DISCLAIMER: I'm not Joss.
TIMELINE: About a year or so after season 5.
SPOILERS: None
SUMMARY: Cordelia brings Buffy some news about Angel.
RATING: PG-13
PAIRING: B/A
DEDICATION: Everyone who has ever sent me feedback. Thanks!!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Buffy did die at the end of season 5, but she was brought back.

"Xander, do your Snoopy Dance," Buffy suggested. The Scooby Gang had just defeated the latest evil on the Hellmouth and now they were hanging out at the Magic Shop.

"I don't know..." Xander said from his spot at the table.

"Come on, Xander," Willow pleaded. "No one will make fun, we promise."

He stood up and walked into the middle of the room. "All right."

Willow and Tara leaned back in the chairs, ready for the show, while Buffy leaned against the counter. Xander had only been dancing for about 10 seconds, when everyone in the room burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Well, it looks like ya'll are having fun," a feminine voice interrupted while she walked into the shop. Wesley, Gunn, and Kate followed her. Kate had joined the team a few months ago, after a demon had attacked her, nearly killing the blonde.

"Cordelia, what brings you here?" Buffy asked.

The brunette looked down at her hands and started in a serious tone, "We...we have some news for you."

"What is it?" Giles inquired from his spot behind the counter.

"Well, its more like news for...for Buffy then everyone else in the r-room," Cordelia answered, her voice wavering as she spoke.

Suddenly, it hit The Slayer. "What happened to Angel?"

Cordelia looked up from her hands and Buffy spotted tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Buffy. Last..last night he was fighting a demon and...and the demon was too strong. Angel's.." A sob erupted from the brunette's mouth. " Angel's dead, Buffy."

Tears hadn't formed in the Slayer's eyes, nor had her expression changed. She looked like a rock, just sitting there, staring into space. Slowly, she moved from her spot at the counter and walked into the training room. She wouldn't allow anyone to see her tears.

Standing in front of the punching bag, she threw her first punch and knocked the bag from the ceiling. As the bag hit the wall, the tears started. She walked back towards the couch, and with one kick the couch was across the room. Tears tracked down her face uncontrollably.

Hearing the commotion, everyone in the main room came to stand in the doorway. Buffy ignored them and continued her destruction of the room, tarring down bookshelves, kicking over training equipment. After a while had passed, she completely broke down.

Her knees buckled underneath her and she slid to the ground, curling herself into a ball, letting the tears flow freely down her tan cheeks. Giles' and Willow, feeling sympathy for the blonde, slowly walked towards her.

"Go away!" Buffy commanded, sensing the two coming to comfort her. When they didn't leave she continued, "Leave me alone!"

Upon hearing the tone of her voice, everyone exited the room, leaving her alone.

*****

"How..how did it happen?" Willow asked when everyone had taken a spot in the main room.

"Cordelia had a vision," Wesley explained. "Angel went to fight the demon alone, neither Gunn nor I was able to accompany him. We arrived just as...as Angel was..was s-staked." Tears began to form in his eyes and Cordelia let out a soft cry. Gunn gently put a hand on her shoulder while Kate slowly let a few tears out.

"Oh," Willow sniffled. Tara, not knowing what to do, took her into her embrace. Xander, Giles, and Anya sat quietly.

"I'm going patrolling," Buffy announced quickly before anyone could object. She wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand and sniffled before grabbing her coat and running out the door.

"Someone should probably..."

"Follow her," Willow finished for Giles.

"I'll go," Gunn volunteered, needing to get out and get some fresh air.

"All right...I'm sorry I don't know you're name," Giles said.

Gunn smiled, "Gunn."

"Don't let her know you are there," Xander suggested. "She might be a little wired and angry."

"Sure thing," Gunn replied.

****

"Come on," Buffy yelled angrily, twirling her stake in her hand. "Aren't there any vamps out tonight?"

She turned around, sensing a vamp behind her. "Spike," she cried when she noticed who it was.

"Hey, blondie," the British vamp replied, lighting up a cigarette.

Buffy tilted her head. "You wouldn't happen to know of any vamp nests anywhere near, would you?"

"Depends," he paused. "What's in it for me?"

"I won't kill you," she replied in a deathly serious tone.

"Nope, sorry. Don't know of any."

