Rating: umm...I'm thinking along the lines of PG...in the meantime. Who knows what the future might bring:).
Disclaimer: nope, last time I checked, nothing was mine.
Spoilers: well...better safe than sorry: everything up to the end of season 3 can be spoilery.
Synopsis: I have a strange drive to rewrite season 3 of BtVS. I just don't seem to like the way it ended...beats me why. Anyway, so despite the fact that the original plan was to begin with "Helpless" (that's around the time everything really started getting screwed up B/A-wise), as you can see, plan's changed and I'm going to start with "Anne". If you expect to find in this series events/quotes from the original season....I seriously mean it - I'll try my hardest keeping them to the very minimum. But all in all - it's probably a yet another attempt to end the season on a more "positive" B/A level. See how it goes:).
Pairing: the conventional ships: B/A, W/O, C/X. If I decide to torture any/all of them, you'll be the first to know:).
Distribution: ask first.
Feedback: please, yes, please.

They whisper words into my ears
One speaks of truth
And one speaks of my fears
My disabilities don't get in my way
I look to the future
And live day to day
Three doors to go through
I only want the one
That leads to you

- Vast, "Three Doors"

**********

Buffy stirred from her sleep and yawned, without opening her eyes, pulling the comforter she was wrapped in over her shoulders to keep warm. She smiled, and she unconsciously reached out her hand to feel the other side of the bed. It was empty.

Her heart started racing and she slowly pulled her hand back. "Angel," she whispered softly, but didn't dare to even contemplate over opening her eyes.

The vampire wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and pulled her to his chest. "I'm here," he whispered in her ear, and felt her ease instantly.

The Slayer emitted a quiet sigh of relief and rolled over on her other side, burrowing her face in his chest for a few moments and securing her arms around him. "Don't ever leave me like that again," she whispered.

"I won't," he kissed the top of her head, then pulled back from her a little, to allow her see his face. "You'll always see me first thing in the morning," he grinned at their mutual memory. "I promise."

Buffy beheld him for a second, traces of fear still apparent in her gaze, then her lips, too, curved up in a smile. She reached one hand to his cheek, gently stroking the cool pale skin. "Are you okay?" she inquired.

Angel merely nodded in response.

"It's okay to be scared, Angel. Even now…I never expected you to jump right back into the way things used to be. Even I can't do that. And especially…I don't expect *you* to."

"I know," he smiled, leisurely combing her golden hair back from her face. "I know it'll take me…us more time to feel whole about it, but…still…nothing ever felt more right for me than everything feels now." His palm rested on the Slayer's cheek and she covered it with her own.

"For me, too," she beamed.

"Don't tell me I've just walked in on the legendary 'moment of true happiness'!" Whistler's cheerful voice intruded on their intimacy.

Buffy instinctively nearly dived under the covers before she realized the demon hadn't seen anything he shouldn't have. All in all, she still wasn't able to direct her gaze at him, but since her boyfriend for some reason proved to be speechless, she had to do the talking. "Get the Hell out of our bedroom, or I'll throw you out!" she hissed into Angel's chest, which only made Whistler smugly chuckle in amusement.

"Not like that, you won't," he referred to her nudity.

"Angel!" the Slayer hissed, this time, addressing her mute boyfriend.

No reply came. The vampire had never been at loss of words as he was that very moment. Well, no one ever intruded on him lying naked in bed with his girlfriend before, so it could be one of the reasons…

"Okay, okay…" Whistler held up his hands in surrender, "*just* because I'm a nice guy…"

At that remark, the Slayer couldn't help but scowl.

"*And* out of the complete goodness of my heart," he went on, grinning, completely ignoring her glower, "I'm gonna wait outside…give you a few minutes to get more…" he paused impishly, searching for the perfect word. "Presentable."

With that, he playfully lifted his hat and curtsied, replacing it on his head, and exited the bedroom.

**********

The first to come out was Angel, who emerged from the bedroom, dressed all in black, to exclude a blue unbuttoned shirt, looking not at all pleased with his wake-up call.

"Why, look at you now, all big and shiny," the demon exclaimed as the vampire approached closer to take a seat on the couch opposite to him. "Your girl must have a golden touch. Last time I saw you, you certainly weren't something to write home about."

"I'm glad you approve," Angel muttered in return.

Before Whistler could comment on something else, the Slayer walked in, dressed in white tank top and socks, and gray sweatpants. She was holding a mug of blood in her one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Sitting down next to her lover, she handed the blood to him, and gulped from her drink.

"*Please* forgive my horrible manners," she remarked after a second, putting her cup down on the table between her and her uncalled-for guest. "Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee? Deadly *poison*?"

Whistler chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint, sweetheart, but your poison won't be enough to kill me. So won't your coffee, by the way."

She glared at him, but said nothing.

