A/N: This is the newly revised version of this story. It had several grammar errors and generally needed a beta lol. Hope it flows better and I'll be posting the other chapters soon. This story and the sequel are already done, I'm just editing to make it read easier. Please comment. Btw, don't hate, I wrote this 10 years ago, my first Fanfic

Chapter One

Buffy couldn't believe that she was standing where she was. She was standing outside of Wolfram and Hart Law Offices, one of the most evil corporations in the United States, possibly the world. It was so hard to believe that Angel had taken up the reigns here, what did that mean? She was almost afraid to walk into the lobby only to find Angelus and not her Angel. Well, he wasn't exactly hers anymore was he? So many things had changed since they'd been together and some of it not for the better. Sure, they'd kept in touch, but they all lead their own lives now. Staring up at the letterhead was looking at a black hole that she was standing on the edge of waiting to fall in. Faith swore that Angel was good, that Willow had put him right again. That was the other thing as well, they'd unleashed Angelus and they hadn't called her? Maybe Wesley had been doubtful of her ability to kill him like she had before. Maybe it had been for the best making Willow go instead, because she'd been able to see through a lot and fix it. Buffy herself might have just put him down for the greater good instead of trying to save him. She remembered every hell that Angelus visited on her when she'd accidentally set him free. Thinking about that time wasn't going to help her decision making about going to see him in the least. It was an unpleasant thought process so there wasn't any use going there again. Faith came up behind her, put her hand on her shoulder, and said

"Come on B, you'll never know until you put on your big girl panties again and walk in there." Buffy knew Faith was right about this, but she still had her doubts. She just didn't know if she'd be welcome with open arms. After all, Angel had been pretty upset when he found out about her relationship with Spike. Just then a young black man came out of the building, looking at his watch as he went. He looked like he was in a hurry, but he stopped to say something.

"Faith, now just where in the hell have you been? I mean, you don't write, you don't call…what have you been up to girl, and who is your lovely friend?" Faith smiled at the man, which was a rare occasion because she rarely showed anyone the softer side of herself.

"What's up Gunn, it has been a long time hasn't it. This here is the one, the only, Buffy Summers." Gunn looked at the girl and it was obvious that he was just as shocked as everyone else who found out she was the actual slayer. She didn't know if it was her platinum blond hair or how small she was, but most people did a double-take when she announced that she was the head honcho.

"You're Buffy Summers? The one that always has Angel looking like a lovesick puppy dog?" Buffy looked over at Faith, about to get upset, when she saw the two of them laughing. Faith looked over at Buffy with a grin on her face, willing her to take it easy. Buffy rolled her eyes at the two of them and tried to join in the fun as Faith introduced the man she was pointing at.

"This guy here is Charles Gunn, and he's been with working with Angel for a while now. Now, Charles I need to know if the boss man is in." Gunn grinned once more and glanced at his watch one more time.

"Well, as a matter of fact he is. You just go into the building, walk all the way to the back wall, and get into that elevator. Once you're in it, you're going to want to push 'Penthouse'. That should take you straight to guardian Angel himself."

So, they walked into Wolfram and Hart as if they did it all the time. It was just Faith and Buffy going in for several reasons, really. Giles was in England talking with the remainder of the council, which actually only consisted of about three people. Most of the watchers had been either murdered by Caleb, or they'd been blown up by his bomb. There had been a small few that had managed to get out, after sending their girls to Buffy. He was due back within the month, and even though she was an adult now, she found herself missing him fiercely. Willow had moved to San Diego with Kennedy to get away from everything. She'd wanted to go someplace that didn't have any hellmouths, and no demons that she knew of. She knew that they were out there, but they didn't know that she was there. It was no secret at all that Buffy and Kennedy didn't get along on the best of days and the fact that she'd moved away to be more comfortable kind of hurt Buffy. Willow didn't mean to hurt her feelings, she knew that, but after she'd gone all…killer Willow, the two girls hadn't been as close. The other potentials had scattered to different parts of the world, to help with the demon population. Wood had even left, but not before asking Faith to go with him. He hadn't told her where he was going; just that he'd wanted her to go with him. Faith had turned him down and said she should stay with Buffy; they were the original two after all. For that Buffy was very grateful, because she didn't have anyone here with her. Dawn was even gone now which was probably the hardest thing of all. She had gone to San Diego with Willow and Kennedy so that she could finish High School in peace. Willow was training her to do witchcraft, which at first, didn't sit well with Buffy. Dawn was in her junior year of high school, so Buffy didn't really want to tell her what to do. She just had to follow all of Willow's rules. Right before they had gone into the Hellmouth, Willow had taken Buffy aside, and confided in her a secret she hadn't told even Xander. She had told Buffy that she wished she could see Oz one more time, because she just wanted to see if he was ok. For everything Willow had done for Buffy over the years, Buffy was going to try and repay her by bringing Oz back to her. So, she had sent Xander and Andrew to whatever place he may be hiding. Buffy had spared no expense to get them where they needed to go, and she wouldn't as long as it was for one of her friends. So, in the end the only people left were Faith and Buffy. When they got to the very top of the building, there was no one there. Buffy and Faith just kind of looked at each other because this place was so unlike the Angel they knew.

