Rating: PG
Spoilers: Season 4, I think
Disclaimer: I don't own BtVS and AtS. So please don't sue me!
Distribution; Ask first, then you shall have.
Author's Notes: Italics mean that person's thoughts.
FEEDBACK PLEASE!!!! This is my first fic I've written. It's B/R at first (Sorry!) but then it's B/A
Warning: Contains AGNST! Sorry, but don't worry it's sorta fluffy at the end.

"Riley!" Buffy exclaimed. "Don't" She laughed as he tickled her harder. Riley and her were at the beach with the gang. She stopped laughing as he stopped the tickling, capturing her lips in a kiss. They were, however, interrupted by a dripping wet Willow, who had decided to wring her hair out over them.

That caused Buffy to squeal and she ran after Willow.

Xander came over and said jokingly, "God Buff, you were never this happy with Dead Boy."

Buffy and Willow stopped in their tracks and Buffy slowly turned towards Xander, giving him a look, that if looks could kill Xander's heart would have stopped. Xander gulped.

"Dead Boy?" Riley asked.

"No one Riley," Buffy answered as Xander backed off. "Xander doesn't know when to shut that gaping hole of his."

"Oh," Riley said confused.

"Let's just go. I've had enough of the beach for a day," Buffy muttered the last part. Willow just gave Xander a look and he muttered, "Jeesh, mention Dead Boy and suddenly everyone hates you."

"Shut up Xander," Willow said. Xander shut up.

***

Buffy looked on with terror as the three demons, with really ugly horned heads' now that she thought of it, held her back and forced her to watch. Angel was held back by three demons, but the demons were hitting him and kicking him, rendering him helpless. He was covered in blood as the demons moved in for the kill.

Buffy woke up screaming and covered in sweat. Her body shook with sobs. "Buffy? What's wrong?" Willow asked from her bed in their dorm room.

"No. Angel," Buffy whispered, sobbing. Willow got up and rushed over.

"What about Angel? C'Mon Buffy. What did you dream?" Willow asked. She wrapped her arms around Buffy and rocked her until her sobbing slowed down. Slowly, gulping, Buffy told Willow what she had dreamed.

"Do you think it could be one of you prophetic dreams, Buffy?" Willow asked. " 'Cuz if you do, we better tell Giles."

"I need to tell Giles. I really think it was one of those dreams Will. What time is it?"

"Around 8:00," Willow answered.

"Good. Call everyone and have them meet at Giles in an hour. Tell them it's an emergency."

"Ok," Willow nodded.

"I'm glad it's 8 Will, 'cuz I couldn't stand going back to bed. It felt so real," tears ran down Buffy's face.

"Just do me a favor okay?" Willow asked. Buffy nodded. "Go take a shower and get ready, because the sooner you're ready the sooner we can leave for Giles." Buffy got up and walked to the bathroom. Willow sighed. She's still not over Angel. No matter how much she tells everyone she is. She reached for the phone.

"Hello? Spike?"

"Bloody hell, who is this?" Spike returned.

"Willow. Is Giles there?"

"Do I look like his secretary?" Spike said.

"SPIKE!" Willow about screamed, exasperated.

"Jeesh. Hold your horses Red. I'll get him. GILES!" Spike screamed.

"Bloody hell Spike. Couldn't you just come and get me?" Giles muttered to Spike. He grabbed the phone from Spike. "Hello?"

"Hi Giles. It's me Willow…"

***

Buffy stood in front of the gang. "So Buff, what's the haps? Why'd you call an emergency Scooby meeting?" Xander asked.

"Last night I had a dream," Buffy began.

"A prophetic dream?" Giles interrupted.

"Me and Will think so, "Buff replied. "In the dream, we were fighting these demons…"

"We? Whose we Buff?" Xander asked. " 'Cuz I personally hate the term we."

"Let me finish Xander. Okay, Me and Angel…"

"Dead Boy? How come everything that goes wrong has to do with him?" muttered Xander.

Buffy glared at him. "I heard that Xander. The demons we were fighting had these three horns on their head and three of them managed to grab me and held me. A couple of others grabbed Angel. They made me watch as they kicked him and punched him. He was so helpless…" she trailed off, a look of anguish on her face. "Anyway, after a little while, Angel collapsed on the ground. The next thing I knew, a demon produced a stake. He raised it over Angel. I tried to get away to help him…" She had tears in her eyes. Willow hugged her. She continued, "Angel whispered to me and the demon plunged the stake. He was gone." She started to cry. "He called out to me with his eyes, but I couldn't get away," she sobbed.

Riley came over to her and put his arm around her. He squeezed her. "It's okay Buffy. That didn't really happen."

She looked up with tears on her cheeks. "It felt so real," she murmured.

