Title: Come Back To Me
Author: Author: Tracey G
Email: sissa_003@yahoo.com
Summary: Takes place during Surprise. What if Dalton hadn't attacked them at the docks and Angel had left on the cargo ship?
Spoilers: Surprise
Rating: PG-14
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em so don't sue 'cause ya won't get much. Also the transcript I used to write this with was made by AleXander.
Dedication & Thanks: I really have to dedicate this to my best bud Christina. She must have spend an hour trying to help me come up with a title. It defiantly wasn't easy 'cause I was *really* picky. Thanks for helping even though I didn't use the one I told you I was going to use.

Part 1


Buffy and Angel walked arm in arm down the docks toward a cargo ship. Buffy leaned her head on his shoulder and he kissed the top of her head. When they reach the gangplank Angel sat the box down and they took a few steps away.

"I should go the rest of the way alone," Angel said.

"Okay," Buffy replied sadly, feeling the tears well up in her eyes.

"But I'll be back," he promised her. "I will."

"When? Six months, a year? You don't know how long it's gonna take or if we'll even..." she trailed off as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Hey..." Angel raised her chin. "If we'll even what?"

"Well, if you haven't noticed, someone pretty much always wants us dead," her voice cracked on the last word.

"Don't say that," Angel said sternly. "We'll be fine."

"We don't know that."

"We can't know, Buffy. Nobody can. That's just the deal." Angel reached into his pocket. "I have something for you. For your birthday. I... I was gonna give it to you earlier, but..." He showed her a ring with an intricate design.

"It's beautiful."

"My people -- before I was changed -- they exchanged this as a sign of devotion. It's a claddagh ring. The hands represent friendship, the crown represents loyalty... and the heart... Well, you know... Wear it with the heart pointing towards you. It means you belong to somebody. Like this."

He showed her his own ring on his finger. She touched his hand, leaned over and kissed the ring.

"Put it on." He took the ring from her and slipped it onto her finger.

"I don't wanna do this," Buffy sobbed.

"Me either."

"So don't go."

They kissed. She wrapped her arms around him. After several kisses they stopped and looked at each other.

Angel lifted her head up so he could look into her eyes. "I love you. I try not to, but I can't stop."

"I know. I love you, too.' Buffy smiled sadly and kissed him lightly.

"I'd better go." Angel sadly pulled away from her and picked up the box with the Judge's arm in it.

"eah," Buffy agreed.

Angel turned and walked towards the boat.

"Angel wait!" Buffy called suddenly

He stopped and turned to face her.

"Could you call me, or, or, write me, anything to let me know your all right? Please? "

"Ofcourse I'll miss you." He turned back towards the boat

"I'll miss you too." Buffy slowly backed up towards Jenny's car, with tears running down her face. "Come back to me soon." she whispered sadly to herself.

Giles, Willow, and Xander were in the library trying to find anything they could about the Judge. Giles looked up from his book. "They should be back by now."

"Maybe Buffy needed a few minutes to pull herself together. Poor Buffy, on her birthday and everything," Willow said sadly, thinking of her best friend.

"Hmm, it's sad, granted. But let's look at the upside for a moment. Xander got up out of his seat. "I mean, what kind of a future would she've really had with him?" Willow looked up at him, sadly. "She's got 2 jobs -- Denny's waitress by day." Giles looked up, too. "Slayer by night -- and Angel's always in front of the TV with a big blood belly, and he's dreamin' of the glory days when Buffy still thought this whole creature of the night routine was a big turnon. "

Willow looked at him strangely. "You've thought way too much about this."

"No, no. That's just the beginning." Xander continued on with his little fantasy. "Have I told you the part where I fly into town in my private jet and take Buffy out for prime rib? "

"Xander..." Willow warned, seeing Buffy enter the library.

"And she cries?"

"Who cries?" Buffy asked.

"Uh, um, you. Ya know when you said good-bye to Angel," Xander covered for himself, relieved that was all she heard.

Giles stands up, while Xander sits. "Where's Jenny?"

"Oh, she's out parking the car."

"I trust Angel got off well, then?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. Uh, is it alright if I go home? I'm kinda tired. I mean, we don't have to worry about the Judge anymore do we?"

"Without the other arm, Spike and Drusilla, won't be able to activate him. Now go home. Get some rest."

"Thanks." With that she turned and walked out of the library.

"Buffy, wait!" Willow got up from the table and ran after her.

Buffy heard Willow calling her and stopped to let her catch up.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess," Buffy said, looking at her feet. "I just... I just can't believe he's gone. I miss him so much already."

"I know you do,but he'll be back, Buffy. Then you two can go back to being the googly-eyed, joined at the lip, couple you were before," Willow joked trying to cheer her up.

Buffy let out a little laugh. "We don't make googly-eyes."

"As long as you believe that, Buffy," Willow smiled.

Buffy reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, her ring catching the light.

"Hey where'd you get that?" Willow asked.

"Oh," Buffy smiled and fingered the ring. "Angel gave it to me, right before he told me he loved me."

"Oh, Buffy, that's so sweet," Willow gushed, giving her friend a small hug. "Can I see it?"

"Sure," Buffy took the ring off and handed it to Willow

"Oh my gosh," Willow gasped staring in shock at the ring.

"Beautiful, isn't it." Buffy smiled again. "It's a claddaugh ring. Hands represent friendship; crown, loyalty; and the heart, love. Wear..."

"... it with the heart pointed towards you means you belong to someone" Willow finished for her

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Buffy, this is a traditional Irish wedding band."

"A-a-a what!?!" Buffy exclaimed.

"You lost it? You... lost my present," Drusilla scolded Dalton.

"I know. I'm sorry." He looked down at the ground.

"It was a bad turn, man. She can't have her fun without the box," Spike complained.

"I'm sorry," Dalton said again. "By the time we got to the docks, the boat had already left. I..."

Drusilla cut him off by putting her finger to his lips. Lifting his glasses off his face, she dropped them on the ground, stomping and grinding them into the concrete. She lifted her head with her eyes closed.

"Make a wish."

"W-w-what?" Dalton stammered.

She held two fingers up to his eyes. "I'm going to blow out the candles."




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