A/N: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Whedon. All we own is a wicked obsession with both.

For AngelinaBallerina17...always.

(Edward)

I held Buffy in my arms as she slept peacefully against my chest, with a thick comforter between us to protect her from the chill of my skin.

She only stirred once through the night, when her dreams shifted from their pleasant, carefree scenes to one of her standing before a great, swirling vortex, a bloodied sword at her feet and tears streaming down her face.

Distressed but unforgivably curious, I had watched as she dropped to her knees and began to cry hysterically. Then much to my surprise, I walked into the dream and offered her my hand. Sniffling and swallowing thickly, she took it and rose, allowing me to wipe the wetness from her cheeks with the very tips of my cold fingers. Her eyes closed and a small smile graced her lips when my skin touched hers, and then we both leaned forward slowly to capture a kiss. The vortex behind her shimmered as our mouths met passionately, exploding into a thousand tiny stars that melted to dust as they hit the ground. Buffy turned her head to where the source of her anguish had once taunted her, and then looked back to me with a bright and happy smile on her face. Leaving it all behind, we walked hand in hand from the room and out into the darkened streets, disappearing into the distance as everything behind us began to burn.

The sun was just now starting to rise behind the ever-present clouds in Forks, but Buffy slept on, oblivious to my strife as I replayed her dream over and over in my head.

I knew from the moment we met that some sadness and guilt was festering inside her; it was always there at the forefront of her thoughts, peeking through but never fully revealing itself. Now it seemed from her dream that she had managed to leave behind the memories that haunted her, and that somehow I had helped unknowingly.

What did that mean for her? For me? For us?

Sadly, I knew the answer to that question already. There could never be an 'us'. She had a destiny to fulfill in California, killing monsters and saving the world from evil, while I had my life to live here, too. Buffy couldn't abandon her duty to stay with me, while neither could I leave my family to go with her. As much as it pained me to admit it, we just weren't meant to be.

I was sure there had to be a reason fate brought us together, though, even for this brief time. Why did we end up meeting here in this gloomy little town? What were we to each other?

Buffy stirred just then, groaning softly and pressing her body against mine as she snuggled deeper into my embrace.

"Did I snore?" she mumbled. "Or say anything embarrassing in my sleep?"

"No," I replied with a chuckle.

"Oh good," she breathed. "It's hard enough trying to control my thoughts around you when I'm awake...sleep is a whole 'nother realm of impossible for me."

I laughed but quickly sobered in response to her statement. "You don't have to hide from me, you know. I care about you; I would never judge you for who you are, or what you think about, or..." I hesitated. "...what you've done."

Buffy pulled away from me slowly, sitting up and looking straight into my eyes. "What did you see?" she asked quietly.

I swallowed nervously, hoping to heaven that I hadn't just ruined everything by opening my big mouth, but something told me that we needed to talk about this. "You were dreaming."

"About...?"

"A room, and...a sword, and this swirling...thing...that looked like a portal into another world or something."

Buffy looked down at her hands and took a deep, shuddery breath. "I'm over it," she thought. "I can do this." I hesitated, not wanting to upset her, but after a moment she met my eyes again and nodded for me to continue.

Clearing my throat, I said softly, "You were crying."

She licked her lips and then smiled sadly. "That's nothing new. I've cried a lot because of...what happened."

When she didn't elaborate, I brought my hand up to stroke her cheek reassuringly. "You can tell me. You don't have to if it's too hard, but, I'm here for you. You can trust me."

"I want to. I do."

"You can," I replied to her unspoken words.

"I killed him," she blurted out, surprising me. "I loved him, but he wasn't...good anymore. He lost his soul and did terrible things to us...to me. Then he opened a portal to hell, and the only way to close it again was with his blood. So, I did what I had to. I sent him to hell on the end of a sword. Only, Willow restored his soul just before I did it - Willow's a witch, by the way - so he was back to himself when it happened. He didn't remember what he had done; he didn't understand why I had to do it. The look in his eyes when I stabbed him...I thought it would haunt me forever."

I swallowed thickly. "Buffy, I...I don't...I'm so sorry you had to..."

"But then," she interrupted, pressing a finger to my lips to silence me, "I met you. And you showed me that it was possible to feel good again - to accept who I am and what I do, and to deal with the past and move on. So I did. I'm happy for the first time in so long, and it feels incredible. Thank you...for helping me get there. I owe you so much. I just wish there was some way to return the favour."

