Title: Hero: An Alternate Ending
Author: Tracey G
Email: rainbowflutterby@hotmail.com
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

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... defiantly." 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."




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