Disclaimer: nothing's mine, duh.
Rating: G, I think.
Pairing: Buffy/Angel (duh!)
Spoilers: everything that happened in both shows so far, happened, let's put it this way.
Synopsis: Into the future, summer of 2006. The prophesized "End of Days" happened in 2004, after which, Angel Shanshued like it was foretold. He and Buffy got back together (insert a 'duh') soon after and married a couple of months before the story sets off. Can't tell anything else, cuz there isn't much to tell.
Note 1: completely plotless. Just a short piece of future Buffy/Angel fluff/not-so-fluff:).
Note 2: I've never been to Ireland, Galway, so my apologies if the places I described don't...well, exist:).
Feedback: oh yes please:).

Angel loaded the last of the bags into the trunk and joined his wife in the backseat.

"Where to?" the cab driver asked, starting the car.

"Galway. Countryside, from there, I'll show you," Angel instructed.

The other man nodded and they pulled out of the airport's parking lot.

"Aren't we going to the hotel first?" Buffy inquired, looking at her husband. "Don't know about you, but I could use a shower. Besides, what are we gonna do with our luggage, and…" her expression gradually changed into disbelief as she learned what was in his eyes. "Oh my God. Just tell me I'm wrong, I need to hear that. You didn't book us into a hotel."

"I didn't book us into a hotel," he echoed her words, grinning slightly.

The Slayer drew in a deep breath and faced away from him for a moment, looking as though she was trying to carefully consider each and every upcoming word. Finally, she looked back at her husband. "Honey," she put her hand on his arm, "how can I say this…*I need a roof over my head*. Angel, what were you thinking?!" she hissed, wide-eyed. "How could you *not* have reservations for us, what exactly are we supposed to do now? We're in a foreign country, let's face it, our chances of getting a room in *any* hotel in the last minute slip to *below* none…do you even listen to me?!" she waved her hand in front of his face when she grasped that instead of taking her words seriously, he appeared to be amused with her anxiety. "Angel?!"

"We'll be fine," was all he had to say.

"Fine?! *Fine* doesn't remotely define out situation-"

"I took care of everything, don't worry," he took her hand and pulled it to his lap. "It's a surprise."

The blonde beheld him for several more minutes, then exhaled and leaned back in her seat. "If we wind up sleeping on the street, I swear, this is the *last* time I go *anywhere* with you."

He flashed her a smile and softly chuckled at her serious expression. "You got yourself a deal."

********

"Well, is the lady pleased?" Angel joked, as he held out his hand to help Buffy out of the car.

She nudged him in the gut, then took a few long moments to survey her surroundings, while he helped the driver unpack their suitcases and sent him on his way.

In front of her was a small wooden cottage, surrounded with nothing but grass and trees in sight, amid which she could descry other similar houses scattered in the woods all around them.

She looked up at the former vampire, her eyes shining in awe, "This is really ours?"

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. "It is for the summer. You like?"

"Well, it's certainly gonna be a first," she observed, speaking of the fact she had never seen herself living in a place like this, not even for a little while, not even just for vocation. "But I think I do," she smiled, and revolved in his arms until she completely faced him. "Why didn't you say anything, do you have any idea how worried I was?"

He shrugged. "I told you why. I wanted it to be a surprise. Besides," his eyes flickered with an impish grin, "I wasn't sure you'd like it. So I wanted you to see all the options before you rule it out."

"I wouldn't rule it out!" she pouted. "Not right away, anyway…"

Her husband gave her a knowing look.

"Mean!" she turned with her back to him in a childish fashion.

Angel chuckled. "You knew that when you married me, beloved," he whispered in her ear.

"Oh, yeah?" she swiftly turned back. "Well, I…*had* to marry you."

"Did you, really?"

"Yeah. Because…you knocked me up, remember? Which, by the way, up till today I don't know how you managed. I was like – who needs safe sex when you can enjoy the real thing, he's shooting blanks anyway. Then one bright morning, I got myself a blue present. You know, you should have had a lawyer reviewing your…Shanshu contract."

The former vampire laughed. "I don't think they offered me something to sign. Why, you're sorry?"

Her frown broke into a beam, "No way. Well, I'm not saying it's the best timing ever, but…nope, still no way. But either way, fact remains, three o'clock feedings *and* nightly slaying gigs don't go hand in hand. I needed *you* to stay home with the kids."

"And that's the only reason you married me?"

"Well, you don't expect *me* to wake up at three after I went to bed at one, do you?"

"I see," he commented thoughtfully, then leaned closer to her ear, "Is that all I'm gonna do at nights, then?"

