Disclaimer: Do I own them? Nope. See, my name is RACHEL, NOT Joss. None of these characters belong to me. I'm not making money off them, blah, blah, blah. Do you really think I would put B/A thru all of this and have Buffy sleeping with Riley? YUK!
Rating:  Do you watch the show?? You can read this.
Summary: The separate feelings of Buffy and Angel several months after his return.
Spoilers: Nothing much…slight stuff for "Faith, Hope, and Trick" and "Becoming" and…just the whole B/A world in general, and of course, my alternate ending.
Dedication: To all the peeps that asked for a sequel.
Distribution: My site, Angel Forevermore, the groups I send them to and if everyone else can just tell me where it's going first. I'll probably say yes!
Feedback? <G> Does Angel look hott wearing leather pants? (All together now, Nod your head "YES!")

~*From Angel's POV*~

Everyday has been a day full of surprises for me. That might sound strange…but it's true.

When I came back…everything was vague. All I could really remember was that I had a heartbeat. That and Buffy was holding me, whispering words of love that I thought I didn't deserve.

Buffy…

Oh God, my salvation, my lover, the amazing woman to loved me unreservedly- never once giving up. She nursed me back to health, taking so much of her time to simply watch out for me. Each day, I grew a little bit stronger and her smile and personality grew a little bit brighter.

When I finally came to my senses and stared into her eyes for the first time in what seemed like 500 years, all I saw was pain and grief. No emotion but that. No happiness. No sparkle and shine of the old Buffy that I fell in love with when I saw her walking down those steps at Hemery High School.

It was clear that I was not the only one living a Hell over that summer after her seventeenth birthday. We both had so many scars…mine physical and her's all emotional. And although I should have been worrying about myself, my heart…my beating heart…went out for her…wondering if I could ever get the old Buffy to break through that wall of pain she had put up around herself over that summer.

She told me what had happened…everything. Because, truth was, I really didn't remember everything that he had done…that Angelus, my demon had said and done to her.

We had talks…talks with tears, talks with smiles, and full-blown arguments over stuff that we had to work out. But we got it worked out…and we ended our last argument with tears and kisses.

Now, as we sit under a tree outside and I hold my love in my arms, I am still amazed. I did SO much to her-hurt her so badly. I teased her, played with her emotions, threatened to kill all of her friends, KILLED Jenny Calendar, TORTURED Giles… I should still be in that demon dimension, being tortured for all eternity…and…oh damn, there I go brooding again.

I did that a lot when I came back-brood. I remember Buffy trying SO hard to get me to break that habit. What can I say? Long walks down the Sunnydale beach, patrolling with her again, and simply BEING with her distracted me from doing all that brooding I should have been doing.

And as for that hell…I'm not there anymore. She has so much faith in me. I mean, everything that I DID remember was unforgivable in my book…she should have just forgotten about me…moved on, but she took me into her arms and kissed me lovingly. And for that act alone, I can never repay her for what she has given me.

Back to what I was saying…we were a normal couple it seemed…normal as we could get anyway, with my girlfriend being the Slayer and everything. Saturdays…my "Buffy" days. The days I got to spend time with my love. I kissed her hair as I rubber circles around her arms. Leaning down closer to her ear, I whispered, "What are you thinking of, my love?" I told her "I love you" in some way every chance I got…mostly because I finally COULD say words of love to her.

I felt Buffy place her hands over mine-God I love her. "You." She whispered back up at me. "Always you." And I felt my heart begin to burst.

Everything in my life was perfect. I had my love…that was all I needed. And as Buffy raised her head and kissed me, instantly, all my thoughts were gone.  

"I love you." She said, looking into my eyes with nothing but love in her hazel orbs.

"And I love you." I repeated, meaning each syllable I spoke.

Buffy turned her head back around and leaned against my chest. I sighed from contentment  as I stared at the sun setting. As watercolored shades of pink, purples, oranges, and blues lit up the sky, I thought about how mucky I was.

No broody thoughts for once.

I was back.

Her love had brought me back.

And as we sat there in silence, not needing words to communicate with each other, I swore that as long as she walked the earth I would be by her side.

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