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I

There are days when Buffy wished she could stake Snyder right where his heart should be. She was convinced he had to be some kind of demon. Why else would he make her go to the guidance counselor on the same week of her birthday?

As Buffy gathered her books for the next class, she noticed a small box in her locker. She took out a green pendant. Assuming it was a late birthday present from Giles, Buffy put the necklace on, feeling a little bit better about the bad week she was having. Then she walked down the hallway to the guidance counselor's office, where woman with dark blonde (or was it light brown) colored hair sat waiting for her. Buffy took note of the nameplate: "Dr. A. Jenkins." At first, Buffy wasn't sure if she could trust the stranger in front of her, but she felt that desperate need to talk to someone, anyone who would pat her head and tell her that everything was going to be okay.

Without revealing the sordid details of her life as a Slayer and Angel's true self, Buffy confessed to having sex with her older boyfriend for the first time and how badly he treated her the morning after. Dr. Jenkins assured her that nothing that happened was Buffy's fault.

"We never had what you would call a normal relationship," Buffy said, staring into the fists she created on her lap. "I once told him that I wished that we could be regular kids."

"Do you still wish that?" Dr. Jenkins asked, staring into the green pendant around Buffy's neck.

"Yeah," Buffy said. "Yeah, I do. I wish that we could all just be regular kids."

The bell rang, signalling the start of the next class. Buffy jerked out of her seat, hoping that she'd make it to her next class. Before she left the office, she flashed a smile to Dr. Jenkins. "Thanks for listening."

Dr. Jenkins smiled back. "But of course!"

It wasn't until the door slammed behind Buffy that Anya Jenkins reverted into her true demonic form.

"Buffy Summers, consider your wish granted."

II

The first thing that Buffy noticed when she was patrolling the cemeteries was that she wasn't as fast or as strong as usual. It took a lot more work for her to fight the usual fledglings. Then, all of a sudden, a whole nest started chasing after her.

They chased her to a crypt and her back was against the wall.

All of a sudden, she saw Angel appearing behind them, stake in hand. With as much strength as he could muster, he staked a couple of the vampires. The distraction from Angel's entrance allowed Buffy the chance to gain the upper hand. Before long, all the vampires were dust.

Except for Angel.

"I don't know what you want, or why you chose to dust those vamps," Buffy said, gripping her stake. "But come any closer to me-"

And he did. Buffy held her hands out to stop him, to push him away before staking him and then felt something.

She felt a heartbeat underneath Angel's chest.

Lowering her stake, she stepped closer, leaned her ear into Angel's chest and listened to the steady sound of his heart.

"How?" Buffy asked as she looked up at him. "What?"

"I honestly don't know, Buffy," Angel said.

Buffy had a million questions swimming through her head. Was this the Angel she knew and loved? How did he get his soul back? How did he become human?

But one look in his eyes told her everything she wanted to know for the moment.

She dropped the stake and she pulled him close to her, kissing him with reckless abandon.

Just so you know, Buffy and Angel won't be kissing for long. Or be happy for long. Please like and review!