Disclaimer: Buffy isn't mine. End of story.

A/N: This takes place after the seventh season ends of Buffy, but before Spike and Angel go to Italy to try and find her. I don't like how it never ended between Buffy and Angel. I love them together but I need closure.

"Miss me honey?" Angel knew that voice better than anyone. His back was to the door, but he felt her presence even before she spoke. He groaned in frustration as he turned around. There she was leaning against the frame of his office door.

Walking towards her he gently placed his hand to her cheek. It took all the strength he had to tear himself away from her. His face turned to one of anger, and it took her by surprise.

"Why are you here? You're not supposed to be here" he growled at her.

She opened her mouth to protest. "What do you-"

"I didn't promise you a ring or anything!" he roared at her cutting her off as he stomped towards his desk and scattered his papers all over his floor. His eyes were flashing dangerously as he turned to face her. It tore him to pieces to do this to her, but it was the only way he could keep her away. She wasn't supposed to be here, not now, maybe not ever.

Buffy Summers stood frozen in her spot. He never spoke to her like this. This was the man she loved, rather yet, the vampire she loved. Staring at him in disbelief she clenched her hands into fists, hard enough to draw blood from her palms as her nails dug into them.

"I never fucking asked you for one!" Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back like it usually was these days. He wouldn't know though, because he shows up once every other blue moon and then leaves.

"Then why are you here?"

"To finish it."

This struck Angel dumb. He didn't expect those words to come out of her mouth. His anger and frustration with her slowly disappeared and it was replaced with hurt and confusion. "Finish?" He spoke like a toddler learning to talk, trying out a new word to see how it would feel on his tongue.

"What were you expecting Angel?" she said closing her eyes and shaking her head. "That I came here to confess my undying love for you so you can yell at me and tell me I don't belong here?" She had done this too many times. Buffy needed it finished. She couldn't sit around waiting for him. "You may not be getting any older, but I am."

When Angel's voice finally returned he cleared his throat and began fiddling with the things on his desk. "I came," he said quietly. The dark, brooding, sad look in his eyes returned as he stared into hers. It was the look she fell in love with. "I came and you told me to leave."

Buffy scoffed and fought the urge to pick up the closest object and hurl it at his head.

"You came when the world was ending!" she screamed, stepping forward so she was completely in his office. She slammed the door shut, giving heart attacks to everyone surrounding them. "I needed you away because you came at the wrong time. When I came here, you sent me away because you said it was YOUR city."

"You don't belong here," he snarled at her stepping towards her. "I told you before that I can't give you what you want."

"And how the hell do you know what I want?" Buffy stared at him helplessly Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes as she leaned backwards against a wall. "I want you." She said softly, brushing the hair that had fallen loose of her ponytail behind her ear. "Or I wanted you."

This caught Angel off guard. He always knew that she loved him, and he never stopped loving her. They wanted to be with each other, he was sure of it; but nobody ever got what they wanted. Not in this world.

"Yeah," she said catching the look on his face, "wanted. It's not up to you to decide when it's the right time to see each other. Nobody said you get to call the shots."

Angel tried to force words out of his mouth, but nothing came out. His eyes were pleading with her and he took a step forward reaching for her hand but she pulled away from him and shook her head.

"Not this time," she said coldly. Reaching behind her she opened the door and stepped out of the office ready to close it.

"I love you," he whispered grabbing the edge of the door before she could close it.

"If you love me," she told him staring in his eyes. She couldn't believe she was doing this. She fell in love with him when she was sixteen, and it was always him. Even while she was with Riley and Spike, Angel was always there lurking in the back of her brain. 'Then you'll stop haunting me. I can't keep having you show up like you do, and I can't put my life on hold for you everytime you go away. I need to settle down. If you love me, then you'll stay away."

With that she yanked the door so he lost his grip on it and shut it with a slam. Angel didn't even bother opening it to chase after her. He knew that there was more than just a door separating them now. There were more then a couple cities separating them this time.

He could feel pain, contrary to popular belief. He had a soul. It burned him and he wanted nothing more than to stop the pain. It hurt beyond imagination. He was going to live forever, but there wasn't a day in his life when he wouldn't wish he could die. It felt like his heart was trying to rip his chest open.

"Heart? You have a heart?" He never forgot what she said to him the day he left her.

"It isn't even beating!"