Summary: This takes place during Something Blue (Buffy) and Hero (Angel)
Spoilers: I Will Remember You, Something Blue and Hero
Rating: PG-14
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em so don't sue 'cause ya won't get much.
Notes: This story is kind of weird. You know how sometimes you get an idea in your head and can't get rid of it until you write it. Well, that's where this came from. I guess my imagination was in over-drive :D

Amy, still in her rat form, was running around on Willow's bed as Willow cleaned her cage. Willow turned around from her position on the foot of the bed to pet her.

"I mean, I'm going through something," she complained as she turned back to cleaning Amy's cage. "I don't see why he was getting down on me."

"Giles just worries," Buffy said as she took off her coat and threw it on her bed. "Spells can be dangerous. It doesn't mean he thinks your a bad witch," Buffy reassured her best friend.

"I am a bad witch,' Willow sulked.

"No, your a good witch," Buffy argued jokingly.

"I'm not kidding anyone. If I had any real power I could have made Oz stay with me," Willow frowned as a wave of sadness washed over her.

"Will, you wouldn't have wanted him to stay..."

"And I didn't even have the guts to do the spell Veruca and my 'I will it so' spell went nowhere. The only real witch here is Amy." She turned and looked at the rat behind her. Amy squeaked at her.

"I think your being way to hard on yourself," Buffy told her.

"She's got access to power I can't even invoke. First she's a perfectly normal girl..."

Behind them, as Willow said that, Amy turned from being rat to human again. She looked around, smiling.

"... then *poof* she's a rat," Willow continued on.

Amy frowned as she changed back into a rat again.

"I could never do something like that," Willow concluded.

"Hopefully not, 'Cause you would be stuck a rat, like poor Amy." Buffy joked, trying to lighten the mood and make Willow smile. No success.

Willow sat silently, staring at the floor. After awhile she look up at Buffy and said, "What is it with men leaving anyway?"

"What?" Buffy laughed.

"I mean, Oz left me to find himself or what ever. And Angel, god only knows how much he loves you, but yet, he leaves."

"Will, you know Oz left because he didn't know where the wolf ended and he began. He didn't want to hurt you. And, Angel, well, he left because he thought he was doing the right thing for me." She rolled her eyes.

Willow closed her eyes and sighed. "After all you two have been through you deserve to be together. You should be with him, just like Oz should be with me.." She opened her eyes and frown, confused. "Buffy? Where'd you go?" She looked around the room. Her eyes focused on a figure near the door. "Oz?"

*****

"Willow, I..." Buffy looked around at her surroundings. It was definitely not her dorm room, or any room she was familiar with. In fact it looked like she was inside a cargo ship. "What the hell?"

In front of her Angel and some really ugly demon guy fell into the ship and down the stairs. They struggled some and fell over the railing and onto a lower balcony.

Down below Cordelia and Doyle were trying to keep a bunch of half-breed demons calm. Cordelia looked up at the balcony and saw Buffy standing there looking lost. "Buffy?"

"Cor? What's going on?" Buffy asked looking down at them.

Cordelia and Doyle ran to the latter and climbed up to join her. "You tell us," Doyle drawled in his Irish accent.

"Yeah! What the hell are you doing here?" Cordelia demanded.

"I honestly have no idea." Buffy replied. But forget about that, what's going on here?"

"The Scurge."

"The Scurge?"

"A group of pure blood demons trying to kill off all half demons," Doyle explained.

"Well, then, I say we kill them first."

*****

Angel grabbed the railing of the balcony and pulled himself up. He leaned against it to catch his breath and saw the beakon lowering into the ship. "It's going to detnate," he whispered to himself. "Get out!! Everybody get out, now!!!"

Below him, everybody scrambled toward the exits. Angel turned around and came face to face with the leader of the Scurge. He grabbed Angel by the neck.

"Welcome to a cleaner world. Soon only the pure will be left standing," he said with an evil grin.

Angel pushed him off. "Actually, pure boy," he grabbed the leader by the neck and twisted it. "You'll be on your ass," he said as the guy fell to the floor dead.

Below Doyle, Cordelia, and Buffy were trying to open the doors. "There locked from the outside. Were trapped."

Angel ran to join them on the platform where they where standing. They looked out at the beakon. It was getting lower and brighter.

"What does that thing do?" Buffy asked, pointing at it.

Angel looked at her, opened his mouth to respond, then did a double take. 'What are you doing here?"

Buffy shrugged. "It's a long story and if I knew it I would tell you, but since I don't let's worry about the problem at hand, okay?"

