I appreciate all the reviews I get. Unfortunately the site will only let me reply to reviewers who have a fanfiction account, so, I'm replying to rest of the reviewers in this pre-post note.

Someone asked if this vignette was based on David Boreanaz's film "Mr. Fix It." While I've seen the movie, I didn't have it in mind when I wrote the Sergio scenes. Angel is helping Sergio purely because he relates to his situation. As a supernatural creature, Angel feels if he can't have the human of his dreams, at least, he can help others get theirs.

A couple people have sent me messages asking when my next chapter will be posted. My habit is to post every Sunday. Reason posts are so far a part is that it prevents having chapter posts every two weeks and then nothing for five months.

A lot of you have been wondering when Buffy and Angel are going to move things along. Everything with them right now is blurry and undefined and nothing is getting resolved, but don't you worry folks, next weeks chapter and the one's following will definitely move things along. Little teaser: the next chapter is titles "What matters most."

Chapter 14: Avoiding Regret

"So he's a god."

The others looked as stunned as Angel felt.

"No hell dimension could fit his essence."

Buffy frowned. "What does that even mean?"

Wesley mused, "Yet another facet of the mystery which is Usmu."

The door to Angel's office opened, and a bewildered Ally came into view. Without sparing anyone a glance, she walked out the front door .

Before they could call to her, Buffy stood up whispering, "I got this one." Wesley gave her a warning look to which she mock-scowled. "Don't be a worry-watcher."

He pouted but made no further attempt to dissuade her.

Buffy followed her out of the office and across the street. If Cordelia was present, Wesley and Angel would not have watched so obviously, but with no fear of patronizing reproach, they both sat by the window and watched the womenin the waning light.

Once Allison reached the other side of the street, her pace slowed. Even pregnant, Buffy caught up to her quickly. They walked side by side for a few steps.

"I can't even remember what I saw in him."

Brushing her arm, Buffy brought her to a halt. "You saw a great guy who genuinely cares about you."

"He wasn't . . ."

"what he said he was? Everyone has secrets. He just wanted to trust you before revealing his."

She leaned against the wall wearily. "You ever hear this kind of secret?"

"I've loved a demon with an evil past and a man with a bad one." She smiled faintly. "so yeah."

"I'm sorry. . . I understand you lost someone"

"A lot of someones actually. That's probably why I care so much about this."

They both turned as they heard Sergio leaving the office. Without looking over at them, he started in the opposite direction.

"You think I should talk to him."

Buffy spoke carefully. "I think you should listen to him and then listen to yourself"

Ally continued to watch his retreating figure warily. "How do you know?"

Buffy frowned at her vagueness.

She elaborated. "How do you know who to trust?"

In Ally's expression, Buffy saw every aspect of her own struggle. "As a rule, I try and judge people by what they do not what they are."

With that, Buffy returned to the office without looking back. It literally wasn't her business anymore what happened next.

Entering, she heard the creaking of the elevator. Apparently, Angel caught on to her preference for minimal interaction, or he had something else to take care of - she never knew which these days.

"Do you think they'll work things out?"

Wesley felt her watching him watch Ally. He pitied them both. "She probably won't try to kill him again, but no, I wouldn't bet on that pair."

"It makes me sad for her and him and everyone else like them."

Her sympathy surprised him. "You have a big heart."

When he turned away from the window, he found her looking at the elevator. "I used to feel cheated - still do sometimes, but I had more than most. Me and mine took the chance. For the small time we were given, we loved completely."

"By we, you mean . . ."

She heard the challenge to say it aloud and she rose to it. "Angel, Lindsey, even Tyler from ninth grade."

"Right then." He blushed, a bit embarrassed for testing her.

"Fear isn't what did us in. I'm alone now because tragedy happens to just about everyone."

"So, you would do things the same."

She paused. "I don't know, but I don't regret them."

"That's not a consistent answer."

"My relationships ended with a sociopath, death, and partial amnesia. I'm not sure my significant others really benefited from our time together. "

Wesley shook his head. "Because of you, Angel cares about humanity and fights for the Powers that Be. As for Mr. McDonald. He gained the courage to stand up to organized evil."

All she could do was shrug. "Hence the inconsistency. I can't say with confidence that it was all worth it. But because there were some good results, I can't regret it either."

