This mist had become thinner as the bright sunlight glow softened over the horizon. The childish laughter in the far distance was no longer thought to be a mistake. The small figures grew closer with each step.

Buffy collapses to her knees as the laughing children came closer and closer towards her. They ran at a sprinting pace. Buffy held out her arms wide, ready to catch them and fall to the grassy ground filled with incredible joy.

A small smile tugs at her lips. Finally, her children returned home.

Galway, Ireland 2001

O'Connor Cottage Museum

Buffy's eyes flew open with a gasp as her heart raced in her chest. She eased her rapid breath's as she took in her surroundings. All of the memories of the previous day rushed back into her mind like a hurricane. She turned her eyes to the thin sheet wrapped around her naked body.

Wondering if it had all been just her imagination and she was still back with Liam and the children, Buffy turned her chin to the sleeping mass beside her. Angel slept soundly on his stomach, with his face buried in the feathered pillow. His hair was short and spiked in all sorts of directions.

It wasn't a dream. Buffy determined. Angel and I are in Ireland to find our kids and then we… Buffy's frown deepened recalling the events which led up to this exact moment.

She was standing at the window looking out to the town below the hill. Buffy remembered thinking, 'The lights are so bright' and then Angel entered the bedroom. He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She remembered his cool lips against her neck and the feeling of just wanting to melt in his arms but the voice in her mind kept screaming at her to stop and she tried. She really tried, but as soon as his mouth connected with hers, it was game over. She needed him. She missed him so much. She needed to feel him.

Looking over towards the window, Buffy's eyes shifted down to the wooden floor to see the midnight blue wrap dress pooled on the floor.

Taking a deep breath, Buffy sat up on the bed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She looked down to the large button-down shirt that was clearly Angel's. She wrapped it around her naked body and stood from the bed, careful not to wake him.

As she buttoned down the shirt, Buffy stepped towards the window just as the sun was beginning to rise. Holding her hands around the heavy curtains, Buffy felt a jolt of sadness. The memories of her dream felt so real, she could've sworn it was the honest reality. The pure awe when she saw Angel standing in board daylight to the overwhelming happiness listening to her children's laughter. She wanted to cry with joy when she held them in her arms again.

Blinking herself from the memory of her dream, Buffy closed the curtains and walked out of the master bedroom leaving Angel alone.


Softly walking down the dark hallway, careful not to step on the creaks of the floor, Buffy found herself standing at the closed door of Katie's bedroom.

Taking a deep breath, Buffy wrapped her hand around the doorknob and entered the room. She smiled to herself easily picturing her young daughter sitting in the centre of the bed, reading everything she could possibly get her hands on. Buffy stepped to the bed running her fingers over the last book her daughter had been reading the day she sent them to the McCale's.

Suddenly a feeling washed over her. It was a familiar feeling; one of dread and panic. Buffy's eyes snapped up from the book and she whirled around, immediately on edge.

The inner instincts of the Slayer swirled in the pit of her stomach and tingled at her fingertips. Pushing down her panic, Buffy's eyes scanned the room for a moment. She then went to Katie's wardrobe, opening the door. She eyed the undisturbed, centuries-old dresses. Buffy took one of the dress from its wooden hanger and tossed the fragile piece of clothing onto the bed. She pulled out the metal hook of the hanger and snapped the wooden hanger in half, creating a makeshift weapon.

Carefully, exiting Katie's bedroom, Buffy quietly stepped towards Connor's bedroom after noticing the door slightly ajar. Slowly, Buffy held her palm against the wooden door and pushed it open.

As the door opened, she saw Angel standing in the room, standing over Connor's bed. He was shirtless and only wearing a pair of his long black slacks.

She stood in the doorway, watching him carefully.

"I've dreamt of finding them over and over for hundreds of years. I imagined our reunion every day." Angel whispered holding Connor's teddy bear. "What I'd say or do was always different. But…" he stood tall, still holding the stuffed animal in his hands, "… the one thing that has always stayed consistent was… that I wanted to relive your pain over and over again as you watched me choke the life out of them." Angel slowly faced Buffy petting the top of the teddy bear's head. He lifted his chin exposing his demonic features in the low light illuminated by the small lap on the nightstand.

Buffy gripped the piece of wood tighter in her hand.

"Hello, lover." The two-worded phrase never failed to send a terrified tingle straight down Buffy's spine. "My, my, you've been a busy little bitch lately; Ruining lives, abandoning your own flesh and blood." Angelus features shifted to his handsome disguise. "Buf, how could you? How could do this to me?—To us?—To them?" He mocked her with sadness.

Angelus stepped towards her.

Buffy took a small cautious step backwards gripping the piece of wood.

Angelus' brown eyes eyed the weapon her hand, "Haven't you hurt me enough? You took our children, you let me die, you broke my heart." His sad eyes darkened with malicious amusement, "Those innocent and beautiful little souls don't deserve a mother that is a sadistic and manipulative monster like you."

Making no time to bask in her despair, Angelus attacked the Vampire Slayer with a force. Buffy defended herself but was unable to block to the right hook connecting with the side of her jaw.

Regaining her senses, Buffy glared up the Evil demon and followed his attack with a series of punches and kicks which sent him back into their sons' bedroom. Angelus flipped over the bed, landing on the ground with a thud. Buffy drew back to the piece of wood in her hand, aiming it at Angelus as he stood.

"You can't do it, lover. You've already sent me to hell once and then killed me again. Some might say, this is all your fault." Angelus grinned biting his bottom lip watching her pain swirl in the depths of her green eyes. "You can't take any more guilt."

"I've killed you twice," Buffy bravely spoke up with a sharp tongue, "why not a third time." She said with a shrug and whirled the piece of wood across the bedroom staking Angelus inches from his dead heart.

With surprise, Angelus looked down at the piece of wood impaled into his chest. The anger inside of him built and built before he growled lividly. "Fucking bitch!" Angelus pulled the piece of wood from his chest and Buffy made a run for it needing to get out of the cottage and into the daylight.

Angelus chucked the wood ignoring the blood spilling from his chest and went after his wife.

He was hot on her heels as he spirited down the hallway and down the stairs but stopped suddenly at the edge of the sunlight.

Buffy faced him standing at arm's length, bathed in the morning sun.

"Don't you leave!" Angelus commanded.

With a cocked brow, Buffy stepped down the final steps and grabbed the keys on a hook beside the door where winter cloaks and a tricorn hat once hung. Buffy opened the front door still protected by the sunlight. She glared angrily at Angelus and said, "While you're stuck upstairs, can you fix the bedroom door, it's creaking again." Buffy walked out of the cottage slamming the door behind her.

Angelus' demonic roars rattled the walls of the cottage.

Buffy kept her strength and opened the door of the rental car parked outside the cottage. She put the key in the ignition and sat back in the driver's seat for a moment letting everything soak over her. Tears slipped down her cheeks. Angelus is back… he's back… What did we do? Oh god, he's back… Buffy caught her shaky, tearful breath then looked over the steering wheel at the cottage. Her hand rested on her heart and felt a piece of paper tucked into the breast pocket on the oversized shirt she wore. Taking out the piece of paper, Buffy read the elegant scribble that was distinctly Angel's handwriting:

Maura Callaghan

45 Main Street

Building 3

Apartment 12

I have to find the kids before Angelus does.

Turning the key in the ignition, Buffy put the car into gear and reversed out of the dirt and pebble driveway. She sped off towards the main section of town with stone eyes of determination.


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