"Right." Angel nodded towards the beakon. "It's light kills anything with human blood."

"Well, it's getting brighter and that little do-hickeys..." Doyle paused. "It's fully armed isn't it?"

"Almost. If I can pull, I think I can still shut it off."

"How are you going to do that without touching the light?" Buffy asked.

Angel looked at her with a sad face. As she met his eyes, a realization dawned inside of her.

"No," she said sternly, shaking her head. "No!!"

"Buffy, I..." He took a step towards her. "There's no other choice."

Buffy walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "There has to be some other way. It's bad enough with you here and me in Sunnydale. I don't think I can live knowing your gone."

"But you will. You'll have a beautiful life, with friends and family." Angel told. "I love you. I'm sorry things have to be this way." He hugged her tighter.

"Me, too." She pulled back a little to gently kiss him on the mouth. "I love you, too," she said clinging to him like there was no tomorrow.

Angel reluctantly let her go and turned to face Doyle and Cordelia. Angel hugged Cordelia and then put his hand on Doyle's shoulder.

"It's a good fight, yeah?" Doyle looked at him sadly. "You never know until you've been tested. I know that, now."

Angel nodded and turned to the beakon, which was getting lower and brighter by the second. Behind him Doyle looked as if he was going to push him off the edge of the platform, but something flew into him, knocking both him and Angel off the edge.

"Yeah, it is a good fight. For a good cause, too." Buffy looked down at them. "But this isn't one you have to die for."

"Buffy, what do you think you're doing?" Cordelia demanded grabbing her arm.

"Disabling this beakon thingy." Buffy took a couple steps, then stooped down and pick up a spear she had spotted earlier during her hug with Angel. "Must have had a shipment of weapons lately."

*****

Below them Doyle and Angel picked themselves up of the ground. "I sure hope she knows what she's doing." Doyle prayed looking up at the platform Buffy pushed them from.

"She's knows or she wouldn't have pushed us," Angel reassured him. "I just wish she said something instead off pushing us," Angel moaned and put a hand to his head.

"Come on let's get up there and see if we can help."

*****

Buffy walked to the edge of the platform, spear in hand. *Oh, god, I hope this works,* she thought looking down at all the people scrambling about trying to find a way out. *If not...*

She took a deep breath and sighed. Raising the spear she aimed it for the middle of the beakon, closed her eyes and let it go.

The spear flew in a neat line towards the center of the beakon, hitting it dead on. The light flashed bright and Buffy held up her arms, shielding her eyes, as did everyone else.

The light died out and Cordelia peeked out from behind her fingers. "Is it over?" she asked in a frightened voice.

"Yeah, it's over."

Behind them Doyle and Angel were climbing up the latter to them.

"Doyle!" Cordelia ran the him. "You big jerk! Don't ever try anything like that again." She hit him on the shoulder then hugged. She let go and turned to Angel. "You either!" she said shaking her fingure at him. Turning back to Doyle, she asked, "Walk me home?"

"Sure thing." Doyle replied wraping his arm around her shoulder.

Part 2

"Thanks for letting me use the phone," Buffy smiled at Angel as she dialed her dorm number.

"No problem," Angel move behind the desk and set in the chair.

They had just got back to Angel's office after destroying the Scourge's beakon. It was just them. The walk there had been silent and awkward, neither one knowing what to say. Angel spent the time thinking about the last time she had been to LA and Buffy spent it thinking about the dreams she had been having lately, involving Angel. She hadn't told anybody about them, not even Willow, thinking they would think she was crazy.

"Come on, Will, pick up," Buffy muttered tapping her fingers on the desk top.

"Hello?" A familiar sounding male voice answered the phone.

"Oz?" Buffy exclaimed loudly. "What are you doing there?"

"It's a long story. I'll let Willow explain it."

"Okay." Buffy heard shuffling as Oz passed the telephone to Willow.

"Buffy?" Willow asked quietly, knowing her best was probably quite annoyed with her at the moment.

"Willow, what the hell is going on here?" Buffy demanded. "Why am I here and Oz there?"

"I'm assuming *here* is in LA, with Angel, right?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Buffy asked.

"Uh, remember my little 'I will it so' spell?"

"The one that didn't work?"

"See that's the thing. It did work. Just not the way I expected."

"Maybe I'm just having a blonde moment here, but I don't get it." Behind her she heard Angel snicker. She turned around and pinched his arm. "Not funny," she mouth.

"Sorry," he mouthed rubbing the spot on his arm where she had pinched him.

Turning her attention back to the phone she listened as Willow asked, "Remember when we were in our room talking and I said, 'You should be with Angel, just like Oz should be with me?"

