My second Buffy story, inspired by the wonderful two part ep Surprise and Innocence, but set after Chosen. Bangle fluff and angst. Yum. Very short angsty drabble from Buffy. Enjoy, and please review!

For The Confused One, for being my muse and beta (cause I'm still learning to navigate the Bangle universe) and for always pushing me to watch beyond season three. Never gonna happen, but she's stubborn. LOL. Thanks, Confused!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

BTVSBTVSBTVSBTVS

"I'm like cookie dough. I'm not done baking."

I sigh and rest my head against the window. Couldn't I have thought of a better way to phrase that I wasn't quite ready for it? But at the same time, I suppose, the phrase itself says that same thing, and at the same time says that I can't even think of a better way to phrase it.

Wow.

The clouds and few buildings I can see are passing by like a blur, and in a way, it sort of reminds me of how my life has gone these past seven years. How I've grown, and how much I still have to grow. But I suppose that you're never quite done growing.

Which is why I'm on this plane, with a duffel bag and a smile. When he left, I wasn't ready to follow him. And I knew it. I didn't want to destroy what we had by rushing what I knew was inevitable. It was only a matter of time before I did this. And when I awoke this morning, something had shifted deep inside of me. I can't say that it was a sudden transition, that I suddenly woke up twenty two years old, and I was suddenly completely mature.

It was a gradual thing, but today the timing just felt... right. Like if I didn't do it now... I didn't want to think of what would or wouldn't happen. So I packed a few things, told everyone goodbye, and bought a plane ticket.

I didn't call him.

And to my surprise, when I told everyone, they were happy for me. Willow even muttered something about it being time, and wondering why I hadn't gone sooner. Dawn and Xander hugged me, while Andrew hung back. When I looked at him, he simply shrugged as though he had known it all along. Giles gave me the typical fatherly hug and encouragement, and I was gone.

The plane is coming in for the landing, and my heart suddenly starts to beat faster. As soon as I get out of this giant tuna can, I just might run the whole way. And the thought makes my smile even bigger.

Angel, I am done cooking.

I'm coming home.

The End

A/N: I'm sure everyone has done this, and it's a sort of rite of passage to be in this fandom. LOL. I hope that mine met the standards, and that everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for reading, and please review!