She grabbed Spike by the collar of his coat, lifting him into the air. "I'm gonna ask you this one more time, are there any vamp nests around here?"

'Wow,' Gunn thought from his place in the bushes. 'When that girl gets mad, she gets mad.'

"All right, all right. I'll show you," he complied. She let him down and he adjusted his coat. "Why do you want to crash their party, if they aren't hurting anyone?"

"I have my reasons," she responded in an 'end of the discussion' voice.

"Fine, fine." He turned into an alley. "Here we are, then. Right through this door," he pointed.

Buffy walked into the door. "Come on out, guys. Slayer's a waitin'." She backed out from the entrance into the alley. Eight vampires soon followed.

The Slayer stood still and let the eight circle her. She got her stake ready and waited for the first vamp to charge.

'Is she crazy? Eight vamps against one?,' Gunn thought, glancing around the corner into the alley Buffy and Spike had walked into.

Spike jumped on top a dumpster, lit a cigarette, and waited for the fight to begin. Tired of waiting for the vamps to make the first move, Buffy took charge. She punched the nearest in the face, catching him off-gaurd, then quickly staked him. Turning around, Buffy found two vamps ready to go. She stuck her leg out, knocking them to the ground, staking the two easily.

'Three down, five to go,' she thought.

She flipped over the fourth's head and the disposed of him. A female vampire came towards her. Buffy punched once, then kicked her in the head, and ended with a stake to the heart. The sixth vamp was a little stronger than the rest. He swung at The Slayer, hitting her in the stomach. Buffy regrouped herself and charged, knocking him to the ground, staking him.

The last two vampires charged at the same time, one from the left, the other from the right. Buffy ducked, letting them crash into eachother. Taking their disorientation into consideration, Buffy staked the female and waited for the male to stand up. She needed something to beat up on for a while.

She threw her first punch, which was caught by the male, and continued with a kick to the vamps midsection. Sending another punch to his stomach, then face, Buffy stood still for a second, contemplating on whether or not to stake him or not. Deciding against it, The Slayer punched him a few more times, then knocked him on his back before staking him.

Throwing the stake on the ground, she collapsed.

"Well done," Spike commented, clapping. "I take it you were a little upset about something, luv."

"Leave me alone, Spike," Buffy said through her tears.

Ignoring her plea, Spike continued to walk over to her, trying to find out what was wrong with her. "What's wrong, Slayer?"

"Nothing," she answered tightly.

"You and I both know that's not true." He knelt down next to her.

"Angel's...he's...he's dead," she sobbed. "They took him away from me, just like they always do."

"My-my sire's gone?" Spike asked, not quite believing it.

"Yes, Spike," she answered, standing up. "My life is just a little game for them to play with. I bet they each take turns and try to out do each other. Which one of us can hurt her more? What else can we take from her?"

"What are you talking about, luv?" Spike stood up and joined her.

"The Powers That fucking Be," she replied. "I give, and give, and give. Never ever do they give me anything back. They always take, take, take." She turned her gaze up to the sky. "I risk my life for the whole fucking world, every day. I don't have to do it, but I do. I do it for the world. Do I ever get anything back? No! Well, its over, now. I'm not slaying another vampire, killing another demon, or averting another apocalypse until they send Angel back."

"Buffy, you know it can't be over," Spike tried to reason. "The world needs you, luv."

She looked at Spike with tears in her eyes. "The world needs Angel. I need Angel. They took him, they took him away from me. It's over, Spike. It's gonna be over until they send him back."

"Buffy, you can't do that."

"Watch me, Spike," she said, walking out of the alley.

*****

Buffy slowly trudged up her stairs, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. When she walked into her room, she went straight towards her jewelry box. She fished out the Silver Cross Angel had given her the first time they met.

She put it on and then opened one of the drawers of the box. Her tears started flowing again when she picked up her claddaugh ring. Thinking back to the night on the docks when Angel had told her the meaning of the ring, she smiled. Slowly, she eased it onto her finger.

The Slayer went into her closet and found Angel's jacket. After changing into a tank top and boxers, she got into bed, cuddling with Mr. Gordo and the jacket.

// Buffy walked through a meadow followed by a small white kitten. Her bare feet rubbed against the tall green grass.