I laughed incredulously. "Are you kidding me? You have no idea what you've done for me, do you? Before you came along, I was this bored, brooding, lonely vampire who didn't think happiness existed for him. But now...I know what it's like to be excited, and to laugh and really mean it, and to just...feel. You've taught me how to live."

"Really?" Buffy asked timidly. "I did all that for you? Wow. I didn't know, but...I'm glad."

"The two of us make quite a pair," I replied with a grin. "There we were, two legends just drifting through life, lost in our own heartache and despair. But then, through some strange twist of fate, we found each other. And without knowing it or even meaning to, we healed."

Buffy tilted her head to the side, a small smile playing on her lips and her eyes shining with what I hoped were happy tears. "That's...beautiful," she whispered, swallowing thickly as her emotions threatened to spill over. "Everything about you is beautiful...inside and out."

I smiled back at her. "You know, if you had said that to me two days ago I would have laughed bitterly and reminded you that my face was just the mask hiding the monster within. Now though, I feel like maybe I do have something good to offer the world. Maybe I am meant for something greater; maybe I'm actually meant to find peace and happiness."

"Of course you are, and you will," Buffy declared. "I can't think of anyone more deserving of happiness than you." Her smile faded and she looked down at her hands, prompting me to gently nudge her chin up with my fingers and look into her eyes imploringly." I just...I wish I could share it with you," she said sadly.

"Me too," I replied softly. "But I think we both know that simply isn't possible."

"Yeah...we'll always have Forks, though."

I chuckled. "That, we will. Come on, let's find you some nourishment and then I'll help you pack up. I can't believe you brought this much stuff for a few days up north!"

Buffy climbed out of bed and brought her hands to her hips, eyeing me in mock offense. "Well excuse me for liking to be prepared! I never know what I'm going to come up against when I'm on the prowl..."

I couldn't help myself. I raised an eyebrow and smirked at her unintended double entendre. Her eyes went wide and her cheeks flushed as she realized what I was getting at. "Oh...Oh! Ugh, you are such a man!" she exclaimed, pretending to be outraged while trying to hold back her giggles.

Game on. "I'll take that as a compliment," I retorted, grinning from ear to ear as I leapt from the bed and swept her into my arms, throwing her over my shoulder after a quick kiss of her lips. "Edward hungry. Want Buffy!" I growled caveman style, then proceeded to stomp out of the room and into the kitchen.

Buffy was laughing hysterically as I set her on the counter and began rummaging through the cupboards. "Ok...food for the human... Oh! How about some cereal? Special K?"

"Sure, sounds great," she replied, watching me in amusement as I fumbled with the milk and splashed some on the countertop. I wasn't very practiced in the kitchen. I should probably learn to cook in case the occasion ever arose, I decided. It certainly couldn't hurt.

"Thanks," Buffy said awkwardly as I set the bowl and a spoon down in front of her. "What about you, though? Are you...uh, hungry?"

It had been three days since I'd hunted, but the last thing on my mind right now was my thirst. I had much more important things to attend to. "Oh, I'm hungry, all right, but I'll satisfy my...craving...once you've been fed," I finished with a wink.

"You're insatiable," Buffy breathed, but then her mouth twisted into a wicked grin and she stuffed a heaping spoonful into her mouth.

It was strangely erotic to watch her devour her meal, and I swallowed thickly when she slurped the last bit of milk from the bowl and wiped her lips with her backs of her fingers. Time for dessert.

I spent the rest of the morning memorizing everything about Buffy – the feel of her warm skin under my fingertips, the sweet and spicy smell that was strongest at the hollow of her throat, the way goosebumps popped up across her belly as I kissed a path down her tender flesh.

Her thoughts told me she was doing the same as her hands roamed my back and she kissed the hard planes of my face, and I marvelled at how it felt to know that someone could feel such intensity for me. That someone like her could care for me, maybe even love me.

I loved her.

I did.

I wasn't in love with her, but I knew that given the chance, I could have been. I would have been.

I couldn't dwell on 'what if's' and 'should have's' or 'could have's', though, not when we were so close to the end; not when I had to say goodbye. I had to let her go.

Buffy moaned and shuddered against me as we shared the pleasure of our bodies for the very last time, and then I held her close to me, stroking her hair and feeling her heart beat strongly against my chest.

After a time, I looked up at the clock on the wall and noticed that the morning was fast becoming afternoon. "What time is your flight home?" I asked quietly, knowing that our time together was nearly gone.

