second Buffy's mind remembered the danger and considered pulling away but, the Antarctic of loneliness that had frozen over her heart all those months earlier slowly started to thaw, and with the thaw came the passion she has reluctantly hidden from the world.

With the taste of Angel's cool tongue deep inside her mouth, a flood of warmth filled Buffy's veins, moving right down to her toes, for the first time since her seventeenth birthday. The desire she felt in her blood increased as the kiss deepened, turning her limbs into liquid.

Desperate not to lose contact, Buffy found her hands twisting in the soft hairs on the back of his head, urging him to push his tongue deeper inside her mouth.

Angel was more than happy to oblige.

As the kiss slowly ended, Buffy started to pull away, needing answers to the thousands of questions playing in her head

At the sudden loss of her warm lips, Angel hugged her back into his body so tightly that he almost cut off her oxygen supply

Buffy didn't care about air; breathing was seriously over-rated compared to this. Ignoring the warning voices crying out to her how insane this situation was, she nuzzled her face against his neck and kissed every inch of flesh she could reach.

For only the third time in their relationship Angel gave way to his own need. Tilting her face, he kissed her thoroughly, ravishing her mouth with long, cool strokes of his tongue.

Buffy's whimpers were lost as she caressed his face and once again returned the kiss

While her sweet mouth was under assault, Angel's large hands slipped swiftly inside her coat, dipped beneath her sweater, and after ripping away the fragments of her soft lace bra, fastened themselves firmly on her full, pert breasts.

Buffy gasped in delight and involuntarily arched her body forward; her burning skin desperately craving the touch of his cool hands after so long apart.

Encouraged by the fact the slayer wasn't pushing him away, or staking him for that matter, Angel's long fingers sought out the small, sensitive buds, teasing and tormenting Buffy until her breath hitched deep inside her throat.

"Angelangelangelangeeeeeelllllll…Oh God...No" Reality came crashing through Buffy's desire but it couldn't quite quench her thirst.

"We can't do this " her hoarse voice tried desperately to protest but her body betrayed her. It gave up and melted in bliss as Angel lowered his mouth and nuzzled his face against her neck, sucking against the hot tender flesh.

"Trust me, Buffy, we can" was his only reply as his cool lips found the rough scar tissue of his mark and lovingly caressed it with his tongue.

**It was his mark. Not that foolish boy's, not Spike's but his** At that thought Angel growled low in his throat and sucked harder

"I don't understand. How? Why? " Buffy's questions were swallowed as a wave of pure lust built up inside her like champagne trying to pop from its cork. Angel was now doing things to her body that she couldn't possibly stop.

"TPTB. Vision. Curse gone. SSshh. Kiss me" his mouth once again attacked her lips, cutting off all further protests. He didn't want to waste time talking; he wanted to kiss her breath away and lose himself in her heat, content in the knowledge that this time they were both perfectly safe from his demon.

Reluctantly breaking the kiss, Buffy rested her hands against Angel's chest and pushed him slightly away. Lifting her head she gazed deep into his smouldering eyes and couldn't help the tremble she felt at her own need

"Oh God, you're not?" her eyes widened at the thought but it was Angel's soul that shone back at her, as clear as the daylight.

"No beloved, it's still me" Angel replied honestly as he ran his fingers along the front of her heavy coat.

Buffy only had time to breathe a sigh of relief before Angel was all over her again

**If Angel said it was okay who was she to argue** she thought as a wave of lust spread through her stomach and seeped down between her thighs.

The scent of her arousal made Angel smile; his heart soared at the proof that, after all this time, the woman he adored still yearned for his touch.

Deciding that she might as well be hung for a sheep than a lamb, Buffy reached out and tugged at Angel's duster.

"Not here, it's too open. We need to continue this somewhere more private" He grunted in reply and urgently searched their surroundings for somewhere more secluded

On reaching the safety of the nearest crypt, that wasn't occupied by Spike, the lovers tumbled inside and, dropping on to the floor, continued to kiss passionately.

Pulling his dark silk shirt from his arms, Buffy slid her hands along Angel's shoulders and down over his muscular chest. Her trembling fingers stopped at the dark coppery nipples and gently traced the outline.

"You're so very beautiful" she whispered in awe at the perfection beneath her fingertips.