"Glad you could join me," a male voice from behind Buffy sounded.

"Angel." She turned around to find her soulmate sitting on a wooden bench. "Oh God, I missed you so much," the Slayer cried, running to him. Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and held on as tight as she could, fearing he would slip away.

"I missed you, too," Angel purred.

Buffy pulled back enough so that she could look into his eyes. "Why did you have to go?"

"It was my time," he said simply. Angel pushed a blonde strand from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. "I will be coming back."

"Promise?" Buffy whispered.

"Promise, beloved."

"Good." She leaned in for a soft, passionate kiss. It had been so long since she had felt his lips against hers. Each night since he left, she had longed to kiss him once more. Hands roamed each other's bodies, trying to memorize each other's shape. The two pulled away, only when Buffy needed her breath.

"Keep her," Angel pointed to the white kitten, "until I return."

"Angel?"

"I promise, I'll be back," he whispered before disappearing.//

*****

Buffy sat up with tears in her eyes and a tiny white kitten sleeping next to her.

'It was real,' she thought. 'Angel's really gonna come back.' She sniffled a few times before taking the tiny kitten and placing her in her lap.

'Cotton,' she decided. 'I'll call her cotton.'

Buffy laid back down with a smile on her lips. Angel was coming back.

*****After relaxing in bed with Cotton for a while, Buffy got dressed and headed over to the Magic Shop. She was ready to look for a way to bring Angel back. When she entered the shop, it went silent. Each person in the room stopped doing what they were doing and stared at her.

Willow was the first to say something. "Hey, Buffy," she said. "How are you?"

"Good, Will," Buffy said cheerfully, then changed her expression to serious. "Giles, I need you to find a way to bring Angel back."

"Buffy-" Giles started, but was cut off by his Slayer.

She shook her head. "No, I talked to him and he said I could bring him back. There is a way, I just know it."

"Woah," Cordelia exclaimed. "You talked to him?" How on earth did this girl talk to Angel, Cordelia wondered. If she can, I want to.

Buffy paused, trying to think of how to tell them this without all of her friends thinking she was crazy. "I had a dream," she started. "He told me he would come back, he promised."

Giles tried to reason with her. "Buffy, how do you know it wasn't just a dream? Not all of your dreams are prophetic."

"There was a kitten in the dream," she explained. "He said he wanted me to have it until he came back. When I woke up, the kitten was in my bed.

"Fascinating," Giles noted. "Well, if Wesley here would like to help me research, we might be able to find something." He looked towards Buffy and made sure she was looking at him. "I cannot promise we will find something."

"I know," she smiled. "But I know you will."

"We'll help research, " Willow piped up, referring to Tara and her.

"Thanks, Will," Buffy replied.

"Yea, Buffster, Anya and I will help, too," Xander offered.

Wesley looked over towards Gunn, Cordelia, and Kate. "I'm sure everyone will be able to research," he said. When he received nods from Angel's friends, he smiled.

"I have to go take care of something," Buffy said. "But I'll be back to help research soon." She smiled to everyone and then left the store.

*****

Buffy strolled into Willy's, dragging her hand along the bar. "Willy," she said. "I need some information."

Willy looked up from the demon he was serving. "What can I do for ya, Slayer?" he asked.

"How do I bring a vampire back after he's been staked?" Her tone was serious.

"Woah, dearie, you want to bring a vampire back? Aren't you supposed to be staking them, not resurrecting them?" Willy couldn't help but wonder what this girl was up to. She wanted to bring back a vampire?

"How. Do. You. Bring. Back. A. Vampire," she asked once again, her tone deadly.

"I don't know," he answered quickly. A little too quickly for Buffy's liking.

She wiggled her finger in a 'come here' manner. Willy obliged and when he was in reach of the Slayer, she grabbed his head, slamming it onto the counter.

"All right, all right. I know something." He gave in, that was what she liked.

"Talk," she demanded.

"There's been some talk about a prophecy. The scroll of Aberjan or something like that. It says something about being able to bring a vampire back, something along those lines."

"Where is the scroll? How do I find it?" She was almost there. She almost had a way to bring him back, if the information Willy was spouting out was true.

"It's in LA," he replied. "Supposedly, someone already got their hands on it."

"Who?" she asked.