"Come on, admit it, you're happy to see me. And you also know you're gonna miss me again once I'm gone…"

"After the stunt you pulled this morning, I *don't* see that ever happening," she asserted, picking up her cup and sipping from it. "See, I don't know what it must be like in the 'world according to you', but where I come from, girls *don't* appreciate it when demons walk in on them and their boyfriends in *bed*!"

"Lighten up, Slayer," he waved his hand dismissingly. "I'm a guy who's trying to get by in life…you know, do his job."

"Well, in the future, why don't you get by *out* of our bedroom. I'm sure it was *not* a part of your job."

"One of the perks," he grinned, smugly leaning back on the cushions. "So. Aren't you gonna ask why I'm here?"

"I don't know, you think I should? With your cryptic messages, it's kinda hard to tell."

"Oh, so it's my fault now, sure why not," he threw his hands in the air, "shoot the messenger. Still," he grinned, leaning forward. "I think you two are gonna like what I have to say this time."

Buffy moved closer to Angel and folded her legs up on the sofa, as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders.

"This is the last time you're gonna see me," the demon began, but was soon cut off by the Slayer.

"So there is a God," she smiled impishly.

"I'll be sure to remind you of that one when you *really* start missing me-"

"Do you two mind?" Angel finally lost his patience both with his girlfriend and the demon and their ceaseless bickering. He, for one, wanted to know what Whistler had to tell them sometime today.

Buffy crawled into his lap and folded her arms on her chest in her little girl's fashion, leaning back into his chest. Whistler sniggered as the vexation instantly vanished from the vampire's eyes.

"Like I said," he resumed his speech from where he'd left off, "this is the last time you two will ever see me, unless something goes *really* wrong. But frankly, seeing you two now, that's unlikely to happen. It's time for you to leave," he told Angel.

"What do you mean?" the vampire asked.

"It's time for your destiny to set off. Your *real* destiny."

Buffy looked up into her boyfriend's eyes, utterly reflecting her concern and perplexity. Then she looked back at the demon.

"Before you decide to take my head off, Slayer, he's not going alone. You're going with him. Your job here is done."

"What are you talking about? I'm the Slayer…"

"You're not the Slayer, darling," he grinned knowingly. "You haven't been *the Slayer* ever since you died by the hands of the Master. Yeah, the Council held on to you after you came back to life, but they technically had no power or right over you anymore. The Line, ever since, ran through Kendra, then through Faith, but not through you. Not ever since that night. You have served them more than you were supposed to, kid, you don't do that anymore. The Powers released you. You'll still get to keep your powers, your supernatural strength and abilities, but it's not to be the Slayer. Soon, he will go, and you will go with him. Just like he led you through your destiny ever since you were called, you will now lead him through his. It is the beginning of the second part of your journey together."

Buffy looked at him for a moment, then finally, she nodded, swallowing. "What will…what will happen here?"

"In Sunnydale? You mean, after you're gone?"

"Yeah."

"Not much will change. Faith will take over the slaying, she will finally fully own her rightful duty. You, with Angel, will help them defeat the Ascension. This will be your last act as the Slayer in Sunnydale."

"Can she handle it?" Buffy felt she had to ask. Even if deep inside, she trusted her sister-Slayer, a part of her needed Whistler to confirm she deserved that trust.

"Don't underestimate her. Right now, she's still choosing. But she'll come around faster than you think, especially once you're gone and she'll have everything to herself. Once she gets the space she needs, she'll make up her mind about the right choice."

There was a spell of silence, until Angel was the one to break it. "Where are we going?"

"Los Angeles," Whistler replied. "You'll meet a man there, his name's Doyle. He's a part human, part demon, and he'll be your connection to The Powers that Be. Don't look for him, he'll find *you*. Then, you'll understand everything. You'll know what to do. I can't answer any of the questions you wanna ask. I'm only here to tell you what they want you to know. You'll find out everything else when it's the right time."

The vampire nodded, exhaling a stored heavy breath. The Slayer clasped his hand encouragingly and he smiled weakly at that. "When will we leave?" he asked Whistler.

"After you overthrow the Ascension. Like I said, it will be your last battle on the Hellmouth."

"We won't be allowed to come back here?" Buffy asked quietly, inwardly hoping she had misunderstood.

"No one's gonna keep you away. If you're needed here, you're allowed in here. But you won't belong here anymore. After the final battle, it's time for the two of you to move on. The chapter in your lives that is Sunnydale will be then closed."

"That's it?" Angel asked after a while, when no one else spoke.

"That's it," Whistler replied plainly. "All I had to tell you, all you needed to know. The rest is now up to the two of you." He stood up, throwing a final typical smile their way. "That's a goodbye."

"Bye," Buffy murmured, laying her head on Angel's chest, still absorbing all the news she'd just received. She already knew she would need at least a week to be able to tell everyone everything. She still couldn't understand it all just yet.

Soon, she felt Angel's arms close about her, and heard the slam of the front door behind the demon, then the living world around her dissolved into her thoughts.

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