Buffy pushed him off of her, laughing, "Get these dirty thoughts out of your head right now, mister!" she rebuked him playfully, and headed for the bags.

"*Don't* touch that!" he pulled her back before she was able to get a hold on a suitcase.

"Right," she nodded, grinning dryly as she folded her arms on her chest and stepped aside. "I forgot. I'm a porcelain doll. Heaven's forbid I lift something."

"I'm glad that after four months, we've finally reached an understanding," he leaned down to steal a quick kiss on his way to the door, but Buffy grabbed his lapels and lingered it until they were both breathless.

"*Especially*," she continued, after letting go of her lover, "when I have a *big strong man* to do it for me. I saw that!" she added sharply when she felt him roll his eyes even though he was facing with his back to her.

The ex-vampire merely shook his head and grinned to himself as he started unlocking the front door.

"So what exactly am I supposed to do while you'll be unpacking everything?" the Slayer walked up behind him and wound her arms around his middle, inclining her chin on his back.

"Didn't you want to shower?"

"Mmmm…wanted. Don't anymore, not really. Take me somewhere?" she lifted her eyes from his back.

Angel turned around and smiled down on her. "In a minute," he perked a kiss on the tip of her nose. "At least let me get everything inside."

Buffy let go of him and he went back for the rest of their luggage.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked when he returned. "Or is that another surprise?"

"To the beach. It's gonna be sunset soon, and if I still remember it correctly, you'll love it."

"How're we gonna get there?"

"It's not far away. We can even walk there, it would take more than half an hour…" his voice faded off as he put the suitcase down on the floor and paused momentarily, before heading for the next one. His eyes dimmed with strange longing as they gazed out the door at the pink and orange twilight in the horizon.

"Angel?" the Slayer rose from the couch on which she had sat down only a minute ago and walked over to her husband. She tried to focus her eyes on the same spot as he did in attempt to find whatever he was looking at but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "What's wrong?" she looked up at him and touched his arm.

He snapped out of his reverie and mastered a smile, knowing she would see right through it anyway but not caring all the same. "Nothing. I'm fine," he promised her. "Let me get this over with and we'll go."

Before Buffy could say anything else, he was gone, again reminding her of having obviously kept his cryptic ability to vanish out of sight in the least expected moments, in addition to his supernatural strength, when turning human. She sighed, knowing she'd have no choice but to leave whatever it was for later.

*********

They had spent the couple of hours it was left until sundown on the beach. Only when it was completely dark, they agreed on a last stroll across the promenade before heading back home. There weren't many streetlights, and most of the lights came from the moon above or the various open gift shops, stands, bars and restaurants. The ocean was more peaceful under the stars than during daylight, with only random soft moans of the tide lapping at the shore. More people were now walking by, some leaving for home, but most only now arriving, and still…somehow everything seemed to be quieter.

"Hey," Angel clasped Buffy's hand and pulled it up to his lips for a brief kiss. "Why are you so quiet?"

She looked up, then beamed timidly and slightly tilted her head in protest. "I'm just thinking."

"You like it here so far?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "We should have come here on our honeymoon…" she suddenly turned to look at him, "*not* that I didn't enjoy-"

He laughed, "I got it."

She smiled, but then her face became serious again. "Are you okay?" she asked gently, searching for the real answer in his fathomless brown eyes. "That's gotta be a major step for you..."

The ex-vampire sighed and briefly looked down on his feet. "It's just…I don't know how I feel," he finally admitted.

"A pretty ring for a pretty lady?" a voice interrupted their conversation, and they found it belonged to an old man, standing behind a small stand loaded with diverse Claddagh rings and other Claddagh jewelry.

Buffy returned his smile and was about to answer when he spoke again, regarding her left hand, and the Claddagh-styled wedding ring on her finger. "I see the lady has a ring already, how about something else, eh? I have just the thing for you, lass." He searched for something in his pocket and ultimately retrieved a silver necklace, with a small silver Shamrock pendant. He gesticulated for Buffy to lean forward so he could fasten it around her neck, and she did, pulling her hair aside.

"Thank you," she grinned, when she saw the old merchant was content with the way it looked on her.

Angel fished for his wallet to pay, but the man stopped him with a kind gesture of his hand. "No, lad, this is a gift. You don't pay for gifts, now, do you?"

The former vampire nodded in acknowledgement, "Thank you."

"It'll bring you both good luck, mind my word, and for the little one, too." He nodded at the Slayers slightly swollen abdomen.

"Thank you," she grinned again, and took Angel's hand, resuming their stroll.

"It was nice of him," she remarked as they walked on, her fingers toying with the pendant.

