A/N: Hello all! Okay, so Forever Yours deals with extramarital affairs, and I just thought I should put it out there that I do not, in any way, condone the behavior Buffy and Angel engage in. However, they're Buffy and Angel, they belong together. Anyway, now that I've done my author-ly duties, I'd like to thank my WONDERFUL beta Roxy for helping me out with this.

As always, please read and review.

Chapter 1

* June 10, 2009 *

Buffy Summers fidgeted in her first class seat, unable to concentrate on the Vogue in her lap. She twisted her ostentatious platinum wedding ring around her finger until she was sure her digit would break off and bounce up and down on her legs. Buffy's husband, Riley Finn, was seated next to her. She cast a nervous glance his way and saw that he seemed totally and completely engrossed in the novel he was reading.

Buffy took a deep breath, counting to ten in her head, trying to calm herself. She couldn't remember the last time she'd appeared so nervous. Buffy Summers, high powered entertainment attorney, didn't fidget. She owned every room she set foot in and made men and women alike want to fall to their knees in worship.

Riley heaved a deep sigh that told Buffy just how annoyed he was and reached over, clasping her hands in one of his and holding her knees still.

"Buffy, relax. They're your friends, you see them all at least once a year and talk to them all the time," Riley reminded her. Buffy offered him a weak smile and knew he was right. There was no reason to be nervous. None at all.

* * *

Angelus Roarke growled at the timid knock on his office door. He knew, just from the sound, who was on the other side; his shy, nervous secretary Fred. The mousy girl was barely out of college and had shown up one day begging Angel for a job. He still didn't know why he'd offered her one.

"What?" he bellowed. Fred opened the door just far enough to stick her head in and gave him a pained smile.

"Sir, your flight leaves in two hours. You told me not to let you work a second longer." Angel sighed, running a hand over his face and back through his hair.

"Thank you, Fred. Make sure the driver is ready in ten minutes."

As soon as Fred was out of sight, Angel allowed himself to smile. He was going home to Sunnydale for his ten year high school reunion. Most of the people he'd been truly close to, he had kept in touch with, but there was one he hadn't spoken to since graduation and couldn't wait to see.

Buffy Summers, the only woman he'd ever loved.

* * *

"Buffy! Buffy!" All Buffy could see of the person calling her name was a shock of brilliant red hair. A broad grin spread over her face as she grabbed Riley's hand and pulled him towards her best friend.

"Willow ! Hey!" The two women embraced and promptly launched into a conversation so riddled with references to past events, they might as well have been speaking another language entirely.

Riley gathered their suitcases and followed his wife and her best friend. He'd only met the red-head three times in the four years that he and Buffy had been married, but he liked her. She was bright and fresh and seemed to be the only person in the world that could break down the carefully constructed image Buffy had created for herself. Even Riley hadn't been able to see who his wife truly was. He knew Buffy Summers, insanely talented lawyer, not Buffy Summers, young woman.

He watched Buffy's body as she and Willow navigated the crowd at LAX. The petite blond had a body built for sin; soft, supple curves, skin like silk that always tasted so faintly of vanilla, and the most expressive face of any woman he'd ever been with. The first time he'd seen her, she was waltzing into his little brother's frat house to pick up her wayward sister, who just so happened to be in Mark Finn's bed. Riley had intervened when Buffy threatened to rip out Mark's ribcage and wear it as a hat. They were inseparable after that.

* January 6, 2004 *

Riley helped himself to a cup of coffee from his brother's pot. He'd just arrived at the ATO frat house to take his little brother Mark to breakfast, only to be told that Mark was…preoccupied. With some brunette named Dawn.

Riley had never been one for sleeping around. He wanted the connection that came from knowing the person you were sleeping with. It just seemed to make everything that much better. Mark, however, was the very definition of a man-whore. He fucked everything in a skirt and loved it. He said the variety kept him on his toes.

