DISCLAIMER: Not mine, never will be, blah blah
TIMELINE: set a few weeks after "Behind the Curtains". You might want to read that one to under stand this.
SPOILERS: Most of the shows, particular the B/A saga, and "Behind the Curtains"
SYNOPSIS: Angel moves through the curtains. Sequel to "Behind the Curtains", a kind of chapter 2.
DISTRIBUTION: Want, ask, have.
FEEDBACK: I'll beg if I have to!
RATING: PG-13
AN: Written for 'Buffy Survivor', week two.
Challenge: Write a story between 300-1000 words, include the words 'water', 'rose' and 'knife'.

Buffy knew someone had been there the minute she stepped inside her apartment. The whole place reeked of him. But no, it could not be Angel. She had never invited him in, had not talked to him for so many years, but still, he had been there, she was certain.

She walked further into the room. Not a single item was misplaced, the door was locked, her window was. open. Her bedroom window was open. It was not broken, simply pushed up. She looked at her bed. There, on the pillow, a fresh yellow rose was placed. An envelope with his familiar handwriting lay beside it. She wasn't surprised. It was, after all, her mother's death-day. The envelope was new, though. She had not gotten a letter from him since the terrible months in Sunnydale, when Angelus roamed the city. Funny, how that seemed like a lifetime ago.

Still, she would have known if the soul was gone. She would feel it in the pit of her stomach, like she did when he lost his soul by magic, ten years or so ago. But how did he enter her apartment? And was he still here? She wasn't surprised he knew where she lived, he always knew. He always gave her presents on special occasions, like this day, or the day they met, or Dawn's death-day.

Dawn. She died just two years prior, and not a day went by without a tear shed on her behalf. The world had brutally taken her life in a biological war, a war that had yet to end. It was somewhat under control, but people still kept away from crowded places in the US.

Buffy was torn from her trip down memory lane when she accidentally pricked herself on a thorn. She sucked on the tiny wound for a minute, then, satisfied that the sore was clean and closed, she picked up the letter and read it.

"Forever, does forever work for you?"

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I watched her from my window again. She was sitting on her bed, reading my note. She put it back on her pillow, lay down on the bed, took the rose up to her nose, and smelled it. I wonder if she knew I had delivered it personally for the first time. She probably knew my scent.

I knew now was the time. The time to talk to her, kiss her, to start our life together. This time, we will have our forever.

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I knocked on her door. She made some muffled noise, before I heard her footsteps approaching. She was close to the door now. It was no turning back. The door opened.

I just stared at her. It had, after all, been around ten years since I saw her in person, face to face. And by God, she was even more beautiful tonight.

"Angel." she said calmly.

"Buffy."

Isn't it funny how that's our only greeting? Or not. Right now, I can not see the humor, only the facts.

"Would you like to come in?" She asked, and stepped aside.

"I'd love to," I said with a surprisingly husky voice. I cleared my throat. "I mean, sure."

We moved into the living room. It was a little different from the inside. The place was actually much darker than it appeared to be, but larger.

"Would you like something to drink? A glass of water, or maybe even a drink? I'm sorry, but I don't keep my fridge stocked with blood, vampires really don't visits me anymore, but if you really want it I could just, you know, take that knife over there and cut my wrist!" She said in a false, cheerful voice. It actually sounded bitter and sad, and I flinched. Maybe this wasn't the right time after all. But damnit, she was the one who broke contact. I was the one who had the right to sound bitter.

"Water's fine, thanks" I tried to be polite. It wasn't easy. Yes, she was being a bitca. Her movements was snappish, her body-language clearly said that I was not welcome. That should be enough to kill my mood. What mood, do you ask?

You know, the last ten years, I have slowly turned into myself. After I left Sunnydale, I was an emotional wreck, but Cordelia, and Doyle were there to catch me, to cheer me up. The following five years were full of ups and downs, like my day as a human, Doyle's death, the shanshu prophecy, the Darla period, Buffy's death, Buffy coming back, my son's birth, my son's abducting, him coming back to throw me in the ocean, the wild battle with the Beast, giving my son away, taking over Wolfram and Hart, and Cordelia's and Fred's death. I can honestly say that the five years I was without my Buffy was to me like one of those confusing dreams you never wake up from, the ones where you try to reach for something!

The big battle with the senior partners came, and my friends and companions died. Wesley got shot, Spike got dusted, Lorne disappeared to parts still unknown, and Illyria got crushed by a building. Gun was in a coma for some days, before he, too, died.

Again I was alone; with no one to catch me. Connor was my only purpose in life, but when he died in the biological war with his wife and kid, my purpose was gone. That's when my life got dark, and I moved to Buffy's building. She would be my obsession.

My point is, I've been broody and gloomy for ten years now, but as I step into her apartment, felt her in the air around me, can actually reach out and touch her, it feels like I never left her all those years ago in Sunnydale. My destiny is back, and nothing will keep me from her now, we will be together, like I've always dreamed of.

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