"I heard your ex did," he replied. "Him and his little gang found it. I think, Angel's even mentioned in it."

That pushed a button. She grabbed him by the coat and brought his face close to hers. "You think?" she demanded. "Or you know?"

"I know," he admitted. "He's mentioned."

Buffy dropped him and walked out of the bar.

*****

The door of the magic shop slammed as Buffy walked in. "I know how to bring him back," she exclaimed. "And so does Wes, Cordy, and the other 2 people that she brought along." She smiled apologetically, "Sorry, I didn't catch names."

"Kate," the cop said raising her hand.

"Gunn," the young man smiled.

Giles took his glasses off and began cleaning them. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "But you said Wesley knows how to bring Angel back?"

"Yeah. I paid our friend Willy a little visit. He said that there is this prophecy called the scroll of Aberjan or something like. Anyway, the way to bring Angel back is in the prophecy," the blonde explained.

"We do have that," Wesley said. "But unfortunately, it doesn't tell of a way to bring Angel back. It only says that when he wins his last battle he will receive his Shanshu, his humanity."

Buffy stared at her ex-watcher in disbelief. "H-human?" she asked.

"Yes, Buffy. When he wins his last battle he will become human," Wes echoed from his previous speech.

"Wait!" Cordelia exclaimed. "Angel just defeated all those armies of demons last month. That could have been his redemption. Maybe he had to die before he could get his redemption?"

The whole room became quiet as they thought about what Cordelia has just said.

*****

Wesley was the first to break the silence. "Cordelia could be right," he announced. "The prophecy never said exactly how he would receive his Shanshu, it only said that once his final battle was won, he would become human."

"Well, how do we know if that battle Cordelia is talking about was his final?" Buffy asked. "When would he come back?" The Slayer had a gut feeling that Cordelia was correct about her presumption. The only problem was, she had no idea when Angel would be coming back.

"We don't know, Buffy." Giles sighed. "We aren't 100 percent sure that Cordelia is right. I don't want you to get your hopes up."

"I know, I know. But I just have this feeling that she's right." The Slayer leaned against the counter, deep in thought. "I'll be back," she announced.

While thinking, Buffy had come upon the thought that Angel could possibly be coming back at anytime. The only thing was that there was a certain spot that he would be returning to and in order for him to return, she had to be there. She thought about all of the important places of their relationships: the mansion, his apartment, the sewers, the alley, the hill.

Buffy decided she would try the hill first. It was there that he tried to end his life, why couldn't it be there that he could start his new one as a human. After her announcement, she grabbed her coat and ran as fast as her legs could carry her to the hill.

"I'm here," she yelled to the sky. "Bring him back, please!"

A few minutes had passed and nothing happened. Angel hadn't been brought back. So, she tried again. "Please," she whispered through her tears.

Another 10 minutes passed, but she wouldn't give up hope. Buffy walked to the nearest tree and settled down underneath it. Before she knew it, she had given into her body's demand of sleep.

// "Hey, stranger," Angel addressed Buffy from behind as she walked through the meadow. "What took you so long?"

"Angel?" She turned around. "I came to get you," she said.

Angel looked down. "You're in the right place, but now isn't the time," he said. "Cotton can tell you when its time. That's why I gave her to you."

"Why can't you come now?" she asked. "I need you now."

"It isn't the time." He walked to her and held her hands in his. "I promised you I would come back, but I can't right now. Soon, though."

"How long is soon?" she asked, hoping it was when she woke up.

Of course his answer was cryptic. "Soon," he replied. "I have to go now."

"Not yet," she pleaded. "Stay a little longer."

"I can't. Remember, Cotton will tell you the time." He kissed her cheek and walked away, disappearing into the sunset. //

Buffy woke up and remember what Angel had said about Cotton. Quickly, she gathered herself and started back to the Magic Shop.

*****

"I know when he is coming back," Buffy announced as she entered the Magic Shop. Everyone stopped their research and looked at her, waiting for answers.

"When I was thinking about Cordelia's theory, I had this gut feeling where Angel would return. So, I went there and yelled for him to come back. Obviously, it didn't work. I decided to wait for a while and fell asleep. There was another dream and Angel told me that it wasn't time but he would be coming home soon. He said Cotton would know when."