"Of course. I'm not that blonde. It was only a few hours ago." Buffy paused, thinking for a minute. "Ohhh, now I get it."

They were quiet for a minute. It was Buffy who broke the silence. "Now that we know why I'm here, how do I get back?"

"Well, me and Oz are going to break the spell tonight, before I accidentally wish something I'll regret. We can drive up to get you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Buffy whined.

"Well, I could get Xander and Anya to-"

"No, no," Buffy interrupted, "that's not necessary." Buffy shivered at the thought of being stuck in a car for 2 hours with them. "Tomorrow's good. So you *and* Oz?"

"Yeah," Willow gushed. "He's staying!"

"That's good. I'm happy for you. See you tomorrow." Buffy hung up the phone and turned to face Angel. "Looks like you're stuck with me for the night, uh, if that's okay with you. Or if its too awkward and uncomfortable I can get a room at a hotel or-"

"Buffy," Angel stopped her. "You're babbling." He smiled softly at her.

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Of course you can stay here," he told her. "Now, tell me what's going on."

"Uh, um, how about I tell you over a snack?" She suggested trying to stall, not wanting to tell him the truth. Patting her stomach she said, "I'm really hungry."

"Your stalling," he said walking towards the elevator that would take them down to his apartment.

"Yep! Now how 'bout that snack," she said pushing the down arrow inside the elevator.

*****

"Now will you tell me what's going on?" Angel asked as Buffy finished the snack she had insisted on.

Buffy sighed. "You know the story about Oz leaving Sunnydale, right?"

"Yes, but what doe that have to do with-"

Buffy cut him off. "Let me finish." At his nod she continued. "Willow's been really down since it happened and she did this spell.

"What kind of spell?"

"I don't know. She calls it an 'I will it so' spell,' Buffy told him. "Anyway, she didn't think it had worked. But tonight when we were talking in our dorm room she said..." Buffy got up from the table and took her dishes to the sink and stayed back to to him so he wouldn't be able to see her face. "She wants to be with Oz and she knows that I.. that I want to be with you so she said 'You should be with Angel, just like Oz should be with me' or something like that."

"And you ended up here, and Oz ended up in Sunnydale," Angel finished for her.

"Yeah. Crazy, huh?"

They set there for a minute or two in an awkward silence before Buffy let out an exaggerated yawn. "Well, I'm totally beat."

"You can have my room. I'll sleep on the couch." Angel offered.

"No, I'll..." Buffy started to argue but decided it would be pointless. "Okay. Do you have a shirt or something I can borrow?"

"Sure." Angel disappeared into the bedroom. A minute later he came back out with a shirt in his hand. "Here"

Buffy reached out to take the shirt from him, her hand brushing his. She lifted her eyes up to meet his. They stared at each other for moment before slowing leaning in and kissing. Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and he grabbed her waist. They pored all of their emotions and frustrations of the last few months into that kiss.

Buffy pulled back abruptly, breathing heavily. Her eyes wide she opened her mouth to say something but know sound came out.

Angel tried to say something but she stopped him, finally finding her voice. "I-I'm gonna g-go," she gestured toward the bathroom, "change." She turned a fled to the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her.

*****

Buffy leaned her back against the door and sled down so that she was sitting on the floor. She hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them.

"Oh, god, what the hell was that?" she whispered tears running down her cheeks. "What were we thinking?"

Buffy got up off the floor and walked to the sink. Looking at her tear stained face in the mirror she thought, *Get a grip, Summers, it was just a kiss.*

"Yeah, right, just a kiss," she muttered sarcastically, arguing with herself. "That was more then just a kiss and you know it."

*****

Angel grabbed some blankets and pillows out of the closet and spread them out on the couch.

*How could I have let that happened again.* he thought sitting on the couch and putting his head in his hands. Then first time they had kissed that night he had thought he was going to die and couldn't go without holding her one last time. There was no excuse for this time. He had did it because he had wanted to. He wanted to be with her and have a life with her even thought he knew he couldn't.

He heard the bathroom door open and close. He looked up and saw her standing there wearing only his shirt, which was about 5 sizes to big for her. "Buffy."

"Angel."

"We have to talk," he stated plainly.

"We really do," she agreed whole heartedly. "But in the morning. I need some time to think first."

He nodded. "Alright. Good night."

"Good night, Angel." Buffy walked into his room and shut the door.

Part 3

Buffy tossed and turned, trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep. The fact that the whole room smelled like Angel wasn't helping any. Finally, after hours of thinking about what she was going to say to him the next day, she fell into a fitful sleep.