Giles stood up. "It unfortunately seems to be a prophetic dream Buffy. We must warn Angel right away. You should call him Buffy. I must ask what did, in this dream, Angel whisper to you?"

"I don't want to say," she answered and glanced at Riley. Giles nodded. "Besides, you won't need to call Angel. I'll go to LA"

Giles started to protest. "Giles, in my dream, Angel and me were fighting. Key word me. So we'll end up together at some point. Of course probably not in that sense knowing Angel…"

Riley spoke up. "Who's Angel?"

Buffy winced. "It's a long story."

"I'd like to hear it," Riley said.

"I'll give you the short version, kay?" He nodded. "It started when I was 16. I met Angel and felt something odd about him. He later told me that he was a vampire."

" A vampire!!" Riley exclaimed and stood up.

"Let me finish," Buffy almost shouted. It's hard enough as it is to tell as it is. Riley sat back down. "Angel was a vampire with a soul. He had emotions and was overwrought with guilt about what he had done when he had lost his soul. That didn't matter to me however. I was in love with him. We tried to stay apart saying it couldn't work. Who had ever heard of a vampire and a Vampire Slayer together?"

"I have!" Xander piped up.

Buffy laughed. "Finally we couldn't stand it anymore. It was on my 17^th birthday that things turned bad," her voice grew soft, almost faint, as she remembered. "Unfortunately the gypsies that had given Angel his soul had put a loophole in it. He was denied perfect happiness. We of course, didn't know that. On my 17^th birthday however, he achieved that perfect happiness and his soul was torn away for him. For months after that, he terrorized us. Of course it wasn't him, it was the demon inside him. Finally we did a spell and he regained his soul. He was so overcome with guilt for what he had done. We tried not to get too close again and after the accession, he left and went to LA."

Riley looked around. Everyone seemed to know the story except for him. Giles however, had a sad look on his face. Riley turned back to Buffy. "How did Angel achieve perfect happiness?" he asked.

Xander let out a little laugh as Buffy's face turned beet red. "He just… he just did okay?" she stammered.

"Slayer and Peaches got pelvic," Spike said bluntly.

Riley got it. "You're actually telling me not only did you love a vampire, you slept with one too!"

"Yes," Buffy's eyes flashed and she stood up. "It's not did Riley. It's not I did love a vampire. Hate to break it to you buddy, but I still love him. That's never changed. Why do you thing I'm so upset over this dream? Huh? I'll never stop loving him! But you know what? That doesn't even matter any more. We can't even be together ever again, because I don't want to risk Angel losing his soul!"

***

Riley stood up also. "I can't believe you just said all that! I thought I knew you Buffy! But, NO! Here you are telling me 'Not only did I love a vampire, I slept with one'! You betrayed all the slayers of the past by even loving Angel!"

Willow butted in. "Riley, she didn't betray anyone! Angel had a soul. He wasn't cruel and heartless. But you know what? I would say that right now, you're being pretty cruel and heartless! Can't you see how upset Buffy is? No. All you can see is the fact that she slept with Angel! That shouldn't even matter anymore! She's with you, not with him!" I can't believe I just said all that!

"Go Will!" Xander shouted.

"Willow's right Riley. If you can't get past the fact that Angel's gone now, then you and I don't belong together. So you can stay and help me, or you can leave. Either way I don't really care."

Riley glared at her. He grabbed his coat and walked to the door. " 'Bye Buffy. You know you should change it from The Vampire Slayer, to The Vampire Sleeper." With that he opened the door and walked out.

Buffy stared after him. "Are you okay Buffy?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I just realized that I've been lying to everyone. About me not loving Angel anymore. Riley just proved to me that I always will."

Willow gave her a hug. "What are you waiting for?" she asked. "Go to LA and warn Angel."

"I must insist Buffy, that if you plan to go to LA personally, you leave as soon as possible. As it is already 12, now would be a good time to leave," Giles spoke.

"Gotcha. This is me going," Buffy said as she walked to the door. "Bye!"

"Bye!" everyone shouted.

"And, Buff?" Xander said.

"Yeah Xand?"

"Try not to let those hormones you always have raging around Angel, control you," he said in a serious manner, then burst out laughing.

Buffy laughed, "Whatever Xander. Bye!"

***

*8:00 p.m.*

andnbsp;

Angel felt something or actually, a certain someone. He was busy trying to figure out how he could feel Buffy, after all she was in Sunnydale, when Doyle hit him and knocked him over. Angel's train of thought was lost.

"Are you okay Angel," Cordelia called out from where she had been painting her nails and watching them spar.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"Because you never let Doyle win and you just did." Cordelia stopped speaking and looked closer at him. "You have Buffy face on! Why? She's not here!"