"You meet the strangest people around here, I can tell you that," her husband observed with a weak smile. "Hope it works," he glanced at the four-leafed clover.

"Well, it just happens I already have all the luck I need," she slowed down for a moment and their lips met in a soft kiss. "But," she pulled off, the tone of her voice indicating a subject-change was in store, "I think you were about to tell me something before we were interrupted."

"I love you?" he attempted.

"No, I think it was supposed to be something I *didn't* know."

He inhaled a deep breath and held the air in his lungs for a moment before letting it out. "I never…I guess I was never really ready for that."

"For coming back here?" she prompted, as though reading his mind.

Angel nodded. "I always wondered…when I'm gonna do that, how, and…alone, or with someone, if with someone, then with whom? You know…but I never really knew how it's gonna feel like until I…came."

His wife studied his eyes for a few moments, then beamed. "And how does it feel?"

"I don't know," he confessed. "Good, bad…strange…I don't know. In an aspect, I feel as if I'm back home, while on the other hand, I just…"

"Scared?" she probed gently.

"Yeah," he nodded ultimately. "I really am, I…a part of me isn't sure I'm ready to face everything I'm here to face. I think it's the same part that has been avoiding this place ever since…ever since I regained my soul and was conscious enough to truly *think*. There's too much buried here…and I'm not talking only literally," he exhaled.

Buffy squeezed his hand in hers and inclined her head on his shoulder. "I'll be there for you," she murmured. "Everything you will have to face…we'll do it together. I'm glad I'm…here with you for that."

Angel smiled and kissed her crown. "Me, too. If I was going to ever return…I don't think in my wildest dreams I ever imagined it would be human, with my wife and…our baby," he stole a glance at her belly. "A part of me still can't believe it's real," he laughed tensely, then sniffed and looked down into her eyes. "I want to…I want to do something. I want you to come with me…please?" he halted and cupped her cheek with his palm that wasn't clasped in hers.

"I'll go with you anywhere, you know that."

The former vampire averted his eyes from her for a moment and she thought she caught a glimpse of long absent pain in his orbs. "It's not…i-it's…"

"What is it?" she gently prodded him.

"I want to see their graves," he finally managed. "They should be in the woods, next to where my village used to be once, it shouldn't be far from here. Maybe…maybe they're still there, I want to, I…will you come with me?" he held her gaze hopefully.

The Slayer smiled. "You know I will."

************

"How did you know where to find them?" Buffy asked quietly, as they approached the three tombstones. They were in some places cracked and broken, with green mold and weeds growing allover them, indicating on their age. They weren't in a cemetery, it was obvious to Buffy. They were in a place remote from everything else.

"I was here…the night they buried them. Whatever was left of my village…at a point, they realized it was me who was committing all these murders, so when they finally found the bodies on my family, they decided they also were evil spirits." He released a bitter chuckle and let go of Buffy's hand, squatted in front of the graves and started carefully weeding out the invasive plants. "They didn't bury them in the cemetery like the rest, but here. I was standing right there," he motioned at the trees ahead of them. "I don't know why I wanted so much to see that…but I did. I was there…and I saw everything. I always knew I'd come back here one day, for reasons unknown even to me, and after I'd regained my soul, I swore to myself that I would. But I always seemed to be waiting for the right time...something always turned up keeping me away." He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "I haven't been here in almost three-hundred years."

Buffy put a hand on his shoulder, and after a moment, sat down on the grass next to him, and put a small cluster of wild flowers she had picked earlier on top of the middle headstone. Angel kissed the top of her head and pulled her to his side, enfolding one arm around her waist, and rested his hand on her slightly protruding belly. She leaned her head on his shoulder and clasped his palm between her two smaller ones.

"You know…after I killed them, Darla found me with their bodies in my father's house and…she said something to me, something it took me over a couple of centuries to realize just how true it was. By murdering them…I severed the only connection I had to humanity…to human emotions…to love, and I thought I won. Especially over my father, I thought I proved him he was as nothing next to me. And she just looked at me and said…the same love would infect our hearts, even if they no longer beat. And back then…I didn't understand that, and I didn't for centuries after, until you came," he looked down at her, and his lips curved up in a half-smile, "and you taught me how to feel again."

"I love you, Angel," she whispered softly, then looked down to the three graves. "They love you, too," she nestled closer to him and clasped his hand. "They always did. I know that."

He smiled feebly and lay the hand that wasn't on Buffy's abdomen on the largest tombstone, next to the flowers. "I hope you can approve of me now, father," he spoke quietly, eyes fixed on the name curved in the gray stone. "It seems I…made something of myself. After all."

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