Forever love: Love of a un-life

Summary: Tired of Angel's brooding, Cordelia and Doyle plot up with someone in Sunny-dale to bring Angel and Buffy back together.

Timeline: After 'Pang', before 'I will remember you'. 'Buffy, the Vampire Slayer' 4th season, 'Angel' 1st.

Spoilers: 'Surprise'.

Author's notes: No, there is not 'I will remember you'. So, none of bittersweet memories of humanity to our favorite dark-haired vampire. This is the first one in a four-part series.

Angel was in his office, drapers down, staring sadly at a blond beauty on a picture. That one was the only picture he had from his slayer and him together; Willow had taken it after a Bronze-night, and charmed it so Angel could appear. The red-head gave Angel a copy and Buffy another.

A tear trickled down his eyelid and found its way cascading down his cheek. Angel didn't make a move to wipe it away. A second tear fell down his cheek. Angel stood still. It was the first time he cried over their breakup.

Cordelia sighed deeply as she stood on Angel's office's doorframe, looking at the tear-stained face and the swollen eyes of her boss. The vampire looked up and quickly tried to cover the signs of his breakdown. The brunette politely averted her eyes.

'So, Cordelia', Angel's voice was hoarse, but steady. Cordelia admired him because of his strength 'what do you want?'

'I need to leave. Have an audition. And I'm taking Doyle with me' She said bluntly. Angel only nodded 'But I need you to sign a paper telling them I work half-time with you'.

Angel sighed deeply and signed a paper.

'Did you convince him?' Cordelia's partner at Sunny-dale asked as the brunette told her what she had planned with Doyle.

'Did you doubt I could?' Cordelia replied 'Of course I convinced him. I already sent the letter to her. Now it's up to you to convince her they're still in love with each other'. The former may-queen said and put the phone back at the receiver.

''Delia, darlin', are you sure it will work?' Doyle asked, clearly worried. He didn't want Angel to suffer anymore.

'I am. Buffy is madly in love with our brooding vamp-boss, as he is with her' The brunette's voice was strong and steady.

Buffy arrived in her dorm at Stevenson Hall, and found Willow staring in shock at a plain simple white envelope. Her insides turned around in agony as she smelled the scent floating around the room.

It was Angel's.

'It's mine' Buffy said as Willow, silent and shocked, handed her the envelope. Quickly, she ripped it open.

My dearest Buffy, she read aloud.

I don't actually know why I'm writing this letter. Maybe because I want you to know that I'm hurting. Maybe because I want you to know that I regret all the decisions I made from the minute we went down that sewer. Maybe because I want you to know that I still love you. I tried not to, but I can't stop. I don't want to stop.  I will never stop.

The memories flood me every second of every day I'm not with you. Three years of memories, some sweet, some bitter, all of them unforgettable, is not the kind of thing someone can easily forget.

My beloved, I'm willing to try again. To give us another shot. Maybe we fail. Maybe we succeed. I don't know. But, because of the love we shared once, I'm writing this to beg for your love.

Always with you,

Angel.

Buffy looked up from the paper. Silent tears were running down Willow's cheeks, and the Slayer knew her expression mirrored her friend's. Willow didn't bother to wipe the tears away; she just opened Buffy's wardrobe and got a suitcase from it, as she started to throw some clothes on it.

Buffy's smile was so bright, Willow thought she would go blind.

'She's on her way' Cordelia informed Doyle some minutes later. The half-demon smiled to her and said:

'I guess, princess, we betta leave'.

'Yes' Cordelia smiled 'Let's go'.

Angel was surprised to see, three hours later, that her friends and co-workers weren't around. Quickly he scanned for any sign of Cordelia or Doyle. None. Sighing, he thanked the Powers. He needed some time on his own.

A loud crack came from the door. The vampire quickly turned around, to see his golden goddess staring at him, her face tear-stained.

'Buffy?' He asked between the shock and the surprise. 'What's going on?'