" I know that Cordelia. I'm not stupid. I just could have sworn I felt her nearby. In fact I still do. But, I know that isn't possible. Buffy's in Sunnydale," his face fell as he thought of her with her boyfriend.

"Well, I'll prove that theory," Cordelia called out as she walked over to the door and opened it.

***

Buffy stood with her hand poised to knock when all of a sudden the door came flying open. "Cordelia!" she exclaimed.

"Buffy! Oh my God! He was right. Do you know how much teasing I'm gonna endure?" she asked Buffy.

Buffy stared at her. "Huh? Can I come in?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure, whatever." Cordelia held open the door and Buffy walked in. It had taken her forever to get to L.A- traffic had been a nightmare and on top of that she got lost finding the office. Buffy saw Angel with his shirt off, his back glistening with sweat. "Angel," she murmured.

He turned around sharply. "Buffy! What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," she said. He nodded and led her to his office.

"Talk," he said and closed his door.

"I came to warn you. I had one of my dreams. You know the prophetic dreams?" He nodded his eyes not meeting her own. "Well I had one last night. A pretty bad one- you know end of the world kind of stuff. Unfortunately in this one the end of the world did come- but only one person died."

"What in the world do you mean by that Buffy? That doesn't make sense," Angel said.

"My end of the world came Angel." Angel looked confused. "Okay… I'll just explain the whole dream. You and me were fighting these really ugly looking demons, with three green horns on their heads. Well somehow they managed to grab both of us. They made me watch as they tortured you. Then one demon produced a stake, you looked at me and all of a sudden you were gone. You were gone Angel." Buffy had tears in her eyes.

Angel looked up and over at her in shock. She started to sob. "Angel you looked at me with such hopelessness and terror. I tried to get away to help you, but I couldn't. And then you were gone. You were gone, " she repeated. Buffy started to sob.

Angel came over to her and put his arms around her. She buried her face in his bare chest and sobbed harder. "Buffy, beloved, it's okay. I'm not gone. I'm right here, 100% Angel- well not exactly." Buffy let out a sort of sob mixed with laugh from his chest.

Buffy became acutely aware that Angel had no shirt on and she lifted her head from his chest. "Sorry," she muttered and wiped her cheeks.

"It's okay," Angel gave her a lop-sided smile. "So when do we get the pleasure of meeting these demons?"

"Don't know. We don't even know what they're called, or at least when I left we didn't. Angel promise me something. When we do meet these demons, don't get caught. Run away or kill as many as possible as fast as possible. Just don't die on me okay?" She looked at him.

"Buffy, you know I can't promise you that."

She nodded, "I know. But at least try okay? I couldn't bear it if my dream became a reality." She began to cry again.

Angel gathered her in his arms again. Gently his kissed her tears away. Oh Buffy. Buffy looked up at him, her head crushed against his chest.

"Angel?"

"Hmmm?"

"Don't go away again. After we destroy these demons, don't leave me again. I couldn't bear that. Please. You promised me forever remember?"

Angel pushed her away from his chest and stood up, his eyes full of hurt. "You also promised always. Just me, remember? You didn't keep that promise, so don't expect me to keep mine! Don't! Does the name Riley ring a bell? Because if I recall you were the one who rubbed that fact in my face!"

Buffy looked down. "Riley has no significance to me anymore Angel. When he found out who you exactly were, he left! In front of everyone! I did keep that promise! I didn't say that I loved Riley to death did I? As I recall I didn't. The only man I've ever loved and STILL love is the only person I'd give my life for so that they would live! Well, except for Willow, Xander, Giles, and Mom. And you know what Angel? That man is you!" With that Buffy burst out in sobs and collapsed on the floor of the office.

Angel rushed to her and cradled her in his arms. "Oh, Beloved, you know the same goes for me. I'm so sorry."

"What do I have to do Angel? You don't even believe in me anymore. How can I make you forgive me?" Buffy sobbed out. "I'm not perfect. You think I am Angel, but I'm not. You hold me on this pedestal, like I'm a god or something! I'm not! I'm human and no human is perfect!"

"Oh Buffy," was all Angel could say. She clutched against his chest and cried her heart out. For everything. She cursed herself for ever going out with Riley, for sleeping with Parker, for letting Angel leave her. Angel at the same time cursed himself a thousand times for ever leaving this beautiful creature. If he had been there, all this pain wouldn't have. Buffy finally cried herself to sleep and Angel picked her up off the ground.

He carried her into his bedroom and laid her in his bed. "Angel?" she murmured.

"Yes, love?" Angel said.

"Don't leave me okay? Stay with me."

"Of course," he whispered. He removed his shoes and climbed in beside her. Buffy immediately snuggled up to him and for the first time in a year, they both fell asleep perfectly content, with smiles on their faces.

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