Riley heard a few boys wolf-whistle and then the distinct click of heels against the tile floor. Riley wondered if it was this Dawn girl doing the walk of shame until he saw a flash of honey colored hair.

"Dawn Summers. About this tall, skinny, legs for days, brunette. Where is she?" Riley's lips quirked in a smile. Whoever this woman was, she knew how to make demands. He moved to the doorway of the kitchen and watched as the surprisingly petite blonde stood with her arms crossed over her chest, one perfectly shaped eyebrow arched in question.

Several of the frat boys shrugged either honestly not knowing or too scared to tell.

"Up the stairs, fourth door on the left," a dark haired boy said with a leer. The woman's eyes narrowed slightly before she turned on her heel and marched up the stairs. Riley followed a discreet distance behind in case his brother needed back-up.

The blonde didn't even bother knocking, just threw open the door. Riley saw that Dawn and Mark were in a…compromising position before Dawn shrieked and scrambled to cover herself with the sheets.

"Dawn Summers, you get your ass dressed and into the car right now. And you, you little shit, if I ever see you near my sister again I swear to God I will pull out your ribcage and wear it as hat."

Riley bit his lip to keep from laughing and decided to intervene for his brother.

"Miss? I'm Riley Finn. This 'little shit' is my brother. Why don't we give them a chance to get dressed while we head downstairs and talk?" The woman arched an eyebrow as she gave Riley a once-over. She didn't smile, but her eyes softened, which Riley took as a good sign.

"Five minutes, Dawn," she snapped, before letting Riley lead the way.

* Present *

"Riley?" Riley shook his head to clear his thoughts and met Buffy's gaze.

"What, sweetie?"

"I asked if you would please hail us a cab while Willow and I visit the restroom."

"Uh, sure." Buffy flashed him a polite smile and dragged Willow away.

"So, you know how we all agreed to meet for dinner once you and Riley got into town?" Willow asked. Buffy nodded. Their entire group of friends from high school had agreed to wait until everyone was back in town to get together, Buffy and Riley were the last to arrive.

"Sure." Buffy raked her fingers through her hair, trying to give it a little more body after hours on the plane.

"And you also know that Faith and Spike are married now?" Buffy laughed, unsure where her eccentric friend was headed with the conversation.

"Again, sure. I may have had too much to drink, but I at least remember a little bit of the wedding." Willow let out a sharp bark of laughter and then made a strange choking sound.

"Well, Faith refuses to come to dinner without Spike, and Spike refuses to show without…his brother."

Buffy was careful not to let any emotion, positive or negative, show on her face. She evenly applied a thin layer of lip gloss and then flashed Willow a smile.

"Will, Angel and I haven't seen or spoken to each other in ten years, and I'm happily married. I'm over it, he's over it. Who cares if he comes to dinner? The more, the merrier."

"Oh good. I was so afraid that you wouldn't be okay with this. I mean, I know you've moved on and everything, but he hurt you and I wasn't…I'm just glad you're okay with it."

Buffy smiled at Willow once again, to prove to her best friend that Angelus Roarke had no hold over her any more.

That was a big, fat lie.

* April 23, 1999 *

Buffy collapsed on top of Angel, stretching lazily and grinning up at him like a Cheshire cat. Her honey of a boyfriend was still breathing heavily as he opened his eyes and leered at her.

"You just get better every time, you know that?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her and securing her tightly to his chest.

"Mmm, I have the most amazing teacher. He's tall and sexy and blond…"

"What?!" Angel roared as his grip on Buffy tightened. She giggled, burying her face in her chest.

"Relax, baby, I'm just trying to make you jealous. You know there's no one but you," Buffy smirked. She kissed him deeply.

"Damn straight there's no one but me. Come on, I'd better get you home before Momma Summers screams for my head on a stake."

"You know my mother loves you Angel."

"Right, her icy glare just screams love." Buffy laughed, pulling her now fully dressed body against Angel's and pulling his face down to hers.