"Wow, B, this office is huge! I mean the hotel was no slouch, that's for sure but this?" Buffy laughed nervously because she didn't really know how to respond to that comment. She hadn't gotten to see the hotel that Angel had acquired as his headquarters. She remembered his original office before it was destroyed and it was a nice place too than again he'd been at the mansion before…Angel liked nice real estate.

"Yeah, tell me about it, this place sure has swag. It's kind of bright, though, don't you think? All of the windows are open, and the sun is streaming through. This can't be Angel's office." They had been looking at all of the open windows in the expansive office and they didn't hear when someone walked up behind them.

"Sure it can, I did have final say on the decoration after all." They both jumped when they heard his voice sound behind them. They turned to see Angel sitting behind a very large oak desk.

"Hello Buffy, I gotta say I kind of expected to see you sooner than this. How are you doing Faith, life treating you okay now?" Faith walked up to him and gave him a high five as if it was a natural thing you did with the broody vampire.

"You know me Angel, I'm five by five? What about you though, you look like you're living the high life." He never really took his eyes off of Buffy as he spoke to Faith. She didn't get offended or anything, she learned a long time ago that nothing was ever going to compare to Buffy in Angel's eyes. Buffy she didn't know about anymore especially with the whole Riley and then Spike thing…was she over him? Angel kept talking to Buffy even as he answered Faith's question.

"Oh, we're doing pretty well here. You guys must have destroyed the hellmouth, because it's been all over the news that Sunnydale has been completely wiped off of the earth. Say, do you still have that medallion that I gave you. I know I didn't say so, but I kind of wanted to keep it. I'd like to have Fred take a look at it and study it some more." Buffy could feel the tears starting to form around her eyes. She'd never gotten over the fact of what happened down in the hellmouth. Even if someone so much as hinted about Spike she started getting all weepy. They'd had some incredible moments in those last couple of days but he'd been gone before they could talk about any of it.

"No, I don't have it anymore, I'm sorry. Spike has it with him, wherever he is now." Faith went to stand beside her, but Angel only started to laugh. It was comforting to know that Faith knew what she was going through. Sure, Wood wasn't dead or anything, but she'd given him up…just like Buffy had given up both of her vampires. Angel walked around the desk to stand in front of them, his laugh turning into a quiet chuckle, pleased.

"You mean good old Spike turned back to his old ways?" Buffy glared hard at Angel's face. She knew that it was irrational and that he could have no way of knowing, but she wanted to punch him in that second.

"No, I don't mean that at all, and for your information, Spike saved everyone. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be standing in front of you today." Angel gave her a weird sort of look.

"Well, I guess I'll have to thank him then, won't I?" Faith was the one who did the talking this time. She knew it was weird to suddenly start taking up for Buffy, but they understood each other now. In that moment when the slayerettes were looking at her to lead them, she finally felt what Buffy had always known. Sure she had the scoobies and the friends, but in the end she was alone. Spike had really been the only person Buffy had been able to confide in, even more so than Angel and it pissed Faith off to see him acting so giddy at the idea of Spike messing up.

"Dammit Angel, shut the hell up already will you?! Sometimes, you just don't know when to stop with the snide comments! Spike is dead." Angel actually looked sorry, but mostly it was just shock at the words.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea and I was being an idiot. Wait, what do you mean he's dead? I didn't think you could die if you wore the medallion, at least the intelligence we had on it gave the impression it would shield the wearer." By now the tears were flowing freely down Buffy's face and it disturbed Angel more than he'd like to admit even to himself. She wasn't supposed to fall in love like that with anyone else…only him.

"Well, you obviously thought wrong now, didn't you? He put it on, and he knew he was going to die. I had to stand there and watch him die all the while knowing he was doing it just for me." Angel walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder, sincerely regretting his callous reaction.

"I'm sorry again, Buffy really I am. I know how you cared for him, much to my dismay. You have to look at the bright side though, because he atoned for his sins. By saving the Earth, it means that he saved himself as well." She looked up at him, trying to control her rollercoaster emotions.

"I know he did, and I'll never forget him for what he did." Just then Buffy seemed to realize something, and she looked right at Angel.

"How do you have every window in this office open...during the day?"