'I'm willing to forgive you' She asked firmly 'I'm so in love with you, I forget how to breathe when you're around. I love you. I tried not to, but I can't stop'.

'Me too. Can't either' Angel said before he could stop. His un-beating heart broke as he remembered the night they had said those words to each other.

'I knew you'd recognize your mistake' Buffy said with a slight smile 'I knew it from the beginning. Yes, Angel, I accept you back'.

'I'm a little lost here' Angel admitted after a long pause.

'God' Buffy giggled 'I'm talking about this letter' She said as she threw the envelope on Angel's desk. He slowly picked it up and read it quickly, only to say:

'I never wrote this'.

Buffy's smile faded.

'I know your hand-writing, Angel' Her voice trembled a little 'and this is your hand-writing. I'm not crazy' Buffy groaned as a thought hit her 'You moved on' She said as tears filled her eyes.

'No, I…'

'Yes, you did. If you didn't write this letter, if you didn't mean these words, then you moved on' Buffy angrily wiped the tears in her eyes 'I knew it. I knew I was only a crush. But I didn't want to believe…'

'Buffy' Angel interrupted her 'It's not that I moved on. God knows I didn't have. I might now have written this letter, but, it is so right. I'm in love with you. So much'.

Buffy looked at him with wide eyes. Then, with vampire speed, Angel was in front of her, closer than they had been in months.

'I love you, Buffy' Angel said simply 'I love you so much!'

'Oh, Angel!' Buffy breathed, as relief washed over her. She clung to him and tried to kiss him.

'I think we…' Angel interrupted. Buffy put a finger over his lips.

'Don't. Just kiss me' She said. Her Angel smiled and obeyed her.

Later that same day.

Angel and Buffy were comfortably silent, cuddled against each other, as Cordelia stormed into the office, a cross in front of her. The vampire lifted an eyebrow at her sight.

'What's up, Cordy?' Buffy asked the former may-queen. Cordelia jumped in startle, and a grin spread on her face, as she saw the couple together.

'I'm glad' She said happily, walking towards the lovebirds. Buffy smiled and got up, hugging Cordelia. Angel stood up too, hugging his surrogate younger sister. 'We made it!' She yelled. Willow and Doyle stormed in her tow; the red-head had her eyes shining, and Doyle was smirking approvingly.

'What do you mean?' Angel asked.

'Oh' Cordelia grinned in embarrassment. 'You know that paper I asked you to sign? Well, Doyle knew a demon which can fake someone's hand-writing just looking at it. So…'

The vampire considered quickly giving Cordelia a lecture, but Buffy interrupted his thoughts as she beamed to Cordelia and hugged her again.

'Thank you, Cordelia!' She said. Angel looked at his beloved and smiled again, hugging Cordelia once more.

'Oh, he being happy is better than he being broody. I was tired from his brooding, you know. You're not the only one who gets what you want with this' The brunette said as she blinked rapidly to clear her eyes from the tears.

Willow hugged her friend, happy for her. The reunion of Buffy and Angel reached right to her romantic heart, and she was more than willing to help Cordelia when the brunette called her.

'I'm giving the two of you a special gift' She said to Buffy and Angel. As the couple stared at her wonderingly, she added 'I rechecked the spell we made to restore your soul, Angel. It seems Miss Calendar was really touched by the love you and Buffy shared. So, she gave you your soul back, no curses attached' Willow explained.

Buffy looked at her friend with wide eyes. Willow nodded affirmatively, and the slayer turned to her vampire, with lustful eyes. She held his hand and pulled him towards the bedroom. Cordelia rolled her eyes as Willow blushed deeply and giggled and Doyle smiled knowingly.

'We're leaving!' The brunette yelled.

Next in Love series: Love of a lifetime – Angel finds out a prophecy that gives him what he wants the most. It's time for Buffy to get her wildest dreams coming true, and the star-crossed lovers find out they're going to start a family.