"Seriously, love, my mother doesn't hate you. She just doesn't understand you." Such was Angel's curse. Looking from the outside in, Angelus Roarke was scary. His quiet demeanor and tall, broad body coupled with eyes that could burn holes through steel and dark clothing made even the toughest man cower in fear.

Those who were in Angel's privileged inner circle saw an entirely different side of him. He was easy going with a sharp wit and a generous heart. He would die for any of his friends. And of course, his beautiful blond girlfriend had him completely and absolute wrapped around her little finger.

"She might if she made even a tiny effort," Angel groused. Buffy sighed, knowing she wasn't going to placate Angel when it came to her mother. Lacing her fingers through his, Buffy allowed Angel to lead her to his Beamer.

"So, did you decide on a school yet?" Buffy asked, trying to sound casual and failing miserably. It was getting to that point where everyone Buffy knew was deciding on a college…except Angel. He'd been tight lipped through the entire process, refusing to even discuss it with Buffy.

"No."

"Angel, when are you going to let me in? Seriously, we've never let something this big go un-discussed. Please, just tell me what you're thinking." Buffy hated playing the part of the needy, whiney girlfriend. Throughout her entire four year relationship with Angel, she'd prided herself on the fact that they had lives and interests independent of one another. She'd never begged for anything, and neither had he. Until now. Now, she was begging for him to give her even a hint of what his plans for the future were.

"Buffy…I haven't decided…"

"Bullshit, Angel!" Buffy cried, her anger raising a few notches. "You've never, ever been one to leave something until the last minute. What the hell is going on?"

Angel sighed. This was not a conversation he wanted to have. He had hoped to wait until after graduation, but Buffy was forcing his hand. And it was going to bite her in the ass.

"Alright, fine. I decided on Yale." Buffy's face lit up, the exact opposite reaction Angel had expected.

"Angel, that's great! Why didn't you want to tell me?" Easing his car to the curb in front of Buffy's house, he turned to face her, running his fingertips over her face.

"Because, Buffy…God this is the last thing I want to do. I think that once we head off to college, we should take a break. You'll be in L.A. and I'll be across the country, and I don't want you to have to be tied down." Angel's heart broke as Buffy's face fell. He could see the absolute confusion in her eyes.

"What?"

"Buffy, you're gorgeous and smart and funny and I can't justify forcing you to stay with me when we'll only get to see each other a few times a year. I love you…"

"Don't. Stop. Don't…you can't possibly mean that. Angel, you know that not once in the entire time you've known me have you been able to force me to do anything. If I didn't want to be 'tied down' I wouldn't be. Angel…I want my life to be with you."

Angel took a deep, shaking breath, wondering not for the first time if he was making the right decision. He loved the girl in front of him with every fiber of his being, but he wasn't what she needed. Her mother was right to hate him. Darkness like him didn't deserve light like Buffy.

He cupped her cheek, smoothing the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone, and looked into her eyes. He hoped she could see how much he loved her and how it was breaking his heart to hurt her.

He leaned in, brushing his lips against hers, pulling her closer and nipping at her bottom lip until she opened for him. He swept his tongue inside, trying to memorize the taste of her, the exact feel of her lips. She moaned and he pulled away slowly.

Resting his forehead against hers he took a second to make sure he could say what had to be said.

"I don't."

* Present *

Buffy shook her head clear of the memories, determined not to let anyone know that Angel's rejection still hurt. She'd been a wreck for months after that night, not sleeping, not eating, and not talking to the people in her life. Angel bowed out of the group, choosing instead to spend the last few months of his senior year in solitude.

Once Buffy headed off to UCLA, she was like a new person. Instead of the bubbly, emotionally transparent girl she had been, Buffy turned into an aloof, sexy, and totally mysterious woman. Not one of the men she was involved with after Angel got to know the real Buffy.

"Ready?" Riley asked as he held the cab door open for Buffy and Willow. Buffy slipped into the cab behind Willow, situating herself between her best friend and her husband. Riley slung his arm over her shoulder and settled in for the two hour drive to Sunnydale.