*****

// Buffy looked around, trying to figure out were she was. She was in a big white room. She heard a voice behind her call her name. She turned around to see who it was. "Angel." She rushed to his side. "What's going on? Where are we?"

"The Oracles, I think."

"The Or-"

"Silence, lower being."

Buffy spun around to see two figures, one male and one female, approaching them. '"Lower being?" she snapped angrily. "I've risked my ass every day and night for the last 4 ½ years, and you dare to call me a 'lower being'?" "Buffy," Angel warned.

"You dare speak to the Oracles that way!" the male demanded.

"She didn't mean it," Angel told them. 'Please forgive her."

"Yes, I di-" Angel put a had over her mouth and gave her a look that told her to be quite. "Why did you bring us here?"

"The Powers have been watching you," the female told him. "You have passed their test."

"Test?'" Angel asked.

"You have made great sacrifices for the world. You gave up your chance for love, happiness and a normal life.."

So, we are giving them back to you." the male finished for her. "You shall maintain your strength and healing abilities, and live your life as a mortal."

"You mean he'll be human?" Buffy asked in awe.

"And we shall return to your love, her memories of the day you gave back." the female added.

"Memories? Of what?" Buffy gasped as the memories came rushing back to her. She remember fighting the Morha demon, Angel finding at the beach and kissing, spending the day in bed with him, feeling his heart beat, and promising him she wouldn't forget after he asked them to turn him back.

"Go now, and be happy." The male Oracle waved hi had and the room faded away.//

Buffy sat up in Angel's bed, her eyes wide. Throwing back the covers, she jumped out of the bed and ran out the door, toward the living room where Angel was sleeping. He met her half way there. She threw her arms around his neck and he pulled her close.

"I'm sorry," she whispered in his ear.

"For what? You have nothing to be sorry about."

"I promised you wouldn't forget and I did." A tear slide down her cheek. "I didn't want to forget."

"I know you didn't. You didn't have a choice." He wiped her tear away with his thumb. "Please don't cry."

She pulled back a little and put her hand over his heart. "I feel you heart beat." She looked up at him and smiled at him, her eyes shining.

He put his hand over hers and leaned down to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist. He carried her like that to the bedroom and they fell backwards onto the bed.

*****

Buffy woke up the next morning to find herself wrapped tightly in Angel's arms. She smiled at the memories of last night. She felt him stir and turned over to face him. She kissed him softly, and he responded by rolling her onto her back.

"Good morning," he smiled softly.

"Mmm... definitely." she murmured, kissing him again. She moved her hand over his heart and left it the there, enjoying the feel of his heart beat. "I can't believe this. It's so amazing. We can finally be together, with no curses and no worries."

Angel was just about to kiss her again when he heard the door upstairs in the office slam shut and Cordelia call his name. He leaned his forehead against hers and groaned. "That girl has the worst timing ever."

"Some things never change." Buffy told him with a smile.

Angel grabbed his pants off the floor and pulled them on. "You coming?"

"In a minute," she rolled over and stretched. Smiling, she watched him walk out of the room.

*****

"Angel?" Cordelia called again as she walked down the stairs to Angel's apartment.

Angel came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee in his hand. "Good morning, Cordy," he said cheerfully.

"Yeah, sure it is," she said sarcastically. "Anymore coffee left?"

"In the kitchen. Help yourself," Angel said, knowing she would anyway.

She stomped of into the kitchen as Buffy came out of Angel's bedroom wearing his robe. She walked up to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. "I like you in my clothes."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, well, I like you-"

"Do *not* finish that sentence," Cordelia warned, stepping into the living room with a steaming mug of coffee.

"Hi, Cor," Buffy smiled sheepishly, turning to face her.

Cordelia arched an eyebrow. "Anyone care to explain what's going on?"

Buffy and Angel looked at each other, then back at Cordelia. Angel opened his mouth to tell her what the Oracles had did, but Doyle, who had quietly entered the apartment a few minutes earlier answered for him, "He's human."

"Human! Again?" Cordelia exclaimed.

"How'd you know?" Buffy asked Doyle.

"I had a vision last night," he told her.

"Great! Does this mean I'm out of a job?" Cordelia complained.

"Why would you be out of a job?" Buffy asked her.

"Well, Angel's probably going to pack up and go back to Sunnydale with you, which leaves me jobless."

"Actually, we haven't had a chance to talk about that yet." Angel told her.

"Oh, that's right," Cordelia said knowingly. "You probably haven't been doing much talking at all."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Buffy asked innocently.