Angel closed his eyes and a small groan escaped his lips as Buffy's hot mouth bent forward and she softly slid her tongue across his skin. The cool, masculine smell of his body flooded over her senses as her lips greedily ravished the cold, hard flesh of his chest, circled his nipples and ran seductively up into the hollow of his throat. Stopping at Angel's jugular, Buffy nibbled playfully knowing that she was close to making a grown vampire cry.

As her lips reached his earlobe, Angel groaned again and his hands grabbed for the button on the top of her pants. Lowering the zipper, he tugged the garment down her legs and ripped off her boots, throwing them carelessly across the room.

Buffy giggled at how impatient her 250-year-old love had become and silently thanked The Powers That Be for their generosity.

Within seconds, Angel's own dark clothing lay disregarded in a crumpled pile on the floor.

Buffy shivered, she didn't know if it was from the chill in the air or the passion in her blood but suddenly her hands wouldn't stop trembling and her heartbeat had climbed into the top of her mouth

Angel smiled at her reaction and reached for her

"So perfect" he murmured as his large hands gently cupped her breasts. Using his cool thumbs, he teased and tormented the sensitive nipples until they were fully erect and begging for relief.

Buffy was lost; she closed her eyes and allowed the unbelievable sensations that were invading her body to take full control of her senses.

**Life was too short and she would happily die before allowing this to end**

As gentle hands caressed her skin until screaming point, Buffy found the taste of cool lips once again closing over her mouth.

As the kiss continued, Angel lowered her back gently to the floor of crypt.

Buffy's gasps were swallowed between kisses as her lover ardently worshiped her mouth. **If she was dead she no longer cared**

The lonely girl had convinced herself long ago that nothing in her life would ever feel this perfect, this complete again. This was the reason she had failed to fall in love with Riley; this gentle soul filling her body so perfectly was the only love she needed. The only love her lonely heart would ever truly accept.

In her heart she knew that no matter what was happening in the world outside, here at this precise moment in time, she was safe. Here in the darkness there was no Glory, no key, and no world in peril. Only Angel, filling her mind, body and soul, driving all the pain away with a rhythm as old as time and making everything brighter in a way only Angel ever could.

Grief, fear, pain and responsibilities were all temporally forgotten as her body responded to the call of its mate.

She was flying high above the darkness and despair of the last two years and finally, she could see the sunlight. Angel was her light. Apart from her mother and Dawn, the ensouled vampire was the brightest force in her life and he always would be.

Angel watched his love for a moment in total fascination, her eyelids squeezed tightly closed and a look of perfect happiness covered her beautiful face. For a second he actually found him self-praying that TPTB were truly watching over his soul that night because, at that very moment the love he felt for this amazing young woman was total contentment. Perfect happiness in its purest form.

The loss of his Soul was a certainty if the curse still applied.

Once again he was putting his trust in The Powers That Be and allowing them to shape his and Buffy's destiny.

**If they really were pranksters the whole world was screwed.**

Lost in a wave of longing, Buffy reached up and kissed him, her mouth greedily attacking his lips as her hips urged him to move inside her. He didn't need telling twice.

Groans, gasps, sighs and heavy moaning filled the air as the lovers rediscovered feelings they had both tried desperately to forget.

Finally, they had both returned home.

Part 7

Buffy couldn't move, every bone in her body had turned into liquid and the wonderful weight of her lover's cold body pressing down on top of her hot skin was a feeling she never wanted to lose . If the apocalypse came knocking that very second, she wasn't opening the door.

"Buffy! Open your eyes " Angel traced his finger softly along her cheek and across her kiss-swollen lips.

The tiny slayer shook her head and kept her eyes firmly closed

"I can't, if I do you'll be gone" she replied honestly and softly drew his finger into her mouth sucking the digit between her lips.

"Open your eyes, beloved" a slight whisper of amusement mixed in with his soft, rich voice. "I'm not going anywhere"

Buffy slowly complied, her eyes flickered open and when the large, hazel orbs finally met his gaze they sparkled with spent passion.

**He was here. It was real**

Looking at the amazement that shone out from her beautiful face, Angel couldn't help smiling back. Despite all the darkness that had touched her life she still radiated a glow of innocence. She was still the same wondrous girl that he had fallen in love with all those years ago.