"Who is Cotton?" Cordelia asked.

Buffy smiled. "Remember how I told you earlier that Angel gave me a kitten in my first dream? Well, I named her Cotton."

"This is great news," Wesley exclaimed.

A chorus of "Yes" and "I agree" echoed throughout the room.

"Well, I'm gonna go home and wait for Cotton to tell me when he is coming back," Buffy said, eager to get Angel back. She grabbed her coat, said good-bye to everyone and went home.

*****

Days passed and still Buffy hadn't seen anything from Cotton that would signal Angel's return. The days turned into weeks and still nothing, but Buffy refused to give up hope. Angel promised he would come back and she believed him.

Buffy was sitting in the living room playing with Cotton when the phone interrupted them. "Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, it's Willow," the voice answered.

"Hey, Will. What's up?"

"Well, I was wondering, or we all were wondering if you wanted to go to the Bronze tonight or maybe catch movie?"

"I can't, Will. What if Cotton is trying to tell me Angel is coming back and I'm not here?" The Slayer hadn't left her house since the dream with Angel. Everyday she would sit in the living room and play games with the kitten, waiting for her to say Angel was coming home.

"Buffy, its been weeks," the redhead sucked in a breath. "I don't want to say this, but I don't-"

The blonde didn't want to hear it. "Then don't say it." Buffy raised her voice. "Willow, he promised be and I believe him."

"All right, Buffy. But could you maybe try to get out tonight? Patrol, maybe? Giles said you haven't patrolled since Cordelia came in town."

"I told the Powers that I wouldn't slay another vampire until they brought Angel back. End of story." Buffy's tone was deadly serious.

"Buffy, you can't do that!" Willow argued.

"I can and I will." Looking over towards Cotton, she noticed that the kitten was scratching against the door, her signal that she had to get out. "Look, I gotta go. I'll call you later. Bye."

"Ok, girl. Lets go outside," Buffy said to Cotton.

As soon as the door was open, Cotton took off. Buffy grabbed her coat and ran after the kitten. Forgetting that Cotton was the signal to Angel's return, Buffy followed the kitten through the park and graveyard until they ended up at the hill.

Buffy didn't notice where she was until she had caught her breath. "It's time," she whispered to herself.

"Buffy," a voice from behind her said. Her heart beat sped up and her palms became sweaty. She turned around and sucked in a breath.

*****

"Buffy," a voice from behind her said. Her heart beat sped up and her palms became sweaty. She turned around and sucked in a breath.

"Angel?" she whispered, not believing what she saw. "Is it really you? I'm not dreaming again?"

He walked closer, reaching a hand out to touch her cheek. "Yeah, it's me."

"You're back," she echoed in a tear stained voice. "Oh God, you're back."

Her hand grabbed the back of his head and pulled him into a hard, passionate kiss. Angel's kisses moved from her mouth to her neck and face, while she hugged him as tightly as possible, fearing he would slip away.

"Soon, huh?" she asked in a playful voice when they pulled away from each other.

Angel smiled at her question. "It was soon to me." He took her hands and kissed her fingers.

The Slayer was enjoying the moment when she felt something running around her feet. Looking down, she saw it was Cotton and picked the tiny kitten up. "Isn't she adorable?" she asked.

"Very," Angel agreed.

"You wanna go home?"

"Of course, my love." The two linked hands and made their way back to Buffy's.

*****

After leaving the hilltop by the mansion, Angel and Buffy headed over to the Magic Shop to inform every one of his return.

While in the Shop, Angel recieved many different greetings to his return. Cordelia and Kate cried for a moment and then hugged him until he thought he would be able to breath. Gunn patted Angel's back and went in for a quick hug, not wanting to mess up his manly image. The two ex-watchers had different reactions, while Wesley hugged the used-to-be-vampire, Giles shook hands and then retreated back so that the others could greet him. Surprisingly, Willow hugged him and then shed a few tears. Xander even shook hands and made a brief speech about how he was wrong and that Buffy and Angel deserved each other. Excited to be in the human tradition of welcoming someone back, Anya hugged Angel and then said a few words. Tara smiled and then waved, not sure of what to do.

When the two lovers had left the Magic Shop, they took a quick stroll through the park. They then continued back home to Buffy's for a night of ravishing each other.

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