"Oh, please, don't play innocent with me," Cordelia scolded. "When it comes to each other you two have know self-control what so ever."

Angel smirked. "What can I say, she's so damn irresistible." Angel wrapped his arms around her from behind.

Buffy leaned back into his chest. "Is that so?" she teased titling her head up to look at him. He leaned down and captured her mouth in a kiss.

"Oh, eww! Could you two get any mushier?" Cordelia demanded putting her hands on her hips.

Doyle grabbed Cordelia's arm and pulled her towards the stairs. "Come on, Delia. Let's go get that dinner we were talking about."

As they left Buffy broke the kiss and pulled Angel to the couch. "Cordelia, and I can't believe I'm saying this, brought up a good point. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know," he told her honestly. "I mean, I can't go back to Sunnydale. I have my business here and people that I need to help."

"And I have school," Buffy groaned and wrinkled her nose. "We'll figure some thing out, right?"

"Of course we will." Angel reassured her. "I can visit you on weekends and holidays or you can come here, which ever."

"Yeah, and then there's summer. By then everybody would have adjusted to the whole you being human thing. I could transfer here, and go to UCLA and live with you.. If you want-"

Angel cut her off with a soft kiss. "Of course I want."

"How are we going to tell Giles and the gang? I want to surprise them."

"How 'bout you call Willow. Tell her you found a why home and that you want to meet her and the gang at Giles' because you have to tell them something."

"I like your plan," she said, laying back on the couch and pulling him back with her.

"I love you," he whispered softly, staring into her eyes.

"I love you, too. Now, kiss me."

Epilogue

"You ready?" Buffy asked as she and Angel stood outside Giles' door.

"Yep," Angel nervously wiped his hands on the front of his pants.

Buffy knocked lightly on the front door. She looked up at Angel and could tell how nervous he was. "Don't worry. It'll be fine."

"I know," Angel leaned down and kissed her softly.

*****

The gang was all sitting around Giles' small apartment waiting for Buffy and trying to figure out what it was she had to tell them.

"I still think she got back together with Angel," Willow said from her perch on the couch. Oz sat next to her holding her hand.

"Right, I'm sure," Xander argued sarcastically. "We all know how stubborn Angel is. As long as he thinks he's doing what's best for Buffy he won't let himself go back to her, no matter how much he loves her."

"Fine. Whatever." Willow scuffed. "Believe what you want." There was a knock at the door. "I'll bet that's Buffy. Now, we'll see who's right." She got up and went to open the door.

*****

Willow pulled open the door and found Buffy and Angel locked in a passionate kiss. "I knew it!!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Buffy pulled away reluctantly and smiled sheepishly at Willow. "Hi, Will."

Willow grinned and turned to go back to the living room. Buffy grabbed Angel's hand and they followed her.

"You see? I *was* right." Willow gloated as she they entered the living room. She took her place on the couch next to Oz.

"Hey guys," Buffy said with a big smile.

"Hello Buffy. Angel," Giles greeted them with a soft smile.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Xander jumped up from the chair he was sitting in and went over to the window. "What's going on?" He pulled up the window blind. "It's the middle of the afternoon. How'd you get in here?"

As the sun flooded into the room everybody watch Angel, expecting him to run for cover. When he didn't they all stared at him in shock. Buffy just stood beside him and beamed.

"Bloody hell!" Spike yelled when a beam of sun hit him. He jumped out of his chair and dashed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

"Good show, Xand," Buffy giggled as they watched Spike.

"Yeah, and I wasn't even trying," Xander agreed. "Now, what's going on? How did Dead Boy get here with becoming a crispy critter?"

"He's a bloody human!" Spike called from the bathroom.

"Human?"Willow asked.

"H-How? Why?" Giles asked.

Buffy and Angel told them what a had happened, starting with Buffy's first visit to LA and ending with the Powers That Be deciding that Angel deserved a second chance for life and happiness.

"I must say this is very fascinating," Giles said. "I've never heard of such a thing happening before."

"So what are you guys going to do now?" Willow asked.

"Well, we're going to do the long distance thing," Angel told them.

"Then, during the summer, I'm going to move in with Angel," Buffy finished for him.

"Well, I have just one thing to say," Xander said with a grim face. Everybody looked at him. He broke into a smile. "Nobody deserves it more. I'm happy for you guys."

Buffy let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and walked over to hug Xander. "Thank you. You have know idea how much the means to me."

"To the both of us," Angel added. "Considering everything that's happened."

"We're all happy for you," Giles told them.

"Speak for yourself," they heard Spike yell from the bathroom. They looked at each other and burst out laughing.

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