Buffy had brought his cold, dead world alive by just being in it. She was the sunlight he could no longer feel, the food he could no longer taste, the air he could no longer breath. She was his happiness; his salvation and his reward all rolled into one… The world would end a thousand times before he left her again

" I love you," he smiled softly as he reached up to caress her face.

" I love you too" as the words she feared she would never say again touched her, Buffy's face broke into a large beaming smile that almost resembled the robot.

Angel raised his eyebrows

"What's so funny?" he asked as the smile grew even wider.

Feeling the need to explain, Buffy snuggled into his arms as Angel pulled his duster up from the floor to cover their naked limbs.

"Only a few hours ago I didn't think I was capable of love. I didn't know if I could ever say the words again" she started telling Angel about her talk with Giles. Angel sat quietly as Buffy spoke of her fear, the fear that her tired battered heart was no longer capable of feeling love. She told him how she had failed Riley. How she had driven her one shot at normality away because she wasn't capable of loving him the way he needed, the way he deserved.

Angel listened carefully and, like a priest, waited patiently until the confession was completed before speaking.

Buffy's slender body trembled in his arms as she unburdened her soul. It was Only after she had finished did she fully realise just how frightened she had been of losing her ability to love.

"And now how do you feel?" Angel turned and looked deep into her eyes, past the pain and confusion and on into her very soul. Her soul could never lie to him

Buffy reached up and gently cupped his cheek.

"I love you. I love you. I love you. " The declaration slipped so naturally over her tongue that she almost laughed at her earlier fear. One hour with this man and her heart was overflowing again with emotion.

"Good" Angel smiled and softly kissed her lips. Deep inside his chest his lonely, dead heart almost kicked a beat in celebration that their love had survived the separation.

As if reading his mind Buffy kissed his lips

It made perfect sense now…Of course she couldn't say those words to Riley or anybody else for that matter. The reason was so simple; she couldn't say them because they wouldn't have been true. Her soul wouldn't allow her heart to lie.

But with Angel it was so different, Angel had always been her love, her first love, her last love, the only love she ever wanted.

** All I see is you… All I want is you**

Some things in life really never changed.

A soft moan escaped his lips as Buffy pulled away but from the gleam in her eyes he knew she wasn't going far.

With the knowledge that she still loved him as much as he loved her stored safely in his heart, Angel allowed himself to relax and tease a little.

"I heard a rumour that another vampire was after your heart" he whispered into the darkness as his hand gently stroked along Buffy's arm

"So, that's the real reason you came back, you heard about Spike's crush." Buffy playfully slapped his hand but then turned more serious.

" You don't have to be jealous, Angel. Spike's knows I'm a one vampire girl" At his relieved expression Buffy laughed and threw her arms around her lover. She adored the fact that jealousy had played a small part in his return. ** I'll have to thank Spike for that one day** she thought with a grin

As the girl in his arms pressed soft kisses against his neck and whispered again how much she loved him, Angel fell even deeper in love with his slayer.

**Spike was right after all. Buffy didn't need normal, she deserved so much more than normal**

Buffy then pushed him flat on his back and straddled his hips

" We never did get to try those chains, did we?" Her eyes smouldered with heat as their mouths met and fused together

Angel laughed and proceeded to make up for all that time they had been apart. Loneliness and heartache were forgotten as once again the moaning from the crypt filled the night air.

*****

"The sun will be up soon, we better get dressed" Buffy smiled shyly and reached for her sweater.

Angel reached out his hand to stop her.

" We still have about an hour"

Angel knew he really should let her go, Buffy had so many responsibilities, but for once he was being selfish, he wanted to spend every last second with her. Just for once he believed that TPTB would protect Sunnydale from evil that night.

As Cordelia once said

*They owed him*

"But what if Spike happens to pass by, he lives just across the way, he might walk in on us and…"

"You don't have to worry about Spike for the moment; I think he's busy. He seems to have made himself a new girlfriend" Angel smirk at the play on words was missed

"Thank God for that" Buffy smiled, for the first time since her mother's illness and subsequent death, she felt alive again. Like there really was a chance she could win the up and coming battle with the Hell God

"Maybe when I finally kick Glory's skanky ass all the way back to.. wherever it is she comes from, I'll congratulate him."