She began collecting her things and prepared to leave.

"Earlier, you said you pride yourself on acting in spite of fear."

Her movements slowed. "That is very close to not being what I said but yeah."

"So your avoiding Angel recently has nothing to do with fear. Unlike Ms. Rhodes you're willing to hear him out."

She made a clucking sound and shifted her purse on her shoulder. "Well, aren't you a sneaky conversationalist."

"I'm not trying to pressure you."

She held her coat tightly. "Yes you are."

He looked chagrined. "Alright, I am, but I won't force the issue. "

"Noted and appreciated."

He watched her leave their office with her head lowered and mind busy.

On her way, she passed Ally who had yet to move from her position across the street.

Taking a seat on Buffy's bench, he waited for Ally to make her decision. When the first stars appeared, she finally did.

From a darkened office, Wesley watched Allyson turn in Sergio's direction.

He smiled to himself. When she found him, she might say goodbye; she might even try killing him again, but for now, there was hope for both their happiness.

Finding herself in an emptied room, Buffy imagined all the ways she could kill her coworkers, and she plotted shamelessly, for they'd left her in a nightmare she couldn't wake from. Sure, they'd made the occasional joke, but she never thought they'd follow through.

She stood before the closed door and suppressed a cringe. She couldn't walk away out of fear; this was still her job. Summoning supernatural reserves of courage, she pushed the door open slowly.

"Hey."

Angel raised his brows in surprise. "Buffy, hey."

She fidgeted nervously. "Cordelia forgot she had an audition today so she hurried out of here a little while ago and Wes went off in search of some Kodex thingy but didn't say when to expect him back, and there are things for you."

"Okay." He suppressed the urge to smile at her ramble.

"Here's the info from the police report along with possible demon matches from our research."

"Thanks."

Relieved to have completed the task, she nodded and turned around. She stepped away quickly but halted in the doorway. She craved distance from the situation, but something kept her close.

While Angel perceived her struggle, he didn't comment preferring, instead, to stare blankly at the paper she gave him and await outcome of her internal battle.

Her steady retreating footsteps declared him the loser.

He felt acute disappointment. He through himself a pity which her returning voice interrupted.

"I've been doing my own research for a while now - about demons, upcoming apocalypses and such."

"So light reading."

She smiled slightly. "Anyways, I came across this book." She held up a wood-bound text. "It has prophecies; it's kinda dense and missing key passages, but from what I could make out, some of them have to do with you."

"Me?" He found this conversation disorienting.

"The devil with a light which cages his darkness' Wes mentioned you were asking questions about your purpose, your destiny? This might help."

"Thank you." She turned away abruptly as he flipped through it. "Wait, Buffy, this is ancient Sumerian."

Again, she was stopped in the doorway. "Uh huh."

"Did Giles teach you?"

His neutral question put her at ease. "When Giles knew me, I was barely passing French." She leaned against the wall casually. "No, my book knowledge is a post-Sunnydale phenomena."

"I'm impressed."

"Don't be. I'm not fluent in anything and still suck at French. I can just get the gisty-side of some stuff now."

"Like ancient Sumerian prophecies?"

"And Italian fashion magazines among other things." Her eyes twinkled.

He looked down at the unique text and then back to her. "Thank you."

"What are secretaries for?" Her eyes retained their mirth. "Well, be seeing you."

Captivated by their exchange, he paused before echoing back, "Be seeing you," but having already left, she didn't hear him.

Still, her random visit left his insides feeling lighter.

That week, a god and a girl conversed in this room, and now, a slayer and vampire had too.

As it did for his clients, the conversation left open the possibility that maybe their story wasn't doomed. She still showed him consideration, so the end couldn't be imminent. In fact, from his vantage, it looked dim and far away.

Running his hands over wooden text, Angel smiled and glanced at the mug on his desk. It displayed a picture of Wes and Cordelia on it. As a gift, Cordelia had it made and wrote on the bottom: How about a raise?

Contemplating his team's smiling faces, he smirked. "Thanks guys."

Their scurrying away gave him and Buffy an opportunity to talk, and Buffy used it to give him an opportunity to hope.

Tomorrow could be better than today, and that's more than he could say for yesterday. He knew he was one lucky demon to have such a team.