"Three o'clock," she replied, lifting her head to check the time for herself. "Crap. I guess I'd better get packing. My mom would totally wig if I missed the plane."

I pulled her into a tight embrace, basking in her warmth one last time, and then released her so we could stand from the couch and re-dress. "Okay, let's get's moving then," I sighed.

Considering the insane amount of clothing and weapons she had brought for this short stay, we managed to get everything of hers packed and ready within a reasonable amount of time. I took a quick walk through the now mostly-empty apartment to look for anything we might have missed, and then came back into the bedroom. Buffy's overflowing suitcase was sitting on the bed, and she was sitting on top of it, bouncing up and down while struggling to pull the zipper closed. "Damn it...why...won't...you...close?!" she muttered in annoyance.

I grinned in amusement and made my way to her side. "Here, let me help." She took my outstretched hand and climbed down from the suitcase so I could have a go at it. I pressed down gently – well, gently for me – on the top and pulled the zipper closed easily.

"Oh, sure. Why don't you just go ahead and make me look like a complete wuss?" Buffy joked, but then she turned to me with a smile. "Really, though...thanks. I might never have gotten that thing closed without your super-strength. Who knew having a vampire around would come in so handy?"

I snorted at her teasing. "No problem. Do you have any jars that need opening before I go?"

Buffy laughed. "Jars, I can handle, but thanks."

I didn't doubt that she could. Before I met Buffy, I had always thought that humans were weak and fragile creatures, and especially their females. She proved me wrong, though. Buffy was anything but weak, and a far cry from fragile. She was tough and strong, both physically and emotionally. I knew she could handle anything the world threw at her. She would be all right; she would go on. We both would.

A glint of silver caught my eye as I glanced around the room. I moved over to the dresser, reaching behind it to pull out a long silver chain that had half fallen down the back before getting caught on a loose nail.

Buffy gasped as I lifted the necklace and held it with the small crucifix charm dangling in front of my face. "Be careful! That's..."

"Pretty," I replied, dropping it into my palm and turning it over to examine it.

"Pretty..." she breathed. "Right. Pretty - that's exactly what I was going to say." She sounded dazed.

I looked up. "What? Did I miss something? Or say something wrong?"

"Nope. You're just...full of surprises."

"Oh. Ohhh...you mean the cross, right?" I shook my head. "Crosses don't affect me. Neither does holy water for that matter. Or swords, or stakes through the heart."

"Yeah, I learned that last one first hand," Buffy quipped. "As far as I know, there's almost nothing out there that can hurt you."

I smiled sadly, crossing the room to her side and folding the necklace into her hand. "Almost nothing," I repeated, "except for your leaving. That hurts. A lot."

Buffy's lips trembled as tears spilled from her eyes. "I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to..."

"Don't," I said softly, wiping the wetness from her cheeks with my thumbs. I held her face as my mouth sought hers, kissing her gently. "Don't be sorry. As much as it pains me to say goodbye to you, I'm not sorry about anything. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Ditto," Buffy replied, wrapping her arms around me tightly and looking up into my eyes. "I'll miss you."

"Ditto," I echoed, and we both smiled.

Reluctantly pulling away from our embrace, I picked up her suitcases and carried them to the front door. "Can I drive you to the airport? I can run and get my car..."

"Thanks, but I think I stand a better chance of actually getting on the plane if you're not there," she said.

I understood completely. It was taking every ounce of my strength to make myself walk away. "Okay, well...have a safe trip, and keep in touch."

"I will," she promised.

We both knew that wasn't going to happen, though. We had to move on. Once we had each gone our separate ways, there would be no coming back. We would remember each other fondly, but that was all. This was the end of anything that we might have been.

"Goodbye, Buffy," I said, leaning forward and placing a final kiss on her forehead.

"Goodbye, Edward," she whispered, and then I was gone, closing the door behind me with a soft click.

My feet carried me down the hallway and out into the gloomy Forks day without my even realizing it. I was numb. Despaired. Heartbroken. I made my way through the streets and to the edge of town in a daze, not even feeling my limbs until I walked into the forest and broke into a run.

I ran so fast the trees were a blur as I raced by, even to my keen vampire sight. I wanted leave it all behind, to get as far away from the pain as I could, but of course, it stayed heavy in my dead heart as I jogged to a stop in front of our large house.

Alice was waiting for me. I should have known.