"I think we can do better than that, maybe we could put the past behind us and all go out on a double date" Angel's lips lifted in the smallest smile and Buffy had the distinct feeling he was teasing her

" I sure hope his new girlfriend is better than the last two " Buffy suddenly had a flash of Drusilla and Harmony and shuddered, she seriously doubted that Spike's taste could get any worse.

**No, she would give Spike's new girlfriend the benefit of the doubt, after all, if they bothered her and Angel after that, she could always stake the pair of them**

Suddenly the world was looking better. Buffy forgot all about getting dressed and turned a seductive smile towards her lover.

**Her lover**

Buffy couldn't help but notice that the word had the most amazing feel to it. The man she loved was once again just that, her lover. The slayer was so happy she wanted to scream it to the heavens but, she had the strangest feeling that they already knew

At the peaceful expression on his girlfriends face, Angel decided that the surprise awaiting her over in Spike's crypt could wait for another day. Let poor old Spike have a few more hours of fun with his poor substitute before the real thing really kicked his ass. Angel didn't want anything to spoil this moment.

"So what's my replacement like?"

Angel grinned, it was almost as if she had read his mind

"Oh, I think you'll like her, she reminds me of someone, I think you will get along just great" he replied with the slightest twinkle in his deep brown eyes

Buffy laughed, just seeing the dark, usually broody man smile so much seemed to be contagious.

"I'm not sure about that, I don't think double dating is for me. I kinda like the idea of one to one. But, hey! After I kill Glory and save the world I wouldn't mind a repeat performance of the last few hours" she wiggled her eyebrows full of promise.

In a flash, Angel jumped to his feet and grabbed for his trousers

"What? Where are you going?"

"To kill a Hell God, of course. The quicker, the better" he licked his lips in anticipation of the repeat performance Buffy had just promised.

"I think it's about time we took our world back and showed this bitch just what the two of us are capable of"

Buffy stood up and took his hand

"Just like the good old days?" There was real hope in her voice at the thought of them fighting side by side again.

"Lets face it Buffy, together we are stronger, we always have been. Glory hasn't got a chance. You and me one more time" He looked into her beautiful eyes and smiled warmly at the love that was returned.

Angel finally understood the whole picture. Cordelia's vision wasn't to show him the things that had happened, it wasn't even the scene with Spike and the robot he had interrupted earlier that night.

The message had been sent as a warning of what *could* have happened in the future, if he had stayed away from his slayer much longer.

**Together you are strong**

Angel now understood that in their own way, The Powers that Be had delivered one hell of a cosmic kick in the right direction. He certainly wouldn't need telling twice

Taking her tiny fingers in his large hands Angel moved his face closer until their lips were only a whisper away

"Are you game?" he asked with a mischievous twinkle in his dark soulful eyes

Buffy ran her thumb over his cool fingers and finally smiled back

"Always"

Epilogue

Spike walked to the door of his own crypt as the first whispers of dawn broke across the skyline. Holding a hand to support his broken ribs, he closed his eyes and rested his head against the doorframe. In the eerie stillness of the cemetery the only sounds heard were the small cries of birds waking for the start of a new day and then….

"Bloody hell, don't they ever give it a rest, they've been at it all bleeding night"

He groaned as the faint sound of renewed moaning, that only a vampire's sensitive hearing could have picked up on, started again. Spike closed his eyes and banged his head against the wall in frustration.

**They really were intent on rubbing his nose in the dirt.**

As he continued to pound his head against the cold hard stone, a small pair of hands slipped around his waist.

"Oh Spike, ravish me" the tiny voice that he had come to love breathed up against his ear as her warm body pushed into his back. Spike stepped back and allowed himself to be led back inside. Turning to face his version of Buffy, his dead heart dropped like a stone.

**Angel was right, there really was no substitute for the real thing**

Slumping down on to his bed he watched as the robot dropped her jacket to the floor and found himself longing for the real Buffy. As the moaning from across the cemetery filtered into his head he covered his ears with his hands to cut out the pain.

" Shall I start the program again?" Buffy's sweet voice asked moving closer but Spike only shook his head

"Not now pet, I've got a headache"

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