Heartbeats.

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Angel sat up.
"Oh God, whatta night!"
He gazed around his windowless, mirrorless apartment.
He switched the Hi-fi on and sang along to Phil Collins.

D-dum d-dum d-dum.

He could hear a heartbeat.
"Hello?"
He searched the apartment looking for the intruder.
"Heeeeellooooooo?"
He heard steps outside. it was Doyle, he knocked on the door and came in.
He looked at his vampiric friend and business-partner,
"You look surprisingly *healthy* this morning."
"I do?"
"Mmm-hmm, your cheeks are rosy."
"Are they supposed to be that colour?"
"Umm, well considering your un-dead then, I'd saaaaay...no."
Angel went suddenly pale,
"What's *that*?"
Doyle looked at the bag of pig's blood in his hand,
"Your breakfast."
"Err, oh, right,yeah."

Cordelia knocked on the door,
"Can I come in?"
Angel smiled at her,
"You will anyway, so why ask?"
"It's called *being polite* something which neither of you two seem to have heard of."
She walked into the room and looked at Angel, the colour was returning to his face.
"You look veryyyy... perky."
"Perky?"
"Err, yeah, perky."
Angel didn't feel right, there was no Angelus in his head telling him to break both of their necks and use them as wall decorations. Was that a *bad* thing?
He was hungry. He looked at the bag of blood in Doyle's hand, he ran to the bathroom calling,
"I think I'm gonna hurl!"
Doyle looked at Cordelia, then called after Angel,
"Angel, vampires *can't* hurl!"
The brooding figure appeared in the doorway looking slightly better,
"Come again?"
"I said, vampires *can't* hurl, Angel, they use all their blood either bleeding or as energy."
Angel looked at Cordelia, the may-queen hadn't yet processed what Doyle had said. He had. Angel looked at the clock 10:30am. He looked at his friends.
"Care to try a little experiment?"
Doyle looked doubtful. Cordy looked confused. Angel looked ready. He bolted past them and up the stairs,
Cordelia called after him,
"Angel! That's direct sunlight! You'll be killed!"
They heard his voice ring out, loudly and cheerily from the hallway,
"No, I believe I'm not dead...not any more anyway."
The half-demon and the may-queen ran up to meet him. Angel listened with delight,
"3 heart beats, Doyle's, Cordy's.....mine!"
Doyle dropped the blood in the nearest bin,
"Guess you won't be needing this then."
The ex-vampire was dancing, he couldn't keep still and he'd gone bright red. He grabbed Doyle and Cordy and hugged them tightly,
"Waaaaahoooooooooooooo!!!"
Angel let go of his friends and proceeded to do cartwheels down the corridor. Then he stopped, he needed to make sure, he needed a mirror.
"Cordy, gotta mirror? Who am I kidding? Of *course* you have!"
He practically snatched the small pink accessory from Cordelia. He looked into it.
Black hair, brown eyes, brooding expression...big cheesey grin.
"Yup I'm human!...wait! One more test....*food*!"
He dragged Doyle and Cordelia to the nearest cafeteria and order a chocolate milk. He downed it in 10 seconds.
"Phone, Doyle, I need a phone!"
Doyle handed his friend the mobile he kept in his pocket.
Angel handed it back.
"Nonononono, not yet, want to surprise her."
He ran across the road, dodging the passing cars and jumped into his own. He hit the accelerator and left for Sunnydale, abandoning his two friends on the side-walk.

Angel sung at the top of his voice as he passed the NOW LEAVING LOS ANGELES sign, and sung even louder as he passed the NOW ENTERING SUNNYDALE sign.

"And it's hi-ho siver lining, everywhere you go now baby,
I see your sun is shining, but I make a fuss, tho...."

Angel stopped sharply as he saw Buffy walking home from uni with Willow. He drove along slowly behind them.
Buffy, on hearing the slow rev of a car's engine following behing them, turned presuming who ever it was in the car was dangerous.
"*Angel*?!"
Angel mimicked her tone,
"*Buffy*?!"
Willow looked up at the sky. She was right, it *was* daylight. She looked at Angel, then back at the sky, then at Buffy.
"It's *daylight*!"
Angel looked at Willow,
"Yup" And guess what?! I've not been dusted yet!"
He grabbed the Slayer's hand and held it to his heart. She nearly fainted with disbelief,
"You have a heart-beat!"
Angel grinned,
"And darn proud of it!"
Willow smiled,
"I've left something in the lecturing hall," she lied smoothly,"do you mind if I go get it?"
Buffy never took he eyes from her hand as she felt his heart-beat,
"Nuh-uh, you go ahead...."
The redhead stifled a laugh and she briskly walked away, eager to leave Angel and her friend alone together.


Giles sat with a cup of tea in his hand. It had gone cold.
He was sitting in his armchair holding Angel's wrist. Angel laughed,
"Had enough of my pulse yet?"
"Er, yes. It's a miracle!"
Buffy walked in with a plateful of doh-nuts, and handed them to Angel,
"I'll say!"
Joyce was sitting on the sofa,
"So what happens now?"
Angel looked at Buffy,
"I'll tell you happens now!"
He went down on one knee,took a small black box from his pocket and opened it,
"Buffy Summers, will you marry me?"
Buffy looked at the silver ring in the box, then at her mother, at Giles, at the ring, then at Angel.
Willow walked in just in time to hear Buffy say,
" *Yes*!!"