"Hey, Edward," she said as I walked up and sat beside her on the front steps. "You okay?"

"No," I replied honestly.

She nodded and rested her head on my shoulder. "I know, but you will be. There's been a shift in your future."

I watched the vision play out in her mind. A beautiful young brunette was walking into my Biology classroom and sitting down at my table. She smiled at me. I glared at her. She didn't look at me again.

"Alice...what was that?" I asked, confused as to how this could be a good thing. All I got out of what she had seen was that I was a big, fat jerk.

"I'm not sure," she replied, "but it's good. It just...feels right. You're going to be happy, Edward. Soon."

"You saw that and have determined my future happiness...but you couldn't have given me some kind of warning about the girl who just turned my life upside down and righted it all in the same day?" I asked incredulously.

"Ugh. Don't even get me started on that!" Alice grumbled. "Something as huge as the Slayer coming to Forks and I don't see even one little speck of it beforehand? That's just not right, Edward. It's not right at all. And to make things worse, I completely lost any sight of you when you were with her. It seriously freaked me out. I was so relieved to finally see you on your way home."

"Don't sweat it, short stuff," I teased. "Buffy is a force unlike anything I've ever seen. I'm sure she has all kinds of defences and tricks up her sleeve."

Alice sat up straight and her head whipped around to meet my gaze. "Defences? Oh my goodness, that's it! She must have some kind of block that I couldn't see around because I'm a vampire! Yes! That makes so much sense! I have to go talk to Carlisle!" She kissed me quickly on the cheek before disappearing into the house, one last thought reaching me as she ran up the stairs. "Thanks, Edward!"

I smiled and leaned back against the step, replaying the vision of the brunette girl over and over in my mind. Alice said I was going to be happy soon, and somehow my happiness was linked to her. I watched again as she walked into the classroom and smiled as she sat down beside me, only this time I imagined myself grinning back and politely introducing myself.

Yes, that was better.

A/N: EPOV has been brought to you by the ever insane maniacalmuse :)

When Sherri and I first spoke about me writing an Edward/ Buffy story for her, she told me she wanted to see how he would react to a tough, strong, confident girl rather than one who was pitifully shy and constantly in need of rescue. So I thought about her idea for a while, and eventually decided that if that was what she was looking for, then this story would need to be told as closely to canon as possible. I then took Sherri's idea to my soul-sister, AngelGoddess1981, and not only was she was right on board with my vision, she agreed that this story was the perfect opportunity for us to finally collaborate! Since Sherri had bid on one-shots from both of us in the FGB author auction, so we asked how she would feel about getting a co-authored multi-chapter story rather than two separate little ones. Much to our delight, she agreed! We plotted the story out right then and there, and Lost Legends was born!

My main vision for Lost Legends was to create a "what if" situation in where Edward and Buffy cross paths in their respective canon universes. Obviously, being pre-Twilight, Edward had yet to meet Bella and therefore was reacting to his feelings for a woman (Buffy) for the first time. Only in this case, rather than falling for the ridiculously meek, shy and accident-prone Bella, he was faced with a girl who was tough as nails and not afraid to kick ass first and take names later. (Not to mention her Slayer strength and quick healing.)

Now, I know that most of you are probably disappointed that Edward and Buffy didn't run off into the sunset holding hands while bunnies and unicorns dashed after them (I'm looking at you, Sherri ;)) but let me tell you why we didn't go that route with this story. It just didn't feel right to us. Writing a crossover was fun, but with the way we stuck so closely to their canon personalities, locations, timelines, etc...it just didn't make sense to us to have them end up together. That wasn't their fates. To us, this story was more of an interlude in their respective universes.

So with all that in mind, how do you think their meeting and short relationship might have affected how he viewed and handled his feelings for Bella? Would everything in the Twilight series have gone the same way, or would his newfound outlook on life have changed things? I'm very interested to know your thoughts regarding my idea, so please, please, please review!!

AngelinaBallerina17...I can't even express how touched I was that you would pay good money to an incredible cause just to have me spew my nonsense for you. I sincerely hope you're happy with how Lost Legends played out, and that I'll continue to see you around the FFdom! It's been an absolute blast writing and sharing this story with all of you. Major thanks to everyone who read and reviewed along the way, and endless love to AG1981 for being everything that she is! I love you forever, Ang!

As always - Thanks for reading!! Please review!!

xoxo,

maniacalmuse

"Grrr...Argh!" ;)